MAMAMAMAMAMA!!!!!

Hello my little talking man,

You have officially formed your first words...MAMA MAMA MAMA. Your gramma and I were in the bedroom changing you when you just blurted it out twice. I looked at her....she looked at me....and I said "Did he just say what I thought he just did?" Before she could even answer you did it again...."mamamamamamamamama" Sweet music to my ears......... I couldn't believe it!! Although I'm sure you don't know the meaning yet, it was just soooo sweet, and so amazing to hear you make a new sound!! Wow..... I am so happy. And now, a few days later, you are saying "Bababababababa".....and "Bow wow wow wow wow" Hahahahaha! I keep saying "What does a dog say Caden?" :) The cutest of it all is that I always know when you are about to start talking as your mouth starts to make the movement before the sound comes out. You start opening and shutting your mouth over an over until the sound come.... God you are so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just want to eat you up right now...your sounds are just precious and music to my ears!!! I have lots more to write tomorrow but it is so late now and I am soooo tired, so until tomorrow, dream of more sweet things to say to me. I can't wait.

Love, your Mamamamamamamama

Almost Crawling and Still No Teeth

***For those of you with a subscription to this blog...hit the link to the actual blogsite or you will miss most of the pictures and the video.....***

My Dear Wiggle Worm,

My goodness you are non-stop boy....and you can't even crawl yet! You just cannot sit still for a second...always wanting to stand up in my lap and jump, or twist and turn around trying to view everything in the room in a panoramic view. You just can't get enough motion, views, and interaction. How in the WORLD am I going to keep up with you when you are crawling, and even worse yet, walking?? I can already tell you are going to wear me out!!! Your grandparents are trying desperately to teach you to crawl while we are here, much to my hesitation!! :) Your grampa is "teaching you" as you will see from this video..... (too cute) He has me cracking up for sure!!








You are pretty much an expert sitter now. Only when something excites you beyond the normal arm flailing, do you sometimes fling yourself backwards and hit the floor. I still put a pillow behind you in case that happens, as a little safety measure since you don't like hitting your head so much, but you are pretty darn sturdy now, and it is rarely needed. Way to go Caden! You'll just sit there for 10 minutes at a time just entertaining yourself with some of your favorite toys. These include, your FAVORITE toy, which is a little gadget that my cousin Jennifer gave me that talks and plays a few songs. (this toy will be the death of me as I am already about to go CRAZY if I have to hear these songs a million more times. Thanks alot Jennifer!) One of the icons is a blue car and it plays a car song that goes "Lets go riding in my car it's nice and blue....Let's go riding in my car that's what we'll do.....Let's go riding round and round, we'll go up and up and down....Let's go riding in my car just me and you." THEN, there is a red boat icon that plays "Sailing, sailing, I can sail with you....I can sail my little red boat, on the ocean blue." And last but not least, there is the yellow house icon that sings "In the yellow house puppy's ready to go....out in the garden where flowers grow....open up the door with the big green key...come on out and play with me." Oh God...I swear I hear these songs in my dreams. They won't get out of my head. I'm losing it... :) Don't anyone think of getting him any toys that play songs! Mommy can't handle it! :) Some of your other favorites right now include a blow up microphone that your nana gave me for my birthday about 10 or more years ago, a spinning ball, a little mirror, measuring cups, a red rattle and some twisty noise makers. It's so amazing that a seven month old can favor certain toys....I'm so glad that you can so thoroughly entertain yourself with your toys at such a young age. You are just sooo good.

So you've gotten to meet your GREAT grandparents this trip and they are just amazed at how good you are....It is really sweet to see you sitting on their laps just mesmerized by them. One time you just got ahold of my grampa's neck and just held on so tight he thought he would choke! You didn't want to let go! Hehehehe... I'm so glad that you have gotten to meet both sets of your great grandparents....that is so rare.









We have taken soooo many funny pictures this trip (are you surprised?) which will be revealed on the last day.... Everyone is going to die laughing... :) However, I will give everyone a sneak peek of a few that we took this evening....





WE'RE TEACHING YOU YOUNG HOW GREAT THE BLUETOOTH DEVICE IS!!! :)

We had an "early Christmas" and your new Gramma made you some awesome things!! She crocheted a little camouflaged sweater for you that is sooo cute, and made a soft fleece Curious George blanket. She even made a monkey for you!!! He is about your size and is so cute!!! We named him Tommy....and there is a reason for that that I cannot post on the blog.....:) Someday maybe I'll tell you.... :) Thank you so much Gramma!! and Grampa for you moral support!! :)







Well I wish you've been able to play the evil game "UNO" with us....We've been having a blast with that. WHY do I play that STUPID game?? :) Hahahaha.... I can't wait for the day that you can join in honey.... I just can't wait to do so many things with you. I already have such a blast with and I just know that it will continue to become more and more fun, if that is possible! I love you I love you I love you!! And don't even THINK about crawling anytime soon!!! Good night my love....

