CIO: The Controversy

There is perhaps no greater controversial topic in parenting circles then the manner in which one puts one's baby to sleep at night. Whether they choose CIO (crying it out), Family Bed, or something in between, there are enough arguments on both sides to escalate and defend the debate.

This recent Nightline segment addresses the topic but offers no new insight.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4263379&page=1

My view: since I'm a full-time working mom, I don't get a lot of hours with Lia during the day. Therefore I am HAPPY to make the night-time hours count and get some bonding in. And besides, how could I let a face like this cry alone in the dark???

Lia is 4 Months Old!

Our little munchkin turns 4 months today. She now weighs 13 lb. 8 oz (50th percentile) and measures 25.5 inches (90th percentile).

She now takes interest in the world around her. It was surely amusing when she first made contact with the cat. She broke into a big smile when he looked at her. And since then she has tried to touch him.


Is there such a thing as cat-riding?

Lia has rolled over about 2 weeks ago. She loves her activity gym.



On the down side, Lia has developed diaper rash. Her bottom looks like a bad sunburn. The course of events is this: cold==>ear infection==>antibiotics==>diarhea==>diaper rash. So obviously, with this type of domino effect, I hope she doesn't get another cold anytime soon. I also seriously hope this doesn't lead to thrush as well.

An Eventful Week

This past week presented a new challenge to both Lia and us as new parents: Lia got her first cold and ear infection. Being in the daycare environment, we knew this was inevitable. An average baby gets 6-8 colds a year. Lia started coughing and then all the other cold symptoms followed. When we took her to the doctor on Thursday they discovered she also has an ear infection. Fortunately we got her there before the fever spike hit. Now she is on antibiotics and appears to be improving overall. She does, however, produces several blow-out runny BM's during the day!


Don't hate me because I am beautiful.


I can grab things!


Mommy and me.


Ok, this is not funny anymore.

Lia is 3 Months Old!

Lia enjoying some tummy time. She likes to look in the mirror, stick her tongue out, and take baby steps on her legs. She is starting to get more use of her hands. The other night she grabbed her binky and threw it over her head. She is also moving around a lot more. We have to strap her in the chair or she would just kick and slide off.

I went back to work on Jan. 2 so Lia started daycare on the same day. Granted, this is not the ideal time because it's just after the holidays and she got off her routine when we were traveling. But my 12 weeks maternity leave is up and I have to go back. And now we are throwing her into a whole new routine. I am happy to say, though, she is adjusting well. Her evening routine has not been disrupted and she continues to eat and sleep well. The people there are really nice and I think it will work out fine.


Lia hitting the books.


Lia hitting the gym.

New Year's Eve

We celebrated NYE with the Schmidts and Wilsons at Golden Harvest Restaurant. It was also Rich's B-Day. Now that we all have little ones, the night began at 6 and ended at 9. No one was interested in coming back for a nightcap!







Everything was yummy!

Christmas 2007

We had a really great visit with Rich's family in Las Vegas over Christmas. Although I was nervous about Lia's first plane ride, she was a real trooper and had no problems... despite the airline losing the carseat (later recovered)... despite both Rich and I coming down with the cold (we washed our hands religiously- she never caught it)... despite the return flight being held up for two hours on the runway due to computer errors... Lia has just earned her first stripes as a globe trotter, just like her mama and papa!

It was really great to see everyone. Ron and Doris have had a really busy fourth quarter with their travels and parties. Randall et al drove up from Phoenix. Cousin Rylee was Lia's sponsor for her baptism.

Highlights: Red Rock, Chinatown, Bellagio Buffet, and Lia's baptism. We also had a nice family dinner on Christmas day. We were invited to Dale and Diane's for dinner on the 26th.

We did less this time around because of Lia. Rich even gave up his boys' night out gaming night (partially due to his cold). It was tough traveling with a baby. We had to work around her feeding schedule, naps, and all the baby issues that hindered our mobility. The diaper bag and babysling are treasured accessories and my best friends! All in all, I am proud to say both parents and baby did their best to get along and we had a nice time.


Visit to Red Rock.


Christmas display at Bellagio.


Lia's baptism on Christmas Day. She was sleepy but her eyes popped wide open the minute the water hit her head!




Mama and baby taking a needed break.


If she could only sleep this good at home!

Smiles!!!

Our girl is finally becoming a social butterfly! We absolutely love these first smiles and coos.

Going Back to Work

Ouch!!! The big date is January 2, looming over me like a dark snarly cloud. We had made the decision for me to return to work a few weeks ago. I don't want to do this but the economy is so weak in Detroit that, with our two mortgages, things could spiral out of control very quickly should Rich lose his job.

We already have daycare set up at the Rainbow Center, a place recommended to me by a coworker who also has her daughter there. I have toured it and liked what I saw. The best thing is it is only about a mile from the office, so that I can go visit and nurse her during lunch. I know Lia will be fine but still, leaving her will be painful. We will try to have her there four days a week, with us taking time off on Fridays. We will have to sacrifice vacations his year, but it is important to have that quality time with her in this crucial stage in her life.

A Good Night's Sleep

Sleeping through the night... that is like nirvana for new parents. And I have *almost* achieved it. Lia sleeps through the night on some occasions. I typically feed her at 10pm and go to bed at 11 (after some burping, rocking and massage) and she can make it to as long as 6am. The problem is- I still wake at 4am, because I am used to waking for her when she had shorter sleep cycles before. And, sometimes when she does wake up earlier, I have a hard time falling asleep again after nursing her. I am really hoping our cycles will sync up when I go back to work, as we won't have the luxury of sleeping in, as we do now.

Oh, I really love sleeping with her. I love watching her sleep. I love waking up with her. And I know she loves it too. She feels so comfortable and secure, as we share cuddle time. I love it when she turns toward me and puts her arm on me. This bonding experience is truly priceless.

Lia is 2 Months Old!

Lia now weighs 12lb 2 oz and measures 23.25 inches. She is in the 75th percentile for both.

She now loves to smile and get tickled. She has developed a curiosity for her surroundings, always checking out the room. She continues to be very active and I bet she will start to roll over soon.

They say you're "over the hump" at two months, but Lia finds ways to challenge us as new parents (I suspect that will continue well into adolescence). The breastfeeding, diaper changes, and baths are routine now. We are trying to settle her into more predictable routines in preparation for daycare next month. We are so used to sleeping in and getting up at 9:00 that we'll need to adjust our night time sleep hours. It will be a big adjustment for everyone.

Kung Fu Lia

Lia is quite animated when she wakes up in the morning. We decided to have some fun with it.

Year of the Golden Piggy

Unbeknownst to me, this is a very special and auspicious year to have a baby in the Chinese tradition. I knew it was the year of the pig. But the GOLDEN pig only comes around every 60 years and this year happens to be that. All over China people were timing their pregnancies to give birth this year, thus spawning a baby boom. The belief is that children born in the year of the pig will be more intelligent and healthy. We certainly hope so!

One Month Old!

Wow they sure grow up fast! Our baby girl is one month old today.

Lia had her one-month wellness checkup today. She now weighs 10lb. 4 oz. (90 percentile!!) and measures at 22 inches (75-90 percentile). So in a month she has gained 2 pounds and grew 1.5 inches.


I am no longer a newborn!


Lia is now able to hold her head up pretty well, stick her tongue at you, and make small cooing sounds. She is eating like a champ and (crossing our fingers) able to sleep for three-hour stretches at night!

In the Chinese tradition, the one-month mark is a significant passage for infants and is celebrated with fanfare. It also ends the “confinement period” for new mothers. They can now get out of bed, take showers, eat regular foods, do “normal” things, etc. In America we have this “can do it all” attitude but in many cultures new mothers are pampered and given special care post-partum (and shouldn’t we be?). Though much modified to fit with the times (I would say most women take showers now), this Chinese tradition is still practiced by many.


Here is Lia with her lucky red envelop from Grandma Justine.

Tethered to Baby

It's been a week since I have been "left alone with the baby." The grandparents are gone; Rich has returned to work. It's just me and Lia at home during the day. I have to say it took some time to adjust to this pace. I am still adjusting... trying to figure out what works for both of us.

A few things that we have sorted out...

* Nursing 101 - had a rough start at the hospital and the first few days at home. The class I took did nothing to prepare me for the problems I encountered. The pain from the c-section plus my milk coming in late hindered our initial efforts. It took some trial and errors before we found our groove. We have tried a combination of on-breast, pumping, scheduled feedings, on demand feedings. I now nurse her on-demand during the day and feed her formula at night. I don't care what people say, breastfeeding is a royal pain. I am only doing it for two reasons: to give my baby a nutritional headstart, and to (hopefully) shed some pregnancy pounds (desperately needed!).

* Lia loves tummy time. She can nap for a few hours on her tummy. It's her next favorite thing after being held. I know it's potentially unsafe for SIDS but I only do it if I'm in the same room with her. In fact, the sure way to wake her up is to put her on her back. Give her 10 minutes and she'll start fussing.

One potential real problem...

* Yes we co-sleep a bit. She loves it and it doesn't keep me up. But I know... it could be a very hard habit to break in the coming months.

Our typical day...

.. Wake up at 8:30 - feed.
.. Feed again in about 30 minutes. She is usually famished in the morning.
.. I brush my teeth.
.. Feed.
.. I eat breakfast.
.. Feed.
.. I put her in the crib and I go shower.
.. She wakes up and cries in the middle of my shower.
.. Of course I finish my shower but go tend to her before I can even get dressed.
.. Feed.
.. Some tummy time.
.. Feed.
.. Lunch.
.. Feed.

So you get the idea. Lia is fed at least a dozen times during the day. Imagine my relief when 9pm comes around and she finally gets the bottle!

Lia' First Halloween Party

The Wilsons hosted a Halloween party in their home on Saturday, October 27. This was quite a brave endeavor as their place sustained some (minor) damage by a houseful of kids! The Galavottis, Schmidts, and Toltzmans were guests.


Each kid got to decorate their own pumpkins (actually the moms did)


Claire Teresa as Cinderella


Elisabetta as Snow White


Henry the giraffe


Leo as the pumpkin (here sans costume)


Lia as the sleepy baby


Toys free-for-all


Scary jello brain treat (made by Rich)

Lia's First Picnic

We, along with the Wilsons, went to Stonycreek yesterday to take advantage of the great warm fall weather. We picnicked, walked, hung out, and took photos.


Lia, Henry and Meredith. Lia and Meredith were born 14 hours apart.




Henry and dad enjoying some playtime


Grandma, mommy and baby


Daddy, mommy and baby

The First Week

Lia's first week consists of adjustments for everyone. No more sleeping luxuriously through the night. Feedings and diaper changes take up a majority of the day. We are so blessed to have Ron and Doris here to help out.


Grandma Justine couldn't wait to hold her.


Grandpa Ron got some Lia time.


What a terrific birthday present for Grandma Doris.


Lia's first bath.. oh so traumatic!