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Happy Gotcha Day!!
Kyle has been lighting up rooms with us for an entire year!
Our memories of China and last Christmas are still so vivid that it hardly seems that it's been that long.
A few posts ago, I mentioned that I would try to post more frequently...little did I know how difficult that would be. Life happens so fast. We've captured a huge library of photos and memories since our last post, but have had trouble finding the time to post and share them.
Anyway, here I sit on Christmas Eve, 2007. One year ago tonight we were watching little Kyle sleep and wondering what incredible memories we would be making as a family. No matter what we imagined, Kyle has brought us so much more.
Since our last postings, so many things have happened. Some important and momentous - and some just fun. Lisa and I were wondering how the other families in our travel group were making out with their new additions...we hope as well as we have? Thanks for the Christmas Cards and photos - we really appreciate it. To have shared such an experience with such a great group of folks just made it that much more special. It is almost unreal that we were sharing our Christmas LAST YEAR with all of you in China.
Right now, Lisa Kyle and I and Murphy (our dog), Mocha & Misty our cats are in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, visiting Poppa and Grandma Wedder, Great Grandma Woodruff, Aunt Avery, Uncle Mark and Kyle cousins Paityn, Logan & Luke. We arrived on Saturday afternoon just before the storm hit and since we arrived we've gotten about 5" of fresh new snow. (We left on Friday evening and made it to near the Ohio border.)
Lisa and I have made this trip quite a number of times but never with another real (though little) person. Kyle was a champ the entire trip. No tantrums, no meltdowns, and no real traumas! He enjoyed videos, toys and the scenery for most of the 12 hour trip. He (and his mom) napped a good part of Saturday afternoon, which made the drive really easy - we have XM radio, so dad could listen to whatever he wanted!
Lisa's family has always made me feel like family, even before I was officially was. We usually spend Thanksgiving at the Lockheads (in Philadelphia) and Christmas with the Wedders (in MIchigan). I'll post more details shortly with photos as well.
We just got home from a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner at Uncle Mark & Aunt Avery's. I actually just wanted to get on record and to record a post to recognize (before the day slipped by again...) this day.
I'll hopefully have a little more time over the next couple of days to post all of the photos that we want to, but for tonight...
I can't leave without a photo...
Here is Kyle enjoying the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia with his cousins Justin and Alyx.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Hi again everyone...lots to tell...
SchoolNewsMyrtleBeachGrandmaPoppaWedderIndependence...
BoosterGrandmomPop-PopLockheadAuntMaryLittleSister
let's get to it...
We hope everyone had a great summer and we're winding down as we head into Labor Day Weekend.
We were very proud to learn that Kyle was promoted in his Goddard School. He's now moving into the Chugging Choo-Choo Class - no more Bouncing Barnyard for us! He's already started his transition, spending a few hours a day to get acclimated. The school is great about taking photographs and posting them on the classroom walls. Kyle has gotten some very good exposure especially in demonstrating his Yoga prowess, and his ability to master all sorts of arts & crafts. We hope to get copies of some of these from the school.
After Labor Day, he'll be a full time Choo-Choo. I think he's already learned the secret Choo-Choo handshake - that's our Kyle, always one step ahead!
A few weeks ago we took a long car trip to Myrtle Beach, SC. This was the K-man's fist road trip of any length. He did GREAT! On Friday evening we drove from Philly to Richmond. It took much longer than we'd hoped, but Kyle was a real trooper. Mom tried to keep him occupied with activities and Videos (Charlotte's Web, the Tigger movie, Elmocize, The Winnie the Pooh Heffalump Movie, The Little Mermaid, Monsters, Inc.).
When we got to the Hotel we went to have a dip in the Pool, but we ended up in the Hot Tub. Kyle's a big bubble fan, so that suited him just fine. It was a nice wind-down for all of us. Then we went back to the room, where we set Kyle up on a section of the floor (we could not get a crib...) where we put his school nap sleeping bag on top of a big fluffy blanket. It was perfect for him. He plopped right on it after Dad read him his 3 books - just like school at nap time. He was out in 15 minutes!
The next day we plowed onto MB, where we met up with Grandma & Poppa Wedder, who had flown down a few days before. Kyle remembered them from his first weeks back and he warmed up very quickly. We all had a great week. The weather was hot, but good for the beach most days. So during the days we spend a lot of time at the pool and beach, and at night we went out to eat most every night. We visited Barefoot Landing and Broadway at the Beach. Kyle had a lot of fun riding some of the rides with Dad.
In general he had fun, but it took him some time to get used to the sand and only wanted to go in the water with Mom or Dad. He preferred to hand out on our laps in the and chairs at the water's edge.
Here are some photos...
We seriously thought that we could get him to wear his life vest...what were we thinking!!
(You'll notice that this is the only photo of him wearing it...)
He did however, really like his surf shirt.
