Calvin at 15 Months and Pregnancy at 6 Months

This is one of the family photos we got while everyone was here for Christmas. If it looks like it was cold that day, it was!! We were freezing! Still, I think the pictures turned out well. Remember, I am approaching 6 months of pregnancy in this picture so cut me some slack. :) I think my belly is disguised pretty well, though. 

Calvin is doing very well! He is a pretty mild and easygoing kid. He's not hard to please these days - just let him roam around the house with something in his hands, and he's a happy camper! He does a fast trot but doesn't really run yet. He walks everywhere and has very good balance. Occasionally, he'll trip or fall over something, but for the most part, he's pretty steady on his feet. I think it's due to his low center of gravity because he's so heavy and so short. He is solid! Almost everyone who picks him up says, "Whoa!" because they aren't expecting him to be as heavy as he is. He has a big head and a solid frame, this kid! I swear he only eats healthy foods... I think his body must just be more on the dense side, at least for now. We truly are all genetically made differently! I remember being told the same thing when I was a kid - I looked small, but I was heavy to hold. Taylors are not willowy or petite, that's for sure. I'll bet he gets it from me. :) Sorry, kid. Many people do not know this, and I don't know why I'm admitting it here, but I set my high school's female squat record at 200 lbs. Boo-yeah! Haha. Not the most feminine of traits, but whatever. I think my family's genes are naturally strong and that, in addition to all the work I did at my family's restaurant in high school, contributed to lots of muscle.  Maybe Calvin will set his school's squat record to maintain Mom's legacy. :)

Calvin and I still go on jogs most days. We stopped during the holidays, of course, and we don't go out when it gets below 25 degrees, but we still try to get out and jog as often as we can. I go absolutely crazy when I can't go out and do my walk/jog. Not only does it make it harder for me to sleep at night, it makes Calvin really restless to be cooped up all day. I bundle him up in double layers of fleece, a snow suit, a hat, and two blankets to make sure he's extra warm. He does great! When I take him out of the stroller after we're done, his hands and feet are still warm. I also have a clear jogging cover I use to protect from wind and snow. 

Speaking of snow, I'm not sure Calvin is the biggest fan. :)  

We went out once and he didn't seem too happy. We'll try sledding in a few weeks and see how he likes that.

Calvin loves books and especially loves his Moo book his Aunt Amy (Clement) got him! It's his favorite, along with the I Feel Happy and I Can Share books Grandma Smedley got him. He also LOVES his Pride and Prejudice book Aunt Melissa got him and we read it during Sacrament Meeting when he's getting a little fussy. He points at all the pictures and seems to point to faces most of all. I hope with all my heart he continues to love reading. 

This is a funny story. I was getting Calvin's bath ready one night and turned around for one second to get the bath soap when suddenly he had disappeared! I wandered around for a little bit before finding his little naked bum exploring his favorite toy in the house - the dishwasher. Haha! I couldn't help taking a picture. So cute. My little explorer.

His other favorite toy? The washer or dryer. He will sit here for literally 20 minutes and just stare. It's better than the TV! 

Dad loves playing with Calvin! He made a tall tower out of all of Calvin's blocks. It's always fun to see them playing together. I'm so lucky to have a husband who's as interactive as TJ.

Calvin has moved to one nap per day, but it doesn't always go very smoothly. Some days, he will only take a one hour nap! It makes me really miss the days he would take two 1.5 hour naps. Most days, though, his one nap will be at least 2-2.5 hours. Today, I gave him two naps, and he did fine with that. Maybe I need to do two naps every few days mixed in with one nap on the other days. When he takes a short nap, he is so grumpy the rest of the night. It could all be a teething phase or due to the sickness he got during Christmas, who knows? On our good days, though, he wakes up at 7 or 7:30 am, takes a nap around noon after lunch, wakes up at around 2:30, then plays until his 7:00 bedtime.

He is getting pretty picky about foods. It takes a lot of praise and encouragement for him to eat his vegetables. I cannot force him to eat broccoli, as hard as I've tried! I think I've made the mistake of fighting him on his vegetables too much. I have found when I place the vegetables on his tray and kind of leave him alone for a little while, he'll look at them suspiciously and then attempt to take a bite. When I catch him bringing the food to his mouth, I give him a lot of praise. Ridiculous amounts of praise. He smiles and looks really pleased with himself. When he takes a bite and also swallows it (rather than spitting it out; a common habit), I praise even more and give him hugs and kisses. If he absolutely seems resolute about not eating his vegetables, I mix them with a little whole milk yogurt and that seems to do the trick. He will eventually eat what is on his tray, it just ends up being quite a bit of hard work to get there. When I present him with whole wheat bread, peanut butter, fruits, cheeses, or meat, he is happy! He will eat all those. He will usually eat the dinners I make, too, so that's good. We just need to focus on the veggies. I'm trying not to worry about it too much - as long as I don't make food a huge battle and keep presenting these foods to him, I hope he'll develop healthy eating habits. 

Speaking of food, I made this yummy pizza the other night on our new pizza stone (ie: our terra cotta pot from Home Depot that we got for way cheaper and accomplishes the same thing). It's a caramelized onion, goat cheese, smoked gouda, mushroom and rosemary pizza on homemade pizza dough. We loved it! I got the idea from a restaurant I like in Park City called Cafe Terigo. I have resolved to make more of our pizzas at home this year rather than go to Papa John's on a whim.

Doesn't he look cute in his little bow tie? Thanks so much, Jamie! Calvin still uses a paci when he gets fussy, although he never uses it for sleep. We only pull it out when we need him to be quiet, like at church or at a restaurant. He giggles and laughs all the time and loves to surprise you when you're not looking by patting your back with his hands. He loves open doors and will walk as fast as he can to get to one before you close it! He is lukewarm about his toys and only seems to play with them for a few minutes at a time. He still does his independent playtime every day, and that seems to help him focus a little more on one activity at a time. We just love this little cutie pie!! I think this is the most fun phase yet. He has his fussy days, and I definitely get frustrated with his short naps or picky eating, but he's so expressive and so sweet, it's hard to stay upset. He gives hugs and kisses so readily. He gives me big sloppy kisses on my cheek before I put him down to sleep. If I crouch down and hold my arms out, he'll usually barrel into me with a big smile on his face and give me hugs. He still doesn't have stranger anxiety and seems content with almost anyone, though maybe not as expressive as with me or TJ. He is in nursery already for one hour and does great. I just couldn't love this kid any more.

Here I am at month six. This pregnancy has gone pretty well lately! My sickness is gone, my headaches are less frequent, and I am sleeping pretty well at night. One thing that has really helped with my headaches is drinking tons and tons of water all day. My doctor recommended a full gallon every day, which seemed like a ton at the time. When I made a concerted effort to do it, though (using reminders on my phone), I noticed a big difference. My appetite has increased exponentially, though. I cannot seem to eat enough. I could eat an entire meal and then eat another huge portion without breaking a sweat. I try to control my cravings but am pretty unsuccessful, especially around the holidays. If I don't watch out, I am sure I'll be mistaken for a manatee pretty soon. This is why I'm pretty determined to get out and jog each day! Hopefully, now that the holidays are over, I can return to my normal routine and eating habits. Knock on wood. :) Now that I have experienced pregnancy before, I know what to "look forward to" (more like "dread") in the coming months. Lots of discomfort, zero sleep, and hippo-like grace. I'm trying to soak in as much of the second trimester as possible before the third hits in a couple of weeks. I am hoping the prenatal workout DVD I'm doing a few times a week, along with the jogging, will help me feel less discomfort this time around. We will see!