"Kiss of Deaf" - Must Read For Everyone!

So you are probably wondering what this post is about, which is exactly what I thought when my mom sent me the article. This is a must read for everyone because it can affect everyone.

Please read the article and share your thoughts with us.
Do you think this is a real problem or just nonsense?

Can't wait to hear what you think!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Article: Innocent 'kiss of deaf' can cause permanent hearing loss

Back to Work After Maternity Leave

Woohoo, I have successfully completed my first day back at work after being "off" for a year. The reason I stated "off" was because I was working, just for a different boss! Last night I was a complete wreck, I didn't know what I needed for work, like what should I wear? I need a purse? Where's my ID card? These were all non-issues when I was working, but preparing totally got be frazzled. I even had a difficult time falling asleep because I was so tightly wound! James is still sick with the ear infection and cold so he's not sleeping through the night, this means less sleep for me. It also means less sleep for Da-da since we started taking turns putting James back to sleep since we both have to work in the morning. However since Adit is such a sound sleeper I end up waking him up to tend to James. Luckily I'm a great sleeper so I'm able to fall asleep again almost instantly!

This morning was also hectic, James woke up around 4am and didn't sleep again until 6:30am. We didn't want to disturb him so we let him sleep on our bed until 8:00 when we rushed him to daycare. Once at daycare, James was crying when Adit and I dropped him off. He was still in his PJ's and was about to have breakfast when we left. After my 5 minute walk I was at work. Since I was in early just one other person was there from my team and since I've been away for so long I had no idea what my passwords were.  Hence I was locked out of my computer. My Regional Manager also in early so he called me in to chat and discuss what I've missed. After about 30 minutes we were joined by my manager then talked again for another hour. This was great as I got a firsthand recap of what went on over the past year. I almost felt as though I never left. What's funny was that I wasn't sad to be back or felt guilty for not being with James. It actually felt right, like everyone was exactly where they were supposed to be - Adit & I at work and James at daycare.

The reason why I had such a great day was because James was already transitioned into daycare. He started almost a month ago therefore he's completely adjusted now. He does cry when we drop him off, but as I've seen over the webcam it only lasts a minute or less. Also when I've picked him up the last couple of times he didn't cry at all when he saw me. Today he came running over with a big smile on his face. :) If you are headed back to work soon, I strongly suggest that you transition your child for about a month before you start. I admire the courage it took my fellow mommy friends who had to deal with the stress of work and stress of transitioning baby. However as they will probably tell you it's not the ideal situation as you want to be there for them during this time too. 

Have you returned to work after maternity leave? What did you do for childcare? Does transitioning make a difference? Please also share what your first day back was like with us on the blog!

Happy reading!

Rachel 

Still Suffering :(

James had an ear infection in both ears that we discovered last Thursday when we went to see our old pediatrician. She placed him on a new medication since he's basically had back to back infections. Last night we gave him his last dose before bed and he slept until 4:00am from 8:00pm. As usual I went in and nursed but afterwards he had a coughing fit and vomited everywhere. I woke Adit up to help and change James while I put on another uniform (I refer to my PJ's as my uniform for nursing, lol!). Then we tried again, after a few minutes he started coughing again and vomited. So Adit was up again to help for the second wardrobe change. After that James was unable to sleep because he was hungry. I sat him more upright and nursed him while taking pauses. This seemed to work and he feel asleep. Then I brought him to my bed so I could monitor him.

He woke up late around 7:30 which was understandable. We made breakfast for him, but he didn't eat much. So we made his egg and got him ready for daycare. I made a doctor's appointment for 2:00 to recheck his ears as I suspected that they didn't heal. When I went to daycare they advised that he didn't have his egg this morning. They also said that he had lunch but ended up vomiting after his meal because he got upset when a teacher tried to prevent him from playing with his sippy cup. As for milk he only drank .5oz and took a sip of his second bottle. James was still asleep when I got there and I was sad to wake him up for the appointment, but it was important.

Once at the doctor's office James was crying non-stop. He didn't want any checks so I nursed him so that the doctor could check his lungs and ears. The doctor advised that he wasn't too concerned about the vomiting since James didn't seem dehydrated. However he still had a terrible ear infection in his right ear. The left side was almost clear. This meant that the 7-day medicine he just finished didn't work. I was left with the what now question. The doctor advised that ear infections are common during this cold and flu season and that once the weather warms up that he'll be better. In the meantime he suggested another medication. :( I am not a big fan of medicine so I asked about other options. He said that I can give tylenol for discomfort, but that James needed this new medicine.

