Four!

Caden is four months old...I cannot believe it. He is so much fun right now and everyday it seems like he is doing something new. He is rolling over both ways, eating cereal, "talking" and so much more. He is really starting to want to explore everything and I am pretty certain he may start crawling before he is even sitting up by himself (help!). He love playing, reading, and LOVES being outside (although even at such a young age he already has allergies:( We are going to the doctor next week and I know I am going to be shocked at how big he has gotten in the past two months! The picture is of him after we got home from taking a walk...I know the hat is too small to buckle around all his chins but right now it's all we got:) The center picture is him and daddy playing and no joke he picked up the basketball on his own...were not bias, no way:)

Memo to Mommy

This came out of the Parents Magazine September 2008 issue. I have had it on the refrigerator since then and re-read it today. Just little snippets or advice...

Memo to Mommy:

"Stop freaking out about the mess! There's always time to clean-but how often do we get to make mud pies?"

"Love me, even when I'm naughty. I'll only be this age once."

"Be patient. I do everything for a reason, but I don't know enough words yet to give you an explanation."

"Let me do it. I know you can do it faster and better, but sometimes experience is the best teacher."

"Don't expect too much of me. I want to do what you ask me and make you happy, but I'm still little."

"Don't try to reason with me when I'm having a tantrum. Trust me- I can't hear you over my screaming."

"Keep your promises. It's all about trust. When I'm a teenager you'll understand why it's so important."

"Don't keep asking me if I've been good. I'm not even sure what that means, but if I was bad I'd never admit it."

"Don't let me think that you're perfect. I feel a lot better knowing I'm not the only one who makes mistakes"

**Please feel free to add your own!

He is Risen!

I LOVE Easter. I love everyone dressing their best, I love going to church and seeing it full. I love being with family I just enjoy Easter Sunday. Somewhere between the busyness of life, the candy, the stuffed bunnies and everything in between I feel like I am sometimes guilty of losing sight of the real meaning of Easter. To think that this is the day our Savior rose from the grave and he was crucified on the cross so we did not have to be should bring all of us to our knees in prayer! This past Sunday the title of the pastor's sermon was "live passionately." It really just got me thinking do I live passionately for anything? I try to live passionately for Christ, I try to love my family passionately and love people with passion but know I constantly fall short. I was talking to Chris this past week about how maybe people lose passion in their marriage. We were just talking about how so often you get caught up in the day-to-day...the house needs to be cleaned, dinner needs to be cooked, these errands need to be run and it's like you just stop enjoying life. I guess with Easter being this week it just provoked a lot of thoughts. I always say I love my life, and I really do but I think it's about time I stop and enoy this life I say I love so much!

The Big Egg

Last year Chris started this tradition of giving me a "big egg" gift on Easter. Last year in the "big egg" I got a starbucks giftcard and I really did not think it could get much better than that, but I was wrong. I went to a shower on Saturday and Chris and Caden hung out. When I called Chris about half way through the shower I could tell my boys were up to something. I got home and there it was, the big egg. Chris was like a little boy and wanted me to open it right then, without much convincing I obliged and...it was a video camera:) I love watching home videos from when I was a kid and we have been talking about getting one for a while and the boys got it! I already love it:)

Hangin with Walker Webb

Caden and I got to go hang out with Walker Webb on Monday:) In the pic to the right Caden is just admiring Walker and was so cute to take his hand and let him know that it's all good. Walker has got baby blues that could melt anyone's heart. I love that Caden is just looking at him and smiling like "Walker you're the best." I know they will be good friends and I am sure one day this picture may embarrass but that is in the future for now...eat your hearts out! In the other pic they are having a much to intense convo. to stop and look at the camera.

Hangin with friends

Here are some pictures of Caden playing with his buddies. Alex (5) and Will (2) are "being gentle" with him in his bouncy seat. Will is such a cutie and does his own thing...usually he could care less about baby Caden being around and Alex is so the big brother and is always checking on "my baby" and says he will invite him to his birthday when Caden is 5 because right now he is too little. What studs my boys are (yes, I call them all my boys:) The one with Caden and the other three cuties are Ben (4), Reese (2) and Katelin Claire (7 weeks)--yes, they have a busy momma! We got to have lunch with them last week:)

No Vacancy

So I confess, I just need to vent. Chris, Caden and I went to St. Louis this weekend to visit friends. On the way up we stopped to have dinner at McDonalds ( I really do not like McDonalds but our choices were limited:) So Chris was finished eating and was going to go ahead and change Caden's diaper so we could get on the road. I load him down with the diaper, wipes changing mat (you know I am not letting my baby lay on the changing table in McDonalds;). Well about 2 seconds later Chris and Caden emerge from the restroom looking defeated. There was no changing table in the mens restroom, I then go in the women's and of course there is a changing table in there. Something is wrong with this picture?!?! What about single dads? What about daddy's who are just trying to help with their baby?!?! Maybe it's just me but I found this situation a little discriminatory!

