6 months

Yesterday was Kaio's 1/2 birthday!!! I just can't believe he was born 6 months ago! Time really does fly when you are having fun. It's great going out and about with him. He is much more predictable and in a nice routine that I can plan outings around them and make sure he is on track on his daily schedule (of feeding, napping, changing, etc) and he is a happy camper.
Today 10 of the 12 babies from the NCT group (ante natal classes) got together to make foot prints... it was great. The babies also got to 'play' with each other. It was clear that the girls were more social, the 3 boys pretty much looked around and let the girls touch their faces and legs! Kaio seemed to be bigger then the girls but the smallest of the boys! Kaio behaved really well and seemed to enjoy the company of the other babies. I hope he feels the same when we start daycare in 3 weeks.
Below are some more pictures:
1) Kaio loves his jump & go... he does not jump that much in it yet but he loves the toys and looking around while in it!
2) Kaio and I with daffodils... it's supposed to be almost spring!
3) Smiling in his playpen and on his belly! (after he rolled over from laying on his belly - he has mastered this and is able to entertain himself by rolling over and playing with toys at different angles!)
4) Sitting in his bumbo....

Priceless..

Kaio's first Easter was cold!!! We had a very relaxed 4 days weekend..... It was Kaio's first snow experience - he loved looking at the white flocks coming down! We went for a walk in the park with his new hat:

Pictures from Brazil

Here is a link to the picture album Jason put together:

http://www.jasonandannelies.co.uk/Brasil%202008/index.html

Isn't he the cutest ever!!!!

Solids

Kaio is doing great on solids. We have gotten into a nice routine and he is eating 3 solid meals a day, 2 breasfeeds and 1 formula feed:
- 6am - Kaio wakes up and I breastfeed him in our bed - he falls back asleep after 5 - 10 min and I put him back to bed. he then sleeps until 7:30 - 8am. Yesterday morning I left him in bed with us, when he woke at 7:30 he was very shocked in seeing us next to him when he woke up, but after a few seconds he was all smiles! We don't want to make it a habit though.. we'll see if we can resist!
- 9am - expressed or formula milk, yogurt or cottage cheese with some 'baby cereal'. Sometimes I may mix in a banana (especially when using cottage cheese) to sweeten it up a bit
- noon - 3 - 4 oz of a savory meal - I get 2 frozen cubes of meat (chicken or beef) and one of vegetables (carrot, parsnips, spinach, courgette, swede or sweet potato), sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top of it and warm it slightly. He then gets dessert which is normally some yogurt (strawberry, raspberry or apricot) He also takes a few sips of prune juice in a little transition cup.
- 3pm - breastfeed. This will become a formula feed once he starts daycare.
- 6pm - 3 oz of savory meal (just like lunch) followed by a bigger dessert. (1/2 avocado with 1/2 a banana mixed with a bit of cottage cheese or yogurt)
- 8pm - night time formula. I just recently started giving him formula for this feed instead of breasfeed.
In between some meals I also give him a specially 'baggy' with a piece of fresh fruit in it. He sucks and bites on it and gets the juice out. He really likes that.
He is doing really well with eating and tends to eat better at home - less distraction. Around the last oz of his savory meal he starts grunting and making 'poopie' faces. It is hilarious! He is making space inside to eat more... he has been very regular! (average of 5 poops daily!) I love feeding him and he is improving by the day in swallowing.
On thursday I had lunch with some girls from my antenatal class, all babies started solids, but Kaio and I have been much more 'adventurous' in our feeding by trying different flavors and textures while they are still at giving plain carrots or sweet potatoes.

Good bye!

Grandma Anita and Aunt Carrie left today. Kaio loved having them stay with us. He love grandma's "mooshes" and tall Aunt Carrie holding him (he got a better view then being helf by mommy....)
Yesteday Grandma Anita treated us to a High tea. We ate for 2 hrs and Kaio behaved really well. We were at a nice hotel that had an aquarium and Kaio loved looking at the fish and the beautiful flower arrangements.
Kaio is now eating 3 solid meals a day:
- Breakfast at 8am - mommy's milk + cereal
- Lunch - noon - four ounces of pureed veggies and meat (ever day it is a mixture) followed by a little pot of yogurt
- dinner - 6pm - 3 ounces of pureed veggies and 4 ounces of fruit (his latest favourite - avocado with banana)
He is still being breasfed 3 times a day on top of his solids.
This week I changed the day I am going back to work - I am taking an additional 2 weeks off. I am really thorn about returning to work. I really want to but I don't want to miss any minute of Kaio's live! He is growing and changing so fast. I want to be next to him when he crawls for the first time, I want to be there to sooth him when he cries, I want to be there when he discoveres a new toy or learns a new 'trick'. But I also want to continue my career.

