"The World's Strongest Baby!" - Six Months

Fun Facts About Owen:

• Can sit up unsupported
• Can crawl around on his hands and knees (he did this before sitting up)
• Started pulling himself up to a standing position (help)
• Favorite thing to eat is oatmeal mixed with bananas
• Has a tooth coming out (lower incisor)

These monthly photos are going to be the death of me. You should have seen the first few several shots I took - he was rolling over, pulling the red blankets, holding the fake barbell vertically, pulling off his mustache...and then there were a few shots where I accidentally included my toes, hahaha. BUT I do like this one (even though he's gnawing at the handle bar).

I got the idea when Ralph said Owen's outfit reminded him of the old school mens swimsuits; but I couldn't do a beach one (that was his 4-month picture), so I decided he could be a circus "Strongman". And then I started getting all these other Circus ideas in my head - like he could be a ringleader holding a hoop and have Wendy going through it OR make it seem like Wendy was balancing on a stack of balls...but I plead temporary insanity. I probably would have needed to take 10,000 pictures before those two were posing correctly and at the same time.

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Last week, we were finally able to go to Disneyland - we were no longer blocked out! It was a lot of fun, since Owen's a little older now and is more aware of what's going on.

You best believe he tried to eat that sword handle...

Cousin Desirae (along with Nana, Auntie Jen, and Cousin Bella) joined us!

Meeting Jesse!

And meeting Sheriff Woody!

His Disney adventures continue tomorrow...when we go to California Adventure! Time to get some much needed rest. ;)

"Rock on!" - Five Months

Fun Facts About Owen:

• Can sit up on his high chair without shoulder straps.
• Started eating solid foods.
• Loves FaceTiming with his grandparents and great grandparents.
• Has begun sleeping through the night (HECK YES).

My little guy is 5 months old! And let me tell ya, he is all over the place! Ever since he learned how to roll over last month, we haven't had to worry about him getting enough "tummy time"...because he certainly does. Pretty soon, we'll have to start baby-proofing our place because he's starting to crawl. Help.

Always on his tummy.

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Owen had his 4-month appointment a couple of days before July 4th. The doctor said he is growing just fine and even recommended that I drink stout beer to help with milk production. The only reason why he suggested it was because I was concerned that my supply would begin to diminish because I started working. So far, I'm pumping enough and haven't had to use formula yet.

Owen also got his 4-month shots...and yes, he got a low-grade fever again and was suuuper cranky and cuddly for the next few days. This picture was taken a few hours after he got his shots. :(

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On the 4th of July, I decided to just stay home because - 1) Ralph was working; 2) Owen was still being a grump-a-lump from getting his shots; and 3) my family had a wedding to go to in the afternoon. I was pretty bummed that Owen was going to celebrate his first Independence Day with just me and Wendy at home, but my parents and brother surprised us by coming over and bringing lunch (and then they went to the wedding afterwards).

And then when Ralph got home, we decided to walk to Lake Mission Viejo, where there was a Street Faire and a fireworks show. That was kind of a bust because Owen lost a shoe on the way there (which I JUST purchased the day before!), and he fell asleep while watching the fireworks display. Womp womp womp. At least he isn't afraid of loud noises!

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I'm sorry. I'm kind of all over the place with this post...hence, the breaks.

Throughout this month, Ralph and I have noticed that Owen likes to sit up, so we assembled his high chair. Soon after, I decided to feed him rice cereal (mixed with my breast milk), and he loved it! I may have been a bit too eager letting him try other foods because, within this past week, he has already tried applesauce, sweet potatoes, bananas, and carrots (not all on the same day, of course). So far, he has liked them all, but bananas were definitely his favorite.

The positives to Owen eating solid foods:

1. I'm not as stressed about producing enough breast milk for him, since he has other forms of sustenance.

2. He sleeps through the night! A few days ago, he slept from 10:30pm to 5:30am. Too bad Ralph and I didn't do the same; we kept waking up every hour to check on him!

3. It's fun watching him try new foods. His "applesauce" face was definitely the best.

"So sour, Mama!"

The negatives to Owen eating solid foods:

1. Smelly farts and smelly poops. And that's enough negatives for me.

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And just when I thought our place couldn't get any more cluttered, it did. Owen's stuff has taken over every inch of our living room/dining area. We've got a swing, a rocker, a high chair, a crawling mat, and more recently, a bouncer.

We've had it for less than a week, and it's already a sticky mess.

I promise this post would have been better written with more events/detail, but this Mama has had a long week and needs to go to bed...until next time!

