Aloha! and Welcome to our Ohana's blog!
I hope this brings some insight into our experiences as first time parents raising our adorable smiley baby, Ryatt. I cant promise this is going to be a piece of parenthood best-selling literature; but Ill give it my best shot. Hopefully you can relate in some way, find comfort in our experience and maybe even alil humor in it all.
Aloha! and thanks for reading =)
It was a beautiful day on island. Perfect for a picnic at the zoo. We pack up and zipped over 20 minutes out into town to show Ryatt the zoo animals for the first time. Well, plans changed. After fighting tooth and nail for overpriced parking, we scrammed to get in line to enter. Apparently the whole island of Oahu had the brilliant idea of visiting the zoo on President's Day because the line swiveled out to the street and looked like there was no end to it. So on to plan B. We walked right passed the line of patient people and straight across the street to the Waikiki Beach Park to sit down and eat. The sun was perfectly peaking from behind a few clouds, and a breeze tickled our skin to keep us cool. Surrounded by tourists and beach bums, we spread out our lunch to eat and people watch. Bums are funny and tourist are even more entertaining! Even Ryatt was people watching too as he ate spoonfuls of apple and pear sauce. When we all finished eating, we packed back up and headed a few blocks down the beach to the Honolulu Aquarium. This aquarium is pretty small so the whole visit there was about 30 minutes. Surprisingly, they dont have a Great White Sharks. I'd expect they would because Great Whites can be found one mile off the coast of the island. The coolest part is the jelly fish tank and the monk seals. We captured a few pics, here they are for you to enjoy =)
Today was a day of learning. We attended a Super Baby Foods Class at my local cloth diaper store, BabyAwearness in Manoa, Hawaii. (Great place!) There was a lot of information given out and a quick demonstration for a really nutritious kale and apple sauce recipe. The instructor had a lot of info to offer; most I agreed with and some I thought was just a little too much. Rowdy was annoyed with her "hippie" approach to feeding her daughter so automatically he blew her off. But whats important is that at the end of the class, Rowdy and I both agree on how cooking for our baby/family works for us.
The class was based off a very popular book called "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Paron. We went over mostly everything, including some suggestions for first time foods, preparing healthy foods, and the benefits of using wholesome organic foods. This lady obviously has a lot of invested interested in cooking all organic and local, more than I do at the least. Anyway, Im all about eating healthy but I also have my own theories that differ from the typical 'all organic' diet.
Hear me out....(My theory...I dont know if there is study out there that proves or disproves this) I think there is a connection between microwaved and processed foods and the epidemic of cancers with causes unknown. In the 1950's the microwave come out and TV dinners were being nuked in almost every home. Now fifty years later folks are discovering malignant masses everywhere and people are being routinely screened for early detection. People who were around before the microwave ate more natural foods and then went nuts over a new way of cooking thats faster and easier than the conventional pot and pan. I think that switch from 'real' foods to processed foods like TV dinners has had a adverse effect on people and its now starting to show. SO now I foresee the same effect happening with parents feeding their child all organic non processed foods up until a certain age...or until its out of their control....and then later the processed-commercially grown stuff is introduced. Their little body is going to freak out when it gets alil taste of artificial sweeteners, corn syrup or any other commonly used additive in everyday foods. I really hope Im wrong because I think its great that parents want to provide the best start for their babies; its what we all wish for our children.
One thing that had me perk up an ear was how she mentioned that there are links between autism and ADHD and the consumption of pesticides from our produce. I certainly dont want to become part of that statistic. We do plan on reducing exposure as much as we can, but I also think we are doing more good than harm by allowing a balance of organic foods and commercial foods into our son's diet. For reasons I mentioned earlier, we want to provide that exposure so when our son is making his own food choices, if he chooses something commercially made it isnt going to throw his system into panic. So for now, while we have the choice as parents, we are going to make homemade fruit and veggie purees, organic when possible and buy the more uncommon stuff in jars.
