Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! It has been a whirlwind two weeks, and honestly I am a little sad that it is coming to an end. I love this time of year and I love having two weeks off of school! I have had such a wonderful time with Heath and Cayden, and visiting with family and friends. Why can't the whole year be like this!? Brace yourself...there are a ton of pictures!

Every. Single. Year. I beg and plead with Heath to take me to see this lights on the square in Fayetteville. And every year he finds some way to weasel out of it! Not this year mister! I have a kid, and you have to do stuff like this...for this kids, of course! I was a little bummed because my camera was a little blurry, but we at least have two photos of our brief walk around the square. KNWA was filming the five o'clock news, and we stood and watched them for a few minutes.

Cayden and Camilla had a play date earlier this week. Camilla is very advanced, she can sit on her own for quite a spell. Cayden can sit for a few minutes, but usually falls over. In the top picture Camilla is demonstrating what this looks like!

I love these two! I can't wait to watch them grow up together! I know that when summer comes around Kristin and I will have our hands full!

During our two week vacation, Heath was also off of work. It was nice to just be a family together for longer than a weekend! Cayden loves his daddy!

He is such a happy baby! Although this week has been kind of hairy. We think he might be teething. His chewing is getting more intense, and he just acts like he might not feel the greatest! I'm not sure how I know this because most of the time he looks like the picture above!

Cutter and Cayden got to see each other on Christmas day! The last time they met, Cayden was just few days old!

Of course he had to pose in his Christmas gift! Our Christmas this year was a little crazy. We went to my mom's on Friday. We made a trip to Branson to see if there were any deals to be had. Cayden got some stuff, and Daddy got some stuff. Nothing at rock-bottom prices, but we managed to find some goodies. Each year we take a family photo. No one likes this practice, and generally we look a little haggard...but this year was pretty good. Aside from Cayden's homage to LL Cool J (with the sweat pant up one leg) I think our photo was nice. We had planned on spending two nights, but Cayden was not having it. He would not sleep in the pack in play, or even in the bed with us! UGH. So we left late Christmas Eve night, after all the festivities.

He was really good at opening gifts. And he LOVED all the new toys. I guess we've reached the age where he can actually start playing with stuff.

I took this picture because I kept thinking that I didn't have enough "Christmas" picture. At least in this one, the tree is lit up in the background. I guess because this was Cayden's first Christmas everyone was super excited to buy him stuff. He got a lot. I was going to take a picture of it all, but it was kind of obscene. Instead I took pictures of groups of stuff. The last post was about the hats, these next two pictures are about the books and stuffed animals!

Pictured with Cayden: Giant Frank, Brown Bear, a Polar Bear, the cast of Winnie the Pooh, and Mickey. Most of the Disney characters were purchased in Branson on Friday. They were our deal of the day!

Cayden is going to be a reader! Can you tell? He got several books, which we will definitely enjoy!

The Season of Hats - 5 Months!

I'm not sure if it is just the obsession with my new knitting hobby, but is everyone in the knitting spirit this year? Even Old Navy has a knitting commercial! Although it is not quite Christmas yet, Cayden has already received several gifts...including knitted hats! Three to be exact~
Since this is his first Christmas, I have to document everything! My best friend Julie sent her gifts last week, and Cayden's gift was just the right size to test out his unwrapping skills. Jennifer has been trying to prepare him for this task by letting him tear up magazines. He is getting quite good.

Here we are, unwrapping his very first gift... I wonder what it could be!

The evidence is in his little paw, that Yes, he can at least tear paper!

Voila! Out pops a Deer/Reindeer hat! Little did we know that this would be the first of three knitted hats...and something tells me that Santa/my mom has another hat for him at her house!

This cute Sock Monkey hat came courtesy of Aunt Debbie!

Woo Pig!!! Thanks Jennifer!

I have learned many things this year, about myself and about being a parent. I can tell that Christmas time is going to be a BIG deal in our future. Establishing traditions and keeping in mind what a gift God has given us, and trying not to focus on material gifts. However, one lesson that I have learned this year....Order. More. Christmas Cards. Period. When in doubt, order at least 10 more. Unfortunately this year, I only ordered 25. Apparently it should have been more like 50. I'm sorry to those who follow our blog, and were hoping for a card. We had to get cutthroat this year. Don't worry though, lesson learned. Next year will be better.

This shot is from one session of our Christmas card shoot. He is so flexible. Not as flexible as our friend Camilla, who is capable of putting her toes in her mouth.

