Photo Contest

So, I have entered a photo contest on one of my friends facebook page. Ashley has an embroidery business called SheShe Made and I have ordered a couple of things for Cade as well as other gifts from her. The picture that I entered is of Cade in a hooded bath towel that says "Chick Magnet". If I can get the most people to like our picture we will win a $50 gift certificate. In order to vote you will have to like the SheShe Made page on facebook and then find Cade's picture and like it. PLEASE vote for Cade before Sunday and have your family and friends vote also! Thanks!

Rolling Over

While practicing his tummy time on Wednesday (February 16) Cade rolled over from his tummy to his back for the first time! Gregg was at work so I immediately got my cellphone camera out and made him do it again! I can't believe how big he is getting and that we are starting to hit these milestones!!!

(Please excuse my scary high pitched voice in the video. I have no clue where that voice came from and don't think I normally sound like that when playing with Cade!)

Recent Happenings

This is kinda a photo catch up post of our happenings so far this month!

I had to start off with this first picture because it is one of my new favorites!

We had a major ice storm here the beginning of the month. During the storm our electricity went out and was out for a total of 25 hours. The longest that it was off was from 8pm one evening till 3pm the next day. Gregg was at the fire station while it was off and by the time that we realized it wasn't coming back on (and not just an extended rolling black out) it was late and I was too scared to drive anywhere. So, we hunkered down for the evening and slept downstairs in the recliner. I kept Cade all bundled up with his hat and gloves on and snuggled with him to keep him warm.

We had quite a bit of family in town since I went back to work and Gregg had to work extra due to the bad weather and Superbowl. First, Gregg's parents came the weekend of January 29 and then my Mom came and stayed for the rest of the week. My Dad came in on Friday, February 4 and he and my Mom went home together the next Monday. Cade loved having extra attention and loving from his Grandparents while they were here!

playing with Grinna's ribbon

(Don't worry- we only set him on the island for this picture and had him on the floor in his bumbo the rest of the time!)

Since the Superbowl was here this year while my parents were in town visiting we decided that it would be fun to take a drive to Arlington early Sunday and see some of the excitement and activity! Gregg had to work so Mom, Dad, Cade and I all loaded up and headed out on our adventure. We were there before the traffic got to heavy so it was easy to drive around see all the sights. It was incredible to get to see all the police in the area. We even got to see the escort for the Green Bay Packers as they left Irving and headed to the stadium!

the closest we got to the stadium

After we left Arlington we went to see Gregg at the fire station before heading home to watch the game. Gregg wasn't at his usual station so I enjoyed getting to go somewhere different and meet new guys. We took a new family picture (the big one on the main blog page) and this picture of Gregg and Cade while we were there.

We got Cade's highchair out this last week and put it together! He has loved sitting up in it and this finally allows Gregg and I to be in the kitchen together in the evenings. (Usually, I play with Cade in the living room while Gregg is cooking dinner and then we sit him in the bouncer while we eat.) Cade is still really small in this big highchair but he loves being up high and getting to see everything!

We are constantly working on tummy time with Cade. He doesn't much like just being on his tummy but does pretty good when you put a pillow under him to help prop him up. We bought him a mirror for Valentines to help him with tummy time and he seems to really like it and even tolerates having tummy time without the pillow!

Valentine Day Surprise!

my little Valentine!

Well, I am about a week late on this but better late than never right! We had a pretty low key Valentines Day again this year. In keeping with the tradition that we started last year, we ordered a heart shape pizza from Papa Murphy's and spent the evening at home. We decided to buy blinds for our kitchen instead of getting each other presents but did do a little something for our sweet boy!

our pizza

and the yummy dessert I made for us!

Valentine morning with his present form Mommy and Daddy

We got a card in the mail from Cade on Valentines Day with instructions to go pick up his present to us in it. We went to a place called "Color Me Mine" in Frisco where we picked up this precious heart shaped plaque with Cade's footprints on it. Apparently, while my parents were here earlier this month they took Cade to Color Me Mine one afternoon while Gregg and I were at work and painted this for us! We were so surprised to get this gift of love and can't wait to hang it up in our bedroom!

Cade's Valentine present for us!

3 Months Old

Cade was 3 months last Saturday, February 5. On one hand it seems unreal to me that it has already been 3 months and on the other it seems like he has always been a part of our lives. We fall more in love every single day and are having so much fun being parents!


