Sinave, again, I need to apologize. I think about posting this information often, but rarely get around to it.
So...here it is, 3 months later...
15 month stats
Weight - 27.13 lbs - 96%
Height - 32 in - 76%
Head - 49.5 cm - we didn't get the percentage, but I'm sure it's still upper 90's%. I looked it up and it is close to 98%+.
At 15 months old you were wearing size 4 diapers.
You wear size 12-18 month bottoms - some up to size 24 month
You wear size 2T shirts - You still fit a few 18 month shirts, and wear some 3T shirts that don't look ridiculous on you.
You are developing quite the personality. You are getting sillier and are a pretty big tease. But you also have a temper that goes from 0-60 in a few short seconds over certain situations. Mostly when you are hungry and/or tired.
You love Leila and are starting to copy what she does.
You push boundaries - like going into the street. You stop, look at an adult, then despite a look or verbal disapproval, you step out onto the street anyway. You never run into the street, you just test us to see how far you can go without consequence. Then when you do get a consequence, you look at us like we've ruined you for life. That being said, most consequences start with just simply removing you from the road, putting you back on the grass, then telling you to not do that. Immediately, you do it again, so then you get a swat on the booty. THAT is when you look at us like we've betrayed you. But then you buck up and go on with life.
You CLIMB. ON. EVERYTHING. And you don't give up until you get to where you are trying to get.
You still love the water. And to entertain you during the summer months, we can just turn a trickle on the hose and you will play with it for a long time. You also love to be squirted with the hose...which, I'm not going to lie, is fun for me too.
Your eczema is hit and miss. If we follow the "rules" given to us by the doctor (no more than 3 baths per week, 3 minutes or less in the bath, and lotion on within 3 minutes of getting out) then your skin does notably well. If we go off that course much, then it flares up. And for as much as you love water, it's hard to stick to those rules.
And while we're on the topic, you FIND water ANYWHERE and will play in it. Bird baths, trickles from the hose, spilled soda on the side walk, drain water going down the gutter, puddles from the rain, etc. ANY water makes you happy.
You had your first trip to Lagoon and loved the rides that you were able to go on. But, your favorite part was probably when you got to play in a trough of water while waiting for Daddy and Leila to finish riding the water ride.
I don't want to get into what you are doing now, because we take you in for your 18 month check up soon. I'll post more about you then.
I can't end a post about you without telling you how much you have blessed our family. You are so sweet (most of the time) and mischievious, but so dang handsome that we can't help but to think you are adoreable whatever you are doing. We love you son.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Leila's First Trip to the Hospital
Tuesday May 6, 2014 was a day to remember....Here is the run down...
Grandma picked Leila up from the babysitter around 1:30. Leila likes to climb through grandma's door and get herself to the back seat and buckle herself in while grandma puts Sinave in his car seat. On this particular day, as Leila climbed through the front car door, her hand was still in the way when grandma opened the back door and Leila's middle finger on her right hand was more or less "hole punched" with the hinges from the door.
Grandma grabbed Sinave in one arm and grabbed Leila's finger with the other and ran back to the babysitter's house. The babysitter who speaks better English was sick that day and was in the back room, so Grandma had to try and communicate in a panicked state to the Grandma at the babysitter who speaks primarily Samoan with decent conversational English and the deaf uncle who speaks bits and pieces of Samoan, English, New Zealand Sign Language, and American Sign Language. After a failed attempt to contact me (the mom) at work, Grandma was trying to get Leila to the Insta Care. During the chaos, I saw the missed call and it was agreed to meet at the Taylorsville Insta Care.
It was quickly determined that Insta Care would not be able to address the injury and we were sent to Primary Children's Medical Center....one of the biggest fears of any parent - to have to take your child to the Children's Hospital. I'll say it now...I hope that any time I take a child there, it is for a physical injury like this, and not an immune or terminal illness. Before we left Insta Care, the nurse gave her a dose of Ibuprofen.
While at the Hospital, Leila was taken in to get an X-Ray taken of her hand. She was VERY brave and complied with all requests of the technician, even though it hurt her little hand. After we went back to the room, a few minutes later Leila said, "Hmm...I guess we really do have bones in our bodies." As if she had not believed that before.
The nurses came in to give her an IV that would be used while they did minor surgery to sew her finger back on. There were actually three there in the anticipation they would have to physically restrain her. The nurse spent a few minutes showing her what it was, how it worked, and why they were going to put it in her hand. When it came time to actually put the IV in, the nurse let Leila play games on the iPad. The nurse said "you are going to feel a little pinch...." Leila looked over at her hand, looked at me, shrugged her shoulders, and kept playing the game. The nurses were totally amazed at how well she dealt with it.
A little while later it came time for the surgery. They gave her some Ketamine which sedated her, but she was not put completely under. There was a nurse there to monitor breathing only, and another nurse to help inject the Ketamine as needed, then the doctor who was actually doing the stitching.
Leila is HILARIOUS on Ketamine. She was quite talkative. She started out by growling. Really. Loud. Like a monster. Then she would yell different things including "No." "Stop it." "That's enough I said." "Quit it." And she would just babble. As she was coming out of the sedation, she looked at me with a very perplexed look on her face and said "you look....you look, you look BIIIIG." Her eyes were very big and watery and everything looked enlarged to her. She made funny sounds like a baby. She rolled around in the bed. It was a bit scary for half a second when they actually gave her the medication, but when I saw that she reacted normally, I relaxed.
