6 months!

Wait. What? 6 months?! That can't possibly be right. To me she should STILL be a newborn. I blinked and now she's a 6 month old!

Weight: 16 lbs (48th percentile)

Height/Length: 27" (89th percentile)

Thriving!! 

She is such a sweet thang. She loves to be held and carried around. Probably not abnormal for the average 6 month old! ;) She LIGHTS UP when she sees her big brother. He's always so engaging with her. (Read: wild and screams like a banshee around her). But, oh so much love. 

No solid foods just yet. Well unless you count the frozen banana she gnaws on sometimes in her teether mesh toy. Those things are genius, by the way. I've also let her gnaw on small bits of avocado, but no "official" sit down, let's eat, meals. One of her first foods will be poi. I wanted it to be one of Christian's first food, but never tried it. I have a feeling that if you don't start them on it as infants, then they'll probably never like it. Hah. Have you heard of poi? I've recently seen this article (Is Poi the Ideal Baby Food?) circulating again, and the timing is perfect! Luckily, it's readily available here as I just picked up some from Costco! 

She may be a little unsure of the banana. 

Everyone's happy when Dad comes home from a trip, but Cora's smile lights up the room when she sees Rob. She loves her daddy. And I love that she has Daddy's beautiful blue eyes. 

Cora is also sitting up unassisted for short bouts of time. 

She loves loves LOVES watching the trees blow in the wind. Frequently we sit outside on the lanai just for that purpose. She's at that age where it's like she's really seeing everything for the first time. The wonder in her eyes as she takes it all in... it really makes me stop and think, why don't WE as adults stop and marvel the beautiful world around us like that. Cora's life lesson for the day. Going on her first hike on her 6 month "birthday" was PERFECT. She kicks her legs (we call them happy feet), and takes it all in. Smiles at the trees, coos at the flowers. Constant amazement. 

She loves the water. Which is obviously perfect. In the tub, in the ocean, it doesn't matter, it's splash splash splash! 

She also finally loves walks in the stroller. IF I leave her uncovered. Therefore, I take my walks in the early evening so the sun isn't beating down and I don't have to put a blanket over her carseat to protect her oh so fair skin. As long as she can look around, she is perfectly happy. If Christian is there to also provide her some entertainment, which he's always willing to do, even better!

I am so in love with this baby girl. And I'm so in love watching Christian be such a wonderful big brother to her. To be completely honest, I was skeptical when all the mamas of more than one child ASSURED me that I would love her just as much as I love Christian. HOW could I love another human as much as I love Christian? But it's true. It's so true. Your heart just grows. Our family is complete and perfect. 

It's been a wild 6 months operated on minimal sleep, but we're surviving. And we're having lots of fun! 

SO.

MUCH. 

LOVE.

:)

2 months!

Our precious Cora is 2 months old! Technically, 9 weeks today (which is Saturday, but who knows when I'll actually finish and publish this), but who's counting? (We are, obviously.) She had her 2 month well-baby visit yesterday, and it was less than stellar as some of you already know. More about that later.

Weight: 9lbs 8.8oz
Length: 23.5 inches

Cora is truly an easy baby. She actually sleeps on her back, in her bassinet, without any protest. She's still giving us a longer stretch of sleep at night from about 9pm - 2am, but up pretty frequently after 2am. She is full of smiles, and almost always happy. I think she's got total 2nd child syndrome, and is happily carted around to all of Christian's activities. But she even had her first official playdate with all the other 2015 babies in my MOMs Club! Was so much fun! (The older siblings got to play on the giant playscape.)

She's not a fan of tummy time on the floor, but loves it on our chest. She lifts her head way up and looks around, and being carried upright is her favorite so she can see all the things around her. Besides being carried in the wrap, OF COURSE. She sure loves being snuggled up close to me in that thing, and with daddy in the Ergo.

Last month we had the awesome pleasure of seeing Billy and Pablo. They picked up a Honolulu layover to meet Cora, and I miss those guys so much!!

We've had a few fun beach days this past month as well! 

Big brother Christian loves to smother her with kisses, sometimes quite literally, which often requires intervention. He loves her, and she certainly seems to love him too. She can't take her eyes off of him when he's around and especially if he's treating her with some interaction.

Ok, so more on her well-baby visit. We've always noticed that Cora is a small(ish) baby. She was born at 7lbs 13oz, so not incredibly small, but by the time she was one month old we knew she wasn't nearly the size that Christian was at one month. That is obviously totally fine. Every child is different. She was gaining weight appropriately, along the curve, and everyone was happy. Yay. 

By two months old, I noticed that she was still quite small, but didn't think much of it. She nurses fine, is happy, sleeps well, and has a great temperament. She's very laid back. Maybe "too laid back." Clearly a trait she gets from Rob. At her 2 month appointment, she had only gained 5oz., putting her still on the chart, but not following the curve like she had the month before. Cora is exclusively breastfed, and I feed on demand, which is usually every 2-3 hours. 

* So, sorry (not sorry) if this sounds rude because I don't intend for it to, I promise, but none of this is said to solicit advice. I fully trust our pediatrician and her team. They are fabulous, and we 100% trust their many years of medical training. Yes, there are friends and family and avenues that I have reached out to, and I also trust and appreciate their opinions. :) *

The goal is for Cora to gain weight and be healthy! Through many tears and feeling like a failure at the doctor's office yesterday, her pediatrician was very reassuring that I was NOT a failure, and that she is not overly concerned at this point, especially since in the first month she gained weight just fine. This could be caused by quite a few things - my supply may be low, she may not be latching properly, spitting up, or she's a "lazy" nurser. She NEVER pushed formula. Not once. Obviously she presented it as an option, but never said we had to go that route. My doctor's office is very pro-breastfeeding. She also said that it's important that I, ME, THIS MOM RIGHT HERE, is also happy and doing what I feel is best for us - whether that includes formula, pumping more, or whatever it may be to help Cora gain weight.  

But still, the fact remains, Cora needs to beef up. I wish I could cut out all the fat from my thighs and give it to her. But alas, her pediatrician gave me a few other ideas, and here's where we stand. Tomorrow a certified Lactation Consultant is coming to my house to work with Cora and I for a few hours. She'll bring a scale, I'll nurse Cora, and we'll see how much breastmilk she's actually ingesting. She'll check her latch, and we'll talk about some ideas to get her weight up. 

In the meantime, I am nursing and trying to keep her from falling asleep while eating. I'm listening to make sure she's actually swallowing milk. And after she eats, we feed her a bottle of pumped breastmilk. Maybe an extra 2oz or so. And then I pump some more. Thankfully I do have a small stash of frozen breastmilk saved up, but I'm trying to keep up on pumping to keep up with the extra bottles. It's a lot of work, and I'm doing my best. 

I'm not sure how this coming up week will be since Rob is working a lot and I still have another child that needs a lot of my attention. On Friday I will take her back to the pediatrician for a weight check. So between today and next Friday, I pray that we can figure out something and get some answers. If all my efforts to get her weight up by breastfeeding aren't working, then we will supplement with formula, and I am at peace with that. Like my good and very wise friend said, "Sure breast is best but a baby that isn't hungry is better." 

And 25 years from now, when she's a champion bodybuilder, fitness competitor, ultra-marathoner, triathlete, professional surfer, and/or GOLD MEDAL OLYMPIAN, she will laugh at this silly story. 

Oh, Cora. How we all love you. You are truly a blessing from above and loved beyond measure by so many people. 

cora is a month old!

The other day I looked at the post I wrote when Christian turned one month, and the first thing I noticed were his THIGHS. I knew right away that Cora is not going to be the chunker that her big brother was at that age. At least not this month. She is a petite little thing, and I just can't get enough of her.

Yesterday she had her one month well baby visit and it all went swimmingly!

Cora's stats are:
Weight - 9 lbs 1 oz (30th percentile)
Length - 22.5 inches (91st percentile)

She's tiny and long and very healthy! Praise God! Her growth and weight gain are following all the appropriate curves, so the doctor is very happy. She gave me the go ahead to let Cora sleep 5-6 hours through the night. I will pray for that day to come soon. She is giving us some longer stretches of sleep thankfully, because every little minute helps. So far the routine she has fallen into is: bedtime around 8pm and sleeping until about midnight or so, definitely our longest stretch of sleep. Hence why I go to bed at 8:30. Wake up to eat, usually back to sleep right away, but up in 2ish hours to eat again, small party then sleep, more food around 4am, party party, and then will settle into a "nap" around 5:30-6am for another few hours. She also takes a pretty solid nap at the middle of the day. God smiled upon me and let that happen during Christian's nap/quiet time.

Cora is absolutely the sweetest little girl. She's starting to give us a few real smiles here and there and making her voice heard. She is such a joy, and we all just love her to pieces. And she's completely entranced with everything Christian does. I'm sure it's because he's like a little tornado whirling around her all day, but also because he will sit with her and talk to her, show her his toys, sing to her, and snuggle with her. Yesterday while I was in the kitchen making breakfast, I heard him telling her that he loved her. So so sweet. I do however sometimes wonder how it would be if she were actively trying to play with his toys... time will tell.

A few weeks ago we had a mini family photo shoot at Kapiolani Park. Unfortunately we only had 20 minutes and Cora cried for about 18 of them. C'est la vie. But here's a few pics from that session!

There you have it. One month in the books. I can't believe how much faster it went this time around. One thing I know for certain is that I love my family, and I am so thankful for how blessed we truly are. 

20 months

April 18, 2012

Dear Christian, 

Last year on this day, you were still doing your best to harass Baxter while scooting around, and totally obsessed with that guitar toy at WeePlay. Today, you flew Dada's airplane at the Discovery Center, and carried your very own brand-new potty proudly all the way through the store and to the truck. 

You are 20 months old, and I can hardly catch my breath. You are four (very short) months away from being TWO YEARS OLD. And then I promise I'll stop referring to your age in month "value."

One of the best things of MY LIFE is watching you discover something new. You really "stop and smell the roses." Some days I think it's going to take us two hours to walk to the park two minutes away. You inspect every little thing, crack in the sidewalk, bug, and plant. And I try, I really do try, to not rush you along... because this is a new world you are exploring. You point to things and turn to me with such an inquisitive look, and I know you are taking it all in, trying to make sense of everything around you.

Your vocabulary is expanding, slowly but surely. My absolute favorite new word is: turtle. It is just so sweet. I think our week with the Bishops helped because now you're waving and saying, "hiiiiiii!" just like Miss Kira. The physical therapist said that sometimes a change of routine and pace will sort of "jump start" new things, and that definitely seems to be what has happened. You now refer to mac & cheese as, "noodle." Which actually sounds more like, "doodle." And yeah, you eat mac & cheese a lot. A gourmet chef, I am not.

You put your little hands together to say prayer at dinnertime... and for breakfast, and lunch. Hey, ain't nothing wrong with thanking the Lord for our blessings all day! It is so precious, your innocence. And I want to protect you from every single bad thing and person in this world. Because some days, this world terrifies me. However, in the spirit of not becoming a family of recluses, AND that I trust the Lord, we will continue to leave the house. You're welcome.

One of my favorite things to do is sing you songs at bedtime. When Dad is home, he reads you books, but I always get to sing you songs. After I'm done, you snuggle up to me with your head on my chest and I pray for you. I pray for your future, your health; I pray for anything I can think of. I pray that you will grow into a boy and man, who will trust the Lord with all of your heart, you will rest in the peace He brings, and accept the never ending grace He provides. I pray that you will find your purpose in life, and that you will be happy and know that you are loved so much it sometimes makes me cry.

Your Dad and I were laughing so hard last night talking about all your shenanigans throughout the day. For example, the way you pop in front of the mirror in our bedroom and say, "hiiiii!" Your Dad also told me the other day, "I never knew how awesome it would be to be a parent." And you have a Dad that loves you to the moon and back, a million times. But you know that.

You are still our little lover, giving Baxter more hugs than he knows what to do with. Saying to me, "Mamaaaaa" or to Dad, "Dadaaa" and throwing your little arms around us. Oh good grief. Your heart is so pure. And please never, ever stop giving your Mama hugs.

We love you Christian Reid Makana, our baby boy,

Mama (and Dada, too)

Today

one year well baby

Today Christian had his one year "well baby" visit with the pediatrician. I'll tell you one thing, something you probably already know, Christian does not stop smiling. He has smiles for days, and for everyone. Even the nurse that gave him three shots and a TB test. Yes, he cried, but when he was back in Mama's arms, he looked at that nurse through red eyes and a tear stained face, and smiled just as big as if she'd given him a cupcake. Which she wouldn't, because Christian has an egg-white allergy. (See what I did there?)

It's true. It's a very very mild allergy, but the doctor said to hold off on egg whites until he's at least 3, and will most likely have outgrown it. Both times that Christian has had a vanilla cupcake, and the one time he had a chocolate chip cookie (I'm talking a few small bites here), he has had redness around his mouth where the icing/cookie touched.

Here's his one year stats:

Weight: 21lbs 12.2oz (just below 50th percentile)
Height: 31 5/8" (95th percentile)
Head circumference: 18 3/8" (50th percentile)

He's tall, and his head is not big!! The doctor said that babies generally don't gain weight as fast as they were gaining until around 18 months. Has to do with all this running around and no huge jump in caloric intake. Blah blah blah. He's perfect, and he's healthy! Amen.

Christian's birthday and party

On Saturday, Christian's first birthday, we celebrated with a fun little party! Also, just to fill all the mainlanders in, it is Hawaiian tradition to celebrate the first birthday with a big ol' party! So, we were just trying to fit right in! ;) (Yeah right, this would happened no matter where we were living!)

I think all the little guys (and big guys ;)) had a blast! I know this Mama sure did! Thank you to Mimi and Papa for allowing us to use the beautiful space at their condo - which included a nice big grassy area for running around under the palm trees, a pool, and a neat little cooking nook with a grill! 

I so wish my mom could have been there to celebrate with us. I know she wishes she was there too. But, we did have her on the phone (at 10pm her time!!!) while we sang Happy Birthday to Christian. 

But this birthday got started the same way every Wednesday and Saturday do... outside watching the garbage truck come down the road! Yep, this is the highlight of Christian's Wednesday and Saturday mornings. And usually the driver throws us a shaka. 

Our landlord's youngest daughter, Sophia, and their Japanese exchange student, Natsumi, rode over to Mimi and Papa's with us to help out however we put them to work. They were so great, and a huge help entertaining Christian while we got things set-up.

Thank you to grill masters, Rob, Papa, and I'm pretty sure I saw Cousin Alan over there too, for some ridiculously delicious chicken.

Cupcakes courtesy of Cake Couture, and mini-cupcakes courtesy of Mimi! Cookies from the Honolulu Cookie Company. I was on a sugar high for at least two days.

Dad and the birthday boy sporting their Ti Leaf leis, a gift from our first and best friends here on the island - Joel, Jayme, Isabel, and Joey. They also brought me a lei of flowers. I was blown away at it's fragrance! We kept it as long as we could and the smell just filled our living room. Heavenly. Much aloha to the G family!

It is Hawaiian tradition to bring leis to any sort of celebration to show love and aloha! Here's some more info on Ti Leaf leis, and leis in general.

"Uh, Mama... I'm not too sure about this..."

And that's about as much as he ate. So much for the smash cake photos! Haha! Definitely less of a mess to clean up afterward!

The Dads of WeePlay. Maybe we should make a calendar? 

I wish I had gotten pictures of EVERYONE there. I probably should have hired a professional photographer to take pictures. Ok, the thought did cross my mind... but I thought that might be a little overkill. 

Christian loves Sophia!

Mimi & Cousin Alan

Cousin Leah rocking her party hat! 

Grill master Papa!

Oh, hi. I'm stuffing my face!

Cousin Leah showing Christian his brand new guitar!

"Here, let me help you out birthday buddy," says Ryutaro. Ryutaro and Christian share a birthday! We celebrated Ryutaro's birthday the next day at another fabulous party.

Gosh, what a wonderful day. I feel so truly blessed that in the short time we've been here on the island we have met so many wonderful people to be a part of our lives and Christian's life. I still can't get over that Christian is a year old. We are incredibly blessed. 

Thank you to everyone who has been such a big part of Christian's life - even if you live 6,000 miles away! But I do think it's time to move all of our friends and family in various states across the mainland to Hawaii. Sound like a plan? Everyone up for living in Hawaii? 

And happy birthday to our little man. You are such a light in our lives, filling my days with tons of smiles and laughter. You are loved by so many people, especially your Mama and Dada... and Baxter.