Seven Months Old!

Thought we had better post these photos before Kian turns 8 months old, which is coming up soon! Perhaps he'll be able to sit up on his own for more than a few seconds when we take the next round of photos on the 10th of April. It's hard to believe that when we took the first photo at one month old, Kian was about the same size as that teddy bear!

Kian is a pro at his walker, maneuvering wherever he pleases, simply redirecting himself if there is an obstacle (Mom's foot, for example). He has tried all sorts of new foods: carrots, butternut squash, pears, prunes, avocado, and peas (see below).

Oatmeal is still a favorite. We think that Kian may be allergic to barley because he had a terrible allergic reaction (hives, facial swelling) shortly after trying a new jar of organic baby food that was supposed to be simply "spinach and potatoes" according to the main label, but actually included barley flour, carrots, and brown rice flour. Lesson learned: read the fine print! At least we now have an Epi Pen, Jr. on hand, should Kian have a more severe allergic reaction in the future, so I see the little scare as a blessing in disguise.

He loves being vocal, experimenting with the volume of his voice quite often. We are getting quite a kick out of the fact that he has now shown an interest in deliberately trying to make us laugh. While on his changing table one day a few weeks ago, Kian kicked his feet excitedly and crazily against a plastic bag set aside for his dirty diaper, causing me (Althea) to get the giggles. He stopped, looked right at my face, laughed heartily, and then rapidly kicked his feet around again, paused again to see my reaction, then squealed with laughter. Later, he tried the same thing with Ryan, but didn't get the same reaction. Ryan did start cracking up, however, when Kian grabbed the bar above him and twisted his body side to side, so Kian continued to do that same thing to get more laughter from Dad!

We recently bought a playmat for Kian to roll around more comfortably on our hardwoods:

Here he is with some friends on St. Patrick's Day:

Kian (Little O'Cutie), Cameron, and Elliot

We hosted a St. Patrick's Day dinner again this year, so we had to take another photo -- this time Kian is outside the womb!

Compare that to the St. Pat's Day photo on one of our very first blog posts one year ago. I was 17.5 weeks pregnant and barely showing. My, how much things can change in just one year!

We are looking forward to a few more firsts for Kian before he turns 8 months old -- first plane ride, first time in a pool, first splash in the ocean, and first taste of poi (?!) during his first trip to Kauai in a couple of days. Should be quite an adventure! Check back later for some photos of Kian having fun in the sun....

6 Months Old!

Is that teddy bear getting smaller? Kian is now 27.5 inches tall (85th%) and weighs 18 lb. (60th%). As you can see, he's still got that great little tuft of hair on the top of his head -- the shark fin, tidal wave, mohawk, Cupie Doll or Alfalfa hairdo, etc. It has drawn a lot of comments from friends and strangers alike for the past 6 months, and we wonder if his hair will ever flatten down!



Kian tastes sweet potatoes for the first time on his half-year birthday.


On the last day of the Chinese New Year this past weekend, we went to the International District, saw lion dancers, and covered Kian's ears (his real ones; not the panda ears on his hat) when the firecrackers went crazy.


This photo was taken in the car mirror that is mounted on the seat in front of Kian's car seat. Watching lion dancing, waiting for his family to finish eating dim sum, and touring the Wing Luke Asian Museum were very tiring.


We can't believe that Kian has been in our lives for only 6 months; it feels like he's always been with us. Can't imagine life without him. We love his little personality that is shining through and his funny mannerisms. We love when he looks us right in the eye and smiles big. We love hearing his laughter and his delightful babbling. We love his strong jumping legs and chubby active feet. We love his big, squishy cheeks and his huge, bright eyes. We love this boy more than anything else in the world!

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!