Swimming Fun at Longboat Key

Kaden & Cousin Cy

Kaden & Donna Ma

Kaden & Norm Pa

Sweet Tea!

Everybody loves Norm Pa's sweet tea ~ even Kaden!

Beach Baby

Kaden got to visit the beach for the first time. She didn't quite know what to think of the sand, but LOVED the way the waves splashed her all over.

Fun in Florida!

Kaden took her first airplane ride to visit her cousin Cy, Aunt Alex, & Uncle Jamie in Florida. She did well considering we woke her up from a deep sleep at 6:00 a.m. to go to the airport. Thank goodness for her piggy blanket and glow worm. Together, they worked like a charm to get her to sleep in our arms.

First Date...Sort of...

Kaden went to the drive in theater a few weeks ago with her friends Jacob and Lucas. They had a great time rolling around in the back of the van. Daddy is really excited to see that she's not all that interest in boys - as you can see from the picture. Although she slept through the entire movie, Mommy and Daddy got to enjoy the animated movie Up! We recommend the drive-in to all new parents.

Swinging with Papaw

Kaden really enjoyed spending some time with her Papaw. Her favorite part was the swing. It was neat to see her swinging beneath the same tree I used to swing under when I was a little girl.

Sunglasses!

Kaden's Grandma Poppy gave her some super cute sunglasses. She loves being outside, so they make the best accessory.

Pool Fun!

Kaden LOVES the water. Although she doesn't handle the humidity very well we try to make short visits to the pool whenever we can.

4 Months and Growing...

Kaden is nearing the end of her 4th month already! At her latest doctor's appointment she weighed a whopping 16 pounds 4 ounces, which placed her in the 92 percentile for weight! She's certainly a big girl alright!

Her favorite thing to do now is cover her head with her blanket during naps. This, obviously, makes her mommy a nervous wreck. Her giggles and smiles make all the diapers, spit up, and fussy times worth it all!

First Days Flashback

Even though Kaden is already 2 months old, here is a little peek at what she was like when she was first born. Brian and I cannot believe how fast she has grown. At her 2 month appointment she weighed 11 pounds 7 ounces and was 22.5 inches long. She's quite the chunky monkey these days.

So sweet...

Kaden's Birth Story

It was two and half weeks before our big due date. It started as a usual Tuesday. I went to school just like usual and spent the day with my 24 second graders. Since it was the week of Valentine’s Day I stayed late to get some activities ready for the next day. By the time I got home around 7:00p.m. I was pretty exhausted. Brian and I ate dinner and settled on the couch to watch the UK vs. Florida game. Around half-time I got up to go to the bathroom for the 100th time that day. As I walked across the living room I felt a huge kick in my lower belly. I blurted out an “ouch” and continued my journey half asleep. Once there, I began to feel a trickle of water that I was sure was just pee. Brian, hearing my “ouch” from before, came to check on me. After several minutes of curious expressions and confused conversation, we decided it was best to call my sister to see what she thought. Thank God for sisters. My sister said. “I think your water just broke. Call the hospital.” Brian nervously sought the tiny card labeled “What to do if you think your in labor” and called the on-call doctor. “Bring her right in” were the words he heard. Since our baby was in a breech position, time was of the essence in our situation. With wide eyes and a mixture of excitement and nervousness Brian and I raced around the house to finish packing my hospital bag. Brian and I were pretty sure it was just a false alarm but we didn’t want to risk it. It was then, though, that I started to feel the tightness of the first contractions. Whewww! What an uncomfortable feeling.

It was a little after 11:00 p.m. and we were on our way to the hospital. The first thing that popped into my head as we drove down the narrow country road was Brian’s parents. I turned to Brian and said, “Oh no, your parents are going to just die!” You see, Brian’s parents were with his brother on a cruise in the Caribbean. Before they left his mom said “Now don’t have that baby without me.” I reassured her over and over again that this baby wouldn’t be early. I even joked that this baby wouldn’t come until March. Brian and I imagined how disappointed they would be if we really had our baby this night.

With Brian in the driver’s seat and my sister on the phone keeping track of contractions, I felt thankful I had them to help soothe my pain. My contractions were mostly in my lower abdomen and bottom. They were quickly becoming closer and closer together. It was around midnight when Brian drove the jeep up to the hospital’s entrance. He dropped me off at the door and quickly found a parking spot. We slowly made our way to the labor and delivery ward and got checked in. It seemed like my contractions were right on top of each other at this point.

The nurses scrambled to get paperwork completed and monitors hooked up to my belly. The nurse checked my cervix and found that I was 2 centimeters dilated. She also checked the position of the baby. Unsure if she was feeling the baby’s head or bottom, she called in another nurse. After that nurse checked, they finally called in the doctor to be sure. Dr. Guiller performed a quick ultrasound to determine the baby’s position. Sure enough, she was still breech. It was then that he turned to Brian and me and said, “It looks like we’re having a c-section tonight. Since there’s no one else in line, you’re up. We’ll have this baby out in 30 minutes.” A huge surge of emotions raced through me. I could tell the same was true for Brian. It was all happening so fast.

It wasn’t long before the hospital staff was wheeling me down the hall. It was there that Brian and I saw my sister and mom rushing to catch us. They made it just in time!

As I got prepped for surgery I finally felt relief with the epidural. The pain medication relaxed every part of my body. After a few minutes Brian came in dressed in scrubs and stood by my side. The doctor and nurses, each with their specific roles, carefully worked together. Brian watched as Dr. Guiller reached in and pulled two little tiny legs out of my abdomen. In a blink of an eye the rest of her body was out and she was laid on my belly. The whole time I watched Brian’s eyes in an effort to see for myself this amazing event. At 1:45 a.m. on February 11th our little girl made her entrance into this world – healthy and perfect in every way!