Cade's potty party!

As of June 9th, we have been diaper free in this house!!!! (Well aside from pull ups at night) I guess the first time Cade told me he had a dirty diaper was when he was 18 months old. Shortly thereafter, I would put him on the potty every time I could tell he needed to go. About a month before the potty party, he was regularly telling me when he had to "poop". But, I could never catch him when he needed to pee. Until one weekend we had a sleepover with Ella. And after seeing her and Connor wake up and go to the bathroom, he wanted to do it too! And he continued to ask all weekend. So, on a whim, I just decided to have the full blown party on Monday.

I did the whole shebang, just like I did with Connor. I talked to Connor about it beforehand, because I wanted him to understand what was going on. He immediately asked if he could have a potty party. I told him no, of course. So he said, "Well, what about a coloring in the lines party? Because I'm not so good at that yet!" HA! That child is a mess.

I chose for Cade to teach Buzz how to go to the potty. He wasn't too thrilled with having to take time away from playing to make this happen, but once he started realizing that he got Buzz' treats, he was all about it. Even to the point of taking Buzz potty himself :). After he woke up, it was go time for him. He peed every single time I put him on (I also gave Connor treats when he peed and I'm pretty sure he used the bathroom more that day than he does in 2 days combined!) and had a great time celebrating. The first full afternoon went great!

It's that second day that always gets you, though. You are over it, they are over it. Connor wasn't. He was primed and ready to get some more candy! We had quite a few little accidents that morning and by that afternoon I was ready to throw in the towel. It wasn't the last time I thought that, either. He was still having accidents and didn't even seem to care that he had them. They weren't big ones, like I remembered Connor's being, either. Which kept leading me back to his bladder not being mature enough. And then, two days later, something just clicked. He started telling me when he needed to go and even holding it longer. He still sometimes catches himself about to go and will run to the bathroom, but I remember Connor doing that, too. I've heard it's a boy thing.. just not wanting to stop what they are doing. Either way, the fact that he does that at all tells me he was ready. I was nervous because it was quite a bit younger than Connor was, but I followed my gut and his signs!

Because why wouldn't using the potty require shades?!

He still sleeps in a pull up at night and will go back and forth on if he wakes up dry or not.  He just started going down for naps without one, though, and is doing great! I'm so so proud of our big, but still our baby, boy!

Cade is TWO!!!

I cannot believe that I don't have a baby anymore.  In fact, I might go as far as to say I am in a weeeeee bit of denial about it. The fact that I haven't even lowered his crib all the way kind of proves it. Oh, and the fact that I still call him baby Cade ;). Oh, well. He can be 55 and he will still be my baby, right?!

There are so many things that I could say about this sweet boy. The first thing to come to mind is that he is just FUNNY. He makes me laugh all day. Half of the time I don't even know where he came from. He is just that funny to me. Whether it be the expressions he makes or his actions, he's just a mess! I say a lot that I feel like I have two 4 year olds instead of a 2 year old and 4 year old, because he doesn't realize he is the little brother. He is brave, which once again, goes back to thinking he is older.  If Connor's doing it, you better believe he will be doing it. For Christmas the boys got a new swing set that has a rock wall to climb up to get to the swing. He had it figured out and was climbing it after watching Connor twice. I love seeing that adventurous side and would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to seeing him play sports! 

He gives the best kisses, but you better get them quick because he never slows down. Brother is on.the.move if he is awake. We nicknamed him the destroyer at a young age and that name pretty much still sticks! Which goes right along with how aggressive he is! The face he makes when he is "wrestling" proves he is out for blood! 

 He is easily Connor's biggest fan. First thing he says when he wakes up is "Bubba" and don't even think about letting Connor go somewhere without him. He will cry and scream the whole time. One day he will appreciate that one on one time with us! 

The boy loves food. Especially meat. He is our meat man, for sure! The only thing I have found he isn't a huge fan of is sandwiches. I can't say I blame him! While his language is still a little behind, he is starting to get more words every day. I just love hearing that sweet voice more and more. I, of course, talked to his doctor about it and we have a date of July 4th to see if he has progressed any. If not, we will move to the next step of having an evaluation done. If this past week is any indication, I think we'll be fine, but it's nice to have a doctor that is so supportive! 

Goodness does he love movies. All things Disney, really. Frozen is probably his favorite movie and you can constantly hear him asking for "et it do (let it go)" or "mo mummer (in summer)" pretty often.  In fact, he requests us to sing them every night. Pretty sure Daddy wasn't expecting that one, but he does it! 

