Category: Monthly Updates

9, 10, and 11 MONTHS!

by lauraryan416@gmail.com

My sweet, handsome boy, how are you 11 months old today? Time is flying and you are growing even quicker. These last few months have been so much fun watching you grow into your little body and personality. You are around 20lbs now according to our home scale and you are wearing anywhere between 9-18 month clothes.

^ I still cannot believe I formatted my card over your 9 month photos and cannot get them back 🙁 but at least we have some pretty special photos and memories from your 9th month! A big thank you to Audrey with Audrey Rose Photography for this photo!

  

In the last few months you have learned to crawl, walk holding onto things (you have taken a few steps unassisted too!), go down the stairs, and how to get off the bed/couch. Don’t worry, Mama doesn’t let you do it alone because you are already showing signs of having the lack of grace I have. You fall A LOT, but you always get back up and keep going. You have quite the attitude and get mad at your walker a lot. I mean, I’m with you, it’s totally the walkers fault you fall, but take it easy on the poor toy! You would play in your dresser drawers all day if I’d let you. Just start cleaning up the mess, okay? You are also starting to learn boundaries and you certainly try to push them. I am going to credit your Dad for that stubbornness. Okay, kidding, you get it from Mama too.

You love to play in the water. Goodness, do you love it. You are always skeptical at first but then you get made when we take you out. You love to observe people but get a little overwhelmed in big crowds. I secretly don’t mind because it means you will snuggle in close to me.

We went on another cross country trip and once again, you handled the flights almost better than I did! Your Aunt Kelsey and Uncle Sam got married and you were quite the handsome little fella in your suspenders! You got to meet several of your cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great grandparents. You also got to meet your Mama’s best friend, Auntie Lizro and Uncle Tuck. Funny story, their last name is your middle name! I’ll never forget these memories and getting to introduce you to the people that matter most in our lives!

 you also love the lovey that Auntie Lizro got you!

Your first word was ma-ma-ma-ma and I’ll never forget that moment. I’ll also never forget the look on your Daddy’s face when you snuggled up beside him in bed and said DA-DA for the first time. You haven’t stopped saying it since and I have to remind you to say Mama sometimes. You also say a couple of words I won’t mention here, let’s just say you have let me know when your diaper needs changed and when you want to nurse. You say hello, bye-bye, and ball. You also have the sweetest waive and you get so excited. You have learned to sign all done and sometimes you sign more, but more often than not, you just start screaming and give another meaning to the word HANGRY. Speaking of food, you love to eat everything besides meat. Although, you apparently like to make your Mama look crazy and not eat certain foods when you go to Aunt Lisa. I’ve had to take a video to prove that you devour your peas at home. You silly boy!

As exciting as the past 3 months have been, we have also had a couple scary days. One day as you were sitting on the floor playing, I realized you were turning blue. Your entire chest and stomach where so blue. That landed us in the childrens ER pretty quickly. You gave us all a scare but everything checked out and we left with the assumption that you just wanted to be a smurf for the day. Don’t you know they make costumes for that kind of thing? Don’t worry folks, I know I joke, but he’s totally healthy so we just continue to watch for any other signs. 

One month. One month until you are ONE. How? Some days I am still in disbelief that you are ours and that you are really here. I’m just so thankful that God chose me to be your Mama and your Daddy to be your Daddy. You scored big there, kiddo! I cannot wait to see what this next month brings us!

We love you more than you will ever know. Always and forever.

Xo,

Mama and Daddy

 

 

5, 6, 7, and 8 months!

by lauraryan416@gmail.com

My sweet handsome boy, your Mama is REALLY late behind with these blog posts. Forgive me, please? Okay, now that we have that out of the way…let’s talk about how fast time is flying, how quickly you are growing and doing new things, and how much fun you are becoming! I’m not entirely sure how much you weigh right now or how long you are, but at 7 months you were just over 17lbs and 28.5 inches. I attempted to way your wiggly self at home the day and you were just over 18 pounds. Either way, you are growing nice and strong! You are all over the places with clothes. Depending on the store and brand you wear anywhere from 6 month (skinny boy) to 18 month (long legs).

    

Months 4-7 were tough on you. You had colds, sinus infections, ear infections, many trips to the doctor, and one scary trip to the ER because you were reacting to your antibiotics. After that the doctors were hesitant to give you anything else, but after 3 months of it not clearing up, we did another round of antibiotics and you have been a new baby since then! You started gaining weight again, eating solids (more on that in a minute), and overall just a lot happier! Your smile lights up the room and the cutest little dimples. You have also started pressing your lips together and it’s my favorite little face you make! And ohhhhh do you have an attitude, I mean personality! ha! You know what you want, you are already fiercely independent, and you love exploring what’s around you. You can get anywhere you want rolling and army crawling. You are so close to crawling and you also are starting to pull up on things.

