Daddy Bathes Baby

Deme wanted photographic proof that he helped to bathe the baby and that he did a good job.

-No soap in eyes. (check)
-No soap in ears. (check)
-Water was the perfect temperature. (check)
-Baby came out clean and happy. (check)

He did do a perfect job.

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween everyone! We got this adorable outfit from Deme's friend Adriana and her son Marcello ( a cutie himself). We would not have thought to get her an outfit at all and this was too cute not to put on today. (Look at the ghosts on the socks) She won't be having candy anytime soon but she did hit 7 pounds today (3.2 kilos) Yipee!

The Baby Boppy Isn't Only for Babies

Having pets has always been a very important part of my life; now that I am a mom, we've been trying to tell the dog that he is no longer #1 in our lives. (Yes, he has a bed in every room; yes, I crocheted him blanket of his very own and yes, he has a monogramed raincoat.)

With my mom here, he has one extra person to give him attention but I think he knows something has changed in the household. He still gets lots of treats, he still gets his teeth brushed and his nails clipped but he gets much less one-on-one time with me or with Demetrio. About once or twice a week he will go on a long run with Deme but other than that he has not been walked for over three weeks. (When the confinement ends, the walking will go back to normal though.)

When he sees the baby on the bed or in her baby papasan, he goes over and gives her a good sniff but has not shown much interest otherwise. She cries and he pays her no mind at all, not too surprising from a dog who doesn't mind thunder and fireworks. I am curious as to when he will start trying to lick her and chew up her stuffed toys. I wonder if he will snap at her if she tries to grab his tail or ears. So far he has been very well behaved. I would love to have him snuggle with her in bed etc... but because she is a "premie", we are extra careful about germs and cleanliness. I guess we will just have to see how he reacts to her as she gets older. We do love him ever so much and hope he understands.

3 Weeks Old!

This is Veronica's second real bath. Bathing small baby is a two person job (IMHO) it takes one to undress the child and another to get the water and bathtub ready.


My mom brought bathing safety net from either the States or Germany for Veronica. This way we can use a big tub without having her unsupported. She loves having bath and getting wet. Lucky for us!

Play a Guessing Game

I'll give you three chances to guess what this is:



1. A dried up old spider I found under my lap top.

2. A knot in a piece of string from my sewing kit.

3. My episiotomy stitch that was supposed to dissolve but did not.

4. A really old piece of dental floss that fell between some crack in the bathroom.

5. Just another wad of hair that I took off my hair brush.

Well the answer is #2, it is a simple knot in a piece of sting from my sewing kit BUT it is meant to be a representation of #3. I had to go in to have a single really giant stitch removed yesterday since it showed no signs of dissolving on its own. It was ouchy but not as bad as I expected. Thank goodness my midwife is a very gentle and skilled woman.

Are We Spoiled Rotten?

My mom has been a giant help with Veronica. Deme usually changes her/feeds her/holds her but I pump my milk, do a bit of housework (I make the bed and so laundry) and feed/hold/change the little monkey. My mom does most of the cooking, does half of the feeding/holding/changing but the most fantastic thing she does is she takes the baby into her room once in a while so we can get a full nights sleep. We usually do one or two nights on and the one to two nights off, we alternate. This has been a real life saver. She also insists that I take a nap at least once a day without the baby. What would we do without her?


This is how we look in the morning when we have Veronica for the night.


This is how we look in the morning when my mom has Veronica for the night.

The Origin of "Chiu" in Veronica's Name

There has been a lot of talk and chatter about where the name Chiu comes from. Here in Italy the Italians pronounce it "Q" instead of "Chew". I am ready to answer all questions.

Some facts:

1. I think my dad was hoping for a grandson since he had a male name picked out about 2-3 months before the baby was born. After I found out it was a girl, I called him on Guam and he had to take a day to think of a name for a girl.

2. Since my family is Cantonese, Chiu is a Cantonese pronunciation instead of Mandarin. The original name Wong Chiu Gwun (this is the best spelling I can come up for the translation) is not a family name but the name of a legendary beauty from the Han Dynasty. In Mandarin, the name is spelled Wang Zhaojun, but they are written the same way in Chinese.

