Musings of Chellie

We Have Another Self Feeder

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 03:30:00 +0000

Today Nyomi fed herself with a spoon! She enjoyed her oatmeal even though she made a mess of things. All is well and I am happy that my children are becoming independent. Now for her to be potty train...

4 Months Old

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 03:30:00 +0000

Today Caleb turned 4 months. Man time is flying by. Michael is in kindergarten, Elijah is in preschool, Nyomi will be 2 in November and now Caleb is "aging". Before long, he will be celebrating his 1st birthday. Well, it's wonderful watching my children excel.

Another One In Preschool

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Elijah is now in preschool. He's alright with it except for the pick-up. He has anxiety that he'll be left behind. Sooo, when it's time for dismissal, I must be there early so that he's one of the first ones to leave.

Kindergarten!

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:00:00 +0000

It's official. Michael has started kindergarten and he's loving it! He has a great teacher and all is well.

Fourth of July

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 05:00:00 +0000

This year, my city didn’t have a fireworks display due to budget cuts. My three older children still wanted to see fireworks. Since mothers are depended upon to always come up with solutions (because we are super you know), I did using YouTube. I created a video playlist of fireworks. It feels good to be super!

Happy Father's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 03:35:00 +0000

Christopher you are now a father of 4 children and you share your birthday with Caleb, the latest addition. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY LOVE!

Caleb's Jaundice Issues

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:46:00 +0000

Well it's Friday and still at the hospital. Why you ask? The title says it all. As of Monday evening, after Caleb received his circumcision, he looked a bit yellow. He was checked and sure enough his bilirubin levels were elevated. So he had to stay. Now we all are still here and although the levels dropped some, it's not enough. Caleb is still under the lights and hopefully we could go home tomorrow. I am guessing maybe Sunday to be honest.

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:05:00 +0000

I arrived at Labor and Delivery on April 24th at 12:00 p.m. After going through all of the administration work and getting settled in, my contractions kicked up a notch. Now the waiting game began. I was contracting wonderfully but wasn't dilating as much as I should or rather how I would have liked to. I was given 1/2 a pill of Cytotec and I began to contract more so, which was every 2 minutes or so. Then I slowed down to contracting every 2-6 minutes. I was then given a whole pill of Cytotec. In about 2-3 hours, things began to not look so good. Caleb's heart rate began to decelerate. This was happening earlier but not often. Now it was frequent and the delivering doctor began talking to me and my husband Christopher about a possible c-section which both Christopher and I didn't want. Also the subject of me receiving an epidural was brought up which was another thing we didn't want. Being that this was my 4th time giving birth, although it was painful, I did want to go through this without any pain medication since I have done this before and knew I could handle. Since Caleb was in distress, for me to be relaxed was very important. Christopher and I agreed to me receiving an epidural which did help immensely. Caleb's heart rate regulated and there were no more decelerations. I received the epidural at 10 p.m.; a catheter was put in place now that I was restricted to the bed. At 11 p.m., my cervix was checked and I was only at 3cm. I was happy that I progressed some but disappointed that it took 11 hours for me to get from 1cm to 3cm. The good news though my contractions were coming regularly every 2-3 minutes. At 3 a.m., I started to feel a lot of pressure. The doctor came and checked me and I was at 8cm! It's amazing that it took 11 hours to get from 1cm to 3cm but only 4 hours to get from 3cm to 8cm. My body is weird I feel. At this time, the doctor broke my waters. Immediately the intense pressure came on. I was told that it would take an hour at most then I could start pushing. I was skeptical because I knew from past experiences that when I reach 6cm, I am pushing within 20-30 minutes. I told Christopher to call my mother and she soon arrived. At about 3:20 a.m., I told the nurse I needed to push. Everything got busy quickly. I pushed 4 times and Caleb was born! Aside from receiving the Cytotec which just softened me and also receiving the epidural, I pretty much had a natural birth. More importantly, I avoided the c-section that I didn't want. Oh, Caleb and Daddy have the same birthdate! Also Caleb smiled within 3 hours of birth and he was born with a tooth already protruding. Luckily it was loose and the pediatrician pulled it out. Of course I saved it.

Caleb Anthony Is Here!

