Cade & I

So as the mom I feel like I am always the one behind the camera. I was looking through all of our pictures of Cade so far and realized there are none with me and Cade together! That is something my mom talks about all the time, how she is never in any pictures because she is the one taking the pictures. So last night as I was getting Cade ready for bed I called Tyler in to get a few shots of my boy and I. Even though he was stubborn and wouldn't give us any of his adorable smiles, he is still the cutest baby boy I have ever seen!

Look what I found!

Oh yes Cade has found his hands and fingers. I haven't decided if it a blessing or a curse quite yet. Blessing- he is weening himself off his pacifier, curse- the pacifier we could control but the thumb sucking we can't, and he hasn't mastered the art of thumb sucking fully yet. He tries to shove both fists in his mouth, after slurping and slobbering for a couple minutes he gets frustrated and erupts into an immediate cry. It really is sad to watch because I want to help him place his thumb but it just doesn't work like that. I just hope he doesn't end up sucking his thumb as long as I did.....

Chit Chat w/ Cade

Cade has found his voice and it is the cutest thing I have ever listened to. Check it out.
P.S don't mind the annoying "mother" in the background. Why is it that your own voice sounds so retarded on camera?

Bumbo Baby

Cade's neck is getting so strong I thought it was time to try out the Bumbo seat. He did surprisingly well. He especially liked facing the mirror and checking himself out. I know I'm a horrible mom for having him up on the counter, but give me a break, it's not like I'm going to walk away and leave him unattended.

Fall

It always amazes me how perfectly God has set up the seasons in Oregon. Just when I start to get tired of one season it is time to start the next. Fall is by far my favorite of them all. The leaves changing colors, falling off the trees, and eventually ending up on the ground to be munched by our feet, the cooler days, the sun setting earlier, hot coffee, yummy food like apple crisp and pumpkin flavored anything, and last but not least the pumpkin patch!!

I always get so excited to go even though I'm really to old to do any of the activities. For me it's the atmosphere and the all around mood of the pumpkin patch that makes me so happy. Since moving to Bend about 3.5 years ago, Tyler and I have been going to The Central Oregon Pumpkin CO. This place has it all... horse drawn wagon rides, a zoo train, petting zoo, face paining, pumpkin cannon, harvest market, corn maze, hay fort and much more. This year was an all around different experience because we got to bring Cade along. He was obviously too little to enjoy or partake in the experience but it was so fun for Tyler and I to take him along. I already can't wait for next year when Cade is old enough to really enjoy and get into it all.

Smiles

I could not wait for the day to come when Cade started smiling! When you get a big gummy grin it makes all those tiring days and nights so worth it!

Capturing a smile on camera is so hard so here a two pictures of the tale end of a Cade smile.

I've Been Tagged

So I was tagged my by bestest friend Jenna, I have never done one of these so here it goes....

1. I sucked my thumb until I was about 10 yrs old. I always wanted my hair permed so as a bribe my mom told me if I stopped sucking my thumb I could get a perm. You do not want to see how ridiculous I looked!!

2. I only dated Tyler 7 months before he proposed to me. We were only engaged for 5 months. That means we celebrated our 1 yr of being "together" on our honeymoon!! 3.5 years and a baby boy were still going strong!

3. I can never finish a cup of coffee. It doesn't matter how big or small the cup, I always leave a few gulps in the cup

4. I have 7 piercings in my ears but only wear earrings in 4 of them.

5. I had the easiest pregnancy. No morning sickness, no heartburn, no intense cravings, I only woke up in the middle of the night to pee the last 2 months.

6. My due date didn't change once my entire pregnancy and I went into labor on my due date! CRAZY!!! The nurses said only 10% of women go into labor on there due date.

7. When I was in grade school I had a nervous habit where I would pull my eyelashes out. At one point I didn't have any eyelashes whatsoever!

Now it's your turn, I tag Colie, Keri, Kristina, Macey, Sam, Jacquie, Amber

Bath time = Relaxing time...Finally!

So I finally purchased a copy of Secrets of the Baby Whisperer and I have learned so much from this 1 little book. Thanks Amber and Sam for recommending it to me! One of the things that stands out that I have learned is how to give Cade a good bath experience. From how to place him in the tub to the order what body parts to wash when and most importantly and I think the biggest thing for Cade is, always place a warm wet washcloth on his tummy. Baths are now part of our bedtime routine and Cade can sit back and relax instead of screaming his head off. And boy oh boy does he smell so good when it's all said and done, I could just snuggle up to him for hours!!

Sleeping In His Own Room

Cade is now sleeping in his own room. We put him in his crib at 3.5 weeks, it seemed a little early but what a huge difference this has made for Tyler, Cade and I. We are all sleeping much better at night and it feels like we finally have our own little routine down.

It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be... or that everyone said it was going to be. I didn't feel nervous or anxious at all. I think as a mom (which I haven't been for long but do have 1 month under my belt) you just start to know what your little one is ready for and the Lord gives you a peace about it.

