Double whammy

Last night, chuperbaby's fever subsided and finally he was in a better mood and regained his appetite. However, this morning his whole body broke into a rash. So luckily Chuperman happened to have the day off today and we all went in to see his pediatrician. We told her how it played out: low-grade fever of 100-101 for first 48 hrs, irritability, loss of appetite, poor sleep, diarrhea, then following the fever onset of generalized rash. The culprit is roseola infantum, a virile infection. Poor lil guy... no wonder he was so miserable! Jacob was dealing with the synergistic effects of both the immunization shots and roseola.

Chuperbaby's appetite is back and his fever is gone - thank God, but he's still wearing cranky pants. It took me 1.5hrs to put him to bed just now. I used various methods to try to calm him down including a new one, pushing him around the house in his bassinet stroller for 30 minutes. Usually, when chuperbaby is a bit fussy at bed-time, Chuperman plays the piano and it usually works like a charm. But tonight the usual tricks didn't really work.

The pediatrician reassured us that roseola is pretty harmless and that the symptoms should go away within 2 days.

I'm not asking for a vacation to Bora Bora or a fancy steak dinner, I just want to be able to sleep for 12 hours straight for once! A massage would also be nice. I noticed that my whole body is becoming increasingly sore. Every morning I wake up to sore joints in my hands. Don't ask me if I want another kid right now! haha.

Gonna squeeze in some rest before chuperbaby wakes up in the middle of the night again.

6 month vaccination shots...

... not good. On Monday, my lil Jacob got his 6 month vaccination shots. Three of em in the thighs. That was the easy part. Since then, he has developed a mild fever at 100.7 degrees F, just enough to get him royally pissed off at mommy and revert back to the sleeping schedule of a one-month old Jacob with 1.5-2hr sleeping intervals. Naive tiramesu was not ready for this post 6 month check-up misery since after getting 4 shots at both 2 and 4-month check-ups, there was barely any change in his temperament. Who is this cranky baby who ain't feeding or sleeping well? I want my good-natured mild-tempered and happy Jacob back!

cranky, pissed-off baby = cranky, sleep-deprived, beat-up (physically, mentally, emotionally) tiramesu

yearning for....

happy chuperbaby with healthy appetite and sleeps through the night = happy tiramesu = happy wife

Unfortunately, now i can't attend tonight's Wed night women's bible study, not like i had the time or energy to do the homework....

tiramesu's mommy night out with girls!

I'm alive! The last few wks flew by in a wink of an eye. I didn't even get a chance to stalk, i mean catch-up on other peeps blogs! Man, I'm behind - there's just too much to do and not enough hands. If only I had 8 arms like an octopus, I could really accomplish so much more.

Shoot, this post will be rather brief but better than nothing right?

Flashback to a more carefree time.....
"Sex and the city yo!!"-pic



After omakase din din at Echigo.

Flashback? Nahhhh... haha. The above pic was taken over the wkend! I took some much needed time for myself to go out with the girls. It was totally what I needed. Just some time to hang out and not have to worry about the next feeding, poopy diapers, bath time, wah wah. The whole night was awesome... getting ready and glammed up was super fun, enjoying a nice baby-free omakase sushi dinner at Echigo in Santa Monica, and watching FMP get thrown into the pool at a club for his bday hahaaa. I must say that even tho I had mounds of fun, it was a lil awkward being at the club without chuperman. I couldn't be more sober cuz i was too cheap to buy more than 1 drink. Btw, we ordered a cocktail and it cost a whopping $12 for mostly ice and juice. Anyway, I've never been so sober at club in my life!! No wonder ppl get pissed drunk at clubs cuz it ain't that much fun when you're completely sober.

When I spent the night at torosushi's place, I really really missed chuperbaby&man. Anyway, it was a super short "vacay" time for me.. only 22 hrs... I'm looking fwd to my next vacation already!




After ramen brunch on Sawtelle.



Lil guy's favorite toy! Thx anan and elgato! Michelin baby LOVES his singing blue octopus! He especially likes head-butting the octopus man.


We're celebrating our 3-year wedding anniversary today!! =D =D =D


Have a happy and safe 4th of july!!

More to come....

Metal mouth?

So, Chuperman and I paid a visit to the dentist over the wkend. Not like I didn't know this before but the dentist kindly reminded me again that my teeth are crooked and that I need braces. Most ppl don't find my teeth offensive b/c i have a small mouth with small teeth haha. He encouraged me to get braces now when I'm relatively young, instead of when I'm like 60. Why didn't I get em in junior high?! Cuz my teeth were fine back then. I think my teeth have traveled and become "overcrowded", and now i'm stuck with a worsening crooked overbite.