3. This famous lady was a political bride of great beauty. In fact she is one of the four greatest beauties of Chinese history. She was sent as a gift to the Huns (in Mongolia) where she was married to a Hun chief. She then lived in Mongolia for the rest of her life promoting peace between the two countries.

4. Her tomb is a tourist attraction in Inner Mongolia.

5. Read more about her here and here.

I thank my dad for the name and think that it matches Veronica well. Thanks Dad!

More Than Manly

You have to look hard but can you see the yellow Baby Boppy that Sprog Daddy has on his lap. I can't tell you what a great tool it is for nursing, playing with and just for placing the baby in. I love it!


Deme still manly even though he uses it right? If not manly, he is being very fatherly.

Cute Card

Somebody knows Demetrio really well. We got this card from my sister Sara and her husband Chris today and we could not help but laugh out loud.

Updates!

We keep getting cute gifts from our neighbors in the building. This one is really precious. It's a handmade bib from the family on the second floor. I personally have never even met the lady who made it for Veronica but we will surely stop over for a visit very soon. Gifts have been arriving daily. Thank you everyone!
When she sleeps it takes quite a lot of wake her up.
This is an extra special gift from my sister Gia in San Francisco, also hand made in a hurry since the little monkey was early. We finally put her foot prints in it today! Sooo Cute!!! Thanks sis, you really cranked this one out in record time.
Finally Veronica is over 6 pounds. Here she is weighed by her dad after a bath and the scale reads 2830 grams, that's 6.22 pounds! She is growing fast. (Baths she likes, being nude not so much but being nude and weighed she does not like at all.)

A 2-Week Update

Today Veronica is two weeks old. She is doing well but has not gained as much weight as we would have liked. During the first 11 days of her life, she gained back all the weight she lost after the birth and an extra 100 grams (about 1/8 of a pound.) Today her weight is at 2750 grams (about 6 pounds). I worry and worry about how tiny she is but know in time she will grow and fill out.

She is eating quite well taking on 2-3 ounces at a time, every 2-3 hours or so. Each week she is more alert and stays awake to stare at the ceiling, the dog, her daddy and me. Her umbilical cord fell off about three days ago but because she has an “innie-outie” it is taking a bit longer to fully dry out. I am guessing that by next week we will be able to give her a real bath. Yippee!

As for myself, I am feeling much, much better. I have lost 8 kilos in two weeks (about 17.6 pounds and am very close to my pre-pregnancy waist measurement.) My mom has been cooking low-fat, high, nutrient-rich, foods (mainly soups) with no salt. (Not very tasty) Have you every tried liver and ginger soup or pigs feet and papaya soup without salt? The no salt diet has been helping with reducing the fluid build-up from the pregnancy and hopefully my carpal tunnel syndrome will disappear soon. (It is most annoying.). I am getting a ton of rest with my mom here and we are both grateful. Life is good. We love her more and more with each passing day.

More "Welcomes" to Veronica

Breast Feeding for Dummies

I know quite a few people who took to breastfeeding like fish take to water. I also know quite a few people who had to use lactation consultants to learn how to have the baby latch on properly and how long to have the baby nurse in order to completely empty each breast. I have heard stories of breast infections complete with 105 degree F fevers and trips to the emergency room, engorged breasts, cracked nipples (think barbed wire) and other miscellaneous challenges.

My milk has not come in fully, Veronica will be two weeks old tomorrow and still I am pumping. I put Veronica to the breast 4-5 times a day and then pump what is left. When she is at the breast, she fusses and tries to suckle but does not get as much as from the bottle so she gets frustrated. I think my body is still in shock from having her a month early and is not fully ready. I hope to have her breast feeding exclusively soon and am getting a discouraged but each day I am pumping more and more milk so there is hope.

The pump I am using is very effective, it’s a Medela Lactation PLUS and believe it or not it not longer bothers me to have the suction turned up to the MAX.
In fact, it is more comfortable to pump and have Veronica take the breast milk from the bottle. This was I can see how much she is getting and she does not get so irritated and mad while feeding. At times I feel inadequate because I do not have enough milk but I am also a realist and very persistent. I will keep pumping and nursing her until my milk dries up completely or until the starts eating porcini and veal chops with her dad.

