Cayden 5 Month Update

Over Christmas Cayden hit the 5 month benchmark. With each month comes more alertness and interaction, it is so much fun! 

Most of the last month was spent on the road. Good thing our little man is a decent traveler. Interstate driving makes for perfect sleeping conditions...especially I-35 and I-94 :) In addition to sleeping on the road, we've made some progress with night sleeping.  Thank goodness!  With some sleep training Cayden will often sleep a 6 hour stretch and he is very good at going back to bed. We've also successfully had longer naps in the crib during the day. This momma is feeling much more rested and so is the babe.

In an attempt to help Cade sleep, we tried solid foods one night. It didn't seem to help, so we haven't done it since and will probably wait until the 6 month mark to try again. Right now I'm enjoying the simplicity of only feeding 1 little mouth. He continues to take bottles and nurse well.

We've witnessed rollovers from the stomach to back & back to stomach, but now that Cayden can sit he prefers to be upright. If we leave him without any support, there are still a lot of face-plants but overall Cade is really good at sitting on his own or with a little help.

With each passing month the coos, giggles and smiles seem to multiply. Our little man is one happy little guy. But he also knows what he wants and he isn't afraid to let us know when he is not enjoying something.

 We are so thankful for another month with our precious baby boy. Our hearts fill so much much joy watching him grow. We love you little man.

Merry Christmas!

When unloading the gifts from our Fargo Christmas, the nativity scene (which was a gift) ended up under the Christmas tree. It has been neat to have it front and center of our Christmas celebration. Even though this was not intentional, our first Pearson Christmas tradition has been born.

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas, celebrating the birth of our Christ!

Cheese Please!

Yesterday I was snapping some pictures of Cayden for his 5 month post. When I was taking the pictures, Addie was distracted with her snack. As I went to put the camera back in the camera bag, ready to cross another thing off of the to-do list, Addie says "Cheese!".  I smile and explain that I was taking pictures of baby. Then her cute "Cheese!" turned into a near-cry "Cheese Please!  Cheese!".  I pulled the camera back out and snapped a shot. Then Addie was happy to go back to snacking away. 

It is so entertaining watching this little personality blossom.  I see bits of myself and parts of Bryan - though I'm not sure who she gets her hunger for the camera from.

We are slowly approaching Addie's 2nd birthday, which is becoming more and more real everyday. She is saying lots of new words and starting to say small sentences.  In just the last couple of days she has learned that she can open doors - just this nap time we've gone back to bed 4 times!

The energy that this child seems to multiply with each month. When I do workout videos at home, on days when Bryan works all day, she has begun to join in & it is quite hilarious. The girl has an interesting way of doing crunches, pushups, and lunges.

 ....time to go put our little stinker back in bed, hope you enjoyed the update!

Little Gifts

My children are gifts. There have been so many things that have reminded me of this in the past weeks.

Since before they were conceived I've struggled with fear and anxiety of their very existence. Will they be conceived?  Will it take days, months, or years?

Then it happened. I got that positive test! But the fear and anxiety didn't go away.  Now my thoughts shift to miscarriage. Is that a cramp I feel?  I don't feel sick today, does that mean something is wrong?  She hasn't moved tonight and she is usually doing somersaults..I hope that everything is okay.

Then they are born. He's here! Surely fear and anxiety of the things that I can't control will subside now. Right? Now that I can see that they are okay?  No relief comes. What about SIDS? Could I possibly fall asleep nursing him and hurt him?  And I heard a tragic story once of a sweet baby boy suffocating in a blanket, just like the one we use.  Surely, surely this feeling will go away as they become more self sufficient.

Now one is in this phase. She probably won't suffer from SIDS or suffocate in her sleep.  But oh my gosh, the whole new world of possibilities. The freak accidents that could happen. She is so fast to run and explore, and we live on a road!

Recently we experienced a break in at our home. And it is so tempting to lay in bed in worry. In fact, just last night I called my husband in tears of anxiety and fear. I wish I could sleep every night in the hallway outside their doors with pepper spray.  But that wouldn't be enough.

What a lesson God has been teaching me. A lesson that I've had to learn again. and again. and again.  And just when I feel like I have it under control, another sleepless night.  These kids of ours, they aren't actually ours.  They are His.  And every moment I get to be their earthly mother is a gift. So much of what happens in their little lives is out of my control, it isn't worth the anxiety and the fear.

So starting today. Starting now. I want to again fear for my children in a different way. When thoughts of anxiety start to creep in and I find myself on the floor in the hallway or on my knees in prayer, I want to cry out for their salvation. Their days on earth are already numbered, I want to make the most of them. Full of love, gratitude, and dependence on the One who holds their souls. Why waste these precious moments in anxiety?

I'm so glad there is Good News to this life on earth. I'm so glad that Jesus died on the cross so that I could have eternal life. I'm so glad that I don't have to carry the weight of my children's lives and that I yearn to carry some weight for their salvation. Not that I can do anything to save them, but that I can be diligent in teaching them and praying for them.

