See Calem Grow and Learn

2009-06-17T21:36:00.000-07:00

Since family in Loveland Co was putting on a Relay For Life team again in Colorado and it was my weekend off we decided to take a little vacation and join the team. We had a nice time and it turned out to be another great relay. It was on a new fairground and it was so big several bands could play without bothering each other. It is for me always a great event and tribute to Laurianne.

2008...A Year in Pictures

2009-01-15T23:01:00.000-08:00

December 2008

Sleigh bells ring..........

November 2008

Still warm enough to play outside in the sandbox

October 2008

Branson, Missouri

Cuckoo Chukoo

September 2008

See how tall I am?

Armstrong Woods, Guerneville, California

August 2008

Going down the slide

July 2008

Playing in the park with friends

June 2008

Swimming in the pool

May 2008

Calem having fun at OT

April 2008

Calem and Opa in Arches National Park, Moab, Utah

March 2008

Calem and Grandma Lin

in Arizona

February 2008

Calem and Oma Dina playing the piano

January 2008

Calem sharing his bebe aka pacifier with Techno the dog.

2008 Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today we had a enjoyable time at the pumpkin patch. The weather was very nice making it a perfect event. Calem loved all the events going on and also seemed to be interested in the animals.
Here are some pictures of Calem.

Funky Monkey

2008-02-23T22:30:00.000-08:00

Keon and Funky Monkey

Calem watching a ball popping game

Calem always enjoys going down a slide

FUNKY MONKEY

Two weeks ago Calem was invited to a birthday party from his little friend Keon who turned 3.
It was being held at a pizza palor called Funky Monkey. With Calem's sensitivity issues we were not quite sure how he was going to handle a busy place like Funky Monkey. The whole time he was there he was very cautious and a few times when it got loud he would cover his ears. But he did have a great time and enjoyed all the kids. Now we look back at the pictures and he will say "Funky Monkey".

Piano Man!

2007-12-24T22:19:00.000-08:00

Laurianne and Calem - September 2005

Calem and Great Oma Dina - December 2007

Laurianne loved the piano and one of her wishes was that Calem would learn how to play the piano. After Calem was born she ordered a piano book for him called Go In and Out the Window: An Illustrated Songbook For Children. When he visited Oma Dina he climbed on the piano bench and played a few keys. I am sure Calem's Mommy in heaven was smiling down on him when he was playing those notes for her.

Christmas Time

2007-12-24T21:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas has been a fun, fascinating and a learning time for Calem. He learned quite a few new words including Santa Claus, Christmas lights, snowman, presents, Safeway, Ross and Applebees are some that come to mind. Yes, the TV commercials played a role in learning some of the words like Safeway, Applebees and Ross.

Living close to a shopping mall, Calem had the opportunity to see Santa Claus a number of times.

From a distance he enjoyed Santa but only from a distance. Santa Claus also came to visit the center where Calem goes for one of his playgroups, but he was not comfortable to have his picture taken with Santa. So 2007 is a no picture with Santa year.

Looking at Christmas lights was another fun experience. There were two homes that were very extra impressive with lots of decorations, music and lights that he enjoyed very much.

Just a few more hours before Santa comes to bring Calem his presents. I am sure that Calem will enjoy Christmas for many more years to come!

2 1/2 and Laurianne Banana

2007-12-05T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today Calem is 2 1/2 years old. He is a busy little boy and keeps us busy and young.
He has a busy schedule during the week with Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and two playgroups. But he is making a lot of progress with his sensory and auditory processing issues.
At home he is becoming quite a talker. He loves to repeat everything that is being said.
Some of his favorite phrases are " Oh my goodness" and "That is so funny". His favorite letter is "H" and favorite number is "5". At times we have to stop at every licence plate that has a 5 or an H. Together we can go through the whole alphabet and he can identify quite a few letters.
Oh, lets not forget that when a commercial from McDonalds comes on TV he recognizes the letter M.

As he grows we want to make sure he knows who his Mommy is. We show him her pictures that we have around the house and tell him that is Mommy Laurianne. He will respond with a big smile and say "Laurianne", then there is a pause, and then he will say "banana". Now that is what uncle Mike used to call his sister but he never taught Calem to say that. So like uncle like nephew?

2007-10-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Relay For Life

September 29-30, 2007

This year family and friends participated again with the American Cancer Society Relay For Life.

This year the Relay was dedicated to all the children - that a cure may be found and their lives can be cancer free.

Here are some pictures of Calem's participation.

One of the Luminaria's in Memory of Laurianne

Time to Get Wet

2007-07-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

Calem helping Oma water the tomato plantsCalem decided to get a drink of water from the hose
And decided it is fun to get wet

This is lots of fun!

Birthday Pictures - Better Late Then Never

2007-07-17T22:17:00.001-07:00

Calem's Birthday was quite different from the big party we had for his first birthday. This year was very quiet because Oma (aka Josie) needed to have surgery the next day. Here are some pictures of Calem eating birthday cake. I am sure he would have been a lot messier if it was CHOCOLATE cake.

2007-07-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated Calems 25 month birthday. Since it was hot we went out in the evening to the playground. here are some pictures we took there. Opa and I had a great time together. I like to take evening walks and step on every metal lid to make noise.

Conversation with Calem

2007-07-03T07:11:00.000-07:00

For the first time Sunday, Calem talked to me on the phone instead of pushing it away. Well, he pushed it away at first. Here is how the conversation went:

Oma: You want to say Hi, to Calem.

Me: Sure!

Me (after waiting a few seconds): Hi, Calem! Hi, Calem! Calem, what does the doggie say? What does the doggie say? Calem? What does the kitty cat say?

Oma: He pushed the phone away.

Me: That's ok. Maybe he doesn't want to talk to me.

Oma: (silence)

Me: Calem, what does the doggie say? What does the doggie say?

Calem: woof woof

Me: Good job! What does the kitty say?

Calem: Meow, meow, meow!

Me: Wow, good job! That's really good. What does the bee say?

Oma: He pushed the phone away again. I guess he is done talking now.

Me: Well, at least he talked to me. Normally he just keeps pushing the phone away.

2007-06-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

On one of our many trips to Sacramento before Oma's impending surgery we stopped at a amusement park at the nut tree shopping center . I think it gave us all some relief from the stress of the upcoming surgery . We had a great time with the big rocking horses and most of the other attractions . We were extremely happy that Tante Dynda was here to help take care of me.

A late Happy birthday blog

2007-06-23T20:47:00.000-07:00

we are very late with Calems second year birthday blog because Oma had major surgery the day before . We celebrated by Grandma Lin and Big G there was a cake and also a couple of presents. Luckily Tante Lynda and Opa were there to take care of me and to celebrate my birthday. I am pretty sure Oma was thinking about me while she was in ICU. Hopefully later in the year when everything is more back to normal we will find a reason for a bigger celebration Opa will try to upload a few more pictures from around my 2 birthday

Nanja

2007-06-21T12:30:00.001-07:00

Friday, June 1, I flew out to California to be with my parents. My mom was getting ready to have surgery, and would be in the hospital a few days. So, I went out to help with Calem, help keep my dad calm, and take a load of stress off my mom's mind.

Since I couldn't stay out there forever, my folks hired my cousin's friend to come out to help with Calem after my mom's surgery. She would be staying for the summer. So, to help prepare Calem, my mom would tell him, "Natania is coming to visit you in a few weeks." And Calem would run to the picture my parents hung up between their computers, and finger it and say "Nanja". While my mom was in the hospital, I would also remind him that Natania was coming to visit him. And, knowing who Natania was, he would run to her picture, touch it with his fingers and say, "Nanja".

