Christmas

Wow..I just found out that it's been more than a year since I started this blog. Another Christmas has come and gone. But, it was Wesley's first Christmas! Very overwhelming for him. We went to Uncle Curtis' and Auntie Rosemary's house for Christmas Eve and Mom and Dad's for Christmas. Wes did great overall. Didn't cry on Christmas Eve, and woke up a couple of times and softly cried for a sec, then went back to sleep. Cried a couple of times for a second on Christmas, but slept quietly thru the night. I was very proud of him. He did really well. Course he got tons of toys, but I think his favorites are the Ball popper from Uncle Harry, the tool kit from Mom and Dad, and his interactive Puppy from Mike and Erin. (Yes, Erin, he loves the puppy you got him. I'll post a video of him mashing the puppy with his face.) We still have a few more to show him again..we're pulling out things slowly since too many toys seem to overwhelm him.

I've been off all this week, but still have to work by checking in remotely from time to time. Since daycare is also off, it's just been me, Wes and Rudy. Today Wes got his 9 month photos done at Sears. Again he did really well. The photographer was a young man this time. I overheard him tell the girl that Wes was a cutie and was the easiest shoot he's done. And, to top that off, he wanted to know if it was OK for him to display one of Wes's photos in the reception area. That was cool! Hope that is not Wes' 5 minutes of fame! I was able to get the photo CD this time (it was a lot cheaper finally - before they wanted $50 a pose on the CD, this time I got it for $30 for all poses) so now I'll be able to post his professional photos. Here's a couple of them. My little man. He looks so much older now that he's standing, but still looks like a baby. I'm going to miss his baby stage.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Wes was 8 months on the 19th. He had his baby food of Sweet Potatoes and Turkey...yum! We also found two new upper teeth today! So far, he has 7 total! Four on top and three on bottom. He's sitting, pulling him self up standing and going down. Sorta cruising. And, he said "Mum-Ma" today and he was pulling himself up on my leg wanting to be held! Two times! Wes is also finally sleeping thru the night. We started this one month ago. Finally! We held off due to the Dr. wanting him to still keep eating thru the night due to his low weight. Finally got the go ahead and he cried it out 2 nights. One nite was an hour and half on and off crying. That was hard. But, after that, no more 10pm dream feed or 5am feed. Now he sleeps from 8:30pm to 6:20 am. Now if I can stop waking up in the middle of the night =)

5 months Montage

Sorry, I'm a little behind in the months...he's already 7 months...

Make an online slide show at onetruemedia.com

Moving On

In the last month or so, I've been slowly claiming my body back. I've been pumping less and Wes has been taking more formula. Well, today is the last day I'm pumping. I just packed up the pump parts just a few minutes ago. I never realized how hard it was going to be. I thought before I had him that as soon as he bit me, I was going to stop for sure. Or as soon as he turned 4 months, I wouldn't be able to do it anymore. As you can tell, this hasn't happened yet. I'm still nursing him. Just now at Bedtime and once in the middle of the night. If putting away the pump is hard on me now, it's going to be bad when the nursing ends. It felt like an addiction for pumping. Feeling like I couldn't stop. I was so used to doing it, but at the same time so tired of doing it. I feel like if I stopped, I wouldn't be able to produce any milk at all. Luckily I found, I can still nurse. But I know that has got to stop as well. I don't want him to be calling me in the middle of the night once he knows my name..it will be that much harder on me.

And, at the same time, I want my body back. More later...

6 1/2 months

Wow..it's been a long time since I've written. Well, what's been new? Wes got 2 new teeth on the bottom. Yeah..I think. The boy is just a gnawing machine! He's learning to crawl better and now when I lay down next to him, he's trying to climb on me by using his hands and teeth while grunting! I feel like one of those Lions on the Nature channel with the cub trying to wrestle with me as I lay down all tired. With his new found freedom, Wesley is trying to get into everything that is not his....TV remote, keyboard, my hair..you name it. He's a lot more fun now that he can move, but I'm dreading when he really takes off. I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with him. The other day when I thought he might be napping, I heard this weird squeeking noise. I go into his room, and he's in the corner of his crib sitting up and tugging so hard on the mobile it was bending! AHHHHH! I'm not sure where he gets all this activeness..definintely not from Jay! ...ooohhh I'm in for a handful...

5 1/2 months

Wow..it's been a while since I've blogged! Guess I have just been busy adjusting to work and my new thing is the One True Media site! With all the pictures and videos I had of Wes when he was younger I'm finally starting to create something. I also just did a Wedding one of a friend's daughter. yup..Jay and I finally went out by ourselves! I would have to say this is the first official time. And, can you believe I never called my mom to see how he was doing? I think it was because I was so into taking pictures of the wedding so that I could make a montage that I couldn't worry so much. But, Wes did really well with my mom. He even went to bed early! Unfortuantely, though, he woke up twice in the night to eat. His teeth have been really bothering him. Hopefully they should be coming up any time now. But, it also seems he might be also going through a growth spurt. So, days have been a little rough. We might have to CIO again. We'll see how he does tonight.

As I write this on the 9th, Wes is going to be 6 months on the 19th of Sept! Instead of filling outward, it seems to be just length. It seems that breastfeeding will also come to an end soon. I thought I would be really relieved. Now, I find myself being sad about it. Right now it's pretty much when he goes to bed, in the night/early morning. I was hoping he would be the one to reject me. Actually it seems like he wants it more. He seems to recognizing the differences and now knows what he wants. It's going to be really hard, but I feel I'm going to have to cut him off soon or it's just going to be harder on the both of us..

First Time Eating Solids

So for the last few days, we've noticed Wesley watching us eat. He's also been powering through his milk. This Sunday he even started crying after watching us eat for a bit! I then fed him, and he calmed down. So, with the suggestion of daycare (which he also has been guzzling his 6 oz bottle of milk AND wanting more!, we decided to try last night...he just turned 5 months on Saturday.

Here's Jay feeding Wes rice cereal...check it out

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My First Video Montage

Here's the first video montage I've done. Since I'm lazy, I really liked doing it cuz it was so easy! Stay tuned for more to come...

Edit video online at onetruemedia.com

I can do Raspberries!

Shake Your Bootie

Back to Work

Wow! It's been a while since I've last blog. Well, I'm finally back to work. Official Day was July 24th. The adjustment to work and Wes' adjustment to Daycare have been going pretty good. I'm glad Sherry had us slowly introduce him to Daycare 2 weeks before. When that Monday rolled around, I didn't have a hard time being away from Wes. Wednesday was a little harder when I found out on Tuesday that he would not take the bottle of my milk from her. She told me he sucked, looked at her, sucked again, looked at her again and started crying and arching his back. He was saying to her, "this is my mommy's milk and you're not my mommy!" That broke my heart. So, Wednesday was a little tough, but got thru it. He'll easily take formula from her, but no milk. She even tried to do half and half and he still figured it out! And, he was also getting a little anxious by about 4pm as if he was anticipating me to come get him. But, besides those things, he's doing really well at daycare. He seems happy when he sees Sherry, smiling and talking. So, I feel that he's being taken care of and that he's enjoying himself. More later.

Why Can't I be Boobyfed?!?

This weekend has been sort of a struggle. All this time, Wes seemed to like the bottle more than the breast. When he was wide awake, he would always seem to fight the breast. I don't know if it was coming out too fast or not fast enough. From time to time, I kept thinking I just want to quit. The only thing that stopped me was that I wanted him to keep getting breast milk for as long as he could and that pumping every time was too much work. I found that I can't get any milk out when I'm stressed out..like hearing him fuss or cry while I'm trying to pump. When I did give him a bottle, he would accept it. Now, he fights me on it. He's hungry, thinks I'm going to lift my shirt, and instead gets a bottle shoved into his mouth. He is mad! He usually doesn't get this angry. Course, for the last couple of weeks during the day, we've been lying on my bed while he's sleep eating. He's been having it good for the last couple of weeks. And, I let him cuz it was easier to feed him that way. Today, it's going a little easier. He's not fighting it as much (prob cuz he's hungry). Hopefully things will settle down real soon.