Weight check

Today we went to check Kaio's weight. He is now 24 weeks. He weighed in at 7.02kg (=15.5lbs). It's less then 0.5kg gain since his last check, 5 weeks ago. The health advisor said it was normal since we started solids. Because we are only starting very basic solids, the calorie compensation for the breast milk is not sufficient (he reduced the breast milk intake and has not been able to compensate with the new food)/ She did advice me to start on more proteins (yogurt, meats, etc) to start increasing the calorie intake. But overall he is doing really well; he is happy, hitting the developmental milestones, etc. so no needs to worry.
We met up with some of the moms and babies we met at our ante natal class. It was great. Kaio was looking around, checking everyone out, playing with different toys.... when I laid him on the floor with another baby he tried to grab her shirt and interact with her, when other babies would cry or make other noises, he would stare at them... it was adorable. I also gave him his afternoon fruit and everyone was impressed with the quantity and speed he ate!
I took a bath with Kaio tonight (me and him in the big bath). At first he did not seem very sure about it (after our first experience in the big bath, where I, accidentally, made him swallow some water) but after splashing some water and playing with him he was all smiles and loved it!!! It was great!

New pics

We have been so busy lately and I finally got around in downloading some pictures from Brazil and Kaio eating his 'meals'.
1) Kaio with his 'transition' cup. He holds it really well and manages to get it to his mouth alone!!!
2) Kaio in his high chair eating prune puree, one of his favorite!
3) "What are you looking at?! It's not my fault mommy can't aim it right in my mouth!"
4) Kaio's 1st pool experience....
5) Happy family in Brazil
6) Oma and Opa with kaio
7) Mommy and Kaio with the beautiful flowers

Family in town

Yesterday Grandma Anita and Aunt Carrie arrived. Kaio was all smiles when he saw them. We spent the afternoon showing off his new abilities (playing with toys, rolling over, making all kind of noises and eating solids) I gave him his first banana meal. He loved it!!! It was actually the first time he cried for more and I had to rush to the kitchen to make another plate of food... (which he also finished very promptly) Grandma and Carrie were very impressed!
Kaio is now sleeping very well for 5 days in a row (fingers crossed it is here to stay) He goes to bed at 8pm and only wakes up between 5 -6 am for a 10min feed and he then sleeps until 7:30 - 8am!!!! It's been so nice for us to sleep and he is also in such a great mood after a good night of sleep.
Introducing solids has been fun and exciting! (he is now on 2 meals a day) He has been accepting it really well and the food goes in really well (apart from the spinach and with a big preference for sweets) but it comes out (on the other end) quiet smelly and with a different consistency! All the joys of a growing little baby!!! (can't wait to get him potty trained!) I have also started giving him a prune 'tea' to avoid constipation. I have introduced it in a bottle that has a different top on it to help him with the transition to a cup. He loves to suck on it and holds it really well.

Another growth spurt

We arrived well in the UK. Kaio did very well throughout our 24hr journey home. He had to sleep on the floor of the bulkhead aisle since the two only baby cots on board were given to a set of twins coming from Australia. Daddy made a comfy bed (he used 7 blankets and 6 pillows to make a 'nest' for Kaio) and he slept really well.
The first night back at home, Kaio was a bit disoriented and woke up several times throughout the night. But yesterday, the second night at home, he slept from 8:30pm until 7:30am without waking up at all!!!!! He woke up well rested and with huge smiles for mommy and daddy. He has also been sleeping more throughout the day and eating a lot. It must be another growth spurt.
Vinny arrived today and Kaio follows him all over. He smiles when Vinny comes close and smells his hands and face. It is very cute to see how Kaio is responding much more to Vinny then 3 weeks ago!
Yesterday we bought a food processor to make Kaio's meals. This morning I made his first 'puree' with it. I boiled potatoes, parsnips and carrots. After I pureed it, I added some rice cereal and Kaio ate 150ml. I also have been giving him a bot of water with a splash of apple juice, so he gets used to drinking water out the bottle/cup.
Today I went by the nursery and started making the arrangements for him to start on April 1st. It is going to be very hard for me not to be with him every day, all day. But I am confident that the nursery will be great for him!

Leaving :-(

Today we are leaving Brazil! We had a great vacation and we´ll miss everyone! Kaio has gotten so used to everyone spoiling him and I will miss having several pair of hands helping.
Kaio is eating at least one ´meal´ a day. He seems to prefer sweet things (just like his daddy, he has a sweet tooth!) and his favorite seems to be papaya. He also has gotten into a nice schedule/routine and I am hoping he will continue like that once we get home. Kaio loves the garden. Oma did the ´plant therapy´every morning, taking Kaio around the garden and letting him smell and touch different plants, herbs and flowers. We had several barbecues for different groups of friends for them to meet Kaio. He behaved really well and everyone loves him! (and from my own experience, it is not difficult to love this little guy!)
Kaio is playing so nicely. He grabs toys easily and is entertained by them for several minutes. Some toys, very rarely, he puts in his mouth, although he prefers the dummy and his fingers to suck on! He is a pro in turning over and he loves to sleep on his side. He also loves to 'grab' our faces and touch our nose, mouth, cheeks and eyes. Below are a couple of pictures:

Eating very well!

