Everything I’ve Learned, I Learned From My Parents

Hello, Laine here!

I hear that I am going to be meeting a bunch of you for the first time in the next two weeks. What great timing because I am going through the whole, “I dislike strangers” stage. Please forgive me if after 5 or 10 minutes of being passed around I start flipping out. It is nothing against you. You just not as awesome as Mommy or Daddy, that’s all. (Heehee.) Just give me back to Mommy or Daddy and I'll be just fine.

Mommy showed me how to write Christmas cards. I was trying to help, but she kept saying, “No, don’t eat that” and, “AAA! Let go of the pen.” It just hardly seemed like she wanted help with the cards themselves. So I was left with the most important task of all, breaking down the box. Yum! Although Mommy now says she meant that she wanted it flattened, not biodegraded in my mouth. She never specified, so it is not my problem. Mommy also seemed stressed out about the whole sending cards thing. Apparently CVS cropped me out of the family picture that was going to be put in the cards. (I mean seriously, who of you would want a picture of just Mommy, Daddy, and the top of my head?) So, Mommy had to re-order using a different file. However, this postponed the sending. So I may be handing out these cards as I meet you, since that will be faster than the mail at this point.

I also have learned how to mock my parents. (Mommy, Daddy, that is what you get for making brussel sprout baby food. Oh wait, I like brussel sprout baby food, nevermind!) My first mocking stunt was poking fun at how they sleep. Daddy likes to lay on his side with something soft in between his fingers. Which really isn’t so bad. Mommy on the other hand... Well, she likes to sleep as if she is playing dead while being attacked by a bear. I think the aerial view might do it better justice. (Note the random sock in the background that I managed to kick off before falling asleep.)

Crawling. Yeah, about that. I am almost there. I am just trying to figure out how to get up on my feet without my hands giving way. Mommy is saying to use my knees, and not my feet, but what does she know?

I’m graduating! Yup, in a month I am graduating up to the Infant II room at school. Goodbye, Infant I! I have mastered your stationary excer-saucers, stationary reclined chairs, and stationary activity mats. I’m a girl on the roll now! [Get it? “On the roll?” Because I roll to wherever I want to go? (crickets) Oh, you people are impossible.] I have actually visited my new room a couple of times and visited with my friends that used to be in Infant I. It was obvious that they missed me because as I sat there, they kept going and getting toys for me to play with. How sweet.

Oh, Mommy is trying to teach me sign language. She pretty much is focusing on the sign for “eat.” One day she got super excited when I signed, “eat” after she asked if I was hungry and if I wanted something to eat. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I was only scratching an itch on my chin. I wasn’t about to complain when I was rewarded with a bottle though. Yummy breastmilk... and now for a nap.

Happy Holidays!

On the Menu

We have tried a bit of different foods. Some days Laine will like a veggie, then the next will hate it. However, the following is the overall census:

Yellow squash: One thumb up
Zucchini: Two thumbs up
Carrots: Two thumbs up
Homemade green beans: One thumb up
Store bought green beans: Two very big thumbs down
Store bought canned pumpkin: Two very big thumbs down

We have a rough outline of our xmas schedule. We are ready to start scheduling visitors. Just a couple of things to keep in mind- Laine’s bedtime is 7 PM. We have our own transportation secured in NH but not necessarily in MA.
22nd to 25th- MA
26th to 30th- NH
31st- MA

Purpose...

... of socks: To put in mouth, bite, then pull off your foot. Squeal in happiness as you wave the sock around like you just got the flag in Capture The Flag.

... of dirty diapers: To kick your feet into as you squeal in happiness because you just realized you don’t have a diaper on.

... of stuffed animals: To chew on and soak with your drool. Smile as you push it into mommy or daddy’s face.

... of boxes: These are play toys, duh!

... of hats: To take off.

... of rattles: To toss (off handedly) onto the floor while you are in your high chair. However, use smooth controlled movements when playing with them on the floor so as not to lose them.

... of tummy time: The three Rs: rotate, roll, and romp.

... of sitting time: Monkey goes up. Monkey goes down. Monkey goes up. Monkey goes down. Etc. You get the point.



... of other people’s noses: To grab and squeeze.

... of parents: To ensure that all of the above will/can actually occur.

Loving Carrots

It has been hard to find the time to post recently. However, Laine is down for a nap and I have a few minutes. Carrots have been a success this week. I am thinking that we are going to try pumpkin today.

Laine loving carrots.


“No more pictures!”


Laine’s doc’s appointment went well. She is still perfectly healthy and doing very well. I have to give myself a pat on my back, Laine is 6 months old and she has not had a drop of formula to date. This would not have been possible without the awesome support of Al! Have I ever mentioned how awesome of a daddy he is? It is just amazing. Watching him with Laine just brings tears to my eyes.


Laine’s artwork from Daycare.



Flying baby!

Introducing Solid Foods

Laine has been doing very well with her rice cereal over the past month. The only issue we have had is that she insists on grabbing the spoon while she eats, which results in smeared rice cereal all over her face (and not her open mouth).

Oatmeal and wheat cereal have not gone over well. I never get a cranky baby after rice cereal, but I have with oatmeal cereal. Laine gagged when I gave her wheat cereal for the first time this weekend. Therefore oatmeal and wheat cereal are on the “I don’t like it yet” list. Perhaps it was the brand? Both were Gerber and the labels listed a lot more ingredients than the Beach Nut brand rice cereal does.

I think I will try other varieties within the Beach Nut brand and also determine if she likes rice cereal from other brands.

I have been doing my good-mommy thing and being super-cautious with the food thing. We have done one item at a time, for at least a week at a time, and trying it at home first before sending it in to daycare. Of course to date we have only done cereal. I mean she is still quite young and there is no reason to rush things.