And hopefully now that I've organized my thoughts into words, I can sleep tonight. I can rest in the arms of the Heavenly Father. And when I get up to the cries or coos of my son and the little footprints of my daughter. My first thought will be about what a gift they are to me. 

Cayden at 4 Months

It has been over a week now since our little man turned 4 months old. Each month brings its own excitement and huge changes to this little life.

Cayden kicked off his 4th month by rolling over. Suddenly he enjoys tummy time and his strength seems to have doubled over night. He is now constantly grasping at things, pulling toys to his mouth, and cooing. Our little man isn't sitting on his own but he is starting to get close!

Weighing in at 15 lbs (50%ile), this little guy never misses a meal. He is seriously the best eater I've ever met.  He isn't, however, the best sleeper that I've ever encountered. Though the doctor assures me he sleeps pretty average for a baby his age and size :)

We are so thankful for such a happy and precious baby!

Look at those chunky little legs!

My Favorite DIY

16 months from the day that Bryan and I got engaged we knocked a lot of "firsts" off of our list. Bryan moved to Minnesota and began a new job, we rented our first place together, married & honeymooned, got pregnant, bought a house, moved into and painted our home, and to wrap things up...became a family of three by welcoming our sweet girl into the world.  All of this to say, my decorating budget was non existent.  

So since owning a home, decorating and filling it has been about 95% time and 5% money.  I enjoy making something of my own but more often than not, my DIY's come about because I want something but don't want to spend the money on it. My "projects" as Bryan likes to refer to them as, have a success rate of around 50%. But every once in a while I complete a project that beats my expectations. I prefer to call them "gems". 

My most favorite DIY to date, and a "gem" by my definition, is the end of our hallway. Check it out:

 

 I love rounding the corner at the top of the stairs and seeing some herringbone + a pop of color.

 Of course I didn't take any progress pictures, but I painted using the two shades of gray that we already had on hand. I simply taped two stripes down the wall, then several small strips in each column. I cut a piece of paper to create the angle that I wanted, and relined it up each time I went to add a piece of tape.  I love the look of the uneven spacing between the stripes, in a sense it makes the wall seem more natural. Herringbone has always caught my eye, for some reason it reminds me of a tree. And I love my trees.

The phrase "wear out the words I love you" is from the lyrics of Bryan and I's wedding song. I find myself reading the phrase, humming the song, and taking myself back to that special day. It is absolutely lovely.

So there you have it!  A simple and successful DIY from the house of the Pearsons. Now I've got the itch to paint something...I'm thinking maybe the bathroom cabinet?

Our Addie

*I wrote this post about 8 weeks ago and forgot to hit "publish". Oops! Since I refer back to these posts when working in the kiddos scrapbooks, I wanted to submit it regardless.

Addie is entering this stage in toddlerhood that is absolutely hilarious. At any given moment, you can bet she is making me laugh or driving me absolutely nuts.  Though I'm not doing monthly posts on our sweet girl anymore, I thought it would be fun to share some recent happenings.

She's talking!  One day, we are nervous about her speech development and the next, she is willing to repeat any word that we say.  She has especially mastered "pease" but she will repeat most things.  

Addie loves to exercise with mommy. Without any encouragement to do so, when I start doing lunges in the living room she will come next to me and do squats.  Mommy does leg lifts, Addie does leg lifts.  Of course being in the health industry, I LOVE it!  Mommy does crunches, Addie does crunches  sits on mom....so we haven't mastered all of our exercises yet..

This girl can eat.  She isn't particularly skilled in taking small bites but she could win a contest for stockpiling crackers in her cheeks.  When picking Addie up from sunday school last week, we were looking to hear how well she sat and listened, but the teachers comments gravitated towards our child's ability to eat, "Wow, she eats crackers awfully fast!  I gave her 2!"  Yup, that's our girl.

While Addie will pound crackers and fruits like there is no tomorrow, she is picky when it comes to meat and veggies.  The other day I went as far as to put a pea in each macaroni shell (tedious!).  And Addie took her chubby little fingers and removed each pea from the shell before eating.  Though I was annoyed beyond words, lunch time took a full 45 minutes and I was able to get the entire kitchen scrubbed!

A future mother, Lord willing, Addie loves her little brother.  The other day she ripped the blanket off his body and put it on his face. She then raised her arms and did the "where did baby go" face.  Well Addie, the baby is being smothered under his blanket.

Addie is the happiest outdoors. She is able to open closet doors on her own and by the end of the day, she will have every pair of shoes drug out. "Pease! Pease!" she will say, while pointing at the door.

Our sweet girl has the most beautiful eyes. They are the sweetest things when she is happy. They get big and round when she's asking for something.  And more recently, they hold the most jaw-dropping scowl.  Don't give the girl what she wants or put her in front of a group of strange people and the most terrifying look overtakes that innocent looking face.  It gets me chuckling every time.

Lets talk mullets for a minute. Or better yet, let this picture do all of the talking.

