calvin malvin.

In case you wonder if this boy is loved, you needn't wonder anymore.  Tillie is the jokester and because she does a lot of the talking in these parts, she might get a little more face-time on the old blog.
But, this boy...  This boy is my little sweet heart.  He's my little gift from heaven.  He's just so good.  Good to the core.
He's my snuggly snuggler.  He is calm.  He is content.  He likes you to be in eye-sight range, otherwise, he breaks down in sobs.  He doesn't need you to play with him, he just likes you to be visible.  He's mechanical.  He's a master at figuring out the way things work.  Amazingly enough, he is the one that can open the drain after a bath.  You pull up and then twist.  Cal figured it out a few months ago, and Tillie still has trouble with it.  He likes all things with moving parts, lights, and sounds.  He LOVES his baths.  As soon as I turn on the water, he'll race to the tub on all fours.  We're still working on walking.  He's just not really interested in it quite yet.  He's like his dad, when he's ready and wanting to do it, he'll do it fast and do it perfectly.  He adores his family.  He especially loves Tillie.  As soon as he wakes up, he scans the room for his side kick.  He has a short attention span.  He likes to do things at his own pace, so he'd rather have you QUICKLY read him a book, so then he can climb down and read more on his own.  He loves his water bottles, just like his sister.  He loves singing songs and playing games with hand actions.
He is my angel baby---still as perfect as he was the day he was born.

Yes, this baby is loved.
(next four photos were taken by my good friend, jen wildey)

It's funny, because when Aaron and I were in the "thinking" stage about getting pregnant with Cal, we were just so worried about Tillie.  We thought it was mean to take away all our attention from Matilda.  We wondered how we could ever love another baby as much as we loved Tillie.  But, just like everyone said, our ability to love grew exponentially when Cal was born.
He just made a new little place in our hearts.
He fits right in.
And, funny enough, he is the best thing we could have ever have given Matilda.  They are the best of friends and make each other laugh so hard (and, of course, make each other cry so hard too---but, overall, it's a happy realtionship).

And so it is, Calvin is a gift.  And, has been loved since day one.
So, happy BIRTH day, sweet Calvin. 

Oh, in case you are wondering, we start them early----Yes, he is training to be an opera star.  You'll see what I mean in these next few images.

he cracks himself up.  I'm sure we're applauding and saying, "Bravo!" in the background.

Taking a little break to stretch out.  Getting ready for the big finish...

And, there it is!

And, there you have it.
We're really glad he was born.

 I found this shot of us hanging out in the kitchen. This pretty much sums up how I feel about Cal.

Happy Birthday, Bubba.

love, your favorite mom.