Lilypie Second Birthday tickers
Lilypie Third Birthday tickers

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I know, I know, I am way behind in blog land... Miss Eden turned 3 months old and is more fun than ever. She is sleeping through the night most of the time. She is really starting to use her hands to play with toys and pull out her pacifier- but hasn't figured out how to put it back in! She smiles all the time and last week she laughed for the first time when I was kissing her neck- it is amazing how tiny things now rock our world...

We took the usual I-20 road trip for Thanksgiving. Thursday morning to Tyler to celebrate with Brett's family. We were able to hang out with his parents and his brother's family. Our nephew Garrett is 16 months old and such fun. I was so glad to get to spend some uninterrupted time with them. We took some really cute pictures of Eden and Garrett together, but I don't have them yet... Isn't this sweet of Eden and Brett's mom- "Sassy"

Friday evening we came back to Granbury and then left Saturday morning for Colorado City. We spent the afternoon with my dad's extended family and it was such fun to introduce Eden to all of them...

I pray that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and had at least a moment to thank God for all that He has done and all that he has given us. My cup overflows!!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Our Little Tomato...

Better late than never! I have no great excuse for just now getting Halloween pictures posted, except that I am STILL amazed at how very little I get accomplished on any given day. I have never been a terribly organized or disciplined person, but I was always able to pretty well disguise myself as one... then along came Eden... I really wish I had nipped some of my inefficient habits in the bud before children, but that's a topic for another day. I will say (before moving on) that I wouldn't trade my inefficient life for any other on earth. Gosh I love that baby.

...Back to Halloween. We took a quick weekend trip down to San Marcos with our good friends Katie, Dewayne, and baby Johnna (Johnna is just 31/2 weeks older than Eden- I know, how fun!). Great weekend for early Christmas shopping, and once again Brett was a champ and watched BabyGirl so I could power shop. True to my roots, I didn't take a single picture all weekend, so I have to be honest and tell that the shot below is from a week earlier at Brett's triathlon- but you get the idea. I giggled every time I looked at her- still do when I see the picture. Thank you Doll for such a fabulous costume!

For any of you that don't know, Halloween is also my birthday. Sweet husband of mine got me four gifts (not including the Starbucks breakfast): 1. beaded make-up bag I'd had my eye on
2. Pepper spray 3. Book on jogging stroller fitness (what is there not a book about) 4. Super cool jogging stroller. I must share that he took all of the gifts (minus the stroller) to Bealls and paid them to wrap them because he knew I loved pretty wrapping (mind you none of them were purchased at Bealls). Isn't that so thoughtful and really funny!? The shot below is of our first jog the other day. May I just say that "pre-pregnant" jogging and "post-pregnant" jogging- NOT THE SAME! Still not sure whose body this is... It was really nice to get back out there though. I'll just be glad when it doesn't feel like my stomach is jogging with me.


The last picture is just because I love it... and her.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Rock the Triathlon...

My stud of a husband finished his first triathlon yesterday! It was a sprint distance with a 300 meter swim, 12 mile bike ride, and 5K run. I am so, so proud of him! I had a blast watching him and he did fantastic- especially for a first attempt. Isn't it funny how you forget about certain parts of a person you know well- like a spouse for instance! I mean, I'm quite familiar with the brillant lawyer, master hunter, bookworthy husband and father- but I had truly forgotten that I am married to an elite athlete! I had never experienced watching him in competition before and woo-hoo I could really get used to it... There is just something about cheering for someone you love! I am so excited about the next one and if I wasn't certain that I would die a slow drowning death I might just think of joining him at some point. Land, people, I stick to the land... Way to go Brett- we are crazy proud of you!



Friday, October 24, 2008

Eden's Nine Weeks Old

Highlights:
*She poops without assistance- yeah!
*She LOVES to take a bath and HATES to get out
*She smiles and "talks" all the time
*Still wakes up about every two hours- Boo

It is such a pleasure to be her Mamma!




Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Happy Birthday to My Favorite...


