31 Oct 2013

TBT - Ala Moana Hotel

On our last six nights in Hawaii, we stayed at Ala Moana Hotel. You can book this hotel directly through the hotel web site, various accommodation booking sites or privately through the apartment owners via an agent. We booked it through an agent so I was able to negotiate the room rate as well as avoid paying the daily hotel fee.

We booked apartment 807 which ended up being a corner 1 bedroom suite. It had a separate bedroom, living room, kitchenette and bathroom. 

Positives:
  • The room was relatively spacious. There was ample areas for us to move around in.
  • The kitchenette was equipped with basic utensils and cooking equipment. There was an electric oven, a microwave oven, a few pots and pans, kettle, toaster and two mini fridges for when you want to buy and cook your own meals.
  • The hotel was right across the road from the Ala Moana Shopping Centre. There was even a ramp from the hotel to the shops for easier access for guests. 
  • Room rates included use of the room internet/wifi although the hotel had free wifi for guests staying that we could also access.     
  • Although we booked room through a private agent we could still utilise the hotel's facilities such as the gym and pool. 
Negatives:
  • Because we booked the apartment through a private agent, house keeping did not service our room. This meant we had to maintain the apartment ourselves therefore we had to clean up after ourselves, replenish any basic stock and remove any rubbish ourselves. 
  • The room had that used "wear and tear" look to it. Not sure if its because it's not cleaned regularly but the bathroom had mould and cracks as well as a damp smell. It could certainly do with an exhaust fan as well, so steam had somewhere to escape to.
  • The bed was hard, pillows flat and we found a blond hair underneath the cover on our first day. So we changed the sheets ourselves just to be safe.
  • The shower taps were not easy to use and the water pressure was not very strong. 
  • The owners do not provide anything. You're lucky to get whatever you find there when you first arrive but going forward you replenish everything yourself at your own expense. We had to purchase our own dish washing detergent, plastic bags for the garbage bin and toilet paper. 
  • The apartment did have a dishwasher but had a sign stuck on it stating it was not currently in use. 
  • The apartment did not have very good noise protection, as we could hear everything from cars leaving the next door car park, kids laughing from the upstairs apartment and the general traffic from a nearby busy road.
  • The hotel was further away from the busy Waikiki Beach strip. This was our first time in Hawaii so we would have preferred to be closer to the touristy part of Waikiki.    
Overall, it was a comfortable stay at Ala Moana Hotel. The apartment fulfilled our comfort needs from an accommodation perspective. I would recommend staying here if you want direct access to Ala Moana Shopping Centre. 

Would I stay here again? It depends on whom I'm travelling with and the purpose of the holiday. If it's with my family I'd rather stay closer to the beach but if I was travelling with friends this place would be a perfect option for something clean, spacious and reasonably priced. 

 Kitchenette and Dining area

 Bedroom

 The view from our bedroom balcony

Bathroom

28 Oct 2013

Sleep Battles

Since the beginning Eli has had sleep issues and admittedly we weren't proactive with addressing these issue. Firstly as an infant he was unsettled a lot and didn't sleep for long periods of time. We co-slept in the same bed for his first 18 months of life and when he did finally get a bed we weren't strict on any sleeping routine. 

As a result all of us didn't sleep well through the night. We just accepted this as a fact of life and adjusted accordingly by catching up on sleep where we could or learnt to survive and function on less than 7 hours of straight sleep.  

With the arrival of Kai we knew we had to avoid these habit with him but more importantly, get Eli sleeping through the night unassisted.

After a month of trialling various methods I can finally say we have success.  

We knew the crying out method wasn't the method for him, especially now as a toddler. He's too mobile, too mentally aware and too old for that method to work. 

What worked for us was finally enforcing a nightly routine and sitting away from him and his bed, moving further away each night until we could walk out and close his bedroom door, knowing that he'll fall asleep. I love how saying good nights are a happy and loving experience now instead of the long and painful process it use to be. 

We committed to the change and never looked back. It's so easy to revert back to the old ways, especially on days when Ian has had a late one at work and would be much easier if the boys and I just stayed together in one room and let Ian rest. But despite the fatigue and common sense we keep up the routine and it worked.

And since we've made these changes, he's been sleeping through the night. Well ... we know he still wakes because we hear him whimper or even call out to us, but he doesn't come out of his bedroom anymore. He's confident enough to put himself back to sleep without needing us.

