June 30, 2004
Eating Issues
Eating issues are big in the news these days. Mary-Kate Olsen is having her problems, and Sophia is having hers.
Little Soph regressed a little bit, only taking formula when she had been eating solid foods at the orphanage. Our pediatrician told us we were to move her back to solids as soon as possible. So.... we hvae been torturing our little one with a variety of strained foods. I'm not kidding. This child screams as if we were turning the thumb screws. However, we had a breakthru this evening, thanks to Lentil & Rice Strained food. Sounds disgusting to me, but she seemed to dig it.
Below is a picture from last Sunday... our Father's Day since Christi and Colin came back from the hospital on the real FD. Mom's enjoying the champagne and Soph is enjoying a few toys, as well as a little story telling from Dad.
June 25, 2004
Everyone thinks...
.... how beautiful their own kid is, no matter how funky they look, especially for the first two weeks of life outside of the womb. Let's face it, most kids look like those shrunken heads that you made out of apples as a kid, wrinkled, splotchy, mishapen. For the parents though, he/she is the most beautiful thing they've seen put on this earth (present party included). Is this Darwinian? Something inborn that can see the beauty to be? I love my kid, baby pimples and all.
June 24, 2004
He likes milk....
.... and I like Lagunitas IPA. Taken last night around 10pm.
We took Sophia to the dr. today. Poor kid is going to be a pin cushion for the next few months. They are going to redo all her innoculations. So... four shots in the leg today and a TB test in the arm. Tomorrow is blood testing, plus a urinalysis. Open question: How do you collect a specimen from a one year old? I'm scared.
June 21, 2004
Comfort Food
First full day of 2 kids. The night was rather easy... little Colin slept from 1.30am to 5.30am. However the day was a little less scheduled. Soph seems to be getting into a pattern, but Colie is not quite as predictable.
However, at 8.30pm both kids were asleep and only one dish could cool us down.... Tater-Tot Casserole. This recipe came from an Iowa aunt, via my close friend, Paul H. (with props to his big brother Larry). The recipe can be varied according to taste.
Larry H.'s Aunt's Tater-Tot Casserole
1lb. ground beef
1lb. ground pork (or any sausage)
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
Tater-Tots
Cheese (monterey jack is standard, but feel free to spice it up)
Preheat oven to 375. Brown meat in a saucepan then combine with the cream of mushroom soup in a pyrex casserole dish. Layer Tater-tots on top (if you're anal like me, you'll do it in a pattern). Bake for 45 minutes. Add cheese on top, and bake 10 more mins. Let cool 10 mins. and serve (ketchup is allowed as a side). Optional additions: onions, red pepper, whatever makes sense to you.
This dish has memories behind it. Corbett has partaken upon some of his San Francisco visits when he was recording at Fantasy. My father, about a year after heart surgery, enjoyed it when mom was out of town, and Conor and I thought he needed a break from the health food. And then there were the countless times creating different iterations with Paul. Mmm, mmmm, good.
June 20, 2004
This is easy
NOT! But so far it isn't as bad as it could be. Both kids have been pretty good. Colin has been sleeping, eating and pooping. Soph has been playing (below with Emma). Another child from our adoption group came down with chicken pox so we essentially have to restart the clock on the incubation period (20 days). Fingers and toes crossed.
Colie seems to be settling in well too (as long as he's not far from his next meal).
June 19, 2004
Not for the faint-hearted
Parental Advisory: This thumbnail is rather graphic in detail so open at your own risk. You don't need to be 18 to open, but you probably shouldn't be eating dinner.
This was T+1 second in little Colin's life. You can see what 33 hours in a birth canal can do to your head. The doc had warned us about it, but I asked again if Colin was okay just to make sure (his head is almost back into shape today).
Christi is staying one more night in the hospital. I selfishly can't wait for her and the little one to come home. We only had one real night together after I came back and before she went into the hospital, so life still feels a little discombobulated.
June 17, 2004
Call it 8 for goddsake
For crying out loud, they should have just said 8lbs instead of 7lbs 15.7oz.
The little man was looking pretty good today... er, well he was until 8.30am when we "made him like daddy." We were definitely 50-50 on the "c" issue. No medical reason to do it (although our ob said that little "un-c'd" boys do get infections down there a little more).
What did it come down to? Majority rules, and in So. Marin, there are more boys who are, rather than who aren't (the locker room factor). The ob assured me that he won't be in analysis for this. There will probaby be lots of other things that I do (or don't do) to send him to therapy in the future.
June 16, 2004
And Baby B Makes Four
This is going to be a short one... so much to tell, but way too sleep deprived so have to get my zzzz's while Sofie's sleeping. Introducing Colin Andrew Ingoldsby, born June 15, at 11.52pm, after 33 hours of labor, a failed forceps attempt, and a final c-section delivery.
His pics today are much cuter (looks less of an alien compared to last night), but I love this one. Vital stats are 1/2 oz. short of 8lbs. and 21" in length.
Will update more tomorrow, when I don't see pink elephant hallucinations anymore.
June 12, 2004
Home Sweet Home
As you can see below, someone seems to enjoy their new bed which is about twice the size of the hotel cribs. Lots of room to do summersaults.
The flight in short was pretty horrid. One would think that if flight attendants saw a single dad struggling to balance diaper pad, diaper, baby wipes (I had to stuff the pack down the back of my jeans), and baby to the lavatory they just might lend a hand. If anything, they looked the other direction. There was one nice flight attendant who was working a different section that saw me and held Sophia while my back recovered. Oh yes, of the 12 hours on the plane, I carried her up and down the aisle no less than eight. Back to flaming the flight attendants. I was in coach class and holding the baby in my lap, so I could not put the tray down. When the food came by, I said I couldn't eat because of this predicament. They just passed me by. Grrrrr....
Anyway, it was all made up by what happened at the airport. The immigration officer, after stamping her passport, said, "When she's old enough to remember, tell her that the immigration officer said welcome to the United States." Then out of the customs doors to see mom, dad, and Christi's mom... where's Christi? Panic! Actually she was just around the corner. My fried brain couldn't focus. My mother blubbered like I've never seen her do before. Dad was beaming, and Ann was grinning along with maybe a tear or two.
When I stepped to the house this is what Peach & I saw.
And I can't tell you how good it felt to be home.
June 11, 2004
Inspiration
Some have asked what inspires me to write. Well, obviously I have good subject matter. But when that fails, I have a couple of beers and put on my best thinking cap.
Back to HK
Back in Hong Kong and wondering how the last two weeks flew by so quickly, even with a few rough nights, a trip to the hospital, and a Linda Blair-like vomitting experience.
The China Hotel in Guangzhou was nice, but the Kowloon Shangri-la is nicer. We've just ordered some room service. Nuttaphol's sister, Sophia, unfortunately for us, is back in LA. She took us to a great restaurant when we passed thru two weeks ago, and gave us two very lovely blankets which came in quite handy in Guangzhou. Thanks Sophia (and Nuttaphol)! So no great restaurant for us tonight. The little one is already settling down. I plan to have a couple of cold ones after she falls asleep. I'll keep that habit, methinks.
Here's Sofie practicing her diving poses in Hong Kong.
June 10, 2004
Farewell Party
Well, it was time to get dressed up to eat, drink & dance. I hit the wall this morning. The two weeks caught up with me and ended up sporting a 101.5 fever. Nothing that a little trip to the clinic couldn't cure. Back at 99 and feeling much better, but it meant no drinking for me (hard for an Irish liver to understand).
Below are a couple of pics from the night. Everyone had a great time. The China Team has been nothing short of perfection in their hospitality.
June 09, 2004
Giggles
Today was the final day of paperwork... yahoo! We went to the US Consulate to take an oath. Normally the babies come with you. However, because of the two kids with chicken pox, the Consulate decided not to allow the kids to come (a good decision, in my opinion). The consulate officer was quite jovial, and congratulated us on the end of our journey. After an "I do" it was over. We'll have Peach's visa on Friday, when we'll take a train to Hong Kong (and then a plane back to SF as long as Peach remains spot-free).
These two weeks in hindsight have really blown past quickly. I'm a little fried from some rather sleepless nights, some worry, and just new dad jitters. However, I'd do it all again 10-fold for the end result... the most beautiful little girl I've ever laid eyes on.
June 08, 2004
Pearl River Tour
We had a fantastic evening boat tour on the Pearl River, the 4th largest river in China. It was a beautiful night and Guangzhou looked great. Buffet dinner was a hoot. The dinner bell rang, and there was a bum rush for the food, complete with elbows out to get first dibs.
Sleeping Sofie
We were heading back from the White Swan Hotel back to the China Hotel in a taxi, and the little one passed out in my arms. This is the first time that she fell asleep outside our hotel room. Trying to get her used to this since I want her to sleep on the plane back.
June 07, 2004
A trying couple of days...
We've had a rough couple of days. Just when we thought Soph was getting rid of her cold, she projectile vomitted on me and half the hotel room. We took her to the hospital where they gave her an iv (not for the faint-hearted as they insert the needle into the head for babies), and sent us off with medicine. I think she's feeling better... more smiles. She's also cutting in a couple of new teeth. Here's a pic of a very toothy grin.
June 04, 2004
Kate
Each day that passes makes me appreciate my 2nd set of hands more. I honestly could not have done this without her. She acts as consultant on all matters, be it poop, runny nose, or feeding. She is a soother when I have to go to the bathroom (the baby, not me, although she¡¦s done a good job soothing me when I was starting to really worry about the feeding). Finally, she is the quintessential organizer, keeping us on-time, formula ready, medicine at the right time¡K the list goes on. BB, you don¡¦t know how much your help means to me. ~BM
June 03, 2004
Happy Daddy...
.... and happy baby. I was near a melting point today. Sophia was having such a hard time eating. First thought it was the poop probs, and it continued on. She also has a small cold, which is making her a little fussy, which is very unlike her (sidenote: two of the babies she traveled with have chicken pox, so we're waiting for the signs).
Anyway, we went back to the Friendship Store and bought a bunch of different bottles to see if another would work. Lo and behold, the Pigeon brand worked like a peach (pun intended). The result was a distended stomach from consuming 330ml in one sitting and a happy baby... see below.
June 02, 2004
Poop Matters
I can already see the change in me three days later. Poop matters. Sophia has been plugged up for three days, worrying her old man and making herself quite uncomfortable. I broke down yesterday and gave her a baby laxative. 8 hours later, voila, the most rock-hard little pebbles you can imagine, but it was a start. 4 am, crying, and voila, a much more substantial load, and a few more smiles from my little one. You see, poop matters.
June 01, 2004
A day of paperwork
The paperwork started, but went well... this was after getting off the bus. I think Sophia looks better rested than Katie & me.