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

Caden has been a tummy sleeper since the day he came home from the hospital. I know what you're all thinking..."I CANNOT believe they let him sleep on his tummy...EVERYONE says make sure they sleep on their backs...under NO circumstances should an infant sleep on their tummy." Well not only has he slept on his tummy in his crib since week 1...unless he is just plumb exhausted it is the only way he wants to sleep. So imagine my surprise when I go to get him in the morning and he is on his back! Immediately I turn him back on his tummy so that he can show his mommy that he really did roll over but no such luck. But this week, I am proud to announce my little man has mastered the art of rolling from his tummy to his back. Just 3 months old and he's rollin...woo hoo! (pictures to come soon:)

Really Caden?!

Today Caden and I took a risk...I took him to work. I am blessed to not have to work full-time and really I don't have to work at all but right now I am babysitting and today I was helping out at Slugger Kids ( a children's consignment store I worked at regularly before Caden came along:) Well, the day was going great he was taking a nap in his little travel bed I brought with me and it was awesome...then he woke up. I got him up and yes, he was soaked...no big deal this happens all the time and I just knew this morning when I put those LUVS diapers on his I was asking for it (we have had terrible luck with those). Luckily, there are hundreds of cute clothes here so we just went "shopping" for another outfit;) After he ate lunch he was starting to stink up the store so I just put little man on my lap, undo his diaper and begin changing him...a little to early. Caden was not doing the deed so as I began changing him here comes the rest:) Okay still no big deal then it happens...the icing on the cake- he begins to pee. There he is in all his glory laying on my lap so now my pants are wet his clothes are wet and yes he managed to get pee on his hair! Before you call to report me to CPS I did wipe him off very well, we went shopping for another outfit and he will be getting a MAJOR bath when we get home:) I have no doubt there will never be a dull moment with a boy in the house!

Bachelorette #1

Everyone in our Sunday School class that has children or that are pregnant has boys. I mean we are creating a football team I seriously think there are 15 boys under the age of 3. BUT one of my friends just had a girl:) Despite the fact they live in Greenwich, CT I am seriously considering negotiating some kind of deal with her parents involving an arranged marriage between Ashley Madison and Caden:) I am half joking but they did meet for the first time last week at Starbucks. Caden was pretty happy about it but Ashley Madison was not that into him...

Basketball Boy

Tuesday night I took Caden to the Shelby County game. It was the regional finals and the winner would go to the state tournament and get to play at Rupp Arena. They faced a tough opponent in Anderson County. Anderson Co. had beaten Shelby twice this year but only by a few points so we knoew this one would come down to the wire. The game was tied with 4.2 seconds left- an Anderson Co. player dribbled the ball all the way down the floor and threw up a prayer of a shot from about 35 feet as the buzzer was sounding- incredibly it went in. It was a tough loss but everyone on the team should be proud at how far they came this season. As you can see, Caden was worn out from the game and all the cheering so when we got home I didn't even bother to put his pajamas on (see pic- he is still in his basketball uniform:)

Cell Phone Fiasco

Last night I dropped my phone down the stairs and it is now not working so Caden and I had to venture out in the cold to go to the AT&T store to see if we can get some help. I get Caden all bundled up and we go to the store. I just grab Caden out of his carseat and carry him in. I walk up to the counter, baby in hand- diaper bag on my shoulder and begin to explain my plight to the poor service man. "I dropped my phone...it's not working...I am going out of town this weekend and leaving my baby...i HAVE to have a phone so I can be reached..." They say they will override my account so I can go ahead and get a new phone today! yay! That was easy...or so I thought...all they need to see is my drivers liscence. shoot. I left it in the car; no big deal Caden and I truck back out to the car to retrieve my liscence- its pretty cold outside so I just grab my purse and head right back in. Inside I put the diaper bag and purse on the counter and proceed to get out my liscence (with Caden in my arms.) of course my liscence is not in my purse so I start tearing apart both the purse and the diaper bag with my one free hand all to find...no liscence. so we get back in the car and come home. i dont even want to know what the workers were thinking...here i am in my sweats with a baby, my hairs a mess and i have no make up on...the guy at the counter was probably scared of me and I am sure felt sorry for me. I am also pretty certain he was relieved when we walked out the door and he saw us drive away.

Mohawk Man

There is no gel in his hair, no hairspray...no nothing.

No this is all natural and I think it may be one of the cutest cases of bed head that I have ever seen. This is how my little man's hair looked when we got him out of bed this morning. Rock on Caden:)

March Sadness

March is usually one of my favorite times of the year all because of basketball. I love filling out a bracket, following all the games, the theme music and everything that it involves, but this year I am having a difficult time getting excited because of the herendous season that Kentucky has had this year. I had to wait and post this a couple days after the Georgia game so I could get my thoughts together because after Wednesday nights game I was fuming. Growing up, it was so much fun to be a Kentucky fan and I have the same hopes for Caden--although it has been a grim season and the future is not looking promising the Gaither household will always be true to the blue:)

March 4, 2006

Every day I think that I could not be more in love, and every day I'm proved wrong. Cheesy, maybe- but oh so true. Three years ago today Chris and I started dating...a lot can happen in three years:) We dated for five months, got engaged on August 9 (06), married the following August 11 (07), found out we were pregnant that March (08) and had Caden in December. If you have talked to me for more than five minutes you probably know how much I love my husband and if you have talked to him more than five minutes you can see why. It is very easy to be married to Chris and he is so easy to love. It's not always sunshine and rainbows we definaltey have our "discussions" and disagreements but at the end of the day I find so much joy in being his wife:)

My husband...the blogger?!

