Things That Make Me Happy Today:

1.  Watching Kaden's face light up in the children's section of the library.  He fell in love with the giant fish tank full of swimming friends.  Maybe he thought they were the same ones he smiles at every day while he watches his mobile spin around?  I think we will have to get Kadester a pet fish for his birthday this year.

2.  New board books from the library, and one from the used book store, to entertain me and my little man.

3.  The juicy clementine I just devoured.  Oh how I love a clementine!

4.  Driving home from running errands and looking at all of the signs of spring.  I can't wait for the azaleas and dogwoods to join in the fun!

5.  My Kitchenaid Mixer.  Have I told you lately, Mrs. Kitchenaid, that I love you?

6.  The homemade pizza dough rising in the bowl of my Kitchenaid mixer.

7.  The homemade pizza sauce waiting for the dough in the refrigerator.

8.  Kaden taking a long enough nap this morning for me to work on my sharing time and talk for sacrament meeting on Sunday.  Oh, and a long enough nap this afternoon for me to bond with Bernice, my Kitchenaid mixer.

9.  Knowing my cute husband will get home in two hours and we can eat homemade pizza together.

10.  Laughing while Kaden practices his new trick:  shaking his head no.  We're a little young to be starting this, aren't we?

It has been a great day.

Realizations

The past couple of days, I have come to some realizations, some big and some small.

For example, I realized yesterday (while strolling to the park with my handsome son) that now that I am a Southern gal I find it not only extremely odd if someone I pass on the street doesn't wave at me, but I am somewhat offended when they don't.  I mean, come on!  If I'm going to live in a town where I have to drive at least 40 minutes to buy a packet of curry mix there need to be some perks.  One of those perks is having everyone be friendly, which means strangers on the street are supposed to wave at you.  And most of them do.  Which is why I was shocked yesterday when three didn't.

I also realized yesterday (while cleaning my father-in-law's office, because he's awesome and gave me that job so I can afford health insurance) that some people are just nasty.  Case in point:  who pees all over a toilet (and I don't want to get TOO graphic here, but I will suffice to say that when I say "all over a toilet" I really do mean ALL OVER the toilet) and just leaves it.  I would be mortified to leave a restroom covered in my urine, knowing that someone could walk in behind me and know that I DID THAT.  A second office example:  who deposits their chewed stick of Big Red on a leather, waiting room chair--on which someone else may sit! So gross!  These people had mothers, did they teach them NOTHING?  

I also realized yesterday, that I occasionally enjoy trashy TV.  I guess I've always known this, because as a youngster, I used to watch episodes of a show starring these lovely people:

That, my friends is the cast of The Bold and the Beautiful.  I don't mean to expose my mother's inner-most secrets on this blog, but she watched this show when I was growing up.  She still watches it (sorry, Mom).  My Grandma Joy watches it, too (sorry, Grandma).  I don't watch it anymore, but I do tune in with her when I go home to visit.  She records the episodes, and we fast forward through the commercials.  That means one 30 minute episode probably ends up being closer to 18 minutes.  The amazing thing is, I can tune in for a couple weeks a year and feel like I never stopped watching.  That's the beautiful thing about soap operas.  I mean, my mom will have to fill me in a little bit (about which divorcee is now married to which "I-thought-he-was-dead"-"no-he-was-always-alive-just-was-in-a-coma-and-forgot-his-identity" fellow) but it won't take long for me to be completely up to speed.

I denied I had rekindled my trashy TV addiction for a while when I first started watching this:

See that smiling, sensational actress in the left-hand corner?  That's Sally Field.  If you don't know who she is, I suggest you go to rent my favorite movie of all time, which just happens to be Steel Magnolias.  If you don't want to watch the entire film (which is a ludicrous thought--OF COURSE you want to watch the entire film), you can fast forward to the funeral scene--look for the part where she starts screaming, "I'm fine"--and I guarantee you will still cry:  that's how amazing Sally Field is.  Anyway, I started watching this series because I could stream in on Netflix, which we currently have due to a wonderful Christmas gift from my parents.  (Plus, my friend Lacey told me about it.  Sorry, Lacey.)  The plot lines were a little extreme (see how honest I'm being, maybe you shouldn't judge me too harshly), most of the acting was mediocre at best, and Sally was still amazing.  I couldn't stop watching.  She sucked me in.     I have now watched the first three seasons (remember that part earlier about not judging me too harshly?).  Anyway, despite the at times melodramatic nature of the show, I didn't think it was a soap opera.  I mean, it airs in the evening (even though I stream it at all times of day while I nurse Kaden or fold a load of laundry).  Then, Chad caught a few snippets of episodes. One time, he walked in while I was watching one and we had a conversation that went something like this:

Chad:  You're still watching this show, huh?