This new medicine has the usual side effects of vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and a few others. I didn't feel comfortable giving it to James tonight as he just finished the other medicine. Instead I will give it to him tomorrow morning with breakfast. The doctor also referred us to an ENT (ear, nose & throat doctor). I am looking forward to that appointment.

Otherwise James had a good late afternoon, we went to the park with friends and he had a great time walking around, going down the slide, using the teeter-totter, and going on the swings. I am so lucky that I have a happy baby that still loves to play after being in all this pain. Now he's sleeping, we elevated his crib by placing a cushion under the mattress which should help him sleep. Let's see how it goes tonight. Also my mom suggested that I apply heat to his ears which helps with the pain. Does anyone else have any other tips that can help James? Please share with us by commenting on the blog.

Happy reading!

Rachel

PS: Here are some pics from the park today!

What a Difference a Doctor Makes!

How do you know your child's pediatrician/family doctor is right for you? This was something that's been bothering me for awhile. In case you don't know I am American and am used to the paid medical service there. I used to pay a portion of the premium on my paycheck bi-weekly and my employer paid the rest. What's great about this system was that I didn't have to wait for anything, doctors were readily available to see me for all my ailments, lol! Also there were no waits longer than a couple days for any x-rays/tests. Since I've been out of the states for about 5 years now I seemed to have forgotten what this service was like.

I remember how difficult it was to find a pediatrician when I was pregnant. I called almost all the doctors on the directory provided by the government and no one was accepting. I spoke with my OB and she advised that I can probably get one after I deliver. This did stress me out a little because they won't let you leave the hospital without having one. After we had James, the nurses advised us that there were 2 doctors that they knew of who were accepting. We chose one, called and since she was accepting we were so happy we made our 2-day appointment. I was so relieved that we got the doctor for James. 

This doctor was good at the beginning or so we thought. She was always in a rush, asked us to prepare questions at each visit. So when she came in the room we had less than 5 minutes with her. Every month she checked James's weight and answered questions. I felt so rushed and pressured that I never asked all my questions. I remember when I asked about how much James is eating she responded by saying that babies eat small, baby portions. After that I should have know that this relationship wouldn't work out. However I continued to see her for a year. As a new mom I felt very vulnerable. I knew that we deserved more care, but I didn't know what she was doing wrong exactly. So I polled my mommy friends and asked them what their doctors were like. I heard a range of answers. Some said that their doctors were very busy and took the time to answer their questions. This was similar to my situation. Others said that their doctors were very patient and discussed milestones, meal plans, and more care for their babies. The latter was they type of doctor I was looking for. So I got a referral from a friend and booked my first appointment with the new doctor. 

This doctor is a family physician rather than pediatrician. I would prefer a pediatrician, but at this point I can't be choosy. I heard great things about her from my friend and she didn't let me down. After our visit yesterday I felt so relieved. She took the time to get to know us. She did the typical exams and said that once she receives our charts she can do more for us. She is affiliated with a hospital so can refer us to a dietitian, nutritionist, etc if we needed it. Also she asked about milestones with James and gave us "homework" to help him progress his development. This was so amazing, I was so happy to have someone who finally cared. I felt that the other doctor just assumed everything was ok unless we had questions. This is not good care for a new mom who needs lots of help. My only regret is that I didn't find this new doctor sooner. 

So my lesson for you moms out there is to trust your instincts. If you don't feel comfortable or have that nagging feeling that something isn't right, don't be passive like I was. Take charge of the situation, ask for help, and get it resolved. You will be far happy with the outcome. So please keep this in mind when getting a doctor for your little one, as I wouldn't want anyone to go through the stress and anxiety that I did for far too long. I am happy now and looking forward to building a new relationship with James' doctor!

Hope this helps someone out there and feel free to share any other tips that can help moms decide the difference between good and not so good doctors.

Happy reading!

Rachel

My Poor Baby! :(

We had a typical morning except that James woke up at 5:30. Eeekk for me! I nursed him in his room until around 6:30 then I brought him into bed to wake up dada. After nursing he usually plays with us, but today he wouldn't stop crying. I thought he was still tired and hungry so I continued nursing. After that he kept crying. So then I thought it was his diaper and changed that, but he was still unhappy. Our next thought was that he was hungry so we quickly made his breakfast, but he refused it. We even offered him an egg which he loves, but he also refused that. That's when the "something is wrong feeling" was confirmed.

