Kai's 13.5 Month Check Up

I've got to get better at updating my blog, especially with number 2 on the way.

Kai had his 13.5 Month Check Up this past week and he weighed in at 25.6 lbs and 32 inches long!

Kai's 11 Month Check up

We took Kai for his 11 month wellness check up earlier this week. He weighed in at 24.85lbs and is 30.5 inches long. It's hard to believe that our conversation with his Pediatrician was heavily focused on eating solid foods and weaning from the bottle. How is it possible that Kai is nearly 1? This past year is a blur. It's the best blurry time of my life. I think I am a sap. Maybe its because he's turning 1, but I keep reflecting on how I felt last year at this time. I was excited, anxious, scared. I still feel that way, but I feel much more confident with parenting- sort of. I hope the next 17 years don't go buy this fast. Every day I learn something about my son, myself, it's amazing seeing the world for a child's eye. It's like the chance to have a do-over.

Kai is a super fast crawler. It's really quite amazing how fast he can get around. We are child proofing our house on the fly as Kai finds another unsafe situation :-) His personality is really starting to shine. I sense that he's going to be a little sensitive. Maybe like his daddy. He's very aware of his surroundings and does not miss a beat. He still struggles with naps at school, but does very well at night. Thank God! He has quite the pallet and has tried everything from garlic scapes to polenta to beef. We are trying very hard to give him a very strong nutritional foundation. About 99% of everything he eats is organic and he eats very little processed food. I'm very happy about this. I've been able to make all of his food and have really enjoyed it. It's very exciting for me to watch him discover different tastes. His faces are priceless. I love my baby boy. He will always be my baby.

Kai's First Easter

Kai's first Easter was celebrated with Grandma & Grandpa Planty and of course Constant and I.
All decked out like dad in matching duds, we headed to our town church. It was an absolutely beautiful day.
There was a bagpiper at church outside of the entrance and I did my best to hold back the tears. The bagpipes will always remind me of my Grandma Joy. It's a bitter sweet sound. My boy Kai was wonderful in church and got really excited when the choir sang and one of the members shook the maracas!


Kai's First Easter Basket!

Looks like the bunny did good!



Amber Teething Necklace

When Kai was about 3 or 4 months old, I heard about a product called the Amber Teething Necklace. It's not a necklace to chew on, but rather one that is suppose to help reduce the side effects of teething. Apparently amber has healing properties in it and when worn, something in the amber rubs into the skin which helps to mitigate excessive drooling, reduce fussiness and swollen and irritated gums. Overall, it is suppose to lessen the ill effects of teething. I have nothing to compare the teething experience to, but I really do believe this product works and would highly recommend it. Kai's teacher accidentally broke his necklace prior to our trip to Hawaii and I swear that him not having it was partially to blame for our horrible flight. This necklace has become part of him. I am not a big fan of "man" jewelry, but am a fan of holistic remedies and for around $12-$15 it's totally worth it.

Check it out here Inspired By Finn  and let me know what you think!

To date Kai has his two bottom teeth and his upper left tooth is poking through.

Busy Like A Bee

From a trip to Hawaii, to eating solids to making a lot of noise, to getting teeth and almost crawling, this guy has been busy like a bee. And yes, that's busy and not buzzy. No wonder I haven't had time to write.
Where do I begin...

Kai's first flight. When I heard that I had to go to Hawaii for work, every part of me insisted that Kai and Constant join me. I didn't give much thought to the length of the flight or that fact that I would be traveling coach rather than business class. I was thinking that I was going to HAWAII, a place that none of us had ever been before and that my boys must join me. I guess I didn't realize how aggressive of a trip this was for Kai's first flight until we loaded in Boston and were on our way to Houston. It was the wee hours of the morning on St. Patrick's Day and my Kai was dressed up properly of course in a green checkered shirt and a onesie that said " I'm a Mc Cutie". Thank God I had the foresight to dress Kai up so cute or we would have all been most likely thrown out the exit row door mid flight. Without a doubt, this flight was worse than giving birth. The flight from Boston to Houston was great, but once we landed in Houston it all went down hill. Our flight from Houston to Honolulu was delayed over four hours, Kai was overtired and overstimulated by all of the happenings in the airport. When we finally did take off in Houston, it was almost immediate that Kai decided that he wouldn't just fall asleep like in my fantasy mother world I imagined him to do. The 8 hour flight did not go as planned. Thank God for the lovely lady that sat next to us who must have had really great headphones. Kai even got a tooth during that flight! I am sure that alone describes just how horrible the flight was. The good news is, the flight home was wonderful and it was as if we brought a different child home. We had a lovely time...and together, the three of us, got to explore a new place that we hadn't been before. Next stop for Kai will be Mexico!





