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Thursday, May 31, 2007

a poem from aunty clancy

L ooking at you makes me smile
U nbelievable love I have for you
C ries of joy or gas, we don't know
I n my arms you farted and it was really cute
Y ou spit up on me and that was cute too!
A lways have a place in my heart




Tuesday, May 29, 2007

eLLe - 40 days

Luciya is 40 days old today!


In forty days, the incarnating being, who has previously lived free of time and space in the heavenly world, has achieved the first stage of adaptation to existence in a world of space and time.

This forty
days can be seen as a period of adjustment between spiritual and physical states. We thus recognize that forty days is the time needed for the spirit to adapt itself to new conditions. From Genesis we learn that Noah spent 40 days in the ark. Likewise, Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert. We can all remember this when we are in a transition time, and allow ourselves the proper time to adapt.

The baby comes from the watery realm into the the realms of earth and air, as well as physical changes, there is a total change of consciousness that occurs.



Luciya's changes the past few days have been marked. Yes, she has been smiling since week 2, but now when she sees the face of her mommy or daddy, a slow recognition crosses her face and a smile illuminates everything on her: her eyes light up (literally, little sunshines!) and the smile - oh! the smile! - makes my heart jitterbug. And she is starting to think we are pretty darn funny. This makes me want to be funny all the time. Anything to inspire that perfect little grin.

She has also been fussing more, which I suppose can be attributed to everything from the full moon to my caffeine consumption, or perhaps it's because her little body is becoming more rooted in the earth.

She is more alert and focused; her eyes follow us as we move around the room. Every day we get to watch her little self become more and more Luciya.

Welcome to the world, baby girl.

the arrival of our future son-in-law

Luciya's Aunty T and Uncle Colby had their baby boy this afternoon!

Baby Jenner was born in Portland at 5:04 pm weighing 5 pounds 13 ounces! (Luciya was almost 3 pounds more than him at birth!)

Congratulations, guys! We are so happy for your family.

Jenner Douglas

We are so happy for our sweet new family of friends. Now, I have to resist singing "Jenner and Luciya sittin' in a tree...." (but it sounds good, no?)

We love you!

gimme a break

Time to slow things down.

We are realizing that most five-week-olds haven't gone on trans-Pacific flights, not to mention numerous barbecues, baby showers, and the beach.

Needless to say, Luciya has been a little out of sorts (read: Fussy McFussfuss), so yesterday she and I took advantage of the beautiful summery spring morning and had ourselves a little canopy time in the backyard.


It was really wonderful, for about 2 hours. Then she woke up. And she didn't go back to sleep. For the rest of the day. Poor thing only got a total of about 3 hours of sleep yesterday and it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps the large mug of "naturally caffeinated," "healthy energy" that is yerba mate may not have been a very good breakfast choice for mommy. I think I caffeinated my child.

Why do you do this to me, mom?

I am learning that I can't go off chomping on whatever I want. So far, hummus and mate top the list of no-no's, though I may have to add string beans and peanuts, if they could perchance affect the little one like they've affected me.

We really wouldn't want that.

Monday, May 28, 2007

our newborn middle-aged teenager

Luciya's hair is falling out at a rapid clip. It coats the insides of her little caps and is layered on her swaddling blankets.

And she had a rash of acne so bad I couldn't resist calling her "pizza face."

She is still the most dazzling thing I have ever seen.


Cheer up, little old man.


Sunday, May 27, 2007

i really loved being pregnant

You know how they say
that baby's first movements
might feel like a bubble of gas
floating down

well last night before sleeping
i felt a gas bubble
and my sleepy-mind told me
"the baby is kicking."

Friday, May 25, 2007

luciya pooped on her daddy

It was really funny.

He was holding her little naked body before bathtime "just a little bit longer" because it felt like "heaven."

And then she pooped on him.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

isn't she lovely


Mommy-Daughter Photos
May 16, 2007
3 weeks 6 days old









These photos were taken by Shasta Rose, who also did our maternity shots.


Wednesday, May 23, 2007

the experienced traveler

I went on a trip this weekend! Here are some highlights:

I flew on an airplane!


I met my future husband (arriving soon!)!


I smiled and smiled and made many new friends!


Can't wai to do it again!




Saturday, May 19, 2007

eLLe - one month!

May 19, 2007:
Luciya is one month old



See any similarities?

Emily at one month old
April 1978


Thursday, May 17, 2007

eLLe - week 4

Dear Luciya,


You are four weeks old today! I continue to be amazed by you every day.

You have changed so much already in the last four weeks. Your flakiness is almost all gone, but you still have hairy monkey shoulders. You are developing "baby acne."


You are more alert and your eyes are wide open more often during the day. You have periods of quiet attentiveness and will often stare at a point just beyond my shoulder or accross the room. You are still very much in the heavens.


You coo and ah in your sleep. When you wake up in the morning or the middle of the night it is not with cries but sweet little grunts.


Yes, you are taking a pacifier. Not all the time, but enough to keep your little sucking mouth soothed. I have been wrangling this dilemma in my head, as the book What to Expect the First Year basically says parents who use pacifiers are putting a plug in their babies, ignoring what baby really wants, and making them addicted to sucking on latex for the rest of their lives. Agh! That is the last thing I want to feel. But girl, you are a sucker. And you need to suck. And I only started resorting to the binky after my milk ran dry two nights in a row because I let you suck. On me. (I would love any comments/input on the general pacifier attitude out there!)


This morning was the first time you met and held my gaze as you were nursing. It just about melted my heart.


We are going on a trip, today, Luciya! You and I are going all by ourselves on an airplane to Portland to see Aunty T and Uncle Colby and meet your future husband! I know you will be a champ on the plane and a darling on the mainland. I'm really excited. [Thanks, everyone, for keeping your thoughts with us!]

I love you Luciya!
Mama

Monday, May 14, 2007

i'm a mommy!

We celebrated my first Mother's Day yesterday by going to brunch in Kaanapali. This family thing is so fun!


Ton Ton and Luciya, thank you for blessing my life!!

what she's really thinking

A glimpse inside the mind of little Luciya:

"Whatchoo talkin' 'bout?!"



"Chillax, man, it's cool."



"Oh no she dint!!"



"Heh. Heh-heh."



"Yeah, yeah, I've heard that one before."



"Happy Mother's Day, Mama!"




Wednesday, May 9, 2007

lean mean clean machine

Luciya had her first real bath last night.



Tuesday, May 8, 2007

well, who's a happy baby?

Luciya has been smiling.

This morning she must have smiled at me at least 5 times.

Another fun development is the Nuzzle. When we hold her up onto our shoulders, she nuzzles her little head under our chins. Stop it, it is almost too much to adorable cuteness to handle. Almost.

The smile evolution:





Monday, May 7, 2007

back to the fairy woods

Dear Luciya,

Throughout my pregnancy you and I went to a special spot in the "Fairy Woods" in Olinda. There, I would write to you in a journal and we would share quiet times together.

The last time we went there was the day before your "due date," on April 7th.


Yesterday, almost exactly one month later, we went back to our spot again.


I love you, Luciya!

Love,
Mama

the arrival of the navel

Multiple choice.

I am holding:

a) A stale raisin
b) A shrunken head
c) The stump of my daughter's umbilical cord

Answer: c. Her umbilical stump fell off on Cinco de Mayo. John was changing her and found it in her diaper. He excitedly called me in from the living room.

Now, this may not seem like a very big deal, but to me it is. It's the end of some kind of era, the beginning of Luciya's life as a real person. For more than nine months, her life came to her - from me - through this cord. Her blood, her oxygen, that garlicky dinner I ate. She was attached to my insides, she lived through me, and when she came out of me and sampled the oxygen of us Earthlings her daddy snipped it clean. And since then she's had this wrinkly little brown stump right there in the center of her little round belly.

And now, who has the cutest belly button ever?

a) Luciya
b) Our 2 1/2 week old daughter
c) Is that spit-up all over the bed?
d) All of the above

Answer: d. Just when you think she couldn't get any more adorable.

Even though she spits up all over the bed.

Saturday, May 5, 2007

obligatory luciya update

I know that's why y'all come here, anyway.


She's got her daddy's hands. No question.