Our Baby is THREE!

How on earth is our baby boy THREE years old today? 

Where has the time gone and why does our baby boy have to grow up so fast?  I know I've heard every parent say this my whole life, but now we really know what they mean.  We are learning to savor every day, every stage, every age.  Because life just goes by way to fast. 

Kaden Angus, you crack us up with your personality.  Your Daddy and I laugh all the time at the things you say and do.  We can't wait to see what you'll do or say next. 

You are so smart.  You love to read books and watch your favorite movies, Bambi, Dinosaur Train, and Olivia.  You love to write and draw on paper.  And paint, you would paint all the time if I would let you.  You love to cook and want to help me cook every meal.  We have made cupcakes together, as well as pancakes, waffles, breakfast, fried pork chops ( you love to batter them), and anything else I will let you help with. 

If you could you would live outside.  You hate coming inside at night when it gets dark.  You are perfectly content to play outside the entire day on Saturdays and Sundays.  You never get tired of digging holes, raking, feeding the donkies, or setting gopher traps with Daddy.  Speaking of outdoors, you and Daddy had this deer come right up to our back yard and eat some feed last weekend.  You got to rub that buck!  You loved every second of it! 

Kaden, you are such a healthy little boy and we couldn't be more thankful.  You weigh 40 pounds and wear size 4T clothes.  You wear a size 12 shoe, and get a hair cut about every two weeks.  You love Mrs. Janeen, the lady that cuts your hair.  She gives you a ring pop, and you love going to see Mrs. Janeen.  You have been potty trained since last July, you never have accidents, and you are so good about going on your own now.  Your even starting to pull up and down your clothes on your own to potty.  I am so proud of you!  Now, if we could just get you to sleep in your own bed.

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY KADEN ANGUS!

Your Daddy and I love you to the moon and back little boy!  

15 weeks

Just a quick 15 week picture of the Mabe Babe #2, growing right along! 

I wore this outfit with Kaden at 28 weeks to my baby shower, I'm a lot bigger this time early!  

I am really feeling a lot better and am so thankful because this is my busy season at work.  I hope that this feeling better phase lasts a while.  I am letting my hair grow back long, and I am anxious to get it back at least shoulder length.  I was just made for long hair, I miss being able to pull up my hair.  I am so done with the short hair do for a while. 

Daddy got the hardwood floors put down in the nursery and we are starting to make preparations to set a nursery up again soon.  We are going to wait until after our February 23 sonogram, so we know boy or girl.  If it is a girl, I will be having a HUGE baby boy garage sale and selling every bit of baby clothing since birth for Kaden.  However, if it is a boy, we are pretty well set except diapers and wipes and a few different season clothes.  We are getting excited! Kaden will look at my belly, and say, "Momma, your baby is growing!"  Love that boy!

Mabe Babe the Second

I truly feel bad for not posting yet about the details of Mabe Babe #2.  I blame my laziness in this posting on morning sickness.  But, there are many distractions from my ability to post to my blog these days.  The primary one, I work more than full time as the lead Ag teacher and the FFA program schedule with my students is never ending.  Second, I try really hard to be the best Mom and Wife I can be on Saturday and Sunday's to make up for the guilt I feel for being away so much working during the week. Therefore, I try to never turn the computer on unless the boys are napping or watching a movie together.   This alone being our decided factor in my staying home next year with Kaden and babe #2.  I need my priorities re aligned.  God.  Family.  Career.    Even though my family is a thousand times more important than my job, the job takes away from my family. That being why I am staying home during the important infant and childhood years with my children.  I am not saying I will not work, or will not return to work in some capacity at some point, I have always worked, but my priority is going to be my babies and my husband.  Poor and happy will be the result.  WE HOPE!   :)

This picture was taken Christmas Eve at 10 weeks pregnant.

