9 Months

Hi there! Know that my mom is usually against writing blog posts from a baby's perspective. It's just kinda annoying. But when you are as cute as me...crazy compromises are often made.

What does that say?!

I'm 9 months today?! Already?

I'M 9 MONTHS TODAY!

Why did no one tell me about this?

Now I'm so embarrassed I didn't know...

I love clapping my hands, let's clap it out.

I love to brush my hair as well, I'm growing it out to look like Justin Bieber.

I enjoy a good game of peek-a-boo


Also, whenever Mom comes in to get me out of bed I'm ALWAYS standing

And have some crazy bed-head

I love to chew on everything. Especially my bed. (Cade, we'll have to chat about this later).

I go to LOTS of basketball games. I'm wiggily...but overall pretty good.

I pretty much go everywhere Mom goes, including the monthly G-Phi dinners. Kaitlin is fun to play with!

And Jamie taught me how to hold my own bottle.

Sidenote, we had to take a pic of all the boots since everyone was wearing tall boots...

Except Kaitlin...

Back to Cade...I got this real basketball from Dad

Practicing my dribbling

Practicing my shooting form...this ball is just a little too heavy. Am I a lefty?!

Mom wants me to hold this frame (from Auntie G) up...yeah right

Wow, it's filling up! Time is just flying by!


Going to the doctor on Tuesday for a check-up. I'm guessing he weighs around 18 pounds...we'll see!

It's Kinda Like Making the Bed

These pics shot from inside my warm house don't do it justice. A blizzard it was. Leaving 12-14 inches.


I love it when snow days come in pairs. The first day is for lounging and the second day is for getting things done. I could relive this February 2nd over and over again, no problem.

Happy Groundhog Day!

Cade woke us up this morning as he was upset that his diaper had leaked...upon cleaning up the situation we discovered that what we thought was a simple #1 leak was in fact...not #1.

On with the day...I always try to get a work out in on a snow day. Heck, if I have the whole day off I ought to be able to make time to work out. As I'm lugging out my hand weights and reaching for my "Biggest Loser" workout DVDs I see a neighbor out shoveling his driveway. Why should I lift weights inside when I can get a workout in and be productive by clearing off the driveway?
Usually Matt and I see shoveling the driveway as equivalent to making the bed. Not necessary unless we're having company. Last year we didn't even own a shovel for the ENTIRE winter season. And we had 4 snow days last year.
But this blizzard didn't just drop a dusting that we could easily drive our cars over. So I inform Matt that I want to TRY to shovel the driveway. He has no problem with this so I get all bundled up and head outside.
Clearly we aren't skiers. I have very few clothing items appropriate for being out in the snow. This is the best I could do.

I opened the garage door and WHOA. I had to completely abandon the game plan Matt and I had come up with for efficient shoveling. He said I should do one row down the middle and then work toward the sides from the inside out. Upon seeing the large drifts I knew I was just going to have to chip away at it, little by little.

I wish more than anything that I had a before picture. Dang it. It is pivotal to the story...I know. But I didn't take a before picture other than of my outfit.
So I just started shoveling. All the while composing my blog entry in my head about my shoveling. 'I see how people have heart attacks from this...I see why we don't normally do this...Where is the end of our driveway? How far do I have to go? Maybe I'll just do a little and then turn it over to Matt.'

But then it became a challenge. I had to finish it myself. I could not let the driveway win. I'm a pioneer woman. I CAN do this.
Our driveway is curved so I kept accidentally shoveling off the grass which made me angry. What a waste of man(woman)power. I shoveled and shoveled. Trying to find where the drive meets the street. But the drift was so deep in the street there's no way we could actually get out of our driveway into the street until it was professionally cleared. I finally had to stop when said curved driveway nearly meets up with our neighbors driveway and I'm pretty sure I was shoveling snow from my drive onto theirs. It was still a little snow packed. But driveable. And I did it all myself. I was sweaty. (Must hide behind baby gate as I already shed my snow pants at the door.)


Ta Da! Of course you know that this picture does not do it justice...


And I came in to find Matt hard at work on some of the inside chores! (A THOROUGH job of vacuuming?)


This is what snow days are made for!


Author's Note: My body is SO beyond sore already I'm sure I won't be able to move tomorrow. My arms and back are in so much pain as I type. And I thought I was in shape! I hate to have to take a sick day tomorrow to recover...please don't make us go to school...please!

