Updates of the Kaden and Pregnancy Variety

Every night while we lay in bed trying to fall asleep, I tell Chad at least one funny thing Kaden did during the day.  Last night, he said, "You haven't blogged in a while.  You need to write that down."  And he is right.  If you don't write it down, in about a month it's like it never happened.  Something else cute or funny takes its place, and POOF!  Just like that it's gone.  Forgotten.

So, without further ado, I give you . . . 

Kaden Updates:

Kaden took a super late nap on Sunday afternoon, so he was still up for the halftime show of The Superbowl.  I care nothing about professional football, but I love me some hot wings with blue cheese dressing.  Just saying.  Anyway, when Beyonce' sang "Single Ladies," Kaden went completely crazy.  He was jumping all over and at the end of the song he burst into applause and cheers.  He told me he thought it was a "funny song!"  

Yesterday, Kaden was wildly wielding his sword (a styrofoam pool noodle) in my bedroom, while I got ready to leave for playgroup.  Our flat screen television is still in our bedroom, because we need to hire an electrician to come install an outlet over the mantle downstairs, before we can hang it there.  Anyway, I pretty much let him hit whatever he wants with the pool noodle, because it's not like it can do a lot of damage.  Well, when he started attacking the TV, I figured it was time to step in.  "Kaden, buddy, you can't hit the TV, OK?"  He promptly gave it another good pop and looked at me.  "Kaden, if you hit the TV again, I will have to take your sword away.  Do you want to keep playing with your sword?  Or do I need to take it?"  He gave an exasperated sigh and said, "Just go ahead and take it!"  I couldn't help it.  I laughed right out loud.  "Are you sure?"  I asked him.  "You can keep it if you won't hit the TV again."  "No.  Take it!"  He handed it to me in a really sad, but calm way.  It was like he knew his limits and he knew he wouldn't be able to help himself.  I put it on top of the hamper (which he could easily reach) and he didn't touch it another time!  Later that day after his nap, he came and ASKED me if he could have it back.  Hilarious.  

Last night Chad bathed Kaden while I was cleaning up the kitchen.  Just as I was loading the last dish in the dishwasher, he yelled, "Katie!  Come see this, real quick!"  I went upstairs to see Kaden, completely in the nude, stomping all over his room in his "magic boots."  Chad is opposed to documenting full-frontal nudity on camera.  Some nonsense about it embarrassing your children in the future.  Good thing he called me.  I have no standards, and I promptly shot a video and snapped a few photos.  There was something too cute about that naked bum a few inches above a pair of rain boots.

At playgroup yesterday, the woman hosting read the story The Very Busy Spider and the kids made their own spider art project afterwards.  Kaden loved this activity and he has been carrying his artwork all over the house.  When Chad came home, he immediately told him all about it and showed him his "pretty" spider. He still has an affinity for arachnids.  Apparently it didn't end with Halloween.  

Here is his art:

The teacher recommended letting the kids choose where to put the eyes, the legs, etc, and just putting the glue on and letting them go with it.  I followed her directions explicitly.  At the end of playgroup, when we went top pick up his art, I noticed his was the only one with one eye on the spider's hind parts.  Either I'm the only mom who followed directions, or Kaden was the only kid who got creative with the spider's anatomy.  

I am really loving this age.  He is becoming a better listener each and every day.  When we left playgroup yesterday, he bolted down my friend's driveway, but he actually stopped at the end before the street and waited for me to hold his hand.  I didn't have to chase him, and it was divine.  Is he a perfect listener all the time?  No.  Is he the epitome of perfect behavior all the time?  Of course not.  He is still a toddler, but I feel like the progress he is making is such a huge accomplishment.  We went to the park as a family the other day and he started to throw a fit when we said it was time to leave the playground.  After a short, logical conversation on his level, he was still sad, but the tantrum dissolved.  It was such an awesome moment.  And it was nap time.  He was TIRED and logical.    

