First Christmas

I'm finally getting around to updating the blog. Cade had a wonderful 1st Christmas spent with alot of family. On Tuesday, we drove to Chisholm. Cade made it to Cloquet before he woke up and then he quietly played with his carseat toys. But, that only lasted about 1/2 hour and then the screaming commenced. We decided to stop about 15 minutes into it and see if we could calm him down. Well, he did calm down but once he was in the carseat again he started screaming. So, our last 45 minutes were spent listening to him while trying to drive on icy roads. Thankfully, Sean was driving and got us there safely (thanks honey). I hate hearing my baby cry. Especially when I can't do anything about it. I know Sean feels the same way so by the time we arrived at Phil's house our nerves were a little frayed. That evening we hung out with Phil and visited grandma and grandpa. They were all excited to see us (especially Cade of course). On Christmas Eve, Sean, Phil and I made dinner. We had an Italian dinner of polenta (cornmeal) and spaghetti sauce (sugo, I think is the correct Italian name for sauce) and we also had some sauteed shrimp and fish from the garden (breaded and fried zucchini). The meal was very good. Andy, Jill and Phillip arrived around 7:00 and then we all opened gifts. After we were done at grandma and grandpa's house, we headed back to Phil's to spend some time with Sue and get the boys into their pjs. We had to take pictures since they looked so cute. Then, on Christmas day, we headed to Proctor to drop the dogs off and head to Esko for dinner with my dad's side of the family. Another day of good food and family. There is never a lack of food at my aunt Diana's house and it's all good. Ham, cheesy potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, salad and alot of dessert (cookies, candy and pie, oh my!) Cade had a fun time with my cousin's kids. He was laughing and talking to them. He actually remained happy throughout all of the festivities. We went back to my mom and dad's house to open gifts and Cade loves the gift bags more than anything else. He had one hanging from his arm as he was chewing on it. The only meltdown that Cade had was on Christmas day night. He was so overstimulated that he didn't want to sleep. He just wanted to scream. So, Sean and I took turns with him trying to calm him down. Finally, I decided to try something different and did the "momma moves" which is a combo of bouncing and swaying. He was out in under a minute! I figured that more movement would send him over the edge but instead it actually worked. We stayed in Proctor through Sat afternoon. On Fri, the girls headed to the mall and the boys stayed home and ended up dealing with a huge blowout diaper (poor grandpa Reg). We also got a chance to see Lundgren's who are old family friends and neighbors of my parents. Then on Sat, we headed home. Sunday, we all slept alot and it felt great.

The boys in their Christmas PJs

Laughing with daddy

Trying to eat Grandpa Phil's nose
Getting love from mommy (can you tell Cade had a cold, poor baby)
Playing with Grandma Linda
Sleeping with Grandpa Reg
Eating the gift bag
Checking out the puppy from Auntie Marcy

Christmas Preparations

Well, the shopping and wrapping are done and I decorated the tree yesterday so I think we are in good shape. Christmas cards are printed but still need to be addressed and sent. It's been fun to get everyone's cards in the mail. Everyday, I hope that there will be more. We were supposed to have Christmas with my mom's side of the family today but Sean, Cade and I opted out. There has been flu going around and we decided to not expose Cade. This will be the first year in 33 years that I haven't celebrated with that part of the family but there's always next year when Cade's immune system is stronger. This week we went in to get another synagis shot and his second flu shot. As part of the trip, he gets weighed. On Thursday, he was 14 lbs. It was a little surprising that he had only gained 7 oz in a month but he had a cold so maybe he lost a little (?) He has been growing in length though. I just put away his 6 month sleepers because it seemed that the snaps were popping in the middle of the night. The 9 month ones are still pretty big but soon he'll be out of those. What's amazing about his weight is that his cousin that is 2 months old weighs more than him! Phillip weighed in at 14 1/4 lbs at his 2 month appt. Oh well. I guess that just shows you how different babies can be. The ECSE teacher and PT were here on Monday and the evaluation went well. Cade seems to have mastered the 4 and some of the 5 month stuff and maybe a few 6 month things. Since he was 4 months adjusted on the 1st, he's doing just fine. Another thing that we've been dealing with over the last week is that Sean's car is sick. The transmission is bad and we've decided that instead of putting a bunch of money into it we would look for a new car. Through some connections that Sean has we have the option of possibly getting a car from an auction. So maybe by Wed we will have 2 working cars again. Cade and I have been driving Sean to work and one day I put his Santa hat on him to go get daddy. Here's what he looked like by the time he got home. Then, there's a picture for grandpa Phil and the Petrangelo's. And lastly, Cade working on sitting up and helping me wrap presents.

