Keeping Up With Cade

Happy 2nd Birthday Cade!!

2010-03-09T21:00:00.003-05:00

Hi friends & family!! Hope all is well with everyone! I'm not even going to apologize, LOL, I know I need to keep it updated when even my hubs reminds me that it hasn't been updated in over a month :) Just been a busy momma, I've recently been accepted into 2 new digital scrapbooking stores so getting all that set up... of course a certain toddler has been keeping me busy :)

Cade is doing great, he is such a little boy now... He's not talking but I fully expect him to know his entire alphabet forwards & backwards when he does start. He always brings me the "M" letter magnet (since you know, Mommy starts with M)... and he will bring some letters & say the names, and he even mouths the letter sounds when I sing to him... He says "da da" and "no no" and "oh no" and "pa pa" and even "papaw" a few times... sometimes "mommy" when he's desperate, LOL... he has a little white bear that is his best buddy, Hi-ya... that bear has seen better days, he's tattered & worn but I don't think we could ever replace him.

I've been enjoying my camera SO MUCH so in celebration of Cade's 2nd Birthday, here are some recent favorites... actually all of these are from this week!

Happy Birthday Cade!!!

January Photos

2010-01-29T16:29:00.001-05:00

Some of my favorite photos from January (since I'm a month behind posting, haha)

Feeling more like himself...

2009-12-28T19:50:00.003-05:00

Posting these pictures because I love them :) that and I'm happy that my boy is smiling again! I think he's finally getting over this cold... still a little snotty but what toddler isn't? LOL

I am pretty proud of these though... but like I said, the smile helps :)

merry christmas

2009-12-25T15:43:00.002-05:00

merry christmas everyone! we have had a great 2 days... even though cade has been sick and hasn't really felt "festive" LOL... he got lots of new toys and it has been so much fun for me & derek, just watching him.

here are some pics from yesterday & today...

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-22T08:54:00.002-05:00

I am a little behind on my card sending this year, and with Christmas only a few days away, I don't see myself getting caught up... especially since the little man woke up sick this morning. I am hoping to get him well by the time the jolly man comes on Friday but this is Cade's first cold of the season so I guess I should be thankful he's been so healthy to this point.

ANYWAY... for those of you who haven't received a card from us, I am VERY sorry... I thought I'd share our cards here...

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

From this weekend...

2009-12-21T09:00:00.002-05:00

Got a few good shots this weekend... I took a ton but these were my favorites:

Love...

2009-12-14T14:36:00.002-05:00

I LOVE my new Nikon. I love PSE7. I love warm days in December. I love being able to take my little boy outside with just a jacket. I love getting these shots.

I think I love ^him^ most of all!

Cade and Santa

2009-12-13T19:14:00.004-05:00

Cade visited Santa last night at the mall. He wasn't very impressed and was so funny, turning around looking at him like, who are you and why are you holding me? But, he didn't scream or cry, so I guess he did pretty good.

And here is the pic... not the best but they took a few and this was our favorite. For one thing, Cade doesn't look totally distressed... and Santa's expression is pretty funny too!

Happy 21 Months...

2009-12-11T00:00:00.002-05:00

A few from today... (December 10th)... and Cade is 21 months!! I can't believe it!!

Go Cats!!

My big boy!

Licking the window... LOL

This is pretty normal around here... I guess it's a stage... he licks EVERYthing.

Pictures... pictures... pictures....

2009-12-08T15:08:00.004-05:00

So I have been practicing and practicing with my new camera (Love it by the way)... and I think that Cade has finally had it! I made 3 attempts at Christmas pictures of him, in front of the tree, dressed up... blah blah... Well, it went something like this... Attempt #1... I put a white sheet up in his room, dressed him up in his Christmas outfit and proceeded to take around 150 pictures of him. He was so good, even looked at the camera for about 10-15 shots. But when I put them on my computer, I did a mental head slap... I used flash, inside, and the shadows were just ridiculous... so we'll just try again, right? Well attempt #2, the next day... put him back in his Christmas outfit, and instead of doing the white sheet in his room, that gets very little natural light, I opened up the front shades in the living room and attempted to get some shots in front of the tree. Terribly blurry, just not even usable. So I adjust the settings on the camera and sit in the floor for one more attempt and by this point, he is annoyed. He turns around and is pulling ornaments off left and right and before I could get up to stop him, he pulled the tree down... on us. It was a disaster... tree parts all over the living room... the top of the tree actually bent. Was really great. Thankfully it was nap time for Mr. Monster and so he went straight to bed and right to sleep. I spent the rest of the afternoon picking up the mess, rewrapping torn gifts & destressing. This is the picture that I snapped right before he pulled it down...

Third attempt... today... and I am so happy that I finally got some pictures that I loved. Because this was seriously going to be my last attempt at pictures in front of the tree. So here they are... :)

pictures... as promised!

2009-12-05T22:30:00.001-05:00

I have a lot to learn with my new camera, but as promised, here are a few of my favorite shots from this weekend!!

Photo Dump!! And update!

2009-12-01T15:37:00.005-05:00

Holy Cow, where did November go??? :)

I know I know, bad mommy for not updating the blog in ONE MONTH!!! But... what can I say, life happens, we get busy, and then we do a lot of begging for forgiveness, LOL... so here I am... with PICTURES! I'm actually doing a camera dump today... for one thing, my camera is toast... it has been dying on me since Halloween so these pictures are not the best. I didn't take nearly as many in November and I'm sure by looking at these pics, you can see why... I did some pretty wacky photo editing just to make them look decent enough to post. The good news, I'm getting a new camera, should be here today, so you'll be seeing PLENTY of Mr. Cade in the coming weeks!! I CAN NOT WAIT to get it. I'm just sitting here waiting on the UPS man, LOL.

A little update on Cade... he is doing FANTASTIC! He is so much fun, so sweet & smart & such a good boy! He is starting to talk a little. He doesn't say much consistantly but when he comes out with something, you know it! His latest thing is that everything is "gooood"... LOL... and I'm just assuming that's because I always call him my good boy. I think he even said "good da-e" last night... (yes, he calls Derek da-ee... his version of daddy) He LOVES the Christmas tree. He was so excited when he saw it for the first time and we spent much of the evening decorating it with blocks and gears and stuffed animals... but I think he's over it now and usually just runs up and touches it and then leaves it alone. So not the disaster I was afraid it would be.

And, at Cade's 18 month checkup (which he was actually 20 months when he went, LOL) he was 33 and a half inches and 29 pounds and the doc was very happy!!

Okay, now for my camera dump... say bye bye to these point & shoot photos! I can't wait to start shooting with my new camera!!

Superman Jammies

Playing outside...

Happy Thanksgiving! Looking all handsome ;)

Brady

Playing basketball with Uncle Adam

Just a little higher Uncle Adam!

He had to have his own hula hoop after this... saw them at walmart and he REMEMBERED. LOL

Cade's room decorated for Christmas...

Lights & his own little tree :)

And mommy's tree :)

Tried to get a good pic of us...

That's it for now! I promise, more pics to come... my camera just arrived so yep, yep, check back in the coming days!!

Our Little Boy...

2009-10-30T15:42:00.001-04:00

We had Cade's pictures made this week, taking full advantage of the beautiful fall weather & gorgeous colors. I look at these pictures and can't believe how big he is getting. This time is going by way too fast!!

separation anxiety at it's best...

2009-10-16T16:59:00.002-04:00

can't even go to the bathroom alone anymore.

This was taken a month ago but it's definitely still relevant.

