9 Months

Cayden's 9 month appointment was on Tuesday, so this update is a little late. We had a garage sale on Friday and Saturday, therefore my house was taken over by stuff that seriously needed to go! My mom and aunt came Thursday to help out, and it was much needed and much appreciated! Thankfully it was a success, and our house is now a little lighter.


How is it that this little guy....



is already this little guy?

I will say, it is becoming incredibly difficult to photo him! Gone are the days when I could just prop him up and have our little photo shoots! It's sad, but fun to see him so mobile!
His appointment went well. He came in at 23.08 pounds (90th percentile) and 29 1/2 inches (80th). We discussed his sleeping habits, and eating habits. She suggested giving him more finger foods, and he is getting better at not gagging. We talked about his flat spot some more, and she's not too concerned with it. It was a pretty low-key visit, with no shots! woo hoo.

Cayden is still wearing size 3 diapers; size 4 at night. He is pushing his way out of 9 month clothes and into 12, or even 18 month depending on brand. He eats pretty much everything, except peas. He is working on Yogurt Melts, and chunks of carrots and green beans. We are slowly moving away from breastfeeding. I only nurse him at night, and he is probably 50/50 on formula and milk.
He has mastered the art of pulling up. He is starting to "cruise" and is definitely becoming more fearless. He does a lot of one-handed standing. I'm starting to wonder if walking isn't just around the corner.
Sleeping: I think we may have reached a milestone. I hate to even write about it, as if it might jinx our situation. For the past week, Cayden has only gotten up once each night. He nurses, and goes back to sleep. Sometimes he does wake-up, usually around 5ish, but I let him cry. And he eventually goes back to sleep. It's not perfect, but I'll take it. I feel like I can work with it. That we can move even closer to sleeping through the night.

After the garage sale on Saturday, we took Cayden to the Red/White Razorback game. It was his first game, and probably a little more exciting for Heath and I, than him.



Thanks to some friends, we watched the game from the box, so Cayden had plenty of room to move around! He spent his time crawling, and sleeping.

He took about an hour nap during the game! Once he got used to the noise, it was lights out! I can't wait until he is old enough to actually watch the game!

Here is our little eater. I think he only ate about 4 chunks of carrots. The rest suffered a violent death.

After this eating spell, there were carrots everywhere!

He loves to crawl, and be chased. Whether in his walker, or on the ground, if you even act like you are going to come after him, he squeals with delight, and attempts to run away!

Every time I update the blog, I feel like I leave stuff out. Everyone always comments on how happy Cayden is. His hamming-it-up side is really starting to come out. Smiles and grins, and coy looks, etc. He has it all. Charming is quite an understatement!

He has a new signature look. I tried to get a picture of it, and the closest I got, was the one above. He smiles and squints his eyes together. It's pretty funny.

Last weekend we also scheduled swim lessons. He will be going to the same place that Heath took lessons. I'm not so crazy, as to believe that they will actually teach a 9 month old to swim, but I do look forward to Cayden being comfortable in the water. I see a lot of pool time in our future, and I want to be as prepared as possible!

21 days until we get to spend our days together!

Dear Cayden Rhys,

Where is the time going? With each day, we are getting closer to the one year mark. One Year?!? No longer will you be considered a baby! You are everywhere and into everything. "No" is becoming an every day word. Book shelves, fireplace hearths; anything plugged in. I know that it will only get worse once you get on those little feet of yours! We look forward to all that you have in store for us. Thank you for being such a blessing! I can't wait to spend the summer with you!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Cruikshank Minimum Security Correctional Facility

Inmate: Cayden C.
#0001

Charges: Sleep Robbing - 1st Degree
Projectile Gag Reflex - Misdemeanor
Manipulation of parents by Cuteness - Class C Felony

Inmate #0001 was sentenced to 15 minutes of individual playtime earlier this week for the above charges. While the misdemeanor charge holds little time, the charge of manipulation carries the most weight. Visitations will be allowed, but the wardens ask that you not bring any items, or they will be confiscated at the door.





All of this to say, that Cayden's Baby Jail came in this week! I know that most see this as a torture device, but I don't care. Sometimes I just need to be able to load the dishwasher without a baby in a walker crashing into it, or dragging out the silverware!

Sometimes you just have a bad day. Sometimes you wake from a nap when you probably should have slept a little longer. Today was this day!

