Beckham is one month!

It's amazing that it has already been one month. Four weeks ago we were just getting to meet Beckham and now is has definitely found his place in our new family of four.

Here are his pictures from the first four weeks. Breast milk has done his body good...at least with gaining weight. 

You can kind of see it in the one month photo, but I'm pretty sure he is starting to smile. How did I forget all the new things that babies do?? He's been such a good, and very laid back baby, I might have gotten used to him just sleeping and eating. But now, I think we are going to start seeing personality shine through.

We have had a slight issue as far as diet goes. Last week while I was running errands with Cayden, Heath noticed some blood in Beckham's diaper. He immediately called the doctor who said for me to stop eating dairy and spicy foods. It seemed to help, but I've noticed some trace amounts this week. So we have a doctor's appointment scheduled. Selfishly I would like for them to say it's the spicy food, and not dairy. That stuff is hard to eliminate. I know I could take the easy route and stop breastfeeding and find some dairy free formula. But I know that he's getting a lot of benefit from nursing. SO, out with the dairy. BTW- Did you know that Oreo's don't contain dairy products? Then again, who can really eat Oreo's without a giant glass of milk....ugh. 

I would love to post about how Beckham is already on a schedule and sleeps through the night. But we have been a little more relaxed with him, and I haven't really started thinking about schedules. 

* Beck is now wearing size 1 diapers. My kids gain weight quickly, those newborns weren't going to last long. 
* He's now fitting into his 0-3 month stuff.
* Eats 100 times a day. Not really, but sometimes it feels like it. Really he's pretty consistent with every 2 hours. If he sleeps awhile, I can make it go to 3. Because of his constant eating, there is no telling what he will weigh!
* Sleeps really well. He's currently sleeping in the swing at night, and after the 2nd or 3rd time he wakes, he sleeps in our bed. (Gasp! I know. Keep your thoughts about forming bad habits to yourself.) Most nights he will give me a 3-5 hour stretch. There is a huge difference between waking after two hours, and waking after five...wow! 

 Cayden is getting much better about not man-handling Beckham. It gets a little worrisome because when Beck is on the floor or on the bed, Cayden wants to sit right. next to him. So close, you couldn't fit paper between them. 

 I believe his head was mid fall. Don't worry - I caught it. Having two kids makes your reflexes SUPER quick. Having kids not only gains you a superior 6th Mommy Sense, but a nice pouch of flab on your belly. Too much info?

I did this impromptu photo shoot in about 5 minutes. Obviously I would have dressed Cayden in something other than jammies, but it turned out great! When Cayden saw that Beckham had a sticker on his onesie, he wanted one too. So to save all the stickers I will need in the future, I found the three week one. He thought it was sooooo funny to stick it on Beck. Silly kids. 

Fun Fact about Beck: If you see me out in public with both kids, know that I am armed with multiple sets of clothes, and I slew of diapers and wipes for the little one. It NEVER fails that he poops while we are away from home. In the car. Check. Walgreens. Check. Target. Check - I was actually without an outfit for the last one. Thankfully my mom was with me. She changed him in the car, and then we bought an outfit. I think they thought she was weird bringing a new baby with only a diaper on into the store. There I was in the children's dept. ripping a tag off and dressing my kid. Poop happens. For Beckham the world is his oyster. 

Dear Beck-

My how you are growing! You have the softest feet and the most kissable face. You have established your place in our family with ease, and how lucky we are that you are with us. I can't wait to see the changes you make in the next month! I am doing my best to keep you dairy free, and hopefully you will start to feel better in the next few weeks! Thank you for making our family complete!

We love you!
Mom and Dad

Cayden's ParTaaay

We had Cayden's 2nd birthday party this past weekend. We had chosen not to have it on his actual birthday because it was too soon after Beckham had arrived. I wanted to enjoy the party and not be seated in the corner unable to move, or unwilling to move. 

I really didn't have a plan so much this year. I had found a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cake on Pinterest, and also some invitations to match on Etsy. That was about as far as I had gotten. A few days before the party, a friend had mentioned balloons, and I thought, oh yes, that will cover me in the decorating department. I'll just scatter them about and be done. This laid back attitude proved to be a stroke of genius. 

Here is a snapshot of the balloons. I also cut out some Mickey Mouse silhouettes for added flair. 

Here is the birthday boy. All dressed up and playing shy while his guests arrive.

Rick's did a great job on the cake. Here is the original, and this is their version. I could have had it done exactly with the fondant and all, but I really don't like fondant. And I'm kind of cheap. 

 We sang Happy Birthday to him. He wasn't a fan. 

 Heath assisting with the candles. He had a fear that there would be a hand print in the cake or a glob of spit if we let Cayden do it himself. 

 "Chock" "Cake" 

 He began screaming (probably induced by the butter cream frosting) and Millie LOVED it!

The last photos are of Mills and Cayden. Hanging out, as if they are actually sharing the toys. It's just cute to see them together!

