Kirstin's First Christmas

Wishing you...
Everything merry,
Everything bright,
And all that brings joy
to a year that's just right!


Kirstin might not understand what a mistletoe means or why there are bright and colorful lights everywhere. Not yet, anyway! But this is still a very special Christmas for all of us - not only for me and Kurt but also to the rest of the family. You'd hear Kurt's mom say how long it has been since she had a baby on Christmas dinner or to even shop for baby's clothes or toys for Christmas gift. So, it was like a new experience for everybody and they are all very excited to see her. I'm looking forward to the next Christmas already when she becomes more aware of what's going on around her. I'm looking forward to her opening her gifts and jumping for joy when she finds out she got the toy she wanted. I'm looking forward to her playing the role of Santa's helper - distributing the gifts underneath the tree to each and every one of us. I bet because I'm always looking forward...time will fly so fast!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas!"

We rarely get a snow here in the Pacific Northwest. I just got lucky when I first got here coz nature was really showing me everything there is to see...from snow to freezing rain! This year, nature gave Kirstin a glimpse of what snow is. It didn't last very long but we were able to play with it a little bit and take pictures!

Kirstin Got Baptized!

May baptism be just the start of a life of faith that comes from the heart!

"As the deer panteth on the water
So my soul longeth after thee...
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship thee..."

Kirstin Johanna Walla was baptized on November 20th, 2005, the Feast of Christ the King, by Father Ludvik of Our Lady of Lourdes Church. It was so solemn and she was very well behaved throughout the ceremony. Needless to say, we were very proud of her. Reception followed at Izzy's Restaurant. Not all the sponsors made it but I'm sure she's in their thoughts!

Here's the list of her sponsors:

1. Mr. & Mrs. Dane & Barbara Walla
2. Mr. & Mrs. John & Lourdes Bleuler
3. Mr. & Mrs. Sean & Cristina Bergman
4. Mr. & Mrs. Roberto & Imelda Buque
5. Mr. & Mrs. Christian & Eleanor Resurreccion
6. Mr. & Mrs. Paul & Tricia Baysa
7. Mr. & Mrs. Sherwin & Aleen Dimaculangan

Thank you all guys for allowing yourself to be part of our lives and most especially of Kirstin's. God bless!

Kirstin's Personal Milestones (0-3 months)

Oh baby! Look what you can do!

THE 1st MONTH

Physical

• She's able to see now but still near-sighted - only able to see things about 10 inches away
• She stares at objects but doesn't know how to reach yet
• She loves being cuddled and enjoys breastfeeding even more when there's skin to skin contact (which is not really a sight to see! heheh!)
• She's growing very fast and is 95 percentile rank when it comes to her height and weight (that's coz she drinks 2-3 oz every feeding and 24-28 oz a day)
• Movement is reflexive (which freaks me out coz it seems to me that she's shivering more than anything else!)

Mental

• She only appreciates looking at high contrast patterns and colors
• She seems to be alert 1 out of every 10 hours (most of the day she's sleeping!)
• Behavior is reflexive
• Will cry if overstimulated or understimulated

Language

• She responds to voices
• Small cooing begins (awww...that's the cutest sound I've ever heard in my life!)

Social

• She likes it when we talk to her (what can I say I have a beautiful voice...heheh!)
• She smiles in her sleep
• She enjoys eye contact (especially since her mommy's eyes are big and animated all the time...lol!)

THE 2nd MONTH

Physical

• Her muscles relax and twitch less
• She's able to lift her head when you put her on her stomach (though she doesn't like that very much)
• Her hands start to unfold
• She can roll back to side
• She follows moving objects with her eyes
• She has strong legs - can briefly bear weight on legs already

Mental

• Starts to make associations - she knows a little about cause and effect (she knows now that when she cries, mommy will come running to soothe her...hehhe!)
• She wants visual stimulation (she has this crib mirror that stimulates her vision at the same time with its contrasting patterns and colors)

Language

• She gurgles, coos, and squeals
• She communicates her moods

Social

• She knows the art of responsive smiling. She smiles when we make funny faces.
• She exhibits emotions
• She studies faces and tries to reach for things
• She's starting to develop her personality

THE 3rd MONTH

Physical

• She can stretch her limbs all the way out
• She's able to hold her head
• She's able to hold a rattle but for a short period of time
• She can stand up with help
• She plays with her hands

Mental

• She learns cause and effect more profoundly
• She's fascinated by her hands and her feet
• She likes detailed high-contrast images and toys that stimulates her sense of touch (toys that have a different feel and texture to them)

Language

• She begins to really enjoy babbling to me
• She starts to laugh
• She has different cries for different needs

Social

• She makes eye contact
• She smiles at faces
• She begins to identify us as her mommy and daddy
• She can easily be soothed as long as she's not having tummy ache or anything (though she's never was a cry baby - she only cries when she needs milk or when she needs to be changed but other than that, she's a happy baby!)

