Sunday, February 28th, 2010 - Day 72
My entire life, I have never been much of a morning person. I loved to sleep in when I was younger and getting up for school was very hard for me. When I went away to college, I scheduled all of my classes for after 10am in the morning so I would get to sleep in as long as I could. Even then, there were days that I was late because I just didn't want to get up. I'm the typical snoozer. I set my alarm for an hour before, hit snooze every 15 minutes and when I finally get up, I pray the shower wakes me more. My college boyfriend and I used to go visit his parents and his mom seriously thought I had a sleeping disorder because I slept in until noon on Saturday and Sunday, lol When I moved in with Chris, I asked him if he liked to sleep in on the weekends and his answer was 'I don't want to waste the day and would rather get things done'...well, I was instantly scared that he'd ridicule me for wanting to sleep in all the time. To my pleasant surprise, that wasn't the case at all with Chris. He has yet to get up on his on free will and get things done on the weekends, he sleeps in as long, if not longer than I do. For me, I love that he is like me in that aspect. I have a really hard time sleeping and am very sensitive to noise. Chris, on the other hand, can sleep through everything. After I moved in, there were several occasions, I'd wake up and he'd be sprawled out across the bed, right in the center and I'd be buried underneath him. He didn't even know I was there. He, of course, has learned what 'his side' of the bed means and having a King bed has made it really clear! lol Since Chris can sleep through a freight train passing through, his alarm clock was the loudest, most annoying thing I had ever heard in my entire life. He had three set and they'd go off as loud as could be and he'd sleep right through. What was worse, was that the alarm was on the nightstand on MY side of the bed. I 'tried' to get used to it, since that is the way he woke himself up and I didn't want to mess with his routine. But, after a week of that, when his alarm would go off, my arm would instantly fly over and hit the snooze...almost before it even goes off. My reflexes became so quick that it was really pointless for him to even have an alarm because the only person it woke up was me. So our routine started to take shape where I would be his alarm clock. It was so funny too because I really realized how 'not a morning person' Chris was. The alarm would go off and I'd say 'honey, time to get up', he grumble '5 more minutes' and I'd say 'okay'...that went on for about 45 minutes. Then I'd say 'honey, really it is time for you to get up' and he'd say 'okay', but would just lay there as if he was paralyzed. One day, I think I forgot my patience and I turned perpendicular to Chris, put my feet on his side and started to push him, while warning him 'better get up or else'. On some occasions, he would go flying off the bed onto the floor. What is funny, is that he'd actually get back into bed and take his chances of it happening again. Then there were times where he'd get up and go turn on the shower. I'd roll over as if I was going back to bed and he'd run and jump into bed while I wasn't looking. We almost created an entire game out of our morning wake-ups. Sort of like cat and mouse and when it got really bad, I'd literally drag him to the shower. Talk about not being a morning person! But I'm okay with that because I completely understand. I then realized that it was better for me to get up and take a shower first and then crawl back in bed and snuggle with Chris a bit - we'd chat and it would slowly wake him up. I'd go get ready and give him warnings until he got up. We love our morning routine because it works for us. He would always say I was such a morning person and I would give him a look of disbelief. But he was right...I was bubbly, perky, awake, and playful in the morning. What!?! That's not me. But I think it is because I had to be a morning person to ensure he would get up. Since I replaced his alarm clocks, it was my duty to get his butt out of bed.
Now Tia needs me to be that morning person too. She has her first feeding at 5:15am every morning and so I typically get up at 5am, make her bottle, ease back into bed and patiently listen to her coos and cas until I know she's ready to get up OR if 5:15am arrives first. We have a great time in the morning. As I'm feeding her, I get my kisses in! I'll kiss her cheek, neck, hands and just love on her while she is busy gulping down her food. Then I'll give her some floor time and we'll play a bit. We have these long conversations and they are the cutest. I'll say something and she'll mumble something back. It almost sounds like she is trying to speak under water, but it really does seem like she is talking. It is fun. I'll rock her back to sleep and I'll watch her smile and giggle as she goes back to dreamland. Then right at 6:14am, I'll put her down and walk back to the bedroom just in time for the 6:15am alarm to go off for Chris and then that routine will begin. So I guess I've become a morning person not by choice, but by chance. The true test will be once I go back to work and trying to fit it all in the same way so I can feed Tia,get Chris up, get ready myself and get us out the door. I'm praying it is an easy transition since I've been up at 4am and 5am every morning for over 10 weeks. I will be sure to let you guys know! On the weekends, I do hope to get some chances to sleep in here and there...we'll see!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tia has a Flat Spot
Saturday, February 27th, 2010 - Day 71
Unfortunately, getting a flat head or flat spot is pretty common among babies. Ever since they released that stomach sleeping is riskier for SIDS and thus moms were having their babies sleep on their backs - flat heads have become a thing among newborns. Tia has started to develop a flat spot on the back of her head. It is on her left side because when she sleeps, she looks to the left. We've tried to give her more tummy time, put things on the right side so she looks that way and put her in her crib a bit tilted. I hope it goes away and doesn't get worse. I know it happens all the time to most babies, but don't you just hate it when things happen to your own kids.
Unfortunately, getting a flat head or flat spot is pretty common among babies. Ever since they released that stomach sleeping is riskier for SIDS and thus moms were having their babies sleep on their backs - flat heads have become a thing among newborns. Tia has started to develop a flat spot on the back of her head. It is on her left side because when she sleeps, she looks to the left. We've tried to give her more tummy time, put things on the right side so she looks that way and put her in her crib a bit tilted. I hope it goes away and doesn't get worse. I know it happens all the time to most babies, but don't you just hate it when things happen to your own kids.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Last Day with Mommy
Friday, February 26th, 2010 - Day 70
Today is the last day for Tia to be at home with mommy. Starting Monday, she will be in daycare and getting used to a new routine. I'm sad, of course, but I'm excited for that next stage where I go back to work, she gets used to daycare and our new routine and Chris and I will cherish all the evenings and early mornings with Tia. I pray that Tia makes the transition well. I know I'll be okay with her being at daycare because I know she is good hands. What I'm apprehensive about is Tia. Will she be overwhelmed at first with the adjustment? Will she cry more because she doesn't get that undivided attention? Will they pick her up when she starts to get that bad cry that breaks my heart? Will she be able to nap during the day? Will they be able to burp her enough so she doesn't spit up or get the hiccups? and so many more thoughts. I think that is why I'm partly excited because the sooner we get her going on a new routine, the sooner she'll adjust.
So today, I will be cherishing every moment. Holding her as much as I can and loving every minute. She has grown so much the past 10 weeks and I've been able to witness every moment of that. Now, I'll have to watch her grow when I see her outside of work/daycare. She's getting that fun personality that is easy to play, laugh and smile. She gets jealous when Daddy is playing with her and he stops to talk to mommy. Tia will scream at him in a way that is like 'hey, look at me daddy'. It is the cutest thing. We noticed it a few weeks ago, but thought we were just wishful thinking. However, it is pretty obvious that she wants daddy's attention when he gets home from work and he's making her smile and laugh. I love that she is daddy's little girl. I know Chris loves it too. There will always be an extra caress from mommy's care and attention. But little girls have a unique love for their daddies. So cheers to my last day with Tia today. She has my undivided attention for sure!
Today is the last day for Tia to be at home with mommy. Starting Monday, she will be in daycare and getting used to a new routine. I'm sad, of course, but I'm excited for that next stage where I go back to work, she gets used to daycare and our new routine and Chris and I will cherish all the evenings and early mornings with Tia. I pray that Tia makes the transition well. I know I'll be okay with her being at daycare because I know she is good hands. What I'm apprehensive about is Tia. Will she be overwhelmed at first with the adjustment? Will she cry more because she doesn't get that undivided attention? Will they pick her up when she starts to get that bad cry that breaks my heart? Will she be able to nap during the day? Will they be able to burp her enough so she doesn't spit up or get the hiccups? and so many more thoughts. I think that is why I'm partly excited because the sooner we get her going on a new routine, the sooner she'll adjust.