Katie:  Yup.  It's not even that good, but Sally Field is so amazing I can't stop.
 
Chad:  Wait a minute, they're dating?

Katie:  Yup, they're going to get married.

Chad:  I thought they were brother and sister.

Katie:  No, no.  They only THOUGHT they were brother and sister.  They thought she was his father's illegitimate child from his mistress, Holly.  Then they found out her real dad was a man named David, so they started dating.  The real illegitimate kid is a boy, some kid named Ryan.

Chad:  I seriously can't believe you're still watching this.

Light bulb.  Once I heard myself explaining the plot out loud, there was no denying its soap opera-ness.

And the thing is, I can't believe I'm still watching it either.  But every episode ends with some plot twist that makes me stream another episode later, because I just HAVE TO KNOW what happens.  Evil.
  
Today (while watching my sweet baby go for his first swing) I realized that the likelihood that this face will ever stop melting my heart is non-existent:

 It's hard not to forgive me for my trashy TV addictions when I bombard you with photos of a precious face like that at the end of a post, isn't it?  I'm very sneaky.

Kadester Update

At six-and-a-half months old, Kaden:

• Has become a pureed fruits and vegetables connoisseur .  He tried his first vegetable, green beans, on February 4th.  Since then, we have added carrots, prunes, pears, squash, bananas, and peas to his repertoire (in that order).  He loves them all.  We had a brief moment this morning (whilst he he was introduced to peas alongside his rice cereal) that I thought he might permanently boycott the little, round pellets (since he started crying after every bite and trying furiously to spit the mush out).  After a re-introduction at dinnertime, I think even peas might have won him over.  He loves to eat.  He voices his disdain if you don't shovel food into his waiting, open mouth quite quickly enough. 

• Has his first tooth.  All of that Orajel really wasn't wasted on our fussy baby.  He actually WAS teething.  I felt the sharp point of Kaden's first tooth on February 7th while, you guessed it, rubbing Orajel on his gums at bedtime. 

• Mostly sleeps through the night, with occasional relapses.  After Kaden started solid foods, we started "sleep training."  Basically, we don't pick him up when he wakes up in the middle of the night anymore.  We do the 10-15-20 minute go in, comfort, leave routine, until he falls back asleep on his own.  I know half of you are thinking I'm a terrible mother for letting my son cry in his crib, but I've got to say--8 hours of sleep at night is a glorious thing.  Most nights he just sleeps completely through the night, but every once in a while we'll have to go in and comfort him a few times before he'll zonk back out.  The biggest battle we had to fight in this department was breaking the swaddling habit.  Kaden has always loved to be swaddled.  Usually when he woke up during a nap, or during the night, it was because he had "broken out" of his swaddling.  We even used the special Swaddleme blankets, which were miraculous, but eventually he outgrew them.  Even the largest size.  We had mastered swaddling him in a select few blankets that were still big enough to get the job done, but he was getting too strong for those.  When we started the "sleep training," we also stopped swaddling, so he could learn to fall asleep without it. 

• Can sit up by himself, with supervision.  Kaden can support himself while sitting up, but quickly topples over if he reaches too far for whatever object catches his fancy.  We are practicing every day, and I think he'll be sitting completely solo before long.

• Whisper-talks to himself in the morning.  Oh my, this may be the most precious thing my child will ever do.  It is soooooooooo cute to listen to him do this.  Every time I try to catch him on film he promptly stops, however.  I hope  I can always remember what this sounded like.  After Kaden wakes up in the morning, he usually ends up cuddling in bed with me and Chad.  He just lies here, content as can be, whisper-babbling.

