Dear Kai...

One year ago today, Mommy & Daddy were celebrating our first anniversary in Wilmington, NC.  It was the last full day of our trip and of course, it rained.  We skipped the beach and after a quick trip to Target, we saw this....

One word that changed our whole world!

Just two days after our anniversary, July 25!  It was a day that I will never forget! Little did we know how much our lives would change, for the better.  You have been such a blessing to our lives these past 3 1/2 months.  Lately you are so fun to watch! You make the best facial expressions, especially with your eyebrows!  You also discovered your toes right when cousin Ella was born and I love watching you grab them.  I'm sure you will be sticking them in your mouth soon!

We are quickly approaching your 4 month birthday, which also means our time together at home is coming to an end.  I am not ready to send you to daycare, but I know you will do fine.  It's your mama who will have a harder time adjusting, I'm sure.   I plan to soak up every minute with you in the next few weeks. 

I love you baby boy.
-Mommy

Just Another Burton Family Weekend

This post is a little out of order, but I wanted to add these pictures so I thought I should blog about it as well.  This past weekend we attended Kai's first wedding!  It was the wedding of a girl that Tyson works with.  The reception was at Centennial Oaks, the same location as our wedding/reception.  However, they stuffed about 200 more people into the reception hall than we did.  We felt as though we were sitting on each others' laps.  If you can believe it, I think it was actually cooler OUTSIDE than it was INSIDE!  We also ended up getting a seat right next to the speaker that the DJ was screaming talking into.  To make matters even worse, Kai was getting sleepy during all of this and having a hard time falling asleep.  We ended up leaving shortly after dinner. 

Oh!  How could I forget about the major blowout that Kai had on our way to the wedding?!?!  As Tyson lifted him out of his car seat at the church, his shorts were soaking wet!  I rushed into the bathroom, peeled off his shorts, and realized that his shirt had somehow survived the mess.  I let him go pant-less and into the ceremony we went.  He was so good during the wedding - he fell asleep shortly after the bride made her way down the aisle.

On Sunday, we headed over to eat supper with the Malcolm's and my parents.  Tyson ended up leaving early.  He was feeling a little drowsy after popping an allergy pill at their house.  Kai and I stayed to watch The Bachelorette finale and my mom drove us home after. 

Nana & Papa with the three grandbabies

<3

Get ready for lots of lovin', baby Ella!!

Happy Anniversary!

Today we celebrate our 2nd anniversary!  Two years ago, we fought the heat and humidity (much like today, only not quite as hot) in our outdoor wedding.  We then rushed inside Centennial Oaks Country Club to escape the heat and to enjoy a little dinner and dancing.

One year ago we jetted off to Wilmington, NC; a surprise anniversary gift for me.  We spent our days at the beach and our nights exploring downtown and our favorite 'One Tree Hill' spots.  We enjoyed an AMAZING fondue dinner on our anniversary!  YUM!

Today marks two years of wedded bliss.  Tyson worked all day while I spent the day with my favorite little man at home.  My friend Elizabeth volunteered to watch Kai so we could enjoy a night out.  We had dinner at Newton's Cafe in Waterloo and then dessert at our favorite ice cream place, 4 Queens!  We were home by 9:00 and Kai was sound asleep in Elizabeth's arms. 

Here's to many more years and many more babies!!  I know it's safe to say that because Tyson doesn't read our my blog anyway. :)

Welcome to the World, Ella Rae!

Ella Rae Malcolm made her grand entrance into the world at 11:33pm on July 17....right on her due date!  I am so excited to have another niece to love and spoil!  Ella is absolutely perfect (just like big sister, Ava) and has a head full of hair!  She weighed more than Kai did at birth, but she seems so itty bitty, especially next to Kai!!

