Christmas eve was cold and sunny. We did some home supply shopping in the morning, and went for a walk around downtown Kirkland in the afternoon. Qi cooked up a nice scallop with bell peppers dish for dinner. I had a nice chat with Irene and fell asleep super early while nursing him in the evening.
It snowed in the afternoon on Christmas day! We had a white Christmas for a few minutes before it all turned to slush. Not much activity today, see pictures describing the laid back holiday this year.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Morning Expressiveness photo series
Like I was saying, Andy is talkative and full of expressions in the mornings. Pictures here. He is usually wide awake and content at the office in the mornings. My officemates entertain him too.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Week 10 Observations
* He is talking so much more now. He has learned to cry for attention (used to be for food or poop only). When he's in my office and awake, he makes sure I look at him often. When I make faces he would smile and make faces back or move his hands. See picture here, no posing. He was really like this a bigger part of the afternoon today when he's not eating or sleeping.
* He wants to be held a lot more now. Wendy, the Snuggler teacher said it's part of the phase.
* He uses his hands a lot more, waving fists and opening fingers.
* He starts to drool and sucks on hands more.
* He kicks stronger now, crawling like a fast worm.
* He's got a full set of eye lashes now (didn't have any when he was born).
* I've been breastfeeding straight with no formula supplement for a week now. It feels like learning to swing, took the body a while to get into the rhythm, but I think I'm finally over the initial hump now. When I went to the Nurturing Mom class last Thursday, I happened to be the only one that showed up (probably because of the rain). It was a breast feeding support group and the teacher was a wonderful nurse. I asked a ton of questions and she patiently answered and observed the feeding for an hour. I learned a lot about the science behind breastfeeding. She was really impressed that I turned corner on feeding since two biggest hurdles to breast feeding are starting on formula too early and going back to work. She encouraged me to stick with it (plug him onto you whenever possible as she put it). She also commented Andy seemed to be ahead of his development curve as he was making lots of sounds and held attention looking at people. I felt really good.
* He wants to be held a lot more now. Wendy, the Snuggler teacher said it's part of the phase.
* He uses his hands a lot more, waving fists and opening fingers.
* He starts to drool and sucks on hands more.
* He kicks stronger now, crawling like a fast worm.
* He's got a full set of eye lashes now (didn't have any when he was born).
* I've been breastfeeding straight with no formula supplement for a week now. It feels like learning to swing, took the body a while to get into the rhythm, but I think I'm finally over the initial hump now. When I went to the Nurturing Mom class last Thursday, I happened to be the only one that showed up (probably because of the rain). It was a breast feeding support group and the teacher was a wonderful nurse. I asked a ton of questions and she patiently answered and observed the feeding for an hour. I learned a lot about the science behind breastfeeding. She was really impressed that I turned corner on feeding since two biggest hurdles to breast feeding are starting on formula too early and going back to work. She encouraged me to stick with it (plug him onto you whenever possible as she put it). She also commented Andy seemed to be ahead of his development curve as he was making lots of sounds and held attention looking at people. I felt really good.
Holiday Parties
Andy has been busy attending parties lately. We went to Hong & Rusty's on Saturday night. They cooked up a storm. It was nice to see all the babies there.
Andy and I dropped my dad off at the airport on Sunday afternoon. A car ride always stops his crying, but this time he cried all the back from the airport. Dad said later that he was holding Andy's hand on the way to the airport so maybe it was partially because he felt the missing of grandpa on the way back.
We headed to my Snuggler classmate Nicole's Open House party directly after the airport. I fed him in the car before going in and that put him in a good mood at the party. It was very nice of Nicole to have invited everybody over. This was sure a party with the most babies I've seen. We had a good time socializing with other new parents.
Today we had our Snuggler class holiday party. I made a bunch of sandwiches using the nice Google breads (it's a shame they always let so much good food going to waste so I asked the server for some last night): chicken salad on Focaccia, and Turkey Swiss with pesto spread on potato roll. It fit perfectly since everyone else brought cracker, veggies and desserts. The teacher kept saying she couldn't believe I took the trouble to make the sandwiches. I was happy everyone liked it. Wendy, our teacher brought a photo album of a group of about 10 kids Christmas pictures. She became friends with a bunch other moms known from her Snuggler class and their kids became good friends throughout years. It was really cute to see how the kids grew gradually from the yearly photos. I asked about carrier since there doesn't seem to be one that Andy would be to be in for long. One girl Ashley helped me trying out her moby wrap, but that still didn't keep Andy for long. For some, this was their last class as they are 12 weeks (this is the 0-3mo Snuggler class). Andy would be graduating too when we come back from the holidays (no class next two Tuesdays). I volunteered to get everyone's email to start a group.
All the party pictures here.
Andy and I dropped my dad off at the airport on Sunday afternoon. A car ride always stops his crying, but this time he cried all the back from the airport. Dad said later that he was holding Andy's hand on the way to the airport so maybe it was partially because he felt the missing of grandpa on the way back.
We headed to my Snuggler classmate Nicole's Open House party directly after the airport. I fed him in the car before going in and that put him in a good mood at the party. It was very nice of Nicole to have invited everybody over. This was sure a party with the most babies I've seen. We had a good time socializing with other new parents.
Today we had our Snuggler class holiday party. I made a bunch of sandwiches using the nice Google breads (it's a shame they always let so much good food going to waste so I asked the server for some last night): chicken salad on Focaccia, and Turkey Swiss with pesto spread on potato roll. It fit perfectly since everyone else brought cracker, veggies and desserts. The teacher kept saying she couldn't believe I took the trouble to make the sandwiches. I was happy everyone liked it. Wendy, our teacher brought a photo album of a group of about 10 kids Christmas pictures. She became friends with a bunch other moms known from her Snuggler class and their kids became good friends throughout years. It was really cute to see how the kids grew gradually from the yearly photos. I asked about carrier since there doesn't seem to be one that Andy would be to be in for long. One girl Ashley helped me trying out her moby wrap, but that still didn't keep Andy for long. For some, this was their last class as they are 12 weeks (this is the 0-3mo Snuggler class). Andy would be graduating too when we come back from the holidays (no class next two Tuesdays). I volunteered to get everyone's email to start a group.
All the party pictures here.
Monday, December 17, 2007
A dream
I had a most vivid dream of Andy this morning. We were sitting on a sandy beach with the most clear blue sky. Herds of giraffes, zebras, elephants, lions run by. It was like a safari, except we weren't moving (probably because Andy can't walk yet). It was like in the discovery channel or a natural history museum came alive. There was a soft voice adding scientific knowledge making it seem like a museum guided tour. I was afraid the animals would step on us initially, but somehow they went by us, so I sat back and relaxed. It felt like watching a 3D movie, with the hemisphere as the screen. It was just breathtaking. Andy was watching all the wonders with the amazement in his eyes too.
Then it involved go seeing Li's new born (my coworker friend Li just had her baby girl last Thurs, Dec 13). I guess I should go visit them soon.
Then it involved go seeing Li's new born (my coworker friend Li just had her baby girl last Thurs, Dec 13). I guess I should go visit them soon.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Last German II class
Jennifer (the teacher) and classmates had asked multiple times when I'd bring the kid. So I finally did, to our last German class, this Wednesday. He was awake most the time. I fed him the first half, then he became more awake at break time and stayed alert most of the second hour (and behaved). We got some pictures here at break time. Andy seems to like the classroom setting: loves to stare at the lights and all the objects and people in the big room.
2 mo checkup
Andy's Report card from his checkup on Wednesday.
wt: 9 lb 7 oz (10%),
length: 21 7/8 in (10%),
head 39cm (25-50%)
Doc says he's growing perfectly, right on track! Dad with his engineering thinking, wants to create a excel sheet track his growth curve.
wt: 9 lb 7 oz (10%),
length: 21 7/8 in (10%),
head 39cm (25-50%)
Doc says he's growing perfectly, right on track! Dad with his engineering thinking, wants to create a excel sheet track his growth curve.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
2 mos
week 9 observations:
- His vocal development: louder cries and some new sounds.
- His crawling. Andy has very strong legs as doc confirmed from the beginning. He kicks a lot. In our new tummy time routine, we keep a hand at his feet as a kick board, he propels himself with a couple of strong kicks to move forward. His head is turned sideways and slides forward with the kick. His hands try to help but still a bit weak. He often crosses the entire width of a full size bed this way if we cheer for each step. I call it his little worm movement (especially fitting in his green stripes outfit). Pictures here.
- He stands. He can stand up straight for a good few seconds on your lap.
Andy and I went for a walk yesterday, and got a picture of the winter sunset by the lake.
Sunday Drawing
It's his 2 mo birthday today. Dad really loves his grandpa babysitting job; he's been taking Andy out for walks and holding him a lot. Too much that his back is hurting again (even after the expensive massage yesterday). So I took Andy to the drawing session with me again while he rests up. Old timers commented how much he's grown. Yeah some outfits that used to be dangling with empty leg holes are now fitting almost too tight lengthwise. He behaved well again grooving to Lyle's classical music (slept through the first half, ate and stayed awake curious eyed for the other). Pictures here.
Snuggler classes
Last week we talked about holiday traditions. It was quite interesting to hear lots of stories, conflicts of couples having different views and the resolutions. I think I'd like to adopt the one of filling a shoebox with gifts for the less fortunate kids; I think it'd be fun to involve Andy in such holiday tradition early on. But I think this holiday has gotten so commercialized that people look to the mall mad house as the way to express caring. I'm so glad my family isn't part of that. We usually just have a nice home cooked meal to gather family and friends together. Another tradition I started in the last few years is to see the lights at the Bellevue Botanical Garden. Some classmates already took babies there and said they liked it so we'll continue that this year.
