Have a happy and safe New Years!

Time for some updates!

Ryan finished putting the six cabinets in the laundry room. We had a minor setback but they are all up now. Yay! That more than tripled our storage capacity for that room which will be a good selling point for whenever we do decide to sell our house (which isn't anytime soon). I'll post a picture soon - just after the battery for my camera charges.

The insurance guy came out and looked at my car. He's suggesting to State Farm to replace the whole stereo. Another yay! I'll either get the same stereo or an upgrade if they can't get the same one through their ordering program.

Kaden is still growing as fast as ever. He's starting to wear some 3 - 6 month clothes. He's 3 months old tomorrow, but it still makes me feel that my baby is growing up so fast. Kaden can blow raspberries and is working on sitting up on his own. He's still a little shaky but can at least lift his head very well when lying on his stomach.

New Years Eve! I'm so totally excited for this New Years Eve since it will be only the second time to spend the evening with Ryan. He was in the academy the second year we were dating and was working the other times. Those years I got my New Year's kiss but it was always 4 hours early. This year I am grateful not only that he got to spend both Christmas and New Years with Kaden, but also with me.

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy New Years. Drink in moderation and get home safe!

Independence Day

We have Cox digital cable which has it's own version of TV guide (it shows you what's on and what's coming up). I'm creating a new label post called "TV Guide" based on the description it had for Independence Day:

"Earthlings vs. evil aliens in 15 mile-wide ships"

It just makes that movie sound completely silly instead of the box office hit it really was when it was released in theaters.

Merry Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. We got to spend Christmas Eve with Ryan's family and Christmas afternoon/evening with my family.

My younger sister Amanda was able to make it in from Arkansas to spend Christmas evening and the day after Christmas with us.

Kaden was able to open some presents at our house Christmas morning.

The day after Christmas was in the 60's! Amanda and I took advantage of that and took Kaden on his first (no carseat, just stroller) walk around the neighborhood.

And finally, my least favorite part of Christmas. I went out to my car to bring Kaden over to my parent's house on Friday to find the following "present" in my car. Merry freakin Christmas to me! And the idiots who broke into my car thankfully left the garage door opener on the passenger seat. Only my stereo was stolen, but the jerks also went across the street and broke into the sheriff's car (busted out the driver side window) and also into his wife's car. The good thing about being married to a police officer is that Ryan was able to call in the police report on my car. I'm thankful that I have insurance which will "hopefully" pay for everything to be replaced and installed. We'll see what happens - they'll come out next week to inspect it. More on that as it develops.

It's almost Christmas!

Well I'm on the mend. I finally decided to go to the doctor to get some antibiotics. Sinus infection. Really fun. Even more so since Ryan is catching the same thing too. So we're both downing some antibiotics so we're healthy for Kaden's first Christmas.

After my last post, Ryan urged me to try to get some sleep. I got another hour or so before I had to get up and get ready for work. He came upstairs to wake me up and said to come downstairs to see the "changes" he made while I slept. He decided to rearrange the furniture. Our family room is more open and it's a better use of space. There's a ton of extra room in front of the TV now, which will come in handy when Kaden is crawling around on the floor or playing with toys.

We're going to try to do all our Christmas shopping today. I know it will be a mad house but it's better to do it now than Christmas Eve. Wish us luck.

The thing about being sick ...

I've had a nasty sinus infection since Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I had no voice. Does anyone remember what I do for a living? I teach classes to faculty and staff at a college. Teaching. As in talking. I already had to cancel classes on Tuesday because I had no voice. I did go to the doctor Thursday and got started on antibiotics. The bad thing about being sick is I woke up at 3:30 coughing and I'm still not back to sleep at 4:00. At least my husband works fourth shift (9 pm to 7 am) and he woke up to take care of me. Sigh. Here's hoping I'll get to sleep soon!

Oh what a night!

It's almost 12:30 a.m. on Sunday night. I'm having one of those moments where it feels like the planets have aligned and the heavens are smiling down upon me. (And with my post-partum stress, I needed a day like this!) I've had a very productive day and I'm proud of myself for everything that I've gotten done, especially in the last 5 hours:

• Get Kaden up and ready to spend the day with Aunt Lori and Uncle Brian
• Work the graduation ceremony at WSU (6 hours!)
• Return home to have a wonderful husband air up my tire
• Kiss hubby goodbye as he goes to work (just a tradition as he leaves)
• Cook dinner for myself
• Do 4 loads of laundry (folding, hanging up stuff and putting everything away)
• Pay bills and balance checkbook
• Do 2 loads of dishes in the dishwasher and handwash 8 bottles
• Feed/burp/rock/sing to Kaden
• Pack Kaden's bag for tomorrow to go to the sitter

I know that might not seem like very much to some people, but it's been a great evening and I feel good about myself. I also went through my closet and folded up some of my maternity clothes that I received on loan from my friend Suzanne. It feels nice to know those clothes are making their way out of my closet.

I also worked up the courage to try on some of my pre-pregnancy jeans. My American Eagle size 14 jeans didn't fit. I hoped they would but it just means that my hips haven't gone back to their pre-baby size. Not wanted to be discouraged again I took a deep breath and tried on my Gap size 12 jeans. They fit! I was so surprised and so happy that they fit. I now have 4 pairs of jeans that I can wear.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

Say Uncle!

Here's a picture from last Sunday when uncle Maurice came in town on a business trip. Of course Kaden threw up on his shoulder. :o)

Merry Christmas, from Hal

I came home from work Wednesday evening to see our trash dumpster (or whatever you call it) at the end of our driveway with something sticking out of the lid.  I took Kaden inside and went back to the curb to drag the trash can back into the garage.  The white thing sticking out of the lid was actually an envelope.  It was a card from our trashman Hal wishing us a Merry Christmas.  Now this wasn't a "Merry Christmas, from Waste Management" type card.  It was a card that our trashman probably purchased for everyone on his route.  Did I mention that it was hand written?  It touched me and Ryan that there are still people out there that go above and beyond their job duties.