Yesterday my favorite person in all the world had a birthday...

Brett,
You have given me a life better than I ever imagined- really. I thank God every day that He gave me a person that is SO much more than I deserve and more than I ever wanted...
Thank you -for loving me so selflessly- for working so hard to provide well for our family- for trying to get better at everything you do- for being so patient with me this year- for stopping by the house during the day, just to say hello- for always telling me you think I'm beautiful- for learning to listen to me- for making everything so much fun- for making me laugh hard everyday- and for teaching me the value of silliness. I love you more than I can say.
Happy Birthday!

For Brett's sake I must tell of the Great Deer. Last weekend Brett went with his good friend Dewayne to hunt his family's land in Golthwaite. It was Brett's first time to hunt with a bow and he got this 9 point from less than 20 yards away. You should ask him to tell the story! We are so very proud!

A little bit of Eden...

"Rough Night."

"Big Girl"




Sunday, September 28, 2008

First Trip to Sassy & Grandpa's House!

Well, Brett marched in on Thursday and said "let's go to Tyler", so we just packed up and left! Of course it now takes us 4 hours instead of 30 minutes to "pack up"- gives a whole new meaning to 'spontaneous'. We had a great time and Eden was a charm as always. We all went to eat at "Jakes" for dinner -which is now under new ownership and is EXCELLENT for any of you Tylerites reading this- loads of fun. Saturday we had little early birthday celebration breakfast for Brett who turns thirty-something on Oct. 7 and after Brett picked out a new golf bag (happy birthday from Mom & Dad), we headed home... It is nice to be back to some "normal" activities.

As a quick update, Eden has been pooping on her own every two to three days now- Praise the Lord! We have also started some "sleep training". Nights are still a little rough, but improving- today though, Eden put herself to sleep for a nap just beautifully- yeah!!!

Sassy & Grandpa (Brett's parents), Eden and
Garrett (our nephew)

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Poop in Progress...


Isn't she beautiful...look at that precious Cain nose.

I meant to include this pic from the hospital long ago. Our great friends T.O. and Candace gave Brett that shirt.


We took Eden to the GI specialist on Friday and she said what we already suspected- that Eden is probably normal and that we should just continue our current pattern. She did prescribe Lactulose to see if that increases her frequency. If any of your babies have taken it, I would love to hear how it went. She wants to see us back in 10 weeks and if we are still having problems, she may order the diagnostics for Hirschprung's disease. The absolute best part is that Eden decided it was time to poop- right there in the doctor's office. I think the doctor wondered if we new what we were talking about!

Because we were already up in Hurst, we decided to drive over to Plano/Frisco and spent the night. We stayed at this new hotel at the shops at Legacy in Plano called Nylo. It was one of those places that was trying really hard to be super fancy, but just kind of missed it. It was really modern and just pretty interesting- the walls, ceiling, and floor were all unfinished concrete and the plumbing and ducts were all exposed- interesting- super comfy bed, though, which is the MOST important thing to us. You can sort of tell from the picture below. We had lots of fun, but I think next time it's back to our staple Westin Stonebriar.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Growing Up Already...



Gotta love that boppy...


Thank you Moore Family for my swing...I love it
and so does my Mom because I take my best naps in it!

Look what I learned to do Mom!

Well Eden is 3 weeks old and it feels like she's been with us forever! What a pleasure... She is loving her baths, and she will sleep for 2 hours at a time on her own... still working on it. Pooping is still a problem. For the past 10 days she only goes every 4 days when I give her a glycerin enema (one of the many pleasures of motherhood- but I really don't mind). She doesn't seem the least bit uncomfortable- thankfully- and when she does go it is nice and soft- no constipation. We are going to see the gastrointerologist a week from today. The pediatrician wants us to make sure that it isn't Hirschprung's Disease which is where a portion of the colon lacks nerve cells that stimulate it to contract. It's a little tough to hear the word disease in reference to your 3 week old... There is a greater chance that Eden is just what they call a 'normal variant' (no disease)- I prefer the term 'extra special'. I must declare from the rooftops, however, that today while shopping at Target with our very special friends Katie & Johnna- Eden pooped on her own! I have to admit that I cried a little bit! Of course, the moral of the story is that shopping really can cure anything... In all seriousness, thank you Lord!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Week 2 and Playing Catch-Up


