Third Month

Yesterday was Jamie's third month. I don't know where the time went. before this post, my last blog entry was Jamie's second month recap. How could a whole month have already passed!? It's truly amazing how each day seems to drag on but how a whole month just whizzes by.

This third month has been an interesting one. For starters, we have gotten to see a side of Jamie that is totally new to us. We've been used to a passive baby that only does three things: eat, sleep and poop. Now, we are getting to know a baby that likes to talk to us, that listens intently (as if she gets what we are saying) when we talk to her, that actually wants to have people play with her! Gone is the passive Jamie and in her place we have the cooing, laughing, and smiley Jamie. It is truly delightful to just sit in bed with Jamie and have her giggle and interact with you.

This month my mother-in-law has been a huge help - coming over almost every day to take care of Jamie while I get things done around the house and run errands. It was nice too that I got time off to spend with my friends, Jogs and Les, who spent part of their honeymoon in LA. But what I like most about having mommy lola take care of Jamie, is the fact that it allows me to have quality time with my daughter. I think it does both me and my baby a lot of good!

Jamie has been growing well. Her appetite is good and although she has not increased her milk intake too much, she seems to be retaining more milk these days (pooping has decreased considerably). Also, sleep habits are somewhat improved. There have been nights where Jojo and I snuck in 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep! But ... those are few and far between ... mostly we get 4-5 hour stretches (for which we are already very grateful).

Apart from dry skin, which has led us to using Cortizone to minimize itch and Aquaphore to hydrate skin - Jamie's third month has been pretty smooth sailing. She has developed some unusual habits - not only does she thumb-suck, Jamie actually puts 3-4 fingers in her mouth at the same time (thus triggering a gag reflex!). She also likes to scratch herself (sometimes inflicting little scars on her face and scalp!). I've started cutting and filing her nails every other day. Jojo has started using mittens on her hands (which she removes) so we've resorted to using long socks on her hands (they stay on just a wee bit longer!). Also, our baby has developed an aversion to using her pacifier and to being swaddled at night (two things she used to seem to like!).

Lots more to recap but fr the most part, it's been a tiring yet fulfilling third month. Jamie continues to be amazing and wonderful! It just seems to continually get better =)

Dear Jamie (this month's nicknames include: Bibing, Shepepeng, Bing-ti-di-bing and Baby-Jamie-Jamie-Baby),

Another month has passed by and you continue to grow into a beautiful (both inside and out) person. Your personality is starting to show and I can not stress enough how excited I am to continually discover more about who you are. You seem to have a mind of your own (even at such a young age) and I am so happy about that (hopefully I won't have to eat my words!). You are incredibly determined when you are learning or discovering something new (like lifting your head during tummy time sessions). You continue to amaze me and make me proud.

Thank you, Little One. Thank you for trusting me and sharing your smiles with me. Thank you for allowing me to make mistakes as I learn to be a better mom. I am truly humbled to be your mom and to share this journey of growth and development with you. I am looking forward to the next month and to being part of your life!

Your daddy and I love you to bits - now and always!

2 Months and 2 Weeks

Jamie is 2 months and 2 weeks old today. Amazingly there have been so many little milestones she has reached. For starters, she is so much interactive these days. She literally smiles up at us when we sing her silly songs and when we call her silly names. She can coo back at us when we talk to her, making us believe she truly understands what we are saying. She even bats her eyes and laughs out loud when we play with her. It's such a joy that such a little person can be so wonderful.

What makes Jamie so interesting is all the little mannerisms she has that make her truly unique. I love how she always has her hands clasped (like she's praying or holding them demurely together like a proper little lady). She also has a way of curling her toes and arching her feet when she's drinking her milk. Like she's super excited to be eating! Jamie also has a very cute way of puckering her lips while yawning. It's almost as if she's fighting off the yawn by making her mouth smaller. But my favorites has got to be how she twists her head from left to right (ala Stevie Wonder) as she breaks into one of her stretches (complete with arms thrown up high). She absolutely looks so relaxed as she does this. So totally cute!!!

I could go on and on about Jamie and all her wonderfulness - but I probably should stop before I bore any of my readers. Suffice it to say this little girl is a true blessing to us and she continues to make me a believer that miracles still come true every single day!

Jamie's Second Month

Today is actually the day before Jamie's second month ... but I thought I'd get a head start on writing this post to commemorate the event. It's sort of hard to believe that another month has flown by ... I find myself waking up each day, going about our little routines and it sometimes seems like time goes by so slowly. And then, I look at the calendar and it's already time to celebrate another monthsary. It boggles the mind!

In just 2 months (that's 8+ weeks or 60+ days), our little baby girl has grown so much. When I look at Jamie's pictures, taken when she was still at the hospital or when she just got home, it's amazing how bigger and fuller she is now! I am so amazed at how much our little angel has changed in such a short amount of time.

I still love how our baby looks when she is sleeping peacefully, how her whole face scrunches up when she wakes up from sleep and stretches, how she opens her eyes wide when she looks up at me, how she makes small contented sighs when she's drinking her formula or when she yawns. And now, this 2nd month, there are even more things I am discovering about her that I love.

