Merry Christmas!

Just a quick post of some fun December pictures...more is coming soon! Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas! We are so thankful for our family and friends!

A cute picture snapped from Grandad's new camera. I got one too, but I haven't had time to upload the pictures to my computer. So excited about finally being able to catch all these sweet expressions from my boys! Thanks for sharing the great pics, Grandad!

"Colton the elf" at his school program. They sang a song about Santa, elves and bells to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus". Colton stayed on stage and chimed in on the Ho, Ho, Ho part but was otherwise non-participatory :) Sure was cute to watch, though!

Santa 2009My boys decking the tree...

Colton enjoys reading books so much. We usally try to wind down in the evening by reading a few. Here he is reading the Polar Express before bed one night. He is also learning the art of stalling and asks for just "two more minutes" several times before nap and bedtime! Sweet Caden sitting up so well on his own. He sat up for the first time just a few weeks ago!

Colton hanging an ornament... We definitely had a few ornament incidents. I guess Colton thought since he helped to decorate the tree that he could also take them off over and over again. I finally brought Santa into the matter and that seemed to work. Caden enjoyed the view of the tree from the Christmas Quilt (another beautiful creation by my Aunt Cindy)...

Braved the bitter cold a few weeks ago to see the Christmas parade downtown with Dad, Karen, Brenda, Brooke, Zach and April. Colton watched the entire parade and sat in my lap completely still! We had a great time! Caden managed to sleep through about 8 marching bands! Thanks for the wonderful seats, cookies and hot chocolate, Dad and Karen!

Thankful Thoughts...

I feel so scattered lately so here are a few things I want to remember about the boys at this age plus a few random thoughts from my head...

• Colton is talking up a storm and some days I realize that we're having "real" conversations. It's amazing that you can converse with someone who just two years ago couldn't do anything for himself!He is getting pretty good about listening and responding instead of just repeating what we say. Lately, he's taken to saying, "Where we going, Mommy?" He also started telling us "Happy Birthday" out of the blue. Jack's birthday was over a month ago so I wonder if someone at school has recently had one. Just today, he said, "Ask me a question, Mommy!"
• He loves to sing - not sure about tune yet but I love his sweet little voice! Loves to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle", "Wheels on the Bus" and "Jesus Loves Me" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider." He's pretty particular about what song we sing and will quickly let me know if he doesn't like a song. He also knows all of the ABC song and has started pointing out letters and numbers - granted they are not the correct letters or numbers, but it's a start!
• At night over the past few months, he's started asking for Mommy to sing. I usually sing a made up song to the tune of "Lullaby and Goodnight". I need to write down the words because he calls it the night night song and Daddy had to sing it tonight. When he's done with that, he tells us to "Go" then we turn on his nighttime music.
• Finally, toothbrushing is not a battle. He actually reminds me now. I used to have to hold him down and brush quickly. Now, he starts brushing and then hands it over to me and says, "Mommy do it. I not cry!"  It helped to get him some little Dixie cups and a stool by the sink. He really enjoys swishing and spitting.
• So I don't think I would necessarily call it the terrible twos around here - but more like EXTREME twos... We are constantly up and down. The 30 minute commute home from daycare has been interesting. The time change threw him off because the sun is in his eyes for a few minutes each way - He DOES NOT LIKE THAT! I have figured out I can put my arm across the passenger seat in just the right spot to block the sun, but if I forget - he will let out the most piercing scream to remind me. He has sunglasses but he has to be in the right mood to wear them.
• Colton had strep a few weeks ago and needed to take an antibiotic. The first two doses were a disaster. He refused to take it and spit it back out. Well, we learned a very important lesson about Colton that day and about child psychology. We made a really big deal about the medicine and practiced giving "medicine" to Daddy and Lovey. Then we talked about being brave and not crying. Lo and behold he took it like a champ.
• Colton has begun shushing us. We are trying to nip this in the bud, but it's hard not to laugh.
• I'm missing the T and #4 keys off my computer. While I was cooking one day, Colton found my open laptop and a plastic spoon. When I walked around the corner, I witnessed him popping the keys off with the spoon. Never a dull moment!
• Loves to watch Baby E------ and calls it the puppet movie. He also was introduced to Nemo and Jungle Book and really enjoys them too. Still loves Praise Baby and Sesame Street.
• Colton has also begun saying, "It was an accident, Mommy!" and he will walk up on a mess that he made and say in his most surprised voice, "Look at that! Who made this mess?" What a trip!
• One day, Colton was getting ready for a nap and he saw that the window shade was up. He told me to "turn the window off, Mommy!"
• Goodness - this boy keeps us on our toes, but we love every ounce of his sweet, dramatic and curious ways!

