For whatever reason, Caleb has decided to fall in love with yellow "Wet Ones" travel packs!  You know, the anti-bacterial wet wipes.  They’re a staple in our house (thanks mostly to Tim), and we’ve got loads of canisters as well as travel packs.     Anyway, a few days ago Caleb saw the bright yellow travel pack sticking up out of the diaper bag and snagged it.  I wasn’t in a position to take it back just then, so he got to keep it for a few minutes.  By the time I did take it he’d fallen in love, and threw a royal fit.  He even cried the cry which says, "My heart is broken!"     So I thought, "Really what’s the harm?  He’s not even chewing on it or getting the wipes out.  He’s just hanging on to it for dear life."      I have since removed the wipes, just in case.  But he will crawl around holding onto it.  He will play with other things while holding it.  He’s happier to have a diaper change if he can have it.  He just loves it!  It’s funny.

Today I even fed him and put him to sleep with it clutched in his tiny fist.   Yes, I took it before putting him down.  But he woke up and I quickly had to give him his stuffed tiger "Tag," whom he also loves.

Kids are so funny.

Ethan, singing the "Creation Days Song": Day 7, Day 7, God was resting in His heaven. (repeat)  Day 8, Day 8 — Mommy, what happen on day 8?

Me: Nothing.  God was finished with His work and the whole world was made, so on day 7 He rested. 

Ethan: What He do den?  

Me: Well, He stopped resting and took care of the world, just like He still does today.

E: Yeah, cuz God never sleeps.

Me: Right.

…….a few days ago…….  Ethan: Day 8, Day 8, God’s awake and He never sleeps!  Day 8, Day 8, God’s awake and He never sleeps!

I guess he just felt the song wasn’t finished.  Maybe now he has some sense of "closure."    

Caleb turned 10 months yesterday!  It’s hard to believe the last time I saw my nephew Noah he was this age (well, a touch older)!  At the time it was hard to picture little 5 month old Caleb feeding himself like Noah, and almost walking like Noah, and babbling like Noah.  And yet… here we are!  

The funniest accomplishment to me right now is that Caleb was going UP the stairs at about 8 months (I think), and figured out (pretty much on his own) how to go DOWN the stairs about 2-3 weeks ago.  It was pretty clear to me that he really wanted to join brother in the den.  He hasn’t had too many tumbles, and now he’s quite expert at the process.  (If you don’t know our house, we have a tri-level.  So he’s only allowed to go solo on the "5-stair stack," just in case.)

He also is ever so close to walking.  He’s done many things about a month before Ethan did (gotta keep up, you know!).  So my prediction has been that he’ll walk about a week or two before he turns 11 months.  That’s coming up fast!  So we’ll see if I’m right.

Tim had to go to Puerto Rico for work and when Ethan found out they speak Spanish a lot there, he was SOOOO excited.  Every once in a while he’d just shout out with gusto (I think intended to be a Spanish accent), "Pooorrrrrto Rico!  That’s Spanish for…  Pooorrrrrto Rico!"

 He’s so funny.

Also, the second night Tim was away I let Ethan lay in my bed while I sang a few songs to him.  This was partly as a treat, and partly because I didn’t think Caleb was entirely asleep yet.  Anyway, I remember singing a few songs; but that’s all I remember.  I woke up at 10:40!    and still had stuff to do before really turning in.  So I got up and realized Ethan wasn’t there any more.  He’d put himself to bed!  I went down to their room to kiss him, and he was still awake.  I was bummed by this, and said, "Why are you still awake, sweetie?"

Ethan:  "Wellllll, you goed asleep.  So I rub your back a minute, I pat you, den I div you hugs and tisses and say, ‘Nigh- night Mommy, I love you.’ Den I leave."

It didn’t answer the question, but it did melt my heart and earn him a BIG hug and kiss.   Sweet sweet boy.

It’s times like that I try really hard to remember when he’s being extra naughty.  Which happens more often than I’d like to think about.  But I know deep down he’s a great kid with a big heart.  And I know I’d be worried if he had no fight in him.