July1
when i was pregnant, we participated in a (vit D) study in our local health service. i was given capsules to take everyday for the duration of my pregnancy. there were 3 groups, supposedly. one group was given the full vitamin D dose. another group, half a dose and the third, of course, the placebo. the aim of the study is to see whether taking vit D during pregnancy will strengthen the bones of the babies and if it will lessen the likelihood of them suffering from bone problems when they grow up (reducing the chances of having osteoporosis, hip replacements, etc). they will follow us up until baby is 7 y/o.
we feel that the capsules assigned to me contained at least half a dose of vitamin D. cayden at day 6 can lift his head. at 3 weeks, i can move his arms and legs without being scared of dislocating them (making him dance, doing action songs, etc). week 4, he can stand already (while being held by his armpits). also, we dont need to support his head much. and by week 6, we dont pick him up like a baby anymore. we pick him up by his armpits - partly because he’s heavy that sometimes it’s more dangerous picking him up by his head and butt (sakit sa braso at likod, we get out of balance sometimes) and because he can carry his head well already. he’s only 7 week’s old now but we dont carry and treat him like a baby-baby anymore. when we go out, he doesnt want to stay in his pram. he’d rather be in his baby carrier (ung parang sling). kaya nga in my previous post, i said he’s binata na =D
anyways, just see for yourselves =D. whatuthink? vit D helped?
my sister saw the clips and she said, if baby g can do these at less than 2months, maybe when he’s 1, he’ll be into gymnastics already =D
June30
at 6 weeks 6 days
when he was weighed the day before, he’s already 5.26kg (11.6lbs) heavy. now you know why our backs are hurting lately *lol*
June30
baby is already 7 weeks and 3days but we’re still receiving gifts. we surely are blessed to be amongst generous people.
i was surprised to find a package in the post from my former line manager, sue. she moved to another service last year (i think) but she didnt forget about my little one. really thoughtful of her!
another surprise gift came from one of my patients, captain b. last friday, i went to one of our outstations and visited my colleagues, my mom and baby in tow =D. they gave me this package, which he left for me. touching d b?
our kind neighbours also gave baby a little something. they are a couple. the husband gave us this:
an authentic steiff bear. it’s old but a collector’s item. so generous!
the wife bought clothes for cayden but because baby is big (long, more than heavy but he’s really chunky) for his age (well, we think he is), she had to take them back and will have them replaced for bigger ones. this is the 2nd time we’re given clothes that dont fit anymore *lol*
thank you po from baby G =D
June22
it was father’s day yesterday. i asked what tantan wanted as a gift but he said he didnt need/want anything. he’s got everything. ok na kami ni bb =D.
i still wanted to give him something so i gave him this:
a baby bouquet *lol* with a card that says:
for a great dad… you could have a big posh car and drive around looking flash…you could have top credit rates and have pots of cash…you could have a shiny yacht and sail upon the sea…you could have all these things but…. instead, you’re blessed with me! who’s a lucky dad, then?
we then went to christchurch and had a little picnic at the town quay. but before leaving home, we took some pics:
our very first family pic =D
cayden at 6weeks 1 day
it was cold when we got there, being windy and cloudy (forecast was way off the mark! *lol*) but it was fun nevertheless. there was a brass band playing oldies but goodies songs which made our stay even more slacked. it was nice looking at toddlers dancing along with the band, some as young as a year old. we would say that in a few month’s time, cayden will do the same =D
tantan said next time we’ll hire a boat =D. hopefully, it will be sunny then.
belated happy father’s day!
June18
i used to think this picture is hilarious. and that there’s no way it happens. but it does and it’s scary, specially when you see your baby choking and couldnt breathe. this is what you call a forceful letdown. this is due to having too much milk.
it started on my 2nd week of breastfeeding. i dont know what triggered it or if it’s one of those things that just happens. but i blame it on my expressing milk on the 3rd day after delivery. because baby wanted to feed every hour or every 30mins, i thought he wasnt getting enough milk and i was scared that he’s not getting enough nutrition. i tried expressing milk just to see how much i was producing. how naive i was then. of course, i wouldnt be producing milk in those early days. i was only producing colostrum which is all that baby needs.
