26 and 27 1/2 months

Baby Girl - I knew a time would come when I would fall behind on monthly updates - maybe it is because life is busy or maybe all the changes and your milestones have naturally slowed a bit? The last couple of months have been busy, fun and unfortunately also full of illness. You are going on your 5th straight week of cough and sinus drainage. I think you keep catching new virus' and there are plenty to go around right now. The fact that you are cutting your 2 year molars and want your fingers in your mouth makes it hard. This last week you got a fever and then broke out in a rash - Rosela. As always, you take illness by the horns and it doesn't slow you down a bit. You haven't been sick enough to visit the Dr., thank goodness, as we would like to keep you as far from antibiotics as possible for awhile. The yeasty beast has yet to leave us alone - it has been a long hard battle, but someday soon we hope we will beat it.

Okay - enough about being sick - here is a snippet of your life at the moment.

Events: In October we went to a reef talk event, a pumpkin patch party, had dinners with the Simanjuntaks and Keisers, you ran the Keiki loop at the Run for the Dry Forest, and dressed up as triathlete and hula dancer for halloween. In November we celebrated Mommy's 30th birthday, went to a Hula competition in Waikoloa, and the Coffee Parade with Becca and Calvin. We got to spend Thanksgiving at a condo on the ocean side and spend time with good friends. So far in December we went to the light festival in Holualoa and saw baby Jesus at the Nativity and you got to spend a week in Oahu at the Disney Aulani with your cousins, Grandma, Papa, Uncles and Aunt. Five days later we went to Kauai with Nana and Papa and stayed 100 feet from the ocean. To say the least - we are all a bit spoiled and trying to enjoy every minute of it!


Personality: You continue to be free thinker - you have a lot of 'good ideas' and want to do things the way you think is best. We enjoy seeing your independence and creativity grow. This personality trait also leads to a bit of trouble when your good ideas are dangerous or obstinate to what we need you to do. Just this week you've started to yell no and stop at us while you swat at us if we ask you to do something you don't want to. All I can say it isn't doesn't end well for you. Hoping you figure out that it isn't a good idea soon. Most of the time you love to giggle and play and really are a great bundle of joy. You take great joy in loving and taking care of your babies. You have are very gentle and sweet with real babies and animals. You love to color and have started saying "now a w, k, l and a, x ..." as you scribble. You like imaginative play with your babies and little people. You spend huge amounts of time having them live out life.

New Phrases we hear all the time now: 'Right Now,' 'I have a good idea,' 'but I need it', 'just one more'

The other day you were trying to convince me to give you a clean disposable diaper for your babies and told me, "But I need to put a night diaper on Lily."

At the condo we were in the pool and a young girl about 7 or 8 got in hear us. You said, "What's that?" I said, "You know, you tell me." "Mama it is a girl." "Yes you are right. Can you ask her her name?" After a pause you said, "Mama she doesn't have any words."

In Oahu you would ask daddy, "where are my girls (Addy and Camry)?"


At the park in Kauai you look at the chickens and say, "Sorry chickens, we don't have anything for you."

You are quite the communicator and can pretty much describe and explain everything you need to. You can tell me where you have pain, how you want or do not want your food. You see things out the window of the car and tell me about it - stop signs and lights, buildings, trucks, motorcycles... You ask a lot of questions - what's this, what's that, did you hear that, what you did? On occasion you will spontaneously say thank you for things and you are working on please and sorry. You can read several of your books from memory and know many of the words to many books if we pause to let you fill in the blank. You love videos and we try to limit you to one show a day. Curious George, Dora, Care Bears and Shawn the Sheep are your current favorites. You continue to amaze me by how many wh questions you are able to answer. The last few weeks you go down for naps and bed time very easily. You just need a baby, a book and a blanket.

Foods: Since we are fighting yeast still - we are trying to limit sugar and gluten products. You love pasta, but luckily you like quinoa and rice noodles as a substitute. A typical lunch can include avocado, cheese, yogurt and granola, banana, applesauce, lunch meat, Okanawan sweet potato, rice noodles. You will sometimes try our food, but don't like anything saucy. New foods the last couple of months are fried calamari and little octopus. You really enjoyed both! You eat really well and although you may not eat right with us at meal time, you get plenty of calories to keep growing! Your pick of the week is 'cake.' Whole grain rice cake that is - love it!

