It was Independence Day two days ago and the weekend is coming to an end.
Baby Derrick was too frightened of the booms from the fireworks, so we didn't get to see them this year, but we sure did grill it up right :]
What is Derrick up to these days?
He has been copying mommy's face
Even though he hates tummy time, he still does it :]
And he loves his baths
And he LOVES to laugh!
And every sunday after church, we have our sunday fundays!
Our beautiful baby Derrick is 100 days old today.
It is Korean tradition to celebrate 100th day as sort of a milestone- long ago, many babies in Korea did not survive long enough to pass 100 days. Once they passed 100 day mark, they were considered 'safe' as in they are likely to safely grow.
We had a very small celebration at our place with Chicago Grandma Grandpa, very close family friend Mr and Mrs Jung, Me, my husband, and Grandma from Seoul.
We missed Aunt Grace and Grandpa from Seoul dearly, as well as Uncle Hyun :/
Anyway, Grandma from Seoul went out of her way to cook delicious food for us and also helped out with rice cakes! Thank you G-ma from Seoul!
Here is Derrick's baekil table setup!
Balloons and table cover from Party City, picture frames from Target, pictures printed from Costco, banner customized and ordered from Little Seouls , and handmade rice cakes ordered through Hmart Chicago
On this day, Baby Derrick knew something was going on, and he felt very fussy all day long! He wasn't his usual playful, smiling self. Poor baby, we put him in a outfit, which he didn't like much at all.
We tried to get him in the outfit, and on his bumbo, but the only decent pic we got is this...
And then we had to take him out of his outfit because he was getting too fussy-
Tried taking a family pic, but it really is difficult to take a good shot with a baby!
We took many shots with different positions... to no avail until, we got couple semi-decent family pics!
Here is a close up picture of the beautifully handmade rice cakes! They were scrumptious!
Here we are enjoying the awesome Korean food prepared by Gma Kim from Seoul! Don't worry, Baby D got his yummy milk, too :]
As always, Derrick is the star of the party :]
All in all, it was such a blessed day, filled with love and laughter.
Dearest Baby D,
Mommy and Daddy are so happy that you have come into our lives and that it's already been 100 days since you were born.We love you so much, and we don't want any more than what God has blessed us with through you.
We pray that you would grow to be a healthy, happy boy, and we will try our best to nurture and guide you in the right way.
As an added bonus here is baby D's recent tummy time video!
Today, Baby Derrick is 3 months and 2 days old.
Derrick has been developing at exponential speed and he is a delight to be around each day!
Here he is blowing bubbles.
He enjoys sitting on his bumbo seat!
And here he is trying to 'talk'
On a sad note;
we had to send our family dog, Guinness, away to a family friend.
He is a Yorkie/Pekingese mix, and we got him from a breeder when he was 7 weeks old. He was two months shy from being a year old when I got pregnant, and since I got pregnant he became very clingy and territorial. Once we brought Baby Derrick home, he became aggressive and possessive. He will be 2 years old this September, but his behavior problems have gotten out of control.
We tried every training method out there, but he just wouldn't get disciplined.
From his perspective, he probably felt betrayed since he was the baby of the house, and then all of a sudden, everyone started ignoring him and he probably felt abandoned.
Both my husband and I thought it'd be best for the baby and the dog if we let our family friend take care of him. Guinness will get the attention he needs and deserves and baby Derrick will be safe from a possible aggression attack.
It was sad to see him go, but I know in my heart Guinness will enjoy his new home and new mom and dad. :'(
Today Baby Derrick is exactly 2 months and 15 days old.
Much has happened the past 15 days-
D is showing more personality now smiling more and definitely more verbal with his coos and gurgles.
He has figured out to frown! So he will frown before he breaks out into a full blown cry- for example, he will frown and move his lips downwards if the dog barks too loud or he hears something he doesn't like, or he feels uncomfortable because he has a dirty diaper. I have yet to capture that moment, but I will and post it up eventually :]
He also has been communicating better such as being cranky(lots of grunts and short bursts of waahhs) right before he falls asleep,
rubbing/burrowing his head when held to show that he's tired... he will also express that he is happy by a squeal or a melodic whoo~ or hoo~ or ha~. When he is overwhelmed, then he will make an annoyed noise like, weh! with a staccato, and if he's bored he'll do a little tiny wail.