3rd Day of Day Care

After the first night of Day Care, we got him ready for bed a little late (8:44pm). I put him in his sleep sack. Next thing I knew, he put his thumb in his mouth. It threw me for a loop since we have this routine where I put the pacifier in, then hold him til his eyes close. I cautiously repositioned him in the crib, kissed him, and left. During that time, he was talking to himself. I couldn't relax. I was thinking it was the calm before the storm. I was waiting for him to cry. He never did! He just went to sleep! I was so happy!

Day 2: Wes woke up at 5:42am. I tried to get him to wait til 6am. Couldn't do it. I got to 5:55am and got him up. Normally I would bring him to bed, feed him, and we would sleep. This time I had to keep him awake til I brought him to Day Care. I tried to breastfeed him and he was really distracted (prob feeling my anxiety about preparing to leave). We got there and he looked tired. But, he didn't sleep. He finally took a 20 minute nap in the provider's arms at around 9. He normally doesn't stay up that long. After I left, he barely slept. He kept waking up while the kids were coming in. He did take a bottle from her and ate a little less than I hoped. After I picked him up at 10:00am (which he looked TIRED), we went to our Breastfeeding support group. He didn't sleep during the car ride, but zonked out during the class for an hour. Poor baby! I woke him up to weigh him (12 lbs) and he got cranky. So, I left thinking he was going to sleep. Nope. He talked to himself on the ride home! Fed him at 12pm and he fell asleep in our bed for another hour. Took another nap at 3:00 for 2 hours! Thought everything was going OK, til last night. We got him to bed a 1/2 hour earlier than usual. He woke up at 9pm. Jay went to check on him after a bit since he was still crying. Not good. He just cried harder when he heard someone come into his room. He kept on crying til I went in at 9:45 pm (longest he has every cried). The only way I could calm him down was to breastfeed him (normally Jay bottle feeds him at around 10pm while Wes is asleep).

Day 3: He then woke up at 2:30 and 5:00am. I probably shouldn't have fed him at 5am, but I didn't want to go thru another crying session. Course again he didn't settle down to sleep til 5:40am, and then I had to wake him up at 6:15. He fussed, but actually woke up ok. Got him to Day Care at 7:30am. He napped in her arms at 8:45 for about an hour, then she put him in the swing, and he slept til 11am. When returned at 11am, he didn't take the bottle from the provider or myself. We think it was because he heard and saw me. He would only take the breast. this time we went straight home, and right now he's napping..so far it's been 45 min. I'm crossing my fingers that tonight will be better. I hate this adjustment. The provider says that it might take a month for all of us to adjust. Thank goodness the first 2 weeks is where I'm not back to work yet. Hopefully Wes will catch on quickly.

1st Visit to Daycare

Today was Wes' first real visit at Daycare. We got there around 9am. I thought it was strange that there was only one child there before us. What time do these parents have to work? Right now the only 2 babies there is Wes and the Provider's grand-daughter (almost 2 months). We put them face to face and they just stared at each other. Wes did really good when the other kids showed up. He just watched them as they came in. When the toddlers were playing a game, it almost seemed like he wanted to join them while on the provider's lap. She suggested leaving him for a hour there and I agreed. I thought better start this now and get it over with. I was surprised that I felt totally comfortable with it. I feel good that I chose her. So, for an hour, I went down the street, got a coffee and actually bought a Top! When was the last time I bought clothes for myself? When I was pregnant. When I came back, he was talking to her and looked happy. He did fuss a little. They thought he was hungry at first, then realized he was tired. He didn't take a nap there, though. They also said that they put the babies on their backs side by side and they held hands! How cute! They had to take a picture of that! Guess Wes has a girlfriend! My Ladies Man! They also said how Easy Going he is and how well he's doing. Whew! I think I'll really worry when he stays there for a longer time and they will have to put him down for his nap. That will happen soon. Tomorrow and Wednesday, we're going again for a couple hours in the morning. Thursday and Friday we will be going in the afternoon instead. Then all next week, he will gradually stay there longer and longer to where Thursday and Friday he will be there all day. I'll probably be a nervous wreck next week. I'm glad she suggested we gradually ease him into it. It just confirms that I picked the right person. I know he is adjusting though. When we got home, he was sleepy, and then he cried a couple of times after I put him down. Too much stimulation for him in just a couple of hours. Hopefully he'll keep sleeping as well as he has the last 3 nights. He's been getting up at around 4 and 6! Yea Wes! Keep it up!

thumb sucking

Wes has figured out that he enjoys sucking his thumb. I think he's been using it to sometimes self-soothe himself when he's sleeping. We were able to get him out of the swaddle and now I'm using a sleep sack. Unfortunately, he still hasn't gotten back to longer naps and longer sleep. For naps, it seems to still be only for 1/2 hour, unless I'm driving with him somewhere. For the last two nights, Jay has been doing a "dream feed" at 10pm. This is where you feed the baby while they are still sleeping. This, so far has actually help. For the last 2 nights where he's going to bed around 8:30, he's been getting up at 1am and at 2am. Without the dream feed, he was waking up around 11:30pm. We're going to keep this up and see how it goes.

Post Pregnancy

I got a lot of white hair when I was pregnant. After you have given birth a few months later, you're hair starts to fall out. When you are pregnant, you're hair does not shed like normal due to the hormones. Therefore, thicker hair. Well, it's starting to fall out. Lots! I'm not concerned since I knew this was going to happen. What I can't understand is why does it seem to be just my dark hair and not the white ones?!? Now when I look in the mirror, I see the white ones more exposed due to the loss of the dark ones. Of course it's also on the top and back of my head so I can't really see it, but other people can and do tell me so. Great. I guess this means that I'm coming to the point in my life where I'm going to have to start dyeing my hair. Well, I am 36. (whoa..I am getting old. For a minute there I had to calculate whether I was 36 or 37. I'm going to have to blame it on lack of sleep instead!) I can't believe I'll be 37 this year..it sounds so old. Well, at least I can stay by this age I have a wonderful husband, house, and beautiful child. And so far, I'm 9 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight!

He Rolled Over!

A few weeks ago, he rolled from his stomach to his back. But,Yesterday, Wes rolled over from his back to his stomach! This is great news and bad news. Great that he was able to do it. Bad, because he really needs to be out of his swaddling miracle blanket. I don't want him to roll over and not be able to use his hands to push his head up if need be. For the last couple of weeks his sleeping has be erratic at night. Sometimes he would get up 2 times, sometimes 3. I decided to take one arm out of the swaddle. It took a couple of days, but it seemed to help him later sleep better. Yesterday, I've tried to not swaddle him during naps and he slept some long naps on his side. Last night he was swaddled with one arm and woke up at 11:30 and 2:00 and 5:30. At 5:30, he was completed unswaddled and lying on his side. Maybe he had this longer sleep because he was able to move around. Today, I unswaddled him again and he's been sleeping long naps again! Also, I put him down, he jolts awake, but was able to settle himself to sleep when I walked away.....hmmm. And, when I check on him, he's sleeping on his side. I'm hoping that it's the swaddling that's keeping him from sleeping. Today, we went out and I bought a sleep sack for him. Hopefully this will work out so I don't have to use a blanket to cover him.

4 More Weeks Left

4 more weeks left til I go back to work. Very mixed emotions about it. On the one hand, I'll have my own freedom back. It won't be as frustating being with him all day by myself. But, on the other hand, someone else will be taking care of my baby. I might miss his milestones. He'll have someone else who will be his focus. I won't be there for him as I was. I won't be there for him to look up and smile at. We won't have our many "conversations".

This morning, as I was laying down feeding Wes, I looked down at his face and already started missing him. Before having him, I never would have thought how hard this will be to leave him at daycare.

I called our daycare person today. I'm going to start bringing him over on 7/10. She'll be on vacation all next week. But I also might not be able to bring him over this week. Apparently, the Croup was going around over there. SCARY! The Daughter's child, who is only about 9-10 weeks old, got it. 10 days she was sick! It was hard for me when he had a minor cold, but CROUP! This is the one thing I'm really going to dread about daycare. Wes getting sick. I know it's going to happen and it seems like it will happen often. Our friends' son always seems to be sick. I can only hope that it will not be often, or at least nothing serious. I just want minor colds! Hopefully I can also get him a flu shot when the season hits.

