Milestones, Milestones, Milestones

Caden continues to hit more and more milestones every week. He makes us so proud and brings us so much joy. Last Sunday he rolled over completely for the first time! I had him on the couch while I was talking and playing with him and he rolled over all the way on his tummy. Then he saw the TV and thought he would stay put on his tummy and watch the news. I am not even sure he realized what he did because I can't get him to roll over again just yet. He is a TV junkie. I have to turn off the TV, so he'll pay attention to me - silly guy.

Yesterday marks the first day where he grabbed his toy hanging from his bouncer and brought it straight to the mouth. Daddy and Mommy both got to witness this. I know this is just the first of many things Caden will put in his mouth. He is also talking to his toys. I'm so used to when he starts getting chatty to attending to him immediately or he'll start crying. Now he can just be content a little longer talking to his toys. I often wonder what is going on in that noggin of his and what he is trying to say. He started making these shrieking noises yesterday evening. It was actually rather cute. I just cannot believe how much he continues to change. I absolutely love this stage in his life (although I could do without the crying). I am looking forward to when he can express himself in other ways rather than crying for everything.

Being home with him 3 days a week is such a blessing. I learn more and more about him and HIS schedule. He can only take about 1 1/2 - 2 hours of wake time before he needs his nap. I did so well last weekend that we only had a few minor crying fits. Sunday night we had such a perfect bedtime routine. I gave him a bath, let him play for 10 minutes or so in his bouncer and then brought him upstairs. We laid in bed for a bit and played without too much stimulation. He was all smiles and talking to his Mommy. After I fed him I swaddled him up and we shared some cuddle time. He was very relaxed and fell asleep without complaint. It was perfect. He is back to his old schedule during the night of waking up around 1:30-2am and then I wake him up to eat around 4ish when I have to get up for work. Although I'm looking forward to when he sleeps the whole night through, I do enjoy our 2am feeding. It's 15 minutes of when we are both sleepy and relaxed where we can really bond with each other.

Stay tuned for Caden's upcoming 3 month birthday :)

Little Man..

I'll start with sleep. Haha! What is that?

Good morning Mommy!!


I do have to say that Caden had a better night last night. From what I remember he did not wake me up at 11:30pm. He slept from 9ish to 2:30am!! This was his normal sleep schedule. I fed him, but he did wake up again around 4am and finally at 6:45am. I'm still tired, but I don't feel like I was hit by a semi truck today. Last week was rough and I'm sure it won't be the last difficult week to get through.

Caden is 12 weeks!! Next Thursday is the big 3 months. I took him to the doctors yesterday because I thought he had a rash on his arm. Wouldn't know you - when I got to the doctors it was gone. I guess it was a patch of dry skin. I also talked to the doctor about his gas issues. He always has gas, but there are times where you just feel so bad because it is evident of how painful it can be for him. I have done a lot of research and talk to enough moms that have had babies and have babies Caden's age that are going through the same thing. It is completely normal. The doctor said he should grow out of it within the next month. TG!! I've been reading this book by Dr. Karp called The Happiest Baby on the Block. Dr. Karp explains that the first 3 months of an infants life are like a "4th trimester". He says that babies really should have this 4th trimester in the womb. Unfortunately, they could not fit through the birth canal (nor would any woman want an extra 3 months of pregnancy), so our bodies evict them too soon. He also talks about how their digestive tracks are immature and take the extra trimester to delvelop. He also talks about calming techniques for colicy babies. I definitely recommend this book for any mother with an infant. I wish I would have read it before Caden was born.

Caden weighed 13lbs 7oz! He gained 1lb 3oz in 30 days. The doctor seemed impressed with his gain and said he seems perfectly healthy. Go Caden!

A couple of nights ago I brought Caden upstairs to see his Daddy in bed. We all spent a good 1/2 hour with each other. Caden was being absolutely precious! All smiles for his Daddy. He even rolled over to him. He only made it on one side and then rolled back.

Did I mention Caden LOVES Baby Einstein videos? He sits in his bouncer just kicking, wiggling and laughing away. He also drools a lot when watches these. He gets upset when I turn it off though. I ordered two videos the other day that I'm waiting for. One is called Start Smart that a friend of mine recommend. I also ordered Baby Signing Times. We are going to teach Caden a few words in sign language, so he can communicate with us before he is able to talk. I've heard great reviews on this DVD. We are going to teach him the basics like milk, more, all done, help, mommy, daddy, ect.

Look at me playing with my keys!

Last night....

Caden had a better night than Mommy last night. He went to bed at his normal 8pm bedtime. He did wake up around 10pm, but I gave him his binkie and rocked him back to sleep. He woke up again around 11:30pm. I fed him this time around because the binkie just wasn't cutting it. He ate really good and fell back asleep just before midnight. I woke up around 2am for no apparent reason other than I was getting used to waking up every 2-3 hours (thanks to my darling son). I kept thinking that he would probably wake up, and I only have 2 more hours until my alarm goes off. Well, as I lay there tossing and turning he finally wakes up at 3:45am. I fed him and got up to start my day....

