mastitis, united, & coco's.... oh my!

sorry, lame title.... i tried.

but yep, mastitis... oh boy. got that last week & it hit me hard. it's an infection from breast feeding & i was sick, sick, sick as a dog. throwing up, fever of 103, aches, chills, not fun. but got on antibiotics & immediately started feeling better. not sure how i got it..... i think it's from going to zumba, sweating my toukas off & then sitting in the burger king drive thru for 30 min (it's guam & at 8pm at a fast food drive thru with an old chamorro lady trying to run the joint, it alas, does take 30 minutes) - side note: this is a pretty funny story so i'll backtrack in a minute but this is so OOG (only on guam).... i pull up & wait behind a truck at the squack box for like 10 min, then he pulls up & i can order, ordering an oreo shake for jeff - i was being good - & it takes her a minute, i had to prompt her to make sure she was still there, but after she figures it out & i can, i pull up. then more waiting, about another 15 minutes & then i make it to the window. i get up there & she says "chocolate?" & i say "oreo shake" & she says "with chocolate?" me: "whatever it's made with." her: "we only have chocolate." me, in my head: "why'd you ask?" , out loud: "sure." she goes away, comes back & says "we don't have chocolate. do you want something else?" me: "no." her: "i will just give you cash back (i had paid with debit card, i never have cash) because i don't know how to do a refund"...... so i waited in a burger king drive through for 30 minutes for nothing. SO, this is when i think all that sweat & nasty-work-out-ness caused my inflammation. sitting with my stinky breast pads that long couldn't possibly have been good. but who knows, i just know i don't want to get it again.... or go through the burger king drive thru anymore.....

& yay!! i booked our tickets back to the states! & got the good seats.... for no extra charge! on continental i have the seats with the bassinet hook-up! & on united i have extra leg room! well i had to pay $49 for that one, but it'll be way worth it when the seat in front of me is not compressing us into a big ball of baby, blankets & tray tables.

& coco's island.... jeff swam from guam to the island yesterday! wish lena & i could have gone to watch, but he was gone all day & came home burnt (even though he says he reapplied), so that's no place for a baby.

on a sleep note.... lena's in the crib for the first part of the night again! have yet to see another 7 hours straight, but we get some good sleep time in before the little midnight tap dancer takes over our bed.....

that'll show you

ok, so i shoulda kept my big mouth shut.... after cheerfully sharing, um.... bragging, that lena slept 7 hours straight in her crib on facebook, she has decided to show us who's boss by not sleeping in her crib at night again..... sad face here. yep, that night of 7 blissful hours was followed the next night, by one, yes one hour in her crib & the rest of the night spent back in the big kid bed so us parents could get some sleep. and again last night, same thing.... she won't stay in her crib.... i put her down, she sleeps for about an hour & wakes up & cries. i rock her, put her back down & immediately with the crying again. rock her some more, feed her, put her down.... no bueno..... hmmm......

on a better note, a much cuter, sweet note.... a video of lena laughing! this will melt your heart!

yes!

the past 2 nights have been a success.... she's sleeping in her crib..... but we have yet to see for how long. the night before last, she went down around 9 & i woke her up around 3 to feed her. she was out when i went to get her from the crib. & then last night she went down at 830 & the stupid monitor's battery died around 1230, so i didn't feel ok leaving her in her room by herself without some way of hearing if she was ok. so she came to our bed at that point. BUT, monitors are charged & we are ready for another night! i'm just so happy she is liking her crib! now what are we gonna do when we leave here & go to va? hope she's adaptable!

the good, the bad & the baby

last night was full of 2 notable firsts..... to start, lena is pretty good whenever we're out, not fussy, usually sleeping or at least interested in looking around.... well, that ended last night when jeff & i went to eat at our fav restaurant mermaid tavern (ruby tuesday holds a close second). not shortly after we ordered did the sweet sleepy lena rouse from slumberland & turn into a major fussbutt. ok, she wasn't that bad, but jeff & i had to take turns eating our food as one of us constantly walked her around so she wouldn't start howling again. so the sweet newborn days of constant/ consistent sleep are coming to an end..... ah boy.....