Okay, let's move on to what Cayden has been accomplishing in the past month. We had been putting cereal in his bottle at night, so then we moved on to feeding him cereal. That went really well, so after a couple of weeks, we moved on to a fruit. His first time eating Apples was hilarious.
He looks so excited!

Not quite sure what we've done to him...

He kept going for it, and after a couple of bites...he was a fan! We have also introduced Sweet Potatoes which he LOVES. Bananas will take some getting used to. Jennifer feeds him cereal at lunch time, and then at night he gets cereal and some fruits and veggies. The food really seems to keep him regulated, but I believe is also a strong contributor to what I like to call, "Diaper Explosions!" We've had several of those lately. Up the back. Out the legs. On the socks. That sink the laundry room has been very handy. If it weren't gross, I would post a picture. But maybe that is a little too "real life."

Cayden has also mastered rolling both directions. He really likes to be on his tummy playing with his toys. Anytime we put him on his pillow under his play gym, within a few minutes he is on his stomach.

He has a new fascination with faces. He wants to touch and scratch at, pull hair, and stick fingers in your mouth. Speaking of mouth, no words yet. Although some members of my family swear he said HI at lunch the other day. I'm skeptical.

He has officially moved to the crib, and has been there for awhile. He is an okay sleeper. He has his good and bad days. In a typical night he goes down around 7:30, up at 11:30 and 4:00. I can't complain too much because he wakes to eat and is back down pretty quickly. He does have some of those nights where he is up every two hours, like last night...but I think its because he has been off schedule. For the past three nights we have either been somewhere different, or Jennifer has stayed with him.

He is still in size 2 diapers. Clothing is a different matter. Gap is still okay width wise in the 3-6, however in length; too short. Carters he is moving into the 9 month category for the same reason. We think he is weighing in around 18 pounds, and trust me, after holding him in the Santa line for an hour, I believe it!

Dear Cayden~

It's almost time for your first Christmas. There are so many things that we are looking forward to during the holidays in the years to come. We hope that you will know that He is the reason for the season first, and that gifts come second. You are such a happy baby. As always my favorite part about you is your smile. I almost wish you wouldn't get teeth because I love your toothless grin so much! I hope that someday you know how much you are loved by everyone. I can't imagine loving anything more, and you have been such a blessing to us. I just hope that we can be good role models for you as you grow up!

Love~

Mom and Dad

Tis The Season

There is always so much going on during the Christmas season, and then you add a baby to the mix, and I am beginning to feel overwhelmed! We have officially bought ONE present. It's December 11th, and I am that far behind. Have we ordered our Christmas cards yet? Nope. Nothing like a little holiday pressure to put that panicky feeling into your heart! The good thing is we have Cayden. It is extremely hard for me to not want to go ahead and start some Christmas traditions now. I see the Elf of the Shelf pictures and I want to do that! I know he has no clue what it is, but still. It's been a miracle that I haven't bought the book yet. I am going to buy 'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

I don't want to put too much into this blog because Cayden will be FIVE months old on Wednesday and I will update then. It makes me kind of sad to look back at pictures of when he was first born. He was soo little...sniff.

He is really into electronics: Phones, remotes.... He wants it! Any time he sees a phone he lunges for it...he could be in the middle of a fussy, crying fit...pull out the phone. Good to go!
Side note: A lot of pictures I take of Cayden are in what I call his "Cayden Chair." Basically it my crossed leg that he sits in the crook of. I know he will be too big for that soon, so we bought him an actual Cayden Chair. This is his Christmas present this year. Since he has no concept of Christmas, I went ahead and put it together, and gave it a test run. He loves it. The funny part is that anytime you put him in it, he always has his arm slung over the side. It is so cute!


I know he will get good use out of this for a long time! My mom has gone a little present happy for him this year, so I think our only other gift for him may be a toy remote or cell phone!

This being Cayden's first Christmas there were a few things I thought we had to do. Special Christmas onesie...Check. Cayden's First Stocking...Check. Visit to see Santa...Check.
I knew that completing this last task could be stressful. We've all seen the pictures. Jolly old Saint Nick and a screaming red faced baby! This is what I was expecting. I was fully prepared for my child to be THAT child. Cayden and I loaded up and headed to the mall. We walk in the door, and the line is long, really long, but I am determined. I had left Cayden's car seat in the car because he hates it, so I was holding him, and the diaper bag. 15 minutes tick by.....30 minutes...and Santa's helper comes by to hand out price fliers, and to dish some picture taking advice.

