New Things

So, today was the first day I put Caden in childcare. I had a mandatory meeting at work (I usually have Wednesdays off); it was so mandatory that they provided childcare so we had no "excuse". Luckily it was only 2 hours ( I say "luckily" because I don't know if I could have handled much longer for his first time!), and he did great. It was ideal because there were only 2 babies, and there were 2 childcare workers. I think every time I use childcare at church it should be like that. :)
Caden knew the other baby there (Gavin, Jenny Haseth's youngest) so they "played", Caden blew out his diaper/baby quiksilver shorts (happens alteast twice a week), and was smiling when I came back. I think I was more freaked out by the situation then him. Ok so I KNOW I was more freaked out then him.
It was a good "trial run" since we haven't put him in Sunday School yet and I am still hesitant since the ratios on the weekends aren't as ideal as today. :)
Since I am on staff, I plan on playing the "staff card" when it comes to my kid. I.e. making it obvious to all that I am on staff and that I am good friends with the childcare worker's boss. And letting the volunteers know that if they would like to continue "serving" here at Mariners they best be holding my baby the whole church service. (Ok, so I might not do that last one.)
Overprotective? Yes. A little crazy? Absolutely. That's what you do with your first born, right?

Yummy Chew Pup.

My mom got him this cute Boppy for more Tummy Time and so he can sit up on it. He LOVES it!

Caden has officially discovered TV. Before, we could get away with having it on while he was in the room and he didn't notice. Now, his little head and eyes seems to gravitate towards it when its on no matter where he is. So I was attempting to eat breakfast while watching The Bachelorette so I put Caden in his bouncy chair that he loves. Apparently, he wanted to watch the Bachelorette too. (This is his new thing when we purposely face him away from the TV.)
I guess he wanted to know what was going on in the rose ceremony....yes, that is what is on the screen.

Time to order Baby Einstein....

Happy 3 Month Birthday!

Here are a few new pics of our THREE MONTH OLD! Can you believe it? I can't. It's flown by. And yet it feels like he's been a part of our family forever. If it were up to me, we'd have a little party for his 3 month birthday, but Jon seems to think that might be a bit over the top. FINE, GOSH! It just feels like 3 months is a big milestone, don't you think? :)

Caden is all about putting his toys in his mouth these days (he's getting good at his hand eye coordination!) so here are a few pics with his 2 favorite toys:

I heart Chew Pup.

Tummy Time! He's really good at lifting himself up. He's really close to rolling over too...he just gets stuck on his little elbow! Almost there!

To Swaddle or Not to Swaddle

Just wanted to check in and put up a few pictures of our little man! He is almost 3 months old and is officially out of 0-3 months clothes and on to 3-6 mos. clothes. To be honest, I have a hard time "retiring" clothes that he grows out of because I can remember when those same clothes were huge and baggy on him. But as Jon keeps reminding me, he is STILL little, so I can't get too sad. I just keep thinking the next thing I know I will be buying his first outfit for kindergarten. (Ok so I'm a bit dramatic, but you know what I mean.) Here is Caden at his friend Gavin's (my best friend from high school Brittany's son) first birthday party. It was a few Saturdays ago; yes the Saturday that was ridiculously hot, and we were out in Chino Hills, so we decided it was time for Caden's first official "swim". He had his board shirts and Hurley t shirt on and everything. :) I'm pretty sure he's ready for lap swimming now. Here is Caden with what we've fondly named his "Chew Pup". (At first we called it his Chew Dog, but my brother in laws nickname is Chewie, also referred to as Chew Dog, so we thought we'd avoid confusion later in life and rename it Chew Pup.) This little cuddly teething blanket has been Caden's new snuggling buddy as of this week. He likes to chew it, drool on it and I even let him snuggle with it when he sleeps. Though he is still getting used to controling what he can and can not grab with his little hands, Im pretty sure he loves it and grabs it constantly. Ok, so I put it next to him every chance I can.
To explain myself better, this week we decided to stop swaddling Caden when he sleeps because (as I knew before he was born and felt him in my stomach) this kid is a KICKER! He constantly kicks out of his swaddle and wakes himself up. So I made the decision, stopped swaddling....and suffered the consequences. When you think about it, it IS kind of mean--poor kid has been used to feeling safe, warm and secure everytime he slept...and then I ripped that all away from him, and wondered why he woke up every 2 hours for the first night. But its gotten better, and last night he was back to his "normal" sleeping pattern. So now we can go from there and work on him sleeping through the night. But all that to say, Caden is such a snuggler, hence Chew Pup. When I settle him down for bed, I have him snuggle with it and lay it next to him when he sleeps. I hope this can start to help be his "trigger" for sleep time since the swaddle is gone. As we speak, he is asleep, grasping it with both hands with his face cuddled close to it. I wanted to get a picture of it, but decided against it. (Yes, I am stupid enough to take away the swaddle but not enough to try flash photography on my newborn in his sleep.)
I couldn't get him to smile for me for this pic. I think he's still bitter about the swaddling thing...

