Somewhere around month 5, it became an absolute joy being Noelle's mom! She's past her stage of constant fussiness and is such a happy, sweet baby these days. Even though she is teething badly and has drool rash all over her mouth, and even though she seems like she is in a lot of pain sometimes, she is generally so fun to be with.
Her favorite things to do throughout the day are being on her belly, scooting around here and there, getting up on all fours, getting into things. She's sort of like, excuse the analogy, a little puppy! She paws at things, including my leg, and she'll put everything within reach straight into her mouth. Yesterday she held a miniature mouse (a finger puppet) in her teeth for quite awhile. It still makes me smile when I think about it.
In terms of feeding, she's now moved to the next level - solids! The doctor said that she is one of the more active babies that she's seen and is burning off a lot of calories. She said that I can step up the amount of food I offer her. So far, Noelle has had avocado, pureed pears, carrots, butternut squash, and her new favorite, yams! It's fun to watch her open her little mouth for "more" - and all the "ahhhhhs" (as in, "ahhh" open your mouth) make lunch and dinnertime such amusing activities.
She often needs to rub her face - her teeth hurt? her nose itches? she's tired? - and guess where all the yam ends up. Not just on her chin anymore but all over her hair and face and clothes and highchair!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Inside the head of a 5 month old
Today I placed Noelle on the bed, propped up on some pillows, while I used the restroom. It was a quick bathroom break, but I still needed to keep an eye on her since she's now gotten in the habit of rolling as a means of transportation. I played peekaboo with the door open - several times, mind you. She saw me appear in the doorway, then disappear, then reappear, then disappear, etc.
Then I paused for maybe two seconds, did the "PEEKABOO!" thing, showing myself, and she literally screamed (her baby scream) out of being startled so abruptly.
I was amused. You would think that she would've caught onto the game, but no, she was actually surprised that I could appear out of nowhere.
Lately she's so easily startled. Just the sight of me, if I don't approach her crib with loud footsteps or my voice to warn her that I'm coming, will cause her to jump in her skin - oftentimes with a gasp. Then she will cry, baby language for "You scared me, Mommy!"
What's even funnier is that while she is nursing, she will occasionally lose her latch and make a loud suction noise, at which point she jumps in her skin, being startled by herself!
I sometimes wonder what she is thinking, what her little brain is capable of understanding. Sometimes I underestimate her, thinking that she doesn't understand a single word I say. But in reality she is already able to cry, "Mama" and I'm pretty sure she knows what I mean when I tell her not to pull my hair (she lets go on command). But then sometimes I think I overestimate her. She is, after all, only 5 months out of the womb. I gave her some rice cereal yesterday and she threw it up in the middle of the night - she is still so young she can't even digest a tablespoon of cooked rice meal!
At the dinner table, she has lately started to lean forward, arms and little hands reaching towards the table, wanting to grasp the glass cup, the fork, the bowl. She will open her mouth until I put a spoon in her mouth - she just won't quit! She gobbled down the rice cereal and the pears I've been spoon feeding her and wanting more after I say, "All done; no more!" I wonder if she is truly hungry, or is she just wanting to be like one of the adults?
If only babies could talk...
Then I paused for maybe two seconds, did the "PEEKABOO!" thing, showing myself, and she literally screamed (her baby scream) out of being startled so abruptly.
I was amused. You would think that she would've caught onto the game, but no, she was actually surprised that I could appear out of nowhere.
Lately she's so easily startled. Just the sight of me, if I don't approach her crib with loud footsteps or my voice to warn her that I'm coming, will cause her to jump in her skin - oftentimes with a gasp. Then she will cry, baby language for "You scared me, Mommy!"
What's even funnier is that while she is nursing, she will occasionally lose her latch and make a loud suction noise, at which point she jumps in her skin, being startled by herself!
I sometimes wonder what she is thinking, what her little brain is capable of understanding. Sometimes I underestimate her, thinking that she doesn't understand a single word I say. But in reality she is already able to cry, "Mama" and I'm pretty sure she knows what I mean when I tell her not to pull my hair (she lets go on command). But then sometimes I think I overestimate her. She is, after all, only 5 months out of the womb. I gave her some rice cereal yesterday and she threw it up in the middle of the night - she is still so young she can't even digest a tablespoon of cooked rice meal!
