Hiking Malibu Creek

We spent Saturday afternoon hiking up Malibu Creek Canyon with Grandma Kim, Kelsey, Kirk and Amy. It's a pretty trail and it was a really nice day. Kaya loves being outdoors and seemed to have a good time. We went to the beach for her very first time afterwards but it was cold and windy and I think she was tired at that point so she wasn't too interested. We'll try again when it's warmer and when she isn't so worn out. She looked adorable in her bathing suit, though! I'm looking forward to all the fun things we will do this summer. We are moving to Long Beach in August so I'm sure there will be lots of beach days in our future.

Kaya of the Day

Wrote a Song for Everyone, Wrote a Song for Kaya

     I know that I have mentioned Kaya's love for Creedence Clearwater Revival several times already, but- it is a phenomenon so strange and so hilarious that I felt that it really merited it's own entry on this here blog. 

     In our first, desperate, frantic weeks as parents, Shaun and I did everything and anything we could think of to try to get even a few minutes reprieve from Kaya's incessant furious screaming. We would always go through the normal routine of feeding, diapering, swaddling, rocking etc. and when none of that worked, Shaun would frequently put music on and dance with her until she fell asleep. 

     Well, from the time she was only a few weeks old, we noticed that as soon as we put a Creedence album on, she would immediately get quiet and stay quiet as long as it was playing. We thought that it must have been something about the vinyl- maybe a faint background hiss that we couldn't hear. But, we knew that she didn't respond the same way to other vinyl albums so we made a Creedence CD and, sure enough- same thing. She LOVED it and got immediately quiet when it was put on. And I don't mean put on softly as background music for her to fall asleep to. I'm talking full on, turned up to 11 jam session. 

     We now rely on Creedence as much as we rely on clean diapers or bottles in our neverending quest to please, comfort and calm Ms. Holiday. It's become something of a party trick whenever we are out. She will be red-faced, balled-fist, screaming bloody murder and we will whip out the iPhone, find a Creedence video on YouTube and like the flip of a switch she will suddenly be wide-eyed and silent with a look on her face like "Oh, hot damn. This my jam." It almost never fails.

     Some times, when we are listening to "Who'll Stop The Rain" for the ninth time that morning, I find myself cursing the name of John Fogerty and hoping she grows out of it soon. But, most of the time, it just makes me love my funny little girl even more and so thankful that it's not the Wiggles or some Jonas Brothers nonsense that most kids want to listen to.

     Those of you who have witnessed this phenomenon for yourselves, please leave your favorite Kaya & Creedence story in the comments or at least just give me an amen so when she reads this someday, she knows I am not making it up.

UK: Too Far Away

Kaya's uncle Kirk is away at university in San Diego so we don't get to see him nearly as often as we wish we did. He came to visit us this weekend and it was brought to my attention that there were no photos of him on this blog yet. So, now we shall reconcile this oversight.
Kaya rockin out to Creedence with her uncle.
Newborn Kaya napping on her uncle.
Kaya, not even 1 hour old with her proud uncle.
And, just for good measure- Uncle Kirk with inside-belly Kaya.

We ♥ you, UK! Come visit us again soon!

I can't believe my little monster turned 3 months old yesterday. Sometimes it's still strange to me that I'm not pregnant anymore. 
This morning, Kaya laughed for the very first time. It was an amazing moment. Just that one tiny sound made all the screaming and sleepless nights seem so worth it. Of course, she might have just been laughing at the get-up that her Papa put her in. I love the Bob Marley onesie but, paired with the tie dyed socks (purchased at the vitamin store), I'm afraid she's going to end up being a hippie like Kelsey. She already has horrible soy farts when she eats formula, I'm not ready for her to lecture me about recycling or stink like patchouli.
Papa bought a "Teach Your Baby to Read" kit that came with DVDs, flashcards and books that claim to help teach a baby to read simple words by 8 months old. I'm a little skeptical but it sure is cute watching Papa try. She just stares at him and drools but, who knows, maybe she will be a baby genius. 

