Cayden...A One Year Old!

I have a one year old! It feels mostly great - it's been a wonderful year, a full year, a year of learning. We have been blessed more than we could have ever expected - he is a joyful boy full of much spark!

He's verbal about when something is taken from him - aka his brother taking it from him. Sometimes, Tim will try to switch out the toy; sometimes, it's just taken...Cayden does better with the first option. :)

He's very verbal when he's not getting food quick enough. He'd rather say his version of all done and more (which sounds like "mmmmmmmmm"). He drinks milk at breakfast and dinner, and eggs are probably his favorite food right now. I think the kid can eat two eggs in one sitting. Lately, he's been very interested in holding a spoon and wants food to be on it - self feeding at it's best. He doesn't mind getting messy and doesn't mind being wiped down.

Cayden loves being outside. He'll stand at the window for quite some time, and when we're heading out the door, he starts pumping his legs in my arms. I'm looking forward to walking so that his hands aren't always all over the floor/ground. Cayden loves babies and Tim's play computer. He just got his own little piano and is loving it!

The boys have grown to love having each other in the back seat, and Cayden tickles Tim's toes across the seat. He's not too fond of sleeping in the car which can be a bit inconvenient sometimes. And they love taking baths together! Cayden loves splashing and eating the foam letters.

Back on May 3rd: "Cayden took two quick steps toward me today. We were in the kitchen, and he wanted me to hold him. He was standing at my legs, and I placed him sturdy on his feet. Rather than sit to crawl back over to me, he two-stepped and lunged toward me. I couldn't believe it! I called out to Tim, "Cayden just took two steps!!" Watch, he won't walk any more this month...just a tease."

It wasn't a tease and he's taken up to eight steps! The best is when he chooses to move from one stationary item to another. And he loves the praise of walking to and from mom and dad.

He's up to eight teeth at this point. I feel like he's moving more and more out of the "baby" phase and into a toddler phase.

Specs: Weight - 22lbs; Length - 31"

He'd rather get in the bookshelf than his toys be in there.

Checking out Tim's binoculars

Getting ready for bedtime

He knows what to do when I say, "Smile!"

Cayden Lately

Silly faces, saying 'hi', "no hands mom!", and the curls!!

Bowling!

(At Pinstripes - Monday through Friday, pay for your kids to bowl from 10a-12p $5, and you bowl for free! And they have burgers there for $5 on Tuesdays!!)

Cayden 11mo!

*After writing this, I realize I made a lot of comparisons between our boys - this is more just observations for me and because I know others are curious. I realize that every child will progress at different rates. Both are absolutely wonderful! 

Take away one of those '1' and that's what he'll be next month - a one year old...wow. In some moments, he still seems like my small baby; sometimes he seems so big. I am continually telling him to stop being so big. Maybe my perception of "smallness" comes from the fact that he's average size but so much smaller than my Tim who has always been in the 95 and greater percentile. :)

We've finally had some warmer (60s) days here in the midwest which means everyone is outside! It's been so fun to see Cayden explore the playground. He is fearless! Anything he can pull himself up on or climb on, he will do. He even tries to climb up and down the slide - the down is obviously a little more tricky, so he typically ends up sliding down on his belly (I promise, I'm right there with him the whole time).

Cayden is obsessed with Timothy. Whatever Tim is doing, Cayden wants to do. Wherever Tim is, Cayden wants to be there. Sometimes these are sweet moments of playing together, sometimes these end with "tackles" from Tim and even crying (Cayden) and yelling (Tim). We're working on it working together...:)

So much for crawling any more. He stands and scoots around everything. He even once reached out and took one "fall step" toward another object. I'm beginning to wonder if walking will be the one thing he does before Tim did (Timothy walked 2wks after his first birthday).

Teeth count? Six with two breaking through. And I'm 95% sure he's going to have curly hair. So hard to get a picture of his curls but so darn cute!!

He's mastered the "more" sign but enjoys saying "mmmm" instead for more food. He talks the most when he wakes and lays with Eric and I in the morning. And no more encouragement needed for clapping; he does it all the time now. He claps when Tim finishes playing the guitar and any chance at music class.

Cayden is definitely aware when he's left with people he doesn't know; however, he's much more distractible than Timothy was and easily calms down in a couple minutes.

We took Cayden in for allergy testing at Timothy's yearly check up. Good news: He's not allergic to peanuts or almonds (which Tim is). Bad news: He's allergic to cashews. Strange. (Note to allergy parents: There's a new epinephrine injector out on the market designed by two brothers with allergies. Perfect for boys as they get older and easy for those who don't know how to use an Epipen - Auvi-Q. I saw this in action - so cool.)

Happy Spring!

Timothy - Words To Remember

As of 4.28.13: Some of my favorite "Timothism" 
Word Replacements: 
-Cal-U-fornia = California
-Bonnects = Connects
-De-or-D-ant = Deodorant
-Panpakes = Pancakes
-Crame-ra = Camera
Song: 
"Someone's in the kitchen with Dino" (instead of Dina)

4.15.13
T: How can Jesus be his own father?

4.9.13After finishing telling "scary story":
E: Wow, Tim, that was scary!
T: Yeah, Daddy, that's why it's a scary story.
(E procedes to laugh)
T: Daddy, why are you laughing?
E: Because you just stated the obvious.

Easter Afternoon: Pictures

Timothy Easter Comparison

*Two Years Old

*Three Years Old