Motor Skills - you are really trying to learn to swim - you jump in over and over and over and over - hold your breath and wait for us to help you up for a breath. If you are kicking and scooping really well you can almost get your head above water. With your water wings on you can cruise pretty well, only needing an occasional nudge or flip. In calm waters, you cruse in and out with the pull of the waves even when your feet are not touching.

Discipline and potty training - Timeouts quit working. You seem to really understand that when you do not listen or do something we've asked you not to, that a baby or toys will go in the closet. It is rough on all of us, but really the only consequence that seems to make an impression. You have gotten into quite some trouble with your crayons at home and a pen at the Aulani. Your experimental tendencies far out way your fear of trouble. You have a pretty strong will and we are sure it will serve you well in the future. For right now we just have to help you learn the rules, how to be a good listener and how to be safe. Potty training comes and goes. Before you went to Oahu you were going pee in the potty 2-3 times a day. Now you have no interest again and you even put your potty chair in the closet. Soon enough you will want to use the potty and wear big girl underware. I told you this and you replied, "But I'm little mommy." Soon enough I'm sure you will become more interested.
We love you sweetheart and are so blessed to spend each day with you! We love you all the way to the moon and back everyday!!! Love, Mommy and Daddy

Improved Granola

Here is my newest version - I think I like it the best so far

Mix 2 eggs, about a cup of peanut butter and 1/4 cup coconut oil

Add in 1/3-1/2 cup oat bran and milled flax

Mix rolled oats in until it is the consistency of granola

Bake on cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 350 degrees

Let cool and then mix in 1/3 cup raisins, 1/4 cup dried apricots, 1/4 chopped mac nuts, 1/4 cup chopped almonds and as much shredded coconut as you like. Stir in honey to desired sweetness or none at all.

10 years

The picture on the left is when I was 21! On the right is yesterday - my 30th birthday! (both with flowers from my honey!) Still looks like me (-:

Good Bye 20's, Hello 30's

Today is my last day in my 20's! Another decade has past - my third here on planet earth. I will never again be in my 20's... kind of strange. This may be a long one, but I have a lot to cover - this has been a really fantastic 10 years.

Things I learned in my 20's:
Life really is about serving my Lord
Friends are seasonal - but the really great ones stick around for a life time
A good marriage is wonderful, humbling and a work in progress
The benefits of hard work are almost always worth the effort
Children are a treasure from God
Parenting is the most rewarding, yet hardest and most stressful job I've ever had
There are a lot more people out there than I thought, that think nothing like I do
God will always take care of me - even if it doesn't look like what I think it should

Things I've accomplished:
Bachelors and Masters Degrees with honors
Becoming a home owner
A little World Traveling - England, Zambia, New Zealand, Fiji, Mexico, Belize, Thailand and Myanmar
Longs Peak 10K - 10,000 foot elevation gain in 45 miles on bike/ hiking in about 17 hours
Olympic Triathlon - .9 swim/ 24.8 bike/ 6.2 run
Giving natural childbirth
Starting my own tiny small business

Random Stats for the 3rd Decade:
# different places I've lived: 14
States I've been to: 31
National Parks I've visited: 11
Different airplanes I've been on: 94
Adventure Sports I tried: 3 (bungy, skydiving, rock climbing)
Employers: 9

Best Times:
Studying Abroad
Getting Married
Traveling - US and abroad
Having and raising a child

Hardest times:
Africa
The first year of marriage
Watching friends and family grieve
Watching my child be in pain

Big areas I'd like to grow in:
Be more Humble
Be less Judgmental
Be more Gracious (especially with my family)

