The Ongoing Adventures of Mr. Chris

At the Grandparents

2008-10-22T14:30:00.002-04:00

Chris is spending the next week and a half with his grandparents in GA. This is the second time in the last few months he has gone to spend time with them by himself. The first time was during my surgery and initial recovery. This time around he is staying with them while we move to our new home. For a two-year-old, Chris handles himself well when he is by himself with his grandparents. Of course, what is not to love when you have a doting grandma and grandpa (or "ga-ga" and "pop-pop" as he likes to say). While he is there having fun, we're painting, packing and cleaning. It is definitely much easier without him underfoot, but we do miss him so. Can't wait to see my little Chris next week!

Just In Time For Fall

2008-10-13T09:16:00.003-04:00

Again, it's been months since I last updated. Perhaps with some extra time on my hands, I will earnestly get this back on track.

Chris is almost 29 months old. He is probably as big as a three-year-old. In fact, strangers often think he is three already. They are amazed by his speech and his size. He loves to talk and can often talk non-stop. Not all of it is legible, but most often you can make out what he is saying.

One of the more notable things going on in Chris' life right now is he is attending preschool three days a week. Technically, it is not preschool but a program called Parents Morning Out. It is three days a weeks for three hours each day. We started him off going twice a week, but he loves it so much that we added in the third day. He is loving playing with other kids, playing tea party, playing cars and other fun things such as painting and crafts. They also have a great playground with slides and an indoor gym for those rainy days. It has been exciting for us to watch him go off to school these days.

Other things going on for Chris:

Elmo rules our home 24/7.
He has a lot of "bes friends."
His glasses get used a good amount of time.
He loves to eat Target popcorn and drink water.
He started using please, thank you and occasionally you're welcome correctly.
He says, "Bless you," when he sneezes.
He loves cars, trucks and anything that has wheels.
He dances when a good tune is playing.
He's going to be right handed despite the fact both Paul and I are left handed.
He has excellent memory.

That's about it for now. Hopefully the next update is not too far off...

More Than I Can Say

2008-07-18T21:29:00.003-04:00

A lot has been going on the last few months. I'll cut to the chase and say Chris is doing wonderfully except for his strabismus. Paul and I, on the other hand, were in a car accident in late April (Chris was not with us thankfully). Although our car was totaled, we came out of it relatively fine. We did have some aches and pains, but overall, it could have been much worse. While I was in the ER being X-rayed and CT scanned, I found out I had a mysterious mass in my chest wall.

After going to see my regular doctor and being referred on to a surgeon as well as having a PET scan, two MRIs and more X-rays, it was determined to be an almost benign tumor. However, it had to be removed, so I had surgery in late June, and now I am recovering splendidly. This is really the reason for not updating much lately.

Chris turned two in May, and he had a pretty quiet birthday. He was sick that weekend, so we took him a week or so later to Monkey Joe's, an indoor play area with inflatable slides and such. He had a lot of fun and kept pulling his daddy to go down the different slides. Our boy has no fear!

Right now we are going through a big language explosion. He picks up fast, and he is getting to know most of his alphabets and can count confidently to ten. His pronunciation is getting much better, especially when it comes to two syllable words. We also have to spell things we don't want him to hear us talking about.

Other things going on are he loves to brush his teeth, points out messes, thinks STOP signs and flags are da bomb and he enjoys eating. He is growing fast and getting taller each day. He is truly a little boy instead of a baby!

Strabismus

2008-04-12T20:32:00.001-04:00

If you heard of Dannielynn (Smith) Birkhead, then chances are you know what strabismus is or are familiar with this condition. A few months before his first birthday last year, we took Chris to a pediatric ophthalmologist because of the history of this problem in Paul's family and the fact Paul also had this as a child. At the time, our doctor said Chris had signs which pointed to the possibility of this happening, but we should watch him. She said the condition would normally show up around the age of 3 but could be earlier. We were told to bring him back every year.

This year, he went in for another check up. There were no signs yet, but again his check up revealed the possibility of this happening. As a preventative measure, she told us to "patch" his good eye (right) to strengthen his weaker eye (left). The patch was really an eye coverlet which looks like a bandaid and not like a pirate patch. Unfortunately, you can't tell a barely 2 year old much less a stubborn kid to wear a patch. We also got him glasses, but we can't get him to wear those either. Chris will go back to the eye doctor next month for a follow-up.

Here's a current picture of our smiling little boy, but you can see his "lazy" eye pretty good. Despite it, he still manages to get into all kinds of things at home!

Where Has All the Time Gone?

2008-04-02T00:33:00.004-04:00

In Chris' short life so far, three months is a long time to go without providing an update. I am sad to say I wish I had more time because there are so many things which have happened in the last three months. Pretty soon Chris will be able to provide his own updates, so my job as the archiver of his life will be done in some respects. I hope my mind keeps up so I can at least get down some of the highlights.

Words Abound - We are entering the phase of spelling things because the kid is sharp as a tack! He even knows some words I cannot possibly figure out how he learned. Some examples of words he loves are car, cup, clock, no, shoes, cheese, poop and socks.
Running - This kid loves to run and jump! He has more energy than both Paul and I combined. I wish I could harness the amount of energy he exudes.
Glasses - Yes, Chris already has glasses, but he refuses to wear them. Since no one can reason with a 22 month old, how can we get him to wear them?
Shyness - The phase of being shy has kicked in a little. He is very sociable and personable, but there are times he acts a little shy. It's cute in the "he still needs me" way, but I really want him to be independent. For the most part, he really is so independent.
Bye- Bye - Apparently, this is what he says when he wants us to leave him up to his own devices. Uh. Yeah. No.
Sippy Cup No More - Hallelujah! He is finally ending his sippy cup phase. He can drink out of a regular cup but somehow forgets there is no top. He has finally mastered the straw.
Toilet Training - C'mon, you don't believe we could be THAT lucky now, do you?

There is so much more to say and pictures to post, but I'll have to leave that for another day.

Goodbye 2007

2007-12-31T22:59:00.000-05:00

The last three months has been busy for all of us. I guess that was evident by the lack of entries. Hopefully 2008 will bring more time for updates. Chris grows in every way every single day. This year has been filled with many milestones, and we look forward to what the new year will bring for all of us. Here were a few pictures to end our year:

Santa worked hard to get our little guy to laugh!

Enjoying Christmas Day at the grandparents with one of grandma's cookies!

He looks grown up!

Have a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

Another Haircut Courtesy of Mommy

2007-09-08T22:13:00.001-04:00

Before:

After:

The expressions tell the whole story. This took place during dinner if you notice the spaghetti stains again around his mouth. He never knew what hit him (or rather what clipped him) until it was too late. I'm glad he can't verbalize his displeasure yet.

Pictures, Books and Other Stuff

2007-09-07T23:21:00.001-04:00

It seems like there is less time to take pictures nowadays. I have hardly taken any pictures of Chris this last month. The first three pictures were taken around the second week of August. One morning Chris climbed up on the couch to "read" his books. He is fascinated with either a fire truck, ambulance or police car theme. There are certain books he immediately picks out to have either Paul or I read to him. The boy has opinions about what he likes and doesn't like. The best part is watching him get the book we ask for. Yes, Chris had figured out his Piggies book and his Book of Trucks. He knows who Dino (his stuffed dinosaur) is as well as he gets the ball when we ask for it. Chris points to his snacks and "asks" for some when he wants. He also has shook his empty water sippy cup and given it to us to refill. There is a lot more, but as you can tell, I have not kept up with it all. He was sick for about a week with some kind of virus which we think might have been a mild case of rotavirus based upon the symptoms he had. It was a case of "wait it out" instead of taking him to the doctor since there are no antibiotics. I did call the nurse on the second day who seemed unconcerned and told me to wait a week. We were lucky he did not become dehydrated though he had one day of pedialyte toward the end when it seemed he might be a little. The last several pictures in this set were taken yesterday, so they are the most up-t0-date. His hair is getting a little long and needs some trimming soon.

Reading his books.

Standing on the couch and showing off his book!

He loves the ambulance book.

Check out the spaghetti stains on his face. :)

No paparazzi!

Again, stop with the pictures!

Love the smile, but too bad the picture is blurry!

Not sure what that expression means!

Japanese Festival

2007-08-20T23:44:00.001-04:00

Chris is 15 months already, and he's growing up quickly. A few weeks ago, the annual Bon Odori festival was held here in uptown Charlotte. Chris' grandparents from GA came up to enjoy the festivities with him. Chris also got to wear a sleek hapi coat which was sent by his grandmother in Hawaii. I'm not sure how much he understood, but he sure enjoyed the tasty Japanese food and walking around among the crowd when we let him. Unfortunately he does not know the words "stop" and "wait," and it was hard to keep up with him. The kid is in his own world when it comes to walking. He's got places to go, and where his feet and legs take him, he will go! I love this picture on the right as it looks like he is dancing with his arms spread a little and the coat making it seem like he is swaying his arms. The little foot up in mid-air added to the whole effect. Speaking of dancing, Chris bounces to music. When he hears a tune he likes, he will start bouncing a little. There's a lot more to tell about what's been going on with him (sorry for not updating more, Jaime!), but I'll wait until his 15-month appointment on Wednesday.

He Walks, He Talks, He Dances the Jig!

2007-07-23T16:52:00.001-04:00

It's been a little while since the last update. Wow, I can't believe a month has passed by. Chris is now 14 months old and has been a busy fellow. He can walk well, chatters all the time (not quite actual words yet but we think any day now) and once in awhile imitates the Lord of the Dance! We've been down to visit the grandparents twice and seen them a couple of times as they passed through Charlotte to and from their vacation destination.

Chris can now stack Legos and blocks, will get this Dino (dinosaur friend) when we ask him and seems to understand "no" to a certain degree. He is quite active and could possibly go on and on if we didn't slow him down sometimes! Here are a few pictures of him over the last month:

Haircuts Are Free Here!

2007-06-19T23:08:00.001-04:00

Now you know why!