This weekend I think I will be making a veggie baby food for the first time. Likely it’ll be carrots. I have been doing a lot of reading on how to make baby food as of late. Yup... real simple stuff. Steam the living crap out of a veggie (better than boiling- keeps more nutrients) and reserve the water. Puree cooked veggie in a food processor. Use the reserved water to gain the desired consistency. Force through a strainer if desired. Viola! Absolutely no additives, spices, sugars, etc. to be added, period. See, even a horrible cook, such as myself, can’t screw this up! Veggies now, fruits later, then more complex foods much later. Of course the doctor will be consulted to ensure that veggie introduction is appropriate at this time. (Laine has an appointment coming up anyways.)

If anyone has any website references or book recommendations for baby food recipes for when we are permitted to be more creative, it’d be appreciated.

(I have not edited this post, so hopefully I do not have too many grammar errors.)

Thank You, Laine

You have now (*ah-choo!* *blowing nose*) brought home four colds from the daycare. (*cough cough*) Which means (*blowing nose*) that my immune (*ah-choo!*) system is building lots of new immunities. (*cough cough* *ah-choo!* *blowing nose* *groan*) Thank you for making me a stronger (*hacking-up-lung like coughs*) person.

A letter from Laine to Mommy and Daddy

Dear Mommy and Daddy,

I am old enough to have figured some things out. And I think it is far past time that I show you what I know.

I know when:
A) you leave the room
B) you are not looking at me

From hence forth, when I know either A or B to be true, I will let you know by screaming out, "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

Your Loving (But Very Demanding) Daughter, Lainey

Talky Talky

Laine loves to talk. However, she is shy around strangers and cameras. Well, she gets distracted around cameras. So I took the camera into her darkened bedroom while she was talking herself to sleep one night. These two videos are what I could get.

The Coolest Thing...

I just saw the coolest thing. Laine has been sleeping quite a bit this evening, but she woke up and wanted a bottle. I fed her in the rocking chair and put her into her crib when she was done. She was half asleep but stirred when I put her in. I put her pacifier in her mouth (she only gets it when she sleeps) and she spit it out. I put the covers over her and she promptly kicked them off (as usual). She turned to her side then threw herself back onto her back. She then reached over with both hands and grabbed her pacifier and pulled it to her mouth. It was facing backwards, so she turned it around and then stuck the nipple in her mouth. I helped her to turn it slightly, since she put it in sideways. Then she took a couple sucks and fell asleep. What was even cooler was that she did all of that with her eyes closed! Now I know that she doesn't need anyone to locate her pacifier in the middle of the night for her. And she is almost at the point where she can feed herself independently with the bottle.

Happy Halloween!!

(Costume courtesy of Avo.)

First Computer

Laine has received her first computer. It is a Dell, it is tiny, and it is not a child's toy. It is a real computer! It will be covered in slime in no time. Actually, daddy will be using it until Laine is old enough not to drool on it.

Electronics

I don't know what it is about tvs, computers, cameras, and cell phones, but Laine just loves them. Meanwhile, she'll toss aside her light flashing and music playing toys. Those are apparently less interesting.

A Quick Update

Hello Blog!

Avo came for a visit this past weekend. Laine seemed to really enjoy all the singing and extra attention.

Little Laine is working on learning how to sit up on her own. She is doing pretty well at it.

I think she has found her way to tell us that she wants to be put down. Before arching her back meant "my tummy hurts." Now it means, "I am trying to inch away from you. Now put me down!"

She is still working on getting rid of a cold that she has had for nearly two weeks. Infact, Mommy and Daddy are trying to get rid of the same cold as well. Yup, time for us to build our immune system to everything that she brings home from daycare.

Laine is now turning so that she can sleep on her tummy at night. Oddly enough, it makes us slightly worried, even though she is plenty old enough. Now she just needs to get used to turning herself back over when she is tired of being on her tummy. (She rolls in one direction only for the most part.)

It is 9 PM, which means bedtime for the Mommy!

Correction...

... she wanted to put the camera in her mouth, not hold it. (You can see the tounge at the very end.)

And I swear I was getting full belly-laughs before this was taken.

The camera always distracts her. She stops what she is doing so because she wants to figure it out.

That's it, if you want to see her cutest moments, you just have to come and visit- I give up trying to capture them on camera for you.

Camping Baby

Laine went on her first camping trip this weekend. I think she was trying to determine if she liked it or not because she had a very serious, yet inquisitive, look on her face for most of the weekend.

It got quite cold at night and we had to put Laine in footed fuzzy sleepwear, wrap her up like a burrito, put her in her car seat, put a cloth diaper on her head with an oversized hat over that, and then put a blanket over the car seat to form a cocoon. This was because our original plan of co-sleeping failed miserably. Laine has no interest being in our bed, on our tummies, or in our arms at night. As a general rule, she also has no interest in covers either! Hence, the Laine-cocoon-burrito tactic.

Al & I could cuddle up to each other and keep our heads in the sleeping bag for warmth. However, pumping at midnight and 6 AM was horrible! So cold! Also, Laine was not only unhappy from being rolled up like a burrito, she was also having gastro-issues both nights. (This morning at 5:30 she managed to have a blow-out all the way up to the back of her neck. Impressive!) Because of this, we had to be out of our sleeping bags for several hours. Both nights also required taking her into the car so that she/we would not disturb KB, Emily, or the other campers.


We did manage to have great time though. We saw Anna Ruby Falls. Laine seemed unimpressed, but thought that sticking her hands in Daddy’s mouth was absolutely hilarious.









Pictures of the weekend can be found on our Shutterfly account. (You will need to go to the Friends tab to see them. They are not under the Baby tab.)