Cade's Baptism

It's been awhile again since I posted anything. I've been meaning to all week but just didn't get around to it. A week ago Cade was baptized in the church where we were married. It was really a special event because just about all of our family was there and some of our friends. His godparents are Andy, Jill and Marcy. Cade did remarkably well with the whole thing. He stayed awake for the first part of the church service and then we all went up front. He became mesmerized with Pastor Jeff's blue sash and then was enthralled with his baptismal candle. It was so nice that he was happy and not screaming. He was wearing a very special gown that was also worn by his grandpa Phil, his uncle Andy and his daddy. I really like the fact that he was wearing something with some meaning even if it was a dress :) After his baptism, for the rest of the service, he was zonked. He got a cold Saturday night so he needed his rest. But, by the time we were ready for lunch he was awake and ready to party.

Ho Ho Ho

Dedication...

During our travels up north, Cade caught a cold. Right now, it is confined to his nose. But, his poor little nose is draining down his throat. As a result, he has a hard time sleeping without coughing/choking on his own snot. So, Jill spent the night in the chair with him so that his poor little nose could drain and he could sleep. For acts such as these, you and all other mothers like you should be recognized. Thank you honey.

Happy Thanksgiving

We have alot to be thankful for this year. Our miracle baby survived and is thriving. Our marriage has survived and thrived during it's first year and the most stressful year of our lives. We have wonderful family and friends that have supported us through everything and will continue to be there even when things aren't so crazy. I hope that everyone enjoys the Thanksgiving holiday.

Literacy starts early

Here's a couple of pictures of Cade reading. The ECSE teacher and PT recommended that we use books at tummy time to keep his attention. He particularly loves this one from Auntie Jill and Uncle Andy. I read that babies like blue and red at this age. This book has alot of blue and also has turtles which are his favorites.

Food, Family and Friends

It's been awhile since my last post but the Bober family has been busy. Almost 2 weeks ago, Cade had his first solid food. The first feeding didn't go so well but he has gotten better. In fact, today, he smiled throughout both his morning feeding with me and his evening feeding with Sean. He still doesn't get everything down but at least he doesn't make faces like this:A week ago, we made a quick trip to the doctor's office to get Cade's second Synagis shot. It was convenient because I just need to schedule it with the lab supervisor and we stop by any time in the afternoon. Cade didn't get too upset about the shot. One advantage to him going through so much in his short life. He is my little trooper. Also, they checked his weight and he was up to 13 lbs 9 oz. His weight gain has slowed but is still around 1/2 oz per day which is normal.
Last Thursday, Cade and I hung out with Amy and Evan at the Canterbury Craft Fair for the afternoon. It was way more crowded than Amy and I thought it would be but we still had a good time. Cade enjoyed looking around. We even tried out a baby carrier that was like a sling. I really liked the concept but since Cade can move quite a bit now it was tough to get him positioned correctly and he could push his way out. I decided it wasn't worth the $40. Maybe we can borrow one from Amy sometime and get used to it before spending the money. After Canterbury, we stopped at Seagate SHK to visit some friends that were in town from Thailand and also some co-workers of mine. Cade loved the lobby that is filled with bright lights and trees.

