Caden's Dedication and other stuff

Caden's baby dedication was today, on his 2 month birthday. It was very sweet. We had our Pastor Russ and my dad dedicate him, and a lot of my family came up for the day, and DeAnne was here too. Everyone came over for lunch afterwards. It was a wonderful day. We dressed Caden in the outfit that Carson wore for his dedication, and he also wore Cary's white leather shoes from when he was a baby.

Here he is today:


And here is the picture we took for the bulletin and announcements:


We've had a great time with DeAnne this past week. She was such a huge help to Cary and I as we attempted to get our house in some sort of order. And I know Carson has had so much fun with her here. I think he will be really sad tomorrow when he wakes up and realizes she's not here. :( I wish our visits were more frequent. Actually, I wish we could talk them into moving to Colorado. :)



Carson has been super funny lately, and had our whole house rolling today. He's such a busy boy, and loves his house and backyard. He has also discovered the doggy door, and thinks it is "the" way to enter and exit. He gets so excited about it. Here's the view from one of our living room windows:


Today, Grandma Lola and Poppa Dicky brought him a Fisher Price sand and water table and chairs that they scavenged. They are in great shape, and Carson loves them! He wanted to sit outside for lunch, and when he first sat down at the table, he slapped it with both hands and proudly announced that he wanted "mona milt" (chocolate milk - not sure how that translates, but that's what he calls it). Alex, my cousin, also kept putting a cell phone in his pocket, and then would call it from another phone. He was so excited when it would ring, and he would pull it out and answer it. Then she would hand him the other phone, and he would stand there as long as we would let him with both phones up to his ears, talking to himself. It was a riot and he was having so much fun!

Tonight I had our girls' Bible Study at our house, and it was so much fun to have everyone over to "my" house. I know that's silly, but it's been a long time coming. We've had so much company today, and I've loved every minute of it! So, if you are in the area, just stop by! We'd love to have you! Cary is on his way to yet another business trip tomorrow, and has one next week too, so I'm going to be on my own with the boys for a while. :( We'll have fun, and I'm trying to make lots of plans with friends and family so I have a break from pure mommy mode. Pray that it goes well! It's a long time for me to be a single parent of two...even if they are super cute! :)

Happy Easter and a Big Boy Bed

We spent the first night in our new house Thursday (Our 4 year wedding anniversary! Love you, Cary!), and we have been making progress on finishing details since then. Caden is being dedicated next Sunday, so we're trying to finish most of the stuff this week for our bbq celebration after church. It should be fun. Cary's mom is in town, and we've been having a great time so far. Carson has been so funny and has loved having his DeeDee here.

Carson began sleeping in his big boy bed Thursday night, and has done great so far. He loves having a pillow and tells me about the cars and airplanes on his bedding, but often moves it so he can sleep in his bed sideways...it's pretty funny, and I love checking on him to see how funny he is even when he's asleep. He's adjusting to life as a big boy in a new house remarkably well...the next step is potty training, and I hope to begin that within a month or so, so stay tuned! Those should be funny and edited pictures! ;)





And today was a beautiful and very snowy Easter. We've had a great day in spite of the cold. Carson loved Easter and all his treats and 'prizes (surprises), although I think he was a little confused about the Easter Bunny. He kept asking for it and looking for it, and I think he though he was going to find a really rabbit, like the ones we see in the yard, bringing him a surprise.

the boys in their Easter outfits:


Hunting for eggs


So proud of his success:


Hope your Easter was as nice as ours!!

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!!

We moved our stuff into our home this weekend! Carpet went in Saturday, and we were able to move our things in that afternoon and evening. We had lots of help from friends and family, and felt so loved because of it! There are a few more things that need to be done this week besides unpacking, but I think we will spend our first night in our home Wednesday or Thursday night! :) I am SO excited! I'll post before and after pictures as soon as we get a little more settled. Everything is so nice and has that wonderful new home smell thanks to all of the new paint and carpet.

Cary's mom is coming in this Friday to spend Easter with us and meet Caden and be here for his dedication (on the 15th). I'm so excited to see her and have her meet Caden, hang out with Carson, see our home and all of the work Cary has done. It should be a wonderful week! :)

Carson has been super funny as usual. He's been learning to count to ten, and has it pretty mastered until he's distracted - especially by cameras. Even so, here's a video for you all. He counts a little bit, but mostly, he's just being silly...or as he would say, an "oof ball" (goof ball).