4 Months

Lainey is now 4 months old. Daddy took her to her 4-month doc's appointment last Friday. Here are the stats:

Weight: 15 lbs 11 ounces (90th percentile)

Height: 24 3/4" (75th percentile)

Head Circumference: 16 1/2" (75th percentile)

*sniff* *sniff* They grow up so fast!

Tricks for others, but not for Mommy!

Laine is home this week hanging out Grammie, while Daddy is out of the country on a business trip. (Poor Daddy is missing his baby sooo much!)

Laine has shown Grammie how she can roll from her back to her tummy and from her tummy to her back. Has Laine shown Mommy? Mommy shakes her head “no.”

Laine has lifted her arms to Grammie, indicating that she wants to be picked up. Has Laine lifted her arms for Mommy? Mommy shakes her head “no.”

Laine’s first tooth is starting to come in! Has Laine displayed to Mommy her fussiness/crankiness regarding the matter? Mommy eagerly nods her head “yes.”

I found my feet

And boy are they tasty!

It done got finished!

What got finished, you ask? Laine's Monkey Quilt. Yes, yes. Just shy of a year later I finished her quilt. (I actually finished it last week during my furlough day and extended weekend.)




And now for my next feat... updating the Shutterfly account.

A Post by Laine

Hi friends and family! Mommy is typing my internal monologue today.

I am getting really good at the activity mat that Grammie got for me. A couple weeks ago I was still trying to figure it all out. I’d be laying there, swinging my arms, then the next thing I’d know something would hit my hand. It was jolting! I’d look around and see that Mr Alligator was swinging back and forth. Obviously what ever got me got him too. These days though, I can move my arms close to Mr Alligator and Mr Monkey and wrap my little fingers around them. I pull and pull at them, but they just resist coming close to my mouth. [Sigh] Score- Mr Alligator & Mr. Monkey: 1 My Mouth: 0



Have I mentioned that my favorite toy thing is Mickey the Monkey? (Daddy gave him that name.) I like holding him, pulling him up to my face, putting him in my mouth, but most of all, I like feeling his softness against my skin.




I really like school. I am learning about all sorts of things. Apparently those lumps at the end of my legs are called feet. I stare at them a lot. For some reason they move and move and move. I am afraid to reach for them because they never stop moving. My teacher put some goopy stuff on them Wednesday and helped me kick the living crap out of a piece of paper. Take that paper!! My teacher then marked the paper so that it’d know who kicked whose butt! Score- Feet: 1 Paper: 0



Today we went on a nature walk. It was very enlightening. Did you know leaves grow on trees? And that they are green? I didn’t think so either, but apparently they do and they are. I got to play with lots of stuff outside. It is like mother earth provides all the entertainment value I could ever require. My teacher brought in everything I played with and taped it to a piece of paper to hold it down. You are going nowhere Mr. Paper, cuz you have my nature toys on you! Score- Nature Toys: 1 Paper: 0



You know what I like and what makes me laugh? Daddy’s up and down game. He counts and pushes me up in the air and pulls me back down again. I am facing downward and my face is directly above his face. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Ahh, it makes me laugh so much. My mouth is open so much from laughing that I sometimes end up drooling on Daddy’s face. Heehee. Score- Drool: 1 Daddy: 0



Dancing! Dancing is fun! Mommy stinks at taking pictures of my awesome moves though.

Yup, that blur is my awesome dance moves! In this next picture my Michelin Man Legs (as Heather lovingly calls them) and I are listening to Daddy's instructions.



I am also really starting to get a ‘nack for this whole sleeping at night thing. I am doing so much better than Mommy! I swear I hear her up every night at midnight and again at 6 AM fighting with her… what does she call it again… oh, yes, her Torture Device. Not exactly sure what that means, but I know that is how my milk ends up in my bottles. Anyways, I am off topic. I am able to sleep until 4 AMish when I fall asleep between 8 and 9 PM. There have been two nights where I made it all the way until 6 or 7 AM! Mommy and Daddy were so very proud of me. I wasn’t very happy though because I was STARVING!

Well Mommy is telling me that I am cranky right now and that it is time for me to go to bed. We’ll just see about that. Tonight I feel that I should be rocked to sleep and kept in Mommy or Daddy’s arms for several hours. If they try to put me down before then… heehee… I’ll get ‘em!

Milk Coming Out My Ears

Offer- Breastmilk. I’ll pump it, you pick it up. I have enough to feed an additional child.

So... when I go to stop breastfeeding... how the hell do I do it without going into massive pain? I tried to slow it down last week by pumping for a smaller amount of time every six hours (versus draining myself every 6 hours). It resulted in a massively swollen, painful, lumpy, and burning (as in physically warm) boob. Yes, singular. Mr Dopey Right Breast here is pretty oblivious to the world. Every once in awhile he’ll get cranky about wanting to let out his 2 ounce contribution when I pump. In general, he’ll be easy to dry up. But what about Mr Hyperactive Left Breast here? Recommendations?

(I still have time before I stop though. If I stop in 6 months, I should still have enough in storage to last her until she turns one.)

New Daycare

Laine has now spent one week in her new daycare. I like it a lot better than the previous daycare.

She and her friend, Olivia, sit in bouncy chairs facing each other and they play "foot wars." They look at each other, "talk," and lightly kick each other's feet. Apparently they both enjoy it a lot!

When I went to pick up Laine yesterday, she was playing with her friend, Cassy. They were on the same activity mat together sharing the dangling toys.

Tucker was also in the room, but he will likely get moved into the older infant room once more children enroll. (The center has only been open for a month.) I am not sure how much Laine and Tucker play since he already walks.

The person who let me know about this daycare is actually a former co-worker from my last job. His son, Liam, will be joining Laine's room in early October. Liam was born in the beginning of this month.

There is another Layne who is enrolling and will be in the older infant room. Obviously that Layne spells her name differently than our Laine.

