7 Months Old

What a difference a month makes! He is such a little busy body now. He has begun to crawl and is going everywhere. He especially likes going to the dogs and dog toys. My favorite is when he crawls to me. Makes my heart melt. He definitely knows me and Chad and that we are his mommy and daddy. Each time one of us walk into the room his face lights up and he smiles. Another thing that makes my heart melt. He is also sitting up so much better now, not as many tumbles as before.

He also has begun standing. I am so not ready for this. I went to check on him in his crib and he was standing up. When I asked him what he was doing he just laughed and smiled from ear to ear. The down side of all this is that when he is refusing to go to sleep he stands up and grabs the edge of the crib and screams. Of course when you walk in he laughs.
He is also clapping his hands. I love it. I'm not sure he knows exactly what he is doing but it's still cute. Chad and I always say YEAH!! when he does it. If he does something good we do the same thing.

He eats almost every meal in his high chair now. He can even sit in the high chair at a restaurant. This almost brought tears to our eyes. Just doesn't seem like he should be that big yet. Time is going by just too fast.

6 months old

Wow half way to a year already. He has had a lot of changes this past month. He grows more and more everyday and continues to amaze me. It all is going by way too quickly. He has such a good personality. He is a very happy baby and for that I'm blessed. He definitely recognizes me and Chad and his face lights up when we walk in the room. He laughs all the time and has developed a new loud chuckle. It is really funny. Too bad the blog doesn't have a sound file so I could share it with you. LOL.

He also has learned how to sit up. It was like the day after he turned 6 months he was able to sit up on the couch. He had to have something or someone behind him but still he was sitting up. Now as the month has progressed he can sit up all by himself and can go from being on his tummy to sitting by himself. It's like it happens overnight.

He is so close to crawling. He gets on all fours and just rocks and rocks. I am so not ready for him to be mobile yet. He can scoot backwards great. If you turn around even for a second he may be under the jumper or table. I know it won't be long before he is all over the place.

Where does the time go. I feel like just yesterday he was learning what the rattle was and how to play with it. Now he loves toys and plays with all types including the rattle. He also has so much personality and is such a good baby. I am truly blessed and thank god everyday for giving me such a wonderful baby boy.

HALLOWEEN

Caleb's first Halloween! We got him a monkey costume cause we call him our lil monkey. I loved his outfit. He was soooo cute! Thursday before Halloween Caleb and I attended a Halloween party with my Mommy group. There was so many cute babies. We also went to the Zoo for the ZooBoo festivites.

5 Months Old

WOW what a fun age. Caleb has so much personality now. He laughs and smiles all the time. He is a very happy boy for the most part. Except for teething which has been brutal. It has completely disrupted his sleeping at night not to mention his reflux. But that's ok, I'll take the little bit of bad for all the good.

He absolutely loves his jumperoo! He would stay in it all day if we let him. He only wants out to eat and sleep. Just this morning he fell asleep while jumping. Completely wore him out. He will bounce and then stop look at you and smile and then start bouncing again. He also has become very good at tummy time. We have set up an area in the living room just for him to play.

I have joined a mommy group and absolutely love it. It has been so nice to hang out with other moms with babies around Caleb's age. Caleb loves it too. Playing with all the babies wears him out. He falls asleep either during the event or on the way home every time. LOL.

Caleb has become a Daddy's boy. His face lights up whenever Chad enters the room. He has even begun to take naps on Daddy. A true bonding experience. It melts my heart to say the least.

Starting Solids

At our 4th month appointment our pediatrician gave us the ok to begin starting solid food. We were do begin with rice cereal then move to orange veggies, then green veggies and finally fruits. We had already begun giving him rice cereal a few days before the appointment. At first Caleb was unsure about the whole food in mouth combination and most of it ended up on his bib. I mixed the rice cereal with breast milk so it was really liquidity. We also began with only giving it to him at night and then moved into twice a day.

We then started sweet potatoes. He really liked the sweet potatoes. His favorite part about eating is trying to blow bubbles at the same time and spitting sweet potatoes all over the place. Ha Ha Ha. It's like a game and he loves it.

So far we have moved onto carrots which I think he absolutely loves. He ate the whole container the first time I gave it to him. Such a little piggy! He also has shown more of an interest in it and opens his mouth for the food. What a huge step! I get so excited and yell YEAH! and therefore Caleb gets excited. I think he really likes making me happy.