2009-10-09T07:16:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! I know, it has been awhile and I'm very sorry that I haven't updated the blog. Things have been busy & hectic and it has really been the last thing on my mind. Between my work-at-home job, being a mommy to a VERY active (and cute) toddler, and now getting my digital scrap store going, I've been finding myself with very little "free time"... so now it's 7 a.m. and I'm sipping on some coffee, hoping that Cade will sleep for at least another 20 minutes. He tried to get up at 3 a.m. today, and almost tricked me into thinking it WAS in fact morning. I heard him laughing & playing and actually sat up, getting ready to get up, and then realized that it was so early.

I guess the hardest part of the past few weeks has been that we lost our kitty cat, Josie this week. She was hit by a car on the road sometime Sunday night. It absolutely crushed us and I still can't believe she's gone. We went & rescued Josie at the animal shelter in Winchester when we were first married... got her around Thanksgiving 2003. She was our baby, probably the most quirky cat that I had ever met, and I miss her more than I ever imagined I would. We never expected her to live 20 years because she had so many health problems, but this was unexpected and has been so hard.

So in memory of Josie...

This is probably my favorite pic of her... as a tiny kitten:

She was fat & happy... at least we can say we gave her a good life.

Now for some pics of Cade. He has been doing great. Still not talking but he jabbers all day long and has been saying a few more words. He will just say a word once and that's it though. No need to repeat words, right? He has been saying "mom mom" lately though and I am almost certain I heard him say "car"... and we're pretty sure that he says "fishes" on a pretty regular basis (for goldfish - his fav snack!)

At his first Sorghum Festival...

Picking Papaw Bentley's flowers, LOL

Doesn't he look rotten here? LOL

He is such a little boy now... no baby here!

Where he plays ALL. DAY.

And as you can see... our little climber.

Thanks for looking & I'll try to update more often! Have a great weekend!!

My Store is Up! Check it Out!

2009-09-20T20:24:00.003-04:00

Got my DigiScrap store up today! Go check it out!

LawTeeDa Designs is OPEN at Divine Digital!!!

I'll get some more products up later this week, including a birthday kit & baby kit.

And also, I'm not sure what is going on with PhotoBucket... it is really annoying me today... you can probably see the "exceded bandwidth" all over my blog... Seriously annoying.

Mommy: aka Designer!!

2009-09-15T19:07:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited... I've been accepted as an Exclusive Designer to "Divine Digital"!! For those of you who aren't familiar with digital scrapbooking... it is basically just a digital form of paper scrapbooking... you still have to use papers & elements & alphas, but they're all digital. So I will be creating ditigal kits to sell at this digital scrapbooking store.

Here's a preview... a little something I made with my first kit:

I will post a link to my store front as soon as it's all set up! Just wanted to share my good news!

Our Weekend in Pictures...

2009-09-06T22:20:00.004-04:00

It was a beautiful weekend! Cade had such a great time being O-U-T-S-I-D-E --> and yes, we spell it now. I love these... even though he wouldn't look AT the camera, he was being so sweet, playing with his cars on the blanket, even spent a few minutes laughing... nobody knows why... evidently his cars were being funny :)

Cade with his very first Little People... and I must say, his collection has already grown by 5 People and 1 Bus :)

We spent today playing with Brady. This is our attempt to get them to sit for a picture. As you can see, Cade wouldn't even sit up in the chair, and Brady thought he should give Cade a kiss...

I thought this was worth posting... either Cade was trying to take his shirt off, or he was making a fashion statement. Either way, I had to grab the camera! LOL

Cade went to his cousin's birthday party this weekend... I can't resist showing off these pics... Cade's best buddy, Connor. Happy 3rd Birthday big guy!

Funny Stuff..

2009-09-03T13:57:00.001-04:00

I guess it's typical, that a boy would think that falling is funny. We've noticed recently that when cartoon characters fall or get hurt, Cade laughs. So here he is, laughing at the Backyardigans... One of the characters is falling out of a plane without a parachute... and evidently it is hilarious.

Update: My Sick Boy & No More Wood Snacks!

2009-09-01T15:37:00.003-04:00

Sorry I haven't updated the blog... Cade has been sick... mommy has been sick... it's been a super fun week (insert sarcasm). I think we're finally getting back to normal though. Cade is feeling better enough to eat & drink - I thought he was going to waste away from not wanting to eat or drink. And I think I'm just a day or 2 behind him.

The CribShield FINALLY came in the mail today... Amazon is either super fast or super slow at shipping it seems... but it's here, it's installed, and seems to work so far (knock on wood!)

This was Cade last Tuesday... he was just starting to get sick on Tuesday and obviously wasn't feeling great - I found him almost asleep under the table.

I found him in the floor with a box of wipes... apparently cleaning his feet. LOL

After his afternoon nap today... feeling much better. I love going in & seeing him like this!

Cute as a bug... and as you can see, his crib looks a lot more "classy" than the redneck duct tape looked, LOL

Showing off the inside...

Now off to play with my lil boy!!! He is actually starting to pull me away from the computer, LOL... guess he wants 100% of my attention!! :)

Operation: Stop Eating Crib!!!

2009-08-21T14:33:00.005-04:00

We've had a few problems with Cade chewing on his crib over the past few months, around the top rail... normal teething toddler stuff... but earlier this week, I noticed that it had gone from bad to worse. He's starting to chew the vertical crib slats. And it's not just bite marks. It's big chunks missing... splinters... the works. The pictures don't do it justice... I will say that I think he has ruined this crib. No way I'd let another newborn sleep in it.

So here's just SOME of the damage:

I had to keep him from getting splinters in his mouth & eating more wood... since I'm pretty sure he is eating it... so my temporary fix:

Yes, that is silver duct tape.

It's just temporary... the duct tape seems to be more appealing for him to chew on, so we ordered this and hopefully it will come SOON:

It reminds me of the mesh around his playpen, and if that's the case, he shouldn't be able to sink his teeth into it. Finger's crossed!!!

Lots of Cade

2009-08-19T12:12:00.003-04:00

Remember when Cade was just a "baby" and I'd do a photoshoot every week?!? Well that has gotten to be virtually impossible, now that he's on the move. Just getting him to look at the camera is a chore! I decided to take on the task today... and here are some of my favorites. There are more in his photobucket, linked on the sidebar. Enjoy!

Such a little boy!

Some will see this picture and think "Dowdy Smirk"...

Looking for trouble...

I think ALL moms will know why this picture is so sweet...

Stopping a sec to check on mommy...

I love this... he has his hand in his pocket, LOL

Outside... his FAVORITE place to be!

I LOVE this one...

Not sure why, but I love this pic... even though his head is cut in half.

Working on his mower...

Zzzzzzz....

2009-08-19T09:01:00.001-04:00

I love this.

Catching up...

2009-08-07T09:48:00.002-04:00

And I'm brining peace offerings... pictures & videos. LOL Please forgive me for not posting in ALMOST 2 WEEKS! Woah!

My silly boy, up on the couch:

So stinking cute!!!

Still cheesin :)

Could someone please send my son some more toys? He doesn't have enough! LOL

Hiding spot:

The best way to play... get INSIDE the toy box!

And some videos...

Hope everyone has a great weekend! :)

Remembering Maggie...

2009-07-25T21:25:00.006-04:00

I am so sad tonight.
Our dog, Maggie, passed away this afternoon.
She had been sick for a few days...

My heart is broken.

I'm especially sad because Cade loved her so much.
And she love Cade so much.

Just glad he's too little to understand.

A boy's best friend...

She always made Cade laugh...

She was smart...

Protective...

A free spirit...

A playmate...

She was high strung, for lack of a better word.
She pushed her boundaries.
She loved life.
My Maggie Girl, my Mag Pie, I miss you & love you forever.