You read it right, Chris has joined the world of bloggers. You can check it out at www.chrisgaithersblog.blogspot.com

Shelby County Regional Tournament

The Shelby County Roackets will play their first round Regional game at Henry County this Thursday night at 8:30---come out and cheer them on!!!

Shooting Up:)

We had the diaper bag, the carseat, paci's, blankets, bottle and were on our way out the door at 8:32...ready to conquer Caden's first shots. We got to the doctor's office and the first thing they do is weigh babies. We had Caden completely undressed ready to be weighed, and the scale turned off. Somewhere in the process of trying to fix the scale and wrap Caden up in his blanket he decided to show us who was boss by peeing all over the scale, the nurse and the counter...and what do I do as soon as the pee starts coming; I of course quickly cover it with my hand. Just picture this (I am sure many of you have experienced it first hand)- Caden is screaming, my hand is covered in pee, I am trying to get wipes to clean the counter and Chris and I are profusely apologizing to the sweet nurse. and this is all within the first 5 minutes of the visit! Although watching Caden get shots was the hardest thing up to this point he was so brave and is now taking a great nap because obviously the doctor's appointment wore him out!

2 Months Young!

I cannot believe my baby is 2 months old:) here are some new pictures!

Out Came the Sun and Dried up all the Rain...

Everyone knows the "itsy-bitsy spider" and the past few weeks I have felt much like the little spider who was climbing up the spout and got washed out. I will spare you all the details (unless you want to know then I will be glad to share) but from the time Caden was 3 weeks old up until last week I was battling a pretty bad case of post partum depression. I am definately on the tail end of it now and am feeling MUCH better (which explains the month lapse between blog posts!Right now we are awaiting the end of basketball season. Chris's freshman team won their end of the year tournament which is awesome, and the JV and Varsity teams have their last regular season game tonight with districts starting next week. I have returned to work at Parent's Day Out, Caden gets to go with me and I absolutely love my job.Caden is (I can't believe it), 8 weeks old! He is "talking" a lot and is also smiling:) He has slept through the night 2 nights so we are holding our breath that this continues...but I am not counting on it;) I will post pictures VERY soon...he has grown so much already from the last time I posted pics so more will be coming this week!

1 Month!

I cannot believe my baby is one month! I just wanted to post some pictures we took:) and tell this quick story. Caden and I always try to go to Chris's basketball games but last Saturday night they played an hour and a half away so, needless to say, we did not go. Caden had been pretty upset off and on for a couple of hours and I was running out of things to try. So, we went in a room and I turned the radio on to listen the basketball game...I kid you not, Caden fell asleep almost instantly--is it possible that he has already been in a gym too much at only a month old? I think there is a big part of him that is a daddy's boy...even though he already knows there's no one like his mommy:)
ps. I know the pictures look professional, but they were all taken by Chris:) So next time you need any pictures made think of him!

We grow as he grows

i think this picture is so funny and at the same time a little creepy...maybe its the eyes, or the fact he looks like a little rag doll...either way i cant tell if it is cute or not but every time i look at it i laugh:)
**just a note--for those of you who know me i am a little OCD about having a clean apartment (no, i wasnt like this until i got married)...but it really even bothers me if our bed doesnt get made or the kitchen floor needs to be swept or there is clutter...well needless to say since Caden came I havent exactly been cleaning the house everyday and really it has been driving me crazy...okay now I can tell the story...
it has been said so many times, you grow up with them...as a clueless first time mom that is becoming more and more true everyday and i feel like this morning he taught me a lesson. for those of you who know caden you know that he neer sleeps. really, i am not exaggerating. when we are home he sleeps maybe two hours a day, and not in a row. so this morning i decided he should take a nap in his crib, and to my amazement he actually fell asleep! about 30 minutes later i went up to check on him and of course as soon as i opened the door he woke up! I got him out and rocked him back to sleep, thinking of all the things i needed to do when i put him back down. (dust the downstairs, clean the bathrooms, make the bed, put away laundry, dust the upstairs, sweep the floors, you get it:) just when i was about to get up and lay him back in his crib i looked down at him and almost started to cry- at this point in my life there is nothing sweeter than the face of my sleeping baby and instead of putting him down i just sat with him and continued to rock him. at that moment it really hit me...sometimes there are just more important things then having a clean house. it may sound silly and i know it is simple, but as he grow i am growing.

We did it!