He is doing so good with the whole eating process. I can't believe he is already big enough to eat solids. Blows my mind how fast the time is going by. Nest we move onto squash and then the green veggies. I'll keep you posted with how it goes. So far so good though, our little boy loves to eat.

Before I know it, he is going to be in school and not needing me as much.

Slept in Crib ALL Night

Last night was the first night Caleb slept in his crib ALL night. Most nights he will end up in bed with me by the morning time, but not last night. He went to bed around 8 pm, woke up at 10pm for diaper change and last feeding. He only woke up once during the night at 3:45am to eat which I nursed him in his nursery and then he went back to sleep until 7am. WOW! I was in complete shock and worried at the same time. I made Chad check on Caleb to make sure he was ok twice before going to work. He was sound asleep. The best part is that when he did wake up at 7 am he wasn't crying but chatting away in his crib!!!! What a good happy boy!

4 Months Old Today!

What a difference a month makes! I can't beleive how much Caleb has changed over just the past month. He is getting to be so much fun.

One of the biggest changes is that he has become quite the CHATTERBOX. He can sit and play on his playmat for awhile now and just chat away. It is such a wonderful site to see. I know I can't understand a word he says but I love listening to it. He gets so excited during his chatter sessions he lets out the loudest squeal. Just makes you laugh right along with him.

Another change is he ROLLED over from his tummy to his back. I was in complete shock and started screaming. I almost cried at the same time. Caleb just stared at me like I was crazy! I couldn't believe it. Now most tummy time sessions end with him rolling over onto his back. I know that rolling over from the back to his tummy will be next. Speaking of tummy time, he has such great head control. He pops up and just smiles at you and graps at his toys.

He loves playing with toys now. He gets so excited and shakes them. Unfortunately some of the shaking results in him hitting himself in the face. It doesn't seem to bother him though. All toys go straight to his mouth. It's like his way of saying how much he likes them. Toys aren't the only thing that goes in his mouth. His fingers and fist are constantly in the mouth. Sometimes he puts them a little too far and gags. He loves his fingers. And no he's not sucking his thumb. He actually likes the two middle fingers the best.

We also just got him a Fischer Price Precious Planet Jumperoo. He absolutely loves it! He is still a little small for it but he has fun in it anyway. He really loves the music and the lights. Anything that lights up is like magic for him.

He has started teething and it has not been any fun. I hate to see him is such pain. He's not a fussy baby for the most part so when he is fussy I know something is wrong. One night at my mom's house it was terrible. Nothing we could do would help. We walked him and I nursed him but nothing seemed to help. I'm not looking forward to more nights like that.

What a great month! I love being able to be with Caleb everyday and seeing how he grows. I am truly blessed! I just wished he wouldn't grow up quite so fast. LOL

One Year Ago Today

Two Lines= POSITIVE!!

One year ago today I found out I was pregnant with my beautiful baby. I can remember exactly how the day went. It was the last day of my surgery rotation. I got off early and decided to stop and purchase a pregnancy test on the way home. Honestly I'm really not sure what made me buy one. I was a week late but that was nothing unusual for me. My period was never regular. When I got home Chad was sleeping as he had worked 3rd shift the night before. I got home a little after 11am so it was early to wake Chad up. I decided I would take the test alone and then give him the results later. I hadn't expected it to be positive anyway so why wake him just to take it. BOY was I wrong! The moment I peed on the stick the line starting appearring. I thought I was dreaming. Could this be real! YEP definitely a second line there which meant.....POSITIVE!!!!! I almost screamed when I saw it.

I decided not to wake Chad just yet. He had only been asleep for a few hours. I decided I would make it more special by making him a card. I put on the out side...GUESS WHAT! And then on the inside I wrote You're going to be a DADDY! I couldn't wait to tell him. In the meantime, I ran outside to call my MOM. I had to share the news with someone. I was about to explode. I figured if I went outside I could scream and not wake up Chad.

By 1pm I couldn't stand it anymore I had to wake Chad up. I told him he needed to get up because I had to ask him something. Of course he was still groggy when I gave him the card. Once he read it I think he was in disbelief. He was in shock and overjoyed at the same time.

Now a year later and we have this beautiful baby boy. I thank God everyday for this beautiful blessing. I couldn't be more happy. Everytime I look into his beautiful blue eyes I melt. What an amazing year it has been.

3 Months Old

Look Mommy, I can hold my Rattle.

Big Boy in the Bumbo.