A video I'll never forget...

Look what Cade can do...

2009-07-24T17:57:00.001-04:00

Yeah... not my favorite trick of his... he is definitely all boy!

Be sure to notice 1. the fit he throws - he's very determined... 2. his pillowcase. He would carry it around all day if we let him.

2009-07-20T17:04:00.001-04:00

The boys...

2009-07-14T19:13:00.002-04:00

A few shots of Cade & Brady.

There are a few others in Cade's Photobucket if you want to take a look! Hope everyone is having a great week!

4th of July Weekend Pics

2009-07-07T13:55:00.003-04:00

We had a great 4th of July weekend. As you can see from the pics, I gave Cade his first REAL big boy haircut! All that baby hair is G-O-N-E!!! I can't believe how much older he looks, but I love it. And it has to be cooler.

My little patriotic cutie!

Gotta have the cheese face!

This is from the family reunion we went to on the 4th... it was at the lake and Cade REALLY enjoyed just running around, exploring.

He was not thrilled with the beach. He actually got a little scared when the waves would come up onto the beach.

Brady loved it though!

And an attempt to get a pic of Cade & mommy, LOL

My Etsy Store is Up & Running!

2009-06-30T20:57:00.003-04:00

For about a year now, I've been pretty obsessive with digital design. It's just been a hobby, making signatures for people on a message board that I frequent... making Cade's birth announcements, birthday invitations, Christmas cards... making birthday invitations for other people and various photo gifts for family. I've decided that I might as well make my hobby work for me and share my talent & love of digital design with others.

I'm starting out with an Etsy store. The link is to the right -->

I figure that I'll see how it goes on Etsy first... Right now I just have birth announcements & birthday invitations listed, but I'm going to add wedding invitations and bridal/baby showers also. And fingers crossed... if it does well at all, I'd like to get a website set up... but let's give it a month or two first!

I'll also be creating a new blog in the next week or two to display my "gallery" so potential customers can go to the gallery & get some ideas about what they're looking for... I'll keep you posted on that too though.

So go to my shop, take a look around, and keep me in mind if you ever need a custom photo card, or know of someone who does. I am basically a "I'll do everything I can to make you happy" kinda of gal ;) so the design doesn't end at the examples given.

Future Cardinals???

2009-06-30T17:10:00.002-04:00

Maybe!

It was a Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T20:59:00.004-04:00

We had a great day today, celebrating Derek & Cade's 2nd Father's Day together! Here are some pics of my boys from today :)

And yes, the cheese face...

I'm so thankful for these two!

Before bedtime, all tuckered out from a long day...

And here's a pretty good comparison shot... Father's Day 09:

And Father's Day 08:

Cade's 15 Month Checkup

2009-06-15T19:13:00.003-04:00

We took Cade for his 15 month checkup today (mom went with us) and Oh. My. Gosh... it just gets worse & worse as they get older!

The checkup part went well... she was happy with everything... Cade is growing... 26.8 pounds and 32 inches (he's grown an inch in 3 months!)... in the 75th percentile for his height & weight and 90th percentile for his head, LOL (big brain, I'm sure)... she was happy with his eating & no bottle & use of cups. She wasn't too concerned that he's not saying much after I told her that he was jabbering and talking in his own language and making "sounds" that seem to sound like words, like kitty and Mickey Mouse... and that he is very social, makes eye contact, and understands everything we tell him. Sooo, probably just a slow talker or lazy.

The shots... argh... HORRIBLE! As soon as I put him on the table, he started crying... real tears! Sobbing! He was a mess by the time they gave him his 3 shots. I honestly don't think I've ever seen him cry so hard. He almost lost his breath at one point. It was really sad. I think it traumatized my mom too (sorry to put you through that mom!)

Soo, that's it. I brought him home and he wouldn't even eat the ice cream I bought him at the store today. He just wanted to go to sleep.

I'm already dreading 18 month shots.

A tiny update... finally.

2009-06-11T14:45:00.002-04:00

I realize I haven't updated the blog in awhile. Sorry about that! I will try harder, I promise. I've just had very little energy for some reason but I think it has a lot to do with some 15 month old little boy that has more energy than a room full of adults.

Derek & I celebrated our 11 year anniversary over the weekend - not wedding but our "together" anniversary, haha. We actually went out on a date (woo hoo), dinner & a movie! It was nice. I'm just thankful for the wonderful husband that I have and I'm thankful that he's put up with me for this long, hahaha.

Cade is learning new things every day. His latest is spinning and running in circles. He is also (finally) feeding himself, but usually only offers to feed himself snacks. And I was afraid I'd be feeding him until he was 5. There is hope! :) He's still not saying much but he's started jabbering in his own baby language. It's so funny because it sounds like he's carrying on a conversation but I have no idea what he's trying to say.

This is Cade's new BIG truck! He loves it but I'm afriad it will eventually be the end for my all-glass curio cabinet. I'm just waiting for him to shove this metal truck into it.

And I don't think we'll have many "normal" pics of Cade for awhile. As soon as he sees the camera now, he whips out this cheesy grin. I just wish I knew what he was thinking. He is so silly.

More silly...

Okay, this one is pretty good...

Even silly while eating dinner!

That is it for now. I have a video or two that I will try to get posted soon, so stay tuned! :)

2009-06-06T13:52:00.000-04:00

Cheeeeese!!!

2009-05-29T16:46:00.003-04:00

Cade's new (totally cute) thing is cheesing it up for the camera. He scrunches his face up, wanting to smile but wanting to close his eyes at the same time. Makes a pretty cute picture!

And these were taken right after his nap today, so you should notice that his hair is a frizzy mess - pretty good indication that he's ready for another hair cut!

Memorial Day Weekend (finally)...

2009-05-29T16:28:00.002-04:00

Better late than never, right?!?!

Cade is growing up so fast. He has been 100% off the bottle since LAST Friday. And the weird thing is that he just gave it up on his own! Made it a lot easier for momma because I was dreading taking it away from him... but guess he was ready to be a big boy. Now I'm just hoping that he will give up his diapers as easy! (I know, wishful thinking)

This is my new favorite pic!!! Makes my heart melt!

Cade & Brady got to play in the pool together over Memorial Day Weekend... here are some pics & a video!

Make sure you listen to Brady... he's saying Cade's name.

And a few of Cade playing with his daddy... and Maggie :)

Cade's 1st Kiddy Pool...

2009-05-22T17:21:00.003-04:00

We got Cade's pool out today... a cute little froggy inflatable pool. He didn't react as I suspected he would... I thought he'd have no problem diving right in but when Derek sat him in the water, he was scared to death! Cried, wanted OUT. It took some squealing from mommy & daddy, some splashing & silliness and he eventually got the hang of it. So much so that he cried when we made him get out!

Here are some pics and a video... and that noise he's making in the vid, I'm not sure exactly what that is but it's his new thing. He's not having an asthma attack, LOL.

POW!!!

2009-05-20T00:18:00.002-04:00

A few pics from the park today... checking out the gazebo!

And just because he's so cute...

Cade's 1st Mud Puddle...

2009-05-16T21:14:00.003-04:00

We made the best out of a soggy day! He loved spashing his little feet & getting his hands down in the water. Boys are so fun!

Mommy's Day Weekend Wrapup

2009-05-10T19:51:00.003-04:00

Wanted to share a few pics from this weekend...

I am so happy to be this little guy's mommy! It is the BEST thing I've ever done!

We got to be outside a lot this weekend! Cade loves his wagon... Here he is throwing rocks into the creek...

Cade & Maggie

Checking the tires...

This pic makes me laugh... looks like they are racing...

My little muscle man, pushing his wagon!

