A Gymboree Christmas

This year, my parents had planned on coming to visit a few days before Christmas, but because they waited too long, tickets were all sold out, and instead, now have to wait until mid-January to come. Add in the fact that I don’t get any time off from work for the holidays coupled with the busyness of taking care of a baby, and it was a bit hard to really get into the Christmas spirit.

However, we tried to make the best of it. On Friday, we received a package from my parents for Caitlyn and decided then that Christmas Eve’s Eve should be the day we open presents. No need in waiting for Christmas Day.

Caitlyn received some new winter clothes to wear from her grandparents, as well as from me, and a growth chart from Mommy. The wife’s been wanting a new pair of glasses, so I got her that. And in keeping with her list of presents that involve clothing, I received two pairs of underwear from the wife. I guess the only thing left is socks for my next birthday?

Store was all out of Christmas wrapping

Someone likes her new glasses

On Christmas Day, we took Caitlyn to Gymboree, the play and music center for babies. At first, I was hesitant to go, mainly because I thought we’d just end up standing outside the building with a crying baby, looking in. Why pay for that kind of torture? I can just as well listen to her screams and cries in the comfort of my own home for free. But since this was a trial class, and thus at a discounted price, what did we have to lose besides our dignity.

As a wonderful Christmas present to us, Caitlyn behaved beautifully there and I must say, it was an enjoyable experience for all three of us. She definitely seemed to be engaged in all the different activities we did and being able to interact with other babies and people was also good for her socially.

In the end, we decided to sign-up for a year-long package, which includes 50 classes and free use of their play area during designated times. Sure, it was a bit pricey, but it was Christmas. Plus, I figure if we’re only going to have one kid, might as well splurge on her a bit.

Some people might argue that all these activities are things that you can do yourself at home for free, which is true, so all we’re really paying for is  convenience. The convenience to use their facilities and resources and the convenience of getting her socially acclimated with other people and babies. But that's exactly what I want. Convenience. Besides, it was great to see her having fun somewhere else other than our home and not crying. To me, this is all worth it. If this helps her grow into a happy, well-balanced individual, then I’m all for it.

You gonna eat the rest of that?

Looking at the gingerbread house

Family photo time

Her new favorite game

 

All bundled up

Swinging away

 

Sliding down on a towel

Going down the slide

 

Choo-choo!

Enjoying the train ride

Playing on the rolling tube

Bubble time

 

Giddy-up!

But I don't want to get off!

Enjoying the different colors

Watching the parachute go up

Grab the parachute!

All tuckered out

Season's Greetings

With Christmas fast approaching, we’ve been meaning to take out the tree to decorate. But every day, we’re either too lazy or tired or both to do it, so we keep putting it off. Finally, the wife suggested getting a small, already decorated tree that we could put on our table. It would be less of a hassle. After all, the baby’s still too small to really know what’s going on, so it’s not like we’re really ruining Christmas for her by getting a teeny, tiny tree. Santa will still bring gifts for her, right? And I won’t get a stocking full of coal for being a lazy Scrooge, will I?

Anyways, now that she’s 6.5 months old, here’s a quick, end-of-the-year rundown of all the things Caitlyn can do.

She’s slowly been getting better about people holding her. In addition to letting me, the wife, and Grandma hold her, Grandpa has now been added to the exclusive VIP list. She’ll also let other people that she’s familiar with, hold her, though not for so long, and with a few stifled cries. But she’s definitely a lot braver now than before when she would burst into frantic screams after being held for just a second. However, she’ll still cry if an unfamiliar face gets too close to her.

During feeding time, Caitlyn is now regularly drinking 180 ml of formula. I can’t begin to express how proud I am of her. It seems like yesterday when she could barely handle 30 ml. Eating more also means she’s getting up less at night. Most nights, she’ll wake up just once to feed, which means everyone’s getting more sleep. More sleep equals a happy mommy. A happy mommy equals a happy daddy.

Her range of solid foods now includes rice cereal, carrots, and apples. Yam and banana are next up on the list. And with the introduction of solid foods, we figured it was time to buy a highchair. I plan on training Caitlyn right from the start to sit properly at the dinner table until she’s finished eating. None of that running around, stopping every now and then to grab a bite to eat monkey business.

Thankfully, she actually likes her highchair. Even if it’s not her feeding time, we’ll still plop her next to us at the table when we’re eating. Give her a sippy cup and a toy to play with, and she’s good to go until we’re finished. Now, the wife and I can all actually enjoy dinner together instead of taking turns taking care of the baby.

Getting her to go to sleep has also become pretty stress-free. Around 8-8:30 pm, she’ll start rubbing her eyes, which signals that she’s tired and wants to go to bed. After we put her in the crib, she’s usually out before a minute’s up. I suspect this ability has been passed down from the wife who can literally fall asleep in less than 5 seconds. Those early days of spending hours rocking our fussy baby to sleep in our arms are long gone.

The next big thing I look forward to Caitlyn doing is crawling. Once she begins doing that, hopefully she’ll become more independent and won’t want to cling to us so much. We're all allowed our own little fantasies, right?

Merry Christmas!