This second month:

+ Jamie definitely has a personality and she's not afraid to show it. When she's hungry - she makes sure we know she wants her milk and we better make it as fast as we can! When she wants to play (instead of sleep), there's no amount of begging on our end that will get her to close her eyes. And when she wants to be carried, there is no trick we have not tried that has worked to keep her in her crib! Such a strong-willed little force to be reckoned with!

+ Jamie has two sets of families that love, love, love her - it will be a true test of our parenting skills to keep her from getting spoiled. My mom was here the first part of this month and would go on walks with Jamie every morning, would carry her and rock her to sleep at night, would coo and cuddle with her when she got fussy. Jojo's mom was with us the second part of the month and she would tirelessly carry Jamie all afternoon just to get her to sleep, she sings endless lullabys to get Jamie to settle down, and is on hand to feed and change this little baby. My sisters, Jojo's sisters, my in-laws and Jojo's in-laws are on-hand to ooh and aah over this beautiful baby. I can't get over how much of a star she is whenever we have get-togethers!

+ Jamie has been steadily gaining weight and getting bigger. I am so glad every time we go for weigh ins at Healthlinks. I used to fret about her small stature - but these days I am assured she is a healthy baby girl =)

+ I am worrying a lot though about vaccines. This Wed Jamie is getting her first round of shots and I am so scared ... I've been talking to everyone and anyone who cares to listen. I've done a lot of research. I've read everything I can get my hands on regarding vaccines. I know the positives outweigh the negatives by leaps and bounds ... but my heart aches thinking of the pain it may cause Jamie and the possible negative effects there may be after she gets her shots. Oh the pains of being a parent! I have never appreciated my own parents more than I do now!

+ We've had little milestones - such as Jamie's first time to go to mass (and she behaved beautifully all throughout!), Jamie attending her first party (her cousins' first communion celebration - she was a hit because everyone wanted to hold her!), Jamie starting to interact more with Jojo and myself (I love how we can play little games with her and she coos back at us and flashes toothless grins). Also, Jamie has now transitioned (flawlessly) to sleeping on the big bed (with us) to sleeping on her bassinet (beside us). Biggest perk is we now enjoy 4-5 hour stretches of uninterrupted sleep - some rare nights we even have a 6-hour run! Such a blessing =) It is amazing what a precious gift this baby girl truly is to us.

To my dearest darling Jamie (we still call you all those nicknames from when you were born to a few new ones we've added this month : Toothless, Haymee-hames, Scarface, Baby Banshee, Pretty-pretty, and Sweetie),

You are the light of your dad's and my life. Thank you for giving us a reason to wake up each morning and making us smile every day. We are so glad that we have you to make our family complete.

Happy second month, Jamie!

May 21: Doomsday (NOT)

There has been a lot of talk about May 21st being the supposed end of the world. It has become such a hot topic that it was even discussed in yesterday's mass. (Now, I know it's pretty serious when Fr. Treadue talks about it during the homily!). Well, May 21st has come and gone - and since we are all still alive and breathing - it just goes to show that no one knows when exactly the end of the world will happen. You would think that by now, people would wise up and stop believing these "rumors" and supposed prophets should stop trying to make "predictions". We should just go on with our lives and if the end of the world comes during our lifetime - then we deal with it then and there (after all, if it does happen, there really isn't much we can do about it anyway!).

Despite my skepticism about the prediction that May 21st will be the day the world ends, I did stop and think about how I would have lived that day any differently. Of course, if I had a choice I would like to be surrounded by my family and doing the things I love to do. Come to think of it, that's pretty much how we spent last Saturday anyway. We were at home (Jojo, Jamie and I). We watched tv, read books, cooked meals, napped and did chores (all the things I like to do - well, except the did chores part!). I would have loved to have my mom, brothers and sisters close by (but I know they were all doing what made them happy on a Saturday too). I know mom went to watch a play with her friend, Jules had a dinner party at home, Jim was in Boracay with friends, Joy was at the movies with classmates, and Atsi was spending the day with Mark. So even if we were not all together physically, everyone was happy where they were. But more importantly, I got to spend it with Jojo and Jamie - safe and sound at home.

So, if the world did end last May 21st - I guess I would have been pretty content with where I was and with whom I was with - and honestly, I would have been ok with the life I have had so far - because honestly ... it has been pretty awesome =)

To Breastfeed or Not To Breastfeed?

I want to start out by saying I believe 100% that breastfeeding is best for baby. It is also beneficial for mommy. This post is by no means detracting from all the good things that come from breastfeeding one's baby.

However, I want to write about the fact that I did not have a very good experience with breastfeeding. I don't really know who to blame for that - so I'm chalking it up to circumstance (basically, it's just how things turned out). When I delivered, I was so gung ho on breastfeed exclusively. I told myself that Jamie would be purely breastfed for at least the first 3-6 months. To prove that, I did not buy a single bottle, nipple or can of formula. Jojo and I were committed to making it work and we attended not only breastfeeding classes, but also breastfeeding clinics and sessions with lactation consultants.

