Spring Break

I cannot believe that it is already Spring Break! Seriously, where has all the time gone? I feel that rush teachers get toward the end of the year and it's unbelievable. Testing already? Wowzers! Anyway, the Spring Break of 2012 was very exciting and productive. We have lived in our house a year! When we moved, we had to do it pretty quick so there was no time for going through things, organizing and getting rid of junk. We just moved everything and are now going through that lovely process. Over spring break we took 1,000 lbs (we had my mom's refrigerator too) of junk to the dump. Thank goodness for free dump passes. My mom, Abby, Cache and I went up to Logan for a quick sewing trip. We stayed up till 2 AM sewing! It was so fun! I made 4 out-door pillows for our front porch, a skirt and finished Cache's quilt. It was a labor of love. It took me some time, but it's finished and ready to be loved. It has gray minky on the back that was a gift from Cindy and she quilted it as well. Something that I think is special is that she quilted his name on the bottom. I also got word that I got an interview for the masters program that I applied to. I'm excited to get started!

A to Z

The vultures are one of my favorites! They remind me of the vultures from the Jungle Book movie.

Look close and you can see his name!

Wednesday we cleaned up the house, did some relaxing and playing.

Thursday we went to the Living Planet Aquarium! It was a lot of fun. Cache actually had a great time too. We went with Kelsey, Ryker and Abby.

Coral

Super cool jelly fish.

Ryk enjoying the tanks!

Drink Break by the sting rays!

Last stop penguins! They were the coolest. They dove right in front of your face, were super cute and animated. We loved watching them dive and then land on their feet. It was so cute watching them walk. It was a lot of fun!

Friday we went and perused the Bijou Market in Provo. I just love going and buying locally handmade items. Carson and I got some very cute earrings and I got some things for Cache's room. We took the load to the dump and did yard work! After that we checked out City Creek which was pretty awesome. It's very nice! We liked it a lot.

Saturday I did a super shopping day. I think this will be a post of it's own, but I am getting a system down that I really enjoy. I also find that I have more quality time with Cache when I only shop every 2 weeks. It's been lovely.

Squash Allergy!

We have been full fledged into trying baby food. So far Cache has loved carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, beans, spinach, apples, apples and oatmeal, peaches, pears, bananas, watermelon, raspberries, blueberries, grapes (ground up of course!), gram crackers, cheese, and vanilla wafers. BUT NOT SQUASH or any other squash relative. He got a super red rash all over his face and chest and we knew almost immediately he was allergic. Isn't that a weird thing to be allergic to?

He loves being in his high chair and sitting with us at dinner time.

He loves feeding him self! He doesn't like it when we try to feed him "big boy" snacks. And when we spoon feed him, he has to have a spoon too. It's pretty funny how he grabs at the spoon in your hand until he has one of his own. It's just one of those things!

This is the face you get when the spoon gets taken away. Sad day.

Not Dead, Just Busy

Being a working mom is busy to say the least. Blogging has not been on my "radar" of things to do. So needless to say, January went by fast and we might as well lump February, March and now pretty much all of April into that category too. We have been up to a lot and we feel so blessed to have Cache in our lives. He makes everything brighter, funnier, sweeter and we are our happiest because he is around. I can't even begin to believe how big Cache is getting. I can't believe he has gone from this...

...to this in 8 short months!

He loves loves LOVES to put anything in his mouth. The more disgusting the better in Cache's book. He is especially attracted Scout's toys and black cords, which to me is vomit inducing and I do NOT let him do it! He has been laughing, "talking" and "singing." We love his singing voice. He does a fluctuation between high and very high for long periods of time. It gets us busting up every time. He is mobile and does a "combat crawl" as his "kids on the move" lady called it, he can pivot around and roll to any destination. This event in his development has forced us to really baby proof the house. He is so close to crawling!

Cache loves him some good ole hoodie strings!

Devouring one of his favorite books!

Oh and Cache got his first hair cut!

Before: an uneven, crazy, messy mess on his noggin.

Now: even, refined, manageable. He did really great through the whole thing. I kept giving him snacks and he did just great. Thanks Katelyn!

