Before I was a Mom I never….

- Would have thought that in a pinch, a hand and a pair of jeans makes a nice Kleenex substitute.

-Enjoyed the sound of a belly laugh so much

-Would have thought bumping heads was funny…hilarious actually If you ask Kaden.

-Would think that string cheese, goldfish crackers, raisins and oranges constituted a meal.

-Let Molly be in charge of floor clean-up. Sometimes even baby face clean-up.

-Would have thought it would be fun to watch someone sleep... especially since I don’t like to be watched.

-Would have thought having your diaper changed was such a big deal that it required rolling, screaming and fighting until I give the 1,2,3 count and spank.

-Would have thought scrambled eggs and yogurt was a tasty combo...well at least Kaden likes it.

-Knew that “cookie” was a term used to refer to most foods.

-Would have gone to work with a handprint of a variety of things on my shoulder and then not notice until much later.

-Knew that a snotty, slobbery kiss could be so sweet!

-Would have thought I could clean up a pile of vomit from the booth and continue my meal at a restaurant.

- Carried a backpack everywhere I go.

-Thought I would have to headlock a child to get them to take medicine or brush their teeth.

-Always requested a booth so that my child would have some where to stand in the event of a highchair melt down.

-Was pooped, peed, thrown-up on by someone and then kept hanging out with them (except Scott)

-Realized just how much fun dogs were

-Heard the word “no” so many times!

But Most of all…I never

-Knew how much fun it is to be a Mom!

Just for fun

You Are Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

You are kind, popular, and generous. You tend to be successful at anything you try. A social butterfly, you are great at entertaining a crowd. You are most compatible with strawberry ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

If you’re happy and you know it……

Last night we went to BestBuy to buy some more ram for our computer. It was rather late by the time we were heading back and Kaden was very tired. On the way back he was sitting relaxed off in LaLa land and I started singing “If you’re happy and you know it……” He just stared blankly as I clapped and sang. Realizing he was tired I started changing the words to “If you’re tired and you know it don’t clap your hands”
I got all the way through the song and ended it with “if your tired and you know it don’t clap your hands.” Right on cue and on beat we hear from the back seat “Clap, clap” Such a stinker!

Detox Update

Detox update


Well we are on day 10 of nothing but fruits and veggies. We are doing pretty well considering the fact we are completely deprived of milk, meat, and bread. I have a dramatically reduced appetite which is a great thing and will help me a great deal when we get back to a regular diet. I have a bad habit of eating beyond my full point.

I have suffered through 3 meals out to Mexican restaurants. (My favorite BTW) Eating a dinner salad with sautéed veggies just isn’t the same as cheese enchiladas. The hardest part is no chips and salsa. But I have prevailed.

Yesterday I hit a point at lunch when I literally was hungry but couldn’t stand the thought of eating one more vegetable. I have found some new recipes so that is helping. If you have any meat, dairy and bread free recipes send them this way!

The good news is
I have lost a total of 15 pounds since January 9
And Jon has lost 20. Woo-hoo!

Commissioned

Well I have today officially become somewhat of a celebrity. After a lengthy application (ok one page) and rigorous training (ok a 4 hour class) I, today, stand before you (ok sit at my keyboard) as a servant of the great state of Texas, a witness to all people, and most of all I can officially charge for my autograph (a whole $6…... retirement is getting ever nearer with this dramatic increase in salary) I am a NOTARY PUBLIC! (Applause and cheers)

I know the pic is bad...don't want anyoen trying to duplicat emy stamp now do I!

Ok so before I actually became one it seemed so much more prestigious. Basically if you send a check and haven’t had any felonies you are in like Flynn. You can be sued though so keep that in mind before you start throwing your signature around. I recommend the training by Ol’ Jack. He was informative and he even told us about his cornea transplant. Creepy!

Anyway the irony of all this is that in order to be official you have to send in your application, be appointed, get your stamp and certificate and then get it, what else, notarized. After avoiding this for two weeks I finally went, it took all of 2 minutes, and got my certificate notarized. I have always hated searching for a notary and thought becoming one would be great. Don’t worry, I can’t notarize my own things…good for identity theft.. bad for me. There are literally thousands of them, yet, I can never seem to find one in a timely manner. Anyone else have this problem??

Well if you have a paper in need of a stamp and a signature you know where to find me and if you don’t well leave me a comment asking where you can acquire my services and we will see what we can do.

Drum rollll.................

As of today I have lost 12 pounds since Jan 8.....5 since last Tuesday!!!
Jon has lost 17 pounds!

We may be hungry but by golly we may eventually be skinny!

Cleansed

Well it is day 3 of the cleanse. Many of you are probably asking yourselves why would someone submit themselves to such torture. My answer to you is….I have no freaking’ idea! I am starving!

