Windy and Rainy Week

Thursday, 31 January 2008

Got a really bad sore throat on Sunday afternoon. Plus, the weather was windy and cool, so we didn't go hiking that day. Even though I fought a sore throat (and gargled my cayenne pepper-apple cider vinegar-honey-hot water concoction) all week, I managed to have a good week teaching. The kids were engaged in each class, and I was able to structure the lessons and get good writing out of all of them, with minimal planning and preparation outside of class. I was actually surprised at how engaged my fifth and sixth graders were this week. They actually had fun doing Daily Oral Language, learning about prefixes and suffixes, and writing. Wow! Glad they're motivated because the next couple of weeks we'll be testing all 70 of our students to see if they qualify to exit out of the ELL (English Language Learners) Program.

For the most part, Chase was good at Miya's and Nana's this week. He was fussy with Miya for the first time yesterday, just fighting off sleep. He hasn't been sleeping well at night (up every couple of hours to nurse), so I've been tired too, but I've gotten used to (doesn't mean I like it) it. He's more regular now (2 - 3 times a day) and has a hefty appetite, eating lots of poi, oatmeal (Today he ate about 5 ounces of milk with oatmeal), and his favorite pears (loves the homemade ones from the Magic Bullet). But, it's still a challenge to get him to take a substantial amount of milk from the variety of sippy cups and bottles we've accumulated. He still prefers his milk straight from the tap. We have fun watching him laugh hysterically and sitting up and playing. He can pick up a ball with one hand (of course putting it straight into his mouth!), and although everyone but us has seen it, he has been flipping over the hard way (from his back to his tummy).

Now it is Thursday afternoon, and after a week of rainy and windy weather, it is only timely that the Punahou carnival is this weekend (It always rains!). It's been ugly out. So, we've been staying indoors most afternoons, besides grocery shopping, banking, picking up contact lenses, going to the post office, and watching "Lost" reruns. Jay visited yesterday and played with Chase at the house. He gave me his new realtor business card, the latest part-time gig, and talked about his upcoming trip with Shelly to Equador. Chris is talking about taking off from work early tomorrow afternoon so that we can take Chase to his first carnival and put him on the merry-go-round. I can't wait to eat some malasadas...Mmmmm! (We'll be sure to bring our umbrellas of course!)

It's a good thing tomorrow is Friday because I've now lost my voice. I was so worried about getting Chase sick this week. Looks like I have laryngitis. Guess my teacher immune system lost its strength during my time off.

Enter The Chase

Instead of "Enter The Dragon", we caught a performance of "Enter The Chase".....This video is from a couple of months ago, but it was one of the first times Daddy made Chase laugh uncontrollably. So, it's one of our faves.



Check out the "Sleep Is Good" post on January 1st for another laughing Chase (but don't mind the silly Mommy).

Enjoying Prunes

Here is a video of Chase eating prunes. On this day, we decided to let him go ALL out!

Date Night

Friday, 25 January 2008

We had a "date night" tonight and went to dinner at Uncle Bo's Restaurant.

In the book Babyproofing Your Marriage, the authors say that they know how challenging it is to not talk about the homefront when your having date night, so they list some possible conversation topics in hopes that we can possibly prepare statements ahead of time:

Here's exactly what they said....
"* Politics (on second thought, nah)
* Global warming: myth or just a problem for your kids to deal with?
* Favorite sexual positions
* The existence of God
* List of things you want to do before you die (cycling the Alps, running a marathon, getting a pedicure)
* List of things you wish your spouse would do for (and/or to) you before you die
* Which celebrity you'd most like to sleep with, and, if you ever meet them, do you have permission to do so?"

Unfortunately, we did not have our statements ready ahead of time, so we ended up talking about our work week and the baby most of the time. Plus, we ended up picking not the greatest entrees for our meal. We should have stuck to the pupus like we had the other night. At least we know for next time. We stopped by the new Safeway on the way home to get some baby food and groceries. When we got home at 9 pm (we both were tired because Chase was up every couple hours last night, so we had to call it a night), Chase was crying at Auntie Stevi's. My cousin Lauren was trying to console him, but all he wanted was Mommy. Ah, such is life with a baby. We'll have to try "date night" again again sometime.

Those Middle-Of-The-Night-Feedings

Thursday, 24 January 2008

Middle-of-the-night feedings involve quick, yet strict manuvering on my part. I have to be quick to get to Chase (which I am because I sleep with practically one eye open and slumber over to the next room once I hear Chase stirring - Chris on the other hand will sleep like a log for an entire ten hours without being woken up, unless I hover over him and shout out that the baby is crying). Yet I can't quite nurse in a slumber as my baby also has his father's genes and has a hard time waking up. On the other hand, he has my genes, and gets hungry every two hours, so when he's hungry, HE'S HUNGRY, and he wants food NOW.

So, we go through this ritual of him nursing (because any child of mine can eat in a slumber) for like five seconds, then stretching for five seconds, nursing, then stretching, nursing, then stretching. It's quite funny because he can't decide if he's hungry or tired. I tell him, "Sweetheart, you need to decide which one you are. Are you hungry or are you tired?" (Because you're either gonna spit up soon or fall out of my arms. And, neither of us are awake enough to deal with any dire situation at this crazy hour. So, let's just eat honey and go back to sleep.)

I've given up trying to change his diaper before or after each feeding because from 8 pm on, he's just too tired for me to change his diaper, and if I try, he'll get too upset and will have a harder time falling back asleep. So, I just change the 5 pounders once or twice during the night, even waiting only till morning sometimes.

I'm so tired most times that I just want him to hurry up and eat so that we both can go back to sleep. Doesn't work that way though. I find myself multi-tasking in the middle of the night...updating my blog (I'm mastering the one-finger typing), looking at Craigslist, or working on schoolwork while I'm nursing. If I'm going to be up, might as well be productive I suppose. Perhaps I should incorporate some yoga in there since I haven't been making it to class lately....Then again, what am I thinking?! It's the middle of the night! I just want to curl up back in bed. Now, that's a concept!

Written in Thai

Thursday, 24 January 2008

Happy Birthday to my cousin Steph who is probably home nursing baby Jas as I write. Hope you get to celebrate your birthday! With two little ones (a newborn and a toddler), I'm not sure how you'll do it. But, when you figure it out, let me know how!

Chase had a good day at Miya's today. He's been pooping more regularly (2-3 times a day), and we have noticed he usually poops while he's exercising in the exersaucer. So, this morning, as I was getting ready, he pooped. I dropped him off at Miya's before 7:30 am (I'm getting better and better!), and then she fed him some food at 8 am (and I heard he gobbled it up!). During floor time today, he was on his back lying next to Taiga, and Chase was screaming excitedly and kicking his legs and grabbing Taiga. He was so aggressive, but Taiga, being the nice boy he is, just winced and didn't move. Chase loved being near Taiga, but I'm sure Taiga didn't like being pulled on by the baby.

