Baby's New Home

I've heard of people who get married, have a baby and buy a house all in the same year and I think they are crazy. In fact, I remember when my sister did it and I thought she was crazy too. Why would anyone bring on that much stress and change in one year? Well, call me Crazy.

Let's see I got married on 7/12/08, had baby D on 4/10/09 and closed on our first house in August 2009. Ok, so it took 13mo. Looking back on this year, it was stressful and full of life altering changes. On the flip side, all of these changes were positively amazing. I learned what it meant to be a mom and stare at my baby worrying about everything that could happen to him. I learned what it meant to go into escrow and sign away your life. I learned that no matter what you can set as goals and try to plan for your life, the unexpected always happens before the plan ever gets executed.

I digress. The point of this blog post is really that baby D will be moving to a real home with a backyard that he can enjoy. He'll get a blue room (because boys like blue) and a pink bathroom (because it is pink tile and I can't change it yet). I can't wait for D to get to know this house and create memories there. We'll have our first Christmas there and so much more. Look out for the fun photos of the house...for now we just have this simple photo of the front yard.

Crazy.

Working for a Living

This new mommy is back to work now...which may explain why it's been 2 months since my last post. Life has certainly become more busy than ever. My time with Dylan went from a full day of fun and stroller rides to a two hour window in the morning to hang out and about an hour at night, plus the car ride. Dylan rides with me to work Mon-Wed to meet up with my mom. She then takes him for the day. Dylan is not a fan of the commute. If he isn't napping during this time, he's screaming his head off. It's only been a month, I guess he needs a little more time to get used to it.

In the mean time, I get daily photos on my blackberry of Dylan. Photos of my mom and son in the pool, with friends, or playing at home. I miss being the one person to do all those things with him but I'm happy that he's having fun even if it's without me.

Good new is we bought a house so we'll be moving soon and Dylan will have a new room. Changes are afoot everywhere. It's the one thing in life you can count on, change. Right? Well, changing gears I'm off to bed now.

Baby Immunizations

Dylan just went for his 2month check up and all is well. He's a healthy 12 lbs already and almost 23 inches. He is very interested in the environment around him, always looking over the scene. I love that about him. I hope he'll grow to be an observant person like his mommy.

One other big thing he had to do is start his immunization shots. One was a simple oral medication but the rest were injected by two shots in his thighs. The poor guy just burst into tears and I had my first mom ache pain watching him wince in pain (see picture to the left of his band-aid on his thigh a day after the visit) . Fortunately, the tears ended quickly (for both of us) but for the next 24hrs he was a fussy hot mess. Fortunately, Tylenol helped his pain and he's doing better now.

I've read up on some of the negative side of immunizations as well as the positive side, it is important to read up on what to give your little one in addition to talking it over with your doctor. Though I believe the shots are needed, it was still hard to watch the start of this lengthy process. I like that Babycenter customizes a list of the shots your little one will need and when. Check it out here.

Diapers: To Be or Not To Be Leaky?

It's one of the last questions you start asking when you are about to deliver. What diaper should I use? What do my friends use? I had asked around and funny enough I heard that Pampers were better for girls and Huggies were better for boys and if you shopped at Costo, their Kirkland brand was made by Huggies (FYI). I kind of kept this in the back of my mind however once our baby boy was born, he was cleaned up in the nursury and brought to my room in (drum roll...) Pampers! After our stay in the hosiptal I wanted to maintain all they had shown us at home, which included getting more Pampers Swaddlers for New Borns (type: N). They always worked and had a little line that changed color from Yellow to Green when they were dirty. Loved it!

Sure enough there came a week when I needed more diapers and a few stores were all out of Pampers N, so I grabbed the Huggies. I didn't think it would be a big deal and why not try another brand. All that week, leaks galore. I continued to search and found the Pampers. I diduse up the Huggies diapers but with caution.

Maybe the mothers were confused and Pampers are better for boys? Or perhaps Pampers are just better at controlling leaks? Either way, I'm a Pampers mom. We're onto Stage 1 now and dry as ever, which is very good. Dylan even posed for his picture with Pampers.

