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.
Charlotte is 2 months and is as cute as ever. She is getting heavier and looks more like a little Buddha everyday. She half rolled over to her side right before Grandma Kathy left. Her eyes are turning darker (still hazel but more brown than gray). Her head hair is falling out but her eyelashes are long, the envy of her poor, short eyelashed mother. Mom, on the other hand, is dealing with the early rheumatoid arthritis as best as she can. Bottlefeeding hurts (damn hand) and carrying her for longer than a few minutes hurts as well. She is on Arcoxia which, as mentioned in week 7, is not compatible with breastfeeding. She has gotten rid of the Medela Symphony and back to the Medela PUMP IN STYLE (ha - like that is bloody possible). The pumping and dumping is yielding far more than expected - Charlotte was getting the breast milk after all! She is trying all things - even including stopping all 'cold' consumption of drinks and foods like yogurt. She is soaking her hands and feet. In an attempt to minimize the pain in her joints, she has rejoined Weight Watchers (not really joined - just doing it) and it is not horrible (are they still doing points these days? I still am, and get 10 more a day because of breastfeeding - yay!). She has joined a gym and even purchased a swimsuit (with cute boy shorts - thank goodness for lower cut suits these days). She is wearing a wrist brace for her motherhood-onset carpal tunnel syndrome. She is trying, and wants nothing more than for things to become a tad easier - for her and for Charlotte.
This is what she looked like a minute after she was born (less bloody though):
Her in the big bed:
Yet another one with Daddy in the big bed:
Matt being attacked by the Bla Bla in his sleep:
"Whatcha talkin' 'bout Willis" look (RIP Gary Coleman):
Another week passes and our little Charlotte gets heavier. Sex and the City 2 has come out over the last week, even here in Singapore. I am surprised more people haven't asked me if our Charlotte is based on SATC's Charlotte - no, but if she was the hussy one we would have probably thought twice. Grandma Kathy is here, we tried to go to a Pixar exhibit on the other side of the country (i.e. 40 minutes away) and we forgot a teat and we (nee I) learned that we should always travel with an extra nipple. I didn't get so much out of the exhibit but that is ok - I worked at the Mouse for so long I know how the story ends, so to speak. Aside from this, Charlotte has evolved into a little fashion plate thanks to Grandma's keen eye, organization, and vigilance.
As for me, it appears as if I have rheumatoid arthritis as some sort of fallout of pregnancy. This affects 5% of mothers, and I am resigned to the fact that I am not in the fat part of the bell curve on many aspects of pregnancy (exceptional I suppose). I am on these drugs which means that I cannot breastfeed for about 10 days, but can continue to pump (and dump) to keep my milk supply up. Despite all my ranting about breastfeeding, there are aspects of the experience I enjoy and will miss, like being able to calm my child down and watching her look straight ahead - intently at my armpit (my friend Suelika even laments that after all these months, the loving eye contact exchange between mother and child still hasn't happened for her and Oli). At least the feedings should take less time.
But enough about me. On with the pictures and video!
A video of Grandma Kathy and Charlotte in her Paul Frank onesie (thanks Laurie!):
So I am still breastfeeding. This is no small miracle as I have a low milk supply. I have done everything to increase this ill fated supply - Motilium, Fenugreek (who would have thought that maple syrup smelling urine would be a bad side effect, but indeed it is), Korean seaweed soup (which I am now thoroughly sick of), oxtail and green papaya and fish soup, longan and date tea. If I was in school for effort to breastfeed I would definitely get an A. Sadly my milk is not flourishing, I cannot stomach a hungry, not-gaining-weight infant (screaming and wailing, did I mention the screaming and wailing?). I would like to say that I envy those who are awash with milk, but at this point I am resigned with my lot in life. I suppose you win some and lose some. I can still feel my stomach muscles (yay!) but have to use this contraption to be able to experience breastfeeding (and formula feeding) without pulling my eyeballs out. As I have mentioned before I am over the breastfeeding Nazis (on an aside - someone said to me that my newborn was just trying to tell me something, like get something off her chest. Hello? She was just BORN. I think angst needs some time to develop for more than, say, a few days. She is telling me she is STARVING!). Anyway, the thing that irks me the most is when people say that the baby is more efficient at getting to the milk than the breast pump, so you really don't know how much milk you are producing. Really? The pump is no indicator? That just doesn't even make any sense. If I am pumping an ounce there is no way Charlotte is pulling three ounces out of me. It may not be perfect but it is a quantitative INDICATOR. Maybe she is getting an ounce and a half at best. I am a quantitative person and it drives me BONKERS when people seem to suggest that breastfeeding is some sort of smoke-and-mirrors black magic. Some people just don't make enough milk for their kid - and I am one of them. The other thing that drives me nuts is when people say that breastfeeding is cheaper than formula. We have spent a lot of money on breast pumps and accessories (at the moment I have three breast pumps! All is around $1200 SGD when all is said and done) and I dare say that amount of money would buy a ton of formula.
Nevertheless I still plod along with feeding and pumping and feeding and pumping. Because it is better for the Kumquat.
Seems like a major milestone birthday. Had a busy week - a photo shoot on Saturday (and Charlotte raised her head there - too cute!). Birthday party (the moon party for our Charlotte Moon). Grandma Kathy is here and it has been fun times.
Wearing a new soft shirt from Grandma Kathy and Aunt Becky:
In mid sneeze:
Her weekly "watcha talkin' 'bout Willis" look:
The smile we were looking for all week!
Photos from our Charlotte "Moon" Party (and my birthday party) - please click on the photo below to view the gallery:
Charlotte is rather tummy time averse - though this video does not fully demonstrate the breadth of her tummy time rage. This could be due to the fact she has, what appears to be, a heavy noggin. She is rather cute with her Hello Kitty socks on her hands and her feet though...
Here are some pics of Charlotte over the last couple of days. She is indeed becoming quite the chubster - much to our delight! We also have moved on from the Mao robes (with the very convenient hands) that she has been wearing to something a bit more 'summer.' I have included a picture of her feet - too cute as she rests them while feeding...
Ok, so this was my first Thanksgiving speech but I was there for the Christmas one last year! Finally got a chance to put it online - especially meaningful now that Brooks and Charlotte have both safely arrived! Uncle Randy is rather eloquent at these holiday family meals...
