Spring Please

With the nice weather earlier this week, we cooked out on Tuesday night. And all was right with the world again. It's amazing how being outside for just a few minutes can make you feel so much more alive again. I have never minded the winter. And I still am grateful that I can experience four different seasons every year. However, maybe it's due to the fact that I'm aging (I know, some of you will laugh, but it is true -- I am getting older), but also the fact that I have a little one to entertain now -- I am READY for spring. I am ready for the evenings when I can get home from work, smell chicken on the grill, and Jaden and I can sit outside in the grass and roll the ball back and forth while Daddy prepares supper.

Cody was definitely in his element when we were able to grill out again a couple nights ago. I think it improved all our spirits. It's so much less depressing to be able to leave work when it's still light outside, too. Darkness at 5:00 just makes me TIRED. I am anxiously anticipating watching the sun go down from our backyard, while Jaden explores new territory after being cooped up inside for months. Cody's going to get irritated with me, but I think the first chance I get, I will be at the stores purchasing baby swimming pools, outdoor slides and even a sandbox possibly. I don't like being HOT and sticky and sweaty. But I do love summer nights.

Jaden is sick again. Strep throat and colds have been making waves through the daycare, and we have a very moody baby on our hands. (Just in time for Valentine's Day and what was supposed to be "date" night for Mommy and Daddy!) He has the whole runny nose, cough, tired... BLAH. He also has had some patches of red irritated skin on his face for a couple of weeks now. I thought it was just dry skin for a while, but now it has spread viciously to his bottom, and it is very sore when we go to change his diaper. So... Cody will be taking him to the doctor this afternoon so we can hopefully get to the bottom of what this rash is. I think one of the most difficult things for me as a parent is when I don't know how to fix something or I don't know what's causing something. It makes me feel very uneasy, and I hate it. I would much rather be sicker than a dog myself than to have my little baby have a cold. Please send good thoughts and prayers our way for a relaxed weekend, and for Jaden not getting too sick. Unfortunately, due to his illness he is missing his Valentine's party at daycare today. However, we did bring all of his Valentine's home with us last night, and enjoyed his first sucker! He loved it, but we did take it away shortly after he started sucking on it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Milestone Reached

Milk. It does a body good. It also does our pocket book good. Jaden is officially drinking milk -- and loving it. And this means we are no longer spending $$$$$$ on formula! After his one-year doctor's visit last Friday, we got the go-ahead to cut him from formula and give him milk at each meal. So Saturday morning, we pulled out the sippy-cup (which he was used to using because he had been drinking juice out of it for a while) - poured milk into it with his cereal - and he drank it like he'd been drinking it all along! That means no more mixing bottles, packing formula everywhere we go, having to wash lots of bottles throughout the day - wonderful! We do still give him his bottle at bed time to help him go to sleep -- we will wean him from that soon, too. He's not only drinking milk -- he is eating EVERYTHING. He had his first peanut butter & jelly sandwich last night. Jami fed him little bites of steak for lunch yesterday. He's had pizza and egg salad sandwich (Jami said he was the ONLY child at daycare to like their egg salad sandwich)! We also took him out to eat with the family last Saturday night, and he ate the chid's spaghetti plate, some of my dinner roll and french fries and some of Deanne's asparagus! He was a happy little boy with all of that yummy food.

Back to the topic of his one-year doctor's visit ---- he did very well. Weighed in at 26 lbs. 2 oz. and measured 32 inches long. He is definitely still at the top of his charts both weight and length. They gave him two shots -- one in each leg, and he barely wimpered. Then he had to get blood taken out of his finger, and he never even flinched! He was just facinated with the whole procedure and kept trying to grab the needle out of the nurses hands. Another nurse walked by and said, "What's going on -- why isn't he crying?!" He just sat there so patiently while the nurse kept squeezing the blood out of his finger. It was amazing. But not necessarily a good thing - he is like his daddy and will end up getting really hurt one day and won't tell us and we'll find out later that he's had a broken bone for a week!