• Makes consonant sounds, which means he's now more of a babbler, and less of a coo-er.  It's pretty clear that the word "Dada" will probably be numero uno.  He already says this about a zillion times a day, he just doesn't know that he's saying it.  

•  Bathes in the real bathtub now.  We finally had to face reality:  our 28 inch baby can no longer bathe in the baby tub on the kitchen counter.  This was a travesty.  It is so much easier to bathe him while comfortably standing at the counter top.  Kaden LOVES taking a bath.  He kicks and splashes like crazy, and tonight I discovered that when squirted by his bath toys he can't contain his giggles.  He finds it hilarious.  He still can't take a bath every night because his skin gets too irritated (he still has some eczema).

• LOVES to jump.  If he's not in one of his jumping toys, he still pretends that he is.  He jumps while you hold him in your lap, and he even moves his legs like he's jumping while he's lying down. 

• Has figured out he can actually go in a complete circle while in his exersaucer.  His favorite part of this toy is the toy phone attached to it.  He tries to eat it, instead of talking to whatever imaginary friend is on the other end.      

• Still hates being on his tummy.  I talked to the pediatrician about this one, because I'm afraid he's never going to learn to crawl.  Kaden will only tolerate limited tummy time before he starts to scream. 

• Can successfully remove his pacifier and put it back in.  This is such a blessing.  He used to take his pacifier out when we'd put him down at night and then wake himself up by hitting himself in the face with it, attempting to get it back in. 

• Has better motor skills in general.  I love watching him play with his toys now, because he really does seem like he is starting to "play."  He can really hold on to objects now.  His favorite toy right now is by far his soccer ball.  Although he mostly just tries to, unsuccessfully, eat it.   

• Loves music.  The Disney music channel on Pandora is a frequent listen in our house.  (I love that part of my day consists of dancing to hits from The Jungle Book and The Lion King.  My life is seriously so awesome.  Especially when it's 1:00 and I'm still in my pajamas.)  Some of Kaden's favorite songs right now include "The Wheels on the Bus," "The Itsy, Bitsy Spider," and "Popcorn Popping."

• Still loves to be read to and is still pretty attentive while listening to the story (after initial attempts to ingest the literature).

• Loves to play peek-a-boo and patty cake.  

• Still typically takes three naps during the day.  One in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the early evening.  I wish so much he would just turn this into two LONGER naps.  It would really help give me time to get more done.

• Is a snugly little guy right now.  He likes to bury his little head in your chest while you hold him.  I took him to see the English teachers at North Lenoir and he cuddled with every one of them.

• Is still precious, sweet, and is so much fun to take care of every day.

• Is growing up way too fast.

In Six More Months My Baby Will be ONE?!!

Kaden's Six Month Stats

Weight -- 17 pounds 10 ounces, 53rd percentile

Height -- 28 inches, 91st percentile

Head Circumference -- 44.75 centimeters, 77th percentile

Kaden's Six Month Portraits

Low-Key Valentine's Day

I didn't grow up really hating or loving Valentine's Day. 

In elementary school there wasn't much NOT to like about getting a valentine from everyone in your class, each one usually accompanied by a piece of something delectably sugar-rush infested.  Of course, you did have to be careful about what message you gave to each kid in class.  You wouldn't want the boy who picked his nose and saved the boogers for later to get the wrong impression by giving him a message that said, "You're cute, Valentine!"  Maybe it was the English teacher developing within me way back then, but I was always very attentive to the semantics behind every valentine in the cardboard box that my mom and I would pick out together.

The most memorable valentine of my elementary school years came in sixth grade when Brandon Earl, whose bowl cut I happened to be madly in love with, gave me a valentine that professed he wanted to be my first date when I turned 16. (I had recently returned a necklace he gave me and told him I couldn't date until then.  Had Elliott Goodrich not blabbed about the necklace to my parents, I probably would have kept it, but alas, it wasn't in the cards for Brandon and me.)  His promise was never kept.  Sadly, by the time Brandon and I reached dating age, he no longer had a bowl cut, and friendship had replaced our previous feelings of romance. 

