I'm trying . . . .

Mom says I look like an old man with a walker but I just love practicing to walk. Any day now everyone thinks I'm just going to take off walking . . . all in my own time though! For now I enjoy pushing my "walker" around, banging into walls, and making lots of noise.

I'm a Crafty Kid!

I LOVE doing crafts! Mandy says that I am one of the first kids to the craft table when she gets things out at daycare. I didn't much care for crafts at first but they sure are growing on me! I just love doing crafts so much that I joined the ladies craft at Thanksgiving and sat up like a big boy at the craft table. Check me out . . .

My Birthday Parties

Mom made this slide show a loooong time ago and sent it out but forgot to put it on my website. I turned ONE on October 15 . . . right after we moved to Cedar Falls. I had a great birthday party at my daycare provider's house . . . Mandy, and then we had several friends over for a small party that night at our new house. You can tell by the pictures that I had a great birthday!

Kaden's 1-Year Pictures

Yep, mom is REALLY late getting things posted on my website. I wish I knew how to run a computer and I would keep you up-to-date better! Here are my 1-year pictures that we had taken at the end of October.

My 1st (American) Halloween

Halloween isn't a holiday in Australia so this year is my first exposure to Halloween American-style. While in Australia there was some trck-or-treating and a few costumes available for sale but nothing as big as it is here in America.

I got my first dose of the pumpkin patch on Saturday when mom and dad took us to The Pride of the Wapsi. I enjoyed watching Evan run from place to place, watching other kids have fun, sitting on a pony for the first time, riding in this crazy, bumpy thing with mom (they said it was a train ride . . . hmmmmm,) scootin' across the grass whenever mom would let me out of the stroller, and riding to the pumpkin patch. Here are some great pictures of me at my first Pumpkin Patch!

I'm growing into such a big boy now. Check out some of my pictures from September . . . you won't even recognize me!

Scoot Scootin' Boogie

OK . . . so here is my latest trick that mom has been talking about . . . For some reason I haven't started crawling at all, I just do this scootin' thing. Believe me, I can get around pretty quick AND I'm getting some great leg muscles while I'm at it!!

My crazy life . . .

Mom thinks that their lives have been crazy but so has mine!! I arrived in this unfamiliar country, met alot of new people, visited with some that I had only met once before, moved into a new house, started a new daycare, AND have still been trying to keep up on those daily "baby" things that I'm supposed to do too!!

First I need to share some photos from the past month. The first few are of my first daycare providers at Kiah in Australia. Other photos include my trip to Kimball. I sure was tired! That jet lag hit me hard when I got to Kimball and I seemed to be sleeping at all the wrong times! No fear though . . . somehow I am back on track. I've now been in America for just over a month and, yes, I have a regular, normal sleeping schedule now. Mom doesn't quite know how it happened but her and dad are sure glad that I adjusted without too many problems!

I just turned 10 months old a few days ago! I still am not crawling . . . instead I scoot everywhere I want to go . . . and I'm fast!! Mom is going to try to get a video of my crazy leg scoot for you soon. I've kinda plateaued in the growing category for awhile. I went to see MaryAnn for my first pediatric 9 month check here in America so make sure to check out my big-boy stats in the right column.

That's pretty much it for now. I hear that we are moving once again so I guess I'll have another adjustment period to go through . . . oh boy! Mom promises that she will start updating my site for you more often with pictures now that the house is ready to sell!

My New Trick

Nope, still not crawling yet, but I have now discovered the kitchen and all it has to offer! I could do this for hours:

I'm the Boss!

Not much happening in my world right now. No new tricks. I keep flopping on my belly alot though. I know there is a really good reason to do this but I just can't figure out why! Mom keeps saying that I'll be crawling soon . . . whatever that means. Maybe flopping on my belly has something to do with crawling?

We're preparing to leave the only country I've ever known and come to this place that mom and dad keep talking about all the time . . . America. Sounds like it's a long ways away from my home country here in Australia. It will be great to see all of my grandparents and aunts and uncles though and meet so many new people! I'm excited!

Yum Yum

About a week ago I decided it was time that I try feeding myself. My chubby little fingers still have a hard time picking things up but I'm trying! Mom has several varieties of "puffs" from America for me and I LOVE them! (Too bad Australia hasn't caught on to the puff addiction yet!!) Here is a quick video of me in action

My First Tooth!

Can you see it?? I have my first tooth!


Here, let me give you another view!


My bottom, front, right tooth came in a couple of weeks ago and the one next to it is on it's way too. I don't really cope well with getting teeth . . . they hurt!

I had fun this week playing at the park. I actually got to PLAY this time instead of just sitting in the stroller and watching Evan play. Check me out!

7 Months & My 1st Haircut

I am 7 months old today (it's May 15th in Australia!) Mom took me to the nurse at the chemist this week and for once I actually didn't gain much weight. I am getting longer though! I probably didn't gain very much because I refused to eat solid foods while on vacation unless I was sitting upright in a highchair. Well, they don't have highchairs in hotel rooms so many times I went without. Now that we are home and getting back into a regular routine again I'm lovin' my veggies!


I also got my first haircut this week. Angie is a hair stylist and she cut my long locks so I didn't look so shaggy. With kitchen utensils in(my)hands (that's what seems to keep me occupied lately) she helped to get me looking handsome. My hair still isn't as long as Evan's was at my age(his first haircut was when he was 5 months old) but dad says I could easily have had a comb-over!