After several weeks of contemplating where to take Chris for a non-stressful haircut, I got tired to seeing his bangs growing close to his eyes, the hair over his ears and the start of a mullet. I took the scissor and started cutting away. Not exactly what I had in mind, but at least it's manageable for now. What's funny is how different he looks now. Not so much a baby, but a mischievous little boy!

My Daddy!

2007-06-17T07:17:00.001-04:00

Happy Daddy's Day!

Today Paul enjoys his second Father's Day with the little man. I couldn't hope for a better father for Chris.

Hope all the daddies enjoy their day!

Cousin Ian's Birthday!

2007-06-15T08:20:00.000-04:00

Many happy birthday wishes to my "Cuz" Ian! He's officially 1 year old today! Where's does the time go dude?

Walkabout

2007-06-11T23:57:00.000-04:00

I think we're getting close to having Chris walk on his own in public in his sandals (he walks well barefoot at home). And not a moment too soon I say! I can't remember when he was 6 lbs, 14 oz anymore! Today he practiced walking in his spiffy sandals outside in the breezway and did a good job. It helps he can actually stand up without any aid.

We've noticed lately Chris is more interested in what is going on outside of the confines of his stroller. Who wouldn't be happy to have the freedom of exploring the world? With this new freedom comes a plethora of, well I wouldn't call them problems but issues. How do you teach a toddler where to toddle safely? How do you teach a toddler to understand English? How do you reason with a toddler who wants his independence? Will I need to buy some kind of homing device for him or will my mommy radar be enough? Ah, the dangers of the big world awaits for us all.

Discovery Place Weekend

2007-06-11T09:13:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend we went to Discovery Place in uptown Charlotte. We had a couple of free tickets so it made for a nice time since most of the displays and such were of no interest to Chris. However, they had a toddler/young children room, and we spent a little while in there. They had a water table with water toys in the room as well as a number of areas where the young ones could climb, explore and discover! There was also an area especially for the wee ones where all the toys were safe and interesting. We let Chris have some fun in there too.

Father and son enjoying some water table time.

Exploring the toys!

No, I will not pose for you!

Unfortunately we have the child who will not pose for pictures. He just does his own thing and when he feels likes cracking a smile, he will.

After walking around Discovery Place, we strolled the area a bit which was near the main library. We stopped in the library a bit to cool off, and then walked a couple of blocks before we noticed Chris had fallen asleep. What a fun but tiring day!

Birthday Blowout!

2007-06-02T19:40:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we traveled down to GA where Chris' paternal grandparents held a joint first birthday party for he and his cousin, Ian, who was born about a month later. Joining the festivities were Chris and Ian's great-grandmother and great-aunt. Neither have met them until now so it was a treat for everyone.

We realized here Chris simply has no shame when it comes to enjoying the wonderful cake his grandmother made especially for him. He certainly enjoyed himself and didn't hide it either.

Grandmother also got herself a present. She saw this awhile ago and has been wanting to get one (and she did) to haul the boys around. Collectively, not including the cart, these one year olds were 51 lbs. Good workout for her! The boys seemed to be enjoying themselves as well.

All three of us have been a bit sick and under the weather the last half of this week. That's why the updates have been a little slow.

One Year Check Up

2007-05-24T10:02:00.000-04:00

We took Chris to the doctor yesterday morning for his 12 month check up. His vital stats are as follows:

Weight: 25 lbs, 3 oz - 85th percentile
Height: 32 1/4" - more than 95th percentile
Head Width: 19 1/4" - more than 95th percentile

The PNP we go to said he's doing great and she's pleased, especially with his weight which hasn't changed in percentile since the last time. Both his height and head width have increased a few percentile points.

Besides checking him over, we also had to take a survey of his developmental skills (i.e. walking, talking, etc.). A couple of the items they asked, we've never even thought of doing with him. For example, they wanted to know if a small object was placed in a clear bottle or something similar, if Chris would try to get it out. We've never done this with him so it wasn't something we could answer. But he's very adept at walking and can toddle all over so any question having to do with standing, cruising and taking a few unaided steps was answered with a resounding, "Yes!"

Poor boy also got three more immunization shots and had to have his hands/arms held down because the nurse said he can now grab the syringe. But a little package of goldfish from her helped to soothe the tears. In all, it was a great visit!

Here's the Birthday Boy!

2007-05-17T10:20:00.000-04:00

Look how much he's changed from the first few months after his birth!

Not in the mood to sit for pictures!

He wanted to see the camera.

Here's our little rascal!

The First Year

2007-05-17T00:20:00.000-04:00

To start off this special day, a review of Chris through the months. Some pictures are new and some have been on here before. More to come of our little boy today!

A few minutes old (my favorite picture)

4 days old

1 week old

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-13T14:56:00.000-04:00

Here is the little guy and me today on this very first Mother's Day for me. Chris was born just after Mother's Day last year and really was my present then. He's the light of my life, and I can't imagine not having him around.

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful and hardworking mothers out there!

Pictorial Update

2007-05-11T08:13:00.000-04:00

Here are a few recent pictures of Chris. As you can tell he's getting to be a big boy! We just can't believe he'll be one year old next week. How did this past year go by so fast?

Riding on dada's shoulders.

His favorite toy is the remote!

He's getting good at walking.

Who me?

Profile shot.

I can still fit in this little basket.

Boy's Day

2007-05-05T23:20:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Boy's Day today... well sort of. Boy's Day is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month and in Japan. In Hawaii, you might see colorful Koi windsocks hanging from poles outside of homes with sons. Usually the first carp is the largest and symbolizes the oldest son with smaller Koi representing other sons in the family. However, most of the time additional Koi are added as part of the decoration. We had our Koi up courtesy of Chris' Hawaii grandmother but hanging inside our home. In addition, there are special displays shown during this time such as dolls in traditional Japanese clothing, especially warrior types. Usually a doll is purchased before the baby's first birthday by matching the face shape to the doll's face. But most of the time people purchase the dolls based upon what they like in the clothing or the pose. We didn't have a doll nor were we going to get one anyways. It's really a custom in Japan. There are also special types of sweets eaten but unfortunately I am unable to get any living here.

We did the next best thing and decided to have Japanese food where we saw Koi hanging inside the restaurant we normally patron as soon as we walked in the door. Chris happily ate tofu, tomato, zucchini and rice. He's had tofu and rice before but tomato and zucchini were new to him and he seemed to like both of them. It always surprises me when he likes certain types of foods. For example, he seemed to enjoy the tomato from our salad which was interesting since his daddy does not like tomatoes. It's something new every time with our little man.

Countdown To Chris' Birthday

2007-05-03T22:24:00.000-04:00

In approximately two weeks, Chris will be one year old. No more counting his age in weeks any more. Wow, our little boy will be one already. I haven't been able to keep up much here as we've been busy with a number of other things. Here's what been going on in a nutshell:

Chris can walk pretty well on his own now with about 5 to 10 steps at a time. He's great at cruising the furniture.
He's a chatterbox and loves to express his feelings whether they are happy or frustration or what ails him.
We signed him up for Gymboree Classes once a week. He's been enjoying himself making new friends and getting out all his energy. Unfortunately the girls love him, and Brie scared him by putting her face close to his! But he's had great nap times after class like today when he slept for 3.5 hours!!!! And, we went back for PlayGym this evening with daddy and Chris did not last much more than 30 minutes! I wish he had this everyday!
Saturday is Boy's Day in Japan, and his Hawaii grandmother sent him a cool Koi fish windsock!

More later and pictures too when I find some time.

One More Month

2007-04-17T23:01:00.000-04:00

Can you believe this little guy will be one year old in one month? We certainly can't! He's cruising easily by holding on to the furniture now, can stand independently for a short period and is able to take a few small steps. We can see four teeth with about another four erupting and he loves to babble! He sure has a lot to say but what he's saying, we don't know. I'm sure this little dude is just as frustrated as we are sometimes. But there's been a couple of occasions where he's looked at Paul and pointedly said, "Da-Da." Yes, I'm a bit jealous but ma-ma apparently is a little harder to say. Of course when he crys, it always sounds like he's saying "maaaaaaaaaaaa."

He's a rather amiable fellow as he seems to not have too much fear of strangers. I think if he feels we're comfortable, he's at ease too. However, he's going through a little case of separation anxiety to the extent when either one of us leaves the room, he'll get upset. He's a good eater and his southern roots are ingrained in him as we witnessed him enjoying some cornbread this weekend. I know there's more to say but I'll leave that for another update.

Easter Recap

2007-04-14T09:41:00.000-04:00

It's been a little while since the last update. Okay, it's been almost a month but who keeps count when your days are filled with a budding toddler?! Last weekend, we took a quick trip down to visit the grandparents in GA. Although Chris has met his cousin Ian previously, their earlier encounters were filled with not much to tell you the truth. This time they saw and played next to each other, followed (crawled) one another around the living room and kitchen and generally enjoyed standing and holding on to the coffee table banging it. There were moments of paper chewing and toy snatching, but nothing which caused the parents (us) to intervene. It was really nice seeing the cousins with each other. Who knows what kinds of trouble and schemes they will come up with when they get older?

Easter was fun but there was no egg hunt as these little guys could barely comprehend the baskets they got. Not to worry as grandma is planning for a fun one next year with egg coloring as well!

Irish Eyes Are Smiling

2007-03-17T22:42:00.000-04:00

Chris is 10 months old today. I can't believe in another two months he'll be a year old! In honor of St. Paddy's Day, Chris wore green and avoided getting pinched.

He's getting to be a big boy now. Some of the things we've noticed lately about him is he loves to look around and interact with his surroundings. Paul carried him for a bit while we walked through the mall today, and he was happy to look around and not have to sit in his stroller. We may have to think about getting some kind of carrier so Chris can be carried. Chris also does not like having things taken away from him abruptly. There have been a couple of times he's "helped" himself to items in a store only to have us take it away from him to put it back. His reaction is due to ours. I guess we are a bit horrified he's gotten a hold of something so we want to make sure it's put back and not damaged. Of course, we tell him after he can't do that, etc. Once we do that, things are fine again.

