Howdy Pardner

Yesterday we attended the 2nd birthday party of a friend, and there was a great cowboy theme - complete with a petting zoo and pony ride! Kyle loved having the bandanna on throughout the whole party (he was even pretty unhappy when we had to take it off at home for bath time!) but the hat wasn't such a big hit - it was barely on long enough to snap this photo.

The pony ride was a little worrisome for Kyle, and to begin with he was ready to get off as soon as he was on. But once the pony started walking, he seemed quite content to hold on. In fact, he went back for a second ride a little later! We'll be taking him down our favorite horseback trip into Haleakala Crater before we know it.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again!

The "Littlest One"

Here's our littlest one, getting bigger each time that we take a peek! This time, weighing in at about 20 ounces, and measuring just as expected for 22 1/2 weeks. Dave is still convinced that the facial features are very masculine, but I believe the fact that this one is MUCH smaller than Kyle means that we have a petite little girl. It's hard to believe that we only have another 3+ months until we find out! There was a lot of action during this appointment, even though it was a very quick visit. We saw lots of swallowing, and (s)he was playing with his/her toes up above his/her head (ah, I wish I was still that flexible!) I officially "popped" the week before Christmas, so for those people who hadn't already been told, they now know they news!

Kyle still likes to "listen to the baby" if I am laying on the ground, and in fact, the other day "told" me to lay down and then he proceeded to push up my shirt a little bit and put one ear and then the other to my tummy to check if he could hear anything. Sometimes baby even gets a little wave or a kiss! I have another OB appointment on the 15th, so I am sure that he will like to hear everything through the Doppler then!

Merry Christmas!

We were lucky enough to have Kyle's Great-Grandma come for a visit for Christmas and New Year. Somewhere behind our posed family is our Christmas tree - just a little one this year as we had it up on the coffee table out of Kyle's reach. He was so crafty about it - he knew that he wasn't supposed to touch it, so he would pick something up and try to touch the tree with whatever it was that he was holding! The above shot was filled with much laughter, as Kyle loved having the camera on the tripod, and was clever enough to figure out how the trigger/timer worked, although it took a little bit for him to figure out that he had to run back to be in the photo with us!

Both sides of our families came for Christmas dinner, so we were lucky that our dining room table can expand to hold 10 of us. Along with Maemo, Granpa, and Great-Grandma, we also had Noni, Papa, Uncle Mike and Great-Uncle Charlie. Kyle was a little too excited from all of the other happnenings of the day, so he didn't spend much time sitting down during the big event. On the menu for our Christmas evening was:

Roast Beef with Horseradish-Mustard Sauce
Roasted Potatoes with Tangy Watercress Sauce
Dilled Carrots and Green Beans
Sautéed Leeks and Broccolini with Balsamic Vinegar
Orange, Arugula, and Kalamata Olive Salad
Ciabatta rolls

followed up by a wonderfully rich Chocolate Torte and the traditional Italian Rum Cake.

My apologies for the much-delayed post, I am sure everyone understands how hectic things are over the holiday season!

Wishing you all the best to you and your families,
love, The Walkers

First haircut

Over the long Thanksgiving weekend, Dave and I both agreed that it was about time for Kyle's first haircut...





...it seemed to be getting a little shaggy over his ears, and he was growing quite the little tail at the back!




So we took Kyle to a place that specializes in kid's cuts - just to see how he did for the first time with scissors snipping around his head. He sat in a little car and had fun steering and playing the toys until it came time to trim over his ears, and then his hands were everywhere, trying to get at the stylist!







In the end,
he managed to get a decent trim, and we now know that he can handle a haircut without any tears.



Kyle's last canine tooth has just broken through, so he is up to 16 teeth now. After this, it seems like we will have a few months to enjoy a little less drool until his 2-year molars make an appearance. However, as all of his teeth were early, it may not be long before those, too, decide to break through!

