Happy 2nd Birthday Chase!

Getting ready to blow out the #2 birthday candle on the Easter Bunny cake

Having a blast on the neighbor's trampoline


Contagious Smile


Wearing Dad's John Deere hat

Enjoying lunch at Plaza Azteca

Chase celebrated his 2nd birthday last weekend (April 23rd) with an Easter egg hunt and cookout with a few close friends and family. His actual birthday was on the 22nd, which happened to fall on Good Friday this year. We were blessed with a beautiful Easter weekend to celebrate our little guy turning two, and moreover, to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

So what's going on with Chase these days? In spite of his persnickety eating habits, he has grown quite a bit since his 18 month check-up. He saw Dr. Baust on April 29th, and weighed in at 26 pounds, 8 ounces, which is around the 25th percentile for weight. However, he was at the high end of the chart for his height at a whopping 36 1/2 inches long. Dr. Baust predicted he would be about 6' 3" as an adult. It won't be long until Chase towers over me! Overall, the check-up went well, although Chase did NOT like getting his finger pricked or having his ears and throat checked. He got over it pretty quickly as Dr. Baust was able to get him to laugh throughout the remainder of the appointment. He was saying the word "doctor" all afternoon and actually cried when he had to leave the office. Chase is gradually developing more words in his vocabulary, and we're hoping he'll put together more phrases in the next month or two, as Dr. Baust cautioned it's not uncommon for toddlers to need speech classes if they're not speaking more fluently by the age of two.

We're very thankful for warmer weather as Chase would live outside if we let him. Chase has loved playing on our neighbor's swingset in the past few months--he swings and goes down the slide almost every day. He also loves playing with his bubble lawn mower that his Grammie Breeden got him for Easter and he enjoys going for wagon rides around the block. He's even had fun with the water hose on the few days when the temperature spiked in the 80's. As with any two year-old, he is beginning to pitch a few temper tantrums, especially when we have to take him inside after a long day of playing outdoors. However, this stage isn't called the "terrible two's" for nothing, and we're trying to handle each tantrum with as much patience as possible (easier said than done). Overall, Chase is pretty easy to please and he gets over tantrums relatively quickly with distractions. He's easy to get to laugh and his smile is contagious. I prefer to call this stage the "terrific two's" instead. After all, every stage of watching him grow is a blessing.

Last but not least, Chase loves playing with his cousin Bella--they fight like siblings at times, but they're always asking for the other one when he/she isn't around. They're a trip! Chase also enjoys playing with his friends at church and our neighbor's son and daughter. It's so much fun to see him play with other kids around his age because he learns so much from them. He's usually the tallest out of all of the kids in his age range and his strawberry blond curls that often flow wildly can easily add another inch to his height. He's a tall, lean 2-year old with a HUGE personality. We still think he looks a lot like I did at that age, only I was much shorter; but, we still get plenty of people who think he's Tim's spitting image. He's still a Momma's boy on most days, although he enjoys tickle/wrestle time with Daddy every night before bedtime. Ultimately, he's a perfect combination of both of us that only God could have created so wonderfully: "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful..." Psalm 139:14.

January/February 2011

Dexter & Sadie (Chase's best friends)

Chase after his 1st haircut

What did Daddy do to my hair? (before the haircut)




Contagious Smile




Eating Goldfish Crackers...num! num!

Hope 2011 has been a great year for everyone so far! I figured it would be easier for me to post blog updates every other month or on a quarterly basis instead of trying to keep up with it every month. Chase definitely lives up to his name, which leaves me little time to do blog updates outside of the normal work routine. My last posting was in December right before Christmas, so I have a lot to catch up on with the Adventures of Baby Breeden. First off, I should probably rename the blog to something other than “Adventures with Baby Breeden,” because Chase is hardly a baby anymore at 22 months old. At times when I look at him he seems like such a grown little boy. He’s tall (well over 2.5 feet) and weighs around 25 pounds. I’ll get the exact measurements when he goes for his 2 year check-up in April.

