One moment that will always make me laugh

So I was thinking back on how such an amazing year this has been with little Kaio. He's brought many joys into our lives (and a couple sleepless nights, but sometimes he cannot help it ;)
But one moment that stood out was when we were in Brasil back in February/March: Kaio was about 5/6 months at the time, starting to change from a tiny, helpless baby, into a more-mature baby, learning to express himself, focusing on objects, learning to use his hands, etc. This particular moment, we were at a mall in Porto Alegre; Annelies, her mother, Kaio and I went shopping. I put Kaio into the Baby Bjorn (it's the carrier where he is held tight to your belly, facing forward). As Annelies and Fanny were discussing the intracacies of some particular haute couture, I had to run to the loo. After washing my hands, I reached for a paper towel to dry them. As I grabbed a paper towel, Kaio BURSTED into an uncontrollable laugher! I'm not sure if he thought that was the funniest thing he had ever seen or if he was still just learning how to control that whole "laughter-as-one-of-my-expressions" sort of thing.
So, pushing the issue, I grabbed another paper towel. More hilarity and giggles from Kaio! Another paper towel, sure enough, more laughing! Of course, with this little 6-month old creature hanging on my belly, laughing like a little madman, I started cracking up too. There was another guy in the restroom who started laughing as well (you just don't see that every day).
Anyhow, wanting to share my laughing son with the world, I grabbed a few paper towels and headed back into the mall to show Annelies and Fanny. By that point, all I had to do was grab a few paper towels and smack them between my hands - and he would burst into a hearty belly laugh. So I found Annelies and Fanny, quickly trying to get their attention. "Uh oh, is everything OK?" they said? "Watch THIS!" I responded as the little man started giggling again like crazy.
Well, this carried on for about 5 minutes in this little jewelry shop in the mall; the shopkeepers were cracking up, Fanny & Annelies were having a hoot, little Kaio thought those paper towels were the funniest thing since sliced bread, and I was giggling away the whole time.
As Kaio has grown up a bit more and learned how to control his emotions a bit better, he is no longer overcome by a 7-minute bout of the giggles. That said, when he's in just the right mood (usually just a bit sleepy, but not to the point of being flat-out tired), the randomest things will trigger a good 45-seconds of laughter - the other day, it was Vinny getting rambunctious in the house, other times it's a loud noise, etc...
The belly laughter of Kaio is certainly one of the big joys in my life now :)
-Jason

Sick family!

Kaio's personality is coming out more and more. He has a fake 'cry' and a fake 'laugh' - it is so cute and I can only laugh! He is also very playful and loves to get attention. He does play by himself nicely, but he also comes to play with us when he realizes we are in the same room.
He walks (or crawls - depending on his mood) and comes to our legs, stretches out his arms and opens and closes his hands... it is impossible not to pick him up!!!! He is walking more and more by himself and is realizing it is easier to hold something and walk then crawl and drag something along!!!
The sign language is also going well and we are currently teaching him 'help' (when he squeaks and cries to get something done - open or reach a toy/box, something is stuck, etc) and he picked it up in 2 days!
We had a nice weekend and Kaio and mommy went Christmas shopping. This included a nice break at Starbucks for some cake, playing and recharging. Overall it went really well, Kaio behaved for 3 hrs and I got the majority of my Christmas shopping done!
On Tuesday morning Jason and I woke up feeling poorly (British version of saying - sick!) Jason called in sick at work but I had to go into work due to some important meetings. On Wednesday the same story however this time Kaio also has a slight fever. I just hope we will all feel well to go to Brazil on Saturday!!!

Last shots ----- until 4 years

On Wednesday I took Kaio to get his last two shots before he is 4 years.
I tried (unsuccessfully) to get Jason to go since I have always taken him for his shots and I did not want him to get 'upset' with me.
We got to the Dr.'s office and he was smiling to everyone, playing, being curious - being Kaio. When we went into the examination room, he was playful and did not recognize the nurse that has given him his previous shots (he kept smiling at her). He was fine when we weighed him (he is now 9.4kg - 9% - which shows he is 'recovering' from his low weight.) When I exposed his thighs and held him tight, he still smiled at the nurse and it only 'struck' him when the needle went into his thigh! He screamed and cried for only a couple of seconds. I hugged him and he felt better. Then a second shot went into his other thigh and he looked at me - "why are you allowing her to do this to me... AGAIN!" After crying a bit longer (30sec) he was fine and was back to his old self.
He did not have any major reaction this time around and he is now protected!
He has been SO much fun. (as usual!) We play hide-and-seek, building blocks (until a couple of weeks he would only destroy what we build but now he is actually building things), reading stories (he has is favorite books), etc. He is so smart and really understanding so many things!

smart baby!

I read somewhere that a baby around 14 months understands around 25 words. I first thought - 'oh no, Kaio is behind!!! We need to catch up!' but then I started thinking about the words he "knows". He is (of course) not able to actually say them, but when you say the words he acknowledges and reacts to them. He clearly understands the following:

1. flor (flower)
2. luz (light)
3. Kaio (his name)
4. doggy
5. mamae (mommy)
6. daddy
7. Vinny
8. food
9. water
10. more
11. all done
12. escovar os dente (brush the teeth)
13. aviao (air plane)
14. baby
15. passarinho (birdy)
16. uva (grape)
17. sapatos (shoes)
18. bola (ball)
19. not for the baby (yes, he does understand this and he stops and started doing a 'fake' cry for a couple of seconds and then just does something else!)
20. not in the mouth
21. beijo (kiss)
22. abraco (hug)
23. livro (book)
24. yogurte
25. Tchau (good bye)
26. Milk
27. Dance (he bends his knees and actually dances!)
    

There is a fare share of English and Portuguese words and it might lead to confusion in the future, but it seems to all make sense in his little head!
This weekend we went to a Christmas craft market an hour by car form London. Kaio behaved marvellously. However, on the way back, buckled in his seat, he did the 'all done' sign. He was 'done' with the whole care trip and wanted to get out of his seat. It really showed he understands what 'all done' means, but now needs to understand that not everything can be ' all done' when we want it to be! (wouldn't life be easy!?!)
In two weeks we will be on our way to Brazil for Christmas. We can't wait! Kaio absolutely LOVES his bath time and will have such a blast in the pool! It will be great to spend 3 weeks with him!

Mussels in Brussels...

This past weekend Kaio and I went to Belgium (without Jason). It was a very interesting adventure travelling alone (on the Eurostar) with Kaio. He was a lot of fun and behaved really well, however I had to be creative to keep him entertained for 3 hours! On the way to Belgium we were placed in business class so I was able to entertain him with food as they served a nice breakfast. On the way home, Sunday night, he loved just playing with me and looking at himself in the ‘mirror' (the window) Moeke turned 89 and Oma was also in Belgium. It was so nice to see the cousins together again. Kaio is now actually able to play with them and they really had a great time. Oma was also very happy to see the grandchildren all together and she got to sleep with all three in the same room! (which was a bit of a challenge but adorable!) Kaio really likes Moeke, he kept smiling at her and sat on her lap nicely. We also saw some of my friends and other family members, everyone was so impressed in how well behaved he was (he was very independent and happy to play with his cousins while I was catching up with everyone). They also believe Kaio is starting to look more like me! On Sunday, for Moeke's birthday we went to a local restaurant and I, as a good Belgian, had mussels. Kaio was offered some chicken from Ana Julia, which he refused but when we offered him French fries and mussels, he devoured them! Such a good Belgian (the only thing missing was a Duvel) and before we left Belgium he had a good chunk of a waffle. Kaio started to play around with facial expression, frowning his brows, fake laughing and crying. He is also doing really well on the sign language. He clearly uses (and understands):
- all done
- more
- food
- airplane
- milk
We are still working on 'drink' and recently started 'sleep'

Sign language

Kaio started using the sign language we have been teaching him for several months. We were giving up, since we just looked a bit silly in public in signing at a baby that just stared back at us.We started showing the Baby Einstein DVD on first signs and it really helped him.

Several weeks ago he started doing the 'airplane' sign when he saw or heard planes flying over.

Two weeks ago he started doing the 'all done' sign (to say he is finished with a meal or his bottle) and recently he has been doing the 'food' and 'more' sign. It is adorable and he seems to be very proud of it. We are as well, since it will help our communication until he develops more verbal skills.

