Slideshow of Pics...

My pics uploaded to photobucket, so I decided I would post a quick slideshow to show what has been going on in the last weeks. Some highlights include: Kaleb trying rice cereal on Thanksgiving Day. It didn't go over too well and we haven't tried since. He is gaining weight just fine as it is and must have gotten through his growth spurt because his eating schedule is back to normal. For a while there I thought I might go crazy. ;) We celebrated Thanksgiving with the team at our place and had a nice time eating and chatting the evening hours away. Birthdays were celebrated, coffees were shared, traditions were started, games were played, the apartment was decorated for Christmas.... and we enjoyed every smile and laugh of our sweet little son.

Heading for the USA!

The past week has been a fun whirlwind of events. Last Sunday we met up with some friends to meander through a German Christmas market and then headed to a basketball game to watch another mutual friend play. Kaleb and I headed to Italy on Monday morning to watch John play a game on Tuesday night. Everything went really smoothly and we had a fabulous time (minus the loss.) And now I have been busy unpacking, doing laundry, and repacking and we head to the States tomorrow! I wanted to do a longer post with photos, but I am too tired and think it'd be in my best interest to head to bed early before a long day of travel by myself with a four month old. If you think about me, please pray that everything goes smoothly.

I can't believe I will soon be Stateside! I am so excited for Kaleb to get to know his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends better. A trip to Starbucks and Target will be at the top of our list as will decorating the house and doing Christmas baking before John joins us at home. It will also be the first time in three years my family has all been together... I'm about ready to burst with excitement just thinking about it all!

Playing Catch Up.

It happened again. I looked through my posts to see the last photos I had posted, and they were from well over a month ago. Where in the world does the time go? It seems like just yesterday that Kaleb turned three months, but in actuality he is now just over fourth months old. Here is a small look into what his third month of life entailed.

Mommy found a new way to read to Kaleb in the mornings and he seems to be quite an attentive listener. Of course, no morning reading session is complete without some much needed coffee and creamer!





Kaleb's smiles are in full abundance recently. His smiles melt my heart and I just can't get enough of his sweet cheeks and I am taking full advantage of kissing them while he can't object.



It is getting colder and colder here. Some days have warranted the use of this cozy little bear outfit from Aunt Jenna. Unfortunately, although it is 3-6 months in size it no longer fits. Surprise, surprise.



I've never been a huge fan of Halloween, but since we have a child now we decided it'd be fun to dress him up. Our costume selection was severely limited, but this is what we ended up with.



Ladies and Gentlemen.... The Incredible Hulk.



Kaleb's friends dressed up as well.



Cooper is three months older than Kaleb and is much more intrigued with Kaleb than Kaleb is with him. Here Kaleb is taking it, but the other day Cooper blew a raspberry in Kaleb's face sending him into a crying fit! Daddy thinks our little guy needs to toughen up... I say he's just a baby.



John's teammates got in on it as well. One stop complete with a carved pumpkin, another stop complete with a costume (and daddy's favorite candy bar).


The above photo looks rather creepy... fitting for Halloween I guess. Anyone who thinks we live a luxurious life over here now has proof otherwise. ;)






I absolutely love watching John be a father. The other day I walked by Kaleb's room to find this:



Kaleb is already helping out around the house.



Sorting through clothes... putting away ill fitting ones and digging out new stuff. Poor guy has already sported plenty of high waters and he is only four months old.



Loving bath time and the arrival of Christmas in our apartment. The days are getting shorter while the nights get longer. The colored leaves have fallen from the trees foreshadowing the winter ahead. John is in Greece right now for a Eurocup game tomorrow and since Kaleb went to bed several hours ago it feels pretty lonely around here. I've been downloading Christmas music and looking at Black Friday ads. Unfortunately, my infection came back so I am back on antibiotics which means I should probably head to bed early tonight in an attempt to give my body the rest it needs. Happy Thanksgiving Week everyone!

The only "pause button" I have.

There are days when I am overwhelmed at how fast time is going. On those days I've decided there is only one thing I can do: document those sweet moments I will cherish forever. I'm sure I will watch this video a countless number of times in my lifetime. And this song? It brings tears to my eyes nearly every time I hear it.

Free VeggieTales Christmas Album.

For those of you with children looking for some Christmas music, check out Amazon's daily deal for a free download of VeggieTales Singing Tree Christmas Album. Okay, so I am sure it is cheesy... but isn't most kid's music? Unfortunately, I am unable to download it because I am not living in the United States but if I had been able to.... you'd better believe Kaleb and I would have been dancing in our living room next to our 12 inch Christmas tree. ;) Can't wait to return to the States to set up a real sized one!

