Melts my heart!

Happy 1 Month Cade Allison!!!

I cannot believe that it has already been a month since Cade entered this world and changed Gregg and I's lives for the better! These last 4 weeks have really gone by fast- too fast honestly! I feel like we were just at the hospital anxiously awaiting his arrival and now we are celebrating our first month with him.

Cade has grown and changed so much. He weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces last Monday and is even bigger now! Here are a few things about him this month:

- He is getting so strong and is able to scoot himself up or down a little when we lay him down.
- He has gained so much control in his neck and doesn't do the droopy head thing near as much.
- He has started to be able to track our voice or face and follow it.
- He has just almost outgrown his newborn diapers and clothes.
- He enjoys car rides as long as we are moving but will get fussy when stopped at red lights.
- He eats every 3 hours during the day and every 4-5 hours at night.
- He stays awake and is becoming more alert during the day until about his 2pm feed and then is ready to take a nap.
- He sleeps in his crib and has since the night we brought him home from the hospital.
- He likes his bath time as long as he is warm but does not like having lotion put on after the bath or at night before bed.
- His head still favors the right side and we are having to work constantly to get him to turn it to the left.
- He loves being snuggled and must be wrapped up in his snuggle sack at night in order for him to sleep good.

We have really been blessed with a good baby! He was a great traveler and so easy going while we were in Lubbock the last couple of weeks. He has fit into our lives and has (for now) completed our family. Everyday gets easier and more fun! We love you little one and can't wait to see how much you change over the next 4 weeks!

Happy 1 Month Birthday to our sweet little man!!!

A few pictures

A few pictures showing how we spend our days...

sleeping

tummy time

spending time in our swing

sleeping

hanging out in Mommy's lap

enjoying our mat

holding onto our pacci

sleeping

sitting up in our boppy

going (sleeping) on walks with Mommy and Daddy

Groves Family Pictures

Saturday, November 27, 2010

We took family pictures with Gregg's family today. This was the first time that we have all taken pictures together since our wedding almost 2 years ago and with the addition of 2 new babies to the family we were in need of some new pictures!

our new little family

precious boy!

Cade- 3 weeks old, Landry- 5 months old

The Groves Family

Newborn Pictures

Saturday, November 20, 2010

This morning we had Cade's newborn pictures made. The same lady that took our maternity pictures also took Cade's pictures. We spent almost 3 hours with Lynette taking the pictures and had such a great time watching her work with Cade to get just the right pictures. She did an absolutely amazing job and we cannot wait to see all of the pictures that she took! Here is a sneak peek of the pictures.

Meeting Bailey

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Today Cade got to meet his cousin Bailey! We went and picked Bailey up this afternoon and get to have her for Thanksgiving. Bailey has been so excited about me being pregnant and could not wait to meet Cade. She was so sweet with Cade and just loved holding him and kept saying how cute and tiny he was!

Bailey and Cade wearing their matching snowman t-shirts my Mom made them (pictures to be used on my parents Christmas card this year!)

2 week check-up

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Cade had his 2 week check-up today and is growing and developing right on track! Cade weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces at birth and lost down to 6 pounds 10 ounces by our first doctors appointment. He now weighs 7 pounds 9.5 ounces which puts him in the 25% for weight. He is still 20 inches long (25% for length), and his head circumference is 14 3/4 inches (50% for head circumference). He has already grown and changed so much over the last 2 weeks!

We are leaving town tomorrow and heading to Lubbock to go spend time with our families for the holidays. Gregg and I are both a tiny bit nervous about taking Cade on his first road trip! Gregg has to work today so I am all alone tonight to finish packing and get everything loaded in the morning. Cade and I will pick Gregg up first thing in the morning and then we will hit the road!

Going Home

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Between the time change and you having to be NPO in preparation for your circumcision this morning we had a interesting night last night! We got totally off on our feeding schedule which made Cade quite frustrated. We managed to get it all figured out and even got a little much needed sleep!

The nurses took Cade for his circumcision about 7am and brought him back an hour later. They said that he did great during the procedure and barely cried! He was given Tylenol before he left our room and we can give him more the rest of the day so he is sleeping like a rock now.

I was discharged from the hospital around noon and we packed up to head home. My parents and Seth are staying with us for a few days to help out. I am looking forward to getting things un-packed and settled so that we can start figuring our new life out!

Cade all dressed up in his going home clothes

waiting on transportation to take us to the car

our first car ride

HOME!!!

First Bath

Thursday, November 11, 2010

We bathed Cade for the first time tonight! Our bathrooms are so small and so we decided to set his tub in our kitchen sink and bathe him there thinking it would be easier. He did NOT enjoy this bath at all! I think that he got too cold because as soon as we were done and we wrapped him up he settled right down and was just as happy as can be. (I think we will all be crowding into the the tiny bathroom next time!)

I am sure we were quite comical to watch while giving this bath! I have given dozens of baths in the NNICU and thought it would be no problem bathing Cade. Boy was I wrong!!! I looked like a true first timer. I think we had used 5 wash cloths and 3 different towels by the time we were done! Hopefully we will get better at the bathing process!

Much better!

Very happy in Daddy's arms

our little frog prince

Time in the hospital

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Well, we survived our first night- it was a little rough at times but we made it though! We kept Cade in the room with us the entire night so that I could feed him every couple of hours. A little after 2am, he started spitting up old blood and amniotic fluid. I could tell that he was really congested and needed to be suctioned so we called the nursery to get a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner to come and evaluate Cade. They took him to the nursery and suctioned him out and then brought him back to us and the rest of the night was much better!

We had a lot of visitors during the day and got to spend time with our families celebrating the arrival of our little boy!

Gary came to see us when he got off shift

Uncle Seth and Cade

Caren, Mikka, Jadyn and Carson came to see us also! I was at the hospital when Jadyn was born 6 years ago and Gregg and I both got to visit Carson right after he made is big debut last December. I am so excited that Mikka and I have kids that are so close in age and hope that they grow up being just as close as Mikka and I are!

Jadyn loved holding Cade and did not want to leave!

Seth and Carson (our 2 red heads!)

Cody, Misti, and Landry drove to Dallas to surprise us and meet their nephew. Misti was a little sentimental while holding Cade since just 5 short months ago she was the one in the hospital delivering Landry. Now her little one is weighing over 15 pounds!!!

Several people brought us Texas Tech gear for the little one which we had to put on since it was a game day! I think Cade was a good luck charm for the Raiders tonight because they beat the Missouri Tigers 24-17!!!

the newest Red Raider!

Gregg's Dad was able to fly in today as well

MiMi wither her 2 boys

Gregg and Cade with Misti and Landry

My Dad and brother desperately wanted to buy Cade his first pair of "real" boots within the first 24 hours of his life. They left early Saturday morning and went to Ft. Worth in search of a certain pair. They found what they were looking for but Cade won't be able to wear them for several years!

Testing out the new boots

Tonight is time change so we are hoping for a good night. I am confused already thinking about feeding times and how to make adjustments with the time change! Tomorrow morning Cade goes for his circumcision bright and then we are hopefully headed home!!!