Spectacles and Spectaculars

• Ricky's work colleagues held a surprise baby shower for us last week. Well, I did not know about it. Anyway, Micaiah received a lot of board books (which we desperately had want of as Aolani destroyed all of hers). Since Aolani opened all the gifts and might of thought they were hers, she screamed and cried "Books! Books!" as they were being packed up for us to leave. Everyone was so sad for her. She is such a bookaholic ;)
• We also got to cancel doctor appointments last week because we had to clean our kitchen and laundry room floor after the washer emptied all of its water onto the floor. And, the dryer aspect of our washer/dryer-in-one has been broken for eight weeks now. I have been hanging up every load of laundry ever since. Not a big deal -- if you have a place to hang-dry, which I do not. The repair man finally came and "fixed" it, without the "fixing" part happening. {Exhale.}
• Huge blessing: Several people were wanting to help us; so, every week we have two women that come over for a few hours to do whatever I ask (sweep, wash dishes, change diapers, start dinner...). Also, one lady and her 10 year-old daughter come over once-a-week to play with Aolani for a little while. Today, the girl commented that she was tired from Aolani having too much energy and wearing her out ;) Tell me about it!
• The Spectacle: Earlier this week when Aolani awoke from her nap, I went in to get her and was completely speechless once I turned on the light. There she stood in her crib. Naked. And, covered with poop. She had taken off her clothes, removed her poopy diaper, and proceeded to smear it everywhere possible -- the crib, the floor, the crib tent, the sheets, her body... Remarkably, her outfit and stuffed animals only suffered mild casualties, comparatively. Yeah, I was stunned and dumbfounded. It took me an hour just to take care of her (praise God for grace in letting the baby nap the whole time Aolani desperately needed my attention). I left the crib for Ricky ("We have a big surprise for you Daddy, but you might want to change your clothes first!"). She made the mess before falling asleep in it. She suffered enough punishment just having to sleep in and breathe her poop, so I did not need to do any more. She was traumatized by it all because she did not say a word for almost an hour once I got her, did what I asked, and nursed for a long time (for comfort) afterwards. Let's just say that I don't think she will do that again?!
• Busy week, it was.

• Micaiah: sleeps all night (6-8 hours at once; woohoo!), is getting a nice bald spot on the back of his head (just like Aolani did), and smiles (big and bright) :)
• Let me say that just waking up once at night to tend to the baby is so breathtakingly grand.
• However, Micaiah was constipated the entire day after he first slept through the night (at 6 weeks). He was uncomfortable and in pain. Poor fella. He cried and cried. Except when I nursed him; so, that was what we did all day.
  

• Aolani's antics: says new word and sounds every day, does not need bribes to get on my lap for a diaper change or naptime, copies everything Ricky does, adores and flirts with herself in front the mirror, tries really hard to jump, calls me "Mommy" (finally), points at things and declares who uses or owns the object...

• Still working on memorizing last week's verses: 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ~ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.