The last 10 years have been completely amazing! God had shaped me, spoiled me and helped me to grow into a better person. He still has a lot of work to do in my heart - but the growing up I did in my 20's was quite dramatic. I went from a wandering, not sure what I was going to do with my life single - to a committed wife, mother and medical professional. Quite a transformation! I've learned that other than commitment to my God, family and friends, I'm not super committed to anything else. I've still never had long term committed job and I quite enjoy contract and PRN work. I enjoy a non routine, routine life. I thrive on change and challenges. I enjoy helping people and helping them get more out of life. I enjoy teaching and still have serious interest in health and nutrition (this is carry over from the teen years). I enjoy seeing the world, experiencing culture and talking to people who see the world through different lenses than my own.
Although life has been really good, life is still hard. I now think it is supposed to be that way - the hard and awful moments in life shape us more than all the others. They shape our passions and help us to focus on the goal of serving the Lord and getting to heaven with others. Pain and suffering makes us compassionate, more loving and helps us to focus on what really matters in life. I pray that what ever pain comes my way, that I don't let it numb me, but that I let it push me forward.
Adulthood is full of joy, hardship and a lot of responsibility. I look forward to the next decade and know God has so much to show me and so many ways to use me for His glory.

Goals for the fourth decade:
Serve the poor
Mentor and be mentored
Spend more time in the Word of God.
Be a more gracious parent and wife
Teach

Teaching Classes!!!

Pregnancy Superfoods

Here is the Superfood list I compiled for the class I'm going to be teaching - thought I would post it! (and for those that might wonder, I'm not currently pregnant - praying for God's perfect timing)

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/pregnancy-superfoods
During pregnancy, healthy foods provide the optimum mix of baby-building nutrients. Starting in the second trimester, you'll need about 300 additional calories in your diet every day.

Here are some choice foods to add to your pregnancy diet, making those extra calories count by providing a variety of nutrients that benefit you and your child.

Beans: Chickpeas, lentils, black beans, and soybeans supply fiber, protein, iron, folate, calcium, and zinc.
Enjoy: In chili and soups, salads, and pasta dishes; as hummus with whole-grain crackers or in roll-up sandwiches.

Beef : Lean cuts of beef, such as top sirloin steak, pack protein, vitamins B6, B12, and niacin as well as zinc and iron in highly absorbable forms. Beef is also concentrated in choline, required for brain development and peak cognitive powers
Enjoy: Add lean ground beef to pasta sauces, use in tacos, as burgers, in stir-fry dishes, and in chili.

Berries: They're packed with carbohydrates, vitamin C, potassium, folate, fiber, and fluid. The phytonutrients in berries are naturally occurring beneficial plant compounds that protect cells from damage.
Enjoy: On top of whole-grain cereal, in smoothies made with yogurt or milk, in pancakes, and in salads. Layer yogurt with berries and crunchy whole-grain cereal for a dessert parfait.

Broccoli: For the folate, fiber, calcium, lutein, zeaxanthin, carotenoids to foster healthy vision, and potassium for fluid balance and normal blood pressure. Broccoli also contains the raw materials for vitamin A production in the body.
Enjoy: As part of pasta and stir-fry dishes, steamed and topped with a smattering of olive oil, pureed and added to soups, or roasted: chop broccoli into bite-sized pieces, coat lightly with olive oil and roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until tender, about 15 minutes.

Cheese (pasteurized): Cheese supplies concentrated amounts of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium for your bones and your baby's, plus vitamin B12 and protein (use reduced-fat varieties, such as Cabot 50% Light Cheddar to save on calories, fat, and cholesterol).
Enjoy: As snacks with whole-grain crackers or fruit, sprinkled on top of soups, in salads, sandwiches, and omelets.

Eggs: supply the gold-standard of protein because they provide all of the amino acids you and your baby need to thrive. They also include more than a dozen vitamins and minerals, such as choline, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Certain brands supply the omega-3 fats baby needs for brain development and peak vision, so check the label.
Enjoy: In omelets and frittatas, in salads and sandwiches, in homemade waffles, crepes, and whole-grain French toast, as snacks, hard-cooked, or scrambled.