Two weeks ago, we started Ryatt on solids. Hes eating fresh mashed bananas, prunes, home made apples sauce and pear sauce, carrots, green beans, rice cereal and oatmeal. So far, it seems like he likes his veggies more than the fruit. We eat three times a day; oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, fruit or veggie for lunch, and rice cereal with veggie for dinner. Im so glad I waited til he turned 6months to start solids because Im confident he was ready for it. Hes taken to eating solids very well and really developing the skill of eating from a spoon. Its been a messy and fun milestone for sure!
SIDE NOTE: I am aware that there are other components to developing cancers and disabilities, not just in what we eat but also in the environment we expose ourselves to.
Every night our bed time routine sets the mood for Ryatt to sleep; it works most of the time. We all eat dinner together at the table around 630 or so, and then Rowdy swooshes Ryatt away to the No-Momma Zone. Im not allowed to participate in whatever they do but it sure sounds like fun from the kitchen. Im stuck cleaning up the mess left over from dinner- which usually consists of dishes, dirty counters and the carnage of Ryatt's meal. I hear all sorts of laughing, squeaky toys and music. Sometimes I peak in and see whats going on but they always catch me and send me away. Its not fair! I can only assume that bath time involves bubbles and duckies with splashy fun, and then getting dressed is a musical performance by Rowdy with peek-a-boos and tickles. The lights dim and then its story time. I dont even get to partake in that! Instead, by 8 o'clock Im beckoned to come nurse baby to sleep, like Im some sort of warm glass of milk.
After the monster is down resting his precious eyes, Momma and Daddy get to have grown up time. YAY! Usually you will find us cuddled on the couch together either watching episodes after episode off of Netflix or we are both typing away on our laptops enjoying the silence in the house. As you could imagine, we look forward to these few calm hours. We go to bed hoping to not wake up again til the morning. But its NEVER that easy. Usually he tries to wake up a couple times before midnight and a quick pacifier plug-in puts him back into his slumber. Then around 3 am baby boy wakes up and the battle begins. With our eyes glazed over with sleep, we take turns rubbing his belly and shhh-ing him, hoping he will doze off again. If we are lucky he falls back asleep within the hour. If not, then we cave and let the monster in our bed to nurse back to sleep. I know, I know, we arent supposed to do that. But when you have spent the whole day acting like a clown to keep a high maintenance child happy, you are drained of all your energy and become desperate for any minute of sleep. Now nursing him this time always works. He sleeps in with us til the late morning hour of 6 AM. And then the day begins again.
17 years, 5 months, 14 days, 2 hours til we can hopefully sleep again
One challenge of being an At-Home-Mom with few friends around is making sure your kid gets the social interaction he needs to develop those specific skills. You may think its early but I assure you this baby is a sponge on steroids. He picks up on everything, even at this young age. So to help our situation I signed up Ryatt to participate in a baby interactive class called WeePlay and Learn.
We really enjoy going. Not only do I get to meet other parents with children of similar age but Ryatt gets to play with other tots. Every class starts with a welcome song where we introduce all the babies and then we follow up with toys, rattles, story time, dancing and sensory activities. Its so cute to see all the different little people with their drooly faces and curious eyes. They crawl all over each other exploring the room and people around them. After class babies are allowed to play in the class room which is filled with foam jungle gyms and ball pits. Its like a baby heaven of toys! I really think that Ryatt is developing so well because he has this exposure.... AND his great genes!
I really wish I had started this earlier so that I wouldnt have to bust my brains trying to remember the all moments Id like to share. Theres only one place to start, the beginning.....
