Wow, lots to catch up on...

Wow, since I didn't have my computer for a month or two, I really have a lot to share! So, I will probably keep things short and sweet because this is already going to be a long post!

One of the first foods Kaden started eating all by himself was fresh green beans. Usually he eats them cooked, but if he can snag one while you are snapping them, he will eat it raw too... sort of... most of it ends up on the floor!

As you can see, he devoured that plate in a hurry... of course then you take a look at his tummy and the sides of his highchair! He does love them though, I just scoop them back onto his plate and he tries again!

Kaden crawls like a pro now! These were taken after he had a blood draw from his arm, and a couple of shots in the leg.

He also is pulling himself up on everything he can get his hands on. And more recently he is now standing without support and has even 'accidentally' taken a few steps. I say accidentally because as soon as he realizes that he isn't holding on to anything he eases down to the floor and crawls. It won't be long now before he is running!

This is one of my most favorite developments. :) Kaden has figured out that when he is sleepy and ready for bed or a nap, all he has to do is come ask to be held. He lays against me and falls asleep. It has been really precious on the mornings that I am feeling sick and don't want to move off of the couch. He just lays down right next to me and we both take our naps!

Guess now would be a good time to tell you that Kaden is going to be a big brother in April! :)

It is pretty hard to see in this ultrasound, but there is our new baby at 9 weeks. She (I'm hoping!) is upside down and if you look close you can see her head and body with little arms and tiny legs. We are about 12 weeks now.

Kaden got to experience the State Fair this year. He did so well, Jeremy and I were impressed. We all had a good time then dashed home when it all of a sudden started pouring buckets of rain! Welcome to Oregon!

One of Kaden's new 'tricks' is pointing. He loves to point. And he is getting pretty good at expressing what he wants with his pointing. It is quite entertaining to be ordered around by a 9 month old's pointer! If he wants something he will point to you, then the object. :) I figure that is his way of asking please at the moment!

My sweet boy LOVES to 'help' with the dishes. I put them in... he takes them out!

Uncle Heath takes Kaden to the petting zoo at the Walla Walla County Fair where the girls show their goats.

Jeremy and I both have electric tooth brushes and Kaden always wants to use them. So I bought him his own toddler electric tooth brush. He loves to brush his teeth while I am and watches me intently in the mirror. Once in awhile he gets a little mixed up!

Today we had tuna casserole for lunch. Kaden is getting pretty good about getting most of his food into his mouth now, but that doesn't mean he isn't a disaster when he is done!

I took him straight from his chair to the bath!

9 Months

My baby is growing up so fast these days! I can hardly believe it. It is amazing how quickly he is changing and growing too. One of his favorite activities these days is 'reading'.
He loves to crawl up in the rocking chair with me, then lean over the arm where his books lay on the floor. Then he points (pointing is pretty recent and Oh, so cute!) at his books and gives a half giggle. Until I pick one up! Then he snuggles back with me to turn the pages. That is really all he wants to do, but he tolerates me reading, as long as I don't take too long, and make sure to point to the page a lot!

Dog has an orange fish.

Mom! I'm trying to read here. You are disturbing me.

Gotta love that smile!

8 Months

So since my computer was down for awhile I am a wee bit behind. (But thankfully I am back up and running... it seems that it didn't delete my pictures... it just moved them somewhere else. :) Uncle Chuck found them for me. I didn't think to look in a different place for them! At least I think that is what happened.) So, just in case you thought I forgot... Here are Kaden's 8 month pictures!

I love this expression!

Oh how he loves to stand!

May Calendar

This picture cracks me up! Kori is 'backhanding' Kaden and Lillie's face is too funny. :)

In case you don't know, Jeni and I make a calendar for our parents (which has branched out to our in-laws, ourselves, and grandmas and grandpas...) every year. So yesterday I went over to Mom's (where Jeni is staying while her husband is at Basic.) and we did the pictures for the month of May. (I'll be making several trips in the next few weeks. We have to finish next years calendar before Jeni moves to who knows where.) Here are just a few of them.