Every day just gets better doesn't it... Eden is wonderful. She will now nap on her own but still needs to be next to Mom to sleep more than an hour overnight...we're working on it. Bath time is MUCH better. She won't admit it, but I think she even likes it a little bit. Thank you moms for all the great advice. One tiny hiccup- Eden doesn't poop! We are going on 41/2 days with nothing. I know that is common for breastfed babies but not usually this soon. She has no signs of constipation- thankfully. Her doctor is going to consult a GI specialist today to get some input, because we are both a little stumped. Anyway, please pray for poop!

Birth Story-

I know for many (or most) of you birth stories are a little like dog stories- only interesting if it's your own- but for any of you who are strange like me and love all the details I wanted to finally take the time to tell about Eden's arrival. I'm sure you'll want me to just get to good stuff already, but these are MY precious details- so bear with me and feel free to skim to the end!

I went to the doctor on the morning of Tues 8/19 and she told me I was 80% effaced but not dilated at all. She suspected Eden would arrive around her due date of 9/3 and told me I would be officially 'full-term' (38 weeks) the next day (8/20). That late afternoon Brett and I went and had 'maternity' portraits done thanks to an incredibly sweet gift from our friends Bryan and Jennifer. Toward the end of the session I felt a little achy and more tired than I had ever been. We went home and I could barely peel myself off the couch until bedtime (I made an exception for an incredibly healthy dinner from Chicken Express)- still just achy below my belly-button (not unusual for 38 weeks pregnant). Around midnight I noticed the achiness was coming and going and I had the fleeting thought that these could be contractions- but no, it was still a bit early and after all I hadn't had my nesting phase, diarrhea, an energy surge, braxton-hicks or any of the other 'omens' of labor, and all those books MUST be right! By 2a.m, the achiness had turned into burning that was definitely regular and intermittent- I got up to go to the bathroom and lost my mucus plug. That's when I first thought- this could really be it.

I went to the sofa because I was way to uncomfortable to sleep. True to my personality, I got my stop-watch, pen and paper, and extra pillows so that I could strictly follow the instructions from all the 'birthing books' I had read (they hadn't been exactly right so far, but one's gotta have a plan!). Again, true to my personality I didn't wake Brett- after all, what could he really do at this stage and at least one of us should have a good night's sleep. So, the 'pains' got stronger and gradually closer together. Just an aside- I expected contractions to feel like a strong muscle cramp- not so for me. They felt like bad burning indigestion only low in my abdomen- strange I know.




So, about 6am I heard Brett's alarm go off and I went in and told him I had been having contractions all night. It was just like a movie- in the fog of sleep he said 'oh really', then his eyes jumped open and he flew out of bed and said "We're having a baby today-Gotta get ready!"

He made sure I was comfortable and was able to time the contractions and then he got to work- unsolicited no less. He picked up the entire house- garage cleaned out, nursery set-up finished, everything! He even called the cleaning lady from the office and arranged for her to come clean while we were gone. He was amazing.... such a good one.

According to our plan, we left about 1pm to head to Fort Worth. It seems really funny now, but we stopped at the office so I could get payroll done and get a deposit ready- then we drove through the bank to deposit everything. We saw a friend who worked at the drive-thru window and I am sure she thought we were crazy running errands while in labor. I just stopped to breathe with every contraction and worked in between. Off to Fort Worth...

