Baby Connor was born on Jan 20, 2012, at 6:15am. He weighed 7 pound 10.4 ounce, measured 52.5cm. When we were discharged from the hospital on the next day (Jan 21), Connor weighed 7 pound 4 ounce. My milk came in much quicker the second time around. Connor quickly gained his weight back. Connor weighed 7 pound 6 ounce on Jan 23, 7 pound 8 ounce on Jan 25, and 8 pound 4 ounce on Feb 2. At the discharge visit with our midwife today (Feb 27), Connor weighed 11 pound 2 ounce, measured 59cm long.
Connor has very different personality from Logan. Connor is a better sleeper than Logan in the first few months of his life. Connor also looks more like his daddy than Logan did at this age. It's going to be very interesting seeing how the 2 boys grow up together. They are both so sweet.
-Yang
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday, February 7, 2011
A big milestone in our EC journey - 13 and 3/4 months update
Logan has been very good at using his fingers to point and communicate to me about what he wants, while he says some random sounds ... ^@$%#!$. Mostly, he wants an household item to play with, like jars, boxes, cooking utensils, etc. The only problem is I don't always understand or the item is too dangerous I can't give it to him to play, and as a result I end up with one frustrated toddler.
Today near end of dinner, Logan had stopped eating, pointing away again. This was the Nth time during dinner, after he had gotten his spoon, the contain lid, and a chicken bone. But this time, he was pointing out of the kitchen. "What do you want this time, Logan?" Still pointing. "Mommy can't give you that, because mommy doesn't understand what you want." Still pointing. I stood in the straight line in the extension of his finger and looked away, that's the direction to the washroom, but I can't seem to figure out what object along the line that could be interesting. "Do you want to go to washroom?" "Umm..." In disbelief of what I heard, I asked again, "Do you want to go to washroom, Logan?" Because Logan have not really said any understandable words to us so far, so I don't know if he means anything. The answer is still "Umm..." And then I asked the third time. Logan lost interest in my question this time, a little irritated but finally "Umm...". Well, we have been very diligent in practicing EC (elimination communication) since Logan was 3 months old. It's very possible that he is finally using his gesture to communicate back to us now. "Husband, take Logan to washroom right now!" Yes, it's husband's shift after dinner while I handle the kitchen side of things. Next thing I heard back from hubby was "Logan had a big poo!"
Both hubby and I got so excited! All of a sudden, it felt all the hard work of EC was all worthwhile. Of course, Logan had rarely pooed into his diaper ever since 3 months old, but we were always relying on his body language, timing, and occasionally some vocal signals around the time when he was 7-9 months old, but mostly we were just guessing. The whole journey of EC so far was full of ups and downs. Using the number of pees and poos we could catch as measurement, some month was great and some month was bad. Today was the first time Logan pointed to the washroom with his figures to let us know he wants to go to washroom and answered my question. It's a big milestone in our EC journey. It is also a good reminder for us as parents that we should pay more attention in reading his gestures from now on. He is fully aware of his body and this is the way he can communicate to us before the words can come out.
I am also surprised because Logan has not been very happy about being taken to toilet lately. He wasn't willing to go there as much as he used to as a little baby. Sometimes, Logan threw a big fit about it and pees in the diaper anyway. But what just happened today was a great boost for us to continue working on elimination communication, hopefully very soon we can correctly understand all of his elimination needs, and when he wants and does not want to go to washroom.
For the record, today Logan is 13 and 3/4 months old, almost exactly 1 year after we started EC.
-Yang
Today near end of dinner, Logan had stopped eating, pointing away again. This was the Nth time during dinner, after he had gotten his spoon, the contain lid, and a chicken bone. But this time, he was pointing out of the kitchen. "What do you want this time, Logan?" Still pointing. "Mommy can't give you that, because mommy doesn't understand what you want." Still pointing. I stood in the straight line in the extension of his finger and looked away, that's the direction to the washroom, but I can't seem to figure out what object along the line that could be interesting. "Do you want to go to washroom?" "Umm..." In disbelief of what I heard, I asked again, "Do you want to go to washroom, Logan?" Because Logan have not really said any understandable words to us so far, so I don't know if he means anything. The answer is still "Umm..." And then I asked the third time. Logan lost interest in my question this time, a little irritated but finally "Umm...". Well, we have been very diligent in practicing EC (elimination communication) since Logan was 3 months old. It's very possible that he is finally using his gesture to communicate back to us now. "Husband, take Logan to washroom right now!" Yes, it's husband's shift after dinner while I handle the kitchen side of things. Next thing I heard back from hubby was "Logan had a big poo!"