2 month check-up

Ryan took Kaden to his 2 month check-up on Wednesday. Kaden weighed 14.6 pounds (91% percentile) and measured 23 inches tall. He also had to get his first round of shots. Poor thing, he got two shots - one in each leg! Ryan said Kaden fussed a little bit and was better after a pacifier and being held by daddy.

I've been going through Kaden's clothes and have pulled all the newborn clothes out of his dresser. Some of the 0-3 month clothes don't fit either. Today we also had to put Kaden in size 2 diapers. My little monkey is growing up.

Kaden is starting to follow things when they move. He's starting to babble more - we had a great conversation this morning.

Kaden: Bwah, bwah bwah.
Me: You don't say!
Kaden: Ahh, ahh, ahh.
Me: Really?
Kaden: Ohhh, ahhh, blah.
Me: Tell me more!

He's smiling and cooing and it's so darn cute! Both Lori and my mom have said that he's grown so much since they saw him last.

I've Been Tagged

My sister Lori tagged me a little while ago, so I figured it's time to stop putting it off.  First, the tagging game's rules:

• Link to the person who tagged you.
  
• Post the rules on your blog.
  
• Write 6 random things about yourself.
  
• Tag 6-ish people at the end of your post.
  
• Let each person know he/she has been tagged.
  
• Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Six random things about me:

1. I don't like professional/college sports. Both my sisters and brothers-in-law went to KU.  They, along with my dad, enjoy watching KU basketball and other games on TV.    I just can't get into it.  I don't see the point of watching sports or getting all excited about it.  (I also think it's stupid that professional people earn millions of dollars for something they can do well.)  I'm glad my husband shares my point of view on this.

2. I love math, logic problems and sudoku.  There was one time in high school (maybe earlier, I don't remember exactly when) that our teacher gave us a logic problem to do.  We were only assigned to do one side of the paper but I did the logic problem on the other side of the paper for fun.

3. My husband and I met at WSU during a rock climbing class.  I'm so glad that I decided to "treat" myself to an extra curricular college course.  We kept seeing each other on campus and around Wichita.  I would always hint to him that if he wanted to go climbing again that he should give me a call.  He finally asked for my number and the rest is history.

4. I used to be very warm and now I'm very cold.  When I was little, I wasn't able to help my mom make bread because my warm hands would make the dough stick to my fingers.  Now I'm freezing.  I usually have an extra blanket on my bed for when I go to sleep.  There are some days that Ryan says I'm just like a furnace and I'm too hot to snuggle.  Then again, after a long, cold night's work he really appreciates the warm bed when he gets home.

5. I love tomatoes but hate tomato juice.  I could eat tomatoes at almost every meal.  I've also been spoiled with home-grown tomatoes for most of my life.  I'm not quite sure why, but the taste of plain tomato juice is just gross to me.  I'm quite fond of tomato juice and beer though.

6. I hate the sound that untied shoe laces make when you walk.  It's not something that I have to compulsively go tie some stranger's shoe when I hear the noise, but it's still annoying.

In the spirit of Kennedy's response to my sister tagging her, tag yourself and let me know!

2 Months Old!

My little baby is two months old today. Today also marked my full time return to the work force. Since I am now working full time, Kaden has to go to the babysitter twice a week. It was so hard dropping him off this morning. I almost cried - I had the wavering chin and the whimper going as I walked back to my car and told myself to be strong. I did text Ryan an unhappy face :( and he just reassured me that we (Kaden and I) would be fine.

I had an epiphany about three weeks after Kaden was born. When I was pregnant with him, that was the safest he would ever be. I could protect him from everything. Today was just another day that I had to trust someone else to take care of my baby. Even though I'm still a new parent, each day I start to further appreciate all the emotions that my parents have gone through taking care of me and my siblings. I never truly understood the depth of just how much my parents loved me until I became a parent myself.

Bad Cyber Goat

I was looking online tonight to see if I could find a place that carried one of my favorite pair of North Face yoga pants. I think I found it, but the evil cyber goats ate the webpage.

Happy Thanksgiving

I am grateful this year to have such a wonderful, caring husband and a beautiful baby boy. I can't believe he's almost two months old and that there's only a month or so left of 2008.

Pretty soon, maybe even tomorrow, Kaden, Ryan and I will go to Praire Pines to pick out our Christmas tree. I'm excited to photograph more of Kaden's firsts.

What a cute little baby!

Kaden heard there was going to be a third Hellboy movie. He wants to try out for a part in the movie.

Quote of the Day

Ryan and I were watching tv while he was getting ready for work tonight. We were watching Squid Invasion on the Discovery Channel. One of the guys on the show had captured a squid (I think it was about 2 or 3 feet long) and had shoved a small camera-type scope into the animal to observe its gills in action. He was amazed at the surface area of the gills and how it had three different hearts. Here's the blog worthy quote:

"Now I know why aliens like probing so much!"

Kaden Pictures

Kaden will be 1 1/2 months old tomorrow. He's getting so big! It's hard to believe that he's pushing 14 pounds.

(So Blogger did something weird and put all the pictures in the reverse order that I wanted to put them on here. I'm feeling a little lazy and didn't feel like fixing it. I think you'll live.)

Getting ready to go for a ride on a cold day:

Walking around at the Dixie Air Gun Museum in Arkansas. (It's the "You'll shoot your eye out" gun from A Christmas Story.)

Check out my cute little T-Rex baby.

Ryan, Kaden and me at Big Brutus.

Dad, Kaden and Mom shortly after Halloween. Check out Kaden's ghost pacifier.

