9 Months 2 Weeks

Ryo continues to amaze me with his growth! This month he's....

-standing by himself at most 11 seconds!
-added yes, more, up to his speech
-when I ask him to give me something...he understands and does it
-understands concept of "no"
-graduated from his infant bathtub
-can climb all the way up our stairs - 14 steps without help

8 Months and 4 weeks

Wow, this month just went by so quickly! Work has been crazy!!! SInce I last wrote, I've been to Chicago twice and Central and Northern California 2 or 3 times! So glad that the holidays are coming!!!

Mid-October was the worst... I was away from Ryo for 4 days. While I was away he got sick and his eczyma flared up. I really don't know how other moms do it who have to travel as much or more than I do....I am seriously thinking about changing this....

As I type this...Ryo is chasing me around to get to m keyboard. He is so speedy and agile....crawling, climbing, pulling himself on what he can to stand...Other notables:

-can sign more, milk
-can high five
-kisses on demand
-visited the beach (Oceanside, CA) for the first time ad LOVED the water!
-took his 5th trip on a plane this past week (we went to the Bay Area--I had a conference and we also visited his new baby cousin!)
-makes a grunting sound to get our attention
-can say Hi/Hey at least that is what it sounds like
-knows how to say Dada.. when he wants Aaron or a diaper change

7 months 2 Weeks

Another milestone just happened almost 2 hours ago...Ryo crawled for REAL! That means, instead of his soldier-crawling that he has been doing for a month, he took his first few "hands-to-floor" steps! I captured his third attempt on my Blackberry...see video..he was kinda cranky because it's bedtime and he just wanted me to pick him up...which I did after the 28 second clip.

Ahhhh, I truly think if I stayed home, I would be posting a zillion videos and pictures.

29 Weeks

Ryo turned 7 months October 1! Woohoo! Lolo Amang and Lola Inang (grandparents) celebrated with us bringing us some yummy Filipino food. It was a welcomed gift indeed being as the last couple of weeks we Ryo and mommy has been battling a cold and both needed their moms! We are now okay and our routines are back to normal. (A few days there, Ryo reverted back to newborn days waking up crying every couple of hours with a stuffed-up nose!).

For the first time at a notable length (e.g more than 5 minutes), Ryo held his bottle on his own! I am thinking that he was ready for this awhile ago as it was just too easy to get him to do it. You see, yesterday we visited his cousin Abigail, who is 2 weeks younger. She holds her bottle like no one else's business. We've always held the bottle for him, so I was not quite sure if he could do it or not. So, during his middle of the night feeding (around midnight), being half asleep myselg, I gave him his bottle and guided his little hands to hold it....voila! he did it...totally effort less! The little guy has been holding out on us!

28 Weeks

Wanted to jot some things down before I start the work week....

1. Ryo is crawling! Well, it's the army crawl, but he is fast! He started last week! He can turn on a dime like nobody's business!
2. Since he is crawling, he gets into everything in crawling site! He especially likes power cords, yikes! So, in effort to distract him from the hidden dangers of the living room, we bought him this Fisherprice barn door toy. This is the first major toy we've bought him. The review were good and I liked that there are lots of interactive activities to it...songs, counting game, shapes, lights, etc. He seems to like it, but still getting used to it.
3. Today he had organic carrot puree for the first time. Thumbs up!
4. First time sick...and he caught it from Mommy...a cold, so not too bad, but he cries more and and is noticeably irritated easily. Poor thing.

26 Weeks

Random thoughts....

1. working mom's guilt. left home at 6:00 am- ryo was asleep, came home at 6:00 pm and put ryo to bed at 7:30. Only 1.5 hours with him during wake time.
2. ryo ate solids for the first time 1 day short of his 6 month b-day. does not like rice cereal. moved on to sweet potatoes and avocado.
3. why does ryo like to scream in public?
4. wish i could just be a stay-at-home-mommy. working is too stressful and i miss ryo.
5. loving ryo and ryo more each day...he is a constant inspiration and stress reliever!
6. aaron is such a great daddy and husband! i am blessed to have him in my life!

23 Weeks

What a joy Ryo is!!! He amazes me everyday with the little things he does...lately he has been very curious with textures. Likes to feel things...he especially loves touching Aaron's 5:00 shadow. It is one of the greatest feelings when he takes his two little hands and feels around my face. He also takes a keen interest when I am eating. He seems to look at me and think, why isn't mommy giving me some of her food?

