Harry is 8 months old.

Harry is already eight months old!  He is growing into such a handsome little boy.  So plumpy and adorable.  We had to buy him a new car seat the other day, he has grown out of his infant seat so much so we couldn't even buckle it anymore.  He has the sweetest personality, so humble and calm.  He is perfectly content to sit on the floor playing and eating his toys, watching everything going on around the house.  He still only really gets cranky and upset when he is hungry, I have been lucky he is such a good baby.  He is full out crawling now, following Clark around everywhere.  The other morning I found him in the kitchen banging on the refrigerator door, I guess he was hungry, ha ha.  He is so curious and you can see his little mind working over time putting it all together.  He can pull himself up on the furniture and walks back and forth between the couches.   I love finding him after nap time, holding on to the bars jumping in his bed.  He has discovered the television, and loves to watch Backyardigans with Clark...he gets the hugest smile on his face when ever it comes on.  So far he has kept most of his hair, and it is staying dark (yay)...and his eyes are still the bluest blue.  

He is the calm in the storm, after dealing with Clark, he is like a warm snuggie that you have to hurry and love up to re-energize yourself.  So lovable, so kissable, so happy...

Song of the Exile

Song of the Exile  by Kiana Davenport

✭✭✭✭✭ (out of 5 stars)

Amazing!  

Set mostly in Hawaii, during World War II, this story follows a family trying to survive the casualties of war, the loss of children, brothers, lovers, the loss of self.  Fighting for their dignity and honor, for land and culture, trying to find what they lost in the war.  Haunting, captivating, and heart breaking, this book was sad, beyond sad and at times it was hard to read, but impossible to put down.  So beautifully written, magical, like poetry.  I love how she mixed languages, cultures, and music to bring the story more life.  I absolutely loved this book.  It opened my eyes, and gave me more appreciation for what I have and where I live.  It gave me new found respect for the Hawaiian culture that I love, and this beautiful state that I get to live in for a little while.  I can not wait to read Kiana's other books, she is truly a gifted author.

A Lion Among Men

A Lion Among Men  by Gregory Maguire

✭✭✭ 1/2  (out of 5 stars)

I really like Gregory Maguire.  I love how he plays with his words when he writes, and I love some of the thoughts and concepts he comes up with.  This book was another great addition to the Wicked series.  We dug a little deeper into the story, learned about a few more important characters, and gave them a new mission (he totally left it way open for another book, and I am looking forward to it).  I loved getting another glimpse into his twisty Oz. 

Flashback Friday

My little Harry, just a few days after he was born.  I can't believe he is about to turn 8 months old.  I feel like I did not get enough time with him as a baby, maybe it is because I had two kids or cause he was bigger than Clark...he is just growing up too fast.  Last year at this time, I just had Clark and a slowly growing tummy.  Fast forward 12 months and I have two wild and crazy boys taking over my house hold (and a still growing tummy....that I am even more slowly working on shrinking).  Harry's features are changing more everyday, as is his little personality.  I miss that tiny little squishy baby face.

This is Clark at about 7 months, same age as Harry now.  They really were/are so different...and yet so much the same.  Harry seems to have kept at least some of hair, where as Clark was completely bald until he was 15 months.  They both were/are pudgy and happy and loved to get around the house...always eating strange crap off the floor (which leads me to believe that I really should vacuum more).  Clark has changed so much from this picture, slowly becoming a lanky and lean little boy instead of my pudgy little baby.  But he still has that larger than life, I am the boss, and look at me I am the cutest, personality.  

My little boys...

Crawling

I now have two kids to chase after.  Harry is crawling!  He spends all day trying to keep up with Clark, trying to get into the kitchen, and trying to figure out how to get up the step in the hall way.  Clark loves it when Harry crawls after him, and encourages him to go faster.  They both giggle like crazy as they tear from one room to another.  Yawn....I am tired.