An aside- Of course yesterday I got a call from one of the other day cares that I have been on the waiting list for. They have an opening. I thought to myself, "Where were you this time last month? Or the month before?" I had to let them know that I had just gotten Laine into a place that I enjoyed and that I would have to pass.

I talked with Laine's teacher a bit about Laine's development and personality:
- She must get eye contact when getting fed, or else fussiness will ensue.
- She cannot be put down unless she is VERY tired, or else she will wake up and insist on getting up.
- She can roll onto her tummy from her back...
...wait...
WHAT?!?!
I MISSED IT?!?!?! I missed my baby's first roll-over? I did! Since Laine was new, her teacher was unaware that it was the first time she had ever done it. She thought it was a common occurrence. Of course, Laine hasn't done it again since, at home or at school.

Completely worth it

Yup, there is nothing like it.

Through the lack of sleep and the hair pulling "I-don't-know-what-you-want!" times... the storm is finally settling. There is more of a nighttime routine. She only wakes up once in the night. We can take her out to restaurants. We are starting to hang out with friends again. She is not fighting the car seat. And she growing like a weed.

But best of all, we are completely in love with her. I just fill up with warmth and positive energy when I hold her.

Yup, there is nothing like it.

First Cold

There is a little boy in Laine's daycare that apparently had a head cold and snotted all over everything. Yup. Guess who managed to get the cold? Yup.

Daddy was super. He made a doctor's appointment and took her in. Now we have saline spray to spray up her nose. She "loves" it. She was so sick that she managed to sleep 10:30 PM to 6:30 AM!!! Shocking! It was the best night sleep we have gotten since she was born.

What is this?

A Blog Post? Nooo… could it be?? Oh my, I guess it is!

Highlights:

I am back at work. Before you ask, yes, I cried the first (and second) day I dropped Laine off at daycare.

I have located the lactation room at work. It is a 41-floor building and there is one locked room dedicated for lactating mothers to pump in during the day. Pretty cool, huh? They have two hospital pumps there. You just need the correct attachments (for hygiene purposes) to use. I am still trying to figure out if I was given said attachments when I was at the hospital. (By “given,” I mean my insurance company paid for when Laine had more interest in sleeping than eating.) If I was, then that means I won’t need to carry my whole pump back and forth from work. That would be very nice!

Laine is still drooling, but has learned how to make bubbles.

Laine has pretty much outgrown all her 0-3 month clothes and is now in her 3-6 month clothes.

Yesterday our friend, Donna, came over to take pictures of Laine with her new lens. The pictures I have seen are amazing! Here is a preview:
The happy family.



Laine all dressed up like a girly-girl.



Laine blowing bubbles.

2 Month Doc Appt

Laine is now 12 lbs and 4 ounces!! AAA!!! I guess that explains her ability to take 6 ounces of milk at a time. This puts her above the 75 percentile in weight. She is 23 inches, which is the 75 percentile. Her noggin' is 16 inches, which is the 90 percentile. She has such a big head but she still has excellent head and neck strength. This isn't just my opinion but the doc's too.

The poor thing now has band-aids on each of her legs. She got five shots. She screamed so much that she wasn't making any noise with her screams. I was worried that it was going to cause a rough afternoon, however, she was asleep by the time we reached the car and has been asleep (for the most part) all afternoon. I say "for the most part" because she is sleeping very lightly and is grumpy at the slightest noise.

Let's see, Laine has accomplished a lot since the last post. Let's see what I can remember:
- As you have seen, she "coos" and "talks."
- We have had mini-laughs.
- Her hands have found each other and she holds her own hands from time to time.
- Her hands have found her mouth. She is able to suck her thumb but she sometimes has difficulty finding her mouth. Also, she has not learned what to do with her other fingers. They usually end up in her eye or nose, which she does not like too much.
- I think she is getting close to outgrowing her size 1 diapers.
- She drools... a lot.

Jibber-Jabber

This weekend was a mix of the best of times and the worst of times. Since I care not to remember the bad times, this post will address the positive- Laine loves to talk!

Laine is now at the stage where she is able to tell Mommy that she does not want to be held. (It is a very odd feeling to have your child fuss and cry when you pick him/her up.) Laine is perfectly content to lay down and talk amongst herself. On Sunday, after talking through a diaper change, Laine wanted to lay down in her crib. I left the room to get some things done then noted that Laine was serenading the house with her jibber-jabber. I grabbed the camera to see what I could record. At first she was camera shy-

Then she started talking more-


Mind you, this was in her crib. You know... where she SLEEPS. Acouple hours later we were tring to get an air bubble out via burping. The over-the-shoulder technique did not work, so I turned to the "tried-and-true" bounce-on-the-boppy technique. I got this instead-

Mommy shakes her head and sighs.

After Reading Dr Suess

We received a package of books
that have now been placed in a nook.
We read several to Laine,
although sometimes in vain.
Dr Suess was on the menu
and our living room was the venue.
Once we were done
there was no sun
and we noted we only talked in rhymes!

Tickle War

Laine is asleep for a catnap, so I have time for this quick little story that happened a little while ago:

I was burping Laine and, as usual, she was falling asleep during it. (She does not like her back rubbed but she finds it soothing to be whacked on the back, go figure) I started doing various things to see if I could rouse her. I grabbed both of her feet and kicked them back and forth while saying, "Look, Laine, you’re swimming!" but that did not work. I tried asking her what she did today but that did not work. I tried telling her about my day but that also did not work. So I decided to see if she was ticklish in her armpits. She was! "Heeheehee," Mommy said in a devilish voice. "So if I do this (Mommy tickles armpits) you are going to wake up?" Laine wiggled and squirmed out of the burping position. I stopped tickling her and rested my left arm on the back of the couch while my right hand tried burping her again.