First Mother's Day

A belated Happy Mother's Day to all. I enjoyed my first one this year and it was an awesome day. I figured it would be a silly day like Valentine's Day but it was really pretty amazing to be celebrated for being a mom. Having recently gone through the birthing experience, motherhood is all new to me and the holiday celebration was just in time. And as proof that they really do grow up fast, here is Dylan already 1 mo old!

It's a Wrap: Wearing your baby

One of the things I read was when you are caring for a newborn, wear the baby when you walk around so you can continue your close bond with baby. Yes, wear the baby. How do you wear a baby, with a wrap of course. The one wrap I saw in all baby stores was the Moby wrap, so I got one in black. Now that Dylan is home with me and he's 5 weeks old, I've realized that it would be easier to get stuff done if I could hold him especially when he's fussy and wants to sleep. I remembered my Moby wrap that was sitting in the closet. So I got it out and was lost with how to even put it on.

Thank God for YouTube...I went there and found many helpful videos on how to use the Moby. This one helped me the most so check it out moms, and get a Moby if you don't have one yet. It will help. Now that Dylan is asleep in the Moby, I'm off to vacuum.

Many Faces

Funny how quickly the mood changes with a newborn. They can be smiling one second and then screaming the next. I guess its the smiles that get you through the crying. Either way you still want to cuddle them.

Pictures of the little man

I get why parents are picture happy...you just want to keep every moment. Here are a couple of moments.

Dylan sleeping and one awake staring at me while I'm staring at him.

Getting the Hang of It (the Baby)

People said write up your birth plan but keep in mind that none of it will go as planned. Well, in my case that was especially true. After I was induced on my due date in hopes of pushing out my baby as I had hoped...things changed and due to complications I had a c-section. I didn't get to hold little Dylan after he came out of me, I could hardly catch a glimpse of them cleaning him up. My 4 days in the hospital were filled with more unexpected moments - some frustrating and others exhilerating.

I keep laughing to myself that none of this was going as I planned (and I'm a big planner!) and I struggled with accepting things as they came up. But I can say with all honesty that I'm getting the hang of how my life as a parent will always be- unexpected. And that I can let go and go with the flow because I learn to enjoy it better that way.

My son Dylan is almost a month now and I think we're getting along great. I'm starting to get his cries and know what he likes. I sense when he's about to sleep and when he's about to wake up. I feel very connected to him and love having him around...even when sometimes I want to sleep instead of carry him. Fortunately, my husband Tommy has been home with us also bonding with our son. This whole experience of becoming a family is pretty cool stuff. Not always easy but worth every effort.

One other thing I've learned is its hard to watch a baby and blog...sorry I've been offline too long. More to come!

It's a boy!

After a full 40 weeks of pregnancy and 18hrs labor, we ended up with a c-section delivery to find out that we have a beautiful son. He's 7lbs and 6 oz at birth but has dropped a little to 7.2 lbs. His name is Dylan Andrew and we couldn't be more proud. He's 10 days old, since he was born on April 10 and I'm getting to my blog a little late but that said, I've been recovering. Giving birth isn't so easy! More photos to come.

39 weeks, 3rd day

I probably shouldn't be counting down by days but I can't help myself. I'm pretty much thinking about it minute by minute, "when will this baby come, now?" The baby keeps hoping around inside me morning, noon and night. I have to imagine it's feeling crowded in there but it seems to be happy to on the inside for the time being. So I keep walking in the morning, making my meals, blending fruit smoothies, playing sudoku.

I look at the clock when I feel a braxton hicks. But it doesn't stay consistent.

Today I bought some candy suckers w/ Boy and Girl stickers to prepare of the celebration on Friday. I also heard from a friend that I should add a tablespoon of celery seed to tuna and that will bring on labor pains. I'll try that tomorrow maybe (which will then be the 4th day in week 39).

Keep you posted!

39 Weeks, 1 day: The "The" Salad

An LA legend or urban myth, call it what you will but there is a famous pizza cafe known for its salad that can induce labor. Seeing as how I'm hoping to have this baby any day now, I figured a little secret sauce salad dressing may be just the thing we need.

