She's here.

This most adorable baby girl joined our lives today.  She is 6 lbs 8 oz of perfection.  She was born at 4:13pm after Mommy went into the hospital about 2:00 am with stronger contractions than what I'd had for the few weeks prior.  She is sweet and tiny and precious.  And ours.  OURS.  I still can't believe it.

We have a daughter.  A DAUGHTER.  What?!?  It amazes me.  We have such a precious little sister to our adorable son.  We are so blessed.  The first time they met was the sweetest thing.  He just kissed her and kept looking at her and looking at me.  He didn't want to hold "she", but he kept kissing her.  Such sweetness.  For months we've called her 'baby sister' because we didn't want to tell the name.  So here's how big brother looks at it, as he will tell you.....he's "his brother who is a girl named baby sister who we call Avery."  Don't mess it up. 

She was 2 weeks early so she didn't have time to fill out all the skin on her legs and all of her tiny little self.  She's got extra skin on her knees and back, haha.  So cute.  She looks like her brother in the face some, although Caden didn't look near so tiny.  Amazing what a few ounces can do on a newborn :).  She is a daughter, sister, niece, cousin, granddaughter, great-granddaughter.  We are in love.

Sweet baby girl, we love you so much already, welcome to the world
AVERY ALLISON MEYER

Caden Excuses

My little sweet potato turned 3, and I am just sure I saw him change that very week.  He is smarter.  He is trickier.  He is saying even more than before, and not missing a beat.  What's cracking me up the most this week (and making me want to smack him upside the head sometimes.........kidding......), is his excuses he suddenly has.  For everything.  All the time.  Here's a few for giggle's sake.

"I too tired," when telling him he needs to get his pajamas on (irony).

"I too busy," when trying to get him dressed for school, as he lays on the bed like a sack of potatoes while watching a show.

"I too hungry," when telling him he needs to eat his lunch (more irony).

"I can't reach it," when telling him he needs to pick up the gum that 'accidentally' fell out of his mouth and onto the floor, as he bends over and touches the floor on either side of the gum.  Once I informed him he wouldn't be chewing gum anymore if he couldn't manage to pick it up, he figured out a way to get it :).

"I'm too cold," when telling him he needs to put his coat on so we could go outside.

Haha. These are the ones he seems to whip out all the time these days. It's so funny how ironic the excuse is most the time. Oh, CW, you keep things so exciting around here :). We love you so!


Here's a couple pics of him passed out in the living room last week, after he fought a nap tooth and nail (as he always does for me), and insisted he was 'rested' after coming out of his room after an hour or so, having never slept.  This was him later in the afternoon.  Wish he would have napped, but loved this scene in the living room.  What a little cuddle bug :).

Changes in Heart on Daylight Savings

When you have a little munchkin born into your life, the whole sleep thing looks, well, a bit different than it used to.  When they are newborns you are up several times in the night and no longer know the difference between night and day were it not for the sun rising and setting.  Then we went through a stage where Caden slept like a champ, through the night, 10 or 11 hours.  That went on for a long time, over a year, so we got pretty used to that. 

Then came time for the big boy bed after he tried to escape the crib a week after his 2nd birthday, nearly landed on his head.  Once he was in the big boy bed, he seemed to wake up in the night quite frequently, once, sometimes twice a night.  Before we knew it this new pattern lasted over 6 months.  Him screaming for me, one of us going in there and giving him a drink, laying with him til he was back to sleep.  Once we, I don't know, came to our senses and realized the ridiculous pattern we'd created for nighttime, we made worked to break that pattern and once again he was sleeping all night and not hollaring for us.

By that time I was pregnant enough that I was now the problem child, haha.  First was the stage of being very uncomfortable and not sleeping well.  Just being restless.  Then came the stage (new for baby girl, never did this for Caden), where I wake up anywhere between 1:00 and 4:00 am (like tonight when typing this blog at 2:30 am) and am wide awake for an hour or two.  Not complaining, just filling you in on the sleep patterns of the Meyer household.  At any rate, that had gotten a lot better the last week or two and we were all getting a bit more sleep.

