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State of Our Household – THREE YEARS OLD!

written by Parita Leave a Comment

We officially have a three year old on our hands! WHAT?!

I know this is the most cliche thing to say on your child’s birthday, but I remember every last detail of the days leading up to my delivery with so much clarity. If you want to know more about how Kaiden was brought into the world, read his birth story.

Anyways, let’s get to the details of this post and see how each member of our household is doing!

State of Kaiden

Oh how Mr. K has grown! I feel like just over the past three months, he’s grown in leaps and bounds. Some days, I feel like he’s three going on thirteen. But this age is still so much fun! You don’t know what he’s going to do or say…that element of surprise is a real thing, y’all!

In terms of his personality, he’s one of the funniest people I know! He’s so witty and knows how to get laughs. And if you don’t laugh, he’ll look at you and say, “LAUGH!” Well, ok then! He’s also really sweet. He doesn’t like to see people upset or hurt. I hope his sense of empathy only gets stronger as he gets older. In some ways, Kaiden is like me, he’s super emotional and can get upset quickly, but he gets over the situation quickly. He doesn’t hold grudges. What else? He’s also very stubborn (like most three year olds?!). Kaiden is always down for a good time. It takes him a bit to warm up to people, but once he does, there’s no stopping him!

In terms of sleep, we’re doing well. He goes down between 7:30-7:45p every night (although the antics have definitely started where he tries to keep me in the room as long as he can!), but he’ll fall asleep anywhere from the minute his head hits his pillow to 9 pm. Before he started school again, he was waking up between 7:15-7:30a most days, and now he’s up between 6-7a. Not an easy transition for his parents either! Naps are hit or miss, mostly still hits (those days are rough!). I think pushing his nap time back to 1:30p (vs. 1:00p) may help. We’ll see!

He’s still a pretty good eater. K loves most things, but it does take a bit to get him to the table. Once he’s there, he’s good. Like most kids, we still have our days where he doesn’t want to eat something and will say he’s full after a few bites. It takes everything in me to just be ok with that, but I’m trying! I want him to listen to his hunger cues, so I’m going to chalk it up to him truly not needing any food. Who knows!

Kaiden is now talking a ton! It’s incredible to see and probably one of my favorite developments over the past year. His vocab is pretty great, but what gets me is how much he can say in the correct context. It’s insane!

Like most toddlers, K doesn’t like hearing no or being told what to do. So we have to get creative! Ha! But I will say, if we can just stay calm and meet him on his level, he’s pretty good. It’s not like he won’t budge.

I know this is a very biased this to say, but I think I have the cutest, sweetest, happiest baby boy in the whole world! He really is the best, and I LOVE HIM SOOOO MUCH!

State of Mama

Mama is doing well! I really do love this age, so even though things get rough from time to time, I find that it’s easier to handle.

Quarantine was interesting. If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that work + K wasn’t easy. Something I haven’t talked much about yet is self-care and energy management. I did/do work out every day, but I still haven’t been able to drop the pounds I gained last October. I was on a good path up until mid-March, and then it all went downhill. So I’m trying to focus on regular movement and healthier eating. Easier said than done, but I’m trying!

Other than that, I need to get on a better night time routine. I haven’t been going to sleep at a consistent time, and it shows! Every Monday, I tell myself this is my week! But nope. Two days in and I’m all over the place again. Let’s say this one is a work in progress.

Other than that, everything is the same old!

State of Dada

Vishnu graduated residency earlier this month, which was a momentous occasion for us! Woo hoo!

He’s now gearing up for fellowship and all that brings. It’s going to be a busy year!

Other than that, I’m happy to report that Kaiden and Vishnu’s relationship is the strongest it’s ever been. K is still very much a mama’s boy, but he loves his dada…always asking for him and wanting to wrestle with him! It’s fun to watch, and also a big relief because I’m not the only one he will go to! Woo hoo!

I’ll share another update at 3.5. I love rereading these posts and thinking back on little K!

Written on June 29, 2020 Related:motherhood, Parenthood, Toddler, Uncategorized

State of Our Household – 2 YEARS OLD!

written by Parita 2 Comments

I honestly can’t believe we have a two-year-old!  When I think back to right before Kaiden was born, it honestly feels like yesterday.  I remember it all so clearly. 

With that being said, for us, year two literally zoomed by when compared to the first year.  Vishnu and I were talking about that the other day.  It feels like Kaiden went from turning one to two…just like that!

Two is a lot of fun.  And it isn’t all terrible like they say.  But in all honesty, it’s more tiring than anything else with plenty of terrific moments to keep you going. 

But overall, our little guy is super sweet and very loving, with a side of stubborn and clingy!  HA!

Let’s take a look at how each of us is doing at this point in time.

STATE OF KAIDEN

State of Kaiden…where to start?  I’ll start with the basics. 

Knock on all the wood, but K is a great nighttime sleeper.  He goes down around 7:30 and wakes up between 5:30 and 6.  We did hit a two year sleep regression a month or so ago where he would wake up every so often throughout the night screaming.  We opted to let him cry it out after the first few nights, and he’d generally go back to sleep after 5 minutes or so.  Naps are also better than before.  At school, he’s napping for 2 hours, but at home, we’ll usually get anywhere from 45 minutes-2 hours.  It really just depends.  On what?  I have no idea! 