We got a hotel room in FtW to wait until 'time' to go on to the hospital. The doctor (and all my precious books) said to wait until the contractions were 4 to 5 min apart, at least 1 min long for at least an hour. Well, my contractions were 1min long practically from the beginning and they would vary from 5 to 9 minutes apart- so no rush. After all, I didn't want to be turned away from the hospital for not being far enough along... Brett got us a little food and we were ready to just wait it out. We figured out that my contractions got closer together if I moved around, so I commenced to pacing. Still not consistently 5 minutes apart, I decided to take a quick shower
(I knew it may be a while before the next one). Ladies, the moral of the story is that if labor seems a bit draggy, take a shower! Oh my, a HUGE contraction hit and lasted for - no lie - 3 minutes! I was frozen, couldn't do a thing... Brett had to get me out of the shower, dry me off, and put my clothes on. He even tried to wipe mascara off my face- funny picture now, not at the time. Again, heck of a man I've got.

Needless to say, off to the hospital ASAP! Got there (thank God for valet parking- literally), got checked in. The nurses weren't nearly as panicky as we were- it was as if they had seen this all before. I had to answer very important questions like what kind of vitamins I took and when I saw my doctor last- still with contractions on top of each other... Now I am well aware that all the questions serve a purpose, I just REALLY wanted someone to make sure there wasn't a baby coming out of my body. The contractions slowed down a bit and then the nurse finally checked me. Now my fear was that after everything, I would be dilated to like a 4- well, not so, I was at an 81/2 already! The nurse was shocked and asked if I had waited so long on purpose.



The next little bit is kind of a blur. I was sad to find out that my doctor wasn't on call. They paged the guy who was, wheeled me into the L&D room, and then we just waited. About 30 min later, the doctor came in and I was still at an 81/2. He broke my water, but apparently I wasn't progressing fast enough for him, so he told the nurse to give me some pitocin. Now, even in the fog of labor- decisions made about me, right in front of me, and not discussed with me don't go over very well. Brett and I piped in and finally agreed to allow the smallest possible dose of pitocin because Eden's heart rate was a little high.

Well, God is so gracious in every way. Eden's heart rate almost immediately got high enough to be a concern so they had to stop the pitocin and had me lay on my left side. I realized that I had stopped relaxing during the contractions, which I knew was critical for labor to progress. The doctor told me he would have to restart and increase the pitocin as soon as her heart rate went down or if it didn't, he would have to "take her fast" which I presume meant a c-section. Now, I was willing to do whatever I needed to protect Eden, but dad gum it I hadn't gone this far to lose control now! So, I made the decision to try with every ounce of my power to relax during the contractions and move things along. So, with every contraction- only by the Grace of God- I forced myself to stay relaxed and I prayed for that sweet girl to move down where she needed to be.

Brett watched the monitors and her little heart went down to a normal level, as I kept concentrating. Now at this point the contractions were pretty bad and I finally reached a point that I really didn't think I could do it anymore. As I was saying that to Brett, my body began pushing on its own- I kid you not... Brett grabbed the nurse and sure enough we had made it to a 10! Praise God! I give Him full credit for giving me the strength, protecting Eden, and getting her down where she needed to be. After all, He invented this process- right!?

Just like I had read, hearing it was time to push renewed my strength! We were in the home stretch now... Oh my, I remember my Mom saying that she remembered birthing babies as just being really hard work- I was totally unprepared for how right she was! Pushing out a big 'ol baby is just as difficult as it sounds. I was pushing with all my might and felt like NOTHING was happening. The nurses kept telling me I was doing great and moving her down. I believed them until I felt like I had pushed for an hour (actually about 10 min) and the nurse declared she could see about a half dollar size of her head. Seriously! There was no way I could keep up this pace to push out a whole head- I mean I thought we should at least be seeing some little eyes or something! Well apparently that's not exactly how it works...



Two big pushes later, I had again reached the point that I thought- I'm done, I can't do it anymore... I was completely exausted. All of a sudden the nurses declared "you did it!" and they backed away from the table, flipped on the surgical lights, threw up some stirrups, and put on surgical gowns and gloves. Brett likes to call that moment 'lights, camera, action'... We were both like, I did what!? I wasn't sure if they noticed but the BabyGirl was still very much inside of me. One of the nurses said "you are ready to have your baby". I thought- "are you kidding me? What exactly have I been doing for the past 20 hours?" Well, apparently you push with the nurses for a long time until the baby's head moves below the pelvic bone so that it can't move back up between contractions. Then it's just a couple of pushes later and the baby is out... That's exactly how it happened. Three pushes later and Eden was here!