For all my mommy blog followers, Happy Mother's Day!

So happy to be his mommy...

2009-05-09T18:31:00.001-04:00

Cade tells a story...

2009-05-06T20:11:00.002-04:00

Or maybe it's a musical?

Isn't "clingyness" a word???

2009-05-04T21:28:00.006-04:00

It seems like all I do is post pics of Cade. And I know that everyone LOVES seeing pics ;) but there's nothing like the real thing!

So some "new" things... he has a glow-worm... I'm not sure why, but he thinks that mommy needs to hold that glow-worm ALL THE TIME! It started out as a game, me trying to get him to say "baby", so I'd baby talk this worm (it plays music & lights up) and he LOVES it. Now if it is in the room, he will bring it to me, throw it down on my lap (not really understanding "gentle" yet) and looks at my face, just waiting for me to start the baby talking. It's so cute. His face lights up EVERY TIME! I'm not sure why he likes it so much - maybe because I don't baby talk to him, so he's not used to that tone of my voice.

He's also showing us that he DOES understand most EVERYTHING we say. I can say, go get me that ball, pointing to the ball, and he will go get it. Of course this turns into a game of "toddler fetch" but he giggles as he runs back and forth after the ball. I can say, do you want to go outside? And he brings me his shoes & starts waving.

He's getting REALLY good at throwing balls now and has even figured out how to pick up his chubby little leg & kick it!

And trucks... this kid LOVES trucks. If that's all he had to play with, it would be fine with him. And it amazes me how instinctive it is for a little boy to know how to play with a truck?!?! To see him, you'd think he was 4. He sits Indian style, running that truck back and forth, making all of the proper truck sounds. How does he know how to play trucks?

I think that he's going through stage... the "nobody-can-make-me-happy-except-mommy" stage. Or maybe even the "if-I-hang-on-her-pants-she-will-pick-me-up" stage? They're both pretty fitting. I just hope that his clingyness lessens as he gets older. I had planned on taking him to the YMCA nursery through the week so I could work out, but seeing that he won't even go into the church nursery without mommy, it would probably be a disaster. So instead, we've been enjoying long walks in the park, every day... so fun for him and exercise for me!

If you made it this far, no cookie but I will reward you with some pics ;)

We took him to the Mall on Sunday & let him walk around... he thought he was REALLY BIG walking this far away from mommy, sitting on the bench! He kept looking up at daddy for a boost of confidence!

Playing in the 1 cabinet that I don't have a baby lock on - it's "his" cabinet, full of Tupperware & plastic bowls and lids. I can not tell you how many times a day I pick up my bowls... or I go to put his toys away at night and I'm finding bowls & lids in the strangest places!

I thought this was pretty cute!

He was feeling good after dinner!

Is this a funny face or what?!?! Talk about cheesing!

That's it for now... there are a few more new pics on the photobucket, so you can take a look there too!

Attempting the Impossible...

2009-05-03T21:59:00.002-04:00

Getting two toddler boys to sit still long enough to get a "good" picture. Impossible? Decide for yourself.

Brady must be used to this... Cade just wants to crawl away...

As you can see, someone is holding Cade up by the shirt tail...

Well at least there's a cheesy grin!

There goes Cade again...

Let's try a chair!

At least they're "stuck" sitting still.

Brady thinks this deserves a clap!

What's wrong Cade? Why the serious face?

A big wet kiss might make him feel better!

Okay, I think this is it...

Mom, I'm sleepy! Stop with the camera!

Cade's 1st Haircut...

2009-05-01T21:25:00.003-04:00

I gave Cade his first haircut today... and yes, *I* cut it. I'm happy to say, it wasn't a complete disaster! It actually looks pretty good. (but you can be the judge) I just wanted to trim it a little... get it out of his eyes and off his ears. It was hard cutting those curls in the back, but he still has some. I'm sure that once we can get him to sit still enough for Waldo (the barber) it will be a shorter cut, but until then... mommy's trims are good enough.

It pretty much took all day, clipping a little here and there. And then I had to take him outside & put him in the swing before he'd let me do the top & front. He is a wiggly little guy! LOL

In case you need a comparison shot, the before...

And after...

I can't believe how much older it made him look... I feel like I've lost my baby... he is DEFINITELY a toddler now!

And by the way, I am not a professional, LOL, but I did learn how to cut a little boys hair from YouTube! There are instructional videos for EVERYTHING on there!

Happy May

2009-05-01T14:39:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday...

2009-04-29T20:15:00.000-04:00

Weekend Wrap-Up

2009-04-27T13:07:00.003-04:00

Cade had a great weekend... the weather was so nice and we spent a lot of time outside. The highlight of his weekend...

Yep, a swing set! (thanks Grandmomma & Papaw!)

And some more outside pics...

I never imagined that he'd stick it in his mouth! (he won't even feed himself!)

Doesn't he look tiny in this one?!?!

But such a big boy, I love this shot too...

And last, from Friday morning, just looking too cute!

Here comes trouble!

2009-04-22T21:11:00.004-04:00

Sorry it's been a few days since I've updated. This is just the perfect shirt for him, so I snapped a few pics to share!

It's getting harder & harder to get him to stand still long enough to take a good shot!

And the TV usually has his attention, LOL.

Will he sit on the couch for a pic?

Maybe!

Nope, there he goes...

Playing "peek-a-boo" with the kitchen door...

He loves this game now!

And last... this is Cade's pillow. Some kids have a blanket, some kids have a teddy bear... Cade has a pillow. Not even a baby pillow... a big person bed pillow. He LOVES his pillow & would pick it over all of his toys any day. We've always used this same type of pillow & this same exact pillow case since he was born, so he has gradually grown attached to it. At least it's something he can continue to sleep with for the rest of his adult life, haha, as long as he doesn't try to take it to work with him when he's 40.

Never too sick to play outside!

2009-04-17T16:10:00.003-04:00

Cade has been sick for the past 2 days. He's got snot... and lots of it! But we couldn't let today's beautiful weather pass us by. He loves being outside and even as miserable as he was, he seemed to enjoy the day.

What is this stuff?

He was more interested in daddy, who was mowing.

Cade & his new BIG ball!

I love this one!

He was kicking it along...

And pushing it...

He even took a few trips down the slide!

Cade's outside buddy, Mr. Fluff:

I think Fluff would let ANYONE pet on him, including a toddler... it never seemed to bother him when Cade pulled him across the deck by his tail either... so I think they'll be best friends this summer, LOL.

Cade has something to say...

2009-04-16T09:22:00.002-04:00

Get ready for it...

Almost ready, just let me stretch first...

Here! Oh wait... not quite there yet...

Okay, now I'm ready! Take my picture mom!

Happy Anniversary! Love you!

Our Easter Weekend in Pics!

2009-04-12T19:46:00.004-04:00

A few pics from our Easter weekend...

But first... a look back! Cade's first Easter... we had to keep him home last year because he was just a few weeks old... but we still dressed him up in a little preemie outfit & took his Easter pictures... Just look how tiny!

And look at him now!

Getting his Easter basket this morning...

Of course his favorite thing was the 99cent truck!

Checking out the other stuff... Little Einsteins toys!

Nope, back to the truck!

This is a pretty neat basket that the Easter bunny brought me!

Probably wondering why he's not out there swinging in that swing!

How many people does it take to get a toddler ready for church?

She got the shoe on the wrong foot, haha, such amateurs:)

The final product... finally ready for church!

We had a long day of visiting family & playing & eating... it was a good Easter. But he was tuckered out once we got home. Cade laying in the floor, watching some TV before bed... (I LOVE this pic!)

He actually fell asleep laying in the floor...

