15 month well check

Today Kayden went to the doctor for a well baby visit. I have been avoiding it for awhile because I don't like making the big vaccine decision. So you pretty much skipped your 1 year appointment and today we went. We had originally had a 1 year check up scheduled in August but I kept delaying it, the day would come and I'd chicken out and reschedule for a couple weeks later, then the day would come again and I'd reschedule for a few days later. So after doing this several times I decided I better get our booty into the doctor so that we continued the good relationship we have going. Your doctor respects my wishes so well and is supportive of my parenting style which can be difficult when you aren't "mainstream". He knows I delay/selectively vaccinate and he never pushes it or acts upset that I make my own informed choices. He also knows I'm still nursing and supports that and knows I try to do things in a positive, gentle way. Not that I go to the doctor for parenting advice, I go to him for medical advice and that is it, but it is still nice to know that he respects my decisions and if I do ever talk about things outside of the "medical realm" he gives suggestions that he knows I would consider instead of offering advice that would be pointless and a waste of time. Anyway, back to the appointment. When we first got to the doctor's office you decided you didn't want to walk in the door, so I stood and waited and told you we'd read books and you decided it was okay to go in. Then when we were called back to the room you walked right down the hall to the room like a big boy, but as soon as the CMA had to touch you by taking your temp you freaked out. You were hysterical from then on out whenever a medical staff member was in the room. You flailed and cried and flipped and flopped while we were trying to do your height and so the nurse said she thought it was how tall you were but wasn't sure. To weigh you we had to weigh me first and then weigh you w/ me. Then when Dr. Salek came in you were even more frantic as he was touching and prodding you.
But on the positive side you are way ahead in development, on the 9-24 month developmental chart you can do everything except climb stairs b/c we don't have any at home so you never get any practice and you also don't drink from a cup w/o a lid (b/c mommy doesn't want the mess...lazy, I know;-). So he was very impressed w/ my little smarty pants, he also commented on your strong will and determined nature....I guess those will be good characteristics to have in the future, but for now they are a little difficult to deal with at times Mr. Kayden. Like when we need to leave the park and you throw a tantrum the whole way home....determined, yes, strong willed-yes, fun for mommy-not so much.
Growth wise you are 22 pounds 6 ounces which puts you in the 10-25%ile, height-31.5 inches (the best guess anyway) which puts you in the 50-75%ile, and your head continues to be large 49.1cm which is the 90-95%ile. You haven't gained much weight since our last visit but the doctor isn't worried, he says it is b/c you are so active and such a picky eater. He just told mommy to try lots of new foods, keep trying, try to start yogurt again, keep putting butter and oil on your foods so you get the fat you need for your brain development (not sure we need to worry since your head is the thing that is growing the best;-). I also told him you still refuse cow's milk and he said you might just be a kiddo that doesn't like milk (might be genetic b/c your mommy and uncles aren't milk fans either), that is why he wants me to try the yogurt and continue trying to get you to eat cheeses.
Shot wise today we only did the HIB vaccine.
So that was our appointment today. I'm hoping you decide you like doctors by the time we go to our next visit......but I'm guessing that won't happen for about a year or so.

Congratulations Uncle Philly!!

Kayden wants to send his biggest congrats hugs and open mouth kisses to you and Rawley!! Congrats on your engagement!!! We are so happy for you and Kayden is so excited to have a new Auntie! Hope we get to see you soon and congratulate you in real life;-)

Moo Moo Palooza

"Nose"

"Mooooo"

Fun in the hay, a perfect fall adventure!

Viola the little farmer
On Friday we went to Superstition Farms 30th Anniversary Celebration. They are a dairy farm in Mesa and had vendors and fun stuff for kiddos for the day. Bec and Viola met us there along with some of our friends from the mommy group, Mikayla, Audrey and Jackson. At first we tried to put Viola and Kayden in the wagon but the thick gravel didn't make for a fun wagon ride so we took it back to the car and came back with our carriers for baby instead. Kayden LOVED the animals. He was running from animal to animal and I was chasing my little monkey through the farm. He got to pet a horse which he thought was great and he loved mooing like the cows and sitting on the hay. He tried to climb under the fence to get to the cows but mommy had to stop him, I can only take so much dirt and muck before I have a little freak out. Along with the animals were lots of farm trucks, lately Kayden has taken a big liking to trucks of all kinds, cement trucks, backhoes, tractors, you name it and he loves it so that was a treat too! After the farm we went to lunch at Sweet Tomatoes with Bec and Viola, Kayden likes eating lunch at sweet tomatoes alot b/c he gets lots of yummy veggies and fruit and ends his meal with a tiny ice cream cone just his size.

It was such a fun day with my little monkey! I am so lucky to get to spend everyday with you baby and watch you experience the world through your amazing, curious little eyes. I love you to bits and love your adventurous, curious nature right now!!!

Our Afternoons at the park

Now that the weather is actually below a hundred sometimes Kayden and I go to the park every afternoon. He LOVES our park time and can't wait to go. As soon as I say "Do you want to go to the park", he says "yeah" and runs to get his ball and climb in his red car. We take Fifi most of the time and he walks around with her at the park. If Fifi is along, NO ONE else can hold the leash but him and if you try to wrap the leash around a pole or tree he cries and has to have her leash in his hand. So sometimes we leave Fifi behind so that he can go down the slide or on the swing. He loves kicking his ball around and watching it bounce on the basketball court. If other kids are there playing soccer he runs over to try and steal their ball;-) He loves discovering everything at the park and could look up at airplanes flying above us all day. He now climbs right up the stairs and goes down the slide like a big boy! The first day he did it I was shocked and asked Kyle if he had been doing that w/ him and he hadn't, so I guess he just watched big kids doing it and decided he could too! I love our afternoons together and can't wait for even cooler weather so that when we get home you aren't all red and sweaty!

12-18 month communication milestones

Kayden has met his important communication milestones for 12-18 month olds! Of course I'm a little obsessed with your language development baby b/c it is my job. It amazes me when you can do things that my preschoolers couldn't do and really redefines how much language delays can impact a child's whole development. It's fun seeing things through my own child.

Here are the milestones:
*Has an expressive vocabulary of b/t 5-20 words (you are well above this:-)
*is aware of the value of communication (def aware of the value of communication and use it often! I love when you are in another room and want daddy or I and yell "mama" or "dada", you get louder and louder if we don't come quickly!)
*follows simple directions, especially with gesture (you love when you follow our directions and get praised!)
*practices intonation, sometimes imitating an adult (we love listening to you play with your sounds)
*uses mostly nouns with a few others, such as "down" or "up" (you have lots of nouns!)
*uses much, meaningful jargon w/ inflection and emotion (it's hard for us to not laugh at you when you get very into your conversation that makes no sense to us:-)

Yay sweetie! You have actually had these met for awhile now but today when I was getting ready to do some continueing ed online I saw the list in my book and quickly did a mental check and you have met them all with flying colors! On to 19-24 month communication milestones;-)

Another Birthday Party!

Isn't Sara the cutest mommy ever?? These were the party favors.....she made them! I think I'm going to have her give me a sewing lesson b/c they are just so cute!

The Birthday girl!

The cool ball pit!

Yummy cake!

Kayden and Tatum looking for Sammie! "where"?

Licking her fingers!


Today was Kayden's friend Audrey's 1st birthday party. We met Audrey last November at Storytime when she was about 6 weeks old. She was so tiny then, she had been born a preemie so she was extra tiny and now she is a big, active 1 year old! Kayden has always had a special place in his little heart for his buddy Audrey, I have lots of pictures of him being "gentle" with her when she was tiny and now he loves to play with her and watch what she is doing. So-when Kayden woke up this morning we told him it was a party day and he seemed to know that was exciting:-) When I asked him what he wanted to wear to Audrey's party he went in his closet and got his pumas out and tried to put them on....mind you he was nekkid at this point so that was pretty cute, pumas and bare bootie! Unfortunately I didn't take him to the party in his "birthday suit" we had to dress him in his Husker gear so that the OU and Iowa fans would know he wasn't going for their teams;-)
Audrey's mommy had her house decorated very cute for the party and Audrey had gotten a new ball playground toy that Kayden thought was very cool.....and of course he was in love with Audrey's birthday balloons! He loves watching Audrey's doggie in the backyard and was sad that he was at a friend's house for the big event. He kept walking to the back door and asking "where"?
And for the main event at a 1st birthday party....the Cake smash!!! Audrey LOVED her birthday cake! She grabbed it with both hands and didn't want to let go and she ate almost all of it and her daddy had given her a pretty big piece...we'll have to get the update from Sara and see how much of a sugar rush Audrey had.
Happy Birthday Audrey! It has been fun getting to know you this past year and Kayden adores playing with his little buddy (you have caught up to him pretty quick though!). He can't wait to come back and play with all your new stuff and see Sammie!

Vroom Vroom!

Do you see this cool rug mom!

Hugging the rug:-)

And some kisses for the rug!!

Kayden loves driving his cars and making the car noise. One day when he got up and took his car to drive on the tile I remembered that Ikea had a little rug w/ roads and towns on it and thought I needed to make a trip to Ikea to find it. Luckily that same day on the phone Christa said she was making an Ikea run so I asked her to see if they still had one. They did and Kayden is so happy Auntie Christa picked up his car rug. He LOVES it. He plays with it everyday and has a little city going on on the rug. He drives his cars on there, lines his puzzle pieces up on the road (they are transportation and construction trucks), has his little people get out of the school bus to go to school and home. When we first got the rug out and on the floor he kissed and hugged it b/c he was so excited (that is what he does when he loves something or is really happy;-)