She immediately let out a wail and I have never known relief like I felt at that moment... never. The doctor warned me she had a little cone-head, but oh my word, that poor child looked like she was wearing a dunce cap cocked to the right side. I know that their little skulls are made to do that, but it is bound to cause a headache! I found out later that the goofey doctor had also cut her little head when he broke my water- apparently quite common, but irritating nonetheless. She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen- ever. The same goofey doctor was about to cut the cord when thankfully Brett piped in and told him he wanted to cut it. They wrapped her up and put her on my chest and she immediately quit crying- wow- no words for that moment.





Brett went with the nurse and Eden to the corner to finish cleaning her up. Brett got to put on her first diaper and I could just hear him saying "oh my gosh, she is so strong". In the meantime (forgive the gorey details), the doctor commenced to delivering the placenta and the 'repair' work. Now that was the part I was really unprepared for. It actually hurt more than anything else. I had lost all composure by that point- strength was totally gone- so I wasn't exactly quiet about my discomfort. The doctor actually said- "I'm sorry, I'm not used to doing this on someone without an epidural". Really. Really.



It's hard to see in the picture, but I had pushed so hard that my vision was blurry, my face was swollen, and my face and neck were covered in tiny red 'freckles' from all the broken blood vessels- wow. All things told, it was an amazingly difficult and wonderful experience. I have to say that was one of those incredible times when I was faced with something I really didn't have the strength to endure and God revealed His strength at precisely the right times. I wouldn't change a thing and have absolutely no regrets. For anyone reading this who has not had a baby, I want you to be encouraged. As difficult as certain moments were, with God's grace it is absolutely possible. After all, women have been doing this for thousands of years... God bless 'em all!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Weeks, Poops, Baths, and other Firsts...

Eden was a week old yesterday! I know parents always say this, but I can't believe how fast the time goes! It has been more fun than I ever dreamed. So often in life things are not as good as our imagination when we actually experience them- but then God decides to do something and WOW! That's how my marriage and my daughter have been for me- WOW- better than I ever imagined...

So, back to the title-




First Week- We saw the pediatrician and Eden is wonderfully healthy. She weighed 7lb 2oz and was 19.5 in long- just perfect for 5 days old. The doctor helped us with some ideas for getting her to sleep somewhere besides her mother's arms (a subject for another time)- super sweet but none to practical.


First Poop- Well obviously she pooped several times before we left the hospital, but then she decided to wait a good 48 hrs after we came home to do it again. We were beginning to get a little concerned when she gave us a BIG surprise. The really funny part is when she decided to do it, Brett was the only one awake. Now keep in mind that he had never changed a poopey diaper and found himself alone. He did a great job and didn't wake up a soul- he's a good one. Even funnier is that her second poopey diaper came 24 hrs later while mom and I had taken a quick and rare trip to the grocery store. Once again Brett found himself alone- to make a long hilarious story short- The pediatrician called (to see if she had pooped) as he laid Eden
down to change her. As he was telling her we had success, Eden decided she wasn't finished and let out a BUNCH more. Brett quickly hung up and then as he lifted Eden to clean her, she peed all down her back and arms. Daddy did a fine job, but needless to say he was REALLY glad when we got home.


First Bath- Well, we attempted her first bath on Monday night. Eden was none to pleased to put it lightly. She didn't like any part of it. The picture was obviously taken BEFORE we actually bathed her. I am going to have to figure some way to keep her warmer, do things MUCH faster, and keep her little belly button dry all at the same time. I know all you veteran moms must be laughing at me. Any tips on bathing and sleeping in the cradle are more than welcome!




Friday, August 22, 2008

Eden is Here!