"Oh, your baby is cute. If I were you, I would wait until the photographer is ready, and then walk your baby with his back towards Santa, and then get out quickly."
Great. 45 minutes go by....Cayden is doing well. No crying, just staring at people, and smiling at the guy behind us. Finally it is almost our turn, and my kid is asleep. I wake him up, and do as the helper instructed. Cayden was GREAT! Everyone watching thought he was so sweet when he smiled. He just sat there and let Santa hold him like it was no big deal.

Next year I will be even more prepared for a meltdown! Merry Christmas!

Since I became a parent...

Here is a random blog about things I do now as a parent:

1. What channel is constantly playing at my house? CNN? NBC? HGTV? Nope. Disney. Oh yes. I am well versed in Good Luck Charlie, Shake It Up, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Chuggington. The list goes on. The really embarrassing and sad part is that I find myself enjoying some of these shows....and singing their songs. Which brings me to #2.

2. I get songs stuck in my head. Songs like "The Hot Dog Song." If you know what I am talking about, you are singing it right now. Hot Diggity Dog!

3. In my former life, I might have been grossed out by bodily fluids. Not now. Drool, check! Spit up, check! Poop, check! Pee, check! Boogers, yep, those too! I put on my big girl pants, and have passed the gross out tests!

4. When I'm in public..... I am no longer embarrassed by farts. Cayden does it, and they often smell like a dead person. It's gross, but what can you do? He's obviously not bothered by tootin' it up in large groups.

5. Pre-Baby we could be found at Bonefish almost every weekend. Bonefish is really not a "baby friendly" environment. We have taken him there once and it went fine, but we are no longer frequent fliers. Our restaurants of choice must meet the following criteria: They must be fast. They patron population should be at a minimum. Close to home in case of a meltdown. These are baby friendly qualities.

6. Traveling any where is gauged by nap times. Did he just wake from a nap? Should he be going down for a nap? Is he napping now? These are important because nobody wants a screaming baby in the car for any length of time. Gone are the days when you can just hop in the car and go!

7. Going to WalMart is a chore. Even more so than before. Trips are quick. If you don't have a list, then you are doomed because you WILL forget something. The mind is not wired to think of things you need, while telling your baby, "It's okay! We're almost done! Just a few more minutes!" You always need a list.

8. Staying home is easier than going any where. Refer to #7. A sandwich will do for lunch and dinner, if it means not going to WalMart. The amount of items you need to go any where is intense. Diaper Bags with extra outfits, diapers, wipes, burp cloths, etc. If you are staying anywhere for any period of time you also need a sound machine, bouncers or other various entertainment pieces.

My life has changed dramatically, but darn it if it isn't all worth it!

Giggles

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Our Little Turkey

As you have seen from previous posts, Cayden is our little turkey. Although it would have been fitting to put him back into the turkey costume for Thanksgiving, we let him be his cute self this week. Before I get into all of Cayden's happenings, I thought I would post a little about what Heath and I are doing.

The entry way in our house is begging for some photos...mainly of Cayden. I knew when we moved in that I wanted to create a photo wall. Dead center is the canvas print we have of Cayden, because lets face it, he is the center of our world. In my semi-anal mindset I wanted to get a visual of the wall before I started hammering in the nails. As I was trying to fall asleep last night, I had a moment. Oprah would call it an A-Ha moment. Anyway, I thought that I could create the "frames" with painter's tape. I could move them around, and get everything just right before I put holes in the wall. I think it turned out pretty well. It gives me the basic idea. Thanks to Heath for helping me with my madness.

My knitting obsession is still going strong. I have made a cowl scarf, and a purple hat like the green one above. The purple one had some serious flaws, but this one seems to be going pretty well. Sometimes I feel a little old ladyish with my new hobby, but when you look at all the fashion forward patterns online, I don't care!

Here he is. It's what you have been waiting for; it's why you have read the blog this far!

He is the sweetest thing. Honestly, he is happy 95% of the time. It seems that the past few days he has been a little fussier, especially at night. I'm not sure if we are keeping him up too long before bedtime, or what, but so far tonight he has been awake and crying more than he has been asleep.

