Wow, it's been a while. and the last post was barely considered a post. It was more like an "I got half way through and pooped out" kind of wanna-be post. Sometime around the end of July (27th-ish, maybe?) Kaden went back to the surgeon for more x-rays of his arm. I had hoped to be done, but instead we were sent up to Physical Therapy where they could make him a better cast. After an hour up there (and 2 little kids who were VERY ready to come home for lunch) we had a new "splint" for Kaden. We do like it better because he can use his arm, and it stays (no more re-doing ace wrap 16 times a day!). It can also get wet as long as we have time to let the strap dry out. (It straps around the trunk of his body.) When I have my computer back, I'll have to post some pictures. Anyway, he was sent home with an appointment for 3 weeks later. That is this Friday. Today i haven't even remembered to put on his cast, and yesterday I forgot to take it with us to the pool... I am pretty sure we just need to be DONE with this whole broken arm fiasco. Kaden is really sick of the splint, which makes it harder for me to want to make him wear it when it seems like after 7 weeks it should be good!! Katelyn has really begun to add words to her vocabulary. The latest are "towel" "bottle" (as in, her nalgene bottle,...as opposed to drinking out of ANYTHING else.) "drink" (WITH the K at the end, as opposed to whatever sound she used to make for that word) and many more. Of course, most of her words don't actually sound like the words, but I'm just happy to understand more and more! She went through a phase (a couple weeks long) where she wouldn't give Luke hugs or let him kiss her. If he did manage to kiss her she'd get mad and "wipe it off" violently! He was so sad. Now she can't give him enough hugs and he has to trick her to get out the door, basically. I tell him, this is a girl for you! Today I'm 36 weeks! I'm getting more and more ready to face labor, and meet this baby! I am sure enjoying the last few weeks of relaxing though. A few times now I've taken afternoon naps. I keep reminding myself that in 4 weeks this will all be different...I should probably start setting an alarm for every 2-3 hours just to remind myself what having a newborn is like!!!!! For now, I'll let myself enjoy the peace...and try to ignore this ginormous belly! The pool closes at the end of this week, so the last 2 weeks we've been trying to make use of it as much as possible. The kids love it. If I even show them their swim suits Kate is the first to throw her hands up (like touchdown) and yell "POOOOOOO!!!!!" (she hasn't quite mastered the L sound) and then it's all over... we BETTER be going to the pool. Today we didn't go because it's only in the 60s. Of course, next week, after it's closed, we're scheduled to be back in the mid 90s. I don't really feel like there is a lot more to post about. We have been keeping very busy, but not really doing anything of note. I'm so thankful that the month of August has been so much better than July. By the last day of July I was ready to throw up the white flag... it was filled with trial after trial. August has been a much needed "normal"! Oh, I have cleaned out most of the closets in the house, and our bedroom got painted, and we have been very productive lately. Now if i could just convince myself to mop the floor or finish Kate's scrapbook!

Kaden informed me today that "When I turn 5 I want a tractor on my cake" (holding up John Deere Tractor) "with a road" (we gotta get this kid to a farm...lol) "and this time could you cover the road so it doesn't dry out so we can eat it?" I just assured him we could probably do that if we remember. He is NOT impressed that when I covered the cake I didn't cover the road and it dried out...and that was my excuse for not letting him eat it.

We had Kaden's birthday party on Friday the 13th. That morning we took him to the surgeon for his arm. They took more xrays which showed that his arm had displaced slightly since the first xrays (don't know how you avoid that when they make him go 2 weeks without a cast). Also found out his break is up so high on his arm that he can't have a cast. Instead he has a make-shift splint that goes on the outside of his arm and gets ace-wrapped on around his body. In some ways it's nice because we can take it off to bathe him, or let him cool off in the pool, and let him have a break from it during movies. (Which is ironic since he broke his arm while watching a movie!) In other ways it's a pain because he knows it can come off and that we won't let him have it off every time he wants to, and because it takes 2 ace wraps to get it on right which is just plain hot in this 100 degree July weather! He's been a trooper though. He gets to have this on for 2 weeks, then go back for more xrays to see if we are good to let him go without. Anyway, back to the birthday. We just did a very small party with my parents (Gramma and Boppa, who had him the previous 5 days in Lewistown and brought him back to us) I wish I could post some pictures of his time with them, but my computer broke again, so I do not have them available. As you can see in the above picture, I made him a Cars themed cake this year and he loved it. He go tons of good stuff for his birthday, but his favorites were definitely the legos. He has played legos every day without fail since his birthday! He also loved the remote control loader, and the cars toys he got. We had his friend Cheyanne over along with Matt and Laura (her parents) for the evening. It was a small party, but very fun! Kadenisms: "I have LOTS of cousins, and uncles and aunts! But, i like to stomp on ants, but probably not ants like Auntie Rose ... she wouldn't like that." Watching lightning and hearing thunder..."Hope Daddy doesn't get thundered away!" Watching the UPS truck drive away: "Kate! That's the toy truck, but it didn't stop at our house today." (Apparently he distinctly remembers when they dropped of the water table for Kate's bday.) Kaden and Kate sitting at the table coloring/cutting. Kaden: "Kate, do you like your fingers?" Kate: "Noooo." (favorite word) Kaden: "MOM! Katelyn wants her fingers cut off with my scissors!" Mom: "When you are done with your fruit loops you can have something else, like fruit." Kaden: "Mom, the people at Walmart put fruit in the cereal, that's why it's FRUIT LOOPS. so we can just have more cereal." Kaden to 6 month pregnant Mom: Does your baby like chocolate milk? Mom: I guess so. Kaden: Did you drink chocolate milk when I was in your tummy? Mom: Yes, I did... Kaden: Yah, and I opened my mouth wide and tried to catch it! While Kaden was finishing up lunch he was watching Luke and I peel/slice potatoes and throw them into my large pot to boil for mashed potatoes...then he went down to play. Later as we were sitting at dinner Luke got up and got the same big pot (this time boiling corn) and drained it. Kaden saw the corn in the pot and got the biggest look of pure amazement and exclaimed, "MOM! you made corn out of mashed potatoes!" Kaden as I'm pouring cereal for breakfast: "Mom! Here's a clean spot for me to make a mess." (My suspisions are confirmed.) Kaden: "Mom I changed my mind and it's a boy. Now I just need to think of my favorite name...because Cassie is a girl name." Kaden: "MOM!!! Katelyn's turning on the water!!" (hose) Mom: "well, would you go turn it off please?" (a little annoyed that Kate figured out how to turn the hose on...) Kaden: "BUT MOM! Every TWO SECONDS she turns it on then I turn it off!" Mom: "I love you, Kaden, night night" Kaden: "I'll love you forever, mom." Melt my heart. (not really a kadenism, but too cute not to remember forever): We were going to see Curious George at the library on morning. For the event (which he was UBER excited about) Kaden donned his curious george socks, and even got me to dig out his too-small curious george shirt from when Kate was born, and his monkey backpack. He told me on the way that he "hoped that Curious George wouldn't "throw pancakes at his face," or he'll be "really mad." I assured him that wouldn't happen...but he is sure that you never know with a monkey like that. Kate-isms: At first it was cute: Katelyn will start "sing-songing" to herself.. completely wordless songs. Then Kaden will try to talk to her and she will just slowly get louder and louder as he repeats what he's saying to try to communicate to her. They will go on for about 5 minutes until she is humming at the top of her lungs and he is overly frustrated.