See the Good in Everything

Look familiar? No- I have not put Caden into a dress- this is me!! Also my proof that little man may have resembled daddy according to EVERYONE at the hospital- but now that my family genes are setting in- he is getting much more "mommy" in him! Grandpa was left alone with the baby for a little too long, and I suppose it is no surprise that this appeared in my phone. I don't know who is happier Caden or Grandpa!! I think what makes me chuckle about this picture most is how much my parents have changed in the past years. Growing up we never heard curse words, never were exposed to cigarettes or alcohol and lived in the city! In high school- my mother moved out to the middle of no where... really- we went from living five minutes from any store you could imagine to being twenty minutes to the nearest GAS STATION! This brought on a new side of my mom- we like to refer to it as the "death to the mom jeans" stage. You could call it a mid-life crisis, though at b...

I want another baby... Dear God- I am crazy- officially admittable to the nearest loony bin! OK- So I am not out to crank out another in the next month and I am sure it is just a surge of hormones as my little caterpillar gets more mobile and starts becoming so personable and fun to play with- but I find myself never wanting this stage to end and I can easily see how the Duggar clan is like the reproduction version of the song from LambChop!! "This is the song that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friends- some people started singing it not knowing what it was so we just keep on singing it forever just because..." I have always known I loved kids since I was young. I attracted them like magnets- or mosquito's to a bug light! If I was in a store they would find me, I could make any baby smile- it is an odd calling that is morphing into wanting more! As the six month anniversary nears of my little ones unexpected early arrival- it is so hard to wrap my mind arou...

We spent a whopping four hours between doctors and therapists yesterday in hopes to get more answers to Caden's development. The list of people we saw included: Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Nutritionist, Pediatrician, Audiologist and a Social Worker! It pretty much went down like this: Pediatrician met with us first- we checked his weight, went over the meds he is on and since dad came (=happy mommy!!) he got to meet our wonderful doctor. Caden had a dip in weight that we will watch at his 6 month check-up, we increased one of his meds and got the clear on everything else. I think the drop in weight can be attributed to his tube coming out a few weeks back. We are still building his feeds back up to the volume they were before- so the doctor didn't seem too alarmed just yet, and since everything else checked out pretty well we were sent on our way to the next appointment. Audiology put some ear buds in his ears and they measured the re-reverbera...

It saddens me to write this post, although I feel that awareness is something that everyone needs more of.... Super Sam & HLHS I know a man, he is a very sweet man with a wonderful wife. I walked down an aisle with him a few years ago to celebrate one of my favorite twins' wedding day. This man later got married and started a family of his own. As I am all too aware, sometimes things don't go as planned. It started well and then it came to a stop. Their little boy had a heart problem- it was not growing properly. Mom and dad were told about the requirement for surgery and all the risks involved.  After an early unexpected arrival, little Super Sam was just at the weight requirement for surgery. After several days, visitors, trips and doctors- Sams mother and father had to make the worst and most painful decision any parent could make. They had to decide what path to take. Sam was taken off all the monitors and shared one of the most beautiful days of the season with h...

It is official- Uncle Travis has made it home!!!! We picked him up at the airport a mere three days after he left Afghanistan. We are SO happy he is home and safe and couldn't be prouder about all he has done for his country.  It was beyond touching to see my two macho men (hubby and brother in law) tear up at the sight of one another after what seemed like a lifetime of praying after every newscast. The big surprise was that his mother had NO IDEA he was home- she thought he was coming home at the end of the year. None of us have any idea where she got her information from because all the emails we received from the Marine base clearly stated that he was enroute to the states- but we let her continue with her false delusions and bot was she surprised when he appeared at dinner. Being a mom now, it is even more touching to see him home and to see how happy she is to have him. I can only hope that Caden gets some of the thoughtful genes from his uncle because daddy is a littl...

I am excited to announce I am an aunt! Well, in reality I am an aunt again, but due to.... parental situations.... I was actually able to see my niece the day she was born! Lily Autumn, but I call her Daffodil- Lily is the name of our lizard at home, so Daffodil is what I chose. She was a whopping 7lb 10oz! I realize this is not a "big" baby, but with the fond memories of my little 6lb Caden- she felt huge! It was somewhat emotional to see my little brother holding his daughter- my little baby Crispy is all grown up! His girlfriend (and I use that term loosely) managed to give birth in the tub un-medicated as she wanted.... more power to you in my opinion! I think that by the time she realized she wanted drugs it was to the "suck it up cupcake" point- and she has a family history of fast deliveries. Lily is a welcome addition to the family, and while I question the preparedness of the parents (i.e. had the baby seat facing the wrong direction and failed to ...

Mommy Time!! Best of Buds Snazzy man! First time outside! Already stealing the remote Blanket on his face.. the only place he will keep it! After screaming all the way home we had to make an emergency stop to calm down and get changed Million blankets- my little Lucky Charm Best. Thing. Ever <3