Better Late Than Never

We realize this post is about three weeks too late, but we thought it would be fun to recap 2009 as we charge, head first, into 2010.  Although 2009 was a rough year for a lot of people, it was a good year for our family and we feel very blessed.  Here’s a little recap of some of our favorite moments from 2009:

In January Caleb started sitting on his own (not all that exciting now, but a huge feat at the time). We attended our first sporting event as a family of three – a Denver Nuggets basketball game (Caleb fell asleep). Caleb started smiling when he looked at us instead of just smiling when he had gas. After spending three wonderful months at home with Caleb for maternity leave, mommy went back to work and Caleb started going to our amazing nanny, Geby. There he met his first friend Matthew and they hit it off from day one. Caleb started exploring everything with his mouth (toys, toes, clothes, etc) and refused to sleep at all (that wonderful boycott lasted 9 months), but he sure did look cute posing in his crib!  At the time we thought his hair was so cute, but turns out it looked kind-of crazy…

In March Caleb ate solid foods for the very first time. He started teething and therefore drooling excessively (a trait even he seemed to think was pretty gross). Caleb took his first plane ride to Michigan to see Grandma and Grandpa, and met a new little friend named Blake. He made us laugh daily with his goofy smile and funny faces.  Sadly, his hair still looked a little crazy...

Daddy calls this his Reverend Al Sharpton hairstyle. We're sorry Cae, we promise you, at the time we really did think it was adorable!

In April Caleb started talking for the first time (mama is still a little hurt that dada was the first word).  Caleb developed a love for books and his determination to get to a book across the room is what motivated his first crawl at the end of April. We traveled to Arizona twice to vistit Aunt Amber for mommy's and daddy’s birthdays and Memorial Day where Caleb slept, sunbathed, and relaxed by the pool. In June his bottom two front teeth finally came all the way in and his smile became even more infectious.

Caleb surprised everyone and started walking at 9 months (still by far the best memory and cutest video). We spent the 4th of July at Lolli’s eating BBQ (yum – veggie burgers) and lighting sparklers. Caleb wasn't all that impressed with the fireworks and fell asleep.  We got adventurous and hiked our first Colorado 14er, Mt. Bierstadt (14,060 ft). Caleb pretty much slept the entire time while mommy (and mostly daddy) did all the work. When we finally reached the top (6 hours later) he was full of energy and running around. We picnicked, took some pictures, and then quickly headed back down the mountain before it got dark. It took us 10 hours round trip! So many people stopped to tell us what a good baby Cae was and how they had never seen a baby that little on a 14er (not sure if that was compliment or an insult).

In August we flew to NYC for a week and had a fantastic time sightseeing, adding our names to the MoMA - Measuring the Universe exhibit, riding the subway, walking through Central Park, shopping, accidentally joining the Dominican Day Parade, suffering from heat stroke as we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, eating pizza and frozen yogurt at Pinkberry, and taking advantage of the free happy hour at the hotel (thanks Cae, the stroller was the perfect cover for sneaking extra beverages back to the room).

We took two swimming classes where Cae was by far the best student. His only competition was from this little show-off backstroke boy. We are still convinced the boy was way over the age limit for the toddler class. C’mon, he was better than the instructor! Caleb formed a band with his partner in crime, Matthew, and learned some interesting dance moves from Geby. We celebrated Caleb’s first birthday with a big party and a cake he refused to eat.  Don't let the picture fool you, we had to force him to play in it.  He mastered the art of causing trouble, and perfected the innocent look to get him out. In October we played in the snow of his very first snow storm and had a great time trick-or-treating with his fellow giraffe friends at the zoo on Halloween.

 

 

 

The holidays had us traveling all over to see family and friends. We went to Michigan for a lovely Thanksgiving where Caleb met his Uncle Corey for the first time. Caleb got his first real haircut and officially became a little man. Caleb spent a weekend with Aunt Amber and she thought it would be funny to dress him up like a homeless man. Luckily they didn't leave the house. We spent Christmas in Colorado Springs with lots of family and lots of presents. This was the first year he really understood the concept of opening gifts and he had a great time tearing though the paper. We went to see way too many holiday lights, but had fun every time (except at Hudson Holiday – stay far away and save your money).

We rang in 2010 as a family and it was absolutely perfect.  So, thank you 2009 for all the memories. We enjoyed you while you lasted, but we can’t wait to see what adventures await Caleb and Co. in 2010…