I quickly got dressed and drove him to the doctor. Of course once we arrived it started raining. So I grabbed the diaper bag, my purse, an umbrella, and James and ran to the doctors office. After waiting 30 minutes, we discovered why James wasn't feeling well - he has an ear infection. :( As she was writing up a prescription for that I mentioned his experience with dairy. So far he's been vomiting after having less than a teaspoon of yogurt and when he tried cream of veggie soup at daycare he had bumps on his chin. I suspected that he has an allergy to dairy and she agreed so she advised that he should have no dairy for 3 months. Looks like I'll be pumping for awhile longer than I expected.

Once home I gave James his medicine and put him to sleep. He nursed until he slept so looks like our progress of him drinking 2 ounces of milk yesterday might be thrown out the window. I let him sleep in my arms because each time I put him down he kept waking up. Once he woke up I held him and tried to encourage him to eat by offering him a cheerio. He took it and once he put it in his mouth he puked everywhere. It was all over me and him. Plus this wasn't normal puke, it was medicine puke which reeked. I had to breathe out of my mouth when changing and sponging him so that I didn't puke too. However this was a turning point, because now he was hungry and he readily accepted food. I tried cereal and he ate it all. Then I made him some pancakes with steamed apples and he ate some of that too. I was just happy his appetite was back.

Since he was feeling better, we ventured to Dufferin Mall with Adit's mom. I had to run some last minute errands for the party. On our way home James fell asleep which was good since he didn't nap since noon. Once up he had a few bites of food, had a quick shower, and got ready for bed. It took me a long time to nurse him to sleep and even after that he woke up a few times. Luckily he's sleeping now as he needs his rest. I just hope he feels better for his party on Sat. He's in good spirits, but I can still see that his ear bothers him. I hope another day of medicine will help.

Well I'm off to bed now since I'll probably be waking up a few times tonight to comfort him.

Happy reading!

Rachel

Happy Birthday James!

Today is James' first birthday! We have been expecting this day for a very long time, yet it arrived so quickly. I feel as though he was just born yesterday. We are so blessed to have him in our lives. :) James woke up at 6:30 this morning and nursed until 7:00 then fell asleep again. He looked so peaceful so I let him sleep a little before getting him up for breakfast. Once up he started walking around the living room. He was so happy walking that he got really upset when I put him in his highchair for breakfast. He ate about half his oatmeal so we gave him his egg yolk too. Then we got ready for daycare!

I dropped him off today so Adit could work and spend more time with him in the afternoon. Once we got to daycare everyone wished him a happy birthday and then they prepared for a walk. I left when he was in the stroller. Once home I was able to have my breakfast then pick up my mother-in-law from the airport! We are so excited that she is here! James' daycare allows us to bring in cakes, so before picking him up we bought a cake and some party supplies. When we arrived at 2:30 almost all the kids were still asleep. James slept for 2 hours. I'm telling you, this daycare is amazing. James rarely sleeps like that at home, but he does all the time there.

Most of the kids work up a little before 3:00 and they had their snacks. Next it was cake time! I lit the candle and placed the cake in front of James. He looked at the cake and put his hand on it! Lol! That was funny. Then I just blew out the candle because I was afraid the kids would touch it. The teachers cut the cake and served it. All the kids enjoyed it, especially James, he had 2 pieces without frosting. The teachers had party hats and all the kids wore them. I took a few pictures, they all looked so cute. One girl enjoyed it so much there was cake everywhere, even in her hair! Lol! James was a pretty clean eater since he was sitting on my lap, my jeans however were full of cake.

After having the cake we went home. James opened some gifts from Grandma and Auntie Alaya then ate and went to sleep. He had an amazing day, I know he was happy. We were all very happy today.

Now he's sleeping away and I will head to bed too. Thanks for the well wishes everyone, James is so lucky to have so many people in his life who love him.

Here are a few pictures from today!

Happy reading!

Rachel

James is Walking!

James started walking today. :) He's been able to walk for a long time, it's just that he was afraid of falling so he continued to hold onto mama, dada, the couch, walls, anything he could hold. Lol! After watching us walk with James in the park yesterday, my friend Ishanthi advised that we just need to build his confidence and he'll walk. She said that they did that with Arianna and then she just took off around the condo. What's funny is that we did the same thing. We kept encouraging James to walk from Adit to me and vice versa then he just started walking around the condo. He went from the living room to way in our bedroom! It was amazing to see. He was holding a stick from his xylophone as he walked and wouldn't walk without it for awhile. I was calling it his walking stick. Lol!

