Baby Landon Is 2 Months!

Baby Landon is 2 months already!! I can't believe how fast time flies by!

Weight

At our 7 Week appointment, Landon had his first set of shots scheduled. We did split up the shots and have an amazing pediatrician who understands our needs and wants! Landon now weighs 11 lbs 8 oz! In 15 days since his 1 month appointment he Grew 2" in length (totaling 23.6"). I'm guessing within the last 2 weeks, he's gained another lb or so.

Speaking of SHOTS He took it like a champ. Well not really, he cried a cry I haven't heard since the minute I gave birth to him, but he stopped crying the minute I fed him. Next time, I might just feed him the second after the shot is done to help him sooth the pain! My aunt also suggested giving him 1/2 a dose of infant tylenol 30 minutes before and after the shot, I didn't do this, but he go a lot of cuddling that day. and that' was perfectly fine by me!

HEALTH

Well, he's doing VERY well. his cheeks are getting chubbier and CHUBBIER by the day and I LOVE IT!! He loves his listening to his Baby Einstien CD's his Aunt linda gave him! He enjoys his swing, almost TOO MUCH. He takes a nap in it during the day. Spitting up has started as well as slight drooling but that's ok. Girls rule and Boys drool right? His hair is filling in nicely and his eye color has lightened to a hazel. He looks a lot like his dad! His eyelashes have grown Long and he has discovered his hands and there are days where if we're not careful, he will scratch his face and give a hard grab on his hair!! so I keep his nails short (trimming them almost twice a week using our safety 1st baby fingernail clippers)!

SLEEP

you sleep from 8-12 PM, wake up to feed, back to sleep around 12:45-4:30 AM and then 5-8 AM. Your Nap schedule is: 11-2 PM and sometimes 4:30-6PM. 1 nap is taken in your swing and the other is either on the couch OR in your pack n play. If I'm lucky, you might wait until 5 to take your nap and I get to snuggle with you while you're sound a sleep. You naturally gravitate to me and I love it.

CLOTHES

you wear 0-3 in GAP and Ralph Lauren. and then 3-6 in Carters, Hurley and Gymboree. When you first came home from the hospital, you could barely fit into newborn. Then one day, you just GREW and never looked back! You're also quickly growing out of your size 1 Diapers (we had a few boxes to mow through too!!) I'm guessing within this week, we will finish the rest of your size 1 pampers and move up a size by Saturday!! We are not a fan of huggies AT ALL. We also like the Pampers natural wipes.

DIET strictly BREASTMILK... and you LOVE it! You must have a very strong stomach because we haven't had any difficulties with you digesting Breastmilk. (we did purchase gripe water to help you, but your pediatrician recommended that I watch my diet and give you a 1/4 tsp of camomile tea if you show signs of gas/pain.. but nothing. you fart like a real boy but it doesn't seem to bother you at all! you're happy happy happy!

DEVELOPMENT

you are getting stronger with every minute of Tummy Time... but you hate it. HATE it. We must Persevere. You will get the hang of it. You are successfully holding little toys and you will hang onto it for as long as you can. Today, you held your Letter O sassy link for almost 3o minutes. Just shaking it. It was cute! You can push your little toys dangling from your mobile and you are VERY alert when items swing above your head. You will stare at your stuff for awhile. You also started to smile. Not too often, but you do here and there. You're more of an observer than anything. You like to look around and take it all in. but we LOVE your smile and we welcome it!

CRYING

dirty diapers, hunger and when you're tired. Oh, also when you're getting your shots. Actually, the other day, you swung one of your mobile toys and it smacked you in the face. You cried and I don't know who was more upset about this, you or your dad... but you definitely know pain.

MILESTONES

Well, for you, everyday is a milestone! But for your mom and dad, you've been successfully babysat by your Aunt Cathy (WHO YOU LOVE and LOVES U!) and by your Ong Ba Ngoai (my parents) so we could do the following:

Celebrate your daddy's Birthday
Had a Double Date with Aunt Vanessa and Uncle Andrew at the OC fair!
Had a Movie Date with your Aunt V & A again.

Also, I got pretty comfortable going out alone with you. Our first outing alone was to the mall to go shopping for your Dad.

Then We went out and about when your cousins Nina and Syndi came to visit. Its pretty exhausting taking you out all day but you love it!

Also, Now that I'm back to work full time and Daddy's been super busy with work, Ba Ngoai has stepped in to watch you while we're out bringing home the bacon! I'm so lucky to have your grandparents living nearby (3 miles away!)

