Week 15

Yet another busy week for our little Char.  We held a very low key 100 day party last Saturday in Atlanta.  We didn't do anything ceremonious (as I learned from my mom, that 100 day olds can't really hold anything anyway) and Charlotte was quite ornery and went with only a diaper on for most of the party (the part she was awake anyway).  My sister made these delicious tomato sandwiches and my mom made a traditional rice cake that was the polar opposite of sweet and pillowy.  Richard, Melinda, and their son Alex drove down from NC and that was totally awesome to see them.  After our party we crashed the St. Regis pool, where Charlotte was in water for the first time.  She liked it.

It took us 36 hours to travel back home thanks to a 6 hour delay in Hong Kong.  Jen met us at the airport and she got to meet Charlotte for the first time.  I took a shower in the airport lounge which was nothing short of luxurious after a long flight.  We bought extra diapers because the idea of running out of diapers (and the ensuing wailing) was just a scenario I could not reckon with.

Imee was happy to see Charlotte but Bucky is still suffering from anxiety and jealousy over the little one.  Imee says he was peppier while we were gone - regaling in the undivided attention that has eluded him of late.

Charlotte has been standing for increasing periods of time and she has begun sucking her fingers with a fierce intensity.

It is weird - one month passes and Charlotte changes so dramatically and it was as if our world in Singapore just stood still - Bucky is the same as ever, hatin' on us and walking outside and forgetting how to get back in as he stares at us desperately through the glass door.

Ok - on with the multimedia...

Charlotte's 100 day party video:


Min and Charlotte in nature:


Charlotte with Dad and Min:


Richard with Charlotte:


Grandpa and Charlotte:


Grandparents, Ava and Charlotte:


Charlotte in the pool (with Mommy squinting - don't tell my dad)


Charlotte with Jen in Hong Kong:


"Watcha talkin' bout Willis" returns....


Happy to have seen the world, and happy to be back home!

Week 14 - LOL

A week ago today Charlotte laughed at loud for the first time after some daddy tickling.  She has a goofy cute giggle like her mom.  Nicole came to visit Wisconsin - it was awesome as her agenda was to spend time with Charlotte and to eat a bratwurst - both gleefully accomplished.  Aunt Shirley organized a 'Drake' 100 day party for Charlotte on Saturday at Grandma's cottage.  The 100 day party is a Korean tradition and Shirley schooled me on the fragmented memories of my own culture.  Charlotte is supposed to grab some item that represents her future endeavor (sigh, the Koreans cannot even allow four months of life without some sort of metaphor for achievement).  Charlotte is not really in her grabby stage but she grunted the most at the flashlight, which, according to Shirley, represented she would be an explorer.  Nicole met 25+ relatives, I devised a schematic diagram of how everyone was related, we all ate our weight in pizza, ice cream, brats, and chocolate sheet cake.  A good and gluttonous time was had by all.

Matt and I traveled to the ATL on Monday, where my sister, Ava, and my dad met Charlotte for the first time.  Ava has taken a particular liking to Charlotte, which bodes well if she has a sibling sometime in the future (Ava is sad that she cannot be the baby sister in her family).  I brought my sister a Juiceman juicer that I picked up at a rummage sale in WI for a whopping three dollars.  We have made apple strawberry juice, peach juice, and bloody merry mix.  It has been great and very... cleansing.

Kala and Charlotte:


The Lion King:


Charlotte with the crown she didn't choose from her 100 day party:


Nicole and Charlotte:


Charlotte flailing towards Ava:


TV Face:




Playing with the photo settings:



Ava kisses Charlotte:

Breastfeeding emancipation proclamation

While in Singapore, we never really left the house.  Maybe for a meal but maybe for more than a couple of hours.  This was largely driven by the old ball and chain - breastfeeding or more notably - pumping.  Our trip to America corresponded with the end of my breastfeeding - and wow do I feel free!  The idea of carting around an unwieldy breast pump (along with a 110V transformer) as we shop for appliances makes me want to vomit.  Nothing liberated our parenthood more than our 24 hour journey to America.  I was nervous about spending all of a day (or more) with Charlotte, as Imee is such a help and admittedly a crutch.  But we did it - and I feel so much more confident about being a parent and troubleshooting her, so to speak.  Now 24 hours alone... that is a whole other ballgame that has yet to be played.  I would say bring it on... but I wouldn't really mean it.