Caden has become a very smiley baby lately. He always looks like he's on the verge of a big grin, which I love! Carson is our entertainer, and it looks like Caden will be our flirt. :) Today at lunch, I was kissing him over and over because every time I did, he would smile really big and sound like he was almost giggling. It was very funny.





We also found the coolest park, thanks to my friend Celeste. It has a toddler playground with little houses and a sand box, and a huge play area for older kids. The play area is lower than the parking lot, so the entrance to the park is a huge slide. There is also this stage area with a pretend tree built into the back wall where the kids can play. Carson LOVED the park, and even I can't wait to go back!

Firsts

Last night, we gave Caden his first true bath. Now let me say that he has had many sponge baths and hair washings, but the child kept his umbilical cord for over 3 weeks!! Carson lost his in about 8 days, so I don't know why Caden's stuck around for so long...gross. Then I wanted Cary to be there for the event, and I wanted someone else around to take pictures, so his bath has been very delayed. Poor stinky child. So back to the bathing...he HATED it! It was very, very funny. His first impression was like "WHAT are you doing to me?????" And then he cried and cried, sort of calmed for the hair washing, and then cried some more until he was fully clothed and able to eat. I laughed almost the whole time (mean mommy). The poor boy is so funny and dramatic. :) It absolutely wore him out. He slept for 5 hours straight after his bath! I have hope that he will learn to like his bath, so I'll let you know how it goes from now on.

Here's his first impression:


And hair washing:


We also took the boys to the park today for the first time after a VERY long and snowy winter. It was so much fun! Carson LOVES the park and was so excited when we told him we were going. :)

22 Months and 1 Month

Carson and Caden are 22 months and 1 month respectively. I can hardly believe that it has been a month since Caden joined the world! In some ways it seems like he has been a part of us for forever, and in other ways, it seems like we just started this adventure with him! He is still such a good baby! I am so thankful for this, since the thought of handling colic and an almost 2 year old put me into several nearly hysterical moments while I was pregnant. Thank you Jesus for this answer to prayer!! Carson is big as can be and thinks he's even bigger. He loves to make everyone laugh, and is such a performer. Our youth group, and my siblings like to teach him to say quotes from movies, and it is VERY VERY funny. He also dances all over the place and sings all the time. He's also quite athletic we think. His hand/eye hand/foot coordination is very good. The update I got from Baby Center today about where he should be, said that jumping with both feet off the ground is quite a feat and should take a few more months to master, but he has been doing this for 2 months already, and I don't even know where he learned how to do it. It looks like we have lots of sporting events in our future! I guess I need to get a comfy chair...

Oh, another exciting thing....my double stroller that was supposed to be backordered for another 2 months is supposed to arrive today....YIPPEE!!! :)

on the bright side...

My camera broke...

My newer, better camera will get here either Friday or Monday... :)

2 Weeks Old

Caden is 2 weeks old today! It seems like he has been with us forever, but at the same times, it seems like time is passing too quickly already. He still has his newborn cry - which we rarely hear, and he still curls up in a ball when I hold him, but I know too well that this will fade quickly. He is such a sweet baby. He is almost always content and smiles already. I know we will love to watch his precious personality grow. One of my MOPS mentors prayed over Caden at our last meeting. She prayed that he would be a man after God's own heart, that he would be joyful, and that his walk would be easy. I agree with her in this prayer and ask that it be so, even now.

He is growing quickly! At his 2 week appointment yesterday, we found out that he is now 8 lbs and 5 ounces, 21 inches long, and his head circumference is 14 inches. They pricked his heal for his blood work and he didn't even shed a tear. He just sucked on his pacifier and grunted at the lady holding his foot. What a big boy!! We are so very thankful for him!!