These days he has been more attentive to objects around him.
The lion doll is his favorite object to stare at. He becomes very inquisitive and observant when the doll is placed directly above him. He can spend up to 15-20 minutes by himself just staring at the doll and cooing.
He is also developing hand-eye coordination! He hasn't perfected it yet, but he's beginning to swat at dangling things.
As always, he likes to play with mommy :]
He is now having fun with his daddy as well :]
In the beginning, we had a lot of arguments because I wanted my husband to help out more, and my husband said he can't because all the baby wants is his mommy. This was very true the first month and a half and there really wasn't much my husband could do because I am exclusively breastfeeding and all Derrick wanted was mommy.(He would cry nonstop if my husband try to hold him...) Of course this did not help ME with the lack of sleep and constant breastfeeding and holding the baby until my arms fell asleep.... which in turn led to constant arguments and fights. Hormones, lack of sleep, physical fatigue... you do the math- it's inevitable...
But slowly, Derrick has warmed up to his daddy, and daddy has been trying to spend more time with Derrick so that he will be more familiar with his daddy. So far, it has been fantastic :]
The first unofficial family picture! Mommy and daddy look so bad :[ but Derrick looks so cute!
Derrick is also becoming an expert at tummy time. However, he hates being on his tummy and he can't last more than 5 minutes on his tummy!! He has much better control of his neck and hopefully he will be able to hold his head up on his own soon!
Recently, he has shown that he likes sitting up!
He still has some growing to do before he can fit on his peg perego siesta booster seat, but he likes being propped up seeing what's going on around him.
And it's easier to take pictures with mommy, too! :]
Today was Do Division Fest, which is a street fest right near our house. Derrick loved the green balloon, he couldn't take his eyes off of it! I can't wait until he grows up so he can enjoy all these activities!
MOMMY UPDATE
I'm still struggling physically-
These days I've been feeling my scar burn, I feel extreme heat from it and then it'll subdue, and then it'll flare up again, and then get better again... it's weird, it's not pain, but it's definite discomfort of my scar.
Which, by the way, has keloided, and looks disgusting, like a worm. :[
I also started my period again, two in one month, and still spotting a bit. :[
My joints are in extreme pain, especially if I walk more than 20 minutes.
I also have gained weight in my upper body, specifically my arms near my boobs; I don't know if they look thicker because the muscles there got bigger from lifting and holding the baby all the time, or if it's because of my breasts, or if it's because I'm gaining overall.
This is again, weird because, my lower body and abdomen hasn't really gotten big at all, I still fit into my pre pregnancy clothes fine, albeit the arms... :'[
I don't want to cut down on calories since I'm breastfeeding, I guess I just have to do more arm stretches...
Emotionally, I'm pretty stable and quite happy. Romantically, husband and I are not really chummy chummy, but enjoying each other's company and helping each other.
My mom is still around helping with everything from cleaning to laundry to dishes to taking care of the dog... and I fear the day she has to leave :[
Overall, we have now found a routine, and husband, Baby Derrick and I are finally figuring out how to be a family, with the help of my mom. I'm sure once she leaves, there will be adjusting period, but for now, everything is slowly coming together :]
Today was Derrick's Two month Pediatrician visit...
That meant VACCINATIONS!
Total of 4 were administered today, three were syringe shots, and one oral.
Derrick was a trooper overall- he did cry for his dear life for good 3 minutes, and then he fell fast asleep, then came home and drained mommy's breast and is fast asleep again :]
Here is the update on his growth status. Currently he is 12.7 pounds heavy 24 inches tall
with the head circumference of 15.6 inches
At his first month check up he weighed 9.1 pounds and was 22 inches tall.
He is growing very well :]
My mom who is still around to help, had all these concerns about Derrick, the bumps on his head, his phlegmy breathing, his sneezing... all of which I told her were fine but I asked the doc on her behalf...
The doc said he was fine and there was nothing wrong with baby D.
Well-
month of May was/is filled with special days.
5/10 husband's birthday
5/12 mother's day
5/15 brother in law's birthday
and one more coming up on 5/19 which is my sister's aka auntie fununu's birthday.
whew! so many special days!
Derrick is becoming more and more expressive.