When I bring Chase home, usually after running errands, I finish eating lunch and play with him all afternoon. I try to get bills and housecleaning done, and if I have the energy, I'll cook dinner. But, that's asking a lot. I usually feel like taking a nap, but that never happens either. Right now, Chase is sleeping (after I fed him an afternoon snack of 1 1/2 bowls of poi since he pooped again while in the exersaucer), but I have to do some schoolwork. Perhaps we'll just do lasagna tonight. Thank goodness for Costco and the frozen section!

I got this message today from a friend of a friend in Thailand. Although I learned to speak some Thai while I was living there, I did not learn to read it. Anyone out there know how to read Thai? It is a beautiful-looking script, but it always amazes me because the characters all look the same!

สำหรับผู้ใช้ฮอทเมล์ทุกท่านเนื่องจากมีคนลงทะเบียนกับทางฮอทเมล์เพิ่มขึ้นอย่างกระทันหัน ซึ่งมีผลต่อการให้บริการฮอทเมล์ของเราดังนั้นภายใน 1 เดือน จากนี้ไป ท่านใดที่ไม่ได้รับเมล์ในหัวข้อเรื่องนี้ จะถูกลบชื่อจากตัวเก็บข้อมูลของทางเรา โปรดส่งเมล์ฉบับนี้ต่อไป
เพื่อที่ทางเราจะได้รู้ว่าคุณยังคงใช้บริการฮอทเมล์อยู่
คำเตือน ทางเราต้องการที่จะหาผู้ที่ใช้บริการ
ฮอทเมล์อย่างแท้จริงถ้าคุณยังคงใช้บริการฮอทเมล์อยู่
กรุณาส่งเมล์นี้ไปยังผู้ใช้ฮอทเมล์อื่นๆ เท่าที่คุณจะทำ
ได้และถ้าคุณไม่ส่งเมล์ฉบับนี้ผ่านต่อไปยังผู้อื่นทางเราจะ
ทำการลบชื่อคุณออกจากบัญชีรายชื่อผู้ใช้บริการฮอทเมล์ มีคนเข้ามาใช้บริการเป็นจำนวนมากทางเราต้อง การให้คุณส่งต่อเมล์ฉบับนี้ไปยังผู้อื่นอย่างน้อย 20 คนทางเราทราบดีว่าเป็นจำนวนมากเหมือนกันสำหรับคุณที่จะส่งต่อไปอีก20คนแต่ทางเราต้องการที่จะหาผู้ใช้บริการฮอทเมล์อย่างแท้จริงและที่สำคัญถ้าคุณไม่ส่งเมล์ฉบับนี้ไปยัง
สมาชิกของฮอทเมล์อื่นอย่างน้อย10 คนทางเราจะลบชื่อคุณออกจากลิสต์รายชื่อผู้ใช้ ฮอทเมล์ทางเราขออภัยในความไม่สะดวก...ด้วยความจริงใจ อาร์รอน โลเปซ ผู้อำนวยการบริการฮอทเมล์กรุณาทำตามที่บอกมีบางคนได้ถูกลบชื่อออกจากรายชื่อแล้วและคุณไม่ได้รับอนุญาตให้ส่งเมล์นี้กลับไปยังคนที่ส่งเมล์มาให้คุณหมายถึงนับรวม
เป็น 1 ใน 10ที่ต้องส่งเมล์ออกไปให้กับคนใช้ฮอทเมล์คนอื่นจาก มิสเตอร์จอห์น เฮนเนิร์ด
ขอแจม...ทางผู้ให้บริการเค้าอยากรู้ว่ามีเมล์ที่ยังมีการติดต่อกันจริงๆ แค่ไหน ส่วนเมล์ที่ไม่มีการเคลื่อนไหว
หรือขอเมล์แล้วลืมใช้ ก็มีจำนวนไม่
น้อยซึ่งเค้าจะต้องลบทิ้งเมล์นิ่ง ๆทุก ๆ ปีอยู่แล้วและหลายคนขอเมล์ทิ้งไว้ แต่ไม่เคยเปิดเลยเป็นเวลาหลาย
ๆเดือนก็มี จนลืมชื่อ-พลาสเวริด ก็เยอะกลายเป็นเมล์ตาย
ไม่มีการเคลื่อนไหวทางผู้ให้บริการเค้าถึงอยากรู้เมล์ที่มีการใช้งาน และเคลื่อนไหวจริง ๆเป็นการลดภาระเมล์ตายที่มีมากมายด้วย ดังนั้น...คนที่ไม่เคยแม้แต่จะคลิก

Going To The Olympics

Tuesday, 22 January 2008

Tonight, as we were struggling to bathe Chase in the new tub we got him (and we figured out that he's too small for it and needs to learn how to sit up better before we put him in this bigger tub), I heard a "Hello?" coming through the house. It was Shelly, Jay's girlfriend, coming for a visit. Unfortunately, after our bathing debacle, and moving him to our original bathing situation in the infant tub in the kitchen sink (which he was not happy about as I'm sure he was thinking, "Aren't we done with this bathing thing??? Enough already!"), she did not find him in good spirits. It took him awhile to warm up to her a he was pretty pissed off. Eventually, he calmed down and got to play with Shelly and Uncle Jay who eventually showed up as well. They said they were going to a birthday party. Turns out, we were too!...And to the same one!

It was a theme party...though after our chaotic bath, we weren't about to think up a costume, so we sort of made the baby look cute with his "Chicks dig my ride" bicycle onesie, a bandana on his head, and his skull shoes to turn him into a "Bad Biker Dude", which was sort of a stretch from the theme (because I don't think there's a mountain biking category in the Olympics, but we wore bike paraphenalia as well). He's a baby though...he was cute.

Jay and Shelly went as the China and Korea ping pong teams, and they fashioned their labels on their shirts (Jay wore an old sports shirt of Dad's) with good 'ole tape at the house and left with ping pong racket in hand.

We all got to Uncle Bo's restaurant (which I have been wanting to check out for quite some time now, and it turned out to be a great place....tasty food, great ambience, and cool crowd...so nondescript from the outside..We'll have to go back again!) just in time to get the torch handed to us. Our specific instructions were to hand the paper torch off to the next people that came into the party. There were world flag banners for decorations, gold medals for prizes, and Olympics trivia (most of which I did not know the answers to) on the tables. Jennifer, the birthday gal (and MDA health coordinator who worked with my dad and our family for the past few years, also a Punahou graduate, and her brother played sports with my brother since they were little), was "The Mathlete" with her nerdy glasses, math equations tatooed on her arm, and her hair in pigtails. We sat next to the Hawaiian Curling Team member, with his can of Coral Hawaiian Tuna and brush. It was a great theme..Jenn always comes up with the greatest themes and has fun birthday parties.