On Friday, my mom, aunt Diana and cousin Nina came down for our annual shopping trip during deer season. So, all of us along with my sister and aunt Susan shopped most of the day Saturday. It was nice because Sean was able to stay home with Cade so I had a baby free day. Usually, even when I'm running errands, I'm worrying about when Cade is going to start screaming. It was relaxing not to have to worry about him. He was in very good hands, his daddy's. Thanks honey. My mom stayed with us which was nice because then she got her Cade time in She even got a chance to feed him his cereal on Sunday morning.
Then on Sunday night, we went out to Holly and Rogers house for dinner. Andy, Jill and Phillip were there too. We had a great time and enjoyed good company and excellent food. Holly and Roger's little girl, Laila, was so excited about having 2 babies at her house. She took good care of both of them. Leo, who is a year and a half, was not as impressed but is such a sweet boy. Cade also had his first experience in an exersaucer. He loved it but could barely reach the bottom with the legs down as low as they go. We will have to try his at home to see if it goes as well.

Happy Birthday

Cade and I would like to wish Sean a Happy 35th Birthday today. It's been a low key day but we just ate good food from Byerly's (Sean was craving sushi) and had Caribou coffee. Next up is watching the Matrix and eating cheesecake. Happy Birthday sweetie (and daddy)!

Election Day

Cade participated in his first election today. We walked over to our polling place that is just a couple of blocks away. It was a beautiful day and I figured having him in his stroller would be the easiest. We got lucky and there was no line since we were able to go in the middle of the day. I had to re-register but that went smoothly. I'm so glad that Minnesota allows you to register on election day. We were home again within a half hour of leaving the house. I'm excited to see who will win this one. All I know is that there needs to be some changes made. Change is the cliche of this election but I truly hope that it really happens.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone. Hope that you all had a good one.

Action!

Cade has been busy today. Here's a couple of videos to show you his progress. He's also started laughing and I need to get a good video of that. When he laughs, it causes him to hiccup. :) Poor baby. He hates the hiccups. He laughs at the bottle of antibacterial gel on his changing table. He must think that it's really cool with the bubbles inside. Another thing that he loves to smile at is a wood carving from Thailand that is hanging on the wall. Maybe, he'll be an artist. Other good news today: We went to get a head ultrasound (notice his spiky hair from the ultrasound gel) and followup with neuro and his ventricles have remained stable with the new shunt setting. Also, his head shape is improving which confirmed what the PT told me a couple of weeks ago. All the tummy time and trying to get him to look left has paid off. We don't have to go back for another 3 months.

Phillip's Baptism

Phillip was baptized on Saturday October 25th in Lake City. Jill grew up there and her parents still live in Lake City. Her sister was in town to have her little girl baptized too. Sean and I share the duty of godparents with Jill's sister and brother-in-law. Phil, grandma and grandpa came to our house on Friday afternoon so we got a chance to visit before we all travelled to Lake City on Saturday afternoon. We attended the 5:00 mass which was Cade's first church experience. Then the baptism was right after the ceremony. Both boys slept through most of the service so both were a little crabby by the time the baptism was taking place. We all made it through though. Afterwards, we went to the local golf course for dinner. Then, Sean, Cade and I went to Treasure Island with Phil, grandma and grandpa to spend the night. It was nice to not have to drive all the way home and gave us some more time to visit.

6 month stats

Cade had his 6 month check up today and here are the stats:
Weight: 13 lbs 2 oz (1st percentile for 6 months, yey! we are on the charts; 50th percentile for 3 months adjusted; 75th percentile on the preemie chart)
Length: 23 3/4" (not on the 6 month chart, 50th percentile for 3 months adjusted; 75th percentile on the preemie chart)
Head circumference: 15 3/4" (not on the 6 month chart, 25th percentile for 3 months adjusted, 50th percentile on the preemie chart)

He also got his immunizations and a flu shot. I think that they made him tired because he's been sleeping most of the night. The doctor and I also talked about changing his formula. I decided not to fight it so we will be changing within the next week when we run out of Neosure. Also, if the formula change goes OK we will be starting solids after that.

6 months

It's been almost 2 weeks since I've written but we've been busy around the Bober house. Last Saturday, Cade turned 6 months and his auntie Marcy turned 30. A bunch of us went out to Buca in downtown Minneapolis and Grandma Linda babysat. We all had a good time. My mom was in town for our annual trip to Albertville while my dad goes pheasant hunting. So, both grandma and grandpa were here on Thursday and then grandpa went hunting and the girls went shopping. Sean took the day off and we (my mom, sister, aunt and 2 cousins) were gone from 9 am to 10 pm. Sean and Cade survived the day with no problems. I think Sean enjoyed his day home with his son.