Guess in a way, things might be easier since I won't be taking care of him full time, but harder if he doesn't sleep through the night and gets sick. You trade one thing for another thing. Still, there are and will be challenges and adjustments.

Last week he seemed to make quite a few milestones. He seemed to rollover from stomach to back and it not being an accident. He learned to suck his thumb. He is grasping and holding on more. He doesn't seem to be happy about this one, but he's learning to scooch on his stomach. Also, he learned to laugh! I'm glad I got to stay at home to see all this happen!

No more House Guests

A dog walker friend wanted us to watch her dog for several days while they were out of the US. We were hoping it would work out so we would have a sitter for Rudy when we needed it. We did a trial period yesterday. It didn't work out. I felt really bad, but there was no way I could deal with it for that long of a time period. I usually have a hard time saying no, but this time I had to do it. I know she's in a bind, but I also need my sanity.

Life really changes when you have a baby. I couldn't give her the attention she needed and I don't have the patience to train her as to what's ok and not ok around the house. A year ago, things would have been different. Rudy was like our number one priority. Plus she did a couple of things we were not happy about. She barked and cried in the middle of the night while i was feeding the baby and was digging into Jay's tomato plants. She's not used to a baby in the house and I can't watch her every single minute. And, my focus is on the baby. Dogs come second. She's a nice dog, but I'm still not comfortable with her around the baby. She's still an adolescent and still has that puppy energy.

After this sleepover, I have a whole new appreciation for Rudy and how he's behaved with Wes. My dog has been ignored too long...I'm going to give him some attention right now.

On Daddy's Tummy

After all this talk about sleep, I thought I would give you something different to see on my blog. Enjoy!

5 hours again!

Last night, Wes slept 5 hours again! Too bad it's in the first half of the night. I still have to get up at around 1am. But, beggers can't be choosers. One more hour of sleep, and one less feeding is better than none. Now he just needs to sleep longer than 4am for the next feed. Well, last night he did come out of his swaddle and I'm assuming that was what woke him up so early. He is such a squirmy worm! He's living up to his chinese name "strong fighter". This Miracle Blanket is supposed to help him not get out of his swaddle. It's a lot better than the other cheapy ones, but he's like Houdini. He's now able get out of this too.

Weird how his sleeping seems to coincide with when he turned 12 weeks exactly! I'm still worried this might be just a tease. I'll believe it when we reach a week of the same thing.

Red Egg and Ginger

Yesterday was Wesley's Red Egg and Ginger Party. Traditionally, this is his baby naming ceremony. But, for us, it's just a time for people to meet the baby and eat. They had fried chicken legs, shrimp, beef, chow mein, chinese chicken salad, and a whole roast pig with the head and everything. Jay's parents, Berney (who came all the way from Florida) and Wanda, came up with us to Oakland Chinatown. Also, Jay's sister Cheryl and her family came up from Temecula. We hadn't seen his dad or sister since the wedding (3 yrs ago). So it was really nice to see them all again.

The event started at 12pm and ended at 3pm. Wes was sleeping in the car for the hour ride. But as soon as we got to the restaurant, he got fussy. And then, he wouldn't stop! My worst fear came true. I had hoped he would sleep through the whole thing. He just wouldn't stop. After a half an hour, Paul asked me,"do you think he's hungry?"..DUH! He was right! After that, Wes did pretty good and also did sleep through most of the party in his Auntie Cheryl's arms. Thank God! Luckily we also brought the swing with us so that he could chill out for a little bit. With so much going on, I almost felt like it was my wedding all over again. Everyone is wanting to talk to you and with so much going on, you can't wrap your head around the conversation. Just nod your head and say yes and smile. I can't remember half of the conversations that people talked to me about. Most of it is "you have a beautiful baby" (me, smile) "thank you".

Guess what? I don't know if it was due to the party or not, but Wes slept a little over 5 hours last night! From 8pm to after 1am! It's also strange too that yesterday he turned 12 weeks old. I'm really hoping it's because he's gotten older. I'm crossing my fingers that it's not a fluke and that's he's a text book baby. On his tummy, he can lift his head 90 degrees and able to turn it too; put his hands together; has been "talking", smiling, and laughing for a while; and following things with his eyes. He is so much more active now. Always kicking and scooting on his back. Alot of times when I come to pick him up in his bassinet or crib, he's turned himself horizontally! We're still dealing with again the CIO as of yesterday and today, but that was due to family being over. It's getting better. I'm hoping it will be over by tomorrow when things start settling down again.

CIO

Crying It Out. Alot of people don't believe in this nowadays. The ones that do don't want to be public about it. A lot of new moms on the bulletin boards are highly against it. You feel like a monster if you do this to your baby. And,if you do, I'm told, only do it for 5 minutes (I think they say this so it doesn't sound as bad). But, if they're still crying after 5 minutes and you go in there, wouldn't that reinforce the behavior for them to extend their crying knowing you'll be coming back every 5 minutes?

Before I had a baby, I thought to myself, "sure, I would let them cry it out if they didn't go to sleep". Since I've had a baby, the tune has changed. I go to him for every little fuss he makes. When he wakes up and struggles and fusses from his naps after 15 mins or 30 mins, go in there and pop the pacifier back into his mouth. Sometimes by then, it's getting close to eating, so I would pick him up.

Last night he woke up at 11:30, 1:30 (pacifier), 2:30, 4:30 (pacifier), 5! He didn't stay up from 1:30 to 2:30 this time (been like that for the last couple of nights, but why is he waking up so much? I can't keep doing this. He can't keep doing this, I know it's not good for him. I want him to be a good sleeper, not like me. And, with Jay having a new job with longer hours, I'm going to go crazy if he's awake all the time and fussy. I'm sure I know what the problem is..too much going in there to comfort him and too much pacifier. Also, I think he can last longer between feedings. I need to realize that he'll tell me if he is hungry.

I decided this morning that for his morning nap I would keep him up for a 1/2 more than normal before putting him down and let him Cry It Out if he wakes up. Ok, I sorta did this. After 1/2 hour he started to fuss, went in there tried to comfort him and put his pacer back in. Left the room. Didn't work (of course)and he fussed for about 10 mins and cried for about 5 mins. I didn't go in. I held myself back. It was torture! I had to go into the kitchen and wash his bottles to try and distract myself. When I was done, what did I hear? Silence! He fell back to sleep by himself without his pacifier! Now I just need to convince myself that I'm strong enough to not just rush in and let him cry for a bit. I just don't want him crying for an hour! I hope that never happens. Even 30 minutes would be bad. And I know logically that every time I go in there to comfort him, I would be reinforcing the crying. Emotionally, it's heartbreaking..always wondering if he's ok. I just have to be strong now for all the other naps. Gotta stay focused and reassure myself that it's ok...training a dog is so much easier.

Who Says Babies Smell Good?

Babies seem to smell like new cars...really good in the beginning. You just want to keep sniffing them. But, then there comes a point when they just don't smell as good as they used to. Besides from the poopy diapers (that's a given), I didn't know that babies could also stink like Cheese. Well..my baby does. He can smell Cheesy at times. Thank goodness he gets a bath every night! No one told me that when milk dribbles down his chin and gets caught in his neck folds, he starts smelling like stinky cheese! You know how hard it is to get underneath his chin and into those folds? Babies really don't have much of a neck. Now that his hands are starting to open up, I've also noticed like stinky lint in the folds of his hands. How long has that been there?!? Where does he pick up this lint? Mixed in with some milk that he's wiped his face with his hand...ick! Course this milk is coming from my body, so I'm making him stinky.