Because of my mom's surgery, Calem was totally off his sleep schedule. Natania arrived on June 14, and Calem woke up at the same time my folks got home. I took him out of bed to give him some milk, and he kept looking at Natania and giggling. He knew she was the girl from the picture.

They quickly became friends.

The Belly Button

2007-05-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

Calem at 23 months

After playing outside for a while, it was time to give Calem a bath. Usually he will play with various bath toys but today he was totally intrigued by his belly button. He kept on looking for it but sometimes he could not see it by the way he was sitting. After his bath he was still fascinated by his belly button. Do you think he was thinking "Is it an innie or an outie?"

From Jumping to Climbing and Hiding

2007-04-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

We all know that at one point in a little boys life they will start climbing.......and Calem is at that point. He still LOVES to jump but has added climbing and hiding in cabinets and closets to his activities. He has not climbed out of his crib yet but that won't be much longer.

Boys Knees

2007-03-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

Today we visited great grandma Dini for a short time. We were outside and Calem decided to go for a run. In her quiet retirement park he quickly ran down the sidewalk towards the parking lot. At the end of the sidewalk, right before the parking spaces, Calem made a little tumble and got up again. He did not cry. I took his hand and we walked back to great grandma Dini's house. It was not till a little later that I noticed both of his knees were scratched a little. Today was the first day that Calem wore shorts this year. He was probably thinking that if Oma did not put on those shorts my knees would not be scratched. I am sure it won't be the last time he will have scratched up knees.

When I noticed the scratched up knees it reminded me of something Calem's great grandma Agnes would tell the girls after they made a tumble and had scratched up knees. She would lovingly tell them their scratched up knees are boys knees and they should be proud of them.

A visitor - Flat Stanley

2007-02-22T22:39:00.000-08:00

The first week of February we had a visitor come to stay with us for almost 2 weeks. Calem, being only 20 months old did not even know the visitor came to stay with us. That is how quiet he was. Our visitor came in an envelope per US mail and his name is Flat Stanley.
Flat Stanley came to us as a school project from Calem's second cousin Leila. The goal is for Flat Stanley to travel to various places and to be returned to Leila's class in May. So far Leila's Flat Stanley has traveled from Southern California to Utah, to Colorado, to Tennessee, to Indiana, to Northern California where he went from our house to Aunt Patricia.
Before we sent him off to Aunt Patricia we did take Flat Stanley and Calem on an outing.
We went for a visit to the Snoopy's Home Ice - The Redwood Empire Ice Arena.
Calem had been there before with his Mom-Laurianne, Aunt Lynda and Oom Dan and Oma back in August of 2005.

Where Does The Time Go??

2007-02-10T20:52:00.000-08:00

Wow!!! It is hard to believe that Calem is 20 months old already. Before you know it his 2nd birthday will be here. But another big event before his 2nd birthday is that the little guy is going to be making a long trip. In a few weeks he will be meeting his relatives in Holland. That should be fun especially since there will be some second cousins there who are close to his age.

The month of January went by quickly. We started Music Together class again but Calem never did well in those weekly classes and it only got worse. After the third time of the second session it was better to take him out and try it again when he is a little older. There is a lot of activity and energy in those classes and just a little more than he could handle.
We also go to a Wee Play class once a week and he loves it there. There are only eight children and three teachers. It took him a while to get used to that class also but he loves it there now.
Kindergym is another class he goes to but that has been a little sporadic lately but he likes it there too.

January was a very nice winter month, hardly any rain and nice warm spring like weather. We went on a lot of walks which he enjoys and went to the playground. Take him in his stroller into a store and he will let it be known he does not like shopping.

See the Leaves Falling One by One

2007-01-04T22:57:00.000-08:00

Listen to the leaves falling one by one
When we rake them up were going to have some fun!

That is from one of the songs from the fall session of our
Music Together class.

Several weeks ago it was time to clean up the leaves that fall in our yard from the tree from our back neighbors. Most of them fall in a rocky area behind the garage. With the leaf blower we blow them on to the cement area and then it is easy to sweep them up.

The first time Laurianne went to New York she was very excited about all the colorful leaves. She had taken pictures of the kids she was caring for playing in piles of leaves. I thought about that when I was blowing the leaves together and though there were not piles of leaves, there were enough leaves for Calem to play with for a while before they all ended up in the yard waste bin.

All I want for Christmas

2007-01-04T22:20:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2006

Calem getting curious about all the presents.
He was really good about leaving them all alone till I put him in the middle of them all.

Dress Me Elmo

Elmo was one of Calem's Mommy's favorite children's television show characters.
Laurianne was not a big collector of toys or of anything particular, but she did buy a few Elmo items from time to time. There is an Elmo up in the closet that is still in the box. I don't know which one it is because it is facing backwards and I need a stepladder to get it down. We will give that Elmo to Calem when he is a little older.

Calem's First Laptop
Tante Dynda aka Lynda and Uncle Michael are showing Calem how his new laptop works.
In a few years from now Calem will be showing Tante Lynda and Uncle Mike how the new
technology works. Calem loves to turn on Opa and Oma's computer and play with all the keys. He does like his own V-Tech laptop but still likes Opa & Oma's keyboards as well.

A Visit from Santa

2006-12-16T18:01:00.000-08:00

Who is this guy and why did Oma put me on his lap?

Wait a sec! Didn't I see him kissing Oma under the mistletoe last night?

A Year and a Half, Sinterklaas and 2nd Haircut

2006-12-05T20:47:00.000-08:00

December 5, 2006

Calem is 18 months old

The feast of Sinterklaas

Have you ever heard of the good Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas? We're going to tell you something about this remarkable holy man, and, who knows, perhaps you'll grow so fond of him that you'll want to celebrate his birthday too. On a Saturday in the middle of November, Saint Nicholas arrives in Holland from faraway Spain by special steamboat. He is accompanied by his faithful aids, all called Black Peter. Saint Nick brings presents for every child and grown-up in Holland. After his arrival in Holland, a shoe is placed in front of the fireplace before going to bed. For at night the good Saint rides over the roofs of the houses on his horse. He listens at each chimney to hear if the children were good. If he is satisfied with what he hears, he sends one of his Black Peters down the chimney later at night to put a little something in the shoes.
December 5th is eve of Saint Nicholas’ actual birthday. On that day the good Saint himself comes to many of the homes. He has so many calls to make that his helpers, one of his Black Peters, help to drop off a bag full of presents at each house. Everybody in Holland joins in the Sinterklaas celebration and it is the nicest, most wonderful and exciting festivity in the land!

Sinterklaas does not forget the children that have their Dutch heritage but do not live in Holland.
Calem having been a very good boy was also brought presents by Sinterklaas or Zwarte Piet.
One of them was a CD with Sinterklaas songs which he enjoys. The other a toy which he opened this evening right before bedtime.
His Opa and Oma were pretty good too apparently because they also received lots of goodies such as the traditional chocolate letter, Spekulaas, drop (licorice) and other goodies. We are all very happy that Sinterklaas found us again this year.

