wena progressing:

• better eye-hand coordination… moved from one hand grab to two hand grab
• finger control instead of hand control
• half-turn from back on flat surface, if trying to get something
• new play behavior– likes to do “push-ups”
• continues to enjoy water, baby pool
• continues to love to stare at the kiawe trees and sky
• often will “complain” instead of outright cry if wet or hungry
• continues to flirt with the wahines around town
• “schooching” around up and down
• cracks-up like crazy when we do the “stomping” towards him
• and is a real kid now, since he laughed like crazy playing at the beach, then cried like wild when we had to leave in the car to go home!

grandpa manu calls him “skinny”
great-grandma nora calls him “fattie”

Mom and dad call him “built like an athlete”

goofy face

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Kawena has been getting a bit of sun lately, despite Dr. Cao’s warnings. In Hawaii it is almost impossible for the sun not to reach a person. We would have to keep the baby locked up every day. But he has a beautiful golden color, not too tan.

Kawena discovered his feet just these past two weeks, and can recognize several words; “hands” “rolling” “kiss”. All the essentials. First thing in the morning he talks non-stop, making crazy pterodactyl noises. His sounds for different things he wants are becoming distinct – for food its a kind of gasping moan, for getting picked up its a kind of grunt, and every now and again he literally says “Pheeeeeewww.” He gets tired already!

He loves to look at trees, at light and shadow, at faces and hands, hand gestures, at his little toys the Crab and the Giraffe.

After Grandma Kathy and Katie visited, we settled into a routine. Morning wakeup around 5:50am. Vocalizations for at least half an hour OR eating/sleep. Awake and socializing with Grandpa Manu and Joyce until 8 or 8:30. First Breakfast, followed by short nap or relaxation. Playing and calisthenics until 11 or so, with Second Breakfast and nap. More playing, singing and errands until 2-ish with Lunch and nap. Errands and swimming if possible until 5 or 6, with Dinner. Short snooze followed by sitting at the table and talking with the family. Sunset time is the witching hour – baby will either go nuts and cry for a half hour, or if we catch it in time, slow calmdown followed by powereating. Bedtime has been 8pm, with deep sleep until midnight, small snacks and then sleep until 4 or 5am.

smiley

Originally uploaded by goodness.

Kawena has been hanging out on Maui for a few weeks now, playing with Grandpa Manu and Grandma Sherrie, visiting cousins and Uncles and Aunites, going to swim in the ocean, and many many rounds of playing in the little blue chair with the hanging star and moon.

We stopped in California briefly to see Great-Grandpa Joe in Pleasant Hill, who told us some good stories about growing up in Galesburg, IL and traveling down to El Paso when he was very young after his father passed away. This must have been in the 1920s or so. He grew up with his grandmother who made tortillas and sold them at the local market. When he was very young (7?), he one day found himself short of pocket change and vowed to earn it by making flour tortillas. But with no experience, no matter how many orders he barked out to his little brother, little Joe couldn’t make the dough circular. They took opposite sides and pulled and twisted and pulled again. No matter, said his Abuela, Mariana Aranda, I will buy it from you and eat it myself. So delicious! she said even though it was horribly misshapen.

We traveled to Maui, and Kawena was an excellent traveller, having aviation in his genes! He slept and ate the whole time through, only complaining at the cramped bathroom changing setup.

On arrival, Grandpa Manu and Uncle Sean greeted us at the airport and we all went home to the Goodness compound together. Kawena is so lucky to have a place on such a beautiful island with loving family to smile at and talk to and hold him through the sunny days and long hot windy nights.

Today Kawena grasped, pulled and chewed for the first time, for all those who understand.

some of Kawena’s favorite things:
music (gabby pahinui, 70’s reggae, voices)
looking at blue sky
talking
stretching straight out
going outside
listening to birds

Family time

This week Grandma and cousin Katie visited from Memphis and we hung out, ran around town and BBQd in celebration. Grandma had already sent the majority of the basic provisions for baby beforehand – all the way to the wipe warmer (thank you!!!)! The lady has the mind of an engineer, and her project is the good life. It was great to have the two gals here, and Katie and Kawena got along like bread and butter. We got to catch up on all the family news from Tennessee and stroll around Brooklyn. After a night in Times Square, the gals came to a B & B a couple blocks from here in brownstone Brooklyn on a tree-lined street.