The Caioti Pizza cafe itself is a pretty small restaurant mixed with pizza fans, families and a handful of pregnant women. We took a seat towards the kitchen (and near the restroom). When the waitress offered to get drinks, I looked at her and said "I think you know why we're here" - she nodded and brought over the baby book. Part of the tradition is to sign the book with your story about why you are there and then come back after the baby comes to finish your entry.

The other part of the tradition is to order the "The" salad...which is a simple salad of romaine, walnut, Gorgonzola and vinaigrette dressing (which you can buy on its own). It was very tasty so I had no problem eating a full order. For fun we also ordered a pizza, which was really good too. Though we felt a little like tourists in a baby landmark, I managed to take a quick photo of our salad (or what was left of it).

Here's to the dressing, maybe the baby will be here tomorrow!

Waiting for Baby

Waiting out the last couple of weeks is really challenging. I'm full of mixed emotion, mostly that I want this baby out but I'm nervous about how painful it will be do that and what will life be like once it is out. I hear the first 6 weeks are the hardest to get through and that sounds like a long time but we'll make it through. For now, I've just hit week 39 and we have 6 days to have a baby otherwise I'm scheduled to be induced on our due date (4/10) because my doctor doesn't want the baby to get much bigger. If you watch this video you'll hear the doctor say his estimate for our baby's current weight is 7 and 3/4 lbs - which is 7 lbs and 12 oz. A baby grows a 1/2 lb each week so it will be over 8lbs on 4/10. Big baby! Or just healthy baby, which is all I've ever wanted. Keep you posted...fingers crossed here!

Baby Massage

Thanks to Grandma Wareham, I was able to learn how to massage our soon to be born baby. The class was only an hour and offered for free at our local YMCA. The trainer, Patricia, had us practice on dolls although some moms brought their babies with them to give first hand practice. She has her own practice if you want to check out her site.

It was a great experience and the hand out we received will remind me of which steps to follow. Patricia said massaging a baby in a regular (daily) way will establish a positive routine and hopefully a less colicky baby. A friend of mine says she give her daughter a massage after bath time every night and it helps her to fall asleep faster. I can't wait to try it out.

I found this video on About.com if you want to learn a few techniques. In my class we learned to massage the tummy and do leg bend and leg pulls, this video also suggest back and neck rubs. If you want to use a massage oil, our teacher suggested natural oils like Grapeseed or Olive oil.

All this talk makes me want a massage too.

Milestone: 37 Weeks

Why is 37 weeks a milestone for pregnancy, because you've actually come full term at this stage. The baby could live on its own outside the womb with its healthy lungs breathing in air. Technically, a baby could decide its ready to come out so we (the moms) are on alert for labor signs. It is a weird feeling to plan out a day, get in your car, drive errands, have lunch with a friend and all the while in the back of your mind know that you could be having a baby any minute.

The result of this "on alert" feeling is a mixed bag of emotion. Part of me says stay home, watch tv, chill out. The other side of me wants to run around wild trying to get every last minute of prep done and see every friend before my life becomes home (and baby) bound for a while. I think the conclusion I've come to is to try to use the morning for some busy work and reserve afternoons for being lazy.

Babycenter also sent me a list of things to do while I wait it out...ideas like lunch with friends (done, 3 times this week already), read a book or learn something new (need to do, maybe knitting?), streamline your space (just bought org boxes for my closet!), get a massage (bingo! need to call)....

Other busy activities I did this week...organized baby's room, washed all baby clothes, prepared for car seat use with extra pads and stuff, shopped for a few last items, made sure Tommy and I are stocked up on household items and frozen food, and took daily walks.

Keep you posted on what else I do for the remainng 3 weeks (or less!)

Boy or Girl?

We seemed to join a minority group when Tommy and I decided to not find out the gender of our baby. It's the first thing people ask after they find out your pregnant. I'm not sure why it's so important to know this. We can't change it once gender has been determined, so why not enjoy the little secret and just relish the idea that you're having a baby?

