Yesterday Caden turned 17-months. There was a 2K Turkey Trot in Mannheim that we decided to go to. Caden walked most of it and even walked through the finish line. He looked around when everyone was cheering for him wondering what are these people doing? He really enjoyed the 2K walk and even won a medal. On top of that we won a free Turkey thanks to one of the raffle tickets we were given after the race. I grew up running 10K races with my family and hope our family will continue that tradition and walk/run different races when we are able to.
Stopping for a picture on our walk
Caden's first medal
Caden has been going through a lot of changes these past few months. He loves his gymnastics class and can do a somersault almost by himself. He'll roll forward but often goes to the side. He does it perfect when I'm spotting him. He also can flip over the low bar in gym class and LOVES the balance beam. He even walked backwards on it last week. I'm so glad we're in the class because I really think it's building his confidence.
Other physical things he enjoys doing: running, throwing, kicking, climbing (on the couch, on a chair, on a box, anything that looks interesting), and dancing which is more of a side-to-side movement.
In terms of speaking, he is saying a lot and able to copy most short words we say. He now says "bye bye" when Daddy leaves for work and tells me "Good morning" when I get him in the morning. He points to things like the light and says "light" the moon outside or any other moon-like shape and say "moon." The most obsessed thing to idenifity is trash cans. Even in the car if we drive bye a trash can he'll point out the window and say "yucky." If we're somewhere and he sees a trash he's off to go touch and point at the trash and say "yucky." Now I just say, "yes, that's a yucky trash, and that's a wall, there's a chair..." etc. to try and get his focus off the trash.
His newest thing is letters. He loves letters and numbers. His favorite letters are C, D, E, and O. However, he knows about half of the letters. I have an ABC puzzle that we play with frequently and we'll take turns putting a letter in. Then I'll ask him where's the J, K, O, L, T, etc. and he'll look pick it up and put it in place. He knows, A, B, C, D, E, F, H, I, J, K, M, O, P, R, S, T, U, W, and Z. We do the same thing with a number puzzle. I'm amazed at how much he has learned and what he knows. The letters C, D, E, and O he will point to in signs and say them when we go out.
The other thing he loves to do is tell us what animals say. We play this game a lot in the car and with some of his stuffed animals at home. He knows the sounds for cat, dog, pig, sheep, horse, donkey, duck, cow, and bird.
He is also getting better at idenfying colors. The ones he consistently gets right are: blue, purple, red, yellow, and green.
Caden's getting better at identifying clothing too. He knows what socks, shoes, and jacket are. He loves to try and put his socks and shoes on. He'll even try and put his shoes on me! I can ask him to get his socks, shoes, or jacket and he'll bring them to me. I love this!
He knows a lot of body parts too. He knows where his head, eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, chin, fingers, hand, toes, foot, and belly button are. He can point to yours too if you ask him!
Caden's vocabulary is really growing. He not only knows a lot of English words but some German words now too. Here are his German words that I can think of that he can say:
Opa - Granddad
Oma - Grandmother
tschüss - Bye (informal)
Hallo - hello
Brot - bread
neine and nay - no
Wasser - water
ohne - without
apfel - apple
wasser (vasser) - water
Here are the other words he knows and says that come to mind right now:
Mama, Mommy
Daddy, Dada
Granddad
Cathy
Drew
Audra
NeeNee
Shawn (Shaaa)
Michelle (Shell)
Lacy (acy)
Caden
Honey
Water
cat
dog
duck
pig
horse
apple
sheep
zero
yucky
trash
sit
milk
drink
feet
toes
more please
thank you
bye-bye
hello
hi
kitty
shoes (I love it when he says shoes)
socks
jacket (yacket)
hot
no
book
read
keys
please
swing
park
car
ball
up
eat
yogurt (ogert)
cracker
cup
belly
head (ed)
eyes
color
moooo
meow
quack
heehaw
nah
oink (oinka)
baaa
tweet (weet)
blue
purple (urple)
red (wed)
yellow (ellow)
puzzle (uzle)
drink
banana
apple
bread
meat
potato
mushroom (usoom)
peas
tomato
blue berry
kiwi
bath
moon
night night
light
money
out (for outside)
yummy
Amen
diaper
poopoo (when he goes poo)
peepee
boot
bath
a dog (he says to dogs and sometimes horses)
oval
oh
lion (Collin's favorite word to hear him say, sometimes lion sometimes yayon)
There are probably more but those are words I can think of that he says and attaches a meaning to. We feel so blessed to have Caden as our son. Everyday he is learning something new or discovering something different. Separation anixety is back and he does not like it when I leave him in the nursery for MOPS or PWOC (my ladies' Bible study). Thankfully good child workers can calm him down quickly where he enjoys being with the other kids. I love it when I come and get him that he runs to me and gives me a BIG hug. He's such a sweet kid. He also can throw fits which Collin and I are learning to deal with. It can be stressful sometimes because when he isn't happy he lets EVERYBODY know. Naps are going well, he sleeps for 1 hour - 2.5 hours a day. At night he sleeps anywhere from 10-11 hours. That's the update for this past month. Here are a few more pictures.
Working out
At the park
Playing with Peyton