I will post again later.... I have been ill for the past couple of days with my fever FINALLY breaking this morning after it ranged from 101-104 degrees for about 48 hours. Being sick is no fun, but being a mom and being sick is even worse. You can't really wallow in your own misery when you have a little one to take care of. My house is a disaster which is what I should be working on right now. John tried so hard to keep it all together and did a good job, but had to leave for an away game early this afternoon leaving me to fend for myself. I am taking a little break waiting for everything I just sanitized to dry. You'd think I had something contagious the way I am freaking out about germs at the moment. Thank goodness it isn't, but still....

Kaleb's "Fake" Cry.

I think I mentioned in a earlier post that Kaleb now has a "fake" cry that only makes John and I laugh. Sometimes he does this little whiny, fake cry while simultaneously trying to talk and then will suddenly stop and just smile away at us.

Most of the time, when I catch Kaleb's signs of drowsiness just right, he doesn't protest at all when going down for a nap or for bed time. He will lie in his crib and coo himself to sleep. (After reading several sleep strategy books we have gone with Dr. Marc Weissbluth's "drowsy but awake" method.) Once in a while he will need extra soothing because I allowed him to become overtired by missing his "I'm getting tired" cues before putting him down. And then, there are times like this... when he is perhaps a little overtired or is just already trying to protest nap time.



 *He was sleeping in a matter of minutes once I stopped taking footage. And if you find it inconsiderate that I am standing there watching him cry, please know that he was well fed and has a clean diaper. :)

Lately.

I don't know what it is, but lately I seem to be ready for bed when Kaleb is. The weather has been awfully gloomy. Overcast skies, rain and wind make for the perfect sleeping weather. John is on the road again, and here I sit at my desk with a cup of "half caffeine" coffee sitting on my green coaster and "kruidnotens" just waiting to be munched on. I was sitting on my couch but feared I would fall asleep if that tells you anything. Oh, and the smell of homemade brownies is wafting through the air just begging me for a taste test.

Our days have been filled with Kaleb's sweet smiles. I just can't get enough of them.





He still loves his hands and is getting them to his mouth more and more.



How sweet are his chubby little legs covered with his new baby legs? A thoughtful friend gave Kaleb his first pairs. I adore them but had to laugh when John was getting him dressed and said, "Suzanne, why does our son have NYLONS?" I couldn't make up some of the things he says if I tried.



I love propping Kaleb up and my knees and playing "patty cake" or doing "this little piggy." And when he smiles back? All the more rewarding.



Love my boys.



Daddy's number one fan.... although he usually conks out for the night before the game even starts.




Kaleb's little buddy, Cooper... reunited after a trip back to the States for Cooper to meet his new cousin.

"Cooper, why did you leave me?"




"Don't worry Kaleb, I am right here."



A couple of weeks ago John actually had three days off in a row. In his profession this is such a rarity. We are usually lucky if he has two days off in a row. So three days? We packed up and hit the road. First stop: Hagen, Germany. John's former team was having a dinner and we were able to stop by and see all our old friends. Last time we saw everyone Kaleb was still growing fast inside my womb.





Kaleb with all the pretty girls. :)




Next stop: Uncle Brad's. And we even got to see the Watts!




These guys make Kaleb actually look small.



And we got a few new things while we were there visiting my brother. Kaleb likes his bumbo.




First trip to Starbucks! Kaleb is already out past his bedtime here and he was such a trooper.






We were out late to see our friend Al, one of John's teammates the year he played in Poland.



And we found our way to this fun little Mexican restaurant, which by the time we got there seemed more like a bar than a place to get food. All I could think of was the line from Sweet Home Alabama when she says, "You have a baby... in a bar!" Let's just say we got plenty of looks, navigating the stroller through the crowds. In that moment I thought to myself, never again will I judge that mom who has her child in a onesie out a midnight at Walmart. For all I know the mom could live nowhere near family, be a single parent, and having to drag her sick child out for medicine. You just NEVER know.

Kaleb fell asleep with his little noise canceling headphones on and all was good. Even if maybe, just maybe... a group of teenage boys called us irresponsible parents.



I'm slowly trying the find the balance. The balance between having a schedule and then not being so preoccupied with trying to maintain that schedule that I don't leave room for the fun moments in life. After all, those are the moments that we will remember for a lifetime. Kaleb survived his first long road trip just fine (slept most of the time in the car!) and it was more than worth all the packing and the hours in the car... even if he wasn't in bed by seven every night.



Scrolling back through the photos, I realize just how blessed we are to have met such amazing people over the years and to have friends all around the world. Now if only there were a way to transport ourselves to see everyone whenever we so desired....

Kaleb's Three Month Photoshoot....

Three months old!

I had grand plans to get a long blog post done this evening, but ended up spending wasting 50 minutes on the phone with Continental airlines instead. Needless to say, I am not too impressed with their service at the moment. John is on the way home from a game in Amsterdam and although is isn't even ten o'clock it feels closer to midnight. I am going to blame it on the dreary weather.