It is 4:32 and Caden and I have officially been by ourselves all day (for the first time:); and although I have not brushed my teeth yet (I know I know I am going to do that as soon as I post!) I feel like it has been a fairly succesful day. He had a great morning and somewhat of a tough afternoon but overall I have to say I am very proud of us!Also, today my baby was having trouble going to sleep so I took him upstairs and rocked him and sung him to sleep and (even though I cant sing he doesnt know that) that has definately been one of my favorite "mommy moments" up to this point!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Chris! Today is Chris's 25th birthday:) I could not imagine a better husband...he really is incredible and seeing him be a dad has just made me fall more and more in love with him! Happy Birthday babe we love you!

Congratulations Rockets!

This past Saturday Shelby County hosted a freshmen tournament. (Chris is the Freshmen basketball coach)...they won 2 out of their 3 games and got runner up in the tournament...Go Rockets!

What we have been up to

I cant believe Caden is already over 2 weeks old, and knock on wood, but so far so good. Dont judge me but the pictures are from Caden's first basketball game when he was 10 days old:) My granny and I went to see some family in Boyle County and then went to the game. Since then, he has been to 2 more basketball games and has loved every minute of them. At this point in our life, if we want to see daddy we have to go to the gym...if you have ever had anything to do with basketball you know how much time it takes up and Chris has been leaving the house about 7am and on game nights getting home around 9 or 10 (which is killing him because he misses his boy so much!)
Here are a few little things I have noticed about him just in these first two weeks:
-he looks EXACTLY like his daddy:)
-he loves being held ( i mean what baby doesnt!)
-he doesnt really love his paci but i have caught him sucking his thumb...just his thumb and his fingers will be all up in his face...i know its a bad habit but its just the sweetest thing)
-he smiles a lot (i dont care if the doctor says its just "involuntary muscle movement" he knows what hes doing
-the one thing he did inherit from his mom are his exceptionally long toes:(
-he loves basketball games
-he loves looking outside
-he HATES having his diaper changed, bath time, and being nakes (and will hopefully continue with this trait until much later in life when he is married...if his mom ever lets that happen)
-he stays awake a lot and is really alert
-he never burps, no matter how hard i try to get him to
-his clothes are starting to fit...kind of
-i think he may be scared of the dark
-he likes being talked to/read to
**and my first "this must be motherhood" moment came a few days ago...it was 6 at night and Chris i think had just gotten home and i went upstairs to brush my teeth...for the first time that day and thought...yep welcome to motherhood:)
Caden is doing everything just right and we really could not ask for a better baby...at this point I am holding my breath and praying this is not the calm before the storm:) His cord still has not fallen out yet but its barely hangin on so we should see a belly button soon! I love being a mom and I really would not mind if he stayed this size forever...hes just so cute and sweet and soft and he just makes the funniest faces:) more to come later for now this is as good as it gets!

Home Sweet Home!

I know it looks like Caden is being tortured in this picture (and maybe in his little mind it is) but this was kind of his first bath...which does not really count because his cord is still in but just looko how cute he is!

I cannot believe our baby is already a week old:) We have been home for 3 days now and I really fall in love with Caden more and more every second. He is the best baby...he is eating great and sleeping some...it has just been so fun so far. Chris has been home all week (he is on Christmas break until next week) and that has been a HUGE blessing. Seeing him be a dad and love Caden so much makes me fall more in love with him every day too.
Caden was born at 7'14 and was 7'1 when we left the hospital. We saw the doctor on Tuesday and he was back up to 7'5 and we go back tomorrow so hopefully he will be even a little chunkier:) I guess the funniest thing that happened was last night. We decided to go over to my parents house for a little while. My mom had just layed him on her lap to change is diaper and all the sudden she starts laughing and we all look over...Caden had a little (or actually not so little) explosion on his clothes, on his blanket, and on my mom (who does not know what she wants Caden to call her yet, so all suggestions are welcome:). Everything just kept coming out...I think he had been saving up for days. So my mom, Caden and I run to the bathroom for baby clean up duty and Chris and my dad take the clothes and blankets to try to wash them out. It was just so funny because I think the whole time Caden was just laying there like "What's the big deal?" I have a feeling this is just the first of funny stories and there will be many more to come. Happy New Year!

The best Christmas present ever!

Yesterday during my time with God, I could not help but think, what was Mary feeling like at this point in her life? 9 months pregnant, riding on a donkey and nowhere to go. And I wonder what all emotions she was experiencing...little did I know what was in store for me that night:)
My contractions started getting worse on Wednesday morning, but there was no way I was going to the hospital again...I mean I only had 6 days to go;) Then, by Christmas Night they were 3 minutes apart on the dot and pretty unbearable. I finally broke down and called the doctors office. When I talked to the doctor on call I practically begged her not to make me come in and let her know that I had a doctors appointment in the morning and if I could just take some tylenol I would be okay till morning. She said give it another hour and if they stay the same/get worse then I need to come in (just to, once again, be sent home I was sure:) Within 45 minutes we were in the car on our way to Baptist East. We arrived at the hospital around 10:00 and baby Caden was born by 11:46! He weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and is 19 inches long! We will be in the hospital for a few days. Thanks so much for the continued prayers and support!

