Food, real food!

Kaden is finally eating 'real' food!! It started Tuesday night. He was in a chipper mood, I hadn't tried in a while, and I had some time. So, I mixed up a little rice cereal with some formula and gave it a try. For the first time, he didn't scream! I'm not sure if he liked it, but he wasn't screaming. And he was doing a great job of swallowing! By this time he'd eaten about half of what I'd prepared, so I mixed in some sweet potatoes to give some flavor now that he'd figured out how to swallow. He ate almost the whole thing!

The next day at daycare, he had almost a half cup of cereal and fruit mixed together. And on Thursday, he ate both breakfast and lunch. Wow, when he goes for it, he goes for it. *laugh* I haven't wanted to push THREE meals on him so fast, so I haven't tried again at home. I'll get the chance to see how far he's come on Saturday.

He's also working on crawling. By no means is he there yet, but he's starting to practice some of the pieces. He can also sit up by himself for a long time, although he still tips over here and there.

My little baby is growing up so fast!

We have TEETH!

Kaden cut two teeth on Thursday. I'll try to get a picture, but it may take awhile. The bottom middle two teeth came in at the same time. Two days earlier he had his six-month well-baby check-up, where he got four shots. All of that in just two days and hardly a fuss!! He only had a minor fever for about a day and a half.

Speaking of Kaden's well-baby visit, he is now just shy of nineteen pounds (75th percentile), is 26 inches tall (50th percentile), and has a head circumference of 44.5 cm.

I'm uploading a video of him now. Hopefully it'll link better than the last few have gone...

Lots of new pictures of the boys. Check out the links on the right.

Didn't get that one, but...

So I didn't get the job I interviewed for. They gave it to the lady who'd been filling in after the previous person left.

However, there are at least two more openings that they're advertising for now. I've applied, and since my resume was selected last time, I'm guessing it will again. The job description is the same general description for all GS5s in the directorate. So I wait again.

I've heard through the grapevine that I did very well at the interview. That gives me hope for this next one. This is the first time I've ever NOT gotten a job I've interviewed for. I knew it would happen one day...

In other news -

My best friend is pregnant and found out today she's having a GIRL! I (half-jokingly) told her that we need to hook up her daughter and Kaden so she and I can be in-laws. *laugh* Wouldn't that be cool? :) No arguing over where to spend the holidays; we can just do it all together.

Still no definite news regarding our follow-on assignment location. It's likely Lewis, but not definitely. And we probably won't know for sure until May. Ugh. That's too far away for a planner like me. *sigh*

Until I get a chance to try again

I'm having problems embedding this, so for now...

Here's the first one.

This one had me cracking up three or four times. Watch for Cammi's entrance, and after.

New pictures

I uploaded a bunch of new pictures of the boys. Check out their photo links on the right.

Wow!

Kaden slept through the night last night!!! He fell asleep at eight and woke up at five thirty. I'll take it!!! Yippee!

Possible follow-on assignment

So Darrell's branch manager tells him that we're probably going to Fort Lewis after he gets back from Korea in August '08. Cool. I've never been to that part of the country. Lots of good geology. Closer to 'home.'

House prices are much more expensive than they are here. We're looking into moving on post. But we'll keep our options open.

One night down...

Hopefully many to follow...

Kaden sorta kinda slept through the night last night. Sorta because he didn't have a bottle, but kinda because he woke up about three times and needed a little help to get back to sleep (binky or backrub).

But hey, baby steps, right?

Speaking of baby steps, Kaden can stand for quite awhile now! Just a week ago, I had to totally support him under the arms, but now he can stand for over ten minutes, with just help balancing! And he loves it. I guess he likes the view from up there. ;)

Who am I?

I recently wrote out a little blurb about myself. Then, after thinking about it for a while, I realized I described what I DID, rather than who I AM. So, I rewrote it. Figured I'd copy/paste it here...

I am an easy-going, middle-of-the road tomboy. I don't own makeup, feel like a fraud for carrying a purse (no pockets in my work pants), and on a good day, would describe my looks as "passably average."

I enjoy reading a good book, taking long uninterrupted naps, and sitting on the beach listening to the waves. I like thunderstorms. I like natural things, but not necessarily just being out in nature (too many bugs). I have a degree in geology, but I'd prefer to teach it to others than get out and do field work.

