life can be rough

This little man has animated temper tantrum throwing down to an art. When he gets mad he is mad. He screams and shrieks, and exclaims things like, "I don't wanna!", "go ousside", or whatever he is demanding. He knows what he wants. I have started putting him in time-out and he hates it when I start counting. He's been happy to help me count 1-2-3 for Kaden, but when I put my fingers up for him, he suddenly stops and looks surprised. He starts wailing again and finds himself alone in his room.

I guess you can't be happy and sweet all of the time. But, you can be downright adorable, and he's got that down pat.

i've got my work cut out for me

attempting to raise this child (and the other one, too!).

Man this boy gives me a run for my money. It's a good thing that I am not a paranoid mother, because if I was I would have suffered multiple heart attacks by now. As it is, he's got my heart pounding and me uttering prayers right and left. Between his constant climbing and jumping on and off of everything, his wandering off, his no fear of strangers, his feeling of complete invincibility, and the fact that he is just an active four-year-old boy, he has me feeling like I've been through the ringer on some days.

A few weeks ago he gave me a real scare. We had taken Matt to the dentist in the morning and while we waited we walked around downtown. It was pretty warm and humid, and Kaden was his usual self--bounding, skipping, and hopping around the entire time. After we picked Matt up we ran a few errands and picked up some groceries. On our way home both boys fell fast asleep. I had the air conditioning running the whole time in town and on the way home. We pulled into the garage and the temperature was in the 90's. I asked Matt to start unloading groceries and I would put the boys to bed. I took Becham first, laid him down and came right out for Kaden. It had been less than 2 minutes. When I got to the car Kaden had woken and was crying and Matt was telling him to get out of the car. I went to Kaden and helped him out and started to grab groceries.

I noticed him trying to climb back in the car and he was saying something that made no sense. He couldn't find something and as I asked him to tell me what he was talking about he made less and less sense. I pulled him out and tried to shut the door and he stumbled. I lifted him up and he stumbled again, still uttering nonsensical things. Then he started gagging and acting like he was going to throw up. I grabbed his hand to help him walk inside. He kept tripping and couldn't even stand and I started worrying. I picked him up and we hurried inside. I laid him down on the kitchen table and he had his head turned to the side. I asked him to look at me over and over and it was like he couldn't. His eyes were glossy, his cheeks red, and he just looked different. He wasn't sweaty at all and I was convinced he was having heat stroke. I took him into the living room and we sat on the couch. I had Matt get a cool wet cloth and some cool water. I was asking Kaden his name, my name, easy questions and he couldn't answer them at all. He threw up and I kept thinking, okay, when do I decide to call 911?!? I was racking my brain trying to remember the right things to do with heat stroke, which is completely different than heat exhaustion.

I gave him a few sips of cool water and laid him on the couch with his feet up and the cool rag on his head. I just talked to him and after about 3 minutes he started acting more normal and by 10 he seemed tired, but fine. He lounged around most of the day. I looked up heat stroke and decided that is what happened to him for sure. With kids it can come on so fast, especially if they have been active and they haven't had enough to drink. He had been drinking stuff all day, but that kid never stops and he does seem to get hot easily. It was just so crazy how fast it happened. Literally in 3 minutes or less. I was so thankful that I had done just the right thing to help him (thankfully no doubt from inspiration, and a class I taught at girl's camp), and he responded to it quickly.

It's so scary all of the things that can go wrong so quickly. I try not to entertain thoughts about what could happen at any moment, what could have been this close to happening at one time or another. It's amazing any of us survive anything. I know that having kids will give me a run for my money for the rest of my life, for one reason or another, but I just hope that I am paying close enough attention, that I am able to calm my mind and think clearly, and in the instances when I really have no idea what to do, I will be inspired and guided. Phew, this is tough!

totally makes sense

Kaden: Mama, some people really like to smoke sugarettes, but they are stinky.
Me: Are cigarettes good for people, or bad?
Kaden: Sugarettes are very bad for people who don't have smokestacks! 'Cause Mama, where is all that smoke gonna go?!

He kills me with his cuteness.

roadside

Every week a group of moms and our kids get together for picnicking, tubing, talking, and playing. It's so much fun. Our ages vary from 20-40something, and the kids from newborn to 15. We pack our lunches, towels, chairs, tubes, and whatever else we can think of and set up camp for the afternoon. I love it; the kids love it. Kaden is big enough this year to ride in the tube by himself. He loves the tube, but has even more fun in the tree. He spends the majority of his time on a limb watching all the other kids tube underneath him. He's such a monkey. Beckham loves the tube too, but he seems more interested in the snacks that I bring. His very favorite spot is on a big rock in the middle of the water. We sit there together and splash and he cheers "YAY!" and claps as kids float by. It's one of our very favorite times of the week when we get to soak up summer.

my big boy

Kaden is a big 4 1/2-year-old. He's changed so much in the past year. He's matured in a lot of ways. He is still an attention-craving, bouncing-off-the-walls, spirited little kid. He loves his life and is happy nearly 100% of the time. He really is the most joyful kid I know. He is sensitive though, and cries easily if his feelings are hurt or something isn't going how he wants it to. We are trying a few things to get his behavior under control. He wants to please and consistency pays off. He is sensitive to other people's feelings and always wants everyone to be happy. He is a loving big brother. He is so concerned about his baby. When we go to the gym, or places with a lot of kids, he is very protective of Beckham and really looks out for him. He wants to help him and make him happy. It's very cute how much they really adore each other.

Kaden talks (and wiggles) nonstop. He tells stories, and comes up with the most ridiculous things. There is never a dull moment with that boy. He loves to be outside. His favorite thing is watering anything and everything. He doesn't understand that I have to pay for all of that water he is using to create mud puddles and sidewalk paint. His train obsession never dies. He loves to learn new things, loves books and puzzles, and wants to help out with anything he can. He is so in love with his mommy and I couldn't be more happy about that.

Kaden has turned from baby into a little boy. He no longer has the big belly and chubby cheeks. He is lean and so muscly; he looks like a little man. He is coordinated and athletic. He climbs on absolutely everything. He is social and knows no stranger. He will talk to absolutely anyone. He's quite a charmer and gets people to fall in love with him. These past 4 1/2 years have flown by. I have absolutely loved this little boy from day one, and I am melted more and more every day. He has a secure place in my heart and I can't be more thankful for my little "Christmas Baby." God sure knew what our family needed when he surprised us with Kaden.

22 months-it's a big deal

My little chubby boy is 22 months old. Not necessarily a monumental age, but significant to us! He took his first steps yesterday. I was shocked, excited, and nearly teared up. I just couldn't believe it. Nana B was staying the night on her way home from Albuquerque. We were eating cutie oranges and Beckham wanted them so bad. He kept saying "apple!!" over and over and "bite, pwees, bite pwees, BITE!". I was on one couch, Traci the other, and he just walked over to get a slice of the orange. It was 2 or 3 steps, but so controlled and almost coordinated! We cheered and clapped and he giggled. We kept trying and he would go 2 or 3 steps, then he went at least 6 or 7. We were going crazy and he was beside himself. He loves to be praised and cheered for.

Today we tried again and he knew what we were up to and refused to cooperate. Little stinker. He was lifting his legs, swiveling his hips, and doing back-bends. That's just him though. He does his own thing in his own time. I have loved having him seem like a baby for so long and I know I will miss him crawling around, but I am excited for him to walk. He's made amazing progress in the past few months. He's getting stronger and hitting milestones faster than ever. It may still take a few months until he really gets going on his own, but I am so proud. He is so stinking adorable I can hardly stand it.

He is talking more and more everyday and says hilarious things. We always sing the abc's when brushing our teeth. If I forget to sing it, he starts. He tells Kaden to "be nice!" all of the time, even when he is the instigator, which is becoming more common. He counts, "1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 6, 9," so cute. He says "bessh you!" every time someone sneezes. If he sneezes, he says, "beeshh you (pause)... Tank you!". He loves to say "yay!" and clap his hands when we cheer for him or someone else. He loves reading stories. He brings me books and says, "weed stowies?!" over and over. He still throws a crazy tantrum, but gets over things quickly. He is snuggly and full of hugs and kisses and "I laluv you!". He is a great self entertainer and is loving his new mobility. He is all over the place. He and Kaden are getting to be buddies. They also are learning to get irritated with each other and fight sometimes...but right now those fights are pretty funny. His new favorite thing is the trampoline. He loves to be bounced and it's so good for his developing balance and core strength. He loves water. LOVES water.

I am always overwhelmed with his cuteness and my love for him. It's hard to believe he is already almost 2. He brings more joy to this family than I could ever express. We are so lucky to have his little spirit in our home.

beautiful

Stunning, and so happy.