His hair has grown like crazy in the past few months, so Tim finally broke down and gave him his first haircut on February 6^th. His hair was getting to where it was in his eyes and tickling his ears. I fought the haircut the entire time because I think Chase has beautiful hair and I hated to see those perfect strawberry blond curls getting snipped; however, I will say Tim did a great job considering how Chase screamed, cried, and wiggled the entire time. Of course I saved the locks for Chase’s baby book!

Chase is speaking more words with each passing month. It’s hilarious to hear him say “poo-poo” and “pee-pee;” don’t jump to conclusions and think we’re teaching him nasty words, because we’re really trying to introduce the factors of potty training to him. My grandmother is going to attempt to start potty training him this summer when it’s warm enough to where she can strip him down to underwear—we’ll cross that bridge when we get there to see if he’s ready for the potty. Some other words that are beyond cute coming out of Chase’s mouth are “alright” (he’ll draw out the “al-” part of it, so it sounds like “aaawwwwlright!”) and “amen.” We say the “God is great, God is good…” blessing before every meal and he can’t wait to get to the end of it when we say “AMEN!”

This winter has been one of the coldest, gloomiest ones I can remember. Since Tim, Chase, and I are all “outdoorsy” people, it’s been rough being cooped up indoors and fighting off cabin fever. However, overall, Chase has done well playing with his many toys inside. He loves playing with legos, blocks, trucks/cars, and shapes—which is great because they’re all fundamental, learning toys. He also loves to play with our chocolate lab Sadie (who is a permanent member of our family now). Nonetheless, we’re all looking forward to spring and can’t wait for warmer weather.

Introducing new foods and trying to get Chase to eat well has been a roller coaster. He goes through spells where he’ll eat a great variety of foods and lots of them at a time; and, he also goes through phases where he’ll be persnickety and eat like a bird. Praise God; he’s been healthy and he’s growing like a weed—that must mean he’s getting plenty of nutrients even when he goes through his eating-like-a-bird phases. Another roller coaster situation has been trying to reduce Chase’s pacifier time to only when he’s napping or sleeping at night. Most of the time, he’s distracted enough with toys and other things to where he hardly notices he doesn’t have the pacifier. Then there are other times when he’ll stand by his crib crying wanting me to get his pacifier for him. I keep telling myself I’m not going to cave in—ultimately, I want to completely eliminate the pacifier habit within the next year.

I think the hardest thing for me as a parent is not having enough play time with Chase. More often than not, Tim and I end up spending the majority of our weeknights and weekends keeping up with household chores. Tim often reminds me that sometimes we just need to put household chores on the backburner and give Chase our time. We’ll always have piles of laundry to do, cars and dishes to wash, floors to sweep and vacuum, etc; but, we won’t always have Chase in this precious stage of life.

Chase's 20th Month

Merry CHRISTmas! As I celebrate Chase’s second Christmas, I reflect on this time two years ago when I was 5 months pregnant with him and couldn’t wait for him to arrive in the world. It’s so hard to believe how much time has flown and how much God has blessed my family. Indeed, every good gift is from above!

Chase is still all about PB & J sandwiches. He knows exactly where the peanut butter is in the pantry and where the jelly is in the fridge. I’m having a hard time getting him to eat a good variety of food, so he’s on vitamins to ensure he’s getting proper nutrition. In spite of the vitamins, we’ve all still had colds, sinus infections, and viruses this past month…makes me appreciate the times when we do have good health and that we don’t have any serious illnesses.

Christmas lights have been up since Thanksgiving weekend, and Chase has enjoyed plugging and unplugging the lights over and over again. Knock on wood; he’s never tried to insert any foreign objects into receptacles. He’s enjoyed pressing all of the buttons on my Christmas snowmen and houses (they all sing and light up) hundreds of times. He dances whenever he hears music. Tim and I call it the “old man dance” because all he does is bend his knees and bounce without any rhythm.