Oy vey!

Sleep

Caden thought it would be fun for his Mommy if he reverted back to being a newborn. The past 3 nights remind me of when we first brought him home. He has been waking up every 2-3 hours and I'm now running on pure exhaustion again. I pray to the light above he does not wake up like that tonight as I have to work. Last night was the worst out of the past 3 nights. He went to bed around 8pm, which is his normal bedtime. He usually wakes up at 2am for a feeding and then back to bed until 4-5am. Last night he woke up at 10pm, 1:15a, 3:45am, 5:15am, and 7am. I also woke up around 11:30pm from some really weird dreams.

Ryan took Caden over to his mom's house for the afternoon, so I could take a nap. Unfortunately, I still had things that I needed to get done before the work week that I couldn't do earlier in the weekend. I ended up taking an hour or so nap. It felt good, but I'm still exhausted.

We were out and about all weekend, so maybe he was restless from too much stimulation. He could also be going through a growth spurt. I can't believe he will be 12 weeks on Thursday. He is almost 3 months old!

Caden sleeps in his playard in our room at night. It's been easier tending to him at night since his bedroom is downstairs. My goal is to start putting him in his crib next week - starting Thursday. Knowing me I'll probably sleep on the couch until I'm comfortable with him downstairs in his own room. A friend of mine told me her little girl started sleeping through the night when she was finally in her own room. She said it took a few nights, but that was it. Wish me luck is all I can say!

Before I was a Mom...

Someone posted this in my on-line forum.. How true is this?!

Before I was a Mom
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom
I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests. Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him/her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Dear Caden

Dear Caden,

I'm so happy to be home with you for an extended weekend. We have lots of friends and family to visit, but hopefully we can still sneak in some cuddle time. The best thing in the whole world is snuggling with you. We visited Auntie Nines and her mom. You were so good and all smiles for everyone. I'm sorry I kept you up all morning. You are pretty tuckered this evening, so I'm letting you sleep. You'll probably want to stay up past your bedtime tonight. Auntie Nines is pregnant and you'll have a new friend to play with. Nina and I are already assuming that she is having a girl and we are planning your wedding ;) Auntie Nines sang you a song today "You are my Sunshine" and you smiled at her. Every time I sing - you cry. I would probably cry too.

You are holding your head up so much better during tummy time. You are doing it for longer and longer each day. Not that I want to wish time to go by any faster, but I can't wait for you to hold your head up on your own. Sometimes you bump your nose on our shoulders when you head gets to heavy. Depending on your mood you either brush it off or cry. Your almost laughing now. Sometimes when Mommy and Daddy are making funny faces you smile and let out a half laugh. You make me so proud when you reach new milestones, but it also makes me a little sad that you are already growing up. I can't believe you will be 3 months soon.

Daddy has been working really hard and soon he'll be working more hours. You will get to see him on Wednesday when he takes care of you, but most of the time it will just be me and you kiddo. He wants to work harder, so that we can save money for you in the future. Your Daddy loves you very much and Mommy loves you too. You are a little piece of heaven that I just adore.

Love,

Mommy

I love these little fists of mine

Each week is something new with Caden. He has finally figured the whole "sucking my thumb" deal. He also likes to put his index finger in his mouth with this thumb and at times he gags himself - almost as if he is trying to eat his finger. I end up putting a paci in his mouth when he starts to gag - it scares me. He LOVES staring at his fists! The look on his face is priceless. It's like he is saying "what are these little gadgets and what can I do with them?" His fists are always clenched when he is looking at them. I don't think realizes he can unclench them and grasp things yet - except for my hair. Haha. No wonder moms cut their hair shortly after giving birth.

Last weekend Caden let out his first giggle! It was the cutest thing ever. Although I don't really believe he knew he giggled, but mama heard it. I was so afraid I would miss his first little giggle or laugh. There are so many things I'm afraid I'll miss while working. We really need to win the lottery. I would give anything to be a stay at home mom.

I had a moment today where I felt completely lost and confused on when and what foods to introduce to Caden. I know he should not have anything besides breast milk or formula until 4 months and I plan on going by that recommendation. Lord knows he has gas issues as it is and I don't want to make it worse before his digestive tracks are more developed. Thanks to my friends on-line I think I have figured it out. I'm excited to see Caden's facial expressions when he is able to eat different foods. Ryan and I plan on buying mostly organic fruits and veggies for him and using a food processor. Ryan is very dedicated to eating very little foods with preservatives and I know he wants the same for Caden. I consider myself lucky that he does all the cooking and we are eating healthier now more than ever.

**

Did you ever wonder why babies do not blink as often as adults? Ryan did. Well, the tired eye blinks more. Since babies sleep most of the day their eyes do not need as much lubrication, therefore, they rarely blink. Interesting tidbit. I thought so anyway.

2 Month Appointment

Caden had his two month check up at the doctor's yesterday. He now weighs 12 lbs 4 oz and he is 23 inches long. His head measured 15.5 inches. He was 7 lbs 7 oz at birth, 19.5 inches long, and his head was 14 inches. He is growing so well and is in the 50th percentile for all measurements. The doctor seemed pretty impressed with his growth. Caden was smiling and cooing at her too! I really liked this pediatrician. She was very sweet and took her time to answer all of questions. I can't stand those doctors that rush through your appointment and act as like you are part of an assembly line. My OB was like that during my pregnancy, so I definitely won't be going back to her.


Caden also had to get some of his vaccines. I do not agree with the amount of vaccines they recommended giving an infant on their visits. I am all for vaccinations, but giving them 8 in their first visit?! That's insane! I think they give too many at once and too soon. We did get majority of them, but still have to go back for two more when he is 3 months. He received one injection that had 5 vaccines and one oral vaccine. He took the oral like a trooper! His face looked like he was thinking "I know this isn't food, but I guess I have no choice but to swallow it" It was dead silence when she first gave him the injection. His face got beat red and his mouth opened to scream, but no sound was coming out. I lightly blew in his face, so he could catch is breath and he let out his blood curdling scream. Of course, I started crying with him. I felt so bad... It only lasted for about a minute and he took his paci and seemed to be okay. So far he has not had any reactions. He wasn't even that fussy yesterday - just the norm. I still felt sick to my stomach that we had all those chemicals injected into him, but it had to be done. I'm just thankful he had no reactions. I just kept praying to the light above.

***

My mom always told me that there is no love like the love you have your child. I know I loved Caden when he was growing inside me for 9 months, but I now know what my mom meant. Every day is a new day with Caden and the love continues to grow and get stronger. He means the world to me and I cannot imagine my life without him. My day is not complete without him. He has brought me so peace since the moment I found out I was pregnant. I used to have bad anxiety and would stress over the smallest things. I think some people were curious how stressed I would be taking care of a baby including me. Looking back when we first brought our dog home- I was a train wreck. I was so overwhelmed with the responsibility of taking care of this puppy. Maybe Mia was just "practice". I never felt that overwhelming cloud over me with Caden. Everything seemed to come naturally. Yes, I had my moments of crying but it never lasted more than a couple of minutes and hasn't happened in over a month. The only reason I cried was because Caden was crying I didn't know what was wrong with him. Caden gave me peace with myself and life and I am grateful for that.

***

Caden isn't the biggest fan of tummy time. He'll hold his head up for less than a minute and then he is face forward crying. He wants to hold his head up, but gets so frustrated. He does pretty well when you hold him up by your shoulder. I was at Walmart the other day and found this mat with a pillow to help them hold up their head. He made it for about 5 minutes or so before he started sucking on the pillow.

"So much better Mommy!"




and just chillin' watching TV

2 Months!

My little man is two months old today. I can't believe it. I remember how slow two months went by when I was pregnant (at least the last two) and now time is going by too fast. I really wish I would have started a journal while I was pregnant with him. I would have wanted Caden to be able to read about his journey before he was born and to know how much I loved him from the moment I found out I was pregnant. I remember that morning like it was yesterday. I wasn't supposed to start my next cycle until Saturday, but I had some home pregnancy tests that you could take up to 5 days early. It was a Wednesday morning and I knew the night before I was going to take the test the next morning. I woke up around 4am and couldn't fall back asleep. Needless to say, I got up and took the test. It came back with two lines almost immediately. I started crying (happy tears of course) and jumped on the bed waking up Ryan to tell him the news. He couldn't have been happier.

***

Caden seems to be very amazed with these little fists of his. You'll see him put his arms straight out and look at his hands like it is the best thing since sliced bread. I think of that movie "Look Whose Talking" and I here Mikey's voice talking for Caden. He is sucking on his fist more and more. It's always his left hand. I wonder if that means he will be left handed?





We are getting our routine down with no problem so far. We wake up around 4:15am on work days. {Yawn} Makes me tired while thinking about it. I like getting to work early, so I can leave by 3:30pm and have more time with my son. Caden will typically eat right away and then he falls back asleep in his swing while I get ready. Next is a diaper change, load the car and we are out the door. I'm so thankful he does not have to be in day-care. I think leaving him would be so much harder on me. He stays with his Grandma on Monday, a friend of the family on Tuesday and Thursday, at home with Ryan on Wednesday and with me on Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday he is staying in the house that is next door to the home I grew up in. It's nice driving by our old home every week. It brings back good memories.