Babycenter said our little tyke was as big as a kumquat at 10 weeks... and it just stuck. So here we are, a Korean-American and an American-American, starting a family in Macau.
I keep forgetting to mention that my hair is falling out like it is going out of style. I often see my hair lining Sophia's face when I burp her. I forget how yucky that feels.
We are without Imee at the moment so Sherry is back and helping out and I really feel for my American friends as it is hard work to do everything around the house. You guys are heroes!
I forgot to feed the dog last night. Whoops.
Dave also came to pay us a visit this week. Matt asked me to wipe Bucky's butt after he goes and now Charlotte is also doing the same. Cute.
We went to the Andy Warhol exhibit with Sherry and the kids yesterday. It was fun! My first time at the MBS Artscience Museum. I love Andy Warhol. Now I am interested in silver gelatin photography.
All the photos this week have a vintagey overlay thanks to Andy.
Sophia smiles:
Charlotte smiles:
Sophia serious (in the Bumbo - can one be serious in a Bumbo?):
So breastfeeding is finally looking up. While not getting more efficient it is getting a bit more manageable. I get up at 6 and pump then go for a jog and get a start on my day earlier as the baby gets up between 8 and 8:30. I am still going to bed at 11:30 or midnight. There is a crash out midday if all goes well for both of us. I also got this Manduca baby carrier and it has changed my life (sadly it is not available in the US). I can breastfeed in public hands free (though not entirely discreetly according to my breastfeeding police officer husband). I even went out to dinner with Sophia this week - a first!
Sophia is 4.74 kg as of last week - back on the 9th percentile (more or less)! Yay! I never thought I would be so happy to be in the sub-ten but I AM. She also pooped twice this week so all is going ok.
Charlotte, on the other hand, has regressed in her sleeping abilities. We have put her back in her crib and at every sleep time she says "I don't want." But now we are back to CIO after 3 nights last week of multiple hour sleeplessness. Twenty minutes of crying the first day (well maybe an hour but we blocked that overnight episode out), then five and now minimal. It is weird. Maybe she is being jealous? Wanting attention? We don't know but it seems to have subsided for now (the overnight bit, not the "I don't want" bit).
She also is scratching her bug bites (a bad habit from her mother). I am attempting to bribe her with sweets if she can keep her bandages on them till after dinner. I am welcome to hear any other suggestions on how to prevent her scratching.
Here are a few videos:
Sophia in the baby gym:
Charlotte laughs while I mirror image her arm gestures:
Sophia entranced by Filipino soap operas:
And the pictures:
Charlotte loves her flip flops:
Charlotte walks like an old lady (or a Korean man!):
Anna happy to see Charlotte!
Truly a little girl here:
Poor Bucky. You can see his growth here:
Sophia demonstrates her neck strength:
And her thinking abilities:
I showed Charlotte these pictures and asked who it was and she replied "A Monkey!"
Char and her bro TT:
Char walks back from the park with Tita Monica and TT:
Wow - Charlotte is 100 weeks old today! Soon to be 2 years - wow... how time flies.
An eventful Charlotte week - she unfortunately witnessed a dog attack her old park pal Toby. We have had 2 nights of very little sleep as we think she was unsettled by the event (as anyone would be). A bizarre circumstance in this is that now she is sleeping in the big bed! She is also napping crappy but it is hard to say if it because of the dog incident or not. I have always prided myself that Charlotte was so laissez-faire around dogs... well now I am not sure how she will be. So far she is the same with Bucky and her park dog friends. Healthy fear is not a bad thing.
Matt cut Charlotte's bangs with cuticle scissors on Monday. I wanted to be the barber but Matt was more motivated. He did a pretty good job and Charlotte is cute with tidier bangs.
I have begun pumping once overnight - as I continue to be concerned about Sophia's weight gain. The trick with this is to keep my mind as unengaged as possible as I find it impossible to go back to bed afterwards - making for a baggy eyed tired mom. I want to make it to 6 months and maybe it is getting easier (or maybe a bit more predictable). This article is my inspiration. I have been feeding and pumping for most of the week but did what this article suggests (the comments anyway) and on Monday fed every 90 minutes of the waking hour - and although it was hard (and Sophia was initially fussy) it seems to have done something positive for my supply.
In my analytic geekiness I weighed a diaper with 3 tablespoons of water (a 'wet' diaper) - it was 65g on my re-purposed food scale. So for a day I weighed her diapers and she wet 8 at 65g or more in a day. So she is getting enough.
Our friends Ron and Lina donated some breast milk to us. I am grateful to these kind and wonderful souls...
Ok - on with the photos...
Sophia has blue eyes!
Happy baby:
She holds on to her Eric Carle caterpillar:
Char, Tita Magi and Toby:
Char wearing Grandma Shirley's Singapore dress:
Charlotte wearing her new skirt from Auntie Susie's trip to Bali:
So I have breastfed for 12 weeks and lived! This is no trivial accomplishment as it has been a time suck. That being said I enjoy spending time with little Sophia. And boy is she little! She is now in the 2nd percentile but I am told not to worry so I am making an effort not to worry. She is getting milk but now I am trying to offer her both sides and pump off both sides after each feed. The pumping is for the 'greater good' of more supply (I hope. Fingers crossed) as it certainly isn't yielding very much at all (I think I will be lucky to get an ounce and a half all day today). I was hoping that the seas would part and things would get a bit more routine at 12 weeks. I am still holding out hope that this routine is coming (and breastfeeding is still in the hard category). Also I am loosening my weight loss goals as that seems to also affect supply. Needless to say I may be in some serious supportive underwear during this summer's wedding season.
We had a great visit with Matt's Dad and Shirley and Dan. We went to the Tanjong Beach Club and were greeted with crappy weather. We also went to the Botanical Garden and I did not realize how expansive that place is and how a baby carrier in Singapore in midday is probably not the best idea when walking for about an hour outside. The orchid garden was spectacular though.
We took Charlotte and TT ice skating which was very fun. Matt's Dad brought over the cutest hockey skates for Charlotte - they look like they belong on the top of a cake! Charlotte was grinning ear to ear and was enchanted by the figure skaters (we are hoping Aunt Sherry will teach her sometime soon). She stood up and was fearless on the ice as Matt pushed her around and carried her. Uncle Neil joined us. I did not skate and can now check off the ice rink as another Singapore venue that I have breastfed at in public.
Charlotte got up 3 times last week for HOURS. I was very tired as a result. We thought she was having nightmares (and after consulting Weissbluth's book, it may be true as she has been concurrently fighting off an upper respiratory infection). I have begun to sing "Rock a bye baby" to her at night which has been a great mommy-Charlotte activity (I also sang this to her for a long time on these sleepless nights - seemed to be the only thing to get her to sleep!). Last night I said "I love you" and she responded "I love you" back (not "I'm fine!). That was a sweet parenting moment, making all of the sleeplessness totally worthwhile.