"Funiculí, Funiculá!" - Two Months

Fun Facts About Owen:

• Has begun having conversations with everyone through smiles, coos, and gurgles!
• Weighed in at 9 lbs 15 oz and was almost 23 inches long at his last doctor's appointment.
• Sleeps well at night and only wakes up when he's hungry or has a wet/dirty diaper.
• Doing tummy time several times a day for about 5 to 10 minutes each time.

Tummy time! He lets us know when he's had enough by putting his head down and grunting into his blanket.

My little Owen is two months old! It's been a real treat to be getting smiles out of this little guy...after all, I'm only his milk maid and diaper changer 24/7! Not only is he "smiley" and "talkative", but he has developed specific cries for his needs and wants, which has made life for me and Ralph a bajillion times easier.

Look at my little man...cheesin' it up!

So Ralph went back to work earlier this month, and I must say that I truly missed him being at home. Not only was he my relief when I needed to go to the bathroom or when I needed to eat, but he was also the only person I could relate to, in terms of being a first-time parent and learning to look after a baby. Needless to say, I cried the first day he was gone, but I got used to it.

Owen had another doctor's appointment a few weeks ago, and he GREW! He gained more than a pound, and the doctor said Owen measured in the 88th percentile. Well, good. I hope that means he'll be as tall as his dad (or taller!). He has his 2-month appointment coming up this week...and that's the one where he'll be getting his shots. I think I'll be the one doing the crying.

At his 4-week doctor's appointment.

I'm pretty fortunate that Owen has gotten a routine down. He wakes up around 7am, and once he's had his diaper changed and has been fed, he does tummy time and plays on his little play mat until around lunch time - that's when he takes his first nap...perfect timing for me because that's when I eat! At around 2pm, he wakes up, and the whole process repeats; only this time, he stays awake longer. Once 8pm hits, he's in sleep mode. He only wakes up when he's hungry and when he needs to be changed; and that's only a few times at night.

Now, don't get me wrong. He's not ALWAYS a predictable little angel. There are times when he cries for no reason, and the only way to console him is if he's being held, and not just by anyone...but by me and only me. Once, I had to carry him in his Baby Bjorn while I cooked and ate my lunch. He ended up having crumbs all over the top of his head. Heh.

Btw, as much as I loved the Boba Wrap, the Baby Bjorn is SO much easier to use...it's easier to put on and take off. And don't even think about wearing the Boba Wrap when it's warm. You AND your baby will be a sweaty mess. BUT...I have not given up on it yet. I think it'll be better to use when it's colder and when the baby is older and less squirmy.

This is a rare moment - being held by his SITTING daddy, facing front. He usually likes being held, facing backwards, by a person who is standing. It's amazing how babies just KNOW when you're sitting vs. standing...

Love it when he's in a good mood when he wakes up in the morning!

But all in all...he's a very good baby. We were supposed to take him to Disneyland yesterday but decided to wait until AFTER he got his immunizations...so we'll go next week with his Nana, Auntie Jen, and cousin Desirae. For now, we'll be spending most of our time at home, watching the NHL playoffs. Go Ducks!

"Exploring the Milky Way" - One Month

Fun Facts about Owen:

• Lost his umbilical cord at 2 weeks, and it looks like he's going to have an "innie".
• Took his first bath and LOVED IT!

• Has developed a "boo-boo" face that breaks his mother's heart. For full effect, he sticks out his lower lip.

• Has begun blowing spit bubbles.

I can't believe Owen is already a month old! He has been such a good baby so far, and we can't wait until he starts acknowledging our voices/faces and begins to smile and laugh; but for now, his routine is: sleep, cry, eat, pee/poop, repeat. Last week, he had another appointment with his doctor, and I'm happy to report that Owen has gained all his weight back and then some! He weighed in at 8 lbs 9oz, and he measured at 21.25 inches - so yes, my breast milk has come in...at long last! Yay for "lactation shakes" and Mother's Milk Tea.

I don't like tea, and this one is not an exception - but I'll do anything to help my baby get plump and healthy. I wanna see some rolls on his legs!

I had my post-partum appointment a couple of days ago, and the doctor said I was healing just fine, though I still cannot do any sit-ups or strenuous exercises just yet. The good news is that I've already lost 22 pounds, so I'm almost at my pre-pregnancy weight. So in the meantime, I'll continue to be a slave to my adorable son and shop online...lol! Amazon is dangerous...even more so when you have Amazon Prime. Here are a few things I've purchased:

If you've had a c-section, wear something for abdominal support. I used this item for the first couple of weeks (anything tighter was too painful on my incision), and then I switched to Squeem "Perfect Waist" Firm Compression Waist Trainer.

