I wish that I could find a way to summarize who Caleb is right now... he is struggling with many of the typical struggles of his age: sharing, not hitting, not yelling.  When he gets angry or frustrated, he will scrunch up his little face and just growl.  Sometimes he gets too much sugar or gets overly tired and runs around like a crazy person and we wait for him to fall asleep.  He has more energy in his pinky finger than I have in my entire person.  If he falls asleep during the day, chances are that he will wake up ORNERY and scream for a long, long time. And by "long" I mean--up to an hour.  Unless you have a really good bribe nearby that can distract him.  Those are the things that I sometimes get focused on.  The moments that make me close my eyes and take a deep breath.  But then there are other moments.

Like when he goes bouncing into Ainsley's room to wish her good morning.  He climbs in her crib and lays next to her and gives her a kiss on the head to say hello.  Or how he loves his ratty pillow (that he won't let us put a pillowcase on) and his lovey blanket with puppies and stripes.  He likes to lay down with the puppies facing up.  He has an infectious laugh, and the coolest scrunchy eye grin.  His eyes almost disappear.  And he is such a gentle little guy.  He has friends that are much smaller than him, but much more aggressive.  He is happy to go along with things, and to share for the sake of peace.  He is helpful, and will grab me a diaper or play with Ainsley.  He loves to do sign language, and loves to make up signs of his own if he doesn't know them.  He loves his trains, cars, airplanes, and anything that goes.  He thrives on routine and loves to point out the lighthouse (school) in our neighborhood, as well as the car wash, library, bank, and Bruster's Ice Cream place.  His best little friends are Justin, Cameron, and Grayson, but he is friendly to just about everyone.  And he can make anyone into a friend.  He will boldly touch his chest and say "I Caleb! What's your name?"  He can talk and be understood very clearly, and lately begins sentences with "Actually."  "Actually, I wanna go car wash."  He loves Emily, but he is adored by Ainsley.  Tonight as we were getting them ready for bed, he and Ainsley were just rolling around on his toddler bed and he had Ainsley belly laughing. You can tell that she thinks he is about the greatest thing ever invented.  Second only to her Dad.  When Daddy comes home in the afternoons, Caleb runs to him with his arms wide open yelling "Daddyyyyy!!!!!"  Then Dave gets the biggest hug he can imagine.  Every day.  And, often, while we're at the dinner table Caleb will say "How was your day, Daddy? You have good day?" and then he wait expectantly for an answer.  He loves music ("Mother Goose Time, Mother Goose Time!") and is a rockin' little dancer.  He will sing songs to Ainsley if she cries in the car, and the one I hear the most is "Itsy bitsy spi-dah, go up-a watah spout. Down came-a rain and WASH a spid-ah out. Up came-a sun and dwy up all-a wain and the itsy bitsy spid-ah go UP A SPOUT."  There is so much I could say, that it's hard to know where to stop.

I am completely in love with this little boy, and often wonder what our family would be without him.  I can't even imagine a life... a family... without Caleb.  On days like today, I feel like the Carter's clothing slogan "If only they could just stay little..." has never been more true.