Learning New Tricks

Kadee is growing much too fast! My little baby has gotten so big! She is just starting to explore things around her though and it has been fun. On Monday she went to visit my choir classes with me. She got a little grumpy because she was so tired, but she wouldn't go to sleep because there was just so much going on. She slept a little bit...just enough to keep her from getting too grumpy. My students loved seeing her and it was fun to show her off.

The last few days Kadee has become more chattery. She was making all kinds of adorable sounds while I was in the shower yesterday, just talking away. I stick her in her rock&play and bring her into the bathroom with me because she likes to hear the water running and the sound of the fan. In the past it just puts her to sleep. But not this time. She was completely content to sit there just observing things and talking about it. Kadee is such a good baby, I just can't believe how blessed we are.

Sitting contently in her swing has been new too. We tried it a while ago...and she didn't like it. I think it was because she couldn't really see much around her - like the mobile hanging above the swing - and she probably felt too isolated. Now her eyesight has developed a little more and she has been very interested in watching the mobile and she knows that I'm still there too. (Shoes in the picture were made by Kadee's Grandma Bertoch.)

Kadee will also sit very contently while we read books to her. She will follow the picture books with her eyes pretty well. I think she just watches us turn pages and sees a little of the color. Sometimes she will make talking noises while I'm reading to her. She's starting to interact with us more.

Her other new thing is that she is figuring out how to soothe herself. Only she does this by trying to eat her entire fist. Sometimes she gets mad when the whole thing won't fit in her mouth. Or she will try to eat both at the same time... Or she can't find her mouth with her fist - usually because she is moving both of them around too much to have them come in contact with each other. 

Conference Weekend

On Friday, Kadee and I went to West High School's homecoming football game while we waited for Spencer to get off work. The weather was fantastic and we had a good time. Kadee did pretty well. She didn't like wearing the earmuffs at first but her Mommy wasn't going to let her sit near the band without them. And of course her Mommy was going to sit near the band. Why else would we go. (We seriously went just so we could see the band perform. Their halftime show this year is 'Carmen' and it was pretty good.)

Saturday I was actually productive and while Kadee slept the morning away, I got a lot of cleaning done. Then we both hung out and watched Conference together. My favorite talk was on Saturday morning. It was Elder Hales. You can watch the whole thing here, https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/10/media/session_1_talk_5?lang=eng 

What I liked most was the quote, "The calling to be a parent includes the gift to teach in ways that are right for you and for your children." 
I am very much looking forward to teaching Kadee and spending time with her. It's good to know that I will have help and that it will be in the ways that Kadee needs most.

Spencer says his favorite part was the kalua pork I made on Saturday. But really Spencer just enjoys the whole experience and loves being home with his family and listening to all of the talks. 

The kalua pork was really good on Saturday. I slow cooked it for about 13 hours and it turned out great. We had a few people from our ward over after the Saturday sessions and that way I could have the ladies stay and watch a chick flick with me during the Priesthood session. We had fun.

Kadee makes Conference a little different. There were some talks that I missed part of because all I could hear was the screaming. But that's why they print them so we can read them over and over! We snuggled a lot though. I still just like to hold her. Only on Sunday Spencer and I had to fight over her a bit. That tends to happen whenever we are all home anyway. Plus Kadee really loves it when she is held. Heaven forbid you ever put her down for any length of time.

Overall, we enjoyed General Conference.

Other pictures from this week:

 Eating our fist. The WHOLE fist.

 Getting big way too fast!