We gnoshed on heavy pupus, including clams, poke (raw ahi salsa in a way), shrimp, calamari, etc. and even got to eat some Olympic birthday cake. We didn't win any medals, but Chase got passed around to all the guests and was in a happy mood...such a social bug that one! He only got super fussy when we tried to put him to bed at 9:30 pm, way past his bedtime! Chase certainly did not get the gold medal for his performance in the bath tonight, but he performed much better at the party.

The Long Weekend

Friday, 18 January 2008

Chase was very talkative and active all day long at the Halsalls. He is so active and wants to go, go, go. He stands up on our laps and on the floor (Of course, we still have to hold his hands.). Carrying him proves a little trickier these days, as he is a super wiggle worm and wants to kick and move in order to see everything around him.

We went to eat at Hale Vietnam tonight, the first time we've eaten Vietnamese food in a long time. As we were leaving, the server commented and said, "Oh, the baby looks like Daddy, huh, not you." Uh, yeah. That obvious, huh.

Saturday, 19 January 2008

Chris made breakfast, homemade waffles and sausage. He also did laundry. It sure does help when he is domestic on the weekends. Besides, I was completely exhausted from being up all night soaking myself and having pain in my boob all night.
We took Chase to his first visit to Pearlridge Shopping Center. I hadn't been there in years, probably since I was in high school. We rode the tram to the other side, window shopped, and reminisced as we ate at the Macy's Gazebo restaurant, one of Chris' favorite places to go as a kid. We pushed Chase in the stroller for the first time, and he enjoyed looking all around at everything. It was a long night, as we didn't even get home until 10 pm.

Sunday, 20 January 2008

We took Chase to his first visit to the Honolulu Academy of Arts. One of my favorite museums here, we explored the grounds and the galleries for free as it was Family Sunday today. It will be more fun when he's older, as there are art and music activities for the kids, as well as academic activities for the school-aged children. Chase was awake and babbling though as we walked around the Vladimir Ossipoff exhibit. A famed architect here in Hawai'i, known for his open spaces and using the land and Japanese influence to build homes and buildings around the islands, Ossipoff's firm even built the Halsalls' house. So, it was neat to see what he created. Many of his buildings are still around today. It was interesting, especially because I am looking at repairing and doing changes to our home. I wish some of the architects could come to our house. What a pretty penny that would be I'm sure.

We went window shopping afterwards (and only Chris bought two pairs of shoes!), ate lunch at Kaka'ako Kitchen, and then headed home in the afternoon. We dropped Chris' parents off at the airport after getting calones and pizza. They're headed on vacation for a week in San Francisco.

Monday, 21 January 2008

Chris cleaned, did laundry, and went grocery shopping so that I could cook dinner tonight. We caught up on Lost Season 1 episodes on DVD. I need to catch up now that the new season is starting next week. I only started watching Season 2 or 3, so I need to fill in the holes. It's interesting to watch them in sequence, with no commercials and fill in the pieces of the puzzle.


All weekend I've been dealing with another plugged duct, which came back to haunt me on Friday night. I've been doing my regimen of pumping, nursing, and soaking every two hours. Of course, why wouldn't I be able to sleep in and enjoy my long weekend after my first week of work?! Well, I didn't go to yoga at all this weekend because of it either. I was too exhausted. Though I did drag myself there at 6:15 am this morning, only to drive right back home in the dark, after getting there and realizing that class had already begun at 6 am.

My goal of trying to go into the classroom this weekend to prep did not work, as I was too lazy and unmotivated to think about work. We'll see how this week goes. At least it's a short one.

Tragic News In Hawai'i

Thursday, 17 January 2008

Chase was very verbal all day today. He tired himself out and fought going to sleep, so he was bit fussy with Miya towards the end of the morning. She said put him in the swing, and he would lean his head forward, trying to sit up so he wouldn't have to lay down for sleep. He always wants to play with Taiga and gets really excited when Taiga is around.

There was horrific news today in Honolulu. At around 11:45 am, a 23 year old man (who has been mentally unstable) threw a two year old neighbor boy off the pedestrian overpass (near the Pali Hwy) onto the freeway. The boy got hit by a couple of cars, but died instantly from the throw. The police stopped traffic and closed the freeway entirely this afternoon. It's all the news this afternoon. So sad and shocking to think that someone could do such a horrific thing to an innocent child. Very, very tragic.

We went to the Halsalls for dinner, and he was super vocal and had fun hitting down a stack of blocks. He is sitting up really well on his own, which gives him a better view of things around him. Last night, he even grabbed a ball and tried to put it in the hole of a game he likes to play with. He's getting really good with his hands these days (Uh, oh...Better watch out!).

Drinking From A Cup

Wednesday, 16 January 2008

Chase had another good day at Miya's today. She is enjoying using the Beco baby carrier with him. She told me she even changed Taiga while carrying Chase in the carrier, and Taiga kept going "Baby, head. Baby, head" as Chase was leaning his head backwards towards Taiga.

Today, she discovered that Chase likes to drink out of a cup! She gave up on the bottle because he was just playing with the nipple. He bit the edge of the cup and just lapped up the milk. So, now we have to go buy cups. It's always just experimenting with different things. So, now we have a 6 1/2 month old that has two teeth on the bottom, likes to stand, likes to hold and put the spoon in his mouth when he's eating, and now, likes to drink out of a cup (though he still prefers milk straight out of the tap for sure!)! He ate all his poi and fruit in five minutes, she said. Our little boy is growing up!

This afternoon, we went to a mommy get-together at Marla's house in Palolo. She lived directly below our house! When I stood on the street and looked up, there were the stilts and lanai to our house! We went for a goodbye party for two gals that are leaving for the mainland soon. We hung out with the moms and other kiddos. Chase was super excited and liked sitting on the grass with the other babies. He got cold hanging out in the backyard though because we were in the shade. Luckily, another mom had brought a whole box of boy clothes that she was getting rid of, so we all went through them and clothed our babies with additional things to keep them warm. When Chase left, he had an orange shirt, blue camo pants, and a yellow fleece sleeper...so mismatched!

Being back at school for me is getting better....though one of the teachers did my copying for me since I was trying to leave and all the machines were taken up. I was still so exhausted by 12:30 pm, and I don't have any prep time! I'll have to figure out (within the next month) whether or not I want to work part-time, full-time, or not at all!

Balancing The Work Load

Tuesday, 15 January 2008

I am currently reassessing this back to work thing. At least back to teaching. It's only Day Two, and already I am thinking that, I know. But, it's an adjustment for sure. The hours are fine, but for the amount of work my job requires (as all you teachers know, you always put in more hours than you are actually teaching!), I'm not sure it's worth it. In fact, I don't know if I can even get things done. By waking up at 6 am, getting myself ready, making breakfast and eating, then getting Chase ready and nursing him, then trudging all of our bags up the 85 stairs to the car (and today when he spit up all of his milk all over me and him at around stair # 65, that didn't really help..I was just frantically looking at my watch wondering how late I was going to be as I changed his shirt before I put him in the carseat...forget that I had milk all over me too, but there was no time for me to change.) , then dropping him off to either his Nana yesterday and Miya today, orienting them on when he was last fed, and then getting in the car again and driving off to school, competing for a parking stall (because now all the parents are there trying to drop off their kids), I end up walking into my classroom right before 8 am (which is when school starts!). Then I have to go to the office to check my mailbox and sign in, today I managed to make it to the library to borrow some books for read alouds, but I kept thinking, "Nobody talk to me or stop me because I don't have time" and "Gee, I kinda have to go to the bathroom, but too late now, I don't have time." Then, I have to walk to the other side of campus to pick up the kindergartners to promptly start class at 8:15 am.

I have classes back to back...Drop off those kindergartners, then another set of kindergartners get picked up at 8:45 am and then dropped off at 9:15 am. First graders come next (and today we had a whole class of them which made things a little hairy), and then at 10 am, RECESS! Whew! But, although I would like to go to the bathroom, I'm trying to get these kids to finish up their writing, plus I need to go over to my desk to pump or I will be engorged. I end up "teaching" students from my desk while I'm pumping under my 'hooter hider' into the next period (when one child asks me, during our writing conference, "What's that noise?" and I just claim ignorance.)

I have to go wash out my pump stuff and get the milk put away while the second graders and fourth graders are doing their thing, and then fifth and sixth graders come at 11 am, and then the last set of kindergartners and first graders come at 12 noon and the second recess bell rings at 12:35 pm, indicating I'm now done for the day! But, today, I have to go talk to the principal and talk to a couple of teachers before I leave. I don't end up leaving until close to 1 pm (and I still don't have time for the bathroom) and now I'm already late to pick up Chase.

I get to Miya's at 1:15 pm and Chase is happily playing with toys and Taiga's cars. She says he was really good, didn't fuss, ate poi and squash and some milk, pulled Taiga's hair once, scratched his own face (so she cut his nails), took a nap, went for a walk, and was good in the baby carrier, and was happy-go-lucky and smiley. Sounds like he did much better than yesterday, though he did sleep better last night that's for sure!

So, although Chase is doing well with the sitters, I don't know how I'm supposed to prep for teaching and get all of my stuff done (xeroxing, etc.) unless I go to school at 5:30 am or go back after I pick Chase up at 2 pm. On my half-time salary, I don't think so! All I'm ready to do when I leave school is go to pick up Chase so I can nurse him (so I won't be engorged), use the bathroom, eat lunch, and take a nap. In fact, it's a good thing that Taiga and Miya tired Chase out today because he's sleeping now that we've gotten home, and I'm about to do the same.

Am I supposed to cook dinner too?! Wow...balancing work (especially teaching) and caring for a newborn is hard work. If only I could teach from home. When am I supposed to plan?? In my sleep? (Actually, while nursing in the middle of the night, at about 3 am, I WAS thinking about what I was going to teach each class today!) At least I am an experienced teacher, but I really shouldn't wing it everyday! My goal: To get through the week.

Sour Face

Sunday, 13 January 2008

I made it to 7 am yoga this morning and had a great workout. It was crowded, so it's a good thing I got there early (by 6:30 am) to get a good spot. It's super windy and cool today, so it was nice to be in the heat for once.

Chase was still sleeping when I got home, which is great because I was worried he would wake up and be freaking out because I wasn't there. It's so funny how attached to Mommy he is these days. I'll just walk away or hand him to Chris, and within seconds, Chase's face will turn from happy to sour and he'll start pouting and whining. He even gives Chris the meanest stink eye and tracks his every movement, as if he's saying "Hey, Man, don't you dare come near me! I'm watching you!"

The strangest thing is yesterday I discovered Chase's tongue was black near the middle/back. I don't know what it's from. He hasn't been sucking on anything weird that would cause it. Perhaps the poi and prunes he's eating is discoloring his tongue. But, I'm thinking it might be the multivitamin/flouride supplement he started taking. Very strange though. I keep making him laugh so that he'll open his mouth so I can look inside. Chase doesn't seem to be bothered by it, but it's just gross.

Going to check out a table and chairs set today. Chris has been wanting a dining table to sit at when he eats. We've never ever had one growing up because we don't have the space for it. But, we're going to see if we can make room for a small one.

Hiking Diamond Head

Saturday, 12 January 2008

This morning, we all slept in. I must have been exhausted, because even I slept in, way past 7 am yoga. Even Chase slept in. We all woke up around 9 am.

We headed to buy a swing from a gal nearby (This way we can keep a swing at Miya's when she watches him), and then we took Chase on his first hiking trip. We hiked up Diamond Head. It was nice because it wasn't too hot and sunny. Chris held him in the Baby Bjorn, and Chase was awake almost the entire way. We took pictures at the top and then had a nice walk back down (of course, going down is always easier than going up those steep stairs!). The whole thing took us about an hour. We should make it a weekly excursion because we live so close (about 10 minutes away). It was good exercise after not going to yoga this morning.

We stopped at Ruger Market, a local mom-and-pop convenience store/Hawaiian food place. We got chicken long rice bowls and some poi to feed Chase, though he wasn't too into it. Then, we went to nearby Waiola's to enjoy some refreshing shaved ice. Chase just eyed it out, salivating and wanting to grab our cups. No sugar rush for him just yet!

Got home just in time for Chris to redo the screen door and for this guy to come and check out our electrical stuff. I met his wife on Honolulu Mommies, the mommy/baby forum I visit online. Her brother-in-law owns an electrician company, so she sent her husband over to check out our electrical stuff in the house and give us advice on any updating necessary and how much it would cost to add a new outlet for an A/C window unit in Chase's room. He was very helpful and wrote some things down for us. It was really nice of her to send him. HM has become sort of a sisterhood, a nice resource where moms not only share advice on raising babies, but also on resources and networking. I haven't even met this gal, and here she was asking her husband to do me a favor. It was really nice of them, and it's always good to get free advice on house stuff!

We stayed home tonight. Chase had the strangest bout of anxiety with Chris tonight and was just staring him down, tracking his every move and giving him stink eye and the pouty lip. Again, he just wanted Mommy. He was tired though and went to sleep early, as we had such a busy day.

Back to Work

Friday, 11 January 2008

Today was the first official day back to work. It was a teachers' working day, but I tried my best to still get there on time. Surprisingly, Chase actually slept pretty good last night. I woke up once at 3 am, and then again at 6:30 am. I should have gotten him up earlier though because by the time I nursed him, got myself ready, and then made breakfast and got him out of the exersaucer, he had made a HUGE mess in his pants, so that took time to clean up and then I was late. I actually had to wake Chris up to help me as Chase had exploded and had poop all in his diaper, up his back, almost all the way up to his neck. I needed Chris' help just to hold him back so he wouldn't get it all over the place. It was a mess!