As a side note, James had a great day at daycare. They said he didn't crying at all. He only had one nap from around 12-2. He had his egg yolk for his second breakfast, ate about 1/2 of his lunch, and ate 4 servings of blueberry bread. I guess he was saving his appetite for that. Lol! Then in his afternoon feed he drank 1 ounce of milk without a fight. I am so proud of his progress! I think it had to do with encouraging him to drink from the bottle on the weekend. Let's hope he keeps it up tomorrow! Lol!

Here's a video! I am just so excited I have to share this!

Enjoy!

Rachel

One More Day!

James is turning 1 tomorrow! I can't believe that I've had a year with my wonderful baby. It seemed like he was just born yesterday. I can clearly remember bringing him home from the hospital, watching his first smile and laugh, watching him play, getting his first tooth, when he started eating solids, hearing his first words, learning to crawl, and now walking (almost by himself). These moments have been amazing and I look forward for the new memories we will make. What's bittersweet is that I am starting work in 2 weeks today. :( Life will be so much different once I start working. Right now I am able to clean, make dinner early, write my blog, run errands. Once work starts we'll be juggling all of these things and more. I visited the office on Friday and was able to see my old co-workers and boss. I didn't have a bad feeling about being there, it seemed natural so I guess I am ready to be back. Whether or not I remember how to do my job is another issue! Lol! I've been head over heels over James and haven't really thought about much else, so I'll need a refresher once I get back! :)

I am also in the middle of planning James' first birthday! Who knew it would be so much work. I am doing a theme and pretty much designed my own cake for him. I just hope it comes out the way I want it to. I am so excited to have all my family and friends be there to celebrate with us on Saturday. It's going to be awesome. I'll be so relieved once it's over and can look forward to being a guest at the other kids' parties.

So yesterday was an amazing day! The weather was perfect so we took James to the park with our friends Ishanthi, Eraj, and their cutie-pie daughter Arianna! James wasn't a fan of the swing, but Arianna enjoyed it. James didn't take his second nap so he was a little cranky and didn't want to go on the slide either. I think he did enjoy going down the slide with daddy though. We took some videos, but when I look at the camera we didn't take any pictures. Well Eraj did, so I'll we'll have to see those on Facebook when he uploads them later. James did enjoy walking and he took about 5-6 steps by himself! It was amazing! I think he can walk, he just needs the confidence to not be afraid of falling. Arianna is a pro walker so James spent most of his time following her around.

After the park we were all pretty hungry so we headed to East for a nice meal. They have an all-you-can-eat menu so we had that. The food was really good, but of course when watching and feeding babies you never really get to sit down and enjoy a meal fully. They have the cutest highchairs at East and the kids had fun sitting across from each other banging on the table and making a mess with food! Adit and I were saying that life used to be so easy before James when you could just get up and do anything you wanted. We were thinking back on days when we used to lazy around and now we don't have that easy lifestyle anymore. Kids are high maintenance and take up all your time and energy, but it's worth it. I wouldn't change my life in a heartbeat, well except maybe the going back to work part! Lol!

Did you enjoy the beautiful weather on Sunday? Please share how you spent your day with us on the blog.

Happy reading!

Rachel

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Today is Adit and my 5 year wedding anniversary. :) How did we celebrate you ask? Well Adit ran some errands this morning as I kept James entertained at home. Then we went for a long walk in the freezing cold with some friends. After James' second nap we had a cleaning lady come to tidy up as I got James ready for bed. Now Adit & I are relaxing at home and watching a movie. Super romantic huh! Well life has changed, I was trying to think about how we celebrated last year and I can't even remember. All I recall was that I was very pregnant considering James was born 3 days later. I think we'll have to celebrate this one later in the year when James isn't as dependent on us, i.e. me since he's nursing.

Otherwise we focused our energy on bottle-feeding James. I'm trying to follow his daycare schedule so we woke up at 6:30, he nursed and had breakfast soon after. James has his first nap at 10:30 so at around 10:00 I warmed up some milk and took a deep breath because I knew what was coming. Initially we had planned on Adit feeding him, but since he was running errands I had to do it. James was prepared and immediately threw his head back and pushed the bottle away, all the while he was shrieking. I took the opportunity to put the nipple on his mouth, he just bit it and pulled away. This went on for a few minutes and all he drank was 1/2 an ounce. Well after the failed attempt at bottle feeding James got so worked up that he started coughing, his heart was pounding, and he looked so sad and tired. Once I picked him up and paced the room with him on my shoulder he feel asleep and napped for an hour and a half. I felt so bad for my little guy since he went through such an ordeal. 