second, & this one is big, lena slept in her crib for part of the night!!!! ok, let me back up & put our embarrassing secret out there. lena sleeps in our bed. gasp! shock! i know, i know, not good.... bad habits, SIDS, accidently elbowing the baby in the head, etc. but it just happened one night when she was around 1 month old & it just was so nice to finally have sleep (she is a fantastic adult bed sleeper) & it was so easy to breast feed & honestly it was so sweet to have her right next to us (she's also a wonderful cuddler). so we kept doing it. & it's great, we all have been sleeping well at nights since she was a month old. (& she hasn't received any el-blows to the noggin.) but in the back of my mind is that little voice saying, "amy, when will she sleep on her own? if you don't start soon, you'll end up with a 5 year old in our bed...." plus i'm also really ashamed to talk about it, but honestly out of the handful of people i've told there has only been one negative commenter, the others have pretty much said, "whatever works for you" ..... to my face & probably much worse behind my back.

SO, anyway, i've been taking baby steps to get her there. starting with consistent napping during the day in her crib. & now that she's comfortable there i think it might be a reality that she'll sleep at night on her own. i put her down last night for a little evening nap at 730 (we all go to bed around 9pm) until she'd wake for the next feeding & then we'd all go to bed together. well 930 rolled around & she was out, so jeff & i just went to bed. took the baby monitor in our room & left lena in hers & i felt certain she'd be awake within a half an hour of us falling asleep, but nope..... she slept until I woke HER up around 1230!!! i just couldn't take it any more, my boobs were rocks & i needed some relief so i had to get her up to feed her, but i wonder just how long she would have slept?

this was surprisingly easy, well for jeff & lena, a little harder for me...... jeff fell asleep right away, but i laid awake most of that time & went in to check that she was still breathing i think at least 3 times. but this is promising! i won't have to go to college with her, she will gain independence!! yay!!

we'll try again tonight & see if she can do it again & then eventually maybe after i nurse her she can go back in the crib & do the whole night sometime soon!! i'll keep you posted! baby steps....

lena video

here is a montage of lena moments age 0 to (almost) 3 months...... she turns 3 months next week, but i couldn't wait any longer to post the video..... here are some highlights of her developments too......

she has started "crawling"... scooting herself backwards!

she kinda does a mini push up in tummy time - can hold herself up on her elbows

she brings things to her mouth with her hands.....

she brings both hands together (she's done this for a while)

she hugs your neck when you are holding her & especially when she's sleepy, she'll nuzzle into your neck & chest

she's blowing little bubbles with her mouth

she is laughing more & very "talkative"

she is much more predictable.... mommy can tell now when she's hungry, tired, bored, etc

she is napping exclusively in her crib!!!! next step is nights.... but for naps i rock her for a minute, put her white noise cd on & put her down in the crib & with her thumb in her mouth she drifts off & sleeps very well now!

she is very interested in new things.... & really likes people watching!

enjoy the video.... there was so much to chose from, but i tried to keep it short & in most of the clips i try to state what age she is, but not all of them.... it's kinda neat to see how big she has gotten in comparison to her play gym! she is gonna be a tall one like her daddy!

2 months!

Lena, you are 2 months old my dear! & you are such a doll! you had your check up yesterday & everything looks great! here are some highlights at this time......

you weigh 11lbs 13 oz!

you are 23.5 inches long!

you are very vocal... lots of coos & ahhs & even a giddy shreeek here & there

you have found your thumb & love it! you are a great self soother

you are super smiley, especially in the morning!

you sleep through the night - usually 4-6 hr stretches every night (more on sleep in another post to come soon)

you are starting to like your crib more & more - in fact that's where you're napping right now

you love spending time with daddy - when he carries you in "the basket" & you both watch soccer - that's your favorite!!

