What Sunday afternoons are made for...

There's nothing better than a rainy and cool Sunday afternoon in the fall. While Cody visits his best friend's house to watch football, I enjoy the smell of Pumpkin Roll melting in the Scentsy pot...

...and the anticipation of a craving satisfied -- Chicken Tortilla Soup warming in the crockpot.

Our sleepy little one enjoys playing with Thomas the Train... pushing him around the tracks over and over again...

...and our big boy practices his Mario skills. He's getting pretty good at that Nintendo 64.

And once the kids go down for naps, I make use of the piece and quiet... football on the TV... browing Pinterest.com for the latest yummy recipes and Christmas decor ideas... and blogging.

Here's our latest video of Jaden. His interview skills need some polishing before he's ready to be in the spotlight on our local news channel after a great performance under the Friday night lights.

Jaden Interview

Life's about to get busy again. We are looking forward to Jaden's first school pictures on Tuesday, the first game in the Dome on Saturday... followed by relatives visiting from Florida for a week. Today... it's about recharging, comfort, yummy food... and cuddles. Hope you're enjoying the comforts of Fall as much as we are.

In the midst of chaos... a breath of Autumn air

Life has not settled down for our family since our world was shaken up by Cody's health struggles in July. We are still dealing with the fall-out. Still dealing with doctor's appointments, expensive prescriptions, and days where he doesn't feel quite up to par. Still dealing with a massive shake-up at my job, still being taught patience and still being reminded that when all else fails, God doesn't.

In the midst of a crazy world and a crazy life where things don't always seem "fair" -- this past weekend brought us an extended weekend and our first taste of one of my favorite things. Fall. Autumn. The season of thanksgivings, football, warm-up pants and pumpkin spice candles.

With the windows open and the boys playing happily outside, I force myself to breathe in the smells the new season brings and to look for the good even on the days when all I feel is tired. We are being taught a lot in this season of life. We are being taught to not wish for a lot of money... but to wish for enough. To not want the biggest house, but a comfortable cozy one that allows you to truly sink into it and feel rested at the end of a long day. To not pray for the "perfect" job -- but to pray to be surrounded by supportive coworkers and bosses that tell you often - "family life comes first, and our kids pray for Cody every single night."

We have a lot to be thankful for. We are thankful for a church that our entire family - the kids and Cody and I - are truly excited to go to every Sunday morning. It's amazing how Orchard Hill's teachings lately seemed to have been written just for us. We are thankful for a family that is there for us through thick and thin - in good times and in bad. We are thankful for a 3 1/2 year old that tells us several times a day, "I LOOVE you!" - and we are thankful for his younger brother that shows us he loves us by his dozens of hugs, love pats and requests to be picked up all day long. And I am thankful for bosses that ask me how I'm doing -- and truly care about the answer I give them.

To ring in this new season, we got up last Saturday morning and all got dressed in our purple best -- rejoicing in the opening kickoff of the season. I happily went down to the storage room and opened up our "harvest" decorations box. Nothing beats mason jars filled with cinnamon potpourri, a glowing candle that permeates the smell of pumpkin and maple throughout the quiet house after the kids to go to bed... and flowers that remind you of what the trees will soon look like when Fall is at its peak.

And it wouldn't be Fall without the annual Wing Ding. I'm not sure why this event is so fun. It's crowded, it's hard to find parking, the lines at each vendor tend to be long, and you usually have to eat standing up. But -- the food is good, the music is fun, the company's great, the weather is perfect -- and it's one of life's simple things. A community event that reinforces why we live in Iowa. In September, there's no place I'd rather be. While my boss down in Texas is rejoicing that it "only" reached 90 degrees this week - I'm enjoying eating hot wings... outside... in jeans... and not sweating.

