Monday, 31 March 2008
Today, the first day back at school was uneventful and went as well as can be expected. My 2nd graders just came right in after recess and went to their computers and got to work on their power point projects they were working on before break. So responsible! I barely had to stop pumping to assist them (though I did, meanwhile spilling milk all over myself). Of course the talk around campus was about Ms. June Chun passing away.
Chase had his 9 month checkup with Dr. Sia this afternoon. He didn't get any vaccinations today. This appointment, we just got to talk to Dr. Sia, which we always enjoy. We were surprised at how little Chase weighed (Apparently, our scale at home is wrong.). But, Dr. Sia is not worried about it. He calls him "lean and mean" and says that Chase just has a high metabolism so not to worry. Chase's stats at 9 months: 16 lbs. 10 oz (3%) - He gained only 1 1/2 pounds since January, but he grew almost 2 inches to 26 3/4 inches long, which puts him in the 5-10 %, and his head is still at 25% at 45 1/4 cm. Dr. Sia said not to sweat it. He'll probably be like this through toddlerhood. We need to start branching out on solid foods and feed him whatever we eat (but I think we'll hold off on the ice cream). He told us to ignore the "bad boy" behaviors, as this is the time true parenting sets in and we need to watch how we react to Chase (because he'll be taking cues on how we react, and looking for a reaction). He said that Chase seems developmentally sound and doesn't have any early signs of autism or anything (He told us this because it's always in the news these days). He was really surprised that Chase was so good during the physical exam and that we didn't have to hold him. Chase just let him put things in his ears and look up his nose without much fuss, while we sat in our chairs. If anything, we need to improve on cleaning the little guy better...perhaps that's why he's been so fussy in the bath these days...he's sore down there! We got daily flouride drops to try now and we'll see Dr. Sia in another few months when Chase turns 1! Chase loved playing with the toys in the Dr. Sia's office, and although he was totally stuck to mommy, he did pretty good today.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Makapu'u Hike
Sunday, 30 March 2008
I woke up late (6:50 am) again today, so I missed yoga. Sometimes it's nice to sleep in. The past few nights, I have been nursing Chase back to sleep around midnight, and then again at 4 am, before he wakes up for good around 7 - 7:30 am. Chris made waffles and sausages this morning. We love the waffle machine. It makes the best waffles!
We headed to Hawai'i Kai, Costco first, then to Split Obsession, to kill time, waiting for the heat to die down. Around 2 pm, we drove to Makapu'u and put Chase in the hiking backpack. Chase slept the entire way up and down the mountain. It was nice, very windy, and we enjoyed staring at the bright blue ocean water. We stopped at the bunkers along the way, looked at the lighthouse, and took in the beautiful view of Rabbit Island once we got to the top. It was an easy hike, perfect for the afternoon. And, of course, Chase woke up just when we were getting to the car! He missed the entire thing! But we took pictures to show him later.
We rewarded ourselves with Bubbies ice cream. I tried a new flavor: Haupia with dark chocolate flakes. Mmmm...It was very yummy! We met the Halsalls for an early dinner at their favorite Mexican restaurant Cha Cha Cha Salsaria. Got home after 7 pm, and tried Chase in a new bathtub we picked up yesterday. But, he was way too tired and fussy. He just wanted mommy and to go to sleep. He was out like a light by 8:15 pm.
The big news tonight is that Aloha Airlines has announced that they are closing due to bankruptcy and having their final flights tomorrow after 61 years of service. I called my good friend Nina and left a message. She and her husband Jon have been flight attendants for Aloha for the past ten years. Now they, and close to 2,000 others, have no jobs. What will they do now? It's a sad day for Hawai'i, as we lose another big local name.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
ICE CREAM, I want some ICE CREAM!
Saturday, 29 March 2008
We cleaned the bathrooms and did loads of laundry before heading out for a late lunch to Aiea. I wanted to try some Hawaiian food before we decided on catering. So, we went to Marujyu Market, a little place across the street from Waimalu Elementary School. Chris got kalua pig, chicken long rice, lomi salmon, and rice for $5.50, and I got a shoyu chicken plate with rice for $5.25. We took our plates to Blaisdell Park down the road and sat under a shady tree to enjoy our food. The food was good and reasonable. (Plus for catering purposes, they will deliver the food to our party site, which is nice.) Chase enjoyed eating rice and trying to eat handfuls of grass. There were lots of families picnicking, a belated Easter party where people were hiding hundreds of colorful plastic eggs for the kiddies, and a 1st birthday lu'au with a huge tent and two bouncers. The highlight of the lunch was the haupia with shredded coconut inside. Yum! I don't think I ever had haupia like that before. (Although I still love the haupia sweet potato pie at Yama's.)
As we were leaving, we heard familiar tunes coming from the parking lot. "It's an ice cream truck!" Chris said. We went to check it out, the only "big" kids in line with all the little ones. We just HAD to get some ice cream (as the Eddie Murphy skit ran through my head, I must have had a huge grin on my face.). Chris was excited they had the choco taco, and I tried the watermelon bomb pop (After all, that's what the other kids were eating, so it must have been popular, and I love watermelon.) Boy, was it messy, and super sweet, the sherbet-style red ice cream melting down the middle of the hollow stick. Good thing I keep wipes in the car! You hardly ever see ice cream trucks these days, so that was a treat indeed. On a nice, sunny, breezy day like today, the popsicles were perfect.
Tonight, we're going to an HMSA (Chris' company) credit union party at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. It's a buffet dinner with supposedly great door prizes. We're dropping off Chase at the Halsall's, so we'll see how that goes. Our last evening event out WITHOUT the baby was the Lion King show in November .... and Chase screamed nearly the entire time because he wouldn't drink milk from the bottle. He should do fine with eating tonight (though he still doesn't drink milk from a bottle), but we'll see how bathtime goes for the Halsalls as well.
Update at midnight:
So, the food wasn't great for a hotel dinner buffet (odd selection), the entertainment was okay (oldies but goodies group and a couple of local Hawaiian bands); we didn't win any of the prizes (ranging from a porcelain vase to a $600 travel voucher), and the parking cost $8 with validation! Probably the most entertaining part of the night (besides Chris' table of coworkers) was the gay man with the bad hairstyle getting his groove during the music and the emcee flubbing up everyone's names and telling way too much information for a 60 plus year old. We both agreed that we do not need to attend this shindig next year, and that going out to dinner with his coworkers would have been more fun. Chris said I get to pick the next "date night" next time. Got to the Halsalls after 11 pm, and although Chase was asleep, he did not have a good time in the bath tub tonight (as we expected). We successfully put him to bed when we got home. Now it's time for me to go to bed as well.
Good night!
We cleaned the bathrooms and did loads of laundry before heading out for a late lunch to Aiea. I wanted to try some Hawaiian food before we decided on catering. So, we went to Marujyu Market, a little place across the street from Waimalu Elementary School. Chris got kalua pig, chicken long rice, lomi salmon, and rice for $5.50, and I got a shoyu chicken plate with rice for $5.25. We took our plates to Blaisdell Park down the road and sat under a shady tree to enjoy our food. The food was good and reasonable. (Plus for catering purposes, they will deliver the food to our party site, which is nice.) Chase enjoyed eating rice and trying to eat handfuls of grass. There were lots of families picnicking, a belated Easter party where people were hiding hundreds of colorful plastic eggs for the kiddies, and a 1st birthday lu'au with a huge tent and two bouncers. The highlight of the lunch was the haupia with shredded coconut inside. Yum! I don't think I ever had haupia like that before. (Although I still love the haupia sweet potato pie at Yama's.)
As we were leaving, we heard familiar tunes coming from the parking lot. "It's an ice cream truck!" Chris said. We went to check it out, the only "big" kids in line with all the little ones. We just HAD to get some ice cream (as the Eddie Murphy skit ran through my head, I must have had a huge grin on my face.). Chris was excited they had the choco taco, and I tried the watermelon bomb pop (After all, that's what the other kids were eating, so it must have been popular, and I love watermelon.) Boy, was it messy, and super sweet, the sherbet-style red ice cream melting down the middle of the hollow stick. Good thing I keep wipes in the car! You hardly ever see ice cream trucks these days, so that was a treat indeed. On a nice, sunny, breezy day like today, the popsicles were perfect.
Tonight, we're going to an HMSA (Chris' company) credit union party at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. It's a buffet dinner with supposedly great door prizes. We're dropping off Chase at the Halsall's, so we'll see how that goes. Our last evening event out WITHOUT the baby was the Lion King show in November .... and Chase screamed nearly the entire time because he wouldn't drink milk from the bottle. He should do fine with eating tonight (though he still doesn't drink milk from a bottle), but we'll see how bathtime goes for the Halsalls as well.
Update at midnight:
So, the food wasn't great for a hotel dinner buffet (odd selection), the entertainment was okay (oldies but goodies group and a couple of local Hawaiian bands); we didn't win any of the prizes (ranging from a porcelain vase to a $600 travel voucher), and the parking cost $8 with validation! Probably the most entertaining part of the night (besides Chris' table of coworkers) was the gay man with the bad hairstyle getting his groove during the music and the emcee flubbing up everyone's names and telling way too much information for a 60 plus year old. We both agreed that we do not need to attend this shindig next year, and that going out to dinner with his coworkers would have been more fun. Chris said I get to pick the next "date night" next time. Got to the Halsalls after 11 pm, and although Chase was asleep, he did not have a good time in the bath tub tonight (as we expected). We successfully put him to bed when we got home. Now it's time for me to go to bed as well.
Good night!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Breaking News (But On A Lighter - or not so light - Note)
Wow, it snowed in Seattle yesterday (Isn't it supposed to be almost spring?!)...
This afternoon, a 3 - 4 ton boulder from our hill crashed into a house on 10th Avenue in the valley below (Helicopters have been flying around the mountain and valley looking for other boulders I think.)...
And, they just announced that Victoria's Secret is opening at Ala Moana Shopping Center in late 2009.(...It's so far away, but FINALLY...and it's going to be a flagship store that is 20,000 square feet, 4 times larger than the average store!)...
That is crazy news!
This afternoon, a 3 - 4 ton boulder from our hill crashed into a house on 10th Avenue in the valley below (Helicopters have been flying around the mountain and valley looking for other boulders I think.)...
And, they just announced that Victoria's Secret is opening at Ala Moana Shopping Center in late 2009.(...It's so far away, but FINALLY...and it's going to be a flagship store that is 20,000 square feet, 4 times larger than the average store!)...
That is crazy news!
Shocking News
Friday, 28 March 2008
So, I am at school doing work and preparing stuff for Monday since my part-time teacher won't be back from her China vacation until Wednesday. I just went to the office to go xerox some stuff and the secretary tells me "June Chun died." I was like, "WHAT?!" She was the music teacher here and a college sorority friend of my dad's, my uncle Dave Au, and my auntie Cinny. She had a massive stroke last weekend and then was on life support and died last night of natural causes. WHAT?! So crazy...she kept all her music stuff in my classroom too...So I would see her and talk to her often. Plus she was really good friends with my Aunty Cinny..In fact, I just got off the phone with her to give her my condolences...June was 60 years old, and both her kids are away at college (one's a freshman on the east coast and one's in grad school in San Fran), so they're both away and they won't have a funeral here until May.
The secretary said she was just talking to June on the last day of school before break about how she was taking Celebrex for knee pain (and how other staff members have taken it before but stopped). Her brother had told her not to take it because it has a side effect of strokes. But she was in such pain that she said she was going to keep taking it. The secretary thinks there's a correlation with what happened.
It is just so tragic and shocking when someone passes like this, and she was so young, like my dad. Dad's friend Dave wrote that "June was part of our group that has gotten together several times a year for the past 35+ years. My three kids also went to her music school and each has been in many plays throughout town all because of June's help and encouragement. She was such a good friend and did so much for my family ... we will miss her a lot." Like Auntie Cinny said, "I don't know what's worse...To linger with an illness and then pass or to go suddenly like this."
Now Dad and Auntie June are together. I can't imagine what her children are going through, especially not being here and having to keep going to school. I actually don't know what's worse either. Like my dad used to say while he was dealing with ALS, "You have to count your blessings everyday." That's for sure. I told my dad to watch over her and her family, and I send my condolences during this difficult time.