And on with the liberation - I have now changed her diaper on the floor of a barbeque restaurant toilet, over a trash can, and on a stand alone freezer in an appliance showroom.  And throughout this I realize that my squatting skills have utterly and totally evaporated since the event that was Charlotte's birth. 

O well.  I guess you win some and lose some.

Week 13

This has been an exciting week 13 of young Charlotte's life.  We spent time with Matt's extended family as we celebrated Tracie and Tara's birthday at the Mariner's Inn, a mere stone's throw away from our new digs in Madison.  Charlotte was a bit fussy but overall ok - thank goodness the restaurant wasn't busy save our large party.   Last Thursday we went to Concert On the Square and met Julie and Matt and Jackson, who I hope will be good friends with Charlotte once we relocate.  Matt's mom came down for the weekend and we went to the Farmer's Market and the Arts Fair and spent time at Tracie's with Lindsey and Hillary and Uncle Al.  On Tuesday we spent time with Cecelia (my cousin visiting from Belgium) and her 3 sons.  Her sons were remarkably engaged with Charlotte - far more than I would have been at their age.  We took them to Smoky Jon's (and they cleaned up an impressive rack of ribs) and walked around State Street and the Capitol.  It was a fun week and Charlotte was a champ throughout.

Speaking of Charlotte - she has adjusted well to her new milk but is getting pudgier.  It appears as if she can eat less of it and be satiated - which is great news since the milk is rather expensive.  She has gotten into the habit of eating her hands more and more, and we are sure that she says 'ALGAE' when she is hungry.  She is retiring a few pieces of clothing as she is growing like a weed.  Imperceptible to us day-to-day, but her clothes say it all.

We are so enamored with the Bumbo - she can now sit in it for 15 minutes at a time!

Ok ok.  Here are this week's photos:

Tara and Tracie at their birthday dinner:


The view from Mariner's Inn (similar to our view, though you cannot see the mosquitos in this picture):


With Shirley, Becky, Dan, and Bob:


My big fat Drake family:


Yikes!



Charlotte's new pal Jackson:


Cecelia and Nicholas, Patrick, Thomas, Matt and Charlotte:


Flying in the Bumbo:


What?  No more algae?


I love me some Bumbo!

Professional Pictures

Here are some professional pictures we took on my birthday May 22.  Some happy pictures - a pretty cry filled afternoon to get there.  I cannot imagine child modeling - I hardly had enough patience for the modeling bits at our wedding.  Just not my thing I guess.

On with the pictures!

This is so cute - even though if this picture had volume there would be serious wailing:


Strategic hand placement can be sometimes precarious...


In the sling:


On Great Grandma Drake's blanket (and the first time she lifted her head!):


Tiny hands:


Charlotte and Daddy:


With Grandma Kathy:

The bloody update

So we went to the doctor yesterday as the bloody stool thing persisted.  The doctor (a really nice Indian lady) suspected Charlotte is allergic to milk.  The fact that the symptoms manifested at the same time as our trip to America is just... coincidental apparently.  So we started Charlotte on hypoallergenic formula - Alimentum - and it seems to have cleared up her constant pooing and bloody stools almost immediately.    We know that this is going to cost us a small fortune in Singapore (as it is a small fortune in America) so we may toy with soy to see if a similarly desirable effect is feasible with the cheaper (and more pervasive in Singapore) soy stuff.  She has only pooed twice in the last day instead of the normal 5+.  We also are using petroleum jelly and homemade wet wipes (e.g. washcloths with water) to help a small anal fissure heal.  I hope Charlotte doesn't hate us for airing her dirty laundry here - but I think information is power and I appreciate hearing other mom's stories along the journey that is parenthood.

I was excited that our doctor visit also resulted in new stats!  So at 12 weeks + 1 day = 13 lb 10 oz (87th percentile), 60.25 cm long (71st percentile) and 40.5 cm head circumference.  She is proportional which is great.

