2 Weeks Old!

That's right! The little man is two weeks old now! His belly button is all healed now! He's got baby acne and is a super pooper! He also has started smiling and even laughing! He's 10 lbs. now and just keeps on growing! He is just the mellowest baby...he only cries for diaper changes and when he's hungry. He does grunt a lot, though! He sleeps well between night time nursings. I'm so thankful to have a healthy baby with no problems! My body is healing well, and I'm very thankful for everyone who has been helping me to do so by not doing too much. Here's a BIG THANK YOU to my wonderful husband and his father, who have been taking such good care of me and the kiddos.

Here's little Navin modeling some pants that I made for him:




And a close up:

Grampa Don's Visit!

My Dad came to visit for 5 days this week, and we had fun just hanging out at the house. He is doing well and it was great to spend some time just relaxing with him. Haridas still asks about where he went and wants to call him to say hi!
Here's some pictures:

Navin's Birth Story

Here's the wonderful, detailed story of the arrival of Navin Madan Das on August 16, 2007 at 9:55pm.

After an hour long walk on a day that was 8 days past the due date, we were feeling sure that the baby will come in the next day or so. We go to sleep and a 3.8 earthquake gets me jumping out of bed at 3:00am. I am always quick to grab the kids and go outside as soon as an earthquake starts, but this one was really small, and I just layed back down after getting up way too quickly for an overly-pregnant woman. My husband joked "Slow down, you're shankin' the whole house!"

When I layed back down, I felt the first contraction which lasted 20 seconds. They kept coming every 5 minutes, but only lasting for 20-30 seconds. I was very thankful to feel the contractions in my belly and not in my lower back like I did when I began labor with Haridas. William had an appraisal inspection to do in Havi, which is about an hour and a half drive away, and was going to leave at 6:00am. I wanted him to stay because second babies are known to come out faster, and I wanted him to be with me for sure. But he reassured me that I was just in early labor and should get as much rest as I can until he comes back in a few hours. His dad had some things to do in town, too. So, it was me and the almost-3-year-old together for early labor. Fortunately, he was in a very good, sleep, mellow mood, and I was able to rest between contractions. Susan, the midwife, had a substitute teacher job in Na'alehu, which is about an hour and a half away, so I called her early in the morning to let her know what was happening, but she also thought that we had a lot of time before the baby arrives. I took it really easy for the whole morning to not speed up labor until my husband and midwife were done working! Grampa was a great help in keeping Haridas happy and occupied while I was resting between contractions. The mucous plug came out a little after 6:00am and contractions were feeling stronger, but not lasting any longer or closer together.

I called my two friends Chinni and Chandrika to let them know I was in early labor so they don't make any far away plans for the day. They both wanted to come over, which was now early afternoon. William came back and was trying to finish his work while we were all buzzing with the excitement of the baby maybe coming soon. He thought that I had a long time to go still, and figured we were going to have a slumber party. I found that my contractions were stronger whenever I would be by myself, and I focused on them. When I was talking through contractions, they would fade off into nothing. I decided to go on a walk around 3:00pm to speed things up. When we got back from the walk, I took a shower to cool off. When I got out, my friend Nitya had stopped by as a suprise. She has 6 children, one that is 3 months old, which is the closest in age to Navin that I know, and she has also been trained as a doula (birth assistant). She looked at me laughing and talking through contractions and said "whoa...close your eyes and focus on your breath!" She felt my belly during contractions and was able to estimate that I was about 4 cm dilated. The contractions got stronger as I focused on them more. Then Susan arrived. She said that I was either handling it very well, or we had a long way to go. She took her time delaying checking how dilated I was, and when she did, I was 5 cm (halfway there). She said I was handling it very well!

When Haridas's bedtime came at 8:00pm, he was refusing to fall asleep. Since I normally read stories to him every night, I decided to take the opportunity to be with him in a quiet room. William massaged my back as I read stories in the dim lighting. Haridas fell asleep before the end of the story around 9:00pm, and my contractions were very, very strong now. When I came out of the room, the contractions were starting to feel unbearable, and so it was time to fill the tub! Vishnu Das did everything to get that ready as I started active labor. It felt so good to get in the hot water...it's a natural pain killer. Since Haridas was asleep, Grampa Bill didn't need to watch him and was able to take lots of great pictures! (See them below.)