This week we had a yoga instructor came in and demoed some yoga movement. They created new mom sessions where you could do with baby by your side (and even involve the baby in some poses).
One thing I love about the class is that we get to ask questions (and each time I seem to have new ones). Andy always had so much sleep in his eyes that sometimes he couldn't open his eyes. When I asked about that, clogged tear ducts turned out to be a common problem. One remedy a classmate said was to squirt breast milk into the baby's eyes. She was skeptical about it, but it kept the baby's eyes clear all day when she tried. So I tried that a couples times and his eyes definitely been much better this week. From time to time I read about new literatures about benefits of breast milk popping up. Almighty the breast milk! It makes me feel all the work was worth it.
Breast feeding
I made some progress on that. I'm nursing and pumping very frequently so he's taking much less formula and I can get close 6 oz a day from pumping now (we've been keeping detailed feeding log as part of my scientific experiments on milk production). But the lack of sleep from that and the slow flow of milk is still frustrating. I thought this article resonates to a lot of what I'm going through.
- His vocal development: louder cries and some new sounds.
- His crawling. Andy has very strong legs as doc confirmed from the beginning. He kicks a lot. In our new tummy time routine, we keep a hand at his feet as a kick board, he propels himself with a couple of strong kicks to move forward. His head is turned sideways and slides forward with the kick. His hands try to help but still a bit weak. He often crosses the entire width of a full size bed this way if we cheer for each step. I call it his little worm movement (especially fitting in his green stripes outfit). Pictures here.
- He stands. He can stand up straight for a good few seconds on your lap.
Andy and I went for a walk yesterday, and got a picture of the winter sunset by the lake.
Sunday Drawing
It's his 2 mo birthday today. Dad really loves his grandpa babysitting job; he's been taking Andy out for walks and holding him a lot. Too much that his back is hurting again (even after the expensive massage yesterday). So I took Andy to the drawing session with me again while he rests up. Old timers commented how much he's grown. Yeah some outfits that used to be dangling with empty leg holes are now fitting almost too tight lengthwise. He behaved well again grooving to Lyle's classical music (slept through the first half, ate and stayed awake curious eyed for the other). Pictures here.
Snuggler classes
Last week we talked about holiday traditions. It was quite interesting to hear lots of stories, conflicts of couples having different views and the resolutions. I think I'd like to adopt the one of filling a shoebox with gifts for the less fortunate kids; I think it'd be fun to involve Andy in such holiday tradition early on. But I think this holiday has gotten so commercialized that people look to the mall mad house as the way to express caring. I'm so glad my family isn't part of that. We usually just have a nice home cooked meal to gather family and friends together. Another tradition I started in the last few years is to see the lights at the Bellevue Botanical Garden. Some classmates already took babies there and said they liked it so we'll continue that this year.
This week we had a yoga instructor came in and demoed some yoga movement. They created new mom sessions where you could do with baby by your side (and even involve the baby in some poses).
One thing I love about the class is that we get to ask questions (and each time I seem to have new ones). Andy always had so much sleep in his eyes that sometimes he couldn't open his eyes. When I asked about that, clogged tear ducts turned out to be a common problem. One remedy a classmate said was to squirt breast milk into the baby's eyes. She was skeptical about it, but it kept the baby's eyes clear all day when she tried. So I tried that a couples times and his eyes definitely been much better this week. From time to time I read about new literatures about benefits of breast milk popping up. Almighty the breast milk! It makes me feel all the work was worth it.
Breast feeding
I made some progress on that. I'm nursing and pumping very frequently so he's taking much less formula and I can get close 6 oz a day from pumping now (we've been keeping detailed feeding log as part of my scientific experiments on milk production). But the lack of sleep from that and the slow flow of milk is still frustrating. I thought this article resonates to a lot of what I'm going through.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Drawing Jam
Today is the annual Drawing Jam at Gage. Andy and I hung out there all day. It started snowing last night and snowed some more today. I didn't get much drawing done because the little guy needed attention periodically. Juliette's Atelier students were really nice to me, offered me their studio corners for me to nurse Andy in. I got to learn a lot about different stages of the program. This one girl Lorene who is in her third year of the program was especially nice to me (coincidentally she had noticed me in past years' Drawing Jam events). We chatted quite a bit. She's tutoring and coordinating classes in addition to her class work, well on her path to a teaching/painting career. I was very envious. More fluffy flakes fell as we headed home. Pictures here.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
LR's Google Working Days
11/27 Tuesday
I sent off mom to the airport this morning. Mom has been so helpful. She babysat, and cooked and cleaned when she's not babysitting. She'd go to sleep early to volunteer the night shift: taking Andy when he's still fussing way past midnight and stay up until 3 at times. She didn't just come to see the kid but really came to do everything to help. Instead of losing privacy, she gave me more personal time. And having the time to talk to her (we both seem to be better tempered now) and seeing her so happy was priceless. I've never seen her sing so much. She brought a sweater she knitted for Andy which reminds me of old days when she knitted for us. She made me a breastfeeding apron when we saw Shelly had one.
I was so dead tired that it was back to sleep after airport. Andy and I went back and forth between nursing and sleep that we didn't get into work until close to 11! My officemates are awesome and Andy behaved well (slept initially). With Andy at work, it's a bit tough to get things done, but it's so nice to have him right by me so I don't wonder what he is doing now and can feed him any time.
I feel guilty for being sensitive to any noise he makes and wanting him to be quiet all the time. I used to talk him more, play music, and walk and hold him more. Now I appreciate the luxury of maternity leave more. Oh well, this is still so much better than daycare. We went to the Snuggler class at lunch hour. There he had his lung relief too; I encouraged him to make all the sound he wanted since there are 10 other babies louder. He fussed all afternoon that I had to call Joe to come early to take him home. Hopefully we do better tomorrow.
Jenn's husband dropped off their 5mo old Caleb around 6 to go workout across street. Joe did the same. It worked out quite well, Andy got to eat and meet Caleb. Picture here.
Andy was very good to mommy tonight (put him to sleep by 12), must know that mom needs to go to work on a more regular time tomorrow.
11/28 Wednesday
I discovered one sound Andy makes regularly sounds exactly like this new word "Urlaub" we learned in German class tonight. Maybe I played the Rosetta language learning program too much while pregnant that he is exposed to the language already eh?
11/29 Thursday
I decided to resume our good old walking time at work, so we went for a lunch walk. He felt a bit heavier in the sling after not walking him for a week!
11/30 Friday
I breast fed through the night without any formula supplement for the first time. Now I learned how tough it is to breast feed -- it is more than a full time job. He slept around 12 then I was up at 2:30, 5, 6:30, each time close to an hour at least. It was hard staying awake during the day, but I'm just so glad to know I can be not so dependent on formula now.
I got sprayed on for the first time this morning (and in the office)! I quickly covered the hose with a new diaper so he ended up getting the back of his undershirt wet. I took Ann's suggestion to get some pictures of Andy at my office. My officemates had fun posing him and he ended up holding on tight to the USB end of the mouse for the next half hour. He was a darling this morning, eyes wide open but quiet for the most part.
We went to pick up my dad at the airport lunch time. Mom and dad are taking turn using up the reminder of their vacation on babysitting. I felt bad having to give dad a 20 minutes crash course on baby stuff and the place before running off. But they managed for the next 4 hours. Dad even took him for a walk exploring the neighborhood.
I'm pretty unproductive at work this week, but I think it's getting a little better each day and I'm more at ease with him there. I think I agree with this Zurich Googler researcher I met at the SigIR conference last year that having the baby with you can actually make you more productive than the daycare.
Pictures here.
Observations about week 7:
- He's got stronger grip now and grab onto things much tighter. It can hurt when he grabs me or my hair now (trimming his nails helped a little).
- He got on a better schedule (so far). I try to go to bed before 9 and just nurse and play with him until he falls asleep. The trick seems to be getting him to sleep in the reclining nursing position. He's been going to sleep before 1am now, and waking up once or so before 8am (though I still have to get up twice to pump).
- He's accustomed to the car seat now. He doesn't cry at all now; he used to scream and fight so hard getting strapped into it.
I sent off mom to the airport this morning. Mom has been so helpful. She babysat, and cooked and cleaned when she's not babysitting. She'd go to sleep early to volunteer the night shift: taking Andy when he's still fussing way past midnight and stay up until 3 at times. She didn't just come to see the kid but really came to do everything to help. Instead of losing privacy, she gave me more personal time. And having the time to talk to her (we both seem to be better tempered now) and seeing her so happy was priceless. I've never seen her sing so much. She brought a sweater she knitted for Andy which reminds me of old days when she knitted for us. She made me a breastfeeding apron when we saw Shelly had one.
I was so dead tired that it was back to sleep after airport. Andy and I went back and forth between nursing and sleep that we didn't get into work until close to 11! My officemates are awesome and Andy behaved well (slept initially). With Andy at work, it's a bit tough to get things done, but it's so nice to have him right by me so I don't wonder what he is doing now and can feed him any time.
I feel guilty for being sensitive to any noise he makes and wanting him to be quiet all the time. I used to talk him more, play music, and walk and hold him more. Now I appreciate the luxury of maternity leave more. Oh well, this is still so much better than daycare. We went to the Snuggler class at lunch hour. There he had his lung relief too; I encouraged him to make all the sound he wanted since there are 10 other babies louder. He fussed all afternoon that I had to call Joe to come early to take him home. Hopefully we do better tomorrow.
Jenn's husband dropped off their 5mo old Caleb around 6 to go workout across street. Joe did the same. It worked out quite well, Andy got to eat and meet Caleb. Picture here.
