I Never Keep This Blog Current!

Due to popular demand (okay, my little sister's friend apparently spies on our blog and she told my sister I need to update my page... you KNOW who you are!), here is an UPDATE of the Eldridge clan. The "Cat" (okay, the transvestite Shitzu dog we call Caesar) is still with us, but our new "5" status is now ALL PEOPLE. Caesar is currently in discussion with our household management team to have Caden sent back to where he came from. His tactics have included vandalism(pooping in the upstairs hallway DESPITE the fact he is let out 47 times a day), stealing (all of Caden's soft stuffed toys seem to be magically disappearing from the nursry into Caesar's dog toy basket), weight gain (and not a few lbs, weight gain like he needs a program ... does Jenny Craig have a dog program?), desperate attempts at affection, (my feet are always warm, and numb, from the fat dog sitting on them every moment he can), and sniffing Caden at an attempt of acceptance into the pack. Fortunately, he still recognizes me as the Alpha of the pack and I have accepted Caden into the brood, so he must accept him as well.

Caden George Eldridge was born on March 6, 2008. Thanks to good drugs, I survived the delivery completely numb from my waist down. He was a tiny little thing, 7lbs 5 ounces, DESPITE the docotors repeated promises of a HUGE baby. Uh-huh, not so huge. A full pound less than his older brothers and sporting a normal baby head ... not the enormous watermelon heads like his brothers. Caden has already met the Governor and first lady of New Hampshire when he was 4 weeks old. I think he has an early interest in politics. haha!


The boys (Drew and Bradyn) are phenomenal big brothers. Bradyn has even shown his mastery of "carrying" Caden when I am not around. Caden has been carried, by his 5 year-old brother, up the stairs numerous times, from his bed (where he was sleeping peacefully) to the couch in the front room because he wanted to "play" acording to Bradyn. At all times, when I have caught the "helpful" 5 year-old, Caden is never crying. Despite the fact that he is literally hanging from his brothers waist head down while Bradyn carries him in a side sling sort of fashion. It's true, third babies are VERY laid back.

Drew has mastered bottle feeding, burping, and entertaining Caden. As I sit here now, he is feeding Caden on the beanbag, watching cartoons with Bradyn. All three boys, all being babysat by cartoons. Yep, I am a great mom, tell your friends for sure. Caden officially received welfare third baby status. In our family we have this theory. The first baby is always dressed cute, matching hats and shoes, etc. The second baby may not match as well, but they are dressed. The third baby wears pajamas most of the time and in the summer au natural with only a diaper AND covered in sticky popsicle or watermelon juice. Caden's clothes DO MATCH, and he has only spent a few days of pajama day (due to the enormous amount of clothes he has, every day is a fashion show!). However, the other day I had him sitting in his stroller while I was outside raking leaves. We have had an unusual warm spell here, so I was taking advantage. A few minutes into my yard work, Caden started to fuss, then cry.. I went inside, made him a bottle, and proceeded to "prop" the bottle wiht his blanket so I could try and get more work done. Caden didn't seem to care, he had food. When the bottle was gone, I noticed Caden had a bunch of milk on his face (he's a messy little eater). I didn't have burp cloth, and I didn't want to run inside the house again ... but wait, one of his socks had fallen off. I retrieved the errant sock and proceeded to wipe Caden's face with his sock. It was a moment of pure mothering genius ...again, tell your friends.

Jon is adjusting to the new little critter. He keeps telling me how perfect Caden is, and of course, like our other two boys, I have to agree! Jon does, however, terrify me with his parenting "technique" some days. He often lifts Caden by the front of his clothes like Caden is a sack of potatoes. His burping style is legendary as he maneuvers Caden's little fat body into all sorts of contortions to assist the burp in coming out. But, I have to say, he is always successful and Caden will remain limber. Jon recently hurt his back doing a bunch of yard work stuff. He has been to an orthopedist, and he's now off to physical therapy for a few weeks. It's an aggravated old military injury, so we hope it's not anything too serious. Cross your fingers for him! Despite his back injury making him walk like a hunched over old man, he is still coaching Drew's baseball team this year ... and loves it! Drew is still maintaining his "casual" style of play (aka - he could care less) and it drives Jon bonkers! But, in all, I see the occasional little smiles from Drew at being able to have his Dad as his coach.

I remain post pregnancy body and am trying to fit back into my clothes. I have to say, it sucks having a closet full of clothes that you just can't quite squeeze your butt into. I think pregnant women should emerge from the hospital with perfect bodies (whatever their perfect size is for them) as a special door prixe that God gives them for carrying the baby for 9 months and then delivering. I think that is the least we can get. Instead, I returned home puffy, 20 lbs heavier, pale as a ghost thanks to the severe anemia, tired (again, anemia), and a little grouchy from lack of sleep. Today, 6 weeks later, I am no longer anemic OR diabetic (had diabetes during the pregnancy WITH all of the fun insulin shots to the gutt!), I have visited the tanning bed a few times, my face is still a little puffy and my weight gain is falling off of me at a snail's pace, but I can see my feet and I started working out again and I start teaching aerobics next week. Let's hope my students will accept their teachers "new post baby" body. Ugh. Yes, a little crazy about it, but Caden is more than worth all of it.

I am the team mom for Bradyn's T-ball team. What aa crack up. I call Bradyn the "clutch" player. haha! The coaches are SO PATIENT and the practices resemble herding cats, but the kids are starting to see the light and get a little more oprganized. My favorite is when one kid will "lap" another kid running the bases becasue the kid on the base ahead of him is not fast enough. Yes, Bradyn has been lapped. But he's big and a little more competetive than his elder brother, so I fully expect a kid to get tackled or sat on if they keep lapping him.

Well, I better run and try to add more updates later. I have to rescue Caden from his brother's "helping" endeavors. I think they left him alone on the bean bag. He's pretty boring after all, jsut sort of sits there and occasionally sighs, sneezes, hits himself in the head with his uncontrolled hands (making him cry), or shoots a smile. More later.