It didn't get much better in the afternoon when Adit tried. He was able to play with him and get him to drink about 1/2 an ounce. This was a way more civil situation as James only protested a little with da-da. It was probably due to the fact that I was hiding in our bedroom so James wouldn't see me. Lol! To keep busy I was folding some laundry and I could hear Adit singing to James. Then the next verse was "Don't come out here now". I started laughing. I try to sing things to Adit too, although he never hears me, but wait, maybe he does hear me but doesn't acknowledge me. Lol! How else would he know how to do this! 

As for James and bottle feeding, I have to exercise tough love and hold out on nursing since it's the only way it'll work. I got so emotional on the afternoon attempt that I even started crying. Hopefully he'll entertain the bottle sooner than later to make it easier on all of us. 

In terms of communication, how do you and your hubby communicate around baby. We tend to sing when we don't want to excite James (i.e. during bedtime) when talking to one another. Do you do the same or something else? Share your method with us in the comments section of the blog!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Fit Fridays! - Week 1

Welcome to Fit Fridays! 

Every Friday I'll use this post to focus on something exercise or health related and give everyone an update on my weight loss progress! I am doing the unthinkable and sharing my weight! I would also do measurements, but frankly who has the time to do that! Lol!

Here are my stats:

Start Weight: 140.4

Goal Weight: 130.0

I've been going to the gym for the past few days which feels great, but I know that I can do better with my food choices. Adit & I have agreed that we will not have anymore junk food unless it's a special occasion (i.e. James's birthday!). I will also only drink water and milk, so no more calories from juices! I do make most of our food so I'll focus on making even healthier meals, such as fish, and having a vegetarian meal once a week. 

If you didn't get a chance to watch Dr.Oz's show on Monday, he had a segment called "The Lazy Girl’s 4-Step Guide to Getting Healthy" As a mom, we are far from lazy, but since we don't have much time for ourselves I thought I'd watch the segment to get some tips! This is a basic guide to taking care of one's body and although it sounds so simple, most moms aren't doing these things. When I think about it, I haven't gone to see the doctor since I had my check-ups after James. Before him, I used to go all the time. Dr. Oz mentions getting enough sleep! Sleep is a luxury in my home! Lol!

My favorite part of his article is:

Step 4: Burn Calorie Without Stepping Foot in a Gym

There are two simple things you can do to burn calories without going anywhere near a gym. First: Take a stand! Next time you’re on the bus, at work, waiting for an appointment, or folding laundry, try standing up instead of sitting. You’ll burn an extra 50 calories an hour. 

And here’s a fun one: try using someone else’s bathroom. Of course, nobody likes sitting on a stranger’s toilet, so by squatting, you’ll not only be working important core and leg muscles, you’ll also burn up to 140 calories a day. (This is an easy one to follow!)

Here's to the start of a healthier me and you, so please join me on this weight loss journey! Also any advice is appreciated on simple lifestyle changes to help us drop those pounds. :) Please share your ideas with us by commenting on the blog!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Snack Attack!

James had a good day at daycare yesterday. As usual he did not drink his milk, but he did eat and drink lots of water. James loves Cheerios and Gerber Graduate Puffs so I asked the teachers to give him some after each meal. So I just happened to watch the webcam as James was having his snack after lunch. He was sitting into his little chair with his tray and eating by himself. Once the screen refreshed I noticed that James was a popular boy and that 3 older kids were around him. It was a Snack Attack! They must have been eating his food. :( I looked to see where the teachers were and one was changing a diaper, one was bottle feeding a kid, and the other had her back to them as she was at the sink. Even though the screen was a little blurry I could see that James started crying because he probably wasn't getting enough. Then the teacher came over and gave him more, but same result. I know they are kids and this'll happen, I just feel bad for James. He doesn't have to fight for food at home so he doesn't know what to do. I guess he'll figure it out soon. In any case he was having that in addition to his lunch so I know he wasn't hungry. This is an issue that I don't think can really be resolved. Kids loves snacks and how can we stop them. I don't mind them eating some too, I just want to make sure James gets as much as he wants. 

In any case my day went by quickly. I went to the gym again! Wohoo! I lost the baby weight pretty quickly, but I still have about 10lbs that I'd like to loose. After that I had my lunch and made some dinner before getting James. The weather was so nice yesterday, it was sunny and about 13 degrees so I had a nice stroll over to the center. When I arrived James was asleep for over an hour. They could have gotten him for me, but knowing James he needed his sleep so I left him. In the meantime I collected his stuff, took the stroller down, and discussed his day with the teachers. I didn't mention the snack attack as I didn't know how to find a solution or want to risk sounding crazy to his teachers. Lol! 

