Baby-Related Aches and Pains

Kailyn has only been here for three weeks but I have already been feeling assorted aches and pains from caring for our newborn. Most of them are pretty minor and wouldn't land me on the 15-day DL or require Tommy John surgery (baseball references) but I definitely feel them during my daily routine.

Whether they are painful thumbs from lifting, aching joints like wrists or hips from bottle feeding or minor back pain from changing a diaper at an odd angle, these are things that I hadn't ever thought of. I suppose it's not much different from carpal tunnel syndrome - doing the same (repetitive) motion over and over again. Helen says she's felt the same thing.

Not that I'm complaining. While these aches and pains can hurt a little bit, all it takes is for Kailyn to look up at me and all is right in the world.

Baby's First Christmas

It was very cool to have Kailyn celebrate Christmas with us this year. She got more presents that Helen and me combined! In addition to having Helen's parents and brother over for dinner, I also discovered the wonderful world of Skype and was able to introduce my parents, sister and her family to the baby on Christmas Day.

The holidays are a time for family so to be able to have the people we love most meet Kailyn, either in person or over video, was really nice.

Little Miss Popular

It's been nice to have many visitors come see Kailyn in the week since she's been home. Not only is it great for her to be exposed to new people and interact with them (once they Purel), it's a nice break for Helen and me. Even if the guest just holds her for a few minutes, it provides us some much needed rest and time when we don't feel 100% responsible for baby.

Overall things are great - Helen's mom has come over which allows us uninterrupted hours of sleep, friends have stopped by to see the baby and keep us company during the witching hours between 2-4 a.m. (when it can get tiring and lonely) and the baby's been good about drinking both breast milk and formula interchangeably with as little problem as one might have milking a cat:



Even though the doctor nicknamed Kailyn 'Little Stinker' because of what she put Helen through during the delivery (13 hours of labor, only to decide to come out via C-section) I have to say she's been a total pleasure to hang out with, and others seem to agree so far.

Kailyn vs. Kaitlyn

Helen was the person who came up with the name Kailyn for our baby girl. It's a name that many of our friends and family member say they like. We are also fans of it, since it's unique enough to be different but also close enough to other popular names like Kaylee, Kayla and Ke$ha (j/k.)



One name that it is particularly similar to our baby's is 'Kaitlyn.' Before selecting our baby's name, we did some research to see what the internet reaction to our potential name selection was. Many of the people with the name Kailyn said the biggest issue they faced was that everyone mistook their name for 'Kaitlyn.' They said it got to be kind of a pain to always correct people, but that overall they were very happy they had such a great sounding yet original name.

Some people told me when they learned our baby's name they wondered if I had made a typo. Rest assured, our baby's name is Kailyn. Just remember it as 'Kaitlyn', minus the 'T.'

*Helen took the photo above of our daughter.

Settling In

It's been a while since I last blogged, as many people suggested would be the case once Kailyn arrived. Even with time off from work, I am busy nearly every waking hour of the day. My life feels somewhat like Groundhog Day in that I have fed, burped, changed and swaddled the baby, washed dishes, done laundry and made food again and again and again. To break up the monotony, a nurse suggested we take the baby out for a stroll everyday. But that goes against what our Asian parents have said about letting the baby (and mom) recover from the delivery. So we stay in and go slightly crazy.

To be fair, Kailyn's days are almost exactly replicas of the day before, too. The Jersey Shore kids may have GTL (gym, tan, laundry) but our baby girl has ESP (eat, sleep, poop.)

Are You the Little Fella Making All That Noise?

So much has happened in the last few days I don't even know where to start- Helen was a warrior in the delivery room, getting an unexpected C-section after 13 HOURS of labor. I learned how to feed, burp, swaddle and change the baby, and we came home after just two days to introduce the baby to our crib.

Since we've been back, it's like the house is a totally different place. In addition to all the baby stuff lying around, I have discovered that to be a good dad means I can't concentrate on TV shows, the internet or video games with the same intensity as before, since my major focus is always on Kailyn.

