kendra may

rolypoly

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:17:00 +0000

I press my nose into the nape of his neck and ferociously start to nestle my way closer into the crevice between his chest and chin. It is damp from hours of slobber that have now pooled into the folds of his skin, but I don't mind. As I start to tickle, his whole body curls. His knees roll up to his chubby gut, his elbows contract in to his waist, his head crouches forward to his chest, and for a moment he is breathless and looks like a rolypoly*. Then the giggles burst out. I go in for another and another tickle. His eyes are sealed shut, but his gummy smile is spread from one cheek to the other, and I can see that the two teeth which have made quite the dramatic entrance over the past week have finally come through. His belly is dancing and I have to stop myself to let him catch his breath. Hovering over this life who is laying on my bed that measures 29 inches in length, I can't help but think "goodness kid, you were meant for me!"

The other day we had a friend over and right upon holding Warner he smelled his head and sighed "you still smell like baby." Please keep that smell, son. Although you just turned 8 months old, and are creeping closer to 1 year rapidly, I relive the day you were born over and over and over again in my head. It was the most peaceful experience I have ever had. It is my happy place, believe it or not. I remember looking out the hospital window. It was 6am and I had been having contractions for over 36 hours. Finally you decided you were ready, so there I was, laying on the bed looking out the window at the sunrise coming over the deep green forest. The doctor came in, along with one nurse, and they quietly waited while my body delivered you. The whole process was so swift and reverent. You have definitely embodied that calmness and I am deeply grateful for it every passing day. You are my "I love you."

*So "pillowtalk" was one of my favorite movies growing up, and it may or may not have been because of handsome Rock Hudson. I used to think I wanted to name one of my boys "Rock" after him, but I don't think Jared would approve. Plus, Rock just sounds weird by itself. You need the full Rock Hudson. Oh, and James Garner was another heart throb, whew! Anyway, I've always loved this song "rolypoly." Wouldn't it be awesome if there were restaurants like this still?

family was in town, so we did the important things...like ate a lot of cupcakes.

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:30:00 +0000

I think I apologized to my sister 5 times for taking hostage the first portion of their Saturday morning with my cupcake excursions. She and my brother-in-law flew all the way from California to be with us and explore DC, yet I somehow slyly convinced them it was worth their time to visit 2 cupcake shops :) And apparently it was a big deal in my book, because that's pretty much all I busted my camera out for that day.

We did do a bit of touring around DC. It's hard for us sometimes because we've done everything a gabillion times that I'm afraid our enthusiasm for playing tour guide has dwindled a bit. BUT, it was sooo great to have Aunt Jordan and Uncle Luke around! They were quite the duo with our kiddos. They were the first thing Evelyn would ask for when she woke up in the morning. We are so excited because the next time we see them, we'll have a baby boy cousin!! We are so happy for them! Thanks Jay Jay & Wook for coming to visit us!

Evelyn, lately

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Today I handed Evelyn a cup of water and without me prompting she said "pank (thank) you, mama." I was so impressed! I bent down and told her how much I loved her for using good manners.

****

Last night Evelyn was talking to herself a bit in her crib, so I went in to give her one last squeeze and bedtime song before she conked out. As I reached back to shut the door, she called out "wuv ew, mama." My heart skipped.

****

As she was on the potty, she looked up at me with a strained face and said "uhh! it no working!"And I busted up laughing.

****

Lately Evelyn has developed a fear of the lawnmower. She woke up from her nap crying one afternoon because the noise was scoowah (scary). I explained to her that while lawnmowers were loud and that could be frightening, they weren't for Evelyn but they are for cutting grass. So now everytime we hear a lawnmower or leafblower, she explains to me "No scoowah, lawntutor. Lawntutor, it cut da gwass!"

****

The phrase most commonly said right now: "Lightning McQueen, cars go fast, McQueen sticks out his tongue." She is crushing hard on Lightning. Princess movies aren't our thing over here. We watched Tangled for the horsie, not for the beautiful Rapunzel or handsome Flynn Rider.

****

My favorite Evelyn thing right now is our duet, singing "skinnamarink."