Our vertically-challenged tree

Picture time with Santa

In front of the Christmas tree

Daddy's turn to strike a pose

 

Sporting her new holiday hat

Grabbing for the camera

 

Resting in Mommy's lap

No more pictures!

 

Put your hat back on!

I want my red hat back!

 

Yay! I'm a big girl now!

What do I do with this?!

Stay-at-home Dad

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to take care of Caitlyn all by myself. On Saturday, Jessie went to spend the day at her mom’s while I stayed at home with the baby. While she was a bit concerned about how things would go, I wasn’t the least bit worried.

The past couple times the wife has gone out and left me at home with the baby, Caitlyn has always performed relatively well for me. I think when she doesn’t sense Mommy around, I automatically become the go-to guy. Therefore, there’s no screaming or crying to be held by Mommy.

It was actually quite a relaxing day. The wife left after putting her down for a morning nap, and when the baby woke up, I played with her for a bit, read some stories to her, fed her, and then after about an hour and a half, put her down for another nap. I repeated this process again until I finally took Caitlyn to the mother-in-law’s for dinner.

When questioned on how things went, I said that we had a grand ol’ time. Piece of cake. No crying whatsoever. I repeat, no crying. Sure, maybe a bit of fussing here and there, but not the usual wailing that happens whenever the baby wants Mommy.

The wife remained skeptical and commented on how tired she thought I looked. Hah! Someone is completely in denial. Therefore, I convinced her to go get a haircut and do some shopping on Sunday to prove to her it wasn’t a fluke the first time.

Things went the same way they did on Saturday. Naptime. Playtime. Feeding time. Repeat. I could get used to these kinds of wife-free weekends. I didn’t shower for two days, didn’t change out of my pajamas, didn’t brush my teeth. Just lounged around with the baby and took care of household duties. In short, it was awesome.

But by no means am I saying that taking care of a baby is an easy job. The monotony and repetitiveness of it all can drive people crazy after a few days. I’m pretty I couldn’t do a whole straight week of this. The wife, bless her little heart, admirably does it every day. Plus, having no meaningful conversations with people except with a squealing baby made me feel out-of-touch with the world. It was a lonely, depressing feeling.

Now that I’ve walked a mile in her shoes, I think I’ve finally begun to really understand what the wife goes through on a daily basis. I need to show some more compassion when I come home from work and see her half-crazed and short on patience.

Therefore, I salute you for your dedication and hard work and solemnly promise to try and not annoy you so much anymore. 'Try' being the key word. Don't hate me if I fail. I'm only human.

All warm and cozy in her sleepsack

Solid Food

Now that Caitlyn is 6 months, it’s time for her next big step in life – solid food! The wife wanted to start our baby on solid food around 4 months, but I balked at that idea, and convinced her to wait. After all, there is no rush. It’s not like starting her early on solid foods will make her bigger, stronger, or more intelligent than other babies.

While most doctors and books will say that you can start feeding a baby around 4-6 months if they’re ready, the American Academy of Pediatrics still recommends breastfeeding exclusively or using formula for at least 6 months.

One of the main reasons is because the baby’s intestines need time to mature. Around 4 to 6 months, the intestines begin to mature and secrete a protective coating called IgA. This helps prevent potentially allergenic food from entering the blood stream. By 6 to 7 months, the intestines are more mature and able to filter out more allergens. This is why families with a history of food allergies are advised to delay the introduction of food to their baby.

Here are some other things to look for in order to make sure your baby is ready for solid food:

1. They have good head control.

2. They’re losing the tongue-thrust reflex. That means they don’t constantly use their tongue to push everything out of their mouth. When they’re young, this helps prevent choking.

3. They’re sitting up well when supported. In order to swallow well, you need to be able to sit up well.

4. They have the ability to move food from the front of the mouth to the back.

5. They have doubled their weight (or weigh about 15 pounds) and at least 4 months old.

6. They have a growing appetite.
7. They’re interested in what you’re eating.

The first food we started off with was rice cereal, which is what most people do, though this isn’t necessary. Pureed vegetables and fruit are other options you can try. Cereal just has the advantage of boosting a baby’s iron intake while also being easy to digest. The wife, being mindful of chemicals and what-not that can be found in food, opted for Hipp’s Organic Rice Cereal.

It took a few attempts to find the right mix of formula and cereal, but after doing a search on the web, it seems the majority of people say to start off with a runny consistency like apple sauce and then slowly making it thicker as the baby gets used to it.

In the end, feeding Caitlyn the cereal was a messy event. As expected, she simply tasted the food a bit and then kind of dribbled it out. With a few more attempts, she should learn how to begin swallowing the food. One thing for sure, we’re definitely going to need more bibs.

What happened to my milk?

Where's the beef?!

 

Next dish, please!

Feeding time with Mommy

 

Nice December weather

I'm a big girl now!

 

Go snail go!

Daddy makes a rare appearance

 

A smooch from Mommy

Smile for the camera!

Training Days

During Thanksgiving dinner, I sat next to my cousin, Peggy, who has a baby that was born about two weeks before Caitlyn. As we talked about our babies, I asked how hers was with strangers. She said that her baby had no problems being held by other people. As a test, I asked to hold her, and sure enough, her baby was just as calm in my arms as her mom’s.

