Thursday, 31 July 2008
Finally, I got my own Sam's Club card and Costco card so now I can go shopping during the day if we need groceries. My mother-in-law took me to get signed up on Chris' card. My lower left back is still really sore. I've been sleeping with a regimen of Icy Hot, a heat pack, and Asprin.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Wildest Show
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
Well, the honeymoon's over. Chase and Taiga both asserted their personalities today and were fighting over toys. Boys will be boys. And Chase is definitely one to make his voice heard...well, grunting and growling that is. Chase was totally exhausted though and took a 2 hour nap (which is unheard of) after we got home from Miya's. I picked up Vietnamese take-out and headed to the zoo for the Wildest Show in Town. Chris and the Halsalls met us there. We had a relaxing time listening to the ukulele stylings of Ohta-San and taking Chase to visit the animals (The elephants are his favorite!).
Well, the honeymoon's over. Chase and Taiga both asserted their personalities today and were fighting over toys. Boys will be boys. And Chase is definitely one to make his voice heard...well, grunting and growling that is. Chase was totally exhausted though and took a 2 hour nap (which is unheard of) after we got home from Miya's. I picked up Vietnamese take-out and headed to the zoo for the Wildest Show in Town. Chris and the Halsalls met us there. We had a relaxing time listening to the ukulele stylings of Ohta-San and taking Chase to visit the animals (The elephants are his favorite!).
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
First Day Of School
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Today was the first day of school. We tested kindergarten students and met new parents. I'll be doing this all week, so it was pretty uneventful. Since I'm not a classroom teacher, the first day of school is not as exciting for me.
Today was also the first day for Chase to be at Miya's since school ended 7 weeks ago (and the first time she has a "walking Chase" vs. a crawling Chase). She said he was really good. He enjoyed carrying a ball and walking around their kitchen island numerous times. He ate lots of food, and the boys would fully entertain themselves when faced towards each other in their high chairs. Chase would burp, and Taiga would laugh. Taiga would fart, and Chase would laugh. They did the "Incredible Hulk" in unison together (clenching their fists, gritting their teeth, and shaking). They had a lot of fun together.
Miya dressed Chase in Taiga's old clothes - an Elmo shirt and blue/red Robeez. We went to the mall after to enjoy the A/C...Chase had fun doing laps all over the mall. Everyone smiled at him because he was just in his own little world, walking and talking and laughing.
I pushed myself in yoga tonight (and probably shouldn't have since my lower back was already sore from the weekend). Now my back is even more sore. I need to remember that I'm not as flexible as I used to be.
Today was the first day of school. We tested kindergarten students and met new parents. I'll be doing this all week, so it was pretty uneventful. Since I'm not a classroom teacher, the first day of school is not as exciting for me.
Today was also the first day for Chase to be at Miya's since school ended 7 weeks ago (and the first time she has a "walking Chase" vs. a crawling Chase). She said he was really good. He enjoyed carrying a ball and walking around their kitchen island numerous times. He ate lots of food, and the boys would fully entertain themselves when faced towards each other in their high chairs. Chase would burp, and Taiga would laugh. Taiga would fart, and Chase would laugh. They did the "Incredible Hulk" in unison together (clenching their fists, gritting their teeth, and shaking). They had a lot of fun together.
Miya dressed Chase in Taiga's old clothes - an Elmo shirt and blue/red Robeez. We went to the mall after to enjoy the A/C...Chase had fun doing laps all over the mall. Everyone smiled at him because he was just in his own little world, walking and talking and laughing.
I pushed myself in yoga tonight (and probably shouldn't have since my lower back was already sore from the weekend). Now my back is even more sore. I need to remember that I'm not as flexible as I used to be.
Monday, July 28, 2008
All Bright And Chipper
Monday, 28 July 2008
We had our last professional development day meeting before the start of school tomorrow. The topic: Rigor and Relevance. This principal seems really focused on instruction and leading teachers, so that's good, a change from our last one.
Chase was funny this morning. He wakes up at 6 am all bright and chipper and immediately goes to get the book we read yesterday, Today I will Fly. I read it to him, while he listened very intently. Then, he went over to the bookshelf to find other books for me to read. He kept bringing me book after book. We must have read for about 40 minutes until I finally had to wake Chris up to watch him so that I could get ready for work. At least I know my son likes books!
He was super animated at dinner (ate lots of eggs, cheese, and poi) and during bath time. He woke up 4 times in an hour though. That's not good. He's such a light sleeper. A helicopter flew overhead, the birds chirping in the morning, etc. I think I need to put his longer curtains back up in his room.
We had our last professional development day meeting before the start of school tomorrow. The topic: Rigor and Relevance. This principal seems really focused on instruction and leading teachers, so that's good, a change from our last one.
Chase was funny this morning. He wakes up at 6 am all bright and chipper and immediately goes to get the book we read yesterday, Today I will Fly. I read it to him, while he listened very intently. Then, he went over to the bookshelf to find other books for me to read. He kept bringing me book after book. We must have read for about 40 minutes until I finally had to wake Chris up to watch him so that I could get ready for work. At least I know my son likes books!
He was super animated at dinner (ate lots of eggs, cheese, and poi) and during bath time. He woke up 4 times in an hour though. That's not good. He's such a light sleeper. A helicopter flew overhead, the birds chirping in the morning, etc. I think I need to put his longer curtains back up in his room.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Chase is 13 Months Old!
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Chase is 13 months old today! So, the question is: When do we stop counting in months? When is he officially a toddler? And, just when is he going to slow down??? (HA! HA! Yeah, right!)
His favorite foods at the moment:
* eggs - He chows down about 2 scrambled eggs (in about 5 minutes) in the morning.
* cheddar cheese - He's over the Cabot cheese and is into cheddar now.
What he's into now:
* Whacking his head with his left forearm repeatedly.
* Grabbing Mommy's face and lips with his sharp fingernails and laughing. (Naughty boy!)
* Throwing food on the ground when he's not into something or when he's done or just to get a reaction. (Naughty boy!)
* Elmo - He loves playing with the two stuffed Elmos he has and hearing them talk to him.
* Books - He loves having Mommy or Daddy read the same books to him over and over again. (He'll bring us his favorite ones.)
* Walking and throwing balls all over the house.
What he's tried (but is still unsure about):
* avocado - He eats it if I mix it with poi, but he's not too crazy about it.
* salmon - He ate a whole salmon burger in one sitting, and then ever since won't have anything to do with it.
Since he started walking a couple of weeks ago, he is ALL over the place! He walks carrying and throwing toys and balls all over the house. If he falls down, he picks himself right back up. He still uses his one legged crawl, but walks more than crawls. He'll walk holding my hand, but much prefers to walk by himself. He's got the Asian squat down, and can stand right back up from the squat without any assistance (must be all that practicing from his one legged crawl - he's definitely got open hips and a strong back!).
This morning, we had our neighbors' yardmen weedwack and cut down and clear a lot of our trees and stuff from three sides of the house..It WAS a jungle out there! But, not anymore. After 3 hours of their hard work, clearing the invasive vines, dead trees, and stubborn, thick cane grass, we can actually see the ground and start brainstorming about what plants and trees we can plant on our slope of a yard.
We took Chase to the Honolulu Zoo this afternoon. He actually wasn't too interested in the zoo. He loved the elephants and the giraffes though. I think those were the only animals that really caught his attention because they were so big. He also loved running around in the grassy lawn, looking at all the birds (not the ones in cages, but just the ones around) fly all over the place.
Went to Suzette's baby lu'au tonight for Lili. Lili actually turned one the week before Chase so this is a belated birthday party. She had her party at Star of the Sea cafeteria, a private school near our neighborhood. She had a bouncer for the kids (though Chase was too young for all the crazy bouncy action), airbrush tattoos (Chris and I actually got ones, but none for Chase), and shaved ice. Hawaiian entertainment, food, and two cakes for dessert. Art activities for the kids. Chase enjoyed running around "like a drunken sailor" (as Chris described it) all over the open lawn. He would just run in circles and fall down and laugh. I think he's still trying to figure out how to run in shoes, since he's so used to walking barefoot all the time. The best part was catching up with old friends....friends from high school and friends from elementary school. We actually took two group photos of our elementary schoolers and our high schoolers. It's amazing that some of us have kept in touch for so long! Chase's favorite part of the night was getting countless kisses from 2 year old Meliah. She was just as cute as can be. Her affection made Chase smile and got him out of his grumpy mood towards the end of the evening. Chase was so tired trying to keep his eyes open, and crashed out by the time we made it home after 9 pm....Straight to bed!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
"So Sari" - Art After Dark
Friday, 25 July 2008
So tired that I didn't get out of bed while Chase played around the house this morning (he's been waking up screaming in the wee hours of morning, and so it's been crazy trying to put him back to bed and put ourselves back to bed)...Woke up to him playing in the toilet bowl...so that got me out of bed real fast.
