Thirteen Months

These monthly photo shoots are becoming more and more difficult. This photo took five different attempts and he is still looking at me like I'm making his life miserable. I can't wait until I can bribe him with something to keep him still! A first for this month - the photo shoot was moved to the floor rather than my bed (hence the glimpse of carpet at the top of the photo). Clearly I will not be joining the ranks of award winning photographers any time soon.

The first attempt at our photo shoot was cut short by the gardeners. Fridays mornings are one of Kaden's favorite times of the week because he gets to watch the landscapers do their work. His ears perk up as soon as he hears the hum of weed-eater or the roar of the lawn mower. His favorite spot to watch all the cutting and trimming is our bedroom window...on his tiptoes.

Our little guy is into everything (didn't I write that last month, too?). When he isn't pleading to go outside, his favorite place to play is the kitchen. He can keep himself occupied for quite some time by opening and closing the kitchen cabinets, removing all the tupperware and scattering it across the kitchen floor, and, as shown in these shots, hiding amongst the toaster, rice cooker and mixing bowls.

Being outdoors is Kaden's favorite way to spend the day. Thank goodness we live somewhere he can be outside pretty much 365 days out of the year! He is a mover and a shaker and does not like being cooped up inside. This is a great thing...but, also a dirty thing. On this particular day, I think we had two baths and four "costume changes." There is no telling what will interest Kaden on any given day - in the photos below, it was the garden hose, specifically the nozzle. He seemed to think it was in some way related to the car's wheels.

My little gardener.

The sun finally came out in September and we had some hot summer-like days! Rather than trekking Kaden to and from the beach (and dealing with all of the inevitable sand), I filled up the inflatable pool and let Kaden splash away. He had fun for a while, but it didn't last for too long. He's no fool...it really isn't a substitute for the seashore.

Watching the airplanes flying overhead.

After assembling his new water table, Kaden checked our work. He is very interested in how things work and how things are put together. In this case, he wasn't too impressed - it leaked pretty badly.

Leak or no leak, he loves it!

Dining Al fresco with good buddy, Brooke.

The Face

This is Kaden's newest face - I know it is a scowl, but it is super cute, no? He was making "the face" often enough for me to try and figure out why and this is what I have come up with...there is no rhyme or reason to it. Most of the time, he makes the face at me and when I say, "Don't you scowl at Mommy!" he breaks into a giggle fit. He also makes it in response to certain strangers he doesn't like the look of (and then gives them his megawatt smile), things he can't figure out, food he is not fond of, requests that he does not want to abide by, naked bathtime photo shoots...

Other Updates:

Walking: Kaden is still trying to walk on his own. He practices every chance he gets by cruising the walls and couch, or pushing any moveable object. This results in finding chairs and bar stools all about the house. It is always funny to see a lone bar stool hanging out in the hallway. As every parent does, Kevin and I have speculated as to what Kaden will do when he grows up. This month, we've learned that he is interested in gardening, moving furniture, and engineering.

Talking: Kaden has added two words, and two sounds to his repertoire. His words are "dis = this" and "dat = that" and he uses them liberally. Everything is either a this or a that and, more often than not, they are voiced as though they are questions...dis?...dat? These two words have led Kevin and me to identify absolutely everything. Dis (said pointing to a book)? Yes, Kaden, that is your book. And then immediately after, Dat (while pointing again to his book)? Yes, Kaden, that is your book. I think we repeat the same sentences hundreds of times a day. While Kaden's vocabulary improves, mine, slowly yet steadily, declines.

The first of Kaden's new sounds was discovered quite by accident and caused me to fly into a panic. Why? Well, this favorite sound is a sudden gasp quite akin to the sound of one choking on something. I think my initial reaction is why he persists. Kaden's second new sound was picked up from one of his many books, "Where's Spot?" In this adventure, the reader and Spot's mother, Sally, are looking throughout the house for Spot because he hasn't finished his supper. Under the yellow stairs, the reader and Sally find a lion and, if the reader is Kaden, he roars. Now, whenever he sees a picture of a lion, which is pretty often around our house, Kaden lets out a not so fierce, yet no less fabulous, roar.