Daddies are Fun, Too

Daddy's best "helper".

Shoulder ride...the way to travel.

Best Friends

Sophie and Emma Claire are like "peas and carrots". Best playmates. Partners in crime.

Hotty Toddy!

Rebels shut out State yesterday in a big win. Any win against state is good, but a shut out is even better.

The Twin Cities Alumni group organized again and met at Champps downtown. We had a good turnout. Much larger than for the LSU game. Emma Claire enjoyed herself again. She clapped when the rest of the crowd cheered for the Rebels.

Her new thing is to shake her head. She mimicks us. Funniest thing. She signs "all done" now...followed by a clap and a smile...Very proud of herself.

Turkey Day

We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday. We are so blessed. Emma Claire had a good first Turkey Day. Watched the Macy's Parade (even Brad participated). Emma Claire napped through most of it, but was awake for the most exciting part...Santa's appearance. I even got a little emotional watching it. She, of course, just humored me and looked at the TV. I am really excited about the holidays and what better way to kick them off.

Paul and Chris hosted Thanksgiving Dinner. Laura, Marjorie, Adrian, Elissa and family were there. Also, a Kadue family friend, Clarissa, from Germany was visiting. The food was good and plentiful and the company...energetic. Family meals have definitely become louder and eventful with the growing number of little Kadues. Kids just make it more fun. Lila and Ollie are quite a pair. They went missing (silent, anyway). I found them in the next room standing in the corner. Lila (with an "innocent" look) said "we didn't eat the marshmallows. Sure enough there was a half-eaten bag of marshmallows on the table.

Emma Claire and Quinn get along well. They have a resemblance. They all enjoyed playing with the magnets on the fridge.


Started putting up the outdoor Christmas decorations. Why is it that if one light is out, none of the lights in the strand work? Ugh...

All Night Long...

I think it is safe to say that Emma Claire is "sleeping through the night". So now when people ask "so, is she sleeping through the night?", which I have found is a pretty common question, I can honestly say yes. We are going on one week of sound sleep. I had forgotten what it was like to get a night of uninturrepted sleep...and is it ever good! I feel like a new woman (well, more rested, anyway). Life is good.

We visited Emma Claire's new class today. It was fun to watch her interact and play with the other babies and all of the new toys. I think she must be bored on the days she is home. Daycare is way better. She was a little clingy at first, but it did not take her long to make friends. Next thing I knew, she had climbed up the mound of mats...all the way to the top. She will do just fine with the transition. Luke, who was the other baby baptized on the same day as Emma Claire, goes there too. His family is friends with the Schaefer's across the street.

We had swim class tonight. I took Emma Claire...Brad is at the T-Wolves game. The favorite thing was playing patty-cake on the big red float with the rest of the class.

Looking forward to Turkey Day tomorrow...Emma Claire's first! My favorite tradition (aside from stuffing myself) is the Macy's Parade. Brad is always less than enthusiastic about it, but puts up with my excitement. Emma Claire will love it growing up too, right?!

Bittersweet

Today was Emma Claire's last day at GV Lutheran daycare...now onto the next (we have been on the waiting list at Calvary for 1 1/2 years...not an easy place to get in). We were sad to leave and they were sad to see her go, but we are also excited about her new school. Her friends made a "we'll miss you" card with their handprints on it. So cute. We are happy that Emma Claire was able to start there. Slowly moving a little farther from home (from nanny to neighborhood to across town)...baby steps for mama.

Playing Catch Up

Playdate with Addie and Jonah at Suzanne's on Monday night. The kiddos enjoyed eating cheerios and goldfish and playing with the cat.

Emma Claire had her first casualty at daycare. Pulled up on the rocking chair and took a spill. Looked like a bruiser the rest of the week with a little spot on her cheek. Lots more of that sort of thing happening lately with the increased mobility and curiosity.

Wednesday night was "daddy" night at swim class. Harrison and Brad were in charge. Emma Claire made it just in time for her part in "Hi Ho the Dari-O...Emma Claire's" in the water. It was apparently a fiasco changing Jonah and Emma Claire after class. Changing clothes and diapers is an aerobic workout these days.

Meanwhile, Marissa enjoyed and I enjoyed a night out with friends...

Thursday was Emma Claire's 9 month visit with Dr. Hobbs. Went great.

STATS: 30th % for weight (17 lbs 14 oz), 11th % for height (26 1/4 in) ...79th % for head.

Emma Claire thoroughly enjoyed herself. Dr. Hobbs though she had "great social skills' and was "very sweet". She screamed with the shots, but was over it before they got the band-aids on. Dr. Hobbs says we should work on the sleep thing...no more feeding her at night, mom! Since that, she has slept through a couple of times. Progress...(only took 9 1/2 months).

Thursday night we went out for a fantastic dinner at the Capital Grill (I highly recommend the ice cream!) with the Grodnicks (Happy Birthday, Marissa!) followed by "Wicked" at the Orpheum. Brad and I had seen it in New York a couple of years ago and enjoyed it just as much the second go around. It is a fun twist on the Wicked Witch... Actually made more sense to me this time. The best character is Gu-Linda and the best singer Elphaba (the "wicked" witch).http://www.wickedthemusical.com/

Saturday...Game Day. We joined a group of Ole Miss alumni downtown to watch the Magnolia Bowl. Ole Miss defeated LSU! It was a small group of us, but it was fun to watch the game with other "midwestern" Rebel fans. There were even a few Hotty Toddies.
Emma Claire enjoyed the outing. She was a trooper (we were out all afternoon). I think she liked the TVs and attention from everyone (and of course, the Hotty Toddies). Her new thing is clapping, so there was a lot of that, too. She caught a ride on her Grandpa Rick's shoulders...

Ahh...Sunday! What a week it has been. We were actually able to "sleep in" today and stayed in our PJs until noon! A much needed day of rest. Tonight, though, was "Turkey Bingo" at GVCC. We sat with the Grodnicks. Emma Claire and Jonah shared cheerios and goldfish. Emma Claire kept holding cheerios up to Jonah. We thought she was sharing at first, but I think she was just showing it off. Wow, are they getting active. Lots of crawling around and under tables. No luck with bingo at our table. Didn't win big this time. Maybe next year!

Grandparents Day

Today was Grandparent's Day at Teensy Tots. Rick, Diane and Marjorie came and the topic was family holiday traditions. It was fun to hear the different traditions. The family tradition that we shared was Saturday morning breakfasts. The grandparents helped make a "memory box". We decorated a box and put in it some memories. The one I placed in it was about Emma Claire's new clapping trick. The idea is that the grandparents add to the box periodically. It was special to have Marjorie attend. There was only one other great grandparent there.

Following, Marjorie treated the family to brunch at the Women's Club. Everyone was there. We had a great meal and visit. Emma Claire enjoyed the ice cream!

Happy Birthday Skylar

Emma Claire attended "Princess Skylar's" first birthday party today. Skylar was toddling around everywhere. Lots of fun, lots of family and friends and lots of gifts. The Kadue cousins were in attendance (Skylar lives in their neighborhood). Emma Claire enjoyed herself, but the enjoyment was limited because she didn't nap in the morning. She hung in there, though.

We had dinner at the Knauff's in the evening. Addie is 3 weeks younger than Emma Claire. They have not seen each other in a few weeks and both have changed so! They enjoyed playing together. It is fun to see them interact now. Emma Claire got a kick out of their cat and the cat was surprisingly patient with her "petting". Emma Claire's idea of petting is banging on the head and grabbing whiskers and ears, which her Sophie tolerates. Addie's new thing is to clap. So, you can say "good job, Addie" and she claps. By the end of the night, so was Emma Claire. So, this is her new thing now, too! It was priceless to see the two of them smiling and clapping together.

Happy 9 Month Birthday!

Emma Claire is officially 9 months old! Hard to believe. She had a good 9 month day. Two long naps, if you can believe that. She was a happy girl. Lots of activity and smiles. She is into exploring these days. Sophie is her partner in crime.

We spent some time in the infant room at Calvary. Emma Claire fit right in . Made friends right away and played with all of the fun toys. We look forward to her starting there. They do lots of fun things like load up and ride outside in the 6-seater cart, fingerpainting, etc.

Brad and I attended a Holocaust Rememberance program sponsored by Harrison. It was a first annual event at Temple Israel in honor of Harrison's grandparents, who were survivors. The speaker was fantastic. An author from New York who wrote a book called "The Lost", which was the story of his efforts to learn the truth about his great uncle who was killed by the Nazis. He was entertaining. Sad to think about all of the innocent people who were killed. A wonderful event put on by the Grodnick's.