Ok, not really. There are health benefits. It will free our bodies of toxins and of course the biggest reason is to allow for weight lose. Of course eating like a rabbit for 3 weeks would do that for anyone!
Our basic routine is this
Breakfast-
Gag down… I mean …drink protein shake (banana makes it tolerable)
Choke down 10…yes 10 supplements…this is the worst. They smell and taste like grass and hay. I have yet to take them without gagging. Fun right.
Lunch
Salad with as many veggies as I can fit in the Tupperware.
A few teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and olive oil for dressing. (Ranch…oh, how I miss thee!)
Fruit
Water (At least 8 glasses a day) this by the way is a lot of fun. Considering the women’s restroom requires me to climb a flight of stairs. This should also help with weight loss ;)
Afternoon snack
Gag down 10 more supplements and more water!
Maybe some veggie sticks or fruit…if I remember to pack it in my lunch..otherwise… too bad starve!

Today I was eating a grapefruit…gone too soon I picked it up to drink the juice and this happened!

Dinner
We have been rather creative with this meal. Portobella mushrooms have been our life source and substitute for meat. Though we are getting tired of them so please provide other types of substitute veggies if you know of any.
Sunday: Mushroom, onions sautéed with sweet potato side
Mon- Spaghetti Squash with marinara and grilled leeks
Tues- Portobello mushroom burgers on cabbage leaf buns with veggie chips and guacamole! Yes….God has truly blessed us with the avocado!
Wed- butternut squash, onion and tomatoes. Saw the recipe on Biggest Loser only they added chicken…ahhh.. poultry! *tear*

After dinner we get another delicious shake and before bed 10 more grass capsules.
Don’t worry the number of capsules cuts back next week..To 21 a day….whew what a relief!

So to recap no dairy, no meat but unlimited veggies….try not to be jealous.

All this to say, we are surviving though I never knew I would miss meat so much. It is truly delicious.

Hopefully in the end it will all be worth it
To matter matters worse I am in charge of picking up Cantina Laredo chips, queso, tacos and quesadillas this afternoon. AHHH! If you hear on the news about a crazy lady who tore through a bag of food in the downtown Cantina Laredo.. It wasn’t me…hopefully!

Day 3
18 days left
Will report on weight tomorrow.. Our scale batteries are dead so will weight at the gym tonight!

Kaden's website is updated!

New fun pics to enjoy!
www.kadenrhodes.myphotoalbum.com

The Bug

Well I have had an exciting weekend. Things started out normally on Friday. I woke up got dressed and got Kaden ready..being that it was my last opportunity for Chick-fil-a before I started my cleanse, more on this later, I decided to take little man to chick-fil-a. We arrived and I got Kaden some chicken-minis usually he loves them..especially cold..gross I know..but he was completely uninterested. When I arrived and Joyce's to unload him, he was covered in vomit...fantastic. I tell Joyce we are heading back home an take off. When we pull in the drive, Jon is still home. His truck will not go out of park. So he takes my car and I head in for bath #1. It is rather chilly so I dress Kaden in outfit #2 and we settle down to watch Little Einsteins. Very cute show by the way. thanks Melynda for introducing us to it. After nearly 2 hours of sitting still and cuddling I know he is really not feeling well. Around 10 I start to pu thim down for a nap . As I am rocking him I hear the dreaded gaggin sound and feel wet on my shoulder. We run to the sink and manage to catch most of the rest in the sink. I strip off his clothes and my shirt. Clean him up and we rock for a little while longer. He seems to feel a little better so he goes down for a nap..a 4 hour nap! Jon comes home and I plan to go to work but his truck still isn't working and I am afraid that Kaden may need to go to the doctor so I don't want to leave them with no car. Several hours later after a blessed man that owns a repair shop behind us comes to our house and fixes the car. Turns out to be an unplugged wire and not the transmission..Thank you God! By this time Kaden is up and I stupidly give him not only milk but also yogurt...faithful readers milk on an upset stomache is the worst thing...don't know what I was thinking! About 30 minutes later it all comes up..mostly on Daddy..but also in the kitchen sink and again allover Kaden's 3rd outfit. We clean it up. Daddy changes and Kaden sits in the chair to watch Sponge Bob for a while. This is great as it gives me a chance to start washing the puked on clothing. Things go great for about an hour. Jon has dozed off Kaden is in a trance like state about to doze off when suddenly Jon wakes up smelling something and Kaden starts shifting around uncomfortably. You guessed it..Diarrhea!Again mostly on Jon. Bath #2, Outfit #2 for Daddy and this time..just a diaper for Kaden. Pedialyte is now flowing and Kaden seems to be doing better.There is now nothing left in his stomach. We make it through the night with no more puking and keep down some pedialyte and crackers. All in all it was 2 outfits for Mommy, 3 for Daddy and 3 for Kaden. The rest of the weekend went well..Jon and I went on a date last night for the first time since the first of January..... until this morning when Jon came down with the bug. 2 more diarrhea's from Kaden and I still have to go up to work to finish some stuff before tomorrow. Oh what fun!

The cleanse
Starting today for me and probably tomorrow for Jon.we are doing a cleanse. We will be taking supplements, drinking shakes and eating vegetables for the next three weeks. It should not only help with weight loss but should also increase our energy and overall health. I will keep you posted on how it goes.

Hugs and Kisses

To all you loves who:

A. Have planned for weeks and spent a small fortune on jewelry, flowers and candy.
B. Remembered last week and ordered flowers to be delivered to work.
C. Remembered on Monday and overnighted that special gift to yourself to give today.
d. Remembered last night at 7:30 that 365 days wasn't enough time for you to plan so you were scrounging at CVS at 8:00pm looking for the perfect card and the least shrivled rose. (Yeah, I saw you)
e. Yes, even those unfortunate ones who bought the giant stuffed animal..... well better luck next year.... (no offense)
or
f. you don't celebrate Valentines Day in leu of celebrating that Special Day that you had your first date (March 12th will be 9 years!)

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

or as some call it

Singles Awareness Day!

Either way know we love you!

Sweet 16

Kaden,

Two years ago yesterday Daddy and I found out we were going to have you. I tried to surprise Daddy with a card but he of course asked before I could give him the card and by my face he knew I was pregnant. We kept it secret for about 2 days before we started telling family. We were so excited and everyone else was too. We gave your Grandparents and Aunts cards from you on Valentines Day and they were so excited. It is hard to believe that you are already so big. I am so happy that you are growing up happy and healthy but it sometimes makes me sad that it has gone so fast.

You love to make animal noises! You have down monkey, elephant, lion, tiger, bear, dog and cat. Most of the time you get duck. You are even getting good at spotting them every where, in books, on shelves, even on buildings. Everyone is so impressed with your silly noises.

You love to talk. You jabber all day! We don't understand all of it but you can make your demands known pretty well. You even started singing a little. You Sing "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah." and "la, la la" it is so much fun to hear you communicating.

You still love to read! Anything with animals or cars is your favorite. I love it when you bring me a book and want to read. You even try to sit on my lap when I am in the restroom. Silly boy, patience isn't so good yet.

You have definetly developed a little personality. You use "No" correctly and sometimes say it just to say it. You do sometimes lay on the floor and start to throw a fit but we nip that in the bud pretty quick! You have gotten a few spanks but will usually straighten up when you hear us count "1!"

You still love cheese, fruit, eggs and bread. We try to sneka in protein where ever possible but most meals end with "Cookie?" Luckily we can still convince you cometimes that peanut butter crackers are cookies. At least you get some protein.

You love to climb up on the chairs and the ottoman and one of your favorite games is to climb on the ottoman and then jump into our arms. The slide is still a favorite toy and you have learned to launch your toys down it nicely.

You love to look at pictures and name the people in them. You can identify your family and of course "BOBo" and Molly. The digital picture frame can keep you entertained for hours.

Molly is your favorite thing of all. You always want to kiss and hug her....sometimes she even let's you. I think it is because of your secret conspiracy to share at least part of your food with her at all times.

Night time is some of my favorite times. You love to take baths, especially now that we fill the tub up higher. You love to splash and fillup your bucket with water. Mommy and Daddy end up getting a bit of a bath also but it is fun. Getting out isn't your favorite thing but you do enjoy putting on an animal towel. Next is lotion and jammie time. You prefer to sit in my lap while we do this instead of laying down. Afraid to miss something I guess. Then we read, take vitamins and brush your teeth. You still aren't a fan of this but you are getting better. Then my favorite part. We go in your room, you snuggle on my shoulder while I sing to you. Then right after "Sanctuary" I ask for a kiss, you turn your little head towards me and give me a big kiss. It is so sweet. You will still sometimes fuss a little but it is usually less that 5 minutes. When I check on you you are usually crashed, sprawled across the bed or curled in a ball in the corner with your booty in the air. So cute!

Mommy and Daddy are so proud of our big 16 month old boy. We can't wait to watch you continue to grow and develop. You are so special and loved by so many people.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy



My Daddy did this. Isn't it fun! Be on the look Out for his website where he will gladly design one for you too!

Prodigy

Two funny things today This morning Kaden was eating his cereal bar holding his cell phone like an good modern man. It was of course open and he was having a great conversation with his mystery chatting friend. Suddenly the urge for "oose" aka milk hit shim. so he carefully sets down the bar, closes his cell phone gently, lays it on the table and then reaches for his cup. It was took cute. Also last night he started saying "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah". Jon and I gave him a little coaching and here is what we ended up with (sorry the video isn't working. we will hopefully get it going soon!)

Sister will be so jealous!

Who is Your Ideal TV Boyfriend?

Created by BuddyTV

Best show ever...stinkin' writers strike!

Happy February!

Sending you some love from our little love monkey!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

*****Update*******

In a stunning turn of events....he must have known I was talking about him...Kaden sat quietly and contently in my lap and let me quickly trim his nails....who knew...let' s hope this new trend continues!