#1 Piranha or Puppy?

When Liam turned one we made a Very Hungry Caterpillar cake for him, which fit him quite well but was also the subject of the quilt that Grandma Bohman made for him. Now that Caleb is turning one we thought we'd borrow an idea from Grandma Bohman's quilt again. Caleb's has the Poky Little Puppy on it. My choice does not infer that Caleb is slow in any way, although he has taken a little longer to walk than my other two (which is fine by me!). Actually, I think the poky puppy fits more because of his exploration, tendency to put everything into his mouth, and if we're being honest, his attraction to the water in the toilet. A few months ago I considered making him a piranha cake-a nick name he'd acquired (luckily he isn't biting me so much anymore--how do you make a cute piranha cake?).

It's funny how the only time you really want your little ones to make a mess, they don't want to. But if you're late for an appointment or church, or practically any other day, they manage to smear all of their meal into their hair, behind their ears, on their clothes, and create a mine field with any they're not wearing. I made Caleb's pokey puppy cake chocolate to maximize the messy photo op. (After all, you only turn one once.) I stripped him down to his diaper and put him on a plastic tablecloth with his cake...ready for the ooey gooey mess. I don't know if Caleb thought it was really a puppy and therefore not all that appetizing, or if he'd ODed on pizza, or perhaps he was just too tired and distracted from having so much fun with cousins. At first it looked like he was petting the cake. Then I tried to give him a little piece to get him interested. He had a little taste, but that was it--he wasn't diving in for more. (He is my son so turning down chocolate in any form isn't normal behavior.) I broke off another piece which he accidentally stuck his foot in. He really didn't like the sensation of cake and frosting on his foot, he even tried to clean it off. With the cake right in front of him he straightened his legs and crawled over it, careful not to touch it! I sat him down by it about three times! In the end he did get a bit messy, mostly through accidental encounters and a little help from me. After we plopped him in the sink for a bath his brothers entered the crime scene and wondered why I got after them for doing exactly what I was telling Caleb to do. (Unfortunately, they weren't worried about the cake on their feet as they walked out of the kitchen.) It was actually quite funny.

I love Caleb so much. He is so sweet. He is generally very even tempered and happy. He loves to try to play alongside his big brothers especially on their train track (at least until he gets sent packing for messing up their game or gets tackled one too many times). Caleb has a fun-loving smile. He also likes to clap. He is an explorer, especially outside. When anyone new comes near him he acts shy by snuggling into me and holding on like a little spider monkey. Although there are times I'd like a little break, his hugs melt my heart. He's still not very interested in walking, but seems very excited to pull himself up on things. He's the first of our boys that's necessitated using the plastic teething protectors along the crib rail. They do work, but not in the way intended. Caleb uses his teeth to pry them off and then he lays down in his crib and chews on them. Whatever works I guess. Caleb has a tender heart. If his brothers are playing loud and rough or if he hears someone else crying it is very upsetting to him. I love his giggle and so do his brothers (we all love to tickle him). He gets really excited when he sees animals (anything from Nathan's fish to animals as the zoo.) At the end of our prayers Caleb likes to add his "Amen" (sometimes it's clearer than others) to the rest of the family's. He likes a gentle push in the swing but he looks terrified when Daniel swings him. He doesn't like being thrown up in the air or swung around. He loves to dig with his hands in the sand or dirt--or flowers if I'm not looking. He has grown so much in the past year. I can't imagine our family without him. I am so lucky to be his Mommy. I love you Caleb.