The Cady Clan

Time+Family=Memories

2011-09-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

I'm loving having the time that I do with the kids. I've been able to play with them more than I ever have before, I've been cooking new things, making crafts and we even went on a mini vacation to Monterey Bay! It's amazing how many fun memories we've already made since we've been to CA and I'm looking forward to a lot more! Oh, and I finally had the time to concentrate on Amos getting potty trained, he's such a big boy now! Here are some snap shots of our memories! Oh, and one of my crafts!

Pizza Makes A Miracle Happen

2011-08-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

I have never experienced the joy of sleeping in past 6:30 am since Jaela was born (and possibly before that!) One of the kids would inevitably be up (usually by 6:00) and of course Greg or I, or both of us would begrudgingly get up with the highly energized child. Well, one evening after a dinner meeting we feed the kids a piece of pizza right before bed, and what do you know they BOTH slept until 7:45am. I had one of those, "What's going on? Why am I waking up to...silence? Are the kids okay?" Of course, they were fine, and well rested and for once mommy and daddy were too! I haven't tried actual pizza again, but I just might since the sleeping in hasn't happened again!

Here are a few more pics!

Bri

California!

2011-08-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I know it's laughable how long it's been since I last posted (over a year), but since there has been so much that has happened I thought better late than never!

In April Greg and I visited Ripon, CA for a job prospect as a youth director for Greg. Going into it we were 95% sure there was no way we would be leaving Colorado, but after seeing the community and meeting the people, we weren't so sure! They then offered Greg the job and after much discussion, prayer and some heartache we made the decision to move out here to Northern Cali!

Ripon is a community of around 15,000 people located about an hour south of Sacramento. It's an agricultural community of, I think, mostly almond farmers (that's pronounced a-mond). There is one grocery store in town, but everything else we could possibly need is up the highway just a few minutes. It's a beautiful town with a lot of wonderful people, so settling in has been going well. We miss our family and friends, but we have been entirely too busy to dwell on it!

The kids are doing well. Jaela is talking all the time and has to keep up with her brother. Amos is acting like a three year old boy in the midst of potty training, so needless to say it's been interesting! We are planning a weekend trip to Monterey to take the kids for the first time to the beach and the aquarium!

Thanks for all your prayers and support!
All our love,
The Cady's

Here are a few pictures of our house and the kids...more to come!

Time flies when you're having...fun?

2010-07-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a very long time since I've posted anything, but what can I say, I hardly have time to brush my teeth every morning let alone post a new blog. Although this is true, I decided that I am going to TRY to be more consistent about updating the world on our lives.

It's amazing how fast time goes by, yet how slow each day seems. Amos just had his birthday...I have a two year old! He is acting every bit the part too. He comes complete with biting, hitting and screaming, but he's also such a joy to be around. He is talking like crazy...my favorite line this week "Thanks, babe!" He catches everything! He's very smart (he knows his ABC's already) and very silly. He is funny and loves to wrestle (much to my dismay), and he absolutely loves his daddy!

Jaela is amazing. She is the best baby. She sleeps through the night, is fussy only when she is hungry or tired and smiles so much that it fills all of us with such joy. Amos absolutely loves his sister, calling her Jay-ya or LaLa (thanks to daddy). He wakes up most mornings asking where baby Jay-ya is. She is growing like a weed and is already trying to be a big girl. She rolls from her back to her tummy, and she tries so hard to sit up. She chuckles, which makes me chuckle, which continues to make her laugh...sometimes we just sit there laughing at each other for 5 minutes!

Greg and I both are tired most of the time and sometimes that leads to frustration, but at the end of the day when we are laying in bed we often say how blessed we are. How can you stay frustrated when you have these wonderful blessings? We are having a blast falling more and more in love with each other and with these amazing kids! So, needless to say, we are indeed having fun!

Jaela Anne Cady

2010-04-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Jaela. She was born March 8, 2010 at 6:45am and was 7 lbs 12.5 oz and 20 inches long.

The Count Down Has Begun!