The latest antics that have had us laughing this week are the "body slam" hugs that we get. It started off as Kyle running up to the couch and bouncing off again, full of giggles. So while I was busy, Dave turned this into hugs from Kyle. When I came back into the room, Kyle decided that it wasn't Daddy's turn for body slam hugs anymore, but mine, so we had a lot of backing up and running into me. He would usually make eye contact with me before running at me, but once he did a "fake-out" and looked at Dave but then ran right past him into me. After a few of the close range hugs, Kyle decided to go all of the way into the kitchen to get up a LOT of speed, so he would come tearing around the corner and then run right into me. Once he came around the corner and was heading for Dave, so he paused, waved his hands as if to say "Never mind! Do-over!" and then turned around to head back into the kitchen. Sure enough, the next time he came barreling out of the kitchen it was straight into me! It was one of those moments that we wish we could have captured on video tape...

First Trip to the Beach

Instead of going away to celebrate our third anniversary, Dave and I decided to spend last Saturday out at Half Moon Bay with Kyle. Instead of going to "our" beach (where Dave proposed), we did a little exploring and found Cowell Ranch State Beach, a few miles south of Half Moon Bay. This was Kyle's first trip to the ocean, although he seemed more excited about playing with the sand than with the water. We got some great photos, and it was hard to pick only a few for the blog. I chose the one above because it was one of only a few when I was actually able to catch his attention and he wasn't also moving!

There was a 0.6 mile hike out to the bluffs, and then a long trek down the stairs to the beach. At the bottom, the stairs had been washed out, but we were still able to get down to the beach. We had a nice walk along the beach, with lots of stops to play with the sand, seaweed, rocks and seashells. So many exciting new things to examine! It was quite a grey day, so we actually had the entire beach to ourselves, and we finally decided to head back to the car when we started to feel rain sprinkles intensifying. I was surprised that we didn't get more of a protest when we left, but it turns out that Kyle was thoroughly worn out and fought falling asleep once we were back in the car. Hopefully we will be able to head out to the coast again on another nice weekend, although as my tummy grows, we'll have to find a beach that doesn't require scrambling over the edge!

In other news, I had my 16-week check-up at the OB office this week. Everything is progressing well, and Kyle loved the exam - being able to sit on my chest to watch the nurse practitioner measure my size, he then held on to the tape measure for her while she showed him how the Doppler worked and we heard the heartbeat! Four more weeks until our next visit, although I have begun to feel some kicks and punches, so we will have some reassurement in the meantime.

Hooray!

(Click on the photo for a larger image, otherwise,
Kyle's shirt reads:

I'm gonna be a big brother, but I'd still rather have a dinosaur)


Announcing the upcoming arrival of Kyle's little brother or sister,
due to join the Walker Family by the end of April, 2008.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from our "little pumpkin" - I mean Tigger! We laughed when we remembered last year having to prop Kyle up against the pumpkins to get a similar photo, now he could barely sit still long enough for this photo.

We've had a fun October, with a trip
to the pumpkin patch...










...some pumpkin carving...





...and finally trick-or-treating (or more accurately, a walk around the neighborhood in his Halloween costume while looking at all of the decorations)

(Don't forget to click on the small photos to see them enlarged!)

Mr Repairman

Kyle wants to help out with everything these days, or more accurately, do everything himself. This morning, his zebra flashlight didn't have the usual perkiness, so we thought that it might be in need of some new batteries - here's Kyle taking charge of the repairs!

Getting to be a big boy!

Kyle loves exploring what goodies we have in the fridge, and today he found a nectarine on the top shelf, and wandered away munching on it! So far I haven't found any sticky spots on the hardwood floor or carpet, so I am hoping that he was pretty neat with it.

We are amazed daily by how much he understands and can do. Yesterday, we received a new sweatshirt in the mail for him, so we opened up the package, took a look, and then left it in the middle of the living room floor. Later when Dave once Dave was home, Kyle was busy playing with something, and I poked my head in to say "Can you show Daddy your new sweatshirt?" Sure enough, Kyle got up, picked up the sweatshirt, gave it to Dave and then went back to what he was doing! We're looking forward to his first few words, when he can start asking us for things (hopefully this doesn't lead to much talking back!)

