Long Nights

Thanks be to God, we have a child who seems willing to sleep long stretches at night. Who knows how long this will last, but we are certainly thankful for how smoothly things have gone so far. We are all getting the rest we need this summer! Since Kaden has been going for a 6 to 8 hour stretch most nights, we decided to put him in his crib this weekend. Well, I decided. Brandon still wants him in our room. I think making this transition now may be easier than doing it in the fall when I'm going back to work. So, for now, he is sleeping in his crib. We've had one very successful night and several naps there, and he doesn't seem to mind the move at all :)

Brandon's Huge Steak

It's a Thursday night, and Brandon is going to eat an almost 2 pound steak.

Life is pretty great right now...

One Month Old

Kaden is almost a month old, and in some ways it seems like the longest month of my life while in other ways it seems like just yesterday that we were waiting anxiously for him to be be born. In just a month, he has gained 2.5 lbs and become quite interactive with us. I know his toothless smiles are still just reflexive, but he really has been alert lately.

My parents came from Florida to visit their first grandson. We had a great time with them. I wish they could have stayed all summer!

The most recent thing I'm enjoying is watching Brandon be a daddy. He is very quick to help me soothe and comfort him as well as to change diapers and feed him. I am thankful to have such a flexible and sweet husband. Here's a video of Kaden dancing with Brandon. This is Brandon's latest way of getting Kaden to stop fussing. He loves it!

The First Week

Wow, it is hard to believe that a week ago we were welcoming our first baby, Kaden Luke, into the world. We checked into the hospital on Saturday, May 23 to prepare for induction the next morning. At about 4:00am Sunday morning, I was started on Pitocin and labor began. 21 hours and 2 epidurals later, baby Kaden was born. He arrived at 12:57am on Monday, May 25, 2009 and was 7lbs 10oz and 21 1/2'' long. The labor and delivery process was surprisingly smooth and there were no major complications. Both Kaden and I stayed in the hospital until Wednesday, and we had a lot of friends stopping by to meet our son. We have now been home for 5 days and it has already flown by.

We will certainly enjoy every stage of his life, but these first days have been the most precious time I could ever imagine. He is a very alert baby and has been sleeping very well. He has made our transition home a very easy one. Our favorite thing is his smile. I know it's probably not a deliberate smile, perhaps just a reflex of sorts, but it is the cutest thing. Everyone who has visited us says he looks a lot like Brandon. He definitely has Brandon's mouth and nose. I hope he takes after his daddy in many ways.

A Memorable Weekend

Well, it looks like this memorial day weekend is going to be a memorable one for us. I am going to be induced tomorrow! I am so excited! One, because having a plan always makes me happy. Two, because it's the exact weekend I've been praying he would come. Now I get 2 weeks off work AND hopefully we will be all healed up by the time my parents come June 6th. Please pray that tomorrow goes smoothly and that our baby is born healthy and quickly :)

Life is about to change...

That's what everyone keeps telling us, and I'm starting to believe it. With just one more week until my due date, it's really starting to hit me and Brandon both that our lives will never be the same. But we know the change will be good. God has already used our pregnancy to bring us closer to each other and to Him. We are confident that welcoming Kaden into our home will only serve to make us more holy and learn to lean on God even more.

A lot of questions are running through my mind. Will Kaden wait until Brandon's last summer class is over? Do have what it takes to actually birth a child. Even though being 9 months pregnant isn't the most comfortable thing, there are days when I'd rather just stay pregnant forever than go through labor. Beyond childbirth, are Brandon and I diligent enough to raise a child that honors God? Really the answer to these questions is no. We don't have what it takes. At church, we have been learning about living with faith instead of fear; not looking at things through the flesh. God is faithfully teaching us more and more that it is not on our own strength and power that we succeed, but on His alone.

Practically though, we are all ready for Kaden to join us at home. His room is set up, diapers are stocked and he even has a library almost as big as his dad's! Here are a few pictures of what we've done so far...

New Adventures

I've always heard blogging was easy (and addictive), so are giving it a try. For our friends and family near and far who want to see pictures and hear all about our new adventure as parents, stay tuned...