My boys



Love my shades!



I love baby feet.

Bluest Water I've ever seen!

Kai in front of the Kai (Ocean in Japanese)

snoozing

I can't get enough of him!

First Flight!

6 Months, 3 Weeks and 4 days Wellness Appointment

And the stats are...

Kai weighed in at 20lbs, 5 oz, 27" long and 45cm head circumference!
He's absolutely growing like a weed. His first tooth is slowly but surely popping through.
I say that his tooth is like a turtle head :-) Kai is very happy and laughs up a storm! He's still not a huge fan of solids. We've tried peas, squash, apples, pears, sweet potatoes, egg yolk and avacado and haven't found a winner yet. If he's anything like Constant and I, he'll be a foodie in no time!

I still find the miracle of birth absolutely amazing. After nearly seven months I still can't believe that I made this little guy, no less birthed him. He truly is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Every day is richer and richer and the simple things in life are much more appreciated. I love having the opportunity of living life through my child's eyes.  Most days when I look at him I see a very strong resemblance to Constant, but other times I see my brother's smile and see a glimpse of myself. Some days I even see my grandmother and her inquisitive look. She's no longer with us and just for a moment Kai brings back a great memory of a lady that means so much to me.  This child has brought me so much joy. I find myself wondering what the days and months a head will bring, but caution myself to enjoy every moment. I once got a birthday card that said "live life one cupcake at a time". Very simply put, but absolutely true. The older I get the more I realize how special each moment truly is. I love being a mom. It's way beyond the best role and title I've ever had.

Grandma and Grandpa bought his first hockey jersey for him. He's the cutest little UNH wildcat I've ever seen!

I just love dressing up my boys in matching shirts. How can you not love their smiles? I'm not sure who is beaming more! I love my boys!

These sunglasses are from Grandma for our up coming trip to Hawaii. This kid is just way to cool for school

My little nude picasso!

Life is Great

We've been so busy watching Kai James grow and develop. I'm still amazed each and every time that I look at him that we actually "made" him and I gave birth to him. This morning waking up, it dawned on me (again) that not only did I make this little person, but that I have to teach him to speak, read, write, and the list goes on and on. Wow, what a big job. I love him to pieces and can barely remember life without him. He brings me incredible joy. His smile lights up a room and his giggle is absolutely contagious. I have such wonder about the days and months to come.

The last week or so he's been able to sit up on his own for 30 seconds or so before he starts to teeter off. I can see his little core muscles working so intently. He's taking an interest in Bentley and Sophie and I catch him following them around a room with his eyes. His sleeping habits are still not "optimal", but I do welcome the early morning cuddle. I can still hold and stare at him for hours. He really does have the cutest little smoochers and his eyelashes are getting so long and lovely.

Kai's First Christmas

I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew that Kai's first Christmas would be one that he wouldn't remember, but I hoped to capture as many memories for him as possible. It was really amazing and I can only imagine what the years to come will bring. Christmas made me all nostalgic this year, thinking about what life was like when I was a kid, when I believed in Santa. I have so many fond memories of Christmas as a kid. Whether it was the glass Christmas lights hung on our tree that I so loved or the projects that I did in school that would help me count down the days to Christmas. I remember Christmas Eve was amazingly fun with my huge family. I remember going home from my Aunts house on Christmas Eve and my dad would religiously tell my brother and I that he saw Rudolph's nose beaming in the night's sky. I especially remember the feeling of waking up Christmas morning and running down the hallway to the living room and seeing the presents sparkle under the tree...

Bentley Claiming his territory.

to be continued...

Kai's 4 Month Check Up

Kai had his four month checkup this week and I am proud to report that he is 16lbs 8oz, 25.75 inches long and his head is 16.75 inches in circumference. He is growing like a weed.

Over the last couple of weeks I've really noticed his transition from an infant to a baby. If that makes sense to anyone. He's really coming into his own and his personality is really shining through. He has a contagious smile and his giggles are worth a million bucks. He is really starting to hold objects and reach for them. He has actual interest in playing with toys. He can sit in his swing or bumbo for awhile and actually enjoy these things. He's very strong and loves to kick his legs. We are enjoying every minute of him. I feel that I am starting to get into a groove...but I am sure that since I just typed that he will shake up our world soon and will leave me feeling insecure.