Doodlebops

This last weekend, while Cary was at camp with our youth, my mom and I took Carson to see Doodlebops. My aunt, who works for a radio station here got us the tickets, but it really was a great (and actually impressive) show, and I would have gladly paid for them. Carson, although VERY tired (the show was at 1 PM on Sunday) was totally enamored with them and didn't blink for the first 45 minutes of the show. He had tears running down his cheeks to prove it. He was so funny. He would get so excited and then shake his booty to the music with a totally straight face. It was serious business! I was surprised to see that the actual actors did the show, and they really sang, and sang well! It was a great show for kids and parents alike. :) We had a great time and Carson didn't sit for the entire show.

Day 5

Today was my first day on my own with the boys, and I have to say it went considerably well! Granted, my hair didn't get fixed until well after 3 and I still don't have any makeup on, but I showered, and dishes got done and laundry got started. I even followed up on some things for youth that Cary asked me to. I got to spend some time playing with Carson while Caden slept, and then Caden slept while I got Carson down for his nap, and I even got to rest for a bit in between it all. I'm feeling pretty accomplished right now! :) AND!!! We're still getting good sleep at night! Caden is such a good baby!

Here are some fun pictures from this morning...

Hospital Pictures

I forgot to say that you can see Caden's hospital pictures here:

http://www.growingfamily.com/webnursery/babypage_view.asp?URLID=2J7F1U7G5H

and here:

http://www.growingfamily.com/webnursery/babypage_view.asp?URLID=9E4Q0L8G9O

If it asks for a password, it's our last name... Happy viewing! :)

PICTURES!!

Sorry I've taken so long to do this!! :) Things have been busy, and so much fun here! Carson is adjusting really well so far, and adores Caden, and Caden is such a mellow baby! He really only cries when he needs something, and so far is easily appeased. He is sweet as can be. I have to say that, so far at least, things are easier the second time around, and I am so thankful for that! Especially since the first time was fairly easy as well! Cary has been super helpful with the boys and with helping me get some rest and juggling the boys' needs, and last night we actually got 6 hours of sleep! That is just crazy with a 4 day old baby! :)

Thank you all for all of your prayers and well wishes, and for celebrating with us! We are so happy!!

Here are some pictures for you all! I promise to try not to take so long next time...













This picture cracks me up:

Caden Gary has arrived!!!

Caden made his appearance early this morning on February 15th at 12:29 a.m.! He is 7 lbs., 13.7 ounces, and is 20 inches long. He is sweet as can be and SO cute! I'm biased, of course! :)

Here's the story... Contractions started sporadically and kind of randomly at 4:30 p.m. on Valentine's Day, and at about 5:30, they suddenly became SUPER regular and changed to 2-3 minutes apart. Since it was snowing here and the roads were bad and we're an hour away, we decided to head to the hospital, rather than waiting to see if they would continue like that. Well, by the time we got to the hospital, I was pretty sure I was leaking fluid, and the contractions were still consistently close. They monitored me for about 30 minutes or so, and checked to see if I was indeed leaking - which was surprisingly painful - and sure enough, I was, so we were checked in, and things started moving quickly!! Within about an hour, I went from a 3-4 to a 6-7! We continued laboring, and the doctor fully broke my water around 11:30. I was still a 6-7 at that point, but 75% effaced, and then things really got going. Anyway, at 12:28 I told them I needed to push, and the doctor confirmed that I was ready and Caden was born 1 minute later! The doctor had one glove on, and no gown or anything...poor guy didn't believe me when I said it would be fast! :) Caden scored an 8 and 9 on his apgars, and aside from some light bruising on his face from being delivered so fast, he is absolutely perfect!! I'm doing well too, and didn't tear or anything...yay!! :) Carson loves his baby brother, and was the first to meet him. Even though it was VERY late for him, he wanted to hold Caden and hugged and kissed him. It was SO sweet! I'm so excited for Carson to get to see him again today.

They say we'll be discharged from the hospital on Saturday morning. The hospital internet blocks data hosting sites, so I promise I'll get pictures on here for you all to see once we're home. If you're desperate though, just email me and I'll send you a pic or two! :)

3 Days out and still here...

Well, I thought yesterday (the 13th) might have been it... I started contracting regularly at 2 p.m., and had an OB appt at 3:20. That appointment ended with, "well, looks like you'll have a baby tonight..." Needless to say, we were very excited and I was nervous. We kept up with our V-day dinner plans, which was very fun, and the contractions continued. It seems to have just been a teaser though, because it is now 2:50 a.m., the contractions have all but quit as of 1 a.m., and I'm awake and frustrated. If I can't be in labor, can't I at least sleep????? Oh well...I know he can't stay in forever...