Kaio is walking more and more. He still crawls but he is risking longer distances.

Yesterday we had some friends over for lunch who have 18 month old twin boys. Kaio was a bit intimidated and shy but when they started playing with his toys he joined in! He normally is very social with younger babies (since he is one of the bigger babies in his nursery room) and I think bigger children are still a bit of a mystery to him.

This weekend we are also dog sitting a puppy. He is in Kaio's (and Vinny's) face, but overall he is very interested and intrigued with the little 'doggie'. He points at them and says - 'Do Do'

Here are some recent pictures. It's to show Kaio's Belgian roots. (I am sure Oma will love it!)
1) I am a thirsty and Belgian!
2) Oops, you caught my red handed!
PS - the bottle was empty!!!!
3) Eating his yogurt all by himself. (although it requires a lot of concentration)

More teeth!

Kaio has had a bit of a cough for a week and a half or so; we thought it was due to something he picked up at nursery. But alas, today we figured out what it was! He proudly showed us two new teeth, so now he has 8! So we think he's been drooling a lot, getting a bit of a rash, and all because of the teething.

He's also started to understand how to "give us a kiss". He'll open his mouth wide-open, and give us a sloppy kiss on the cheek; very cute :) Some of the other babies at the nursery will make the "smootch" noise and pucker their lips, but Kaio hasn't quite learned that yet. Surely he will with time.

Another discover this weekend was that he really enjoys feeding himself. This morning I made him a little sandwich for breakfast, and I was expecting to give him little chunks of it until finished. Either he was so hungry or so excited, but he grabbed the sandwich and started taking big bites out of it.

I don't know what he likes more, the fact that he feeds himself (yea, independence!), or the fact that he gets himself extra special dirty, hehehehe.

We're all having a great fun weekend together playing around the house!

Kaio has been learning so many things! There are several words he knows the meaning of and even atempts to imitate the sound (bola, flor, boca, nariz, livro, doggy, etc) He has also been trying several facial expressions (blowing bubbles, moving his tongue in his mouth, making kiss movements,etc) and he is very amused when we also do it!
He is taking 10+ steps at a time, however his prefered way of moving is still crawling!
This friday we met up with some of the girls from our antenatal group (3 baby girls and Kaio), besides he being the smallest he is also the loudest in banging things (it's such a boy thing, the girls just kept staring at him) While he is into getting the remote controls, play with the tv, radio, etc the girls were playing with a set of tea pots and dolls! He does seem to be the more agile and the one taking steps. However some of the girls had 12 teeth already while he only has 6!
Here is a pic of Kaio and Vinny (Kaio loves to play with Vinny's toys). He had a bit of a swollen face due to some allergic reaction. We are not sure what it was, but are suspecting strawberries! (which is a shames since he really liked them!)

pictures

1) Kaio on the pelican toy, he loved it until we turned it on!
2) Kaio loving the zoo
3) Kaio and mommy after looking at the lions (he did not enjoy them that much since they were not hanging from trees, chasing each other and running around like the other animals!)
4) Daddy and Kaio with Evan and Daryl. Kaio loves babies (any size or shape)
5) Little prisoner - Halloween!

'O-O'

Kaio has been so much fun! He loves the phone and puts it to his ear and laughs. He also grabs the remote and points at the TV and pushes the buttons. When we say 'O-o' he also says it... although, like with the majority of other things - when he feels like it!It's a bit scary he imitates so many things we do.
He loves apples. I give him the entire apple, with peel and he just munches on it for several minutes. If I cut it in smaller pieces he is not that interested! Kaio ate Daddy's famous Guinness chili today and also enjoyed it.
On Friday it was Kaio's second Halloween and we dressed him up as a little prisoner. He was so adorable, although at the end of the day at nursery there was not much left from his outfit!
Everyone always comments in how Kaio loves other children and specially babies. We had some friends come over with Freya, who is a couple of weeks older then Kaio. He was so sweet and gentle with her. He would laugh when she laughed, he would give her his toys and they would play together. Although she was a bit more 'aggressive' and Kaio was a bit more gentle.

