Caden 2.5 years

Caden is two and a half years old and 100% toddler boy! It is truly amazing how quickly he has transformed from a baby to a walking, talking, running, laughing, tantrum throwing, crazy little boy! He makes me smile and laugh every single day without fail and that being said, he is quite the handful. He will push every boundary and test every rule (his job as a toddler) and we have to be very vigilant in being consistent with him. His language has exploded over the past few months and he is showing some dysfluency (a fancy term for stuttering) which can be normal at this age but is also something we are monitoring closely. 

We stay very busy with activities (mostly for my own sanity). Mondays we are involved in a play group with kids Caden's age, Tuesdays we attend a parent participation pre-school class, Wednesdays I attend a women's group at our church and the kids participate in a kids program there, Thursdays we all attend a music class, and Fridays are our park/errands day. Our schedule is very predictable as we are usually out in the mornings, home for lunch, and if I am lucky (some days) I can get them both down for a long afternoon nap. 

We have also been touring pre-schools as we plan to send Caden to pre-school over the summer when he will turn 3 years old. He seems to be a little shy in new settings initially but usually quickly warms up and engages with other kids in the activity at hand. 

Caden got two fish for Christmas, which he has named "fishy" and "wake up room" (don't ask!) He also got a remote control helicopter (RCH) (which took its last real flight awhile ago) but he has taken it on as his best friend. RCH eats, sleeps, and plays with Caden and is always within sight. Additionally, he has "rocket" which was meant to be a bath toy but has also become a close friend!

Overall, Caden is a happy, energetic, carefree little boy. The other night I was exhausted and was trying to get him down. He was pulling all the usual stunts to prolong the process and finally I just walked out. After a few minutes of increased crying, I went back in and he asked for me to find him one last toy to sleep with. Just craving some peace and silence, I obliged, found the toy, and as I was walking out of his room he said, "mommy, thanks for feeling me make better". Of course it warmed my heart and gave me quite the smile.