I think so. Since I haven't been blogging for the last month or so, I didn't write down any of Ariela's developments. So here they go:
- Ariela is such a talker lately. In the last couple of weeks she'll have conversations with us or she'll just babble out loud.
-She now spits. Yes, my daughter spits but I think she is too little for me to lecture her on this. She purses her lips, making the brrrrr sound and spits around her. Her chin will get wet and everything/everyone around might get some saliva on them. Watch out!!! Mr. V showed her how to do it a few weeks ago and now this is all she does when she is not talking or when she is mad/upset at us.
-She loves attention. I think she actually craves it but it is totally cool with me since I always want to see what she does/says.
-She is a flirt! But only with Mr. V and my dad. Whenever she sees them, she'll smile and then she'll turn and hide from them with the biggest flirtatious smile.
-She is eating better. She now eats 5-6oz of BM per feeding. We stopped giving her formula since I now have enough BM.
-She has been trying to roll to her belly for the last few weeks. She gets about 3/4 of the way but her head is not turning so she goes back on her back. The girl won't give up though.
I am not sure how much she weighs right now. Her doctor's appointment is coming up very soon.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Pumping
Pumping at work is tough. I get to carry my pump to/from work everyday, set up the pump for each pumping session, pack the pump, and then wash the bottles. And I get to do that 2-3 times per day at work? I am just that lucky :)
I am lucky to have an "available" office at work. Lately it is been occupied by out of town business people, so I get to go downstairs and share that office with another girl who is also pumping at work. That girl takes her time though and takes about 45 minutes for each session. One day, I went downstairs three times thinking she was done using the room, but nope she was still in it.
I know I complaining, but I still do it because I want the best for my girl. My plan was to make it till 4 months. And I can proudly say that I made that goal. Now I think I want to make it till 8 months.
My milk supply increased since I started eating and pumping at work more regularly. At home it wasn't always the case. So, as of two months ago Miss A has been getting the BM only. Speaking of BM only, I was sitting at work the other day and thinking about how it is nice to know that finally I have enough milk for Miss A and we don't have to supplement, when it hit me that she is not getting vitamin D for the last month. Only formula has enough vitamin D. I felt horrible and ran to Target to pick up some Trivisol drops for Miss A.
I don't like pumping. Here I said it. For some reason it doesn't make me feel like a woman, more like an animal I would say. I don't like pumping at home in front of Mr. V thinking that he won't look at me like he used to when we were still in a honeymoon stage. I do it because I have to. I do it because I want Miss A to be healthy. I do it because otherwise I would feel guilty. Everytime, I gave formula to Miss A for a feeding before bed (since babies digest it longer) I felt horrible because I had some extra BM in the fridge that she could "eat". And speaking of pumping, I have to go and pump now.
I am lucky to have an "available" office at work. Lately it is been occupied by out of town business people, so I get to go downstairs and share that office with another girl who is also pumping at work. That girl takes her time though and takes about 45 minutes for each session. One day, I went downstairs three times thinking she was done using the room, but nope she was still in it.
I know I complaining, but I still do it because I want the best for my girl. My plan was to make it till 4 months. And I can proudly say that I made that goal. Now I think I want to make it till 8 months.
My milk supply increased since I started eating and pumping at work more regularly. At home it wasn't always the case. So, as of two months ago Miss A has been getting the BM only. Speaking of BM only, I was sitting at work the other day and thinking about how it is nice to know that finally I have enough milk for Miss A and we don't have to supplement, when it hit me that she is not getting vitamin D for the last month. Only formula has enough vitamin D. I felt horrible and ran to Target to pick up some Trivisol drops for Miss A.
I don't like pumping. Here I said it. For some reason it doesn't make me feel like a woman, more like an animal I would say. I don't like pumping at home in front of Mr. V thinking that he won't look at me like he used to when we were still in a honeymoon stage. I do it because I have to. I do it because I want Miss A to be healthy. I do it because otherwise I would feel guilty. Everytime, I gave formula to Miss A for a feeding before bed (since babies digest it longer) I felt horrible because I had some extra BM in the fridge that she could "eat". And speaking of pumping, I have to go and pump now.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Where was I?
