The 5 P's!

What a week, what a week! I am so sorry it has been so long since our last post... what blogger-bores we've been. You'll be happy to know, however, that you, oh members of the great wide blog world were not ignored for no good reason. Caden and Mommy had some serious business to tend to this week, which has led us to come up with the ever-so-clever title of this post: 'The 5 P's."

1. Practice

2. Progress

3. Pimples

4. Playtime

5. Parties

PRACTICE: In the hospital the nurses were very clear to communicate that when your baby is fussy, you should hold them, when they won't sleep you should hold them, basically 24 hours a day you should hold them. So we did, I did... for the first month of Caden's life Justin and I took turns holding him, including when we/he slept. I moved out of our room a few weeks ago and into one of our guest rooms. During the week Justin is off night time duty since he is a workin' man, and if Caden was going to be sleeping in bed with us this wouldn't quite work out if dad planned on getting a good night's rest. SO... on Monday of this week, I had finally had enough...I wanted my bed back, I wanted my hubby back, I needed to make a change...

I was sleeping in the other room with Caden propped up very carefully in my arms...our body temperatures colliding at such a high rate that we were both dripping with sweat. I, of course, would never wake up refreshed or well-rested because any sleep I was getting was with a child draped across my chest or nestled in the crook of my arm. And quite honestly, I am not sure Caden was getting the most restful sleep either... how could he being confined only to the positions my body would allow?

So the equation ended up being pretty simple... a sweaty kid who is sleep-deprived + a sweaty mom who is sleep-deprived= long days and even longer nights. What's a girl to do? Caden outgrew his bassinet the first week we were home and we tried the sleepin' with mom and dad option so all that was left was the big boy crib. GASP! Caden in another room?

It was time, I knew it... I knew it was no longer safe to fall asleep with him in my arms. I finally realized that we had no goal in sight. So what if we got a few hours of sleep one night using that method, what happens after that? Would he still be sleeping on my chest when he is 18? 

There is no time like the present... Tuesday morning I called Justin and said "...it's time... go to Target during lunch, buy a fancy schmancy video baby monitor to give me the peace of mind that I'll need to get through this crib transition... we're starting tonight! Caden is going to Mommy Sleep Camp!"

In order to transition into Mommy Sleep Camp, Caden had to also attend Mommy Day Camp, which meant that Mommy had to start learning to put Caden down during the day... in his pack n play, in his bouncer. When he fussed, I soothed him and put him back down. This was SO hard... it required SO much energy but it was worth it in the end because I realized how much I was able to accomplish in even 10- 20 minutes with full use of both of my hands... I wrote thank you notes, addressed birth announcements, cleaned the kitchen, caught up on emails... I felt like super woman. Of course this did not come without some trial... I was up and down, back and forth ALL day long... it was harder on mommy but practice makes progress!

Here Caden is on his first morning of Mommy Day Camp. 

"Oh booger, they have finally figured out that I don't have to be held 24 hours a day... dang it! Maybe if I scream every 10 minutes or so mommy will get tired of picking me up and soothing me and she'll give up... "

If there is one thing that I do have it is will power and I was determined to out-will Caden. I was doing it for him... KK has always told me it is hard to be a good parent but so easy to be a bad one... this was just the first of many hard things!

Even Maci and Max were rootin' him on. The three of them were commiserating about their transition from lap dogs and hold me babies to pillow dogs and crib babies... what a rough life they all lead! 

PROGRESS: And now we have some progress. Tuesday night Caden did GREAT in his crib. He made it one 4 hour stretch and one 3.5 hour stretch... way to go Caden! On Wednesday night he did the same, but on Thursday night Caden threw Justin and I for a HUGE loop... he made it a 6 hour stretch. We both woke up at one point totally shocked by the time our clocks were reading... could it be true? Was he breathing? Had he escaped? Had the rapture happened? Or D, none of the above... Caden was being a big boy! And that my friends is serious progress. Of course last night we were back to 3 hour stretches, but that's okay, I'll take a 6 hour stretch any time I can get one!

PIMPLES: In the middle of the week we noticed the saddest thing... baby acne! Do they make Baby Proactive? Of course we are still madly in love with our little pizza face. Depending on his temperament his little pimples come and go, so you may or may not be able to notice them in our photos from this week. 

Here are a few shots in our big boy clothes after our long night in our big boy crib! It's amazing how cute we look after a good night's rest...

