No More Peas, Please!

Well, yesterday marked Kaiser's first experience with peas. As I'm sure you can gather from the title of this post, this new veggie didn't quite thrill him like the sweet potatoes and carrots he's been gobbling down for the past week! 

Comin' in for a landing!

What's the verdict?

Not looking too promising...

"Where are those yummy sweet taters?"

"Ick!"

"I think I'm going to be sick..." 

In fact, the kidlet didn't make it all the way through his meal; about halfway through the peas, the poor guy spit up big time! Mommy decided that Kaiser had had enough for his first try. We'll see if his reaction improves at all today...and tomorrow...and the next day...

Happy Dad's Day!

To all of you handsome babydaddies out there:

And especially to the men who this little kidlet, his mommy, and his daddy love and admire so much:

En Norman, OK, te amamos!

Hugs and slobbery kisses to Edmond, OK!

To St. Louis, MO, we can't wait to see YOU soon!

To two awesome fellas in Enid, OK & St. Louis, MO!

And, of course, the #1 man in Kaiser's life deserves a great big shout-out, too...

(Please notice the distance between Kaiser and his signs. It's getting harder and harder to take any posed picture of him. You can see why in the following two photos!)

Daddy,

I am so glad that God gave me to you. You are caring, smart, hardworking, and lots of fun! I couldn't ask for a better father. Thank you for all of the love and attention you give to me, and the sacrifices you make for me. My face lights up every time you come in the door, because I am always so excited to spend time with you. Everyone says that I look like you, too, and I take that as a huge compliment! I know I'm only 6 months old, but I already know that when I grow up, I want to be just like you.

"You're the best...around!" :) (Mommy says to tell you that's from her.)

XOXO

Kaiser

And the Green Grass Grows All Around

Kaiser, Berkeley, and I spent some time outside this evening before bath time. I decided to let the kiddo exercise his mad sittin' skills in the yard while I yanked some weeds. He enjoyed running his hands through the grass and trying to yank it out of the ground. (Sounds kind of like Mommy's hair!) Of course, I had to run back in the house really quickly to grab the good ole Canon. 

Decent camera + iPhoto editing + Our KJB = Pretty darn cute pics!

My Little Sweet Potato

Kaiser had his first meal of sweet potatoes today! Mommy is a big fan of this vegetable, so she was hoping her baby would enjoy them, too. 

"This is definitely not cereal..."

"Do I like it or not?"

"I like it!" 

(You can't see in this pic, but he is pulling my hand toward his mouth so that he can get fed more quickly!)

One full baby. 

Reaching out for more, but we're all done!

We'll stick with sweet spuds for a couple of days, and then I think we'll try out carrots! Yum!

Where Did Half a Year Go???

Today our pride and joy celebrates his half birthday! Oh my. Everyone told us that time would fly once we started having children, and they weren't lying. We blinked and six months disappeared! I can't believe all of the changes and growth we've witnessed in Kaiser already. Brett and I have learned more and loved more than we could have ever imagined. 

We went for Kaiser's 6 month check up this morning, and of course he's doing just grand! Here are his stats:

(6 months & 26 weeks both fell today, so we had to take both pics!)

15 pounds 15 ounces (24th %ile)

26 inches (30th %ile)

Again Kaiser turned on the charm for Kathy, our nurse practitioner. He just stared and stared at her and even started talking to her a bit! Kathy and I mostly talked about transitioning into more solid foods and a sippy cup. We discussed teething (which Kaiser hasn't started yet--totally okay with this nursing momma!), and I found out that he needs special prescription drops with fluoride in them, because apparently the township we live in is the only place in Pittsburgh that doesn't have fluoride in the water! She also touched on stranger/separation anxiety, which can pop up around this age and I've noticed a bit of lately. Kathy just went on and on about how cute he was and how much he looked like his daddy, which his proud mama hears all the time! Kaiser again was a trooper with his vaccinations. He cried pretty hard initially, but recovered quickly once in Mommy's arms. We'll look forward to another check up in 3 months. 

Kaiser, here is what you've been busy doing in the past month: 