So, this new baby has been wearing me out since the week after I found out I was pregnant.  We found out the night of November 11, 2011.  The same day I turned in my letter of resignation for work for the end of this school year.  I love the way it worked out, because God truly taught me a lesson. 
We had been trying to get pregnant since last January 2011, so taking a pregnancy test once a month when I was a few days late had become common for us.  I wasn't late yet though in November, I had had my monthly cycle in October, and really didn't think of it as possible even.  When I left school that day after turning in my letter, I was starving and wanted french fries with ranch dressing.  The weird thing about that is I don't typically like french fries and choose other sides when that is my options when eating out.  Other weird thing, the ranch dressing.  It was so yummy though!  I got home and my hubby had cooked dinner, I wasn't hungry because I had ruined my appetite on the french fries.  I told him and he immediately said, "Your Pregnant!"  I honestly had not even thought about it.  So, I did a digital pregnancy test that night.  I left it sitting on the bathroom sink and didn't go back to check it for several minutes because I knew it would be negative anyway.  When I saw that digital print out "PREGNANT"  I screamed!  Lance came running in there thinking there was a snake or something in the house.  We were so excited!  But, in dis belief.  It certainly did not sink in for at least a week.  I took another test the next morning just to confirm, because I thought maybe the test was wrong.  It was "PREGNANT" too! 
So, I really didn't start feeling bad until the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  That was the first official queasy, nausea, yuck day.  But, after that the flood gates opened and I have been gagging at every smell, brushing teeth has become so hard not to hurl (just like with Kaden), and dry heaving a lot!  Now there have been plenty of episodes of morning sickness all afternoon and night including vomiting.  I have had acid reflux (just like with Kaden), fatigue (horrible), constipation ( I know TMI, but it's horrible!), nasal congestion, and low blood sugar episodes ( new to this pregnancy).  With Kaden I had high blood pressure, hoping to avoid that this time, but didn't want the low blood sugar substitute I've gotten so far.  I eat every 2 hours to prevent blood sugar issues and nausea.  It's fun times!  I was so sick the two weeks before Christmas Break, it was all I could do to make it to work each day.  Luckily, I decided to share early with my students that I would be leaving next year and that I was expecting.  They were so good for me those 2 weeks while I felt so horrible.  God does answer prayers!  I would pray everyday on my way to school to just get through the day.  And, I would.  To do it all over again the next day.  Christmas break was good for me to sleep, relax, and not have to worry about being sick at school.  The last two weeks since school has started back in January have been hard, but nothing like December was.  Knock on wood, I HOPE I am starting to feel better.  Plus I am now well into week 13, which means after next week I'll be in the second trimester, and everyone and everything says you feel better then.  With Kaden I think I started feeling better around 16 weeks.  So, soon I hope the BLAHS are over.
This sonogram was our very first of baby #2 on December 14, 2011.  The baby measured 8 weeks and 5 days on December 14th, and our due date was set at July 20, 2012.  I know you can't tell much about this picture, but it's our baby, that had a heart beat and good blood flow.  Everything looked healthy and good.  We were so excited and thankful to God upon seeing this baby.  It is truly a miracle the life God creates. 

I know I've done a lot of documenting the negatives of this pregnancy, don't get me wrong, I am completely happy, thankful, grateful and excited to be pregnant.  It's just exhausting work.  Pregnant women should get awards.  Seriously!  
I really feel like I am having a girl, because I feel so much worse/different than with Kaden.  But, you know I can always be wrong.  I was wrong with Kaden.  I just KNEW he was a girl.  I remember being so disappointed at first.  I absolutely can not imagine it any other way now.  I love my little boy.  And, if this baby is a boy we will love him just as much and not know any different. 
We have started talking names this week, finally.  I think it is so hard to name a child.  I can't find any names right now that I like enough to commit to for life.  I have went through every girl name and boy name A-Z and made lists of any name I even like a little bit.  Still, nothing we are in love with.  So, the search continues. 
We have a doctors appointment this Thursday, one day away from 14 weeks.  It will just be a heart beat visit.  But, we will schedule our sex sonogram visit that day, so that is exciting!  The sex sonogram should be around the week of my birthday in February.  YAY! 
Speaking of February and birthdays, we are less than 3 weeks away from Kaden's 3rd birthday!  INSANE!!!  I can't believe my baby is turning 3!  How did the time go by so fast?  He is requesting a TRACTOR cake, so I better get busy planning!

