Kaizen Klan: September 2009

Happy 4th birthday Caden! I can't believe how much my life has changed over the past 4 years. I can honestly say the most pivotal day of my life, was the day I found out I was pregnant. They say that everything happens for a reason, and that God doesn't give you more than you can handle, but sometimes when you're in the moment it is really hard to believe that. I had just come to grips with the fact that life as I knew it was about to be changed forever.Seven weeks after finding out I was pregnant, Caden came into the world 16 weeks early. Luckily, my doctor thought I was 26 weeks along due to Caden's size, and that is why he said " the baby was salvageable". He later told me that if he had known that Caden was old 24 weeks along, he probably wouldn't have tried to save him. That's because a 24 week baby most likely won't survive, and "IF" he did his quality of life would be poor. But apparently Caden didn't get that memo. He came into the world as a micro preemie, with his eyes still fused shut and weighing in at only 1lb 13 oz , and measuring 12 1/2 inches long. He didn't let his size stand in the way, he was a "spirited little fighter". At one day old, the doctors had to give him some sedation medication because he kept trying to pull out his breathing tube and IV lines. At 2 1/2 weeks old he had heart surgery. He laid low for one day and then was back to the fight. After over 3 1/2 months in the Santa Barbara NICU, Caden came home weighing a whooping 6 lbs 6 oz. He was able to breath on his own and eat on his own, a huge accomplishment for a preemie. Caden is absolutely a miracle. Everyday with him is truly a blessing and a constant reminder for me of how precious life is. He is also the reason I am able to maintain such a positive attitude. Everything Caden has accomplished in his life has been a struggle. From breathing,eating and all of the milestones that babies are supposed to hit. I especially see that now that I have a "normal" developing child whom everything has come easy for. He didn't start crawling until after his first birthday, and only started walking and talking after he turned 3. Everything comes hard for Caden, but he does everything with a smile. Not just any smile, but a truly infectious smile. Caden has changed more lives in his 4 years of life then most people do their entire lives. Happy birthday to my very special boy, my miracle.

We celebrated his birthday with a Sesame Street Carnival. He had a blast playing with the kids and got a kick out of watching our boring house transform into Sesame Street. Everywhere you looked there was Elmo or another Sesame Street character. We even changed our street sign to say Sesame Street. Let's just say Mommy went a little crazy and is now very glad that Téa's birthday isn't for another 7 months. Here are some pictures of how the party went.

Here's our street sign

Caden's Elmo Cake

My Fondant Elmo covered in butter cream icing and Marshmallow eyes

One layer of stars, one of numbers, one of ABC's and one layer with polka dots

Elmo and Abby gluten and casein free cupcakes for Caden

Grover, Cookie Monster, and Bert cupcakes

Close up of the cookie monster cupcakes

Big bird, Zoe, Oscar and Ernie cupcakes

Aunt Valarie, Uncle Judd and cousin Aleah

Telly had tunnels for the kids to crawl through

Zoe

Caden playing in the house

The twiddle bugs window box

There's the birthday boy

Prairie Dawn

Caden Trivia
1. What is Caden's full name?
2. What was Caden's birth weight?
3. How long was Caden at birth?
4. How many days was Caden in the NICU?
5. What day did Caden come home?
6. What gestation was Caden born at? aka how early was he?
7. What is Caden's favorite food?
8. What is Caden's favorite song?
9. Who is Caden's favorite Sesame Street character?
10. When is Caden's birthday?

bonus Who is Caden's favorite sister?

Answers:
1. Caden's full name is Caden Bradley Kaizen.
2. Caden weighed 1 lb 13 oz at birth.
3. Caden was 12 1/2 inches long at birth.
4. Caden was in the NICU for 96 days.
5. Caden came home from the hospital on Christmas day. Almost 3 weeks before his due date.
6. Caden was born at 24 weeks gestation aka 16 weeks early.
7. Caden's favorite food isn't a food at all, it's a condiment. When I ask him what he wants to eat his answer is almost always "ketchup".
8. Caden's favorite song is "Do You Realize??" by the Flaming Lips, 2nd place is "Vivia La Vida" by Coldplay.
9. Caden's favorite Sesame Street character is Elmo.
10. Caden's birthday is September 20th 2005 at 11:46 pm

bonus: Caden's favorite sister is Téa. At least that's what we're trying to convince him.

Abby Caddabby