Chase is starting to use more words, such as “tub, tub, tub” for bath-time and “gaw-gaw” for cracker. He also says “ow” sometimes when he falls down even though he’s not really hurt. His most often spoken words lately are “hot” and “cold.” I’ve emphasized that the oven/stove is hot and for him not to get near it when mommy is cooking. He’s also learned that it is too cold to play outside. Fortunately, we’ve found things to keep him occupied indoors, such as bringing his little mini-ATV inside of the house (good thing it doesn’t leave dents in the walls from all of the times Chase has ran into them). On our short visits outdoors this month, he’s enjoyed stomping in the snow.

Another highlight from the month of December has been dog-sitting my sister’s chocolate lab “Sadie.” Chase loves Sadie since she is much more youthful and playful than Dexter. Sadie follows Chase around the house and even stays in the bathroom while Chase is taking a bath. Chase thinks it’s hilarious when she pokes her nose through the shower curtain while he’s taking a bath.

Last but not least for Chase’s 20^th month of life, he got to see Santa Claus at Bass Pro Shops. He didn’t cry or get scared, but he wasn’t overly thrilled about seeing Santa either. He had to sit on my lap with me sitting on Santa’s lap for us to get a picture. Maybe he’ll warm up to Santa next year! Ultimately, Tim and I look forward to teaching him the true reason for the season when he’s old enough to understand….JESUS! May the birth of Jesus, and moreover, the incredible sacrifice HE made for us on the cross be magnified in all of our hearts throughout this Christmas season!

So much to be Thankful for...

Riding on my Cool 4-Wheeler

Still Dressed up after Church

Posing with Daddy in front of our Maple Tree


Loving the Pretty Leaves

A Close-Up


"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. " Psalm 106:1

I'm so thankful for my 19 month old toddler as well as all of the other blessings God has given me! We enjoyed the vibrant colors of Fall and cooler weather this past month. Chase and I took many walks and watched the colorful leaves dance around in the breeze.

Some of Chase's highlights from this month (some have already been mentioned on Facebook):

-Being overprotective of me and showing a jealous side whenever Tim shows me affectio

-Developing more of a vocabulary

-Giving hugs and saying "awww" as he puts his head on me and cuddles

-Rough playing with his cousin Bella one minute and then loving on her the next

-Playing on our neighbors' swing-set and in their sandbox

-Riding around on his battery operated 4-Wheeler that Grammie and Papa gave to him on Halloween

-Laughing whenever he passes gas around Mommy and Daddy (probably because he's used to seeing us laugh whenever he does it)

We're very excited to begin Chase's second holiday season. It's hard to believe that he just started crawling this time last year! We can't wait to share memories and pictures from Thanksgiving and Christmas. Warm wishes to anyone who still keeps up with my blog (as I know Facebook has taken over nowadays)...May God bless you during the 2010 holiday season!

18 Months

"Tiger Woods," "Lady Bug Momma," & Chase in his spider PJs

Chase and Bella taking a bath together after they got all sticky with lollipops on Halloween

Chase in his Halloween outfit




Trying to blow bubbles

Sitting on poor Dexter's head

Chase made it to the year and a half mark! He weighed in at just 24 pounds and an ounce at his 18-month check-up, which only puts him at the 30th percentile for weight; however, he’s at the 85th percentile for height. He’s long and lean like his daddy! He just now graduated to size 4 diapers. Of course he being such a busy body and not wanting to eat much lately has added to his lack of weight gain this past month. He’s also been battling sore gums with all four of his incisors breaking the surface. Ironically, he still loves to brush his teeth…probably because chewing on his toothbrush makes his gums feel better. He’s also been super clingy to his pacifier and blanket lately…I’m not looking forward to breaking him of the pacifier habit!

Outside of the discomfort of teething, we had a little bit of a scare on October 24th: Tim worked that morning and I took Chase to church knowing he was a little on the fussy side because of teething….little did I know that he was battling more than just teething. By the time I picked him up from the church nursery, he was very lethargic. I put him down for a nap as soon as we got home from church and heard him moaning and groaning in his sleep. I went in to check on him and noticed he was burning up…checked his temperature and it was over 100. I didn’t worry just then, but I kept checking his temp periodically and it was only increasing. By the time it spiked at 104, Tim was home from work and we rushed him to an urgent care facility. It turns out he had the parvovirus, which is also nicknamed the “slap-cheek” virus because it results in a rash that develops on the cheeks a few days after the fever breaks. Praise the Lord with the help of the doctors, some Motrin and Tylenol, we were able to get Chase’s fever down and confirm that it was nothing serious.

