Monaloca

Every day on the way to preschool Melina asks me, “Mama, is it spring? We need to look for birds and butterflies.” I’ve been saying yes for two months, but at last the weather’s caught up. With spring comes outdoor playdates and birthday party season. (Our three kids, plus most their friends. Funny how that works.)

Warmer weather has also coincided with Nalani’s new smiles. She started smiling right on queue, at one month old. Mama, Dada, sis and bro can all elicit super smiles, though Daddy would say he gets more than anyone. Must be his goofy side.

Nalani also sometimes gets this really funny worried look. The first time I saw it was as we were wheeled out of the hospital when she was just over 24 hours old. And when she’s upset the red spot between her brows gets bright pink.

Melina and Kai continue to be great big sibs to little Nalani, though Melina still has moments where she’s not quite sure what to do. When we arrive at preschool in the morning I always have Nalani in her carrier, and inevitably end up setting it down to push Mina on the swing or sit down with her at the snack table.

Within 20 seconds of setting down Nalani a swarm of tiny two- and three-year-olds surround her and peer into her carrier as she sleeps, slowly opens a tentative eye only to close it again, or stares at them in a half-curious way.

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Melina’s been having fun expanding her big girl horizons and skills. At the zoo last week, she took her first solo amusement park ride – on a motorcycle that went around in circles. She barely made the 36″ height requirement. A little boy asked if she wanted to ride behind his motorcycle and Melina decided to ride the one next to him instead. She loved it.

Last month Melina also learned how to pump a swing on her own. She was so proud she refused to leave the preschool playground for a good 30 minutes. Mama decided it was time to buy a swing for our own yard, and last week Grandpa hung it from the one tree branch that seems strong enough to hold it. We’re a little worried about what will happen in a few years when Kai approaches 100 pounds, but for now, we have a backyard swing!

After months of wearing her tutu around the house, Melina finally started ballet at the Y with neighbor friend Kendall. She clung to mommy the entire first class, but warmed up to it on her own half-way through the second. She was even comfortable enough to give Swiper Fox back to me. Watch the ballet bar video. Watch her freeform ballet freeze dance, too!

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Our baby girl is one month old today! We’ve all adjusted to the presence of our newest family member: I’ve learned to get by on small blocks of sleep, Melina’s learned it’s ok for her friends to look at her baby sister (they’re not going to take her away), even Thor’s learned that we may sometimes forget to feed him (oops).

As for Nalani, she’s spending more time each day awake and alert, usually just checking out things around her. She loves faces and pictures or tapestries hanging on a nearby wall, just as a one-month-old should. Just recently she’s slept as much as six or eight hours at a stretch. Unfortunately this usually happens at around 6 or 7pm which means she’s still up every two to three hours in the wee hours of the morn. But it’s a great sign!

She’s also learned to like her binky. Unlike with Melina, we didn’t give up after the first couple tries. Ironically, Melina wanted to resurrect her own pacifier, which she calls a “boo boo,” as soon as we pulled out one for baby sis. We let her get away with sucking on it for a day or two, but Daddy pulled the plug (literally, I suppose) when she wanted to take it into preschool last week. No more binkies for non-babies in this house.

Finally, we continue to be out and about more often than not. Nalani has made countless trips to Actual Cafe, her sister’s preschool and play group and ballet class, the park, several birthday parties, and numerous stores. She’s been on near-daily walks, and has even had a few, er, “play dates” of her own, meaning trips for mama to hang out with moms group friends who also have recently-arrived second kids. Daddy’s made sure she’s been to Jupiter several times, and she took not one but two trips to the zoo in the past week. She slept through both of them.

A few notes on preferences: Nalani prefers to sleep in our bed, between us. We’ve slowly gotten her to begin the night in her pack ‘n play bassinet, and she’ll also nap there when she’s in the right mood. But one of her favorite nap spots, like Melina’s was, is on Mama in the sling. Luckily she doesn’t mind the carrier or car rides, and likes to go on walks.

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With a baby sib in both his homes, Kai’s reaction to his new little sis goes from “She’s so cute! I love her so much!” to “There are babies everywhere…” and “I’ve been through this before, you know.” Overall, he’s been as great a big bro to Nalani as he’s always been to Melina. And the two older kids’ relationship has certainly taken a life of its own, with more rivalry but also more “we’re in this together” play.

Melina’s still trying to figure out what to make of her baby sister. She desperately wants to interact with her, but the only way she’s able to get a reaction is by hitting or pushing her, hard. My mom says I did the same thing to Stacie when she was a newborn. Melina knows that Nalani is “not a toy,” that she’s “real,” unlike her Baby Alani doll. Last night she very politely asked me “Mama can you please move Alani? I want to cook.” (Nalani was in a bouncy chair in front of her play kitchen.)

Melina’s protective attachment to Nalani became painfully obvious the first time I took the baby into her preschool last week. Melina was ecstatic to see both of us, and ran right up to the carrier as soon as I set it on her classroom floor. But so did half of her little friends, and when they started to peak inside at a sleeping Nalani, Melina broke down into wailing tears. She was NOT ready to share “her” baby, and was absolutely inconsolable, by both Ms L and me, for a good 10 minutes. Eventually she did calm down and we talked about how Nalani is still her baby, that it’s ok to let other people look and to “share” her in that way. But wow – now I know to tread more carefully and will probably let Melina “lead” the sharing next time.

Finally – and I hate to do this because I always hated when people compared Stacie and me – take a look at the two first-week photos of Melina (3 days) and Nalani (4 days). We think they look remarkably similar (could just be the pose…) What do you think?

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