Saturday, 31 May 2008
and The City....
That's the t-shirt I wore today when I went with Miya, Jenn, and Jenn's mom to see the movie of those four favorite gals. It was awesome...loved the fashion, shed a few tears during the movie, and like Jenn described it...It was absolutely "perfect". Bittersweet, a bit of drama, not just a happy ending. It was just like watching an episode, but on the big screen, and even better. They tied together the story really well. And, since I've already spoiled the "Lost" season finale for my friends Miya and Jason (I know now to ask first, "Have you watched IT yet??", I won't disclose any more than that about SATC. Don't you people watch the important shows when they're aired the first time? Just kidding...Sorry guys....
After being out to lunch with the gals and watching a movie, I got home at 4 pm super engorged and had to pump and nurse Chase simultaneously. We then went to go look at a Subaru Legacy wagon someone is selling. Test drove it and had a nice chat with the woman, who told us she'd give us a DVD of learning to swim since she teaches kids all over the world how to swim. It's always good to meet nice folks.
I absolutely loved watching "Sex and the City" today. I'd watch it again, just like I watch all my DVDs anyway. So, if anyone hasn't seen it yet...
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
11 Months - Update (& How Many Times Can I Get Sick?)
Friday, 30 May 2008
I've been off the blogosphere for a few weeks due to recurring illnesses, organizing my younger kids (about 40 K-2 kids) in a musical play, "The Three Billy Goats Gruff", editing a newspaper reporting video project for my older kids, report cards, a huge annual report for work, and wrapping up the end of the school year with lots of important assemblies and staff meetings and end-of-the-year classroom stuff we have to do (Today was the last day for my kids! THANK GOD! Next week I'll clean my room, organize things, xerox papers for the summer and next year, and work with the new German/Russian boy that just joined us this month. School officially ends next Thursday.) I've been so stressed out lately and sick that I haven't even gone to yoga, and I'm dreading the thought of teaching summer school (and hoping that not many students answer my interest survey so that I won't have to do summer school for my kids). My immune system is just shot, having had the stomach flu, and now our whole family is getting over colds.....and I've been up until 1 am each night this week trying to get work done. Plus, Chris' Miata had car problems last week, so he's been borrowing his mom's car, and we're searching for a new (but perhaps used) car to purchase since neither of our cars are that stellar or practical. It's been a bit crazy lately.
Here's a typical day at Nana's house as he plays outside on the deck and sits and watches the birds.
Chase's latest things at now 11 months old:
* He's still long and lean and can fit into some 0-3 months and 3-6 month onesies.
* He's cruising around furniture - holding onto tables and walking around/along them - and he'll walk and push toys (like the cars at Auntie Miya's house). He's still quite speedy with his crab crawl though. Soon enough, he'll be running I'm sure.
* Swimming in a pool....I bought an 8 foot one for the yard, the rigid wall kind. Yeah, it's a bit big, and it would probably take all day to fill it up all the way with water, but he loves crawling around in it and playing with his duckies. And, those Little Swimmers diapers are so cool. He plays in the water anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour about three times a week and just loves it. He always konks out for awhile before dinner. But, it doesn't seem to mess up his sleeping schedule.
* He's eating a lot of table food now...just about anything he can get his hands on. He gets angry if we don't offer him what we're eating. Forget that baby food stuff. He eats shredded chicken like it's going out of style (from Costco rottisserie chicken to Gina's Korean barbecue chicken). He loves rice (but that's just messy and it gets in his diaper) and any kind of noodle that he can slurp up (chow mein, spaghetti) and bread and crackers and cheese. We're trying to get him to eat more vegetables, but he's not so crazy about the peas and carrots. He still loves his oatmeal with breastmilk and poi! Most of all he likes smushing food in his hand, and recently, he's started throwing food around....uh oh. But, that usually ends dinner real fast (because then we know he's no longer hungry and is just playing) and then he goes straight into the tub.
* He still loves bathtime too, but enjoys a lot of standing in the tub, rather than sitting in the warm water, and throwing his duckies outside the tub onto the bathroom floor...uh, yeah, do you see a pattern here? He'll do it once, then we'll pick it up, he'll do it again, then we'll pick it up...a third time...AND then we're done.
* When Chase focuses on something, he is determined to get it or figure it out. He was standing up near the clothes drying rack and picked up a washcloth on the floor. He tried about ten times to put the washcloth back on the rack, but it kept dropping. He'd pick it up, put it on the rack, and then it would fall off. He'd bend over again, pick it up, put it on the rack, then it would fall off again. He was so focused and determined to make that darn washcloth stay on the rack that it was funny!
* He loves hearing his voice echo. Now, we keep empty bottles and cups around the house and the car because he just thinks it's the funniest thing when he goes "Ahhhhh" into a bottle or cup and he hears his voice. I'll catch him doing it and smile. He'll laugh and talk in it even louder.
* His newest sound/gurgle/babbles is: "Duggah, duggah, duggah". His first word he always uses? "Mama"
* He's always loved drinking water out of a glass/cup (since the bugger refused to take a bottle after 1-2 months). But now, he's discovered that it's also fun to blow bubbles in the water while drinking OR, even better, to put your hand straight in the cup and splash water around....AND then we're done with the water.
* He loves to run his finger over his lips and make sounds.
* Chase still loves to nurse - he pulls my shirt or tank straps down or peels off my Lilypads when he wants it - and he's quite adept at acrobats while feeding too, as he enjoys standing and balancing on one leg while the other leg goes out and nearly above his head, while he turns his body and wiggles his leg back and forth...yeah, all while eating!
* He still loves kids and the ladies. Today, as I spent the afternoon unsuccessfully trying to get my reports done in my classroom while Chase sat in his stroller (and later figured out how to stand in the stroller and start pulling things off my desk), I finally just put him in the doorway facing the kids who were playing outside in the afterschool programs. He started yelling and screaming at them. Some came around to say hi. Adults probably wondered why there was a baby sitting by himself in the doorway. It entertained him for about half an hour (until finally, after hours of trying to juggle him and get my work done without him destroying it - next time, I'll have to bring the Pack-N-Play and try him in that) until I finally called Chris to leave work, cancel his haircut, and come rescue me so that I could get my work done.
* He's putting less things in his mouth these days (He doesn't seem to have any new teeth, so he still has 6), but so far we've dug out the following things from his mouth: millipede, hard, crusty bird poop, a cigarette butt from the beach, kleenex, newspaper, cardboard, etc. And with the crazy, exhausting month I've had, I have to admit that I haven't been as diligent about cleaning the floors around the house. So who knows what else has gone into that mouth of his!
Time for bed. Now that I'm on the road to recovery (again) and the bulk of my school projects are done, I'm actually going to try and wake up early tomorrow and go to Bikram yoga for the first time in weeks. And suffer for sure. Crazy I tell you.
