Has it really been 15 months since I last posted?

For someone who is as Type-A as I am, I cannot beleieve it has been 15 months since I last posted on this blog. Crazy. I can make up lots of legitimate excuses as to why I haven't posted, but honestly, it's likely just because I haven't come up with anything creative...as I think about this now, I realize that creativity wasn't really the purpose of this blog. The Littlest Kiwi was really just a socially acceptable way of bragging about my little peanut. So, here goes:

Kiran is now 11 days shy of 2.5 years old. He is equal parts AMAZING and truly crazy, but we love each and every part! We are loving this phase of speech development and personality, but could do with a little less of the incessant "no" and the tantrums over silly things like how I took a left turn while driving instead of a right turn. All it takes is one look at those gorgeous smile or that cute little dimple near his chin to make me melt. He climbed into bed with me on our recent vacation in Banff and said, "Mama, I love you so much." Perfection. Perfection that was quickly followed by a bump to the head that left me with a lovely headache to start the day. A perfect toddler experience.

What a fun phase 2 is! He never ceases to amaze us with his funny phrases or how he figures out how to do things. He says "actually" quite often and said to be in the car today, "You win, Mama." Hilarious. We are absolutely smitten.

Here are some recent photos:

Let's hope it doesn't take me another 15 months! 

I'm in love

He gave me a hug today. We sat together in the living room playing as a family, and I asked Kiran to give Mama a hug.  He stopped what he was doing, turned around, walked toward me, and gave me a hug. I absolutely melted. 


He falls asleep at night, and I pull out my computer to look at pictures and videos of him. I put him down for a nap and talk Alvin's ear off about all the cute things he did. We play "I'm gonna get you," and he runs straight into my arms. I am 100% smitten. 

Unbelievably fast

It's hard to believe it will soon be spring and even harder to believe that our little man will soon be 15 months. What? When did that happen? 


We've just returned from a wonderful trip to California. Despite Kiran's refusal to sleep on airplanes and his occasional dislike for his port-a-crib, we had a great time with family celebrating our nephew, Tobias' 13th birthday. Talk about fast - our little Tobo is now 13. Crazy. Tobias has been and will continue to be a great marker for how much time has passed - I was only 17 when Tobo was born, and Tobo will be 25 when Kiran turns 13. Weird.  Dad and Mom George commented on how much Kiran changed in just a week - it's true! Here's the latest: 

Kiran is running...and running...and running! My fave part of the running, though, is the downward dog pose he uses to get from the seated to the standing position!


Kiran with his cousin, Isaiah-chacha, who is about to turn 3! Kiran seems to think he has the same vocabulary as Isaiah. Even though Kiran speaks about 15 actual words, he enjoys speaking in his own "language," complete with inflection and different tones of voice! Hilarious.

Thankfully, Kiran adjusted to being back home wonderfully. Since he refused to sleep on the plane, he was in bed by 630 and didn't wake up until 9am! Whoa - seriously tired! He had a wonderful first day back with Mom and Dad, and is happily saying and signing "Appachen!"  

I've been back at work for 2 1/2 months now, and in some ways it feels like I didn't even have a parental leave. I enjoyed every moment - even the challenging ones - with Kiran, but I am also enjoying the normalcy of getting ready for work and engaging in professional conversations. I'm working on the guilt part, though. No one ever prepares you for the guilt you will feel as a parent - guilt for not knowing what to do; guilt for not giving them enough opportunities; guilt for taking time for yourself; guilt for even thinking about taking time for yourself. We treasure each moment we have with Kiran, so now we are working on not feeling guilty about being away from him. I am trying to make myself believe that it's ok and even beneficial to Kiran to spend time away from him. Baby steps. 

Changed for the better

It's difficult to believe it's only been 13 months since Kiran joined our family.  He makes every day new and special, and just being able to witness his precious life is a blessing I feel unworthy of.  From his sweet little smile when you enter his room after a nap to the belly laugh when he's being tickled - priceless. He has such a huge personality now - he's able to communicate his likes and dislikes by his actions, words, and sign language - and he's incredibly affectionate. He has his grandparents wrapped around his little finger, and he LOVES to flirt with everyone when we're grocery shopping; although, he is particularly fond of Costco shoppers.

Our little kiwi continues to amaze us: words are being added to his vocabulary daily (our favourite words are apple, ball, and car - all said like a New Yorker!, he's eating spaghetti all by himself, and he is taking more and more steps! He's definitely a toddler now, so we savour the moments we get to cuddle. He loves to give oommas now, but only if he sees me or Alvin kiss! 

Alvin brings Kiran down for breakfast every morning after he's changed & dressed. Here's how we found him before breakfast: 

Kiran's hiding place - pretty cute watching him get in here!

It has begun...

I've been thinking about starting a blog for months, and I finally jumped in.  Well, after about an hour of choosing the fonts and design I liked, I jumped right in.  I hope to use this blog to recount the curious adventures of Kiran, aka Kiwi (named by his cousin, K-dog) for the family to enjoy and read. I'll post photos often, as there is no scarcity of photos in this household. That must be genetic. In fact, this post wouldn't be complete without a recent photo of Kiwi.


Here's a photo of Kiran watching Baby Signing TIme (BST) - his absolute fave!