1 Month, Baby!

Cash here. I’m one month old today and I’ve had a great day (except for when Mama stuck this hat on me to take a 1 Month Birthday picture. She wants me to have a "Birthday" hat on every month using a different hat. Really looking forward to it as you can tell. Maybe next month, my hat will fit). I kept Mama and Daddy up for a few hours this morning around 3 so they’re kind of tired but I’m good to go. Mama weighed me this morning and I’m 10 ½ pounds!!! She’s feeding me well. It helps that I’m a great eater. Mama thinks I get that from her but Daddy’s no slouch in that department either. I hit a growth spurt this week so I want to eat all the time. For some reason, it’s really frustrating Mama. She keeps talking about some “schedule”, whatever that is. She's always taking pictures of me when I'm laying on her so my head looks funny. She still thinks its cute...whatever.

The last month has been eventful. I was born, of course, and that was a doozy. Then I hung out with Mama and Daddy and Mimi and Aunt Traci and Ashley and Blake for a while at home. Then Mama started taking me to work every once in a while. I’ve been really good when she takes me to work. I lay in my basket and play and then I take a nap. Of course, then I eat. I do a lot of that, eating, playing and sleeping. Not always in that order. I like to call the shots sometimes. My cousin, Willa is at work too. She plays and sometimes eats but she never sleeps. I dont' know how she has so much energy? She's going to teach me some fun stuff when I get a little bigger. Like how to scream really loud just to hear my voice. And how to squish my nose up so everyone in the room thinks I'm the cutest thing ever and they'll give me whatever I want. Oh and you should see her work a room. She really puts on a show. I think she could make it big in Hollywood. She's awesome.

Also, I had my first Thanksgiving. It's some sort of holiday and all Mama and Daddy did is eat. Like, a lot. First, on Wednesday night, we went to Mammaw and Pappaw's house for Thanksgiving Mexican food. I had my first bad bout of gas that night and now, luckily, we don't leave home without Mylecon. That was no fun! On Thursday we went to Aunt Lea's church at Cave Creek and ate with her family for lunch. It was nice and relaxing and delicious! Well, judging by how much everyone was eating. Then after Mama, Daddy and I took a good nap, we went to Uncle Johnny's for dinner. I slept through most of the dinner. It had been a long day.

Mammaw's pretty table

Ashley and Cooper having some sparkling cider.

Aunt Happy and Uncle Goober (Adam)

The other six grandkids. Blake (aka Bubba), Cooper, Ashley (aka Sissy), Cameron, Rance and Cole.

Here I am snoozin at Uncle Johnny's. Mammaw really knows how to get me to relax.

The Friday after Thanksgiving, Mama had to go to work without me. And I was sad to see her go (not as sad her though. She definitely cried) but it was cool to hang out with Daddy. We watched the Deadliest Catch marathon and took lots of naps. We kind of made a mess somehow. It was weird because I don't really remember leaving the couch so I have no idea how we made a mess like that. Daddy just really knows how to make a mess. I'm sure it will rub off on me.

This week I decided to start smiling at Mama every morning. I look her straight in the eye and give her a grin. She says it makes her day but she still hasnt' captured it on film. I did it for Daddy a while back and I think she was a little jealous so I’m throwing her a bone. Last night/this morning when I really didn’t want to go to sleep, Mama remembered how much I liked to hear running water when I was really young . Turns out I still like it when I’m upset. I’m going for a record on the water bill. Daddy was in the bathroom with me running the shower for about 2 hours. Music to my ears. He kept trying to put me back in my bassinet but I kept telling him I didn’t want to go to bed yet so we’d head back to the bathroom. What a great Daddy. This trick really works in Mama's favor when she wants to take a shower. I just chill in my cool bouncer (that I'm big enough for now!) and listen to the water. What else is new? Oh and this is really fun. At night, my daddy talks to me and exercises with me. I stand up on him and straighten my legs. I totally hold up my head by myself for a really long time. My greatest show of strength, though, is how I can take Daddy to his knees when I get a good grip on his beard. I think I made him cry the other day. And sometimes I talk. I really try to impress when I have the energy. I’ve really been working on my cry too. I want to get it good and loud so everyone can hear me. Also, just the other day, I found my hand! It just popped up in front of my face and I followed it for a while. It was so weird. It’s like I was controlling where it went. Then check out the pictures of me holding my pacifier. I had it in my hand for a good two or three minutes. I’ve got a good grip even if it wasn’t totally on purpose. Please don’t tell my mom that it probably wasn’t on purpose. She was really excited. She keeps telling me I’m “advanced”. Tonight my Daddy started feeding me with a bottle. It tasted the same as what I get from Mama. They were saying something about “bonding” with Daddy. I’m not sure why crying in the evenings when he gets home isn’t considered “bonding” but I like this too. Okay, and when I yawn, Daddy calls me Mr. Magoo. Whoever that is.

Kickin' it in my bouncer. Being big is awesome.

I love to look out the window.

This is my Mr. Magoo face. ?

Holding my pacifier.

Oh look, I've still got it!

Here I am big & strong holding up my head.

Oh Daddy, I'm falling...

You're beard is so scratchy, Daddy!

Some things about me haven't changed. I still have the little white patch of hair on the back of my head. And I'm still spitting up buckets of milk every day. Mama has no idea how I'm still growing. What can I say? My eyes are just bigger than my stomach sometimes. Happens to the best of us. Mama just has to do a lot of laundry these days. I still really like to have lots of noise around. I can't handle it being so quiet. Daddy thinks that's the problem with me going back to sleep at night so hopefully, he's going to get me a good noise maker of some sort.

So I hope you enjoy the pictures. I really miss my Mimi and Aunt Traci and I can't wait to meet Sam & Alice & Ruby. Cousins are awesome and I've got so many. Mama is constantly wishing she had her camera even more because she thinks I’m so cute and she wants everyone to see. She's a very smart lady.

Here He Comes!!!

Hi there, its Cassell. Jordan has asked me to be her temporary guest blogger for the time being. I heard from her just a little while ago via text message, and here's what I know:
This morning, after she woke up, her water broke. She went on to the doctor's office for her appointment. They went through with the scheduled sonogram and were able to determine that Cash is in the proper position for his short but arduous journey. Jordan also mentioned that they got a great final picture of Cash in utero. For the next one, he'll be in her arms. I'll head up to the hospital with my camera, so you can expect it here, later today.
She has been having mild contractions for the past few days, as she wrote in her previous post. But now that her water has broken, they have changed to a more intense pain. She assured me, though, that she is having "good breaks in between." She's so tough! And they just arrived at the hospital in the last half hour. Derrek is so excited, doting on Jordan and keeping her relaxed and in good spirits. Check back often, I'll keep you posted!

Childbirth Class

Uh, yeah. I've been trying to avoid the whole subject of "childbirth" since I got pregnant. I know there are many other women that are scared but I've been determined to stay in denial. I mean, he's got to come out somehow right? Well, of course, I was encouraged by my doctor and friends and family to attend. Derrek was sooooooooo excited about it...riiiiiiight. Our first class was on Saturday and, well, we survived! I just really didnt' want to watch alot of videos or see pictures of the actual birth of children. I'm a freak, I know. Just, ever since we had to watch that video in our 9th grade health class, I get the idea. Of course, we did watch videos and they showed a few women laboring while their husbands loved on them and massaged them and talked sweetly to them. They just would breath and sometimes moan (Derrek and I were both a little freaked out with the moaning) and rock and walk and lay in bath tubs and sit on balls. The videos did freak me out a little bit more but I'm socking those memories away like I did in 9th grade. But, all in all, it was a good experience and I know being educated is always the best plan. The one thing I know, and a thought I've tried to avoid as well, is that anything can happen during labor and childbirth and it's best to be prepared.

Derrek had to leave a little early to take Blake to his soccer game and I was left alone for the breathing techniques portion of the class. I do plan on having an epidural but, again, anything can happen so I was all ears and paying close attention. I'm also kind of dorky when it comes to being a student or being coached. She had us do an exercise to test the breathing techniques. We had to do wall sits (where you lean against a wall with your knees at a 90 degree angle) and use the breathing techniques to get us through the pain. We did it three times. The first two times, the coaches/husbands did the wall sits as well and tried out the breathing. Then the third time, all the pregos did the wall sits and the coaches coached. I was missing a coach but very determined to check out the truth to these techniques. In other words, I was focused. Oh, and I had women on either side of me that had decided they do not want epidurals. They are going all natural. I think that is awesome so don't get me wrong when I say, uh, good luck! Maybe, I'm being all Braggy von Braggenstein (totally borrowed from my friend Jenn) but I was the only prego that didn't give up on the last wall sit!!! The breathing stuff works. Did I want to pass out when it was over? Yes. Did my thighs burn more than they've burned in about 10 years (since high school athletics)? Yes. The instructor was impressed and questioned my decision for drugs. I still want them but I feel great & a little empowered now that I can get this done no matter what. Now, I can't talk about it anymore. I won't sleep tonight.

Baby Flood

This weekend was my second and final shower in Fredericksburg. Our friends and family blessed us beyond belief with gifts for the baby. I really almost feel guilty because we got so much loot!

We got the crib & bedding:
We got the bassinet:

The car seat & stroller:
We got a million other wonderful things. We really don't need anything now! I can't believe it. I feel like a weight has been lifted. Mostly because we've done NOTHING to get ready up to this point. Now I just need to find a place for it all...well and for him!
Enough about the gifts. It was such a fun party. My friend, Kim, hosted it at her beautiful new home a few miles outside of town. An incredible view of the Hill Country could be seen from almost every room. It was the perfect backdrop to a perfect night. The food was incredible and the company was even better. Thank you, Cassell, Sarah, Rebekah, Destiny & Kim! It couldn't have been any better!

Here's Willa trying to take all of the attention away from me:)

Gifts Galore!

Baby time in Brownwood

We'd only been home for about 12 hours when I took off to Brownwood for my first baby shower!!! It was so nice to see old friends and family for a couple of hours. Well, getting a little dressed up for the first time in a week or so felt great too. I felt a little out of body being there, considering the last week but it was so much fun to think about the baby! Opening the little outfits, made me so anxious to hold and cuddle him.