Here are a couple pictures of him all tucked in sound asleep

2 Weeks

We had Cade's 2 week doctors appointment on Thursday Sept 26th.
He now weights 7lbs 11 oz and is 20 3/4 inches long.

Daddy time

The best part of my day, besides being home with my adorable little boy, is when Tyler gets home from work. The minute Tyler walks in the door he is so excited to see Cade and spend his quality daddy time. It is so amazing watching Tyler with Cade, I fall more in love with him each day as I watch him love all over our son.

1st Bath

Today our friend Jane came over to take photos of Cade. To get ready for his big photo opp we had to get him all clean, so we had our 1st bath and Cade totally hated it. The poor guy screamed his head off the entire time.
But now he smells so tasty!

Cade Jordan

Well after 9 months Cade has finally made his entrance into the world.
My labor was hard but I was able to do it with out any medications which was one of my goals. I started having contractions in the afternoon on the 9th, I left work at lunch because my they were getting closer together. It wasn't until about 2am that I really felt like my labor was starting, I woke Tyler up so we could time my contractions, sure enough they were every 5 min lasting 35-50 seconds and getting stronger! We checked into the hospital at 4:30 and I was dilated to 6.5 and was 90% effaced. I felt all the contractions in my back so I spent the majority of my labor on the birthing ball or leaning over the bed. After about 5 hours my contractions let up and my labor stalled, that is when the doctor decided to break my water. This really got things going! By 12:15 I was dilated to a 10 and ready to push! Push.... oh my gosh, this was the longest, hardest, most tiring thing I have ever done. It ended up that Cade was facing the wrong direction I think they called it OP, so I wasn't making much progress on getting him out. After 2 hrs of pushing the doctor decided to use the vacuum to assist him out. 30 min later our son entered the world!

Cade was born at 2:39pm weighing 7lbs 3oz and 19.5 inches long. Tyler and I can't believe what an amazing miracle we have been blessed with!

God has given us a son to raise and take care of.

Amy & Jaxon

Is this not the cuttest ever!?

My sister Amy and my nephew Jaxon

Fun Weekend

For about 5 months now Tyler and I have been trying to coordinate a weekend that works with my cousin Colby and his wife Laura to Bend and visit. It finally worked for all of us to get together this last weekend. They arrived at our house on Friday around 8:30 and we went non stop all weekend long. We were up until 11:30 talking, laughing and playing Taboo, which I might add... the girls kicked butt at!
Saturday morning we lounged around, Tyler made us all some delicious pancakes then we headed out to the Old Mill for a little walk along the river. Next we had lunch outside at The Downtowner, this place is so good, if you live in Bend and haven't eaten there you are missing out!! After lunch we changed into our swimming suites, pumped up the tubes and went to float the river. Yes I am 8.5 months pregnant and I floated the river, probably not the smartest idea in the world but I made it and it was a blast. Next we headed home to clean up and head to dinner. Tyler and I took them to our favorite, Deschutes Brewery. We pigged out on Jalapeno dip, burgers, mac-n-cheese, ribs and fish-n-chips. Just like us Colby and Laura fell in loved everything there!! We finally rolled ourselves out of the restaurant and went to the Old Mill to catch a little Wilco concert followed by coffee and some more girls kicking butt at Taboo! Finally Sunday we went to church, had lunch at home, watched some Olympics and then Colby and Laura had to head home. Tyler and I had so much fun with hanging out with you guys. We can't wait to spend more time with ya!

So out of all our adventures we only got 2 pictures, how sad!!

The newlyweds Colby & Laura

Lunch at The Downtowner

Reading Material

I am looking for a new book to start reading. I have been really looking forward to starting "The Shack" by William P. Young but our library doesn't have any copies of it! Does anyone have a book they can recommend to me or an author that they really like?

Any suggestions would be great!

Thanks

Dr. Appointments

So I am officially on the down hill stretch of my pregnancy. I am now going to the doctor every week instead of every 2 weeks. They checked to see if I am dilated and I am! I am dilated to a 2 and 25% effaced, which I know technically doesn't mean I will go early, but at least there is something going on down there!

28 Days to go!

Dinner Ideas

I am usually really good about coming up with dinner ideas. The past few weeks however I have been drawing a serious blank.... that is where you all come in!! I would love to hear your favorite recipe or meal idea. Not only will this help spark some inspiration and ideas for me, but if there are others out there in the same rut hopefully it will help you out as well.

Don't be shy, feel free to post multiple ideas :)

Mr. Adventure

Tyler is pretty much the most adventurous, on the go, outdoor person I have EVER met! His goal for this summer was to finish climbing/summiting all of the mountains in Oregon. He only had 4 left at the start of the summer, Jefferson, Hood, Adams and McLoughlin. Now as summer is almost over he has checked all but 1 off his list, pretty impressive if you ask me! McLouglin is the only one left, but it doesn't look like he will be able to get that one in before summer comes to a close. He At least he got the hardest most technical ones out of the way.

