Baby

I hope all parents feel this way - we've realized how FUN Alaise has grown to be.  In such a short period of time, she has learned so many things...  Most of all, to smile and laugh as a form of response.  Today for the first time, she laughed when Kris started talking to her.  She's laughed plenty before, but only when we were playing with her.  This morning, when Kris smiled at her and started talking, she laughed and buried her face in my chest.  It was the most endearing thing I've ever seen!!  It is absolutely amazing to see her respond to us, and I especially love watching her "flirt" with Daddy, as she plays coy and shy, with a huge smile on her face.  Her joy is so apparent with her laughters and smiles, and it brightens my day. 

So, I'm sure every mom has preference on all the baby stuff that they acquired during pregnancy.  I thought I'd jot down some of my thoughts on these products so far. :)

Aftermath:  Hence; that which happens after, that which follows. Has a strongly negative connotation in most contexts, implying a preceding catastrophe.

Thursday October 22, 2009, Kris, my parents and I all woke up bright and early at 4:30am.  Holy Crap, we're having a baby today!!  The hospital bags were packed, but I hadn't gotten much sleep due to my cough that I have had for a week and a half.  But I didn't really have a choice - I got out of bed, doubled checked the hospital bag yet again, ate two bowls of cereal - Honey Nut Cheerios and Frosted Mini Wheats.  Got dressed in the only pants that fit me - my yoga pants, and a long sleeved t-shirt that could barely contain my belly any more.  But I figured I just had to make it to the hosp

October 22, 2009 my first born, a daughter, entered this world.  Alaise Noelle Vanderwater was greeted by her parents and grand parents (on both sides).  She's a big baby, 20 inches, with a 14+ inch head, 8 lbs 13 ounces.  Ju's labor went pretty well.  The epidural did wonders for her.  The delivery, on the other hand, was quite difficult, and the size of the baby required the doctor to make a bit of room for her to come down the canal via an episiotomy.

So, I will be getting induced at 5:30am tomorrow morning.  I really need to be going to sleep...  But it seems like there are endless loose ends I want to tie up before this little person really arrives in our life.  I especially want to journal in the book that I have been keeping. :)  Went to the doctor this morning and we scheduled the induction for tomorrow, so hopefully that goes well.  The final weight gain is about 35lbs, which isn't great, but isn't too bad.  About 5cm dilated already, but the baby's head is still cocked to the left, so there is still a good chance of C-section.

I had a long conversation on Skype with my mom yesterday.  Skype is a wonderful thing, it's quite bizarre to think that when I was in high school dorm, I spoke to my parents maybe once a month.  Then, they got a satellite phone, and I could call them if I had anything urgent, and I thought that was absolutely amazing.  Then, they moved to Jakarta, and I could call them with my phone card whenever I wanted.  And now, with Skype, we can talk as long as we want, as long as their internet permits.  My mom marvels at it as well, especially with the video on.  Technology has done wonders for communication.

Anyway.  I had a baby sister die when I was about two.  Koreans don't talk about miscarriages and stuff much – it's not as talked about as it is here.  So, all I knew about it was, that mom had lost an almost full term baby, and I was under the impression that she was still born.  Sometimes I wondered why she had died in the womb, what had gone wrong.  Talking to my mom about my early dilation and being careful, the subject of her came up.  It was the first time we had ever really talked about it in depth...  Turns out, the baby was not still born.  Turns out, the baby wasn't almost full term, she was full term.