I am pro-choice (although I don't think I would ever chose abortion, I also don't think I have any right to decide for others), anti-gun (I wish some alien spaceship would beam up all weapons on our planet), pro death penalty (in cases where there is no doubt that the person committed the horrible crime), pro euthanasia (when the one who chooses it is of sound mind), pro gay marriage (again, what right do I have to decide for others?), pro small government (why do they have to interfere in our lives so much?), and don't feel any inclination toward either political party (and frankly, I'm sick of politics today...)

I love being a mother. I enjoy NOT being a stay-at-home-mom. I would go crazy, and I like contributing to the household bank account. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. While I currently push paper for a living, I think I'd rather be in the intelligence field. That's a tough career to get into as a military spouse, but I've recently found someone willing to mentor me, so I'm hoping to break into it at some point.

I am a realist. I have no decoration or fashion sense. I pretty much hate all of my clothes and dread having to pick something out to wear every day. My house looks like we just moved in, but we've been here for 18 months.

I have the usual body-image issues. I would love to have lipo around my tummy/hips/thighs. I wouldn't turn down a free breast enlargement. I don't consider myself attractive, but I'm okay with that. Still, I'm comfortable in my own skin, even without expensive surgery to 'fix' what I would prefer to have fixed.

I've come to the realization in my adulthood that I don't believe in God. I don't really believe in an afterlife, but I rather hope there is one. I grew up going to church every Sunday, and I love the familiar hymns of my childhood.

I consider myself a musician, but don't currently play or sing (other than in the car). I would love the chance to get back into performing. In my past, I've played handbells, baritone horn, trombone, and tuba. I LOVE to sing, but I'm more a chorus voice than a soloist. I prefer to sing tenor, but alto works too. I like lots of types of music, but not rap, R&B, gospel, old country, or bluegrass. I dig old big band music, instrumental jazz, rock with a lot of wind instruments, good harmonies, and songs I can sing along to. My newest CD was probably purchased five years ago.

I don't think I'm all that creative, at least artistically. I am rather organized, and in that aspect can usually think of a clever solution to a problem. Just don't ask me to draw a picture of my idea.

I am a procrastinator. I don't like calling for pizza. I don't like deciding where to eat dinner when we go out. I'm not very adventurous when trying new foods.

I'm generally a quiet person, but when I'm comfortable with the people I'm around, I'll talk their ears off. I like to WORK when I'm at work, not gab all day and get nothing done. I don't like monotony, but at the same time, I like the routine.

I don't like loud. Loud music, loud talking, loud annoying noises, loud TV. I listen to the music in my car just loud enough to hear, plus a little more. The same goes for the tv. My favorite shows are Extreme Makeover Home Edition (I cry every time) and Gilmore Girls. I also like to watch House, Myth Busters, science-type stuff on Discovery Channel, all the real medical type shows (except anything showing eye surgery ), and a game here or there (hockey, baseball, football, golf, cycling, poker, tennis...)

My favorite colors are blue, green, and orange. Don't ask me to pick one, or put them in order. I like them all.

I love mint chocolate chip ice cream. I prefer it to be green, but white will do in a pinch. I don't eat seafood. I love pasta. I make a killer lasagna. And chocolate chip cookies. I don't mind cooking, but when I get home from work, I'm an instant dinner kind of girl. Give me something in a box and I'll make it, but don't ask me to make anything from scratch.

When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut. I'd still love to go into space, but I've developed a condition which will keep me grounded. I cannot eat without gravity, as the muscles in my esophagus don't push the food down. Good thing I never followed my dreams to NASA...

I am a home-owner, along with my husband. I have quite a bit of concern when it comes to selling our house. I do the bill-paying in our family. Both because my husband is often not able to do it and also because I feel the need to be in control.

While at times military life totally sucks, I mostly don't mind moving around. I like moving into a new place. I don't like figuring out how to get around a new town. I don't like packing, but the army does that for us. I already have the itch to leave where we are now. Of course I miss my husband when we're apart, but I'm a realist. I knew what I was getting into when I married him. I don't complain about the situation, I just complain because I'm lonely.

I prefer to do things my way. I'll listen to advice, but most of the time I don't follow it, unless it's given by someone who knows me very well. When faced with letting someone else do it mostly right or doing it myself, I'll almost always choose doing it myself.

At the moment, I'm rather sleepy. I should log off, power down the laptop, and go to sleep, but I know I won't.