Destination Babyville

Preparing for the Kentucky Derby

2010-04-27T22:43:00.002-04:00

Entering the starting gates....

...mounting....

And he's off!!! Place your Derby bets here!

In other news.....Ben has also learned to use his toy tool bag....don't sit still too long or he will check you for loose screws....

I apologize that my iphone takes TERRIBLE pictures....especially with a moving target!

End of March...

2010-03-31T22:40:00.000-04:00

First Professional Hair Cut

2010-03-13T22:32:00.001-05:00

Ben had his first professional haircut just after getting 4 shots at his 15 month pediatrician check-up. Fortunately, he ended the day on a high note with dinner at Red Robin where he was very excited about meeting "Red".

What you've been missing......

2010-02-16T20:24:00.011-05:00

Remember this guy?

What? Like you've never ridden a
horse in your underwear? ;)

This is his 'Christmas Story' look
w/ 20 layers. This was after our
previous decent snow in January.

Happy Birthday to Jenn!

Karla & Hayes (and apparently baby number 2
was already in the oven in this picture)

A couple of good looking guys. ;)

Insanely adorable!

Belated Christmas party....in JANUARY! Big fun!!

OMG! When did the climbing start?
And most importantly, when will
it end?

I love this picture! See even the cartoon character
is concerned about all this climbing!

Ben's emotional range is astounding.

More climbing....

And now we come to the current, UNRELENTING snow.

Ben's First (and hopefully last)Surgery

2010-02-09T22:11:00.001-05:00

The night before Ben went 'under the knife' for tubes in his ear.

This was the weather the day of Ben's surgery.
It took us two hrs to make a 40 minute drive.

Ben was hard to contain in the pre-op area in his adorable little paper gown!

We, mom and dad, weren't having nearly as much
fun as he was...perhaps it was because we knew what was coming up...

This picture was taken on the ride home after Ben's surgery.......
approximately 11 seconds before he began projectile vomiting!

Christmas Card 2009

2009-12-27T14:19:00.001-05:00

Christmas Card 'Photo Shoot'

2009-12-26T19:34:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas! 2009

2009-12-25T19:55:00.003-05:00

We woke up Christmas morn w/a very happy boy ready for breakfast!

..then came the rush into the living room (and I spared you the photo where Henry walked into the shot and I said, "Damnit Henry get out of the way!" just as Brad started filming w/ the video camera..Nice.)

Ben liked his rocking chair almost as much as the bow that came on it...

..the drum was also a hit...but mommy had to open it because Ben couldn't be bothered to open it or pretty much any of his gifts!

...the bucket filled with gifts and tissue paper was the exception but only because he wanted to eat the paper....

..the lawn mower from Nana and Poppy was really the big winner!

....this hat didn't last long....

...there were a few sparse and unflattering pictures of mommy and daddy taken ....

Ben's second Christmas was a lot of fun! And he has been trying to open the remaining gifts under the tree ALL night (ironic since he wouldn't have anything to do w/ his own this morning) so I hope he will be ready for the Snepps to descend on us from Louisville tomorrow! Merry Christmas everyone! We miss you Cathey family and wish we could be there! G'night!

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

2009-12-24T19:14:00.004-05:00

Christmas Eve started very early....as in just after 5 am. I got up and rolled out these cinnamon rolls to take to Ben's daycare, Brad's office, and the hospital I used to work at (and did help out at on Christmas Eve for a few hours in the morning)

..I should also add that for my first yeast-based bread product they turned out very well. It was time-consuming but not difficult. And honestly when this amount of butter is involved I don't think you can go wrong. Move over Paula Dean here comes The Pioneer Woman!

Wipe the drool off your chin and give them a try...you won't regret it! BUT be warned...this recipe made 11 pans of rolls for me! I think it's because I refrigerated the dough overnight and it expanded A LOT!

Meanwhile, back at the hospital I got to see all my old buddies (well lots of them anyhow)...

(the blonde on the right is my former student AND my replacement when I left)

...my good buddy Jenny G who apparently couldn't be bothered to look at the camera (just kidding...we'll blame Jenn D for the shoddy camera work...LOL....besides she never reads this!)

Ben decided to 'help' me bake cookies for Santa by getting into the drawer under the stove.

By 8 pm, Ben had crashed out in daddy's lap and had to skip his bath and story because there was no waking him up.

So Santa (ok lets clarify that it was Mrs. Claus) got everything arranged around the tree! The big wooden box on the left w/ the giant red bow is Ben's toy box that took Santa SIX HOURS to assemble over a 2 day period. And notice the cute little white rocker for story time!

The magical glow of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve...you just can't beat it...

This is definitely a "visions of sugar plums" pose...what a sweet baby boy...

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Almost Christmas....

2009-12-23T18:50:00.004-05:00

Ben has the present opening thing down pat so bring it on Santa (and as you can see we will be phasing out some of his many existing toys...yes the ones that have taken over our console table and living room...)

Ben loves his dada!

...and of course the feeling is mutual....

....my family members will recognize this as classic "crawly fox"...as in "here comes crawly fox, here comes crawly fox...get him, get him, get him!!" (imagine tickling under the chin). Surely my dad is smiling down on us from heaven right now!

This is farbender...not to be confused with crawly fox. Farbender involves starting with the forehead and working your way down to the chin...giving each facial feature a funny name and until you reach "chin chiller" as seen here. This is my favorite. He always tucks his chin and shies away and then throws his head back again so you can tickle under his chin over and over. Adorable! What can I say, a lot of tickling went on in the Snepp household when I was growing up....rumor is that members of the Cathey household were sometimes tickled til they wet their pants....the 80's were tough times....but I digress.....

Early Christmas Gift....

2009-12-21T19:25:00.005-05:00

This is exhibit A....Ben is caught with a large swath of wrapping paper from the gift his dad just took from a delivery package and placed under the Christmas tree (from great aunt Susan & the Johnson Clan). Notice he is showing no remorse.

Paper...paper...paper...

...ohh...there's something under the paper...

So in the end....Ben would like to thank Aunt Susan and the Johnsons for his early Christmas gift! Daddy will have to put it together so he can enjoy it....hopefully we can keep Ben from opening the rest of the gifts under the tree...especially since some are not for him!

Silly little boy....

2009-12-16T21:06:00.004-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday Benjamin!

2009-12-06T23:10:00.007-05:00

Birthday Boy woke up in a great mood, as usual, and was all smiles!

He managed to slosh milk all over his face...

...and gooble up 2 grown-up sized real buttermilk pancakes...

....and Nana had to pitch into help his mom finish cleaning the house and dressing the boy of the hour....

...and after much munching and squealing children and utter chaos...

...it was present time...

...Ben wasn't exactly sure of the goal initially but loved grabbing the tissue paper and throwing it around...

...and he had LOADS of helpers w/ long-standing present opening skills at the ready...sometimes not able to contain their frustration at his uncertainty and diving in to rip off the paper themselves!

...thanks to many WAY TOO GENEROUS party-goers Ben is going to be decked out in some v. nice outfits & PJ's....

...as you can see mid-way through the pile-o-gifts he was starting to catch on...

..cousins Paige & Colton.........

..the old bow on the head trick.....

....eating up his role as the center of attention.....

...bring on the cake....

..Mommy had to help blow out the candle before Benjamin could grab the flame! Whew! Close call!!

...Birthday's are messy work....

...having discovered the hat he had decided it must go....

...two gallons of icing later Ben 's eyes glazed over and we pulled the plug on the cake eating....
..

Thanks to everyone who made Ben's first birthday so memorable! What a fun day for our busy guy!!

Where, oh where, has the time gone?

2009-12-05T23:59:00.007-05:00

These tiny shoes have been walking all over our house! Ben started walking a couple of weeks ago (November 16th was his first solo stepping!).

Tonight....

I put this little stinker to bed a wee little baby but tomorrow morning he will be a full blown toddler....a full year old.....where, oh where, has the time gone?

Look how much these feet have grown....

....and these hands get into so much more trouble now....

...but I still remember these tiny feet...

...this hard-won, blessing of a boy....

....and Brad and I couldn't be more proud....

Thanksgiving

2009-12-05T23:01:00.007-05:00

***Sorry Cathey Family....our camera was lost the week we were in Memphis for actual Thanksgiving (it was hidden behind the office door apparently). So I am very sad to say we have NO pictures from the feasting and baby chasing that went on. I would appreciate any pictures that you guys would like to send us though!!!! (please?)

One crazy week......

2009-10-31T21:09:00.008-04:00

Ben got a new walking toy this week and he is smitten! He has been walking the length of our living room while pushing his grocery cart. It's adorable!

Ben has also started making this face...a lot!

We went out to eat and Ben managed to charm the waitress and all the surrounding patrons...

And tonight Ben went trick or treating for the first time. We visited 3 houses....

this was the first one and he loved our neighbor's witch's hat!

Our little monkey lying on the the living room floor after a tough round of trick or treating...

Grocery shopping in his monkey suit.....

How cute is this??

Headed for the tub......

In other news this week, I resigned from my job and accepted another. Ben is STILL sick and went to the immediate care center this afternoon where he received a script for more antibiotics and some steroids for his endless upper respiratory infection. We went to a Halloween party last night. Tomorrow is a day of relaxing I hope.....

Our Little Monkey

2009-10-25T21:02:00.008-04:00

Brad, Ben, & I went to the Cincinnati Zoo for the bi-annual IRH picnic. The picnic was to celebrate all the children born thanks to the handy work of IRH's doctors and ART staff. We find ourselves especially thankful for those gifted peeps about now. See the above pic of our ART-produced, love child.

This "tree" is in fact in the gift shop @ the Cincy Zoo where we were warming ourselves before the picnic, which was held outdoors in 47 degree weather. Nice.

Ok enough already you say....too bad.....

I should also mention that both Ben & I have sinus infections w/ ear infections. Both taking the same antibiotic. Needless to say, we did not stay long at this outdoor shindig.

Meet our beloved, fertility doctors.....

Dr. S is the one on the left holding the mic, thanking us for our loads of money...I mean patience and perseverance during all our treatments to achieve parenthood. Dr. A is the one striking a pose in his yellow sweater. Dr. A is also the one who made the magic happen for us because Dr. S took his daughters on spring break the week of our IVF egg retrieval, ICSI, & implantation. Go Dr. A!