You love the bath, especially sitting in there like a big boy now so you can splash! You love to play with your friend Lincoln and adore your Auntie Lisa. You love your books and your balls. You made your first cross-country flight (with Daddy!) and did so good. You met a lot of family and will soon meet more! I hope you continue to travel well and love it as much as Mama and Daddy. You are trying to play with the dogs more and more and it’s quite hilarious when you get mad at them. You talk all of the time, have the sweetest giggle, and you are constantly growling which is absolutely hilarious. You love food – there isn’t anything we have found that you do not like. You are still nursing despite the challenges we have also had there over the last few months. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but also the greatest thing I’ve been able to do for you.

You are learning what it’s like to have a Daddy in the military. It’s hard and I can see that in you already, but I also see a resilient little boy that knows when Daddy is home. Your excitement melts our hearts and somehow it makes it all okay. Goodness, do you love your daddy! You two are becoming quite the pals. You love to sleep on him and it makes Mama a little jealous, but I adore the bond you two have.

My goodness, being your Mama is full of adventure, joy, and a lot of lessons learned. The last 4 months has taught us both so much, and with each passing day, I love you more and more. Well, it’s almost time to set off on our next adventure. More on our next cross country trip in the next update!

We cannot wait to see what all you do next month! We love you more than you will ever know. Always and forever.

Xo,

Mama and Daddy

FOUR MONTHS!!!!

by lauraryan416@gmail.com

My sweet handsome boy, you are 4 months old already (well a couple of weeks ago, but it’s been crazy town here so I am just now writing your blog post). Photos were taken at 4 months though, so Mama get’s some redemption points there! You weigh 16lbs (62nd percentile), 26 3/4 in long (93rd percentile no surprise there), and son…your head is still quite large in the 92nd percentile. You are all over the place with the clothes you can wear: some 3-6 month, 6 month, and a few 6-9 month things.

This month was a crazy one for sure! You have grown so much. I know that I say it 100 times a day, but time seriously needs to slow down. The day before you turned 4 months you rolled over for the first time and it wasn’t with your Mama or Daddy. When I found out, my heart sank, but I was also so proud of you! You are rolling all the time from your back to tummy, but still figuring out how to roll from your tummy back to your back. You will do it in your crib, but not on the floor.

You have discovered your feet and it’s pretty amazing how flexible you are.  It’s a struggle to keep socks on you and you are definitely a fan of that big toe. Your eyes are still as blue as ever and your hair is starting to have a reddish tint to it on the ends. The dimples above your lips when you laugh seriously melts Mama’s heart. It may be my favorite feature of yours right now. Oh, and those eye lashes – they are so long! I know I am biased, but son, you are still the most handsome little boy I’ve ever seen!

You are also sleeping in your crib now! We truly thought you were ready and made the decision to sleep train you this past month. You took to it well and within a couple of days you were taking all of your naps and sleeping at night in your crib. You take 3-4 naps a day and you still wake up 1-2 times a night, with the occasional all nighter! You are such a good sleeper, especially now that you can sleep on your tummy. When you are awake you love to play on your mat and with your balls, listen to music, and look at your books. Bath-time is still your favorite time of day!

This month marked another huge milestone for you and I both. I started working again and you go to your sitter…or rather the best neighbor/friend/Auntie twice a week! You love it there. You are always giggling when I come to pick you up and love playing with your pal, Lincoln. I can see you two getting into mischief together before long. We are so blessed that so many people love you so well!

You were also dedicated at church this month, Caden. You don’t know what that means right now, but sweet boy, I pray that you grow up to know, love, and serve the Lord. That’s my greatest prayer for you, son, and so many others are praying the same. You are blessed and you are loved more than you know, but one day you will.

      

& have you ever seen sweeter baby toes? I think not!

We cannot wait to see what all you do next month! We love you more than you will ever know. Always and forever.

Xo,

Mama and Daddy

THREE MONTHS!!!

by lauraryan416@gmail.com

My handsome, you are three months old! HOW? My goodness, it’s the greatest joy getting to watch you grow. You weigh 14lbs 3oz and I am sure you have gotten a little taller as well! You wear 0-3, 3, and some 3-6 month clothes – it all depends on the brand.

This month you went on your first airplane to see Daddy! You did so good (minus the major blowouts – with one going from head to toe – yes, it was down in your toes). You were a champ for our road trips too. We went to Enid to visit with some of friends and spent Thanksgiving in Kansas City with some of Daddy’s cousins. I hope that you grow up to love traveling like your Daddy and I do!

Sadly, you also experienced your first cold and your first trip to the ER. We were concerned the flight had done something to your ear because you were miserable and not like yourself. The doctor reassured us you were okay, just really congested and probably had a lot of pressure in your ears, but then gave us quite a scare with a “harsh” description of a heart murmur. It’s since been evaluated and your pediatrician does not agree, but will continue to monitor it. You are one healthy little boy! Praise Jesus!

