Fall Fun

Mister raked leaves. Kiddo wrecked the piles. Hilarity ensued.

;)

13 Months

He:

• is running everywhere, but has not mastered the art of watching where he's going.
• loves swimming, but not underwater.
• loves giving kisses, but only the open-mouthed kind.
• can show you where his belly button is, and tell you what a doggie says.
• likes to dance along with the Silly Songs on VeggieTales.
• is a true explorer
• hasn't had a bottle in 3 weeks. Gave it up cold turkey.
• will bring you a book when he's sleepy.
• can point at what he wants, if he knows what he wants.
• can throw an epic tantrum.
• still has no teeth.
• survived two 2-day car trips to and from PA without throwing a fit once.

I:

• have to follow Cade around everywhere, since he can reach objects on tables/shelves, the oven knobs, and in cabinets.
• am on the receiving end of most of the above-mentioned open-mouth kisses.
• try to take at least 1 picture of Caden per day.
• would love a float trip, haircut, and date night.
• have been scouring the internet for ideas.

We:

• have not spent a single weekend at home all summer.
• are being overrun by weeds in our front yard.
• are amazingly blessed, as always.

Cade's First Birthday

Wow! How I have missed you, blog! What I crazy busy summer it has been! I promise to catch you up on all the haps, so here we go...

My sweet angel boy is ONE! To answer everyone's favorite question, no it doesn't feel like a year has passed. It's been a long adventure so far, and the hardest year of my life, but I loved every minute of it.

This kid got TWO parties. One at GG's house with family and friends where we live, and another at my home with my family. Here are some of my favorites:



Super sweet cake made by Aunt Suzie





It took Cade a minute to decide he wanted to try the cake, but once he did, he LOVED it!

   



Pool time with Daddy!



Booger Face, Your mama and daddy love you SOOO much. You are the best, smartest boy in the whole wide world (ask anybody), and don't you ever let anyone tell you otherwise. We can't wait to see who you are next year. Hopefully by your next birthday you'll have some teeth! We promise to love you till your eyes pop out, no matter how stinky, loud or messy you are.
Hugs and kisses,
      Daddy and Mama

Baby Love

Just had to revel in the awesome cuteness of my sweet angel.

Best. Baby. Ever.

Busted!

So, in theory, babies are supposed to lay back and enjoy the swing, right? Chew on his rings, maybe, and listen to the music and animal sounds? Well...

Leaning forward, stopping the swing and clutching the mobile for dear life. If he hadn't been strapped in, he wouldn't have been in the swing anymore. Crazy kid.

6 Months

Dear Sweet Boy,

Six. Months. Old. Happy Half-Birthday Stinky Face!! You have changed SOOO much in just the last month!

You have had a MAJOR growth spurt, pretty much skipping the entire 3-6 month size in your clothes. You have been eating your baby food and cereal like it's your job, and have gained 5 pounds! We packed up all the clothes you've outgrown this past week, and that box is way bigger than the box of clothes that are still too big. Yay for shopping!
You've been sleeping in your room for a whole month now, and are sleeping like a champ! You've been sleeping for 12 hours a night, giving Momma plenty of rest. THANKS!!

You're rolling over all the time now, too. You've figured out how to roll over all the way, so you just keep rolling until you hit the wall. You are thisclose to crawling, but for now you have mastered scooting backwards. Momma and Daddy will have to put up the baby gates before next month! You are loving your toys now, especially Tigger, and all of your books. You are sitting up all by yourself now, you just need a little help balancing sometimes, and you love to stand in the Exersaucer that Grandma gave you. You love to stand in it and watch hockey with Daddy. You're even taking a few steps, as long as you have help. You scooted around Grandma's house in your walker for a whole week!

Our first Christmas is in a few weeks, and Momma is more excited that I know you will be. I know you'll be more interested in the bows and boxes than the presents, and that's ok. Momma asked for a new camera for Christmas so we can get better pictures of you. You love to lay under the Christmas tree and stare up at the lights, and chew on Momma's stuffed reindeer, Rhonda and Rodney. I know it will be so much fun!

We can't wait to see what you do this month, sweet boy. You are amazing.