If I ever remotely detested Valentine's Day, it was probably in junior high.  By the time 7th and 8th grade rolled around, we no longer got to have the classroom bashes filled with conversation hearts.  Instead, those of us who didn't get anything for Valentine's Day got to listen to the names of everyone who DID get called to the office to pick up their bouquets of flowers, giant teddy bears, and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates.  At the time, watching popular girls try to find an empty spot on their desk amidst all of the red and pink paraphernalia, so they could complete our Earth Science assignment, wasn't the most thrilling.  I had an empty desk, a terrible haircut, and braces.  It wasn't too hard to find a spot on my desk for a worksheet on plate tectonics.  Even then I didn't HATE Valentine's Day, though.  Plus, by the time we would graduate from high school, most of the popular girls from junior high were pregnant, druggies, or just a bit washed up.  (That doesn't sound cold and unfeeling at all, does it?)

In high school I only had a boyfriend for one Valentine's Day.  My junior year, though, my friend Lena Campbell and I decided we were sick of hearing every one's names called on Valentine's Day and never getting our fair share of the goods.  We went to Wal-Mart together and picked out gifts for each other, then delivered them to the front office the morning of February 14th.

Even now that I'm married, we don't really make a huge deal about Valentine's Day.  As long as Chad gets me a bouquet of flowers, or a card, or makes me a stellar dinner, or does something to remind me he knows it's the day of love--I'm good.  (If he doesn't do ANYTHING, then we will have a problem.)  We don't usually go out to eat on Valentine's Day, because restaurants are packed, service is terrible, and it's just an unpleasant waste of an evening. 

Yesterday Chad brought me flowers in the morning.  Last night we dropped Kaden off at my mother-in-law's house and drove to Moss Hill Elementary to take pictures of a 6, 7, and 8 year old basketball team.  And, being the domestic diva that I am, I ironed my husband's shirts for his Valentine's Day gift.  And I know that some of you are thinking I should do that all of the time, but sadly, my husband married me, and it's in the contract that I don't have to do that chore.  I'm not a huge country western fan, but I'm pretty sure that some country singer sometime sang a song that says something like, "I don't do windows."  If I was a country singer, my song would say, "I don't iron."  Judge me if you must.  I love an ironed shirt as well as the next lady, but when my husband looks freshly pressed 9 out of 10 times he's ironed his shirt himself.  That is why my Valentine's gift was straight from the heart. 

I think if we were amazingly wealthy, I would hire a maid, but all I would ask her to do is iron.  And maybe clean the bathrooms.  And do a dish . . . or two . . .  merely occasionally, of course.  And put the clothes away after I've washed them.  But, really, she might as well wash them if she's going to put them away anyway, right?  Oh, to dream.

Anyway, I hope I haven't de-romaticized Valentine's Day for anyone.  I'm sure we now seem like a very unromantic couple.  But here's the thing:  shouldn't romance happen spontaneously, and not just one day of the year?  To me, Valentine's Day is just a day to remind us how much we love that special someone, and to maybe make us think about how we should show that person how much they mean to us a little bit better every day of the year.  

I hope your Valentine's Day was nice, and that you felt loved, because to me, that's all the day is really about.      

This little piggy . . .

Video Overload

It's a bird!  It's a plane!  It's super baby!

When it took me awhile to get pregnant, I finally made an executive decision to stop being depressed and start living life.  I figured I'd get pregnant when I least expected it, since sitting around waiting for it didn't seem to be working.  I looked up admission dates to ECU and started plotting to begin my master's degree.  We started shopping for tickets to see the World Cup in South Africa.  Then, about a week before my 26th birthday, all of those plans changed because we found out our little man was on the way.  (THANK GOODNESS we hadn't already purchased plane tickets half way around the world!)  We have started training Kaden for the World Cup.  Maybe if he plays for team USA we'll get to one eventually.

Good jump, Kaden!

Chad helped Kaden master this skill when he stayed home with him one day while I was still working.  Gigi was sick, so Chad took the day off and taught Kaden this trick.  He informs me he did way better at this before I returned home, but it is still pretty darn awesome.  Without further ado, I give you  Legs Up, Legs Down:

 

Firsts

Here are some firsts we've been experiencing in the Reese household:

For Kaden:

First Christmas--

Kaden and Kenzie in their Christmas outfits the Sunday before Christmas:

Christmas Day:

 This is Kaden napping on Christmas day.  I had to put this picture in, because I want to remember how Kaden always naps at Gigi's house.  We make a spot for him on her bed and barricade him with pillows, so he can't roll off.  They added the animal print blanket for dramatic effect, but he really does look like a young Sheik every time he falls asleep over there.  It's hilarious. 

