The Growing Caldwell Family

Parenting is not easy and the older Sarah Graves gets, the more I realize how hard it is.  We struggle with things that I think are typical of toddlers: establishing her independence, pushing boundaries, two-year-old immaturity...the list goes on.    There are times when I don't like to be around her, like when she is in such a bad place crying and screaming.  Sometimes I realize there is no way we can go out and have a good time, but rather need to stay home and help her work through what she is feeling.  Yeah, that's the part of being a parent that isn't so fun and it's hard not to feel frustrated.  Those are the moments when a part of me wants to run!  Then, I offer that screaming, crying, little girl a hug and feel that wet face against my cheek and I am filled with so much love for her that I don't know what to do. I think what makes it seem really difficult is that we have chosen to parent in a way different from many around us and I frequ...

This guy flashes me smiles regularly, which I love, but I usually can't get them on camera.  Tonight we were at dinner and he was in the carrier next to me and just kept giving me huge smiles!  What a treat.

I can't believe it has been 7 weeks already!

I will forever love watching this video of her singing and being herself.  She thinks I am going to take her picture with the camera and doesn't realize I am videoing!

Charlie at six weeks old.

One of Sarah Graves' favorite foods is "cold fish stick".  When I say cold, I don't mean refrigerated, I mean still frozen!  We question how safe it could be to eat uncooked fish sticks, but when you're desperate to appease her food requests... Some of her other favorite foods are definitely safe to eat and include yogurt and almonds.  She will eat multiple yogurts in one sitting and has recently gotten into some yogurt smoothies.  She will eat other things like apple sauce, mashed sweet potatoes, and grits, but they are not the current favorite.  We keep hoping that her food choices will expand, but it seems to just go from one favorite food to the next.  I've read that this is typical of toddlers, so maybe she will begin to change her tastes as she grows.