Love, Mommy

Caden's First Thanksgiving

Hi my little "turkey...." :)

Well, you just experienced your first "Thanksgiving Experience!" Boy did we eat alot of Thanksgiving food!!!! Yum, yum, yummy!!! This is definitely your mommy's favorite meal of the year. I look forward to it all year long, and I swear my taste buds start watering the week of the "big day" in anticipation of the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, (a lot of them!) sweet potatoes, cranberry, green bean casserole, olives, sea foam salad, and of course the pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream!! You even had quite a few new things! I fed you some regular mashed pototoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry, and even some sea foam salad! We were amazed how much you ate, and how very eager you were for each bite!! Yay Caden!

Every year I stuff myself crazy and wish I hadn't....and every year I wonder why I wait a whole year to eat this heavenly mixture. Why don't I make this another time of the year? After all, this is no "rule" that says you can't have this concotion any other event of the year. Each year I vow that I will, and then another year rolls by without me following through with that plan. Maybe that's why this meal is so special...cause it's anticipated all year long. It's like a "sacred experience." I just love Thanksgiving. More than just all the yummy food, I want you to always remember the TRUE reason that we celebrate this holiday. I want you to always be thankful for all that you have my little man. You are so blessed and so loved, and God has an amazing plan for your life. It shouldn't take a Holiday for us to give thanks, it should be every single day, but I never want this holiday to pass without you acknowledging to everyone the things that you are thankful for. This year, the thing I was most thankful for was you. I kept whispering my thanks for you all day long...but that's not unusual...I do that most the time.

You were an angel on the flight up here. We flew from Nashville to Minneapolis and you slept most of the way, and then we went from Minneapolis to Minot and again you slept. Yay! When you were awake you seemed mesmerized looking out the window. I got some cute pictures of you.... We had our own row so you were able to sleep and play with plenty of room. Thank God for that! :) Everyone on the flight was just enamored with you. How is it that you get sooooo much attention?? I swear, it is unbelievable. Your smile just makes so many people's days....You just don't even realize it.








We've had alot of fun so far up here in chilly North Dakota. It's pretty darn cute to see you all bundled up for the cold. You seem to love it, and you look as snug as a bug in a rug! :) It's nice to be back, and you are having fun playing with your Gramma and Grampa! You are absolutely and completely MESMERIZED with your grampa. We just can't believe it....You will NOT take your eyes off of him and you are just in love. I think it could be his mustache. :) All I know is that you just light up when he is anywhere near. It is sooo cute. He's teaching you alot of things.....(that is for another blog...hehehe)






I'm glad that we have this time here to see the whole family, and I'll share more later, but I wanted to tell you again how very thankful that I am for you. You have forever changed my life for the better and I am so incredibly in love with you......Thank you Caden!!!

Love, Mommy

Teething Time!! :(

Hey my little guy,

I do believe you are officially "teething." Poor little fella....While you are constantly the happiest baby on the planet, today you were all out of sorts. I immediately seemed to know why as you were just holding your mouth funny and drooling an extra amount. I never thought I would have a clue when it was happening, but I swear you are an open book to me....I love that! I feel your gums every single day wondering when those pearly whites are going to make their grand appearance, and today when I felt, your bottom gums were definitely swollen. No wonder you were a "whiney woo" today! Poor baby..... Nothing completely satisfied you, and I hated the helpless feeling that I had. When I put you to sleep tonight you just cried the saddest cry.....First of all, you NEVER cry when i put you to bed, and if you ever DO cry, it's not "sad" like that. You might as well have put a knife through me little man! Please don't ever cry like that again! I could tell you were hurting so I gave you some tylenol....It didn't take long and you were out....Poor, poor baby.

If I had any nervousness about our flights to North Dakota tomorrow, they are definitely compounded now by this new "teething thing." Oh gosh, PLEASE be ok tomorrow.... Just be your normal, happy self! I'm dreading the day, but just praying that all will go smoothly and you will either be alert and happy, or sleeping. We're going to see your Grampa's side of the family!!! Yay!!! We are going to have sooo much fun!! You are going to get sooo much loving this week, and your mommy is probably going to gain about 10 pounds this trip with all the yummy food I know I'm going to eat!! Just great.....:) I'm going to feed you alot of new things this week too.....It should be fun to watch!!

Well, mommy is tired...it's been a busy week. I will write more in North Dakota... Sleep well my baby and please feel better tomorrow!!! I love you so much!!!

