We're all learning something....

Brayden

Brayden is now 13 months old. He is 27 in tall and 18 lbs, and is finally wearing size 9 month clothes (along with some 6 month clothes). His favorite foods are NillaWafers, waffles, and whatever you’re having!. He took his 1^st step on March 7^th and now he is walking like a, well, like a zombie. We have known he was a climber, but recently his climbing has reached a new level. He now knows that he can dump toy bins/boxes out, turn them over, push them to the desired location, and proceed to use them in aiding his climb to new heights. At daycare, aside from climbing on the shelves when no one is looking, he’ll dump, flip, and push a toy bin over to the window so he can see outside. ALSO, he has a new fascination with climbing on the kid table at home…

Brayden has totally become a bottle baby. We try giving him sippy cups, and occasionally he’ll comply, but basically he only wants a sippy cup if it means using taking brother’s cup. Brayden is so much fun and SUCH a little stinker! For example: He’s a food thief! He doesn't want to eat his own food… and he DEFINITELY doesn't want anyone to feed him ANYTHING. He knows how to open boxes/bags/etc to steal food. He is a paper muncher! If he spots a piece of paper, you can count on him eating it! He’s bitten a chunk out of my Bible, a book Keith borrowed, Landen’s Bible, coupons, daily sheets, tissue paper, etc. He’s a trash cruiser! He LOVES rummaging through trash (NOT that we let him… he just finds ways to do it!). If there is a trash can, with or without a lid, he WILL get to it, remove its contents, and explore! If you were to look this kid up in the dictionary, you would see the word INDEPENDENT next to his name!

Lately, Brayden has gotten even more playful and more verbal. He can say Ball /bAWW/, Bottle /BahBah/, Mommy /mahh-MEE/ or /mahh-MAHH/, Dadda /DĂ-da/, Cup /uhP/, That /dat/, waffle /wahpF/, Book /Booh/, Brother /B-uh/, and some others I can’t remember right now. He adores Landen and always enjoys playing with him. He knows how to throw balls, and with pick a ball up, walk with it, then throw it… it’s precious! Brayden is at the stage where he LOVES peek-a-boo, and he’ll play it even when he’s alone. Although he loves being played with, he is perfectly content being left alone to play (as long as someone is in the room with him). He’ll pull out books, sit down, and flip through the pages – pointing to and feeling (and tasting) everything on the page.

Landen

Landen is every bit of 2 ½ years old! He wants, so badly, to be able to do everything! He understands SO much! Yet there are still so many things he doesn't get. He absolutely ADORES Brayden and wants to know where brother is at all times. He always usually plays so well with Brayden (aside from the times he takes toys from Brayden or knocks him over or tries to wrestle with him). If anyone is hurt or upset, Landen will tell them “It Otay!” and give them a kiss/hug. He DOES have the occasional meltdown, but I think that is inevitable for his age. He loves watching Cars, mostly because he loves Lightning McQueen and Mater. We are STILL working on potty training! He MAY still be in diapers pull-ups when he starts college. Along with the continued saga of potty training, Landen has developed a strange interest in wanting to EXAMINE that which goes in the potty… or Brayden’s diaper… or Landen’s pull-up… As much as I have enjoyed every stage, I'd be okay if this particular part of this stage left. 

Communication

Communication with a toddler can be challenging. There are some words that no matter how hard he tries to say them correctly, it just doesn’t work. Below is a list of the English words and the Landen pronunciation:

• Elephant - /Eff-a-lent/
• I don’t know - /I nuh-no/
• Bench & Bridge – well, it sounds like a certain B word that rhymes with switch
• This can be embarrassing when said in public… yikes!
• Something - /sum-PIN/
• Fork - /bORk/
• This particular one took about 25 minutes of Landen repeating himself, louder and louder, then FINALLY showing us what he was saying... sorry kiddo, we DO try!
• Knife - /ife/
• Spoon - /pOO-N/
• Nothing - /nuffin/
• Brother & Butter - /bud-der/
• This one gets confusing
• “I traced a rainbow” - /I TASEda Way-mbow/ 
• This one is also confusing as he says it at the most random times and it sounds remarkably like “Taste the Rainbow”

There are also words WE say that he doesn't quite understand… 

• Keith said that I was being facetious… Landen thought daddy was calling mommy Jesus. 
• And anytime we say a number in virtually ANY situation, Landen responds with, “I TWO! I TWO!”

Education

We are learning A LOT from our kids! For instance:

• Digestion: Keith asked Landen what happens to Landen’s food when he eats… Landen responded, “It goes in my tummy… “ Keith, “that’s right!” Landen, “…then out my penis!” Keith, “uhh… what? Not quite.”
• Technicalities: Diapers and Pull-Ups are NOT the same thing! Only babies wear diapers…
• Days of the week: Landen thinks every day is Tuesday. Tuesday his FAVORITE day… I have NO IDEA why.
• Church is on: Tuesday, Saturday AND Sunday… apparently
• Concept & Sequence of Numbers AND Bartering: Keith, “Landen, you’re going to get 2 spankings.” Landen, “NO! 3! 3 spankings!”
• When it’s dark outside: it’s because mommy or daddy needs to turn the lights on
• Crayola has a list of directions for getting crayon (and any other crayola product) out/off of just about anything! – AND it worked! Keith no longer has green crayon marks (complements of Landen, our washer and dryer) on his work pants!
• Songs have changed:
• The Day’s of the Week Song ACTUALLY goes like this, “Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Saturday HOORAY, Saturday HOORAY!”
• The Are You Sleeping song ACTUALLY goes like this, “Hmm Hm Hmm Ding Ding Ding Dong, Ding Ding Ding Dong”

Family/Parenting

As far as Keith and me, we are doing well. 

Keith is well into his clinicals now and is doing great! I am SO proud of him! It HAS been a big adjustment as the kids are having to stay LONG days at daycare, and Keith has realized that working requires more energy than school <-- I guess he had to learn that himself.

I am actively trying to follow the direction God has placed on my heart! There isn't very much to say about it at this point, and because of the nature of this ministry, I don’t know that I will ever be able to say or blog anything about it. I can, however, say that when God laid this our hearts and we decided I would follow him with it, HE just put it RIGHT.IN.MY.LAP! :)