Chris has also learned to give kisses in his own way. Today I was holding him and saying, "Give kisses to mommy." He turned to me with his mouth open and ever so gently leaned toward me. I said it a couple more times, and he did it again both times. Of course, he still doesn't know how to actually pucker up and make kisses but he's learning the motion with a bit of drool. It's the kind of kisses only a mommy could love! His teeth are coming along nicely. The upper ones are about halfway out but not noticeable yet below his upper lip.

Spring is Here!

2007-03-12T09:03:00.000-04:00

Well, it's almost here. We took Chris out on Sunday to the park for a little while. It was a sunny but cool day (that's why he's in the long sleeved outfit and socks). He seemed to have fun. Next time we hope to have a picnic and stay a little while longer.

Mischief

2007-03-10T23:15:00.000-05:00

It looks like my little one was up to some mischief!

Fun With Diaper Bags

2007-03-05T09:41:00.000-05:00

How can playing with a diaper bag be so much fun? Watching Chris play can be fascinating as he examines each toy as he holds it in his hands. In other cases, such as the diaper bag, he loves the zipper pulls, straps, etc. I would say he looks at these things with a "scientific brain." Must get that from his daddy since I am not a big fan of science.

Chris has gotten proficient at standing and can move his feet as if trying to walk. Not cruising yet, but soon we think. He officially says what can be interpreted as "dada" or "dede" or some variation of daddy. His two front teeth have finally appeared, and he seems a lot more settled than before. But he continues to drool like a faucet and some days more than others.

His paternal grandparents visited for a few days last week, and after a brief moment of "stranger anxiety" when they first arrived, he was happy to spend time with them. I think the anxiety really stemmed from being slightly sleepy when they came. Once he woke up fully, he was fine and had a grand time! His grandparents seemed to enjoy his antics too!

What Next?

2007-02-24T23:09:00.000-05:00

After a few days, Chris can pull himself up pretty easily to standing but is at a loss about what to do next. I think he wants to climb this chair (oy vey!), and I'm not prepared for trials and errors, which come with that! As you can tell, he's pretty proud of himself. The boy will not be kept down now that he's figure out crawling and standing! He is also not content to stay in his protected play area. We purchased a plastic fence so he could play safely with his toys and not have to be watched every single second. Sometimes he's fine with it, and other times, he's not. He certainly has his own personality and opinions about things now.

Today is his Hawaii grandma's and uncle's birthdays. We called both of them, and while Chris loves the telephone and is fascinated by the "sounds" coming from it, he rather hold and press the buttons than actually talk. Sometimes he'll babble and other times he'll laugh. He was happy to "talk" to both of them today!

Nine Month Check Up

2007-02-21T12:56:00.000-05:00

Today Chris had his nine month check up. He's now 23 pounds and 4 ounces and 30 inches long. His weight is in the 85th percentile while his height is around the 93 percentile. Besides asking us how he was doing overall developmentally, he got his finger pricked to check if he had anemia and one vaccination. The pediatrician asked a number of questions about his development such as if he is rolling over, crawling, forming words or babbling and seemed pleased when we reported he can now pull himself up into a standing position. It's taken a few days but now he's constantly pulling himself up. I think he's figured out he can see more standing than just sitting. He's also gotten the hang of feeding himself finger foods. Now when I put the puffs on his tray, he can get more than just 1 or 2 into his mouth. He's figured out different things he can do to get the little puff into his mouth, and his hand coordination is getting much better. The next step is to work with him to feed himself with a spoon. That should be loads of fun and not to mention a bit messy.

Standing Ovation

2007-02-17T21:11:00.000-05:00

Look what Chris has managed to do!

Pull up...

and stand!

Applausing Nine Months

2007-02-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Chris can clap his hands! After a few days of doing patty cake with him, he's figured out how to clap his hands. It's fun watching him learn and do new things. This is the time in his life where something new seems to happen every day. It's wonderful watching him learn and do new things.

Chris is now nine months old. What's been happening lately besides hand clapping? Well he's starting to figure out how to pick up the finger foods and feed himself. That means his hand motor skills are getting better. He's also showing his displeasure more especially when he's trapped in his play area. In addition, Paul thinks he testing boundaries. Chris sometimes seems to cry when he doesn't get his way. I guess this mean more of testing boundaries to come. But overall he has a good personality and demeanor. There is not much that bothers him. He's also starting to climb. When I sit on the floor with him, he'll crawl over to me and grab my shirt and try to climb or maybe try to stand up. I have no doubt standing will come soon. Chris also has a third tooth showing but not one of the top ones although they are there! No, his third tooth on the bottom is peeking out. Weird I say just because I keep thinking the top ones will surely show themselves. All these teeth and the eating also carries on. The boy loves his spaghetti and lasagna just like his daddy. He has also had bananas, the real kind, not the jarred version. I think I gave him too much one day because he seemed pretty grumpy afterwards.

Chris still wears the helmet though he gets his breaks when needed. We're thinking another month and he should be out of it finally. His head looks much better. Next week is his nine month check up. It's been three months since we last saw the pediatrician. It'll be interesting to get his weight and length. He's definitely a growing boy!

Exploring

2007-02-12T22:56:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we had a snow day. Since snow days are rare here, Chris wasn't really prepared (i.e. no snowsuit) to go outside. I bundled him rather well just to show him the snow falling, but it didn't really make a difference as compared to if it was raining. So I made one snowball and stored it in our freezer. One day during his exploring, I took it out for him to hold and examine. Of course, he still doesn't know what it was other than it was cold. But at least he got to hold a genuine snowball. He seemed rather fascinated by it.

Chris is full of energy and his days usually go like this: wake up, eat, play, eat, nap, play, eat, play, eat, nap, play, eat, bath and sleep. Play usually consists of exploring his toys, reading, tearing up catalogs, exploring the house, chasing the cat, etc. Play is a wonderful thing. I guess later on we substitute play for work and, nap, well that just never happens. I can imagine right now Chris is a mega sponge just soaking up everything around him. In addition to all his playing, we've also been showing him what is off limits to him. As you can imagine, the child safety stuff can only do so much. My day is fill with repetitive phrases such as: No, Chris! Dirty, Chris! Dangerous, Chris! I feel keeping it simple at this point is the way to go. So far, he's been heeding the warnings but unfortunately his long term memory doesn't go the distance at this stage in life. I figure one day it'll just click in as it did when we were kids. I can't imagine my mom ever using any of the child safety items when I was a baby. I don't think they even existed at that point. I know she told me disposable diapers had just been invented sometime while I was still a baby and it was something she was thankful for. Going back to the safety devices, we've done the plugs, secured the cabinets and made sure the bathroom is closed. But there's still enough for him to explore and he takes off whenever he gets a chance. I'm sure some form of walking is close behind as he seems to not want to keep still.

Rocket Man

2007-02-07T14:30:00.000-05:00

Here's our little rocket man earlier today during his helmet break!

He Changes Right Before Our Eyes

2007-02-05T15:10:00.000-05:00

These last few days has brought many changes for Chris. He's learned how to go from sitting to crawling to back to sitting again. Yes, he can get into the sitting position. It's nice when he crawls over to me and turns around to sit. He's also learned to do raspberries finally. I wasn't sure if this was something all babies did since he did not seem interested in them when I did them to him a few months ago. Now he does them a lot. Uh, um... yeah. It was especially nice when he did it in the middle of having a puff and it flew out of his mouth and landed on the tray. Wet and soggy... yuck.

It seems like since he's learned to crawl on his hands and knees, he's just taken off. Chris has discovered there's a world to explore even though it's just around the general neighborhood of his home. I guess it's a lot of work when you're two and a half feet tall. Here's a little "strike-a-pose" picture from a few days ago.

The Crawler

2007-01-30T18:11:00.000-05:00

Chris has been logging in a lot of crawling miles lately. He started doing the army crawl and has finally learned how to get up on his knees. The boy cannot stop exploring. He loves going around and seeing new things. When he sees something, he puts his mind to getting there and seeing it. He is very curious and knows there is much to see and do.

His front teeth are on the verge of appearing. It's been two months since the bottom ones popped out and now the front ones are about here. We've been giving him some puffs to practice on. The first few times he had to get used to having a new texture in his mouth. But now he's starting to learn the whole chewing deal. It's been interesting just working with him to get him to learn this. Every now and then, I give him a little bit of table food just to get used to the idea that food does not come pureed. Today was the first time I gave him a bit of tofu. He seemed to love that but it's probably because it's soft. So far he's not really acquired a taste for any type of meat or poultry. Chris loves his vegetables and fruits. He also likes water. We've avoided giving him juice so far.

On the helmet front, it looks like it'll be another four or so weeks. Time really flew by quickly and he seemed to adapt well to it. We're pleased. It's actually been nice he's had the helmet to protect his noggin as he learns how to crawl. Less chance for bumps on the head.

He's Growing Up

2007-01-23T22:55:00.000-05:00

How can you tell if your baby is growing up?

He can now hold his bottle by himself including putting it up to his mouth and taking it out to rest in between shots.
We have now dropped down his crib to the lower position because he's so active we're afraid he might climb over the top. It certainly makes me feel better we've done it because I'm always worried he might fall out.
We've started giving him little crunchy puffs (similar to Cherrios) to try out. For some reason the texture is not something he likes yet. But if we want him to start eating table food soon, he needs the practice. I've also sneaked him a couple of grains of rice and a bit of chicken. He's not really liking the actual table foods.
He loves to do the army crawl. Okay, so he's not an expert at the hands and knees thing (he can easily go backwards) but he can army crawl his way to anything.
The kid has an opinion. He may not use words but he can tell us when he's not satisfied. He also gets upset when he has something and we have to take in away.
He loves holding items. When we go shopping, he wants to hold whatever he can. I gave him a deodorant we were buying to hold, and he seemed to have a good time looking at it and passing it from one hand to the other.

We're still waiting for the two upper teeth and actual talking. Although we have to admit there are times he seems to actually say something. Maybe we just want him to tell us so badly how he feels and what he wants (of course I might regret what I just wrote in a few years).

And one more thing, the title of the blog has changed to reflect how much our little guy has changed. It's a little more grown up and reflects his rambunctious nature I think.

Eight Months

2007-01-18T07:48:00.000-05:00

Chris is eight months old and what better picture to commemorate this occasion by the crazy looking picture of my son. Apparently he's discovered how to suck his upper lip with his tongue. Paul thinks he's trying to soothe himself because he's teething still. No sign of the upper teeth yet.

He's not quite crawling yet. Chris has no trouble getting up on his hand and knees, but the whole coordinating the movement is not quite there. He has no problems get from place to place and can easily roll or drag himself. And, believe me, it's still enough to get him into a little mischief. Any sign of paper on the floor will immediately attract his attention and get a good working over and ripping. This boy loves books! He loves touching them, sucking them, looking at them, passing them back and forth (if they are small enough), etc.

Chris is also quite rambunctious when it comes to the changing table. The boy cannot keep still and will proceed to turn over while I'm trying to change his diaper. And he's strong! He will not stay in one place and I have to give him something of interest to keep him still. Already I see he has a mind of his own and a stubborn streak. Hmmm... wonder where he got that from (whistling and looking round innocently)?

Ready For Lift Off

2007-01-09T16:29:00.000-05:00

I think Chris finally figured out how to get up on his hands and knees. We're almost to crawling. Right now he just rocks back and forth on his hands and knees not knowing how to actually crawl. Thank goodness. But I'm not holding my breath because in a day or two, he'll figure it out. They always do.

In other Chris news, we expect to be seeing his front teeth soon. He seems to be drooling excessively and a bit fussy lately. He also enjoys his cool teething rings much more than usual. We also took him to see the eye doctor last Friday because strabismus runs on Paul's side of the family. The doctor was extremely nice but wants to see him yearly. So far everything is fine except for his farsightedness. She said it's normal and expects it will get better by nine months. His helmet therapy is going well and his plagiocephaly is improving. We except he won't have to wear it much longer.

We Got Hit Hard

2007-01-05T20:08:00.000-05:00

When it hit, it hit hard. For the parents, that is. On New Year's Eve, I started to feel increasingly worse and worse. By the evening, I had a temperature, chills, body aches plus the whole nine yards. Midnight came and went. New Years Day I did not get out of bed until the middle of the day. Still feeling bad with added on runny nose, etc. The next day I immediately went to the doctor and got some super antibiotics. Of course, Paul immediately followed with a two-day delay. We had to call the trusty troops to come up for a couple of days (grandparents) to help with Chris since I could barely carry him with my aching body. They were happy to help (thanks a million mom and day!) and got to spend time with Chris. He's doing good. Not so much sniffling anymore plus he got his second dose of flu shot yesterday. Of course, this was not the flu but some kind of cold. We're all finally on the mend although some a lot faster than others. I'm still dealing with a cough while Paul seems back to normal. He thinks it's because he got his antibiotics a day earlier than I did. Maybe so, but it's no fun taking care of a rambunctious seven and a half month old when you're sick.

First Cold

2006-12-29T14:15:00.000-05:00

Our little man got his first cold today. He was fussy last night and has a runny nose. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Of course, I'm not feeling all that well myself. I guess that's the joys of parenthood!

My Two Favorite Guys

2006-12-25T21:58:00.000-05:00

Mele Kalikimaka
and
Hauoli Makahiki Hou!

Christmas Weekend

2006-12-22T22:47:00.000-05:00

As we head into the Christmas weekend, Chris now has his helmet back and it seems to be fitting him well. They shaped the front so it's not too low on his brow. I think it's a lot better and he's acclimated to it quickly.

Nothing much to report as Chris' seven month birthday came and went. Now we're heading to the one year mark. They sure grow up quickly. He's started to show his personality and independence quite a bit more. Now he loves to reach out and grab things. He always has to be reaching. I didn't know but Paul said while we were at the Hallmark store a few days ago, Chris was reaching for some boxes from his stroller. Yikes! We have to watch him much more closely now.

I think he's begun to feel a little bit of separation anxiety. We were out eating and the server was bending down talking to him while he sat in his stroller. She joked about taking him with her and all he did was look at us with his big eyes. When it seemed like we weren't doing anything, he promptly started crying. We don't want him to be scared of everybody but I guess a little anxiety is good especially since he can't understand what we tell him about strangers right now.

Everyone have a wonderful and safe Christmas!

Helmet Hiatus

2006-12-18T15:45:00.000-05:00

Chris is taking a break from his helmet due to some fit issues. We will go in on Wednesday and hopefully have it resolved. In the meantime, here a couple of pictures. The first one on his tummy (click for bigger image) actually show his teeth. I took it today and did not know they were showing, until I uploaded the pictures to my computer. Although we haven't seen the top ones yet, I suspect they will be coming soon due to some sleep issues he's had the last few days. We thought it had to do with the helmet, but it seems to persist even when he did not have the helmet on. Is this the way it'll be until all of his teeth appear? On a side note, his hair has gotten a little thicker in the sparse areas. The second picture is Chris' way of celebrating the season. Well, rather, he has no choice but to wear whatever I put on him. I've got to enjoy this while I can, right?!

Speaking of the season, it's been tough getting ready for Christmas with a new baby. I haven't even started my cards or rather I've barely started. We've almost got our shopping done though it's harder with a baby in tow. There's been a couple of nights Chris has had to suffer through mall visits. But he's been a trouper and not grumbled too much. I really can't believe this will be his first Christmas. I know he won't remember any of it but we will. And he'll have a few pictures to look back upon.

New Words, A New World

2006-12-13T23:27:00.000-05:00

It's amazing the new words you learn as a parent, and I'm not even talking about baby talk. Before I became a parent, words like jaundice, premmie, tummy time and plagiocephaly never entered my vocabulary. But now all these words have come into my conversation one way or the other.

Shortly after Chris was born, he suffered a pretty bad case of jaundice and had to have light therapy for four days straight. That meant sleeping on a special blanket 24 hours a day except during meals and changes. He favored one side of his and would sleep always the same way. We didn't know it was not good. It seems the constant sleeping on one area started to cause a flatness. Although we noticed this, we were not educated enough to figure out what to do. After worrying about all the other things that can happen to your baby, this was the last thing on our mind. The ped noticed this problem as well at Chris' two month check up and recommended we work on his tummy time. While this helped somewhat, it did not completely get rid of the flatness and caused his ears to have some crookedness with one ear slight more back than the other. At his four month check up, the ped suggested we see a specialist and after going to two, he was diagnosed as having plagiocephaly.

It is not uncommon especially with the inception of the AAP's Back to Sleep campaign in 1992. However, therapy can help but not in all cases. Chris was diagnosed with moderate to severe plagio, although you would not know it by looking at his face. He was prescribed a "helmet" to wear, which is nothing more than a orthodic device to help correct the problem by helping the skull to grow in the right areas while applying pressure to others. Essentially it's like wearing teeth braces for your head. It doesn't hurt him at all, and he most likely will never remember it. He looks like he's wearing a cool motorcycle helmet! If Chris does not have this corrected, he may encounter problems with his jaw and hearing as he gets older.

Chris should be in the helmet for about 2-3 months. He's been a trooper and adapted quite quickly. We've had to take him in for adjustments the first week and the first week with it was the worst. Now he seems much more comfortable and modifications have been made since the picture above which I will post soon.

For A Big Boy!

2006-12-09T14:35:00.000-05:00

The Daddy of the Year award goes out to Paul for getting up at an early hour on a Saturday morning and waiting in 17 degree weather to get this car seat at a Britax warehouse sale. For the last week, rumors have been circulating on a local mommy board about a warehouse sale Britax, the champion of car seats, would be having today. Of course, people had called Britax and gotten verbal confirmation the sale was real. There were even postings on other online lists and a newspaper ad. Well the sale was real and great! It was the first year Britax held one of these sales so the early birds, including Paul, really got what they wanted. We spent some time going over what would fit and what to get the last week. Although I must admit I didn't want to get my hopes up. But we figured it was worth the try since they were 40-70 percent off retail. All the items were just overstocks and brand new in box. In addition, there were lots of collegiate stuff and covers. So here's the final whoop-de-doo: one Britax Roundabout and one Georgia car seat cover for $115! This is just in time since the ped recommended at Chris' last visit we get ready to move up to the next car seat. It just adds to the whole "he's growing up fast" feeling.... sigh.

More Santa Fun And Other News

2006-12-04T17:35:00.000-05:00

It was fun taking Chris to see Santa for the very first time. I know this was more for us than for him, but the experience turned out a lot better than expected. And he'll have pictures to look at with his children someday.

I have to admit there were times I thought Chris would not get tummy time or never really roll around or move about. Now it seems he's been doing tummy time forever and finally gotten the hang of using his arms to prop himself up. And he's rolling... not just back to front but front to back. He figured it out though it was only the way he came from. What I mean is he'd roll over his right arm from back to front and then back over his right arm when going from front to back. But he's suddenly learned if he keeps rolling over the same way, he gets somewhere. Not far but somewhere. He can also drag himself a little with a slight crawling move. However, he has not mastered the knees, arms and stomach lift yet.

The babbling continues and he hasn't really said his first word yet. Still working on sitting up though I read chubby babies seem to take longer. He's eating well and we think he may be going through a growth spurt based upon his fussiness lately. The teeth seems to be okay and not bothering him as much as it first did. Loves to eat oatmeal, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, etc. Has started to distinguish between the toys he likes and doesn't care for.

He is growing up fast... our little boy...

Chris Meets Santa

2006-12-03T16:27:00.000-05:00

Today we took Chris to see Santa at the local mall. It was a nice Santa and he was not fussy at all (Chris, not Santa). He DID smile but unfortunately not right when the camera snapped. However, not bad for his first visit with Santa!

