Tummy Time

I love spending time with Mama and Papa, just hanging out and cuddling. Most of the time, I'm with Mama because, well, she takes care of me when I'm hungry (Mama said, no pictures, please). But sometimes, I get to hang out with Papa. Mama calls it "tummy time" because I get lay down on my tummy on top of Papa's tummy. Fun! It's so much fun, we usually both fall asleep.



But as Mama and Papa say, all good things must come to an end. It was time for my second bath.



So while Mama and Papa were drying me off, something strange happened. They were talking about how maybe they pushed something too hard and... poof! My stump umbilical cord fell off!



Now my tummy looks like everyone else! It didn't hurt, but Mama and Papa called the doctor anyway. They said that it should have come out much later, but that I was still okay. I guess I'm just a quick learner! Is it tummy time again?

My First 100 Hours

Woah! Life was pretty easy for me before. Roll. Swallow. Stretch. Float. But now, yikes! Breathe. Reach. Stay warm. Suck. Swallow. Sleep. It's enough to knock a kid out! I know I'm keeping Mama and Papa awake, but it's hard to keep track if I ate or not. Thankfully, Mama is willing to feed me and Papa is willing to carry me all through the night. After 100 hours of being out, I'm pooped.

First Day Home

Well, I'm at home now and I'm having a great time eating, pooping, and sleeping. I'm not so sure about Mama and Papa, though...they look a little tired.

We came home from the hospital on Friday. Here's a family photo right before we left. Don't you like my stylish hat?



Papa strapped me gently in my car seat and then drove us home very slowly.



That night, Auntie Jessica came over to help my parents give me a bath. I like bath time. I especially like getting my hair shampooed!

All These People!

It was so nice to see everyone come to visit. Looks like Mama and Papa have a lot of people to introduce me to, but that's okay. I really like it. I hope I get to meet more people soon!

Look Ma!

Mama said I look like a cocoon. I just love being swaddled.

Esau My Son

Now, I can't help it if I have a hairy back... and arms... and ears... and face... Okay, it's all over me. Papa keeps touching it and saying "Esau, my son." Does he want to name me Esau? The nurse asked Mama and Papa about my name a few times, but they wouldn't say until they saw my face. So, they waited until everyone was gone and they talked about it with me. And so they told me my name: Micah Youngkwang Bautista. I kinda like it.

Head for the Light!

All I could feel was pushing, pushing, and pushing. Even when Mama didn't try to push, Mama's tummy still tried to push me out. I know Mama was trying. Then, the doctor was pulling me out too. Papa kept encouraging Mama by counting and coaching. And, I just tried to head for the light. Head for the light...

"Cristine, look at your baby!" I heard the doctor say as he lifted me up and as I got to look at Mama for the first time. Papa then cut my umbilical cord, and I was free. Papa gave Mama a kiss and then came over to see me. "What a perfect baby!" the nurse said.

Get Me Outta Here!

I was all comfortable and then this doctor started touching my head. What are you doing? Then I heard him say, "I can feel the baby's head now." Mama and Papa said, "That's great!" I'm thinking, can't a kid rest? *sigh* Well, at least they say I'm doing okay... And, all the machines say so too.



I guess it's time to get outta here!

Woosh!

So I was just hanging out with Mama and Papa watching the Cubs game when all of a sudden my happy little home started disappearing. Woosh! Mama called the doctor and she said to come into the hospital to get me checked out. A very nice nurse started taking care of us, asking Mama a bunch of questions. And then, all of a sudden, Woosh again! Then the nurse said, "Yup, that's your waters. Looks like you're staying with us." Uh-oh, did I do something wrong? My happy little swimming pool home is slowly disappearing around me. I hope Mama's okay.

Papa Practice

Now I know that being inside Mama's tummy for 9 months makes it seem like Mama's doing all the work, but that's only 95% true. Papa's trying to make the most of his 5%. Recently, Mama borrowed a baby doll for her and Papa to take to a baby class at the hospital. They called her "B.B." Well, the class went well, but they haven't returned B.B. back. So, Papa took the opportunity to practice some of his Papa skills. He started with the basics and read up on how to take care of me. Thanks to the Starks, Papa's got a great book to get him started.

Papa has a hard time reading; he needs to concentrate.

	Papa first practiced carrying B.B. on his front...
...and then he tried burping...
	Now it looks like Papa's struggling with the car seat, but Mama helped on that one.
I don't think I'm as heavy as B.B., but Mama will tell you otherwise. Look how strong Papa is!
	Now, Papa really shouldn't have anything to worry about here. B.B.'s a girl doll. But, she doesn't know that Papa doesn't know! Pretty sneaky...
*cringe* Papa swaddled B.B. pretty tight... Take it easy Papa!
	Well, at least he was gentle with B.B. putting her into the crib. 4.5 bottles out of 5!

Overall, I think Papa's going to do okay. But, I think I need to challenge him! So, I'll make sure I change the rules on him later... heh heh heh...

Maternity Leave

Guess what? Thursday was Mama's last day at work before going on maternity leave. Here's Mama walking to the train in the morning for the last time after Papa dropped her off at the station.


That evening, Mama and Papa celebrated the start of her maternity leave by going out to a nice dinner. Here's Mama and Papa outside the restaurant.


Now that Mama's home, she keeps saying she doesn't know what to do with herself. She's not used to having so much time on her hands. She's mostly been taking it easy and catching up on sleep. I'm not complaining!

A Week in the Life

Mama and Papa have been working on my room for a while, and now it's finally ready! Just in time too. So what do you think?





The other day we went to grandma Bautista's house and guess who was there? Cousin Zachary. He was very friendly and came over to say hi. He wasn't the least bit afraid of Mama's gigantic belly.




We also went to my cousin Jack's one year birthday party at the Children's Museum in Navy Pier. Mama said I'll get a big birthday party too when I turn one.



I'm glad I have lots of older cousins who I'll get to play with and learn from...like how to get my parents to give me candy and buy me toys. Yeah!

I'm Full Term!

Well, today I'm at 37 weeks, which means I'm full term. Hooray! Mama's being a good sport, despite developing swelling and carpal tunnel syndrome. But the good news is that she's not having any problems sleeping and she hasn't had any heartburn, which are common in third trimester. Mama's definitely slowed down quite a bit these days...she's got the waddling thing down pat.