Milk: It's an excellent source of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D -- bone-building nutrients mother and child require every day. Milk also packs protein, vitamin A, and B vitamins.
Enjoy: Plain or flavored, in smoothies made with fruit, over whole-grain cereal and fruit, and in pudding. Prepare oatmeal in the microwave with milk instead of water.

Orange Juice (fortified): Orange juice with added calcium and vitamin D contains the same levels of these nutrients as milk. Plus, orange juice supplies hefty doses of vitamin C, potassium, and folate.
Enjoy: Plain or frozen as pops or ice cubes, as part of smoothies.

Pork Tenderloin: Pork tenderloin is as lean as boneless, skinless chicken breast, and it serves up the B vitamins thiamin and niacin, vitamin B6, zinc, iron, and choline.
Enjoy: Grilled, broiled, or baked.

Salmon: For the protein, B vitamins, and the omega-3 fats that promote brain development and vision in babies.
Enjoy: Grilled or broiled, use canned salmon in salads and sandwiches.
Sweet Potato: Sweet potatoes pack vitamin C, folate, fiber, and carotenoids -- compounds your body converts to vitamin A. They also supply potassium in large amounts.
Enjoy: Baked, sliced cold, cooked, peeled potatoes for snacks and side dishes, mashed with orange juice, and roasted: slice washed sweet potato into wedges, coat lightly with canola oil, and roast on a baking sheet at 400 F, until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Whole Grains: Enriched whole grains are fortified with folic acid and other B vitamins, iron, and zinc. Whole grains contain more fiber and trace nutrients than processed grains, such as white bread, white rice, and white flour.
Enjoy: Oatmeal for breakfast, whole-grain breads for sandwiches, brown rice, wild rice, whole-wheat pasta, or quinoa for dinner, popcorn, or whole-grain crackers for snacks.

Yogurt (plain greek, plain low-fat or fat-free): For the protein, calcium, B vitamins, and zinc. Plain yogurt contains more calcium than milk. Read the label for protein and sugar content – not all yogurts are made equal.
Enjoy: Stir in: fruit preserves or honey, fresh or dried fruit, or crunchy whole-grain cereal. Use plain yogurt to top cooked sweet potatoes or to make smoothies.
Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD on January 08, 2010

Additional power foods:
Papaya: An excellent source of vitamin C (300% DV). It is a very good source of folate (28% DV) and potassium. In addition, it is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin E, vitamin A and vitamin K.
Enjoy: Add slices of fresh papaya to your morning cereal, lunch time yogurt or green salads. Cut a papaya in half and fill with cottage cheese, crab, shrimp or tuna salad. For an elegant meal, place slices of fresh papaya over any broiled fish. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=47#howtouse

Spinach: Spinach and other dark leafy greens are loaded with calcium, folic acid, vitamin K and iron. It's also rich in vitamin C, fiber, carotenoids, lutein and bioflavanoids.
Enjoy: Sinach makes a delicious salad. Add the green leaves to your sandwich or saute it for stir fries, eggs, and pastas. Frozen spinach can be baked into casseroles or stirred into soups. Freeze and add to smoothies, baked goods or cereal – you can’t really taste it.
http://multiples.about.com/od/pregnancy/tp/twinpregnancyfood.htm

Peanut butter: offers the nutritional benefits of thiamin, niacin, potassium and zinc. It's high in the protein and also offers some iron. It also provides a source of healthy fat, a better option than butter or margarine which don't have the nutritional side benefits.
Enjoy: It makes is a great snack or breakfast treat on whole grain toast and crackers, on apple slices or celery.
http://multiples.about.com/od/pregnancy/tp/twinpregnancyfood.htm

Shrimp: Seafood is delicious and nutritious, but many varieties aren't recommended for pregnant moms due to elevated mercury levels and other chemicals. Shrimp, however, is generally considered safe. Shrimp are an excellent source of low fat protein, selenium and Vitamin D.
Enjoy: They're also versatile - easy to prepare and serve in stir-frys, pastas or even on their own with some cocktail sauce. Just don't eat it raw. Save the sushi or ceviche for after the babies are born. http://multiples.about.com/od/pregnancy/tp/twinpregnancyfood.htm