As soon as I got in the tub, I pretty much went into transition. I must say it was very, very intense. The only thing that got me through it was low oooooooooooooms. I wanted to scream Aaaaaaaaaaah in a high pitched tone, but the low tones were much more relaxing. The water broke right before his head crowned and I layed back to be able to see the birth of the head. I remembered that burning feeling and knew to focus all of my attention on not pushing (which prevents tearing). This was not easy and I really wanted to push but didn't! Again, the low oooooms really helped with this. I had a short break between contractions when the head was partly out. I even managed to smile because I knew I was almost done! Navin was born with the next contraction, floating up to my arms to the announcement "It's A Boy!" I meant to say "Thank You, Lord", but what came out first was "I love you! I love you!"

He was moving and his muscle tone was good, but he didn't cry or start breathing right away (which is ok because he was still getting oxygen through the cord). We suctioned him a few times to clear up the airways, and a big cry came out as his whole body went from bluish to pink. I was so thankful that the cord was not around his neck and his shoulders didn't get stuck, the two complications that are completely uncontrollable.

I was lifted out of the tub, dried off, and got cozy and warm with the little one on the couch. He latched on right away and began nursing like a pro. He slept for a bit while I was taking herbs to speed the birth of the placenta. I woke him up and nursed him again while we cut the cord when he was about an hour and a half old. I took a shower as he slept, then walked around a bit to help the placenta come out. Thankfully, the placenta came out at 12:30, and we all had a good night sleep afterwards.

This birth story is a very fortunate one, and I am eternally indebted to our Merciful Lord who blessed us with a graceful birth experience, and to all the people who helped us and wished us well. I am reminded of how lucky I am with every glance at this beautiful little baby boy. Thank You, Lord!

Active labor begins:


Filling up the tub (much easier than heating pots over the bonfire like Haridas's birth):


Smiling between contractions:


Looking into the eyes of my beloved gave me strength:


Yes, giving birth is hard core!:


It's a boy!:


His first cry:


Cozy and dry:


Papa:


Resting well:

Newborn Babywearing

Little Navin loves to be carried all the time, so I've been putting my baby carriers to use! It's so nice to have two hands free for cooking, cleaning, hanging laundry, playing with Haridas, and well, just about everything I need to do everyday. Here's some pics:

4 Days Old!

Here's the little man on his 4th day in this big world. He's wearing some shorts that I made for him. They make him look like a little surfer dude!

It's A Boy!!!

Our little bundle of joy arrived Thursday evening at 9:55pm! He weighs 8 lbs. 8 oz. and measures 19" tall. He has a full head of dark hair, just like his Papa did when he was born. (Haridas was bald until he was 2, just like me.) He is very verbal and makes all kinds of cooing baby sounds, even while he sleeps, and his cry is just as loud as a toddler's! His name is Navin Madan Das (pronounced Nah-Veen Maw-dawn Daas), and we will call him Navin. Navin is a Sanskrit name for God that means eternally new, and Madan means charming like a cupid.

The birth went so gracefully. I am so thankful that everything happened without any complications, I know I am very blessed and fortunate and owe it all to the Mercy of The Lord. I had my ideal home waterbirth, everything happened just as I had hoped. Everyone had a perfect part to play in the special experience. Since Haridas went to sleep before the birth, Grampa Bill was free from his duty of watching him, and was able to take lots of wonderful pictures (most are a little too revealing to post on the internet). Here are some pics from the next morning:

His first morning


My first experience wrapping a newborn:



Meeting his big brother

Early Labor Has Begun!!!

I've been having mild 25 second contractions since 3:00am this morning. The mucous plug just showed at 6:00am. The baby should be here within the next 24 hours! (Probably tonight). So, please wish us well! I will update as soon as possible.

