“Little girl Skye with the great big eyes, I love you and that’s no lie. When you smile you light up the room, please don’t rush and grow up soon…”
That’s the song I sing to you when I rock you to sleep. Your brother was the swaddle ninja and could escape anything. You like to sleep with your arms out, already you are very different. Even as a baby you are definitely a beautiful baby girl.
You were born on April 10, 2021, not too far from your moms birthday. Your birthday is also fairly close to your brothers which is in March. When he was born, I missed out on white seabass season, and I’ll miss most of it with you now too. That’s not a big deal because I can go hunt them when you get older, right now you need your whole family to watch over you and we are all here for you. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
You were a miracle baby, your mom always wanted a little girl but we thought we wouldn’t be able to have you. I’ll tell you this story later, but when your mom and I were married and on our honeymoon in the Philippines I caught a bad cold. Your grandmother took us to a healer who used herbs and things to help me get better. I remember the house well because there were the meanest mosquitos there, they were on the walls and as soon as we sat down they dove on us like pterodactyls. Your mom had a reaction to them and had many welts on her legs later on. While we were there your grandmother asked the healer if we were going to have a family, she said yes, we would have two children. We had your brother first and then after a while we really didn’t think it was going to happen and then you came. It’s crazy to think he healer was right. And wow what an entrance you made! When your brother was born, your moms labor was slow and the onset was pretty much what we expected, in fact when your mom first started contractions with your brother, we actually had time to go to Disneyland and walk around. This time it happened very quickly.
The light flutter of contractions started in the morning but the harder ones didn’t happen until almost dinnertime and the hospital warned us that we couldn’t come early because if we did, once they tested us we would have to stay there until you came out. So your mom made a home made pizza for me and Hawke for dinner. While she was cooking I could tell the contractions were increasing, she would hunch over and I would rub her back.
The contractions got stronger and your brother was taking a shower about 8 pm and then right then we knew you were coming soon. Auntie Hazel and Uncle Paul arrived to watch your brother and take care of the puppies while I took your mom to the hospital. As we got closer your mom began to have large contractions and they admitted her right away. You seemed to be in a hurry to see the world!
Unfortunately you were coming so quickly that they were not sure if we would have time to get an epidural, it’s a special shot that makes it less painful for mommy. Your mom was crying out in terrible pain, the worst pain I’ve ever seen her in and I was very worried she would not be able to have you without that special shot. Just in time the doctor showed up and gave it to her and slowly mommy was in less pain. You were pretty much on your way out and in under an hour or so you arrived. It was only about two hours from the time we checked into the hospital until you came out to say hello, it was probably closer to twelve with your brother.
When you were born you were absolutely beautiful with a thick batch of hair and beautiful big eyes and you quieted down quickly once you laid on mom. We had chosen your name beforehand, Skye Rose Okamoto. Skye was just a name that popped in my head because it was pretty, it was going to be Skye or Skylar but Skye stuck out to us and your mom liked the name. We named your middle name Rose, after your auntie Roseanne who left us too soon a few years ago. She was smart, strong and beautiful, the same way that we hope you grow up. You actually look a little like her which is amazing. We will explain to you someday about the time you were born, we were just ending a pandemic and you were a beacon of light for us in an otherwise scary time. It made us forget about the hard times because you were so beautiful. As soon as you could focus your eyes you would smile back at us. I really hope you are a happy baby.
Your brother could identify animals before he could talk because he would imitate animal noises that I taught him. Once he could talk, I would sing him songs when we drove places and I’ll do the same for you. You will pick the animal and then we’ll finish it together. “My girl Skye she has a zoo, and in that zoo she has a “elephant”. The elephant eats hay all day, it walks around and it is gray, and if that elephant could talk it would sing a song like this… My girl Skye she has a zoo, and in that zoo she has a….” I have no doubt you will love animals, your brother did at an early age. Your brother is smart, strong and nice and he will protect you when we can’t be there. I hope you get along, even though I know there are times you will not and that’s okay too. You also have two dogs named Kona and Kayla, they are hawaiian names. We have a sulcutta tortoise named tank and your brother has a gecko and some fish. When you are older you can choose any NORMAL animal you want except for cats because your mom doesn’t like them.
We have a tradition in the Okamoto house where I will tell you a bedtime story every night that I put you to bed, I’ve done this for your brother since he could talk and to this day he still insists that I tell him “the story of Hawke”, it is about whatever adventure he had during the day. I’ll do the same for you and it will of course by “The Story of Skye”. The story of Skye will change every day. Who knows what adventures you will have each day, maybe you will like to go fishing, or geocaching with your brother, riding bikes to the nearby park, climbing on jungle gyms with your friends, or hiking behind our house. Your brother and I have a love for the ocean and hopefully you will grow to follow that love. I plan on coming to your and his school every year and teaching your classes about different animals in the sea. I want you to be proud of your family because your family loves you Skye.
There are a lot of things I hope for you, I hope you stay healthy, I hope you will learn to swim, and above all I hope you grow up strong and live a long happy life. There are a lot of things you are going to experience, warm vacations in Baja and Hawaii, your first fish that you’ll catch at the park by our house, playing tea party with your friends and neighbors and shopping with your mom. I don’t know a lot about girls so I hope you are patient with me as you grow up. There are going to be times when we don’t agree and that’s fine. You just have to know no matter what, your family loves you and we will always protect you. That will never change and you should never forget that.
You have a lot of aunties and uncles and grandparents and cousins who can’t wait to meet you Skye Rose Okamoto, the girl with the big eyes. We are so lucky you are here with us and can’t wait to watch you grow. Just…don’t grow up too fast please…
oakpower 