Here are a few things about Cade from this month:

- He is smiling all the time and just lights up everytime he sees Gregg or I!
- He is getting a lot better at tracking and following voices and will turn to look at us when we are talking to him.
- He is making more and more differnet noises every day! His happiest time is right after eating and we just love to hold him and "talk" with him!
- He has started to blow bubbles and is able to blow some decent sized ones sometimes!
- He really enjoys time on his play mat and has become very good at hitting the hanging toys with both his hands and his feet while he is playing.
- He has found his hands and LOVES to have them in his mouth! We are constantly having to pull his little fingers out of his mouth.
- He is able to hold his head steady and can even sit for a few seconds by himself before starting to topple over of slouch forward.
- He is getting a lot better at tummy time and being able to hold his head up while on his tummy.
- He eats every 4 hours during the day and every 6-8 hours at night. (Still exclusively breastmilk.)
- He must be swaddled at night while sleeping and also during the day if we want him to take a longer nap in his crib.
- He is still wearing size 1 diapers but has finally outgrown all his newborn clothes :( and is wearing 0-3 month and a few of his 3 month clothes.
- He seems to really like the water and enjoys his bathtime! He will kick and spread his toes when ever the water hits his feet.
- He has the sweetest disposition and is such a happy and loving little boy! He really only gets fussy when it is time to eat and when he is tired and ready to be cradled so he can fall asleep.


We love you so much baby boy and cannot wait to watch you grow and change more over this next month!

Happy 3 Month Birthday to our sweet little man!!!

Going back to work

After 12 (short) weeks off from work I went back last Monday (January 31). It was such a hard day for me and something that I have been dreading since Cade was born. I cried all day Sunday and honestly didn't know if I would make it out the door! Before I had Cade, I really thought that I would be ready to go back and see all my friends. I really like my job and love being able to touch so many lives each day. That all changed the moment I laid my eyes on my sweet baby and fell in love!

Gregg and I are very lucky because I am getting to work from home 2 days a week for these next 6 weeks while Gregg is at the fire station. (The other 3 days Gregg will provide Daddy Day Care!) After this first 6 weeks things will change and we might have to put Cade in real day care for 2 days each week.

Leaving for work was the hardest part. Cade woke up around 7 am and so I got to have some alone time with him before Gregg came downstairs and helped me get out the door. I just hugged and kissed on him and cried. I know that Cade will be very well taken care of each day and that he and Gregg will have some wonderful and special time together but I sure will be missing him! Luckily, my Mom was on her way to Dallas that first morning and so I was able to talk to her on the phone while I drove into work and that helped distract me.

Being away is going to be hard and especially if I have to go back to being at the hospital 5 days each week. Cade is growing, changing and learning new things every single day and I am so sad to think I will miss all those changes. As sad as I am that I will miss them I feel very blessed to know that Gregg will be the one that does get to experience them!

I know the best part of each day will be coming home from work and getting that first kiss and hug from Gregg and then getting to love on my sweet boy!!!

Gregg took Cade out that first day in his pajamas leaving the 2 pairs of clothes I had laid out on their hangers! Silly Daddy!!!

After work that first day, Gregg and Cade met me at my Great Aunt Cleacy's to visit and introduce her to Cade. She has told my Uncle Rod several times recently that she is ready to go meet Jesus and so we wanted to make sure that she got to meet Cade before then!

This was such a special thing for me because Cleacy was my Grandmother's oldest sister and like a 2nd mother to her. I know if my Grandmother was still here today that she would love Cade and be so excited about having a Great-Grandson.

Introducing Cleacy to her Great-Great Nephew

She was so excited to get to hold Cade

Cleacy crocheted this blanket for me when I was still in College

Sweet goodbye kisses

Celebrating Our 2nd Anniversary

Yesterday was Gregg and I's 2nd Anniversary! We spent a wonderful day snuggling at home with our precious boy and then went out on our first alone dinner date since Cade was born. (More on that later!) Part of me just can't believe that it has already been 2 years since we said our "I do's" and the other part of me feels like we have been married forever and not just 2 years! Our wedding day was absolutely beautiful and perfect and fun and so much more than I ever dreamed!

Gregg, I loved you then and I love you even more now. You are my best friend and the man of my dreams and I feel so blessed to be your wife. You are an incredible husband and the best father to Cade! We both love you so very much!!!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our special day:

We asked our good friends Courtney and Casey to watch Cade for us last night while we went to dinner. Courtney is pregnant with their first child and is due the middle of February. They agreed and so we dropped Cade off with them. We decided that since we celebrated our first anniversary in Italy that we should make it a tradition and have Italian food every year on our anniversary and so went to eat at Brio. The food was wonderful and we enjoyed being able to have a couple of hours alone together. (Although, I think we were both secretly anxious to get back to Cade!!!)

Cotton is the gift to be given on the 2nd anniversary so I had this hankie made for Gregg

Headed out for our date!

We have had an amazing 2 years together and I look forward to all the many more wonderful moments that I know are in store for us and our family in the future!!!