Hopefully, we will get another belly shot this week and I'll do better at giving updates on Mabe Babe #2.

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas, and more Christmas!

We have to go to four Christmas's between my family and Lance's and then have our Christmas at home with Kaden on Christmas morning.  So, that's FIVE Christmas's for Kaden!  By the end of the week, he thinks every where we go he is going to get presents to unwrap!  He got this Christmas gift opening thing down good this year.  He was so excited about Santa this year, and wasn't scared of him for the first time.  He told Santa he wanted a "Lucky" Bouncy horse.  And guess what?  Santa listened! 
Kaden received a letter from Santa in the mailbox.  He was SO excited to open it and to look at the pictures on the letter!  I kept it to put in his baby book.  I love the way he tore into it and was so excited that Santa wrote him a letter that came in our mailbox just for him. 
I sat in the chair with Kaden Christmas Eve night and read the story of the birth of baby Jesus out of Luke.  He asked lots of questions.  He wanted to know what a manger was.  He asks me a lot about Heaven and how we get there.  He also talks a lot about Jesus and God.  He apologizes to God a lot for bad things he says, like "Oh My God!"  when he knows to say "Oh My Goodness!"  he'll immediately say, "I should have said Oh My Goodness!"  You never realize how commonly that phrase is used in our society until you have a 2 year old that you are trying to guard their ears. 
Kaden has such a sweet and tender heart.  I love that most about him.  He may pop off and say something, but he will always hug us and kiss us and tell us he is sorry.  I hope and pray that he will always be so caring and affectionate to his family. 
This is Kaden Christmas morning coming out of our bedroom to see what Santa had brought him!
His Lucky horse!


I haven't written a lot of things on here about Kaden recently, but he is really growing up and turning into a little boy everyday.  I feel like my baby is long gone already.  He tells me all the time when I accidentally call him baby, that "I'm not a baby, I'm a big boy!"  I tell him he is Momma's baby, and always will be.  He pretty well knows all dinosaurs, can name them, and tell you their names, something I surely can not do!  It amazes me.  He loves to color or "Paint" with his "MARKERS!"  He loves his dinosaurs the most right now.  We have gotten about 100 plastic dinosaurs at Good Samaritans over the last month and not spent any more than $2 a Wal-Mart bag full!  We love that place for toys!  And, when he gets tired of them, we will take them back there.  It works GREAT!  Kaden has really developed a BAD vocabulary the last couple weeks that is pretty embarrassing if I am honest.  He says "BUTT HEAD!"  Which he heard on BABE the movie, thanks Disney! He also says, "I DON'T like you" any and every time he doesn't get his way.  He also picked up the word "Stupid!" somewhere.  We tryed re directing these words, correcting these words, telling him why they are bad and we do not say them, we even spanked.  Nothing worked.  Kaden is VERY hard headed, and spanking does him no good.  Very strong willed and acts like he could care less after a spanking, so that is not gonna work with him.  All I know, is maybe he'll get sick of saying them soon, or my fear, he'll pick up new words to replace it with.  Oh, the joys of parenting! 
On Christmas Morning, Kaden was so excited to see what Santa had left for him.  However, when he woke up he was convinced that Santa had not been to our house because QUOTE:  "I didn't hear the reindeer on the roof and the dogs didn't bark at Santa!"  Pretty smart for a 2 year old don't you think?


He was so into the goodies in his stocking.  He L.O.V.E.D. giving the dogs their bones from their stockings.  That was really cool that Santa remembered the dogs. 






Somebody might be a jockey or a stunt rider in their future!



Oh how we love this little boy!


