HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KAIDEN!!!!
MONTH 12! Can you believe it? I certainly can’t. How is my baby one?!
I know I say this about pretty much everything, but this past year truly FLEW BY! I still remember every minute of June 29, 2017 like it happened yesterday.
With that being said, I’ve been very emo this week. Every time I think about my baby boy entering toddlerhood, I tear up. Every time I scroll through our Baby K album, I tear up. Every time I put him to sleep, I tear up. Lots of bittersweet tears!
Anyways, enough of that! Let me tell you all about how we fared as a family this month.
STATE OF KAIDEN
Kaiden experienced so much change this past month – physically and cognitively!
First and foremost, we officially have a tooth – the bottom left to be exact! Vishnu figured it out one day while feeding him (ha!). I’ve been trying to see if there are any more, but K won’t let me near his mouth. He literally seals his mouth shut!
K is also officially cruising now. He can easily move around while holding on to furniture or his walker. We’re just waiting for those independent steps…any day now (I think!).
Over the past month or so, Kaiden has started to understand simple things like – orange ball, go boom (when he throws the ball down on the ground), blue balloon, etc. He also understands ‘no thank you’ even though sometimes he’ll continue doing something he’s not supposed to. The other day, as I watched him play with his cups, he put one inside the other. This is huge because usually he just bangs them together or throws them on the ground. I think his fine motor skills are starting to develop at a rapid rate now.
In terms of words, he’s still saying dada. He also added ball and what we believe to be blue to his vocab. Mama was uttered twice…boo! Ha! K also repeats back sounds. For example, when I ask him what a doggie says and say ‘woof’ myself, he’ll (kind of) say it too. Or when I ask what a cow says, he’ll repeat ‘mooo’ and laugh! ‘Mooo’ cracks him up for some reason.
June was K’s first full month in the older infant classroom. His teachers say he’s making great progress in terms of being more social. And for the news I’m most proud of, he’s the best eater in his class!
Speaking of eating, K now eats pretty much whatever we eat. He loved the butternut squash (plus tofu) mac n’ cheese and veggie and bean quesadillas I made. Carbs + cheese = happy K! I’m excited to continue on this eating journey and making new things for him to try. *Knocking on all the wood!* He’s a really good eater, and I hope that continues as much as possible. I’m sure we’ll hit some bumps along the way, but I want to continue exposing him to different flavors and textures whenever possible.
We’re still dealing with separation anxiety though. Poor bubs cries every morning when we drop him off. And he still kind of freaks out when I’m not around him or holding him, even if Vishnu’s with him. It’s not always fun (like when I have to go to the bathroom), but most of the time, I don’t mind! I know it’s very short-term, so my focus is on soaking up all the ‘stuck on mama’ moments I can get.
The silver lining here is that he now interacts with people he’s not as familiar with – giggles, smiles, gives high fives. etc. So really, it’s all good until I leave the room!
K’s also the most affectionate and playful I’ve seen him. He loves to roughhouse with Vishnu, which is the best to watch! He loves it when we play silly games with him – peekaboo, ‘where’s Kaiden?,’ hide and seek, etc.
There have been several occasions this month where Vishnu and I looked at each other and acknowledged how freaking lucky we are. Kaiden is one of the happiest (well, most of the time), goofiest, fun to be around, cutest, smartest, and loving little boys ever. He brings SO MUCH joy to our lives. In fact, it truly feels like he’s been with us forever!
And while the emotions are very bittersweet right now, we have lots of fun stuff to look forward to – Chicago summer fun, swim classes, a family trip to Vail in August, etc.
STATE OF MAMA
While it’s been an emotional week leading up to today, it’s also been a very emotional couple of weeks with everything that’s been happening on our southern border. I feel sick to my stomach knowing thousands of children are still separated from their parents. The stories in the media are so horrific. If someone tried to take my son from me, I would hunt them down and make them pay. I told Vishnu I wish we were gajillionaires so we could house all the kids temporarily. I’m praying hard that each and every child is reunited with his/her parents as soon as possible.
Other than being a ball of emotions, I’m doing ok. Physically, I’m pretty exhausted because Vishnu’s been on nights the past two weeks, which means I’m on my own with K in the [early] mornings. But it comes with the territory, and I’m pretty lucky K’s a morning person like his mama!
My Best of Both Words podcast episode went live this month. If you haven’t listened yet, give it a go, and let me know what you think.
Finally, I’m looking forward to the month of July because Vishnu’s on an easier rotation and only has to work one Saturday and one Sunday. Also, it’s SUMMER IN CHICAGO, and we’re around every weekend! This means more time outdoors exploring and having fun with K!
STATE OF DADDY
Work-wise things have been a little nuts for Vishnu, but like I said, it’ll calm down in July and August, so there’s that. PHEW!
I think Vishnu’s really enjoying this age because it’s so interactive, and K’s essentially a little sponge just soaking everything up. So fun! And with work ‘slowing down’ (so to speak), he’ll be able to spend more time with K. I’m hoping this means mama can sneak away for a little bit every now and then!
Other than that, V and I will be celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary tomorrow with…a wine, cheese, and movie night of course! I can’t wait!!
Ok, year two, we’ve got our eyes on you! Let’s make it a GREAT one! 🙂
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