Swimming

We went swimming, the other day, at Chris's parents' house. Jaden liked being in the baby floaty, but it didn't really work with his life jacket on, so we took him out of the floaty. We were trying to teach him how to kick. As long as his head was above water he was fine, but the second we let him dip a little he freaked out. He's never had a problem with water before, so we don't know what his deal was. Anyway, here are a few pictures from the other day.

Mommy and Jaden

Swimming to Grandma

Grandma trying to get Jaden to float on his back

Camping

We went camping June 20-21. It was Jaden's first time camping, and he didn't do so well. He didn't like being confined to such a small space, not to mention he was totally out of his element. We ended up leaving on Saturday, instead of Sunday (June 22), because I didn't want to piss more people off with Jaden's tantrums. We ended up making the decision to go home, and then the weather turned on us. By the time we got up to the campsite to pack up the rest of our stuff (we spent most of the time with our friends on their family house boat) our tent was starting to capsize. It rained off and on while packing our stuff, so we felt we made a good decision to go home on Saturday.

When we got to the State Park we found a campsite that was close to the restrooms (for my middle of the night runs to the bathroom). We got there around 1:45pm on Friday. Our friends, who were coming up to camp with us (but on their house boat) said they were going to try to be there absolutely no later than 5pm. I started calling Nikole's cell phone around 4pm, and it would go straight to voice mail. That made me think they were on their way, as our phones didn't want to work most of the way to the park, either. A while later, after we were all set up, a family pulled into the campsite next to us. I overheard a lady say something about camping at the marina. I told Chris we should drive over and check it out, because that made SO much more sense to camp at the marina, where our friends' house boat was moored, than to camp across the river on the other side. We didn't know there were campsites at the moorage or we would've just set up camp over there in the first place. Well, when we crossed the river we saw campsites. We were lucky and found the only campsite that was the one right next to the bathrooms (again, for my middle of the night runs to the bathroom). We took some of the stuff out of our car, that we hadn't taken out at the first campsite, to save our spot. We quickly went back across the river and tore down our tent, chairs, and air mattresses, put them in the car, and booked it back over to our new campsite and set it all back up. It was a much better idea to camp at the moorage. We just had a hill to walk down (or we could drive if we really felt lazy) to get to the moorage, and to get to the boat. After we got done setting our stuff back up Nikole and Nathan (her husband) drove up to where we were. Apparently they had been there since about 3:30pm. Like I said, I'd been calling her since 4pm, but I guess her phone (AT&T) doesn't get service up there.

Once on the dock we made Jaden wear his life jacket. He didn't like it one bit. He felt too confined. Even with the life jacket on we wouldn't let him go very far. He REALLY didn't like that. That's really when all the whining and tantrums started. As long as we were on the dock, and in the boat, he wasn't a happy camper. When it was time for bed it took him 2 1/2 hours to fall asleep. It wasn't his bed, so he was trying to figure out the whole tent. Chris had to lay with Jaden on Jaden's air mattress and lay Jaden down every time Jaden tried to get up. He finally fell asleep at 10:30pm. The loud party people next to us didn't help getting to sleep, either. The air mattress was much more comfortable for me to sleep on than our bed, but I still got absolutely no sleep; everything was too loud.

Here is Jaden driving the boat when we first got there.

Jaden and his best buddy, Exzavier, playing with the controls (don't worry, the boat doesn't run).

Exzavier on the CB, and Jaden steering.

Jaden decided that after not falling asleep until 10:30pm on Friday that he was going to wake up at 7:20am on Saturday. We were all about ready to go out to play on the beach, but a couple kids needed naps. Exzander (7-months-old) had already fallen asleep, so we had to wait for him to wake up, anyway. I knew Jaden was dead tired, but so much stuff was going on that he just didn't want to fall asleep. I laid with him on the bench bed, holding him, so he would fall asleep. He finally passed out around 11:10am. Sadly he woke up only one hour later (he needed a much longer nap than just one hour).

Jaden loved boats last year, but didn't seem to this year. This was Jaden and Exzander in the no wake zone. Jaden just didn't like not going fast.

Still in the no wake zone.

This was once we go to the "beach" (I thought it was going to be a bit bigger, lol). Jaden just wanted to chill in the boat with no life jacket (we were right there watching him).

This was after a walk down the beach and back to the boat. Again, Jaden wanted IN the boat.

We figured out why Jaden wanted in the boat. He wanted to drive!

Jaden was trying to be sneaky and play with the depth sounder after getting told no numerous times.

Jaden hated wearing his life jacket, as I've said before, because it was too confining. So again, we took it off (but we were right there). He is playing with the depth sounder yet again.

All three kids had had enough of the beach (Exzavier, the one in the red life jacket, had been there with his uncle for a good 3 hours before we even got there), so we were getting ready to go back to the house boat. This is where Chris and I decided we were going to leave to go home later.

I don't remember what was wrong with Exzander here.

I think Exzander just had enough of the heat.

About to head back to the boat. Both Jaden and Exzander about passed out on the way back to the house boat. They had had enough, and I don't think the wind in their faces helped much, either.

Every time Jaden was down inside the boat he kept trying to get into this crate. It had cookies in it, and he wanted them. This is him trying to be sneaky.

