Callie is a Quarter year old!!

Yes you read that correct...Callie is 3 months old! Can you believe it :)

She has been so busy these past three months too! She has grown A LOT...she's still a little peanut, but she is a lot bigger than she used to be. She doesn't have another Dr.'s appointment until her 4 month check-up (which is more shots :( ); however, according to Wii Fit, Callie is about 11.5 pounds! She is really long too! Her 3 month clothes are big on her around her little belly, but they're getting tight length wise.

She is doing A LOT of talking...I have posted a lot of videos on Facebook. They upload so much faster than the blog, so I post more videos on FB rather than on here...

Callie is a good eater! She has been eating 4 ounces of milk every couple hours. We are still adding the rice cereal to help thicken her milk (I'm no long nursing; however, she is still drinking breast milk-we're just adding rice cereal to my milk to thicken it up). It has been staying down in her tummy better, and she isn't spitting up...AS MUCH!

On June 13th, Callie had a big day: She was BAPTIZED!!!

My sister Heidi and her husband Bruce are Godparents, and Josh's sister Kayla and her fiance Mike are also Godparents! Callie sure lucked out by having some great Godparents!

"Shellum" Girls...I love my sisters so much :)

All 7 Grandkids together :)

Godparents: Auntie Heidi & Uncle Bruce

Godparents: Auntie Kayla & Uncle Mike

She was such a good girl on her special day :) Every night before she goes to sleep, I (or Josh) read her the story "Goodnight Moon" and then I say a prayer with her before she goes to sleep. Lately I've noticed that she calms down when she hears me start telling her the story (I have it memorized now). During our prayer, she is looking up at the ceiling, beyond me...and she stares into the same spot every time. I like to think that Jesus is there, watching over her through the night!

Josh's FIRST Father's Day!

Callie sleeping during the Miss MN Pageant...so lady-like

Miss Minnesota 2009, Brooke Kilgarriff was REALLY excited to finally meet Callie

Daddy's softball game :)

She sleep so peacefully! She has been going to bed around 7:30-8:00ish and waking up around 9:00 AM! She hasn't been waking up at all...just sleeping straight through the night for 12-13 hours! We think that is why she eats so much during the day!

Happy "First" Father's Day 2010!

My mom informed me that us "Shellum Girls" were early teethers...and I think Callie has this gene. She is already teething...sometimes it is terrible. She will just scream for no reason. It breaks our hearts...but eventually (usually within 5 minutes) we get her calmed down and she's okay.

Callie has a very busy schedule coming up! Twins games, 4th of July at the Lakes and play dates :) Stay tuned, I will try to keep this updated more frequently!

Callie doesn't like to miss anything :)

Callie has this amazing personality :) In the morning, when she wakes up, she will coo a little to let us know that she is up (we can hear her on the monitor). Then we have some time to brush out teeth, use the bathroom, get her a bottle (because we have to add rice to my milk now...), and come back into her room.

This is typically how we find her in the morning...I had to capture it on video :)

I love her cheery personality :)

Just recently, we stayed overnight at my mom and dad's house. Since we don't bring monitors, the pack 'n play is in the same room as us - so when Callie wakes up, we both wake up!

This is a video clip of Callie at 4 AM...wide awake and chipper :)

Striker...My boy...I will forever miss you!

There once was a time when I had a broken heart. I was living with my parents and it was the summer of 2006. It was the kind of time where I would sit on the couch and my mom would take one look at me, and just knew to grab the cookie dough...men can be such jerks! (Lucky for me it happened...now I have Josh!).

There was a man my dad bowled with who informed me that his cat had kitties (it got out and then got knocked up). I BEGGED my parents to let me have one, but they insisted it was a bad idea - remember, I was 23 and living at home.

Well, my parents gave in :) I picked out the most BEAUTIFUL cat who very quickly won over my heart :) In honor of receiving him from the bowling family, I named him "Striker!"

Mike O'Halloran took this picture when he did our Maternity Session - Thank you Mike, I didn't realize at the time how much I would cherish this photo.

My life was complete! Striker quickly filled my heart with love! We cuddled ALL of the time. He slept under my sheets and would curl up by my feet. Whenever I was feeling sad, he would come and sit on my chest and nuzzle at me.