Calem's 2nd Haircut

Calem got his 2nd haircut today. His hair was really getting long and being so curly it was not easy to brush. With the long hair, after brushing it, Calem's hair was beginning to look like that of Richard Simmons. We definitely did not want that so we went to Hair and Co in Santa Rosa. Christie, the owner has been doing the families hair for many years. As a teenager, Laurianne wanted red hair. Christie helped her achieve that red look........and wow.......it was red. Laurianne loved her hair and often as a trade, Christie would do her hair and get Laurianne her favorite hair products, in return Laurianne watched her three children. Several years ago Christie was so busy and her children still needed to go Christmas shopping. Laurianne took them and Christie has mentioned that was a year that they got really nice presents from the kids.
Laurianne and Christie had a special bond. We know that Laurianne would not want anyone else but Christie to care for Calems curls. Christie knows that Laurianne would want good hair care products for Calem and she makes sure he has them.

Ouch and One Little Calem..........

2006-11-21T23:23:00.000-08:00

Ouch.........yes, Calem had his first major collision with the coffee table last week.
He was walking, actually it was more like running to the coffee table with his puzzle in hand.
I heard a bump and the coffee table drawer closing. Then there was a lot of crying, blood and more crying. The cut right on his eyebrow appeared worse than it was and is healing nicely.

One Little Calem climbing on the couch
If he falls down he will say ouch!

Today we were IM with Tante Lynda. I usually point the webcam towards Calem so she can see what he is doing. We both noticed him on the couch and he was getting ready to stand. I got him off the couch and not even a minute later he had climbed up again. That alone is not so bad but he stands up on the couch and starts jumping. Now I am to blame for that. When he was younger, before his walking days, he loved to look out the window. The only way he could see out the window was to stand on the couch. Then he discovered jumping and I let him get away with it. Now remember, he was only a wee little babe. Once he learned how to stand in his crib he decided that jumping in the crib is more fun. And that is how we know that Calem is awake.
We hear him jumping.
Mmm......I wonder.......does his jumping have anything to do with his Mommy loving and eating Claim Jumper Chocolate Motherlode Cake(s) while she was pregnant?

***********************************

I found this on the web. Laurianne always bought her cake though.
Claim Jumper Chocolate Motherlode Cake

6 eggs
3 cups sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3 cups oil
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 3/4 cups flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
4 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups boiling water
3 cups chocolate chips

Add ingredients (eggs, sugar, butter, oil, cocoa, buttermilk and vanilla) into a mixing bowl mixing well between each. Sift dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and soda, salt) and add to the mixing bowl. Fold the water into the ingredients above. Pour equally into 6 8" pans and add 1/2 cup chocolate chips into each pan. Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes. Cool. Wrap and place the cake rounds in the freezer. Remove and ice the rounds with chocolate cake frosting.

Bye, Dynda

2006-11-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

My little IM buddy was very tired tonight. So we were going to say our good-byes. We send a few MSN winks to each other, and I wave and blow kisses. I always say, "Bye, Calem!" Sometimes I tell him to take care of Oma and Opa.

Today I was saying good-bye in the usual way, and Calem says, "Bye, Dynda". My mom and I looked at each other and said, "Did he just say bye, Dynda?" Dan said he heard it too.

I guess Dynda is his first sentence!

Wee Play

2006-11-09T22:28:00.000-08:00

Today Calem started a new class called Wee Play. It is a developmental social play group for kids and their families where they can laugh and giggle, dance and wiggle, play and pretend, make a new friend, create and explore...and come back for more!

His buddy Kean, who we met at Kindergym and was also in Calem's swim class was there with his grandma, Shirley. Kean and Calem have many similar features and when we arrived at the class one of the instructors asked if they were brothers. I guess she did not realize there is a 4 month age difference!

Calem still has a sensitivity to loud noises. He was doing quite well till a few weeks ago. We were in San Francisco at the Embarcadero. There was an alarm was going off in the building and before we knew it fire engines were making their way up the pier. Then right where we were standing the sirens went off and when you are next to the fire engine, the sound is louder than loud. We covered his ears as quickly as we could but that did not help. Since that time we are back to square one when it comes to loud noises. Now when he hears a fire engine, even in the distance he gets upset. Hopefully outgrow this with time.

Trick or Treat

2006-10-31T22:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween - it was a nice halloween for Calem. Most important, he liked his costume. Of course how could he not! His Mommy and Oma bought it together at a garage sale when he was just a pea in a pod. It was an excellent choice too....he looked awfully cute in it.

His first trick or treating outing was to the mall.
There were lots of cute little ghosts and goblins, princes and princesses, tiggers and poohs but Calem did not care how they were dressed. He got lots of comments and some candy too.

After dinner Michael and Erin came by to pick up Calem and he went out with them for a while. It sounded like he had lots of fun with the kids from Erin's friends. When he came home he was not tired like I expected him to be. He played for a while and then went to sleep. Hopefully not scary dreams............

IM Buddies

2006-10-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

Calem knows how to get in touch with Dynda, even though she lives far away. He will tell Oma, "Dynda". He even sees her picture on the screensaver and says, "Dynda".

I like the web cam also. It allows me to see Calem often, and to watch him play. He brings Oma books and I try to remember them. The other day, I got a sneak preview of his Halloween costume. You don't get to see it yet, but it is really cute!

One of Calem's favorite things about IM is Winks. He likes the dancing pig, and the dance guy. He likes the funny face guy and tries to imitate the nosie he makes. He still isn't sure about the laughing woman, but at least he doesn't cry anymore.

Usually when Dynda is on the camera, Calem will pound on the keyboard then go to play with his toys. There is so much to do, he can't talk to Dynda too long or he won't get other things done in his day!

Calem's words

2006-10-12T21:36:00.000-07:00

Though we have not blogged much lately, every day is a new adventure with Calem. Every day we realize he is learning something new.
Calem and I have been going to "Music Together" class on Wednesday morning and since that time I noticed he is trying to clap. Instead of clapping both hands he claps his hand and his arm. He and many of the young ones do not participate very much when they are at class but Calem is very observant. When we play the music cd at home he has lots of fun with it.

Slowly but surely he is learning new words.
Some of the words he knows are:
Bottle - baba-this includes his pacifier and sippy cup.
Doggy -when we go for walks and he sees a dog he makes sounds for doggy.
Dynda - Lynda
Oma
Opa
Purple - he says that very clearly-learned that from a toy his Mommy bought for him.
Ball
Book
Blanket
and I am sure there are some that I am forgetting.
Speaking of book - he has several books he can identify and will bring to you if you say something out of the book.
One of them is Eight Silly Monkees - with that one he also puts his hand down on the table or floor when you say "One fell down and bumped his head".
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see........is another book he knows.
His favorite book about the Wombat-Sometimes I like to Curl up in a Ball is another one he will bring to you to read if you mention it and the Smile book is another one he likes.
He is definitly developing well and is a happy boy who brings smiles to many, many people.

Relay for Life

2006-09-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

September 9 -10, 2006 we participated in the Santa Rosa Relay for Life which was dedicated to Laurianne. It was a busy day for Calem. We were up early which is not unusual but he still takes a morning nap. He ended up taking his morning nap in the arms of Tante (aunt) Lynda and right during the opening ceremony. This was good timing. With Calem being noise sensitive, he missed all the loud cheering during that took place. I was surprised it did not wake him up.

Walking hand in hand with Michael and Lynda, Calem walked his first official lap in honor of his Mommy. For more details on the Relay for Life visit http://lauriannes-hope.blogspot.com/

Have you seen the September issue of Sonoma Family Life magazine? Calem and his Opa 's picture are shown in the article about grandparents. Yes, September 10th was Grandparents Day.

