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!

Camille's fifth month: A review

Fantastically scintillating monotony.  That is how I would describe my life at this point.  Fantastic because it still seems unreal that Camille is ours.  She is amazing!  Scintillating describes how exciting it is to watch her grow and to become even more attached to her.  And yet, life is quite monotonous.  Even though there is never a dull moment, it just seems like, "Gosh, it's time to feed again?"  "Are you serious?  I've been rocking you to sleep for the last 30 minutes and you're still awake?"  "Is this my life?"

Well, this month brings lots of developments for Camille:

• Continuing to teethe.
• Can copy us in sticking out her tongue.  Once she figured out that she has a tongue, she very much enjoys sticking it out.
• Chewing on things (mostly her hands).  A lot.
• Reaching for and grabbing onto toys.
• Gradually losing the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex - getting ready roll over!
• Rolling over - just the one time :-/
• When brought to a standing position, she can lean against me (without grabbing onto my hands) and remain standing for over 10 seconds.
• Vocalizations transition from being coos to sounds that have more consonants (okay, that's just my observation, I have no training in infant linguistics).
• Tracking objects that are further away and making better eye contact.
• LOL!  No, seriously.

"Miiiiiiine!"

The specs
As of December 16, 2010:

• Weight: 12 lb 4 oz - 25%ile 
• Height: 24.5 in - 75%ile 
• Head: 15.5 in - 10%ile 
• Teeth: 1, at the bottom, right of the middle

As of December 20th, 2010: 12 lb - lost 4 ounces due to hunger strikes.

As of January 5th, 2011: 12 lb 13 oz - *phew* gained some back!
 

Milestones & important events
December 15 - Started reaching out for and grabbing toys.  Sticks out tongue to mimic parents.

Intentional grabbing

December 18 - Started a 9-hour hunger strike, lost weight.  We have several theories about why this hunger strike may have taken place:

• Strange environment - she would refuse to feed when we're out and about
• More distracted by her surrounding
• Teething pains
• Refusal to take the bottle is transferred over to refusal of milk-intake in general

December 25 - Camille's first Christmas!

December 27 - She rolled over!  After many days of looking like she might roll over (from laying on her back), she finally did it while we were talking.  And that was the only time she has done it so far!

Celebrating Grandma Ng's 59th birthday!

December 28 - It was a year ago today that we found out we were going to have Camille.  What a year it has been!  Discovered that she has cradle cap - eww.  With one olive oil treatment the next day, it was completely gone.

January 1 - Moved crib from a sidecar position (next to our bed) to the other side of the room.  No more cosleeping at night :(

Camille's new sleeping space in our room

January 2 - Another hunger strike.

January 5 - I found some blood in Camille's stool.  First, I thought like a nurse..."Don't freak out...there's an explanation." And then I thought like a mom..."Oh Lord, what is this?!" And then I started thinking like a crazy woman..."Is it Zellweger Syndrome?!  I just looked it up online and she might have Zellweger?!  She's too young to die!" There's such a fine line between thinking like a mom and thinking like a crazy woman.  Anyhow, we went to the clinic later that day and they discovered the cause as being a very large blow-out poop early that morning caused some abrasions in her anus.  Yes, my daughter has very powerful bowels.

January 11 - Went to the Picasso exhibit!

Favorite part...
Chin's Christmas vacation.  I loved having Chin around for 7 straight days!!  And I think Camille did, too.

Least favorite...
Hunger strikes.  It's insane how an infant's refusal of the breast can affect a mom.  It is so draining...I don't even have the energy to write about it!

Shout outs
...To the Lorex LW2003 baby monitor!  It is freakin' amazing and we love it!

Spying on Camille

...To infant acetaminophen (Tylenol) for relieving teething pain.  Baby Orejel...not so much.

...To the Okkatots baby carrier.  Oh.  My.  Goodness!  The three of us love this carrier so much!!  Camille likes the front-facing option so she can "talk to the baby in the mirror."  Chin loves that there is a separate pouch for the baby.  I love just about everything...especially the fact that Camille naps very well in this carrier.

Just hanging out

...To Alice+Chung+Anna Jane for letting us borrow AJ's Bumbo chair!

...To Chin...still the best dad to Camille and the best partner I can ever ask for!

"Do you like my hair, Daddy?"

Discoveries & reflections
...Camille will poop while she is in the Bumbo chair about 80% of the time.  No joke!

...If Camille had a good day, I'd better brace myself for a gruesome day to follow. (The opposite isn't true, unfortunately).

...You know how we all have that one friend who's just really critical and judgmental?  I know you have at least one.  Me!  I find that I'm so critical and judgmental about this mothering process.  I am sorry, friends!

...Camille nurses much better when she is drowsy and is falling asleep.  (During the day, she will just wake up after nursing.  At night, she stays sleeping.)  If she is fully awake during feeding time, boy, it is always a struggle to keep her focused!

...Breastfeeding in public has become nearly impossible now with Camille being so distracted while being nursed.