...As you can see, I had trouble getting good pictures last night. Everyone was far too concerned with eating! This year's Wing Ding wasn't quite as busy as years past which helped us get the boys their food faster. And Jaden had SO much fun at this event. He was glued to Papa Bob's hip as they share a love for music and drums. Brandon did a good job at the beginning, but the noise from the band and the crowd got to him a bit. By the end of our night, he was thrown into hysterics and nothing made him happy. He kept pointing at the band and then running in the opposite direction. He's just not as impressed with drums as his older brother at this point. ;) He kept running to the outer edges of the park and trying to escape! Jaden's one request during the night was that the band play the UNI Fight Song. That's my boy! After we got  home, I received a text message from my dad stating that he talked to one of the guys in the band about Jaden's request... and they said they would try to work the Fight Song into their show next year. ;) This band is now all Jaden can talk about. "I want to go back to the band shelter!" 

We are now looking forward to a fun weekend. Grilling some pork chops tonight, a wedding tomorrow night (while my parents babysit the little ones), and then Cody is very excited for his first Sunday of NFL football with his buddies. And though our beloved Panthers play in Texas Saturday night and we won't get to watch it or even listen to it... I'm REALLY hoping they come home with a big win! (And that my dad will send me game updates every five minutes while I'm at the wedding!)

Happy Friday everybody!

One and a HALF!

Today our sweet Brandon is officially 18 months old... one and a half... very close to TWO. I feel like every time he ages another month I say the same thing - "I want to bottle him up just as he is now and keep him like this forever." I so much do not want my youngest - my baby - to grow up on me. I threw away our last bottle in July. I cried. (Throwing away our last bottle combined with Cody being in the hospital was a little too much for me to handle all at one time!) My dad asked me the other day, "What are you going to do with the crib here in a few months?" ...I'm not ready to not have a crib set up in our house. That crib has been a huge symbol in our lives for the last 3 1/2 years. I remember when I was pregnant with Jaden and my parents called us to the Simpson's Factory Outlet on Main St., telling us that they found the exact kind of crib they thought I wanted -- and it was on sale. I was so excited to take that crib home with us. That seems like it was just yesterday. Cute baby bedding and mobiles and crib bumpers have brought joy that I'm not ready to pack away yet.

But... all of that being said... it has been so much fun watching this little boy grow up a little more every day. His little personality possesses the best of both worlds - independence mixed in with being a mommy's boy - feisty mixed in with sweet - wild mixed in with cuddly - stubborn mixed in with helpful. He's our squishy little piece of baby heaven.

A couple of nights ago we were out on a walk as a family. Cody was pushing the stroller, and I was walking beside it. Every once in a while, Brandon would reach his hand out to me... he would hold my hand while I walked beside the stroller for a few minutes and then let go. A few minutes would pass... and he would reach his hand out for me again. Sweet. The other evening, each of the two boys had their own snack cup filled with goldfish crackers. Jaden's was almost gone, so he kept leaning over to peek in Brandon's cup. Brandon immediately pushed Jaden away every time as if to say, "Oh no you don't." He didn't do it in a mean way - but was aggressive enough just to show Jaden he wouldn't be messed with.

*He goes to bed around 8:30 every night and usually wakes up between 6:30/7:00 every morning. He sleeps through the night but averages one night a week where a dream or something wakes him up. Most of the time he can put himself back to sleep after just a minute or so of whimpering, but in the last few weeks there have been two nights where he has had to lay in bed next to me for a while before feeling comforted enough to go back to his own bed.

*He naps better now than he used to. We used to be happy if we could get him to sleep an hour to an hour and a half. Now he averages two hours... sometimes more. I credit the tubes in his ears for this. Putting the tubes in his ears made everything better and easier.

*He's been using spoons and forks on his own for months now. Every once in a while he needs some help with some of the trickier foods... but most of the time he refuses help. He also has recently learned how to drink out of a straw.

* He does not say many words very clearly, but he communicates very well and is always "talking." Words he has said at least once or regularly include: Mama, Dadda, Nana, Papa, Ella (his cousin), uh-oh, cracker, thank you (although it sounds nothing like thank you), and qack-qack (for duck). I'm sure there's more that I can't think of at the moment. He doesn't say no or yes but shakes his head for no and nods his head for yes. In fact... shaking and nodding his head are communication tools he uses very effectively.