Calem's Social Calendar

2006-09-07T23:36:00.000-07:00

Tante Lynda is learning that Calem has a very busy social calendar. This morning we went to KinderGym. Calem crawled through tunnels and climbed on slides. He had a great time. At the end, there were bubbles and we sang songs.

Calem went for a nap, then Oma and Tante Lynda did some errands for Relay for Life. When Calem woke up, Opa took him for a walk to the store. Then Calem was chased through the house, and then he went with Tante Lynda and Oma to the American Cancer Society. Instead of swimming lessions today, he had another social engagement. He was going to get his first haircut.

Calem thought getting a haircut was the best thing ever. He watched another little boy get his haircut, and that little boy didn't cry. When it was his turn, he liked the drape they put on him. There was a horse and a car, and Calem found the car gave him better balance. He was given a brush to play with and it was the funnest! Oma, Uncle Michael and Tante Lynda were all there, taking pictures and videos. Opa decided to stay home. I think Opa just couldn't bear to see those curly locks cut. He was laughing through the whole experience. He is definately like his mommy. He loves his hair.

Afterwards, they took pictures of Calem with his haircut. Tante Lynda and Uncle Michael also got their picture with Calem also. Calem got a certificate with his hair taped to it. Everyone loved Calem's new 'do!

You can also see the video of Calem's First Haircut!

Fun Time With Tante Lynda

2006-09-06T00:06:00.000-07:00

Today Calem had a lot of fun with Tante "Dynda". We went to the park, and played on the swing and with the tunnels. Calem didn't really want to go through the tunnels, but he did climb in and out of one. This meant Tante "Dynda" didn't have to run to the other side to get him, though. We also tried the slide, and that was fun, but Calem wasn't too sure about it. It was very warm, so when Tante "Dynda" and Calem were good and sweaty, they walked back home.

Later Calem had swimming lessons. "Dynda" helped Calem with the swimming. She still has a lot to learn though. I think Calem thought Opa does a better job. But he had fun kicking. Later, Oma discovered that both his legs were in the same leg hole with the inner trunk. "Dynda" tried to get them in and Calem kept slipping them out, so I think that is where the error occurred. Maybe tomorrow Calem will kick more!

After dinner, Calem went with "Dynda" and Om Dan to Rite Aid for poster board to prepare for Relay for Life, and then to Starbucks. Calem had a shortbread cookie and almost ate it all. When we got home he played a bit, but he was really worn out. He has been having a lot of fun with "Dynda" visiting.

Also check out the new videos on Calem's video blog.

Happy Birthday Tante Lynda

2006-08-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday Tante Dynda!
Happy Birthday to you........
and many more

Being a computer connected family we regularly use the video cam to visit with Lynda and Dan.
When Calem hears Lynda's voice over the computer he says "Dynda, Dynda"
Then he starts pounding on the keyboard to send her a message.
In two days we will see how Calem will react seeing and hearing Dynda "Live".
Lynda and Dan will be here to celebrate Great Oma's birthday and for Relay for Life.

Wheels on the Bus

2006-08-22T23:19:00.000-07:00

The wheels on the bus go round and round
round and round, round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
all through the town.

This is one of Calem's favorite toys that he got for his birthday from Trudy.
I have to admit, it is my favorite too.
Push on the driver and it sings the song, push another button and the door opens.
There is a stop sign and a warning sign.
The passengers say the shape they have on the bottom, square, triange, star and circle.
And push the bus, the engine sound comes on.

They sure make fun toys for kids - and grandparents too!

Look Who Is 14 Months Old and Walking

2006-08-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

Yep, Calem is already 14 month old and started to walk Friday, July 28th in the evening time. Purely by mistake he had taken a single step a few times, but as of July 28th he became aware of walking. On Saturday he showed uncle Mike what he could do and we were even able to video tape a few steps. Sunday he still had his enthusiasm for walking. Monday at kindergym he was not ready to show off. Calem decided the heck with it, why all the fuss. For a few days there was very little effort for walking. Crawling is safer and closer to the ground. We believe he was not feeling real well, possibly those teeth were bothering him again. Lots and lots of drool the whole day through. Wednesday he was totally out of sorts. He was upset at swimming lessons that we left early.

Now he is his little young self again and has decided walking can be fun. When he falls he makes a game out of it by standing up again and falling on purpose. Before we know it crawling will be a thing of the past.

When your hot your hot

2006-07-23T22:56:00.000-07:00

The last couple of days we experienced a serious heatwave with temperatures up to 104. Since we have no air conditioning our choice was going to the mall or the beach. Because our trip was to the mall yesterday we decided to go to the beach today. It was a very enjoyable day and Calems first hangout at the beach. We also got our feet wet for Calem it was the very first time.

Hot....Hot.....Hot....

2006-07-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

The weather has been very hot and to cool off we drove to Bodega Bay and went to Campbells beach. Calem was not quite sure what to think of the sand and did not particularly care for the taste. He did enjoy getting his feet wet!

Swimming with my Calem.....Priceless

2006-07-13T22:46:00.000-07:00

Today we finished another session of swimming. Calem really was enjoying himself and made great progress. I think he was in love with his instructor Kirsten he had always big smiles for her from day one. He is becoming a expert floater. Also he is enjoying the different songs we were singing during lesson. There are a couple of lessons scheduled for later in the season. Part will be when tante Lynda is here. We are already looking forward to it

For Stephanie - Happy Birthday!!!

2006-07-06T08:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Stephanie!!!

Laurianne and Stephanie - October 1, 2005

Stephanie and Calem

Stephanie and Laurianne became friends during the early elementary school years.

Years later, when Laurianne and Stephanie were roommates, Laurianne wanted to make sure I did not forget Stephanie's birthday. She told me to call Stephanie and wish her a happy birthday and pretend that I remembered without any reminders from her. She said "you can't forget your other daughter's birthday".
So Steph......from all of us..........HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Note for Stephanie: This program does not show e-mail addresses when you post a comment. I will stop by at your Mom's sometime to get it.
PS-Stop by sometime when you are in SR

Certificate of Completion

2006-06-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

Calem completed his first swim class yesterday.
He has been enjoying the water. The first week there was some crying but the second week was much better.

Yesterday Michael and Erin went in the water with Calem. He did slip out of Erin's hands and went under water but that did not bother Calem too much.

Next week he starts his second swimming session.

Calem is also attending Kindergym two times a week. At first the clapping when singing songs bothered him again but he is overcoming that also. Calem is very sensitive to certain noises. The noise of the sirens of a fire engine does not bother him, yet clapping hands softly will make him cry. But we are working on that to get him used to various sounds/noise.

Swimming Lessons - Calem in the Pool

2006-06-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

Calem in the pool, Calem in the pool, Hi Ho the H2O, Calem is in the pool
in the tune of the farmer in the dell

That is the song that the instructors sing for each child when they are just in the water.

Yesterday Calem started his swimming lessons.
He was not real happy at first and cried for the first 15 minutes.
Once the toys came out and he could sit in shallow water and play, he was happy.

Today was a lot better. Most of the time he was happy.
He does not like to play Humpty Dumpty yet.
That is when they sit on the edge of the pool and then while being held, jump into the water.
He will probably love Humpty Dumpty by the end of the swimming lesson session.

After swimming lessons he gets his bath for chlorine smell removal. For the last two weeks he has been taking baths in the BIG bathtub, no longer in the kitchen sink. He loves his baths.

Birthday Thank You

2006-06-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

One Year Old Today....Happy Birthday Calem!!

