The Toddler Era

Our "toddler" surprised us with a new trick on Saturday. He can walk!

I was doing laundry while Brian and Caden played. I ran downstairs to grab something and Brian yelled for me to come back...Caden had taken a step! Then Brian said, "Walk to Mommy, Caden." Wearing a big grin, Caden took 6 steps toward me. He was so sure of himself, almost like he has known how to walk for awhile. He walked between us several times and then decided, enough. He still prefers crawling.

He looks so big standing on his own! He had his 1-year checkup last week and is 97% for height, 90% for weight. So perhaps he looks big because he IS big.

He's been very happy lately, although he is increasingly "vocal" when we take things away or don't feed him fast enough. His stranger anxiety has not improved but we'll keep trying. He got legos for Valentine's Day and loves them.

It's snowing right now. I hope it subsides by tomorrow when Brian is on the road. He's in Charleston, SC, and returns tomorrow. Work has been extremely busy lately and he will travel frequently this year for demos, field tests, and training.

On that note, it seems like a lot of people have inquired lately as to if I'm still working for Lockheed Martin. The answer is, yes! I work about 4 to 6 hours a week. They have been very accommodating with this flexible arrangement.

We hope you had a nice Valentine's Day! That day is always low-key for us, but Brian cooked an incredible dinner and Caden gave me roses. I baked Brian a giant cookie. I think I'm done with frosting projects for a while!

My cuddle bug


Helping unload the dishwasher


Thomas the Train V-Day card makes train noises

Brian's humongous cookie


Eating can be a fight, but he always loves yogurt

Laurie and 1-Month-Old Honor Marie in Ohio