The family also went for Wes' 2 month old appointment today. He weighed in at a little over 10lbs and was 21 inches long. Everything was good, except his Cradle Cap, or as we call it "Cradle Crap" (The correct word was a tongue twister - I kept calling it that and it stuck with us. He also got his immuization shots. Poor baby! 2 shots in one leg and one in the other. He did good though. He cried, but wasn't inconsolible. I was able to hold his hand and pop a pacifer in afterwards. I didn't want to traumatize him any more by putting him in his car carrier (which he hates getting into), so I carried him to the garage while Jay took the carrier. So far, he's has slept a long time..2 hours after we got home. Then I fed him at 1:30, and now he's still down and it's 4:00! I probably wake him up at 4:30, if he doesn't wake up by then. I know he needs the sleep cuz they say Sleep begets Sleep. But if he keeps sleeping, there will be no set bedtime! Better sign off so I can prepare when he wakes!

It Works! (Most of the Time)

So, I swaddled him correctly in the MIracle Blanket in his crib, popped in his "pacer", turned on the womb sound and walked away. It so far has worked...most of the time. Only the early morning nap, it didn't work. I had to resort to using the Moby Carrier Wrap, then taking the dog and baby for a walk. But overall, I'm pleased. Using this technique of 3 out of 4 naps, isn't bad. It seems he get's tired after about an hour to hour and half after he wakes up. That's a lot of naps! Today, he's been sleeping about a hour each, which might be better than his usual many 1/2- one hour naps and one big 2 hour nap. Maybe this will help him sleep better during the night. Ugh..last night after his 7:30 bedtime, he woke up at 9:30, 12:30, 2:30, 4, 5:30. At 4, I put his pacifier in and he slept til 5:30. I can't wait to break the 2:30 feed. At 2:30, If he doesn't bust thru his swaddle tonight, I think I'll try the pacifier. Usually I feed him when he fusses. But at 5:30 this morning, I knew he was HUNGRY..he had that angry cry. So, I knew for sure to feed him. I wonder now about the other times...

I also found out that Jay was doing this technique for a while when I was out! He just never bothered to tell me. Here I was worried about how he would do with Wes, worried that he wouldn't be able to settle him down the way that I do it....well, I was wrong! oops! The baby's waking up. Gotta go!

My Husband, The Baby Whisperer

I can't believe this. After all the time it took to do my routine and try to soothe a crying baby to nap, my husband does it in a snap.

Here I am holding in the baby in the chair as he struggles and cries until his eyes finally close, then carefully put him in the crib, so that I don't jolt him awake. Then I wait for his eyes to stop fluttering, then completely close. I then leave the room.

My husband, on the other hand, swaddles him up really good in the crib, pops the pacifer in, partly closes the door, then walks away while the baby's eyes are still open.

What happens? The baby falls asleep! Course with both our methods, we usually have to go in shortly afterwards and pop the pacifier back in when he cries. But, after that, he usually goes down hopefully for at least an hour. I might have to stay with him a little afterwards cuz he's fussy, but with Jay, he puts a drop of the gas medicine so it gives Wes a little more to suck on as is not as fussy.

Also, with Jay's method, he's more self-soothing himself, which is what I wanted! I just never really thought of doing it this way cuz I guess I'm too much of a softy! Before I had Wes, I was all for crying it out. Now that I have him, I couldn't do it. I thought for sure if I did it the way Jay does it, he would be crying it out. Yes, he cried when I tried to put him down for a nap, but I was always with him. I didn't want him to feel like I was abandoning him. We tried it one time way before, and it seemed to not work. I felt afterwards that I broke my trust with the baby and that was why Wes was always fighting to go down for naps. From then on, I felt I had to "help" him get to sleep. In the back of my mind, I wondered if I was really conditioning him to always get to sleep with my help.

Jay said to me it's our own preception on how we think the baby is thinking and feeling. He's right. I'm the type of person who has a really hard time taking naps and needs someone or something to help me wind down to go to sleep. When the baby starts to look tired, but his eyes are still open, I'm assuming that he's going to need a lot of help winding down. Jay, on the other hand, can easily go to sleep. His perception is more basic. Baby will go down if swaddled properly and pacifier is in mouth. Don't worry if his eyes are open, he's not crying. When he's crying, then go in.

I said to Jay today, "why couldn't you show this to me on Thursday?!?" (he's going back to work tomorrow) I want to test it out some more with him there just to make sure it works, for him to oversee that I'm doing a proper swaddle, and for him to hold me back when I want to rush into the room.

I hate it when things throw me for a loop. On one hand, I'm happy that it is working and that he will be able to self-soothe himself. On the other hand, I'm nervous that I won't do things right tomorrow and the whole thing explodes in my face. In situations like this, my confidence goes out the window and I get stressed out. I just need to stay strong and keep telling myself I can do this. Wish me luck!

Sleeping Thru the Night

No, I wish this was the case. He's still waking up about every 3 and half hours to eat at night after bedtime at 8...11:30, 2:30, 5:30. When will it go to every 4 or 5 hours?!? Today, Wes is 2 months old! I went to my work to show him off to my co-workers. Generally he did pretty good. Everyone thought he was a good baby. I even went out to lunch with him for the first time...and he slept through it all! I had hoped with all this stimulation that it might help him be more sleepy and sleep longer. Nope. He seems to have a more fitful sleep. So far, he's been harder to bring down and wakes up often. That seems to have backfired. So this is what I have learned so far. Will tanking him up with milk more often lead to longer sleep during the night? Nope. Will keeping him up longer (which also makes him fussy) lead to longer sleep? Nope. I have got to realize that I still need to sacrifice my time. Poor thing doesn't know I'm pushing him for my own selfish reasons. I need to realize that he's just not developmently ready yet. I just worry that when he won't really need to eat, he will wake up anyways cuz it's more on the clock than hunger. And, I so want him to sleep thru the night when I go back to work in 2 months! I can only hope.

Happy Mother's Day

Yesterday, we went to our first family social event in San Francisco for Mother's Day. This is the first time we've driven Wes on such a long trip...one hour drive. Luckily he tends to sleep during the car rides. We took off around 11am, went to visit my Popo at her nursing home. She seemed really happy to see the baby, also saying that he had big eyes. Wes did pretty well. He was awake for most of the time. He did have a couple of fussy moments..you could tell it was because he was tired, but was fighting sleep. His eyelids and under his eyes start to get red. He was able to take a couple of catnaps, but it was only for 15 mins at a time..not enough. By the time we got home around 4pm, it was time to feed him again. Tried to get him back on his routine and it took twice as long to get him wound-down for bedtime after his bath at 8pm. But apparently, he slept longer. Jay didn't feed him til Midnight! Usually Jay feeds him at 10:30pm. Course Wes still got up at 3:30am and 6am to eat. If only Wes could sleep those 4 hours starting at 10:30! I can't wait til that happens! I know he's not ready for it yet. He's trying to eat more, but is now spitting up. His tummy just can't handle the extra milk.

Right now he's sleeping...still fitful. I got him down at 9:30, he woke up at 10, gave him his pacifier again, woke up at 10:30, brought himself back down to sleep again..it's 10:50..still trying to figure him out. Now I can get him down for naps, but they are short or broken. Do I try now to keep him awake longer so he'll sleep more? Or will it make him more fussy and he won't nap at all? It would be so much easier if he came with instructions! Hard for myself to take a nap since it seems he's only sleep a 1/2 hour at a time. I can barely get settled and he's up crying.

Wednesday

Wow..I just woke up from about an hour and half nap! That felt so good! I haven't had one of those in quite a while. Also, Wes seems to be napping better himself. He's still out! This is the second one in the last couple of days where he's sleeping about 2 hours! Either I've been helping him wind down faster and longer for a nap or he's passing some kind of growth spurt. I'm starting to realize when he gets tired. And, he's been giving me more signs. But at the same time, he's starting to turn his head and lift his head up when doing Tummy Time. Maybe it's a little bit of both.

