Uh...Who is the Dude With the Beard?

Hi sweetie,

Gosh I'm so bad sometimes about writing, but when our life gets hectic I get so tired that I can't keep my eyes open! And boy has it been hectic! This time of year is just insanely busy for everyone though...Christmas parties, shopping, wrapping of gifts, cooking making... :) It's been very fun though!! You are going to love this time of year as you get older. I promise you that I will make it as fun and exciting as I possibly can! I'm already looking forward to next year...

So we decided that we needed to take you to sit on Santa's lap again in the same place that we did last year. We dressed you up all cute and ventured out to the Green Hills mall to witness you with Santa. The line was 10 million people long, (good gosh!)so we took turns walking around with you in the mall and riding the escalators. I swear, I have never seen a kid get so much attention. You are one adored child my love....people just go nuts over you and your curly hair. They just can't stop staring and commenting. It's alot of fun walking around with you!

Well, the time came for SANTA, and I was a little apprehensive of how you would act. Last year you were fine, but would this year bring a little fear? Would you freak out when I handed you to him and cling to me instead? I had no idea what to expect but you took it all very well. I handed you to Santa and you just made us laugh right away cause you were looking at him like "Who the heck are YOU, and why am I sitting on YOUR lap?" You even made Santa laugh because of the funny face you were making... :) We finally got your attention for the pictures but you weren't going to smile if it was the last thing you did! So funny..... You TOTALLY have this look like..."Whatever!" Hehehehe That's my silly boy!

I'm interested in what next year will bring...this year however, was ultimately a success. Thanks for being such a good boy boo boo...... I love you bunches and bunches!!!!

Love, Mommy

Big Boy Bed Update..... :)

Hi honey,

Can I just say that I am one proud momma??? Gosh, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that you would do so well in your new bed....thus why I called it the dreaded day! You have always been such a good boy, but seriously, when you got all that new freedom I thought for sure we were going to have a time with it!

Well....I am so very proud to report that after one week in your new bed you have not attempted to get out of bed ONCE when we have put you to sleep at night! Not even ONE TIME! Amazing! And....you haven't fallen out yet.... :)

Naptime has been a little different story....especially that first day...but I am still amazed! You attempted to escape about 40 times that first day, 5 times the next day, and one time the third day. Since then, not even once. When I tell you to stay in bed.....you do!!! Wow.....shows how that consistency and perseverence pays off! I'm just glowing I'm so proud of you. Way to be responsible with your newfound freedom my little stinker! Just had to express my appreciation for your obedience. You are really catching on!

I love you more than chocolate chip cookies,

Love, Mommy

Uh Oh......!!!!

Hi baby,

Just had to write really quickly about your favorite new word...or phrase...whatever you want to call it....but it's ADORABLE! Uh oh!! Uh oh!! Uh oh!! Not sure quite how you got started on this, but all of the sudden it is your favorite thing to say...You say it over and over and over. Makes me giggle all day long. For example....Last night we went to go see Santa Claus at the mall, and as we were leaving you saw a cup someone had thrown on the ground in the parking lot...you got all excited screaming and pointing at it, and when I looked to see what all the commotion was that you were making you looked at me, pointed again and said "Uh oh!" Gosh you are precious....... it just can't get any sweeter!!!!! So.....waiting for you to wake up so I can hear more "uh oh's".......my favorite new word of yours too....... Let's just hope you aren't saying it because of something disastrous that precedes the word! Miss you munchkin......

Love, Mommy

This Dreaded Day Has Arrived!

Ok my little crazy boy, :)

About a month ago when we were putting you to bed, I left the room before your daddy did and I heard him say, "Honey, we have a problem." I had no idea what he could possibly mean, and went I turned the corner to your room I saw you straddling your crib. Holy cow boy! That night we lowered your mattress to the final lowest setting, (only two inches more) and knew we had just a matter of time before you were able to hoist yourself over and out. I can't tell you how much I dreaded that day!

This past weekend we all went to visit your Aunt Heather and Uncle Jo Jo and had a wonderful time getting spa treatments, riding 4-wheelers, shooting guns, going to a Christmas Parade, (your VERY FIRST parade and you LOVED IT!) and just hanging out with friends. It was a blast! Anyway....on Saturday afternoon we were at Heather's parent's house and we put you down for a nap in a bedroom upstairs in your pack-n-play. It wasn't but a few minutes later when you came walking out of the room! Uh...HELLO!!! Talk about a wierd feeling THAT was! Climbing out of your crib AND opening the door? I couldn't believe it.... I went in the room just to see it for myself. Sure enough....3 seconds after I put you back in the crib, you were out. Lovely! Juuuuuust Lovely!! I'm not ready for this yet! :) Here you are climbing out of your confinement.........


