18 months...

My dear sweet boy. You turned 18 months last week and I can't quite grasp it. You are growing so quickly, each moment passing faster than the last. This morning you lay in my arms wrapped in your blanket with most of your body hanging off my lap. I was touching your soft little cheek and you smiled...with your eyes first, just like your Daddy...and then softly caressed my cheek with your precious little hands. Times like this are priceless to me. It lasted only a minute and you realized the day had begun and there was so much to see and off you went.

You are talking up a storm. Repeating at least one word in almost all of my sentences. I am learning to decipher your little words but I fail sometimes. Sometimes you will repeat the same thing over and over and look up at me so frustrated. I am sorry for those times and will try to listen closer.

Thank you for the joy your bring us, son. Thank you for each squeal of delight, each jump of joy and each exaggerated expression. Thank you for making me laugh when I am frustrated. Like the other night when you would not eat your dinner...I was frustrated. But you knew what to do--you covered up your eyes and slowly peaked out between your fingers. How quickly you turned my frustration to laughter. I tried not to laugh because really, you needed to eat, but I so appreciated your little sense of humor...so young, yet so observant.

There is so much to say about all that you are doing, but for now just know that in all you do, I love you. In so many ways you bring me joy, but even when you do things that do not bring me joy, I love you.

I love you, I love you, I love you my dear sweet boy...

What Kai's Little Body Is Up To

Okay, this is the last post of my updates--about how darn huge my baby is growing! I honestly can't believe how big and grown up he looks...and acts. We are at Gramma and Pa's this weekend who happen to have a scale (we don't, thank you very much). So, I stripped him down and weighed him, then Auntie T and I had him lay out on the table and measure him, quite a morning for the poor kid. So, he is now weighing somewhere around 24 lbs and is about 33 1/2 inches tall. If our measurements are correct, it means that since his first bday (5 months ago) he has gained only 3 pounds but has grown 3 inches taller! I get comments from people all the time asking his age and then commenting on "what a big boy" he is. I always think that is funny because he has never really been big at all but now that I see other toddlers his age or older I am realizing his is tall and lean. Now, I know why all his pants from last spring are high waters on him. I finally broke down and got him two pairs of pants for the fall that are 18-24mos, a little big but apparently he will grow into them soon enough.
Kai also has a mouth full of teeth. I am sorry to say I have been pretty bad about recording when they have all come in on the page in his baby book after the 7th or 8th one. He now has all 8 in front, 4 molars in back and a little k9 took coming in on the top left. He loves to brush his teeth which is good but he loves to do it which is also bad. He doesn't want help and I am pretty sure he is just sucking off the toothpaste so I try to get a few actually brushes in there too.
What else....his hair is beginning to grow in a little thicker now but sticks straight up most of the time, he bites his fingernails (weird!) and his toenails grow really funky. He sweats...like a little kid, like when you walk into that elementary classroom in the spring after recess and it smells like little kid sweat--that is the sweat he is sweating. Gross. What happened to the sweet baby smells? Even when he smelled like sour milk, at least it was still a baby smell! Oh well, another sign that my baby is no longer a baby...

