*worry winds*

~the calm before the storm. just look at those furrowed brows.

*curious little minds*

Hope everyone is enjoying this holiday weekend! Yippee for sunshine and time to soak it up with loved ones! Kaden is quite the inquisitive fellow lately...he has a million questions about anything and everything, in typical three year old style. I really try to keep my answers comcrete and simple, but sometimes I don't think before I speak and I end up thinking "Oh crap, heeeere we go". Like the other day when we were passing a funeral procession....did I need to tell him that was what it was? Or maybe I could have just said it "looks like a fun parade"? Now, because I explained to him what a funeral was, we have now talked about death and dying nonstop for days. He insisted on watching the scene in Kung Fu Panda when the turtle dies 400 times, and now asks me if doing certain things (any number of random things) will "make him died". "What would you Say" is another biggie question of the moment. He is super interested in what comments you will make to him regarding just about anything under the sun! His mind spins so fast, it's hard for me to even keep up with him. He will be talking about what clothes he wants to wear for the day and then a milli-second later he will ask me "why are you a girl"? That one seems to come up often. In the span of ten seconds yesterday, he said to daddy, "what's that noise? It's chilly out here" I wanna play basketball. I gotta poop" and then skedaddled off to the potty. He cracks me up with his crazy little sense of humor and the way he is SO intense about everything. We got a balloon from sunflower market (Those people that work there are amazing, I swear they see us coming and they run over to kaden with a ballon every friggin time) the other day, and he insisted on holding it himself, with no tying of any kind so that it could not run away. We got home and just before we walked in the door, it ran away. He LOST it....like nothing i have ever seen before. And believe me, we have lost PLENTY of balloons, and usually we just say Oh well, it went up to Grandma and the kitties. This time he screamed like he had all of his toes chopped right off. It took almost an hour to soothe him and calm him down. He keeps life so interesting, keeps me so up on my toes and brings me an insane amount of Joy! Love that kid.

~Kaden doing his own storytime with Sophia.

Have a good weekend everyone! Love and Light, Jenny

*many faces of sophie*

~fancy sophie.

~ "seriously?" sophie.

~mad sophie.

~sleepy sophie.

*balance*

So, I had intentions of finishing this post on Mother's day, and 6 days later, it is still not finished! I also had a moment to wash my hair for the first time in EIGHT days!!! When did washing your hair become a simple pleasure??? I guess you could say we are semi getting into a "groove" around here, but it's still hard to squish time for "simple pleasures". For instance, all of our incredible friends and family that have taken time out of their busy lives to call and check on us, I am so grateful for your messages, your texts, cards. But I really have no idea how one squishes in phone calls with two little ones....I had issues with returning calls with just one bambino. I know it is only a matter of time before this will get easier to some extent, but right now, I am trying desperately to give Kaden and Sophia all that I have. And hopefully in time, I will find some balance!

I am halfway through my maternity leave (insert huge sob here), and have six weeks remaining, and I am already starting to get a sick feeling in my stomach about going back to work. I have always said that I am not Stay at Home Mom material, I have always felt that I am a better mommy when I work, as I get to cherish those days and moments that we do have together...but this time around I am having doubts. I am trying to think positively and take each day as it comes, and hope that everything goes smoothly once July 1st arrives.

We had such a lovely Mother's Day with the family. We had Mamaw, Papaw and Uncle Brian over and Chad didn't let me in the kitchen at all, which was so super difficult for me! Chad made scrumptious kabobs on the grill and made the day really special.

~kaden and I next to his sweet Mommy's day card that he made!

~sophie wishin Mamaw a Happy mother's day.

~playin with Papaw...and I use the term "playing" loosely, I'm pretty sure he had just yanked a hair off Papaw's chest.

~snugglin with Uncle Brian

~yummy. We had a visit again with the ENT last week, and they decided to go ahead and go forward with surgery for Kaden. In a few weeks, he will have tubes put in his ears, and a Frenulectomy to clip his tongue tie. I'm so grateful that I get to be off from work and home with him for it, although the Doctor said the recovery shouldn't be too bad. She reccommended he eat a ton of ice cream cones to soothe his tongue after it's clipped, and that is really the only info about the surgery that Kaden has retained. He is pretty psyched about his overload of ice cream cones.

