Baby K is laughing as she's watching this video with me right now =).
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Baby K With Shopping Cart
Here's a short video of baby K walking with her shopping cart (and daddy cheering her on in the background). Our little girl is going to be a shopper, just like mommy!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
2009 Harvest Festival
The daycare had their annual Harvest Festival today, where all the kids dress up in their Halloween costumes and parade around the BMS campus. There were so many lady bugs out there (just about every other baby had the same costume as cutie pie!) that it took me a while to find mine. Here's the two of us enjoying the fall weather. Baby K was cranky (mommy woke her up early this morning and she's missing her nap), so no smiles for the camera. Too bad daddy couldn't be there as well, but we'll make it up this Saturday when we go trick or treating around the neighborhood. Maybe we'll be able to get baby K to smile then.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Our Rainy Sunday
So what do we end up doing on this Sunday where it's 42 degrees outside, rainy, wet, and miserable? We should've been out in Chinatown, but instead are stuck at home cleaning up after baby K's pee. Baby K still had an ear infection when I brought her to her pediatrician on Friday, so she was prescribed a different (stronger) type of antibiotics. I think this new medicine is giving her a bad case of diaper rash. Her bum area is all red and irritated. We've been trying to leave her diaper-less, but it gets messy when she pees. We've been keeping her in the pack n' play all afternoon, covering the mat with a large trash bag and a towel, but somehow, baby K managed to lift off the towel and trash bag and pee onto the sheets, mat, and even the carpet. What can I say, our girl can aim. I suppose pee is still better than poop, so it could've been worse.
We called the doctor this morning to tell them about the diaper rash. They prescribed some anti-fungal ointment to treat it. It's just amazing how you take one medication that's suppose to make you all better, but it ends up having a side effect requiring you to take a different type of medication to treat the new symptom. M was just about to step out to the pharmacy to pick up the ointment when baby K's last pee debacle happened. Now he's busy cleaning and disinfecting the family room. Meanwhile, I have a fussy and crying baby K sitting diaper-less on my lap while I am typing this, and I am praying that she does not pee on me. Ahhh... gotta love the joys of parenthood!
On another note, baby K turns 11 months today! Battling an ear infection and diaper rash... what a way to spend this day. My poor baby.
We called the doctor this morning to tell them about the diaper rash. They prescribed some anti-fungal ointment to treat it. It's just amazing how you take one medication that's suppose to make you all better, but it ends up having a side effect requiring you to take a different type of medication to treat the new symptom. M was just about to step out to the pharmacy to pick up the ointment when baby K's last pee debacle happened. Now he's busy cleaning and disinfecting the family room. Meanwhile, I have a fussy and crying baby K sitting diaper-less on my lap while I am typing this, and I am praying that she does not pee on me. Ahhh... gotta love the joys of parenthood!
On another note, baby K turns 11 months today! Battling an ear infection and diaper rash... what a way to spend this day. My poor baby.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Another Year Older...
Another year wiser??? Maybe, maybe not...
We went out for Korean food yesterday to celebrate my birthday. I was actually itching for some dolsot bibimbap, as the last time I had it was 11 months ago -- on M's birthday actually, and two days before cutie pie was born. I think at that time, I was hoping the spicy food would trigger some contractions and get me into labor (another old wives' tale). No such luck, but baby K was born two days later and it all worked out anyhow.
We forgot to bring baby K's high chair to the restaurant, so we stuck her in the stroller. She was not happy about that at all. I kept her busy for a while with Cheerios, but there's only so much I can feed her without ruining her dinner. She started acting up and getting very fussy. Eventually, I took her out of the stroller and M and I had to take turns holding her while the other wolfed down dinner (trying not to burn our tongues) in the hot stone pot. M was sick too, so that didn't help the situation. All in all, it was a very somber birthday dinner. In retrospect, we should've just ate at home and saved ourselves the trouble. Being able to spend time with the hubby and baby K was enough for me; we didn't need to do it at a restaurant.
We went out for Korean food yesterday to celebrate my birthday. I was actually itching for some dolsot bibimbap, as the last time I had it was 11 months ago -- on M's birthday actually, and two days before cutie pie was born. I think at that time, I was hoping the spicy food would trigger some contractions and get me into labor (another old wives' tale). No such luck, but baby K was born two days later and it all worked out anyhow.