So, I dropped Chase off at the Halsalls at 8 am (which is when I really start school, and pre-baby, I usually get to school between 7 - 7:30 am), got to school at 8:10 am, and then worked on cleaning my classroom. I rearranged some shelves, furniture, and changed some bulletin boards. Then I went through the hundreds of emails from the past semester....delete, delete, delete...I didn't even bother reading them!

I had to take time to pump, so I sat there and pumped while checking email. All of a sudden, I felt something wet on my leg. I was in such a zone that I didn't even realize how long it had been leaking, but there was milk overflowing out of the bottles all over my pants and dripping onto the chair and the floor. Gross! (And all I could think about was what a waste of liquid gold!)

After I cleaned up and chatted with another teacher who stopped by, I left later than I wanted to (close to 1 pm) and then stopped by Zippy's to get lunch and got to the Halsalls at 1:15 pm. That will be my challenge: Trying to leave school on time (my last set of students leave at 12:35 pm), so that I can pick Chase up. Of course, his grandparents don't mind I'm sure. But, I just don't want to take advantage.

When I got there, Chase was quietly sucking away....ON A BOTTLE! Wow! Audrey, my mother-in-law, had figured out that by holding him on her shoulder facing her (like I nurse him), he was comfortable holding the bottle and drinking out of it. Of course, I kind of interrupted when I started talking because he heard my voice and automatically pulled away. She said that he was good most of the morning, but got fussy after about 5 hours, probably when he thought "Wait a sec, where is my mother anyway?!". From that point on, he was missing mommy and he could barely let me eat lunch because every time he looked over, he just wanted me to hold him. Ah, separation anxiety...We'll see how being back to work goes.

A Long Day

Wednesday, 9 January 2008

Today when I weighed myself on the scale, I realized that I have lost a lot of weight since the pregnancy, too much actually. I am now 10 pounds lighter than I was pre-pregnancy. I think I haven't been eating enough, but because I am breastfeeding and losing so many calories when I do so, I need to eat more. Chris says I'm losing muscle because I am not going to yoga as much, which is probably true, but I still need to gain more weight.

Chase was up every couple of hours last night again. I am so exhausted today. I don't know how I am going to teach the kiddies next week functioning on so little sleep. Perhaps Chase is going through a growth spurt, but it's driving me crazy. We try to let him cry it out, but that only lasts so long at night. Chris has been trying to get up with me at times and has been trying to put him down at night, but he still only wants mommy, and that seems to be the quickest fix.

I decided to get my haircut today, and Bree fit me in at her salon. Within a couple of hours of deciding to get my haircut, I left the salon with a short bob. It's probably a bit shorter than I thought I would get it cut, but I was getting so frustrated with the length; Chase has been pulling all of it out anyway! Besides, it will grow. So, see, this is really a preventative measure in order to babyproof my hair. Geez, you have to babyproof your hair, babyproof your house, and babyroof your marriage! Babies are a lot of work!

Chase sat on my lap the entire time I got my hair cut! He was really good! A couple of times I nursed him underneath the cape. And, then we covered him with a towel as she cut the layers. We played peek-a-boo under the cape, and he had fun looking at himself and me through the mirror. He even sat on my lap during the shampoo and head massage. He would turn around and look at me upside down, just to see what was going on. Other clients and stylists thought it was cute.

After my hair chopping, we went to meet Christina (my long term sub) at Kahala Mall so we could discuss curriculum, daily planning, and the next quarter (since I've been so ou-of-the-loop, and I'll be teaching starting next week, and she will be still helping me as a part-time teacher.) We came up with some good ideas and projects for the rest of the year.

Went home and got cousin Geoff to help me carry up a futon frame and mattress I was selling on Craigslist. It turned out to be more work than I thought as we couldn't maneuver it out of the room without taking the door off the hinges and taking apart the futon frame and putting it back together once we got it out of the house. Many scrapes on the floor and mosquito bites later (all the while with Chase in m front carrier), Geoff and I carried the futon frame all the way up 85 stairs (though Uncle Gary had to help me the last dozen or so by their house, as Chase had fallen asleep by this time, and I was afraid of dropping the frame - perhaps not the safest thing to carry furniture while carrying your baby at the same time). The couple came to buy the frame and mattress and Uncle Gary and Geoff helped load it in their van. I gave Geoff the money since he did all the legwork and moving to get it out of here!

All sweaty and dirty and tired, I was exhausted and hungry and couldn't wait for Chris to come home from work after grocery shopping. I was a bit grumpy from being so tired and hungry, as it was a long day. Chris not only brought home groceries, but flowers too, and even cooked dinner so that I could take a shower and clean up a bit. I forgot to give Chase his multivitamin/flouride again today when I bathed him. Still need to get into the habit of doing that. Chase was grouchy too tonight, but once he finally went down, we enjoyed watching Project Runway, until he got up again and then had trouble falling back asleep as usual. Chris tried to feed him a bottle, but with me around, that proved to be unsuccessful. So, as much as I wanted to just crash, Mommy came to the rescue, and I don't even remember the night really, but I think Chase still woke up several times to nurse, making for another long day indeed.

ALS Support Group

Tuesday, 8 January 2008

Tonight, I went to the once-a-month ALS Support Group Meeting, by myself. I left Chase at home with Chris. I was going to take him, but then Chris said, "Well why don't you just leave him with me?" Hmmmm, I thought. Now that's a concept! So, I had my night out by myself! Didn't have to worry about dressing him and taking him in and out of the car seat and taking the go bag. As soon as Chris got home from work, he bathed and fed Chase and hung out with him until I got home. I should have nursed Chase before I left though because I was totally engorged during the meeting and didn't bring my pump. So, as soon as the meeting was nearing it's end, I had to go. (Of course when I got home, Chase was fussy and wanted mommy, but it was nice to get away for once, BY MYSELF!).

The support group meeting topic was very interesting tonight. Divina talked about her experience living with ALS for the past 23 years, as she has been taking care of her husband who has had ALS since the 80's. In fact, she and Britt were only married for two years when he found out he had ALS. She was very candid and frank about her feelings and experiences, going through years of denial, clinical depression, violence, abuse, and thoughts about getting him a prostitute (because, as she put it, "The only 'S' I need is 'SLEEP'!). But, since he's been diagnosed with ALS, they have had a son (and she confirmed that Yes, it is possible..Even if they're invalids, that function for men never ceases to work!), and they have gone through many years of coming to grips with the illness and the effect it has had on their relationship as a couple. She has figured out how to go on trips (leaving him behind with nurses) for respite for herself, and they figured out how to support each other with their Type A personalities and life styles (as he is still a professor at UH, with many of his grad students who help by reading his lips - He has been living with a tracheotomy and ventilator since 1991 and Divina can read his lips flawlessly, though I never can tell how because to me they hardly move!). Divina is such a funny gal, full of life and has overcome many things, from being an immigrant from the Philippines when she first married Britt, to deciding to stay with him through this journey of ALS, to having breast cancer and a mastectomy (whihc she says was really the turning point in their relationship because they finally realized that she could die before him, even with his illness!), and laughing herself through it all, through the ups and downs of the illness.

