Caleb Singing Some More

I finally got it! I have been trying for about a month to get video of Caleb singing, "It's Too Late To Appologize." It's so adorable. You definitely need to pause the music to hear it (scroll down on the right hand side and hit the pause symbol).


Caleb sings all the time these days. Sometimes, he is a little off on the lyrics. What he comes up with is still really cute, though. Here's a few of Caleb's versions:
Hickory, Dickory, Dock: "Markety, Markety, Dock."
Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo: "Meeny, Miney, Mo. Petch a tiger by a toe. Listen, holler sing and go. Meeny Miney mo." (I know you're singing the song in your head right now trying to figure out the real lyrics!)
And the infamous, I've Been Working on the Railroad: "I've been working on the rainbow, all the ling-dong day."

He also just narrates life through song these days. He often just changes the words to songs he already knows. For instance, right before the above video was taken, we were singing the song and he stated that his food was hot. He then sang, "It's too late to appolo-hot. It's too laaaaate."

It's definitely contagious, and our house is more musical than ever these days.

Caleb Walking in Water

Jeff and I have always seen the importance of water in Caleb's life. Let's face it, gravity is not Caleb's friend. Putting him in the water is the one way we can take gravity away from thrusting its forces on his little body. He often does things in the water before he is able to do them on land, such as standing independently. Below are some of his latest tricks in the spa. Enjoy.

Is this a preview of things to come on land? We're not sure. But we do know how much he enjoys spending time in the water and being able to do things that he can't when gravity gets ahold of him.

You can now call her DOCTOR Auntie Shana!

I got wind that my original post was too long, so I have revised it a bit. There was just too much that happened to commemorate this amazing accomplishment by my sister.

When Shana told me about 6 or 7 years ago that she wanted to go back to college, I was very supportive and happy for her, but realized that it would be difficult as she was already the mother to two wonderful boys. She then went on to tell me that she wanted to become a pediatric dentist. Well, I thought she was downright crazy! Not only did she graduate dental school last weekend, but she took them by storm, earning 5 awards on her way out.



Jeff and I went up for a whirlwind weekend to celebrate this momentous occasion with Shana and her family (Caleb stayed home with Grammy Mu Mu and Papa Mickey - I'm sure I'll get pictures to share at a later date from his weekend with them). We flew up in the late afternoon on Sat. We landed in San Francisco with just enough time to check into our hotel, then were off to a graduation dinner at the E&O Trading Co. in Larkspur. It was a wonderful gathering of family, and fabulous food (if you're ever in the area I highly recommend it). (Sidenote - a friend of mine recently pointed out that I have been really emphasizing how good food is lately. NO, I am NOT pregnant! I guess after all these years with Jeff, I'm finally learning to appreciate food.) Anyhoo, back on track. We had a small private room in the restaurant, which ended up being a good thing as our group started getting a little silly and rambunctious.

The next morning we woke up and went to breakfast at a little place in San Rafael called Crepevine. We then took a walk around downtown San Rafael to check out the annual chalk art festival that they had going on. It was amazing to see what a mixture of talent, imagination and chalk can create. After a brief tour of the chalk art, we made our way around the corner to Shana's apartment and got ready for the graduation ceremony. There were 8 of us getting ready at the same time in a 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment. It's a good thing we like each other.

Our dad got to "hood" Shana during the graduation ceremony, which was particularly special since it was on Father's Day! Jeff and I drove from the ceremony directly to the airport and came back home. It was a wonderful trip filled with family, love and tears of joy. Although it was a whirlwind, the traveling couldn't have gone any more smoothly, and we were so happy to join the festivities.

Unfortunately there is no rest for the weary. Shana and her family are in the middle of moving down to Santa Monica (actual move is tomorrow) so she can attend UCLA for her pediatric residency. She will then have one week to settle into her new home before starting the program. Talk about needing a break! We are very excited that they will be living closer to us for the next couple of years so we can see them a little more. We love you guys.

Caleb's Newest Yoga Pose

Although we have to place him into this pose, it is a huge feat of strength for him to hold himself in this position, even for a few seconds. He enjoys doing this, but can only do a little at a time as he tires very quickly.

Our Spastic Cat

I love Bumblebee. She is a very sweet cat and has been a wonderful addition to our family. But she is definitely the biggest SPAZ in the house!

It's Official!

We are now officially running our own business! Last Friday Jeff took over the lease at the office in LA Fitness. Dr. Blanchard wanted to simplify things, and Jeff has been looking for something different for a little while now. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. I will have the summer off to help Jeff settle into his new role in the office and make a few changes. We have lots of changes coming up in the next school year - I will be working more and Caleb will be starting preschool. So having the summer to get used to this big change works perfectly.

A Bittersweet Anniversary

Well, today it has been exactly one year since we received Caleb's diagnosis. As I reflect on the past year, although there have been some challenges, I am mostly filled with a sense of joy and gratitude. We have had many wonderful accomplishments, some small and some HUGE.

At the risk of being redundant, Jeff and I want to express how incredibly blessed we feel to have such a wonderful community of people surrounding us. You are there with us to celebrate the successes and to help support us during the difficult times. Whether you are family, close friends, or acquaitances, thank you. We are forever grateful for all your prayers, your well wishes, your laughter, your tears, and your love for our boy.

An MDA Weekend!

We had a wonderful and heartwarming weekend, all revolving around the Muscular Dystrophy Association. On Saturday we went on the Hornblower Cruise that we won from the MDA walk in March. Jeff and I went with Ryan, Cassie, David, Ania, Josh, Stormy, Dan and Tanya. It was a fun evening with good food, great company and some dancing. Sunday morning we met Mickey and Marilyn at the La Costa Resort and Spa for breakfast for an MDA event sponsored by Stater Brothers. Another beautiful event and a great opportunity to meet some of the MDA families, as well as Mickey's colleagues.

On Monday Caleb got his first taste of acting as an Ambassador for the MDA. He was invited to a golf tournament sponsored by Outback Steakhouse at Maderas golf course in Poway to take pictures with the players. There were some amazing families there sharing the day with us. The food was fantastic and the players had a blast while playing for a wonderful cause. Not to mention the day was absolutely beautiful! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful organization in our lives.



So we even got on the news. You have to copy and paste the link below to get to it. The funniest thing was Caleb was in his stroller between two young adults who had just been interviewed by the camera man. The guy then turns the big huge camera on Caleb and says, "And what's your name?" Caleb didn't say a word and just gave him the biggest stink eye. The camera man then says, "And how old are you?" Again with the stink-eye. That's when I stepped in and he interviewed me. I guess I didn't sound TOO lame :)

http://www.kusi.com/news/local/19478844.html?video=YHI&t=a