WOW time really does fly by. I can't believe it's already 3 months. I will probably say this every month but it's so true. It's amazing how much he has changed in just a month. Here are a few of his milestones:

1. Grasping at things. He has begun to play and grab at a rattle. Still unsure about what it is for but nonetheless he still holds it.

2. Laughing: What a pleasant sound it is to hear your baby laugh out loud. I only got a little chuckle but Chad got a full out laugh session. Of course I wasn't around when he laughed for Chad but that's ok.


I am loving each and every moment of being a mom. Each day holds a new adventure. I can't wait to see what is in store for me this next month.

First Road Trip

Daddy and Caleb

Waiting for the Light to come On!

Last week Caleb had his first official road trip. We were on our way to Roanoke which is a 4 1/2 hour car ride from our house in Chesapeake. I must admit I was nervous out of my mind. I know how Caleb is in the car here and it is hit or miss with his mood. We have good times playing or sleeping and bad times where he screams bloody murder for a five minute drive down the road. However, I am proud to announce the trip went great. Caleb slept for most of the way and woke up to eat and even played a little. We made sure to stop and get him out of the car seat for a little while throughout the ride. I was absolutely amazed. What a wonderful child I am blessed to have. Completely impressed me. I was worried for nothing. Even on the car ride back he was great. He only fussed when he was hungry. One funny aspect of Caleb in the car, he loves the overhead light. Even after it went off he would stare at it and wait for it to come on again. If he was getting fretful I would turn the light on and off and he would calm down instantly. We thought it was hilarious. How something so small could amaze our child. Whatever works right?!

The trip also allowed for Daddy and Caleb bonding time. I was in a class all day and Chad stayed at the hotel and watched Caleb. I hated being away from Caleb. I guess it was a foresight of what it will be like when I go back to work. Of course Chad was great and I knew he would be. He is such a great dad. Caleb had a great time with his daddy. I was able to come back during lunch to be with them and nurse Caleb which was really nice.

By traveling to Roanoke, I now know that if me and Chad needed to travel by car somewhere with Caleb it is definitely possible. I should have had more faith in my child. He is so adaptable. I am truly blessed with a great baby. I thank God everyday for having both Chad and Caleb in my life. I can't imagine my life without them.

Laugh Out Loud

I can't believe it, my little boy actually let out his first chuckle Monday afternoon. He was just waking up from a nap and I was talking to him and he laughed. I was in complete shock and awe. The babysitter had just arrived and got to witness the whole thing. A good part of that is she was a witness so I knew I didn't make up the whole thing. It actually happened. I couldn't believe it. Of course he only did it that one time. I have been hoping he would do it again especially when his daddy is home but nothing yet. Just give it time and I'm sure the laughs will just roll out.

He also has started graping at things, mostly blankets but hey that's a start. He has a toy that my dad gave him that is a blanket with a puppy head attached and Caleb loves it. He has figured out that he can grab it. He also plays with another blanket. He likes to bring it to his mouth. We have started making it a game like "what are you doing with that blanket in your mouth?" Makes him smile from ear to ear. And of course peek a boo is a fun game for him right now.

We have tried playing on the play mat several times but he didn't seem very interested. However; yestereday he actually grabbed at the giraffe. Not sure if it was on purpose but I'll take what I can get.

I just love how much more interactive he is getting. He is constantly looking at everything around the room and taking everything in.

I love being a MOM!

I just wanted to write to say how much I truly love being a mom. I never knew I could love someone so much as I love Caleb and my husband. My heart is truly full. It is such a joy to wake up every morning to such a beautiful smiling baby boy. Everyday it just keeps getting better.

He has slept so good the past two nights. I really hope this is a start of sleeping through the night. The first night he went a 6 hour stretch and last night he a 6 1/2 stretch between feeding and then another 4 hour stretch. He is also sleeping most of the night in his bassinet now. I am slowing trying to transition to get him in his crib in his nursery. I think it is going to be harder on me than actually on Caleb. I like being able to just look over in the bassinet to check on him. Also with breastfeeding it is a lot easier having him close by. I am hoping that he is being to not need to eat as often during the night and that will make the transition easier. Once he goes all night or a good big stretch I will begin the big room transition. I'm having to take it one step at a time though. I know it sounds silly but it's just me.

Things I enjoy about being a mom to Caleb:
1. I love watching Chad talk to Caleb and interact with him. It melts my heart and makes me fall in love with my husband over and over again.

2. I love listening to Caleb babble and coo especially first thing in the morning. Once he wakes up for the day, he is full of stuff to talk about. We lay in the bed and he just coos and kicks. He's such a happy boy. Even on those rough nights with little sleep for me, it is easily forgotten when I look at those beautiful blue eyes and his smiling face.