Rub-a-dub-dub Two Boys in the Tub!

I got to take my first tub bath with my big brother!! I have finally started sitting up more so mom put me in the bath seat so that I could play with toys and take baths with Evan. It is so much fun . . . I love watching my big brother. He always makes me laugh and smile.

Here are some recent pictures of me from the past month. Make sure to tune in later this week as mom is taking me to the chemist to be weighed and measured!

Rollin' Man

I know, I know . . . this is a little late comin' but it's hard to get this big, long bod to roll over!! Just to set the record straight though . . . I'm rollin' alot sooner than Evan ever did! The competition is on AND I'm already beating him across the board!

Busy growing . . .

Although we don't know how long I am mom did go to the chemist to get me weighed at 22 weeks and . . . drum roll . . . 22 lbs. 11 oz.!!!! I'm just a growing boy! Needless to say, mommy doesn't have to go to the gym to lift weights when I'm around!! I have grown out of my baby carrier and am now in a rear-facing bigger car seat. I don't really like facing the rear but since I am also growing so long (my feet already touch the back seat) and am somewhat uncomfortable I'm sure they'll turn me around soon . . . YEAH! Here is a picture of me hanging out on the couch. See how long I look??!!

We had some friends come to Australia from John Deere China (actually they are from America but work for John Deere in China) and they wanted to hit a Hooter's in Australia. Well, dad hadn't gotten his Hooter's picture of me yet (like he did with Evan in America) so this worked out perfectly! Here are some of the pictures we got while there:

Feeding the birds at O'Reiley's

Cuddling with Uncle Justin

Who needs toys when there are pop bottles??

No, there's nothing in it. Mom says I'll learn to drink through a straw soon though (since I won't take a bottle!)

Boy am I tired!!

Here is what happens when I don't take naps like I'm supposed to!!

20 Weeks

I'm 20 weeks old today . . . boy how time flies!! I've done so much in 20 weeks, it's amazing. I'm starting to be a happier baby now, but I still don't like to sleep much! I guess having an older brother is way too stimulating - I just love to watch him. He also makes so much noise sometimes that I can never get a good nap! This week I made a breakthrough and decided to start liking solid foods . . . can you believe that I didn't like them until now?? You would never guess it looking at me. Now hopefully these solids will help with my sleeping patterns!

Here are some of my recent pictures:

I REALLY do like my new backpack!

Napping with dad

Kaden Patrick - 20 weeks

Happy Valentine's Day!

Not much happening here in AUS for Valentine's Day. As you can tell, I'm pretty excited that it's my 1st Valentine's day but it's really not as big a deal in Australia as it is in America . . . that sure does make my dad happy since he is bah-humbug with V-day!!

Just wanted to share some of my latest favorites . . .

Eating mom's fingers:

Cuddling after bath:

Trying to shove my whole fist in my mouth:

Movin' On Up

After going to the doctor last week and finding out that I weigh a whoppin' 19 lbs. + mom decided I would dive into eating solid foods. We had kinda been trying some here and there, much to my dismay, but now we do it everyday. Since mom left our highchair in Moline we had to find another one here in Australia for me. Mom did some bargin shopping through the Weekend Shopper ads in the Saturday Courier Mail and came up with this cool polka dotted highchair for me. My big bod actually looks small in this chair!

I also started taking a bath in the big tub, instead of the small tub on the counter. I was getting too long for that little tub! Mom tried sitting me up in the bath seat but I don't think I'm quite ready for that yet, so now I just lay on the bottom of the tub on my yellow sponge. Did you know that I love to kick, kick, kick in the water and get mom all wet?! It's so much fun!

I'm an American!!

It's finally official . . . almost anyways . . . I'm on the road to becoming an official American citizen! On Thursday the Consulate from Sydney made a trip to Queensland (Brisbane) and we had to go downtown and meet them to sign a bunch of documents. Mom and dad had been preparing all of the paperwork (and there was a TON of it) so that I could officially be an American. They signed to get me a passport, a social security number, and a consular report of a birth abroad document. The birth abroad document will be my American accepted birth certificate because the US doesn't acknowledge a foreign birth certificate like I have. It took a total of 10 minutes to meet and sign everything and my passport should arrive in about 2 weeks so then I can become a travelin' man! (Mom and dad have been waiting to go to New Zealand until I got my passport.)

I will be 16 weeks old tomorrow. I have to go to the doctor for my shots and he will weigh and measure me again so we'll see if I will break the 19-20 lb. mark!! Look back in a few days and mom will update my stats!

Here are some recent pictures of me . . .

This is what I look like after mom and dad lug me all over the place on all of these trips they like to go on:

This is me sporting my new beach and pool "togs". I went into the swimming pool for the first time when we were at Tangalooma and I didn't quite know what to think.

Happy Australia Day!

Dad had the day off work today because it's Australia Day (we think it's kinda like the 4th of July in America.) So, mom dressed us in our Australia kangaroo outfits and gave us these Australia flags to wave around (I just wanted to eat mine though!) We just got back from a family vacation to Moreton Island so we didn't do alot on Australia Day. Evan and mom went to the swimming pool while dad and I watched them swim and go down the waterslides.