Body Art

Kyle loves to scribble with pens lately (if you give him a crayon, he'll just eat it!) and I made the mistake of leaving the room for 5 seconds... I came back to find him laughing and scribbling on his foot. He was very proud to show off his handiwork, and even managed to get a scribble in on my wrist a little later. We're going to have to start watching out for the walls!

First taste of Marmite

This definitely proves that Kyle has British blood in him - here he is, taking his first tastes of Marmite. He had a lick off of my finger, and then signed for more and grabbed the jar! (Click on the photos for gooey close ups of all the Marmite around his mouth!)







We have been very lucky not to have too much of a picky eater. Although it did take him a little while to eat vegetables, now it seems that he'll eat just about anything that we give to him.

15-months old (where does the time go?)

It is funny to have people ask me "How's the baby?" because these days, Kyle doesn't seem to be much of a baby at all. He has such an independent little boy personality, and loves exploring different things, either on his own, or while pulling my hand and sticking my hand in instead of his own!

We went to his 15-month check up yesterday, and he weighed in at 22 pounds 13 ounces, 31" tall. Looking at the growth charts, he has definitely slowed down from his chubby baby days, but that is good news for everyone, otherwise we would be struggling to carry close to 30 pounds. His height to weight ratio is perfectly proportioned, so it doesn't look like we are starving him! During our Saturday visit to the SF Zoo, I noticed that his 13th tooth had broken through (one of his lower canines) which will make his smile even more dazzling. Kyle's doctor was pleased with all of his development, and said that he is right on schedule with everything. We can look forward to an explosion of verbalization over the next few months to supplement his signing.

Everyday, I am amazed by how much he understands. This past week, I have been able to ask him to "please close the fridge" and he will come running back into the kitchen and give the door a big push. Today, we had some food fall onto the ground while he was eating lunch and I said "Uhoh! We'll have to clean that up!" He looked down at it, and then looked over to the garage door where the Swiffer was and he pointed to it. I told him "That's right, we can clean it up with the Swiffer as soon as we are finished with lunch" So sure enough, as soon as I took him out of the highchair, he ran over to the Swiffer and brought it back to clean the floor under his highchair, and then proceeded to walk it all of the way around the dining room table!

Daddy's first trip to the San Francisco Zoo

Kyle and I had already gone up to the SF Zoo on two separate occasions for play-dates without Dave, so on Saturday we decided that it was finally time to make a family trip up there. We tried to time our drive to correspond with Kyle's nap, but of course he didn't fall asleep until we were nearly there, so we drove up the coast a bit further to the Cliff House. As we drove into the zoo parking lot, Kyle woke up and was very excited to realize where we were!

A first for all us was a ride on the "Little Puffer" steam train. We think that Kyle had more fun watching the train go past rather than actually riding it, but he still enjoyed the trip around, past some of the animals and through a tunnel.

We finished the day with a trip to the Family Farm, I couldn't leave without letting Dave see how excited Kyle was to feed the goats. Unfortunately, I missed capturing his expression with the camera, but we were both thrilled to see how excited he was to be with the animals, and he kept asking for more food to give to them.

Smile for the camera!

Kyle is growing up so quickly into a little boy, and is rapidly outgrowing his baby ways. It is amazing how much he understands these days, and how much he tries to communicate with us too. His signing repertoire is growing, and despite dropping "milk" he now knows "more", "hear", "where", "on", "one" (how old are you?), and "touchdown!" He can also be very persistent when he wants to show you something, or needs help, and is constantly pushing or pulling me along with him.

It's been a busy month, but no real excuses for not having posted recently. Since our last post, we have gone to the Oakland Zoo with Daddy (Labor Day) and also went to the SF Zoo again yesterday for another Moms-n-Boys Day-Out. When we were leaving the zoo yesterday, Kyle kept signing "more" and was very reluctant to leave. Needless to say, he was sound asleep in the car within 5 minutes of us being on the road home. I promised him that we would be back again soon with Daddy.

We also went to Palo Alto Airport Day last weekend, and Kyle loved to see airplanes, helicopters and firetrucks up close, as well as to see the planes taking off and landing. Next year he should be big enough that we can get a photo of him sitting in a cockpit!