We look forward to a busy weekend full of fun!

November Days

We are starting to get busy as we get closer to the holiday season. Lots going on. Emma Claire just gets more active and develops more personality by the day. She is starting to make these faces...hard to explain, but she squints and crunches her nose and breathes heavily through her nose. It is pretty funny. Her teacher at school called her "Emma the explorer" and says she loves being all over the room. She likes to stand at the gate and shake it.
She loves her cheerios and gets excited when the box comes out. I think she is managing to actually get some down now. Either that, or she is feeding them to Sophie (which she has discovered is quite fun).

Our Wednesday was good. It started off with a covering of snow. It melted later in the day, but was pretty this morning. Whitney and I did our usual morning run with the dogs. We are really starting to need winter gear. The next thing on the list to buy are running cleats for my shoes. It wasn't too slippery this morning, though. I think the dogs feet got cold. Do they need booties, too? Brad thinks I am crazy for making the suggestion, but their little paws must get cold in the snow and ice. Rudy was especially put off this morning by having to get his paws cold and wet. They love the runs, though. Sophie was especially giddy running in the snow today. She pranced through the snow with her head bobbing. The 3 dogs do best when they jog in what we call "oreo" formation (Sophie-Rudy-Peggy...black dog-white dog-black dog). Funny how they have gotten used to the routine. Sophie and Rudy got in a tiff on the run. I think Rudy was grouchy about his wet paws.

We did our usual ECFE today. The talk was about environmental awareness and things we can do to reduce (then reuse, recycle). I am recommitting myself to reducing, which Brad had always been good at. Emma Claire had a lot to say during class and did not sit still for more than a few seconds.

Emma Claire and I took the dogs to the vet this afternoon (whom we seem to frequent). She enjoyed the outing and we all managed to make it there and back without any casualties!

Lastly, tonight was WaterBabies. We were glad to be back. Brad went with. It was good to see Jonah, as it has been a couple of weeks. Sounds like he is near walking. He sure is growing. Emma Claire was kicking with her feet and splashing and reaching with her arms in the water tonight. It is nice to have Brad with us. He and Harrison have swim duty next week, while Marissa and I go to our mommy dinner.

On a sad note, Brad's new bike was stolen today. He has been riding it to PAI when he works downtown. He has had it only a couple of months and it just what he wanted in a bike. I guess someone cut the bike lock and took off with it this afternoon. So sad. I think he plans to replace it, but with a much less fancy model.

Lots going on at the Kadue household and we look forward to a busy weekend. We'll keep you posted!

Winter...already?

We have quickly moved from Fall into Winter the past few days. We were lucky to enjoy a few very warm days before the cold moved in. Wednesday was the last day we were able to play out in the backyard. It snowed, with a little short-lived accumulation this Friday. Emma Claire and I took advantage of staying indoors and enjoying the pretty snowflakes.

The best thing about the weekend was having Brad around. We enjoyed being together as a family on a cozy weekend. Brad had Emma Claire Saturday morning for "daddy time" while I enjoyed some time at the gym. I get home and ask if Emma Claire is napping. Brad points to the sofa where she is sound asleep, surrounded by pillows, with pillows on the floor below (in case she rolls off). Only Daddy!...

Emma Claire has been super active. She is all over the house now and is pulling up everywhere and beginning to climb on some things. She even stood for a few seconds on her own. She had pulled up on a basket, let go with one hand, then the other and stood for 3-4 seconds before plopping down. I think she surprised herself!

We enjoyed dinner at GVCC tonight, "kids night" with a buffet and all. Emma Claire sat in the high chair, socialized and enjoyed her meal. Pretty soon she will be eating the kids buffet!

Looking forward to a good week. Our calendar is quickly filling up and we are nearing the busy holiday season. We are excited! Everything is a little more fun with Emma Claire around.

The Day After

Election day is finally behind us. I think everyone feels relieved. Brad did not win his race, but we are proud of him and all his hard work. It was a tough race to win against an incumbent and DFL candidate in our district. It will certainly be nice to have Brad around more now. He won't know what to do with all of his "free" time now (I have some projects for him :-)!)

