Books are Cool!

Kaeden LOVES to "read" and be read to. I will often find him in his room or around the house with a book. He will even choose them over a toy many times. I, as a teacher, am REALLY excited about this! Here are a few random times that I "caught him in the act".

"Look! I can read and brush my teeth at the same time! I really am cool!" 

October Trip to Busch Gardens

We had another great day at Busch Gardens. Kaeden was not so agreeable to the water this time. In fact, he HATED it! Not sure what was going on there, but I hope it will be resolved before our next trip. Kaeden loved looking at the animals and was really interested in the fish. Here are some pics from the day. "Okay, NO, Daddy...I am not all about the water today. Get me out of here!!!!"
"Daddy and I are taking a trip to Africa to see the animals. It's okay, I know how to drive!"
"Peek-a-boo, I see you!"
"Whoa, these fish are really cool!" 

Zoo Boo

We took Kaeden to Zoo Boo at Lowry Park Zoo this year. The zoo is open at night and they have it all decorated for Halloween...even with scary haunted houses. Kaeden got to go with his friend, Jac. They had a great time. Their daddies really enjoyed the haunted houses too! Scary! "Yep, I am out past my bedtime. It is so easy to trick these folks!"
"Hmmm...this big horse might be a little scary at night, Mom. I will let you know in a minute how much I like him."
Kaeden and Daddy in front of some not so scary decorations.
The boys decided that they would not take advantage of this photo op. They would rather go eat some worms or pumpkin stew instead! 

Don't Worry People!!!

Kaeden thinks that it is funny to sit up in the changing table now and prohibit the changing process. It is very hard to get this squirmy guy to be still long enough to change the diaper. This poses a few problems when we have one that isn't just wet!!! "Don't worry, Mom, this one is clean! Next time you might not be so lucky though!" 

Kaeden is 10 months old!!!

My little boy is now ten months old! The time has gone by so fast! Here are some cute pics of the little man. He is now 21lbs. 8 oz. and 30 3/4 inches long. Still in the 50th/95th percentile. He is crawling all over the place, has some new teeth and continues to be a joy in our lives.
"Yep, I can read....and this book is really good!"
 

Waking Up and Going Down

Well, I must say that my little boy has perfected the art of waking up happy at just nine months. Going down for our nap is quite another story. You will see the difference below. Kaeden waking up and saying "I just love life, Mommy!"
"Yep, I did knock my monitor off the shelf.....but I woke up happy!"
"Yeah, I am disgusted with this whole nap thing....so much so that I will fall asleep like this after my 5 minute protest!"
Yes, that REALLY is his foot by his head and in a sitting position! Ouch! 

Kaeden's Favorite Hobby

Kaeden has decided that his favorite thing to do is to stare at and talk to himself while looking in the mirror...right before he takes a bath. It is hysterical. He "talks" up a storm, laughs and what he says, and just gets pure enjoyment from what he sees! "Man, mom, I really am pretty good lookin' "
"I totally crack myself up!" 

Kaeden at Nine Months Old

Here are a few cute pics of the little man at nine months old. Enjoy! "Yeah, I really AM so cute!"
"I didn't do anything mom!"

Kaeden chillin' with Daddy before lunch 

Kaeden's Dedication to the Lord

On September 3, 2006, Steve and I had the wonderful privilege of dedicating Kaeden to the Lord. It was so wonderful to have the opportunity to thank God for the wonderful blessing He had given us 9 months earlier. It also made us fully aware and accountable for the task God has placed before us; to raise Kaeden to know God and His love. We pray that we show Kaeden just how wonderful a life with God is....that there really is no other life to lead. We thank God for him everyday and look forward to seeing a mighty man of God develop in the coming years. On the platform while Pastor David is describing the task and accountability we now have in choosing to raise Kaeden in a Godly way.
The prayer over Kaeden, his life, and we as parents to do all that God has called us to do in raising him.
Kaeden given the opportunity to say a few words on his own behalf....how he thinks this "raising him" should go down.
Flowers, dedication poem, and certificate to commemorate the day and continually remind us of our commitment to serve God and raise Kaeden in that same manner. 

Hangin' With Louis!

Kaeden got to go to MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) for the first time this past Friday with his friend Louis. Louis is only a month younger than Kaeden and lives on our street! The boys especially liked the Sesame Street Bodies exhibit. There was a big "obstacle" course for them to crawl around in, stand up in, or just sit in. Kaeden prefered to stand up along the sides while Louis preferred to crawl to catch up with the big kids. They even got to see a movie about Dolphins in the IMAX theater. It was a great way to spend a rainy Friday morning! Kaeden and Louis anxiously awaiting the Dolphin movie to begin.
"Standing is SOOO much better, right, Louis??!!!"
"Oscar the Grouch is soooo funny, Mommy!"
"Elmo's house has lots of cool things for me to get into. Let me see what I can tear apart over this way......." 

Shaving Cream Fun

Kaeden was invited over to his friend Jac's house for some shaving cream playtime. The boys had a blast! They sat on, rolled in, crawled through, and yes, even ATE the fluffy, smooth, shaving cream! Here are a few pics from our fun afternoon! "It's a little hard to crawl through this stuff....it's kinda slippery....BUT I am going to get that polka dot cup!"
"Can I shave my face for real now? See, Daddy, I know how to put the shaving cream on!"
"Will I still have to take a bath tonight, Mommy?"
"Wow! This stuff is great! It is so exciting when Mommy LETS ME GET MESSY!!!" 

For His Love of Standing

As mentioned earlier, Kaeden loves to be standing up. Grandpa caught wind of this and decided to help him out. He bought him a learning table! Thank you, Grandpa! Kaeden loves this toy. He crawls to it everyday to play with it. He even pulls himself up to play with it. It speaks in English and Spanish and Kaeden especially loves the counting in Spanish. It also plays various instruments. He will literally stand there for 20+ minutes if I let him and not fall down once! Thank you again, Grandpa! "This thing is really cool!"


 

I Might Go Eat Some Worms!

From the time Kaeden was born, he has NOT been a napper. He never feels the need for that extra sleep during the day. (Unlike his Mommy!) So, for the past month or so we have been kind of "forcing" it on him. It usually goes something like this: I tell him it is time to take a nap and leave the room, he talks for a while, he cries for about 5 min., and then he sleeps for an hour. Well on this particular day when I came in to check on him, my little Drama King had outdone himself. He had pulled his bumper down as if looking to see if I was going to come back in, did his short cry, and tossed himself face down on his bed in exasperation! Yes, he literally fell asleep on his face after he gave up on the hope of Mommy coming in to rescue him. I thought it was hilarious and had to take pics before I moved him off his face of course! "Oh, the pain.....NOT A NAP...NO MOMMA, NO!!!"


"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ" 

Kaeden is Eight Months Old!!!

Kaeden is now eight months old and is getting to be such a big boy. He is crawling...well army crawling now. He talks up a storm. He brings a smile to your face each and everyday. He is now 19 lbs. 12 oz. and 30 inches long!! (at 8 1/2 months). He loves to wave bye bye and give you five. He also LOVES to stand! He is getting more attached to Daddy now. He is an unbelievable blessing. He is also a ham when it comes to getting his picture taken as you will see below. He does his own poses without any help from anyone. Is Mommy at fault for this one? I ONLY have 1000+ pics of the little guy! Hope you enjoy! "Could I use this for my senior portrait? I think I am posed just right!"
"Look out Food Network...HERE I COME!!!"
"Am I a cute firefighter guy or what?"

Just a little comparison...

Kaeden at 7 months
Kaeden at 2 months



My how we have grown! 

Helping Uncle Marcus

Uncle Marcus came over the other night and thought that he would play Kaeden a song. Little did he know that he would have a playin' partner! "I'll play the G chord, Uncle Marcus...you take care of the rest!"
"Um, no, wait, I'll just play the whole thing!"
"How was my song? Did I do a good job?"

Water Time at the Aquarium

Our Florida Aquarium has a really neat water area for the kids to play. Kaeden had a lot of fun playing in the water. He especially liked the fountains that shot straight up. We had a great ending to our day with the sea animals!

"Whoa, this thing is shooting up between my legs and it tickles!" 

Our 5 Year Anniversary

For our five year anniversary, we took a short trip to Lido Beach for the weekend. It was Kaeden's first time to be at the beach. He loved being in the ocean. On the sand? Not so much! He cried everytime we put him on the sand. I guess our little guy doesn't like the feel of wet sand. Maybe he felt like he had wet his pants in a real bad way! :) We had a great time and were thankful for the time away as a family. Oh, and our anniversary was July 28th. (I figured I would tell you since I am so far behind in posting!) "OOOOHHHHHHHH, this sand is nasty! Why do I have to sit in it? Maybe if I cry long enough they will pick me up!"
"Just chillin' in the sunset!"
"Wow, Mom, this whale is really cool!" 

My Morning Baby

Kaeden is very much a morning person. His Mommy? NOT SO MUCH! :) He is ready to go by 6:45 every morning. He is happy and loves to play with his toys. This mess took him all of about 5 minutes to make. He can make even those of us who aren't morning people and DON't drink coffee, smile! Hope this pic makes you smile too! 

Thank you, Grandma!!!

A few weeks ago, Kaeden received a surprise package in the mail from his Grandma! She had made him two cute overall outfits. So, of course, it was time for another photo shoot! Here are a few of the pics. Thank you so much, Grandma!
"Are you really serious about this photo shoot thing? Haven't I taken enough pictures in my lifetime?"

"Hmmmm, I wonder if I can fit this whole beach ball into my mouth!" 

Happy Birthday to Me!

For Kaeden's 7 month birthday, Mommy and Daddy got him a pool! A baby one on clearance of course! :) He absolutely loves being in the water! We will be starting swim classes at some point in the future(a must for Florida). Until then, this thing wears him out enough to take a 2 hour nap for his Momma! YAY!!!!

"Why are my eyes red? Well, maybe because I have been stickin' my face in the water...DON'T TELL MY MOMMY!"
"What? I wasn't really chewing on the side of the pool. It was the fish!" 

Who Knew???

Who knew that toast was like the best thing ever? Kaeden! He loves to eat zwieback toast...mainly because he can feed himself! 7 months and overly independent already! What is a mom to do? He can now devour the whole thing in about 2 minutes flat!


 

Thank you, Uncle Stewart and Aunt Marilyn!!!

Kaeden got to visit with his great aunt and uncle. They brought him some really cool gifts...including a walker! Thank you so much! Here are some pics of Kaeden with them and a great shot of Aunt Marilyn putting the walker together. She did an excellent job!

 

Kaeden is SEVEN months old!!!

The beginning of July marks the seventh month that our wonderful blessing entered our lives. He is weighing in at 18 pounds and is 28 1/4 inches long! He is such a joy! He has mastered sitting up, rolling over (both ways), momma and dadda, making monster noises, feeding himself snacks, etc. It is amazing how much he has grown in such a short amount of time. I had left a laundry basket in his room after folding clothes and he took it upon himself to use it as entertainment. So, what would any "good" mother do? PUT HIM IN IT! :) He thought it was very funny. Here are some pics of the big guy!

"What do you mean, what am I up to? This is an innocent face of an angel!"
"Whoa, uh, hey mom, this chair moves all by itself....that worries me a little." 

Fourth of July

I told you I was behind! We went to my Uncle Stewart's for dinner on the fourth of July. These are some pics that I took of Kaeden before we went and had some great barbecue! Enjoy!

" I could sure get into trouble with this umbrella! I wonder what this stick thing is for...."
"Oh, to help me stand up! Will this thing break if I pull on it, Mommy?" 

More Harley Pics...

I guess I posted these backwards. The explanation of this set of photos is below! :) "I'm just too cute for my clothes!"
"Grandpa just told me I get to have his motorcycle!"

"Hmmmm, can I really ride that bike with you, Grandpa? I am a little nervous!" 

Harley Pics for Grandpa....

Grandpa has always loved Harley Davidson motorcycles, but now he has two more reasons to love them....He has a brand new Harley and his grandson is going to be their next advertisement! :) Not really....but HE SURE COULD BE!!! :) Okay, I am such a horrible mom. I am so far behind in these posts, it is not funny. These pics were taken BEFORE Father's Day. Kaeden is 6 1/2 months old in them. Sorry for the delay! Oh, and we used the pics to surprise Grandpa for Father's Day. He loved them!
"Is this face mean enough, Mommy? I am not sure if I can do better! "
"REAL MEN EAT THEIR TOES!!!"
"Oh, wait, I CAN do better! How is this for a mean biker face?" 

Daddy, I Have a Present for You!!!!

Well, I have been trying for months to capture this moment on film. It is the moment you have all been awaiting with great anticipation. You are FINALLY going to see Kaeden prove to you why fiber is soooooooo important in our diets! Here are some pics of the ultimate relief.... Maybe if I grasp this pacifier really tight, the suction it provides will allow my cheeks to swell even more and give me greater strength against the pressure of the forces down south.
Don't laugh....your face probably turns this red too, except no one is right there to take your picture while you are concentrating on the business at hand!
Aaahhh, I feel the ooze...I'm almost done!
Wow! I feel so much better except for this squishy feeling in my shorts. Oh, Daddy, I have that present ready for you now! 

Sign Me Up for the Navy...I Got My Dress Blues!

These would probably be Kaeden's "official" six month pictures. He is dressed as a Sailor Man! Many from my family were/are in the Navy, so this fits right in. Here's a tribute to all the men and women fighting for our freedom....who better for the job than our adorable little guy! Officer, I can give you one, but I am not sure I can "drop and give you ten"!
Hello, welcome to my ship!
These sailors are soooo funny!
Here's my official photo to send home to Mom.... 

Handmade Wood Toy

Kaeden is teething and is chewing on anything he can put in his mouth. This gave Daddy an idea...make him a toy. The result is a wood teether with a triangle, square, and rectangle that shift on rope. The shapes are made out of maple. Kaeden enjoys chewing on this toy and he also enjoys SLINGING this toy as well. DANGER DANGER! Daddy made a great toy, just not so safe....we will have to monitor this one! Thank you, Daddy for making something just for me! Hmmmm, not sure about the taste of this rope....
Ooooh, the circle tastes like maple syrup....Mmmmmmmmmmm!
If I make a face, will it help how I chew?
This toy is sooooooo GREAT for my gums! 