2006-06-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

Today Calem celebrated his 1st Birthday. Since his birthday bash was yesterday, today was a quiet day with lots of presents to open.

With help from Kay and Denise, preparation for the party started earlier this week by putting up canopies for shade and rounding up chairs and tables. Kay came on Saturday to cut flowers for the tables. Sunday morning Kristie, Michael and Erin came to help with decorating and food preparations for the celebration.
Calem's first birthday was celebrated with lots of family and friends. Grandma Lin, Big G (Geno) and Patricia, Rudy, David and Daniel all came for the occasion. There were many other very special guests, Marie, who delivered Calem into this world, Auntie Kay (Opa's long time co-worker and family friend) Addy and Calem's buddy, Jedidiah. Actually everyone who came, over 40 people, are all very special and have made a big difference to us the first year of Calem's life. We are very grateful that we were able to share this special day with all of them.

Big Birthday Wishes from Tante Lynda and Oom Dan!!

2006-06-05T07:49:00.000-07:00

Calem's Trip to Indiana

2006-05-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

On May 7, 2006 Calem and his Opa & Oma went on a trip from Santa Rosa to Indiana to visit Tante Lynda and Oom Dan. The first day of travel was distance wise was relatively short, from Santa Rosa to Reno but Calem was not real happy in his carseat. The car seat was facing backwards and he did not have a great view for long distance travel. The next day we changed the seat to be forward facing and for the rest of the trip he was a happy traveller.

Our next two days took us from Reno to Spanish Fork, Utah and from Spanish Fork to Wheat Ridge, Colorado with no major stops for sightseeing. Of course we did stop for eating, changing diapers, sleeping etc. Our planned route was taking the I-70 to Indiana which took us through Kansas. We stopped at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas and we also took a brief detour to visit the Wizard of Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas. Laurianne was a big fan of the Wizard of Oz and we hope that in later years Calem will enjoy the Wizare of Oz like his Mommy did.

Our trip continued by driving through Missouri and Illinois. We spent the night in St. Charles, Missouri and my thoughts frequently went to the Diani Family who in April 2006 lost their 27 year old husband and father to be, son & brother, Mike Diani to non-smokers lung cancer.
In Illinois we stopped at Vandalia and visited the Old State Capitol. It was a very cold day, not ideal to do a lot of walking to visit other historic sites. As we headed into Indiana we hit a good rain storm. Fortunately it stopped as we got closer to Indianapolis. But the weather did not really matter once we got to Lynda and Dan's house. We were at our destination and were very glad to see them!

New Video

2006-05-23T05:56:00.000-07:00

I posted a new video on Calem's video blog. Keep in mind that if you are using dial-up, it will take a while to load.

Calem's Visit to Tante Lynda and Oom Dan's House

2006-05-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

Calem drove with Oma and Opa across the United States. Their first stop was in Indianapolis, to visit with me and Oom Dan.

There was a lot of exciting things at Tante Lynda and Oom Dan's house. There was a doggie, Cousin Nikki, and two cats, Brutus and Julius. Calem decided that he really liked their tails, and though the kitties did not appreicate having their tails pulled, Cousin Nikki didn't mind it so much. Calem also seemed to like when Cousin Nikki would lick his hand, but not when she got excited and licked him in the face.

Cousin Nikki really had to learn to be gentle with Calem. She learned that she can't get so excited and bump her nose into his eye as she licked him, because he would cry. She also got a little jealous that Calem got so much attention from her mommy, and would sometimes sit in between Calem and me to get some attention. Calem would sometimes grab a handful of Nikki and try to pull himself up, but she was ok with that. She never nipped at him or did anything mean to him. The only thing Calem's mommy wouldn't have liked was that she loved to kiss him.

Nikki also enjoyed clean up duty when Calem would drop things on the floor for Nikki, like Cheerios. And Opa would give special treats also.

Calem also enjoyed quality time outside. It rains somewhat, but there were also several nice days. We went to the park, where Calem's Oma tried to get pictures of birds. Nikki also enjoyed the walks with Calem.

Calem also had portrait pictures taken with Oom Dan and me. We went to the Picture People, but they were out of business. So, we went to Sears and got some portraits done. Calem was very happy, and earned the nickname Mr. Stinky, which made him laugh. Later, we needed to go to the car, and he wasn't very comfortable anymore, but we changed his situation (and his diaper) as soon as we could.

Opa, Oma and Calem also stayed an extra day. Calem enjoyed time at Eagle Creek Park, where Opa and Oma saw a lot of birds. Overall, Calem had a lot of fun adventures at Tante Lynda and Oom Dan's house.

My favorite waw when we spent about 1 1/2 hours the first morning, just sitting together, and Calem went back to sleep during that time. Sleeping babies are so cuddly!

Calem's visit at Uncle Mike's house

2006-05-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Calem went for a long visit at Uncle Mike's house. Uncle Mike and Auntie Erin have been wanting Calem to come over for a while. Oma brought him there and Calem liked Uncle Mike's apartment right away.
After Oma left Uncle Mike and Auntie Erin took Calem for a walk to downtown Santa Rosa.
On the way back Calem had fallen asleep in the stroller. Everyone had a good time and
while Calem was visiting Opa and Oma had time to get ready for their big trip to Indianapolis.

Happy 11Month Birthday

2006-05-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

Today Calem is 11 months old. It is hard to believe only one more month before he will be a year old. He is a bundle of joy, keeps us young at heart and very busy.

Today I noticed how I used to have some items on the coffee table. Now they are all relocated.
There is a runner on the table and Calem has discovered how to pull that off. So many times the coffee table is bare. But that is okay.

The newspaper basket is also empty. Instead of putting the old newspapers on there and recycling them once a week, they go into the outdoor recycle bin after reading.
Once in a while I will put a magazine on there but it is not safe. It will get crumbled, chewed and ripped. But again, that is okay........that is what being 11 months is all about.

Look who turned 11 months today.

2006-05-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

The Web Cam and Tante Lynda

2006-04-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

With a small video web cam on top of the computer and logging on to an instant messenger service Tante (aunt) Lynda can see Calem grow and learn. She talks to him and sometimes tells him stories. In return he gives her big smiles and babbles.

Calem's first Easter and two more teeth.

2006-04-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

Easter was a quiet day. In the morning Uncle Mike and Auntie Erin came over of brunch. Calem enjoyed his pancakes, eggs, toast and had a little bit of orange juice for the first time. He has not had a problem with chewing since he now has four upper teeth and still two lower ones.
Since he will not allow you to look in his mouth the teeth may have been there for several days already but they are somewhat visible now.

In the afternoon Leslie - our neighbor - stopped by and brought Calem an Easter basket with a very soft bunny and a nice rattle. There was also some chocolate in there but Oma decided he is not old enough for that yet.

Omama came for dinner. After dinner though the weather was cold, Opa took Calem for a walk which he enjoyed.

Early evening, through the magic of computers and video cams we had a nice chat with Tante Lynda. Calem is very fascinated by computers and loves to sent messages to his Tante Lynda by pounding on the keyboard. He had big smiles for her!

Grandma Lin and Tanja's visit

2006-04-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, April 14, 2006 Grandma Lin and Tanja came for a visit. Omama came too.

Tanja spoiled Calem by bringing him a cute summer outfit. Unfortunately the weather has not been warm enough to wear it yet. It still feels like winter many days with lots of rain. Though that particular day we did have nice weather and Tanja and Oma took Calem for a walk.

Grandma Lin gave Calem a set of Winnie the Pooh books in a musical box and had an opportunity to read to him in the afternoon.

In the early evening Auntie Kristie stopped by for a little while. She was very tired because it is the end of tax season and has been working very very hard.

Laurianne's Birthday Celebration

2006-04-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

This blog is not about Calem but about his Mommy's Birthday.
April 7th we celebrated Laurianne's 26th Birthday. Lynda had come from Indiana for the occasion on Thursday evening.
In the morning Michael came over and we all had breakfast together. Nothing fancy but time spent together and a time to reflect and reminisce. After our breakfast Lynda and I went to buy 26 balloons plus one special mylar Happy Birthday balloon. We attached little cards to each balloon stating these were released in memory of Laurianne and giving the link of Laurianne's Hope. We released the balloons one by one starting in the back yard. Thinking we could get a better view of them out front we took some out front. The first three that we let go ended up in a neighbors tree and popped. Laurianne would have had a good laugh about this and we did too. The rest of the balloons went high in the sky. The mylar balloon was saved for last. We went back to the back yard to release it. Once released it did not go very high and lo and behold
the balloon got stuck in the tree from another neighbor. We all went out front and Michael was ready to climb to three but the wind took care of it and off it went into the wild blue yonder.
In the afternoon Oma came over and Kristi came after work. We all had dinner together and for desert we had chocolate cake. Though these first time events without Laurianne being here are difficult, we all agreed that we had a nice day.

Saturday, April 8th we continued to remember Laurianne's Birthday. We drove down to Bodega Bay and we had an early dinner at the Sandpiper Inn. After we ate we walked around for a little bit and then went home. We were very fortunate that the weather was co-operative since we have had so much rain this year.

Happy Birthday, Laurianne!

2006-04-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today was Calem's mom's birthday. It is the first year that he is celebrating it. Since Laurianne loved chocolate cake, we bought one to celebrate her birthday. We decided to give him a taste. Calem decided he loves chocolate cake. Every time he got a taste he would start bouncing up and down and lunge for more cake. I think he was a little sad when it was all gone.

Of course, when Oma said to Opa, "Guess who loves chocolate cake?" Calem's Opa said, "Why am I not surprised?" It was always a favorite of his mom's.

Ten Months Old!

2006-04-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe Calem is already ten months old as of today. Probably due to teething he was awake many hours during the night and he spent quite a few hours catching up on sleep. So it was a quiet day. Today was a reasonable nice day and with the time change we went for a walk after dinner which he always enjoys. He is definitely an outdoors person.

Happy Ten Month Birthday

2006-04-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today is Calems 10 month birthday. His present will come in tomorrow when his tante Lynda is coming in for a visit. We had a quiet day otherwise. Sorry I didn't had time to put up his picture but I will try tommorow.

Newspaper Basket

2006-04-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

Lynda sitting on the newspaper basket - September 1974

Calem sitting on the same newspaper basket - April 3, 2006

Calem is crawling and exploring the house more and more each day.
He moves the newspapers from the basket to the floor, magazines from the coffee table to the floor, software boxes from the computer desk to the floor. Fortunately these are all things that are okay to explore without needing to childproof and from time to time he likes to see how they taste too. So far nothing has been to his liking.

My buddy keep motivating me

2006-04-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

I didn't have a good week exercising. The first week it was a lot of errands and the second half we all got stomach flu. To top it all off it is raining here for days and we got only one walk in this week. But guess who was ready to use the treadmill? Here is a picture to proof it . Keep up the good work buddy and keep Opa motivated.

2006-03-30T17:06:00.000-08:00

Today was the last day of kindergym for this session. Oma had a bout of the stomach flu so it was up to Calem and Opa to go today We had a great time and Calem was a lot more outgoing today and made some new friends. We are looking forward to the next session. We had a nice walk afterwards and I really enjoyed each others company. Above are a couple of pictures of Kindergym

2006-03-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weeks we are taking Calem to baby gym. At first he seeme a little out of sort but yesterday he was enjoying himself a little more above are some of the pictures I took yesterday with his Oma and some of his friends.

2006-03-17T21:31:00.000-08:00

Calem has been standing occasionally since last Sunday but of course the camera wasn't ready. I decided to take it out of the case yesterday and today after dinner he was standing and I was able to take a couple of pictures. Getting up get some what easier but making a soft landing takes a little bit of skill. I am sure he will figure it out soon.

Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball

2006-03-08T23:14:00.000-08:00

Life is a lot of fun for Wombat as there are endless amusing things to do: shouting at the top of his voice for no reason, stepping in circles until he falls over, poking out his tongue and making funny faces, getting in a muddy mess… But can you guess what Wombat likes to do best of all? Curl up in a ball!

Sometimes I like to curl up in a ball,
So no one can see me because I'm so small

Is Calem pretending to be the little Wombat?

Happy 9 Month Birthday

2006-03-06T18:26:00.000-08:00

03/05/2006 - Calem's 9 month's birthday was not a very eventful day. It was rainy and gloomy outside and part of the day Calem felt the same way. To cheer him up and since he is 9 months now we opened a toy for him that is for ages 9 months and up. The Little Champs Sports Center is one of the toys Laurianne had bought for Christmas. It was given to Calem on Christmas, but just not opened yet. He loves his new toy and the sounds it makes. It is the first toy that does not play nursery rhymes.

9 Month Birthday

2006-03-05T18:58:00.000-08:00

Today is Calems 9 month birthday. It is hard to believe that it is 1 month ago that Lynda was here.
We had a quiet day. It is raining very hard so we stayed home. This is a picture of Calem a couple of days ago enjoying his tomato soup. I hope we are able to upload some other pictures at a later time. We are beyond happy that he is gonna stay in our family.

2006-03-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

Calem had still some unwrapped toys from christmas and yesterday we decided to unwrap the car from his aunt Patricia. I thought this could be a good picture of Calems first driving experience.

2006-02-28T21:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the court give us full guardianship of Calem. It was an uncertainty hanging over us head for a long time. I am glad he is going to stay in our family. I caught him blogging about it and made a picture of it. He is a very happy baby with a lot of smiles and we wouldn't know what to do if he wasn't in our life.

I Met a Girl - Rae Anne is her name....................

2006-02-20T21:44:00.000-08:00

Calem met three other babies today. Two of them are twins that temporarily live on our street. Their Dad is in Iraq and their Mom, Simone is staying with her Mom, Monique. The twins were born on May 31, 2005 but due to being premature they are quite a bit smaller. One of these days we will all go for a walk together.
The other baby is the granddaughter of Oma's co-worker, Betty. She is a real cutie and Rae Anne is her name. She was born in October and what a difference a few months make..................

My Buddy Stephen and Dr. Marie

2006-02-20T12:59:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Feb 19, 2006

Dr. Marie and her son Stephen came for a visit.
Stephen is a big basketball fan and he is going to teach Calem how to play basketball. To get Calem in practice they got him very cut Converse high tops. We tried them on but they
are still a little too big. Once summer is here and Calem is walking he will fit them.

They also brought him a fold-out soft book called "At the Beach". Calem enjoys his books and loves to put everything in his mouth so this is perfect.

My Buddy and Friend Jedidiah

2006-02-20T12:18:00.000-08:00

See Calem and Jedidiah grow!
Their Mom's met while they were pregnant and though they did not know each other for a long time they quickly became the best of friends. Addie (Jedidiah's Mom) works with Opa at Kaiser.

February 16, 2006
Calem, Addie and Jedidiah

December 20, 2005
Nate, Jedediah, Calem and Addie
The matching dinosaur pj's were a gift from Addie, Nate and Jedidiah

November 17, 2005
Opa holding Calem, Oma Dini holding Jedidiah

July 7, 2005
Laurianne and Calem, Addie and Jedidiah
Calem was born on 06/05/2005 and Jedidiah on 6/28/05

2006-02-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

Calem had his last ride in his infant car seat on February 14, 2006.
He has reached the maximum height for the infant seat and probably the weight too.
It will surely be missed by Opa and Oma since it was nice to use with the Snap & Go stroller.

He surely is smiling about the space he has in his new car seat.

The Videos Have Been Moved

2006-02-11T10:54:00.000-08:00

Please Watch Calem Learn and Grow also.

My Four Front Teeth

2006-02-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

In this picture, espeically if you enlarge it, you can really see Calem's four front teeth. I was trying so hard to get a picture of his teeth while I was out there. When I was looking at my pictures today, I found out I got at least one without even trying!

Oh Oh, Cheerios

2006-02-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

About two weeks ago we tried giving Calem some Cheerios. His pediatrician had said he could have them. Since it is always nice to try something new we gave Calem a few Cheerios to eat and to play with. The playing with them was fine but tasting them was a different story. He made faces from "What are you giving me now!!" and the gag reflex was working overtime. That was the end of Cheerios for a while.

Today we made another attempt.........and he actually liked them. Of course most of them ended up on the floor but a few made it into his mouth........some by him picking them up and eating them, others with a little help from Oma.

With the fingerfoods in mind I do need to go to the store and get a fingerfoodbuster aka dustbuster.

Learning to Crawl

2006-02-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

I put Calem on the floor for the first time Friday night. He wasn't sure what to make of me putting him on his knees and hands. Then he realized if he pushed with his hands, he could get places. So, he started to moved backwards. He pushed and pushed. Uncle Mike moved the couch so he would have more room. And he pushed, and pushed some more until he ended up between the couch and the table. Opa, Oma, Uncle Mike, Aunt Erin and Tante Lynda all cheered him on. Then, I picked him up and we tried it again. He pushed and pushed and ended up half under the couch. Then he felt a little tired so we stopped but overall he enjoyed trying to go places on his own.

Calems 8 Month Birthday

2006-02-05T22:16:00.001-08:00

It is hard to believe that Calem is 8 months already. We had a wonderful day. The weather was terrific and we went to Howarth Park. We looked around some of the play areas and Calem got to sample the slide and swings. We all walked around and looked at the ducks. Tonight El and Calems great-grandmother Dina came over for dinner. All with all we had a lovely day with very cooperative weather.

Laurianne bought Calems outfit for him in 3 different states. They are all matching and she was very proud that she found the outfit Calem is wearing here with his Tante Lynda (means aunt in Dutch). The other picture is on the horses at Howarth Park

#4 on Feb 4th

2006-02-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

Yep, that other tooth did not wait long to pop through. It popped through yesterday.
With his upper teeth he did not have too many problems. He was a just a little bit out of sorts and slept more than usual. Teething is tough.

My Three Front Teeth

2006-02-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

02/02/05 - Today the upper left front tooth popped through and it won't be much longer before the other upper front tooth will pop through also.

A first on February 1st

2006-02-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

02/01/2006 - This morning I put Calem down for his nap. Instead of taking a nap I heard him playing. I peeked around the corner and he was sitting up in his crib playing with the toys. With him being able to sit in his crib it will be time to lower the mattress another level.

2006-01-23T23:21:00.000-08:00

The last couple of days we are experiencing temperatures in the 60's and 70's. I was able to take Calem out for a couple of long walks. We both enjoying it tremendously.I took a picture of him in the big stroller which I nicknamed the four wheel drive. I hope the nice weather stays up for a couple of days bur I think rain is in the forecast.

2006-01-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

1/22/06 - Calem is doing well. When he was sick it took him a while to be his young self again. He was really sleeping a lot for several days.
Calem has two teeth so far and is eating solid foods. He is sitting up without help and that is going well. He is not able to get into a sitting position from when laying down yet with the exception when he is on the couch and I am changing his diaper.
He loves to play in his playpen, sit in his Step and Play piano, his Jumperoo and also his other exersaucer. Overall he is a pretty happy kid.
He has outgrown the aquarium swing though he still liked it but just for a few minutes. He loved touching the fish what would go around. With the Step and Play piano and the Jumperoo in the living room there just was not enough room to keep the swing also.

Calem is under the weather

2006-01-13T16:36:00.000-08:00

The last couple of days Calem has not been feeling well. We decided to take him to the doctor yesterday. They could not find really anything like a ear infection or so. The doctor told us to offer fluids frequently and to give tylenol and motrin. He also told us that we can e-mail anytime we have a question. It is so nice to be able to e-mail your Doctor if needed especially with us as renewed baby caregivers. Things has changed significantly since our kids were small. Today is a better day Calem is still running a low grade fever despite the tylenol and baby advil but he seems to be in better spirits. I hope he recovers quickly because Opa is missing his walks and the time we spend together

Living Room or Toy Department?

2006-01-11T21:35:00.000-08:00

01/11/2006 - Last week we walked into Baby Depot and saw a toy that we know Laurianne would have bought for Calem.........so we bought it. It is called the Step and Play Piano. It is another type of exersaucer. The seat can spin 360°, or slide to let Baby ‘walk’ back and forth like on a mini treadmill, rewarding steps with music and lights. There are 12 toys (including maracas, tambourine and bead ball to reinforce physical skills; bell for ringing; sliding beads to develop hand-eye coordination and more) and musical activities. Stepping on the keys activates music and lights.
With Christmas time we bought the Fisher Price Jumperoo which he loves. Shortly after Christmas a neighbor gave an exersaucer for Calem that her grandchildren had outgrown. This one is plain but it rocks and gives him space to play with his own toys. Before Calem was born Laurianne and I had bought an exersaucer that looks like a cute yellow bug and he loves that one too. All of these items are in the living room in addition to the playpen or with today's terminology known as a play yard. Though he still liked his aquarium swing from time to time, I did move that out of the room today......mostly because of lack of room.

Calem is not feeling well today. He had a temp of 101.7. It could be from teething again since his upper gums are very swollen.

Yesterday there was a package in the mail from Ellie in New York. She sent Calem all sorts of fun toys that belonged to her boys, Mason and Logan. One toy Calem really likes is the cell phone. He loves to listen to his Tante Lynda on the real phone but this little cell phone also talks when you push the buttons. When Calem plays with the toys or I am reading him one of the books I wonder if Laurianne played with Mason and Logan with these same toys.............

Calems new playpen

2006-01-06T22:30:00.000-08:00

We were going back and forward if we would buy a wooden playpen or not. Believe it or not they are not readily available. We saw one hexagon type in a store a while ago wich had a reasonable pricetag on it but at the time we were not ready for it since it was relatively short after Laurianne's death. After talking about it we decided to go to the store ans see if one was available. There was only one left and that was because somebody had changed their mind. She also showed us a wooden highchair wich we talked about purchasing and this one was for a very good price. We bought both items and it brought memories back by me from shopping for the other 3 children and how good it felt to have a good deal. It is great experience to take care of Calem and to shop for items especially if the price is right the only thing I regret is that Laurianne is not there to enjoy him every day like we do.

Happy birthday to Calem

2006-01-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

Uncle Mike and Calem on Calem's 7th month Birthday!

01/05/2006 - Today it was Calems 7 month birthday. He was in a really good mood today after being miserable a couple of days due to a cold and teething. The weather was very nice today and we had a 5 mile walk. Calem really enjoys the outdoors . It was in the 60s and I had to take my coat off and the blanket from Calem in the stroller. I hope the weather will stay nice so we can take a lot of walks the rest of the week.

In the Spotlight

2006-01-04T17:47:00.000-08:00

01/4/2006 - Today Calem's great grandma had catarac surgery. While she was in surgery we made the rounds at Kaiser to visit some familiar faces. For the first 4 1/2 months of Calem's life he was with his Mom at Kaiser every time she had an appointment and that was many times 3-4 times per week. There are a number of people who know Calem since birth and others that met him when he was only 3 weeks old. To many he is known as "the Kaiser Baby".
Everyone was delighted to see him and commented on how he had grown. He charmed them all with his smile and that put a smile on all the familiar faces. :D

Calem Tomato Soup Experience

2006-01-02T23:36:00.000-08:00

01/02/2006 Today while we were eating tomato soup we decided to have him sample some. He enjoyed every bite of it as this picture will tell

.......My Two Front Teeth

2006-01-01T22:27:00.000-08:00

01/01/2006 On the first day of the new year Calem cut his 2nd tooth. All you can feel right now is one sharp little point but it wont be long before the rest comes through. The first one cut through on 12/20/05. That tooth is very visible now when he smiles. Now we know why he was running a slight temperature, was a little more sleepy and just a little bit cranky at times. But aren't we all from time to time!

The Christmas tree was also taken down today. Before we took it down we took pictures of all the gifts Calem got for his first Christmas. This was very important because his Mom had done Calem's Christmas shopping in the first week of October.
The gifts she bought for him are Drop and Roar Dinosaur, Learning Birdbath, Monkey Chase, Little Champs Sports Center, and a Little Champs basketball, football, volleyball and baseball to go along with it.
Other gifts he got is a Jumperoo from his Opa and Oma. A piano toy from Tante Lynda and Oom Dan. The Super Yummy Teether, Crab Pal Rattle, the Sensory Shaker by discovery toys from Uncle Mike and a toy giraffe from Auntie Erin. Walk and Ride from Aunt Patricia and Uncle Rudy. A childrens CD from Grandma Lin and Big G, Levi jeans, a long sleeved shirt and another outfit from neighbors, Lelie and her daughter Kathy and Cindy, An outfit and a book called Boxes for Katje from Rachel, Brett, Carter and Sara, from Shannon and Dennis 3 books, Jane's Animal Expedition, Ten Little Fingers and Classic Bedtime Stories, from our next door neighbors the Fosters a donation to Calems fund and from Santa a big Mickey Mouse and some other toys.
There were also some toys that his Mom and Oma purchased last year, some overstock that Santa had. These included various blocks and a toy car that has little popping balls in it.
His Mom wanted Calem to have the best Christmas ever. From up above she is looking at her little man and thinking........not a bad Christmas.........and with a real tree!!!

A gift for Calem

2005-12-30T22:57:00.000-08:00

Today, 12/30/2005 we received a package in the mail from one of Laurianne's former Nanny families in New York. To our surprise it was a very nice photo album with pictures of Laurianne and two children she cared for from 1999-2004 with a break of little over a year in between.

Laurianne went to Long Island, New York in February of 1999 to work as a nanny. She would be caring for a 3 year old and a baby that still needed to be born. I remember how excited she was when Devin was born and she got to care for him. The pictures just show what a wonderful Mom she would have been.

Though it saddens us to more than words can say that Laurianne is not here to care for her own son, Calem, she did have the experience of taking care of a newborn and see him grow through the first years of life. I am glad she had that experience.

While being a Nanny she also had the opportunity to travel with the family. The photo album documents some of her experiences. In May 1999 she went to London, in August of 1999 she went to Maine and though she was a California native, she had the opportunity to spent some time in Carlsbad, California. Since she was born and raised in Northern California this was a great experience for her.

Thanks Patty, Geoff, Ethan and Devin for giving us a gift which we can share with Calem. With this gift we can show him how much love his Mom gave to all the kids whose lives she touched.

Surprise visit - friends from the past, never forgotten.

2005-12-29T17:22:00.000-08:00

12/29/2005 - Calem is not having his best day. He is not feeling good and has a temperature. He is sleeping more than usual though he does not cry much. Last night is when we first noticed his elevated temperature and if it is not gone by tomorrow we will take him to the doctor. He is teething and though I read that teething does not cause a fever, I am not convinced of that. Calems Mom had ear infections and fever with every tooth she got.

Speaking of Calem's Mom, Laurianne, this afternoon a car drove up in front of our house.
I had to look twice to see who it was and to my very surprise it was an elementary school friend of Laurianne, Sierra and her Mother Enid. Sierra and Enid lived down the street some years ago. Then one December day, I don't recall the year, they had a house fire.

Sierra told us a story today about the fire and Laurianne. Sierra had a turtle since she was a baby of just a few months old. Laurianne told the fireman that Sierra's turtle was still in the house and asked if they could find it for Sierra. Of course the fireman thought they were searching for a "live turtle". The turtle that was rescued was a terry cloth turtle, the one Sierra owned for so many years and treasured.

After the fire they moved out of the school district. Laurianne and Sierra stayed in touch.
During the junior high school years they both attended the same junior high school for few months. Once they no longer attended the same school they did not see each other very often but Sierra was often though of when Laurianne and I walked by her old house.

Though Laurianne and Sierra had not seen each other for years they had a strong bond. That was evident today when Sierra and Enid came by to let us know how much they cared about Laurianne, to express their sympathy for our loss and to see Calem. They told us this was a difficult time for them since not only did they have the loss of Laurianne, they are also dealing with the loss of Enid's Mother/Sierra's Grandmother which occurred earlier this month.

There was so much catching up to do in little time. Sierra told us that she is going to school in Washington D.C. to study American Sign Language but was home for the holidays. I told her that ASL is what Laurianne was studying and I could tell by her body language that she felt a connection to Laurianne. We discussed in brief ethnic backgrounds - Sierra and Calem have similar ethnic backgrounds - and some of the problems she faced growing up. Time will tell if Calem will face some of the same problems.

Sierra held Calem for a while. I could see the joy in her face holding such a small innocent child of almost 7 months. Yet you can also see the hurt of knowing this child is a child of a friend that is no longer amongst us on this place called earth but will always be in our hearts!

Why this Blog

2005-12-28T18:21:00.000-08:00

Laurianne and Calem Eric Henry
June 5, 2005

This blog is being created to document the events of Calem's growth and development.
Calem was born June 5, 2005. His Mom, Laurianne was the happiest mother there ever could have been. Unfortunately she passed away due to non smokers lung cancer on October 22, 2005. You can read more about Laurianne on the blog Laurianne's Hope - http://laurianneshope.blogspot.com/

Because of Laurianne's illness she did not have the time and energy to write down some of Calem's "firsts" like smiling, turning over, etc. Since there are so many first time happenings in a baby's first year we will start documenting them on this blog and hopefully will be transferring the information to a baby book.

With this blog I also hope that stories will be shared about Laurianne that Calem can read as he gets older. This would be a great way for him to find out what a wonderful person his Mother was and what a great Mom she would have been.

See Calem Grow

2005-12-27T12:12:00.000-08:00

This blog is created for Calem, born June 5, 2005.