you are still bald, but i see those little hairs getting longer (can't wait to put all these clips & bows in your hair) ...... & you are blessed with the schultze swirl.... super cute!

you are the sweetest little girl in the world & we love you so so so much!!

grammy, the beach & our baby

ok, i'm getting behind.... i have SO many cute photos i gotta catch up & put some up here! anyway, we had a great visit with grammy & hated it when she had to leave, but really treasure the time we had together. so here are some photos of when we went to the beach!

damn you onesies

ok, so i think i hate onesies, or at least i thought i did until i realized what a giant baby i have (countered with the fact that gerber must have their infant sizes wrong)..... here's the story..... so i was dressing Lena, in a onesie - a 3-6 MONTH SIZED ONESIE - and she is one month old. go figure.... anyway, putting her in a onesie is torture for me.... trying to get it over her head without scratching her or letting her head flop all over the place, feeling like i'm twisting her arm, it's just no fun for her or me.

i have to admit though i do laugh when the onesie gets caught on her head with just her face poking out.... she looks like some cute crazy creature with her short-sleeved ears.....

but anyway, once the torture of dressing her is over & snaps are snapped.... i realize how snug it is (uh, ya think?) but i'm bewildered because it's a 3-6 MONTH ONESIE!! long story short, i didn't want to go through the pain of twisting her body to get her in & out of this damn onesie again..... i decide to cut her out, while vowing how much I HATE ONESIES!! & she will never again wear one because it's just too difficult!

but after a new dawn & another attempt at a onesie, this time a carter's 3 month, i am rethinking my vow..... maybe just swear off gerber & anything smaller than 3 month sizes (at least for the next week when then she'll probably fit into 6 month sizes....)

here's a snapshot of the remains of the dreaded gerber onesie...... ironic that it says "little lady" on the front, huh?

a close up

the remains....

one month birthday!

yay Lena! you just had your one month birthday! you are more & more beautiful each day! here are some highlights.......

*you weighed 9 pounds 14 ounces at the doctor last week

*you are sleeping better at night

*you're not as fussy - don't think you're colicky, i think you were just going through a growth/ gassy phase

*you are so funny when you wake up - you stretch & throw your head back & stick your little butt butt way out & make the cutest funny face

*you also make the cutest face when you're peeing & pooping - still hoping to catch it on film soon - the face that is..... ;)

*you have had some great bonding time with grammy while she's been visiting

*you have counted to 5 on your fingers - not sure you know what you're doing but i do.....

*you smiled a real smile at me & it melted my heart

i love you sweet Lena, you are the world to me & i love you more than i ever thought i could

happy new year!!

hey there 2011! can't believe it's already here! 2010 was filled with news of pregnancy, the birth of our nephew Grayson, a visit stateside with family, a trip to hong kong, another nephew born - Caleb & then the birth of our sweet baby girl Lena!

grammy is here visiting & we are so happy she's here! Lena is doing well..... we think she's a bit colicky, which i hate.... it is so hard to watch your daughter scream in pain when there is nothing you can do to help her. but today has been good, she has slept all day... which she really needed - last night was epic. poor baby. fingers crossed tonight isn't too bad.....

anyway, here are some latest pics.....

over daddy's shoulder

meeting grammy at the airport

being silly with grammy

2 weeks old

little Lena, you are 2 weeks old today! i can't believe how fast the time has gone by! you are super precious & we fall more & more in love with you each day! you had your 2 week check up today & are back to your birth weight & gained almost an inch in length! here are some current Lena highlights......

*you do not fit into newborn clothes, your long legs simply won't fit

*you wear 0-3 months

*you are breast feeding well

*you like to pee & poop on the scale at the doctors office (& on the changing table at home)

*your umbilical cord stump fell off last night

*you are still mostly bald with a soft dusting of peach fuzz (super soft)

*you like car rides & being on walks in the stroller

*you do not like sleeping at night (this one we gotta work on....)

