Keep on truckin'!

Okay, so first I want to say sorry. I just can't keep up with MeMe! She gets all the latest and greatest pictures of my boy up on her site before I get around to doing it! She may beat me to it, but I get to see all of the precious moments live...in living color everyday...BEFORE they even become pictures! And this is my life...so I think I've still got one up on her! :-) Its nice to see everything she writes though - I know it's just too hard to not love and to talk about all of her grandkids all the time!! :-)

So anyway.... how 'bout an update?!

Last week we had Cayden's 2 month well-visit! It's crazy its already been 2 months! Here are all of his stats:

Weight: 11#6oz (a 2# gain since last month, thank you very much!)

Length: 23in.

He's in the perfect 50% for both height and weight, so he's doing well!! So we'll keep on truckin'!

And it was great because this was the first pediatrician visit with NO CASTS!! So the measurements were all accurate. That feels great!

Unfortunately, he did have to have his first shots... sad. But he handled them SO well! Just a few tears, then he was fine! He's my little trooper for sure! A little fussy the next day, but no major problems with the immunizations thank God!!

After the pediatrician visit, we went straight to Dr. Ballock's office to follow up after being in the "special shoes" for 2 weeks! We got there, and off came the brace....Dr. Ballock was once again amazed at the progress he's made! He told Cayden that he had some great lookin' feet! And we couldn't agree more! The plan: 2 months more of the brace 23 hours a day, then we get to go to night time ONLY! He said that nap time wouldn't even be necessary if the progress continues like it has! So So exciting!

Moving on to this week...

On Monday, we started to try to get the little man on some sort of a schedule, with naps and everything! Before, I'll admit, he and I spent most of our time playing and cuddling on the couch all day. The unfortunate thing was that he was only getting short, random periods of sleep during the day, then when daddy got home in the evening, Cayden was fussy, over-tired, and frustrating at times! Things needed to change, so we decided maybe a schedule would work! And it has!! This week has worked out really well, he's napping like a champion (not in my arms!) and therefore is much calmer and more playful in the evening hours for daddy! He's sleeping pretty well through the night, and the days go pretty well too! No complaints, he's such a treat! :-) Impossible not to love...Playtime filled with lots of "coo-ing" and smiles!Posing in his first "real" outfit!Talking up a storm and holding the head up like a champ!A little "daddy time" :-)

"BUN-Jama Party!!"

Last weekend, Cayden enjoyed his very first "Bun-Jama" party with his cousins! Aunt Beckie, Sarah and Molly watched Cayden on Saturday while daddy went to help Grandpa at the lake, and mommy went to Jackie's bachelorette party in Cincinnati. It was only my second night away from him, but I had absolutely NO concerns because I knew he was in great hands! Aunt Beckie has successfully handled the infancy stage twice and look how great hers turned out! So thanks Bek, I know he had a blast! (and I had a fun night out too!!) Cayden is so lucky to have so many people in his life that already adore him so much. His proud parents, such great aunts and uncles, a grandma, a grandpa, a MeMe, a PaPa, two little cousins who are so involved with him and treat him so well, and even a few YaYa's that love him dearly. I can't wait until he's able to fully realize all the love that surrounds him!

Random Thoughts:

-It absolutely amazes me everyday to think that my world could change so much in the one second that my son was born. I no longer live my life for myself, but I wake up and live everyday for him - and it's all worth it when he smiles up at me.

-I never knew I could be surrounded by so much love. I met the absolute love of my life a few years ago, and I never imagined I would then meet another man who has changed my life as much as the first had. Cyle is my "Big Love" and Cayden is my "Little Love." Both have given me more than I ever thought possible, and I'm thankful everyday for the gift of a wonderful husband and the blessing of my perfect baby.

-My baby boy is perfection...In my eyes, every bit of him his perfect- from his full head of hair all the way down to his perfect little toes. I find myself just staring at him every day. He probably thinks "Mommy, please stop staring at me, you're freaking me out!" My response to that....NEVER. :-) It would be impossible.

He's all smiles!