Love, Mommy

The Sanctimommy

As I was walking through the mall the other day, I noticed a child who couldn't have been more than four walking by herself. I looked around to see if I could see anyone close by that was watching the child or at least paying a little attention to her. No one…. I slowed down and I stayed behind her in case she was lost or needed help. Then from halfway up the aisle (at least 4 stores away) a woman started yelling for the child. She waited for this little girl until the girl was about 2 stores behind her and then took off walking again...without even looking back. It took all the will power I possessed not to make a comment...and then I had to wonder if I was becoming a Sanctimommy. Honestly, I was worried that someone else would take the child and the mother wouldn't realize it or be in any position to stop it because she was so far away. I thought to myself, "That will never be me and my child." Yep, I judged her.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been having more judgemental thoughts. When we are in public places and I see children misbehaving, the first thought that enters my mind is "Oh hell no....that won't be my child." I'm sure I have done, or will do, things that other moms would not approve of (like the fact that I didn't breast feed for a year), so I decided to try to stop these thoughts or at the very least, try to think of the bigger picture. Does this affect me directly? No.... Let them do what they think is best for THEIR child.

Am I a sanctimommy? Does it matter? No one hears the comments I make so I'm not sure why this bothers me. Maybe it is because I don't want to be judged by others. Oh my God - I acted like a Sanctimommy.

I had first heard about this breed of mothers on message boards. She's the type who snorts in your direction when you would dare to feed your son french fries, or allow him to crawl on a stranger’s floor. She tsks you as you walk past her with your pacifier-sucking three year old. She won't hesitate to comment on your kid's “lack of hat” when the temperature dips to 59, or to make a scene over the non-organic produce in your fridge. She has read every baby book, and has decided that her expert of choice is the expert and that heeding any other parenting theories is akin to worshiping false idols. I hate this woman. And yet, once in a while, I think I am her. Just a teeny, tiny bit.

I'm sure some degree of judgmentalism is natural; it’s an easy way to level our own insecurities about the choices we make as parents. "Well I can't be all that bad--my son might not own a winter jacket yet, but at least I don't let him go out in public with snot running down his face like SOME people."

Some of the best advice I ever got about parenting was this… Every decision you will make as a parent is right, and every decision you will make as a parent is wrong. Once you learn that, you're golden. This is probably so very true.

There is no one right way to do anything. Heck, we could find out in fifty years that the levels of mercury and lead in our own bodies is so high that breastfeeding is actually far worse than formula. Science changes, parenting theories evolve, new experts spring up with ideas that we never considered before.

Which is partially why I get especially mad when I see some of the Sanctimommies springing up on controversial blog posts or message board forums, attacking others in the cruelest fashion, under the protective veil of internet anonymity. I have observed the abhorrent "I feel sorry for your kids" response applied equally to working moms, single moms, and moms who feed their children American cheese singles. I have even seen a blog comment in which a woman insisted that those who chose to circumcise their sons deserve to have their children taken away. Taken away! Where's the perspective? Here's the great irony: The true Sanctimommy, the really sanctimonious, holier-than-thou, unyielding type--there is no breed of mother more deserving of an eyeroll than she.

While the Sanctimommy is quick to deem others unfit as mothers based on (really, in the end) superficial decisions like the cleanliness of a child's nose or the Oreo Cookies in the grocery cart, she's reluctant to look as closely at herself. At her own attitude. At what seems to me to be anger and a general unhappiness directed at a world around her which she can't control.

Call me crazy, but I'd rather raise my son in a happy, loving household with Sesame Street on the TV and Cheerios on the dinner table than to have him grow up in the presence of an uptight, judgmental mom with her shoulders up to her ears and no ability to distinguish the grey areas that comprise 90% of life.

And so I'm going to try and do better. When I find my eyebrows suddenly raised an inch above their normal resting position upon seeing a five year-old with a pacifier, or a toddler taking a sip of her parents' Coke, or a little boy sporting a mullet (oh God, this one is going to be the hardest):) I'm going to remember this….will this matter in ten years???

It won't matter to me, that's for sure.

But I still stick to my my guns on this one.....there will still be no pacifiers when Caden is walking. That for sure is not happening. :)

Seven Months!

Hi honey,

Wow....yet another month has rolled by and you are growing bigger still....When I keep saying that I can't believe how fast you are growing, I really mean that I can't believe it! You have been in my world for SEVEN whole months now! Well, technically you have been in my world for 16 months and 6 days, but we won't go into all the scientific details... :) What a whirlwind so far, and so many changes...it seems the older you get, the faster the changes seem to take place...it's as if we've been a snowball that has just gained momentum the further it rolls down the mountain, and life is passing up by in such a flash I want to slow it down to enjoy more....

Changes in you this last month....lets see....well, changing your diaper or trying to put your clothes on has taken on a whole new dimension. I swear, they should make "changing a squirming baby" an Olympic Sport. And I thought I was multi-talented! Try putting pant legs on a seven month old boy who would rather suck his toes, roll over and grab something invisible on the wall or pull his clothes off while you're trying to put them on! Dressing you goes a little something like this....

PANTS: Start to put one leg in the hole of a pair of pants, (legs flailing everywhere, can't get a hold of an individual leg) Finally grab one leg and start to steer it into the pant leg (with much trouble finally get it in...yay!) Now,try to capture the OTHER flailing leg (this one is up on the wall) Grab the
leg and try to imitate last move...almost there...except now the other leg has "mysteriously" maneuvered itself out of the other pant leg. So.....here we are back at square one. Repeat another 5 times.


