I thought it was time I posted as so much has happened this past month.
I absolutely loved my 6 weeks off with the kids. Never did I imagine that we would be blessed with so many 60+ degree days in April. We had a blast going to the beach, visiting the park, jumping on our trampoline, swinging on the swingwet, riding our bikes, and having outdoor picnics. This past week marked my first week back to work. I only work 2 days per week, but it does now require me to remember which day of the week it is. I think my mom was the happiest to see me go back since she's the one who gets to hang out with the kids on the days that I work.
Everyone did well with my transition back to work ( I probably had the hardest time with it, but it was nice to see all of my clients again and to see how much progress they have made over the past weeks).
I truly believe that Kai has made nothing short of a miraculous transition to his new life. We see new bits and pieces of his personality each day. We know that he loves shoes, balls, playing outside, driving his car, swinging, playing in the sand, going to the beach, his sister, eating, "the boys", bath time, singing, playing the piano, food, books, ice cream, brushing his teeth, and talking on the phone.
His language grows each day as he continues to imitate everything. His latest hit is his performance of "Old McDonald Had a Farm". The song begins with either myself or Maya holding a toy microphone and singing "Old MacDonald Had a Farm...." at which point the microphone is held to Kai's mouth for him to sing "eeee iiii eeee iiii ooo". We all make the animal sounds during the verses and he sings the "e i e i o 's" solo.
Maya and Kai have developed an amazing bond as sister and brother. They really are inseperable. During Kai's nap time, Maya will beg to wake him after only 10 minutes have passed and continue to ask every 10 minutes until nap time is over. On Sunday, Maya and I had our first "mommy/Maya" day since before we went to China. We lasted about 2 hours before Maya insisted we go home because she missed Shao Shao. Maya is always able to bring a smile to Kai's face and the two of them are able to entertain each other like I never could have imagined. Of course they have their sibling moments, but those are few and far between.
I am so proud of Maya for rising to the job of being such a great big sister. I am also so proud of Kai for always trying everything and for finding a way to give so much love and compassion when his whole life was turned upside down. Dominic and I feel very lucky to have two amazing children in our lives.
Kai continues to be a great eater. We have yet to find a food he does not like. He eats everything and anything and practically jumps up and down when it's time to eat. He also continues to be completely potty trained. I don't even take a change of clothes when we're out and about because he so rarely, if ever, has an accident. I just can't say enough about this little guy.
As I look back at pictures of all of us in China, I can see the numbness on Kai's face in so many of the photos. It's almost as if he was somewhere else during those two weeks. After only 5 weeks at home, we can't wipe the smile off his face. He laughs, jokes, sings, talks, and smiles so frequently that we often forget it has been such a short time since he joined our family. It's seems like a lifetime and we can't imagine life without him.
Tomorrow we will be celebrating Kai's birthday. Wow, our little boy is going to be "2". We feel so lucky to be able to share this day with him. Tomorrow it's just family. We'll open presents, have cake, and enjoy dinner at one of our favorite Japanese Steak Houses (the kind where they cook in front of you). Next week, Nanny will be here from Miami and Jil and Drew will visit from Arizona, so we'll plan to have a small family party for Kai again next weekend. This will be the first time he has met my sister and brother-n-law. I can't wait.
Enough for now. Just thought I'd update and let everyone know about life in the Marten household. I'll try to post some pics.