*Though he isn't really speaking yet, there's no question that he's completely comprehending what we're saying. He follows instructions and answers questions with a shake or a nod of his head all day long.

*He loves to clap his hands for himself when he knows he's done something well.

*Has recently discovered the talent of "winking." His winking involves squeezing both of his eyes shut tight for long periods of time. It's hysterical... and he knows it.

*Is a monkey. That kid LOVES to climb anything and everything. And he's getting better and better at it. He has struggled for months climbing onto Jaden's bed but just discovered how to do that this week. The other morning I came out of the bathroom and he was JUMPING on the couch and laughing at himself. I told him to sit down, but before I reached him he managed to propel himself through the air off the couch in a perfect front flip landing on the floor on his back. He didn't cry, but stayed on his back for a minute and kind of scowled at me. I simply said, "That's what happens." He got up and hasn't repeated that since... but I'm sure he will.

*Because he's a monkey and a wild child, he is very difficult to take out to eat. He does not like to sit still for long periods of time. He doesn't have the appetite that Jaden had at his age so he's not entertained by food in the same way Jaden was.

*Whenever I sing "macho man" he walks around the house like a Sumo wrestler.

*Loves his big brother. A couple of mornings ago, Jaden was sitting in the recliner eating his yogurt, and Brandon climbed into the recliner and positioned himself right on Jaden's lap. Jaden didn't really like this because he couldn't reach his yogurt anymore... but Brandon was just trying to cuddle with him.

*Waves hi and bye to everybody and also blows kisses to the people he knows.

*Right now... he's a mommy's boy. When he was younger, he favored Cody. Mommy was good for some things, but you could tell that Cody was his first choice. Now the tables have turned. And I'm completely okay with that. :) Although I do feel a little bad about it... I think part of the reason for the change was Cody being gone in the hospital and then home and sick for so long. Brandon relied on just me for a very long time.

*Has recently started coming up and giving hugs for no reason at all. I'll be standing somewhere, and all of the sudden he comes over and wraps his arms around my legs for a few moments before running off again. I love it.

*Doesn't like when I sing along to songs on his movies or shows. He holds his hand up and screams at me as if to say, "Stop Mommy!"

*Is extremely ticklish along his diaper line on his thighs. This brings out the BEST giggles.

*Loves fruit, hates vegetables and eats his best dinner when it's goulash. He has to have a yogurt every morning as soon as he wakes up, and he's also discovered the art of dipping things into ketchup.

*Is doing great with giving up the pacifier or "binky" as we call it. I thought we were going to have a LOT of trouble forcing him to give this up, but he's done great. A couple of weeks ago I decided it was time to start restricting the binky to only bedtime and nap time. He caught on right away. Most of the time he throws it in his crib first thing in the morning before we even get him out of bed. Sometimes he forgets, but if I ask him to put his binky in his bed he does so without giving us any grief.

*He's been sticking his fingers far back into the corners of his mouth for a couple of weeks now. I haven't been able to see any signs of molars coming, but he acts like it every once in a while. He's had all of the rest of his 16 teeth since he turned one. That made for a rough first year as he was often getting three - sometimes four teeth at a time. (Not to mention the several ear infections he endured). We've had a nice long break from teething, but those molars are going to be showing up anytime I believe.

*Has already had two or three skinned knees caused by cement, but hardly makes a sound when it happens. He just gets up and continues running.

*Loves to be chased around the house.

