first comes love...

then comes marriage.....then Kaden Isaiah..........then comes.............baby #2!


Are we really going to be a family of four come November?!?! Kaden is going to be a big brother. That still hasn't really sunk in yet. But we are really excited and can't wait to meet this little one in the fall!! I'm 8 weeks along and the estimated due date is November 5, 2011. Everyone says the second pregnancy flies by, which I believe considering how time has seemed to accelerate since having a baby. I keep scratching my head over where the last few months have gone, and how I already have an almost 14 month old! I'm still feeling great and am so so thankful for that. I'm so excited about this summer and being able to do fun things with my little man....making memories at the park, beach, zoo....he'll be able to enjoy the outdoors and I am praying for the energy to make lots of fun memories with him before the baby comes. It's so amazing to have a new little life inside me, and I praise the Lord for the gift of another baby!

Overnight.

We left Kaden with my parents overnight Saturday and Sunday for my birthday getaway. It was our first time leaving him overnight, and I missed him quite a lot, but it was so fun and refreshing to spend 24 hours with Steve alone! I think Steve has missed that...it just being the two of us...not that he would trade having Kaden for anything...but he already looks forward to when our kids are grown and moved out haha! It's nice being best friends with your husband and enjoying every second you spend together! Don't get me wrong, he LOVES being a daddy and is excited to have our family grow and raise our kids, but you know...it's great having that freedom of no kids once in a while.

We had an amazing time together..we stayed at the Sheraton at the Oceanfront in a room with an ocean view. While it was too cold to open the door or be outside on Saturday, just having that view is relaxing and so peaceful. We both feel so calmed and refreshed by the beach...no sure what it is about it, but it's our favorite place to be. We had dinner at Stienhilber's which was fabulous! It was our first time there and we weren't disappointed! Amazing dinner and great ambience. We went back to the hotel and took a dip in the indoor pool and hot tub, then watched a movie and ate way too many peanut m&m's :)

Sunday we woke up around 8 and enjoyed an omelet at the hotel restaurant, packed up and left for Williamsburg where we spent most of the day shopping at the outlets and eating the world's best bbq at Pierce's. Such a great day! Then we headed back to my parents where we had family night and celebrated some more! It was so good to get back to our little man and squeeze him and get some wet, drooly kisses :)

All in all it was a spectacular 25th birthday weekend and I feel so blessed by my Savior. I sense His sweet love abundantly in my life and can't put into words how wonderful a feeling it is to experience his undeserved grace and blessings so richly. What a great Father he is! How rewarding it is to serve and love him and to know him intimately. Counting my blessing today...

baby food!

I recently made this baby food combination...and since I wasn't really sure if Kaden would go for it or not, I was pleasantly surprised when he gobbled it up!

Ingredients:

• Carrots
• Strawberries
• Spinach
• banana

Process:

• Lightly steam spinach
• Steam carrots til tender
• lightly chop strawberries and bananas

***blend all together with water used to steam spinach (throw out the water used to steam carrots...contains nitrates). add extra water if it needs it. jar it up!



(not my image)

today marks a year.

ONE YEAR ago

I held and kissed my sweet,

precious newborn baby

for the first time...

...and today he turns one year old. my little man brings me so much joy sometimes my heart hurts. I can't hold it all inside. these two are so dear to me. I'm a blessed girl. 

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY KADEN ISAIAH! 

You are so sweet spirited and curious and getting more and more independent as you are walking now. Your one-dimpled smile melts me and your giggles are contagious. I love how you play and love to throw balls and push your little trucks around on the ground now. I love how nobody has to teach you how to be a boy...you're just boyish through and through. I love being your mommy and the way you love to snuggle with me most. Daddy gets jealous, but I tell him one day soon you'll want to hang out with Daddy and do "manly" stuff...so this is mommy's time to be the favorite :) You know the power of your cuteness and are leaning to work your charm...you cock your head to the side and flash your four-toothed smile and jibber jabber like we should know exactly what you're saying. You raise your little expressive eyebrows and get all serious and nod your head or shake it back and forth. I love how you love to dance. Daddy taught you that and that makes me laugh since Daddy can't dance ;) Shhh, don't tell him I said that. You are our darling boy and we can't wait to see what this next year holds for you. It will be so exciting to watch you continue to grow and change. I pray for you every day and trust the Lord to hold you and keep you in the years to come. My prayer is that you grow into a strong, faith-filled, humble man who fears and loves the Savior! He is worthy of your life and love. I pray that becomes your own conviction as the years go on. I love you my baby boy! 

this day last year...