Had boring meetings all morning long. Finished working in the classroom, laminated a bunch of stuff, reorganized, purged more stuff, and gave away my excess furniture.
Picked Chase up and took him to Gymboree to get clothes gifts. We stopped at our usual spots along the mall aisles, including stopping to pet the huge horse at Carousel Candyland, and then look at the stuffed animals in the window of Kahala Kids. We ran into Ann and her daughter Ange. I had just been talking to Ann about her babysitter possibly watching Chase too. The two toddlers were in cahoots with each other and were having fun trying to steal stuffed animals from the store. One would run in and pass it to the other and then leave the store. We kept putting them back, and they kept passing them along. It was hilarious!
Left at 5 pm for home and got ready while Chris entertained Chase. We dropped Chase off at the Halsalls for the evening so we could go out on a date night. Wow, second date night in two weeks! We met Kai and Jason, as well as Stacy and Ryan, at the Honolulu Academy of Arts for the Art After Dark event that occurs at the end of each month. Tonight's theme: "So Sari" - Indian food, music, and lots of people dressed in Indian garb. We enjoyed walking around the exhibits and galleries. But the Indian food wasn't enough for us, so we ended up eating at Ryan's Grill, a local favorite for drinks and late night pupus. Chris left straight from there to meet his friend Vince for a 10:30 pm "Dark Knight" movie across the way. I picked up an awake and overstimulated Chase at the Halsalls and got home at 10:45 pm. Though he was fussy and awake when we first got home, he went to bed right away. Hopefully he stays asleep in bed all night long. It hasn't happened that way in a couple of days in a row now, so we'll just have to wait and see. I'm forgetting what it's like to get 8 hours of sleep all at once again.
So tired that I didn't get out of bed while Chase played around the house this morning (he's been waking up screaming in the wee hours of morning, and so it's been crazy trying to put him back to bed and put ourselves back to bed)...Woke up to him playing in the toilet bowl...so that got me out of bed real fast.
Had boring meetings all morning long. Finished working in the classroom, laminated a bunch of stuff, reorganized, purged more stuff, and gave away my excess furniture.
Picked Chase up and took him to Gymboree to get clothes gifts. We stopped at our usual spots along the mall aisles, including stopping to pet the huge horse at Carousel Candyland, and then look at the stuffed animals in the window of Kahala Kids. We ran into Ann and her daughter Ange. I had just been talking to Ann about her babysitter possibly watching Chase too. The two toddlers were in cahoots with each other and were having fun trying to steal stuffed animals from the store. One would run in and pass it to the other and then leave the store. We kept putting them back, and they kept passing them along. It was hilarious!
Left at 5 pm for home and got ready while Chris entertained Chase. We dropped Chase off at the Halsalls for the evening so we could go out on a date night. Wow, second date night in two weeks! We met Kai and Jason, as well as Stacy and Ryan, at the Honolulu Academy of Arts for the Art After Dark event that occurs at the end of each month. Tonight's theme: "So Sari" - Indian food, music, and lots of people dressed in Indian garb. We enjoyed walking around the exhibits and galleries. But the Indian food wasn't enough for us, so we ended up eating at Ryan's Grill, a local favorite for drinks and late night pupus. Chris left straight from there to meet his friend Vince for a 10:30 pm "Dark Knight" movie across the way. I picked up an awake and overstimulated Chase at the Halsalls and got home at 10:45 pm. Though he was fussy and awake when we first got home, he went to bed right away. Hopefully he stays asleep in bed all night long. It hasn't happened that way in a couple of days in a row now, so we'll just have to wait and see. I'm forgetting what it's like to get 8 hours of sleep all at once again.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
First Day Back To Work
Thursday, 24 July 2008
Had a breakfast Meet-N-Greet with our new principal, who came from one of the high schools in the district. Gave him a hug, as he has known me since I was a little kid. He went to middle school with my dad and played tennis with him and my uncle. He told me sorry to hear about my dad, and asked how my brother Jason was doing. Nice to have someone I kind of know as our new principal. We'll see how this year goes.
Spent the rest of the day setting up my classroom, rearranging furniture and seeing what could go here and what could go there...like putting together pieces of a puzzle. My part-time teacher Christina came in for a little bit to help check purchase orders and look at our class lists. It's coming together. Of course there were moments where teachers walked around and socialized, peeking into each other's classrooms, seeing what furniture was being thrown out and which might be able to work in our own classes, seeing how each other's summers were. But, most of the day was pretty quiet, as people had their A/C's going and everyone was working hard to get their classrooms ready for the first day of school, which is on Tuesday. I like our class setup. Each year I change things around a bit. Now with a bigger classroom and more space, I'm trying to maximize my bookshelves and furniture, purging old materials and books, and trying to make the best use out of the resources we have rather than having them collect dust in the closets. Just need to finish putting things away, and hopefully our new principal will help me get rid of all the music stands and band equipment in my room (since we don't have a band at our school and for some reason all of this band equipment moved with me from my old room to my new room, when there is an empty classroom next door to me.)
Chase and I were out all day. After I picked him up from the Halsalls, we went back to school and then went to meet Chris so he could get me a Sam's Club card. We ended up getting him shoes at Macy's and then had an early dinner at Nordstrom's Cafe. Chase, of course, left a big mess from his mac-n-cheese kiddie meal (of which we ate most of), so we left a big tip. Skipped on the gelato tonight so we could get the tired kiddo home to bed. He practically fell asleep in the shower.
Tomorrow should be another productive day at school and then a busy, social weekend of relaxation before the kiddos come back to school.
Had a breakfast Meet-N-Greet with our new principal, who came from one of the high schools in the district. Gave him a hug, as he has known me since I was a little kid. He went to middle school with my dad and played tennis with him and my uncle. He told me sorry to hear about my dad, and asked how my brother Jason was doing. Nice to have someone I kind of know as our new principal. We'll see how this year goes.
Spent the rest of the day setting up my classroom, rearranging furniture and seeing what could go here and what could go there...like putting together pieces of a puzzle. My part-time teacher Christina came in for a little bit to help check purchase orders and look at our class lists. It's coming together. Of course there were moments where teachers walked around and socialized, peeking into each other's classrooms, seeing what furniture was being thrown out and which might be able to work in our own classes, seeing how each other's summers were. But, most of the day was pretty quiet, as people had their A/C's going and everyone was working hard to get their classrooms ready for the first day of school, which is on Tuesday. I like our class setup. Each year I change things around a bit. Now with a bigger classroom and more space, I'm trying to maximize my bookshelves and furniture, purging old materials and books, and trying to make the best use out of the resources we have rather than having them collect dust in the closets. Just need to finish putting things away, and hopefully our new principal will help me get rid of all the music stands and band equipment in my room (since we don't have a band at our school and for some reason all of this band equipment moved with me from my old room to my new room, when there is an empty classroom next door to me.)
Chase and I were out all day. After I picked him up from the Halsalls, we went back to school and then went to meet Chris so he could get me a Sam's Club card. We ended up getting him shoes at Macy's and then had an early dinner at Nordstrom's Cafe. Chase, of course, left a big mess from his mac-n-cheese kiddie meal (of which we ate most of), so we left a big tip. Skipped on the gelato tonight so we could get the tired kiddo home to bed. He practically fell asleep in the shower.
Tomorrow should be another productive day at school and then a busy, social weekend of relaxation before the kiddos come back to school.
Determined Charlie
Thursday, 24 July 2008
He is a fighter that Charlie Wedemeyer. The local boy who lives in California, has fought ALS and then some. Read this recent article about his journey.
http://www.mercurynews.com/highschoolsportsheadlines/ci_9968066
San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA
Charlie Wedemeyer shows his all-star participants the meaning of determination
Wedemeyer won't let illness keep him down
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tonight, once more, the annual Charlie Wedemeyer all-star high school football game kicks off at Spartan Stadium.
This one, though, came way too close to happening without Charlie Wedemeyer. His situation was very dicey for a while in the spring. At the time, his family wanted to keep things under the radar. But we can now tell the story.
Any sports fan who has spent five minutes in the South Bay knows about Wedemeyer. He is our daily reminder not to snivel or whine, ever. That is why the yearly all-star game, which brings together the best graduated senior football players in the valley, is named in Wedemeyer's honor. Back in 1977 while coaching football at Los Gatos High School, he was diagnosed
with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). He was given three years or less to live.
Instead, Wedemeyer decided to live three years or more. Much more. Even after he lost the use of his limbs and his voice. Even after he needed a 24-hour ventilator to breathe. Even after he could get around only in a specialized wheelchair.
With the help of his family and community, Wedemeyer has continued coaching. His wife, Lucy, reads his lips at practices and games as Charlie offers ideas and specific plays. Using the same technique, Charlie has also given hundreds of inspirational "speeches."