Shots and Zoo

Kaio had a set of shots on wednesday. (Hib and Meningitis C) Initially he was loving the attention of the nurse, he did not complain when being weighed or measurend, he was okay when we exposed his little thigh for the shot and allowed me to hold him tight. But, ones the needle was in his tigh, he cried and I almost did!!! But he stopped crying after some hugs but he was affraid of the nurse after that and kept trying to hide from her under my arms...On thursday and friday he had a high fever and Jason had to pick him up on friday am from nursery. They had some good daddy and Kaio time. Kaio is still very attached to his 'mommy'. Specially being sick, he kept following me and wanting to be held by me. I really enjoyed it although I was sad to see my little boy sick!
On saturday Kaio seemed to be better, the weather was good and we decided to take Kaio to the Zoo. He was a bit grumpy but he loved the animals. From the aquarium, to the bugs (he kept trying to grab them), the gorillas, butterflies and birds. He did not seem to fear any animal.
He had a small rash on thursday which by saturday had spread to his entire body including his face. Since he had he meningitis vaccine, I was worried and called the Dr. It seems his immunity is just low due to the shots and he is teething again (lot's of drooling and chewing on things). It does not seem to bother him that much, but the rash is all over his little body.
Jason is in Germany for business for a couple of days and last night I thought it would be nice to have Kaio sleep in our big bed with me. He was adorable, next to me, sleeping, but he was tossing and turning and I could not sleep, so after 45 min I put him back in his bed.

Baby steps!!!

Kaio took his first steps yesterday. We were having a pic nic in the park and he stood up by himself (without any support) and after encouraging him a bit, he took 2 steps. Later that afternoon he took 3 more steps and today, throughout the day he stood by himself and took a couple of steps!!!!

Barcelona!

Last weekend we went to Barcelona for 4 days! It was GREAT!
I was a bit concerned about the flights but he behaved very well. (he even fell asleep in daddy's arms on the way there)
Barcelona was beautiful and we enjoyed it very much. People were very friendly (Kaio loved their attention), the food was great (Kaio also enjoyed trying different things, including octopus, sardines, olives, meat 'crockets', 'batatas bravas', etc) and Kaio was really well behaved and seemed to have enjoyed it as well!
Kaio slept in a crib in our room and he did fall asleep fairly easily (we had to, momentarily, hide in the bathroom) and sleep until 8ish. However, on the last night he woke up at 4am, saw us sleeping next to him and wanted to play. After he didn't get a reaction out of us, he decided to play by himself. I was cute and funny but we did not want to encourage him and pretended to be asleep!
It was a great trip and the three of us loved hanging out and strolling around the city.
Some pics:
1) Kaio with a mouth full of teeth (6!)
2) Kaio eating calamari with Daddy and asking for more
3) In the marina
4) Mommy and sleepy Kaio in Park Guell
5) Daddy and Kaio enjoying Barcelona together (don't they look identical?!)
6) Mommy and Kaio in the Miro museum
7) Mommy and sleepy Kaio (again) in the castle
8 & 9) Mommy and Kaio (very color coordinated!)

Birthday weekend pictures

Friday:
1) trying to put the birthday hat on Kaio - no luck!
2) Kaio loving the balloons
3) Ana Julia is demonstrating how to play properly
4) Tante Karo, mommy, Ana Julia and Kaio getting ready for the cake
5) Birthday cake!
6) Chocolate all over!
7) Bath with Lucas and Ana Julia
8) after the bath with the cousins
Saturday:
1) With Oma, tante Karo, Ana Julia and Lucas at the London Eye
2) Swings!!!
3) He loved the aquarium
4) After the cousins left - chilling with daddy in the garden
5) Reading the book to Oma
Sunday:
1) Kaio opening gifts
2) Kaio loves to point at everything
3) Mommy point out the yummy cakes
4) Oma and Kaio
5) Mommy, daddy and Kaio
6) Kaio and some 'buddies' hanging out! (Oliver and Victor)
7) Kaio and some buddies playing
8) Kaio following Freya
9) Kaio eating some negrinho!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY!