We're so happy we're finally here.

It took some time but we got there in the end, like I knew we would.       

What process worked for you to finally get your little one to fall asleep on their own and through the night?

26 Oct 2013

First Monthaversary


Last Tuesday was Kai's one monthaversary from when he was born. We started a tradition during Eli's first year, that would only be fair that we continued with Kai, and that is to get all our family over for dinner and cut a monthaversay cake.

This first month to be honest, felt slow. There were days when I felt it was a lot later in the week then it actually was. I believe its a symptom of that newborn "haze" that most mothers (and some fathers) experience during the first couple of weeks with a baby.  

Although I've been here before and I know what to potentially expect there have been some surprises. I've mentioned previously Kai pretty much sleeps all day. He only ever wakes for feeds or cries when his nappy is full. We don't need to put him in a special position to get him to sleep for long periods of time or have to hold him to get him to fall asleep he just does.

He eats regularly and a lot, so for this guy that means there is vomiting, spitting and hiccups. After every feed he requires burping, expect some spitting and if he doesn't fall asleep first, there will be some hiccups too. What this also means is he goes through 2-3 outfit changes a day from the amount of spitting and vomiting. I'll know when he needs to be burped some more because he'll do these weird grunting noise and arches his body. And burping him takes several minutes unlike Eli who never needed to be burped after every meal.

Another thing I've noticed is the recovery on my body has drawn out longer this time around. I did feel fine when I left the hospital but I think once the high from the hormones subsided I started to feel the aches and pains from the delivery. I don't recall feeling as sore and weak first time around. But without sounding overly confident my belly seems to have shrunk back so much faster this time around and without any effort. Don't get me wrong, when I jump on the scales I can see I'm no where near back to my pre pregnancy weight but I seem to be able to fit into my old jeans again.



I'm not as exhausted. I thought maybe waking up constantly at night would tire me out but surprisingly it isn't impacting me as much as I thought it would. I guess it helps that Eli still doesn't sleep through the night so I'm still use to getting woken up at some point at night.

I'm more confident. Obviously being the second time at this parenting business we've learnt a thing or two about raising a child. We're not as lost, don't over analyse and or freak out when our newborn does something unfamiliar. We are more sure of ourselves, we trust our own instincts and educated on a few things to be confident about our decisions and or avoid certain things this time around. We've ventured out of the house several times even going to restaurants as a family. Don't get me wrong when we're there I wonder why we even bothered as it can be stressful especially with a toddler. But my attitude towards the situation is although it's difficult now, next time its going to get easier.

Welcome to the family again baby Kai, we love you so much and happy 1 monthaversary.


24 Oct 2013

TBT - The Westin Villas, Maui

In July 2013 when we went to Maui we stayed at the beautiful beach front property of The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Villas. During our seven nights stay we were placed in Villa 4123 which was a one bedroom with mountain views.


Positives:

  • Large apartment for a family of 3 there was a lot of room to move around especially for my toddler who loved doing laps around the bedroom and bathroom.
  • A one bedroom villa consisted of a kitchen, dining and living room area as well as a separate bedroom space. A massive bathroom with spa bath, twin sink basins and wardrobe.
  • The bedroom was also very roomy we could fit all our luggage inside the bedroom and still have room to move around.
  • Large balcony area with outdoor table, seats and sunbeds available.
  • Kitchen was stocked with basic cooking appliances, large fridge, electric stove, microwave and cooking utensils.
  • Apartment also had a washer and dryer and upon arrival inside apartment there was a small welcome pack provided which had washing detergent for kitchen and laundry.
  • Large flat screen tv in both the lounge room and bedroom with ample channels available. There was also a DVD player, and MP3 stereo you can connect to.
  • The Westin is a massive property with lots pools for both adults and children, spas which can be used 24hrs a day and direct access to an amazing beach.
  • There are restaurants, 2 general store onsite, gym facilities and a kids club.
  • Resort is very family friendly with lots of families on site during the time we were here.
  • Free shuttle bus commuting patrons between the two Westin’s, The Sheraton and shops.
  • Ample staff everywhere, very friendly and kept the resort in its immaculate state.    

Negatives:

  • Pricey for non timeshare patrons. Don’t know if its also because we came during the peak July break season that played a factor but this resort was very very expensive but we wanted to stay here especially since we had a young toddler.
  • Our view was not of the mountains but of the lobby drive way.  This was probably one of the most disappointing component of our stay, the room location considering how much we paid to stay here.
  • Almost all activities are at a cost. I would say 10% of the activities the resort runs are free everything else has a cost associated to do them. There weren’t that many activities available either.
  • Everything cost money to hire even the non motorised sports such as snorkeling. It was going to cost $18 to hire snorkel gear for 24 hours but you can buy your own from an ABC shop near the Sheraton for $15.
  • Beach umbrella and chairs also cost money to hire every day.
  • Our room was located in a dim part of the resort, even with the curtains open it was very dim so this meant we had lights on even during the day to see. 





23 Oct 2013

TBT's

Because I'm so behind with posts especially on holiday related one's, I want to dedicate Thursday's as my Throw Back Thursday's to past experiences. I want to be able to look back on this blog in years to come and revisit not just my thoughts but also the experiences. 

So from now on Thursday posts will be TBT's.

18 Oct 2013

My Breaking Point

Today is the first day I feel like I've accepted defeat and let family take Eli for a few hours. Yes, I've left him with family before but its usually so I can run errands or get to an appointment. And I say defeat because emotions got the better of me. 

Today (due to his antics yesterday) I actually want him out of the house, out of my way for the simple reason that he's driving me ... to that point. That point I don't want to go to, that point I told myself when I entered motherhood I'd never go, that point I'll remember as a low point in my parenting if I reached it. The point I'm referring to is, basically my breaking point where I'd snap it and taking it out on him. So to avoid that point I need to put some space between me and the little guy and so today my parents took him away to the playground and back to their place to stay. Away from the potential monster inside of me I could unleash on him. 

Another first I realised was, today was the first time I've had any time alone with Kai. No kuya, no dad, no family members just me and the almost four week old hungry little hippo. Just the two of us enjoying a quiet home, me closely studying every inch of him and lying together in our bed without any fear that a small active toddler isn't going to climb up and jump all over us. 

My control freak nature needs to let these days happen more frequently. Whole days without Eli at home to let me bond with Kai, let me study, let me focus on my ideas but mostly to let me regroup mentally from all the giving and nurturing.

The last several months have been so busy in our home so for me, today has been long over due.


When was the last time you took some time to zone out from your everyday life? What do you do to re energise your mind?

9 Oct 2013

The New Family Dynamics


We've been a family of four for a few weeks and its quiet interesting the dynamics in the household now.

Firstly update on Kai. About 10pm the following night after his birth we returned back to the hospital. He had not passed urine at this point and so it was suggested we come into the hospital so they could monitor his kidneys. His early scans indicated he had dilated kidneys so it was something we needed to monitor at birth. We were instructed to go to the Special Nursery, this is where really sick or premature babies stay. It was hard seeing some of the babies in there they were so small and helpless. I know they're asleep but at times seem so lifeless lying in these enclosed glass incubators. And seeing their mothers weeping over their child. All I could do was swallow that big lump in my throat and contain my emotions. My heart goes out to them and the fears they must be experiencing.

We were given a private room to stay at over night so that I could come into the nursery every 3 hours to feed Kai. The following morning a group of doctors came into the nursery and reviewed him and his case. It felt like a scene from House, five doctors discussing his history, symptoms and coming up with diagnoses and recommendations. They conducted another scan on his kidneys and diagnosed that his dilation didn't need to be reviewed further so we were discharged that afternoon. A dilation of 7mm is considered a "red flag", Kai's dilation was only 1mm, a common result for a lot of babies apparently and is usually ignored because of the low rating.

Besides that initial hiccup he's been a dream. All he does is sleep and wakes for feeds (I hope I haven't jinxed myself now). It's the opposite from my first experience and its so refreshing to have a baby who loves to sleep. When I review all my past posts during the time Eli was a newborn all I did was complain about the lack of sleep we both were having and his unsettledness. Kai's a hungry little hippo and feeds often too. At that start I wondered whether he was getting enough milk because he was a lazy feeder but now he feeds well ... really well.

Eli well he's ... adjusting ... in his own way. Eli calls his brother "baybee k'hi" and I love it when he says it, its so cute. He loves holding him and asks to hold "baybee K'hi" often. He showers him with kisses and hugs I know he's so in love with his little brother already.