Evelyn, Dad & a Tent

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Tue, 07 May 2013 00:58:00 +0000

Good word, aren't these photos of Evelyn beautiful?! Dad sure captured her well! When Jared said he wanted to take Evelyn on a daddy daughter campout that some men in our church were throwing together, I thought goooooodd luuuck! I totally did not think she was ready and I thought Jared was being way too optimistic and rather naive that she was going to fall asleep in the pack n play, in 40* nighttime weather, in a tent, with the laughter of other chatty little girls in the background, in the dark, and not develop a cough all throughout the wee morning hours like she had been the previous night. I was totally anticipating them barging through the door at 1am, defeated by the wilderness, but wouldn't ya know it - I was proved wrong! Evelyn thrived in the outdoors! Jared said Evelyn loved the canoe, throwing sticks in the water, the big campfire, went out like a light at 9pm and didn't make a peep til 6:30am.

I have to admit that my heart feels a bit bipolar when I look at these photos. On one hand I am so so proud of Evelyn for flowering into such a big girl. Especially camping in undies and not having one accident! And mostly just overjoyed that she and Dad got to form a tighter bond together. On the other hand, there isn't an ounce of baby left in her. I mean, the girl can handle a boat ore!

and the toilet shall unite us!

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:36:00 +0000

Haha, I don't even know where to begin this post. These past three days have been the most fun I've had in a long time and it's all because of a toilet.

On Tuesday the weather was crappy and I decided on a whim to give potty training a run for it's money because we were going to be stuck inside all day. To be honest, I had really low expectations, but knowing that potty training can be a beast, I decided to tackle it cold-turkey style. Evelyn got up that morning, we did away with the diaper, put the undies on and waited and waited. "Evelyn, if you have to go tinkles* tell mama and we'll go to the potty, ok?" I think I repeated that phrase every 2 minutes for the first part of the day. We had one accident. Then two. But the third time was the charm! By noon we were yippin' and hollarin' over that toilet seat, both peering into the bowl with excitement as Evelyn shouted "YAY!!" We clapped and jumped up and down and gave big hugs and kisses! Evelyn has always been an excited spirit, so to see her so energized was nothing surprising, but what was different was her sense of courage. This was probably the first time ever where I saw her exert sheer bravery, shedding her hesitancies behind and really trusting that she could do this. I could be there to help her through, but in the end it all came down to her. Yesterday was day #2. She had NO accidents. We even went to a friend's house and she didn't let her guard down. PRIDE, people! So proud of her!

Potty training has been the best thing for our relationship. We've been struggling lately to really mesh together, and this toilet thing united us! It has felt so incredibly rewarding to be her cheerleader, to share in something like this together. And it has been so fun. Last night right before bed, Evelyn said she had to use the potty. We quickly scurried to the toilet and sat her down. As soon as she started to tinkle, she cocked her head up at me; her eyes grew wide, and a smile stretched from ear to ear. Her lips parted to make way for words to utter... and with ebb and flow fluctuation she exclaimed "..oooOOOoo ccaaAANNNdddyyyy!" I burst into laughter immediately. She was reminding me of Rumpelstiltskin turning hair into gold, except the hair was urine and the gold was candy :) Much less fairytale-esque. She hopped off the toilet, and was rewarded with two jellybeans. This girl is spunky! You are rockin' it, Evy Rae!

*i've never liked two words: pee and panties

bum squish is the best kind of squish, unless you're not a baby, then bum squish is the worst kind of squish

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:52:00 +0000

Aside from his dumbo ears, Warner's chubby chubby bum cheeks are my favorite.
It's the one thing I look forward to about diaper changing time, when I can cup that bum in the palm of my hand and jiggle the heck out of that thing. Creepy, no? But I can't get enough of the squish!!

The other day when I was doing the dinner dishes, Jared started chuckling from the other room and called for me to take a look. I peered over the counter, and the big dubster was up on all 4's, rocking like crawling was going to be his business in no time! Talk about a shot to a mother's heart! Jared was ecstatic, egging him on, assisting Warner in his efforts to become more mobile and independent. I, on the other hand, scolded Jared for wanting him to move along because a) the moment Warner starts crawling my life is going to get more difficult and b) I'm not ready to give up my baby! At 7 months, this kid still falls asleep on me like a newborn. He's magic! He started sitting up independently 2 weeks ago, and that has actually been helpful. But crawling!!! Put it off, my son. Just stay firmly planted and let more of that squish build up in your thighs. Don't worry about my squish accumulating; your sister is the energizer bunny and gives me plenty of exercise throughout the day :)

a drive up north, and sorts around the district

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:30:00 +0000

We had such a fabulous time in Gettysburg. Actually, I don't think I can say fabulous because what happened here is very un-fabulous, with all the carnage and tragedy and what not, but we did find ourselves leaving more educated and better patriots than when we arrived, so that's always nice. And Evelyn enjoyed riding in Grandpa's shoulders for a majority of the day, while Warner obviously was thrilled about being snuggled in Grandma's arms.

...........................................................................

I do love the charm of the district. I'm a sucker for old turn of the century buildings with porticos, mansard roofs, and colorful worn brick.

Now that Grandma and Grandpa have gone, we're getting in to the groove of real life again. Which kinda stinks, but the fact that the trees are swaying with green leaves now helps to brighten the mood. I've already got so many summer trips up my sleeve, it's insane!

when grandma and grandpa come to town!

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:18:00 +0000

For the past week now, we've had Grandma and Grandpa Oakden (or as Evelyn says "Banga" and "Paca".... don't know how she arrived at that pronunciation but it's unique and cute nonetheless) visiting us! With Grandma and Grandpa never having been to DC before, we played tourist yet again with them and visited some of our favorite must-see sites. The weather could not have been more perfect for our outings. Whenever we have guests come and stay with us, it makes me regain a greater appreciation for where we live. There is so much to do and see here.

The kids have been in heaven having two extra pair of hands to dote on them. I never seem to mind being far from our families until our families come to us and then I realize what we're missing out on by not living close by. Our kids have two sets of fabulous grandparents!

bloomin' fun!

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:20:00 +0000

If you would have asked me last week if I liked DC, I would have had a long list of reasons to say "get me outta here!" But the past 3 days it has been summer, and my winter blues and tantrums about being cooped up inside have now fled, and all I can do is just admire this beautiful land that is in bloom. I literally cried tears of sadness when I missed the Cherry Blossom Festival last year, so I am so over the moon that the kids and I were able to trek down there today and witness that fairytale garden around the Tidal Basin. I ditched the double stroller in an effort to have Evelyn walk her energy out and secure for herself a guaranteed looooonnnngg nap, but it seems the joke was on me and I am the one in need of a nap after carrying a baby, toddler, backpack, and camera around for 2 hours, and the energizer bunny of a gal is still talking to herself in her crib after an hr and a half. Oh, the agony of having a youngin' who is too young to give up a nap!

Recollections of Early Childhood

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:30:00 +0000

via

I was sitting in a creaky chair on the third floor of my London flat, surrounded by some 20+ girls, and I dare say we were all being entertained by our Professor, who was enthusiastically bearing his soul of the grand eloquency of the verbage in William Wordsworth's poem Intimations of Immortality and Recollections of Early Childhood. I remember hearing the passion in my professor's voice and feeling the power of the words that were written, and I thought "good grief, I want to remember these words. this feeling. this rapturing response to prose that has tickled me down to my bones and caused me to plead for time to stand still and with any stretch of possibility go backward to be child again." It is awing to me now, being a mother of two, how quickly my mind is drawn back to this poem. Have you ever read Recollections of Early Childhood? It is rather long, but I will share my most favorite stanzas:

THERE was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight,
To me did seem
Apparell'd in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream.
It is not now as it hath been of yore;—
Turn wheresoe'er I may,
By night or day,
The things which I have seen I now can see no more. ....

What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind...

I often long for the days when everything was so magical. Everything had purpose. Adventure and discovery were around every corner. A tire swing could wondorously turn into a wayward ship tossed on the billowing waves of a maddening sea storm. A grove of three trees would suddenly become a jungle abode with pulleys and secret passage ways and all would seem so swiss family robinson-esque.The garden was such a delight, with the flowers that talked and gladly imparted the garden gossip. And nothing was more thrilling and acrobatic than going down the hill on your bike with no hands, people! Bad A, right there, baby. Bad A.