The Disorder of Longing

The Disorder of Longing  by Natasha Bauman

✭✭✭ (out of 5 stars)

Ada Pryce is a rebel, a modern women stuck in Victorian Boston during the 1890's.  Stuck in a loveless, controlling marriage and bored with her expected role in the house hold she longs for a way out.  I liked the story, and the more I read the better it got.  But the sexual content was a bit much for me.  And although I identified with the character some, I found her and the book frustrating.

6 Years Later...

September 2003.  The night before Emma got married.  April, Emma, Chelsie, Challis, Laura, Kathy and Vicki. (And Charlie the puppy too.)

6 year later, April 2009.  The night before Laura's wedding.

 

 Emma and I grew up babysitting Chelsie and Challis, although we were so close in age it was almost like we were all just hanging out.  And Laura and Challis have been best friends since the day they met.  Sisters, and best friends.  We haven't always lived close to by, but we have found a way to stay in each other lives.  I don't know what I would do with out these girls, all of them, they are such an inspiration and strength to me.   Marriage, babies, college, our lives all going different directions, sometimes it is years until we can all be together again (this last time it was 6 years).  Yet every time we get together it is just like we are teenagers again, laughing, joking, being utterly ridiculous, having the time of my life.  I love you guys, and I hope it isn't another 6 years until we can all hang out.

Company of Liars

Company of Liars  by Karen Maitland

✭✭✭ 1/2 (out of 5 stars)

The book was captivating and interesting, with a lot of twists.  Set in England during 1348, when the plague was sweeping the country side, the book follows a band of travelers.  They share the road and the burden of traveling, and the hope to escape the Pestilence that is slowly surrounding them.  As they share their stories around the camp fire at night, we learn a little about each of their pasts, and why they were all brought together.  Although a little morbid in parts, this was a great read.  I really liked the author, and can't wait to read another one of her books.

Me? Fat?

Yesterday, Harry had his 6 month well baby check-up and immunizations (and like always we are running about a month late).  He is 27.9 inches long and  28.8 pounds.  A perfect image of health...except the doctor thinks he is TOO fat.  Too fat?  Is that even possible?  He is a baby.  I was trying to talk to the doctor about a couple questions I had, but he couldn't get off the FAT subject.  I told him how Harry has been having a lot of diarrhea lately (sorry TMI) and I was a little  worried about it and he had the nerve to tell me "well, he can stand to have a little more, cause he really is too fat" (seriously).  He asked me over and over what we fed him and how much (not much, cause he still hates to eat baby food, just his milk).  He re-weighed Harry, and measured him again.  He then lectured me for 20 minutes about over feeding him (trust me I don't, I don't have time for that and he isn't that interested anyway) and making sure he is active enough (um....active enough, he is a BABY, not a 2 year old).  Whatever Dr. Quack....I mean Dr. Kwok (yea, that is his real name, but for now and forever will be known as Dr. Quack in our house).

I never thought his adorable plumpy-ness was an issue (well, frankly I still don't).   He has been big since the day he was conceived.  It is all we have ever heard about him.  When I was pregnant they would go on and on about how big he already was.  He is not unhealthy.  It's just Harry.  Bigger than life.  He has to be to keep up with Clark.  And that's the way we like him. 

Flashback Friday

Nope, that isn't Harry.  It's Clark around seven months old (about Harry's age now).  They do look a lot alike at this age...it must be the chubby baby boobs, and lack of neck.  Since Clark was a little baby he always HAD to have his pacifier.  He did not care how many times it fell on the ground (and I stopped caring too), he did not care if it was covered in sand, or even if he had a mouth full of food.  He just had to have it.

Well, I am proud to announce that as of today at 10:30 am he is 24 hours PACIFIER FREE!!!  It was a long night, he woke up a lot and got up earlier than he normally does...and he does seem a little sad like he keeps looking for something...but HE DID IT.  More importantly, I did it!  I did not cave in and buy him another pack (he lost his last one, I am thinking out the window where he normally throws stuff at the dog and pig).  We did it, no more pacifier.  

Hopefully, this will help his talking too.

He breaks my heart.