9 days and counting

To make a long story short... Caden is not here yet. He is coming on December 29 at 1:30 via c-section. To be honest, the past couple of days has definately been the hardest, both mentally and physically, over the past 38 weeks. I do have a peace about everything now. So, if I did not call you, email you, or message you back I am sorry but expect to hear from me soon:) Wednesday after I got released from the hospital Chris and I went to the mall to eat and walk around for a few minutes...I just was not ready to go from laying in the hospital bed to laying on the couch so we thought a little bit of "normalcy" would help a little. Well, when Chris went and got the car (because it was freezing cold and he is such a sweet husband) I got in the car and sitting on the dashboard of the passenger seat were a beautiful necklace and matching earrings. I know the picture is not very good, but trust me, theyre gorgeous. He said they are just because I have had a rough week and they are a gift for being a mom:) That could lift anyones spirits!

Low Fluid= night at the hospital and possible arrival of Caden

After 10 or so hours of no eating or drinking, my beautiful wife Katie enjoyed Qdoba after we found out that we would be at the hospital all night. Yes, Chris is finally blogging on the Gaither's family blog. We arrived at the hospital at 11:00 this morning in anticipation of the doctors performing a version to flip the baby. After two hours of being on IV and the nurse monitoring Caden's heart the doctor arrived into our room. During the two hours of monitoring they wanted to make sure everything was still good to perform the version; therefore, they sent us to do another ultra-sound. Yesterday's ultra-sound showed everything normal and the doctors gave us a lot of hope in turning Caden while todays ultra-sound leaves us in the hospital all night. To make a long day short, Katie and I are sleeping in the hospital tonight so the doctors can monitor Caden and perform another ultra-sound in the morning. When doing the ultra-sound the doctors found that the fluid around the baby was around 6.8 cm (10 or more is the norm). They are keeping us to monitor everything and will be doing another ultra-sound in the morning. If the fluid level doesn't rise then we MAY POSSIBLY HAVE A BABY TOMORROW!!! To all of you wonderful friends: Everything is great!!! There is nothing to worry about. Katie and I are enjoying some great time together, getting caught up on local and national news, watching some college basketball, and awaiting to be parents of a child that is a GIFT FROM GOD!!! We thank you all for your generosity, prayers, encouragement, love, and friendship through this amazing time. We thank you for the baby shower on Sunday. Katie had a great time and I enjoyed hanging out with the boys. We also want to thank all of Katie's wonderful co-workers at pre-school for the baby shower you had for her today. Although our hospital trip kept us from being there we are very grateful for your thoughts in hosting a shower for her. Thank you for your generosity!!! We hear the gifts are awesome. IN ALL THINGS, MAY OUR MOST GENEROUS AND LOVING FATHER IN HEAVEN RECIEVE THE GLORY!!!

Yesterday

Yesterday was a great day. Chris and I have only been in Shelbyville since August (so about 4 months now), and have been attending First Baptist Church of Shelbyville for about that long too. I really cannot express what a blessing this church, particularly the people in our Sunday School class have been. In four short months, I already feel like we have connected with so many people in the class, not only on a surface level, but on a "true friendship" level. An incredible example of this was yesterday afternoon. My good friend Sherry hosted a baby shower for me, and invited the ladies of our Sunday School class. There was such a great turnout, and there were four or five people who could not that sent gifts anyway. The food was great and the presents were amazing! (we got so much stuff for baby Caden:) but the best part was the fellowship. They way Sherry has so willingly opened her home since day 1 of Chris and I being here, and the way that all the girls are so genuine and really do want to know how I am doing. I remember a couple of months ago when I was having an "I'm freaking out about being pregnant" moment I emailed a few girls in the class that had just had babies (and I really thought they may think I was crazy because at this point I hardly knew them.) and within 24 hours all of them had written me back the most encouraging emails. Everyone is just so open and willing to share things with us. It is so neat to walk into Sunday School (or our bible fellowship party:) every Sunday and be surrounded by so many couples who are striving to grow in their marriage and in their walk with the Lord. To me, there is nothing as important as a relationship with Christ and those who you can walk beside everyday and share it with.

Tomorrow

This is just going to be a quick post, but I am posting a fun one later about my awesome friends and what a great weekend we had:) I did go to the doctor today and he is still breech. (It is so cute though, he is all curled up in a little ball in the bottom right side of my belly:) Anyway, Chris and I have battled with what to do about having a version (I have posted about it before and this is the procedure where two doctors will basically just push around on my belly and try to turn him over) or not, etc. He is weighing in at about 6 pounds 9 ounces right now...so he is a good size to do it and because I am so tall there is a lot of room for the doctors to use to try and flip him around so...we are going for it. It is scheduled for 1:00 tomorrow afternoon. If it becomes too painful for me, they will stop. It does not harm the baby at all and both he and I will be monitored at all times. If something did go wrong they could just get him out because I am far enough along and the procedure will be done in the hospital. Everything I have heard about it is awful and scary and I almost had a panic attack in the doctors office just thinking about it, but I am at peace about trying it. Please keep us in your prayers tomorrow afternoon! I am sure everything will go fine and hopefully I will be able to report back that baby Caden is head down and ready to go but if not he will still be coming on the 29th. I just do not think I could have gone into a c-section knowing that I hadn't tried everything that I could to get him to move around, but if he is anything like his mom he will be stubborn and just stay curled up in his little corner, but hey that's okay too:)