Here's me in between contractions:


And this is funny...my friend who is a nurse gave me a bunch of free stuff from the hospital including this new birthing gown! It's long sleeves and so unbreathable I couldn't bear to keep it on for more than a few seconds for the picture! Hahaha!

No Hurricane For Us!

The hurricane slowed down and weakened so much that we never experienced anything more than a cloudy day with on and off showers. There isn't even any wind at all! The storm missed the island, thank God, and all is well here. There are no warnings or watches anymore for the islands.

We did experience a 5.3 earthquake Monday night that must have scared the hurricane away! No one got hurt and nothing was damaged...it was just surprising.

I'm so thankful that we did not have to go through a hurricane while I am over 9 months pregnant! Now that the storm has passed, I'm very ready for this baby to make an appearance! I hope to update with baby news next time!

Thank you everyone for your well wishes and prayers, they really helped! I never underestimate the power of prayer! :)

Hurricane Updates

Please don't worry about us, just pray that this hurricane keeps on moving by south of the islands.

Click here for the National Weather Service Website for the latest updates on Hurricane Flossie. It's updated every few hours.

The latest update from Tuesday morning is that is has decreased in speed and intensity! It will be passing by 80 miles south of the south point at 4 pm today. As long as it doesn't change direction, we will be having 40-50 mph winds, 10 inches of rain, and 20 foot waves! We are just hoping everyone stays safe and that it doesn't shift northwards. Downtown Hilo is probably going to get flooded for a while. I think we're going to be alright at our new home because we have a wall of very old mango trees to block the wind, and we are far enough from the ocean to not be in danger from the waves.

I'm not feeling any contractions or labor vibes, so I think the baby can wait until the storm passes.

Keep Hawaii in you prayers! I will update with any news as soon as possible. Lots of love from us all!

6 Days Overdue And A Hurricane Brewing

Well, no baby or contractions happening yet. The midwife and I both think this week is the week, so we'll find out soon enough! So, there's a Hurricane Flossie brewing south of the Big Island and supposed to pass by Tuesday afternoon. The latest I've heard about it is that it is supposed to calm down when it gets closer to the island, going from category 4 to category 2, and we will have 15 foot surf, 40-50 mph winds, and 10 inches of rain. Let's all hope that everyone in Hawaii is kept safe and sound! We have a big supply of food, water, and emergency supplies just in case. I will update here whenever something happens! Here's big belly pictures from today:

More Henna Belly Art!

Our friends came over and decorated my belly with a beautiful lotus flower in henna while Haridas had fun playing with someone his age. They could pass for twins! I hope the henna will stay for the birth pictures! Last time it lasted for a week before it faded away. These pictures are when it's been freshly applied and drying, while it temporarily dyes the skin.


Here it is the next day:

2 Days Past The Due Date

Ok, so maybe this baby will be a week late just like Haridas, or maybe it's just waiting for the perfect astrological configuration. I feel so powerless over the issue, at the mercy of fate, you know? All there is to do is surrender and be patient. This weekend would be great for everyones schedules, though! Here's the latest picture of the overdue belly:

Today's The Due Date!

I've spent the past 9 months feeling so sure that this baby would arrive on it's due date, but now that the big day is here, I'm not feeling any labor vibes. Oh well, the baby will come when it's just the right time. I'm ready now, though, since we are moved in and everything is situated and ready. We'll see what happens soon enough!

Here's the 9 months belly picture:


Some great news to add is that Haridas slept in his OWN room last night for the first time ever! We made one of the bedrooms for him, full of toys and a little bed. After reading stories and explaining how it is his room, I left it up to him to sleep there or not, with no pressure. After putting on his pajamas, he ran into his room and went right to sleep! This morning he was so happy that he slept in his room all by himself! Talk about good timing with a newborn arriving soon that won't sleep through the night!

Pictures Of The New Home!

Here's our new home! The camera couldn't quite capture it's greatness, but you can get an idea. Please forgive the messiness as we are still getting everything settled in.

The front yard:


The back yard:

The coconut trees:


The shady mango tree grove:



Some short banana trees:

The wonderfully big porch:



The kitchen:

The living room: