Our Baby Blog

Wedding Pictures

2011-04-17T21:41:00.006-04:00

Song

2011-03-23T22:28:00.002-04:00

Michael Bublé - You And I

Kaden's Best Day Ever

2010-08-24T23:27:00.000-04:00

Kyle watched the baby tonight so I could go to the monthly, Mom's Night Out. When I arrived home, Kyle told me Kaden was the happiest he's ever been.... here's the story.

Kaden LOVES to look at light fixtures. He's always looking up at tall lamps, intrigued by the persistent glow. Tonight, Kyle finally picked him up and let him look inside the lamp shade, which delighted him so much that he was glowing as much as the lightbulb inside!! When Kyle set him down, Kaden was overjoyed to have finally have solved the puzzle. Oh, little man. You darling boy.

July/August 2010

2010-08-22T13:02:00.005-04:00

North Carolina Vacation

2010-06-03T14:11:00.000-04:00

Post-Easter

2010-04-08T15:05:00.004-04:00

Little kids sure know how to make someone feel loved! When someone new enters a room, Kaden will fast-crawl over to them and pull himself into a stand using their pants- then expect to be picked up. Once he is in your arms, he will throw them around your neck to be held higher and closer. It's instant warm/fuzzies for the recipient.

After another 2 teeth broke through on the top, he now has 6 teeth and doesn't seem to mind teething at all! (knock-on-wood) Kaden still loves buzzzzzing his little lips together and frequently sQueeeels with delight! He has been saying Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma but nothing else yet.

Now that he can cruise around on furniture, he is rarely sitting! He loves to stand and look in toy boxes or move around the room. He still enjoys light fixtures, which has led to him grabbing onto tall lamps that are easily knocked over- so I am doing my best to teach him the meaning of "no" and frequently find myself saying, "Kaden Andrew - NO" while explaining the dangers of whatever it is that he is doing.

While we are at Kyle's parents house, he has ample room to move around in a walker- which he enjoys so much. However, we set up a road block because he loves to sneak back to Grandpa's office, where he seems to be captivated by the geometric-mosaic-style carpet, even though he can't yet move the walker on to the carpet.

Like his Mom, Kaden enjoys playing the piano. Whether he is standing on his tip-toes pressing on the keys or sitting on my lap, he likes to play notes and listen to me play. He is very intrigued by the sounds and smells coming from my kitchen, so keeping him occupied in a high chair is not too difficult.

Like his Dad, he loves to be outside. He puts his face into the wind and just smiles. Still new to his wandering hands and toes, the grass is a world of texture and potential flavors. When Jake, the farm dog, sniffs Kaden's toes, he is all giggles and wants to pet his dirty black fur. He seems so at home on this farm, but the city lights are calling us home.

8 is Great!

2010-03-30T17:00:00.003-04:00

Kaden is officially 8-months and life is more fun everyday!

He pulls himself up to stand and is now cruising along furniture. You can tell how much he wants to walk.

He still blows raspberries and makes all sorts of random noises, but only says one thing, "MaMaMa..." He has also been mimicking a sound Kyle makes that involves opening-&-closing the mouth quickly while allowing the lips to make an empty-sounding echo.

I love to cook and Kaden enjoys watching things on the stove. He still enjoys eating and loves to eat Puffs. He can pick them up and enjoys chewing them, like a real boy!

He won't take a bottle, even if it's filled with breast milk. I bought some sippy cups that I'm going to try out as an alternative to a bottle, as I'm ready for a break here & there.

We stopped by to visit Kyle at work and Kaden was freaked out by the elevator. I don't know if it was the white-noise sound or what- but it caused him to react by putting on his sad face and burrowing his face in my shoulder.

I'm so filled with sunshine-love that I don't have time to write in here... sorry but I will work on writing and video. xoxoxo

Birthday

2010-03-15T13:51:00.002-04:00

So today is my birthday and, as always, I am finding myself very introspective and giving myself an annual review. Compounding the situation, I was given some transparency to my lifestyle after having the playgroup ladies over this week- and was left with some things to continue and others to fix.

♥ Things to Love ♥

Cooking healthy and unprocessed foods

I love to cook and find great joy in throwing together a wonderful meal for my little family. I make a lot of asian inspired dishes but have gotten away from using anything boxed and even strive to make my own sauces to reduce the sodium and additives.

Making baby food

One of my prized possessions is a beautiful Kitchenaid food processor and I am so pleased to be using it to prepare organic, natural food for the little man. I recently found myself in possession of many jars of baby food and was very tempted to use them, but have been staying strong and doing it myself.

Pictures!

We haven't been taking as many pictures lately, but we have beautiful memories captured of our early days with the little man. We also have some video, (see note below)

☹ Things to Fix ☹

Daydreaming in my head, not on paper

I love staying home and keep saying I'm going to use the time to write- and all I've done is write this blog, which has earned me $68 from people clicking on the links and such- but that isn't any substantial amount of money. I should be looking for ways to get paid to write- either through my journalism education, blogging hobby or passion for children's literature.

Maintaining a cleaner home

So I've decided I want to switch to completely natural cleaners and stop being so lazy.

Posting videos and new pics

We finally got things in order so we can upload the videocamera to the Mac... so I will hopefully be getting some video posted, once I figure out iMovie. I also want to be better about posting new pics (and maybe words!) for the people that are visiting the blog everyday.

Kaden Hosts Playgroup

2010-03-11T16:39:00.000-05:00

Today was our turn to host the playgroup that formed after meeting at the local La Leche support group. I enjoy getting together with other Moms with similar aged babies to discuss day-to-day issues, but the best part is watching Kaden interact with the other babies.

Last week was our second play-date and the first since he's been crawling, so I was curious about what he would do. As soon as I set him down and spread out our blanket, he saw a toy, crawled over to it and began to play. When he was done with that toy, he continued to amuse himself with no concern as to my whereabouts. He played with the other babies and was happy to be held by some of the other mommies. He got crabby at the end, (aka- when it was time for a nap) and he even cried some. So we packed up our things, grabbed 2 brownies from the talented baker of our group and headed home.

This week, we invited everyone over for a light lunch of "Playdate Pizzas" and some veggies w/dip. It was so nice to have company and Kaden even has a little girlfriend, Mattie. He enjoys sitting on her and she even gave him a kiss! I'm trying to teach him the meaning of the word "gentle", which is unfamiliar to us because we don't have any pets and I only tell him to be gentle with me. Fortunately, he doesn't seem to be aggressive or anything, but he is still learning about how to be gentle and share toys, (of course). I did, however, have to stop him from using Sophia as a tool to help him stand up! Silly baby.

It was cute to watch everyone play; the babies are starting to recognize each other and the other mommies, too.

Pulling himself into Stand

2010-03-08T20:52:00.001-05:00

Wow... Kaden is pulling himself up using furniture so he is standing, holding the furniture but totally balanced otherwise. He then just stands there and seems to be contemplating how to move. The next step to walking, (cruising), seems so close.

Not too long ago, I introduced him to eating Gerber puffs, which is pure amusement to watch. He likes to hold them and will open his mouth to be fed them, but then chews them up with grimaces like they are awful. Except when he is done, he opens his

I'm trying to figure out how to get videos onto the computer, but the Sony Handycam is not very user-friendly. Soon though.

First Word!

2010-03-07T20:59:00.001-05:00

I used an online program to calculate the weeks Kaden has been alive... today is 32 weeks, 5 days- so if you consider a month is 4 weeks, he is officially 8+ months, but if you consider a month as 30-days, he is 11 days away. What do you think? Which is correct?

More importantly... Kaden spoke his first actual word! Kyle and I were sitting with my Mum at her house, when Kaden just said "Mama". We all froze and looked at each other to confirm... it was most likely just scattered syllables, but it was awesome to hear and we all consider it his first word.

Sweet little boy... Kaden was playing with a bottle of water and when he had successfully picked it up, he would blow raspberries. When he set it down, he would stop making noise. Also sweet like sugar... we went into Kyle's work and everyone gushed about his big, red, puffy cheeks and long eyelashes. It seems like the redness comes and goes, but never really leaves. It's the Hungarian in him; he fits right in with my Mom's side. The lashes are like Kyle's, although his eyes are dark like mine.

The past week away at the farm meant crazy-sleeping patterns and less restful nights for everyone. Since we've been back, Kaden has been waking twice throughout the night to nurse. (I put him down at 8pm, he wakes at 11pm, then again at 3am.) The good thing is that he quickly falls back asleep, but it's been rough waking up when I'm not used to it. I have experimenting with giving him rice cereal before bed to see if that helps him stay asleep longer, but haven't reached a conclusion just yet. Some nights are fine, others are not.

I'm working to expand the blog with other sites and pictures, but for now- I'm adding more of the Goog1e links found at the bottom to enhance your experience and earn some cash.

7.5 Months

2010-02-25T17:06:00.013-05:00

Breaking News!!

We're now in the middle of his 7th month and SO much has happened.

Watching a baby grow is like watching a flower bloom; the specimen is lovely from the start, but you know the true magic is still hidden beneath the beautiful layers. we continue to be intrigued as Kaden's personality shows more and more.

He is officially CRAWLING!! He has been scooting around and Army-crawling for awhile, but has now figured out how to stay on his knees and crawl. Eek! I have been baby-proofing at home, but will be putting things into gear upon returning home from the farm.

Still bubbly and good-natured, Kaden enjoys smiling and laughing. As shown in the pictures below, he has many smiles- including ones with his tongue out, others with dimples showing, some with his entire face all scrunched all with joy. They are all so heart-warming.

Kaden has decided that he is petrified by the sound of a nose being blown. I try to ease his concern by showing him the tissue and explaining what is about to happen as I raise it to my nose- but odds are, he'll freak out anyhow. He also reacts to the whir of my blender, but not the food processor or Grandma's blender. I try to dance and sing to show him that the blender is simply shaking up the food- but he still screams until it stops.

Our little man loves moving around in his walker and especially enjoys scooting around in the bare floor kitchen. He also loves bouncing in his exersaucer.

On the dirty side of life...

He seems to be having fun peeing on us when we change him. Twice yesterday, he went #1 immediately after we opened his diaper. Fortunately, there was a diaper-wipe covering the stream so it didn't spray onto us but instead, leaked all over the diaper changing pad and clean diaper.

Today, I wasted a couple of diapers while preemptively changing a poopy diaper. This has happened only once before and is a strange, strange event to experience. There you are, wipe-wiping away and all of a sudden.... not done!!!!

I saved the best for last...

Yesterday, while his grandparents were watching him, Kaden fell asleep in the high chair while Grandma was feeding him. Mid bite, he just closed his groggy little eyes and his chin hit his chest in full-slumber.

Hanging w/Grandpa

2010-02-20T08:44:00.000-05:00

Another Blog

2010-02-16T10:30:00.003-05:00

In order to try my hand at making some $ from blogging, I started a new Blog, geared at reviewing baby products and toys. This should be a great place to spread info and be used as a good reference for building a registry. Check it out!

I will continue writing and posting here, using the Ads located on this page as part of the Money-Making-Blogging Plan. It's really neat- I get paid when people use the search bar on this blog and click the links!

Anyways, thanks for reading and check out the other site!

http://ourfavoritetoys.blogspot.com/

His New Funny Face

2010-02-12T19:12:00.004-05:00

I don't know where he learned this face, but it was all he's done since Kyle got home. So cute!

Army Crawl.

2010-02-05T20:31:00.008-05:00

He truly is a sweet baby that enjoys laughing. Now that he is trying to be more mobile and seems to be climbing around more, it's interesting to see that he is most interested in being with me, while touching me. If I am sitting with him while he plays with his fav little blue basket of toys, he is most likely to lose interest in his toys and want only to touch me, climb on my legs. It's quite endearing; truly heart-warming.

He is eager to eat all of the baby food I have been making, but finally starting to show preferences. I have been mixing his avocado with banana to sweeten it up and he seems to love pears and apples, which I make with a little more liquid to counter-act the textures of some other foods, like sweet potato and oatmeal. Today, I introduced butternut squash, which was met with the 1st unfavorable reaction. He ate the squash, but when I first put it into his mouth, he just let it sit there. When he finally swallowed it, he definitely winced. He prefers it on a spoon with apples, but I don't want to get in the habit of coating his veggies in sugar/fruit.