SHIRTS: Try to grab shirt out of baby's hands (the Vice Grip on this baby cannot even be explained...must be experienced) Pull shirt over head and receive a shower of spit as he decides to blow raspberries. Get ready to pull first arm through the arm hole..(take away stuffed animal he has grabbed so you can get arm through) Start to pull arm through...(attempt to pull the fabric away from his fists as he grabs every bit of sleeve on the way out) Take about 3 minutes doing this and repeat with other sleeve (after you've pulled your OWN shirt or robe out of his hands.)

Needless to say, it's not an easy feat! I pretty much end of laughing every time cause I just can't believe how such a little fella can move, and flip and roll and cause such havoc on a simple changing! We won't even go into where your hands want to roam when I'm changing your not so clean diapers! Ewwww!! My GOSH boy!! Just lay STILL!!!! GEEZ!!!!!!!!! :)

Anyway....we met Tracie and little Alex and went to the zoo today!!! Woo hoo!! Your first zoo visit. Yes, we decided to go on the coldest day Nashville has seen yet this year. Brrrrrr! It was like 45 degrees! Mommy was freezing! But you were nice and toasty....I made sure you were dressed in layers (the Colorado girl in me) and had comfy blankets all around you. You were as snug as a bug in a rug, and a happy little one too! Boy were you vocal today! Getting more and more so as the days go by. It is the cutest, cutest thing EVER. You got to pet a goat and a camel today! You wouldn't let go of the goats horns...I had to pry loose that vice grip again! And the camel should have been protesting with the grip you had on his hair. It was precious, and you were so interested. I'm glad we went.....Most of the animals weren't out cause it was too cold so we will have to go back when it is warmer.

Well, happy seven month birthday honey....I love you more every day and I'm so excited for the next month. See you in the morning my love!!

Love, Mommy

Good Morning, Good Morning!!

My Dear Caden,

Just so you know, if I haven't shared this before, by nature I am not a morning person. Maybe it's the years of show business that turned me into a night owl, but I'm pretty much sure I've always been this way. Now I admire those who wake up fresh and ready to meet whatever the day will bring...the times I've HAD to wake up early I've enjoyed the calmness that the early morning has to offer, I just have never been able to willingly get myself up. Now my mother, (your nana) never seemed to have that hard of a time waking up, in fact, she would be soooo chipper and cheerful in the morning it used to make me CRAZY!!! Oh my GOSH I HATED that she was so darn happy so early!! :) When I was growing up we had intercoms in our rooms and the worst part of having those was when it was time for your uncles and me to wake up, your nana would get on the intercom and sing this morning sound nice and loud and happy....

"Good morning, good morning, good morning, it's time to rise and shine....
Good morning, good morning, good morning, I hope you're feeling fine....
Good morning get up get out of bed, it's time to get up you sleepy head,
The day is dawning just for you and all your dreams are coming true.....
Doodly doo doodly doo doodly doo!!!!

I WOULD GO CRAZY I HATED THAT SONG SO MUCH!!!! I think it was the "doodly doo's" that got to me more than anything. Nobody should be doodly-dooing that early in the morning. Nobody. There is just no excuse for that!!! The very sad and twisted part of this story is that I have started to sing that wicked song to you. How could I be so cruel to someone I love so dearly??? How could I pass that awful tradition on? I think that every time those words come out of my mouth but I just can't seem to help it, and I can just hear my mother's voice shouting that song out... Aaargh!! I always envisioned her leaping out of bed to sing that song. I don't leap...I've never leapt. I groan and roll over when my alarm goes off....I hunker deeper under the covers, reaching one hand out to smack the snooze button...again and again until I absolutely have to get up. I have to admit, now that I am forced to get up earlier because of you,(that's ok, I forgive you) it's not so bad....your smile can do wonders for me. Still, when you are old enough to open the refrigerator, I'm going to set a bowl of cereal out on the table and let you get your breakfast yourself...maybe you can even bring mommy a bowl... Kidding!!! :)

So after being a mommy for seven months now, and having to get up earlier than I thought was legal before, I have actually been more able to function in the early morning hours. I still need eight to eight and a half hours of sleep a night to function my very best. Therefore, if I'm going to be "early to rise" I must also be "early to bed".... Well, I TRY to...doesn't always work that way.... It's so true it's not always that easy to teach an old dog new tricks.... I'm trying!!

We need sleep. Good quality sleep is, the experts say, the single most important factor in good health. More important that diet. More important than exercise. I've learned this recently that lack of sleep brings on a myriad of physical problems...heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure.. We get clumsier and problems are harder to solve. We forget stuff when we are sleep deprived. No wonder!!! It all makes sense now! I swear, sometimes I feel like I don't even know what planet I'm on!! :) So....I'm going to sleep more! Thank God that you allow me to do so my perfect little man!!

