100th Day - Baek-il

It is Korean custom to celebrate the 100th day of a baby's life after birth.
Here's a little more information on the event:

Baek-il (100th day of baby's birth)
This is the day to give congratulations for 100 days after a baby's birth. The number 100 has an inherent meaning of maturity and perfection, signifying a baby passes through perfection period safely as a human being. People bring presents and congratulatory statements and wish for the baby's health and blessing.
The several different types of rice cakes are prepared, including baekseolgi (steamed rice cake), bulkunp'at gomul (red bean rice cake), ch'alsusu gyongdan, and osaek songp'yeon (5-color moon rice cake). Baekseolgi has the symbolic meaning of holiness, bulkunp'at gomul for expelling evil spirits, and ch'alsusu gyongdan for returning a baby which is secured in a holy world to the worldly place on that day. The 5-color moon rice cake is made with 5 pretty colors, signifying the harmony of nature. Unlike the rice cakes of Samchil-Il, the rice cakes for Baek-il are shared with neighbors from the belief of a baby's longevity and blessings.

Jack's Baek-il is technically 1/2/07 but we will be celebrating on New Year's Day since the 2nd is when I return to work.

The Florida Maidys will be present for the event as well as close friends and the Chicago family. My mother will see to the traditional Baekil food items. It will be a nice, and intimate celebration (like our wedding) of Jack's first 100 days on earth. I can't wait!

Morning Drill

I'm not a morning person.

Now having said that, here's what I've accomplished since being up for Jack's 6am feeding:

1) Cleansed face
2) Brushed teeth and rinsed with mouth wash (mouth wash is painful - who invented this?)

3) Plucked eyebrows
4) Cleaned out Jack's bottle cabinet
5) Caught up on blogs
6) IM'd my husband and discussed grocery list
7) Sipping coffee (yes, it's day old coffee, but I'll take what I can get)

These may seem like trivial things to the average person, but since having a baby in the house, these things have become milestones for moi.

Why did I decide to stay up after his morning feeding?
Mainly because I actually slept last night. Jack went down around 11pm and did not stir till 6am this morning. That's a 7 hour sleep! Also, I decided now is the time to get my body used to being up earlier and getting him ready for day care and my commute to work. I can't believe I'll be back in my cube in a little over four weeks.

I've been heard saying I couldn't wait to go back to work. But now that the time is reaching near for the actual return, I wish I had more time with Jack.

2 MONTH MILESTONE!

Jack held his head at a 90 degree angle by himself this evening! I guess you have to be a parent to find this amazing, but wow! Look at this kid! He does something phenomenal every single day!

Lazy Sunday

Hanging out. Rooting for the Bears. Visiting cousin Kate. Playing with Mom and Dad. Holding my head up. All in a day's work!

Inside the Actor's Studio: Lesson 2 - Holiday Haze

Your motivation: it has been a tough week as the department store Santa and you just want to go home. You have been drinking since 10:00 AM and you can barely stand up. Some kids come and tell you want they want you to get them for Christmas. I want to see drunk and belligerent and caustic. Go.

Inside The Actor's Studio: Lesson 1 - Pillow Talk

Alright. Your motivation: you are a secret agent, tired and fatigued by a long day saving the world. All you want is to crawl into bed with a good novel and fall asleep. But, you get a call from the agency and they need you for another mission. I want to see contempt and anger and hate. Go.

Still the Ellie

Our niece Ellie has figured out she has competition for attention now that Kate is here (although the two are equally interesting and wonderful). I guess big sisters have the 'I need to compete for your attention' gene built in as I'm sure I was the same way when Wany arrived (I was also 3 years old just like Ellie).

But just take a look at these photos of dancing Ellie! She's got nothing to worry about!

'First' events and Paula

Jack has been doing many 'firsts' this week.

1) Laughing - occurred early morning 11/20/06 after his 7am meal. I think he was laughing at how disheveled and silly I look that early in the morning.

2) Holding his head up - while on my tummy, he can lift his head completely off my chest and look straight at me or turn his head to look at his dad, or his surroundings.

3) Reaching for toys - while placed on his play boppy he attempts to grab his black/white toy ring.

4) Mirror play - stares and studies at his reflection in his bee mirror intently...then lets out a loud "Ahhhh" and smiles/chuckles.

5) Enjoys books - Sits on my lap, listens and looks at books that are being read to him (Goodnight Moon).

6) Paula Deen - last but not least, our boy Jack enjoys watching TV, no matter what is on (just like Alex). I was occupying Jack with his toys and such when he decided he'd had enough of playing with me. He turned his head and TV caught his eye. This afternoon, he enjoyed an episode of Paula Deen's Thanksgiving special. I will have to remember to turn the TV off next time I want his attention for play time.

Week 8

Here is a quick glimpse at Jack's daily life now that he is about to turn 2 months old! The smiles are plenty and the laughs will start very soon!