Jaden also is getting very good at giving hugs. It's the best! Many times he crawls over to me while I am sititng on the floor and wraps his arms around my legs and lays his head in my lap. Last night when we got home, I had him on my lap as we were taking his coat off. He looked up at me, wrapped his arms around my chest, put his head on my shoulder and just squeezed me. Loved it! :)

He is so much fun, and I cannot wait to start taking him outside for new adventures!!

Jaden is ONE!

Life has been very very busy the last week and a half - sorry for not updating in a while. Between work and family life, I feel like I've been running a full marathon for the last two weeks!

Saturday was Jaden's 1st birthday party, and what a success! It was a full day with lots of family and little kids running around, and Jaden loved it. (Except for the balloons!) He got some wonderful presents, but balls still continue to be his first love. He devoured his cake. It started out slowly, as he wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do with it, but once I shoved his hand into it the first time, he had no problem making a mess on his own after that. Thanks to Cody's grandma Alda for her contributions in making a delicious cake for Jaden to have all to himself! The balloons... Jaden enjoyed them before the party actually started. However, we think he got bopped in the face by them one too many times as the day went on because by the end of the party, he would quickly crawl away from them if they got near him. He looked to be afraid of them! He was such a good boy the whole day - missed his afternoon nap due to all of the excitement, but still managed to stay happy. He was just in awe of all the other kids running around.

Sunday we had his one-year pictures, and that was not as easy as they have been in the past! Jaden did NOT want to sit still at all, and after the session was over, I was almost positive that we hadn't gotten any decent pictures at all. We also tried to get some taken with he and Ella in their UNI gear, and that didn't work very well either. I think one picture of them could have turned out cute - we had Jaden positioned standing behind Ella while she sat on the ground. But Jaden ended up pulling her hair, which ruined that pose before a picture was even snapped. However, once we were able to see the pictures later on ---- there were some very cute pictures that managed to get taken amidst all the chaos.

This week at work, we had our patient open house -- that was our first big event since I joined AAD, and it was a success. It feels good to have that over with since we started talking about it the first week I was on the job last September!

Jaden continues to grow and amaze us. His new thing is not wanting Mommy to be in the shower with the door closed. The last three nights he has pounded on the bathroom door when I've been in there. Last night, he managed to bust the door open and crawled right up to the shower when I was in it. Cody raced in and brought him back out to the living room and shut the door again, but Jaden continued to bang on the door and was crying until I opened the door and he saw me again. But he still continues to be a super happy little guy! (He might not be so happy tomorrow -- we have his one-year checkup and SHOTS -- yuck!) But we also get to clear it with the doctor so we can start him on milk. We are almost done with formula!!! No more mixing bottles and no more huge payments to CVS whenever we run out of formula :)

I will post the video soon of Jaden digging into his cake. :) Cody has his first home inspections tomorrow -- he's doing them for free as practice ones, but it's finally a start!!! Please pray for him and his company -- this has been a long road to finally get this thing started, and I'm proud of him for sticking with it!

Letter of Intent

"I Am"

I have a very happy little boy. He's always been happy. Though he does have his days (he's entitled - Lord knows I have them). But the last few days he has seemed especially happy. I don't know if he has discovered a new secret that he doesn't want to share with Mommy and Daddy. I don't know if his food has tasted even better lately. Maybe that darn tooth we always think he's getting (but can never see because he bites our fingers the minute we try to peak into his mouth) has finally poked through. Maybe the fact that he has been sleeping through the night for almost two weeks now (please, let that sentence not be a jinx) has ensured that he is extra alert and happy during the daytime. I don't know, but boy is he happy. And talkative. He all of the sudden is very talkative. "Na-na" is his new favorite "word." This could be for "banana" because he LOVES his bananas, and I repeat BANANA about a hundred times every time he is eating one. Or maybe he finally just discovered the letter N. But he has the sweetest little voice in the world -- especially when he's saying "Na-na." (I got to hear it all the way to daycare this morning).

