Big Bro!

Kayden is going to be a big brother on November 7th and mommy and daddy couldn't be more excited!

I found out I was pregnant on Thursday, February 26th. Auntie Sara and I were taking the kiddos to the zoo that morning and I decided I'd take a test b/c on zoo days I always stop and get a mocha frappacino from Starbucks....so I needed to know if I could get my coffee buzz that morning. I was sure it would be no, it was the first month we were trying and I thought I'd see a negative sign and go get my coffee. But to my surprise it was a very positive test, I had trouble breathing b/c I was so sure it would be negative. My shock turned to instant happiness and I called daddy right away to tell him......he was very surprised too! After that I called Auntie Carly, she was the first friend I told that Kayden was on his way so I wanted her to be the first for this baby too, but she didn't answer. Since I was picking Sara up to go to the zoo of course I told her my news right away, I couldn't keep it in because it was so brand new and exciting. We told Grandma & Grandpa Westerbuhr by sending them a video of Kayden telling them that I had a baby in my belly:-)

Around 5 1/2 weeks the nausea set in and hasn't decided to leave my side since. I always thought when I was pregnant this time it would be so much easier b/c I don't have to go to work. But I was very wrong, being pregnant and feeling awful is way easier at work than at home with an energetic toddler that wants 100% of mommy's attention 24 hours a day. I think how awful I feel has helped Mr. Kayden develop more independent play though because mommy is definetely not the same mommy I was 3 months ago! The evenings are the worst right now, I think it might be b/c by then I'm so tired from the day that the tiredness combines with the nausea and makes it a train wreck. If I throw up it's always in the evening (w/ Kayden it was always in the morning) but the nice thing about pregnant puking is you can eat right after:-) I'm super sleepy too which makes Kayden's afternoon nap the highlight of my day. And most nights I go to bed with him at night. I've gotten too tired to do his bed time routine and since he won't let Kyle lots of nights he just comes to bed with me. I know I'm setting myself up for night time issues but by 8 o'clock I can't think about that, all I can think about is laying in my bed! But on the nights I do have the energy he has went to his bed just fine, so hopefully it's all going to be okay once this sleepy time passes!

Kayden is very excited to be a big brother! He gives my belly kisses all day long and will come up to me and say "baby" and lift my shirt to kiss the baby. The day I took the pregnancy test Kyle randomly asked Kayden "what's in mommy's belly?" and he said "baby" and from that point on he hasn't forgotten about the baby in my belly and that he will be the big brother. He loves to read to my belly, show the baby his toys, feed my belly and talk to the baby. He gets mad at me b/c I can't reach my belly to kiss it:-) so I have to kiss my hand and then my belly...which isn't what he wants, already watching out for his sibling. I love how excited he is for our family growing and I love that he gets to have a sibling.

We had our first doctor's appointment on March 24th and we got to see the tiny bean on the ultrasound machine and see it's little heart flickering and of course mommy cried at the sight of the little life growing inside of me. I had another doctor's appointment yesterday and as soon as the nurse put the doppler on my belly Kayden and I got to hear the thumpity thump of the baby's heart beating in my belly. I remember that sound being so wonderful when I was pregnant with Kayden and it was the same excitement hearing it with this baby. I love having a little life growing inside my tummy.

Daddy & I are thrilled to have a new baby to hold, kiss, smell, cuddle and watch grow and love that our family is growing from 3 to 4.

You are the sweetest!

Kayden I really don't think you could be any sweeter than you are. When mommy is busy doing chores and your off playing you will randomly come up to me and softly kiss me on the leg, just above the knee, where your tiny little head meets my leg. Everytime you do it, it melts my heart and reminds me of how lucky I am to have you as mine. Today I was doing my progress reports for my clients and you were playing with daddy, you left him, came and found me in the office and gave me my "leg kiss" and then headed back to playtime with daddy. You made my day in that moment and I will forever cherish my leg kisses as you grow and pass me up in height, I'll remember at one time you were so tiny that your head hit a couple inches above my knee and you would give me kisses there. I'm the luckiest mommy in the world to have you and I love you more than you could ever imagine! Thanks for my leg kisses baby, they are the best!
Love you~ Mommy

Kayden's 2nd Easter

3 Generations of Hingst Men!

The cutest lil bunny I've ever seen!

Decorating his Easter Eggs

Frosting the cake Grandma wanted for dessert
Running in the rain Saturday morning with Daddy

He had to have EVERYONE on the floor playing with him!

Grandma Hingst giving him a bath

Kayden celebrated his 2nd Easter this past weekend. He was spoiled by having his Grandpa & Grandma Hingst fly in to celebrate w/ him. He was so excited for them to come before they arrived, he kept talking about them flying in, going for walks with "didi" with him and reading books. Daddy and I were a little worried he might still be sick when they got here (he had been running a 101-103 degree temp from Tuesday-Thursday and was just miserably sick, sleeping all day, only wanting mommy to hold him, not eating, etc). Daddy was sure it was a virus but I convinced him to take him to the doctor on Thursday and he was glad he did, Kayden had a double ear infection. His first ever! So he got some medicine and was starting to feel better by the next morning when we pick G&G up from the airport. On Saturday it rained so his Easter egg hunt was cancelled. But that night we dyed Easter eggs and Sunday he woke up to an Easter egg hunt in the house and his Easter basket was waiting for him on his little white table. We all went to church, I love our Easter mass b/c it's outside in a big tent and Kayden loved church outside too. After church we came home and made Easter dinner and then all went for a walk to the park. Kayden loved that Grandpa brought him "Do dos"=donuts every morning while he was here. And he really loved going to Target and picking out his Easter gift from G&G, of course we showed him lots of toys but.....he chose a Thomas the train set, big surprise:-)

Thanks G&G for coming and spending time with Kayden! He loved having you here and can't wait for your next visit!

21 Months

Kayden this month mommy is way behind on your update so I'll keep it short and sweet. This month you changed a million more ways as you do every month and I have gotten to know you a little more better. Your personality is so big and I love being around you so much. You can make me smile when no one else can and I love that about you.

*This month you are doing great with potty training. You are doing it without any real nudging from mommy or daddy. We just introduced it and you have taken off with it. You tell me when you have to go potty through out the day (of course not all the time but lots of times through out the day) and can keep your diaper dry for a good while all on your own. You haven't gone poo in the potty yet though, you keep waiting to tell us about that until after it's already too late.

*You are sleeping through the night! This happened a couple weeks ago and mommy is loving it! I night weaned you using Dr. Jay Gordan's gentle night weaning methods and it did take awhile, you'd still wake up crying for milk but I would give you hugs and kisses and tell you I was there but we weren't having milk....and after several weeks you now don't wake up asking for milk anymore! And thus...you don't wake up anymore! You are now down to just nursing before your nap and before bed so I'm hoping we can gently phase those both out here very soon.

*You are a little communicator talking almost continuously throughout the day....you definetely define talking your ear off! You love talking and mommy gets her verbal workout during the day responding to all you have to say. Your vocabulary is huge and people often tell me that there are sure you have to be way older than you are for all you have to say, you talk in 3 and 4 word phrases alot now and I seldom hear less than 2 words at once coming out of your little mouth. It amazes me how well you can communicate with daddy and I (although sometimes I do have to interpret for daddy:-). One of my favorite things you say right now is "hi mama" you have the cutest way of saying it, your inflection is so distinct and it brings a huge smile to my face when I enter a room or come through the door.

*Most of the time you are the sweetest little boy ever and full of hugs and kisses for everyone and big smiles for the world. But sometimes for no reason at all you will hit, bite or push a friend or random stranger at the park. You must have a reason for it in your little mind but for mommy it always seems so unprovoked, so when I read about how to "deal" with it in toddler books it's hard b/c they talk about "situations" that occur, like a friend taking your toy and a kiddo biting b/c of that, or 2 kiddos wanting the same toy, etc....so when I can't see a reason it's hard to "reason" w/ you. So we have resorted to time out for these unacceptable behaviors and it seems to works sometimes. I'm hoping this is just a short lived phase and I don't have to deal with it very long b/c it is very frustrating. But like I said...most of the time you are as sweet as candy baby boy!

