Hissin' and Hawkin'

• We traveled by car to Greensboro over the weekend to visit my paternal grandparents. Warning: Allow almost twice the time when driving with a baby. This was Aolani's longest trip by car. She is not the greatest rider, as she does not like to sleep in her carseat and the carseat must be too confining for this very active wild child. I got my fill of screams, fusses, pouts, and cries. My grandma treated me to a massage and hairstyle at a spa on Saturday. Nice! It was a great visit :)
• We taught Aolani to hiss like a snake through her teeth!
• I wasn't going to mention this, but Ricky is making me. Idea: Aolani and I performed a wheelchair-dance for Ricky last week to Kenny G's Silent Night. We choreographed and practiced it earlier in the day when we were alone (to minimize embarrassment!). Aolani enjoys all the twists and turns on my lap. She giggles while we dance ;)
• Remember that tuft of hair growing on the back of her head?!

• Verse to memorize this week: Luke 9:23-5 ~ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

Highway to the Danger Zone

• Today, we are celebrating 8 months for Aolani, which has turned out to be a big milestone for two reasons. One: While staring into my eyes Saturday morning after she had nursed, she said "Mama." Ricky was with me, so I have proof. It was exhilarating! I realize that she was mimicking the sound I had made earlier, but it was elating all the same. Two: She crawled on Friday for the first time. Yes, forward. That morning she had combined three techniques to move forward, but she learned to alternate arm and leg by the afternoon. So, we have spent the weekend watching her crawl. It is so cute that I can't contain myself! I will get a video up of her crawling soon. [I took one already, but she is wearing a dress that kept getting caught under her knee and causing her to slip.]


• This was great timing because Nonna (Ricky's mom) and Aolani's great Aunt were visiting this weekend to witness her accomplishments. She got to get dressed up three days in a row, so here are some pictures:

I love this video of her and Ricky flirting ;)

• Last week, I laid down a towel in her crib, stripped her, and started eating a banana in front of her. Of course, she snatched it away quickly, put it to her mouth, discovered it was food, and gave me her "Mommy that was sneaky" look, and wouldn't eat a bite. Oh well. It was worth a try. At least it made for a fun, messy picture :)



• Ricky and I went on our traditional date last week. Traditional meaning it involved chess and Where's Waldo? However, looking down at the book hurt my neck, so I suggested that we go home and find Waldo propped up in bed. Yeah, we fell asleep in no time like that. Lights on, clothes on, and Waldo was still missing. We learned our lesson.


• Aolani has begun this thing where she will nap briefly and then awake. I get ready to go get her (she plays by herself in her crib just fine) and by the time I'm ready, she will fall back asleep for a long time. So funny!


• Another cute behavior: Now when I open the crib, she crawls over and out the door to me!


• Changing her has become impossible! It now takes me twice as long and requires all the skill I can muster. I feel like I am wrestling an alligator! I need to listen to some workout music during this time. Right into the Danger Zone...


• Verse to memorize this week: Romans 12:17 ~ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.

Choco-Cherry Love

Although that happens to be Ricky's favorite DQ blizzard, it has also become Aolani's nickname. Seriously, I can't decide if she is the most beautiful baby there ever was or the happiest baby there ever was... wait. I don't have to decide. I'm the Mommy. She's BOTH!

Aolani is either smiling or laughing [almost] ALL THE TIME (around us anyways; she's a little shy around others)! Here's a glimpse of her this past weekend.

She sleeps, too ;)

"They" say that there are several ways to decrease the chance of a baby getting colic -- breastfeeding, wearing your baby via baby-carrier, co-sleeping, skin-on-skin contact -- and so we do/did them all. I guess something worked?!

Here is a good, short video of her laughing (for hearing not really seeing):

Aolani's Baptismal Event

I cannot tell you how happy she was yesterday! Seriously.

She never made a peep during the whole service. (I think she was basking in the attention!)

This outfit was a hand-me-down from her cousin.

It just happened to be yellow -- Mommy's favorite color.

Okay. By now you are probably wondering why she is so happy in all these shots. We don't know exactly. What we do know is that Grandma Oliver started making silly sounds and Aolani started giggling and smiling for the rest of the shoot. AND... I got a little bit of her laugh recorded:

Mosaic

• Fun[ny] news: Aolani giggled for the first last Sunday night. She has laughed only a few more times since then. I can't wait to record and post it :)


• Also last weekend, she "found" her hands and has been totally enthralled with them ever since! She is constantly clasping them and doing an in-depth study on this new discovery.

• My new brace arrived this week. I think it works, even though it hurts (pressure) to wear it too long. I think my foot is slowly starting to heal itself, as it now only turns out toward 11 o'clock.


• I thought she might be dairy sensitive, so I cut out dairy products from my diet. I think she's improved, but maybe it's because she is getting older. However, she is having baby diarrhea once a day still. It might be eggs, so I am going to try that...


• She is constantly getting comments on how long and luxurious her lashes are for a baby. I tried to get a good picture while she was napping in the sling on me, but the camera would not focus properly. Sorry; here's the shot anyhow.

• Storytime: The other afternoon I just had to go to the kitchen and grab a snack. So, I set her in the crib (wide-awake) for a few minutes. I was eating in the kitchen with the monitor turned on voice-activation (eliminates constant noises or small movements) in case she needed me. Out of nowhere, she had several massive eruptions out of her butt that awoke the monitor (so I could hear them all)! And, she didn't even make a peep. I went back in to find a happy, still-awake baby wiggling on top of a poopy crib sheet. "Let's just cover that up with a blanket until help gets home..."


• She has rubbed a bald spot on the back of her head (repeatedly looking to and fro trying to see and learn everything around her). I know this is common, but I still think it is funny and funny-looking!

• I am reading a book to her while she lies on the changing table called Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper. The entire book is in pdf for free online (click on the title). She really likes it, as do I ;)


• We put her crib toy (Sunny) up last weekend, and she really enjoys the colorful lights. She acts like she could care less about the classical music it plays.