The Growing Caldwell Family

Sarah Graves is really using phrases more!  Last night she ran in the den and jumped on a chair shouting, "shark get me!"  I took the opportunity to rush over to her pretending to be a shark that was gobbling her up and giggles ensued!  I know we pointed out sharks at the aquarium, but I'm not sure where she learned that sharks are predators.  I love seeing her imagination. Last night, I sneezed and she responded with, "bless you, baba."  This morning she sneezed in the car with Pops and he didn't respond.  She told him, "Pops, bless you, Sarah."  She knew that she wanted someone to say it to her.  On Sunday I told her that we needed to get dressed for church and she looked at me and said, "No Baba, fish" meaning that she wanted to go back to the aquarium rather than church.  Once I affirmed that we were going to church and we would go to the aquarium another day she said, "play toys."  That's her church, playing with to...

Sarah Graves was delighted to see Lovie, Pops, and Aunt Nay over the weekend!  We had dinner with them Saturday night and she was in heaven.  Sunday they all came back by the house and Nay brought SG a surprise, a Hello Kitty balloon. We sing a Hello song at music and she has started singing it around the house.  The song goes Hello Sarah Graves, so glad to see you and she sings, "Hello Sarah, see you."  She sings it with everyone's name including her doll, Kate, and her friends at school!  It really is so cute!

I came across this product called Toe Blooms today and they just struck me as strange and probably not that comfy for a baby.  I love baby feet, especially those thick, pudgy ones with squishy toes!  I still kiss on SG's toes and she giggles.  These are meant to be a cute way to adorn your young baby's feet, but those straps just look like they wouldn't be comfy and those sweet feet don't need a lot of decoration.   I'd love to meet someone whose baby had them just to know if they were comfortable.  Who knows?  Maybe if I have another girl I will have a pair of these to match her every bow, you never know!

Pops came this weekend and put the final touches on the playset!  Sarah Graves was thrilled to be able to help him and she looks at it and says, "Sarah made this!"  She had a great time playing outside.  It was cold on Saturday, but she remembered that she had some Elmo gloves and insisted on going to get them!  Sunday the weather was a lot warmer and more comfortable for playing outside.  It was fun both days. She has decided this is her new favorite way to swing, superman style! Originally we weren't sure how old she would be when she could use something like a climbing wall, but as she demonstrated for us, she is ready now! I didn't get any pictures of her sliding, but she is really funny with it.  She likes to slide head first on her tummy, but she doesn't like face planting in the dirt at the end, as she did a few times.  She got smart; she  took her jacket off, would climb up with it, send it down the slide, and use it as a safe la...

I know they say every pregnancy is different, but I didn't anticipate quite how different the second time might be.  I try to focus on how grateful I am to be pregnant and that it really is a gift, but I have to say that on a daily basis I just don't feel good.  The last week or two I have started having back pain.  At first, I thought I slept in a funny position or something, but I quickly realized it wasn't going away.  Then, I went for a walk with a co-worker and by the time I was done I could hardly move without feeling sharp pain.  The pain is really low and not where I would normally expect to feel back pain.  I am definitely showing, but not so big that my balance would be thrown off or my posture impacted.  So, I did what I usually do, I went to the internet to see what I could find.  After doing some reading on a few sites I made the self-diagnosis of posterior pelvic pain .  The sacroiliac joint in the pelvis becomes loose when th...

Saturday morning, Aunt Nay came with us to music!  Sarah Graves is completely taken with Aunt Nay and asks for her at least once a day and many days it feels non-stop.  Anytime she sees Lucy run to the front door, she runs too shouting, "NAY NAY!"  So, it was a treat for her to come to music with us and then get some breakfast.   Who can go to Chick-Fil-A and not want to play!  She loves to climb up in the slide and she is pretty good at it now  For a long time I had to go up with her and maneuver through the climbing aparatus, but she does it on her own now.  It's a good thing too because I'm not sure I will fit in there in the next few months! This is probably the best full-body shot I am going to get of her in her cute Mardi Gras shirt that Lovie made for her.  It's a little girl wearing a mask up on a float and it is sooo cute!

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces ( about the size of an apple ). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut , she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the good...