I also have a rapidly maturing little boy. I don't know what it is but the other night while he was taking his bath, I looked at him and saw a glimpse of the "future" Jaden. In that moment he just seemed to grow up a little in front of my eyes. I think it had to do with the fact that he was testing the word "no" while in the tub that night. He wants to stand up in the bathtub. So we repeatedly have to tell him no -- "you might fall and get ouchy." But that night he did it about a dozen times. And every time he stood up and I repeated "no" he would stare at me, sit back down, stare at me some more and then repeat the process. But when I say he stared at me -- I mean he REALLY stared at me. Like he was trying to process every little expression on my face and every single word I said. I LOVE when he looks at me like that. It was a simple few moments that I don't think I will ever forget. It's the face I will probably remember the day he graduates high school or stands at the front of his church on his wedding day. My baby.

And much to Cody's disappointment and frustration - he is a Mama's boy. Cody says I'm turning him into a sissy. I am not turning him into a sissy. He's just at that stage. The "attachcment" stage. Last week at daycare, four days in a row, he wouldn't let me hand him over to Jami, his sitter. Today instead of trying to hand him over to her I walked him all the way into the house and sat him down by some toys. He never fussed. So that is now our new tactic every morning -- take him straight to the toys. Saturday when we went shopping, Cody was pushing him in the stroller... whenever I got too far ahead of them, Jaden started crying. Not whining/fussing... CRYING. Bottom lip pouted out and everything. Little sweety pie.

It will be a busy couple of weeks. And I am getting way too into a lot of shows now. We have the Bachelor, Jon and Kate Plus 8, American Idol (yes it's back!), Gray's Anatomy, Friday Night Lights (finally returned), Bromance (don't ask -- stupid MTV show that got me hooked), and of course, Days of Our Lives. Thank heavens for TIVO. Jaden's birthday party is this Saturday, and his one-year pictures are Sunday. Next week (on the day of Jaden's birthday) is the open house for my work, and we have a lot of staff members flying in from all over to be here. Cody's home inspection business is SO close to being up and running... very exciting. But stressful. It's been a long winter... already! I have never minded winter. But now with a little one, I cannot wait to be able to take him outside. Last summer he was too small to really enjoy the outdoors. This summer, I am already thinking of the little swimming pool we can get for him -- and the little slide/swing set we can put behind our deck. We also want to get Cody a bike and one of those little buggies you can put behind an adult bike to pull Jaden in.

I have videos from this past weekend I need to post. I will do that tonight hopefully. Until then, I leave you with the lyrics of this song -- I loved this song in high school and was reminded of it again last week.

"I Am" by Nichole Nordeman
Pencil marks on a wall, I wasn't always this tall
You scattered sme monsters from beneath my bed
You watched my team win -- You watched my team lose
Watched when my bicycle went down again
And when I was weak, unable to speak,
Still I could call You by name
And I said, Elbow Healer - Superhero
Come if You can
You said, I am

Only 16, life is so mean
What kind of curfew is at 10pm?
You saw my mistakes - and watched my heart break
Heard when I swore I'd never love again
And when I was weak, unable to speak,
Still I could call You by name
and I said Heartache Healer, Secret Keeper,
Be my best friend
And You said, I Am

You saw me wear white by pale candlelight
I said forever to what lies ahead
Two kids and a dream, with kids that can scream
Too much it might seem when it is 2 am
And when I am weak, unable to speak,
Still I will call You by name
Shepherd, Savior, Pasture Maker
Hold onto my hand
You say, I Am

The winds of change and circumstance blow in and all around us
So we find a foothold that's familiar
And bless the moments that we feel You nearer

When life had begun, I was woven and spun
You let the angels dance around the throne
And who can say when, but they'll dance again
When I am free and finally headed home
I will be weak, unable to speak
Still I will call You by name
Creator, Maker, Life Sustainer
Comforter, Healer, my Redeemer
Lord and King, Beginning and the End
I Am
Yes, I Am

Good luck Kurt Warner -- go Cardinals!!!