Oh, it was your brother Maddox's Birthday! He turned 4. He worries about you... he can't seem to handle your arrival and spends his nights in a different room. Leiah however LOVES you. She loves everything about you and she stays by your side.

POSTPARTUM I've been very active as of Month 2. I'm following a pretty vigorous diet to keep my Breastmilk flowing so you can stay healthy and strong. I love it. It makes sure I'm eating healthy and eating enough since I'm working so hard lately!! I have lost ALL of the pregnancy weight, now I have to tone up. I've called a few pilates studios to start working out but Mainly its a lot of driving, walking, shopping and breastfeeding! I got this meal plan from babycenter and it helps!

Your Dr has approved swim time! You're using California Baby Sunblock (SPF 30) and wearing size 3-6 month swimmies from Gymboree. We Love the pool and bath. You seem to love water (like your dad!) We give you a water bath almost every night but we only use soap once a week (we use aveeno soap, baby shampoo and cephlaphil lotion).

Well My LOVE, congratulations on reaching your 2 month!! You are a joy to us! we Love you more and more each day!!

Push Presents and Must Have Products!

I suppose while I'm trying to give birth to my son and the nurse says,

"Ok sweetheart, we need a few good pushes. I know you're tired, what will it take to get this going?"

and my husband chimes in and says, "what do you want babe. anything... name it!"

and I scream "I. WANT. A. PRESENT." as the contraction kicks in and I give a push.

he says, "YES. a present. ok ok, I'll give you a present. now PUSH"...

I give another push...

then I SCREAM "DIAMONDS!!!! I WANT DIAMONDS!!!"

he says, "ok ok anything anything you want... just PUSH!!"

and then I forgot about wanting presents.. i just wanted the dr to come in and get the baby out... after I had him, I completely forgot about a push present...

a week went by, it was fathers day... a month went by, it was his birthday... then our 2 year wedding anniversary... I forgot about presents and focused on our little family.

Well, for our anniversary, I got to design some beautiful new wedding bands.. I've been wanting eternity bands! I have to wait until my finger returns to its normal size since I STILL can't remove my engagement ring!

so after 2 months... he took me and the baby to his favorite mall... South Coast Plaza... where this beauty entered my life. My first prada purse. I.LOVE.IT. he's the best!!

now onto products that I LOVE:


First off, it's very hard for me to get Landon interested in a pacifier. sometimes when he's desperate, he will take it from anyone... but its very rare.



here is an adorable video my sister took of him successfully taking a pacifier while she baby sat. It makes me laugh!!

So we tried a few different brands and our favorite Pacifier is actually the Philips Avent BPA free soothie. the same one you get at the hospital. they sell them at Babies R Us for $4.99 a pair. The blue ones are harder then the green ones for some reason.

He also LOVES his Sassy Letter Links!

we attach them to his Fisher-Price Luv U Zoo Deluxe Musical Mobile Gym

He spends A LOT of time enjoying his gym! it's really cute watching him play!

I also ordered a carseat cover from etsy:

Mommy, employee, business owner, wife, daughter.. Magician.

Well, I went back to work last week and it felt super strange to do so. I did jump right back into it without tears, but I find myself skipping through the hospital corridors daydreaming about my baby. He's just so awesome. A huge part of me is torn, When preparing myself to leave in the morning, I have to remind myself, "millions of moms go back to work.. you can do it.. he will be O.K"... and off I go. Luckily, I work from home 2-3 days a week, so I can still hear his little voice chatting up my husband or My mom.

The biggest challenge about returning to work.. I don't work in an office therefor, pumping has been pretty interesting. I travel with my pump, a car adapter and a cooler. The Medela storage bags are a lot easier to use than the bottles. HOWEVER, if you're not careful while finishing up, it could literally explode on you. I now carry a change of work clothes with me. Luckily, a few months ago, I transitioned into scrubs- easy to change in & out of!

The business has taken a back seat lately. I needed a break to figure out life as a mother. its been really hard to get back into it since I have other priorities.

wife duties... lets just say, my husband is the husband, wife and father. lol he's my super hero. he took over our cooking since I had Landon and I know I'm a little spoiled, but I'd like to let him continue cooking lol. I'm slowly getting back into cooking but the day just passes me by and it gets too hectic!

Overall, motherhood is everything I've been waiting for, Landon has a sweet personality. He cries for 3 things, food, a clean diaper and a nap. Sometimes, I forget that he needs to be held and snuggled because he likes to just lounge around and sleep, play or swing.