I'm getting tired of getting tired of things. I wish I could again assume that ability to just...imagine. Tire swings now seem dull, trees look dead, gardens seem like a lot of work, and no hands! - well, that is just plain hazardous. I love the comfort in the last line of that stanza above, though, about not grieving but finding strength in what remains because I am so ever grateful for those eyes that taught me to see the world in another way. And it makes me so incredibly eager and envious for what I know is in store for Evelyn in this coming year. This world is going to bloom magnificently before her eyes, and while I can help foster that imagination, she is going to take it and run with it all on her own.

adventures of an eastering weekend

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000

What a bang-a-langin-hippity-hoppin' weekend! I am 100% Eastered out. I never thought the day would come when I would look at a bag of cadbury mini-eggs and want to hurl, but I am entirely candied out. The inside of my mouth has been raw since friday, but that's probably more due to the fact that I've been suffering from a sinus and minor ear infection the past 5 days. What a drag that has been. But luckily we weren't stopped from enjoying the festivities on Friday with an egg hunt amongst friends. Jared had the day off and was the only dad present amongst the sea of moms, which was kinda funny to see and to realize how I have this different social life outside of him.

Saturday was gorgeous. We so desperately wanted to give Evelyn her first kite flying experience, and I guess for her it sufficed because she was done after 1 try of holding the string, but the wind was not on our side that day. Oh well, good thing we didn't buy the kite but rather rescued it from the bushes it was ensnared in, brought it home to patch it up and released it back into the wild, only to then realize that it was a sucky kite and validated it's originial owners abandonment.

Sunday morning we opened up Easter baskets. Evelyn was chanting "candy, candy" all day. The girl is hooked on the sweet stuff. The day was rather exhausting. To be honest, this was probably the worst weekend ever. Despite the cheer of the photos, spirits were low and bodies were tired and sick. I've felt so exhausted that I haven't even had the energy to rejoice in the reason for Easter, the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Life has seemed to be drowning me lately. I hope I can swim out of it on top.

And Warner in suspenders?!?! Sheesh, talk about heart throb!!

Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:39:00 +0000

In response to the SNOW, yes, INCHES of SNOW outside my window this morning, I am trying to remember that we had a sunny and semi-warm Saturday just two days ago. The other morning when I went about doing my usual round of swooping the kids out of their cribs and greeting the day with two babes on my hips, I looked at them and thought "these two are beautiful." I wanted to capture them at their waking moments and right before they went to sleep at night. But that would have made a really short and weird video, so I thought to just video our whole Saturday - some footage of what it is to be just us with nothing fancy going on. And in videoing everything I caught Warner's first roll from his front to back all by himself! Hooray! What I didn't capture was Evelyn falling down on our walk home from the park and scraping the whole right side of her face :( Poor girl has had it rough lately with teething, a cold, and now a banged up face. So heres's our humdrum Saturday.

6 months.

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:44:00 +0000

Warner must have sensed that his 6 month mark was approaching today and was as sad about it as I was, so he decided to throw himself back to the newborn waking hours last night and cried. for. 2 hrs. straight. I kid you not. He woke up at 2am and screamed until 4:30am. I mean, that was 50 times worse than he ever was as a newborn. At the very very very last straw I came out yelling to Jared, who had left me to go sleep on the couch, "THIS IS INSANE!" with stern arm motions and grabbing the roots of my hair so I could dramatically express how incredibly delirious and exhausted I was, as if he wasn't too or something. Luckily, I kinda forgave the little guy this morning, bought him some teething tablets, hoping that is the explanation for last night, and am back to sulking that he is now on the latter end of his first year.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - there really isn't a better baby than Warner. I know, isn't what I just wrote above total proof that he's kinda not the best? That was a fluke, in all honesty. The kid is dynamite. And those big dumbo ears of his that stick out a good half inch from his head? Yeah, love those things. They're his signature feature :) We sure love you, Ner-ner!

