My Life is Good!

You have to say the title like Nacho Libre.  Youtube it.  It's the scene where he's telling the kids, "I get to sleep in a bed alone, all my life, FANTASTIC... My Life is good."  Here's why:

I went to Chantel's baby shower last night with Nainoa.  DRAMA!!!  Just as they were about to bless the food Nainoa started to cry.  Poor little guy, he was so tired, but there was so much going on he couldn't sleep.  He got really upset after about 5 minutes and started to wail!  I felt so bad for him and I also felt a little embarrassed because all of the other mothers with babies looked like they were thinking, "Ha!"  Oh well.  I try not to care about what other people think but of course sometimes, okay a lot of times, I do care.  Sometimes I make things up in my head that I think other people are thinking of me.  Lol.  This is an easy one to shrug off.  It's actually really hilarious.

I've started a "routine" with Nainoa for bedtime that has been going pretty good so far.  Sometimes he gets really fussy when he's tired. I put him on the boob to help him calm down.  Once he relaxes I take him off and start singing, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."  In the last verse of the song I swaddle him and then I kiss him on the cheek and say, "Mommy loves you son."  I put him down into his bed and walk out of the room.  So far this approach has worked 4 times!  If I can get him to do it for a few days I plan on skipping the calming put-him-on-the-boob step and going on to the song and swaddle.  We'll see how that goes.

Here's a pic of Nainoa after I gave him a bath today.  He loves sitting in his little tubby and loves having his head washed.  I'll post a picture of the tubby later.

Uncle Matt arrived from LA last night.  We are so happy to see him and I can tell Tim's really happy that he can finally show his son off to someone from his side of the family.  Uncle Matt's first words to Nainoa were, "Hey little man," and then to us, "He's so tiny."  I remember what I felt when I first became an aunty and met my nephew Kamani.  It's one of the best moments in my life.  I was amazed at how much love I felt, and kept thinking, "Imagine how it's going to be when I finally have my own baby."  I wonder if men feel the same.

This morning Matt and Tim helped me to babysit Sanoe's boys.  They both had fun playing with the kids on the playground and in front of the house.  The boys were so good.  I'm beginning to think that young boys need to be babysat by men because then it's like they have a friend over to play.  That is, If the guy babysitting will play with them.

We went to see the shaper Eric Arakawa at his factory in Waialua.  Tim told me after lunch at Cholo's, "let's go order your board today!"  So off we went!  We arrived at the factory and Uncle Matt volunteered to keep an eye on Nainoa in the car while we went inside.  Tim said something to the girl at the desk and we walked into the next room that had a lot of boards, some for pro surfers (their names were on the board.)  The girl helping us pulled the board out of a bunch and handed it to me.  Then Tim said, "Haha I ordered it already!"  I could believe it!  I was so happy I almost cried.  It was such an awesome surprise.  Tim is so tricky and I didn't suspect anything at all.  I'm so happy and I plan on trying out my new board tomorrow!

Tim and Matt went to town this afternoon so Tim could get some stunt man training!  He might do some stunt work on HI-5-0.  We'll see!  Nainoa and I are hanging out with grandma at home.  Well, he's sleeping, which I should be doing too!

But no... I couldn't sleep.  He woke up really upset and really hungry!  I fed him for about 10 minutes and then he wanted to go back to sleep.  So I let him.  Right after I put him down I looked out the window and decided I needed to get in the water.  The sun had set a while ago and it was starting to get dark.  My mom said she'd keep an eye on Nainoa so I got in the car and drove to Hukilau.  As I walked from the parking lot I could smell the sea floating on the breeze, then the sand soft and cool between my toes and finally the water warm and inviting as if it was saying, "welcome back Tif!" Lol.  I was surprised at how warm it was!  Definitely not what I expected.  After jumping in the water I got out and laid on the sand staring into the sky, listening to the waves crash.  It's moments like these I feel so free.  Lucky to be alive, to live near the sea and to call my home the beautiful Hawai'i.

Good News

I went to see Dr. Awaya today.  She is the coolest OB I've ever been to.  I really wish she'd been there to deliver my baby, but Dr. B was really good to.  I'm not complaining but I would recommend her to anyone and everyone looking for an OB.  She's awesome!  We had my 6 week postpartum check up and I'm very pleased and happy to say that I've lost 30lbs since giving birth!  Woohoo!  Ok so 12 of those pounds were lost immediately after delivering the baby and placenta which means 18 of them were just extra weight that I picked up.  I was so worried about losing weight after being so huge!  I thought to myself, "how am I going to lose 60lbs?"  So now I have about 25-30 to go and I'll be back at my pre-pregnancy weight.  Yippee!  I'm such a dork.  I have also received a new form of birth control from my dr called an IUD (Inter-uterine device)  I have to wait a week to test it out! Lol.  I'm not in a rush.  So far there is no discomfort and getting it into my uterus wasn't that big of a deal.

I was also really happy to run into the Suaava family!  Chantel and Ricky were there for their appointment with Chantel's mom!  She looks so much like her mom.  Both beautiful women!  I'm so excited for their little baby to arrive!  Once Chantel gets settled into her routine we plan on spending our days together eating, watching tv, gossiping, AND maybe going walking, while our husbands are out working hard.  Hahaha.  I put walking last on the list because she was supposed to be my walking partner while I was prego but we only went twice. Lol.  Hopefully we'll do better in the future.

Hahaha! I posted this and 10 minutes later I realized I didn't include that we'd be taking care of our babies while we were doing all the other fun activities.  I know it's given that we would be, but to be on the safe side I better mention it.

So... the GREAT news is, is that I'm going to a party tonight!  WOOHOOO PARTAAAAY!  We gonna get crazy!  I'm going to win ALL the baby shower games.  Lol.  yes I'm going to a baby shower and it's for Chantel!

In other news Nainoa's Uncle Matt is flying in tonight!

And more good news, Timmy got his work authorization!  He can now work LEGALLY in the US! Congrats honey!

And I'm saving the best news for last even though the headlines usually go at the top.  Oh well.  I can finally get back into the water and surf! I'm so excited.  I'm wondering if I'll be able to go tomorrow. Hm... we'll see.  I can't go today because hubby isn't here to hold baby on the sand and we still need to buy an umbrella.

I thought that being able to surf would be the best and biggest piece of news.  But it's not.  I thought Nainoa and I were developing some serious sleeping issues.  BUT it turns out that I might be wrong!  He's sleeping just fine today and we aren't having any issues.  This is funny to me because I'm not even entirely sure that the worst is past, but the fact that he's already taking his second nap today without a fuss feels like a blessing.  So yeah, this is definitely the top story for today.

And now for some random and unrelated news.  I started watching a new show called REVENGE.  I really like it!  Can't wait to see the next episode.  The soundtrack for the first one was pretty good.  They played a lot of Angus & Julia Stone, an Aussie band that Tim introduced me to 2 years ago.  I've also been catching up on Glee, and Vampire Diaries, and there's a new show with Zoey Deschanel that I really like.  I've also been watching a lot of Regis and Kelly in the morning.  I think it's the best morning show out there.  They are hilarious.

Last but not least, I watched the end Zoolander when I got home!  I cracked up the whole time!  Derek's been brainwashed to kill the claymation dude. Hahahaha.

The End.

Fuzzy Wuzzy The Master of The Universe

I forgot to mention that when Nainoa was born he had the cutest fuzziest hairy little back!!!  So cute! So fuzzy!  CUTE! FUZZY!  So I'm a little sad to say that he's losing the hair on his back!  Fuzzy wuzzy was Nainoa, fuzzy wuzzy he is no moa!  Hahahah. Get it? No moa- No more.  Cue Laughter. 

On a side note, I'm reminded of the movie Mean Girls, when Regina George tells a guy, "you can go shave your back now!"  Hahaha classic!  No one is going to say that to MY son!  And another random quote that I love from that movie... "Why would Regina George refer to herself as a... fah-guly (fugly) sah-lut (slut)."

Moving on.

Nainoa had a busy day yesterday (Saturday).  We drove out to Kailua around 1 for a birthday party on the beach.  We were hoping it would be in a beach park, but it wasn't.  It was on the sand and there wasn't much shade to go around.  I fed him in the car before the party and he slept the whole time.  I had to sit in the only shade I could find and that prevented me from being really social at the party.  I didn't mind to much but after a while it got really boring.  We stayed for about 40 minutes and left to go get some food.  For the 3rd time this past week we ate MEXICAN! Yum!  As we were leaving Kailua he woke up and started to cry.  I fed him in the parking lot of Castle Medical Center.   He kept falling asleep and then waking up and wanting to feed some more.  We were there for over an hour.  We decided to go to Ross and walk around with him because sometimes he won't fall asleep in his car seat.  It didn't work!  Next we stopped at Jamba juice.  He was so fussy! I fed him in the Long's parking lot, we walked around the store and he still wouldn't sleep.  We had to stop at the 7-11 in Kahalu'u because he was crying and sweating profusely in his car seat.  I would try to let him self settle but we are worried about him overheating.  The last feed worked!  He slept until we got home.  Unfortunately he woke up at home when we changed his diaper.  Long story short it took over an hour and a warm shower to get him to settle down and go to sleep.  Poor baby.  He got so worked up he couldn't get to bed.  It also doesn't help that everyone at home wants to help and hold him, so I hand him over but then he gets even more worked up.  He just wants to be with him mommy and I love it!

The next day.  Being the smart people that we are... (insert sarcasm)  We decided that we wanted to go to Kaneohe for dinner at Gyu Kaku.  Yakiniku Yummy Yummy!  Insert previous paragraph into this one.  We stopped the same amount of times to feed him and I'm pretty sure he wasn't hungry, but nothing else would pacify him.  We finally got home and it took almost as long to get him to settle down.  I don't plan on leaving home to much this week.  The past two days have been so busy!  I've been finding it a little bit harder to get baby to settle down to sleep.  Ah... Just when I started thinking it was easy!  Of course some new challenge would arise!  That's life!

Feeding & Changing in la voiture (the car)

Time to get some rest.

I haven't posted this blog yet because I haven't had time.  Today is Tuesday and I'm sooooo tired!  Nainoa doesn't want to sleep anymore.  Well, he does, but he needs a lot of help getting there!  On top of that, it's so humid during the day we can't really swaddle him or else he gets to hot and wakes up, but if we don't swaddle him he'll move around when he sleeps and scare himself into waking up.  Agh!  He's awake again.  I'm trying to stay sane and figure out what I can do to help him. Gotta run!

WEDNESDAY

Still haven't found time to post this.  Yesterday was crazy!  My son is outsmarting me.  I tried to let him self settle... sad face.  He cried and screamed his head off!  I had to put him on the breast then rock him and then he finally fell asleep.  Nainoa 1 Mommy 0.  Today is no different.  He normally falls right back to sleep after our 4am feeding but not this morning!  I didn't get to bed until 5:30 and I started feeding him around 3:30.  He woke up at 7:30.  I'm pretty tired, but I'm trying to map out my day and eat my oatmeal and bananas while he sleeps.  I cut an old pareo to swaddle him in. lol. it's bright orange.  Daddys not going to like it. Haha!

I was reading a book called, "The Baby Bible" and now I'm in trouble!  He's in between sleep cycles and has woken up.  He finds that his sleeping aid (me) is no longer holding him and now he's upset.  He can't sleep without it?  Without me holding him! How am I going to break this pattern.  Agh!!!  Ok. Crying baby. I'm going now.

Mom = Sleeping Aid


so now i'm rocking and typing with one hand. I think i'll just post this and then finish planning my day.  It all revolves around you Nainoa.  The master of the universe.

One more movie quote, "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!" And it's OK!!! Thanks Mugatu!

I love you Nainoa!

AGH!!! I just put him down again and 3 minutes later... crying for his sleeping aid.  Advice anyone!  Oh well... I still love my life.  Here I go.

Chubba Bubba!

Nainoa is getting so chubby!  We went to see Dr. Nagamine yesterday (the pediatrician).  Baby is 8lbs 13oz. Almost 9lbs!  He's been eating really well and feeding him has gotten a little easier.  He's such a good baby.  When I wake him up to feed him in the middle of the night he doesn't cry unless I'm slow to start feeding him.  He's also grown taller.  He is now 21.5 inches.  I've been thinking about how lucky I am that he was born so small.  My sister's kids were all over 7lbs.  He's so alert and likes to look around a lot.  He tries to talk a lot more and his crying has changed.  I think he knows it's his way to tell us what he wants.  It's a lot easier to understand his cries now.  He's definitely getting chubbier and I'm so happy he's gaining weight.  Sometimes he'll take a nap and wake up looking more chubs!

Tim's been surfing the past few days and then we've been going for little walks down to the shopping center.  I love our BOB stroller and Nainoa's car seat.  

Lately he's been spewing A LOT.  I started to worry a little bit but the dr said if it's not hurting him when it comes up it's probably normal spew.  But if it continues to get worse we might need to do a little ultra sound on baby's tummy.  Dr listened to his belly with his stethoscope and said that there was a lot of gas in the belly.  I need to keep an eye on what I eat and figure out what foods are giving him gas.

Other news from the dr is that we can take him into the water when he's 4 months old!  I'm so excited!  I know he's going to love being in the ocean.  His dad's a dolphin, and mom's a mermaid. lol.  I almost forgot!  He got a shot at this last appointment.  HepB.  He got scared when they pricked him but he didn't cry.  He did a sort of yell and then wasn't afraid once his dad picked him up.  We really like our dr and all of the staff in his office.  They are really very nice and he's such a good dr.

I love watching him wake up.  It's so cute!  Here are a few pictures of it.  He makes the cutest faces when he stretches.

For some reason once he gets his arms out of the swaddle they go up to his head.  Little poser!

I think he could hear me laughing.  He's reaching out to me.  FEED ME!!!

26 Years Young

Happy Birthday to meeeee!!!

Two years ago I received the best present ever!  And lucky me... I get to have him every year for the rest of my liiiiiiife!  FANTASTIC! (you have to say it like nacho libre)

In Japan it is Sept. 19.  Today in Hawaii it's the 18th.  2 years ago, in front of starbucks at the shibuya crossing in Tokyo I met my sweetheart!  It's my birthday again and since I met him my birthdays have transformed into a day of gratitude and LOVE.  I find myself celebrating the birth of our lives together.  I feel so lucky and so blessed to have him in my life.  Yessy!

24

Oh my Timmy... you make my dreams come true. you ooh ooh ooh (that song by Hall & Oates)

25

The birthdays keep getting better and better Aaaaaand... mo' bettah!!!

26

Wow!!! I look huge!  Oh well.  It is what it is, and I am what I am (for now... I can start exercising again soon!)  Happy in my little family surrounded by my family!  And I love being a wife and mother!  And I've always loved being an Aunty.  

My nephews got to position the candles wherever they wanted to.  I love them so much.  Crazy coconut heads!

My dad had to leave for a church meeting.  So I ended up playing my own birthday music.  BUT it was the best birthday song in a long time.  All the coconut heads sang to me.

Rissa made the best yummy cupcakes.  Oprah's Favorite!  Not sure what they're called.

Surrounded by my favorite crazy boys.  My rock head and coconut heads. 

I had such a good day even though our lunch plans at Cholo's had to be moved to our car so I could feed our son.  Our waitress told me to just feed him in the restaurant and that she breastfed her daughter till she was 4!  But I'm a "tard" still using the breastfeeding sling, I have to stick my head under there with Nainoa. Lol.

Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes and thank you Hun for making the best beef stew for dinner!  It was so nice to finally be back at home for my birthday.  Can't wait to teach Nainoa the birthday medley!  All the monkeys in the zoo oooh eeeeh eeh aaaah aaaah!

Little Sweetie Pie Pie

So many things to say and not enough words to describe them.  If I were a writer I might be able to capture 50% of what we feel and have gone through this past beautiful month.  BUT I'm just Tif, and therefore I will probably only be able to relay 5%.  You might get another 25% from looking at the pictures I'll post but there is no way and there are no words to say how beautiful our lives are now that our son is here.  This new and beautiful love we are exploring that is constantly growing every day...  It amazes and humbles me.  What a precious little gift we have and how lucky we are to share the rest of our lives with him!

Nainoa is exactly 4 weeks old today.  ONLY 4 weeks! Yikes!  Sometimes I feel like he should be older. I'm not saying that I want him to be older.   I'm with him all the time and waking up for feedings in the middle of the night.  The days and nights have blurred together!  Lately he has been staying awake a lot longer after feeding.  He'll lie in bed next to me and I'll turn on some music, and he'll just sit there looking around listening to it.  He LOVES Jack Johnson.  The song from curious george is our new family anthem. Lol we also listen to the Beach Boys, Hall & Oats, and the Hawaiian music on channel 24.

Breastfeeding has gotten better, but we still have our down days.  I have to try to keep my spirits up, even when I'm in pain.  I find it makes the feeding better for both of us!  I think we've gotten really good at feeding on the right side, but the left side latch needs some work.  I might go and see a lactation consultant.  I'm also really lucky that I have such good support!  My mom and sisters, my beautiful friend SANOE, and last but not least my sweetheart!  The position that works best for us is the football hold.  Tim demonstrating his football hold.  Don't ask me why he wanted to pose on one leg. Hahaha!

We've been going for walks in the early evening with our BOB stroller.  Thanks again to uncle Al for GIFING it to us. (Giving + Gifting = Gifing in fob language it is so)  We also got a Wallabies onsie in the mail last week from Meme!  Nainoa wore it while we watched the wallabies play Italy in their opening match at the world cup.  Tim says Nainoa's favorite player is Digby Ioane... "Because he's samoan."  

Nainoa has been getting stronger.  He started breaking out of his swaddles.  One night I woke up to him crying.  He had broken out and was cold!  Poor sweetie.  I wrapped him back up and he went straight to sleep.  He's been sleeping so well!  This morning after a 2am feeding.  I was so tired.  I put him down and he went straight to bed.  I didn't have to rock him or walk him around.  He's so nice yeah!  Last week I tried swaddling him with his arms out!  Yeah... it wasn't the best idea, he kept surprising and waking himself up, but it was cute!

If you're wondering why Tim's shirt is always off in our pictures it's because we are enjoying our skin-to-skin contact with baby.  It's supposed to help with imprinting, bonding, and a ton of other things.  He knows us so well!  The other night Tim gave him to Papa and uh oh! He didn't like it!  He only wanted his dad. Usually we let him stay in his diaper all day, but sometimes I'll put clothes on him for fun.  Not because I think he my little dress up dolly.  I do it because I think I'm going to take him out for a walk, and then something happens or I change my mind.  So it's like I dressed him up for fun.

My sweet angel face!

I think my son is going to think his name is "Handsome Boy." Lol.  Whenever we see him, my mom, sister and I, we always say, "Hello handsome boy!"  You know... in that really high pitch voice that people like to talk to babies in.

For Meme!

We had a family photo shoot with Ashlee Decaires last week Saturday.  It was so much fun.  Of course, being the geek that I am, I put all the photos she gave us into a little slide show.  This slide show is especially for Nainoa's Meme (Nainoa's grandma in Australia).  Just a little something to help hold her over until she can be here to hold him in her arms!  We are counting down the days till you are with us!