So, I am at school doing work and preparing stuff for Monday since my part-time teacher won't be back from her China vacation until Wednesday. I just went to the office to go xerox some stuff and the secretary tells me "June Chun died." I was like, "WHAT?!" She was the music teacher here and a college sorority friend of my dad's, my uncle Dave Au, and my auntie Cinny. She had a massive stroke last weekend and then was on life support and died last night of natural causes. WHAT?! So crazy...she kept all her music stuff in my classroom too...So I would see her and talk to her often. Plus she was really good friends with my Aunty Cinny..In fact, I just got off the phone with her to give her my condolences...June was 60 years old, and both her kids are away at college (one's a freshman on the east coast and one's in grad school in San Fran), so they're both away and they won't have a funeral here until May.
The secretary said she was just talking to June on the last day of school before break about how she was taking Celebrex for knee pain (and how other staff members have taken it before but stopped). Her brother had told her not to take it because it has a side effect of strokes. But she was in such pain that she said she was going to keep taking it. The secretary thinks there's a correlation with what happened.
It is just so tragic and shocking when someone passes like this, and she was so young, like my dad. Dad's friend Dave wrote that "June was part of our group that has gotten together several times a year for the past 35+ years. My three kids also went to her music school and each has been in many plays throughout town all because of June's help and encouragement. She was such a good friend and did so much for my family ... we will miss her a lot." Like Auntie Cinny said, "I don't know what's worse...To linger with an illness and then pass or to go suddenly like this."
Now Dad and Auntie June are together. I can't imagine what her children are going through, especially not being here and having to keep going to school. I actually don't know what's worse either. Like my dad used to say while he was dealing with ALS, "You have to count your blessings everyday." That's for sure. I told my dad to watch over her and her family, and I send my condolences during this difficult time.
Look For Purple Tags!
Thursday, 27 March 2008
Wow, the week is almost over, which means my Spring Break is almost over...and I spent most of it sick. Great. So, today, after I dropped Chase off at the Halsalls, I headed to Young's Fish Market to get a catering menu for Hawaiian food. Then, since I was just right around the corner from Price Buster's and Saver's, I just had to do some shopping. I got some placemats at Price Buster's, and before I knew it, I was shopping for two hours at Saver's, a thrift store/second hand shop. All the purple tags were 99 cents each, so I was on the lookout for those. Then I heard women saying, "Remember, purple and yellow, purple and yellow." My ears perked up..What's yellow? I listened some more, as I walked through the aisles and figured out that yellow tags were half off the current price. Geez... now I have to look for yellow too?! I called my Auntie Stevi to see what size she wore so I could look for clothes for her. I found some cute dresses for my cousin Lauren. I told myself "only purple tags, only purple tags." Then I found a Banana Republic dress for 99 cents! The best find was this leather/suede camel thigh length jacket with tie ...for 99 cents! It actually fit me, but I just couldn't see myself wearing something like that in Hawai'i! Do I just buy it for 99 cents!? Well, who could I buy it for? When I thought about it, perhaps my cousin Steph in Seattle would wear it, but then I would end up spending more money to ship it there...more money than it might be worth. Ah, never mind. I put it back on the rack. It was a good deal though. I could have been like my friend Kai and turned around and sold it on ebay. But, eh, who has the time? I don't even have time to upload all my pictures on my blog, much less monitor sales on ebay. So, after scouring the racks, I ended up spending $8 on a few dresses and pants and a jacket, and I did buy a pair of gaucho pants for myself..It wasn't a purple tag though. It was a yellow tag! So, I spent $3 on that one. Good buys all around. I deserved it. (At least, that's what I like to tell myself.)
Went to one more place (Yama's) to get a catering menu, then headed home to show Lauren my good deals and give her clothes. She was happy. Uncle Gary took us all to eat lunch at Sumo Ramen. Came home just in time to pick up Chase.
We spent the rest of the hot afternoon at the house playing, knocking down walls of toilet paper, trying to entice him to crawl with different toys sprawled all over the living room, and practicing standing by holding onto the couch and the bed. He was sure exhausted by 6 pm and took a short nap. He screamed again through the bath in the tub (even with a new tub from the Halsalls). My Honolulu Mommies friends say they've been there, done that. It will take awhile for baby to get used to tub bathing. Don't give up, and stick with it. He's not afraid of the walls of the turquoise blue bathroom. So, I guess we'll keep trying.
Wow, the week is almost over, which means my Spring Break is almost over...and I spent most of it sick. Great. So, today, after I dropped Chase off at the Halsalls, I headed to Young's Fish Market to get a catering menu for Hawaiian food. Then, since I was just right around the corner from Price Buster's and Saver's, I just had to do some shopping. I got some placemats at Price Buster's, and before I knew it, I was shopping for two hours at Saver's, a thrift store/second hand shop. All the purple tags were 99 cents each, so I was on the lookout for those. Then I heard women saying, "Remember, purple and yellow, purple and yellow." My ears perked up..What's yellow? I listened some more, as I walked through the aisles and figured out that yellow tags were half off the current price. Geez... now I have to look for yellow too?! I called my Auntie Stevi to see what size she wore so I could look for clothes for her. I found some cute dresses for my cousin Lauren. I told myself "only purple tags, only purple tags." Then I found a Banana Republic dress for 99 cents! The best find was this leather/suede camel thigh length jacket with tie ...for 99 cents! It actually fit me, but I just couldn't see myself wearing something like that in Hawai'i! Do I just buy it for 99 cents!? Well, who could I buy it for? When I thought about it, perhaps my cousin Steph in Seattle would wear it, but then I would end up spending more money to ship it there...more money than it might be worth. Ah, never mind. I put it back on the rack. It was a good deal though. I could have been like my friend Kai and turned around and sold it on ebay. But, eh, who has the time? I don't even have time to upload all my pictures on my blog, much less monitor sales on ebay. So, after scouring the racks, I ended up spending $8 on a few dresses and pants and a jacket, and I did buy a pair of gaucho pants for myself..It wasn't a purple tag though. It was a yellow tag! So, I spent $3 on that one. Good buys all around. I deserved it. (At least, that's what I like to tell myself.)
Went to one more place (Yama's) to get a catering menu, then headed home to show Lauren my good deals and give her clothes. She was happy. Uncle Gary took us all to eat lunch at Sumo Ramen. Came home just in time to pick up Chase.
We spent the rest of the hot afternoon at the house playing, knocking down walls of toilet paper, trying to entice him to crawl with different toys sprawled all over the living room, and practicing standing by holding onto the couch and the bed. He was sure exhausted by 6 pm and took a short nap. He screamed again through the bath in the tub (even with a new tub from the Halsalls). My Honolulu Mommies friends say they've been there, done that. It will take awhile for baby to get used to tub bathing. Don't give up, and stick with it. He's not afraid of the walls of the turquoise blue bathroom. So, I guess we'll keep trying.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Chase is 9 Months Old Today!
Thursday, 27 March 2008
Wow! Today is Chase's 9 month birthday!
And boy is he growing up! We'll have lots to report to Dr. Sia on Monday at his 9 month checkup. It's been 3 months since his last visit to the pediatrician.
His latest things include...
* Things that calm Chase down (Quiet activities he enjoys - which there are few, as he is an active kid): Sitting and watching the leaves of the trees move in the breeze, listening to the birds sing, and feeding Kramer, the resident talking mynah bird in the Halsall's neighborhood. Chase can sit for an hour watching the birds. At our house at 7 am, when he wakes up and I'm nursing him in the rocking chair, he'll peer over my shoulder to look out the window and stare at the birds.
* Rolling over and sitting up on the changing table and grabbing everything in sight.
(Gotta be careful now!)
* Standing and holding onto furniture with one hand or two hands (But he has to be put there in standing position...He can't lift himself up yet.)
* If he doesn't want to go to sleep, in the middle of the night, he'll do a fake laugh ("ah, ah, ah") and crack a smile, start bouncing up and down, as if to say "But, I'm not tired Mommy. Let's play!". I'll tell him "It's sleepy time," and lay him down. He'll pop right back up into a sitting position like one of those bean bag toys I used to have as a kid and start his fake laugh and playing again (in complete, pitch black darkness).
* When he wakes up in the middle of the night, he automatically sits up in his crib. He then goes over to the side closest to the door and scratches at the crib. When I come to him, he's already reaching his hands out to me, as if to say, "Mommy, come pick me up!"
* Since Chase likes to sit up and play in the bath so much, we've been trying to transition him from his infant tub to a bigger inflatable "snug tub" that fits in our bathtub, but we've determined over the course of a week, that he does not like being put in either bathtub, nor does he like to sit in the new tub, nor does he like to sit in the new tub just to play, nor does he like to sit in his old tub in the bathtub. He just would rather bathe in the old tub in the kitchen sink, like the good 'ole days. Transitioning this week has not gone so well, in other words....lots of screaming and crying during bath time. (* Note to self: My child does not adapt well to changes or new surroundings. Uh oh.)
* Chase's fingernails have always been vicious (and they're hard to cut/file because he clenches his fists and pulls them away when you try and grab them - the kid does not like being messed with), but now even more so when he's playing with the merchandise. He has already cut me, from either grabbing or biting or both, and the girls are getting a bit sore let me tell ya. I have to pump one side now and let him nurse from only the other because I'm cut on one side and it just stings and hurts when he's eating.
* When we give him his medicine/daily vitamins, Chase still does not like it one bit and ends up spitting most of it out of his mouth. He does, on the other hand, still love poi. He eats it three times a day, cold, warm, or room temperature. It's his favorite food, but we're realizing we need to introduce other solid foods and table foods at this point. He's not so crazy about vegetables, but likes pears, applesauce, mango, and prunes.
* He took a few steps crawling the other day, but has yet to really crawl. He tends to go for things he wants, but manages to just stretch really far with his arms, move on his butt, or if it's just too far out of reach, go for something else that is closer without having to crawl to it.
* Putting things in his mouth (yes, he loves Cheerios and Gerber strawberry/apple puffs - and mommy doesn't mind them either), but if I'm not watching carefully, he'll put just about anything in his mouth. This week, I've fished out a wad of paper from a yellow tablet and a wad of thread or lint from his mouth. I'll be totally grossed out the day he decides to nosh on a bug.
* Chase has decided that when he's hungry, he can just pull down my shirt himself, and when he's done, he can just quickly take the nursing cloth off from over his head, whether I'm ready or not for him to do so. (A bit breezy lately?!)
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Social Bug
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Stewart has been a work horse working on our stairs. He has been carrying lumber down our stairs, along with all of his tools. He has prepped everything in order to prepare to demo and put the new stairs in at the same time (as it's our only way up the hill!). This is the last set of stairs before he can actually work on stuff around the house!
Chase was tired this morning and napped from 8:30 - 10:30 am. I got laundry and cleaning done around the house (and managed to add some picture slideshows to my blog). Met Kai and Melissa for lunch at the Nordstrom's Cafe. We chatted a bit, then when the servers started hovering and it looked like they really wanted the table, we walked around the new part of Ala Moana shopping center. I was amazed at how seamlessly they connected the new part to the existing mall. Looks like it has always been that way! Plus, there's lots of parking now! The stores are still a little pricey, but now we have a J. Crew, Chico's, Janie & Jack, and Lululemon, along with a bunch of other stores. I went to check out some Hawaiian food places afterwards, then we headed home. Met Suzette and her baby Lili (who just turned 9 months also) at CPK. She's such a cutie! We ate pizza, caught up, and watched the kids eat their mum mums and crackers and bread. We also talked 1st birthday lu'au, and how much catering and venues cost. While we were eating, we saw Sayid (well, Naveen Andrews, who plays Sayid on "Lost") picking up a pizza at the "To Go" counter at CPK. Many stopped in their tracks as they noticed him. He lives up the Halsalls' hill, so he frequents Kahala Mall quite often.
What a social bug Chase was today!
Stewart has been a work horse working on our stairs. He has been carrying lumber down our stairs, along with all of his tools. He has prepped everything in order to prepare to demo and put the new stairs in at the same time (as it's our only way up the hill!). This is the last set of stairs before he can actually work on stuff around the house!