almond butter oatmeal cookies

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Guys, guys, guys.... this is one mean recipe for a good cookie. No, let's not say good. It's beyond good. It's addictive. Like, I make a double batch of these every 3 days because I consume all cookies and dough of the cookies, kind of addictive. After I had Warner, my sweet friend Lucy brought these over to satisfy my sweet tooth, because we all know mine is as sweet as they come. When I asked her for the recipe, she said she originially got it here, but the recipe was vegan and she confessed that she totally undid the vegan-ness by substituting in butter and eggs instead of the coconut oil and flax. Yep, I am totally fine with the unveganizing because it still has no flour, which I trick myself into thinking that these are 100% healthy and therefore I am justified in devouring unimaginable numbers of them in a short time span. I find that making these SOLELY to consume the dough yields the best result, but if you go the extra mile and make them into actually cookies then they are pretty good that way, too :)

Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Yields: 3 dozen-ish

1/4 cup butter
1 cup almond butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

3 cups quick oats

chocolate chips

walnuts {optional}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together the butter, almond butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until well blended. Add vanilla extract and eggs. Beat together. Add oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix until well blended. Add chocolate chips and walnuts, if desired.

Roll small balls of dough on ungreased baking sheet or parchment paper tray. Bake 10-12 minutes.

You're welcome. Now on to a needless amount of pictures of said cookies. Because they were beautiful to photograph.

through the crack in the door...

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:05:00 +0000

The lively babble has dissipated. The crib rails that were rattling a mere 5 seconds ago from energetic kicks are now silent. I can hear the sound of relaxed breathing as the chest contracts deeper and slower with each inhale. I strain through the crack in the doorway to watch the eyes flutter before the tiny body drifts off into wondrous oblivion. Writing it out now seems creepy, spying on my children as they enter into their exact moment of rest, but it really is a beautiful thing to witness an innocent teeny soul leave this world behind to peacefully dream. I look forward everyday to standing post by the door to witness Warner drifting off to sleep for one of his naps. I always look through the crack of the door to watch the silence befall him. I haven't been so fortunate with Evelyn taking any duration of nap lately, so luckily I can witness the sleeping beauty awake every morning with the rising sun. It is equally beautiful to see a little soul erect with such tremendous life, love and excitement at the start of each new day. The love I feel for and from these two children of mine is insurmountable.

one for the record books

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:09:00 +0000

This past weekend was glorious. One for the record books! Friday night we were finally gutsy enough to leave Warner with a sitter. To be out on the town without a diaper bag, carseat, stroller, and two babes just injected us with youthfulness. I could hear the bells of freedom ringing for us as we walked into the restaurant! To eat a meal in utter peace, all while the food was warm, was just bliss.

Saturday spring decided to show itself after a shameful snow storm earlier in the week. Parading sunshine and mild temperatures all around, we were seduced into being outside all day where I sustained my first mild mild sunburn of 2013. The weather could not have been more conducive to my plans of just wanting to be actively lazy outside by parking my toosh on playground benches all day long. We even hit up two parks in one day. Such party animals, we are.

Sunday was just icing on the cake. After church we walked over to an open field and let Ev just run crazy wild. On her own accord, she took off her shoes, rolled barefoot down the hill and flung herself on her back to embrace the warm rays! All on her own! I think she is taking after me and my love affair with the sun. Even though it was daylight savings, Ev didn't take a nap that day so we put both kids to bed at 6pm! 6 pm people! You would think that Jared and I would have found a great way to spend our mega-long evening together, but we settled on starting Downton Abbey, since that seems to be the rage these days. And it's official - we're addicted to that manor life! We had to start something now that the Bachelor has ended... which, btw, was fab last night. Did not see Catherine making it out on top but I do love it.

I am more than enthused at the prospect of spring making a full come around. Winter is just the pits!

a white day in march

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:55:00 +0000

Apparently snow days aren't just for schools shutting down, but the federal government catches a break, too. And since Jared is contracted out by the government, we were hollarin' like school kids when we got the word that dad was going to be kickin' it with us all day yesterday! Jared was most excited because he has been waiting and waiting for a snow dump big enough to take Evelyn sledding, and the clouds delivered just the perfect amount to send that little girl down cross-legged on her first saucer ride. As you can see, we aren't much of the snow going kind and snow gear we had none; this caused us to improvise with the trash bags over Ev's legs :)

This morning we woke up to the sound of water trickling off the roof as the snow succumbed to the blazing sun and we are projected to hit 60 on Sunday. I'm glad we got one snow day and that it was quickly done. That's all we needed. Now bring on spring time with it's songbirds chirping, tulips peeking through the ground, the smell of manure mulch, and the green buds on the trees! And like every spring, I'm going to be singing this.

