State of Our Household – (Almost) 6 yo + 1.5 yo

One word to describe our home at any given time is LOUD! Someone is always talking, yelling, crying…you get the point. And about 94% of the time, it’s also very fun. Ha!

It’s been a while since I’ve written this kind of update, so thought I would share some thoughts about my almost 6 year old and newly minted 1.5 year old.

State of Kaiden – (an almost) 6 Year Old

Almost 6 is a lot fun with Kaiden. He naturally wants to make people laugh, so we hear a lot of jokes and see a lot of funny faces and body language. He’s also very curious and asks thought-provoking questions that make me think and also remind me that he’s smarter and bolder than I was at his age. He calls himself a chatterbox and for good reason…he’s always talking!

From a school perspective, he loves STEAM, science, art, math, and PE (his fav!). At the last parent/teacher conference, his teacher told me he’s a good kid who’s kind and friendly. He does however need to work on his ability to focus. He’s easily distracted as well as someone who tunes things out when his disinterested.

Kaiden is also VERY active. It’s rare to see him standing/sitting still for long period of time. We need to sign him up for soccer again…or some team sport.

That said, he’s not a big eater, and I’m finally coming to terms with that. He eats what his body needs and nothing beyond that. Honestly, I wish I had that kind of self-regulation when it comes to food (working on it). He does eat a variety of foods most days – he loves carrots, cantaloupe, strawberries, noodles, mac n’ cheese, corn on the cob (must be on the cob!), PB&Js, Chik-fil-a, and milk. He also loves my mom’s traditional Gujarati meals – cabbage and potato shak and bhakri/rotli.

It’s interesting to see K’s personality develop over time as well. He’s still very similar to who he was as a baby. Sensitive/emotional, generally agreeable, kind, empathetic, etc. When he feels things are not going his way, his temper shows up as it did when he was a toddler. It manifests in many ways but mainly still via screaming at this age. We’re working on understanding that frustration/anger is 100% ok to feel but that we can’t always demonstrate it in the ways that he does.

I’m so very thankful to be this little boy’s mama. He’s my greatest teacher, and I can’t wait to see how our relationship continues to grow!

State of Mila – 1.5 Years Old

Oh, our mighty Mila! Where to even begin?

Firstly, little Mila is a bright star in our lives. Her smile and giggle light up every room she’s in. Her sweet energy makes you want to stop whatever you’re doing and just sweep her up in a hug.

That said, she is very much a toddler who knows how to tantrum with the best of them. To counter her sweet energy, she has a very intense side (re: will literally throw her body back and scream). Honestly, this has been a little difficult to manage because she’s not like how Kaiden was at this age. He also tantrumed hard, but he stopped after a while. Mila doesn’t stop. Like her pediatrician said at her 18 month appointment, this is exactly who we want her to be when she’s a little older, but right now, it’s stressful and hard. I’m trying my very best to manage my responses/body language/words/tone because of course…if I’m around she only wants me and if I’m not carrying her on my hip, she’s on the ground rolling around screaming. Oy vey!

Let’s transition to food because I love most meal times with Mila. Girl will eat/try almost everything. To the point where I can’t even tell you her favorite foods. This is so different from how Kaiden was/is! Clean up after mealtimes is another story. If you’re not ready to get Mila out of her highchair right when she she says ‘all done,’ she starts swiping at everything on her tray. It’s a literal mess.

From a sleep perspective, she’s still doing great. Again, so different to toddler Kaiden. She sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night if she’s sick or if a tooth is popping through, but overall, we can’t really complain.

From a development perspective, gf understands EVERYTHING. She follows commands – re: Mila, put this in the trash. She says ‘no’ in context (it’s annoyingly the cutest!). She has so many words, including her own name! It’s so fun to watch her language and sense of self and others grow on what feels like a daily basis.

What else? Mila loves school – sometimes she seems happier there than at home! She loves to read. Her favorite book right now is Chika Chika Boom Boom. She’s very into a shape bucket toy we have and can even identify some of the colors and shapes.

As smart as she is in some ways, Vishnu and I know she’s going to give us a fun for our money in so many others!

Ready or not, here comes Mila! Love her!

State of Vishnu and Par

Vishnu is doing well. He still loves his job and the people he works with. He’s very into house projects and getting us set up with the best technology. He’s also making some time for his health with on prompts from me, which I love to see.

I’m also doing well. Most days feel like a blur to be honest, but I’m trying to create the best blend I can on a day to day basis – me, kids, Vishnu, etc. Awarify Coaching is still going strong. I have a couple of new clients plus some potential bigger projects in the pipeline. Momsanity is one of the biggest joys for me right now. Season 2 is shaping up to be such a beautiful one. I’m also making time for my health and working out, getting my steps in, drinking all the water, eating well, and prioritizing my sleep. That’s a full time job in and of itself!

As a couple, we’re still working on finding time for US and could honestly be better about that. But we have our two weekly TV dates – Succession and Ted Lasso! Hopefully this summer will open up a bit more time for just the two of us.

Ok, I could clearly go on and on. Thanks for reading if you got this far. Always appreciate the love for our family!