I have been Suzy-Homemaker... cleaning and vacuuming... folding laundry while dancing to assorted music from DirectTV's music channels while the baby bounces in his exer-saucer... making scrumptious dinners and developing new recipes.

Kaden and I have been dealing with runny noses, which has led to the discovery of Kaden's biggest fear: the sound a a nose being blown. It's hilarious how much it freaks him out. If I sit in front of him, show him the tissue and explain what's about to happen, he might not begin crying and screaming- but since he might, I leave the room.

Last week, I had a memorable day with diapers that I would like to call "the day he just wasn't done". I began to change his poopy diaper only to discover that he was still busy soiling the diaper. I finished changing him into the 1st clean diaper and set him down to finish his business. Ten minutes later, I picked him up to put him in a clean diaper- the same thing happened, I put him in diaper #2. I set him down again, waited ten more minutes, then picked him up and successfully got him into a clean diaper... three tries later.

He is getting more & more mobile, currently moving around in "the army crawl". Soon, he will be on his hands and knees, truly crawling. Scary, but exciting!

We're having another major snow storm, which is lovely but keeps us inside instead of at the library and such.

(click image to enlarge)

6-Month = Love

2010-01-26T12:14:00.009-05:00

aspberries & Squeeling: Kaden is officially 6-months and LOVES to blow raspberries and is now interested in squeeling with happiness. He seriously does it all day long. If you call me, you will hear him buzzing with his lips... sometimes tongue out, sometimes in, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. When he isn't blowing, he enjoys shrieking for fun. He just loves it, but seems to be much more vocal when he's comfortable with the setting, particularly at home with me and/or Kyle. When traveling to his grandparents houses, he has been much quicker to acclimate to the setting and relax, (read: begin making noise).

Rolling, Sitting & Standing: He has been rolling over since Thanksgiving and as of Christmas, has been sitting up. Generally, he only rolls from his back to his tummy because once he is on his tummy, he will play and try to crawl, but then get frustrated with being on his tummy and fuss for help. When sitting, he is starting to rock forward with hopes of landing on his knees in order to crawl, but is not quite there yet. He still loves to be held up to stand and since I was an early walker, (8-months), I think that milestone is not too far away.... eek!!

6-Month Doc Appt: At his routine appointment, he measured 29.25" and weighed 17 lbs. 13oz., which placed him taller/longer than 95% of boys his age and right in the middle for weight, at 50%. His lack of movement is leading to him getting pudgy legs, which is adorable.

Eating Solids: He has been eating real/solid food- and LOVES it, (although he will continue nursing as his primary source of nutrients). For a variety of reasons, I am making all of the baby food myself, using organic ingredients, which has been fun and slightly time-consuming, but worth it. We began with (store-bought) rice cereal at Christmas time, (just before his 6-month bday), which was met with joy and probably was overdue. He had been interested in eating for a few weeks, but I wanted to wait 6-months, per the AMA's advice for breast-fed babies. Next, I introduced sweet potatoes, then bananas, then avocado. I moved onto pears, which seemed to bother him because he was waking frequently at night, but upon further inspection, we determined the bananas were blocking him up and introduced (store-bought) prunes, which quickly solved the problem. ;) He doesn't seem to have a preference in flavors, (he just enjoys eating), but reacts when switching from one food to another and seems to keep more of the fruits in his mouth rather than on his chin/bib.

Huggles: Since the beginning, he has been and continues to be a very affectionate baby. He will let anyone hold him and enjoys spending time in the arms of loved ones. I have playfully termed his action a "huggle"- because he's kind-of being held, but more so hugged and cuddled. It's quite charming. =)

Chomp!: Kaden now has 2 teeth on the bottom and seems to be getting ready for the top 2 to arrive. He doesn't teeth on the toys designed for teething, but enjoys chewing on all fabric, his bottom lip, thumb and those plastic rings that are perfect for holding toys on car seats and other useful ideas. Although everything still goes in his mouth, I am trying to interest him in chewing on a wooden teething ring, (at avoid the evils of plastic) and encouraging his love of putting all fabrics in his mouth.