I didn't want to disturb James, but I wanted to sneak a peak! I went into the room and looked into his crib and there was no baby! My heart dropped, I checked the cribs around him and I saw a baby. Since it was dark I couldn't see his face so I checked the other 9 cribs and he was the only one there. I touched his head and knew it was him from the curly hair. Phew! That was a relief. Then I went back out and asked the teachers if they changed the crib positions. They said no and I said James is in another kid's crib and covered with his blanket. It happened that this mistake was made by James' favorite teacher. She was suffering from a migraine and put James in the wrong crib. I let it go because there was no real harm done and James was fine. Besides you don't want to be too critical with the people watching your child for over 8 hours a day! So just like marriage, you pick your battles and this was not a issue at all. :)

James woke up at 5:00 so he napped for 1.5 hours! He never used to nap that long with me in the afternoon. I'll have to ask them what they did so I can try it at home on the weekends. Lol! When I picked him up he was still sleepy so I nursed him. It was so nice to hold him as I missed him all day! Then I dressed him and we walked home. James was so happy to be home, he looked around and couldn't get out of his snowsuit fast enough as he wanted to walk around. Then da-da came home and he was really excited, too bad Adit worked late today so he only had about an hour with him before he went to bed. 

Before we went to bed Adit was looking at James's pictures on Facebook. He was doing the "look at this one" that I always do. I could see him smiling from ear to ear. It was sweet to watch him flip between pictures and I could see that he felt the same way that I do ... James is growing up too quickly! Do you feel the same way about your child, how do we keep them from growing up! Lol! Let us know if you have found a way! Haha!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Reminiscing Already!!

We had a nice day yesterday, James was up early and I drove him to daycare. Once there I gave the teachers his schedule. They said that they will try their best to follow it because it is the opposite of their schedule. For example at 2:30 James is ready for a second nap, but it's snack time for the other children. In any case I dropped off my food, etc and headed home. I did some planning for James' birthday and went to visit a bakery about James' birthday cake.  I discussed the cake with the owner and we agreed upon a price. Since I've never tasted their cakes before I decided to purchase a few cupcakes for Adit & I to try. I got the mango, vanilla, chocolate, and raspberry ones. They were all very yummy!

Afterwards, I headed home to see how James was doing. He was fine. I saw him playing and earlier Adit saw him having his lunch. However I missed James, so I started reminiscing about the fun summer we had and all the new friends we made. Then I kept thinking about how fast he's growing up. Since I was already on the laptop, I pulled up some of his pictures. I couldn't help but smile looking at them and my heart was full of love for him. I really miss him and wish he was home with me, but I know he needs to get used to daycare so I can't be selfish and do that.

Adit made a beef roast for dinner last night and I prepared all the sides which took a long time. After my prep work I went to get James. We were home by 5:00 since I decided to nurse him before leaving since he didn't drink any milk. :( They said that he was so stubborn that at one point he didn't even open his mouth. I'm not surprised because he's thinking that he'll just wait for me to nurse him but he doesn't realize that I won't be there for a long time. It's also partially my fault since I haven't been bottle feeding him on the weekends either. I'll have to start this weekend. I've been good at pumping milk while I'm home so I should have enough supply in case I don't want to pump over the weekend.

What's sad is that James goes to bed between 7:00 and 8:00 so when you think about it we only get a few hours with him before he sleeps. So I told Adit that we need to make these hours count and make sure he gets all our attention. So we've been taking him for walks around the building since he enjoys using his walker. Here are some pictures from that adventure!

Also please share what your after work routine is with your child by leaving a comment on the blog!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Daycare Day 5 + Transition Week Summary

Yaay! James has completed his transition week at daycare and I think he had a great time there. Friday was his longest stay from 9am - 3:30pm. As usual I dropped him off along with his food, milk, etc then went along with my day. I had to run some errands on my way home so I didn't get to see how he was after I left. But while I was there, he was enjoying himself and waved bye-bye to me. Once home I logged into the webcam and searched for James. He wasn't in the shot so I realized that he was napping.

So I had all this free time now (right Adit, lol!), I made some breakfast and watched the end of the Nate Berkus show. Then I decided to rearrange the kitchen and de-clutter. This took longer than I expected and was a far larger task that I had hoped. I checked the webcam to see James from time to time and I could see that he wasn't really drinking any milk but he was happy and playing. At around 2:00, I pumped some more milk and then got myself ready to get him for 3:30. I didn't see him on the webcam so he was probably taking his second nap, but I raced over anyway. At 3:30 he was still napping. I checked in on him and he looked so peaceful in his little crib. 