1st Social Outing

Well, today, Wes and I went on our first social outing. I decided to try the Breastfeeding Support Group at Kaiser today. It's only for an hour every Tuesday. This was also the first time I took the stroller in the car. It took me a couple of minutes trying to remember how to fold and close it. Once I got that underway, off we went to the hospital. Considering it was about 10:30am, I was very surprised that I got lucky and found a good parking space near the building. Once inside, we got to meet other mommies and babies. The babies ranged from 1 week to 10 weeks. In the room, they had a scale. I weighed Wes with his clothes on and he weighed 9 lbs. 11 oz! Wow! He gained a pound in 2 weeks! Don't know though how much he's lengthened, but I had to put away the newborn sizes. He's somewhere in the 0-3 months clothes. So, it looks like he's feeding well (especially so by the amount of stuff in his diapers have increased...whoa! almost to the back end of the diaper, if you know what I mean!) It was good to be out to talk to other moms about their breastfeeding and baby caring experience. The things I'm going through now I find I'm not alone. Where I thought he was fighting the breast, I find it's because he's trying to get more out of it. And, it was nice to see the age ranges..I can see where he was at that age and what he will be doing as he gets older. And, my baby is not as fussy as some of the other ones! He did fuss a little, but He actually took a nap! I worry so much that he's not getting enough rest and I find out that one baby doesn't take naps during the day and is fussy and has to be carried around, but sleeps 7 hours at night. Go figure! It was nice to talk to live people instead of posting on the bulletin boards online. It seems like babies are too good when people post. One person will post a problem and most of the people responding to that issue don't seem to have that problem. I guess also it was better with live people because I got more of the story by asking questions. And, they are all around Wes' age, which seems that we're all dealing with similar issues for that age: Gas, fighting/fussy at the breast, spit up, milk supply. This was a good experience. I'm hoping that I can do this again next week, and maybe do this on a regular basis. Hopefully lil' Wes will let me!

1st 6 Weeks

They say the first 6 weeks are the hardest. Looking back, it's hard to remember what it was like. Everything seems like a blur. Maybe that is why it seems hard to get specifics out of mothers when I ask them questions about how their kids were in the first 6 weeks. If you asked me what Wes was like at week 2, I couldn't remember. I guess it's good that I'm blogging during this time so I can look back at how he was in the early weeks.

Is it that it gets easier after that or just that you finally start to get used to it? Maybe it's that by then, you finally get some rewards for all the hard work you put in. I've noticed in the last couple of days that Wes smiles at us and seems to recognize us. He seems more interactive, coos at us, and is able to focus on things now. His neck muscles are getting stronger and he's able to hold his head most of the time without me always holding while I'm carrying him. And, he's able to lift his head for a little bit while we do Tummy Time. He's still got the flailing arms, hopefully he will get out of this soon so that he doesn't keep waking himself up when he hits himself. I'd like to stop swaddling him since it will be getting warmer soon.

We also met a Day Care Provider on Thursday. She seems really good. It's a home, but at the same time, she has activities and lessons for the day. I'm hoping it will work out. At the same time, even though it's exhausting to be with him all day, I feel a little sad that I will have to leave him with someone else. It's happening sooner than I thought. I really only have 2 months left with him.

naps

What did I say about routines? Ugh! It seems to be going out the door! Well, the naps, that is. I'm having a real hard time getting him down for naps. He totally fights it. And, he never stays down for long..maybe 1/2 hour. I think a lot of it is due to his jerky arm movements that he can't control. I've tried swaddling, but now he just fights to get out of it. I'm trying to get him down for a nap after he's awake. All he does is cries and fights it. He knows it's coming when I swaddle him and hold him in the rocker to wind him down before going to the crib. Then while he's sleepy in the crib, he wakes up, struggles, and cries. Unfortunately, the past couple of days I've resorted to cheating...ie. Stroller and nursing him to go to sleep. This is not good. It's hard to keep him down when he starts crying, then get himself all worked up. I know he needs to learn on his own, but at the same time I know he needs his naps. At first I thought I need him to learn on his own. But after him not taking good naps and looking tired, I thought I just need him to nap and get used to naps no matter how I get him to go down. Then I'll work on the other part. Now, I don't know if that is right either. I'm just so confused and worried of doing the wrong thing...

Routine

Well, I think we finally have the gas issue resolved. He's burping more. And, I think he's feeling better from his cold.

Now, the other hurdle. OK, maybe the EASY plan is not working out like I thought it would. At first I was all into getting him to sleep through the night by like 2 months. I don't think that's going to work. I'm starting to become more flexible. It seems pretty unrealistic. I've got to quit reading all these books and just start using my own plan. Right now I'm now more concerned with just getting him to nap more in the day so he won't be fussy early morning and late afternoon/early evening. And, trying to get him to fall asleep in his crib during the day. He can only do this when he's REALLY tired. The only thing consistant has been that he's been taking one nap late morning and one nap early afternoon. That's it. I know he needs more sleep. He starts to yawn, but then fights it. Then gets really fussy. I've tried to wind him down and have him awake in his crib, but he struggles and cries. I think I've been not winding him down long enough. Now I have to decipher how long to wind him down before putting him in the crib without him going wide awake. Too long, he's asleep in my arms. Too early, he cries. I think I'm going to have to go with the asleep in arms and slowly try to wean him off. since i'm just trying this experiment today, so far 10 minutes seems to be the magic number. Hopefully I will be able to taper this off and it will get him to soothe himself in his crib.

My 6 Week Appt

Before I start, here's a picture of me 3 weeks after having Wes.


I went to the Dr's yesterday for my 6 week appointment. Got weighed. I'm now at my Pre-Pregnancy weight! Yea! Hopefully I'll lose more than my pre-pregnancy weight! One can only hope!

Wes' First Cold

Poor Wesley! He got his first cold the night before. On Monday night we was fussy going to bed after his bath (which is unusual). Then in his Cradle, he was sounding all congested. Sounded like he was having a hard time breathing. So, there I am, laying in bed listening to him all night. I couldn't sleep. I was so worried. So finally at 6:30am yesterday I call the Advice Nurse. Since he is only 5 weeks and it being the first time where I wasn't too sure about the questions she was asking; I had to get Jay up and drive us to the Emergency (they want someone else to drive so you can observe the baby). So, Jay took off work that day. We get to the ER, no one there when we got there, but it took us about 30 minutes to be seen! It's hard waiting in the ER if it is for you, but with your own child, it's agonizing! I still don't understand the long wait when you're going to the EMERGENCY. They finally brought us in. We get an RN and a trainee! Great! Everytime I go to the hospital with Wes, we get a Trainee. So, of course it takes a little while longer with the trainee. They weren't prepared ahead of time to take his vitals. Basically, he didn't have a fever (good)and his congestion wasn't life threatening. They then send us over to the clinic for a Dr. check up. Jay had to walk with the baby carrier across the street and to the next building where we had to wait again for the Dr. (15 mins) The Dr sees him says he's mildly congested, to give him saline drops for his nose, elevate his head, and to use a humidifier and it should be gone in 2-3 days. That's it?!? I feel like I should be given some medicine to help him feel better. Also, 2-3 days seems so short. What about a cough afterwards? What do I do then? Is he also going to get an ear infection after this? sigh..thoughts of a worried first time mommy.

Oh forgot to tell the good news..they weighed him and he's now 8 lbs 9 oz!

EASY

I've been trying to follow the E.A.S.Y plan by the Baby Whisperer. So far, I think things are going pretty good. EASY stands for Eat, Activity, Sleep, and You. After the baby eats, you do Activity time, then you put him to sleep, which then gives you time for yourself. Now that I'm starting to get adjusted to caring for a baby, I recently started implementing this routine. We're still having a few bumps in the road, such as Wes not staying down for a nap or two due to Gas. But, overall, I'm suprised it is working out better than how things were before. It does, however, take a bit of time trying to get him to sleep (approx 20 minutes), but once he is, he is usually down for an hour or two. And, it does not seem to affect his evening sleep patterns (as long as you don't let them sleep longer than 2 hours per daytime nap) Before, from time to time, he was fussy and we couldn't figure out why..now I know he was overstimulated. I think also his feeding has gotten better since he's been taking more naps. Hopefully if we can keep up with it, we won't have to worry about rocking or walking him to get him to sleep later on.