*Wears an assortment of sizes. His shirts are getting bigger - most of the time he fits in 18-24 month shirts, but could wear 2T if needed - though that would be a little big for him. His pants need to be smaller. One pair of shorts he wears right now are sized 6-12 month. His one piece outfits vary as well... one little romper outfit is 12-18 months... a couple of others are sized 18-24 month. He doesn't need ANY clothes for this fall/winter because Jaden has so many hand-me-downs. Some of the pants that Jaden wore his first fall/winter were way too long on Brandon this past winter... but will probably fit him perfectly this winter. He's just so much shorter than Jaden was so he's able to wear clothes longer. He's got a cute little tummy though -- so shirts get tight and don't last quite as long. :)

*Has yet to have a haircut. It took a long time for his hair to come in, and it's very fine. His hair is the opposite of Jaden's. I'm just now starting to consider taking him to get a little trim... just for the hair on top of his head, as it's starting to hang down substantially on his forehead and gets pretty greasy from us constantly brushing it to the side. The back of his head, however... is completely CURLY. Four times in the last month, strangers have referred him as a "she". I blame it on the curls. My SON does NOT look anything like a girl... nor is he EVER dressed like anything other than a boy. :)

*Gives the best scowl of anyone I know. And it makes us laugh. Even Jaden says from time to time, "I want Brandon to scowl at me!"

Brandon... you complete our family perfectly. We are so lucky to have your funny, sweet, ADORABLE little self in our home and in our hearts. I love you, Baby --- to the moon and back and more.

(Click on the links below for some recent short videos). 

August 17, 2011

Brandon Winking

Macho Man

Preschool!

He did it!! Jaden had his first morning of preschool today, and he did such a good job. He was shy when we arrived to the building, but he hung up his school bag, went to the bathroom, and got in line with the other kids while waiting for the teacher to lead them back to their classroom. I took the morning off from work so that I could take him out for a little breakfast and then be the one to drop him off and pick him up.

He was excited to show me that he was starting "three year old" preschool today. :)

At the last minute, Cody was able to meet us at the preschool to watch Jaden join his class. We got Jaden a special UNI bag for his school bag... the teacher requested not using typical back packs because at the age of three, the kids get frustrated when zippers get stuck, etc. She said it's much easier to have a bag just like the one we found at HyVee for a DOLLAR. ;)

It was so funny to see all of these young children try to form a line next to the wall while parents took pictures and shot video. Jaden stayed there so patiently, and only walked away from the line once to give me a last minute hug and kiss. He has more boys in his class than girls... which is perfectly fine with me! Can't wait to see and hear about what he learns over the next several months! As Cody and I walked back to our cars, the idea finally hit him that we will be having "first days of school" for several several years now! And I love it!


When I picked him up at 11:30, they had all the kids running around in the big gym chasing each other. At one point, Jaden tripped and another little boy walked over to him, bent over and patted Jaden on the head to make sure he was okay. He is going to have so much fun making new friends. Jaden then told me on the car ride to daycare that he wanted to go back to preschool! He loved it. :)

Summer Nights

July was hot and tough. But August has proven to be almost perfect. And so we have been soaking up every last bit of summer. It's true that I've been counting down the days to Fall. I'm anxious to put out my fall decor, buy harvest candles and carve pumpkins. I'm ready to come home from work, throw on a sweatshirt and enjoy cozy evenings with two little boys in jackets... taking walks as we watch the sun set a little bit earlier every night.

But... for now... we have a great nightly routine going on. Come home from work/daycare, grab a light snack while we prepare dinner, eat our supper... and then outside we go. In fact, the minute Brandon gets down from his booster seat at the table, he makes a dash for our back door and tries to turn the door knob by himself. He knows what's next.

We have an assortment of outdoor activities that the boys enjoy every night in our own backyard. But to start off, Brandon usually just likes to run around and explore. To see what bugs he can find and what birds are flying above him in the sky. His little personality just blossoms more every single day. Sometimes I think I literally squeeze him too tight when I give him hugs. I can't get enough.

(The picture of him holding his hand up is his way of asking for the camera.) ;)

Brandon tries to copy his big brother. He's figured out the t-ball set, and though he can't hit the ball very far (he has no idea how to hold the bat correctly), he likes to place the ball on the T, tap the ball with the bat... and repeat the process a few times -- often clapping for himself when he's done.