Speaking of which, it's sleepy time for me...You've only been asleep for an hour and a half, and it is only 8:30, but I am exhausted so I am heading to bed, to do a little reading or a few Sudoku's and off to Tiffany land I go.... Mommy needs to catch up on her REM sleep!!! So sleep well my little love, I love you more than anything, and I'm so sorry I've been singing the Good Morning Song to you....

Love, Mommy

A Beautiful Day

Today was a beautiful day. When most people were whining and griping about the dreary, rainy day today, I on the other hand, was reveling in it. I'm not sure exactly what sparked my thankfulness this morning as I drove to a meeting I had at work. It could have been the fact that everywhere I looked the trees were such gorgeous, vibrant colors I could barely take my eyes off of them, or maybe it was just the peacefulness I felt in the foggy and quiet morning. Somehow I just felt that everything was going to be alright with my life, with my future with Caden..... It was a sweet confirmation. I seemed to feel lighter with every mile I drove. The haziness of the day seemed to envelope me with hope instead of the common dreariness. It was strangely unusual but so welcomed by me..... It goes to show that even in the most dreary days, there is always something to be found that one can be thankful for. Which made me start to think of all the things I am thankful for at this time in my life.

I am thankful for God's grace, and His forgiveness.......without it I would be empty and lifeless.

I am thankful for my son.... He is the light of my life and reason I was born.

I am thankful that his father is not a person that I have to worry about fighting with, or being a dead beat dad that won't help or provide....it makes everything so much easier on me.

I am thankful for the most amazing family a girl could ever have.

I am thankful for the beautiful home that I live in.

I am thankful for the joy of laughter, and that I get to exercise that "laugh muscle" all the time.

I am thankful that with all the crazy things I do, that I am able to laugh at myself.

I am thankful for the best friends I ever could have imagined having...for their unending love and support.

I am thankful for this time of year...my favorite.

I am thankful for my adventurous soul, my love of travel and the ability to be silly without caring what people will think.

I am thankful for the way that Caden's smile or laugh can light up my world.

I am thankful for chocolate chip cookie dough, fresh sheets, rainy days, red wine, carrot cake, stylish clothes, shoes, road trips, pizza, PF Changs, (most any food for that matter), my beautiful dogs, and my camera.

Ok, so I'm thankful for a billion other things, but that's just what I came up with now. I hope everyone can have a day of hope and thankfulness like I had today. If you really look deep enough, you'll find it.... Trust me....it's there....

I'm Sorry Ahead Of Time!!!!! :)

Hello my little precious!!

So....little did you know what you were getting yourself into when you were born to me.... :) You had no idea that you would be the model for goofy pictures and all the goofy things I make you do, or that you would be subjected to such silliness on a daily basis. I can't help it....it's in my genes! So you know what THAT means! You'll probably get some of that too.... :) I seriously hope so...then you won't be upset about me taking THESE pictures of you..... Hehehehe....

I can't stop laughing about this first picture.....I just took it today when I went out to get the mail and thought..."Hmmm.....he would probably fit right in there! How often do you get an opportunity like this?" So, here you are!






Here is another one I just took today..... after the mailbox one I wanted to see where else I could put you!! I know, I'm crazy.....




I look at this and think, I am so mean!!!! I was laughing so hard though.....my poor little buddy....




Everybody has to be embarrassed with a naked booty shot. If you're really nice to your mommy, MAYBE I won't show this to any girlfriends!




Ok, so this picture was your grampa's idea....He sent me one just like this with another baby and he said "You should do this with Caden!" So, of course I did! So you can't blame me!! Take that up with your grampa..... :)




Still one of my favorite pictures..... and AGAIN....you can't blame me for this one! I didn't even take it!! This was all your Nana's doing!! I had no part of it!! I swear!! But I was laughing!! :)




Again....your NANA!!! I might have helped come up with this idea too....I conveniently can't remember! We had fun with you that day!!




This one was for SURE all your Nana....like I said...it all runs in the family!!! Just remember....we love you so much!!!




So..... I'm sorry ahead of time for all this goofiness, but I just can't help it. You are too cute not to take advantage of every opportunity for a good picture. You are famous for them already!! Thanks for being such a great sport little guy! I love you!!!

Love, Mommy

Mommy Crocker!!!

Well my little one....

The time has come where you are no longer eating store bought baby food. Chef "Mommy" is in the house!! :) I have been wanting to make your baby food from day one when you were able to eat solids, but with our crazy lifestyle it just hasn't been possible. I just haven't had the time it takes to turn my kitchen into the "culinary institute that is necessary in the preparation of perfect baby food!" Well the other night the kitchen was buzzing....I steamed some carrots, apples and pears.....cooked some sweet potatoes and squash, and blended everything up in my blender and stored about 2 months worth away in the freezer. Yay!! It was a little time consuming but relatively simple to do. I was anxious to see how you would react to the "new" food since they say that "store bought" baby food has been sweetened so the baby's want more. Well hip hip hooray!!! I've been wanting to do cartwheels all day I'm so excited....You seem to love it even more than your other food!!! (I can't believe all the silly little things I get so much pleasure and excitement from now. Who would have thought I would be ecstatic about baby food? I think I've lost it....) Well, it makes me feel like I'm really doing something good for you and I'm happy for that. You deserve the best little guy, and I'm going to try my best to make that possible for you.

