January Happennings

Li:

Thursday morning 1/29/09, we got up early (baby, Makana or Li must have been up....probably not Katie or I as we could sleep well through morning!!). I mentioned that we might try to go to storytime at the library if we wanted to. Everyone wanted to go, so we got ready. I always say I will TRY as if baby cries, we just come back in the house and make a different attempt to go out at a different time. The baby began crying when I put him in. I thought he might settle down if I try to nurse him while he was in his seat as I recalled that working with the other kids. So I gave it a shot and it worked. As I was in the way back of the van leaning over the baby nursing, Li said that he knew I was trying to get us all to the library and that he really appreciated it. Wow! So appreciative of him. So kind to say. I love that he felt that way and that he expressed it to me! :)

We were upstairs getting ready to come down and Li was going to help me carry something downstairs. We ended up putting my big, pink water bottle on Grandma's old hope chest. It spilled. Li felt sincerely bad about knocking the mug over as he knows how much it means to me. (It used to be my Grandma's and I loved her so!!) Li exclaimed how sorry he was and said, "What can I do?!" Wow again!! I wanted to cry I felt so bad for him. I was surprised that he cared so much and felt empathy for me. I care so much for Li!! We got some towels and wiped up the water.

Li thought he was making breastmilk because his shirt was wet in the front just like mine gets when I leak. He said he had leaked down the front of his shirt once before too. In a kind way I told him I thought it was spilled water probably. He is nurturing and I think he wishes he could nurse or care for baby more. When he mentioned that he thought he might be making milk, he referred to the article I told him about from The Complete Mother magazine where there was a man who actually made milk. Ever since I told him about that article (which was years ago!!), he brings it up occasionally and must think he too can make milk.

Makana:

Says "Oh by gosh/God!" instead of "Oh my gosh/God!"
Calls the computer a "puter"
Calls Li "We" (replaces L's with a W sound...love sounds like "wuv.")

On Thursday night (1/29/09), I was talking to Makana saying she was my buddy and that we were all buddies. She must have thought I said "bunny" instead of "buddy" as she exclaimed that yes, we were all bunnies!

Kana IS an exhuberant three and a half year old wonderful girl. She loves to have fun. She is very polite most of the time (by her own doing - we don't say "say please/thank you!") and has always been. There are times just recently when she demands in a nasty voice or reiterates her requests in a sassy demanding way - "I said I WANT more water!" I state that she can just ask in a regular voice or I prefer to be asked in a kinder tone. I think we mentioned one of those times that people are more willing to help others when they are asked nicely. She then usually repeats her request or statement in a regular voice. I'd be willing to do what she needs anyway, but I do want to share with her how most others in our culture wish to be asked for things.

Kanoa -
MORE BABY SOUNDS/VOCALIZATIONS
Holds head up more
Still loves to look at my face (think he likes the contrast of my dark hair and light complection/skin tone, but sometimes I do catch him gazing at my whole face which is SO nice...usually when I am preoccupied..and then I lok back at him and say, "I love to look at you so much too! I love you!" And we stare at each other and keep falling in love....ahhhh.I do love being a mommy!

Since birth, he looks often at the dark floral border by our bedroom ceiling - just like Kana did.

He has that same big eyed crazy expression like Katie used to get...just noticing that towards the last days of January.

Since the end of January we are noticing that he is awake for longer periods at a time. Especially alert when he first awakes in the morning.

More and more smilie!! Began doing so mid Jan.

Going to bed a bit earlier some nights and up earlier some days.


super pooper - wE ARE ALL SUPERHEROS!
more hair in back
smiling
gassy at night a bit
same clicking/not latched on well spoiund that kana made
having baby newborn kanoa helps me remember how precious each of my children are NOW and to appreciate each moment as they grow so fast and I cherished each of them when they were babies and still do

1/27/09 - Li's first tennis lesson at the MRC. My first outing for a homeschool event with baby. Went alright! Katie is a big help carrying the diaper bag or holding Makana's hand as we go in/out of places!! Thank you SO SO much Katie!! Katie ended up going home with the Speno's and cleaning and organizing toys and such and earned ten dollars! She was so pleased. And she enjoyed herself as well!

1/30/09 - Friday - Actually went out to Carolyn's for sledding! It was a bright and mild day in the low 30's and I bundled up baby and took a chance driving all the way to Warren. Baby slept - good thing because I got lost and it took a long time to find Carolyn's house. Spent most of the afternoon there too. Kids had a blast. The older boys like Justin and Jacob, etc were so good at snowboarding! Bet Li will get into that someday! Seems right up his alley. (Will make me nervous, but I bet Li will enjoy it and will be good at it and maybe I can learn from him how to do it too! Or we can learn together! It looks like fun! Although I hate the idea of my legs being strapped onto a board. Think surfing is more my kind of thing as I have freedom to move my legs as I see fit and I am in warmer waters!)

1/30/09 Friday night to early Sat 1/31/09: Katie and I had stayed up late on Friday night. Daddy and Kana and Li were sleeping. After watching Family Guy, we were heading up the stairs and it was around midnight or so. Thought baby would go to sleep, that is why we headed up and Katie had wanted to hang out with me. We love talking alot when it is just the two of us...whether in bed or downstairs. It is so nice! Anyway, as we were going upstairs, we heard someone vomiting. Turns out it was Li standing over the toilet bowl heaving loads of vomit! He didn't know enough or was in the right frame of mind to even think of going lower to get it in the toilet, but hey, I was so glad it was in the bathroom instead of all over the bed or carpet!! He had had some diahrea and loads of stinky gas that week, but I never really thought he was "sick." Ugh. Katie began the first of over a week of freaking out about getting the stomach virus (throwing up...she HATES that!!). Jim, who awoke when we came upstairs, stood there with me and sort of watched Li throw up. I remember that I gave Jim the baby and got Li in the shower and began cleaning up ...in places I never imagined that throwup would get into. Li ended up not recalling the whole event. He finally said he only sort of remembered it a little. He didn't even remember going into the shower. He had been SO out of it. And Li is such a sound sleeper. If an earthquake came, he might not even wake up. He is OUT when he sleeps! We got Li back in bed and reassured him and gave him water and he went right back to sleep with a throwup bowl near him. He never threw up again.

Saturday 1/31/09 - Jim and I began to feel pretty bad. Were we getting the stomach virus? Li felt pretty well thank goodness. He was on the mend!