The uncomfortable look I have is related to the extreme cold I assure you.This is the least intimate contact I've ever had w/ Dr. A (LOL).

Please note that this is not in fact my husband but actually another couple (Greg & Amy) pictured here w/ Ben , Dr. S, & I. We met this couple at our prenatal classes at the hospital where we delivered. Coincidentally, Greg & Amy also did IVF through IRH. Their little boy, Niko, was due exactly 1 month before Ben but because he was late and Ben was early, they are actually only about 2 wks apart. I think Niko outweighs Ben by a couple lbs though!

Just to prove we were at the zoo here are the lions....
and below is a pic of Ben riding a rhino statue.

In other monkey news, Ben got his first buzz cut tonight thanks to daddy. It is VERY short and very blonde (I know its hard to tell w/ his hair wet).

Straight out of the 1950's, Ben is sporting his buzz & some cowboy print, old school flannel PJ's (it always pays to get your nephews cute clothes that can later be passed on to your child *wink* Just kidding guys...Ben wasn't even a glimmer in our eyes when we bought these PJ's for Trey).

Good night all! :)

October fun....

2009-10-20T23:44:00.002-04:00

Ben is standing, squatting, and cruising the furniture. He has 6 teeth. He is eating real people food and drinking out of sippy cups except bedtime & first thing in the morning. Where did my tiny baby go?? He is waving and saying a version of bye-bye as of this week. And most entertaining of all, he is bobbing his head to music....truly a sight! Ha!

We had family and friends over for our annual pumpkin carving party this past Saturday evening. These are some of the little sillies that attended. Nice, huh?

Saturday night we discovered something that we all found completely hilarious.....it may have been the 2 bottles of Halloween-themed wine........Pumpkin heads!!!!

Sunday morning we had pancakes! Ben hearts pancakes. So do I.....

Just for giggles......

Perpetual Illness.....

2009-10-08T15:21:00.003-04:00

Eating these days is a messy affair. Please notice that the highchair has been stripped down to its bare plastic because its cover was just too icky! I think it was a gross oversight on the highchair makers part to make the cover "spot clean surface only" vs. machine washable....clearly these people have never met Ben.

This lovely cake was for Brad's bday & it was AWESOME even if I did make it myself. I am the queen of 'doctoring up' cake mixes. This one involved sour cream & melt margarine! And the pseudo-ganache was store bought frosting mixed w/ semi-sweet chocolate chips I melted in the microwave! Truly worth all the extra workout sessions.

This is Brad's favorite Ben-ism come lately. We have a mesh baby gate at the single step from our kitchen into our family room and Ben loves to press his face against it...mouth open...drooling..

Today, unfortunately, this little guy is sick...again. Here he is sacked out on a blanket in the family room floor....notice the pillow to prop him up & prevent him from drowning in his own mucus. Seriously people how can a child this small produce so much mucus. Last night I had to suction him w/ the dreaded green bulb THREE times. And I no longer enjoy the 12:30, 3:30, 5 am wake up calls of his newborn times. I thought we were past that??! Anyhow, we are heading to the Pediatrician this afternoon. I'll keep you updated on his status!

9 months and going strong....

2009-09-20T10:14:00.002-04:00

I posted these pics especially for Nana, who sent me an email reminding me that I have been slacking on the blog! ;) I hope you enjoy them!! We miss you guys!

Labor Day

2009-09-19T22:05:00.001-04:00

Labor Day weekend we had big plans to drive to Louisville to spend time w/ friends. BUT Ben was STILL sick. That was the virus that wouldn't die combined w/ bilateral ear infections. Not a fun 10 days in the Cathey household. Instead of visiting, we stayed close to home and had a picnic in a park and took a beautiful walk along a paved path. Ben loved the wind in his hair and getting to touch the flowers. He did do a fair amount of sneezing so he is my child after all!

Sick Day.....

2009-09-02T23:44:00.006-04:00

Seriously people does this child look like he is running a temp and having explosive diarrhea? And yet he is.......

Ben's First Visit to the KY State Fair

2009-08-25T23:59:00.006-04:00

Ben being weighed on the state fair pumpkin scale!

I happened to weigh him at home this weekend and he is a whopping 21.5 lbs!

Paige being weighed on the pumpkin scale for the 12th time!

Busy weekend....

2009-08-17T11:35:00.002-04:00

Welcome Trenten Emmerson!

My cousin Angie had her adorable baby boy on August 12th.

He weighed 8 lbs and 4 oz! Wow! I was very happy I got to meet him!

Paige, my oldest niece, had her first two soccer
games of the season in her new league this weekend.
I got to see both of them (trying to make up for last
yr where I didn't get to see any of them!).

It was soooooo hot that we had to douse Ben w/ water initially & then strip him down to his diapee by the last of the game. He was a mess by all meanings of the word.

Lilly, Paige's sister, was a stinker as usual...seen here
sporting Ben's binky.

This is my nephew Colton who I dont' get to see
nearly often enough!

Overall, Ben, BRad, & I had a very busy weekend! Time to pick up Henry from the vet. Tomorrow I get to have a mini interview for my current job, w/ the HR dept at my soon to be employer. Good times!

Puff Daddy...

2009-08-10T22:35:00.003-04:00

Ben, aka Puff Daddy, is absolutely smitten w/ puffs. In case you are unfamiliar w/ said puffs, they are the small, melt-in-your-mouth, baby wonder snack. As you can see, Ben has mad skills w/ his tip to tip pinch and uses it regularly to grab his favorite thing in the whole world and shove it into his mouth! His little face lights up when he sees the bowling pin shaped container. Aside from the blood curdling screaming he unleashed this evening related to what I can only assume is horrible teething pain, Ben is at an adorable phase. He laughs and smiles almost constantly. He is babbling in an incoherent tongue. He is crawling all over the place, pulling up to stand (w/ several near-miss head injuries), and even cruising the furniture if there is anything 'good' (aka forbidden) with in easy reach. Today, he sat through an hour and a half HR meeting at my hospital, as we learned about our transition from contract to in-house employees, without much more than a peep. He sat in the lap of one of my co-workers, whom he had never met before, the entire time and was quite content. What can I say he is a mellow guy who loves the ladies. I'm sure Puff Daddy would be proud to call him his own.

All Smiles...

2009-08-08T15:00:00.001-04:00

Hello Again!

2009-08-08T12:35:00.003-04:00

We are alive and well despite the lack of blogging. Life is busy w/ baby, and work, and traveling to visit family. We FINALLY got a new camera (as you can see). We bit the bullet and splurged on a Nikon D40 so that Ben's candid baby pics will be worthy of his adorable shenanigans. He is crawling, and pulling up to stand, and even starting to cruise the furniture. He has finally thrown his dear mom a bone and can be heard babbling 'mama' on occasion in addition to his regular homage to 'dada'. So all is well in the Cathey household and I vow to post pics more regularly now that we have the new camera.

On the move....

2009-07-24T23:04:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a very busy day. Ben and I drove to Louisville to attend the funeral of my great uncle Leslie. Ben ran a fever ALL day start w/ 100.2 and peaking at 103! Then he decided to CRAWL forward last night!! It was a bitter sweet moment....Brad and I were overjoyed and proud that Ben had hit this milestone yet a little sad that he is growing up so fast (and of course that we are going to have to hit the baby proofing hard!). He woke up countless times in the night and greeted the day fussily. Brad stayed home w/ him today and took him to the doc, where they were told it was a virus and given a dose of Tylenol for the road because Ben had a temp of 102 @ that time. Ugh! Hopefully tomorrow will prove to be a better day! Please send prayers that our baby boy starts feeling better soon.

P.S. For any of you that I solicited prayers from for Nate, let me assure you that he is fine. All his blood work was negative and bruising was from riding toy at his daycare! :)

Mini-update

2009-07-20T22:11:00.002-04:00

Ben is growing like a weed! His two adorable little teeth will soon be joined by a couple others. He is rocking around on hands and knees but hasn't officially crawled for us yet (and I asked his daycare NOT to tell us if he does it there first because it would break my heart to know I missed it!). Ben says dada as often as he breaths and is apparently boycotting any attempts to say mama......very sad indeed.

Since my last entry, Ben made his first trip to Memphis to visit Nana and Poppy's house and had a great time. The road trip was rough but the visit was great. So great that we are coming back to Memphis in a couple of weeks especially to have all the Cathey children in one place at least once this year!

Father's Day

2009-06-22T09:29:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was Brad's first official Father's Day! We had a lazy day. Brad got to take 2 naps ( I took 1 but cleaned bottles and made baby food during the other) while Ben napped. We rolled around in the floor playing with the boy (who by the way is scooting on his belly but not getting all the way in 4-pt to start crawling yet). And, of course if you know Brad this won't surprise you, we had Mexican food for lunch. We ended the evening by watching 'Defiance' (which was a very good movie by the way). Ben and I got Brad a sentimental card featuring an audio clip of Homer Simpson (Homer offered Lisa a donut. She asked if he had any fruit. He said the donut had purple stuff inside and that 'purple' was a fruit). We also got Brad 3 wks of lawn care!! He works on mowing and trimming our yard for way too long every wk and I thought he deserved a break.

I will try to post some pics soon. Ben is getting big! I didn't think he could get any cuter but w/ his newly acquired two bottom front teeth he is unspeakably adorable! I suspect that his blue eyes are here to stay because they have gotten brighter and his hair is getting lighter by the day. So we may end up w/ a blonde-haired, blue-eyed child which blows my mind because Brad and I are both brown-haired, hazel-eyed people....gotta love those recessive genes.

In other news, today is our 7th wedding anniversary! :) We got each other a Wii. LOL. Very romantic, right? It was my idea! That is the traditional gift for year 7 right, video-gaming system. Yeah I thought so. And let me tell you that two day of Wii Fit w/ push ups, and yoga, and step aerobics will make you sore. Fortunately, I am about to head to a local spa for a day of pampering (my b-day gift from my boys). It has been odd to have the last hr and a half to my self in such a quiet house this morning. I took a long hot bath in prep for my tough day of spa services. Ahhh. I'll let you know how it went.....

Birthdays....