On Memorial Day we went to Prospect Park and had a BBQ with friends, including Shalini, our friend who many may remember from our wedding party, who recently got married herself. Kawena got to hang out with not just one but 3 cousins that day, as Lils and Sean brought their two little girls. With one more Hawaii guy, Joey Kruger from Baldwin HS days, we had a full Maui gang.

Nicholas came over later in the week and we all went out for dinner. We had lively dinner discussion and clarified just how politically diverse our family really is!

Kawena has figured out that he can stay awake for a fair amount of time – about 45 minutes now. When he’s awake and calm, he really likes to walk around and see things. We usually tour the house and talk about the different objects and activities going on. Then he gets fatigued and wants to sleep or eat. Mom is pretty tired in the morning and sometimes after the 5am wakeup, we will nap until 11!

He has also started showing some regular communication and crying patterns, and we are trying to get attuned to the different kinds of cries he has to say different things – hungry, tired, bored, getting ready to go to the bathroom. Its a fine line between these things sometimes. Although Kawena is mostly a good baby, if we aren’t able to figure out what he needs, he flies into a rage and has begun getting a really angry cry. More like a yell, as if he would be swearing if he could talk. But he calms down really quick when we finally figure it out and doesn’t fuss more, doesn’t hold a grudge. I wonder if these miniature behaviours stick or go away.

In the next week we are going to try to set up a little more routine to change behaviours: only being able to fall asleep eating, and only being able to sleep with human contact for constant reassurance. We’ll go slow, I think, but I think he’ll be OK, he’s very smart and adaptable.

Big Eyes

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Kawena is beginning to show some clear patterns in behavior and preferences. He prefers to sleep and eat at the same time. He does not like his bassinet and prefers to sleep with the big folks. He prefers Dad to burp him and Mom to feed him. When he’s outraged, only Mom or exhaustion calms him down. He likes music and sunshine and singing. When he stretches, he prefers to stretch his left arm up and his right arm down.

He is a good baby and sleeps quietly almost all night, except for little motions for more food. He doesn’t like the sponge bath or stripping his clothes off for changing. He likes to be held close. He is a very serious fellow and prefers to smile and laugh only while sleeping. While awake, he prefers to look around seriously and inspect the world. He likes bookshelves and he likes the sound of our voices. He likes to sleep on his belly on his Dad’s chest in the evening. He likes to look up. He prefers to chew on his own arm and depises the pacifier. Although breastfed, if we have to, he is totally fine with cold formula. He likes the toys his Grandma Kathy and Uncle Nick got him and tries to get them with his hands.

He seems more comfortable in the world and when he cries, its not so lonely and raging anymore. He seems to know that he’s not alone. We will be there for him.

awake and calm

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to see all of Kawena’s pictures

Originally uploaded by goodness.

Kawena is getting chubby cheeks and eating nonstop! His first doctor’s appointment was on Monday where he was diagnosed with cradlecap and baby rash. His doctor is Dr. Cao, who is so super nice, he reminds us of a Hawaii doctor. What a relief. After all the sleep deprivation and stress of a wailing baby, his reassurance that Kawena was very healthy and in the 75% in NYC for newborn weight was so nice to hear. Dr. Cao is part of Park Slope Pediatrics, which was started by the head of pediatrics at Methodist Hospital here. This is great because they handle not just regular pediatrics but all kinds of special cases and are experts!

We also took a few walks outside, since Kawena seems to really like stimulation, but he falls asleep every time. Someday he will see the sun!

say “ka-ve-na”

Ka Inoa (the name)

Evan Kawenaikeao Goodness

Evan: The rock (Hebrew), named for his late grandfather, Sheldon Evan Berman. Also Gaelic origin, meanings “god is good” (welsh, anglicized), “the young warrior” (celtic).

Ka wena i ke ao : The reddish glow of the dawn (or light, day, enlightenment). This is what we saw in him the morning he was born.

Goodness: from Labonte “the good”