There are no big upcoming plans for us, just enjoying every day that we can with our ever changing boy. I am still trying to take him to weekly swim classes (nap permitting) and trying to get him together for play dates - he is such a social boy, and loves giving hugs to his friends! There are plenty of happenings in our house, so I promise it won't be another month before another update and photo!

Here's a parting image of Kyle signing "touchdown!"

San Francisco Zoo

Kyle and I had our first trip to the zoo yesterday, unfortunately without Dad, as it was a weekday and we were meeting up with a couple of my college friends and their little ones. It was a very exciting experience for Kyle, with watching the big gorillas eat lunch or climb into a tub, turtles swimming under the water, and monkeys scaling fences. The most exciting part was the petting zoo, where he pulled on some goats horns, and finally rode on a little toy tractor, which I had to drag him off of, with promises that we will come again. Shown with Kyle is Maddie (age 3, her baby sister Julia is missing from the photo) and Ava (just a few weeks younger than Kyle).

We had a quick trip to the doctor's office today, for a weight check and some blood work. Kyle weighed in at 22 pounds, so he has gained a pound in the past 5 weeks, not bad! He was also a very brave boy during the blood draw and didn't even flinch. I was so proud of him!

Summer Vacation

We're back from "The Lake" (Lake Almanor, for those who aren't in the know) and our week away went far too quickly. Kyle had a blast playing in the sand, but wasn't too interested in getting wet, following us in the water to get his feet wet only a couple of times. He was even less thrilled with boat rides, mainly because he had to wear his life vest, which was uncomfortable as it pushed up under his chin.

He did surprisingly well on the 5+ hour drive there and back, with two naps each way, and with me sitting in the back seat with him to give him snacks and keep him amused with toys or a narrative of our drive. Nap time for him was a great relief from the non-stop action of each day, with 4 other kids running around. Kyle loved having some big kids to look up to, and I'm sure he will enjoy interacting with them a bit more once he is a little older and he can keep up.

We saw lots of wildlife up there, mostly deer and a couple of osprey, and unfortunately not many fish. Dave didn't have a chance to go fishing this year, as he was around as much as possible to spend time with Kyle. Kyle was enthralled with the fishing poles, so maybe next year he'll be up for catching a fish! I'll post some more photos of our trip as soon as I have a chance to go through some more of them.

Our muscle man

We can't believe that Kyle has been walking for over two months now, but at the same time, he is so good at it, that it is hard to remember a time when he wasn't walking! One of his favorite past times is walking (or trying to run) around and around the dining room table, but other times, he loves just picking up and carrying whatever he can find. This can lead to some frustration when whatever he wants to carry is too awkward/heavy for him to lift. This week's photo is of Kyle helping out by emptying the bathroom trash can (luckily it was nothing in it when he started carrying it!)

We are off next week for Kyle's first family vacation to Lake Almanor, so hopefully we will return with lots of great photos of him playing at the lake. Dave and I are looking forward to some time away from work, as well as time away from the house, although we both know that there will be plenty to do waiting for us on our return. Most importantly though, it will just be fantastic to have a full uninterrupted week with Kyle. Kyle, meanwhile, is just looking forward to eating more and more and growing into a big boy - this week, he wasn't satisfied with just a piece of bread, he wanted the entire loaf! And it is a constant battle these days to have him drink out of his sippy cup, he'd rather drink out of a glass or bottle like a big boy, unfortunately, that usually results in a spill.

Kyle's 11th tooth (lower right molar) broke through on Sunday! It's getting dangerous to get fingers too close to his mouth now, as he thinks it is a game and giggles while trying to bite them! Instead, the best inspection technique is to flip him upside down to get him to laugh with his mouth wide open.

July update

It has been quite the eventful month for us. Kyle had his 12-month check up (and unfortunately shots) last week. All is well, although he has definitely slowed down on his weight gain, and is 21 pounds now. His doctor wasn't too concerned, she said that he maybe have just had a lot of fat when he was born, and that he is just leveling out now to where he should be. But just to make sure that he is still healthily gaining weight (and not plummeting) we will return next month for a weight check.