Kaio started solids 10 days ago. He has been doing so well on them. He normally gets around 70ml of expressed milk with rice cereal mid-morning and a fruit juice (papaya, apple or orange) with rice cereal in the afternoon. I have found out that he prefers his food a bit chunkier (harder) then the milkshake consistency I started with. He eats very fast and really well. The first couple of spoons he normally makes a funny face, but then he just eats away. Yesterday we were at the mall and we sat to have a refreshment. I had a pineapple juice and he seemed very interested, so I gave him a couple of spoonfuls, he loved it!
Here in Brazil, people love children and we have been approached by several people to hold him, talk about him, etc. Yesterday, at the mall, we went into a store and all employees (all women) stopped what they were doing to gather around him. He was all smiles and he was the center of everyone´s attention. One of the ladies held him, initially he was fine and smilling, but when he saw Jason and realized he was not being held by his daddy, he started crying.
Yesterday, Jason and I had our 4th date without Kaio since he has been born. We went for a nice meal and drinks while Oma took care of him. It was very nice!

Mid-vacation

Kaio recognized Jason when he arrived. It was adorable to see him look at daddy and open a big smile. (Oma was preparing us and saying that at this age they may not recognize people... she mentioned that when Karolien was 7 months and she went to Belgium for a month, when they returned to Brasil, Karolien did not recognize dad). But when Jason arrived, Oma held him at eye level, behind the glass, and Kaio looked at Jason for 5 seconds and then opened a huge smile. When Jason finally was able to hold him (after picking up his luggage) Kaio was all smiles to daddy, and he has been ever since!
Kaio has been in the swimming pool a couple of times. He loves to ´step´in the grass and look at the flowers and plants in the garden. He is also able to look and follow birds flying in the sky.

Daddy arrives today!

Jason arrives today in Porto Alegre. We are anxiously waiting and I am very curious to see Kaio´s reaction when he sees daddy again!
Today Kaio rolled from his back to his tummy! (at 6:15am). He wanted to look at one of his toys and he threw his legs first, laid side ways for a while and then turned his upper body. He seems surprised every time he rolls from one to another but is able to entertain himslef for more time after he rolls to a different position.
Kaio has been having some kind of pain... we first thought it was ear pain, but we now think he is teething. He is drooling and chewing on his hands and some toys much more then before!

Soon to be reunited...

(guest writer)As I sit here in London, packing to get ready for my journey to Brasil, I've been transferring some pictures from the camera onto the computer. Last weekend London had beautiful weather - sunny, and around 15 degrees C. Because their bags were packed and there was a bit of time to kill before heading to the airport on a warm winter day, Annelies, Liesbet, Kaio (and myself!) took a stroll through Wandsworth Common. Here are a few nice pictures from that fine London afternoon
Also, here is a picture of Kaio displaying his mastery of sucking on his fingers :)

Finally, I'm very excited to go to Brasil today! It's very difficult to describe how much I miss little Kaio and Annelies. This has certainly been the longest we've all been apart since Kaio was born. I'm bummed that I couldn't see him flip over for the first time this past week...but now Kaio has had more practice doing it and hopefully wants to show off to daddy! :) And now, only 24 hours of traveling and I'll be down in Porto Alegre! (and I've heard that there will be a churrasco (barbeque) waiting for me; I can't wait!

Lots of love,

-Jason

Rolling over.. eating solids.. such a big boy!

On monday morning I left Kaio on my bed for a couple of seconds so I could get his cloths. I put him on his tummy and when I turned around he was on his back, looking at me! He rolled over for the first time without me seeing it!! I put him back on his tummy and slightly turned to close the drawer... again, I looked at him and he was on his back! So for the third time , I turned him to his tummy and did not turn away... and he did it! He threw his upper body first and then his legs! So cute! Unfortunately he has not done it since. He is turning to the side (to look at his toys) when laying on his back, so soon he will be rolling around!
On tuesday we started some solids. I mixed rice meal with my breast milk and Opa gave him his first spoons. He first accepted it well but then he noticed that it was not ´mommy´s milk´and he started crying. On tuesday pm we also gave him several spoonfulls of mamão juice (papaya), which he really liked - he has daddy´s sweet tooth! His facial expressions are priceless -he frowns his forehead and licks the spoon. I make ´yummie yummie´noises and he smiles, he spits a bit out but swallows the majority!
Kaio is adating really well. Yesterday we also went to have lunch and left him with Teresa. She has worked for my parents for almost 10 years and is great with children. I have to confess that I was a bit nervous since we were going away for 2 1/2 hrs, but when we returned he was taking a nap and Teresa said he behaved really well. He always smiles when he sees her.

BRASIL!!!