How deep is your love?

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:05:00 +0000

Yesterday morning I was ushering Evelyn out of the tub when she broke out in hysterical tears. When I asked her what was wrong she just sputtered out "ohh nooooo!" between sobs and pointed down to the ground. I quickly glanced down and tried to assess what might have caused such an outburst. There was nothing there. Absolutely nothing. "Ummm.. is the floor cold on your feet?" No response. So I move on to the lotioning and dressing of our bath time routine. Again, another sob. "ohhh noooo!"as I start rubbing lotion over her body. "Did you want to do it?" I asked. "Yes!" she brokenly replied. So I put a dab of lotion for her to rub in on her palm. She just stood there pouring buckets of tears. After giving her a chance to lotion herself and her lack of effort, I continued to lotion her, which resulted in more tears. By the time we finally got her dressed, Warner was now begging for attention. He had been so patient waiting there while I doctored up sister, so I bent down to pick him up. Another wail came from Evelyn that she wanted to be held. After moments of scurrying around the bathroom trying to clean up while holding a baby and having another attached to my leg, I thought it might be for the best for me to pick up Evelyn too and give her some love. And then snap a photo.

Backstory behind that morning: The previous day Evelyn had a run in with the stomach bug. It was my first time cleaning up throw up. The smell of that stuff, man. It will haunt you for days! So yesterday was a very sensitive day for her as she recooperated. As the day progressed and I thought she was on the mend, she began having problems on the other end of things and her diapers were, well, runny.... The poor girl was so confused as to what was going on, and I felt so terrible. The only thing I could do was hold her when she needed it. And so if she needed me at the exact moment that Warner needed me, gosh darn it I was going to balance those two kiddos in my arms at the same time, look up in the mirror and just laugh. Laugh because at that moment I was honestly experiencing pure joy. Joy in a moment like that? Yes. It might have been a small thing to carry them both, but to me and my overdramatic heart, it was very metaphorical to embrace them both at that moment and know that I will always be their comforting arm to hold them up when times are tough, even if that means sacrificing my upperbody strength and the possibility that I might get barfed on, that's ok. Momma's got yo back, Ev. And Warner, if you just need a good thick braid to tug on, I can sacrifice my hair to your grip every now and then. And if we need pedialyte at 11pm, you best know your daddy will run to cvs and pick you some up some strawberry deliciousness flava because he loves his babies...and me, because he let me stay in the warmth of the bed while he wrestled with the cold night chill. (sidenote: while Jared was gone getting the pedialyte I was on my phone googling dehydration in toddlers and reading horror death stories of the plague and thought what would I do if I ever lost one of my kids to anything. If it happens to other families, aren't we just in the same pool as everyone else in terms of probability? Why happen to someone else and not us? Scary thoughts, scary thoughts.)

Our love for you is deep, kids. Very deep. I am in awe at how much it grows each day. And apparently it grows abundantly during times of throw up and diarrhea. Get better, Evy Rae! Although I am enjoying your mellowness, to be honest.

keel over

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:35:00 +0000

We started Warner on solids and that is always a tough thing for a baby. The thought of someone stuffing my mouth with something bland and mushy turns me off too, so naturally Warner wasn't a fan. I'll tell you who was a fan of his grimaces and squinchy faces - oh, his loving sister Evelyn Rae. She loves it when I feed Warner because she thinks his faces are hilarious. I truly believe part of her gets pleasure out of his misfortune. As sad as that might be, it is still pretty funny to see her keel over when Warner shows his displeased face.

Today.

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 03:20:00 +0000

Rainy days suck. Period. I seriously get super anxious when I see those raindrops on my weather app and think ....... oh f. This is gonna be a mega-long boring day.

The day didn't start off that bad. I went to wake Evelyn up this morning and the first thing out of her mouth was "Ner-Ner hug." She kept asking for him all throughout breakfast until finally I said yes, it was time to wake him up. Those happy little feet were skipping all the way to his crib where she screamed "NER NER!!!" at the top of her lungs, which brought him to massive tears due to the alarming wake up call. And so our chaotic day began.

We went for a run before the showers started. Hallelujah for finding the world's greatest steal on Craigslist last week and now we are the proud owners of a double jogger! After a lovely playdate with friends, I had the rest of the afternoon mapped out. Plan was as follows: 12 - jog home 12:30 - cook mac & cheese for Ev and soup for me 1- put Warner down for a nap. Play monster and pillow fight with Ev to wear her out 1:30 - Ev down for nap 1:30 - 4 ME TIME! So yeah, that would have been nice if my plan worked out just how it went in my head but come on, that would have been too easy. For starters, I am not a fan of lunch time with a toddler. I usually don't want to invest the time to make one meal for me and one for Ev so I usually end up eating whatever Ev is having because that it just easiest. and usually more delicious than my turkey sandwich. Like today I made her mac&cheese because it is a guaranteed no-battle-to-eat meal. And I ended up scooping myself a bowl and but the soup back in the cupboard. Fail #2 - My efforts to wear her out were not strong enough because 90 min later and the girl was still freaking talking to herself in her crib. Ohhh the agony!!

So at 3pm I said screw it - we're making cookies! Because that is naturally the only thing to do when it's rainy and you have a sleepless gal on your hands. Then we passed the time by changing sheets and jumping off the bed onto the comforter. And Warner was in a super duper tickly mood and cheered this cloudy day right up with that laugh of his. And that was good redemption.

Today was boring. And long. And frustrating at times. Like when Ev decided she was a WWF fighter and kept jumping and headbutting Warner all day. That boy is such a good sport. And Evelyn is such a lover but she is an intense, aggressive lover. But today was a blessing, this I know. Every day really is a blessing to have these two kids in my life. I loved Jared's sweet text this morning. "Thank you for taking such good care of our children. I've never seen anyone love something or someone as much as you love them!" Best compliment ever.

daydreamer

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

She was looking out the window with fixated eyes as we drove out of the city. Her twig legs that had been running in circles with Dad just moments ago were now quietly hanging, weary from all the twirling and skipping that was required of them to keep up with the energy of a two year old heart. One hand was nestled in between her legs while the other was propped up and resting on her sealed lips. Her stillness, along with her intensely focused gaze, prompted me to conclude that she must be pondering about something. Something deep. What world was she lost in at that moment when her sight was on the blurry trees as they passed, but her mind on other untangible things. Do two year olds daydream? Was she wishing for her own pet whale like I did when I was a kid? Perhaps she was wishing she could be on a train at that moment, for she loves trains. Maybe she was thinking about Jared and I as her parents. Was she critiquing us and or was she thinking "hey, my mom and dad are pretty dang cool!"? Maybe she was thinking about cookies and cupcakes. I know I always am :)

I would venture to guess my eyes were locked in wonderment over her for a good three minutes before I decided that yep, this was a moment I wanted imprinted on my mind forever. A moment when I saw my girl daydream for the first time. Was it worth getting the camera out and snapping a quick shot to satisfy my desire to remember, knowing that surely the click of the camera would end her meditation? I sacrified her private reflections for my selfish desire to capture her. And just as I suspected, after one click she was brought back to reality and was her silly self again. I will never know what was going on in that brain of hers, but I bet it was magnificent. These are times to cherish.

a very fishy weekend

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:54:00 +0000

I think the best thing about being a parent is getting to surprise your kid. Jared and I planned a trip to Baltimore this last weekend because Evelyn lives and breathes NEMO these days, and we were jittery with excitement to see her face plastered on all the tanks at the National Aquarium. I really can not stress how excited we were for her. This place had everything Nemo - Doris, tu-tee (turtles), jellies, olfeen (dolphin), and best of all - BRUCES {sharks}!! Lots and lots of Bruces. While we walked out thinking the pricetag on the experience was a bit steep, we felt satisfied that as parents we provided our kid an opportunity to explore another world. And there's no pricetag for that :)

