A Lot of "Firsts"

We've been so busy this summer - I can't believe school is about to start again!  It is bittersweet knowing that my friends are up at school getting their classrooms ready for new students to come.  It is surreal that I don't have a classroom to get ready this year.  I was up at school the other day and one of the teachers asked me if it was sad for me to be up at school, knowing that this season of my life is over.  I told her that yes, seeing such dear friends, and watching all the preparations for the new year take place does make me miss Providence.  Do I want to get a new class of students to teach 5 days a week from 8am-3pm everyday?  No way!  Only because that means that I would miss all of Cale's "cale-isms" for those 5 days a week from 8-3.  Cale has grown up so much in the past 4.5 months!  Everyone always told me the months would fly by, but until I lived it, I couldn't fully understand what people meant.  Now. I. Get. It.  And it makes me sad - kind of.  If I am being honest, I have to say (as most of you already know) I really don't like the newborn stage.  Of any child.  Even my own child.  Of course, I love Cale, but I joke now that I would like #2 to just come to me when he/she is 4 months old.  Those first 3.5 months are R.O.U.G.H.  When I say that now, most people who have children agree with me.  My response to them is, "well, why in the world did no one tell me that before I had Cale?"  All I was told is that newborns sleep all the time.  No one told me that when they are not sleeping, they are crying! :)  Okay, enough.  The good news is, Cale is WAY past that stage and he is SO happy!

So, back to my original post.  These past few weeks have marked a lot of "firsts" for us as a family.  See list below:

1) I am officially starting my "real" season of being a stay at home mom.  I know that I've been at home with Cale since he was born, but in my head, it was like I was on maternity leave and then summer break.  Now that school is starting (without me), it feels very official.  I AM a stay at home mom.

2)  Cale has become SO active over the past few weeks - it is just unbelievable how quick he is figuring things out!  We have been bathing him in a infant bathtub in our kitchen sink, but recently he has started trying to sit up to reach for things while he is in the bathtub.  So, we decided that it was time for him to move to the big bathtub.  I found a great tub chair for him to sit in while he's playing in the big tub and he absolutely loves the new freedom that comes with sitting up during bath time.  The pictures below are of the first night he took a bath in the big bathtub.

3)  Over the past month or so, when Cale thinks something is funny, he smiles SO big!  A few times I thought I heard a little giggle, but nothing major.  Yesterday, I was playing peek-a-boo with him.  When I had done this in the past, he just stared at me like "what are you doing, mom?"  Yesterday when he was laying on my bed, I got down on the ground and popped up...this is what happened.

4) As you know from my previous post, we have recently started Cale on solids.  I introduced rice cereal first and he never really like it much.  Next came avocado and butternut squash.  He loved the squash.  Verdict is out on the avocado.  On Thursday I gave him some peaches - which he devoured.  Sunday, I let him taste peas.  He cried when I put them in his mouth.  He's taken a least a bite of them everyday since Sunday - I'm determined the boy will eat some green veggies.  Yesterday, I let him taste some carrots...I think he likes them.  Here is a video to give you a glimpse at what mealtime looks like at our house.