We forgot to bring baby K's high chair to the restaurant, so we stuck her in the stroller. She was not happy about that at all. I kept her busy for a while with Cheerios, but there's only so much I can feed her without ruining her dinner. She started acting up and getting very fussy. Eventually, I took her out of the stroller and M and I had to take turns holding her while the other wolfed down dinner (trying not to burn our tongues) in the hot stone pot. M was sick too, so that didn't help the situation. All in all, it was a very somber birthday dinner. In retrospect, we should've just ate at home and saved ourselves the trouble. Being able to spend time with the hubby and baby K was enough for me; we didn't need to do it at a restaurant.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Breast Cancer Awareness
October is breast cancer awareness month, so I will take this opportunity to remind all the ladies out there to perform your monthly breast self-exam. I blogged about this back in January 2008, so feel free to read that entry for tips on early detection and prevention.
We are all at risk for getting breast cancer if we are a woman (it occurs in about 1% of men) and if we are getting older. There are certain factors that may increase that risk, but just because we don't have any of those factors (i.e., no family history of the disease, eat healthy, exercise daily) doesn't mean we are immuned to it. I attended a breast cancer awareness seminar earlier this week. Someone in the audience gave a testimony of how she had breast cancer when she was 25 years old. She was young and had none of the risk factors that would be a cause for concern; by the time she was diagnosed, the cancer had moved to Stage 3. She is now 29 years old and has been in remission for four years. One of the ladies she went through radiation with was 22 years old, the mother of two (both breastfed), did everything right by the books, and again did not have any underlying factors that put her at a higher risk. By the time she found out she did have breast cancer, it was in Stage 4.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer a woman may face in her lifetime (excluding skin cancer). It can occur at any age, and the majority is detected by patients themselves through their self-exam. It's important to know your body and talk to your physician if you notice anything different. Some healthy behaviors you can adopt to lower your risk (they're good habits to have anyhow): maintain a healthy weight, eat fruits, vegetables, and grains, exercise, limit alcohol intake, and choose to breast feed your children if possible.
We are all at risk for getting breast cancer if we are a woman (it occurs in about 1% of men) and if we are getting older. There are certain factors that may increase that risk, but just because we don't have any of those factors (i.e., no family history of the disease, eat healthy, exercise daily) doesn't mean we are immuned to it. I attended a breast cancer awareness seminar earlier this week. Someone in the audience gave a testimony of how she had breast cancer when she was 25 years old. She was young and had none of the risk factors that would be a cause for concern; by the time she was diagnosed, the cancer had moved to Stage 3. She is now 29 years old and has been in remission for four years. One of the ladies she went through radiation with was 22 years old, the mother of two (both breastfed), did everything right by the books, and again did not have any underlying factors that put her at a higher risk. By the time she found out she did have breast cancer, it was in Stage 4.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer a woman may face in her lifetime (excluding skin cancer). It can occur at any age, and the majority is detected by patients themselves through their self-exam. It's important to know your body and talk to your physician if you notice anything different. Some healthy behaviors you can adopt to lower your risk (they're good habits to have anyhow): maintain a healthy weight, eat fruits, vegetables, and grains, exercise, limit alcohol intake, and choose to breast feed your children if possible.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Daycare Going Downhill?
I've been pretty satisfied with the daycare baby K is in since she's started, but recently I've noticed a downhill spiral in the care she's been receiving. I guess it started earlier in the summer, when they got rid of "Maya," one of the caregivers in her class. Maya took a bit to warm up to with the parents, but she was great with the kids. There was no explanation as to why she was leaving; I just got a call from one of the administrators out of the blue one day informing me that it was Maya's last day (obviously, she got let go), and she would be seeking employment elsewhere. With Maya's sudden departure and the staff's active vacation schedules, the summer was pretty chaotic. There would be different caregivers in baby K's room tending to the children on a daily basis. The lack of consistency and stability irked me (especially as that was when baby K got her two boo boos within a week), but deep down, I knew it was only temporary, so I didn't fuss about it too much.
One of the other regular caregivers in baby K's room is a student, and she had to go back to school full time when the fall started. Her hours were cut to two days a week, but at least she was still there those two days, giving me some peace of mind... or so I thought. A week ago, she informed me that Friday was her last day. With her gone, there'd only be one person, LB, left who truly knows and follows baby K's routine and schedule. LB is very sweet, has a big heart, and loves baby K. If LB was to leave, I'd truly consider pulling baby K out of there.
