Happy Father's Day!

We love you!!! Thank you for being the bestest Dadda to Kaden!

Binky and Froggy Update

Here's this week's play by play with weaning Kaden off of his pacifier.

Monday: Binky "broke" and he didn't have a nap... and went down for bed pretty easily. He woke up in the middle of the night and SCREAMED for his "ti ti and goggy" and we said it was broken... and then he SCREAMED for his bottle... he didn't get that so, he screamed for "MOMMMA"! All this lasted about two hours... we got him settled down and in the morning he had a raspy voice like he smoked a pack of cigarettes.

Tuesday: Bottle also "broke". We realized that he was crying for his bottle because he knew that would soothe him... but didn't want to replace his binky for something we were already weaning him from. He was getting one bottle at night before bed. So... he was extra mad that it was broken. We got him to bed okay... and again he woke up in the middle of the night screaming MOMMA! That only lasted for one hour... and we got him back to bed.

Wednesday: Everyone said that it should only last three days... so... Kaden stopped asking for his binky or froggy or bottle... again, he went to bed fine... and like clockwork midnight struck and he started to cry. I went in and he fell back asleep almost immediately. We praised God! Third day!!! :) Lots of awesome things happen on the third day!

Thursday: We had a little relapse... but went back down pretty easily.

Friday: Joel left and that night was a little rough to go to bed, but once he fell asleep... he was out for the count.

Saturday: again... took a little coaxing to go to bed, but slept through... he asked for his binky and froggy once during the day... but after he was told it was broken... he didn't ask again. I thought he would want his binky that night cause we hung out with Jonah who has the same binky as Kaden... but he didn't.

So... we thought we were just trying to wean Kaden from just the pacifier...but it turned into the bottle and the froggy too. He doesn't look like a little baby anymore... here's to our big boy! Next: potty training...but I will wait for Joel to be back home to tackle that one!!! :)

Bye Bye Binky

Kaden is a pretty even tempered child... but he also loves his binky and froggy to sooth him when he's sad, upset or tired. We have loved that he took to the pacifier... but now that he's getting to be a big boy we think it's time to wean him off the pacifier.

We got him this book called: bye bye binky and have been reading it to him for a few months now. Every time he sees a balloon he says "bye bye ti ti" (that's what he calls his binky). We are trying ease him into the idea of saying bye to his binky.

This morning Joel noticed that he seemed super attached to his pacifier so he thought better now then later... and cut a slit into the pacifier. Kaden went to put it in his mouth when he got into the car and said: "uh oh dadda... ti ti broken... new one?" That's when Joel said that's the only one. And Kaden was pretty confused and distraught at the idea of his pacifier being broken. Kaden kept asking people to fix his binky and each of us told him we couldn't. He got a little cranky on the way home from my doctor's appointment and throughout dinner out. He was distracted enough through the evening he didn't really think about it... until bed time.

Of course it was just me (lisa) and Kaden at home alone together. And I prayed my way through the bed time routine. We got a longer bath time... played with some puzzles... calmed down with some dim lights and sound machine noise... we read some books-the bye bye binky book was read several times... (with his name inserted instead of the main character's name) and the cutest/saddest part was as I was reading the book to him he kept glancing over to his pacifier which we carefully put next to all his cars... he asked me to fix his ti ti and I said I couldn't... and we talked about him being a big boy and not needing it any more. He does take only one bottle before bed...so, I think that soothed him enough to fall asleep. He actually went to bed a lot faster than he normally does... but he was also on a shortage of a nap since his binky was broken in the afternoon. We will see what the middle of the night holds... or tomorrow will hold. Kaden's track record has been that the first day of attempting anything "new" has gone well... it's the second day he has a harder time with. We are praying that he's just ready and able to self-soothe. It was actually kinda sad that he didn't even really want his froggy... I think the two go together. Our little guy isn't so little any more. Here's a picture of his first night without his pacifier....

Happy Anniversary!

Joel and I celebrated our sixth anniversary on June 12! This was what we did on our anniversary: We ate and hung out with family! :) Sounds like what we did on our wedding day! :)

1. We had breakfast at a place called Saw Mill Cafe in Mill Creek Plaza

2. We got donuts at Frosts

3. We watched the USA vs Britain soccer/football game at Mulkiteo Lodge with all the cousins

4. We had Tran family dinner at a yummy Korean restaurant

Happy Anniversary to the bestest husband ever! I don't know what I would do without your love, your grace, your patience, your giving heart, your humor.... your cooking! :)

It's been such an amazing six years... I can't believe we have actually been married that long... it feels like we were walking down the aisle at North Seattle Alliance Church yesterday. May we grow old and senile together... may we laugh every day together... may we center our marriage on the love of Jesus daily. To sixty plus years together... love you!

Congrats LORI!!!

This weekend we jaunted up to Seattle for a weekend full of festivities. Lori, my younger sister, graduated from the University of Washington Bothell with a degree from the school of Community Psychology. She is the last of three kids to attend the UW. We are huskies through and through! :) Lori is 8 years younger than me (lisa) and there has been a special bond since the day she came home from the hospital. I was quite the older sister... being that much older, I was sometimes more the mother figure since my parents worked a lot. I know I wasn't the best older sister... but she was a delightful baby... kid... teen and now adult.

We are so proud of the beautiful, talented, loving person Lori is... she loves God and desires to serve him in all she does. She is probably landing in Spain as we write. The day after graduation she jumped on a plane and is spending the next six weeks with the C&MA through Global Ventures. You can follow her blog, hopefully she will have time to update regularly.

Anyways... Lori... thanks for being such a wonderful Auntie to Kaden. He loves you soooo much! Thank you for being an awesome sister to the rest of us... and I know mom and dad are very thankful and proud of you too.

May you experience God's love and grace more abundantly... may you serve people with compassion... may you desire to live and love like Jesus.... may you hear the whispers of the Holy Spirit guide you... may you always remember that you are surrounded by family and friends that care deeply for you and may your faith grow through this awesome experience in Spain....and in this next part of your journey. Blessings Lori... we love you!