I will say that part of the fun in not knowing is getting tons of opinions of what you will have. Just yesterday a mother with her 3 year old came up to me to ask if this was my first pregnancy and if i knew what I was having...I said, yes I'm having a baby and it's my first. She promptly told me I was having a boy. Her proof? She claimed to be 'always right' at these things.

Funny, the Chinese are pretty sure I'm having a girl. This is a fun and historical calendar that claims to know what your having based on your age (Chinese age that is)....

So grocery lady says boy
Mom in law says boy
Newphew (Matthew) says boy
Chinese says girl
I had a dream that I had a boy
Until our delivery date comes, I guess we'll just keep on guessing!

What to Buy, Borrow, and Avoid

Pregnancy is full of surprises and one of the many unexpected surprises was to find out how gracious my friends have been to loan me so many great baby items. From clothes to a co-sleeper, friends have emailed and called to ask what I need. I remember a friend telling me about a book that provides some guidance about what to buy or borrow, I'll admit I never did read it and instead just went with my gut on what felt right to me. Either way, read the book or follow your instincts...here is a small list of what I've done:


Bought
-new crib & dresser/changing table (on sale, save money when you can but make sure it's still top quality)
-new rocker/recliner chair (A MUST! it was the big splurge, see photo)
-new stroller
-used (but in excellent condition) car seat and base
-blankets
-bottles and equipment
-first aid kit
-bath time set
-diaper bag
-swaddlers
-baby monitor

Borrowed
-baby clothes
-baby towels
-co-sleeper
-breast pump
-bumbo seat (helps baby's learn to sit up)
-toys
-maternity clothes
-baby/preg books
-dvds (Baby Einstein and others)

Avoid
-buying things that are too short term to use very long, maybe that can apply to all baby stuff!

What's on your list?

Pregnancy Must Do's

Being that I'm almost at the finish line with my pregnancy, I wanted to make note of a things that would definitely suggest doing while being pregnant. Here's my "do" list (ooh, that just made me think maybe I need a "don't" list too).

1. Take photos of your belly growing at each week or two
2. Take a special photo around 7 or 8 mo to remember that you look great! (see my baby photo from favorite photographer Jennifer Kennedy).
3. Do a babymoon, one last vacation with your husband before the baby comes. I'd take it before 8mo. Relax and Enjoy. We went to Ojai to enjoy the spa. It was awesome.
4. Get a pregnancy massage monthly! If they have the cradle, even better, it allows you to lay on your tummy. So good.
5. Keep a journal, I found a fun one called the Belly Book. It's easy to update and fun looking enough that maybe my baby will want to read it too.
6. Get mani/pedis...trust me when you're gaining wait, not able to do everything you used to, and tire easily...having pretty nails will always make you feel better.
7. Enjoy your craving...when there are plenty of foods and drinks you can't have, you should enjoy the ones your body or baby is demanding! Even if it is cake ;-)
8. Take a walk everyday (or a few times a week). I've read that this healthy for you and good for the baby, and I believe it. I always feel better when I have a walk.
   
9. Enjoy the advice, listen to the good advice but don't feel you need to follow all of it. I've read several books, get magazines, but the best advice is from moms. I love getting advice, not always following it.
10. Body pillow...from 1st trimester to now, it's the best thing ever. Enjoy the sleep you get while you can (or so this is the advice I hear from other moms).
    

Showered With Love

Baby showers are one of my favorite parties to go to...it's just so exciting to celebrate a new life. My nursery them is Winnie the Pooh so the shower theme was the same.

Friends joined the party to paint onsies, chat about babies, eat salad and dig into some yummy cake!

Thanks everyone who made it out, this shower was such a special treat for me (and Rowdy too).








The Winnie cake...















Onsies hang drying after being painted.















Morquecho family that came out for the shower.

Counting Down...

I saw our doctor yesterday for a regular check up. Let's see what the stats look like:

• I'm at 30 weeks now
• 21 lbs gained...probably 10 more to go
• Belly movements normal
• Pelvis pressure starting, hips are preparing for birth
• still craving sweets!
• feeling anxious about labor and hoping for no c-section
  

Doctor says everything is looking really good. She says the baby is about 3 lbs now and is looking to be a healthy size (6-8lbs). I mentioned that my pelvic bones were feeling like they were being pushed down, I assume by the baby. She said that's normal and to use my pregnancy belt when out and about, it helps to relieve the pain. It's true, if you're pregnant, get one of these belts. I'm still getting out 3-4 times a week to walk for 30 minutes and doing my prenatal Yoga stretching.