Then it came.  Daylight Savings time.  Fall behind.  There was a day when I loved this one.  "Oh, it's probably getting late and I have so much left to do.......nope, it's not as late as I thought, I'll stay up a while"......."Oh, I just woke up and my alarm is probably going to go off soon.......nope, another hour of sleep left".  It was great.  The last 2 years I didn't seem to notice it affect Caden to much.  Then came this year.  He doesn't go to sleep any earlier, yet he has been up before 6:00 every day since we switched the clocks.  This isn't a kid we put to bed at 7:00 at night.  He usually doesn't actually fall asleep til 9:00.  So this is much too early and not enough sleep for him to be waking up by 6:00 am.  He is usually a 7:00 or 7:30 wakeup kind of guy.  And it makes him crabby to be getting up this early and missing out on some sleep.  And probably makes mommy crabby too.

So yesterday morning it was 6:01 am when I heard out bedroom door swing open.  Usually I am over-enthusiastic about him arrival into our room in the morning and welcome him with excitement and open arms.  Even when I have to force such emotions :). Not yeterday.  "Oh honey," I said, "It's way too early, it's still time to sleep, you shouldn't be up yet."

Then it came.......the sweet words that melted my heart and suddenly made me feel terrible for loathing daylight savings the last few days.  "I wanted to come in here mommy and way (lay) wiff you because I wuv you and wanted to cuddle wiff you."  MELT.........MY........HEART.  Allright, buddy, snuggle in, let's watch a show.  And by 'let's' I mean you watch a show and mommy is going to fake watch it and actually sleep more, haha. 

A few minutes later the cuteness may have worn off a bit when Caden asked me to "not do that with my nose" (breathe), because it was too noisy in his ears.  Haha.  So much for cuddle time.

Someday I will miss this all so badly.  I write it all out now to humor myself, but also know that someday I will wish my little boy was wanting to cuddle much too early in the morning, and baby girls kicks in my tummy that were keeping me up at night.  Blessed.

3-0

I haven't ever really paid much attention to my age.  I guess because I always felt young, I don't know.  When people asked how old I was, half the time I'd have to count from 1982 to the year it was, and then answer, I just didn't really think about it much. 

Well, I did it.  I went and turned 30.  Freaks me out a bit for some reason.  30 sounds so grown up and mature.  Just weird.  I always thought of 30 as old.  I can remember my parents in their 30's, PARENTS.  Oh wait, I guess I'm one of those :).

Like I told Jared, if I'm honest with myself, I am long overdue to be 30/sound 'old' to myself.  I have been driving a mini van for 4 years, we have a mortgage, 2 dogs, an almost 3-year-old son, another baby on the way, and don't do anything past 9:00 at night typically.  Therefore, I am long overdue to be 30.  We fit the bill pretty well.  Jared likes to remind me he's not 30 yet.  But, he's not far behind :).  Look out, honey!  As was the case with Caden, we will be different ages when baby girl is born.  We were 26 and 27 when Caden was born.  We'll be 29 and 30 when baby girl is.  Now 26 sounds like a young pup to me :).  Jared was only 26 when Caden was born?!?!  Really??  Haha.  See what turning 30 does to your perspective.

At any rate, my birthday was coming, ready or not.  My sweet hubby is not a planner, and he organized a wonderful dinner with friends and siblings at Old Chicago for us the Friday before.  I knew there were plans in the works for that night, but didn't know details.  Then my mom of course organized an adorable Sunday dinner birthday for me that weekend, and my wonderful in-law's took us out for dinner Monday night after Caden's swimming lessons.  I am a blessed chica indeed. 

30 won't be so bad I suppose.  Right off the bat I'm gaining a daughter at 30, so who can complain?!!?

30 and pregnant

At Old Chicago with Brittany and my sis

With my (only 29-year-old) hubby

Krissy and me

For some reason that's the only pics we got - I kept

wanting to take more and it apparently never happened -

Thanks everyone who came - It meant so much to me!

Eating leftover cupcake with CW the next night

Cuteness

We had a night just the 2 of us while Daddy was at the

football game.....look at that messy face!

Eileen's cookies for me at Mom's

So girlie.  So pretty...love it :)

Mom doesn't miss a detail.....love her

The kids with pumpkins from Marci (Grandpa D's lady :))

Helping me blow out the candles

The whole gang for Sunday dinner

Helping me open presents...."wook, money mom!"

Coloring with Great-Grandpa

Washing dishes with Grandma and Marci

At AppleBee's with Grandma and Grandad

With Friends :)

We have come to know the Dudley's, Jacob and Karlene, through our dear friends the Henning's and the Flohr's.  Jacob had been overseas for 9 months, away from his daughter the same age as Caden.  What an incredible sacrifice he makes for our country.  It is amazing to me and we are forever grateful to amazing men and women like him.  He returned about a month ago and they had a Welcome Home Captain Dudley party for him at his parents' amazingly beautiful home.  And, it happened to be a Husker football night, so we all got to watch a game together too :).  Caden had a lot of fun playing with Nora and Gianna, and making new friends.  Thanks for including us Dudley's, we were honored to be a part of the special festivities :).