Six Month Check Up

2006-11-29T13:15:00.000-05:00

Chris went to the pediatrician for his six month check up today. He's now a whooping 20 lbs, 5 oz and 28 inches long. The little guy also suffered through three immunization shots, one flu shot and an oral immunization. The NP we saw declared him healthy and at a good weight. Although we need to take him in to get a second dose of the flu shot in a month, Chris doesn't see the doctor again until his nine month appointment next February!

The last few days have been a little trying since Chris is definitely feeling the pain of his new teeth. I was worried with the added soreness of his shots. But he seems to be a bit more settled. He's finally taking a substantial nap, something he's not done for the last few days. The poor fellow is just exhausted between not feeling well at night and not having enough rest the last few days.

It's hard to remember all the things Chris does these days and record them here. But here's a few:

He now rolls over in his crib! Still back to front though I think he'll figure out the other way soon.
He reaches for everything and anything! We used to go out and had Chris an item. He never did more than look at it. Now he will reach out and want to hold it. So far he hasn't protested when I've tried to take it away.
There's lots of babbling going on and conversation. Not sure what the topics are but they sound serious sometimes.
Chris can occupy himself when he gets up in the morning for a little bit giving us more sleep time.
He loves books and magazines. I think he prefers those over his other toys.

There's more I know, but that's all I can think of right now.

More Teeth, About Thanksgiving and Santa Claus

2006-11-26T21:48:00.000-05:00

Chris has been a little cranky lately but you'd never know it by looking at this picture. Today, his second tooth started surfacing and it made for one annoyed baby this evening. Luckily, some orajel and baby Tylenol took care of it.

Thanksgiving was nice and relaxing. The grandparents from GA came to town to celebrate with Chris. His favorite game to play with Grandma now is peek-a-boo. They spent a good stretch of time playing it. Both of them laughed and giggled the whole time.

Other than having a huge meal and lots of tasty leftovers, we did not go out much into the after Thanksgiving madness except for a quick trip to the local baby store. The grandparents left yesterday and I think Chris was missing his peek partner.

Today we headed out to one of the malls to scope out the Santa. We don't know where we'll get the Santa pictures, but the one at Southpark Mall was pretty decent. We may head over to the resort nearby to get the pictures done just because it won't be so busy. I'm hoping the stranger anxiety won't hit just yet and we can get some good pictures to add to his baby book.

Two First T's

2006-11-23T17:31:00.000-05:00

A momentous occasion today as Chris celebrates both his first Thanksgiving and his first tooth! Unfortunately, he was unable to partake in the yummy turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and the rest of the spread despite being the proud owner of his first tooth. Actually the whole tooth is not out yet, but it's just surfaced through the gum. He's had visible tooth buds for a few weeks but no sign of the fellow until today. Chris has been fussy though not too bad and actually his demeanor has been good overall. But, just in case, his pops ran out to the local chain pharmacy to get some baby orajel. I guess not everyone is at home having a good Thanksgiving. Hope y'all have a great day! Get ready for shopping tomorrow!

Six Months Already

2006-11-17T08:21:00.000-05:00

Our little man is six months old today!

That Says It All!

2006-11-16T10:42:00.000-05:00

We've been a bit busy lately and updates have become sporadic at best. In the meantime, here's a picture I took this morning as Chris works on going somewhere... anywhere... Unfortunately he still can't figure out the legs, knees and arms process altogether. There's a bit of frustration here as you can tell. Not for long, I'm afraid...

I Want Candy!

2006-10-31T13:39:00.000-05:00

Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween!

Catch Up Addendum

2006-10-27T10:39:00.000-04:00

I forgot to add to the list yesterday:

Chris is grabbing his foot now. He does it mainly when I'm changing his diaper. I'm not sure if he thinks he's being helpful but he really isn't.

We started giving him some water with a sippy cup. When we started with the solids, the ped said it would be okay to give him a little water with a spoon and build up to 1-2 oz a day if we want. Although I'm hesitant to give him that much water, a few spoons with his solids helps with digestion. Since he seemed to be doing okay, I figured I'd try the sippy cup. He took a few sips and liked it fine so we'll continue on.

Halloween and Catching Up

2006-10-26T18:51:00.000-04:00

Since Halloween is coming up fast, I thought it was time for the appropriate outfit. This is his "First Halloween" footie suit, which his grandparents in Georgia got him. It fits perfectly though bordering on being slightly too short. Not sure if it's shrinkage or the sizing not being correct. They are for 9 months but apparently are just right for my 5 month old... go figure.

There are a few back entries I have started but not finished due to one reason or another so I thought I just "catch up" here.

Chris loves to squeal and a few weeks ago he decided he could "talk" in public. It has ranged from little laughs to a lower volume of the squeal he does at home. It's as if he is testing how loud he can get before I shush him. The squealing stage lasted a couple of weeks or more and now he is "talking," where he doesn't just squeal but tries to "say" something. The fun part has been putting him on the phone with grandparents and seeing him look at the phone puzzling after hearing voices come from it.

We have added another meal to Chris' day now. This coincided with starting him on some tastier solids this week. So far he's had carrots and seems to be okay with them despite a few funny faces. Now he'll have oatmeal and carrots for lunch and oatmeal for dinner in addition to his bottle. We've stopped with the rice cereal since he finds oatmeal a lot more yummy!

Chris is awake more during the day now though some days he will take leisure naps. We don't have a schedule other than he takes naps as necessary and goes to bed around the same time. We haven't had much problems with him going to sleep at night even when he does take extended day naps.

He's pretty adept at reaching out to objects hanging on his playmat and taking items and passing it between his two hands now. He especially seems to like the crinkly soft toys.

And for the big drumroll... the little guy can now roll from his back to his front. Of course, he's done it about 5 to 6 times in one session just to show his mama he can do it. Now he needs to figure out where his arms go and all that good stuff. I figure it must be the special Halloween superpower suit that is the catalyst for this rolling.

Starting

Legs swinging

Getting the back end around

Now the legs are over

Finally on my tummy

I made it but I'm not that thrilled

Tasty!

2006-10-21T23:14:00.000-04:00

The eating has been going well. We think he likes oatmeal a lot more than rice cereal. This was only his second day with the oatmeal, and he ate it up! He also has his own spoon to practice with, and on occasion, will get it into his mouth. If all goes well for another couple of days, we may go ahead and try some other items.

A Pictorial Update of Sorts

2006-10-13T15:16:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of Chris over the last couple of weeks or maybe it was the last week? As you can tell, no more summer clothes anymore. It hasn't been too cold until today.

Go Dawgs! Spending time with papa watching Georgia football.

Doing my tummy time!

The serious side of Chris.

Out enjoying a walk (ride) on a crisp fall day.

Chris has been eating solids for almost two weeks now. We started off with the watery rice cereal as suggested, but he's graduated quickly to a thicker but soft consistency now. It's amazing how quickly he's caught on to opening his mouth to a spoon and actually exhibiting "chewing" motions. He's only getting the cereal one meal a day, but we'll probably add a second meal this weekend. Then we'll see how he likes oatmeal as opposed to just rice cereal. The fun foods won't start until he's around six months.

Fall Comes Knocking

2006-10-07T09:24:00.000-04:00

The weather has finally turned and fall is here. On our daily walk, Chris wore his jacket for the first time yesterday. It still fits, thank goodness. The way this kid grows, we already have him wearing six months and mostly beyond clothing. The sizing of baby clothing is so skewed that one brand of six month size will fit perfectly fine while another will not. I'm excited for Chris to experience this weather change. No more onesies, shorts or t-shirts. Now he'll have to wear pants and longer sleeved shirts. It's good we don't live where it snows because that would entail a whole line of clothing we'd have to get. He's got a few cute Georgia (UGA) logo items to wear that are long and warm. I'm hoping he doesn't grow out of those too soon.

Yummy?

2006-10-01T13:10:00.000-04:00

Today Chris finally had his first taste of rice cereal. It didn't go too bad. He ate a few bites and looked like he was actually taking more in than letting it drip down his chin. We know Chris was ready for this mostly based on the fact that he observes us with interest while we eat. Right now it'll be rice cereal once a day for maybe a week or two and then add another meal of it. I'm not sure when we'll venture into fruits and vegetables but I don't think it'll be for awhile.

Those Big Eyes!

2006-10-01T08:41:00.000-04:00

Chris has this way of looking at you with his big brown eyes. My mom likes to refer to them as "pachi pachi" eyes. The phrase comes from the sound firecrackers make during New Years in Hawaii and means he has these "bright" big eyes! Here's a recent collage of pictures I took (of course he decides not to smile in any one of them!):

Our Four Month Old

2006-09-27T21:03:00.000-04:00

Today Chris had his four month check up. As usual, the nurse weighed and measured him. He is now 17 lbs, 5 oz and 26 and 3/4 inches long. This puts him in the 90th and 95th percentile respectively. He also got four shots and an oral vaccination. He cried and I didn't this time though he didn't cry long. After some hugs and kisses, he was fine again. The nurse did a great job and put some cute bandages on his leg (two shots in each thigh). He seemed to be a bit uncomfortable later on in the day but nothing some baby tylenol couldn't cure.

We were also told we could start Chris slowly on some solids. This meant a shopping trip to buy some rice and oatmeal cereal, bowls, spoons, cups and a high chair. We opted to get a booster seat instead for space reasons. The first meal won't be for a few days and we're really in no rush. The pediatrician told us to start with one meal and once he seems to be "eating," we can increase it to two meals. She also said we can give him some water especially since the cereal may cause some constipation. This should be verrrrrrry interesting. BTW, here are my boys today.

Fathers & Sons

2006-09-24T22:20:00.000-04:00

This weekend the cousins met for the first time. Paul (r) and his brother, Jon, with their respective sons, Ian and Chris, mug for the camera. Whether it was a successful meeting of the cousins can be debated. There was no teasing, stealing of toys or tattletaling from either camp because neither boy can really talk, walk or even grab. They were held next to each other, sat next to each other and even on the playmat next to each other. To tell you the truth, they seemed indifferent, and even somewhat unaware of another little person in the room. Of course, they commanded the attention of everyone, which was the point of the whole afternoon. The fellows will hopefully be crawling around and getting into the each other's business the next time around. It was a fun weekend in all, especially for the paternal grandparents who got to have both of their grandbabies around at the same time. We enjoyed meeting our nephew and, we hope, he enjoyed the meeting just as much. I'm sure in the years to come, these boys will be getting into whatever they can together.

Camera Shy?

2006-09-20T17:22:00.000-04:00

I realized after the last post that Chris was not smiling in any of the pictures. He really DOES smile! Unfortunately, when the camera is pointing his way, he tends to get this serious and concentrated look on his face. Or maybe it's that more pouty and "I'll smile when I feel like it, Mama" look. He smiles and, as of lately, squeals in delight a lot! I can't even begin to describe how "talkative" and animated he can be. I suspect that when I'm taking pictures, the camera partially hides my face making him wonder a little what is happening. He'll surely get over that phase and realize it's his Mama's or Papa's face. Today I got him to smile for a few pictures while I entertained him so there is actual proof he is a smiley little boy!

Holy Four Months, Batman!

2006-09-17T23:15:00.000-04:00

Chris made four months today. It's amazing how fast he's grown and how much he's changed. Here are some pictures over the last few weeks:

One of the outfits his Uncle Rich brought for him. It says "waru bozu" and "kolohe" which mean rascal in Japanese & Hawaiian, respectively. Chris is neither right now.

Look Mama! I can actually hold my pacifier!

Born to Rock... a gift from Aunty Barbara & Uncle Willard... Chris is showing his wild side!

I can sit on the kitchen chair like a big person!

I'm not Lio! We think he looks like (and not acts like at the moment) the little boy in this comic strip!

The Bumbo

2006-09-03T23:06:00.000-04:00

One of Chris' favorite things to do is sit in his Bumbo. We think it's because it makes him feel like a "big boy." We usually put the seat on the couch so that he can be next to us. He's pretty content when he sits in it and will stay there for about 15-20 minutes. It's by far one of the best things we gotten for him.

Noteworthy

2006-09-02T20:58:00.000-04:00

Chris recently passed his 15th week birthday. Here are some noteworthy milestones:

Chris has become more attentive and focused (he can spend a fair amount of time looking at your face, a crib toy or something that catches his eye).
Chris sleeps through the night (generally from about 8 PM to 7 AM).
Chris smiles, squeals and chatters (often this is an active conversation).
Chris is able to lean forward (Paul had Chris in his lap one evening and all of a sudden, Chris leaned forward without any help).
Chris favors his left hand (he often tries to put the ENTIRE fist in his mouth).
Chris is aware of his right hand (knows he has another hand but not quite sure what to do with it).
Chris has sighed of more than one occasion (not sure what this means... bored?).
Chris is not a fan of tummy time (he is able to lift his head 45 degrees and kick out his legs but will not do it for a long time).
Chris can tolerate loud noises (he is not bothered by noise and has slept through some of the noisest restaurants and venues).
Chris enjoys "standing" on our lap (he likes when we hold him in a standing position).
Chris likes to sit up, assisted of course, in our lap (he really wants to be independent and does not like to be held tightly).

Aloha Grandma and Uncle

2006-09-02T20:47:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week, Chris' grandmother and uncle came from Hawaii to see him for the first time. The trip was short but we all spent a lot of time together. Chris is definitely a charming fellow. He smiles and shyly looks up with his big brown eyes even though he's not shy right now. He also smiles and squeals and chats. Both his grandma and uncle said he's one of the best behaved babies they've seen in a long time. The trip was mainly to visit with Chris but we also got a chance to visit Charlotte sights such as the Lowe's Motorspeedway and Mint Museums. They also got to eat some authentic Carolina BBQ. Chris traveled well around the Charlotte area and even out in the early evenings for dinner. It was a great visit all around.

Maternal Relatives

2006-08-30T22:43:00.000-04:00

Chris' maternal grandmother and uncle were here for a visit earlier this week all the way from Hawaii. It was a quick but wonderful trip. He is truly loved and can't wait to make a trip out there when he's a little older. More on their trip here later.

Strolling Along

2006-08-21T08:25:00.000-04:00

Last week we decided to try Chris out in his stroller. He's not quite tall enough to fit into the shoulder straps but since we were only going for a short walk outside, we thought it would be fine. We double checked to make sure he didn't have any way of falling out or hurting himself. We've taken him out for evening walks a few times lately but usually in his infant carrier. In the infant carrier, he was in a reclined position looking up rather than sitting up like he could in his stroller. We leave the canopy down in the carrier so he can look around. Ever so curious, he'll look as best as he can and usually seems to focus on the trees and our faces since that's all he can see from his position. We thought the stroller might be more fun since he would be sitting upright and have a view of everything. Of course, I was a bit worried he might find it too overwhelming and disconcerting especially since we'd be walking behind and on the side of him. But no fear, Chris happily enjoyed it all.

Miles of Smiles

2006-08-15T16:14:00.000-04:00

One of the best parts about being a mommy is seeing my son's face light up with a smile. It delights me to no end to watch him see me, focus on my face and just smile. Of course, trying to get him to "pose" for pictures with his warm smile is just plain difficult. I can see why children's photographers use all kinds of gimmicks to get kids to smile for pictures. I was lucky enough to get a few pictures after much cajoling.

Chris smiles all the time nowadays especially when he sees either Paul or I. Actually what he has been doing lately is refusing to either take his naps during the day or go to sleep at night. He will fuss around a bit and wait for us to appear. Once we do, he will give us the biggest smile he can give in such a charming way that we want to pick him up and talk to him. It's worked quite a bit but at some point we just let him fuss until he falls asleep. He never cries or gets angry but he just wants to be sociable. In addition to the smiling, there is a lot of talking going on too, baby talking that is. Sometimes the exchange can go on for awhile where Chris will be saying something (babbling) and we'll talk back to him and he'll answer us. Paul and I recently watched a couple of episodes of a show on Discovery Health Channel called The Baby Human. Unlike other baby shows, this one shows different types of development a baby human will go through such as talking, walking, relating, etc. One of the episodes we watched talked about the "give and take" of language between baby and parents. This is one of the first ways a baby learns to "talk" in which one person will say something and another will respond.

Chris continually changes day to day and his personality is a work in progress. Sometimes it seems the time is passing so quickly and then not quick enough. While I enjoy my "baby," I am also eager to see who he will become. But, for now, I'll enjoy his sweet smiles.

Bon Odori

2006-08-07T17:29:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, Chris and his paternal grandparents along with Paul and I attended the Bon Odori festival in downtown Charlotte. The festival was held in the Wachovia Atrium, a much nicer venue than last year. We made sure to arrive near the starting time so we would have enough time to enjoy ourselves.

Despite several rather hot and humid days the week before, the weather had cooled down quite a bit making it a pleasant day. This was important since several food booths and the children's game area was outside the venue. When we walked in, we immediately saw the yagura (Paul and Chris walk past it). There were several displays around the perimiter of the room including the Boy's and Girl's Day doll displays. These dolls are usually bought during the first year of a child's life. Although the ones shown were really the more elaborate displays, usually the dolls are just the dolls in different poses such as playing with balls, on a horse, dressed up in kimonos, etc. The practice goes that before a child turns one year of age, dolls are purchased based on the face shape. The dolls are chosen on the resemblance of the child and displayed one either Girl's Day (March 3) or Boy's Day (May 5). Also, on Boy's Day, a household will fly paper Koi to designate each male child. The largest on the pole usually represents the eldest son. Here is one picture of the display and one with Chris peacefully enjoying the display.

Thoughout the day Chris slept even during the loudest of the taiko drum performances. When he would awake to eat or be changed, he never seemed bothered by the crowds or being in a strange place. The nice thing about the festival was the amount of children running around and enjoying themselves with their families. Many were dressed in kimonos, yukatas or hapi coats. I usually enjoy the dancing the most and partaking if I know the movements. I did not since I haven't danced in many years. Maybe next year when Chris can walk, we'll both be doing some dances.

While we all had a lot of fun, I did think about my dad and having Chris around carrying his name gave me a lot of peace. Bon Odori or O'bon is a time to celebrate with our loved ones who have passed on. It is the one time of the year (Buddhist's believe) our ancestors come back and it is a happy time (festive). So in thinking of my dad, I know he was there to celebrate the first Bon Odori with Chris.

Camouflage Baby

2006-08-01T16:44:00.000-04:00

Since I didn't post his "official" two-month old picture with his check-up last week, here it is. I took this one this morning and actually he's two and a half months old now. As you can tell, he's a big and healthy boy.

This weekend his grandparents will be in town to attend the Bon Odori Festival with us. Attending Bon Odori (or Bon dances as we called them in Hawaii) during the summer months was one of the Japanese cultural things I looked forward to growing up. Although the dances are associated religiously with the Buddhist church, it has evolved throughout the years as a cultural gathering for the community. Imagine my surprise when I moved here last year and discovered the Bon Odori festival. Although it's a little different than the ones I attended growing up, it still had the feel of my youthful days in Hawaii. Both Paul and I as well as his grandparents on both sides of the family want Chris to embrace his cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Even though he may be too young to really understand what is going on during the festival, he'll surely get something out of it.

Two Month Check-Up

2006-07-27T20:47:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Chris went to the pediatrician for his two month check-up. He has grown both in height and weight since his last check-up a month ago. He's gained another four pounds and grown an inch and three quarters. While his height remains in the 50th percentile, his weight is now in the 90-95th percentile! He was quite animated and alert during his check-up which seemed to delight the nurse practitioner that he sees. She said he was doing really well and told us we were doing a good job. It's funny hearing someone (a medical professional) compliment you on raising your child but, then again, you realize how important those compliments mean. I guess it would be like a professional landscaper telling you how well you were raising your plants or taking care of your lawn. I know the two don't necessarily connect but that's the closest thing I could think of. Chris also had five immunizations consisting of four injections and one taken orally. Admittedly, this was the part of the exam I was least looking forward to and for good reason: I hate needles! Paul was at the appointment and assisted the nurse who administered the shots. She asked him to hold down Chris' arms while she handled his legs where the shots were given. Paul asked me if I wanted to wait outside but I thought I would be okay as long as I didn't have to see him getting the shots. Well as soon as he started crying from the needle pricks, I started crying too. It's interesting how your child's cries from pain differ than their cries of hunger and can evoke such a strong response. In any case, his cries were somewhat brief and by the time we rolled out of the office, he had fallen asleep. I'm glad he doesn't have to go back for another two months.

I'm A Travelin' (Little) Man

2006-07-25T22:22:00.000-04:00

One thing Chris seems to enjoy is going out. Rather his parents (us) likes the fact that he usually will fall asleep while we're driving around. It doesn't mean when we're out he sleeps through the whole trip. In fact, lately he's been staying awake while we go out shopping or even riding around. He seems to have a good disposition and isn't bothered by the people around him or the noise. The only times he will cry or fuss are when he's hungry, needs to be changed, or cold (in a store). For the most part, he just takes in the world around him and looks at everything with wide-eyed fascination.

Funny Faces

2006-07-18T11:55:00.000-04:00

We still haven't gotten the picture taking down. I'm not sure what prompted that particular expression on Chris' face this morning but I thought I would share it with you all. If you can't tell and it's not really evident in this picture, Chris' hair has thinned out a bit. He's not bald (thankfully) but he doesn't have as much hair as he had when he was born.

Yesterday was Chris' two month birthday officially. Two months sure flies by when you're sleep deprived and having fun.

Bath Time For Baby

2006-07-15T22:47:00.000-04:00

We're slowly getting a few more smiles during bath time. The first few times Chris wasn't too happy being wet, warm and cold all at the same time. I guess he wasn't too sure what to think. After all, when he was wet all the time inside my belly, he was always warm. Now he seems to enjoy being in the water and especially being warm and dry in his ducky towel. The tub we use has a hammock (not shown) to place him in so that he's not lying directly in the tub itself. The hammock allows him to lie partially in the water while we wash him. Unfortunately, we noticed tonight he is getting too big for the hammock and we will need to place him directly into the tub for his baths now.

Pirates and Eight Weeks

2006-07-10T13:21:00.000-04:00

This weekend Chris' paternal grandparents came to visit. The last time they were here he was barely over a week old. They seemed to enjoy their visit even when Paul and I left them to babysit while we went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Actually they offered to babysit and we couldn't turn down that offer! In truth, it was strange being out by ourselves without Chris. For the last two months and even in utero the eight months prior, he's been with us. He had a good time spending time with grandma and grandpa, who seemed to have a good time themselves.

Chris is almost eight weeks old. He continues to try out his smiles (though you couldn't tell in the picture) and is taking in the world around him. He doesn't sleep as much during the day as he used to but is not content to hang out in his swing. He really wants to sit up and look around. He is getting more and more control over his neck muscles and could very well hold up his head soon. This picture was taken this morning and obviously Chris was less than thrilled. Since I'm always the one taking pictures, there aren't many of us together so I thought I'd take one myself. He's definitely a cute little man!

First Fourth of July

2006-07-04T16:42:00.000-04:00

In honor of his first Fourth of July, Chris is wearing his red, white and blue baseball themed outfit. Unfortunately he won't be able to enjoy the fireworks or have any hotdogs. His only big adventure today was to the pet store and bookstore. It's just too darn hot outside for the little man.

Lately Chris has honored us with the beginnings of smiles here and there. Not sure if he really understands how to smile yet but every once in awhile, he'll have this goofy gummed open-mouth grin. He doesn't quite get how to smile for the camera but perhaps it's because he doesn't appreciate the bright flashes that come with it.

How Quickly He Grows!

2006-06-30T14:55:00.000-04:00

Before (5/18/06)

Now (6/25/06)

The first picture was taken the day after Chris was born. Even though he was swaddled, you can tell how tiny he was compared to the second picture taken this past week. He is practically spilling out of Paul's arms now. We already have a pile of clothes he no longer fits into including the outfit we brought him home in when he was born. That outfit was too big for him then and now does not fit him anymore. In fact, even though he isn't 3 months old, he can fit into some 3-6 month clothing. He's already outgrown newborn diapers as well for the past two weeks. Our little man is growing up so quickly!

Six Weeks

2006-06-27T14:47:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow will mark six weeks since I gave birth. Today I went to the OB for my postpartum check-up with the doctor that delivered Chris. The doctor was delighted to see the little man and also gave me the thumbs up that everything is in order.

Wow, six weeks... it only seems like yesterday I had Chris. But when I look at him, I know it's been six weeks because he's a big boy! He's so much more interactive now and able to focus his attention to things like my face and Paul's face. Plus he wiggles around a lot and we think he will be able to roll over soon. He's doing well lifting his head though we need to give him more tummy time. He also knows how to grab and hold on as evident the other morning when he decided to grab a hold of my hair. He did not pull but simply did not want to let go. Hmmm... maybe it's time to cut my hair shorter?

We're also getting more adept at taking him out into the world. While it's easy to stay close to home with all the conveniences nearby, it's also harder to get errands done. We first started by taking him out in a reasonable timeframe between feedings. We could comfortably go out for about an hour to two hours. Unfortunately that's not enough time if we have a lot of things to do. Finally this past weekend, I was one of those moms changing their baby on the changing table in the bathroom and feeding the little man in of the aisles of that same store though on two separate occasions. Both went well despite a little spit up after his feeding. Now we need to start taking him on longer car trips and perhaps an overnight or two.

Sleepy Time

2006-06-23T16:04:00.000-04:00

Nothing is sweeter than a peacefully sleeping baby. One thing Paul and I didn't know before we had Chris is how much noise babies make when they sleep. There are times he will sleep quietly and other times he will grumble and coo in his sleep constantly. It almost sounds like he is having a conversation in his sleep. In the beginning, we'd run into his room every single time he made a noise. We quickly learned that unless he is truly agitated (and you know when they are, trust me), he is merely sleeping noisily. Chris has gotten to the point of waking up about every two hours on average to eat. Sometimes he will skip a sleep time and stay awake for his next feeding. Usually he is a little fussy but nothing too terrible at this stage.

Our Big Boy

2006-06-21T10:52:00.000-04:00

Today Chris went to the pediatrician for his one month check-up. He is now 10 pounds, 3 ounces and 21.5 inches long. That's a big difference from his birth weight of 6 pounds, 14 ounces and 20 inches long. He also received one immunization shot at this visit. Of course he cried but it wasn't too terrible and he calmed down rather quickly after it was done. I think I was more upset about it than he was. I am dreading the next visit when they plan on giving him four immunization shots!

So far he is doing great though eating a little too much for his age. He is actually in the normal range for both his weight and height right now. I'm not too worried just because of family genetics, particularly on Paul's side of the family.

The nurse practitioner we saw at the pediatrician's office noted Chris still had some signs of jaundice around his eyes though it was nothing to worry about. She explained since his bilirubin numbers were pretty high, it would take a little while for all of it to go away. Other than that, she noted he was healthy and doing well.

Happy Father's Day!

2006-06-18T18:08:00.000-04:00

Happy 1st Father's Day to a wonderful father and husband!

Four Weeks

2006-06-14T16:40:00.000-04:00

Chris is four weeks old today. I can hardly believe that many weeks have passed by since I gave birth to him. In fact, if I hadn't developed PIH, he would have most likely been born sometime this week since his original due date was June 16th. Being the stubborn fellow he is (due to two stubborn parents), he decided he wanted to be here when he wanted to and not when anyone else said so. Though he was termed as being a "premmie," he has certainly made up for it. He is a healthy boy eating every two or so hours and taking in over 100 ml at each feeding. Sometimes he wants even more as evident by his rapid growth over the last couple of weeks. Next week will be his one month check-up at the pediatrician. We'll be interested to see how much weight he has gained and how much he has grown. We expect he will be a big boy like his over six feet tall father. He is slowly outgrowing some of his outfits and little shirts which seemed so big on him when we first brought him home. That only means he will get to wear the other cute outfits that were too big on him before! For the most part, Chris likes to hang out in these onesies as evident in these pictures. By the way, these pictures were taken today to commemorate being four weeks old.

Babies Are (Girl) Magnets

2006-06-13T08:45:00.000-04:00

It's true. On Sunday Paul, Chris and I went to the bookstore. While we were there, I bought a coffee for myself and a soda for Paul. As I was putting cream into my coffee, I noticed Paul was still standing by the counter talking to the two girls (they didn't seem quite old enough to be referred to as "women") working there. One of the girls herself was obviously pregnant. The girls had noticed Chris in the carrier and started asking Paul questions about him. It was fun to observe from afar and then walk up next to them to hear the end of the conversation and see the girls' faces. It was quite apparent babies are (girl) magnets though Chris is such a cute guy and how can anyone (especially girls) not take notice of him?

First Bath

2006-06-10T19:59:00.000-04:00

I know it's been over three weeks since Chris has been home and today was the first time we gave him a bath. Actually, we were told not to give him a bath until his umbilical cord stump fell off. That was about a week or so ago and we have given him the occasional sponge baths as needed. The recommendation on giving babies a bath is once every three to four days unless more is needed due to soiling.

This afternoon we got out his spiffy bathtub and actually gave him his first bath. This was mostly spurred by the fact that he had been fussy all afternoon and would not take a nap after feeding. Let me tell you... the little man was not impressed. If he could have screamed at us to stop, he probably would have. He cried for quite a bit and did quiet down for a moment until I started washing his hair. Once we got him out, dried him and dressed him in some warm footy pajamas, the little man was happy. He hung out with his mama for a bit and finally dozed off. Fortunately for him, we did not take any pictures of this auspicious occasion and he will not be embarrassed in front of his future girlfriends by his parents... well... at least not with pictures of his first bath by us (wink, wink).

Three Weeks Plus

2006-06-09T09:21:00.000-04:00

Chris is now over three weeks old and gaining weight in leaps and bounds. On Monday I took him to the pediatrician to check out is left eye. His eye had been slightly swollen the last few days with some drainage running down the outside corner. As we had suspected and the nurse practioner confirmed, he had a blocked tear duct. She said it would probably take about a month to clear up and required massaging the side of his nose near the area. During the exam, she also weighed Chris to see if he was gaining weight appropriately. Since the last time we had been there (over 10 days prior) when he weight 6 lbs, 11 oz, he now weighed 7 lbs, 7 oz. She affirmed he is doing well and is a healthy little boy.

We can't believe three weeks have passed already since Chris was born. Our boy is growing quickly and as we approach what would have been his "due date," I can only imagine how big he would have been if he was still inside of me. He is filling out nicely and no longer looks like he doesn't fit into his skin. When he was born, the skin on his back, arms and legs sagged because he did not have a chance to build up his baby fat (something that happens in the last month of pregnancy). As Paul said yesterday, he was a deflated balloon but not anymore.

In addition, our boy has a lot to say and seems to be a mover. Chris seems to chatter in his sleep all the time now. We're not sure if he's dreaming or if he talks in his sleep. We'll hear him "chattering" away for brief moments and when we check on him, he'll be asleep peacefully. Even when he's awake now, he grunts and appears to be struggling to say something to us. As far as being a mover, Chris is not content to just lie on his back. He has taken a liking to sleeping on his side (as much as he can turn himself at this point). When we give him some tummy time, he doesn't just lie there but tries to bring his knees under him and push up. We think he'll be crawling around here in no time chasing the cat.

Hapa

2006-06-03T22:17:00.000-04:00

When Chris was born and in the days after, we often looked at him and wondered who he looked like more. Some people said he looked more like me while others said he looked more like Paul. One thing is for sure, our little man embodies several distinct ethnicities. He's Japanese, Okinawan, Danish, English and parts of several other European ethnicities even my husband doesn't know. Essentially, if we lived in Hawaii, he would be called "hapa." Though the term used to be considered derogatory, it is no longer looked upon that way. In fact, the term is now used to embrace the uniqueness of multiracial Asian Americans as evident in this recent article, Asian Pop/ The Pursuit of Hapa-ness. While Chris is too young to think about things such as race, ethnicity and identity, as his mother and a scholar of cultural history, I am most interested in how my son will identify himself when he grows older. I'm sure it'll change throughout the years with his interests and influences from family and friends. Our hope is that he'll learn and embrace all of his ethnic identities.

Jaundice

2006-06-03T09:23:00.000-04:00

I think I mentioned briefly in a previous post that Chris was battling jaundice. Jaundice is rather common in newborns especially those who are premature. When we took Chris in for his first check up at the pediatrician's office, the doctor noticed the yellow in his skin tone. Although Chris would have some yellow undertones due to being half-Asian, the doctor could only guess what level of yellowing was due to jaundice. He ordered a bloodtest to find out the exact bilirubin number Chris had due to jaundice. The doctor thought Chris was about a 20 or so with 25 being the cutoff number for "too close for comfort." His first bilirubin number was 23. Immediately the doctor's office ordered a bili blanket (a blanket with special lights that the baby slept with to break down the bilirubin). Each day his numbers got better and better going from a 23 to 21 to 18 to 14. Anything under 15 or 16 was considered good and not a concern. Besides the yellowing of his skin, other signs Chris had jaundice was he was sleeping too much and not getting up to eat, he wasn't pooping, he wasn't eating a lot when he ate and he was losing weight. Now that he has the jaundice beat, Chris is the typical newborn eating every two or so hours, pooping like it's going out of style, waking us up on his schedule to eat, gaining weight and just being alert more often than not. His skin is rosy like when he was born and the whites of his eyes no longer have that yellow tinge. At his last pediatrician check up on May 25th, the doctor declared him a healthy baby! We're glad and thankful it wasn't any worse than it could have been.

Mamoru-San

2006-06-02T19:27:00.000-04:00

Today would have been my dad's 82nd birthday if he was still alive. Even though he's not with us anymore, he is still here and alive through Chris. When Paul and I were deciding on names, I knew without a doubt if I had a little boy, his Japanese name would be my dad's name, Mamoru. In fact, Paul and I ended up honoring both our fathers through Chris, giving him "James" as his other middle name for Paul's dad. Although Chris' name is long and big for such a little man, having both of our father's names in his name was a way of honoring our families and our legacies. We also wanted our little boy to be independent and have a name of his own, and so we gave him Christopher as his first name. I know if my dad was still alive today, he would be just as proud and tickled about his grandson as Paul's dad is. In fact, my dad always wanted grandchildren and although he didn't get to see Chris, I know he is with Chris everyday. My mom is happy I gave Chris my dad's name as his Japanese name calling him "Mamoru-san" on the phone. Mamoru translated from Japanese literally means "to protect," "to abide (by rules)," "to guard," and "to obey." So here's to my dad and to his namesake... Mamoru-san!

Father's Day Should Be Everyday

2006-05-30T11:32:00.000-04:00

Ever since Chris was born, Paul has been a proud papa. In fact, he has been an outstanding father. I cannot say enough about my husband and the kind of father he is to our son. He helps out with the feeding, changing, laundry and whatever needs to be done for Chris including taking care of his mama... me! These last two weeks having Paul home have been wonderful. We've grown as a couple and as parents. I'm not sure how I could have done everything as a first time parent if I didn't have my partner and best friend at home helping me. We're not perfect by any means but we work well together. I love seeing Paul feed Chris and take care of him. The bond between father and son is strong. He is so proud of Chris and loves him more than anything in the world. I truly could not have gotten this done without him. So here's to my husband and best friend who is the best father a boy could have.

Life After Baby

2006-05-29T13:36:00.000-04:00

I think the first two weeks are the roughest when you have a new baby. The routine of your life before baby quickly changes and you either make it or you make it. We've changed countless of diapers (sometimes twice during the same changing), washed baby laundry daily, fed around the clock including the wee hours of the morning and often times just stared at our little man amazed that he's here. Despite the numerous hours of sleep we've lost, we wouldn't give this time up for a single second. It's truly amazing to go from just the two of us to a family unit. I can't remember exactly when but one day Paul said to me, "We are now a family."

While I can't wait for the little man to grow more into his personality, I don't want him to grow up too fast. I look at his ten little fingers and ten little toes marveling how small they are and think that one day these hands and feet will be bigger than mine. I still can't believe less than two weeks ago he wasn't here but then again, I can't imagine him not being here. He's definitely taken over our hearts.

The Birth Story

2006-05-26T13:17:00.000-04:00

Just a quick recap... we went in for a 35 week prenatal check up on May 12th only to find my blood pressure on the high side, protein in my urine and my amniotic fluid low. I was then sent to labor and deliver (L&D) for 24 hours to monitor blood pressure, check urine over the 24 hours and pump lots of fluid into me. I was released on May 13th and ordered on bedrest. Returned to visit the OB on Monday, May 15th and told he wanted to induce me within the next 48 hours because blood pressure still high and continued elevated protein in urine. Also amniotic fluid was better but still low normal...

We checked into the hospital at 6 AM on Wednesday, May 17th after waiting the day prior to get the green light to do so. After completing some paperwork, I was taken to suite 1 and told change out of my clothes into a gown. Our nurse, Sherri, came in and took some information down as well as my vitals. Dr. Lowder checked me and said I was still only 1 cm dialated. A gel was put into my cervix to get the labor started. We walked around the maternity ward for about 30 or so minutes to get it working. By the time I returned to the room, I was having some painful contractions but not really progressing.

I asked for the epidural. The anestesiologist, Dr. Keith, came to do the epidural and within minutes I was feeling much better. Dr. Lowder came back to check on me and put me on pitocin to get my cervix dialated. She also broke my water. For the next few hours, I simply waited around until it was show time.

Around 5 PM, the nurse thought I was ready to try pushing. After several tries and watching the baby's heartrate decrease on several pushes, Dr. Phillips decided to wait a couple more hours to see if the baby would decend into the birth canal further. I was checked again around 8 PM and given the go ahead to start pushing.

For the next hour and a half, I pushed with the help of my night nurse, Anna, and my wonderful husband. Dr. Phillips came in and pronounced the little man was ready to make his debut. After a few good grunts and pushes, Christopher emerged. I was completely overwhelmed when I first laid eyes on my little man and cried. I know Paul felt the same way. The doctor called him over to cut the cord.

Because Chris was about four weeks early, they immediately took him over to the baby warmer to check him. After several long minutes, they declared him healthy! His Apgar scores at one minute and five minutes were both nines. The nurses finally brought him over so we could bond. It was truly amazing to hold and look at the little person that spent the last eight months inside of me.

The First Week

2006-05-25T05:32:00.000-04:00

It's amazing how fast our little boy is changing in just his first week here. We've had a "rough" spot dealing with jaundice but he's on the mend. Here are some recent photos of the little man:

Day Four

2006-05-21T13:54:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update... we are doing fine trying to establish a routine with eating and sleeping... all three of us!

He's Here!

2006-05-19T20:47:00.000-04:00

Christopher James Mamoru Hansen
Born: May 17, 2006
At: 9:39 PM
Weight: 6 lbs, 14 oz
Length: 20 inches

We're On!

2006-05-17T04:56:00.000-04:00

We are finally checking in! Called labor and delivery this morning, and we are scheduled to be there at 6 AM. Obviously I can't sleep anymore. I have been up since 4:15 or so this morning waiting to call after 4:30 AM as instructed. Once the nurse said to come in, I instantly felt nervous and anxious. To be continued...

Delayed!

2006-05-16T18:58:00.000-04:00

Well it's official... we're delayed until tomorrow morning with the reassurance that they will get me in tomorrow. We are to call before 6 AM to find out if we can come in at 6 AM or wait until 8 AM after the shift change. The nurse said regardless of what's going on, I'll be there. To be continued...