After a painful long 22 hour labor, we ended up with a c-section birth because baby Ryatt was suspected to be tied up by his umbilical cord. With every contraction his heart rate dropped significantly and then jumped back up. These doctors did everything they could to deliver him vaginal but after so long it became a safety concern. I was cool as a cucumber because I trusted my doctors. Rowdy, however, was so nervous about surgery and really feared the worst. None of those fears mattered anymore once he saw his son for the first time in that operation room. Most my own memory of the hospital stay is blurry, but I could never forget how it felt to hold my baby for the first time. Its not what you think. I didnt have those typical feelings you read about where a mother gazes at her child and all that gooshy stuff. No, I didnt instantly fall in love either. Actually, I had a head full of questions. I looked at Ryatt and wondered first, "You guys sure this kid is mine?" He was so white and Im kinda dark, and he looked nothing like me- it just didnt match up. In fact, at the time he looked like a lil shriveled old man. Then I started to think about all the grief I just went through and wondered how something so beautiful could cause me so much pain. Many other questions were left unanswered when all of a sudden my motherly instinct kicked in. I immediately felt an over whelming call to breastfeed. I wanted nothing in this world more than to nurture this baby in my arms. Apparently Ryatt felt the same way because he latched on without a flinch and its been that way since.
We finally arrived home and settled in after three days in the hospital recovering. Its kinda hard recalling the things we did, partly because of the zombie-like state we were in and mostly because I was drugged up. I do know for sure we were mad-hatter happy to finally see the child that was growing inside me for 39 weeks. My mother was around to help and thank goodness because I dont think Rowdy and I would of been able to function. She took care of all the chores and took Ryatt off our hands so we could rest when ever Ryatt allowed it. If baby wasnt sleeping or being cuddled by Granma, he was attatched to me- either by breast or diaper. Im not exaggerating either. Literally, baby breastfed every two hours on the minute and pooped after every meal. I couldnt even tell you the amount of disposable diapers and wipes we went through. After my Momma left, Rowdy's mother came to visit and meet her grandbaby too.
Ryatt was only a month old when I was left alone to do it all. Granmas came and left and Rowdy was back out to sea. I faced the next three months alone with a newborn baby and no hopes for sleep in the future. It was freaking scary! Guess it was that motherly instinct again that saved me because from the moment we dropped Rowdy off at the airport I didnt fear it anymore. I felt comfortable and I think Ryatt could sense it too. Right away we started getting into routines and I feel like the time alone with him allowed me to really tune into my inner mother. Im not saying it was easy. There were nights where I just couldnt do it and I cried for rest. But we got over it because it all passes. Those months were long too. There were days that just lingered and crawled by. Guess thats what happens when you dont sleep and you are counting the days til your other half [Rowdy] returns home. ...Oh the life of a military wife....
anyway, he did finally come home right before Christmas. By this time Ryatt is 4 months old, about 18lbs in weight and able to babble. He also had develop a little of an anxiety when around large crowds of people. So much that I had to hold off on going to baby classes (WeePlay) until it subsided. Rowdy came with us when we gave baby classes another try and Ryatt blended right in. For reasons unknown, this anxiety went away when daddy came home and I totally looked like a sissy liar. Well the next two months were fun. We went right into full time cloth diapering and continued fully breast feeding our baby boy. Disposable diapers have a funny fake smell to them and cloth is just so much cuter disposables. Ill just have to write a whole other blog post about how freakin awesome cloth diapering my child has been!
So you are probably wondering by now when Im going to stop blabbering, so here it is. To wrap up my game of catch-up... I want to conclude that since these turn of events my life has never been the same. Im stronger and more in tuned with my natural self. Ive never been so selfless. Never have I felt such a deep love for another being. Never have I felt a stronger need for family. Mother hood has been nothing I imagined it to be, yet everything Ive ever wanted and its so perfectly fitting for me.
I hope this brings some insight into our experiences as first time parents raising our adorable smiley baby, Ryatt. I cant promise this is going to be a piece of parenthood best-selling literature; but Ill give it my best shot. Hopefully you can relate in some way, find comfort in our experience and maybe even alil humor in it all.