Nora and Caden watching a movie

Megan, Annie, and I watching the intense game

Caden snuggled in watching a movie with his new

buddy Rowan who was the same age as him

Gianna cuddling with Jared

So cute :).....not sleeping, don't be fooled.....just

looking down at the TV

A Date with T

Caden loves his T.   He hadn't got some time with just his T for a long time.  I started noticing one week that he was calling T on his play phone a lot and talking to her.  Then he started making up stories about stuff he and T did. 

"I ride on a dog and T did too"
"I gonna drive a bus, and T gonna sit in the back, and we gonna drive far."

"Actwawee (actually), Boo gonna go wiff us, and T sit in front with me while I drive the bus.  Or maybe T will sit in the front of the back by Boo, cuz we gonna pick kids up" 

"Me and T went far away over and over and over....."

Haha, this kid was planning.  I mentioned it to my sis and she decided it was time for some one-on-one time with her favorite boy :).  So sweet of her......here's a girl who works her butt of teaching middle schoolers all week and keeping up with her 8 month old, and still took a night of her week to have Caden time.  And it meant the world to Caden.

I told him she was going to take him on a date, and he couldn't wait "to go to a date" with his T.  All day it was all he could do to be patient and wait for that time to come :).  We put on khaki pants and gel in our hair.  Studly, to say the least :).

They went to the park and had a picnic.  T even let him sit on the picnic table to eat.  They played at the park.  Then they went to McD's for icecream.  He was grinning from ear-to-ear the second she came and got him and couldn't quit smiling when he got home.

Thanks for making him feel so special T, he loves you more than you will ever know :).

Cool Weather. Football. Bring it on!!

Caden gets really into football, although I know he doesn't totally grasp it all :).  What I mean, is when Daddy and Boo or Mommy and T are going to a game, he wants to see if he sees them on TV all the time while watching the game.  I always thought that was cute, that he was watching for the crowd I assumed, and then one day I realized that was not the case.  Daddy and Boo were at the game and CW and I were home watching.  "Daddy gonna get that guy and hit him and frow da ball for points, woohoo!!"  Oh boy, he thinks they are actually playing when they go :).  How adorable.  And his cheering the Huskers on?  "Go Big Red Huskers!"  It's pretty cute.  Any football game on TV is Huskers. 

Any football game in general is Huskers, actually.  Caden is always wanting to go with daddy to the games.  Not quite yet, buddy :).  My cousin Zach Heitkamp plays for Syracuse, and we went to one of his games.  All week CW talked about going to the game and watching Huskers play.  I don't think he was fooled once we actually got there, as it looked much different than all the hoopla on TV.  He was pretty quiet for a while and just kept looking around.  Needless to say, whatever football game it was, he realized it was lots of fun :).  We all had a good time.

Just getting to the game.....not interested in taking a pic :)

Iz cheering on the team!

Eating popcorn with Tom & Grandpa

Grandpa and Mini Grandpa 

This kid makes friends everywhere we go

Playing football with Grandpa

Walking on the field after the game.....big stuff :)

A Day of Us

"I want to rock she"

"You hear that?  I peed!"

"Ah, she up!  It's okay Iz!  I here.  Ah, you pretty girl."

Um, I'm up.....

A morning stroll

Story time before nap time. 

Reading Jungle Jive.  A favorite :)

Love each other.

Chilling with the pup

"Oh no, my car's broke.  I'll fix it."  (Put on safety

goggles and hammer it to death.  Hmmm.....)

Sunday Morning with CW

I do nursery committee every-other month at church, so my 'off' months I don't go as early.  So, since September is an 'off' month, Jared goes to do Middle School Sunday School at 9, and we meet up with him for church at 10:30. 

Caden slept in 'til 8:00 today.  Too bad baby girl decided we should be up from 4:00 on.  Oh well, I'm sure she'll come out cute and it'll all be worth it, right :)?  Haha.  Anyhoo, before he came and got me, he ran into the kitchen and found the powdered sugar Donettes that Grammy had let him buy at Walmart.  He came running into my bathroom with them, as happy as can be, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Oh, are you going to have some donuts buddy?"
"Ya, just two or free mom, not awott, I'm going to just save awott."
"You can fill your tummy up honey, those are a special treat!"
"Oh, cool, okay mom, I'll fill my tummy, fanks!!!" (thanks)

A little while later he had some change that Grammy had also given him (and he'd kept in the jack-o-lantern carrier Grammy got him.......oh, Grammy :)).

"Caden, we should bring that change to church this morning.  That could be your offering at Sunday school."
"Huh?"
"Your offering, money for Jesus that you could give."
"Um, no fanks mom.  I just want to give this money to my piggy not to Jesus." (piggy bank).

Guess we have some work to do on the lesson of tithing :).  We have some time I guess.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Caden the Nature Center Guide

Caden went to Grandma and Grandad's the other night while we went to dinner for a friend's Birthday.  He of course had tons of fun as always.  They make their time with him ALL about Caden, and love him to pieces.  He always loves going over there and has big plans for them, haha.

We picked him up, and he of course didn't want to leave.  After we finally got him out the door, Grandad showed him a big spider web out front.  Then another.  Then Caden spotted the spider in each.  Then he spotted a little frog on the driveway. 
Pretty soon it became Jack Hanna, er, Caden Meyer's Nature hour.  He said he needed a flashlight so Grandad of course was sweet and got him one. 

"Okay guys, everybody come with me.  Here's a spider and web.  You see it?  You like it Grandma?
Here's another one.  Okay, follow me to the froggy.  Girls, everybody come."

So we all play along and all four follow him.  He shows the frog.  His webbed feet and how he hops.

"Okay guys, you stay here.  I'm going back to the spider (pronounces it cider) web".  After getting to the spider web, his plans changed.

"Okay, everybody, woo-hoo (clapping) come here right now please."

So, we went back to the spider web.  Soon it was time to crush him dreams and call it an evening.  He was of course crushed for life.  Or 2 minutes until he started to fall asleep in the van, haha.

So thankful for all of his grandparents living so close and always being so good to him.  He loves them all so. 

While Mom's away.....

 I went to KC last weekend with my mom, sis, and Iz.  We had a blast shopping at Legends, eating, and hanging in the hotel. 

While I was gone, Jared went above and beyond to make sure and CW had fun, and it was plain adorable :).  He moved the TV out to the patio on Saturday so he and Caden could be outside and watch the football game.  Mind you our TV is mounted to the wall, so it wasn't a quick task by any means.  Then, he made a little fire pit and built a fire for he and Caden.  How cute is that?!?!

Saturday morning while Jared worked Caden hung with Grandma and Grandad.  They are SUCH wonderful grandparents to him.  They took him to breakfast, to see Great-Grandma James, and to Pioneers park.  Here's his recap:

Caden, did you have fun with Grandma and Grandad?

"Ya, I did.  We went to McDonalds and got bacon.  Grandad didn't let me have eggs.  We went to Great-Grandma's at she house.  We went to park where daddy ran.  Me and Grandma ran.  I beat she."

I got clarification from Sherry a bit :).  They didn't go to McD's for breakfast, but he did have bacon.  And the meal he ordered didn't have eggs, but grandma and grandad's did.  And, they went to Pioneers park and Sherry told him that his Daddy used to run cross-country there.  He doesn't forget anything. 

Sunday morning they were up early, Jared said they actually could have went to first service at 9:00.  But time got away from them I guess and suddenly it was 10:40 and they were just leaving for 10:30 service :).  So, they went and got donuts and played at the park instead.  Caden's recap??

(As he is on the letter 2 steps below Jared while Jared paints the house.....told you he was patient :)).....

"Ya, we not go to church today cuz daddy messed up." (Haha, Jared told him he'd messed up on time so they wouldn't make it.)

"We just got donguts (donuts).  It's okay.  We can go to church another day, because it's God."  I'm sure Jared talked to him about it being okay missing, but of course his interpretation is cuter :).  Love it.

Did you watch the football game? 
"Ya, we did.  I like games.  Go Big Red Huskers.  And we build a big fir-er.  I love fir-ers.  Do you wike fir-ers mom?"

That night he and I went and got s'mores stuff so he and daddy could show me their fire and make s'mores together.  He insisted we buy "marsh-a-woa's".  He's so delicous :).  So that night we had a family campfire.

Boring mommy made him put bug spray on.

"I coze me eyes, mom!  Can I open 'dem??"

How he eats a s'more......lot's of marshmallows

And a giant graham cracker, please

Cuddling with daddy watching new Lorax movie

on patio.  Yes, Jared brought the TV out for him again :)