I forgot to write for the past week again, so this will be another two-for-one special. It's been a crazy time.
2 weeks ago, Emily had a HUGE week. For about a month, Emily had been rolling over maybe once or twice a week. But 2 weeks ago, Emily suddenly realized she was super good at rolling over and became a rolling over machine! It was super adorable to see her roll over with such ease. I'd put her down on the floor and when I turned around, she would be on her belly! I was so proud to see how much she had developed in the blink of an eye. But then, my pride over this rolling over feat soon turned into frustration because Emily started rolling over in her crib. Now, this is fine and dandy, except for the fact that she couldn't figure out how to roll back. She would start crying and wailing for someone to come and help flip her back. It was almost like sleep training again! Do we let her cry until she figures out how to get down? Or do we go in there and help her down bc it's more important to get sleep? This was a hard couple of days, and then just like that, she stopped. I think she realized that she hates being on her belly, and this is not what she wants to do all the time. So she stopped rolling over as much, and especially during her naps/bedtimes. So that was nice. Peace came back to the house.
On top of this - Emily began solids! We hit the 6 month mark, got the okay from our pediatrician, so we decided to move forward. I had prolongued this as long as I could because I really did not want to have to start preparing more food for her. But the time had come. I had racked my brain for weeks about what I wanted her first food to be. I had finally settled on korean sweet potato, bought it from Hmart, and had peeled it and ready to go. Then I realized that I had no idea if it was organic or not! That led to me sending Sy out asap to go buy organic veggies and realized that this was an expensive side trip.
We gave Emily her first sweet potato spoonful. I was proud that she was able to figure out how to open her mouth wide open to take in the spoon, but she did not like the sweet potato. She made a cute, little, unhappy face and scrunched up her eyes and basically did not eat it. The food just kept dribbling out of her mouth. We did sweet potato for 3 days, and then moved onto baby oatmeal, and then quinoa oatmeal. She seemed to like the oatmeal and quinoa a lot! Or maybe it was that she got used to eating and was enjoying it more. We've now also tried banana and sweet peas. It's so cute to see how with each new food we introduce, she always scrunches her nose, but then she gets used to it after a day or so. Preparing food for Emily is a small pain in the butt. But watching her and feeding her has been so fun. It's the highlight of my days.
Moving on to the sad portion of this entry - last week was my first week back at work. It took weeks for me and Sy to figure out a good solution for childcare, but we finally found a plan that worked. Sy's mom would watch Emily 4x a week; Sy would use his vacation days to watch Emily 1x a week. It was super busy leading up to my return to work as I had to go and buy duplicates of all our stuff so that Emily could have a 2nd home at his mom's house. I was a mess the entire week prior. I cried every day whenever Emily did something cute bc I knew I wasn't going to see her all day long anymore. I prayed super hard to win the lotto, but again, I did not win. When Monday arrived, I cried in the morning as I rushed to feed her before I left. I cried in the car as I said goodbye to her, and cried on my train ride into work. I was okay once I got to work since I was busy talking to people and catching up. Tues-Thurs was fine as well - no tears in the morning and day. But it was only on Friday morning that the tears returned. While I fed Emily her morning bottle, I remembered the opening song to Mike and Molly that I would sing to Emily every day as it played in the background during our afternoon feedings. Emily smiled so big when she heard me singing this familiar song, and I started to cry thinking about how I didn't sing her this song all week! Maybe she missed this song and was happy to hear it. And then I got sad that an entire week went by and I hadn't done all my usual things with her - singing songs, diaper change kisses, my special Emily song and dance, etc. Leaving Emily is so hard and sad, but a necessary evil so that I can provide her financially with all the things she needs and deserves.
From an Emily perspective - she did great for her first week without me. I had been nervous that maybe she would notice my absence and would cry for me or miss me. But she didn't. She was just fine hanging out with her grandma and grandpa and aunt and cousins. If anything, it was adorable to see her hanging out with her cousin Carol - who we hope will become her best friend for life. Emily had no problems sleeping, eating, and playing like usual. And again - if anything, she's begun sleeping more than usual - which definitely helps Sy's mom out during the day as she watches both Emily and Carol. I'm proud of Emily for being able to adjust to the new changes so seamlessly. It's also a good sign that she is now able to sleep better in foreign places. Hopefully, she will be fine as Sy and I hope to get out more often now.
I can't believe 6 months went by in the blink of an eye. I can still vividly remember the cold winter days of me and Emily at home. And then when spring came, it still felt like so far away. But here we are - 6 months done and back to work. I'm incredibly thankful that I had 6 months with Emily. It was the best time of bonding and watching her grow up. Once she finished her crazy, hard part - I really enjoyed the fun, cute times we had. I wish we could've had more time together, but I'll always be thankful for our time together. We spent the first half of her first year together. I know the 2nd half of her first year will go by fast again and I won't see it as much, but hopefully, she'll save all her milestones for when we're home to see it with our own eyes. It's the end of an era - but here's to a great 2nd act!
