Ethan's First Ever 3 hr wakeful play time!

Wow!
Today was a great day because mommy got to experience a happy and curious Ethan for 3hrs.
It was a little tiring because I was counting on him napping so I could get some rest but playing with him in his bouncy chair, walking around the house and talking to him, wiggling his feet around made up for my slept deprivation.

Poor daddy had to go to work to make up for Monday's Mission so I video called him to let him see his son wide awake and happy and alert. He and his co-workers were thrilled.

Adam has been having some migraine headaches almost daily starting the last few months of the pregnancy up until now. It's affected his appetite, energy drive, focus and he is having a hard time coping with the sleep deprivation now that Ethan is with us.

The Western medicine doctor instantly prescribed him medication that we found to be addictive in the long term and quite bad side effects including intestinal problems and coughing up blood. Since he has been taking this medication daily we asked Gong- Gong who works at China Medical Hospital and University to make an appointment for Adam to see a Chinese Doctor in the hopes that we can find a natural way to help Adam get over his headaches.

Adam said the experience was quite interesting. The Chinese Doctor checked his eyes, tongue, blood pressure, pulse, heartbeat. Then he used a soft paintbrush and lightly brushed certain areas across the face to see if both sensations of the brush strokes felt the same. Then he used a small hammer to check reflexes of the elbow, side of the foot and knee. He also used a piece a dowel and scored it across the soles of his feet. He then asked Adam to clench his bicep and try to push his arm down and similarily with his leg and wrists. His diagnosis was that Adam was having migraines due to stress caused by lack of sleep, work and lack of relaxation and prescribed Adam a weeks worth of herbal packets ( which resemble fine sandy colored powder)which he is to take 3 times a day. Since Eastern medicine has slower results we hope that Adam can manage through the pain until some positive effects start showing. So keep him in your prayers.

Take care,
Joanne

Ethan's first passport and citizenship photo

We would love to hear your comments on this photo!

Wakeful Wednesday

So A-ma and Gong Gong arrive this morning at 7am and decide to take Ethan back to their place so Adam can get in another 2 hrs sleep before he goes to work and I can get some sleep without hearing Ethan fussing outside of the bedroom. ( I ended up sleeping until 11am)

This would seem like a fantastic idea until I discovered that Ethan was up fussing and crying at A-ma and Gong Gong's place from 7:30am - 12:3opm. Poor guy. Such a new environment without mommy and daddy must have gotten to him.

Right away I nursed him and he fell asleep for three hours while Gong Gong and I went to the immigration office to report my canadian passport stolen- last time we didn't manage to finish the process because I didnt know my lost passport number, get my Taiwanese Driver's license renewed and buy some Avent nipple cream. Ethan sure has good suction. (I swear I deserve an award for nursing under excruciating pain.)

Then we came back and Ethan just woke up so we nursed again but he was wide awake and didn't want to sleep. A-ma and I quicky took this opportunity to get his passport and citizenship photos taken at the Kodak Photo Shop. I'll post the photo- I think its quite hilarious.

Then, Ethan proceeded to scream his head off while in the car seat during the 10 minute drive home from A-ma and Gong Gong's place to ours.

As of this moment, he is finally asleep in the sling, happy to be home in familiar surroundings and smells and I am able to use two hands to type this post.

Now, i'm wondering if I should let him sleep or change his nappy which is emitting a slight odor since he has only has 3 hrs of sleep total today. His soiled nappy doesn't seem to be bothering him though so maybe i'll leave him to get some rest.

Adam has just gotten home from work so i'm signing off. I'll let you know how the playgroup goes tomorrow if its on.

Take care and luv to all
Joanne

Tuesday's Wonderful Outing

This past Tuesday, Ethan and I had a great time out of the house. A-ma came over early to let me sleep a little bit longer while she watched over Ethan. Then when I woke up and got showered, we put Ethan in the sling and did some major grocery shopping. After returning to the house, and putting the groceries away, we drove out to have lunch in a Korean Restaurant. I learnt how to use my right hand to eat while Ethan was in the sling while I was nursing him and supporting him with my left hand. Amazingly enough, I didn't manage to spill my lunch all over him with help from A-ma. Then we came home. Ethan wasn't happy about returning home so soon and voiced his displeasure despite me trying to get him nurse so I called a friend I had met in the Kodak Photo shop named Krysta who has a 3 month baby girl named Shayto see if she would like to come out for a chat and a drink. (It turns out we both graduated from the same education program from the same university in the same year but with 900 graduates we didn't come across each other. She goes to a playgroup this Thursday so hopefully that is where I will be bringing Ethan tomorrow.) Ethan was in his sling and slept pretty much for the whole 3hrs we were out except for one feed. So she met me at a parkade and we walked over to a nearby shopping area called Tea street and meet up and do a little shopping. Ethan was fantastic through it all. Mostly slept with one feed the entire 3 hrs we were out. Shay was wide awake the whole time just taking everything quietly in. Then around 5:45pm , we said our goodbyes and Ethan and I strolled home and waited for Adam to come home from work. The evening was pretty calm and I stayed up with Ethan until 6am this morning(wed). Adam took over until 7am when A-ma and Gong- Gong came over to see Ethan.