Kaden loved spending time with his cousin Mackenzie over the holidays.  We spent Christmas with Chad's family this year and had a wonderful time.  Kaden was terrified of opening presents.  We tried to hold his hand and help him tear the paper, but every time he tore the paper he would burst into tears.  We finally opted to open all of his gifts for him (with some added help from Mackenzie who was all about some present opening this year), and he was perfectly content to observe the gift-opening process.  We were all extremely spoiled by Santa Claus and family this year.

First Roll Over--

On December 27th, Kaden rolled over for the first time, back to tummy.  We had known he was capable of achieving this milestone for awhile, but he'd been too stubborn to do it.  I was playing with him on the floor and all of a sudden he just nonchalantly rolled to reach the toy I was holding.  I started squealing with joy and doing a happy dance, after which I burst into tears (I had been so petrified I would miss this moment while I was at work all day.  I am so glad he waited until Christmas vacation).  Kaden looked at me like I was insane and went back to playing.  Later that day, he rolled over tummy to back.  He has rolled over  multiple times since, but he is far from a rolling machine.  We have yet to catch him rolling on camera, because he is only interested in flipping over when HE wants to (a bit scary how much of his mommy is lurking in his personality, isn't it?) My mom was here for an entire week and he wouldn't roll for her once.

First Snow--

First Rice Cereal--

On January 12th, one day after his five month birthday, the Kadester realized that he too was capable of eating something that came from a bowl and was served on a spoon.  He has been anxiously watching every bite we've taken for quite awhile and the pediatrician suggested at his last visit we start him on a couple of tablespoons of rice cereal to prep him for fruits and veggies at six months.  He LOVES eating (what a shocker).  I've heard that some children don't enjoy rice cereal, because it is bland.  I've even heard tales of people having to mix it with some applesauce to get their children to eat it.  Hmmmmmm.  Not a problem for us.  After a couple of bites, he was leaning forward reaching for more.  He also typically has a tear-filled meltdown after the last bite disappears.  Now that he knows he can eat real food too, his favorite game is reaching for whatever food mommy or daddy might be eating.  I feel so guilty eating in front of him, and I can't wait for him to get started on the good stuff, so I won't have to watch him gaze longingly at whatever is on my plate. 

For Katie:

First Knead with a Stand Mixer--

Chad successfully surprised me by getting me this beauty for Christmas this year: The iconic Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixer.  I am in love (with the mixer AND my husband).  I finally had the chance to break her in last night while making the dough for some delicious bread sticks.  Let me tell you, ten minutes of kneading in a mixer feels a lot shorter than ten minutes of kneading by hand.  Just saying.

First Day as an Official Full Time Mom--

I submitted my resignation from Lenoir County Schools upon returning from Christmas vacation.  I told a very understanding and supportive principal that I have felt torn in two directions since having Kaden, and that I want to be a full time mom and a part time something else, yet to be determined.  I finished out the semester and spent my last day at North Lenoir on January 24th.  I'm so glad I had the kids I did for my last semester there.  They were the kind of students who knew how to laugh and play at the right times, and get right down to work at the right times.  I can honestly picture myself going back to teaching again, because they were the last group I taught.  I know I am going to miss teaching immensely.  I feel like it is a true talent I have been blessed with, and (despite how much I complain about it) I really do love it.  I knew that resigning was what I wanted to do, but it turned out to be much more bittersweet than I expected, and I even questioned my decision a few times.  What it came down to in the end was this:  I know a classroom will always be waiting for me in the future, but Kaden will only be this small once.  The hardest part about leaving was seeing so many of the students I was supposed to teach next semester in the halls and hearing them say, "I have you next semester, Mrs. Reese!" and knowing they really wouldn't.  Luckily an excellent, veteran English teacher has stepped in to take my place, and I know they are in good hands.  Second hardest was leaving my wonderful colleagues.  I worked with so many amazing, interesting, wonderful people, and I will miss seeing them every day.  

