18 Months!

Today, Caden turned 18 months old. I can't even believe I am typing that! I have no idea where the time went... It flew by! What's even more amazing is how much has happened in the last two years. In July 2008 I was enjoying the first half of my pregnancy in blissful ignorance of what was to come. Little did we know what we had in store. God is so good and so faithful! He has brought us through this journey and continues to hold us up when we need it.

Let's see... Here is what Caden is doing at 18 months:

He has 2 very clear words: Ball (Bah) and Duck (Duh) as these are his two very favorite things in the world. (He loves to play with any kind of ball he can get his hands on. And, his duck blanket that he got in the NICU at Stanford is his beloved lovie.) Well, I guess that's not entirely true... His VERY favorite thing in the world is Mommy! He is starting to say Ma (Mom) but very inconsistently. Regardless of whether he says my name or not, it is very clear who he wants all the time.

Here is Caden's beloved "Duh" and "Bah"


He has significant stranger anxiety and even has a hard time with people he knows fairly well. He would be happy if Mommy were the only person in his life, I think. Not really. But while this is very endearing, it is a little exhausting and hard to deal with when he has therapy appointments, etc. And, it's a bit of a foreign concept to me because Kyler NEVER had any stranger anxiety. He has never met a stranger in his life. So sometimes I wonder what is wrong with Caden. But then people remind me this is an age-appropriate thing for him to be doing. I guess that's okay. This too shall pass...

Caden signs “up” when he wants to be picked up. Well, sometimes he just cries and I wait until he signs it before I'll pick him up. That just makes him mad. Other times he will come up to me and sign it immediately. It is very cute!

It looks like he is starting to sign a few other things as well, but he is not as consistent so I am not positive it is intentional. But sometimes he signs “Daddy” and “more”.

He can identify a few body parts: nose, mouth, eyes and ears. Of course he will only do this if he feels like it.

In general, he is getting to be more playful. He's been a pretty serious baby until recently. But it seems he is starting to understand what it means to play. He loves to sit on the couch next to me and throw himself down with his head on my lap. He laughs and laughs about it. And, he is starting to laugh when we tickle him. These are all relatively new things for him. It is so cute to see him become his own unique person and have his personality come out.

On the flip side, the older he gets, the more frustrated he gets. He has frequent tantrums that I attribute to frustration. He isn't able to move like he wants to or communicate like he wants to. I remember similar behaviors with Kyler at this age and he had less struggles than Caden. I know it will get better. It already has now that he has a few words and a few signs. His language will expand and he will be able to communicate with us more easily which will decrease his frustration.

I realize the milestones I am listing are not typical for an 18 month old “toddler.” But since when has Caden ben typical? Everything about him is unique and special. I know God has a plan for him and things are going to happen in the right time. It might not be what I think is the right time, but it will happen. Thank you to all of you who continue to follow along on our journey. We are honored and blessed to have you in our lives. Happy 18 Month Birthday Caden! We love you!


How can you not love that sweet face?! :)