Big lips, Bronchitis and Best friends

It's been a busy few days for the Ubben family. It started last Thursday. My good friend since diapers, Casey Noonan, was in town from Oklahoma visiting his parents Terry and Jeri. Most of you know of our relationship so I won't take the time to explain. I hadn't seen him since our wedding last May... which is actually pretty good because we usually only get to see each other about once a year. Cody, Jaden and I went over to Terry and Jeri's along with my parents Thursday night after I got off work to have supper with them. It was so great to all be together again, but Jaden wasn't feeling real well so it was kind of a bad night for it. We only got to spend about two hours there, and I was busy trying to keep Jaden happy for most of it. It's always hard for me after saying goodbye to Casey because I am so used to him being so far away, but when I do see him I am reminded of how much I miss him. As I have gotten older I have learned that there's very few people in your life in which you can go long periods of time with no contact and then pick up right where you left off when you do see each other again. I am lucky to have Casey as a lifelong friend, and I am really happy that he and Cody are becoming fond of each other and getting along real well -- and I am so eager for Jaden to get to know him as he grows up. He already likes his "Uncle" Casey!

We had a rude start to Friday morning. Cody was out doing snow removal, and I was in the bathroom getting ready for work. While I was in there Jaden woke up and pulled himself up in his crib like he normally does. Only this time he must have fallen because he started screaming horribly and when I ran in there I couldn't at all figure out what was wrong. Ten minutes later I noticed his bottom lip had swollen to a horribly big size. That -- on top of a bad cough that was really bothering him -- caused us to keep him home from daycare, and Cody watched him all day. Cody enjoyed his time with Jaden - he said it was a good bonding day for them. Jaden was very cuddly with Cody and slept a lot. But when I got home that night I was a little concerned that he was getting sicker so we took him to Covenant's Urgeant Care Friday night. Luckily, no sore throat or ear infections (knock on wood) -- but the doctor did hear stuff in his lungs so he diagnosed him with a case of bronchitis and prescribed us with a steroid and an antibiotic. Jaden went to sleep at his usual 8:00, but when he woke up a little after midnight he was HYPER. He refused to sleep -- was talking non-stop... giddy as ever and ended up playing on the floor until FOUR in the morning! But when he woke up Saturday morning after he finally went to sleep, he looked much better already -- and he felt better, too.

Saturday late afternoon Cody's parents, Tim and Deanne, picked Jaden up to take him back to Aplington overnight and Cody and I had a much needed night out. This hadn't happened in months, and we had a really good time. We first went to the movie Marley & Me. I enjoyed it up until the end. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but after what we went through with our dog Lucky last year, it was very very difficult for me to watch. I ended up in tears and was thankful we had watched it in the theater so that I couldn't get too emotional like I really wanted to. After the movie we went to Montage -- a really nice restaurant downtown CF. It was SO good! We went for the full three-course meal. It's such a rare ocassion to eat at such a place that we felt we needed to go all-out. So we started with an appetizer of chicken empanadas and then each ordered an entre of pasta. Cody's was a shrimp pasta with a spicy wine sauce and I went for my beloved pasta alfredo with chicken. Then we split a dessert - chocolate souffle with vanilla ice cream. It reminded us of our first Valentine's together because that's where went for our date that night. We wouldn't give Jaden back for the world, but it was nice to have a night that reminded us of how we used to be -- a night in which we could focus on each other without having a baby crawling up our pant legs begging for all of the attention! After supper, we met a bunch of Cody's friends (many of whom were in our wedding) at the Pepper's back bar for some drinks -- then headed back downtown and visited a couple more bars. We didn't get home until almost 2 a.m. -- hadn't done that in a very long time!!