One Month Old

Wow! I can't believe he's one month old today - and in his 5th week! I think he's getting heavier. My left wrist has pretty much gone out and my right one is starting to hurt too. I've also notice his arms are getting chubbier..the crease lines are starting to come in (juicy!). It took a while, but I'm really starting to bond with him. I think after the trauma of birth, lack of sleep, shock that you have a newborn, learning to breastfeed and care for him; it takes a while to have a breather and really marvel at your child. He's gaining more control over his head each day. I can't wait until this happens. I'm having a hard time trying to figure out and catch where his head is going next..it's like a moving target! Whoa! Whoa! He also seems to be going bald on top. His curl by his forehead is disappearing. He was having Cradle Cap, so as we were brushing his head, all this flaky skin came off (and I think his hair too)! Yikes! (I know, TMI) Hopefully he'll get his curl back soon (since now it looks like, as Jay says, a baby mullet)

The Nights just might be getting better

I hope this statement is true! I think I might be finally getting in the swing of things on night time feedings. Wes seems to be feeding every 2.5 to 3 hours (meaning I'm getting maybe 2 to 2.5 hours of sleep). This has been going on for 3 nights now. Generally I think I'm better able to function during the day with maybe a small catnap. I don't seem to be feeling that nausea feeling anymore. I almost feel like my normal self again.

Jay went back to work again today. He's currently working Mon-Wed, with Thurs and Fri off. This week will be my first "full" week without anyone til Thursday. Last week, I only had Wednesday to myself. So, we'll see how this goes with just me and him all day for 3 days. I sound so spoiled..I was :) It's been nice to be able to get about an hour to yourself while someone else takes care of the baby. Course at the same time, when you're breastfeeding every 1.5 to 2 hours, it takes up a lot in your day. It almost seems to go pretty fast..next thing I know, it's almost 5 pm. Who knows, today I might even be adventurous and try to take Rudy and the Baby for a walk today (very challenging) since it's finally sunny again.

Toot! Toot!

Does our son have gas! Poor thing. When we can't console him and he's squirming and crying like crazy, we know it's probably gas. Sure enough, minutes (which seems like hours) later, a sonic blast hits the diaper. Never sure what you're going to find when you open up that diaper. Sometimes there's a prize and other times you are amazed there's nothing there. Besides the lack of sleep (getting up every hour and half to feed him), dealing with the gas is just as bad. You have to tune out his cries and let it pass through him. Also, how does this kid pee himself on his back? I can't understand it. This is awful too when you have to take off all his wet clothes and redress him. Both he and I don't like that. Especially last night at 11:30pm AND 1:30pm. People tell you having a baby is hard. But, you don't know what they mean til you actually experience it.

I never knew how tiring and time consuming breastfeeding is. They eat about every 2 hours; meaning that say he eats at 1pm, he's on the breast for 20-30 minutes, then he's hungry again at 3pm. So, you really only have an hour and half til he feeds again. Days I seem to be OK with. It's the nights that are hard. I'm still trying to figure out if it's better to breastfeed or bottle feed the breast milk, then pump. Which one will let me get the most sleep? 'Course the the pro-breastfeeders would poo-poo the bottle. But, I'll keep experimenting and keep you posted.

Chinese Name

Wes now has a Chinese Name. Uncle Harry gave him the name Wai-Lei. Means "Stronger Fighter". So, his official name is Hann Wai-Lei.

I also forgot to mention what happened when Wesley was born. Jenny and Emma were there at the hospital. Emma looks at him wrapped up in a blanket and wearing a beanie cap. She then asks, "Why is he wearing a Doo-Rag?" We couldn't believe she knew that word!

1st Dr.'s Appointment for Wes

We had our 1st real Dr's appointment today. Today, Wesley is about 2 1/2 weeks old. He's now 7 lbs. 1 oz and 19 1/2 inches long! He was born 6 lbs 7 oz, lost 7 oz when he went for his 2 day check up and now gained a 1 lb. I didn't know he could grow an inch and half in 2 weeks! Everything with the Dr. went find. She gave him a clean bill of health. With his measurements and weight, she did say he was in the 10 percentile (I know.. I'm actually admitting this..you want to brag your kid is the 90 percentile), but she wasn't concerned since he started small and said this could change. I'm just glad he gained back his birth weight and more. I've been so concerned about him getting enough to eat on just my breast milk.

Wanda has been here and will be leaving on the 12th. She's been a big help with the night feedings. It's given me some time to sleep (although I still have to get up to pump). It will be hard once she is gone. My mom also stayed a week right after the baby was born. She was also a big help with the meals, housework, and helping with the baby. It's been really great to have both of their help. Jay and I have really appreciated the extra support.

Even with the lack of sleep, frustrations with breast feeding, and sometimes a fussy baby; I really can't complain. We have a good baby. When he cries, it's usually he's hungry, wet himself, or wants to cuddle. When he has his angry cries, I'm realizing now it's just gas. We can also put him down in his bassinet for a little while. He takes naps and he seems to know the difference between night and day. Overall, so far (cross my fingers) he seems pretty mellow.

Jaundice

After we got back from the hospital on Tuesday, we went for our 2 day check up on Thursday. Unfortuantely, Wes had Jaundice. We had to go back to the hospital and stay overnight. Wes had to be under ultraviolet light for 24 hours in a incubator/isolette with foam goggles. I was there in the room and had to feed him every 2 hours and do diaper changes. The so called "bed" was a recliner that either sat upright or all the way down. It was low to the ground and very uncomfortable. Not fun with my stiches and such. Since the seat was low and the arm rests were very high, I couldn't breasfeed and had to resort to either pumping my milk and bottle feeding it to him or use formula. To make things worse, I also had roomates that had visitors constantly coming and going. Good thing they have a limit on when visitors can be there. But, the next morning everything was OK and the Doctor gave us the OK. He score went from a 19.6 to an 11 which was really good. As you can see, they let us keep the goggles. I thought i would throw in a pic of him with them since it looks like he's going skiing!

He's Here!

Here's a pic of Wes. Here he is at 2 days old. I finally got a chance to catch my breath and a little less sleep deprived. Last Saturday night at 1:30am, I finally started to have contractions (they felt like menstrual cramps). They were 20 mins apart. At 3:30am, they were coming 5 mins apart and I noticed bleeding! I got worried and immediately called the hospital. They told me this was normal..bloody show. Why didn't anyone tell me before that this time bleeding was ok?!? Even though they were 5 mins apart, they still wanted me to stay home, take a shower, and call in a couple of hours. 5:30am - called. They said I sounded fine and that would probably send me home if I came in and take another shower..I should sound miserable..OH-KAY. 6:30am - OK, they are really starting to hurt! 7:00am - I want to go to the hospital NOW..I don't care if they send me home. Since we are 2 miles away from the hospital, we dropped off the Blockbuster Video before we went to the hospital...UGH..it's not fun driving in the car with all the bumps while you're having contractions. We get to the hospital, I'm 4cm dialated. I get to stay. They said the Anesthesiologist will be up in an hour and 1/2 for the epidural and that I should walk around til he got there. I took a shower. As soon as I got out and dressed and was about to walk around, the Anesthesilogist came in. YEAH! I LOVE Epidurals! 11:30am - I was 8cm dialated. They had to up my dose around 1:30 due to the pressure below was getting more painful..I was 9 cm dialated. I didn't get to push until 3:30pm. By then both legs were numb and it was kinda hard to know where to feel the pushing. I started feeling nauseous with the pushing and had to have an Oxygen mask on. I had a midwife, Dr, 3 nurses, and Jay in the room with me. The baby needed help with a couple of snips below and a suction. but, Wesley Calvin Hann was born at 4:32pm on Sunday, March 19th. He was 18 inches long and weighed in at 6 lbs, 7 oz. Oops gotta go! I'll have to write more and post more pics later.

4 Days Overdue

It's about 9:20pm right now. Nothing to report.

St. Patricks Day

Well, today is supposed to be his original due date. As you can tell, nothing is going on. It's about 1:27pm. It looks like half of the people from the pool are wrong about the due date, they thought it would happen before today.