Grandma and Veronica

My mom has been taking great care of Veronica and lets us sleep at night by taking the baby into her room.

Almost 2 weeks old

Veronica sleeps so soundly, we thank our lucky stars. She wakes up every 3 hours or so for food and diaper change and to look at the world. When she hears us talking to her often she stares and focuses on our voices. In this photo she remained in my arms as we watched a movie.


Often her hands are in a prayer position, like a little angel. She has very large hands and long fingers that often intertwine, most of the time she sleeps with her hands under her chin.

Chinese Confinement

I have heard of this tradition. Read more about it here, here and here. It is usually practiced among ethnic Chinese all over the world. As a child, I knew one family friend who had a baby and I remember she her staying in bed and drinking a fantastic black soup made of pigs feet, black vinegar, wine, sugar and ginger. I loved the taste of the soup but my mom warned me to only taste a spoonful because the soup was only for pregnant women and too “heating” for those who have not given birth. I might get a nosebleed, pimples, a sore throat or other “heating” problems. I did not understand what she meant at the time but now I do.

With my mom here, I am experiencing an East meets West clash. Normally the period of confinement lasts one month but many years ago, the average confinement was for 100 days. Many Chinese feel that the period after giving birth is very fragile and not taking proper care of yourself at this time can have detrimental effects in the future. Most of the time women are taken care of by their mother in laws or mothers. Some women pay for a confinement maid if a family is not available. Here is a short list of some of the confinement rules.

During this time, I am NOT allowed to do the following:

1. Wash my hair and body at the same time. Many women do not take a shower for the entire month. Basically this is to avoid getting cold and catching a cold. One can boil water and take sponge baths or wash with a washcloth that is about it.

2. I should not wash touch cold water or drink cold liquids. I am drinking hot soups, hot tea, hot water and hot milk.

3. No uncooked or raw foods such as salads and fruits.

4. No eating vegetables until the bleeding stops.

I CAN/SHOULD do the following:

1. Get as much rest as I can. The baby often sleeps with the caregiver.

2. Eat a lot of “heating” foods such as ginger, black pepper and other spices.

3. Always cover up to keep warm and wear warm slippers in the house.

These are just a few of the "rules" I am made to follow but the upside is that I get to spend quality time with my mom whom I have not seen in over 3 years. I feel lucky to have her here and am trying to be as filial as possible.

Veronica at 9 days old

She is often wide eyed and alert right before her feedings.

Veronica's First Week

Veronica receives "lai see" from her grandmother and her great uncle Dong in Germany. Thank you to both Uncle and Grandma!


She has been sleeping like an angel. Waking up every 3 hours for food in the day and every 4 hours for food at night. Last night she stayed in grandma's room and we missed her terribly.


Here Veronica is with her auntie Irene who stopped by Torino from Florence to see her, hold her, cuddle her and feed her. Thank you for your visit Auntie!

Hitting “The Wall”

Normally when you hear this phrase, someone is talking about overcoming the 20th mile of a 26.2-mile marathon. You often read about it as a physical “place/blockage/obstacle” your mind and body goes too as you run and try to complete the distance. I never knew that “hitting the wall” also occurs after you give birth.

Having had such a great labor and delivery, I came home on day three with guests in tow on day four. We entertained them, I started “thank you” notes, made phone calls, had photos printed and I even went on a walk on day five. All this was a giant mistake as on the evening of day five I “hit the wall.”

All of a sudden, all the euphoria I felt was replaced by really sore pelvic floor muscles, overwhelming tiredness, and pain from my stitches (why did they not bother me much on days one through three?) My mother in law was here to help for a week as we waited for the arrival of my mother. Then my sister in law stopped my for a night and two days; with all the guests and the constant flow of people in the house I felt obliged to make sure they were hosted well. I think this added to the “crash”.