Both hubby and I got so excited! All of a sudden, it felt all the hard work of EC was all worthwhile. Of course, Logan had rarely pooed into his diaper ever since 3 months old, but we were always relying on his body language, timing, and occasionally some vocal signals around the time when he was 7-9 months old, but mostly we were just guessing. The whole journey of EC so far was full of ups and downs. Using the number of pees and poos we could catch as measurement, some month was great and some month was bad. Today was the first time Logan pointed to the washroom with his figures to let us know he wants to go to washroom and answered my question. It's a big milestone in our EC journey. It is also a good reminder for us as parents that we should pay more attention in reading his gestures from now on. He is fully aware of his body and this is the way he can communicate to us before the words can come out.
I am also surprised because Logan has not been very happy about being taken to toilet lately. He wasn't willing to go there as much as he used to as a little baby. Sometimes, Logan threw a big fit about it and pees in the diaper anyway. But what just happened today was a great boost for us to continue working on elimination communication, hopefully very soon we can correctly understand all of his elimination needs, and when he wants and does not want to go to washroom.
For the record, today Logan is 13 and 3/4 months old, almost exactly 1 year after we started EC.
-Yang
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
To myself
Lately I have been so stressed out. Logan and I both have been sick on and off for about 2 months now, every time one of us caught a bug, we always managed to pass it on to the other person and eventually to daddy as well -- oh, the joy of parenthood. Weather has been terrible outside, always below zero, no way I can take Logan out anywhere in this temperature as least not when we are both still sick. The builder delivered bad news to us before the holidays that we can't have the house design we picked on the lot we liked -- come on, we signed a contract and paid the money, now you tell me this and point to the contract saying you are covered if you go back on your words, unbelievable! The bathtub issue is still not resolved, we pay condo fees which funds the condo building insurance, we buy home insurance to protect our own properties as well, but how can the bathtub leak not protected by either, and they both argue it's the other party's responsibility? Services are slow everywhere -- it takes forever for my lawyer to review a very important document, and forever for my employer to get back to me on my request for an LOA -- still waiting, does it really take more than a month to handle these things? Anxiety!!!
So I can't go anywhere during the day; I check my emails every now and then and I follow up but I don't get a response on what I am waiting for; and my dream house won't be perfect; and the bathtub issue won't be resolved ... so what? All of these things will work out eventually, and I still need to live my life happily everyday. Okay, I need to relax and be patient and occasionally just let things be, I think. Maybe I am a slow person, it takes me 31 years to realize this? Life is not perfect, and that's what's perfectly normal about it.
Done venting, feeling much better now :)
-Yang
So I can't go anywhere during the day; I check my emails every now and then and I follow up but I don't get a response on what I am waiting for; and my dream house won't be perfect; and the bathtub issue won't be resolved ... so what? All of these things will work out eventually, and I still need to live my life happily everyday. Okay, I need to relax and be patient and occasionally just let things be, I think. Maybe I am a slow person, it takes me 31 years to realize this? Life is not perfect, and that's what's perfectly normal about it.
Done venting, feeling much better now :)
-Yang
Classic BBQ sauce
Okay, I rip this recipe from somewhere else, but with my own added twist. I often went to look it up over and over again when I needed it, so here it is for myself in order to find it easily next time.
1 whole chopped onion
5 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 cup spicy ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
It's good for any meat dish calls for BBQ sauce and requires baking in the oven. Preheat oven to 350ยบ. Pour sauce over 3 pound of meat. Bake about 1 hour give or take, covered, to desired tenderness, then half hour uncovered to reduce sauce.