Heath had the task of picking up the balloons. I told him there were 20. I just didn't realize how big some of them were. Like this GIANT two! or the giant Mickey Mouse head. I got a text that said I owed him for picking them up. HA!

Cayden's birthday was a huge success. Those balloons provided endless entertainment, as well as party decor. Everyone had a good time, and it was nice for everyone to help us celebrate this crazy kid!

Cayden is Two!

There have been several times over the past few weeks where Heath and I have been in awe that Cayden is turning two. Trust me, in the beginning we thought time had stopped and we were never going to get past the no-sleeping baby stage. And then, here we are. Our first boy - Our first baby is now two. 

Here are a few pics from the past year. 

Here he is calling the Hogs! He has gotten much better at this and is fully prepared to cheer them on this fall!

At the pumpkin patch. One of my all time favorite pictures of him. 


Cayden had his two year doctor appointment on Tuesday. He is currently 32 pounds, which has been pretty consistent over the past few months. I can remember a time when he was tipping the scales every month. He is 35.75 inches tall. Both put him in the 95th percentile. Which basically means he's bigger than most two year olds. Most people when they see him think he's three. What can we say? Future football player? I think so!

He wears 2T-3T clothes. It really depends on the brand. He's still in size 5 diapers. 

Likes: Chocolate Milk - by far. In fact, if you ever give it to him, he won't eat anything with it. Max and Ruby (UGH), Peppa Pig, Henry Hugglemonster, Trains, throwing stuff, lawn mowers, Target, Chickfila, DQ, books, iPad, Little Gym, screaming, testing his parents, trying to squeeze his brother...

Dislikes: This one is hard because there really isn't too much that he doesn't dislike. Hear No - He gets in trouble for whining when he his told No.

Abilities: Running, Recognizing letters and numbers, most colors, memory recall.

 Here he is today. "Cheeeeeeeeese!!!" With all the enthusiasm in the world. 

Running. All. The. Time. Nonstop. Energy Ball.

He saw the column outside and apparently thought he could attempt to climb it. 

This is crazy for me to look at. Mentally you know that your kid is growing, but because you see him everyday you just don't notice it as much. And then we went to measure him on Sunday, and there it was. He has grown 6 inches in the last year. What?! 

** Since having Beckham, Cayden sees me nurse him. Usually, he'll walk up and say "Eat." Not that he wants to eat, but that Beck is eating. He really likes the breastpump. Just another machine to him. The other day I was pumping, and he walked into the bedroom with one of the pumps. He lifts his shirt and sticks it over his belly button. He then takes a nursing pad and sticks it down his shirt. I really wish I could have gotten a picture of this!

**One of Cayden's favorite people is my cousin Alex. He's 14 and in Cayden's eyes a ton of fun. I guess the other day Alex was trying to get him to say SHIP, because Cayden doesn't really pronounce the end of words. You can imagine the giggles he was getting. 

Cayden - 

Boy oh Boy! It's hard for us to imagine that you are two! You are fully of energy, determined, persistent, and good natured. While you may not listen to your parents all the time (ever), when you are around your friends you really try to share and be nice. Two years has brought so many changes that I can't really imagine what the next year holds for you. We love your smile, and the way you say Thank You, and when you say Love You, Night-Night. Those are the best. We hope that you grow to love your brother more each day, and that you continue to be the best you. 

We love you!

Mom and Dad

Beckham's Newborn Photos

We've used Calotype ever since Cayden was born. We had his newborn photos, 6 month, and 1 year family pictures all done by them. I have never been disappointed in what they were able to capture, so it was a no-brainer as to whether we would do the same for Beckham. Once again they did a fantastic job, and even when I thought there was no way for Julie to get any decent shots of Cayden (because he was being a pill), she got some of my very favorites. 

Beckham was a gem. He slept when he was supposed to, and participated as fully as he needed to. My mom and I tried to lure/persuade/beg/barter/bribe Cayden with yogurt melts, cars, climbing on a ladder, stories, songs, chocolate chip cookies, iPhones, etc. It took every one of us putting on our best circus act in order to get Cayden to pause as he was running around like a crazy person. And for those wondering, the cookies didn't come out until the very end so it wasn't like he was hyped up on sugar...just natural energy, lots and lots of energy. 

 Beckham was so serene and good. Maybe this will be a foretelling of his personality...

 This guy kills me. LOVE him and this photo. I am totally biased but I think the Gap could use a new toddler model....this guy!

 Screaming...sure, whatever works. 

"Pose with Beckham, Cayden. Kiss your brother on the head." Or just rip his hat off of him. Yes, we will forever be working on - Be nice- Be Gentle - Soft - Don't Squeeze - Don't throw stuff at him - Don't kick.