Picture Credit to ginazeidler.com

Of course each day brings new things and adventures of its own. We are doing our best to soak it all up!

Fall Happenings

This past fall has been relaxing, at least about as relaxing as things can be with 2 under 2. We've enjoying having family visit and going out of town a few weekends, otherwise we've slowly done some house projects and have made a lot of memories around home.

We kicked things off with a weekend trip to Fargo. Cayden got to meet some of his aunts, uncles and cousins. We got to meet our youngest nephew and celebrate his baptism.

In September, the Bock side came up for family pictures. During their short 48 hour stay, we also managed to blow insulation in the attic ("we" being used very loosely here), celebrate Grandma's birthday, and can a heck-of-a-lot of salsa and marinara. Not to mention we united to watch the Cyclones vs Hawks football game. Which of course the Hawkeyes won.

In October, we dedicated Cayden at church and celebrated with some family and friends for the day.

And fall wouldn't be complete without some costumes and pumpkin carving!

Between festivities we've watched a lot of football and made memories around home.

Adventure Seeking

Today my toddler has been challenging me.  In fact, she challenges me every day. Some days (like yesterday) it was challenging my self control and patience levels.  Feeding the dog an entire box of treats while tag-teaming naptime with the brother will do that to any mother. Today she has me learning a different lesson.

Seek Adventure. Don't live in fear of failing or falling. Get out there!  Leave your comfort zone behind to explore, get your hands dirty, and experience something new. 

I'm quick to think of excuses.  Supporting kids, a mortgage, 401K, limited energy and resources, not enough hours in the day...you name it.  One thing that I've caught onto is that there will always be excuses. But there may not always be tomorrow.

Be an adventure seeker and start today. Share the gospel with that neighbor. Make the career change you've been contemplating. Paint your living room that gutsy color.  Plan that trip!  Reinvent the status quo for stay-at-home mothers, in your career, or wherever you are. Break out of the mold you've made for yourself and make. it. happen. 

You will encounter road blocks and you may fail. But it will be worth it. The excitement, joy, adrenaline, purpose and character built will be worth it. When you need a little encouragement, seek out the nearest toddler.

It may be that I'm sleep deprived and hopped up on coffee but I'm EXCITED.  Thanks little lady, this momma loves learning from you.

Little Man Turns 3 Months

 Parents always say that kids grow so fast, one day your baby is a newborn and the next she is an older sister shooting at a basketball hoop.  I remember that feeling with Addie and its happening again.  One day we are hanging out with babies that are 6-7 months old and Cayden seems so little, then the next day we meet a sweet 11 day old and he seems huge!

Our little guy is so handsome. Seriously. I know I'm biased, but that little smile with a dimple is impossible to beat.  He's catching on that if I sit next to him, it doesn't mean I'm giving him all my attention. Now he waits for me to put the book down and the phone away. Once I'm 100% there, he's all smiles.

His hand-eye cordination has a lot of growing to do, but Cade has started batting at things and often grasps his hands together.  When having a bottle or nursing, he'll grasp for my shirt. Seeing his little fist gripping melts my heart every time. It gets me thinking about how those small fingers grasping will change over the years.

Despite his sister occasionally being a little too rough, our little man loves Addie. He will watch her move around the room and when she approaches he gets a look of preparedness knowing that something is headed his way.

Cayden has started saying "mama" between his babbles.  Ok, maybe not, but I'm starting early with this one.  He is full of grunts, coos, and enjoys riveting conversation while on the changing table :) I continued to be amazed at the rolls accumulating on his little neck and legs. Cayden is fitting well in 3-6 month clothing now with some 6 month clothes in the mix.

Nursing continues to go well. CP (a nickname we are trying out) eats about every 3 hours throughout the day, 90 minutes in the evening, and heads to bed at 8:30. He will almost always sleep until at least 2AM and has sometimes gone all the way until 5AM. Though it is nice that he is sleeping more, his mother still gets up every few hours to pump. I LOVE nursing in the days and evenings but I'm reminded of the kind of sacrifices it requires throughout the night. Thankfully I feel a little less like a zombie these days, though my husband and co-workers may still have their doubt. 

Thriving

This blog is 99% a way to show updates of our kiddos to family far away, but every once in a while I feel like I need an outlet. Today is one of those days.

In my work, I have the privilege of helping people establish healthy lifestyles. Some of the best interactions I have come from the question, "What are your top 3 goals in this earthly life?"  I encourage my clients to describe their best selves and we work backwards to establish action steps to get there. This is usually an exciting process (and sometimes overwhelming) process.

As I write, there is a message in my inbox waiting a response. This person's life goal?  To survive.

My hope and prayer for each person that I encounter (as well as for myself) is that we will have some idea of thriving. That in both the happiest and the hardest of times, we have a visual of what it means to thrive. That we set the bar higher than "survive" when it comes to our lives. We aren't guaranteed comfort, wealth, peacefulness or uninterrupted happiness. But we can always build character, find courage, nurture relationships and aim to grow.

So please don't settle for surviving. How can you thrive?