Sophia is sleeping much better at night, and in her crib (yippee!) which is nothing short of a miracle. Although this particular shot was taken as she was sleeping on my chest one morning. I can't help it...I love those moments with her, and I am all about savoring all of the chest sleeping, the precious baby stretches, her crooked smile, her delicious smell! I am so loving the newborn stage this time around, I'm not quite the nutcase (I said not "quite", ok?) that I was last time. Yesterday, Chad and I took Kaden out on a solo adventure sans Sophia (she had some much needed bonding time with Mamaw and Papaw). We took him to his favorite Rec center pool ad Chik filet in lunch. Slightly masochistic of me to think it was ok to put a bathing suit on 6 weeks after giving birth, but you do what ya gotta do for the kids! When we were walking back to the car after our fun day, Kaden asked, "Did we leave Sophia in the car"?

This pic makes me giggle a little. We have so many pics of Kaden being a sweetheart with Sophia, this is a little behind the scenes look to those "other" moments!

Currently...

Things I'm Loving....

~this precious angel sleeping. all dolled up in her cousin Nora's precious hand me downs!

~ Loving my Moby, now that my sweet friend Amanda taught me how to wear it correctly! I can't believe how much I can get done with a sleeping baby wrapped around me! Kaden was so not a fan of this, but Sophia sleeps better in here than she does anywhere else. Now if I can just find a way to sleep like this at night while standing!

~I'm lovin my new Babyhawk Mei Tai carrier! It is so comfy and Sophia seems to love it too! I feel like we can get out and about so much easier now!

~the way daddy looks at her....melts my heart everytime.

~not the SAFEST co-sleeping picture. I can see this ending up on a "hazards of co-sleeping" article! Our night times have been a bit rough, as I mentioned before...she usually starts out in her Rock n Play for a bit till she is over it, and then I attempt to put her in the crib 7=8 times and then we eventually end up here. I kind of secretly love this snuggle time with her. Poor daddy has taken up sleeping downstairs in the extra twin bed! 3 fun kaden moments from today.... "Is it fun to be up there"? *referring to me driving up front. I love his sincere randomness. Asking me for the 500th time, " Why are they NOT SINGING"? during instrumental portions of songs. I have explained it 20 different ways.... And watching him "nurse" his stuffed cat while on a playdate. So awesome! Some fun at home... We have started getting out a bit more with Sophia, but a lot of the time we are cozy at home, coming up with new things to entertain ourselves. Have a wonderful week everyone!

Happy One Month Birthday Sophia!

It's so hard to believe a month has gone by already! It feels like our little Sophapilla has been here forever, and yet it feels like just yesterday that we were in the hospital, still shocked that she was a Girl! She is amazing, and appears to be healthy and doing well...at her doctor's appt at two weeks, they said she is doing great, but that we should have another kidney ultrasound done in a few months, just to make sure everything is working as it should. She has grown these HUGE chubbola cheeks and lost most of her hair on top of her head (just like her big bro did, old man style), and she makes the craziest squeeking noises, unlike anything I have ever heard. Kaden tries to compete with her noises....and once in a while walks over to one of us and says "Hear Dis" and graces us with either a loud fart or a burp. Classy! a little letter to miss sophia... Dear Sophia, I started writing these little letters for your big brother when he was just a month old, and I wanted to do the same for you! My hope is that one day you will have a chance to go back and read them, have a chuckle or two, and know how very much loved you are. This month you have done ALOT of sleeping, yet you are not a huge fan of sleeping at night, you love partying it up with your mama. For someone who loves to sleep and is a bit of a narcoleptic, one might think this would be bothersome to me, but I love having that time with you. You make the craziest squeaks and squeals while you sleep and you LOVE to stretch and make crazy faces. You LOVE your big brother. If he is around, your eyes and head will turn in his direction and you look delighted to be near him. Even when Mommy thinks he is squishing you a bit too hard, you never seem to care, you just adore him. You are so truly loved sweet girl. I cannot wait to experience all of the bumps and turns in the road with you...it is going to be such a fun ride! I look forward to each and every moment with you . We love you so so so very much Sophia! You are truly a little miracle! Love, your mommy.

~our little "native". My friend Lisa made this onesie for her, since she is the only real native in the family.

~daddy with his babies.

~vogue.

~sophia asleep in her bath.