Sleep...what is that again?

I never truly realized how much I would miss sleep...good ole non-interrupted 8-9 hour straight sleep. It seems like such a luxury now when I am awaking to breastfeed every 2-3 hours at night. Not that I really mind though. Having Caden in our lives is such an extreme blessing! He went to his 2-week check-up on Friday and weighs in at 8 lbs and 14 oz now! During the week, while Brandon works, Caden and I play together, watch Sesame Street, nap occasionally and spend a lot of time getting to know one another as Mom and Son. I really feel that breastfeeding is benefiting him and me. My clothes are already starting to fit again and my incision is healing slowly but surely. I never knew love until I looked into my son's beautiful blue eyes and I get lost in them every time I feed him. I love the closeness breastfeeding brings to us. Brandon is great with him too and I look forward to him arriving home every day to help me. The weekends are the best because Brandon and Caden hang out for a couple of hours while I nap! So, I do get bits and pieces of slumber. I love you Caden and are so happy you are ours! He is crying now so...I gotta go :)

Caden is here!

Caden Michael Neeley was born on Monday, November 29th at 7:35 am! He weighed 8 pounds exactly and measured 19 inches long. He has blonde hair and blue eyes just like his Daddy. We have been home from the hospital since Wednesday and I am so grateful to have him in my life. He is such a good baby who sleeps well and hardly ever cries really. Brandon has been off all week helping me but he has to return to work tomorrow. I hope I am able to provide for Caden just as well without him here. I am nervous but so excited to get to raise him and take care of him. I am currently breastfeeding which requires a lot of time and energy but I don't mind because it is the best thing I can do for Caden. Occassionally, Brandon gives him a little formula just to help him sleep longer but I refuse to. Breast is best afterall. Caden went to his first pediatric appointment on Friday and checked out very well. He had a slight case of jaundice and had to be treated for a day under the lights at the hospital which tore me apart but he seems to be clear of it now. Thank you Jesus for bringing this bundle of joy into our lives and please guide us along the amazing journey of parenthood.

Waiting Is The Hardest Part

Today...I am 38 weeks pregnant! Yay! I know pregnancy isn't permanent but sometimes it really feels like it is. I can't sleep and it is 4:50 am on a Friday morning. Maybe because I am anxious and excited as the day we get to meet Caden gets closer and closer! 10 days away to be exact. I have what I think is my last OB appointment at 8:30 this morning. Thanksgiving is less than a week away so I can't wait to see my family and have a great feast with them before baby's arrival. We got a Snuza baby monitor for Caden so that I may sleep a little when he gets here and we bought him a couple of Christmas presents....a Baby Einstein MP3 player and a Sleep Sheep sound machine. I, also, bought Mom and Josh's presents so that we have less to do later. The day after Thanksgiving, we get to put up the Christmas tree! I cannot wait to meet baby Caden finally! I pray all goes well with the delivery and that he is happy and healthy. And I pray that Brandon and I will be good and guiding parents for him. That's all I could ever ask for :)

25 days and counting...

I will be 36 weeks pregnant tomorrow! So blessed and happy to have made it to this point! I had another ultrasound at my last appointment to make sure Caden wasn't too big which it turned out that he was perfectly sized for this point and in the 90th percentile...whatever that means. I am so fortunate to say that this has been a smooth ride for the most part and I know how much of a blessing that is. Two of my dogs have gone to stay with my Mom for a while which makes me really sad but I am too far along to care for them and give them the attention they deserve right now. The house has been a lot quieter since they've been gone and it's depressing sometimes. I just try to concentrate on getting as much rest as possible right now though and getting mentally prepared for our son's arrival. Brandon and I have decided to not have Caden circumcised after doing extensive research on the issue. I believe that God is sending him the way He wants him to be and I could never put our newborn son through that kind of pain and torture. We have waited far too long for him and I really believe we are making the right decision. Brandon is working overtime whenever he can now along with doing dishes, laundry and cooking on the weekends so that I don't have to. Thank you Lord for my amazing husband and for my soon-to-be son! I am so humble and grateful.

Pregnancy Scrapbook

I think it's important to remember these feelings and experiences so I have decided to document my pregnancy...or as much as I remember. Way back in March of this year, I peed on a stick and saw two lines, although one was faded. I got another one and it also came out positive. I was in total disbelief after trying to get pregnant for nearly a year so I made a doctor's appointment. That test was also positive. I couldn't come to terms with it then but I was so, so happy and overjoyed. It was the blessing I had always hoped and prayed for.

I was immediately very, very hungry. I found myself waking up in the middle of the night to eat cups of yogurt, although I had never woken up to eat before. And in the mornings, I felt an insatiable hunger and pains if I didn't eat asap. I found myself very tired and exhausted. I could sleep all night long and sleep all afternoon with no problem. In the first trimester, I only got sick a handful of times, luckily. And it was rarely in the morning. I was very moody and hard to tolerate due to my changing hormones.

The second trimester brought a very exciting time! We learned the sex of the baby at around 20 weeks and it was a boy! I thought I was having a girl but Momma knew all along that it was a boy. Either way, I was so happy that the baby was healthy and growuing strong. The little popcorn flutters I was feeling soon became strong movements in my abdomen. Although, I spent countless time worrying that he just wasn't moving or kicking enough. Looking back, he really wasn't that active in the second trimester. I guess some babies are more laid back than others. I ate whatever I wanted...pickles, cheese, hamburgers, eggrolls, whatever. I actually drove all the way to town a few times because I had to have an Arby's roast beef sandwich or a BK whopper. I always took my prenatal vitamins and went to every single doctor's appointment.