The daycare recently hired someone to permanently be stationed in baby K's room. "Mal" started last week. I must admit, I have some reservations about her. On her first day, when I arrived at the door of baby K's room, I looked in and saw that everything was a mess: toys were thrown all over the floor, all the babies were screaming their heads off, one of the other parents who had dropped his son off was actually holding another baby to comfort her, and it looked like everything was out of control (Mal was there with someone else, not LB). I totally would not have left baby K in that kind of environment. Fortunately, one of the other parents who had dropped her daughter off was also unhappy by what she saw and spoke to the Director, asking her to keep an eye on things. As I was getting baby K settled in the room, the Director came in and helped out, putting me more at ease. Only then did I leave baby K to go to work. Granted, that was Mal's first day, so I had to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Fastforward to this week: Mal had mistakenly wrote baby K's name on someone else's baby food. When I saw it in the refrigerator earlier this week, I questioned why baby K's name was on it, since I never brought that food in for her. It would've been an honest mistake to make, if it weren't for the blue sticker stuck on it, making it an easy indicator to tell who it belonged to (every child's food, cups, and bottles are color-coated, and baby K's is green)! I mean, c'mon, if I could see the sticker just by a second's glance, how could she not? Then yesterday, when I went to pick baby K up, I noticed her shoes were missing. I couldn't find it anywhere, so I asked Mal about it. She had mistakenly placed it in someone else's cubby. When I changed baby K that evening, I was shocked to see the diaper she was wearing: size 1!! My girl has not been in size 1 diapers in over six months! What the heck!? Did she run out of diapers, and they neglected to tell me (which I knew was not the case, as even if she did, they would've found a closer size diaper)?? Clearly, CLEARLY, the diaper was too small! I was so infuriated last night. Baby K is still recovering from a diaper rash; putting her in a diaper two sizes too small does not help the situation! I knew Mal was the one who changed her b/c she was the only person left (all the other caregivers had gone for the day), and it was her initials on baby K's Daily Experience Sheet. I made a big stink about it when I dropped baby K off this morning. At first, Mal did not want to take responsibility for it, but I told her point blank that she was the one who changed baby K. Eventually she apologized, but it did little to boost my confidence in her.
One other pet peeve -- not a big deal, but I'll get it out since I'm venting already. I use the Playtex bottles with the disposable liners. When baby K finishes her formula, Mal doesn't throw away the liner and rinse the bottle (as she is suppose to); she places the bottle (with the dirty liner and all) into baby K's cubby for me to take home. I didn't notice the first time until I got home and took the bottles out. Now I check to make sure the used liner is thrown out and the bottle's been rinsed before I leave.
Hopefully things will improve once Mal gets a better handle on things. It's her second week, so maybe I'm being a bit harsh. I don't think my expectations are too high though. My biggest fear is that she's preparing the wrong formula for baby K. I mean, if she can make those other mistakes, how do I know she'd be cognisant of everyone's allergies? I went to check up on baby K during lunch today, and she seemed fine. Times like this, I wish I could be a stay-at-home mom.
One of the other regular caregivers in baby K's room is a student, and she had to go back to school full time when the fall started. Her hours were cut to two days a week, but at least she was still there those two days, giving me some peace of mind... or so I thought. A week ago, she informed me that Friday was her last day. With her gone, there'd only be one person, LB, left who truly knows and follows baby K's routine and schedule. LB is very sweet, has a big heart, and loves baby K. If LB was to leave, I'd truly consider pulling baby K out of there.
The daycare recently hired someone to permanently be stationed in baby K's room. "Mal" started last week. I must admit, I have some reservations about her. On her first day, when I arrived at the door of baby K's room, I looked in and saw that everything was a mess: toys were thrown all over the floor, all the babies were screaming their heads off, one of the other parents who had dropped his son off was actually holding another baby to comfort her, and it looked like everything was out of control (Mal was there with someone else, not LB). I totally would not have left baby K in that kind of environment. Fortunately, one of the other parents who had dropped her daughter off was also unhappy by what she saw and spoke to the Director, asking her to keep an eye on things. As I was getting baby K settled in the room, the Director came in and helped out, putting me more at ease. Only then did I leave baby K to go to work. Granted, that was Mal's first day, so I had to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Fastforward to this week: Mal had mistakenly wrote baby K's name on someone else's baby food. When I saw it in the refrigerator earlier this week, I questioned why baby K's name was on it, since I never brought that food in for her. It would've been an honest mistake to make, if it weren't for the blue sticker stuck on it, making it an easy indicator to tell who it belonged to (every child's food, cups, and bottles are color-coated, and baby K's is green)! I mean, c'mon, if I could see the sticker just by a second's glance, how could she not? Then yesterday, when I went to pick baby K up, I noticed her shoes were missing. I couldn't find it anywhere, so I asked Mal about it. She had mistakenly placed it in someone else's cubby. When I changed baby K that evening, I was shocked to see the diaper she was wearing: size 1!! My girl has not been in size 1 diapers in over six months! What the heck!? Did she run out of diapers, and they neglected to tell me (which I knew was not the case, as even if she did, they would've found a closer size diaper)?? Clearly, CLEARLY, the diaper was too small! I was so infuriated last night. Baby K is still recovering from a diaper rash; putting her in a diaper two sizes too small does not help the situation! I knew Mal was the one who changed her b/c she was the only person left (all the other caregivers had gone for the day), and it was her initials on baby K's Daily Experience Sheet. I made a big stink about it when I dropped baby K off this morning. At first, Mal did not want to take responsibility for it, but I told her point blank that she was the one who changed baby K. Eventually she apologized, but it did little to boost my confidence in her.