*when you do sleep you do the cutest things with your hands & arms (very articulate little girl)

*you managed to flip yourself onto your tummy once when you were sleeping (very advanced, but scary for mommy & daddy - doc says to use a sleep positioner)

*we love holding you & spend a lot of time just looking at you & how beautiful you are

thanks for being our sweet baby girl, we are so grateful that you are here in our lives! we love you SO very much!!

being silly with daddy, you burrowed your head into his stinky pits.....

Our Lena

our baby is here! she is so wonderful! we are so in love! she arrived december 9th after a long 21 hour labor..... she weighed in at 8lbs 11oz..... big baby girl!

so after several weeks of waiting & being SO pregnant, the doc finally scheduled an induction at 41 weeks. we were supposed to go in wed morning, but then it got switched to wed at midnight, then after a call that afternoon we were asked to come in at 5:30. funny little thing happened that day.... i started having contractions! yay! labor had started on it's own! so we went in at 5:30 & i was 2-3cm & 80% effaced. so we walked, and walked, and walked & labor progressed on it's own. but after 15 hours & at 7 cm, being in the hospital (no food or drink or comforts of home) was taking a toll on me & i asked for an epidural. totally not part of the birth plan, but i was exhausted & needing help. so after the epidural, i felt great & then i felt nothing & felt numb & regretted getting the epidural. labor stalled & they started pitocin. i feel that if i had been able to be at home & labor until further along i might have lasted longer & wouldn't have gone this route. but it is what it is. i started spiking a fever around 9 cm & her heart rate went up, which indicates a possible infection in the uterus. so they rushed me to try to push her out! after almost 30 minutes of pushing & with help from a vacuum, our sweet baby girl was here!

they placed an IV in her little baby arm in order to give precautionary antibiotics in case there was an infection. & we had to wait 48 hours for her test results, but all turned out fine! she's healthy & perfect! we were in the hospital from wed night until sun afternoon, felt like forever! but the hospital staff & our doctor were amazing! my doc was working in the family health clinic at the hospital, but would take breaks to come check on me & ended up doing the delivery! i had 3rd degree tears from the rushed delivery & the size of her, so recovery has been rough. but i'm feeling a lot better now! but wow, labor & delivery is the most intense experience ever! & nothing went by my birth plan, except that she is here & healthy & lovely! & that's all that matters! breast feeding is going well, sleeping for mom & dad not as much, we still hold her while she sleeps & just stare at her instead of taking naps like we should. just can't take our eyes off her!

here are some pictures of our little beauty! & i have some cute ones with papa too, but it's time to feed, so i'll post more next time!

lena lena, my little ballerina! she has her arms in 5th position while she sleeps! too cute!

a late check out

so, baby girl is really enjoying her time in mommy's tummy..... at 40+ weeks.... trying to be patient, but it is SO HARD! we are so ready to meet her & hold her & i want to be able to move freely & see my knuckles again! but she's healthy & i am dilated (2cm) & 50% effaced, so there's some movement in that direction. it just kinda feels like ground hog's day.... everyday i think, she could be here today! & to top it off, her nursery, clothes, car seat, everything has been ready for weeks..... so not much more nesting to do. trying to sleep & read a lot, take advantage of "me" time..... but i'm so ready for "we" time! here's a pic of the nursery! & a pic of the mobile i made for her.... made it out of extra card stock from our wedding invites!

and the cousin is here!!

my sister had her baby!! caleb is such a cutie!! my sister was scheduled for a c-section (had her first child cohen through c-section) wed nov 24, but went into labor sat nov 20! she was 7cm dilated & 100% effaced & had a successful VBAC!! & caleb is just precious!! here's her post to read more & see the sweet pictures...... now we're just waiting on one more this year!

our 1 year guamaversary!

so we've officially been living in guam for a year! the first part of it seemed to drag on, but then all of a sudden - bam! we've been here a year?! only 2 more to go!! i've met so many great friends since i've been here, jeff's gotten back into soccer, we went to hong kong, i traveled space a for the first time & the biggest news of all - we made a baby!! & man, due date is quick approaching! we just finished a crash lamaze course at the birthing center & i think her nursery is finally finished (pics to come soon)..... so now we just wait for our sweet baby girl to make her appearance! i can not wait to meet her! we are so excited!

maternity photos

the weekend before jeff left, we got to do an awesome photo shoot with mike from jeff's office. he's building his portfolio & wanted to get some maternity shots & of course we wanted to document this awesome time too. we had a blast! the first shoot we got some amazing shots, but only shot for about 30 minutes, which included a double rainbow & then the sky dumped on us! but we got together again a few days later & got some more fun shots! check out his websitehere & if you're in guam, you should contact him & get some special photos done!

the double rainbow!

a kiss after the rain

2nd time shooting, the waves made sure we didn't stay dry for long

air force soccer article

an article about my husband came out today! i'm so proud of him & so excited! he made it stateside safely & soon the training camp begins! read about it here.....

so proud of my husband

so jeff was accepted for the All Air Force Soccer Training Camp! a pretty big deal.... out of the whole air force, they chose 43 players & not only is jeff a keeper (fewer number of people chosen) but he was 1 of 5 in his rank! he gets to go back to the states, which by itself is amazing, but he gets to go back to where we lived before we moved to guam! fort walton beach!! he's gonna be able to see his family & our friends (not to mention eat at lenny's & shop at target)!

i am very excited & have a good feeling he'll be chosen for the team. not trying to jinx it, but he's been training so hard & deserves this! besides playing on the men's league here, he's also been training & playing with the Guam Men's National Team.

anyway, gonna miss him a bunch this next month, but so excited for him! here's hoping baby girl stays snug & cozy in mommy's tummy while daddy's gone! at 30 weeks today! she's kicking now, she's proud of her awesome poppa!

can you say "remembrance, hope & gratitude"?

ok, so my last post was me complaining about the rainy season here. & yesterday it had been 5 years since hurricane katrina had hit. i remember that day & the days that followed...... living right on the gulf during this time of year is always unsettling (ivan hit us hard & destroyed a lot in 2004), but watching what new orleans suffered through was so disheartening. we were fine when katrina hit, just loss of power for a while, but it was horrible to see the destruction & devastation that occurred. but there is hope now with ongoing rebuilding efforts & as we continue to hear stories of survival & perseverance.

and the victims of the floods in pakistan. so sad to see all the destruction & suffering occurring in their country.

so i hope & pray for the victims of these natural disasters. & i feel gratitude that here in guam we were safe the day i blogged about the rain.

can you say "rainy season"?

so this tropical little island in the middle of nowhere has only 2 seasons.... rainy & dry. & i didn't think much of it as we entered the rainy season this year & enjoyed a smattering of little showers here & there. i was thinking, "man, this isn't that bad. it rains a little bit for a few minutes & then back to sunshine".... well, then came this week. with rains that lasted on & off all day. & finding myself being poured on not once, but twice this week, running from store to car. but then yesterday as i was driving back from yoga i got to see the ugly side of these rains. i go to yoga down at the navy base, which is not very far away (considering the whole island is like 30 miles long - with us at the top & navy in the middle) but it's about a 40 minute drive one way.

anyway, so it was raining, a lot, when i left navy & knew it would take longer than the 40 minute drive considering the rains were so bad. but i was not prepared for the roads to turn into muddy rivers. really. the water was up to the top of cars tires. it was pretty scary. & the times when you could see the pavement it looked like a coconut mass murder horror scene with coconuts shattered all over the place. the power was out & there were a few cops out directing our hybrid land/ water vehicles where to drive.

but thankfully i made it out alive & didn't float away & as i get back closer to the top of the island, it looks like there hadn't even been a drop of rain all day. sunny & dry & the total opposite of what i just drove through.

only on guam. wish i had a camera with me yesterday...... rivers for roads, muddy waterfalls down the side of the mountains, coconut crime scenes...... i have a feeling that wasn't the one & only time.....

