First Birthday and First Haircut!

Today is Caden's birthday! It's so hard for Scott and I to believe that a whole year has gone by...just last year we were in the hospital staring at our beautiful baby boy in amazement that we were parents...now we are amazed at how fast that beautiful baby boy is growing up. It seems like he gets bigger and does something new everyday...

Dear Caden on your first birthday,

We love you soooo much and today on your first birthday, we just wanted to tell you that you are the best thing to ever happen to us. We can't imagine our life without you now and wake up everyday looking forward to seeing your cute little smiling face. You have amazed us every day in the things you do and learn. The sign that we hung in your room "A baby fills a place in your heart that you never knew was empty" has definitely been proven to us as a true statement. We love you baby boy...your first year has been wonderful and we are looking forward to all of the wonderful moments that are still yet to come.

Love, Mommy and Daddy

Now...here are some pics...

On our way to get his first haircut...with his first birthday hat on...and no, Nana, I wasn't driving while trying to take the picture, I was stopped...

First haircut...Caden with Mommy and his hairstylist (Well, really, mommy's hairstylist, Tish)...

Before picture...

Getting our haircut...he was soooo good...maybe it was the toy that I had in my lap that helped :)

Getting the hair blown off...he LOVES the blowdryer...I blow him with it every morning as he watches us get dressed for work...

Daddy trying to make Caden laugh since Nana said that he looked sad in the pictures in the last blog post...he wasn't sad though...it just takes a lot to impress him...

We gave him a cupcake since today was his actual birthday...party on Saturday where he will get the smash cake...

He wasn't too impressed with the cupcake...but he was liking the way the icing felt in between his fingers...



Now...just a cute picture of the big boy with his big boy haircut (he was so happy that there was a cup on the coffee table for him to knock down...oh, the things that make him happy...)

He got his first birthday present in the mail from Nana today...he was really excited about the box it came in...

First birthday party pics coming soon...

Busy weekend with LOTSA pictures!

Daddy and Uncle Todd went to their annual convention in Omaha Wednesday through Sunday, so Aunt Carly, Brody and Wade came over to Tallahassee for a weekend visit. Aunt Carly came to help me celebrate my 30th birthday on Friday night, too! We hit the town...Brody and Wade had a babysitter at our house...and Caden spent the night out with Stacey (his daycare provider). Thank you, Stacey and Paul!!! Fun times were had by all ;). I'm still loving my camera and have taken almost 350 pictures in a little over a week...sounds like it was a good purchase to me! So, beware, that the blogs will consist of a ton of pictures...I'm sure everyone doesn't mind though...

On Saturday, we took all of the boys over to the Garbers to get in the pool and got some great shots! We tried them out in the kiddie pool at first...

Here's Cole Garber showing Caden the ropes of the kiddie pool (his first time in one of those).

Then, we added Brody and Wade to the mix...


Now a cute shot of Caden...Daddy would be so proud of the hat on sideways...I just love how his air is so wispy out of the sides of his hat :)...(just to let everyone know, we have an appointment for a haircut on Wednesday and I'm very sad about it!).

Now, I just had to post this one of Brody...I'm sure Carly will too on her blog...When we were uploading all of the pictures this morning, we started to die laughing because Brody looks like he is saying "Ole!".

And then, I love this one of Wade...

Then Caden and I went in the big pool...he was so tired...it was too cute, he just put his head down on his float and just laid there. I thought he was going to fall asleep in the pool, but he would kick around every now and then...

We got home that night and man, what a bath time schedule with three babies...You get one bathed, start on the next, make sure the one that is mobile isn't crawling where he shouldn't be (Caden)...but we finally got them all bathed and sleeping...but not before we got some really cute pictures. (excuse Caden's hair, it is greased up with Sunscreen).

I love this one because it just looks like Brody and Caden are having a conversation just leaning up against the car...Brody is talking and Caden is listening intently...

And then this might give you an idea of how it is with three babies in the house...all going separate ways! Brody rolls and rolls and rolls, Wade does the inch-worm crawl, and then Caden full on crawls...we'll really be done for when they are all full on crawling!!

Caden looks like he is trying to pull Wade in the car...Like, "Come on Wade, let's go this way!"The Harrell Boys! Brody and Wade must have caught a glimpse of Riley while we were taking this one. They were infatuated with him - he looked like a big fluffy toy to them! Riley loved having them here, because that meant there were 3 babies all dropping food for him from the highchairs...