One other pet peeve -- not a big deal, but I'll get it out since I'm venting already. I use the Playtex bottles with the disposable liners. When baby K finishes her formula, Mal doesn't throw away the liner and rinse the bottle (as she is suppose to); she places the bottle (with the dirty liner and all) into baby K's cubby for me to take home. I didn't notice the first time until I got home and took the bottles out. Now I check to make sure the used liner is thrown out and the bottle's been rinsed before I leave.
Hopefully things will improve once Mal gets a better handle on things. It's her second week, so maybe I'm being a bit harsh. I don't think my expectations are too high though. My biggest fear is that she's preparing the wrong formula for baby K. I mean, if she can make those other mistakes, how do I know she'd be cognisant of everyone's allergies? I went to check up on baby K during lunch today, and she seemed fine. Times like this, I wish I could be a stay-at-home mom.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
A Rough Night
Last night was a rough night for us. When I tried to put baby K to bed, she started crying hysterically. I took her out of the crib and carried her for a little while; that seemed to work for about five minutes, at which point she started crying all over again. It wasn't just any crying; she was screaming as if she was in serious pain. I've never seen her in such hysterics before. She had a bit of a diaper rash, but we suspected that that wasn't what was really bothering her. M thought she might have an ear infection, but without having a doctor check her out, there was no way of knowing for sure. After about an hour of baby K's non-stop crying (she was so exhausted but wouldn't go to sleep), M and I finally decided to call her pediatrician's office, which gets routed to the hospital's call center since it was after hours. M spoke to a nurse, who told us to take her temperature, give her some Tylenol (or Motrin, which works better), and soak her bum in a tub of warm water with baking soda to help with the diaper rash. We did the first two (her temperature was 100.3), but baby K got knocked out right after taking the Motrin, so I just let her sleep (not that we would've gone ahead with the baking soda bath at midnight anyhow). The nurse also instructed us to call the pediatrician's office the next day and schedule an appointment, which we did once they opened at 9am.
I must say, last night was probably one of the worst nights we've experienced since baby K's been born. It's the worst feeling, being a parent and feeling helpless to alleviate the pain your child is in, or not even knowing what the problem is. Unfortunately, I know there will probably be more to follow. As we watched baby K sleep, M said to me that he had a tight knot in his stomach (from worrying). I simply nodded, for any words that came out of my mouth would have been accompanied by a steady stream of tears that I was trying to avoid. I couldn't respond and tell him that I didn't have a tight knot in my stomach; all I had was an extreme ache in my heart for my poor baby girl. She's normally a very tough cookie (doesn't even cry when getting her shots!), so it must've been something severe for her to react the way she did.
This morning, baby K woke up all smiles. It was as if last night's episode of hysterics had never happened. We took her to the doctor's and it was confirmed that she has an ear infection, so she needs to be on antibiotics again. At the rate she's going, she'll be totally immuned to Amoxicillin by the time she turns 2!
I must say, last night was probably one of the worst nights we've experienced since baby K's been born. It's the worst feeling, being a parent and feeling helpless to alleviate the pain your child is in, or not even knowing what the problem is. Unfortunately, I know there will probably be more to follow. As we watched baby K sleep, M said to me that he had a tight knot in his stomach (from worrying). I simply nodded, for any words that came out of my mouth would have been accompanied by a steady stream of tears that I was trying to avoid. I couldn't respond and tell him that I didn't have a tight knot in my stomach; all I had was an extreme ache in my heart for my poor baby girl. She's normally a very tough cookie (doesn't even cry when getting her shots!), so it must've been something severe for her to react the way she did.
This morning, baby K woke up all smiles. It was as if last night's episode of hysterics had never happened. We took her to the doctor's and it was confirmed that she has an ear infection, so she needs to be on antibiotics again. At the rate she's going, she'll be totally immuned to Amoxicillin by the time she turns 2!
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