So, I'm on the great big hunt for a good orthodontist in the Irvine/Newpopo area. I'm willing to travel a 10-15 mile radius outside Irvine if the orthodontist is that good. So, anyone want to recommend their orthodontist to me?

Hopefully I can get away with just invisilign!

5 months 1 wk old!

Where does the time go?! My posts have been rather scant lately... my bad! It's a combination of minimal access to my own laptop (had to use chuperman's desktop and laptop), lack of pix uploaded (chuperman has been plenty busy, uploading pix is usually his job), and constantly tending to lil jacob!

So, where do I begin? Well, let's just start from the most recent since my memory is getting worse by the second.

Mommy trying to relive carefree days with Ottergirl! I spent a good part of my wkend with my high school friend Ottergirl and her fam. After Jacob went to bed last Thurs night, I was able to sneak out and drive down scenic PCH to my hometown - Dana Point/Laguna Niguel, to see Ottergirl and her family. I thought I was arriving after they had dinner to celebrate her dad's 60th bday, but in fact, dinner started really late and I arrived perfectly on time to accidentally crash their dinner party. doh haha... We had a grand ole time chowing down on lamb chops, eating cake and ice crm, and running down to the Bat Cave for more fine wine. I didn't really know what I was drinking, but it was damn good. It's always a good thing when the wine is a flowin! I also had some cocktails - 2 grapefruit juice & tequila drinks. Surprisingly, my tolerance was really high that night! They informed me that grapefruit juice is a diuretic, which in fact negates the affects of alcohol. Perhaps explains my non-drunk state for the evening. Skinteresting eh?

Then the next evening, Chuperman, Chuperbaby and I tried mtng up with Ottergirl & Co. at the Beachcomber of Crystal Cove but they were running a bit late, so we took the opportunity to take some pix (COMING SOON) and to satisfy our hungry tummies while we waited by scarfing down an order of delicious fried calamari at the bar of Beachcomber. We also saw a school of friendly dolphins showing off their jumping skills really close to the beach!
Anyway, Chuperbaby was so cuute at the bar. We sat him right on top of the bar, and he kept looking around - left,right, left, right - observing the frenzy of waiters, food carried atop flying saucers:P, and hungry customers. It was quickly approaching his bed time so we had to leave soon thereafter. We briefly saw Ottergirl & Co., but Chuperbaby urged us to take him back home:P

The next day, which would be Saturday, Ah-Ma was super nice enough to watch Chuperbaby for the day! So I headed back down to DP to chill with Ottergirl & Co. on their boats docked in the Dana Point Harbor. In the AM, we went out to sea on the big boat. It was a bit choppy and i could have easily been tossed off the boat:P Then we had a lovely lunch at DP Yacht Club. I had the most scrumptious French Dip sandwiche and a bloody mary. Then I had to pump (on the boat - in the galley) haha. A few moments later we headed back onto the water, but this time on the smaller boat. It was super duper nice and relaxing. We cruised around DP harbor, which is much more calm then the rough waters (for which I was thankful for). There were plenty o party peeps chugging down various cocktails while navigating their boats haha. I had to leave, but the crew ended up going back to the club for more drinks! I just can't keep up! I'm so weak.

Thanks Ottergirl and family for the good times!! I felt young again.. like the good ole carefree high school and college days=D

(DANA POINT HARBOR PIX PENDING OTTERGIRL - since i had to bring my pump, a cooler to put the liquid gold in, and change of clothes, i forgot to bring my camera that day - damnit)

Back To Reality - It was a super exhausting wkend for me b/c I, in fact, get seasick. So all day Saturday I was having trouble walking in a straight line. My tummy also felt weird too haha.
And, it seems like my poor baby has caught a cold. Darnit. It's his 3rd cold since he started daycare=/ NOT COOL.

On top of Jacob having a cough and runny nose, my patience is wearing thin. It's been 5.5months and I would like to give-up on BFing. I feel like im running a marathon race - I have to just keep on going and going and going until I reach the finish line, which is Jacob's 1yr old bday on January 2, 2009! Feeding my baby au naturale and the pumping is taking a toll on me. The constant feeding and pumping is just not cool. Even when the baby sleeps through the night, I still have to wake-up in the middle of the night. I know.... whine whine whine, I am so ungrateful... I just wish I could sleep for 10 hrs straight and finally catch up on sleep- without waking up to pain and discomfort. I'm constantly walking around like a zombie. I need some major encouragement and a kick in the bum.