At the dinner table, she has lately started to lean forward, arms and little hands reaching towards the table, wanting to grasp the glass cup, the fork, the bowl. She will open her mouth until I put a spoon in her mouth - she just won't quit! She gobbled down the rice cereal and the pears I've been spoon feeding her and wanting more after I say, "All done; no more!" I wonder if she is truly hungry, or is she just wanting to be like one of the adults?
If only babies could talk...
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Nursing
The thing about breastfeeding is that your little baby is literally draining away all the minerals, vitamins, and fat from your body every time you feed her. It's been about 3 1/2 months and my hair is starting to fall out! I've heard (and seen, sorry!) of some women getting bald spots, getting brittle nails, and suffering from rickety teeth. And there's still 8 months to go. Wow! How do women who have 5 kids still keep their health?
On the PLUS side, nursing our little girl is really the sweetest thing to me right now! It's what I truly enjoy doing and really is so amazing that a little human being can survive (even GROW!), gaining pounds and pounds, off of nothing more than human milk.
It really makes me laugh some of the things that go on while she's eating...for example, she's really discovered the use of her nails. She really likes to scratch the sheets when she falls asleep for her naps. But when she's feeding, she has this habit of scratching my armpit or arm repeatedly, over and over and over. Meanwhile I'm dying, trying not to scream or make a peep because it's 3 a.m. and I don't want to give her the impression that it is okay to play and laugh in the middle of the night.
The girl's nails and hair are growing at a phenomenal rate, hence my theory that I am transferring all my minerals to her via breastfeeding. I cut her nails twice a week, and I can already put her hair in pigtails at 3 months. On top of that, she's drooling up a storm, sucking constantly on both fists jammed into her mouth, and crying when I touch her gums. Will my teeth start feeling rickety once hers make their appearance in a few months?
On the PLUS side, nursing our little girl is really the sweetest thing to me right now! It's what I truly enjoy doing and really is so amazing that a little human being can survive (even GROW!), gaining pounds and pounds, off of nothing more than human milk.
It really makes me laugh some of the things that go on while she's eating...for example, she's really discovered the use of her nails. She really likes to scratch the sheets when she falls asleep for her naps. But when she's feeding, she has this habit of scratching my armpit or arm repeatedly, over and over and over. Meanwhile I'm dying, trying not to scream or make a peep because it's 3 a.m. and I don't want to give her the impression that it is okay to play and laugh in the middle of the night.
The girl's nails and hair are growing at a phenomenal rate, hence my theory that I am transferring all my minerals to her via breastfeeding. I cut her nails twice a week, and I can already put her hair in pigtails at 3 months. On top of that, she's drooling up a storm, sucking constantly on both fists jammed into her mouth, and crying when I touch her gums. Will my teeth start feeling rickety once hers make their appearance in a few months?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Thoughts to Ponder
"Motherhood is not a romanticized ideal, it is a God-given task, suited to a woman's frame and accomplished joyfully by hard work through His grace and provision. Godly motherhood does not focus on the pretty little child, doesn't focus on infancy and childhood. Let me tell you, godly mothering focuses on adulthood from the start. It focuses on a long-term objective which is mature godly sons and daughters who will live to bring honor and glory to God. That is the calling of scriptural spiritual motherhood. That's what God wants. Those who don't know Christ, they can't even approach it right. Those who do, must."
John MacArthur, God's Pattern for Wives
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/1944
John MacArthur, God's Pattern for Wives
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/1944
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
On Motherhood
I must admit that the last two months have been a challenging journey towards motherhood. You have a baby, and yes, that automatically makes you a mother. But being a good mother, that takes time. Mothering is an art; you learn, you practice, you make mistakes, you get better.
The first month it was just keeping our baby alive by feeding her and keeping her clean. Yes, she would cry and scream a lot, and so, the other priority for the first month was to keep myself alive by sleeping whenever she slept, trying to recover from childbirth.
The second month became a somewhat more organized attempt to establish a rhythm of living. I interviewed veteran moms, asking them about their routines, their ways of mothering, their tips for child-rearing. I read, and am still reading, a lot of books on babycare and parenting. Kevin and I have started reading Shepherding a Child's Heart, by Tedd Tripp, in anticipation for the moment our daughter enters a new stage of consciousness and begins suddenly to make choices. Parenting suddenly becomes a much more spiritual act than changing diapers and swaddling a squirming baby! But that is a topic for another post.