Pictures of my two English III, Honors classes.  I didn't get a picture of the seniors because half of them exempted the exam, and these photos were taken on exam day:

I probably broke some teacher vow of non-favoritism, because I told these kids they were the best class I have ever taught (and they were):

This decision will not come without sacrifice, and we'll be on a tight budget for awhile, but I am thankful for so many things.  For starters, I am thankful for a husband who supports my decision.  Chad didn't tell me I had to stay at home, and he didn't tell me I couldn't stay at home.  He told me he wants me to be happy, and that I should make the decision that would make me happy.  I am grateful for that.  I am so thankful that he works hard to support our family, so that I can take time off to raise Kaden full-time.  Next, I am thankful that this is even a financial possibility for us.  I know that for so many families, it isn't.  I have such respect for working moms, after being in that category for only a few months.  If you have never had to do it, let me tell you, it is HARD.  November to January in the trenches taught me this simple fact:  Any person who ever criticizes the state of a working mom's temperament, physical appearance, or the condition of her house, should be shot.

First Blog Post of 2011--

One down, many more to go.  It's hard to believe that I started this blog six years ago.  I'm so glad that it has become a way for me to document all of the events in our life.  Here's to a year of great blog posts!   

Somebody is Four Months Old

I haven't been very good about documenting our lives lately.  I did write one excessively depressing post about juggling mommy-hood with teaching high school English that I never finished, so thankfully you won't have to read that one.

Kaden had his four month checkup on Friday.  Without further ado, here are our little Christmas elf's stats:

Weight:  14 pounds, 12.5 ounces (49th percentile)

Height:  27.5 inches (98th percentile)

Head Circumference:  42.5 centimeters (57th percentile)

The doctor says he's growing just like he should and that his head is surprisingly well shaped for sleeping on his back.  (Anyone think he gets held a lot?)  Kaden bonded with the doc:  he held his hand while being stethoscoped.  (Like my new verb?)

At four months old, Kaden . . . 

• CAN sleep through the night.  He did this for the first time on November 5th (yes, my future London Study-Abroader chose Guy Fawkes Day as his first un-interrupted slumber).  Usually he will choose a couple of nights a week to sleep through the night.  The rest of the time we're getting up 1-2 times to eat.  I am not complaining, however.  I am just thankful Chad and I have managed to escape the curse put upon us by our parents that we would have children just like us.  Neither of us slept through the night until we were well into our toddler years.  I'll take my 1-2 days a week of a full-night's rest with pleasure.  Thankfully, on the nights when he does wake up, he usually goes back to sleep fairly easily.
• Full out laughs when he feels the occasion calls for it.  This happens most often when I am changing his clothes (he LOVES to be naked).  He was even laughing in his sleep the other day when Chad put him down for his nap.
• Talks in complete sentences, just in a language we can't understand.  Kaden is very expressive.  He tells sad stories and happy stories.  Sometimes he will take a break while nursing to tell me an entire story, before he goes back to eating again.  
• Shoves everything he can get his hands on in his mouth.  He also shoves his hands in his mouth (he frequently gags himself by shoving his fingers too far down his throat).  
• Holds small objects like his rattle and other toys.
• Loves his feet.
• Is still too lazy to roll over.  While on his back he will roll to his side and then give up.  While on his tummy he will get frustrated until we pick him up.  
• Watches us eat with extreme interest.  
• Will still be entertained by his swing and bouncy seat but for much shorter periods of time.  
• Loves sitting up in his Bebe Pod (Bumbo seat). 
• Naps with his daddy in the morning (after he eats breakfast) while mommy gets ready for work.  (It melts my heart every morning when I go say goodbye before I leave.  Without fail Chad and Kaden are both sound asleep in the exact same way--arms sprawled out above their heads.)
• Has to be swaddled up tight to get him to sleep, but as soon as the swaddling process begins he will fight like crazy to stay awake.
• Has his mom's stubborn streak and will occasionally let it show. 
• Naps for much shorter periods of time (just ask his poor Gigi who keeps him during the day).
• Loves to sing along to the Christmas music on car rides.
• Moves his entire body when he gets excited about something, be it his reflection in the mirror, or his Elmo toy at Gigi's house.
• Will let me tote  him around in the pouch sling in the kangaroo position.  He loves being able to see out and move around with me. (This is another precious sight to behold.  I'll try to add pictures later.) 
• Gets shy sometimes when we compliment him on how cute he is and buries his face in the chest of whomever is holding him to hide his embarrassment (This is one of the most adorable things he does.  I will try to post a video of this sometime.)
• Is a very happy little guy most of the time and is content to let just about anyone hold him, rock him, and love him.

