Eight

Happy 8th Birthday,

Caleb Joshua Stevens!

2002

2003

2004

2006

2008

7 and 9

7 years....

birth1 year3 years5 years
Earlier this year when he lost his first tooth

Caleb is doing great in kindergarten! He's starting to read very well and his writing is good. He's even attempting to sound out words when he writes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CALEB!!

9 months....

Lydia is 9 months old today! Wow! She's showing signs of "army crawling" although she's certainly not doing it full time. She's rolling still but with a purpose now, to get to things she wants. And on Saturday, her first tooth popped through. And she's into clapping her hands!

birth

approx. 6 months
few weeks ago

Kindergarten pictures are in!

ElizabethCalebDon't you think he looks just like this kid from the movie Jerry Maguire? Hee Hee!Their class picture....loved this picture 'cause it's got everyone's names printed on the bottom. I remember having to try and tell my Mom who was who in all my school pictures as a kid.

You can do it, Caleb!

Come on, Caleb!
You can do it!
Almost there....
Just one more....
You did it, Caleb!

Doctors, doctors everywhere!

For the past 3 nights, we've been at doctor's offices but mostly for check-ups, not sickness, thank goodness! And actually the first 2 nights weren't doctor-doctor's at all but dentists. Nathan & Caleb were up first for their cleanings.... Mostly good reports of no cavities but they both definitely need a little work in brushing and flossing. Nathan still has 11 more baby teeth to loose and when most, if not all, of those are gone, we can talk about what we want to do -- if anything -- for the crookedness and gaps. Caleb has officially lost his 2nd baby tooth and other than needing more thorough brushing and flossing, is in good shape. Elizabeth and John were up on Tuesday night (FYI -- our dental clinic will only allow 3 at a time from the same family -- weird, I know -- so I chose to do 2 and 2 until we can do 3 and 3 but you have to be 3 years old to go to the regular clinic that has evening hours). Elizabeth, we found out, has loose teeth and the potential for 1 cavity but they think with more care while brushing and flossing, we might be able to fix that. John got the worst report of all....he has a pretty bad underbite. He's still quite young so they just said we'd watch it. I wonder what treatment for that involves?!?! And then there was this afternoon. It was only supposed to be Caleb's 5 and 6 year check-up (I was a little busy birthing Timothy when Caleb turned 5 and it just kept getting put off with all his health problems...then there came Lydia...). However, this morning when we got up, I noticed Lydia was wheezing so I called and added her to the mix. The on-call doctor on Saturday had said she thought Lydia just had a virus and while our actual pediatrician agreed, she was definitely wheezing. However, it was worse on the right side than the left so that seems to indicate that she's got a clump of mucous somewhere on that right side and when her air flows over that build-up, we hear the wheezing (gross!). The good news is that her cough is very "wet" meaning the junk is still moving while her lungs are not meaning no bronchitis or start of pneumonia. Her ears were also clear so we're stuck with "it's just a virus" again but we are giving her albuterol to help the wheezing. Caleb's check-up went very well! Caleb, Elizabeth, & John are all within 5 inches and 5 pounds of each other, LOL! Caleb's completely average while Elizabeth and John are above average for their ages, making them all basically the same size. Caleb did VERY well getting his (overdue) shots!!! Very proud of him!

Now, a kinda funny story if you know Caleb and his attitude well.... Since Caleb missed his 5 year check-up which would have done his vision screening, they did it today. I could hear them in the next room and I heard Caleb calling out letters...then I heard the nurse tell him to uncover that eye and cover the other one. Caleb said he didn't want to. The nurse encouraged him but then he said he didn't want to 'cause he couldn't see out of that other eye. The nurse was like "No, remember you just read these letters? Let's read them again with your other eye," to which Caleb responded "I TOLD YOU I CAN'T SEE OUT OF THAT EYE!". The nurse then gave up. Later when we were in the room alone, I asked Caleb if he had trouble with one of his eyes. He said yes, that he couldn't see out of one eye. I asked him how long that had been going on and he said "Oh, forever". (Insert giggle here) Then I asked him why he hadn't told me and his reply was "I just didn't want you to know"! (Yep, another giggle here) Caleb can really come up with some doozies sometimes! [And yes, we're getting that checked out....both he & Elizabeth have eye dr appts on 8/21.]