Chase was tired this morning and napped from 8:30 - 10:30 am. I got laundry and cleaning done around the house (and managed to add some picture slideshows to my blog). Met Kai and Melissa for lunch at the Nordstrom's Cafe. We chatted a bit, then when the servers started hovering and it looked like they really wanted the table, we walked around the new part of Ala Moana shopping center. I was amazed at how seamlessly they connected the new part to the existing mall. Looks like it has always been that way! Plus, there's lots of parking now! The stores are still a little pricey, but now we have a J. Crew, Chico's, Janie & Jack, and Lululemon, along with a bunch of other stores. I went to check out some Hawaiian food places afterwards, then we headed home. Met Suzette and her baby Lili (who just turned 9 months also) at CPK. She's such a cutie! We ate pizza, caught up, and watched the kids eat their mum mums and crackers and bread. We also talked 1st birthday lu'au, and how much catering and venues cost. While we were eating, we saw Sayid (well, Naveen Andrews, who plays Sayid on "Lost") picking up a pizza at the "To Go" counter at CPK. Many stopped in their tracks as they noticed him. He lives up the Halsalls' hill, so he frequents Kahala Mall quite often.
What a social bug Chase was today!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
A Trip To The Zoo
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
Today, we joined Miya and Taiga and a bunch of other moms at the zoo. There was a lot of walking and a lot of sleeping (Chase slept through half of our day there). Although he's still too young to enjoy the zoo, I had fun seeing the kiddie zoo and the Savannah area, new parts of the zoo I haven't seen before. In fact, I haven't been to the Honolulu Zoo since I was probably a kid. We'll have to go back when he gets older and get an annual membership pass. There was a good breeze and lots of kids everywhere. Both Chase and I were exhausted and got a little too much sun today. He was cranky and I wasn't feeling good this evening.
Back at Miya's, while Taiga was taking his nap, we had fun trying to get him to crawl and/or walk. He took a few steps crawling! So, he's on his way! It's only 8:30 pm, but I'm going to sleep now. It was a long night last night, and if I'm going to be bright and chipper for lunch with the gals tomorrow, I better get some zzzzz's.
Today, we joined Miya and Taiga and a bunch of other moms at the zoo. There was a lot of walking and a lot of sleeping (Chase slept through half of our day there). Although he's still too young to enjoy the zoo, I had fun seeing the kiddie zoo and the Savannah area, new parts of the zoo I haven't seen before. In fact, I haven't been to the Honolulu Zoo since I was probably a kid. We'll have to go back when he gets older and get an annual membership pass. There was a good breeze and lots of kids everywhere. Both Chase and I were exhausted and got a little too much sun today. He was cranky and I wasn't feeling good this evening.
Back at Miya's, while Taiga was taking his nap, we had fun trying to get him to crawl and/or walk. He took a few steps crawling! So, he's on his way! It's only 8:30 pm, but I'm going to sleep now. It was a long night last night, and if I'm going to be bright and chipper for lunch with the gals tomorrow, I better get some zzzzz's.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Starting Early
Monday, 24 March 2008
After nursing Chase at 5 am, decided to stay up and go to 6 am yoga this morning. Call me crazy, but it was a great workout when there are hardly any people (12 people vs. 50) and it's not nearly as hot as in the middle of the day or something. The morning class is usually filled with people working out before they head to work. I used to sneak this class in every once in awhile and show up just after 8 am (after the school bell rang) at work myself. But, can't do that now. Just this week, since it's spring break. When I got home, Chris was just getting up and was a bit perplexed to see me walk through the door. "Did you go to yoga this morning?" Yup.
Nursed Chase after I showered and cleaned up then left the house again, this time to drop him off at Nana's. Went straight to school to work on printing and collating my report cards, cutting and prepping stuff for next week, and organizing some things, like the April calendar pocket chart. I had to help a lost girl figure out where she was supposed to be, since her mom just dropped her off at school, even though the supposed program she enrolled in didn't exist. Before I knew it, it was 11 o'clock! And I realized I hadn't even eaten breakfast yet!
So it was time to head home. Picked up Chase, ran a few errands, and then went back home to hang out with Auntie Stevi, as we both complained about the heat, tried to get Chase to walk and/or crawl towards their dog, and then observed the work that Stewart, our handyman, is doing on the lower set of stairs. He's preparing to demo and build a new set in one day (as that's our only way in and out of our house!).
Stayed home tonight and Chris made ravioli (thanks to Costco!) and salad. We watched "Jon and Kate Plus 8" and marveled at how cute the kids are, how much they have grown, and how good it is that they take time to spend with each kid.
Chase did NOT like the new bathing area again. Last night he screamed though his bath in the new snug tub. Tonight, we put his infant tub in the bath tub and he still screamed. I think he's traumatized and doesn't like the tub. We have both tried going in the tub with him. I played with him near the snug tub, but he still freaked out. I think there are too many changes and so we'll have to transition slowly to a new tub and then to a new bathing area. He is ready to get out of the infant tub though. He wants room to play and splash. He's getting too big for the kitchen sink. He has even outgrown one of his 6-9 months pajamas! (I buttoned him all up and he couldn't even bend his knees! Guess that one's going in the box.)
After nursing Chase at 5 am, decided to stay up and go to 6 am yoga this morning. Call me crazy, but it was a great workout when there are hardly any people (12 people vs. 50) and it's not nearly as hot as in the middle of the day or something. The morning class is usually filled with people working out before they head to work. I used to sneak this class in every once in awhile and show up just after 8 am (after the school bell rang) at work myself. But, can't do that now. Just this week, since it's spring break. When I got home, Chris was just getting up and was a bit perplexed to see me walk through the door. "Did you go to yoga this morning?" Yup.
Nursed Chase after I showered and cleaned up then left the house again, this time to drop him off at Nana's. Went straight to school to work on printing and collating my report cards, cutting and prepping stuff for next week, and organizing some things, like the April calendar pocket chart. I had to help a lost girl figure out where she was supposed to be, since her mom just dropped her off at school, even though the supposed program she enrolled in didn't exist. Before I knew it, it was 11 o'clock! And I realized I hadn't even eaten breakfast yet!
So it was time to head home. Picked up Chase, ran a few errands, and then went back home to hang out with Auntie Stevi, as we both complained about the heat, tried to get Chase to walk and/or crawl towards their dog, and then observed the work that Stewart, our handyman, is doing on the lower set of stairs. He's preparing to demo and build a new set in one day (as that's our only way in and out of our house!).
Stayed home tonight and Chris made ravioli (thanks to Costco!) and salad. We watched "Jon and Kate Plus 8" and marveled at how cute the kids are, how much they have grown, and how good it is that they take time to spend with each kid.
Chase did NOT like the new bathing area again. Last night he screamed though his bath in the new snug tub. Tonight, we put his infant tub in the bath tub and he still screamed. I think he's traumatized and doesn't like the tub. We have both tried going in the tub with him. I played with him near the snug tub, but he still freaked out. I think there are too many changes and so we'll have to transition slowly to a new tub and then to a new bathing area. He is ready to get out of the infant tub though. He wants room to play and splash. He's getting too big for the kitchen sink. He has even outgrown one of his 6-9 months pajamas! (I buttoned him all up and he couldn't even bend his knees! Guess that one's going in the box.)
Saturday, March 22, 2008
The Many Uses of Extra TP
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Chase's schedule has been thrown off ever since I've been on break. He seems to want to play at 5 am these days. This morning I went to 7 am yoga, which felt really good. I ran into a regular I hadn't seen so "regularly" and she didn't even know that I had a baby and that my dad passed away. Talk about 'Long Time No See'!
After feeding Chase breakfast, I packed him up in the hiking pack and walked up the hill with Auntie Stevi to check out a garage sale in the neighborhood. Apparently, she and Lauren had already been garage saleing since early this morning! But, the one we went to sucked. We hung out a bit at her house, playing with the dog and trying to get "locked-knee", "sumo-style-walking" baby to walk. But, he had more fun lunging at and trying to pull the dog's hair.
Since Chase didn't go down for a nap while we were walking, he went down for a later nap and had a later lunch than usual. Chris and I did laundry and made our grocery list before heading to Costco after he woke up. Many trips up and down the stairs later, with lots of extra toilet paper (since we realized after the fact that we really weren't out of toilet paper!), we decided to play "knock 'em over" with Chase...knocking towers of toilet paper that is. He had fun, we played peek-a-boo (all you have to do is hide your eyes, not your body, and Chase gets totally startled!) and now we have a pyramid wall of Kirkland toilet paper on the bedroom floor. I'm sure it will provide hours of entertainment tomorrow as well.
Last night, Chase cried it out for 30 minutes before eventually falling asleep in his crib. Tonight, he cried for 15 minutes before falling asleep in "child's pose" sideways near the top of the crib. We had to wait awhile before moving him so that we made SURE he was asleep.
And so far he's been asleep for 3 hours. Let's cross our fingers that he stays asleep a few more...
Friday, March 21, 2008
A Visit To The Easter Bunny
Friday, 21 March 2008
This week, Chris' mom watched Chase almost every afternoon so that I could work on report cards at home. I also was able to go grocery shopping when needed, or more importantly, take an uninterrupted nap today, since Chase was up every two hours last night. He might be sick. His nose was a little runny, but clear, this morning. Not sure if it's allergies or what I have. I looked at a Honda Odyssey van for sale. Still deciding what kind of family car would be best for our family, considering what we can afford of course.
After I picked him up this afternoon, I took him to Kahala Mall to take pictures with the easter bunny. I got there after 5 pm, but the bunny was on break from 5-6 pm, so I had to stroll around the mall and hope that Chase wouldn't get cranky or sleepy and hold out till after 6 pm. I kept letting people go in front of me in line because I was hoping Chris would show up shortly after 6 pm (as he had planned to meet me there after his haircut). But, it came to a point where I just had to play peek-a-boo and entertain him myself because I didn't want to risk him being in a bad mood for the picture. It was quite amusing watching parents do little tricks to make their babies smile. The photographer was good at getting kids to laugh. They even allowed parents to take pictures with their digital cameras, but I didn't get a good one with mine. Good thing the photographer caught him smiling. He wasn't even scared of the big, furry easter bunny. But, I took the advice of one of my school moms and put him straight down on the bunny's lap without him looking at the bunny, just straight at me instead. I think that helped. I just didn't want to chance it. I saw a few unhappy babies, and at that point, the photographer and parents just had to choose the nicest, less emotional picture.
Chris and I fed Chase while we ate Chinese food from Panda's. Then, we headed home to bathe him and put Chase to bed. He has been hyper for the last hour though, fighting going to sleep. Even with all the lights out, he was standing on me, bouncing up and down, fake laughing and trying to grab my face and climb all over me, hoping that I would interact with him. But I didn't. He persisted....for about twenty minutes. The fake laughing was the best. Cute, but kid, ya gotta go to sleep. Finally, I just plopped him in the crib, and he cried sitting up again for about half an hour before he finally fell asleep, exhausted.
Let's hope that tonight he sleeps longer than two hour stretches.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
The Curse of Being A Teacher
Thursday, 20 March 2008
It's the teachers' curse. Your body holds out when you're teaching, and then when vacation comes along..BAM! Your body says, "Okay, you can get sick now." This morning I woke up all congested, sore throat, blowing out the nasties, and my head and ears hurt. Looks like I have an infection. Chase has been sneezing too, but I hope he is not sick. He is a tough little guy, so he'll probably be fine. But, I dropped him of at the Halsalls at 11 am so that I could come home and rest and get some work done on my report cards. It worked out great leaving him there yesterday afternoon, even though he had a hard time going down last night because he had a late afternoon nap. (He ended up crying it out for twenty minutes and eventually, after we all hung out in the dark next to the pack n play, soothing him, but not picking him up, he fell asleep in sitting up position in the corner of the playpen, with his head down toward his feet. Talk about uncomfortable! He was probably just exhausted from crying. Chris laid him down the right way and he slept most of the night.
