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...