Our first weeks with the kittens!

I feel like I am entering a new phase of blogging with this post.  During my 10.5 years of blogging I have transitioned from a hopeful mom to a prospective adoptive parent to an adoptive parent to a trauma mama and now to a cat mom!  I recognize that not too many people beyond my children will treasure all these cat photos the way that our family does.  I also recognize that they are a primary reason I blog so... insert a cat post here or there.  As I have prepped posts (I have about 47 more partially prepped posts that will be up in the next month) I have tried to do a cat heavy post for each month of photos.  

OK... on with the post...

Our cats came home in mid August.  The kids were so excited to take them right to their "cat room" so they could get used to their new home.  We started the cats in one room most of the time.  This room continues to be their home base.  They sleep in their room with the door closed each night. As we could tell they felt safer we let them venture out.  They have responded so well to this and now truly have a felt safety in our home.  As I write this post (on January 17th) they are reaching new milestones all the time.  This morning there were five preschoolers in our family room and they stayed in the family room the whole time!  They are such people cats and such social cats. 

M and T:  We really have kittens in our home!

Buttercup started out as the leader and was the first to play!

Sunshine wants to play too!

Sweet Cats!

That night after the kids went to bed Brandon and I quickly unpacked and were eager to get back to the cats room for more cuddles!

So tiny!

They both fell asleep on me!

Our first full day with the cats they got LOTS of attention!  A feather was a favorite toy!

Buttercup is the lighter cat.  Sunshine is the darker cat. 

Our children loved the cats, but they did not like all the little kitten scratches they were getting.  They decided to cover their bodies as much as possible to avoid scratches.

M: I am feeling covered!

They used to fit in such tiny spaces!

T: This is more clothes than I usually wear in the winter!

Such a sweet Sunshine!

The second night I fell asleep with the kittens.  It isn't a great picture.  It is actually a pretty bad picture, but I am fine with it, because it was my first time sleeping with them.

Three sleepers!

While I was sleeping the cats were investigating the computer cord which they still struggle to learn is not a toy. 

After just a couple days of being home the kids took a trip to MO while Brandon and I had a stay -(work without stopping) cation.  With the kids gone we started to very slowly take the cats out of their room more and more.

I learned while the kids were gone that Brandon REALLY likes cats.  I would come home from a walk or from church and he would show insane amounts of cat photos he had taken.  I love that he loves the cats too!

Sunshine likes to lay in the cushion gap. 

Buttercup discovers window watching!

They just want to be in on the action. 

They sleep a lot!

When the kids came home they were thrilled to be with the kittens once again.  The rest of the pictures are from the end of August!

M: I love his kisses!

T: Mom, take a picture.  He is staying up here! 

We can almost watch them growing!

T: I really thought they needed a blanket!

So much bigger just a week later!

So sweet!

How do they grow SO FAST!

Discovering all the smells of a bike driven on country roads!

Each Saturday night Brandon works on his sermon in the kitchen after the kids go to bed.  The cats try to cuddle with him by sitting on his lap under the table.  So cute!

They are both down there!

T: I sure love the cats!

They both came up here on their own!

T: They really love me!

Extremely spoiled kittens!