I should be sleeping

It is 3:39 in the morning and I am wide awake...and have been for about 39 minutes (which seems like forever in the really really early morning). Anxiety? Pain? My body preparing me as much as it can for what it will be like when Caden come? My guess is a combination of all three...so I know it is a blessing that I do not have anything I have to do tomorrow:) At least my baby is awake with me so I know he's still kickin and hangin in there! But this post is not about me or Caden.The past week I have had so much time alone and during a lot of this time I have used it to reflect on the past 8 months and have just become so humbled and overwhelmed at how blessed I am. At 22, I have an incredible husband, I have been able to spend so much time with kids that I absolutely adore and through them been able to form awesome friendships with their moms. I have had an easy pregnancy, a job (okay lots of jobs) that I love, an amazing family, a great church and a cute little place to live. I know I said this post was not about me and there are an awful lot of "I's" in that paragraph...but it is all just to say in this crazy messed up world where it seems like so many things go wrong there is a God, my God, family and friends that make everything all worth it.I may read this in the morning and decide that it is never a good idea to post anything before 8:00 in the morning because I am just babbling...who knows:) have a blessed day!

Home Sweet Home

I have been home more in the past week then I have been in the past year! I want to tell everyone about the doctor's appointment today and I am hoping people read this and will respond because I am looking for advice, stories and everything else! Here is the latest: I am not on complete bedrest...I am on the "do what you feel like you can do" rest. So, naturally when the doctor tells me to do what I feel like I can do, I automatically think that I should call my bosses and let them know that I will be at work tomorrow, and call the people that I had to cancel for babysitting and let them know I can do it...and then reality hits. In reality, I can get up and do something for about 15-20 minutes and then I have to rest (literally lie down) for 30-45 minutes. So, I have decided that I am going to actually listen to my body, my doctor, my mom, my husband and my friends and for the next 3 weeks, and I will really "do what I feel like I can do" and no more than that...guilt free. I was telling a few people the other night I decided to make dinner and what should have taken me about an hour literally took me four hours...so now when people tell me they are bringing me dinner I say thank you and do not argue or protest...it is such a blessing! It is definately an adjustment having to be on the receiving side of help then the giving side of it!This is the part I am looking for some advice or really anything on. Baby Caden is still breech. At this point, it is highly unlikely (even though Chris and I are praying and believing it can still happen) that he will turn on his own. We went ahead and scheduled a c-section for December 29th (I think that sounds like a great birthday:). At this point, the only thing that can be done is called a version. All I have heard is that this is an extremely painful procedure with a low success rate (esp. in first time moms)--which is the downside. The upside is, that sometimes it does work, and if it does then I will not have to have a c-section. We are having an ultra sound done next week to see if Caden is even a candidate for a version...he may be to big/to small his fluid may not be just right. Anyway, if it does look like he can be turned, we will have to decide whether or not we want to try a version. So, that is the latest more updates to come soon!

Bed Rest, Babies and Blessings

I have to say that the love and support (and food) that I have received over the past couple of days has brought so much joy into my home and peace into my heart. Thank you is not enough! I am so blessed to have the friends, co-workers and family that I do and I hope that when the opportunities present themselves I can be a blessing to other people just as they have blessed me. It is such a blessing knowing that you are not alone:) So, to everyone who has called, emailed, prayed, cooked, written and anything else thank you so much. I cannot tell you how much Chris and I appreciate you!

The Waiting Game

We have all played it before. In my life it has taken on different situations and identities, but the waiting game has never been like this before. I went to the doctor for a follow up appointment today. The good news is that I have not dialated anymore:) The not so great news is that Caden is still breech and after talking to the doctors, researching it, talking to Chris and praying about it we have decided the best thing to do is not to do a version (a version is when the doctors try to turn the baby themselves.) Last night we almost went to the hospital again because my contractions are still about 1-2 minutes apart and they were starting to become more painful but we decided just to wait it out. Today the doctor said that we are basically just waiting...what happens from here on out is up to Caden. I could just stay in labor with the contractions that I am having for weeks or days--at this point unless my water breaks, the contractions become much more intense or anything else drastic happens we are just waiting. The verse "do not be anxious about anything but in everything...pray:) has taken on a whole new meaning for me this week. So, in our waiting I am trusting in God and doing what I can to prepare for Caden Frank.

