This is how he rolls

Friday, pre-roll-over

Baby Cade rolled over! On Friday I put him on his play mat for some tummy time (which he hates) and I guess he just decided he didn't want to be on his tummy any more because he rolled over. Like it was no big deal. Whatevs.

He hasn't done it again since but per the earlier comment, he hates tummy time. So we don't do it as much as we should meaning his roll over opps have been limited. But oh well. Once a roll over-er, always a roll over-er.

Update 4:13p: He rolled over again for Grandma Caro today while I was at yoga class!

Adventure Baby

Tummy time with Miss Erin

Cade has been an adventure baby this week. He's been to his Nana's house twice, Miss Erin's once and even out for a pizza dinner last night. His routine has been a little off as a result of all the adventures but not too terribly. More or less, we're all surviving.

This Day in History

Today's Supreme Court rulings and last night's filibuster at the Texas state Senate make this day in history pretty darn amazing.

With all the crazy, scary things in the world, these are two events that really please me about the world my little boy is going to grow up in. I hope one day he asks me what I thought about the events of June 26, 2013 because I can't wait to tell him.

More on Sleep Training

24 hours with Nana did him in

Sleep training has gone well (knock on wood) but we have one funny little quirk. About 35-50 minutes after we put Cade in his crib at night he wakes up. So basically after one little baby sleep cycle. It happens almost like clockwork. He wakes up, someone gives him his pacifier and he's out until the middle of the night feeding.

Baby boy, what's happening to you after 1 little sleep cycle? How can we help you stay asleep??

We're having a party!

Testing out Miss Erin's bouncy seat yesterday

It isn't official official yet, but it is looking very likely that the Cade-man will be baptized in November. I'm just waiting for final confirmation that the date we requested is a good one. It will be through the same church that married Ross and me (Westlake United Methodist) and schedules pending, hopefully performed by the same pastor.

And then, once Cade is protected from baby limbo we will have a par-tay to celebrate. Yay!

Sleep Training, Day 4

Early morning diaper-only play time

Last night went well! I laid Cade in his crib at 9:30p and we didn't hear a peep from him til 9:45p. Even then it was less than a minute of crying/hollering. We didn't even check on him (the rule was 4 minutes of crying before checking). Then a few minutes after 10p, he alerted us with another few minutes of crying. This time he did hit the 4 minute mark so Ross went in to check on him but by the time he got close to the crib, Cade was quieting down and his eyes were starting to droop. Ross quietly backed out and baby boy went to dreamland.

He woke up around 2:30a to eat and then slept from 3a-7:30a like a champ.

I don't want to jinx us but it feels like maybe this sleep training is working!

Sleep Training, Day 3

Early morning playtime

I can't say it got better but I wouldn't say it got worse either. At 9:30p we put Cade in his crib to sleep. For the first 10-15 minutes he just kinda talked and made baby noises, but not unhappy ones.

Then it became unhappy noises. For 40 minutes.

But then he fell asleep. WIN!

Of course he woke up 35 minutes later.

But Ross put his pacifier back in his mouth and he was asleep within 3 minutes.

He then slept 11p-4:30a and then 4:45a-8a.

Perhaps we'll see some progress tonight?

Sleep Training, Day 2

Making kissy faces at Mom right before bedtime

Well, this must be a fluke. Cade went right to sleep without a peep at 9:35p when he finished his bedtime feeding. He slept until 3:15a, up for a quick feeding and back to sleep til 7:30a. In a word: GLORIOUS.

But I know there's no way we sleep trained our kid in one night. I mean nobody is that lucky.

Right? Or maybe we are? False hope much?

Sleep Training, Day 1

I know sleep training is a controversial parenting topic that many people have strong feelings about. While I typically love lively conversation, I ask you to please keep the comments on this supportive. Thanks in advance!

Proof he survived night 1

Last night we made impromptu decision to begin the wee baby Cade's sleep training. At our 2-month pediatrician appointment, our doc suggested the Ferber method of sleep training and said in his opinion, it could be started at that time. Since I was still home and other opinions, including the founder of the method Dr. Ferber, suggested waiting til babies were 3-4 months old, we didn't go down that path right then.

But now I'm back at work and Ross goes back next week. With Ross' work schedule, a sustainable sleep situation is incredibly important for this family. So after a bedtime battle last night, sleep training was started.

Ross managed it, checking in on Cade at intervals to be sure he was OK (though very verbally not happy) and reassure him that we were still around. I busied myself in the bedroom, with the door closed, to help drown out his crying. (God bless my husband.)

I was expecting hours and hours of crying. You read these stories online about babies who cry for 2 or 3 hours the first night. Fortunately Cade put himself to sleep after just 40 minutes. (I say "just;" I'm sure if I had been the one listening to him cry it would have seemed like an eternity.) I think about nights when I've rocked him, held him, etc and ya know what - he's cried for a lot more than 40 minutes on a few of those nights. Crying longer and developing a dependency on mommy to go to sleep, well that just seems like the less practical of the two options to me.

Tonight is my turn to do the interval checks and hopefully it will be an even shorter time period. Maybe I have a sleeping champ and he'll go to sleep like a rockstar. Maybe. Hopefully.

It is certainly hard to hear him crying and not run to him but I try to remember that 1) a little crying isn't actually hurting him, 2) babies who learn to put themselves to sleep go to sleep quicker which leads to 3) mom and dad get more sleep and finally 4) putting oneself to sleep is an important life skill and its my job as a parent to teach him life skills.

We'll see how night two goes!

I Dare You Not to Smile

There's no way you can look at this silly baby in his fedora and not smile. NO WAY,  NO HOW.

You're welcome (for your smile that is).

Happy Father's Day!

First Father's Day with our best baby!

The Father's Day celebration included a gift of new running shoes, Father's Day Friday with the Hyatts, a wife-made brisket breakfast taco and of course, lots of baby and puppy playing.

Last minute purchase - a special Father's Day outfit for the wee baby

Proud papa and his two most favorite kiddos

Our Playdate Cup Runneth Over

Yesterday our family celebrated Father's Day Friday with the Hyatt clan. Brisket, board games, beer and babies. (And wine for me but that killed the alliteration.)

We had many wonderful things to toast to between our two families, dads topping the list of course. But my favorite non-dad thing to celebrate was the upcoming plethora of playdates Cade is going to enjoy with Miss Rowan. How and why you ask - BECAUSE ERIN IS GOING TO BE CADE'S NANNY!

It is seriously the best news these two working parents could have ever imagined. Starting next month the Cade-man will be hanging out with Erin and Rowan pretty regularly. We feel incredibly lucky to have this most awesome situation work out. Erin is a natural-born baby/kiddo caretaker and I can breathe easy knowing Cade is in super fabulous hands. I'm also very happy that as he gets a little older and is ready to play with other babies, Rowan (who is only 6 months older) will be there to be his BFF.

So enjoy this, the first of many Cade-n-Ro playdate pictures.

Boy's Best Friend

If only we had a "I love my boy" shirt for Lexi

Happy Quarter Year Birthday!

That's right! The Cade-man is .25 years old! (I blame Erin for pointing out this fraction...but it is way more fun to say than 3 months.)

Obviously this milestone resulted in a photoshoot this morning.

We started our photoshoot right after waking up. Lots of stretches were involved

Then it was time to check out the toys

After much persuasion, a smile

And another

Topped off by a half smile...and a demand for food

Achievements at the 3 month mark include

• First vacation without Mom & Dad (to Nana's house)
• Sleep record of 7 hours (though not yet consistently)
• Graduating to 6 oz before bedtime
• Good head control
• Reaching and grasping toys, especially on the swing
• Lots of "talking"

Onesie Wars Begin

Two hours with Nana and my kid is cheering for the other team.



We'll see about that Nana. Cade is a native Texan, with Houston roots. None of this Chicago bologna. This is exactly the kinda stuff that stresses working moms out - that they'll come home to a brainwashed baby.

GO TEXANS!

In the books

Day one of working motherhood is officially in the history books!

Here's what I was greeted by in my cube today



And as good as that is, it's what greeted me at home that I liked best



(Actually what I came home to was a napping babe, dinner on the table, clean house and one rockstar of a husband. It was pretty damn amazing. And it was followed shortly by some lovely baby snuggling and playing. Per-fec-tion.)

Smile Overdrive

Baby boy must know I am going back to work tomorrow because he is hitting me with the baby smiles hardcore today. Just check out this early morning grin.

Be still my mommy heart! Oh I'm going to miss that little toothless grin! Thankfully his daddy said he'd bring him up to the office one day so I can have a quick visit. That should help me survive week one of Working Motherhood.

And if that smile didn't turn you to buttah, this father-son moment will.

Hanging out poolside

Deep in the Trenches

"I'll butter mommy up with a snuggling lunchtime catnap and then
hit her with the one-two all night punch! Ha ha!"

We're deep in the bedtime battle trenches still. Last night looked like this

9:00 - mmm food
9:55 - asleep in crib
10:30 - just kidding! I'm awake!
10:45 - back to sleep in crib
11:30 - awake! let's eat.
11:50 - asleep in crib
1:45 - awake! let's eat.
2:10 - asleep in crib
5:25 - awake! let's eat.
5:40 - asleep, now in bouncer
7:30 - awake! let's eat.