When I got a job in Austin, MN - I almost couldn't bring Striker with me. My dad was secretively happy as he had grown to love Striker! They took daily naps together :) Striker knew that when he got home from work - it was serious nap time :) But - lucky me - I was able to bring Striker with me :)

His move to Austin was pretty scary for him. He didn't come out from under my bed for a couple days. Then after he finally got used to things, I went and got Cooper...crazy cat!

Striker LOVED having a friend...he loved Cooper and they cuddled and played together all the time.

But as the story goes - Josh and I met, fell in love and bought a house. Things were starting to get a little stressful for Striker-then Kix came along. That dang cat would attack Striker ALL THE TIME!

Striker got so stressed out, that he developed a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection). It got so bad that we brought him to the Emergency Room at the Vet's office on a Sunday night. Had we not gotten him there...we may not have made it. I was a wreck. Striker was my life...he had to get better!

And he did. For a little while...

As you have probably read previously, we had to give Cooper away (you can read about it if you haven't already)...Striker's BEST FRIEND :( I can't imagine what that felt like for him. And then the worst happened...Josh and I brought home Callie. Striker didn't want anything to do with her. He avoided her and avoided us :( He peed again. We brought him to the vet only to find out that the crystals were back.

So we put him on the expensive cat food diet, confined him for 1 month to help him get better, and then we let him out. Josh and I both agreed that IF it happened again, we would have to put Striker down.

Last week, Striker peed in a bag in our kitchen. We both realized he is not better.

On August 26, 2006, Striker Shellum was brought into this world. He was soon in my loving arms and he was my world. On Tuesday, June 8, 2010, Striker McRae was put to rest. He is up in Heaven playing with Winnie and chasing bugs outside :) He probably has his claws back now too!

Striker, you were my best friend when I really needed someone there for me. I believe God gave you to me to help fill the void I had in my heart. I no longer have that void...

Thank you for helping me when I needed someone the most! I will forever miss you - I will love you forever. No cat can ever replace you.

He always took care of the other pets...he was such a good friend.

He loved this darn green frog! Now I'm slapping myself for getting rid of it :(

This was our VERY first picture together! This was the first day that I brought him home!

Playing :)He also had a thing for Butterfinger Blizzards from the DQ! They were my favorite too, and YES, I was letting him lick my blizzard!
Striker LOVES going in bags!
I love my boy!
Striker's first time in the snow :)
Striker next to my bowling ball...this is where he got his name :)
Striker getting a Manicure :)
Striker's First Christmas!

Striker and I when I lived with my mom and dad

Time slips away...

Time is quickly disappearing. I feel like I was just opening up our planner for the summer days...figuring out what was going on, where we needed to be, how long we needed to be there, and who was going to be involved...

Now I have 2 days of cooking and baking until it is Callie's BAPTISM! Seriously...I remember planning this out, thinking - "Wow, when Callie gets baptized, she will be almost 3 months old"...and NOW IT IS HERE :( :( :( :(

There are so many things I am grateful for, but I also know that with time going as quickly as it is, Callie will grow up and soon be too independent for her mommy :( Believe me, I was there. Lucky for my mom...that phase didn't last long and I quickly latched back on to needing my mommy!

If you can believe it, Callie is now HOLDING HER HEAD UP!!! Yes folks, she is STRONG :) We have enjoyed holding her under her armpits and watching her dance around! She moves her little feet, stops to smile and laugh and then keeps moving! She LOVES to dance to music :)

These past 2 nights, I have laid Callie in her crib - AWAKE. I feed her, rock her, read her the same bedtime story, say a prayer with her, and then kiss her. I tell her I love her and that I will see her in the morning when the morning light shines down on us! Then I lay her down...while she is still awake. I don't close her door all the way, just a crack - and then just like that...she's sleeping :) Last night she slept for 12 straight hours! Can you believe it. Josh asked me if I checked to make sure she was still alive...12 hours! I just wish I would have gone to bed earlier - then I would have had just as much sleep!

There are many fun and exciting events coming up for Miss Callie...I will try to do a better job at keeping some updates :)