His movements are becoming more controlled and he's pretty good at tummy time!
Can't wait until he can hold his own head up.
Mommy update:
Started my period already :-o
most mommy friends I know don't start their periods until at least 6 months...especially when breastfeeding...
anyway, it's the third day and the bleeding has diminished to spotting, but the cramps were really intense, which is new.
This most likely means I can start working out again, taking baths and getting pregnant again :]
As a joke husband said, " do you wanna give Derrick a sibling?'
I almost choked him to death :/
Not ready for another baby any time soon :]
Another surprising occurrence was Derrick slept from 1130PM -230AM woke up to feed and then slept again from 230AM-630AM!! Only woke up ONCE in the middle of the night to feed! Hallelujah! Hopefully that'll last until he sleeps through the night! Then he slept 630AM-9AM...
Being a mom is totally absolutely the most difficult thing I had to do, starting from pregnancy to giving birth to raising him, but it's is totally absolutely worth it because Derrick always makes me happy, even with his crying, fussing, dirty diapers, and everything else.
Also- forming a little flappy pooch. Also known as the csection flap, I hear it's possible to get rid of it with hard work of healthy diet and exercise. Most people say the only way to get rid of it is tummy tuck- but i've been itching to work out, and I'm waiting until the doctor told me to, which is not until May 17th. But at the rate I'm healing, I may have to wait longer. I really wanted to lay on my stomach, so I tried it, and oh boy was that a mistake.
Until I can work out and not feel any pain, I guess I have to live with: the csection pooch, the spongy feeling in the stomach, the numb tingling sensation around the incision, the pain on the incision itself, the pain inside on the uterus..... oh the healing process, the tedious, tiresome, healing process. I must be patient.
One more thing, I can still feel my uterus contracting- I had a gush of blood come out down there, but it wasn't much to be alarmed about. I guess my discharge will continue, and until I fully contract to my normal size, I will still feel a lot of pain.
On a brighter note, I'm pretty much back to my pre pregnancy shape, albeit the spongy feeling in my abs and the pooch.
The weather in Chicago is finally nice, and my mom, Guinness, Derrick and I have gone out for walks couple of times. It felt good to be out, and I'm sure it was for Baby Derrick as well. :]
I don't go out for long walks, though, since I'm still aching all over, and we do about 10-15 minutes at most. Like the doc said, I need to still take it easy.
My boobs are engorged nonstop because Baby Derrick is on a eating rampage and stimulates my breasts so much so that they are constantly producing milk. My ducts are overcharged I guess. hopefully it will even out, because all the moms who have discussed this online have claimed that their boobs and engorgements were resolved once the body figured out the milk supply issue. For most moms it was fine after around week8. Keeping my fingers crossed for that! Only couple weeks left!
I've been having bowel movement issues- not constipated, but been having very loose and/or diarrhea. Research tells me that the hormone that triggers the contraction of the uterus affects the bowels to be very loose. OH JOY~
Now for Baby Derrick's Developments
Derrick now officially hates all things oral except my breasts. T^T
He used to be fine with the bottle feeding and also his paci, but he won't take any artificial nipple except mine. This is causing me to be exhausted...but anything for Baby Derrick's well being.
However, we do have to try to bottle feed him, so I ordered different nipples. According to my research, playtex ones have had the most success rate with the babies who stopped taking bottles. I ordered the latex one, because silicone is too hard and too fake feeling for the babies, whereas the latex has softer feel and texture..
He also eats and eats and eats.... According to my research, he will go through another growth spurt from week 6-8. So for the next two weeks, I will have raw nipples and engorged boobs plus the lack of sleep.... Oh the never ending agony.
Baby Derrick has discovered that he can suck his thumb! He hasn't completely figured it out yet, but whenever he sleeps, he brings his hand up to his mouth. Cute little thing.
Whenever he feeds, he has issues with pacing his sucking and swallowing, so he ends up spitting up, throwing up, or burping really hard, or farting... basically he still needs to figure out his feeding and digesting. But he seems to be gaining weight and growing fine, so i'm not too worried, but it does tug at my heart whenever he cries out loud because he has problems digesting. :[
He has also quickly figured out that he can fuss and be whiny to be picked up and held. You smart little thing you!
