Tough Decisions
December 2014
Kaden you will come to know that family is a true treasure
to have in life. Family isn’t perfect, but it’s life filling and it’s something
that I’m sure you will come to appreciate on your life journey. Every week, you
see your grandparents on both mommy’s and daddy’s sides of the family. You love
all of your family. It fills my heart with joy to see you surrounded by so much
family. In my own childhood, I had very little extended family and always
wished that I had grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles around. Later in my
own life, I have reached out to get to know my extended family more and it
certainly has confirmed for me that I missed out on not knowing them earlier in
my life. That being said, I am so happy that you get this treasure of family
embedded in your life.
For some time now, your dad and I have debated whether or
not to make our family a little bigger so that you might have a sibling. We
have always envisioned a life with two children in our family. Growing up in
Southern California is truly an amazing place to live. There is beauty
everywhere, the weather is wonderful, and of course our entire family lives
here. However, living in California is very expensive and we have carefully
weighed the impacts of expanding our family. It has been the most difficult
decision that we have ever had to make, but finally we concluded that your
quality of life would be higher if you remained as our one and only. It’s not
that we need another child to feel complete because you truly do make me and
your dad feel completely whole. However, having a sibling is a relationship
unlike any other and we don’t ever want you to feel alone or lonely. I really
hope we have made the right decision and that any absence of having a sibling can
be filled with the beautiful relationships that you have with close friends. We
love you so much Kaden and want only the best for you. Surround yourself with
people who love you and make you happy.
August 21, 2014
Something you should know Kaden, is that your dad and I love you just as you are. There is nothing you need to do to make us love you. We give you all our love and devotion freely and without conditions.
One thing I've realized since we became parents is that there are tremendous expectations that surround us. Experts, friends, family, and sometimes even strangers have opinions about what you should be doing and when you should be doing it. At times it's overwhelming, but you should know that we wouldn't change one thing about you.
I haven't done a great job of keeping up with your blog. I'm so busy taking care of you and planning daily activities for you, but there are some things I want to make note of so that I won't forget later...
Cognitive Development: I am proud to say that you know all your letters and are beginning to recognize some words. You LOVE reading and one of your favorite shows is World World, both have helped you in your early identification of letters (you started naming letters when you were about 16 months old). What's really amazing is the connections that you draw between events in books and places we go. It really impresses me. You love the alphabet song and have recently made attempts to sing along to parts of it. You know all the primary colors and are just starting to count on your own. You know the names of some of the shapes, but not all. You are incredibly curious and fascinated with how things move. You are saying so many words and repeating everything we say (so we have to be careful). You are gradually saying more 2 word phrases and the word YES has finally entered into your vocabulary. We are beginning to have some wonderful conversations. You understand sooooo many things! This truly is a very exciting stage of your life.
Physical Development: You are VERY active. You love to run, jump, and recently you have begun galloping like a horse. I have been working out a lot lately and I love it when you join in. You do push ups, jumping jacks, burpees, and whatever other exercise you see me doing. We have enrolled you in soccer, swimming, and gymnastics. You also love to do num chucks with daddy. You don't dance quite as much as you used to, but when you do dance, you do it with pure joy. Your eating habits are typical of a toddler, as you don't eat much through out the day, but eat very well in the late afternoon/ early evening. Your favorite foods are: rice, broccoli, chicken nuggets, pho, ice cream bar (thanks to dad), pasta, mama's lemon chicken, daddy's chicken wings, apple sauce, and Annie's organic fruit snacks. You enjoy fruit, but lately your tastes have been fluctuating a bit. You seem to be starting to show willingness to try new foods, but they haven't become favorites of yours yet. You still love momma milk, but we only give it to you at sleep time.
Emotional Development: From infancy, you have been very attached to your dad and I. So much in fact, that you don't let anyone hold you (except Grandpa and Grandma). You always prefer to be with your dad and I. Gradually this past year, you are clearly starting to be more comfortable with your extended family. Your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins adore you and you are always soooo excited and happy to see them. You have a wonderful disposition, as you are always very happy (except when tired or hungry). You laugh a lot and while you are cautious in some ways, you have an ambitious personality too. Your personality is a very even mixture of your dad and I.
Social Development: You love seeing your friends. You have many. You are just starting to call some of them either by their name or you call them "friend." It is so adorable. Most of the time you play alongside your friends. At this age, there isn't a whole lot of interacting. You share well, except sometimes when it comes to your favorite car. You take a car everywhere you go. It's become your security item. You even sleep with your car every night and look for it first thing when you wake up each morning. You take your cars very seriously.
Kaden, we are loving every moment of everyday that we spend with you. Whatever you're doing or not doing, we are proud of you and love you just as you are!
Lessons I've Learned From You
December 27, 2013
The holidays have come and gone as quickly as they came. You are nearly 19 months now and I never imagined how someone so small could teach me so much. Each day I try to guide you and teach you all that I can, but some days I feel like you are the one teaching me.
Among the many lessons I have learned from you Kaden, I thank you for teaching me…
that it's okay to slow down and just play.
that development is not something that can be rushed.
how to appreciate and enjoy each moment, even the hard ones.
to listen with my heart and be present in every moment.
that moments of sacrifice are really blessings in disguise.
learning is constant and it happens under all conditions.
that free time is just as important as structured time.
patience beyond measure... with you, myself, and your dad.
that laughter is the best medicine.
to be flexible and not take life so seriously.
to enjoy the little things… although I often realize it's the little things that are
actually the big things.
These are just some of the many lessons that you teach me on a daily basis. I am so thankful that I have taken this time away from work and my career to stay home with you and watch you grow. Being a part of your life is the place I always want to be. I love you Kaden!
Someday...