The third trimester has been the most eventful...the baby shower, lots and lots of movement inside of me, the 3D ultrasound that showed him blinking and swallowing, the hiccups he gets almost every day, sleepless nights because of anticipation and bathroom trips every two or three hours, packing the diaper bag for him, organizing the nursery, dreaming of him and the day I get to finally hold him. I will be 34 weeks along tomorrow and I am nervous, excited, a little scared, very hopeful and eager to see him. I am tired of being pregnant but I am trying to enjoy these last few weeks because I am sure I will miss them. Please let his birth go well Lord and please keep him safe and healthy always.  

Falling into Fall

Caden, Brandon and I are doing well. I am 31 weeks and 5 days along today and so blessed to have made it this far. The baby was so active last night! I love the way he tumbles and rolls inside of me! We have another ultrasound scheduled for next Wed, Oct 13th to make sure he isn't getting too big in there. Mom is going to come and stay with me that night so that we can edit her book. So excited! The weather is way too cold in the morning and at night to be considered Fall. It's almost as if we skipped Fall this year and went right into Winter. I don't really mind though. My anticipation is growing every single day and I cannot wait to have/hold this little blessing. He is everything I have ever hoped and prayed for. And I promise to devote all of my love and attention to him when he gets here. Brandon has been hard at work, as usual, to ensure that we all have what we need to sustain. He is an amazing man and I can't wait to see him as a father to Caden. I know he will be extraordinary at his new role! Overall, I love my life...family...and self to a whole new degree. Thank you Lord :)

3rd Rate Romance

Modern day romance is such a jip in comparison to the past. I can't help but long for the days that I have never known in my lifetime but that our grandparents and their parents knew regularly. I imagine that every day started with a kiss and ended with a kiss, that every dance reminded them of earlier days and that every child they produced was a token of their two hearts combined into one. They prayed and ate together, they spent their weekends together and they never forgot their love for one another. In our present day society, people throw around the word "divorce" like a dice and use it as a weapon against the other person. It is so easy to split nowadays that hardly anyone makes an effort to stay together anymore. What happened to forever? Did it become too long and rendering in actuality? People simply don't care anymore. Bring back the romance people. Give each other a hug, just because. When you look at your partner, remember what you fell in love with them for in the first place. Do something small for the other person every single day, no matter what it may be. And most of all, cherish your marriage, your love, your family and your time together. And know that you have something special and rare these days. True romance.

Baby Tumbler

Baby Caden is tumbling and squirming so very much now! My gestational diabetes test came out normal and they moved my c-section date to November 29th instead of November 26th because of the Thanksgiving holiday. I am 28 weeks and 4 days along today and I am starting to feel anxious for Caden's arrival! I am so happy and blessed to have this amazing experience of carrying him in my womb. I love and adore him so very much. And I know that with each passing day, my love for him will only grow stronger :)

Baby Shower

The baby shower for Caden yesterday was wonderful. We got so much stuff for him including but not limited to a bassinet, pack n play, baby gym, Leapfrog chair, a Bumbo seat, diapers, bottles, a bath set and lots of clothes. It was a great event and we are so blessed to have a family and friends that love us. Josh made an awesome cake and we all played classic shower games. The turkey, dressing and fruit salad were delicious. Baby Caden is already a very blessed and lucky boy! He must have known he was being showered yesterday because he kicked so much! Haha. Love you Caden and everyone is so excited that we get to finally meet you come November :)

Moving Into Fall

I love the feeling in the air this time of year. Summer is moving out and Fall is rearing it's head. You can feel it upon waking in the morning...the crisp, cool breeze that surrounds you and when you step outside, you can smell the beginning of a brand new climate and season. Those hot, sweltering summer days will soon be a memory. I am waiting anxiously because we will see our son born this season, seriously miraculous. I love him so very much and I haven't even met him yet. How is that possible? My hopes and dreams for him are endless but most of all, I wish him a happy, long and healthy life. I look forward to holding him in my arms for the very first time, to singing him to sleep at night and to seeing his first baby smile. I know that he is the greatest blessing and a reminder that I must have done something right in my life, somewhere. And I want him to know that no matter what our future holds together, that he is the most important person in my life and always will be. He is already my heart and soul. I never really favored change but maybe, just maybe, change is good sometimes. The season is changing, my body is changing every single day, our lives are changing to accommodate a very special little man that we will soon call our own. And I truly couldn't ask for more. Thank you God!

Blessings and Storms

While I am very grateful for what we already have, I find myself longing for more. I am 6 months pregnant and have been out of work for 7 months. I don't know how we have managed to make it this long on my husband's salary alone. I am fortunate enough to receive unemployment every week but it only funds our groceries. There is no telling where we will be when this runs out. We are doing the best we can to cut back in major areas such as electricity usage and gasoline but I get majorly depressed when I think of how much our monthly expenses outweigh our income. We always seem to make it somehow, someway and for this, I am grateful. It must be an amazing relief and feeling to have endless money. I pray that God carries us in this difficult time and helps us to endure, as well as all of the families out there that need his help and strength. I know there will be a blessing somewhere through this storm.

Baby Caden On The Way

Brandon and I are so excited about Caden's arrival in the Fall! We have been working hard on his Winnie the Pooh suite and we are having a baby shower for him next Saturday. I am getting a lot bigger now but mostly right out in front of me! And baby Caden has been kicking and squirming a lot more often as we move into the 26th week tomorrow. I sleep with a lot of pillows now, just to make myself comfortable at night. And some rude lady asked me if I was having twins today! I replied "No, just one big, healthy baby boy!" I have a feeling I will miss these pregnancy feelings and moments one day so I started this blog...to give us something to look back on and reminisce. Oh, and the dreams of pregnancy are absolutely crazy! I have no clue where they come from. We are incredibly blessed and very grateful to God for this amazing gift. And we can't wait to meet you Caden Michael!