I freaking love this thing, and so does Owen. It took a couple of times for me to get used to wrapping it around my body then getting the baby nestled in, but it's GREAT. We received a Baby Bjorn (actually, we received two of them!) at one of our baby showers, but it doesn't have the neck support that Owen needs at the moment. The nice thing about the Boba Wrap is that it's one-size-fits-all. Some baby carriers/wraps come in different sizes, so while a certain one may fit me, it may not fit Ralph.

I bought this pack of "Pee-pee Teepees" ONLY for shiggles. Before these, I was using a warm wipe or a washcloth to cover his little boy parts, and that pretty much worked...ONLY when he's staying relatively still - same thing goes for these teepees. So it doesn't matter what you put over your baby's boy parts...you WILL get peed on if he's squirmy enough. But they're still funny. Hehe.

Ralph will be going back to work next week (weh!), so he and I have started a sleeping routine for Owen. In the beginning, Ralph and I were so afraid to leave the baby all by himself, so we slept in shifts. We stopped doing this a little over a week ago because that's just...ridiculously crazy and dumb. So nowadays, we're trying to get Owen used to day vs. night. During the day, we won't let him sleep for more than 3 hours straight, so we change and feed him often. At night time, we let him sleep for as long as he wants to; when he wakes up, we change and feed him quickly and quietly and with minimal light. So far, so good.

And as eventful as March has been, we'll be going on our first family road trip to Vegas this weekend for Ralph's Baker to Vegas relay race; and Owen will finally get to meet our Las Vegas relatives too! Let's just hope for a safe, smooth, and QUIET car ride there. (Keep your fingers and toes crossed.)

"Smarty Pants" - Newborn

I think it's time to retire that ol' chalkboard (and I'm kind of tired of getting my hands dirty), so I'll be doing Owen's monthly updates like this:

Fun Facts:

• Loves sleeping in his Rocking Sleeper but not his crib or Playard
• Has already peed on both Mama and Daddy while getting his diaper changed
• Likes to poop as soon as Mama/Daddy has changed his diaper

By the way, setting this all up was WAY too much fun and really easy...and FREE! Can't wait to do next month's!

First Week Home

We are 1 week post-delivery, and we've been home 6 days...and we're all still okay! Haha. And a lot of it is thanks to my mom - she's been coming over and helping with everything...washing dishes, cooking, cleaning up the apartment, and looking after the baby so Ralph and I can catch up on sleep. If it weren't for her, I think Ralph and I would've lost our minds over the weekend. Thanks, Mom!

Owen is doing great, except that he lost 13% (1 lb, 1 oz) of his birth weight when we took him to his first pediatric appointment on Sunday. We found this surprising because I THOUGHT I was breastfeeding him just fine; but the nurse practitioner told me that my milk might not have come in yet, and I felt like a total failure and mentally beat myself up over the whole thing. The NP gave us a bottle of formula for the baby and scheduled a weight check-up for the following day.

On his way to the doctor's!

I have nothing against formula, but I wanted to breastfeed exclusively...but, of course, I can't let the little guy starve to death either. So before we went home, we stopped by Target to get more formula (just in case) and some ingredients to make "lactation" shakes to help me produce breast milk. The key ingredients are oats and flaxseed (seriously, what CAN'T flaxseed do?!).

That same day, I began to use my Ameda dual breast pump. The first time I used it, I was horrified because barely anything came out, and the feelings of failing to feed my son came rushing back. So I chugged down a lactation shake, which seemed to work because I was able to get a little bit of breast milk the next time I pumped. I've been drinking a lactation shake daily, and I'm getting more and more breast milk each day. When we came back for the weight check-up, Owen had gained 5 ounces back - yaaay!

As far as how Ralph and I are doing, we're doing great. Neither of us feel comfortable sleeping at the same time, so we've created a system where one of us is always awake to watch the baby. While I'm awake, all I do is breastfeed the baby and pump as much as I can - that way, when I'm sleeping and the baby is hungry, Ralph is able to feed Owen whatever I was able to pump. I'm just waiting for that moment where the milk is literally pouring out of me because a full baby is a happy baby...and in hindsight, Owen WAS pretty fussy the first two days at home. :(

But Owen IS eating and sleeping more, which allows Ralph and I to do things around the apartment. One of the things that I wanted to do was to take some photos of the baby. I kept seeing all these newborn photos on Pinterest that I wanted to just try my hand at it. I put a blanket on top of my Boppy Pillow, which I put on the rocking chair...so whenever the baby got fussy, I just rocked the chair, and he'd calm down. *Thumbs up*

Big feet like Daddy's!