We arrived in Brazil on sunday. It was a long trip (24hrs in transit) but Kaio behaved very well! He slept well, played nicely, smiled at everyone and was a perfect little traveller (several people complimented how wel behaved he was during the flights!)
When we arrived in Porto Alegre, Oma, Opa and Ward were waiting for us. Kaio opened a big smile when he saw Oma, so I left him with them while I went to retrieve the luggage. When I came back he was crying with tears and all. Opa had taken him from Oma and he did not recognize him and started crying. Throughout the day he would cry every time he saw Opa, however the next day, after a good night of sleep he was all smiled to Opa.
It has been very hot and Kaio has been sweating a lot. I started giving him some extra tea so he does not get dehidrated. It is so cute to see him sleep naked (with his nappies on!). He loves to look around and explore this ´new world´.
He also has been sleeping really wellduring the night. We put him to bed at 7:30 and he sleeps until 4am, eats and then sleeps until 7:30. I have been getting some good nights of sleep.

More shots

Today Kaio got his 3rd round of immunizations. This time he got three shots. It, again, was heartbreaking. He cried at each shot, just to allow me to sooth him and then get another needle in his leg! But just like with the last set of shots, he was not much affected.
Kaio has been such a joy (as always) but now he pretty much smiles every time he sees me and we can make him giggle very easily. He loves being lifted high in the air and then come towards our face. He also when you suddenly come eye to eye with him. He first 'jumps', surprised, but then giggles.
He is very close to sitting up and rolling over. He is also very interested in everything around him and follows people or cars passing by. He also notices Vinny often and follows him when he walks around. (at home and in the park).
Kaio is almost back to his night schedule (sleeping through the night). Jason feeds him at 10:30 and then he wakes up at 6 for a feed and sleeps again until 7. He is now feeding every 3 1/2 - 4hrs and is eating less since he gets very distracted while feeding)

Ambitious?!!?

This past saturday we overestimated our little guy a bit. We went to a traveling fair in the afternoon (we are looking into some trips) and from there we were planning to go to a nice restaurant to celebrate Jason's promotion. We decided to do this because Kaio was so good while we were in Dublin and we were able to go have dinner every night with him asleep in his pram next to us! Well, we got the timing wrong and he actually woke up when we got to this really nice restaurant. We sat down, I grabbed him from his pram, we ordered water, looked at each other and knowing we would not be able to enjoy our 3 course meal since we would be rushing and having to alternate holding him between us, we just ordered the bill (of the bottle of water we had).
We got take away, went home, put Kaio to bed, opened a nice bottle of wine and celebrated over candle light. It still was a lot of fun! So, thanks to Kaio we actually didn't spend a lot of money on a nice meal (always looking at the positive side of things ;-)

So talkative

Kaio has been making so many diferent noises. Often we leave him in his playpen (where he has several toys hanging above him) and you can hear him 'chat' and make all kind of noises from the other room! When we go and stand above him, he opens a big smile and starts talking to us! He seems to have so much to say. He also loves listening to us. Sometimes, when he is crying I place him in his bouncy chair and start reading out loud a book or newspaper and he almost instantly stops crying and listens very atentive. When I read parts of the book, looking at him, he opens a huge smile!
In little over a week we will be flying out to Brazil. We can't wait. Kaio loves being naked and kicking around... which will be possible in Brazil since it is nice and sunny! It will be so nice to see Oma and Opa again (he has changes so much since the last time they saw him, 3 months ago) meet uncle Ward and all my friends in Brazil. Well, even with 3 passports, we may still have some hick-ups going to Brazil. Brazilian law mandates that any brazilian child under 12 years, when travelling with only one parent, should have a 'authorization letter' from the absent parent. To get this, however, we need to go to a notary, to the consul, etc etc and we don't have time to do this. We can't use his US passport, since he would need a visa for that. (which also takes time and is expensive) So the best option is to travel with his belgian passport since it does not require a visa!!!
Just like his mom, he is already facing dificulties regarding his nationalities (as he also is experiencing dificulties with his name!)

Pics

Some pics Aunt Liesbet took:
1) As if his cheeks are not big enough, he now blows them up even more. You can also see his eyes are starting to turn light brown/green/greyish
2) In the Baby Bjorn looking and smiling at me!
3) Vinny goes on Kaio's chair and sits on his laps, mostly with his behind towards Kaio's face. He does not seem to mind at all!

Kaio's first cold - cured with Guinness??!

Kaio had is first cold. He started coughing a bit more then normal on friday and on saturday morning he was sneezing and coughing heavy. For two seconds we considered not going to Dublin but we decided to take our chances and went. He was great!!!!! He was such a joy throughout the whole trip. On the plane he slept te whole time, he would take naps or look around with us at the museums and cathedrals and at the Guinness tour he slept the whole time until we had a pint in the bar. Actually it might be the Guiness pints I had that helped him over his cold - "Guinness is for strenght". (here with Daddy at a pub checking out the Guinness pint!

Here with mommy at the Guinness restaurant... he is breastfeeding under the cover... (after mommy had half a pint of Guinness!) Kaio adapted nicely to our schedule. He would take long naps during the day (his cold probably made him sleep more then normal), be awake and happy (mostly to feed or when we were walking around). He was in his baby bjorn and pram and it allowed him to look around and sleep when he wanted. In the evening we would go out to dinner and he would sleep in his pram. He slept in a crib in our room and did great! (even allowing us o watch tv without being woken up)

The weather was also very nice (apart from tuesday, the day we travelled back) and saw all of Dublin.

It was a great anniversary trip and it showed us that we can do city breaks with Kaio!
With mommy at the pub

5 year anniversary

Yesterday was our 5 year anniversary! Time has really flown by! 5 years have gone by - we now live in London, have a beautiful son and continue so happy together! Jason is such a wonderful husband and now that I see what a wonderful dad he is, I love him even more!
We went out for a drink (while Liesbet took care of Kaio - who was sleeping). Jason surprised me with some champagne and a jewelery box. He got me a Sapphire stone, which is Kaio's birth stone. We have another little stone - a Tanzanite - whice we got when we were in Africa while celebrating my 30th birthday. The plan is to acquire some memorable stones and later on make a ring from it!
Kaio is coughing and sneezing a lot today... it might be his first cold! Which is not ideal since we are going to Dublin tomorrow! (part 2 of our wedding anniversary celebration) But it was bound to happen - he is 4 months and has not had any colds in the british winter!

Kaio - Daddy time

The last couple of nights, Kaio and Daddy time have been so much fun (I can hear it from our bedroom but I don't interfere). When Jason gives him the bottle at 10 -10:30 he has a whole sequence, which includes getting a glass of water in Kaio's room (for me to drink if I have to give a night feed), turning on Kaio's mobile and un-swaddeling him (so he wakes up), changing his nappy (so he is well awake) and then feeding him. Kaio is such a joy. He 'talks' and smiles to Jason and is a true sweetheart. He even goes back to bed without making any fuss! Jason really looks forward to the night feeds. But sometimes Kaio is upset to be woken up and cries. (mostly he is a happy camper!)
Kaio has also been having 'giggle attacks'! He really laughs out loud when we play with him. It is so adorable and more frequent every day. He also is smiling a lot more then before.
Kaio has been having a couple of strange nights - he wakes up a couple of times during the night, even though he eats 7.5oz at his last feed (10:30pm)and should not be hungry. He may still be a bit confused with the time difference and all the extra attention he got in the US.

Aunt Liesbet in town

Liesbet arrived on saturday. She will be staying with us for a month! Kaio went straight to her arms when she arrived and he smiled.... however, within seconds his pouty faces appeared and he realized she was not his mommy and started crying! But after a couple of hours he was smiling at her again (and not crying right afterwards). This is similar to what happened when we were in CO with grandma and grandpa... he seems to need some minutes to get used to other people. Which shows that he knows who Jason and I are, since he, most of the time, doesn't start crying when he sees us!On friday I bought him Oma's Christmas gift. It's a bebe pod. It's a specially designed seat to support babies that can't sit by themselves yet. It helps them to get stronger to evolve to that point and it allows them to sit and look around, which is what Kaio loves to do (he is now getting bored in laying in his playpen for long period of times... he wants to see things!

Babies

Yesterday 6 of the antenatal class moms came together for tea! (and carrot cake ;-) We were all so amazed how our babies are all little individuals now. We have been meeting since we were pregnant and the first couple of months of our babies they were all very similar: they slept, filled nappies, wobbled there heads and when we, the moms, met, they did not participate at all. Now, they are looking around, holding toys, smiling, etc. And you can see the different personalities. It is so nice to see Kaio growing up with all these babies! And it is great to exchange information with all the moms.
Kaio was looking around and very interested in all the noises and movements (he has always been a very attentive boy). He was not that smiley (he was too busy checking everything out!) I had to feed him and the other moms were jealous in how fast he eats (most of them are still taking 30 - 45 mins to feed while Kaio is done in max. 15min)
Kaio is one of the bigger babies (he is one of 3 boys out of 12 babies), however another baby boy, Oliver, who is 3 weeks younger then Kaio is huge!! He is almost 15lbs!
Since Kaio behaved so well on the plane, we did book our next trip. We are going to Dublin for our 5 year anniversary. We will be going from Saturday the 26th of January through Tuesday the 29th.

Xmas pictures

Below are some pictures of our holidays in Colorado.
1) Our family (I know, Vinny is missing!)
2) Xmas dinner with grandma, grandpa, Aunt Carrie and Aunt Donna
3) Kaio with his stocking
4) Kaio smiling
5) Smiling at Grandma
6) Kaio and Daddy having fun!
7) Kaio and mommy in the snow on new years day (at Grandlake)
8) One of his Xmas presents - a bouncy seat

