Camille's 1st homestyled haircut

How do you cut a wriggly toddler's hair?

First, you take a "before" picture

Remove bath mats. Lay down butcher paper. Add crayons.

Add attentive and creative BaBa during styling process

Mommy, the stylist, and Camille

Final product!

Then bathe the wriggly toddler

"What...just...happened to all my hair?!"

Helping BaBa clean the vacuum cleaner.
(She is obsessed with Mommy's new boots!)

Her bangs are a little crooked.

Oh well, she is one happy & spirited gal nonetheless!

"Now, how 'bout you turn on some Elmo for me?"

That's how it's done!

Perinatal choices: A series

As the day of Chestnut's birth is drawing close, I can't help but reflect on my past birth stories.  Stories I embrace closely, delicately, and sacredly.  Many of have heard of Camille's glorious birth story and my subsequent reflection on that pregnancy/birthing/recovery experience.  Most of you may not have heard of Penelope's birth.

Penelope & Mommy

I started this blog post a few weeks or months ago...but haven't had the courage to publish it or start this series for a number of reasons:

1. Time constraint - I'm busy.  But aren't we all?
2. I'm honestly a little apprehensive about the backlash I might receive for some of these beliefs.

Okay, just those two reasons.

Last night, I had an opportunity to attend a class session with some midwifery friends at the UW School of Nursing - the program that I was originally admitted into prior to me "jumping ship" and switching over to family practice.  The class session was focused on evidence-based perinatal care.  Instead of a lecture, it was a casual discussion of the history and evidence on various topics surrounding birth.  Fascinating stuff!  For those who aren't very familiar with the field of midwifery, you might walk into the middle of our discussion and be amazed at how well-read these midwifery students were and how much they knew about the latest research (including how to appraise the trustworthiness of these studies).  Surprised?  You thought midwifery is a "soft" science?  Midwives are hardcore artists and hardcore scientists!  The reason that midwives must keep abreast of the latest evidence is that (1) they care about the well-being of women and families, and (2) they are constantly fighting an uphill battle.  They receive the lowest wages amongst advanced practice nurses, pay some of the highest rates for malpractice insurance, and are continually under the scrutiny of ACOG.

Anyhow, before I ramble on much further...  I want to start a series where I discuss some of the stories, news/blog articles, and evidence surrounding the subject of birth (which includes a little bit of pregnancy and newborn care, too).  Some of the topics that I will explore

• Prenatal care:
• Choosing a provider
• Choosing a setting for birth -  home, birth center, and hospital
• Labor:
• NPO status - women not being allowed to eat during labor
• Routine administration of IV fluids
• Induction & augmentation of labor
• Pain management
• Continuous monitoring
• Labor support (doulas)
• Birth:
• Birthing positions
• Episiotomy
• Assistive devices (forceps & vacuums)
• C-sections (and VBAC)
• Newborn care:
• Suctioning of newborn
• Timing of cord clamping
• Skin-to-skin contact
• Circumcision for male infants
• Vaccination
• Infant feeding practices

Before you may jump to the conclusion that I will do a lot of finger-wagging for the choices you have made for your family, please let me assure you that I will only present my story, the rationale for my choices, the evidence, and simply my own opinion.  I feel that this series is important for me to write because I deeply care about this subject and I hope that we can all stay informed about birth - an arena that has been viewed as taboo or, worse yet, left to Hollywood to educate the masses.

Yep, I'm in my undies. Obviously I don't care.

I know, I know, I previously attempted to start a series on reviews of baby products and then never ended up doing anything with it.  But this time, I'm gonna do it.

Seriously!  I will! :)

Chestnut Week 25

My pointy belly

 

We're very close to having a name.  Will discuss with grandparents and family first and then the name will be public. :)

Today, Chin & I celebrate the 12-year anniversary of our DTR'ing date (DTR = defining the relationship).  It has been a fantastic 12 years!

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a rutabaga - ~ 13.62 inches and 1.46 pounds.
• Bones are becoming solid, hands are now fully developed. The structures of the spine begin to form - all 33 rings, 150 joints and 1000 ligaments.
• The brain is growing rapidly, the brain cells are starting to mature.
• Since the ear bones are hardening even more, baby's hearing is sharper. He is starting to recognize and remember parents' voices.
• Baby's nostrils begin to open.
• The sexual organs are fully developed.
• The uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball and mom looks pregnant (or in my case, mom looks like she's pregnant with multiples!).