2010-02-09T07:09:00.000-08:00

Here it is a new year and we are looking forward to welcoming baby Cady #2 in the next few weeks! Time has flown by, and fortunately I can say not too much has happened. Some great news came in October when we were told Amos did not need to go back to the blood doctor! His levels were in a normal range and the only way we needed to go back is if we noticed any signs that his platelet count went down. This has been a huge relief and an answer to prayer! Amos has turned into a little boy instead of a baby...he is talking a ton, and acting like a 2 year old already. His favorite things right now are Daddy, Disney Cars, matchbox cars, and the show Super Why. He loves to go outside and to his daddy's delight he likes "playing" basketball and football.
Greg is busy with work, coaching middle school basketball, and youth group. He still loves to play his guitar and he is playing in a weekly basketball league. He's a great daddy and a wonderful husband. He does a wonderful job helping me out when he gets home from work and never complains!
I am staying busy with daycare. I am continuing to learn new things and it's been fun watching the kids grow together and figure each other out. I am 36 weeks pregnant and ready to be done! I am getting more and more uncomfortable by the day. The pregnancy has been fairly uneventful with a few hiccups along the way (a thyroid issue and a twisted knee), but I really can't complain! We are ready to meet this little girl (although I'm still a little skeptical, we do have a boys name picked out!).
Thanks for all your love and support! I'm guessing the next post will be all about the baby, so keep a look out!

Another Chapter Has Begun!

2009-09-19T10:57:00.001-07:00

Well, I know it's been a while, but let's just say I've finally got my sanity back. We decided to throw a big 1 year birthday bash for Amos and everyone but him seemed to have a good time. Poor guy ended up having a stomach virus, as you can see from the pictures he didn't seem to be enjoying his birthday cake. Once we got him all taken care of, we discovered that I was pregnant again! Yep, our babies will be 20 months apart. I keep telling myself God doesn't give us anything we can't handle. I only hope this next one is a little more laid back than Amos! I started to feel sick almost right away, it seemed to be worse than when I had Amos, so it was very hard at times trying to take care of Amos when all I wanted to do was sleep, but I'm almost 16 weeks and starting to feel better. I also started doing in-home daycare in August and I'm finally starting to settle into that. I consider it successful since all of the kids are still alive and no one has gotten hurt! So, know that my sanity is back, I've finally found the chance to update this blog with some pictures! Enjoy and we will let everyone know when we find out the sex of the baby (mid October).

11 Months and Walking!

2009-05-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the pictures Amos is our little trouble maker! He started walking a few weeks ago and now he thinks he's hot stuff, mr. cool who can get into anything. He is as cute as ever and makes us laugh like crazy. He's saying things like "ba" (ball), "bu" (book), "num, num" (cracker) and he is able to sign a lot of things as well. He is still in love with the computer and anything electronic (daddy's phone, especially!). He still has no teeth, so feeding him "big boy" food isn't easy, but I have a feeling they will come in very soon (okay, I'm just hoping they do).

We went to the doctor's a couple of weeks ago and his blood platelet count was up to 264,000! This was great news, but I knew that it was possible for the count to go down, and indeed it is back down to 26,000. We were very disappointed, but we know it is a long process, so we are just staying the course. We decided to treat him with something called WinRow. It is an injection that is supposed to "distract" the spleen from destroying the platelets. It will at least help temporarily, but we are hoping for the best. With Amos walking, the doctor decided (and we agree) that it would be better to be safe and treat him so if he does hit his head his platelets are at a less risky level for a serious injury. We would appreciate all your prayers! Thanks again!

He's 10 Months!!! Yikes!

2009-04-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while since I've updated this blog, and a lot has happened since. Amos is now a crawling machine. He has been crawling since about 7.5 months and now is pulling himself up and standing alone for a few seconds. He takes steps when someone is holding him up, so I know he'll be walking before a year! He is still Mr. Curiosity and we are convinced he's going to be a computer geek. If we are in the vicinity of a computer, that is immediately where he goes and he won't focus on anything else! He loves chasing his various balls around the house and he tries his hardest to dribble them like his daddy, it's so cute! He also loves to look at books and he's an expert at turning the pages. His favorites are, Peek A Zoo, My First Animal Book, and Noah's Ark. Just in the last week he has learned to clap and understands what to do when we ask him to clap. All of these things just amaze us. He is such a happy baby and very fun. Amos is constantly making us laugh!