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:20:00 +0000

I arrived at Labor and Delivery on April 24th at 12:00 p.m. After going through all of the administration work and getting settled in, my contractions kicked up a notch. Now the waiting game began. I was contracting wonderfully but wasn't dilating as much as I should or rather how I would have liked to. I was given ½ a pill of Cytotec and I began to contract more so, which was every 2 minutes or so. Then I slowed down to contracting every 2-6 minutes. I was then given a whole pill of Cytotec. In about 2-3 hours, things began to not look so good. Caleb's heart rate started to decelerate. This was happening earlier but not often. Now it was frequent and the delivering doctor began talking to me and my husband Christopher about a possible c-section which both Christopher and I didn't want. Also the subject of me receiving an epidural was brought up which was another thing we didn't want. Being that this was my 4th time giving birth, although it was painful, I did want to go through this without any pain medication since I have done this before and knew I could handle. Since Caleb seem to be in distress, I being relaxed was very important. Christopher and I agreed to me receiving an epidural which did help immensely. Caleb's heart rate regulated and there were no more decelerations. I received the epidural at 10 p.m.; a catheter was put in place now that I was restricted to the bed. At 11 p.m., my cervix was checked and I was only at 3cm. I was happy that I progressed some but disappointed that it took 11 hours for me to get from 1cm to 3cm. The good news though my contractions were coming regularly every 2-3 minutes. At 3 a.m., I started to feel a lot of pressure. The doctor came and checked me and I was at 8cm! It's amazing that it took 11 hours to get from 1cm to 3cm but only 4 hours to get from 3cm to 8cm. My body is weird I feel. At this time, the doctor broke my waters. Immediately the intense pressure came on. I was told that it would take an hour at most then I could start pushing. I was skeptical because I knew from past experiences that when I reach 6cm, I am pushing within 20-30 minutes. I told Christopher to call my mother and she soon arrived. At about 3:20 a.m., I told the nurse I needed to push. Everything got busy quickly. I pushed 4 times and Caleb was born! Aside from receiving the Cytotec which just softened me and also the epidural, I pretty much had a natural birth. More importantly, I avoided the c-section that I didn't want. Oh, Caleb and Daddy have the same birthdate! Also Caleb smiled within 3 hours of birth and he was born with a tooth already protruding. Luckily it was loose and the pediatrician pulled it out. Of course I saved it.

It Has Been a Loong Time...

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 23:57:00 +0000

Well, I am still pregnant with my baby. I shall be 7 months or rather in my 3rd trimester tomorrow. I am due on May 8th (Happy Mother's Day!) but we shall see. My baby is a boy and he shall be named Caleb, no middle name yet. Everything is going well with my pregnant which I am grateful for.

Michael has turned 5 and shall be starting kindergarten in the Fall. It's just amazing and crazy that my child will be in elementary school.

Elijah is still Elijah LOL. He's in potty training mode but it's not going as smoothly. Actually I have to change him right now.

Nyomi has turned 1 and also she's walking. She reminds me of Frankenstein, my baby girl.

Diabetic Educator Appointment

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Alright, today I went to Walnut Creek to see the diabetic educator. I have Type 2 diabetes and pregnant sooo I am high-risk. Anyways, my glucose values are to be as follows: fasting (or before eating anything 1st thing in the morning) is to be between 60-95. 1 hour after I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, the values are to be under 140. I am also to eat 6 times day: 3 meals and 3 snacks. My problem is the fasting. They are good for a non pregnant woman but not one who is with child. *sighs* It's annoying. This is my 2nd time dealing with this person. The first time was when I was pregnant with Nyomi. I have an appointment on October 12th to see the high-risk doctor or perinatologist. Matter of fact, I am to see the whole team. Also due to my blood condition, hereditary spherocytosis, my hemoglobin and hematocrit are low. There are worries there, especially since my baby will continue to devour whatever it needs from me and if I do not have enough: bad, bad, bad. I made it through 3 pregnancies. I can do this. I have to. Failure is NOT an option.

Prenatal Clerk

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 20:33:00 +0000

Saw the prenatal clerk. Did the usual paperwork, labwork, discussions, blah blah. My official prenatal appointment is on October 12th. All went well. At the lab, there were students and so I was a guinea pig. The student that worked on me has promise. I congo rats her (yes congo rats) and she thanked me.

Wisdom Teeth Pulled? No.

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:32:00 +0000

Alright so I am at Western Dental assuming I am going to get my wisdom teeth pulled, especially the right bottom. Anyway, I am waiting and waiting and waiting... finally I am called and since I am pregnant, I needed a document from my PCP stating that it's alright to do any dental work on me, especially surgery. So my doctor was called and she had the document faxed. Then I go in the back to what I thought would be the start of the procedure. No. The oral surgeon wasn't in today but he was there yesterday. Oh yeah this doesn't help me. I am rescheduled for 9/30 BUT there's no guarantee that the oral surgeon would do the work. He must see first if I am a candidate. Even if I am, my dental insurance may or may not cover, which means a possible payment plan. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Dentist Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 22:58:00 +0000

So I went to the dentist today and was told that I needed both of my wisdom teeth on my right side extracted, possibly my left ones too. The top wisdom tooth has a cavity but it's not due to neglect. The tooth is in a bad position and couldn't get cleaned properly. The bottom wisdom tooth had to be seen with the help of a X-ray. It's the source of my discomfort. It's pushing my 2nd molar which hurts! The dentist I was at doesn't do extractions and so I was referred to Western Dental. I called WD and now I have an appointment tomorrow at 10am. We shall see what happens next.

