Bring on the tantrums.

New this week are tantrums. Kai's tantrum style is instant big crying coupled with body contortions if contained by something or someone. Sometimes with little shrieks. It started with him not wanting to get into the car seat on Thursday. Also winning a spectacle were his cousins leaving to go home, not being ready to come indoors and having to return my nephew's new toy car. It must be really difficult to be so sure of what you want and not have any way to say it. I try to remember how frustrating things must be for him at times. I have to admit that it is especially hard to do this while he is a little sobbing mess of a boy though. Distraction and redirection don't seem to hold any magic any longer. Time to break out the toddler taming books.

Cousins have arrived!

Kai and his cousin Sami keep it real sandbox style.

This week my sister, neice and nephew arrived from California and moved into their new house. Well, they are in their new house, they are waiting for their stuff to arrive via the Army movers. So, they are not all moved in yet, but soon. Meanwhile, my sister is busy (and making everyone else busy) replacing floors, stripping wallpaper and painting walls.

Kai is super excited to have his cousins around. He loves big kids right now and seems to find it amazing to have his very own big kids around. At his house. Playing with him and his toys. He follows my nephew everywhere he goes in the cutest way. My niece seems pretty enamored of him also. She asked me yesterday if I like Kai. After I told her I loved him so much, she told me that it must be because he is so little and cute. I am glad to have them close by, it is really sort of novel for me. We have already planned a theme for Halloween costumes. It feels too good to be true that my sister and her family will be just across town, for a really super long time.

Kai and Sami help my mom to pick potatoes.

Dessert.

Mr. Kai enjoys his first ever pumpkin cheesecake bite.
He found it to be delicious.

Testing a theory.

So, "they" say that a child will have more fun with a cardboard box than any toy that you could buy for them. In this case by they I mean all of the grandparents. We put a door and some windows on and put a giant water heater box to the test. The fun didn't actually last as long as I had imagined. Perhaps it will have more charm indoors.

Baseball games.

We went to a few minor league baseball games late in the season and had a super fun time. Kai stayed up late and enjoyed the clapping and cheering. Actually, he cheered and clapped for the cheering and clapping. It was pretty cute. He made friends with everyone around us each time we were there. He is quite a little charmer.

Snack time.

Kai and I just sat down to snack time. I was having some strawberry yogurt with wheat germ and Kai was having cheese puffs (one thing I know he will always eat). As I took a bite of my snack, Kai said "mmmm." So I got out one of his bowls and spoons and put a little in the bowl for him. He ate it from the spoon briefly. Then, he picked up a cheese puff, dipped it into the yogurt and licked it a little like he was testing the tastiness of the situation. Then he popped it in his mouth and did two more just like it. He has moved on to painting his hand with what is left of the yogurt.

A trip to the doctor.

Kai had a well visit today with his new Wisconsin pediatrician. We liked him and his medical assistant, Jennie, very much. Kai got one vaccination, for chicken pox, as an injection in his leg. I was really happy that they used his leg because they had switched to arms in PA and I wasn't too into it. The injections seemed to bother him a lot, lot more there. The last visit he had two giant puffy, hard areas at the injection sites that we had to ice. So far, no injection site reactions on the leg. The doctor did say that the vaccination might make Kai feel yucky for a day or so because it is a live vaccine. I am hoping that he feels okay. So far he is doing fine. Kai is now 34.5 inches tall and 29 pounds 15 ounces. Since his 15 month visit, he has gained 15 ounces and has grown two inches. He is in the 90th percentile for weight and 97th percentile for height. All around healthy, healthy, healthy.

1...2...3!

Kai started counting this week. One...two...three! It is pretty cute and very exciting. The first time he did it was at a playdate getting ready to throw a ball. Since then, almost everything deserves to be counted up to. Today Jake asked Kai if he was counting while he was watching Sesame Street. Kai said, "One...two..." That was it. Sometimes he forgets some of the numbers and sometimes he just says, "One...one...one...one." We think it is super cool that he knows that saying one, two, three is counting. I don't want to say that my kid is a genius, but...

Video call from Nana!

Kai had his first video call that he stayed in one place enough to see the caller! Jake's mom called this morning and we all had a nice time talking via Skype. Jake gave her a video tour of our new living space with the laptop camera and Kai showed off his toys and some of his new skills. He showed her how he gets down the stairs by sliding on his bottom and how he can throw things. Hopefully now that everyone's cameras and microphones are in working order we will have many more video calls with Nana!

