Ten Weeks Old

Sweet Caleb is ten weeks old today! Wow - it is incredibly amazing how much he has grown and how much we have grown as parents to our son. At his 2 month check up, he was 11lbs 7oz and almost 23 1/2 inches long. I have had to bring out his "big boy" 3 - 6 month clothes and pack up the newborn things. It made me teary putting them in a box this week.

He is developing more and more of his own personality and loves to "talk" and smile at us all the time. I will sometimes hear him cooing and laughing in his bed when he wakes up in the morning or after a nap. If you are a parent, you know those are some of the sweetest sounds.

Oh, how my heart melts when he snuggles up to my chest and we rock together or when he kicks his legs in excitement and gives me one of his oh so sweet smiles. I never in a million years imagined that being a mommy would be this difficult, this emotionally draining, this tiring, or this wonderful. So many times at night, he begins to fall asleep in my arms and I think to myself - "Oh, I really should put him in the bed now." But then I remember that these times will get fewer and farer between, he will only grow bigger, and one day will be too big for me to snuggle like this. So, sometimes I put him to bed, but alot of times, I hold on a little longer, snuggle him a little closer, and enjoy it while I can. Often, with tears rolling down my face as I praise the Lord for my little boy. I imagine every parent feels this way. But in my own heart, I can't imagine anyone loves their child as much as I love my own. It makes me think of the Father's love for us. He loves us SO much - I can never imagine giving up my son for someone else's life. It makes me so much more grateful for His amazing gift of salvation.


Travis and I bought Caleb a "rainforest" mobile off Craigslist this week. This is THE new favorite thing. I literally think he could lay in his bed and watch that thing for hours. It only comes second to bathtime which he loves the most. He has become an active little guy. He loves to "play" as I like to call it which really means just watching things like his mobile or the lights on his play gym - Travis told me he was going to start telling me he was playing when he watches TV now if I say Caleb his playing by watching other things. But that IS how babies play, you know?


Please pray for Caleb this week as he has been having some tummy trouble and the doctor believes he may have a food allergy. Because of this, Mommy has been on a dairy free, soy free, egg free, and nut free diet for almost two weeks. Which means I can eat - NOTHING FUN. Pray for us both - Pray for Caleb that his tummy will feel better soon and that this will not turn out to be an allergy but just something small and pray for Mommy that she will hang in there on this crazy diet.


Also pray for Travis as he is continuing to work hard in school and in various jobs that he is doing. Pray for us as we continue to wait and see how God will provide the funds for us to attend seminary in January.


Please pray as well for the Hispanic ministry at Brainerd Baptist where we currently attend. Travis has been helping the hispanic pastor and they are working toward beginning a Saturday kids club in a hispanic neighborhood here. Pray that many doors would be opened in the community and lives would be changed because of this project. The biggest prayer for the project as well right now is that a location would be provided. They are currently still searching for somewhere to hold the kids club. We know God will provide in His time.



We appreciate so much your prayers!


Lots of love,
Travis, Danielle, and Caleb

And now, for pictures . . . .

Seriously, what heart could not melt at that sight??????

He loves to kick his legs up in the air and just hold them there. Sometimes, if I am standing across the room, I can see this little legs just popping out of the bed.

He LOVES bathtime. I usually get as much of a bath as he does and am wet as well by the time the process is done because he kicks his legs and waves his arms so much.

Oh, the amazing mobile . . . . .

It's a bird. . . it's a plane. . . nope, it's Super Caleb!

More pictures

Here are more pictures of our sweet boy who turns 8 weeks old on Friday! He is growing so big and is such a joy! He is smiling and cooing so much now and he loves to find and such on his thumb and his hand.

I realize that it is not anywhere near cold enough for a hat right now for him - especially for this hot natured child. I just thought he looked so darn cute I couldn't resist putting it on him for my own amusement.I had to show you the whole outfit - if you can' tell, the feet are monkey face's too.