Today, Stewart finished the second set of stairs and railings. Uncle Gary and Auntie Stevi are so impressed with his work that I think they're going to hire him for some work as well. Next week, Stewart will work on the last set of stairs and then after that, get started on the lanai (He's slowly making his way down to our house...it's a long way there!). The stairs look good though, and they're sturdy! He even said that he can even add a little railing for Chase if we want. Talked to him about fishing and about his family and how he started out here in the Navy and never left! He said he'll add another circuit breaker and line for another A/C before the summer heat comes so that Chase will be cooler in his room.
I better get my report cards done in the next few hours so that I can look forward to watching the new episode of "Lost" tonight. One of the moms on Honolulu Mommies let us know about an ad in Sunday's paper advertising a casting call for babies to play Aaron. It said, "Lost," the hit TV show, seeks babies for the role of Aaron; children can be boys or girls, 8-15 pounds, with blue, green, or gray eyes and blond or no hair; Send photos, name and phone number to Lostcastinghawaii@gmail.com ". Too bad Chase is too big now, and although he has the eyes, the blond (though his Nana was wishing he had blond hair!) was the recessive gene in the family....His hair is definitely too dark to play the role of Aaron.
Though Chris mentioned that he could shave Chase's head!
Okay, back to work (and I don't mean blogging or looking for cars on Craigslist or fooling around on Facebook)...because, another curse of being a teacher is that even though I'm sick and on break, a teacher's work never ends...
It's the teachers' curse. Your body holds out when you're teaching, and then when vacation comes along..BAM! Your body says, "Okay, you can get sick now." This morning I woke up all congested, sore throat, blowing out the nasties, and my head and ears hurt. Looks like I have an infection. Chase has been sneezing too, but I hope he is not sick. He is a tough little guy, so he'll probably be fine. But, I dropped him of at the Halsalls at 11 am so that I could come home and rest and get some work done on my report cards. It worked out great leaving him there yesterday afternoon, even though he had a hard time going down last night because he had a late afternoon nap. (He ended up crying it out for twenty minutes and eventually, after we all hung out in the dark next to the pack n play, soothing him, but not picking him up, he fell asleep in sitting up position in the corner of the playpen, with his head down toward his feet. Talk about uncomfortable! He was probably just exhausted from crying. Chris laid him down the right way and he slept most of the night.
Today, Stewart finished the second set of stairs and railings. Uncle Gary and Auntie Stevi are so impressed with his work that I think they're going to hire him for some work as well. Next week, Stewart will work on the last set of stairs and then after that, get started on the lanai (He's slowly making his way down to our house...it's a long way there!). The stairs look good though, and they're sturdy! He even said that he can even add a little railing for Chase if we want. Talked to him about fishing and about his family and how he started out here in the Navy and never left! He said he'll add another circuit breaker and line for another A/C before the summer heat comes so that Chase will be cooler in his room.
I better get my report cards done in the next few hours so that I can look forward to watching the new episode of "Lost" tonight. One of the moms on Honolulu Mommies let us know about an ad in Sunday's paper advertising a casting call for babies to play Aaron. It said, "Lost," the hit TV show, seeks babies for the role of Aaron; children can be boys or girls, 8-15 pounds, with blue, green, or gray eyes and blond or no hair; Send photos, name and phone number to Lostcastinghawaii@gmail.com ". Too bad Chase is too big now, and although he has the eyes, the blond (though his Nana was wishing he had blond hair!) was the recessive gene in the family....His hair is definitely too dark to play the role of Aaron.
Though Chris mentioned that he could shave Chase's head!
Okay, back to work (and I don't mean blogging or looking for cars on Craigslist or fooling around on Facebook)...because, another curse of being a teacher is that even though I'm sick and on break, a teacher's work never ends...
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Giggly Baby
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
I've realized that it's hard to get things done with a baby. When he was one or two months old, he slept a lot, but I was so tired, that I slept a lot too. And, I cleaned, and I did laundry. Now, I don't clean or do as much laundry anymore (just because I've tried to delegate those responsibilities out, not because they aren't necessary), but baby doesn't sleep as much anymore during the day either. And, I'm not such a good playmate when I've got my list of things to do and am trying to sit at the computer (especially when he's repeatedly throwing toys under the exersaucer and sticking his head and body inside to get it, then gets frustrated because he's stuck and can't get out so easily.). So, not much done on report cards today. And don't even ask me if I've started our taxes yet.
I did manage to get lost this morning on my way to find this NINO meeting (Nine In Nine Out) for babywearing mommies. I found it, and thank goodness I wasn't too late; thanks to everyone being on spring break these days, the roads aren't full with traffic. I saw another friend Steph there, and lots of moms with Beco carriers. I wanted to try the sling, but felt that was probably going backwards. With my wiggly, active Chase, using the Beco is probably just fine. One gal showed me how to do a back carry with him. I swung him right around, and it was actually pretty easy! I think he liked it too. She also showed me how she nurses her little guy in it. I tried, and I'll have to keep practicing that one. Chase got a little frustrated when he missed the mark, and I eventually just had to take him out of the carrier so that he could focus on eating more carefully. At least I left the meeting with something.
Spent the rest of the afternoon trying to be productive, but Chase would not play by himself for more than 15 minutes at a time, so that was hard. I've been trying to get him to walk, by holding his hands, but he's not so sure what to do with his legs. He locks his knees and just stands there. He tries to move forward, but his torso just moves forward and his feet (well usually he's standing on his toes) are still planted in the ground. He holds onto the side of the bed and reaches for things, but eventually he towers over and falls to the ground on his butt.
He went into a giggle fest later this afternoon. I was reading Ten Tiny Tadpoles, and perhaps it was the inflection of my voice at the rhyming part, but something just made him laugh every time I got to that part. I went to change him and plopped him on the changing table, and he spit up some milk. All of a sudden he starts giggling, all the while curdled milk is dripping down his neck. I don't know what was so funny?! Then, I go to change his diaper and I start fanning his bottom, and he starts giggling and going into hysterics again.
Strange, funny baby I tell ya. But, his laughter is infectious, and makes all the frustrations of the day go away.
I've realized that it's hard to get things done with a baby. When he was one or two months old, he slept a lot, but I was so tired, that I slept a lot too. And, I cleaned, and I did laundry. Now, I don't clean or do as much laundry anymore (just because I've tried to delegate those responsibilities out, not because they aren't necessary), but baby doesn't sleep as much anymore during the day either. And, I'm not such a good playmate when I've got my list of things to do and am trying to sit at the computer (especially when he's repeatedly throwing toys under the exersaucer and sticking his head and body inside to get it, then gets frustrated because he's stuck and can't get out so easily.). So, not much done on report cards today. And don't even ask me if I've started our taxes yet.
I did manage to get lost this morning on my way to find this NINO meeting (Nine In Nine Out) for babywearing mommies. I found it, and thank goodness I wasn't too late; thanks to everyone being on spring break these days, the roads aren't full with traffic. I saw another friend Steph there, and lots of moms with Beco carriers. I wanted to try the sling, but felt that was probably going backwards. With my wiggly, active Chase, using the Beco is probably just fine. One gal showed me how to do a back carry with him. I swung him right around, and it was actually pretty easy! I think he liked it too. She also showed me how she nurses her little guy in it. I tried, and I'll have to keep practicing that one. Chase got a little frustrated when he missed the mark, and I eventually just had to take him out of the carrier so that he could focus on eating more carefully. At least I left the meeting with something.
Spent the rest of the afternoon trying to be productive, but Chase would not play by himself for more than 15 minutes at a time, so that was hard. I've been trying to get him to walk, by holding his hands, but he's not so sure what to do with his legs. He locks his knees and just stands there. He tries to move forward, but his torso just moves forward and his feet (well usually he's standing on his toes) are still planted in the ground. He holds onto the side of the bed and reaches for things, but eventually he towers over and falls to the ground on his butt.
He went into a giggle fest later this afternoon. I was reading Ten Tiny Tadpoles, and perhaps it was the inflection of my voice at the rhyming part, but something just made him laugh every time I got to that part. I went to change him and plopped him on the changing table, and he spit up some milk. All of a sudden he starts giggling, all the while curdled milk is dripping down his neck. I don't know what was so funny?! Then, I go to change his diaper and I start fanning his bottom, and he starts giggling and going into hysterics again.
Strange, funny baby I tell ya. But, his laughter is infectious, and makes all the frustrations of the day go away.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Family Sunday Fun
Sunday, 16 March 2008
I just love when the yoga teacher is totally energized and challenges you in class. It really motivates me to push harder. It was such a good class at 7 am this morning! After a kick-butt Bikram yoga workout, I went home to chow down. Chase was ready to play. We spent the morning breaking down block towers, playing hide and go seek behind the tower of blocks (where only my eyes were hidden of course, but he had no idea where I was until I jumped up!), watching him scoot on his butt around the living room to get different things, squealing at the top of his lungs, laughing, and standing. He was wired by 10 am! I had to put him in the swing (which we're trying to wean him from) in order to put him down for a nap at 11:30 am because he was just so hyper!
We did a couple loads of laundry, then we headed to Bishop Museum for Family Sunday. Once a month, they have Family Sunday, where they have discounted admission, rides, food, and entertainment, along with the regular exhibits to see. We were originally going to go to the Academy of Arts to see the exhibit on Bhutan for their Family Sunday, but we hadn't been to the Bishop Museum and hadn't seen the new Science Adventure Center. So, we went to Bishop Museum instead.
It was a lot of fun. The funniest, and grossest, exhibit was called Grossology. It's on until the end of April. It was about everything gross, like matching the different kinds of animal poop to the animal, tapeworms, smelly things, blood, etc. There were lots of interactive games for kids to play. Chase was too young to engage in anything, but I had fun taking pictures of gross things. We also also got to see the volcano, wave machine, and see how swells affect the islands, when we went to the Science Adventure Center. Although hot, it was a neat exhibit. Lots of hands-on things for elementary school kids to enjoy. I got to show Chris the venue where we'll be having Chase's 1st birthday lu'au in June, and we got to look at the galleries, bumped into a friend, ate Hawaiian food, and enjoyed taking pictures around the grounds. We discovered new things, like the floor in the Hawaiian Hall with the rare paintings and Hawaiian royalty artifacts. That was pretty neat. We also saw the Hawaii Hall Sports of Fame with local athletes who have made it big in their respective sports, whether it be surfing, sumo wrestling, or Olympic swimming. And some of them even became famous actors afterwards!
We left almost at closing at 5 pm. We missed the planetarium show, but Chase was fussy and tired at the point we were in line, so we had to get out of line for that show.
We were tired and hungry, but just in time to drive to Ward Center to meet the Halsalls (who had gone to the Honolulu Festival for a different sort of cultural exploration) for an early dinner of hamburger and a basket of skinny french fries (yum!) at Kua'aina Burgers. Chase was totally excited to see them, ate some poi, and had fun squealing away. Chris treated all of us to Ben & Jerry's ice cream afterwards. Talk about indulging! (And poor Chase, he tried to grab everything we were eating, but all he got to eat were his Gerber strawberry apple puffs and mum mum crackers!) After the Hawaiian food, nachos, popcorn, burgers, fries, and now ice cream that I consumed today, I'll need to go to Bikram yoga everyday this week! Talk about a heart attack waiting to happen!
Got home just in time to give a tired Chase a bath and put him to bed by 7:45 pm. I'm about to put myself to bed. It was a fun, but exhausting day.
I'll bring Chase to Nana's tomorrow, even though I don't have to go to work, because I know she'll want to see him, and I could use the time to focus on report cards and taxes and stuff.
Let the Spring Break begin!
I just love when the yoga teacher is totally energized and challenges you in class. It really motivates me to push harder. It was such a good class at 7 am this morning! After a kick-butt Bikram yoga workout, I went home to chow down. Chase was ready to play. We spent the morning breaking down block towers, playing hide and go seek behind the tower of blocks (where only my eyes were hidden of course, but he had no idea where I was until I jumped up!), watching him scoot on his butt around the living room to get different things, squealing at the top of his lungs, laughing, and standing. He was wired by 10 am! I had to put him in the swing (which we're trying to wean him from) in order to put him down for a nap at 11:30 am because he was just so hyper!