I've been off the blogosphere for a few weeks due to recurring illnesses, organizing my younger kids (about 40 K-2 kids) in a musical play, "The Three Billy Goats Gruff", editing a newspaper reporting video project for my older kids, report cards, a huge annual report for work, and wrapping up the end of the school year with lots of important assemblies and staff meetings and end-of-the-year classroom stuff we have to do (Today was the last day for my kids! THANK GOD! Next week I'll clean my room, organize things, xerox papers for the summer and next year, and work with the new German/Russian boy that just joined us this month. School officially ends next Thursday.) I've been so stressed out lately and sick that I haven't even gone to yoga, and I'm dreading the thought of teaching summer school (and hoping that not many students answer my interest survey so that I won't have to do summer school for my kids). My immune system is just shot, having had the stomach flu, and now our whole family is getting over colds.....and I've been up until 1 am each night this week trying to get work done. Plus, Chris' Miata had car problems last week, so he's been borrowing his mom's car, and we're searching for a new (but perhaps used) car to purchase since neither of our cars are that stellar or practical. It's been a bit crazy lately.
Here's a typical day at Nana's house as he plays outside on the deck and sits and watches the birds.
Chase's latest things at now 11 months old:
* He's still long and lean and can fit into some 0-3 months and 3-6 month onesies.
* He's cruising around furniture - holding onto tables and walking around/along them - and he'll walk and push toys (like the cars at Auntie Miya's house). He's still quite speedy with his crab crawl though. Soon enough, he'll be running I'm sure.
* Swimming in a pool....I bought an 8 foot one for the yard, the rigid wall kind. Yeah, it's a bit big, and it would probably take all day to fill it up all the way with water, but he loves crawling around in it and playing with his duckies. And, those Little Swimmers diapers are so cool. He plays in the water anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour about three times a week and just loves it. He always konks out for awhile before dinner. But, it doesn't seem to mess up his sleeping schedule.
* He's eating a lot of table food now...just about anything he can get his hands on. He gets angry if we don't offer him what we're eating. Forget that baby food stuff. He eats shredded chicken like it's going out of style (from Costco rottisserie chicken to Gina's Korean barbecue chicken). He loves rice (but that's just messy and it gets in his diaper) and any kind of noodle that he can slurp up (chow mein, spaghetti) and bread and crackers and cheese. We're trying to get him to eat more vegetables, but he's not so crazy about the peas and carrots. He still loves his oatmeal with breastmilk and poi! Most of all he likes smushing food in his hand, and recently, he's started throwing food around....uh oh. But, that usually ends dinner real fast (because then we know he's no longer hungry and is just playing) and then he goes straight into the tub.
* He still loves bathtime too, but enjoys a lot of standing in the tub, rather than sitting in the warm water, and throwing his duckies outside the tub onto the bathroom floor...uh, yeah, do you see a pattern here? He'll do it once, then we'll pick it up, he'll do it again, then we'll pick it up...a third time...AND then we're done.
* When Chase focuses on something, he is determined to get it or figure it out. He was standing up near the clothes drying rack and picked up a washcloth on the floor. He tried about ten times to put the washcloth back on the rack, but it kept dropping. He'd pick it up, put it on the rack, and then it would fall off. He'd bend over again, pick it up, put it on the rack, then it would fall off again. He was so focused and determined to make that darn washcloth stay on the rack that it was funny!
* He loves hearing his voice echo. Now, we keep empty bottles and cups around the house and the car because he just thinks it's the funniest thing when he goes "Ahhhhh" into a bottle or cup and he hears his voice. I'll catch him doing it and smile. He'll laugh and talk in it even louder.
* His newest sound/gurgle/babbles is: "Duggah, duggah, duggah". His first word he always uses? "Mama"
* He's always loved drinking water out of a glass/cup (since the bugger refused to take a bottle after 1-2 months). But now, he's discovered that it's also fun to blow bubbles in the water while drinking OR, even better, to put your hand straight in the cup and splash water around....AND then we're done with the water.
* He loves to run his finger over his lips and make sounds.
* Chase still loves to nurse - he pulls my shirt or tank straps down or peels off my Lilypads when he wants it - and he's quite adept at acrobats while feeding too, as he enjoys standing and balancing on one leg while the other leg goes out and nearly above his head, while he turns his body and wiggles his leg back and forth...yeah, all while eating!
* He still loves kids and the ladies. Today, as I spent the afternoon unsuccessfully trying to get my reports done in my classroom while Chase sat in his stroller (and later figured out how to stand in the stroller and start pulling things off my desk), I finally just put him in the doorway facing the kids who were playing outside in the afterschool programs. He started yelling and screaming at them. Some came around to say hi. Adults probably wondered why there was a baby sitting by himself in the doorway. It entertained him for about half an hour (until finally, after hours of trying to juggle him and get my work done without him destroying it - next time, I'll have to bring the Pack-N-Play and try him in that) until I finally called Chris to leave work, cancel his haircut, and come rescue me so that I could get my work done.
* He's putting less things in his mouth these days (He doesn't seem to have any new teeth, so he still has 6), but so far we've dug out the following things from his mouth: millipede, hard, crusty bird poop, a cigarette butt from the beach, kleenex, newspaper, cardboard, etc. And with the crazy, exhausting month I've had, I have to admit that I haven't been as diligent about cleaning the floors around the house. So who knows what else has gone into that mouth of his!
Time for bed. Now that I'm on the road to recovery (again) and the bulk of my school projects are done, I'm actually going to try and wake up early tomorrow and go to Bikram yoga for the first time in weeks. And suffer for sure. Crazy I tell you.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Lost and Sex
Thursday, 29 May 2008
After school, I met my teacher friend Lori at Kahala Mall to exchange gifts. She gave me a gift for Chase's birthday, and I gave her a gift for her new boy to arrive next week via c-section. I shopped at Gymboree and bought Chase some much needed new shorts and a couple of cute boy truck t-shirts. All on sale of course.
I ran into my brother's ex Toni with her son Max. She was surprised to hear that Chase was around the same age. We talked about breastfeeding and work, and I saw how cute her guy is when he walks around.
Amidst my pile of work, I HAD to watch the season finale of "Lost". I SO predicted that it was going to be Locke in that coffin. Very exciting episode.
And now I have to wait until tomorrow to go with Miya and friends to see "Sex and the City"..I'm so excited because not only am I a huge Sex and the City fan, but this will be my second movie in a theater since having a baby! Woo hoo! It's like a date for me! My SATC t-shirt from Steve & Barry's is ready to go...I CANNOT WAIT! What a nice way to reward a long, exhausting month!
After school, I met my teacher friend Lori at Kahala Mall to exchange gifts. She gave me a gift for Chase's birthday, and I gave her a gift for her new boy to arrive next week via c-section. I shopped at Gymboree and bought Chase some much needed new shorts and a couple of cute boy truck t-shirts. All on sale of course.
I ran into my brother's ex Toni with her son Max. She was surprised to hear that Chase was around the same age. We talked about breastfeeding and work, and I saw how cute her guy is when he walks around.
Amidst my pile of work, I HAD to watch the season finale of "Lost". I SO predicted that it was going to be Locke in that coffin. Very exciting episode.
And now I have to wait until tomorrow to go with Miya and friends to see "Sex and the City"..I'm so excited because not only am I a huge Sex and the City fan, but this will be my second movie in a theater since having a baby! Woo hoo! It's like a date for me! My SATC t-shirt from Steve & Barry's is ready to go...I CANNOT WAIT! What a nice way to reward a long, exhausting month!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Loud Baby
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Brought Chase to our last staff meeting. He was super loud and trying to talk to all the librarian's stuffed animals. I had to take him outside the library (where looking at the birds calmed him down) eventually because he was being so loud! Everyone said he's looking like such a little boy these days (He's definitely not a little baby anymore..he's more like a little toddler... he's so active!)