Caden...

• is pure love and has got to be the happiest, most content baby! He is the bright spot out of my long days and I love picking him up in the afternoon and getting one of his drooly, gummy grins!
• loves to watch Colton's antics. It's almost as they are already cohorts and Caden laughs when Colton gets in trouble.
• is a great sleeper - not so big on naps unless we are at home but I'll take the night sleeping  any day! Of course we haven't started teething yet, so it could all change.
• had a banner weekend two weeks ago. We finally moved him out of our room and into his own room and crib. Poor kid has been in the bassinet forever! He was so quiet that we really didn't mind having him in our room - but had started waking up at 5 am just to talk and we decided it was time to make the move. He did great with the swich. Also that weekend, we started rice cereal and he did great. You would have thought he had always been eating off a spoon.
• Going to try oatmeal this week and then move on to veggies.
• very good  in the car. Loves to watch Brother while we're on the way to school and then usually snoozes all the way home!
• Daddy helps out a ton with Caden in the morning and gives him his bottle while I get ready and then wake up Colton.
• Not rolling over yet, but he will get to his side and then just kind of stops... very like his personality. He is just such a chill baby!
• The ladies at school call him "President Caden" because he is so friendly and will let anyone hold him. I suspect he has several visitors throughout the day - and I barely get him out of the carseat in the mornings before he is scooped up and loved on by Ms. Alice. I'm so thankful they love him so much at his school.
• Caden came with me to my school program this past week and he was a hit! One of the parents there made the comment that "those were some quality cheeks"! Love those chubby jaws!
• Grabbing toys with gusto and gets so proud of himself when he grabs on to something dangling in front of him.
• loves his daddy!
• loves his bath.
• still being swaddled but with one arm out. Bedtime is usally around 7 and he wakes between 6 and 6:30...
• Naps on the weekend between 1.5-2.5 hours at 9 am and 1 pm... School naps are usually only about 45 min to an hour...

Have I mentioned how thankful I am for my boys?!!! Thank you, God for these angel boys and please help us to raise them in your ways! I'm not going to lie - it has been an incredible adjustment going back to work full time and trying to balance family, work, housework, etc. My job has changed a lot and seems much more demanding than I remember it being - but this is where we are for now and I know that we will survive. There have been some really exhausting days and days when I've felt like running back in time and telling myself to really consider if moving AND going back FT were the wisest decisions as we were preparing to add Caden to our family... but we must press on and make the most of it. As Jack says, this is just a season...Thankfully, I really do have light at the end of the tunnel (unlike most regular jobs) and my favorite season of SUMMER is just 6 months away. I have this pep talk with myself regularly and it usally works :) as does just a little peek in on my sleeping angel boys! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Mommy's Pumpkins

Caden the scarecrow... I needed to try on his costume, but. I didn't want to undress him so I put it on over his pj's and it was quite snug. Yes, he's pretty chubby already, but the layered effect made him look so "fluffy"! Too cute!

The Saturday before Halloween we took a trip to a local pumpkin patch with our friends, the Carrolls.It was a beautiful afternoon and we enjoyed getting a few pictures even though the pumpkins were a little picked over. Here are Colton and I enjoying a "train" ride.

More of Caden the Scarecrow and the layered look :)

Colton kept us entertained on the way to the pumpkin patch. He sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" about 10 times. Love his little singing voice!

Early in October, Colton spent the night with Papaw and Karen while Mom and Dad took a birthday trip to Boston. Colton had a great time and even got to carve some pumpkins.

Sweet brothers enjoying the pumpkin patch.

Fall 2009

Mommy and her pumpkins!

Caden and Mommy.