Christmas 2011

This Christmas was one of the best Christmases we have ever had! Traditions and holidays are more magical and meaningful with a little family of our own. I've had a very nice break from work getting to spend much needed time with Cache. We have been doing a lot of cuddling, laughing and playing. It has been so fun.
This Christmas I tried a few recipes that were so good! I made Berry Butter and Baklava from Pioneer Woman. My outcomes looked pretty much like her pictures which to me is a first! Also, I have loved smoothies again recently. I know it's weird because it is cold, but seriously, they are good. I especially love throwing in stuff from my basket which always makes it a little interesting.

This was a big party hit! I put a two layers of walnuts and a layer of chocolate chips. It was great!

This year was the Bradley's side turn Christmas. We had everyone come over to our house and sleep over. It probably wasn't the most comfortable sleeping on an air mattress (or the couch) but we had a blast. My mom made her traditional Cranberry French Toast which is to die over and snarf down as fast as you can. We got to Skype with Brad which as so great to talk to him AND SEE HIM AT THE SAME TIME! He is doing good and we can't believe that he is coming home this next year. Oh how the time flies! Here's a picture of Cache and I on Christmas morning and the "wrapping" I did this year and will probably do for the next few years because I bought so much of it!
Some funny things to remember: Cache loved watching presents being opened, had no clue what was going on, Santa got Cache a little play gym thing that he can swat toys and look into a mirror. He loves playing in it and talks to the toys like they are his buds. He was hypnotized by the Christmas lights this year. Smiled at the people behind us at church when they weren't even looking at him (so sweet), When Lance was feeding Cache in the morning he said, "Babe, we really need to get a savings account set up for Cache." Cache said, "Yaaaah." Right after. Weird and totally funny!!
Cache is is four and a half months old! Crazy how time flies! He has been a crack up these last few weeks and is making THE funniest faces and experimenting with noises. He has all sorts of noises that he uses now and is totally a charmer. He is all smiles and coos. However, when he is hungry he is HUNGRY! It's like he hasn't been fed before and is starving. He now weighs 13 pounds! Is getting chub everywhere and is getting the cutest cubby cheeks! We are just loving this boy and are so glad he is doing so well! Happy Holidays!

A Smile To Melt My Heart/ Update

Cache is 3 months! I can't believe how big he is getting! When his "Kids On The Move" lady came a couple weeks ago he was almost 11 pounds. We are shocked that he is getting chub on his arms and legs. He has started smiling and cooing which seriously melts my heart. It makes it so hard to put him to bed but of course sleep prevails! His "happy" sound is one of the best sounds I've ever heard in my life.

The background is sort of weird in this picture because our sheets look like they are the same color as the wall... ha ha

The last four nights Cache has slept all through the night. We hope this is a trend we are experiencing! The first night it happened Lance looked at me in the morning, "did you get up with him last night?" "No, did you???" We had a little celebration! I actually woke him up at 5:30 to feed him because he was asleep for 10 hours! Crazy town right? He ended up not having a polyp in his nose and we are so relieved that he didn't need anything special with that. As he has been getting bigger/older his nose has been a lot clearer. We haven't had to go to the doctor since fall break and we don't go until January so we are excited about that! However, if his belly button doesn't get better he will be having surgery on that.
My 24th birthday was a lot of fun. A mom in my class brought me some yummy fall bread, warm, straight out of the oven. That is what happiness is made out of! I had a wonderful yummy lunch break and it was amazing! Lance had to work on my birthday which was on a Saturday this year so I got a pedicure with my mom and we went out to lunch. It was heavenly and just the boost I needed! My mom watched Cache while Carson and I went to the mall and perused some stores finding some great deals on shirts which is always exciting (shopping with kids is just not the same). My mom surprised me with some Fiestaware which I am LOVING! Then when Lance came home, we went to dinner and watched a movie. It was a very nice day and I loved every minute!
This Thanksgiving was wonderful! We went to Lance's parents house in Altamont and it was lovely, peaceful and tons of fun! One of my favorite traditions that I have been able to be a part of with them is cutting down our tree on Thanksgiving day. We had such a blast! Charlie, Andy, Lance, Cache and I all went in one truck, while the rest of the family went in another truck. I just love the conversations we had up and down the mountain. Cache was really into it this year and snoozed through the whole thing-which was really nice! We hiked around the mountain side and found our winner for this year. Don't you really feel the push to get/revive traditions when you get married or start a family? I just love this tradition and we will be doing it FOREVER! Dinner was also lovely and yummy! I saw that a student of mine had "Muddy Buddies" in their lunch one day and I was craving them ever since! So I made those to snack on plus pop corn covered in white chocolate. I brought our favorite Broccoli, Bacon, Cheese salad and we had a wonderful feast filled with all the trimmings. It was great to hang out, play games, talk and just be with each other.
I love all the "In The Moment" posts I've been seeing around the web so here's mine:
Right now I am:
-Coming off the high of "Black Friday" No I did not camp out or do anything crazy. This was from the comfort of my own home online! Thank you anthropologie for for the great 50% off sale items! I got some seriously nice deals!!
- Loving the Michael Buble and the She and Him Christmas albums.
-wishing I could buy these
-wanting to make a paper chain for a "Christmas Count Down" because I am so excited!
-Thinking about applying to the masters program at UVU (I'm about 90 percent sure.)
-Mustering the will to deep clean my house in time for Cache's Baby Blessing (Next SUNDAY!)
-Hoping Lance took everything for his hunting trip.
-Most of all cuddling with my sweet, handsome boy.