Overall, it’s been quite an eventful month for our family as we welcomed in Fall. Amber had the first baby girl on the Breeden side of the family in over 30 years: Jaycee Claire Turner born on October 11th. My best friend in CA just found out she is having a baby boy this month. We wrapped up the month by spending Halloween with my family. We had a blast taking the kids trick or treating…even the adults dressed up this year. I was a lady bug and Tim was Tiger Woods. Chase was a cute, blue, fuzzy monster…kind of looked like a cross between the Cooke Monster and a Teletubby. Just look at the pictures…they speak louder than words!

A Recap of our OBX Trip and Chase at 17 Months Old

Chase in the pool with his awesome daddy

Chase playing in the sand

Chase with Mommy's big sunglasses on

Chase playing on the piano....little Mozart

Chase riding in a dump trunk ride at Chuck-E-Cheese's

This past month has been an exciting one as we vacationed down in Nags Head, NC for a week with my family. The days leading up to our vacation were filled with anticipation as we longed for a break from our normal routines and couldn’t wait to stick our toes in the sand and ocean. Tim, Chase, Dexter, and I left for Nags Head, NC on September 18th and made our first stop down in Oregon Inlet since we had time to kill before our cottage would be ready for us. The surf was rough and the water was a little bit cool on that first day, but it was still pure exhilaration for us to know that our vacation had finally begun.

One of the best moments of our vacation was when we first arrived at the Tradewinds North cottage at milepost nineteen. The cottage had three levels including eight bedrooms (most with adjoining bathrooms), flat screen televisions everywhere, a recreation room with a pool table, two hot tubs and a pool, and a huge kitchen and living room area on the top floor that overlooked the Atlantic Ocean. Tim and I chose a bedroom on the second level that had a door leading to a balcony that also overlooked the ocean. We kept the glass sliding door in our bedroom cracked on most nights so we could hear the soothing sound of the waves crashing.

Once everyone else arrived at the cottage, the fun began. The guys played dozens of games of pool while the girls lounged around chatting. Bella and Chase put lots of miles on their little feet exploring the cottage. We spent many days at the beach getting all sandy followed by a dunk in the pool or hot tub. We even snuck in a day to go to the NC Aquarium in Manteo. As the days went by, the surf calmed down and the temperature got warmer. Surprisingly, Chase did not divert from his typical sleep schedule throughout the entire vacation, which unfortunately had me getting up at the crack of dawn every morning. However, the plus side to getting up around 6 or 6:30 in the morning is that it allowed me to watch sunrises and take Chase for peaceful strolls on the beach. Laurie was in the same predicament I was in with having to get up with Bella every morning. Chase and Bella both had horrible colds during our vacation, which was definitely a bummer. Chase started to feel better as the week progressed, but he still battled a runny nose and was extremely clingy to me. He said “momma” (finally after all of the months we’ve been hearing “dada”) several times during our vacation. He also learned to say “bye-bye” while waving this month. He’s been waving for quite some time, but we couldn’t get him to say “bye-bye” and wave at the same time until recently. In contrast to his limited vocabulary, Chase’s diet during our trip included quite a variety: bananas, green beans, hot dogs, raisin bread, applesauce, squash, peanut butter crackers, Cheerios, etc.

