Happy Thanksgiving

It was at the end of the day when we realized we didn't take a family picture...So this is the best we could do.

We had our WONDERFUL friends Aline, Adriano, and their sweet little boy Vicente over for Thanksgiving dinner.

I was so excited my pumpkin cheesecake turned out...It didn't even crack---yay!

This is how Calvin started off his Thanksgiving Day...eating a lot of junk food. His dad came to his defense and said, "It's healthy--it's organic."

Calvin is walking!!!

Calvin playing catch with his dad

Calvin and his dad acting like monkeys

Misc

19 Weeks! I'm amazed at how much BIGGER I am than I was with Calvin.

Our little climber---I'm afraid to leave the room for even a minute because when I do this is what I find...

The promised videos of Calvin walking on his knees. So funny!

Calvin refuses to let me feed him anymore. This is him eating his morning cheerios.

It's A BOY!!

Here are pictures of the ultrasound that was taken a few weeks ago. We are so excited we are having another boy! The scanner we used didn't work very well so this is the best we could do for now...I will have another ultrasound in a couple of weeks so we will have more pictures then.

Happy Halloween

-Carving our pumpkin-

Calvin was putting everything back inside the pumpkin as Travis was carving it-this was so funny to watch!

Any ideas about what this is?

-Our little Dalmatian-

Calvin and his friend Vicente

Happy 1st Birthday Calvin!

I can't believe Calvin is already a year old!

We had a birthday party to celebrate.

These are Calvin's friends Vicente and Marta.

Calvin wasn't happy about his party.

Calvin loved the story book and chair his grandparent's gave him.

Elmo was also a favorite. His Aunt Amanda and Uncle Marcus sent this to him.

Calvin's grandmother and aunt Leslie came to visit us. We had such a great time. Thanks for coming!!

-Happy Birthday Song-

-Happy Birthday Song, Take 2-

Calvin's new chair

The Joy of Motherhood

Don't look too closely at this picture if you have a weak stomach. I'm not even sure why I have a smile on my face other than the fact that it was kind of funny that it happened to me. Not 5 minutes at church and Calvin decides he is sick and then he pukes on me. It wasn't just a little puke! It was an endless flowing river of puke! Disgusting I know! This picture is evidence of how bad it really was. He has made a full recovery- I on the other hand have not. I did get a "congratulations" from an elderly man sitting right behind us. He said, "It's happened to all of us."--He said this with a big smile on his face. Oh the joys of being a mom.

Chicago is getting so cold. It's so tempting to plan on hibernating over the winter. We might just do that.

Calvin has an addiction to chocolate. I blame this trait on his father. He found this empty package of oreos and instead of being upset that they were all gone he scrapped out all of the chocolate stuck to the bottom of the carton with his fingers. His face was covered in chocolate. I couldn't even get him to look up at the camera so I could take a picture.

Calvin loves the telephone. He especially loves to talk to his Grandma Hansen.

The next two pictures are just cute. I know he is "messy" and has a runny nose, but his smile is too much for me to resist posting these pictures.

This is a long video and will probably be boring to most of you. Every day when I put on my makeup Calvin cries for my makeup brush. I usually give in with a warning of "don't put it in your mouth"---What does he do instead? He mops the kitchen floor with it.

Calvin has become very bossy. This video is just a small glimpse of his new found attitude. I joke around with him that we should be getting paid for all the work he makes us do. Try to ignore the messy kitchen.

"C is for Cookie" should receive an award for being the most popular video in the Howe home. Calvin has developed his own dance moves to the video. They are subtle in the video, but he has been known to really shake his tail feather. Most days I hear this song so much that I fall asleep wishing the song would just leave my mind. No luck. I recommend this video to all moms who need extra time to get the dishes done while your child learns about healthy eating habits. Amanda take notes!!

Travis is known for his ability to trick Calvin. Most of the time he gives me the "Travis Howe guarantee" that it will work. 99% of the time it does. Green food coloring in the mashed potatoes slightly lowered my confidence in this statement. Did Calvin go for it or not? You be the judge.

Calvin cannot resist going back for more of his dad's teasing! This video is so funny. Calvin loves being chased by his dad.

Beware.... this post is really long. This is what happens when you don't update your blog in months!

This is Calvin and his cousins with their wonderful grandparents. They were so generous in letting us live at their place during the summer. We already miss them very much.

When Travis saw this picture he said, "I should grow out my beard again..."--What do you think?

Oh, isn't he so cute!? These are some pj's his grandmother bought him.

We ventured out on a walk one day and found this beach. The water is a little cold, but it's so fun to go there! Calvin loved it. He especially loved chasing all of the birds that were walking around.

This is Calvin and his little buddy Vicente. They love to play in the sand together. Vicente has the cutest little laugh and smile. His parent's are from Brazil and they are here doing a post-doctorate. His mom Aline and I have become good friends.

This is Calvin acting like a little puppy! He not only drinks out of his cup like this but he will also crawl around with a ball in his mouth--or whatever he wants to move from one place to another.

We took a trip Minnesota to see where Travis grew up and to go to one of his friend's weddings. We had a great time. Travis got to see a lot of friends that he hasn't seen in a long time.

This was on one of our walks. Calvin had had enough! Can you tell? I also love this picture because both of them are wearing brown corduroys. Classic.

Here are a couple of pictures with downtown Chicago in the background.

Aren't these the cutest shoes ever! Calvin hated them.

Calvin loved the popsicle his dad shared with him.

These videos are for Calvin's grandmother. I have been promising them for weeks. The first couple videos are a little older but they are some of my favorites. The last video is of Calvin standing. He is about ready to start walking!