This year for Thanksgiving we went to my mom's house. This meant an overnight trip. Our first. It was only for one night, but I am sure that we packed half of the house. Bouncer. Bumbo. Boppy. Diaper Bag. Endless supply of diapers and wipes. 1/3 of his wardrobe. Bottles. Breast Pump. (Anyone else notice all the things that start with B?) Burp Cloths. Formula. Frank. Taggie Blanket. I'm sure we could have brought much more! The trip went well. Cayden was pretty content...at least until bedtime. He woke up around 2, and decided to hang out with my mom for an hour before going back to sleep. Thanks to both mom and Heath, I got about 5 hours of straight sleep. It was nice.

Here is the little stinker. I think we were trying to get him to take a nap.

Since Thanksgiving is all about the food...we started giving Cayden cereal. We have been putting cereal in his bottles at night before he goes to sleep, but this week we started to thicken it up and use a spoon. The first time he was really unsure. The last few times though he does open his mouth for the spoon, unfortunately he hasn't quite mastered swallowing it once it's in there. I can see why feeding babies food takes forever!

He is getting much better at things. He is a better grabber. He sits assisted really well. He has a new fascination with people's faces. He loves to reach out and touch you, or stick his fingers in your mouth. On a side note: My mother has gone present crazy for Cayden. I'm not really surprised. I, myself, have purchased a gift for Cayden already, and have decided that I don't need or want anything this year. He is gift enough. Cute little thing. I think we'll keep him.

Four Months

Time is flying by. It's hard to believe that just four months ago Cayden was so new, and tiny, and so fragile. Now it seems like he changes so quickly, and is trying and doing new things every day. We had our four month doctor visit today, and Heath and I went in armed with a ton of questions. What can we do for eczema? Why does he dig at his ear with his fist? What is the diagnosis for his flat head? and many more. She was great at answering our questions, and seemed pleased with Cayden's growth. He is officially weighing in at 16.2 pounds (75th percentile)! It really wasn't as much as I thought. She said that he is growing steadily, so nothing to be concerned about..and No, I do not have a giant baby. He is 25.75 inches long (75th percentile) and his head is 16.75 inches (60th percentile). He had two shots as well. UGH. It is the worst. The look on their face basically makes you feel like the worst parent, ever. On a positive note, we got the green light to start introducing whole wheat cereal. Once he has grown accustomed to that, it's on to fruits and veggies!

Here he is at one month....

And at 4 months! That smile you see. It's pretty much the best part of my day. He is a happy baby for the most part. He is still wearing 3-6 month clothes, and really they fit fine, except in length. Things always seem too short. We are a big fan of footy pajamas. Really footy anything since baby socks do. not. stay. on. No matter what size of sock, they always come off. He has moved into the #2 diaper size, and I think he will be here for a bit.

New things:

* He is rolling over. He doesn't do it often, but he can.

*He loves his bouncer. At first he just hung out in it, feet barely skimming the ground. Now he can bounce! And the cutest part...he shifts his weight and feet from side to side, so now he has figured out how to rock the bouncer.

* He has starting echoing, or mimicking things. I make this sound where I suck in my breath, and then give him kisses. He started sucking in his breath too!

* He is discovering his tongue. He likes to stick it out (thanks to Heath for teaching him this).

* Anything he can grab onto, goes into his mouth.

* Lots, and Lots of drool.

Finally...He is sleeping in his crib. I know I'm not supposed to put things in the crib, but we figured out that he really likes to feel snug and secure. This is why he liked sleeping in the lounger. I knew I had to recreate that feeling in his crib, so I took two bolster pillows and put them at the front and back of his crib, and then put the sheet on. Now he sleeps in between them, and he seems to do pretty well. He is not sleeping through the night, but he is going for longer periods. Usually he is in bed by 730ish, and then he is up around 12 or 1. And then after that it varies. Sometimes its every 2-3 hours, sometimes he goes five....

Jeans are cute. They are not practical. Although the unbuttoning of pants is a common sight after Thanksgiving, we unbutton for comfort while sleeping.

Dear Cayden,

Is it possible to love someone more and more each day? You smile, and giggle, and my world is perfect and complete. You are growing up so fast, and learning so many new things. I know it will be no time before you are crawling, and walking, and eating solid foods, and although I can't wait, I can wait. I want to savor, enjoy, and remember each and every minute. With the holidays around the corner, there is nothing more I could want or need. I am thankful God gave me you, and He knew you are perfect for us. Thank you for being the best present. I can't wait to see what you do next.

Love,

Mom and Dad

He rolled over!

We set him down for tummy time and he rolled over like he had been doing it for months! Of course I didn't have the camera ready! I finally caught it!

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Cayden's 1st Halloween

Get ready for cute overkill! Cayden has many nicknames, as I have discussed in previous posts. One that really seems to stick is Turkey. Like, "Oh Cayden, you are such a Turkey." After perusing the costume possibilities...the Turkey won out! Purchased in the smallest size possible 6-12 months, it proved to be Ginormous. Like the awesome parents we are, we stuck him in it anyway! Anything for a photo opp, right? It lasted just a few minutes, but here he is!!


Once we figured out that he wouldn't be wearing it out in public without a major meltdown, we improvised. One chocolate brown onesie to the rescue!


We knew our stops would be few. Cayden decided to only nap for 1 1/2 hours ALL day, and we thought he might just go ballistic if we dragged him all over creation. So we narrowed it down to two. We went to Jennifer's house, and the turkey was a hit.
Our first stop was just down the street at Camilla's house. Everyday there something more I love about our neighborhood. Camilla living down the road will be fantastic as they grow up. It is great to have a couple like John and Kristin to go through the journey of parenthood with, and Camilla is pretty much the same age as Cayden (8 days apart anyway).

Here are the two future BFF's in their costumes. It's hard to tell from this photo, but Camilla looks so dainty compared to Tank, aka. The Turkey. Of course the giant feet and turkey head gear don't help his cause. It was a great first Halloween!

Why have I been so busy?

It seems like its been so long since my last post! What have I been doing? Well, for starters last week was parent/teacher conferences. The first night they lasted until 715, and the next night until 515. It makes for a looong day. Add getting ready for our 3rd Annual Halloween party, and it was a frenzy around here. Thanks to some awesome family members, we were able to get our house mostly unpacked, and cleaned! The weather is starting to really feel like fall. Getting up early in the morning and dropping Cayden off, we realized we needed some fall/winter gear, so I got him this Milk hat. It's cute, but in the 5-8 minutes it takes for us to get to the babysitter, it usually falls into his eyes causing him to cry and scream even more than just the regular ride. Yes, he still hates the car seat.

Things seem to be changing so quickly for him. He is now using size 2 diapers. The 1's and 1-2's just aren't big enough. We got the scale out again last week, and he is weighing in at 15+. We go back to the doctor in two weeks for his 4 month appointment. I am definitely interested in his stats, and what the doctor has to say about it! Sleeping is still troublesome. About three weeks ago we started putting him in his crib...and after several days of him waking every two hours, we broke down and started sleep training him again. After an entire weekend of crying, we caved and put him back in his rocking lounger thing. The little stinker went to sleep from 8-1 and then 1-6. Only for two days though. He is back to his semi-routine. Sleeping from 8-12 or 1. And then up every two hours after that. The one thing I know is that we must get him back in his crib.
Another change is that he can roll from back to side pretty well, and is on the cusp of stomach to back. His head control and strength is awesome! He is wearing 3-6 month clothes, and occasionally 6 month stuff.

We held another photo shoot today. He has started playing coy with people. This is close to the look he will give you before he buries his head in your chest. I can tell he is going to be a flirt.

This is a keeper. It will most definitely make it to the Cayden shrine that is forming in our entry way.

Halloween Party 2011: Each year we throw a Halloween party. This year it was a mad dash to get the house ready...but we made it. As usual Rick's did a fantastic job on the cake. We went with the Haunted House. Which reminds me...we didn't get to go to the haunted houses this year. Last year we had so much fun! It is crazy how much can happen in a year! At this point last year I was pregnant and didn't even know it!

We try to be creative with costumes. Last year we had talked about a Chris Farley theme. This year, we made it happen...at least for one person. Once Heath caught sight of The Lunch Lady, he knew this was it. After a quick search on the internet, we found most of what we needed.
Hoagies and Grinders, anyone? Navy Beans? If there was a prize for best costume, he would have won. I ended up ditching my costume half way through the night...except the leg warmers and headband. Those leg warmers may become part of an every day outfit.

Heather, Brandy, and Heath. I'm not sure how many glasses of wine into the night they were...but it was a quite a few. The party was a hit, and I think everyone had a good time. Tomorrow night we are actually handing out candy for the first time is YEARS. We live in the kind of neighborhood where you do that sort of thing. In fact, we were even Booed tonight. Honestly, I am so glad that we moved here. I like that there are a lot of kids around. It will be great when Cayden grows up. Speaking of the little devil - we will be trick or treating a few people tomorrow evening. I'll post picks of his costume later!