It has been such a special treat to introduce Paden to so many people at such a young age. His presence seems to brighten everyone's day and makes us realize what a unique time this is when people consistently comment on how long it has been since they saw such a young newborn. But here we are and Paden is already one month old. It is sad to announce his age in months rather than days - the time is flying by.
Forrest and I have always stated our preference for toddlers and older children above babies. We love the more interactive and curious nature and look forward to this time with Paden. In the meantime, we are loving him for his helpless little self. I think we have found this phase to be more enjoyable than we expected - as everyone has said "it's different when it's your own." Paden sleeps a lot and we can tell he is expending an incredible amount of energy just by growing his little body. Bath-time, which used to be a nightmare for both Paden and myself has become a happy occasion (thank God!).
We spent an afternoon at "Nana Val's" house to visit Val and Scott. Val has been instrumental in maintaining Paden's great personality and his health and vitality. She is a cranial-sacral therapist, and after such a long and intense labor, Paden was suffering with nightmares. Val came up to Victoria when Paden was only 3 days old to work on him (and me) and restore some of his organs and bones to their proper stations. This type of work also provides an emotional release for past traumatic events. He does amazingly well after treatments and is surely letting go of some unfortunate stresses early in his life. 
We just finished a fantastic weekend with Forrest's immediate family, his parents visiting from Idaho and his sister and her husband from Portland. Papa Dale finally got Paden to take a pacifier with a little coaxing and Paden spent many comfortable hours in Grandma Barb's arms. 
Forrest and I have always stated our preference for toddlers and older children above babies. We love the more interactive and curious nature and look forward to this time with Paden. In the meantime, we are loving him for his helpless little self. I think we have found this phase to be more enjoyable than we expected - as everyone has said "it's different when it's your own." Paden sleeps a lot and we can tell he is expending an incredible amount of energy just by growing his little body. Bath-time, which used to be a nightmare for both Paden and myself has become a happy occasion (thank God!).
We spent an afternoon at "Nana Val's" house to visit Val and Scott. Val has been instrumental in maintaining Paden's great personality and his health and vitality. She is a cranial-sacral therapist, and after such a long and intense labor, Paden was suffering with nightmares. Val came up to Victoria when Paden was only 3 days old to work on him (and me) and restore some of his organs and bones to their proper stations. This type of work also provides an emotional release for past traumatic events. He does amazingly well after treatments and is surely letting go of some unfortunate stresses early in his life. 
We just finished a fantastic weekend with Forrest's immediate family, his parents visiting from Idaho and his sister and her husband from Portland. Papa Dale finally got Paden to take a pacifier with a little coaxing and Paden spent many comfortable hours in Grandma Barb's arms. 
We have been asked many times about the origin of Paden's name. It comes from the 1985 movie "Silverado" and is the name of Kevin Kline's honorable character. We wanted a name that was unique, but not too unusual. We looked up meanings after we had chosen the name and found that Paden has roots in Old English ("path hill" and "fighting-man's estate") as well as Scottish ("royal"). But really it is just a cool name and we think it is perfect for Paden! FYI - "Silverado" is a fantastic movie if you haven't seen it. As an interesting side note, the morning we decided Paden's name was also the day we checked out of the hospital. When we turned on the television that evening to unwind, "Silverado" was playing!
After Paden was born, Forrest immediately got what he referred to as "Breast Envy". The ability of the mother to soothe baby with immediate and consistent results using her breastmilk. He remedied the situation by creating his own method of soothing that has been nearly as successful as the breast, at least for short periods. Watch this video!
Hoping that summer finds its way here soon! Love and Peace to you all and thanks for checking in on us!
Nicole, Forrest, and Paden