2009-06-16T21:37:00.002-04:00

My mom and I both had birthdays this week. I started my birthday celebrations early w/ dinner out last weekend with friends and continued it w/ cake at work on my b-day, Greek food for dinner w/ Brad and Ben that night, lunch w/ coworkers the next day, brunch on Saturday morning w/ my mom to celebrate BOTH our birthdays, and rounded everything out w/ an open farm day picnic on Saturday night at our CSA farm......I swear I must have gained 5 lbs this week from all the feasting. I am seriously considering taking a boot camp work out class just to expend all the energy (aka calories) I 'stored up' this week. Thanks to all who helped me celebrate and to those who sent their long distance wishes in the mail and via internet! I love you all!

BTW, next Monday (22nd) I have a 'spa day' scheduled ( my b-day gift from Brad, Ben, & Henry) and it will be doubly sweet because that's our 7th wedding anniversary! Don't worry...no 7 year itch here. Lovin' life with my guys! Father's Day is coming up this weekend and I've got some good things planned for Brad....more on that later.....

6-month check up....

2009-06-08T21:29:00.002-04:00

Ben had his 6-month check up today. He now weighs 17 lbs, 14.4 oz (56 percentile) and is 27.5 inches long (82 percentile). He survived yet another round of shots, though just barely and w/ a lot of screaming. The pediatrician is continuing to really encourage us to put Ben down for the night while he is still awake. I am am assuming it is to somehow teach him to self-soothe or something of the like. In reality, he usually falls asleep when I am nursing him for the last time of the day. Even if I try to wake him up a little before putting him in his crib, he never really regains consciousness enough to realize he is supposed to somehow be an active participant in this process. Bedtime almost always goes smoothly and I wonder what the point is in fixing something that isn't broken. If anyone has any insight, please share it w/ me.

In other Benjamin news, he now has a lovely eczema patch on his left bicep (not sure if there is a hereditary factor in that one but I happen to have it also). The Pedi also thinks his red eye circles and chronically runny nose are indications of seasonal allergies so he is now allowed to take Zyrtec PRN. Fun times. Below are some pics from Saturday at the pool in our neighborhood. Prepare to be wow'd by the adorableness of our child....

The duck hooded towel is to completely block
out the sun from his lilly white skin (hey it
was really hot that day).

I have decided that if this were a fashion magazine
this pic would appear in the "don't" section accompanied
by a black box covering the eye portion of the pic
to protect his identity. LOL. Hard to believe he is only
in the 56th percentile for weight!

This is of course his introduction into to modeling
for Ralph Lauren baby or Baby Gap. All royalties
go to his parents, naturally.

He looks like a little boy not a baby
in this picture! I don't want him to grow
up too fast but he is going to be one good
looking guy! Ladies beware!

Half-Birthday...

2009-06-06T22:07:00.000-04:00

Today Ben is 6 months old. Hard to believe it's been a half a year. He is officially sitting independently as of this week. He is babbling and shrieking and eating a long list of foods. And, as of this morning, he is currently cutting TWO teeth, his bottom front. Today our neighborhood had a huge yard sale. Ben scored a Little Tykes car and a few other toys for future use at ridiculously low prices. Then we went swimming, VERY briefly, in unbearably cold water and sunbathed a little followed by a nap and dinner w/ our best friends to celebrate my birthday (it is actually not until next Tuesday). Overall, a wonderful day.

Known unknowns.....

2009-06-02T22:08:00.002-04:00

News from the Cathey household...... Ben is struggling to completely birth his first tooth and we are all struggling with him. I would post a pic or video of him (and I have taken them) but Brad has a compulsion for purchasing overly complicated audio-video equipment, as if he will be penalized for choosing user-friendly "mainstream" gear, (reminder: Brad is a computer programmer) and we have a new video camera. My still camera has been dropped one too many times and has now been rendered incapable of zooming and is, overall, useless. Sadly, I am the technologically challenged one so admittedly Brad is not solely to blame. LOL. As a side note, Brad is currently serving jury duty (grand jury....nice and predictable...every other Tuesday until September!). Also, I just found out yesterday afternoon that my company lost it's contract in the hospital I currently work at so I am crossing my fingers and saying prayers that we are all offered in-house positions. Yikes! Stress! The unknown is the greatest recipe for anxiety in my world.........

As we know, there are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns. That is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don't know we don't know.
-----Donald Rumsfeld

Memorial Day Weekend......

2009-05-27T20:58:00.004-04:00

We had an action packed weekend of farming, and visiting w/ Brad's brother, Brian, sister-in-law Natalie, and niece Gabrielle and our good friends Mike, Jenn & little surrogate nephew Nate (not that these pictures reflect that). The farming was Saturday morning. My good friend and co-worker Jenny-G's husband picked me up at 6:30 am and we drove 45 minutes to the CSA farm that we are getting produce from this yr. EVERYTHING is done by hand on this natural/non-certified organic farm. I literally filled and toted more than THIRTY 5-gallon buckets of water laced w/ a natural, fish-gut based fertilizer to and from the fields and scooped water by the measuring cup full onto budding plants. We worked for nearly five hrs then drove back home where I took Tylenol and a shower followed by nursing Ben, eating granola, and taking an hr long nap. Some farmer I am. Later that night, Brian, Natalie, and Gabrielle made it to our house from Memphis. Sunday morning we headed to the Newport Aquarium w/ Brian, Natalie, Gabrielle, Jennifer, Mike and Nate. We had a great visit and I'm sorry we don't have any pictures of the rest of our group to show everyone. Our camera has issues and is getting closer and closer to a 1.5 lb paperweight by the day. Fortunately, Jenn was kind enough to download pics from her AMAZING camera onto my lowly laptop. Doesn't Ben look adorable? I know, I'm terribly biased.

Speaking of Ben, he is growing and developing so quickly! I can't believe he is pushing 6 months old. So far, he has eating rice cereal, sweet potatoes, bananas, peas, carrots, avocado, & butternut squash. He may turn into a banana. On the other hand, he didn't like avocado and peas gave him a stomach ache. On the motor front, he loves the Jump-a-Roo we borrowed from aunt Jenn, he is a rolling fool, master of tummy time (no 4 point yet), sitting pretty well unassisted but frequently falls over, and pinching me regularly. He is babbling and drooling and smiling ear to ear. Yesterday I noticed a tiny bit of tooth breaking through his front bottom gums. Gulp. Here's hoping he doesn't fully cut that tooth during a nursing session.

BTW, just wanted to say thanks to all our American troops serving at home and abroad! We appreciate your sacrifices big and small! Thank you, thank you!

Give Peas a Chance...

2009-05-18T22:37:00.005-04:00

Nothing exciting is going on w/ us right now. Ben is continuing to try new foods. He is quite smitten w/ bananas. Tonight we tried peas but, while he clearly liked their sweet taste, he was a little unsure of their texture....perhaps his mom should buy a decent sieve. If I haven't explained our baby food factory yet, let me clue you in that the Babycook rocks at steaming and pureeing and I have been filling up lidded ice cube trays w/ the purees for later use. After freezing the purees over night, I pop them out into freezer bags so we have individually portioned nuggets of goodness at a moments notice. It is working out well.

Also we received our first installment from the CSA farm this afternoon. It was a light load because it is so early in the season. We got baby salad greens, green onions, and fresh sage. Tomorrow night we will be enjoying a bright salad w/ our grilled burgers. I also bought chicken at the grocery store today so I'm hoping to somehow pair the sage w/ it, but will have to do an online search for a decent recipe. I am open to suggestions if anyone has any. And so is our domestic life. Shampoo, rinse, and repeat.

Sweet Potatoes....

2009-05-12T21:55:00.002-04:00

Ben's first taste of real food was sweet potatoes! He was a little unsure about it at first but I think he'll come around (after all a few days ago he decided he loves rice cereal). In other exciting news (ok I'm easily excited), Brad and I bought a half share in a local CSA (community supported agriculture) farm and will have fresh weekly produce deliveries of organic goodies! Ben will get to try all kinds of good stuff this year! I am excited about all the baby food potential! Bananas will be his next adventure in eating, per the pediatricians' office's request to combat his current diarrhea. I'll let you know how that goes!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T21:26:00.005-04:00

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Today was my first Mother's Day! I am very thankful for our little boy! He was well worth the wait! I enjoyed a beautiful spring day with lots of sunshine and a nice breeze. Ben and I took a 2 mile (ish) walk with Henry around the lake and up and down the hills of our neighborhood. Brad spent most of the day cutting the grass, which has been growing out of control with all the rain and warm weather.

We ate dinner at home and Ben and I did laundry! Overall, uneventful but nice. I spent my day being a mom. Love it!
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(See how helpful Ben was with the laundry.........
he makes plenty of dirty things that need to be washed!)

P.S. We had to take Ben to the Pedi on Friday afternoon at the urging of his daycare because he had been spitting up so much. Turns out they thought he had a run of the mill case of hypochondriac, first-time parents syndrome, ie: nothing. In our defense, he had 7 looser than normal, mutant slime poo's yesterday and at least 4 of them today. No fever so I guess he will live.

Bathing Beauty....

2009-05-04T12:14:00.002-04:00

Out on the Town with Louisiana Guerrilla

2009-05-04T11:07:00.003-04:00

Saturday night, Derby Day in fact, Brad and I had our first adult night out on the town in the lovely city of Cincinnati. We even hired a babysitter for the first time (Megan, and she is actually one of Ben's daycare teachers so a little less stressful for me). I can't say that it was a romantic evening. In fact, we went to see a couple of Brad's friends, and former DeadLuck band mates, perform at Stanley's Pub. Nathan Self is the front man (vocals, guitar) for Louisiana Guerrilla, his brain child, and Josh Anders is laying down the rhythm (drums) for live performances on their tour. (That's Nathan in the above pic...sorry Josh the giant pillar prevented me from capturing your mug). Check them out if you get a chance, here is the Louisiana Guerrilla's MySpace page. We had a great time, although I bailed in time to relieve the babysitter around midnight [don't worry Brad got a few more hours of guy time to chat it up with Nathan and Josh and listen to Athens which were very interesting & a another band (sorry I was gone when they came on) that played the electric ukulele]. Overall, fun indeed. Wouldn't mind checking out the eclectic music mix at Stanley's again. Rock on!

Stranger than Fiction....

