Best Buds!

Here's Haridas and Zamar caught on tape doing what they do best...playing with dumptrucks! They know each other so well now that they just have fun with little intervention from me, so I just sit and crochet while watching them! Here's a glimpse of what two two-year-olds do together:

Normally, they go down this hill over and over again, but this time they got distracted midway.


Here's some pictures, too!





And here's a picture of our front yard and the orchard across the river:

More Babywearing!

I'm happy that Haridas lets me carry him in the baby carriers more now these days, because it is getting harder for me to carry him without them now that I getting more pregnant. Soon my belly will be too big to carry him in the front! Here's some pictures:

The New Carseat

Well, we could have gotten a lot of other great things for the price of this one car seat, but it is so worth it if it saves our little one's life. It will keep him in a 5 point harness for up to 80 lbs., which is safer than a booster. Our friend will be picking it up on Oahu for us, so we thankfully saved on shipping. With car accidents being the number one killer of American kids, you'd think the safest carseats would be a little more affordable for everyone. Here's the $260 life saver:

Earthy Rainbow Crocheted Longies!

I finished some wool longies (pants) with some beautiful yarn! It was so much fun watching the colors change as the project unfolded! I'm thinking about starting to sell these now that I can make them so fast, even while playing with Haridas, and I have so much fun doing it!

Happy Birthday, Papa!

That's right, today is our special man's birthday! 29 already! Time flies when you're having fun, right? Thank you to everyone who sent gifts and well wishes on this special day! Happy Birthday, Papa!

Happy Anniversary!

Today is our wedding anniversary! Thankfully, Papa has the day off from work, so we can just be together. It's nice that it is also a Sunday today, which is a day of the week that we always celebrate in the evening with our friends. Thanks to everyone who sent us cards and well wishes for us!

Here's a picture of the memorable day:

Taking Care Of Haridas's Legal Business!

In order to get Harias's birth certificate, we needed a doctor's note proving that he is alive. Appearantly, some people lie about having a child to recieve welfare benefits, and since we had a homebirth, we needed some kind of official proof of existance. We have procratinated doing this because Haridas has always been so healthy with no need to see a doctor. Since we need his birth certificate, we decided to take Haridas to a Naturopathic Doctor, who is respectful of our decisions as parents.

The good doctor's news is that Haridas is in good health with no problems, and his growth is perfect for his age. We will be getting his birth certificate soon! Yay!

We also are getting him a 'Keiki ID'. (Keiki is the Hawaiian word for child.) Here's the picture we chose for it:

We almost used this one, but he stuck out his tongue!

Crochet Away!

I finished another pair of wool shorties for the newborn. Crocheting for a small baby goes much faster than for a big one. The ones I've made for Haridas took months, and these ones are just taking days! I'm starting some longies (pants) now!

Happy Birthday, Grammy Sharon!!!

Today, May 2, is Grammy Sharon's birthday!!!! Happy Birthday! We hope you have fun on your special day! We're sending lots of extra special love for you today! :)

Monthly Memorable Moments of April, 2007

Not too much happened this April, but May will be action packed since it's our most festive month of the year!

~Haridas is getting his LAST molar, thank God!!!!!

~We got 2 new baby carriers!

~Haridas is about to outgrow his carseat in height, 10 lbs. before outgrowing the weight limit.

~We celebrated Lord Nrishringha's Appearance Day on April 30.

~I officially love crochetting!

~My belly is looks big now!

Haridas Likes To Take Pictures!

Haridas really wanted to take these pictures of himself for you all!

Didymos Wrap Baby Carrier

Can you tell I like baby carriers? As a suprise, I got another baby carrier from someone on the island. It is a wrap, which is a 15 foot long piece of cloth made with a particular weave that is strong and durable. It can be tied in so many different ways, and is the most versitile of baby carriers. I thought it would be so much harder to use than it actually was. It is quite comfy, too. The great news is that Haridas likes it, too! It doesn't fold up very small, so I will use the other carrier when we go out, and this one around the house. Here's some pics:

The Walmart Poem by Papa

I was walking out of Wal-Mart and people were all over the place... you could just tell they all felt like they are actually what they are doing right then... some walking fast with a puffed chest, others driving in the fancy cars, while others still pushing their cart full of the latest and greatest fulfillment of their desires attained at the holy place of pilgrimage (Wal-Mart)

I could see the sun in the western sky descending upon the 14,000 foot peak of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii... bright and beginning to silhouette the great volcano... but just before the glare, the effulgence of the great giver of warmth and light, huge dark clouds busted forth strong and cool showers...

So much noise, cars, people, smells and sights!

As I walked I felt an absolute deafening silence and witnessed a compelling stillness although every thing was moving and full of sounds...

Am I on Drugs?

No, granted I was a little tired from a long day of driving and work, but not intoxicated!

People are here in the flesh... for sure!

Where does the spirit dwell?

Does any one know?

Does any one really care?

I know of him that is to come... and some how I feel, he's already there for those seek to find... the source and center of the spirit... it's not us... but his love, his life, his light.

Thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory!

Forever and ever

I wish I felt the spirit even heavier, to just crush my deluded heart and press me like ripe grapes in preparation for the feast!

Oh my Lord, pulverize all the filth inside my heart, like wheat becomes flour for the bread, so that those who are gathered for the great feast may eat.

The bread has been broken!

Our eyes have been opened!

The Word has been spoken!

Oh Lord, come restore and renew!

All Of Us

We finally got around to taking a few pictures of all of us! Of course, not posing seriously, though!

Another Belly Picture

Here's another one at 5 1/2 months!

New Baby Carrier Action Pictures!

Yay! Haridas finally let me carry him in the new baby carrier! It's so comfortable and beautiful! I look forward to using it a lot with a newborn. Here's some pictures:

Newborn Alpaca Crocheted Shorties!

I just finished these shorts for the newborn baby! They're made with alpaca, the super soft wool from Peruvian llamas. I really love crocheting, especially because I can be with Haridas while crafting, unlike sewing.

5 1/2 Months Pregnant!

I was going to post belly pics every month, but my belly really got big in the past 2 weeks, so I had to take a picture!

Here it is at 5 1/2 months (I really feel pregnant now!)

Yummy Molasses

We got some organic molasses because it is a great source of iron and calcium, both of which I need an extra boost of in the second half of pregnancy. Well, Haridas loves it, too! I'm glad there are sweet tasting foods that have other nutrients!

Instant Karma For Seal Hunters

The seal hunt proceeded this year despite many attempts to stop this inhuman killing of innocent baby animals. Our petitioning didn't stop them, but it is the Will of the Lord that many seals be saved, as many ships got stuck in the ice and were unable to kill as much as expected. Check it out here
(disreguard the short ad at the beginning):

Paintbushes Are Fun, Too!

I finally convinced Haridas to use a paintbrush and paper again with watercolors. Here's his newest work of art:

More From The Young Artist

Haridas is so funny. He puts paint on his belly or face, and then rubs it on the paper. It's hilarius!

Exploring Paints

Haridas is moving on from just painting on paper. His new art medium of choice is his body! He paints all over, and then enjoys a rainbow shower. I'm just thankful that he stays on the art towel, and how he is so willing to bathe afterwards.

The Freehand Baby Carrier is here!!!

All I can say is WOW! This is the most beautiful and comfortable baby carrier ever. Haridas doesn't want to be carried much these days except when I'm cooking, but the newborn is going to get a lot of use with this! I hope to get a picture with him in it soon!

5 Months Done, 4 To Go!

Yay! I'm all done with the 5th month of pregnancy, and am now starting the 6th! Tomorrow we will see the midwife and hear the heartbeat! This is the time when pregnancy starts getting very fun and real! Here's a belly picture:

Pregnant In America

If you ever wonder why I prefer a homebirth, there is a documentary coming out soon that gives some reasons. I hope this film helps the future of birth in our country, and lessens the unnecessary trauma and fears caused by interventions and greed for money. Here's the trailer:

New Baby Carrier

I'm so excited! I sold the Ergo baby carrier that I used for a year because it can't be used during pregancy, and is pretty big for a newborn. I just ordered a different Asian-style baby carrier (called Freehand Mei Tai) that can not only be worn above the belly while pregnant, but is great for newborns and older heavy babies. This will certainly get more use. Plus, it is thinner material for the hot summer days to come, and also folds up smaller, making it easier to bring anywhere. Another reason to switch is that the old one is mass produced in China, and this new one is made by a kind and talented work-at-home-mom who supports a great quote from the Bhagavada Gita. This is also not just a baby carrier, but an amazing and beautiful work of art. I think Haridas will like the elephants!

This is the great quote: "When a family declines, ancient traditions are destroyed. With them are lost the spiritual foundations for life, and the family loses its sense of unity. Where there is no sense of unity, the women of the family become corrupt; and with the corruption of its women, society is plunged into chaos. "-Bhagavad Gita 1:40-41

What A Relief!

I am very happy to announce that Papa will not be going to Oahu in May to do his appraisal schooling. It is offered again in October. This is a huge relief for us all. Now he does not have to feel the stress of leaving, and I won't have to be alone for two weeks while pregnant. (Grampa will be here to keep me company in October.) It also means we will all be together for my birthday, which I am so happy about. We like to be together as a family, so it's nice to not have to be seperated. What a relief!

Beach Clips!

Here's some short video clips of Haridas at the beach from a while ago. He absolutely LOVES it so much, we just had to capture a few glimpses for you all. From what I am learning about natural early childhood education, sand offers a great tactile experience for developing brains. TGood thing we have beaches!

Children do not have short attention spans for activities that they are interested in!

Storytime Miracle!

Oh my goodness, I can barely believe it still. ..Haridas has fallen asleep while I read bedtime stories for the past two nights. This is the longest he's ever gone without nursing, and he doesn't even know it! We are so happy to have peaceful evenings now. When he used to take naps in the afternoon, he was so full of energy and struggled to go to sleep at night. I'm so thankful that he is making this huge transition in his childhood, and also that we can have some quiet time at night. Oh yeah!

Beautiful Orchids!

We found these beautiful orchids growing near the playground today!

Monthly Memorable Moments of March, 2007

I have a journal where I write down all of our memorable moments, because there's way too many to really remember! I just found out that my husband didn't even know that I still kept up with it. This gave me the idea of sharing our memorable moments so that they can be acknowledged, instead of kept on a shelf.
So, every month I will post a Monthly Memorable Moments! Only this past month of March makes that a lot of M's!

~Haridas can peddel the tricycle all by himself.

~Haridas got 2 new molars, along with the first fever he ever had from teething. Now he has 18 teeth, with 2 more to come.

~Our dead end road was paved, so that Haridas can ride the tricycle down the fun little hill. He was so happy to have a backhoe, dumptruck, and roller outside our house for a week!

~Haridas is 30 lbs.

~We got a jogging stroller which Haridas and I absolutely LOVE! I don't jog, just walk, but it's so much better than any other kind of stroller. (I'm weaning Haridas from being carried all the time, since my belly is getting bigger.)

~Papa started recording music.

~I met Susan, the midwife who seems like the best choice.

~I felt the baby's first movements.

Weaning

For the first time in his entire life, Haridas went a whole day without nursing...and he didn't even know it! He is mostly weaned except for falling asleep, unless we are in the car or stroller. Well, we skipped naptime and he just fell asleep at night time because he was so tired! It's pretty amazing how doing things gradually can make a big change seem so small. I hope to keep it up so that he is completely weaned by the time the baby comes. I do miss naptime, though. That is my only break from the super active energy of a 2 1/2 year old. It's worth it, though. And although I may not get so much time for myself, at least I can rest assured that it will pay off when I have a newborn. :)