10 days out & an awesome check up!!!

We had another check up today, and it was by far the best one I've ever had!! First, it was with the nurse practitioner - who I LOVE!! Then, I've lost another 2 lbs. Can't beat that... Then she checked me and in just 7 days, I went from high and closed to 50% effaced and dialated to a 3!!!! Can you believe that! Talk about fast progress!! THEN!!! She said that Caden is still floating high, so she wanted to do an ultrasound to confirm that he really is head down, so I got to see our little guy! :) SO fun! It was just a fantastic appointment! She said she could be wrong, but based on the fact that I progressed so much all at once, she doesn't think we'll go over due at all, so we'll see!

I plan on taking a belly picture before we leave for the hospital, but just to appease all of my "fans" :) Here are a couple of pictures that a friend of ours took for us at 37 weeks...







edit: The house is coming along great! Cary said today that if he could just get 3 good days of work, we'd be done...unfortunately, he does have to work, so it's coming in a few good hours here and there every day, but we're so close!! :) I still haven't seen it and cannot wait! :)

No Progress

In any other pregnancy, I'm sure this would bum me out, but given our current living situation, I am happy to report that at 37 1/2 weeks, I have not made one ounce of progress towards labor. Caden's head is floating high and everything is closed up tight! Yipee!!

As long as he decides to come on his own eventually... (meaning before 41 1/2 weeks, at which point my doc would insist upon induction...eeeewwwww...)

1 Month To Go

Our due date is one month from today! I can hardly believe it. We had an appointment today, and all is well. Caden is head down and in position and has dropped a bit already. They went ahead and checked me because I got to see the Nurse Practitioner - who is awesome!! I'm not dialated yet, but I'm effacing already. She didn't say how much, so I'm sure I'll find out where I'm at at my next appointment. I have to say I was relieved. I was worried that she was going to say I'd made a lot of progress, and since I'd like to make it to my due date to ensure that we get somewhat settled in our house, I was nervous. Oh, and I lost 2 pounds since my last appointment! :) That's always a good thing to hear.

I was a little panicked this morning that we might go into labor early - I'm less concerned since my appointment - and decided to go and try and find the infant seat in the garage to no avail...I can't even see it among all of our stuff stored out there. I did however find my boppy, which as small as it seems, I was SO excited about! :) Cary assured me again today that we'll be in the house before my due date, so I'm a little relieved. He's made some huge progress on the house this week. I'm so excited and can't wait to see it, but he says I can't go over there for a while because he wants to surprise me. Isn't that awesome!! :)

I suppose that's it, but I did go ahead and have Cary take a picture of Caden and I to mark our progress. Here we are at 35 weeks and 5 days...1 month to go!!

Random thoughts on a Friday...

It's 9:22 PM, more than an hour after I put Carson down for the night, and I am listening to him sing himself to sleep...something he has done since he was first born, although way back then it was more of a rhythmic grunting. It's one of my favorite sounds. :) Caden is dancing around in my belly, and if he dances much harder he just might jump right out. I keep having typos as I type this because he is so busy in there. I can't believe we will meet this new little guy in 5 weeks or so. This countdown is flying by. We have another OB appt on Tuesday, although I'm sure we won't find out anything different than we know already. My family is getting rather jumpy already, which is a little entertaining. I make a funny face, and they all want to know if I'm having contractions... We're getting down to the wire I suppose. I think we'll go at least to term, but we'll see. My braxton hicks are getting a lot more consistent, but I don't really think they're doing anything yet. I won't know anyway, because my ob won't check until 38 weeks. Cary is with the youth right now at Wendy's. Fridays are our youth nights. We usually go to Chili's together, but it's snowing a bit, and it is SUPER DUPER cold outside (-2 right now), so they went to Wendy's and I brought Carson home. Tomorrow, he is spending the day working on the house. He finished all of the tile in our kitchen this last week, and it looks so good!

My brother Nathaniel is in town for the next several days, which is wonderful. It's been too long since we've seen him... My family and I are speaking at church on Sunday. We're giving a portion of our group testimony from each persons perspective in order to begin a new counseling ministry that my parents are going to be doing at church. Normally this is something I would be really excited about, but for some reason I'm absolutely dreading it... I guess I'm not looking forward to becoming that vulnerable. I love my family, and I am so thankful for them, but I'm still very much in the processing stage from losing my dad...yes, even 7 years later... Anyway, I'm praying that God will protect my heart and still help me to say the things that he needs me to say.

I guess that's it for tonight....randomness, I know...

a few pictures from Christmas

Carson lounging in his chair:


being a ham for the camera:


Giving kisses to his friend Hayden - he was so excited about it, and when he saw her again a few nights later, he wanted to give more kisses without any encouragement at all. Too funny...


modeling Uncle Mason's shirt with Aunt Steph:


And with Mr. Potato Head's glasses...this was the first thing he did...

The end is quickly approaching

Well, we have 6 weeks and a few days left until Caden's due date. Today, I made the rest of my appointments with our ob before our due date. We saw him yesterday, and all is well. Caden's heartbeat was good and strong, and our measurements are right on track. I go back in two weeks, then two weeks after that, and then every week following - which only makes for four more appointments. Crazy. I also have the fun exams from now on - yuck...

Carson is doing well, and is quickly adjusting to his normal routine again. I am so thankful for a flexible child. We would never be able to do all of the things we do if he weren't. He is funny as ever, and entertained me this morning by dancing with the Doodlebops (his favorite show) and singing along - although his song sounded much different from theirs. He also spent much of this morning playing his keytar that he got from Auntie Kelsey for Christmas. He LOVES that thing. My foot is doing quite a bit better. I'm able to put some weight on it, and I'm down to one crutch - yay!! I'm trying not to overdo it though - I did yesterday, and I'm paying for it a bit today. I'm encouraged that it is healing quickly. At this rate, I may be mostly back to normal by next week!!

Cary is back into the swing of things on our house. He just told me he is going over there tonight to begin framing and sheetrocking the new closet in Carson's room! Yay!! :) Be praying that he has superspeed in the projects we have left to complete (and that they come easily for him-which I know he will appreciate) so we can get in before Caden's arrival. I know at this point that this may not happen, but I am still praying that it will. I just can't imagine cramming one more person into our room that is already cluttered with everything we need or have collected since we moved in with my parents.

Happy New Year

Hope everyone is having a wonderful night ringing in the New Year! I can't believe it is 2007. Cary is with a bunch of our youth at a Nuggets game tonight. I was supposed to be there, but yesterday morning, I got up to go to the bathroom and tripped and fell. So now I have a bum foot and am on crutches. Yuck! Not only does it hurt, but I can't do anything, and I have so much to do in the next 6 weeks to get ready for Caden! We had to go to the ER in Houston on Saturday, and they did xrays and checked Caden because I had fallen. Nothing is broken, and Caden seemed to be doing well when they were monitoring him. The docs think that I tore some ligaments, but they said I just need to stay off it for a few weeks. If it doesn't get better by then, I'll have to go see an orthopedic surgeon or a pediatrist....I so don't have time for it to be something major... I'm praying that it heals really fast, so I can at least get some things done in time. Plus, poor Carson doesn't understand why I'm not doing as much for him. Anyway, if you think about it, pray that I get better fast!

Houston was so much fun! We had such a great time spending time with Cary's family and our friends, and Carson loved getting to know everyone better. Carson was so much fun at Christmas, and really got into unwrapping his presents. In fact, the word "presents" will grab his attention now no matter what he is doing. Christmas was wonderful, and we have all been absolutely spoiled! :) We came home with 6 bags to check and then had Christmas with my family this morning! Good thing Cary has elite status on our airline or getting home would have cost a fortune!!! Cary combined my Christmas gift with a gift that he was going to give me when Caden was born, and I got gorgeous 1/2 carat princess cut diamond earings! :) I have pictures to post, but I can't get to my camera right now...I'll post them soon.

Happy New Year everyone!! :)

Christmas has begun

Christmas has begun for the Yocum's. We had lunch with my grandparents last Friday so that we could exchange gifts. It was a great time, and Carson LOVES his gifts! They got him an old fashioned Radio Flyer wooden trike. It's the cutest thing and Carson is riding it constantly! He even tries to take it with us when we go places. I've never seen him so attached to anything! They also got him a toddler sized recliner, and he LOVES it! He always wants to sit on it, and will stop anything he's doing if he thinks that someone or something else might be in it. It is definitely HIS chair.

Tomorrow, Carson and I will be getting on a plane and heading to Houston. We are so excited to get to spend time with our family there and see friends again. It has been much to long! Cary flew out last night for a quick business trip in Miami, and will be joining Carson and I in Houston on Thursday. I can't wait to see him! I hope everyone elses Christmas celebrations are off to a good start! Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Home again

I suppose I should update...

We are home now, of course - and I have a fun picture from our luau that I need to post, but I've been to lazy to scan it in. We had such a good time on our trip! Then last Friday, Cary and I went to Salt Lake City for his office Christmas Party. He and I and our friends Joey and Natalie made a weekend out of it, and we had a great time catching up! Cary and I spent the day together Saturday and found Carson's christmas outfit - an oh so cute sweater that will make him look SO grown up, and Caden's coming home outfit, which is SO cute and absolutely tiny!! Here's the jumper, and we got a shirt and hat to match.

Then on Sunday, we had our church Christmas party, which is always a blast with the variety show. Carson was so excited that we were home from our weekend, and he seems to have learned so much in just 2 days. It's funny how that happens.

Oh, we had another prenatal appointment last Tuesday, and all is well. My weight is fine, and Caden's heartbeat was a strong 150. I had to do my glucose test, and I actually like the drink so I can't complain to much. :) We go back in 4 weeks, so by then I'll be 34 weeks or close to it. I can't believe we are so close to the end... I hope everything comes together on the house. I think it will, and Cary promises it will, so here's holding out hope! :) Cary is working hard getting tile laid in the kitchen this week, and then we leave Tuesday for Houston. I'm getting really excited, and I can't believe that Christmas is so close!!! I love traveling, but I do have to say that it is beginning to wear on my very pregnant body. I think my increased braxton hicks contractions have been mostly due to our busy schedule, but they are annoying none the less. I'm glad that our trip to Houston will be an extended 10 day trip, and not a rushed one...it might send me into labor! :) Just kidding folks, we're hanging in there for the long haul, I'm pretty sure.

Oh speaking of labor, we also have our hospital tour tomorrow, and I'm really excited about that. From what I can tell from the online tour, the prenatal ward at the hospital I'm delivering at is closer to a hotel with good room service than a hospital. Yay for that! It makes it almost worth it that we have to drive an hour to get there - as long as we make it on D-day! :)

Maui - Saturday

Today its been pretty rainy, but still fairly warm, so we headed to the Shops at Wailea which is just down the road. It's this VERY upscale outdoor mall. It was fun, and Cary found sunglasses that he liked that were 70% off. Needless to say, he was very excited about his find. Then we went to Polo beach where Cary and Carson played in the surf, and I sat on the beach with a good book. It was a nice day for sure. :) Then tonight, we went to Lahaina and ate a very yummy dinner at Kimo's on the beach and after that we visited the shops nearby. It was so fun! Tomorrow we are planning on hanging out as long as possible at the beach, then we will pack our things up and hopefully go to a luau...I'm sure I will have TONS of pictures! :) Then we will be boarding our red eye at 11:30 PM - hopefully Carson and Cary and I will be able to get some shut eye during our flight!

I have learned that having cute hair in Maui is nearly impossible with all of the salt and humidity. I have gotten ready every morning just like normal, only to have my hair turn into it's naturally wavy gross self - it looks quite old ladyish when it's this short and not fixed. Oh well... BUT! I know I am in need of a belly picture anyway, so here are a couple that Cary took for me on our lanai this morning. It was really overcast, so these turned out kind of weird, but they will have to do. Here are Caden and I in Hawaii at 29 weeks and 2 days.





Oh, I posted twice today, and the post below has tons of fun pictures, so don't miss it. :)