The "Motorcycle" Dilemma

If you ask Kai what he would like for his birthday, he'll answer very quickly, "A MOTORCYCLE!" He's been talking about a motorcycle for months now (I'm sure my encouraging it hasn't helped at all!). Luckily, a "motorcycle" doubles as a tricycle to the rest of the world.

For the last two months or so, Reid and I have been shopping "motorcycles". We've visited Wal-Mart several times, as well as Target, and Toys 'R Us. Our favorite "motorcycle" was found online and last week we finally placed our order. The "motorcycle" arrived yesterday, just in time for Kai's birthday tomorrow. Only problem was that the box was extremely beat up, and when Reid opened it last night to put it together we found that 4 out of the 9 parts were missing--the seat and the bolts. Uggghhh!!!


So we had two options.

1. Return the "motorcycle" for a refund and take Kai to a store to purchase a new one. This way he would have a "motorcycle" for his birthday, and it would be one that actually fits him.

2. Get a replacement "motorcycle". This option would mean we would have to wait for another one to ship, and he won't be able to ride it right away. We found that when we put the bike together last night that it was a bit bigger than expected. Putting Kai on it as best we could this morning, there was no way his feet would reach those pedals. But he loved walking the bike around the basement and he LOVED his "motorcycle". He didn't want a new one--he wanted that one.

So, after a whole lot of discussion, we decided to get a replacement bike. We just love this bike, and we did a whole lot of shopping to find it. We figure we'll have to do some adjustments and minor tweaks when the bike arrives so that it'll work for Kai. And luckily, I've already received an email from the sender indicating that they're sending us a new bike ASAP with two-day shipping. So hopefully the one that shows up on Friday will have all of the needed pieces. Crossing my fingers!

Is that better??

I feel like a broken record when I say that Kai is a delight, a sweetheart, and way too smart for his age. But tonight, he proved it again. We were webcamming with Grammy and Papa, and Kai was singing his "ABCs" for them. Unfortunately, he wasn't singing loud enough and so we asked him to sing it again, louder. He then proceeded to sing the "ABCs" again in a much higher octave. Both Reid and I were laughing, but we still weren't sure that Grammy and Papa could hear all that well. While Reid was making a comment to his parents that louder must have meant higher, Kai began to sing yet again. This time he sang in the right octave, but much louder. When he reached the end he turned his head to me and in as serious of a voice as I've ever heard from him he asked me "Is that better?" Oh dear--I think I'm going to be in big trouble in a few years!

Every 4 Weeks

So, at times pregnancy can seem a bit....long and difficult. One of the bright spots for me are the visits to the doctor to hear the baby, talk about the progress of the pregnancy, and just go over questions in general. The visits also seem to be a way of marking time. With my first pregnancy, I have to admit that the appointments got a bit boring. Really, if the doctor spent more than 2 minutes with me, I was in shock. However, I've been nothing but thrilled this time around. With this pregnancy, I have been seeing a midwife. (Don't worry, she only delivers babies in a hospital!) She has been absolutely fantastic and has always made sure to take her time with me. I find myself asking more questions and enjoying my visits much more.

This past Wednesday I had my third visit with the midwife. It went really well and Kai and I were able to hear the baby's heartbeat again. At this stage of my pregnancy, my visits come every 4 weeks. Our next visit is one that we have been looking forward to from the beginning--our 20 week ultrasound! The half-way point! And our time to see the baby. With Kai, we asked that his gender remain a surprise and so we did not find out he was a boy until he arrived. However, this time we would like to know. So, in just 26 short days we will see our baby and hopefully find out what's in store for us. If you'd like to a cast a vote for either a boy or a girl, feel free. I wonder how many will be right!!

Making Cookies with Kai

So, I remember celebrating May Day when I was little by taking treats to friends and ding-dong ditching. I thought it would be fun to do something for May Day with Kai this year, and in the end I decided that we would make cookies and take them to a particular neighbor. What happens when you let a 23 month old make cookies, you ask? Here are some pictures to document our morning!

As you can see, the flour missed the bowl.

And who knew butter made such good hand cream.

A mess on his face and on the floor!

Half-time: Clean-up time

Mixing everything together

Mopping the floor
The final product
Enjoying the treats!

Our cookies actually turned out really well. They were the best cookies I've made since moving to Colorado. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this high-altitude baking thing--a little less sugar, more flour, add some water, shorten the baking time, etc. While we did intend on delivering some cookies to the neighbors, they weren't home to get them (and it wasn't a good idea to just leave them on the doorstep), so we were forced to eat them all ourselves! Real torture!

Kai's newest addiction

I even created a playlist for him on YouTube so that I can just start it and then get 10 minutes to shower! He loves Choo Choo Soul!! Click here to see a video.

The things Kai says

It's funny to me what Kai picks up on. In the last week or so, I've been repeatedly amused by the phrases that come out of Kai's mouth. For instance, after his nap this afternoon Kai ran into the living room, put a bowl on his head and exclaimed "Oh my gosh!" over and over. He must of heard me say that, but I have no idea when. I was laughing and he thought he was beyond clever so we called Reid to let him listen. Kai's a pretty good comic!

At dinner time and bed time we are very consistent with our prayers and Kai has recently started helping to say them. Normally he just repeats after me or Reid as we say the words, but last week he started adding his own phrases. The first one he said was "Bless the baby". Too cute! I have no idea where he got it from but it was so sweet. Last night, he cut me off to add "Thank you for daddy, thank you for lotion, thank you for the high chair" and he would have kept on going if I hadn't cut back in to take over the prayer! I try my best not to laugh, but come one, it's cute!

Finally, I'm starting to wonder who the parent really is. Almost immediately upon moving to Colorado, I developed horrible eczema. Kai really doesn't remember a time when mommy hasn't been scratching. Yesterday I had a resolution not to scratch. Not even 2 hours into the day, Kai and I were eating breakfast and I broke. While scratching my leg, Kai looked over and said "Itchy Itchy Ichabod"! (For those who aren't familiar with Dr. Seuss' ABC's--"Big I, little i, what begins with I? Itchy Itchy Ichabod, I, I, I.") Of course I laughed! And then Kai said mater-of-factly, "Get the lotion". Of course! Why didn't I think of that! Kai's so good at looking out for me. I love my little boy!

How Kai Says It

I love listening to Kai! He has such a great vocabulary and normally very good enunciation. There are a few words, though, for which he has developed his own pronunciation. I've been wanting to write these down for a while, and I know I don't have a complete list, but I'll try to come back and add to it when I hear something else!

locks = socks (pretty much anything that starts with "s" normally, starts with "l" for Kai)
hopter = helicopter
milt = milk (Kai really struggles with the "c" and "k" sounds)
bana = banana
lum = some
omilla = vanilla
waterlemon = watermelon (my personal favorite!)
ellow = yellow
pup-per-pony = pepperoni