In other news, we are still trying to get this whole "time change" thing perfected. Sheesh!! I swear! Why in the world do we still have to take part in this silly, clock changing procedure? Ok, ok, it was Benjamin Franklin's original idea, and ultimately it saves energy in our world which I guess is a good thing...but I wonder if he had kids when he was thinking up this bright idea? :) Most people can relish the fact that they are going to get ONE extra hour of sleep when the clock falls back...EXCEPT for parents!! It's amazing how one little hour can throw everything into the stratosphere.

As I have mentioned a plethora of times, you are an amazing sleeper....12 or 13 hours a night, but for some reason, when that time change hit, when you would have normally sleep til 7, (so i anticipated 6) you woke up at FIVE!!! Now how is that possible?? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT??? It was weird, and it's been weird ever since. No matter how late I keep you up you have only been sleeping eleven hours since the "change".....which I can't complain cause that is STILL amazing, but what happened? One of those unexplained phenomenons. Hmmm.....maybe one of these days you will catch up. Please? Mommy could use that extra hour....

Anyway....I swear you are getting better looking every day. It's true! You are gorgeous!!! I'm already dreading the girls that will inevitably be swooning over you. You better not give them your phone number cause I'm serious, if they call you I'm going to say they have the wrong phone number! (I'm kidding little guy.....Sort of :) I'm just not going to like the day when other girl type people will be more interesting to you than me. I'm afraid it's not going to be easy on your mom. I promise I will be easy on you though, and try not to embarrass you tooooo much!! :) Just remember....no kissing til your 32! :)

Well, it's late and I'm tired so I am off to cover your face with kisses and head to bed. Can't wait to see that beautiful, happy smile of yours in the morning. Sleep tight my perfect one, and dream of your first words..."mama", "mama", "mama"....I love you!!!

Love, Mommy

For the LOVE OF GOD!!! :)

Hello my little stinker,

Can I say ATTITUDE? :) Ok.... for the FIRST time, you have frustrated me just a teensy, weensy, minuscule, little iota of a bit. And you are obviously frustrated as well.... It all comes down to "feeding time." It has definitely gotten harder and harder with you....to the point of ridiculousness at times....:) It pretty much makes me want to laugh right now thinking about how goofy you are, but in the moment it can be pretty frustrating. I just want you to eat!! Instead, you struggle with me, spit the food all over, laugh, whine, grab the spoon every opportunity you can, wipe food everywhere and just make feeding you as difficult as possible. Could you just please help me out a little buddy? You're always such a little angel, but lately, during feeding time, you've definitely acquired a little "attitude!!!!" Don't be thinking that you are always going to get away with this attitude! I don't THINK so!!! Not happening.... :)



Other than that, everything else is going just great....you are sitting up on your own for longer and longer periods...today was almost 5 minutes all on your own!! As long as you aren't trying to reach something too far away, thus causing you to fall to one side or the other, you pretty much stay intact fairly well! What a neat thing to see!! I get so excited to see you just hanging out there on your own. I can't believe it.....gosh you are growing so fast.

A few days ago we went to Belle Meade Park with your Aunt Erica and the pups and took a nice walk and just hung out enjoying the beautiful day. Have I mentioned how much I am just loving this weather?? Of course we took lots of pictures of YOU! Afterwards we went to Green Hills to walk around a new shopping area and to eat at Pei Wei, a take out place owned by PF Changs that has pretty much the same food at half the price. YUMMY, YUMMY! It was a truly delightful day....especially since we got to be with your Aunt EKIKA! :) We just love her so much..... :)



















Anyway, I love you....Even though you're being a difficult eater, you are still perfect to me..... Just try to take it a little easier on me ok??

Love, Mommy

Random Things About Your Mommy

Hi Punkin!

I stumbled across one of these "About Me" Lists. I've always thought they were a little corny, and took forever to fill out, so I only did them once in awhile, but I also thought they were kinda neat for getting to know random things about someone that you wouldn't particularly know otherwise. So....I'm filling one out... Maybe you'll learn a little something about me that you might find interesting. Who knows, maybe we'll end up having a lot of the same likes and dislikes! So....here goes your corny mom!

1. FIRST NAME? Tiffany

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No, my mom was actually going to name me Tamara right up until the end when she heard my name and loved it....so...Tamara became Tiffany!

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Oh gosh, do I really have to answer that? A few days ago. I was having one of those overwhelming weeks where everything went wrong... broke my camera, dropped my phone in the toilet, car battery went dead and I had to get a locksmith to get my keys out of my car cause were locked inside since I have the "keyless entry." Left my phone charger at my mom's house, my car charger stopped working, so I had no cell phone AGAIN... I'll stop there, but can you see why I cried? I swear, when it rains it pours...