hong kong hustle

so we went to hong kong last weekend & had a wonderful time! we purchased a holiday packet from info, tickets & tours (ITT) on base, which was easy & somewhat affordable. we left on a friday night & were greeted at the airport by our own driver who took us right to the hotel. we stayed at the regal hong kong, which is located in causeway bay on the island. a nice hotel, it smelled good (important for a pregnant lady) & the staff were very friendly. our room had a nice view of the city & the best part of the hotel, besides location, was the rooftop pool.

saturday we took the mtr to the big buddah on lantau island & had an awesome (sweaty hot) day! had lunch at one of the shopping areas near the mtr before heading back. the mtr is easy to navigate & affordable (we got the octopus card), but certain areas still require a lot of walking to get from the train to your destination. but it seemed like every station had a mall inside. holy shopping hong kong!

our personalized tv greeting

some sights around the hotel

in the cable car

big buddah & mini buddah belly

one of the deities at the top

after our late lunch & train ride back, we hit the pool & chilled out until it was time to shower up & head out for dinner. we stayed close to the hotel & checked out a huge mall in causeway bay - times square. we ate at a nice chinese restaurant & had dumplings & a chicken & veggie dish. the waiter asked if we wanted a fork & knife & we said no, because, come on who wants to be those people..... we're not bad with chopsticks, but we're not the best. especially when the veggie dish has these teeny little slippery round mushrooms that made me feel like any second i could be mistaken for julia roberts in pretty woman when she shucks the snail across the restaurant. but all mushrooms stayed at our table & i wish i had gotten a picture of the table set up..... beautiful. but too hungry for pictures, so sorry blog.

killer views

chopstick store!

the next day we were gonna head out to the bird & flower market & then hit up a temple, but it was a bit rainy so we headed across the island to kowloon & tsim sha tsui to check out the museums. we went to the art museum which was awesome, beside beautiful art the view from the building was stellar. you could see all the harbor! we had a great time. after the museum we headed to harbour city, another huge shopping area. we had the best burgers at BLT burger & walked around a bit before heading back to the hotel for some more pool time.

in the art museum, crazy view

hong kong ballet poster in the mtr

i really wanted to catch a harbor cruise to see the lights & buildings, but you can't rush a pregnant lady & when i need to eat, i need to eat. so we skipped it & hopped in a cab & headed to soho in search of a tapas restaurant i read about. again, i should have taken a picture of the restaurant, but when it comes to food there are no distractions. we shared some great plates & had delicious dessert & then wondered around soho. i think the following weekend there is a lunar festival of some kind because we saw lots of women outside burning things (papers, incense, food..... yep, little fruits & stuff). we even ran across a little shrine in an alley & it smelled so good with all the incense burning. to end the night we hit up a soccer pub & watched a game before heading back. the guy working there was awesome & even gave jeff a free beer!

alleyway in soho

alley shrine

at the soccer bar

so our last day, monday, we were planning to head up to the peak to take in the sights of the harbour, but jeff woke up really sick..... puking, chills, the whole deal. so i played mommy & walked to the 7-11 for meds & gatorades. i felt so bad for him.... who wants to get sick on vacation? poor guy. but he was a trooper. we got a late check out & then went to the closest mall to eat (well, so i could eat) & kill time before our car was to take us to the airport. we ducked into an alley market & got some good photos & then went back to the lobby to meet the car. we enjoyed our last drive through hong kong before boarding our plane back to guam.

taxi view

alley market

being dropped off at the airport, goodbye hong kong....

we had a great time together & it was a much deserved, although quite delayed honeymoon, (we've been married 4 years). it was a wonderful trip, being pregnant while traveling was no biggie (lovin the 2nd trimester) & we were so happy to do something special just the two of us before our baby girl arrives. we didn't stress that we didn't win the sight-seers most scenes seen award, there is SO much to do there, but we got a great feel for the city & culture & really enjoyed our time there. & who knows maybe we'll go back before we leave guam.