Better than perfect

It's a good look on him

After today the hubby's vision is going to be better than perfect. How? He had LASIK! And that makes his vision 20/15 (dirty rotten scoundrel having better vision than me...jealous grumble grumble.)

Because my hubby LOVES to take unflattering pics of me (no make up, making weird faces, in hospital gowns during labor & delivery, you name it), I had to take advantage of this opp to get an unflattering pic of him. He's so darn good looking I hardly ever get such an opportunity. Haha but today I did! Enjoy this pre-op beauty!

Now he's at home, resting and wearing some awesome eye shields. He looks kinda like a fly with them on. I love him too much to take any more unflattering pictures but you'll just have to trust me.

The final awesome side-effect of this LASIK procedure is that he has a (surprise to us) follow up appointment tomorrow. And we needed a babysitter. Uncle Ryan to the rescue! I think this will be Ryan's first babysitting gig ever. It's right when Cade goes down for his morning nap so maybe Ryan will get lucky and can just watch ESPN for the couple hours we're gone while Cade naps upstairs. If you have an in with the baby gods, Ryan would probably appreciate a prayer or two.

Lost the Battle But Not the War

I'm determined that the parents will prevail in the Sleep Wars. DETERMINED I tell you.

For the past two nights bedtime sleep has been a little unpopular here. Ross has tried very very hard to get the Cade-man to bed but baby boy is being a stinker. STINKER. He just won't sleep for his dad and I know from experience how frustrating that is. It's probably more frustrating for Ross than for me since I have a couple anatomical weapons up my sleeve (so to speak) that he does not.

Both nights we've eventually gotten Cade to sleep at midnight and 11:30p respectively. Both nights he's woken up at 6:30a and 5:15a respectively, times which must just feel like  morning time because he's refused to go back to sleep afterwards. This morning I coaxed him into 45 minutes of dozing in bed with me but it wasn't quality sleep for either of us unfortunately. The end result is nobody in our home has gotten the sleep they need. 6ish hours simply is not enough!

He's cute so we're keeping  him,
Bedtime Demons and all

I'm thankful he's sleeping those 6 hours in a straight chunk but I really want 1) for it to start a wee bit earlier and 2) to be followed by a 2-4 hour chunk of sleep.

The silver lining? Yesterday he took 4 naps (2 long-ish ones and 2 catnaps) and today his morning nap has already passed the 2.5 hour mark. So at least he's eventually getting the sleep he needs and thus is a fairly happy baby. Thank God; because sleepy Mommy & Daddy would possibly lose their minds if they had an angry, fussy baby.

So to the Bedtime Demons - I'm on to you! You will be beat!

And the heavens opened up and the angels sang

Last night the wee baby Cade slept for a 6 hour stretch followed by a 3.5 hour stretch. Hallelujah!

We tried a new bedtime thing. He doesn't really do the early evening nap thing very well so I made the executive decision to cut it and try an earlier bedtime instead. I moved bedtime up to 8ish with the idea that we'd do a "dream feed" at 9:30 or 10p. The 8p bedtime wasn't super popular but by 8:45 he'd fallen asleep and got in 45 minutes. So around 9:30p I picked him up, still swaddled, gave him a bottle and he was back down by 10:20p. Then he SLEPT UNTIL 4:10a! Up for 30 minutes to eat and back to bed by 4:50a.

Morning play time is the best

Then, and this is just crazy, I woke up at 7:30a on my own. I thought I heard baby-waking noises but when I opened his door and looked in his crib, he was 110% in dream land. So I crawled back into bed for 15 minutes to cuddle with Lexi and Ross. Then I brushed my teeth, put in contacts, fixed my hair and ate breakfast before finally deciding I wanted him up. That's right. I had to wake him up. At mommy's encouragement, Cade finally woke up a few minutes after 8a. (I wanted to go to yoga at 9a and since I go back to work in a week he needs to get into a bit of a routine that includes waking between 7-8a so I can feed him before heading out.) He ate and then we played. Ah, mornings are so happy.

Ross took over around 9a (I opted out of yoga because baby playing was more fun) and I had a lovely Starbucks date with Brittany and then a great workout at the gym. I got home at lunch time, ate a pleasant lunch using both hands and as of right now, 12:12p, Cade is still enjoying his morning nap.

I gotta tell you, this is a pretty swell day. Per the post title, I feel like the heavens opened up, the angels sang and all was right in the Land of Cade.