6 months

I can't believe it has already been 6 months (and then some) since Kale was born. Time has really flown and he is growing so fast. I can't believe how much he can already do. He is rolling around like crazy and "scoots" a little. He is really a happy baby and smiles a lot. The only time he really cries is when he is hungry or gets really tired. He likes baby food, but is a pickier eater than we expected.

Today was his 6 month checkup. After 4 shots & 1 oral medication he was wiped out. He cried a little, but by the time we got to the receptionist's desk to make our next appointment he was fine. Everything looked great, Kale is growing and developing just like he should be. He weighed in at 20 pounds, 2 ounces (75th percentile) and is 27 inches long (50th percentile). He sure is a solid little guy and not having any problems gaining :). We are so blessed to have such a good baby. He had been congested a little during Christmas time, but the humidifier has helped. He still gets Vicks Baby Rub slathered on him at night, but has gotten a lot better throught this week.

Here are a few pictures of Kale from his lifetime. He sure has changed, but thing has remained...his crazy hair. I'm not sure it is ever going to lay down in the back! We love him no matter what his hair looks like and as unbelievable as it sounds, I don't remember what it was like without him :)

Kale Alan ~ June 20th, 2009

ready to go home

6 weeks

August~2 months

September ~3 months

October ~4 months

November ~5 months

Christmas tree hunting Dec 09

Christmas 2009 ~6 months

January 1st, 2009

Happy New Year!

Kale after his bath tonight...loving the hair!

Happy New Year! Wow 2010- how crazy does that sound?!?

After a great Christmas break I go back to work tomorrow and Kale goes back to daycare :(. We had a great week hanging out. For New Year's Eve we went to Springfield for the night, but were home just in time to watch the ball drop and then turn the TV off and go to bed. We are old!! We have stayed home since then and it has been great to have 3 days of just hanging out at home. Mom & dad came over on Saturday afternoon to see our tree and all our presents and ate supper with us and last night. Yesterday I got our tree undecorated and when Blake & Megan came over Blake, thankfully, helped Jason get it out of the house! We got the rest of our inside decorations put up after church so now just the outside lights have to be taken down.

After being off work for so long I am dreading getting up early tomorrow morning. It might be rough for Kale too since he has gotten used to staying up later and getting up late. Hopefully we both make it through the day without getting too cranky (: !!

Kale's Big Sister

At Thanksgiving, or maybe earlier than that, Andi told me Kale had told her what he wanted for Christmas...a Big Sister. After I told her he wasn't getting one this year or ever, she said that was okay, she could be his big sister. After some discussion Andi got to come home with Jason & I when we came back to IL on Monday afternoon. She was super excited with her backpack already on when we got to the Belts' house to pick her up. She told me she could only stay 2 days (really just 1 night) and when I asked her why she couldn't stay longer she told me, "Cooper will cry and cry and cry and mommy & daddy will try everything, but Cooper will say...waaa, where's Andi..." I made her repeat this for Jessi and then even got it on tape once we got home :).

Andi fell asleep about Monroe City, but woke up for the last hour of the ride and talked the rest of the way. Once we got unloaded she & Kale played. Anytime he would cry Andi would yell, "Kale, Kale, Hold on, your big sister's coming". This continued all day Tuesday too and I think it spoiled him a little because he was crabby on Wednesday when he got left alone for a while.

Kale went to bed right around supper time and Andi was pretty tired too, but we stayed up a little later to eat popcorn and drink root beer. About 8:30 we called back to Leonard to say good night and then finished the Princess movie we found on tv. Andi wasn't quite ready to go to bed so she got to lay in bed with us and watch tv for a while before heading to "her" room for the night.

The next morning Andi played cards & yahtzee by herself while I cleaned up from breakfast and then we played some more and did a puzzle before lunch. It is a good thing we have more time before Kale is old enough to eat "real" food because we were going to have pb&j, but we didn't have any bread, and then the chicken strips I made were buffalo style and too spicy so I made a frozen pizza and finally the lunch we started to eat around 11:45 was ready at 1:00. Andi took a big nap and woke up just in time to get ready and head to Quincy. Once Jason got home we left for Quincy to meet the Belts at BWWs for supper and to give Cooper his big sister back.