After she fully came out of the sedation and could keep liquids down (which was not a problem) we were able to go home. As soon as she was aware enough, in true Samoan Style she said "Can I eat now?" because she couldn't eat before with the pending surgery. The nurses asked each other what pain medications she had been given. Both were completely shocked when they realized that the only pain medication she had been given throughout the entire day was the Ibuprofen around 2pm. We left the Hospital just before 7pm.
The ultimate injury was the tip of her finger was cut about 75% of the way off. When it cut through the finger, it also cut through the tip of the bone. It was more than just a smashed finger in the door. She had 7 stitches in her small little 4 year old finger. The doctor opted to take her fingernail off as it would make for an easier recovery. A week later we had a follow up with the plastic surgeon who had sewed up her hand. We had to get a special mold made to keep her finger protected.
A month later, we had another follow up to make sure everything was healing properly. Leila was really good to keep her finger clean, and even though it started out really rough, by the end (and as it healed of course) it got much easier to clean her bandages. To end the story, the doctor asked Leila if he could see her finger. She dropped her head, shook it up and down in agreement, and then shoved her middle finger in the doctor's face (with all other digits down.) The nurse laughed and said "You are awesome."
It's healing well and it looks like her fingernail is growing back.
Grandma picked Leila up from the babysitter around 1:30. Leila likes to climb through grandma's door and get herself to the back seat and buckle herself in while grandma puts Sinave in his car seat. On this particular day, as Leila climbed through the front car door, her hand was still in the way when grandma opened the back door and Leila's middle finger on her right hand was more or less "hole punched" with the hinges from the door.
Grandma grabbed Sinave in one arm and grabbed Leila's finger with the other and ran back to the babysitter's house. The babysitter who speaks better English was sick that day and was in the back room, so Grandma had to try and communicate in a panicked state to the Grandma at the babysitter who speaks primarily Samoan with decent conversational English and the deaf uncle who speaks bits and pieces of Samoan, English, New Zealand Sign Language, and American Sign Language. After a failed attempt to contact me (the mom) at work, Grandma was trying to get Leila to the Insta Care. During the chaos, I saw the missed call and it was agreed to meet at the Taylorsville Insta Care.
It was quickly determined that Insta Care would not be able to address the injury and we were sent to Primary Children's Medical Center....one of the biggest fears of any parent - to have to take your child to the Children's Hospital. I'll say it now...I hope that any time I take a child there, it is for a physical injury like this, and not an immune or terminal illness. Before we left Insta Care, the nurse gave her a dose of Ibuprofen.
While at the Hospital, Leila was taken in to get an X-Ray taken of her hand. She was VERY brave and complied with all requests of the technician, even though it hurt her little hand. After we went back to the room, a few minutes later Leila said, "Hmm...I guess we really do have bones in our bodies." As if she had not believed that before.
The nurses came in to give her an IV that would be used while they did minor surgery to sew her finger back on. There were actually three there in the anticipation they would have to physically restrain her. The nurse spent a few minutes showing her what it was, how it worked, and why they were going to put it in her hand. When it came time to actually put the IV in, the nurse let Leila play games on the iPad. The nurse said "you are going to feel a little pinch...." Leila looked over at her hand, looked at me, shrugged her shoulders, and kept playing the game. The nurses were totally amazed at how well she dealt with it.
A little while later it came time for the surgery. They gave her some Ketamine which sedated her, but she was not put completely under. There was a nurse there to monitor breathing only, and another nurse to help inject the Ketamine as needed, then the doctor who was actually doing the stitching.
Leila is HILARIOUS on Ketamine. She was quite talkative. She started out by growling. Really. Loud. Like a monster. Then she would yell different things including "No." "Stop it." "That's enough I said." "Quit it." And she would just babble. As she was coming out of the sedation, she looked at me with a very perplexed look on her face and said "you look....you look, you look BIIIIG." Her eyes were very big and watery and everything looked enlarged to her. She made funny sounds like a baby. She rolled around in the bed. It was a bit scary for half a second when they actually gave her the medication, but when I saw that she reacted normally, I relaxed.
After she fully came out of the sedation and could keep liquids down (which was not a problem) we were able to go home. As soon as she was aware enough, in true Samoan Style she said "Can I eat now?" because she couldn't eat before with the pending surgery. The nurses asked each other what pain medications she had been given. Both were completely shocked when they realized that the only pain medication she had been given throughout the entire day was the Ibuprofen around 2pm. We left the Hospital just before 7pm.
The ultimate injury was the tip of her finger was cut about 75% of the way off. When it cut through the finger, it also cut through the tip of the bone. It was more than just a smashed finger in the door. She had 7 stitches in her small little 4 year old finger. The doctor opted to take her fingernail off as it would make for an easier recovery. A week later we had a follow up with the plastic surgeon who had sewed up her hand. We had to get a special mold made to keep her finger protected.
A month later, we had another follow up to make sure everything was healing properly. Leila was really good to keep her finger clean, and even though it started out really rough, by the end (and as it healed of course) it got much easier to clean her bandages. To end the story, the doctor asked Leila if he could see her finger. She dropped her head, shook it up and down in agreement, and then shoved her middle finger in the doctor's face (with all other digits down.) The nurse laughed and said "You are awesome."
It's healing well and it looks like her fingernail is growing back.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Sinave - 1 Year Old!
Sinave, my son....I need to apologize...for not staying on top of updating about your progress in this life.
Your 9 months stats are as follows:
Head - 48 cm - 99%
Height - 29 1/4 inches - 84%
Weight - 24 pounds - 97%
Your 1 year old stats are as follows:
Head - 55 cm - 99+% (I thought they told me 45, but I can't imagine your head got smaller so I'll go with 55)
Height - 31 inches - 88%
Weight - 26.5 pounds - 97%
In the past six months, you have grown and matured by leaps and bounds.
You started walking right at your 11 months mark - same as your sister.
You eat ANYTHING, as long as it's not baby food. You love Polynesian food. I have not found anything you refuse to eat, except baby items. You are starting to want to feed yourself more. You finally started holding a bottle about a month ago. Before that, you were too lazy/spoiled to hold it yourself...it's not that you couldn't, you wouldn't. You refuse to use a sippy cup, and prefer a bottle or a straw. Uncle Wally would feed you while holding you on his lap. That is how you prefer to eat. You don't love to sit in your chair, or in a chair at the restaurant, you want to be held on a lap and fed like a big kid.
You wear size 12-18 month bottoms, and 24 month - 3 T tops depending on the style. You are just a solid little stud.
You still get countless comments about how handsome you are.
You flirt. You play peek a boo with just about anyone. You have started smiling when you see the camera (aka camera phones) and your smile now includes a scrunched nose.
Sometimes you "shadow box" with your shadow on our living room wall.
You still wear size 4 diapers.
You are amazingly strong. You can go from sitting to standing using one leg and no hands with perfect balance...among other things. You push around boxes of soda (in grandma's kitchen) for entertainment.
Your 1 year shots (5 of them) came with about three screams, then as in the past, a giggle in the mirror.
You still love your sister, and you interact with her more. You play well together and I anticipate will be good friends throughout life - not to say there won't be problems.
You love to play with ANY type of ball. Right now, you prefer something small enough for you to grip, but any ball will make you happy.
You are quite pleasant most of the time. You tend to just wander around the house and entertain yourself.
You are "all boy." That meaning that you climb on anything you can get toes on, you take things off of tables (although you are pretty gentle with most things you do take down), you love to rough house, and you make banging sounds pretty much any chance you get. Grandpa plays chase with Leila around the living room/kitchen at their house. Grandpa will carry you in front of him so that you feel like you are playing too. You have a big wide grin and giggle the entire time. Just recently, you start to try and initiate the chase game. When grandpa walks in the door, you position yourself in the middle of the floor and start to roll up on your toes and squeal in anticipation of being chased.
Your eczema is still an issue. We have now started using "essential (DoTerra) oils" that seems to help, but you still have pretty bad flare ups. I'm hoping you will "grow out" of this like Leila did.
Auntie Leitu is now your babysitter. Nani had to get a "real job" to help pay some bills. But Uncle Wally still loves you (as do most people.) He goes out of his way to go to Leitu's house to visit with you during the day. I get text message pictures quite frequently through the day of you hanging out with Uncle Wally.
You still like a good snuggle. While wandering the house, you will wander over to me or grandma, climb up, snuggle for a couple minutes, then get back on your way. And you still snuggle to go to sleep.
You like to be read to (especially if Leila is being read to.)
Church is a chore with you. I've started taking you to nursery so that you can play (and learn what it's all about so when you are old enough for me to actually leave you there, you are comfortable.)
You still wake up about 4-5 nights per week. Usually only once each night, but sometimes more. But you are also getting better about going to sleep when you are laid down (meaning you don't wake up and wiggle around...you just settle in.)
You have your bottom two teeth (and have had them for a month or longer.) Your top four teeth are pushing through all at the same time. For the most part, you are a trooper and it doesn't seem to bother you too often.
Sinave...I could talk about you all day. You warm my heart in ways I never thought possible. I love you more and more each day, despite the frustration you give me by not sleeping at night! You are such a blessing and we are so grateful to be your parents.
I've got tons of pictures, but they are on my phone. I'm trying to get them to transfer over at some point so I can post them.
Your 9 months stats are as follows:
Head - 48 cm - 99%
Height - 29 1/4 inches - 84%
Weight - 24 pounds - 97%
Your 1 year old stats are as follows:
Head - 55 cm - 99+% (I thought they told me 45, but I can't imagine your head got smaller so I'll go with 55)
Height - 31 inches - 88%
Weight - 26.5 pounds - 97%
In the past six months, you have grown and matured by leaps and bounds.
You started walking right at your 11 months mark - same as your sister.
You eat ANYTHING, as long as it's not baby food. You love Polynesian food. I have not found anything you refuse to eat, except baby items. You are starting to want to feed yourself more. You finally started holding a bottle about a month ago. Before that, you were too lazy/spoiled to hold it yourself...it's not that you couldn't, you wouldn't. You refuse to use a sippy cup, and prefer a bottle or a straw. Uncle Wally would feed you while holding you on his lap. That is how you prefer to eat. You don't love to sit in your chair, or in a chair at the restaurant, you want to be held on a lap and fed like a big kid.
You wear size 12-18 month bottoms, and 24 month - 3 T tops depending on the style. You are just a solid little stud.
You still get countless comments about how handsome you are.
You flirt. You play peek a boo with just about anyone. You have started smiling when you see the camera (aka camera phones) and your smile now includes a scrunched nose.
Sometimes you "shadow box" with your shadow on our living room wall.
You still wear size 4 diapers.
You are amazingly strong. You can go from sitting to standing using one leg and no hands with perfect balance...among other things. You push around boxes of soda (in grandma's kitchen) for entertainment.
Your 1 year shots (5 of them) came with about three screams, then as in the past, a giggle in the mirror.
You still love your sister, and you interact with her more. You play well together and I anticipate will be good friends throughout life - not to say there won't be problems.
You love to play with ANY type of ball. Right now, you prefer something small enough for you to grip, but any ball will make you happy.
You are quite pleasant most of the time. You tend to just wander around the house and entertain yourself.
You are "all boy." That meaning that you climb on anything you can get toes on, you take things off of tables (although you are pretty gentle with most things you do take down), you love to rough house, and you make banging sounds pretty much any chance you get. Grandpa plays chase with Leila around the living room/kitchen at their house. Grandpa will carry you in front of him so that you feel like you are playing too. You have a big wide grin and giggle the entire time. Just recently, you start to try and initiate the chase game. When grandpa walks in the door, you position yourself in the middle of the floor and start to roll up on your toes and squeal in anticipation of being chased.
Your eczema is still an issue. We have now started using "essential (DoTerra) oils" that seems to help, but you still have pretty bad flare ups. I'm hoping you will "grow out" of this like Leila did.
Auntie Leitu is now your babysitter. Nani had to get a "real job" to help pay some bills. But Uncle Wally still loves you (as do most people.) He goes out of his way to go to Leitu's house to visit with you during the day. I get text message pictures quite frequently through the day of you hanging out with Uncle Wally.
You still like a good snuggle. While wandering the house, you will wander over to me or grandma, climb up, snuggle for a couple minutes, then get back on your way. And you still snuggle to go to sleep.
You like to be read to (especially if Leila is being read to.)
Church is a chore with you. I've started taking you to nursery so that you can play (and learn what it's all about so when you are old enough for me to actually leave you there, you are comfortable.)
You still wake up about 4-5 nights per week. Usually only once each night, but sometimes more. But you are also getting better about going to sleep when you are laid down (meaning you don't wake up and wiggle around...you just settle in.)
You have your bottom two teeth (and have had them for a month or longer.) Your top four teeth are pushing through all at the same time. For the most part, you are a trooper and it doesn't seem to bother you too often.
Sinave...I could talk about you all day. You warm my heart in ways I never thought possible. I love you more and more each day, despite the frustration you give me by not sleeping at night! You are such a blessing and we are so grateful to be your parents.
I've got tons of pictures, but they are on my phone. I'm trying to get them to transfer over at some point so I can post them.
Leila Update
Leila girl...you are 4 1/2 years old now. You came with us to Sinave's one year update and wanted to "see how big you are." You are 48 pounds, but we didn't get a height measurement. You wear size 5 pants, and size 6 shirt in most cases. You also wear size 10 shoes. You have long, thick, shiny hair, and always say "I can't cut my hair...only Hadlee's mom can cut my hair." I'm hoping you remember this lesson throughout your life and we won't have to deal with you wanting to cut your own.
You are taking dance class from my friend, Niki Moleni. You are doing a dance to "You Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story and "Under the Sea" from Little Mermaid. At first, you were a little hesitant, but now you look forward to class. You recently started telling me that I don't need to walk you in, you can go in by yourself....and just wait for you until you come outside by yourself.
You are an amazing big sister 90% of the time. You go out of your way to entertain Sinave, make him laugh, help me keep him safe (doors closed, gate on the stairs secured) and "leave me alone" while I try to get him to sleep. But at other times you close him out of your room so you don't have to be bothered.
You had your first cavity, and filling. The dentist was impressed with how well you handled the procedure.
You are learning how to clean up...the way I would want it done. Not just pushing things to the side, but actually putting everything away and making it "nice and neat." The other night (after I yelled at you - which I do all to often because I have minimal patience) you went in your room, cleaned it well, then told me that we "still need to vacuum." I love to see that your standard of clean is up to my standards.
You are SUPER stubborn (hence all of my yelling at times....I really am trying to work on that though.) We are working on developing your reasoning skills.
You are hilarious. Here are some of the recent funny stories.
You have an amazing memory. After Sinave's birthday, you remembered that my birthday was next. You asked about it, and when was yours coming? So I used my fingers to start listing off the order of the upcoming family member's birth dates. I got to "Grandma" (which was my middle finger) and continued listing a few other people. I closed my hand and went to the 6th person which was you. You said "wait, wait, wait" while waving your hands and told me to "go back." So I put my hand back up to show all five fingers up. You said "Can I sit next to grandma?" and put your pointer finger next to my middle finger so that you and grandma were "sitting next to each other."
"Mom, I love you when you go to work." This made me laugh because you always want to be at grandma's house, without me.
"Mom, are those cars driving too fast?"
"No. Why?"
In a defeated tone..."I want the police to give them a ticket."
You frequently change your name to "Elsa" (the girl from the Disney movie Frozen.) You tell me that your name is "Elsa Leila Aiono."
You "play" different animals, or act like a lost kid. Which is fine. Except for you TELL ME what to say. "Mom, pretend that I'm the last pet at the store and you say 'Dad, can we keep her?'" Then I say that. Then you tell me MORE words to say. It's annoying. I'm anxiously looking forward to when Sinave can reciprocate play time more and you can interact with him in dialogue rather than telling me what you want to be said.
You threw a "surprise" party for me...in the bathtub. You told me that you and Sinave were ready to get out of the bathtub. I went to the bathroom and you had shut the shower curtain, then opened it and yelled "Surprise! It's a naked party for you!" Thanks honey.
You are still a flirtatious girl. But only with people you feel safe with. Usually it's family members, or friends of family members.
A few weeks ago at church, you looked at your friend Ethan Martinez (who is about 6 months younger than you) and said "Wow mom. Ethan is really growing up." The funny thing about this is that you made a similar comment about 6 months ago. It was such an adult thing to say.
You are still a picky eater, but your eating habits are improving.
You are now being babysat by "Auntie Leitu." (daddy's cousin.) Malachi (Laki's and Lucy's son - 3 years old) lives at the home. You call him "Makai" because you want to. Auntie Lucy tells me how funny you are with Malachi. You help Malachi listen to his mother. You play well with him.
You can throw a wicked tantrum (and it only happens when you are tired or hungry - or being woken up earlier than you want to be.)
Despite all of your stubborn behaviors, and the occasional tantrum, you are a sweet, loving, beautiful girl with so much potential...I can't wait to see what the future holds for you
You are taking dance class from my friend, Niki Moleni. You are doing a dance to "You Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story and "Under the Sea" from Little Mermaid. At first, you were a little hesitant, but now you look forward to class. You recently started telling me that I don't need to walk you in, you can go in by yourself....and just wait for you until you come outside by yourself.
You are an amazing big sister 90% of the time. You go out of your way to entertain Sinave, make him laugh, help me keep him safe (doors closed, gate on the stairs secured) and "leave me alone" while I try to get him to sleep. But at other times you close him out of your room so you don't have to be bothered.
You had your first cavity, and filling. The dentist was impressed with how well you handled the procedure.
You are learning how to clean up...the way I would want it done. Not just pushing things to the side, but actually putting everything away and making it "nice and neat." The other night (after I yelled at you - which I do all to often because I have minimal patience) you went in your room, cleaned it well, then told me that we "still need to vacuum." I love to see that your standard of clean is up to my standards.
You are SUPER stubborn (hence all of my yelling at times....I really am trying to work on that though.) We are working on developing your reasoning skills.
You are hilarious. Here are some of the recent funny stories.
You have an amazing memory. After Sinave's birthday, you remembered that my birthday was next. You asked about it, and when was yours coming? So I used my fingers to start listing off the order of the upcoming family member's birth dates. I got to "Grandma" (which was my middle finger) and continued listing a few other people. I closed my hand and went to the 6th person which was you. You said "wait, wait, wait" while waving your hands and told me to "go back." So I put my hand back up to show all five fingers up. You said "Can I sit next to grandma?" and put your pointer finger next to my middle finger so that you and grandma were "sitting next to each other."
"Mom, I love you when you go to work." This made me laugh because you always want to be at grandma's house, without me.
"Mom, are those cars driving too fast?"
"No. Why?"
In a defeated tone..."I want the police to give them a ticket."
You frequently change your name to "Elsa" (the girl from the Disney movie Frozen.) You tell me that your name is "Elsa Leila Aiono."
You "play" different animals, or act like a lost kid. Which is fine. Except for you TELL ME what to say. "Mom, pretend that I'm the last pet at the store and you say 'Dad, can we keep her?'" Then I say that. Then you tell me MORE words to say. It's annoying. I'm anxiously looking forward to when Sinave can reciprocate play time more and you can interact with him in dialogue rather than telling me what you want to be said.
You threw a "surprise" party for me...in the bathtub. You told me that you and Sinave were ready to get out of the bathtub. I went to the bathroom and you had shut the shower curtain, then opened it and yelled "Surprise! It's a naked party for you!" Thanks honey.
You are still a flirtatious girl. But only with people you feel safe with. Usually it's family members, or friends of family members.
A few weeks ago at church, you looked at your friend Ethan Martinez (who is about 6 months younger than you) and said "Wow mom. Ethan is really growing up." The funny thing about this is that you made a similar comment about 6 months ago. It was such an adult thing to say.
You are still a picky eater, but your eating habits are improving.
You are now being babysat by "Auntie Leitu." (daddy's cousin.) Malachi (Laki's and Lucy's son - 3 years old) lives at the home. You call him "Makai" because you want to. Auntie Lucy tells me how funny you are with Malachi. You help Malachi listen to his mother. You play well with him.
You can throw a wicked tantrum (and it only happens when you are tired or hungry - or being woken up earlier than you want to be.)
Despite all of your stubborn behaviors, and the occasional tantrum, you are a sweet, loving, beautiful girl with so much potential...I can't wait to see what the future holds for you
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Funny Girl
Oh Leila. You crack me up. Here are a few of the funny things you have said and done lately.
You told me you were a butterfly, and that you had to hold on to things to keep from flying off ( as you proceeded through the room holding on to grounded objects.)
After you finished going potty you asked me to wipe you.
Mom: You can do it yourself.
Leila: No. I'm a super hero.
Mom: Super hero's can't wipe themselves?
Leila: ( matter of factly) No. You are a super hero too, so you can't wipe me either.
In the end, grandma did it.
In the primary program, you were asked "What are some things Heavenly Father has given us to show us he loves us?" Your answer was " Toys, food, and grandma's."
You started into a hand stand, so your hands were on the ground, one foot on the ground, and one foot in the air. You told us that you "looked like a temple" because your leg was tall like a steeple.
While driving to the babysitter in the morning, there was a lot of traffic so things were moving kind of slow. You said, "Mom, does that dude make you mad?" (I guess I need to calm my temper when I drive so she doesn't think I'm always mad at slow people. But her use of "dude" was pretty funny.
At your last tumbling class, the teacher asked you to show her your favorite trick. By "trick" she meant a handstand, or a summersault, or something to that effect. You ran over and told me you want to do your "twister." That day in class, she had taught you to jump up and spin in a circle and land again. I thought that's what you were planning. Nope. You ran out to the mat, laid on your back, put your hands and feet up in the air and twisted your arms with each other and your legs with each other....think "dead dog" with twisted limbs. It caught me so off guard that I laughed out loud, hard. It embarrassed you and you cried. Through the night I was able to reaffirm that you had done a good job and you started to show other people your "trick." Soon enough, some of your friends started thinking it was cool because they could do it too.
AND one final thought on how SWEET you can be....last night (11/06/13) you actually played with Sinave, in your room, for 45+ minutes. The both of you were so happy and quiet and it was SO nice to sit on the couch, watch TV (a show of my choosing) and just relax for a few minutes while the two of you had fun together. You are hyper sensitive about being responsible for your brother. I told you as soon as he started crawling that you had to keep all small things off the floor, and if you didn't want me to throw them away, you needed to keep them in your room. You have done well for the most part, BUT, that has also put you hyper sensitive about allowing him to be in your room. Well, last night, you finally let your guard down and just had fun with him. I honestly sat on the couch, wiht a big smile on my face, knowing the bond that was growing between the two of you. I know there will be bad times, but those good times will outweigh the bad down the road. So, thank you for letting yourself love your brother.
You told me you were a butterfly, and that you had to hold on to things to keep from flying off ( as you proceeded through the room holding on to grounded objects.)
After you finished going potty you asked me to wipe you.
Mom: You can do it yourself.
Leila: No. I'm a super hero.
Mom: Super hero's can't wipe themselves?
Leila: ( matter of factly) No. You are a super hero too, so you can't wipe me either.
In the end, grandma did it.
In the primary program, you were asked "What are some things Heavenly Father has given us to show us he loves us?" Your answer was " Toys, food, and grandma's."
You started into a hand stand, so your hands were on the ground, one foot on the ground, and one foot in the air. You told us that you "looked like a temple" because your leg was tall like a steeple.
While driving to the babysitter in the morning, there was a lot of traffic so things were moving kind of slow. You said, "Mom, does that dude make you mad?" (I guess I need to calm my temper when I drive so she doesn't think I'm always mad at slow people. But her use of "dude" was pretty funny.
At your last tumbling class, the teacher asked you to show her your favorite trick. By "trick" she meant a handstand, or a summersault, or something to that effect. You ran over and told me you want to do your "twister." That day in class, she had taught you to jump up and spin in a circle and land again. I thought that's what you were planning. Nope. You ran out to the mat, laid on your back, put your hands and feet up in the air and twisted your arms with each other and your legs with each other....think "dead dog" with twisted limbs. It caught me so off guard that I laughed out loud, hard. It embarrassed you and you cried. Through the night I was able to reaffirm that you had done a good job and you started to show other people your "trick." Soon enough, some of your friends started thinking it was cool because they could do it too.
AND one final thought on how SWEET you can be....last night (11/06/13) you actually played with Sinave, in your room, for 45+ minutes. The both of you were so happy and quiet and it was SO nice to sit on the couch, watch TV (a show of my choosing) and just relax for a few minutes while the two of you had fun together. You are hyper sensitive about being responsible for your brother. I told you as soon as he started crawling that you had to keep all small things off the floor, and if you didn't want me to throw them away, you needed to keep them in your room. You have done well for the most part, BUT, that has also put you hyper sensitive about allowing him to be in your room. Well, last night, you finally let your guard down and just had fun with him. I honestly sat on the couch, wiht a big smile on my face, knowing the bond that was growing between the two of you. I know there will be bad times, but those good times will outweigh the bad down the road. So, thank you for letting yourself love your brother.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Leila Marie - 4 years old!
You currently wear size 5 or 6 in most things. At last check, you were 44 pounds and probably 40 inches tall. You are probably taller than that by now.
You have been taking tumbling classes, and swim classes. I can't tell which you enjoy more. You recently told me you want to take a "ballerina" class, so you will likely take a dance class next. I have been wanting you to take dance, but don't want to burn you out too young as I hope you become a beautiful Polynesian dancer under the supervision of your dad and cousins.
You are the best big sister a family could ask for. You have been protective of Sinave since day one. Auntie Alofa "tried to take Sinave home from the hospital" and in your mighty stature put yourself between her and the door just knowing that you would be able to stop her. When anyone jokes that they are going to take Sinave with them, you get defensive or even upset that they would do that.
You are pretty good helper. Most of the time.
You LOVE people. You are very social. You are the "welcome party" at the play lands at fast food restaurants. You always pout when people "won't play with you."
When you get mad or sad, you say "I want to go home." But if we are home, you say "I want daddy (or grandma.)"
You tell me how to drive. You make sure we use two hands. One day I was yelling at cars to "GO!" You, in your infinite wisdom, said, "Mom? Are you yelling at those cars?" "Yes." "You know they can't hear you, right?"
You are very aware of where we are at all times. If you were with a patient driver who had no idea where to go, you could probaby tell them how to get to grandma's house and back from home. You are starting to know how to get to Nani's house too. You recognize people's houses you have only been to once.
You have an amazing memory. From events that have happened, to something we talked about the night before, you remember a lot of details. You also have a vivid imagination.
You are VERY active. You watch a lot of movies, but you are usually wiggling, dancing, jumping, doing whatever while you watch. IF you actually sit/lay down to watch a movie, you usually fall asleep if you aren't bouncing off everything you touch.
You have fantastic analytical processing skills. You aren't satisfied with the simple answers anymore. You have a need to know more and more. Sometimes the rounds of questions are annoying. Sometimes they crack me up. One time we were getting ready to go to grandma's on a Sunday evening. Dad was not going with us because he was leaving for work. You told him "Dad. You need to get dressed (he only had his undershirt on). We are going to grandma's." He said "No. I am not going to grandma's. I'm going to work." She paused...then said "So, you don't have to wear a shirt to work?" She took his answer literal and in her 3 year old brain (at the time) that was the logical answer based on the information she had been provided. Some people try to give you childish answers. Those don't satisfy. You are starting to understand the REAL answers to some questions. And you remember them.
We were driving to Nani's house (your new babysitter.) You said, "Mom, can we fight Nani?"
Me: You want to fight her?
Leila: Yes. I want to fight Nani and her mommy and daddy to my part.
Interpretation: She wanted to INVITE them to her upcoming birthday party.
You crack me up on a daily basis. Even when I try my hardest to be mad, you break me. Recently, you started crossing your eyes at me when I'm talking to you sternly. Try as I may, I break every time.
You give me hugs and say "You are the best mom ever."
You are very sensitive about people you love and care about. What I mean is, if we leave grandma/grandpa's house, you say "I really miss grandpa" before we even leave the drive way. Or you randomly "miss Kiley" or "miss (insert any friend's name).
You are not a very good eater. Once you actually turned 4, you started being more open to tasting things and have expanded what you will eat. You still don't eat a lot of things, but WAY more than you were. You still love to snack. Some of your favorite things are: Cheetos, capri suns, sprite, chicken nuggets, fruit roll ups, cereal. Some of things you have recently added into your rotation are: grilled cheese sandwiches (you call them butterfly sandwiches because grandma cut them in triangles then arranged them to look like a butterfly in an attempt for you to try them. It worked.) "Cheese pizza" which you really do like, but you call quesadillas "cheese pizza" because we cut them into triangles. "Chicken" which are really fish sticks, but if you knew that, you wouldn't eat it. Still not the best eater, but you are at least willing to try some things now.
You love to sing. Your dad is the music director in Primary. You "teach" me and grandma songs the same way daddy teaches them in primary...by pointing to a poster with the words written on it. You have been caught singing "I am a Child of God" several times, including during sacrament meeting which makes all the old grandma ladies just smile. You sing a lot of primary songs, and recently started making up your own songs. One of the best songs you made up was telling the story line of Wizard of Oz.
Sometimes you love to go shopping. Other times, you tell me "Just go." As if you are old enough to be left alone. You also use the phrase "just go" when you are annoyed and don't want to be bothered.
You talk with your hands, a lot. Sometimes you over annunciate your words when you try to emphasize something. It is pretty funny and grandma cracks up every time.
You pick up phrases from movies VERY easily and incorporate them into your personal conversations. Sometimes you say something, then realize it's something you should not have said to me, then say "never mind mom. I'm just talking to myself." Then proceed to have a made up conversation.
You are very manipulative that way. But not in a way that would really get you in any trouble. Yet. But trust me, I'm monitoring that and starting to correct the behavior before you get older.
Right now, if I want to get you into compliance, I use the phrase "Do you want me to get frustrated?" For some reason, that gets you going. You DO NOT like it when I get "frustrated." "Mad" doesn't work. "Frustrated" is the key word.
Your three favorite animals are Turtles, Kittens, and Otters. You got a stuffed otter when we went to visit Kiley in North Carolina back in May. That thing is by your side at all times. You used to like dogs. You always pretended to be a dog and would act like an excited puppy when I came home from work. Now you "hate dogs" and when asked why your response is "they lick me in they eye and it hurts." I think Nani's dog may have licked you and you didn't like it. But it might be okay that you don't like dogs. You are allergic to them. You do okay to just be around them, but if you play close with them or on the carpet where they are, you get really red eyes.
Some mornings when I wake you up to go to Nani's, you say "But my eyes are buzzy." I think that means they are tired, and maybe "fuzzy" is the word you are looking for.
Leila. I know I say this all the time, but you are loved more than any person can explain. You bring so much joy (and frustration) to our lives. Your intelligence, love, and beauty are going to take you big places in your life.