Now how could you resist a face like this!?!

It would be impossible not to love this little man!

Thanks to his MeMe, Cayden got to enjoy his very first sleepover last Sunday (or BUN-Jama party as Sarah likes to call them!). At 7 weeks, he's beginning to sleep a little better for us at night, so MeMe said he did great! And while he was enjoying his sleepover, Daddy and I had a nice day of our own - first grocery shopping (exciting, I know!), running some errands, then enjoyed a great dinner out at a new restaurant, some wine, a campfire in the back yard...and a little lovin'! :-) Ha! Anyway, it was a nice date for us...so thank you MeMe!

Wow, we've got some catching up to do!

So sorry (for all of you that keep checking in for something new!)...we've been busy! But here we are, ready to give you some updates! Take a seat...this could be a long one! Alright...where did we leave off....surgery. Things have been going pretty well since surgery, he had casts for 2 weeks post-op and handled it well - nothing new for him! Two weeks ago we went out of town to introduce Cayden to a BUNCH of new people! First we went to the lake where he met the Helwigs and got to hang out with Grandpa! Loved every minute of it as usual...he'll be a lake rat for sure!! After a night there, we headed to Michigan (only a mere 20 minutes from the lake) for one of my old college roommate Jenn's wedding. It was a great time and Cayden got to meet all of my college friends and roommates!!

First dance with my precious boy

Then daddy joined us! :-)And thanks to MeMe for being our babysitter and DD!The next day, we headed to good 'ol Van Wert for another one of my great college roommate Jackie's bridal shower. Cayden loved this because he got to meet Hadley, Jackie's 6 month old daughter, who he's been flirting with via text messages and pictures since the day he was born! (And she's got two very cute cousins that he was eyeing too!) So, needless to say, it was a fun, and busy weekend!

Okay...What next?! We waited patiently for Sept.3rd to some around. This was the day that Cayden finally got his casts off! So exciting!! We went to see Dr. Ballock and he removed his casts just as planned (and Cayden unfortunately got cut with the cast saw!! so so sad! It wasn't too bad, and he even got a special yellow band-aid out of the deal!) We were then supposed to be fitted for his "special shoes" but found out that we would have to wait until someone from the Clinic could do it the following Friday. It was initially frustrating because we thought we would get it all done and out of the way that day, but it ended up being a blessing. We got to enjoy my little peanut's feet, out of all contraptions for TWO WHOLE DAYS!! I missed them so much for 6 weeks that I even found myself sniffing them! :-) His feet look great, it's amazing to see the improvements! Check them out!Cousin Sarah came along because she wanted to "see baby Cayden's little feet!"Lounging with daddy, letting his little feet finally breathe.

On Friday, Sept. 5, Cayden was fitted and place in his "special shoes." He will wear these for 23 hours a day for the next few months, then only nap time and bedtime after that. He's doing surprisingly well with the contraption. But hey, he's been through a lot for only 7 weeks - He's my little superman. At this point, I'm convinced he could get through anything. We are so thankful for him and his strength through all of this. Sometimes I wish that he never had to go through any of this, but at the same time I know we will all be stronger for having made it through. We're blessed, I have no doubt about that. He is so strong and getting stronger every day. He holds his head up like a champ, and is now smiling REAL smiles! (Yes, I can definitely tell the difference between these new smiles and "gas" smirks!) All of the hardships and moments of frustration absolutely disappear and seem so meaningless when he looks up at us with that bright smile! It's amazing, and we look forward to it every day. So here are a few more pictures to hold you over until we post again! Thanks for reading - we hope to see all of you soon!!

"Special shoes" connected with a flashy red metal bar!

His first real NAKED bath when he got his casts off - he loved it!

One of those smiles I was telling you about...irresistible!

MeMe attempted to take some 6 week old pictures...He didn't quite know how to handle it.

His strength at this age absolutely baffles us! He lifts up and looks around all the time!

Update!!