Eli is surprisingly not jealous. He doesn't seem bothered I'm holding another baby and he's more than happy to share my attention with someone else. I think it bothers me more that he's not bothered. But there was one time when my arms were free from Kai, he reached for a hug, climbed into my arms and said "I'm your baby now." You're always going to be my baby Eli, even your little brother.

We have noticed though a sudden increase in ... "cheekiness" in Eli and this is how we think he's coping with the change. Even when we instruct him not to do something and threaten him with 'time out' he still does it. Repeating instructions doesn't seem to work and he tries to push the boundaries each time. He's even more selective about when he wants to listen to us and either screams or sulks loudly when he doesn't get his way. We find ourselves tired not from the newborn but managing Eli's new behaviour. We want to correct him without the use of force or fear but it gets harder to keep your cool when we're constantly having power struggles with a two year old.
And mum and dad ... Well we're coping with the two little men. We still pinch ourselves that we have two gorgeous boys. If someone told me three years ago I'd be a parent of two, I wouldn't have believed it. These past few weeks I couldn't have survived without my husband, his presence has been a great help. It really is a team effort with the constant tag teaming you need to do. It's not hard just demanding. It will be interesting how I cope on my own once Ian goes back to work.

Admittedly having a newborn hasn't been too much of an adjustment this time around. I guess it helps that Eli's not really sleeping through the night just yet so we're still use to having our sleep broken.

Although I've forgotten what it's like to constantly hold a baby and have limited movement. When a child learns to walk on their own people say that's when the "work" starts because you have to follow them around. But when you are use to not having to carry a child and revert back to having a newborn who needs to be constantly carried, it takes some getting use to .... again. You forget how physically restrictive a newborn can be.

So that's our current family dynamics at the moment. I'm sure by the time we've adjusted to the current environment it will change again.


5 Oct 2013

Me (& Girlfriends) Time

A few weeks ago ... actually the day before I gave birth, I had the pleasure of not having a toddler in tow and not have to scoff down breakfast as quickly as possible. I was joined by my dearest friends and as always, it was great to catch up with everyone. We get so bogged down with work, our own families, busy weekends and everyday life that its hard to regularly catch up with friends, especially when there's a big group of you. So I was very touched that most of them could attend my little breakfast before baby number 2.

We had breakfast at the lovely Deckhouse at Woolwich. It was right by the water with amazing views of the Sydney harbour. I can see why this spot is very popular for weddings and events, truly a beautiful location.

As I went through the photos taken from that morning I realised I've got some pretty amazing friends whom I've known for several years now, some as long as 18 years. I've shared some wonderful memories, life long experiences, interesting adventures and deep secrets with these women. They're like an extension of my family, they're sisters to me.

Thank you ladies for joining me for breakfast, for all the laughs and continued years of friendship.













1 Oct 2013

Malachi's Birth Story

Sunday, 22nd September 2013

Around 3pm I started feeling those period cramp pains in my stomach again. I figured they were braxton hicks contractions because I was getting them throughout my third trimester, especially after our little scare.

I told Ian I was starting to feel some pain and we joked that this could be it. He must have not taken the joke so lightly because that afternoon he started doing the stuff he was yet to do for the baby. He installed the baby capsule in the car, put fresh sheets on the cot, swapped the pram back to the bassinet and began packing his hospital bag.

That day the rest of the family were coming over for dinner. I was craving a good pork roast so my brother in law agreed to cook it for me. Family started arriving at 4pm and we told them I was feeling some contractions at that moment. Again we joked about how tonight could be the night but all agreed baby can't come until after we have some roast port. Cooking and not spoiling a roast takes time so it was 8pm by the time we dished up dinner.

During dinner I sat through strong contractions. Stopping between bites of sweet pumpkin as the waves of contractions got stronger. Admittedly I couldn't finish my meal and reluctantly had to off load the rest of my pork crackling to my sister. I went to our bedroom and tried to rest or sleep off some of the pain. By this point I had already started timing my contractions and the time between each one were inconsistent. Sometimes they were 7 minutes apart, sometimes 4, sometimes 9 - to me, although the contractions were painful was not an indicator to head to the hospital just yet. I didn't want to get there and be told to go home so I rode it out.

By 9pm my sister came into the bedroom and was giving me back rubs to help ease some of the lower back pain I was feeling. The contractions were extremely painful at this point. I recall the contractions I had with Eli I could breath through them but this time around I would tense up my whole body when I would get a contraction. I remember saying out loud "make it stop!" it was so painful.

By 9:20 Ian and my mum forced me to agree to head over to the hospital. But before we leave I wanted to go to the bathroom first. I had been emptying my bowls all afternoon. Ian watched over me as I sat on the toilet and suddenly we both heard something pop. I thought it was my plug because we literally heard a pop sound, however a midwife told me later that it was most likely the sound of my water breaking. I said to Ian "I think that was my plug" and he started getting mad at me. I think because he had been suggesting we go to the hospital for a few hours now and I'd been too stubborn to agree.

Suddenly I felt the urge to push and again told Ian what I was feeling. By now he was furious and was calling the ambulance. I decided to get off the toilet just in case I do give birth. My sister came into the bathroom and helped hold me up. I remember saying to her "I feel like pushing ... the baby's coming!". I think she suggested to remove my pants, either way she was helping me remove my tights at this point.

I felt another contraction and wave to push so I did. I was probably screaming during my contractions cause family told me I was at one point, scaring Eli ... although I don't remember. I do remember saying again to my sister "It's coming! it's coming! ... I'm scared."  

Suddenly fear and horrible thoughts entered my mind. I feared the worst and that I could lose the baby at this point. I remember my sister encouraging me to relax and reminding me I can do this and I pulled my thoughts back together.

I felt another contraction and wave to push so I did and I knew the head was out so I announced it. My mum came back into the bathroom and confirmed it. I think she even tried to push the head back in which angered me of course. My mum ran out and went to find Ian and give him the update. 

My dad comes into the bathroom, and yells "Camielle! The head is out!" Ian came into the bathroom. I said out loud to whoever was listening "You have to help me deliver this baby. You have to help me."

I felt another contraction and wave to push so I did and my dad pulled him out. I looked down and in my dad's hands was a not so tiny blue and slimy baby. A second later the baby started crying, "Thank God" I thought.

My sister in law ran into the bathroom with her iphone in her hand and the emergency help line on speaker as we all tried to hear what the lady was saying over the phone. But a second later two paramedics walk through the bedroom and they take over at this point.

They asked Ian if he wanted to cut the cord so he did, we wrapped the baby in towels and proceeded with some skin to skin action. I was still getting contractions and I knew this was because I still needed to deliver the placenta. So they loaded me, Ian and my mum onto the ambulance and proceeded to Westmead Hospital. 

There the midwife assisted in delivering the placenta, weighed the baby, administered the first round of immunisation shots and completed appropriate paper work. Being on the case load program I knew I wasn't going to be at the hospital for very long. She asked if I wanted to stay until the morning or leave that night? I opted to leave that evening so by 2am we were discharged from the hospital and headed home with our new baby.  

So there you have it my Malachi's (Kai, for short) birth story. 

It's not a very long story as the whole thing from start to finish only lasted a few minutes. Ian thinks it happened all in the span of 3-5 minutes and I probably would agree. Some of the funny moments that I can remember include:
  • My brother in law running into the bedroom with a bucket of warm water after I had given birth. Not sure what it was for maybe he thought we were going for a water birth, either way I'm sure he was trying to be as helpful as he possibly could. 
  • While talking to the emergency help line the lady instructed us to cover the baby in a towel. So there were five people saying out loud to each other "Towels! We need towels" and no one actually going to get one. Because I was standing up by the bathroom door and we had towels hanging behind the door I ended up grabbed one and handed it to whoever had the baby. Then seconds later my brother in law rocks up with like eight towels in his hands. 
  • My mum pacing back and forth between the bathroom and where ever she went to. I guess she was scared or nervous - I know she doesn't handle high stress situations very well. Mind you she's one of my "support people" at delivery.
  • My sister in law's face the whole time. I think I may have freaked her out of ever having babies. But in my defence I just demonstrated how quickly the whole delivery process thing can be done .. heeheee 
Sunday night family dinners will never be the same again.

It's pretty cool how we all have a special bond with this little guy. How many people can say they helped deliver their son, grandson or nephew at home? I'm so grateful of the outcome, grateful for my family for coming together and getting through this experience and mostly grateful God has blessed us with another healthy and beautiful baby boy.

Ambulance and paramedics arriving at our home seconds after I had given birth ... that's me riding at the back


At the hospital. Baby Kai getting getting checked, measured, weighed and immunised by the midwife.


Very proud parents


Very proud kuya

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