Photos of the Monday Mission

Sticky rice and two pink eggs!

Photo of High school students and co-worker.

Adam's new haircut.

Director May of the Elementary School with Ethan.

A-Ma looks after Ethan while Adam and Joanne take a quick rest.

Monday's mission

Hey! Okay, i know you all have been waiting for this post so here it is. In Taiwan, when the first born son (Adam) gives birth to his first born son, it is tradition to send sticky rice and two pic eggs to those who have send your son gifts. Sorry we couldn't send any to the states, canada or the uk. So briefly here is how the day went.

6:30am

Adam and I both get up and take turns alternating between looking after Ethan and getting showered.

7:15am We go and buy breakfast on our way to the hospital.

8:30am

Ethan, mom and dad arrive at the hospital to get Ethan's Hep B booster. Mommy refused to go in and witness the process so dad bravely went in with Ethan, held his arm and legs down to his screams and then as the shot was given, Ethan screamed in so much pain- no sound came out.

So he quickly picked Ethan up after the shot and Ethan fell asleep cuddled and reassured against Adam's chest.

10:00am Adam gets a haircut.

11:00am

75 boxes and 75 pairs of pink hardboiled eggs arrive at the house.

12:30- 6:00pm

Mom, Dad and Ethan drive all over Taichung delivering the rice and eggs to the highschool wand elementary school where Joanne works, Adam's workplace, A-ma's friends while also showing off how handsome Ethan is. Ethan pretty much slept through most of the experience except for complaining VERY LOUDLY while in his car seat.

6:30 pm

A-ma and Gong- Gong come over to look after Ethan while an exhausted Adam and Joanne get a few hrs sleep.

Then Adam took over the evening shift where I took over the morning shift.

...Photos to come....

Joanne

And that was a the major outing

WEE WEE TEE PEE!!!!

This pic is especially for Megan, Joe, Parker, Hollister and Twilight Lin who live in San Fransciso and sent us this adorable San Franscisco T- shirt and the Wee Wee Tee Pees. http://www.weelittlesprouts.com/product_details.asp?ItemID=269

Here is Ethan, voicing his displeasure at being photographed (a few days ago) on his changing table in such a compromising position. (Look at the poor red bum- its much better now.) For new mommies: Avent Magic Cream is really great for sore baby bottoms.(We are Avent (a UK company) enthusiasts. We have hand, electric breast pump, bottle, teats bottle warmer and the list goes on....

As you can see there is a cone shaped fabric thing on his "jewels". I have used the Wee Wee Tee Pee (WWTP) twice and they have absorbed his wee fantastically. Much better than the mishap a few days ago where he shot a stream to left onto the floor while Gong Gong was changing him. Then I walked in, and thinking it was water, just walked straight through the puddle of wee.

Yesterday, Adam had a hilarious experience on the change table, after changing his soiled nappy, Ethan started streaming more poop onto the change mat, then he weed all over himself (Adam didn't use the WWTP) and then spit up on himself. So yes, it came out all ends.

Mommy amongst a lot of laughter quickly got his bath running and we cleaned him up marvellously.

Next, i'll be posting more pics of Ethan and mommy on outings. (Hopefully if I can manage it)

Tonight, we will all be going out with Gong Gong( Grandpa), A-Ma( Grandma) to a Korean Restaurant for dinner. His 2nd outing out of the house to date. His first being to the supermarket this past Friday.

Hope to post pics in the next few days since tomorrow will be a major huge mission! Nope- you'll have to wait for the next post to find out why!

Luv to you all,
Joanne

Ethan hanging out in his favorite place

Here we are resting on our living room couch. Deceivingly, everything looks neat and tidy. (Mwahaah- if you could only see the maelstrom of strewn diapers, wet wipes , bottles and paraphernilia scattered about)

Since breastfeeding pretty steadily, he seems to only calm down and get settled on me after a feed which leaves poor Adam at his wits end when I go to the master bedroom for a nap between 5am and 9am. ( this morning- june 3, Ethan apparently wouldn't be consoled and was looking for my breasts which he could not find on Adam. No bottle formula or holding, bouncing or consoling would let him go back to sleep until about 8:30am when both were exhausted and I woke to find Adam and Ethan passed out on the couch. Adam has just gotten up (from sleeping 9:30am- 2:30pm)

Stay tuned for the next blog: WEE WEE TEE PEE!

Joanne

Gong Gong: The Master Manicurist

Well, if you didn't know already, a baby's nails grow extremely fast and are also quite sharp. Below is my father, the master manicurist. After clipping Ethan's nails with safety nail scissors, we realized that his nails were sharper than ever so out came the nail file. With master precision, Gong Gong ( Chinese for Grandpa) proceeded to file Ethan' s nails much to the chagrin of mommy. Ethan was pretty happy since he was feeding at the breast and then he pretty much slept through the remainder of the whole experience.
Cheers!
Joanne