Well, yet again it is been a while since my lost blog entry. The V family has been very busy lately adjusting to a new routine. I returned to work as of February 1st (Ariela was 2.5 months). I used 12 weeks out of 13 of my partially paid maternity leave. I also wanted to take a few more weeks without pay till March 1, but our plans changed. My mom got laid off and with a little bit of convincing (she wanted to look for another job right away) she agreed to watch Ariela. With my heart a little bit at ease, I returned to work. I was so happy that my little girl can spend a few more months at home with grandma. I know eventually she'll have to go to daycar, but I want her to be at least 10 months or so.
I am not going to lie, things have been difficult. By the end of the day all I want to do is crawl into bad without even washing my face and changing into PJs. After all, it saves about 10-15 minutes and I can sure use it for my sleep.
Miss A has been changing and growing. She turned 4 months last week. She is absolutely adorable and makes my day everytime she smiles or does something new.I never understood when people said it before the love grows each day, but after having Miss A I can totally relate. Even though being a parent is the toughest job I've had to do, it is definitly the most rewarding one.
I am not going to lie, things have been difficult. By the end of the day all I want to do is crawl into bad without even washing my face and changing into PJs. After all, it saves about 10-15 minutes and I can sure use it for my sleep.
Miss A has been changing and growing. She turned 4 months last week. She is absolutely adorable and makes my day everytime she smiles or does something new.I never understood when people said it before the love grows each day, but after having Miss A I can totally relate. Even though being a parent is the toughest job I've had to do, it is definitly the most rewarding one.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
I used to be that girl
That girl who loved and enjoyed:
-putting make up everyday (foundation and eye liner)
-blow dry my hair after each wash and occasionally straighten them
-dress up nicely for work
-go shopping on a weekday just because I could
-wear heels everyday
-wear sweats only to the gym and around the house with a matching top
-got mani and pedi every two weeks
And now since our little princess arrived, I feel like a totally different person. I just don't have enough time for myself anymore.
Let's see how it all changed:
-I still try to put make up everyday, especially since I returned to work. when I stayed at home with Ariela, I didn't have time nor strength for make-up.
-Blow dryer, what is that? Seriously, I forgot I had one.
-Yeah, so about that. Since I still can't fit into everything and haven't bought myself any new pair of pants (for motivation to loose weight), I can only fit into two pairs of jeans. Also, my closet is now in Ariela's room. I know, I know... our house is roomy but it definitely doesn't have enough closets. So, I have to prepare my clothes from the night before and honestly it is been pretty easy since I really can't wear a lot with jeans.
-Shopping...let's just skip that painful subject right now. I am waiting till I can fit into my regular size 2-4 pants. Plus, I am always in a hurry to get home so my mom can get some rest and go home.
-For the last two months, all I wore were sneakers. I started wearing little heels to work but nothing comparing to what I wore before. I am afraid I'll loose balance caring my bag, my lunch, and my pump.
-Again, for the last couple of months that is all.i.wore. I can't imagine my life without them now. I would start the day with a matching top but then I would need to change my tops a few times per day because of the spit ups and other fun spills.
-I did manage to escape out of the house for mani and pedi just once before New Years. That is right, if you can't count, I haven't done them in almost two months. I try not to look at my toes and it is easy now since I wear socks all the time in this weather. But my hands is a totally different story. I always try to hide them when I am around people. I am noticing people staring at my nails at work. Maybe, just maybe I am being paranoid. But all of the girls at work used to compliment me on my nails before and now they probably think I turned into that Mom who doesn't take care of herself. But that is a story for another blog post.
-putting make up everyday (foundation and eye liner)
-blow dry my hair after each wash and occasionally straighten them
-dress up nicely for work
-go shopping on a weekday just because I could
-wear heels everyday
-wear sweats only to the gym and around the house with a matching top
-got mani and pedi every two weeks
And now since our little princess arrived, I feel like a totally different person. I just don't have enough time for myself anymore.
Let's see how it all changed:
-I still try to put make up everyday, especially since I returned to work. when I stayed at home with Ariela, I didn't have time nor strength for make-up.
-Blow dryer, what is that? Seriously, I forgot I had one.
-Yeah, so about that. Since I still can't fit into everything and haven't bought myself any new pair of pants (for motivation to loose weight), I can only fit into two pairs of jeans. Also, my closet is now in Ariela's room. I know, I know... our house is roomy but it definitely doesn't have enough closets. So, I have to prepare my clothes from the night before and honestly it is been pretty easy since I really can't wear a lot with jeans.
-Shopping...let's just skip that painful subject right now. I am waiting till I can fit into my regular size 2-4 pants. Plus, I am always in a hurry to get home so my mom can get some rest and go home.
-For the last two months, all I wore were sneakers. I started wearing little heels to work but nothing comparing to what I wore before. I am afraid I'll loose balance caring my bag, my lunch, and my pump.
-Again, for the last couple of months that is all.i.wore. I can't imagine my life without them now. I would start the day with a matching top but then I would need to change my tops a few times per day because of the spit ups and other fun spills.
-I did manage to escape out of the house for mani and pedi just once before New Years. That is right, if you can't count, I haven't done them in almost two months. I try not to look at my toes and it is easy now since I wear socks all the time in this weather. But my hands is a totally different story. I always try to hide them when I am around people. I am noticing people staring at my nails at work. Maybe, just maybe I am being paranoid. But all of the girls at work used to compliment me on my nails before and now they probably think I turned into that Mom who doesn't take care of herself. But that is a story for another blog post.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
A Trip To Remember
Today we went to wish Mr. V's mom Happy Birthday. She celebrated her 60th birthday in a very nice buffet with lots of champagne and great jazz music. It was Ariela's first trip to the restaurant. We would leave her with my parents but they were invited as well.
We were an hour late, since our little princess decided to do her business (#2) right when we were ready to leave. So she was back on the changing table :)
When we got to the restaurant Ariela was sleeping for the first 30 minutes. She gave us some time to say hello to everyone and to grab some food. Then it was her time to eat. By the way, she is still not a good eater. So, there she was, drinking her milk and doing her business again (#2) while she was on my lap. At that time, Mr. V's mom decided that it was time to take a picture of the whole gang. Ariela took a little break and posed for the picture. The guy who took the picture started counting 3, 2, 1 and right when he said 1, Ariela started crying so loud that a lot of people in the restaurant could hear. We got back to our sits and Ariela continued with her feast. And again, she was continuing with her business (#2) while she was eating on my laps. All of a sudden, my fingers feel warm and wet and they kind of smelled. What do you know, my little princess got not only herself dirty but her momma as well.
I quickly called Mr. V. He grabbed the diaper bag and the waiter showed us an empty private room where we could change Ariela, since they didn't have the changing station in the bathroom (which by the way is a little annoying. I think each restaurant should have one, especially now that I have a kid :) ). I was thankful that I had another outfit in the diaper bag, because her new Gap leggings and a cute onesie were all DIRTY. We quickly changed her and went back to the guests like nothing happened. I was also thankful that I wore black pants and no one could see a little mark Ariela left on them.
Over all, I realized how hard it is to go out with a baby. You have to get yourself and the baby ready, refill the diaper bag, make sure you have enough diapers, wipes, food, clothes, extra paci and a blanket. Then you have to leave the house in the time interval when your baby is not hungry, otherwise you are stuck for another 30 minutes. Then comes the driving, which is relatively easy since Ariela falls asleep in the car almost all the time. Then at the restaurant you can't just relax, enjoy the food and the atmosphere. I felt like I was always in a hurry. I am eating much faster, constantly looking if the baby is asleep, constantly looking at the clock if it is time for her to eat or sleep or if I need to start warming up the her milk/formula.