When we got home I told your daddy that we needed to put you in your crib for a few minutes to see if you were able to do your same trick with your big crib. After all...it was much larger than that silly little pack-n-play right? Surely we could buy us another month or so until we had to convert to a "big-boy" bed...right? Uh....see for yourself! (And by the way....notice the crooked letters on the wall? No...they are not supposed to be that way!)



Anyhoo....we knew we were in trouble. What were we supposed to do? Keep the crib and potentially let you break your neck getting out? Or hope for the best? Gosh I wanted to fight this with all that I was....I just wasn't ready for you to have a big boy bed...and all that freedom! I just knew if we went that route it would be tough for awhile. Well.....big boy bed is what happened. We went down to the garage to get the other bed parts and took the front off of your crib and made it a toddler bed. I was pretty much teary eyed the whole time. I was soooooo sad! Your crib was going away! Forever! This was a tough moment for me. I just am not liking that you are growing up so fast....I always think I have more time and then you go outgrow me.... :(

Here are some pictures of the "process"..... :(














AMAZINGLY, you didn't get out of bed last night, and didn't fall out!!! I had to take a picture of you in the night.....

I woke up this morning to you waking ME up! You scared me to death!!! It was so strange to have you just come walking into our room. You were soooo quiet. It almost made me cry you were so adorable.

This afternoon however was a different story. I'm too exhausted to elaborate at this time....but all I will say is....You definitely didn't want to stay in that bed for your nap! I put you back into your bed about 40 times over and over. You finally got it after I had to spank your little booty for the first time (it really made me so sad to do that honey, but I had to!) and you didn't get out of that bed again. Tonight you went right down and didn't get out......I'm so proud of you honey.... We may have a few tough days learning how this works...especially at naptime, but so far I am amazed at how great you've been. Of course you are! You are always so wonderful.....I love you so much and I guess I have to call you my Big Boy now!.....nah....you're still my little baby.....

I love you....sweet dreams....

Love, Mommy

Erica Strikes Again!!

So yes.....my crazy, nutty, wonderful friend Erica....(who is insane for not auditioning for Saturday Night Live)....is at it again! This time, she is portraying Caden "craving attention" from us one night when we were all trying to eat an early dinner together. I won't say anymore..... See for yourself.... I think we all wet ourselves watching this. Thus, the shaky camera while videoing. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Hi!!!

Wow what a fun few days! Sorry I haven't written lately little munchkin but we've all been sick and feeling yucky, so I haven't been in the mood much. But!! I have tons to tell....not all in this post...I want some things to have their own separate Blog Titles. It's THAT important. :)

So....this year for your SECOND Thanksgiving, your mommy baked and cooked away and made all the Turkey Dinner fixin's and we just stayed home and enjoyed the soooo very beautiful day! We ate, and played and rested, and ate and played and rested over and over again. It was just simple, and cozy and perfect. Later your mommy and daddy lugged you over to a neighbors house to put you to sleep and they ate again! Fun fun!! It was just a pleasant holiday with family and a few friends. Wonderful. Happy second Thanksgiving babydoll! Gosh you are growing so very fast.

The days to follow after the big Turkey day we just spent playing as a family. We went to the Opryland Hotel to see all the Christmas Decorations and to have lunch. You had a blast looking at all the sights, the river that runs through the hotel, the christmas trees, and of course, riding the ESCALATOR! (We only did that 10,000 times...not too much :) ) You usually eat pretty healthy so you got a treat that day with hamburger, fries and even some coke!... I got a cute video of that...boy did you love THAT stuff! :) I taught you how to dip your fries in ketchup and you were just adorable.

You also got to throw pennies into the wishing wells and the fish ponds. You thought that was the coolest thing EVER and was deeply saddened when the pennies ran out. Here are some cute moments from that day.....













The next day we went to a new place that just opened up near our house called Monkey Joe's. It's Tennessee's largest indoor inflatable playground. What a blast THAT was!! For only 5 dollars for all of us, we could play and slide and climb for as long as we wanted. AND....because you were under 4, we got to play on them with you!! I think I had more fun than you even did! We didn't have those things when your mommy was little.... :) I think this may be one of our new favorite places to play this winter!!










On Sunday afternoon we took you to the mall to ride the little train. You ADORE that little train....I can't even explain it enough. You've been a couple other times and now you see it from like 15 stores away and take off RUNNING and hootin' and hollerin' you are so excited!!! People are amazed at how independant you are...you just get right up there, give the lady your ticket and jump right in that train. You LOVE riding that thing and are often doing the famous Caden face as you come around. Cute, cute cute! My heart is just mush for you my love.....You make my day every day, do you know that?




Thank you so much for making this Thanksgiving a memorable time that I will never forget! I love your guts little man..... :)

Love, Mommy