Caeden: 29 mos

Here is a summary of what Caeden has been up to this past month....29 mos of age. :)

EATING
Caeden has continued his "picky" streak, and this is not fun.  If it's something he truly doesn't like, I don't mind modifying his meal.  But there are a lot of times, it's just a matter of him wanting control, and not wanting to submit to our authority.  We have to stand firm in these situations and not give in.  But it's so hard.  It's so easy to just give him what he wants in the midst of a fit, so he'll stop.  But I can't...  Mealtimes are our biggest battles these days...

PLAYING
Since Caeden has had Ella around since he was 5 mos old, and Mommy stays home, and BOTH parents are home in the summer, Caeden has gotten dependent on always having someone to play with.  That's why I started Blanket Time when he was young - It taught him to play independently.  We then moved to Roomtime, and I've slacked and gotten out of the habit the past few months.  We have seen a great decrease in his desire to play by himself.  So we started Roomtime again this week - it's been a rough transition, as it's like he's forgotten how to play by himself.  This is tiring for Reid & I.  We love to play with him - we really do.  But there's also times when things have to be done, and he has to know how to play by himself.  This is a training mistake we made as parents that we are now trying to fix.  His favorite toys this month have been his trampoline, his easel, and his musical instruments.  His favorite movies are still Barney.

SLEEP
Caeden is still a great nighttime sleeper and still sleeps 1-2 hours at naptime.  The last week of this month were rough because he was very sick and woke up every 2 hours at night.  Once his sickness was gone, this habit continued.  We're in the process of re-breaking this habit...

LANGUAGE
Caeden is constantly saying more & more things.  People & friends are always telling us that he's speaking much more clearly and they can understand much more of what he's saying. :)  He can now have a conversation on the phone (mainly with grandparents), which is fun.  He remembers books really well.  So when we're reading a book, he'll often "read" with us, saying whatever the words on the page says - great memory & comprehension!

A funny conversation I heard between him & Ella the other day:

Caeden was sitting by the couch eating his pretzels.  

Ella had already finished hers and apparently wanted more...

Ella: Caeden, you're my best friend?

Caeden: Yes.  You want a pretzel Ella?

I laugh to myself at her manipulation.

Caeden gives Ella a pretzel.

A few minutes later...

Caeden: You want another pretzel Ella?

Ella nods head.

Caeden: Ella - Say 'yes ma'am!"

Ella: "Yes ma'am!"

He also makes her say "thank you" each time he shares with her.

I think we have a future manager here....

One of my favorite quotes from this month was one time when Caeden was in trouble.  I explained to him that when he doesn't obey, mommy & daddy have to punish him.  He responded with, "I don't want mommy-daddy to punch me!" Slight misunderstanding!

SICKNESS

Caeden caught a really bad virus that caused him to throw up and have diarrhea for 4 days!  This was a long time!  And it was hard on mommy & daddy too....physically and emotionally.  But luckily, that virus is gone and I'm praying we don't see another one!

DOCTOR

Caeden was diagnosed as having a ventral hernia this month.  This means he will be having surgery on March 15 to repair it.  We are praying for a quick recovery!

DISCIPLINE

Like I commented on earlier, we have definitely hit the "terrible twos."  And everyone who says the "threes" are harder - don't tell me that - that's not encouraging.  I cry several times a week over things he does & says.   I feel like we made a lot of mistakes when he was a pre-toddler, and now we're "paying" since he's older and able to challenge our authority.  I literally pray everyday for God to equip me and guide me each day.

LEARNING

Caeden has been learning so much this month!!  It's crazy that when things click, they click!  Here is a list of things he learned how to do when he was 29 mos old:

• Ride a tricycle
• Hop on one foot on his trampoline (they test this skill when they're 3 yrs old)
• Cut paper on a line
• Get undressed (with a little help)
• Put on his own shoes
• How to rote count to 5 (sometimes higher)
• How to identify the cover of a book
• What an author does - and who the authors are of various books

Some things we are still in the process of practicing: how to hop on one foot on the ground, how to cut out a circle, how to trace the inside of a cutout, how to put on coat & get dressed by himself, and some various drawing skills.

I have been so proud of him!  One of my favorite parts about staying home is playing with him, teaching him, and seeing him LEARN!

OUR SCHEDULE

7:30 -- Wake up, Breakfast, Get Dressed!

MidMorning -- Learning time, Bible study time, Playtime, Errands

12:00 -- Lunch

1:30 -- Nap

4:00 -- Snack

Evening -- Playtime with Daddy

5:30 -- Dinner 

7:15 -- Bath

8:00 -- Bedtime