In the meantime the teachers were filling me in on his day. James didn't cry at all for me today which was great! He fell asleep on the morning walk and when he woke up he had some lunch. He didn't have much of an appetite and ate about half of what I prepared. Then they offered some fruit which he refused. Later they offered him milk and he also refused that. He played and went for his second nap. I then asked about his water intake, they showed me his cup and he hardly drank any. This was odd to me since he didn't drink much milk or water. They said that this happens when children transition and that some days are better than others. In any case James woke up and I was excited to hold him. He was crying of course so I prepared him to be nursed. He nursed and I was happy he finally had some liquids in him. Afterwards we gathered his things and headed to the grocery store.

But after leaving daycare I got this nagging feeling that kept bothering me. It was unusual for James not to eat or drink so little water. I started doubting the teachers and wondering if they offered him enough food and drink. I know they give him bottles, but when do they offer him water. It actually bothered me all weekend. Last night I determined a solution: instead of following their schedule, they will follow mine. This way I will make sure he gets enough food and drink. Also I'll ask them to record how much he drank/ate so I know. Taking charge of this situation makes me feel a lot better. James can't ask for things on his own so it's my responsibility to do it for him. 

Overall I am pleased with James's transition. I believe that it went so smoothly because ever since he was a few months we went on many play dates, walks, etc with other mommies and babies and I believe that he feels he is on another play date. I am guessing that he thinks the teachers are moms to some of the kids he plays with so maybe that's why he feels so comfortable. Plus James is a great kid that hardly cries, is very independent, and loves to be played with. James has also taken a liking to his teachers which makes me very happy. They are always holding him and playing with him so I can see that he is genuinely happy.

So over the weekend I got my answer as to why James wasn't eating/drinking. He had a cold and a slight fever. As expected he got it from daycare. Apparently kids can still go with a cold, congestion, and runny nose. It's only a fever, vomiting, and diarrhea where they send them home. So it was inevitable for James to get sick as most kids had a fever the day before or were there with runny noses. This is the only part I don't like about daycare. I kept James at home today since he's still suffering from a runny nose and since he doesn't have much of an appetite I'll need to nurse him. The cold could have been why James didn't want to eat or drink on Friday, but either way I'm still going to have them follow my schedule.

Hope you enjoyed reading about James' transition week. Has your baby transitioned too? If so, share your experience with us in the comment section below! Also any advice on upcoming weeks is appreciated!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Push Gifts ... Yea or Nay???

Calling all pregnant ladies, new moms, and dads! How do we feel about push gifts? For those of you who are wondering what I'm talking about, a push gift is something a dad gives a new mom for delivering their child. This can be done either before or after the child is born.

I personally like the idea of a push gift because it helps dad to realize all the hard work and sacrifice involved in creating a baby. For example there is the stress that you are having a baby, morning sickness, your growing body, sleepless nights, no drinking alcohol, no caffeine, being unable to eat certain foods (sushi, soft cheeses, some fish) and of course the the labor part. There is no etiquette on what the gift should be therefore it's up to dad to figure out what mom would want or he could simply just ask. :)

Some people say that the baby is gift enough and I do agree that the baby is an amazing gift, but I feel that the push gift is separate. Like I said since there is no etiquette so there are endless possibilities that can fit every budget. To be honest, mom doesn't really care about what the gift is but she does care that dad has recognized all that she has done for the family which makes the gift important.

So here's the big question, are you in favor of or against push gifts? Let us know by leaving a comment on the blog!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Daycare Day 4

I was so exhausted last night that I feel asleep while writing yesterday's blog post. Adit woke me up and I went to bed, then I remembered that I had to pump some milk so I got out of bed and did that. At the same time I was writing the post. While pumping all I was thinking was that I should have bought a double pump and I will get one next time around for sure. This morning was hectic as James woke up at 3:30 and didn't sleep until 5:30ish. At 4:30 I asked Adit to try rocking him to sleep, he tried and it didn't work so I nursed him and we both slept until 6:10. Then I put him back in the crib and I went to bed for another hour.

James woke up around 7:20 and we started our day then. As usual I nursed him then I put him to play as I got his breakfast ready. James is eating well again, ie he's eating his cereal. He won't open his mouth unless he's hungry so I only do a quick nursing when he wakes up. Also I discovered a new trick, if I put food in the palm of my hand and let him play with it he'll open his mouth to eat. Then when he starts getting bored we do high 5's with the food on our hands and that works. Lol! Sometimes he's a complete mess after eating, but that's part of the fun.