What Kai's Little Mind Is Up To

So many things...this boy seems like his mind is going a mile a minute all the time! First off he is talking now....in two languages! His first language is his own and he has been doing this for quite a while. He will look at us and jibber jabber on and on, sometimes very serious, and then other times he will break into a laugh in the middle of it all. He is so funny and it cracks me up. He looks at me like I should know just what he is saying...I love it! He is also saying real words now to...he says dada, mama, baby, belly, ball (a favorite), more and a personal favorite...oh wow! He can say many more if you say it and ask him to repeat it and sometimes he just repeats words you say that you don't mean for him to repeat but he does. He also sometimes tries to say a word but doesn't get very close and laughs to himself. He really is a hoot! He pronounces things slow and steady and I love the sound of his little voice. I feel like I am missing other words he says but it is late and my brain is not all there. I will have to remember them. Kai has been signing for a while now and can sign please, more, cracker, cheese, and thank you (always with a blown kiss). Signing has got us through many months of communication before he can verbally tell us.
Reading...Kai LOVES to read. He will bring us books to read with him or sit down and look through them himself. He is especially fond of his animal books and loves to point to all the animals. He has also become a big fan of the Baby Einstein DVDs...mostly the animal ones and will go get them and sign please and sit down like his is ready to watch. Funny boy. We don't let him watch them all the time but it sure is fun to see how excited he gets when he does watch them!
Favorite Toys...He still loves playing with balls. He also loves his cars and especially his fire truck. He loves blocks or anything he can put in something and then take out and then put back in...he is entertained for a long time with a bag and some blocks. He has just recently gotten attached to his blanket. This was never an issue until about a month ago and he started wanting other than in his bed. It is not horrible like I can't take it away to wash it...he will help me put it in the wash...but as soon as he sees it he runs for it.
We work a lot on obedience with Kai as I'm sure most parents of toddlers to. We are constantly trying to teach him what is okay and what is not but still allowing him to be a little boy and be curious...quite a balance. He is a curious boy and for that I am truly thankful. When Kai does something he shouldn't we get down at eye level and let him know what he should or should not be doing. Tyson and I talked about asking Kai to respond "Yes, Mama" or "Yes, Daddy" after we talk to him...for now just a nod is fine. Tyson had done this a couple times with him taking his head and gently helping him nod so he knew what we were asking. A few days later they had gone on a boys outing to the coffee shop and Kai had touched something he shouldn't. Tyson bent down and explained that it was off limits and asked him to say "Yes, Daddy". Kai took his hands and put them up to his own head and made his head nod. When Tyson came home and told me that I cracked up...I had not even started trying that yet and Tyson had only done it a couple times but Kai had caught on...he nodded with his head in his hands for a week but now he just nods when we ask him:)
Kai has such a great sense of humor. I mentioned before how he will just laugh at himself as he is jibber jabbering. But, he also works hard to keep us laughing. The other day he was climbing on the laundry basket and fell off and I (being the kind mom I am) laughed at him. He proceeded to get back up and pretend to fall off again over and over...the kid catches on quick!
Oh, I forgot my favorite word he has learned: God. It sounds more like Gaaaa...so other people don't really understand what he is saying but I know that is what he says when I ask him to say God. So a couple weeks ago I started asking him "Kai, who made you?" and then I would ask him to say God. Now, when I ask him who made him he knows the answer is God. It is very sweet and such a joy to verbally have him repeat something I am teaching him about the Lord! I look forward to many more conversations with my little man in the future!
Sorry this post was so long but really, his little brain has been very busy...and there is so very much I am leaving out:)

What Kai's Feet Are Up To...

Kai is an active boy...emphasize the words active & boy! He is constantly running, climbing, falling and running again. He has no fear...which is scary for mom. I think he is learning about being careful because if we are not near him he is a little more cautious but if we are nearby he must just trust that we will save him because he goes all out. I guess I am thinking of the stairs. If I hold his hand he literally jumps down the stairs throwing caution to the wind. So, now I leave him at the top and make him come down by himself...I know that doesn't sound safe to some, but he can come down on his own by sliding on his bottom if he has to and does fine. Even then if I get too close and he will sometimes look at me with a little twinkle in his eye and I know he is about to barrel down the stairs hoping I will catch him. I remind him to go slow and back away and he does fine:)
He loves balls still and has quite an arm on him. He will walk right up to me and huck the ball...he has not quite learned the whole "back up" or "throw it softly" part but that is okay. He isn't doing to to be mean he just wants to play ball. We did have to take away the golf balls a couple months ago though...he really has an arm and luckily no faces or windows were broken.
He also loves the water. We have had the chance to swim quite a few times this summer and he loves it! He will splash and kick in his little floaty thing. He tries to put his face in the water too...so at least he isn't scared of it...but he also needs to learn to not try to drink the water. He does pretty good at blowing bubbles though. I think I will do swimming lessons in the fall but for the summer I can't bring myself to go to the indoor pool when it is so nice outside.
Jumping...he is not quite able to get his feet off the ground yet. I think that is a developmental thing. He tries to jump a lot but they don't come off the ground...except for the other day. We were in the bathroom and he was showing off like he does and trying to jump. All the sudden his feet do come off the ground and he lands on his butt. It was so funny I started cracking up. I think it startled him but he saw that it was funny so he stood up to try it again. It was a fluke because he hasn't done it again but it was quite entertaining.
As active as my little boy is, he has become more of a cuddler these last few months. While it used to be that is was almost impossible to rock him (he was way to curious about all that was around him) we now rock and cuddle a lot before bedtimes. There have even been a few of times he has rocked to sleep which is not normal. I think he just hit an awareness that he liked it and can now make himself sit still and cuddle up. He also gives lots of kisses (open mouth with lots of slobber) and my favorite, big hugs. I, of course, love it. My baby is growing up too fast and every hug ends too soon...I'll take all I can get.

Updates....