We did a couple loads of laundry, then we headed to Bishop Museum for Family Sunday. Once a month, they have Family Sunday, where they have discounted admission, rides, food, and entertainment, along with the regular exhibits to see. We were originally going to go to the Academy of Arts to see the exhibit on Bhutan for their Family Sunday, but we hadn't been to the Bishop Museum and hadn't seen the new Science Adventure Center. So, we went to Bishop Museum instead.
It was a lot of fun. The funniest, and grossest, exhibit was called Grossology. It's on until the end of April. It was about everything gross, like matching the different kinds of animal poop to the animal, tapeworms, smelly things, blood, etc. There were lots of interactive games for kids to play. Chase was too young to engage in anything, but I had fun taking pictures of gross things. We also also got to see the volcano, wave machine, and see how swells affect the islands, when we went to the Science Adventure Center. Although hot, it was a neat exhibit. Lots of hands-on things for elementary school kids to enjoy. I got to show Chris the venue where we'll be having Chase's 1st birthday lu'au in June, and we got to look at the galleries, bumped into a friend, ate Hawaiian food, and enjoyed taking pictures around the grounds. We discovered new things, like the floor in the Hawaiian Hall with the rare paintings and Hawaiian royalty artifacts. That was pretty neat. We also saw the Hawaii Hall Sports of Fame with local athletes who have made it big in their respective sports, whether it be surfing, sumo wrestling, or Olympic swimming. And some of them even became famous actors afterwards!
We left almost at closing at 5 pm. We missed the planetarium show, but Chase was fussy and tired at the point we were in line, so we had to get out of line for that show.
We were tired and hungry, but just in time to drive to Ward Center to meet the Halsalls (who had gone to the Honolulu Festival for a different sort of cultural exploration) for an early dinner of hamburger and a basket of skinny french fries (yum!) at Kua'aina Burgers. Chase was totally excited to see them, ate some poi, and had fun squealing away. Chris treated all of us to Ben & Jerry's ice cream afterwards. Talk about indulging! (And poor Chase, he tried to grab everything we were eating, but all he got to eat were his Gerber strawberry apple puffs and mum mum crackers!) After the Hawaiian food, nachos, popcorn, burgers, fries, and now ice cream that I consumed today, I'll need to go to Bikram yoga everyday this week! Talk about a heart attack waiting to happen!
Got home just in time to give a tired Chase a bath and put him to bed by 7:45 pm. I'm about to put myself to bed. It was a fun, but exhausting day.
I'll bring Chase to Nana's tomorrow, even though I don't have to go to work, because I know she'll want to see him, and I could use the time to focus on report cards and taxes and stuff.
Let the Spring Break begin!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Yogacizing
Saturday, 15 March 2008
The Honolulu Star Bulletin featured an article on Bikram yoga in this morning's paper. Check out the link on the right of my blog labeled "I Love Bikram Yoga!" They interviewed my friend Alexis, the owner of the Kaimuki studio that I go to and talked about the controversial, hot yoga (that many say must be for Type A personalities - crazy people I tell ya!) that I just haven't been able to live without for the past five years.
This morning, I did 9 am yoga because Chase was super fussy this morning and I couldn't get out of the house in time for the 7 am class. I ended up walking him up and down the stairs and strolling him around in the stroller on the driveway, before he eventually fell asleep (right as the neighbors' yardmen started their loud mowing of grass too! But, actually, I think the noise helped him fall asleep!) Class was hot as usual (go figure), but I got through it. I always remember why I don't go at 9 am. Yes, it's a little hotter because now the sun is out, but it's mainly because I'm so hungry at 9 am. And to think I have to wait another two hours before I eat (after not having eaten my last meal since dinner) is overbearing for me! But, I'm glad I went because I knew I was going to be home all day with Chase.
Chris went bike riding (after months of a hiatus) and so Chase and I hung out all afternoon. First, we took a nap. Thank goodness, he napped while I napped on the floor next to the swing. We both just passed out. I spent a lot of the day inputting my phone numbers on my new phone. I have to look at my old phone and figure out the buttons for my new phone. I recently transferred carriers (from Sprint to T-Mobile, because I never could use my phone at the house, and now I'm on a family plan with Chris so it just makes more sense), got a free phone, but now have to transfer each and every phone number...I think I'm only half way through the alphabet, and I've been working on it all week!
We visited Auntie Stevi upstairs and then I took Chase to Kahala Mall to get out of the heat (yes, it's that time of year again. I know you might be thinking, well, it's Hawai'i, isn't it always hot? But, no, it was a little cooler during the "winter" season, so now it's definitely getting hotter. Gone are those pesky bugs that I kept having to sweep up daily, but now comes the heat, so I don't even want to be in the house cleaning!). There really wasn't anything to look at. I ran into a couple of my students, though they always give you that shy look because I'm in non-teacher clothing and they're always shy around their parents all of a sudden. I don't think they ever think that their teacher REALLY lives outside the classroom.
I picked up Korean food at Gina's plate lunch place for dinner and brought it home by 7 am, just in time for Chris to come home from his bike ride nice and hungry. We ate, fed Chase, bathed him, then put him to bed. Then, we watched a movie, "The Bourne Ultimatum," although in true Tanya-style, I fell asleep within the first ten minutes and missed the whole thing. Good thing we own it on DVD.
The Honolulu Star Bulletin featured an article on Bikram yoga in this morning's paper. Check out the link on the right of my blog labeled "I Love Bikram Yoga!" They interviewed my friend Alexis, the owner of the Kaimuki studio that I go to and talked about the controversial, hot yoga (that many say must be for Type A personalities - crazy people I tell ya!) that I just haven't been able to live without for the past five years.
This morning, I did 9 am yoga because Chase was super fussy this morning and I couldn't get out of the house in time for the 7 am class. I ended up walking him up and down the stairs and strolling him around in the stroller on the driveway, before he eventually fell asleep (right as the neighbors' yardmen started their loud mowing of grass too! But, actually, I think the noise helped him fall asleep!) Class was hot as usual (go figure), but I got through it. I always remember why I don't go at 9 am. Yes, it's a little hotter because now the sun is out, but it's mainly because I'm so hungry at 9 am. And to think I have to wait another two hours before I eat (after not having eaten my last meal since dinner) is overbearing for me! But, I'm glad I went because I knew I was going to be home all day with Chase.
Chris went bike riding (after months of a hiatus) and so Chase and I hung out all afternoon. First, we took a nap. Thank goodness, he napped while I napped on the floor next to the swing. We both just passed out. I spent a lot of the day inputting my phone numbers on my new phone. I have to look at my old phone and figure out the buttons for my new phone. I recently transferred carriers (from Sprint to T-Mobile, because I never could use my phone at the house, and now I'm on a family plan with Chris so it just makes more sense), got a free phone, but now have to transfer each and every phone number...I think I'm only half way through the alphabet, and I've been working on it all week!
We visited Auntie Stevi upstairs and then I took Chase to Kahala Mall to get out of the heat (yes, it's that time of year again. I know you might be thinking, well, it's Hawai'i, isn't it always hot? But, no, it was a little cooler during the "winter" season, so now it's definitely getting hotter. Gone are those pesky bugs that I kept having to sweep up daily, but now comes the heat, so I don't even want to be in the house cleaning!). There really wasn't anything to look at. I ran into a couple of my students, though they always give you that shy look because I'm in non-teacher clothing and they're always shy around their parents all of a sudden. I don't think they ever think that their teacher REALLY lives outside the classroom.
I picked up Korean food at Gina's plate lunch place for dinner and brought it home by 7 am, just in time for Chris to come home from his bike ride nice and hungry. We ate, fed Chase, bathed him, then put him to bed. Then, we watched a movie, "The Bourne Ultimatum," although in true Tanya-style, I fell asleep within the first ten minutes and missed the whole thing. Good thing we own it on DVD.
Chase's Latest Things
* Sticking his tongue out
* Playing with the food source, grabbing, and pulling it with his hands (ouch!) - I always tell him "No", but he thinks it's funny and just laughs (Uh Huh....)
* Standing on his toes (often in the wide stance/splits position - perhaps he's getting ready to do triangle pose or something)
* Standing and holding onto things (When we're practicing standing up, if he gets too far back, he falls and lands on his butt - before he used to fall all the way on his back and hit his head on the ground.)
* Moving by kicking his legs and pivoting on his butt
* Singing with Mommy (His fave tune: "Ahhhh, Ahhhh, Ahhhh")
* Laughing when mommy laughs
* Growling like a dog (although he seems to have surpassed this phase and is on to new and improved sounds)
* Scrunching up his face, wrinkling his nose, and huffing and puffing through his nose
* Playing with toys or sippy cups or bowls while sitting at the table and throwing them on the floor (repeatedly)...I remember this with Christina's Max...It becomes a game after the second or third time. "Let's see how many times Mommy and Daddy will pick it up for me."
* Enjoying playing peek-a-boo
* Getting up on all fours like he wants to crawl, bouncing up and down, but....he's either going to crawl or walk soon...can't figure out which one he prefers.
* Grabbing and pulling Daddy's arm and leg hairs (ouch!)
* We've been introducing signs to him ("more", "no", "cereal", "poi"), but he's not quite good at his hands yet. We'll see if he learns them in time.
* Playing with the food source, grabbing, and pulling it with his hands (ouch!) - I always tell him "No", but he thinks it's funny and just laughs (Uh Huh....)
* Standing on his toes (often in the wide stance/splits position - perhaps he's getting ready to do triangle pose or something)
* Standing and holding onto things (When we're practicing standing up, if he gets too far back, he falls and lands on his butt - before he used to fall all the way on his back and hit his head on the ground.)
* Moving by kicking his legs and pivoting on his butt
* Singing with Mommy (His fave tune: "Ahhhh, Ahhhh, Ahhhh")
* Laughing when mommy laughs
* Growling like a dog (although he seems to have surpassed this phase and is on to new and improved sounds)
* Scrunching up his face, wrinkling his nose, and huffing and puffing through his nose
* Playing with toys or sippy cups or bowls while sitting at the table and throwing them on the floor (repeatedly)...I remember this with Christina's Max...It becomes a game after the second or third time. "Let's see how many times Mommy and Daddy will pick it up for me."
* Enjoying playing peek-a-boo
* Getting up on all fours like he wants to crawl, bouncing up and down, but....he's either going to crawl or walk soon...can't figure out which one he prefers.
* Grabbing and pulling Daddy's arm and leg hairs (ouch!)
* We've been introducing signs to him ("more", "no", "cereal", "poi"), but he's not quite good at his hands yet. We'll see if he learns them in time.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Kamehameha Schools' 88th Annual Song Contest TONIGHT
Friday, 14 March 2008
Fifteen years ago, I participated as a student in my last song contest at Kamehameha, probably the only private high school out there that requires each of its students to sing their hearts out in Hawaiian language, competing against the other grade levels in the women's, men's, and combined class categories. As a junior, I had my two minutes of fame as I introduced the women's song on live television (As a member of the student council, we had the chance to apply for that opportunity.) I remember having to write and memorize a script, then practicing countless number of times in front of speech teachers and Hawaiian language teachers to make sure that I enunciated when I said "hundredth" and pronounced all my Hawaiian correctly. Tonight, my cousin Lauren is a senior and will participate in her last song contest.
Most people don't understand the time and effort that goes into preparing for Song Contest. Yes, even if you cannot sing (and yes I knew some people that were tone deaf), it is a graduation requirement of each and every student. When you go through freshman orientation, you not only check out where the buildings on campus are, but you also sing to get your part (I was Soprano 2), which stays with you all four years of high school. After Xmas break, the next few months are spent practicing with your class, learning the song, the notes, the Hawaiian language. The daily bell schedule changes, and everyone becomes harmonious, not only in voices, but also within each grade level class. So, there is friendly competition...and usually Seniors like to sweep the awards for the night (though we were one of those rare classes in '93 that didn't). Awards are given in music, language, directing, etc. and well-respected and well-known judges from the local music industry and Hawaiian language community are chosen to judge each year. Unless you know someone singing in each class, it might not seem to interesting. But, the most exciting part of the night is Ho'ike, when the students perform hula and more songs related to the theme of the contest. It's a spectacular show, and students need to audition to be chosen to participate in Ho'ike each year.