Love,
Mommy

1/2 Birthday Party

Little man's half-birthday is this Saturday, so I'm getting ready to celebrate. Here are a few peeks:
 

Gotta have cake!



Half birthday = half cake

5 Months

Dear Baby,

You are five months old today! You have changed so much in such a short time! You are learning to like Tummy Time a little more now, especially if there's a mirror for you to stare into. Don't worry, I will continue to encourage your baby vanity. You are starting to show interest in your toys, but would still much rather play with Mommy. Mommy likes that.

You have fallen in LUV with Daddy this past month. When Daddy comes home from work, and you see him for the first time, your face just lights up. It makes me SOOO happy that you are so excited to see Daddy. I know it won't be long before you and Daddy will be out in the backyard playing together. Your very favorite time to play with Daddy is on Saturday mornings, before he gets out of bed.

You are learning to tolerate your Bumbo, but you are much more of a "stand-up" kind of guy. Daddy and I think you'll probably take your first step before you start to crawl, but I'm sure you'll prove us wrong, as usual. You have almost conquered the front-to-back rollover, and can roll from your back to your side. You are now officially an exclusively cloth-diapered baby!

Your biggest accomplishments this month are eating and sleeping. We started trying baby food, and you LOVE fruit, and you're learning to like carrots (as long as they're warm) and sweet potatoes, but so far you do not like green beans or peas. We'll keep trying, though, because I think you'll be a green bean fan. You've also been sleeping like a champ this month. We have been slowly transitioning out of the swaddle, and so far, it's helping. You've also been sleeping in your own room for a week now, and have been sleeping all night long for the whole week!

Did you know that you have superpowers? Because it's true. You have the ability to defeat the gloomy monster with your smile. You can make the worst, crankiest day all better just by smiling. Daddy and Mommy can't wait to see all the things you do this month. We love you, Stinky Face.

Love, Mommy

Classified: Single White Male

Name: Caden Michael

Nicknames: Boo, Bubba, Booger, Stinky Face, D, McLovin.

Age: 3 Months.

Height/Weight: 22.5" and 8.12 lbs. of pure studmuffin.

Dating History: One tasty elephant named Heffie, who was my first true love.

Hobbies: Staring at ceiling fans and lights for endless periods of time, long walks in the stroller, eating my fingers and forearms, sitting in my buzzy chair, puking on Mommy and Daddy.

Dislikes: Shots, being hungry, and tummy time.

Talents: Screaming at the top of my lungs, rolling from back to front only, smiling at Mommy just before she completely freaks out, melting the hearts of anyone who comes in a 5-foot radius of me.

Life Goals: Keepin' it real and still being fly.

Like Father, Like Son

I wanted to show you guys how much Caden looks like Michael:

At the top is Mike as a baby, and below is Caden. Except for his chubby cheeks, they look like twins!

Introducing...Caden

I promised to give you the story of how we got Caden, so here goes!

On June 11 (12 days before our due date), I woke up at about 4:00 AM with pain in the middle of my chest - not "oh my gosh there's something wrong" pain, just enough that I couldn't get back to sleep. I'd had similar pain earlier in my pregnancy, which went away after I'd eaten. That didn't work this time. By Noon, I was frustrated that the annoying pain wouldn't go away, so I called my doctor to ask him what I could take/do for it. Since I had had normal BP throughout my pregnancy, and didn't have gestational diabetes or any other symptoms before now, my doctor told me to head over to the hospital, just to be safe. So, I got to call and freak out my husband and my mother by telling them I was headed to the hospital.

Once I got to the ER (where the doctor told me NOT to go, but the hospital staff sent me anyway), my BP was super high, close to stroke range, and I was still having chest pain. I was hooked up to oxygen, and it was decided that I needed to have a CT scan to rule out a blood clot. Turns out that a CT scan is not so bad as it seems - the contrast material makes you feel super warm and toasty, they lay a big lead apron over the baby bump, and then it's over. Since the scan showed no clots (Yay!), the doctors decided that I had what is called HELP syndrome, which is basically developing preeclampsia suddenly. Since I was not in active labor, it was decided that my BP was too high to wait for labor to start, even if I was induced, and that I needed an emergency c-section. This news was really hard to process, since my husband had just left to go get our bags from home, and my parents were still making the 3-hour drive from my hometown.