Quiet Thursday other than hounding people calling people to see if they're coming to a church function, Friday will be grocery day, and then a cHaOtIc weekend! Saturday, I have errands to run getting ready for a baby shower, then we have TWO birthday parties which means we'll miss potluck at church with our potential-new-associate pastor and his family. Then Sunday we have lunch after church for the 2nd week in a row so I'll have to make 2 pounds of pasta salad sometime on Saturday. Good thing I'm a SuperMom. I don't know how it'll all get done....

Happy 6th Birthday, Caleb!

Caleb was due November 28, 2002, Thanksgiving Day. The weekend before Thanksgiving, Jonathan spent some time in the ER with stomach pains. Being as pregnant as I was and not knowing for sure what was going on with Jonathan, my mom and dad came over from Illinois, where they lived at the time. Once Jonathan was home (with a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome which basically means "we have no idea why you're in pain"), they decided to stay for Thanksgiving and, of course, Caleb's big debut. Thanksgiving came and went and mom and dad decided that they shouldn't miss another Sunday so that Friday, they took Nathan and went back to Illinois with the plan to come back on Monday as my doctor had promised I could be induced that next week. While they were on their way home, I went in for my final appointment and was told I could pick an induction date. Since Jonathan was scheduled to have a colonoscopy on that Friday, I picked that very next day, December 3rd, so I could be out of the hospital and home before Jonathan's procedure. Went home after my appointment and went to sleep. Woke up around 4:30 with plans to go pick up Jonathan from work, grab some dinner, and do some Christmas shopping before Mom, Dad, and Nathan got home around 9:30. While at Lifeway, I realized I was having contractions and wanted to go home. We picked up Jonathan's car and headed back to our townhome. When I got out of the van, it happened....my water broke. It was just before 7. Thinking we had all the time in the world (because Nathan's labor was 15+ hours), we tok our time -- packed some final things, changed the outgoing message on our answering machine so my parents would know where I was, and I think I even did some dishes. Then we stopped at Arby's to get Jonathan something to eat. Check-in time at the hospital was just before 8. Only 1 bed left in triage but it's monitor was broken so they reasoned that since I was scheduled to be induced the next day, even if I wasn't truly already in labor, they'd probably have mercy on me and go ahead and induce me that night so I got a labor and delivery room. And boy is it a good thing I did or I'd had that baby in triage! Little after 8, I don't remember how dilated I was but I was in some serious pain and begging for an epidural. Anesthesia, please! Then I was told the only anesthesiologist was in a c-section and it would be a while so I got a measly little shot of something in my IV. Right at 9, when I was REALLY begging for something, they determined that I didn't have any time left. Caleb was born around 9:15. Mom, Dad, and Nathan still wasn't there....and my in-laws had taken their time, too, because they didn't think I'd have him any time soon. So, Caleb's entrance was with me, his Dad, 1 doctor, and 1 nurse, and no pain relief. Everyone else got there around 10. Caleb weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces -- identical to his big brother. Have no recollection of how long he was or the exact time he was born (happens from multiple deliveries and the lack of writing anything down!). So today, that baby turns 6. Happy Birthday, Caleb!

(Caleb at one year)(Caleb at 3)

(Caleb helping his dad put together the new bunk beds last weekend)

Catch-up

Busy days....here's a snip of what's been going on at the Stevens house:

Some great school stuff -- Nathan made a world map (we were studying earth/maps) and a volcano with our friend, Fionna. Volcano made out of air dry clay filled with equal parts baking soda and vinegar, a few drops of red food coloring (should have added a whole lot more!), and a few drops of dish detergent. It was neat!

Caleb's preschool class at co-op did a "tea party" and invited us moms (and, for us, Elizabeth, John, and Timothy, too). Caleb is in a "mood" lately and doesn't care for his picture being taken so he was acting up pretty good here.

Practicing for the little performance they put on the last evening of co-op.

How 'bout a friendly game of....

Candy Land?!?! :)

More pictures: Co-op Day

Arts classes! (There was also a music class that day.) Elizabeth was supposed to be drawing the camel....
Not much drawing going on here either! :)Nathan hard at work...he absolutely LOVES art.