Kyle & Alyssa: Kyle and I are doing well. He is busy-busy-busy with work, as usual. I love staying home but am getting antsy for something to keep my mind occupied with complex thinking. I would like to focus and start writing the children's books that have been growing & flowering my mind, but I keep making excuses and just not doing it. I am also keeping my eyes/ears open for good ideas for working from home, but haven't seen much aside from Pampered Chef or something, which I'm not sure about as a "job" for me. Any ideas on how I can further explore either writing or working from home?

Christmas

2010-01-06T10:45:00.024-05:00

Christmas Season 2009

In order to keep our sanity and allow us to spend time at each Christmas celebration, we spaced the visits out over several weeks.

First, we went to Cincinnati to celebrate with Kyle's Mom's extended family. As one of 12 children, it was quite a party!

We also celebrated at my Mom's house, (video to be added later), and at Kyle's parents house, as pictured below.

We had my Dad and crew over to open presents at our house:

And we celebrated with some other family & friends:

It's Official!

2009-12-14T10:56:00.006-05:00

Kyle surprised me Thursday night...

It all began when I arrived home after running out to the store to get some last minute things for our weekend trip to a family holiday party. Kyle was in the nursery with crying Kaden. I noticed that he had straightened up the house, but immediately went into Mom-mode, quickly setting down the shopping bags and removing my coat as I made my way to the nursery. I asked all of the probing questions, (has he been crying the entire time? is he ok? etc). Kyle said he has been crying some and just peed on the nursery wall while he was trying to change the diaper. I chuckled and took the baby into my arms, which soothed the crying.

We wandered into the other room, where I noticed a dozen red roses by the glowing Christmas tree and roaring firplace. I said, sweetly, "When did you get roses?" To which Kyle replied, "There's a gift, too."

Upon closer inspection, the table was decorated with not only roses, but also some vases I had filled with glass ornaments, candles and a gold little box with bow.

While holding the baby, I picked up the box and said, "Really?" Kyle took me in his arms, told me that he loved me, said something sweet, then ended with something wonderful about growing old together. I opened the wrapping paper to reveal the quintessential black, velvet box.

I handed him the box, he took a bended knee and asked, very formally, for my hand in marriage.
As he slid the ring onto my finger, I responded, coyly, "Of course."

So in the twinkle of a casual Thurday night, Kyle surprised me with a beautiful, 2-carat diamond ring. This officially goes down as the best Christmas present ever.

First Thanksgiving(s)

2009-12-01T10:21:00.006-05:00

Oh Kaden... you sweet little thing. How you keep us amused!

We celebrated Thanksgiving day at my Aunt/Uncle's house, which was a good time for all. It was nice to see my cousin, Rebecca, feed the baby 8 oz. of milk I took with us, and happily hold him while he filled his diaper when he finished. (He still makes loud poops that fill, and often overflow, his diaper). Great-Grandma, "Nanny", enjoyed caring for him while we ate. He blew raspberries all over my Uncle Tom and peed on Grandma Sandy while she was changing his diaper and trying to properly button his sleeper.

The next day, we packed our stuff and drove the Kyle's parents. This average sounding task became humourous as we began the final steps before leaving. I started a load of laundry with clothes that Kaden had just dirtyed with his exploding diaper and put the diapered baby in his crib while I got a clean outfit ready. No sooner had I set him down than I heard the trademark sound of a diaper being filled... and overflowing. The mess leaked onto his sheet, which had to be removed and washed. *sigh* oh, Kaden.

We had a nice time at Kyle's parents house. Highlight of the trip was playing with the cousins; Christopher was playing with him while laying on the floor and got him to roll-over!! We weren't positive that Kaden had done this by himself until Aunt Audra and Kendra got him to roll-over again! This is right on track for his developmental time line and is very exciting but kinda scary because he is now mobile! He is still rolling over and even starting to like spending time on his tummy because he can hold up his body and look around. When he gets tired of it, he makes this unhappy moan/cry that is unlike any other sound he makes.

He also figured out that his feet can go inside his mouth, which I am encouraging to give his hands (and gag reflex) and break. Grandma Edie and Grandpa Art watched the baby while Kyle and I went to his 10-year high school reunion, which was a very nice time. I got along well with everyone I met and got some new Facebook friends! Kaden kept them awake until 1am, playing and laughing. Silly baby!

