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.

Funny T-Shirts

I was at Urban Outfitters yesterday when I saw this T-shirt on sale.



Old-school hip hop fans may remember the original image:



It got me thinking about t-shirts with funny sayings and logos, and how much I loved them when their popularity peaked about five or six years ago. Back then I'd totally rock something like this Subway-esque shirt:



I believe I've graduated from this trend for the most part, which is probably just as well since Helen says I can't pull off wearing them anymore. She says it's the height of d-baggery for a nearly 40-year old man to attempt to rock a shirt with the Puma athletics logo that actually reads something else:



The good thing is, they have these kinds of shirts for babies.



And I'll totally be putting Norby in a shirt like this. She'll look so cute.

Contraction Action

Helen's felt some contractions recently, minor stuff that she says felt like cramping. However there were also times when she says it really hurt. Last night and the night before she wasn't able to sleep well because of the pain. As a result, her sleep schedule is out of whack and she sleeps during the day. I suppose this is what we can expect soon once the baby arrives - I just didn't know it'd start before she got here.

Does this mean it's nearly time? Is the baby coming in mere days? Or are these contractions just a sign of an active baby?

Note: We had a Dr.'s visit a few days ago and she said the average for a first baby being born is anywhere between five days before and five days after the due date.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

A Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends and family. I am thankful that you are all in our lives and are healthy and happy, especially Helen and the baby. Just a few more weeks and she will be here...

Norby's Real Name Is...

...going to be discovered by close friends and family in the coming days, regardless of when she comes. That's because Helen and I decided to include the baby's name in our Christmas cards this year.

This means some people might potentially find out her name before she's born, breaking the rule we set for ourselves. But what the heck, 'tis the season of giving, after all.

Due Date

As we count down the weeks until Norby arrives, we've resorted to amusing ourselves with timeless games like Twister and wagering on when we think Helen's due date will be. The guesses range from a few weeks early to one week late.

Helen has convinced herself the baby will be coming on the next full or new moon, which may be more wishful thinking than anything else, since she's remarked on more than one occasion that she'd like Norby to get out of her.

A colleague of mine mentioned this might not be the best mentality to have, since constantly thinking 'Today's the day' can get emotionally draining and make time go by slower. It's the baby equivalent of going to bed knowing you have to wake up early - then not being able to sleep because you're over thinking it. Or counting days the days til Christmas.

For those wondering, Norby's due date is 12/12/10. I have my guess but am taking other guesses. The person who guesses closest to the actual date gets to changer her 43rd diaper...

Snow Day!

A pleasant surprise to wake up to snow falling today. It took a little bit longer to get to work but it evened out since we got out early - they sent us home because it's supposed to be windy and cold tonight.

While I enjoyed having the rest of the day off, it also made me think about how hard it'd be to get to the hospital if Norby decided to come out today. Any interesting getting-to-the-delivery-room stories you know of?

BTW- here's the view from my office window when the flakes fell. Nice.

Dunzo

A whirlwind of recent baby stuff that included a hospital tour, one year old's birthday party and three hour baby class. That completes all of our the classes we've signed up for and gives us next weekend to do nothing at all. To paraphrase a famous young Laguna Beach lass, we are dunzo!



It's a nice feeling to know we are fully immersed in baby knowledge (until the baby arrives and it's revealed we actually know nothing), but a bit disconcerting since we're sort of a holding pattern until the baby arrives. It's sort of like waiting for a tidal wave to crash on you - only this wave will be small, cry alot and poop every two hours...and we're excited about this(!)

Ridin' Slowly

While in the car the other day, I was tempted to make a daring move, but refrained because of the precious cargo in the vehicle with me (Helen and the unborn baby.) Instead, I slowed down, got out of the passing lane and into the driving lane then proceeded with caution at a safe rate of speed.

It got me wondering: if I am making adjustments like this now, what I will be like when Norby is actually here?



Thankfully the ride from the hospital home is only about a mile or so because I'm pretty sure I'll be going about 15 miles per hour the whole way. Parents, what else should I expect to change in my life, besides everything?