2nd round of immunisations :-(

Today Kaio is 15 weeks old! 3 1/2 months! It seems so long ago that I gave birth but yet he is still such a tiny little guy. He got his second round of shots today. Again, it broke my heart to see the huge needle go into his little leg - TWICE! After the first shot he cried and I had to hold him tight to me so he would have some kind of comfort.... just to have the second needle go in his other leg. I really hope he does not think I am causing him the pain! However, when we got home and I placed him in his bouncy chair he smiled at me and now he is taking a nap! Next month (a couple of days before we go to Brazil) he will get his 3rd round of immunisations, which will be 3 shots.
He was weighed and measured and her are the figures:
- weight - 6.2kg (=13.7lbs) - slightly below the average for his age
- height - 61cm (=2ft) - also a bit below the average for his age
Kaio and I are still a bit jet lagged and has been waking up at 4am, instead of sleeping through to 5 - 6am (how he used to do before we went to CO). It's still great that he is sleeping from 10:30pm until 4am, however I have been unable to fall asleep after the 4am feed and I feel tired throughout the day. Tonight I may go to bed after dinner.
Kaio has been eating really well. We switched to a bigger bottle for his night feed. He now is eating around 230ml (8oz), which caused a major "explosion" the other night. He pooped while eating and it went through his cloths, on Jason's pajamas and on the sofa Jason was sitting on!
I will post some pictures of our holidays later on today.

back home!!!!

We are back home! The trip went great. Kaio behaved really well and only had one cry spell, on the trip from Denver to Chicago, which did not last long. He also was a true joy during the layover and slept without making much fuss! On the plane to London he slept really well and was woken by 'breakfast' being served, 1hr before landing! Kaio has been so happy and smiling and giggling a lot. He also is using his hands to grab things and it is cute to see how hard he focuses to grab a can of soda or our wallets, or anything that catches his eye. (he loves red, so anything with red on it he stares at and wants to grab)
A couple of weeks ago he would try to put his entire hand in his mouth, now he is able to put his thumb and index finger only.
He is still drooling a lot and making 'bubbles'. Hence, the reason why grandpa gave him the nickname of Kbubbles (the first two letters are his initials). We are using on average 2 bibs a day!

Going back home

We had planned to go to the mountains in Colorado for New years, but on the 31st they closed several roads in the state and we ended staying in Colorado Springs to greet 2008. It was very low key, specially compared with last year in Punta del Este, but it was nice and relaxing. On the 1st we drove up to Winter park where grandpa Steve rented a cabin. There was a lot of snow (around 1 feet) and it was beautiful!!!! We went to see Aunt Boo and Bill (whom have a cabin up there). We had a great time while doing some shopping and walking in the snow. Kaio loves the snow (he loves white) and handeld the cold really well (he started using a new bear outfit since the other one is getting too small!) Kaio slept the whole trip to the mountains (3hrs) and was a bit difficult throughout both nights we were up there (waking up every 2 -3 hrs). However we just stopped swaddeling him and started using a sleeping bag (since he was kicking the blankets over his head). Yesterday, back in Colorado Springs, we swaddled him again and he slept really well.
Today we are flying back to London. It will be a night flight, so hopefully Kaio will sleep well. We are sad to be leaving and had such a great visit with Grandma, Grandpa ant Aunt Carrie! (but we are also looking fwd in getting Kaio back in his routine..... and sleeping through the night again!)

Kaio's first Christmas

Kaio received SOOOOO many gifts. Aunt Carrie was so generous and bought the cutest outifts and toys. We also got several reading books (including one in portuguese). And because the dollar is so weak, we have been shopping a lot! The prices and quality are great, so we bought cloths for the next year!

Jason and I got a nice 1 hr massage each from Grandma, Grandpa and aunt Donna (Grandma's sister). Which was great to start our holidays in Colorado! We also received tickets to go to a local zoo for their Christmas lights show. It was great! Grandma, Grandpa and Carrie baby sat Kaio and Jason and I had a proper date - we went to the zoo and then had a nice meal at a local restaurant! Grandma has also been taking care of Kaio while Jason and I go shopping!

We have been up to Denver twice. We were unable to go to Denver on Christmas day (we had planned to go and have lunch at Aunt Lou Anne's) but it snowed and the roads were not good to drive (yes, we had a beautiful white Christmas!). We went up to Denver to meet more family on the 26th. On our way up we stopped at the outlets and Kaio behaved really well! We also went up to Denver to meet up with some of our friends at a Mexican restaurant and Kaio was, again, a perfect little baby. The only time he started crying a bit, our friend Carrie held him and was able to sooth him instantly (she is a neonatal nurse!)

Kaio has discovered his hands. He touches everything and grabs things (sometimes he takes his dummy out of his mouth and then starts crying!) He also likes to play with both hands and tries to put his entire hand into his mouth. We have been using bibs daily (not only for feeds) since he is drooling so much. He seems to be growing by the day!

We arrived!