22 Weeks

picture of Ryo on the plane
August 9, 2009 - Ryo's second plane ride. This time to Oakland, CA. He did well on the ride to Oakland, was fussy on the way back to Southern CA. We stayed at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. We had a mini suite, but a queen size bed. With an infant sharing the bed, we would have gladly taken a standard room at a King size bed instead.

Ryo sleeps through the night, waking up only once to feed or a diaper change. It's a bit surreal to think of those first weeks of his life when we were up around the clock! I never thought those days would end!

21 Weeks

20 Weeks: July 26, 2009

I am writing this while in Detroit, Michigan. This is the second time I have been away from Ryo. Last week was the first- I was gone one night. Thoughts about being away from Ryo:

-guilt
-sadness
-longing

The first time (last week), I did pretty well until I finally got settled into bed. I had to sleep with a pillow to my left representing Ryo. I hope not to travel and be away from him too much....

Milestones:

-slept through the night on 7/26 from 9:00 pm - 5:00 am
-now drinks 6 ounces (not at all feeding times)
-loves to sqeal and scream just to hear himself...especially while mommy shops in a crowded store!
-daddy cut his hair! no more comments of ..."she" is such a pretty baby!

19 Weeks

Picture of Ryo having fun with his Tita Elaine

Ryo is certainly growing...he takes 5 ounces of formula per feeding, is up more, and I've noticed that he can be a little more independent when in the right environment. What environment would that be? On his playmat listening to the classical works of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Puccini. While he enjoys reaching for the toys hanging from his playmat, he also loves to turn over to his right side and continue to turn...so we learned to place a barrier of pillows all around him.

18 Weeks

July 12, 2009

We found a new pediatrician! Ryo had his 4 month appointment on July 8th and had his second round of shots. Our new doctor is on board with our desire to space out his immunization shot schedule to follow Dr. Sear's suggested schedule. So, Ryo received the DTaP and Rotovirus shots. At 5 months he'll get Pc and HIB. This time around was sooo much better than his first round! He cried only for a couple minutes (during the shot) and then he was fine. Daddy held him, so I think that really helped.

Cousin Adrian visited Ryo for the weekend. Ryo is just so much happier it seems these weeks...smiling, talking, only cries when hungry, tired, or in need of a diaper change!

Firsts:

1. Roadtrip to Bakersfield (mommy had to do a 1.5 hour presentation)
2. Dipped legs in Big Bear Lake
3. Went to Lake Gregory in Crestline - Ryo sat and played in the water with Mommy and Daddy
4. Visit from Adrian Pedroni
5. Visit from Lukas Yung

17 Weeks

Ryo turned 4 months on July 1, 2009! To mark the day, he rolled over from his stomach to his back for the first time for Mommy before she left for work! This week he has been constantly rolling from side to side on the bed, the couch, and on his play mat! He's pretty quick so we have to keep a watchful eye on the little guy!

Ryo also met his Great Grand Aunt Beth from the Philippines over the weekend. It was a special site to have Ryo meet his Great Grandmother's sister!

For the fourth of July, we spent the day at a Powwow in the Pechanga Indian Reservation. Ryo got his first taste of learning about the indigenous people of this land. It was a great way to spend a nice Saturday afternoon.

Another milestone this week...Ryo giggled for the first time! Mommy was doing her yoga cobra pose above Ryo and once she looked down at his face, he giggled!

16 Weeks

Updates on Ryo this week:

First trip to Vegas! We visited my sister and my niece, Penny for the day. Ryo got his first experience in getting into a pool. It only lasted a few minutes though, because the water was too cold


Ryo invited his play group friends, Gavin, Mara and Isaiah to our home on June 28th. They spent the afternoon "talking," playing, eating, and sleeping.

15 Weeks

First trip on an airplane! We all went to Chicago this week (6/14-6/19) because I had a conference and a sales meeting for work. Even though I was busy at work during the day, it was a so nice to come back to the hotel to hang out with my two men.

Milestones:

6/14 Plane ride - Ryo was a little fussy, cried for 6 minutes straight (but it felt like hours), then went to sleep the rest of the flight...BUT I had to hld him over my left shoulder the ENTIRE time.
6/15 Ryo rolled over for the first time on seat of a booth at Red Lobster in Schamburg, IL. He did it wice for mommy to see!
6/16 Ryo and dad hung out in Chicago all day despite the rain. The went to the Art Institute of Chicago, had a Chicago dog and deep dish pizza, and met up with my co-workers Sue, Vanessa, and Darian.
6/18 Ryo and Aaron visited me at work - Riverside Publishing headquarters - the three of us had lunch
6/19 Flew back to Southern California. Ryo was great on the plane! He slept on both our laps.

14 Weeks

Ryo celebrated his 100th Day this week - June 9, 2009. I left work a little early so that mommy, daddy and Ryo could celebrate. We didn't do too much...just took a bunch of naked pictures of him..it's an Okinawan tradition. I guess 100 days is a major milestone...Ryo is happy, health, and growing! Ryo had breastmilk and formula to cap it off, while Aaron and I ate sushi!

One more thing to note...for the first time since we left the house to go to the hospital when I was in labor....Aaron and I rode in our car...just the two of us. We dropped off Ryo with Lolo and Lola so that we could go to Liza's 30th b-day bash. First time away from him...about 5 hours. It was fun to hang out with Aaron, but we were happy to see Ryo at then end of the night!

13 Weeks

Ryo's 13th week seemed to have gone by super quick. Here's a few tidbits I noticed...

He is awake more during the day
His nap time this week were shorter 1-2 hours
At around 7 to 8:30 he takes a longer stretch to sleep...3-4 hours
This continues into the night
He loves to start out sleeping on his right side, eventually rolling onto his back
Hasn't done a full roll yet...when is that going to happen?
Is not taking to nursing when I come home from work...this makes me so sad! He'll only nurse during the middle of the night or early morning
When he talks in Ryo speak, I swear he knows exactly what he is saying and knows what we are talking about

How am I feeling?

sad that Ryo doesn't breastfeed as much
guilty that pumping at work gets increasingly difficult (timing....too much work!) last Friday was the first day I did not pump at all. I had meeting after meeting...
wish that i could just be a stay-at-home mommy
thrilled that after stressful days at the office I come home to a bg undle of joy in a small package

12 Weeks

This week Ryo's personality is really coming out. He loves to converse and sing a long to just about any song someone sings to him. Yesterday Ryo and Mommy went to a group play date in Beaumont. It was really fun hanging out with other mom's and their babies who are the same age as Ryo. In the 3 hours we were there, the babies played (not really with each other though), nursed..although Ryo only wanted the bottle :-( and slept. Ryo was a little fussy at times, but it was still great! Next time, we are going to host it at our house.

One of the mom's, Lisa, told me a bout a cool site where you can get baby stuff for at least half off. They post one item a day and you can purchase until sold out: Mamma Bargains Yesterday there was an Easy Walker stroller for two hundred something, retail is $499! I haven't bought anything yet, but this is one site I will check back often. I think the idea came from Steap and Cheap which is an outdoor gear and clothing site.

Another site I just found today focuses on eco-friendly baby products: Green Baby Bargains

11 Weeks - The Working Mom

Well, today actually marks Ryo's 12th week, but I'm calling this post 11 weeks, since I want to post how this past week has been. Ryo is more talkative and responsive. It's like we have conversations!

Another full work week. I decided to try to work from home on Wednesday since it breaks up the week a bit (last week, it was hard going in to work everyday until Friday). I still miss Ryo all the time, especially when I pump during work in my office. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to pump on a regular schedule. My goal is to pump at least 2x a day, but this past week there were 2 days I only pumped once. Ugh! I feel so guilty about not being able to produce enough milk that would last Ryo the entire day without me. I've had to supplement my milk from the start, but now that I am back to work, nursing is more like supplementing.

How do other working mothers do it all? I guess they just don't...things just gotta give. For me, Ryo is central once I step foot in the door coming home from work. A typical day goes like this:

6:30 am Ryo wakes up and I nurse him for as long as he wants, then play with him.
7:00 am wake up Aaron to play with Ryo (this is Ryo's most happy and alert time of the day) while I get ready for work in 15 minutes flat.
7:15 am this is when I should leave for work, but Ryo's cooing leads me right back in bed beside him.
7:25 am leave for work and race down the freeway(s) to get to work by 8:00. Oh those days of me working early in the morning are gone!
FAST FORWARD
5:00 pm leave work (okay, not exactly at 5:00, but it is no longer 6:00) and race home
6:00 pm come home, wash hands and quickly change clothes, then take Ryo in my arms and nurse him, then play, sing/read one of his books 3 times to him.
7:00 pm give Ryo a bath or a sponge bath and infant massage (not everyday)
7:30 pm put Ryo to sleep, mommy takes a quick shower
8:30 pm dinner for mommy and daddy (daddy gets take-out)
10:30 pm Ryo wakes up - change diaper, nurse/bottle feed, then put Ryo to sleep
11:30 pm mommy takes a "nap"
12:30-1:30 Ryo wakes up - change diaper, nurse/bottle feed, then put Ryo to sleep
3:30-4:30 Ryo wakes up - change diaper, nurse/bottle feed, then put Ryo to sleep

Sometimes I can wash a few dishes and pick up some burp cloths lying around, and read a how-to take care of a baby book, but that's it. To unwind, I watch a little TV with Aaron.

