sweet potato pie

So far, pureed organic sweet potatoes are Kai’s favorite solid food. As you can see, he likes to get it everywhere. It’s so cute now, yet in a year or two I’m sure some of the novelty of this mess will wear off. He absolutely loves eating it though. He’s also starting to dig bananas, green beans, and collard greens. He hasn’t eaten much else, and we only feed him solids every once in a while, but he definitely enjoys it.

Tomorrow is daddy day part three. I don’t know what lies in store for me, but I’m sure it will be enlightening and fun. My confidence is definitely up, and I can definitely see a difference in how he acts when it’s just us, as opposed to when Erin’s around. It’s hard to put a finger on it exactly, it’s just different. And once Erin is back in the picture, it’s like someone flicked a switch — a whole different set of behavior is activated. I don’t fully understand it, but it is definitely interesting.

I’ve resolved to getting my mortgage broker license by the end of January. With the buying season fast approaching, I will have multiple opportunities to generate some new income. 2007 will be a banner year for my family. I’ll clean up old debt and create new income streams. It’s going to be quite a ride. Stay tuned for the news.

the day after

Well Christmas has come and gone, and we’re getting back to normal around here, albeit with more stuff. Kai loved his first Christmas, as he got to play with ribbon and colorful paper. He even got a few new outfits.

We spent Kai’s first Christmas at grandparents Bill & Janet’s home in Debary. We had an awesome time with them — thank you so much Bill & Janet for everything.

In other news, today is another daddy day. Erin is at her new job, and I get daddy time. We went for a nice walk today in the cold, gloomy weather, although getting him into his carrier in backpack-mode was very difficult by myself. He was basically a little angel in the car, too, as I shuttled Isaac around and ran an errand.

Then for lunch today, as I ate, I simply handed Kai a bottle and he ate entirely on his own. He sat in his bounce-chair and ate the whole bottle by himself. I was and still am amazed.

Many thanks to Uncle Ryan and Aunt Laurie for everything - I’m so glad you got to meet Kai and hang out with us. Well it’s naptime for dad and Kai so we’re off for now.

daddy daycare

Today marked Erin’s return to the working world. She has taken a part-time position at Mychael Peters 360 salon, working two day shifts a week at their new, beautiful location on Lake Ivanhoe. This means that on Tuesdays and Thursdays it’s my time to be with Kai. I’ve never been alone with him for that long of a period of time.

We started our first day together with a nap. Then we played and after a couple hours it was time to eat. While he will take a bottle, it is definitely not his first choice. After he finally finished eating, we went for a lovely jog/walk down to Lake Baldwin. We saw an osprey and several vultures along the way, and everyone was smiling and waving at us. Apparently Kai is the cutest baby ever.

By the time we got to his third bottle today, he was holding the bottle himself and drained all 2 ounces of formula in one sitting. I guess it took him a couple tries to get used to the taste of the formula, or to get really hungry, and then he was off to the races. And then he ate again when Erin got home from work a half-hour later. He is an eating machine!

Tonight at work some of our really wealthy guests came in to hang out. One of our regulars is the owner of one of the largest real estate investment trusts in the nation, and is truly a multi-millionaire. His Christmas present this year is a Gulfstream jet, a product that costs approximately 1 million dollars a year just to maintain. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not some flashy asshole or anything. My point is that sometimes when presented with the knowledge of what someone else has, it’s hard not to think of what I don’t have. While I may not have his assets, he does not have what I have, and I can say that what I have he cannot buy. My wife is amazing. My son is beyond belief. My family is whole and complete, and we are getting our life on track for material success as well. So while my friends may have private jets and Maserati’s, I know that I have a life that inspires me and calls me to be.

Until next time, “so long, farewell, I bid you all good night.”

day by day

First off, sorry for the long delay between posts. It’s been too long. This morning Kai began to make his usual waking sounds, so I went in to pick him up. I found that he had managed to grab both of his feet and was playing with them, probably trying to stick them in his mouth. He’s been trying to grab his feet for days, but he usually needs a little help. Just goes to show what a difference a day makes.

Yesterday Kai also began grabbing at things on my desk when he sits with me at the computer. This officially marks the beginning of the baby-proofing stage. All small objects and breakable items will be put into storage, for approximately 18 years.

My best friend Ryan, along with his wife Laurie and daughter Sofia, are in town from Denver. Sofia just turned two on Saturday, and today we all went over to Harry P. Leu Gardens to see the camellias blooming and the rest of the pretty plants. Sofia seemed to love it, and Kai was digging it, too. He got to ride in his Snugli carrier on my back today, which he hasn’t done in a long time, mostly because he is so damn heavy! He weighed in at just over 18.5 pounds just the other day — and he’s only 4 1/2 months old. At this rate, he will be bigger than me in about 3 years.

Things are coming along here. I must say that supporting our family, even on our extra-lean, no-frills budget, is tough. I don’t know how we make it some times, but we work together and make it happen. Sometimes it takes a little help from our friends and family. And to be honest, Erin and I have been irresponsible in the past with our finances, and we both still deal with those consequences every day. The thing is, most of my financial challenges could have been avoided had I listened to my parents. There, I said it: mom and dad were right. Now, the next mission is to make sure that Kai learns the lessons, without the challenges that I’ve had. Which begs the question, how do I get those message across to him effectively? If you’ve figured it out, let me know. I’ll do likewise.

Until you read again, enjoy every moment, because this moment is all you’ll ever have. Cheers!

talk to the hand

Here’s Kai, chewing on his favorite toy, his hand. About two weeks ago he began to chew on his hand all the time. At the same time, he became a prolific drooler and his naps shortened dramatically. We guess he’s teething, or he’s figured out that it is possible to be held all 24 hours of the day if he is awake. Advantage: Kai.

I can’t bear to see or read about James Kim anymore, the CNET editor who died in the Pacific Northwest wilderness trying to get help for his family that was stranded in the snow in their car. Whenever I hear about it, I wonder what I would do in the same situation. His efforts have been called “superhuman.” I wonder if I have the same strength as a father and husband. Would I willingly make the same sacrifice? Of course my public answer is a resounding yes, but I’ve never been faced with that kind of situation so I don’t know how I would react. There is no training for that kind of situation, either. At any rate, James Kim is a hero, and while his herculean efforts may look like they were in vain, his family is alive and safe, and that’s probably all he wanted. You always get what you want, so pay attention to your true intentions.

My parents called from Thailand the other day. They are having a great time, meanwhile, we really miss my mom’s cooking. I’ll have to organize a feast for the fans out there when she gets back. Until next time, baby hugs for all!

eau de vie

My tub is littered with rubber duckies. Of all shapes and sizes and colors. This is an equal opportunity rubber duckie household. As you can see, Kai now bathes in the big boy tub in his bathing seat, and the ducks swim by to amuse him. He loves it.

Kai started blowing raspberries at me over the last few days. It’s so damn cute. He’s getting better at sitting up, although his enormous head makes it hard for him to balance for very long.

He has turned into quite a fusser lately. We think he’s starting to teethe, so his mood can turn quite quickly. His afternoon naps are suffering, too — his naps are shortening down to 10-20 minutes at a time now, when they used to be closer to an hour. It’s hard for Erin to get anything done now.

The new menu has started at Seasons. Let me just tell you, the smoked salmon flatbread is killer. It’s like lox without the bagel.

Back to working on the business plan for our wine bar. Things are progressing nicely, although the entire process of estimating numbers for the business is very involved and tedious. In the end though it will give me great clarity on where we’re going, so that’s good. The name search continues...