I got the call from Wendy at about 5:00 on Friday night that she was having some contractions and was going to wait for Darren to get off work and head for the hospital.  That put Tyson and I on Ava-duty!  They dropped her off around 7:30pm and after a bath and Diego, off to bed she went.  Then it was Kai's turn to go to bed.  I had been texting my mom during all of this, trying to decide if I was going to sneak away to the hospital or not.  Finally my mom sent me at message at 10:49pm saying "COME NOW!"  I quickly changed out of my pjs and put on some make-up and off I went (after waking up Tyson to tell him he was in charge).  My mom was texting me the whole time and I was starting to think that I was going to arrive late.  I finally made it to Labor & Delivery and spotted my dad sitting in the hallway.  As soon as I approached the door I heard, "OH MY GOSH! Is it a boy or a girl?!  IT'S A GIRL!!!"  I made it JUST as baby Ella arrived!  Darren slipped out to share the news soon after, but my dad and I already knew. :)  All we heard for the next few minutes were the loudest screams and cries I have ever heard!  The nurse told us that Ella takes the cake for the loudest baby.

Finally we were able to go in and meet her.  Immediately I thought that she looks like Ava, but not identical.  She definitely has some similar features, but has some of her own too.

Proud Mommy & Daddy (and this is what 5 minutes of pushing looks like btw)

Beautiful baby girl

  
Then my mom told me to take off her hat....

A hair stylist's dream!

I love being an aunt!! It ranks just under being a mommy!


   Tuesday night (or was it Wednesday morning now?!)                                                  Wednesday afternoon

My mom and I brought Ava to meet her little sister on Wednesday morning.  We kept telling her that the baby's name was baby Ella.  She kept getting it confused with her doll, Baby Stella.  Although she's not as interested in Ella as Wendy would like her to be, she still loves her and was talking about "her sister" later in the day after we had left the hospital.

Although I knew that Kai was going to seem so much bigger once Baby Malcolm Ella arrived, I couldn't wait to see the comparison.

Ava spent the night at our house again on Wednesday night, along with Nana.  We waited for Wendy to call on Thursday to tell us they were leaving and then we went to meet them at home.  Ava was excited to be home and I'm sure will warm up to Ella soon.  She's going to be a great big sister!

One more of Ella because it's too cute not to post!

The babes relaxing at Malcolm's!

Now we're wondering how long it will take for Ella to catch up to Kai in weight and length.  Ava was a good eater, so if Ella follows in her footsteps, Kai might get passed up by baby Ella in a couple months. :)

Dumont Sandbaggin' Day 2012

Well, my mom (and her helpers) pulled it off again!  Another successful year for Dumont Sandbaggin' Day!! 

We started off the weekend by heading home on Friday night.  We packed the van to the max because Wendy and Ava came home with us as well (Darren had to work on Saturday morning).  When we arrived in Dumont we met my parents at the Ambulance shed where they were busy getting ready for Saturday's events.  Wendy and I hit up a garage sale and then we pretty called it a night.  There was a band playing on Friday night, but with two little ones and a pregnant mommy, only my mom and dad made it in to town. 

Ava & Tyson practicing the bean bag toss game

Saturday morning started early for me (and my mom of course)!!  I was up to feed Kai at 4:30am and then back up for the day at 6:00am.  I ran in the Michael Hanson Memorial 5k - which was my first race back since finding out we were pregnant last July.  Kai decided to sleep in until 7:30am so him and Tyson missed the start of the 5k and just barely saw me finish.  Tyson rushed to get Kai dressed and loaded in his car seat.  He said they literally just walked up as he saw me approaching the finish line! 

This is who was waiting at the finish line for me one year ago at my last race.

June 25, 2011 - Sturgis Falls Half Marathon

 This is who was waiting for me at my first race back after taking the year off to grow a baby!!

July 14, 2012 - Michael Hanson Memorial 5k (Dumont Day)

After the race, we waited to hear the medal winners and then headed to my parents' to shower and get ready to head back to town.  I volunteered to help work in the beverage garden from 12:00-2:00 so Tyson, Wendy, and my dad were left with Kai.  It could not have been hotter!!  It's the worst when sweating is running down your face and you are standing in the shade and not doing a single thing but checking IDs and putting on wrist bands. 

Waiting to hear the results of the race

Proud Daddy!!

After my shift was up, it was Tyson's turn to man the beverage garden.  Wendy, Ava, Kai, and I decided it was time to go back to my parents' house and cool down in the AC.  We relaxed at home for a little over an hour before we went back into town for the parade.  Luckily we scored a spot at my grandma's house in the shade so it wasn't too unbearable.  After the parade we ate supper at the Ambulance shed, then watched the Sandbaggin' obstacle course.  The contestants were being sprayed with a fire hose and Wendy and I were tempted to run through it even though we weren't participating!  Finally around 7:00, after we had gotten some Sno Cones (thanks Kendra and Hannah!!), we couldn't handle the heat anymore and off we went to my parents' again for the night.  Darren and Tyson decided to stay in town and soak in some more of the festivities. 

Papa & Ava watching the parade

Hot, tired, & sweaty baby Kai with Uncle Josh

Sleeping through the obstacle course

Papa & Ava watching the Sandbaggin' obstacle course

On Sunday, Kai slept in again (7:30!!) and then we spent the day being lazy.  I think the heat on Saturday wore everyone out!

Nana & Kai are both worn out!!

Kai is trying out Ava's bath & diaper changing station for her babies

Aunt Wendy making him smile in the bath tub!

Not amused anymore!

The Most Wonderful Sound...

Tonight we heard Kai's first laugh!!  If you remember back to Kai's 3 month post (just yesterday) I mentioned that I thought he was close to laughing.  Well tonight after supper I was putting his jammies on and just kept talking and talking to him.  I remembered how hilarious my niece Ava thought it was when we would say "No no no!" to their dog, Sophie.  I started saying "no no no" to Kai and that's when we heard it!  Luckily I had decided to get Kai dressed in the living room and Tyson was in the kitchen so he heard it too.  It really is the best sound in the world.  I'm sure these giggles will be few and far between for awhile, but that just makes us do more and more crazy things to get one out of Kai! :)  He sure knows how to make his parents work.

I'll try to have my camera nearby next time and hopefully I can get these giggles caught on 'tape'!

Houdini, Hawaii, and a Little Fishy

I purposely didn't write this post until after Kai's 3 month post.  I was really hoping that Baby Malcolm's arrival would slip in between July 4th and today.  But, since he/she is becoming more and more comfortable in Mommy's tummy, here are some fun pictures from our weekend!

We stayed home this weekend and had some wonderful family time.  On Friday night we went over to Malcolm's for pizza.

This smile makes my heart happy!

Loving up his blankey

Using his toes to turn on the music!!

Nana & Papa with the two grandchildren

Cousins!!

This is how we found Kai on Saturday morning...

Our little Houdini escaped from his Swaddle Me blanket!

We dressed Kai up in his Maui onesie and hoped that would make Nana & Papa want to take us there....

We watched Ava on Saturday night so Wendy and Darren could go on a last date night before baby arrives.  Wendy put Ava in a cute little Hawaiian dress!

Licking the spoon from the Snicker Salad that she helped make.  Really she just wanted to eat all of the Snickers!

Ava loves to give Kai toys to play with. Here she set his Lettersaurus in front of him!

How can Nana & Papa say no to Hawaii if these two ask?!?! ;)

Ava was in a SUPER silly mood on Saturday night.  She had us all laughing when Wendy and Darren came to pick her up!

Here's a video of our little fishy in the bath tub on Sunday night.  He was kicking like crazy until I got the camera out...then he toned it down a little.  (Sorry it's sideways. I couldn't get it to turn.)

Three Months

Well, Kai has officially graduated from "newborn" to "infant" status now on his three month birthday.  No doctor appointment until 4 months, but our scale at home tells me that Kai weighs exactly 13lbs.  I attempted to measure him and he's about 24.5in long.  I don't know the percentiles because I'm doing the measurements at home this time.

