Eight Months: Stella

Stella turned eight months old on Friday. In another three(ish) weeks she’ll have been in the world as long as she was in me. We’re four months away from a year and I cannot believe it’s possible to have a baby this old, or that she’ll just keep getting older and more active. I keep thinking of myself as the parent of a newborn when that hasn’t been the case for months. I keep wondering when I’ll worry less about all those things you worry about as the parent of a newborn and I realize, I each day, that some things just drop off my radar of importance, or at least lower on the scale.

She continues to charm the pants off of everyone she meets. She is all smiles and giggles and full-body waving at the excitement of seeing new people. Or dogs. Or grass. Or a new toy. She loves to look at herself in the mirror but even more when we’re video chatting with her grandparents. Moving things on a screen are her thing, which is probably why she loves sports so much.

She started waving this month. Well, she’d been waving her hands before that, but on Wes’ birthday she discovered that you wave when you see someone and now that she knows how to do it she cannot be stopped. If you wave and smile at her, she will wave and smile at you and it is adorable and awesome as you think it is. In fact, just after she learned Wes and I spent the day cleaning (everything, including the floorboards) and decided to treat ourselves with a Frosty and fries. The cashier took a look at Stella and gave her a huge grin and said hello to her and when Stella responded with her own huge smile and wave, we got our treats for free. Our baby is so cute she gets us free frosties! 

She hasn’t started crawling yet, but that doesn’t mean she can’t get around. She rolls everywhere and if there is a pair of flip flops or a dog toy within 10 feet of her, she’ll get there quickly. Late last month she started pushing herself up to her hands and knees and rocking back and forth. Sometimes she’d take two knee hops forward before face planting and sometimes she’d just fall. We were convinced it would be days before she started crawling. But then she learned out to get to a sitting position from her belly and suddenly trying to crawl seemed pointless when she could just scoot herself backwards and sit up. Now she seems more interested in assisted walking than she does in learning to crawl. If she didn’t look like such a drunk sailor when on her feet, I might be able to convince myself that she’ll walk before crawling, but I think we’re still a long way from that.

The first time she sat up we were sort of accidentally crashing an AA meeting, by which I mean: we went to the park and picked a spot incredibly close to an AA meeting where the circle just kept getting larger and larger. It took her about three feet of scooting before she could get up, and we were on a slight incline so it was a little easier. After that she would try when she got close to the wall but, well, there was a wall in the way. Every time she got close to doing it on her own I would call to Wes and she would stop what she was doing and look up at me like, What’s going on? and she’d lose her momentum. Naturally, Wes didn’t see her complete this feat until yesterday.

The same day she learned how to sit up, her first tooth broke through: the bottom right. She had been a little fussy a few days before, with a runny nose and watery eyes and we thought that she might have caught my cold, but that quickly passed and then the tooth popped up so maybe that was teething. She still slept through the night and even at her fussiest she was still the best baby ever, just a few extra snuggles, which I will never tire of. She doesn’t bite yet, and hopefully won’t. But she also knows how to blow raspberries and sometimes I can feel that bottom tooth pressing into my arm.

This month we spent a few more days in the water and I’m happy to report that Stella loves it. Her first encounter wasn’t so great and I was a little worried that she wouldn’t love being in the water or at the beach. But we spent one morning at a hotel pool where our friends were staying before moving to Puerto Rico (don’t get me started on how sad it is that Stella’s first friend has moved away. When they can dictate letters they’ll be pen pals.) and she couldn’t get enough of the water. She kicked her little legs and splashed. We’re starting swim lessons at the end of this month to learn some water safety, but I see a lot of beach days in her future.

This month was my first Mother’s Day and Stella celebrated the day by sleeping until after 7 and even though I couldn’t get back to sleep after I woke up at 6, I did get to stay in bed and read without feeling guilty about missing out on family time. This year, obviously, she’s too young to make me a macaroni card or bracelet or any other hand made craft but I’m hoping next year I get something that she created.

Grandma Tina came into town, arriving on Mother’s Day. I know a lot of friends out here don’t get to see their families very often so we’re very lucky that my mom has been able to fly out as often as she has. We did a lot while they were here and Stella was a champ throughout. Very few crib naps and lots of go go going with very little crying. She’s still the best baby ever and Wes and I can’t wait to see her grow and learn. We are so excited to be able to talk with her and introduce her to new things and run with her on the beach.

New Year’s Eve

We had planned to stay in on New Year’s Eve because going out with a three month old didn’t sound like the best way to ring in the new year. But then our friends, who have a three week old, invited us to their house and knowing that it wouldn’t be a huge party we decided to go. They live in a near a group of hotels that paired up this year for a fireworks show.

We gave Stella her bath before we headed over and when we got there we were right on time to put her to bed. I nursed her and we set her up in the guest bedroom in her travel bassinet and she slept until we woke her up for the fireworks. Our hosts’ baby was similarly well-behaved and slept until his bath time at 11pm.

We actually celebrated at their house a couple of years ago and it was kind of funny to look back at that night compared to this night. In 2010 there were Jell-O shots and lost of beer and hard alcohol. This year there dinner and a bottle of wine and an awesomely horrible show on the Game Show Network called Baggage, and then a game of Gin Rummy that Wes thinks he won but we’ll never know because the baby woke up and needed a bath and to eat and even though he was ahead, we hadn’t reached the number we wanted to.

When we watched fireworks for NYE 2010 the beach was practically empty and there was hotel security telling us that fireworks were for “hotel guests only” as if we could actually ignore fireworks while sitting on a public beach. This year the beach was packed. Disney moved in and seemed to want to take the night to the next level. The fireworks show was amazing (I love fireworks) but having to deal with the crowd (and the smoking! It’s 2013, why are people still smoking?!) was kind of a bummer.

But totally worth it to watch Stella see fireworks for the first time. She loved the colors against the black sky and watched them intently the entire time. Wes spent the show making sure her ears were covered because some of those booms were really loud, and she held my finger throughout the entire thing and it was basically the best way to start 2013, sorry all you non-parents with the drinking and such. This was way better.

Game Day

We’ve known that Hawaii was going to play BSU since before Stella was born and we talked about getting tickets. We want to be those parents who get out with our child. But, of course, having a baby means planning ahead for things like this doesn’t happen. We left it until the day before to buy tickets, not sure whether or not we wanted to try a football game with an infant. We decided we did and invited our friends Amber and Ben, who have a 3-month old baby. Spoiler alert: we had a great time.

Shaded

The game started at 2pm so we got there around noon to tailgate with some of Wes’ co-workers.

Amber, Ben, and baby Gunnar

We were the only couples at the tailgate party with kids and everyone there had started drinking at 9am. But don’t worry, the boys started catching up as soon as we got there.

Even babies love PBR

Both Gunnar and Stella were calm and sleepy throughout our tailgate experience. Stella woke up to nurse just before the game started and then Gunnar had to eat. Amber and I scared a BSU fan with tales of pregnancy when all she wanted to do was throw away a bottle of beer. We both had such horribly uncomfortable pregnancies that we tell anyone – even poor unsuspecting young drunk women. We just want them to be informed.

Dads

Ben and Wes were both baby-wearing dads for most of the day. There is nothing like a man wearing a baby.

Proud Papa

Gunnar, of course, needed a photo with the Bud Light ladies. They invited Wes to join them but he quickly said, “She’s a girl.”

Go BSU

My parents bought her this BSU outfit and when I asked Wes a couple of weeks ago when she would be able to wear it, he looked at me like I was crazy since we’d been talking about going to this game for months. The only orange Wes and I own is in the form of safety shirts with his company name on them so we went with blue and white. I added orange-ish earrings.

Hawaii fans

Amber almost supported BSU but then she heard what their colors were and opted for Hawaii green.

crush

Amber and I see a lot of each other, but usually the babies are sleeping while we stroller them around the beach. Gunnar got a good look at Stella at the game and I think it’s pretty clear he liked what he saw. Stella’s playing it cool, though.

Final Score

Watching the game itself was pretty boring. BSU beat them pretty easily and the stadium was nearly empty. Apparently it used to be very crowded but then they raised the prices and people stopped showing up. Wes said it was the most boring college football game he’s ever been to. I’ve only been to two other college football games since my university didn’t have a football team, so I don’t have a lot to compare it to but it did seem a little boring.

Fan Appreciation

We really wanted to get a photo of Stella with a player or even the coach so after the game we made our way to the where the tunnel to the locker rooms are. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get close enough to the players. Double unfortunately, all the players make their way around the stadium to the pockets of BSU fans to give them high-fives. My dad told me that they always acknowledge their fans but I had no idea they’d put that kind of effort into it. So not only did we not get a picture of them with Stella, we totally missed out on high-fives!

After the game we all went out for dinner where the babies got fed and then mostly slept through the meal. Friday night Wes had a dads night in with Ben and another friend and before Amber and I left Gunnar and Stella were tandem screaming and after we left Stella cried/screamed for over an hour so I was a little concerned about how the day would go. But they were both so well-behaved and all the parents were able to enjoy the day. At one point in the afternoon Wes turned to me and said, “If anything, Stella’s getting us out more.” But when you compare it to how often we were getting out when I was pregnant (uh, hardly ever), that wasn’t hard to accomplish. But I get what he’s saying. We’re working hard to get out of the house to keep ourselves from going crazy when she starts screaming. It would be so easy to hibernate at home, but it wouldn’t be fun. I can’t wait to be able to show Stella pictures and tell her stories of all the fun things she did before she could even fully hold her head up.

August Heat

Me (trying to play with Tsunami before we leave for a long evening): Get your ball.

Tsunami: Bitch, please. It’s way too hot for fetch right now.

17 Weeks

It’s hard to tell with all the foliage, but I’m starting to actually look pregnant. Yesterday the bus I was riding was hit by a truck (how the truck didn’t see a large bus, I don’t know) and we stopped on the highway and were ushered on to other buses that passed by. The bus I happened to get on was standing room only, and with another 40 minutes left in the ride, I wasn’t especially looking forward to it. But a woman who had a small child sleeping on a seat woke her son up and asked if he’d like to give up his seat for “the lady with the baby in her belly” and I can’t even describe the relief and excitement I felt to hear that. I’ve crossed over to the Hey, she’s pregnant stage from the Is she fat or pregnant stage and that is a great feeling.

This week I feel even better than I did last week, and I felt pretty okay last week. I didn’t have to leave work early at all. I still feel a little nauseous in the evenings, but I’ll take that over all day. Monday afternoon I even felt well enough to clean and just having the apartment look a little fresh in parts (what, like I was going to clean the whole apartment?) definitely helped lift my mood of when-the-heck-will-I-start-experiencing-the-awesome-part-of-pregnancy? No, I’m not there yet, but I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Our stroller arrived on Monday (thanks REI for the fastest shipping ever!) and I put it together only to store it in the laundry room for the next five months. I told Wes that he should take a look at it to make sure everything was in working order because it seemed way too easy to put together (even though it was only putting wheels on and I’ve absolutely changed tires before). “It’s made for moms,” he told me. “It’s supposed to be easy.” And then I remembered that the photos they show in the directions are of a woman’s hand with a wedding band.

Monday is our next appointment and we will hopefully find out if we’re having a boy or a girl. It’s funny to hear the guesses from everyone because they’re all so different but each person is so sure – and sometimes for the same reason. One person thinks I’m having a boy because of the way I’m carrying while another cites that same reason for me having a girl. I have no feelings about, probably because I’ve been too sick to even think about it. And that’s fine with me. We want a happy and healthy baby, boy or girl (though Wes wants a girl because he likes the name we’ve picked out).

And speaking of Wes, tomorrow is his 30th birthday. He managed to plan a work outing for his team and their families to wander around the LPGA, which is taking place near our house. After so many months of being cooped up on the couch while I try to not throw up, I think we’re both looking forward to being around people and enjoy the sunshine outside.

 

 

Feeling Fine

Every mother I know told me that I would eventually get out of the all-day sickness that has been plaguing me since February, and though I smiled and nodded on the inside I was cursing them for being on the other side of the early stages of pregnancy when everything sucks. I really didn’t feel like I would ever want to do anything other than lay on the couch and sleep. Even just four days ago I was still feeling nauseous most of the day, though not actually throwing up.

Today, though, I feel great. Well, maybe great is a little bit dramatic. But I don’t feel nauseous and I don’t want to throw up and I’m trying to make plans for the weekend because we’ve spent far too much time cooped up in the house. I know that tomorrow I could be a little worse than today, but today gives me a little hope that I’ll actually survive this pregnancy.

Another thing giving me some hope and encouragement is picking things out for the baby. Swaddling cloths that were on a huge sale, an Ergo carrier that my sister-in-law is getting us. Not to mention that gifts that keep showing up in the mail: a pair of UW pajamas and a knitted sweater (if we have a girl) and books for both me and Wes. We have amazing family and friends and this baby is going to be so spoiled and loved.

 

Happy Holidays

Wes took today off and instead of relaxing at home we decided, rather stupidly, to get some last Christmast shopping done. Honolulu traffic is, let’s call it bad at the best of times; two days before Christmas and it’s just unbearable. We spent nearly two hours in the car for maybe 30 minutes of shopping. Then, because we were already out and had already braved the crowds we decided to get some last minute grocery shopping in because if two days before Christmas was unbearable, we didn’t want to find out what Christmas Eve would be like.

But now we are home. All of our presents are wrapped and our stockings mostly stuffed. The tree lights are brightening up our living room and I’m enjoying a glass of Pendleton (thank you Ewa Pantry) for stocking such a delicious treat. Wes is starting the dough for Christmas morning cinnamon rolls, recipe courtesy of his mom and even though it’s still hovering around 80 degrees outside, it feels like Christmas.

We contemplated getting a real tree this year and finally bit the bullet – cost be damned! – and it’s made all the difference. Our home feels like the holidays and that makes me feel less like a grouch. We won’t have any family here to celebrate, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be surrounded with people we love like family.

Day Twenty Eight

I had planned on catching up on the 365 Day Photo Project, which is now four weeks behind, but that’s probably not going to happen because I decided to sync my phone and then accidentally started importing all photos and now I’ve got to get them all off which is taking forever.

It’s our last night in Boise and we’re spending a relaxing evening watching a rerun of Hawaii 5-0, which basically means we’re all sitting on the couch hiding behind our electronics so as not to notice how badly written this show is. We’ve had an incredibly fun trip but I’m looking forward to three days of silence and reading and hopefully getting some photos downloaded and posted while we’re in Seattle. I get a little sad each time I leave Boise, especially now that I live in Hawaii because there’s never a plan for future visits. It could be another year until I see my brother and his girlfriend again and probably my parents as well. Spending time with them this past week makes me wish a little bit that we lived closer together.

Last night we poured a bottle of wine into wine glasses that hold a bottle of wine and played Catchphrase. There was much laughing and a lot of farting and a little bit of silly string. It would be nice to be closer than a twelve-hour two-plane trip to our families.

Day Five

In 19 days we’ll be in Boise for Thanksgiving and, most likely, freezing. It started snowing there yesterday and as excited as I am about the chance to experience something other than 85 and sunny I know that there will be quite a lot of complaining about just how fucking cold it is there.

Living in Hawaii means that you forget that other places experience seasons. It’s like the world outside of our little island doesn’t has been stuck in one season: summer. So when I hear it’s been snowing or raining or just plain cold I’m taken aback. How is it possible that we are running the air conditioner and wearing shorts and flip-flops while the parts of the east coast are without power because of snow storms?

What I’m trying to say is: it’s going to be hard to acclimate when we finally leave the island. But hopefully our ending is a little better than Lost.

New York: Part Time to Go Home

By Friday morning we were both exhausted and instead of going back to New York City to roam around and catch all the small things we’d missed, we decided to spend some time in Brooklyn. We started with the intention of walking through some boutiques and maybe stopping for a drink here and there, but then we found $2 PBRs on draft and we ended up staying for a couple of beers while playing 90′s Trivial Pursuit.

After the bar Stephanie had to go home and deal with a work emergency and Porter had to get to the airport for a tournament in Minneapolis. Wes and I wandered through the main streets near the apartment. There were beautiful churches and buildings every where. And in between that ridiculously expensive boutiques. Remember Marlena? We found a boutique that carried the terrariums and one was priced at $300. Granted it was a lot bigger than Marlena’s little world, but still. $300 for rocks, dirt and moss.

I don’t know what they’re selling, but I will buy it

That evening we had tickets to the rooftop movie, which I thought was going to be just one movie on a roof but turned out to be mini-documentaries on a roof. The first half was pretty nonsensical and I wondered why we had spent money to come there (Coop: “I told you!” even though she actually hadn’t said anything of the nature. Coop: “I thought it anyway!” which is hardly the same thing as warning a person about something but whatever.), but the second half was enjoyable. And the tacos we brought in from a local Mexican restaurant were pretty delicious.

Brooklyn Sunset

There was talk of a bar afterwards but once again we were exhausted and just wanted to sleep so we all made our way to our separate beds with plans to meet up the following morning for a little local market shopping and a trip to the flea market.

Coop dazzling us with her vegetable knowledge

The Dekalb Market has the makings of a great Saturday morning, but it’s still in its infancy and we were there for over an hour after it was supposed to open before it really got started. Still, the coffee was good and the breakfast sandwich that we had was so fucking good. I’m still bummed that I wasn’t ballsy enough to ask the chef for his biscuit recipe even though he totally told me he would give it to me.

Behold the deliciousness

This picture was mostly for Coop’s benefit, but it was so good that I would have probably looked like that even had she not had the camera pointed at me

After Dekalb we headed for the Brooklyn Flea market where we found a lot of cool stuff that was mostly overpriced. It’s where Coop went back to get me my sweet Flea Bag.

I told him to buy it but he felt a picture would suffice

After the flea market we had some downtime before the BBQ to celebrate my birthday began. Steph and Kenie were nice enough to host at their place.

Jalapeños straight from the garden 

Jalapeño poppers

There were a few really dark peppers that turned into crazy hot jalapeño poppers. I managed to grab the hottest one and look like a fool when I yelped out in pain while everyone else was happily chomping on theirs.

The whole spread: burgers, watermelon, pesto pasta salad

Cannoli, of which I had one of each but only because Coop is allergic to chocolate and couldn’t have any. I totally took one for the team.

After cannoli we realized it was 11 o’clock and that we had to be awake at 4:30 am to catch our 7 am flight. We sure do know how to pick flights. We said our goodbyes and left. When we woke up the next morning it was only 10:30 pm in Hawaii and we were in for a really long day of travel.

The worst part about vacation is not coming home. It’s two weeks later when you realize that you’ve been home longer than you were away. It’s six months down the road when you realize it’s been six months since you last saw that person. I had so much fun in Brooklyn and though I love my parents I think part of the reason is because I got to spend time with just Porter and Coop and Wes. That has never happened before. It makes me even more eager to get off this island and live closer to family. Until then, though, I guess I’ll just settle for the holidays we can all manage to spend together.