Busy As Can Be

Well needless to say, we have been as busy as we possibly can be. Lance has been working six-twelve hour days a week for the past few months, I have been having super busy weeks at school with Parent Teacher Conferences and Pumpkin Walk. Not to mention still getting in the swing of things and establishing my class. Even though we are in the thick of it, we know we are so blessed. We have the energy to do the things we need to do and we have a lovely handsome boy in our lives. Cache is doing great. At his last appointment he weighed 7 lbs 14 oz. I just feel like every time we go to the doctor it's something else. This time we got referred to see an ENT specialist. Our pediatrician saw a little polyp in Cache's nose and we are seeing him tomorrow. We are also seeing our regular doctor tomorrow for shots and a check up! Good thing it's fall break. It's been crazy town here, but we have tried to stay organized and we have great help. I am so grateful for my sister! She is doing a wonderful job and sends me cute pictures on my phone while I'm at work. It's great.

Cache has been loving the cuddle time. I hope we aren't making some bad habits here, but we just love to have a cuddle nap in bed every once in a while. If he's super fussy we just hold him tight, lay down and he calms right down. Now that I think about it, yeah, we are probably doing some "no-no's" in establishing a routine but right now I don't care. I love it too much.

He started figuring out how to suck his thumb. Every time he does it his finders stick straight out like a fan and he has a serious look on his face. It's super cute! He also enjoys sucking his fist. We can tell when he is very hungry because he will be going to town on his hands and licking us when we pick him up. It's pretty hilarious!
Scout has been an angel! He has sort of been put on the back burner of receiving our attention. He has been so calm and even though he is curious about Cache, he is gentle. I are relieved that it's going this well!

6 Lbs. 6 oz.

At Cache's doctor appointment on Thursday he weighed 6 pounds 6 ounces and 19 1/4 inches long. I was shocked when I looked at the scale! He still is in the 0% for basically everything but he is doing great. When we were in the NICU the occupational therapists and the doctors all said to count him like he wasn't here yet until his actual due date. So if you go back 5 weeks on the scale, he is pretty close to where he needs to be. A little side note- it was weird for me in the NICU when a doctor would ask the nurse how old Cache is and she would say something like 38 weeks gestation. It's still weird!
Anyway, I go back to work tomorrow and I am excited, nervous and a tad bit sad. It's also a little weird because I haven't even met my students! It's going to be like the first day of school all over for them. Wish me luck!
It is hard having to leave Cache at home. However, it is so much easier leaving him at home with my sister then having to leave him at the hospital for four weeks not being able to hold him very much or be with him. We totally get to spend more time with him now that he is home then when he was in the NICU.


He has been so much more alert lately and it has been so much fun! He is starting to suck his thumb/fist and it is so fun to watch his development.
At our previous appointment Cache's doctor has to cauterize Cache's belly button. He had a central line in the NICU that went through his belly button and it wasn't healing as fast as we would like. At our appointment last Thursday it was better but still isn't healing very well so we are going to see a pediatric surgeon on Tuesday. Cache might have to have surgery on his belly button. I know, one more thing right? It's not an emergency situation, but it is something that needs to be taken care of and then hopefully we can be done with the hospital visits after this!

Things I Want To Remember ...