Happy Birthday Kristen!

Today is a happy day, and yet a sad day: It's Kristen's birthday (happy), but I'm not able to be there with her to celebrate (sad). We've done a pretty darn good job in the past 2 years despite living so far apart in being able to celebrate birthdays pretty close to the actual date. But to be honest, its hard on the actual day to know that we won't be able to have our traditional birthday dinner with the three of us (me, Kris and B) where we debrief the year, laugh for hours and make predictions for the future. In honor to celebrate my dearest best friend, here are a few things I LOVE about Kristen (for the record, this list could last for pages, but for times sake, here are a top few).
1) There are some people in life that just GET you: they get your humor, they get what you mean before you say it, they finish your sentences because they were thinking the same thing. I hope everyone has someone in their life like that, because that is what friendship is all about. My person is Kristen. She makes me laugh like no other, finds humor in the same things I do, she gets my jokes even when they aren't really funny or make sense, because she knows what I mean or what I meant to say. I can't count how many times I've laughed until I've peed with this girl. Not only does she get my lame humor, but she GETS me. She gets what might bother me when others don't understand. She gets why I'm sad before I shed a tear. She just GETS it. Friends like that are few and far between. But she is that friend.
2) She is the best roommate ever. For those of you who have had roommates, you know that not all roomies are a fit. In fact, even "good" roommates have their season and then you are happy to move on. Kristen is a lifetime roommate. If it wasn't for that darn "marriage" thing, I'm pretty sure we'd still be living in our Irvine apartment, cooking cheesy chicken rice and having pool days on the weekends. Not only is she fun, understanding, easy going and generous but she is the best apartment re-arranger in the world. This girl can make an apartment look like a whole new place with her gift of moving furniture. :) She has incredible style, would clean up your junk when you are too lazy or busy to move it, but more importantly would wait up for you when you are out late just to see how you are. Our days of living together have provided some of the best memories of my life. "Roomies for life " we liked to say, and in my heart, I still believe it.
3) She is one of the most loyal, faithful people I've ever met. Life gets busy; we all know this. Things happen, work gets insane, time flies by and friends lose track of what is going on with each other. This never happens with Kristen. And I can honestly say its all because of her faithfulness. When I get caught up with things and seem to be in a unsocial silo, Kristen is the first person leaving me voicemails wanting to know how I am and wanting to catch up. She doesn't let you get to that spot where things are distant. She genuinely cares to know where you are at, and seeks you out even when times get crazy. Complete loyalty is hard to find in a friend, but not only do I know she will always have my back, but she will always be there no matter what.
4) She has long arms. Does the top of your head itch? Need something from the top shelf? Want to reach something on the top of the Empire State Building? Kris is your gal. (ok so I had to put a funny one in there so this isn't too mushy. Don't worry; she knows I am kidding. Its a life long joke that never gets old...for me atleast. )
5) She is genuine. Never do I doubt a word that comes out of this girls mouth. She doesn't BS me. When she tells me something I know she isn't just saying it cuz "thats what a friend should say." She'll tell me when I should wear a different shirt cuz the one I am wearing has seen better days. She'll tell me what she really thinks when I need to hear the truth. And she does it because she is a genuine person who doesn't have to fake being excited or caring. She really does care and she really is excited. She is the true definition of a friend.
So Happy Birthday to my bestest friend Kristen! Kris, it kills me that I'm not there to steal you away from Ryan for a night of Citrus City Grille pasta and Starbucks. But I'm counting the days until we can celebrate in person. I love you!