I have not been great about updates on all that Kai is up to...this is not really for all of you out there reading (although I do appreciate those of you that read:)...it is really more for me, and eventually for Kai. I have not been great about keeping his baby book and have used this blog to record things. I did a monthly update every month his first year but haven't done one since he turned a year...that was 4 1/2 months ago. I thought of this a month ago but it was overwhelming to think of all that I should write about because he is up to SO much right now so I kept putting it off. So, I have decided that this next week I will try to do a little update on one area each day to catch up so there may be an overwhelming about of info about Kai this next week:)

Kai is 1 Year Old!!!

This year has flown by. It was a whole year ago that I was adjusting to life with a newborn. A newborn who lay quietly in my arms, barely ever made a peep, needed me for everything and who I loved from before I met him. Now that tiny baby is a little boy who is running, throwing balls (or anything he can get his hands on), babbling constantly, singing in a sweet voice or letting out a high pitched squeal and my love for him has grown as much as he has. He is defiant and stubborn at times but most of the time he is sweet and funny and the biggest blessing a mommy could ask for. My baby turned one last week and a year ago I could not imagine him so big, so independent or so amazing.
So far he has lived up to his name Malakai "My Messenger". God has taught me so much through this tiny child and I know He has so much more to teach me. He has shown me I am capable of patience I never imagined, yet I am so far from where I need to be. I have so many areas to grow as a child of the Lord, as a wife, as a mother, as a friend. Thank you, Lord, for the patience you show me and may I in turn show that to others, especially my husband and son.
A few of Kai's favorite things as he turns 1:

• Balls...he LOVES throwing things and has a great arm!
• Bathtime--as you can tell from the video in an earlier post, Kai has no fear of water and loves the bath. In fact...he has started to get mad when I take him out of the tub:)
• Spinach---no really, he is a little Popeye and loves the stuff!
• Other kids--he loves playing with other kids or just watching them.
• Guitar--he has always loved Tyson's guitar and his love for that grows now that he can get himself to it and has enough control that Daddy lets him touch it gently...he loves strumming the strings.
• Music--he loves music...he dances when it is on and when you are singing to him and stop he will start this sweet humming where you left off:)
• ATTENTION--this boy loves to be the center of attention and knows how to get it. Smiling at the lady in the store, then pretending he is shy by turning his head once he has it. His fake laugh or cough while Daddy and Mommy are talking so we look at him. I guess in general he doesn't have to do much. People love Kai and he loves them. There is rarely a day we don't leave the house so he is used to people and doesn't know a stranger. I love watching him interact with others.

I'm sure there other things I should list but I can't think of them right now.

Kai had his 1-year-old check up this week and here are the stats:

• Weight: 21 lbs 6 oz 31%
• Height: 30.8 inches 79%
• Head: 18.5 inches 68%

On Kai's birthday we came and got him out of bed singing "Happy Birthday"...then we gave him his first waffle with a candle and sang "Happy Birthday" again. Later that day I took Kai to play on the grass at the church near our home, I will put pictures below. When Daddy got home we went to the park and had a nice evening as a family. On Saturday we did a birthday party for him but that is a post in itself:)

Here are some pictures from his actual birthday.

At the park---this was really his first time to play on grass because it has always been damp...he enjoyed it. You will note that none of these are very good pictures and most of them are of him running from me...welcome to my life:)

Here he is opening his fun train from Grandma Julie...he loves it!

Kai is Eleven Months Old!

Our sweet baby is no longer a baby...he is turning into a little boy before our eyes! He is quite good on his feet now...walking everywhere and he has learned to stand up on his own with out crawling to a wall or piece of furniture. He loves carrying things around...anything he can find: shoes, bibles, pots, bowls...and he sometimes actually plays with his toys! He is quite the little chatter bug although we don't know what he is saying...he seems to think it is important though! He does say da da a lot now and knows he what he is saying...it is super cute but I do hope I hear a ma ma soon:) He is testing us quite a bit lately (especially today). He LOVES buttons...and finds them everywhere...especially ones that are lit up or that will light up when he pushes them...the TV, the heater...the other day at the office he was playing under my desk and all the sudden my computer went blank...he had seen the little light on the power strip and couldn't resist. He does well for an eleven month old who has to spend two days a week in a cubicle. I sort of block off the openings and he plays in there...I'll have to take some pictures and share some more stories of our time in the office:) Well, needless to say it is hard to believe the next time I write one of these monthly updates Kai will be ONE YEAR OLD! Here are some pictures I tried to take of him today...my camera is just not fast enough to capture this kiddo!

Kai loves playing with this old key...doesn't he look like a mini coach?

Playing with Daddy's hat...

Kai is Ten Months Old!

Kai is ten months old today. This month has been incredible. He is very much becoming his own little person and it is so fun to watch. He has such a funny personality and I find myself laughing quite a bit with him. He loves to make people laugh and has figured out how to do it! Lately he will crunch is little nose when he is smiling which is super cute...he also snorts sometimes which is funny. He waves bye bye and also says it sometimes...but only when he wants to of couse! He loves pointing at our eyes, nose and mouth and we are trying to teach him to be gentle...he is all boy! The other day I was tickling him and I showed him he can tickle me and make me laugh...he caught on quick so now when I tickle him he puts his hands on my tummy and I laugh...he loves it! He signs "more" but also just hits his tray a lot when he wants food. He really likes to hear himself and yells (sometimes not so sweet) and sings (very sweet noises).
He is able to walk better now but doesn't do it all the time...he know he can get places faster if he crawls and he has things to do and no time to waste! I have noticed that he has been trying to walk on his own a lot more these last couple days. This morning he walked back and forth from me to the ottoman about four times (about 10 steps) with out me prompting him...he is just doing it. So, I know it won't be long now before walking is the norm. He loves climbing stairs which is now a normal routine after each diaper change...I have found that if we are downstairs he heads right for the stairs but he is pretty good at obeying when I tell him to stop and wait for me...but not always! I have been trying to teach him how to go down the stairs but he is not into that...that would be going back and he just is off and going...his goal is the top! I did teach him the other day how to get off the couch...he was just trying to jump to me but now he will turn onto his tummy and slide down...but not all the time, he has no fear and still trys to jump to me sometimes! He loves being where we are and will follow us. He spends lots of time in the kitchen with me and has his own cupboard he likes to take everything out of. He also loves bathes lately and has realized he can SPLASH...and splash he does...for as long as he is in there his arms are just going crazy...I need a rain coat to bathe him!
Like I said, this month has been incredible. I know there is more but I just wanted to quickly get down what I could remember so he can look back and see all he learned this month. I guess that is just it...I am able to see him learn now and it is so fun to teach him and see him be able to do it, and see him be proud of himself for doing it. It is really a new kind of joy I have never felt before. And with that joy, of course, comes frustration. Because I see what he is capable of I know he is often doing things he is not supposed to on purpose, testing limits and seeing what I will do. We are working a lot on first time obedience, obeying right away and with a happy heart. This will be a work in progress for a long time I am sure but he does really well considering his age. I know it is normal to test limits, it is how he figures out his world so I pray I can have patience and be consitent with him. Kai is really such a precious little boy and we are so blessed. Like I said, the joy and love I feel for Kai is amazing, I love that God has grown the joy and love to override the frustrations...He is so good!
I thought a video would be fitting this month since Kai is all about action lately...I am working on it and hope to have it in the next couple days....my big challenge at this point is figuring out how to get them off the camera...

Kai is Nine Months Old!

I thought I would write a little about what Kai is up to at his 9 month mark. As you can see from the video below he is working on walking. He has taken steps and can stand pretty well by himself if he would let himself...the problem is, that would mean being in one place for some amount of time and he is not into that. What he is into is everything else:) He moves very quick crawling and pulls himself up on everything, your leg, the fridge, the toilet (gross), pretty much anything higher than him he will grab onto and hope for the best. Due to his unwillingness to stay still I am no longer able to get those cute photo shoots I used to do...instead I have to get action shots!
Kai is talking up a storm lately...not that we know what he is saying but he seems very adamant that we listen. He has been saying a lot of Dada's lately and something that sounds very much like "Hey baby" but I'm pretty sure he's not trying to pick someone up...just figuring out his noises. He has become quite the Daddy's boy this last month. I don't know if it is just that new phase where Mommy isn't the center of his world or if it is all the additional time Tyson has been able to spend with him but it is a definite change. Not at all to say that Tyson didn't spend time with him before...he has Kai all day on Monday and they have always had a great bond...but the college group hasn't been meeting which usually takes him away at least two nights a week...plus we have had many full days together as a family over holidays. Anyway, he now will often reach for Tyson when I am holding him, (a little *tear* but not really) it is fun to see their new bond.