Since becoming a mom, I must admit, I admire mothers. It's a challenging job. it's not only a full time job, its a 24/7 ALL DAY job. I admire women who can do it alone and I'm so happy I don't have too! My favorite thing to do, talk with other nursing mothers.. especially at Nordstroms while we're all sitting in the ladies bathroom. lol.

for those of you who are reading this- I'm grateful to have you as followers. I hope this blogs helps all new mommies!

xoxo

Landon's 1st Month...

I'm going to switch up my blog a little bit!

I'll try to update monthly along with special holidays... so this blog post will be long, I'll catch up!

So Lets start with the day he was born. Born early but perfect! I must admit he's a pretty handsome guy! Most will say He is a splitting image of me while others will say he looks like my husband!!

Landon on the night he was born!

Landon @ 24 hours!

He Makes the sweetest facial expressions and I am constantly staring at his beautiful face. He loves to smile and giggle in his sleep, I often catch him talking to himself when he's awake. His little noises, gurgles, farts, everything makes me smile! I might be a little obsessed with him.. just a little.. ok, a lot!

He fit perfectly into in newborn clothes for 2 weeks. At week 3, they fit VERY snug... I can still get him in & out of the onesies but I worry about dislocating his arms. At week 3, he was in between sizes Newborn-0-3. Carter's 0-3 were a no go, they were basically Newborn sizes (shrinks 1/2" all around!!!), so For a week, you looked almost homeless in your big boy clothes. Now at week 4, you're fitting in it so nicely!

His First Doctors appointment went by quickly! His birth weight went down to 6lbs 9oz. His length grew 1/2" and he was taken off of formula and officially 100% on breast milk. Dr. Mike is his Pediatrician! He's super nice and hands on with him! We love that he is very supportive of our concerns when it comes to Landon and he's open to sit down and talk about our concerns.

We Celebrated our 1st father's day after Landon's arrival. My husband is IN LOVE with his new best friend. He's a super expert at changing diapers now, he loves everything about his lil man and he's been super hands on about being a dad. He is an amazing father and he's the best husband. We are a very blessed family!

well... that was a month in a nutshell! I promise to keep up now that we're all settled!

Surviving the first few nights... days and weeks.

Landon's officially 2 weeks!! Yes we survived 2 weeks. I have no idea how people don't kill themselves or each other after just a few days, more so, how on earth do people go on to have 2...3..4 kids.

Now, I have a really good baby. I mean REALLY good baby. He doesn't really cry, he's pretty laid back. and he's pretty relaxed, yet the first few days after we were discharged from the hospital... I had an overwhelming feeling.

I assume its because he was 4 weeks early... and I didn't have much ready for him.

So here is my recipe for surviving the first few nights..

1. have a support system... which should include spouse, parents, cousins, aunts, friend.. neighbor.. just anyone that can come to make sure you don't blow your brains out. We didn't have anything set up for Landon in our room, so after we arrived home- My parents came over and put together our pack n play, moved some furniture around, helped us set up bottles, cook dinner for us, My parents were MY rock on our first night. Also, make sure if you're particular about how things are done, show your husband MONTHS & MONTHS (if not years) in advanced how to do stuff. My husband has been doing laundry and dishes for years so he naturally picked up how to clean, sterilize and prep bottles and the breast pump items. its VERY HELPFUL!

2. learn how to swaddle... swaddle that baby until its tight... first night with Landon, I was sOOOooOOo overwhelmed and tired that no matter how I swaddled him, he kept getting out... not to mention, We went through 20 different swaddle blankets to get him to sleep. he was a houdini when it came to getting out of the swaddle and he was the king to peeing all over us. Daddy's, please focus on changing diapers. We went through 1 pack of diapers the first night lol. Diaper fast & furious until you master that shit!

3. Be prepared to be thrown a curve ball and take plenty of notes and PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to what the nurses say!!! About 8 hours before we were discharged, we were informed that Landon wasn't getting any breast milk yet. our feeding plan went out the window when they made my husband a list of items to purchase before my discharge. we got a quick lesson on how to use our breast pump, which bottles to buy, which formula to buy, how to clean the pump items, how to clean bottles etc... I mean, I was so deliriously tired I feel blessed that my husband caught on quick. My poor husband's job was to do EVERYTHING and my job was to just breast feed him for 15 minutes on both sides, feed him 1 ounce of formula, pump for 15 minutes on both sides. talk about 1 hour of my life down the drain every 2 hours. Luckily after the second night home, My milk supply came in and he started to reject formula! woohoo!

