The Most Wonderful Time of Year ... Halloween

To say that I love Halloween is an understatement! I LOVE Halloween. I love that the weather has cooled and is crisp. I love pumpkin patches and decorating. And now that I have my own little pumpkin, I love taking Callen to the pumpkin patch and can't wait to see him in his costume. I honestly can not use love enough when it comes to Halloween!!

So far our pics are of the pumpkin patch, we have been to four. Callen loved running in and of the pumpkins, sifting through the hay, weaving in and out of the flowers (while also destroying them), riding the train and hayride, and tasting all things pumpkin!!

The first three trips have been with various moms groups. One was organized by a mom whose son goes to Little Gym with Callen, another was a Morgan Hill moms group, we went with my neighbor and lastly, Josh was able to join the fun with his little Buckaroo!

These two had a blast hanging in the pumpkin at Spina Farms

Callen with his best friend Liam

You can tell that taking pictures is NOT what he wants to be doing, but I had to get one of the two of us!!

Waiting for the hayride

He is pretty proud that he mastered the steps on his own!

Thoroughly amused with the train!

This last pumpkin patching time was a bit hot for Callen. The "fall" weather hit 90 degrees. But our little champion pushed through.


Next weekend we are hosting a Halloween party for the moms group and can't wait to share the pictures!! I absolutely am excited that over the years I will be able to share my affinity for the holidays with Callen.

Little Man

Callen is changing so much! He is becoming so capable and understanding so much. Josh and I just can't believe that a little over a year ago Callen was just born, and now he is a little person!! Our favorite things that he is currently doing include:

1. Walking - it is his only mode of transportation (except for when he is super sleepy he prefers to be carried). It is just the cutest thing to see his big head and floppy hair bouncing up and down as he clomps around. He also figured out to hold on to the baby gates so that he can step over the bar, such a smarty pants.

2. Clapping - he claps for everything!! When I put him in the car, when I get him out of the car, when he sees the dogs, when he finds a toy, when he finds a different toy, literally everything!! It just makes me so happy to see his joy.

3. Loves stuffed animals - his favorite is Elmo. He will carry it everywhere. In the car he rides with him and hugs him, and he loves having him in the cart while we shop.

4. Yogurt - he can't get enough and it get all over the place! When he sees it he starts dancing and and "talking", it is so cute!

5. Reading - we use to read at Callen as he played or read before nap times. He was never super interested in sitting down and listening to the story. Now he cuddles in and points to the characters and turns the pages!

6. Pointing - he loves lights and will always point to them. But now he is also pointing to pictures, people, hanging objects, things on a shelf, ceiling fans, trees and flowers.

Celebrations continued

Callen is one lucky little boy. He had three first birthday celebrations! His first celebration was in California and we were so fortunate to celebrate with all of our friends! The next weekend we flew to Colorado and continued to party with family. By the end of the festivities, Callen was a pro cake-eater and gift-opener. Funnily enough, two months later and his favorite song is still Happy Birthday to You! 

First year stats:
Weight: 22 pounds (74%)
Height: 30 inches (74%)

Teeth: 4 (although he has 11 now!)
Favorite foods: peanut butter sandwiches, string cheese, all fruit
Favorite book: Pout Pout Fish
Favorite activity: playing with his water table, petting and feeding the dogs, snuggles with his parents, checking the mail in his play house and getting in his car to check the actual mail
First words: dada, mama, dog

His second birthday party was at my parents house. We also jointly celebrating Adaley's second birthday. It was fun to see the two cousin enjoy their special day!!

I got this daddy!

Just bring it a little closer!!

Callen barely touched his cake during his first first birthday, this time he proceeded with caution...

but obviously decided he loved it!

His third birthday party was at Chris' house and everyone came to celebrate Callen. You can tell from the pics below that he has this whole cake eating thing down!!

We are so grateful to our friends and family for making Callen's birthday simply amazing!

Callen's First Birthday!

I can not believe that Callen is a one year old! I know it is cliche, but our time with him has flown! It has been such an incredible journey and Josh and I are truly blessed to be Callen's mama and dada. Callen is really blossoming into a funny, talkative, and sweet little boy. He is so amazing and I have just cherished the opportunity to watch him grow, learn and develop.

We did a Teddy Bear's Picnic theme for Callen's first birthday. I really enjoyed planning and decorating for such a special event. At the party we had guests sign a copy of the book Teddy Bear's Picnic. For party favors we had trail mix and binoculars to go on a Teddy Bear hunt. To stay with the picnic theme, we served sandwiches, fruit, salad, and potato salad. We also entertained the kids with a pool, water table, sandbox, and painting.

We are so grateful for the friendships we have made over this past year and I absolutely loved watching Callen play with all of his friends. Although to be honest Callen slept through the majority of his party, he was teething and incredibly sleepy :)

Our little Teddy Bear.

The chalkboard reads: Callen we wish you a lifetime of: love, support, adventure, encouragement, bravery, charity, art, and friendship.

This gorgeous cake was made by our friend Jen, I simply loved it!

Callen's smash cake

We love our little pumpkin/buckaroo!

Callen's milestone pics. This project made me tear up. I just can't believe how much Callen has changed over the year. He was such a tiny little man with dark brown hair. Now he is a chunky little boy with blonde hair. The one thing that has not changed, is Callen's sparkling personality! You can tell by his smile in each picture that Callen is such a happy baby!

Teddy Bear Crowns.
In the book it reads:
If you go down in the woods today you better go in disguise.
For if your go down in the woods today you're in for a big surprise.
I made Teddy Bear crowns so kids could be in disguise!

Callen's board
His likes are snuggles and chasing the dogs
His favorite toys are stackables and the dog bowls
His favorite book is the Pout Pout Fish
His favorite foods are string cheese, grapes, and strawberries

Matthew, Rich, and Kim

Party favors

Callen wasn't to sure what to think about his cake. He started by grabbing a handful of frosting and throwing it on the ground. It took a lot to convince him that he would love cake!

Trying a different approach

Finally daddy had to help him!

 I love the following pictures. Josh and I are so honored to have such amazing friends who came to support Callen on his big day. I just love these kids so much!!

Stella, Matt, and Rachel

Sadie, Keith, and Amanda

Liam, Stuart, and Stephanie

Quinny, James, and Moriah

Mila, Jamie, and Christina

Luca, Fernando, and Jen
Hunter, Daniel, Sheila 

I love this pic of Luca and Hunter assessing the cake. They look like little partners in crime. I am sure they are both willing to show Callen how to properly eat a cake!

Dex, Ben, and Stefanie
I think Dex might be trying to take some cake for the road.

Wes, Will, Billy, and Shathar. What an adorable family photo!!

Look at that little Teddy Bear!! I was so pleased that all of the kids kept their crowns on!!

First time painting and he loved it. This was actually super hilarious to watch!

Thanks auntie Moriah for helping the birthday boy get some pool time in!

Miss Mila enjoying hugs with the Teddy Bear

 Thank you again to everyone for making Callen's first birthday so special!!