Marks, Mishaps, and Means

• Sorry this week has flown by with MUCH activity and next-to-no internet time! But, the grandparents took Aolani to the park, which leaves me with a sleeping baby and the freedom to type.
• I have read that most babes can generally be classified as active (12 hrs sleep, 5 hrs cry in a day), average (15 hrs sleep, 3 hrs cry), and quiet (18 hrs sleep, 1 hr cry). Micaiah is between an average and quiet baby (Aolani was active). We are constantly amazed at what an easy baby he is! He sleeps a lot, is calm, fusses when he is uncomfortable or getting hungry, and only cries/wails if he is really hungry. He is such a joy!
• I wear Micaiah in the sling when he is awake (but he quickly falls asleep). I put him on the Boppy to nurse/sleep on me while I work on the computer at night. He naps in the crib in the main room during the day. He sleeps at night mostly in a playard/bassinet by our bed, or we'll leave him in our bed. We put in a bouncer while we eat dinner and when we shower at night (bring him into the bathroom with us).
• Micaiah definitely has the dark hair and eyes like Aolani (and Ricky). They, also, share the same mouth and toes :) Otherwise, they have very different features -- head shape and body parts. Micaiah has a beautiful birthmark by his right eye (see below), which we love and hope it does not fade!

• Aolani's antics: is constantly repeating what she hears -- walk, oh no, hot dog, happy..., loves to burp her bunny, lays her doll on top of a burp cloth in the bouncer, microwaves and cooks in the oven her stuffed animals (in her play kitchen), feeds me, loves to bring me books to read to her on my lap (the day I longer for), rubbishes through trash cans, throws her dirty diaper repeatedly at me after stripping herself while I nurse the baby (what fun), climbs into the tub to grab and lick the poopy plunger, locks us out of rooms... just a wild toddler!
• Micaiah is one month old today! He has gained over two pounds and has outgrown his newborn clothes. He had a bad diaper rash that went away after using olive oil on it when we changed him -- cheap and healthy alternative that worked on him. He sees our family doctor, who is an elder in our church with nine kids :) We are incredulous because this past week, he has begun to roll over -- no lie! Aolani didn't roll over until four months, but I saw him go from his belly to back before he was even four weeks old. And, he holds his head up a lot. He might be a big, strong fella... We are staying home for most of the winter, in order to keep him away from the germs.
• Nursing: Tandem nursing is happening -- meaning I nurse two kids, but I do not nurse them both at the same time normally because it is a lot of trouble for us. I had decided to designate each child their own side (mainly as a way for my milk supply to regulate to the supply and demand and avoid oversupply like before). I was engorged for the first few days once my milk arrived, and I had a plugged duct that first week home. Aolani - She finally has a name for nursing/milk, and it is mee-mee. She knows her side and calls the other side "baby's mee-mee." She likes all the milk and does ask for mee-mee more often, but she usually only drinks milk around her nap and sleep. Aolani giggles and gets a kick out of watching the baby nurse. She is beginning to demand my attention once I start nursing Micaiah though. Micaiah - He is a great nurser. He likes to eat frequently throughout the day, cluster feeds in the evening, and lasts in three-hour intervals at night. He spit up a lot when I was engorged but just the normal now, although he has gas and needs to burp frequently.
• Sleeping: Yes, we room-share, so we all four of us are in the same room. And, it works, so far! Aolani woke up whenever the baby did for the first week, but then, she started to sleep through the wakings and feedings. She only wakes if he cries very loudly. Even so, Aolani goes right back to sleep without our help or interaction. We gave her a soft, pink blanket to have in her crib, and she loves being tucked in at night ;) We had Micaiah in our bed with us all the time for the first week, but he would sleep longer stretches in the bassinet by the bed. He would want to nurse continuously throughout the night by me, and it was challenging for me in other ways, too. Hence, he is normally in the playard's bassinet and in our bed sometimes. Our pattern: Micaiah stirs, I wake and attempt to wake Ricky, Ricky changes his diaper, I nurse him in bed, and Ricky burps him before placing him back down to sleep. And, yes, Ricky is back to his old ways -- delusional and sleep-talking (about Narnia, lawyers, Tebow, soldiers...). Sometimes, we "argue" (although he is not in his right mind) for an hour before he gets up! I have tried yelling, crying, cold water via a spray bottle, praying, threats, physical force... oh my! It usually takes a little of it all to get him out of bed.

• Verse to memorize this week: 2 Corinthians 6:9 ~ [We are treated] as unknown and ignored [by the world], and [yet we are] well-known and recognized [by God and His people]; as dying, and yet here we are alive; as chastened by suffering and [yet] not killed;