Finally, Kaden's Halloween outfit. I also put him in the bear coat from the first picture.

I am an addict

My name is Jen and I am a Twilight addict. My pushers are Lori and Jenn. Lori is my supplier and Jenn was the first person that told me about Twilight. I blame you both. :)

These books are so awesome that I've already read the first two books, the excerpts from the first two books, and the unpublished Midnight Sun (protagonist's view of the events in the first book). I've even pulled up the soundtrack page at work so I can listen to three of the songs from the soundtrack. I have a feeling that sooner or later the CD will be a part of my collection.

I've been sharing these books with Lori and have only taken about a week or so to read each book. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book and have a feeling that I might be spending most of my Thanksgiving vacation reading at least one of the two remaining books.

My mom is also starting to read the first book. Lori and I have decided to take mom to see the movie Twilight during its opening weekend. (I blame Ryan for my current obsession about seeing the movie since he told me that the movie was coming out when I was reading the first book in October.) I hope this movie with its viral following will prompt them to make movies of the next three books. I also hope that the movie lives up to the integrity of the books.

The greatest feeling in the world

Today was my first day back to work. It wasn't too bad spending 5 hours away from my baby. After Ryan left for work I headed back down to the basement with Kaden and a bottle. After he finished I burped him and he fell asleep on my shoulder. What's the greatest feeling in the world? He wrapped his little arm around my arm and squeezed it! It was as if he was giving me his first hug. It gave me butterflys and realized that there is no greater feeling that I brought this little life into the world.

Return to Normalcy

It's Sunday evening and it is a bittersweet evening for me. Tomorrow I will return to work part time. I've had five weeks of maternity leave and it has been wonderful. Part of me wishes that I could stay home with Kaden, but I knew that this day would come.

The nice thing about my return is that I'll be able to work part time for the next three weeks which will last until Thanksgiving break. I'll return to work full time on December 1st and Kaden will go to daycare for two days a week. With Ryan's schedule, he'll be able to watch Kaden for the remaining three days while I work.

My little munchkin is growing in leaps and bounds. Ryan weighed him the other day at about 11 pounds if our scale is accurate. We measured him yesterday and he's at 24 inches. Thats a 2 pound, 4 inch gain from his birth. I'm thinking more and more that he'll be taller than both his mommy and daddy.

Family Vacation

Last week Ryan, Kaden and I took our first family vacation to Arkansas to visit my sister Amanda and her husband Kurtis and then to visit my aunt Colleen and uncle Dave. Kaden travelled very well and slept most of the way, only waking up to need a bottle.

Amanda was very excited to see her nephew for the first time. We spent the evening together and even went out to dinner. The following day we went exploring while Amanda and Kurtis worked. We went to the Walmart museum (which was actually pretty cool), the Dixie Air Gun Museum and the Pea Ridge Military National Military Park. Amanda was more than happy to feed Kaden while we were there. We'll work up to doing a solo diaper change on her next visit. :)

The third day of our vacation we drove up to Bull Shoals. This was also Ryan's first trip to see Dave and Colleen's resort and guest house. He was quite the shutterbug and took tons of pictures. I'll post some here soon. Colleen was generous enough to watch Kaden while Dave took Ryan and I on a tour of the lake. I think it's safe to say that Ryan is in love with Bull Shoals and is already looking forward to his next trip out there. Tim and Brad also joined us at Dave and Colleen's; they came down to work on Brad's house. It was great to see them again and they taught Ryan and me how to play the card game Hearts. I'm looking forward to a rematch and will be practicing!

One Month Old!

My little man is one month old today. I don't know how time has flown by so fast. We've gone on errands as a family such as Dillons, Wal-mart, Target, and even the zoo! It also seems unreal that I've been off work for four whole weeks. I'll be unfortunately going back to work part-time on November 10th and full-time on December 1st. I'm sure it will be difficult to leave my little one behind. It's nice to know that he will only be at the sitter's for two days out of the week and with daddy for the remaining three days that I'll be working.

Next week will be Kaden's first road trip. We'll be visiting Amanda and Kurtis and Dave and Colleen. I'm excited to be packing for three and wonder how much extra luggage we'll be packing (stroller, portable crib, diapers, etc). It will also be nice to get out of the house and go on vacation for the first time as a family.

Old Chicago

My uncle Joey and aunt Terry came to visit us this week and to see Kaden for the first time. We had a fun visit and even went out to eat at Old Chicago last night. Ryan was able to finish not only the Halloween mini-tour (for which he received a cool jack-o-lantern t-shirt), but he also finished his 4th tour. His prize for finishing the tour was a very awesome BBQ grill set that came complete with a carrying case. I can't wait to grill with them! They are a very nice quality set with wooden handles and Old Chicago stamped into them. I'm sure the set would cost around $40 or more if you went out and purchased something like them.

One Week

Ryan went out of town for training for a week and will be back tomorrow. It was painful for him to leave and it left me feeling emotionally overwhelmed that I would be left with Kaden for a week by myself. We managed to survive and visited WSU and both grandparents houses to keep us occupied. I'm looking forward to having Ryan back and he says he's ready to come home.

We're planning a trip soon to see Aunt Amanda and Uncle Kurtis. It will be the first time that they are able to see Kaden and it will be wonderful to get out of the house on a mini vacation. It will be strange packing for three people and the simple fact that we'll have to pack enough diapers and formula for our trip. Thank goodness Amanda and Kurtis live in Wal-mart land if we run out.

Date Night and the Exorcist

Friday night my mom and dad watched Kaden to allow Ryan and I to go out on a date night. Weekend date nights are few and far between since Ryan usually works 4th shift on the weekends (9 pm to 7 am, Friday - Monday). We were able to go see Max Payne, which was an OK movie. The previews made the movie look somewhat like Constantine but it turned out to be nothing like that. If you have any interest in seeing the movie, make it a matinee or wait for it to come out on video as a rental. I'd recommend seeing Eagle Eye instead.

After the movie we went to Old Chicago and enjoyed grown-up company and grown-up beverages (or at least Ryan did). Never mind the fact that we ended up talking about poop for a good 15 minutes. Yep, we're officially parents.

Now, about the Exorcist reference. I've personally never seen the movie, but I've heard that there's a scene where some girl's head rotates and she projectile vomits. Before Ryan and I headed over to my mom and dad's, Ryan fed Kaden. He had just set the bottle down and didn't even have a chance to put Kaden up on his shoulder when we looked down to see Kaden regurgitating the entire 4 oz bottle all over himself and Ryan. Picture a 5 to 8 second continuous stream that's about as thick as a quarter. Poor Ryan had his shirt soaking wet. The formula went all over both of them, soaked around Ryan's back and onto the couch, down Ryan's jeans and even soaked him down to his boxers. My poor boys! Needless to say both boys got a thorough wipe-down before we left the house.

Visiting Grandma, Aunt Amanda's Present

Today Ryan worked at his part-time job and I had an early eye doctor appointment so Kaden went to Grandma Ann's house. I was delighted that I didn't have any change in my prescription. I've heard that sometimes pregnancy will change your vision. Not sure if it's true, but it wasn't in my case.


After my appointment I went over to mom's house. Kaden was a very well behaved for Grandma and slept the whole time. I even managed to get in a 2 hour nap. Mom and Dad visited my younger sister Amanda this past weekend and she sent home a present for Kaden. It was a hooded blanket with a ghost and a "I love my mummy" t-shirt. I think the picture with Kaden and my mom makes Kaden look something out of Harry Potter.




Thank you Aunt Amanda for the presents! We'll have to get a picture of Kaden in his cute t-shirt and post it sometime soon.

Bath Time

We've been having a good time relaxing at home. Kaden is being such a good boy and has been sleeping most of the night. We've been swaddling him in a green rain forest blanket most of the time and have nick-named him the green burrito when he's in it.



He frequently gives us this look which he inherited from mommy. He'll raise one eyebrow and give us a "what the heck are you looking at" look.



Most of the time he's just giving us cute faces like this:



Kaden had his first bath tonight. He enjoyed it until we took him out of the nice warm water. We got to use his froggy hooded bathrobe which helped to warm him up after the bath.



We're getting a good schedule established as a family. Daddy goes back to work Friday so Kaden will be with mommy most of the weekend. We've had a few outings this week and Kaden has been very well behaved in the stores and in the car. It's so amazing to think that we've only had him a week and that I can love someone so much that I've been around for such a short amount of time. I can't imagine my life without him. I am so thankful that I have Ryan and Kaden in my life.

Kaden Hearon

We've been relaxing at home since yesterday evening and this has been the first chance I've been able to get a hold of a computer. Our family is doing great and Ryan is taking great care of me and Kaden. Here are a few pictures of the much anticipated new addition:

As Lori mentioned, I went in to the hospital Tuesday evening to be induced. Kaden made his debut at 8:28 p.m. on October 1st. He weighed 8 pounds 15 ounces (8/15 is Ryan's birthday). He's 20 inches long, with very long fingers and toes. He also has very long fingernails that we had to put some mittens on him in the hospital to keep him from scratching his face.

I'm sure there will be more pictures to follow, but it's time to get back to my son. I'll be posting later, but I hope this will tide you over for now.

5:00 wake up call

I wish that I was writing to tell everyone that the reason I'm up so early has something to do with Kaden's arrival but I'm not. Some #&!%@# idiot decided that it would be cool to ring my doorbell at 5:00 AM! What the hell people! So I'm jolted awake from a dead sleep trying to decide if the doorbell noise was imagined or not.

I decide I didn't imagine anything and called Ryan to make sure he was OK. With him still on the phone, I put contacts in (blech) and flip on the lights in the front and in the back. My car is still in the driveway and nothing looks out of order. The only problem is that I now am fully awake at 5:30 in the morning and Ryan won't be home for another 2 hours at the very least.

Yeah, so that sucked.

I had my 40th week appointment today. I'm overdue by 4 days and it doesn't look like Kaden will be making his appearance any time soon. The doctor said that if I wanted to do an induction this week I'd be looking at having a 36 to 48 hour long labor easily. Needless to say we opted to wait until next week. So much for everyone's predictions that my little bundle of joy would come early. My next appointment is Tuesday and if I make it that far, we'll revisit our options for getting Kaden to come out. On the plus side we did have another sonogram today. His face is so cute and squishy looking. We also got confirmation that everything is still in working order so it's safe to let him bake just a while longer. Who knows, maybe I'll go into labor before next week. If not, I may just have an October baby.

Rubber Ducky, you're the one!

I couldn't make this one up. NASA is using 90 rubber duckys to determine where melted glacial ice is going. Now all of Kaden's rubber duckys have role models!

Still wondering about me?

Well I'm still pregnant.  Kaden wants to stay where he is for now.  I keep trying to tell him that it's much more fun on the outside of mommy but I think he's inheriting an Irish stubborn streak.  We'll see what the doctor has to say about that tomorrow!

Hello Mr. Bump!

Ryan and I went to World Market on Saturday.  That's where we usually buy our soap (a wonderful Rosemary Mint glycerin soap) and we were burning some time until Sumo's opened.  We stumbled across these cute little guys that I remember from my childhood.  Mr. Men is a series of children's book by Roger Hargreaves.  

You store these guys in the refridgerator until someone gets an owie.  Bring it out and it's instant comfort for your little one.  They can also be heated in a bowl of warm water if a warm compress is needed rather than a cold compress.  We ended up adopting Mr. Bump.  I hope he'll come in handy.

Eviction Notice

I'm still here and still pregnant. My doctor's appointment yesterday got cancelled because the doctor was out deliverying a baby. My next appointment (provided I make it that far) will be Wednesday. I'm beginning to think that Kaden is just too comfy and doesn't want to come out. You're not being very nice to mommy!

Since Ryan works nights my dad is on baby watch. Well, maybe baby taxi sounds a bit better. The hospital where I'll be delivering at is on the east side of town. We live on the north west side of town and Ryan works in the south end of town. Ryan has is daddy bag in tow with him at all times now and I have my bag and a baby bag all packed and waiting by the door. I really hope that we get to use them this weekend.

This is also my 100th post on my blog! I haven't decided quite yet, but I think once Kaden gets here, it might warrant a title change. Maybe Happy Family?

Full Moon, No Baby

Yesterday's full moon apparently had no effect on me.  I'm still here.  Pregnant and waiting.  I guess Kaden is just trying to tell me that he won't be a part of old wive's tales.  I did end up catching Ryan's cold so I've been tolerating coughing, a sinus infection, drainage, and sleepless nights (waking up almost once an hour during the whole night).  And if you look at the picture in the previous post, imagine being that big and coughing.  Not my idea of fun.  Thanks for sharing baby.

I am hopeful since today I've felt better than I have since Friday.  And I'm not sure what this means, but Kaden has been awfully quite today and I feel like I have a ton of energy.  It could mean that I'm starting to get over this cold or it could mean that Kaden could be here soon.  We'll see what happens.

39 Weeks

I've made it to 39 weeks and past pretty much everyone's predictions on when Kaden will get here. My predictions have always been 9/15 (full moon) and 9/21 (4 year anniversary of our first date).

I went to the Baby Fair with my friend Suzanne today. The fair was disappointing - we went through the whole thing in about 20 minutes. We did go to the Newton outlet mall and all the walking around made Kaden drop a little more. Maybe he'll show up tonight? Only time will tell when my little man chooses to grace us with his presence.

Single Digits!

There's only 9 more days until my "official" due date.  Based on various sonograms and calculations throughout my pregnancy, September 11th, 13th and 20th were all "possible" due dates but the doctor still thinks the 20th is the day to shoot for.  I also asked (more out of curiosity) what's the farthest he'll let me go and he said a week or so over and that he doesn't want me to be pregnant forever.  Maybe Monday's full moon or all the stormy weather that we're schedule to have today through Saturday will encourage Kaden to show up.

On the other hand I have a sick husband at home.  Poor Ryan has been enduring a nasty head/chest cold for the past few days with no sign of relief coming.  I'd really hate to go into labor when he's feeling so under the weather, but again I recognize the fact that I don't have control over such things.  One can always hope though.

38 weeks and Karma

I hit 38 weeks today or 9 1/2 months. My doctor's appointment went smoothly yesterday. Weight gain and size are both on track. The doctor estimates that Kaden will arrive on or after his due date (September 20th) and will weigh about 8 pounds. I'm still hoping that he'll show up early, but I can take comfort in the fact that he'll at least get here sometime.

I did have a few contractions today. They were only about one an hour and during the entire time I was sleeping! It feels like it's getting closer every day. We installed the carseat in Ryan's blazer this week. It's all set to go and seems a little strange that within three weeks our little bundle of joy will be riding around with us.

Earlier this week I couldn't get the songs from Annie out of my head. Complete with singing them in the shower (thank goodness it was one of the days that Ryan wasn't home from work yet). Imagine my surprise when I turn on the TV and see that Annie is on the Hallmark channel! Yay for Karma!

2 more weeks?

Unfortunately, half of the dates in the baby pool have come and gone with no result. I have another doctor's appointment this afternoon and I have a feeling that he'll say that I still have another two weeks to go. I'm starting to get anxious for baby Kaden's arrival. The anticipation feels like waiting for Christmas morning when I was little, but I don't get to know when that special day is.

Thursday morning I told Ryan that I had a dream about being in the hospital in labor. His response? "That's weird. I dreamed I was fighting the new Transformers!" My sweet, silly husband.

As Bek commented on one of my previous blogs, I can't wait for the next post to say that I'm not pregnant anymore. We'll see what the weekend brings.

May Contain ... #3

I had KFC for lunch today.  Included in my meal was a honey packet for my biscuit.  The label on the front was "Colonel's Honey Sauce" with 11% real honey in very small print.  This intrigued me so I flipped it over to view the contents:

• high fructose corn syrup
• sugar
• corn syrup
• honey
• carmel color

I also bought a pack of new Tic Tac Chill because they were cherry flavored and they sounded good.  What did I find in very small print?  "Not a low calorie food."  You've got to be kidding me.  One tic tac is 1.8 calories.

Food labels will never cease to amaze me.

I'm still pregnant!

Unfortunately Kaden didn't grace us with his presence yesterday which means that Dad's prediction in the baby pool has come and gone. Maybe Uncle David or Aunt Colleen (Sept. 1 or 3) will be closer?

I was looking at the Sunday ads with my mom yesterday. The furniture we bought for Kaden's room went on sale and I was able to get a price adjustment on it. Yay for saving money! Also with the price adjustment and the sale price, we were able to purchase a matching nightstand for under $10. Wahoo.

Mom and I have also been working all weekend on baby stuff. I found patterns online for crib sheets, hats and burp cloths. We found some cute jungle fabric a few months back that I couldn't live without. This was also back when I thought we were going to do space themed nursery and thought that it was OK to have a sheet with animals on it. I never thought we'd end up with a jungle themed nursery. We went "shopping" in mom's fabric stash to look for cute baby/kid fabric too. It was fun going through all the fabric and running across an older piece of fabric that she's had from my childhood.

I have a ton of bibs, but not a whole bunch of burp cloths and figured that it couldn't hurt to make a few. The pattern I found online is actually larger than the few burp cloths that I purchased. It looks like a big bone when you unfold the cloths. Anyway, mom and I had fun making them - they were so easy! I think I ended up with over a dozen. We even picked out a few special ones for Ryan including a Halloween print with faces that glow in the dark. As mom said, even if they don't work, we had fun making them.

37 weeks

I've made it to 37 weeks! This means that Kaden is a term baby (full term is 40 weeks) and can come whenever he feels like it. It also means that I'm now qualified to go to the Birthing Center rather than the hospital to deliver. It's Labor Day weekend and I'm optimistic that there might be a chance that Kaden will come soon. I do know that he'll come when he's good and ready - and not a moment before.

Week 37 to Delivery: At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life.

36 Week Appt

I had my first weekly doctor's appointment yesterday. Everything is going smoothly along the right track. I only gained 2 pounds over the last two weeks for a total of 24 pounds. Not too shabby. The doctor is happy with that weight too and it's nice to think that 9 - 13 of those pounds account for Kaden and his cushy home.

The doctor also thinks that I have 4 more weeks left before I deliver. Granted I'm 37 weeks on Saturday, but I don't think that Kaden plans on sticking around that long! We'll see what his plans are. Dad's guess in the baby pool is coming up in 3 days. Could Labor Day weekend have a new meaning for my house?

Kaden's Room

If you want to see the unofficial baby pool bets, scroll down to look at the previous post or look at the post on the right.

As I had posted earlier, we finally got furniture in Kaden's room. Here's a quick peek of what we have setup so far. The theme of his room is rainforest/jungle (which explains the mint green paint). We have a lot of the Fisher Price Rainforest collection (crib set, high chair, blanket, music thingy) and of course lots of stuffed animals and decorations to go with the theme.

Mike and Ruthie - you probably can't tell from the size of the picture, but the Jackhorn has established his home in the top shelf of the bookshelf next to his book!

The crib is convertible to a day bed and then a full or twin bed (I don't remember which). Kiel, Ryan's younger brother, is also going to help us put real bamboo in the corners of the room to make it look even better. It's so nice to be able to walk into his room and see everything setup, ready and waiting for his first day.

Very soon (27 days or less) life will change for the better. There will be no more "quick trips" to the store or good night's sleep for a while. Travel plans will include "Did you pack the stroller?" No more going to a restaurant and asking for a table for two (unless it's date night). Our house will go from the Happy Couple to the Happy Family and I can't wait!

9 months!

Today marks my 36th week of pregnancy. I have made it to 9 months and in one more week I'll be considered term (full term being 40 weeks). I've felt more tired today than days past and it feels like I'm wearing down energy wise quicker each day. Kaden's room is nearly complete - we have a crib, dresser and a book shelf (that's full of books, toys and blankets). His car seat and diaper bag are sitting by the door. I haven't packed a hospital bag of my own yet, but I think I may do that Sunday.

Here's a rundown of possible dates from family and friends when Kaden will arrive. (Let me know if I got your date wrong or if I missed you!)

• August 31st - Dad
• September 1 - Uncle Dave
• September 3 - Aunt Colleen
• September 4 - Mom, Lori
• September 5 - Evan
• September 7 - Shawn, Devon
• September 9 - Amanda
• September 14 - Jenn F.

I have had some people guess that he would come last week. That didn't happen. :0) The doctor said as long as I make it to 37 weeks, it shouldn't matter when I deliver. That's exactly one week from today. We'll see who guessed the closest to his birthday! I can't wait to meet my baby boy.

Last box!

I usually check my favorite blogs in the morning before I head off to work. It's my little bit of peace and quite while I eat breakfast (Lucky Charms today). I looked at my ticker at the top of my blog and, unless I'm seeing things, I'm in the last box! Yay!

Ryan and I went on a tour of the Wesley Birthcare Center last night. I'll have to make it to at least August 30th (37 weeks) to be "eligible" to deliver there. It's getting closer and closer.

New delivery date guesses in the baby pool include September 4th, 6th and 7th. We'll see who gets closest. I have a feeling it might be within a week of Labor day.

Full moon, still no baby

I had quite a few relatives (as well as an Eagle photographer) predict that Kaden would arrive last week.  Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but that little bun is still in the oven.  I have at least 2 weeks until September 1st (Labor Day, ironically) which is the minimum date the doctor would like me to make it to.  Any predictions as to which date Kaden will get here?

I did buy some baby detergent and fabric softener this weekend.  It's actually just free of perfume and clear of dyes (which means a whopping $7 cheaper than the "baby" detergent).  I've washed about half of Kaden's clothes today and will be finishing the other half along with some receiving blankets and bedding this week.

34 (35th) week Dr. Appointment

I had my 34th week doctor's appointment yesterday and I hit 35 weeks today. My weight gain is right on target and Kaden had dropped a few times. I'm measuring a week ahead - the doctor attributed that to me measuring ahead for the past few appointments. I've only measured ahead 1 out of the last 3 appts actually, but who's keeping track. The doctor did say that it'll be fine if Kaden gets here early, just as long as I make it to September 1st (37 weeks or term; 40 weeks is full term).

There's a full moon tonight and the next one is September 15th. At this point, I don't think it will have any effect on when Kaden does decide to arrive, but we'll see what happens.

40 Days and Counting!

There's only 40 days left! It really hasn't hit me yet that I'll be a mommy next month but it does feel like my pregnancy is coming to an end. I've loosely packed Kaden's diaper bag. I still need to wash the three outfits I've picked out, but at least I have them in the bag with diapers, wipes and burp clothes. Saturday was Amanda's wedding - which went off without a hitch. Check out Lori's blog for a play-by-play rundown. It also marked 34 weeks or 8.5 months. Time for another fruit!

Month 8: Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.


It did feel like Kaden dropped a bit on August 1st (at Ryan's high school reunion). Compared to a few days ago, I can tell there's a bit more breathing room. I personally think that the picture just makes me look huge and I feel much smaller (and am carrying lower) in person. I've had a contraction or two over the past week, but nothing to complain about just yet.

My next appointment is Friday - which is also Ryan's 29th birthday. He has to work, so I schedule a late afternoon appointment so we can at least squeeze in a birthday dinner and maybe ice cream from his favorite bakery Cameo Cakes (vanilla flavored cake of course!).

I'm going to drag my tired body to bed now. I can't believe there was actually a time when I could stand staying up late and getting up early. I guess I need to get all the sleep I can get while I can!

Almost forgot!

Ryan and I went to his high school reunion this past weekend. We had a good time hanging out with some old friends and those he hadn't seen in a while.

The interesting part is that I think Kaden dropped a bit! It happened at 10 pm Friday night and boy howdy it was a noticable difference. I'll try to post a picture soon so there will be something to compare the bumps to.

My little sister is also getting married this weekend. Family is coming in from all over and I'm sure she's starting to get nervous. Only a few more days and the last sister will be off the market!

There's something in the water!

There must be something in the water where we live. Ryan and I visited with our neighbors Joel and Ryan yesterday night. Wednesday nights have become a tailgait hangout at our neighbor Ryan's house. We didn't go over for dinner, but caught up with them afterwards.

Ryan (the next door neighbor, not my husband) and his wife Amy are expecting! They just found out and Amy is about 7 weeks along and is due in March sometime.

Joel and his wife Crystal (who live across the street and we hardly ever see since he works 2nd shift Sherriff department) are also expecting. Crystal is about 5 months along and is due in December.

It sounds like Kaden will have some company coming in the next few months!

Bumps and Jungles

As promised, here's my latest bump picture! Kaden is stretching and getting bigger. I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow. We'll see how much I've gained. The other picture is his new crib that we setup on Sunday. It's starting to feel more real.

It's almost done!

Friday we had the last of the new carpet installed upstairs.  We finally have new carpet throughout the house!  Yay!  The last bit was installed in our bedroom and in Kadens, the top three steps, hallway and hall closets.  We had to pull everything out of the closets and all furniture and baby stuff out of the rooms and were piled up in the living room from Thursday to Saturday.

Jesse and his brother (the carpet guys) helped put our bed back in place - it's a Tempur Pedic bed and is very heavy.  Ryan was a sweetheart and instisted on putting at least my dresser back in the room before he left for work.  Saturday was Amanda's bridal shower/bachelorette party.  While I was out of the house enjoying the festivities, Ryan was able to put everything else away.  What a good husband!

Sunday we were able assemble the crib we got last week.  It's exciting walking into his room and seeing the crib with the bedding set up, blankets hanging over the side and the musical giraffe tied to the frame.  I'll post pictures when I get a chance.  

I informed Ryan that I'd like to have the car seat installed in his Blazer about a month before (or at least have the base installed) just in case Kaden decides to come early.  What a great birthday present for him!

Books for Kaden

Today Ryan and I ran quite a few errands.   One of our stops was TJ Maxx.  It's one of Ryan's favorite places to go and see what odds and ends can be found to decorate our house.  He surprised me when he steered toward the baby section and looked at the toys and books there.  

Ryan couldn't resist picking up a few books for Kaden.  Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss was the first one he decided Kaden needed.  As it turns out, this book was a grade school favorite for both of us.  Ryan said you practically had to be on a waiting list to check this book out.

Another book that we picked up is The Giving Tree.  I can remember this book from when I was younger too.  We picked up a 35th Anniversary Edition book that has a cloth cover and sleeve.  I can't wait to read this to Kaden!

We are also a step closer to having a completely recarpeted house!  Our floor guy is coming over today after work (5 or 6-ish) to lay the padding and carpet in Kaden and our bedrooms.  I'm not quite sure how long it will take or if he'll just lay the padding down tonight.  That may mean that Ryan and I will be spending the night on the pull out couch downstairs in the office.  (Right next to the bathroom that doesn't have the plumbing hooked up.)  It may be an interesting weekend.

Letter to the parked car:

Dear person who parked next to me,

You parked less than a foot away from my driver's side door.  I am 8 months pregnant!  I had to crawl in through the passenger side to get to the driver's seat.  I realize that the parking spaces in the student lot are smaller than other parking lots, but please be more considerate of the cars you park next to.

I hope you get a flat tire to make up for my inconvenience and your stupidity.  Have a nice day!

Pregnant Parker

DWS (Driving while stupid)

I spotted two cases of DWS this morning:

On my way to work this morning I almost got rear ended.  It was one of those situations where the person behind you wasn't paying attention close enough to the brake lights of the cars one - three cars ahead of you and had to swerve onto the shoulder so she wouldn't hit me.  After I witnessed this display of stupidity, she picked a cup (like a ceramic coffee cup without a lid) and took a sip.  Nice job lady.

A little bit further down the highway, there was a person driving a good 5 miles under the speed limit so I passed her.  Being the curious person I am, I looked over to see who was driving.  It was some chick looking in the visor mirror,  using a wet wipe and two hands (which meant no hands on the steering wheel) cleaning makeup off underneath her eyes.  You could have fixed that when you got to your work's parking lot.  No one notices your makeup while driving 60 miles an hour honey!

Bye, Bye, Bye!

Starbucks has announced that it will close 600+ stores in the near future. While I don't regularly frequent Starbucks, I was curious to see if Wichita had any stores that will close. Sure enough, one of the latest storest that they've opened is on the chopping block. It's the old Taco Bell building that they converted into a Starbucks at Central and Tyler. That figures. It's just one more store that went out of business in that intersection. At least there's still one in New Market Square.

30th Week Dr. Appt.

I had my doctor's appointment today.  Weight gain is going just fine, good heart beat, no swelling and (as Ryan's aunt Debbie pointed out) no stretch marks on my tummy!  

I told my doctor that the last sonogram put my due date at 9/11 instead of 9/20.  He explained that the due date is just a rough estimate of when the baby will come and it could be 1-2 weeks early or later than the due date.  I already knew that and told him that I'll expect baby to arrive in September.  He seemed pretty happy on my outlook about my due date.

Kaden is moving more and more forceful each day.  It's comforting to feel him move and that Ryan and others can feel him move too.  It feels like I'm getting bigger too and I still can't help trying to suck it in when I'm trying to move through a tight spot (not that it helps, but it's a funny habit to break).

We recently purchased a Gorillapod for our camera.  It's a flexible tripod that allows you take pictures almost anywhere.  It's a very cool toy that I'm sure will come in handy soon.

Kaden's Curfew?

I was telling Ryan yesterday that I have something planned every weekend from now until mid-August.  My younger sister has a bachelorette party scheduled soon and I was the "unofficial designated driver."  

His response as he points to my belly:

"Don't keep my kid out too late!"

Getting Closer!

I'll be 30 weeks on Saturday - only 70 days left. It's hard to believe that I'm 3/4 done. Kaden is becoming more and more mobile and there are times that I can see him moving around in my tummy. It's a very surreal feeling and I already know that I'll miss it after he's born.

The weather has been getting hotter and more humid this week. Unfortunately that means that there have been a few days that I've been a bit uncomfortable. Nothing to complain much about, but I can only imagine what it'll be like in a month or two.

Baby Updates!

I'm in my third trimester now and will be 29 weeks on Saturday. I start my twice monthly baby appointments this month and will go weekly sometime in late August.

Last Friday Ryan and I had a 3-D sonogram! At almost 28 weeks, Kaden was 2 pounds 12 ounces. Based on measurements the sonogram tech put my due date at 9/11 instead of 9/20. Only time will tell if he decides to come early, late or on time. We got to see Kaden wiggle around, move his arms and legs, kick and even suck on his hand. Here's some of my favorite pics:




It was amazing to see some of the details like his little fingers and toes. You can even see his lips and chubby little cheeks. His foot measured two inches! I wonder if he'll take after mom or dad.

Here's the "How big is baby?" fruit for the 7th month:

Month 7: Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments. Average size: 15.2 oz to 16.7 in; 2.5 to 3.8 lbs

We also had carpet installed on our stairs and in the living room! Our old carpet had such a short nap. We can see the new and old carpet side by side in the hallway upstairs and can definately tell that it was in such a bad need to be replaced. A few more weeks and we'll have the same carpet throughout the house! How exciting.

A swift kick to the head

Last night Ryan and I were relaxing in our basement.  We were watching UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) on TV.   We saw a few of the fighters in Denver earlier this year.  Ryan had his head on my belly and Kaden would occasionally move.  Of course Ryan would tease me from time to time and say it wasn't the baby - it was gas.  I think that hurt Kaden's feelings because the next thing I knew Kaden kicked so hard that it made Ryan's head move!  We may have our own little martial artist in the making.

Almost 7 months

Saturday will mark my 7th month of pregnancy and some days it still doesn't feel real or the fact that it's been 7 months.  I still have those days where I look down at my stomach and think "Oh yeah,  I'm pregnant."

I had another doctor's appointment today.  Baby is growing just fine.  I've gained 7 pounds over the last month (running total of 14 pounds).  Not too shabby, if I must say.  I'm glad I haven't gained some abnormal amount like 40 - 80 pounds since I'm planning to lose whatever I gain. 

My next appointment is in 3 weeks and then I'll go every 2 weeks until the end of August when I start going every week.  I've never really liked going to the doctor anyway, so this may get old very quickly.  At least I'm going to end up with a beautiful baby at the end.

I have quite a few projects that I am working on for Kaden.  Baby book, a blanket, cross stitch and his name to hang on the wall.  The only thing I haven't started yet is the baby book, but that can be something that I fill out a little bit at a time.  I want to make sure that Kaden has a complete baby book that he can treasure when he's older.

New Office, Baby Bump, Mom Update

Saturday we finally got our carpet installed in the basement bedroom!  Here's Ryan and Fez testing it out:

We (Ryan and his dad) were able to move the office downstairs right after our carpet guy left.  Even the pictures got hung up!

The hardest part of the move? Getting the couch (complete with a fold-away-bed) out of the bedroom upstairs and into the bedroom downstairs.  Let's just say that in addition to family help there were some choice words mentioned about the size of the couch and the size of the doorways.

We even went to Lowe's to get paint for the upstairs bedrooms.  Kaden's room will get a coat of "Zen Garden" green (think pastel green) and our bedroom will get a coat of "Bamboo Leaves" which Ryan described as a Grey Poupon type of yellow.  With the office fully relocated (and empty), it's finally starting to sink in that we're preparing for Kaden's arrival.

And at long last, an updated baby bump.  This was taken last night right before Ryan headed to work.  I really don't feel that big, but I only get the view from the top.  Ryan's response to "Am I really that wide/deep?" was "Well yeah, you're pregnant.  It happens."  He's so sweet!  

I think, weather permitting, that we'll try for a nice evening bike ride this week.  I've been eyeing our bikes for a while now.  We both got really nice Trek bikes two years ago and haven't had a chance to ride them yet this year.  They're hanging up in the garage on the ceiling and I'm not quite in the position to try and get them down myself.

I've saved the best news for last - mom is getting out of the hospital today!  We're not sure when she'll be release, but more news certainly to follow.