So today, I will be cherishing every moment. Holding her as much as I can and loving every minute. She has grown so much the past 10 weeks and I've been able to witness every moment of that. Now, I'll have to watch her grow when I see her outside of work/daycare. She's getting that fun personality that is easy to play, laugh and smile. She gets jealous when Daddy is playing with her and he stops to talk to mommy. Tia will scream at him in a way that is like 'hey, look at me daddy'. It is the cutest thing. We noticed it a few weeks ago, but thought we were just wishful thinking. However, it is pretty obvious that she wants daddy's attention when he gets home from work and he's making her smile and laugh. I love that she is daddy's little girl. I know Chris loves it too. There will always be an extra caress from mommy's care and attention. But little girls have a unique love for their daddies. So cheers to my last day with Tia today. She has my undivided attention for sure!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Addicted to the Baby Monitor
Thursday, February 25th, 2010 - Day 69
I don't know how they did it back in the day when there wasn't baby monitors to check in on your little ones. We got one for Tia (Thx Angela) and we use it daily and nightly. But I think I'm addicted to ours. At first, it was very hard for me because I'm a very light sleeper and it takes me forever to go to sleep. Having that baby monitor on the night stand next to my ear, I'd hear every peep Tia would make and I literally would not sleep a wink or I'd go running in her room to see if she was okay. Of course, it has been several weeks and I can tell the difference between when she is grunting trying to get comfortable to when she hmmm's and I know it is only a matter of time before she wakes up. I have spoiled her in that on her first cry, I'll go get her because I know she is ready to eat. I guess I don't have the heart to let her cry much, but I'm getting better at giving it a little more time before I come to her rescue. For weeks, I had the monitor on full blast. The volume goes up to 8. A couple weeks ago, I turned it down to 7 and then 6. I really don't need to hear every coo and cah she does but rather try to get a good sleep while I can. The monitor vibrates if she screams out in a cry and automatically makes the volume an 8 if she is that loud. It is just hard for me because I think I sort of like hearing her move around in there and know she is breathing. When she is down for a nap during the day, I have the monitor literally attached to me. My ears perk up at every peep she makes and then I analyze what the sound means. I even have the perfect spot I put the monitor when I try to squeeze in a shower. I have been trying to kick my addiction of the monitor by putting the volume lower to 4 or 5 and I know it will be good for the both of us if I do. Perhaps, once I'm back to work and I no longer can take any catnaps while she is napping during the day, I'll take advantage during the late night hours. Chris is very good about letting her cry a little and YES I know that crying is good for her from time to time. I guess because I'm home with her all day, every day, I just want her to be happy when I'm around. I know that at daycare she won't have the undivided attention that she has with me and therefore will have some spells of crying periods. Makes me sad to think about it, but I know it will be good to get used to not always having everyone's attention. So within the next weeks, I'm going to try to turn the volume a bit each more until it is on a level where I only hear when she cries. I will say that when I hear a certain higher pitched hmmm from her, I know she is up and her hmmms will get louder, deeper and soon will turn into a whine, then a cry. If I go into her room after the first few lower pitched hmmms, she'll be wide awake and when you peak into her crib, she'll have the biggest smile - it is super sweet.
I know they make the video monitors too and I can't imagine how I'd be with that. I have one friend who says she presses her face against the video monitor sometimes just to see if her baby's chest is rising, lol - I know I'd be the same way for the first weeks. I thought about investing in the video one, but we really don't need it. I think walking back and forth from my room to Tia's room about 3 or 4 times in the middle of the night does my body good. She loses her pacifier sometimes and I'll come to her rescue, luckily she'll go right back to sleep. She's been sleeping very well. 10.5 hours one night and between 7 and 9 on other days. Not bad for our 10 week old princess!
I don't know how they did it back in the day when there wasn't baby monitors to check in on your little ones. We got one for Tia (Thx Angela) and we use it daily and nightly. But I think I'm addicted to ours. At first, it was very hard for me because I'm a very light sleeper and it takes me forever to go to sleep. Having that baby monitor on the night stand next to my ear, I'd hear every peep Tia would make and I literally would not sleep a wink or I'd go running in her room to see if she was okay. Of course, it has been several weeks and I can tell the difference between when she is grunting trying to get comfortable to when she hmmm's and I know it is only a matter of time before she wakes up. I have spoiled her in that on her first cry, I'll go get her because I know she is ready to eat. I guess I don't have the heart to let her cry much, but I'm getting better at giving it a little more time before I come to her rescue. For weeks, I had the monitor on full blast. The volume goes up to 8. A couple weeks ago, I turned it down to 7 and then 6. I really don't need to hear every coo and cah she does but rather try to get a good sleep while I can. The monitor vibrates if she screams out in a cry and automatically makes the volume an 8 if she is that loud. It is just hard for me because I think I sort of like hearing her move around in there and know she is breathing. When she is down for a nap during the day, I have the monitor literally attached to me. My ears perk up at every peep she makes and then I analyze what the sound means. I even have the perfect spot I put the monitor when I try to squeeze in a shower. I have been trying to kick my addiction of the monitor by putting the volume lower to 4 or 5 and I know it will be good for the both of us if I do. Perhaps, once I'm back to work and I no longer can take any catnaps while she is napping during the day, I'll take advantage during the late night hours. Chris is very good about letting her cry a little and YES I know that crying is good for her from time to time. I guess because I'm home with her all day, every day, I just want her to be happy when I'm around. I know that at daycare she won't have the undivided attention that she has with me and therefore will have some spells of crying periods. Makes me sad to think about it, but I know it will be good to get used to not always having everyone's attention. So within the next weeks, I'm going to try to turn the volume a bit each more until it is on a level where I only hear when she cries. I will say that when I hear a certain higher pitched hmmm from her, I know she is up and her hmmms will get louder, deeper and soon will turn into a whine, then a cry. If I go into her room after the first few lower pitched hmmms, she'll be wide awake and when you peak into her crib, she'll have the biggest smile - it is super sweet.
I know they make the video monitors too and I can't imagine how I'd be with that. I have one friend who says she presses her face against the video monitor sometimes just to see if her baby's chest is rising, lol - I know I'd be the same way for the first weeks. I thought about investing in the video one, but we really don't need it. I think walking back and forth from my room to Tia's room about 3 or 4 times in the middle of the night does my body good. She loses her pacifier sometimes and I'll come to her rescue, luckily she'll go right back to sleep. She's been sleeping very well. 10.5 hours one night and between 7 and 9 on other days. Not bad for our 10 week old princess!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Back to Bowling
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 - Day 68
Last night was my first night back to bowling on my Divas on Tap league. It was great to be back and see everyone. I didn't do that great but I know I'll improve the next few weeks. I'll have to since I have a tournament at the end of the month. I did go practice last Saturday and did very well with 181, 179, 157 and 207, so I know I have it in me to do well...I just have to get into the groove again. Since Tia had he immunizations and was a bit cranky, I think I had that on my mind among a few other things. I'm glad to be back though. My mom has decided that she is moving to Thailand sooner than planned. Her and her husband were going to wait until he reached 67 years old, but due to the economy...jobs are few and far between in his industry. So he may retire early. If this proves to be the case, then he'll retire early and they will work on selling their house. Once that sells, they'll move to Thailand. In preparation for that, my mom wants to quit the league to dedicate her time in preparing for the move. So Lisa, Cherri and I were left with a decision to retire the team for good or bring on some new people. We decided that if we found a few people to join our team where we could rotate from week to week - then we'd keep the team. If we weren't able to find any people, then we'd end our team for the meantime. Luckily for us, we recruited three more players including the girl who subbed for me while I was on maternity leave. So we are set for another year on the bowling league. We even came up with a theme for our new team!
Last night was my first night back to bowling on my Divas on Tap league. It was great to be back and see everyone. I didn't do that great but I know I'll improve the next few weeks. I'll have to since I have a tournament at the end of the month. I did go practice last Saturday and did very well with 181, 179, 157 and 207, so I know I have it in me to do well...I just have to get into the groove again. Since Tia had he immunizations and was a bit cranky, I think I had that on my mind among a few other things. I'm glad to be back though. My mom has decided that she is moving to Thailand sooner than planned. Her and her husband were going to wait until he reached 67 years old, but due to the economy...jobs are few and far between in his industry. So he may retire early. If this proves to be the case, then he'll retire early and they will work on selling their house. Once that sells, they'll move to Thailand. In preparation for that, my mom wants to quit the league to dedicate her time in preparing for the move. So Lisa, Cherri and I were left with a decision to retire the team for good or bring on some new people. We decided that if we found a few people to join our team where we could rotate from week to week - then we'd keep the team. If we weren't able to find any people, then we'd end our team for the meantime. Luckily for us, we recruited three more players including the girl who subbed for me while I was on maternity leave. So we are set for another year on the bowling league. We even came up with a theme for our new team!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
2 Month Doc Appointment
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 - Day 67
We went to the doc today and I have good news and bad news. The good news is that she is doing great. She weighs 10 lbs 4 ozs and is 22.5 inches long. Doc said that her eating, sleeping, and motor skills rank up to the 4 month levels so she is doing beyond what is expected. The bad news is that she had to get her immunizations today and boy was it painful for me (and her). She screamed bloody murder and it just pained me to see her in so much pain. It was the hardest I had ever seen him cry. She received: Diphtheria Tetanus, Polio, Haemophilus Influenzae, Hepatitis B, Pneumoccoccal Conjugate, and Rotavirus vaccines and shots. Wow! But at least we got it out of the way. I just felt so bad for her and once I got her calm again, she was all good. Once I got her home and fed her, she was all smiles. She's healthy and I'm happy she is doing well!
We went to the doc today and I have good news and bad news. The good news is that she is doing great. She weighs 10 lbs 4 ozs and is 22.5 inches long. Doc said that her eating, sleeping, and motor skills rank up to the 4 month levels so she is doing beyond what is expected. The bad news is that she had to get her immunizations today and boy was it painful for me (and her). She screamed bloody murder and it just pained me to see her in so much pain. It was the hardest I had ever seen him cry. She received: Diphtheria Tetanus, Polio, Haemophilus Influenzae, Hepatitis B, Pneumoccoccal Conjugate, and Rotavirus vaccines and shots. Wow! But at least we got it out of the way. I just felt so bad for her and once I got her calm again, she was all good. Once I got her home and fed her, she was all smiles. She's healthy and I'm happy she is doing well!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sleeping Through the Night
Monday, February 22nd, 2010 - Day 66
For weeks, we've fed Tia her last bottle at 11pm and her first one at 5:15am. She was getting a good 6 hours of sleep in. Every now and then she'd either lose her pacifier or wake up earlier, but it was pretty easy to get her to go back to bed quickly. We decided to try and see how long she could sleep so the past few nights, we've been putting her to bed around 10pm. She slept well until it was about 5:15am. Last night, we put her to bed at 9:30pm and I let her sleep as long as she wanted this morning and she didn't get up until 7:30am. That means she slept about 10 hours. She did wake up twice because she lost her pacifier but that was a great run! So at least we know she is capable of sleeping for 8 to 10 hours through the night. So now I have to decide what time she should get up in the morning for her first bottle. I have to be at work by 8am and with an hour drive to Chesterfield, I need to think about what time I need to leave to get her to daycare in time and then me to work. The daycare is in Ballwin, about 5 or 10 minutes from 141 which is the route I take. I used to leave at 7am and would get to work just before 8am. So I'll probably have to leave about 6:30am to get her to daycare and me to work by 8am. Which means, I'll probably have to get up about 5:15am to shower and get ready and then get her up for her bottle around 5:45am which should give me enough time to burp her, change her and get her dressed and ready to go. I should be pretty used to getting up early since that is the way it has been since she was born, BUT working a full day in addition will be another thing. So we are pleased to know she is sleeping pretty well. We do swaddle her tightly and give her the soothie pacifier too. So we are going to stick to giving her the last bottle at 9pm and off to dreamland it is. As she gets used to that, we'll start getting that down to 8pm.
For weeks, we've fed Tia her last bottle at 11pm and her first one at 5:15am. She was getting a good 6 hours of sleep in. Every now and then she'd either lose her pacifier or wake up earlier, but it was pretty easy to get her to go back to bed quickly. We decided to try and see how long she could sleep so the past few nights, we've been putting her to bed around 10pm. She slept well until it was about 5:15am. Last night, we put her to bed at 9:30pm and I let her sleep as long as she wanted this morning and she didn't get up until 7:30am. That means she slept about 10 hours. She did wake up twice because she lost her pacifier but that was a great run! So at least we know she is capable of sleeping for 8 to 10 hours through the night. So now I have to decide what time she should get up in the morning for her first bottle. I have to be at work by 8am and with an hour drive to Chesterfield, I need to think about what time I need to leave to get her to daycare in time and then me to work. The daycare is in Ballwin, about 5 or 10 minutes from 141 which is the route I take. I used to leave at 7am and would get to work just before 8am. So I'll probably have to leave about 6:30am to get her to daycare and me to work by 8am. Which means, I'll probably have to get up about 5:15am to shower and get ready and then get her up for her bottle around 5:45am which should give me enough time to burp her, change her and get her dressed and ready to go. I should be pretty used to getting up early since that is the way it has been since she was born, BUT working a full day in addition will be another thing. So we are pleased to know she is sleeping pretty well. We do swaddle her tightly and give her the soothie pacifier too. So we are going to stick to giving her the last bottle at 9pm and off to dreamland it is. As she gets used to that, we'll start getting that down to 8pm.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Baby Crack
Sunday, February 21st, 2010 - Day 65
When someone told me about 'Baby Crack', I just had to laugh. A friend told me that I had to possess a product called Gripe Water because it is the best thing when your baby is crying hysterically and you don't know what to do to calm her down. She said that just a tad of Gripe Water and your baby will instantly stop crying, hence why it is called 'Baby Crack'.
Of course with our showers, we received a couple bottles of Baby Crack/Gripe Water. Luckily for us, we have only used it a handful of times, but let me tell you that it works like a charm. Imagine yourself tasting the most delicious dessert that you've ever had in your life - picture that face and the movements you would make with your mouth as you are mmmming the yummy taste...that is the face Tia gets when we give her Gripe Water. She smacks her lips like she's saying yummy and her eyes get big like she's thinking 'more please'. The first time we used it was when she was about a month old and in the evening one night we had no idea what was wrong with her. She was crying hysterically like we had cut her arm off or something. We tried to soothe her by rocking her, patting her, holding her, putting her in her swing...everything and nothing was working. I asked Chris if we should pull out the Gripe Water. It was as if we were talking about our cherished vintage bottle of Dom Perignon or something that we'd pull out only for the most special occasion. When he gave me that look that he was at his wits end, I decided it was time for the Gripe Water to be introduced to Tia. We didn't give her the proposed large dose, but just a tiny bit and let's just say that she instantly stopped crying and was calm again. We couldn't believe it. Later we figured out that she was overtired. We thought the more she was up during the day, the more she'd sleep at night. Of course, we've realized the opposite is true and if Tia doesn't get at least one or two good naps throughout the day, she gets cranky at night. Tia is a great baby, but on those rare occasions, we'll pull out a small dose of Baby Crack.
When someone told me about 'Baby Crack', I just had to laugh. A friend told me that I had to possess a product called Gripe Water because it is the best thing when your baby is crying hysterically and you don't know what to do to calm her down. She said that just a tad of Gripe Water and your baby will instantly stop crying, hence why it is called 'Baby Crack'.
Of course with our showers, we received a couple bottles of Baby Crack/Gripe Water. Luckily for us, we have only used it a handful of times, but let me tell you that it works like a charm. Imagine yourself tasting the most delicious dessert that you've ever had in your life - picture that face and the movements you would make with your mouth as you are mmmming the yummy taste...that is the face Tia gets when we give her Gripe Water. She smacks her lips like she's saying yummy and her eyes get big like she's thinking 'more please'. The first time we used it was when she was about a month old and in the evening one night we had no idea what was wrong with her. She was crying hysterically like we had cut her arm off or something. We tried to soothe her by rocking her, patting her, holding her, putting her in her swing...everything and nothing was working. I asked Chris if we should pull out the Gripe Water. It was as if we were talking about our cherished vintage bottle of Dom Perignon or something that we'd pull out only for the most special occasion. When he gave me that look that he was at his wits end, I decided it was time for the Gripe Water to be introduced to Tia. We didn't give her the proposed large dose, but just a tiny bit and let's just say that she instantly stopped crying and was calm again. We couldn't believe it. Later we figured out that she was overtired. We thought the more she was up during the day, the more she'd sleep at night. Of course, we've realized the opposite is true and if Tia doesn't get at least one or two good naps throughout the day, she gets cranky at night. Tia is a great baby, but on those rare occasions, we'll pull out a small dose of Baby Crack.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
How I Came Up with the Name Tia
Saturday, February 20th, 2010 - Day 64
I explained how we came up with McKenzie in an earlier post, but I never said how I came up with the name Tia. I don't even know if Chris really knows why I've always loved that name either.
My entire life, I've always had people say I look like someone. In recent times, I got Jill Hennessey from the show Crossing Jordon. For about 5 years after college, I got Catherine Zeta-Jones. I even had one girl think I was really her and when I kept telling her my name was Angie, she'd wink and say 'your secret is safe with me'. All through college, people called me Pocahontas. Never would think I'd become an animated character, but that was my name and I think the entire EIU campus called me that even those who didn't know me. I do have to admit that all of the people that I look like are very good looking women, so I definitely took it all as a compliment. When I was in high school, everyone called me Tia Carrere from Wayne's World. I loved when people called me that because I always admired her. She is Cantonese, but I grew up in a very small town and even though I was only half Asian - we were one of two Asian families. I didn't really know that many fellow Asians. Wayne's World was huge at that time, so seeing a famous Asian women like Tia Carrere, I instantly loved that name.
But for about 10 years, the name I had always wanted to name my first baby girl was Riley. I had a friend in college named Julie Riley and from then on, I decided that I would name my first born girl Riley. I remember in the year 2000, my friend Bonnie needed a name and when I told her Riley was my favorite name, she named her dog Riley. That didn't deter me though, I took it as a compliment. For years, that was the name. I remember about 5 years ago, I heard a mother say her baby's name was Riley and my ears perked up. I couldn't believe someone had stolen my name. Then after that, I started hearing people naming their babies Riley all over and the last few years, I decided I needed a new name. It was right when I met Chris that I decided on the name Tia. On our first date, I asked Chris if he wanted kids and he said 'as many as I can spoil'. I had been on many first dates and had asked the same question and the answer was usually 'someday' or 'maybe' or 'I think so'...but I knew they really didn't want kids when all of these guys were in their 30's. My last serious relationship ended for many reasons, one of which was that he didn't want any children. I have always wanted to have kids and nothing was going to stand in my way. When Chris answered that infamous question, he not only made my day, but once we started dating - I couldn't help but start thinking about names for our 'possible future' children. Tia was the name that popped in my head and it stuck!
So if you want to say I named her after Tia Carrere, you can. She's a beautiful successful woman and I'd only hope for the same for my little Tia. Tia means Princess in Greek and I loved that meaning.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Trigger Thumb
Friday, February 19th, 2010 - Day 63
First off, why hasn't anyone told me I've been writing 2009 on all of my post this year, lol. I went though and changed all of them! It is always hard to get used to the new dates each year.
Went to the doctor today regarding my thumb. A couple months before I had Tia, my hands swelled really bad while I slept. It was to the point where I couldn't even sleep and if I did, I would wake up to feel like my hands were brittle and if I moved them, they'd break off. One night, I pulled the cover over me with my left hand. You'd think that would be easy to do, but with my brittle feeling hands, my thumb moved out of place. It was a weird feeling because I knew it wasn't broken, but I knew there was something up with it. My doctor said it is normal to have that feeling when you are in late pregnancy and to just watch it as much as I could. Once Tia was born, the swelling disappeared, but what started happening immediately that first week was I'd wake up in the middle of the night and my left thumb would be bent. Bent in the way that hurt and I couldn't get it out of that position easily. I had to massage it and even then it was numb and hurt really bad. So far two months I've been taping my thumb so it wouldn't bend while I slept. I also taped it during the day as well because when I'd pick up Tia, it would hurt as well. My OB referred me to a hand doctor and today I finally saw him. Yep, I have trigger finger. Trigger Finger is an inflammation of tissue inside my thumb. Tendons, cordlike fibers that attach muscle to bone and allow you to bend the joints, become swollen, as well as the membrane that allows the tendons to move easily. This makes it difficult to straighten the finger or thumb. Let's just say it sucks! So the doctor gave me a shot today of an anti-inflammatory medication, cortisone. It definitely hurt but I know it should do the trick...I hope. He said that if it doesn't, then we'll have to do surgery. I've never had surgery before and would prefer not to (besides Lasik).
First off, why hasn't anyone told me I've been writing 2009 on all of my post this year, lol. I went though and changed all of them! It is always hard to get used to the new dates each year.
Went to the doctor today regarding my thumb. A couple months before I had Tia, my hands swelled really bad while I slept. It was to the point where I couldn't even sleep and if I did, I would wake up to feel like my hands were brittle and if I moved them, they'd break off. One night, I pulled the cover over me with my left hand. You'd think that would be easy to do, but with my brittle feeling hands, my thumb moved out of place. It was a weird feeling because I knew it wasn't broken, but I knew there was something up with it. My doctor said it is normal to have that feeling when you are in late pregnancy and to just watch it as much as I could. Once Tia was born, the swelling disappeared, but what started happening immediately that first week was I'd wake up in the middle of the night and my left thumb would be bent. Bent in the way that hurt and I couldn't get it out of that position easily. I had to massage it and even then it was numb and hurt really bad. So far two months I've been taping my thumb so it wouldn't bend while I slept. I also taped it during the day as well because when I'd pick up Tia, it would hurt as well. My OB referred me to a hand doctor and today I finally saw him. Yep, I have trigger finger. Trigger Finger is an inflammation of tissue inside my thumb. Tendons, cordlike fibers that attach muscle to bone and allow you to bend the joints, become swollen, as well as the membrane that allows the tendons to move easily. This makes it difficult to straighten the finger or thumb. Let's just say it sucks! So the doctor gave me a shot today of an anti-inflammatory medication, cortisone. It definitely hurt but I know it should do the trick...I hope. He said that if it doesn't, then we'll have to do surgery. I've never had surgery before and would prefer not to (besides Lasik).
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Pretty Good Schedule
Thursday, February 18th, 2010 - Day 62
I try to stick to somewhat of a schedule, but I allow our day to be flexible at the same time. I try to feed Tia every three hours, but if it runs late or early and she seems hungry then I'll feed her. Typically the day starts at 5am. I'll get up and make her bottle and about that time she'll be 'stirring' as I call it, which means she's making noises and I know she'll be up any moment. Since I've been getting her up around 5am to 6am for weeks now, she seems to stick to around those times. I've planned this because it will be what time I'll be getting her up once I start back to work. Once I feed her, I'll burp and change her and give her a few minutes of floor time to stretch a bit. Then I'll swaddle her and put her back to bed. Two out of three times, she'll go back down to sleep, but now and again she'll be wide awake. If she's awake, I'll bring her into bed with us and let her play a bit. I'll feed her again around 8, burp her and give her about a half hour of floor time, change her diaper and into the swing she goes. Around 11ish, I'll feed her again, burp her, give her floor time and then swaddle and put her down for her afternoon nap. She will sleep anywhere from an hour to 3 hours at which time I'll feed her once she wakes, given it has been at least 2.5 hours. After that feeding, she'll get floor time and go in her swing. Then daddy will get home and he'll play with her until she has her next two feedings before bed time. That is pretty much our day in a nutshell. Floor time is what I call it when I put her on two folded blankets on the floor. It is amazing, but she loves it. She'll stretch, talk, laugh, look around, roll from side to side and of course we have mommy time. I'll sing, talk, smile and make her laugh - we have fun during floor time. I clap her hands together and we do exercises, etc. So that has become our schedule and it works out pretty well because during her times she's napping or in her swing, I can jump online, do household chores or get some other things done. We only have one more week of this before she starts daycare, so I better take advantage while I can. I love rocking her to sleep and watching her smile as she drifts off. I love running into her room and peaking into the crib to see how she is. I can always get her to smile and I love it when her eyes light up at the sound of my voice. There are so many things I'm going to miss when maternity leave is over. But Tia and I have had a blast being at home together!!
I try to stick to somewhat of a schedule, but I allow our day to be flexible at the same time. I try to feed Tia every three hours, but if it runs late or early and she seems hungry then I'll feed her. Typically the day starts at 5am. I'll get up and make her bottle and about that time she'll be 'stirring' as I call it, which means she's making noises and I know she'll be up any moment. Since I've been getting her up around 5am to 6am for weeks now, she seems to stick to around those times. I've planned this because it will be what time I'll be getting her up once I start back to work. Once I feed her, I'll burp and change her and give her a few minutes of floor time to stretch a bit. Then I'll swaddle her and put her back to bed. Two out of three times, she'll go back down to sleep, but now and again she'll be wide awake. If she's awake, I'll bring her into bed with us and let her play a bit. I'll feed her again around 8, burp her and give her about a half hour of floor time, change her diaper and into the swing she goes. Around 11ish, I'll feed her again, burp her, give her floor time and then swaddle and put her down for her afternoon nap. She will sleep anywhere from an hour to 3 hours at which time I'll feed her once she wakes, given it has been at least 2.5 hours. After that feeding, she'll get floor time and go in her swing. Then daddy will get home and he'll play with her until she has her next two feedings before bed time. That is pretty much our day in a nutshell. Floor time is what I call it when I put her on two folded blankets on the floor. It is amazing, but she loves it. She'll stretch, talk, laugh, look around, roll from side to side and of course we have mommy time. I'll sing, talk, smile and make her laugh - we have fun during floor time. I clap her hands together and we do exercises, etc. So that has become our schedule and it works out pretty well because during her times she's napping or in her swing, I can jump online, do household chores or get some other things done. We only have one more week of this before she starts daycare, so I better take advantage while I can. I love rocking her to sleep and watching her smile as she drifts off. I love running into her room and peaking into the crib to see how she is. I can always get her to smile and I love it when her eyes light up at the sound of my voice. There are so many things I'm going to miss when maternity leave is over. But Tia and I have had a blast being at home together!!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Maternity Leave is Almost Over
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 - Day 61
After this week, I have one full week left with Tia at home. The week after that, Tia will start daycare. I decided that the week before I go back to work, I should wean myself from Tia by having her go to daycare and I can get some Angie time. I have scheduled a week full of lunches, appointments and to-dos. I'm excited because one day I'm getting pedicures with some family members, I'm finally meeting with my stock broker, Chris and I have a meeting at our bank, I have lunch plans with a few people, getting my hair cut and a few other things. See, I figure since I won't be at work, I will be able to check in with Tia anytime I choose. I am pretty sure I'm going to be okay with Tia going to daycare and not being home with me, but I figure if for some reason I'm not doing well without my little girl, I can go pick her up anytime I want. Hopefully, if I'm having a hard time at the beginning of the week, then by Friday, I should have all of my anxieties out of my system. Plus, I get to have some time to myself, as well as getting some much needed tasks done. Then the following week, when I go back to work - I'll be able to dedicate the majority of my thoughts on work. The other thing is timing getting her to daycare and to work on time. My trek from Arnold to Chesterfield is usually an 50 minutes in the morning and an hour in the evening. Now I'll be dropping off and picking up Tia from daycare which is located in Ballwin. I'm hoping it doesn't take me much more time than it does now to get to work. The Goddard school is amazing and I know she will be in good hands there. So I'm enjoying the two and a half weeks left of maternity leave with Tia the next week and a half and then the following week with Tia at daycare and me having some Angie time.
After this week, I have one full week left with Tia at home. The week after that, Tia will start daycare. I decided that the week before I go back to work, I should wean myself from Tia by having her go to daycare and I can get some Angie time. I have scheduled a week full of lunches, appointments and to-dos. I'm excited because one day I'm getting pedicures with some family members, I'm finally meeting with my stock broker, Chris and I have a meeting at our bank, I have lunch plans with a few people, getting my hair cut and a few other things. See, I figure since I won't be at work, I will be able to check in with Tia anytime I choose. I am pretty sure I'm going to be okay with Tia going to daycare and not being home with me, but I figure if for some reason I'm not doing well without my little girl, I can go pick her up anytime I want. Hopefully, if I'm having a hard time at the beginning of the week, then by Friday, I should have all of my anxieties out of my system. Plus, I get to have some time to myself, as well as getting some much needed tasks done. Then the following week, when I go back to work - I'll be able to dedicate the majority of my thoughts on work. The other thing is timing getting her to daycare and to work on time. My trek from Arnold to Chesterfield is usually an 50 minutes in the morning and an hour in the evening. Now I'll be dropping off and picking up Tia from daycare which is located in Ballwin. I'm hoping it doesn't take me much more time than it does now to get to work. The Goddard school is amazing and I know she will be in good hands there. So I'm enjoying the two and a half weeks left of maternity leave with Tia the next week and a half and then the following week with Tia at daycare and me having some Angie time.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
My Little Ballerina
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 - Day 60
My friend Melissa was shopping for her little girl Brooklyn, she was kind enough to get Tia some cute socks (which are my favorite because they stay on Tia's feet) and this cute little ballerina outfit. I could not help myself but to dress her up. I even had these cute stockings that have little print ballet shoes on the footies. She is just so cute and I love playing dress up with her. I just wish I had a better camera to take better pictures.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Cradle Cap
Monday, February 15th, 2010 - Day 59
Tia has a mild case of Cradle Cap. We didn't know what it was at first and I just thought she had some dry skin due to the winter air. But looking closer at her scalp in the back, you can see her entire head has dry, scaly patches. We looked it up online and yet again, another thing that is common among babies. Cradle cap is the common name for condition newborns or young babies develop, which causes redness and scaly patches on the scalp. The baby gets a sort of infant dandruff, which is caused by overactive oil glands on the scalp and face, and the condition sometimes also affects necks, ears and even armpits. But don't worry: it isn't serious, it is a normal condition and it will go away in time.
Tia has a mild case of Cradle Cap. We didn't know what it was at first and I just thought she had some dry skin due to the winter air. But looking closer at her scalp in the back, you can see her entire head has dry, scaly patches. We looked it up online and yet again, another thing that is common among babies. Cradle cap is the common name for condition newborns or young babies develop, which causes redness and scaly patches on the scalp. The baby gets a sort of infant dandruff, which is caused by overactive oil glands on the scalp and face, and the condition sometimes also affects necks, ears and even armpits. But don't worry: it isn't serious, it is a normal condition and it will go away in time.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Tia is Ready for Summer
Sunday, February 14th, 2010 - Day 58
Tia's first unofficial first swim was last summer at Lisa's new pool, but now she is ready to go once Lisa's pool opens this summer. Isn't it cute! It is a 6 month which will be perfect for Tia once May/June hits. I got the cute sunglasses for her too. They have a strap, so they'll stay on her head. I can't wait to see her in this outfit.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Wow! Look at my Hand!
Saturday, February 13th, 2010 - Day 57
Isn't she so cute, she's discovered her hand. She figured out that these things that go flailing around all the time that she uses to rub her eyes when she is tired, to scratch her face when she's mad, and hold on to our shoulders when we are burping her, can be controlled by her. The other day, I caught her analyzing her hand very intently. She would pull it really close to her face, then back away. She spent over 50% of her floortime just looking in amazement at her new discovery. She would even be crossed eyed just to get the best look she could. She always had her hand all balled up in a fist, but it was the cutest thing to see that she has figured out there is a purpose to these things.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thai Baby Customs
Friday, February 12th, 2010 - Day 56
So my mom was born and raised in Thailand and came over to the US when she was 21 years old. Before coming to the US, she has 3 daughters and 1 son already. Once she was here, she then had my brother, myself and my little sister. Yep, 7 kids in all and the age span is about 26 years from oldest to youngest (I'm the 6th youngest and Sam is 15 years younger than me). So let's say my mom has had her share of making babies and raising them as newborns.
Of course the traditions and customs are quite different from those that we have today. Co-sleeping was the way it was here in the US up until they decided that SIDS was less risky having babies sleeping on their backs, so some traditions are what they did back in the day and when I was born. However, there are some customs that are very different than what we do over here. My mom seems to fill me in on a few things here and there on how she'd handle situations, since that is the way they did it in Thailand. For instance, what they do when you have engorged breasts and they need to get the milk out quickly. I won't explain what they do because it is VERY unique but let's just say my eyeballs popped out when she was explaining it. Another thing she said they do to get the milk stain off of a baby's tongue is to dip your finger in the babies wet diaper and rub it on the baby's tongue. Now, this also made my eyes pop out a bit because I couldn't imagine my doctor telling me to do this. Now, my mom did say that it was mainly because they didn't have money for medicines and these are traditions they were raised with. She has told me many other things that amaze me and often I think silently to myself that I hope she doesn't try these things when I'm not looking, lol. But I do find hearing some of the things very entertaining to say the least. You can look up some of the traditions that they do like newborn hair shaving which is also common in China. You ever wonder why some Asian babies hair sticks straight out like they were electrocuted? It isn't because of the texture of their hair, it is because many Asian cultures shave their babies heads when they are about a month old.
It is quite fascinating to hear stories of other cultures and how different they are from what our Pediatricians and doctors recommend. For example, my sister-n-law is from the Philippines and she was telling me how they just let their babies go diaperless and when the baby poops or pees on the floor, they just clean it up. She said they save a lot of money on diapers...we'll I guess so. But all very interesting to hear!
So my mom was born and raised in Thailand and came over to the US when she was 21 years old. Before coming to the US, she has 3 daughters and 1 son already. Once she was here, she then had my brother, myself and my little sister. Yep, 7 kids in all and the age span is about 26 years from oldest to youngest (I'm the 6th youngest and Sam is 15 years younger than me). So let's say my mom has had her share of making babies and raising them as newborns.
Of course the traditions and customs are quite different from those that we have today. Co-sleeping was the way it was here in the US up until they decided that SIDS was less risky having babies sleeping on their backs, so some traditions are what they did back in the day and when I was born. However, there are some customs that are very different than what we do over here. My mom seems to fill me in on a few things here and there on how she'd handle situations, since that is the way they did it in Thailand. For instance, what they do when you have engorged breasts and they need to get the milk out quickly. I won't explain what they do because it is VERY unique but let's just say my eyeballs popped out when she was explaining it. Another thing she said they do to get the milk stain off of a baby's tongue is to dip your finger in the babies wet diaper and rub it on the baby's tongue. Now, this also made my eyes pop out a bit because I couldn't imagine my doctor telling me to do this. Now, my mom did say that it was mainly because they didn't have money for medicines and these are traditions they were raised with. She has told me many other things that amaze me and often I think silently to myself that I hope she doesn't try these things when I'm not looking, lol. But I do find hearing some of the things very entertaining to say the least. You can look up some of the traditions that they do like newborn hair shaving which is also common in China. You ever wonder why some Asian babies hair sticks straight out like they were electrocuted? It isn't because of the texture of their hair, it is because many Asian cultures shave their babies heads when they are about a month old.
It is quite fascinating to hear stories of other cultures and how different they are from what our Pediatricians and doctors recommend. For example, my sister-n-law is from the Philippines and she was telling me how they just let their babies go diaperless and when the baby poops or pees on the floor, they just clean it up. She said they save a lot of money on diapers...we'll I guess so. But all very interesting to hear!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Am I all Dried Up?
Thursday, February 11th, 2010 - Day 55
Well, let's just say that my milk makers aren't making as much milk as they were when Tia was born. It is my fault because I stopped pumping around the clock about about a month because I was needing my sleep through the night and so instead of staying up after feeding Tia and pumping, I'd hit the hay and get as many zzzz's as I could. So I stopped pumping at 11pm, 2am, and 5am. So I was basically just pumping at 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm. But the past few weeks, I've become lazy and I think it is because I know we have formula that we've been giving her 50% of the time. I was still pumping enough at the 7am, 10am and 1pm for enough bottles to supplement for 50% of the time, so I started dropping the 4pm and 7pm because Chris would get home and we'd have family time with Tia and it was the last thing on my mind with cooking dinner and getting ready for my early bed time. But then I got sick this past week and the last thing I wanted to think about was pumping, so we just used what I had stocked up in the fridge to supplement her about 30% of the time. However, when I started feeling better the past couple days and I went to pump, it was virtually a half ounce each - that's it. That wasn't going to do it. With only a two and half weeks before Tia starts daycare, I'm not hugely concerned since we were going to go to all formula at that time anyways. We have some milk stored in our freezer we'll crack out to get us to that point and I'll still try to get the milk makers working again, but at this point I think I'm all dried up. I was really enjoying my bigger boobs too...I guess I get to watch them shrink back to their normal small size again ;) I know many women pump up until 6 months, but I really don't know how they do it. I have had several people tell me to consider pumping while I'm at work, but with my job, I just don't see me being dedicated to slipping away to a conference room and knowing that every person knows that I'm pumping my milk makers in there because it is tight quarters where we work. I do know others have done it, but I'm not big on taking breaks at work anyways so I'd rather not even try. I even had one girl tell me she does it while she is driving - now that is dedication. What I've learned about pumping is that you have to be very diligent about it meaning you have to pump round the clock and if you don't, you start drying up, quick. At my 6 week OB check-up, my doctor said it best when he said 'let's put it this way, I was not a breast fed baby and I think I turned out pretty normal...I think' and he's right. I tried my best to breast feed Tia for as long as I could and if I can get her through the rest of maternity leave, I'll be happy.
Well, let's just say that my milk makers aren't making as much milk as they were when Tia was born. It is my fault because I stopped pumping around the clock about about a month because I was needing my sleep through the night and so instead of staying up after feeding Tia and pumping, I'd hit the hay and get as many zzzz's as I could. So I stopped pumping at 11pm, 2am, and 5am. So I was basically just pumping at 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm. But the past few weeks, I've become lazy and I think it is because I know we have formula that we've been giving her 50% of the time. I was still pumping enough at the 7am, 10am and 1pm for enough bottles to supplement for 50% of the time, so I started dropping the 4pm and 7pm because Chris would get home and we'd have family time with Tia and it was the last thing on my mind with cooking dinner and getting ready for my early bed time. But then I got sick this past week and the last thing I wanted to think about was pumping, so we just used what I had stocked up in the fridge to supplement her about 30% of the time. However, when I started feeling better the past couple days and I went to pump, it was virtually a half ounce each - that's it. That wasn't going to do it. With only a two and half weeks before Tia starts daycare, I'm not hugely concerned since we were going to go to all formula at that time anyways. We have some milk stored in our freezer we'll crack out to get us to that point and I'll still try to get the milk makers working again, but at this point I think I'm all dried up. I was really enjoying my bigger boobs too...I guess I get to watch them shrink back to their normal small size again ;) I know many women pump up until 6 months, but I really don't know how they do it. I have had several people tell me to consider pumping while I'm at work, but with my job, I just don't see me being dedicated to slipping away to a conference room and knowing that every person knows that I'm pumping my milk makers in there because it is tight quarters where we work. I do know others have done it, but I'm not big on taking breaks at work anyways so I'd rather not even try. I even had one girl tell me she does it while she is driving - now that is dedication. What I've learned about pumping is that you have to be very diligent about it meaning you have to pump round the clock and if you don't, you start drying up, quick. At my 6 week OB check-up, my doctor said it best when he said 'let's put it this way, I was not a breast fed baby and I think I turned out pretty normal...I think' and he's right. I tried my best to breast feed Tia for as long as I could and if I can get her through the rest of maternity leave, I'll be happy.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Our Little Poop Machine
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 - Day 54
Tia definitely does a great job at pooping and for the past weeks, it has been a mustard yellow color. BUT lately, it can have a green tint to it. We have different levels of poop too. We have a 'poopie diaper' which means it was normal as far as the load goes. Then we have 'airbrush' as I call it, or 'a light dusting' as Chris calls it which means she had one or two small poofs of poopie, but it wasn't quite the real thing. Then we have 'an explosion' which means it did not stay in her diaper and has either shown up on her PJ's, the front of her diaper on her belly, the back of her diaper up her back, and sometimes on us. There has been a few times where I don't know what happened. For instance, I was feeding her the other day and I knew she was working on some business which is always good. I was burping her when I smelled something pretty horrible and I looked over and on the burp rag lying between her and me was some pretty big clumps of poopie. I pulled her away and it was all over her PJ's, on her big and somehow on her hand mitts and we won't talk about the rest. It always makes us laugh! I am always happy when she poops because it means she is eating well and growing. Lately, her poopie has been extra stinky. So stinky that last night Chris was having some dry heaves over the smell. I have been sick, so my nose hasn't been picking up much smells lately, so I changed her.
She's definitely growing. We measured her the other day and she was 23.5 inches long. She is growing out of her mini-crib which means she'll graduate to her crib without having the minicrib inside it. Wow, it is amazing how fast she is growing and only 8 weeks old. She has been eating more and I can tell she is heavier too. We go to the doctor in a couple weeks and we will see how big she is according to the doctor.
The attached is a picture of the Poop Chart that was included on the 'Daddy's Diaper Service' apron that Lisa made Chris. I love how it tells you what each color of poop means and what to expect. Although, some of them are more humorous, I can tell you that some of them are right on the mark!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Becoming Mobile
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 - Day 53
Tia is definitely starting to be in tune with her limbs and body. She pretty much can hold her head up. When you burp her over your shoulder, she'll sit really tall and look around. She can roll on her side and back again. She also lifts her legs way up in the air now and she is starting to figure out she can do things with her hands. I read that if you encourage babies to do things like clap their hands, they will learn it faster. So whenever we can, we will clap our hands and say great job Tia. She will stop and stare at my hands like she is really wondering what I'm doing. It is really cute. She is just getting so big and at almost 8 weeks, she is still my little overachiever! I can't wait to watch her grow and start to do even more amazing things. Before we know it, she'll be mobile!
Tia is definitely starting to be in tune with her limbs and body. She pretty much can hold her head up. When you burp her over your shoulder, she'll sit really tall and look around. She can roll on her side and back again. She also lifts her legs way up in the air now and she is starting to figure out she can do things with her hands. I read that if you encourage babies to do things like clap their hands, they will learn it faster. So whenever we can, we will clap our hands and say great job Tia. She will stop and stare at my hands like she is really wondering what I'm doing. It is really cute. She is just getting so big and at almost 8 weeks, she is still my little overachiever! I can't wait to watch her grow and start to do even more amazing things. Before we know it, she'll be mobile!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Mommy's Sick
Monday, February 8th, 2010 - Day 52
I've had a great run with no colds or sickness in almost 2 years, so I really can't complain that much. I started feeling a sore throat coming on Friday and by Sunday it was full swing. I had to miss out on Superbowl, but was happy that Tia and Chris went over to Lisa's as planned. It gave me a chance to get to bed extra early and try to rid this sore throat. I took an entire bottle of Tylenol Cold & Flu through out the day and woke up this morning really groggy and tired, but the throat seemed a bit better. It still hurts when I swallow but my energy seemed better. I took advantage of every minute when I could sleep while she was either in her swing or napping. Just trying to get my energy back through resting would be an ultimate help. I'm going to bed early tonight too. I hope to kick this on my own, but will go to the doctor mid-week if I don't feel better. I just am praying that Tia doesn't catch any sickness from me, that would just make me feel terrible. But I just made sure I washed my hands every chance I could and I didn't speak to her much closely. I would hate if I gave her the first cold.