Kaio is now 1!!!!
He had a great long birthday weekend!
On Friday, his actual birthday, I took the day off and we started the day with lots of hugs and kisses from mommy and daddy (and Vinny).
Kaio and I then went to pick up Oma, Tante Karo, Ana Julia and Lucas from the station. Kaio's first reaction when he saw Oma was a big smile, but then, with everyone looking at him, trying to say 'hi' he became a bit shy. However, after 10 minutes, he was on the tube playing 'peekaboo' with Lucas and grabbing some of Ana Julia's toys.
We spend the day doing some touristy stuff and trying to get Kaio to open his presents. (He loved the paper wraps of his gifts....) At the end of the day we met up with Daddy and went to have dinner at a local restaurant. Kaio is eating so well and pretty much everything!
We finished the evening with some cake! We gave him a big piece of chocolate cake and he LOVED eating it with his hands. This was followed by a bath with his cousins, which was a lot of fun.
On Saturday, we all went to the Aquarium. I thought Kaio was to young to enjoy it but he absolutely loved it. He loved the fish swimming around in the big aquarium and banging on the glass. There were some really cute moments of him hugging Ana Julia and smiling at her! After a fun lunch we had to say goodbye to the cousins, who went back to Belgium but also loved every second of being with 'pipi Kaio'.
On Sunday we invited several friends for a birthday party. I was a bit unorganized and did not order a cake, so on Sunday morning Oma and I went to Chelsea to find a nice birthday cake. (we ended up getting 2!) We then spend some time preparing yummy finger food and decorating the house (Kaio loved this part, specially the balloons). We had a 'safari theme'. It was a great day, lot's of sun, friends, babies... We had 13 people and 7 babies. It was so nice to see the babies play together (they ranged from 8 months to 2 year olds). It was a great day and Oma was SOOOO helpful and allowed me to enjoy the day instead of running around to ensure everyone had food and drinks.
Kaio completely loves Oma and kept looking at her for approval and going up to her with his toys. Oma is absolutely great with Kaio and we will miss her so much!
Kaio has been playing with his new toys. He has 'discovered' cars and moves around with them. He is also able to hold a cord and pull a little dog around. It's amazing to see him play and entertain himself. He is not that interested in TV and prefers to play with Vinny (he goes and lays on Vinny in his bed)

Mommy with new hair...

This week I decided to take control of my hair and had it cut. Jason took care of Kaio and I came home after 1 hour. Kaio stared at me and did not really know what to think of it: that 'different' woman had mommies voice but did not look like her. After a couple of minutes he understood it was me and gave me a big hug. His reaction was priceless!
On friday we went for another check up with the pediatrician. Kaio has put on 400gr and grew 2 cm in 7 weeks. He is still in the 2% of boys, but the Dr. said he will be on the small side but that he is healthy and progressing/developing normally. We also got to the reason why he has been refusing his bottle this last week. He has a cold sore on his inner lip which hurts when he puts the bottle in his mouth.
In the afternoon we met up with some of the antenatal babies. They are all doing really well. One of them started walking this week, the next in line to walk will probably be Kaio since he already stands by himself and can walk easily holding one finger. Kaio also plays very 'nicely' with the other babies, something he probably learned at daycare. Some of the other babies, who have not gone to daycare, tend to play rougher and not share with other babies. Kaio gives toys and shares with most babies.
He has been a lot of fun (as always) and can play with us, with his toys and also goes about exploring 'the world' (mostly cupboards, the computer, the garbage, etc)
Our new place has a nice garden and we got some outdoor chairs. It has been great to sit outside with Kaio. He loves to look around, see the birds fly by, chase the butterflies, touch the plants, etc. Let's hope we get some nice days before the winter arrives!

Busy busy..