The weekends are much better because I can nurse more, take a walk with Ryo to the park, do some housework, and relax a little. This is the time also when Aaron can do some house projects. In fact, tis weekend he tiled the top of our fireplace and did some yard work.

10 Weeks

Some milestones this week:

Ryo took his first overnight trip to the Bay Area to meet the Pedroni side. We think he likes the Bay Area. We visited Oakland (we even got to see our good friends Angela and Malik!), Alameda, Santa Barbara and Solvang.

He started to eat more too...4 ounces a feeding!

Ryo can hold his head up longer on his own.

Started to do raspberries...likes playing with his saliva!

Sleeps a little longer at night, sometimes a 4-5 hour stretch!

Wearing 3-6 month clothes. He is getting big!

Seems like he wants to start walking before he can crawl...he is constantly pushing himself up using his legs while we carry him.

Loves to coo to anyone who talks to him...and he is a talker!

First time we left Ryo (only 2 hours while we walked around Solvang and did some wine tasting)...we left him with my parents and Aaron's mom. So he was in good hands x 6!

He was such a good boy even though mommy had to go back to work. Fortunately, Obasan (Aaron's mom), stayed with us the whole week.

9 Weeks

Wow, Ryo is already 9 weeks old! We had his two month appointment this past Friday. I feel guilty for not doing more research on vaccinations. I just learned that in the 80s, children under 5 had 10 vaccinations, presently it's 36! There are some theories out there that all these shots cause autism. I think I read somewhere that the US has the highest number of vaccinations and highest number of autism affecting children. I don't want to freak out, but I do recognize I need to be more informed. Tomorrow, I'm going to go to Barnes to purchase Dr. Sears' Vaccination Book. A couple of my friends from the Moms joining Moms class recommended this.

Ryo had two shots; one per thigh consisting of: Hep B, DTaP, HIB, Pneumococcal, and Polio. He also got the Rotavirus via drops in his mouth. The experience was heart wrenching for me. Those needles were soooo long; I thought it would pierce through Ryo's little thigh. Once he received his first shot, he looked like he was in such pain...turned bright red and tried to cry out...the kind where you can't even make a sound...which is so much worse. I felt his pain too and could not watch...just put my hand to his heart and nestled my face to his face. It was horrible!

We watched him really closely the rest of the day. He had soreness in his legs, no fever, but was fussy. I didn't want to take him anywhere over the weekend. It's 3 days later and he seem back to normal.

8 weeks- Chinatown Outing

Ryo's first trip to Chinatown in Los Angeles. He slept the whole time there while we shopped and picked up dim sum at CBS Seafood. It wasn't too crowded, which was nice.

Our morning started like the usual...4:00 am wake-up call, diaper change, feeding, sleep, then up again at 6:00, 7:30, 9:00...finally got out of bed and had play time in the baby room. Ryo played, well stared at the hanging toys on his activity mat. The music that goes along with the happy face light fixture no longer works, so poor Ryo just watches the flashing lights. He loves the mat though. He can lie on his back there for 15 minutes and kick his legs and swing his arms up, sometimes hitting the rattle. Which I believe he tries to on purpose.

I took Ryo a bath...trying to get rid of that cradle cap he has, then got his diaper bag ready. 2 changes of clothes, 6 diapers, 2 bottles of formula to supplement breast milk, an empty bottle, a pacifier, safety kit, burp cloth, receiving blanket, wipes, changing mat, teddy bear, and his medical card. I also took along a baby blanket in case it's cold, the baby bjorn, and the moby (in case he does not want to be in the bjorn). Whew!

After Chinatown, we made a stop in Pasadena where Aaron went to Napa Style to buy a gift for his dad - a cool metal wine shaped door stop. Ryo and I stayed in the car so that I could change and feed him.

Next, we stopped at Giggles to buy a cloth diaper cover, but they ran out. Darn.

On the road again...stopped at Trader Joe's to buy food. Aaron carried Ryo in the bjorn until he got fussy (15 minutes later)....it's 8:19 now...I hear Ryo..gotta go!