Happy Birthday @ Cross Timbers

Sunday was Ryan's 31st birthday. We celebrated the weekend by going camping at Cross Timbers with my in-laws. We tent camped and they pulled the camper out.

Kaden was completely spoiled with a wonderful pool that Papa (grandpa) and Nana (grandma) brought for him. No swim diaper or swim suit? No problem. Naked baby swimming! (He actually had on a pair of shorts though.)

Brent and Terri watched Kaden while Ryan and I went on a hike on a nearby trail. They were doing some repair work on the dam, so the water level was lower than normal.

Here's what the same bridge looked like last September:

It's a good thing we each had our own camelback. I sucked down 3 liters of water on our 5 mile hike. The temperature was over 100 degrees that weekend.

Kaden loved sleeping in the tent. It sprinkled off and on during the whole night. Ryan was very attentive to the rain fly over our tent so we wouldn't get soaked.

A new playground had been build in the tent only camping area. We had fun chasing Kaden down all the slides and following him around.



Terri and I sat on the swings (at Kaden's request) and watched while Papa Brent pushed Kaden and gave underdogs.

Like I mentioned before, we really were roughing it.

Yes. Kaden is watching Coraline. For the millionth time.

Our last evening there, one of our neighbors came over with a copper pipe contraption that you put in the fire and get blue, green and pink flames. It was too cool. I must find out (first if this is toxic) how to recreate this for later.

Your child's digital history

Not surprisingly I've fallen about 2 years behind on scrap booking and Kaden's baby book is sadly neglected. I've been looking at pictures that we've taken of him, one being his first time on the potty or him in the bathtub. I know that most if not all of you who read my blog were born before the Internet ever existed. We've also heard a story or two on the news about pictures that people took ages ago coming back to bite them on the behinds.

Here's my philosophical question: How much consideration to your child's future do you give before you post a picture of them on a blog, twitter, facebook, etc.?

Gotta go pee-pee!

While we were on vacation in July in Bull Shoals, Arkansas, my mother-in-law Terri helped Kaden go #2 on the toilet for the very first time. We haven't started pushing Kaden to potty training and hadn't really discussed when we should. At a recent trip to Wally World we picked up a training potty just to be prepared.

I pulled the thing out of the box and quickly assembled it with Kaden watching intently. As soon as I had it put together, Kaden lifted up his shirt and said "Pee-pee." I asked if he needed to go potty and wouldn't you know, he knodded his little head. We rushed him into the bathroom where he pottied on his training potty for the very first time! My little guy is growing up so fast!

No more Ba-Bas!

We have officially crossed the line into the world of no bottles! Kaden bit a hole through one of his bottle nipples last Friday. We came home from daycare, opened the trashcan, tossed in the bottle and said "Goodbye, Ba-Ba!" He has adjusted very well and is requesting his "sippy" instead of a ba-ba.

To celebrate the event, we purchased Kaden some Spongebob sippy cups. He loves them!

A little dusty

It's been a little while, okay a few months since I last updated my blog.

In May Ryan, Kaden and I went to Oklahoma City for Memorial Day for the weekend. We went to the zoo, the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, as well as a few other sights around town. Ryan and I took turns holding Kaden while we walked through the Museum. It was a very sobering experience that made both our emotions very raw. Kaden, bless his little heart, picked up on the fact that Mommy and Daddy weren't in happy moods. We both had our turns of Kaden grabbing our head, pulling us closer to him and receiving multiple kisses to cheer us up. What an intelligent little man!

May also saw the arrival of my third nephew, Westley James. They had him at a hospital right down the street from where I work so I was able to stop in for a visit before the new family went home.

In June, Ryan and I headed down to go on a float trip with my sister Amanda and her husband Kurtis. Unfortunately, I came down with a 103 degree fever (which only lasted that high for around 30 minutes or so). We spent the night to see if the fever would break. The next morning it was around 100 or 101 so we made the 2 hour trip back to Wichita to go to Minor Emergency. It wasn't strep throat, but I got antibiotics that got rid of the "feels like swallowing broken glass" feeling.

July seems like it's going by way too fast. Ryan was able to give Kaden a haircut for the first time. Kaden started out in the high chair, but ended up in the sink. Ryan said it was just easier to get all the angles. He did a fabulous job.

In early July, my family had a reunion down in Bull Shoals, Arkansas. My aunt and uncle own several resort properties there and ended up having 30+ of my family. Kaden has been to visit my aunt and uncle three times now (this year, last year and when he was 1 month old)! This year we extended the invitation to my in-laws. Although they were only able to stay 2 nights/3 days (we stayed 6 nights/7 days) they fell in love with the place and are already thinking about a return trip.

Kaden is still going to day care 3 days a week and is loving it. Ryan and I both got Mother's and Father's Day Presents. He's starting to talk more and more each day. The past couple of days he's even started asking to talk to Aunt M (my sister Amanda) and Uncle Kurtis. He's also started taking us by the hand to lead us to some other location to show us something. I'm so amazed by the new things he starts doing and can't wait for him to start talking in full sentences.

I think that's a sufficient update for now. I'll tried to post some pictures soon and promise to update sooner than two months.

I L You

When the weather is good, Kaden and I walk outside to wave goodbye to Ryan as he heads out to work. Ryan will give us both hugs and kisses and then hop in the Blazer and back out of the driveway. He'll roll down the window and wave goodbye to us and give us the "I love you" sign in sign language.

Today when we were waving goodbye to Ryan I held up the "I love you" sign and said "Do this Kaden!" to him and he did an almost complete sign. He was able to hold up his hand in the shape of the letter L. (The "I love you" sign needs to have the pinky finger lifted.) Seeing as how he doesn't say a lot of understandable words, we're so proud that he's picking up this sign. Ryan had a big smile on his face as he backed out of the driveway.

Obession

Kaden is obessed with a movie called Coraline. He will sit glued to the TV and watch this movie every time it is on HBO. He watched it so much we bought the movie for him at Target. It's really creepy, especially for a 1.5 year old. It's made by the guy who made Nightmare Before Christmas. Here's the trailer for it - the plot line is just too creepy to type out.

Ok, the trailer is creepy too. But what do you do when your kid loves the creepy movie?