Baby Caden

I just wanted to write an update on what is going on with me and Caden so that you can pray for him and us as we have had a little bit of a "scare" the past couple of days. On Monday I went to the doctor for my regular weekly check up everything was okay, but Caden is breeched. So what I thought were his feet up in my ribs turn out to be his head. Because I am only 35 weeks pregnant they said there is a slight chance he will turn on his own, but with him being my first it is HIGHLY unlikely; which means I will probably have to have a c-section. That was okay with me but you know I started to worry about him a little because you just want everything to be perfect with him and want him to be where hes supposed to be and all that. Other than that Caden Frank is happy (maybe a little too happy in there:) and healthy!) Tuesday at 330 in the morning I wake up doubled over with cramps. These went on for about 25 minutes and once they subsided i convinced myself it hurt because i was stressed and worrying and she had checked my cervix earlier that day and i just needed to go to sleep. then a shorter episode happened at 830 then at 1145 they came and didnt go away. so i finally break down and call the doctor and let them know whats going on, the whole time saying...Im 22 its my first baby im sure im just paraniod....long story short that was not the case. I went in to the doctor and was 1.5 cm dialated....on Monday I had not been dialated at all and the cramps I was having were contractions 1-2 minutes apart. So, they gave me some medicine and monitored the contractions for an hour and nothing changed at all; the medicine didnt touch them. at this point my doctor was admitting me to the hospital and if I was 36 weeks pregnant I would have a baby right now! in the hospital they gave me a shot and monitored the contractions....nothing. so they did the same things again...nothing. then they put me on a IV drip and still nothing...so I have now been in labor from 11:45- 10:30 with my contractions staying at 1-2 minutes apart. When the doctor came in she checked and I had not dialated anymore. there is more they would do to stop the contractions if i wasnt so far along but they didnt want to at this point so they sent me home with some medicine that will hopefully keep them under control and i am now on bedrest but they are hoping i last at least another week without going into labor again. i go back to the doctor tomorrow. please just keep caden in your prayers. I think that he just wants to come out for Christmas:) I am continually reminded that God is in control which is so much more comforting than putting my faith in doctors alone. I will keep everyone updated!

Am I going crazy?

Maybe it's because my due date is coming so soon, or maybe it is because we went on a tour of the hospital last night, but last night I had my second nightmare about labor/delivery. This time, there were four other pregnant women in the labor room with me and we were all just on our hospital beds waiting for??? Then, my doctor informs me they do not give an epideral...they just tell patients they do so that they keep our business. And where is my husband??? no where to be found so I send my uncle to get him and finally when he gets there he says he was playing a basketball game and he didnt think the baby would come so soon so he just decided to finish playing. Are these dreams normal?!? Even if theyre not will you tell me they are so I do not think I am losing my mind:)

Blessed with the best

I absolutelty love my husband dearly but yesterday I found that I have even more love for him than I ever thought possible. Last night, Chris was at basketball tryouts until 8:00 and I was going up to church to meet a friend to walk. I was driving around the back of the church and literally the next thing I know I hear this scrapping sound. Long story short (actually it is not a long story because I honestly don't have a clue what happened) I ran our brand new 2008 Honda Civic that we have had for 6 months into a telephone poll. Naturally, I start bawling and hypervenilating. Not wanting to call Chris on the phone or wanting to wait for him to get home, I get in the car and drive to Shelby County High School where he is. I call him crying my eyes out and he comes outside, gives me a big hug, gets in his car and follows me home. By the time we get home, he gets me out of my car and just keeps hugging me, the whole time saying...its just a car, well just call insurance, its no big deal, etc. Later that night, I asked him why he was being so nice about it and why he really wasnt upset at all. This is the response I got..."When I was driving in the car on the way home I just got some reflection time. I realized that if I was going to get upset about a car, then that says I care more about material things than about you. God shows me grace and compassion everyday and I am called to show that same grace and compassion to you." Wow. I am blessed, I am beyond blessed. I am convinced now more than ever that I really do have the best husband in the whole world.

You know you are 32 weeks pregnant when...

(Yes, these are all true stories)*The sweet four year old boy you babysit for says "whoa Katie your belly is getting really big like Santa Clause."*You are really cold at night but would rather stay cold then actually move your body to get under the covers.*Your precious baby has a favorite spot...your bladder, so even if you dont eat or drink anything you somehow manage to have to go to the bathroom all the time.*Putting your shoes on takes all your energy and if you actually get both of them on without tipping over or losing your balance you feel like you have accomplished all you need to for the day.*You run your car into a telephone poll--in a parking lot where there is one telephone poll, very few cars and you honestly have no idea how it happened.*You hesitate to dry your sweatpants, because even though they have a drawy string there is a good possibility they wont fit.*You start to outgrow your clothes...no not your "skinny"clothes, the maternity clothes that you bought two months ago that you knew you would NEVER be big enough to fit into:)I look forward to adding more to this list very soon:)

Caden

I went to the doctor last week and Caden is weighing in at 4 pounds 1 ounce! Yes, I think I am going to have a chunker:) The doctor also commented on his long legs--I cant imagine where he would have gotten those from! 8 weeks and counting...