You are becoming quite the little talker and your smile continues to melt my heart. You have little dimples developing above your lips. It’s seriously the cutest. You still love to go on walks, read books (the brighter the better), play in the bathtub, and lay on your changing table. This month you have decided that being on your tummy is no longer fun, but we are still working on it. You are SO close to rolling over. You roll to your side and kick like crazy, but haven’t quite figured out how to finish rolling over. That’s okay though, I can wait for you to grow up a little bit longer. You are have found your hands and now you like to put BOTH of them in your mouth. Silly boy!

Your tummy is continuing to improve every day. Mama tried to have some dairy but your tummy didn’t seem to love it, so I will wait on that. Your reflux is still a battle, but we take it one day at a time. Sleep. Let’s talk about your sleeping because you are totally a sleeping champ! When we came back from OK, it was easy to start putting you down earlier because you were still on that schedule and we went with it. Most nights you are in bed by 8:30 and sleep until 7:30/8. Prior to this week you were waking 1-2 times to eat but since you started sleeping in your crib this week, you are sleeping through the night! The transition to your crib was easy. Almost too easy. We are so proud of you!

We have another big month coming up – your first Christmas and your first New Years! This year is going to be extra special. I still can’t believe you are here and you are ours! You are the sweetest boy, Caden. We love you more than you will ever know. Always and forever.

Xo,

Mama and Daddy

The sweetest details I never want to forget. The way you grasp my finger now, sweet son, is something that I will cherish forever. I pray that you will always know that your Mama is here for you.

^ This is by far one of my favorite photos of Caden ever. There is a sweetness on his face that I just cannot get enough of!

& we have determined that the yawn is Caden’s signature look

oh, and a little silly too!

Two Months!

by lauraryan416@gmail.com

My sweet, sweet boy, you are two months old. I am not sure where the time is going or how you are growing so fast, but you are. It’s so fun watching you grow and discover new things! You weigh 12lbs 8oz and 23.5 inches long (although this is questionable because you were 23.5 at one month and you have definitely grown). Oh, and son, your head is in the 85th percentile.

cadentwomonths-1

This month started off with your first “see you soon” with Daddy. It was a very bittersweet moment. Sweet seeing your Daddy love you so much, but definitely bitter having to watch him walk away. But my goodness, you have learned to facetime like a champ! I swear you know when it’s Daddy calling too because you always perk right up for him. I don’t love that it seems like you always have a phone in front of your face, but I am thankful for technology that allows you to connect with your Daddy. You also get a lot of facetiming in with your grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and friends. Baby boy, you are so loved.

You are talking so much and you smile all the time! It melts my heart every single time. You are pretty clever too. You seem to know exactly when to smile at Mama – like when it’s 3am and you don’t want to sleep or when you have been cluster feeding all day and Mama thinks she can’t go on another second nursing. Speaking of nursing, you are doing SOOOO much better. It was like you woke up one day and suddenly had a perfect latch. Mama is so glad she didn’t give up.

We are still working on your tummy troubles. Your gas pains are slowly getting better, but your reflux is still causing you a lot of discomfort. Some days it doesn’t seem to be a problem at all, but other days you are screaming in pain every time you eat, burp, or even yawn. Your doctor isn’t too concerned about it yet since you are growing. She thinks it’s something you are going to work through as a newborn, but she did increase your medicine slightly, so Mama is hopeful that will help!

You are sleeping better and better each week. A couple weeks ago you started sleeping from 10-3 most nights, and then you usually are up at 5, and then around 7 you are ready to start your day! I can handle that. You continue to love music, bathtime, tummy time, going on walks, and laying on your changing pad (so random!). You still aren’t the biggest fan of getting dressed,  having your diaper changed, or being put in your car-seat (but you are fine once you are in it and we are moving).  And my goodness, you are the king of blowouts. There is no in between for you. Mama has learned to have three extra outfits for you, a couple for herself, and a lot of extra diapers and wipes in the car anytime we go anywhere.

I love how you stretch. It’s by far the cutest thing you do, especially when you are waking up. You arch your back, put your hands up by your face, and pucker your lips. The expressions you make are priceless. You squint your forehead and raise your right eyebrow. I wish I knew what was going on in that little head of yours! You have also discovered your hands this month and will finally hold onto Mama’s finger. It seems so small, but I was waiting for the day you would just cling to my finger.

You are changing so much and so fast. This coming month is going to be a big one. You are taking your first airplane ride  to go see Daddy! We are also going on your first roadtrip to see some of your family in Kansas City for Thanksgiving. I cannot wait to see how you do and continue to make memories!

You are the sweetest boy, Caden. We love you more than you will ever know. Always and forever.

Xo,

Mama and Daddy