Oh yeah, and she cries. A lot. And loudly. Like Puffy from the movie 'There's Something About Mary,' whom Ben Stiller thought was a cute little puppy until it bit him and dragged him across the floor, I was a little shocked about the ferocity with which she screamed. Our baby girl packs alot of punch in those small lungs.

Kailyn Renee

At long last, we are now parents! Kailyn Renee came into the world at 12:24 p.m. today, weighing in at 6 lbs. 8 oz. and 18 inches long. She is tiny, cute and well behaved.

Everyone told us the process of delivering a baby would be long and difficult - and I'm just the father. For as exhausted as I might be, I can't imagine how Helen feels. She was a champion through it all, and my love and respect for her has grown more than I thought imaginable, after we went through this together and produced such a wonderful newborn.

Kailyn's only been here a few hours and already I've gotten to see her smile (I think) and wail more than Bob Marley's band. I've fed and burped her, and seen the sweet sight of her resting skin to skin on Helen's chest, bonding with the woman who brought her into this world. I am looking forward to experiencing a million more great things with this perfect little girl and can't express in words how much love I feel for her.

False Alarm - For Now

I was awakend this morning around 4:45a by Helen, who said her contractions started getting stronger and more frequent. Thinking it was time, we got dressed, packed our bags and headed to the hospital. But it turned out that Norby wasn't quite ready to come out just yet, so the nurses sent us home to go back to sleep.

Luckily we only live a mile away from the hospital, since the nurse told us we'd likely be back later in the day once Helen's contractions got so strong she couldn't speak anymore (yikes!) For now though, it's back to bed...

The Music Gene

Here's an example of the things that go through my mind while waiting for the baby to come. You can file this one under 'It's not really important, but would be kinda cool if it happened.'

If Norby takes after me she will be outgoing, a natural performer and will (arguably) sing well. As my dad says, it'd be 'nifty' if she became 2027's American Idol or had pipes like this:

(Double-click video to see full size Youtube version)


*It could happen, since there's is a family precendent to this - my nephew Kevin is a great singer, part of his town's all-star kids' chorus and literally has perfect pitch. And I like to do karaoke.

Not a Dry Eye in the House

I consider myself pretty in touch with my emotions, so I'm not sure how I'll react when we're in the delivery room and I see Norby for the first time. It's pretty much a given that Helen (and Norby) will cry, but I wonder if I will.

I'm not much of a crier (anymore), and when I do it's usually only after watching movies like Rudy or Marley & Me. So as I prepare my tear ducts for whatever may come, here another example of something that gets me every time:



How the crowd helped the kid finish the song when he was clearly struggling brings tears to my eyes. Makes me proud to be a Red Sox fan.

Baby Watch 2010

The combination of watching the TV coverage of our pre-Thanksgiving snowstorm and a recent viewing of 'Anchorman' reminded me of past days spent thinking up not-so-clever names for events: Winter Freeze, Terror in the Skies, The Great Recession. Or this:



Helen and I have been on 'Baby Watch 2010' for a few days now (maybe more like weeks for her.) I feel like I should have a running clock or counter at the bottom of each post, signifying how many days or hours away we are from meeting Norby, a local expert telling you how the baby's feeling and slick graphics with 'whooshy' sound effects.

As much as I've tried, it's hard not to get swept up in the hysteria of almost having a baby, especially when the doctor says the baby will be here soon. I anticipate being a little distracted at work, as I wait for the call from Helen saying it's time to go. Then it'll be 'breaking news' time. You stay classy!

Week 39

We are now entering week 39 (of 40 scheduled weeks) in the pregnancy, and are near the end of this nine month road trip. Even though Norby isn't technically due for another week, Helen just visited her doctor who said she would be 'shocked' if the baby hasn't come out by then.

As I've mentioned on this blog more than once recently, trying to guess/expect when the baby comes is not a very efficient use of our time (neither is googling oneself, but that's a discussion for another day.) If you believe what the doctor told Helen, we're looking at mere days until our tiny bundle of joy will enter the world. Like a boy scout I'll be prepared, but will try and keep my excitement tempered and trick my mind into thinking she won't come til later. Even if this is the final countdown...