I am still breastfeeding and thankfully was able to improve my milk supply some. I started taking fenugreek a couple of weeks back and while I am still not the milk producing goddess like I imagined myself to be pre Kai, I was able to improve milk production. Also, thanks to my wonderful network, I learned some techniques to improve milk expression from the dearly dreaded pump. I am still tweaking this though and hopeful that I will be able to yet still improve my milk production and expression--stay tuned. When I was at the pediatrician earlier this week with Kai, she mentioned to me that sometimes milk production can improve with the next baby.  I'm wondering if anyone out there with multiple children that have breastfed noticed this? I'm hopeful this is the case. She described this as if it was like your body was already primed and ready to go.

Kai was suppose to have a couple of shots this week, but I declined them at this visit since he's been sick. I think the pediatrician was somewhat annoyed with me, but I really don't care. I have my strong opinions on vaccinations in the first place, but since Constant and I agreed to vaccinate Kai with an alternative schedule that we both feel comfortable with, I didn't think it would hurt him to hold off a couple of weeks until he was back to normal. I guess I just find it odd that it would be OK to vaccinate a baby when they were sick. As the nurse pointed out, "as long as they don't have a fever" we can vaccinate. Then this nurse politely lectured me about cleaning Kai's gums after he got a bottle. Are you serious???  It's amazing at work how I can be interrogated and speak eloquently on Missile Defense without seeming squeamish, but when it comes to my son's Doctor's apt's and checkups and things of this nature it makes me feel anxious and inadequate. I'm also amused by the fa sod that some of the Nurse's have when they question you on the growth and development of your child. The Nurse told me that Kai should start to say Mama and Dada any day now. Now I know my son is advanced and just accepted his full scholarship to Harvard, but this just seemed a little advanced. So I pushed back and questioned the seriousness of her statement. "Well, I am just saying, this is something that you will notice in the future". No shit Sherlock.


Couldn't you just get lost in those eyes?

Kai is 4 Months Old

It's Saturday morning and I am sitting here thinking about all of the things I need to do this weekend and I remember that I haven't written in my blog in nearly a month (Thanks Katie for the friendly reminder).
I am hoping that one day soon I will get into the motherly baby groove where I can graciously tackle all of the items on my to-do list and still have time to cook dinner and looked put together. I am hopeful.

Kai James was officially four months old yesterday. 4 months old. Wow, where does the time go. He's getting to be such a big boy. He's roughly around 16lbs. It's amazing how many changes we see from week to week and even day to day. He's still very serious, but pops a smile much easier now and giggles quite frequently. His cheeks are growing equally as fast which makes it harder for me to see any sign of a dimple.

I didn't think it would come this early, but we had an "incident" at school earlier this week. I actually had to sign an "incident report" and all. One of Kai's friends dropped himself and a toy on Kai's forehead leaving a minor scratch the size of my middle finger on his head. He's recovering quite nicely..teehee. I am glad my baby is fine and that the school took the incident seriously, but it's sort of a little silly to see how much of a production was made...I am sure this will be the first of many scrapes and "incidents" we deal with. The first thing Constant said when I when I told him was "which kid was it". As if that really matters..the kid that did it couldn't have been any more than 6 or 7 months old. *chuckle*.

It was a very big week of memorable moments this week at school. On Thursday I got a note on Kai's daily report that he was flirting with Ava. They were both doing tummy time facing each other and apparently Kai was smiling and giggling and yes, FLIRTING with her. What a tramp Ava is...she's a new arrival to the school and already enticing my son to flirt with her! I can see where this is going.

Here are some Christmas Photos of My Santa Babe. Love this guy!!!!

My Cutie Patootie

My Future Model?

 I've been going into to work for 6am so C does school drop off and I do pick up. He's been sending me pictures at work of how he's dressed our little man. Don't you just want to eat him up?

I captured this lovely smile today while Kai Bear was in his bumbo. This smile lights up my day. Love him.

You've Got This...

I knew from the minute I found out that I was pregnant that I wanted to breastfeed Kai. I had heard stories that it could be difficult, but that didn't bother me.  In my experience, pretty much anything worth doing or fighting for hasn't necessarily been easy. I was up for the challenge. In typical me fashion, I read, I consulted and I joined. I was ready to take on breast feeding head on (no pun intending). There were some hiccups in the beginning, but in all sincerity thanks to my great friends and support networks I conquered the bumps and have been going strong for the last three months. I'm not going to lie, it hasn't been necessarily easy, but for Kai it has been well worth being  "inconvenienced". So as you know, on 11/2 I rejoined the work force with pump in hand. Though I was very worried about my milk production and keeping up with Kai's demand, I never once gave much thought to the fact that I wouldn't "enjoy" pumping at work. I thought it would be a breeze as I was one of the fortunate breast feeding working moms that had an office with a door. I saw (well not literally) my friend Katie pump for several months at work and it seemed like a breeze.  Again, I was wrong. On a side note, how is it possible that I can be wrong this many times? As if going back to work wasn't hard enough, pumping at work has definitely made it that much more difficult. In fact, since this is my blog, I'm going to be totally honest, I hate it. I hate the whole thing. I hate lugging the damn thing and it's side kick "the milk cooler" around.  I hate being "exposed" in my office. I hate scheduling the time to pump...wah, wah, wah...the whole thing feels incredibly unnatural to me.