He is showing so much more interest in the potty at this age than Connor did. I really think if I did the whole potty party shebang like I did with Connor, he would have it. And, honestly, I'm not sure what's holding me back since one of his favorite words is "poop" (and the day Connor found out he could say that will go down as one of my favorite memories. I have never heard such loud, deep from the gut, laughter out of him! It was a fall on the floor, tears coming out of his eyes moment. All because of the word poop. I'm in for it!!) His doctor said not to let his lack of vocabulary hold me back, so we'll see! 

Overall he is an absolute joy. He might keep us on our toes, but at least we are laughing while doing it. I know this next year is going to be huge in terms of how much he grows and changes, so I am trying my hardest to soak up this last little bit of baby that he has left! 

We love you so, so much our sweet baby Cade!!!!


Here is a quick list of some cute things I want to remember at 2!

Things I want to remember: 

-Is the sweetest when you lay him down for a nap. You put him in his bed with all his animals surrounding him (the lineup changes, but the constants are his two lovies and the stuffed bear he got for his 1st birthday from Aunt April and Uncle Josh), give him a kiss and he says "Bye Bye, Mommy (or Ah-Dee) and Nigh-Nigh. It's rare when we rock him to sleep anymore, but getting to see that sweet little smile is just as...well, sweet!

-he does not share his food. Like ever. If he even thinks you are going to get something off his plate he starts yelling at you and may even start crying. It cracks us up!

-knows all of his colors. And everything green is bubba's and everything pink and purple is Ella's.

-can point out a few letters.

-loves jumping. He started really working on getting both feet off the floor the week before his birthday and got it down a few days ago. It's so cute!

-loves choo-choo trains and will scream "CHOO CHOO" super excitedly when we go over the tracks. We are planning on taking the train into Nashville this summer with them and I cannot wait to see his reaction!

-we figured out a few months ago that he knew everyone's first names (obviously I am talking about us and his grandparents..people that he typically doesn't hear their first name). He understands and takes everything in!

-loves to wrestle. If you are sitting down on the floor, he is going to tackle you. If you are standing up he is going to come at your knees.

-with that said, he is surprisingly gentle with babies and pretty much points them out everywhere we go and will just lovingly pat them if given the chance. I think it's because he knows he is bigger! HA! Now, he has tried to give Isla (our 5 month old niece) a high five once or twice, but we will work on that ;)

Cade Daniel:: 20 months

Oh, my sweet baby Cade. You are almost 20 months old and I have yet to post about you turning 18 months old. This still holds as one of my favorite phases in a toddler's life. You, my dear, might make it a little more challenging than your brother did, but more to come on that in a bit ;). 

If I could use one phrase to describe you, it would be full of personality. You make us laugh on a daily basis and the next second your daddy and I are talking about how you are going to be trouble. You might only be 20 months old, but in your mind you are just as old as your big brother. Speaking of you and your big brother, I will start off with that. 

You and Connor: Oh my goodness, seeing you two together makes me so happy. Y'all are going to be thick as thieves, I can already tell! You think everything he does is hilarious and the greatest thing ever...unless it gets in your way. You think you can do everything he does, too, which is probably the reason you have had about 4 nosebleeds in the last 3 months. You will be our ER child, I have no doubt. Y'all love to wrestle and you grit those teeth so hard that they grind together as you run to tackle. We joke all the time that you are going to be our rough one. Gentle is just not in you yet. No one can make you laugh like your brother does, and I can already see the adoration in your eyes. Your favorite thing to do when you first see someone is to point to Connor and (very enthusiastically) say, "BUBBA!" You are proud he is yours. I pray that your relationship will always be this close!

Dipping your bread in a lemon??? You make me laugh! 

Stats: You are right down the middle for everything, but people are always commenting on how big you are. We get asked all the time if you and Connor are twins! Especially when you are dressed alike :) 

Talking and other milestones: You are a little late to the game with this one, which is to be expected with a big brother that a)talks ALL THE TIME and b) knows everything! With that said, we did get your hearing tested and have to go back in next week to get one ear re checked. So, we'll see! You have just recently started saying "bubba, mama, ah-dee (for daddy), ou-down (touch down) bu-ball(football), uh-oh, ah-pple, yes, will shake head no, but don't say anything for it yet, unny (funny), anks (thanks), e-a-boo (peek a boo) e-pie (peep eye), hiiiiii, buy-buy (bye) bop (stop), and atch (catch). You can mimic more, but don't use them consistently. You can point out members of our extended and immediate family, and I know they are some that are ready for those names to come next! I really feel like you are going to explode with your vocabulary soon, but am still so thankful we have a dr willing to look further into it a little early! Even though there might not be much in the form of actual words coming out of that mouth, you understand EVERYTHING we say. You can make the noises for elephants and anything that growls. You love to growl (hand motion included). You also do the batman sounds while flying him around. Car and airplane noises are also a fav. You roll your Rs all.the.time. I have no idea where you learned it, but you love to do it! You can point out your head, hair, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, toes and hands. 

 Motor skills: You have been able to stack up to 8 blocks for a while now and have such concentration while doing it. Really, you love anything using your fine motor skills. Those little hands are pretty steady and you can just see the wheels turning in your eyes. Your papa is making you one of those boards with locks and trinkets on it to play with for Christmas and you are going to LOVE it!  You have been feeding yourself with a fork and spoon for probably 6 months now and prefer that over being helped. You try your hardest to jump like Connor does and you just know you are as fast as him. You race up and down the hall with him, making sure to count off at each end before you go. 

LOVE your pucker!  Puts everything into that kiss

Loves: You have your favorite books and will read them over and over again. Pat the Bunny and Brown Bear are in the top two. Along with the box of mini books Aunt Rachel got you. Anything having to do with balls is also a favorite. You LOVE to watch football on TV and will run around the house throwing up your arms and saying your version of touchdown. If we hear you say, "atch", we know we have about 5 seconds to catch whatever ball you are throwing at us. You are able to stand in place and kick a soccer ball and you get so mad if Connor runs to kick your ball before you do. I have a feeling that sports are going to get interesting with you two when you get older! You are going to be a competitive little guy! You love to wrestle and we can always get the best laughs out of you doing it. Your absolute favorite thing is being outside, though. You throw the biggest fit when we come inside. Limp body and all. It doesn't matter how cold it is, you want to be out there. One afternoon after coming back from school Connor and I played Candy Land on the kitchen table while you pushed a lawn mower on the back porch. It was so cold that your nose started running and you would come up and knock on the door when you needed me to wipe it. Such a mess! You love baths, playing with cars and being around big kids, any form of apple technology (it is CRAZY how good he is at it) and eating. Oh, me, you love to eat! The only thing I have found you don't like is Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches and I give you everything we eat. You'll eat brussel sprouts, but no PB&J. 

Dislikes: being told no, Connor taking something away from you and you aren't really a huge fan of being tickled. You will laugh for the first bit and then you are done. It's not too hard to figure out what you want or don't want as your high pitch scream tells everyone within a 50 ft radius. 

You really do have the best little personality. You will go to just about anyone and wave at people all the time. You are not shy, that's for sure! You have more facial expressions than anyone I know and use them often. You do have a bit of what we like to call "the rage" and we are working on reigning that in. ;) We have had you in our little family for 20 months now and I still marvel at the fact that you are mine. I have a feeling I will still be doing that 20 years from now, too. I love you, boo boo!!!

all of these were taken within a minute. he is nuts!!!

one.

My sweet baby boy,

You are turning one tomorrow. In a mere 3 hours and 39 minutes to be exact. I am currently rocking you (thanks to technology for allowing me to type out my heart and take a grainy picture on an iphone) and am soaking in your weight on my chest, your slow and steady breaths on my neck, the sweet sucking noises coming from those puckered lips. There is no where I'd rather be right now and based on this warmth literally radiating from my heart down to my toes, this is where I need to be. 

It's hard to believe you are already one, but it is also hard to remember a time without you here. You have impacted us that much angel baby. I have done a lot of "this time last year" today and it has been so good to my soul to look back on that day. I was so ready for you to be here. Not because I was miserable.. I really wasn't. More because I was ready for you. Ready to learn you. To feel you. To be able to look you in the eyes and tell you that I loved you and that I was your Mommy and was already so proud to be. 

In your short one year you have taught me so much about love. You radiate love, my boy. You have this way about you.. and you have since the beginning. You look at me and I can feel our connection. I can feel you saying so much to me through those big soulful eyes of yours. Before you could even "talk"one of my favorite times with you was after changing your diaper. I would lean down and we would just stare at each other. Even now, when I am holding you on my hip, you will sometimes twist your body around so that you can put your face right in front of mine. You need that small connection and so do I. 

I knew before we had you that my heart was going to expand, that I was going to get to experience an undeniable joy of being called "mommy" by another little boy for the rest of my life. What I wasn't prepared for, but am so thankful for, is how you have softened me. You, my baby boy, have also taught me to slow down. To enjoy the small things. To not only enjoy them, but to stop and savor them. And, oh my, do you give me so many things to savor every single day. 

I love you, Cade Daniel. I love you the whole wide world and then some and don't you ever forget it! 

-Mommy