We made it to Colorado! It was an "interesting" trip, but overall very good! It was a day flight so it was nice that our fellow travellers sleep was not that much disturbed by the few cry spells Kaio had. He took several naps (in the crib provided by the airplane as well as in mommy's arms). Both Mommy and Daddy were also able to take naps and eat. Once we got to Chicago we had only 45min to catch the next flight and there are no sign of Kaio's pram. We contacted several people and someone guaranteed they would bring the pram to the gate of our next flight.... well, they didn't! (and at the end our flight was delayed 2 hrs, but we were not able to go back once we went through immigration) It took several phone calls to finally get the pram delivered 3 days later. Luckily they did not misplace the car seat, otherwise we would have a problem to get Kaio from the airport home! Kaio slept the entire flight from Chicago to Denver. He had no problems with pressure on his ears with take off or landing and he was not that interested in the tv on the plane (which I was hoping would keep him entertained!) When we arrived in Denver (around 10pm) He was a bit sleepy but he was so happy to meet grandma and grandpa! On the way home from Denver to Colorado Springs he was really hungry and we had to stop at a gas station to feed him, but he behaved really well on all car trips. Kaio has been a sweetheart and just melting everyone's heart with his 'oohs and aahs', smiles, giggles, etc. Grandma is getting on the floor to get smiles from him everyday and it is cute to see how he is recognizing them! He has been 'talking' a lot! One of the best christmas gifts he got was a similar bouncy chair he has back in London. (the first day I held him a lot and my arms were feeling it!)

Ready to go!?

Tomorrow we are heading out the Colorado. We are packing today and getting everything ready. We are flying out tomorrow at 11am. We are flying business class and are very excited in having some extra leg (aka baby) space.
We went to weigh Kaio today (he was 12 weeks yesterday) and he weighed in at 5.9kg (=12.8lbs). The midwife said he is doing well and right on track for his 'age'.
We are taking 5 passports to travel (that's 1.7 passports per person!)! We don't need his brazilian passport to travel to the US.
Below are some pics of our little one:
1) Trying out a new hair style! He likes it but mommy is not so sure about it!
2) After a 'meal', sitting up right... looking around and burping... he loves it!
3) After a walk with Vinny, in his bear costume.
4) His new hat that keeps his ears warm! His expression says everything - 'Mommy I look silly'
5) Pretty frog... (he is getting a massage and he likes to stare around. My mom gave this beautiful towel!)

Filling the days!

Several people, specially non parents, ask me how I fill my days. Well, when I stop to think about it... how do I fill my days? And how does the day just go by and suddenly I am sitting to have dinner with Jason? Here is a rough 'routine' that we have been following:
- 7ish: Kaio wakes up and Jason gets him. He changes his nappy, puts on his 'day' cloths (warmer then the night cloths) and takes him downstairs to 'play'.
- 7:30 - 8ish - I snooze in bed for another 30min - 1 hr after Kaio wakes up. (this depends upon how hungry Kaio is, how early Jason needs to go to work or how badly I need a shower!)
- 8ish Kaio and I 'eat' our breakfast. I sip on a delicious chai latte Jason makes for me every morning and Kaio has his 'regular' breakfast.
- Between 8:30 and 10 Kaio takes his first nap of the day. If the weather is nice, we go for a 1 hr walk in nearby parks with Vinny. (Kaio goes in the Baby Bjorn). If the weather is not nice, he takes a nap in his playpen.
- 10:30ish - Kaio has his brunch
- 11 - 1230ish we 'play'. He loves to talk to me and responds well when I read my book out loud to him. (he also smiles and giggles)
- 12:30 - 1 pm - second nap. Mostly in his bouncy chair or playpen. If I need to go to the store or run any other errands, he takes a nap in his pram while we are out.
- 1:30pm - Kaio gets his lunch
- 2pm - Kaio is swaddled and I put him in his room for his longest nap of the day.
- 4 pm - most of the times I need to wake him up at 4 since he is in such a deep sleep. We 'play' for a while (sometimes he wakes up in a bad mood and then I need to settle him a bit before he feeds)
- 4:30pm - Kaio get's his afternoon snack
- 5 - 5:45pm - we ;play' or we start preparing dinner or cleaning the house a bit. I hold Kaio in one hand and have my right hand free to do things. He loves to go into the different rooms and look around. He is very curious and sometimes gets bored just sitting in his bouncy chair or laying in his playpen.
- 5:45 - 6:15pm - he takes a nap, just to take of the edge... this is when I start getting everything ready for his bath
-6:30pm - we start his massage, which is followed by a bath. Recently, I started to read for him before his massage. At the moment he doesn't understand anything, but with time I want to make it a habit of having a 'reading moment'
- 7pm - I take him to his room for dinner
This is when my day with Kaio finishes. Jason gives him a bottle at 10:30pm.

1 week to go!

In one week we will be heading to the airport by now! We are excited to go and spend Christmas in Colorado and excited that Kaio will meet his other grandparents and other Hall family members.
It will be an interesting trip. I am sure our little one will do great on the plane, but just to be safe I got some Calpol night. Which is a mild analgesic and makes the baby drowsy. (I had used the normal version for when he had his shots.) One of my friends also said not to stress too much since babies are babies.. they cry. Everyone on that plane was a baby one day and cried.... so, if they give the evil look.. I will give the same one back! I am also interested to see how he will adjust to teh time difference. Between London and Colorado there is a 7hrs difference. Hopefully he will continue sleeping through the night (he is sleeping 6 - 7 hrs in a row!)
The girls night out was a lot of fun! We did try not to talk about the babies. But, no matter the subject we started talking about, we always ended up relating it, in some way, to our little once! It seems Kaio is one of the most smiley baby of all. While the majority of the babies smile 3 - 4 times a day, Kaio seems to be always smiling when we talk to him. And since the majority fo the babies of the group are girls, Kaio is also one of the biggest babies! I was one of the last once to go home. Several moms had to rush home to feed the little one... we, as usual, had a bottle ready for the 10:30pm feed.
Jason has found a new way of making Kaio giggle away. He holds Kaio facing forwards, I come and talk to him, at his level, right in front of Kaio and he giggles, it's absolutely adorable!
The weather here has been great. It freezes during the night, so all the fields are white and frozen, but in the morning the sun comes out. Our morning walks are just great. Beautiful fields and fresh air. (Vinny does not enjoy the cold grass though!)

All cheeks!

Kaio seems to be aware of everything around him. He follows us when we walk away from him, he looks at objects that are meters away and loves to be carried around the house looking at different things. He is also able to entertain himself for 30 min in his playpen or bouncy chair (it used to be only 5 mins). When we go to say 'hi' while he is 'playing', he opens a big smile when he sees us! It's adorable.
He also had his first 'cryles'. Which is when he is crying, we come in front of him and smile at him, he then stops crying and smiles for 5seconds and then goes back to crying. It is so cute, he doesn't seem to know what expression to have and mixes it up!
Tomorrow I am going to go out with the girls from my antenatal class. (no babies! The daddies are in charge of the babies!) It will be fun and interesting to see whom of us will 'run' home first to check on their baby!
I have been feeling good. I am so in love with this baby and with our new live as a family, it makes me so happy! I have been thinking about the duration of my maternity leave and going back to work. The plan is to stay home until Kaio is 6 months. Then he will be ready to wean, start socializing more with other babies and I will be ready to go back to work. Well, that has always been the plan... However, now that Kaio is becoming much more of a actual 'baby' and he seems to do new things every day, I am afraid I am going to miss out on so much when I am at work. I am still planning to go back to work but maybe negotiate something part time. My current job does not allow a part time position and I still want to feel challenged at work, so.....????? I will have to have an open talk with my supervisor and see what her thoughts are. I will leave that for after we come back from Colorado.
Latest pics from this past weekend:
- Friday afternoon Jason had the afternoon off and we went to Winter Wonderland in Hyde park. It was great (even though Kaio is still a bit to small to appreciate Santa!). We are now facing him forward in the Baby Bjorn, this way he gets to 'check out' the world better. Although he does not like the cold wind in his face!
- Going out for a walk at Wandsworth Common (a local park) - One of the first times he was not crying after we put on his jacket and hat!

He is just perfect!

This past wednesday (two days ago), when Kaio completed 2 1/2 months he surprised us with sleeping through the night for the first time. He went to bed at 7pm, we woke him at 10:15pm for his bottle (at which he barely wakes up, he just downs 130ml of milk) and then he slept until 6:45am!!!! I had to look at two clocks to make sure I was seeing right! Then I rushed to his room to see if everything was okay. (he was smiling and ready for his breakfast). The following night he went to bed at the same time and slept until 5am, and then for another 2 hrs. And last night he slept until 6:45am again!!!! We are so excited and hopeful this will continue!
We also have a pretty nice schedule (of naps, playing and feeding times) during the day, which probably helps him sleep so well at night! (the 'going to bed' routine - massage, bath and a feed - is also very helpful for him to go to bed without making a fuss)
Now I need to start sleeping through the night again. I wake up several times during the night thinking I hear him and it then takes a while before I fell back asleep. I have been sleeping so lightly that every little noise wakes me up.
Kaio is so big now that he is barely fitting in his pram. We will soon have to change the position of the pram to give him more space. He is also getting annoyed just laying in the pram, he wants to look around and see everything when he is awake.
In two weeks we will be at Heathrow on our way to Colorado. We are so excited to visit grandpa and grandma Hall. It will be an interesting to see how Kaio will enjoy his first plane trip!

Temper tantrum, smiles....

Today Kaio had a major (for his size) temper tantrum at the grocery store. He woke up from his nap while I was in line to pay. He looked around, smiled at me and started crying within 2 min from waking up. I gave him his dummy and that worked for 30sec. While I was packing the groceries he started crying very hard.
Several woman asked if he was hungry. He had eaten 30min earlier. So, no he was not. But to avoid having to say - 'no, he is just acting up a bit' I said - 'yes, starving!'. Many people seem to belief that the only reason a baby cries is when he is hungry - well, I can assure that is not the case with Kaio!
I was not able to sooth him and he started to choke on his saliva. Outside the store I took him out of his pram and held and talked to him. After 2 min he was calm. I put him back in his pram and he was back to being a happy baby!
But apart from that, he has been a happy baby. He loves to smile and interact with us.
A couple of recent pictures:
- smiling at daddy - his eyes are starting to become greener
- tummy time - not interested in strengthen his neck muscles, but he loves his fist
- Vinny and Kaio - Vinny definitely knows who Kaio is (sort off), but Kaio has not really knowledged Vinny yet! (on this pic you can also see how the hair at the back of his head is starting the get finer...)