Good times, Great Friends

Last Saturday we went to visit our Friends Justin, Stacey and Asher at their new house in Maple Valley.  It's been to long since we've seen them but it's great to get together.  Their new house is so nice! 

Asher and Caden are buddies!  Asher is 10 months old and Caden is 7 months.  It's pretty fun to watch them interact at these early ages.

 Caden LOVED Ashers toys!

 Asher however appears less-than-impressed by Caden's affection

These little guys are so much fun!

Off To The Pumpkin Patch!

Wow! It is already October and we have not posted for a looonngg time! So sorry about that! Caden has changed so much and is doing all kinds of new and exciting things...that post will come in a few days when he turns 7 months!

In the mean time, we are loving the fall. The weather has been pretty good-especially these last few days. This weekend was gorgeous! We thought it would be a perfect time to head off to the pumpkin patch. We met up with David's cousin, Jana and her husband Eric, along with  their adorable children Noah and Liam for some pumpkin fun.

We are new to this experience, so we just kind of went with it and had a blast! We saw a lot of farm animals, pumpkins, horses pulling a wagon, and even tried a corn maze...until we cheated and snuck out because it was way past Caden's nap time and he was letting us know it!

We are really looking forward to the holidays. We are going to dress up Caden for Halloween and bring him to my class party. We are debating between a duck or a dalmatian...we shall see!!

Happy Fall, Everyone!

"Mom, all the other kids were jumping in this hay pile. Why am I just laying here?"

"Ohhhhhhhhh. Haaaaaaaay"

"...good texture..."

"Okay, I'll be honest.  I thought this was going to taste a lot better!"

"I want this one... and this one!"

"Oh wait, never mind, I just want my toes"

"Hey Dad, I'm sitting on a pumkin and I'm falling.  Little help here"

 Just a boy and his Pumkin.  (Liam is winning)

"This grass is still green..."

"...maybe it will taste better"

"I love Mommy!"

Pullman or Bust!

Well, we made it through my first week back to school! It was tough, especially with needing to pump like crazy for Caden and the fact that I did not not get to wake up with him in the mornings.

 Waking up to his babble every morning around 7 is just about the sweetest thing I can think of. He just carries on in his crib like he is having a conversation with Mommy or Daddy or maybe Sophie. His voice rises and falls, depending on what he is saying. Many mornings, Dave and I just lay in bed for a few minutes before going to his room, and just listen to his sweet voice. So, the fact that my new wake up time is now 4:40AM (to pump) and leaving at 6:15AM to get to school, I do not get to partake in this event for part of the week...it does make my heart a little sad. The good part is that Dave and Caden have a  lot of father son bonding time during the week. I do love that.

I am working Monday, Tuesday and every other Wednesday this year, a blessing considering the alternative. It has been an adjustment with getting up so early and only seeing him in the evening for a couple of hours before bed, but on my off days...I soak up every minute with him! I love it! I have a great teaching partner this year and a sweet class, so I get to enjoy what I love doing as my profession and enjoy being a mom-a nice balance.

Week one...Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Ron came down to help us out because I had to work everyday. My teaching partner and I agreed that it was best for both of us to be present at the beginning to set the tone for the year, so down came the Grandparents! It was a huge help to us knowing that Caden was being cared for by family. I think Grandma and Grandpa enjoyed some alone time with Caden, too!

We took our first trip to Pullman with Caden on September 8th! It was a super fun trip and Caden was a trooper considering the 6 hour drive over and the 8 hour drive home!!! It was super hot every day-mid 90's, but we all survived. I got to show him around campus and tell him all about where I went to school. The Cougs annihilated UNLV, which was a bonus!

All in all, we had a great time and it was a nice treat after jumping back into work after 5.5 months off!

Welcome to the family, Lila! Mike and Steph got a new dog and she is so sweet!

Out little (bee infested) set up

Hangin with uncle Mike

He looks SO good in crimson!

Some bedtime reading in the trailer

The day of Caden's first Coug game

Hangin with the cousins

Sarah is so cleaver!