Today was definitely a trip to remember. Next time, I am taking two additional sets of clothes for Ariela and maybe one for me :)
We were an hour late, since our little princess decided to do her business (#2) right when we were ready to leave. So she was back on the changing table :)
When we got to the restaurant Ariela was sleeping for the first 30 minutes. She gave us some time to say hello to everyone and to grab some food. Then it was her time to eat. By the way, she is still not a good eater. So, there she was, drinking her milk and doing her business again (#2) while she was on my lap. At that time, Mr. V's mom decided that it was time to take a picture of the whole gang. Ariela took a little break and posed for the picture. The guy who took the picture started counting 3, 2, 1 and right when he said 1, Ariela started crying so loud that a lot of people in the restaurant could hear. We got back to our sits and Ariela continued with her feast. And again, she was continuing with her business (#2) while she was eating on my laps. All of a sudden, my fingers feel warm and wet and they kind of smelled. What do you know, my little princess got not only herself dirty but her momma as well.
I quickly called Mr. V. He grabbed the diaper bag and the waiter showed us an empty private room where we could change Ariela, since they didn't have the changing station in the bathroom (which by the way is a little annoying. I think each restaurant should have one, especially now that I have a kid :) ). I was thankful that I had another outfit in the diaper bag, because her new Gap leggings and a cute onesie were all DIRTY. We quickly changed her and went back to the guests like nothing happened. I was also thankful that I wore black pants and no one could see a little mark Ariela left on them.
Over all, I realized how hard it is to go out with a baby. You have to get yourself and the baby ready, refill the diaper bag, make sure you have enough diapers, wipes, food, clothes, extra paci and a blanket. Then you have to leave the house in the time interval when your baby is not hungry, otherwise you are stuck for another 30 minutes. Then comes the driving, which is relatively easy since Ariela falls asleep in the car almost all the time. Then at the restaurant you can't just relax, enjoy the food and the atmosphere. I felt like I was always in a hurry. I am eating much faster, constantly looking if the baby is asleep, constantly looking at the clock if it is time for her to eat or sleep or if I need to start warming up the her milk/formula.
Today was definitely a trip to remember. Next time, I am taking two additional sets of clothes for Ariela and maybe one for me :)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tick Tock
Ariela turned 2 months a few days ago. It feels like she has been part of my life for a much longer period than 2 months. I can't even picture my life without her now. We are going for her 2 month appointment next week. She'll be getting a few more shots, hopefully, she'll just cry for couple of seconds like last time. I am curious to see how much she weights right now and how tall she is. I think she is about 12 pounds right now, although sometimes she feels much heavier (also sometimes she pees a few times into her diaper before I can change it and that big heavy diaper makes her weight even more).
For the last week she hasn't been eating that much. I should probably correct myself. She'll eat about 3oz and then she'll stop and wouldn't take the bottle anymore. She'll start to turn her head right and left and sometimes she would start crying if I push her to eat more. It is like she is saying "mom, can't you understand? I am full". But being a mother who spends her time googling things about eating and new development for each week/month, I am trying to make her eat a little more. I read that at 2 months, babies should be eating between 4-6oz. So, now we have a deal with her. She'll eat her 3oz, I'll burp her and sometimes I'll change her so she wouldn't fall asleep, and then I'll feed her another 1-2 oz. And it works! You live, you learn. She'll finish the rest of her feeding. Yes, it does take about 40 minutes now for each feeding but at least I know she is getting the right amount of milk/formula.
And now for the updates:
-Ariela's favorite songs are "Ot ulibki" and "Kapitan" (we talk and sing to her in Russian). Both songs have the words ulibki (smiles) in them and she always smiles when we sings those songs.
-she makes the cutest sounds like "ga", "gu", "a".
-she smiles every time she wakes up and sees us.
-she recognizes her grandparents and smiles at them.
-Ariela still doesn't like her tummy time that much, she'll only last 3-4 minutes
-she started to fall asleep on her own. I swaddle her and put her in her crib, give her a paci and sometimes she falls asleep all by herself.
-she'll cry if she can't fall asleep.
-Ariela started to hold on to things with her tiny little fingers
-she is more alert and more active during the day, although she likes to nap every 2-3 hours.
-it takes her about 30 minutes to be fully awake in the morning. She'll wake up, then fall back asleep for couple of minutes and that will continue for about half an hour (she totally got that from me, or should I say from pre-baby me).