Andy was very good to mommy tonight (put him to sleep by 12), must know that mom needs to go to work on a more regular time tomorrow.
11/28 Wednesday
I discovered one sound Andy makes regularly sounds exactly like this new word "Urlaub" we learned in German class tonight. Maybe I played the Rosetta language learning program too much while pregnant that he is exposed to the language already eh?
11/29 Thursday
I decided to resume our good old walking time at work, so we went for a lunch walk. He felt a bit heavier in the sling after not walking him for a week!
11/30 Friday
I breast fed through the night without any formula supplement for the first time. Now I learned how tough it is to breast feed -- it is more than a full time job. He slept around 12 then I was up at 2:30, 5, 6:30, each time close to an hour at least. It was hard staying awake during the day, but I'm just so glad to know I can be not so dependent on formula now.
I got sprayed on for the first time this morning (and in the office)! I quickly covered the hose with a new diaper so he ended up getting the back of his undershirt wet. I took Ann's suggestion to get some pictures of Andy at my office. My officemates had fun posing him and he ended up holding on tight to the USB end of the mouse for the next half hour. He was a darling this morning, eyes wide open but quiet for the most part.
We went to pick up my dad at the airport lunch time. Mom and dad are taking turn using up the reminder of their vacation on babysitting. I felt bad having to give dad a 20 minutes crash course on baby stuff and the place before running off. But they managed for the next 4 hours. Dad even took him for a walk exploring the neighborhood.
I'm pretty unproductive at work this week, but I think it's getting a little better each day and I'm more at ease with him there. I think I agree with this Zurich Googler researcher I met at the SigIR conference last year that having the baby with you can actually make you more productive than the daycare.
Pictures here.
Observations about week 7:
- He's got stronger grip now and grab onto things much tighter. It can hurt when he grabs me or my hair now (trimming his nails helped a little).
- He got on a better schedule (so far). I try to go to bed before 9 and just nurse and play with him until he falls asleep. The trick seems to be getting him to sleep in the reclining nursing position. He's been going to sleep before 1am now, and waking up once or so before 8am (though I still have to get up twice to pump).
- He's accustomed to the car seat now. He doesn't cry at all now; he used to scream and fight so hard getting strapped into it.
Friday, November 23, 2007
First Thanksgiving weekend
This first work week went by fast.
11/21 Wednesday
Xiaoying hung out with mom for most of the day while I was at work. They came over for lunch so I got to feed Andy too. Li, a friend at work who is able to held Andy for a while; it was a neat sight seeing her holding one while carrying one in the belly (2 more weeks to go!). It was very sweet to see mom hanging out with her college friends. They made Bao1Zi (my favorite food) together in the morning and baked in the afternoon as mom demonstrating Xiaoying her American food cooking. That's one quality I admire in both of them is their open mindedness to new things and how they are always interested in learning.
11/22 Thursday
We went to my friends Dave & Barbara's for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. They have two kids Miranda (7) and Jake (5). They made a delicious meal. Now I looked at their children and listened to their stories with a whole new perspective. I kept noting Andy will get to that one day. It's daunting to think about all the parental responsibilities. We went to another Microsoft friends Randy and Julia's party for the after dinner visit. It was really nice to see both families and former colleagues and catch up on office gossip. Pictures here.
11/23 Friday
I treated mom to her first spa massage experience at a nice waterfront hotel in Kirkland in the morning. I enjoyed the blue sky and water outside while she was worked on. It was another rare beautiful winter day full of sunshine. She came out relaxed but feeling bad for the masseuse girl so I guess that'd her last professional massage experience. We used to massage her back in trade for TV watching when we were kids so I suppose that'd continue. Mom and I went shopping for cloth for a couple of home projects and browsed baby furniture since mom was eager to fix Andy's night owl schedule with a rocking bed (but didn't find one). Everywhere was so packed that I so dread shopping the day after Thanksgiving.
I had the leisure (thanks to mom's babysitting) of going for a long jog in the afternoon and visited the old route that I used to jog along the lake for the first time.
Joe surprised us with a load of fresh grocery for some of my favorite dishes in the evening. We made a nice dinner together, pictures here.
11/24 saturday
We went to my friend Shelly's for a potluck. It's quite a change from gatherings a year ago: increase in new faces (new moms added to the social circle); 7 kids where as a year ago there is usually 0 kids; meeting time has shifted from dinners to lunches tailored to baby schedule; girls' conversation topics revolve around babies. I thought it was really sweet of Shelly to be hosting this when she's got her hands full with Sophie already.
11/25 Sunday
We've been lucky with the gorgeous weather this weekend. I took mom to the Kirkland waterfront. Got some pictures of Andy staring intently at Thomas Mangelsen's nature photos. We met up with Joe and checked out the marina scenery. The Kirkland Christmas tree is up and the Santa shop is in good business now. Pictures here.
We had 2 couples over for dinner in the evening, picture here. Mom cooked up some nice veggie dishes and I got some takeouts. They are mom's old time friends' children about my age; we used to play together when families visited in China. It's interesting to see them as adults now and that we all meet up again in another corner of the world after all these years. One of them has a two year old already.
I finally caught some pictures here of Andy's smile after a night feed.
11/21 Wednesday
Xiaoying hung out with mom for most of the day while I was at work. They came over for lunch so I got to feed Andy too. Li, a friend at work who is able to held Andy for a while; it was a neat sight seeing her holding one while carrying one in the belly (2 more weeks to go!). It was very sweet to see mom hanging out with her college friends. They made Bao1Zi (my favorite food) together in the morning and baked in the afternoon as mom demonstrating Xiaoying her American food cooking. That's one quality I admire in both of them is their open mindedness to new things and how they are always interested in learning.
11/22 Thursday
We went to my friends Dave & Barbara's for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. They have two kids Miranda (7) and Jake (5). They made a delicious meal. Now I looked at their children and listened to their stories with a whole new perspective. I kept noting Andy will get to that one day. It's daunting to think about all the parental responsibilities. We went to another Microsoft friends Randy and Julia's party for the after dinner visit. It was really nice to see both families and former colleagues and catch up on office gossip. Pictures here.
11/23 Friday
I treated mom to her first spa massage experience at a nice waterfront hotel in Kirkland in the morning. I enjoyed the blue sky and water outside while she was worked on. It was another rare beautiful winter day full of sunshine. She came out relaxed but feeling bad for the masseuse girl so I guess that'd her last professional massage experience. We used to massage her back in trade for TV watching when we were kids so I suppose that'd continue. Mom and I went shopping for cloth for a couple of home projects and browsed baby furniture since mom was eager to fix Andy's night owl schedule with a rocking bed (but didn't find one). Everywhere was so packed that I so dread shopping the day after Thanksgiving.
I had the leisure (thanks to mom's babysitting) of going for a long jog in the afternoon and visited the old route that I used to jog along the lake for the first time.
Joe surprised us with a load of fresh grocery for some of my favorite dishes in the evening. We made a nice dinner together, pictures here.
11/24 saturday
We went to my friend Shelly's for a potluck. It's quite a change from gatherings a year ago: increase in new faces (new moms added to the social circle); 7 kids where as a year ago there is usually 0 kids; meeting time has shifted from dinners to lunches tailored to baby schedule; girls' conversation topics revolve around babies. I thought it was really sweet of Shelly to be hosting this when she's got her hands full with Sophie already.
11/25 Sunday
We've been lucky with the gorgeous weather this weekend. I took mom to the Kirkland waterfront. Got some pictures of Andy staring intently at Thomas Mangelsen's nature photos. We met up with Joe and checked out the marina scenery. The Kirkland Christmas tree is up and the Santa shop is in good business now. Pictures here.
We had 2 couples over for dinner in the evening, picture here. Mom cooked up some nice veggie dishes and I got some takeouts. They are mom's old time friends' children about my age; we used to play together when families visited in China. It's interesting to see them as adults now and that we all meet up again in another corner of the world after all these years. One of them has a two year old already.
I finally caught some pictures here of Andy's smile after a night feed.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
6 weeks today
Andy turned 6 weeks today. I had my Ob-gyn appointment at 9:30 today. Mom came with me. On the car ride there, I was reliving the moments 6 weeks ago again. Hard to believe it's 6 weeks already! I learned from the post report that one reason that I had such fast labor was that the placenta got detached from the uterus so I was fortunate that it was fast enough otherwise it would have been dangerous for both of us. The blood results from the week before the delivery was finally in the normal range (was a bit low before) so no more iron pills to my relief.
We borrowed a baby scale at the maternity ward and he's 8 lb 6 oz now! He gained a pound in two weeks (much faster than before where he gained 1 lb in 4 weeks). He was quite restless last week with the late night owl schedule and increased appetite. The 6 week growth spur was true.
Over the last few days I developed new appreciation for mom. I have to admit that I wasn't thrilled about the idea of long term parents stay at first. But now I wish I had asked her to come earlier. I used to think I could manage and toughed it out; I fought fatigue with resistance. But now I realized I paid price of low milk production. With mom's help, I was able to pump after feeding, get more rest, and do less one-handed (even my wrist felt better after the weekend). It was wonderful to be reminded of the qualities I always admired in her. She worked with zeal and efficiency on everything. She cooked and cleaned in addition to looking after Andy. One day I asked if she wanted to go for a walk. She told me to go and that she preferred working; she finished making a ton of Zongzi (one o my fav Chinese food) when I came back. Growing up I always appreciated her selflessness and the work ethics she instilled in us and here she showed me again with her actions. We had our usual nagging and quarreling but I feel the tighter bond this time.