Jaden is loving his motorized John Deere tractor. It has two speeds - medium and fast - and can be put in reverse. He is turning into quite the skilled tractor operator. While he used to just drive it forward and in circles, he now likes to challenge himself by putting it in reverse and trying out different driving patters. He does refuse to use the fast speed... but I'm sure that's the only speed Brandon will want it on when he's old enough to take it for a spin. Jaden also really likes his bike, and plans are in place to get him a "big boy" bike by next summer.

The kids also enjoy climbing on their slide/fort, playing in the sandbox, pushing their mower around (a toy they often fight over), playing with chalk and swinging. There is nothing better than a tree swing. Brandon enjoys it, but for some reason only Mommy is allowed to push him. If anyone else tries to push him... whether it be Jaden, Daddy... or even Papa - he gets angry. He's a goofy one.

Most evenings are ended with a walk around the neighborhood. The UNI quarterbacks coach lives nearby, so Jaden often mentions walking to the house where the "UNI football coaches live!"

These two boys are so much fun, and I am a very lucky Mama.

Preschool Orientation

Last night Cody and I attended Jaden's preschool orientation... a gathering of parents put together by his teacher/leaders to provide us with a quick 45 minutes worth of information for the upcoming year. And if last night is any indication... I am going to be an absolute mess on his first day of kindergarten.

Jaden will be attending preschool this first year on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:45-11:30. Next year he will switch to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. So... we ease into the school routine this year. I'm starting to think the easing into it is more for my benefit than for his. I'm not sure I'm ready to send my first born off into this next journey of his young life. Last night we were given a packet of information. As Cody and I sat down waiting for the orientation to start, I opened up the first page to find an alphabet worksheet depicting the correct way in which to write each upper and lower case letter. I immediately got teary-eyed. Cody looked at me like I was nuts. The teacher, Mrs. W, spoke of field trips, progress reports, Christmas programs and class pictures. Class pictures?? But... it was just yesterday that we were scheduling his one-year pictures.

Then we went to see the new preschool classroom - they moved rooms around over the summer so we were shown the newly arranged room 145. I looked around at the books, different play stations, numbers, letters and children's names on the walls. And I got teary-eyed again. Cody said, "Nicole, this is just the natural progression of life." I guess so... but it came on way too quickly.

So here we go. Between Jaden and Brandon, the next four years will be spent at Blessed Beginnings Preschool open houses, Christmas programs, parent-teacher conferences and field trips. The next 17-18 years will be spent helping with homework, volunteering to help in classrooms and providing class treats for "Fall Parties." I'm so excited for you, Jaden. I know you'll do great. As you often say, "You totally rock!"

Congratulations Matt and Annalisa!

This weekend my best friend from high school - Annalisa - got married in Cedar Falls. It was a really fun wedding, and I had the chance to sit at the same table with some other really good friends from high school, too. We spent a couple of hours reliving the best memories we have from our time together. Annalisa went to college at Iowa and then moved out to Colorado so even though we have stayed in touch, we rarely see each other. It was so nice to see her again - and I admit to shedding a few quiet tears as I watched her walk down the aisle! We had a lot of fun together "back in the day." She is such a good person, was such a good friend to me... and we never failed to make each other laugh over the silliest inside jokes that no one else could understand!

Congratulations Matt and Annalisa -- our family wishes you nothing but the best!! Thanks for including us in your special day. :)

And one other photo collage...

About a week ago, Brandon initiated a wrestling match with Jaden. These two LOVE to wrestle!

Calling on Faith...

Cody and I couldn't possibly have more on our minds right now. We are awaiting more results of medical tests that were performed on Cody yesterday because his health is still not good. My job is literally "on hold" as a major transition is being discussed that could have a great outcome for our family and myself... or no new outcome at all. We have started receiving medical bills from all that Cody has been through, and we feel as though the "get out of debt" plan we put together with a financial advisor just a month before his hospital stay has now been blown to smithereens. And there are times where I feel like our family life is always in the hands of outsiders - we are always waiting on other people before we can progress forward in our daily lives. Waiting to hear from doctors/surgeons/specialists, waiting to hear from employers, waiting for the next bill to arrive in the mail. I have always said I'm not one to possess much patience - for anything. Isn't it ironic that this is the one thing that God seems to be testing me on the most lately?