• You started eating solid foods two weeks ago! So far, we have tried out rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, and wheat cereal (for the first time today). You've been eating about a tablespoon after you nurse in the late afternoon, and you get better and better at keeping most of it in your mouth every day. One thing's for sure: You are very easily distracted! When you breastfeed, you get down to business, but when you sit up to eat in your Bumbo on the kitchen table, you turn your head from side to side to look at anything and everything--the TV, the backyard, Berkeley, whatever's behind you on the table. Mommy often has to remind you by saying, "Yum, yum, yum...OPEN!" 
• You are sitting up like a champ! You began to hold yourself up for several seconds at a time a little over two weeks ago, and now you are sitting alone on the floor for really long stretches (and by long, I mean 10+ minutes!). At first Mommy was always by your side and would catch you if you lost balance, but she's started backing off a little bit and letting you fall (on the carpet, of course!). She wants you to learn that it's okay to take a tumble now and then. But, at this point, you rarely fall down; more often, you just get tired of sitting still and fuss so Mommy or Daddy will come pick you up.
• We love hearing your laughter more and more each day! Nothing tickles us more than listening to it. Lately, saying "I'm gonna get you!" or "Choo choo choo!" or blowing against your neck or under your armpits will send you into a fit of giggles. We've heard you shriek a few times, and it's hilarious! 
• You make your fair share of noises, but you are not babbling yet. We try to get you to say, "Ma ma ma ma ma" and "Da da da da da," but haven't had any luck. People who meet you say that you are so quiet and observant. You look like you're studying everyone and everything. Apparently this is what Daddy was like when he was a youngster, too. We can't wait until you find your voice and start jabbering!
• You are still an outstanding sleeper. Your morning nap is now about an hour, your afternoon nap is 2-3, and you are down for the count for 12-13 hours at night (every night since April 7--Way to go!). Really the only thing that's changed on this front is that you are no longer swaddled; we just lay you down in your crib, give you Buster, your blankie-bear, and say goodnight. You usually make "settling down noises" for a few minutes, and then it's off to dreamland! 
• You easily roll from your tummy to your back, but have only rolled from your back to your tummy twice. One morning last week, Mommy came to get you and found you looking less than thrilled that you'd accidentally made the flip. Then, just last night, Mommy checked on you and found you sleeping on your tum tum. (She decided to gently turn you back over, so that you didn't wake up and get upset at your little predicament!)
• You have finally truly discovered Berkeley, and you two are getting along splendidly. You've been eyeing her for a while, but now you are really interacting with her and reaching out with curiosity to touch her. The other day, you were sitting on the floor under your gym, and Mommy came around the corner and found Berkeley giving your face a bath with her tongue. You seemed pretty content, but Mommy had to put an end to it. :) We know that before long, your reaching out may turn to grabbing her paws/ears/etc., but we have a feeling she'll just love the attention.
• You very intently watch us when we eat or drink. Your eyes follow the utensils as they go to our mouths, and you reach out to try to touch our drinks. You are especially infatuated with my Coke Zero cans!
• You kick like a maniac, and you have ridiculously strong legs! Daddy and Mommy are surprised that you don't have bruises on your heels from kicking the floor so hard when you get excited. Mommy was in the basement the other day and could hear you thumping away above her, and when she lotions you up at night she has to keep her legs to the sides of you so you don't kick her right on her ankle bones! Ouch!
• You love the taste of your vitamin D drops. Daddy and Mommy think they smell less than appetizing, but apparently they are like candy to you. Every night after bath time, Daddy lays you on your bedroom floor in your towel, and you fuss and kick like mad until Mommy gives you your "medicine". You have started pulling her hand down so that the dropper comes to your mouth more quickly, and you suck those drops down! After you get your vitamins, you are relatively calm. 
• You discovered your feet over a month ago, but haven't had any luck getting them in your mouth until just the past few days. (We think it might have to do with that cute little belly you have in the way...) Now when you are sitting in Daddy's lap or are in the tub, you suck your toes like crazy! 
• You still like your baby gym and spend time under it each morning while Mommy showers, but you love your exersaucer! Whenever I come to look at you while you're playing in it and say, "Kaiser, are you having fun?" you break into a huge smile and start bouncing up and down. It's so fun watching you learn how to operate all of its bells and whistles. 
• You have stayed pretty busy traveling and spending time with family lately. You took your first trip to Michigan to meet Uncle Kent, Aunt Kir Kir, Connor, Sydney, and William. Auntie Cindy came to see you in Pittsburgh last week. In just a few days, Uncle Justin and Bond will be here, and in a couple of weeks, you and Mommy are taking another trip to see Oma, Grandpa, Papa, and Nana in St. Louis. YaYa is meeting us there so she can love on you, too!

Here are some pics of our handsome devil: 

Mommy's a sucker for these seersucker shorts! 

 Folding laundry--such a great helper! 

Pint size. 

Getting ready to go to lunch on Mommy's bday.

Playing with a new toy from IKEA. 

Proud Daddy with his goofy boy. 

We knew his tootsies would make their way to his mouth at some point!

Testing out his new sippy cup.

Take a look at how much our boy has grown! Kaiser is so much more than we could have ever asked for or imagined in a son. God is too good to us. Daddy and Mommy adore you, Stinker!

Mother's Ring!