Jack is Turning Heads (Well, His Own At Least!)

The Depths of Fatherhood

OK, I think I finally reached rock bottom yesterday. It is time that I seek some professional help. Unless I get a therapist or a counselor, I may not be able to overcome my addiction. So, here goes:

My name is Alex and I am a father.

I got one of those moments of clarity people talk about. Taylor was sleeping in yesterday and I was taking care of Jack. We ate, played, and had an all around good morning. I then looked at the camera to see how many photos I had taken.

I had taken 105 photos. In 2 hours. Wow.

Wany said I surpassed Jae at this point with pictures of Ellie.

Do I get a trophy or something?

The furry, the orange, the jealous 'sibling'

My sister gave birth to her 2nd child this Tuesday - a beautiful little girl named Kate. Ellie already loves her very much. Despite the fights and disagreements sisters have with one another, I believe they will be best of friends.

As for the Maidy household, a different story......Newt came to a conclusion this week. Jack was here to stay - he's not going away. It only took the dumb cat just under 8 weeks to come to this conclusion (sigh, shaking of head, sigh). Newt had been very good....aloof actually, about the whole business of Jack being around. Well, the honeymoon is over.

During the middle of the night, I heard rustling. Being a typical cat owner (or anyone who has a pet for that matter) I blamed the noise on Newt and his night crazies and fell back to sleep.

I woke up to horror the next morning....

I'd been eating pretzels the night before and left a bag of pretzel crumbs sitting on the couch. In the light of morning, I saw the bag had been dragged all the way to the kitchen near Newt's food dish. Also, Jack's rubber ducky which had been carefully nestled on Jack's play mat had also been moved. The duck had been abducted. It now also lay near Newt's food dish.

But the worst sight of all was still waiting for me inside the kitchen - on the kitchen counter. I'd brought my money tree plant home from the office. It was already in poor shape and I'd left it on the kitchen counter near the window in hopes it would get better by the time I had to go back to work in January. Newt had dug through the soil, leaving dirt and money tree leaf all over the kitchen counter. This alone would not have been so bad had the plant not been sitting right next to Jack's bottles and bottle accessories.

I wanted to drop kick this cat like Charlie Brown's football, right out our front door! I seriously contemplated telling Alex that Newt had 'accidentally' run out the front door while I was checking the mail. Of course Alex would never have believed me. I never check the mail unless I'm waiting for something from J.Crew. It was all I could do to keep from losing it completely.

For anyone who knows me, I have a slight neurosis. I clean. It relieves angst from my life and gives me a sense of order and security. So one can only imagine the horror Newt caused me that morning.

Well, the rubber ducky will be thoroughly washed and hidden from Newt's view. We are buying a drying rack for Jack's bottles and bottle accessories (whatever it is to keep it Newt proof). And the money tree plant will be finding a new home at ADP, on Alex's desk at his work after being repotted over the weekend with fresh, nutrient filled potting soil. As for the pretzels, unless being consumed or watched by a careful eye, no pretzel or pretzel bag shall be left out in the open.

Oh, and Newt's still living with us...for now.

Growing Sleep?!?

Jack's last feeding was 4 oz. at 5:45pm.
He then spent some time playing with his dad, then tuckered out around 8:30pm.
It is now 12:36am and he is still asleep.

I can hear him fidgetting around a bit via the monitor every now and then, but for the most part, he's been sleeping - like a champ!

He's done this before...sleeping a bit longer and having a longer duration between feedings. The last time he did this, I woke him up promptly 6 hours after his last meal as I was worried he was sleeping through his meal for no good reason.

During his 2 month well baby check up with our doctor, when I mentioned that I had to wake him up for a feeding, she assured me it would be okay to let him sleep through to his content.

"Really?" I asked in shock.
"As long as he's continuing to grow normally - which he is - just let him sleep through. Babies grow in their sleep."

Apparently, they go through cycles where it seems all they do is sleep, and cycles when it seems all they do all day is eat like there's no tomorrow. Jack's done both. He's up to 4oz feedings regularly now. We also don't have to burp him every ounce any more. We are down to two burps - one at the half way mark, and the last after he's finished - which has been up to at 5.5oz at one point. Jeesh!

Even with our doctor's encouraging and assuring words, I am still a bit worried that he's sleeping so long. He better be growing and getting stronger. We have a big day for him tomorrow. A bath, grocery shopping and Babies R Us!

Almost Ready To Walk!

Kicking and Screaming

Jack has started to become a little fussier, a little needier. Since his shots on Monday, he has been whining more when it is time to burp him. At first we assumed this was due to the shots, but today is Thursday and he is still doing it. More than likely, he is going through a growth spurt and is just not comfortable.

The swing has started to lose the magic. Jack doesn't really fall asleep in it anymore. Now, he sits and stares around for about 15 minutes and then begins to fuss so we take him out.