Kirstin's First Halloween

Our Little Angel...

For He will give His angels
charge of you to guard you
in all your ways.
-Psalm 91:11

There are so many costumes to choose from for infants but I already knew what she's going to be this Halloween. She's going to be herself...an angel to us! Hehehe! (Though I must admit, she's not always an angel! Lol! Especially when she opens her mouth and scream at the top of her lungs and we have to guess what's bugging her, more or less, do a trial and error in a middle of a photo shoot!)

Early that morning, we went to a portrait studio to take a picture of her in her angel outfit. She was in a bad mood so only few pictures turned out good. The others did not even remotely portray a little angel. (I told ya so!)

We did not go trick or treating yet but we went to my brother-in-laws halloween party! That was really fun! She's not aware of it yet but I'm sure next year is something to look forward to!

HALLOWEEN FUN FACTS

Black cats, ghouls and goblins, sugary treats — just about everyone's familiar with the traditional trappings of Halloween.

Halloween history

• Many experts believe the druids were the first to observe Halloween. Dating back to 700 B.C., they celebrated the festival of Samhain (the end of the harvest and a time to honor the dead) on November 1. In the ensuing years, the night before became known as the Eve of All Hallows, a.k.a. Hallow Even, a.k.a. Hallow e'en.
• Ever wonder how trick-or-treating got started? On the evening before Samhain, people left food on their doorsteps to keep hungry spirits from entering the house. Festivalgoers started dressing in ghost, witch, and goblin costumes so wandering spirits would leave them alone. To this day, these are Halloween's most popular costumes.
• The word witch comes from the Saxon word wicca, which means "wise one."

Just for Dad: Welcome Home

I will try to put in some articles here that I come across for Dads because while it's true that we, moms are the ones who give birth, as a father, you are the most important man in your baby's life.

Most couples are anxious and concerned right after they take the baby home. It takes about six weeks for most couples to feel better about having a baby. Here are things you can do:

• Hug your partner a lot. Tell her she's doing a great job.
• Be patient with the baby and with your partner. This is new for all three of you and takes some getting used to.
• Ask friends and family members for help with cleaning up, grocery shopping and meals. This is not the time to be shy about asking for help. Everyone needs help with a new baby!
• Try to rest whenever you can.
• Help out with the baby during feeding time. If mom is breastfeeding, you can bring her the baby. Help them get comfortable.
• Help with other jobs too: change diapers, give baths, rock the baby, cuddle the baby, read to the baby and sing the baby to sleep. Most babies love to sleep on their dad's chest.

Bates' Monte Carlo Night

This is the first time Kurt and I went out...just the two of us...after having Kirstin! And it was fun! It was nice for mom, Cris (Kurt's brother) and Val (Cris' wife) to watch Kirstin while we were drinking and gambling! They thought we needed a break and we also thought we deserved one...so off we go! Hehehe!

Mommy's Birthday

I have a lot of things to celebrate and one of them is bringing life to someone I can truly call my own...

I remember having a phone conversation with melds on my birhtday last year. Me and Kurt are having dinner at our favorite place, Tony Roma's. Why is this conversation significant? Read the transcript and see (DISCLAIMER: This is from memory...and I just gave birth...ok? heheh! Oh, and also, this has been translated into English!)

MELDS: Happy birthday Jocy! What are you doing today?
ME: We're having dinner at Tony Roma's...you know...our favorite place too!
MELDS: So what are you having?
ME: Some baby backs and some margaritas...Kurt is having twice as much!
MELDS: So what's his gift?
ME: Nothing yet...I think he'll give it tonight!
MELDS: I bet it's something he'll do tonight!
ME: Hahaha! Oh, by the way? Have you talked to Mhar recently? She already have a baby! MELDS: I heard about that. Are you gonna be next???
ME: Yeah...we'll make one tonight! (I said that jokingly!)