Above are some pictures of Chase playing with Daddy at Maunalani Heights park up the hill from our house.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sick, Once Again
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Chase was sick over the weekend. Now I'm sick, and Chris is sneezing and getting sick too. And, the Vog is all gone, so we can't blame it on that! Can't believe I'm sick AGAIN!
Chase was sick over the weekend. Now I'm sick, and Chris is sneezing and getting sick too. And, the Vog is all gone, so we can't blame it on that! Can't believe I'm sick AGAIN!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Teaching From Home
Monday, 26 May 2008
We spent our Memorial Day being sick. How fun!
While searching Craigslist, I noticed a job ad for elementary school teachers for the Hawai'i Technology Academy. Immediately, I contacted my friend Leinora because I know she loves teaching at the Washington Virtual Academy. You can basically teach from home and still get state wages and benefits. It would be nice to find a job that I can still be passionate about but not be so damn tired that I'm yawning through the day with all the germy kiddies sneezing in my face (a couple of days ago, one of my kindergartners blew out a blood clot, and the clot was hanging all over his newly written animal book, then dropped onto the desk, and then proceeded to the chair), and still be able to spend time with Chase during the day. With my half year of sicknesses and stress, that just might be the job for me!
We spent our Memorial Day being sick. How fun!
While searching Craigslist, I noticed a job ad for elementary school teachers for the Hawai'i Technology Academy. Immediately, I contacted my friend Leinora because I know she loves teaching at the Washington Virtual Academy. You can basically teach from home and still get state wages and benefits. It would be nice to find a job that I can still be passionate about but not be so damn tired that I'm yawning through the day with all the germy kiddies sneezing in my face (a couple of days ago, one of my kindergartners blew out a blood clot, and the clot was hanging all over his newly written animal book, then dropped onto the desk, and then proceeded to the chair), and still be able to spend time with Chase during the day. With my half year of sicknesses and stress, that just might be the job for me!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Congratulations, Lauren!
Sunday, 25 May 2008
Went car shopping at Servco Toyota and Subaru in Mapunapuna, just to look and browse. I test drove a Highlander. It was nice, but kind of out of our budget.
We joined the Halsalls for Greek food at the Olive Tree, then left Chase with them for the night. Chris and I went to my cousin Lauren's high school graduation from Kamehameha. It was so crazy. So many people and huge signs, and of course, lots of lei. Auntie Stevi had worked hard over the past month or so making fancy lei, yarn lei, money lei, and money rose bouquets, etc. It was all worth it!
Went car shopping at Servco Toyota and Subaru in Mapunapuna, just to look and browse. I test drove a Highlander. It was nice, but kind of out of our budget.
We joined the Halsalls for Greek food at the Olive Tree, then left Chase with them for the night. Chris and I went to my cousin Lauren's high school graduation from Kamehameha. It was so crazy. So many people and huge signs, and of course, lots of lei. Auntie Stevi had worked hard over the past month or so making fancy lei, yarn lei, money lei, and money rose bouquets, etc. It was all worth it!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Swimming
Saturday, 24 May 2008
Had breakfast buffet at The Kahala Hotel with the gals. I didn't join in their clubhopping after the party last night. Surprised some of them made it to breakfast! We enjoyed the buffet (and yummy tropical water!) and watched the dolphins after Emily opened her lingerie gifts. The funniest thing was when this precocious little 8 year old came up to us and started asking what all the gifts (fancy, lacy underwear) were for. In the end, she wished Emily "best wishes for the bride and the groom!".
Meanwhile, Chris and Chase were hanging out at the Halsalls. Chase went swimming in their new little inflatable pool they bought him. Afterwards, we went to Split Obsession and chatted with Bruce, got ice cream at Bubbies (poor Chase...it's the one table food we still haven't given him, even though he wanted some!), and then finished our afternoon off with grocery shopping at Costco and dinner at Panda Express.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Happy Birthday, Dad!
Friday, 23 May 2008
Today would have been Dad's 61st birthday. It wasn't too eventful today, besides the fact that I celebrated the evening with a girls' night out at a bachelorete party.
Paid my homeowner's insurance bill (yikes!) and we finally bought a new carseat for Chase. We got the Britax Roundabout (after much researching, we decided, even though it's pricey that it will last awhile and it's #1 for safety.) We should have gotten it sooner. Chase is so much happier in it. The denim cover is more breathable, and he's not as constricted as he was in his infant carseat.
Went to Emily's bachelorette party tonight, which was celebrated with a Passion Party at Sarah and Kelly's Waikiki apartment. I got home at midnight to a sleeping baby, who had cried himself to sleep and was happy that Mommy was home (I think Daddy was too because Chase was fussy from about 10:30 pm on he said).
Today would have been Dad's 61st birthday. It wasn't too eventful today, besides the fact that I celebrated the evening with a girls' night out at a bachelorete party.
Paid my homeowner's insurance bill (yikes!) and we finally bought a new carseat for Chase. We got the Britax Roundabout (after much researching, we decided, even though it's pricey that it will last awhile and it's #1 for safety.) We should have gotten it sooner. Chase is so much happier in it. The denim cover is more breathable, and he's not as constricted as he was in his infant carseat.
Went to Emily's bachelorette party tonight, which was celebrated with a Passion Party at Sarah and Kelly's Waikiki apartment. I got home at midnight to a sleeping baby, who had cried himself to sleep and was happy that Mommy was home (I think Daddy was too because Chase was fussy from about 10:30 pm on he said).
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
As Long As I'm Eating...
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
I'm fine, because I went to a terrible staff meeting at school today. Our staff morale is pretty low this year. Worked in my classroom until nearly 5 pm (basically until Chase got so antsy that we had to go). Everyone played with Chase today at the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. The most interesting part of the day was playing the "Guess Who" contest, where we found out who skipped a day of work to be an extra on "Lost" and who was a former Miss Hawaii Teen USA. Went to meet Chris and his friend Carmel at the Nordstrom Cafe for dinner. We enjoyed yummy gelato for dessert, and this old lady sang a lullaby for Chase! It was so sweet!
I'm fine, because I went to a terrible staff meeting at school today. Our staff morale is pretty low this year. Worked in my classroom until nearly 5 pm (basically until Chase got so antsy that we had to go). Everyone played with Chase today at the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. The most interesting part of the day was playing the "Guess Who" contest, where we found out who skipped a day of work to be an extra on "Lost" and who was a former Miss Hawaii Teen USA. Went to meet Chris and his friend Carmel at the Nordstrom Cafe for dinner. We enjoyed yummy gelato for dessert, and this old lady sang a lullaby for Chase! It was so sweet!
Monday, May 19, 2008
There Were Three Billy Goats Gruff...
Tuesday, 19 May 2008
After months of having the same tunes in my head (and it was the same thing years ago when we did this play with my 2nd graders in Seattle), the 40+ students finally put on their performance of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" for a cafeteria full of parents and students. Yesterday's dress rehearsal (only the second one with ALL K-2 students) was horrible, as I spent the morning yelling at all of them. Today, I figured, well, it'll at least be cute. Hope we can get sympathy applause. But, it was fine. The kids were cute, even if some of them forgot their lines and the great big billy goat was stage fright and just stood there on stage with a nervous smile. People enjoyed it. Last week, I ran all over the creation (Let me tell you, there are strange people that own year-round costume stores) looking for wigs for the troll, making props, going to Home Depot to buy fencing for the stage, cutting and painting cardboard, going to the craft store to buy fake fur for the billy goats chin hair, etc. The hard work paid off. The video our older kids did for the newspaper reporting project didn't turn out, and some classes still wanted us to do a second performance for the rest of the school. But, it was too exhausting. The kids are checking out, and so am I. Hopefully we can borrow a video from one of the parents.
After months of having the same tunes in my head (and it was the same thing years ago when we did this play with my 2nd graders in Seattle), the 40+ students finally put on their performance of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" for a cafeteria full of parents and students. Yesterday's dress rehearsal (only the second one with ALL K-2 students) was horrible, as I spent the morning yelling at all of them. Today, I figured, well, it'll at least be cute. Hope we can get sympathy applause. But, it was fine. The kids were cute, even if some of them forgot their lines and the great big billy goat was stage fright and just stood there on stage with a nervous smile. People enjoyed it. Last week, I ran all over the creation (Let me tell you, there are strange people that own year-round costume stores) looking for wigs for the troll, making props, going to Home Depot to buy fencing for the stage, cutting and painting cardboard, going to the craft store to buy fake fur for the billy goats chin hair, etc. The hard work paid off. The video our older kids did for the newspaper reporting project didn't turn out, and some classes still wanted us to do a second performance for the rest of the school. But, it was too exhausting. The kids are checking out, and so am I. Hopefully we can borrow a video from one of the parents.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Our North Shore Tour With Dan
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Picked up Dan Franke (Oban), an old friend from Jillian's who is now pursuing acting in Hollywood, from the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. He was in town for the weekend for his nephew's graduation from UH. We took him for a drive to North Shore, stopped at Ka'ena Point, got Kua'aina Burgers, went to the heiau overlooking Waimea Bay, and after riding with a screaming baby all the way from Haleiwa back into town (I think Chase gets thirsty when riding in a hot car), we got shaved ice at Waiola's. We taught him the tradition of buying a lei for someone who graduates and how you don't have to wear a suit and tie here in Hawai'i. It was nice catching up with Dan. He looks really good (though I have to admit, it's weird not seeing him with that crazy red curly hair). And, it looks like this acting thing suits him, even if he is still working at a pool hall!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Division of Labor
Thursday, 15 May 2008
My friend Robin commented on how we seem to have the division of labor thing figured out well in our household. First, let me tell you that it wasn't easy. Having not lived together before, we were quite inexperienced in cohabitation, doling out the chores and tasks, or even merely communicating with each other, to begin with. Add the fact that we had just finished planning my father's funeral, and then I was put on bedrest for the last 7 weeks of my pregnancy, and I couldn't do any household chores. And then, there was a husband who was happy that I gave birth because I could "finally do more stuff around the house" (Or so he thought). Add round-the-clock exclusive breastfeeding, no sleep, hence no energy to cook, clean, or change clothes. I figured out how to do laundry when I could, go grocery shopping when I could, cook dinner, and clean and organize the house when I could and felt like it. But, these things were definitely not the priority. Not much is when you're sleep deprived, except for sleep itself. When I finally went back to work, when Chase was nearly 7 months, I knew that we had to define our roles, as far as the division of labor goes that is. After all, there was absolutely no way I was going to wake up earlier than my husband, get the baby ready, eat breakfast, pack both of our lunches and our things, AND leave the house before my husband even wakes up, drop baby off at the sitters' for the day, get to work after my "contracted time" as is, work half the day (which is really 3/4 of the school day anyway), pick the baby up from the sitters', then take care of the baby, while simultaneously trying to do the "laundry when I could, go(ing) grocery shopping when I could, cook(ing) dinner, and clean(ing) and organize(ing) the house when I could" (and felt like it), on top of being the most sleep deprived in the household.
Now that Chase is older and we have settled into more of a routine, Chris is a lot more helpful around the house. He always does the laundry, makes me a lunch when he remembers, gets bulk groceries from Sam's or Costco, and instead of taking a nap when he comes home from work, he takes Chase so that I can get a break.
Our daily routine is something like this:
3:00 am Chase usually wakes up around this time and I go in his room to nurse him or put him back down to sleep. If he wakes up after this hour, I have Chris tend to him if it bothers him.
6:00 am Chase wakes up and plays in his crib.
6:30 am I wake up, change and nurse Chase and then get ready for work, make breakfast (and if I have time, eat it), while Chase is playing on the floor or in the bathroom with me. If it really gets unmanageable to watch Chase, like preventing him from playing with the water in the toilet, then I wake Chris up to tend to the baby so that I can finish getting Chase's lunch packed, my lunch packed, my breakfast made, and all my stuff together. (On Saturdays and Sundays, after I nurse Chase, I leave to go to 7 am yoga and wake up Chris to leave baby with him. Chris plays with him, changes his diaper, and feeds him breakfast or sometimes takes him to the Farmers' Market. I get home from yoga by 9 am.)
7:15 - 7:30 am I drop Chase off at the Halsalls (M/F) or Miya's (TWTh)
7:45 - 8 am Get to school. Finish eating my breakfast and get ready for the day.
Chris wakes up and gets ready for work and heads to work by 8:30 am.
8:15 - 12:35 Teaching kindergartners through 6th graders, with no prep time and one morning recess (where I sit at my desk and pump the entire time). I try to eat my lunch throughout the morning if I can, or in the car on my way to pick up Chase.
12:35 - 1 pm Use the bathroom. Paperwork and prep and talk to teacher.
1:00 - 2:00 pm Pick up Chase
3:00 pm I eat lunch once we get home
2:00 - 6:00 pm Run errands, entertain Chase (who doesn't really nap except for in the car), grocery shop, prep and cook dinner, try to take a nap.
6:00 pm Chris gets home from work and takes Chase up to the park to play. On Tuesdays, I go to 6:30 pm yoga. Otherwise, I clean up the house or the floors, finish cooking dinner, prepare Chase's food, take a shower, check email, do schoolwork, etc.
6:45-7:30 pm Chris feeds Chase dinner and bathes him
7:30 pm I nurse Chase and put him to bed in his crib
8:00 pm Chris and I eat dinner. On days that I haven't had time to cook anything, or on Tuesdays when I go to yoga, Chris cooks something while I'm nursing Chase and putting him to bed.
8:00 - 10:30 pm We watch TV and relax,shower and do school work. Chris washes my pump stuff, collects the garbage, prepares my lunch, and walks everything upstairs to lessen my load for the next morning.
10:30 pm Chris goes to bed.
10:30 - 11:30 pm I clean the kitchen and the living room, check email, do school work on the computer, pay bills/balance checkbook, and have quiet time for myself
11:30 pm I dream nurse Chase (nurse him while he's in a slumber). Then, I go to bed.
