Kaden's 11th Month

It is crazy that we officially have a one year old!  I can't believe how fast the year has gone by and how much Kaden has done in one year!  It is truly amazing to watch the development of a baby.  I know I say it every month that time just flies by, but it is so true.  I remember the day we went to the hospital like it was yesterday.  Kaden continues to do new things all the time, and it is so exciting to see him learning.  His vocabulary is expanding and now he can also say these words with understanding to John and I; roar, quack, duck, cat, up, block, sock, and truck.  He doesn't enunciate every sound in a few of the words, but we know what he means as he points and is becoming  more independent by showing and telling us what he wants.  He comprehends so much more too.  He doesn't say the first sound in duck and truck so we hope no one thinks he is swearing, ha.  It is cute to hear him saying "up" when he is finished with his nap...Kaden is still taking two naps, but there was a brief period where I thought he may be transitioning to one nap, but that isn't the case yet.   Now he is waking up a little earlier, which I have learned to adjust to, so now I am ready for the earlier wake up call.  No more sleeping in for me, I get to wake up at the same time as John most days.

BIG MILESTONES:  Kaden has been walking all over now!  He has two teeth that have cut through his gums, they are still not completely in yet, but it's big news for us that he has two teeth coming in!  Surprisingly, his first tooth to cut through was a front top one, then the front bottom one, and it feels like his other bottom tooth is going to come soon.

On July 13th Kaden was baptized.  John's sister and brother in-law are the godparents.  Kaden did very well and was smiling, holding our pastor's hand, and saying "hi" while up there.  We are thankful to our family who made the special trip there for it!

John went on a mission trip to Madison for a week with the senior high students at our church.  They helped with a VBS program at a church, and also helped and learned about cultures around the community.  They got to work on a farm one day and also painted and did work projects at a school.
My mom was able to come stay with Kaden and I while John was gone.  It was sooo great to have her with us!  We enjoyed many outings together and she loved spending more time with Kaden.  My mom and I got to test out our new van a lot while John was gone.  We had to get a new "used car" because after going/coming from the cabin in the UP our focus' transmission was not working properly and therefore totaled the car.  We decided to go big, and we got a van.  I am happy that we have a large vehicle to travel in and now it will be easier for me to get Kaden and my nieces in the car.

Kaden has loved going to the pool.  He has fun watching other people in the water and his surroundings. We go all the way in besides his head.  On the other hand, Kaden has recently changed his attitude about baths and, now he hates them!  I don't understand why especially since he loves the pool, but he doesn't want to sit down in the water... John says that he just wants to take a shower already! haha.

This month Kaden went through a rough two-ish weeks of being absolutely crazy during every single diaper change. I'm glad it was just a phase, but it was sooo hard to change him!  The tricks of having his special toys, singing, playing, tickling etc. did not work!  He would scream the second he was put on the table/floor and twist and turn ahhh, I am very glad he's still not doing that, and hopefully he doesn't continually do that again!

PLAY: Kaden loves playing with his toy animals figurines, shape cube, stacking boxes, books, stuffed animals and dolls, blocks, etc.  I can see that he wants to play with toys differently and not everything goes straight into the mouth.  He wants to know how things are supposed to work. Kaden always chooses books with animals  likes to hear us make the animal noises.  I go on a walk pretty much every day with Kaden.  He loves looking at all the birds, squirrels, rabbits, and dogs!  We got him to "walk the dog" at home :)  Kaden loves to play outside with a "truck" as he calls it. Really it's a push car thingy we got from family.  He also likes to play with the watering pail, sticks, pine cones and anything else he can find.  Kaden is so curious and fearless right now!  He doesn't know how to go down the stairs and I have caught him a few times now just before he tumbles down.  Recently, Kaden has decided to stand on the truck without hands.