9 months!

You have now been with us "outside" longer than you were "inside". (Actually, that happened about 3.5 weeks ago since you were born early). What can I say?! You continue to amaze me and I am sure you always will. You're personality is slowly starting to emerge but I can't pinpoint specifics yet. It seems like you are a little bit of a daredevil, you are focused and determined, you are a social butterfly/flirt.

I was just telling my grandma how happy and smiley you are. That you smile and flirt with everyone. In fact, if people aren't paying enough attention to you, you will smile more and start doing things to get their attention. She said you do not take after me :-). That I was more reserved. Not you though, it's awesome!

Things that are happening now:

• You now have 4 bottom teeth but no top teeth! The 2 new teeth came in on Valentine's weekend.
• You are a pro at commando crawling. You will get up on all fours and rock a little but quickly just fall to your belly. It's almost like you don't really care to figure out real crawling.
• In the past week you have figured out how to sit up from laying down. This is making nap time a little harder because you want to sit up all the time. You will be crying with your eyes closed, rolling all over the bed and sitting up. Then just collapse and start it all over again. It's like your body has a mind of its own. Eventually you pass out.
• You seem to be getting less interested in baby food and more interested in adult food.
• You will just sit and play for an hour or more by yourself...thank you!
• You are scary in your walker. We constantly feel like we are being chased and you are very fast. I was trying to vacuum this weekend and you were DETERMINED to run over/into the vacuum. Then the walker would get tangled in the cord. My feet were being run over. You also had a wooden spoon that you were waving around as you screamed at the top of your lungs. So I spent quite a awhile pushing you away so I could get the floors vacuumed while you barreled right back at me, threatening me with the spoon :-). I know it would have been easier to put you in the play area but you were having so much fun. I wish I knew what you were thinking and that I had the while thing taped!
• You will stand and hold onto things for a few minutes but aren't pulling yourself up yet. However, you thinking it is really funny to let go and fall backwards. So far, somebody catches you or you land on your butt on the carpet so it's ok. But one of these times you might find out its not so fun. You would much rather do this though than actually stand.
• You have started "swim lessons". We spend 20 minutes letting you splash around in the water, getting use to being on your belly and back. You love the water!

That's all I can think of now. I love you Kian!

So thankful

Since I was pregnant I have been obsessed with reading stories about other peoples difficult pregnancy's, problems with birth, problems after birth, etc. These are really, really sad stories and I don't know these people and I don't know why I want to read their stories. I often wonder if it helps put things into perspective for me. To help me realize my issues could be so much worse. To make me feel lucky. I really don't know what it does but I can't stop searching out and reading.

I've recently stumbled across a blog that breaks my heart (http://laylagrace.org/). A two year old that is loosing the battle to cancer and her amazingly strong and faithful parents. They have to endure something that is incomprehensible to me and my heart goes out to them.

Why do I read these stories... to make me stop and really, truly appreciate the gift I have been given. It makes me hold Kian a little closer. Slow down and be with him. Give him a few more kisses and hugs. Savor all those little baby giggles. Smell his sweet baby smell and caress his soft baby skin. Because I can not even begin to imagine my world without this precious soul.

He does laugh!!!

I think I've mentioned before but Kian is not a laugher or giggler. He smile 24/7 but it's like he doesn't know how to laugh. Or we are just not funny enough. Whatever the reason it is a long, tedious project to try to get even a hint of giggle out of the boy. When he finally does it sounds forced or fake. It's become a big joke around the house. Really, I'm not a big laugher either, that's Izaac's department.

Well, a couple of nights ago we decided to organize the pots and pans cabinet. Kian was in his walker and Isabel and I were sitting on the floor. I had Isa take all the pans and lids out and while I was trying to figure out the best way to organize them, Isa became a one woman band. She had a basket and a couple different pans set up, I don't think she was singing but I can't remember. This went on for a few minutes, she was in her own world drumming away. Neither of us were paying attention to Kian. The next think I hear is a full on, belly laugh coming from the walker. I look over and baby boy is watching Isabel and LAUGHING. Hard. For a few minutes. It was really cute to watch. I have no idea why she was so funny but he sure enjoyed the show.

We decided to see if he wanted to participate in the band. Set him on the floor and gave him a wooden spoon to bang away with. Not so much. The spoon when straight in his mouth. After awhile he grabbed a lid and started banging it around but he did not seem to get as much enjoyment out of that as he did watching Isabel.

My baby boy is already 7 months old!

