I Should Be Charging Admission

We had a pretty big day today. As usual, we went to worship and Sunday School before heading out to lunch with some friends. We've been following a food progression for Caleb given to us by
the pediatrician. We started out with rice and then oatmeal. Now we have to move through colored vegetables starting with the orange vegetables. Today, we tried carrots for the first time at lunch and our friends got to enjoy the experience with us. Prior to today, Caleb's mealtime messes have not shown up very well in pictures because the color of the food does not stand out as well. Now that he is eating colored vegetables, the messes should be a lot more obvious.

During lunch, Caleb only had a few bites of carrot. He actually shivered a couple of times. He closed his eyes and his whole body shook. We're not sure if that means he doesn't like the carrots or if he's just not used to them. I think the carrots probably have a completely different flavor than his milk or the rice the oatmeal. I have a feeling (or a hope) that his shivering response is due to his pallet because he is not used to rich flavors yet. After eating, it was obvious that Caleb was ready for his nap. Granddaddy held Caleb while we finished our meals and Mom took this picture of Caleb, droopy eyes and all.

We did not have life group tonight, so other than an excursion to the grocery store, we were able to relax (as much as you can relax when the Cowboys lose) at home all afternoon. Caleb had actually fallen asleep during the Cowboys game and just as it was about to be dinner time, I took Caleb who was still sleeping. Mom was afraid to give him to me because she was afraid I would shake him in response to something that happened in the game. Despite the strange events at the end of the game, I am proud to report that Caleb was not awakened by me.

After he did wake up, it was time for Caleb's dinner which consisted of carrots again. For the second meal in a row, he did not seem very interested in eating the carrots. However, Mom put a drop of the carrots on the tray so Caleb could feel the texture on his hands. He was extremely interested in playing with the carrots and spreading them all over the tray. It turns out that carrots stain and the tray now has a slight orange tint to it.

After dinner, it was playtime. Mom and Whatshername took Caleb into the nursery and it wasn't long before we were all in the nursery watching Caleb. Caleb had been propped up into a sitting position and he continued to sit up on his own quite nicely. We all sat around him watching him play on the jungle gym.

I retreated back into the living room to watch the Dodgers game when I heard granddaddy calling me back into the nursery. As I was walking back to the nursery, I heard granddaddy say "it won't be long before this greets you in the morning." (I am the one that gets Caleb up these days.) When I walked into the nursery, I discovered Caleb standing in the crib, holding on to the rail and grinning at whoever would look at him. Granddaddy had put him there and with the support of the rail, he was able to stand for a long time, although he did lean to one side from time to time requiring an adjustment by Granddaddy.

We also pulled the drum back out and put it in front of Caleb. Again, the sticks were more appetizing to Caleb than the prospect of beating on the drum. We quickly realized it would not be good for Caleb if he tipped over with a drumstick in his mouth, so we took those away. Caleb then decided to try and eat the drum itself. This was quite amusing because each time he tried to pick the drum up, his equilibrium was disturbed and he would tip over to one side. However, he was determined and each time we righted him, it was right back to the drum he went.

Granddaddy and Whatshername spent quite a bit more time watching Caleb play before he ran out of gas and it was time for bath and bed. Needless to say, they were quite entertained.