Nyomi now says "Elijah", her brother. It's understandable since she always plays with him. She also recognizes her name, when it's being called.

Doctor Appointment

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 22:55:00 +0000

I went to my doctor appointment due to this weird pain on the right side of my face. This pain has been bothering me since Saturday. My doctor checked me out and said that I was inflamed in my molar and to see my dentist. So I go home and make an appointment to see a dentist. All worked out, I go tomorrow at 2pm. Then I proceed to make appointments for my sons, Michael and Elijah. I am then told that my children are not covered. WHAT?!! I called my insurance company and was told the same and they are puzzled as well. So now I am in the process of trying to straighten this mess out.

Health Insurance Re-instated

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:43:00 +0000

YAY! Today I am re-instated with Kaiser Permanente! I made my first prenatal appointment which will be on 9/22. As of today, I am 6 weeks and 2 days pregnant. I will be 7 weeks and 3 days pregnant on the day of my appointment. I think it's just the appointment for the health history and filling out the paperwork with the prenatal clerk and when I am 8-10 weeks is my official prenatal appointment. This is how it was done with Nyomi although I did have an ultrasound when I was almost 6 weeks. We shall see. I tested again on a home pregnancy kit. Yep, still positive.

First Pregnancy Craving

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 01:19:00 +0000

Well, I have my first pregnancy craving. Wanna know what it is? Peanut butter. Yep, good ole creamy peanut butter. I just want whole wheat bread slices, toasted with peanut butter in between. Nice peanut butter sandwiches. At least I am getting my fiber and protein.

Four Time Mommy

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 02:58:00 +0000

Alright my period was due on September 1st. So of course this day comes around and no “Aunt Flo”. I just figured I would wait a few days before jumping to any conclusions. So on Saturday, September 4th, I am in the shower brushing my teeth. Then the old familiar gagging started. First thought was “oh man!” So I went and bought a home pregnancy kit and later on this night I tested myself and the result came back positive. Four time Mommy!

Here's How It Went

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:26:00 +0000

(Elijah wakes up from his afternoon nap and sees Michael with an apple.)

Elijah: I wan a appo.

Michael: Here Elijah, finish mine.

Elijah: (sees a half-eaten apple) Ewww! I don wan it. It's nassy!

I guess he wanted his apple fresh and untouched. Instead Elijah went for some grapes. Oh my children.

It Has Been Awhile

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 02:13:00 +0000

So Michael is 4, Elijah is 2 and Nyomi is 7 months. Michael seems to be going through a growth spurt. He likes to eat and I am monitoring. Elijah is talking more, a lot more. Nyomi is active, independent (as much as an infant can be) and strong within. She has not learn how to hold her bottle yet nor is she teething but she's "standing". Elijah's potty training is on a hiatus. I want a new walker for Nyomi, in pink, like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Safety-1st-Disney-Princess-Music-and-Lights-Walker/13050751.

I have decided that I want to create layouts for pay. I do not wish to be a designer. This is something I want to do on the side. My husband says that he'll support me in this. I shall be starting school soon to learn all I can about Photoshop Elements. I currently have Adobe Photoshop Elements 6. I am waiting until October to purchase version 9. Also I am looking to take basic or amateur photography classes. My heart is still set on getting a Canon DSLR camera. I did learn some cool effects features on PSE6 and have been implementing them on my layouts. I am with DSP (Digital Scrapbook Place) and right now there is the Scrappy Awards 2010. I have never enter any of my layouts before but this year I have. There are some great layouts entered and it's a bit intimidating but I may still have a chance of being nominated or even winning. Changing the subject, my diabetes control got away from me for a bit but now I am taking better care of myself and I've lost weight which is a good thing. My doctor wants me to lose between 30-40 pounds and I find this doable. I personally wanted to lose more, like around 50 pounds. Well, we shall see.

My husband Christopher, wishes to open his own computer repair business. He can do it with determination, perseverance, follow through and money (LOL). After all, he has over a decade of experience. Currently he works in a computer repair shop as an IT technician and he has his A+ certification.