Physical:

• Weight: 137 lb (+24)
• Belly circumference: 38.25 in (+9.75)
• I weighed myself at the clinic where I'm doing my rotation on Monday and I just about fell off the scale.  Seriously?!  I came home that day quite distraught and reported to Chin (in an almost weeping voice), "I can't believe I have gained this much weight.  My pre-pregnancy was 113 and now I'm freakin' 137 pounds!  So I have gained...what is that?  OMG, I can't even do math!!!"
• I'm just hungry all...the...time. But now that I am more cognizant of my rapid weight gain, I am trying to cut down on carbs and increasing whole grains & fiber.
• Little boy is kicking hard.  He is usually awake at night and kicks me whenever I try to take a nap or go down for the night.  I feel like Camille was more crazy with her kicks and was more active (although I have mentioned that this little boy is stronger).  When I mentioned this to my mother-in-law, she said, "Well, Bao, you are also older now."  I have no idea what that means.  Does that mean my senile uterus is less sensitive to kicks and rolls?  Or have I managed to produce an offspring from an older, weaker egg?  Hard to tell, really.

Spiritual & emotional:

• First week back at school.  I'm very excited about this quarter!  I'll be doing my rotation at a diverse public health clinic, and two of my classes are about women's health.  It's going to be a good quarter.
• Some things that pregnant women (myself included) don't like to hear:
• "Do you think you might be a little too sensitive toward this issue?"  (Doesn't matter how you word-smith this question, it is wrong.)
• "You're a lot less moody this week!" (Not a compliment.  Just makes me want to strangle you.)
• "Are you sure you're not having twins?" (I want to stab you in the eyeball.)
• You know that sense of tactfulness that one possesses and the self-restraint one has to refrain from saying things like, "Huh, ever wonder why you're single/broke/unemployed, moron?!" I'm starting to lose that.  Oh, of course there is the spiritual discourse of seasonality in singleness, poverty, and unemployment...but the perpetuity of it all and the striking correlation to idiocy does not escape me.  Some people are freakin' morons!
• I'm a little saucy this week.
  

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 24

This is my well-rested
Spring Break look!

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the length of an ear of corn (*om nom nom nom*) - ~ 11.81 inches and 1.32 pounds.
• He is now gaining around 3 ounces (90 grams) a week.
• Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing his distaste.
• The eyelids can be seen very clearly.
• Age of viability has been reached! If born at this stage, he has up to 85% chance of survival.

Physical:

• Weight: 132 lb (+19)
• Belly circumference: 37.75 in (+9.25)
• I normally have a hard time assessing fundal heights with my pregnancies, but this week I had a strong contraction and found that the fundus (top of uterus) is about 1 finger breadth above the umbilicus.  Does that make sense?  Well, I was laying flat on my back so maybe that makes a difference.  Anyway, I would hate to think that I am gaining lots of weight while my uterus is not growing as fast.  Speaking of which...
• With my [pre-pregnancy] BMI being roughly 20, I should technically be gaining between 25-35 lbs during pregnancy.  Check out this graph I got from BabyCenter (which, by the way, I consider as barfalicious as What to Expect When You're Expecting, Babies-R-Us, Carter's brand, and the like)
  
  
  
  So, do you see that green dot?  That's where my weight is during week 24. The green dot is supposed to be between the two lines - the minimum and maximum recommended weight gain.  I'm only off by 1 pound.  I'm not too worried about it.  Furthermore, I don't think this is a very good graph in that pregnancy weight gain is anything but linear!  For instance, toward the end of pregnancy, often in weeks 38-40, women report a tendency not to gain any weight. 
• Chestnut is not as active as Camille was when she was in-utero in that he isn't constantly on the move.  But I feel that his kicks are stronger.  Especially when he kicks my bladder!
• There were a couple of nights that I had a very hard time sleeping through the hip pain.  Wednesday night was one of those nights.  I was almost in tears every time I had to turn from side to side.
• More people are open to asking, "So when are you due?" this week.  I guess I'm very, very obviously pregnant.
• If you are a woman or a male child under the age of 10, you can feel free to come up to me and rub my belly without asking.  I fully give you permission to do that.  Don't expect this of all pregnant women, I'm just saying it's okay for me.  If you are not a woman or a little boy, please ask me first. :)

Spiritual & emotional:

• My Spring Break has been blissful!  I scheduled one play date after another.  Camille had a great time hanging out with friends and cousins.  I went out to lunch with people and had friends over for dinner.  I got to finish a craft project.  I even got in a couple of naps.  *aaaaah* :)
• There was one day that Camille missed her nap entirely (Tuesday) and even managed to climb out of her crib.  I was so frustrated that I wanted to stab my eye with a fork.  But it ended up being fine.  Have I mentioned that I love Camille a lot.  I love her a lot!!!
  

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Portland

Up late

We are in Portland this weekend.  I drove down with Camille Friday afternoon so we could attend her cousin Donovan's 2nd birthday party...and will drive back up Saturday night after picking up Grandma & Grandpa Ng along the way.  It's a lot of driving for under 36 hours.

Here are pictures of Camille up late at night tonight (10pm) because she was too excited to mess around at my parents' house.

It's alright, at least it's my Spring Break!

Chestnut Week 23

If I look tired,
then that's accurate

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the weight of a large mango - ~ 11.38 inches and 1.10 pounds.  (Woot woot!  Passed the 1-pound mark!)
• The eyebrows are visible.
• The child can successfully suck.
• Bones located in the middle ear harden (the incus, the malleus, the umbo...possibly the cutest named body parts). He turns from side to side and head over heels. Thanks to a fully developed inner ear, which controls balance, baby may have a sense of whether he is upside-down or right side up in the womb. 
• Skin pigment is now forming. The fetus is now proportioned like a newborn except it is a thinner version of a newborn baby since its baby fat has not developed much yet. 
• The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. Baby has begun producing insulin, important for the breakdown of sugars.
• If born now, he would have a 20% chance of survival, the odds going up with each passing day.

Physical:

• Weight: 131 lb (+18) - it's true.  I am this heavy now.
• Belly circumference: 37.0 in (+8.5)
• I often feel him in the evening and at night when I'm trying to fall asleep.  His movements are more visible - turning my belly lopsided, bony extremities going across my belly button, etc.  He also likes to kick my bladder a lot!
• I'd been having definite highs and lows in energy level this week.  I think I have been running on adrenaline a lot of the time with the rush of studying for finals (believe it or not, I do enjoy the studying!).  Been getting to bed really late every night.  The earliest I went to bed this week was probably 12:45am...and the latest was 5:30am. I'm pooped.
• I've been eating a lot.  So much.  But I've gotten Invisalign orthodontia so it's always annoying to have to remove the braces to eat or drink anything other than water.  I think the braces will help me regulate my eating more.  Hopefully.  Because I'm gaining a whole lot of weight!

Spiritual & emotional:

• This week has been hard.  No denying it.  My deepest frustration has been with Chin.  I have been going crazy trying to study for these finals (and random "please resubmit" assignments that keep popping up) and I have been feeling a sense of entitlement for help.  On Wednesday, the eve of my last final, I just about had it and wrote him an email explaining how I was feeling.  It was very cathartic.  For me, writing helps my mind slow down and process methodically.  That doesn't happen a lot.  Anyhow, the email was well-received and we are on good terms now.
• It makes me proud to be able to watch Camille grow up.  She is affectionate and smart in surprising ways.  A few weeks ago, we were at a restaurant and she was demanding some of our food.  Chin said, "It's still really hot, Honey.  Can you be patient?"  And she held up her little index fingers and said, "Wait!"  She's putting concepts together (calling things "heavy" when she suspects that they might be heavy) and generating answers for more abstract questions (like "What color is the sky?" or "What color is Cookie Monster?").  I am so happy to be her mom.
•  Guess what, this is the start of my Spring Break!  I'm pretty stoked.  No plans except for trying to set up various times to catch up with friends.  I'm looking forward to some rest.
  

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 22

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the size of a spaghetti squash - ~ 10.91 inches and 15.17 ounces.
• The fetus reacts to loud sounds.
• Baby starts having a regular sleeping and waking rhythm.
• The mother's movements can wake her baby.
• Taste buds are forming on your baby's tongue.
• The weekly weight gain has increased to around 70 grams.

