one of the benefits of having a baby is that friends come to visit. enter the wilsons, friends from BYU who currently live in the beautiful city of monterey. this family is the reason ronin now wants to sleep ‘naked’, ie with no shirt. and why if he’s in zip up pj’s, he unzips them in the morning and shuffles around with only the feet on. apparently, it’s the cool thing to do.
Do you have a best friend? This one here is mine. Nozomi. Noz, Snoz, Nozi. Since kindergarten. And because I am in the wedding (matron no less!), alas, I cannot also be the photographer on the day off. I have accepted this, and have volunteered myself to shoot anything else that needs to be done. This is detailed in the best friend handbook.
These are from a 10 min session (in the nursery!) to get a tight shot of the two of them for her save the dates. It’s amazing when your best friend finds THE guy. Years of talking/analyzing/crying over boys since middle school, and we’ve finally found our other halves. Ronin calls Scott ‘Buncle Scott.’ because he is already family. I’m stoked for them to experience marriage and all that comes with it. LOVE these two!
by juliab
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You really wanted to pose for these photos and have ‘No-nin turn now’, since you saw all my efforts with your sister. As soon as you sat up there, you got shy and grumpy. I said you could hold your toys from Toy Story, but unless you could wave them in front of your face, you refused to smile for me. I even tried to tempt you with a ‘nem-em-nem’, and although you happily ate it, the smiles still stayed away. I guess this is what I get when you are 2.
You are a sweet big brother. You love to hand me things to change N’s diaper, and even throw away all diapers w/o being asked. When we see new people you want to show her off. Burp time has now turned into mommy time with her ‘two babies’, where you climb up into my lap, lay on me and hug and kiss your two girls. You are an avid reader – when I ask you to bring me a book it’s so much more fun to bring as many as will fit into your arms. You are repeating all words, even attempting long dinosaur names. Hide and seek has become a ritual before bedtime, and let’s not forget another book and a ‘sip of mommy water!’. You are the ultimate staler. You surprise us daily with your sweet gestures of sharing, cleaning up your toys, polite words of ‘cuse me’, ‘bachu’ (thank you), and ‘jushz you’ (love you). The other day I asked if you would sing happy birthday to our friend, and your response was, ‘No, mama. No-nin shy.’ Every week I am surprised by a new word or phrase you have picked up. Some favorite songs you attempt to sing are Where is Thumbkin, Twinkle Twinkle, Hakuna Matata, and Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam, but the one you belt out the best in public is Happy Birthday. Loudly. At the zoo, at Target and all over the house.
Since we brought Nariah home, I’m constantly aware of how big you are and I don’t know how you went from being my baby to my little boy in an instant. Being your mom is the most wonderful thing.
by juliab
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You’ve been with us for 3.5 weeks and I’m still in awe. You are perfection. You have long slender fingers and toes, unlike me. Your temperament is beyond amazing. You rarely cry and are content to be in my pocket (sling), swinging, or lying on my pillow listening to your big brother ‘reading’ you stories or hugging your face. Sometimes you let out tiny snores that have me turning off all media and putting my ear close to listen before it goes away. I’m waiting for you to make more baby noises or show me that you know I’m your mom. For now, it’s all in your eyes. You have been super alert since you were minutes old. The shifty looks have slowed down and now you hold your gaze on us, Ronin, and little toys that are hung close to your face. You sleep with me in bed. I was so scared to do that with R, but I wonder if you will be my last baby, and I don’t want to miss out on anything. You snuggle your face against my arm and pass out. Since the beginning of your second week you go right back to sleep at night after you eat. You sleep an average of 4 hours in between feedings after 10, and if you wake up around 5/6, you go right back to sleep w/me and you stay asleep even when your brother barges in at 7 and wants to kiss your head and jump in bed with me.
People comment on how tiny you are. How beautiful you are. You have no idea how much you were wanted and how much now, you are loved. You were born with a full head of brown hair. The back grew in so evenly, it looked like you had just had your hair cut. Your cheeks and legs are amazingly soft. The middle of your tongue is always white from milk. I usually swaddle you with your arms up by your face. That’s how you always looked in the ultrasounds, and it’s how you are most comfortable. You don’t have as much of the startle reflex as your brother and are comforted by your hands against your cheeks. You don’t cry when I change your diaper. You don’t have reflux or need gas drops (yet?!). I don’t worry that I can’t fix what upsets you, because your needs are simple. Eat…burp…sleep..diapers… and man we go through loads of diapers. You are still wearing newborn clothes and I’m waiting for the day when you fit them and can move up to the 0-3′s I have for you before it gets too warm.
I love being your mother. I love holding you as much as my arms will allow. I love how you fall asleep with your face on my chest or nestled under my neck where it’s warm, as I walk around the house chasing after your brother. Today you sneezed 4 times in a row, it was the cutest thing ever. Each time R said..bess you Riah! Ok, off to play hide and seek with your brother, we’re really good at hiding.
by juliab
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February 13, 2012 | 10:27 pm | 6.2 lbs | 19.5 in
current nicknames: Baby Riah (ronin), Riah-bear, Riah-bean, Nari, peanut
feel: in love
I’ll post the birth story in the coming week, this is just to let you know that our little Nariah joined our family…3 days late, but in her own time (not induced!). She is pretty perfect. We couldn’t be luckier with her mild demeanor, and how quickly she has learned to eat well and sleep at night – waking up every 4 hours!
Ronin loves his new sister. It’s been a big adjustment for him, and although he’s been given extra attention the first few weeks with friends and family, I know he misses the attention from me specifically. Suddenly, he seems so heavy, his diapers huge, and with him picking up words left and right, so old! Right when she came home he wanted her to see his trains, then his room. He wants her to sit on his lap to watch a show (not really possible), and come with him to activities. He kisses her head gently, helps burp her and puts his lion king animals on her stomach for her to see.
I’m officially back to blogging and work this week. I allowed myself time and space from the internet world to be uncomfortable and pregnant and then to enjoy the changes in our lives after the birth and try to heal my body (still working on that part). I wouldn’t change a thing. I don’t like being pregnant. I fear labor. But the baby part…the new smells, the alert eyes…. This whole new person that was formed despite all my puking. A baby is such a gift. They make people pause, inhale and smile. Waking up at 2 is less of a chore because she is all mine, in a quiet house, just the two of us.
This first photo is from the hospital, the rest are when she was 6 days old.
love, love this face.
by juliab
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I kinda just want to reach through the computer to hold her. Ahhhh, if only that worked
by juliab
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