Not a day goes by that Chad and I don't reflect on how blessed we are to have such a sweet, adorable little boy.  He really is a precious baby.

Despite how hard it has been for me to be away from Kaden during the day, I have recognized so many small blessings in my day to day life since returning to work.  I am so thankful to my Father in Heaven for watching out for me and for answering my prayers.  I have felt so much peace and comfort at times when I need it most.  I have wonderful students this semester; they really have been unbelievably good.  I am teaching all honors classes (in teaching that is code for spoiled rotten), two junior classes and one senior class.  I adore all of them.  It doesn't make the feeling of being pulled in two directions go away, but it does make it more endurable.  I know the students I have are not a coincidence.  I feel like they are a huge blessing.  Joy is still keeping Kaden during the day, another huge blessing.  So far I have still been able to breast feed him thanks to wonderful co-workers who help me watch one of my classes while I pump during the day.  Blessing.     

I am looking forward to the start of the holidays and a nice, relaxing vacation with plenty of bonding time with little man Reese.  Only three more days to go!

Christmas Time is Here

Our house at twilight:

As you can see, Kaden is anxiously awaiting the approaching festivities:

Only 15 working days until Christmas vacation. 

Not that I'm counting . . .

Goodnight Moon

Tonight, after I nursed Kaden and tried to put him down, he started to cry.  He was not interested in sleep.  I swaddled him up, cuddled Mr. Swaddle Bug on my lap and we read this together:

He stopped crying and stared at the pictures while I read him one of the simplest stories ever written.

Then I sang him a lullaby and rocked him to sleep (because I do naughty things like that instead of letting him "learn to self soothe" in his crib).

My mom read this book to me, and Chad's mom read this book to him.

Kaden loves to be read to, and I think that is awesome.  Some of our other favorites at three months old are If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Corduroy, Hop on Pop, Guess How Much I Love You?, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (OK, so I might have lied about that last one).

On Friday, I had a conversation with one of my student's parents.  He failed my class last nine weeks, and his father is obviously concerned about his grade.  This is how my favorite line in the conversation went:

"Well, he hates to read.  I hate to read, and his mother hates to read.  There ain't nothin' we can do about that."

It's times like this that I am thankful I'm having a conversation over the telephone and not in real life.  This way, I can make whatever facial expressions I want and no one is the wiser.  Luckily, since it was only day two in my return to public education, and I have yet to reach the state of exhaustion that will likely accompany the end of the semester, I was able to refrain from making the following comments I wanted to make:

"That is an extremely sad and uneducated comment."

"Perhaps your child's lack of interest in my subject area should warrant his removal from an HONORS level course."

"Perhaps we can do something about his laziness, even if you seem to lack the skill to spark his interest in reading."

I do not know if Kaden will be a reader when he grows up.  I certainly hope so, but I also know I can't choose what my child will love.  I'm not going to deceive myself into thinking that because he will snuggle with me and enjoy a picture book now he'll be a bookworm when he's older.  Having said that, my mom certainly shaped me into the reader I am today.

I am thankful for a mom who held me in her arms while she read me Goodnight Moon.  And I'm glad it didn't stop there.  I am thankful for a mom who giggled with me while we read all of the Ramona Quimby books together, and all of the other chapter books she snuggled with me through at bedtime.  Most of all, I'm thankful that she talked to me about what I read while I was in high school.  I'm thankful she littered our house with books and that I saw her reading them.  Books on the night stand.  Books in the bathroom.  Books on the kitchen counter.  Always books.  It's still that way.  One of my favorite parts about going home is seeing what new books are hiding in various parts of my parents' house--there's always something to read and talk about. 