Kaden LOVED the glow sticks that Santa brought in his stocking!  They were a HIT in the bathtub!  If you haven't tryed this, you should!  It's only a $1 for a whole tube of them!  Fun entertainment for several nights! 

Well, that wraps up Christmas at our house!  Maybe one day I'll get Christmas at everyone else's houses posted.  And, maybe I won't, but we had a very blessed and merry day! 

Happy New Year!

This is Kaden Angus on New year's Eve with his party antlers on eating an apple!  He fell asleep eating that apple in Daddy's lap!  Sweet boy.  We so enjoyed my two weeks off work for Christmas to share with Kaden.  He doesn't want Mommy to go back to work.  Tomorrow morning I go back to school (work), which I am not to happy about, but we are praying for a quick, happy and successful LAST semester as an Ag teacher.  That's right!  As of July 1st, 2012 we will begin our new life as me being a STAY AT HOME MOM!!! 
Baby #2 will be here July 20th, so that is good timing to stay at home.  I am so excited and thankful for the pieces God has put together in my life to allow this to happen!  I have so much to be thankful for and to look forward to in 2012!  Happy New Year Ya'll! 

Merry Christmas!

We have been preparing excited for Christmas Day for a month now.  We started with building a real ginger bread barn with Aunt Tonya and Lewis right after Thanksgiving. 
 
They had so much fun and I think we learned that next time we will just use graham crackers.  Our ginger bread roof kept caving in, but the boys had a great time! 




Kaden has really been super excited about everything Christmas this year.  It's the first year that he really "gets it" and isn't scared of Santa Claus.  He LOVED helping put up and decorate the Christmas tree. 

Daddy, Kaden and I did this little craft foam tree from Target for Kaden.  This was his very own tree he could decorate however he wanted.  He really had fun sticking the ornaments on this one!



I think Daddy even had fun!

Our front door nativity wreath, I just LOVE this piece. 

I bought this Santa at Home Depot several years ago, and I just love him, he is perfect for a country Texas family!

I have quite the collection of Mary's Moo Moo's figurines for Christmas.  I have enough to do a whole tree in cow ornaments.  I didn't get that tree up this year.  But, I did get some of my favorite pieces from the collection out.  I just LOVE this!

This is our count down to Christmas!  I want to get a different activity calendar for Kaden to do next year.

There are little hints of Christmas all over our house, and I just love it! 

I love my Christmas tree because all of my ornaments are ones that have been given to me each year since I was a child.  Most of the wooden, hand painted ones are my favorite.  They were made by Billye Kovar, my Dad's  neighbor as I grew up.  They had a wood shop and she painted and sold all these wonderful wooden treasures.  I have so much from Billye and they are so special to me.

I love these two that she made,  The Heart of Christmas is Christ, and the old country church ornament. 


Here is our Living Room arranged for Christmas.  I love our new wood floors!

Our hand made stocking my Mother-In-Law made.  Love them!

Kaden's finished foam tree! 

A quick trip to Bass Pro to see Santa!

This picture that follows of Kaden with Santa is a very long story, and it is NOT the best picture, they gave us one that is much better, but I was happy to have this one after the ordeal we went through to get his picture made.  Let's just say we probably wont go back to Bass Pro again for Santa.  On a happy note, Kaden was excited to see him and told Santa he wanted a Lucky Horse. 




We will share Christmas morning here soon and all our Christmas parties.  We hope you all have a Merry Christmas! 

We are Thankful...

This Thanksgiving Holiday, We are thankful for this precious little red headed boy, Kaden Angus, who is the light of our life.  And Kaden Angus has a Thanksgiving message of his own to share!

This shirt was so much fun to share with our families!  I didn't get a really good picture of him because they wouldn't be still long enough.  My sister Tonya and I found out the SAME day that we are expecting a baby and we are only about a week apart!  July babies!  We are SO EXCITED!!!

Kaden is two months shy of 3 years old and Lewis is five and a half.  They are the same size!  And, both gonna be big brothers!