And the rest was history! 10 months after that, I had Kirstin! Thanks Melds for giving me the idea! Hahaha! Good thing, it turned out well for us...or I would never forgive you! *just kidding* Going back to the present, I'm now 27 and I've grown so much. I really feel that I have matured overnight since I know that parenting is a huge responsibility and one can't screw it up! Can you imagine how stressful that is? But like anything else, it comes with a reward and just being able to hug my baby, cuddle her, kiss her and make her smile, makes it all worth it...believe me!

Though we go out for dinner on many occassions, we chose to stay at home and celebrate my birthday quietly as a family! That choice, for me, is one of the most special things that Kurt and I have done. Everything was perfect! We had dinner by candlelight...with stuffed portabello mushrooms for the appetizer, Lasagna and Baked Ziti for the main dish and cheesecake for dessert. We dressed up and took some pictures! It was simple but sweet!

What Experts Say

Like what experts would say, nothing can really prepare anyone on this new role of being a parent. There'll be so many emotions, changing every day, every hour, every minute. So much to do, on so little time, or should I say, on so little sleep. That is normal! I am having separation anxiety knowing that I have to go back to work next week! Waaahhh!

If you talk to new parents, you'd realize that they have all struggled with these same things as long as babies have been born and all it takes is just awareness, preparation and confidence in one's self. More importantly, new mothers should learn more on the so-called "postpartum blues" - feelings that can be as simple as just feelings of sadness (all of a sudden you'd cry from the thought that you're a bad mother which was what happened to me...thank God!) to thoughts of harming the baby or harming yourself. These emotions can be overpowering so it's important to know how to address them. Here is an article I found that have some suggestions on how to manage it all:

THE FOURTH TRIMESTER: WHAT TO EXPECT & WHAT TO DO

In the United States, new mothers often stay in the hospital for 48 hours or less—and then have little or no help with their new baby once they’re at home. And despite their careful preparation for childbirth, they may not be ready for the emotional and lifestyle changes that await them. The end result can be a heaping of stress and anxiety.

To keep positive in the first days and weeks at home with your baby—and to keep postpartum tension from becoming all-encompassing—it helps to understand what emotions you may have, and how to cope with them. What follows are some of the most common problems you may face:

Worries About Your New Roles. Continuous responsibility for an infant can be an overwhelming experience. On top of this comes a major change in relationships. Your twosome has become a threesome, and you’re now drawn compellingly into a relationship with your baby, even though you may be trying to maintain the same relationship you previously had with your partner.

The birth also results in major changes for the new father. Starting with the baby’s first cry, it’s common for dads to feel an enhanced concern about meeting the financial needs of the family. For both of you, the euphoria associated with the birth may soon be pushed aside by tensions about meeting the baby’s needs, maintaining a relationship with each other and adjusting to new realities.

For couples to bear up under the fatigue, each partner needs to make a major effort at being understanding, supportive and communicative. It’s hard to imagine just how tired you can become when your baby’s needs do not follow any normal day-night schedule. Taking turns with the nighttime watch can help, but it’s equally important for both of you to express your feelings.

Unrealistic Expectations. Your idea of what a “good mother” should be has likely been built up to such an unrealistic level by magazine articles and advice books that you may exhaust yourself trying. If that happens, you may have little tolerance for the many minor problems that naturally arise during the early care of your infant. So, keep your expectations realistic. Don’t push yourself to keep everything as perfect as it was before. Give yourself permission for rest, time-outs and brief, pleasurable outings. And let go of those “gold standards” of household or other work.

Necessary Losses. The joy of becoming parents is accompanied by what the writer Judith Viorst calls “necessary losses”: loss of the exclusive relationship with the partner, loss of many of the activities the parents participated in together, loss of the daily contacts with colleagues (for the parent who remains at home with the baby), loss of income. These many changes for both father and mother, plus multiple hormonal changes in the mother, may cause emotions to go up and down.

During this precarious time, a number of things, from keeping your expectations realistic to forming a strong attachment to your baby, can help you to feel less anxious. If you have time to really get to know your infant in the first few weeks, you’ll feel much more confident as a mother. So use this time to keep your baby close—to hold, soothe and love your child. When this happens, you’ll find that the strong bond you have with your baby will help you to cope with the many other adjustments that are now taking place. You’ll feel better about your child, about yourself and about your new life.