Kyle and I are still trying to make it to weekly swim class, my work schedule permitting. Today Kyle went under the water for the first time, and really didn't seem to mind a bit, so we were able to do it a couple more times as well.

We're experimenting more and more with grown-up food now, as he is tired of having everything cut up into little pieces. He hasn't been too keen on meat at dinner time, so I have tried fish sticks and chicken pieces, which he seems happy with (luckily they are baked and not fried) In addition to that, he loves trying to open his mouth VERY wide to get a bite of the deli sandwich that I was eating for lunch.

I was brave enough to poke a finger into his mouth yesterday, and I manage to feel that his 10th tooth has now broken through (molar on his top left). So, it is no wonder he loves having so much to munch on now!

The above photo was taken this morning, of Kyle and his garden gnome playing in the water table. The photo below was taken shortly after, of Kyle peeking between two of the patio chairs. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture one of Kyle's characteristic grins, so you aren't able to see all of those teeth in there!

Happy 4th of July!

Kyle has discovered that there is more than one use for his much beloved lawnmower, and loves to get rides around the back yard! Luckily, he doesn't slide off too often, and if he does, the grass is soft. (Note: Kyle isn't turning moldy, he just has some guacamole on his chin)

For the 4th of July, we had a last-minute BBQ with Kyle's friend Turner and his parents (Marily and Kyle) The boys had a great time running around the back yard, cooling off with the sprinkler, or digging through the ice and drinks in the cooler. They are starting to get to the age now where they interact a little bit more, and they were both talking up a storm to each other!
Turner has been learning how to "play soccer" so we are wondering if Kyle will start trying to kick a ball around soon, learning from the "older" boy (three weeks his senior, Turner was the other big baby from our birth preparation class, weighing in one ounce bigger than Kyle, at 10 pounds 3 ounces birth weight).

Other news of note over the past couple of days? I was trying to amuse Kyle and to keep him laying still for a few minutes while changing his diaper - so he was laughing. I was able to peer into his mouth and thought "Hm, it looks like you have a tooth about to break through in there?" then I felt the other side, and sure enough there was a molar fully broken through which had obviously been out for quite a while! Now that we are on to those back teeth, it won't be as easy to keep track of them appearing.

Our Little Gardener

We are very thankful that the weather has been so nice lately (not too hot or too cold) because it is very difficult to keep Kyle inside. He just loves to be outside, and even more so to be either dirty or wet, or both! He had a busy day on Saturday, "helping out" while Dad mowed the lawn and fertilized the plants, but Sunday was his chance to play. We were planning on having a little birthday celebration with some of his friends today, but due to illness throughout the family, we decided to cancel it. Luckily, this is the one year that we can safely get away with something like that!

Kyle's favorite "toy" this weekend? An advertisement that he pulled out of the Sunday paper for lawnmowers. He can also point out the hoses on the page!

The other exciting news today, which I wasn't ready to capture on camera, was a family of ducks walking through our front garden! There was a mother with three little ducklings following behind. They took shelter under the abelia on the corner, and we aren't sure when and where there plans were taking them next.

Happy 1st Birthday Kyle!

It is hard to believe that one year has gone by since our momentous day in the hospital. It has been such a whirlwind, the first months we constantly thought "What the heck are we supposed to be doing?" as we dealt with dangerous diaper changes and an over-stimulated baby. And then suddenly, before we knew it, we were upon the last few months which have been filled with "Where the heck do you think you are going?" as we chase after our little toddler! It is truly amazing to look back over all of the pictures that we have taken over the past year, and it is hard to believe that the "little" baby we brought home from the hospital is the same little boy that we have running around our house today.

Kyle was very spoilt, with lots of presents from his Maemo and Granpa, Noni and Papa, and his aunts and uncles. We took him shopping at Toys-R-Us to help pick out some of his presents, but the lawnmower we saved for a surprise turned out to be his favorite. Now he has yet another reason to be excited about going outside. Good thing the weather has been so nice lately, because it is difficult to keep him indoors! He also has a new gardening set, with watering can, bucket, shovel and fork, which will keep him very busy with tidying up and caring for all of the plants in the garden.