On another note, I forgot to post these pictures of the cute diaper cake my friend, Marie made me. She is so creative!:



The "cake" is made up of diapers. Besides the stuff you can see, there's also a receiving blanket and gown wrapped around the "cake". It's seems too pretty to take apart.

2 Days Overdue

Well, it's about 9:52am and he's still not here yet. 2 Days overdue. I wonder if he'll come on St. Patrick's Day, his original due date? Yesterday, we had White Chicken Enchiladas for Dinner and a Chocolate Chip cheesecake Pie for Dessert (Labor Pie). As you can tell, both did not work. I have a hair appointment tomorrow morning. I'm going to assume that I'll be keeping that appointment, since it seems that's the way things are going. I've been getting minor cramps on and off, but that's about it. Will keep you updated...

Well, What Did the Dr. Say?

Jay went with me for my 40 Week check up. Today is the Due Date. The Dr. did an ultrasound to see if my amniotic fluid was too low. Finds out that everything is OK. But, I've only dialated MAYBE and ALMOST 3 cm. Guess it sounded more like 2 1/2. Big Progress, huh? So, that was a little disappointing. It's better than staying the same. He was surprised I still had not had the baby yet. He stripped my membranes again to see if it will bring the labor hopefully sometime this week. If not, what's the next step? Well, I have an appointment again next Tuesday Morning, the 21st. They'll do a non-stress test on me to see if the baby is ok and will probably schedule an induction before I hit 42 weeks. So, I guess it's good news. At least if he's not here by then, I'll know the latest he will arrive.

Each Day that I wait, the more I'm feeling like this is how it always will be. Me with a Big Tummy and uncomfortable. It's hard to imagine what it will be like to have a baby in this house or to really go into labor or how our lives will really change. The longer the wait, the more I think and the more worried I get. I haven't really felt any contractions this week, so I can't really anticipate the big day. Everyone says how wonderful it will be..I just can't relate to it right now. I have no idea what I'm getting myself into.

Still Not Here

I think I gotta stop Nesting. I wanting to nest, but at the same time I'm being very clutzy due to lack of sleep. What did I do the other day trying to clean up and put things togethers? Let's see.. I broke a glass coaster, constantly dropping things, and punctured my hand with a knife. How am I going to be with the baby with lack of sleep? eeek! Also since I've been home, my appearance has become very sloppy. No makeup and all I wear are sweats (and usually they are the same ones day after day). I now dread getting dressed up to go out to lunch with people. I'm feeling lazy. Well, the laziness is partly due to the lack of sleep I've been getting. I either wake up from hip pain from having to sleep on my side or getting up to go to the bathroom. So far, since I've seen the dr. on Wed, I haven't really haven't had a lot of contractions (beside the braxton hicks - i get those all the time). I think when I went to the Dr.'s the time before, I had the contractions on and off for a week after he stripped the membranes(to try and make Labor happen earlier). He didn't do it this time. I think this baby is like his daddy. He's laid back and loves to sleep. Jay says why leave? He's getting 24 hour "womb" service.

39 Weeks

Well, he's still not here. Last Tuesday when I went to the Dr.'s, I was 2 cm dialated and 75% effaced. He was also able to touch the baby's head. His prediction was that the baby would arrive within the week. NOPE....Nada. I had anxiously been awaiting the contractions. Yes, I've been getting contractions, but only when I'm in bed at night. During the day, they disappear. So much for everyone hoping he'd arrive on the weekend. Apparently, he's taking his time. He seems to be laid back like his daddy.

I had my appointment with the Dr. today. What are the results? I'm still the same! AND, it looks like my cervix might have moved back. The Dr. could've sworn it had moved forward last week. I'm resigned to believe that the baby is either going to come next week or be late and have us go to the hospital in the middle of the night. I think he wants to mess up everybodys schedules and predictions! I guess I'm already learning that the baby is not always going to go by what you want. I'm learning I have to be flexible and patient about it. Maybe he'll be better natured if he's cooking longer!

Quack Quack

I am walking like a duck. Took 9 months. Not bad. I'm sticking my belly out when I walk and I can't stop it. I think I've grown the most in this last month. Sitting for long periods of time is really starting to hurt my back and hips. Walking and standing actually feels better.

I had my Baby Shower at work on Friday. It was a surprise. It was very nice and thoughtful of them. They had lots of Ice Cream and Tons of Cake. Ugh..I had a half a sheet of Cake that went home with me. Even Mr. Sweet Tooth himself got sick of eating cake for 3 days. I got 2 Boppys, another baby rocker, diapers, wipes, outfits, convertible stroller, bottles, cleaning brushes, bottle rack, dishwasher basket, 2 car seat protectors, bath set, bibs, bath stool, Feeding Organizer, Gift Card, Diaper Bag Backpack, and toys! Whew! I was able to return a few items and was able to get another Base for the Baby Carrier, bumper for the cradle, sheets for the bassinet, mittens, and some special swaddling blankets. I think we're finally set! Now we just need to move the cradle into our bedroom and do some more organizing. Ugh! It never ends!

Jay says I've been nesting a little (don't know if he's just being nice..it might be more!) I had him shave off the door in the hallway bathroom since it was sticky and just kept getting worse. Think everyone would want a little privacy in the bathroom when the mothers come over.

On Tuesday we went on the Hospital Tour. I'm really glad we did. I have to say that was the best class I have gone to so far. We got to meet one of the nurses and I felt more comfortable about the whole labor process. They said that we shouldn't feel afraid to ask for anything and that we're the customers. So yea! (TMI) I can get my enema! She even suggested to the fathers to go home and sleep instead of staying in the hospital. The rooms are very dinky and the "futons" for the fathers are really just a lounge chair. Even the Labor and Delivery room is very tight. I was very surprised how small the rooms were. The women also have to share bathrooms. Also for the delivery, they mainly use Midwives. Weird. Someone delivering my baby who I don't know. But, probably easier to deal with since it will be a woman.

2/13/06

I recently got a haircut.  I have the side swept bangs and at least 3 inches of hair was taken off the back.  So, it looks totally different that how I’ve had it for the last 8 months.  Usually, when people see that you had a drastic haircut, they make comments about it “you got your haircut” or “it looks cute”.  I have gotten nothing.  I think it looks way better that how I had it before.  It’s been very strange.  Jay thinks people are more interested in looking at my stomach than my head.  Like, trying to gauge how much my stomach has grown since the last time they saw me.

How much have I grown?  Let’s just say the little stretch marks on my hips are starting to creep closer and closer to the belly.  Every night when I get undressed and see myself in the mirror, it’s always a “oh no!” while I thoroughly examine myself to see if a new line is there or that one has gotten bigger.  So far, I haven’t been able to stop the attack.  I’m just layering cream after cream Day and Night.  I’ve always buttered my stomach and hips from the beginning, but the marks never arrived until I started my 8th month.

Also, when I sit and eat, I’m starting to build a nice little crumb catcher.  I tend to get a nice little pile going if it’s cookies or crackers.  It’s a combo of being more accident-prone and my stomach.  I’ll being see the Dr. tomorrow so I’ll see how much total weight I have gained.  When I went to see him two weeks ago, I gained since pre-pregnancy a total of 15 lbs.

The books say that I could give birth any day now.  I’m starting my 9th month tomorrow.  He’s passed being called a Preemie, if he’s ready to come out.  My stomach is starting to look like a Butterball Turkey, but so far, my belly button as not popped out like one of those Turkey Timers.  He must be still baking!

Newborn Care Class

I totally forgot about the Newborn class we were signed up for last night. Luckily we live close by and we were just a few minutes late. Although, the class really sucked. I was very disappointed in the class. And, we were there for 2 HOURS. I learned only two things there: (a question I asked at Break) I don't need to choose a Pediatrition before the baby is born and information about circumcision. Everything else I pretty much knew. She didn't tell us much and then had us watch a video. I could've done that at home! She didn't even teach us how to Swaddle a baby. She talked about the number of poopy diapers, how to take snot out of the nose, how to burp..that's all I can remember. I can't believe she when over that syphon thing to take the snot out.. Also another thing that annoyed me was that she asked at the beginning of class how many of us were new parents. HELLLOOO..why would we be in this class if we weren't parents for the first time? She was a strange woman..don't know if this is the first time she's ever taught. She was very nervous and didn't see when people raised their hands, and she kept saying "um".