Korinthia Dawn

Kaden Raymond

Malaki William

Lillie Lee

Climbing

As I was sitting at my parent's computer reviewing my latest calendar pictures, I glanced over to see my son starting up the steps. YIKES! We already had one fall this week, do we need another?

I grabbed my camera (which was right in front of me) and went to stand behind him.

He could see his cousin Kori headed up and wanted to follow.

He did so good!

I was way impressed!

He doesn't even pick his belly off the ground when he crawls yet, and here he is scooting up the stairs.

Are you watching Mom?

The only time he would stumble was when he would look back to make sure I was watching. Then he would tumble down a step or two (I helped him with a controlled fall, so no owies today.) and turn around and start right back up.

He got hung up on the corner though. The steps are too narrow next to the wall.

So proud of himself!

(Malaki and Lillie are sneaking in the picture so they can see themselves on the camera!)

Wanna Take a Bath?

Wanna take a bath?

This turtle is great for splashing!

Time for some serious splashing!

He is sitting so good now.

First I eat the turtle...

Then I use it to SMASH the crab!

Watch out ducky, you're next.

I'm sure he will hate that I posted pictures of his naked bum when he is 16!

Look at those beautiful baby blues!

He even likes to lay down in the water.

Oh, look! I have hands!

Love this crazy face!

Then, while I am snapping away, he grabs the side of the bath tub, and stands up! He had never done this before. He has only been pulling himself to a sitting position for a week maybe. Now he pulls himself up on the couches and chairs, and me. I had to lower the mattress in his crib yesterday because he was standing up in there and I wasn't taking any chances of him falling out of his crib too. My baby is going to be a toddler before I know it.

The Misadventures of Kaden Wells...

Kaden found a pen on the floor and colored on himself for the first time a couple of days ago. I wish I could say this would be the last time, but I'm sure it won't be.

It is a nice little line under his lip. As you probably guessed he was trying to eat it.

Have you ever heard a THUMP that made you sick to your stomach?

Yesterday Kaden was napping on my bed. This is a normal occurrence. It is his favorite place to take his morning nap. We go in and lay down together and talk and play until he is ready to fall asleep. Then after he is asleep I creep out of bed and surround him with pillows and blankets and things. My house is so small that while I am in the kitchen checking my email (yeah... my computer is in my kitchen...) I can easily hear him when he wakes up. He either shouts or starts talking. Yesterday he didn't do either. Instead he just decided he would use his new found abilities to crawl and come find me. This is when I heard a THUMP. I was out of my chair and half way to the bedroom before he could even start to scream. My heart was pounding and I was shaking so bad, my baby had just falling out of my bed. In normal circumstances this is bad enough, but my bed happens to be about 3 1/2, 4 feet off the ground. Not only did he crawl off the bed face first, but he landed on the step stool the my father in-law made for me to get into bed when I was pregnant. (That is how tall I am talking about, I couldn't crawl into bed with my belly without the step stool.) As best as I could tell he crawled off and landed on the edge of the stool with the bridge of his nose. He was just laying on his back next to it when I got there. Crying his eyes out with blood coming out of his nose. I held him and tried to talk reassuringly while I bit back my own tears. He cried and clung to me for awhile, but then he was fine. Other than the blood on his face and the nasty red line across his nose, which won't wash away like the blood, you would never know he had just had such a nasty spill.

His little nose is all swollen.

I talked to his pediatrician's nurse and they said that as long as he could still breathe through his nose and it stopped bleeding he didn't need to come see them. If in 4 or 5 days when the swelling has gone down his nose looks crooked or broken in anyway then they would fix it, but they couldn't do anything until the swelling goes down anyways.

I don't think it is broken, but it is hard to tell. There is a lump on the right side, but it is pretty swollen, I am hoping that is all.

He loves to chew on my watch.

What a great baby! Still smiling even with that nasty fall.

Still able to play and have a good time.

I think this was more traumatic for me than for him.

I will be sure to move my monitor back and forth to wherever he is sleeping now. He is back on my bed today, but the monitor is right next to him, and every time his breathing changes I am getting up to check on him.