Welcome Baby Jaden

This has been the year for babies! In one month, we have two new additions to our family. Analeigh made her debut 5 weeks early on December 22, and Jaden arrived yesterday at 8:31 am. We didn't get to be there when Analeigh was born as she was born in Alaska-a very long way from here! However, Jaden was born right here and what a welcoming party he had.

My sister went into labor early Sunday morning. She arrived at the hospital around 4 am; an hour later my brother and his wife arrived. We didn't get the message till 7 that morning (we don't sleep with our cell phones). We got dressed for church, grabbed a few dozen doughnuts, and headed to the hospital, arriving just a few minutes before he arrived. We all got to peek at him as he was wheeled down to the nursery, was able to check in on my sister, and watch the nursery workers weigh him, bathe him, take all the necessary measurements, and feed him for the first time. I took pictures, lots of pictures! :)

He is a big boy weighing in at 8 lbs 4 oz unlike his cousin who was only 4 lbs and 9 oz. He has two big brothers to teach him lots of fun things! [smile] Alex is with us, the younger of the two older, and was with us yesterday when we went back up to the hospital. He has been acting nonchalant until we walked into the room and he saw his mom holding Jaden. He wanted to hold him too! Too sweet....he is all tough on the outside but a softie on the inside-who is he kidding!?

Well...a year comes to a close in just a few days...a year that has been absolutely filled with every kind of heartache, every kind of wonder, and amazing joy! All I can say is Welcome Jaden and Analeigh to this family.

Taking Stock

This is definitely one of those times in life where we are "taking stock." It is a time to decide what is important to us as a couple and what is not. We spend alot of our time together talking and planning. Of course we are still deep in a house remodel and it looks like this might be a hobby of ours for quite some time! We will be wrapping up the inside of the house within the next six months but then...there is the outside (which has been deteriorating from neglect while we work on the inside!)

We sit and we ponder. We evaluate our resources, our time, our money, our talents-how do we want to use them? Interestingly enough in one week, we had a discussion with both our son and son-in-law about wills and life insurance. We just underwent medical testing to change insurance policies. We have had this policy for quite some time, but just learned a few months back that it is an accidental death policy. Hmmm...works if we die in a car accident, but...cancer? Nope. So that isn't going to work. Plan B: Get a new policy. We are also talking about our will. We haven't updated that since our children were all at home and our primary concern was their well being. That (howbeit still a concern) is no longer our responsibility. So here we are....

Discussing remodeling options, pricing bath tubs because our bathroom is next (yippee), juggling day to day activities, planning trips for just the two of us (San Antonio in two weeks...another YIPPEE!), discussing life insurance and wills.

A New Baby

Have you ever noticed that older people have pets??? Is that to minimize the empty nest syndrome!? My in-laws have a cockatil they have had now for about 14 years. That little bird is about the only thing they agree on, and let me tell you, Sunny rules the roost over there. If Sunny wants to eat, it is time to eat. If Sunny wants to take a nap, it is time to take a nap! LOL...cute, cute, cute...but knowing is half the battle and they do know they have spoiled that bird!

I have a few pets of my own. The latest edition is Sooner. We tend to be adopt by happenstance kind of people. Well, my hubbie would say, "Speak for yourself!" He would be ok without any pets-so he says (I really don't believe him!). Right before we were going to be making our trek to my mother-in-laws for her surgery, we acquired Sooner.

It was a Saturday morning, and we were heading to the golf course to finalize some wedding plans. This kitten was just a screaming next door. I was confused because they didn't have a cat. My hubbie hurried me along to our appointment. We got back and the kitty was still there, still hollering. I called it over to me. He came dragging his back legs. I picked him up and brought him in the house to feed him. I thought he had a broken leg. We kept him all day and then checked with the neighbor. Turns out the neighbor daughter found him and brought him home, to "help" him, by dumping him in the back yard without any food or anything. He was ours from that point.

I took him to the vet the next week to get his shots, to check out the leg, and deal with the fleas. We headed to Dallas leaving him in the care of my brother who promptly spoiled him and tried to steal him! No way, little brother...my baby! :) He is so little and so cute.

It has been a few weeks now. He is doing well with the litter box, but has to sleep in a kennel. We tried him in bed with us, but he kept us up, and had a few accidents. Kennel-much better idea. He fusses for a minute and goes to sleep, and we are all happy. He wakes up raring to go and full of vinegar. He is now attempting to climb curtains...and that is a NO NO! (declawing might be in his future)

Now I have a new responsibility...oh....and his name....we were on our way to Dallas and trying to decide on a name. Everyone was making suggestions. Well, I wanted an adverb name so was racking my brain to come up with a good adverb. Kat was throwing things out there, and since Jon is always on her mind, was thinking of what Jon would like...he is an OU fan which brought us to Sooner. It stuck and now he is Sooner...love it..."Come here Sooner" "Stop that Sooner." "You need to lay down Sooner."

One more thing...not a rat in sight. He runs around climbing up in the walls that don't have baseboards...is all over the place, leaving his scent. Ha...take that you wascally wats!