Nyomi's 4 Months Well Baby Check-up

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:39:00 +0000

As of March 7th, Nyomi is 4 months old. Lately Nyomi has been outright laughing and giggling. Getting her to smile is becoming much easier. She’s starting to attempt to hold her bottle. She’s sucking her fist as well as her 2 fingers on her left hand. The test results came back and Nyomi and also Elijah have hereditary spherocytosis. Nyomi is more anemic than Elijah. Today she had her 4 Months Well Baby Check-up as well as lab work for a CBC (complete blood count) with differential. She weighs 10 pounds and 7.5 ounces. Her height is 22.9 inches. Her head circumference is 38 cm. Her CBC lab results came back and her bilirubin level is wonderful. Her hemoglobin level is better as well. It went up by .6-.7 points! For her age, the hemoglobin level should be 9.4 and Nyomi is currently 8.9. The pediatric hematologist prescribed folic acid (in liquid form) for her and Elijah. Nyomi is to have 1 ml per day and Elijah is to have 10 mls per day. She likes gnawing on things, mainly knuckles. She might be teething. I guess it’s time to start shopping for a teether. She likes to stand a lot which now she has very strong legs. She is starting to reach out for objects and is fascinated with her hands. Her hair is getting longer and her eyelashes are coming in more. I wonder if her eyelashes will be like her brothers: long and thick. I bought her a stuff animal today. It’s a caterpillar and it’s very cute. Since her theme is ladybugs with bumblebees, caterpillars, butterflies and dragonflies thrown into the mix, I figured the caterpillar would be a wonderful addition. Overall, Nyomi is a happy and gorgeous baby girl.

Hmmm...

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:55:00 +0000

So far, my oldest child Michael turned 4 years old on January 22nd. Nyomi, my first girl, turned 2 months old as of January 7th. Elijah, my middle child and second son, turned 20 months old on January 16th. My children are just growing up. Soon Elijah will be potty trained. He's showing signs so it won't be long now. It's semi difficult taking care of three young children, all under the age of 5 but I am managing.

Life Now

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:18:00 +0000

Nyomi is now one month old, Elijah is 18 months old and Michael has one month before he's four! Time is chugging along. Nyomi is doing really well with holding her head up. Actually, at 1 or 2 days old, she was holding her head up. She also scoots and is turning over. I have another advance child on my hands. She had a little baby acne but she's good now. She had her first bath and of course she didn't like it. Michael is into Sesame Street and Thomas the Tank Engine but more so into Thomas. He has told me he wants a Thomas cake. Every day he tells me a character he wants me to buy. His 4th birthday is coming up and so we shall see. I had my 6 weeks postpartum check-up on 11/15 and I have lost 22 pounds from when I gave birth on 11/7. I am planning a New Year's resolution to lose around 50 pounds starting on January 1st. Wish me luck!

Well Baby Check-ups

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:53:00 +0000

Nyomi now weighs 6 lbs and 1-1/2 oz at her 1 week Well Baby check-up. When she was discharged on 11/13, she had weighed 5 lbs and 13 oz.

Elijah had his 18 months Well Baby check-up and he did well. According to Daddy, Dr. Carucci says Elijah’s weight is fine and that he just needs to grow taller. His head circumference is a little big though. Oh well. His height is 2' 6.5", his weight is 22 lb 9.7 oz and his BMI (body mass index) is 17.09. His next appointment is when he’s 2 years old. He got his vaccine shots along with his big brother Michael. Just 2 shots each, no biggie.

Nyomi Is Born!

noreply@blogger.com (Chellie) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:14:00 +0000

Alright, went in on 11/6 at 10:40am. I was given a pill to soften me up. I was already contracting but not enough. I was in slow labor all day and night on 11/6. I was "stuck" at 1cm for a long while. The next day, things picked up. When it was 9:45am, I was 4cm dilated. At 10:55am, my water broke. After that, the labor pain really kicked in. I went from 5cm to 7cm in 1 hour then from 7cm to 10cm in the next hour. I felt like I had to urinate. I called the nurse and two came to assist me. As soon as I stood up, I felt this tremendous pressure and Nyomi's head plus a major contraction came on. I yelled "I have to push!" The older nurse told me to get back into bed but I was squatting to push Nyomi out. I did manage to get back into the bed and I pushed one time. The same nurse told me not to push and to "suck" Nyomi back in. I gave her a strange look and told her that my baby was coming and I couldn't stop pushing. She called over her phone that there was an involuntary pushing going on. My doctor was called and the younger nurse said my doctor was on lunch but within seconds, my doctor came rushing in. I pushed twice and Nyomi was born! She weigh 5lbs and 15.8oz, 18-3/4 inches long. I was 38 weeks and 1 day pregnant. When I was 36 weeks, I had a growth check u/s and was told she was 6.3lbs then and at 38 weeks, Nyomi was going to be between 6.8lbs and 7.1lbs. Yeah right. Nyomi wasn't even 6lbs at birth.

We were getting ready to be discharged the next day when the nurse told us that Nyomi's bilirubim levels (jaundice) were too high. Nyomi had to stay under the lights to bring the levels down. This was on 11/8. Then on 11/10, as preparations were undergoing again for us to leave, Nyomi ended up with a fever and the on-call pediatrician felt she had an infection. So, Nyomi had to go to NICU to get antibiotics. Finally today (11/13), Nyomi was 100% well and we were discharged.

Oh, I had a bowel movement while pushing out Nyomi. *shrugs* It happens.