Our trip home to see the fam...

Traveling with a child seems to always be some sort of adventure. Caleb is a great traveler for which we are very thankful. I still cannot quite imagine taking multiple children on an airplane, but maybe someday we will cross that road. Thankfully Caleb is fascinated by airplanes, trucks and anything with wheels which are all over airports. We left for Chicago on Thursday and spent a few days with Andrea's parents (Nana Nancy and Papa Sam) and Caleb finally got to meet his Great-Grandmother (the only great-grandparent still living) on Andrea's side of the family. We had a great time in Chicago with Andrea's family and were there to also do a little trick-or-treating on Halloween. The weather was in the 60's and 70's which is unheard of for this time of year.

We had rented a car and drove about 4 1/2 hours to East Lansing, MI to visit Andrea's brother, Joe, and his family. We spent about 3 days with his family. This was the first time Caleb had met this part of the family as well. Caleb loved playing (and being entertained by) his cousins: Aliana (8), Micah (6) and Annalia (3). We went to several cool parks, fished on Uncle Joe's boat, toured Michigan State campus and much more. It was a blast! As you can imagine with four kids running around there was never a dull moment. Caleb is completely bored with us and wants to go back to play some more with his cousins. The trip home was pretty smooth after a 4 1/2 hour drive back to Chicago and then a 2 1/2 flight back to Denver. Other than sitting in a car seat for a long time, Caleb did great. Check out the fun pictures from our trip!

Caleb had so much fun with Nana Nancy. Her festive earrings got him giggling. It was fun to see Caleb playing with the same toys I had played with when I was a kid.

Clearly we know who the adorable pumpkin is in this photograph. Are you kidding me? Caleb's 2nd Halloween. Last year we went to Winter Park, CO and this year Chicago. Who knows where we will end up next year on Halloween.

I am not sure who is having more fun in this picture? I would have to guess Papa Sam. Caleb loved spending time with his Chicago grandparents and hopes to get to see them again real soon.

We walked around Andrea's childhood neighborhood to introduce Celeb to some of the locals and do a little trick-or-treating. They all agreed that he was stinking cute. Who would have thought that it would have been 70 degrees in Chicago on Halloween? Poor little guy was probably cooking in the fleece getup.

Joe gave us a tour of Michigan State campus while Kelsey was kind enough to watch ALL the kids. As you can see the leaves were incredible and the campus was neat to walk around.

These are Caleb's cool cousins. The older one on the right is Aliana and Annalia is the one with the hip sunnies on. Two very fun girls I might say. Both are incredible trampoline jumpers! :-)

This was a large mouth bass that Micah caught. The boys (minus Caleb) went out fishing on Joe's boat on East Lansing Lake for a few hours while the rest of the clan played at the park. It was a fabulous day to be out on the lake with a spectacular sunset featured in the last picture.

This picture kind of wraps up our time with family. Beautiful! We had a great time with everyone and were really thankful for all of the super accommodations. Hopefully we can go back again this spring and meet one of the new additions to our family. Kelsey, Andrea's sister-n-law is due with the 4th child in March. I think we gave them a decent taste of what 4 might be like!

Our New Home and Caleb at 1 year...

Our New Home!

It is official. We are homeowners. This is a picture of our new home at sunset. We are loving it and it is a huge blessing. Caleb has explored every nook and cranny and approves of our new place. You would too if you had a whole room dedicated to your trucks and toys. We are easing into filling the home with lots of dreams of making it ours. Josh spent the first 2 weeks scraping the popcorn texture off of 75% of the ceilings in the house and retexturing them with the help of some dear friends and family. We have done some painting too and still have a list of projects we would like to do this winter. One thing at a time has become our recent motto.

CALEB JOHN...It is so wild to think that Caleb has already lived his first full year of life. If you think about all the changes and things babies do in the first year it is pretty remarkable. They come into this world completely helpless and by the time they are one they can smile, laugh, eat "real food", move ALL around in a variety of ways, talk (start to communicate with sounds), walk, play with toys, flip through books, the list goes on and on. Caleb has been walking with help for the past 3 or 4 months now and finally took the solo plunge at around 11 1/2 months. He is often labeled "busy" when he interacts in play groups. He loves to explore his surroundings and now even more so. Here are a few pictures from his 1st Birthday Party, a day at the park, and a hike at Colorado Monument.

Caleb's 1st Birthday Party

Caleb was more into his plastic bowl than the chocolate cupcake at first. Once he took a bite, his interest was sparked. This was the icing on the cake at his party!

What's not to like about opening fun gifts? Aunt Stacey helped Caleb open his super fun presents. I think he will remember this special day. He loves playing with all his great new trucks. He can make the same sounds they do and say "tru" for truck.

Daddy let Caleb climb up the hot tub and splash around. Let's just say it was hard to peel him away from the hot tub. Definitely a highlight of the party.

Fun at the Park

We live minutes from such a great park. We walk down there all the time. Caleb loves to
play on the swings, slide and climb on whatever he can.


Caleb up close and personal on the swing. If this picture does not bring a smile to your face...it represents pure joy. That is what Caleb is in our lives. We are so grateful for him.