so now, i have lots of milk. and you see the squirting milk in the picture, it happens to me! if im in a playful mode, i can shoot milk up to a few yards away - shoot at my mom or at tantan *lol*. but it’s no laughing matter when your baby is choking and looks like he’s drowning. i almost gave up breastfeeding because of this. i have tried all that’s recommended to reduce milk supply but during the first few weeks of this happening, i couldnt see any changes. all the classic signs are still there. i also tried bottlefeeding but because the sucking is different, he didnt like feeding from a bottle (although now, we’re trying to teach him how to, since breastfeeding is already established, so going out will be a lot easier).
but now that baby and me are a lot more “experienced”, he doesnt choke as much as he used to. he still gags every now and again but because i can feel when the letdown is happening (feeling of pins and needles on the breast), i can pull out my nipple in time and squeeze some of the milk out to lessen the supply. sometimes, baby will push the nipple out himself. i try as much as i can to catch the “squirt” because if i dont and baby already tried his best to put up with it (choking and all), he will refuse to feed. as in! he wont open his mouth anymore even if you try to and he has that kawawa look that will really make you feel very guilty.
i hope in time, we’ll completely overcome this. i dont want to give up breastfeeding mainly because of the health benefits but also because this is one way that we can bond. i have read that as baby grows, he’ll be able to cope more with the milk flow. i hope we get to that stage already so feeding wont be a stressful and frustrating activity for both me and baby g. because it can be.
June18
we’re now quite relieved that adam is ok.
last independence day, he was rushed to asian hospital’s ER. their bathroom door slammed on his left thumb which almost cut the tip of his finger off. he was bleeding really bad and they we’re told that one of the 2 veins was badly damaged, they couldnt re-attach it. fortunately, it has no major effect. nevertheless, he had to undergo a reconstructive surgery to reattach the the tip back (2/3 was cut off!). he was discharged the next day, eventhough he was in a major surgery (gen anes and all).
funny thing, he talks exag, like it’s his whole left hand that got damaged. but i think it’s ok. at least he wasnt traumatised by the accident. he’s back to his old self, thank goodness (unfortunately, cant say the same to those who suffers from mesothelioma).
June18
baby now measures 58cm in length. in a month’s time, he grew 7cm. almost a month ago, he weighed 4.3kg. im sure he weighs a lot more now (so as my mom who needs some diet pills *lol*)! we’ll have him weighed next week and every month thereafter.
we celebrated his 1st month bday very simply. my mom just baked him a palpak sponge cake =D and i cooked carbonara. we’ll keep his monthly bdays simple because we’re hoping that his 1st bday will be the biggie one. im currently organising his baptism for july but once that is done and dusted, i will start preparing his bday party in the philippines. cant wait =D
June16
im my son’s sole milk supplier *lol*. i have always planned on breastfeeding because of the many health benefits it gives, especially for the baby. the one thing i would like most is for my son not to develop diabetes. tantan has it (he’s insulin dependent) and i’ve got family history as well so the likelihood of him having it is high. when i read that breastfeeding fights against childhood diabetes, i did not have second thoughts.
im happy that im able to give him the best start in life (although i almost gave up - this deserves a separate post). not to mention, it helped me get rid of some of the weight i gained during pregnancy (which beat all the best fat burners out there!).
breastmilk is indeed the best for baby.
June16
and im back to my pre-pregnancy weight.
when i was pregnant, i gained a total of 15kgs (fr 50kg i went up to 65kgs). when i got home from the hospital after giving birth, i weighed myself and i weighed in at 60kgs. baby and placenta weighed 5kgs in total. yesterday, i weighed myself again and my weight already went down by 5kgs. guess i dont need any of those best diet pills available in the market. i dont want to lose anymore. even if i have to wear pants/trousers/shorts a size bigger, i dont mind. i like being “curvier” =D.
im still eating loads, but because baby is feeding loads as well, i guess the weight will continue to go down some more.
June16
i didnt have a shower (though, it would have been cool to have thought of baby shower themes). but i didnt mind because my friends and colleagues threw me something similar. there’s nothing i would have asked for (nothing we needed to buy either) because we’re surrounded by generous people who’ve given baby all the essentials he would need (particularly sam, tantan’s colleague).
even till now, that the LO is already a month old, we’re still getting gifts from friends and colleagues. we’re truly blessed to have people like them around us. not just the gift but the support they give is invaluable. thank you!
cute nila no? =D