Baby's First Roadtrip

It was a big weekend for the Stinkarina. Mama, Kaya and Kelsey went to Berkeley to visit Amy for Easter. Kaya celebrated lots of "firsts" this weekend. Friday night was the first night we have spent away from Papa since she was born. Also, this was Kaya's first long car trip. She did great with the 5 hour drive. Any time she started to fuss, if a bottle couldn't make it better, her Creedence Clearwater Revival CD did the trick!Miss Holiday had lots of fun having a slumber party with her auntie Kelsey during her first night spent in a hotel room. She sleeps in a baby hammock at home so we weren't sure how she would do sleeping in the crib that the hotel provided, but, even though she woke up a few times to eat, she slept in her big girl bed all night long. She was even a good sport about taking her bath in the sink.

Saturday, we surprised Auntiebom Amy at her softball game.

Kaya was the littlest Cal fan in attendance and she had fun sitting with her Grandma and watching Cal win the game!
After the game, we got to spend some time with Amy. Kaya had only met her once before and that time they had only gotten to spend about 20 minutes together. This time, they got to spend a whole night together in the hotel room! Kaya loves her Auntiebom and we can't wait until she comes home and can play with us all summer long!
Sunday was Kaya's first Easter. The Easter bunny didn't visit our hotel room but his assistant (Auntie Kels) gave us tickets to the Dodger game on Friday for Easter and my Bunkalunks was the cutest Easter egg ever in her special little suit that Jazmin and Barbara gave her. 

We had lots of fun but we were very happy to get home and see Papa after a long, long drive. 

Kaya of the Day

We went to Corona today for a family reunion and Kaya got to meet my uncles, aunts and cousins for the first time. We watched old home movies from the 80s and I realized how much I want to document this time in her life, not only for her Papa and I to remember but for her to have when she's older. I can't wait for the day that she reads this blog and sees these photos and says "Awh Mom, why'd you make me wear those Elton John shades, I looked ridiculous!" and then I can say "20 hours, kid, 20 effing hours".

We ♥ LA!

We took Kaya to her first Dodger game last night and she LOVED it. Which is fortunate because she will be going to many, many more in her lifetime, coming from a family of Dodger lovers as she does. (Especially since it is free to take her until she turns 4) Before she was even born she had all kinds of Dodger gear and even LA bottles. It's a perfect environment for her because she loves bright lights, being outdoors, loud noises and music and being around people. She was perfectly content to sit on my lap and take it all in while everyone around absolutely fell in love with her. Dodgers won, Mama got to have a beer and get out of the house and do something fun and even Papa- who is not a baseball fan, had a good time.
 

I plan to spend the entire summer doing this:

I couldn't if I tried.

In the last week or so, Kaya has started to seem less like a newborn and more like a real, live baby. She is much more facially expressive and seems to be more aware of what is going on around her. She definitely recognizes me, her Papa and Kelsey and will move her head and neck to follow our voices. She is still a very colicky baby and screams bloody murder for a few hours everyday. I've really been having a hard time contemplating going back to work. Kaya is still nursing almost exclusively (we do supplement with formula from time to time if Mama needs a cocktail or if we are out in public somewhere that whipping out a boob would be entirely inappropriate). My maternity leave is coming to an end in just a few weeks and the idea of leaving her is horrifying to me. I'd hate to have to stop breastfeeding, I'd hate to be away from her for 8 hours a day and I really hate thinking about the possibility that a caregiver/babysitter might ignore her or treat her badly out of frustration (I reiterate- she is a VERY colicky baby and she SCREAMS for HOURS a day). So, her Papa and I decided that at this point, the best decision for our family is for me to stay home at least through the summer and then we will re-evaluate our options in a few months. It is going to be very tight financially for awhile but I am THRILLED!C'mon, look at that face. Could you leave that??

Kaya of the Day

We went to lunch on the beach today with Kels, Kirk, Jazmin and Patrick. She's getting much better at being out in public without screaming like she's being abused. Plus, she looks super kick ass in the shades her Aunt Natalie bought her.

I could get used to this.

Kaya slept through the night for the first time last night. 'Twas glorious.

Meeting Auntie Amy

Amy is away at school at Cal Berkeley so she hadn't gotten to meet Kaya yet. We finally, 6 weeks later, brought Kaya to watch Amy play softball yesterday and they got to meet for the first time.

We miss her so much and can't wait for her to come home for summer! Kaya was an angel even when it got loud and cold at the stadium.

Growing up.

When we got this jammie suit at the baby shower, my mom told me to return it. It was "Preemie" size and we had no reason to think Kaya would ever be that small. When she was born, it was the only thing that actually fit her and ended up being what we brought her home from the hospital in. This morning, a month and a half later, it became the first thing I had to box up and put away because she has outgrown it.

I'm an emotional wreck. Don't get big. I will cry.

My scrawny screamer

It's really not my fault. If she would stop being so damn cute, I would stop dressing her up in silly costumes. 

It's hard to believe that Kaya is 2 weeks old already. It's all been such a blur. I feel like if I get her off the boob for long enough to shower and even maybe change out of pajamas, I've had an enormously productive day. And, even though I feel like she spends the majority of her time attached to my body, eating- we took her to the doctor for her 2 week check up and she has actually lost a pound since she was born. 
Now I have to keep her on a strict schedule, eating every 2 hours, even through the night. As if I wasn't sleep-deprived enough as it is. She is completely and entirely worth it, of course. She got to spend some time with her great-grandparents (my mom's parents, who are in their 80s) and with her great-grandmother (her papa's grandmother who is 95!) this week. I think we are really lucky to have them around and I want to make sure that we cherish the time with them. It's so easy to take those things for granted when everything is so hectic. 

Panic Attack v.1

Kaya's umbilical cord stump fell off while I was changing her diaper today. I just stood there, staring at her big girl belly button while my eyes filled with tears. My little girl is growing up.

I'm not entirely sure how I am going to deal with things like her first day of kindergarten or her first prom if the shedding of a nasty scab has affected me to this extent. Jesus, take the wheel.

How creepy is it if I save the stump for posterity?

Change.

This morning, Kaya, Papa and I laid in bed together and watched the inauguration of President Obama. Even though I had voted for him and had cried when he won (I was 7 months pregnant, I cried at AT&T commercials at that point)- I don't think it had really occurred to me until today how significant a moment in history this actually is. But, laying there with my mixed race daughter watching a half-Black man take the oath of office, I realized that it will probably be of little significance to her that she is, in fact, a minority and that she will likely never know what it would have meant just short decades ago. I was proud of us, as a nation and hopeful, as a mother, that my daughter will never know what it's like to be ashamed to be American or to fear your government. I know it's a lot to ask of one man but I feel like change is coming and I'm excited.

The Sound and the Fury

We brought Kaya home from the hospital yesterday. She is the tiniest, most furious little monster imaginable. She screamed the entire way home and has only stopped to eat and occasionally nap. Breastfeeding is almost more painful than childbirth, I still look approximately 11 months pregnant and I only vaguely recollect what "sleeping" was like.
I have never, in my entire life, been happier.

It's time!!!!!

For the past week, I have felt like there is an invisible force pulling my body apart from the hips. It's about as comfortable as it sounds. This morning, we went to see the OBGYN for my weekly appointment. He did a pelvic exam and said that I am already 2 centimeters dilated and in the early stages of labor! The early stages can last from a few hours to a few days but I am done. Over it. Want my baby. NOW. So, I told him about my hip pains and asked if there is anything to do to speed it up. "Well, you and Papa-to-be can discuss it and if you feel it's for the best, yes, we can check you in today and induce contractions". Without even glancing over at P-t-b (who was in the room) I responded "Yes, we would like to do that please. Now."

So- look out, world. I am checking into the hospital at 8 pm and by this time tomorrow, I will be a MOM.