6-week old's development

Today, we tried to wake her up because she's been sleeping for 10 straight hours and I'm getting worried that she hadn't had any milk yet. She gave us a smile even with her eyes close. She recognizes our voice! Awesome! As for the sleep part, I insisted Kurt to call the nurse and ask if that's ok. I was embarrassed because she told us instead "Well, you should be thankful! You have a good baby." And that gave me a sigh of relief and a very big grin for that matter!


Experts believe that 50% of the babies this age can identify their parents and this is one of the signs that the baby is becoming more attuned to what's going around him/her. And since she's awake for longer periods of time during the day, I use these times to support her sensory development and enhance her music appreciation. I sing to her all the time! Haha! And when she's busy jabbing or looking around, I play to her some mozart! But like everyone else, since they don't know how to talk yet, I look for cues from her if she's enjoying it or not. She coos when she likes it! I am careful though of overstimulating her since she'll cry, look away, tense up, arch her back and become irritable! I don't like that at all so I do make sure she also gets her quiet time.

As for her sense of sight, I bought this contrasting crib mirror from geniusbabies.com. Experts say that baby can see very well a highly contrasting colors and that triggers neurodevelopment too!

On Parenting Tips

7 LESSONS FOR NEW PARENTS (article provided by iVillage, Inc.)

1. Parents have needs, too. All of us need balance in our lives. Time for ourselves is not time stolen from our families—in fact, it’s necessary to replenish ourselves so that we have something left to give. It isn’t self-indulgent to take a nap, sit with a cup of tea, exercise or spend time with a friend.

2. Recovering from Childbirth Takes Longer Than Six Weeks. At six weeks, many women have not even had one good night’s sleep and are only beginning to think about the world outside the four walls of their home. Mothers who don’t push their recovery, but rather allow themselves the time they need to adjust physically and emotionally, fare much better than those who try to do too much too soon.

3. Your Baby’s Birth Is Not the End of the Pregnancy Experience. And you thought it was over in nine months! Actually, some of the most important work a mother does is to process the birth afterward—to work through it in her mind, to make sense of what happened and to match what she felt on the inside with what other people saw on the outside. The greater the discrepancy between what she expected and what she got, the tougher this task is.

4. Sleep Deprivation Is a Very Big Deal. There’s nothing like having a baby to change the value you place on sleep. Never again in your life will you take sleep for granted; it moves right up there with food and water as a life necessity.

5. Mothers and Fathers Are Different. Several studies in the last decade have shown that both men’s and women’s styles of parenting bring valuable benefits to babies. Fathers tend to be more playful and physical, which encourages muscle development and motor skills, whereas mothers tend to interact in quieter, more soothing ways, which stimulate language and cognitive development. The best thing for babies is to have both parents actively involved in daily care.

6. With Every Change, There Is Loss. We’re all aware of the indescribably wonderful joys that come with having a new baby. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of having a sweet-smelling newborn nuzzle into your neck. But the birth of a baby also brings some necessary (though, fortunately, often temporary) losses—loss of your familiar lifestyle, loss of freedom, loss of income. The appropriate reaction to loss is grief, and the only way to get to the other side of grief is to move through it.

7. Get By with a Little Help from Your Friends. Parenting was never meant to be done alone. We all need people around us who can show us the ropes, lend a helping hand and provide reassurance and encouragement.

Above all, remember that adjusting to parenthood takes time. Recognizing and discussing this early on can give you a real head start as you begin your journey into parenting.

My Baby's Firsts!

There's nothing special than the first time...

First Tub bath

First Email Received

----- Original Message -----
From: Cris Walla
To: Kurt Walla
Sent: Sunday, August 07, 2005 10:41 AM
Subject: To Kirstin

Kirstin,

Here's your first email....... Wanted to let you know...

Also born on Aug 6ths:

Andy Warhol
Lucille Ball
Dutch Schultz
Robert Mitchum

to name but just a few of them we know.......

Uncle Cris

First Studio Pics

Kaitlyn Turned One!

The first steps a baby takes are into your heart.

Kirstin will not remember how she and Kaitlyn met and ended up being friends! But that doesn't really matter...what matters most is that they'll grow up together, laugh together, cry together and learn from each other!

And last August 27th, we went to the Bergman's to celebrate Kaitlyn's birthday! It was three weeks after my delivery, so Kirstin was sleeping most of the time despite the noise! She's probably having fun in her own little way, or so I hope!