Not my Caleb

(You must indulge me!) :)

Caleb Chapman (Steven Curtis Chapman's son), 18 years old, has just released his first CD. I'm looking forward to picking up my copy at the Cincinnati concert (yes, we DID have some very special people volunteer to baby-sit so Jonathan & I can go and I'm VERY excited! -- I'm the current high bidder on a pair of front row seats and backstage passes!!). For now, you can go to www.CalebChapman.com to hear the 5 songs. Really, Caleb is quite talented. He and his brother are in their Dad's back-up band for this tour that we're going to see.

While I'm on the subject of Caleb, I must tell you the story behind naming our Caleb. While I was pregnant with him, I found several SCC videos on VHS on clearance for about $1 a piece. One day while I was cleaning, I popped in "The Live Adventure". After I was done cracking up at the early 90's hair and clothes, I heard Steven tell the story about his 2 boys who were toddlers at the time. The story goes that one day, they heard a "serious" cry from out back. When they went to go investigate, they discovered Will Franklin, Caleb's younger brother, with a big knot on his forehead. They asked Caleb what happened to Will and Caleb replied, in the typical toddler way, "I don't know, Dad. He just started crying.". Well, the problem was that Caleb was not doing a very good job hiding the baseball bat behind his back and, Steven jokes, Will had "Louisville Slugger" written across his forehead. I thought that was a very cute story. So, yes, Caleb's name came from the Chapman's (I won Jonathan over when I reminded him of the story of Joshua and Caleb and the other spies in the OT -- that's why Caleb's middle name is Joshua -- and in all sincerity, we pray that Caleb grows up to have as much faith as those 2 men had!!). And I'm sure most of you will get a laugh out of this story -- when Caleb was just shy of 2 months old, SCC came to a local Wal-Mart to do an autograph signing. I almost didn't go (honest!). But, we did go and I had Nathan sitting in a shopping cart and Caleb in his car seat in the basket part of the shopping cart. When I walked up to SCC to get my CD signed, he asked me who the "cutie" was in the cart. I said "This is Caleb" and something about him being just a few weeks old and Steven replied "I have a Caleb!" very excitedly and the only thing I could think to say back was "I know". His expression after that comment is forever engraved in my mind. Kinda like "Okay, lady, you're a freak!". Yep, that's me -- I'm a goober!! Here's some pictures ('cause I KNOW you were just hoping I had some, weren't ya?!?). The bottom one is great, don't ya think? I had that one printed off (only a 4x6) and framed! It sits beside the autographed CD and an 8x10 copy of the very bottom picture which is Jonathan and me with SCC backstage at his Christmas concert, 2005 (which is also the picture that appears on the left side of our screen).