I was wearing the Boppy and when I wear it (which is pretty much all the time) I permit Laine to wiggle herself into whatever position she gets herself into. Sometimes when she is tired she throws her weight to the side, so that she is on her side with our tummies touching, and instantly falls asleep.

I was still grinning from my cunning way of waking her up to get one last burp out. However, she threw her weight towards my left side, and instead of falling asleep, she stretched out her arms. Her left hand went directly into my left armpit where she proceeded to move her wrist back and forth. "Hey!" I said. She grinned right before falling asleep as if she was thinking, "Payback is a pain in the butt, isn't it Mommy?"

An Update

It has been long since I have updated. Laine is growing up. She has slept in her own room for the past couple of nights. She seems to snort less there. Oh, yes, Laine snorts in her sleep. She has a knack for snorting herself awake... poor thing. Since this has freed up the bassinet, Asuka as re-established it as her napping spot.

Hiccups are still prevalent. We think the strong ones hurt her based on her reaction (aka- screaming).

We do tummy-time for about 5 minutes each day. Sometimes it ends in tears. She is now interested in staring at her toys and will look at her rattles. She is still doing really well with head control when she is sitting up. Well, unless she is tired… then she just moves around like a drunk. She can now hold her own weight on her legs for upwards of 5 seconds.

Daddy enjoyed his first Father’s Day. Laine got him a handprint kit that we are going to put her footprints in. Mommy originally went out and bought Plaster of Paris for the craft project, however the box had several warnings about it causing cancer and that it should not come in contact with human skin. (Yeah, where was that warning label when I was a child?) So that went back to the store and we picked up a non-cancer forming version.

Additionally, Laine is learning how to be a good Red Sox fan. Thanks to her Uncle Kevin, she can sport her team’s logo. And tonight I reviewed the basic rules of baseball again while watching the Red Sox / Braves game. She was riveted!



We had a personal chef come to the house on Wednesday. She cooked five meals for Mommy and Daddy. It was all paid for through a gift from Daddy’s co-workers. (Thank you Al’s co-workers!) It was kinda cool, she came with everything. She brought her own pots, pans, and even cutting boards! She only used our sink, oven, microwave... and that’s it. She brought all the ingredients, even salt and pepper. She was here for three and a half hours and left the kitchen spotless.

I know lots of other things have happened... but quite frankly I can't think straight at the moment. Bedtime for Mommy!

Laine, meet Avô & Avó

Newborn Appointment

Our little one is now 9 pounds and 21 inches tall. (Sniff... sniff... they grow up so fast!)

We saw a new and different Doc this time. Not as impressed. Before Laine even met her, she made it known that she did not like her by... pooping on Daddy. "Watch out, I am fully loaded and I don't want to be here."

Also Mommy is not allowed in grocery stores or shopping centers per this Doc. Fancy that... (Mommy rolls her eyes)

Avo & Avo Braga arrived today for their visit. I should have gotten a picture of me after I opened all the presents that came down with them. All you would have seen was the top of my head. The rest? Presents!

So many hours in the day... so little time

Seriously! There are 24 hours in a day. Yet, I only get an hour or two (if I am lucky) of "free" time. Therefore I apologize for the lack of postings recently.

Here are two Mommy-Cam videos. Please note that Mommy is an idiot and did not realize that a video image could not be rotated after the fact. To compensate, just tilt your head. Also note in both of these videos Daddy is NOT holding Laine's head up. She is holding it up on her own. We have noticed that she has amazingly strong neck and back muscles. I attribute it to the 2-4 hiccup attacks she would have in my belly each day. God knows if that is what did it or not though.





In other news:
-Last Friday, Laine became a 10 fingered woman. Her pinkies look great!
-Our specially ordered Amish rocking chair should be picked up by FedEx today in PA. I think it should arrive here by Thursday at the latest.
-Laine likes to bury her face in Mommy & Daddy's chest while napping. Apparently Mommy used to do this as a baby... oh wait... Mommy still likes to sleep flat on her face. It is a rare art-form to be able to sleep directly on one's nose without suffocating. And Laine has mastered it already!
-The umbilical cord still has not fallen off. I wonder if the doc on Wednesday's appointment will do any finagling with it.
-My mom left on Saturday. There were many tears (from both Grammie and Laine). There were smiles. And there were some "see you laters."
-During my mom's visit we did three separate tours of local daycares. Two here in our town and one in downtown Atl. Our top choice is the one by my work. We are keeping the option of moving her to our second choice once availability opens up due to their proximity to our house and their quality program. Their wait list is approximately 8 months to a year long! (Although the program by my work is equally, if not better, in educational quality. Cross your fingers that they will have availability in mid-August!)
-It is great that NPR plays classical music during the day. Laine is learning to enjoy it.

Anything you can do, I can do too

It is apparent that Asuka is not jealous of Laine but she wants to do the same things that she does.

Here is a picture of Daddy holding both girls. "I saw that one arm was free and I knew it was meant for me."


Here is a picture of Asuka showing us that she likes tactile contact on her face too. "Mmmm... cushion."


Here is a picture of Asuka wanting the same contact that Laine had. "Don't move, Daddy. If that is her spot then this is my spot."



Heehee.

So very odd

It is the weirdest thing to hold your child's finger in the palm of your hand... especially when that finger is not attached to your child. That begs the question- what do you do with said finger?

We are now down to 11 fingers as of Wednesday night. The one on her right hand was the one that fell off. The second one is just barely holding on and will likely fall off in the next couple of days. Laine has been on antibiotics due to some redness and irritation at the tie off site. We had another follow-up appointment today. Since things are looking better and the second finger will be going soon, Laine will only have to continue on her meds until Tuesday. And that is a good thing for us because the meds give her diarrhea! (Sigh.)