September 30, 2013
Grandpa once warned me that as you pass from one stage to the next, it will become harder and harder to remember the details of the previous stages that you so quickly go through. Today you are 16 months old and I know someday when you are big and tall, I will want to remember what it was like when you were this small. So, in the spirit of cherishing and treasuring all the many amazing things you do and the beautiful little person that you are, this is your life at 16 months....
Things You Love: Books, anything with wheels, playing peek-a-boo
Your Personality: Happy and silly, cautious at times, very observant
Favorite Things to Eat: Broccoli, corn, steamed rice, pho, grapes, strawberries, oranges, yogurt, apple sauce, and of course... momma milk!
Language: The only words you say are momma and bo. You may not be talking yet, but you understand and respond consistently to things we say.
Your Sleep Habits: Nap between 12:00 and 2:00, Bed time 8:30, Wake up time 8:30
You sleep in our bed and I still nurse you a few times at night.
Teeth: You have a total of 11 teeth with 3 teeth just coming in
Height & Weight: You are 31 inches tall (85th percentile) and 22 pounds (40th percentile)
Precious Moments
August 12, 2013
"We do not remember days, we remember moments." - Cesare Proverb
It's funny how the simplest moments bring the greatest joy to your dad and me. The days that we spend just watching you walk, run, play, read, and laugh are the BEST! There is no other way that we would rather spend our day. You are at such an exciting stage of life right now and I'm trying so hard to treasure these moments as they pass by so quickly.
You began walking just before your first birthday and now you are literally running and climbing everywhere. There are times that I almost can't remember what life was like before you reached complete mobility. I love how you point and "talk" constantly through out the day. You run from one corner to the other corner of the room just beaming. As you look at books, you have those favorite pages that you constantly flip to and point at as you so enthusiastically express how much you funny you think the penguin is or how you wish you could ride that tractor.
When dad comes home from work, you LOVE to "help" him water the plants in our small little patio garden. But your absolute favorite part is when daddy waters you. You squeal with such delight and laugh with such pure joy. It literally makes our whole day.
In the quietest moments, it feels surreal that I am so blessed to have such a beautiful, healthy, smart, and happy baby. As I sit beside you in our bed, I feel at peace knowing that you are off to such an awesome start in this journey we call life.
I promise to always and forever give you all the love and support that you need as you venture down different paths. I love you Kaden!!!
Immeasurable Joy
There are many life lessons that you will learn in your lifetime. One of the things that you will learn as you grow is that there is a tendency that exists among people to think that they need to quantify and measure everything in life.
The truth is however, and I am sure you will realize this in time is that not everything can be truly measured.
For instance…
I can measure your weight and height, but I cannot begin to measure the degree to which you explore and discover the world around you.
I can measure the ounces of milk that you drink, but cannot measure the power of our mother-son gaze while I feed you.
I can measure the hours that you sleep, but cannot measure the degree of security that you feel when you sleep so soundly as you are nestled in my arms.
I can measure the number of words that you speak, but can never measure the way your laughter makes time stop and makes me feel the greatest sense of happiness and love.
I can count the number of teeth that you have, but can never measure the way that your smile lights up my world.
I can count the number of hours that I spend with you each day, but I could never measure how each moment I spend with you leaves an imprint on both our hearts.
I love you Kaden immeasurably... always and forever!!!
Always try to remember that "not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted."
Missing You
February 3, 2013
There are times Kaden when I have to leave to either work or go to school. I always kiss you goodbye and remind myself that it's okay to separate. I tell myself that you will be okay and that leaving to allow others (like grandma, grandpa, and daddy) to care for you is enriching your life. I know it's good for you and also for me.
Yet this knowledge doesn't prevent leaving you from being the hardest thing I have to do. I frequently call to check in on you and see how you are doing. Grandma, Grandpa, and daddy always reassure me how well you are doing and how happy you are. While it's comforting to know that you are okay, I still miss you. I feel as though a piece of me is missing when I'm not with you.
The funny thing is that when I return from being away from you, the same thing happens everytime. You look at me and smile and then immediately start to cry. You hold your arms out and insist that I hold you right away. It's as if you didn't realize that I was gone until I returned.
In so many ways, I too never realized that there was an empty space in my heart waiting to be filled... until you came along. Thank you Kaden for filling my heart with the greatest love and joy that life has to offer. I love you so much my baby.
A Whole New World
January 18, 2013
You have recently reached a huge life milestone that has completely changed the way you interact with the world. Just a few weeks ago you began CRAWLING! It's amazing to watch you explore and discover everything around you with such joy and excitement. Before you became mobile, you had no choice but to sit and wait for things to happen around you, but now you move around and go after the things that interest you. Your own sense of wonder drives you to find beauty and excitement in literally everything around you. Just today, you crawled outside our bedroom. You were holding a plastic block in your hand and you began to tap it on the wood floor. Your face just lit up with excitement at the discovery of the noise that this little object made on a different surface. You kept tapping and tapping and soon enough you were just laughing with joy. Moments like that have made me realize that there is no such thing as simplicity in your eyes. Everything is new, exciting, and extraordinary. Thank you Kaden for helping me see the world through new eyes. I love you Boo Boo.
The Journey Has Only Begun
Becoming your parents has not only transformed our lives, but has filled a place in our hearts that we never knew was empty. You truly have completed us in a way we never imagined was possible. Thus far, parenthood has been filled with some the happiest and also challenging moments that we have ever faced. It's been an awesome ride and the journey is only just beginning. Your dad & I both are completely overwhelmed with the joy and fulfillment of being your parents.
Kaden, you are the center of our world. You're the first thing on our minds when we wake each morning and the last thing on our minds when we fall asleep. We are so committed and dedicated to meeting your needs and nurturing you to be a happy and healthy person who will love who you are & others with all your heart.
We love you Kaden!
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