There are no obstacles when it comes to chasing after a yellow ball. What's the quickest way to get from Point A to Point Yellow Ball? Through the chair of course!

He got stuck. Mommy to the rescue....after I snapped a few photos.

This is why he was accused and found guilty of all charges. Seriously, you can't beat that face!

See my two teeth? Cayden is offically 9 months old. We go to the doctor on Tuesday, so I will go into more "What's Happening?" details later!

Easter Weekend!

We had a fairly low-key weekend! My very best friend in the whole world came to town, so we hung out at our house Saturday morning! Cayden entertained our guests with his walker/car skills, and general cuteness. On Sunday we went to Lincoln for Easter, and visited with some of Heath's family that we hadn't seen in awhile.

Cayden's 9 month doctors appointment is in a week, and I cannot wait to grill the pediatrician about his gagging issues, and sleeping issues. I also cannot wait to see what Cayden's stats are. Not that we are comparing or anything, I just like to know where he stands with other 9 monthers.

Baby proof much? Looks like a baby gate is in our immediate future. Heath was encouraging his behavior a little bit, and really just waiting to see how far he would go. He made it 5 steps. Five steps of injuries if you ask me.

I had originally planned a different Easter outfit. Navy Gingham jumper...super cute. Then when I realized that we would be outside, and more than likely Cayden would want to crawl somewhere, I decided a jumper with exposed knees probably wasn't practical. Cayden is becoming quite the little mover, so it is getting more and more difficult to get his picture. This is the closest we got, with Heath off to the side distracting him!

Boy do I love this little guy. Cayden has recently started sleeping on his stomach. It makes me a little weary, but as soon as you put him in the crib, he flips over and buries his face in the corner of the crib. Don't worry! We don't have any bumpers in, so I think he's safe. Plus, I check the monitor to see if his back moves to make sure he is breathing.

Cayden can be a little quirky too. He is enamored with the vacuum. I'm not sure why? It was sitting in our bedroom, and anytime he crawled by our door, he would dash into the room to sit next to it, and play with it. Then he got a hold of a Reese's Peanut Butter Egg. He squished it, crawled with it, and played with it for about three hours. I suppose these are the early versions of refrigerator box houses, and forts made out of sheets.

Lastly, we have been working on some sign language. Really just one sign. Bottle. Anytime we say "Bottle" we make the sign. Tonight I was talking to Cayden, asking him if he would take a bottle before bed, rather than nurse, and he made the sign!! I don't know if he knows what he's doing, but I think I have a pretty smart kid!

This week is testing week. woo. hoo. I'm pumped. (not really). Maybe we can work in another play date with Millie after school!

Belly Laughs and Garage Sales

While the two are unrelated, they are the topic of this week's post. Finally! Our neighborhood garage sale is on the radar. April 20-21st to be exact. I CANNOT wait to get rid of stuff. It's amazing how much stuff you realize you don't need when it remains in boxes for a couple of months. We have tons of clothes, home decor, and stuff that needs to not be in our garage and house anymore.

I was going through a box of clothes and decided to put Cayden in. I mean, why shouldn't he be in a box of clothes?

Cayden has started pulling up on stuff this week. Not all of the time, and he frequently gets frustrated, but he's done it a few times. We lowered his crib last weekend, and have realized that we need to lower it all the way. He can be strange sometimes, or I guess fearless. Anytime he sits in a chair, he wants to launch himself over the side. Well, when he does pull himself up in the crib, it will only be a matter of time before he throws himself over the side!

He is really amping up the crawling. And if you put something he wants if front of him, like an iPad, or phone, or cat...he speed crawls to get to it!

We think he may have allergies. He does this head thing where he pulls his shoulder up to his ear. My first thought was ear infection. I called the doctor, and they think it's probably just allergies. We started giving him some medicine and it seems to have helped.

I have also inched closer to a Toddlers & Tiaras parent...not really. I will NEVER enter Cayden into a pageant. I did, however, submit Cayden's picture to the GAP casting call. While we know it's a long shot, and like most parents, we believe our kid is the cutest, I think it would be great to walk into a GAP and see Cayden! I'll keep you updated.

Now for the fun part. Here is a video of Cayden's belly laugh. This is the only time I have ever heard him laugh like this. Please focus on Cayden. The cute one. Not the mother, with what looks like a 5 month pregnant belly. I'm not pregnant. Blame the 23 pound baby that I'm holding for the swayed back like a horse that needs to be put out to pasture.

CLICK HERE!