For the last week she hasn't been eating that much. I should probably correct myself. She'll eat about 3oz and then she'll stop and wouldn't take the bottle anymore. She'll start to turn her head right and left and sometimes she would start crying if I push her to eat more. It is like she is saying "mom, can't you understand? I am full". But being a mother who spends her time googling things about eating and new development for each week/month, I am trying to make her eat a little more. I read that at 2 months, babies should be eating between 4-6oz. So, now we have a deal with her. She'll eat her 3oz, I'll burp her and sometimes I'll change her so she wouldn't fall asleep, and then I'll feed her another 1-2 oz. And it works! You live, you learn. She'll finish the rest of her feeding. Yes, it does take about 40 minutes now for each feeding but at least I know she is getting the right amount of milk/formula.
And now for the updates:
-Ariela's favorite songs are "Ot ulibki" and "Kapitan" (we talk and sing to her in Russian). Both songs have the words ulibki (smiles) in them and she always smiles when we sings those songs.
-she makes the cutest sounds like "ga", "gu", "a".
-she smiles every time she wakes up and sees us.
-she recognizes her grandparents and smiles at them.
-Ariela still doesn't like her tummy time that much, she'll only last 3-4 minutes
-she started to fall asleep on her own. I swaddle her and put her in her crib, give her a paci and sometimes she falls asleep all by herself.
-she'll cry if she can't fall asleep.
-Ariela started to hold on to things with her tiny little fingers
-she is more alert and more active during the day, although she likes to nap every 2-3 hours.
-it takes her about 30 minutes to be fully awake in the morning. She'll wake up, then fall back asleep for couple of minutes and that will continue for about half an hour (she totally got that from me, or should I say from pre-baby me).
Friday, January 15, 2010
Work?
I can't believe it is been almost 9 weeks of my maternity leave. I still have a little over 3 weeks. My boss expects me to be back mid February but I was thinking of staying home for another couple of weeks without pay.
I just thanked my boss over IM for a gift card that I received over the holidays and he mentioned that we'll need to talk next week about my return. Now I am sitting here with teary eyes and thinking that I'll need to leave my baby girl for a whole day. I think the longest I left her was 5 hours. Mr. V, MIL, SIL and I went to see Avatar and left Ariela with my parents. I was sooo excited on the drive to my parent's house to see my girl. But soon I would need to leave for almost 11 hours. And now I am not just teary, I am crying. Seriously, I wish I could work part time but I don't think my work would allow it and I wouldn't be able to finish everything in 20-25 hours. Sucks!
Who do I leave her with? I wish I could stay home for another 4-5 months until she is a bit older. But I would probably loose my job and it would be really hard to find another job in the near future. My mom will soon find out if she will be on unemployment soon or if she'll return to work. I now it is really selfish of me, but I wish she would be getting unemployment and watch Ariela. Mr. V and I would be adding some $$$ to her unemployment. That would be the best! I would still be sad leaving my baby girl for a whole day but at least I would know she is in good hands. I can't imagine her attending daycare just yet. Plus, I am sure every mother has her ways of taking care of her baby and daycare just wouldn't be the same. Oh decisions, decisions.
I just thanked my boss over IM for a gift card that I received over the holidays and he mentioned that we'll need to talk next week about my return. Now I am sitting here with teary eyes and thinking that I'll need to leave my baby girl for a whole day. I think the longest I left her was 5 hours. Mr. V, MIL, SIL and I went to see Avatar and left Ariela with my parents. I was sooo excited on the drive to my parent's house to see my girl. But soon I would need to leave for almost 11 hours. And now I am not just teary, I am crying. Seriously, I wish I could work part time but I don't think my work would allow it and I wouldn't be able to finish everything in 20-25 hours. Sucks!
Who do I leave her with? I wish I could stay home for another 4-5 months until she is a bit older. But I would probably loose my job and it would be really hard to find another job in the near future. My mom will soon find out if she will be on unemployment soon or if she'll return to work. I now it is really selfish of me, but I wish she would be getting unemployment and watch Ariela. Mr. V and I would be adding some $$$ to her unemployment. That would be the best! I would still be sad leaving my baby girl for a whole day but at least I would know she is in good hands. I can't imagine her attending daycare just yet. Plus, I am sure every mother has her ways of taking care of her baby and daycare just wouldn't be the same. Oh decisions, decisions.
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