The first few days after I delivered, we diligently tried to breastfeed round the clock. Every 3 hours, we would put Jamie to breast (morning, noon and night). We even woke her up when she slept through feedings. We did the usual 15-20 minutes per breast. It was really hard because I had to feed every 3 hours and each feeding took almost an hour. I had to feed Jamie and take care of her 24/7 all while recovering from a C-section! I was so tired and in a lot of pain - but I had to do it since this was the only food source for Jamie. I repeatedly declined the nursing staff's offer to give Jamie a bottle of formula. This is what I learned from lactation consultants and Jamie's pediatrician.

We noticed though I had no milk at that time. I was reassured that the baby had enough "extra food" in her body to get through my dry spell. I was also told that colostrum (concentrated milk) was coming out even if I could not see it. Jamie lost weight every day for the first 3 days which worried me, but I was told that babies lose weight during the first week anyway. So we kept trying even if it was already starting to get discouraging. By the 5th day (day before we checked out), we were alarmed when the pedia on call announced our baby lost 12% of her weight and he was ordering her to be put on formula immediately. You can imagine how devastating it was for me as a new mom. I found out my baby was hungry all 5 days and that she was losing too much weight. I had no milk even if we were doing everything we were taught and told. I was a wreck, blaming myself and feeling terrible that all my efforts were in vain. It did not help my recovery from the C-section had complications as well. I was still bleeding, bloated from all the excess water, and really physically tired and in pain.

When we left the hospital, I was still determined to breastfeed. We rented a hospital grade breast pump to help me extract milk. I did this round the clock too. I would put Jamie to my breast every 3 hours (or whenever she cried) and pump in between. My breasts were sore but we did not get a whole lot of milk. I was frustrated every time. We tried this for a week. Jamie was feeding about 8 times a day. We had her drink breastmilk from a bottle for 6 feedings, supplemented with formula for 2 feedings, and latch on to the breast in between. It was really physically hard. I was still tired from my operation, was still taking painkillers for the pain, and did not get enough sleep cause Jamie was extra fussy especially at night. I was cranky and depressed most of the time. I actually broke down and cried several times - all in one week!

The second and third week got a little worse. Jamie progressively needed more milk and I was producing the same amount or even less. Sometimes I would pump and get 30 ml of milk, while Jamie needed to eat 60-90 ml per feeding. I would have to pump twice (every 3 hours) to feed her once. This resulted in using formula more and more. Every time I used formula, I had feelings of guilt and self-doubt. It was such a frustrating cycle. My mom was making me all kinds of soupy dishes and healthy food - all in the effort to increase my milk production. I was on the web researching all sorts of ways to increase breastmilk - from fenugreek, to milk thistle, to blessed milk thistle. Nothing helped!

By the fourth week, we were down to 50% breastmilk and 50% formula (and then less and less each day). I was really physically, mentally and emotionally tired from breastfeeding. Jamie was also getting increasingly frustrated every time she latched. (By the way, her latch was ok - as per the lactation specialists we met with - I think it was more because she wasn't getting enough as compared to the bottle). Increasingly, I was under so much pressure that it was affecting the way I treated my baby, my hubby, and everyone else around me. It was then I decided to let it go. I would breastfeed as much as I could but I refused to let it continue to consume me. My rationalization was that I wanted to be a good mother and breastfeeding was not the only way I could do that.

By the 5th week, my milk supply was at an all time low. Sometimes I was down to 20 ml per pumping session and Jamie was already at 90-100 ml per feeding. I then decided that pumping was not helping so I decided to forego the pump and just have the baby latch on when she wanted to. By then, we were about 80-90% dependent on formula already. During this time, with the support I got from my mom, husband, sister, family and friends, I started to let go of all the insecurities I had about not being able to breastfeed. I started hearing of so many others who had the same frustrations, concerns and issues that I did - and it gave me some sense of relief.

By the 6th week, we were on 100% formula and breastfeeding just on occasion (sometimes just to pacify Jamie or to get her through the next feeding). Did I feel any guilt over this? I guess somewhat ... but I also felt that I was being a better mom to my baby because I could focus on doing other things for her rather than being consumed by just breastfeeding. I also felt it was better for me too (I had overcome the onset of a post-partum depression primarily brought about by my breastfeeding anxieties). And lastly, I was a better person to live with as I am sure my hubby, mom and sister can attest to!

Today (Jamie is at 7 weeks), I have stopped breastfeeding altogether. My baby no longer looks for it and I no longer offer it. I'm not proud of this but neither am I racked with guilt. It is what it is. I have finally come to grips with the whole breastfeeding issue. I still believe in its benefits and still admire women who are able to do it. I do realize though that even with the best of intentions sometimes it just does not work out the way we want it to. There are times when it is beyond our control. I refuse, though, to let my inability to do it define who I am or the kind of mom I can be. I still want to be the best mom I can be and I know there will be other opportunities and instances wherein I can prove that to my daughter.