In other news, Charlotte has discovered television and she has the same hypnotized TV face that Min and I both have too.  Sadly her first exposure to TV was... FOX News.

Also - I think Min lost all her hair (e.g. it fell out after it hadn't during the pregnancy) 12 weeks postpartum.  Every day I am looking for it in the shower drain.  Not yet.

12 weeks old!

Charlotte is 12 weeks old today!  It is also the date the Charlotte was conceived one year ago.  Wow - a lot can change in one year!

We were reading Matt's baby book that his mom kept and I realized that I have not done a very good job tracking Charlotte's milestones.  She has been cooing for ages and I don't know when and she laughs too (we think) and we don't know when that started either.  She rolled over on the 4th of July but it could have just been the gravity of me on the bed next to her.  I am paranoid that she will get bitten by mosquitoes - I guess all of Singapore's PSAs on dengue fever has shaken me to the core.  Aside from this - we have been running around a lot - a lot of driving and going out and Charlotte was a bit fussy as I think she would prefer to be on a schedule.  We hope to lay low in the evenings in the next day or two to try to get her on track and less fussy.  Speaking of fussy - I have realized that my existence these days is largely motivated by meltdown aversion.  It is good to be a boy scout and 'be prepared' - because a meltdown is no fun for anyone - particularly Charlotte.

My rheumatoid arthritis seems to be getting better - maybe the cooler weather or the lesser stairs.  I am only stiff really when I get out of the car after a one to two hour drive as opposed to every morning.  My fingers are less tingly too - it is still there but maybe only once every other day when I am feeding the baby in the car.

Charlotte is a master pooper here in America - she goes during every feed and first thing in the morning.  Not sure why - the change in water maybe?  Plus she has a little bit of blood in her stool in the morning - it seems to get less every day and she does not seem so fussy (e.g. no fever or other discomfort).  We may go to the doctor to sort that out in the next day or so.

Here are some pics over the last week:

Charlotte with Great Grandma Burk:


An updated foot photo:


Charlotte in a new dress:


Cheeky!


In the spirit of filial piety, Charlotte looks up to Grandpa Drake:


With Aunt Becky:




Charlotte happy to talk to Aunt Laurie in London on Skype:


I know this picture is blurry - but it demonstrates how much of a squirm worm Charlotte is!

4th of July fireworks

Here are a few videos of Matt's dad's 4th of July fireworks!  Awesome view from the lake cottage or on the water on the pontoon (landlubber me just learned what a pontoon this weekend):

Mid show:


Behind the scenes:


Finale:

4th of July

We just got back celebrating our first 4th of July from "Up North" - the Northwoods of Wisconsin.  This was my first 4th in the US since 2002.  It was great fun!  Matt has this lovely close family and it is one big slumber party at his paternal Grandmother's cottage on Lake Nakomas in Tomahawk.  Tomahawk is where my old boss Kris is from - and I finally got to see her in her hometown.  I have tried to meet up with her for the last couple of years when I visit Matt's family.  We actually were on the same flight once (a 50 person flight) and we didn't even know!  I was unable to connect with Kris before going up and looked up her last name in the local phone book at Matt's Grandma's cottage (the phone book - both yellow and white pages - was 100 pages total!).  There were 20 people with her last name - so I called the first one, described Kris as there were 3 Krises, and was given Kris's dad's number.  I dialed the number and got Kris on the phone.  I honestly have not looked up anyone in a physical phone book in... years.

Anyway - we ate a lot of chocolate and burgers and chatted and rode on a speedboat and ate hamburgers and watched Matt's dad fireworks show in the evening which was spectacular.  Charlotte met her super cute second cousin Brooks and they wore matching outfits on the 4th and then it rained.  And rained.  And rained. 

I made this toffee and it was a hit!  This is such a great recipe - and I love that you can buy slivered almonds at the store for under 10 bucks!  God bless America!


A good time was had by all!

Some pictures:

Brooks in his mini pool:


Charlotte with Great Grandma Drake:


Matching outfits:


Family picture (why am I still wearing this dress?  I gave birth in this dress for goodness sake.  Note to self-  buy new clothes while in America):


4 generations of Drakes:


July Drake birthdays: