2 Months old

Not much happening here. We're slowly getting on a schedule and finding a new normal.

After coming home from the hospital and her initial exhaustion from being born, she ate every 1.5 hours. At about 6 weeks, she was up to 3 hours between feedings. Now at 9 weeks, there have been a few times where she has gone 4 hours. She is a good sleeper, just hungry. There have been just a few nights where she hasn't slept. One night, at about 7 weeks, I was exhausted and Daddy had to take over. He was so willing. I just woke him up and he took the baby and he rocked her for the next 3 hours, and even took care of Kanani, who woke up with leg pain around 2am. 

Life is a little foggy for awhile, but I feel like we're coming out of the fog. We have moved on from survival mode, but not quite to that thriving mode.

 Yesterday as the day part of the the day was coming to an end, right before it was time to start dinner, I sat holding the baby, rocked her to sleep and then put her down in her crib. Then I headed outside to play a little soccer with the girls. It was a good time, and warm enough to be outside, about 59. Then little Sariah woke up and since, I wanted to spend time with the other girls, she screamed in her crib for a few minutes, and when I picked her up she was so upset. Anyway, the evening goes on....and as Matthew and I are trying to get dinner made, girls bathed, dividing meat for the freezer, taking calls and trying to calm a baby, I thought, 

"Man, 4 kids are kicking our butts!"

Then Matthew and I just laughed.

Life is good! We are blessed and we are happy!

Meaning In A Name

(These pictures are taken during the first and second weeks of her life)

Sariah Ku'u momi makamae Luz 

Sariah: Princess of the Lord

                    

Ku'u momi makamae: My Precious Pearl or beloved person

This is the Hawaiian equivalent of Margaret, after her Aunt and Great Grandma.

Margaret: The ultimate derivation of this name which means pearl is from the Persian meaning born of moonlight. The ancient Persians believed that oysters rose from their beds at night to worship the moon, and as they reached the surface of the water they opened their shells and took in a drop of dew which was transformed by moonbeams into a pearl. The Hawaiian word for pearl in MOMI and the phrase KU'U MOMI MAKAMAE means my precious pearl or a beloved person. 

Luz: Light (in Spanish)

 This little dear was born Nov. 30, 2012 @12:44pm

I was induce 10 days before her due date, Dec. 10, 2012

She was 7lbs. and 8 oz. and 19 inches long.

It was a very peaceful enjoyable delivery. I went in early, at about 2am instead of at 6am. I had been contracting for days and we finally decided to go because for 3 hours my contractions wouldn't stop and they were consistent and painful, but not super painful. So I called the nurse at the hospital and they said to just come in and if nothing was happening, they would just keep my until it was time to induce me in the morning. When I got to the hospital, everything stopped. No more contractions and I really hadn't even progressed. The contractions must have just been stress. 

A few hours later, @ 6am, they started me on the Pitocin and everything progressed nicely. I got an epidural around 9am. The block from the epidural was from the waist down and I was able to feel everything in my abdomen. It wasn't painful until just before it was time to push. The baby came out in one and a half contractions and the pain was gone. I then had a precious little girl sitting on my chest who accepted my embraced and settled right in. The doctor and nurses let me hold her as long as I wanted. 

Each time my beautiful babies have come into this world I have been overwhelmed with love, amazement and joy. My heart is so full and I want nothing more than to love that child as our Heavenly Father does.

I am so thankful for yet another opportunity to have such a precious soul entrusted to me and my husband. 

I love you my sweet baby.

Learning Time Out

 Sooner or later we learn there are consequences to all choices.

It sure is cute to watch them learn at this age:)

*april 2012

Fun parenting.

Learning to sit in a chair a dinner time can be hard, so I decided to help her out that night. In good fun we taped Aleah to her chair and she rather enjoyed it.

Since it was such a struggle to sit in their chair they had to find dessert. We hid a few oreos and told them they could have dessert if they found it. We taped them, in zip lock bags, to the bottom of the chairs. With a little help from Daddy, they found them.

Scurvy Pirates!

July 21, 2011

Today I had a special pirate picnic. I don't know if pirates have picnics, highly doubtful. Regardless, I got to have a special time hanging with the Roo. She  really wanted us to be pirates, so pirates we were and we had a picnic on the ship with lunches bundled up in towel sacks. Then we went to the library and checked out some books about pirates. Then we played computer games together. It was so fun being with you Aleah! I absolutely love you and I'm so happy I get to be your mommy!  As much as I know that you have to grow up, I still wish I could keep you forever!

(Kanani was invited to have a play date with her friend Logan and they had a grand time.)

Hanging with my girls

Just playing blocks with my girls in the basement.

Girl time

Daddy was out of town last Friday so the girls had a slumber party in Mommy's room!

We watched Mickey's Christmas Carol just be for we turned in for the night!

I love those girls!

Small reminders

The other day, on the way to church, I was thinking of a particular person with whom I am very close to. As I thought about her, I was reminded of a trial she faces everyday and the burden and great responsibility of that trial. In reflection, I was taken back to a particular moment in which this person so deeply expressed how challenging the struggle can be sometimes.

I thought of my own responsibilities and the burden that comes with those, and for a small moment, I felt my eyes and my heart open, and I had a small glimpse of the burden she carries.

After church, on the drive home, my heart felt full and I wanted to express my love for that friend. Later that day, I was able to have a conversation with her and to share my experience. In doing, it proved to me, to be a reminder from Heavenly Father just how loved we are.

That day was especially challenging for my friend and I felt that in the moments of her struggle, I was able to have my love deepen and grow for her because I was allowed to understand her pain a little deeper.

Heavenly Father loves us and knows us. Sometimes we feel forgotten in our trials, but it seems, in these times, He especially extends His love, and reaches out to us.

At first glance, it would appear that my friend was the one who needed that extension of love and the reminder that we are not forgotten. But in reality, I feel that I was the one who was greatly blessed and needed to be reminded.

Mommy and Nani Time

Saying bye to Roo Boo at preschool was a little much for Nani. Actually she did a lot better than expected. Nani cried more when we went to Aleah's preschool meeting a few nights before. Anyway, we had some special one on one time. I took Nani to breakfast and then to the library. We even squeezed in a 2o minute nap because we weren't going to be able to fit
a nap in later. So here are a few videos and pics from our "Mommy Nani Time" She is such a funny squeezable girl.

(sorry it's sideways)

This last pic, which isn't a very good picture of the picture, is a picture that Aleah drew for Nani while she was at school. When we picked Aleah up from school, she came running up to Nani and gave her a big hug and pulled this picture out of her back pack. I asked her what it was and she said,

"It's big sister Aleah and little sister Nani. I drew Nani so she could be with me and won't be sad any more. It's says from Aleah.The purple one is me, the pink one in Nani."

What a sweet sister! I love my girls!

Bath time

I hope this video isn't inappropriate. I love these little girls! Just thought I'd share some more video.

fun girly things

When I was a kid I knew that it was inevitable that I would be a mom someday. However, being quite the tom-boy, I was convinced I only wanted boys. Then when the time came, I honestly didn't care. And now, I have two beautiful little girls who are full of life. We love doing girly things together and all 3 of us embrace our femininity.

My kid is not taking a nap....why?

A week or 2 ago I had one of one those moments where I was reflecting on my day, and I thought,

"Gee, I'm tired. I lost my patience way too much today. Somebody please find my sanity!"

Then, as always, it's followed by,

"I chose this life... and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Opposition, my friends, is a must.

And this is THE life!

Oh, did I mention there's still dishes in the sink and laundry to be folded? Ha! Live it up!

All caught up with the Perrys

My beautiful girls on Mother's day.

This was one of the highlights of my Mother's day, being able to snuggle and nap with my baby.

Aleah's last night with her best bud, Trey, before they moved. (sob,sob)

Kanani giving baby KJ some love before she moves away.

Just an everyday occurrence, when Aleah hears Kanani wake up she runs to her crib and climbs in with her and they play for a little while.

A silly family picture that Kanani took, okay not really, she was in bed. We had to make sure Aleah's doll was in it.

The girls in Daddy's shirts.


Another everyday occurrence, Kanani pulls the carpet up and finds something to eat. ( I promise I feed her....look at her, does she look like she has missed a meal?)

Aleah's letters



Where are Aleah and Kanani?


Oh, there they are!

The girls playing in a big box that our friends left for us before they moved.
(If they don't have friends to play with anymore, at least they have this cool box-actually this box has provided plenty of entertainment. They've played in it, colored on it, Aleah slept in it one night, they've slid down it, used it to climb, hid in it....I think that's all. Aleah was sad to see me throw it out. It was demolished!)


Aleah so conveniently showed Kanani where the bread is on the shelf so that she could help herself.

The MONSTER in the blanket!

Kanani pulled the coco puffs off the shelf and was pretty pleased with herself.
And then they went after them like it was money.

Aleah's great photography skills.

Another fun box, but this one was used as a vehicle.

Aleah and Kanani play in this laundry basket. One hides under it while the other pokes at them. They think it's hilarious.

Matthew and I went to a Greek festival with our pals, the Arthurs. Matthew and I had our first Gyro! Delicious!! OPAH!

Matthew tried to win Aleah a stuffed animal at the festival, but unfortunately he walked away empty handed. He's done it before, but just not this time.

And this is who Aleah was playing with when we were at the Greek Festival. She absolutely LOVES Lucy!

Aleah picked out a little wood airplane, for Kanani, and a train for herself and painted them. (I'll have to post the finished product later.)



Well, that's that. We'll keep you posted for all of June's happenings! It looks to be a fun, fast month!