4. try not to kill one another.. and embrace help. Our in-laws arrived a day after we came home from the hospital. they basically took over laundry, dishes, and went around fixing up the house and making it more handy for us. My Father in-law is a handy man. he really checked every inch of our house to help us move faster.. example: Installing a door stop in our garage so we can keep the door propped when we need too. My mother cooked meals for me EVERYDAY. which was super helpful. and my sister came by everyday the first week to help us function and mainly to hold her nephew while I napped.

5. get plenty of sleep... and NAP when baby NAPS. I've been hearing this statement for months. and its so TRUE. mid afternoon naps are very helpful because it helps me wake up in the middle of the night to feed my baby. without an afternoon nap, I start to function like a zombie. I get emotional, moody, want to stab people... etc.


So here is the fun part. Items that you will need (Maybe)...



we used our Medela Breast Pump from day 2 until our lactation consultant told me I could stop pumping. We received extra compartments for our pump at the hospital and it was very helpful! You can also rent one at the hospital and it cost $80 a month.. but after 3 months, you can already own the little portable pump!



Since we had to supplement 1oz of formula with every feeding, we opted for these Breastflow bottles. They're easier to clean than dr.Browns and they're "Slow flow" nipples so they work great to transition him from breast to bottle and back to breast. Also, when I started to actually pump milk, the medela bottles were also slow flow. Luckily, he is such an easy going guy, Bottles changes don't really bother him!



The Belly Bandit.. pretty amazing. between breast feeding and this little sucker, My belly went from Bulging to minimal in about 2 weeks! I still have some work to do, but I'll take all the help I can get! You want to get it true to size (from pre-birth). I got a small at first I couldn't close it, but then I realized, if I had someone to help me strap it in, it fit nicely. Now it closes all the way!



These are A MUST have if you're breast feeding... because before you know it, you've got 2 giant WATERMARKS on your tank top. before I got a chance to purchase these, I had to change my top 5-6 times a day. lol.



I love our Pack'n Play! Its the S1 by Safety 1st Satellite Premier Playard - Pegasus. It has a little night light and storage space. We opted for the pack'n play over a basinet.



Lastly, these swaddle blankets from aiden and anais are pretty awesome. We also have a more affordable version from summer infant. It functions just the same. Since we have dogs, we use it to lay out on the couch and stuff before we lay the baby down. it keeps him fur free, even though our pups are hypo-allergenic and they don't shed. it gives my parents peace of mind.


BTW- I love being a mommy!! he is my everything and now that he's here, I can't imagine life without him!

Landon's Birth Story

On Saturday, June 9th- My husband and I attended our Breast Feeding class. About 30 minutes in, the Hubster started to turn green. We figured, of all the things he ate, it must have been the milk he had that morning before class.

Regardless, I was determined to finish my breast feeding class, while he puked his brains out in the parking lot of the Medical center. After class, we drove home and I went to visit my cousin for her birthday. (BTW, I can't believe I drove... but I figured, I had 4 more weeks until Landon's arrival.) I left my hubby at home because if he had some sort of virus I didn't want to catch it.

Later that day, I returned home and took a nap in the guest room. During this nap, I had a very vivid dream that I was at my McDonalds ordering dinner when my water broke. I woke up, laughing- then Facebooked my dream.. and went on with my life.

Around 7:30PM, I checked on the sick hubby and offered to run to McDonalds for some chicken nuggets. (I can't believe this will also be the last meal before I give birth!).

So later that night, around 3:15 am... while sleeping in the guest room, I felt a little pop. I remember waking up and thinking, "Maybe I can hold it until the morning"... but then I decided, I might as well Pee now before I pee my pants. So I get up and noticed a little blood. I waddled into the Master bedroom and calmly said, I think my water broke. As I quickly waddled to the toilet.. where water gushed out for what seem to be FOREVER.

"How do you know your water broke" said the sickly husband...
"I've never peed this much in 1 sitting and it's still COMING!"...

so while I called the OBGYN, he googled "water breaking".

both the OB & the internet confirmed that my water broke.

The OB on call suggested I come into the hospital "RIGHT AWAY" to get things checked out.

Me: "Am I going in for just a check up or am I going in for a while?"

Doc: "You should pack your hospital bag, you will be in here until you have the baby. And hurry, be here in 30 minutes"

so what happens next? well, My hubby went from SICK to Labor mode in less than 10 seconds. He grabbed our bag, and started packing his stuff, about 4 days worth of clothes for himself, shampoo, body wash, our toothbrushes.. etc. He was done packing in about 3 seconds.

I on the other hand, stood in my closet weeping because I had imagined this moment differently. I felt so unprepared and I kept crying, "I'm NOT ready" as water dripped down my legs. After a few minutes, the Hub started holding clothes up and said, "do you want to pack this dress? how about this dress? this dress is pretty.. etc

and I just kept crying.

so after about 10 minutes, I stopped crying and started packing... what did I pack??

1- Black Dress
1- set of Sweats & matching hoodie.. steelers to be exact.
4- pairs of underwear
2- going home outfits for Landon.
toothbrush
moisturizer
eyeliner
eyeshadow
foundation
powder
laptop
cell phone
charger
laptop
charger


and that's it.

so we headed to the hospital. On the way, we managed to call my in-laws to prep them to buy a flight to CA... the only statement we got from my FIL was "you're kidding me". We texted my brother but didn't tell my parents because we didn't want them to worry. They live 5 minutes away from the hospital.


Once we arrived, We were immediately checked in through the ER. Since we were pre-registered, they quickly wheeled me up to Labor & Delivery where they gave us a private room, hooked us up to monitors and the testing started...

within minutes, we confirmed that my water had broken and I was having contractions. I didn't even feel the contractions, they were already 3-4 minutes apart! According to the board, my pain level scale was a happy face. lol. After about an hour, we decided to stop the Labor because I hadn't reached 37 weeks and we wanted Landon to bake a little longer.

that was that. they turned off the lights and sent us to bed.

Around 5AM, we were moved to a private birthing suite where we would stay until the baby was born. Our Goal of the day, "No baby". during that morning, we called my folks to let us know that we were in for the long run.

We met with a specialist and she confirmed that Landon should stay for awhile... a while didn't last long because around 9PM sunday night, I started to have contractions.. big time. the pain level scale started to look a little sad... At 2Am, my contractions got extremely close, they must have been watching us or monitoring us because the nurse came in and said she had a treat for me. She asked me if I was ready to fly on cloud 9. lol. they gave me a little IV drug to help with all the pain and that's when my frown turned upside down and I started to hallucinate. I kept waking up my husband to talk...

"Babe. Hey babe. Are you sleeping?" clearly, he was because he was snoring... a louder, "babe. baby babbeeeee!!! babe. I have to tell you something." he wakes from his slumber... "spiderman and batman aren't friends. they don't like each other." giggle giggle.. serious laughter... about 10 minutes later.. "babe babe BABE!!! did you know mickey mouse only has 4 fingers?? so weird!!!" after the third wake up of me giggling, he stopped waking up. lol. About 5 AM, while still loopy, I texted my sister to bring my fake eyelashes and make up to help beautify me through labor. lol.




around 7AM, my OB showed up and said we were ready to have the baby. He started the labor with a little pitocin to help me dilate and my Labor Nurse came in and we came up with a little birth plan. Super easy, Epidural? YES. ok, lets get started. Since we missed our birthing class, it didn't take her too long to realize I had no idea what I'm doing... a quick lesson of holding my legs, and the technique of actually pushing... we were ready.

Somehow, my mother arrived and ended up camping out- she didn't eat, she didn't sleep, she was there the minute they said, "go time- until Landon Arrived". she was not part of my birth plan but man, am i glad she was there!! Once little Man made his debut, my husband's attention was on Landon and my mom was there to hold my hand while the OB finished his job.

from this point on... it took 6 hours to push the baby out. 6 HOURS... total time of labor from the minute my water broke: 39 hours.


What did I learn? I will never see my OB until the very last push when the baby actually was ready to arrive. He will come in, pull out my baby, collect the cord blood banking, finish up, congratulate us and then disappear like a fart in the wind.




As soon as Landon arrived, the NICU department came into assess his vitals. immediately, they said, "he's looks like a full term baby, he can stay with mom." and off they went, wheeling away their machines!

So there we have it, Landon James Thien Scaife was born on June 11, 2012- weighing 7lbs 5oz, measuring 18.5", healthy, happy and just beautiful!



And we all lived happily ever after!

Maternity Shoot

Well who would've thought That I would give birth so soon after my Maternity Shoot! I'm currently working on my birth story... it's a pretty good one, but I couldn't resist sharing my maternity photos... They were posted on FB today and I have to admit- I love them all.

Enjoy!

check her out on FB:


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Love-is-photography/203519436349241