Another late post, but at least this time I have the excuse of two trips to DFW, Kamy’s birthday, a nasty tummy bug that hit all of us, and three rounds of visiting family to blame for my delay. =P
Caden has grown so much lately, especially intellectually. His little brain is amazing to watch because I can just see him thinking. I find it so interesting to go back and look at the Kamy posts from the same age and see where she was. I’m also realizing that I had an image in my head of what Kamy looked like and did at each age and I’ve definitely adjusted it a bit from reality. That’s what the blog and photos are for though, right?!
- Caden has officially transitioned to quiet time in the mornings, as opposed to attempting a nap. After breakfast, both kids now have about an hour in their room alone. Not only does it do wonders for my sanity and ability to get something done, but it also helps the kids get to afternoon nap time without getting completely wound up and crazy. Morning quiet time is an absolute must in our house and both kids do it very well. Caden still gets put in his crib, but I leave the light on and he gets to bring a book with him. He’s definitely ready to get up when the hour is over, but he is actually very patient about it.
- As you have probably noticed, we stick pretty closely to a routine at home. Routines keep everyone happy — the kids know what to expect and Momma doesn’t have to push very hard when the time comes for lunch / nap time / bed / etc. Caden’s bedtime routine is becoming more natural for him. A far cry from his prior aversion to sleeping for the first 9 months or so, he’ll happily go to his room for “jammies,” then put his dirty clothes in the “lawn-ree,” brush teeth, and then give bedtime hugs and kisses. He has the most adorable way of saying “love you” too – “loo you”! Here’s my precious baby boy saying goodnight to Daddy:
- Magic kisses are a new discovery! In order to wake the sleeping giant (ie – Daddy), one must give him a magic kiss which is a kiss on the cheek, followed by a zerbit (Bill Cosby’s name for it, aka raspberry kiss). Caden tries to give them too and it is so funny to see him try to buzz his lips. He’s a trooper though and won’t give up until it works!
- Other than at quiet time, books have been on the back burner for both kids. We have been spending a lot more time coloring with crayons and colored pencils instead. Caden loves to take the crayons in and out of the pencil box and scribble on paper. So far he’s been pretty good about only using them at the table and on paper, but I am sure we’ll have to deal with stray crayons at some point. He knows about half of his colors now — orange, purple, yellow, and blue are solid. Red, pink, and green are iffy, while black and brown haven’t clicked yet. I have been pointing out a lot of colors lately, especially when coloring. On a side note, we have noticed that Caden does not seem to care or notice if a book is right side up or upside down. Kamy started turning the books over the right way very early on, but I still see Caden “reading” upside down all the time. I’m sure it says something very interesting about their different learning styles, but I don’t know what it is! =)
- Language-wise, he is picking up new words all the time. His version of oops sounds like “uppps” and he calls Kamy “Kee.” He is also correcting his pronunciation of his old standby words. In particular, he is now saying “eat” instead of “aht.” Most of his new vocabulary revolves around food, colors, clothes, and being outside. You can tell what he is interested in, huh? What I hear most often though is “more please.” He uses it both for asking for more of something and if he wants something new (as in ‘I want that please.’) “Mor’ mor’ mor’ prs!”
- He is learning so much from Miss Kamy, I never know what I’ll see or hear him do next. She is such a great big sister to him and is definitely teaching him something every day. He dances like Kamy does, by spinning around in a circle and will mimic silly sounds that she makes or attempt to say words she uses. He doesn’t catch everything, but since he watches her like a hawk, more sticks than I probably give him credit for. They play really well together. Caden is especially fond of playing peek a boo with her and they run in and out of the cardboard box “castle” in the office constantly. Where one kid is, the other is probably not far away.
- Somebody little is also a climber. He loves to get on top of things and I am forever pulling him down and telling him not to do that. He hasn’t been as interested in climbing on the potty lately, but I still find him there occasionally. He has no trouble hopping up on the couches and he will go get his stool to reach the higher places. What used to be out of reach continues to shrink and I have to relocate things as his arms and range grows.
- Caden is still really into the night-night – wake up game. Instead of just doing it with Daddy, he will play it with Kamy too. I can’t tell you how many times a day I hear “nigh-nigh … uuup!” I think it’s so cute. These little things stay around for such a short period of time, I love listening to them.
- The top to canine teeth have poked through this month. I can see the bottom ones hanging out near the gums, but they have not arrived yet. He has been early in getting all of his teeth so far, so I can’t say I am surprised. Fortunately he handles teething really well and we haven’t needed to give him medicine or teething tablets or anything for it. <knock on wood> Just a few more to go and we won’t have to worry about them for a while.
- Caden can sometimes be a little drama monster. Everything is either perfectly good or perfectly awful, and if you are not giving him what he wants you will definitely know about it. We are actively working with him on patience and how to deal with his little emotions. Kamy did the same thing about this age, but Caden is having a harder time figuring out what to do (and not do) when he is upset. For example, he will often ask for his milk before a meal. Since he is rationed to 24 ounces each day (and he’d polish that off before breakfast if I let him), he doesn’t have free access to his sippy cup. If I say no, he has a tendency to get really upset and let loose the waterworks, hang on me, or crumple to the floor in despair. Mr Drama. As we did with Kamy, we have been asking him if he wants to go to his room to fuss or if he can be okay. He is definitely getting better at composing himself and just a few sniffles remain. Emotions can be really hard to deal with, so I am glad he is learning and doing well. He does get put in his room for being super pitiful, but it is becoming less frequent.
Caden is such a sweet little guy. I love his personality and how friendly he is. He loves to give kisses, sit on your lap, and play with you. I love spending time with “the boy!”
