Oh the Contraptions We Use!

This isKai's new "stander."  It allows him to bear weight on his legs while supporting his body.  I got a picture as the OT was adjusting it to Kai's specifications.  He didn't like it at first and got really upset, but once all was said and done, he calmed down and was okay with it.  The only problem is that it doesn't have any side head support, so his head flops over when he moves it.  He gets to stand in it for five minutes in the morning and the evening, to start with, then we will gradually increase the time.  

Kai loves to use his legs!  He is constantly pushing on anything he can, so this is a great thing for him.  He would be a total walker by now if he could just get his head support down.  It would be so fun to see this little guy cruising around, but it would definitely pose some unique challenges with all his cords!  :-)

Arigatou Gozaimashita

We have been busy bees over here and there are some posts that I have been meaning to do!  This first one is a special Thank You to Kimie for the wonderful birthday presents for Zuri and Kai.  Since she lives in Japan, she didn't get to see the reactions but I hope these pictures help!

Kai got a cute little kimono outfit!  It fits perfectly!


Zuri got a musical/dancing Hello Kitty hat.  She loves it and calls it her kitty hat!

Playing with Daddy

This little guy loves playing with his daddy.  J can get him laughing so hard!  It is funny because when he laughs, it is mostly silent, but his ventilator goes crazy with beeping.  I was able to capture a few precious moments.

What a Difference!

What a difference a haircut makes!  Kai got his fifth haircut last week and I love the change!  I waited a little too long to get his hair cut, but it was fun to see his curls.  His nurses also loved the curls and kept telling me to leave it long....but, I wanted my little boy to look like a boy.  :-)  I love the new haircut, and it completely transforms Kai into a different look.
 


 
Our neighbor has given Kai his last two haircuts and has done a fabulous job.  I forgot to get pictures the last time so I made sure not to forget this round!  The last time Kai  was quite calm throughout most of it, but this time he wasn't liking the haircut one bit.  Poor guy, but the results are worth it.  He had so much hair cut off that it filled the entire dust pan!  It was incredible!

A Little Bit of Sound

The other day Kai was cooing for me.  I am always amazed and just love to listen whenever he talks.  It is still rare and usually short-lived, but I was able to get a good couple minutes on video.  It is so fun to hear his voice! 

--Remember, we don't normally hear anything from him other than the sound of his machines or him blowing raspberries.  Even when he cries, it is silent, so to have him coo is a big deal for us.  He has to work at talking, and even then, we don't even know if he can hear himself!

A Day Out

We took advantage of the spring weather and took Kai for his first real outing in his new stroller.  Remember how I said I love it?  Well, I have to retract that statement, because it has been nothing but a headache.  For some reason, Kai just doesn't sit in it right, and the headrest flops all around so he has no security for his head.  I have been so frustrated, but Kai's OT made some adjustments with it that has helped.  She was completely astonished with it as well, but said that as long as we tighten the headrest every day and keep the adjustments she made, it will work.  Ugh.  I believe that because Kai was still not feeling well from surgery when we got it, we didn't really get an accurate view of how he really sits in it, therefore when we came home and he became more active, both he and (we) hated it.   Oh well, it could be worse--we are getting used to it, and with the adjustments it isn't so bad.

Back to the main topic--we took a day out.  We went over to Best Buy first (our first "public" place with Kai) and then we went to the park.  Kai was a model child at Best Buy, and Zuri threw a tantrum because she wanted a balloon, but when we got her a balloon, the string wasn't "long" enough.  At the park, Kai was the one throwing tantrums while Zuri was the model child.  By the time we got home, J and I were just worn out!

Part of the problem with Kai, I think, was that he was tired.  I ended up just walking around the park with him and he fell asleep in the stroller.





There was a lady who hung around us while we were by the pond watching the ducks.  I could tell that she wanted to approach us but wasn't quite sure how.  She saw we were taking pictures and offered to take a family picture.  I took her up on it a little later, and she asked a few questions about Kai.  It was nice, but I am still getting used to all the attention Kai brings.

Birthdays

While we didn't have a formal party for Zuri or Kai, we nonetheless celebrated their birthdays.  Zuri's birthday fell at a time when she was sick--she had a double ear infection.  Poor girl, so she was not feeling her best for the day (week).

For Zuri's birthday, she got a "big girl" bed--a full-sized bed.  She was growing out of her little toddler bed and not sleeping well, so we opted to get a bed that would grow with her.  She loves it, although she looks so tiny on it!

Alisia and Rendall came over, Heather and Shin were also there, and we all had pizza and had a few gifts for Zuri to unwrap.  She got into it at first, but quickly tired.

Her attempt to smile

My mom had a few gifts for Kai and Zuri, and was able to make it over later in the week.  Kai got a new outfit and a blanket which he snuggled into and fell right asleep while my mom rocked him.  Really sweet.  Zuri got a few new outfits which she loves because she is a little princess with clothes, and some play jewelry.  She was feeling slightly better, but still not up to par.




My sister, Breanna, also came over and spent a little time bonding with Zuri (and she claims she doesn't do well with kids).


For Kai's birthday, which happened to fall on mother's day, J's family came up and we were able to Skype with J's brother, Cory, who is on his mission.  We had an impromptu party for Kai, and lots of pictures were taken with the family and Kai celebrating his miracle first year.

Kai with his great grandmother



Kai even got gifts from his nurses!  A snugly and a couple outfits!