2009-05-01T21:10:00.008-04:00

If I've never mentioned it before, I'm a addicted to reading. My friend Jennifer and I joke that we are in a very exclusive book club consisting of two members, she & I. We take turns choosing books without limit to number of pages or genre. Most often we read fiction, with occasional dabblings in the biography department. We gobble them up at racer's speed, plotting our next conquest before finishing our current one. In recent months, I have been reading in the wee hours during nursing sessions. Our last few choices have been emotionally trying (The Glass Castle, Life of Pi, She's Come Undone). Oddly enough, I've been known to absorb the atmosphere or mood of a book be it elation, melancholy, friskiness, or even baby fever. Stranger things have been brewing, though, than my osmotic irritation.

My life last week, before our mini-vacation, had taken on interest of fictional proportion. I had wild dreams about murders and extravagant parties circa the roaring 20's. And then there were the odd occurences. We left our garage door open over night & some young bandits stole change from our car consoles. My husband bought a crazy expensive home gym without discussing it with me (he says Chuck Norris made him do it). One morning, after finally settling Ben down for a nap (ok so he passed out from sheer exhaustion), I looked out our kitchen window & saw something peculiar. A man, in his 50's, pulled up to the empty lot behind ours in a late 80's model, non-descript, American vehicle, got out with a post hole digger, and proceeded to dig a hole in the middle of the field. He had stopped to make or take a call on his cell phone when I was lured away from the window by a crying baby (not to mention any names...a-hmmph...BENJAMIN PHILLIP CATHEY). When I reach Ben's room & looked out the window, the man was gone. That night I walked the field with my neighbor who found the hole, empty and mysterious. Was he dropping off or picking up? I had hoped for a jar of money. Feared a severed hand or heroin. But...nothing.

Then last Thursday, my first patient of the day was Mrs. P. She was feisty and hard of hearing. She didn't like the questioning during my evaluation. No she had never heard of occupational therapy she said. She questioned me twice, "Your last name is Cathey?" Then, midway through my demonstration of an exercise, she stopped me to read my palm. "Hmmph", she said. "See this thumb? You are a natural leader. You can't help it; you always get put in that position. If it [thumb] was shorter you'd be a prostitute. And you'd make a terrible prostitute.You talk too much". "You aren't jealous of what other people have", she said, pointing at a seemingly random crease on my palm. "And here. You and your husband have different religious views, but that's ok because you really love him. You will have a long marriage and a long life. You will live to be an old lady". "There is something that you need to be studying. You know what it is...so do it!", she demanded. Then she said, "Well, do you have any questions?". I only asked one, how many children would I have. She asked me to make a fist, then observed the creases on the side of my hand, just below my pinky finger. Exasperated, she said, "Well you have 2 at home already right?". I told her no. She then proceeded, "Then you have one and he is very young, right?" Yes I replied in concealed disbelief wondering if perhaps I had a breast pad askew, self-conscious that there was a wet spot seeping through my lab jacket. "Well I see twins so if you don't already have 2 at home then you should be very careful or you will be having another one very soon. In fact, you will have 3 more children", she insisted. Up until that point, I admit I was buying into her crap a little bit. I left out my smart-ass question about whether she foresaw us winning the lotto, because that is Brad's stipulation for future IVF cycles. My thoughts strayed to harsh questions like, "If you can see the future then why haven't you won the lotto yet?", or worse yet, "Why didn't you see that fall coming?". Ah well. So are the pitfalls of selective psychic abilities. All and all....how bizarre.

Adventures in cereal....

2009-04-28T18:05:00.004-04:00

Some fun from last Monday!

Biltmore

2009-04-27T06:52:00.003-04:00

Noisy Baby

2009-04-27T06:49:00.004-04:00

Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn......

2009-04-25T06:10:00.006-04:00

Actually were at the Hampton Inn if you must know. Caryville, TN. On a very steep hillside. We arrived after midnight; in route to Asheville, NC to visit Biltmore and Brad's family. But it's 6:14 am and I have a babe on my breast. He had been sweetly babbling since 5:30 or so and, when babbling turned to screaming, I was finally moved to tend to him. I was thinking deep thoughts as I was lying there about the comedic realm that is hotel staying. I never wash my face so thoroughly as when presented with miniature soap designated facial and french-milled and 7 wash clothes that I don't have to launder. Standing there at the sink last night in front of the tri-fold bathroom mirror with flattering lighting, I was also moved to floss, and use the "complimentary" make-up remover towelette, mouthwash, and moisturizer. Short of an actual shower, I don't know when I have ever been more well groomed.

This particular "Inn" is pretty peculiar. There are a variety of statues outside; a horse and jockey, whales, an elephant. Also there are two Model-A's (correction...one is a Model-T as you can see in the above picture) in the front circle drive. Next to the elevator there is a glass encasement featuring a leather jacket with a caption describing it as being worn by someone some 50+ yrs ago when he was shot and killed, note the bullet holes the caption insists. I have no idea if he is someone famous or historical that I should know. I'll try to catch his name on my way to the continental breakfast in an hr or so. Ahh, continental breakfast. I am giddy with excited for my free toast and coffee. Again something to do with not having to make it or clean up after myself. What can I say, I'm easy to entertain.

Ok loyal masses (all 3 or 4 of you), Ben is satiated and I am going to attempt to return his sleeping body to the portable crib and catch a few more zzz's myself. Try to contain your excitement but I intend to add some pictures of our mountain side retreat tomorrow, bullet holes and all.

P.S. See the comments for info on the leather jacket's owner. Also please share in my concern for the security of my internet connection via the free wi-fi.

"It always feels like somebody's watching me..."
--Michael Jackson (?)

P.P.S. More pics from the hotel....

..
Sorry I couldn't resist. A flattering pic of me...
notice its a head shot. My post-baby body is a plump,
pale disaster. Chuck Norris has a lot of work ahead of him....

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Ironing board surfing.......imagine Brad is
humming Beach Boys right now..

Ok so the statues weren't so lame after all....

And the ski lift was comic relief to say the least....

Denied....

2009-04-20T10:59:00.004-04:00

So much for our rainy day errands. After placing screaming, nap-needing baby in car seat against his writhing will, gathering purse, diaper bag, grocery list, and package for UPS store, we entered the car only to find the battery dead. Hmph. Nice. Took jet-engine decibeled screaming baby out of car, out of car seat, and carried him around the house until screaming stopped. Placed him in his crib where, while he is not sleeping, he is futilely but quietly rolling around eating his toes fighting the power. Please dear God let him give in.

BTW, the above pic is our new wonder device, the BabyCook. Fear not, no babies will be harmed in the use of this product. Instead, after trying various cereals, Ben will get his first tastes of real food via the BabyCook's steaming and pureeing capabilities. Special thanks to aunt Valerie for the gift certificate that covered most of it's cost. First cereal trials are set to ensue later today. Back to the BabyCook; the original one I purchased in Louisville on Easter weekend when I went to p/u my mom. When I got it home and took it out of the package, I was afronted with a clearly USED device, dried food bits included. Yuck. I was not feeling much love for Williams-Sonoma at that moment. I called them right away and, since I live 80+ miles from said store, they agreed to ship a new one immediately with the on-honor agreement that I would box up the USED one and send it back to them on their dime. That was the intended UPS store trip today. *sigh* I would call to schedule a UPS p/u at my house but apparently my cell phone is completely dead....and my fancy phone charger which links to my computer is suddenly MIA after several recent picture uploads which needed the USB port.....and there is of course the inability to use the car charger.....because of the dead battery. Today will not be productive. My house is clean. Dinner is already planned and prepped aside from cooking. Ah yes...Ben is crying again.........

Addendum to above: Ha ha! Good things come to those who wait! Ben has fallen asleep!!! I think I will pack for our trip!

Rainy Day...

2009-04-20T09:22:00.003-04:00

This video is for Nana and Poppy! We can't wait to see you guys this weekend!

Here Comes Peter Cotton-tail....

2009-04-16T22:09:00.002-04:00

4-month Doctor's Appt...

2009-04-06T13:01:00.002-04:00

Believe it or not this is Ben just a minute or two after his 4-month shots. But, when put in his car seat he resumed his wounded animal howling so I know that he was not enjoying the experience. Dr. V said he was doing perfectly well. He weighs 15 lbs, 10 oz (66th percentile) and he is 25.5 inches long (71th percentile). He was all smiles, grabbing at the doc's stethoscope & fingers & drooling all over his Buddha belly. I asked the doc about starting solids & she said the most recent studies have show that waiting until closer to 6 months decreases the odds of developing a food allergy (which I've been reading about also). She said I definitely want to wait until I feel like my milk supply has bounced back (did I mention that I thought it was decreasing? Probably a combination of only pumping 2 times instead of 3 at work & then Ben was sick a couple weeks ago....my frozen supply was completely gone except what I'd pump the day before I needed it so we were having to supplement with formula @ daycare 1-2 bottles/day. My frozen supply is slowly picking back up again.). She also said for us to use our judgement when we thought he was ready to start solids based on his interest when we eat. He is definitely watching us eat now. Dr. V said that with his great head control that he should be ready soon. As a follow-up to my dairy dilemma, I am now eating cheese and yogurt again regularly and occasionally splurging on ice cream & Ben seems to be doing fine. I may try reintroducing drinking milk when he is 6-months old to see if his system is fully functioning, but for now soy & rice milk are acceptale solutions.

Ok. As my parting gift to you, here is a pic of Ben sporting a faux-hawk yesterday before his bath. What a little ham.

New Links...

2009-04-05T00:56:00.004-04:00

(BTW, this is a random picture I found online so

don't get your hopes up about the entertainment
potential thought to be contained in the blogs I linked to....
also try not to judge me based on the fact that I found that
picture entertaining....)

I added some new links to blogs I follow w/ some regularity (some more than others). Some belong to those I know and others are complete strangers and blogs I randomly found. If you check them out don't be offended by their content. I'll warn you that Stand and Deliver can be graphic in its pics and descriptions of childbirth, and even boasts pics or a video of the writer giving birth at home to her daughter a few years ago (its been so long that I can't remember which it it). Corpse of Milk is a friend's blog who is a writer turned OT like myself (the economy is cruel to creative employment) and its a mix of short fiction and family photos. The others have interesting stories of their own, most of which circle the realm of pregnancy, loss, children, and parenthood with a diverse look at day to day life across North America (including mad props to Canada w/ 2 representatives. LOL). So go ahead and be nosy. If I've linked to you and you don't want the pressure of my 5 followers breathing down your neck, then shoot me a comment and I will graciously remove your blog from the list. Happy reading my peeps!