3. I love his little naked body at bath time. Of course we have to watch out for the occassional sprays and I don't mean from the facet. LOL. Bath time has become mommy and baby time. He just stares at me. I think he really enjoys the warm water and having mommy's undivided attention.

4. I love the closeness we share during breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is definitely not what I expected. It was a lot harder at the beginning than I could have ever imagined. I'm so glad I stuck with it though cause I know it is what is best for my baby. I love how he looks at me as if he is admiration. I know he is content and I'm doing something right. It amazes me how my body can produce what he needs to eat. It is among one of the miracles of God. As if having a baby wasn't enough of a miracle in itself.

5. This one is going to sound crazy but I love how if someone else is holding Caleb and he is fussy....he immediately calms down once I get him. This is what makes me really feel like a MOMMY. I remember when I would hold someone else's baby and they would cry and instantly calm down when their mother got them. I would be so envious. I now have that and absolutely love it. I really can't explain why I like it so much but I do.

Well that's it for now. I'm sure there are tons more reasons I love being with Caleb but he is waking up from his morning nap so that will have to do for now. I will write more later. Gotto go play with my little man!

Mom of a 2 Month Old

Wow, Caleb is 2 months old today. Where has the past two months gone? I can't belive how fast 2 months has gone by. Caleb has grown already so much. He looks more like a little baby boy instead of a newborn baby everyday. He actually doesn't look like a newborn at all anymore. He is so handsome. I love taking pictures of him. I have to admit he is such a good baby. He is happy most of the time. He only cries when he is hungry or tired. He has been a little fussy when his tummy hurts. Overall, he is happy and smiling while awake. He is a joy to be with and the light of my life.

He is smilling all the time. It is the greatest to see his beautiful smiling face. It lights up the whole room. He also interacts with you so much now. It is amazes how he is able to recognize us now. He definitely knows when I walk into the room. He also makes cooing sounds in response to you. I love when he gets excited. His feets just kick and kick and he makes the cutest noise. :)

As far as sleep goes, it is still sporatic. Nights are still good and bad. We have had a few nights where he slept 6 hours straight. I woke up in pain and knew there had been a few missed feedings but also glad for the rest. Most nights are 3-4 hours at a time. I know it will just take a little more time before he sleeps through the night. If he didn't have such tummy troubles, I'm sure he would sleep better.

I can't believe 2 months have already come and gone. I look forward to many more months and years with my wonderful Caleb.

2 month old shots

Today my little man had his 2 month old well child visit at the doctor. He is growing great. He weights 11 lbs 6 oz (50th percentile), 23.5 in length (75th percentile), and head circumference 36.6 (10th percentile). The shots were the worst part. He had to get 3 shots and one oral medication. I think the shots hurt me more than they hurt Caleb. He was such a trooper. He only fussed for a few mintues and was calm once I picked him up and placed him at my chest. I on the other hand was an emotional mess. I teared up just watching the nurses hold him to get the shots. Hearing him scream made the tears roll down my face. I just hate seeing my baby hurt. Also hearing him cry out in pain throughout the rest of the day has been rough for me. I can't believe I have do to this at 4, 6, 9 months and so on. Hope it gets easier. Caleb was also given a different medicine for his reflux. He was having a hard time with the Zantac. He really hated taking it and the taste. His new medication should taste better, it smells like bubble gum. Guess we'll find out later tonight. I just hope it works. After he took the Zantac, he was able to sleep 6 hrs at night. I need that as much as he does. I will keep you posted on his reflux.

Visit with Papa and Nana Cauthen

It was so nice to have my parents come and visit with us. My parents came on July 3 and my dad stayed until Wednesday July 8. I had the pleasure of having my mom stay two weeks with us to help and visit with her new grandson of course. I absolutely loved having my parents here. The best part was they were able to celebrate my birthday with me. Having my husband, parents here and Caleb for my birthday was the best. I couldn't have asked for a better day. During their visit we also got to celebrate Independence day. A first of course for Caleb. How nice is it for Nana and Papa to be able to celebrate such a great day with us. We also took Caleb to the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. It was a beautiful day to take a walk along the boardwalk.