I have to share a few others from this weekend as well. Brady turned ONE on Friday, the 10th, and his party was on Saturday. I thought this was soooo cute!

Brady is a lover! He loves Cade to death! LOL

This was Cade's gift to Brady, his absolute favorite kind of truck... but when he heard it revving... he thought it was his... so yeah, they kinda fought over it. :)

Thanks for looking & hope everyone had a Hoppy Easter ;)

It's been a 'Good Friday'...

2009-04-10T16:55:00.003-04:00

We took Cade to the park today.
The Easter lilies were in bloom - perfect photo op!

Happy Easter everyone!

Pictures By Request...

2009-04-09T20:05:00.002-04:00

Posting some new pics of Cade, since it's been brought to my attention that I haven't posted any in too long (you know who you are!)... Honestly, he has just been a cranky mess for the past week. And sleeping a lot. This mommy thinks it's a growth spurt... or maybe teething... or maybe I have no idea. I just know that the only thing that's been cheering him up lately... playing chase with daddy, going outside, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Have I mentioned that he loves cars & trucks?

Sharing his trucks with his Little Einsteins friends...

These are from today...

I think he was getting ready to say something here, LOL

And last... my favorite!!!

Where is my camera when I need it?

2009-04-07T14:59:00.002-04:00

There is nothing funnier than seeing a little 25 pound toddler try to move a piece of furniture. Since Cade's been walking, he thinks he can either walk over anything or push anything out of the way. Earlier today, he was trying to push the couch out of the way (even though it's against a wall) and a few seconds ago, he was trying to move our rocker recliner.

And where is my camera?

While I'm making this post, if anyone has a cure for the can't-help-its and the everything-is-hurting-my-feelings-today... please let me know! I've been dealing with a super cranky baby for the past few days.

My New Favorite...

2009-04-02T09:31:00.001-04:00

Pray for Stellan...

2009-04-01T23:48:00.002-04:00

In case you're wondering about the button to the right... Stellan is the baby to a mommy who is very well known in the mommy blogger community. If I ever wanted a good chuckle, reading Mckmama's blog would bring a smile to my face every time... but not lately. Her youngest son was sick in the womb... he overcame a great deal before he was even born, touched by God, a miracle baby... he was diagnosed with a heart condition at 20 weeks gestation. The doctors told them that their son would surely die. They gave Stellan to God, completely, and he was born healthy. A miracle! Unfortunately, he is sick right now.. he has a heart condition called SVT. You can click the button to read Mckmama's blog and Stellan's story. There are hundreds of thousands of people around the world praying for this little baby... it is amazing how a little life can affect so many people.

So please pray for Stellan...

Walking, Rocking & Kickball!

2009-03-31T12:07:00.003-04:00

Cade is getting really good at walking! He is actually choosing to walk over crawling now... he is getting so fast!

We thought this was so funny... Cade rocking himself in his big boy chair, LOL...

And last... I am reluctant to post a video with me in it (who likes to see a vid of themselves?) But I can't deny how cute Cade is here, laughing... by the way, you can't really tell but Derek is rolling the ball to us... we're playing kick ball!

Weekend in Pics...

2009-03-30T07:06:00.004-04:00

Thought I'd post a few pics from this weekend.
We visited Brady on Saturday and the highlight of the day was a wagon ride in Brady's new wagon. Cade was more interested in the wheels than he was being outside, but that's just my son... he's very mechanical, LOL, always trying to figure out how things work!

And here's a pic of Brady loving on Cade. He LOVES giving kisses! Cade usually ignores him and plays and Brady follows after him, trying his best to kiss him. They are so cute!

And from Sunday... Cade watching cartoons in his big boy chair!

I have some videos to post... I'll be back later with those! Hope everyone has a great week!

Finally a Vid of Cade Walking!

2009-03-22T20:12:00.003-04:00

I've been having the hardest time getting Cade to walk for the video camera (of course)... but I finally got a pretty good one... although it's mostly of the top of his head... proof that he CAN do it at least, LOL.

And here he is doing headstands... and walking a little, as he is tackling me :)

He has been walking all over the place this weekend. I am so proud of my little man!

Looks like...

2009-03-21T14:36:00.001-04:00

People ask me ALL THE TIME who Cade looks more like.
I think he's starting to look a lot more like his daddy,
but you can definitely see me in him too.

It's a good mix!

Mommy & Cade:

Daddy & Cade:

Two Things I Learned Today...

2009-03-20T11:45:00.003-04:00

1. Cade DID NOT want peas for lunch today.
He in fact wanted chicken.

2. Peas make an excellent hair gel,
just in case there is ever a shortage of hair gel.

My Superheroes...

2009-03-19T16:35:00.000-04:00

My Little Plumber...

2009-03-18T15:18:00.001-04:00

Let me explain... Cade learned how to put his hand down the back of his pants yesterday... resulting in some serious plumber's crack! LOL

Cade's 1 year checkup!

2009-03-17T13:37:00.003-04:00

Cade had his 1 year checkup today... it went as I expected... it SUCKED!

First of all, he was a wild man in the doctor's office, which I expected. I'm glad Derek was with me... we took turns wallering with him. He just wants DOWN all the time now, LOL.

He got 2 shots... Hep A and Chickenpox. He cried, of course. Then another lady come in, poked his little middle finger & squeezed out a vial of blood. He was VERY unhappy with that! It was really hard to have to watch him lying there, scared to death.

His stats - he is 25 pounds & 31 inches...

He was worn out by the time we left. He will probably nap the rest of the afternoon.

I took these pictures this morning before we left (probably why he looks so happy - he doesn't know what's coming, LOL)

Cade says, HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!
can you believe he didn't get one kiss today? Besides from mommy, LOL)

Cade is walking...

2009-03-13T21:30:00.002-04:00

I can't believe that my son is walking. It's not his Number 1 mode of getting around - he can crawl REALLY fast so he usually resorts to crawling - but he can walk. He caught me off guard a few times today... I'd just be sitting in the floor (playing with his toys, haha) and here he comes! Arms up (for balance I suppose) and one step at a time! He's getting pretty good! I will try to catch it on video as soon as I can ;) I just wanted to share... I'm excited!

Cade's BIG DAY!

2009-03-10T19:33:00.002-04:00

We had a great day with Cade today. Derek took the day off so we went to the park and then to the mall and got ice cream! Wanted to share the pics I took at the park. He LOVES the swings!

He laughed so hard while he was swinging!

He wasn't crazy about the big slide, LOL.

Watching the fountain...

Looks pretty scary, huh?!?! :)

And my favorite pic of the day!

Happy 1st Birthday Cade Lucas!!!

2009-03-10T07:35:00.005-04:00

Well the day is here, Cade is ONE.
It is such a bittersweet day.
I'm so happy & proud of my little man...
and so sad that our first year is behind us.

Derek took the day off, so we'll be spending the entire day with our little birthday boy. I will post some pictures of our day later this evening. We hope to make it to the park.

But for now, a look back at this past year...

A newborn Cade... looking VERY breech!

The day we left the hospital... wearing a Newborn size sleeper... it swallowed him up! Who knew I'd have a preemie sized baby?

About 2 weeks old... Cade's 1st Easter!

1 month old...

2 months old...

3 months old...

4 months old...

5 months... at 5 months, Cade started rolling over on his own!

6 months... at 6 months, he was sitting up on his own & standing with help.

7 months... Cade started saying "da da" at 7 months... he also cut his 1st tooth!

8 months... Started saying "mom mom" at 8 months!

9 months... Our first Christmas as a little family! This was a big month for Cade... he started sleeping through the night (finally) and crawling!