I'm literally taking it one day at a time and repeating the words that my sister in law said to me last weekend...you've got this....

Back to Work Blues

It was inevitable that the dreaded November 2nd would eventually catch up to me and I would have to rejoin the ranks as a working mom. It came, I cried, and cried some more...two weeks later I can't say that I am over it, I guess I've just gotten numb to it. Rather than crying in the morning, my new routine consists of crying in the evening after I pick up my little guy. I really thought that when I picked Kai up at "school" the first day that he would greet me with a big huge smile. You know, the smile that I've worked hard to capture a picture of. The smile that melts my heart and lifts my sorrows. Nope, that wasn't the case. I swear I am not this naive. Kai pretty much acted like he didn't know me, sort of like Bentley does after a weekend away at doggy day care. I really wondered if Bentley got to Kai first and taught him this. All of my kids, 4 legged or two legged have already aligned forces. Yeah so that pretty much broke my heart that he didn't seem to have any noticeable bond to me. The last three months I've been sort of secretly relishing that I was Kai's best friend and that I could sooth him in a second. That's not the case anymore...in one short day at school we are no longer BFF's. If the truth be told, I've wondered if his teachers have wondered if he's unhappy at home. I've tried different approaches to the pick up routine, but ultimately as soon as I pick him up he cries. Not only does this break my heart, it brings back vivid memories of the feeling I get when I pick up other infants and they cry as soon I pick them up. For clarification purposes, Kai's cry isn't just some subtle whimpering it's an inconsolable cry. If I didn't feel guilty enough before, it's in full force now.

10 Weeks...clock won't you please slow down...

Kai is ten weeks old today. Where did the time go? I hate to overuse this statement, but I still can't get my arms around how fast the time has gone by since Kai was born. As it gets closer to the end of my maternity leave it seems that time speeds up even faster and the lump in my throat grows even bigger. I'm absolutely dreading going back to work. Everyone tells me that this is normal, but I truly wish it didn't have to be the norm. I've never wanted to spend so much time with someone in my life. I've never gushed over anyone or anything as much in my life. I'm very happy being a mother. I like this new role. I love my new label. Not a lot of people know this about me, but up until a few years ago I never thought I wanted children. In fact, when Constant and I first started dating I told him that I didn't want kids so if that was something that he wanted in his life that he should consider not dating me. I guess I've always feared not being a good parent. I feared that I would always be selfish and choose satisfying myself first over the needs of my child. I didn't want to be this kind of parent. Clearly my desires changed about having a child. Though ten weeks into it, I'm still scared as hell of not being a good parent, I look forward to this journey and am ready for the challenge. Being a mother is the hardest job that I've ever had. The most gratifying, but certainly the most difficult and it's only just begun. For the last ten years, I've devoted myself to building my career and ended up working in a male dominated defense industry. Let me tell you, the men that I work with in these senior positions have nothing on mothers. I'm saddened  that mothers don't earn the same amount of respect and not even close to the paycheck. I would give my career up in heart beat to stay home with my little guy. Money can't buy smiles like this one.

At Kai's two month appointment yesterday (10 weeks old) he weighed in at 12lbs 12 oz. He grew two inches and is now 23.5 inches. They measured his head in inches yesterday and it was 15 inches. I have yet to do the conversion to cm's. He also had the dtap and the rotavirus vaccinations. These were his first shots. It killed me to give them to him, but he seemed to handle them like a champ.



Look at this Sweet Beauty

My very favorite photographer, Michelle, of La Bella Luce Photography captured these precious pictures of my little angel back in August. I am so thankful that I found Michelle (actually thank you Joanne D and Facebook for connecting us). There have been many times in my life that I've said "Damn, I wish I would have done that/captured that/said that, etc"...this is one of those times that I followed through and am ever so grateful that I did.  These are some absolutely amazing pictures and I tear up when I look at them. I can't believe my baby is so precious!! I can't wait to to show Kai's future wife these pictures!!
Not only do I have precious memories to look back on, I had the opportunity to also meet an amazing and extremely talented woman who has inspired to me to seek out my true passion in life.

Here are some of my favorites and please respect La Bella Luce Photography and the copyright!