He is so cute it breaks my heart.  I love when I can convince him to leave his pacifier out, and I can see his whole face and pouty little lip.  He has been so cute lately, trying harder and harder to talk.  Last night we were watching Walle together and he was trying to sing the song at the beginning, dancing and hopping around the living room, shouting garbled words.  And the other day while we were watching Toy Story he shouted to me across the room "to na naaananaa an yonyon" which translates to "to infinity and beyond", I couldn't even stop laughing.  He has been so affectionate, hugging me and cuddling with me...totally not normal behavior for Clark, but I am loving every minute of it.  Some days I get so frustrated that he can't do certain things on his own and he acts like such a baby, and then other days...like today I am happy just the way he is cause he is only gonna be my baby once.

The First Princess of Wales

The First Princess of Wales by Karen Harper

✭✭ (out of 5 stars)

Set in the 1300's, the book follows Prince Edward Plantagenet of Wales and his quest to marry Joan of Kent.  I found that the book dragged on in most places, and even though I liked the story well enough, I did not like the way it was told.  I probably won't read anything else by Karen Harper...unless I am desperate.

May Day Picnic

Saturday our church ward (Kahalu'u) had a May Day Picnic in Kahana Valley.  It was a pot luck/BBQ/and prawning expedition.  It was such a beautiful day to spend out with with friends, eating, relaxing and getting some sun.

Some of the guys went early to catch prawns.  Since we have two little boys we didn't think it would be a good idea for us to go and ruin it for everyone else.  We heard that their wasn't many out to catch anyhow...although a couple people did get lucky.  They are much bigger than I expected.

Clark, of course, enjoyed the desert part of the afternoon best.  He was first in line for cake, and by the time he was done eating he had blue and yellow icing in his hair.

The kids went fishing, and a few even got lucky (little Perch fish, I think?).  All Clark wanted to do was bang his stick on the water, scaring all the fish away.

We were glad that Auntie Carol and Eddie could come along with us, we only have about three more weekends together before they move (sniff sniff).

Clark and his net, catching....well sticks and mud and mostly just getting wet.

Lovely, lovely afternoon.  Kahana Valley

Hell on earth, or Bed time.

It's 11:00 pm, it's been a long day, and we are exhausted.  Yet, here we sit in the darkness, watching crap on TV until one of us gives in...but he doesn't cause he is just as stubborn as his Mom.  This is our nightly routine.

It's like a modern day stand off.  I refuse to sleep in Clark's bed, and yet I refuse to let him in my bed.  He refuses to go to his bed on his own.  SO we just sit, waiting, both of us pretending that we aren't tired and we are dying to go to bed, until I give in.  I always do, cause I am TIRED and a push over.   

Needless to say the novelty of his big boy bed has worn off.  During the day he is more than happy to go to bed on his own.  I don't even have to mention anything about nap time, he just goes whenever he needs or wants a break.  But as soon as it is night, all bets are off.  He has reclaimed his space in our bed, and he won't budge.  He has always slept with us, off and on, since he as born.  He was my first, I loved to snuggle, and we both slept better that way.  But I didn't think we really created a problem, cause he transitioned to his crib, and big boy bed so well.  I tired nightlights, but he just gets out of bed to play with them.  One night, he dumped every single Lego he had into Harry's crib...poor little baby.

So, what do I do now.  I watch the Supernanny, I tried her ways.  I put him to bed over and over, a hundred times...but it is just a game to him, and my back hurts, and he laughs and laughs and wakes up the baby.  I don't like to get mean, cause I don't want the last thing he remembers before he goes to to sleep is my shrill voice commanding to get his tiny butt back in bed.  So, every night I give in, and he comes to bed with me.  I don't get my own reading or relaxing time, and both of us fall asleep fighting for our space in the bed.  Even though I am tired and I want my own time back, part of me doesn't care, I know I am teaching him all the wrong ways...but he is only a little kid once.  Maybe in a year or so, my threats of punishments will actually work, or we can strike some sort of bargain.  Until then, it is a nightly stand off.