Now my mom is here, she arrived yesterday, my mother in law and Demetrio went to pick her up from Malpensa as I stayed home with the baby and my sister in law. She has now taken over. My kitchen has been rearranged, I am wearing a tight cinch around my waist to support my tummy and eating home cooked “after pregnancy” dishes several times a day. Slowly I am feeling better. Veronica is a week old now and eating very well. She sleeps for 3-4 hours at a time then wakes up for her meals. She is eating about 2.5 ounces or 60 ml at a time and is growing steadily. I could not be more happy as now I feel I can relax and be myself as my mom pampers me and somehow miraculously everything all at once.

More of Miss Chiu

Here she is 5 days old. With those amazingly long fingers Nonna Stefania hopes she takes up the piano.


Look at the skinny legs and umbilical wrap.


I think she has my lips.

Veronica’s Birth Story

The morning my water broke, I was lucky to have my husband home. He left for Rome three days prior (on Wednesday) and was planning to arrive back in Turin on Sunday evening. As luck would have it, he ended up driving back to Turin after dinner on Saturday evening and by 5 a.m. Sunday morning; he was home. We had been chatting on the telephone on and off from midnight to about 4 a.m. so I could help him stay awake on the 7-hour drive. Needless to say, when he arrived home we were both exhausted and went straight to bed. At 10:30 a.m. we got up, he turned on the coffee machine and got ready to watch the Grand Pix, a very typical Sunday morning guy thing he does.

About 30 minutes later my water broke without any signs of contractions. The first thing I did was to call Sharon and ask her what she did when her water broke. She basically told me to call my gynecologist and so we did. By 11:30 a.m., we were at his office; he examined me and confirmed that my water had broken and I was 2 cm dilated. He seemed optimistic that the labor would be easy and short; he then instructed us to head to the hospital. Within another 30 minutes, I was checked into my room and waiting for the midwife, gynecologist, and anesthesiologist to arrive. The whole team arrived shortly after, I changed into my hospital gown and within a few minutes, the contractions started. They were very light at first then they got a bit heavier and were accompanied by lower back pain. I labored for about an hour when my gynecologist decided to examine me further. I was now 4 cm dilated with a partially intact amniotic sac. He then broke my water further with a really scary looking, yellow plastic hook called an “AmniHook”, I was a bit worried about it but it ended up being painless.

Soon I was hooked up to a fetal heart rate monitor and the anesthesiologist inserted the catheter into my back for the epidural that I thought I might want and need. All was going well for about 2 hours when an especially long contraction caused the baby’s heart rate to dip from 150 beats per minute to 40. I felt a very slow and surprisingly calm sense of dread and fear when this happened. For a few seconds I thought the baby was somehow dying. The look on the gynecologists face said “emergency C-section”. He told me of his change in plans if the baby’s heart rate did not improve after a few minutes. He then stepped away to tell the operating room we were headed in their direction. Then something wonderful happened, the monitor showed the heart rate increasing again to 150 beats per minute. I was thrilled and we decided to let the baby ride out two more contractions, if she could handle them, we would not have to have the C-section.

By now, I am 6-7 cm dilated and she is doing well. How relieved and happy I was at this point, within another hour or so I was fully dilated. The midwife had me do two practice pushes and announced the baby’s head was descending nicely and we were ready to head to the delivery room. I got up and tried to walk but they insisted on wheeling me in a bed. I must say at this point the contractions were very bearable. I felt a sense of well-being as I headed into the delivery room with the delivery team in tow.

I arrived relaxed and smiley at 5:15 p.m. Music was playing from the speakers in the room and the anesthesiologist offered me a chocolate. The mood was lively and happy as I lay down on the delivery table. Even after all the reading I had done, I had no idea what to expect. I pushed through about five contractions before I felt an overwhelming urge to bear down. At this point, the head was emerging and Demetrio said he could see her coming out. He took photos of her crowning and coming into the world. As her head came into view, I remember feeling a stinging and burning sensation. I called out “Amore, Amore” twice and this is when the anesthesiologist was called to give me some pain medication. By the time he completed the epidural the head was completely out and within about a minute, the body was delivered. It all happened so fast, I felt a bit out of control as the last contractions came quickly and I had no time to catch my breath. (I love the photos of Veronica being born but that downside was that there was no one to hold my hand during the birth.)

