Auntie Linda in Dallas!

Auntie Linda and Uncle John were in the area visiting family. We got to spend an afternoon with them at the house. We pulled Karis out of preschool a little early so she could spend more time with them. 

When they walked through the door, Makena wanted to show them her room. They went up to her room and Makena asked Auntie Linda to read her a book. They picked up right where they left off six months ago! 

It was sad to say good-bye, especially when the girls had to say good-bye to grandma the day before. I think that made it especially hard. Karis burst into tears when Auntie Linda was getting ready to leave and asked for her the next couple days. We hope to see her again soon...

A One Year Old Boy

  

Kyle is now 1! Here is a snapshot of what he is like now:

• Loves to eat and is not a picky eater. Favorite foods are avocado, cheese and Korean rice cakes
• Is sleeping through the night!
• Takes two naps, usually 1 1/2 hours each, and typically stays up for a 3-hour stretch
• He can say mama, dada, night-night and nana (I think... he started saying it after she left, perhaps he's looking for her)
• Is now comfortable standing up on his own and has taken a few steps/lunges forward
• Has recently taken an interest in things with wheels and even makes car/truck noises as he's playing with them
• Loves to cuddle and give kisses -- the open-mouth, drooling kind
• Loves to take walks outside
• Climbs up and down stairs - he's good about going down backwards
• Loves to pull the girls' hair
• Has always been and is still jealous when the girls are in my lap
• He's been cranky and clingy the past few weeks as I'm trying to wean him from being breastfed  -- he's not enjoying it at all. We're down to two feedings a day!
• Is now trying to figure out how things work -- jar lids, stacking blocks, etc.
• Likes to play peek-a-boo and move to music
• Is pretty good about obeying when we say "no" (yet still sticks crayons in his mouth)

  

Springtime in Dallas

The weather has been pretty nice here. Some days are hot, some are humid, but there are plenty of nice days in the 70's. People are warning us about what it will be like here in the summer months, so we're trying to take advantage of these days. We take lots of walks and go to the park whenever we can.

    

    

Kyle's One Year Check-Up

Kyle had a great check up. The doctor said he's doing great. His current measurements are:

height:  28.5 inches (13th percentile)

weight:  21 lb 11 oz (34th percentile)

head circumference:  48 cm (89th percentile)

Not the most proportionate kid, but we're thankful that he's happy and healthy!

A Week With Nana

During Nana's visit, the kids spent lots of time outside, blowing bubbles, going on walks and riding their bikes around the neighborhood. That gave me lots of time to run errands and prepare for Kyle's party. It was also nice to get a break from Kyle's clinginess behavior that he's been exhibiting the past few weeks. Nana gladly took care of him, fed him and played with him all day. 

Derek and I went out a couple of times. When we left, the kids cried because they didn't want us to leave. That made us realize that we need to go out more often like we did when we were in California. Since we moved here, we haven't gotten a babysitter and now the kids are so used to having us with them all the time. Hopefully we can find a handful of people we feel comfortable leaving our kids with and we'll go out regularly. 

First Word

And the winner is...

Mother's Day

Karis made me a Mother's Day gift at preschool. I was so excited to see what she made me. When she was giving me the gift, she was asking me if she could have it. I've never received a gift from someone who wanted it back -- immediately. She loved the necklace she made because it had a picture inside of it and wanted it so badly for herself. She's never had one like it, is what she tells me. I told her that I love it and want to keep it forever which made her burst into tears.  

While she's still crying, I open up her card and see that she's drawn me as a black woman with green eyes. And this is from my artistic daughter who is a perfectionist. From looking at the picture, she clearly had access to brown and yellow crayons. I couldn't stop laughing and I almost started crying too. My favorite line is that she thinks I like to wash dishes (I'm thinking in her mind, why would I do it all day if I didn't love it?). I got such a kick out of the whole thing, from the gift-giving to the actual gift. But I love it and I will keep it forever. 

Kyle's 1st Birthday Celebration

We had a party for  Kyle's 1st birthday yesterday. We celebrated with our small group, Nana, and a few other friends. Of course, the one day he doesn't nap at the church nursery was the day of his party. He was happy but pretty tired and had no idea the party was for him. Unfortunately, we didn't catch on film the few times he actually smiled. 

The party was at our church's indoor playground.

Since Kyle loves giraffes, we had a jungle-themed birthday.

Me and my boy

He had a hard time choosing which one to pick.

Like both his sisters, he settled on the rice.

Praying before dinner

Makena wanted to pray too so she sang a prayer for everyone.

One of the best parts of the party for me was having a good friend from California drop by.
They were visiting family in the area and were able to celebrate with us. 

Playing with Nana

Time for cake!

Kyle didn't get why everyone around him was singing.

Why are all these people looking at me?

Kyle didn't like the feel of buttercream on his fingers. He wasn't a fan of the cake.
His facial expression says it all!

A treat for all our guests.

Could It Really Be?

Kyle has slept through the night the past three nights! I have waited for this for so long. Now if only I can sleep through the night... I guess my body is so used to waking up that it does so naturally without a baby crying.

Skipping, Swinging and Naps

Karis has learned how to skip! She can also pump her legs and swing on her own. It's so fun for her and she now spends most of her time on the swings at the park.

Not so good news... she no longer naps. Thankfully, she's gotten better about staying quiet so that I can get a little shut eye. I've had to teach her what is a good reason to wake me up and what is not. If you are bleeding, then you can wake mommy up. And needing a piece of paper -- uh, no. That is not a good reason.