Now just a funny one of Caden licking the high chair...can't wait to show this one to him when he gets older!And now if you look closely, you can see all four of his teeth in this one...Whew...and that was our weekend...Now, we're preparing for Caden's first birthday this week! I am still in shock that he is going to be one...As if it didn't make me feel old already to turn 30, now I'm going to be the mother of a one year old! Next post should be of birthday pics!

Finally, my two front teeth, my two front teeth...

The second top tooth popped through today! Finally! So, Caden has 4 teeth just in time for his birthday next week...He asked the Easter Bunny for them, so I guess he worked his magic and they came a little after Easter...

___________________________________________


Picture to be uploaded soon...
But the little stinker won't let me get in his
mouth....

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Daddy is in Omaha this week for his annual convention, mommy's birthday is on Friday and his daycare provider, Stacey (see previous post for picture) is soooo graciously keeping him overnight for me on Friday....so nice to have great people like her in town when your family is so far away.

We miss you, daddy!

Now we're really having fun!

Well, people told me I would be busy once he was mobile, but I had no idea...Caden is now crawling everywhere! And pulling up on everything! He tries to pull up on the TV, his high chair, the coffee table, me, and the dog (he hasn't quite figured out that Riley is shorter than he is). He also is moving from object to object if they are close together without falling (well most of the time...) He tried to climb over the treadmill not realizing that he could fall off and he did. I try to stay with him all of the time, but I can't catch him all of the time...

And Mommy bought herself a new camera for her depressing...sigh...30th birthday...it came early, so I've been taking pictures of my little male model trying out my new camera (it's a real camera...Canon Rebel...not a point and shoot, so it's complicated!) Here's some of the shots I've taken this weekend...

He has started to say da-da, but I'm in denial that it's his first word, because he hasn't associated it with Scott yet...We're working on our mmmmm sound too. He has also started to "dance". It's hilarious. You just look at him and sway your head back and forth and he copies you. I've tried to get it on video, but he is not cooperating with me on that. Maybe next post, I'll have one...10 days until the big 1st birthday. Can't believe my baby is going to be 1!!!

Happy Easter!

Lots of new stuff to update...First Caden got his first fat lip! He is obsessed with opening cabinets and the only one I haven't figured out how to childproof is in our coffee table...well he opened it right into his mouth...it bled a little (that was not fun for mommy...just broke my heart, but I know there will be many more cuts, bumps, and bruises), swelled a little and then he was fine...

Then...he has a new tooth on the way, so teething makes him go from happy to mad in .3 seconds...

Then we went to see the Easter Bunny on Friday evening. I put Caden in his cute little Easter outfit (I just love his seer sucker pants...I know there is a day where he won't let me dress him in seer sucker, so I'm doing it now) and we set out to the mall to see the Easter Bunny. I put Caden in his lap and Caden just looked back at me (much like he did when I put him in Santa's lap) like I was crazy for leaving him there, but they eventually got a smile out of him...

We were headed over to Macclenney to see Scott's grandmother for Easter, but the Suwannee River had other plans. The water level was rising so much that we weren't sure that we would be able to cross back over to get to Tallahassee....So, Scott's dad went over to get Grandmother and we spent Easter in Panama City Beach with Grammy, Pops, and Grandmother! Here are some pics from our weekend. Here is Pops playing the pots for him...

He was very intrigued...

Here's Caden with his Easter basket...

He really loved the eggs...the Easter Bunny brought him eggs that look like sports balls...and he is so intrigued by balls lately...he loves to bat them around on the hardwood floors and then crawl after them...and then hold him in his hands and clap them together...

He looks sooo excited for his first Easter, doesn't he???

Ooooohhhh, almost forgot. I get made fun of for doing everything by the book (do people not realize that I'm a CPA and it's just my nature), but low and behold, I put Caden in his big boy carseat 2 weeks early! And facing front! He is almost 27 lbs, so he far exceeds the weight...He wasn't quite sure what to make of it, and quite honestly I think he prefers his old carseat because all of his friends hung off of the handle for him to play with! I guess I'm going to have to get him some new friends and figure out how to rig them from the roof of my car...

And we are full on crawling and pulling up all the way to standing up! And gets rather proud of himself when you catch him in his crib or the pack in play standing all the way up! Walking is just around the corner and everyone keeps telling us that we are in trouble when that happens...but hey, when you have to lug around a 27 lb. baby, you would welcome the walking on his own...

And then, I just love this face...when he scrunches up his nose and closes his eyes in anticipation of the flash...
And then every baby needs a picture in the laundry basket, don't they????


Can't believe our baby boy is going to be one in a little over 2 weeks!!! Time has flown by (and dragged by slowly at some times...) It's definitely been a year full of adventures and we wouldn't trade any of it for a minute.