The biggest thing we are dealing with right now is Amos has something called ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura). It is basically a low blood platelet count with an unknown cause. We went into the doctor on March 19 to see if he had an ear infection and also because he was bruising like crazy. The doctors immediately told us to go get a CBC blood test and found that his platelet levels were at 5000 (normal is 150,000 to 400,000). At first we thought we had to take him to the hospital, but then were told to take him to the hematologist/oncologist the next day. When I was told to take him to the oncologist I was very freaked out because we immediately thought cancer, but the doctor assured us first thing that there was no indication of cancer. In children ITP is usually a one time thing that often there bodies just need to take care of. The reason for treatment is usually for kids who are very active and you can't tell them to be calm and still. Amos is Mr. Activity, so we tried treatment, but it only worked temporarily (which happens frequently), so we were a little disappointed. We have been going back once a week to check his levels and they are only at 10,000 at this point. We have decided to wait on treatment and continue to pray that God will heal him quickly. It could take 6 months to 1 year to get his levels to normal. Right now we just have to make sure he is careful and doesn't hit his head too hard or start bleeding, otherwise we will have to treat him immediately. The nice thing about all of this is Amos doesn't feel any pain (except for those darn teeth that are coming in!). He is the same happy active baby, he just looks like a leopard with all his bruises! We would appreciate all your prayers!

Amos...7 months already!!

2009-02-02T17:53:00.001-08:00

We can't believe Amos is already 7 months! He is getting so big, he changes everyday. At his 6 month check up he was 19 lbs 10 oz and 27.5 inches long! He is our little wiggle worm, he can't sit still and there is really no way to hold him in your arms. He is very curious and loves to be outside. I think he is going to crawl very soon. He is scooting on the floor, backwards of course, but that's how it starts I guess. Just this morning he started waving "hello"! It's so amazing!
Greg and I are just keeping busy at school. Greg is coaching girls basketball right now, so that keeps him on his toes and very busy. We are just enjoying every moment we have with Amos!

Amos' First Christmas

2009-01-04T16:52:00.001-08:00

Well, Amos has had his first Christmas and he was showered with lots of love, clothes and toys! He was very excited to open presents and loves all of his new toys. He is able to practice sitting up by himself with all of them. We were able to travel to the East Coast to visit with Angela and Connor and the kids and my mom and step-dad and Angelina. We had a great time and Amos did pretty well traveling on the airplane, just a few bumps in the road. Unfortunately Amos has his first cold right now so we will see how he does in the next few days.

He went in for his 6 month check up and is doing well. He weighs 19lbs 10oz and is almost 28 inches long. He is a big boy! He is rolling over like crazy. He is still having trouble sitting up by himself, but he is well on his way. He is eating a lot of different fruits and veggies and even tried yogurt today. It is amazing how big he is getting and all the many things he continues to be able to do.

Thank you again for all your love and support. We have been very blessed this year and appreciate all the joy you bring to our lives!

2008-11-23T20:09:00.000-08:00

Amos is getting so big! He is probably around 17 lbs. by now, and Greg was only 18 lbs at a year old! His cousin, Lydia, calls him a chunk-a-lunk. Hopefully he won't have a complex when he gets older, but he is so cute with all his rolls! He is rolling over, sort-of sitting up, laughing and babbling like crazy, and being the cutest kid alive!! It's amazing how much he has changed. We are trying to absorb as much as we can and enjoy every minute. He's our little cutie!

Lovely

2008-10-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

Well, what can I say, Amos Donavan makes our lives so lovely! He is such a wonderful blessing and if I do say so myself, he's a cutie. He is continuing to grow. We call him our little chunk, he's got the rolls every baby should have. I think he has a good mix of both Greg and me in him, but I'd like to know what you all think, so post a comment and let me know!

We are very excited to continue to see him grow and we are so thankful for all of your love and support!