.....this is what I looked like....40 weeks pregnant....the 23rd was Kaden's due date, but I would have to wait 8 more days to meet my sweet boy. Can't believe he'll turn ONE a week from tomorrow!! Can't express how in love with this little boy I am or how thankful I am he's a part of our family! Looking forward to celebrating his first year with us! 

cousins!

Steve's younger sister Becky and her husband, Steve, and kiddos, Josiah, Elliot and Gianna came for 3 days last week from New Hampshire! They're living/doing missionary work in Argentina currently and were in the States for about 7 weeks in December/January. It was great to have them here for a few days! It was our first time meeting their newest little Gianna Lynne, and it was their first time meeting Kaden and Howie! Fun was had by all the cousins :) One of the days they were here Jess, Becky and I took the kids to get Crabb grandchildren/cousin pictures taken to give to Mom Crabb for her birthday...the kids did fantastic and we got several great shots!  

Elliot lovin' Howie's car..

Kaden and Elliot in the background...and Brody still in Jess's belly :)

Me, Kaden and little Gianna

Me and Becks!

I stole this one from Becky's facebook so I could have one with Josiah in it too...such cute kids! love these guys!

more pictures from the holidays.

playing in the crack between the fridge and the pantry! first discovery of this new little hiding spot :) 

 Nan and Kieran

he was enthralled with the Christmas tree. 

 Marmee and Kaden

this was at Rebekah's Christmas dessert night party. this is their tree...beautiful! 

Grammy, Nan (Brian's Mom and Grandma), Fiona and Kieran

trying to figure out Mr. Potato Head! 

eating a peppermint stick :) "CHEESE!!" 

pretty girl! 

This is at Howie's 1st birthday party!!  

These are from Christmas day at my parents house! stole some of these from Rachy :) 

conspiring to see what kind of trouble to get into next =) love these two sweet baby boys.

desperate.

As the page has turned from one year to the next and I sit eagerly with my pen in hand and smooth out the clean, white, new piece of paper, ready to begin from the top I step back...hesitate...wanting to get it just right. Isn't that how you feel at the start of a new, fresh year?

It's Tuesday, January fourth of the new year Twenty Eleven. It's now that I want to begin scribbling away, filling up my new, clean page with ideas, accomplishments, responsibilities, to-do's, don'ts....all those resolutions that come along with the feeling of a fresh start. I love this quote (first read on another blog that I love to read) by Mary Oliver,

"What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" 

There are so many things I would like to do, would like to be. Changes I long to make, goals I want to meet. The Lord keeps bringing me back to something that was shared from the pulpit at church on Sunday. 

He is looking for empty cups that he can fill. 

Empty Cups....do I want to be an empty cup? There is nothing that sounds comfortable or satisfying in being an empty cup...but it is when I am empty, and not scurrying around trying to fill up my own cup, that I am desperate and ready to be filled by God. I want to be desperate. He wants me to be desperate. 

I want to be filled with his Spirit. I want to be filled with faith in his love, his grace, his sweet mercy. I want to know his whisper in my ear. I want to see the little ways he's working all around me...in my husband, my family, friends, church. I want eyes that see lost and hurting people like he does. 

I want more of Jesus this year, friends. I'm so glad that He is eager to fill an empty, desperate heart with his love, a truly satisfying love. 

Let's not keep ourselves so busy or be so consumed with our agendas that we aren't leaving room for him to fill us. Let's be eagerly expecting and longing for Christ to fill us this year!

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13