What I wanted to write about was that, at the start of this third month, my eyes have been opened to the diverse world of parenting styles. There is truly no single right way to do anything when it comes to the way you choose to feed your baby (whether on-demand or by way of parent-directed-feeding), the way you choose to put your baby to sleep (letting her cry-it-out or letting her fall asleep in your arms), the way you choose to interact with your baby (carrying her in a sling all day or putting her to play by herself in her bouncy chair).
Being a new mom can be downright intimidating. You really have no idea what you are doing. Right from the start, the hospital tells you to feed your baby on-demand. Then the pediatrician comes in and says to feed her every two hours. Already you are paralyzed in confusion, and it's only the first day of being a mom! This very type of scenario - where I am paralyzed in confusion - happens all the time to me!
Thankfully God has given us the grace to hobble through these first couple months. We are still learning what works for us and what doesn't. I am especially learning that when it comes to caring for a baby, most of it boils down to simple matters of personal preference. It is very liberating to know that if there is no true biblical basis for any suggested parenting practice or style, then I really do not need to heed the advice.
To conclude, I wanted to give a verse from Isaiah that I like. God actually uses the analogy of a mother to describe the way He will be towards Jerusalem. God has made mothers with a natural and beautiful impulse to comfort and nurse their child. This relationship between mother and child is so full of beauty that He uses it to express the kind of relationship He will have toward Jerusalem.
Isaiah 66:10-13
and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,
and bounced upon her knees.
13As one whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
The first month it was just keeping our baby alive by feeding her and keeping her clean. Yes, she would cry and scream a lot, and so, the other priority for the first month was to keep myself alive by sleeping whenever she slept, trying to recover from childbirth.
The second month became a somewhat more organized attempt to establish a rhythm of living. I interviewed veteran moms, asking them about their routines, their ways of mothering, their tips for child-rearing. I read, and am still reading, a lot of books on babycare and parenting. Kevin and I have started reading Shepherding a Child's Heart, by Tedd Tripp, in anticipation for the moment our daughter enters a new stage of consciousness and begins suddenly to make choices. Parenting suddenly becomes a much more spiritual act than changing diapers and swaddling a squirming baby! But that is a topic for another post.
What I wanted to write about was that, at the start of this third month, my eyes have been opened to the diverse world of parenting styles. There is truly no single right way to do anything when it comes to the way you choose to feed your baby (whether on-demand or by way of parent-directed-feeding), the way you choose to put your baby to sleep (letting her cry-it-out or letting her fall asleep in your arms), the way you choose to interact with your baby (carrying her in a sling all day or putting her to play by herself in her bouncy chair).
Being a new mom can be downright intimidating. You really have no idea what you are doing. Right from the start, the hospital tells you to feed your baby on-demand. Then the pediatrician comes in and says to feed her every two hours. Already you are paralyzed in confusion, and it's only the first day of being a mom! This very type of scenario - where I am paralyzed in confusion - happens all the time to me!
Thankfully God has given us the grace to hobble through these first couple months. We are still learning what works for us and what doesn't. I am especially learning that when it comes to caring for a baby, most of it boils down to simple matters of personal preference. It is very liberating to know that if there is no true biblical basis for any suggested parenting practice or style, then I really do not need to heed the advice.
To conclude, I wanted to give a verse from Isaiah that I like. God actually uses the analogy of a mother to describe the way He will be towards Jerusalem. God has made mothers with a natural and beautiful impulse to comfort and nurse their child. This relationship between mother and child is so full of beauty that He uses it to express the kind of relationship He will have toward Jerusalem.
Isaiah 66:10-13
10"Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
all you who mourn over her;
11that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling breast;
that you may drink deeply with delight
from her glorious abundance."
and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip,
and bounced upon her knees.
13As one whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
My Constant Companion
This is who I see on a daily basis. She's either sleeping, eating, crying, peeing or pooping. Lately, at 6 1/2 weeks, she has started smiling in her sleep.
She's beginning to love taking her baths. She likes being wrapped up in her towel while in the buff.