And this morning, I didn't do a good job of masking all my frustrations. There are days where I feel okay though all of this... knowing it's really not "outsiders" that have our fate in their hands -- but God Himself. Only He can heal Cody - not the doctors. Only He can open doors that will help me to provide better for my family. Only He can provide for us on a daily basis what we will need to keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. But this morning... I felt stuck in a rut of never-ending doctor's visits, never-ending hours sitting at work wondering when I'm going to hear the news I so desperately want to hear... knowing I might not get the news I'm hoping for. And this heat is making me feel like a baked potato without butter and salt; hot with no personality.

So I searched for something to set me at ease... something to snap me out of my funk... something to make me see the light at the end of the tunnel again. Even though I don't really know when this tunnel we're in is going to come to an end. And here's what I found.

How God Uses Suffering

“If God loves us, cares for us, and wants the best for us, why does He allow all this suffering that goes on in the world? He could stop it if He wanted to. But somehow, He doesn’t seem to want to. What we don’t realize is that sometimes when nothing appears to be happening, God is patiently doing His awesome work.”

Reasons God allows Suffering:

1. To get our attention.  Sometimes God wants to get our attention to look to Him and pay attention to that which is important to God.
2. To develop righteousness and maturity in us. God may be in the process of building maturity in us and by allowing certain events to happen to us. He knows we’ll “grow up” and become more mature in the process.
3. To prune us. (See: John 15:1-2.) “He removes attitudes and habits that are harmful to our fruitfulness.” The whole pruning process is used by God to cut back useless things in our life to maximize our potential as Believers. He sees attitudes in our lives that don’t belong there. He prunes off what shouldn’t be there. God can’t stand stuff in our lives that cloud our vision of Him.
4. To teach us obedience. (See: Hebrews 12:5.) “Sometimes people suffer because of their own disobedience.” When we become disobedient we can expect some kind of suffering.
5. To teach us to trust Him. (See: 1 Peter 1:7.) “He tests our faith in order to strengthen it.”
6. To teach us to depend continually on His grace and goodness. 2 Corinthians 12 tells us that when we are weak, we are strong. If we want God to use us, suffering is going to be a part of our life. God uses it to teach us so we will gain wisdom. “Suffering in life and being used by God are inseparable.”
7. To manifest Christ’s life and character in us. It’s to help us to be living examples of God’s character. And God’s character shines forth in us through times of sanding, sifting and pruning. Whatever the form of suffering we encounter, there is a Divine purpose involved. “When someone meets us, they will meet the Son of God in us.”
8. To purify our hearts. A pure heart is a righteous heart—which is the will of God for us. Purity and God’s power go together. “There is no power in your ministry unless you are pure.” Keep in mind that all suffering is not a result of sin. God has a purpose in allowing suffering in our lives.
9. So we can share in the holiness of Christ. (See Hebrews 12:10.)
10. To teach us to give thanks in everything. (See: 1 Thessalonians 5:18.) “You don’t have to feel thankful to express gratitude that God is going to bring something good out of your experience.”
11. To develop character and perseverance. (See: Romans 5:1-5.)
12. To enable us to share in the sufferings of Christ. (See: Philippians 3:10.)
13. To prevent pride in our life. (See: 2 Corinthians 12:9.)
14. To broaden our ministry. (See: Philippians 1:12-13.) An example of this would be: “Going through an experience of suffering and loneliness that extended His influence.”
15. To reveal the evil nature of mankind and the righteous judgment of God. (See: 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 2.) In this chapter it says, “The wicked will be judged.”

(All of the above was found at Marriage Missions International - I have to give credit where credit is due).

I'm sure this is a blog entry I will return to and read again when I need a reminder... and I thought someone else out there might need a gentle reminder, too.