Daddy and Colton.

My little Pumpkin-eater! Can't imagine life without our sweet, giggly, roly-poly boy!

Caden's Contagious Laugh

http://www.youtube.com/watch_private?v=9ucjNbkNMFs&sharing_token=-ZMzLqG_GErfSxLtf3mEcg==

Not sure if this will work, but Jack got a great video of Caden cracking up over Colton's antics. We are still trying to figure out the best way to share videos from our digital camcorder and Iphone, but maybe this will work. It's a little dark and shaky, but I think his laugh is priceless! Enjoy and Happy November!

Halloween part 2

This huge and disgusting spider chose to spin his web right by our front door. People thought it was a prop, but it was unfortunatley very real.

Caden, Jenilee and Jazmin before trick or treating began.

Sweet Caden at 4 months old!

Brothers!

"Trunk or Treat"

Colton's school had a Trunk or Treat last Sunday evening. Colton threw one of the biggest fits we've ever seen as we tried to put on his costume. We finally got it on and he was fine once he saw the trunkfuls of candy. However; he refused to wear the hood part of his lion costume. Oh well. He did have the "roaring" part down. So, tonight when we went trick or treating he was pretty confused. He kept going up to the doors saying, "Trunk or treat". It was pretty cute. He insisted on putting the candy in the pumpkin himself :) We went to about 10-15 houses when he declared, "That's enough, I go to Colton's house." So we took him home and dropped him off with Daddy, while Javi, Jazmin, Jenilee and I went down 1 more street. It was so fun to see our sweet friends again at Halloween. I think this is our 4th year to spend Halloween together. Our new neigborhood has a ton of trick or treaters. Jack was busy handing out candy in between watching the TX vs OSU game. Caden decided to stay in with Daddy. He's a budding football enthusiast plus he was pretty sleepy and I just couldn't justify making him wear his almost too tight costume just for Mommy's pictures :)

Telling me about the scary pumpkin. Colton enjoyed the jack-o-lanterns the most. He kept pointing out those that were scary or happy. When we went up to a house with something a little scary, he would just say over and over to himself, "It's ok, it's ok..." The nice thing about a 2 year old trick or treater is that they really don't remember how much candy they got, so Mom and Dad have enjoyed a few pieces of Colton's stash :)

Caden in his cute little pumpkin outfit.

Tinkerbell, Jenny and Jason 2009

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Today is a very special day! A certain someone in our family is having a certain milestone birthday today! My battery was dead on the camera so these are from my phone! Another certain someone was not thrilled to sit for a picture even if it did end with birthday cake :)

We love you, Jack!  I'm so blessed to be your wife - you are an amazing husband to me and a wonderful father to our boys! And just remember - you're not getting old - you're just chronologically gifted!

Caden - Week 3

(Yes, I realize this is 9 weeks late...but I wanted to get it recorded - I'll move it back to the right date later.)



Caden turned 3 weeks old on August 13. He's such an easy baby. He seems to have his days and nights figured out and can barely stay awake past 8 pm. The dilemma has been whether or not to wake him up between 10-11 to feed him a dream feed or just let him wake up on his own. The problem is that he wakes up anywhere from 12-3 and if Mommy doesn't go to sleep when he does; it makes for a short night. During the day he eats every 3 hours - sometimes every 2.



Caden doing his tummy time.

It's such hard work!

I love when he stretches so big. Is this the beginning of the sweet chubby cheeks?

3 Week pictures with Mr. Bear

Big yawn! By the way, Mommy's sweet friend and former college roomie, Jordan, made this beautiful quilt for Caden. I'll have to take a close-up so you can see all the fun patterns. She also made a cowboy themed quilt for Colton when he was born!

Sweet brothers.

Caden loves to watch his big brother.

Little did I know there really was water at the bottom of the ice chest...oops!

This summer began Colton's love of the trash truck! While we were staying at Bunny's house he looked forward to Monday "trash" day all week! Here he is watching the truck drive away. I wonder what the sanitation workers think when they see little kids in awe of their jobs :)

Week 3 also brought a very special visit from Mommy's good friend Stephanie (another former college roomie) and her sweet boy Lincoln! It was so great to see you