This morning (Sunday) we left right at 8:15 to go pick Jaden up in Aplington. I didn't want to sleep in and miss half the day with him since I feel like I don't see him enough during the week. Jaden had had a great night with his grandparents and slept really well. When we got there he took a nap, and then we took him to see Cody's grandma Grayce. We were in Aplington until 4:00 (Cody, Jaden and I all took naps there in the afternoon) -- but he was a very tired boy when we got home. The busy weekend and lack of sleep had finally caught up with him. So now we're all relaxing and Jaden is sleeping (hopefully) in his crib!

Tomorrow is another big day. Cody has to take a test for a potential job that he is applying for. There are over 70 applicants so it's a little nerve-racking. Please keep him in your prayers throughout the whole job hunt process!

Sorry there are no pictures ---- we were too busy to take any!

Peaceful sleeper

I took this picture the other night of Jaden cuddling with Cody. As busy as he is, sometimes our favorite moments are when he falls asleep and we can cuddle him or watch him snoozing in his crib. It reminds us of how innocent he still really is and how much that little boy depends on his mommy and daddy. We still look at him and think... "wow, he's really OURS??!"

The Wonderful Week Off

Well I'm sad to say that today is my last day of vacation. It's been a great 12 days off, but we're back to reality tomorrow. I'm glad I had a lot of time with Jaden this week as he continues to do new things all the time. He has discovered how to open the drawers in the kitchen when he is standing up. Luckily he is not quite tall enough to actually be able to reach into the drawers -- but that will come in time. He is getting very good at actually "cruising" when he is standing up and holding onto things. Friday he discovered how to take his pants and socks off -- thankfully he hasn't done that since, but I'm sure as he gets older he will love to "strip" down for us! He also has started pulling my hair a lot. I try to tell him "no" but he continues to reach for it and pull on it as hard as he can. He also fell in love with the Pampers commercial that played over the holidays... it showed a bunch of babies sleeping while "Silent Night" was sung throughout the commercial. He loved looking at the sleeping babies on the TV! Jaden's stuffed horse is his favorite stuffed animal still... he kisses its nose every time he sees it and pulls the horse in for a hug. As of right now, it is the only thing he likes to kiss!

Cody and I made a pizza the other night with the Pizza Pizzaz, and Jaden just sat in the middle of the kitchen floor and watched it.

Jaden is 11 months old!

Jaden turned 11 months old two days ago... that's so hard to believe! He's so much fun -- he is eating so many foods now (tried grilled cheese tonight, and he seemed to like it)! He's starting to do this little dance now every time he hears music, and he's also learning how to score baskets with his new basketball hoop. I am loving spending so much time with him during my time off.

Yesterday we took him to daycare for a little while so that Cody and I could do some post-Christmas shopping -- and we enjoyed a movie together in the afternoon -- we went and saw Four Christmases! I have posted the video from tonight... enjoy!

Christmas!

Hope everyone had a good Christmas! So far we've had a good one. (We have two more Christmases to go)! Jaden has received lots of new toys, which allowed me to put all of his old "baby" toys away... yay! He wasn't very good at opening the presents though... he never wanted to sit still long enough to do it! We spent Christmas morning just the three of us at our home so that we didn't have to rush to get anywhere. We then went to my parents' for brunch and presents. Mid-afternoon we headed to Aplington to Cody's parents. There was a cute moment when Jaden's cousin Ella, who is two and a half, sat down right next to Jaden on the floor and put her arm around him while we were watching a movie!

I got a special Christmas present from my boss. I took Wednesday off (Christmas Eve), and the company had planned to give us Christmas day and the day after off. However, on Wednesday my boss called me and told me that as a Christmas present the president of the company wanted to give all of the employees all of next week off, too -- completely paid! And we don't have to use any of our time-off days. I'm so excited!! A whole week off with nothing important to get done. I think I'm going to take Jaden to daycare one day just so that I can have a full day to myself.

Tomorrow we have Christmas with my mom's side of the family in Cedar Rapids. Then Sunday we have Christmas at Cody's grandma's in Allison. Two days in a row of nothing but Christmas... it'll be nice to be able to relax next week!