Speaking of eating, I was disappointed we didn’t have our typical seafood buffet indulgence while we were down in OBX. It was easier (and cheaper) to fix meals at the cottage rather than drag the kids (especially two sick babies) out to a restaurant. I was also saddened that I didn’t have more time out in the sun since most of my beach trips were brief with having a 17-month old with a short attention span battling a cold. I guess a part of me is still selfish and trying to get the hang of parenthood; I was somehow disillusioned when I envisioned coming back from my vacation with a golden tan and completely relaxed. The bottom line is that when you’re a mother, you really don’t ever get a complete vacation when you have to watch after a little one all day. Bless my mother’s heart; she helped out a lot with watching Chase while we were at the cottage so that I could still sneak in an hour of napping in the sun in my beach chair or reading my Parents or Lady’s Home Journal magazines at poolside. Nonetheless, life isn’t quite the same as it was when Tim and I were “Chase-less” and we could spend a full day basking in the sun and staying up late not having to worry about waking up at six in the morning while on vacation.


My family left the cottage on Friday to head back to Hampton Roads, so Tim, Chase, Dexter, and I spent the last night in the cottage by ourselves. It was a nice way to wind down the week. Tim and I had one last night to look at the full moon and sparkling water beneath as we sat on the third floor balcony after Chase went to bed. We headed back home on Saturday, September 25th. We stopped at a Hardees’ drive-thru on the way home for lunch. I was turning around in my seat to give Chase French fries when I somehow pulled a muscle in my neck. I spent the first night back home in my own bed with a sore neck that hurt every time I rolled over in bed. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot to mention that the motorized cooler is temporarily out of order and at home in the garage about to undergo a serious overhaul after the chain broke on it and the motor mount got warped when Chase and I were riding it down in OBX. (Tim was not happy about that.)

All of this may sound like I’m complaining, but the inevitable truth is that I’m head over heels in love with being a mother to Chase and I still wouldn’t trade it for any other lifestyle. I’ll gladly wipe my son’s snotty nose at six in the morning while I’m down at the beach. I’ll also cheerfully rub in self tanning lotion to fake the deep tan that I didn’t really get on my vacation. I’ll pull a muscle in my neck to keep my son fed and happy while we’re stuck in traffic on the way home. Last but not least, I’ll even break a ridiculously expensive motorized cooler if it means a few minutes of me getting to ride on it with Chase beaming. Life on a sandbar isn’t always as blissful as I expect it to be, but I’m just thankful I had the opportunity to go on a vacation with the people I love the most and end the Summer of 2010 with happy memories. I look forward to sharing how Chase will grow in the next month as we venture into autumn. Until then, Tim and I have one last day of vacation (we took Monday off from work too) while Chase will be at my grandmother’s house all day…it’s always good to have a vacation from a vacation!

16 Months

Mommy getting in some motorized cooler time with Chase

He's going to break hearts with those blue eyes when he gets older.

Fiddling with the cord of the vacuum cleaner

Helping Mommy vacuum

Our little guy is 16 months old! Last month, I posted that he had just started walking. This month, he’s RUNNING! He LOVES to be outside. Now that he has refined the art of walking, he’ll grab me by one of my fingers and walk me to the door to motion me to go outside. He’ll also put my flip flops on for me. He loves exploring the outdoors, and he has had lots of mosquito bites this past month to prove it (yes, I put the kid-safe bug spray on him and I’ve even tried the dryer sheet idea).

Aside from being outdoors, Chase likes to help me vacuum. He also likes the Swiffer mop. I like the idea of having a kid who actually likes to clean! When he’s not helping me clean, he’s usually playing with his toy cars and trucks. With all of the playing he does throughout the day, he wears himself out and is more than ready for bed by the time 7:00 rolls around. Oftentimes, he’s exhausted even before then. He sleeps from 7 PM to around 6:30 AM and usually takes a mid-day nap for an hour or two. In fact, he’s napping now, which is why I’m taking advantage of my free time to update the blog!

Unfortunately, Tim and I have only had the boat out once this month, but we had a blast when we went! Chase loves going for boat rides and sometimes the humming of the motors will even put him to sleep. This past time, we anchored the boat and he got to float around in his little whale float for a while. He thought it was hilarious when Tim and I would make big splashes with our hands in the water. The best part of the trip was walking with him on the beach with him holding on to my index finger the whole time. We have a family beach trip to Nags Head coming up next month and we’re all so excited. I can’t wait to capture new memories in my blog for next month.