Happy Easter

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Quotable

We've been working on pronouns with Zachary. He loves to say "my" instead of "I," as well as a few other grammatical errors. We were talking about he vs. she again. I thought he was getting it, but then learned we still have a long way to go when Zac said:

"My is a he. Baby Kate? He is a she."

Grandmas and Grandpas Come to Town

We decided to bless baby Kate on April 10th while my parents and Brady's parents were in town. I was stressed out about how early it was to be at church with my tiny baby (especially when Bishop got up and asked for prayers for two teens in our ward with unidentified illnesses serious enough to put them in the hospital on Oahu!), but we scooted out of there right afterwards. So far, this little gal is illness-free! As a bonus for attending church that day, we got to shake hands with Elder Nelson who was here on vacation.



Besides the first two pictures, most of her blessing day photos make her look distressed. You can tell she is a big fan of the bows mommy puts in her hair! She's our little bald eagle. (She has red hair in the back, but it is disappearing and her new peach fuzz is blond.)





This was the day we learned how tricky it is to get a good shot with a toddler and a baby (and someone who doesn't like her braces and under-eye bags, and a man who closes his eyes or says "cheese" to Zac as the pic is taken).
Below are a few random shots of Kate in her first three weeks of life. Sadly, we did not take many pictures at all during this time. It was all about survival...

Her name was sewn on by my co-worker's 90 year old mother.
I bought these PJs and haven't been able to use them since this first wear. It's been so hot, hot, hot!!! Our tradewinds have come back in the last few days, but we still put Kate to bed in her blanket and diaper and nothing else.
My mom came out on March 28th, and my dad joined her three days later. They were here until the evening of April 10th. The first few nights she was here, Kate screamed her head off, and Mom was a big help, providing us with a few blessed hours of relief so we could sleep. (Knock on wood, but now that Kate is 5 weeks, those nights seem to be behind us and I am getting up only 2-3 times a night.)
Mom and Dad were able to get in beach time, beautiful drives to Waimea Canyon and the north shore, a sunset catamaran cruise complete with many whale sightings, and even a day paddle boarding at Kalipaki with Brady and Zachary. They also took Zac to the park and to see the "fishies" at the Hyatt.

While at the pool, my dad struck up conversation with a guy who had been on a fishing charter the day before. They were leaving the next day, and had more Ahi tuna than they knew what to do with, so they gave a bunch to us. Brady and Dad marinated it and grilled it up. This stuff sells for $9/pound at the grocery store. (Don't worry, I didn't touch it. Fresh Ahi is a no-no for nursing mommies.)
Brady's parents came into town on April 6th. That Saturday, we indulged in Scottie's BBQ, and the family (minus me and Kate) went to Kealia to boogie board. Dad E caught his first waves, and Dad N was thrilled Bells Palsy did not inhibit his ability to enjoy the Kauai waters.

Mom N:

Brady took his parents to our favorite hike/beach on the south shore--Horseshoe beach. (It is the location of Brady's sandman from Christmas.) These two are ridiculously photogenic.




Besides cooking every meal, running errands, and cleaning our house, it turns out that Mom and Dad E are also excellent pacifiers and plumbers. Dad Edwards was Kate's clear favorite source of comfort after mommy's milk. He roamed the living room in the wee hours of the night to keep her calm when her belly was giving her trouble.

We had two major plumbing emergencies while they were in town. The first required about 3.5 hours of effort before finally deciding it was a wash and hiring a plumber to fix the years of clogged pipes. Within two or three (?) days, the kitchen faucet also broke. The Edwards plumbers went at it again for three more hours, while Mom E patiently made cookies with Zachary. I wish I had some video coverage of that night!
Brady, Zac, and Mom and Dad E went to Secret Beach the afternoon before they had to leave. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the scenery there is outstanding.









April 14th had to come--the day all our visitors were gone. I cried (although anytime I made it longer than 10 minutes without crying in the first few weeks after Kate's birth was a serious accomplishment!) and worried about my ability to work zone defense rather than man-to-man at home.
The night they left, Kate was up all night, and the following night wasn't much better. Since then, though, our sanity has been restored with Kate's improved sleeping. I've observed a few things in the last two weeks since company left:

• Nursing is awesome. I love it! It's just one more experience I never thought I'd miss out on. However, I would argue with anyone who claims it is more convenient than bottle feeding.
  
• The miracle blanket is a miracle. If only it were cool enough temps around here to use it all the time at night! Brady is not sold, but I am.
• Zachary has stepped up as a big brother. He loves to run and get things for Kate, kiss her, entertain her, etc. Suddenly he is also acting a lot older. After six months trying to get him to dress himself without a battle, he's dressing himself every time and without any debate. He also entertains himself for a good portion of the morning. His favorite game is with his two hands--they each have a personality and they talk to each other (and put each other in time out when one hand hits the other). Time for some new toys??
• Like Kristen E, I'm also impressed with how fast the body heals. At two weeks postpartum, I couldn't believe how long it was taking to recover. A week later, I felt almost back to normal and ready to work out. At week 5, I'm officially ready for some adventures, but patiently waiting for the doctor's green light next week.
• I will also debate with anyone who claims to have more of a "helper husband" than I do. Yes, that is to brag, but Brady is crazy helpful, relieving me during several of my more desperate moments as well as any opportunity when it is feasible for him to come home at lunch, take Zac on his runs, and make sure our toddler still has a physical outlet in some way or another.
• Finally: it feels so completely natural to be a family of four.