12 Weeks But Not 3 Months Just Yet

Thursday, June 29th brings a momentous occasion in the family Houston. Not only does Caleb begin to leave the newborn 'faze' and turn 12 weeks old, but we leave for our first family vacation! At approx. 8:30 a.m. tomorrow we will embark for LAX and at 11:30 a.m. (I'm already crossing my fingers) Tara, Caleb and I will board a plane bound eventually for Denver, CO. Honestly I am probably more anxious about the Thursday than anything else relating to Caleb since his birth.

You all have been there...on the crowded plane with the baby screaming. Given, it isn't normal for Caleb to cry or scream, but flying at 30,000 feet is far from normal. We have been given all the tips and hints at how to help it be smooth, but until we level out at our cruising altitude, I will be a little nervous. Now I know that there isn't much we can do if he decides to 'use his words' at takeoff, and I shouldn't be worried about what the other passengers are thinking, but I'm still anxious.

I am extremely excited though about the fact that once the plane ride is over, we will be spending 10 days in beautiful Summit county CO at our Condo! We love it there and it is such a nice break from the norm. The mountains are so peaceful and it will be great to have both Tara's and my parents visit, along with my sister and brother in law, possibly an uncle and aunt on my mom's side, and see some good friends in Denver.

By the way, there are a few new pics on the left in the photo album. Also be sure to check back soon for updates and pics from the trip. Either way, screaming or not, we will arrive in Denver, Lord willing, Thursday afternoon, and for ten days slow down, take in some hikes and the crisp Rocky Mountain air, and enjoy life without any plans. I LOVE VACATIONS!!!

Ten Weeks Old

The past two weeks have flown by. Heather and Michael Powell visited two weekends ago and Caleb was very hospitable to them! There is a great picture of Heather and Caleb in the photo album on the left. This past weekend was great because Great Grandma Albi came and spent the night on Friday. She also spent most of the day Saturday spoiling Caleb :)

Caleb is doing great. He is on the back end of a 4-6 day growth spurt in which he ate every hour and half to two hours. My guess is he is now well over 12 pounds and 24 inches long or (two feet tall). As you can see from the recent pics in the photo album, he is becoming more and more alert. He has always been an alert baby, but now he is starting to engage more with his surroundings. He loves bright colors and his play toy suits him well. He likes his mobile and swing and ANYTHING red! (He takes after his aunt Relva in that category! :)

This week should be pretty normal, but next will hold his first big trip. We leave on Thursday, the 29th for Colorado and will be gone for 10 days. We will see both sets of grandparents and other family and friends. It will definitely be an adventure as Tara and I try to navigate airports with a third party!

2 Months Old

Caleb turned two months old this week. With that comes the joys of the doctor's office and shots! Shots aren't fun for any of us, but on Wednesday, Caleb was in a nice sleep when all of the sudden, this mean nurse stuck him three times! I give the nurse credit because she gave him 3 shots in less than 30 seconds. But that was enough for Caleb to see the mean world inflict him with pain.

He bounced back pretty well however. Just a little fever and no real swelling or soreness. He slept a little more than normal, but now is back to himself. We did find out that he has grown to 11 pounds 8 ounces and is almost two feet tall (23.5 inches). He was born in the 50th percentile, and is still right there.

New pictures are uploaded to the photo album on the left. Make sure to check them out. This weekend, Michael and Heather Powell come to visit Caleb. Tara is beginning the last month of maternity leave. I can't believe how quickly it has gone! Even though fast, it is great! Caleb is wonderful and we are enjoying his every moment...even at 3:30 a.m. :)

The Ping of the Bat

Nothing says spring like hearing ping, ping, ping all across campus! Particularly when your team is hosting a NCAA Baseball Regional!

Yesterday marked the first time in not only school history, but West Coast Conference history when the NCAA Malibu regional kicked off with UCLA beating UC Irvine 3-2 then Pepperdine beating Missouri by the same score.

Say what you want about aluminum bats but college baseball, particularly playoff college baseball is great sports! It's purity. The players go all out all the time. Very few know their names and even fewer know where they came from. They are playing for the love of the game. Yesterday's Tigers/Waves game was amazing. The hero was definitely unsung.

A little over two weeks ago, we, the Waves, lost our all conference, all time conference leading hitter, second sacker, David Uribes to a season ending leg injury. His replacement, Denny Duron. Who? Exactly! A sophomore from LA (I found out yesterday, and NO that's not in Cali) and I follow the team! He had been hot since stepping in, but yesterday he went 2-3 with a run and an RBI (against a pitcher many are saying is going in the top five of the draft this year). However, it was his glove that did the damage. In the 7th with game tied and Mizzou runners at 1st and 2nd with one out, he turned a double play beating the runner at first by a step while getting rolled over at second by a BIG CORN FED boy! Then to end the game, Waves up by one, runners on the corners, after a 13 pitch at bat, Duron dives in the hole between first and second snagging a potential game tying grounder and throws out the Tiger at first from his knees! AMAZING! Pepperdine wins the all important first game in a double elimination tourney.

To see athletes play their heart out every game is special. In a world that is so focused on who's on what and how much money such and such is making, it is nice to see a game with high level talent (over 20 scouts in the stands yesterday) played well, and with emotion! I love sports...