He's A Cutie

2008-09-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Well, he's a cutie! We can't believe how much he changes on a daily bases. He is almost 12 lbs.now. He smiles like crazy and tries so hard to talk. He can hold his head up really well, and he even rolled over once! He likes to stand up and is very curious with the world around him. He loves his daddy and adores his mommy.

I have to go back to work on Monday. I'm really sad about that; I'm going to miss him so much, but I know he'll be in good hands at great grandma's house. I'm praying that we will be able to find a way for me to stay home next year so I can be with Amos.

We really appreciate all your love!

Famous Amos

2008-08-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

Well, Amos is already 6 weeks old! It's amazing how time goes by so quickly. We are slowly getting the hang of things. We are attempting to get Amos on some sort of a schedule, but he doesn't like to nap during the day, so it's a bit of a struggle. We are doing well. School is starting soon, but I'm going to take the first 2 weeks off. Thanks for all the love and support!

Baby Cady Has Arrived!

2008-06-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

Well, baby Cady has arrived! We got a big suprise: it's a BOY! To our amazment (and the doctors!), we had a little boy named Amos Donavan Cady. He weighed in at 7lbs 4oz, 20inches long! He is amazing! The labor and delivery took over 24 hours (we went in for the induction at 2pm Thursday the 19th and he came at 10:06pm on Friday the 20th), so I was exhausted! He scared us a little in the begining because he wasn't breathing, but he came around and is doing great!

Thanks for all your support and prayers! We are so excited for this addition to the Cady Clan.

Baby, here she comes...

2008-06-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I'm going to be induced on Wednesday June 18th, in the evening! The doc thinks the baby is getting too big for me to wait any longer. I'm a little disappointed, but I feel confident this is what God wants us to do. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!

39 Weeks or so...

2008-06-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

Well, still no baby! I'm getting very uncomfortable and impatient! We want to meet our little girl so badly!! I have been having contractions off and on for a while, but nothing to indicate true labor. My due date is this Wednesday the 18th and my doctor would like to induce me then, but I'm still having mixed feelings about it, so we will see what happens. I'm just praying hard the baby decides to come before then so I don't have to make that decision! She is continuing to grow and she moves around a lot at certain points during the day.

The house is coming along (as you can see from the pictures). We are still working on the bathroom, but it is getting there. It's been nice having things put back together, but there is always something to do!

Well, the next posting will hopefully have pictures of our little one! Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

37 Weeks (or so...)

2008-06-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

Wow! Well, track is done and so is school! It's nice to have a bit of a break, although I am keeping very busy with getting the house ready. We are getting closer! It's been great seeing things come together. I am enjoying the process, although I'd much rather it be done that to enjoy it anymore! Greg started his summer job right away, so he hasn't had a break, but I think he is enjoying the fact that he can come home and not worry about working on anything (i.e. grading papers, etc.).

The baby is getting huge! Well, she is making me feel huge anyway. I don't think I can expand anymore. She is running out of room so her movements have lessened a bit, although she certainly likes to kick me and annoy me with hiccups. I've been going to the doctors once a week and everything seems to be fine. I'm progressing slowly, but surely. I hope this little girl will get here soon! We want to see her cute little face and her tiny hands and feet. Her daddy is especially excited to be able to play with her. He is constantly talking to my stomach and it's amazing to feel and see our little girl respond!

Thanks again for all your love and support! We will keep you updated!

Week 35 (or so...)

2008-05-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Well, life is crazy busy as usual. We are very close to being done with school, which will be a huge relief for both of us. I'm done with track this weekend, so hopefully we can concentrate on the house. Greg keeps asking me if I am "nesting", and the more he asks the more I realize that I am. I can't stop thinking about getting the nursery done and it seems most of my evenings have been spent setting up the nursery. It's been a frustrating process (trying to figure out how to put a crib together, or hang curtains, but especially figure out where I'm going to fit everything!). I am starting to come to a point where I'm feeling some glimmer of hope that the end is in sight because it is actually starting to look like a nursery, not just a storage room! As you can see in the pics it is coming a long. I'm so excited to see things come together!