Caleb

All my children make me laugh in different ways....for instance, Nathan (yes, I know, already blogged about him) wants pudding SO BAD. We had said at dinner that we would watch "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" tonight before bed and that we would make some (instant) pudding to go with it. We decided we really needed to clean the living room and kitchen and that a movie wasn't necessarily a good idea unless we agreed to watch it without Jonathan who was going to do the cleaning. So then we said if they helped us clean up, we'd go ahead with the movie. We got the living room done and were moving on to the kitchen when Jonathan said "Nathan really thought that by helping clean up the living room, he'd get to watch the movie, so let's put in the movie". While starting the movie, he asks his Dad for the umpteenth time if he could make the pudding. Jonathan replied that he wanted to clean up the kitchen first. So, what does Nathan do? Does he sit back to watch the movie that he told us he really wanted to watch??? NO -- he VOLUNTEERS to help clean the kitchen. Obviously watching the movie was only a vehicle to the pudding. So, I'm sitting here on the couch with the little 3 watching the movie that Nathan wanted to watch without him because he's cleaning the kitchen with Dad! How hilarious is that??? Anyway, on to Caleb. He really likes this movie. Did you know he's going to be 5 next Sunday, the 2nd?? He was a "surprise" in lots of ways -- it took a long time to get pregnant with him (we began "trying" when Nathan was less than a year old and he was just a few months shy of turning 3 when I found out I was pregnant -- see, it's not really in our control!!) and then he ended up being due on Thanksgiving Day 2002 -- a time of the year I would not have picked had I had the option. The timing was also "bad" because I found out I was pregnant just days after my brother announced his engagement and his December 14th wedding. Caleb came late -- the Monday after Thanksgiving. Mom & Dad had been to visit for the holiday thinking they would be here for the delivery. When Thanksgiving Day came and went, they decided to go home for the weekend so Dad wouldn't miss a Sunday (they lived in Illinois at the time and the church Dad was preaching at didn't really allow him to miss). So, they packed up with 3-year-old Nathan on the weekend after Thanksgiving. I went to the doctor on Monday morning and they said that since I was overdue I could pick a day that week to be induced. Since Jonathan had been in the ER the weekend before Thanksgiving ("Exactly which one are you here for?" the lady that checked him into the ER asked us when we arrived with me obviously VERY pregnant!) and was due to have a colonoscopy that Thursday so I picked Tuesday. Went home, took a nap, planned on getting some Christmas shopping that evening with Jonathan since we were childless while my parents were on the way home with Nathan. While at Lifeway, I started not feeling well and decided we should just head home instead of shopping. While stepping out of the van at home, I felt it -- my water broke. It was just minutes before 7. Couldn't reach Mom & Dad on the road so we changed our outgoing message to say something about going to the hospital. We were taking our time....stopped at Arby's so Jonathan could get some dinner before we went to the hospital (Nathan's labor had lasted 15 hours). Arrived at the hospital about 7:30. Begged for an epidural but couldn't get one because the doctor was in a C-section. By 8:30, things were getting unbearable and I was pretty upset that they wouldn't go get that doctor for the epidural. Then the nurse told me it didn't matter because I was too far to get one. During this whole time, my mother-in-law was finishing her night at work (getting off between 7:30 and 8) and was planning on getting there about 9 after getting a bite to eat and getting my father-in-law. They arrived around 9 to be told they couldn't go back because I was pushing. My parents arrived with Nathan not too long after that. But, since they wouldn't allow anyone back there, Caleb arrived with just me, Jonathan, 1 nurse, and 1 doctor in the room at 9:15 p.m. (Now do you see why I say I'm terrified of going into labor on my own this time? Caleb was the last one I went into labor with -- Elizabeth was induced and John, even though I went into labor on my own, they tried to stop it which ended up only slowing it down.) 5 years ago....Caleb's a treat. His first word was "ball" and he's still obsessed with balls/sports. At his 1-year check-up, we discovered he had an ear infection and, just in time for us to go spend an early Christmas in Indiana with family, we discovered (the hard way) that he was allergic to penicillin. He was a binkie baby, too, the only other one (so far) was, ironically, his "look-a-like", John. Nathan & Elizabeth would take them every now and then but didn't cry for them. He's a gentle soul -- easy to upset/make cry but thinks of others, too. Just tonight, while playing, he brought John a pair of pretend safety goggles from a pretend tool set because he knew that John liked them. While we were putting up the Christmas tree today, Nathan was decorating this little tree that he's put up in their room for the past couple of years. Nathan gave Caleb some small ornaments so he decided he'd put them on his "tree", the pretend shopping cart!! (Wish I would have gotten some pictures of that but I didn't....) He then also put some ornaments that didn't make the tree this year on the drawer knob pulls on the cabinets/drawers in the kitchen. Anytime there's a baby around, Caleb is the one to ooh and aah over it and usually says "Aah, he/she's so cute!" or "Look, I think he/she likes me!". Caleb likes to build things so he likes Lego's and he also likes to "help" anytime you do something that has a tool involved. For instance, when his Dad and his Papaw were laying our flooring in our living room earlier this year. Caleb donned the safety goggles and got out his hammer and stuff to "help". I think he may be the singer of the family, too. Tonight at dinner (which he didn't eat -- he's the pickiest eatier I've ever met and it drives me bonkers!), he was singing a made-up song "Everybody's pounding on something". But, get him to sing in public -- forget it. He gets all backwards and pretends to be shy. Ah, yes, never a dull day around when Caleb's here!! Here's a few recent pics of Caleb. First up, Caleb in one of my Mom's t-shirts; then, as an army guy at COSI; and last, a picture of him in his car seat with this yellow blanket (trust me, it used to be yellow, I promise!)

Fist Soccer Game

Good picture of Caleb

This is Caleb, our 2nd oldest, who's 4 1/2. I thought this picture worthy of sharing. (Can you tell I'm STILL cleaning off the camera?!?!)