First Sniffles

So Caden offically has his first cold. And I am such a good mother that I decided to get one too. And it is NOT fun. I really am trying not to complain, so all I am going to say is it is a lot harder to be sick when A) You have a little, helpless sick baby to take care of and B) You are functioning on 6 or less hours of sleep total.
The poor little guy sounds like a little piggie because he is all stuffed up. Being the first time mom that I am, I called the doctor just to see what we should do. She suggested some Little Noses Spray and Tylenol if needed. Luckily he is still acting like himself and is sleeping ok, but it just sounds like we have a baby pig sleeping in the next room in the baby monitor each night.
Well, he is down for a nap, so I think I am going to try to do the same. Pray for us if you think about it!

Us in happier times... ;-)

Getting Bigger Everyday

Caden is 8 weeks now, and is growing every day! Every time I have to put a piece of clothing in the "newborn bin" that will go in storage, I get a little sad that he is already about 2 months old! But at the same time, we are loving what new things each week brings---smiles, a lot of movement and more smiles! At his 6 week appointment, he was 11 lbs 9 oz and 23.5 inches long. He's a tall boy--95% in height and 60% in weight. He is outgrowing his little pajamas quickly these days because he is so tall. Even though they might be baggy on him, his little legs get all squished if we don't move up a size! We are loving seeing what each new day brings, and seeing how expressive he is becoming.


Caden's little hands are always by his face--I mean, always. Often he will fold them like this, so had to get a picture. (Yes, our son is very spiritual and is always praying apparently). :)

So last week was my first week back at work. It's going ok. I, of course, am missing Caden, but feel blessed that we have family and friends that are watching him, so I know he is in good hands. It has been an interesting transition for me, going back to work where I was used to being in everything, knowing all that is going on and working 50+ hours, to working 30 hours, and only having to work in the office 2 days (the rest is from home or on weekends during church services). It certainly is making me be more efficient and work on my time management! But I have to say, its great. Its a blessing that God has allowed me to stay in ministry and continue to work at the level I was before. Before I went part time, they never had a part time director and it was kind of the unspoken rule that directors were always full time. But for me, they made the exception and created a job for me so I could stay at the same pay/responsibility level. And I am back doing "creative" things, which is so much more fun for me than what I was doing before. All that to say, its a new thing but a good thing, and I am so thankful that I get to spend most of my week at home with Caden.

This week Caden and I branched out and attended our first Gymboree class. Our friends Kelly and Campbell invited us (Campbell is about a month older than Caden, and Kelly goes to Mariners), and it was mostly fun (I say mostly because...well, see below). Caden was the youngest one there, so he is still a bit young to appreciate all that was going on. But he liked the singing, the colorful parachute we put above the babies, and actually didn't scream at me like he does at home when we did tummy time.
I had an interesting interaction with a mom there (that is the "mostly" part I was refering to above). Let's just say I've officially been entered into the world of judgy moms. She was apparently a little appalled that A) I had left my 8 week old multiple times with family babysitters already and B) that I was already back to work. (Yes, in the first 5 minutes of class I was forced to share this information with the group.) She made her feelings on these 2 things very evident to me by asking follow up questions like "Why would you go back to work so soon?" and I politely said, "Well, we couldn't afford for me to take more time then that. My work only gives 6 weeks paid disability because we are a non profit; I dont get the full 12 weeks like some do." She replied, "Oh that is so sad; I just don't know what I would do if I didn't have the full 12 weeks". Riiiight. Thanks lady. Like its not hard enough for me to leave my baby anyways.
I want to give the benefit of the doubt that she wasn't judging or meaning to come off so, but it just reminded me that I am officially in the world of "moms" where there are tons of opinions and ways of doing things. I didn't expect it to bother me so much, but once I got home, I was able to reflect that every mom and situation is different, and whats right for our family is our choice and who cares what everyone else thinks. Its a hard thing to remember in the moment, but I know that this is the first of many things that will come up like this. I feel like it applies to so many things as a mom--everything from what stroller to buy to when/if to start preschool. Anyone else struggle with this? Oh the many joys of motherhood... :)

Finally, here are a couple pics from a little photo shoot a friend did for us. We are still getting the rest, but here are a few favs.

This of course is Jon's favorite--had to get a football in there!
I hope everyone is doing well and I will try to be more regular about posting pics of Caden since he is changing so much! I leave you with this video of Caden's precious smile. But he does make you work for it sometimes (hence my annoying high pitched voice as I talk to him.) I call this video "Happy to Ticked in 2.1 seconds". You will see why.

R.I.P. UCLA

UCLA has always been Jon's "team" for sports--especially football and basketball. He almost attended UCLA for college (good thing he didn't or we might have never met), so I think in his mind he is an honorary alumni. All that to say, those of you sports fans know they were doing really well in the NCAA basketball tournament, making it to the final four. Jon, Caden and I have been having fun watching all the games together; having an excuse to make or get yummy food and root on the team. But unfortunately, they lost on Saturday, so its over for them. RIP UCLA.

(Just so you know, this blog entry is just an excuse to post these cute pics---my UCLA boys.)

Jon is explaining who all the players are--and it actually looks like Caden was listening!

Easter and Daddy Time

Here is a picture of Caden's first easter! (He has a bunny on his shirt in case you can't see, because he always has his hands near his face, so it was hard to get a picture of the whole outfit. ) Jon and I made it to church on Easter Sunday for the first time since we've had Caden, which was so fun especially since it was Easter. We saw a few people and got to show him off a bit, but steered clear of trying to see tons of people (aka the kids building) because we thought it would be a bit overwhelming and germy for the little guy. :) But we sat through the service in the cafe and Caden did so good, barely making a sound but wide awake most of the time.
Later that evening, we went to my Aunt's house and had a yummy Easter dinner. The only bad news is, the next day Caden was SUPER fussy/gassy (which I can luckily say is not like him) and we think its because I had a bunch of chocolate at Easter. So now we think I have to cut out chocolate. I am NOT excited about this at all. But after Monday, I can honestly say I do NOT want another day like that, so am willing to give it a try.
On Friday night, I had my first night out without Caden and went to my friend's Stacie's bridal shower. Jon babysat and they both did great. Here is a pic of the boys. (Ps--Caden officially takes a bottle really well at only 3 weeks old which is SUCH a relief since I will have to pump and have him on a bottle when I go back to work . WHEW! It also means I can have some nights out with the girls! YAY!)
And finally, one more pic that I love of Jon and Caden. I took it today in the middle of Caden's "photo shoot" today (our friend who took some pics of Caden for his birth annoucement). Look at how Caden is looking at his daddy; so cute! I think I am in trouble: This kid is a daddy's boy!

I'm Not a Fan of Oklahoma

The reason for my Blog title is simple: Oklahoma stole my sister. Ok, ok, so technically she agreed to move there with her family, but still, I blame the state as a whole. Kristi, Kaleb and Hannah came to visit for the week since it was their spring break, and to spend time with Kaleb and Hannah's new little cousin! It was so fun to be able to see Kristi so much within a few weeks since she was just out here for Caden's birth, and even more fun to see the kids meet their new little cousin! I think she held Caden more than I did this week so she could get in all her "auntie" time. It was so sweet to see the two of them bond, and it made it even harder to say goodbye when they left. Kristi was our official first "baby sitter", since she watched Caden for a few hours while Jon and I snuck out to go out on a little dinner date. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, and it was so fun to get out of the house just the two of us! I know Kristi would babysit Caden weekly if she could, hence why I am NOT a fan of Oklahoma. It stole my sister and my babysitter.
Here are some pics from their visit!

