Sweet Girl... Sometimes!

So... Having a toddler is HARD!! Just thought I'd share that with all you experienced, know-it-all people out there who think kids are easy... Like I used to think! I love my daughter, I do... However, there are times when I think, "Lord, really?? You wanted this change right now in our lives?" Then I remember, He is God, I am not and I move on with my day and love my daughter no matter what. One of my favorite times with Kayden Grace is when she lets me do her hair after a bath. It's one of the rare moments that she sits still (almost!) long enough for me to enjoy just being with her. Today, I was going to put her hair in pigtails cuz she looks sooooo cute with them! But.. I ended up putting her hair in "panda ears" (a ponytail only pulled half way through the rubber band). She is so stinkin' cute!!! I have my moments, I'll be honest, when I want to throttle her for doing something over and over again that she shouldn't do. Then I have moments of pure love for her and who she is. I pray on a daily basis that I can be the mom she needs and love her they way she deserves. So here are some pics of my cutie girl.

Walking in Mama's Shoes!

So... I have some really big feet. I can wear a 9.5 or a 10 size shoe. I never got the height that should accompany such big feet. Anyway... I usually take my shoes off by the couch and then leave them there for an indefinite amount of time. The other day, Kayden decided to try on my shoes... It was hillarious! She could walk in my shoes with little difficulty and at one point, she ran in them! I can't even run in them sometimes! My beautiful girls are looking like they will be taller than Yeadon and I which means... They'll probably have big feet too!! Yay for me! Finally someone to share my shoes with!

Changes

BEFORE

Life is always throwing changes at us... Whether it be life or death, good weather or bad weather, or just something as insignificant as a flower growing somewhere unexpected, changes occur even if we aren't always ready for them. Our home as undergone MANY new things in the last 7 months and I haven't always felt prepared. We've been blessed with two amazing daughters, Yeadon's gone from working one job to working two jobs and going to Seminary, I've become a stay-at-home mom and a licensed Social Worker... All changes that have required us to change as well. In order for me to accept change and not be overwhelmed when changes occur, I've decided to try to change something or create something new so I can feel like I have a little control over what happens. Today, I re-covered our nook chairs with this GREAT red courderoy that I've had for a few years. It felt like such an accomplishment! The girls played well by themselves and I took about a half an hour to just... change something. If I am in charge of a small change, then maybe the big changes won't seem so huge in the future. I've also had to move my house around in anticipation of Yeadon's mom moving in. Our computer desk is now in our room and all my sewing stuff is in the living room/dining room. My scrapbooking extravaganza will be moved to the garage in small storage containers so I can still get to it all. Suffice it to say... I hope that once the changes of this month are done, we can breathe a little easier for a while. So... In light of my new outlook on change, I thought I'd show you a before and after picture of my nook chairs and also a picture of our living room last night when I was moving all my fabric around...

AFTER

Yes... That is Kaelin in her saucer in the middle of my chaos! And she doesn't look too happy with her circumstances either...

Church Girls

Well... Can I say getting two babies and myself ready for church is a lot more difficult than you think?? Yeadon had to stay home to finish some school work (for those of you that don't know, Yead's gone back to seminary, but this time it's all online which is great!) and I wanted to go to church. So, I gave the girl's baths, got them dressed, fed them breakfast, laid Kaelin down for a quick nap, did Kayden Grace's hair, and got myself ready. Right before leaving, I wanted Yeadon to get a few pictures of my girls and me, all dressed up and pretty for church. Of course... Nothing went quite the right way for the picture... Kaelin was squirmy and Kayden Grace decided she wanted to bite me... Not so much fun! But after a few mishaps, we got this somewhat decent picture of all of us. Kayden Grace is wearing a dress that's a favorite of her Grandma Leann's and Kaelin is wearing an outfit her Nana got her for Christmas.

Baking with Mama

So... I got this great idea to make chocolate chip cookies tonight. Dinner was done, the girls were happy... Why would I want to make a mess and disturb this nice evening? Because I'm Jenn and that's what I do! (Here's a side note: We've put up baby gates in the house just so I don't have to worry where Kayden Grace may be.. and one of them just happens to be across the entrance to the kitchen. It's a safety thing for me. I just don't want Kayden Grace out of my sight in an area she's still not completely familiar with...) Well... Yeadon came into the kitchen, asked what I was doing, and was incredulous that I wasn't including my daughter in my cookie making adventure. So, me being the Mom I am, I set up a chair at the island and let my daughter "help" me. In the midst of her helping me, I was talking to Yeadon's mom on the phone and Kayden Grace takes a HUGE tumble off her chair!!! So much for a "nice, calm evening"! I picked her up and we finished the cookies side by side. It really was a pretty cool thing to do even if there were some tears in the process.

This is a totally random picture, but it's one of my favorites that Yeadon took of Kaelin on Christmas morning. She blesses my heart with her smile!

New Duckies

So... I decided to take both girls on our first excursion to Walmart on Sunday... Let's just say, it was an adventure! Yeadon's mom met us there and we walked all over for about an hour. I had to get some things in the kids' section and I saw these adorable duck slippers! Kayden loves to wear her shoes, but she doesn't need them in the house, so I thought these would be perfect for her. She was so excited when she saw them. When we got home, I took the tags off and she immediately wanted to put them on.

Kayden Grace

Well... Can I just say the last week of our lives has literally been a rollercoaster?? I can't even begin to describe the round of emotions and thoughts that have entered my body and head. Yeadon and I have wanted children our whole marriage (and even before that!) and to go through 7 1/2 years of infertility was just horrific. For those of you who have known us for a while, you know that I was not the most pleasant of people during those years. God finally broke through my pride and allowed me to realize that I had been given such a gift in my marriage and in my life that I was O.K. even if I didn't have children. Then.. He asked me to stop even thinking of or pursuing adoption. How could He ask that?!?! Because He is God, and I am not. He knew His perfect, amazing plan long before I had my own plan for my life. He gave us Kaelin, and I couldn't believe how much He loved me. And then... here comes the most unexpected thing... Another child within 7 months of getting my first! How much does He adore me and want the best for my life?? I love this life! Yes... I have already had an emotional break-down or two... Yes, I know that one of my many faults is my inability to handle change well, especially quick changes. Yes, I know that I am not SUPERMOM and I cannot do this all on my own... Yes, I even realize the fact that my expectations need to be thrown out the window and all my plans and ideas of the perfect mom and prestine motherhood should be erased from my memory. But I also know without a doubt that I am LOVED! I am loved by Almighty God who has given me this life and these new adventures, I am loved by an amazing family, and I have the most fabulous friends who, in spite of all my failures and faults, still love me and want to be the support I need in this time of my life. Thank you! Thank you all for who you have allowed God to mold you into being! Thank you for sharing your amazing gifts and talents with me because whether I have said so or not, you inspire me! All of you can be assured that I will be calling, emailing, texting a lot! Because I need you and I can't do this alone and you are the people God has loaned to me for this time in my life. So, get prepared! Put on your prayer hats, make your shoulders nice and comfy (for my breakdowns and my joys), and open up your arms because Kayden Grace has made her appearance into our lives and you will never be the same having met her!