First Smile

WOW what an amazing feeling to see your baby smile at you. Monday morning Caleb was playing on the bed while I was packing our stuff to get ready to return home. I would jump on the bed and talk to him and tickle him to play with him. Once during play time, he looked at me and smiled. I was in shock at first and wondered if it was really a smile or just gas. In the past he has only smiled in his sleep. (Chad said when he smiles in his sleep the angels are playing with him. I really like that thought.) Later that day while in the airport, our little man smiled again this time at Chad. Again we weren't really sure but really hoped he was smiling at us. To see him respond to us is so awesome. He is growning and changing so much.

Yesterday, Chad got another smile and this time we knew it was the real thing. Chad was talking to Caleb in the car to calm him down and Caleb gave Chad a really big smile. Chad was so excited. I missed it of course and by the time I looked Caleb wouldn't do it again right away. Chad was over the moon with excitement to see his little boy smile at him. And I know it is only going to get better.

HOME SWEET HOME

We are finally home after a wonderful trip to Colorado. It was so nice to see everyone again and for them to meet Caleb. And what proud parents we were. The wedding was beautiful. It was held at Estes Park, Colorado. What a beautiful location in the Rocky Mountains. We were at the Della Terra and among such beautiful scenery. Words don't even come close to explain the beautiful nature surrounding us.

Caleb was wonderful. He slept through most of the wedding except when it was time to eat. He looked so handsome in his outfit that Chad picked out. You can't go wrong with overalls.

A Day of Firsts

What a busy Thursday for our little guy! The day began early with his first plane ride. We were on our way to Colorado for Tracy and Armando's wedding. We had to fly from Norfolk to Washington and then Washington to Denver. I must say Caleb was absolutely amazing. I could not have asked for a better baby. He was so good. I breastfed him on take off and landing to help with his ears. He slept the rest of the time. He was even good in the air port. We also took a few bottles just in case we needed them. The first flight was only half an hour. The flight from Washington to Denver was almost 4 hours and Caleb only woke up once to eat and then was back to sleep. Even the other passengers were amazed at how well behaved our little man was. Chad and I were very proud parents.

Thrusday night was Tracy's bachelorette party, meaning a night out for the girls. This was going to be mommy's first night away from her baby. I was nervous and worried about leaving him. Not that he wouldn't be in good hands but just that I would miss him. Chad was going to take care of him with the other dads. I also had to be careful of engorgement. Luckily Heather had a manual pump that we took to help relieve any pain I might have had. I must admit I had a really good time but still missed Caleb.

A Newborn Conversation With God

A Newborn's Conversation with God

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow,but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"
God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't haveto do anything but sing and smile to be happy."
God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you.And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the small child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understandwhen people talk to me if I don't know the language?"
God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet wordsyou will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel willteach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"
God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teachyou how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"
God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."
God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earthcould be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

God said, You will simply call her, "Mom."

3 Weeks Already

It's hard to believe that it has been three weeks since I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy. I can't believe how fast time has gone by. I also can't believe how much I have grown and learned in the past couple of weeks. WOW my life has changed so much. It hasn't been easy but definitely worth every minute. I never realized how much sleep deprivation can affect you, especially your mood. During the first couple weeks, with no sleep I cried almost everyday. Of course the hormone changes I was going through didn't help matters either. Now that it has been over 3 weeks I think my body has adjusted to the limited amount of sleep I get. I know everyone says sleep when the baby sleeps but that just hasn't seemed to work with me. I have so much on my mind and things to do around the house I can't seem to fall asleep. Also when I do wind down to take a nap, Caleb is waking up to eat again or need a diaper change. It's ok though cause I know it gets better and I will eventually sleep again one day. Breast feeding is not easy. In fact it has to be one of the biggest challenges. Partly because I'm the only one that can feed Caleb. I have begun to pump so that Chad can bottle feed some but that is very limited at the moment. It is very stressful at times and rewarding too. It definitely takes a lot of work from both me and Caleb. This too gets better as each week passes.

There are moments in my day I still can't believe I'm a mom. I look at this precious little life I hold in my arms and I'm just amazed. How lucky I am that God chose me to watch over this little angel.

First Trip to Fire Station

Today was Caleb's first trip to the fire station where Chad works. It was so great. Chad is such a proud Daddy! It was really cute to see Chad showing off his son to the guys. The guys seemed really excited to get to meet our new addition as well. Caleb was asleep when I first got there but of course Chad got him to wake up so everyone could see his beautiful eyes. After we said hello to everyone, we got a family picture taken in front of the fire truck which was really nice. We also took Caleb around the station and took other fun photos. Chad who normally hates having his picture taken was all about pictures today. I hated to leave since we were having such a good time.