Refocusing Priorities

For the last few weeks, I've been doing everything I've felt I needed to get out of my system before the baby arrives. Basically that has meant acting like a bachelor - sleeping a lot, playing video games and eating bacon (though I suspect that will not stop once I become a dad.)

It got to the point where Helen had to tell me to stop slacking off and start doing productive things like preparing my daddy overnight bag for the hospital, etc.

I have to admit that I did get a little obsessed with my new (old) lifestyle and playing video games for 2 hours a day was probably not the best use of my time. But in my defense, I did just complete a perfect video game football season without losing a game - something my real life favorite team came oh-so-close to doing in 2007. So you'll forgive me for going overboard a little bit. Or not.

Life or Something Like It

This past weekend was a glimpse into my future - visiting our friends in the hospital and meeting their new baby, then off to a birthday party for a two year old, then a class on how to properly install an infant car seat.

When I told my (single, male) cousin about what we did over the phone, he was silent for a long time. Then he said, 'So, this is what your life is like now, huh?' Pretty much - not that I'm complaining. In fact, I'm getting positively stoked about becoming a dad, sooner rather than later!

Fun Fact: The movie from which this post's name originates was shot in Seattle, parts of it at KOMO-TV where some of my friends work.

We Got Next

Big ups to J&J, who had their baby boy, Hudson a few hours ago! Don't know the deets (height, weight, etc.), but Helen is at the hospital to offer her support and congrats on our behalf, and will come back with a scouting report for me. I'll also get a chance to meet him tomorrow.

Of course, what this means is that we are pretty close to having our own baby soon, since Hudson's due date was a month before Norby's. We are heading into the home stretch, big-time. and the nerves and excitement are ratcheting up...

UPDATE: Ji's Facebook page says Baby Hudson was born at 10:19am. He weighed 7 lbs 15ozs and is 19 1/2 inches long.

Practice Makes Perfect

Funny sight a few mornings ago as I was getting ready for work - the results of Helen practicing her swaddling skills on a stuffed animal bunny the night before.

I laughed and left a note (which is actually in the picture but hard to read.) It says: "Great job swaddling, Mommy! Love, Baby."

Helen says I can try swaddling next...on the cat.

Halloween 2010

We decided to chill this Halloween, our last one before Norby comes. Instead of dressing out and collecting candy, we had a date night that consisted of dinner and a movie (I'm original like that.) We got to enjoy each others' company while also living vicariously through Facebook, seeing the little kiddies we know trick or treating. Our thinking was, we're going to be celebrating Halloween for the foreseeable future, so we should enjoy being a couple this year.

BTW no offense to those who do/did this, but when did kids start trick or treating in the middle of the afternoon at retail stores, no less? When we were kids, we walked around in flammable costumes without parental supervision to strangers' homes when it was dark outside, and the biggest worry we had were apples with razor blades in them or getting hit by cars. The fear of getting abducted only added to the overall excitement of All Hallows' Eve. Ah, the good old days.

Interesting Collaboration

Non-baby post:

A few weeks ago while flipping through channels, I landed on Country Music Television (CMT) and a show called Crossroads which pairs musical acts from different genres together so they can play songs from each others' albums. It's the musical equivalent of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, where two flavors are mixed. A very cool concept. The first one I ever saw was Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers and I have to admit it was great (yes, I'm old and like both artists.)

More recently I found this grouping, which was surprisingly also musically delicious:

Skinny B*tch

In the past, whenever Helen mentioned the name of, or saw a particularly svelte woman - be they celebrities, strangers on the street or even friends, she would say 'Skinny b*tch. I hate her!' in jest (I think.)

I bring this up because as we near Norby's due date, Helen hasn't really gained that much weight. This comes as a surprise since when she was first pregnant, she was eating so much that I thought she was training to beat Kobayashi at the 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island.



Since then, though? Barely any additional poundage on her tiny frame. Granted, she got sick for a bit and also has had to watch her diet because of the gestational diabetes, but the fact that she's stayed as skinny as she has while keeping the baby healthy is something about which I think she's pretty happy. Another thing that probably makes her happy: now she's the one people call a skinny b*tch (with a bun in the oven.)

Humble Pie

I was taught to be humble when right and to admit when I am wrong (good rules to live by as a husband.) So far, when it comes to third trimester troubles, I have been totally off base. My bad, Honey.

Everyone told me when Helen was in her final three months of pregnancy, it was going to get ugly - worse than the first trimester. I expected, high-pitched screaming, mood swings and uncontrollable sobbing. I also thought Helen might be a bit moody, too.

So far though, she's been great. Of course, now I've jinxed it and tomorrow she's going to go off on me like Chris Farley in this clip (this is for you, Karen):

Is There An 'E?'

The name of our baby girl has become a source of interest among a few of our friends. If you've been following this blog from the beginning you know that Norby, which is a derivative of 'Norbit,' is the nickname we've given our daughter so we don't have to call her 'she,' 'it' or 'baby' all the time.

We've decided to keep the real name under wraps until she is born for a variety of reasons, which has spawned requests from friends asking Helen for hints, the first initial (which Helen has told to a few people) and even resorting to trickery to find out our little Winglette's name...

The other day, our friend Charles said to me, 'Hmmm...that's a really interesting name for a girl. How'd you come up with it?' I hesitated and in my mind wondered 1) If I had slipped up and told him but forgot or 2) If Helen had told him but neglected to tell me she had. Playing it safe, I stayed silent and waited for him to say the name - but he never did. It turns out he didn't know it and was just baiting me to see if I'd say it for him so. Sneaky!

The funny thing is, after calling her Norby for so long, I have a feeling I've outsmarted myself and will continue to call her that even after she is born and has her REAL name of...

Baby Shower #2

Helen's parents' place was the site of Norby's second baby shower. The turnout was impressive, the food was delicious and the presents people got Norby were extravagant. Thanks to all who attended and special thanks to those who helped set it all up (Michelle, Christine, Yuni, Helen's folks, Helen, etc.)

What's been funny is that at both baby showers we've had, Helen has either alluded to or straight-out said, 'I can't wait to see the presents people got ME!' When I've tried to correct her and say the presents are actually for our baby, she tells me I'm wrong. I just shake my head and laugh.

I suppose that's the least one can allow a pregnant woman - to let them believe these 'parties' are for them (not the baby) and have friends and family fawn all over them for the day. It's probably like a birthday or wedding. And if Helen is 1/10th of the attention seeker I am, then I know she's loving it.

Back to School

It's been a few years since I've been in a classroom, but I went back recently for the hospital's 'baby safety 101' class. Helen and I got to play with a pretend baby and learned some useful stuff like how to administer CPR to an infant. I especially liked the role-playing part, where we asked if the fake baby was OK...to the fake baby.

The three hours flew by and I took notes like a madman, scribbling like a nerd in a high school mathematics class. But it was worth it, in the 1% chance we'll ever have to try and save Norby's life.

BTW, the part where we spoke to the baby ("Baby, are you OK?") kinda reminded me of this classic Dave Chapelle routine where he also speaks to a baby (warning: graphic language)

Great Expectations

In a recent post I wrote about the 'guide to fatherhood' book Tricia bought for me. The one takeaway I got from it so far is that it is a common mistake for new dads to think their baby will look beautiful (and clean) once they are born, when in reality the newborn will be slimy, splotchy, bruised, have a conehead, and basically look more like an alien that's been in a minor fender-bender than a human being.



I blame Hollywood for this. The book says new dads are accustomed to seeing these perfect babies come out all pristine, awake, smiling and cooing on the big screen, but that those kids in the movies are actually about four months old.

Armed with this knowledge, I will try my best to temper expectations in the delivery room, so as not to be shocked when I meet Norby for the first time.

Off topic: I have a coworker, Jordan, who I think kind of looks like Ethan Hawke, the actor in the movie poster above. When I told Helen, she asked 'Pre-Uma Ethan or Post-Uma Ethan?' Uh, I am not really sure what the difference is(?) Regardless, she now wants to come into the office to meet him.