On a happier note, it's all worth the pain, sleepless nights, and tears of frustration - especially when I look at Jacob and see that he's growing up quite nicely. He is just so mild tempered for a baby. Jacob is more independent these days. He's okie with laying around by himself now haha. Chuperbaby doesn't constantly need to be held. He likes the swing and kickpad much better than before. Jacob is an excellent feeder and he still sleeps a lot! Even though he has a cold, he still is able to sleep for a solid 10.5hrs straight. I am 100% positive that he got the sleeping gene from me haha. Jacob definitely got the eating gene from BOTH mommy and papa piggy=P haha. Chuperbaby is overweight for his height haha. We'll prob start solids next month. He's turned over a few times already and can scoot in reverse, forwards, mini U-turns haha

Taken last week. Chuperbaby in a well-insulated (more like over insulated, literally appropriate for the arctic) polar bear costume hahaa

Im done pumping, time to hit the hay! Will post pix as soon as they're uploaded!!

13.5hrs!

Happy 1st of the Month! I can't believe it's May already and Jacob is about 4 months!!

Last night, Jacob went to bed at 7:45pm and woke-up this morning at 9:20am!! If I'm calculating correctly - he slept for over 13.5hrs straights! Then he woke up to feed then went back to bed and woke up at 12:10pm - for a grand total of over 15hrs and it's only mid-day. He'll prob take another afternoon nap! Jacob loves sleeping in like a college student. I'm thoroughly enjoying this while it lasts!

During the 7 or 8 hours that he's up in a 24hr days... he enjoys feeding, reading, listening to music, sitting in the carseat, playdates with various girlfriends :P, and now trying to sit-up:

Videos:

and playdates with Josephine and Ava:

Sleeping through the night.... =D

(btw, I'm alive! Sorry for not updating sooner! I've actually been drafting this post for a few wks now)
... for the baby that is, not me! As of week 10, lil Jacob has been sleeping through the night at 8-9hrs straight and now almost 12-13 hours straight! It is quite a milestone as I've had to go back to work. I'm not as lucky at night - I still have to get up and pump every 4 hours. I'm already counting down the days until I no longer have to pump.

A brief recapo of Jacob's newborn stage:

1st month:
Mommy~

• I was under the ancient Chinese tradition of 30-day confinement "zuo yue zhe" and Chinese herbal diet consisting of "ma you ji" or sesame oil chicken broth with rice wine or "mijiu", ate pig liver, etc... i know... gross! My diet was so rich this month that I only lost a few lbs.
  
• the first 10 days I was forced to drink some sort of Chinese herbal drink that looked/tasted something like poison
• I wasn't supposed to step outside the house and get wind blown in my face - however, i broke this rule at least 5x's during the first month to go out to eat at some yummy restaurant (K-bbq, The Cannery, Blue Coral, The Ritz, etc etc)
• Not supposed to lift anything heavy - this one actually makes sense b/c i really did feel pretty weak and sore - I had to be pushed around in a deskchair b/c it was hard for me to walk during that 1st week.
• Not supposed to wash your hair or even take a shower - this one is ridiculous. When I had enough energy, I jumped in the shower as fast as I could!
• Nursing: let's just say I cried a river on a daily basis.

Baby Jacob~

• Stool: Went through 12 diapers/day then down to 8 by the end of the first month
• Feedings: Nursed 12X's/day or every 2 hours and down to 8x's per day by the end of the first month
• Weight gained: 3 or 4 lbs
• Sensory: Jacob was super alert from the get go - even the neonatologist and ped said Jacob is very alert. He was always moving his arms and feet around. Made lotsa funny animal noises at night and would make us laugh=P Starting to slip in a smile hear and there. Starting to focus better, but not track.
• Baby Jaundice: Within the first few days of birth, Jacob's bilirubin levels shot up to 22+, which is pretty severe if not contained. We took him home for just 3 days before he had to be readmitted into the hospital for 72 hours to get phototherapy or "blue light" to help break down the bilirubin in his skin. He was pretty yellow, poor thing. He was such a trooper through all the heal-pricks to test for bilirubin levels. During those 3 days he was in the NICU, I couldn't stay over with him b/c the hospital is just no equipped to let parents do so. So I came in twice a day to nurse him. I pumped and brought him milk for the rest of the feedings. The NICU gave us a buncha freezer storage bottles to store the milk, which I still use today. I was able to get some good tips from the nice nurses. So going back into the NICU wasn't all that bad, though we missed having Jacob around for those 3 days. It was also good for me to get some rest.

2nd Month
~Mommy

• Energy coming back, but still not the same.
• Still feeding and pumping like crazy.
  
• Glad to be out of Chinese confinement haha. Able to freely leave the house and eat whatever I want.
  
• I even squeezed in a few walks with the baby in the stroller, not necessarily to get exercise, more like to get out of the house for fresh air! There were a few wks at a time where I lived in my PJ's and didn't leave the house... haha. Can we say cabin-fever!
  
• Losing weight gradually b/c of non-stop BFing.

~Baby Jacob

• Gaining weight b/c of non-stop feeding. His pediatrician has warned mommy to "watch his weight".. haha... how?!
  
• # of poopy diapers decreased to an average of 8 per day.
• sensory: starting to track better! excellent neck control, probably b/c he sleeps on his belly:P
• starting to smile every single day!
• gaseous: lil babies at week 6-8 go through a period of slight colic here where they are completely inconsolable. the likely culprit is gas, especially if the baby is breastfed. we tried using Mylicon, which kind of worked. I think I need Miracle-ear soon tho from baby's outbursts haha.
• sleeping at longer intervals during the night! Jacob went from waking up every 2 hrs to feed during the 1st month to 3-4hrs , then 5 -6hrs during the 2nd month!

3rd month:
~Mommy

• I finally got my energy back!! I could even go jogging... just for a few mins tho haha. I'm able to work, run errands, take care of baby with less difficulty now!
• No more pain! Finally got the hang of it!! First two months of BFing were horrific. Wanted to give up so many times! I know everyone has a different experience but for me, BFing was much harder than labor/delivery. Seriously!
• I had to get used to dropping off Jacob at my aunt's house who has a nursery in her house. I'm still not liking the fact that she watches 4 or 5 other kids besides my lil baby. She is a relative, so I feel a lil better. I only work a few times a week, so it's not too bad.
• The pro's of BFing...To date: I've lost 29lbs! I gained about 35lbs during pregnancy. So i'd be happy if i lost 6 more lbs... but losing another 10lbs would be icing on the cake haha.
  
• sidenote: It's really ironic how when I was pregnant, I was on an awful low-carb diet and was GAINING weight. Now I eat whatever the heck I want, including all the carbs I want like CAKE, and am LOSING weight.
  
• Another sidenote: I discovered this new bakery in Irvine called Layer Cake Bakery... wow.. they have some damn good cakes - not too sweet, not too heavy - just right! I've tried their tiramisu cake, tres leches cake, green tea/white choc cake, carrotcake, boston cream pie cake, red velvet cake, napoleans, fruit tarts, hahaaa. This bakery so happens to be directly on the way from my work to day care. There was a 3 wk period where I had a slice of cake everyday!! Chuperman sharply warned me of diabetes tho.. so I've toned down my sweets..sigh.

Jacob~

• gaining lots and lots of weight - he has 20 rolls on his body! Jacob brings new meaning to double chin. He's got no neck. Well, he does but let's just say his neck is well insulated. Actually, his entire body is well insulated hahaaa. I think he weighs like 16.5lbs now!
  
• sleeping through the night! like last night, he slept for 13 hrs straight. woke up to feed this morning and went back to bed and is still sleeping right now haha. The kid loves to sleep and eat like Momma Piggy! haha
• smiles and laughs every single day!
• Jacob is a social baby - loves being around family and even strangers haha.
• loves tummy-time, especially listening to Chuperdaddy playing the piano and guitar, grandpa or "Ah-Gong" makign funny faces, singing, playing the guitar.
• Loves going places! We took Jacob on his first ever trip to Palm Springs! He was such a good baby - we didn't have to stop on the way there or back. He just loves cruising along for a car-ride or a stroller-ride. Below pic: SO happy to be on vacay in Palm Springs!
  
• Likes to make vowel sounds... his fave coo's are "ouuuu" and "ehhh". Jacob has accidentally said "hello" "ok" and "hi".. no seriously!
• Jacob has his very own freezer now! Due to mommy's oversupply - we got a 5cu ft deepfreezer to save all the hard-pumped milk for jacob. Deep freezed mommy's milk at 0 degrees F can be stored for 1 year. whereas normal freezer can stored for only 3 - 6 months.
  

Our lil sumo baby with man boobies/ Michelin tire baby/ Pillsbury doughboy Chuperbaby taking a bath =P