Once Bitten, Twice Shy Baby....

2009-04-04T23:33:00.004-04:00

They say breastfeeding is an intimate time of bonding between mother and child. Tender moments in the wee hours of the night; sweet baby's tiny hand grasping his mother finger while she is feeding him the sweet nectar of life. Insert coo's and smiles. And then the baby turns 4 months, starts teething and tries to gnaw off his mother's nipple with his rubbery gums of steel. LOL. As you can guess, Ben has begun teething. He is a drooling mess of a child who requires hourly bib changes and can't get enough of shoving things in his mouth, mostly his hands. His other latest feats include experimenting with bulimia via index finger down the throat after a big nursing session, rolling in the crib and getting his legs stuck between the bars, and grabbing both feet simultaneously in a spread eagle pose...all the makings of a cheerleader I'd say. Brad may want to kiss his football dreams goodbye. Fear not, I staved off biting during his last nursing session with a little gum massage and frozen teething ring action prior to the sit-down. He may live to see another day of breast milk instead of being converted to stinky formula (YUCK!!).

In other news, spring has 'sprung' around here....sort of. We had a fabulously sunny day with temps in the 60's. Brad cut our grass with the precision of a major league baseball team's grounds keeper (seriously--our front yard is diagonally plaid patterned and everything). He put down fertilizer and did some flower bed prep with countless bags of top soil for my planting pleasure. Tomorrow we are anticipated to have rain with weather in the 70's. Monday and Tuesday SNOW SHOWERS. WTF? What a tease!! I want spring!!!!!! Give me sunshine or give me death. Ok. Not really. So I'll stay in and clean my house. *sigh* We also need to head to Lowe's to pick out tile for the dining room (whose carpet has been forcibly removed secondary to one too many doggy incontinence incidences).

On a positive note, I'll leave you with pictures of Ben's latest exploits.....sleeping on his tummy and sucking his thumb (he has next to no interest in a pacifier) and trying out the ol' excer-saucer (much to his delight because he is so over the Bumbo and it's lame supported sitting action). I wish you all warm weather and sunshine.....maybe we will enjoy some of that for Easter next weekend. The Easter bunny has plans for Ben's basket and I am going to try to drag Brad to a new church during this time of renewal. Wish me luck on both fronts!

Ben is all thumbs these days as you can see. Also notice the
multitude of little fat rolls on the backs of his legs. I am very
curious to see what he will weigh in at on Monday at his 4
month check up (btw he is due for MORE shots).

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We put Ben in this shirt to avoid any confusion
about his identity.

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Every time I used some ridiculously high-pitched voice to get Ben's
attention for this picture, Henry came running. He is having
a very hard time being number two these days. Poor kitties hardly
get a ranking at all. I would love to find them a new home
where they would get more attention.

Surrounded by buttons and toys, Ben mostly
played with his thumb and his bib. What can I
say he's a resourceful child who is riding out the
recession quite well.

Rolling, rolling, rolling....

2009-03-29T21:01:00.003-04:00

Ben is growing like a weed! He even started rolling all the way over in the wee hrs on Friday morning (March 27th). He got stuck face-down against the bumper pad so we took it out on Friday night. Since then, he has woken up at least once a night with a leg or two stuck between the rails! Hmph! I think we may have to get the mesh bumper pads I've been hearing about. Hopefully he will soon master rolling in BOTH directions so that we don't have to worry so much about him getting stuck! BTW, the above pic was taken when U of L was still on it's winning streak. Today they managed to lose fairly easily to Michigan. Oh well....

Beware of shark boy! This is Ben is one of his hooded towels, post-bath. Too cute. As you can tell, Brad and I eat, sleep, and breath Ben right now. Mostly because we love him to pieces, partially because w/ no family in town we don't have a choice. We are supposed to let my co-worker (and friend) Jen's 13 y.o. daughter try her hand at babysitting for a couple hrs (say long enough for dinner out) w/ her mom there to help. Honestly, I wouldn't mind paying her to watch him w/ me here so Brad and I could give the house a heavy duty cleaning! How sadly domestic is that??

Little yellow raincoat....

2009-03-27T00:03:00.001-04:00

My mom gave Ben this little yellow raincoat last weekend. Today it rained the better part of the day so I thought he'd break it in. I must say he looked absolutely adorable. And he really is feeling quite better after his run in w/ the stomach virus. The only oddity was that he only poo'd once today and it was real poo....a little patty in his diaper. This is a first for him. As a breast milk drinking little guy, Ben has had liquid poo since birth. I wonder if he is perhaps a little dehydrated from the vomiting Tuesday and Wednesday. He ate pretty well today so here's hoping that he gets back into his normal routine. I'm sure you were sitting around today thinking, "Hmm. I wonder what Ben Cathey's bowels are up to today?". What can I say, that's what I'm here for. Giving the people what they want. Enjoy the rest of the pics.....I'll try to refrain from the topic of excrement. Have a lovely day! :)

P.S. Ben will be 4 months old on Saturday!!
P.P.S. The pictures he had taken at daycare were a bust....we may have to have pictures taken at a studio. More on that when we actually make that happen.....

80th Birthday...........

2009-03-26T23:14:00.004-04:00

My grandma, "Mamaw", turned 80. We road tripped down to her hometown of Hodgenville, KY to visit her for the occasion last Saturday. This was Ben's longest car ride and first visit w/ my mom's extended family. My grandma was in happy tears to finally get to see Ben. It was very touching.

Great grandchildren were fighting to 'help' Mamaw open her gifts. I felt like a referee as I helped her read cards and identify gifts before the kiddos grabbed them and stuffed them back in their wrappings in order to hurriedly hand her the next package. I think she was at least as overwhelmed as I was!!

Ben did a lot of visiting, sat in many laps, and drooled on countless shoulders.The above pictured shoulder being that of my older brother, Chad. Perhaps it is not a coincidence that Ben came down w/ a scary but short lived illness on Tuesday involving ghostly paleness and projectile vomiting. We took him to the pediatrician who assured us that is was most likely a stomach bug and advised us to watch for signs of dehydration and nothing more. Brad stayed home from work w/ him yesterday and by last night Ben was 100% fine.

In other news, I am happy to finally update you all on Nate. He had surgery a few weeks ago to remove several infected lymph nodes as well as a salivary gland. The biopsy was negative for malignancies and the culture and sensitivity are still pending to specifically identify the infective organism so that the docs can make sure he is on the most appropriate antibiotics. He is back to playing and attending daycare. We are very thankful!

Our Growing Boy....

2009-03-20T00:10:00.001-04:00

This is the outfit Ben will be getting his picture taken in Friday morning....we had to try it on him to make sure it fit. He managed to drool on it for good measures. He looks like a BOY not a baby. He is growing soooo fast. Just look at his crazy hair. It's a daily battle to control it.

Here we have a couple of close-ups in the swing. We now have the toy tray on the swing w/ all kinds of things attached. He is grabbing these toys and shoving them in his mouth when he can coordinate it. He also LOVES faces and lights up whenever you look his way w/ a smile or a gaping mouth...I don't know why he thinks that's so funny. I think we are going to break out the Exer-saucer soon to see how he is w/ trunk control in supported standing now that he has mastered supported sitting. These are exciting times in the Cathey household. :)

Welcome little Sophia!

2009-03-19T23:34:00.005-04:00

I would like to (belatedly) welcome our newest niece, Sarah "Sophia" Lamar! She was born on Monday, March 17th @ 4:58 pm. She weighed 7lbs 4.4 oz and was 20 inches long! According to her daddy (Dale), she and mommy (Valerie) are both doing well. Sophia has dark hair and eyes but blond eyebrows so it may be a mystery as to which hair color wins out in the end. After all, Ben's hair is getting lighter (and thinner!!) by the day.

St. Patty's day should be a fun birthday to have and easy for her uncle Brad to remember (he has testosterone induced memory loss when it comes to important dates). We can't wait to meet Sophia next month! We will be taking Ben on his first road trip to North Carolina to visit the Lamar clan and meet up w/ some of Brad's other family at Biltmore. We will see how he handles 5 and a half hrs of driving w/ a couple of extra hrs of nursing, potty breaks, gas fill-ups, and snackage. I bet his Nana and Poppy will be amazed at how much he has grown!!

Here is a St. Patty's Day video of Ben waking up. Sorry it is so grainy...our camera is in serious danger of being chucked out a window...we are searching for its replacement as we speak. BTW, this is how happy Ben is EVERY morning. I assure you he does not get this trait from either of his parents......

Oh and P.S. Ben is pretty much sleeping through the night almost daily......such a good baby boy! He smiles infectiously and wraps us more tightly around his little finger w/every passing day... we never stood a chance!

3 months and going strong......

2009-02-26T10:25:00.004-05:00

This Saturday, Ben will be 3 months old!! I am going to schedule pictures for next week to mark the occasion. He has done an amazing amount of growing and developing in his short 3 months of life. He has great head control, he is babbling and smiling, and even rolling to one side from his back. He is paying more attention to his surroundings and interacting w/ people and objects more and more.

We could not have anticipated Ben's love of the Bumbo seat. He is very happy to spend 10 or 15 minutes in it a couple times a day. He loves sitting upright and excitedly bats at the toys hanging from his activity gym, babbling and drooling all the while. The drooling is crazy these days, you would think it was pre-teething drooling in its volume but I know we should be months away from tooth-dom.

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Ben is the proud hand-me-down wearer of his cousin, 2 yrs his senior, Trey's clothes. The adorably grown up sweater and dress pants outfit below are his duds for today's running around. We are going to check up on my friend Tracy's house (she moved back to her home town in IL but her house is still for sale here) and to scope out some baby shower decorations for the shower I am helping to plan for a co-worker and friend, Amy, who is due in June.

Ok so he looks so cute in it I had to post 2 pictures.

In other news, I need to solicit prayers for my BFF, Jenn H., and her sweet little boy Nate. He was in the hospital this week because of an infected and greatly swollen submandibular lymph node. He was released the next day, after loads of testing, but is anticipated to have his lymph node surgically removed and biopsied in about a week unless the infection resolves on its own. He has been a trooper and I know mommy Jenn and daddy Mike have been very stressed. I'm sending prayers up daily and ask everyone else to do the same! We love you Nate!

“To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.”.
--Brandi Snyder

Bumbo....

2009-02-22T18:25:00.006-05:00

Ben has recently discovered the Bumbo seat (we borrowed it from Jenn H)! He has been demanding to be propped up in a fully upright seated position so we thought he might be ready for the Bumbo. While he is still mastering head and trunk control, it was a big hit! He loves being a big boy in his little throne. And he looks completely adorable.....

Sleep is for sissies...part 3....

2009-02-19T11:12:00.005-05:00

Valentine's Day was a flurry of activity.....Ben was the only one who got any rest....we didn't get home until 3 a.m.........

..

We went to Brad's friend, and co-worker, Bob's wedding in Louisville. Two minutes into the wedding, Ben managed a giant, stinky poo. I quickly found a nun and was shown to the nursery in the cathedral basement where I spent the first half of the wedding. Upon making it back to my pew to join Brad, Ben promptly, and audibly, filled his diaper once again. Brad spent the second half of the wedding in cathedral basement. It really was a lovely ceremony..I'm sure...

Below are Brad and his friends at the wedding, groom included....

(Left to right, Ben, Bob, Brad, and Jim)

Not to be outdone, all the female counterparts to the above men also had a Kodak moment w/ Bob....

(Left to right, Lena, Bob, Sherry, and me....in case you were wondering I was wearing 3 in heels & I am already 5'11")

Also this week (Monday 02/16/09), Ben got his first haircut! Brad used his hair clippers to eliminate the baby mullet that Ben had going on! Its amazing how much lighter in color Ben's hair has gotten since birth!

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And now we have gone full circle w/ the update because it is snowing AGAIN! Ben and I are home in the warm house....I hear the call of the changing pad....Ben has defiled another diaper and is quite pleased w/ himself. I, on the other hand, am hoping that he settles in for a nap so that I might join him......I have been running on fumes in the sleep dept since I returned to work. Sleep is for sissies though right? I don't want him to grow up too fast because I love all of the wondrous baby moments...but I will do a happy dance the day he sleeps through the night....
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(Henry is feeling frisky....he LOVES the snow!)

Sleep is for sissies...part 2...

2009-02-19T10:50:00.004-05:00

We also survived a bout of thrush (and 'natural' remedy attempt w/ use of gentian violet hence the purple mouth).....

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His first cruise in his stroller...(this is Ben bundled up for the outdoors)...
..

He has done a lot of growing.....which as I've come to find requires a lot more eating than sleeping...yawn....
..

He had his 2 month check up (02/09/09)where we found that he was up to 12 lbs 13 oz (67th percentile) and 24 in long (77th percentile).....

....including his 1st shots!!! It was heart breaking!! Do you see the band-aids? Three shots and an oral vaccine....

Sleep is for sissies.....

2009-02-19T09:57:00.005-05:00

When last we saw our heroine she was at cliffs edge ready to throw herself off (LOL not really but it did sound like it!) Let me assure you we are all well. I am still settling back into work while trying to balance everything else but we are surviving. Since I last posted, we have done a lot of snuggling....

....after we got about a foot of snow.....we had a visit from my older brother (Chad), SIL (Danielle), my mom, and two blondie nieces (Paige & Lilly)....Brad, Chad, Paige, & Lilly went snowboarding and snow tubing at Perfect North. The rest of us stayed home, scrap booked, & visited (Ben, as you can imagine, is quite skilled w/scissors & uncannily witty when it comes to journaling tid bits to describe the mood of a vacation picture).

As a side note, Lilly is VERY domestic. She asked me for a dust pan and mini broom in order to adios some doggy tumbleweeds from our hard wood floors....and as you can see she also tried her hand at diapering Ben.

...................................................................we also...........

Tough Day

2009-02-03T22:15:00.000-05:00

Just a mini update. Today was my first day back to work. Today was also Ben's first day at daycare. I haven't cried this much in quite some time. A quick paraphrase of my inner dialogue just after I dropped Ben off...."Did I just leave my only child w/ a stranger?? This is crazy! This is the worst decision I've ever made!!". After crying in the daycare's parking lot until someone pulled in the lot next to me, I proceeded to work where I cried in the car until I decided I couldn't put off going in any longer. In the morning, I balanced patient treatments w/ pumping in closet like offices, visited the daycare for a nursing session during my lunch, and repeated the morning's balancing act in the afternoon.

I take my hat off to the working mothers who have proceeded me. This is a tough gig. Motherhood has proven to be a continually humbling experience. I didn't realize how much I could miss my little boy. His daycare teacher said he cried often in the morning, wanted to be fed almost constantly, and refused to nap in his crib.....this was not comforting news. In the afternoon, he did better, cried less, napped in the swing. I wish I didn't have to take him back, that this was just a one off bad day. I hope facing tomorrow morning won't be so difficult, but I'm not terribly optimistic.

Snowy Days....

2009-01-29T20:46:00.002-05:00

I have cabin fever. We have about a foot of snow
and ice and I haven't left the house in many days!
Ugh! My car is currently blocked in...thanks to
loads of white stuff falling from the sky AND
Brad shoveling the snow from his side of the
driveway onto mine...no fair....

The back deck has a 2+ foot snow drift and the
back yard is considerably deeper than the front.

Henry loves the snow. Mostly he just gets
frisky and runs around. Ben on the other hand
thinks the snow is way too bright and doesn't like
to look out the window right now....

Catch a shooting star and put it in your pocket....

2009-01-29T20:04:00.003-05:00

This little homemade Christmas star has been hanging on the light over our kitchen island for a month (Brad made it in 1983). I have tried to use it to entertain Ben while I cook dinner...up until now he has taken no notice of it. Today he used it as a punching bag for more than a half hour. I was thoroughly entertained and managed to clean the kitchen and make myself lunch while he was enjoying himself......thank God for the little things.

Weekend with Nana and Poppy....

2009-01-25T11:40:00.001-05:00

Brad's parents came up from Memphis to visit us for the weekend. We ventured out in public for dinner (and that was an adventure in REAL Mexican cuisine that we didn't expect! Yum.), had lots of time for baby adoration and adult conversation, and even a little bowling and golf on the Wii. We had a really good visit! Hopefully we can make the road trip to Memphis in the next month or two to visit again.

Nana got a lot of snuggling in w/ Ben and I got some respite!
I even managed a 2 hour nap on Saturday after Ben was up
the night before from 3-7 am! Nana should visit more often! Ha!

Nana and Poppy are on their way....

2009-01-23T12:57:00.003-05:00

I told Ben that his Nana and Poppy (Brad's parents) were coming to see him today. I also told him that he was SOOOOO CUTE that they would probably eat him up. He liked the idea... this was his reaction! He had a bath this morning and I didnt comb his hair until it was dry, hence the craziness. Personally, I love it!

The next picture is after a wardrobe change due to a major blow out poopy diaper.

The Boob-onic Plague

2009-01-22T16:50:00.002-05:00

Well folks, my boobs used to be fun loving gals but they've fallen on hard times. Now they're perfunctory and in need of constant attention. I went to the doctor today only to find that I have mastitis. That's right, inflammation of the tatas. I will start on an antibiotic and wait for relief. Ouch is all I can say. Dear Ben and I aren't having the best week. Here's hoping next week is a little brighter.

6 weeks.....Snot Fest '09

2009-01-20T16:31:00.004-05:00

Sorry to the loyal followers....all 3 of you...for not updating the blog sooner. Having a newborn is time consuming; having a congested newborn is a never-ending-uphill-both-ways-barefooted-in-the-snow battle. Our poor little guy had been congested around week 1 and it went away around week 2 after we got a cool mist humidifier. Then last week he started w/ audible gas rumblings in his stomach and fussy crying spells that accompanied them........we adopted gas drops and the 'super baby', belly down colic hold and he seemed to calm down but w/ some effort. Then on Sunday his congestion returned, 10 times worse than it had been with a cough to boot. He has had to sleep in his bouncy seat because he can't lay flat on his back and we have had to suction him around the clock to allow him to nurse, sleep, and well...breath. So this morning I called and got him into see the pediatrician. Since he is not running a fever and his lungs are clear, our pediatrician recommended us to stay the course w/ sleeping in the bouncy, using the humidifier, and suctioning as needed. He also recommended that I eliminate dairy from my diet until Ben's 2 month appt (about 2 weeks) to see if that is causing him to be gassy. The only positive note from the appt was that he now weighs over 11 lbs so we know that he is getting plenty of breast milk!

I feel so bad for him because he seems miserable and there's not much I can do for him. He didn't used to spit up EVER and now for the past 2 days he gets choked on all his excess mucus and spits up a couple of times a day in pretty significant quantities (he has had several wardrobe changes today because of it.). In other news, Ben and I also went to a little informal orientation session at his soon-to-be daycare. He will start there on Feb. 3rd...where has the time gone? I am going back a little earlier than initially planned because my short term disability covered a week less than I anticipated. His first week there I plan to go and nurse him on my lunch breaks to help both of us w/ the transition. I will probably only work 6 hr days the first week to help w/ that also. Here's hoping we both do well!

So that's what's new w/ baby Ben.....I need to try to catch some zzz's while boy wonder is napping now so that I can face the snotty night ahead. (I was afforded the luxury of blogging by my need to pump.) If Ben isn't better by Friday, then I am supposed to bring him back in to the pediatrician's office to make sure his lungs are still clear....please say prayers for him to feel better.