I hope that the talk was enlightening for some of the new clients at the meeting. There are a couple of new ones who are in the early stages of ALS, having been diagnosed last year. They can still talk and eat independently, but are dealing with mobility issues. Now, us "old-timers", who have lost loved ones within the past year or few years, still come to meetings for support and to give advice on how to deal with ALS. Three of us there tonight lost our loved ones within a month or so of each other last year. But, it's nice that some of us still go to the meetings, to support those and their families who are dealing with and going through what we have all been through before.

Welcome, Baby Jas!

Tuesday, 8 January 2008

Congratulations to my cousin Steph in Seattle who just added a girl to the family this afternoon! She reports that she woke and was getting ready for work this morning and felt contractions, called her doctor, and Michael came back to pick her up (after Jake was only in daycare for 1 hour!), and they headed to the hospital. She was admitted into a room at 1 pm, and within an hour and a half, out came baby Jaslynn, who weighed in at 6 1/2 pounds and measured 18 1/2 inches long. She has a lot of hair and pink skin and apparently looks like her older brother Jake. And, she took to breastfeeding right away.

YEAH, FINALLY, A GIRL!

We're all so excited! (And it's so funny because Chase and I were hanging out at Auntie Stevi's this morning and we were just talking about Steph, wondering when she was going to have the baby!)

Here's what Steph had to say about the experience:

"Jaslynn Terri Kealohilani Daily decided to join our family this past Tuesday, January 8th! She weighed in at 6 lbs. 5.4 oz and was 18.5 inches long. She was born at 2:09 pm. The executive summary of our birth experience is as follows (they weren't kidding when they say that the second comes much faster than the first):

I woke up Tuesday morning feeling some mild but frequent contractions. Wasn't sure if it was labor but thought maybe it could be the beginning. Got ready to go to work. At about 7:30am I decided I would stay home as the contractions were getting a little more intense. Mike and Jake went to work and daycare, respectively. Called my doc at about 8:30am to tell her I was having contractions every 5 minutes or so. She wanted me to come in and get checked and monitored. Called Mike and he went to pick Jake up and they headed home to come get me. Went to the doctor and stayed there about an hour and a half or so so they could do what they needed to do. Doc told me I would be having the baby today (Tuesday). Contractions at this point were getting pretty intense, to the point where I had to hunch over when they came. Went to Triage at about Noon. Got checked and monitored there as well. Went to my room at 12:50pm......got my epidural at about 1:30pm....baby came at 2:09 pm. So we were basically in the birthing suite for an hour and 20 minutes and it was all over. Jaslynn came in 1 1/2 contractions, which was 4 or 5 pushes. It was over so quickly. Everything went smoothly. I just couldn't believe how quickly everything went down. I had heard the second baby comes quicker but I wasn't expecting to deliver a little over an hour after I got checked in. With Jake i had contractions for about 27 hours before he was delivered so it was a different experience.

We are all doing well. Jaslynn's first night at home (last night) was tough because she didn't want to be put down. She wanted to eat all night and be with her mama. Funny, how at this very moment she's fast asleep in the bassinet. If only she'd do that AT NIGHT and not during the day.

That's the quick update. Hope everyone is doing well. Happy New Year! I'll now be sending "Jas Updates" in the future in addition to my usual "Jake Updates". "

Steph, Mike, Jake and Jaslynn


** Congratulations, Steph and Michael. Can't wait to see baby Jas! **

Chase at 6 Months

Making Progress

Sunday, 6 January 2008

Chris and I were cleaning machines this weekend (So he says that next weekend, we actually need to leave the house and do something fun!). We did loads of laundry (and dried them all in the dryer since the weather still sucks and has been rainy and wet), cleaned out the nasty bug lamp full of fried victims (Chris volunteered to do that one since he said I would definitely be too grossed out to do it myself, but I took a picture for the blog...HA!), swept and vacuumed all the bugs INSIDE the house (which is turning out to be a daily routine, but Uncle Gary says it's common for this time of year as the bugs love the rotting leaves outside, so basically, I guess I have to get used to it), and today we thoroughly starting cleaning Jay's room (the master bedroom, which as soon as we clean it and organize it, we can move in, since it is the biggest bedroom in the house). Up until now, the master bedroom has been storage for drying laundry, the laundry hampers, suitcases, baby toys, and whatever else Jay left behind (clothes, golf clubs, yearbooks, camera stuff, Dad's old slide projector and cameras, towels, lots of dust, and all of his furniture which he decided was too heavy and not worth it to carry up our 85 stairs)....

It feels so nice to clean all the layers of dust off the floor and the inches of dust in the window AC unit. I don't think my brother ever knew what a broom or a vacuum was. It was pretty nasty. We moved furniture around, set up our computer and arranged the desk (so now we don't have to call the kitchen counter our computer center anymore!), and disinfected and washed everything so that at least it looks like more of a lived in room, rather than a storage one!

Went out to dinner with the Halsalls - This time we went to Kua'aina Burgers. Since we always eat burgers anyway, we decided to go there. They have better fries (the thin, shoestring kind) anyway. But, Chase was super fussy, and although the fries were good, they ran out of hamburger buns, so we had our burgers on toasted whole wheat bread. What kind of burger place runs out of hamburger buns on a Sunday night?! We took turns rocking Chase to sleep and taking turns eating. But, he was pretty much fussy the entire time. He eventually fell asleep. Guess he's back to his normal "always get fussy between 7-8 pm schedule." Tried to feed him and nurse him, but he just wasn't having it. He was just plain fussy and tired. It was pretty noisy there too though, and that probably didn't help matters.

He's in bed now, so we'll see how long that lasts. He's already nursed and projectile spit up everything all over both of us. Then he was awake at 9 pm and wanted to play. He fussed for awhile and eventually Chris and I just let him cry himself to sleep in the swing.

I'll have to move him to the crib now that it's been a couple of hours. Hopefully he won't wake up!

The highlight of our weekend (besides cleaning, which I enjoyed because I can't stand the clutter we've been living in for months and I want this house cleaned and organized before I start work on Friday!) was reading the book Kai gave us, Babyproofing Your Marriage. Chris already read it cover to cover (yes, I am a slower reader than he is.), and we are both enjoying it, as we can both relate to the situations and the feelings and the communication barriers we have come up against since having baby Chase. It has definitely tested our relationship, and I know we both had some A HA! moments while reading the book (and of course I had some "I told you so" moments, as I pointed out to him that I am not the only woman who has reacted this way). It is definitely a must-read for anyone who has just had a baby (but preferably one that is about 6 months old like ours, since you will be way too tired and stressed out to read it when the baby is a new newborn.) At this point, we feel like things are under control now, we understand Chase more, and although he is going through separation anxiety and just wants mommy when he's fussy, we are all getting along better as a family and communicating better with each other. It has made things so much easier, and this book definitely confirms and reaffirms things!

Windows and Appetites (Both Big Deals In Our Household!)

Saturday, 5 January 2008

Chase was up every couple of hours last night. So, I figured since I was already up, I might as well go to 7 am yoga. My neck was still sore from practice last week. I don't think I'm used to all the stretching yet. But it was a really good practice, especially since it's been cool and rainy in the morning, so that heat is nice.

Had a guy from a window company come and do measurements and give us an idea of what kind of windows we can get to replace our old termite eaten wood and glass jealousies. I wanted awning windows, but because we have walkways all the way around our house, those wouldn't be ideal as someone might knock their head on them if they're open. So, we went with sliders in most of the house, which are three times cheaper anyway. We'll what the estimate comes out to be. This is a pretty pricey company, because everything is custom made locally. They are the only ones that have bronze vinyl though, but I have a feeling when the installation costs come in, they will charge a lot more because of the access to our house (as they guy asked me, "Is this the only way to your house?" while walking down our 85 stairs) and they might need to set up scaffolding (so he says, even though the house was built without scaffolding or any stairs at all!) to replace the picture window frame and windows in the master bedroom which take up one whole side of wall.

We cleaned today and I brought Chase upstairs to visit Uncle Gary and Auntie Stevi who returned from their own winter California trip last night. I brought my zapper racket, but I still got bit by mosquitoes! Not quick enough hands!

Tonight, we decided to go to the Windward side to pick up a playhut tunnel set from a gal. I figured it would be fun for all the older boys to play with when we go to Miya's. Once Chase starts moving around, I'm sure he'll have fun in it too! We stopped by Kailua town and went to Pier 1 Imports and then went for pizza at CPK ASAP. I didn't even know it existed! I wished they had one in town! It was so much faster than waiting for an hour for a seat at the regular CPK restaurant, and just as good food!

Funny thing is, when Chris got our pizza and salad, he put it on the table and walked away. Within seconds, Chase had grabbed one of my pizza slices. Everyone around us was laughing. And, then while eating, he totally eyed out every bite I took of my pizza and salad. This boy was practically salivating at the mouth. So, I figured he was hungry. Good thing I found some dry oatmeal I had packed in the diaper bag. I asked for warm water and fed it to him. He ate the entire thing. So, Chris went to Long's to go get some baby food. And then he ate a whole container of applesauce too! Boy, was he hungry! When we got home, he was fussy again, but after I nursed him, he was all smiles! Guess he's got my appetite..he'll go from grumpy to happy in seconds as long as he is fed. It's that Mau appetite I tell you! I think this boy will have no trouble eating when he gets older. As soon as his teeth grow in (and they're coming in, believe me I know!), he's going to be eating everything!

Chase is definitely getting separation anxiety though, particularly at night, when he's really fussy. As I took a shower this evening (which I relish this time as my only time of solitude), all I could hear was Chase screaming with Chris. Finally, they opened the door to the bathroom, and Chris asked "Can you just look at him so that he can see that you are here?" And, one glance at Mama and that cured it all. He was all smiles. After getting myself all cleaned up, I held Chase, and he looked over at Daddy and smiled. Guess the boy got what he wanted...his momma.

We watched a movie after Chase finally went down (after fighting going to sleep again, then listening to his lullaby book, looking all around at the shadows in the room, then falling asleep in the swing - which probably took about an hour total).

Chase's 6 Month Checkup

Friday, 4 January 2008

We had Chase's 6 month well checkup today at the pediatrician's, where he got his shots (which he screamed at first) and the liquid vaccine (which he spit out of course). Chase's stats include weight: 15 lbs. 2 oz. (He's in the 10th percentile, so still small for his age, but he's growing in an upward trend from where he was previously. The doctor said that, due to genetics, he probably has our lean frame and metabolism.), length: 25 inches long (5-10 percentile), and head circumference: 43 1/4 cm (25th percentile - This is the area he grew the most, which means his head is getting bigger....AHHH!).

Dr. Sia called Chase "Lean and Mean". He still says that Chase is very sociable and was happy to hear that he is doing fine eating solids and is still breastfeeding. We'll just have to keep experimenting with new foods with more textures and keep giving him more fruit to help his output (since he's still only a once or twice a-weeker, even with solid feeding the past two months). Looks like we need to start adding prunes to his diet so that his amount of output starts to match his amount of input. When asked what sounds he makes these days, I told him "ah", "buh", "muh", and "eee"...Sometimes he actually says "mommy" but I don't think he means it. The doctor looked at Chris and said, "Ah, you haven't been drilling him huh? Usually they say "Daddy" first because the "d" sounds are usually easier, but maybe he hears "m" a lot from "mum mum" when you feed him, so he may say "Mommy" first!" He also says that Chase will probably skip crawling (since he can already stand with support and has strong legs) and go straight to cruising (holding onto furniture while standing and walking with support) and walking; and he thinks he'll probably be walking early and running before too long, so WATCH OUT!

We celebrated by eating out at Panda Express at Kahala Mall for dinner. We met up with the Halsalls (who often frequent there on Friday nights) and also ran into a teacher friend and Bernice's sister Sheila and Patrick, who met Chase for the first time. I bought a book on baby food recipes, so we'll see if I get inspired to make my own baby food (which would totally be healthier and cheaper, and we've already got the extra ice cube trays to freeze the food). Time to break out the magic bullet!

Would You Buy A Fourth?

Thursday, 3 January 2008

I know I'm behind on the photos....Believe me, I've got some good ones...But, my internet connection has been shoddy these days, so I have to find a good time to post all of them. I'll just keep you in suspense and see if you're really READING my blog, or just looking for the pictures.

Today, we stayed in until the rain subsided again, and then left after lunch to go to the mall. I was meeting Kai and Stacy there at 3 pm, so decided to go a little early to kill time and see if I could use some Macy's gift cards. I ran into Cindy and her mom Alice at Macy's in just the very section I was headed to....Christmas - 75% Sale. They had fun showing me what they found and enjoyed chatting with Chase. He was all talkative and bubbles, admiring the different stockings they had picked out. It was fun catching up with them about my trip to California and talking about Chase's latest milestones.

I picked up a set of glass ornaments and velvet stockings using some gift cards I had. I bought three matching stockings, but when I got home, thought perhaps I should have bought four. You never know...if I have another kid one day, I'll want a matching stocking with the other three. But, perhaps that's a bit premature to buy a fourth, when there isn't a fourth, if you know what I mean. But, will I be able to buy a fourth when there finally is a fourth? Hmmm, I'll have to reassess that one. Perhaps when it's 90% off. Yeah, that would for sure warrant buying a fourth just in case.

Grabbed a table by the center stage and sat and chatted with Kai and Stacy (visiting from Seattle) over coffee and Jamba Juice. We talked about babies, moving to Hawai'i, house stuff, and other exciting news about our friend Maila (hint, hint...Maila, if you're reading this, you'd better call me!). We laughed at how we're finally all coming back home. Once long ago, there were four girls from Hawai'i who met up at a freshman orientation at the Husky Union Building at UW. After years of dorming and being roomies in college, getting Washington state residency, frequenting the malls and different restaurants in Seattle, pouring our money down the drain in rent, starting and finishing grad school, starting our careers, and beginning and ending relationships, we're all slowly coming back home. By the time Stacy and Ryan move back in the summer, all four of us will be right back where we started nearly fifteen years ago, calling ourselves Hawai'i residents once again. But, this time, we're all married (or getting married in Melissa's case) and starting our own little families. I guess we're all grown up now!

We left just as news reporters and hoards of people were arriving (the lines were already all the way down the mall aisles since 2 pm) to see several UH players and get autographed memorabilia. Even though the Warriors lost the Sugar Bowl, locals are always devout fans.

Ate LO's tonight and had fun playing with Mr. Spit-Up Baby. Gotta love the smell of poi and applesauce. He fought going to sleep again tonight. It's hard to force him to go to sleep when he's so cute and fun to play with, but the boy's gotta go to sleep. Unfortunately, he only wanted Mommy to put him to sleep. Such a Momma's Boy I tell you.

Cleaning The Crusty Kid

Wednesday, 2 January 2008

It was rainy all day long. I did laundry (though I had to use the dryer and hang the rest all over the house), cleaned the dead bugs in the light fixtures around the house (and boy are the lights brighter now!), and then ran some errands when there was finally a dry moment. We took boxes to recycle at my school, mailed letters, and went grocery shopping at Times. People are still on strike, holding signs and blocking the entrances to the driveways, but I managed to get in when the police officer waved my car through.

I cooked dinner tonight and wrapped up a late Christmas present for Chris. Chris was pleasantly surprised when he got home from getting some groceries himself. Dinner is usually not all ready (with dishes washed too!), by 6 pm! It was nice to have everything all cleaned up (including the baby!) and put Chase to bed by 8 pm.

It gave us time to spend together. And what did we do? Well, Chris had fun attacking the bugs outside with the zapper racket, and I watched the news.

I teased Chris about having to constantly wipe crusty poi off of Chase's face. Who fed and bathed the baby? Did you even wash his face?! An hour later, I was still wipping off poi off his eyelids, his ears, and his hair! Geez, that was one dirty baby who already had a bath! (And if you know poi, it leaves a crusty layer on your skin, so you can practically peel it off like old skin.)

Sleep Is Good

Tuesday, 1 January 2008

We all slept in this morning, as we should...After all, it's the first day of a new year ahead of us. There are births, marriages, growing of teeth, throwing of food, larger and stinkier poops, crawling, cruising, walking, talking, planning of the 1st birthday lu'au, and lots of other things to look forward to. I have a feeling it will be a busy year, especially once Chase starts taking off running. So, if we all sleep in one day, let it be.

We went to eat brunch at the Halsalls. It's been awhile since we had waffles and turkey bacon and fruit. Alas, we had pancakes instead. We stayed until 3pm. Audrey and Chris brought Chase outside to play with the leaves, and he was fascinated by his shadow. He tried to bat at them and grab them. Chase's two bottom teeth are finally poking through. So, now when he grabs your finger and puts it in his mouth, it actually kind of scrapes your finger. Hmmm, shall we have to discuss weaning soon, my dear son?

We went home to watch the Sugar Bowl...If you failed to catch Georgia State kick UH's butt on TV, well, let's just say, it wasn't pretty. But, UH has never made it this far, and that was a feat in itself. I know Dad was probably watching. It was all the news anchors could talk about all night.

Chris cooked pasta for dinner tonight. It's nice that we can trade off cooking meals every once in awhile, of course when I'm napping and I just don't get up to make anything, that kinda decides for itself who's gonna make the next meal.

Chase had trouble sleeping tonight when I put him down at 8 pm. I'm really trying to get him back on his schedule like he was on before our trip to California. He fought it, so as he was in his swing, I read him a story (Even though it was from the Island Scene magazine - a magazine from our health insurance company - It really doesn't matter what you read at this age...What matters is what tone of voice you use.). He just laughed at me. He thought it was the most hilarious thing. That's the cutest thing. I read him a lullaby book and played the cd that goes along with it. He really liked it, but then he just wanted to stay up all night long. He finally went to bed (close to 11 pm), after a series of Chris walking him up and down the stairs, more nursing, and more swinging.

Happy New Year!

Tuesday, 1 January 2008

It's strange to think that just a year ago, we were celebrating the new year with my dad. Though he was in a wheelchair and dependent on his bi-pap, we were thankful that he was here with us.

2007 proved to be a long year for us. At times, there was stress balancing work, caregiving, planning a wedding in 5 weeks, planning a funeral, and being on bedrest for 7 weeks; at times, there was laughter as we joked with Dad and his good sense of humor; at times, there was sadness when Dad finally lost his battle to ALS due to respiratory failure, and other friends losing, or coming close to losing, their loved ones; at times, there was anger with the stress of caregiving, dealing with failed relationships, problems with communication, and being in denial; at times there was pain when Dad was having difficulty swallowing and breathing in the final stages of his illness, as well as when I was having contractions in the wee hours of morning and then delivering Chase naturally without any drugs; at times, there was elation, when the contractions were finally over, and when Chase arrived healthy; at times, there was happiness, when Chris and I got married, and my dad was able to be there by my side, with my brother pushing him down the aisle; friends getting engaged, married, and having babies; and now with Chase, my sweet baby, who looks into my eyes when I talk to him and sing to him, and simply makes us smile each day.

"What a year it's been," Chris said at 11:50 pm tonight.

Yes, indeed. It's been quite a year. It's been a roller coaster, to say the least. But, Chase brings me joy that I never imagined. Having him and Chris in my life has made it easier to cope with the loss of my dad. I remember the day I showed Dad my first ultrasound picture. He told me, "You know you have to have this baby no matter what...You're not getting any younger." (with a chuckle of course) And even though he tried to hold on, I think he knew his body wouldn't make it. He knew we would have lots of pictures to share with Chase, lots of stories and lots of laughter. He raised my brother and I well, and knew that we will do fine with our own children. He would want us to go with the flow, enjoy life, and live each day to its fullest. That's why I named Chase after him, to capture who my dad was and who I hope Chase will grow to admire. So, with that, we enter 2008, a new year full of new challenges and new joys, but hopefully one filled with more happiness than sorrow. I know Dad is watching, and he would want us to live no other way.

May 2008 bring good health, joy, love and happiness to everyone out there. Happy New Year!