My "life plan" for you is to go on a mission right after high school. Then you will attend BYU Hawaii on an Academic/Athletic (Volleyball) scholarship. While there, you will dance at the Polynesian Cultural Center to help support you while in school and bury you deeper into your Samoan culture. You will return to Utah, find an amazing man to marry and have beautiful children. However, I may adjust that for you to play volleyball at the University of Utah, just to keep you close to home.
I'm going to try and be better about posting some of the funny things you say, because right now, you are hilarious!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Sinave 6 Month Stats!
Sinave...I'm not sure words can describe how much we love you...but I'll give it a try to at least explain what you are up to these days...
Tuesday September 10, 2013 was your 6 month check-up. Your measurements are as follows:
-Head - 46.2 cm (96%)
-Height - 27 1/2 in (79%)
-Weight - 20 lbs 12 oz (90%)
(That's 2 full pounds more than your sister was at her 6 month check!)
You had more shots and screamed...until you saw the mirror.
Then you calmed right down and almost giggled.
I'm writing this post about three weeks past your actual 6 month mark.
*You don't eat anything except formula. And not due to lack of trying. We have tried rice, oatmeal, vegetables, fruits, meats, runny, thick, mutliple combinations of foods, warm, room temp, cold...NOTHING. You are not digging food. However, you DO open your mouth when we've given you the saucy parts of adult soups. So maybe you just want REAL food. I can't imagine how big you will grow when you start eating food and not just formula.
*You wear size 4 diapers. 3's still fit, but they are snug. I prefer 4's.
*You wear size 12 month clothes in most things. Some 9 month stuff fits, but it is quite snug. You mostly wear it because I haven't bought enough of the 12 month stuff. BUT, the 12 month pants are quite long on your short legs.
*You are super smiley and very easy going.
--Except when you get left alone in a room.
*You still enjoy a good snuggle now and then.
Sometimes you will just lay in mine or grandma's arms and just softly babble.
*Just this week you have said "mmmoma" about four times. You usually say "mmmmmBa"
*You still love bath time. You have started playing with toys in the bath.
*In the last four weeks, you have gone from dead weight on the floor to rolling (all over), sitting, scooting, crawling, crawling outside of the living space (like all over the house), and now you are pulling yourself up to standing against the couch or in your crib. BUD! It usually takes most kids several months to go through those stages...you did it all in one month! Dr. Brasher said that 1 in 4 kids walks by their 9 month mark. If you keep this up, you could be one of them.
*You seem to be left handed, but your right hand is getting more use lately.
*You've had really bad exzema on your shoulders, chest, and arms. We started using Melaleuca "Renew" lotion and it helps a TON. You have some more serious spots on your right arm (right above your elbow where your shirts rub) and on your left nipple. They get really crusty, and ooze. BUT, we have also found a cream that helps if we can keep it on every day.
*You are in a "stay in the car" seat...you are too heavy to lug around in the infant seat.
*You squeal like a girl sometimes.
*You LOVE your sister. Every time she walks in your path, your eyes light up and you smile.
You can't take your eyes off of her and will her to play with you.
When she does play with you, you laugh so hard.
*You have a funny laugh...it's almost a grunt sometimes.
*You have the brightest eyes (if dark brown can be bright) and just make people look at you.
*I always get comments about how handsome you are. You don't get called "cute" you are called "handsome." A lot of "older" (as in 50+) ladies tell me how handsome you are going to be when you are older. And then they keep telling me that until we are out of their sight.
You have a way with the ladies already. HA!
*Nani Aiono (dad's cousin Wally's daughter) is your babysitter. She LOVES you and tells people you Leila are her kids. Wally loves you too.
He always has to get extra holding time before you leave the house.
*You don't look like you weigh as much as you do. Several people have asked to hold you, then are VERY surprised when you lug down in their arms. Every single person says that "he is a tank."
*I call you "son" and so does your sister. Sometimes I call you "lover boy" but usually when no one else is around. You are so sweet that you just look at me and I can feel the love.
*You are hard to take to church, just because you are so wiggly.
*You don't sleep well. You wake up most nights, at least once if not two or three times. If you eat, it's usually not very much. Some days you don't even take good naps. BUT, you go to bed much earlier than your sister ever did. When you do wake up, it's usually like clockwork. And when you do wake up, you usually go back to bed within 20 minutes.
*Your favorite toys right now are Leila's baton that has streamers on the ends and rattles when you shake it (that grandpa got at the dollar store) and any ball or ball shaped item. Right now, most of the balls you play with, you can "palm" them.
*You do have a touch of a temper when you don't get fed promptly (which could be part of your not eating food problem. You want to eat NOW and get instant satisfaction, not take the time to eat food. But in my defense, I have tried feeding you before you were hungry and you still had no interest.)
*One day Leila and Dad were play fighting and when you heard Leila sreaming (with a giggle) you scooted your way over there and tried to get involved. Whether you were defending her, or wanting to play, I'm not sure. But the skwaks you were making sounded like you were concerned about what was going on. As a mother, that made me smile.
*Last, but not least, you are STRONG. VERY STRONG.
*Last, but not least, you are STRONG. VERY STRONG.
Son, I love you. Your dad loves you. Your sister loves you. You extended family loves you.
Thank You for joining our family and bringing so much love.
I'm excited to see you grow and see what you will become in the future.
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