Not only has he been trekking across the Oregon Mountains but he has also been blazing the Mt. Bike trails of Oregon! His big purchase before Cade is born was a new Mt. Bike, so he has been breaking that in. And if the trails in Oregon aren't enough for him he left yesterday to ride in Whistler BC!

What kind of hard core stud did I marry?

Check out some pictures of his adventures!

Oakridge

Mt. Jefferson

Mt. Hood

Mt. Adams

Maternity Photo Fun

This weekend I was blessed with the company of my best friend Jenna! We usually try to do a weekend together at least twice a year. Sometimes we let our hubbies join us but this weekend was just her and I. It was Jenna's first time away from her 1yr old little man so we tried to stay as busy as possible.

Saturday we spent the majority of the day on a photo shoot.
Jenna has been mastering her photography skills and choose me to practice on! Tyler did join us for a little while on Sunday so we could get some shots of him and I together.

Here is some of her work.

Cade's Room

The bedding is officially complete!

My mom is so amazing; she did such a great job and is so good at the little details. She made the bumper, dust ruffle, curtain and basket liners for Cade's room.

Now we just need the paintings Tyler's mom is working on and the room will be complete.

Here are some pictures of her masterpiece!

My rocking chair that I have been waiting forever for has finally arrived!! I absolutely love it, you never know what type of quality something is going to be when you order online, but I am very impressed with this purchase and I can't wait to rock my little Cade!!

Birth Plan

So.. Colie suggested I blog about my birth plan. Is it bad that I don't have one? I have talked to my doctor about this and she seemed grateful that I don't have a huge drawn out novel of what I want my labor to be like. I expressed to her that I would like to deliver as naturally as I can and she was very supportive and encouraging of this. So far my only plan is to not have an epidural, however if the pain is hindering the labor process and my doctor thinks I should get one, I’m not going to fight it. I really don't want to have a lot of expectations going into labor and delivery, I'm a very easy going and relaxed person and I want that to be the mood on the big day.

What are your thoughts? Respond to this post with your delivery stories and or your birth plan. I know there are a lot of preggo's out there so share your thoughts and opinions.

Uncomfortable

I have been extremely blessed my entire pregnancy.
I haven't had to deal with morning sickness at all, for the most part my energy has been great, i'm still able to go to the gym and to top it off I still don't ever wake up at night and have to go to the bathroom!! AMAZING! I am defiantly counting my blessings because my cousin, who is still in her 1st trimester, is super sick! She had to go to the hospital on Wed (her birthday) :( because she has been so sick. It is so weird how pregnancy affects everyone differently. I just hope my wrath isn't still to come in the delivery stage!!

As far as the comfort factor goes, today is actually the first day I have actually felt uncomfortable. Cade has found two positions that fit him just great. One being on the right side of my stomach with some crazy body part sticking out. You can clearly see where he is just by one quick glance, I look like I have a rolled up sock sticking out on that side of my body. The second position feels like his little feet are kicking down on my bladder. Each time he moves I seriously feel like I am going to wet myself!

Pregnancy is one of the most amazing experiences ever and I am just so thankful that the Lord has chosen me to experience it!

Sisters

I feel so lucky, not everyone gets to share there pregnancy with there sister. About 1 month after Tyler and I shared the news that we are pregnant, my sister and her husband also had news of there own. After we both had our first doctors appointments we were given our due dates which are exactly 1 month apart. How crazy! While this is our first it is Amy and Jay's second but it is still so much fun sharing this time with her, not to mention the fact that I get to borrow her cloths :)

3rd Trimester

So I have officially started my 3rd and final trimester of this 9 month journey!

Amazing how fast time actually goes by! During the 1st trimester I was a little bit tired but nothing to crazy, the 2nd trimester I felt amazing, the low energy and tiredness was totally gone. Now just a week into my 3rd trimester I feel like I could go to sleep and never wake up! It is the worst and weirdest feeling. This weekend my body felt so tired but I couldn't just sit and relax I had to be doing something. So I cleaned the house, did some scrapbooking, went to breakfast w/ Rachel, had dinner with some friends and ran a bunch of errands.

Now all I want to do is get Cade's nursery all put together. How can I be so tired yet still have so much motivaion?

Crib bedding

So I looked and looked and couldn't ever find a crib set that I just fell in love with. My mom being the talented woman that she is, took on the challenge of helping me make the crib set.
I found the perfect fabric online for a really good price and it finally came in the mail last week. I LOVE IT! So this weekend when my mom was in town she went with me to get all the other supplies we are going to need. Next time she comes to Bend she is brining her sewing machine and we are going to create a perfect bedding set for Cade.

The fabric for the bedding

Finally the Ultrasound pictures

A Great Quote

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?"

–Miranda Richardson