My family threw me another little shower, and it was so fun to have Kristi at one of my showers! Here is my grandma, mom, sis, Caden and I!

Hannah was singing to Caden here--it was so precious!

I had to put this pic up cuz it's hilarious. Caden makes the funniest faces all the time, so here is just a sample of one. :-)

Growing Already!

I can't believe Caden is almost 2 weeks old. On the one hand, it feels like he's been here for a month since time seems to feel a lot slower when you are on less sleep! But at the same time, he still feels so brand new. He is growing so quickly already; we had our first doctors appointment on Tuesday, and our doctor told us we have an "A plus baby". He has already gained over a pound (he is now 8 lbs 8 oz.) and has grown to 21.5 inches (he was 20 inches when he was born). As my doctor told me, I must be feeding him "Hagen Daz milk". (I think she meant it as a compliment even though it makes me feel even more like a cow than I already do since I feel like I am breast feeding 24 hours a day). He is 95 percentile in height, and 75 percentile in weight, which means he is a tall little boy (not shocking when you look at my side of the family). He is sleeping pretty darn good for a newborn--last night I got about 5 hours of sleep in a row from 11pm-4am! It was amazing! I am quickly learning not to bank on this as a solidified routine, since it changes daily. But I am celebrating it for now!
Here are a few pictures of him since he is changing more every day!

Going to his first doctors appointment

Taking his first sponge bath

My sister, nephew and niece flew in from Oklahoma yesterday to spend the week here. I am excited to get to spend time with all of them this week! My sister has been so great about spending time with Caden (when she was here last week for his birth too) and helping out in so many ways with him. She actually baby sat him today when Jon and I took our first "outing together" in a while. We had to run a few errands and grabbed lunch--so romantic, I know. :) It was so nice to be able to get out, but felt the tension of having to get back since we haven't introduced a bottle to Caden yet. We plan on doing that in about a week, and then we will get to have a real date! We've had many offers for babysitters, so we plan on taking people up on those offers soon!

Caden Jacob Epperson

He is here! Here are some quick pictures! I promise I will be back soon with more of a "blog", but wanted to get some pics up asap!

About to head to the hospital

Smiling in between contractions...

B coming to visit!

My first time meeting Caden

One of his first pictures

Our family!

His going home outfit (his pants were a tad big, but hey, they were a part of the outfit!)

Taking him home!


He was sleeping like this---I think he was trying to tell me to stop taking so many pictures of him!


So there is Caden! I hope all of you get to meet and see him in person soon! That's all for now!

Last Real Night of Sleep

I thought I should post real quick before I head off to bed, just to commemorate my last real night of sleep for what will probably be a long while. There is no way I will get a good night's sleep on Sunday night since I have to wake up at 5 am and because I will be so excited and anxious about Monday; and then all the nights after that? Well...its just down hill from there. :) But I think it's a pretty good trade off. I will take Caden over sleep any day. (see if I say that in a couple weeks, right? just kidding!)
Ok, off to bed! Next time I post, it will probably be with lots of pics of our new little guy! Its about time, right?! :-)

Before...and AFTER

Ok so here are the pictures of our "Baby Room Makeover". When we bought our condo a year and a half ago, we always knew the extra room would be for a baby someday so we didn't want to bother doing anything with it until it was time for that. Therefore, as most extra rooms do, it became a "junk room". Lots of random boxes, storage for who knows what, and stuff everywhere. We just closed the door every time people came over (except for Kristen, who was kind enough to sleep in there when she came to visit. She graciously let us refer to it as "her room" even in the hideous condition it was in. Don't worry Kris, I'm sure baby will let you still sleep in there when you come!!)
Just to give a little background, the room was previously lived in by 2 elementary age boys, had huge wall units attached to the walls therefore leaving behind some MAJOR wall damage, and (though these pictures don't do it justice) was painted with a nauseating periwinkle. It even had some nasty glow in the dark stars on the walls in random places. So all that to say, we had quite a project ahead of us:

And here it is now!

So there it is! All organized and ready for him to come! Now if he'd only realize that his room is MUCH more comfortable to live in, and just COME already.... :-)