I went back to work today. We came to work together for lunch. It was a little hard watching them drive away. I guess it's a first day going back thing. But I didn't cry at all like I hear a lot women in my Snuggler class did. I guess it's because I know Andy is in mom's good hands.
We had the first poop putty training tonight. Mom noticed there was a little brown spot on the diaper, so she held the legs and waited. Andy had a long poop, and mom showed me how to make the sound to help him poop. It's interesting that most Chinese babies are putty trained at 8-9 mo, while babies here are trained much later. It was funny watching the stool coming out like spaghetti, only thicker and uncomparable in color and smell. It was filling up the diaper so we took him to the toilet so he finished the ordeal. He's all quiet now, probably all tired out from the poop.
Mom also got Andy to hold his own bottle tonight. Picture here.
We borrowed a baby scale at the maternity ward and he's 8 lb 6 oz now! He gained a pound in two weeks (much faster than before where he gained 1 lb in 4 weeks). He was quite restless last week with the late night owl schedule and increased appetite. The 6 week growth spur was true.
Over the last few days I developed new appreciation for mom. I have to admit that I wasn't thrilled about the idea of long term parents stay at first. But now I wish I had asked her to come earlier. I used to think I could manage and toughed it out; I fought fatigue with resistance. But now I realized I paid price of low milk production. With mom's help, I was able to pump after feeding, get more rest, and do less one-handed (even my wrist felt better after the weekend). It was wonderful to be reminded of the qualities I always admired in her. She worked with zeal and efficiency on everything. She cooked and cleaned in addition to looking after Andy. One day I asked if she wanted to go for a walk. She told me to go and that she preferred working; she finished making a ton of Zongzi (one o my fav Chinese food) when I came back. Growing up I always appreciated her selflessness and the work ethics she instilled in us and here she showed me again with her actions. We had our usual nagging and quarreling but I feel the tighter bond this time.
I went back to work today. We came to work together for lunch. It was a little hard watching them drive away. I guess it's a first day going back thing. But I didn't cry at all like I hear a lot women in my Snuggler class did. I guess it's because I know Andy is in mom's good hands.
We had the first poop putty training tonight. Mom noticed there was a little brown spot on the diaper, so she held the legs and waited. Andy had a long poop, and mom showed me how to make the sound to help him poop. It's interesting that most Chinese babies are putty trained at 8-9 mo, while babies here are trained much later. It was funny watching the stool coming out like spaghetti, only thicker and uncomparable in color and smell. It was filling up the diaper so we took him to the toilet so he finished the ordeal. He's all quiet now, probably all tired out from the poop.
Mom also got Andy to hold his own bottle tonight. Picture here.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Week 5 in Summary
- 11/13 Tuesday: A busy day out! We had the 9:30 1-mo pediatric appointment. Andy is now 7 lbs 6 oz, and 20.5 in. Doc noted "Healthy!" on his report card. I was able to borrow a room to do my own milk production test (feeding-weighing-repeat) afterwards for the next hour. Then we went for a really nice walk along the lake with Shelly (it was a rare gorgeous day!) and visited the new G. office by the lake for lunch. Baby Sophie smiled so much on the walk! Then we went to the Snuggler class and another long afternoon walk until the sunset (had a good long chat with Louise to catch up). Andy visited the library for first time in the evening while Joe worked out.
- 11/14 Wednesday: New moms lunch outing. Vi brought Chloe (1.5 weeks older than Andy, born 9/27), and Shellly brought Sophie. It was nice catching up with the girls and instead of making lunch this time, we headed to Google for free food. We got some cute pictures of the 3 babies. I'm still amazed how big Chloe is compared to Andy! Pictures here.
- 11/15 Thursday: Another busy day out. After the morning lecture on "Will and estate Planning" (yes cost a lot $ lawyer fee) which I slept through most of, we went to PaintAway. We worked on a couple of ceramic pieces. Andy was surprisingly attentive at the beginning looking at all the pots, see pictures.
At the lecture, I ran into another girl used to be in dance, and learned where she's disappeared to: she's got a 10-mo old now!
- 11/16 Friday: We picked up Grandma Zhong at the airport. It was a nice bonus that I was able to use the carpool lane with Andy in the back. Andy didn't fall asleep on the way back for the first time: he studied my mom intently for a long time! Mom was all happy of course and talked to him a lot too. Andy is starting to be interested in faces. here is a picture of mom meeting Andy for the first time. Andy got a suitcase full of goodies from Irene, Hao and mom.
- 11/18 Sunday: We had Shelly and Simon over for an early dinner. Mom made some tasty dishes and got to see Sophie.
- 11/14 Wednesday: New moms lunch outing. Vi brought Chloe (1.5 weeks older than Andy, born 9/27), and Shellly brought Sophie. It was nice catching up with the girls and instead of making lunch this time, we headed to Google for free food. We got some cute pictures of the 3 babies. I'm still amazed how big Chloe is compared to Andy! Pictures here.
- 11/15 Thursday: Another busy day out. After the morning lecture on "Will and estate Planning" (yes cost a lot $ lawyer fee) which I slept through most of, we went to PaintAway. We worked on a couple of ceramic pieces. Andy was surprisingly attentive at the beginning looking at all the pots, see pictures.
At the lecture, I ran into another girl used to be in dance, and learned where she's disappeared to: she's got a 10-mo old now!
- 11/16 Friday: We picked up Grandma Zhong at the airport. It was a nice bonus that I was able to use the carpool lane with Andy in the back. Andy didn't fall asleep on the way back for the first time: he studied my mom intently for a long time! Mom was all happy of course and talked to him a lot too. Andy is starting to be interested in faces. here is a picture of mom meeting Andy for the first time. Andy got a suitcase full of goodies from Irene, Hao and mom.
- 11/18 Sunday: We had Shelly and Simon over for an early dinner. Mom made some tasty dishes and got to see Sophie.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Drawing Session!
This is my first time back to the drawing session since Andy's birth! It was such a good feeling! I've been longing for it for a while. As I was perusing an artist's gallery online last night, I realized how much I missed it. I don't want to regret dreams not realized and blame it on kids when I get old one day. I have somehow lost track of time between feeding and diapering; I know I could do better if I were more disciplined and organized. It's like this coming to drawing session thing, I could have said it's too hard and didn't try, but only when I made some efforts, do I realize it's doable and so much fun! Such is true with many things, if you are determined, there is always a way.
Andy was again surprisingly good to me, slept most of the time (I credited it to Lyle's Bach and Handel). Somehow he always behaves at outings, even if indoor. It was great to see everyone. People were really nice to me, getting me chair, picking charcoal when I dropped it, etc. Everybody loved him and Carol drew him instead of the model for a while!
Pictures here.
Andy was again surprisingly good to me, slept most of the time (I credited it to Lyle's Bach and Handel). Somehow he always behaves at outings, even if indoor. It was great to see everyone. People were really nice to me, getting me chair, picking charcoal when I dropped it, etc. Everybody loved him and Carol drew him instead of the model for a while!
Pictures here.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
1 mo - Cute Random Pictures
Andy turned 1 month on Friday. It was a busy day. Ann and I had dim sum lunch together. We had such a good time chatting that it lasted 3 hours!
In the evening, Andy and I went to another Art lecture, on Anatomy of Horse. It was quite interesting. I learned a lot about all the bones and evolution of the specie. Andy slept through the whole as usual.
Here are random pictures of Andy showing off what he has mastered so far:
- attempting at chopsticks at our dimsum outing.
- reading a book.
- holding his pacifier.
We still haven't been able to capture his fleeting smile. He's smiling more often now.
We got a letter from U. Washington asking for participation in infant study on hearing, language and learning, so we volunteered him for that. It'd be interesting to see what comes out of that.
In the evening, Andy and I went to another Art lecture, on Anatomy of Horse. It was quite interesting. I learned a lot about all the bones and evolution of the specie. Andy slept through the whole as usual.
Here are random pictures of Andy showing off what he has mastered so far:
- attempting at chopsticks at our dimsum outing.
- reading a book.
- holding his pacifier.
We still haven't been able to capture his fleeting smile. He's smiling more often now.
We got a letter from U. Washington asking for participation in infant study on hearing, language and learning, so we volunteered him for that. It'd be interesting to see what comes out of that.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
4 week old Frechdachs!
Summary on his progress:
- 3074 grams now!
- He seems to have gained a bit length-wise (still need tape to verify), or maybe just that he likes to stretch out more. He also stands up straight more often.
- His hand grabbing control is a lot better, he pulls pacifier off himself.
- Turtle talent: When he is put tummy down, he struggles a bit and flips onto his back all by himself!
- A eating machine, since day 1.
- He likes going out; any change of scenery gets his attention. We've increased our walking distance significantly now (at least 4 miles) so we explore more places. He behaves well at lectures and in front of guests.
He has been one very lucky baby. He is still getting presents from around the world at 4 weeks! Thank you so much, dear families and friends! It's very thoughtful of you. My German friend Regina got him a "Frechdachs" bottle, which means "cheeky monkey". It is quite fitting as Andy makes a lot monkey squeaky sound.
- 3074 grams now!
- He seems to have gained a bit length-wise (still need tape to verify), or maybe just that he likes to stretch out more. He also stands up straight more often.
- His hand grabbing control is a lot better, he pulls pacifier off himself.
- Turtle talent: When he is put tummy down, he struggles a bit and flips onto his back all by himself!
- A eating machine, since day 1.
- He likes going out; any change of scenery gets his attention. We've increased our walking distance significantly now (at least 4 miles) so we explore more places. He behaves well at lectures and in front of guests.
