Monday, June 28, 2010

Ten Months Old?!

I know! Ten months old?! How in the world did ten months go by so quickly? How has my teensy-tiny, new-born baby boy turned into this rambunctious, expressive, oh-so-huggable little man? In the blink of an eye, it seems.


Month Nine brought big boy pajamas - we couldn't find any 12 month sized pjs with feet.


It also brought baths in the big tub - this is a tricky business, but he loves bathtime.



Kaden's newfound sense of freedom has gotten him into some sticky situations. The above photos demonstrate one of them - he has figured out how to crawl underneath the bed, but can't figure out how to duck his head to get back out. Clearly, he does not like being stuck.


He still LOVES the swings!


More teeth must be on their way. Everything, and I mean everything, goes directly into his mouth. This has made us a bit neurotic about what we keep within his reach. Babyproof has taken on a whole new meaning around here - hide your shoes, they are one of his favorite chew toys. We're not sure if we are raising a little boy or a puppy.



His chew toys are not limited to things he can actually fit in his mouth - the below photo is evidence of what happens if we leave him in his crib too long while he is awake. Little chipmunk.


The San Diego County Fair came to town and we were there to enjoy all the fried goodies, though we drew the line at fried butter and chocolate dipped bacon. While Kaden didn't indulge, he did have a great time seeing all the animals at the petting zoo. Due to the threat of hoof and mouth disease, they insisted that all children wear shoes. Kaden, however, being the California boy that he is, rarely wears socks...much less shoes. So, we improvised; we wrapped his legs up in my jacket and braved the animal pen. And look at the smiles we got for our ingenuity!!


This month Kaden learned to stand up and, now, he is climbing on everything. As soon as we got back from Kentucky we moved his crib down a level; before every nap he would climb up on his knees to make sure he could still reach the rail and peer out. It didn't take too long before he learned how to get his feet underneath him and pull himself up to stand. He wasn't quite as quick to learn how to get back down so, more than a few times, he would fall asleep standing up and we would have to go in and lay him down.


When he is not in his crib, he finds turns anything he can into his own little jungle gym. Having no fear, and no idea that he is not quite stable enough to stand on his own, he usually lets go of whatever it was he was holding on to and promptly falls down. At first, he couldn't seem to figure out why that happened. He is getting steadier and steadier though, and can now stand holding on with just one hand. Of course, he likes to climb on everything he is not supposed to touch...the floor lamp, the tall candlesticks, the fireplace, etc. Sometimes, he is a great listener and, when I say "no no Kaden" he finds something else to play with. 80% of the time, however, he turns to give me an impish grin and then keeps right on playing with exactly what I've asked him not to touch. I guess he doesn't like being told no. Like mother, like son.


And, my very favorite new trick of Kaden's...his kisses.



As an early birthday gift from Gammi and Pop, Kaden got a toy lion that is both a walker and a ride on toy. Even though it may cause Kevin and I to require back surgery, he loves riding around the house on it.


And, last but not least, Month Nine brought Kaden's first (assisted) steps!!!!


Saturday, June 26, 2010

Monkey See Monkey Do

Here is a short video of Kaden imitating a stuffed monkey that Patrick and Melanie Rodman brought him when they came to visit from Missouri. This horrible noise-maker has long been one of his favorite toys. The monkey hangs from the coat closet by our front door and, whenever we come or go, Kaden will stare at it until I squeeze its belly and he hears its awful screech. Now that he is mobile, whenever he wants to play with it, he will crawl over to it and emit his own little screech. Now I have not one, but two screeching monkeys! Monkey see monkey do, I guess.



Sunday, June 20, 2010

Father's Day Feast

Happy Father's Day to all the father's out there, most especially Kevin, Poppi, and Papa.


We celebrated Kevin's first Father's Day by having brunch at a local breakfast joint, hiking the hill at Torrey Pines State Park, watching A LOT of golf, and a enjoying a St. Louis Style feast for dinner - homemade toasted ravioli, Pasta House salad, Imo's Pizza, and Thiem's chocolate cake. Yum!!!

On this special day, I have to gush just a bit about Kaden's dad. While Kaden is a little too young to understand just how lucky he is to have a father like Kevin, I understand it fully. We are so incredibly blessed to be loved by such a caring, inspiring, courageous, extraordinary man. All Kaden knows is that there is this big guy who lives in our house, with a great big smile and infectious laugh, who is his very favorite playmate. He will soon learn that in his father is a terrific role model and an even better friend. I love watching Kaden's eyes light up when Kevin walks in the room, watching him crawl after Kevin whenever he leaves. I love hearing Kaden's belly laugh that only Kevin can elicit. I love seeing their love for one another grow each and every day. I even love all the memories yet to be made - it just makes me wonder if one lifetime will be enough to share with this family I love to love.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Swim Lessons


Kaden has started swim classes and seems to be having a lot of fun. We go three days a week, which is a lot, but the repetition has helped him get used to the water. By the second class, he was going under water. This is a video from the third class where the instructor, Erin, passes him off to me. He is learning to "free-float." The next class, he is going to touch the bottom! At the rate he's going, look for him in the 2028 Olympics!!

Friday, June 11, 2010

Crawling!

While we were in Kentucky, Kaden started really crawling. Here is some footage that Kevin took once we returned.


And, for those of you who may be interested, here is a much longer one. It pretty much exemplifies what we do most days.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Bad Mommy

In San Diego, the sun all but disappears for the month of June. It is actually referred to as June Gloom. Turns out that even though you can't see a hint of sun, it is still there and as powerful as ever. We took Kaden to the Farmer's Market yesterday and were out for a total of two hours - Kaden was in his stroller the majority of the time, with the sunshade down, but we got him out to crawl around for about thirty minutes. Let me repeat the fact that there was not even the slightest bit of sunshine the entire day. However, without any sunscreen (hence, bad mommy), our boy got a bit crispy. He is SO fair!! The good news is it didn't last too long, by Tuesday the burn was completely gone. I think I will feel guilty about this one for a while...at least until the next 'bad mommy' episode.

He looks particularly bad in this one because I smeared aloe all over his face - made him a bit shiny.

Of course, he still managed to smile through it all.