10 months... Started pulling up and cruising the furniture at 10 months!

11 months... Cade took his first steps at 11 months!

1st Birthday... I took this pic this morning... EARLY this morning... but it's his birthday! Happy birthday sweetheart!

Cade's 1st Birthday Party

2009-03-09T17:01:00.005-04:00

Cade's party was on Sunday afternoon. We had a great time, so many of his family & friends came out to celebrate his 1st birthday!

We had a MONKEY party! (he IS our little monkey after all!)

His monkey cake:

He would NOT leave his party hat on.

Eating his little smash cake... I had a feeling he wouldn't "smash" it... he rarely feeds himself... so I figured he'd probably cry for me to feed him his cake... I was right. But it was still cute... looking at the icing on his fingers.

Getting his Elmo Live:

He loves his big boy chair!

He posed for me after the party - in his birthday boy shirt:

Riding his new bouncy horse:

Still rotten as ever!

And the best pic of the day... my 2 boys were worn out after a day or partying!

Cade's Wagon

2009-03-07T18:34:00.002-05:00

Bet you'll never guess who got him this! LOL

He loves his new wagon! I can't believe how good he rides in it, holding onto the side. We are going to have so much fun this summer!

wipes a tear

2009-03-03T21:34:00.002-05:00

Looking Back: A comparison shot

2009-03-02T19:03:00.002-05:00

I never saw anything so tiny... Cade's little foot.

And look at it now! It still seems so small and sweet... but look how much he's grown!

Looking Back: Cade meets his cousin

2009-02-28T01:13:00.002-05:00

Cade & Brady's first "play date"... they didn't do much playing but they are definitely getting the hang of that now!

Not a Baby Anymore...

2009-02-25T09:56:00.002-05:00

Cade slept for 14 hours last night, and I swear, he woke up a little boy! Look at this!

Looking Back: First Trip to the Doctor

2009-02-24T21:04:00.004-05:00

Cade all dressed up for his first trip to the doctor for his checkup... He was only 5 days old!

A Loooong Nap & a BIG Milestone!

2009-02-23T18:17:00.003-05:00

After a 3 HOUR NAP this afternoon, me & Cade were in the floor playing... he was standing so good, so sturdy, so I started telling him to come to momma... HE TOOK 2 STEPS!

I can't believe it, they were little steps, but isn't that how it starts? Baby steps? LOL I'm really proud of him though, I really think he'll be walking SOON. He wants to walk!

We might just have a walker by March 10th!

As far as the 3 hour nap goes... I'm not sure what's up with that! I think he's fighting off a cold, he's been kinda stuffy. This morning, he went back to sleep after breakfast and slept for 2 more hours, so evidently he needs his sleep! Must be growing ;)

Looking Back: Cade's Birth Story

2009-02-18T09:38:00.004-05:00

On Friday, March 7th 2008, I had a regular OB checkup. Doc decided to do an ultrasound to determine the position of the baby... it was then decided that I’d have to have a c-section. Cade was still breech, his head under my right rib cage and his butt to my cervix. The position and fact that he’d been in that position for practically the entire time (that we know of) led my doc to believe that there would be no turning - even with 4 weeks to go. So he told me to hold on, that his assistant would call the following week to schedule a c-section, and we’d shoot for a week before his due date.

I felt good about everything, even went through pre-admissions that day! Friday and Saturday, I was completely exhausted as usual, but we were snowed in, so I didn’t mind being lazy and doing nothing!

Sunday, I woke up and again, more snow!!! We decided to stay home from church and just relax – not sure we could have made it off the hill without a sled anyway! Later that afternoon, I sent Derek to the grocery store and I just kept feeling like I should be doing SOMETHING! So I finished a quilt that I’d been working on throughout my entire pregnancy and placed it on the diaper bag to eventually take with us to the hospital. I made a liner for my sister-in-law’s basket that contained her baby shower gift. I did about 5 loads of laundry, which usually takes me at least 2 days, if not 3. I made dinner and then I made a “cookie cake”. (my version of cookie bars… oatmeal/chocloate chip spread out in a pan) So much for a lazy Sunday!

When I talked to my mom that night (she’d just made it back to Louisville, for work), I told her all that I’d done and she kept saying, “Christa, you’re going into labor soon!” I kept brushing it off… sure I had stayed busy that day, but isn’t “nesting” all about scrubbing floors & washing windows?

I was worn out from my day of "nesting" so I did end up going to bed a little early that night, about 10:00 p.m., but laid and re-read the end of “Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy”… wanted to have all the details fresh in my head, of the birthing process & c-sections. I turned the light off at 11:00 and slept until Derek came to bed, at around midnight. I kept feeling like I “should” get up, but I didn’t want to. Finally I talked myself into going to the bathroom... which I figured would be my first of MANY trips to the bathroom that night.

On the way to the bathroom, I felt like I was peeing on myself (not out of the relm of possibilities at that point!) And sure enough, my water had broke. At least I thought it had… wasn’t 100 percent certain since it wasn’t a gush, like you read about or see on TV. I called L&D (Labor & Delivery) and they said they’d feel better to check and make sure it wasn’t my water, but it sounded like it was.

So I called mom back, put her on “stand-by”… (which she didn’t stand by at all… she left Louisville immediately and I’m glad she did!) We decided if this was indeed the beginning of labor, we would need to feed the cats, pack a bag for Derek (yes, mine was packed & ready), let the car warm up for a few minutes… oh yeah, and he had to take a shower :) Yeah, we probably should have rushed to the hospital, but I wasn’t feeling any contractions, no pain, so I was in no hurry.

Finally got to the hospital and it took us 20 minutes just to find L&D! We’d never been up to that floor and the hospital is so confusing, especially that late, we were all over the place before someone finally led us to the doors. So I stood there, wet, but feeling just fine, still no contractions, nothing. They weighed me, sent me into a room and had me put on a lovely hospital gown. They did a test to make sure it was my water and sure enough, it was. Since Cade was breech, they needed to get him out asap – I just never imagined he’d be born within 3 hours of me arriving at the hospital!

My doctor came into the room and assured me that everything would be fine, Cade would be fine, and it would all be over soon. The nurses kept telling me not to worry if they had to rush him to NICU, but how could I NOT worry? He was coming 4 weeks early! So many things were going through my mind, all I could do was pray that my little man was developed enough to make a healthy entrance into the world.

Into surgery I go (after being poked & prodded & stuck with needles & IVs)… Derek couldn’t be in the operating room until I was ready for surgery so I had to get the spinal block without him… I was SCARED TO DEATH!!! It was a huge, cold, sterile room, people standing around watching as I crawl over onto the surgical board from my bed (not an easy task when you’re the size of a cow and gushing water!) and then they did the spinal block. All of the doctors and surgical team were awesome… One of the surgical staff helped hold me down, as they did the block and he walked me through everything. I finally get laid back, started going numb, and they let Derek come in. I was scared to death but felt so much better seeing him there… even if he did look as scared as I felt!

The surgery began. It seemed like forever but Doc had him out within 5 minutes. Derek stood up and watched as they pulled him out.

He cried immediately and I balled! I knew he'd be okay when I heard that sound. I have never heard a more beautiful sound! I cry just thinking about it! He was born at 3:42 a.m. on March 10th. Weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces and was 17.5 inches long.

Derek went with Cade to get cleaned up – I just got to see him for a second. By the time Doc had finished closing me up, I was shaking to death – thankfully just a side effect from the spinal block meds, which eventually wore off. They wheeled me into recovery and I almost immediately got to see my baby boy. In walks Derek and the nurse with Cade. All wrapped up, swollen, beautiful!