He has been one very lucky baby. He is still getting presents from around the world at 4 weeks! Thank you so much, dear families and friends! It's very thoughtful of you. My German friend Regina got him a "Frechdachs" bottle, which means "cheeky monkey". It is quite fitting as Andy makes a lot monkey squeaky sound.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
A Little Halloween Spirit
Joe carved a pumpkin for Andy tonight, pictures here. The baked pumpkin seeds turned out crispy and tasty and we stocked up for the trick'r treaters (lots of kids in the neighborhood).
10/28-10/31
For more Halloween spirit (party, pumpkin patch, etc) click here (and next for more pictures).
10/28-10/31
For more Halloween spirit (party, pumpkin patch, etc) click here (and next for more pictures).
Thursday, October 25, 2007
First Shower, Art Connoisseur, etc (10/24 - 26)
10/24 Wednesday
Louise came to visit in the afternoon. She got Andy a very cute outfit and made me a pan of Tuna casserole. It was so good that I had 4 meals straight; now I'll probably have to start making it myself! We talked for quite a while. I always draw inspiration from her. She told me of this Art lecture on a painting "Rogier van der Weyden’s Descent from the Cross" in Madrid at Gage Academy tomorrow and she's going to Madrid this weekend so it's exciting to learn about it before hand. I was excited to go to the lecture too (it'd be Andy's first art education :)
I learned from my Snuggler class that babies like shower so decided to try it out especially since he hasn't had his hair washed since the day he was born (getting a little sticky oily)! Shower has become such a luxury as with sleep and many other things. Joe handed me the baby when I got done with my shower. Andy did like shower much better than bath. He liked warm water beating on his head and didn't cry the entire time (unlike the first bath home where he screamed so hard that we skipped the head)! His lanky body was still very pinkish. His feet dangled and kicked. I still find it amazing how it all fit in me two weeks ago!
10/25 Thursday
We had a 40min walk this morning, and he was wide awake for most of it surprisingly. He seemed to be fascinated by the clouds in the sky. Since we are not close to the lake any more (more east now), we are watching sun rise instead of sun set now. It was very pretty, we saw more and more clouds turning golden and pink gradually, lighting up the whole sky. It was all lit up by 8:20.
It was a busy morning. With the granite cutting (counter top installation), laundry, and my vacuuming, Andy managed to fall asleep solid after the walk and nth breakfast.
By the time the counter top people finished, it was way past 1. We rushed out the door but the art lecture at Gage was over by the time we got there. I haven't been there for a long time. They always hang new works along the long hallway so we perused the gallery hall slowly. Andy was amazingly attentive to all the paintings in the long hallway. His eyes were wide open, with that serious look from corner of his eyes and held his gaze quite long. He has that expression for some paintings (esp the African Violet) at home too. This was his first trip to Seattle.
It was so beautifully sunny, so we took the long scenic route home along the lake shore and stopped by the parks. Then I happened to find the best parking spot in downtown Kirkland, so that was my excuse to stop by the galleries. The Elka Roukov gallery was having a lot of David Marty landscape, lots of nice fall colors. And we visited Howard/Mandville and the Park Lane galleries. The toasty sun did its magic on him so he slept through all the Kirkland galleries.
The day wrapped up with a hair cut for Joe. It occurred to me that I'll have a new customer soon! The idea of this little visitor sticking around for the next 18 years is still slowly sinking in...
10/26 Friday
Today was the original due date that was predicted for Andy, but he decided he wanted to arrive sooner. He's changed so much since a couple weeks ago. The skin is looking much more ivory, grew some eye lashes, and big eyes are more brown than blue now. I could see he enjoys growing outside more than inside of me.
He likes the fresh air outside; sometimes it's the only way to calm him (and works as soon as we step out the door). He kicks so hard that I can't imagine how I could bear it if he were still inside right now.
A little city night life. Andy and I went to Gage again after we dropped Joe off at 24 Hours. I saw a poster at Gage for the "Final Friday Critique" yesterday; I've always wanted to go to that but never got my act together. Now that I'm on "vacation", I've got no excuse not to. It was a very nice little group of 6-7 people (open to public) tonight and one instructor. people bring in their work and the instructor organizes a discussion around it. I found it a very supportive group to get advice on your works. I got some good insights on the pieces I brought in and on painting in general. It definitely gives me motivation to do more work and come back next month. Andy dozed off a big portion of the lesson.
Louise came to visit in the afternoon. She got Andy a very cute outfit and made me a pan of Tuna casserole. It was so good that I had 4 meals straight; now I'll probably have to start making it myself! We talked for quite a while. I always draw inspiration from her. She told me of this Art lecture on a painting "Rogier van der Weyden’s Descent from the Cross" in Madrid at Gage Academy tomorrow and she's going to Madrid this weekend so it's exciting to learn about it before hand. I was excited to go to the lecture too (it'd be Andy's first art education :)
I learned from my Snuggler class that babies like shower so decided to try it out especially since he hasn't had his hair washed since the day he was born (getting a little sticky oily)! Shower has become such a luxury as with sleep and many other things. Joe handed me the baby when I got done with my shower. Andy did like shower much better than bath. He liked warm water beating on his head and didn't cry the entire time (unlike the first bath home where he screamed so hard that we skipped the head)! His lanky body was still very pinkish. His feet dangled and kicked. I still find it amazing how it all fit in me two weeks ago!
10/25 Thursday
We had a 40min walk this morning, and he was wide awake for most of it surprisingly. He seemed to be fascinated by the clouds in the sky. Since we are not close to the lake any more (more east now), we are watching sun rise instead of sun set now. It was very pretty, we saw more and more clouds turning golden and pink gradually, lighting up the whole sky. It was all lit up by 8:20.
It was a busy morning. With the granite cutting (counter top installation), laundry, and my vacuuming, Andy managed to fall asleep solid after the walk and nth breakfast.
By the time the counter top people finished, it was way past 1. We rushed out the door but the art lecture at Gage was over by the time we got there. I haven't been there for a long time. They always hang new works along the long hallway so we perused the gallery hall slowly. Andy was amazingly attentive to all the paintings in the long hallway. His eyes were wide open, with that serious look from corner of his eyes and held his gaze quite long. He has that expression for some paintings (esp the African Violet) at home too. This was his first trip to Seattle.
It was so beautifully sunny, so we took the long scenic route home along the lake shore and stopped by the parks. Then I happened to find the best parking spot in downtown Kirkland, so that was my excuse to stop by the galleries. The Elka Roukov gallery was having a lot of David Marty landscape, lots of nice fall colors. And we visited Howard/Mandville and the Park Lane galleries. The toasty sun did its magic on him so he slept through all the Kirkland galleries.
The day wrapped up with a hair cut for Joe. It occurred to me that I'll have a new customer soon! The idea of this little visitor sticking around for the next 18 years is still slowly sinking in...
10/26 Friday
Today was the original due date that was predicted for Andy, but he decided he wanted to arrive sooner. He's changed so much since a couple weeks ago. The skin is looking much more ivory, grew some eye lashes, and big eyes are more brown than blue now. I could see he enjoys growing outside more than inside of me.
He likes the fresh air outside; sometimes it's the only way to calm him (and works as soon as we step out the door). He kicks so hard that I can't imagine how I could bear it if he were still inside right now.
A little city night life. Andy and I went to Gage again after we dropped Joe off at 24 Hours. I saw a poster at Gage for the "Final Friday Critique" yesterday; I've always wanted to go to that but never got my act together. Now that I'm on "vacation", I've got no excuse not to. It was a very nice little group of 6-7 people (open to public) tonight and one instructor. people bring in their work and the instructor organizes a discussion around it. I found it a very supportive group to get advice on your works. I got some good insights on the pieces I brought in and on painting in general. It definitely gives me motivation to do more work and come back next month. Andy dozed off a big portion of the lesson.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
2 Weeks: a Warm Autumn Day (Fire Dept Visit, etc)
It must be the warmest and sunniest day so far this season! Andy and I took full advantage of it since it's supposed to rain tomorrow.
We called the fire department a few days ago and found out the names of the fire fighters who responded to the 911 call for Andy's birth. So I got a card, a letter, and a pan of carrot cake and brownies together for a visiting plan. After frosting the cake this morning, we headed to the fire department to deliver the goods around Andy's birth time 2 weeks ago. But we learned the officers were only going to be in tomorrow, so we dropped the stuff and went on for a walk in the park. We'll probably go again tomorrow to get a picture with the officers. I decided this is the best time for maternity leave since the fall is my favor season. The autumn colors is the most beautiful.
Shelly and I spent most the afternoon in the Snuggler class. Today's topic was on Diapering. I was surprised to learn a baby goes through about 8700 diapers and spends more than 25,000 hours in diapers! Disposables equates to one ton of soiled diapers for one baby! The "Go Green" themed teacher promoted cloth diaper (no more huge pins nowadays). I'm contemplating trying that. Check out his trial cloth diaper here.
After the hospital, I didn't feel like going home since it's so beautiful out, so started driving around randomly and discovered the "McAulife Park" (sp). It had a little playground area, and lots of lawn space with some very rusty archaic truck parts laying in the orchard. It would make really nice paintings. I'll have to go back there again. Andy dozes off on all walks so I just try to describe things I see to him, hope the Chinese tone make some impression on him.
In the evening, we all had another little walk in the park across the street. It was nice getting lots of fresh air! Then it was furniture re-arranging time since we moved everything out to the living room for the carpet installation last night. The place finally started to take shape.
p.s. I got Andy weighed while at the hospital. 6 lb 3 oz! He's catching up really fast (5 lb 11 oz last Wednesday).