Mean Girls

There are lots of things that freak me out about having a baby girl who will eventually turn into a young woman. The emotion, the boyfriends, fear of her getting pregnant, fear of her getting abducted, eating disorders, buying expensive clothes, etc. You name it and I have thought about it. I suppose that's why my buddy Jae, when finding out he was having a boy, said 'I kind of felt relieved.'

We're still years away from this, but one issue I've been thinking about is girls being mean to one another for no good reason. As a guy I escaped all that drama in middle and high schools but worry that Norby will have to fend for herself in the world of the Mean Girls.

I read a recent article that said Mean Girls are starting as young as age five now and come up with games in school where they single out and make fun of other girls for minor infractions like looking different, not wearing the right clothes, not knowing the hip new singer or any other reason. The article quoted a five-year old girl as saying 'I hate my life.' !?!? And I thought the people I worked with in TV news were immature...

I hope that we are successful in raising our child to respect everyone and be respected by everyone. But as I half-jokingly told Helen, 'If we have to choose between Norby being popular or smart, I hope she's popular.' She may not get into Harvard but hopefully she won't be picked on, either.

Norby's Personality

Helen forwarded me this info from a website, which describes what our relationship with Norby will be like, based on her (and our) personality traits. Sounds like she will be a fun little girl.

"Group playdates are a must for your Sagittarius child, especially get-togethers that are held someplace outside your home, because your child is an explorer at heart. She loves the adventure of an interesting new friend or unfamiliar setting, or a new game she hasn't yet mastered. Be sure to give her lots of toys and puzzles, because she craves the stimulation of a mental challenge as much as a physical one. That means you should plan lots of outings into the great outdoors as well, since your little Sagittarius is a natural athlete.

You're both always on the go, so you'll have to rely on someone else to keep you two on a regular schedule. Otherwise, you might have trouble getting your little one to school on time! Oh well -- at least you have fun, whatever adventures might call out to you."

I Feel Your Pain. Sort of.

Recently Helen's had some restless nights caused by frequent trips to the bathroom and contractions so strong they keep her awake. Norby's not here yet, but already Helen's getting up every couple of hours because of the baby (good practice for the near future!)

Compounding matters is the fact that I sleep deeply for a long time, oblivious to the rest of the world - when Helen's gotten up, I've stayed down (unconscious) in bed. She had been nice enough to let me sleep during these episodes. Until yesterday, when she got a little upset...

Overcome by sheer exhaustion and frustration that the baby hasn't come yet, and seeing I was the only person around to yell at, she zeroed in and let me have it saying she was worried my uninterrupted sleep habits were a harbinger of things to come once Norby was here (her feeding/changing all hours of the night, me sleeping.) My counterpoint was that I was sleeping a lot now because I knew I wouldn't be sleeping much later, but that didn't seem to make her feel any better.

So to prove I could stay awake and be supportive, I practiced last night by downing some caffeinated soda and going to bed later than normal. Then this morning, I got up extra early. I'm not sure how exactly this represents me 'supporting' my wife, other than reinforcing the idea that misery loving company. Logical? Not exactly. But I get the sense that emotion > logic in the days before the baby comes.

Parents, I assume you've had this 'discussion' as well. Let's hear your stories.

Like Sands Through the Hourglass

Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Time has been going by ever so slowly as we patiently wait for the baby to decide when she wants to make her grand exit from Helen's tummy and grand entrance into the world. During this down time Helen has been too prego for us to go out very much so we've been left to entertain ourselves at home.

One way I've done this, I am embarrassed to admit, is by googling myself. And wouldn't you know it, I found this never-before-seen (by me) link from a few years back.

At first I was excited because I thought I was in the same company as both an NFL quarterback



and Jessica Simpson's current fiance, a former football player whose name is Eric Johnson.



But then I realized the Eric Johnson they were talking about is a local news anchor who used to be a sportscaster that covered the Seahawks. Oh well. I guess he's kind of dreamy, too - about four-percent (4%) dreamy. Like me.