Owen waited long enough to be born in the Year of Sheep...and he has a sheep-themed rocker/sleeper.

I thought the pictures turned out okay! And it was fun to do too, though the baby didn't seem to think so...lol!

I also wanted to do one more chalkboard "update" with the baby included! Of course, there won't be a survey to accompany it, so I decided to just list down some fun facts about Owen. (Maybe I'll do monthly chalkboard updates for Owen...)

• The name Owen is a Celtic name and means "young warrior"
• Born on the same day as George Harrison (Mama's favorite Beatle)
• Peed on the doctor that performed the C-section and the nurse at his second pediatric appointment (guess he dislikes healthcare professionals...wait a minute...)
• Dislikes being on his left side when being breastfed
• Has already been introduced to Disney's Greatest Hits and music by Michael Jackson and Murder By Death

Until next time!

Owen Michael's Birth Story

This week has truly been a crazy week. On Monday, I had vaginal bleeding, which earned me a trip to L&D (see previous entry), and then on Tuesday morning, I began having painful contractions every 7 to 9 minutes for 2 hours. I was so sure that I was going to have the baby that day, but my contractions, for some weird reason, just vanished (along with my hope of giving birth to a baby that day).

Contractions or not, I was planning on trying some Old Wives' Tales to induce labor that day anyway...

Eggplant parmesan, "labor-inducing" chocolate cake, and a pineapple smoothie.

I'm not entirely sure why eggplant parmesan (I like the one at Trader Joe's) and chocolate cake (recipe here) are labor-inducing foods, but many people have told me that pineapple contains an enzyme that helps soften the cervix. So for dinner, I had eggplant parmesan, and for dessert, I had a small slice of the cake (the recipe is actually pretty good...very moist) and a pineapple smoothie (with strawberries and orange juice because I actually hate pineapples).

Well, guess what happened on Wednesday at 2:00am? I woke up with painful contractions at intervals of 9 minutes. I didn't get too excited because the same thing happened the day before (with the end result of no baby), but Old Wives' Tales (for the most part) got my baby's gender prediction right...so maybe the Old Wives' Tales of these labor-inducing foods could be true too...?

Since I had to get up at 5:00am anyway, I decided to just stay up and monitor my contractions. They became closer and closer together. By the time Ralph dropped me off at my parents' house before he headed off for work, my contractions were 5 to 6 minutes apart. He went to work anyway, since I wasn't supposed to go to L&D until my contractions were every 3 to 5 minutes for a whole hour...and who knew when THAT would happen?

It happened an hour later.

So I called L&D, told them what was going on, and sure enough, my mom and I were back at Kaiser at 7:00am. The same midwife who examined me on Monday was there, and she gave us the good news: I was 5cm dilated and 100% effaced...it was time for this baby to come out. WOOHOO!

I was moved to my very own labor and delivery room and called Ralph to let him know that he had the rest of the day off, hahaha. A little while later, my mother-in-law arrived, and then Ralph arrived.

For the next 6.5 hours, I was given fluids and antibiotics through an IV; and like a trooper, I powered through 5-minute contractions every 7 to 8 minutes - the nurse said it was normal for contractions to space out once you get IV fluids, but it was weird that I was getting contractions that lasted 5 minutes. The midwife came in at 1:30pm to examine me again and said that I was dilated to 6cm. My immediate thought was, I've been here for 6.5 hours, and I've only dilated 1 freaking cm?! At this rate, I was going to be in labor for 3 years! So the midwife broke my water for me and started giving me oxytocin to help get things going.

It was a little while after when I decided to get the epidural, since I heard that contractions get more intense and closer together once your water breaks. And believe me, I'm no freaking hero - I always knew I was going to get the epidural. Props to you women who went through labor and delivery without any pain meds.

Well, things went downhill from there. After getting the epidural from the anesthesiologist, I immediately regretted it - I rather would have dealt with the 5-minute contractions than the side effects of the epidural. I was just nauseous, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. Later on, at 5:00pm, the midwife came back to check on my progress...I was STILL only 6 cm dilated. She also noticed that my BP kept dropping...and so did the baby's heart rate.

I heard the midwife tell a nurse to get the anesthesiologist back in the room. Next thing I knew, there were 5 nurses trying to reposition me and trying to rearrange the fetal monitor leads on my tummy. There was just too much scuffling, so I knew something was wrong. I was instructed to use a breathing mask to get more oxygen flow for the baby, and then another doctor came into the room - all I heard was that the baby was in distress, and he thought it was best to proceed with a c-section.

I was beyond scared. I tried my hardest not to cry, but as soon as I saw the concerned look on my mom's face, I was overcome with emotion. I burst into tears, and Ralph immediately came to my side and said, "It's okay, Pagey. The baby just wants to come out a different way."

And before I knew it, I was being wheeled to the operating room. Thankfully, I didn't have to be knocked out, so I was awake for the entire thing. First, the anesthesiologist gave me stronger numbing medication, which, of course, made me feel worse and more dazed. I started shivering like crazy, and I felt like I needed to throw up...and I did. Ugh.

After I was prepped, Ralph was brought in, and I couldn't be more grateful that he was able to be there with me. He just sat by my head, stroked my hair, and assured me that everything was going to be okay. The actual procedure was quick, and there weren't any complications (other than the fact that I felt like I couldn't breathe, but the anesthesiologist said that the medication I was getting could cause my nostrils to feel plugged). I didn't feel any tugging or pressure from the surgery, and just a few minutes later, I heard the baby cry.

All my worries vanished as soon as I heard his cries...so I also began to cry. Ralph left my side briefly to cut the umbilical cord, and once the baby was cleaned up, a nurse brought him to me. Since the doctor was still "closing" me up, the nurse took Ralph and the baby into the recovery room, so Ralph could have skin-to-skin contact with the baby, which is something that is encouraged between parents and the newborn.

After the doctor was done with me, I was wheeled into the recovery room, where I saw Ralph holding our baby. And then it was my turn for skin-on-skin bonding. As soon as I had the baby in my arms, I just breathed out a sigh of relief and thanked God for our little blessing. After about an hour and a half in the recovery room, we were finally able to move into our post-partum room. We were immediately greeted by my parents and brother and Ralph's mom, grandma, sister, niece, and aunt. Unfortunately for them, visiting hours were almost over, so they only got to spend a short time with the little guy.

And then Ralph and I were all alone with the newborn baby...DUN DUN DUN! I must say, Ralph did a great job. Because I was bed-ridden for the rest of the night, he was the one who had to do everything - change the baby's diapers, pick him up when he cried, swaddle him, help me reposition myself when I got uncomfortable, and get whatever I needed that was too far from my reach.

The first night was rough, mainly because I was starving (the last thing I ate was that labor-inducing meal...which had been more than 24 hours prior), and Ralph and I could just not sleep - the nurse checked on me every 2 to 3 hours, and whenever we heard the baby stir, we would panic and check up on him.

Our second and last days at the hospital went by quickly. And let me tell you...you grow dependent on the nurses and that wonderful bed that helps you sit up with the touch of a button...so enjoy every moment of it! And also, a huge shout out to the staff at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Irvine...EVERYONE was so wonderful and so accommodating - I couldn't have asked for better care.

We were finally able to go home Friday afternoon. A ton of pictures were taken during our stay at the hospital, but here are just a few more:

Once I was off my clear liquid diet, I requested my mom to bring me sushi. AT LONG LAST!!!

Kaiser even provided me and Ralph with a celebratory dinner.

I'd like to take this time to thank everyone for all the well wishes, whether they were through visitations, phone calls, text messages, social media messages/comments, etc. We are truly grateful for all the support, and we cannot wait till the baby meets everyone! 

As far as how we're doing...

- I was in excruciating pain for the last couple of days because I refused to take any pain meds (other than Motrin) because I'm super constipated, and pain meds only make it worse. And boy...you feel EVERYTHING once the anesthesia wears off. So moving just HURTS, but I am feeling a lot better today. Things are only going to get better from here!

- Ralph is super man. He not only has to take care of Owen, but he also has to take care of me. I am beyond blessed for Ralph's patience and for everything that he has done for me the last couple of days...we are a lot closer in our relationship, that's for sure, lol! He is also now a pro at swaddling and changing diapers.

- Baby Owen is just the greatest thing I've ever seen. I cannot get enough of him. He's breastfeeding just fine and loves to be carried...he's fussy when he's not in someone's arms - what a brat! :D

- Wendy is still a little confused as to what's going, but she has been the sweetest dog. She constantly sniffs the baby's stuff and always jumps out of her bed/crate whenever the baby cries, as if she's concerned about her little brother's well-being. :)

"Mama...what's that you got over there?"

More updates/pictures once I feel better. :)

Owen Michael Herrera
Born on Wednesday, February 25th, 2015 at 5:37pm
Weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces and was 20 inches long