She absolutely LOVES to sleep on her belly despite how the pediatrician lectured her about it. She just can't seem to catch any zzz's for very long on her back.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Mommy School
Now that I'm a mom, there's been a ton of new things to learn! Last month I started with reading a bunch of books on postpartum recovery for my own body (honestly, it was a shock finding out what a woman's body goes through after she gives birth!). Then I moved on to books regarding childcare (from the basics of caring for a baby to information on childhood vaccinations).
Isn't it funny that we go through four years of college education, staying up late and pulling those all-nighters studying for an exam on something like, say, Latin verb conjugations and noun declensions, but then years later realize it was a partial waste of effort and time since it has nothing to do with what I really wanted to be all along: A WIFE AND A MOMMY.
Here is a "Reading List" for Jean as she goes through "Mommy School":
(they also happen to be my favorite, or, the ones that I felt helped me the most)
A Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health, by Dean Raffelock
(This book is highly recommended, especially if you're really into nutrition like I am. I was spoiled by my mom and mom-in-law because in Chinese tradition, the first month after a woman gives birth is a critical time of recovery during which time relatives - i.e. mom and mom-in-law - make nourishing foods for her to boost lactation and facilitate in healing. On top of having special meals from my mom and mom-in-law, I also followed nutritional guidelines in this book, which I thought really helped me avoid common postpartum health issues like fatigue, postpartum depression, dwindling milk production, etc.)
The Post-Pregnancy Handbook, by Sylvia Brown
(Emphasizes recovery from a more natural perspective. Recommended exercises done while I was bed-ridden really did help me!)
A Parent's Concise Guide to Childhood Vaccinations, by Lauren Feder, M.D.
(An overview of childhood vaccines. This book also happens to be written by Noelle's pediatrician, but I specifically chose a doctor who is OK with parents who choose to vaccinate on an alternate schedule rather than the CDC's recommended vaccine schedule. It's a controversial topic, but after reading books/lectures, I've decided for now only to go forward with four vaccines for Noelle: Dtap, Hib, IPV, and PCV.)
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Marc Weissbluth, M.D.
(Solidly and scientifically researched info on childhood sleep needs. This book is helping me sleep train my baby. She's learning how to fall asleep on her own right now, and yes, basically it means I have to let her cry herself to sleep. But it works! I'm also learning all about infant sleep and the importance enforcing and preserving a nap schedule.)
Isn't it funny that we go through four years of college education, staying up late and pulling those all-nighters studying for an exam on something like, say, Latin verb conjugations and noun declensions, but then years later realize it was a partial waste of effort and time since it has nothing to do with what I really wanted to be all along: A WIFE AND A MOMMY.
Here is a "Reading List" for Jean as she goes through "Mommy School":
(they also happen to be my favorite, or, the ones that I felt helped me the most)
A Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health, by Dean Raffelock
(This book is highly recommended, especially if you're really into nutrition like I am. I was spoiled by my mom and mom-in-law because in Chinese tradition, the first month after a woman gives birth is a critical time of recovery during which time relatives - i.e. mom and mom-in-law - make nourishing foods for her to boost lactation and facilitate in healing. On top of having special meals from my mom and mom-in-law, I also followed nutritional guidelines in this book, which I thought really helped me avoid common postpartum health issues like fatigue, postpartum depression, dwindling milk production, etc.)
The Post-Pregnancy Handbook, by Sylvia Brown
(Emphasizes recovery from a more natural perspective. Recommended exercises done while I was bed-ridden really did help me!)
A Parent's Concise Guide to Childhood Vaccinations, by Lauren Feder, M.D.
(An overview of childhood vaccines. This book also happens to be written by Noelle's pediatrician, but I specifically chose a doctor who is OK with parents who choose to vaccinate on an alternate schedule rather than the CDC's recommended vaccine schedule. It's a controversial topic, but after reading books/lectures, I've decided for now only to go forward with four vaccines for Noelle: Dtap, Hib, IPV, and PCV.)
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Marc Weissbluth, M.D.
(Solidly and scientifically researched info on childhood sleep needs. This book is helping me sleep train my baby. She's learning how to fall asleep on her own right now, and yes, basically it means I have to let her cry herself to sleep. But it works! I'm also learning all about infant sleep and the importance enforcing and preserving a nap schedule.)
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