For beef short ribs, bake 1 hour without sauce first, covered. Then drain the liquid to remove the brown substance and fat, pour the broth back to the dish with the sauce and continue baking.
-Yang
1 whole chopped onion
5 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 cup spicy ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
It's good for any meat dish calls for BBQ sauce and requires baking in the oven. Preheat oven to 350ยบ. Pour sauce over 3 pound of meat. Bake about 1 hour give or take, covered, to desired tenderness, then half hour uncovered to reduce sauce.
For beef short ribs, bake 1 hour without sauce first, covered. Then drain the liquid to remove the brown substance and fat, pour the broth back to the dish with the sauce and continue baking.
-Yang
Friday, December 10, 2010
11 months update
I can't believe it has been 4 months since the last post. Life with Logan is definitely getting busier and busier. The last few months taking care of Logan was very challenging! He is now at the stage that he crawls so fast and he is so eager to explore everything, yet he doesn't understand dangers and "No". I have to constantly watch him, pull him away from things, and take care of his needs, as long as he is awake. Logan's sleeping time on the other hand is getting shorter now. He takes about 2 naps everyday, totaling around 2 hours, plus another 10 hours of sleep at night, to make up to 12 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period. That means I have to do everything that need to be done within the other 12 hours, including cooking 3 meals, eating, cleaning up Logan's mess, shower, sleep, and whatever other household and personal maintenance tasks that cannot involve a baby. Time just goes too fast! Even though it's hard, I try to enjoy every moment I can! Because what's past with Logan I will never be able to experience again.
Winter makes me sad. I know it makes Logan sad too. But Logan gets so bored at home, so I try to get him out as much as I can, when the weather is not too bad. We used to go out 3 trips a day in the summer time, but in winter, I limit our trip outdoor to no more than once a day, due to all the overhead. It takes half an hour to get Logan dressed in order to go out anywhere. Then he has to be stuck in the snow suit, instead of crawling on the grass like what we did in summer. Here is a picture of Logan in his winter gear looking like an Eskimo.
It is so cold outside this season, and many people get sick. So did poor Logan, he caught some bugs and had an ear infection 2 weeks ago, and had to take antibiotics. I am not a big fan of drugs especially for little babies, so it was the hardest week for me having to feed him 3 doses of the medicine. It smelled nasty.
I am going to take advantage of the swimming pool though this winter. It is so convenient that we don't even have to leave the building, going to the pool becomes much easier than going outdoor and also more fun for Logan. Logan is becoming more and more comfortable with water too. He likes to float on my arms and kick his legs. I bet Logan thinks he can swim!
Logan sitting on the steps.
Logan being dunked in water.
Another big decision I have to make when Logan is approaching 1 year is whether I should go back to work right away. It's very hard to leave him to day care, since he is still a little baby. Logan has grown so attached to me, I know he will be very upset for a long time if he has to be with someone else. I have interviewed quite a few day cares by now and asked every detailed questions. The answers I got really are pointing me one way than the other. The food at day care can't compare to what I make for him, and he will not to able to get breast milk throughout the day. I think at this age, food and nutrition definitely outweighs the activities and social interaction they get at daycare. Plus I have been doing EC with him, the day care teachers won't be able to pick up the signals from him and be as diligent as we are. I am really leaning toward spending more time with Logan and just to make sure he is being taken care of, until at least he can walk and talk a little. It's a tough decision to make financially. But the reasoning around money is out of the window, husband and I both want to do what is the best for Logan. It's also a tough decision to make for myself. Sometimes I really just want a break and wish someone else can look after him. I imagine myself when I am 50, I know I will wish I had spent more time with my baby rather than working a few more months, because Logan is only 1 year old once! I will have to make my decision right, so that I won't regret later.
-Yang
Winter makes me sad. I know it makes Logan sad too. But Logan gets so bored at home, so I try to get him out as much as I can, when the weather is not too bad. We used to go out 3 trips a day in the summer time, but in winter, I limit our trip outdoor to no more than once a day, due to all the overhead. It takes half an hour to get Logan dressed in order to go out anywhere. Then he has to be stuck in the snow suit, instead of crawling on the grass like what we did in summer. Here is a picture of Logan in his winter gear looking like an Eskimo.
It is so cold outside this season, and many people get sick. So did poor Logan, he caught some bugs and had an ear infection 2 weeks ago, and had to take antibiotics. I am not a big fan of drugs especially for little babies, so it was the hardest week for me having to feed him 3 doses of the medicine. It smelled nasty.
I am going to take advantage of the swimming pool though this winter. It is so convenient that we don't even have to leave the building, going to the pool becomes much easier than going outdoor and also more fun for Logan. Logan is becoming more and more comfortable with water too. He likes to float on my arms and kick his legs. I bet Logan thinks he can swim!
Logan sitting on the steps.
Logan being dunked in water.
Another big decision I have to make when Logan is approaching 1 year is whether I should go back to work right away. It's very hard to leave him to day care, since he is still a little baby. Logan has grown so attached to me, I know he will be very upset for a long time if he has to be with someone else. I have interviewed quite a few day cares by now and asked every detailed questions. The answers I got really are pointing me one way than the other. The food at day care can't compare to what I make for him, and he will not to able to get breast milk throughout the day. I think at this age, food and nutrition definitely outweighs the activities and social interaction they get at daycare. Plus I have been doing EC with him, the day care teachers won't be able to pick up the signals from him and be as diligent as we are. I am really leaning toward spending more time with Logan and just to make sure he is being taken care of, until at least he can walk and talk a little. It's a tough decision to make financially. But the reasoning around money is out of the window, husband and I both want to do what is the best for Logan. It's also a tough decision to make for myself. Sometimes I really just want a break and wish someone else can look after him. I imagine myself when I am 50, I know I will wish I had spent more time with my baby rather than working a few more months, because Logan is only 1 year old once! I will have to make my decision right, so that I won't regret later.
-Yang
Monday, July 19, 2010
Another Milestone
Yesterday Logan pulled himself up to a standing position for the first time. He was 7 month and 2 days old! Logan got up on to his feet pretty quickly, but he didn't stop there; he took a step forward to reach for the remote control. (what baby doesn't love remote control!!!) As soon as he can touch his prize, he grabbed it with both hand! Poor Logan forgot that he needed his hands to support himself while standing. Then he turned around in sheer delight -- probably looking for someone to show it off to, "did anyone see what I got!?!" -- but CRASH! I watched this video over and over and it made me laugh so hard every time I got to this point.
-Yang
-Yang
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Summer is fun!
We are totally settling back into our normal life now and enjoying the summer time! Since the weather is nice and hot, there are lots of activities that we can take Logan to participate in: picnic, BBQ, out for a walk, visiting farmer's market, visiting OEYC, going to the playground and swimming pool.There is a new OEYC satellite location opened up at Yonge and Sheppard this month. Even though it's very small and only operates on Fridays, it's still a huge plus in terms of convenience. We checked it out on it's opening day, literally 5 minutes walk from our condo. There is a huge population living in the area, so it's about time to have an OEYC for the kids in the neighborhood.
Logan grew to love the swing this month! He was a little scared the first time he got in a baby swing, but he overcame the fear when he tried it the second time. Now as long as the weather is good, I always take Logan to the playground once a day. He will laugh when he gets a push, which is really cute!
Another sport that Logan enjoys in the summer is swimming. I love that we have a swimming pool in the building, with a sun roof -- so the whole pool gets warmed up so nicely! Especially on the really hot days that we can't go out anywhere else, I love going down to the swimming pool with Logan. The tricky part is taking him by myself -- because Logan can't really stay still by himself, it really is a challenge to organize all the swim gears and dress myself while taking care of him. I recently found this awesome "learn to swim ring" for Logan from Canadian Tire for only $4.99. Logan learned to balance himself inside the floating ring within a few minutes. At the beginning he puts his head in the water to play, but he quickly figured out he shouldn't do that and held up his neck instead. It will be nice to have Logan swim with other babies around as well, but so far I am a little reluctant to go to a public swimming pool for a few reasons -- our pool in the building is really convenient, has higher water temperature and is chlorine free -- one of the improvement our condo board made last year -- the pool is kept clean by a salt water system, which is healthier and more economical.
-Yang
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