Missing Mimi

Guest blogger: Caleb Heath

Baby Caleb wanted to write a little message to his Mimi (grandma Maria) to thank her for taking care of him this past week.

Mimi, I've been missing you so! I enjoyed spending quality grandbaby time with you this past week. And boy did you have your work cut out for you! I was congested, sniffly, snotty, and stopped up...plus I may have been growing my first tooth. I apologize for maybe being a little bit on the cranky side for some of your visit.

But you were so sweet to me, coming all the way to Durham for our visit. You took videos of me, sang to me, and read to me out of almost every book I own. Then on top of everything else, you drove me over the mountain to Tennessee for our Christmas celebration. What a dedicated Mimi you are!

You taught me how to share the spotlight with my cousin Madeline, who was quite stunning in her shiny red dress.

You taught us how to hug each other and Madeline gave me tons of kisses.

Mostly I just enjoyed being held by you and being rocked by you. You have such a loving embrace. My mommy is so lucky to have you as her mommy.


I enjoyed playing patty cake with you on Christmas morning. We both look stunning in our Christmas jammies.

I am so comfortable in your arms that I even trust you to hold me while drinking hot coffee. I would never let my mommy do that. Shhhh...don't tell her.

This Christmas was fantastic. Thank you so much for being such a big part of it. I don't know what I would have done without you.

Winter Wonderland

For Christmas Eve Hubby, Caleb and I made our annual trip over the mountain to Jonesborough, Tennessee to spend time with my big Cuban family. We had to wait until I got out of work on Thursday afternoon before making the trip to Tennessee and that meant not leaving Durham until 5 o'clock. The 5-hour drive to our destination would put us driving over the winding mountain roads long after sunset, which to me seemed a risky adventure. I've never enjoyed making that drive at night. To top it off there was always the chance of inclement weather.
I was fortunate to get out of work around 1 o'clock and Hubby and I (baby Caleb had traveled up the mountain earlier in the day with his Mimi) got right on the road by 1:30. The drive went without any drama and we arrived safely at our destination by 6:30.
Traveling back the following afternoon on Christmas Day we realized just how lucky we were. It must have rained throughout the evening Christmas Eve and frozen over due to the cold all night on the mountain. I took these photos somewhere around Newland, a quaint mountain-top town with an abundance of Christmas tree farms. While it was absolutely breathtaking, surrounding us with white silence, it made for treacherous driving conditions. I seriously thought we'd be trapped in the middle of the icy road and have to spend Christmas Day in our car.




Trees and power lines were down everywhere. Ice was so heavy in the branches that I feared a snapped limb might crush the roof of our car. The Forestry Service had begun sending teams out to clean up the mess, but there was a ton of work to be done.
I'm just so grateful that baby Caleb slept soundly in the back seat the whole trip, and that Hubby had just gotten brand new tires on the car. It just amazes me how things always seem to work out for the best. I believe we were in good hands. Thanks Hubby for your stupendous driving and thank you God for watching over us.
I hope everyone had safe and sound travels as well!

Holiday Greetings!

Hubby and I have yet to send out holiday cards since we've been married, and I do recognize how lazy that makes us. But this year we've received such BEAUTIFUL cards in the mail from all of our loved ones – they just keep flowing in, one by one. And since I have such a gorgeous subject I decided to create a last-minute holiday blog card for family and friends. I just couldn't resist putting this little guy's face on a Christmas greeting, even if this isn't the proper way.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Photo message to Santa

Dear Santa,
I've been so good this year...well, I've only had three and a half months to cause any trouble. But I assure you, I've been a perfect angel.

I'm so excited about my first Christmas!! You better get here soon. I've been drooling over the milk and cookies that await you. What could be better than milk and cookies and time with family?!

I hope my mommy and daddy get me lots of gifts, though I've overheard talk of them just giving me diapers.

Diapers are no fun for a baby!

But look how darn cute I look in my Pampers!

Okay, so bring diapers if you have to, but also bring some snow that I can play in when my Mimi and Grammie come visit.

That's all I ask for. Diapers, snow, time with family, cookies, and toys, toys, toys, milk, milk, milk, and hugs and kisses galore!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
Love, Baby Caleb Heath Busbee
(aka, De Biggest Boy, aka Ichabod McCod)

First gift

Baby Caleb has already opened a few of his Christmas presents this year, his very first Christmas. He is very much like his mother in that he cannot wait for Christmas. Those gifts are just too enticing under that tree.

One of his daycare instructors handmade his very first Christmas ornament. It's a little cloth star with his name stitched on it – absolutely perfect. Hubby and I wanted to find an ornament for him, but hadn't yet discovered something fitting. This one will do just fine.

Then Caleb's Aunt Misty came over to hand deliver his Christmas presents. These were the first he actually got to open.

Or at least he watched Misty open them and then he ate the tissue paper.

Here he is modeling his new rattle socks, something every baby needs as they begin to discover their feet!

And here he is kissing his new lion. He LOVES it!

And Misty also had to buy baby Caleb a Santa outfit for the holidays. We put it on him this evening.

Of course he looks stunning in it.

And we finished the evening up with more playtime with our Lion. Caleb is a happy baby!

Loud mouth

For curious family members and friends who have not had the privilege of hearing baby Caleb "talk," Hubby and I have uploaded this little video of his darling baby voice. Baby Caleb has been "ooohhhing and aaahhhing" for the past couple of weeks, but lately his voice has become quite a constant part of our lives. I hope you enjoy Caleb telling us stories while staring at the ceiling fan as much as we do!

Snowmen gone wild

Hubby, Caleb and I were invited to an afternoon Christmas party this weekend at my friend Pam's house. The invitation called it a Holiday Gathering and quietly mentioned that there would be a "Count the Snowmen" contest during the festivities. Pam is quite the collector, so I knew we'd be in for a treat. I thought, okay she probably has about 150 snowmen.

Hubby, Caleb and I arrived just a minute earlier than fashionably late and were immediately blown away by the holiday decorations. Pam had set up at least one Christmas tree in every room of the house, which provided a warm, festive feel for her guests, and I lie not when I say that not a square inch went uncovered by a snowman.

This is just one shelf of snowman collectibles on display in her kitchen. I needed a tripod to truly capture this phenomenon in all its glory.

My favorite collection was the Jim Shore carved snowmen. And this one even has a little bundle of snow baby. Precious!

I also loved the magnet snowman on the fridge and the snowman cookie jar city above the fridge.

Near the end of the party, and after all the guests had placed their guesses for how many snowmen Pam had on display, Pam finally announced the grand total. She had 493 snowmen gracing our presence. Hubby counted almost all of them and came up with 470. But his guess wasn't close enough. Someone else guessed 505. Caleb and I were WAY off.

One of many decorated Christmas trees.

And here's what I call the perfect guest room. Mine is so far from this. Mine offers no warm snuggly quilt. Instead, mine has a desk, a computer, an elliptical machine, a cd collection, and a variety of baby Caleb's toys strewn about.

Here's Pam in her kitchen waving hello to some guests. This was right before she unveiled her flour-free peanut butter cookies and her delicious Snickerdoodle cookies.

Baby Caleb had a great time at his very first Christmas party. He only spit-up on the floor once and pee-pee'd on his outfit once. But he was a jolly, smiling little boy.

The viewing of all the blinking lots and happy snowmen probably wore baby Caleb out. Pam was kind enough to lend us her bed for Caleb to nap upon. This is also his first time napping under the warm glow of a Christmas tree.

And we end on the daddy shot.

Thank you Pam for a wonderful holiday party. We had a blast!!!

School portraits

Shown above we have baby Caleb's very first school portraits. Since he attends an "academy" that is home to kids ages 6 weeks through high school, they take annual school portraits and print annual yearbooks.
Hubby and I were shocked when they informed us of Caleb's mandatory "portrait time" last week. He's only three and a half months old! But nonetheless, here he is in all his school portrait glory. Enjoy!

Star Wars

I promised my friend Kristin that I would post the Star Wars onesie from Target.

Caleb is wearing it for the first time while also debuting his jeans!

Burp like a man

Ever since the birth of baby Caleb, and after infinite hours practice of burping my handsome baby boy, I have become an expert in the art of patting his little infant back in hopes that a glorious breastmilk burp will come forth, relieving him of his gassy discomfort.
Just pondering the hours each day that I spend gently pounding on baby Caleb's back, it is no wonder that now when I hug people–adult people–it is with cat-like reflex that I pat their backs as well. I am slightly embarrassed by this fact, as I'm sure grownups don't appreciate being burped. Nonetheless, I can't help it.
Well last night I was lying on the couch when hubby came over to lay with me and steal a great big hug. As predicted, I began patting his back in motherly burping fashion. This glorious, loving hubby of mine did something no one else has yet – he burped! I guess he's had his share of practice as well.

Best voice forward

Does anyone like to sing in their car on their way to work, or is it just my all time favorite commuting activity? I gravitate towards very emotional ballads first thing in the morning, sometimes in the realm of adult contemporary, sometimes in the realm of R&B. This morning it was of course Mariah Carey, who fulfills both music genres perfectly.
The interesting thing about this morning’s Honda-on-Fayetteville-Street performance is that I’m not feeling 100% well. I am slowly recovering from a viral infection/cold/sore throat, but even that didn’t keep me from belting out the tunes.
Even more ridiculous is that I took pleasure in the subtle hoarseness in my voice. It gave my very off-key notes that much-needed edge.
Am I alone in liking how the human voice sounds when sick and raspy?

Bouncing boy

Caleb's newest toy, which he is actually still too small for, is his Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Jumper. He'll be able to better utilize all of the toys that come attached to the contraption in a few months, and right now we're still propping him up with a towel for support. But he does enjoy the jumperoo and he feels like such a big boy when he sits up and looks out at the world all by himself.