i am two months old!

i am joel and i am two months old today. we celebrated this day with pizza, pasta and a dairy queen blizzard cake. like last month, i still wasn't able to blow my own candles. mom did a good job for me.


i have more pics here.

*****
at two months...

i am already 11.4 lbs and 22.5 inches long. but these aren't official measurements. i'll have that during my 2-month check up on the 12th. and gawd, i am dreading that other round of vaccines that day.

i am enjoying playing with my tongue, dripping laway everywhere, licking my mom and dad's shirts, and thumb hand-sucking.

i speak more baby language now, with a lot of facial expressions. yeah, including eyebrow raising. i really converse. i say ahh, oeh, akkk, ehh and a-khoo or a-ghoo a lot. i make lots of other sounds and sometimes shrieks out of glee.

i am awake for longer periods now. i just love this period coz it means eating time or playtime! wee!

i like to reach for my toys but for some reason, i can't grab them on my own yet even if i stretch and stretch and flail my limbs making me squirm like kiti-kiti. mom thinks that i am right-handed since i move this arm more often.

i giggle and smile a lot, much more than last month. reasons for this are on my post below.

i am very much responsive now and love interacting with and looking at my parents' faces

i have better neck support, but mom and dad still make sure that they handle my head very carefully. during tummy times i can swing my head from side to side, but not backwards yet

i am hilda no more! nah, just kidding. i still have my moments. however, if you measure the length of time that im crying, you'd say that it's gradually going down day by day. i even very seldom cry during bath and wash times now, even during dress up. plus, the cues of my cries are getting known now. just don't mess with me when i'm sleepy, tired or hungry. but i have an on-off switch anyway, making me smile and giggle at an instant. yeah, i do know how to forgive and forget, that fast. but like other 2 month olds, i still get into an hour of crying bouts and no amount of singing nor dancing would make me stop. i will eventually stop and sleep anyway.

i still hate my carseat. but at least i can last sitting there for about 20mins now without crying (longer if i am in deep sleep),as long as the car's moving and if i'm still interested with my car toys. and again, don't put me there when i'm hungry or sleepy. at least we can travel more comfortably now. but sometimes we still stop when i'm having my sumpong or worse, mom just carries me all the way home (we only do this at night though. bad eh?)

i am very much observant of the things around me. i love colorful things, different patterns, and moving objects. and coz of this, they can lay me down for a while, say for about 10mins. this can work to my parents' advantagae when i am having some crying spells. at the very least, this gives them some amount of time to take wiwi break, or just a break from carrying a chunky baby all day. this also made diaper changing easier for them.

i have a really good schedule now that mom started working this week. at least im making it easier for dad. he knows when i get hungry and when i nap, so i don't get upset for long.

dad can pacify me now. and it was also a milestone for them that they can lay me down to sleep (at least for 3 days in a row now. i had pillows on my sides so i thought im still sleeping beside them. hmm). imagine how my dad does things with just one hand, like eating, coz he has to carry me on the other. hehee. i think he now knows me better than mom.

here are some pics between september and october and see how i've changed from then til now.

alrighty! until the next!

what makes an 8-week old smile and giggle?

1. My chats and playtime with mom and dad.
i just love looking at their smiling faces and listening to their voices as they converse with me. and a day never pass without them narrating to me, singing to me, asking me questions and just plain baby-talking with me. makes me giggle all the time!


i have the latest chat video here. other chat videos are here.

2. My bonding time with dad.
And we are always in this position (see pics below). he would chat with me, exercise my legs giving it a bicycling motion (which helps with my gas, hehe), read bedtime stories with me (since inside-mommy's-tummy days), show a lot of his antics, and giggle with me. I just love my dad so much. #1 in the whole wide world!



3. A good night's sleep creating a happy morning.
And mom loves this so much! She's the one waking up earlier to nurse me when i wake up. Waking up with a smile on my face really makes her heart glow! Well, who wouldn't smile and giggle when you'd open your eyes to a very bubbly mom the very first thing in the morning? I also love waking up from naps to either my dad or mom's happy faces.

4. A nice dream, perhaps?.
Like other babies, i do smile in my sleep. Gas? I dunno. All i know is that my mom and dad would laugh with panggigigil whenever i smile as they watch me sleeping.

5. Being fed.
Ain't everyone happy when eating their favorite food? When im eating, I usually pause to give my mom or dad a smile, just to let them know that im happy being fed and that i do thank them a lot for that.



6. My bear friends.
Yogi, tedi, ker and sno never fail to amuse me. They are the ones hanging on my crib mobile downstairs. For some reason, the mobile in my crib upstairs,does not have the same mesmerizing effect as with my bear buddies. Whenever my parents would lay me down on my small playpen, i would automatically look at them. They never fail to make me all giggly and wiggly! I really want to hug each one, if only i can reach them. Aside from my parents, they are the only ones i talk to. That's why whenever i'm upset, and my folks already did everything to appease me, they would put me in my playpen, and almost always, like a switch, my cries will be converted to coos and giggles. They work wonders, according to mom. Haha.


home videos with my best bear buds are here, here and here .