He LOVES to help, and there are times when this is actually helpful.  He will now request to clean up his toys by himself, and he does it.  And puts them in the right places.  This single thing is amazing.  In some ways, I think I've created a bit of an OCD monster.  The other day we were playing with his dinosaurs and I asked if he wanted to do some puzzles.  His quick response was, "Yes!"  He headed for the closet to get them, then stopped and said, "Oh! Need to clean up dinosaurs!"  I am loving this, because he used to just go from toy to toy and his room would be one giant disaster pit before nap or bedtime.  If he finds a random toy downstairs, he excitedly rushes it to his room to put it in the right spot.  It definitely makes the cleanup at the end of the day easier.  He helps me unload and load the dishwasher, which, yes, does make the job go a bit slower, but he's a champ at unloading the silverware into the drawer.  

I saw on a friend's blog that she had finished reading Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to her little boy, and I instantly started thinking about all the chapter books I want to read Kaden when he gets older.  I happen to adore almost everything Roald Dahl's ever written, so it triggered this intense excitement for me.  Then, in a moment of selfishness, I thought, "Wait.  Why not start reading them, now?"  I mean, they still have at least one illustration per chapter and the chapters are incredibly short.  So a few nights ago I pulled out my paperback copy of The BFG and tried a chapter at night time to see how it would go.  So far so good!  We call it his special story and we get to read one chapter before we read the other picture books he chooses.  The second night we read, he could actually remember some of what happened the night before, which kind of surprised me.  He frequently surprises me, this kid.  I need to give more credit where credit is due.

He LOVES his book of nursery rhymes that Gigi gave him for Christmas (although, as an adult, some of them are slightly disturbing .  .  . one of them talks about taking someone by the left leg and throwing him down the stairs?  Because he couldn't say his prayers?  A bit harsh, perhaps?)  Anyway, he has a ton of them partially and fully memorized, and it is darling to hear him recite them.  You haven't lived until you've heard that kid sing "Ba Ba Black Sheep" to your pregnant belly, so the baby can hear it.

In less charming news, he's taken to yelling, "NOT!"  For example, at dinner, I asked Kaden if his food was good, to which he shouted, "It's NOT!"  Nice.  We're working on this one.

Pregnancy Updates:

So today I am 16 weeks four days pregnant and I realize I started really blogging about my pregnancy with Kade about this point.  I don't want the new one to feel left out one day, so I figured I should document some of my pregnancy experiences thus far.  

This pregnancy has felt incredibly different from my first.  For starters, I didn't get sick when I was pregnant with Kaden.  I threw up one time my entire pregnancy.  Once.  I remember the moment vividly, and I'm pretty sure it had a lot more to do with how much junk I'd eaten all day and the extremely late hour, than actually being pregnant.  Pregnancy take two has been just the opposite.  I've felt extremely nauseous, and I stopped counting how many times I've thrown up.  Not fun.  I've felt sick in the morning, the afternoon, the evening.  You name it.  I thought I was finally getting over it, because I had a magnificent week last week, but then Sunday morning arrived and Baby Number Two vocalized that frosted flakes are not his or her preference.  I know I've got nothing on other women in the sickness department, so I know I need to get all grateful and stop complaining.  

I am showing a lot more at this point (and with a higher bump) than I was with Kaden, which I guess is to be expected, since this is the second time those abdominals will be stretched to capacity.  The other day I was feeding Kade lunch, and he looked down at my belly, pointed, and said, "It's getting big," with his huge grin on his face.  Leave it to the two year old to vocalize the truth, when your friends say things like, "You're not even showing yet!"

I am breaking out all over like an adolescent on steroids.  Or something like that.  Not pleasant.  So much for that "pregnancy glow."

With Kaden I craved Carolina-style, vinegar based BBQ constantly.  Oh, and McDonald's filet-of-fish sandwiches.  I haven't really had those kinds of repeated, intense cravings this time around so far.  I did really, really want Alfredo pasta one night, but that's the only burning desire I've had for a specific food.  That and Taco Time burritos, which are available only on the west coast.  So far I haven't had cravings for weird things I don't normally like to eat, though.   

I already feel the baby move a lot, which is one of the rare treats of pregnancy, in my opinion, so I've been enjoying that ever so much.        

I am so excited to find out the gender in five days!!!  If you haven't guessed already, be sure to cast your vote.  What do we think we're having?  We think it's a girl. (Future child reading this, if you're a boy, sorry our guesses were off.)  I guess we'll find out on Monday!