As far as eating is concerned, he still eats great at daycare.  Like one of the best in his class.  At home, it just depends on his mood.  Some days he amazes us and some days I can’t wait until daycare because I know he’ll eat there.  He loves Indian food, with khichdi being his favorite.  He also usually loves pasta with pesto or red sauce.  In terms of other foods, his favorites include yogurt, bananas, apples, broccoli (roasted), cauliflower (roasted), peanut butter, toast. 

Kaiden has also now mastered climbing up and down stairs (while holding the railing).  He’s also amazing at throwing balls.  His aim is pretty good.  Dancing is also one of his favorite pastimes, and he’s got some moves! 

What else?  He’s still obsessed with balls.  In fact, he sleeps with two different footballs.  Elmo is his absolute favorite.  He also loves Curious George (Georgie!).  Daniel Tiger is up there but I think it’s a little too much talking for him at this age.  Kaiden is also newly obsessed with boats. Our balcony overlooks the Chicago river where all the architecture boats tours come through, and every day (multiple times a day), without skipping a beat, he says, “Mama, BIG BOATTTTTT.”  It’s the cutest thing!  Trucks are also becoming a favorite, as are dogs. 

His language skills are getting better and better by the day, but I’m pretty sure Vishnu and I are the only ones who really understand him!  We’re trying our best to not give in when he just points to stuff and instead ask him what he wants and to name it.  I can’t wait to see where he is in 6 months time!

In terms of his demeanor and personality, Kaiden is very sweet and really funny.  Once he sees that something he did made us laugh, he revels in it and does it even more!  He loves giving kisses, imitating us…what we say and the voices we say them in, cuddling with mama, reading books, and counting to 10.

On the flip side, he can be stubborn and go from 0-60 without any warning.  It’s insane how something as simple as a question, saying his name or even me whistling can set him off.  Sometimes Vishnu and I look at each other and laugh…other times, not so much!

I’m honestly looking forward to this year and watching K grow and develop even more, although I do miss my little baby!

STATE OF MAMA

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, motherhood definitely turned my world upside down for the first 18 months or so.  It was more wonderful than I ever imagined and A LOT harder.  But the past few months have been really good.  Not without trying moments and days but good.  I feel comfortable in this role, and honestly, I also feel less alone now that Vishnu’s home more. 

Kaiden and I have a very special relationship, and I love that too.  He’s my little boy, and he makes sure everyone knows it.  When anyone else gives me a hug, he says ‘noooooooo…mineeeeeeeeee.’  HA!  Still trying to get him to understand the concept of sharing!

Other than the day to day of being K’s mama, I’m doing really well.  I love the gym I joined back in March.  I go to group classes a few times a week and am starting to see real results.  More than anything, it makes me feel mentally strong…like I can do anything. 

Work is still the same old.  I may have some travel to London coming up towards the end of the year.  I’m ok with a little travel here and there, but after our trip to Anguilla, I realized a job with extensive travel is just not for me.

Other than that, I’m just trying to get out and enjoy the Chicago summer (all two months of it…HA!). 

STATE OF DADA

Now that Vishnu is officially a fourth year Radiology resident, life gets easier for all of us in some ways.  No more boards to worry about, no more excessive (in my opinion) call shifts, etc.  We’ve had him home with us and very present the past couple of weekends, and it feels so nice…and a little strange!  We’re super excited to explore Chicago a little more as a family, given we only have a couple of summers left here.

On the downside, with Vishnu having been busy and away from home the past 6-12 months, Kaiden is not always as nice as he should be.  Like I said earlier, he’s still going through a mama phase, which leaves little to no room for dada.  I’m trying my best to disappear every now and then so V and K can bond, so let’s see how that goes!

Other than that, Kaiden loves to go straight to our bed in the morning and say hello to dada and give him kisses.  He’s also all about dada when Vishnu’s not home.  Crazy kid!

And that’s all she wrote, folks!  This is two and we’re here for it (most of the time!).

Written on July 12, 2019 Related:motherhood, Parenthood, Toddler

Toddler board books

Fun Books You and Your Toddler Will Love

written by Parita 2 Comments

Continuing on with my recent book theme…

As a kid, I would take a flashlight into my little closet, get comfortable with my blanket, and read for hours on end.  Until my mom found me and made me to go to bed!

And that is exactly the kind of love for reading we’re trying to instill in Kaiden.  However, our little guy has a one minute attention span and hates to sit still.  But we’re still trying!  We read to him before bed and let him turn the pages with the hopes that one day he’ll beg us to let him read one more chapter!

Anyways, I find that Kaiden prefers short(er) board books (regular books would not survive the likes of our little destroyer!) with lots of colors and rhyming words when possible.  As I was organizing K’s books the other day, I realized we have quite a great collection of books, and because I’m always looking for recommendations, I figured some of my parent readers may be too.  With that, here are some fun books you and your toddler will love!

Toddler board books

1, 2, 3 Tiger’s Counting Party (can’t find a link for this one, but we really love it so I’m including it anyways!)

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?

ABC An Amazing Alphabet Book

Goodnight Moon


Toddler Board Books

The Goodnight Train

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

I Like it When…Me Gusta Cuando…

Toddler Board Books

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie + If You Take a Mouse to School set

Meet My Hindu Gods

Giraffes Can’t Dance

No portion of this post is sponsored.  However, affiliate links are included. There is no extra cost to you, but I do receive a small commission on anything you buy through my links.  Thank you for reading and supporting My Inner Shakti!

Written on August 24, 2018 Related:Book, Toddler

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