I had invisioned a letter to Kian every month for the first year...well I sort of skipped the last few months! I have no idea where the time has gone. Anyway, baby boy you are now 7 months and some change. Wow! It has been a great 7 months. I really couldn't ask for a better baby, let's hope this continues as you get older :-). You have progressed since your last letter at 4 months. You are now around 19.5+ pounds and at a very chunky monkey stage. All round and full of baby fat. However, I don't think this will last too long because you are on the move!

In the last few weeks you have mastered comando crawling or slithering...you are very good at moving yourself across the room on your belly, especially if it is for something interesting like a cord. You move and roll and spin all over now. It's very fun to watch. You are also excellent at sitting and will sit and play in you play area for quite a long time. You are getting more interested in toys but still prefer anything that you aren't suppose to have (phone, cords, space heater, etc).

You still love to eat and seem to be enjoying solid foods more and more. You are constantly trying to take our food away from us! You are also trying to blow raspberries on our cheeks now (or the couch!) and occasionally it works. Most of the time we end up with a very wet, licked cheek though. You love to play peek-a-boo and actually cover your own face quite a bit. You are a massive drooler! You still smile all the time but it is very hard to get you to laugh. And even then it isn't a traditional giggle. You sleep very well and we are able to put you down and you will fall asleep on your own! However, I still like to cuddle you to sleep most of the time :-). You adore Isabel and find her very intertaining and you are finally tall enough to move around in your walker. It is so amazing to watch your personality and new skills emerge! I wish we could just slow down time a little.

Christmas was fun. You managed to tear little tiny pieces of paper off the presents but then wanted to eat the paper. We took to long to open presents and you fell asleep about half way through. I think you're favorite part of the day was when all the family was over holding you and spoiling you! You love to be held!

Love you!
Momma

My first Thanksgiving

I had such a good time today with the whole famly. I really have no idea what the day is about yet but I really like all the attention I get. I didn't get to try any of the yummy food daddy cooked but I did try baby food chicken. I am not so sure I like it. Mommy said it reminds her of cat food! Whatever that means?! Grandma suggested that I get a cleaned turkey leg bone to chew on and I loved it. But I dropped it on the floor and we weren't paying attention and Kettle ate it. She loved it too! Well hope everyone else had a Happy Thanksgiving too! I love you.

I am thankful for my two new teeth! Do you see them in the picture?!

End of soccer 2009

This is the first year Isabel played soccer. It was so much fun. I wish the season was longer than 7 weeks. The kids are just starting to understand what is going on and the season is over. Isabel did great for being the first time playing. She came al ong way in seven weeks! The first few practices she would play then get distracted and lay on the ground "watching stars". At least that didn't happen during the game :-)

It's interesting how polite they are when playing. Time after time the ball gets kicked to one kid, then they all wait while he takes his turn kicking before they go for it. It is such a hard concept to get them to get in there and take it away. They are all so used to taking turns.

This age group doesn't have goalies but htey have two kids that stay back as defenders. This was not Isa's strong point. She would get very distracted/bored. However, when they put her in to play the other positions she did great. One of the funniest thigs that happened was when Isa tried to retrieve a ball from the net and managed to get herself stuck in the net. Actually, I think this happened two weeks in a row :-). Good times!

A runner/triathlete in the making !?!

We signed Isabel up for the Kids Rock marathon being held in conjunction with the Las Vegas Rock and Roll marathon in December ( http://las-vegas.competitor.com/lv-kids/). The kids have to run/walk 25.2 miles at their own pace before the event, then they all meet and run the last mile together. They get a race number, t-shirt, medal, goodie bag...the whole nine yards.

She is very excited and tells anyone who will listen that she is running a marathon. (Every person then responds with... are you going to win? WHY oh why do people have to say that! Drives me crazy. Ughh!) Anyway, she's excited. We made a chart for her to keep track of her miles and decided we would tick them off in one mile increments.

Sunday night I took her out for her run and we had a blast. We ran around the neighborhood and she ran the majority of the mile with a few water breaks and a small walk break towards the end. She also talked non-stop for the entire time, she apparently was in a comfortable zone! She talked about how fun this was, how I was the BEST AUNT ever for running with her and it should be "our thing" that we do and how lots of Aunts would just sit around and never run with their nieces (very cute!). Then she mentioned she wishes this was a race where she got to do all three things like you and Izaac do. When was she going to get to do that?? I think we have a little triathlete on our hands!

The best thing about the whole experience was to witness her absolute excitement and happiness just from running. She had been in a pretty grumpy mood before we went, I think we basically forced the shoes on her. The little girl that ran with me and the one that we enjoyed the rest of the evening was a completely different person than the one we had for most of the day. She was so happy, chatty and smiley the whole rest of the evening. Made me realize that exercise is therapeutic for the kids as well. Let's hope the remainding miles go just as well :-)