Weaned!

Well, I didn't know when it would happen, but after 22 months, Caleb is finally weaned. It came to an end very gradually, and now that it has been well over 2 weeks since I last nursed, I think I can officially say that we are through. Weaning, however, didn’t directly translate into better sleep like I was hoping it might, and he does still occaissionally ask to 'touch them', which I hear is very normal! It does still feel like a big step towards independence (although I don’t think he’ll be ready to move out anytime soon!)

Wearing mom's homemade 'ugly Christmas sweater' (staff party theme). Caleb has never been so impressed with one of my outfits!

Watching Caleb grow has become one of the biggest pleasures of my entire life. Each day I'm blown away by how much more he understands and says. For awhile, talking with him was like a continuous game of 'I Spy' - we would point and say the name of everything we saw. Now he's moved beyond just the basic nouns and we are actually having conversations. He uses full sentences and understands concepts like next, other, I, later, tomorrow, hurry...which leads to Caleb's quote of the week 'Mom, I need a Kleenex QUICK!'. It is also quite hilarious when he uses words and sayings that he hears Alan and I say, like his new favorite 'what's happening?' or when he calls out to Alan 'Come here, honey! (or usually just hon), since he also loves to abbreviate - Linda is now Lin, Nina is Neen and the other night he picked up the telephone to call Santa Claus and said 'Hi San!!

He is also learning how to manipulate us, especially at bedtime. When he is all tucked in and the lights are off, he will inevitably pull out ‘Caleb need potty, mom! Pajamas off, diaper off!’ or ‘I need some water’, or if he is really desperate not to go to sleep he’ll try to trick us into thinking it is morning by saying ‘breakfast time’ or ‘not dark out anymore’. You’ll have to do better than that, Caleb!!

Making Christmas wrapping paper