It was H-O-T-mid 90s each day

Sophie loved her new bandana

Caden had fun aside from the heat

Caden's first Coug game

He loves playing with cousin Sarah

What A Lovely Day For Soccer!

The weather in Seattle has been FAN-TAS-TIC! I'm talking 80's every day!! I love summer's in Seattle! Unfortunately we just started this trend in August! Our summer slept in and didn't decide to show up until now. Oh well. We'll take what we can get!

Some of our friends from the east coast were in town visiting for a short weekend getaway and we thought we'd take in a soccer game. It was hot, or at least to us Seattleites! I got teased for saying how hot it was by the Virginians! Jeremy, Ellen and Jason joined us to root on the Sounders as they crushed Columbus Crew 6-2. It was a fun game and Caden loved it!

Jason, Ellen, Jeremy, David, Caden and I

Caden LOVED Jason! It was so cute to hear him giggle

"Just another day on the ferry."

5 Months Already!

I know this post is coming out a little late, but better late than never, right? I can't believe our sweet son is already 5 months old! I feel like we blinked and the time had gone. We love him so much and with each new day he brings more and more joy to our lives.

Well, so far, month 5 has been my favorite! (I think with the beginning of each month, that is my new favorite! ) He is so darn cute, I just can't get enough of him! He is still working on rolling over consistently, but does it randomly right now. The day before he turned 5 months, he rolled from tummy to back and has only done it one other time-I think it was the next day! He finally seems to enjoy or at least tolerate tummy time...phew!! I really thought it may never happen! He can spend quite a bit of time on his tummy now that he can hold his head up and look around. It is pretty cute! He kicks his feet (while on his tummy) like he is going for a swim! It cracks me up! He is really talking up a storm! He has even found a few new octives! Going into a restaurant is now much more entertaining. He has even discovered how to do raspberries with his mouth. Love it!  He loves to stand. He will stand on your lap, the table, the floor, wherever you put him. He loves it! I think he is starting to learn that mommy and daddy will pick up toys that he drops and give them right back. He loves to sit in his Bumbo and play with whatever I put on his tray. He thinks it is hilarious to swipe them off or drop them off the side and watch to see if mommy or daddy will pick them up. It is pretty funny. He has discovered that he can grab onto Sophie's fur and pull. This morning he pulled a huge fist full of her fur because I couldn't get his fingers unclenched! Sophie just licks his hands and lays back down! He loves watching her do anything, especially play fetch. That is one of our evening rituals. He also loves it when Daddy and I sing "The bright sun comes out...", a song that Grandma Kathy taught him while camping. He gets the biggest grin as daddy uses Caden's arms to make the gestures and mommy sings. We try to sing it at least once or twice a day! Grocery shopping has become a whole lot more fun for both of us. I have started setting him in the seat of the cart now. He still needs help sitting up, but he loves to look around and smile at everyone! I think he gets at least 5 people to stop and talk to him every trip! I think the #1 pick for curtest new discovery, by both David and I, would be that he LOVES his toes! He plays with them any chance he gets. He grabs on and rolls from side to side, every now and then getting a toe in the mouth! He especially loves to play with his toes when he  is not restricted by anything...yes, I mean when he is naked! He loves being naked!

We are definitely getting to know this little cutie pie better with each moment. As I return back to work this fall (in 4 days!), I am a little sad to miss even one small new discovery but I am so thankful to only be working part time this year. Between Daddy and Grandpa and Grandma Smith, he will be in good hands. I know that I can't be there for everything, but I wish I was! I'm sure that is how every parent feels about their children. I think both Dave and I would agree that parenthood has been such a blessing for us. Caden is such a gift and we thank God each and every day for blessing our lives and trusting Caden to us. We are enjoying every moment with our sweet little baby love!

Taken in full Coug gear on his 5 month birthday

Such a big boy! He still needs a little help sitting up but shopping is so much more fun now! He loves to look around at everything!

Loves his toes!

In the mouth they go!

"Sophie, come and play with me!"

"Or...we can snuggle!"