Waw, we have been busy! We moved (which was a nightmare since our landlord had promised several things that did not happen), I am still settling into my new job/commute and have had a couple of business trips and we had no internet access at home, etc. But everything seems to be normalizing now. Kaio continues doing really well! I had a one (SUPER LONG) week business trip in Barcelona. It was the longest I had been away from Kaio. Although I was very busy, it was very difficult for me. When I left for the trip, Kaio was a bit sick (fever) and it was not easy for Jason to have to 'run the house' and handle a sick baby by himself. But he managed very well! It was so cute when I got home. He was already asleep and I briefly woke him to put on his sleeping bag. He opened his eyes and saw me, he opened his eyes wider and smiled, a second later he fell back asleep! He seems to be a bit 'traumatized' by my long absence since he has been very attached and cries when I leave him. However, he will have to learn that mommy will go, but I will always come back! Kaio will be 1 year in 10 days!!! It is so hard to imagine that a year ago, I had just started my maternity leave, I had a huge belly (I recently was looking at some pictures) and was anxiously waiting for Kaio to decide to join us in the outside world and now Kaio is almost walking! He can easily walk several steps with holding on to one finger and seems to be more adventurous in going from one piece of furniture to another or to us. Kaio moved to the next room up at day-care. He is no longer in the baby room! he still is very independent at day-care and very easy going. (although he is constantly climbing on things and bumping into things). It is cute to see him react to the other 'classmates' and carers. Kaio loves going to restaurants. He seems to enjoy the attention strangers give him (and since he is so cute, he gets lots of it)Kaio is currently refusing his milk. We have been adding formula into his desserts (he loves yogurt) and ensuring he gets diary products. I am hoping to upload some new pics this weekend.

Daddy's birthday

On the 27th it was Jason's birthday (and Oma's as well). Jason had been on a business trip for 2 days in Paris and would be arriving home at 8ish pm. Kaio was really tired and I was almost ready to put him in bed when Jason arrived. Kaio's reaction was priceless! He saw Jason, opened a big smile, opened his arms, and gave Daddy a big hug. He then gave a huge kiss!!! It made Jason's birthday!
Yesterday daycare mentioned Kaio has been playing a bit 'rough'. He has been 'smacking' and biting some other children. the 'smacking' is purely out of excitement since he does similarly with us and with Vinny. We have been trying to teach him to be 'gentle' but it is so cute when he screams and bounces on us/Vinny/furniture, etc, and then laughs. He has not been biting us that much anymore since we have been very serious when we say 'no' after he does bite (mostly out of excitement as well!)
Kaio loves to point and 'talk'. He copied it from us since we point at things and tell him what they are. So now, he also points and babbles like he is telling us what they are. he is also babbling a lot, when he is playing, crawling, having his nappy changed, etc. He has a lot to say!

He is dancing!

We had a very busy 3-day weekend. We have been packing for our move, which is next week. It is a bit distracting with Kaio, but also so much fun! It's great to see him 'play' with everything: a empty box, a hanger, folded cloths (yes, he is able to unfold everything in no time), etc.
He now has this 'forced' funny laugh. He sees a picture of someone laughing (it started with the picture of a laughing man in the newspaper) and he does this 'hehehehehe', which is not his normal laugh. When we repeat it he continues, it's very cute!
Kaio also started 'dancing'! We went to the Notting Hill Carnival on sunday. It was very fun, loud and interesting. Kaio loved looking at all the noises, different people, costumes and musical cars. At one point we stopped to see a carnival flout come by and when I looked down at Kaio he was schaking his had and moving his body, so Jason and I started dancing too, and he continued doing it with a big smile on his face!
Kaio is so flirtatious with strangers, he smiles, laughes, points and interacts with anyone that gives him a look. He contineus to be very loving a sweet with us - hugging and kissing (and sometimes biting) us!

Proud parents!

Yesterday we went to the parent's evening at Kaio's daycare. We got to see all his 'art work' and read about his progress since April. Kaio got so many compliments in his behavior, intelligence, indepence, co-operation, etc. He has adapted nicely to daycare and is making friends, enjoying all the activities, the food and being a good baby and developing nicely. We see it at home but it is great to hear his carer's reassurance. I think the only negative from daycare is that he does not sleep as much during the day. He takes 20min naps and when at home he sleep 4+ hrs a day!
Kaio has 6 teeth now (4 top and 2 on the bottom). It seems he has learned not to bite us anymore. I have yet to figure out a way of taking a picture of all teeth together.... wish me luck!