He is still doing very well. He eats a lot and doesn't really spit up unless he is getting close to a poop. The fuller he is, the more he spits up.

He is kicking and cooing a lot now. His sounds are very cute and melt your heart. He is such a good baby.

Soon!

Alex and I will be an uncle and an aunt for the second time any minute now! Woo hoo!
Visited the anxious mom and dad at the hospital for the big event.

Wany was put on Pitocin and her bag of water was broken - this started contractions, stronger ones, right away. I pray she will have a speedy labor and delivery. She was 80% effaced and already 4cm dilated with strong contractions when I left.

Can't wait to finally meet baby Kate! Can't wait to hold her, kiss her, and take lots and lots of pictures of her, and of her with Jack!

I predicted she'd arrive by 12:37am, Nov. 14th. We'll see if my prediction comes true!

2 Month Checkup (1 Week Early)

We scheduled Jack's 2 month checkup a week early, but he got his shots anyway! 5 to be precise. Plus, I got a flu shot, too! Taylor had hers last time since Jack is too young to have one himself.

He cried as they gave them, but he has been very good since. He is my little trooper.

Vitals:

He is 23 inches long (90th percentile)
He weighs 11 lbs 2 oz (75th percentile)
His head is 15.5 inches (50th percentile)

The doctor gave him a clean bill of health and calmed all of our new parent concerns. He may be a crabby baby tonight and tomorrow, but we shouldn't be concerned unless he becomes unconsolable.

Also, Wany was admitted to the hospital tonight to give birth to their #2! Good luck, guys!

One of these things is not like the others.....

Ok, who isn't looking at the camera?

Not Like Me

Finally, a few moments to blog. I haven't done this in a while, but now I have all of a few minutes to contribute something.

I was looking at all the pics of Jack that have been posted on this blog and came to a conclusion...a permanent conclusion. Jack does not look anything like me. He looks like Alex's clone. In fact, I'll bet when people see us (me and Jack) they probably think I'm the live in nanny from Asia trying to put herself through school - dental hygenist school or something like that. Gads.

He's a beautiful baby, but I wish he had SOMETHING, ANYTHING that resemled me in his face.

When I mention this to my mother all she could say was, "God help us, since he doesn't look like you, he probably has your temper!"

Week 6 Photos

Trooper Jack!

Surgery was a success!

Jack is back! The baby we came to know and love is back to his same old personality. He is very quiet, alert, and playful. Done are the crying spells and vomiting. Jack eats, poops, and sleeps perfectly again!

As you can see, he was not very comfortable at the hospital, but he did fantastically well.

Thank you again to everyone who sent their well wishes. Even if it was in a prayer, we got it and we appreciate it.

Stay tuned for TONS more Jack photos!

Pyloric Stenosis

Jack underwent surgery yesterday to correct his pyloric stenosis. Taylor and I (and Jack) are very tired and are trying to recouperate right now, but I wanted to provide some info. Jack is doing fantastically well and should be home tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who called and visited and for everyone else who sent their prayers. You will never know how much that all meant to us. Thank you. Below is some info on what Jack has gone through.

The following information is taken from Kidshealth.org

What Is Pyloric Stenosis?

Pyloric stenosis is a narrowing of the pylorus, the lower part of the stomach through which food and other stomach contents pass to enter the small intestine. When an infant has pyloric stenosis, the muscles in the pylorus have become enlarged to the point where food is prevented from emptying out of the stomach.

Also called infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis or gastric outlet obstruction, pyloric stenosis is fairly common - it affects about three out of 1,000 babies in the United States. Pyloric stenosis is about four times more likely to occur in firstborn male infants. It has also been shown to run in families - if a parent had pyloric stenosis, then an infant has up to a 20% risk of developing the condition. Pyloric stenosis occurs more commonly in Caucasian infants than in babies of other ethnic backgrounds, and affected infants are more likely to have blood type B or O.

Most infants who develop pyloric stenosis are usually between 2 weeks and 2 months of age - symptoms usually appear during or after the third week of life. It is one of the more common causes of intestinal obstruction during infancy that requires surgery.
What Causes Pyloric Stenosis?

It is believed that babies who develop the condition are not born with pyloric stenosis, but that the progressive thickening of the pylorus occurs after birth. An affected infant begins showing symptoms when the pylorus is so thickened that the stomach can no longer empty properly.

It is not known exactly what causes the thickening of the muscles of the pylorus - it may be a combination of several factors. Some researchers believe that maternal hormones could be a contributing cause. Others believe that the thickening of the muscle is the stomach's response to some type of allergic reaction in the body.

Some scientists believe that babies with pyloric stenosis lack receptors in the pyloric muscle that detect nitric oxide, a chemical in the body that tells the pylorus muscle to relax. As a result, the muscle is in a state of contraction almost continually, which causes it to become larger and thicker over time. It may take some time for this thickening to occur, which is why pyloric stenosis usually appears in babies a few weeks after birth.