Year: 2006

Leilani took her first steps today! We were visiting Chris and Chris and Joseph, and I showed how nicely Leilani can walk now, with just one hand support. 5 minutes later she got up on her own and stood a while. Chris suggested we try letting her walk, and with a little motivation she twice walked one or two steps between the adults.

Our joy did not last long, moments later when she was crawling over to Joseph she stumbeled, fell and cut her upper lip. Not as bad as the last time when she fell on a shelf and cut the lower lip on her teeth though. This time the inside of her mouth is OK, she nurses and eats without troubles. She probably was overly excited about the walking or the applause, in any case, she cried, bleed and was miserable for an hour or so.

She did OK for the 2nd Monday in a row, today I tried to give her extra attention, and lay her down for a nap as soon as she got cranky, and stayed with her during her nap. We went to visit all neighbor animals, looked a lot of pictures and books, took 3 walks, and managed to eat before she got hungry (she has a tendency to signal hunger 5 minutes before she is crying from hunger). Both Mondays she met other children, and got to play outside for a long time, both Mondays followed low activity weekends, both Mondays she slept in.

One more new things are her morning walks. As soon as we are done with breakfast she gets her new Chinese shoes, and calls from next to the entrance door “Up, up!” She is then extremely cooperative while I dress her and put the shoes on, today she even found her yellow sun hat and put that on by herself. Then we go for a walk. She walks down the stairs with lots of support, and along the walkway. While I open and close the garden gate she holds on to the wall, and then we go up and down our street. Most days Andy and I walk on either side of her, so one person does not have to bend down so far – we don’t dare to hold her on just one handed yet on the pavement. Leilani enjoys very much to be able to decide where to go (within limits of course) and she seems to be very proud that she can walk like a big person.

Leilani and Ian were dragged along by their parents to protest agains the superferry. They entertained themselves – and each other with popcorn in the meantime.

Leilani is fascinated by big machines. Be it a tree-shredder (making enough noise that even the adults want to wear earplugs) an excavator, a dump truck or gas deliverer – she needs to go and watch and will protest loudly if we take her away. At the local farmersmarket we found a digger – parked and unattended:

Oh, the original poem goes:

What are little boys made of?
Hammers and nails, and puppy dog tails,
That’s what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice, and everything nice,
That’s what little girls are made of.

or maybe the 2nd line is Snakes and snails, and puppy dog tails,

I just noticed five long articles on the top page of the blog and not a single photo – that needs to change. We had a lot of fun this Halloween. Wednesday, at the playgroup Leilani dressed up for the first time:

Chris and Joseph arrived at the same time, at first they seemed surprised to see each other like this:

“Mommy put these weird clothes on me”

Saturday **ALL** of us dressed up to go to a party at Alain and Carey’s house:

Tuesday Andy took Leilani out trick-or-treating. She didn’t know what it was all about and generously gave us her candy, but she did enjoy being out in the dark with lots of people. Andy found out there is lots of trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, but our house is one street away from all the action. Still, I (wearing a fake surgical mask to keep the flu to herself) managed to give away one huge bowl of candy.

Written by Harry Owens
Sung by Bing Crosby and Dennis Pavao

“Original” Baby Leilani

Sweet Leilani, Heavenly Flower
Nature fashioned roses kissed with dew
And then she placed them in a bower
It was the start of you.

Sweet Leilani, Heavenly Flower
I dreamed of paradise for two.
You are my paradise completed.
You are my dream come true.

Sweet Leilani, Heavenly Flower
Tropic skies are jealous as they shine
I think they’re jealous of your blue eyes
Jealous because you’re mine.

Sweet Leilani, Heavenly flower
I dreamed of paradise for two.
You are my paradise completed.
You are my dream come true.

You are my paradise completed.
You are my dream come true.

Source: Sweet Leilani by Harry Owens was written Oct. 20, 1934, for his daughter when she was 1-day-old; the song flowed like a rippling stream and was completed in one hour. Recorded by Bing Crosby in 1935, it received the Oscar in 1938, for best song from the movie “Waikiki Wedding”. Credited for helping revive the record industry during the depression, it was on the Hit Parade for 28 consecutive weeks. Taught to swim by the legendary Duke Kahanamoku, Baby Leilani’s first hula teacher was Napua Woodd, composer of Haleiwa Hula and grandmother of singer Amy Hanaialii Gilliom. Copyright Royal Music Publisher