5 Months Old

My baby is 5 months old. When did that happen? And, where was I? Regardless, he is our big boy now. He has grown so much and his crazy fun little personality is coming through more and more each day. Some new developments this month:

• He is teething. No tooth yet, but plenty of chewing, whining, slobbering, and a day of fever.
• He really wants to crawl. He still scoots and drags his arms and head across the floor. Eventually he will figure out that it is much more comfortable to use his arms. Oh well.
• He is learning to talk. I SWEAR I AM NOT CRAZY. I was an early talker too. Kai says "mom" "momma" "Br-Ad" "whoa" and "no." The other day I was saying "no, no, no" to him playing a game and he as clear as day repeated back "no.' No lies.
• He loves to stand. We can prop him against anything and he will hold on and bounce up and down like he's dancing.
• He laughs all.the.time. Seriously, Brad was worried that there might be something wrong with him because he laughs so much. (Don't worry, I assured him that this is a good thing).
• He loves Keeva, his best friend, and she is evidently way more interesting than mom and dad. 
• He begrudgingly eats peas and sweet potatoes now. He still loves rice cereal best.
• He is learning that gasping for air is a funny trick to get mom and dad's attention. He will gasp like he can't breathe and when we run to him he laughs like it is the funniest thing he has ever done! Little stinker.
• He is painfully shy. If anyone tires to get him to smile at them, he hides in mom's shirt. 

Here are some pictures of the big boy. He is now growing into his 9 month clothes! We are 2 days from the move so his cowboy stuff is packed. Therefore, moving boxes make a great backdrop. Check this ham out: 

Lately...

We are packing fiends. We move this coming Friday and having been spending every moment getting things ready. In the midst of all of that, this is what we have been up to lately:

Finding other things to do besides pack

Cuddling with Keeva and Kai

Getting our hair cut

Playing with new toys from Uncle Lee

Chilling on the beach

Getting chunkier (gained 1.5lbs in the past few weeks)

Learning to stand

Hanging out at Costco

Playing in the sunshine

Dressing like a punk

Sitting like a big boy

Swimming at the pool

Dressing up for church

Kai's first hair cut

I love long hair. Like, LOVE it. I love it so much that I told Brad I wouldn't talk to him anymore when he cut his hair off (we are now speaking again). Before Kai was born I saw all of these little boys with beautiful long blonde hair playing on the beach, and dragging along their mini surf boards. I decided that would be my son. I said I wouldn't cut Kai's hair until he asked me to. I thought that would give a good 3 years before it bugged him enough to ask me to cut it, and then by that age I could reason with him to keep it long. 

Kai was born with some wispy hair on the top of his head, and a mullet in the back. As time passed, the rest of his hair started filling in. Unfortunately, the wispy stuff on top grew a lot faster than the hair on the sides and front, so it started to look like an old man who is trying to salvage what he has left by combing it over. It would stick out on the sides and the front just looked like fluffy wispy's. It was looking bad. Styling it was out of the question, and leaving it alone was even worse. 

I decided that if Kai was going to have beautiful long blonde locks, I needed to start him off with a fighting chance. It was time for a hair cut (just to even things out). I know it is silly, but it was one of the most heartbreaking moments of his life for me so far. I stood there with the scissors for about 5 minutes trying to find a way around it. Alas, it was the only option. 

He refused to sit still (evidently shiny scissors are pretty cool to look at). After a few quick cuts and some trimming on the side, and Kai's first haircut was over. Now we can style it, and he looks much better. He also looks like a little boy now instead of my baby. Good thing he is freaking cute. 

Before: Out of control

The pile of hair cut. It was a few inches long!

Cute styled mohawk after

He seems to like his hair cut

Kai's adventure with peas

About a month ago, Kai started solids. The doctor said because he was so advanced with sitting up and showing interest in food, that it would be good to start him earlier. I am making all of his baby food at home, and evidently I made the peas a bit too thick (I am still working on getting my recipes right). The texture proved to be pretty gross to Kai because he would gag and make the funniest noises. Being the awesome parents that we are, Brad and I recorded Kai's disgust.

Note to self: add more water to the peas next time. 

In a related, but hopefully not so gross note...if anyone has good baby food making tips, let me know! 

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

A couple weeks ago we went to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. We found tickets for 1/2 off online months ago and bought them planning to go there soon. About 4 months later, we still hadn't used the tickets yet so we had a free weekend and went. We loved the zoo so we were sure the safari park would be just as awesome, and we weren't wrong. Kai was so into looking at all of the animals, we barely heard a peep out of him al day. 

The safari park is absolutely beautiful. It was originally built as a breeding facility for the San Diego Zoo but they opened it up to the public in the late 70's. The park is huge and has regular zoo exhibits as well as a huge open area where the African animals can roam free together. You have to take a tram to see the free range areas, and it is pretty amazing to see the animals in their own habitats.

Happy boy in his stroller

 Beautiful lake where the birds hang out

Another view of the lake

Brad and Kai overlooking the free range safari area

Our family (minus Keeva)

Rhinos, just hanging out

Kai on the tram...look at those puppy dog eyes

Trying to get a picture with a giraffe on the tram

Tram view of the open safari area

The giraffes were so cute