Kale with his "big sister"

eating popcorn

talking to Jessi - we had to call and make sure everyone was okay since Andi was gone

watching football in our bed- when I took this picture she told me I couldn't show her mom because she would tell her dad and then she would be in trouble and they would say, "Andi, why weren't you a big girl and sleep in your own bed?" However, when we got to BWW she told her mom everything including this so I think I am safe to show the picture

when she went to her own bed we had to take another picture to show her mom she really did sleep all by herself

eating cereal

leaving for Quincy, Kale loved Andi riding in the backseat and talking to him

Day After Christmas

The last couple of years we have celebrated Christmas at mom & dad's house the day after Christmas when everyone can be there. Since the Belts live so close they opted to stay at home...I can't imagine why!?! Anyway, we all had matching pajamas...Stephanie's brilliant idea to get them Black Friday while shopping...so we had to take a group picture. Since the Belts didn't spend the night they weren't available for this "early" morning shot. After opening gifts we had lunch and then played Wii (Dad got Mario Cart racing and 2 more controllers so we were able to race 4 people!), Last Word, and some cards. We had great snack food for supper, the kids got to play in all the snow we had gotten, and we got a family picture before the night was over. Kyle & Stephanie spent a lot of the time packing because he was leaving for New Zealand the next day (Steph had to miss because he needed supervision...aka - a boss :)) We stayed in Missouri all day Sunday because neither of us was working on Monday. After Kyle left for the airport we headed to Shelbina for the afternoon and night. Everyone played cards while Leslie and I swapped Christmas pictures and then we went to see The Blind Side (it was great).

Group pic in matching pjs :o) The guys were thrilled...Jason said they looked like lumberjacks so the rest of the morning we called him Paul (Bunyon)

TJ opening a present & Cooper playing with his pig

Kyle & Stephanie...it was a late night so Steph needed a little coffee

Kale and his new piggy bank

Jessi & Cooper

Kale hanging out

Andi on her new scooter

The grandkids in the wrapping paper trash...a picture we have taken since Andi's first Christmas

I asked Jason to go put something "nice" on over his gray t-shirt for a family picture. He disappeared for a while and came back out with this on...a suit jacket of Kyle's. Reminded us a little of that part in Tommy Boy... :)

Eckler Family Christmas 2009

Kyle & Stephanie leaving for the airport.....this picture does a good job of showing what the whole morning was like (only Stephanie has a smile on her face- she was a little *stressed*)

Christmas Day

Christmas morning we slept in, until 7, when Kale woke us up. After a quick bottle we started opening all the presents Santa had brought. Kale got some clothes, a belt, sippy cup, a Camo hunting buddy, and some books. Santa must have known he would get toys everywhere else so there were no big toys for him. Jason got clothes, new shoes, a Mizzou camo hat, and a nice fleece jacket. I am such a lucky girl, I got a new deep freeze! All to myself...so I told Jason I would rent him space on a monthly basis :). I also got some fiestaware and clothes. One thing for sure, we all got more than we needed! After opening presents at home we headed to Middletown for Christmas with both sets of my grandparents. As always we had a great lunch & supper and were stuffed! We ended the night at mom & dad's house with the tradition of Papa Harold reading the story of Jesus' birth, everyone (most everyone) singing a couple Christmas carols, and everyone getting to open one present before heading to bed. This year we actually stayed up & played games for a while before the Belts headed home and we all went to bed.

Jason & Kale waiting to open gifts

Look what Santa brought

Christmas morning family picture

Kale's new belt...it has his name & sheep on it

Kale opening one of his many presents

Ready to leave for Middletown

Quin eating cookies

Conner showing Katie how to play his Leapster

Kale opening a present...showing some serious concentration

Kale with his Uncles Heath & Howard & the preggo lady! Notice the wet shirt...he is quite the drooler these days

Kale helping Kyle & Stephanie scratch off their lotto tickets

TJ opening his gift

Jessi's gift had some packing peanuts in the box and TJ & Papa Harold made a mess with them and then dancing around...well maybe just TJ danced, but it was hilarious! Jessi & Jason video'ed it, but not sure it is appropriate to share with everyone :)

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a long, but exciting day for us. We left home early in the morning to head to my mom & dad's to help decorate Christmas sugar cookies. The Belts came over too and we all had a good time icing and eating the broken cookies. We enjoyed lunch there before heading to Shelbina for the annual Hunolt Christmas. This year it was at Jason's mom & dad's so we got there early to hang out before everyone got there. Santa & Mrs. Clause showed up while we were there so Kale had his first encounter with the big guy and he wasn't bothered by them. He sat on Mrs. Clause's lap just "chewing" on his candy cane (in the wrapper). We left Shelbina to head home (to IL) for church at 11pm. Kale was Baby Jesus and did a great job. He woke up as soon as we got to church and stayed awake during the whole service and talked almost the whole time he was on stage. I think he made everyone laugh and smile and got lots of compliments after the service on how good he was :). We got home a little after 12:30...it did not take us long to get everything ready for the next day so we could go to bed!

Travis, Jason, & Andi icing cookies

Kale hanging out in the jumperoo

Jessi bringing out more cookies

Uncle Justin, Kale, & Allison

Pollard Family picture before everyone arrived

MO Pollard Family

Gaines Family

Hunolt great-grandkids

Kale with Santa & Mrs. Clause

Alexa & Allison with Santa

Leslie with Santa & the Mrs.