5 weeks old

2009-01-10T18:06:00.003-05:00

Ben is officially 5 weeks old today! I can't believe how fast he is growing. He had his 1 month pediatrician's appt Friday. He has done some serious growing since his last appt 2 weeks ago! He is now 22.5" long (73rd percentile) and 9 lbs 15 oz (50th percentile). So I am feeling pretty good about his intake from breast feeding. I did ask the doc about his gooey eye but there was no concern, just a clogged tear duct from being born. I also asked about his fussiness and need to feed at a constant rate some nights w/ spittiness and a gassy belly....she said it could be reflux but she is not concerned right now. If it keeps up then I will have to cut back on my milk intake (cows milk ingested by mom can cause belly aches in nursing babies who lack enzymes to digest cows milk). She also informed me that Ben has some fluid on his right testicle! Ugh! She said that unless it got worse they wouldn't do anything. If it does get worse then he might have to have a minor surgical procedure to close off the area in the abdomen that is 'leaking' into the scrotum. Lovely. I'm already a worry wart! Upon examination when we got home, I could see the edema but its pretty mild. My poor boy! I hope it isn't painful!
.
This is a pic of Ben in his crib for the second time ever. He has only napped in there, no over night stays. We are taking it slow on that front. We, and by we I mean "I", just started letting him wake up on his own in the night for feedings vs being woken up at the 3 hr mark. We have done that for the past 2 nights and I am pleased to say that I have had the pleasure of enjoying 4 hrs of sleep at a stretch 1 of those 2 nights! Honestly, I kept waking up to check on him last night and finally got him up just after 3 hrs because I couldn't go back to sleep...he has me well trained!
..
I realized that I hadn't ever posted updated pics of the nursery in it's nearly completed state so here they are. We are still lacking a changer/dresser. We got a dresser from a friend but still need to paint it. In the mean time, his crib has been used for changing diapers more than sleeping! :)
..
I finally got my nursing chair! I ordered it before Christmas and it arrived on Wednesday. I love it! Thank you Phil and Jane....this is what I bought w/ my Christmas money! ;)

Ok for any of you who are squeamish about breast feeding...skip the next pic...hahaha!

.
Ben is a good nurser! We have worked out all the nursing kinks and have the routine down pat. I am also pumping once a day to start my frozen store for my return to work next month. I am not looking forward to pumping at work several times a day. Wish me luck on that front!

Brad, Ben, and I are going to enjoy a uneventful weekend at home together. I think I may take Ben on his first road trip on Monday to pick up his pictures from Brad's friend, Robin, the photographer who came out to our house last month to take some artsy shots. We will stop to visit my mom and then head back probably. I'm a little nervous because it is about an hour and a half to Louisville but we've gotta try it some time! Ok, off to make dinner...I am quite the domestic goddess these days....I have been making dinner EVERY night....big change from our pre-baby routine. I'm sure this will help both the budget and the post-natal waist line. ;)

It was a scratch....not a pick....

2009-01-08T12:40:00.003-05:00

Seriously....it was just a scratch...LOL.

Isn't he adorable? He still has lots of hair but less
than when he was born and it seems to be getting
a little lighter. He is holding our gazes for longer
periods of time and smiling w/ seeming intent.
Very endearing! Love him!

BTW, I had my f/u OB/GYN appt yesterday. Apparently I'm healing nicely. I've gotten the ok to resume sexual activity...haha I felt the collective groan and cringe of those who really didn't want to know that....sorry. To contribute to your discomfort I have another "TMI" story for you about the doc appt.....So I didn't think to ask Brad to accompany me to this appt....and I had to, of course, take Ben w/ me. Things timed out just wrong. He was due to nurse just about the time of my appt. So I brought a breast milk bottle, but only a 2 oz'er which was not enough to satisfy him. By the time the nurse had taken my BP and weight (down 28 out of 42 lbs...the nurse commented on the extreme amount of edema I had had the last few weeks of my pregnancy) and lead me to an exam room, Ben had poo'd and become unavoidably irritated. I was already undressed from the waist down (as instructed by the nurse) when I was forced to pick Ben up from his carrier and change him on the exam table where I was meant to be sitting. He was screaming bloody murder the whole time, having nothing to do w/ the pathetic little binky I was attempting to shove in his mouth. I just kept thinking I had to hurry before the doc came in....and then there was the knock and simultaneous door opening. Nice. Real nice. So there I was standing half naked in all my glory, changing Ben's diaper. I tried to act casual but I could feel the crimson rising up from my neck to scalp. Just my luck. If I had had any questions for the doc before you could forget about that. So I had a quick exam. Got a new script for prenatal vitamins (necessary since I am breast feeding). Fortunately, the doc I saw, the one who delivered Ben, is not my regular doc and I have no reason to see him again excepting another delivery in which he could potentially deliver. Thank God. Silly to be worry that the doc who pried my baby out of my body w/ forceps should see me naked. Oh well. So is my neurosis. Lovely. Come May when I am due for my annual exam...Brad will be accompanying me.

Anyhow, Ben and I will be hitting the gym again today. Hopefully he will be as cooperative as he was last time....hopefully I will be able to push myself more than 27 minutes! Ha!

"I be up in the gym just workin' on my fitness"

2009-01-07T16:45:00.004-05:00

Due to some blogger malfunction, I can't show you the pics of our crappy neighborhood gym in all it's glory. More importantly, I started back at the gym yesterday, baby in tow. Fortunately, Ben was pretty sleepy so I couldn't even use him as an excuse for only making it 27 minutes on the eliptical machine. What can I say, 9 months off....

P.S. The title of this entry is a song lyric and a grammatical nightmare....LOL.

P.P.S. A little update...here are the pics I was unable to post the other day...

1 month old...

2009-01-05T10:10:00.003-05:00

Henry has been spending way too much time on his bed....
if we have a warm front I have vowed to take him for a walk
around the lake w/ baby and stroller. In the mean time,
he has to be content w his nightly laser light chasing
in the yard. Poor pup...

This is what a 1 month old baby looks like!!!! Awww!
Can you believe he is already so old? He is getting
more alert everyday.....making new faces.....holding
his head up higher and for longer periods of time....
eating like crazy!!!!!

Smiling in his sleep...I love that....

Pursing his big pouty lips...this is the beginning of his
modeling career...at least for the momma-razzi.....

Ringing in the New Year...

2009-01-02T14:40:00.006-05:00

Push it out, push it out...way out! LOL. This is my "push" present.
I love it! It is Ben's birthstone, blue topaz!

Our boy is growing! And outgrowing lots of his newborn clothes! I have had to retire some of them, this outfit included...I tried it on him and then took it off because his legs are now too long and it was restricting his big kicks!

This is a pick from today after a big blowout!
He defiled his outfit, the boppy, and his entire back! That's powerful poo!

On our own, part 2....Brad returns to work...

2008-12-29T15:46:00.000-05:00

Ok so Brad's "paternity" leave is now over. He returned to work this morning. Ben and I have fared better than I anticipated. He is eating more frequently now; he is filling out around the ribs and legs. I had been forewarned by many sources that he would begin eating more around this time. They warned me not to be alarmed that something had suddenly happened to my milk supply, making it inadequate somehow. Considering I have to wear breast pads full time to prevent wet shirts and often watch pools of the white stuff rolling out of Ben's mouth as he falls asleep on the job, I think the warning turned out to be unnecessary. Still at every 2 hours last night, the feedings are a little exhausting at times. I was considerate enough not to nudge Brad for middle of the night diaper duty since today would be his first day back at work.

Ben and I have had a pretty uneventful day. I gave him a bath, fed him numerous times, and managed to do some household chores as well. As I type, the dishwasher and washer/dryer are going and the kitchen has been restored to order. I even started the book Twilight (my mom left it for me when she stayed the first week) and it is an easy read...no doubt intended for teens not 30-somethng year old women but anything more complex might be wasted on me these days. I managed a nap while Ben slept early so all and all I think our first day as a duo went quite smoothly. If disaster strikes before Brad gets home, I'll be sure to update you....

Christmas....

2008-12-25T20:50:00.004-05:00

The Cathey Family has had a very low key Christmas this year. Last night were up half the night w/ baby Ben who can't seem to get into the groove of sleeping until around 2 or 3 am. Once asleep he can go for hours and has to be woken up to eat thereafter. So Brad and I tend to make up for lost sleep later in the morning when Ben is willing! We are now approaching what we would like to be the final feeding of the night before bed but Ben tends to have a period of alertness combined w/ an insatiable appetite around this time that carries us into the wee hours. Maybe for Christmas he will settle down by midnight! :) Fortunately he is incredibly cute and only cries when he needs to eat or be changed so we really can't complain about a little lost sleep.

We are feeling very blessed this Christmas! We appreciate all our family and friends! Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday! We love you all! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve.....

2008-12-24T21:42:00.002-05:00

To celebrate Christmas Eve, I read a couple of books to Ben.
Both of these were gifts from my friend Tracy.

In honor of Poppy (Brad's dad), I thought I'd post a pic
of Ben in his grandpa themed t-shirt! How adorable! :)

I couldn't resist taking a pic of his tiny little feet. And his frog face as he slept....

The news for today is that no matter how much I feed him he is not satisfied.
I feel like a human pacifier! Let us hope tomorrow is a less demanding day.

stretching....

2008-12-24T21:24:00.005-05:00

Ben in action....

2008-12-20T20:52:00.002-05:00

Video of Ben at 2 weeks! :)

2 weeks old!!

2008-12-20T20:13:00.003-05:00

Here is a pic of our wonderful baby boy at 2 weeks!
My how time flies when you are sleep-deprived!

This is one of the neatest gifts we have received...it is a wooden block
engraved w/ all Ben's birth stats....I only snapped pics of 3 of the sides...
thanks Jackson Family!!

Here is our tiny little Christmas tree for this year!
Adorable, huh?

Two weeks truly has flown by! It has been quite a challenge but worth every moment of lost sleep, worry, and frustration. The most recent development is congestion....all three of us have had it but Ben's has been the most worrisome. We have been suctioning him, using saline nose drops, and Brad even made a 5 am run to the store for a humidifier this morning. In more positive news, Ben gained 10 oz from last Friday to this Friday and has now graduated from the lactation consultant! Yeah! I am now permitted to drive so I am going to wrap up our Christmas shopping on Monday. Brad will have his first round of solo baby care and I have plenty of confidence in him....I will probably be worried sick regardless during my time away though! Another point of interest, I invested $35 in a "hands-free" breast pump corset...and yes it looks as hilarious as you are imagining but it is GREAT! I can eat a meal, or answer my phone, or BLOG while pumping (yep, you guessed it! This is a multi-tasking entry!). Hopefully I can also finish our Christmas cards to mail out on Monday so they actually get to people by Christmas. I would skip them all together this year but it is the perfect opportunity to spread the news, and even some pics, of Ben's arrival! We are certainly feeling blessed this year for the holidays!

Ben's due date...ha...