I think she was even scared of me when I came up to her during break to ask a question. I think I give good personal space, but it seemed like she was uncomfortable talking to me. She never looked me directly in the eyes. Weirdo! Don't know if I should be offended or not.

Baby Shower

Saturday I had my Baby Shower. Wow! I can't believe it already came and went. Got a lot of cool stuff. Although I was surprised a lot of them weren't from the Registry. I am definitely set on newborn outfits, wash cloths, hooded towels, and blankets! The one thing I got too much of was the hooded towels and wash cloths. I was able to return a couple of them at Target, so that helped. And after being able to return a Breast Pump that was given to me and an extra Diaper Genie, I was able to get some good credit towards the purchase of the breast pump that I really want. What else did I get?
Diaper Warmer, Floppy (for the shopping cart), Vibrating Papasan, Take-A-Long Swing, Car Seat Carrier, Travel Lite Crib, Diaper Bag, Baby Carrier, Fold Up Tub, outfits (of course), Blankets...


I had a good time. That was funny about the tasting of the baby food. Ick. I am never going to feed my baby the Macaroni and Cheese! Thanks Erin, Mom, and Jenny!

Friday's Dr's Appt

I went to the Dr.'s last Friday.  I gained another 2 1/2 lbs.  Total pounds so far is 15.  Starting now, I'll be have two appts with him every two weeks, then after that every week til the baby is born.  Yikes!  I have only 5 more weeks til I'm out on Maternity Leave! (I'm taking a week before my due date).All this paperwork for Maternity leave has been confusing!  I can't turn it all in now.  I'm not sure who should be sending it off..work or Kaiser.  And, I can't send in stuff til after the baby is born.  Like I'm going to remember all this stuff after the baby is born.  I'm probably going to have to make up a To Do list for Mom and Jay as to what paperwork to get from the hospital and where to send these things off. UGH!  I think this might be worse than when I had to get my name changed!  Why does this stuff have to be so complicated?     As I type this, I just got a message from the Medical Secretary….oh my gosh…she is so confusing.  She is also confused!  She said she didn’t understand why I put UNUM’s address instead of my company’s address…ummm you’re the one who told me to….Aye Ya!   I don’t know what’s the worse evil, letting HR handle it or the hospital!  Either one, I’m going to have to stay on top of them.  I think I’m going for HR.  After all this, I hope I’ll get those checks on time (small as they are).

Breast Feeding Class

We went to the Breastfeeding class on Monday Night. Oh Boy! It convinced me that I'm really not excited about doing it. But, it's free. That's probably the biggest factor as to why I'm going to do it. He will be Booby Fed. We had a baby doll for a prop, she talked about resources, then we watched a video. Whenever these classes have introductions, I've noticed that all the women introduce themselves, and then say "and this is my husband...". Guess we want people to know that we're not having a baby in Sin! Also, all the men were not really paying attention to the instructor. Instead they would read the handouts or play with the doll. It was good to get the information, but I already know I'll probably have to see a Lactation Consultant after the baby is born to make sure he's latching on properly.

I also finally decided to try on the Maternity Briefs last night that Wanda got me a while ago. Currently I can still wear the Maternity Bikinis. I still can't believe how BIG they were! The Elastic Band goes all the way under my boobs! Of course they're also White. Jay said I looked like an Oompah Loompah!


I looked in the Mirror, and I did look like one! AAHHHHH! I'm definitely going to hold out on these briefs unless I absolutely have to wear them!

8 Months

Wow! I can't believe I'm 8 months pregnant this week! I'm going to try and take a week off before my due date (March 6th). Therefore, I only have 6 more weeks of work left! It's getting so close and I don't feel ready for the baby yet. I had a dream that he had dark hair on his head. Although, I really am curious as to what he looks like.

This past weekend Jay and I went to IKEA to get a smaller desk so that we could move it into our bedroom. Course we bought more stuff than just the desk (always seems to happen). But, we found a couple of things for the baby's room. One was these small square white shadow boxes that I was able to put Sail Boat Ornaments in them. They fit perfectly. We were able to re-arrange things. Now all we need is the Glider from Jenny and to put up the Sail Boats and convert the comforter into a Wall Hanging. Later, I caught Jay just standing in the doorway looking in the baby's room a couple of times. It was cute.

I also had this weird dream last night. I was given a martini that had Anchovies and Green Olives in it. I thought it was really good and wanted another one. I know, eeewwww. I also had a craving at dinner last night. Some women have a craving and have their husbands go to the grocery store or fast food place to pick up some kind of fattening food. Mine was weird. I had Jay make me frozen corn with Lime Juice, Butter, and Salt! It was soo GUUUDDDD! Jay was amazed I ate it all (this is after I ate my dinner)..apparently he used half of the bag of corn! I do, though, have to have something sweet every day.

It's funny. People are still suspecting and finally asking if I'm pregnant. My Dental Hygenist even asked when I HAD the baby.

Next Monday we will have our Booby Feeding Class. I'll post how that goes.

30 Weeks

Saturday, we had our all day Childbirth Preparation Class.  It went from 9am to 5pm.  Ick.  If we didn’t go to this class, we would have to do four 3-hour night classes instead.  Plus, this class had Child Car Seat Installation with the CHP.  

Jay and I go to class and we find out our baby is the youngest one there (and my stomach was the smallest one there).  Everyone was due in late January or Mid February!  I think January is cutting it too close!  I wanted to attend this class early just in case the baby came early, didn’t know if a class would be full, and I wasn’t sure if it would interfere with the Baby Shower.

The instructor talked a lot about the process of labor.  And we only did one breathing technique.  No relaxation or visualizing exercises.  It was OK.  Guess it was more of an eye opener as to what’s going to be happening to your body.  Ugh.  Give me the Epidural!  Guess I’ll see how long I can stand the pain.

With the Breathing technique, it helped that I used to lift weights.  I think I’m better focused now then before I used to lift weights.  Especially when Jay got to clip a clothes pin on my body (and make me hold an ice cube) while I tried to take the focus off the pinching pain!  You know he enjoyed that.  The only time I swatted his hand away was when he put it on my nose…that really hurt since he put it on the tip of my nose (a little skin and a little cartilage)!

Also, I had to go to the dentist today.  Wednesday I felt a sharp pain in my upper right molar when I bit down on something.  I find out that I have a cracked filling and small cavity on the same tooth.  But, they can’t do anything about it til I have the baby.  ARGH!  I made an appt for April 18th, hoping I can get this taken care of ASAP.  Hopefully it won’t be a problem while the baby is one month old.  Don’t know how I will be with the baby by then.

29 weeks

I babysat Emma this week for Jenny. I decided to take her to the Children's Discovery Museum. As you can see here, we did face painting and made corn husk dolls. Emma made the doll mostly by herself. I just added the hair and wings. We had a good time and I think she burned off some of her energy!


I also bought a couple of things for the baby....eek! I have not gotten anything for the baby (except pacifier holders) til now. I'm only now starting to get the "how adorable" feeling when I see the baby clothes. I never felt this urge before. I think it was because I kept thinking it was months away from having a baby. Now things are getting closer.

The first one is a jacket I found at Baby Gap...Whull..my excuse is that it was on Sale....I never saw a jacket like it in such a small size! I thought it would be good jacket for dress up.

The second one, I used my Xmas money that Popo and Uncle Harry gave me. I saw this at Motherhood Maternity and decided to splurge on this diaper bag backpack. It's similar to the name brand one called "Petunia Picklebottom". Petunia's ones sell for $150! I got mine for $40! It's hard to see in the pic, but's it has an oriental design and it seems like the fabric is made of silk.

Then I was at Walmart..ever since Wanda gave me a couple of Carter's baby clothes with Griaffes on it, I've been so into Carter's Griaffes! They are so cute! They have dotted eyes! so, I had to get this one since you can use it either as a gown or seperate the legs.