I find that life can be a little strange sometimes; how different it can look from one moment to the next, how you can go from one way of seeing things and then realise how fleeting that time is, as all of a sudden something else comes along, and change happens once again. Rearing a child is exactly this - change is the only constant. My working life currently also has it's own set of challenges too. It's very much like train tracks stretching out into the distance in parallel - not much of a metaphor, I know, but none the less all I can muster up right now.
It wasn't so long ago I was exclaiming how easy it was to put Kien to sleep. A bottle, a kiss and he was waving to me as I walked out the door. He babbled or sung to himself until he was asleep. He would wake up once during the night and after a bottle would go straight back to sleep until the morning. Nap time was the same - it was like clockwork. Since his last bout of tonsillitis (when he actually slept through the night for an entire week) it has been increasingly difficult to get him down for the night. He doesn't finish his bottle and yet asks for more if I put it down. He doesn't want me to leave the room, and sits up looking for me constantly. During his night wakings it is the same as well. The night before last when it was my shift he woke up 3 times, and he did not want me to leave him. So I curled up on his floor each time waiting for him to fall asleep. Needless to say I did not manage a huge amount of sleep overnight, especially when he woke up at 5:45 in the morning wanting cuddles. He snoozed for another 15 minutes in his cot and then we were done with sleeping. I bundled him up in my arms and we curled up on the floor together. His little arms intertwined with my enveloping embrace. He chatted to me as we lay there, pointing out all the things he could identify in the semi-darkness. I'd ask for kisses and he gave them freely, sloppily. Then he went back to chatting merrily. Every cloud has a silver lining, and even though I had such an early start to the day it was also a beautiful time Kien and I shared.
Kien was one day shy of 20 months old when he took his first flight.
It was on a Beechcraft 1900D, and we were seated at the very back of the plane.
Kien was pretty good on the flight, although he was apprehensive when boarding (and screamed at being restrained in the child safety harness). His fascination for airplanes saw us right for the take off, and he pointed out all the planes he could see on the runway.
For parents who love to travel this was a pretty exciting milestone, and a test before the big trips overseas.
The scenery is terrific, especially on such a lovely day.
Our little aircraft's shadow in the ocean on our decent into Whangarei.The flight between Auckland and Whangarei is so short. It feels like no sooner have we taken off then we are getting ready for landing again - we actually were taxiing on the runway at 9:05 and we disembarked at our destination at 9:34 - off this plane:
Kien's Granddad Warren picked us up from the airport and endured a 20 minute drive home with a screaming child who did not want to be restrained in the carseat. At this point I realised Kien has never ever been in any other vehicle except our Honda CRV. Oh well, this was our test run after all! But when we got to their place he warmed up, and everything was fine.
After a cuppa and biscuits being crumbed all over Warren and Margaret's place we were off to enjoy the sunshine. First stop was the park.
Kien's favourite book at the moment is "Humpty Dumpty". Kien did have a fall that day, but not here.Wearing his Granddad's School of Engineering cap Kien definitely looks cool in his jeans and sneakers.
It was a fantastic playground, and I reckon he will enjoy it even more so when he is older and able to play on all the equipment. The facilities do cater for everyone though.
We had a lovely picnic lunch at the beach in Onerahi
The eldest son of the eldest son.Margaret and Kien had their own little adventure on the beach.
We had such a fabulous day with the family, and Kien was almost perfect on the flight home as he played with his spoon and raisins for pretty much the entire time. Auckland welcomed us home.