As soon as my husband returned to the hospital, the doctors got me ready for the c-section, which meant getting an epidural. Seeing the GIANT needle made me really start to realize what was happening, and I started getting really nervous. By then, my doctor came in and reassured me that both Caden and I were going to be fine. I was still upset that my mom wasn't there, but I was ready to get the surgery over with! At 6:55 PM, our precious peanut was born, and our journey as a family began with a perfect boy, who looks just like his daddy.

Once I got to the recovery area, my BP had gone down, but was still too high to move up to the recovery floor. Since I am allergic to some common medications, I also had to keep the epidural line in until I could move. After a day in the labor & delivery room, I was finally able to move upstairs. Thanks to my epidural I hadn't experienced any pain at all, mostly because I hadn't been able to move. But when I stood up to get into the wheelchair, I felt like my entire incision had reopened. The nurses assured me that was very unlikely, and there wasn't any bleeding, but it was the worst pain I'd ever felt. Since I had made it to the wheelchair, there was no turning back. I really think the nurse was going as slow as possible, and hitting every bump along the way. I don't know how I would've made it out of the wheelchair if Mike and the nurses hadn't helped me. Turns out that the medication in the epidural wasn't as effective as it should have been, so when they turned it down and I moved for the first time, it was as if I didn't have any pain meds at all. Needless to say, I got new meds, and I developed a deeper respect for the brave souls who give birth drug-free.

Two days later, Caden and I got to go home, and it's been fantastic ever since (see my previous blog for all the details)!

2 Months!

Oh my goodness, it's been 3 months since I posted! I'll be better, I promise! A LOT has happened:

• We FINALLY got the nursery organized and ready for our little Peanut to arrive!
• I learned the quickest routes to the essential destinations near our house (grocery store, pharmacy, park, Chipotle), since my beloved TomTom was stolen. We also got a new (to us) Explorer, to replace my car, which was totalled back in December.
• On June 11, I woke up with chest pain, not severe, just annoying. I'd had it once before, and it went away after I ate. Not this time! At Noon, I called my doctor to ask what I should take, and they told me to go ahead and come in to St. John's, just to be sure everything was OK. After a CT scan to rule out a blood clot, and a BP that would not come down, it was decided that Baby Wells would make his grand appearance! (I'll fill you in on all the hairy details, but that's a blog for another day)
• Mike and I survived our first month as parents! We developed a great routine, thanks to Caden's amazing ability to sleep, and to smile just when I am about to lose it completely.
• We were finally able to transition from disposable to cloth diapers! Caden was too teeny to fit in even the XS size, so we had to use the stash we got from our showers. In the meantime, we discovered that Pampers are the ONLY brand that work on Caden's tushie. I'm still working on converting Mike to the cloth diaper movement, but I'm lovin' it!
• I came to terms with who my friends are, and who they aren't. I'm a people pleaser, and it really rocked my world to move from a place where I had already succeeded in pleasing everyone around me, to a place where I knew absolutely no one. I've never had any shortage of close friends and family, even when I moved to college, until I moved to live with my husband; I just had to get used to having no one else to talk to. It wasn't until Caden was born that I realized how important it is to be able to have a conversation with another person. I am so thankful that our friends from college are still in our life, and am so glad that we live so close to them now, and can hang out more now that Caden can handle being out of the house now!
• I officially resigned from my job, which wasn't a hard decision to make, but was a little disappointing, since I LOVED my job, and I would've been making real progress in my position with the company, had I come back to work.
• I started sewing! I learned to make sock monkeys in college, and the mood hit me to make some for Caden. When I looked on the internet for new monkey ideas, I found all these other cute things to sew, so I decided that I want a sewing machine for Christmas, so I can help save money buy sewing clothes and things for Caden and for our friends!

Our Nursery

Caden Michael, 6 lbs., 7 oz. - 6/11/10

Daddy & Caden

Caden & Auntie Erin

Already 2 Months Old!