Anyway, we went to daycare this morning for 9:00 as usual, but I decided not to stay until 9:30 as James was adapting well. Once we entered the classroom he was ready to go. I got his snowsuit off and then he started crawling. His favorite teacher called him and he went straight into her arms. :) He was so happy. I took the opportunity to leave instruction and his food with the teachers. Then I kissed James and said bye-bye. He smiled and waved to me. What's interesting is that he never waves bye-bye to me at home, but he must have been comfortable there in order to wave at me. Then as I was halfway out the door I said bye again and he waved. I left with a good feeling and rushed home so I could watch him on webcam.

So now you must be wondering what I did with all that free time. Lol! Well what I should have done was hop back into bed and catch up on some sleep, instead I made and ate breakfast then after about 30 minutes I went to the gym. I did a hill climb on the treadmill , then I did some like weights and toning exercises. It was great but I was exhausted and hungry afterwards. So once home I did some housework and showered. Then I had some lunch, pumped some milk, and went to get James. The time just flew by. All the while I was watching him on the webcam, lol!

I was so excited to see James at 2:30 that I practically ran over. Once he saw me he started crying, I held him and kissed him and then he was better. He was really tired at this point since it was around nap time. While getting our things ready to leave, I got an update from the teachers. James drank about 1 ounce of my milk from the bottle in the morning after some forcing and he didn't drink the 50/50 (my milk/formula) in the afternoon. So looks like I'll stick to my milk until he's used to bottles. James ate most of his lunch and took a one hour nap. All in all they said he had a good day. :) This is great news and I am looking forward to see how he does tomorrow!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Daycare Day 3

This week is flying by, I can't believe it's already Wednesday and transition week is halfway finished! James was at daycare for 3 hours today. I thought we'd have a typical day but when we arrived at 9 his favorite teacher wasn't there. She had an appointment and started work at noon which was when we were supposed to leave. So I played with James a little and tried to keep my distance so he could get more used to the other teachers. This seemed like it worked because he was sitting in a teachers lap at 9:30 when I said bye to him. He was happy since he was playing with a ball, his new favorite toy. He didn't even notice me as I put on my coat and left the room, to me this was a good sign. Earlier I even tried to nurse him and he pushed me away because he wanted to play. Lol! 

As I left I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in the room. It was snowing on my way over so there was no morning walk today. James feel asleep on the walk yesterday so there was no chance that he'd do that again today. He usually nurses himself to sleep around 10:30 so I was worried that he wouldn't sleep since he's also not drinking milk. During my walk home I started getting a sinking feeling and felt nervous. I wanted to go back and take care of James, but I thought I need to be strong and I pushed those thoughts out of my head. The teachers are professionals and they have my phone number at the center so I'd be on the next cab over if they called. 

When I got home I immediately put the daycare webcam on and tried to find James. The camera isn't very clear and there are kids dressed similarly to James. It took me a little while to figure out he wasn't in the room so I assumed he was sleeping. It was so quiet at home without James that I was actually lonely and missed him. So after an hour of watching the camera I still didn't see James. It was getting close to pick-up time around noon so I started to walk back over. 

Once in his classroom the teachers advised me that he had just woken up and was having lunch. I peeped over to see him in a little chair eating with another boy beside him. I didn't want him to see me because then he would cry and wouldn't eat so I hid by the classroom door. One of his teachers then filled me in on his day. She said that after we left all the kids started crying (2 other kids are transitioning with us). A girl started then there was a chain reaction. She said James was ok once he was picked up. Then they rocked him to sleep and they were able to put him in the crib and he slept for 1.5 hours. He wasn't given a bottle since he just went straight to sleep. I advised that they should give him milk then put him to sleep next time. 

During our conversation James was eating their prepared food which was cream of vegetable soup. He took 2 bites then decided he didn't want more. So they gave him the food I made instead and he ate some of that. When he was done they brought him over and I called to him. He immediately started crying and wanted to see me. I picked him up and kissed him and all was better. :) Then I noticed that there were some red spots on his face like some sort of reaction. Since James had had veggies before and not milk it had to be the milk in the soup. To be safe I told the teachers that I would supply his food until he's been introduced to more food and when he's over a year. They agreed that it would be a good idea. Next I nursed James and gathered his things and we went home. 

Phew, I am so glad we made it. I feel relieved that they were able to get him to sleep, now I hope he will drink from a cup tomorrow. He'll be there from 9-2:30! Eeekk! I'll let you know how it goes then.

Happy reading!

Rachel