We called the fire department a few days ago and found out the names of the fire fighters who responded to the 911 call for Andy's birth. So I got a card, a letter, and a pan of carrot cake and brownies together for a visiting plan. After frosting the cake this morning, we headed to the fire department to deliver the goods around Andy's birth time 2 weeks ago. But we learned the officers were only going to be in tomorrow, so we dropped the stuff and went on for a walk in the park. We'll probably go again tomorrow to get a picture with the officers. I decided this is the best time for maternity leave since the fall is my favor season. The autumn colors is the most beautiful.
Shelly and I spent most the afternoon in the Snuggler class. Today's topic was on Diapering. I was surprised to learn a baby goes through about 8700 diapers and spends more than 25,000 hours in diapers! Disposables equates to one ton of soiled diapers for one baby! The "Go Green" themed teacher promoted cloth diaper (no more huge pins nowadays). I'm contemplating trying that. Check out his trial cloth diaper here.
After the hospital, I didn't feel like going home since it's so beautiful out, so started driving around randomly and discovered the "McAulife Park" (sp). It had a little playground area, and lots of lawn space with some very rusty archaic truck parts laying in the orchard. It would make really nice paintings. I'll have to go back there again. Andy dozes off on all walks so I just try to describe things I see to him, hope the Chinese tone make some impression on him.
In the evening, we all had another little walk in the park across the street. It was nice getting lots of fresh air! Then it was furniture re-arranging time since we moved everything out to the living room for the carpet installation last night. The place finally started to take shape.
p.s. I got Andy weighed while at the hospital. 6 lb 3 oz! He's catching up really fast (5 lb 11 oz last Wednesday).
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Day 10: Busy outings
Ann read about the "Baby day movie" in my blog and we decided to check it out on Friday. It was beautifully sunny in the morning and we met up at the Park Place cinema in Kirkland for the "Mike Clayton" movie. There were about a dozen others moms (and 1 dad) in that screen. I had to feed Andy in the beginning but then he slept through the whole movie. I was surprised how quiet the theater was during the whole course. There were intermittent baby noise of all kind but no loud long cries. We chatted a little after the movie, and by the time we left, we got caught in the biggest rain storm! We dashed across a block to work (I parked there), and went upstairs for bathroom. We were totally soaked. Andy got his first experience of Seattle rain (well, this is not quite Seattle style rain), luckily he was totally bundled up with blanket and hat so he didn't even notice. He finally woke up when we got to the cafeteria and started his cry for food again. when we got home, we found a nice surprise that Joe cooked up a couple dishes and a soup!
The rain died off. Andy and I went to Shelly's house to make a sling in the afternoon. The piece of cloth I found happened to be perfect size for 2 slings. Shelly taught me how to work the sewing machine and here is the first sling I made. Andy wasn't quite used to sitting in the sling yet. I discovered sewing is fun, I'm having ideas about other sewing projects already!
In the evening we saw a musical show and Andy behaved amazingly well, didn't make any loud noise. We tried out the pacifier for the first time. He took it for the first half of the show, but was still good without it the second half (slept through the most of it). On the way back, my milk was really coming for the first time. So Andy had a feast when we got home.
My friend Monica and Fei came to visit on Saturday. They have been really nice to me, giving me maternity clothing and now huge bags of baby clothing sorted by ages. Here are pictures of Andy with their kids Lawrence and Lily.
The rain died off. Andy and I went to Shelly's house to make a sling in the afternoon. The piece of cloth I found happened to be perfect size for 2 slings. Shelly taught me how to work the sewing machine and here is the first sling I made. Andy wasn't quite used to sitting in the sling yet. I discovered sewing is fun, I'm having ideas about other sewing projects already!
In the evening we saw a musical show and Andy behaved amazingly well, didn't make any loud noise. We tried out the pacifier for the first time. He took it for the first half of the show, but was still good without it the second half (slept through the most of it). On the way back, my milk was really coming for the first time. So Andy had a feast when we got home.
My friend Monica and Fei came to visit on Saturday. They have been really nice to me, giving me maternity clothing and now huge bags of baby clothing sorted by ages. Here are pictures of Andy with their kids Lawrence and Lily.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Day 9: First Art Project
It was a strange weather day today. Wind gust became high in the afternoon; power outage warnings were repeated on the radio. The sun peeked out once in a while. It was a strange combination of storm approaching sky with bright sun shine. It was surprisingly warm so we went for a small walk. Andy didn't mind the weather at all and slept through the wind hollowing. Coming home, the lights blipped a few times and finally power was out for a good 20 minutes. Instead of couped in the power outage, Andy and I went for a little shopping trip after dropping off Joe at the gym.
We went to my favor craft store "Paper Zone" to gather material for our big project tonight. One of the store employee noticed Andy right away and came to chat. Andy was good at first, continuing the nap from the car. I discovered the advantage of taking a baby shopping: most people would be extra nice to you. The girl helped us picking the right shade of paper and offered to cut it for me, even though she was leaving her shift already. But this was the first time Andy not behaving in front of people -- he woke up and started the loudest cry for food. Eventually he was tired out and fell asleep.
I shall not disclose the details of the project or post pictures until later since most of you will be getting the final product sometime. My original design involved having his little finger print but he doesn't like opening the little fist too much, so a foot print substituted. The final design involved a photo, a gold foot print by Andy, a little watercolor by me, and a personalized blurb written in gold pencil.
We went to my favor craft store "Paper Zone" to gather material for our big project tonight. One of the store employee noticed Andy right away and came to chat. Andy was good at first, continuing the nap from the car. I discovered the advantage of taking a baby shopping: most people would be extra nice to you. The girl helped us picking the right shade of paper and offered to cut it for me, even though she was leaving her shift already. But this was the first time Andy not behaving in front of people -- he woke up and started the loudest cry for food. Eventually he was tired out and fell asleep.
I shall not disclose the details of the project or post pictures until later since most of you will be getting the final product sometime. My original design involved having his little finger print but he doesn't like opening the little fist too much, so a foot print substituted. The final design involved a photo, a gold foot print by Andy, a little watercolor by me, and a personalized blurb written in gold pencil.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
First Pediatrian Visit
We had the first pediatrician visit today. He got weighed the first thing. 5 lb 12 oz, yes, he gained 1 oz! What a relief! The doctor was patient and attentive. She coached me on feeding. She kept commenting that he's got strong legs, "Did he kick a lot when you were pregnant?" "oh yeah" They poked his heel for some blood for the PKU (protein allergy related) test. Andy is like me when it comes to draw blood, not much blood flow, but hopefully he's not anemic. The nurse squeezed and squeezed, but very little was coming and slowly. She almost had to poked a second time to get enough. I found a scale in the hallway and found I was back to my regular weight. I sure had the easiest birth experience throughout.
We then stopped by my office to say hi to everyone. Andy behaved like an angel and slept the entire time (it's his usual mid day nap time). It's
In the afternoon, I tried out doc's strategy of feeding on both sides per feed. This seemed to be working. We want to fill him up every time, so he doesn't doze off and get hungry too soon. The idea is to turn him from a snacker to a solid meal eater so he sleeps in bigger chunk of time.
We then stopped by my office to say hi to everyone. Andy behaved like an angel and slept the entire time (it's his usual mid day nap time). It's
In the afternoon, I tried out doc's strategy of feeding on both sides per feed. This seemed to be working. We want to fill him up every time, so he doesn't doze off and get hungry too soon. The idea is to turn him from a snacker to a solid meal eater so he sleeps in bigger chunk of time.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
One week birthday
Andy napped peacefully in my lap while I sketched his sleepy face in the living room's morning light. I then did yoga for the first time in a week and discovered I could kiss my knees again. It's almost 9:30, I thought what state I was in this time last Tuesday. Then it's feeding time, I relived the sequence of events as the clock ticked past 10. Eventually I fell asleep too with Andy (he always falls asleep on me during feeding).
I took Andy to the 0-3mo Snuggler class at Evergreen hospital; it's an informative moms' support group class. There were 20 mom & baby pairs today. The topic of the day was on breast feeding. So I got a lot of good information out of it. It was nice to hear others' experiences and tips about what to expect and how to deal with it. I learned this constant feeding is the norm. Many new moms have to deal with a lot of issues, such as mastitis (antibiotic 4 times a day), jaundice, fussy/gassy baby (Andy has been very good so far). So we've been very lucky so far. A few moms went to see movies together at the Friday morning "free baby movie time" at nice theaters. It feels funny to realize I'm eligible for this perk now. I like the class very much, except for the noise the 19 babies made. Andy was the youngest and quietest; he slept through the entire 2 hours. Mid day nap has become the longest stretch he sleeps during the day.
I filled out a form at the Snuggler class and found I have lost track of dates, other than in reference of Andy's birthday (9+7, ok it's 16th today).
After a few consecutive feeds, Andy is knocked out for a longer nap for the evening. I started making a carrot cake to give to the neighbors. We were really surprised and touched that two of the neighbors witnessed the parking lot scene and brought us dinner food.
So much has happened in a week! It's been an incredible learning experience in a week. The little guy grows everyday. His eyes are opening more often, with that curious look of the world around him. His skin is more vibrant (neck is peeling a bit. The purple hands and feet are normal colored now). It is also incredibly comforting to have so many friends talking to and visiting us (not to mention the homemade food!).