Beckham - Two Weeks

Beckham is settling in and quickly becoming a perfect addition to our family! He had his two week "appointment" on Monday. Really, it's just a weight check and a quick overall look-see. He went in last week and weighed in at 7.12, a little under his birth weight, but nothing out of the ordinary. Monday he came in at a whopping 9.4. Yowzer! Obviously the kid eats like a champ and my milk is good. It's so good that he is eating every 2-3 hours, sometimes a little closer to 2.

The doctor says everything looks good. He does have a little bit of reflux, so we are trying some meds to see if that helps. He spits up a lot, and has a tendency to choke when he nurses. We are trying a few different things to remedy this. 

Sleeping - He sleeps a lot. WAAAY more than Mr. Cayden. He is doing pretty well at night. Last night he went 6 hours between feedings, and slept almost 5. The past few mornings he has woken up around 4:15 to 5 and stays up until 6:30. Then he passes out for a few hours. This is a little rough because Cayden is up and it's not like I can crawl back into bed. Heath has been great to let me try and sneak in a few extra minutes, though.  

There are several differences and a few similarities between these two boys. 

* Both are great weight gainers. 

*They look very similar, although to our trained eyes, they're are significant differences. 

* My approach with each one is different. With Cayden I had read a ton of books on schedules and what to do and what not to do, so I was a lot more anxious and stressed when things didn't go like I thought they should. With Beck we just fly by the seat of our pants. He eats when he wants, sleeps when he wants, and we are pretty relaxed about the whole situation. 

* Beckham sleeps more.

* Cayden had reflux, but not as severe. He never was one to spit up much. 

At two weeks, there is not much to report. Sleep. Eat. Poop. He does all of these pretty well, so I guess we'll keep him. :o)

 To me there isn't much of a difference between these two photos , but I know he is growing. 

Here is the first photo of the two boys. Cayden is really handling the new addition quite well, and wants to hold him more often. It's always good though to have an extra set of hands around when trying to get a shot of these two. You never know when Cayden will decide that he doesn't want to hold his brother anymore and starts pushing him off. 

We have an appointment to look at Beckham's newborn photos tomorrow. I'm super excited!

Beckam has Arrived!

I will apologize for the lack of pictures. Honestly we took 99% of them at the hospital with our phones, and I am sitting down to update this blog, and I really don't want to get up to find the cords to upload them. I will later. Promise. 

Our day started early. We arrived at the hospital at 5am ready to go! After checking in, getting to room 33 (which is the same room we stayed in with Cayden), it was 7am and they started the Pitocin. We knew the process was going to be long. It took almost 12 hours with Cayden, so I was prepared for the duration. I tried to give Heath a couple of lessons on how to use the "big" camera, and we pretty much decided to go with the trusty camera phone. 

Of course I had an epidural, so it was fairly pain free for most of the day. Heath's mom and aunt came and hung out with us, while my mom and aunt took care of Cayden. The big hiccup came when we figured out the Cayden and Heath both had strep (Heath's turned out to be walking pneumonia). The doctors assured us that as long as he wore a mask, he would be fine. Thank goodness. 

By 4pm I was dilated to a 10. With Cayden I pushed for 2 hours. I was a little anxious about doing that again. When they told me that Cayden was still a little high, I opted to just wait for him to move down further. Even though I had the epidural, those contractions were really starting to hurt. But I toughed it out for another two hours with the hope that he would move and not require as much pushing. It worked. I started pushing at 6 and by 6:18 Beckham Connor arrived! There was some trauma to my nether regions, but all in all it was a success! He weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces and was 21 inches long. 

 Because Cayden was sick, we decided not to have him come to the hospital. My mom had talked the baby up a lot before we arrived so Cayden was excited for the first 3 minutes. I think once he saw everyone taking pictures and ooohing and aaahing over Beckham he got confused and jealous. Add to that it was his bedtime and it just wasn't good. Don't be deceived by these photos. He was not a happy camper. 

Beckham is a week old today! It is amazing how different he is than Cayden, and really how different I am. Beckham is completely laid back and sleeps all the time. Now, I don't mean that he sleeps through the night, but he sleeps. We don't have to walk him, as we did with Cayden. It is so weird how relaxed we all are. I think having Cayden first prepared us in many ways. We, as parents, are more laid back and not so concerned with schedules and such. I know he is getting plenty of sleep. I know he is eating enough - even if it is every two hours - sometimes less, seldom more. The first few days he had his days and nights mixed up. We have been more consistent with putting him in the pack n play at night and during the day, which helps. We don't have to hold him - unless we want to. He was bigger than Cayden, yet seems smaller. We had to go out and buy Newborn sized clothes to fit. Cayden is doing much better. We have to work on him being gentle, but he doesn't seem to mind Beckham being here. 

Beckham-
We are so happy that you are here safe and sound. I love your little hands and soft skin that we are constantly kissing on you. We know this newborn phase will be short in the long run, so we are soaking up every minute of it. I can't wait to see what kind of personality you develop over the next few weeks and months, and I can't wait to see the bond between you and Cayden grow. Thank you for being ours.

Mom and Dad