It was amazing and such a surreal moment! He was so tiny and helpless, but I could feel so much love for him already! It was so funny to see him still looking "breech"... his little legs were so used to that position, it was difficult to straighten him out. His little feet up by his head... everyone knew he was a breech baby the second they saw him!

Within no time, all of our family arrived… I’m still not sure how fast mom drove, to make it from Louisville to Ashland within 3 hours! Everyone was so happy to see him, healthy and strong. He is such a little blessing!

Looking Back: One Year Ago

2009-02-15T22:24:00.000-05:00

A year ago, I was getting ready for my baby shower. It was on February 16th. I never thought that in less than a month from my shower, I'd be bringing home my little bundle! Thankfully we had everything we needed and everything was ready - well, except for a car seat... but thankfully the hospital provided a used, recalled seat (don't get me started on that!)... and we made it home.

I wanted to share some pictures from my baby shower. I don't think I've posted any of these on the blog before, since I started the blog a little while after Cade was born.

Bumping bellies with my sister-in-law 1 year ago! (hope she doesn't kill me for posting this pic, LOL)

Getting excited for my BABY BOY!

Taking a break!

I didn't have a clue just how cute this would be on our little man!

REALLY REALLY REALLY Cute!!!

(Cade @ 7 months)

Stay tuned for a look back at the past year!

Happy (late) Valentine's Day!

2009-02-15T22:05:00.001-05:00

Love, Cade

i love this...

2009-02-12T16:32:00.000-05:00

11 Months

2009-02-10T10:07:00.003-05:00

Cade is 11 months today. I can not believe that he will be ONE YEAR OLD in a month! I could cry.

Here are some recent pics. I thought he looked like such a big boy!

And here he is playing with Maggie through the window. I had the cutest vid but I can't upload it... I'll keep trying though.

He actaully puckered up and cried when she ran off! LOL

And I LOVE this pic... just look at those fat little legs!

Cade's New Lion

2009-02-05T17:22:00.002-05:00

A few pics of Cade riding on his new lion :) He can push it too but he prefers that we push him while he rides. Lazy boy, haha.

And here he is pushing... kinda... he'd rather stand there and pet the lion's head.

Thank you Carly! Cade LOVES his new lion!!!

Looking Back: COMING SOON!

2009-02-02T06:23:00.002-05:00

You may have noticed the BIG COUNTDOWN on the sidebar of the blog... counting down to Cade's 1st birthday. It's so bittersweet. A 1st birthday is such a big deal, but we are having a really hard time believing that he is getting ready to turn ONE! This year has flown by. Where did my tiny baby go?

Up until his 1st birthday, I will be looking back at the past year, month by month, so stay tuned for that!

Hope everyone has a safe & warm week!

And Happy Groundhog's Day!

Wordless Wednesday...

2009-01-28T23:10:00.000-05:00

Cade's 1st BIG Snow!

2009-01-27T11:01:00.002-05:00

We've had snow this winter, but nothing like what we got last night! So we thought we'd bundle the baby up & take him outside for a few minutes... and that's about all he lasted... a few minutes. His mittens wouldn't stay on so the minute his hand touched the cold stuff, he was D-O-N-E. LOL

And I know it just looks like he has on a sleeper, but that's actually a pair of PJs & 2 sleepers, one of which is a Carter's sleeper, and I am just going to go ahead and give kudos to Carters because I swear it is waterproof. He sat in the snow & it didn't even absorb into his monkey sleeper!

Getting ready to go outside... he is probably wondering what in the world I'm doing to him, haha.

Me & Cade in the snow :)

Daddy & Cade

He couldn't sit up on his own because he had on so many layers.

And he wasn't crazy about it touching his hands.

LOL

I have a feeling that next winter will be a blast! Snowmen... sledding... we will ALL need snowsuits & boots next year! :)

Some Sunday Pics...

2009-01-25T21:30:00.003-05:00

Just a few pics from our day!

Standing... it looks like he's holding on, but he's actually holding onto a hairbrush... and standing by himself! He does this when he's not paying attention :)

So cute all dressed for church!

Who knew a hairbrush could be so entertaining?!?! And must feel nice on the gums!

Cade saw his little cousin, Brady today.

I thought these pics were too funny... the only way to get them to be this still is to turn on cartoons.

From the front:

And behind:

Something nice in this not-so-nice economy...

2009-01-22T22:47:00.002-05:00

I got this email & had to share on my blog... it brought tears to my eyes!

**************************
The Price of Children

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.
But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:
* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week.
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is - don't have children if you want to be "rich."

Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140.00?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold (usually covered with jelly or chocolate).
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:
* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's
Day.

For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
* first step,
* first word,
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren.

You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren!!!

It's the best investment you'll make!

Look what I can do!

2009-01-21T12:00:00.002-05:00

Cade has been getting really good at pulling up. At this rate, I'm pretty sure he'll be walking by his 1st birthday -- or at least getting close to it.

He loves this musical table...

Here he goes!

And he's up! He loves it even more now that he can stand at it. I think he could stand there for an hour.

Get me outta here!

He's in jail, LOL

I thought this was cute... I caught him "reading" this book the other day. It melted my heart that he was actually looking at it instead of just chewing on it!

And zooming out to the mess he makes...

And last... I LOVE LOVE LOVE walking into his crib & finding him standing there...

Our Super Baby...

2009-01-16T21:26:00.004-05:00

Cade had his 9 Month Well Baby Exam today (yeah, even though he's 10 months, LOL, just a little late). Everything went great! We saw a new doctor today and Cade did great with him, smiled & talked & showed off a lot.

He is 20 pounds 5 ounces and 30 inches long!

The BEST part about today... NO SHOTS!!! :)

Still having trouble with his eczema but we're trying some new things & hoping to get it cleared up.

We talked about separation anxiety & stranger anxiety at this age... separation anxiety, I can already see in him. Stranger anxiety... so far he's never met a stranger!

We talked about making the switch from formula to milk at 1. Turning his carseat around at 1. ONE? Seems like he was just born yesterday!

Here are a few pictures from today... Cade in his Superman PJs. Derek had a pair of PJs like this when he was a kiddo :) It even has a little cape in the back.

Howdy!

2009-01-15T14:20:00.002-05:00

Getting ready to run errands with momma... I thought he looked especially cute today!

I couldn't get him to smile for ME... he was too busy smiling at the cartoons!

His newest trick is climbing over the bar on the bottom of his high chair. He does it a dozen times a day.

Woo hoo! I did it again, mom!

Remember the days that I would do Cade Photoshoots & take like 60 pictures at a time?!?! Those days are over! Just getting him to sit still for ONE picture is impossible!!!

Okay, I give up! LOOK AT MY TEETH!!! :)

And finally all that work paid off!

Thanks for looking! Hope everyone is staying warm!

2009-01-14T13:53:00.001-05:00

LOTS of pics!!!

2009-01-13T13:41:00.003-05:00

We had to reschedule Cade's checkup today... his doctor wasn't back from her rounds at the hospital... so instead of waiting X hours (who ever knows how long it will be?) we rescheduled. So new appointment on Friday.

I've been snapping away with my camera, my little cutie just LOVES being mobile! He's into everything! I love it though. I love to watch him explore & discover new things... and it's so funny to see him take off after the cats. Their days of ruling this house are over! :)

Now for LOTS of pics!

I was bringing groceries into the house on Monday afternoon... I came into the living room & couldn't find Cade... THIS is where he was! Watching cartoons.

Early this morning... I wish I were so happy to get up in the mornings!

(love this one)

Trying out his new carseat! I think he loves it!

Crawling to momma.

Opps, there's Josie!

Just a little closer...

Look mom, I found a box!