On our way home we knew Jaden would pass out within about 10 mintues of being in the car. This was true. I looked back at him, and he had fallen asleep eating a chip. Of course I had to take a picture.

A few minutes later he was REALLY asleep. He's not even holding the chip anymore, and his water is trickling out of the spout onto his arm - chip still in mouth.

Jaden's new slide

Yesterday we finally got Jaden a slide. Chris set it up last night before he gave Jaden a bath, and Jaden played on it for over 30 minutes before We made him stop and get a bath. He didn't get a bath until after he should've been in bed. He was so tired. He kept trying to climb up the slide instead of the steps, and that tired him out more than he already was. He didn't even want to go to bed, because he really wanted to keep playing on his new toy. We put him to bed anyway. He played on it all morning this morning, too. After his nap and lunch I brought it outside. It took awhile to get him on the slide, as he just wanted play everywhere once he was outside, but I finally coaxed him to getting on the slide for some pictures. When it's inside he'll play on it forever, but the second he's outside he thinks he's free. So much other stuff to do outside. He's probably thinking, "Why play on the slide outside when I can play on it all day inside? There are much better things I could do outside!"

Father's Day

Yesterday was Father's Day. Jaden made Daddy a three-picture picture frame. In the first frame was Jaden's hand print, the next frame down was a picture of Jaden and Daddy when Jaden was 4 months old, and in the bottom frame was Jaden's foot print. I got Chris a video game (GTA 4). Jaden loves "playing" video games. The second Chris put in the game, and started playing, Jaden had to grab a controller and play, too. Like father like son!


Later that day we went to Chris's parents' house. We were all ready to swim, but we didn't know the pool was still a bit cold (was maybe 70 degrees). Jaden has no problem playing in the river, so we thought he wouldn't have a problem in Grandma's pool. Well, he didn't like it being that cold all the way up to his neck. Chris got in to show Jaden it wasn't that bad, but Jaden still wanted nothing to do with it; it was just too cold for him.


A little later Chris went out to the car to get the floaty he got me for Mother's Day. While getting the floaty Chris's mom got Jaden a juice box. After a few sips of juice Chris took the juice to try and get Jaden to float with Daddy on Daddy's lap. Well, it worked! Jaden was okay with just getting his legs, up to his waist, in the water.

Jaden at a birthday party

It was the first birthday party of our friends' little girl, Sydnee, and Jaden had so much fun. He loves water, which I'm sure you all know by now, so spend a lot of his time over by the water balloons and the people filling them. Jaden even made a new friend and popped a squat on her lap (she was the one tying off the balloons). He did keep trying to get a hold of the source of the water, though - the hose.

He got a couple balloons to pop in his mouth, and he was so happy about it. When he tried again, later that evening, he just couldn't do it.

He, of course, loved the swings, and when the baby swing was in use he really wanted to use the big boy swing. He did a really good job on it, too.

As soon as Tera, the mother of the baby turning one, brought Sydnee's cake out (she had her own) Jaden saw it and was going straight for it. Tera didn't care one bit, so she picked him up and encouraged him to grab some.

I think she ended up tearing off a "big" piece for him to eat.

This was Jaden's face after he got the cake. He was so proud, lol. His face looks like, "Ha, ha ha! I just got some cake! What are you going to do about it?!?"

Later on Jaden finally got into the wagon. He had wanted in it for a long time, but I wouldn't let him, because it was full of dirt. Well, Chris finally let him in the wagon, lol. There was a little girl (a little older than him) who wanted to push him. How cute!

We made Jaden take turns with the wagon, so this is him pushing the little girl who was pushing him.

And finally, the finale - the pinata. Jaden had a blast trying to swing at it (even if he did try with his hands some of the time).

Jaden's new bike

We got Jaden a bike today. Even though he can't quite reach the peddles good enough to peddle the bike he absolutely loves it. He just stands up and pushes the bike with his feet. If I hold his feet to the peddles and peddle for him his feet reach...barely. He would rather stand and push it himself, though.

My latest ultrasound

I went in this past Monday to get an ultrasound. I was 31w2d. Carson measured around 4 lbs 2 oz (which is right where he should be), and everything else they measured was perfect as well. I got to make sure, again, that it was a boy (not that it wasn't for sure at 18 weeks - he was pretty proud to show his stuff then, too). The u/s tech gave me four pictures to take home, and here they are! The thing that's blocking his face, in the last three pictures, is the umbilical cord. We think Carson is going to get cursed with the Charles nose. Jaden got off w/o it, but it really looks like Carson won't be that lucky, lol.

3 years

Today is my and Chris's three year anniversary. We got married June 4, 2005. It doesn't even seem like we've been married that long. We bought and closed on our first house March 9, 2006, and we got to move in two days later. The very next month (April 18, 2006 to be exact) we found out we were expecting our first child. Jaden is now 17 months old, and we have baby number two due August 9, 2008. We will hopefully have one more child after number two (Carson), and then our family will be complete. I love Chris so much. He is letting me be a stay at home mom, which I have always wanted to do, even though we don't really have the money for me not to be working. I don't know what I would do without Chris (or my babies) in my life.

Here is our wedding picture.

Here is our house.

Here is the most recent family picture we have.