Zack's 1st Halloween (and my 1st ALMOST trick-or-treating)

For the past month, I told Mom and Dad that I wanted to be a cowboy. Dad even took me to get a costume when Mom was on bedrest (and he swore he would never do that again without Mommy). But, of course, on Halloween night, I didn't want to put it on. I didn't even want to go trick-or-treating. I had it on just long enough for Mom to take these pictures. So, no trick-or-treating for me this year. I still talk about it now (because of course, the next day, I wanted to go, and Mom told me that Halloween is only on one day, so I'd have to wait until next year).
Here I am earlier in the day playing dress up with Dad's old pirate wig from a couple of years ago.
Mom and I had fun wearing pirate wigs and hats.
And, here I am at 4 months old on my first Halloween. Don't I look just as excited to get all dressed up?
Below is baby Zack at 3 weeks old on his first Halloween. Do we look alike?

Baby Zack was supposed to be due on Halloween, but what baby comes on his actual due date?! Not us Halsalls that's for sure. Mommy had the best family costume idea all planned out too (if she still had her preggo belly), but instead, we had to take out all the Halloween baby paraphrenalia.
Here's our attempt to take an 'Anne Geddes' photo. Mommy thought Zack would fit in the pumpkin, but he's not THAT small! Daddy's hairy arms look kinda funny holding up baby Zack!

Glam Ma gave Zack one of his first baths, and he loved it! He loves to sleep in Mommy's bed too!

Introducing Baby Zack

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Mommy came home on Sunday after giving birth on Thursday morning. Her water broke at 1:30 am (same time as it did for me three years ago), all over Auntie Stevie's leather couch and floor. She got to the hospital at 2 am. They discovered that "Mo Baby" was completely breech, so she had to do a c-section. She was disappointed in having to go under the knife. Baby was out at 4:41 am. She was fine that day, but once the anesthesia wore off, it became a different story.

On the way to the hospital, Daddy was excited that Mom would be off bedrest, until we found out what the recovery time is for a c-section. Since Mommy delivered me au naturel three years ago, it has been quite a struggle for Mommy to get back on her feet. The first few days were rough, but one week later, she feels better and knows that each day will help. Friends and family have been dropping meals off and helping in many ways. Daddy took a couple weeks off from work since Mommy still can't drive, lift anything heavier than baby, or walk up the 100 stairs. He's been waking up in the middle of the night for changing diapers and doing a lot around the house and yard, as well as taking care of taking me to preschool, feeding me dinner, bathtime, and bedtime. Auntie Jane has been helping on days that she can, and Nana and Pop have been picking me up from school daily and dropping me off at the house for dinnertime. GlamMa will be coming here from California at the end of the month to meet baby Zack and help out for a couple weeks. I haven't seen her in over a year!

Baby Zack had his first week checkup with the pediatrician today. He is almost back to his birthweight, breastfeeding well from Mommy's overproducing boobs, and is healing his other parts. He may have an outie belly button once his umbilical cord falls off! It's been really hot, so Mommy's been trying to keep him cool so he's not so sleepy. She usually has to wake him up for nursing. His Hawaiian name Kaimalino means "calm ocean/waters", which is fitting since he seems to be a calm baby (even all the nurses in the hospital said so). Plus, on his birthday, October 7, it was the night of the first moon in Hilo, which meant there were calm ocean waters. Calm ocean waters are good for fishing, which his grandpa John would have liked.

I give baby Zack a kiss and a hug before I go to bed each night, and I sing to him in the car (now I have a buddy in the back seat with me!). I still call him "Mo" because that's what Mom and Dad called him while he was in the tummy. I'm not sure why their calling him Zack all of a sudden. Overall, I think he's really cute, and I am happy to be a big brother.

Update on Baby (From Bedrest Mommy)

Baby is still inside Mommy's tummy, and she will be 36 weeks this Sunday. The doctor was happy to see the Mommy has made it this far. Perhaps the uterine septum is not a problem. Perhaps the progesterone shots are working. Baby will probably be heavier at birth than I was. Mommy can still have a normal delivery. We'll see when it happens. She's not taking the contraction medication anymore, and next week, she'll stop taking the progesterone shots.

Mommy appreciates all the friends that have been visiting and calling in to check in on her. Stacy and Ryan brought her lunch and cake and magazines over the weekend. Kawehi (who's doing a case study on Mommy for her OB-nursing class has brought over Jamba Juice and breakfast). Michelle has brought over dinner, magazines, helped Daddy pick out clean clothes for Mom, and brought over some nursing/maternity clothes and a wedge pillow to help Mommy's as she's getting sore from laying on her side.

Nana and Pop have been helping out a lot since Mommy is on bedrest at Auntie Stevi and Uncle Gary's house. They pick me up from school and bathe me before Daddy picks me up around 6 pm so all we have to do is go home and eat, then get to bed.

We had a family potluck at school last Friday. Nana and Daddy came. I was in a grouchy mood. My friends Noah and Griffin came over and started making lion noises. Then I cried. Mommy asked me about it when I got home. When she asked if I had fun at the party, I said, "Yeah, but I cried. Noah and Griffin were being too loud." She told me that next time if I don't like something someone says or does, I can just use my words and tell them to stop it. I told her, "No, Mom, we don't tell little people to stop it. We say, 'Can you please stop it?'"

(Mom said I was right.)

The other day, Nana and Pop took me to Macy's to look at Christmas ornaments (It's not even Halloween yet and they had Christmas ornaments?!). I told Nana I wanted to pick a personalized name one out for baby, but Nana told me that we don't know what baby's name is yet.

I told her, "Yes we do. It's 'Mo Baby'!"

(Mommy thinks I'll be surprised when I find out that's not really baby's name.)