So... while we wait... we look forward to what's ahead. Good friends' weddings, football kickoff one month from today, a let down from the heat that seems to be in the works, Jaden's first day of preschool. Our calendar is filling up fast -- a common occurrence for us every year as fall approaches. We're also planning a February, 2013 trip to Disney World. Something that seems so far away now... but I'm allowing myself to focus on the "Magic." We'll be okay. And we'll keep you posted.

Happy Friday!

...Hope your weekend gives you reasons to smile!

Three... and a HALF!

Today is Jaden's half birthday. He is now closer to four than he is to three. Three seemed old to me. But four... that's... wow. That's old! :)

We are so proud of our big boy... who now several times a day tells us that he's "big and tall... like Daddy!"

He puts his shoes on by himself (completely aware of the difference between his left foot and right foot), wipes his bottom by himself (TMI??) :) -- gets himself in and out of the car by himself (we do the buckling in), helps look out for Brandon like a big brother should -- and is very excited to be starting preschool in less than a month.

July was a rough month for us, and even though I had family surrounding me to help me while Cody was unable to be home, I still had a lot of time spent with just me and the boys. Mornings, evenings, bath/shower times, trips to the grocery store, etc. Jaden was "the man" of the house. I was so proud of him. There were times he acted out and showed his frustration over missing Cody - but those times usually came when other people were around, and he was looking for attention. When it was just the three of us at home in our cozy little cottage, he was incredibly sweet, supportive and helpful.

His habits, likes, dislikes...

*Goes to bed at 8:00 and usually wakes up around 6:30.
*Likes to eat yogurt in the recliner in the mornings while watching Max & Ruby and Team Umizoomi
*Likes it when we record Bubble Guppies on the DVR so that he can watch it before bed at night. (Bubble Guppies is on during the day when we're not home... so yes... I'm actually recording shows for my three year old).
*Does not like to sleep under the covers in his bed... he has to sleep ON TOP of the covers, and he is very adamant about that. He also insists that we always have his ceiling fan on in his room while he sleeps.
*Still adores his blanky but luckily only wants it at night or when he's tired. He has a "tag" on the blanky that doesn't even look like a tag anymore. He has to hold on to that part when he's cuddling with it, and he calls it his "part." "Where's my part at??" -- and then he will search the whole blanky until he finds that tag. In fact, when he gets out of bed in the morning he strategically places "his part" right on top of his pillow so he knows exactly where to grab it when he gets home.
*Still loves anything with buttons to push, especially garage doors. This has been going on for two years now. I'm ready for it to end. It's an obsession.
*Likes to ride his little three wheeler around in circles on the driveway and get it going as fast as he can. We will definitely need to get him a big kids bike by next spring.
*Loves noodles.
*Still loves music and drums. My dad has his old drum set, set up in the basement at their house. Jaden loves going to their house to play with it.
*Is not quick to try new things. He has to study an activity for a long time before deciding that he will try it.
*Does not like to swing. But loves slides.
*Is great to Brandon except when they want the same toy. He's protective, loving, talks to him all the time and truly enjoys being with him. In fact neither one of them really likes to be without the other now. He's always sure to give Brandon a hug and kiss before they go to bed.
*Is shy with people until he gets to know them a little.
*Talks constantly. Constantly. Non-stop. He is never quiet. Brandon doesn't say much yet, and I think it's because he can never get a word in.
*Is learning more and more about prayer, God and what it all means. I think he understands as much as he can at three years old. He knows he will get to live with God in Heaven one day, tells us that God is in his heart and always with him, and gives God all the credit whenever a sickness or an "owie" goes away.
*He's still a pretty good eater, but his appetite fluctuates from day to day.
*Prefers white milk over chocolate.
*LOVES to laugh.
*Likes to read books to himself -- by making up the stories as he turns the pages.
*Is excited for football and basketball season. He makes me proud. He's going to bleed purple and gold just like his Mama.
*Is incredibly sensitive and smart.

We love you SO MUCH Jaden -- and we are so very proud of you!!