He has baby acne and baby dandruff, which according to the pediatrician, will go away, but it makes him look dirty even when he's not....most of my mommy friends also had to deal with this, but they said by around month3, it cleared up.
He is getting pretty good at tummy time, and is getting much better at holding his head up. Soon he'll be able to keep it up, instead of bobbing like a fish! :]
He also is learning to use the muscles on his face to make diverse expressions. Here are some samples.
His face is also developing fast! His eyes and nose are getting bigger, and obviously his adorable cheeks are too :D
These are the developments, as much as I can remember. I'm sure more will unfold as Baby Derrick grows!
This monday, April 15th, was my doctor's appointment for post partum/post op check up.
Doctor checked me on my incision, and she was quite surprised that it wasn't healing as well as she thought it would. She thinks I might have keloid skin, but I know for a fact I don't because if I had keloid skin, my tattoos would look really ugly.
She suggested that I put hydrocortisone cream on it, but since it really doesn't work well on my skin, I went for A+D cream. Why? Because I used that for my tattoos, and they are beautifully smooth.
I'm hoping my scar would eventually even and smooth out.
I've been putting it on now for three days and this is how it looks like.
The middle part seems to thin out and smooth out. the sides, especially the left, (my right) still looks really raw and open. I will continue to apply A+D cream and we'll see what will happen.
It has been feeling very pokey lately, and the doc said I need to still take it easy.
These are the doctor's orders:
-NO working out until at least another month has passed
-NO sit ups, NO running, NO stretching, NO sex, basically nothing strenuous or cardiovascular or anything that involves the abdominal muscles for at least another month
-NO hot baths until at least another month
-WEAR a binder even if you're walking....
she also said my uterus hasn't really contracted back to my pelvic cavity like it's supposed to... which she said is common with c-section patients, she said it takes longer for c-section patients to have their uterus contract to normal size and position. She also said the incision on the uterus and the stitching inside is still healing so I need to take it easy.
So I heard all this bad news and then she said: "on the bright side, you lost a lot of weight and you have virtually no baby fat left on your tummy! very flat already!"
^_____^ thanks doc. these words are really encouraging, especially for me, because I really felt depressed about my post partum body. the doc probably saw hundreds of women with post partum bodies and if she said I look good and my tummy looks flat, yay for me :]
She also said I might have lochia, the discharge, for at least another few weeks. She said it's normal to have lochia for at least 6-12 weeks! I usually have no discharge but sometimes I have it when I'm breast feeding or sit on the toilet for a while to poop. That's probably because my uterus is still contracting...
Then I had to do a little survey for my post partum depression: questions were like- 'it's been hard for me to laugh at funny things like watching a comedy show' 'i seem to cry for no reason' 'it feels like everyone around me isn't helping me' and then you have to rate it from scale of 1-5 from rarely to extremely and then they add the points up and if you pass a certain amount of points, I guess you have to be treated for your depression.... the doc hasn't called me yet so I guess I'm ok with the depression department...
She said I wouldn't have to come in until three months later for my pap smear, so I guess that means until July 15th, I just have to heal and hopefully get to my pre pregnancy body. It's funny because weight wise, I'm lighter than my pre pregnancy weight- I just look heavier and droopier... I need to firm and tone up my body.... So I will have to wait another month or so... I just have to remind myself that it's only been 32 days since I gave birth and it'll take time for me to bounce back.... I need to have patience and it'll be ok...
Breast feeding definitely helps with the calorie burning, but it's kind of counterproductive because I need to eat in order to keep my breasts full. I'm trying to eat low calorie foods, lots of veggies and fruits, but it hard to not eat a snack here and there... I know lots of places online say keep yourself hydrated and it'll help with milk production- well I tried that for a day where I'd drink tons of fluids and cut down a lot on my food intake.... NOT A LOT OF MILK PRODUCED... baby was fussy, and breasts did not get full as much.... so it's a catch22 with the weight loss. I guess I'll have to hold on that.
So all in all, nothing major was wrong, and although I was discouraged coming back, I know it'll take time for me to heal. And I know I will. Anyway, I'm preoccupied with baby Derrick most of the time, so I don't even notice my body until I jump in the shower... Husband has been very supportive regarding my issues I have with my body, and it helps tremendously. But watching Baby Derrick always cheers me up :]