I took Andy to the 0-3mo Snuggler class at Evergreen hospital; it's an informative moms' support group class. There were 20 mom & baby pairs today. The topic of the day was on breast feeding. So I got a lot of good information out of it. It was nice to hear others' experiences and tips about what to expect and how to deal with it. I learned this constant feeding is the norm. Many new moms have to deal with a lot of issues, such as mastitis (antibiotic 4 times a day), jaundice, fussy/gassy baby (Andy has been very good so far). So we've been very lucky so far. A few moms went to see movies together at the Friday morning "free baby movie time" at nice theaters. It feels funny to realize I'm eligible for this perk now. I like the class very much, except for the noise the 19 babies made. Andy was the youngest and quietest; he slept through the entire 2 hours. Mid day nap has become the longest stretch he sleeps during the day.
I filled out a form at the Snuggler class and found I have lost track of dates, other than in reference of Andy's birthday (9+7, ok it's 16th today).
After a few consecutive feeds, Andy is knocked out for a longer nap for the evening. I started making a carrot cake to give to the neighbors. We were really surprised and touched that two of the neighbors witnessed the parking lot scene and brought us dinner food.
So much has happened in a week! It's been an incredible learning experience in a week. The little guy grows everyday. His eyes are opening more often, with that curious look of the world around him. His skin is more vibrant (neck is peeling a bit. The purple hands and feet are normal colored now). It is also incredibly comforting to have so many friends talking to and visiting us (not to mention the homemade food!).
Friday, October 12, 2007
First Few Days
10/10/2007 Day 1 at the Hospital
We had the NewBorn/Feeding class in the morning. It was very informative and helpful! I learned better positions of feeding him. We had more periodic vital checking, pediatrician visit, throughout the day.
3 visitors, 20 some email replies and at least 10 calls to the baby news. Xiaoying came at lunch time, and we had a good long catch up with her. She brought a tasty shrimp dish, mmm yummy protein. Shelly came by with Sophie after her Snuggler class. The two babies looked so cute laying together (Andy looked so much smaller compared to the 3mo old Sophie!), see pictures (click next for more). She made the Chinese soup just like Mom has ordered (supposed to be good for milk production)! We decided to to go to the Snuggler class together next week. It was a bonding feeling that Shelly and I started out in Madison, worked together, and now at a similar stage in life again.
There was a beautiful sunset tonight. I got a little fresh air for the first time in 2 days. Matthew came by in the evening. We recollected the dramatic event and saw all the pictures he took. Everything still felt shockingly amazing and fresh. Matthew held Andy in the arms for a long time; he was pretty good: Andy was quiet the whole time until he got hungry at the end.
Just as we thought it was manageable from the few regular feedings of first night, we experienced what's called "Marathon feeding" night. I fed him, he fell asleep, put him down, and he cried for food. The cycle repeated. We had to call the night nurse Maria at 4. She explained this was normal as babies are more nocturnal first coming out of womb. She made the bed and positioned me so I could feed and sleep with the baby in the same bed. I was surrounded by pillows. Soon enough both Andy and I were tired out and got solid 3 hours sleep.
10/11 Day 2 Leaving the Hospital
We had some more tests and surveys. Joe went to drop off stuff, swing by old apartment, drop off apartment keys, etc. Afternoon nurse Amy helped us packing Andy into the car seat. Andy was so small that the seat still seemed hollow with him in it. She swung the car seat while we waited for Joe to pull up the car, and Andy stopped protesting about the seat right away. She said she learned these seat tricks from growing her own 2 kids. She saw us off to the car and waved us bye.
We really like Evergreen hospital. The staff is just superb. Everyone is helpful and friendly, especially liked nurses Maria and Amy. It has one of the best Lactation facilities in the world according to literature.
Coming home, it felt like I've been gone for a long time. It's amazing so much could happen in 2 days! Little Rock is in my arms instead of belly now. When I get in the car, it occurs to me to be more careful now that he is on board. When I almost trip over things, I couldn't help thinking I'd better be more careful if he is my arm. Quite a bit of mentality shift in 2 days.
Pictures
10/12 Day 3 First day Home
We went to the postpartum appointment at Evergreen hospital this morning. When I did the "express milk" thing earlier, I found the clear little colostrum dews squeezed out were more milky white now. Doc confirmed my milk was coming.
They weighed him again and he's just about on the 10% weight loss boundary. She then did the feed, weigh, feed again, and weigh again test, and found Andy only gained about 3 grams on each feed, when 15 is the norm. But she was very pleased with the enthusiastic way Andy eats so suspected it was just I'm not producing enough yet.
The next diaper change found the poop was more brown now; this confirmed it was from milk. Andy took a good 2 hour nap until after 3, so I finally got some sleep too. We decided to take him on a little walk since it was beautifully sunny and mild out. We ran into this young Asian woman neighbor taking her 14mo baby out the car. The kid dropped a shoe, so I ran to her with it, and started chatting. When she learned Andy was 3day old, she went "oh, is this the one born in the parking lot here the other day?" It turns out she lives on 3rd floor on this corner of the building. She heard the siren and watched the drama from her window! She was also surprised I was walking already. She said she couldn't do anything for the first week. I felt fortunate for my quick delivery.
We took some pictures of Andy by a nearby tree with beautiful autumn colors and picked up a couple of leaves, so we can put them in a story book we plan to make for him one day. Andy is still a night owl; he grimaced at the sight of the sun. We didn't want him getting too much sun so turned back quickly.
Andy is pretty mellow during the day still. After a short feed, he goes for a short nap. We repeat this a couple times. I just sat quietly and watched his little face in the dark. His face winks or twitches, head turns, or he takes a quicker breath once in a while. It all looks so magical to me. I realize I'll probably never get tired of just looking at him.
10/14,15 First weekend
We went to the Pediatrics Associates's Bellvue clinic on Saturday morning to weigh Andy. He's 5lb 11oz, same as when he left the hospital. It's reassuring that he didn't lose any more weight, but it could have been nicer if he had gained some given how hard he's been eating. We had more visitors today. Andy met another playmate, Brian and Qiaolan's 6mo old Lily (picture here). They got us loaded on Costco size wipes and some diapers. We went for a nice walk in the Woodland park across the street in the cozy October sun. This was the longest walk I've had since getting out of the hospital. The fresh air felt really good. Lina made a chicken soup with ginseng in it (supposed to be good for milk production). Tom and Rebecca came by on Sunday with some yummy slow cooked Eight Treasure rice (oatmeal like breakfast).
It's a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by friends, everyone is eager to see Andy and help out!
More random pictures of the 4 day old.
We had the NewBorn/Feeding class in the morning. It was very informative and helpful! I learned better positions of feeding him. We had more periodic vital checking, pediatrician visit, throughout the day.
3 visitors, 20 some email replies and at least 10 calls to the baby news. Xiaoying came at lunch time, and we had a good long catch up with her. She brought a tasty shrimp dish, mmm yummy protein. Shelly came by with Sophie after her Snuggler class. The two babies looked so cute laying together (Andy looked so much smaller compared to the 3mo old Sophie!), see pictures (click next for more). She made the Chinese soup just like Mom has ordered (supposed to be good for milk production)! We decided to to go to the Snuggler class together next week. It was a bonding feeling that Shelly and I started out in Madison, worked together, and now at a similar stage in life again.
There was a beautiful sunset tonight. I got a little fresh air for the first time in 2 days. Matthew came by in the evening. We recollected the dramatic event and saw all the pictures he took. Everything still felt shockingly amazing and fresh. Matthew held Andy in the arms for a long time; he was pretty good: Andy was quiet the whole time until he got hungry at the end.
Just as we thought it was manageable from the few regular feedings of first night, we experienced what's called "Marathon feeding" night. I fed him, he fell asleep, put him down, and he cried for food. The cycle repeated. We had to call the night nurse Maria at 4. She explained this was normal as babies are more nocturnal first coming out of womb. She made the bed and positioned me so I could feed and sleep with the baby in the same bed. I was surrounded by pillows. Soon enough both Andy and I were tired out and got solid 3 hours sleep.
10/11 Day 2 Leaving the Hospital
We had some more tests and surveys. Joe went to drop off stuff, swing by old apartment, drop off apartment keys, etc. Afternoon nurse Amy helped us packing Andy into the car seat. Andy was so small that the seat still seemed hollow with him in it. She swung the car seat while we waited for Joe to pull up the car, and Andy stopped protesting about the seat right away. She said she learned these seat tricks from growing her own 2 kids. She saw us off to the car and waved us bye.
We really like Evergreen hospital. The staff is just superb. Everyone is helpful and friendly, especially liked nurses Maria and Amy. It has one of the best Lactation facilities in the world according to literature.
Coming home, it felt like I've been gone for a long time. It's amazing so much could happen in 2 days! Little Rock is in my arms instead of belly now. When I get in the car, it occurs to me to be more careful now that he is on board. When I almost trip over things, I couldn't help thinking I'd better be more careful if he is my arm. Quite a bit of mentality shift in 2 days.
Pictures
10/12 Day 3 First day Home
We went to the postpartum appointment at Evergreen hospital this morning. When I did the "express milk" thing earlier, I found the clear little colostrum dews squeezed out were more milky white now. Doc confirmed my milk was coming.
They weighed him again and he's just about on the 10% weight loss boundary. She then did the feed, weigh, feed again, and weigh again test, and found Andy only gained about 3 grams on each feed, when 15 is the norm. But she was very pleased with the enthusiastic way Andy eats so suspected it was just I'm not producing enough yet.
The next diaper change found the poop was more brown now; this confirmed it was from milk. Andy took a good 2 hour nap until after 3, so I finally got some sleep too. We decided to take him on a little walk since it was beautifully sunny and mild out. We ran into this young Asian woman neighbor taking her 14mo baby out the car. The kid dropped a shoe, so I ran to her with it, and started chatting. When she learned Andy was 3day old, she went "oh, is this the one born in the parking lot here the other day?" It turns out she lives on 3rd floor on this corner of the building. She heard the siren and watched the drama from her window! She was also surprised I was walking already. She said she couldn't do anything for the first week. I felt fortunate for my quick delivery.