Hiking around Colorado Monument with Aunt Stacey and her boyfriend Steve (taking the picture). We recently went down to hang out with them for the weekend in Grand Junction. Daddy was able to enjoy some fabulous mountain biking in and around Fruita, CO.

Look Who's Walking

Caleb Gigglin'

Caleb's on the move...

Caleb is now over 10 months old and always on the move. He enjoys exploring, "crawking" (cross between crawling and walking) and climbing up whatever he can. We are amazed at the changes that are happening so fast. Still his absolute favorite thing to do is read and look at books. He is one of the rare 10 month old kids that can sit and listen to story after story. We just keep buying more and more books!
We recently went on a hike near Josh's dad's home. Caleb loves to be up high where he can see everything. I am thinking he is going to be quite the mountaineer like his daddy some day. He has a spirit of adventure already making itself known. We are already planning to do a snowshoe hut trip with him this November. I am sure it will be quite the adventure.

GO BUFFS! This is one of his other favorite things to do...find a walker and go. He will walk you all over if you let him. His legs are getting stronger and stronger....I am hoping for a few more weeks/months before he is walking on his own. All I can say is look out world, here comes Caleb.

He is more and more mobile every day. The other day I caught him just before he was about to launch himself into the big bathtub by moving a basket to stand on for extra height. Gone are the days of lay and play. I am amazed by his appetite and think he must have his daddy's metabolism. This kid can throw down banana like it is nobody's business. I can only imagine what the food budget will be like when he is in high school.

Fun News:

We are getting ready to move into our new home at the end of the month. This has been long anticipated and we can hardly wait. I will post some pictures of the home once we get settled. We found out the Caleb is going to have 2 new cousins in March 2009. Both of my sister-n-laws are pregnant. We are very excited! We are also going to finally make a trip home to Chicago this fall to introduce Caleb to his Great-Grandmother and my brother Joe and his family.

9 Month Update

Caleb's 9 month stats:

Weight: 18 pounds, 5 ounces
Height: ~28 inches
Cuteness Factor: 99th percentile
Appetite: Solid
Teeth: 2 on bottom (4 nearly through on top)
Favorite Pastimes: reading, bathtime, holding hands and walk, playing his new piano, giggling, eating new finger foods, and jogger stroller action


General Comments: Caleb seems to be more interested in walking first, rather than crawling. However, he has resigned himself to learning to crawl first, which he is beginning to master. In general, he is personality is chill but he does like to voice his opinions (through squawking) every now and then. He is quite the little charmer and has loved spending time with his cousins from Italy. We are thrilled to watch him grow and change in his own unique ways. The classic line "enjoy this time because they grow up SO fast" appears to be an understatement in the realm of parenting. We are beginning to baby proof things more and more and while we are grateful for this immobile time in his life, we welcome the next chapter of exploration. Here are a few fun pictures of the end of 8 months and the beginning of 9.

Schmidt Family Reunion

The Schmidt Family

With Caleb fast approaching 9 months of age, we felt that we needed to get the little guy out on vacation! In early June the greater Schmidt family was congregating at a beach house near Gulf Shores, Alabama. We thought we should get in on the action!

Caleb & Great-Grandpa Schmidt

Our trip, however, was not without circumstance. We were trying to get to the reunion using some airline buddy passes from Grandpa Schmidt (Josh's dad, John) and a 3.5 hour drive from New Orleans. Well, we didn't make our connecting flight from Houston to New Orleans so we decided to brave an additional 6 hour drive in hopes that Caleb would sleep better in the car rather than sitting all day at the airport. At that point he was already pushing being awake for nearly 11 hours w/o a nap. Caleb, not to mention, had just developed a dual ear infection a few days before the trip. After nearly 21 hours of travel time and only one melt down we decided he was quite the little traveling trooper. He did a great job as mommy and daddy stretched him to his little traveling limits. What an epic!

Caleb having some beach fun!

Once we arrived (at 2 a.m.), things thankfully settled down and we enjoyed some wonderful time with family we haven't seen in a long time. Highlights included major beach time, golf with (great) grandparents, Great-Grandma Schmidt parasailing, a plethora of phenomenal babysitters, family talent show night, and Andrea's 30th birthday celebration.

Andrea (now 30) & Josh

Bath time with Aunt Stacey

Daddy's Day Out

Dreamweaver Couloir on Mount Meeker
(route is left of rock buttress)

After a very busy spring of youth ministry at Greenwood Community Church, Josh was able to schedule in a climb that he had been thinking about doing the last couple of years. He, along with Anthony Testa (bro-in-law) and Rick Inman (friend from GCC), chose to tackle the Dreamweaver Couloir on Mount Meeker (13,911 feet) near Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. This route combined some demanding mixed climbing on rock, snow and ice, but the day and mountain conditions couldn't have been better.

Halfway up Dreamweaver

Josh belaying at the exit of Dreamweaver Couloir

We summitted after nearly 7 hours of climbing and 4,500 vertical feet of elevation gained. The round trip distance was 11 miles. The views of Longs Peak were incredible!!

Rick & Anthony on top

Overall, the trip was a ton of fun. Josh really enjoyed climbing with such strong and capable partners. What a blessing of a day!!

Mount Meeker & Dreamweaver Couloir (center)

More fun pictures of Caleb!

Caleb hanging out at the park on Mother's Day. He loves sitting up and hanging out. We got to celebrate Josh's mom, my sister-n-law Nikki, and me. It was a great 1st Mother's Day! We had a BBQ and played at the park. The weather was perfect. We were thankful to all be together.

Can you guess how many ducks were in the tub with Caleb? If he had more hands he would use them. Do you think he looks more like Josh or Andrea?

Rubber Ducky you're the one...you make bathtime so much fun. Caleb loves his ducks in and out of the tub.

Somebody loves bathtime. Can you guess who? Caleb loves to splash and play in any water.

He is just a sweetheart! He loves to just observe and take in everything in his world.

Just for fun...he just can't help it, he's adorable. So is daddy. Check out that headband. Caleb can't believe his goofy daddy.

Caleb is Cutting Edge...and getting his first two teeth!

Caleb climbing his dresser...

Caleb is cutting edge…getting his first 2 baby teeth that is. This now explains why our little man was a little out of sorts last week. He also is getting over his first real baby cold. I am trying to teach him how to blow his own nose, but no luck so far. Like most babies, he absolutely despises getting his nose suctioned. Well, our unpredictable little bean is as unpredictable as ever. His routine is ever changing. He keeps us on our toes for sure. He has been labeled “Mama’s Boy” and is going through a bit of stranger anxiety.

New Favorite Things to Do:
-Stand and Climb (with assistance)
-Patty Cake (patting anything he can find)
-Play in any water
-Giggle with daddy (an all time favorite)
-Drink water from his “big boy” sippy cup
-Listen to the birdies chirp outside on walks

Caleb has been on a few recent trips. We had a change of plans and only Josh went to Moab to mountain bike with some friends. Caleb and mommy went up to a dear friend's house to have a slumber party. Our family had back to back retreat weekends. Andrea and Caleb joined Josh on their first middle school retreat up at Frontier Valley Ranch camp in Buena Vista, CO a few weeks back. It was a total adventure, with 250 middle school kids from several different churches in the Denver area. We enjoyed getting to see a piece of daddy’s world. Caleb was a celebrity once again during this weekend. This past weekend we joined Josh on the Greenwood Community Church staff/elder retreat. We stayed up at a condo in Frisco, CO. I only saw Caleb when it was time to feed him or put him down for a nap. He received much love from all our new friends at the church. He was the only child there…hard to imagine someone so cute with all those baby hungry adults. It was such a blessing for Caleb and Andrea to get to connect with the church community. We got a snapshot of Josh's world.

6 Month Stats:
Weight: 16 lbs, 5 oz
Height: 27 inches
Head: 17.5 inches (we have gotten more “he has such a nice round head” comments as of late)

Caleb Clip - Bumpin'

Here's a little taste of what happens when daddy gets Caleb all to himself!

Schmidt News

Caleb John, 5 months

Hi friends and family,

We are finally starting a blog! WAHOO! We want to keep you all posted on Caleb's life. We can hardly believe that he is already 6 months old!! He is changing so fast, we want to try and capture the moments with stories, pictures and video's on this much over due blog. Plus, it is a fun way to share what's going on and give you the "Schmidt Scoop". The constant phrase in the Schmidt household is "he is just so darn cute." It is a wonder we get anything done around here. Caleb continues to be source of joy for us. He keeps us on our toes and defies predictability of any kind. Caleb only poops once every 2 weeks. This is just one example of his unpredictability. Caleb John is already practicing his ice climbing moves for daddy. He'll be climbing before we know it!

Caleb's Profile:

Weight: Between 15-16 pounds (we find out for sure in a week at his 6 mo)

Eye Color: Deep blue

Hair color: Medium brown

Diaper size: 3

Tickle spots: His neck, upper back, adorable belly and under his arms

Favorite sounds: Daddy's gibberish noises, words that start with M and P

Favorite song: Jesus Loves Me

Favorite Starbucks drink: Prune juice breast milk latte with light foam

Favorite past times: Observing everything, putting EVERYTHING in his mouth, pulling hair, touching his toes and putting them in his mouth, laughing with (or at) daddy, and getting lots of love from everyone around him.

Favorite books: Moo, Baa, LA LA LA!, by: Sandra Boynton & The Very Hungary Caterpillar, By: Eric Carle

We have been blessed with a child who has slept 10-12hours a night since he was 3 months old. Currently he is experimenting with solid foods. It has been such a kick to watch him try these new foods and use a spoon for the first time ever. We are pretty sure he takes after his mommy when it comes to unique facial expressions...and he can raise his left eye brow like mommy too!

We will continue to update our blog with fun pictures and video's. Stay tuned for upcoming spring adventures! We are planning our first road trip with Caleb to Moab, UT. He is planning to ride Slick Rock in his hip stroller and do his first hikes in Arches National Park. We are looking forward to our first adventure out of Colorado with our little man.