Lindsey found someone to put pedals on Calico’s balance bike and he is riding like a champ. Here is a video from day 2 of him riding our nearby park.

It is terrifying… he goes so fast. I know that is how he will learn but that knowledge doesn’t help me when my heart jumps out of my chest because he shoots between a tree and concrete pillar… or turns so sharply. It is so scary to let them go and watch them start navigating the world.

I always thought the hardest part of raising kids is from age 3 onward. Everything is easy before that as it is just about love and attention. But after age 3 you have to increasingly watch quietly as they run into concrete walls so they can learn. Sure you get to put a helmet and pads on them… and if you are lucky they might hear you say something useful. But, at the end of the day, if you don’t give them the gift of independence and resilience now, they are stuck on an increasingly large crutch for the rest of their lives. No pressure…

This week was also the first week where Calico didn’t want to hold my hand most of the time. It was the first time that happened to me. Ouch, my baby is growing up :).

He is now 3 years old and is so much fun. Just bursting with personality and I love being a dad :)

It has been so much fun to watch more and more of Calico’s personality emerge, he is a little over 2.5 years old and so much fun :)

He has started this new thing when we ask him why he did something he says “happy”, which is hard to argue with.

Fun story I’ve been meaning to write down…

It is January 2017 and we just got out of the hospital and Calico is maybe 5 or 6 days old. We head to his pediatrician a few days after we get home for his first checkup. We get to the doctor’s office and wait to be called, but his diaper is ripe, so I take him to get changed. He is this cute little baby and I was not ready for what came next. I go into the spacious bathroom, pull down a huge baby changing setup and get him ready. The minute I take off his diaper and pull out wipes he suddenly projectile poops a stream of poop 3 to 4 feet across the changing table, the wall, and the floor. It was like something out of the Exorcist… just everywhere and a steady stream for what felt like 3 minutes. It was kinda hilarious.

After he finished I got him all fixed up and I think I used an entire box of wipes trying to wipe down the wall, the floor, and the baby changing station. It was gross. I finally got back to the room where Lindsey is waiting and slightly worried as it has probably been 15 minutes :). Projectile poop has never occurred again…

When we went to Strasbourg France when he was 6 months old it was quite a shock as when Lindsey’s diet changed to strange french cheeses the poor little guy didn’t poop for maybe a week. And, when he finally did it was TERRIBLE. Lindsey and I used to play poop roulette for who would get the unlucky diaper explosion. We had to classify them on a Richter scale (logarithmic scale) and it took him a while to adjust to whatever is in delicious French food :). It was pretty funny!

Calico has grown, he added 2.5 inches in 4 months!! His last doctor visit was at 14 months and here are his new stats :)

Height 33.75 Inches (he added 2.5 inches in 4 months!!)
Weight 23lb and 9 ounces

He is doing great apart from some sleep regression. He is trying to talk all the time and putting words together like crazy. We are working on please currently and he is doing pretty good with that. He also started using the word “no” a bit :)

Because of flu season, he didn’t see the doctor until 13.5 months, but close enough! Here are his stats (he saw the doc in late April and was 32.5 inches):

Head circumference: 18.625 centimeters (75th percentile)
Height 31.25 Inches (80th percentile)
Weight 22lb and 2.5 ounces (50th percentile)

He is so active and trotting just about everywhere. It is so much fun :). I like taking him to the park when it isn’t snowy and just watching him wander around. Anytime we open the door to the house he is out and just wandering down the sidewalk. The first pic below shows his love of blueberry banana smoothies.

Calico has been saying mama and dada for a while, but the first word he has really grasped onto is “ball”. For a few days now it is all he says as he plays with his soccer ball, rugby ball, or other bouncy balls we got him. Oh and check out his outfit as Lindsey dressed him up today :)

Wow, I can’t believe Calico is one year old (Dec 30th!)! It has been one of the longest and fastest years of my life, and somehow that makes sense. I love him and Lindsey so much, it was a fun year :). Definitely some challenging times, but we made it through.

And, here are two videos from his birthday muffin, and the next day playing with all his birthday and Christmas toys :).

Calico having fun at a friend’s birthday party :)

A really cool moment happened yesterday, I was reading to Calico and he stood up on the chair and choose a new book for me to read himself. At 11 months old he is starting to seem more and more like a lil person :). A few days he picked the below outfit off the couch and wore it like a cape and walked around the house being hilarious. Fun times :)

We had a good drive down to Arkansas, and Calico is enjoying seeing his grandparents and extended family :).

So much personality :), I spend most early mornings teaching him the basics of funny faces and growling!

What is the Snoo crib?
It is the BEST thing we bought for little Calico. It is a “smart” crib that gently rocks the baby, plays white noise, and keeps them secured and sleeping on their back in a swaddle. What else? If they cry or wake up it uses the happiest baby method to gently rock them more and increase the noise until they go back to sleep. And, as that happens it goes back to the base setting (plus it notifies you if they are still crying after x minutes(

Calico slept so much in this thing. He usually got a block of 6 to 7 hours, plus another 3 to 4. And, sometimes a full 10 to 12 hours. This thing is worth its weight in gold.

It is brand new as a product, our first one had some squeaking after 2 months and they replaced it no questions asked. Made by the Happiest Baby doctor and a bunch of MIT engineers. Comes with phone app too.

What does it look like?

Video of it in action?

It is expensive, but when broken down over 6 months it is worth it for the SLEEP. You will not be sorry. I wish they made one for adults :).

He is so tall :). He is doing great and I am having a blast! I can’t wait till his little head fuses so I can take him on some rougher stroller rides on gravel :)

Lindsey took some great photos, I call him lil bear and she likes buying him cute lil hats :)