4. WHAT DID YOU LAST LAUGH AT? Caden screaming laughing while I was on the phone with a client. (She was laughing too...)

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Hmmm...I guess turkey. Although I really like pastrami too! :)

6. KIDS? The best one EVER!!!! Caden Alexander!

7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Uh YES!!! Never a dull moment baby!! :)

8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes I do....online and on paper. (Where do I find the time I say again? )

9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? NO....NEVER!!! Hehehehe :)

10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Nope! Those suckers are gone!!

11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Um.......mixed emotions about that one. I'm more inclined to sky dive (which I have done already) than to bungee. I just don't really trust those things. It's not about the height issue or being afraid....just the trust of those contraptions.

12.WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Oh Man!!! I'm supposed to choose?? How am I supposed to do that? I LOVE cereal!! And many different kinds! Ok...I'll do top three...which is so hard to do... Always loved Crunch Berries or Captain Crunch since I was a kid even though they scrape the heck out of the top of my mouth. :) Lucky Charms is....mmmm....yummy. Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Frosted Mini Wheats....YUM! Oh gosh, I could go on forever. I better stop. :)

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CANDY? Again....why would anything think that I could possibly have a favorite? Can I just say "All of them?" :) Ok...love the candy bar Skor...anything that has chocolate and toffee! I love Skittles and Butterfingers and peanut M&M's. Just candy in general!

14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG, MORALLY AND MENTALLY? Sometimes I feel I'm not, cause life can be so difficult and drag you down, but I know that I am. My friends and family remind me of that fact all the time. Thanks guys..... I love you for reminding me of that. :)

15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Mint Chocolate Chip. See? I did good! I picked just one! :)

16. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their character.

17. RED OR PINK? Pink

18. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My shoulders/arms? I feel like I look too muscular or big.... I'm envious of those women with dainty little shoulders and arms.....I look like incredible hulk woman or something! :)

19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My best friend Ian. More than I can even express.

21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black Pants and barefoot baby! I hate wearing shoes if I don't have to....

22. THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Scrambled eggs and toast! Right after church.....

23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The TV is on to a movie called Crimson Tide....I'm sort of watching the movie while I'm getting things done.

24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? If I were a crayon? Who comes up with these questions? Well, hypothetically if I were a crayon I guess I would want to be that periwinkle color. I always liked that color.

25. FAVORITE SMELL? Caden's freshly lotioned up skin.....mmmmm....the best smell ever. I also love the smell of rain, suntan lotion and dryer sheets.

26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My brother Joey! He called to tell me he was coming to Colorado for Christmas this year!!!! I am soooo excited! We haven't seen him for Christmas for about five years, and this will be Caden's first Christmas, so it will be extra special!! Yay!

27. WHO WAS THE FIRST PERSON YOU TALKED TO TODAY? Erica....I was calling to make sure she remembered daylight savings time and not to be early to church! :)

28. FAVORITE DRINK? Well, I love Coke. Or should I say I'm a little addicted? I need to usually have at least one a day....that's better than the 12 pack a day I used to drink when I was performing in Branson!! So coke is a necessity....and I also love Root Beer!! Strawberry Limeades from Sonic are a definite favorite along with the Red Wine!

29. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Baseball

30. HAIR COLOR? Well, until 2 months ago I was a blonde, but now I am a "brownie!" :)

31. EYE COLOR? Blue..... Thanks mom and dad! :)

32. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes....unfortunately....

33. FAVORITE FOOD? Yeah RIGHT!!! Definitely can't answer this!! I can count on ONE hand the things I DONT like. I love everything! LOVE Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Thai......I could go on and on.

34. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Scary movies with happy endings....how about that?

35. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Fracture with Anthony Hopkins... (love him) I like it alot...

36. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING: Cream colored

37. SUMMER OR WINTER? I like every season for different reasons!! Ok....how about Summer for the most part, but then I need a little winter too??? I love my Colorado trips to get to snow ski and just enjoy the cold??

38. HUGS OR KISSES? BOTH!!!! One without the other would somehow be lacking?

39. FAVORITE DESSERT? Carrot Cake!....and a million others!!

40. DO YOU HAVE PETS? Yes! Two beautiful yellow Labs named "Gabby" and "Max"....I'm excited for when Caden gets bigger...I think "Max" is going to be his best buddy.

41. MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT? Oh gosh, we won't even go there, but let me just say that it was caught on video in front of hundreds of people and I will never live it down for the rest of my life if my friends and family have anything to do with it!! :) I pretty much embarrass myself all the time, but hey, at least I can laugh at myself even harder than others!!

42. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? I just finished The Red Tent and it was awesome...now I'm reading "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert.

43. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I don't have one....I use a laptop.

44. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? A Gilmore Girls that I taped earlier, and a CSI.... I kinda half watch things as I do some work and write in my blog. :)

45. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Caden's laugh....Rustling of leaves, whistling wind, rain, thunderstorms, and laughter in general.

46. FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC? I am a variety girl....love pretty much everything except RAP and HEAVY METAL. Music is my great love....

47. FARTHEST AWAY YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Ceuta. A spanish province in North Africa. Unless Hawaii is further away?

48. WHEN WERE YOU BORN? April 9th, 1975

49. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Loveland, Colorado

50. DO YOU HAVE BROTHERS OR SISTERS? I have two brothers, two step-brothers and now I have two step-sisters!


Whew!! I do these things WHY?? :) I hope you don't think I'm too silly! I can't help it. Your mom is a total goofball, and always will be. I promise your life won't be boring in any way! Anyway.... I'm off to go make you some baby food for the next month or so!! You are sleeping now and will be awake soon so I had better get a head start steaming some of these veggies!! I love you so much!!

Love, Mommy

Time

Time.

Tomorrow melts into yesterday and soon my little Caden will be grown up. He is almost a teenager... He’s turning six months soon. :) I know that the next 12 years will go by way too quickly. Time speeds up exponentially when you have a little one.
So I blog. Not necessarily because any of you are interested in my day, or my beautiful son, or my obscure ramblings. I blog so that I will remember who I was today. I blog so that I will remember every little thing Caden does. It does my soul good. And as I pause to write, it helps me slow down for a moment and treasure my son, my family, my friends, and my day. As stressful and as hard as things can be at times....at the end of the day, that is all that matters, and that is what warms my soul. Go easy on me time......I'm not ready to give these moments up quite yet....

Growing and Growing....

Hey my little man,

My gosh, you are just growing right in front of my eyes....every day I notice different things. How is that possible? Every morning I go and get you out of your crib I SWEAR you are bigger. It is so exciting, but mostly it just chokes me up cause I'm afraid that my time with you is moving too quickly. I don't EVER want it to end. The thing that makes me so sad sometimes is that you aren't going to remember some of the best times of our lives...one of the best times of your mommy's life for sure. Right now, with you. We have SO much fun, and you are SO happy, yet you won't remember it at all, and that makes me sad. Silly I know.... It's been so much fun documenting exactly when in your life you are doing all these silly things. I just adore you and want you to know why. I’ve never known a more endearing individual… Yesterday I was thinking that it is too bad that I have to be your mom because I could so easily be your very dearest friend. (that sounds wrong cause being your mom is my favorite thing in this world, but I hope you know what I mean someday) You are cool and spunky and funny and intense and smart and gorgeous. Hopefully we will figure out our way in this life so that we can successfully navigate the mother/son relationship and come out as wonderful friends on the other side. That would be my wish. So there you go.

Anyway, I captured a few videos with my camera yesterday...one of you eating, (too cute) and one of you flipping over from your back to your stomach, which you do with a vengeance now! I can't KEEP you on your back now! It takes you about 10 seconds and Whala!!!! you are on your stomach. Of course when you knew I was filming you it took you forever to do what I wanted, but eventually it happened.






Ok, it's 1:30 in the morning and I am too exhausted to write anymore. I miss you so much right now I feel like I want to go scoop you up out of your crib and bring you to bed with me just so I can hear you breath and smell your sweet skin. Quit growing so fast.....just take it down a notch will ya? :) I love you

Love, Mommy

Happy Halloween!!!

Hello my little Teddy Bear,

Happy first Halloween!! Although I don't believe in what the holiday stands for, and I don't particularly agree with celebrating any aspect of it..(WE didn't celebrate it growing up) I just wanted to dress you up in something cute and go visit some of our neighbors and friends, so your daddy helped me get you ready, and off we went! It was more of a "social hour" for us.... a reason to wear a cute little outfit and get some free candy for mommy! :) You were sooooooo cute. My gosh, could you GET any cuter? Everyone was going NUTS over you!

We saw the Sheahens.... Cooper and Eli were dressed up as "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" from Dr. Suess. SOOOO CUTE!! Silas was a little ghost, and he was adorable. We saw your Aunt Elisha....She was dressed up as a scary witch, and boy was she scary! You couldn't stop staring at her. I hope you weren't traumatized! :) We got to see Aunt Tracy and Uncle Brian, and Brian's parents, and lots of other neighbors. It was a beautiful night to walk around...but boy did you get HEAVY! It was a mistake for us to carry you. You are a back-breaker! Quit growing up so fast!!













We had left the house at 6:30 when it got dark and I thought for SURE with all the excitement and wonder, that you would stay awake a little longer instead of the 7:00 bedtime, but NO! You are like my little time clock. When it's time, it's time! I stretched you out to about 7:30, but they you were SO over it.... You are too cute. You love to sleep!! Just like your mommy! :) So, we rushed you home so we could take pictures of you surrounded by all the candy that mommy gets to eat! Thanks little buddy! Maybe next year! I have a picture of me when I was little sitting around my candy too....I'll show it to you.






All in all it was a pleasant evening, and I was just captivated by your cuteness all over again. You are precious and I love you with my life.

Love, Mommy