Sorry, it's been a while since we've updated, and a lot has happened since then! Cayden hit a milestone on Aug. 12th...he began using the weight of those big casts to flip himself completely over! At 3 weeks, that's pretty darn good! He's still lifting that head and is able to move around pretty well already...daddy and I will be in big trouble when he really starts moving - he's a maniac! But we're so proud!
On another note, Cayden successfully made it through his very first real surgery (and hopefully the last!) Surgery was scheduled for 7:30 am on Tuesday, August 19th. Since the surgery was scheduled, I've been worried (I think any mama would be knowing that her baby would be having surgery at one month of age). I have complete confidence in our doctor, and wasn't worried at all about the job that he would do that morning, however knowing that Cayden would have to be put completely under with anesthesia is what made me worry. Hearing that my little one would be tubed and unconscious was not easy to handle, but I knew it was for the best and that he was in great hands.
So surgery day started early...really early. Cayden couldn't eat after 1:30 am, which made for a long morning! But he was a trooper - didn't really complain about it until about 6:00 when we made it to the hospital. We made it to the Cleveland Clinic, downtown, at 6am to check in. Dr. Ballock arrived around 7:30 to speak with us, then we met the anesthesiologists who were able to calm my nerves if only a little. I was holding up rather well (if I must say so myself!)...until they came to take him to surgery. NOT EASY! There were tears, but we kissed our little man and knew that we would see him in about an hour. He was calm and that gave me a sense of peace with it all. I knew things would be okay. So off he went. We waited...then received a call to go to the desk to meet with Dr. Ballock. He told us that everything went just as planned, and Cayden was doing great! BIG sigh of relief for Cyle and I. :-) Shortly after, we had our little man in our arms! Unfortunately, because of his age, Cayden and I had to stay the night for observation. No complications though, and we left the next morning at 8am! We're so glad it's over, and I know this experience will be a positive one in the long run when he's up and running around like every other kid on his new feet! :-)
Thanks to everyone for their positive thoughts and prayers for us - we really appreciate you all!!

Daddy, Cayden and Dozer the day before surgery

In the hospital, getting ready to go home!

I did it!! Thanks for your prayers everyone!!

These are the new casts. The heel cord release done in surgery allows the toes to flex up toward the shin, which they were unable to do before. So he will be in these casts for two weeks, then time for braces!! Hopefully that will be the end of these heavy casts!

Look at the progress we've made!!

Sorry we didn't update last week as promised, but we weren't able to get good pictures of the casting process, and we had a very busy week filled with visitors! Time just got away from us!

Anyway, look at these pictures of the progress little Cayden has made turning his little feet out! We had our weekly casting appointment on Wednesday, and we got a lot of news from the doctor...

First and foremost, Cayden's feet have successfully turned enough that they are fully corrected already when it comes to side-to-side movement! In other words, the doctor is able to rotate his feet outward to the point of being normal, and fully functional. This is fantastic news because we were looking at 8-10 weeks before this was predicted to take place...and it's only been 2!! He's amazing! However...his little toes are still slightly pointed downward, meaning that his Achilles tendon is still too tight, so surgery is needed. Initially we had learned that this would be an easy procedure, done in the office under local anesthetic. In speaking with Dr. Ballock on Wednesday though, he thinks that the results we would get if we did that would not be the best. So...we've scheduled surgery...a REAL surgery...for August 19th. We're very nervous that our little man will be put under for a real surgery on the day he turns only one month, but Dr. Ballock and his wonderful nurse assure us that this is something that they do more often than we think, and that their team is amazing and they put their full trust in the anesthesiologists. Still...this will be a rough day for mama, I can guarantee it! :-( Gotta stay positive and focus on all of the improvement we've made so quickly though...that will get us through it! And Cayden's smiling face through it all makes it all worth it! Here are some pictures of the process and the great improvement!!

Dr. Ballock cutting off last weeks casts

Look how skinny those legs are! But they're looking straight!
Dr. Ballock showing us how well they are turning out!

Baby Cayden just hanging out through it all :-)

New Casts!

Enjoying some tummy time after the appointment :-)

So strong!!

Bonding :-)