An Eventful Couple of Weeks: Teething, Baptism

Behind that cute bottom lip are two tiny teeth that first sprouted up on January 26th -- or that's when we first noticed them, anyway. Now, a couple weeks later, quite a bit more has emerged, making Kian's bite pretty ferocious! Dad is more careful about offering his own thumb for Kian to teethe with. And Mom is...well, more guarded, too. Ouch!

On February 1st, Kian splashed around in a fancy bathtub and got fragrant oil smeared on his head. Well, that's what he'd tell you in so many "words". In fact, Kian was baptized by Fr. Jerry Cobb at the Chapel of St. Ignatius -- the same special and sacred spot where Althea was baptized and confirmed 11 years ago and where Ryan and Althea got married 2 1/2 years ago.

Kian shared this sacramental day with cousin, Lochlann Emmett Liddell,
and good friend, Lilly Andersen O'Claire. Here they are in their pure white garments.

Who doesn't like a little snooze after a warm bath?!

Blessed with a new spiritual "clean slate", Kian contemplates what kind of mischief he can begin his life with. Is being so darn cute a sin?

Little Driver: Go, Speed, Go!

Kian test drives his new walker!

Kian Explores the New Activity Jumper...with his FACE!

Kian is just getting used to how his new Baby Einstein Activity Jumper works and provided some fun entertainment for his mommy today. Yes, I was laughing AT him in this video! You will, too.

5 Months Old Today!

Kian can sit up quite a bit better these days, but still needs some support. He's actually a little bit slouched in this month's picture with his teddy bear and Boppy pillow, but we can tell you that Kian is definitely bigger than he was last month. For his 6 month old blog post, I will put all of the bear comparison photos together for easy viewing, but for now, click on the links in the margin to take a peek at previous photos taken on the 10th of each month.

We've recently experienced some big milestones in Baby Kian's life. On New Year's Day, Kian rolled over from his back to his tummy! For several days, he was unable to do it again because his arm kept getting in the way, but just a few days ago, Kian started rolling like crazy! We haven't gotten it on video yet, but when we do, we'll be sure to post it here.

We did capture another big moment on video, however. Today, Kian received his first taste of iron-fortified rice cereal! He has shown many of the signs of being ready to start solids, such as watching us intently while we eat and having good control of his head and neck (so that he can pull away to let us know that he's full). There was no pulling away in this video...only leaning forward for more! Watch this video clip taken near the end of his first feeding of rice cereal, as Kian tries to use his own hand to help his dad get more of the rice cereal in his mouth.



After he finished the small meal, he was still hungry, so we topped him off with a bottle of good ol' fashioned mama's milk.

We're hoping that a fuller belly will make Kian sleep for longer stretches at night because I have been nursing him exclusively and still get up to feed him 3-4 times a night after my own bedtime. He goes to sleep around 7 p.m. and then rouses to nurse again at about 10 and then every 2-3 hours after that, making his mama quite exhausted! Of course, we're all just grateful that Kian is healthy and thriving.

Kian's First Christmas

Kian loves what "Santa" brought him for his first Christmas!


The day before, Kian smiles in anticipation of what's in his brand new Christmas stocking.


Dressed in his "Baby's First Christmas" candy cane outfit from his nana, Kian poses with his parents at Uncle Devin's and Aunt Teresa's house for the traditional Christmas Eve lobster feast.


Three-year-old cousin, Finnegan, props up Kian for a few photos. Lochlann is off to the side enjoying his new fire truck sticker book.

Kian's bib reads, "It's the night before Christmas and guess who's awake?" And yet....

...there comes a time when you just have to give in. We wonder what he's dreaming of this Christmas. Certainly not a white Christmas; that's a reality this year in Seattle!

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family who still keep up with our blog! :)
Happy New Year!

Kian's First Snow Day

Yesterday, we bundled up Kian in a fleecy snowsuit and introduced him to below-freezing temperatures. As you can see in this family photo, he loves it.


Eventually, he warmed up to the situation... Somewhere in that navy blue marshmallow man suit is our son. In the background, the Airboard Classic -- our awesome inflatable sled -- lies patiently awaiting the rush of jetting down the gnarly hills of West Seattle.


Lilly O'Claire offers to play Santa for Kian before their parents went on their sledding adventure. Kian says: "All I want is... to get out of this bulky snow suit!"


One of my favorite pictures of 2008. A bit too late for the photo Christmas card unfortunately!

Four Months Old!

Kian turns 4 months old today! At his well-baby visit, we found out that he weighs 16 lb., 2.5 oz., is 25.5 inches tall -- both in the 75th % -- and is in the 50% for head circumference. He is very healthy and gives us plenty of smiles and babbles. More updates to come.... Mama is back to work (today is the 3rd day back) and we usually head out the door at 7:15 to go to grandma's house.

Thanks for reading, and remember to compare this photo to the previous three taken with this teddy bear on the 10th of the month!