Thank you from our family of three to all of our family and friends, who have been with us in body and spirit over the past year, for all of your warm wishes and guidance as we have survived the first year of parenthood! We're looking forward to sharing even more good times with you in the future.

Busy in the Garden

I love this action shot of Kyle in the garden this afternoon. He had such purpose as he carried the (empty) watering can back and forth to take care of the plants. It was a beautiful day to be outside, which was good news because most days Kyle can't stand to be inside. So we played outside as soon as he woke up from his afternoon nap until dinner time - it was my way of making up for the torture I put him through earlier in the day when we went shoe shopping for the first time. It turns out that he has pretty chubby feet for a baby, so it is actually pretty tricky to find something that will fit him! In the end, I did manage to find some cute sandals, but they don't quite fit the purpose of being good in the water and having a flexible sole. Sorry Kyle, there may be another trip back to try on a few more pairs...

Here's another picture of Kyle, asking if he should bother watering what looks to be a dead plant! "Um, Mom? Is this thing alive?" I have to admit that last year, we had a little too much on our hands to pay much attention to what was going on outside. However, this year we have a little more free time as well as a little helper to get into everything!
And a final parting shot of Kyle checking the dampness and quality of the fuchsia's potting soil (this also included a taste test!)

Fun at the Park

With Kyle's first birthday rapidly approaching, there are lots of other 1st birthdays for his "friends". Last weekend we attended Turner's 1st birthday party on Saturday, and then on Sunday hosted a 1-year reunion playgroup for the Moms' Support Group that I used to attend. This past weekend, we gathered at a park for a picnic/get-together with the families who were in our "Preparing for Birth" class. Needless to say, there was a lot of chasing around, with kids heading in all different directions. We got some great photos of Kyle, but this in one of our favorites. He is becoming very expressive with his face! (This was taken just before he tackled me and the camera)

Empty Nest

This photo was taken of Tweetie, Pie, and Mom yesterday - just before Pie was spooked by Mom being spooked by Kyle walking up to the rose tree! Pie hung out on the ground overnight while Tweetie enjoyed some extra room in the nest, but the next morning when we went to check on Pie, Tweetie got spooked and flew out as well.

We couldn't find Tweetie again, but the fact that Pie was "flying" (not much vertical, but his distance wasn't too bad), I'm assuming that she was testing out her wings as well.

It's a little sad to have them gone now - Kyle always had such a big grin on his face when he saw them, but now he just looks at the empty nest and holds up his hands as if to say "Where did they go?"

Getting bigger

As much as we love marveling over everything that Kyle is up to now, it is also fun to watch our little doves growing. I only wish that Kyle was a little bit older to be able to understand what the two little feathery things are in our rose tree. Here are Tweetie and Pie, getting bigger amazingly quickly, we can't believe that just over a week ago they were two tiny eggs not much bigger than grapes!

The Littlest Walker

Kyle is everywhere now - it is amazing how much he has taken off in the last three weeks. He can now walk from room to room in the house, often going back to his room by himself, or wandering into the kitchen in search of a snack. He occasionally uses support, but loves practicing walking at every chance that he can get. He has more fun pushing his car now, rather than riding on it. Kyle prefers to walk, although will resort to crawling if he has fallen down and isn't close to anything that he can pull himself up with. Once he learns how to stand up on his own, there will be no stopping him!

We went to his friend Turner's first birthday party yesterday and had lots of fun with balloons, bubbles, box tunnels, and of course, someone else's toys! It's amazing that one-year has flown by and the next couple of months are filled with birthdays. We also hosted a playgroup at our house today, with 4 other babies in attendance. It was so much fun to see them all mobile and moving throughout the house.

Our Growing Family

Meet the latest additions to our family: Tweetie and Pie. This pair of doves hatched over the last week in a beautiful nest built by robins. The robins came to their senses, realizing that although the fragrance was beautiful in our rose tree, it was not the most practical of locations - with too much traffic for watering and trimming, in addition to TOO many roses and the supporting branch being pulled down by all of the weight! So soon after the robins abandoned their love nest, the doves moved in. These two little guys are growing VERY fast, but they will definitely not be catching up to 20-pound Kyle!