Calan seems to have mastered counting to ten in Spanish. If we say “uno”, he’ll usually continue counting up to “diez” from there. Of course there are a few numbers that only we would know what he’s saying but it’s still pretty cute.
“Uno – Dos – Tres – Cuatro – Cinco – Seis – Siete – Ocho – Nueve – Diez”
Tonight just before putting Calan down to sleep for the night:
Dada: “Do you want any more water?”
Calan: “No…nane-k” (‘No thanks’)
Dada: “All done with your milk?”
Calan: “Al-nun”
Dada: “So, you ready for bed?”
Calan: “Beehd”
Calan had a fun time touring his first pumpkin farm. He ate a snack, posed for the camera patiently and picked out a pumpkin. One of the nice worker girls even gave him his very own mini-white pumpkin!
Recently, Calan started to “sing” a little to himself while he plays. We don’t know what prompts it, but when it happens we get a pretty big kick out of it. We captured this audio clip the other day. It’s Calan’s latest work, which starts with some drumming, then uses his voice for the real meat of the song. Warning: Keep all delicate glass away from speakers!
It’s the end of November, and Calan has officially passed 3 1/2 months. We continue to have fun watching him develop. For example, recently (Thanksgiving day to be exact), Calan gave us his first real laugh. Perhaps his parents have finally proven goofy enough to inspire Calan to laugh out loud. What ever the case, this new expression is sure to delight us more and more as he gets older. Calan also continues to dazzle us with his wide pallet of facial expressions, particularly the way he uses his eyes and smiles. 8)
Last week, Calan accompanied us to the kids consignment sale in Ventura. (The same sale his dad and a friend started a few years ago, but have since sold). He was mostly patient for the hour or so we browsed through clothing and books for him. In the end, he (we) made it out with a respectable bag of loot. He’ll have some more clothes for when he’s bigger, and is already having fun with his new books.
Calan had a lot of fun these past few days getting to visit with his Aunt and Uncle, Ginny and Brandyn from Phoenix. He and kitty Cole also enjoyed visiting with their furry friend, cousin Wyatt. Our friend Dave and his kids Luke and Lilah also stopped by for a quick visit. Although Calan can’t yet partake in the turkey dinner, we let him sit with his mommy for a moment afterward as a reward for taking a nap quietly so his mommy could eat. 🙂
Over the last couple of weeks, Calan has been enduring longer stretches of “tummy time”. Helpful for developing strength and motor skills, it’s important for babies to spend awake time on their stomachs. Calan agrees and has even made it to ten minutes during a single tummy-time session. This is much longer than the minute or two he was only able to accomplish a few weeks ago (when he’d begin to fall down on his face from the hard work!)
We’ve also noticed over the last week that little, sudsy bubbles are appearing on Calan’s mouth. We’ve learned it can be related to teething, but more likely it’s just from an increased production of saliva at this age. We figure bubbles are better than drool. 🙂
Finally, Calan enjoyed some time at the piano recently. We’ve placed Calan at the keys before–just for fun–but he always looked up and away, finding interest in something else. Yesterday, however, he actually stared down at the high contrast black and white keyboard and played some notes. Sure, he’s 98% unaware of what he’s doing, but his dad couldn’t resist capturing a few snaps of his first real ” practice session”.
Camarillo, California – Today, Calan Alexander raised the bar for the number of hours he can sleep through the night. At just over 9 hours, Calan surpassed his previous record of 7:45. When asked for comments on his feat, Calan provided none. It appears his lack of speaking out on his accomplishment is an indication that he’s just not interested in the numbers. Perhaps they are just numbers, but to his parents it shows that hard work and perseverance (in establishing a routine!) are paying off as Calan gets closer and closer to becoming a great sleeper.
Calan had his two-month visit today with our pediatrician, Dr. Chambers. This appointment was more than just an exam like in our previous visits. In addition to his regular check-up routine, Calan received his first immunization shots (ouch!), and his parents filled out a couple forms to start tracking his development. But most importantly, we (as parents) experienced a few “proud” moments when Calan received some positive feedback from the doctor and his staff. [More…]
Calan had a lot of fun taking in the offerings of the local farmers and artisans on this beautiful Saturday morning. Well, at least he enjoyed some new surroundings for a morning nap 🙂
Ok, since Calan is NOT a professional model, neither is the photographer…or the person holding the backdrop in place (his mom). Nevertheless, he turned out some nice photos of his amateur self.
