Picture Update

Here are the latest pics we had made. Enjoy!

New Caden Pics

It's been a while... so here are some updated pics of the little guy. He is up to 16 lbs and a little over 25 inches.

Beating the Heat!

So it has been a while since I have blogged. Today we took Caden over to my Aunt Pam and Uncle Pat's house to take a dip in their swimming pool. We were pretty sure he would take to the water ok since he seems to love his bathtime. Although we werent sure how he would like the cool water. Needless to say he LOVED it. He loved it so much and was a very good boy. Here are a few pics from today..... He is getting so big!

A Celebration of Life

My paternal grandpa passed away on June 14, 2007. His body finally gave into the emphysema that he has been fighting for many years. He smoked for 40 something years I think and one day he just up and quit cold turkey. I think at that time he knew he had the on set of emphysema. If my memory serves right I think that was probably 15 or so years ago. He had been on oxygen for 5-6 yrs? maybe more... but it never slowed him down. He still had his garden. He lived a full and good life.... He was 83.

He was a WWII Navy veteran. Serving our country on the USS Intrepid Aircraft Carrier. His ship is now a museum on Staten Island in NYC, someday I would like to go up there and see it. Here are a few pics of his ship.


This pic was taken Nov 1944.

I was hoping that he would get well enough to see Caden before he passed, but that didn't happen. I went to visit him on the Saturday before the Thursday when he passed. I printed out about 5 pics of Caden to show him. He was very alert that day. He was watching golf and was very happy to see the pics of Caden. He had a full face oxygen mask on so he wasn't able to talk very much at all. My aunt went up there later and said that he was pulling the pics out for everyone that came in his room.. nurses and all... showing the pictures of Caden. That made me very happy that even in his last days he was still proud of his family.

We will all miss him, but we know he is in a better place now where there is no pain and he doesn't need that oxygen tank anymore. Here are a few more pics.

My grandparents at my Eagle Scout ceremony (1994).

And then him at my wedding...... 2005

I love you grandpa.

I know I'm bias....

but isn't he the cutest?













I know we all say that about our own little ones! So we are getting adjusted to home life now and so far we have been really lucky that Caden is giving us about 5-6 hr sleeping spells during the night. We are very grateful for those since we can all get some good rest.

We had our check up Tuesday with the pediatrician. We loved Dr. Snapp. She gave him a full clean bill of health and we are good until he is 2 months old unless we need her for anything. He had gained back the 4 oz he lost in the hospital and another 3 oz. So he is 6 lbs 13oz. He also grew a 1/2 in from birth and is up to 20 inches now.



Enjoy more pics....... the boys catching a cat nap




Mommy getting ready to come home.....Looks like we might have a thumb sucker on our hands!!

Presenting.....

CADEN........

You Decide!

Ok... So everyone is trying to decide who the baby looks like. So here are some side by side pics to let everyone draw their own conclusions as to what body part we each have passed along.

Michelle




Chris

Meet Caden

Yesterday we went and had the 4D Ultrasound done. Let's just say that Caden is just like both of his parents.... He hates getting his picture taken! Every ultrasound we have had he has not cooperated at ALL! Yesterday I was hoping he would be a good little boy and play nice. The insurance still won't pay for the 4D Ultrasounds yet, so we shelled out cash for it. He wasn't having any part of it. He had his face towards Michelle's placenta so the angle wasn't the greatest to work with. And as you can see from every pic, he had his arms and hands up in his face the whole time.











There was one moment where he yawned that was really cute but the woman wasn't quick enough to snap a pic. We have a VHS of the whole thing. ( Again... 2007 and we are using VHS?? come on Doc's... spring for the DVD upgrade) We are getting the VHS switched over to a DVD. So once I get that I can screen cap my own pics from the video.

The whole experience was truly incredible. It was amazing to see the lab attendant push on Michelle's belly to jiggle him and around and try to get him to move, and then actually see the movement on the screen. We can't tell much from the pics but for now we can say that he has Michelle's cheeks... and possibly a combo of our noses. He still has 2 months so all that could change. All we know for sure is that he will be very loved no matter what and we can't wait for him to be here.

44:22

As you might guess from my title I finished my latest 5K in 44:22. That is about 4 mins quicker than my 1st Race back in Dec. There was some good hills over there in Little Rock. There was one BIG hill that was pretty tough, but on the flip side I made up alot of time flying down it. Hopefully next year I can try for the Half Marathon or Half Marathon Relay and see some of you guys working the water stops on that side.

Once again I was the only wheelchair in the 5K. Let me get on my soapbox for just a minute. I know everyone means well.... but I wouldn't pay and enter a race if I didn't think I could do it. I have plently of people who passed me. I was 155/191 for the men and 356/534 overall for the race. I know I'm not winning this thing. But the whole race I have people telling me "You're doing great" and "You're awesome keep it up". Like I said I know they mean well but it just makes me feel like it is all in pity. I don't want anyone's pity. NO I dont want anyone to PUSH me. If you entered a race would you let someone carry you? NO! All I want (and most people who are in a chair would probably agree) is to be treated the same as you would an able-body person. Think about that the next time you see someone in a wheelchair.

I am trying to find my next race... So as soon as I decide on it I'll be back to the training. I think I'll take a couple weeks off.

Headed West

I'm headed west this weekend to Little Rock. Time for another 5k race. I had my 1st 5k Race back in Dec at the St Jude 5K in downtown Memphis. The weather hasn't been my friend lately which has made it hard to train. I am hoping for another 45-50 min finish. I'll hopefully have some pics from this one as well. I'm looking forward to the good challenges that the hills of downtown Little Rock will give me. ha ha... After this one ... we'll see about working on getting that fancy racing chair. If any one's company would like to be one of my corporate sponsors let me know!

Later

I Got New Legs!!

I know sounds funny... but it's the truth. Without my leg braces I would be forced to be in my wheelchair permanently. I have had the same braces for over 6 years now. Supposedly I can get new ones every 3 years, but if I don't "need" them I'm not going thru the drama with the insurance to get them.

It is actually pretty cool how they make them. They cast both my my legs from the knee down then cut the cast off and use that as the template for the braces. Seeing as how this is a "not one size fits all" option... they tend to run over 1000.00 per leg. I guess with all the drama with the insurance I'm coming out on the better end having to shell out the 700.00 for them. I have a 500.00 deductible and then another 200.00 "external appliance deductible". WHAT?? a separate deductible for that? They will find anyway to get a dime out of your pocket.

Chad I don't know how you live with yourself sometimes... ha ha ha ha We pay for a service in case we ever need it. Then when we need it we have to pay to use the service that we have already been paying for. And when you do have to use it you are scared to because they might raise your rates. So you end up paying out of pocket to not use the insurance you are paying for just so you can afford to keep your insurance that you are paying for. OK... that was my soapbox for the month.

Well since I am all paid up on my deducible for the year. I think it's time for a new wheelchair.... mine is 10 yrs old... well past it's prime.

Which one? Sporty? or All Terrain?

Holy Kick!

So last night was and extremely cool night. We were laying in bed and I finally got to feel our baby (Caden .. as of now) kick pretty good. I must say a couple of them were pretty big. We are counting down the last 4 months until June 1st. It is such an amazing feeling that I know a lot of you have already experienced. I have felt my brothers kick when I was younger and my niece and nephew's kick from my sisters 3 kids. But man it's totally different when they are your own little limbs in there.


We are really looking forward to the 4D ultrasound in a few months. I will have some cool pics for that. The insurance doesn't cover them yet so we have to fork out 200.00 for it. But for that we get a VHS (Really it's 2007 and they can't upgrade to DVD???) of the whole ultrasound... and cd with many high resolution still pics.


I'm hoping in the last month I can catch a picture like this. I am pretty sure all of these pics have been modified in photoshop, but I am hoping Caden will come thru for us. ha ha. Hope this finds you all doing well.

Oh and congrats are due to my freinds The Bewley's on their 10 lb 2 oz 21.5 inch boy Nathan Cade Bewley.

After All the Gay Jokes were gone?

Ok we have all gotten used to Jake Gyllenhaal as the gay cowboy in BrokeBack Mountain. The jokes have finally come to a halt. Then he host SNL this week and what does he do? How about dress in drag... singing to "cowboys", and sing a song from Dream Girls! Personally I thought it was hilarious. But if you are going to sing that song... no one did it better than Will Smith's lipsync on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Watch the two videos for yourself and you decide.

It's Official!!

The news everyone has been waiting for was answered today.......

IT'S A BOY!!!!!

We went to the Dr. today and everything is going good. The heartbeat was good. He weighs in at a HEFTY 11 oz. I was hoping for the 12 oz mark to match all the coke cans I consume. His little kidneys are functioning good. He is taking after me already... He wasn't cooperating when the tech was trying to get pics of him. First he was face down... then when he turned of course he turn his back to us. Enjoy the pics below... If you have small children in the room you might want them to leave the room... these pics are Rated R... ha ha ha



The last pic is the "money shot".....