My Snow Angel

The snow arrived today!  So we found the warmest thing Caleb owned (which just so happened to make him look like a cute little snow monster), and we headed out for some fun in the snow.

Caleb wasn't quite sure what to make of it all.  He just quietly observed everything while periodically sticking his tongue out to catch some falling snow flakes.

 And we had to make snow angels, of course!

Meanwhile, Tony found a fallen tree in the backyard.  What do you do with a fallen tree in your backyard?  Engage in a Rocky-style workout, naturally!

 Lunges across the yard!  Caleb, I hope you're taking notes on how this is done...

 

Mommy's got it, too!  All those times I make Caleb fly overhead are paying off.  (Seriously, the tree was long dead and probably weighed no more than 20 pounds - light weight in comparison to our big boy!)

By the time we were ready to go inside, Caleb's cheeks were all rosy and he had snow flakes resting on his sweet eye lashes. 

One more family photo with the backyard gnome before we went inside to get warm by the fire...

Does this helmet make my cheeks look big?

No, Caleb has not joined the baby football league.  Nor is he practicing to be the next Evel Knievel-type motorcycle dare devil.  He's not even wearing this helmet to protect his head in the event that his newbie parents accidentally drop him. 
No, Caleb is sporting this new accessory for purely cosmetic reasons.  He had developed a bit of a flat spot on the back of his head because of his tendency to turn his head to the right (and I'm sure as a result of spending too much time on his back due to his distaste for tummy time).  They tell me that this helmet should even it out over the next few months.  So he'll be wearing it for 23 hours a day for the next three months. 

While we were in shock over the price tag for this piece of Styrofoam-type material (I'm pretty sure that a helmet for an NFL player is significantly cheaper than this thing), we ultimately decided to go ahead with it.  We didn't want him to be mad at us when he's 13 and has a misshapen head.  Plus, it may come in handy to protect his sweet little noggin from all the bumps that have started happening since he's moving around more nowadays. 
And it sure does accentuate those chubby cheeks! 

Caleb at 7 Months

Our baby is already more than 7 months old!  He's closer to a one year old than to a newborn!  He likes to roll over (mostly to get out of the dreaded Tummy Time), sit (with a little help), stand while someone holds him, play with his feet, and squeal (and sometimes scream) when he's excited.  Each morning, we wake up wondering what new things Caleb will be able to do that day.  He's still trying to "talk" by making all kinds of interesting noises - everything from screaming to making juicy raspberries.  If you're around when he's attempting to engage in conversation, watch out - your ears are likely to ring and whatever was in his mouth (be it formula, food, spit, or spit-up) is probably now on your face and/or your shirt.  Typical boy!  And he will of course chew on everything he can get his hands on.  His favorite toy is the exersaucer, which he has pretty much mastered at this point.  He loves it when Mommy tickles him and when Daddy makes him "fly," and he responds to both with his infectious laugh.  The sweetest thing about him is still his precious smile.  Often I will be feeding him while also reading a book, when I realize that someone is staring at me as if to get my attention.  I'll look down and, with the bottle still in his mouth, Caleb will give me the biggest smile (with formula running down his chin, of course).  It's enough to melt this mom's heart...each and every time. 
Here he is playing with his feet and practicing for his first trip on a roller coaster (with his screams):

Our little snow monster: