Baby Dumpling's Poppa

Baby Almost 3 Months Old

While holding Baby Dumpling I realized how much she's grown and how much has happened since she was born.  She weighed 6 pounds 15 ounces at birth and it was real easy to carry her around.  I could do a lot of things while holding the baby.  I was even getting pretty good at making a mess on the kitchen floor and cleaning it up while she was in my arm (at that time I only need 1 to hold her).  It's no longer possible to hold the baby and make a mess let a lone clean it up.  I remember when my wife complained that after feeding Baby Dumpling would still be hungry.  I just kept telling my wife the same thing everyone else said, "if the baby is gaining weight, going pee/poop then everything is fine."  Now I realize that my wife was correct.  She wasn't producing enough milk to keep up with the baby's growth.  At 2 months Baby Dumpling weighed in at 11 pounds 8 ounces, and grew from 18.5 inches at birth to 22 inches.  My wife is now producing enough milk.  When she used the breast pump and complained the baby wasn't getting enough to eat she was able to pump about 3 ounces for 2 breasts.  Now she pumps 3-4 ounces per breast and Baby Dumpling empties both at 1 feeding.  We did notice a lot of the clothes and diapers were getting too small and we still had some that were still in the packages.  We had a few cases of diapers that were also not opened.  So we decided to return the stuff that we could and get the next size up.  I checked web sites about baby weight gain and growth.  The one site I found that put things into easy to understand English, meaning the didn't constantly refer to the percentile.  It gave actual numbers that I can relate too.  At birth babies often loose weight, then about 3 weeks later the start exceed the birth weight.  The average baby gains about 5.5-8.5 ounces per week until they reach 4 months.  On the high end, that works out to about 2.125 pounds or 68 ounces per month.  That means on the high end Baby Dumpling should be roughly 10 pounds 15 ounces at 2 months, but in reality she's 11 pounds 8 ounces. So maybe my Baby Dumpling is overweight by about half a pound, that's o.k. she's just a baby.  But then I looked at the growth chart and it says that a baby will grow about 1 inch every month.  If Baby Dumpling grew 1 inch per month she would be 20.5 inches.  But she's 1.5 inches bigger than that.  The site says that this will slow once babies reach 4 months of age.  Maybe Baby Dumpling's growth will slow, but I have a feeling the bassinet that I planned for her to sleep in until she's a year old won't last that long and same for the car seat.

I am amazed that just a short time ago she was so tiny and now she's much bigger.  Parents are right when they say we need to enjoy each moment with the baby, because they grow so fast.  This is very true.  Baby Dumpling is now smiling, starting to make baby talk, and appears to be learning how to giggle.  She likes television although we don't encourage it.  One night my wife noticed the baby turning her head to look at the TV and every time my wife adjusted the baby so she couldn't look at it, the baby would turn or rotate her head so she can see it.  Last night while my wife was holding her and talking to me I noticed the baby watching TV.  I said to my wife the baby is watching TV again, so my wife put her hand between Baby Dumplings eyes and the TV but the baby moved her head first up, then down so she could see.  It might be time to move the TV out of the baby room before she learns how to work the remote, and try to get her more interested in the toys.

Discharged 24 Hours After Baby is Born

When Baby Dumpling was born she had to go right away to the NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit) because she was running a high fever.  At that time it was terrible, my wife felt it was some how her fault the baby was born with a fever.  She also missed being with the baby during the first hours, day of the baby's new life.  Although the hospital staff was really great, they told my wife the next day she could spend all her time there with the baby and when they needed to do their stuff they would call her back to her room.  Baby Dumpling spent almost 2 days in NICU then just over 1 day in the pediatric ward.  Although my wife was discharged the day before Baby Dumpling the hospital staff set up a bed so my wife could stay with the baby.  Before I knew that was the plan I asked the nurse if there would be a problem with my wife staying, or if we could just sleep in the waiting room.  The nurse told me that if my wife didn't want to stay with the baby that would be a problem.  The bed was already set up and the hospital did expect my wife and/or me, to stay in the baby's room.  The next morning the nurse ordered breakfast for my wife.  That was a great situation.  I think more hospitals should do that.  In my opinion it can reduce the stress and burden upon the nursing staff because the parents can do things like feed, change and rock the baby to sleep.  It seems like a win-win for both parents and hospitals.  The day Baby dumpling was discharged we attended a new baby class.  There was only 1 other mother there and she just had her baby at 11:30 the night before.  This new mother was so confused about many things, quite similar to my wife and me the day after our baby was born.  She was wondering why she wasn't producing anything for the baby to eat, I know milk doesn't come for a few days after the baby is born but there is something (I don't know the name) and this new mom wasn't producing any of it.  She was worried about this, just like we were when it first happened.  The new mom didn't know exactly how to swaddle the baby, wasn't experienced at changing diapers.  She said her husband was sleeping because both of them were up all night with the crying baby.  She apparently got a lot of stitches and needed to sit on a pillow.  There were so many questions this new mom of 9 hours had and not much time to get the answers.  She was scheduled to be discharged along with her new baby early that afternoon.  Where I live after a normal birth, both mother and child are discharged 24 hours after birth.  My wife and I were lucky because our insurance said 48 hours, and although Federal Law says 48 hours this state says only 24 is needed.  24 hours should mean 24 hours, but the way it's counted is something like this:  If the baby is born on Saturday at 11:30 p.m. that counts as Saturday and both mother and baby can be discharged on Sunday, and the hospitals usually discharge early in the afternoon.  That's considered 24 hours or the next day.  For a long time after we got Baby Dumpling home, my wife couldn't understand why the new mom was being sent home with her new baby so soon after the birth.  To her, and to me, it just doesn't make sense. If the new mom wants to go home that soon then it's o.k.  But this new mom really didn't.  She was scared because she didn't know how to do many things that are needed for the proper care of a new born baby.  She didn't have any known complications so she was scheduled for discharge.  Sometimes I think of Baby Dumplings fever as being a blessing in disguise.  We got an extra day and that has really helped us a lot.  How can a woman be expected to have a baby then immediately start caring for the baby without any time to rest and recuperate?  Maybe the law should be changed from 24 to 48-72 hours, or if days are being counted then call it 2-3 days.  24 hours for recovery, 24-48 hours for additional training on the care of a new born.  This would cut down on a lot of problems and a lot of extra expense the insurance companies have.  I feel that because my wife and I had the extra time to ask questions, then have an expert teach us one on one with our real live baby, we were much more prepared to be new parents when we got home.

Obsessions of New Parents

In the past I read about new moms obsessing over certain things such as the baby isn't breathing, not getting enough to eat, diapers are dirty and those types of things.  I thought it was just the moms who had these crazy thoughts but recently I found myself having them as well.  They aren't the same as my wife's but none the less I have this mental condition which I call, "New Parent Insanity."  Before I realized I was infected by this I talked with a friend of mine and she told me when her first baby was born she would constantly be checking to see if the baby was breathing by putting her finger under the baby's nose.  I have seen this with other new moms.  Some moms are afraid to leave the baby even to use the bathroom or take a shower unless someone is there to watch the baby.  I considered this to be exclusively to new moms.  A few days ago I was in charge of the baby, the monitor was on my side of the bed which means I'm watching the baby via security camera type baby monitor and listening in case she starts to cry.  That was a terrible night for sleeping.  Although Baby Dumpling didn't cry or fuss during my watch I still kept waking up every 15-30 minutes and looked at her through the monitor.  Everything appeared normal, I could see her face clearly, nothing was near her head everything was fine.  I was, however, disturbed by the lack of movement.  She wasn't moving her arms which probably meant she was sleeping, but that wasn't what was going through my mind.  I thought she (you guessed it) wasn't breathing.  I am glad that my logical side kept me from getting up and going to check on her, but my emotional side was really putting up a battle.  I found myself just staring at the screen, waiting for some movement or sound.  I couldn't go back to sleep or even put my head on the pillow, I was glued to the screen.  When she finally made a sound or moved her arms I quickly fell back to sleep.  This, New Parent Insanity, was repeated several times during my watch, I thought the night would never end.  I felt like I was in some strange horror movie or worse, I was in the Twilight Zone and at any moment I would see a shadow bending over the baby.  So now I have come to fully understand the New Parent Insanity isn't just for new moms, it's also for us new dads.

I wonder what New Parenting Insanity things other new dads have, or even new moms.  It would be nice to know that my wife and I are just normal and not trapped in the Twilight Zone.

Milk Consumption for a 4 week old baby

Lately I've been having trouble figuring out how much milk Baby Dumpling should be getting per feeding/per day.  There seems to be a lot of information for babies that are 4-6 months on line but nothing really for 1 month old.  I know that my wife is producing enough because there is plenty of pee/poop going on.  But I know that she is feeling like she's not producing enough and I think she is, but I have nothing concrete to back up my statements.  I estimate that Baby Dumpling's daily consumption is between 24-30 ounces and there's usually extra that my wife pumps out so I have a little to feed the baby late night.  But that's hardly enough to comfort a new mom.  I was also searching for information on baby feeding habits.  It seems sometimes Baby Dumpling likes to sleep and eat for long periods of time.  She'll eat for a few minutes then take a 3 minute nap then eat a little more and so on, sometimes this will last up to 2 hours. I think this is also normal, but my wife doesn't really like being Baby Dumplings personal Denny's restaurant.  I guess the sleep deprivation can really wear a new mom down as well.  I try my best to encourage my wife to sleep when the baby sleeps but I don't succeed too often.  I do try to explain to my wife that the baby finds being close to her breasts is comforting, I know that before we had the baby I found it comforting so why wouldn't the baby.  When my wife is tired that comment gets me a dirty look.  I was thinking that it might be necessary to re-visit the lactation specialist but my wife doesn't think that is really needed.  She chooses to have these inner struggles.  Maybe she is just making sure that I'm still a caring, loving husband that is interested in what she's going through and wants to help any way possible. 

How to Wrap or Swaddle a New Born Baby

I have been catching up on reading about babies, mine will be 3 weeks old tomorrow, and  it came to mind that there might be some new dads or moms that saw the nurses in the hospital wrap the baby in such a way that it calmed the baby and put everything into a nice little package.  I learned that was called swaddling, and I learned how to do it.  I found that within seconds after my baby girl is wrapped she right away stops screaming and becomes the sweetest, quietest baby in the world.  There are some blankets at the baby store that are designed for this, but what if you didn't know before and now the baby is home and they're screaming like Jason or Freddy is after them.  Here's how I swaddle my baby:

For the new dads think baseball:  In order to play baseball you need a diamond, turn the blanket so it makes a diamond. If you're blankets are like mine and not perfectly square, just deal with it.  When we were kids playing baseball sometimes the diamond wasn't correctly shaped but we managed.  Take the top corner (the catcher) and bring it toward the center (the pitcher).  That is were the baby's shoulders go.  Remember the catcher throws the ball to the pitcher.  Next you have the third baseman throw the ball to the first baseman (that means bring the third base corner to the first base corner) and tuck that under the baby,   make it snug.  Next the second baseman throws the ball to the pitcher (bring the part where the feet are to the chest and tuck it in).  Next the first baseman throws the ball to the pitcher (bring the corner over the baby and tuck it under the baby kinda snug).  Make sure you didn't cover the baby's face, pick the baby up in your arms and tell them everything is going to be o.k. because dad knows baseball.  There is a way to do it so the arms are tightly wrapped, but I was always afraid I'd dislocate or brake the baby's arm so I didn't bother learning that part.

For the new moms it kind of goes the same way, but my wife uses spring roll method instead of baseball.  I don't make spring rolls so that method doesn't make sense to me.  Burrito works for me.

 

Baby Wipe Warmer

When my wife was shopping for items that will be needed for Baby Dumpling she was tempted to buy a baby wipe warmer.  I asked her not to buy one because I'm sure I have a much cheaper way of providing almost the same thing.  Here is our baby wipe warmer.  It consists of a coffee decanter, except we put hot water from the sink, a plastic rubber maid bowl, the pink thing you get free from the hospital when you check out and a table.  I payed less than $20 for the entire thing.  Not only can this warm the baby wipes, but whenever we need water we don't have to run to the sink, wait for the water to get hot then return to whatever mess needs cleaning.  In my opinion this not only saved me some money, and no electricity, but it has been very useful for more than just warming the baby wipes.  My wife and I were surprised and caught off guard when the poop shot out and landed on the carpet.  This set up came in very handy with the emergency cleanup.

How to Cook a Thanksgiving Dinner

I've been meaning to write complete instructions for preparing a full Thanksgiving holiday feast, but once Baby Dumpling was born I haven't had the time or brain power to get it done.  Tonight we're in luck.  Baby Dumpling is asleep with a clean diaper and a full tummy.  I'm secondary on watch tonight so I have a little time.  If my brain can still manage I'll do my best to put some simple easy to follow instructions for preparing a holiday meal that your guests will compliment you on.  It's very simple, I feel that if you keep it simple and enjoy what you're doing it will be great.  Let's get started with the shopping list.

1. Turkey (if feeding more than 5 get one that's over 20 pounds, if less than 5 get a 15-17 pounder).
2. Roasting pan, the large disposable kind.
3. Roasting bag, turkey size.
4. Whole Cranberry Sauce (Ocean Spray is the recommended).
5. Stove Top Stuffing Turkey flavor.
6. Celery
7. 2 Cans of Mushrooms (Stems and Pieces).
8. Flour (if you don't have any you'll need to buy it.  You need a couple of teaspoons to coat the roasting bag).
9. Turkey Gravy (Jar or Mix, mix is a little harder to work with and you may want to just use the jar if you've not practiced with mix before).
10. Potato's (at least 5 pounds)
11. Half and Half cream
12. Green beans with almonds (I usually buy the ByrdsEye but you can really choose any vegetable dish you like, but remember that your guest need to eat this stuff and green beans are a safe veggie).
13. 1 pound of cram sweet butter. (DO NOT USE MARGARINE!!)
14. Salt & Pepper (if you don't already have it).
15. Eggs if you plan to make Deviled Eggs ( you can find the instructions on this site).
16. Pumpkin Pie (I usually buy Marie Calendar).
17. Whipped Cream (any kind that you prefer).

I will give instruction based on a few things: First you have a microwave, Second you have a mixer/blender. If you don't have these things then let me know and I'll try to post other ways of pulling this event off.  Here we go with preparing a Thanksgiving Meal:

If you plan to make Deviled Eggs (see instructions) try to prepare them the day/evening before Thanksgiving and keep them in the fridge. 

The first thing you want to cook is the pie, it takes about 70 minutes and then must cool.  When it's done cover with Waxed Paper or paper towel (Waxed Paper is better). 

Prepare the Turkey:   Preheat your oven to 350f.  You need to take 1 stick of butter and soften it.  Don't melt it just make it soft.  While that's being done rinse and pat dry, with paper towel, your bird and place it on a large clean open surface.  Once your butter is soft you need to apply it between the skin and the breast meat.  That's the area near the largest opening on the turkey.  You gently slide your hands between the meat and the skin to break the membrane hold the two together.  Once you've done that you want to wet your hands and put about 1/2 teaspoon of salt on your hands and rub it on the meat, then put in your softened butter between the skin and the meat, please make sure you don't tear the skin.  After that you will take another stick of butter and cut it into 4 pieces and kind of mash it on the outside of the bird near the breast and drum sticks.  Now sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of salt all over the turkey.  Once you've done that you can now prepare the roasting bag.  To prepare the roasting bag, just add 2-3 teaspoons of flour, twist the end closed and shake the flour around to coat the inside completely.  You don't need to dump the excess flour.  Now put the bag in the roasting pan then put the turkey in the bag.  Take the twist tie and seal the bag completely..(this is not exactly what the instructions for the bag says but it's worked for me over the past 15 years).  Once you've sealed it tight take a fork and poke 3 holes in the top of the bag.  One near above drum stick and 1 near the top center.  Now place the turkey in the oven, you want it placed nearest to the bottom, and make sure the bag is completely tucked inside the pan.  You Don't want the bag to touch anything when it expands during the cooking or the fire department will be at your house on Thanksgiving.  NOTE: SMALLER TURKEYS COOK ABOUT 15 MINUTES PER POUND, UNDER 15 POUNDS.  LARGER TURKEYS, OVER 15 POUNDS COOK AT 10 MINUTES PER POUND OR UNTIL THE MEAT SEPARATES FROM THE BREASTBONE.    DON'T FORGET TO POKE THE 3 HOLES IN THE BAG.  Once the turkey is done, remove from oven but don't cut the bag open until ready to carve.

Stuffing: Cut the celery into very small pieces (about 1/8 of an inch or smaller), and open then drain the cans of mushrooms.  Follow the directions on the box with the exception of adding both celery and mushrooms to the water then bring to boil.  Then set it aside.

Potato's: Peal the potato's and dice them up into a large boiling pot.  Add some salt and bring to boil.  Let it boil for about 20 to 30 minutes.  Drain all the water.  Add 1/4 stick of butter, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some pepper.  Start to blend using a hand mixer.  While mixing add about 1/4-1/3 cup of half and half.  Continue to mix until everything is smooth and creamy.

Cranberries:  Open the can place in bowl and refrigerate.

Prepare Green Beans according to instruction then set aside.

Open the jars of gravy and pour into micro safe bowl.  Microwave just before serving.

Check the turkey, look for the meat separating from the breast bone.  If that is happening then turn the oven down or off and prepare to remove it from the oven.

These instructions are just to give an idea of how and what you can do, to fit certain needs you may need to make adjustments.  I will check for comments or questions until and including Thanksgiving day and try to respond quickly to questions or problems you may be encountering.  Please feel free to let me know how it turns out or if you have trouble.  I may make adjustments to these directions if I think they are not quite right.  Happy cooking everyone and enjoy.

Bringing the New Born Baby Home

It's been almost 3 weeks since my baby girl was born and since the day we got her home it's been quite an adventure.  I am positive that I've got it pretty easy compared to most.  There are some that make the baby cry like when it's time for her to eat, being changed or being put into the car seat.  She doesn't cry when the diapers are full or wet.  Granted the only thing babies do at this stage is eat, sleep and poop, but I was under the impression that babies cry a lot.  I know some people say their baby didn't cry too much and others say they constantly cry, but my little girl hasn't done that, yet.  We have been lucky that the baby isn't allergic to her mom's milk and she hasn't run a fever yet.  My wife was insisting on breast feeding all the time, meaning she wanted the baby to get off the bottle the hospital got her hooked on.  So every 2 hours my wife had to feed the baby, regardless of how much sleep she got or didn't get.  I have been slowly getting my wife to change her ways.  It's taken a few weeks but slowly my wife is seeing the benefit of the breast pump that we bought.  I tell her if she left some milk in the fridge I can feed the baby and she can get extra sleep.  That sounds like a great idea and I think a lot of mothers would go for that, and my wife is trying, but every time the baby cries she gets up to check on her.  I try to tell my wife that everything is under control, but that doesn't always work.  I understand that new parents are this way because they worry about the baby and don't like hearing their baby cry.  I am not quite that way, maybe because I've done a lot of reading about what new parents go through.  I think that babies need to cry a certain amount, it gets the lung working.  I wouldn't let the baby cry for hours, but a few minutes shouldn't hurt.  Maybe I'm a little nuts because it doesn't bother me that the baby is crying.  It would bother me if the baby cried for more than 10 minutes, but less than that doesn't bother me at all, especially if I'm in the middle of preparing her bottle or waking my wife.  I do admit that sometimes it bothers me when my wife gets up to check on the crying baby when it's my watch.  It kind of gives me the feeling that she doesn't trust me or she doesn't think I can handle the baby, but I try not to say much to my wife about that.  I know she is doing what a lot of new mothers do and her intentions are not to offend me or make me feel that I can't handle the baby.  I know this is just a natural reaction, just like when your eyes close as the camera flash goes off.  It does help that I tell my wife when it's getting too much, it allows her to reassure me that she has all the confidence and trust in me and there's no one she trusts more to take care of our baby.  Although I don't change the baby's diaper that often I think I'm better at than my wife.  I watched the movie "Three Men and A Baby" and saw some of the problems that can occur while changing a baby, but then I saw how the nurse changed the baby and discovered the Velcro fasteners on the diapers.  It became pretty easy at that point.  The only difficulty I have is when the baby is crying and kicking, so I got faster at it.  I think one of the things I do that makes it faster is the fact that I prepare everything before I start.  I get the new diaper opened and spread out, the baby wipe is warmed and the drying cloth is close at hand.  Then the really important thing to do before you start is open the diaper pale.  I found by getting everything ready and in position I can change the baby in under 2 minutes, that doesn't give her much time to disagree with what I'm doing.  I know one of these days, she'll do something that will completely mess up my system and I'll have to call my wife for help.  For now I'm feeling pretty good about my diaper changing ability.