Mom, I am so glad you're a reader.


And I'm so glad that I get to read to my little boy.

Half Baked

This is my favorite ice cream.  It is sold in expensive pints in the freezer department of nearly every grocery store next to much more practical choices: affordable half gallons of other brands.

If you can't read the description printed below the flavor, allow me to help you.  Each pint reads:  Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Creams mixed with Fudge Brownies and Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.  Now I ask you, what isn't to love about a calorie fest of that variety?

I first fell for this ice cream on a late night chocolate run with my mom and I have never looked back.

When I lived in London, it was not unheard of for my friend Steph and I to occasionally brave the drunk-infested streets late at night in search of this ice cream.  The Blockbuster a few blocks away had a freezer chest stacked full of them.  We were lured there by the exceptional price of two pints for five pounds.  (Unfortunately, two pints for five pounds is not the same thing as two pints for five dollars, and even that wouldn't have been that amazing of a deal. . .)

I am thrifty, and my husband is even more so (some might venture to call him cheap).  We do not usually buy Ben and Jerry's ice cream; it is simply too expensive.   Our freezer is only graced with its presence for very important occasions, some happy and some sad.

For example, Chad might surprise me with a pint for my birthday.  Happy.

Or, Chad might surprise me with a pint after a PMS induced meltdown.  Sad.

After Kaden was born, my mother-in-law brought me a pint of Half Baked in the hospital.  It was heavenly.

Thursday, Chad brought me a pint of ice cream back with him after his grocery store run.

You see, I went back to work on Wednesday.

I pretty much cried for a week straight beforehand.  I would be playing with Kaden while I changed his diaper, and I would burst into tears and say, "I want to stay home with you all the time!" or I would watch him get this huge smile on his face, the tears would gush down my cheeks, and I would proclaim, "How can I ever leave you?!"

On Wednesday, I cried when I kissed Kaden goodbye.

I cried while I pulled out of the driveway.

I cried all the way down Cary Road.

And all the way to North Lenoir High School.

Once I made it to school, I was fine.  I taught three classes filled with wonderful students who missed me.  It felt good to be missed.  I saw all of my colleagues, people I love.  It was a good day.

Thursday was Veteran's Day.  Thank goodness, no school.

I cried Thursday night, not wanting to go back to work on Friday.

I cried Friday morning on my way to work.

I am crying now while I write this post, thinking I will have to go back on Monday.

The cycle continues . . .  

Chad has pointed out that Kaden is not going to prison.  He's not being kept from me for the rest of his life.  In fact, he is staying with his Gigi, who loves him and will spoil him rotten.

I know this.

I know he is in good hands.  I know that he is fine.  I know that he is happy.  I know all of this.

But it is still hard.

Kaden's Blessing Day, October 31, 2010

The main reason my family flew back to North Carolina with me was so they could be there for Kaden's blessing day.  My mom made his blessing outfit, and it was absolutely precious.  It was also the Primary program on Sunday, so I had a very busy day since I am in the Primary presidency.  Thankfully my mom and grandma were there to help get Kaden dressed (we took him to church in a different outfit in case he decided to desecrate whatever he was wearing before Sacrament meeting) and keep him happy.  Chad gave Kaden a beautiful blessing, and it was a very special day.  Thus, the picture overload:

All the family who came for Kaden's special day:

 The men who participated in the blessing with Chad:  Dad Jensen, Papa, Chad, Tyler, Uncle Craig, and Dad Reese.

 Kaden with Gigi and Poppy:

 Kaden with Grandpa and Grandma:

 With my parents:

 Four generations:

Kaden with his Gram:

Our family:

 Sisters:

 Cousinly Love:

 Kenzie with Gigi and Mommy:

 With Chad's parents:

 Another four generations:

 Kaden talking to his Gigi:

 Chad with his siblings (minus Cameron, who's on his mission. . . tear):

 Time out for fun:

 With Lauren and Tyler:

 Sad Kaden:

 "It's OK," says Mackenzie:

 In his darling outfit:

 I am so thankful for my Kaden boy, and I am so thankful that he has a wonderful daddy who could give him a name and a blessing.