This just highlighted our already glaring problem of Caitlyn crying whenever she’s with people other than the wife and me. Peggy, as well as numerous other people, has said the way to fix this problem is to take her out often and let her interact with as many different people as possible.

However, that’s exactly what we do. On weekdays, the wife dutifully takes the baby out for spins around the neighborhood, and at night, we go to Jessie’s parent’s house to interact with her family members. On weekends, we take her to the park, shopping mall, and restaurants to get used to different scenes. We also visit different people or invite people to come to visit us. However, these don’t seem to be helping much.

I think the problem for us is consistency. Having a person hold Caitlyn for one day and then not seeing that person for another week or more doesn’t do much to ingrain that person into her memory. It took Jessie’s mom almost a month of constantly seeing and holding the baby before Caitlyn finally allowed her to hold her without crying. But most people don’t have the luxury of living so close to us as to come and visit every day.

Another problem is that when people hold Caitlyn, the instant she starts crying, they hand her right back. People seem to value their hearing a bit more than making sure our baby is accustomed to them. Caitlyn has fine-tuned a piercing shriek that would make anyone that’s not hard of hearing cringe. Perhaps we should set-up a rewards program where people earn points for every minute they’re able to hold Caitlyn. Or maybe we should give out earplugs before they attempt to hold her.

It also seems that having a nanny helps a baby become more accustomed to different people. The majority of people we know with well-balanced babies all send them to a nanny’s. This time apart probably allows the baby to not become so attached to the mom. Caitlyn sees the wife 24 hours a day. It’s no surprise that’s the only person she wants.

A few days ago, we were talking to my parents on the phone and bemoaning the fact that Caitlyn still clings to her mom like super glue. My dad confidently chimes in and says that when they come to visit in about a month, he’ll have Caitlyn begging him to hold her within two days. Bwahahaha! Such innocent and naïve talk. This will definitely be entertaining to see.

A few family members

Let the training begin!

 

Happy in Mommy's arms

Thinking about it...

 

Thinking about it...

WAH!!!

Playing with her crinkly paper

The next Mozart

Getting acquainted time

A Thanksgiving Story

Last Thursday, we had Thanksgiving dinner with some relatives. I really didn’t have high expectations for Caitlyn’s behavior, and she made sure not to disappoint. The instant we step into the restaurant and people start looking at her, she begins bawling. It’s loud enough that the wife decides to take her outside until she can calm down.

Fifteen minutes into dinner, the wife is still missing, so I go off to find her. I find her pacing around outside with the baby still crying. She’s looking a bit flustered, so I know I need to watch my step. At her request, I go back into the restaurant to get the baby’s pacifier and stroller, but neither do much to calm Caitlyn down.

As I’m keeping her company, my cousin’s wife comes out to check on us. She reminds me that I’m supposed to be the expert here and wonders why I’m not in control of the situation. Well, the short answer to that is while I may be up to my neck in baby trivia, knowing and actually doing are two completely different things.

I am not a god among men, but a mere mortal. When the baby is as worked up as she is, Daddy’s pretty much useless. And when Mommy is having trouble with the baby as well, then we’re completely screwed.

It probably takes about 30 minutes to get Caitlyn settled down, during which time I'm told to go back to the restaurant to eat. The wife states that she will stay outside with the baby a bit longer. Hah! As if. I’m not about to sleep on the couch for the night for falling into that trap.

While the wife may say, “It’s OK, honey. I got it. You go back and enjoy dinner,” what she really means is, “I dare you to leave me here to suffer all by myself with the spawn of Satan.”

My cousin's wife agrees that most women do secretly wish that their husbands could suffer through the things they suffer through. But after a few minutes of stubbornly refusing to leave, I finally decide not to argue and leave my fate in the wife’s hands, though I promise to be back in a bit to check on them.

When I return, Caitlyn’s calmed down enough that we think it’s OK to go back into the restaurant, and we eventually work our way back to our table. We shouldn’t have gotten our hopes up, because Caitlyn starts crying again when we get there, and the wife is forced to take her outside yet again.

After the wife pulls another 15-minute disappearing act, I decide to throw in the towel, call it a night, and head off to find her so we can go home. The funny thing is, the moment we put Caitlyn in her car seat, she stops crying because she knows we’re going home.

She does the same thing at Jessie’s parent’s house when we go over for dinner. Caitlyn will begin fussing after she’s had her fill of being over there, and when we put her in the stroller to go home, she stops fussing. Now that’s a smart baby.

While dinner might not have been a smashing success, I’m sure we managed to make many of the people there extremely grateful for having a more agreeable baby than ours. That's definitely keeping in line with the Thanksgiving spirit.  Plus, I did come out of this debacle with a juicy, turkey drumstick as take-home food. For that, I am truly thankful.

Reading her favorite book

Staring out the window

 

Kissing Mr. Turtle

Caught!

 

The Three Amigos

Caitlyn and Harry

You lookin' at me?!

Ready for an afternoon stroll