Brett had been asking me for a while what I'd like for an anniversary/birthday gift, and I kept on telling him that I didn't want or need anything. "How about a Dyson vacuum?" "No, honey, the vacuum we have now is still working fine." "Those Uggs that you tried on and liked last winter?" "Nope. I'm fine with the snow boots I got for 1/5 of the price at TJ Maxx." Poor guy. I'm really not very helpful when it comes to giving him gift ideas, because I always think, "We really don't need to spend any more money!"

Then, an idea struck me: Back in May, my bloggy friend Jennifer posted pictures of a ring that her hubby had given her for Mother's Day. It was sterling silver and had her son Brody's name engraved in it. It was beautiful, but at the time I thought, "Too many other expenses now. Maybe later." Well, let's just say Brett's constant questioning made me change my mind. :) So I told him what I'd like, and he said that sounded great. The jeweler who makes the ring, David Adams, is in Fayetteville, Arkansas, so I placed my order online, and less than a week later, I received this in the mail: 

I just love it! I also love that when we have kiddos in the future, I can have rings made with their names and wear them stacked. Such a precious gift reminding me of my precious gift from God.

Thanks for the sweet anniversary/birthday gift, Baby!

Auntie Cindy's Weekend Visit

This weekend was a special one for our little kidlet! It was his first time to meet Grandpa Tom's sister, Auntie Cindy. Cindy lives in York, PA, about 4 hours southeast of Pittsburgh. She took off work on Friday to drive in for a short but sweet visit. We got out a little and stayed in a little, which made for a wonderful weekend. Here's a quick recap:

Friday: 

Cindy arrived around 4pm. She hadn't seen us in almost 6 years, but said that with all of the pictures she's looked at on the internet the past several months, she could spot us from a mile away! Kaiser must have been pretty tuckered out, because I had to wake him up from his nap at 5pm. Cindy got to watch him make a mess of himself eating his oatmeal cereal, and we spent the rest of his evening waketime just visiting and playing. Bath time and bedtime were here before we knew it, and Cindy had fun watching Kaiser's bedtime routine. After he was down, the three if us ate dinner and watched the Pittsburgh Penguins beat out the Detroit Red Wings for the Stanley Cup! (Well, Brett watched the Pens. Cindy and I half-watched and half-looked through a photo album of the trip to Europe Brett and I took 5 years ago!)

 

Lookin' sharp early in the day. (He was sporting only his diaper by the time he met Auntie Cindy.)

Pretty content after bath time!

Looking like a cone head, but I had to get a shot of this adorable hooded horsey towel from Jefe!

Saturday:

Daddy headed out super early for a round of golf, and the rest of us stayed home for a relaxing morning. The weather couldn't have been more gorgeous, so we spent some time sitting out on the back deck before Kaiser's morning nap. Once he was awake and Brett was home, we drove to Mt. Washington to take a look at the Pittsburgh skyline. Then, we boarded the Monongahela Incline and went down to Station Square. After grabbing Starbucks and strolling around for a bit, we took the incline up again so we could get home and put the boy to bed! 

After Kaiser's afternoon nap and meal, we drove downtown to eat dinner at Jerome Bettis' Grill 36. We thought that we'd beat out crowds by getting there around 5pm, but we thought wrong! There was a Pirates game that night, so tons of baseball fans were out in their gear and dining at the sports bar. Didn't bother us too much, though; the restaurant is right on the Allegheny River, so we just strolled by the water while we waited for our call. I've never been down to that part of town, and I thought it was great! Right across the way, where the three rivers meet, is Point State Park; I told Brett we've got to get down there with Kaiser soon. Anyway, back to dinner: Cindy was so sweet to treat us, and it was a delicious meal! We might have to go there again when Justin and Bond are in town...

Not surprisingly, before long Kaiser's internal alarm went off, and he decided to make it clear that he needed to go home, be fed, and be put to bed stat! So off we went. After he retired for the night, the big kids stayed up on the back porch, and Brett even lit a fire in the chiminea. Perfect night!

Happy time cuddling with Auntie Cindy! (Check out the number he did on her shirt. She had to change before we went out for the day!)

Playing with his new "monkey ball" toy that Mommy picked up the day before. 

Daddy and his mini-me, about to head out!

Checking out Pittsburgh from Mt. Washington!

Ready to board the incline.

Goofing around with Daddy. 

Not quite the face we were looking for, Kaiser...

Walking by the Allegheny River while we waited for our dinner table.

Sunday: 

Not much to report. Daddy had to go to work, and we had another typical morning. Spent some more time outside, and Cindy packed up to head home around 11am. 

Auntie Cindy got him a ball cap! (Uncle Justin, can you work on shaping that bill for him? I know you're an expert at that.)

Saying goodbye. 

Come back soon!

Thanks so much for making the trip to come see us, Auntie Cindy! We had such a nice time with you. We're glad you got to love on our Kaiser, and we can't wait to visit you in York sometime soon! We love you!