Baby in the box!

He insists on sitting on this vent... I don't know why...

Love that little butt, LOL

And now... lots of closeups & I realize that my son sticks his tongue out 90 percent of the time!

Almost got a handfull of BRODIE!

Thanks for looking!

In case you missed the local news yesterday...

2009-01-11T19:48:00.003-05:00

HAHA...

CADE IS 10 MONTHS OLD!

As of yesterday, January the 10th, he is 10 months old.
No more single digit months for my little man!

The saddest part... no pictures. Can you believe it? I feel like such a bad momma. I didn't even get my camera out once this weekend! So I promise to take pictures double time this week... promise.

He has his "9 month" well baby checkup on Tuesday, so I'll be excited to report all of his stats... stay tuned for that!

Cade's Little Duckies... and a few new pics...

2009-01-09T13:19:00.002-05:00

He chases this duckie toy all over the kitchen for an hour at a time! Now that he's mobile, this is a REALLY fun toy!

I LOVE this picture. I snapped it as he was crawling to me. He comes straight for me with that little tongue out.

Playing in the kitchen floor.

Can't play in the kitchen floor without a big spoon & bowl!

Playing with his musical table... he loves it.

I don't think he realized he was standing by himself. He's getting pretty good!

Cade's New Talent...

2009-01-07T19:07:00.004-05:00

I uploaded a few videos of Cade's new talent... crawling!

This is from yesterday, one of his first "official" crawls... Brodie was his target.

From today... crawling to momma!

And a funny one... he had a hard time on the kitchen floor. For one thing, he doesn't do well in pants... especially pants that are too big!

Cade is Crawling...

2009-01-06T21:28:00.002-05:00

Well our baby boy is officially mobile. I was really excited to see this day come... but after half a day of chasing after him, moving him, moving things out of his hands and out of his path, I am exhausted. Where did my tiny baby go? The one that just laid there and started into my eyes, just begging me to pick him up & cuddle him. I'll tell you where he is not... he is not in any ONE place for a very long amount of time!

And it happened so fast! He got up at 6 a.m., and by 7:30 he was down for a nap... a 3 HOUR NAP! He woke up, ate lunch, played a little while... and he started acting sleepy again. I was surprised after such a long morning nap, but I tried to rock him anyway. He fought & obviously wasn't sleepy enough to sleep, so I sat him back down in the floor amongst his toys... and he just took off! Just like that! Just like he'd been doing it for weeks. And the best part of all... what did he go after first thing?!?! BRODIE! Our poor cat, he is already the most skiddish cat on the planet. And evidently the dumbest too, because instead of taking the high ground & jumping up on a chair or something, he'd just move a few feet... Cade would crawl to him, he'd move a few more feet.

I got some video today but I'll try to get some better in the morning & post. He'll be all fresh & full of energy in the morning, so that should be good.

Just a few new pics...

2009-01-02T21:03:00.003-05:00

Can you believe this was just 2 days after Christmas?!?! Derek is wearing SHORTS! Okay, KY weather has a tendency to be like this... I was glad because we took Cade's new ride outside for a little bit. Not long though because the wind kept taking his breath away (and his hat!)

Enjoying his Sing-Along-Stage. I'll say it again, this is an AWESOME toy. Cade loves it.

Playing with my old keyboard. I just thought it was cute because he has that tongue stuck out. He's getting pretty good on the keys. He knows not to bang... he is really gentle & very thoughtful :)

After a bath in his new puppy towel. So cute!

And last... you can tell our little man is teething. Look at those rosey red cheeks!

A few little updates...

2009-01-02T13:26:00.003-05:00

Sorry it's been a few days since I've updated. I guess we've just been recovering from the holidays this week. Thought I'd better update a little before I get in trouble with my readers ;)

Cade has 2 new teeth... both of his top front teeth came in this week. They are just below the gum line, barely noticeable, but they're DEFINITELY there! For one thing, his bite HURTS! And I guess because it's new, he thinks he should grit them with his bottom teeth, which sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me!

He is finally mobile. He doesn't exactly crawl on all 4s but he can get across the living room doing the army crawl in a matter of seconds! He's really fast. Just kind of drags himself on his belly. It's so funny.

He is getting much better at entertaining himself for longer periods of time. He will sit in the floor & play with all his new toys. I have a basket that I pile all of his little toys into... he loves getting into that basket and pulling out toys, one at a time, playing with one for a while, throwing it in the floor and then moving on to the next toy. He eventually empties the basket and then my living room looks like a disaster!

He's eating really well, new finger foods and table foods all the time. Still can't get him to actually feed himself but I'm sure that my rotten boy will eventually figure it out.

He is really starting to jabber now. Lately it has been "da da da da da da" until I think my head will explode. I asked him to please throw in some "mom mom" too, just to humor me. He DOES say "mom mom" when he wants me or is crying... but for the other 20 hours in the day, it's "da da". And then there are the random jabbering sounds. I caught him talking to his rubber duckie in the bathtub the other night. He was just looking at it and jabbering. I just couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking!

That's it for now! I'll post some new pics when I get them uploaded. Hope you all had a happy New Year!

A Cade & Brady Video!

2008-12-27T23:09:00.001-05:00

Christmas Eve night... Cade & Brady were in the floor at their great-grandparents' house. Evidently Brady was being a bad boy because Cade thought he needed a spanking! Hahaha... how cute is this?!?!

Keeping Up With Cade

Happy 2nd Birthday Cade!!

January Photos

Feeling more like himself...

merry christmas

Merry Christmas!!

From this weekend...

Love...

Cade and Santa

Happy 21 Months...

Pictures... pictures... pictures....

pictures... as promised!

Photo Dump!! And update!

Our Little Boy...

separation anxiety at it's best...

My Store is Up! Check it Out!

Mommy: aka Designer!!

Our Weekend in Pictures...

Funny Stuff..

Update: My Sick Boy & No More Wood Snacks!

Operation: Stop Eating Crib!!!

Lots of Cade

Zzzzzzz....

Catching up...

Remembering Maggie...

Look what Cade can do...

The boys...

4th of July Weekend Pics

My Etsy Store is Up & Running!

Future Cardinals???

It was a Happy Father's Day!

Cade's 15 Month Checkup

A tiny update... finally.

Cheeeeese!!!

Memorial Day Weekend (finally)...

Cade's 1st Kiddy Pool...

POW!!!

Cade's 1st Mud Puddle...

Mommy's Day Weekend Wrapup

So happy to be his mommy...

Cade tells a story...

Isn't "clingyness" a word???

Attempting the Impossible...

Cade's 1st Haircut...

Happy May

Wordless Wednesday...

Weekend Wrap-Up

Here comes trouble!

Never too sick to play outside!

Cade has something to say...

Our Easter Weekend in Pics!

It's been a 'Good Friday'...

Pictures By Request...

Where is my camera when I need it?

My New Favorite...

Pray for Stellan...

Walking, Rocking & Kickball!

Weekend in Pics...

Finally a Vid of Cade Walking!

Looks like...

Two Things I Learned Today...

My Superheroes...

My Little Plumber...

Cade's 1 year checkup!

Cade is walking...

Cade's BIG DAY!

Happy 1st Birthday Cade Lucas!!!

Cade's 1st Birthday Party

Cade's Wagon

*wipes a tear*

Looking Back: A comparison shot

Looking Back: Cade meets his cousin

Not a Baby Anymore...

Looking Back: First Trip to the Doctor

A Loooong Nap & a BIG Milestone!

Looking Back: Cade's Birth Story

Looking Back: One Year Ago

Happy (late) Valentine's Day!

i love this...

11 Months

wipes a tear