We watched some of the election results roll in at Rick and Diane's and Emma Claire had fun with all of the cousins. Adrian and Elissa came with the kids. Marjorie and some of their neighbors and friends were there, too. Emma Claire enjoyed being passed around. She loved playing with Diane's necklace...she's going to be a jewlery girl!

Happy Election Day!

This is the big day. Can't believe it is finally here. A big day for our family and a big day for the country. Anxious to see how it all turns out.

We are excited for Brad and can't wait to report how it goes. We will keep you posted. Brad and I plan to walk to pick up Emma Claire from daycare and then go accross the street to vote at Meadowbrook. After that, we will head to Rick and Diane's to watch the results roll in.

A quick cute Emma Claire moment...When I picked her up from school yesterday, she was standing at the gate at the entrance, holding onto the bars, smiling from ear to ear. This is the first time she has greeted me like this. Priceless!

As promised...Brad's commercial (posted on YouTube). Funny, I haven't yet seen it on TV, but lots of neighbors and friends have. My co-worker said she saw it at the gym this morning during her workout!

Last Weekend before E-day!

This is it...the last weekend before election day! Needless to say, Brad was hard at work on the campaign trail both days. He really lucked out with the weather. Two lovely days to be out knocking on doors. It has been a busy Fall. We look forward to returning to some sense on "normalcy" this week.

Emma Claire is becoming more active and inquisitive by the day. She went from just pulling up here and there to now pulling up on everything...the bathtub, the dishwasher, Sophie. Now I have both she and Sophie to deal with when I am putting dishes in the dishwasher. Can't help but laugh. Rowie said she just hopes Emma Claire doesn't start licking the dishes like Sophie does. She has also been crawling up on the shelf under the end table in the den, where she gets stuck most of the time. She can sometimes navigate her way out, but usually needs a little help.

Saturday we took the dogs for a nice long walk, played outside, went to swing at the park.

Sunday, we went to Yoga for Crawlers at Blooma. We have not done Yoga in quite some time, since Emma Claire graduated from the BYOB class (to crawlers). It was fun. The twins (Jasper and Charlie) from BYOB were there. They share a birthday with Emma Claire. All of the babies played with the toys. We sang some fun songs and moms did a little (very little) yoga. Emma Claire enjoyed it. She was the only girl in class and had a great time interacting with the other babies.

We went over to Adrian and Elissa's for pizza tonight. It was lively as usual over there. Quinn and Emma Claire had a good time together. They played and after dinner had a bath together, which was one of the cutest things I have ever seen! Emma Claire climbed up their stairs! She demonstrated for Brad when he got there. She is really on a roll. She even had her first taste of Dairy Queen (her dad gave it to her, of course). An Oreo blizzard...that would make anyone happy!

She jabbered and squealed the whole way home. I think she picked up some verbal skills from her cousins. She was pretty wound up and then just crashed when it was time for bed. Reached for her crib, rolled over and realized she did not have her pacifier, rolled over again, stuck it in her mouth and fell sound asleep. Amazing!

Happy Halloween!

Emma Claire's First Halloween...

We could not have asked for better weather for trick-or-treating in Minnesota at the end of October. It was a beautiful day and mild in the evening. An "Indian Summer", I have heard it called a few times now. We have certainly tried to enjoy getting out of doors while we can.

Emma Claire went along with me to a staff lunch meeting at work on Friday. She was the center of attention and did really well. She just crawled around on the floor and entertained while our manager tried to conduct a pretty informal meeting. She was happy and all smiles, after warming up. It is funny how she is a little shy and clingy to mom when around new people now at first.

Emma Claire had a good first Halloween. She was, of course, a lady bug. Technically, Brad said she was an Asian Beetle (can't you tell by the dot pattern?...). Apparently ladybugs are pretty much extinct and Asian Beetles have taken over. Who knew?

We were around the house for a little while for trick or treaters and then went to the Hillsheim's (neighbors on Turners Xrd) for a Halloween Party. The party was fun. Lots of neighbors and neighbor kids showed up. Emma Claire enjoyed playing with the neighbor friends before falling sound asleep on my shoulder. She was pooped. She managed to sleep soundly on me for quite some time, through party noise and kiddos running wild, until we went home.

Emma Claire even showed up in the GVCC newsletter this month in her costume!

A fun first Halloween with many more to look forward to!

More Halloween Photos!

http://eckadue.shutterfly.com/748