Tate modern

We went to the Tate modern (museum) again (Kaio also went there when he was only a couple of weeks old to see the 'crack') This time around we saw an photography exhibition and a graffiti display. It was very interesting! Kaio had the giggles and was laughing out loud in the museum. It was so cute.. I tickled his neck a couple of times and he just giggled away.
Kaio started clapping his hands. Jason and I have been trying to teach him that for the last couple of weeks and yesterday he suddenly started clapping. And as usual - very cute!
We have started to 'wean' him from his dummy and are not giving it at night. The first nights he cried and seemed very upset (we gave in once!) but now he has been going to bed without fussing much.
On the weekends he has been sleeping a lot. It is so surprising since during the week, at daycare, it is not unusual for him to only take a 20min nap (the entire day), so when it is weekend, he has to catch up and takes several naps, sometimes adding to 5hrs of sleep!
Kaio still loves his bath, here are some pictures of today's bath (sorry for the nudity....;-)

Baby Gym

I took Kaio, with some of his friends, to the baby gym. It is a big room with all kind of 'obstacles' and toys. We had a blast!!! We started with warming up his muscles, by singing songs and 'dancing' to 'row your boat', 'the bus goes round and round', 'if your happy', etc. And then we let the babies explore. Kaio, as usual, had no fear and just went up on all obstacles, into the tunnels, on the springers, etc. He was really enjoying it! The teacher came to chat with us and asked how old Kaio's sibling was.... well, if you count Vinny, our dog... she said that he was very confident, social and developed for being the youngest and only child! I am proud of my baby! I think he learned being confident and so social at daycare.... (he was smilling at everyone and playing with other children)
Kaio is starting to get a bit picky with some of his foods. Before, he would eat his whole breakfast in Kaio has been very attached to me and he has been very loving and hugs me a lot!!! In the moring, when he comes and plays in our bed, he always has a big smile for me and gives me a big hug, as he also does when I pick him up at daycare! It makes my day!

Summer weekend

We have found a new house! We spend 2 weeks looking at several types of places (all within the same neighborhood we currently are) and found a lovely 2 bedroom ground floor flat. It is bright and has a open plan kitchen/living/dining room and leads to a nice garden. The bedrooms are of great size (Kaio will get to have his own little patio). It's on a nice, quiet street off Northcote Road (a street full of restaurants and stores). We move in 3 weeks.
I am going to change jobs in a couple of weeks. It is a great career opportunity for me, but I am also aware it might require more of my time (=less time with Kaio). But Jason and I will make it work. The plan is still that Jason takes Kaio to daycare in the mornings and I will pick him up in the afternoon.
Here are some recent pictures:
1) "I am bit upset, but I'll look cute for the camera..."
2) I turned my back for 1/2second and he burst into a cry, thinking I was leaving him behind. Still love that cute pouty lip!
3) We have bee trying to get a pictures of Kaio's smile to show off his 4 teeth together. No luck so far, but here you can see how big his bottom teeth are and... Ho adorable he is!
4) Daddy blowing in Kaio's face and Kaio not really knowing what to do with it....
5) He loves playing with the vacuum cleaner extension...

Little teeth!

Both Kaio and I have recovered from last week's cold! We are both sleeping much better. (and, consequently, Jason too!)
Kaio has started to get into the habit of biting, and since he has 4 teeth, it really hurts and leaves a nice mark. He is smart enough not to bite himself but tries to get my fingers in his mouth. I have to really force myself not to laugh (since it is darn cute!) but he is starting to get the fact that when we laugh he does 'good' things and repeats them!
He is starting to have 'separation anxiety' when we drop him off at daycare. When we get to daycare he is all happy and smiles at everyone, but once I sit him down and leave the room he bursts into a cry. Most of the time he stops after a couple of seconds and is easily distracted by a toy. He continues to react very adorable when I go and pick him up at the end of the day: He sees me, opens a big smile and start crawling in my direction. Once I pick him up, he hugs and kisses me. (with his mouth open - so I get all slobbered on! I love it though!)

Standing!

Kaio is now pulling himself up on anything and standing with one hand. He does not seem to have any fear and will have to learn some lessons the 'hard' way. But he has been able to go from standing to sitting a couple of times also.
Today we met up for lunch with a friend who has 6 month old Evan. Evan is 22lbs! He is a nice chubby baby. Kaio is tiny compared to him. He is 4 lbs lighter then Evan but 4 months older!!!
Some pics of the weekend:
1) Kaio still has the big eyes.... and always a smile for the camera.
2) He loves to stand next to his bouncy chair and play with the toys (it seems not that long ago, he was this tiny baby, loving the vibration of the bouncy chair)
3) My beautiful sleeping baby!