7. My other toys.
Dad had been buying me toys since inside-mommy days. I also received lots of toys during my christening. Now that im more attentive, mom and dad started getting some toys out of their boxes for me to try. So far, those that are colorful and creating sounds appeal to me and definitely puts a smile on my face. Someday i'd be able to grab them and i'd be much happier.

I was on tummy time in this pic so i couldn't smile. Well, they seldom capture my smiles on cam anyway.haha

8. new things.
I had been really observant lately and sometimes, when my parents would present something new to me, or i'd see something new, i can't keep myself from smiling whenever i'm in the mood for it.

See, im not hilda all of the time you know.haha. How about you, what makes you smile?

i turned 6weeks old today

and all i have here is a numbered list of updates of all my developments and all the happenings around me (in no particular order):

1. I have struggled with jaundice which got worst around day 4 and got well around my 10th day of life. my struggle with jaundice and how we were frequently visiting my pedia and lactation cönsultant can be read at my mom's postpartum update

2. I now weigh just above 10lbs (yes im a bit chunky) and probably longer than 21 inches long (dad couldn't measure me well since i was awake when he did that). So we switched to size 1 diapers now, which i personally think is still big for me (but the newborn ones are really getting tighter). I also outgrew all my newborn-sized clothes. And some of them i've worn only once, tsk tsk.

3. Im still a fussy baby but probably not as much as before. So they've been calling me hilda, ang munting prinsesa. Refer to my post below

4. I sleep a lot longer at night now (well,i think,most nights. Mom thinks otherwise) since i started co-sleeping with mom. When lola mami came,she advised her to lay me beside her at night. And l just love being cuddled by mom and feel her warmth all throughout the night. She still hasn't mastered the art of breastfeeding while lying down so we still fight at night sometimes.

5. My schedule is kind of predictable now. But there are still some occasions where i slip. But hey, that's MY schedule we're talking about here.

6. My parents kind of understand my cues now. My lola mami does very well (yes,we've only been together for just two weeks). Sometimes they don't and i get frustrated, then you guessed it right, i wail.

7. I used to look like my dad (and he still claims and sees it that way) but now everyone's commenting that i look a lot like mom now. What do you think?

8. I still wail,but now i also have what they call spoiled cries, as if nagsusumbong. Lola mami has fallen for these many many times. Oh how i miss my lola mami.

9. My playtime, conversations and attention span is a bit longer now. I specially like it when someone's talking to me. And ah,i tell you, everyone gets crazy over my precious smiles and coos which are more generous now. They also go gaga over my killer dimple.

10. I can focus better now. Aside from my parents' faces,i also love watching my crib mobile going round and round and round.

11. I've been always out of the house. Well, ive been going to my pedia since my 1st week. My parents had been bringing me to mass with them since my 3rd week. Then when lolo dadi, lola mami and ninong ruprup visited us, we've been going out for the whole two weeks. But nah,it didn't change my view and hatred for my carseat and yeah, it either modified or totally changed my parent's plans for the day

12. I've attended two celebrations already, which are actually both mine.:

My baptism which was held on sep 28 at our lady of the rosary parish. It was attended by mom's family of course, my ninang leng's family and the rest of dad and mom's friends. They all feasted on chinese food at the china grand buffet while i slept. They actually thought that i'd make a scene at church. But after i got fed i was knocked out during the entire ceremony. So they were all calm.

More pics here
my 1st month birthday on sep 30 which we celebrated at home with family. We all decided to just do it at home since we've been out daily prior that day. So lola mami cooked carbonara and chicken wings and dad bought me a chocolate cake.

More pics here
There you go!... Until next time. Sayonara!

and they called me hilda

that's what my lola mami called me once when they were here.from then on they call me princess hilda whenever i'd get cranky

Why hilda?... That's short for bruhilda. And that's because i'm cranky most of the time. I admit, I am a fussy baby and probably colicky,but at least i know what i'm mad about. I even have a "matapobre" look, as they described it. And yes,there are many many things that can make me wail. I've listed them down below including the typical ones.

1. When i'm hungry... I get mad at mom when i've depleted her milk and still feels hungry, then i'd be mad if my bottled milk isn't ready when i'm done nursing from mom. Yeah,patience is a virtue,and obviously i have not acquired that yet.

2. When my diaper needs changing, specially when it's poopy. And oh yes, i make sure they know it.

3. When i'm full of gas or have difficulty pooping

4. When im bored with whatever, ie like the way i'm held or carried. It has to be changed evry now and then. Sometimes i like standing up,well,the one who's carrying me. And he or she has to dance and sing or hum my and lola mami's song (that theme song from dyosa)

5. When i want to sleep but couldn't coz i'm either irritated or there are just so much happening around me. And for me to be able to sleep, i have to pacify on my mommy's breasts and just feel her warm love and embrace around me

6. When i'm too sleepy but wouldn't want to. Everyone gets surprised on how i try to keep my eyes widely open despite being too sleepy, but im sure its pretty obvious.

7. When i'm strapped in a carseat... Well, i'm not like most babies who love driving around in their carseats. So imagine how the family travels with me wailing in my seat. It was difficult! Lola mami would make dad stop anywhere just so mom or she could carry me and calm me down to be able to strap me back to my seat. And whenever we're leaving the house,they make sure im changed, well-fed and sleeping. Haha

8. I don't even like my swing. I would let my dad put me there for a short time,then i'd cry coz i just hate being there

9. I hate baths!... Again, not typical. So they had to do everything quickly. Wiping me clean is also an issue for me

10. Getting my clothes off and dressing up... They couldn't even put mittens and socks easily on me nor swaddle me.Talk about personal space getting messed up

11. When i agree to lie alone on my crib and the crib mobile stops playing or when there's no one to talk to... I just want to be with my loved ones and see them all the time

Such a short list eh? Anything on this list will really make me cry like there's no tomorrow. Wanna see how? Watch this. If that won't make you panic like my lola mami,i dunno what will. That's why my lola mami is always to-the-rescue whenever i cry. So i terribly miss her.

Well, i may be crying more than other babies and making my mom cry with me sometimes, but my precious smiles and coos just melt everyone's hearts. they then forget how such a cry baby i am. So go ahead, call me hilda ;)

hello world!!!

my name: johanna elli "joel"
my birthday: august 30, 2008 at 10:53pm
my birthweight and height: 6lbs and 14oz , 20 inches
** more pics herebirthday stories to follow :)

7 days to go...

.. until my due date! but still, nobody knows when to stop counting...

my parents were given a tiny bit of hope though during our 39th week checkup this morning. why? because mom's finally 1cm dilated. woohoo! dr. bouchard even had a hard time during the IE to determine if she was, and looking at mom's frustrated expression, she just tried harder and wella, she's finally 1! she told mom that it's better and a lot promising than nothing (i don't know how mom would handle having 0 dilation for 3 consecutive weeks).

mom also gave their birthplan to the dr. and there was nothing unusual about it according to the dr. she actually wasn't surprised that mom had a strong desire to take not even one pain medication during labor and delivery. dad is actually not sure if mom can bear the pain knowing how low my mom's threshold for pain is. but he supports her not having an epidural 100%. but they also both agreed that if she suffers from a really really long labor and would have a hard time pushing at the end, they might request for one.

by the way, just a side story, they had the birthplan finalized after finally attending the lamaze childbirth class last saturday. they were really thankful that they attended since they were able to practice some of the relaxation and breathing techniques with a coach. mom got a little more scared after seeing the videos of real-life labor and delivery though, but still glad since they now know a lot about what to expect during the actual thing. the class was all worth it specially since they got it for free (compliments of st. alphonsus since the manager really felt sorry about the mix up then cancellation of their jul26 scheduled class. they even gave my parents a $50 gift certificate which they spent on some educational toys for me... yep, i'm collecting toys now).

anyway, back to my story... dr. bouchard explained to my parents that during their 40th wk checkup next wednesday, they will be planning about THE induction. it scared mom a bit since she's so paranoid about lots of things like me being distressed the longer i stay with her or me taking in some of my first poop or her amniotic fluid leaking out and not knowing about it or being in labor and not knowing about it or about the horror stories that she's heard about induction leading towards a possible c-section, etc etc. yeah, she's paranoid about everything since she doesn't see me. so they're really praying that i come out sooner, naturally. will you please help them pray?

dad's still begging me to come out too, a lot of times everyday! he even has made up some chants telling me to come out already. he told me once that he wants me out to finally hold and take care of me coz he's a bit envious of mom feeling me and being with me all the time during the entire pregnancy. dad's so sweet!

dad and mom, patience is a virtue. i will come out when our Creator gives me the go signal, ok? meanwhile, continue doing a good job walking everyday. i love you both!

counting the days...

mom started counting the days since i turned 37 wks.. now, i am on my 38th and yes, i still am inside mummy's tummy :) i know she's really itching to give birth. even dad is begging me to come out already, haha.

during our 38th week checkup on tuesday, nothing has changed. mom is still 50% effaced and yes, she's not dilated still. again, the doctor said that the dilation should not be a basis on when i would come out. well at least i'm engaged contrary to what others say that i'm still floating based on how my mom's tummy is presenting (she's just short according to dr. bouchard, haha). everything's still great though and the doctor estimated my current weight to be between 6.5-7lbs.

for the birth preps, since my parents aren't sure if they'd still make it to the childbirth prep class scheduled on saturday, they tried to practice the breathing techniques based on the book for the class. but i doubt that they learned what they're supposed to learn because when dad was trying to coach mom, all i heard were weird breathing and lots of giggles from both of them. i hope they'd still be able to laugh like that during the actual labor.

anyway, we'll see if next week will be "the" week. mom's hoping that this would be the last week when everyone at work would ask her when she's finally giving birth. so, we'll see.

hang on in there mom and dad, i will just surprise you when i'm ready.