I did not position his hand this way. This is totally something he just sometimes does on his own. It is like he is saying " Good grief, Mom. Enough with the pictures already!"

One afternoon, I came to get him up from his nap and he was just playing away laughing and talking to me. It was so sweet. I wish our camera was faster and could have captured more of his sweet smiles.

I really want my child's bedtime to be at 8:30 at night after his 8:00 feeding but he has other ideas. Every evening, at this time, I snuggle him and put him in the bed. He might lay there for 10 or 15 minutes, he may even fall asleep for 30 but then he starts crying - not just little whimpers or even normal baby cries but screaming like someone is trying to murder him. Then, he will not stop unless we get him out and then is happy as long as Mommy or Daddy is cuddling him. He really never does this at any other time of the day. It is quite strange. This is a picture of him right after such an episode - looks so innocent doesn't he? We say that it must be he just can't go to sleep without " TV time with Daddy."

Recent Caleb Pictures

As requested, here are some recent Caleb pictures. He turned 6 weeks old yesterday and continues to be such a joy to our lives!

More beautiful pictures of our beautiful boy

These are pictures back from when he was exactly a week old. My Aunt Kate took them for us and they turned out beautifully! It is so hard for me to believe he will be 6 weeks on Friday! I will post more current pictures soon!

Time Flies

Wow! Time really flies! We cannot believe our son will be 3 weeks old on Friday! It has been an adjustment for all as we have added this precious gift to our family but he is such a huge blessing! We still can't believe he is ours! He loves to suck on his fingers and sometimes will try to put his whole fist in his mouth! He is so handsome -just like his Daddy!

He and Daddy had to get dressed up for the first UT game of the season!

Please continue to pray for us as we are adjusting to life as new parents. Please pray for continued health for Caleb and that Mommy and Daddy would get much needed rest! Pray for Travis as he moves forward with his seminary class this semester and pray for all of us as we seek the Lord's plans to move to Wake Forest in January.

As always, please continue to pray for Mexico and the people there who still need to hear about God's love and his Son.

Lots of love,

Travis, Danielle, and Caleb

Caleb Pictures!

Last week, my Uncle's sweet wife Kate came to take pictures of our sweet boy on his one week birthday. These are just a few that she gave me as a sneak peek to see before she sends me the CD. I just couldn't wait to share!

Caleb Samuel

Wow, it has been one crazy, beautiful time for us over the past week. We are filled with so many emotions - unexplainable love for our son, a nervousness that we won't be good parents, a hope that he will remain healthy and strong all the days of his life, and amazingly grateful hearts for all the Lord has done for us.

Some may want to know - why Caleb Samuel? We kept the name a secret all this time so that we could reveal it and make it a special suprise for his birth day. However, his name also has special meaning and significance to us that we would like to share with our loved ones.

Caleb stood strong for the Lord with Joshua back in the days of the Old Testament and in some translations the name Caleb means "Faithful." We want to raise this little one to be strong always in the Lord and to grow into a man after our Father's own heart. We also never want to forget God's faithfulness to us and how he has provided for us again and again and again.

Now for Samuel - many of you already know our story so I will be brief. I have had some health problems over the course of our marriage and after a surgery and several treatments was told about a year and a half ago that it would be very difficult for me to ever conceive if even possible.

After that difficult doctor's appointment, I remember many occasions of Travis and I holding one another, crying, and calling out to the Lord to one day provide us with a child. During this time of much tribulation, God gave me the story in the Bible of Hannah and Samuel. One day, as I was crying out to Him, I heard Him speak to my heart and give me a personal promise that one day He would give us a child if we would only wait upon Him and His timing. We didn't know what that meant - adoption, fertility treatments, etc. but we took that promise and held it close to our hearts and promised the Lord that like Hannah, we would give our child to His service. When we found out we were having a baby boy, we felt it would be very appropriate to name him a name that would never let us forget our special story.

So, there you have it - Caleb Samuel - our precious, precious son.