I've had a great run with no colds or sickness in almost 2 years, so I really can't complain that much. I started feeling a sore throat coming on Friday and by Sunday it was full swing. I had to miss out on Superbowl, but was happy that Tia and Chris went over to Lisa's as planned. It gave me a chance to get to bed extra early and try to rid this sore throat. I took an entire bottle of Tylenol Cold & Flu through out the day and woke up this morning really groggy and tired, but the throat seemed a bit better. It still hurts when I swallow but my energy seemed better. I took advantage of every minute when I could sleep while she was either in her swing or napping. Just trying to get my energy back through resting would be an ultimate help. I'm going to bed early tonight too. I hope to kick this on my own, but will go to the doctor mid-week if I don't feel better. I just am praying that Tia doesn't catch any sickness from me, that would just make me feel terrible. But I just made sure I washed my hands every chance I could and I didn't speak to her much closely. I would hate if I gave her the first cold.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Tia's First Superbowl
Sunday, February 7th, 2010 - Day 51
Doesn't Tia looks so cute in her Rams cheerleading outfit. A friend of mine gave me a ton of her daughter's hand me downs and this was one of the outfits. She got to experience her first superbowl with Daddy over at Lisa's house.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Do I Look Like My Daddy?
Saturday, February 6th, 2010 - Day 50
I'm not sure how old Chris is in this picture, but doesn't Tia resemble him. I know she has some of my traits too and I'm trying to track down my baby picture, but look at this picture of Chris and the picture of Tia in the Bumbo just below. The space between her nose and lip when she smiles is the same as Chris's, her eyes, hairline, lips when she smiles and partially her nose. I do think her nose looks like mine sometimes and sometimes like Chris's. I think it is just a mixture of both our noses. She does have a square head like I do and of course we all know her fingers and hands are like mine. It will be fun to see how much she changes over time. I know she'll look like me sometimes and then like Chris. I'm sure her hair will be nice and dark like both of ours. Her eyes seem to be getting darker and Chris noticed a brown spot on her right eye - hmmm so hard to know what color they will end up being. I think they will be green with a gold lining OR hazel. She's our little master piece and we love her so much. I just love that she is a mixture of the both of us!
Friday, February 5, 2010
I'm a Big Girl
Friday, February 5th, 2010 - Day 49
A friend gave me this Bumbo and it has been sitting in Tia's closet. Tia has been trying to hold her head up since the day she was born. Her neck seems to be getting stronger and stronger every day. I got the Bumbo out to see how she fit in it and to my surprise, she fit pretty well. I have to tilt it back a bit just to keep her head back, but it is supported by the back of the Bumbo. I don't think she really knows what it is all about yet, but I'm hoping we can integrate it into her daily activities. It comes with a tray and I'm hoping I can put a few things on it that she can play with. I might try feeding her in it too since we try to keep her more upright when she eats to avoid reflux. Isn't she cute though!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Secret for Hiccups
Thursday, February 4th, 2009 - Day 48
When I was pregnant, Tia would get the hiccups 5 or 6 times a day. At first I thought it was so cute, but then a few weeks into it, I was a bit annoyed, and then a few weeks later I was so used to it that I loved it. They said that the chances of her having them often once she was born was pretty high since she had them during pregnancy and they were right. She gets them 2 to 3 times per day. Some days she doesn't have them at all and some days she has them several times. I know it is a mixture of things whether she's been burped, if she still has some air caught along with some other factors. So she is almost 7 weeks old and I just figured out the secret to hiccups. I had read or heard somewhere that if you try feeding them again, they will get rid of the hiccups. Yesterday, Tia had the hiccups and I noticed there was a few sips left in her bottle. I gave her the rest of the bottle and bam, the hiccups were gone. Later in the day, she got them again and I went in and made an extra ounce of milk and fed her and bam, the hiccups were gone. I was so excited.
As the day gets later, Tia gets a little fussier at times and sometimes when she gets the hiccups she gets super mad. In the late afternoon, she got the hiccups again and I tried to refeed her and she was not having any of that. She was so mad from having the hiccups that she wouldn't take the bottle. I kept trying to force it, but she just would wail out in anger. Finally, I said 'fine, you have the hiccups' and let her be. Around 5pm yesterday, she got the hiccups again and again she did not want the bottle, she just kept getting mad if I tried to give it to her, but I was patient and finally a few minutes later, she took about 5 sips and bam, the hiccups were gone. Usually, she'll have the hiccups for at least 15 minutes and sometimes an hour. They shake her whole body and she hates them. She'll go to wail out in anger and is stop short by an hiccup, which in turn makes her even more mad. Some times, she just deals with them and acts like she doesn't have them and continues to play. So we are excited we have a bit of a cure for hiccups. We would always tell her that we wish we could do something about them and now we can! Woo hoo
When I was pregnant, Tia would get the hiccups 5 or 6 times a day. At first I thought it was so cute, but then a few weeks into it, I was a bit annoyed, and then a few weeks later I was so used to it that I loved it. They said that the chances of her having them often once she was born was pretty high since she had them during pregnancy and they were right. She gets them 2 to 3 times per day. Some days she doesn't have them at all and some days she has them several times. I know it is a mixture of things whether she's been burped, if she still has some air caught along with some other factors. So she is almost 7 weeks old and I just figured out the secret to hiccups. I had read or heard somewhere that if you try feeding them again, they will get rid of the hiccups. Yesterday, Tia had the hiccups and I noticed there was a few sips left in her bottle. I gave her the rest of the bottle and bam, the hiccups were gone. Later in the day, she got them again and I went in and made an extra ounce of milk and fed her and bam, the hiccups were gone. I was so excited.
As the day gets later, Tia gets a little fussier at times and sometimes when she gets the hiccups she gets super mad. In the late afternoon, she got the hiccups again and I tried to refeed her and she was not having any of that. She was so mad from having the hiccups that she wouldn't take the bottle. I kept trying to force it, but she just would wail out in anger. Finally, I said 'fine, you have the hiccups' and let her be. Around 5pm yesterday, she got the hiccups again and again she did not want the bottle, she just kept getting mad if I tried to give it to her, but I was patient and finally a few minutes later, she took about 5 sips and bam, the hiccups were gone. Usually, she'll have the hiccups for at least 15 minutes and sometimes an hour. They shake her whole body and she hates them. She'll go to wail out in anger and is stop short by an hiccup, which in turn makes her even more mad. Some times, she just deals with them and acts like she doesn't have them and continues to play. So we are excited we have a bit of a cure for hiccups. We would always tell her that we wish we could do something about them and now we can! Woo hoo
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Postpartum Exercises for Separated Stomach Muscles
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2009 - Day 47
Before anyone is ready to start working out again, here is what you need to know about why it is imperative not to begin too quickly. A separation of the rectus abdominus muscles during pregnancy is normal. It allows the belly to expand and make room for the growing baby. This separation, called diastasis recti, isn't a tear or a hernia. It’s simply a thinning and widening of the connective tissue between the two muscles. You can measure by lying on your back and doing a crunch, just above your belly button, you can feel the separation - if you can fit one finger in the separation, you are okay to proceed with working out. But if two or more fingers fit into the separation, more time is needed to get this separation back to normal. If you don't wait, you will have a permanent layer of skin that never reattaches to the muscle.
After pregnancy, there are exercises that can help bring the muscles back together.
The postpartum abdominal exercises I'm recommending take you through five levels. Traditional abdominal exercises, such as sit-ups, put too much stress on a postpartum tummy and back, and are not recommended for new moms. These exercises are designed to target the area most weakened by pregnancy—below the belly button— without creating stress on the back and abdomen. They're amazingly effective, but it's important for you to go slowly and master each level before moving on to the next one.
A C-section mom can start these exercises once the incision has healed (stitches are dissolved or taken out) and you don’t feel pain when contracting your tummy. If you had a vaginal birth you can get started once any incisions or tears are healed.
The first exercise to try is simply pulling your belly button in towards your back. Hold for five seconds and release. Keep breathing as you hold and try and work up to 5-10 of these contractions several times a day.
Basic breath: Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, knees bent, feet resting on the floor. Inhale and exhale a few times. Don't flatten your back or tilt your pelvis, just let the natural curve in your back remain. Breathe in slowly and deeply. Now, breathe out and tighten your tummy muscles, pulling your navel towards your spine.
Remember to concentrate on contracting the muscles below your belly button without flattening your back. When you are able to contract and relax your abdominal muscles without moving your back, you have learned to properly isolate the correct muscles. You can then try the first exercise.
Exercise #1
Lie on the floor with knees bent and arms at your side. Hold your tummy in by doing your basic breath contraction. Keeping one knee bent, slowly slide the opposite leg out until it is straight with the floor, and then slide it back up to bent knee position. Relax your tummy.
Repeat with the other leg. Remember not to flatten your back and to keep the curve of your spine relaxed. When your abdominal muscles are contracted it helps to stabilize your pelvis while your legs and lower tummy muscles work. This prevents strain in your back muscles, and trains your abdominal muscles to protect and support your spine. When you can comfortably do 20 legs slides on each side you are ready to move on to exercise #2.
Exercise #2
Lie on floor with knees bent and arms at your side. Pull in on your tummy and hold, then raise one knee towards your chest and slowly straighten it out parallel to the floor—about 2-3 inches above the floor without touching it. Return extended leg to starting position, knees bent, feet resting on floor, tummy relaxed.
Repeat on opposite side, keeping one knee bent as you extend the other leg. Work up to five repetitions on each side without stopping, building to 20 repetitions or more on each side before moving on to exercise #3.
Exercise #3
Use you basic breath as you bring your legs up one at a time towards your body with knees bent. Keep one leg bent as you slowly lower the other leg down to the floor and back up. Repeat on the opposite side, working up to ten times each leg before moving on.
Exercise #4
Use your basic breath as you bring both legs up, knees bent. Slowly extend one leg out, parallel with the floor but not touching it. Return the leg to the starting position and repeat with opposite leg. Work up to 10 repetitions each leg.
With each repetition remember to keep breathing, contract your tummy as you move, and don't let you back pop up. If the arch in your back keeps popping up during the exercise, then you're not strong enough to progress to this level, and need to go back to the previous exercise until you build greater strength.
When you can repeat this exercise 20 times on each leg without discomfort or arching your back, move on to exercise #5.
Exercise #5
Bring both legs to your chest using your basic breath one at a time. Straighten both legs up in the air, at a 90-degree angle from your hips. Keeping your legs together, slowly lower them down toward the floor. Only lower your legs as far as you feel comfortable doing so.
If you feel your back beginning to arch, bring your legs back up and lower legs again only as far as you can without arching the back. Work up to 20 repetitions.
If you notice back pain with this exercise, discontinue doing #5 and maintain at level #4.
Before anyone is ready to start working out again, here is what you need to know about why it is imperative not to begin too quickly. A separation of the rectus abdominus muscles during pregnancy is normal. It allows the belly to expand and make room for the growing baby. This separation, called diastasis recti, isn't a tear or a hernia. It’s simply a thinning and widening of the connective tissue between the two muscles. You can measure by lying on your back and doing a crunch, just above your belly button, you can feel the separation - if you can fit one finger in the separation, you are okay to proceed with working out. But if two or more fingers fit into the separation, more time is needed to get this separation back to normal. If you don't wait, you will have a permanent layer of skin that never reattaches to the muscle.
After pregnancy, there are exercises that can help bring the muscles back together.
The postpartum abdominal exercises I'm recommending take you through five levels. Traditional abdominal exercises, such as sit-ups, put too much stress on a postpartum tummy and back, and are not recommended for new moms. These exercises are designed to target the area most weakened by pregnancy—below the belly button— without creating stress on the back and abdomen. They're amazingly effective, but it's important for you to go slowly and master each level before moving on to the next one.
A C-section mom can start these exercises once the incision has healed (stitches are dissolved or taken out) and you don’t feel pain when contracting your tummy. If you had a vaginal birth you can get started once any incisions or tears are healed.
The first exercise to try is simply pulling your belly button in towards your back. Hold for five seconds and release. Keep breathing as you hold and try and work up to 5-10 of these contractions several times a day.
Basic breath: Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, knees bent, feet resting on the floor. Inhale and exhale a few times. Don't flatten your back or tilt your pelvis, just let the natural curve in your back remain. Breathe in slowly and deeply. Now, breathe out and tighten your tummy muscles, pulling your navel towards your spine.
Remember to concentrate on contracting the muscles below your belly button without flattening your back. When you are able to contract and relax your abdominal muscles without moving your back, you have learned to properly isolate the correct muscles. You can then try the first exercise.
Exercise #1
Lie on the floor with knees bent and arms at your side. Hold your tummy in by doing your basic breath contraction. Keeping one knee bent, slowly slide the opposite leg out until it is straight with the floor, and then slide it back up to bent knee position. Relax your tummy.
Repeat with the other leg. Remember not to flatten your back and to keep the curve of your spine relaxed. When your abdominal muscles are contracted it helps to stabilize your pelvis while your legs and lower tummy muscles work. This prevents strain in your back muscles, and trains your abdominal muscles to protect and support your spine. When you can comfortably do 20 legs slides on each side you are ready to move on to exercise #2.
Exercise #2
Lie on floor with knees bent and arms at your side. Pull in on your tummy and hold, then raise one knee towards your chest and slowly straighten it out parallel to the floor—about 2-3 inches above the floor without touching it. Return extended leg to starting position, knees bent, feet resting on floor, tummy relaxed.
Repeat on opposite side, keeping one knee bent as you extend the other leg. Work up to five repetitions on each side without stopping, building to 20 repetitions or more on each side before moving on to exercise #3.
Exercise #3
Use you basic breath as you bring your legs up one at a time towards your body with knees bent. Keep one leg bent as you slowly lower the other leg down to the floor and back up. Repeat on the opposite side, working up to ten times each leg before moving on.
Exercise #4
Use your basic breath as you bring both legs up, knees bent. Slowly extend one leg out, parallel with the floor but not touching it. Return the leg to the starting position and repeat with opposite leg. Work up to 10 repetitions each leg.
With each repetition remember to keep breathing, contract your tummy as you move, and don't let you back pop up. If the arch in your back keeps popping up during the exercise, then you're not strong enough to progress to this level, and need to go back to the previous exercise until you build greater strength.
When you can repeat this exercise 20 times on each leg without discomfort or arching your back, move on to exercise #5.
Exercise #5
Bring both legs to your chest using your basic breath one at a time. Straighten both legs up in the air, at a 90-degree angle from your hips. Keeping your legs together, slowly lower them down toward the floor. Only lower your legs as far as you feel comfortable doing so.
If you feel your back beginning to arch, bring your legs back up and lower legs again only as far as you can without arching the back. Work up to 20 repetitions.
If you notice back pain with this exercise, discontinue doing #5 and maintain at level #4.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Mommy & Daddy Doing Some Modeling
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2009 - Day 46
Chris and I did a photo shoot today for the Casino Queen's new bar called Sevens. A friend of mine asked me if I was available and even though I'm not back to my ideal weight yet, I figured it would be a fun photo shoot to do anyways. When the photographer and I talked, he wanted me to recruit some more people for the photo shoot, so I thought of all of my friends who have done modeling or have an interest. So the 6 of us, including Chris, all went down to the Casino Queen today and did the photo shoot. Chris's Aunt Jenny watched Tia for us and she sent me this picture during the shoot. It was so sweet to see her smiling face while we were away from her. So if you see any future ads for the new bar Sevens, look for me, Chris, Melissa Stolze, Beth Hansen, Brian Jacobson, Suzanne Buethe or Mary Sauer. At least one of us were in each of the shots whether it is a billboard, an in Casino ad, magazine, flyer, etc.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Postpartum Appointment
Monday, February 1st, 2009 - Day 45
I used the stroller for the first time today. I had my Postpartum appointment with my OBG and was wondering if I should drop Tia off or I should bring her. I know the nurses wanted to see her, so I decided to bring her with me and was praying she wouldn't be fussy. She hates the car ride lately and as soon as we stop and she realizes she is in her car seat, she fusses big time. But today, she slept right through it all. I was happy she fell asleep about 10 minutes into the car ride and the stroller kept her moving which was perfect. The nurses were all oohing and awing over her and loved her many faces she makes while she is sleeping. Doc loved her too.
Maneuvering the stroller was all new to me - I ran into some walls here and there. It was comical. My doctor's appointment went very well and I checked out with all positives. I told my doctor about my thumb problem and he said I have a condition called 'trigger thumb' where your thumb gets locked in a bent position and you can't straighten it very easily. I've had this every since I gave birth, but it started with my hands swelling during late pregnancy. My doctor set up an appointment with a hand doctor who specializes in carpel tunnel. Hopefully, it won't mean I need surgery!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)