Physical:

• Weight: 131 lb (+18) - Whoa, Nelly!  I am pretty sure that's incorrect!
• Belly circumference: 36.5 in (+8.00)
• Similar to my pregnancy with Camille, I have recently noticed that my voice sounds more high-pitched and whistly.  Must be something to do with my diaphragm being impinged on by a growing fetus!
• On Tuesday while I was at school, I went to "drop off the kids at the pool" and I vagaled.  I had enough sense to use my last bits of energy to finish off my business quickly and leave the bathroom so that I didn't have to faint there.  I made it out into the hall and dropped.  Softly, not a hard fall.  I didn't lose consciousness but I was very tired.  I texted my classmate Wenjia but didn't get a response.  Turns out she was on her way out to the bathroom to look for me.  So sweet!  Anyhow, a couple of classmates subsequently showed up...one of whom was a seasoned labor & delivery nurse.  She basically made me to go L&D triage at the hospital, which was in the same building as my class.  I really, really didn't want to go.  I wanted to go to my next lecture, which was on pediatric anemia.  I ended up going to triage and wasted about 3 hours of my life there while they poked and prodded me.  Anyway, I'm fine.  I just need to eat more fiber so I don't risk vagaling next time! :)
• On Wednesday, I was holding Camille while sitting down (reading a book).  I stood up while holding her and I had a Charley horse that hyper plantarflexed my left foot.  I lost my balance and fell on my butt.  Neither of us were hurt.  I ended up having a [non-painful] contraction for the next 5 minutes straight.  That was not cool.  I guess in addition to fiber, I should drink a lot more water, too.

Spiritual & emotional:

• Last week of Winter quarter!  I have been so grateful for my courses and clinical rotation.  I'm a little sad for this quarter to end, to be honest.  But it needed to end.  It was killing me.
• I've just been really enjoying Camille.  Watching her grow (not really physically...but emotionally and intellectually) and seeing how affectionate she can be.
• Have you ever heard anyone say, "You know, it really gets so much better when you have two kids"?  Yeah, I haven't either.  That's scary.

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.

Chestnut Week 21

Technically, this is what's going on this week:

• Chestnut is the length of a carrot - ~ 10.51 inches and 12.70 ounces.
• He is now gaining weight steadily, with fat being added to the body.
• Bone marrow has started making blood cells.
• His small intestine is starting to absorb sugars (like the stuff from the maple bar Mommy just ate a few days ago *om nom nom nom*).

Physical:

• Weight: 128 lb (+15)
• Belly circumference: 36.25 in (+7.75) - I guess I haven't grown much this week.
• Had a checkup with my midwife this week (I only tend to go every 6 weeks or so since I don't really think I need to).  Everything is going dandy.  Chestnut kicked at the fetal doppler.  Camille heard baby brother's heart beat and kissed my tummy.  I love my kids!
• I've been having a cold this week.  At least that's what I think it is.  Could be allergies.  Lots of sneezing, sniffles, stuffy nose.  Not fun.
• My nose has been bleeding more frequently these days.  Nasal mucosa more friable in this dry weather + hyperemia in nasal/sinus cavities.  Not a big deal, though.
• As I had mentioned before, my pelvis has been really wobbly due to the super-duper early release of relaxin (the hormone is typically released a few weeks prior to childbirth to help stretch ligaments for easier passage of baby).  I've been going to a PT for this problem and I feel like it has helped...a little.  My PT recommended a hip belt that I feel like has helped a lot.  It's called the Serola Sacro-iliac belt.  I would recommend it to anyone who needs good hip support!
• I was looking for stretch marks today (because my tummy has started to itch - a normal finding in this stage of pregnancy) and haven't found any new ones from my pregnancy with Camille.  So, that's a good thing. :)

This says everything that I'm *not* feeling.  Thanks anyway. (This is not a picture of me.)

Spiritual & emotional:

• The topic of childcare has been on our mind a lot this week.  We've been thinking and talking about it frequently.  A little frustrating that there is currently no concrete plan for childcare once Chestnut arrives.
• Chestnut is getting more and more active.  I'm really loving the wiggliness.  I feel that compared to my pregnancy with Camille, I am feeling more bonded with Chestnut.  Maybe because this time around in pregnancy, I already know what it is like to embrace a child of my own.  I've been talking to Chestnut more.  I am loving this little boy.
  

Click here to see the comparison to my pregnancy with Camille (MacNut) at the same gestational age.