*You have decided you hate bugs, must get this from mommy. You love to find them and smash them and flush them down the toilet:-) You also find them at the park and "smash smash smash" them. I'll be up ahead walking Fifi and you'll be behind me stomping like crazy thinking your going to get the ants. One day I thought it was ants and it ended up being a swarm of bees...but somehow they didn't sting you!

*Choo Choo, is a sound I continue to hear very often. Your favorite toy other than books and Jax continues to be your Choo Choo train. You wake up in the morning saying Choo Choo and want to play with it for alot of your day.

*You LOVE to eat and snack and just hang out at your little table. You would do every meal there if mommy would let you but we have to keep it to the non-messy foods for now. You like mommy or daddy to sit there w/ you to eat to and if we can't Jax is always a great buddy for your meals......but the best is when a friend is over to eat with you!

Alright baby boy, I'll stop for now b/c I need to keep stuff for your 22 month post which will be here before I know it, hopefully I'll be more on top of it then! Thanks for being you and giving us the gift of going from a happy couple to a happy family! Love you!

Paige is a Big Sister!

Evann Hope & Molly James

Auntie Carly had her twins this week! Her water broke and they were delivered by C-section and mommy and the girls are both healthy and home. I'm pretty bummed I live so far away and haven't gotten to hold them yet or see them in person but hopefully soon. When I talked to Carly on the phone she said they looked very different and she was right! Evann looks more like her mommy's side of the family and Molly looks more like her daddy's side of the family. I'm just so happy she carried them so long (36 weeks and 6 days!) and that they didn't have to go to the NICU at all. CONGRATULATIONS Armijo family on two gorgeous additions to your family!

Nekkid Gymnastics

Of course he has to have a cheese picture!

Kayden is doing awesome with potty training....not due to mommy at all. I haven't really "jumped" on the potty training band wagon yet. Just going with his lead and he is definitely ready. I guess I wasn't expecting him to be ready until he was 3 b/c that is when I've always read and heard most boys gain control of the "sphincter" muscle and before then potty training is worthless. I guess his little sphincter is ready b/c he tells me he has to go potty often and whenever he does he actually goes. He even empties it in the toilet, and then flushes the pee pee down and says "bye bye pee pee". We've had some dry diapers and he always tells me when he poos now (although it's after the fact). So mommy needs to get on it and finish what Kayden has started. I will, I promise..maybe in a couple weeks.

BUT w/ potty training comes a nekkid baby. He thinks he has to take all of his clothes off to go potty, shirt included. And then he would rather just stay nekki. So today after he told me he had to go potty, went and then wouldn't get dressed, I found him in his room doing somersaults in his bed in the nude. He is very good at somersaults now and loves doing them and I thought it was so funny seeing his naked booty sticking up in the air!

Mini "Neigh Neighs"

Getting as close as he can to the "big Neigh Neighs"

They were both so excited!

Tula wasn't so sure about petting the horse

Kayden loved it!

The horse had pretty baby blue eyes!

Last Wednesday Christa and I took the kids to a mini horse show in Scottsdale at Westworld. On the drive there the kiddos were pretty good but decided they wanted to sing songs....nothing like singing Wheels on the Bus over and over to make you feel like a mom. And Tula and Kayden thought it was SO fun (and funny) to have 2 mommies singing with them. Kayden kept saying "more", after a couple rounds of the bus song and itsy bitsy spider our voices were shot and luckily we were very close. As soon as we got out of the Tahoe someone was walking their little horse by and the kids got to pet her and Kayden was in heaven. He LOVED being that close to a horse just his size. Tula wasn't so sure about it. And after we left the horse Kayden kept saying "more neigh neighs" and then we walked up to an arena where there were big horses and he went running and saying "more big neigh neighs" over and over. He had the best time watching the horses, petting them and "neighing" at them. He just had pure joy, I see why people say they see God in children under 5, the joy they have for everything in the world is the closest thing we will ever get to God in this World.