Yes that's right... Property of Mom Forever... you read his shirt right!

Look at my hair... it's turning red, just like my daddy's! 

And I make goofy faces just like my daddy too... mommy never can seem to get my prettiest faces on camera! Wish list: camera with a faster shutter speed!

PLAYTIME: KK came up Friday to babysit little Caden. Justin had a work function that he HAD to have a date for, so we "convinced" KK to come spend the night with our lil man while we headed out for a few hours. Mommy did not handle it very well, almost ruining her make-up job... and yes this was the first time she had worn make-up ALL week! We survived and Caden had a SUPER fun time with KK. Mommy was super jealous about all the fun stuff she missed...

They sang, had tummy time on Caden's tummy mat, did push-ups, had a long conversation about The Bachelor, Jessica Simpson's high-waisted uh-oh and other hot topics and then settled in for a nice quiet evening on the couch...

That's right, KK pushed our progress back a tad bit on Friday because she refused to put Caden down. Apparently this is a grandparents right... to spoil their grandkids and then give them back to their parents to fix! Oh the irony!

I started pumping on Thursday when Caden was 4 weeks old and Justin was able to feed him his first bottle. He did pretty well... again, I did not handle this very well, crying as I watched Justin feed Caden... I LOVE breastfeeding... it's Caden and I's special thing, but I know Justin enjoyed being able to fill Caden's little tummy as well. I comforted myself by stating that bottle or no bottle, what was in the bottle can't be done without me... I'm still of value! 

During playtime with KK... I love this little face!

PARTIES: After the practice...the pimples... and the progress Caden celebrated his 1 Month Birthday Party with Aunt Emmie and Uncle Josh. Emmie and Josh came down from San Antonio for the afternoon to be with Caden. Emmie and Josh were the only two family members who had not been fortunate enough to hold Caden when they visited him in the hospital, so this was a very special day for all of us!

Uncle Josh...the baby whisperer!

Aunt Emmie...the most beautiful girl in the world... she was so fun to look at!

Aunt Emmie baked her famous Fudge Pie for Caden's birthday... it was yummy! Justin and I have been claiming February 1st as the official start of our "better eating habits" diet, but it has been indefinitely post-poned thanks to Emmie's Fudge Pie! Yum! 

Side-note: I just thought pregnancy made me hungry... HA! Nothing compares to the hunger and thirst of breastfeeding! I can't get enough! 

During our Party today we were visited by Mike the Kirby Vacuum salesman who did about an 1.5 hour LIVE demonstration of all the great things a Kirby can do. Why I let him in my house I'm not sure, but I got a free casserole dish and KK bought herself a new vacuum, so I guess it was meant to be! 

So the moral of that story is...next time you hear a knock on your door...open up... let them inside... doesn't this sound like GREAT advice from a new mom! :) 

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Saturday and enjoys Super Bowl Sunday. I can honestly say that I am not all that pumped up about the bowl this year... maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised... if not that just leaves more time for blogging!

Goodnight blog friends!

The Cox Family Arsenal

Happy Monday blog world! Sorry it has been a few days since our last post. I truly appreciate all of the emails, comments and texts I have received in reference to Caden's birth story... they have been a sincere encouragement. I will continue to keep you posted on the letters, etc.

Whether you are a parent or not, there are no doubt situations and circumstances in your life that require you to pull out a full arsenal of defense in order to combat certain challenges. Motherhood is certainly the hardest thing I have ever done, but of course the most rewarding, fun, exciting, etc. etc. The first week at home you think things are easy cheesy. This kid is SO good... he eats, he sleeps, and he looks so darn cute ALL the time. Oh and I have help... 

Then everyone leaves, your hubbie goes back to work and suddenly your child decides to wake up... now he cries, sleeps, eats, poops and looks so darn cute ALL the time! What do you do? You cry, you eat, you sleep, you TRY to poop and looking cute is just not an option... BUT what is an option is getting smart... building your arsenal of tricks to sooth, settle and sustain a happy, healthy baby.

Of course my arsenal grows by the day, but I thought I would share what I have collected so far...READY...AIM...FIRE

#1: A walk around the block in the BOB is never a bad idea... the other day we made it almost 45 minutes before getting fussy when we were walking with our friends Gina and Ava. Note: yesterday I learned the hard way that you NEVER wake a sleeping baby, load him up in the stroller and take a walk... this will lead to a VERY short walk and a screaming baby. I just wanted some Vitamin D! 

A drive to Sonic is also a good fix for the fussies... Caden and I ventured out on our own last week after a long walk... it was super fun!

#2: Every baby loves their tummy time, especially little Caden. I think he is on his tummy at least 22 hours of the day. KK bought Caden this tummy time activity center for Christmas this year and while we haven't exactly figured out how to make it work by ourselves, he never fusses while he is on it!

#3: Bath time stinks, but being cuddled in my towels and sucking on my hand is the perfect fix! Mom and dad still give me a little help finding my hand, but each day I am getting closer and closer to doing it by myself!

#4: My KK is always a great fix for the fussies... she creates the perfect bed for me to rest my tired little head!

#5: The KK Dance... I don't have a picture of the actual dance, but this has been a life-saver for me over the past few days. I am so glad KK showed me her trick... 

All you do is take your screaming child in a cross cradle position like they are about to latch-on to eat and then you put the passy in their mouth and hold it in by pressing their head to your chest, then you sway back and forth and bob up and down until the sucking begins... only minutes later the eyes begin to close and you are in business! Babies will suck on anything you put in their mouths I've learned, and sometime they just need a little sucking to sooth themselves back to sleep... I have even used the KK dance while sitting... it works beautifully! Thanks KK!

This was the first time that Caden fell victim to the powers of the KK dance.

#6: Dad... he is always a good fix for the fussies... he has the magic touch! Of course it never hurts to glean a little entertainment by spitting up on dad either! :)

#7: Snoozing with dad... when Caden sleep on Justin's chest they sleep forever! We always are able to prolong time between feedings when they start this up... I love it! 

It is becoming increasingly hilarious how alike my two boys are!

#8: A newbie but a goodie, the Baby Bjorn. KK and Albi bought this for the Cox Family Arsenal and so far so good. Justin took it for a test run yesterday and thought it was HILARIOUS to say "...look mom no hands, no hands..." over and over again! He was crackin' himself up!

#9: A clean outfit and the pack n play... this only works for a max of 30 minutes, but we'll take it! I think eventually the soft vibrations and the classical music that the pack n play provides will take Caden much farther than 30 minutes...we're still adjusting!

#10: The swing! We are finally enjoying the swing a little more. Again, we are at about a 10 minute max, but 10 minutes that mom doesn't have to hold me is 10 minutes that mom doesn't have to hold me.
#11: It's a bird, it's a plane... it's Caden!! We discovered that Caden has a passion for flight... up, up and away!

#12: This website! Caden and I have had the most fun singing TV theme songs... our favorites are, The Flinstones, Growing Pains, Full House, and Cheers! Caden loves to sing and even tolerates when his mommy sings to him!

#13: The Ellen Degeneres Show... we love Ellen. Caden always sits in his bouncer and lets mommy eat her Special K with Red Berries and watch the first half of Ellen and then it's time for tummy time with mom for the second half! 

#14: Nicknames... Caden is starting to recognize my voice so I've been trying out different nicknames on him to see which ones make him laugh, smile, cry, stop crying, etc. Here's the list so far:

Caden Bear

Caden Marie

Caden Pearl

Bubba

Sweet Pea

Baby Boy

Little Man

Little Piggy

Little Buddha

So in the middle of this post we lost power and missed the first 45 minutes of The Bachelor... NOT COOL... so now we are all catching up! Caden was the most upset! He wants to know who his buddy Ty is going to end up with as a mom. NOT Megan we hope! 

Much love to you all!

Caden's First Few Days

For an explanation of these photos see next post... "My Birth Story."

Holiday...Celebrate!

What a weekend, what a weekend... 

Caden here, bringing you a recap of my first holiday weekend... it was nuts! 

First, a little shout out is in order for my main man Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Now, I'm still learning about his impact on my world, but mom promised she would teach me all about him as I get older. Mom says that her favorite piece of literature is the full script of his 'I Have A Dream' speech. She said she is going to find it online and read it to me this week! I can't wait! She also told me that my generation is special b/c we could be the first to achieve color blindness... I hope she's right! Thanks Dr. King!

Okay, now back to my visitor PAR-TAY! In no particular order...

My main squeeze Ava came over to meet me for the first time. I wasn't exactly feeling myself and I knew all she had heard about me was that I was the kid that couldn't cry when I was born... thanks a lot mom and dad... why did you have to go and tell the ladies? I made sure she knew I had overcome all of that... I had a set of vocal cords, she could rest assured!

Here I am workin' it! Did I mention she is an older woman?!

Here's my funny mommy and Ava. Mommy has never gotten to hold Ava, so she was pretty excited! Mom kept saying she wanted to eat Ava's face off... geez Hannibal Lector... nice first impression!

Here are my friends and neighbors, (Ava's parents) Gina and Greg. It was nice to meet another tall dude like me... pound it out Greg! Ava got hungry so Gina was a little tied up... I like a girl who can eat! 

Aw... my Nana and Paps came again this weekend. I am glad they live so close, I'll be seeing them a lot! 

I love it when my Nana holds me close and plays with my ears! 

On Saturday and Sunday my second cousin Kathleen and my Great-Aunt Martha drove all the way from Abilene just to meet me. I was kind of shocked, but I was so excited to meet them face to face! My Great-Aunt Martha LOVES babies... my KK told me that she's been doing the baby thing for a long time now and couldn't wait to get her hands on me! We had so much fun!

Smiles... all smiles... I know she's my cousin and in Texas they have to be 3rd cousins before its legal, but seriously, she's one beautiful girl!

I know... I'm still being Chester Cheese-head... I just couldn't help it. 

Speaking of Chester Cheese-head... aw Martha... cheek to cheek... you're making me blush!

Love at first sight... mommy and I were talkin' last night about how much Great-Aunt Martha and KK look alike... they even hold me the same way! Sisters...sisters...

On Sunday, we didn't go to church b/c mommy and daddy aren't allowed to take me out of the house much since it's flu and RSV season, so I decided to do my best Jesus impersonation to keep the morning sacred! Afterall, Jesus loves me... this I know!

One of mommy's childhood friends came to visit us this weekend too! Raeleigh was born just one week before me, but she was quite a bit smaller... mommy kept saying how nice it was to hold such a small baby... so I like to eat... get over it mom!

Mom doesn't like this picture of herself, but I keep reminding her... it took you 9 months to get this way so it will take more than just 2.5 weeks to get back to normal! Mommy I think you are beautiful and you smell of the most delicious milk!

Dad and I decided that being cute and pleasing for all of our visitors was exhausting, so we caught a quick nap in between guests. Two peas in a pod, my daddy and me!

Awww... Aunt Em and Uncle Bryce... mommy and daddy's good friends from Waco! They spent an entire afternoon with us and brought mommy and daddy the yummiest cupcakes and the prettiest flowers. I had heard all about Uncle Bryce before he got there... supposedly he was the 'baby whisperer'...hmph! I gave him a run for his money, but dang it... that guy is good! He got me with the finger trick... skin is way better than plastic... I fall for it EVERY time!

Yum!
Now mommy, daddy and I are going to watch Jason and his ladies on The Bachelor... I hope everyone has had a great holiday weekend! Thanks again to all of my visitors and friends! Much love to you all!

Mommy and I are back solo tomorrow, which means there will be plenty of adventures to tell... until tomorrow...

Bag O Baby Tricks!

Happy Two-Week Birthday Sweet Caden!!

Today, Caden had his two week check-up with Dr. Richards. Here are our stats:

10 pounds

22.4 inches

Head Circumference: 39.4 cm

I can't believe Caden has been here for two weeks and then I can't believe it has ONLY been two weeks all the same. I continue to learn new things about my little one each and every day.

In today's news...

Caden and I worked on our 'bag of baby tricks'... wanna see?

Trick #1: Do your best celebrity impersonation, Caden!

Bond, Caden Bond...

Trick #2: Look like your daddy... come on... you can do it... look like your daddy!

Trick #3: Pretend you're sleepy... 

Trick #4: Be a damsel in distress...

So this isn't really one of our tricks, but we had to include it anyway... KK came to see us today! Thanks for coming KK... we had a great afternoon on the couch and mommy is super grateful for her nap!
Back to our tricks...

Trick #5: Be a good listener... 

Trick #6: Be a heart breaker...

Trick #7: Let's try a look-alike again... Look like Uncle Josh...

You're pretty impressed with our tricks are you not? And that mom was able to capture them all on film? What a day! 

Tomorrow is Friday, which means lots of things to lots of people, but for Caden and me it means the start of a three day weekend with dad! We can't wait!