...Do we really want to read to Camille at bedtime?  Do we really want to proliferate the connection between reading and sleepiness?

...Starting last month, actually, Camille and I have both been shedding a lot of hair.  I keep finding little Camille hairs everywhere...and her head still looks so full!

...Umm...sometimes, I feel guilty for convincing other people to have kids.

Notice she's trying to peel off the "5 months"
sticker.  Mad fine motor skillz!!

Rice: The vintage granola

Today is my mom's 68th birthday.

Recently becoming a mom myself, my appreciation for my mother has grown tremendously.  I love and respect her more than ever before.  Those things that we consider nowadays as "granola parenting," my mom did 'em all:

• Natural child birth ... all seven kids!  She was the birthing champion!!
• Breastfeeding ... every single kid.
• Co-sleeping ... in the summer, she would co-sleep with all seven kids.  Haha!  It was the best!
• Valuing baby's cry ... meaning, she never let any of us cry it out.
• Cloth diapering ... she hand-washed and hang-dried them all!
• Elimination communication ... all of us were potty trained very early.
• Making your own baby food ... yeah, like feeding us whatever they were eating :)
• Baby-wearing ... she didn't have slings or carriers.  She was the carrier.

Back in her day, it was not counter-cultural to do what she did.  But still, to go through seven kids having done what she did was amazing.  I need to add, though, that she had help from her family and community.  My aunt (her sister) was absolutely instrumental in parenting all of us.

See?  She was the original granola.  Rice.

I just want to say I LOVE MY MOM!  She's the best!!

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Donovan!!

I would like to introduce you all to my newest nephew: Donovan Mychal!  He was born on 3/19 @ 9:30am weighing 6 lb 14 oz and measuring 19.5 in long (although I'm pretty sure they short changed him as he was measured at 22.5 in just one week later).

Donovan pooped all over himself in-utero prior to the c-section

We got to visit him this past weekend and he has already grown so much!  Such a cutie.

Taking a nap with Ông Ngoại 

Oooh!!

Cancer be not proud

by Bao

  
A big event that occurred in '09 was Chin's mom's (Margaret) diagnosis of thyroid lymphoma in August.  She went through chemotherapy like a champ and is now cancer free!!  This is a picture of her at Christmas.  A lot of her hair has grown back and she looks much better now :)

Fast fowarding!!

Lots to catch up on!  We are back in the States and here's a brief recap.  Previously, on Ngium...

Re-entry was difficult for us because we missed Macau so much.  But God is faithful and we were delighted to reconnect with many good friends.  This is picture of me harvesting cherries from our backyard in Issaquah (now Chung and Alice's house) to make a pie.

 Newborn triplets

 3-year-old Hannah

In September of '06, my brother & his wife had triplets -- Hannah, David, and Ben!  David & Ben had congenital health issues and passed away at 15 and 26 months, respectively.  They were wonderful boys and have left behind an adorable & very sharp older sister.

before

after

In the Summer of '07, we started renovating our friend Richard's house in Seattle and started renting it in the Fall.  By "we," I mean us and a TON of our kind-hearted friends.

Chin completely surprised me with a trip to Vegas in December '07!  That was fantastic!!

In March of '08, we rendezvoused with the Klines in Viet Nam!  It was really good to see them before they started producing another stinkin' cute baby, Brandt.

In June of '08 came Anna Jane (born to Alice and Chung, who's Chin's older brother)!  A little ball of energy who I often refer to as, "My niece Anna Jane.  Half girl.  Half squirrel."  She is one of the smartest kids I know!!

Another smart kid that I know is me -- Bao Ng.  I got into the UW School of Nursing and started there in Summer '08.  The MEPN/GEPN program was where I met some amazing folks who will hopefully remain in my life forever.  I graduated with a BSN in Summer '09 and am currently in a Family Nurse Practitioner program ... that never ends.

Chin picked up volleyball and has been very passionate about this game!!  Here is a picture of him going up for a ball.  He'll say, "Don't post that picture!  My timing's way off!"  But I don't know any better and I think it's a pretty cool shot of him jumping. :)

 

 In front of San Marco - Venice, Italy

During Spring Break of '09, GT, Anh Nguyen, Chi Mien, Chin & I had an opportunity to travel to Italy!  It was my first time in Europe and it was so memorable.

In March of '09, we found out that we were pregnant!  During a routine, mid-pregnancy ultrasound, we were told that our little girl (who we called "Peanut") had some severe health issues that would put her life in jeopardy.  Three weeks later, she passed away.  We named her Penelope Emmanuelle.  We still miss her and we love her very much!

We found a new church community to be a part of -- Rainier Avenue Church -- and we have discovered that we are enjoying being part of this body more and more as time goes by.

Our friends Yosh & Kym got married in November of '09 and gave us a great excuse to go visit Hawai'i for the first time!  That was one of the most pleasant trips we've ever taken.  Because of that trip, we wanted to call our next baby "MacNut."

So, that's the recap, folks!  Much more to come. :)