2008-12-18T18:44:00.006-05:00

(Ben..."cordless")

Today was Ben's due date! Needless to say he and God had a hardy laugh at any plans that the docs and I had. We are so very happy to have him here! We are getting in a better routine. Nights have improved because we are beefing up his midnight feeding. We are still consulting w/ a lactation consultant because he is gaining but closer to the lower end of ideal. We go back to the pediatrician for a weigh in tomorrow and to the lactation consultant for a review of his latch and before and after feeding weigh ins. In other news, his umbilical stump fell off today! It got roughed up on picture day at our house so I think the shedding process got sped up a little that day! :( The photographer ( http://www.robinsphotography.com )stayed all day...he is an old co-worker of Brad's so they did a lot of catching up and playing w/ photography software. We have been busy bees this week, squeezing in laundry and cooking between feedings and diaper changes! Brad has been great about changing diapers and welding bottles when we supplement (we are supplementing w/ additional breast milk at every 3rd feeding to boost his intake...per the lactation consultants advice). Overall, things are less overwhelming and we are enjoying having our little guy around. Henry has been angelic and only has to be scolded not to sniff or lick the baby! :)

On our own...gulp...

2008-12-14T22:12:00.002-05:00

My mom left tonight. Brad and I are officially on our own w/ Baby Ben. We have been doing most of his care the last few days w/ mom doing mercy diaper changes occasionally and feeding us regularly. That's the part I'll miss...homemade food, the 'dish fairy' loading and unloading the dishwasher, and reassurance that we are doing things 'right'. The thought of getting up, feeding Ben, changing him, getting myself showered and dressed, making breakfast, straightening the house for first family pictures at noon (an old coworker of Brad's is coming up from Louisville to photograph us in our home) and making sure the nursery is picture ready seems a little daunting right now. I'm sure we will be fine but it was nice having mom as a back up. I'm very glad she was able to spend this week w/ us...especially since we don't live close enough for daily or even weekly visits.

This week has gone well over all and our confidence as new parents is increasing a little....not much but a little. I only cried once over the baby this week and that was because I used a new thermometer to take his temp and it said 103.1 !! It turned out to be a defective thermometer because every time I took his temp (and mine) I got a different number....I threw it away to avoid future scares but the thought of him being ill or hurt is just too much for me! I love him tremendously!!

About the pic......My older bro, Chad, was supposed to pick up my mom yesterday however just before they walked out the door Lilly, my 5 yr old niece, fell sliding around in dress shoes in their kitchen and had to be taken to the hospital for stitches in her chin. So today my younger bro, Justin, drove up w/ Colton, my nephew, to take mom home.....here is Colton holding Ben. He really likes his cousin, showing him his boots and checking out Ben's tiny hands.

1 week old!

2008-12-14T20:34:00.001-05:00

We started the morning at the lactation consultant
on Ben's 1 week birthday (Saturday). Woo-hoo!
I got some practical insight re: decreasing painful
latches and some peace of mind that he is getting
plenty to eat w/ before and after feeding weigh-ins....
he took in more than 3 oz at that feeding despite
all the latch practicing and switchng him around!
Plus he weighed 7 lbs 2 oz BEFORE the feeding
which was his birth weight .

Ben's hairy big bro is feeling both jealous and
protective of his new pink little sibling.

Ben tried out a binkie but I decided it was a big pain in the butt....
it pops out of his mouth every 15 seconds which is way more
annoying than providing direct soothing!

The swing we borrowed from 'aunt'
Jenn on the other hand was a big hit!

Bath #2 was quick but fussy....except the hair
washing which is apparently his happy place!

First Doctor's Appt....

2008-12-13T16:53:00.003-05:00

At home getting ready to leave for the pediatrician's office...

Mommy and Daddy admiring their little guy...

The Cathey "Family"...awww...

Ben survived the exam!
Dr. Reide is really nice!

First Bath at Home....

2008-12-13T16:40:00.002-05:00

Are you sure we are qualified to do this??

Unhappy cold, wet baby (despite the space heater).

Hair washing was a mellow event! And dad is a pro!

Snuggling w/ dad after hair washing....

Baby Burrito!

Getting so hungry....

Post-bath dressing!

Handsome little man!

Warning....

2008-12-13T16:30:00.005-05:00

Warning: Most adorable baby ever!!!!

Day 5.....

2008-12-13T16:23:00.000-05:00

Baby meets bouncy seat....no complaints! Henry on the other hand thinks the vibrating bouncy seat is evil and makes whining/growling sounds whenever its on....he is now Ben's protector! He was also very unhappy w/ the lawn care man winterizing our yard this day. Good dog!

Beautiful flowers from my BFF Jenn! Thanks again! :)

Day 4...visitors at home....

2008-12-12T15:36:00.001-05:00

*yawn* It's tough being a newborn...
all the eating and sleeping and pooping...

This is what relaxation looks like.

Boppys are wonderful lap-mates....right daddy?

Granny has been staying w/ us this week!
Colton, and Christy, and Uncle Justin came
to see us too!

Uncle Justin is glad Colton
will have a boy cousin to play w/!

Day 3....headed home...a few for the road!

2008-12-12T15:20:00.001-05:00

Day 2, part 2

2008-12-12T15:01:00.002-05:00

Proud Papa.

Damn we're good!

Lilly's beauty parlor...don't worry she received specific
instructions on the delicate pressure for brushing
baby Ben's fragile head. :)

Little Ben in the outfit Danielle (proud aunt)
brought him.

Danielle getting her baby fix.

Day 2, part 1

2008-12-12T14:50:00.001-05:00

Sacked out on my hospital bed after we played dress up! :)

Rocking out the Pooh Bear hat!

Enough hair to part!

Soaking in some rays.

Chilling w/ mom.

Baby Ben..first day of life!

2008-12-11T19:17:00.002-05:00

We spent alot of time watching him sleep on his first day of life....both to make sure he was still breathing (LOL...I assume all first time parents devote hours to this cause) and to admire our handy work. Boy did we make a good looking child! ;)

Early morning on his birthday. We just sat and stared at him w/ wonder. The first snow of any mention this season also came down making this quiet morning very special.

A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder,
hope, a dream of possibilities.
-- Eda J. Le Shan

First hours....

2008-12-11T10:08:00.001-05:00

A hundred hearts would be too few
To carry all my love for you.
~Author Unknown

Labor of love....

2008-12-11T09:49:00.004-05:00

Here are some pics from labor and delivery....

Me walking the halls of L & D during early labor.

Brad hanging out during early labor.

"Laboring down" in the final stretch...notice the clock says 12:05 am. Ben was born at 2:40 am.

The fruit of my labor. :) Look at all that hair!

“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.
She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never.
A mother is something absolutely new.”

On the day that you were born.....

2008-12-10T10:26:00.004-05:00

(This pic is from his birthday 12/06/08)

Benjamin Phillip Cathey started to make his arrival mid-morning on Friday December 5th. I went to work as usual, attended a couple of routine meetings, and begin treating patients aided (ok entirely completed) by my student. I was sitting on a stool outside a patient's room around 10:30 a.m. when I felt a tremendous amount of pressure in my nether regions and decided to stand up for relief only to find I was 'peeing' my pants. "Yikes" I thought, I didn't even sneeze...how embarrassing! As I began to walk the length of the hall towards the bathroom I realized that I was still 'going' so I took off my lab coat and tied it around my waist. By the time I got to the break room I was wet to the knee and seriously doubting this was urine! I continued to gush so I called Brad and then my OB's office and was instructed to come in to the office for an exam (the office is in front of the hospital where I delivered). When I got to the OB, I had an exam to confirm that my membranes had ruptured and was found to be 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced w/ baby boy at station -3...meaning he had 'floated' out of his -1 station. I was then instructed to head over to labor and delivery.

Once at L & D, I labored peacefully for many hours, fully intending to go unmedicated for as long as possible. I got to have dinner around 5 because I was unmedicated. Around 7:30 p.m. my contractions were picking up and I had a nice hot shower for some pain relief. I was examined and found to be at station -1, 100% effaced and 3 cm dilated. My wonderful nurse then gave me the thumbs up for the jacuzzi tub and I spent 1 glorious hour in the lovely water humming and breathing away my labor pains w/ Brad faithfully at my side massaging my neck and offering me ice chips and my mom and BFF Jenn as his side kicks helping as needed. My older brother Chad and my two blondie nieces joined us in in jacuzzi room (w/ me sporting a gown for coverage) and I managed to labor w/o scaring the kiddos for the full hour (although I'm pretty sure Paige will be fully detered from being coming pregnant until she is at an appropriate age and state of marriage! LOL). Once that hour was up, I dreaded exiting the tub because my contractions were really picking up. After examined, I was then found to be at station 0, 6 cm dilated, and 100% effaced. Soon after that I was feeling pretty ready for medication and asked for an epidural. I was less than pleasant for the time between asking and receiving the epi (go a head Jenn interject the understatement that was, LOL). By the time I got my epidural, I was 8 cm dilated, 100% effaced and @ station +1. The sweet relief couldn't have come soon enough! LOL! And I had what nursing staff called the perfect epi. I was still able to move my legs to independently change positions in the bed. I even let my in-laws come in to see me! I hung out at 8 cm for a long time and was informed that baby boy was sunny side up, explaining the tremendous pain I had been having in my back and sacrum! Ouch! I was set-up to "labor down" for more than an hour but baby boy was unable to descend because of his face up position. I had progressed to 10 cm dilated but baby boy was still at station +1.

Things got scary from this point on. His heart rate began to steeply decelerate w/ my contractions and w/ the late arrival of the doc the last stage of labor was a rushed, panicky blur. I got oxygen and the doc got forceps and a neonatal team arrived! Ugh! When everyone in the room begins to whisper, it's time to worry! After a quick and radical episiotomy, it was forceps in, unrelenting pushing (I was all about pushing at this stage bc the doc was welding forceps and leveraging on baby boys head as if he were trying to remove it!) and I think the whole room held it's breath for a full 5 minutes in anticipation. BUT out he came! I was scared to death that the deep forceps marks would indicate some irreversible neurological damage or worse his mucousy breathing would cease but he proved to be a strong little guy.

After some suctioning and a good rub down he was given a hat and blanket and returned to my lap for adoration. And what a beautiful baby! Never have I seen such a perfect little being! I've heard many people say it and now I believe it...Love at first sight! We are now on day 5 of his brief life and my love for him as increased 10 fold. Last night was heavenly, he stirred to wake 5 minutes before my alarm was set each time, didn't cry w/ his diaper changes, and settled peacefully back to sleep each time. I am a lucky girl! More pics to come I promise!

“A good memory is one that can remember the day's blessings
and forget the day's troubles”