Although there are still moments when we have the argument that always ends with, "You'll just never truly know what it's like to be a mom", Chris is definitely a hands-on Daddy and definitely doing more to help me stay sane and get more sleep. We've defined our roles more when it comes to chores around the house. And, I've learned to say "Please" and "Thank You" more often, rather than "Why did you do it like THAT?" or "Are you going to leave it like THAT?" or "Are you going to put THAT THERE?". I've become more accustomed to piles of clothes (both dirty and clean) lying all over the house and chasing and killing the cockroaches in the kitchen and bathroom in the middle of the night. He appreciates when I do have dinner ready or if I do a load of laundry by the time he comes home from work, but I don't stress out about it. After all, if it's not done....it's just not...because I definitely do my share around the household.
I read an outrageous letter to Carolyn Hax in the newspaper recently. It caught my eye because it was exactly what mothers/wives rant about when it comes to their husbands not understanding how much time and energy it takes to take care of a baby: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051601087.html
I like when she said this in response to the husband,
My friend Robin commented on how we seem to have the division of labor thing figured out well in our household. First, let me tell you that it wasn't easy. Having not lived together before, we were quite inexperienced in cohabitation, doling out the chores and tasks, or even merely communicating with each other, to begin with. Add the fact that we had just finished planning my father's funeral, and then I was put on bedrest for the last 7 weeks of my pregnancy, and I couldn't do any household chores. And then, there was a husband who was happy that I gave birth because I could "finally do more stuff around the house" (Or so he thought). Add round-the-clock exclusive breastfeeding, no sleep, hence no energy to cook, clean, or change clothes. I figured out how to do laundry when I could, go grocery shopping when I could, cook dinner, and clean and organize the house when I could and felt like it. But, these things were definitely not the priority. Not much is when you're sleep deprived, except for sleep itself. When I finally went back to work, when Chase was nearly 7 months, I knew that we had to define our roles, as far as the division of labor goes that is. After all, there was absolutely no way I was going to wake up earlier than my husband, get the baby ready, eat breakfast, pack both of our lunches and our things, AND leave the house before my husband even wakes up, drop baby off at the sitters' for the day, get to work after my "contracted time" as is, work half the day (which is really 3/4 of the school day anyway), pick the baby up from the sitters', then take care of the baby, while simultaneously trying to do the "laundry when I could, go(ing) grocery shopping when I could, cook(ing) dinner, and clean(ing) and organize(ing) the house when I could" (and felt like it), on top of being the most sleep deprived in the household.
Now that Chase is older and we have settled into more of a routine, Chris is a lot more helpful around the house. He always does the laundry, makes me a lunch when he remembers, gets bulk groceries from Sam's or Costco, and instead of taking a nap when he comes home from work, he takes Chase so that I can get a break.
Our daily routine is something like this:
3:00 am Chase usually wakes up around this time and I go in his room to nurse him or put him back down to sleep. If he wakes up after this hour, I have Chris tend to him if it bothers him.
6:00 am Chase wakes up and plays in his crib.
6:30 am I wake up, change and nurse Chase and then get ready for work, make breakfast (and if I have time, eat it), while Chase is playing on the floor or in the bathroom with me. If it really gets unmanageable to watch Chase, like preventing him from playing with the water in the toilet, then I wake Chris up to tend to the baby so that I can finish getting Chase's lunch packed, my lunch packed, my breakfast made, and all my stuff together. (On Saturdays and Sundays, after I nurse Chase, I leave to go to 7 am yoga and wake up Chris to leave baby with him. Chris plays with him, changes his diaper, and feeds him breakfast or sometimes takes him to the Farmers' Market. I get home from yoga by 9 am.)
7:15 - 7:30 am I drop Chase off at the Halsalls (M/F) or Miya's (TWTh)
7:45 - 8 am Get to school. Finish eating my breakfast and get ready for the day.
Chris wakes up and gets ready for work and heads to work by 8:30 am.
8:15 - 12:35 Teaching kindergartners through 6th graders, with no prep time and one morning recess (where I sit at my desk and pump the entire time). I try to eat my lunch throughout the morning if I can, or in the car on my way to pick up Chase.
12:35 - 1 pm Use the bathroom. Paperwork and prep and talk to teacher.
1:00 - 2:00 pm Pick up Chase
3:00 pm I eat lunch once we get home
2:00 - 6:00 pm Run errands, entertain Chase (who doesn't really nap except for in the car), grocery shop, prep and cook dinner, try to take a nap.
6:00 pm Chris gets home from work and takes Chase up to the park to play. On Tuesdays, I go to 6:30 pm yoga. Otherwise, I clean up the house or the floors, finish cooking dinner, prepare Chase's food, take a shower, check email, do schoolwork, etc.
6:45-7:30 pm Chris feeds Chase dinner and bathes him
7:30 pm I nurse Chase and put him to bed in his crib
8:00 pm Chris and I eat dinner. On days that I haven't had time to cook anything, or on Tuesdays when I go to yoga, Chris cooks something while I'm nursing Chase and putting him to bed.
8:00 - 10:30 pm We watch TV and relax,shower and do school work. Chris washes my pump stuff, collects the garbage, prepares my lunch, and walks everything upstairs to lessen my load for the next morning.
10:30 pm Chris goes to bed.
10:30 - 11:30 pm I clean the kitchen and the living room, check email, do school work on the computer, pay bills/balance checkbook, and have quiet time for myself
11:30 pm I dream nurse Chase (nurse him while he's in a slumber). Then, I go to bed.
Although there are still moments when we have the argument that always ends with, "You'll just never truly know what it's like to be a mom", Chris is definitely a hands-on Daddy and definitely doing more to help me stay sane and get more sleep. We've defined our roles more when it comes to chores around the house. And, I've learned to say "Please" and "Thank You" more often, rather than "Why did you do it like THAT?" or "Are you going to leave it like THAT?" or "Are you going to put THAT THERE?". I've become more accustomed to piles of clothes (both dirty and clean) lying all over the house and chasing and killing the cockroaches in the kitchen and bathroom in the middle of the night. He appreciates when I do have dinner ready or if I do a load of laundry by the time he comes home from work, but I don't stress out about it. After all, if it's not done....it's just not...because I definitely do my share around the household.
I read an outrageous letter to Carolyn Hax in the newspaper recently. It caught my eye because it was exactly what mothers/wives rant about when it comes to their husbands not understanding how much time and energy it takes to take care of a baby: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051601087.html
I like when she said this in response to the husband,
If it's the former and she's raising your son well, that demands a serious examination of your priorities. Someone not known for pulling her weight is doing right by your child, the most demanding and, arguably, consequential job in your household. Isn't that a cue to enumerate one's blessings and accept the mess, at least till your son is in school?
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Vote For Leilani
Sunday, May 11, 2008
My First Mother's Day
Sunday, 11 May 2008
So, of course on my first Mother's Day, I'm sick....No, I don't have a cold. I have the other kind of sick. Chris was nice and took Chase out most of yesterday after I came home from yoga so that I could rest and relax in the house by myself. I slept most of the day and watched TV. I didn't eat much and snacked on whatever was around, too lazy to cook. I probably ate the worst snacks, gorging on everything around, and then ate some yogurt. In the late afternoon, my stomach was just bloated and hurt. Before we left for dinner for Audrey's (Chris' mom) birthday, I just felt so sick. My stomach hurt all throughout dinner, so I hardly ate.
Luckily, the evening wasn't totally miserable. The highlight of our dinner at Pyramids, an egyptian/mediterranean restaurant in town, was when the belly dancer came out. Perhaps it was her jet black long hair, dark eyes and her bright turquoise costume. Or, perhaps it was her bells. Or, perhaps it was just her big boobs. Chase was in love. He had the hugest smile on his face the whole time she danced in between the tables. She noticed him and came right over and put her veil over him. He just oogled her and had this face on him like I've never seen. It was hilarious! We were all laughing. We tipped the gal with dollar bills in her skirt, and she said "You shouldn't tip me! I should be tipping you!" She told us how cute Chase was (and said that we have to have more children) and told us not to leave too soon (even though we were done with dinner). She did a couple more numbers, dancing with a sword balancing on her hips and dancing with her cymbals. Chase just kept focusing on her and smiling as she sashayed her hips in the room. I think we'll have to come back here for his birthday dinner. She just kept coming back to dance for him. His expression was priceless! (And, did I mention that he got a huge kiss from her before we left!)
After we finished dinner, we headed back to the Halsalls for cake and presents, and I headed straight to the bathroom. I've spent more time in a bathroom ever since, throughout the night (even though Chase slept well last night and only woke up once, I was up several times to visit the bathroom!), and so far I've been to the bathroom at least a dozen times today. Chris took Chase up to his parents' again so I could rest and sleep. We cancelled plans with them to go to Mother's Day brunch.
I think I have a little bit of food poisoning from yogurt I ate yesterday. Drinking a lot of water and trying to get it out of my system. I caught up on the phone with Popo and my mom who are spending Mother's Day at the resort rehab hospital as my grandmother recovers from total replacement knee surgery. I just called Chris to come home because, after more than 4-5 hours, I'm getting engorged and need to nurse Chase. I hope I feel better soon. I'm going to have to put Chase's Desitin (for diaper rash, for those of you non-parents) on my behind pretty soon!
Here's Chris chasing Chase at his parents' today, while mommy vegged out at home.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Finding New Friends in Old Friends
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Chase is finally getting more used to going to Miya's again. It's taken him awhile, since he was sick and took a couple weeks' hiatus, and a bit of separation anxiety from Miya, to get comfortable with playing with Taiga again. Taiga tries to help Chase crawl by pushing him from behind and calling him "Chasetopher", mimicking his mommy's nickname for him.
Tonight, Chris bathed and put Chase to bed while I was at yoga (getting a hot workout with 50 other people...talk about packed like sardines!). Chris said that Chase was cute in the bath. Once Chris turned the water on to rinse him, Chase stood up, then tilted his head back when Chris was rinsing his hair. What a smart cookie (Of course, I'm not biased at all!). Chris is getting used to the new bathing routine (bathing Chase in the bathtub vs. bathing him in the sink like we did for his earlier months) and letting Chase cry it out for 20 - 30 minutes when he puts him to bed without me. I think Chris is also learning that he needs a Honolulu Daddies group, as his bike riding friends can't quite relate when he says, "You know what happened the other night?! Chase pooped in his bath!"
Chase and I enjoyed afternoon tea this afternoon with Sonyei and Kai at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki. Such a refined afternoon Chase had hanging out with the girls. He ate mum mums, pooped (and bad mommy didn't have any diapers in the changing pad, but it's a good thing his poop is solid these days, because it just went in the toilet and I wrapped him back up), and made a really sour face when I fed him a rasberry from one of the tarts. We caught up on our UW and high school days together and tried to figure out who we still see or who we have reconnected with. It's probably been ten years since I've seen Sonyei (geez, did I graduate from college THAT long ago! Yikes!).
Chase is finally getting more used to going to Miya's again. It's taken him awhile, since he was sick and took a couple weeks' hiatus, and a bit of separation anxiety from Miya, to get comfortable with playing with Taiga again. Taiga tries to help Chase crawl by pushing him from behind and calling him "Chasetopher", mimicking his mommy's nickname for him.
Tonight, Chris bathed and put Chase to bed while I was at yoga (getting a hot workout with 50 other people...talk about packed like sardines!). Chris said that Chase was cute in the bath. Once Chris turned the water on to rinse him, Chase stood up, then tilted his head back when Chris was rinsing his hair. What a smart cookie (Of course, I'm not biased at all!). Chris is getting used to the new bathing routine (bathing Chase in the bathtub vs. bathing him in the sink like we did for his earlier months) and letting Chase cry it out for 20 - 30 minutes when he puts him to bed without me. I think Chris is also learning that he needs a Honolulu Daddies group, as his bike riding friends can't quite relate when he says, "You know what happened the other night?! Chase pooped in his bath!"
Chase and I enjoyed afternoon tea this afternoon with Sonyei and Kai at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki. Such a refined afternoon Chase had hanging out with the girls. He ate mum mums, pooped (and bad mommy didn't have any diapers in the changing pad, but it's a good thing his poop is solid these days, because it just went in the toilet and I wrapped him back up), and made a really sour face when I fed him a rasberry from one of the tarts. We caught up on our UW and high school days together and tried to figure out who we still see or who we have reconnected with. It's probably been ten years since I've seen Sonyei (geez, did I graduate from college THAT long ago! Yikes!).
Monday, May 05, 2008
Happy Boys' Day!
Monday, 5 May 2008
Chase had many firsts for this Happy Boys' Day today. As we walked upstairs this morning, I noticed that Chris had hung up Chase's first Boys' Day flag, a black koi for Chase, and a huge black skull flag for Daddy. Such a crazy sight to come walking down the stairs and see a huge black skull flag in front of your face...Woo hoo!
Among his firsts today, Chase showed Nana and mommy that he's not afraid to let go and stand on his own. He did it in the bathtub today too. He stayed up for at least 10 - 15 seconds on his own two feet! Pretty soon, he's gonna be walking, I tell ya!
This afternoon, I was in another room, and he came following after me. I heard him stop in the hallway, and he was real quiet. Next thing, I see him, and he is foaming at the mouth with drool. WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR MOUTH?! I put my fingers in his mouth and pull out one of those little black millipedes that crawl all over our ceilings and floors and curl up. He was crunching away on it. Yes, today, Chase ate his first bug.
Chase and I went to a quick birthday dinner party for Mason tonight. I didn't want Chase to get overstimulated again like he was last night (hence he was up every two hours screaming last night), and because there were so many kids and toddlers and babies around, the house was chaotic and noisy. I nursed Chase in a quiet room around 8 pm, tried to walk him down the block away from the noise, and then left soon thereafter. He fell asleep during the car ride home and I easily put him in the crib (Good thing I bathed him before we went to the party!). We didn't even stay for cake or opening presents, but that's okay. He'll have many birthday parties in the future I'm sure.
A flag, a bug, and a quick birthday party is enough celebration for one day. Boys will be boys!
Sunday, May 04, 2008
When You Just Can't Resist
Sunday, 4 May 2008
I had a great yoga workout this morning, even though my neck and shoulders are still stiff from tweaking it last week. I find that I push myself harder when I'm in the front row and the teacher is picking on me (even though we're packed like sardines and it's hot as hell). After class, did some laundry and ate breakfast (Chris' unsuccessful try at making pancakes with the spray can of organic Batter Blaster led us to eat bagels and fruit and turkey bacon instead..quite an eclectic breakfast for a Sunday morning.) We headed out to a soap-making store to buy 22 pounds of glycerin to make soap favors for Chase's birthday party. Then, we headed out to the outlet mall in Waikele. I had wanted to check out the new Steve and Barry's store. Of course, whenever a new store opens, all of Hawai'i is there.