Kaeden's First Trip to the Aquarium

Kaeden got to visit the Florida Aquarium for the first time last Tuesday. (It was Jac's real birthday and we went to celebrate) He was very good the whole visit. He especially liked watching the turtles and the big aquarium tank with all the fish. I was amazed at how captivated he was by those two exhibits. I look forward to getting him a fish tank in the future! Kaeden and Jac chillin' in the strollers while looking at the turtles!
Leaving the aquarium with a yawn...not bored, just tired from the eventful day! 

So Cool in Shades!

Kaeden decided to test out his new sunglasses to see if they would really protect his eyes from those harmful UV rays. Here are some pics to enjoy! Do I look, Uh, so cool or what?
Yep, I could dig these shades!
The lights are SO not bright with these things on...
Look, I can put them on myself...watch! 

Father's Day 2006

June 18, 2006 was Steve's first Father's Day. It went pretty well if I do say so myself. He received a lot of great stuff, but the most prized of all was a shirt that Kaeden made for him. Steve is an awesome father and husband. I love being on this journey of parenthood with him. Kaeden could not have a better father. He is loving, supportive, and a great provider. We appreciate all that you do to help our family. We love you! Proud Papa showing off his new shirt....
A special brownie cake that Kaeden picked out for the occasion....
Kaeden placed his very own handprints on this shirt to make it special for Daddy and then signed the masterpiece! 

I'm Invited!!!

Kaeden was invited to his first birthday party on June 17, 2006. The party was for his very good friend, Jac. He lives in the neighborhood. Jac turned one! He had a great party and Kaeden had a fun time, especially when Jac decided to sit in his lap while they were playing on a blanket in the grass! Kaeden also got some ideas for his first birthday party (on 5 1/2 months away! :( ) Here are some pics of the birthday boy enjoying his smash cake. Happy Birthday Jacques!
 

One of Kaeden's Favorite Places

Kaeden has a favorite place to be. This place will calm any crying and bring laughter to the room. This place is.....on Daddy's shoulders! He loves being up high and smiles the whole time he is up there. It is amazing how this special place cures whatever ails him! This is one of my favorite places to be...look I am so happy!
Daddy said that my grip on his hair was a little too hard....what do you think?
Just chillin' up high. Do you want a turn? 

I Will Get You, Daddy!

Steve has found something that Kaeden doesn't enjoy so much. He will act like he is gnawing on Kaeden's face or neck and then Kaeden has to retaliate. He tries to bite Steve back. (Steve also makes a weird sound as well) Here are some pics of the "game" they play. Daddy, I told you that I don't like this game!
See....if I bite your nose, will you believe me then??? 

Learning My Shapes and Colors

I found some really cool board books at the Dollar Tree...yep, for a DOLLAR! This particular one is shapes and colors. Kaeden loves to be read to and I enjoy sharing my love of reading with him. Well, you know how independent children want to be...so he decided to read the book himself! This is a yellow triangle...see, Mommy?
If you get real close you can see the words better!
The End, my friend! This book was great! 

Brushin' My Teeth and Gums!

Kaeden is showing you that you shouldn't neglect your teeth (no matter how few you have) or your gums. Dr. Sams told us at our last visit that I could start getting him in the habit of brushing. Oddly enough, he likes it and doesn't fight me to brush. I decided to let him help as well! If I hold the brush with TWO hands I have much more cleaning power!
Uh, Mommy, I missed my mouth and got my upper lip and nose instead..is that okay? 

Everyone Should Have a Six Month Birthday!

For his six month birthday (did I get one of those?), Kaeden received a swing from his Grandpa Whobrey. Thanks Grandpa! Steve hung it from a tall tree in our front yard.(Our boxers have torn up the backyard) Kaeden thinks the swing is really cool. He giggles uncontrollably whenI am pushing him and then squat down so he can't see me. When he swings back he can then see me and laughs so hard. It is the best sound in the world! Wow, this is a cool motion that I have not felt before!
Daddy, I am waiting on you to push me, PLEASE!!!! 

Kaeden's First Ride at Busch Gardens

We went on our monthly outing to Busch Gardens on the 5th and decided it was time for Kaeden to get to ride a ride too. So, the best choice (only choice) was the Merry Go Round. He did an excellent job and really enjoyed the ride. The mark on his forehead between his eyes is from his hard sleep in the stroller when we first got there. He had to rest up for his ride! :) All those lights are so pretty...oh and I am holding on tight, Mommy.
I'm so cool on this big horse!
Look, Daddy, no hands! (Isn't that why Mommy is there?)