The baby is growing so much, I really don't think I can expand anymore (I know, I know, it's going to happen if I think so or not). She moves around quit a bit and I'm beginning to realize what I'm feeling (a hand or foot, her bum, etc.). It's amazing to know there is a little person growing inside of me and to feel her as she moves. I'm so excited to meet our little one and her daddy is too. He continues to treat both me and his baby girl like the princesses we are :) ! He is doing a great job putting up with my very unpredictable mood swings and my weird aches and pains. He is amazing!

We have also been extremely blessed by the people in our communities (school, church, family and friends). So, thank you to all of you who continue to shower us with gifts and lots of love and prayer! The baby showers we have had have been amazing!

Well, hopefully I can be a little more consistent with keeping up on this blog since school will be ending soon, so keep checking up on us and please keep praying for us as new challenges continue to arrive. We love you all!

Week 32 (or so...)

2008-04-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a busy week and it doesn't seem like it is going to slow down any time soon. We have continued to work on the house. Almost all of the painting is done and Uncle Jerry is working like crazy to get the baseboard and casing in. We still have a ways to go, but it's amazing to see how far we have come. I'll be extremely glad when it is all over! My goal is to get the baby's room set up by the end of May (hopefully most everything else will be done by then as well, but who knows!).

The baby is getting bigger (as you can see) and continues to be very active. I recently went to the doctor and he said everything looks great. She is laying in a "transverse" position, which means her head is on one side of my belly and feet on the other, instead of head down and feet up. He said it's nothing to be concerned with right now, so we will see if she will find her way around by the time it does become an issue (i.e. BIRTH!).

It's been amazing all of the love (and gifts) we have been showered with so far! There are so many people who have been extremely supportive and have really given some great advice.

I am especially thankful for my loving husband who has been dragged to the many birthing classes, often times missing very important sports events. I don't feel too bad because it gives him good material for his teaching (trust me he's already used his "missing the big game because of my wife's birth classes" scenario; it was a great lesson!). He's doing such a great job supporting me through the various oddities that happen when pregnant (i.e. heart burn, HUGE mood swings, swollen fingers, and my least favorite: an ever expanding rear end).

As the school year is coming to a close and the reality of a little girl joining our family comes closer, I find myself amazed at the way God has continually provided for us. He as done things and put people in our lives to prepare us for this exciting (yet frightful) adventure called parenting. I'm excited to see what God has in store for our little baby girl. We can't wait to meet her and see the color of her hair and the shape of her nose. It's going to be great being able to share this great blessing with all of you who continue to support us. Thanks again!

Construction

2008-04-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the renovations going on in the house.

Week 31

2008-04-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been another week and I am feeling as big as ever. Things are getting very uncomfortable; my back, my ribs, I can't get comfortable sleeping, and I think I experienced my first case of mild heartburn last night!

As much as these things stink, I am enjoying the process. It's amazing to see and feel our little girl stretch and move. She responds to her daddy's voice, which is probably one of my favorite things to see.

We haven't been staying at our house for the last couple of nights because we are getting our hardwood floors done. They look amazing! We are so excited to get further along with this process. We hope to be able to have an open house type of gathering for all of you to see the finished product.

We are staying busy with school and coaching as well as the house. It's tiring, but the excitement of welcoming our daughter into the world doesn't make it so bad.

Thanks for all your support and prayers! I'll be posting a new picture of my belly in the next couple of days, so stay tuned!
Bri and Greg

Pictures

2008-04-09T21:37:00.001-07:00

Week 30

2008-04-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

Well, it's week 30 and I can't believe I only have 10 weeks left! The baby and I are continuing to grow and grow. It's amazing to feel the little life moving around inside and seeing her "exercise" her little body as my stomach changes shape. I'm starting to really get uncomfortable, but it's all worth it.

We are still in the process of renovating the house. It seems like it is taking forever, but we have started to put paint up on the fresh drywall (thanks mostly to my wonderful friend Reb!). It's great to see things come together, but we are definitely sick of the mess.

Greg and I are keeping busy with school, the house, child birth prep classes (Greg's favorite!), and coaching track. I don't know if we will get a break before this little girl is born, but I guess I can't expect to rest for the next 20 years (or more!).

I have my next doc appointment on Friday so we will see how everything is progressing. Thanks for all your support and prayers through this amazing process!