Here are some other MB photos...
Kyle with Grandma & Poppa Wedder
Riding some of the rides at Broadway at the Beach... Seems to like the train, but DID NOT Like the Car Whip (this photo was snapped just before the ride started. It did not end nearly as well!). He liked the Ferris Wheel as long as he could look down & see Mom.
We took a walk on the beach after dinner one night - it was the first time Kyle really seemed to enjoy walking on the hard wet sand.
Some great shots of Kyle & Mom...
Onto other topics...
Kyle has become more independent, walking ahead of us by himself (unusual until recently) - he's really enjoying his independence and testing his confidence. It's so great to see. We were at the mall just yesterday and he was out of the stroller more than he was in. He did not want to go back in once he was out. He's getting to be tall enough where we can hold his hand without bending over. Good for him - but better for us!
Today we went to the playground and he even went down the slide by himself. That includes walking up the stairs to get to the top. (It doesn't sound like much, but for him, it was huge.)
It's difficult to believe that it has been 8 months. He'll also be 23 months old on Thursday!
He's even pretty much out of his high chair and into a really cool "cooshie booster" seat that Mom found. He loves it and it is helping him to build his core strength.
We went to visit Grandmom & Pop-Pop Lockhead and Aunt Mary last weekend. Even though it's been a few months since he's seen them, The K-man warmed up quickly and fell right back in with them, as comfortable as ever. He even let them read to him...
All-in-all a Great visit and a a nice welcome home present for Grandmom, Pop-Pop and Aunt Mary.
So, as I check back to the first few lines of this message, I'll close here since I've covered everything...
Well, most everything...
If all goes well, and we're able to re-navigate the process, we may be needing another Weblog.
Details at 11.
Good night all.
C
Good evening all,
Kyle is completely passed out after a full weekend of activities, and a good Sunday dinner!
It's been a good 2 weeks since the last update.
Last weekend we went to Sesame Place on Saturday. Thanks mostly to Aunt Mary, Kyle know Elmo well and can say his name fairly clearly. We got there just as the park opened and we rode a lot of the kids' rides. Kyle really seemed to enjoy himself. He really liked the long slide (one of the only things he went on by himself). We also had a lot of fun at the water park. It was a good thing we went early, because later in the day we went back to the kids' rides and were only able to ride ONE ride because the lines were enormous.
One of Kyle's favorite activities at Sesame Place was the "mosh pit" as Mom liked to call it. It was just a big soft play area (think of a moon bounce - but with a more sturdy walking surface).
Here are some of the photos:
Mom & Kyle in front of Big Bird Kyle in the "mosh pit"
Mom & Kyle in the "mosh pit"
Kyle in the "pit-o-mosh" Kyle & Dad driving the Firetruck
Kyle & Dad waiting for the big "Sesame Street at the Beach" stage show extravaganza
This weekend we spent around the neighborhood.
On Saturday, we had a lunch picnic in the park. After we ate we went down to the creek to skim some stones. Later we did some shopping and went out for dinner at Pizzaria Uno (or Chicago Uno as it's called now...). Either way we had a nice meal of pizza and a mild meltdown for dessert!!
Kyle & Mom enjoying lunch, and later, Mom showed Kyle how to find the best "skippers".
Kyle, doing his best impression of a happy little boy!
And today, we went to the Harleysville pool. Kyle has really taken to the water. He's getting around fine and has had only a few paceplants. No matter what though, he gets up, wipes the water (and sometimes snots) off his face and goes right back to it.
The HAT makes the outfit!
Mom has taken a lot more water pictures with her waterproof camera. We just ran it out, so we'll be getting these pictures back shortly. We'll post some of these soon.
Good night and check back soon.
C
Hello again everyone (that is, everyone who's still following along after this long silence...). Sorry for the lag in postings. I apologize and I have no good excuse. Except that life happens at a little pace these days with Special K on board. Days melt into weeks...weeks melt into months.
And so here we are - "T" + SIX MONTHS to the Day since "Gotcha".
After re-reading the entire record of our experiences, I feel much regret in not posting. I know that many of the people who've followed us on this site are relying on us to keep them/you up to speed on Kyle's life with us. In addition, I am hoping that we will be able to look back on this record with Kyle when he's a bit older, and show him what has transpired from the beginning.
Since we can't go back let's move ahead, hopefully with many more frequent posts...
In the time we were gone from this blog, so much has happened.
First, again is the Six-Month Milestone. In some ways, it seems like it's been so long since we were handed this beautiful little boy on Christmas Eve. But in most other ways, it's been like the flash bulb, capturing an unforgettable instant in time. It's been much longer than an instant for certain. But my memory of walking through the end of the secured hallway in Philadelphia Int'l. Airport and through the gate to see the tears on Grandmom's face, who was there with Pop-Pop, Aunt Mary and Aunt Rita is so crystal clear, I can almost recall every word that was said.
Since the end of March, our family has done so many wonderful things together, capturing more of all of the important "firsts" in photographs. Another regret I have is that we can only share a few of these with you on this blog. Luckily, Kyle has the benefit of access to the entire library of his experiences. It's my hope that he'll like most all of them; say "what were you thinking with that shot, Dad?" to a few; and ask me to delete NONE of them.
The best thing for all of us since the last post has been the change of season. As of our last post, spring had not sprung, and life was mostly lived indoors. But, Spring has come & gone, and Summer's just kicked off and Kyle's made the most of it!
Once the weather broke, we got into a solid routine of long walks with Murphy after dinner, savoring every moment of extra light thanks to the early start-up of daylight savings time. We still do this every chance we get.
Kyle loves to ride in his little red wagon - THANKS AUNT MARY!!! He rides around strapped into the forward-facing seat like a crown prince. And he enjoys seeing everyone in the neighborhood. He is sure to keep track of Murphy as well.
Kyle continues to make excellent progress. He has been walking on his own now for a few weeks, with all the confidence he can muster. It's a wonderful feeling knowing that we don't have to carry him from place to place. However, it's not so wonderful when Lisa asks "have you seen Kyle?" as she rouses me from my nap (Relax, I'm kidding...) Self transportation is a wonderful thing. It's great for him and better for us (to see...).
Kyle continues to make excellent progress at Goddard School. He seems to be one of the favorite among the teachers there. They always tell us how happy he is. He enjoys all of the activities and likes to learn new things. He really enjoys his art projects, and playing with his classmates inside and out. He made two projects recently that had big impacts: a Mother's Day Poster and Father's Day Poster. In the first he used his hand prints to decorate the page, and in the second, he used his footprints! Of course they're both hanging up one the pantry door - we're so proud of him. In fact, like most parents, we hang up nearly everything he brings home.
Kyle continues to make up for lost time. He is quite vocal now. He says several words, tries to say dozens more, and even uses sign language to say "Please", "Thank you", and "More". All of this progress in essentially the last 3 weeks or so.
He's already has two haircuts (and he needs a third!).
We've used our weekends well so far, and Kyle's had his share of great experiences.
Our family went to a local Harleysville town carnival. Kyle tried to go on a few of the kiddie rides but didn't like to ride by himself. Dad and Mom both rode with him on a train ride and he was ok with that. Later that night, we hung around for fireworks. Amazingly, Kyle enjoyed the show. He was not scared in the least by the noise, and liked seeing the lights in the sky. We live approximately 4 minutes away from the community center where the carnival was held (3 if we make the traffic light) but the little guy was fast asleep by the time we pulled into our driveway!
We've been to the Philly Zoo once and to the Elmwood Park Zoo (in nearby Norristown) twice!
Kyle & Mom at the Philly Zoo:
Kyle (brushing a goat in the Children's Zoo) & Dad at the Philly Zoo:
At Easter, Dad and Grandma Wedder took Kyle to an Easter Egg hunt at Peddler's Village and we scored a grand total of ONE egg. He seemed more interested in the hay that was used to hide the eggs. Hopefully, he'll "get it" next year.
Here is a picture:
We frequently go to playgrounds, where Kyle loves the slides but hates the swings!
On Friday nights, we sometimes go out to Barnes & Noble bookstore where they have a Thomas the Tank Engine play track set up (this sounds a lot more exciting that it is, except for Kyle). He enjoys playing there and Mom & Dad get a chance to have half-caf, double shot soy wet-top mochachinos (or hot chocolates...).
Kyle along with Mom, Dad & Grandma Wedder also went to the NJ Discovery Museum. He had a lot of fun with all of the exhibits, especially the slide:
A few weeks ago, we took a trip to Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, PA. It's a family amusement park and water park combined. Kyle really had a blast. They had a lot of rides geared especially for kids his age. We rode some of these rides, but Kyle didn't ride any of them alone.
We all even rode the Log Flume together (Kyle's the one in the red shirt).
We also spent a few hours in the DW water park. For some background, Kyle like his bath and he like to splash around in the tub. Lisa usually rinses the shampoo from his hair using a handheld shower head - to say that he really does not like it is an gross understatement. He begins to melt down, but as soon as we wipe the excess water from his face - he's fine.
You can imagine our surprise when we got him to the water park and he showed real JOY for having water splashed all over him, including over his head!
Here is the proof (but for the photos, I would not have believed this myself).
He even rode a water slide with Dad.
Finally, we all went to the Manayunk Arts Festival yesterday. It was a perfect summer afternoon. Kyle again had a blast riding amongst the crowd in his stroller, and enjoying hot dogs, fries, smoothies and Lemonade!
We have a lot more photos and more story to catch upon.
Again, thanks for following and keep checking back.
Good night,
C