Here are a few things I want to remember about Cache. Month 1
He:
loves to be wrapped up tight but his hands always make it out some how
knows when medicine is in his bottle and drinks it slow till it's gone
loves to be held tight
hates to be bounced when being held (stresses him out!)
grabs his hair or my thumb when he eats
does NOT mess around when he is hungry
takes a while to burb
eats a whole whopping 70-80 mL now!
hates to be naked
usually cries when he is being dressed
likes baths once he is in the water
loves tummy time, specially on dad's tummy
likes Blake Shelton, puts him to sleep every time! (Specially this song)
only cries when he wants something
loves to be held (We think because we only were able to at certain times in the NICU. sad or what?)

sleeps 3-4 hours so far
wakes up about twice a night
likes his back rubbed
is getting his dad's hair line and cowlicks
finally fits into newborn size diapers and almost new born clothes. Not quite.
produces a lot of boogies
doesn't mind when they are being sucked out
likes his car seat and car rides
likes the moby wrap
is always awake at 8PM wide awake
favors his left side when he is sleeping
stares at the little blue owl on his rocker till he is asleep when he sits in it
makes a lot of laundry, like a load or two a day!
toots loud, like a man!

makes this face every so often but is NOT crying! Maybe just a nightmare? Hurt tummy?

Home And Thriving

Home! Cache is home! But first, here are some lasts. One of his last nights in the NICU. Shortly after this picture his tube got professionally taken out by the nurse. I thought I had a picture of it, but it got deleted some how. After my last post of going "back and forth" with progress, Cache took off. Every nurse and doctor told me that it would happen and I guess I couln't believe it until he really did. After that post he did one day of 4 feedings which he took his full amount and then after that day the feeding tube was just used for his medicine. He did a 12 hour request, then right after that he did a 24 hour request and then he did a day of demand. They took the tube out and he ate like a regular baby all day and night long. To pass that test and to be able to be discharged he had to gain 20 grams and he gained 30!! We were so excited after the nurse did the math, we just new that we were going home!


To us he is getting so big! He left the hospital at 5 lbs 5 oz. We are still loving the hair! He could almost use a trim in the back, it's getting a little mullety.

Last bath in the NICU, this was a couple days before he got discharged and he was being Mr. Cute that day. The nurse put his hair in a faux-hawk, isn't he handsome!

I feel like we should call his discharge day "gotcha day" like they do with adoptions. For exactly 4 weeks we were just able to be Cache's "visitors" and now he ours. See the little yellow band on my arm? I am so glad that I don't have to check in and sign in at the desk on the 5th floor, go down to the 4th floor, and go through 2 security checks just to see my baby. He was discharged on September 12, at 9:40 AM. Here he is seconds before we put him in his carseat, no monitors or feeding tubes, just a regular baby ready to go home!

After we put him in his carseat we were ready to go! Thankfully he passed his "carseat test" so he was able to sit in the back seat by his self and he did great!

Thanks to nurse Lisa, we got some great pictures. After we got all of our stuff packed she asked, "did you bring a camera? You brought a camera right?" and after I told her yes, that in fact I did she was the photographer for the morning. I love this picture. I know that I already look tired! It was hard to sleep the night before because we were so excited, like first day of school or the night before christmas excited. Then I had to be there early to feed Cache, make sure everything was in order, sign papers, talk with his doctor, pack up etc, ect...

Lisa also sent us something in the mail a few days later that we left at the hospital. She made sure we got all of the stuff we would want from the hospital so we could start making a baby book for Cache. What a great lady! We sent her a thank you note back, hopefully she gets it! She was one of our favorites!

Here is Cache's one month picture! We went to the doctor and he is 5 lbs 10 oz and 18 1/2 inches long. We just love our doctor, he was actually my pediatrician and he is so funny. On discharge day he was telling the nurse and I a story and some swears slipped out. I just love that guy!

You wouldn't wish this experience on anyone but Cache did come home on a nice little schedule from the NICU. From pretty much day one they always fed Cache at 2, 5, 8, and 11 am/pm if he was hungry or not. So when he started doing request and demand he stuck pretty close to that schedule. Now that we are home he does great and sticks pretty close to those times. We also feel like we are good enough caregivers for Cache because we had to pass off things like bathing and CPR, we had to go to classes and we had occupational therapist helping us with feeding, we got so much information and help, it was really nice for first time parents.

Thanks to all the great people around us we have just been taken care of! Family and ward family bringing us dinner, my great sister in laws threw a baby shower and we have just had so much help! We love you guys!