At three months Kai is:
-wearing size 2 diapers
-transitioning into 3-6 or 6 month clothes
-still eating every 3 hours
-'talking' all of the time!
-on the verge of laughing but nothing yet (on a few occasions we've wondered if maybe that is what his laugh sounds like...Hmmm)
-still not sleeping through the night, but always has a 5-6 hour stretch when he first goes down (goes to bed between 9:30-10:00 and sleeps until 3:00-4:00, then wakes up for the day between 6:00-7:00)
-bear weight on his legs (he loves to stand!)
-when pulled up by his hands from a lying to sitting position, he keeps his head level with his body

Naked baby at 3 months!

Look at that sweet little smile!

Favorite position!

Other things about Kai at three months:
-his hands are ALWAYS in his mouth
-he loves blowing spit bubbles and can usually be found wearing a bib these days
-loves sitting up in the corner of the couch or Bumbo
-kicks his legs all of the time!
-when he's laying in the Boppy on his back, he tries to pull himself up to a sitting position!!
-is becoming pretty predictable with his nap schedule (I know what times of the day he takes his longer naps and when he takes his shorter naps)
-loves his blankies!!
-loves being read to and I've definitely established a bedtime routine which includes reading 1-2 books before bed.  We I have my favorites that get read over and over again though.



Kai really is smiley, but whenever I bring out the camera, he just gives me a blank stare.  I usually try to take these pictures first thing in the morning and Tyson is usually gone by then, so I can't use him to help me to get Kai to smile either!  Also, you should see all of the outtakes that I have because Kai is constantly kicking his legs and then the pictures turn out blurry!

We love this little guy and couldn't imagine our lives without him now.  I'm starting to forget what life was like before he was around and I'm completely okay with that. :)

Happy Birthday, America!

Today could not have been any more perfect unless my brother and baby Malcolm could have joined in the festivities.  I got up with Kai just after 7:00am, fed him, and then we woke up Daddy!  I couldn't wait to get Kai into his 4th of July apparel so I got him dressed right away (normally I wait to get him dressed until after his morning nap). 

This was actually on Tuesday, July 3rd.

'My First 4th of July'

Tyson and I then made a batch of Pico de Gallo for the festivities today.  After our cooler was stocked and the van was loaded, we took off for George Wyth beach.  We were the first (of my family) to arrive, so I gave Kai a bottle and he was finishing just as my parents and Malcolm's arrived.  Ava couldn't wait to get in the water!!  I lathered up Kai with sunscreen and got him dressed in his water gear and off we went for the water!  He LOVED it!!  He hasn't been a big fan of the pool when we've gone, but the lake water was much warmer!  I took my turn in the water with him, then Tyson, then Wendy, and finally Papa.  Kai started to get a little fussy with my dad so off they went to sit in a lawn chair on the beach and Kai was OUT!

Wendy and I decided that Kai (and Wendy) had been out in the heat long enough, so the three of us went to pick up some chicken for lunch and get the other food started before the others joined us.

Nana & Ava building a sand castle.

We ate lunch inside at Malcolm's and then headed back out to enjoy the pool!!  Wendy and Darren purchased an inflatable pool a few weeks ago.  It's the perfect size for Ava and also perfect to cool off on a hot day like today.  Thanks to Uncle Darren, the water was also the perfect temperature for Kai and he loved this pool water too!

Soaking up some rays

Mommy & Kai

He doesn't weigh enough to keep the Bumbo down, so he was floating!

Neither of them were very entertained by me taking pictures....

We spent the whole afternoon outside and finally headed in around 5:00pm.  Little fishy, Ava could have stayed in the water all night if Wendy would have let her!

Being silly!

Nana & Kai

Trying out cousin Ava's sunglasses!

I could not get over how hilarious he looked with these on!!

We ended the night with all three of us laying in bed watching tv.  Kai eventually snuggled in close to me and took a short nap before bedtime.  Then, with fireworks booming outside his window, I rocked him to sleep reading "Love You Forever."  It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Happy Birthday America!

Now...the countdown is definitely on for the arrival of baby Malcolm.  I'm HOPING that my next post will be about his/her arrival.....