Our little missy surprised us and showed up a couple of weeks early! Eden Marie Cain was born on August 20 at 10:48 p.m. She weighed 7lb 5oz and was 19.6in long. No problems with either one of us, but I must say that having babies is not for sissies! Anyway, more details later- just wanted to share pictures. Check out the slideshow on the left. Isn't she perfect!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Friends and Showers

My very best friends Candace and Kristi came in from Andrews to spend the weekend. It was so much fun... I didn't realize how much I was missing these girls. There is nothing like being with your lifelong friends during a life changing time. I love the way God designed us to need each other.

On Thurs night we made fajitas, then on Friday we met our other friend Amy in downtown Ft Worth for a little PF Chang- YUM. We literally had lunch for 3 hours- appetizers, meal, dessert.... sooo fun!

On Saturday Candace, Kristi, my sister Anna, mother in law Sarah, my mom and I all went to The Bisque House to paint pottery. We had a blast. If you haven't ever done that, I highly recommend it.

On Saturday night we had yet another Baby Shower. I am so, so blessed with good friends and family. It was a couples dinner and shower at Jay and Charli Sherrill's house and they served a wonderful brisket supper. Everyone wrote a blessing for the baby on a scrapbook sheet and there were lots of precious gifts. I still can't believe all the wonderful people around us.


36 Week Sonogram


Well, we had the 3rd trimester sonogram on 8/5, and everything looks great! The doctor said that she was right on track with our due date, that I had plenty of fluid, etc. She said from the measurements that the baby is around 6lb 4oz right now and she expects her to be a 7ish pound baby. Sounds good to me!
I am still feeling great. I overheard Brett telling someone how miserable I was the other day and I realized that I should really stop complaining to him... Sleep is getting a little tough, and my pelvis sometimes complains about the teenzy bit of extra weight on it. Otherwise, I'm just perfect- it could be so much worse. We are just getting really excited to meet her!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Showers and Such...

OK- So I'm playing a little catch up... It's been crazy busy lately- but wonderful!

On July 12 we had our first baby shower in Tyler. My precious mother-in-law Sarah, sister-in-law Tricia, and good friend Stori planned a wonderful luncheon and shower at The Potpourri House in Tyler. It was SO much fun... of course celebrating babies is ALWAYS fun.

My mother-in-law Sarah and my blossoming belly


What a sweet cake (ha)!


Just look at all the wonderful gifts! My sweet sister-in-law FILLED and I mean FILLED a baby tub with all sorts of wonderful things- including a custom made diaper bag..... I am SO thankful!


Ummm....Lunch

So, then on July 19 & 20 Brett and I attended "Prepared Childbirth", "Breastfeeding", and "Early Infant Care" all crammed into 11 glorious hours at Baylor All-Saints hospital. No pictures unfortunately. Brett was a real trooper and is SO much more interested in the birth, changing diapers, and he knows more about how a breast works than he ever dreamed. It actually was a lot of fun. I think the best part was getting to tour the L&D department at the hospital. It's brand new and just beautiful. We are so thankful to have our BabyGirl in such a neat place!


We headed to Abilene on July 25th and celebrated my Dad's birthday at Perini Ranch in Buffalo Gap- sooo yummy!



On Saturday, we had our 2nd baby shower in Abilene. My amazing mother and 10 of her work and church friends put together a beautiful brunch for us. It was so nice to see lots of friends and close family that we rarely get to spend time with.



Me and all the ladies...



Me and my favorite ladies...

Won't that be a beautiful "coming home" blanket...

So, after the shower, my mom got to work. Her gift to us is "custom-made" baby bedding. We found all the fabric weeks ago, and then this weekend we camped out at my brother's house and my mother literally sewed non-stop for 2 days. She is probably the hardest working woman I know...literally. It is almost finished, so I will post pictures of the final product when it's all together. Thanks so much Mom! BabyGirl, Brett and I appreciate your time more than you know.


Momma hard at work...


Isn't that BabyGirl growing!!!!