I'm enjoying every minute of life... I am still nursing 100% and it is so beautiful. He gazes up at me with such loving, trusting eyes; I know I bring him nourishment and joy. It's such an amazing connection.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T16:38:00.003-05:00

Kaden is 18-weeks and so much has happened!

He now can cry actual tears on the rare occasion he cries.
He not only found his hands and feet, but loves to hold onto his toes! They haven't found their way into his mouth just yet, as his fingers are enjoying their time inside his mouth still.
Speaking of mouths... he will still suck on his Soothie pacifier at times, although he seems to prefer his hand/thumb. He can now take the pacifier out of his mouth and sometimes even put it back in!
He has been rolling over to his side from his back, but not all the way over... yet.
He doesn't really enjoy hanging out on his tummy, but when he does, he is actively trying to move around!

He is still sweet as can be and enjoys new settings. He is happily held by anyone and has been more vocal, more frequently. Grandma Sandy and Great-Grandma, (Nanny), watched him over the weekend and enjoyed singing songs of "La-la-la" with him. Nanny is great at getting him to quiet down and relaxed when she holds him close and lets him suck his pacifier while she gently rocks him. He seems to really enjoy this.

We celebrated the first of our 3 Thanksgivings this past Sunday at my Mum, (Noma's), house. The entire Snyder crew was there, which was fun for all. Kaden and Carter enjoyed looking at each other, and Carter gave him a kiss! Khaya really enjoys holding him.

Tonight, Noma is watching Kaden while Kyle and I go to Jessica's for a small cocktail party. Should be fun!

xoxo

17-Weeks, 4-Month Immunizations

2009-11-16T11:03:00.011-05:00

Hi loves. So I've been busy loving life and playing with our little man, Kaden. He is getting SO big and is developing into such a sweet, adventurous guy! Today, he is 17-weeks old and went to the Doc for his 4-month immunizations.

So Big! At 27" and 16 lbs, Kaden is taller than 95% of boys his age and heavier than 75%. His little legs are so long that we're having a tough time fitting into pants, as the 3-month are too small and most 6-month are too big... but we're making due with the Carter line of 6-month, as they aren't as ginormous.

So Happy! Kaden still loves to be held in a "standing" position and is happy to be bouncing in his Jumparoo. However, he doesn't like it for too long- I think it hurts him. He is still greatly amused by laying under his Play-yard, although the fun seems to be wearing thin. He enjoys playing with his stuffed toys and such.

My Hands & Feet! His newest discovery are his hands and feet. He enjoys watching his hands move- you can see that he is learning not only that they are attached to him, but that he controls them as well. When he isn't watching them, they're likely in his mouth or grabbing his feet!

Laughter! Kaden is smiling more frequently and has been laughing for just over a month. He is happiest in the morning, which means waking up to smiles and giggles. He doesn't do much spontaneous laughing, but seems to laugh in response to physical things like bouncing and being rocked side-to-side while laying down.

Raspberries & Squealing! He is learning to make new sounds, but still enjoys his standby favorite of blowing bubbles or "raspberries". Recently, he has taken to making a high-pitch squeal for fun.

That's my name! I'm reading a book called "Born Talking" that basically explains that babies are in fact talking- we just aren't listening. So I have my ears tuned to hear him speak and have been trying to teach him useful words. Most mothers will tell you that their baby said "Mama" long before they were officially "talking"- but isn't that talking? Kaden says "Mama" only when I'm not there and he wants to be picked up by me, or passed from someone else to me. He also seems to let me know he is hungry by saying something that sounds like, "Gooma". I am encouraging this by using that word before nursing by asking him if that's what he wants and feeding him when he says it.

Frog legs! We don't have a word established for a clean diaper yet, but he knows that if he pulls his knees up to his chest, (which is the position he assumes when I begin to change his diaper), I will take notice and change his diaper. (The screams help, too.)

Halloween

2009-10-31T22:51:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween!

13 Weeks

2009-10-21T22:02:00.011-04:00

12-Weeks Old Today

2009-10-13T16:13:00.004-04:00

Our big boy weighs 15 lbs.

I can fit into half of my pre-pregnancy pants.

He loves to watch the world go by.