This way Evil Lurks...

Evil can take the form of many things. Clowns. Laundry. A Bump in the night...
Tonight was the first time that Cayden was 100%, truly terrified of something. I know that at this age "stranger danger" can be a problem. Not for my little social butterfly. Only once or twice has he ever not wanted someone to hold him, or be near him.

Tonight Cayden's fear came in the form of an inflatable duck bathtub.

Ominous looking, I know. It's as if the eye follows you around the room....

The crazy part is that earlier in the evening I had brought the tub into the living room to blow up, and he acted like it was no big deal. Apparently once I filled the duck with water, and tried to set him in it, did the real horror begin. Screaming, Crying, and I think actual trembling occurred...bless his heart. For now it's back to the ol' bathtub on the counter routine. Once he saw "Old Faithful" he practically clawed his way into it...poor kid.

As You Can See...

It's been quite some time since I have updated the blog. It seems that every time I got ready to take Cayden's 7 month photo, something always came up! Between the Polar Plunge, a Masquerade Ball, and just general busy-ness I never found a moment to take his picture!
Even now I am just hoping that I don't leave anything out! I really need to be better about updating this weekly!





Here he is at 7 months old! So proper, so well behaved. Look, he's even holding on to Frank as if to say, "Smile Frank, Momma's takin' our picture!"

Cayden Rhys is growing up soo fast! I'm disappointed to not have a doctor's visit to report, just for the mere fact that he gets measured and weighed. I can tell you by the muscles in my arms that he probably weights 21+ pounds. In the last few weeks he has become quite the jabberbox. I took a video that I will post in a few days. He is definitely mastering the "mamamama" sound, and has been working with his vocal coach/caregiver (Jennifer) on the "baba" sound. I try on the way to and from school to work on "dada." But even today, he started in with what sounded like a "gaga" noise. It's insanity! Everyday something changes!

We are still working on crawling. Which is really to say that we are not crawling. I started putting his chest/belly up on the Boppy, so maybe he can figure out that his legs will bend underneath him. I really think he would prefer to walk. Or turn in circles. Or Bounce. Or be carried. Any of the above will work for Mr. Cayden.

He is still wearing 6-12 month in Gap clothes. It's such a wide time span that I'm sure he will be in these for a bit...unless he gets taller, and then we may need to adjust. He is still wearing size 3 diapers. He is really enjoying baby food. Except for peas. He really, really doesn't like them. I can't really blame him, I don't like them myself. They smell like dirt.

Cayden was getting pretty tired in this picture. Please excuse our outfit..we don't normally hangout in just a onesie and socks. Something really cute he does. If you sing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song, he will look at the TV and smile. Am I horrible for letting my child watch TV? I don't think so. It's not like he sits in front of it, while I'm off painting my toenails. Disney Jr. is a great distractor in the morning when Heath and I are trying to get ready! Today we were in his bedroom and he looked up and saw Mickey on his shelf and was grinning, so we brought him down for a visit.

The big news....(dramatic pause).....We have our first TOOTH!!!

If you look to the right of the slobber bubble, you can see the white breaking through the surface! We have been noticing a little white speck for about two weeks, and then this morning we saw this! I will talk more about this tooth in a minute!

Cayden and the gang lounging in his "crib"

Cayden decided to wrestle with Tigger the Pillow Pet. He had two Tiggers, so I have to notate the difference. This Tigger was violently dragged from the Cayden Chair to his current position. It's pretty much a toy explosion in our living room. There is a toy bin....it holds the castaways. The misfit pile if you wish.

This picture is a little blurry, but I still love it. Me and my little man. Last night Heath and I went to a Masquerade Ball at the Walton Arts Center. A little background info: I haven't had my hair cut by a professional in 5 years. I hate my hair most days. I wish I had Jennifer Aniston's hair. I have no idea how to fix hair, unless it is a ponytail or pulled back in a clip. On Saturday I took the plunge and had someone fix it. I think she did a good job. This picture doesn't really do my hair justice. It's a messy bun with some twists and such. Anyway, the ball was really fun, and there was a great band called Lagnappe from Little Rock!

My mom came up to watch Cayden. Little did we know that this was the night that his tooth would make its appearance! We knew from some text messages that night that Cayden wasn't his usual self. I wasn't sure if it was because we weren't there, or what? We walked in the door at 11:15, and guess who's awake!? Apparently he wasn't in the mood for sleep! He was a little fussy, and not hungry, and then would be hungry. Just generally moody. Well, now we know who was the real culprit.

Heath is crazy sometimes. He and several of his co-workers decided to particpate in the Polar Plunge. Even though it always takes place in February, it has never really been SUPER cold. Well on this day the wind chill was THREE. I seriously almost froze just standing there watching, and I wasn't even getting near the water! They did announce that the water temperature was 51, so I guess it would be like a hot tub compared the to air temp! Heath was great! He went all the way in!

I hope to update more this week! School is getting nearer to Spring Break and nearer to testing. I can't wait to spend a whole week with the little monster!

Dear Cayden Rhys~

My, oh, my how you are changing. No longer are you our toothless little man! You are growing up so quickly! We love listening to you jabber and blow bubbles and make jet noises. You love to stand and have people help you walk around. You still like your jumperoo, and are really good at playing on your playmat by yourself, although you really like to have us around. You are full of smiles for everyone! It is crazy to believe that in just a few short months you will be crawling, or walking, and then off you are, and turning a year old! I want time to slow down just a little bit! Thank you for being the joy in our lives; the reason we love coming home; and the reason we don't care to wake at 6:30 on Saturday mornings! We can't wait to see what you have in store for us next!

We love you more each day!

Mom and Dad

I need Professional Help

Really, this could apply to several different areas of my life....
House Cleaner? YES, please!
Personal Assistant? Definitely!
Paper Grader? I WISH...

In this case, however; it happens to be a professional photographer. When I found out that the photographer that did Cayden's baby pictures was running a special, I said "Sign me up!" Heath was willing to let me have this splurge. I have heard from family and others that my pictures of Cayden are great, and that I don't need professional help. I really appreciate their confidence, but I'm always behind the camera. I really wanted some great photos of Cayden, that also included me. I really wish Heath could have been there, but it is busy season, I can't wait to take family pictures this summer! Here are a few of the ones she captured. Calotype in Missouri gave me exactly what I wanted. I now have some great pictures of Cayden and I, that I will cherish forever!

I LOVE this one! This look says, "I'm up to NO good!"

He's was pretty enamored with my necklace....and hair. Really, anything. He grabs at everything! Doesn't he look light as a feather in this picture? You really can't tell from my bulging biceps that he weighs 20 pounds....

Here is what makes it all worth it. He is the cutest thing. No matter how little sleep I get, or how fussy he can be, or how hard he pulls my hair...That look wins me over every. single. time.

I know I've mentioned it before, but I love our neighborhood. I also love the fact that a good friend of mine lives just down the street. It's so easy to meet up at the playground, for a quick play date!

Cayden wasn't quite sure what to make of the swing. I think he was probably a little perturbed to be wearing his hat, and then to be in a new contraption...he had to think about it for a minute.

But eventually he cracked a smile. I can't wait to take him down the slide! By the way, I am loving my new camera lens!

We definitely have a sitter on our hands, although I still put the pillow behind him...just in case. He is usually pretty good at playing on his own for a bit. Ten or 15 minutes, sometimes longer. We have been trying to increase his tummy time. I am bound and determined for this kid to crawl. "Don't rush it!" you say? Nah, I'm ready. I'm ready for him to be just a bit more mobile so that when he does tip over, or fall on his back, and he starts getting mad and fussy, and whining for me to come and pick him up....a crawler can save himself. Not every time, but more than now, which is zero.

We've upgrade to giant hooded towels. This one is a shark. Bath time is getting interesting. He's been splashing quite a bit lately, but tonight he figured out how to splash with his feet AND hands. Needless to say, our kitchen was soaked. I guess we are going to have to move to the big tub in our bathroom. I'm just glad he likes getting a bath!

Can you see it? The slobber. The drool. The chewing. If this kid isn't teething...I don't know what is going on. Today Cayden was extra drooly, and extra chewy. I keep looking in his mouth, and so far, I haven't seen any changes. I'm expecting a tooth anytime.

Sleeping is still somewhat of a struggle. I feel like I can't complain too much because he doesn't "keep" me up at night. He gets up 2-3 times a night. Every time he wants to eat. Luckily, he will go back to sleep once he's done, or if he is not quite asleep, he talks to himself until he goes back to sleep. I'm not really sure what to do. We've talked to the doctor about it, and she seems to think that we are doing what we can. Who knows? Maybe he will grow out of it. Until then, I will sleep in 2-3 hour increments.

Cayden will be 7 months on Valentine's Day. Maybe I can figure out a theme inspired photo shoot, because obviously he hasn't had enough of those lately!

6 Months

I was going to start off by saying how crazy it is that Cayden is 6 months old. And it is. But once I uploaded his 1 month picture next to his 6 month picture....wow! It is almost hard to remember him being so small. It's getting harder to remember the VERY sleepless nights, the pacing the floor, the holding him for hours, just so he would sleep. I hate that. It's weird. I miss my little bug, but I love the little man he is turning into. I can see why people have a second one. NOT that we are even at that point! It's been so exciting watching him grow!

Speaking of growing. We had his 6 month appointment on Friday. I will say it again, I hate shots. Not when I am getting them, but to see his little face turn beet red, and to watch him cry; breaks my heart. Thank goodness Heath goes with me! He had four shots this round, including a flu shot. Heath and I both try and guess Cayden's weight and height beforehand. We were both off. Cayden is now in the 80th percentile for weight at 19.09 pounds. Yowzer! Our car seat cuts off at 22 pounds...looks like we will need an upgrade soon! For the real surprise, he is now 29 inches long...that would the 95th percentile! He is long! Even the nurse and Dr. A commented on his size. He is currently wearing 6-12 month clothes (Gap), 9 month Carters pajamas. He is in size 3 diapers.

I may have a mother's blindness, and I know that he is a little chunky...but I don't find him to be at Butterball status. He is really solid, and long. So I think his weight is distributed pretty well. We also talked about his flat spot. The doctor seems pretty convinced that it will round itself out. His head is measuring 17 1/2, and is in the normal range. We will just keep sitting, bouncing, and playing on our tummy, and hopefully it will work itself out!

Cayden had another photo shoot last weekend...are you surprised? I got some pretty good pictures. This past week, I got a new lens, so I am looking forward to testing it out. I know Cayden is Super Pumped!

He is getting to be a very good sitter. I still put a pillow or Boppy behind him, just in case. Our floor is hard, and I hate it when he bumps his head! We are working on crawling. He is not picking it up very quickly. He does this swimming fish move where is arms and legs flail...not really the moves we need. If you stand him up, and hold his arms, he will "walk" or take steps. Maybe he will be a walker, and not a crawler?

It's funny. When I take pictures, or have ideas for pictures...I mentally think of other lenses I want. I love the picture of Cayden and Heath's feet...I would like my feet in there too, but probably need a wide lens. Oh well...it doesn't stop me from trying.

I have already started thinking of 1st birthday ideas....too soon? Nah. I've come up with some pretty sweet ideas! But I can wait. I don't want to get ahead of myself. I want to keep enjoying the moments each day...good or bad.

Dear Cayden -

Boy do we love you! You are getting to the age where you are so fun, and full of personality. We love spending time with you. You love to play with your toys, but you also love being held. I don't mind. I kind of miss those naps where you fell asleep in my arms. I love that you are so happy, and are willing to give smiles and giggles to almost anyone you meet. I can't wait to see what adventures await for us!

We love you!

Mom and Dad

Me Likey...

Since I have just a week or so until Cayden's 6 Month doctor's appointment, wait....what? 6 MONTHS? It seems just like yesterday when we were pacing the floor every night trying to get the Bug to go to sleep...and here we are with almost half a year under our belt. He still doesn't sleep through the night, but I know we will get there eventually. Cayden's next doctor's appointment isn't until the 20th, so his usual update won't be until then!

We have a sitter! Cayden can officially call himself a sitter. Do we have the occasional topple? Yes. But for the most part he can sit unassisted quite well.

What does Cayden likey? The remote. Any remote. Got a cell phone? Yep, he'll take that too! I'm not sure if it's electronics, or if there is just something about it that catches his eye.

Cayden also likes when Camilla comes to play. We got to see her several times over the break, and I know I've said it before, but they are just too cute together!

"Why yes, Momma, I would love to participate in another photo shoot!" I love to take pictures of him, and since he can sit on his own, I think this will open a lot of future photo opps!

Because every good mother has a Pinterest obsession, I found a black and white photo, similar to the one above, and I just knew I wanted to try and replicate it! His little fat rolls are so cute! He is definitely living up to Tank status. And what is it about a baby's butt that makes you just want to pinch it?

Cayden has been digging and pulling at his ears for quite sometime. It seemed to have gotten worse in the last couple of weeks, so I took him to the doctor. While he doesn't have an ear infection, thank goodness, he did get weighed.... are you ready? Cayden aka Tank is now coming in at 18 pounds, 10 ounces. I can feel my arm muscles getting bigger just saying it! I'm almost scared to see what he weighs on the 20th! I know he's healthy. Obviously he doesn't miss any meals. It will be interesting to see his stats!

Okay, on to the rest of the family. I have made a resolution to run. More specifically to be able to run a 5K. Even more specifically, to run the Warrior Dash in June. Mentally I have always wanted to be a "runner." I think I can do it. I'm going to give it my best shot. I'll keep you updated!

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!