Here's Cade's new walking outfit. It's a hand-me-down hot dog costume from Sean's friend Holly. Her son Leo wore it last Halloween. It's nice and warm and we get a good laugh every time he wears it.
I have wanted this t-shirt for Cade for a long time but I couldn't justify the $16 is cost at Gap. So, when Amy, Evan, Cade and I were at MOA a week and a half ago the shirt was on clearance for $4 and I snatched it up. It's the perfect description of my baby :) We had a great time at MOA. Cade stayed up the whole time and was happy to look at all the lights and action.

Cade loves his Daddy and his Daddy loves him.
"I decided that I didn't have any "naked" pictures of Cade so I decided to take a few. He is such a cutie. You can see his scar on his belly from his shunt surgery and his cute round belly button from being a preemie.

On October 11, we went to Molly and Matt's house in Shakopee to have dinner with them, their 2 girls, Carolyn and Allison and Holly, Roger and their kids Laila and Leo. I know Molly from Seagate and Sean grew up with Holly in Chisholm. Then, Molly and Holly met because they live in the same neighborhood. So, the 6 of us make a good mix. The girls loved "baby Cade" and Cade was flirting with them too. The night was alot of fun and was constant action and noise. Sean and I were exhausted by the end.

Wow!

Cade rolled over today! It was amazing to watch and I thought it was maybe some type of fluke so I flipped him back over and he flipped again from his tummy to his back. He pushed off with his right side and threw his head back and then just rolled. He was a little surprised but was happy. The third time I flipped him back onto his tummy he screamed and wouldn't flip. So, now we are hoping he will roll again tonight for Sean to see. I looked up in my baby book when kids typically roll over and it's sometime after 15 weeks. Since Cade's adjusted age is 10 weeks, he's ahead of schedule but of course behind schedule for his actual age which is almost 6 months. We call him our "hybrid" baby.

Weight check

So, the top pictures I've been meaning to upload for all of the Chisholm folks. Cade got an official Blue Streak sweatshirt from the Petrangelo's and he can now wear it proudly (because he's finally big enough :) )
The other pictures are from tonight when Cade was talking to his lion. Today, I also caught him in his crib smiling at the wall. When I told Sean, he said that God or angels must be talking to him. I would like to think that his great grand parents are coming down to check on him and maybe telling him funny stories about his mommy when she was a baby.
Today, we had a drs appt for a weight check and to get a Synagis shot. Synagis is a shot that provides antibodies that prevent RSV. RSV is especially dangerous for preemies because their lungs aren't fully developed. Here's more info: http://www.synagis.com/how-synagis-works.aspx I guess that the insurance company was questioning Cade's need for the shot and the dr wrote them a nasty letter saying basically "this child was born 15 weeks early, came home on O2 and had chronic lung disease and has a VP shunt. Please tell me who in this country has a greater need. I'm sure you won't be able to come up with many." Yeah for our doc! I think the shot is rather expensive and has to be given once a month throughout RSV season which I think goes through April. So, that means 6 shots. Poor Cade because shots are so traumatic but it's so much better than ending up in the hospital this winter. Cade was also traumatized by a blood draw to check his hemoglobin. But, the good news is his level was 13.1 which is great (normal range 11-13 for kids) so we can discontinue his iron supplements. Hopefully, that will help his digestive system. And, finally his weight...... he's up to 12 1/2 lbs. We were actually thinking that he would be a bit heavier since he was gaining about a pound every 2 weeks. But, on the chart that I have for preemie boys born less than 1500 grams, he's about at the 75th percentile for 2 1/2 months adjusted age and 50th percentile on the standard growth chart for boys. We go in for his 6 month check up on the 22nd and he'll get his vaccinations and we'll talk about taking him off of the Neosure (preemie) formula and onto standard formula. I'm not convinced that's the right thing to do but we'll see if I can convince the doctor. He did, however, give us 4 cans of Neosure which saves us about $60. I guess I should have been asking for samples at all of our appts!