Kaitlyn as Tinker Bell

Kaitlyn looked really cute in her Tinker Bell outfit...it complimented her hazel eyes! I enjoyed watching the kids play the piñata and Kaitlyn opening her gifts and trying them on! She's learning how to walk now too, on her own. As I watched her, I kept on telling myself that I can't wait for Kirstin to get to this age so she'll be able to do things on her own. But pondering on that thought, I realized that Kaitlyn did not change overnight...no one does! It takes time to nourish an individual to grow into a fine young man or woman. I have to enjoy every moment of it - from cuddling, to crawling, to sitting up, to walking, and who knows what she's going to do next!

Surviving the First Two Weeks

Having a baby sure isn't easy...otherwise men could do it!

The night we went home with Kirstin for the first time, there was no doubt that apprehension was in the air. We were both uncertain what to do! The two-day course that the nurses at the hospital gave us sure wasn't enough! Kurt grabbed our baby book and started reading. At first, we followed the book strictly from how to put her to sleep and keep her warm to giving her a bath. But that didn't really assure me that what we were doing was correct. I'd still get up every hour to check if my baby is still breathing! I hardly slept for a week even though I sure needed to, since I was still recovering from my episiotomy (she is a big baby...she weighed 8 lbs 8 oz and she measured 21.25 inches...and I just weighed 90 lbs and stood 5'0" tall when I got pregnant...who would have thought the scandinavian blood that his father had would be that strong! )

The days passed and I guess my maternal instinct kicked in and I just knew what worked for her...it may not necessarily have been the best...but it worked! She is a good and healthy baby! But I can't take all the credit coz Kurt had been doing his homework too, plus we got help from our Filipino friends here as well (special thanks to Lourdes and Christy!) I breastfed her but I supplemented it with formula since I am not sure she's getting enough from me. She eats a lot! And I really do mean a lot! The first time I tried to breastfeed her with a nursing consultant, she already knew what to do and she's sucking very well. The nurse was truly impressed!

It came a time for the two-week check-up and we were both excited to know how we were doing. And it came as music to our ears when the nurse told us that she's growing perfectly and that we're doing a wonderful job! I think that's all we needed to hear to survive the next days to come! We just have to hang in there!

I am a Mom!

...there are many new experiences in life...this is one of the most precious!

It was pretty chaotic in the delivery room. I heard myself shout as I was urged to push. I heard myself asking questions like, "Am I making any progress?" and, "Is my baby okay?" And of course my crying from exhaustion. My husband, Kurt was there, giving me strength when my will began to fail me. He took care of me and made sure everything was okay.

Kurt: Hell! I was just as scared as she was! I just made myself busy to help mask it!

Yes, the pain was tremendous! But when I heard my baby's first cry...saw her...held her in my arms for the very first time...nothing else mattered...it seemed as though no pain had ever existed. At that moment I knew, my life had made a huge leap...I was a mom! We are no longer a couple. We became a family. Our world, for sure, will now revolve around this little angel who will call us her mom and dad. And I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life trying to become a better person, or should I say the best mother as I can be, for her.

Kurt: Suddenly I was a FATHER! And at that moment, I realized that I didn't have the slightest idea what I was supposed to do next...hahaha!

Baby Announcement: Angel on the Way

...who'll bring a little bit of heaven on our world...

...and as the day gets closer and closer, I get more and more anxious! I just want to see her! I don't really care how hard the labor will be or how painful the delivery itself, I just want to see her!

The countdown for me began when I had my baby shower, or should I say baby showersss, as I had three of them. The first was from my officemates, second was from my family (my in-laws), and lastly was from my filipino friends here. How can one not get excited??? Just looking at these cute outfits and things and her wonderful room my husband & I decorated for her, makes me want to have her right then, right now...so I can see how cute she'd look wearing these outfits, how she'd get fascinated with her toys and things and how comfortable she'd be in her own private nursery. And most of all, how she'll look at us and truly adore us for giving her the best care in the world.

Of course, being first time parents, we get advice from our friends, family and even strangers (people noticing how young I look like probably , would come to us and tell us how having a baby changes everything, for the better, they would add! As if making sure, we wouldn't get scared and fall to depression! ) There's one piece of advice that kinda stuck in my head coz I'm pretty sure that's what's going to happen and that's from Kurt's brother, Eric. He told us, "Oh boy! Fun times are just beginning! Be prepared. I'm sure you'll be exhausted and irritable and frustrated and insane...but you'll love every minute of it!" I just can't wait!