Though we're not attending the live show tonight because of baby Chase's sleep schedule and recent sickness, we'll be tuning in on TV. Hope you do too! The high school students' singing and performances will amaze you!
From the Kamehameha Schools' website:
"This Year’s Theme
2008 marks the 30th anniversary of the recognition of Hawaiian as an official language of the state of Hawai‘i. ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i is thriving today thanks to this recognition and the subsequent establishment of educational organizations dedicated to instruction in the Hawaiian language. Join Kamehameha Schools Kapālama students as they celebrate this important milestone through mele of our past and present.
About the Pre-Show Documentary
After a century of disuse due to suppression and discouragement, Hawaiian became an official language of the State of Hawai‘i in 1978. Since then, Hawai‘i has undertaken tremendous efforts to revive the language through immersion programs, educational opportunities in preschool through college, and increased community support for a renaissance in Hawaiian language and culture.
About Song Contest
The Song Contest has been an important tradition of Kamehameha since the first annual competition in 1921. Miss Laura Brown, a director of music at Kamehameha between 1926 and 1947, stated that “the objective of the song contest are to build up the repertoire of the best in Hawaiian music for the cultural heritage of any student who attends Kamehameha; to develop leadership, cooperation and good class spirit; and to give students the use of their singing voices and to give them pleasure in singing as a means of expression.” Today, the Song Contest represents a proud tradition spanning 88 years of Kamehameha’s history.
Pre-Show
Friday, March 14 at 6:30 PM
Live Competition
Friday, March 14 at 7:30 PM
Encore Performance
Friday, March 21 at 6:30 PM
All times HST
Online Webcast
Please join us on March 14, 2008 for a live simulcast of the pre-show and the 88th Annual Kamehameha Schools Song Contest in its entirety on www.ksbe.edu. To ensure the best possible experience, we recommend you install the latest version of QuickTime or Windows Media Player."
Webcast Times
Hawai‘i Pacific Mountain Central Eastern GMT
6:30 PM 9:30 PM 10:30 PM 11:30 PM 12:30 AM
Saturday 04:30
Fifteen years ago, I participated as a student in my last song contest at Kamehameha, probably the only private high school out there that requires each of its students to sing their hearts out in Hawaiian language, competing against the other grade levels in the women's, men's, and combined class categories. As a junior, I had my two minutes of fame as I introduced the women's song on live television (As a member of the student council, we had the chance to apply for that opportunity.) I remember having to write and memorize a script, then practicing countless number of times in front of speech teachers and Hawaiian language teachers to make sure that I enunciated when I said "hundredth" and pronounced all my Hawaiian correctly. Tonight, my cousin Lauren is a senior and will participate in her last song contest.
Most people don't understand the time and effort that goes into preparing for Song Contest. Yes, even if you cannot sing (and yes I knew some people that were tone deaf), it is a graduation requirement of each and every student. When you go through freshman orientation, you not only check out where the buildings on campus are, but you also sing to get your part (I was Soprano 2), which stays with you all four years of high school. After Xmas break, the next few months are spent practicing with your class, learning the song, the notes, the Hawaiian language. The daily bell schedule changes, and everyone becomes harmonious, not only in voices, but also within each grade level class. So, there is friendly competition...and usually Seniors like to sweep the awards for the night (though we were one of those rare classes in '93 that didn't). Awards are given in music, language, directing, etc. and well-respected and well-known judges from the local music industry and Hawaiian language community are chosen to judge each year. Unless you know someone singing in each class, it might not seem to interesting. But, the most exciting part of the night is Ho'ike, when the students perform hula and more songs related to the theme of the contest. It's a spectacular show, and students need to audition to be chosen to participate in Ho'ike each year.
Though we're not attending the live show tonight because of baby Chase's sleep schedule and recent sickness, we'll be tuning in on TV. Hope you do too! The high school students' singing and performances will amaze you!
From the Kamehameha Schools' website:
"This Year’s Theme
2008 marks the 30th anniversary of the recognition of Hawaiian as an official language of the state of Hawai‘i. ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i is thriving today thanks to this recognition and the subsequent establishment of educational organizations dedicated to instruction in the Hawaiian language. Join Kamehameha Schools Kapālama students as they celebrate this important milestone through mele of our past and present.
About the Pre-Show Documentary
After a century of disuse due to suppression and discouragement, Hawaiian became an official language of the State of Hawai‘i in 1978. Since then, Hawai‘i has undertaken tremendous efforts to revive the language through immersion programs, educational opportunities in preschool through college, and increased community support for a renaissance in Hawaiian language and culture.
About Song Contest
The Song Contest has been an important tradition of Kamehameha since the first annual competition in 1921. Miss Laura Brown, a director of music at Kamehameha between 1926 and 1947, stated that “the objective of the song contest are to build up the repertoire of the best in Hawaiian music for the cultural heritage of any student who attends Kamehameha; to develop leadership, cooperation and good class spirit; and to give students the use of their singing voices and to give them pleasure in singing as a means of expression.” Today, the Song Contest represents a proud tradition spanning 88 years of Kamehameha’s history.
Pre-Show
Friday, March 14 at 6:30 PM
Live Competition
Friday, March 14 at 7:30 PM
Encore Performance
Friday, March 21 at 6:30 PM
All times HST
Online Webcast
Please join us on March 14, 2008 for a live simulcast of the pre-show and the 88th Annual Kamehameha Schools Song Contest in its entirety on www.ksbe.edu. To ensure the best possible experience, we recommend you install the latest version of QuickTime or Windows Media Player."
Webcast Times
Hawai‘i Pacific Mountain Central Eastern GMT
6:30 PM 9:30 PM 10:30 PM 11:30 PM 12:30 AM
Saturday 04:30
Today, Uncle Dave sent me this picture he took of our little family at Jason and Avon's wedding last weekend. Dave, a good college fraternity friend of my dad's who spent time with him while he was sick and captured many memories of our family in the months before my dad passed, also did the photography for our wedding last year. It's such a nice picture because we're all actually smiling! The photo was taken outside Punahou chapel. One day in the future, perhaps Dave will do a family photo session for us. He knows that we both love to capture life through photography! Thanks again, Uncle Dave! We'll have to blow this one up, frame it, and add it to our wall!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Playing With A Baby Is DEFINITELY More Fun
Thursday, 13 March 2008
Chase was sort of in a daze, nursing for a few seconds, and then looking up at me, like "Who are you?....And where is my mommy? You smell like her, but you look different. I know I'm tired and sleepy, but I'm so confused..." Perhaps it was the towel bouffant hairdo I was sporting after I got out of the shower to a screaming baby; Chris had handed him to me in the rocking chair so I could nurse him right away. It was funny, and at least I can laugh about it now. Last night, was quite a different story.
Thank goodness Chase's fever broke this morning. By 2:30 am, it was down to 99 degrees and by 7 am, it was down to 97 degrees. His temperature was around 97 degrees all day long. He was in much better spirits, laughing and playing and talking like his normal self at Nana's and Popsicle's house. He was super excited when I came home from work and he laughed and laughed (which is always a wonderful thing to come home to).
After hanging out at their house until mid-afternoon, we headed home and walked down our new stairs that are now wider and sturdier and uniform in size and shape. Feels more stable when you're carrying lots of things down to the house, and now Auntie Stevi has more room to put her laundry baskets down because there are actually landings every now and then! Hard to believe that we lasted nearly 30 years, going up and down the same single cinderblock stairs my dad built.
I tried to work on report cards, but Chase wanted to play, play, play. And what would you rather do anyway?...Write 60 report cards or play with a baby?!
When Chris came home, Chase had a huge grin on his face. So, we started playing peek-a-boo and hide-and-go-seek behind the curtains. Chase thought it was the most hilarious thing when Daddy would come popping out from behind the curtain. He laughed and laughed. Yeah, he's definitely feeling much better. We videotaped Chase's giggles. Chris brought Chase upstairs to cool off in the breeze and hang out in the yard with Uncle Gary and the cousins. We almost got distracted feeding and bathing him because we had to start watching "Lost", and then theorize about it afterwards of course.
I was unsuccessful in working on my report cards tonight. I don't understand where the time goes...or perhaps I'm just procrastinating so that I can spend the next two weeks of spring break doing them. Hopefully I'll get them done this weekend. I have high hopes.
Chase was sort of in a daze, nursing for a few seconds, and then looking up at me, like "Who are you?....And where is my mommy? You smell like her, but you look different. I know I'm tired and sleepy, but I'm so confused..." Perhaps it was the towel bouffant hairdo I was sporting after I got out of the shower to a screaming baby; Chris had handed him to me in the rocking chair so I could nurse him right away. It was funny, and at least I can laugh about it now. Last night, was quite a different story.
Thank goodness Chase's fever broke this morning. By 2:30 am, it was down to 99 degrees and by 7 am, it was down to 97 degrees. His temperature was around 97 degrees all day long. He was in much better spirits, laughing and playing and talking like his normal self at Nana's and Popsicle's house. He was super excited when I came home from work and he laughed and laughed (which is always a wonderful thing to come home to).
After hanging out at their house until mid-afternoon, we headed home and walked down our new stairs that are now wider and sturdier and uniform in size and shape. Feels more stable when you're carrying lots of things down to the house, and now Auntie Stevi has more room to put her laundry baskets down because there are actually landings every now and then! Hard to believe that we lasted nearly 30 years, going up and down the same single cinderblock stairs my dad built.
I tried to work on report cards, but Chase wanted to play, play, play. And what would you rather do anyway?...Write 60 report cards or play with a baby?!
When Chris came home, Chase had a huge grin on his face. So, we started playing peek-a-boo and hide-and-go-seek behind the curtains. Chase thought it was the most hilarious thing when Daddy would come popping out from behind the curtain. He laughed and laughed. Yeah, he's definitely feeling much better. We videotaped Chase's giggles. Chris brought Chase upstairs to cool off in the breeze and hang out in the yard with Uncle Gary and the cousins. We almost got distracted feeding and bathing him because we had to start watching "Lost", and then theorize about it afterwards of course.
I was unsuccessful in working on my report cards tonight. I don't understand where the time goes...or perhaps I'm just procrastinating so that I can spend the next two weeks of spring break doing them. Hopefully I'll get them done this weekend. I have high hopes.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Fever
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Poor baby has his first fever. Well, I guess he's gotten a fever before, but that was from vaccinations. This one is out of the blue. It's a good thing Miya noticed it. She's so good. She always writes these detailed notes about his time with her, so that I won't feel like I missed out on anything while I was at work. But, unfortunately, the feverish part didn't come until the end of the day. Could be from teething perhaps? But, perhaps he's fighting something, as other people around have been sick. He took three naps at Miya's and all of a sudden, at 1 pm, he got super fussy and clingy, when he's normally happy-go-lucky. He had a low-grade fever by the time I picked him up at 1:30 pm. We sat in the air-conditioned room for awhile at home, and his head and neck were super hot, so I patted him with a wet cloth. He just wanted to be held all afternoon and took another snooze for an hour and a half. I put him down to play with his toys, but he was only interested in them briefly until the separation anxiety set in. He's drooling a lot too, so could it be his 4 teeth that have popped through on top? I tried to feed him some pears and mum mums, but he just wanted to be carried, and ended up spitting them up anyway within ten minutes. His temperature went from nearly 102 degrees at 5:30 pm to 100 degrees at 8 pm tonight. He took another nap before dinner, and Chris fed him some poi and pears. He was a bit verbal and not as cranky, and his head had cooled off a bit. But, he was not happy in the bath, and once we dried him, he threw up all over himself, and Chris caught a bunch of it in his hands. So, back in the bath he went...and it wasn't spit up...it was stinky vomit. So, in goes a second load of laundry of baby stuff for the evening.