Laughter and Smiles.

I was reading a fellow mommy's blog this morning (looking at you, Angela) and there was a fresh post about her baby's first laughter. It really left me reflecting on the first time that Kai laughed and the first time that he smiled. By some lucky sort of magic, Jake and I have always both been present for the firsts. First bath, smile, laughter, rolling over, crawling, walking...all of it. It seems too good to be true. I thought that I would share my memories of Kai's first smile and laugh today as Kai turns 19 months old.

The Smile.

Jake was often kind enough to let me grab extra sleep on his days off during Kai's early months. One morning Jake was downstairs with Kai and I was snoozing lightly. Jake brought Kai up to me to nurse and as he handed the sweet little bundle of baby over, Kai gave me a smile. It was one of the best feelings ever, having my son smile upon seeing me.

The Laugh.

We had been trying to make Kai laugh for quite awhile and he always seemed really close, but it never quite came out. We were in our bedroom getting Kai ready for bed and I was sitting in the rocking chair and Jake was finishing up changing his diaper. Jake gave Kai to me and was doing some sort of silliness that I have since forgotten and Kai let out a little giggle. Jake and I looked at each other in a moment of silent wonder and then, like a proper hormonal first time mother, my eyes welled with tears.

It is amazing to reflect on moments like those and to realize how much Kai has changed in the last year and a half and how much more he will change in the next five months. I try to remember to savor the time, but still I catch myself saying things, like I can't wait until he can really talk with me. I really can wait. It will happen so quickly that I probably will soon find it hard to remember when "wow" and "uh-oh" meant so many things.

As Kai turned a year old Jake and I talked about all of the amazing things that Kai had done in that year and would do in the next year. I cannot believe that the next year is more than half over. I am off to stuff diapers, feeling like even that is something that I should hold on to every second of.

Kai's new friends.

In Pennsylvania, most of Kai's friends were girls. Most of the toddlers that he hangs out with on a consistent basis are now boys. I had never given it much thought before, but there is definitely a difference between hanging out with mostly girl babies and now hanging out with mostly (or usually, all) boys. They are an active, spirited bunch. Here are some pictures of Kai and his new friends.

Amy attempts to keep Joah, Iain, Christian and Kai on the sofa for a photo.

Joah and Kai relaxing at the family cafe.

Joah, Kai and Iain

Kai, cheesing at a playdate.

Lazy Mommy Blogger

That's me. I was reminded of this tonight by the best kind of friend to have. One that tells you when you are being a lazy blogger. So...what has happened in the last twelve days...

Kai has not used the potty that I bought him the day following the pee pee on the potty times two. Not even once. Unless of course you count taking out the cushiony inner seat and putting it on his head as "using" it. If so, then he uses the potty daily. Sometimes multiple times a day.

Kai's harmonica playing and dancing skills continue to improve. We will have to capture his advances in these areas on video over the weekend to post.

Mostly, we have just been enjoying what is left of the summer with the little man. Lots of sandbox time, bike rides and time spent at the pool.

We are really looking forward to Jake's mom coming to visit next month. The last time she saw Kai was right before we moved. I don't think that she has even seen him walk! We are so excited for her to see how he has grown and how his personality is emerging.

Speaking of personality. Kai has learned to sing. His favorite song to sing goes like this, "Nooo, no, no, noooo, no, nooo, nooooo." He smiles pretty much through the whole thing. Must try to catch that on video also.

Pictures and video soon! Sooner than twelve days, I promise!

Pee pee in the potty!

Lately, Kai has been letting us know when he is in the bathtub or during naked time when he is about to urinate. This afternoon, Kai was standing in the play room and let us know that he was about to go. So, I asked him if he wanted to use they potty and we ran to the bathroom and took off his diaper. He did not go the whole way there! Then I put him on the big potty and told him it was okay to go. THEN HE DID!!!! There were some technical difficulties with using the big potty, mostly due to my lack of experience in the penis department. (Pee got on me as well as in the potty.) Most of his pee went into the potty though! We said yay a whole lot and I told him what a great thing it was to go pee in the potty, then we flushed and washed hands (all very, very exciting). It was a very exciting couple of minutes for us! Hurray to Kai! Now, I guess it is time to get a little potty for future peeing experiences. I am going to have to do some consulting about what type of potty to get. We have looked at them in the past, but there are a whole lot of choices. I am not sure what is best. If anyone has any potties for boys suggestions, please let me know!