When I Grow Up

love asking kids what they want to be when they grow up, and with all my babysitting and preparing for Caden to come I have been pondering the answer to that question myself. At 22, with a degree, a husband, and a baby on the way (however naive) I still view myself as far from grown up. I was the little girl that wanted to be her mommy when she grew up. Sure, I went through a phase where I wanted to be a doctor (I think that lasted until I realized how smart you really had to be and long you reallly had to stay in school:), but I just wanted to be my mommy. In my four-year old eyes that meant I wanted to be a wife and a stay at home mom. With those dreams becoming reality rather quickly I have began wondering...is that still what I want to be when I grow up? and the answer is a resounding YES!The past couple of weeks I have found myself wondering how I would do in the corporate world...what would it feel like to nail that big presentation or close that big deal? and the more I think about it, the more sure I am that when I grow up I want to be a good wife and a good mom. I might not ever know what it is like to have the feeling of nailing the presentation or closing the deal, but I have no doubt that being there when Caden takes his first steps, says his first words, gets sick, displays his first smile and all those other milestones it will be better than any feeling I could ever hope for or imagine.

29 Weeks

I cannot believe there are only 11 weeks until Caden comes, these 29 weeks have flown by so fast. I do not understand how pregnant women (or couples for that matter) that experience all that happens over the course of pregnancy cannot believe in God. I feel like I have already grown more intimate with Christ throughout my pregnancy. In the beginning I clung to Christ for protection and health for the baby. It is so crazy because you truly have no control over how he grows/develops and it is all in God's hands. Now that I can feel hime moving (a lot. all the time:) it has dawned on me that there a human life inside me. That God gave women the capacity and the blessing to be able to bear children. It amazes me that my God would choose me for something as great as having a baby. I was reading a Beth Moore bible study called Jesus and it is just 90 days with Jesus, from his birth to his death. The first couple days are about Mary and just her being pregnant and her faithfulness to God and it is just mind blowing. Praise God!

Lost

So in this new Sunday School class that I have talked about being such a blessing we have met some great people, including Billy and Sherri Stover. They were convinced that if we watched this show, LOST, we would soon be addicted like them. I never had any interest in the show because after all, how can a bunch of people that survived a plane crash that are now living on an island really make a good show?! Well, about four episodes and 3 and a half hours later, I was proved oh so wrong. So what have our past nights consisted of?! I wish I could tell Chris and I have sat at the dinner table enjoying a meal that I cooked up and having intimate conversation and enjoying bible study together (which we do actually do all those things)....not this week:) This week it has been "hey honey how was your day? sandwiches for dinner? ready to see what happens?" I dont know if this is our last attempt at freedom to watch what we want and stay up late together doing something that is completely worthless;) before Caden comes or what but honest to goodness we are addicted:)

Here Goes Nothing

I have been inspired by a new friend to begin "blogging" about what is going on in the life of the Gaither's. I have always been big on journaling (and continue to be) but I hope this can be a way to share what is happening with us as well as maybe find a few laughs and encouragement from reading this. So...in all my spare time I am now officially a "blogger."Where we are now: Chris and I have been married for over a year now (August 11, 2007), and it has truly been an amazing year! People had me so terrified about how hard the first year of marriage is that I was bracing for the worst, and honestly received the best. Maybe it is because we are so young or because we did not have a lot of "stuff" or because we truly did try to keep Christ and the center of our marriage, but the first year of marriage could not have been more of a blessing. I continue to think that I could not love Chris any more and every day I am proved wrong. Coming home to him is one of the most comforting things! Not only have we been married for over a year, but after 6 months of marriage we found out that we are pregnant!! I am 28 weeks pregnant with a little boy named Caden Frank:) I already love him so much and cannot wait for him to get here (well since nothing is ready for him and it is not time for him to come out I suppose I can wait a little longer:) He is due on January 4th so who knows...Christmas baby?? We are now living in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Chris is teaching Special Education at the high school (yes, it is a small town so when I refer to the high school it is the only high school in the town:) He is also the Freshman basketball coach and the assistant varsity coach! He is so good at his job and absolutely LOVES it. All the students already love him. He is also working on his Master's Degree and only has one year left! I am so proud of him. While waiting for Caden to come I am keeping very busy. I am working at Parents Day Out 2 days a week with ages 9 months to 1:) I am nannying for two boys, Alex and Will that are absolutely adorable and I am working at a chilren's consignment store as well as doing some babysitting! I actually graduated from UofL with a degree in Communications that I seriously doubt I will ever use, but I did get it:) (Even if it meant attending 3 colleges in 4 years).We are attending a church in Shelbyville right now that we are really enjoying. It has been one of the biggest blessings for us as a couple. There are about 20 young married couples in our Sunday School class and it has been so great hanging out with them and getting to know them! Plus I think we counted there are about 10 boys (either on theire way or already here) under the age of five...it is so fun!!I guess that is all for today! I hope I did okay "blogging" for the first time:) I will try to post some pictures soon and write on a regular basis!