We took some pictures of Andy by a nearby tree with beautiful autumn colors and picked up a couple of leaves, so we can put them in a story book we plan to make for him one day. Andy is still a night owl; he grimaced at the sight of the sun. We didn't want him getting too much sun so turned back quickly.
Andy is pretty mellow during the day still. After a short feed, he goes for a short nap. We repeat this a couple times. I just sat quietly and watched his little face in the dark. His face winks or twitches, head turns, or he takes a quicker breath once in a while. It all looks so magical to me. I realize I'll probably never get tired of just looking at him.
10/14,15 First weekend
We went to the Pediatrics Associates's Bellvue clinic on Saturday morning to weigh Andy. He's 5lb 11oz, same as when he left the hospital. It's reassuring that he didn't lose any more weight, but it could have been nicer if he had gained some given how hard he's been eating. We had more visitors today. Andy met another playmate, Brian and Qiaolan's 6mo old Lily (picture here). They got us loaded on Costco size wipes and some diapers. We went for a nice walk in the Woodland park across the street in the cozy October sun. This was the longest walk I've had since getting out of the hospital. The fresh air felt really good. Lina made a chicken soup with ginseng in it (supposed to be good for milk production). Tom and Rebecca came by on Sunday with some yummy slow cooked Eight Treasure rice (oatmeal like breakfast).
It's a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by friends, everyone is eager to see Andy and help out!
More random pictures of the 4 day old.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Poops
4:30am
First poop, first diaper change. 6 wipes and we still had to call the nurse in to help completely clean a certain area. LR was not a happy camper but quieted right down after changing into a fresh diaper and blankets.
6:30am
His cry woke us up. Second poop. We are much more efficient now. One wipe. Oh and he started the hose spray before we put on the new diaper!
Another lesson: it seems when LR cries, it is with a good reason.
First poop, first diaper change. 6 wipes and we still had to call the nurse in to help completely clean a certain area. LR was not a happy camper but quieted right down after changing into a fresh diaper and blankets.
6:30am
His cry woke us up. Second poop. We are much more efficient now. One wipe. Oh and he started the hose spray before we put on the new diaper!
Another lesson: it seems when LR cries, it is with a good reason.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Arrival of "Little Rock" -- Oct. 9, 2007
We've always referred to our little guy as Little Rock (LR) as he hid himself well throughout the pregnancy but his kicks were solid and strong.
I was tossing and turning this morning since 3am, had oatmeal, many trips to the bathroom, and in and out sleep. My stomach still felt bad from time to time, more discomfort after 8am, and with a little diarrhea. I wondered if I had caught a chill from the walk the night before. I was finally tired out, so sent an out-sick work email with the intention to at least going in for the 5pm meeting today. I went back to sleep by 9am.
It was close to 9:30 when I woke up again. I realized it had to be contraction, and pretty strong ones too, 1-2 min apart. It soon became unbearable, so I tried calling all the friends that had babies recently and reached Shelly first. I got the "yes" for going to the hospital. My friend Matthew at work saw my out-sick IM status and offered to help whenever needed, so I IM'ed for the hospital ride now. I went to the bathroom again and found bleeding had started!
The next 5 minutes waiting for the ride became excruciatingly painful. I could feel my bottom was opening rapidly. I could hardly walk and couldn't string complete sentences on the phone with Evergreen Hospital. Matthew helped me into the car. As soon as I sat down, water, blood, and came LR!!! I looked in my pants and he had come out completely. He was purple and gray, covered with white stuff on the back, slippery mucus all over, and only attached to me with the cord. Such a strange creature. Is he alive? I was so afraid for his life and health! He moved, and made a little noise after a few seconds, It was the most amazing moment of my life. It was a strange feeling that this big fish swam out of my belly; my belly went down instantly and I forgot all the pain.
Matthew took charge and brought him up to me. He took the phone and called 911 at 9:57. The paramedics came in a couple of minutes and strapped me and the baby into the ambulance by 10:05. Matthew called Joe at work, and Joe almost fell out of his chair. He began his long anxious bus ride home.
They rushed me to the hospital that's 10 minutes away, and finally got a doctor to help me deliver this big bloody mess called placenta. She pointed to the big hole in it and said that's where the baby came out. I shook uncontrollably the whole way to and in the hospital, not sure because of the shock or pain, but everything calmed down now.
Then the normal stuff. LR latched on quickly; he must have been hungry. His glucose was low initially, probably due to the shocking delivery they say, but he ate well and caught up by 6pm. Joe says he's got my fast eating habit, reminds him of me gobbling 2-3 cups of teas in the mornings. He spits often; they say it's mostly amniotic fluid, due to the short time he was in the birth canal that he didn't have time to squeeze out the fluid. He got some bruises on the face, also due to the rapid delivery. But he is healthy and strong, and cries loudly when given shots or changing.
After a few more feedings, he is rosy pink now. Each holding or feeding makes us feel closer to him, more than his kicking when in my tummy (it almost feel strange that I no longer feel kicks now). Each of his little movements seem precious and cute. We try to learn his signals.
We finally decided on the name Andy. We like the sound of it. It reminds me of The Andes Mountains (the BIG rock :), which I first learned of in Art history. It rhymes with the Chinese characters "An1 安" for Peace/calm and "di4 地" for Earth/ground.
Joe went to help clean up Matthew's car in the late afternoon. We should have had a picture of the bloody scene.
Joe spent an hour putting the car seat in and packing my suitcase last night and I was joking he ought to be unpacking his clothing instead (we just moved to a condo). But his anxiety sure proved his point today. LR was scheduled to be due on 10/26 and he came 2.5 weeks early.
We were walking down the hall in the evening and ran into a maternity ward tour group. We were supposed to be in one for our last labor/birth class tonight but we sure arrived early. It was my first walk in 10 hours.
Joe filled out the birth certificate document, one multiple choice was method of delivery, yes, the "Spontaneous Vaginal" seemed like the best fit.
I was tossing and turning this morning since 3am, had oatmeal, many trips to the bathroom, and in and out sleep. My stomach still felt bad from time to time, more discomfort after 8am, and with a little diarrhea. I wondered if I had caught a chill from the walk the night before. I was finally tired out, so sent an out-sick work email with the intention to at least going in for the 5pm meeting today. I went back to sleep by 9am.
It was close to 9:30 when I woke up again. I realized it had to be contraction, and pretty strong ones too, 1-2 min apart. It soon became unbearable, so I tried calling all the friends that had babies recently and reached Shelly first. I got the "yes" for going to the hospital. My friend Matthew at work saw my out-sick IM status and offered to help whenever needed, so I IM'ed for the hospital ride now. I went to the bathroom again and found bleeding had started!
The next 5 minutes waiting for the ride became excruciatingly painful. I could feel my bottom was opening rapidly. I could hardly walk and couldn't string complete sentences on the phone with Evergreen Hospital. Matthew helped me into the car. As soon as I sat down, water, blood, and came LR!!! I looked in my pants and he had come out completely. He was purple and gray, covered with white stuff on the back, slippery mucus all over, and only attached to me with the cord. Such a strange creature. Is he alive? I was so afraid for his life and health! He moved, and made a little noise after a few seconds, It was the most amazing moment of my life. It was a strange feeling that this big fish swam out of my belly; my belly went down instantly and I forgot all the pain.
Matthew took charge and brought him up to me. He took the phone and called 911 at 9:57. The paramedics came in a couple of minutes and strapped me and the baby into the ambulance by 10:05. Matthew called Joe at work, and Joe almost fell out of his chair. He began his long anxious bus ride home.
They rushed me to the hospital that's 10 minutes away, and finally got a doctor to help me deliver this big bloody mess called placenta. She pointed to the big hole in it and said that's where the baby came out. I shook uncontrollably the whole way to and in the hospital, not sure because of the shock or pain, but everything calmed down now.
Then the normal stuff. LR latched on quickly; he must have been hungry. His glucose was low initially, probably due to the shocking delivery they say, but he ate well and caught up by 6pm. Joe says he's got my fast eating habit, reminds him of me gobbling 2-3 cups of teas in the mornings. He spits often; they say it's mostly amniotic fluid, due to the short time he was in the birth canal that he didn't have time to squeeze out the fluid. He got some bruises on the face, also due to the rapid delivery. But he is healthy and strong, and cries loudly when given shots or changing.
After a few more feedings, he is rosy pink now. Each holding or feeding makes us feel closer to him, more than his kicking when in my tummy (it almost feel strange that I no longer feel kicks now). Each of his little movements seem precious and cute. We try to learn his signals.
We finally decided on the name Andy. We like the sound of it. It reminds me of The Andes Mountains (the BIG rock :), which I first learned of in Art history. It rhymes with the Chinese characters "An1 安" for Peace/calm and "di4 地" for Earth/ground.
Joe went to help clean up Matthew's car in the late afternoon. We should have had a picture of the bloody scene.
Joe spent an hour putting the car seat in and packing my suitcase last night and I was joking he ought to be unpacking his clothing instead (we just moved to a condo). But his anxiety sure proved his point today. LR was scheduled to be due on 10/26 and he came 2.5 weeks early.
We were walking down the hall in the evening and ran into a maternity ward tour group. We were supposed to be in one for our last labor/birth class tonight but we sure arrived early. It was my first walk in 10 hours.
Joe filled out the birth certificate document, one multiple choice was method of delivery, yes, the "Spontaneous Vaginal" seemed like the best fit.
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