This and That

We've been on a little blogging break around here. "We" being Cade and I, Cade as the "model" and overall "star" of the blog and myself as the writer...or picture labeler at least. Return posts after a little blogging hiatus are always so hodge podge. A combination of my random thoughts and random pictures...and random events that have taken place.
We've just been trucking along with normal life. Without snow days. Life is much more hectic without snow days. We're in the sewing unit at school...always a stressful time as I try to keep up with middle school kids running around the room with pins, scissors, and irons. Sounds chaotic...it is. It's kinda humorous how I act like my job is so important and stressful. Um, no I'm not a brain surgeon. I teach Life Skills to middle school kids. And I really love it. I overheard one sixth grade boy saying to another, "I didn't think I would like sewing, but it's really fun! And I'm good at it. I'm pretty much a sewing ninja." See? I keep telling you middle school kids are hilarious.

Cade has been passing the time by attending many basketball games and cheerleading practices...and watching some Sesame Street. Truth be told, I love Sesame Street. I like watching it and I'm trying to convince Cade to jump on board. If I did have one bone to pick with them it would be...not sure how to phrase this...I wish they had more...blondes on the show. Just one kid who looks like my kid. I appreciate multi-culturalism, don't get me wrong. But what would be wrong with having just one blonde, mid-western looking, Christian kid on the show? Matt says technically Big Bird is blonde...I say, technically not and actually his appearances have been brief lately. Check it out...you'll see what I mean, or maybe you'll just think I'm crazy.

Anyway, in other Cade-centered news...

Cade has been frequently re-organizing the pantry...

Chewing on anything, but preferably water bottles...

Being pushed around on his new car

And actually we've found that I'm a much more aggressive "driver" than Matt. (I already knew this).

Cade's been hanging out with his friends Isaac and Wyatt (not pictured) and they even joined us for a MNU game!

It's been so warm we got to hit the pavement for another run last week! It's been awhile!

We traveled to Emporia to watch Cheerleader Barbie and hang out with G-Mom & G-Dad

Cade LOVES all the cheerleaders in his life!

Cade had so much fun with Cheerleader Barbie over the weekend! She is so good with him.


Now she's off to Manhattan for a campus visit. She's trying to decide between KSU and Oklahoma State (our parents' alma mater). I can relate, I had that same battle. Part of me wants her to choose OSU just because that's the path I never traveled. But I know she'll be successful wherever she ends up. She's just that way. Collegiate Barbie. Wow, how the years have flown by. I get all weapy thinking about it. And my mom DEFINITELY gets all weapy thinking about it.

To end this random post...one of Matt's players suffered a gruesome injury in the last home game. Check out the article in the KC Star about it.
Don't scroll down if you have a weak stomach...this is your warning.





Oh, ouch. The image of his leg flopping is forever ingrained in my mind.





Remember...I warned you.

Babyproofing 101

Let's start with Auntie G and Snowflake Barbie having a little fun with Cader over the 3-day weekend. This mask from Los Cabos sure has come in handy.

Sidenote: Now please, please check out Jamie's post from when Cade got the mask, please. She's hilarious. You'll love it. Then come back.

Because we've got Babyproofing to talk about. We've been slowly taking the steps to baby proof as Cade has become more mobile (and as we get more relaxed about him exploring).

Normal babyproofing


Cheap babyproofing

Creative babyproofing

Yes, that's plywood wrapped in quilt batting with fabric stapled on it. I know. It's a combination of innovation and white-trashness. And of course I was a little short on my fabric estimate so I had to do some pretty ghetto stapling to make it work.

But it works! The banisters on the stairs don't match up so there's really no way to hang a gate. Trust me.

Um, what the heck?


And now, creepy babyproofing.

I got this screaming sling-shot monkey thing at a Christmas gift exchange. I even "stole" it from someone to get it because I thought it would be hilarious to launch it around my classroom at kids. I mean for the kids. This thing FREAKS Cade out. He HATES when it screams...which it does pretty much every time you go near it. So now it is helping us train Cade to "stay out" from those things that are difficult to babyproof. So far, so good. I know, you're torn between whether I'm a genius or just cruel. Me too.

And let's conclude with what great helpers I have!