Rollie pollie

I got an email newsletter yesterday about what Kaden should be doing. It said:
"At 4 months, he begins to make trilling, growling and lip-smacking sounds and can roll over from his stomach to his back (rolling in the other direction occurs in the next month or two). "
Now, Kaden's been rolling over stomach to back since he was 4 weeks old, and back to stomach for a couple of weeks now. So I ask you- is my child really gifted, or is he just so round that it makes it easy for him to roll?

Halloween on Main St

Last night Westbrook closed off Main St and the stores and restaurants downtown welcomed trick or treaters. Here are some pictures of our little UT cheerleader and frog prince.

Check out that drool. I guess the lollipop was pretty good. The purple drool looks good on the cheerleader outfit too.

Big Boy update

Kaden is now three months, and I am starting to find some of his 6-9 month clothes are need to be stretched in order to get them snapped. I am going to move him up to size three diapers when I buy a new pack later today. The kid is huge- completely and utterly adorable- but HUGE. I just got on the scale with him and he is weighing in at 18.4 lbs now. He'll be catching Mackinna before we know it.

Little librarian

We've been going to toddler time at the library, which Mackinna just loves. I can tell she loves it because at home now she reads to us. She holds the book up facing away from her and says, "look everybody!" and turns it so "everybody" can see. She points in a cirle around her and counts before she gets started (the librbarian does this as she counts the number of kids there each week) Mackinna also tells invisible naughty children to sit down please while she reads. She is a riot to watch. She sings the songs she's learned at toddler time to Kaden- like shout-to-the -oof-top-style. At the library she doesn't actually sing, but on good days she will do hand movements. Looking at her there, you'd think I forced her to go and she really didn't like it... but at home we see a completely different side.

New Photos

Mackinna took this one. I think she's really gifted- she's already a better photographer than my mom!

Caught!

I caught Mackinna changing Kaden's diaper again today. The girl is quick to gather the diaper & wipes when I'm not looking. Unfortunately she's not so quick when it comes to changing him. When I got to her she had his pants off and his diaper undone, but not completely off yet. I ran over and asked her what she was doing, just in time to see Kaden start peeing. I folded the old diaper back up over him to cover and absorb, but he had already gotten the blanket he was lying on and his shirt. Too bad he didn't get Mackinna, maybe then I wouldn't have to worry about her sneaking in and changing his diaper every time the poor baby is down where she can reach him.

Play?

Kaden has started reaching for the toys on his swing. I thought this was prety exciting and called Mackinna to see. I told her this was the first step in him learning to play with her. She didn't really seem impressed. She probably considers swatting at toys on the swing pretty a pretty boring game.

Before I was a Mom

I just got this as a forward... while I was sitting with computer in my lap, periodically pausing to watch Mackinna sleeping (and snoring and sweating) next to me. (Sweating because, she opted to wear fleece footed jammies tonight, even though it was 80 here today)

Before I was a Mom...
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom...
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom...
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests. Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom...
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom ...
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom ...
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Be careful Mommy

This morning when I was changing Kaden's diaper on our bed Mackinna looked at me all serious and said, "Be careful Mommy, be careful for his shots." Yes, the shots he got more than two weeks ago at his 2 month check up. Then just seconds later she accidentally kicked him in the head while she was rolling around on the bed. So much for being careful.

New pictures

Growing so fast

This week I packed away all of Kaden's 0-3 month clothes. For a couple of weeks I've been squeezing him into some of them, but those onsies just can't be stretched that much anymore. Think "fat boy in a little shirt..."

It made me sad to be packing away those little clothes because he's just growing so fast, but there certainly is an upside to that as well.
We had a great conversation yesterday, where I talked and he smiled and cooed and ahhed right back at me for like 10 minutes. It was the best conversation I've had in weeks.

AND- we've had two nights in a row with at least 6 hours stretches of sleep. That is pretty incredible. Too bad his 6 hours start at 7:30 or 8:00, but I'll take it. Getting up once a night sure beats 3 or 4 times a night, even if he insists on being up for the day at 5:30 (though today he slept till 6:30!) Now, if we could just get Mackinna to stay in her bed all night...

I have to give her credit though- she got up at 4:00 because she had to go to that bathroom, then wanted to come into bed with us. I'll take that over her peeing in her bed any day!

Breast milk??

Mackinna was just lying down to take a nap and the zipper on her dress was poking her, plus its like a million degrees, so we took her dress off for her to nap in just undies. She sits up and looks at me and say, "These my boobs. Baby eats my boobs. Theres breast milk in there." She is just too funny.

Sweet words from a sweet girl

Today I overheard Mackinna say, "I love you Kaden."
I thought I was going to start crying. I am not sure I've ever heard anything so sweet.
I knew she loved her little brother but to see & hear her say it to him was just too precious. What a good big sister!

Big Boy Update

Kaden had his 2 month check up today. Here are his stats:
length- 25 inches (97%)
weight- 15 pounds 14 ounces (97%)
head circ- 41.5 cm (85%)

In Mackinna news...
Mackinna spilled some cereal on the counter today and I over heard her counting as she picked it up.... She counted to 11 all by herself without any mistakes!!!

You turn your back for one second...

I have heard mothers of two tell stories of the older sibling, hitting or throwing toys at the new baby the very second Mom turns her back...
Well this morning, Kaden was on the living room floor "playing" on his blanket, Mackinna was eating a bagel at the coffee table, and I was picking up the kitchen. We were only eating bagels- so keep in mind, cleaning didn't take all that long. I return to the living room to find Mackinna on the floor by Kaden. I see the container of wipes next to him and a new diaper on the other side. Mackinna has his old diaper off and is in the process of wiping him. She looks up at me at says, "changing his biaper Mommy."
Usually the snaps on his pants or jammies keep her out since she can't figure them out- "too hard" she says, but today Kaden was down at her level wearing just a little gown, he was a sitting duck.