For now, I'm trying to enjoy the final stretch but I can't help thinking about getting to delivery day. That's my update for now, more later.

Baby Movements

Lately, my neck is getting cramped from always staring down at my growing belly. In the last week or so the baby's movements have been getting more entertaining. I was the phone at work today and I felt either a hand or foot slowly push out of my belly and move towards the center...it was so weird to watch! To watch your own skin stretch around like that and know that it wasn't you that did it but it was someone inside of you.

I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this. If I can ever capture it on video and I'll post that video but it's hard enough to try to get my husband to notice it when it happens. Because like all good things, they pass too quickly.

The Hiccups

This week starts my 27th week of pregnancy (I love the weekly updates from Babycenter to learn what the baby is doing at each stage). Hopefully, I have 13 weeks left to go but I guess Rowdy could decide to come early. The fun and nerve wracking part of this experience is that you have no control over any of it...it's all up to what the baby wants to do and or feels like. I learned this from the moment I found out I was pregnant, the baby made me hungry, sleepy, crave something and changed the way I looked. I no longer was in control of these basic things. I couldn't fight it either, I surrendered to being the host for this little creature.

Now that I'm at 27 weeks I've been feeling kicking and movements like the baby changing positions or moving around in the womb, which feels kind of like a fish swimming around a small bowl. The kicking is still a weird a feeling however just this last week I felt something new. A faint pulsing feeling, like a heartbeat but not as fast and a little stronger. It doesn't last long, maybe a few minutes. I couldn't figure it out until I read my book and got my update this week from Babycenter...Rowdy has started to get hiccups.

Awe...yes it's pretty cute our little baby has hiccups. It's a very weird feeling and sometimes kind of annoying (just being honest) but fortunately they go away pretty quickly. I do like that these hiccups are one more way of reminding me that Rowdy is growing up normally and doing all the things needed to prepare for living outside of of me. Cheers to that. Hic-Hic-Hooray!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!

In a recent visit with my doctor, she warned me not to eat too many sweets over the holidays. This visit was December 18 and I was leaving shortly thereafter to visit the in-laws in Dallas. And Texas isn't the place to go when you want to eat low calorie if you know what I mean. And the holidays are all about eating cookies and Grandma's sweet rolls. So I agreed and tried to promise myself not to over do it. Why did I make this promise, because at about 26 weeks of pregancy you have to take a Glucose test to make sure you haven't developed diabetes, which some pregnant women do.

I tried to focus on eating fruits and other healthy foods but you know the more you think "don't eat sweets" the more you want to eat sweets! And it's been something I'm definitely craving...candy, cupcakes, chocolate...you name it, I want it.

Needless to say, this week I had to go in to take the blood test and I got the call back yesterday that said I'm all good. No diabetes. Phew! Lets eat cake!

Making Room

One of my first thoughts when I found out I was having a baby was how will we make room for this little one? Of course there were thoughts of how could I provide for the baby and parent the baby, but being a practical thinker my mind jumped to physical space. Sadly, I must admit that it was with a heavy heart that I had to say we'll take out our home office to make it a nursery. I love our home office and use it all the time. We just decorated it a year ago, so it felt very new. But times change.

We figured a perfect time to turn our home upside down would be the holidays. Out with the old and in with the new! This would also give me more time to enjoy our little work space. As the weeks passed I started to think maybe we could push it out to March since I'm not due until April but out of nowhere as the holidays approached, I found myself buying the furniture online, picking out decor and paint colors. This was funny because I had just read that at your 6mo of pregnancy you feel the need to nest. I scoffed at that and yet, here I was driving to build our little nest.

As soon as the furniture arrived, paint was selected, bought and applied. We did it. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be (maybe you should ask my husband who did all he heavy lifting). I love the room for the baby and somehow having this physical space for it symbolizes so much more.