Let's just say that in the time I went shopping for clothes at only one store, Chris and Chase walked all across the mall and hit the bookstore, Lowe's, Sports Authority, and Office Max. I just couldn't resist everything in the store being $9.98 or less. Although you had to search for small sizes, I got a pair of jeans, a few blouses, shoes, and of course, I couldn't leave without a "I heart Sex and the City" t-shirt. I also managed to hit Banana Republic and got some cute shorts and a blouse. The whole store was 30% off. I just couldn't resist. I love shopping.
We finished our shopping excursion at 5 pm and met the Halsalls at Big City Diner at 5:30 pm for Sunday dinner of burgers and fries....and of course, a Brownie Sundae. I just couldn't resist that either.
I had a great yoga workout this morning, even though my neck and shoulders are still stiff from tweaking it last week. I find that I push myself harder when I'm in the front row and the teacher is picking on me (even though we're packed like sardines and it's hot as hell). After class, did some laundry and ate breakfast (Chris' unsuccessful try at making pancakes with the spray can of organic Batter Blaster led us to eat bagels and fruit and turkey bacon instead..quite an eclectic breakfast for a Sunday morning.) We headed out to a soap-making store to buy 22 pounds of glycerin to make soap favors for Chase's birthday party. Then, we headed out to the outlet mall in Waikele. I had wanted to check out the new Steve and Barry's store. Of course, whenever a new store opens, all of Hawai'i is there.
Let's just say that in the time I went shopping for clothes at only one store, Chris and Chase walked all across the mall and hit the bookstore, Lowe's, Sports Authority, and Office Max. I just couldn't resist everything in the store being $9.98 or less. Although you had to search for small sizes, I got a pair of jeans, a few blouses, shoes, and of course, I couldn't leave without a "I heart Sex and the City" t-shirt. I also managed to hit Banana Republic and got some cute shorts and a blouse. The whole store was 30% off. I just couldn't resist. I love shopping.
We finished our shopping excursion at 5 pm and met the Halsalls at Big City Diner at 5:30 pm for Sunday dinner of burgers and fries....and of course, a Brownie Sundae. I just couldn't resist that either.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
ALS Seminar
Saturday, 3 May 2008
This morning, Chase and I went to the annual ALS Seminar. We went to man the support group booth. Many people, even complete strangers, came by to play with the baby as he was crawling all over the place. I sat there and chatted with people who came by, and kept forgetting to press "play" on the DVD player that was showing a segment of what the ALS support group is all about.
Because I was sitting in a side room, along with all the other vendors, I missed the keynote speakers and presenters.
This article was recently printed in the community newspaper, Midweek. It features a local guy who is researching to find a cure for ALS. So, in honor of ALS awareness month in Hawai'i, please read on.
Pushing To Find A Cure
Wednesday - May 06, 2008
By Alice Keesing
Dr. Justin Ichida and his colleagues won't give up on finding a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
It was the book Jurassic Park that did it. Justin Ichida was a teen growing up in Hawaii Kai when he read Michael Crichton's book, and his imagination was captured by the idea of regrowing dinosaurs from old bits of DNA. These days, that concept is edging more toward fact than fiction as Ichida - now a post-doc at Harvard - works in a lab where they throw around ideas of reviving a woolly mammoth.
The woolly mammoth proposal is no joke at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, but the current, serious mission is finding the cause and cure for Lou Gehrig's disease, also know as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
The Hawaii-born Ichida returned to the Islands this month to talk about the research at the Muscular Dystrophy Association's eighth annual ALS seminar May 3. "A cure has been pie in the sky
for so long that people tend to lose faith," says Jennifer Li, MDA's health care services coordinator. "But here is someone, from here, who is doing something about finding that cure."
Lou Gehrig's disease is a devastating disorder that destroys the nerve cells that control voluntary muscles. Muscles grow progressively weaker until they are paralyzed, and death usually occurs within three to five years. It's estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time - right now, Hawaii's Muscular Dystrophy Association is helping 47 families whose lives have been rocked by the disease.
Ichida himself remembers his Iolani PE teacher, former UH volleyball player Ann Kang, who died from the disease.
"Mrs. Kang went from shooting basketballs to being in a wheelchair in a year," he says. "It's just devastating, and it's devastating because you know the chances of survival are just ... minimal."
It's for people like Kang that Ichida and his colleagues "are just putting the pedal to the floor" to push their research onward.
Dr. Ichida and colleagues are working on an alternative method to bypass the use of controversial human embryonic stem cells
Working in Kevin Eggan's lab at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the 30-year-old Ichida is in the thick of the cutting-edge and controversial use of human embryonic stem cells. Stem cells have huge potential in medical research because they have the ability to develop into many different types of cell, be it muscle cells, red blood cells or brain cells. The thrust of the work in Eggan's lab is to create patient-specific stem cells - cells that contain the DNA of each individual patient.
Initially, the lab began by injecting the patients' DNA into human embryonic stem cells. In the last year, however, they started work on a new method that allows them to bypass the use of those stem cells taken from human embryos. Using viruses, they can inject a cocktail of four genes into an adult cell of the patient -a skin cell, for example. This gene cocktail changes the skin cell into the equivalent of a human embryonic stem cell.
"What we can do now is take a cell from a patient, reprogram it into a stem cell using this method and then differentiate that into the specific types of cells that are associated with ALS, like the motor neurons or the muscles or the supportive cells in the central nervous system," Ichida explains. "And each of these cells will have the DNA of the person who has the actual disease."
This allow researchers to watch, in a petri dish, how the disease unfolds, giving clues to what causes it and how to treat it.
The cells are also an invaluable tool for testing new drugs to combat the disease. And, ultimately, Ichida says, they could lead to a cure where healthy cells are injected into the patient. Because the cells contain the patient's own DNA, there are no problems with transplant rejection.
When he's not working at the Harvard Stem Cell institute, Ichida, an Iolani graduate, plays guitar in a rock band
The inevitable question is, how long will this take?
It's a question that Ichida doesn't shy away from even though he knows the answer might not help people who have the disease now.
New drug testing should begin in the next few years, he estimates, with some effective treatments coming on the market in around 10 years. The cell replacement therapy is a longer-term option.
"Unfortunately, ALS, it's fast, so people that have it now we may not be able to help as much as we want to," Ichida says. "It's a tough thing, but I can assure you that we are working as hard as we possibly can."
For someone who works on the cutting edge of research, Ichida is amusingly non-committal about his early prowess in science. Perhaps he was an above-average student in science at Iolani, he says, but growing up, he was just as likely to be playing basketball or football or soccer or doing martial arts. He danced hula at Iolani - and even won an award. And music has been an important part of his life since he was 15. These days he plays guitar in a band called Surrogate Superstar, which rocks it out in the style of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.
But during the day, that lab coat comes back on and it's back to the business of finding a cure.
"I really can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing," he says. "Right now, it's just an amazing time in this field."
This morning, Chase and I went to the annual ALS Seminar. We went to man the support group booth. Many people, even complete strangers, came by to play with the baby as he was crawling all over the place. I sat there and chatted with people who came by, and kept forgetting to press "play" on the DVD player that was showing a segment of what the ALS support group is all about.
Because I was sitting in a side room, along with all the other vendors, I missed the keynote speakers and presenters.
This article was recently printed in the community newspaper, Midweek. It features a local guy who is researching to find a cure for ALS. So, in honor of ALS awareness month in Hawai'i, please read on.
Pushing To Find A Cure
Wednesday - May 06, 2008
By Alice Keesing
Dr. Justin Ichida and his colleagues won't give up on finding a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
It was the book Jurassic Park that did it. Justin Ichida was a teen growing up in Hawaii Kai when he read Michael Crichton's book, and his imagination was captured by the idea of regrowing dinosaurs from old bits of DNA. These days, that concept is edging more toward fact than fiction as Ichida - now a post-doc at Harvard - works in a lab where they throw around ideas of reviving a woolly mammoth.
The woolly mammoth proposal is no joke at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, but the current, serious mission is finding the cause and cure for Lou Gehrig's disease, also know as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
The Hawaii-born Ichida returned to the Islands this month to talk about the research at the Muscular Dystrophy Association's eighth annual ALS seminar May 3. "A cure has been pie in the sky
for so long that people tend to lose faith," says Jennifer Li, MDA's health care services coordinator. "But here is someone, from here, who is doing something about finding that cure."
Lou Gehrig's disease is a devastating disorder that destroys the nerve cells that control voluntary muscles. Muscles grow progressively weaker until they are paralyzed, and death usually occurs within three to five years. It's estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time - right now, Hawaii's Muscular Dystrophy Association is helping 47 families whose lives have been rocked by the disease.
Ichida himself remembers his Iolani PE teacher, former UH volleyball player Ann Kang, who died from the disease.
"Mrs. Kang went from shooting basketballs to being in a wheelchair in a year," he says. "It's just devastating, and it's devastating because you know the chances of survival are just ... minimal."
It's for people like Kang that Ichida and his colleagues "are just putting the pedal to the floor" to push their research onward.
Dr. Ichida and colleagues are working on an alternative method to bypass the use of controversial human embryonic stem cells
Working in Kevin Eggan's lab at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the 30-year-old Ichida is in the thick of the cutting-edge and controversial use of human embryonic stem cells. Stem cells have huge potential in medical research because they have the ability to develop into many different types of cell, be it muscle cells, red blood cells or brain cells. The thrust of the work in Eggan's lab is to create patient-specific stem cells - cells that contain the DNA of each individual patient.
Initially, the lab began by injecting the patients' DNA into human embryonic stem cells. In the last year, however, they started work on a new method that allows them to bypass the use of those stem cells taken from human embryos. Using viruses, they can inject a cocktail of four genes into an adult cell of the patient -a skin cell, for example. This gene cocktail changes the skin cell into the equivalent of a human embryonic stem cell.
"What we can do now is take a cell from a patient, reprogram it into a stem cell using this method and then differentiate that into the specific types of cells that are associated with ALS, like the motor neurons or the muscles or the supportive cells in the central nervous system," Ichida explains. "And each of these cells will have the DNA of the person who has the actual disease."
This allow researchers to watch, in a petri dish, how the disease unfolds, giving clues to what causes it and how to treat it.
The cells are also an invaluable tool for testing new drugs to combat the disease. And, ultimately, Ichida says, they could lead to a cure where healthy cells are injected into the patient. Because the cells contain the patient's own DNA, there are no problems with transplant rejection.
When he's not working at the Harvard Stem Cell institute, Ichida, an Iolani graduate, plays guitar in a rock band
The inevitable question is, how long will this take?
It's a question that Ichida doesn't shy away from even though he knows the answer might not help people who have the disease now.
New drug testing should begin in the next few years, he estimates, with some effective treatments coming on the market in around 10 years. The cell replacement therapy is a longer-term option.
"Unfortunately, ALS, it's fast, so people that have it now we may not be able to help as much as we want to," Ichida says. "It's a tough thing, but I can assure you that we are working as hard as we possibly can."
For someone who works on the cutting edge of research, Ichida is amusingly non-committal about his early prowess in science. Perhaps he was an above-average student in science at Iolani, he says, but growing up, he was just as likely to be playing basketball or football or soccer or doing martial arts. He danced hula at Iolani - and even won an award. And music has been an important part of his life since he was 15. These days he plays guitar in a band called Surrogate Superstar, which rocks it out in the style of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.
But during the day, that lab coat comes back on and it's back to the business of finding a cure.
"I really can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing," he says. "Right now, it's just an amazing time in this field."
Friday, May 02, 2008
Ten Minute Photo Shoot
Friday, 2 May 2008
This afternoon, I took Chase to take a free picture at the Kahala Kids' boutique photo studio...a freebie promotion in preparation for Mother's Day. I had brought all sorts of outfits from home, but since we didn't go home first, the outfits I had brought all of a sudden didn't look good. Plus, I didn't myself change from the days' events (I had been at a school Technology seminar all day for our Waiver Day.). After changing him into various outfits outside the store (and even getting comments from my teacher friends who passed by), I finally ended up buying him an outfit at the store (plus it was 20% off Hawaiian outfits, and the cute blue surfboard one was just calling me). Chris couldn't believe I was buying him a new outfit to take a free picture (and funny thing is he ended up paying for it too..hee hee!). But, it looked really cute on Chase, and we hardly buy him clothes. Besides, he can wear it again for his 1st birthday. The photographer told me to get in the picture, but I looked like a mess! No makeup, hair all messy, and I had been in my same clothes for the past 10 hours. Ummm, no thanks. But, he took it anyway. He commented on what a cute laugh Chase has and said we don't need still pictures; we need video! For some reason, Chase just found the flash and the photographer's "Bop!" noise hilarious. Chris picked one of the four smiley shots, since I didn't want to pick one, and off we went. We'll pick up the final print (with fancy digital grass background) on Sunday. It will be a nice pre-Mother's Day gift. My first Mother's Day...Wow!
This afternoon, I took Chase to take a free picture at the Kahala Kids' boutique photo studio...a freebie promotion in preparation for Mother's Day. I had brought all sorts of outfits from home, but since we didn't go home first, the outfits I had brought all of a sudden didn't look good. Plus, I didn't myself change from the days' events (I had been at a school Technology seminar all day for our Waiver Day.). After changing him into various outfits outside the store (and even getting comments from my teacher friends who passed by), I finally ended up buying him an outfit at the store (plus it was 20% off Hawaiian outfits, and the cute blue surfboard one was just calling me). Chris couldn't believe I was buying him a new outfit to take a free picture (and funny thing is he ended up paying for it too..hee hee!). But, it looked really cute on Chase, and we hardly buy him clothes. Besides, he can wear it again for his 1st birthday. The photographer told me to get in the picture, but I looked like a mess! No makeup, hair all messy, and I had been in my same clothes for the past 10 hours. Ummm, no thanks. But, he took it anyway. He commented on what a cute laugh Chase has and said we don't need still pictures; we need video! For some reason, Chase just found the flash and the photographer's "Bop!" noise hilarious. Chris picked one of the four smiley shots, since I didn't want to pick one, and off we went. We'll pick up the final print (with fancy digital grass background) on Sunday. It will be a nice pre-Mother's Day gift. My first Mother's Day...Wow!
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