Since I promised myself I'd get a post done before I retired for the evening, this is short and sweet. A picture of Kaleb on the day he turned three months old:



Told you it was sweet. Is anything sweeter than baby smiles? And I love his little right foot with his curled toes. We are still waiting for him to laugh, but he has mastered the fake cry which only makes US laugh. I love listening to him coo himself to sleep or watch him play with his hands. Who needs toys when one finds his hands so intriguing?

Diaper Changes.

Don't worry, this video isn't of "graphic" nature as the title might suggest. ;) Rather, it just goes to show how much more interactive Kaleb is becoming by the day. This was taken a couple of weeks ago, but it was around the time when he started kicking away when it came time for his diaper to be changed. I don't blame him one bit...

Headaches.

John and I were talking about how cute Kaleb is last night and the rest of our conversation went something like this:

Me: I can see why people have ten kids.
John: (Silent for a moment.) I have a headache.
Me: (Dying of laughter.)
John: No seriously, I just got a headache. I don't know if it is because you said that or if I was already getting it.
Me: Don't worry, I don't want ten kids... I can just see why people have really large families.
John: Okay, we should probably go to bed now.

I am sitting here laughing just thinking the look on his face.  :)

Baby Talk

Owl lamps.

Where were these when I was decorating Kaleb's nursery? I think the one from Target would be even cuter with a different color of shade.

For those of you who have designer taste on a budget, be sure to add copy cat chic to your google reader!

New discoveries.

Kaleb has really been finding his hands lately. I think he is finally starting to realize they belong to him. He pulls them close, focuses on them, and then often brings them to his mouth to attempt sucking on them. And for your viewing pleasure, a quick video to show the little man in action:



In other news, John has a home game tomorrow and I am excited to watch him play again. It seems as though it has been forever since I've seen him out on the court. Between his ankle injury and away games, it has been at least a couple of weeks since I have gotten to watch him in action. It is always rewarding for me to watch my husband doing what he loves, and it often gets me through those "what are we doing here?" days that are bound to arise from time to time. I know we are here because we are supposed to be and am thankful that my husband gets the opportunity to do this as his profession.

Hope everyone has a terrific Friday and a great start to the WEEKEND! :)
-Suzanne

Uncle Brad's Visit.

My brother came to see us last week and we had such a great time. It seemed surreal to me, remembering back to when we told him we were expecting. Crying practically the entire three hours home, knowing that in a matter of days he would be headed off to war. E-mailing him and letting him know how I was doing when no one else shared our secret. And then... he was there, in person, holding my son... his nephew.

I told Kaleb all day long that his uncle Brad was coming to visit him. Apparently the excitement wore him out because I put him down for a little play time, came back a few minutes later and found this scene.



After much anticipation, Brad finally arrived and got to hold Kaleb for the first time!







The next morning we headed out on a walk to catch the bus downtown. This sports center is behind us and Brad was wishing he had brought his climbing gear when he saw this:



Coffee for us, milk for Kaleb at the Douwe Egberts. Caramel latte? Yes please.



Warm stroopwafel at the market? Lekker.



And then Kaleb had to go get his vaccinations. Poor little guy. Clearly he didn't know what he was in for, but he sure was acting tough. ;) He also got weighed and measured... 25.5 inches long and 14.5 pounds. He is growing way too fast for the liking of this mama!





Brad wanted to see how he would do. He actually didn't cry nearly as much as I anticipated, I guess he was pretty tough after all.





We have a new favorite spot for lunch and drinks. Kaap Horn, a restaurant on the lake. So when the sun came out we took advantage and went straight there to sit out on the patio.





John happened to have one day off during Brad's time here, so we took a day trip to Amsterdam. Brad and I went on a canal cruise while John stayed behind with Kaleb. (Been there, done that... and saved us time waiting in line at the VVV to get tickets to the Van Gogh museum.)



The dutch LOVE their bikes! This reminded me of my days as a nanny in Amsterdam our first year overseas. I would ride a bike from one house to the next... Often in the rain, sometimes in my heels. I was a true dutch girl.



What do I love about Amsterdam? The canals. The bridges. Sidewalk cafes. The mix of people... tourists and locals. Really though, I prefer to get out of the touristy areas and hang out where the locals do.





But when showing others around, one can't really avoid the tourist areas. Here is Dam square. Kaleb's first time in the city!



The floating flower markets. An entire canal is lined with these florist's shops.



And there is plenty of shopping. Too bad we didn't have room to take this back with us.









We just had to have dinner at the Hard Rock. Kaleb's first (and probably not last) time to one!



I went to the bathroom and met the boys outside to find my son rockin' some shades. He already thinks he's cool.





And we went to the North Sea. Nothing special, but a quick drive from Groningen and fun to say that you've seen it!



Loved chatting in this quaint little restaurant over coffee and applecake. A typical dutch treat.





The trip home... full of windmills and cows.



Sadly, all good things must come to an end and before we knew it Brad was packing up and getting ready to head home. But, not before Brad taught his nephew the fist pump.



I think he won Kaleb over with that.



He just didn't want him to leave... nor did we. Miss you already uncle Brad!