It wasn't all bad today though, as Miya's note indicated:
- 1 shi shi/poop and 2 shi shi diapers
- Ate 3 oz milk and cereal at 8:30 am
1 poi and 3/4 fruit at 12:15 pm
mum mums and cheerios here and there for snack
-Slept 9:00 - 9:50 am (I think he could have slept more but because he shi shi'd a lot...wet his clothes and poop, he woke up)
-Slept again 11:00 - 12:15
-Went for a stroll to the flea market and went to see turtles and fish. Very alert and vocal. Taiga blew bubbles for him which, at first, he didn't like, but after awhile he had fun watching the bubbles. At first he made a real funny face, but after awhile, it turned to a smile. (=
- Played in front of the mirror for a good 15 minutes - uninterrupted! I didn't even need to be in the room cause he was so busy playing with the other Chase in the mirror. Too funny!
This morning, after I dropped Chase off at Miya's, I stopped by the Diamond Head Mortuary to drop off some wedding flowers and a lei. I arranged some roses and orchids in the pots near my grandparents' headstones and told them I'd come by later with Chase. We never made it back though this afternoon because of his fever. When he feels better, we'll stop by again so that we can say hi.
We'll have my mother-in-law watch Chase tomorrow instead of Miya just in case he's fighting some sort of infection as we don't want to get Taiga sick. We'll keep an eye on him tonight and watch to see if his temperature goes up. He's still nursing though, so that's good. He'll keep his fluids up that way. Could be an ear infection or a cold. Hope he's back to his happy self tomorrow. He just seems miserable. It's one thing if we get sick. It's another thing if baby gets sick. Poor baby.
Poor baby has his first fever. Well, I guess he's gotten a fever before, but that was from vaccinations. This one is out of the blue. It's a good thing Miya noticed it. She's so good. She always writes these detailed notes about his time with her, so that I won't feel like I missed out on anything while I was at work. But, unfortunately, the feverish part didn't come until the end of the day. Could be from teething perhaps? But, perhaps he's fighting something, as other people around have been sick. He took three naps at Miya's and all of a sudden, at 1 pm, he got super fussy and clingy, when he's normally happy-go-lucky. He had a low-grade fever by the time I picked him up at 1:30 pm. We sat in the air-conditioned room for awhile at home, and his head and neck were super hot, so I patted him with a wet cloth. He just wanted to be held all afternoon and took another snooze for an hour and a half. I put him down to play with his toys, but he was only interested in them briefly until the separation anxiety set in. He's drooling a lot too, so could it be his 4 teeth that have popped through on top? I tried to feed him some pears and mum mums, but he just wanted to be carried, and ended up spitting them up anyway within ten minutes. His temperature went from nearly 102 degrees at 5:30 pm to 100 degrees at 8 pm tonight. He took another nap before dinner, and Chris fed him some poi and pears. He was a bit verbal and not as cranky, and his head had cooled off a bit. But, he was not happy in the bath, and once we dried him, he threw up all over himself, and Chris caught a bunch of it in his hands. So, back in the bath he went...and it wasn't spit up...it was stinky vomit. So, in goes a second load of laundry of baby stuff for the evening.
It wasn't all bad today though, as Miya's note indicated:
- 1 shi shi/poop and 2 shi shi diapers
- Ate 3 oz milk and cereal at 8:30 am
1 poi and 3/4 fruit at 12:15 pm
mum mums and cheerios here and there for snack
-Slept 9:00 - 9:50 am (I think he could have slept more but because he shi shi'd a lot...wet his clothes and poop, he woke up)
-Slept again 11:00 - 12:15
-Went for a stroll to the flea market and went to see turtles and fish. Very alert and vocal. Taiga blew bubbles for him which, at first, he didn't like, but after awhile he had fun watching the bubbles. At first he made a real funny face, but after awhile, it turned to a smile. (=
- Played in front of the mirror for a good 15 minutes - uninterrupted! I didn't even need to be in the room cause he was so busy playing with the other Chase in the mirror. Too funny!
This morning, after I dropped Chase off at Miya's, I stopped by the Diamond Head Mortuary to drop off some wedding flowers and a lei. I arranged some roses and orchids in the pots near my grandparents' headstones and told them I'd come by later with Chase. We never made it back though this afternoon because of his fever. When he feels better, we'll stop by again so that we can say hi.
We'll have my mother-in-law watch Chase tomorrow instead of Miya just in case he's fighting some sort of infection as we don't want to get Taiga sick. We'll keep an eye on him tonight and watch to see if his temperature goes up. He's still nursing though, so that's good. He'll keep his fluids up that way. Could be an ear infection or a cold. Hope he's back to his happy self tomorrow. He just seems miserable. It's one thing if we get sick. It's another thing if baby gets sick. Poor baby.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
All Worn Out
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
Miya and Pua took all the boys (Mason, Max, Aiden, Taiga, and Chase - 3 toddlers and 2 infants) to the park and had fun today. I took Chase to the mall this afternoon to cool off. I put him in the stroller (which I rarely do), but he's so curious and wants to look at everything, that I thought he could occupy himself enough with people-watching and cheerios so that I could sit down at a table and work on report cards (since the quarter ends this week and we'll be on spring break the next 2 weeks). But, no, he wanted me to play with him of course. So, I just ended up strolling him around until we cooled off a bit then headed home.
Stewart, our handyman, has been back to work this week on the stairs (after he was getting over a bad infection for 2 weeks). They'll be finished soon, and we'll have 30 new stairs (real wood ones, not just the cinderblock ones we've had for 30 years!) all along Uncle Gary's house (which is only a third of the stairs down to our house actually!).
I grudgingly dragged myself to 6:30 pm yoga tonight (I'm slowly trying to build up my yoga practice back to my 4x/week routine.) It was so hot out, that I was so close to not going, but I knew I wouldn't regret it. It was a super challenging class, with an energetic teacher and good girls in front who helped motivate me to keep going. Even though he hardly opened any doors and it was a packed class, I didn't give up. I felt so good afterwards (and my towel was soaked of course!).
It's a good thing I made a crock pot pot roast tonight. It had been stewing all day long. Chris made a salad and rice, so dinner was ready when I got out of the shower. Plus, Chris said that Chase went down super easy after he was fed and bathed. Last night, he slept for a 7 hour stretch (which is a record thus far!), and tonight he slept for a 5 hour stretch before waking. I think the sleep training is working. Plus, Chase plays so much with the boys, that I bet he's all worn out from the day.
Miya and Pua took all the boys (Mason, Max, Aiden, Taiga, and Chase - 3 toddlers and 2 infants) to the park and had fun today. I took Chase to the mall this afternoon to cool off. I put him in the stroller (which I rarely do), but he's so curious and wants to look at everything, that I thought he could occupy himself enough with people-watching and cheerios so that I could sit down at a table and work on report cards (since the quarter ends this week and we'll be on spring break the next 2 weeks). But, no, he wanted me to play with him of course. So, I just ended up strolling him around until we cooled off a bit then headed home.
Stewart, our handyman, has been back to work this week on the stairs (after he was getting over a bad infection for 2 weeks). They'll be finished soon, and we'll have 30 new stairs (real wood ones, not just the cinderblock ones we've had for 30 years!) all along Uncle Gary's house (which is only a third of the stairs down to our house actually!).
I grudgingly dragged myself to 6:30 pm yoga tonight (I'm slowly trying to build up my yoga practice back to my 4x/week routine.) It was so hot out, that I was so close to not going, but I knew I wouldn't regret it. It was a super challenging class, with an energetic teacher and good girls in front who helped motivate me to keep going. Even though he hardly opened any doors and it was a packed class, I didn't give up. I felt so good afterwards (and my towel was soaked of course!).
It's a good thing I made a crock pot pot roast tonight. It had been stewing all day long. Chris made a salad and rice, so dinner was ready when I got out of the shower. Plus, Chris said that Chase went down super easy after he was fed and bathed. Last night, he slept for a 7 hour stretch (which is a record thus far!), and tonight he slept for a 5 hour stretch before waking. I think the sleep training is working. Plus, Chase plays so much with the boys, that I bet he's all worn out from the day.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Entertaining Chase
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Worked out the kinks in my neck and my spine at 7 am yoga this morning. It was tough, but I feel so much better. My shoulder is still a bit tight, but I cracked my neck and spine and felt it realign and loosen up a bit. It will take awhile for me to get back into tiptop shape. Chase has been super verbal and a bundle of energy this weekend. His favorite phrases are "Ma ma ma ma ma" and "Ne ne ne ne ne". He loves playing with his ball, eating cheerios and mum mums with his 2 teeth on the bottom and 4 teeth coming in on top (and he always gets perplexed when the crackers or cereal get stuck in the palm of his hand - then not knowing how to get them into his mouth). I had fun blowing bubbles and popping them for him. He laughed and laughed. Chase is such an active little guy that he doesn't even sit still when I nurse him. He prefers to straddle over my lap in the splits position, then bounce and jump up and down while eating. I often need to restrain him a bit so he doesn't fly off my lap with me! Chris slept in until after noon, fighting a cold after a long weekend. We'll try to see Jason and Avon today, as we forgot to give them a wedding card yesterday in all the frenzy! We'll see what time it is after we do laundry and make it out of the house!
Worked out the kinks in my neck and my spine at 7 am yoga this morning. It was tough, but I feel so much better. My shoulder is still a bit tight, but I cracked my neck and spine and felt it realign and loosen up a bit. It will take awhile for me to get back into tiptop shape. Chase has been super verbal and a bundle of energy this weekend. His favorite phrases are "Ma ma ma ma ma" and "Ne ne ne ne ne". He loves playing with his ball, eating cheerios and mum mums with his 2 teeth on the bottom and 4 teeth coming in on top (and he always gets perplexed when the crackers or cereal get stuck in the palm of his hand - then not knowing how to get them into his mouth). I had fun blowing bubbles and popping them for him. He laughed and laughed. Chase is such an active little guy that he doesn't even sit still when I nurse him. He prefers to straddle over my lap in the splits position, then bounce and jump up and down while eating. I often need to restrain him a bit so he doesn't fly off my lap with me! Chris slept in until after noon, fighting a cold after a long weekend. We'll try to see Jason and Avon today, as we forgot to give them a wedding card yesterday in all the frenzy! We'll see what time it is after we do laundry and make it out of the house!
Jason & Avon's Wedding
Friday, 7 March 2008
Last night was the bachelor party, so tonight was the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. I bathed, fed, and dropped of Chase at the Halsalls so that I could enjoy dinner and try to keep Chase on his bedtime schedule. There were lots of other out-town-guests with babies at Hanaki restaurant at Manoa Marketplace. I had fun talking to Corey and the UK couple about traveling the world, India, and other fun destinations.
Saturday, 8 March 2008
The wedding day. Chris left shortly after lunch to meet the guys and get ready for picture taking. I entertained Chase all afternoon (and the lion chair that Dave and Amy gave him for xmas made him really excited and hyper), managed to get some laundry done, and tried to put him to sleep so that I could get ready. He didn't go down until 2:45 pm, and the Halsalls were coming to get us at 3:30 pm, so it was close! I took a shower and got ready and then woke him up and got him ready just in time. We found parking at Punahou school, even though there was a track meet there too! My dad's friend Dave, who took the pictures at our wedding and took lots of photos of my dad, was there taking pictures. He took some of our little family before the ceremony started. That was really nice.
I had never been to Punahou Chapel before. It was really beautiful, with the stained glass insides and the lily pond on the outside. Chris was the best man, and his friend Vince was a groomsman, along with Corey. We had fun introducing Chase to everyone, and he enjoyed flirting with the little girls during the entire ceremony, talking and playing with them the whole time at the back of the chapel. The ceremony, which I videotaped, was nice, with Jason's homeroom teacher officiating the ceremony, reading letters that Avon and Jason had written to each other (as part of their "homework" upon getting married there). All 90 of us were armed and ready with bubbles by the time the couple and the rest of the wedding party came out. Chase wasn't too sure about the bubbles, but he's warmed up to them now that we have brought them home.
We hung around chatting with other couples while they took pictures. Then we headed over to the Ala Moana Hotel for the Chinese food reception at Royal Garden restaurant. It took a long time for the food to start coming, and I felt bad that Lauren (Vince's girlfriend) was vegetarian and couldn't eat most of the dishes, but Chase was fully entertained by the chandeliers and all the people who wanted to play with him and hold him (all ladies of course!). He didn't go to sleep until 9:30 pm! Of course, it's hard to in a loud Chinese restaurant. There was no formal program, and though we missed the cake, and there was no music or dancing, it was nice to meet new friends, talk to folks about Seattle, and introduce Chase to Jason's relatives who had sent gifts to him long ago when he was first born. We actually left with more stuff than we came with! I left with a lei, the flowers from the altar, leftover Chinese food (which included the chicken heads - yes, the chicken heads - and duck), an orchid plant, and the coaster favors that Chris' mom made. Chris and I laughed because there were many aspects of Jason and Avon's wedding that were like ours. They used our photographer, had the same favors, and the groomsmen wore similar shirts and had kukui nut leis. Jason's family pulled together to make everything happen, and they even passed out chocolate haupia jello shots at the end of the night!
It was a long day. Chase was a good baby and went to sleep when we got home. He was probably exhausted!
Last night was the bachelor party, so tonight was the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. I bathed, fed, and dropped of Chase at the Halsalls so that I could enjoy dinner and try to keep Chase on his bedtime schedule. There were lots of other out-town-guests with babies at Hanaki restaurant at Manoa Marketplace. I had fun talking to Corey and the UK couple about traveling the world, India, and other fun destinations.
Saturday, 8 March 2008
The wedding day. Chris left shortly after lunch to meet the guys and get ready for picture taking. I entertained Chase all afternoon (and the lion chair that Dave and Amy gave him for xmas made him really excited and hyper), managed to get some laundry done, and tried to put him to sleep so that I could get ready. He didn't go down until 2:45 pm, and the Halsalls were coming to get us at 3:30 pm, so it was close! I took a shower and got ready and then woke him up and got him ready just in time. We found parking at Punahou school, even though there was a track meet there too! My dad's friend Dave, who took the pictures at our wedding and took lots of photos of my dad, was there taking pictures. He took some of our little family before the ceremony started. That was really nice.
I had never been to Punahou Chapel before. It was really beautiful, with the stained glass insides and the lily pond on the outside. Chris was the best man, and his friend Vince was a groomsman, along with Corey. We had fun introducing Chase to everyone, and he enjoyed flirting with the little girls during the entire ceremony, talking and playing with them the whole time at the back of the chapel. The ceremony, which I videotaped, was nice, with Jason's homeroom teacher officiating the ceremony, reading letters that Avon and Jason had written to each other (as part of their "homework" upon getting married there). All 90 of us were armed and ready with bubbles by the time the couple and the rest of the wedding party came out. Chase wasn't too sure about the bubbles, but he's warmed up to them now that we have brought them home.
We hung around chatting with other couples while they took pictures. Then we headed over to the Ala Moana Hotel for the Chinese food reception at Royal Garden restaurant. It took a long time for the food to start coming, and I felt bad that Lauren (Vince's girlfriend) was vegetarian and couldn't eat most of the dishes, but Chase was fully entertained by the chandeliers and all the people who wanted to play with him and hold him (all ladies of course!). He didn't go to sleep until 9:30 pm! Of course, it's hard to in a loud Chinese restaurant. There was no formal program, and though we missed the cake, and there was no music or dancing, it was nice to meet new friends, talk to folks about Seattle, and introduce Chase to Jason's relatives who had sent gifts to him long ago when he was first born. We actually left with more stuff than we came with! I left with a lei, the flowers from the altar, leftover Chinese food (which included the chicken heads - yes, the chicken heads - and duck), an orchid plant, and the coaster favors that Chris' mom made. Chris and I laughed because there were many aspects of Jason and Avon's wedding that were like ours. They used our photographer, had the same favors, and the groomsmen wore similar shirts and had kukui nut leis. Jason's family pulled together to make everything happen, and they even passed out chocolate haupia jello shots at the end of the night!
It was a long day. Chase was a good baby and went to sleep when we got home. He was probably exhausted!
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Sleep Training
Thursday, 6 March 2008
This past week, we've been trying to keep a stricter feeding and sleeping routine with Chase so that he sleeps better at night. In an effort to sleep train him (which I swore I would do it on a weekend, but never works out the way you planned it), I've let him cry it out a few times (extending my 15 minute limit to 20 minutes at a time) and have tried not to nurse him when he wakes up in the middle of the night. We went to Sunday dinner at Big City Diner earlier than we usually do so that we could get home on time to bathe and put Chase to bed by 7:30 pm, and we skipped dinner at the Halsalls' house on Wednesday night just so that we could keep our routine. I've started keeping a feeding and sleeping log so that I can start to see his patterns. Chris will ask me each morning how the night was, and it's always such a blur....One sleepless night just meshes with the next, and I cannot remember if I was up 3 or 4 times or 2 or 3 times...I can always remember if I just got up once though! Those are those rare, wonderful occasions I like to celebrate!
But, I'm trying to change that from being a rare occurrence. After talking to moms and friends who are moms, I know that it's crazy that I'm still waking up in the middle of the night to nurse Chase to sleep (as he shouldn't need middle-of-the-night feedings anymore for nutrition). I need to stop the habit so that both he and I can start to get uninterrupted, continuous hours or sleep. Like I said, I'm trying...I've left my nursing bra in the crib, a burp cloth, a toy.....things to help him self-soothe....I've tried not to use the swing, but still sometimes I revert back to using the swing and nursing him if his crying gets louder and goes past 20 minutes. I just can't let him cry for hours on end.
Chris is at a bachelor party tonight for a good friend of his in from Seattle. Jason's getting married on Saturday. Chase played all afternoon (He loves his new $2 bouncy ball from Long's and scooted himself all over the place, while sitting up on his butt, playing with me and his toys) and didn't take a nap, so he was out by 7:20 pm...Of course he's stirred a couple of times, and I nursed him once, but he's asleep in his crib. I was able to eat dinner and watch the new episode of "Lost". It was nice. I put a few things away in our new 4 drawer file cabinet that I bought off of Craigslist. I love organization! And now I have to start inputting all my cell phone numbers into my new cell phone. Soon, I will no longer be a Sprint customer (since the reception sucks at my house) and I will be joining T-mobile on Chris' family plan.
Time to go to bed now. Wish me luck tonight. Hopefully I'll only have to get up once or twice tonight...once would be nice.
This past week, we've been trying to keep a stricter feeding and sleeping routine with Chase so that he sleeps better at night. In an effort to sleep train him (which I swore I would do it on a weekend, but never works out the way you planned it), I've let him cry it out a few times (extending my 15 minute limit to 20 minutes at a time) and have tried not to nurse him when he wakes up in the middle of the night. We went to Sunday dinner at Big City Diner earlier than we usually do so that we could get home on time to bathe and put Chase to bed by 7:30 pm, and we skipped dinner at the Halsalls' house on Wednesday night just so that we could keep our routine. I've started keeping a feeding and sleeping log so that I can start to see his patterns. Chris will ask me each morning how the night was, and it's always such a blur....One sleepless night just meshes with the next, and I cannot remember if I was up 3 or 4 times or 2 or 3 times...I can always remember if I just got up once though! Those are those rare, wonderful occasions I like to celebrate!
But, I'm trying to change that from being a rare occurrence. After talking to moms and friends who are moms, I know that it's crazy that I'm still waking up in the middle of the night to nurse Chase to sleep (as he shouldn't need middle-of-the-night feedings anymore for nutrition). I need to stop the habit so that both he and I can start to get uninterrupted, continuous hours or sleep. Like I said, I'm trying...I've left my nursing bra in the crib, a burp cloth, a toy.....things to help him self-soothe....I've tried not to use the swing, but still sometimes I revert back to using the swing and nursing him if his crying gets louder and goes past 20 minutes. I just can't let him cry for hours on end.
Chris is at a bachelor party tonight for a good friend of his in from Seattle. Jason's getting married on Saturday. Chase played all afternoon (He loves his new $2 bouncy ball from Long's and scooted himself all over the place, while sitting up on his butt, playing with me and his toys) and didn't take a nap, so he was out by 7:20 pm...Of course he's stirred a couple of times, and I nursed him once, but he's asleep in his crib. I was able to eat dinner and watch the new episode of "Lost". It was nice. I put a few things away in our new 4 drawer file cabinet that I bought off of Craigslist. I love organization! And now I have to start inputting all my cell phone numbers into my new cell phone. Soon, I will no longer be a Sprint customer (since the reception sucks at my house) and I will be joining T-mobile on Chris' family plan.
Time to go to bed now. Wish me luck tonight. Hopefully I'll only have to get up once or twice tonight...once would be nice.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
No One Sleeping Around Here
Saturday, 1 March 2008
It's 7 am, and I'm eating my two eggs (my usual morning breakfast of protein that I can't live without to start my days) because I got all dressed for yoga but didn't make it out the door in time to get to the 7 am class. So, I'm eating now just in case I decide to go to the 9 am class (I say "in case" because I usually don't like to go at 9 am when the sun is blazing out and the room is just too hot to do hot yoga.). I can last on no food at the 7 am class, but I can't get through the 9 am class on an empty stomach. It was a LONG night last night. After my high hopes of trying to make this a sleep training weekend for Chase, I gave up after his first 15 minute crying spell when I first tried to put him to bed at 8 pm last night. He ended up waking up every hour after that, all night long, probably giving me hell because he was mad at me for trying to let him self-soothe on his own. So, I ended up nursing him all night long, another thing I was trying to retrain him on (to eliminate those middle-of-the-night feedings), but with no sleep on my part, I just gave in. As a result, he slept in bed with us for most of the night, rolling over and flipping back and forth (which I also never let him sleep in bed with us, but, like I mentioned before, last night was a long night). Then, at 6 am, Chase wakes up and decides to be all bright and chipper, talking to me, pulling my hair, smiling at me in the dark, and bouncing up and down on my tummy. He only stopped to listen to the birds chirping outside and stare at Chris who was bundled under the covers and passed out besides us. Chris watched him while I "got ready for yoga"....And now we're all up because (after Chris tried to put Chase in his swing and realized he wasn't going to go back to sleep when he was trying to bounce and leap out of the swing to grab the fish mobile above him) Chase is now having a grand 'ole time playing with his toys on the floor.
I think we're going to try and look for a crib for Chase today (We've never had a real crib....He's been sleeping in a Graco Pack-n-Play this whole time), as he would have fun playing with all his toys in his crib, and it's time we invested in one. Perhaps we'll go hiking too...after we take a nap of course.
GOOD MORNING!
It's 7 am, and I'm eating my two eggs (my usual morning breakfast of protein that I can't live without to start my days) because I got all dressed for yoga but didn't make it out the door in time to get to the 7 am class. So, I'm eating now just in case I decide to go to the 9 am class (I say "in case" because I usually don't like to go at 9 am when the sun is blazing out and the room is just too hot to do hot yoga.). I can last on no food at the 7 am class, but I can't get through the 9 am class on an empty stomach. It was a LONG night last night. After my high hopes of trying to make this a sleep training weekend for Chase, I gave up after his first 15 minute crying spell when I first tried to put him to bed at 8 pm last night. He ended up waking up every hour after that, all night long, probably giving me hell because he was mad at me for trying to let him self-soothe on his own. So, I ended up nursing him all night long, another thing I was trying to retrain him on (to eliminate those middle-of-the-night feedings), but with no sleep on my part, I just gave in. As a result, he slept in bed with us for most of the night, rolling over and flipping back and forth (which I also never let him sleep in bed with us, but, like I mentioned before, last night was a long night). Then, at 6 am, Chase wakes up and decides to be all bright and chipper, talking to me, pulling my hair, smiling at me in the dark, and bouncing up and down on my tummy. He only stopped to listen to the birds chirping outside and stare at Chris who was bundled under the covers and passed out besides us. Chris watched him while I "got ready for yoga"....And now we're all up because (after Chris tried to put Chase in his swing and realized he wasn't going to go back to sleep when he was trying to bounce and leap out of the swing to grab the fish mobile above him) Chase is now having a grand 'ole time playing with his toys on the floor.
I think we're going to try and look for a crib for Chase today (We've never had a real crib....He's been sleeping in a Graco Pack-n-Play this whole time), as he would have fun playing with all his toys in his crib, and it's time we invested in one. Perhaps we'll go hiking too...after we take a nap of course.
GOOD MORNING!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
