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

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!"

lean mean clean machine

Luciya had her first real bath last night.

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:

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.

obligatory luciya update

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


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

platypus face, revisited

A year ago, on May 3rd, a bee stung me below the nose while I was at the dog park with Mila.


This is how I found out I am allergic to bee stings.

John was out of town, so I wanted to document the sting for him with self-portraits.


On the morning of the 4th I went to work. I was embarrassed at the swelling of my upper lip.


On the morning of the 5th, I drove myself to the hospital.


Yeah, I haaaaated it.

i'll take "confused" for $100, please

Ton Ton: "Whatever, Alex Trebek."

Shemmy: "Why am I Alex Trebek?"

Ton Ton: "Jeopardy... in the form of a -- whatever."

Shemmy: "A question?"

well, her middle name does mean "lion"

Yes, the sole of Luciya's tiny sock says "roar."

holiday song

In honor of May Day, and of Luciya's twelfth day on Earth, I present this little ditty.

On the twelfth day of her life my Baby gave to me:

12 morning snuggles

11 photo opps

10 toes and fingers

9 pounds of loving

8 daily feedings

7 milky spit-ups

6 poopy diapers

Fiiiive gummy grins

4 crying spells

3-hour naps

2 swollen boobs

And a trip into town all by ourselves!

urgent call from seattle

Ton Ton: "You never see baby pigeons. Why don't you see baby pigeons?"

cute dad

Yesterday our new family went on a walk through the upcountry pine forests in Olinda.


It was Luciya's first time at the "Fairy Woods" on the outside of my belly.

I think she liked it.

It was a little much for me. I am still quite sore and I get tired easily. But, as much as I am loving staying in with my little girl and just trying to relax, it felt really nice to breathe the clean air of the trees. And watch Mila finally get some much-deserved attention and playtime.


And please, look at how cute the new Papa is.

cuddle baby

hula girl

eLLe* - week 1

Dear Luciya,

You are a Wonder Baby.

This morning I asked you if you knew how many weeks old you are today, and you told me!


I can't believe that as of tonight you will be a week old. After so many weeks of awaiting your arrival from within my belly, your first week on Earth has flown by, and every day has been an absolute joy.

You are miraculous. I cannot get enough of you. All I want to do is devour your irresitible little cheeks all day long. I want to absolutely engulf you with kisses.


Your skin is sweeter than syrup.

You are a sweet, sweet baby. Even though you were up for TWO STRAIGHT HOURS last night, the sighs that escape your perfect mouth are music to my sleep-deprived ears.

And I don't care what the books say, you are happy and you show it. They say that if baby appears to be smiling at this stage, it is probably just gas. But look at this face. All I see is complete contentment. However...



Your farts are comparable to any adult's. Even your dad's. Your first day in the hospital, a nurse came in to check you out. She leaned over and was just about to undo your tiny diaper when you let rip such a loud poopfart that she literally jumped back from the bassinet.

That's my girl.



Look at your perfect little hands. Since you were such a late baby, your soft, soft skin is a little flaky. I cut your fingernails for the first time the other day. Nerve-wracking!! But you didn't mind a bit, and believe it or not, the whole incident was injury-free. Even Mama walked away unharmed! (We never know about Mama.)


And you are quite self-sufficient with those little hands. If mommy's breast isn't handy, you can happily satiate yourself with your right index finger. You just jam the entire thing in your mouth and go to town.


Luciya, you are truly the light of my life.

To my week-old daughter...

May the Earth that you greet
be a peaceful Earth
May the dreams in your sleep
be unhurried
May the words that you hear
be they spoken or sung
come to you from a spiritual strength.

May your life on Earth be adorned
with garlands of music
jewels of compassion
and sparkling bubbles of laughter.

May your wisdom on Earth
be received from the forests
and cherished by you in the sun.

May the puddles on Earth
welcome your sweet feet splashing
May the dandelions long for
your whispering lips

May the daylight inspire you
the moon bring you peace
May you rest in the depths
of the breathing lands.


Love, Mama

* "Elle" is what big sister Eryn decided she is going to call little Luciya Leona. We like it!!

we are family

Luciya has been greeted by her two older sisters.

This is Mila.


Mila will be 2 years old in June. She is energetic, joyful, and a lot of fun.

Mila is very curious about this new little creature in the house.

She gently sniffs the bassinets and cocks her head when she hears the strange little coos and whimpers coming from this unusual being.

I think they will grow to become great friends.



This is Eryn.

Eryn will be 16 at the end of this month. She is passionate, fiery, and an artist.

Eryn lives in the Los Angeles area. She came here to Maui for her Spring Break in the hopes of getting to meet and greet her new little sister. But, as we all know, Luciya took her sweet time and came 3 days after Eryn flew back home.

The night before her return flight, Eryn and Luciya had a chance to bond. Luciya's big sister shared some special thoughts with the baby and we had a beautiful ritual in which she adorned my belly with thoughts of love.

Eryn, we are so excited for Luciya to have you as her older sister. I know she will learn a lot from you and will serve as a way to bring us all closer together.



We love you!!

subtle baby hint

Do NOT interrupt this child when she is feeding.