In all of those "speeches," Charlie usually mentions his philosophy: "Pain and suffering is inevitable for everyone. However, misery is optional. We get to make that choice."
No matter what he says, the choice must get harder every year. Wedemeyer isnow in his 60s. So he has other medical problems besides ALS. The first week of May, Wedemeyer was quietly hospitalized because his kidneys seemed to be failing. He was pale and sick. His diabetes was suspected. Tests seemed to indicate otherwise.
The next step, in most cases, is pro forma: dialysis. Without it, Wedemeyerwould die. But first, said the doctors, Charlie needed an ophthalmology exam. They wanted to make sure he did not have retinopathy, another diabetes-related condition. Charlie's daughter, Carri Wedemeyer Andry,related what happened next in an e-mail:
"The doctor said the ophthalmology exam couldn't happen because my dad would have to do the test over at a clinic. To the doctor, that was an impossibility. My mom smiled. She explained that my dad had been up in a hot air balloon. So we could certainly get him to the clinic."
The doctor was still reluctant. He said that a special nursing staff was needed for Charlie on the trip to the clinic - which might not even be able to accommodate him.
Again, the Wedemeyer family patiently explained that they already knew specialized nurses who were familiar with Charlie's situation. Lucy also explained that they had been to the same clinic before - and that a few chairs had to be moved, but the staff had been eager to help. In fact, Lucy thought the clinic might be able to bring the equipment to the hospital. The
doctor disagreed, saying the equipment might not fit on the hospital floor.
"After a few phone calls," Carri said, "the ophthalmologist came the next morning, brought his own equipment and tested my dad at his bedside."
The results were good. All was well with Charlie's eyes. But then came another setback. The Wedemeyers were told that under their health care plan, the contracted dialysis company did not serve patients on a ventilator.
No problem, the family said. They could learn to operate the dialysis machine themselves. Charlie's son, Kale, is a doctor. He has been working at Stanford Medical Center. He offered to be trained on the machine. Whatever was necessary to get his dad home.
Finally, the doctors surrendered. They learned what so many of us discovered decades ago: You don't mess with a team of motivated Wedemeyers.
Charlie came home in mid-June. A welcome-home barbecue was held at his house a few weeks later. Charlie looked good. He sat on the back patio in his wheelchair. He "asked" questions about other people's families and "talked" about the Los Gatos High frosh-soph team he will again coach this fall. His grandchildren crawled into his lap. On the lawn, a great Hawaiian band
cranked out feel-good beachcomber music.
In that one snapshot, you could truly see why for Charlie, misery is optional. But this week's best news is, he will be on the sidelines before tonight's game, as always. He also visited one all-star practice earlier this week to meet and greet the players.
It's definitely a much different feeling than a few weeks ago, when the Wedemeyers' biggest concern was just getting Charlie home from the hospital. During his stay, he and Lucy missed the Hall of Fame induction of Kale at Los Gatos High, where he starred in football and track.
"That's our only regret," Lucy said. "Otherwise, so far, so good. The dialysis machine is running. Charlie is holding his own and anxious to get out for fall football. He also promised to take me to the movies to see 'Mamma Mia!' And it's like Charlie says - when all else fails, he can always call Dr. Wedemeyer."
Sort of like us, don't you think? When any of us is having a tough day, we can call on our own personal picture of Charlie. Ready for some football again tonight. Right on schedule.
He is a fighter that Charlie Wedemeyer. The local boy who lives in California, has fought ALS and then some. Read this recent article about his journey.
http://www.mercurynews.com/highschoolsportsheadlines/ci_9968066
San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA
Charlie Wedemeyer shows his all-star participants the meaning of determination
Wedemeyer won't let illness keep him down
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tonight, once more, the annual Charlie Wedemeyer all-star high school football game kicks off at Spartan Stadium.
This one, though, came way too close to happening without Charlie Wedemeyer. His situation was very dicey for a while in the spring. At the time, his family wanted to keep things under the radar. But we can now tell the story.
Any sports fan who has spent five minutes in the South Bay knows about Wedemeyer. He is our daily reminder not to snivel or whine, ever. That is why the yearly all-star game, which brings together the best graduated senior football players in the valley, is named in Wedemeyer's honor. Back in 1977 while coaching football at Los Gatos High School, he was diagnosed
with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). He was given three years or less to live.
Instead, Wedemeyer decided to live three years or more. Much more. Even after he lost the use of his limbs and his voice. Even after he needed a 24-hour ventilator to breathe. Even after he could get around only in a specialized wheelchair.
With the help of his family and community, Wedemeyer has continued coaching. His wife, Lucy, reads his lips at practices and games as Charlie offers ideas and specific plays. Using the same technique, Charlie has also given hundreds of inspirational "speeches."
In all of those "speeches," Charlie usually mentions his philosophy: "Pain and suffering is inevitable for everyone. However, misery is optional. We get to make that choice."
No matter what he says, the choice must get harder every year. Wedemeyer isnow in his 60s. So he has other medical problems besides ALS. The first week of May, Wedemeyer was quietly hospitalized because his kidneys seemed to be failing. He was pale and sick. His diabetes was suspected. Tests seemed to indicate otherwise.
The next step, in most cases, is pro forma: dialysis. Without it, Wedemeyerwould die. But first, said the doctors, Charlie needed an ophthalmology exam. They wanted to make sure he did not have retinopathy, another diabetes-related condition. Charlie's daughter, Carri Wedemeyer Andry,related what happened next in an e-mail:
"The doctor said the ophthalmology exam couldn't happen because my dad would have to do the test over at a clinic. To the doctor, that was an impossibility. My mom smiled. She explained that my dad had been up in a hot air balloon. So we could certainly get him to the clinic."
The doctor was still reluctant. He said that a special nursing staff was needed for Charlie on the trip to the clinic - which might not even be able to accommodate him.
Again, the Wedemeyer family patiently explained that they already knew specialized nurses who were familiar with Charlie's situation. Lucy also explained that they had been to the same clinic before - and that a few chairs had to be moved, but the staff had been eager to help. In fact, Lucy thought the clinic might be able to bring the equipment to the hospital. The
doctor disagreed, saying the equipment might not fit on the hospital floor.
"After a few phone calls," Carri said, "the ophthalmologist came the next morning, brought his own equipment and tested my dad at his bedside."
The results were good. All was well with Charlie's eyes. But then came another setback. The Wedemeyers were told that under their health care plan, the contracted dialysis company did not serve patients on a ventilator.
No problem, the family said. They could learn to operate the dialysis machine themselves. Charlie's son, Kale, is a doctor. He has been working at Stanford Medical Center. He offered to be trained on the machine. Whatever was necessary to get his dad home.
Finally, the doctors surrendered. They learned what so many of us discovered decades ago: You don't mess with a team of motivated Wedemeyers.
Charlie came home in mid-June. A welcome-home barbecue was held at his house a few weeks later. Charlie looked good. He sat on the back patio in his wheelchair. He "asked" questions about other people's families and "talked" about the Los Gatos High frosh-soph team he will again coach this fall. His grandchildren crawled into his lap. On the lawn, a great Hawaiian band
cranked out feel-good beachcomber music.
In that one snapshot, you could truly see why for Charlie, misery is optional. But this week's best news is, he will be on the sidelines before tonight's game, as always. He also visited one all-star practice earlier this week to meet and greet the players.
It's definitely a much different feeling than a few weeks ago, when the Wedemeyers' biggest concern was just getting Charlie home from the hospital. During his stay, he and Lucy missed the Hall of Fame induction of Kale at Los Gatos High, where he starred in football and track.
"That's our only regret," Lucy said. "Otherwise, so far, so good. The dialysis machine is running. Charlie is holding his own and anxious to get out for fall football. He also promised to take me to the movies to see 'Mamma Mia!' And it's like Charlie says - when all else fails, he can always call Dr. Wedemeyer."
Sort of like us, don't you think? When any of us is having a tough day, we can call on our own personal picture of Charlie. Ready for some football again tonight. Right on schedule.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Last Day of Summer *sigh*
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
After spending Monday and Tuesday in the classroom, cleaning and organizing and putting paper and borders up (that has got to be the most tedious, time-consuming task), I decided that for my LAST DAY OF SUMMER *sigh*, I should take the day off and actually enjoy it with some friends.
So, Chase and I met Miya and Taiga, as well as Tracy and 3 month old Wade, at the mall. We enjoyed salads and pita bread. Chase had fun visiting with his buddy Taiga (They held hands and walked around) and admiring baby Wade's cool toys on his carseat. We talked baby talk. Ran into a bunch of other friends with their babies during Toddler Time with an art class going on (where I saw a high school classmate with her kids) and a coworker with her month old baby coming out of the Crybaby Matinee movie (I wish I had known...I would have loved to see "Mamma Mia" with them!). Also ran into another high school/college classmate with her 5 week old girl! Geez, it was just baby central today!
Since Chase wouldn't go down for a morning nap, he knocked out for a bit while we did stroller laps around the mall. But, of course he soon woke up as we ran into so many people. By the end of the afternoon, I had run into coworker friends who were on their lunch break from working in their classrooms..so of course we talked shop. *sigh* again
Played and visited with Auntie Stevi when we got home. Talked about how this is out last day of summer (as she works at an elementary school too) and wished each other a happy evening....*sigh*
Back to the grind tomorrow (At least the tendonitis in my wrist is getting better...now that I went to an orthopaedic doc, I know what to call it. But now I'm feeling a sore back and a pain in my neck. Geez I'm just falling apart. Must be the thought of school starting again.). At least it's a work day tomorrow, no kids or meetings. But, still....bye bye summer....*sigh*
After spending Monday and Tuesday in the classroom, cleaning and organizing and putting paper and borders up (that has got to be the most tedious, time-consuming task), I decided that for my LAST DAY OF SUMMER *sigh*, I should take the day off and actually enjoy it with some friends.
So, Chase and I met Miya and Taiga, as well as Tracy and 3 month old Wade, at the mall. We enjoyed salads and pita bread. Chase had fun visiting with his buddy Taiga (They held hands and walked around) and admiring baby Wade's cool toys on his carseat. We talked baby talk. Ran into a bunch of other friends with their babies during Toddler Time with an art class going on (where I saw a high school classmate with her kids) and a coworker with her month old baby coming out of the Crybaby Matinee movie (I wish I had known...I would have loved to see "Mamma Mia" with them!). Also ran into another high school/college classmate with her 5 week old girl! Geez, it was just baby central today!
Since Chase wouldn't go down for a morning nap, he knocked out for a bit while we did stroller laps around the mall. But, of course he soon woke up as we ran into so many people. By the end of the afternoon, I had run into coworker friends who were on their lunch break from working in their classrooms..so of course we talked shop. *sigh* again
Played and visited with Auntie Stevi when we got home. Talked about how this is out last day of summer (as she works at an elementary school too) and wished each other a happy evening....*sigh*
Back to the grind tomorrow (At least the tendonitis in my wrist is getting better...now that I went to an orthopaedic doc, I know what to call it. But now I'm feeling a sore back and a pain in my neck. Geez I'm just falling apart. Must be the thought of school starting again.). At least it's a work day tomorrow, no kids or meetings. But, still....bye bye summer....*sigh*
Friday, July 18, 2008
Stacy's Back!
Friday, 18 July 2008
Peeked inside my new classroom. I've moved from D19A to E30 and now I will be in D16. A little bit closer to the center of campus and to the library. I got the key from the new room, turned in the old key, and will prepare to set up the room now. What fun! (I'm just kidding really.)
Had lunch with Kai and Stacy (YEAH! Stacy and Ryan made the big move back to Hawai'i from Seattle this past weekend.) at Neiman Marcus because the line at Nordstrom's Cafe was too long. They shopped for cosmetics at the Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale, while I tried to entertain a tired Chase. I gave in and nursed him at one point because he was just way too fussy. He's been tired all day, as he should be since he was fussy and woke up several times in the middle of the night, screaming, because he went to bed WAY too late. We ate gelato after lunch before we went our separate ways. Chase needed another nap!
I took Chase to Kahala Mall in the late afternoon to escape the heat and so he could crawl and "walk" around. He loved it! Whenever I would pick him up, he'd get angry. He's getting a bit fiesty this one. If he doesn't like something, he grabs at my face (and when I haven't cut his nails, that's not good). He pinches my skin and my lips and just laughs, arching his head back with a devilish laugh. That was a big no-no. Naughty boy I tell you.
Chris met us there after work and we drove to Costco to do some grocery shopping and had Taco Del Mar for dinner. Time for tired, fussy boy to go to sleep (and his parents too!).
Peeked inside my new classroom. I've moved from D19A to E30 and now I will be in D16. A little bit closer to the center of campus and to the library. I got the key from the new room, turned in the old key, and will prepare to set up the room now. What fun! (I'm just kidding really.)
Had lunch with Kai and Stacy (YEAH! Stacy and Ryan made the big move back to Hawai'i from Seattle this past weekend.) at Neiman Marcus because the line at Nordstrom's Cafe was too long. They shopped for cosmetics at the Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale, while I tried to entertain a tired Chase. I gave in and nursed him at one point because he was just way too fussy. He's been tired all day, as he should be since he was fussy and woke up several times in the middle of the night, screaming, because he went to bed WAY too late. We ate gelato after lunch before we went our separate ways. Chase needed another nap!
I took Chase to Kahala Mall in the late afternoon to escape the heat and so he could crawl and "walk" around. He loved it! Whenever I would pick him up, he'd get angry. He's getting a bit fiesty this one. If he doesn't like something, he grabs at my face (and when I haven't cut his nails, that's not good). He pinches my skin and my lips and just laughs, arching his head back with a devilish laugh. That was a big no-no. Naughty boy I tell you.
Chris met us there after work and we drove to Costco to do some grocery shopping and had Taco Del Mar for dinner. Time for tired, fussy boy to go to sleep (and his parents too!).
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The Rocky Horror Show...and then some
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Cancelled plans with friend Tracy and 2 1/2 month old baby Wade since Chase still has a runny nose. We'll get together next week instead. Ran errands with Chase: Home Depot to get sprinklers, banking, Ala Moana Shopping Center to return stuff, etc.
Date night tonight with Chris. Auntie Stevi watched Chase for the first time in a long time (in the evening that is - which means feeding him dinner and putting him to bed). Though we were put on the waiting list for a sold out Rocky Horror Show at Manoa Valley Theatre, we got in because "Rocky" works with Chris at HMSA, so he put us on the top of the list. Though it might not have been much of a "date" since we had to sit in different seats away from each other, we still both enjoyed the show.
Called during intermission at 8:45 pm to see if Chase was okay, and Uncle Gary told me he was still awake and happily playing..uh oh! Whenever he passes his 7-8 pm sleep time and is wired, that means he's gonna be up ALL night! Got home from the show a little after 10 pm, and they said he just fell asleep 10 - 15 minutes prior! He didn't even fuss, just played all night long! Yikes!
Glad he did so well with Auntie Stevi and Uncle Gary, but Chris and I both prepared for a sleepless night (guess our show of horror continues)...
Cancelled plans with friend Tracy and 2 1/2 month old baby Wade since Chase still has a runny nose. We'll get together next week instead. Ran errands with Chase: Home Depot to get sprinklers, banking, Ala Moana Shopping Center to return stuff, etc.
Date night tonight with Chris. Auntie Stevi watched Chase for the first time in a long time (in the evening that is - which means feeding him dinner and putting him to bed). Though we were put on the waiting list for a sold out Rocky Horror Show at Manoa Valley Theatre, we got in because "Rocky" works with Chris at HMSA, so he put us on the top of the list. Though it might not have been much of a "date" since we had to sit in different seats away from each other, we still both enjoyed the show.
Called during intermission at 8:45 pm to see if Chase was okay, and Uncle Gary told me he was still awake and happily playing..uh oh! Whenever he passes his 7-8 pm sleep time and is wired, that means he's gonna be up ALL night! Got home from the show a little after 10 pm, and they said he just fell asleep 10 - 15 minutes prior! He didn't even fuss, just played all night long! Yikes!
Glad he did so well with Auntie Stevi and Uncle Gary, but Chris and I both prepared for a sleepless night (guess our show of horror continues)...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Numb Arm Means Less Blogging
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Realized today after going to the doctor again and getting a referral to an orthopaedic doctor who's probably going to give me cortisone shots in my forearm next week, that I really shouldn't be typing and using my wrist so much because I just end up with numbness and pain down my arm. So, until I get a good mouse pad and keyboard pad and stop carrying the baby (ha!), I'm going to have to take it easy. No more internet surfing! (yeah right)
Met Suzette at Waialae Beach Park and gave her invitations I printed for her daughter's first birthday. Chase loved playing in the grass and walking around. Met the Halsalls at the Honolulu Zoo for the Wednesday "Wildest Show in Town". Had fun looking at the elephants, stopping Chase from going into other people's picnic areas, eating Vietnamese sandwiches, and drinking frappucinos, while enjoying the Hawaiian music in the background.
Realized today after going to the doctor again and getting a referral to an orthopaedic doctor who's probably going to give me cortisone shots in my forearm next week, that I really shouldn't be typing and using my wrist so much because I just end up with numbness and pain down my arm. So, until I get a good mouse pad and keyboard pad and stop carrying the baby (ha!), I'm going to have to take it easy. No more internet surfing! (yeah right)
Met Suzette at Waialae Beach Park and gave her invitations I printed for her daughter's first birthday. Chase loved playing in the grass and walking around. Met the Halsalls at the Honolulu Zoo for the Wednesday "Wildest Show in Town". Had fun looking at the elephants, stopping Chase from going into other people's picnic areas, eating Vietnamese sandwiches, and drinking frappucinos, while enjoying the Hawaiian music in the background.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Chase's First Steps
Monday, 14 July 2008
Last week, he took maybe 2 steps for the first time. Today, he took 8-10 steps at the Halsalls (He was going after a book we kept moving along the carpet.) This afternoon, I tried to have him show Auntie Stevi what he could do, but he refused to perform and only took about 3 steps, before falling down and crawling after his monkey. Then, at home, around 6 pm tonight, I decided to take a video of his first steps. I stood him up and tried to get him to walk towards me. But, he only took 3-4 steps before falling to the floor and resuming his one knee crawl. He repeated this twice. Finally, on the third attempt, I have no idea what compelled him to keep going, but he followed me and the video camera all the way from the living room (He actually fell down once, but picked himself right back up and kept on walking), down our hallway, and even turned the corner to go into his room! At that point, I was frantically moving away toys from the floor with one hand (video camera in the other hand) to see how much further he would go. But, once on the alphabet mats, he had had enough and fell to his butt. It was so exciting though! From pretty much no steps this past week/weekend to walking about 30 feet on his very own!
I have a feeling that by the end of the week, we'll be chasing Chase around the house...And the next level of babyproofing begins.
Last week, he took maybe 2 steps for the first time. Today, he took 8-10 steps at the Halsalls (He was going after a book we kept moving along the carpet.) This afternoon, I tried to have him show Auntie Stevi what he could do, but he refused to perform and only took about 3 steps, before falling down and crawling after his monkey. Then, at home, around 6 pm tonight, I decided to take a video of his first steps. I stood him up and tried to get him to walk towards me. But, he only took 3-4 steps before falling to the floor and resuming his one knee crawl. He repeated this twice. Finally, on the third attempt, I have no idea what compelled him to keep going, but he followed me and the video camera all the way from the living room (He actually fell down once, but picked himself right back up and kept on walking), down our hallway, and even turned the corner to go into his room! At that point, I was frantically moving away toys from the floor with one hand (video camera in the other hand) to see how much further he would go. But, once on the alphabet mats, he had had enough and fell to his butt. It was so exciting though! From pretty much no steps this past week/weekend to walking about 30 feet on his very own!
I have a feeling that by the end of the week, we'll be chasing Chase around the house...And the next level of babyproofing begins.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Runny Nose Baby
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Chase was super clingy today, partly because it was so hot outside and inside...also because his little cold was the worst today. His eyes were so puffy, red, and watery, and his nose was running each time he sneezed. At least he will drink whole milk out of the sippy cup and/or bottle now because I still have open wounds and am reluctant to nurse him without screaming. Chris went bike riding all afternoon, so Chase and I tried to hang out at the mall (but he was so fussy that I wasn't even there for 45 minutes...I just came back home). We got home and he played at Auntie Stevi's house like his normal, active self. Guess he just wanted to be home. He was so fussy in the bath though, and by the time Chris came home, wouldn't take a bottle from him. So, he just cried himself to sleep. Poor baby.
Chase was super clingy today, partly because it was so hot outside and inside...also because his little cold was the worst today. His eyes were so puffy, red, and watery, and his nose was running each time he sneezed. At least he will drink whole milk out of the sippy cup and/or bottle now because I still have open wounds and am reluctant to nurse him without screaming. Chris went bike riding all afternoon, so Chase and I tried to hang out at the mall (but he was so fussy that I wasn't even there for 45 minutes...I just came back home). We got home and he played at Auntie Stevi's house like his normal, active self. Guess he just wanted to be home. He was so fussy in the bath though, and by the time Chris came home, wouldn't take a bottle from him. So, he just cried himself to sleep. Poor baby.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Out and About
Saturday, 12 July 2008
We spent the entire day out today. ArtSpree at The Contemporary Art Musuem. Cool activities for kids - painting block prints, making clay sculptures and sculptures out of straws. Chase just wanted to hold and eat the clay. The activities might be better for him next year. Starbucks was giving away free lemonade slushes, which were so refreshing on this hot day. We sat in the shade on the lawn and watched circus acts, aerialists, and saw the kids get their faces painted. We browsed the galleries and listened to some singing from "Phantom of the Opera". We saw some really cool art from this gal from Seattle who cuts bicycle tire tubes and cuts and twists and layers the tubes into flowers and shapes and a whole room of sculptures. Pretty crazy. She said it took her 8-9 months to do. Ran into a friend and talked about her twin boys she's expecting via surrogacy. Mom, you would appreciate all the recycling/green bins they had all over the grounds. Had a nice lunch and left around 3 pm.
Went straight from one event to the next. Headed to Kapiolani Park for the Korean Festival for a few hours. Ate some kal bi, taegu, and kim chee, and watched amazing dancers in their beautiful costumes. Chase had fun climbing up the stairs on the bandstand. One of the most memorable parts of the festival was riding the Waikiki Trolley to and from the parking area to the park. It was nice and breezy, made us feel like tourists, and Chase loved waving and pointing at everything we passed. Speaking of which, he passed out by the time 6:30 pm rolled around.
It was a fun family day out and about. Chase has a little runny nose, but he still enjoyed the day.
We spent the entire day out today. ArtSpree at The Contemporary Art Musuem. Cool activities for kids - painting block prints, making clay sculptures and sculptures out of straws. Chase just wanted to hold and eat the clay. The activities might be better for him next year. Starbucks was giving away free lemonade slushes, which were so refreshing on this hot day. We sat in the shade on the lawn and watched circus acts, aerialists, and saw the kids get their faces painted. We browsed the galleries and listened to some singing from "Phantom of the Opera". We saw some really cool art from this gal from Seattle who cuts bicycle tire tubes and cuts and twists and layers the tubes into flowers and shapes and a whole room of sculptures. Pretty crazy. She said it took her 8-9 months to do. Ran into a friend and talked about her twin boys she's expecting via surrogacy. Mom, you would appreciate all the recycling/green bins they had all over the grounds. Had a nice lunch and left around 3 pm.
Went straight from one event to the next. Headed to Kapiolani Park for the Korean Festival for a few hours. Ate some kal bi, taegu, and kim chee, and watched amazing dancers in their beautiful costumes. Chase had fun climbing up the stairs on the bandstand. One of the most memorable parts of the festival was riding the Waikiki Trolley to and from the parking area to the park. It was nice and breezy, made us feel like tourists, and Chase loved waving and pointing at everything we passed. Speaking of which, he passed out by the time 6:30 pm rolled around.
It was a fun family day out and about. Chase has a little runny nose, but he still enjoyed the day.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Chase's New Things
Friday, 11 July 2008
I stopped by the classroom after I dropped Chase off at the Halsalls, but noticed that the custodians have not started moving my stuff yet (and by the end of the day, when I stopped by again, they still hadn't moved anything). Chris and I worked hard Wednesday night to get things packed up, and I finished the rest yesterday. Guess I won't be setting up my classroom this weekend.
I spent the morning writing thank you notes for Chase's presents (next year, that'll be his job -- ha ha!). I cut paper with my fancy scissors, which was a mistake. My wrist and forearm are hurting now. I tweaked it even further moving boxes in my closet tonight. Now my hand is tingling. Not good.
We kept Chase out until about 8:30 pm tonight, way past his bedtime. Mommy and Daddy were a bit selfish and spent a couple of hours shopping at the Oakley sample sale. Chris is an Oakley junkie, thanks to his part-time job at McCully Bike. I'm not much of one, but for some reason, I always manage to find something to buy. 5 bucks for a shirt here, 20 bucks for a bikini, 25 bucks for a bag...well, you know, it just seems to all add up. Found some good buys and chatted with a lot of his bike friends.
Chase was fussy by the time we got home - nursed him and went straight to bed.
He's been so funny and energetic this week. He's into pointing at things with his pointer finger, especially when he wants something in particular. Tonight, when I was feeding him, I said something about Grandpa, and he waved. Then he pointed towards the living room. I asked, "Are you saying hi to Grandpa?" And he waved again. He kept pointing. Who knows if he really saw him?
His new "words":
"done" ...If he starts throwing food or is rubbing his eyes, I'll tell him he's "all done", and I'll sign "done" and he'll say "done"
"down"....I guess I ask him a lot if he wants to get down from his high chair after he's done eating, and he'll say "down" if he wants to, or even if we're playing up high on the couch and he wants to play on the floor, he'll ask to get "down". (odd I know, when he cannot even say "dad" yet.)
"buh"...He still calls his bird friends "buh".
"duh"....for duck (He loves playing with and sucking on the rubber duckies in the bath.)
His favorite pasttimes:
* blowing bubbles when drinking a glass of water or milk
* throwing balls (Today he had fun rolling a ball down the stairs and throwing it up the stairs to Nana and Popsicle)
* watching birds
* swimming and splashing in the water
* pointing and smiling and saying hi/babbling to babies in photographs (our friends' kids all over our refrigerator) and even babies in magazines and on the YoBaby containers
His favorite foods at the moment:
* bread (including bagels)
* crackers
* cheese (He loves the Cabot snack cheese.)
* yogurt
* noodles
* cheerios
His favorite toys at the moment:
* a pair of shoes (He loves to stack shoes on shelves and play with them, but only in pairs)
* a monkey stuffed animal (He loves how soft it is and will lay his head down on it...so cute!)
* pinwheels (He loves holding them and watching them spin round and round)
* little stuffed animals he can hold in his hand (We got some of these from IKEA and he just loves them because they fit right in the palm of his hand)
* any kind of ball
* nesting blocks
* The Tiny Tadpole book - a Scholastic Little Readers picture book I bought from a school book fair this year (He just loves when Daddy reads it to him and after he gets to the end, will take the book and hand it right back to him to read it again!)
Finally, this week, he has begun sleeping through the night! WOO HOO! (It only took a year!) He's just so energetic and so darn tired. Sometimes I'll nurse him before bedtime, but not always. He's in his crib by 7:30 - 8 pm, and he wakes up at 6 am. The only thing is he used to wake up and play in his crib for about half an hour. Now, he wakes up and just protests and wants to me to come get him right away to nurse. Guess he's hungry. We've noticed that we need to feed him earlier for dinner, starting at around 5:30 pm. He's like me: he'll graze and take awhile to eat but he will eat a lot. He'll sleep better with a full tummy of course. If we feed him too late, and he's too tired to make it through the meal, he'll just go to sleep hungrier. And then he'll wake up in the middle of the night, and I'll have to nurse him.
So, we're still learning, but at least I know that he IS capable of sleeping through the night. Just give him a full tummy and tire him out and he'll be good till morning.
I stopped by the classroom after I dropped Chase off at the Halsalls, but noticed that the custodians have not started moving my stuff yet (and by the end of the day, when I stopped by again, they still hadn't moved anything). Chris and I worked hard Wednesday night to get things packed up, and I finished the rest yesterday. Guess I won't be setting up my classroom this weekend.
I spent the morning writing thank you notes for Chase's presents (next year, that'll be his job -- ha ha!). I cut paper with my fancy scissors, which was a mistake. My wrist and forearm are hurting now. I tweaked it even further moving boxes in my closet tonight. Now my hand is tingling. Not good.
We kept Chase out until about 8:30 pm tonight, way past his bedtime. Mommy and Daddy were a bit selfish and spent a couple of hours shopping at the Oakley sample sale. Chris is an Oakley junkie, thanks to his part-time job at McCully Bike. I'm not much of one, but for some reason, I always manage to find something to buy. 5 bucks for a shirt here, 20 bucks for a bikini, 25 bucks for a bag...well, you know, it just seems to all add up. Found some good buys and chatted with a lot of his bike friends.
Chase was fussy by the time we got home - nursed him and went straight to bed.
He's been so funny and energetic this week. He's into pointing at things with his pointer finger, especially when he wants something in particular. Tonight, when I was feeding him, I said something about Grandpa, and he waved. Then he pointed towards the living room. I asked, "Are you saying hi to Grandpa?" And he waved again. He kept pointing. Who knows if he really saw him?
His new "words":
"done" ...If he starts throwing food or is rubbing his eyes, I'll tell him he's "all done", and I'll sign "done" and he'll say "done"
"down"....I guess I ask him a lot if he wants to get down from his high chair after he's done eating, and he'll say "down" if he wants to, or even if we're playing up high on the couch and he wants to play on the floor, he'll ask to get "down". (odd I know, when he cannot even say "dad" yet.)
"buh"...He still calls his bird friends "buh".
"duh"....for duck (He loves playing with and sucking on the rubber duckies in the bath.)
His favorite pasttimes:
* blowing bubbles when drinking a glass of water or milk
* throwing balls (Today he had fun rolling a ball down the stairs and throwing it up the stairs to Nana and Popsicle)
* watching birds
* swimming and splashing in the water
* pointing and smiling and saying hi/babbling to babies in photographs (our friends' kids all over our refrigerator) and even babies in magazines and on the YoBaby containers
His favorite foods at the moment:
* bread (including bagels)
* crackers
* cheese (He loves the Cabot snack cheese.)
* yogurt
* noodles
* cheerios
His favorite toys at the moment:
* a pair of shoes (He loves to stack shoes on shelves and play with them, but only in pairs)
* a monkey stuffed animal (He loves how soft it is and will lay his head down on it...so cute!)
* pinwheels (He loves holding them and watching them spin round and round)
* little stuffed animals he can hold in his hand (We got some of these from IKEA and he just loves them because they fit right in the palm of his hand)
* any kind of ball
* nesting blocks
* The Tiny Tadpole book - a Scholastic Little Readers picture book I bought from a school book fair this year (He just loves when Daddy reads it to him and after he gets to the end, will take the book and hand it right back to him to read it again!)
Finally, this week, he has begun sleeping through the night! WOO HOO! (It only took a year!) He's just so energetic and so darn tired. Sometimes I'll nurse him before bedtime, but not always. He's in his crib by 7:30 - 8 pm, and he wakes up at 6 am. The only thing is he used to wake up and play in his crib for about half an hour. Now, he wakes up and just protests and wants to me to come get him right away to nurse. Guess he's hungry. We've noticed that we need to feed him earlier for dinner, starting at around 5:30 pm. He's like me: he'll graze and take awhile to eat but he will eat a lot. He'll sleep better with a full tummy of course. If we feed him too late, and he's too tired to make it through the meal, he'll just go to sleep hungrier. And then he'll wake up in the middle of the night, and I'll have to nurse him.
So, we're still learning, but at least I know that he IS capable of sleeping through the night. Just give him a full tummy and tire him out and he'll be good till morning.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Foster Botanical Garden
Thursday, 10 July 2008
Picked Chris up from work, and we took Vietnamese take out to the Foster Botanical Garden for their Twilight Summer Concert Series. We set up our mats on the grass, among all the other kids and families. Chase had fun watching other kiddos play with their monster trucks and run around. We listened to a kids' group sing songs from "Seussical the Musical" and a Celtic group of bagpipers. Chase enjoyed eating and playing with noodles and loved his bagel. It was a nice family event. We walked around afterwards, through the gardens and by the big huge trees.
And the nicest part was that Chase was home, bathed, and to bed by 8 pm!
Picked Chris up from work, and we took Vietnamese take out to the Foster Botanical Garden for their Twilight Summer Concert Series. We set up our mats on the grass, among all the other kids and families. Chase had fun watching other kiddos play with their monster trucks and run around. We listened to a kids' group sing songs from "Seussical the Musical" and a Celtic group of bagpipers. Chase enjoyed eating and playing with noodles and loved his bagel. It was a nice family event. We walked around afterwards, through the gardens and by the big huge trees.
And the nicest part was that Chase was home, bathed, and to bed by 8 pm!
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Injuries
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
After a visit to the doctor yesterday to check my swollen wrist, I am now donning a lovely wrist guard on my right hand/forearm. I don't have carpal tunnel, but I did injure my tendon in the wrist, perhaps due to using the computer mouse in a continuous circular motion. The tingling sensation is moving down my forearm as I find it difficult to rest my right hand when carrying Chase, taking him in and out of the carseat, and changing his diaper. It's hard not to use my dominant hand when I have a baby. I cannot spread my fingers wide open or carry anything that puts weight on that hand, otherwise it feels like I'm stretching the muscle out and pulling it. So, I'm probably making it worse, but am taking Motrin three times a day and wearing the brace 24/7. If it doesn't improve in a week or two, I may have to see a hand specialist to see if I tore the tendon.
I'm still trying to go into school and pack up my class and move boxes. Today, I took it easy and organized my desk and files. I need Chris to help me type a lot of the thank you cards because even writing and typing is straining on my hand. I try to avoid Chase jumping and climbing on my arm, but that's pretty much impossible for the monkey boy. We hung out at the mall this afternoon to get out of the 90 degree heat. I let him crawl around on the carpet for awhile, as people commented on his cute crawl (of course he only got one leg dirty), until I got tired of chasing him around and trying to pick him up with my left arm.
He was very active and happy at both our house, Auntie Stevi's and the Halsall's, despite his fall this afternoon with Popsicle as they were playing " Catch Me" up the stairs. Chris' dad tripped up the cement stairs, and they both fell (he was carrying Chase) and Chase hit his head on the cement. But, after his initial cry (more because of shock than because of injury), he was fine. Guess he's just got a hard head...and now, they won't be playing that game anymore!
Chase was so active this afternoon that he went into a laughing fit when Daddy was tickling him after getting home from successfully bike commuting to work. He struggled to get through dinner he was so tired (Chase not Chris) and fell asleep on the changing table before he was put in crib at 7:30 pm.
After a visit to the doctor yesterday to check my swollen wrist, I am now donning a lovely wrist guard on my right hand/forearm. I don't have carpal tunnel, but I did injure my tendon in the wrist, perhaps due to using the computer mouse in a continuous circular motion. The tingling sensation is moving down my forearm as I find it difficult to rest my right hand when carrying Chase, taking him in and out of the carseat, and changing his diaper. It's hard not to use my dominant hand when I have a baby. I cannot spread my fingers wide open or carry anything that puts weight on that hand, otherwise it feels like I'm stretching the muscle out and pulling it. So, I'm probably making it worse, but am taking Motrin three times a day and wearing the brace 24/7. If it doesn't improve in a week or two, I may have to see a hand specialist to see if I tore the tendon.
I'm still trying to go into school and pack up my class and move boxes. Today, I took it easy and organized my desk and files. I need Chris to help me type a lot of the thank you cards because even writing and typing is straining on my hand. I try to avoid Chase jumping and climbing on my arm, but that's pretty much impossible for the monkey boy. We hung out at the mall this afternoon to get out of the 90 degree heat. I let him crawl around on the carpet for awhile, as people commented on his cute crawl (of course he only got one leg dirty), until I got tired of chasing him around and trying to pick him up with my left arm.
He was very active and happy at both our house, Auntie Stevi's and the Halsall's, despite his fall this afternoon with Popsicle as they were playing " Catch Me" up the stairs. Chris' dad tripped up the cement stairs, and they both fell (he was carrying Chase) and Chase hit his head on the cement. But, after his initial cry (more because of shock than because of injury), he was fine. Guess he's just got a hard head...and now, they won't be playing that game anymore!
Chase was so active this afternoon that he went into a laughing fit when Daddy was tickling him after getting home from successfully bike commuting to work. He struggled to get through dinner he was so tired (Chase not Chris) and fell asleep on the changing table before he was put in crib at 7:30 pm.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
A Family Day At The Beach
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Chase surprisingly slept in until 7:30 this morning, so alas, I missed yoga. I wanted to go to North Shore today to spend the day at my friend's beach house, but Chris had to finish some projects around the house and we weren't really prepared to go, nor did we have the time to travel there and back. I was getting cabin fever though and needed to get out of the heat of the house. We ended up spending the afternoon at Magic Island-Ala Moana Beach. Chase tried out his new turtle floater from Aunty Shelly and Uncle Jay. He wasn't too active in the water. He was either tired or hungry because he's been deprived of the boob. After he ate some food, he perked up a bit. We got Waiola's shave ice afterwards - always a nice treat after the beach! Cleaned up at home and then headed to the Halsalls for steak dinner. Talk about being hungry (must have been the sun and all that playing in the water)- I ate about half a bowl of boiled peanuts, a huge steak, a chicken breast, a huge baked potato, a corn on the cob, a salad, AND had a big slice of chocolate haupia pie for dessert. I'm suffering now because my stomach is SO full and bloated. I think I overate. Chase had fun playing in his familiar territory with all of his toys and the birds. And we had fun MAKING FUN of Chris and his obnoxiously loud and bright bike clothes (all on sale he says - and yeah, sometimes there's a REASON clothes are on sale...) that he pulled out of the closet to wear this week when he starts biking to work. He says they're so obnoxious so that people can see him on the road. You couldn't even pay me to wear those clothes! Or those glasses. But, poor Chase, we had to take a picture of him wearing Daddy's glasses. Got home close to 8:30 pm and promptly put the sleepy head to bed. It sure was nice to have a "family" day today. Can't remember the last time Chris, Chase, and I went out and did something. Will have to do something fun again next weekend. My days are numbered as the start of the new school year is right around the corner!
Chase surprisingly slept in until 7:30 this morning, so alas, I missed yoga. I wanted to go to North Shore today to spend the day at my friend's beach house, but Chris had to finish some projects around the house and we weren't really prepared to go, nor did we have the time to travel there and back. I was getting cabin fever though and needed to get out of the heat of the house. We ended up spending the afternoon at Magic Island-Ala Moana Beach. Chase tried out his new turtle floater from Aunty Shelly and Uncle Jay. He wasn't too active in the water. He was either tired or hungry because he's been deprived of the boob. After he ate some food, he perked up a bit. We got Waiola's shave ice afterwards - always a nice treat after the beach! Cleaned up at home and then headed to the Halsalls for steak dinner. Talk about being hungry (must have been the sun and all that playing in the water)- I ate about half a bowl of boiled peanuts, a huge steak, a chicken breast, a huge baked potato, a corn on the cob, a salad, AND had a big slice of chocolate haupia pie for dessert. I'm suffering now because my stomach is SO full and bloated. I think I overate. Chase had fun playing in his familiar territory with all of his toys and the birds. And we had fun MAKING FUN of Chris and his obnoxiously loud and bright bike clothes (all on sale he says - and yeah, sometimes there's a REASON clothes are on sale...) that he pulled out of the closet to wear this week when he starts biking to work. He says they're so obnoxious so that people can see him on the road. You couldn't even pay me to wear those clothes! Or those glasses. But, poor Chase, we had to take a picture of him wearing Daddy's glasses. Got home close to 8:30 pm and promptly put the sleepy head to bed. It sure was nice to have a "family" day today. Can't remember the last time Chris, Chase, and I went out and did something. Will have to do something fun again next weekend. My days are numbered as the start of the new school year is right around the corner!
Saturday, July 05, 2008
No Boob!
Saturday, 5 July 2008
Last night was our first night of weaning, and although Chase woke up because of the fireworks, he actually didn't wake up for real until 5:30 this morning (which is a wee bit early actually). He wanted the boob right away of course, but couldn't because I knew how painful it would be. Off I went to 7 am yoga, leaving him with Chris to try a bottle if he needed. We had lots of pumped milk and whole milk.
When I got home, Chase still wanted the boob, but I didn't give in. I gave him a bottle instead, and to my surprise, after some moments of frustration, he actually took it! He drank about 5 ounces...He must have been so hungry! He hasn't sucked successfully from a bottle in 10 months! So, this weaning might not be as difficult as I thought. We'll see.
Chase spent the day at Nana's so that I could work on thank you notes and Chris and his dad could work on installing a window A/C in Chase's room. I had to pump a couple of times, and didn't pick Chase up until after 6 pm. He totally missed me and wanted the boob again, but I didn't give in. This time, he only drank a little milk from the sippy cup, but didn't take the bottle. I fed and bathed him and put him to bed. Tried to give him the bottle, but he only pushed it away. I tried to give him the boob, but it hurt too much, so I just put him to bed. He protested and cried and stood up in the crib, but after closing the door, he eventually went to sleep within 5 - 10 minutes. We'll see how long he sleeps tonight. I don't want to go cold turkey, but I'm just in such pain right now when he nurses that I cannot see myself allowing him to nurse again unless I'm healed. If he weren't teething and gnawing on everything in sight (including my boobs) I think it would be a different story. I don't mind nursing him in the middle of the night because he's not as violent pulling off when he's in a deep slumber. But, I still cringe every time. I know if he rips my flesh again, adding to my open wounds, I'm just going to scream!
Last night was our first night of weaning, and although Chase woke up because of the fireworks, he actually didn't wake up for real until 5:30 this morning (which is a wee bit early actually). He wanted the boob right away of course, but couldn't because I knew how painful it would be. Off I went to 7 am yoga, leaving him with Chris to try a bottle if he needed. We had lots of pumped milk and whole milk.
When I got home, Chase still wanted the boob, but I didn't give in. I gave him a bottle instead, and to my surprise, after some moments of frustration, he actually took it! He drank about 5 ounces...He must have been so hungry! He hasn't sucked successfully from a bottle in 10 months! So, this weaning might not be as difficult as I thought. We'll see.
Chase spent the day at Nana's so that I could work on thank you notes and Chris and his dad could work on installing a window A/C in Chase's room. I had to pump a couple of times, and didn't pick Chase up until after 6 pm. He totally missed me and wanted the boob again, but I didn't give in. This time, he only drank a little milk from the sippy cup, but didn't take the bottle. I fed and bathed him and put him to bed. Tried to give him the bottle, but he only pushed it away. I tried to give him the boob, but it hurt too much, so I just put him to bed. He protested and cried and stood up in the crib, but after closing the door, he eventually went to sleep within 5 - 10 minutes. We'll see how long he sleeps tonight. I don't want to go cold turkey, but I'm just in such pain right now when he nurses that I cannot see myself allowing him to nurse again unless I'm healed. If he weren't teething and gnawing on everything in sight (including my boobs) I think it would be a different story. I don't mind nursing him in the middle of the night because he's not as violent pulling off when he's in a deep slumber. But, I still cringe every time. I know if he rips my flesh again, adding to my open wounds, I'm just going to scream!
Friday, July 04, 2008
Happy 4th!
Friday, 4 July 2008
For the past few nights, we've been putting Chase down to bed without nursing him. He's been so tired that he's actually doing fine without it. Sometimes I'll wake up and "dream nurse" him in the middle of the night (because I'm engorged), but he goes right back to sleep. Today I decided to lay off the breastfeeding in an effort to wean him from the boob because all week long he's been biting me, dragging his teeth off, and in the process, cutting me so that I bleed. It's super painful and not comfortable at all. It stings and I just cringe when he's nursing. So, we've tried to introduce whole milk in a sippy cup this week. He kind of drinks it. But, he still wants the boob of course. I brought out the pump again from the closet and have been pumping so we can give it to him instead.
The past couple of days, I got stuff loaded and delivered for the ALS Support Group garage sale. Yesterday and today, Chase and I went to help out. Yesterday, we sorted through clothes and helped hang them on the racks. I was only as productive as Chase would let me be, as he kept wanting to crawl on the hot concrete driveway. We ate lunch and talked story with Chester, a full-blooded Hawaiian guy who was just recently diagnosed with ALS. He still is very active and can still walk (and move furniture!). He asked me about my dad's progression and stages and what he is to expect as far as losing his ability to walk, feed himself, talk, breathe, etc. It's so different for each person, but I think it gave him more of an idea of what to expect. He has a good, positive attitude though and has accepted his fate. He knows he is going to die, and is taking this time to enjoy life and travel with his wife and kids in the coming months.
My wrist has been hurting for the past couple of weeks. It just felt like a bruise at first, but now, there's tingling and I feel like I pulled a muscle of something. I've never had it before, but perhaps I have carpal tunnel. I'm now wearing a brace on my right wrist because it hurts so much to carry Chase in and out of the car seat, and I cannot even spread my fingers all the way without straining. Should probably go see a doctor and get it checked out next week.
After we dropped off another load of stuff in Kailua (Chris stayed home sick), we met Joel for lunch at Teddy's Burgers. He treated me to a burger and fries and played with Chase, who of course, was mesmerized by the birds. By the time we finished lunch, it was too late to find a beach to go to (with all the party revelers getting ready for the fireworks shows all over town). So, we just headed home and Chase played in the pool in the yard. He had fun entertaining himself with all his water toys, while Aunty Stevi, Uncle Gary, Chris, and I watched him. Chase's newest thing: He took 2 steps unaided to Aunty Stevi! I didn't see it (of course I missed a first again!), but she showed me after, and sure enough he took 2 steps to her!).
Chris went to bed early because he wasn't feeling well. I stayed up to watch the fireworks from the lanai. And, though, Chase went to bed easily without nursing, he woke up at 10 pm from the loud explosions in the valley. He was scared, and I had to carry him and have him fall asleep on me for awhile before I could put him back in the crib. No nursing though!
For the past few nights, we've been putting Chase down to bed without nursing him. He's been so tired that he's actually doing fine without it. Sometimes I'll wake up and "dream nurse" him in the middle of the night (because I'm engorged), but he goes right back to sleep. Today I decided to lay off the breastfeeding in an effort to wean him from the boob because all week long he's been biting me, dragging his teeth off, and in the process, cutting me so that I bleed. It's super painful and not comfortable at all. It stings and I just cringe when he's nursing. So, we've tried to introduce whole milk in a sippy cup this week. He kind of drinks it. But, he still wants the boob of course. I brought out the pump again from the closet and have been pumping so we can give it to him instead.
The past couple of days, I got stuff loaded and delivered for the ALS Support Group garage sale. Yesterday and today, Chase and I went to help out. Yesterday, we sorted through clothes and helped hang them on the racks. I was only as productive as Chase would let me be, as he kept wanting to crawl on the hot concrete driveway. We ate lunch and talked story with Chester, a full-blooded Hawaiian guy who was just recently diagnosed with ALS. He still is very active and can still walk (and move furniture!). He asked me about my dad's progression and stages and what he is to expect as far as losing his ability to walk, feed himself, talk, breathe, etc. It's so different for each person, but I think it gave him more of an idea of what to expect. He has a good, positive attitude though and has accepted his fate. He knows he is going to die, and is taking this time to enjoy life and travel with his wife and kids in the coming months.
My wrist has been hurting for the past couple of weeks. It just felt like a bruise at first, but now, there's tingling and I feel like I pulled a muscle of something. I've never had it before, but perhaps I have carpal tunnel. I'm now wearing a brace on my right wrist because it hurts so much to carry Chase in and out of the car seat, and I cannot even spread my fingers all the way without straining. Should probably go see a doctor and get it checked out next week.
After we dropped off another load of stuff in Kailua (Chris stayed home sick), we met Joel for lunch at Teddy's Burgers. He treated me to a burger and fries and played with Chase, who of course, was mesmerized by the birds. By the time we finished lunch, it was too late to find a beach to go to (with all the party revelers getting ready for the fireworks shows all over town). So, we just headed home and Chase played in the pool in the yard. He had fun entertaining himself with all his water toys, while Aunty Stevi, Uncle Gary, Chris, and I watched him. Chase's newest thing: He took 2 steps unaided to Aunty Stevi! I didn't see it (of course I missed a first again!), but she showed me after, and sure enough he took 2 steps to her!).
Chris went to bed early because he wasn't feeling well. I stayed up to watch the fireworks from the lanai. And, though, Chase went to bed easily without nursing, he woke up at 10 pm from the loud explosions in the valley. He was scared, and I had to carry him and have him fall asleep on me for awhile before I could put him back in the crib. No nursing though!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
12 Month Well Check
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Chase had his 12 month well check-up today. The poor thing got poked in the finger to do a blood test (he hated when the nurse had to squeeze his finger to fill 2 vials worth of blood), plus he got a shot in each limb - TB, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, and Hepatitis A vaccines. He had bandaids on each arm and each leg. Chris actually had to restrain him so that he wouldn't grab the needles. He cried, and of course he pulled the bandaid off of his finger within seconds, so that blood was squirting all over. The doctor had to regauze and tape up his finger (which he later pulled off in the afternoon by biting on it and yanking it off with his hand). But, the shots didn't bother him after (doc told us he wouldn't get feverish with these), and he was right because Chase was just as active as ever in the afternoon.
Chase has a clean bill of health, and although still lean and mean, weighing in at only 17 lbs, 14 oz. (less than 3rd percentile), is 28 1/2 inches long (10th percentile), and his head circumference measures 46 1/4 cm (50th percentile - no wonder we've been having difficulty getting shirts over his head lately...his head grew!). His blood test turned out fine, no signs of anemia, so we can start whole milk now.
We always have fun talking to Dr. Sia, who ran into Chris at McCully Bike last night (turns out he's a regular there for shoes). We'll have our next checkup at 15 months, at which time Chase will "officially" be considered at toddler.
,
After I bought tickets for our California trip in October, we spent the hot afternoon at the cooler house Auntie Stevi's. It's so much cooler there than our house.
I went to yoga tonight for the first time in a week or two. Even though I had to drag myself to class, I was so glad that I went. I felt much better afterwards.
Chase had his 12 month well check-up today. The poor thing got poked in the finger to do a blood test (he hated when the nurse had to squeeze his finger to fill 2 vials worth of blood), plus he got a shot in each limb - TB, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, and Hepatitis A vaccines. He had bandaids on each arm and each leg. Chris actually had to restrain him so that he wouldn't grab the needles. He cried, and of course he pulled the bandaid off of his finger within seconds, so that blood was squirting all over. The doctor had to regauze and tape up his finger (which he later pulled off in the afternoon by biting on it and yanking it off with his hand). But, the shots didn't bother him after (doc told us he wouldn't get feverish with these), and he was right because Chase was just as active as ever in the afternoon.
Chase has a clean bill of health, and although still lean and mean, weighing in at only 17 lbs, 14 oz. (less than 3rd percentile), is 28 1/2 inches long (10th percentile), and his head circumference measures 46 1/4 cm (50th percentile - no wonder we've been having difficulty getting shirts over his head lately...his head grew!). His blood test turned out fine, no signs of anemia, so we can start whole milk now.
We always have fun talking to Dr. Sia, who ran into Chris at McCully Bike last night (turns out he's a regular there for shoes). We'll have our next checkup at 15 months, at which time Chase will "officially" be considered at toddler.
,
After I bought tickets for our California trip in October, we spent the hot afternoon at the cooler house Auntie Stevi's. It's so much cooler there than our house.
I went to yoga tonight for the first time in a week or two. Even though I had to drag myself to class, I was so glad that I went. I felt much better afterwards.
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