Kai is also just more into other people in general. Over Christmas he started this short little shout he would do to get some one's attention across the room. Then at the mall this weekend he did the same thing to a random lady in the store. Of course when they look at him he gives this cute little shy smile...it is funny. He also does a fake cough when Tyson and I are talking to get our attention...it is definitely different than is real cough that he has had for the past month (praying that is over now). We are getting to see his little personality and he is quite a social little boy:)

Decisions! Kai gets to decide where he wants to go, what he wants to play with and what he wants to do (with boundaries, of course). It is so fun to see what he likes now that he can pick and watch him process decisions. A month or so ago when he was first crawling we witnessed one of these decisions. Tyson was sitting on the couch and I was on the floor and Kai was in between us. He would start to crawl to Tyson and then stop in the middle look at both of us, then crawl towards me, then sit up, crawl towards Tyson. He seemed so confused. It was the first time I realized that he was having to make a decision...and it went on for a good five minutes. It was so funny but also reminded me that he gets to make decision and we get to help guide him to make good ones...what a privilege...and a challenge.

We have dealt with sickness for this past month off and on. When he came down with a cough again at Christmas I took him to the doctor and we found out he had an ear infection. We also found out that he was 18lbs 14.5oz...he gained a pound and a half in less than a month so he did pretty well despite the illness:)

This was much longer than I expected but the last few weeks I have been thinking about all that he is doing and knew I wanted to get it down so he can read it later...and this is where I do that. I look forward to the New Year ahead and all that it will bring!

Kai is 8 Months Old!

That's right, 8 months, he is 2/3 of the way done with his first year...too fast I say! Well, Kai turned 8 months on Sunday and was still quite sick so I tried to take a few pictures a few days later but he was still not cooperative. We took him to the doctor on Monday and he was 17 lbs 5 oz. I don't know if he gained anything in the last two months but the doctors said it was normal especially since he had been sick. He was also 27 1/2 inches so I think he has grown in that way. He speeding around the house on his hands and knees and pulling himself up on everything. He is catching onto "no" quicker than I thought although he still tests us, of course (I think I would be concerned if he didn't). Here are a few pictures I tried to take...I will try to get more later in the month...he's got to be in the right mood I have found. He can be quite stubborn in smiling when you want him too. And, as you can see he was a little distracted by the shining tree:)

Kai is Seven Months Old!

Kai is seven months old today. I think it goes through my head every month..."I can't believe how fast this is going!" But, it is true. He is growing so fast and changing so quickly. This last month I have began to see just how curious he really is. I have heard people say...at this age "everything" goes in their mouth. Well, I thought everything meant: they sometimes like to put things in their mouth. Boy, was I wrong. Literally anything he can get his hands on goes in his mouth. And lately, he is working hard to get his hands on anything he can. If he is on your lap he is reaching for anything in sight. He has no fear of heights...he'll just try to fling himself off your lap to reach what he wants. So far Kai has been a ridiculously easy baby. He adjusts to almost anything, let's us keep him out late on occasion with out much fuss, and quietly plays by himself on my cubicle floor while I work. This month I have gotten a glimpse of how things may drastically change when he gets mobile. I have a feeling our "easy" baby is going to become a handful. Sometimes I see him looking around thoughtfully, like he is planning all that he will do as soon as he can get his body to do what he wants. He will probably be crawling in the next few weeks. The other day he got himself up on his hands and knees. And lately he will try to pull himself up on anything within reach so I know once he does start crawling it will quickly turn to climbing. Although I know it will be harder on me, I do look forward to Kai being able to explore the world and satisfy some of his curiosity. Remind me later when he is running around that I have prayed that he would be curious and desire to learn:)

Here are a few pictures I took of Kai. Tonight we are going to get our first professional pictures.

Kai is Six Months Old

I can't believe our boy is already six months old...it has gone so fast! He is doing so well and is just so much fun. He is sitting up really well and is great on his tummy...he is not crawling yet but does a lot of "swimming" motions like he would like to go somewhere. He is interested in everything and is constantly reaching for everything so he can put it in his mouth. Yesterday he had his six month doctors appointment. He had six shots and did so well. I think he was trying to be extra tough because Daddy was there. He cried less then he had the last two times. He continues to grow although he has moved down a little on the charts. They said this is normal for breast-fed babies because they are starting to be more interested in the world around them than food. That is definitely true with Kai.

Here are his "stats":
weight: 17lbs 1oz, 38% (he has gained exactly 10 lbs since he was born...and moved up 10%)
height: 26.5 inches, 49%

Here are some pictures I took of him today!

Kai is Five Months Old!

Kai is Four Months Old!

Kai turned four months on the 2nd...I can't believe how big our little boy is getting. He had an appointment on Tuesday and is now 14lbs 15oz and 25 3/4 inches long. He is rolling over more now...has done it every day this week and is moving lots more when he is on his tummy. He scoots forward and also moves in circles. It is so fun to watch him learn and grow.

Kai Is Three Months Old!

Each month I have been doing a mini photo shoot on (or near) Kai's monthly bithdays. I can't believe it has been three months!