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.)

I am 39 Months Old!

Auntie Laurie, Uncle Jim, Ally, and Ashley visited Hawai'i and had fun eating during their vacation (We joined them a couple of times).

Kaiea and I had fun playing at our favorite Kaimana Beach after school one day.
Here, Kaiea and I are checking out a ladybug.
Here's Mom at 34 weeks at Hanauma Bay.
The ALS Support Group threw Mommy a shower and had a nice bbq at Ala Moana Beach Park.
Mommy borrowed a baby from our home center at school and brought it home. She showed me how we feed the baby, how to put a diaper on baby, and I got to choose a new muslin swaddle blanket to wrap baby in. I even tucked baby in my bed and read baby a book. But, shortly after I started reading one of my favorite Berenstain Bears books, I told Mom, "But, look, the baby is not listening!" Mommy still thinks I'll be a good big brother. She brought the baby back the next day, but I told her I wanted to play with it some more.

A week or two later, Auntie Linda, my teacher from school, pointed out to Mom that I've been playing with that baby in the home center, somewhere I never frequented often. She told Mom that I could have the baby. I didn't realized Mom brought it home. When she showed it to me that night at dinner, I said, "AGAIN?! What's that doing here?" Mommy tried to explain that Auntie Linda thought I might like to have the baby, and I simply told her, "No, Mom, I'm busy eating right now."




Here we are at Hanauma Bay with friends visiting from the East Coast (Little did we know it would be Mom's last excursion out!)
And, here I am hiking Manoa Falls with Dad (while Mom is on bedrest).




The theme of this month has been "No, you stop it!" Mom and Dad say those are my favorite words these days. I've gone from a very verbal, articulate 3 year old to a boy of few words. If Mom and Dad are talking and I want their attention, or if the sun is in my eyes, or if someone tells me to stop it, or if kids aren't playing nicely, I say these words.

It's gotten to the point where Mom and Dad started making a song with the chorus, "No, you stop it!" and that really irritates me, but they think it's funny.

One day, I was jumping on the sofa at Nana's house and she scolded me. I told her, "No, you stop it!" and she replied, "You don't talk to me like that, young man." I ran in the other direction, saying "I'm running away!" and then I yelled back at her, "Nana, you're a mean guy!"

I have made some neat things at school for Mom and Dad. I painted a "painting of Mommy and Daddy", "Mommy's eyes", and I've even picked flowers (weeds) outside for Mommy.


Other cute things I've said recently:

"Shhh, I hear Daddy coming....(and after Dad comes in the door) "Dad, I recognized your footsteps!"

Daddy: "Chase, you're a good boy."
Me: "Yes, Daddy. I AM a good boy."
(Mommy starts laughing.)
Me: "Stop it, Mommy! Stop laughing at me!"

Mom and Dad have been busy with working, and lots of friends' events. Babies have been born, Mom had two baby showers (one from friends and the other from the ALS Support group), and friends came into town from the East Coast. We took Betty and Daniel to Hanauma Bay and Haleiwa Joe's. But both Mom and Betty (who's also about 6 months pregnant) we're tired from the heat.

The doctor told Mom and Dad that she probably won't make it to her Halloween due date. He thinks baby will come around 36-37 weeks. That was on September 13th. One week later, on September 20th, Mom was having back contractions. By 3:30 am on the 21st, Nana and Pop had picked me up and Mom and Dad headed to the hospital. Mommy had been having contractions every 2-8 minutes. After medication (the same thing she took when I was in her belly), the contractions subsided. Now, Mommy's on bedrest at Auntie Stevi and Uncle Gary's house since we have too many stairs at our house. I've been hanging out with her in the morning before I go to school, and when I come home. Dad has been busy with Mom's "To Do" list, getting the baby clothes washed, furniture put away, carseats installed, and delivering clean clothes and meals to Mommy as she lays on the couch. We're hoping baby keeps getting fat and stays in Mom's belly for at least 1-2 more weeks. Wish us luck....pretty soon, our whole lives (and blog) are about to change!

Mommy's Baby Shower

Mommy's work friends from Kamehameha, Karissa and Randi, threw her a baby shower on September 11th. Mommy is 33 weeks along. There were a lot of great friends and family there.

Elmo & Cookie Monster

Mom took me to see Elmo and Cookie Monster at a grand opening of a new baby store in our neighborhood. I was too shy to take a picture with them. We also went to Kaimuki park and I had fun chasing birds and climbing on the play structure.

Later, Dad went bike riding, and Mom went to Miya's baby shower while I played at Nana's and Pop's.

Not So Sure

We went to visit Mom's friends, Joel and Sonyei (who actually reconnected at my 1st birthday lu'au!) in the hospital. They had a baby girl, Sachiko. Mom and Dad told me that this is the same hospital where we'll come to have our baby. I didn't want to touch or hold the baby though. I clung to Mommy and barely said a thing. When we got home later and I saw the picture of the baby, I said, "Oh, that's the baby I didn't want to look at."

Afterwards, we went to the Okinawan Festival and munched on yakisoba noodles and andagi, before watching a bit of the Bon dance. I was very rambunctious and grouchy though, so we didn't stay very long.