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
The halfway mark - 6 months old! - Week 24+25
I forgot to write for last week, so it's going to be a 2 for 1 entry.
Physically - Emily is developing so quickly before our eyes! She is now able to sit by herself for about 5 min straight! She sits sort of like a tripod with her arms holding her up, but I'm still super impressed with her! I bought her one of those play keyboards, and now she can sit by herself and play the piano keys. It's been amazing to see her be able to sit and just play with stuff. We stay close by so she doesn't topple over. And also, this seems to tire her out, so when she gets tired, she wants to lean back more. But it's amazing!
Additionally, Emily is starting to roll over! We knew she was going to be a little slow in this area since she hates being on her belly with all her soul. But I was determined to not let that slow down her development. So as she was rolling onto her side more and more, I would tip her over and let her roll onto her belly. She didn't like being on her belly for too long, but it was a start. And then last Sunday, Sy and I were chatting on the sofa and Emily was playing on her mat. When we finally looked over at her to see how she was doing, we saw that she had rolled over by herself! She was on her belly! And we were shocked bc she did it by herself and we missed it! Haha! After that, I watched her like a hawk. I think it took another day or so for her to do it on her own. But she's definitely getting better! She may not do it every day, but she does it here and there. I genuinely think that she's gonna try to walk before she ever crawls. She really hates being on her belly. So why on earth would she choose to crawl? I can't wait to see her try to walk. But I do hope she does try to learn to crawl bc that's just freaking adorable.
Last Wed, Emily and I had a big day bc we went into the city by ourselves! I had been wanting to go to my office to introduce Emily to my team. But man, the idea of trekking out there with her was so daunting bc of all the obstacles. But I knew I had to go in at least once, so I made up my mind, and did it. It was quite an ordeal, I have to admit. We left the house at 10:30am to catch the 11am train. I had to circle around looking for parking, and ended up getting one 2 avenues away. I had to walk super fast with the stroller to make it to our train. Turns out, the train was delayed indefinitely bc of a sick passenger. I ended up feeding Emily on the platform, which was very awkward bc she was sitting in her stroller, and I was holding her bottle while crouching to be close to her (all the while sweating bullets bc it was a 90 degree day). When we finally got on the train, I couldn't get a seat, so we stood while I continued to feed Emily throughout the train ride. Once we got to Penn Station, it was fairly simple. Took an elevator up the the ground level, took another elevator to get to the street level - very easy. Finding a cab was the hard part. But once I found a cab, it was easy again! Sy met me on the street to say hi to Emily, and then we went in to meet my team. Emily did great! I was afraid she might get stranger anxiety, but she was fine! She was even smiley and laughing with some people! It was only as we reached the 2 hour point of being awake did she start to get cranky. Finally, at 1pm, I left my office so that we could catch the 1:46pm train. Sy met me again and he decided to go with me to Penn Station. Man, with 2 people, it's SOOO much easier. Sy was able to bring Emily's stroller down the stairs to get to the subway while I held her in my arms. We rode the subway for 2 stops, took an elevator from the subway platform to the ground level, and then waited for my train. Sy then took the stroller down the stairs to the train, and we got on. (this whole event made me feel so bad for single parents. how do they do this with no help???) Once on the train, I fed Emily again. She was so tired bc she had completely missed an entire nap session. She got a little cranky but I was able to keep her entertained for the rest of the train ride. Once we got off the train, I rushed to the car, and Emily started crying hard bc she was so tired (and plus - she hates the car). Surprisingly, she fell asleep within minutes of the car ride (which she never does!), and slept the 8 min it took to get home. Once we got home, I quickly put her down for a nap and she slept nice and long. I was really proud of Emily and myself. It was a difficult trip to make, but we did it! Emily was such a trooper through it all, and was so great with my co workers!
This past Sat was my mom's 70th birthday party. We were having a banquet dinner at 5pm in NJ. I was pretty nervous for this event bc I was afraid that Emily would be too cranky by the time the guests arrived. We had to lose a nap bc Emily generally doesn't fall asleep in the car. So during her nap, we drove to NJ. Emily never ceases to amaze me though. Despite the lack of a nap, she was great! She didn't cry even when she was surrounded by so many faces and people touching her. She got passed around from person to person so everyone could hold her. She didn't cry - except maybe whimper a little when men tried to hold her. (I really think my men-fear theory is true!) It was only when it got to about 6:30pm that she had been awake for 4 hours that she finally broke and started to cry bc she was tired. She was tired, hot, and the room was kind of loud. So we decided to head out and get her home. The entire car ride home, Sy and I remarked about how proud we were of her for being such a champ and being such a good baby. I know this may be such a small feat - but to us, we couldn't be prouder. Everyone always tells us how sweet and good Emily is. And while I know that a lot of those comments could just be out of politeness, to me - I truly believe it. She's just the best!
I think overall, my fear that Emily will have bad stranger anxiety is subsiding. Yes, she can cry a little (especially with men), but it's nothing that's so severe that I should be worried. Hopefully, she will continue to develop and get over her fear and become a brave little girl.
I love watching her grow up. This is the best "tv show" I've ever watched! =D
Physically - Emily is developing so quickly before our eyes! She is now able to sit by herself for about 5 min straight! She sits sort of like a tripod with her arms holding her up, but I'm still super impressed with her! I bought her one of those play keyboards, and now she can sit by herself and play the piano keys. It's been amazing to see her be able to sit and just play with stuff. We stay close by so she doesn't topple over. And also, this seems to tire her out, so when she gets tired, she wants to lean back more. But it's amazing!
Additionally, Emily is starting to roll over! We knew she was going to be a little slow in this area since she hates being on her belly with all her soul. But I was determined to not let that slow down her development. So as she was rolling onto her side more and more, I would tip her over and let her roll onto her belly. She didn't like being on her belly for too long, but it was a start. And then last Sunday, Sy and I were chatting on the sofa and Emily was playing on her mat. When we finally looked over at her to see how she was doing, we saw that she had rolled over by herself! She was on her belly! And we were shocked bc she did it by herself and we missed it! Haha! After that, I watched her like a hawk. I think it took another day or so for her to do it on her own. But she's definitely getting better! She may not do it every day, but she does it here and there. I genuinely think that she's gonna try to walk before she ever crawls. She really hates being on her belly. So why on earth would she choose to crawl? I can't wait to see her try to walk. But I do hope she does try to learn to crawl bc that's just freaking adorable.
Last Wed, Emily and I had a big day bc we went into the city by ourselves! I had been wanting to go to my office to introduce Emily to my team. But man, the idea of trekking out there with her was so daunting bc of all the obstacles. But I knew I had to go in at least once, so I made up my mind, and did it. It was quite an ordeal, I have to admit. We left the house at 10:30am to catch the 11am train. I had to circle around looking for parking, and ended up getting one 2 avenues away. I had to walk super fast with the stroller to make it to our train. Turns out, the train was delayed indefinitely bc of a sick passenger. I ended up feeding Emily on the platform, which was very awkward bc she was sitting in her stroller, and I was holding her bottle while crouching to be close to her (all the while sweating bullets bc it was a 90 degree day). When we finally got on the train, I couldn't get a seat, so we stood while I continued to feed Emily throughout the train ride. Once we got to Penn Station, it was fairly simple. Took an elevator up the the ground level, took another elevator to get to the street level - very easy. Finding a cab was the hard part. But once I found a cab, it was easy again! Sy met me on the street to say hi to Emily, and then we went in to meet my team. Emily did great! I was afraid she might get stranger anxiety, but she was fine! She was even smiley and laughing with some people! It was only as we reached the 2 hour point of being awake did she start to get cranky. Finally, at 1pm, I left my office so that we could catch the 1:46pm train. Sy met me again and he decided to go with me to Penn Station. Man, with 2 people, it's SOOO much easier. Sy was able to bring Emily's stroller down the stairs to get to the subway while I held her in my arms. We rode the subway for 2 stops, took an elevator from the subway platform to the ground level, and then waited for my train. Sy then took the stroller down the stairs to the train, and we got on. (this whole event made me feel so bad for single parents. how do they do this with no help???) Once on the train, I fed Emily again. She was so tired bc she had completely missed an entire nap session. She got a little cranky but I was able to keep her entertained for the rest of the train ride. Once we got off the train, I rushed to the car, and Emily started crying hard bc she was so tired (and plus - she hates the car). Surprisingly, she fell asleep within minutes of the car ride (which she never does!), and slept the 8 min it took to get home. Once we got home, I quickly put her down for a nap and she slept nice and long. I was really proud of Emily and myself. It was a difficult trip to make, but we did it! Emily was such a trooper through it all, and was so great with my co workers!
This past Sat was my mom's 70th birthday party. We were having a banquet dinner at 5pm in NJ. I was pretty nervous for this event bc I was afraid that Emily would be too cranky by the time the guests arrived. We had to lose a nap bc Emily generally doesn't fall asleep in the car. So during her nap, we drove to NJ. Emily never ceases to amaze me though. Despite the lack of a nap, she was great! She didn't cry even when she was surrounded by so many faces and people touching her. She got passed around from person to person so everyone could hold her. She didn't cry - except maybe whimper a little when men tried to hold her. (I really think my men-fear theory is true!) It was only when it got to about 6:30pm that she had been awake for 4 hours that she finally broke and started to cry bc she was tired. She was tired, hot, and the room was kind of loud. So we decided to head out and get her home. The entire car ride home, Sy and I remarked about how proud we were of her for being such a champ and being such a good baby. I know this may be such a small feat - but to us, we couldn't be prouder. Everyone always tells us how sweet and good Emily is. And while I know that a lot of those comments could just be out of politeness, to me - I truly believe it. She's just the best!
I think overall, my fear that Emily will have bad stranger anxiety is subsiding. Yes, she can cry a little (especially with men), but it's nothing that's so severe that I should be worried. Hopefully, she will continue to develop and get over her fear and become a brave little girl.
I love watching her grow up. This is the best "tv show" I've ever watched! =D
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