Just across the harbor was Fort McHenry, the rampart that Francis Scott Key watched during the War of 1812 which led him to write "The Star Spangled Banner." That was probably one of the most rapturing experiences I have ever experienced in my whole life. And it made Jared want to find the nearest military recruiter and sign his bad boy self up for some bootcamps to defend this country. Actually, Jared has always wanted to be in the military but I'm the sissy, so, yeah...

on the day of love

noreply@blogger.com (kendra oakden) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:18:00 +0000

Valentines Day morning started off rather grand in our house. Jared got up early and made us all pink pancakes with pink milk to accompany. For some reason when things are colored, it makes them better, no? So festive. The kids and I filled the rest of our day painting valentines for Dad, jumping on the couch and making pillow forts, hanging out in bed because its always fun to be in the crib when you're playing not sleeping, opening up g & g's love package complete with sock-o-wet {chocolate} and bubbles, and Evelyn proudly handing Dad her precious finger painting! Both kids were utter gems the whole day, which was the best gift of love EVER!

Jared did fab this year with gifts. They were small and simple, yet meaningful. Gift #1 - earplugs. Yes! Warner has reverted to newborn status during the night and has been waking up every 3 hours. Our solution is to let him cry it out, but that can sometimes result in 45min of crying 3 times a night. So yes, earplugs were a golden gift this year. Gift #2 - kisstixx. Do you watch sharktank? We occassionally do. One episode these guys were trying to sell their new revolutionary idea of chapstick where a guy and a girl put on these different flavors and when they combine during makeout it's supposed create this awesome mixture. So Jared presented me with "raspberry lemonade" last night. Things got a little tangy :) V-day was the bombdiggity. Man, I am one lucky lady to have had 3 lovely valentines!

Oh, and eshakti giveaway winner announced here!

because baby talk does a soul good

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Bright smile. Sparkly sparkly eyes. High pitched chatter. Big dumbo ears. It's all so yummy!

I totally realize that this video is probably a good minute longer than it should be, but come on, like I was really going to cut my son's greatest speech short. The kid had a LOT to say about Pottery Barn Kids, apparently. So continue with your discourse, Mr. Warner! I'm all ears!

accountability

noreply@blogger.com (Kendra) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:06:00 +0000

I think the hardest thing about being a parent is being patient enough to teach your kid a lesson. The other day Evelyn, in protest of not wanting a portion of her lunch, decided in her fury that she could make it disappear by throwing it over board. I turned around to find her with furrowed brows and plops of yogurt splattered across the floor. The day had already been a long one. We had spent 4 hours that morning in the doctors office awaiting UTI test results {which were negative and left me pulling my hair out and screaming in my head "WTF! What do you mean she has a virus and you have no answer?! Why did I just waste 4 hours here!!" But that's neither here nor there...}, and I understood why she was cranky. However, I could not just let her off the hook for throwing her food. Although I too was at the end of my rope, I took her out and explained to her that we do not throw our food. I handed her a paper towel and she and I cleaned it up together.

Jared and I are huge advocates of delegating responsibility to our kids. It is definitely a hard route in the beginning but we know it will pay off the next time, the next day, the next year, in 10 years, and for the rest of her life. Many times it would be easier for me to pick up her toys for her and clean up her messes, but it would be harder in the long run because she wouldn't know the value of taking responsibility and we'd end up with a ungrateful teenage on our hands... wait, all teenagers are ungrateful and demanding, so I guess that's unavoidable, but you know what i mean. We want her to have strong character. Now, I'm not saying I NEVER pick up after her. Frankly by the time 5pm rolls around she could color on the walls and I'd be overjoyed if she was occupied. But when I see an opportunity to teach her, I try and take advantage of it because I know the type of person she can be. I know I want her to be independent, strong, accountable, confident, and charitable. And how can she be those things if I never teach her?

I am so grateful for her strong personality. It can be beastly many times, but she is such a loving and cheerful soul. And at times when it seems tough and I stop and think is all of this really worth it? All of this discipline and direction? I think back to this scripture:

"wherefore, be not weary in well doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great."

It's the small things that are going to make her strong and great.