I'm Now a Poppa

On October 27th my baby girl was born.  Much to my surprise I made it all the way through the delivery and cord cutting process, not that I had much choice.  While my wife was doing the pushing the hospital staff was busy setting up all the equipment and monitors that would be needed.  I was in the wrong place so the cords and cables were wrapped all around me and a machine was pushed right up against my backside.  I had no choice but to stay where I was.  No way to escape.  When the time came to cut the cord the doctor looked up and said "you're the father?" and I said yes.  Next thing I know there were scissors in my hand and he was ordering me to cut where he was pointing.  There was so much going on that I didn't even think about it.  I knew the baby had a fever when she was born and the staff was in a hurry to get her taken care of I didn't even think, I just did what I was told.  It's really hard to describe the emotional rush that ran through my brain and body.  Both my wife and I were tired, excited and happy.  I couldn't help but cry with my wife.  When the baby was handed to my wife I had the chance to leave the room.  I walked down the hall, told the friends that were waiting to hear the news it was done then proceeded to walk.  I wasn't sure if I was going to faint or what.  My legs were weak, my knees were shaking (heck, my whole body was shaking) and I really wasn't sure where I was going.  I wanted to just gather my thoughts and get a grip on the reality of what just happened.  It is a true life changing event.  Sometimes that seems so far away, and yet I can remember it just like it was yesterday.  The strange thing is it was just 2 weeks ago.

Thanks to Daring Young Mom and all her readers.  You prepared me for a lot of stuff, with the exception of the birth itself.  I don't feel overwhelmed by the baby and I do have some confidence that I will be just like every new parent in the world, a complete idiot.  My baby girl must know that her parents are idiots, because she's been very patient when it comes to changing diapers and wrapping her (swaddling?).  So now the adventure begins.  It will be nice to read this when my baby goes to college and I am filled with that empty feeling.  I think I will find comfort in remembering the events at her birth and the beginning of her life.

Skin rash and Pregnancy

This past month has been full of events.  We finally got the hardwood floor installed, purchased a bunch of baby stuff, took things from the garage to a storage unit then filled the space with baby more baby stuff, built storage racks for the extra wipes and diapers, did the baby shower.  If that wasn't enough for a month my wife also had a skin rash.  It wasn't the pregnancy skin rash called PUPPS, blood test ruled that out, it was actually 2 different problems.  The first was more like the rash you get during the summer.  The moisture under the breasts and where the tummy meets the thighs caused a rash.  That was treated with some cream the dermatologist prescribed.  The other is a little bit more complexed, it's not really a rash or an allergy.  My wife's skin just itches.  At first we tried Benedril but that put the baby to sleep and my wife wasn't able to feel the baby move so she stopped taking it.  The only thing I can come up with that is causing it is just nerves, anxiety or something.  Finally after a month of suffering the doctor suggested Clariton, not the Clariton D, and some skin cream.  That has made a big improvement.  It doesn't put the baby to sleep and it controls the itching.  I would recommend that any itching be checked out.  My wife let the rash and itching go for 2 weeks before she said anything and now it will take her skin about 2 months to fully heal.  Waiting for it to go away doesn't work.

Update:  After Baby Dumpling arrived the rash and itching went away.  The doctor was correct about this being pregnancy related.