The big reveal....

Caden Jay Cacal---------July 26, 2010------------7 # 8 oz------------Hairy and White!

It is about time!!

Isn't that onesie adorable! An awesome present from the Becky and her crew!

Normal delivery. Healthy and Happy. I think about 19 hours total labor. He was slow going. Then you would think the third would be easiest delivery-ha! Lots of pushes, I asked for epidural to be turned off bc I could not feel contractions and it made things so much more difficult. Great doctor once again as in the past. Caden made me work for him and that was fine in my book! YET, no one warned me of post-partum contractions. Apparently they appear with additional pregnancies down the line. Did not have them w T n G. They were horrible!! Worst than delivery and I am not exaggerating. Vomiting, tremors, contractions. I was superwoman during delivery and a sissy during this stage. I was so embarrassed to be in tears at that point but it was horrendous. After 3 hours of that it finally subsided and I was able to hold enjoy the baby ooohhhs and aaahhs.

This was the outfit Caden was SUPPOSED to come home in...we were in such a hurry to get home to the boys (we both missed them so much and were tired of the hospital-we were there late Sunday nite to Wednesday afternoon). I threw bags at Charito to take to car and didn't even realize til too late (and far away parking) that in one of them was this outfit! So C came home in the yucky green hospital onesie pieces. Talk about bad parenting already! We met everyone in the yard at home-Amy watched the boys at our place. It was a wonderful homecoming. Rushed and blurry but memorable. Grayson was so mesmerized by the baby! He kept touching my belly and looking confused. He still calls it my baby belly and lies on it (thanks to my battle field and scars). He is the only person in the world that I dont feel offended by with that comment! So, the next day Caden wore his "already home" outfit. We picked this outfit bc it was so fitting-it was so hard for us to picture G as a big bro! He's still a baby in our eyes at times.

I took this pic on Aug 3. I headed to Roselle that night to see T n C after 3 long days at the hospital w G. I remember wondering if Caden would even know who I was after missing my presence for several days. The way he nuzzled toward me once I picked him up left no doubt in my mind-I had another mama's boy! And damn proud of it!

Any pics of his first 5 days before the day of diagnosis are on Charito's camera. I have one of the 3 of them the night before diagnosis I will upload when I get home.

His second bath-Mom gave him his first while I was w G.

I tried to slick that crazy hair down-it needed some taming! He looks totally different!
His toy from Uncle Joel!

Look how much he was changing so quickly! Still looking like me tho! Finally got one to resemble me. Funny how each boy came out with more and more hair and paler skin down the line!

August:

Triston is so proud to this day to help out. He was the same way with Grayson. I tell him almost everyday his is an outstanding big bro.

September:

And the smiles begin.

I know there alot of pics of here of him smiling but seriously that is all this kid does. And anytime you try to get a serious pic you often can't. As soon as he sees anyone's face he just smiles. There is no stopping him. And lately everything is funny. I will have to post that video of him laughing weeks ago. Too funny. I have told Belmonte he truly is so happy. Upset when he needs to be and that's that. It's as if each one of my kids came out happier and happier along the way. We are blessed.

At two months old and already in the 4 month old prone position. Belmonte declares him an early crawler soon. He really is a nosey rosey! He just can't help himself! It's his nature. I see the wheels spinning already. I will place him at the changing table and I watch his eyes track the order in which I grab materials from their locations even before I have finished the current step. He has it figured out, memorized and keeps his tabs on me. Another dictator in our midst?! He is now 14 weeks old and earlier than his 2 mos aptmt he was able to escape any swaddle. And yet way back then we found we still have to swaddle bc I was finding him on his stomach. Yup, he was rolling over and freaking me out!

Amy and I joke all the time that it's like he is one age living in another's body. It is so wierd to hold him and feel all the physical activity is trying to accomplish and yet the rest of him isnt ready for it. You seriously want to just plop him down on the floor to sit and grab the phone bc he sits in your lap w barely any support. Time to get out that Bumbo.

October:
He woke at 4 am one morning screaming. I went in there to witness all these bloody scratches on his nose. I determined he was fighting off the cancer ghosts in his sleep and left the battle with a few scars. Well done lil bro!

Loves this dolphin toy-that's my boy!
So thrilled he reached the rings all on his own!

Daddy sent this to me when I was out getting my hair done last weekend. The boys were so good for him and I was so happy that one of the few times daddy was alone w all 3 it went well. As Ive mentioned before-Charito will admit that his patience is all over the charts when it comes to the infant stage (and unfortunately during the infant stage all my boys really prefer mommy over anyone else. I dont mind at all!), Grayson's mood swings which are like watching a horror flick, and T -he just runs along his self-sufficient ways and acts up when he PMS's like mommy n daddy. Yay for daddy! I was so relieved he had a good day with them-the last few the kids were not so cooperative.

I am truly convinced that I was sent an angel when Caden was born. His personality and aura is more than we could have asked for in our situation. Whenever I am upset or ready to yell at some typical mommy thing I walk over to him and breathe. In August he was sleeping 10 pm-3 am. By September he was sleeping 7/8 pm -4 am. Each week leading up to the end of Sept. he stretched that to 5 am. And the grand ta da happened during October with the perfected timing of our pneumonia outbreak in which he slept til 6/7 am. Another great sleeper like G! I cant tell you what a difference it made to at least know I was going to rest up during the night even if I didn't get a nap while recovering.

It is my blog and my place to brag-Caden you are perfect! All my boys are - in their special and unique ways. I can tell you are going to be compassionate, smart, goofy and down to earth. You are a loud mouth we need to be and that is a good thing. A little guy like you needs to be heard in that chaos we call home. You do your thing and we will follow right along with you bc that is your personality-go with the flow and tackle the punches as they come. You may not remember any of this rollercoaster but we will make sure you know how much you were loved even when we felt buried deep in it all. You are a true wonder! A lucky star! And the best thing that could have entered our lives at any time bc you are that amazing! You just keep on taking in all that surrounds and putting it to use. Keep listening and babbling and watching. Keep looking at T n G with such admiration bc they really are good to you. I look forward to all you have waiting for you in the years to come. Our promise to you-we will make as wonderful as we possibly can bc that is what you deserve! I love you my little grain of rice-oodles and a google!