October 31, 2007

Halloween with Mr. Jack

Happy Halloween, everyone! I didn't go trick or treating tonight, nor did I wear a costume; I was told that there will be plenty of time to dress up over the next few years. Besides, Daddy was at brass practice tonight during trick o' treat, so Mommy had me at home alone where she had to hold me AND pass out candy to the neighborhood kids. However, we had to cut it short after a bunch of kids started to rush to try to touch me. “Oh, a baby! How cute!” Yeccchh. Don't these children realize the germs they have on their hands? So Mommy finally closed the house and left the candy with our neighbor. So goes my first Halloween. Exciting, eh?

The only picture I have that shows me during the festive Halloween is shown below, taken yesterday at my visit to my oncologist. I'll speak to that in my next blog.


Ready to be weighed. On the right is Mr. Jack. I think his last name is O'lantern.

October 26, 2007

Not a Good Day

Most days, although punctuated with crying here and there, are pretty good days. Not today, however. It began when I had to see one of my pediatricians, Dr. Siddiqui. For several days, Mommy noticed small bits of blood in my poop. After a few questions and examination, Dr. Siddiqui felt this was likely an inflammatory reaction my colon had to certain food proteins and that Mommy should stop eating food with dairy or soy. “Whew,” I thought, that's all that needs to be done. WRONG! I completely forgot that it was time for my 2-month immunizations. So I got 3 pokes. OUCH. OUCH. OUCH. Then she said I needed some blood drawn to make sure I wasn't anemic. Hello, if I'm anemic then don't draw my blood! Argument didn't work. OUCH again. Finally, we got home, but I didn't sleep well, and didn't feed well, and had a slight immunization-related fever. No wonder I'm crabby.



On the flip side, I'm still gaining weight (looking chubby now) and growing taller. Here are my 2-month stats:
Stat 2 months Percentile 1 month birth
Weight 9 lbs, 10 oz 5-10% 7 lbs, 7 oz 6 lbs, 2 oz
Length 23 inches 50-75% 21 inches 20 inches

So, even though it's a bad day, it's been a good month. Besides, today's almost over. As Little Orphan Annie sang in the musical Annie, “The sun will come up, tomorrow...you're only a day away.”


October 25, 2007

Whee! Da Swing!

It's about time. Mommy was about to give up on me. She couldn't get me to enjoy either bouncer we had at home, forcing her to continually hold me. How could she get housework done? Hmmm...what about swings? They exert a calming effect on babies, right? So mommy was about to purchase a brand new swing for me when Taylor Thomson's mommy, Diana, came to the rescue by offering his fancy swing for me to use. Taylor's a pretty big boy now, 14 months, so he doesn't need it. I wonder if it will help me to relax?

What do you think?



Boy, this swing is really cool! I could do this for a while...Thanks Taylor!


October 20, 2007

Making New Friends

Over time, we're going out a bit more, now that I'm almost eight weeks old. This weekend, we had the opportunity to visit the home of Daddy's colleague, Dr. John Littel, who lives in Kissimmee. He and his wife Kathleen served a wonderful lunch and we all had a great time playing and singing around the piano. The Littels have four daughters, and the youngest one, Lael, 7, can be seen below holding me. Although it seems like forever until I'll turn 7, I know that time will pass quickly, and it won't be long until I'll be holding a baby just like Lael.


Pretty in pink: Lael & I share a moment together at her home

October 14, 2007

Sunday Fashion: Modeling Hats

Mommy's good friend, Aunty Ann, is a pulmonary fellow who lives in Seattle. She was tired of studying for her boards, so she used some of that time to hand knit a hat for me! Apparently the first hat was a little large, so she made another, smaller-sized one for me! I thought I'd model these for your viewing pleasure.

 
Green hat, purple hat. All ready for winter! Professionally made by Dr. Ann Chen, fashion hat designer. Suggested retail: priceless!


October 13, 2007

My First Sabbath School

Today Mommy and Daddy took me to Sabbath School for the first time, which was at Florida Hospital Church. Apparently I have a formal wear shortage at my current weight as they dressed me in a denim outfit that was obviously oversized.  The class I attended was for ages birth to 30 months. There must have been a couple of dozen children running around; I was the youngest at six weeks. The group sang songs to canned music, stuffed animals and toys were everywhere, and it seemed fun. Even my parents were entertained – they obviously have not been to a cradle roll for quite some time. They had better start getting used to this!


On stage: I may look bored in this photo, but Sabbath School was fun!


October 12, 2007

Lazy Evening

After an exhausting day, no words are needed, just four letters: TGIF.

October 11, 2007

My Second Home: Mamma's Milk Sling

By now, you've seen me in photos bundled up in this green-colored piece of cloth. Widely known as “baby slings,” I think they rank up there along with diapers as a must-have item. If I get fussy, walking around will help; however, this piece of equipment allows Mommy and Daddy to be hands-free. Oh how I love the bouncy movement of being in the sling. It's really like the good old days when I was in Mommy's womb, laying in the curled-up position where I could listen to her heartbeat.  Daddy and Mommy take me around in the sling as much as possible: on morning walks, evening walks, and walking trips to the supermarket.

You could put me in a stroller, but strollers are bulkier and don't seem to get much notice. While baby slings appear to be more popular these days, they still attract plenty of attention. Mommy jokes that Daddy likes carrying me in the sling because it is a way to get the attention of attractive young women. Hey, even I realize that it is not Daddy they are looking at, but ME! Babies love attention.

By the way, this particular brand is known as Mamma's Milk. There are plenty of sling makers, and I'm not one generally to advertise, but you can find their slings online at http://www.mammasmilk.com.


That's me: A sweet pea in the pod, connecting with Daddy

October 4, 2007

At One Month: Emi's Stats

This week I had a checkup with Dr. Selsky, my pediatric oncologist. Everything looked good. Below are my one-month weight-length data:

Stat At one month Percentile At birth
Weight 7 lbs, 7 oz <5% 6 lbs, 2 oz
Length 21 inches 20% 20 inches

So, even though I still have catching up as you can see, I'm growing! Yaay!

There are also other things that I've noticed. I'm tracking objects better and am more responsive to external stimuli. I enjoy sleeping with my arms over my head and putting my fist under my chin. However, I'm still a lousy night sleeper. Which brings a question for you: what action is the most reliable predictor that can get me to sleep? Is it (a) wrapping me tightly in a blanket, (b) singing or playing music, or (c) picking me up and walking around? The answer is c! Somehow that motion just makes me feel right at home. Which is probably why I like that sling. I'll speak more to that in my next blog entry.


Mommy calls me the "Thinker."

(c) 2007 Vincent Hsu