We saw a different Pediatrician from the office today. This is the third one I have met. So far, I like all of them. The one we saw today wanted to know the one that tied off the fingers because they did such a great job. Looks like there will be no stubs. Yay! The Pediatrician thinks that Al may be the beginning of a new genetic "mutation" since there is no family history. She said that these are not unusual. Of course, it is still a dominant trait, our second baby will likely also have extra digits.

Here are some Daddy-Cam Videos:




Laine Factoids:
- Laine sneezes in multiples; just like her mommy.
- Laine must have tactile contact on her face. She always has her hands on her face. When we are chest-to-chest, she will flop her head around to get it under our chin. She will fuss until she gets this contact. I have noticed that nine times out of ten when I wake up I have my hands against my face. Another inherited mommy trait!

I look ridiculous!

I took this picture on Sunday... which also happened to be the day that my milk came in. Can you tell? Yes, the look on my face says it all! I was really taking the picture to track my tummy progress (which was not going to be made public). However, this is just too frickin' hilarious not to share. Dolly Parton... step aside!

If you plan to have children, stock up on at least one 38DD nursing bra, just in case. (Note- Al is a very good bra shopper.) I would fit much better in a 36DD nursing bra at this point, but apparently they are harder to find.

Mommy update- Mommy's progress is slow but somewhat steady. Stitches are slow to heal. Stairs are my nemesis. Walking is the devil. Grammie is here to help out, which is helping Mommy not feel as if she has to overdo it.

Daddy Update- Daddy's first day back to work was yesterday. I think he was half asleep all day.

New Content

Sorry about taking so long to post stuff, but sleep deprevation has made me lose all short term memory functions which includes thoughts about posting and uploading new photos to shutterfly. Please hang in there with us. For the next couple of weeks posts are going to be pretty light on text and heavier on photos/videos. Yes that's rights videos!!!

The quality stinks but it more of a factor of the little light in the room than our camara. Laine is still pretty sensitive to light (especially artificial light).



--ThatGuy

Tada!!!

Huh...

I may have over estimated my hunger.

I am currently staring at a large pizza topped with onions and sausage. There are two slices missing. Note: Al is out for the evening and I ordered the pizza all for myself (and Laine).

Wednesday's appointment gave me no new information, other than I have now gained 38.5 pounds.

My New Book: “Standing Up” for (Pregnant) Dummies

Chapter One- Introduction
As many of us know, or have noticed, being pregnant brings a lot of intriguing looks from strangers. Specifically, when a pregnant lady is about to stand up. Right when the train stops at my station, it is like everyone’s private thoughts become auditable. “Is she going to make it?” “I don’t think she has the leg strength to stand up.” “Why is she out in public in that condition?” “Can’t… stop… staring!” “Did I forget to pack the banana with my lunch?”

So I thought that a book needed to be written to help those of us ailing from Humanoid Parasitic Syndrome (lovingly called “pregnancy” for short) to blend in better with the general population.

Chapter Two- Laying Down to Standing Up: A Lost Cause
(Note: This chapter has not been written yet because the author still hasn’t figured out how to stand up without using movements similar to a walrus’.)

Chapter Three- The Chair: Standing Up the Natural Way
Before beginning with Step 1, be sure to clear two feet in front of you and the chair. Using your feet to kick things out of the way is completely appropriate.

Step 1: Use a free hand to push against the back of the seat (this will make Step 2 easier).
Step 2: Shuffle your butt towards the edge of the chair.
Step 3: Spread your feet apart so that they are at least shoulder length apart.
Step 4: Angle your feet outward (the antithesis of pigeon toed).
Step 5: Find something/someone in front of you to pull on. (If nothing/no one is in front of you, proceed to Step 6B below.)
Step 6A: Lean forward and lift your butt out of the chair while pulling on the object/person in front of you with all your strength.
Step 7A: If the object/person in front of you is tall, use hand-over-hand movements to slowly help pull yourself up. (Think the rope climb in high school.) If the object/person is not tall, just pull harder and hope for the best. If you are using a person, grasp at any loose clothing, hair, or pocketbooks to make things easier.
Step 8A: Continue this step until you are in a standing position.

Step 6B: Reach around behind you and place one hand on the top of the seat back.
Step 7B: Lift your butt out of the chair and slowly rotate your body in the direction of your hand on the seat back.
Step 8B: Wink at anyone behind you to confuse them and redirect their attention to something/someone else.
Step 9B: Keep turning your body until you are facing the back of the chair. Shuffle your feet as necessary to avoid falling.
Step 10B: If you feel eyes on your butt from someone close, balance on one foot and kick the person directly in the face. State: “I am sorry, I did not see you there.”
Step 11B: Lift your chest upwards while you let go of the back of the chair.
Step 12B: Continue this step until you are in a standing position.
Step 13B: If you needed to complete step 10B, complete this step for good measure. Spin around quickly while raising your arms and “accidentally” punch the butt-starer in the face. Yell out: “Yatta!”

If there is no seat back and there is nothing/no one in front of you… ummm… please purchase the sequel to this book titled: “Oh SHIT, I am Sitting and Can’t Stand Up” for (Pregnant) Dummies.

Help Wanted: Illustrator. Pay- $0 per hour

Today's Appointment

Today's appointment just confirmed what I already knew- no new advancement. I have had a very easy week, in that, I have not had many contractions at all. Today has been rough though. I am in an amazing amount of pain when I walk. There is lots of pressure, my tailbone is insanely sore, and I am walking like I just spent 3 full days on the back of a horse.

There was one new sign that end of pregnancy is near though. Laine's heartbeat has slowed to the high 130s bpm. I asked my doctor if this was indicative of a certain amount of time that we have left. Nope! Every baby is different. (Sigh.)

Shortest Pee

You know that feeling where you really have to pee and when you go it is the longest pee in the world that just feels amazing? Yeah, about that. I get the beginning feeling a lot... not so much with the latter feeling though.

Drip, drip, and done.

Your Personal Hospital Tour

My comment on the previous post made me think that some of you (aka- mom) would like to have a better idea as to the hospital we are delievering at. The hospial built a brand new building specifically for maternity care.... oh yes, and day surgery.

There was an online video tour that was made before they built the building. The video is pretty close to the final project. To see the video, click here then click "View Women's Center Video" on the right hand side.

Forward Movement

I saw the better liked Doctor today. She always seems to give me better news than the other one.

Currently-
Dilated: 2.5 cm
70-80% effaced
Engagement: -1 to -2 position

It is nice to hear that all that "false" labor through the week actually helped to move things along. (Slowly but surely.)

Over the past week, I've had false labor 1-2 times a day on 5 out of the 7 days. Each episode lasted 2-4 hours each. Many contractions have been strong enough to keep me from talking.

Last week the mucus plug was showing signs of coming out. However, some came out during today's appointment. Hopefully the rest come out at some point this week.

Got an Opinion? Well take it and shovel it

(I mean that in the most comical ways possible, I promise. I even made a reference to Demolition Man, for those of you who were paying attention.)

My point is that I think I may be done with the whole "everyone else's opinion" thing. If I had a quarter for every first opinion I have been given and a dime for every subsequent opinion that same person has given... I'd have her college & graduate school tuitions paid for by now.

A Naked Tummy Pic from earlier this week:



Opinion Topics That Get Under My Skin:
-You are so tiny for being that far along!
Seriously, the next time you see a pregnant lady who is waddling super slow and is wincing in pain because there is a skull rubbing against the inside of her pelvis... the LAST thing you should ever say to her face is that she has another 10-15 pounds to gain before it is all over. I've gained 30 pounds so far, which is perfectly healthy for a full-term pregnancy, thank you very much.

-She hasn't even dropped yet.
SERIOUSLY?? Where the hell does she have to go to "drop"... the floor?? I believe that is called childbirth.

-Don't do that, you are going to hurt her development.
It was 8 ounces of decaf coffee! Even if I had a cup of regular coffee a day, it is still an okay amount of caffeine to have.
And since when am I not supposed to be eating foods that have been heated in the microwave? I promise that she will not come out radioactive.
And yes, I have my doctor's permission to walk from my car in the parking lot to the train platform. And yes, I am permitted to take the stairs if I feel up to it. And no, I do not need to lay in bed twiddling my thumbs until she comes out.


Today's Tummy Pic:

Hey, who put that there?

Yesterday's Stats/Factoids

Frontal Measurement: 36 cm

Dilated: 1-2 cm

Will I surpass my due date: (Doctor made a funny face while looking at my file.) "Don't plan on it," she said. [Mind you that the due date in my medical records says May 16th.]

Next Appointment: "Make an appointment for next week. But don't bother to make it if you have a baby or go into labor between now and then," the doctor jokingly said.

Number of contractions I had yesterday: Somewhere between 5 and 10. (I think the doctor checking my cervix kinda encouraged some of that activity.)

Our solution on how to assist me in coping with the contractions: We took a slow walk... in Publix (aka- we went grocery shopping). I got to push the cart, which helped me to lean forward and take some weight off my back.

A Letter to My Daughter

Dear Lain(e)

You may have noticed a small opening right around the top of your head. I know your head is rather wedged in Mommy’s pelvis right now, so you cannot turn your head to see it, but trust me, it is there.

All I ask is that you think about exiting through that opening… soon. Mommy and Daddy know and understand that you should take your time getting ready. We will be supportive of your decision whatever you decide. However (and here comes the guilt), Mommy is going senile from the complete lack of quality sleep she is getting. I am sure you have been hearing her cry quite a lot lately at anything and everything. Daddy is doing okay, but will soon be hitting the senile stage if he has to deal with Mommy in her current condition much longer.

We understand that once you join us, sleep will be rare as well. But at least it will give Mommy the chance to get quality sleep while you nap and will give her the opportunity to sleep in more than one position.

Again, take your time. But the second you even THINK that you might be ready to exit, do NOT second guess yourself, and make your way through the opening.

Thank you.

Love,
Mommy

Late Update

I meant to post about the last doctor's appointment on Wednesday night. But my time has been rather short every evening this week. I have been working on my baby shower cake. I still have a lot work to do on it... I have mixed feelings on how it is turning out though. I will need to make an early morning trip to the grocery store to get more frosting.

Update from doctor's:
No more advancement.
But my belly is now 36 cm.
This doctor says I am only 50% effaced. Sigh.

I have been having less false labor pains, which is very nice.
Work is very happy that there is no advancement.
I feel like a giant huge pregnant lady.
I can't cross my legs anymore (no room under my belly).
I am super tired.
Not thinking in complete sentences.
I will go to bed now.

I don't feel like giving this post a title

No new news yet. Monday I felt miserable but at least I was at work. That helped me take my mind off the fact that random portions of my uterus were having partial contractions every 10-20 seconds for a couple hours on end. Kinda an odd sensation overall. Kinda like a reverse firework finale on the surface of my uterus. When that wasn't going on, just a bit of downward pressure.

Today I have been feeling great. Only a couple times her head rubbed up against my pelvis when I was walking. It has been a nice break!

I'll have a medical update tomorrow to see if any of this has done anything worthwhile.

Also of note- I walk so slow now that people easily pass me in the hallways at work. ("Passing on the left!") Yet, I am still passing people in the train stations. Hmm...

1st Contraction

Friday I was full of energy!! Today on the other hand has been rough. Back pain. Leg throbbing pain. Cramping pain. Complete exhaustion from head to toe. And having an overly active daughter is not helping the situation.

Since her head is so low, most of the time when she has the hiccups her head hits my pelvis or pushes against my cervix. Not exactly the most comfortable feelings in the world, especially when she has the hiccups 3-4 times daily.

At 1:40 this afternoon I had my first full-blown contraction. It lasted a minute. I started to wonder if an Easter Baby was in my future. An hour later, I had a half-assed contraction. It started strong and ended strong... but kinda fuzzled out in the middle. Since then it has just been a lot more of the symptoms listed in the first paragraph.

However, I should have figured out a while ago what her reaction to a contraction was going to be. Here I thought it was her idea to come out early, but I have learned that is not the case. She was NOT happy that the contraction was, well, contracting her space. There were kicks, punches, and attempts at stretches. All of them did nothing against my rock hard uterus. I tried to rub her back to calm her down, however, I couldn't even feel her back through my uterus.

My body sure is preparing. Just as long as it doesn't need weeks of practice then I should be fine. If it is going to last weeks... I request a voluntary coma.

Work's Reaction

So, while I posed the question on the blog, people at work have been weighing in on the answer. And no, they do not know about the blog.

I got on the elevator this morning and shared it with a co-worker named Linda. “Hey Momma!” she said. “She dropped some more. I can tell by the bands on your shirt.” By the end of the day, she looked at me wide-eyed and commented that my tummy was now even lower.

Within 30 minutes of being at work, I heard someone turn the corner and stand outside my cube. When I turned around it was my supervisor’s boss, Lee. (My supervisor is out on medical leave.) Usually when he comes to my cube like that he needs something. I looked at him waiting for him to tell me what he needed, but instead he said, “I was just checking to see if you were here.” “Yup, she is still inside me,” I responded. “Excellent!” he said as he walked away.

An hour later, I heard someone else come to my cube. When I turned around it was my co-worker Valerie. She and I work very closely to cover my supervisor’s workload while she is out. “Oh thank god you are here,” she said, “I don’t know what I am going to do when I turn the corner to find out that you are not here.” Later in the day, she looked at me and noted that I am noticeable bigger. I told her how my mother said it looked like she dropped and came out. “And then some!” Valerie added.

I was walking out of my cube aisle with my cube neighbor, Charlie. “So what is this I am hearing? You are about to have this baby?” he asked. Around the corner, over the filing cabinets, we heard a “Oh, she better not be.” It was Lee. He followed up by jokingly saying, “She told me that she promised that it wouldn’t be during the next week.” I laughed and let him know that I was doing my best to hold up to my end of the bargain. Funny thing is, I did promise him that yesterday. And last week I was promising everyone that I wouldn’t deliver until my supervisor came back. HA!

One random lady stopped me on my way out the front door to the building today. I believe she works on my floor with two individuals with developmental disabilities that work in our office. She asked when I was due. I told her next month. "Girl, you ain't gonna make it that far!" "I think you could be right," I said. "Girl, you are low. I give you a couple weeks."

While we all understand that I could very possibly still reach my due-date, no one in my office is taking that for granted. In fact, instead of being wished a good weekend by some, I was wished good luck… just in case I happen to go into labor this weekend. People are so silly people for thinking that it is going to be that immediate. However, my brain is slowly wrapping around the idea that a May baby may not happen after all.

Droppage? Yes? No? Maybe?

(Melinda looks at the picture above then looks at the picture here. Then back and forth and back and forth.)

I dunno... has she dropped?

And before anyone suggests that I should purchase maternity shirts... that IS a maternity shirt!

Awesome Update

To those who voted that Lain(e) would be joining us at the end of May… you may want to think about changing your vote.

Yesterday afternoon and evening was rough. I was having cramp-like feelings (not as bad as my periods, but enough to make me very uncomfortable). I was having pulling and pinching feelings down close to my pelvis. And no matter what position I was in I could not get comfortable. My brain also was not functioning well. For some reason my brain told my hand to stop holding onto a mug containing water and it went crashing down. Granted, it was 1:30 AM, but I still let out grumbles and swears. Al sent me to bed while he cleaned up and got me some water (in a plastic cup).

Today has been waddle city! I noticed that my stance was wider than usual, which likely lead to the waddling.

I had yet another doctor’s appointment today. And we shall now be going every week until she is born. I gained the textbook 2 pounds since my last appointment two weeks ago. My frontal height is now 33 cm.

I learned why I was so uncomfortable yesterday and why I am waddling. I am 80% effaced, 1 cm dilated, and her little head is really really low (-1 engagement). Yet, when I look in the mirror, I don’t look like I have dropped.

My doctor said that everything that she is doing right now should make me quite happy, since it will make labor a smidge bit easier on me- Her head is first. Her head is low. Her body position is perfect.

What does this mean for when she is born? (Shrug.) Doctor thinks that a baby in the next week is unlikely and that it is still possible to go another 4 weeks. According to my Prepared Childbirth book here, lightening/engagement occurs anywhere from two to four weeks before labor.

Change your votes if you so choose and I will give you another medical status update next week!

Tummy and Nursery Updates

I would have looked happier in this picture, but it was taken late in the evening. And I shall remind you that insomnia is kicking in! Adding to that, acid reflex has also forced me to "sleep" sitting up on the upstairs couch 3 times in the past 10 days.

Nursery before pictures:



Nursery after pictures:




During the nursery make-over pictures:

Al fixing the crack in the corner before painting-


The kids helping with the paint job. Misato is in the room inspecting for the need of a second coat, while Asuka patiently waits with the roller and paint to get the go-ahead signal from Misato.



Step-by-step directions on how to assemble a crib:

Step 1- Get the box into nursery and take off strapping. Here is Al giving a demonstration:


Step 2- Open the box and locate instruction booklet.


Step 3- Tell the photographer that not every minute of the crib assembly process needs to be documented. (Humph.)

Step 4- Follow directions that come with the crib.

Step 5- Admire a job well done!