Veronica’s umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck twice and for this reason I was given and episiotomy, which resulted in two stitches. Both the midwife and the gynecologist wanted her to emerge as quickly as possible so the cord could be untangled. Within 5 minutes of her birth, the cord blood was donated and the placenta delivered. I was offered another chocolate, this time I ate one, and Demetrio announced, “It’s a girl.” We were both ecstatic and teary-eyed when we saw her for the first time. After she was cleaned-up and placed in my arms, I gave her a few kisses before they took her away to the nursery. Being 4 weeks early, they wanted her placed in an incubator for the night and in the morning, we were reunited.

Back in my room, I was euphoric and soon Sharon, Fabien, Sophie, Laurie, Deme and I all toasted on champagne. What a wonderful birth it was. I count my luck stars and feel blessed to have had a quick labor and birth (just under 6 hours with 30 minutes of pushing) as well as healthy, delightful baby girl.

Note: Veronica arrived 1 month early at 36 weeks. She weighed 2.5 kilos, 5.5 pounds and was 48 cm long or 18.9 inches.

New Photos of Veronica

We both have our eyes on Veronica.

Her first day of life.

She looks like a mix of mom and Dad.

For even MORE photos, click on the Flicker badge in the sidebar.

It's a Girl Sprog

See this page made by Sprog Daddy the first day after she was born. Her birth story is to follow with more photos and commentary. More later...

Preggie Self-Portrait

Forgive the unmade bed, we are getting closer to the home stretch and so I have decided to take more photos. I've noticed I am a bit more swollen nowadays but as you know that comes with the territory.

Skin Tags from Hell

Yes hormones create havoc in pregnant women; perfect case in point is the way the Sprog's placenta has caused the onset of gestational diabetes in me. The placenta produces hormones that block the effect on insulin causing my blood sugar to rise; but in just one more month the problem should be resolved.

I thank my lucky stars my pregnancy moustache has lightened and is almost gone.
I have had no cravings whatsoever; I think this is a myth made up my Ben and Jerry's, pickle companies and Hagan Daaz. Lucky for Sprog Daddy, he has not made any midnight trips to the 7-11. What am I dreaming? I couldn't get a Slurpee and a bag of Twinkies if my life depended on it.

Mood swings have been kept to a minimum, no crying and no craziness. Now that summer is over, I have cooled down a bit the only annoying hormonal "consequence" is skin tags. See links 1 and 2. Be it middle age or pregnancy they are a nuisance.

Sophie and Me

This is little Sophie. What a bundle of fun and playfulness. She happens to love me, and I am not exaggerating and I happen to adore her too. Now almost 5 months old she is alert when her mom Sharon and I go out for lunch or coffee. I am sad that their family will be leaving after Christmas to Beijing or work related reasons. I will not get to see Sophie grow up and my little Sprog will miss out on his first real crush.
When we get together there is a lot of hugging, on-the-tummy kissing and tickling as she loves to laugh. Since my post about my visit to the dietician, more and more expats have commented on my blog. Three new ones in Torino alone to be exact and I have met two of them. It's all so bittersweet as now I am less active than I was before and expecting the baby and my mom too. Within 5-6 months, we plan to leave Torino for good.

P.S. One thing I have noticed about taking the progesterone shots is that my nose has doubled in size and is always stuffy. I know it is from the increased blood flow and increases circulation I am experiencing but I just hope everything goes back to normal later.

Belly Shot 35 weeks

ONLY 4-5 WEEKS TO GO!!!

Yes, I am getting BIG, I feel great and am not housebound yet but really am ready for the Sprog to make his or her grand entrance. My mom officially arrives in exactly two weeks and then sometime during the first week of November I should have the baby.

Good news, no more sciatica. Bad news, still have carpal tunnel in both hands. Good news, no swelling in the ankles, no stretch marks (yet) and no varicose veins (yet). Bad news, still have oily skin and hair due to the progesterone shots. More good news, blood pressure is great!

Half In and Half Out

This is a funny photo of my belly button. The top half sticks out a bit while the bottom half stays in.

Sprog Daddy's Skills

He can, he can entertain a baby. Sophie is 4 1/2 months old. Sharon calls Sophie, Sprog Daddy's girlfriend.


I think I can trust him with ours if he can make her smile.