21 months

Happy 21 month birthday Kekoa! Wow, only a few more months until we have a 2 year old! That is just crazy.
I don't know how it is possible, but I love Kekoa more intensely with each passing day. He is just so darn cute. If Scott and I earned a dollar for all the times we say how cute Kekoa is, we would be rich! His smile and his laugh are completely infectious and getting him to laugh is the best. He is such a little character, loves to joke around and be silly. It cracks me up that such a little person can have so much personality! He is growing up so fast, which is a little sad that he's not a baby, but also so amazing to see all the things he can now do on his own.
He is really into feeding himself now (thank goodness). He still has to have some toys too, but insists on having his own bowl, with a "spoon" ( which is also a fork). Whenever he gets the food in his mouth, he'll say "baba" or "mama", with a huge prideful smile, to show us what a big boy he is. He actually will push my hand away if I try to feed him from his bowl. When he gets "tired" of feeding himself, or wants the space to put one of his cars, he'll put his bowl on the kitchen table.

Kekoa is completely weaned, 100%. He even shakes his head, with his hand on my chest, and says "ke ke no nai nai" (No milk for Kekoa). It is pretty amazing. Weaning him didn't take as long as I thought it would, once I set my mind up. Kekoa not nursing has meant we have an eating machine, seriously. We are shocked at how much he can put down. I'm not sure where it is all going because he is not chubby, but man can he eat some grub.
He has breakfast when he wakes up, around 8:00, right now he loves his "boo boo's" (oatmeal with blueberries and banana). He'll also eat some blackberries and then have some multigrain cheerios too. An hour or two later he needs a snack. He loves bananas right now, animal crackers, fruit, cheese, and these veggie sausage patties from Trader Joe's. I always make sure to have plenty of snacks whenever we go out anywhere! Lunch is between 11:30 and noon. Kekoa can eat almost 2 eggs and loves the eggs dipped in hummus. He is really good about telling us what he wants to eat "dan dan hummus" (eggs with hummus). He also loves PBJ's for lunch. He says "bao bao" for bread. Of course he has to have some fruit too!
Then comes nap time, between 12:30 and 1:00. Kekoa is napping in his big boy bed, he loves his bed. He waddles into his room when its nap time, so excited to get to sleep. He falls asleep super quickly, very different from bedtime. He'll sleep anywhere from 1 hour to 2.5 hours. When he wakes up, he says "ba ba" (since Scott is the one to put him down for naps. ) Usually, Scott has already left for work, I go in his room. Sometimes he'll fall back asleep. When he's really awake we always stay in bed for awhile to play stuffed animals and snuggle. He loves all of his animals, is always giving them kisses and hugs.
After his nap it is time for another snack. I love the way Kekoa says snack, it is adorable. I'll have to get it on video. We have been making green smoothies for the afternoon snack, so yummy. He'll also have some bread with hummus or yogurt.
Dinner is between 5:30 and 6:00. Kekoa eats a little faster then he used to, but he still takes his time. He eats so much at dinner, usually more than me. It is crazy. Yesterday he ate two chicken thighs, pasta, zucchini and carrots and then some fruit, along with soooo much milk!
Dinner time is pretty entertaining. Now when I ask Kekoa what his favorite thing was that we did during the day, he'll say, "ummmm..." before he answers!
Bedtime is still very challenging. It takes Kekoa so long to fall asleep. I've tried making his bedtime later, making it earlier, it doesn't really matter. This past month it has been especially long, sometimes taking 2 hours to fall asleep! He's not fussing or anything, just doesn't want to sleep. He's been falling asleep anywhere between 8:30 and 9:00. We have the full routine, bath time, story, and then lights out. He now wants me to sing to him too, says "mama, ah ah ah". Sometimes he likes to lay on my chest and he'll say "mama bao bao" (mama, hold me), he'll even say this sometimes in his sleep. He has had the same routine since forever, he knows it is bedtime but just likes to hang out I guess. He falls asleep in his big boy bed. He'll still wake up, anywhere from 2-3 hours after falling asleep. I then move him to our bed and he'll sleep though the whole night. Yes, the whole night! I can scarcely believe it myself and am knocking on wood right now! :) A couple of nights we were both sick and I just slept with him in his bed, he didn't wake up once!

One of Kekoa's recent new things is to pretend he is a baby. He'll make fake crying sounds. I ask him if he needs a snuggle and he says "mmmm, hmmm". I then hold him like a baby and rock him, he thinks this is funny. We've been reading the book "Owl Babies", it is one of his current favorites. He'll request it, "owl bebe". One little owl, Bill, says "I want my mommy" throughout the story. Kekoa points to him and says "bi" and fake cries. I call Kekoa my "owl baby". When I ask him who my owl baby is, he says "Ke ke owl bebe". :)

Kekoa's speaking abilities blow us away daily. He talks so much. He says sentences now, most of it I understand, but some of it is still Kekoa language. He says please and xie xie (thank you) and will now tell you what he wants when he says "pease" and what he is thanking you for. "Xie xie mama car car" (if I get his car), "xie xie mama wa wa" if I get his water. It is remarkable. What continues to amaze me is that he understands both English and Chinese. In his Mother Goose story, there is a line that says "strawberries and cream". He hears strawberries but then says the Chinese word for them! Scott says that I need to start making a Kekoa language chart, so he can figure out what he's saying when I'm not around. :)

He also loves to talk on the phone. He'll request to make phone calls, especially to talk to "Ka ka" (Kaiwei). He'll take the phone, put it up to his ear and just listen. He also loves to show whoever he is talking to which toys he is playing with. It is so cute.

I love that Kekoa still loves his books. I really love that he is now making so many connections to his books and his own life. I'm also able to ask Kekoa what is going to happen in the story, if it is one we've read before, and he can tell me. Tonight he "read" one of his stories for me! So cute.

I am so thankful to be Kekoa's mama. I love that every morning, when I am peeking my eyes open, he has the hugest smile on his face, so happy to see me and start his day. I love that he'll still crawl on me and get a few extra zzzzz's, before waking up. I love that he is just such a snuggler, loves to give kisses. He will now kiss my bare legs, when I'm in shorts, and not just one little kiss, but smooch after smooch in the same spot. He then has to switch to the other leg, make sure he's balanced. Today while I was sitting and putting on my shoes, he came up and randomly smooched my arm. My heart completely melted. I love the way he says, "mama" and looks at me like I'm the best thing ever. I love how he plays with his trains and cars, all by himself, while I am getting dinner together. He has such an active imagination. I love how his little mouth opens up to get his teeth brushed. I love how he is getting so good at throwing and kicking balls. I love that he has this amazing sense of direction, nows if I am off course or not going where I said we would be going! I love how he'll just come up, hug my legs while he looks up at me and says "bao bao" (hold me/pick me up). I just can't even really describe how much joy this little monkey brings me each and every day. Happy 21 months little owl baby!