Dad's Chronicles

Lana and Dana (Best Friends)

2010-06-20T04:01:00.001-07:00

My daughter found a really good friend in our neighborhood. Her name is Dana and she's more than twice Lana's age. They play almost everyday after Dana's school. Sometimes, Dana goes to visit our home and vice versa. Unfortunately, Dana is leaving Singapore for good to go back to Israel. I'm sure Lana is too young to remember this event in her life, but I'll make sure she'll have a memory of her time together with Dana when she grows up. Click MORE to see their photos together.

Lana's First Day of School

2010-06-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

The age in which children started going to school is getting younger and younger. I first went to school at age 5. I know my youngest brother started his school at age 3. But my daughter first started her school at 18 months, and she's not even the youngest. Even pregnant mothers enrolled themselves in the same school where by baby goes. Anyway, I was just really surprised. I was also really excited I decided to take a video of Lana's first day of school.

Lana's First Day of School from Leowell on Vimeo.

Different Stages, Different Challenges

2009-12-01T05:29:00.001-08:00

My baby daughter is now almost 15 months old. She had started walking as early as 13.5 months. And now I am faced with a new challenge.

When she was about one month old, the challenge for us as parents was to put her to sleep during the night. Whenever she feels sleepy in the evening, she would cry very loudly. So my wife and I had to dance while carrying her, sing lullabye and would do anything just to pacify her. This whole crying, dancing and singing thing lasted until she was three months old.

At four months, the challenge was to make sure we don't move too much while sleeping in bed because she had learned how to rollover. There were times that I woke up and our baby was right by my elbow. Just a slight sudden movement and I might hit her on her head or face.

At nine months, she started crawling. So now the challenge was to be more alert, since she can now crawl to the edge of the bed. We had to put pillows around the bed to prevent her from falling. Moreover, my wife and I had to sleep in an L position, to make sure that all corners of the bed were covered, just in case she suddenly wakes up and crawls while we were asleep.
Furthermore, we have to be cautious since whatever's in her hand, she puts to her mouth.

And now that she started to walk and run, the challenge is to follow her. Bend my body, follow her everywhere, be mindful of the corners of the tables and check if there's a protective guard to make sure she won't get hurt in case she trips or falls.
When out in a mall, she loves to walk/run and wave her hands to other people. And now, she's got this new habit of climbing up the stairs. Just last weekend when my wife was buying something at Marina Square, she found a staircase leading up to the escalator. She tried to climb up by putting one foot on the first step. Of course, she can't do it alone so I had to hold both her hands. Then I think we climbed up and down for like 6 times. The consolation though was she got tired, so she slept early that night.

Different stages of child development pose different challenges. I wonder what's the next challenge to come.

Teaching My Baby to Read

2009-10-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to be editing some photos for my client tonight. But I couldn't resist having to spend some quality time with my baby. She received a very nice gift from her grandmother on her first birthday. It was a box full of DVDs, books and other learning materials. It was a set of Your Baby Can Read which enables parents to teach their children as early as 3 months old to read.

Even before we received the package, I checked out their website and watched the testimonials from other parents. Then I watched the parent's portion of the DVD and also read the parent's instructions on the starter book. At first I was skeptical, but then after only 4 days of letting my baby watch the DVD, I was surprised with the results. As I was reading the first book to her and showed her the word clap (I also have to say it out load), she clapped her hands. And then when I said "arms up," she put her arms up! I was really surprised how fast my baby can learn.

I believe this learning tool is very effective so I recommend it to all parents.

Infant Care 101

2009-09-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

My baby daughter just recently celebrated her first birthday and I wasn't even able to blog about it. Why? Because I got sick, really sick for 5 days.

Wait, let me correct myself. We both got sick!

So during her party, she was not the same lively and playful Lana that I know. Her own pictures do not justify how fun it was during her first birthday party! And I blame myself for that. I learned a hard lesson.

Taking care of your baby means - taking care of yourself first!

I know my baby got the virus from me. Even though I tried very hard to isolate/quarantine myself when I was sick - even to the extent of wearing mask at home everyday, babies immune system are not yet strong enough to fight the seasonal flu virus.

I got sick because I was working really hard since I needed to launch my new photography website by 09.09.09. I spent a lot of late nights, editing the images, designing the look of the site, etc. I also ran out of vitamins and I didn't bother to buy a new pack. So after several days/weeks of staying up late, my immune system finally gave up.

It was only the first time Baby Lana got sick. Looking at her crying, with tears all over her face, because she cannot sleep gave me a heavy heart. Clogged nose and coughing made her situation much worse. I know the feeling, because I myself am sick.

On a lighter side, my wife and I learned to handle that kind of situation. We're both thankful that our baby never got sick during her first 11 and a half months. It would have been worse for her for sure.

Baby's Fear of Loud Sounds: Should I be worried?

2009-09-08T00:25:00.000-07:00

I'm still sick today. Which means I have been staying home for four days straight since last Saturday. I did a self-quarantine because of the fear of spreading my virus to my wife and baby, especially this time at the height of the AH1N1 or better known as 'swine flu' virus. Because I have stayed home for so long, I was able to observe my baby's behavior these past 4 days. One thing I noticed is that she's really scared of one very loud noise in particular - the fire alarm.

You might ask me, why does the fire alarm keep sounding off every day? I have already voiced out my concern to the condominium management and they told me it was caused be some lousy workers tripping the sensor. But everyday?? Yeah, tell me about it. But anyway, it's a thing beyond my control.

So I'll just focus on my baby. The question is should I be concerned?

Well, I did some research again and glad to have learned that it's perfectly normal among babies and young children. Babies still don't understand that some extreme noise is not a real threat to them.

So while we were playing today, we suddenly heard the fire alarm again and my baby trembled. I immediately took her into my arms and told her that it's ok, it's just a fire alarm. I assured her that she's safe in my arms. After a while, she started playing again. I'm just glad I was wearing my mask so I won't be spreading my virus to her.

I think I better tell my nanny to do the same thing if she hears the fire alarm again and my wife and I are not around.

Lana's Bag of Tricks

2009-08-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

Lana's showing mommy and daddy that she now knows some tricks.

Exploring New Things

2009-08-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

My baby is trying to explore new things, such as picking up some small food using her two fingers.

I got so busy capturing the video and was really elated at what she just did that both me and my wife failed to notice that our baby picked up some food from the table (not from the plate) and ate it.

Lana's Cute Smile

2009-08-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

This video was taken from my iPhone last Saturday when we were having lunch at an Indonesian restaurant after mommy has chosen the balloons for Lana's 1st birthday party. I have seen this video more than 20x already since I can't get enough of Lana's cute smile (most specifically at the 48th second mark).

Coming Back From Business Trip

2009-08-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a while since I blogged about my experiences as a new dad. I got swamped with a lot of work and I was stationed in Tokyo for quite a while.

Now that my project in Japan is over, I am slowly getting my life back. My recent trip was for two weeks, and since I wanted to travel light, I didn't bring with me my personal laptop which means no webcam with my wife and baby for two weeks straight. I came back home Friday night. Upon seeing me, baby Lana was very very excited. She keeps on making sounds, something like 'dadadadada' and was very active. I think she's trying to call me daddy. I knew my baby was very happy to see me. This was much different to the other times I came back from business trips.

When she was 2 months to about 5 months old, she would cry whenever I came back, and I couldn't even carry her. This time around it was very different. I took her from my wife and she immediately hugged me. I felt very much relieved though I was really tired from almost 8 hours of travel.

And then during dinner, she was seating on her high chair while I was playing with her. I came close to her and she kissed me on my lips, not only once, but four times. Nothing can describe my feeling that time. Even though my baby just turned 11 months, I can already feel her love!

Lots of changes

2009-03-29T02:31:00.000-07:00

I just came back from a month-long business trip in Tokyo. In just a month, I noticed a lot of changes with my baby daughter.
She still cannot crawl, but she can rollover very easily. She still sleeps on the same bed with us, so to be able to avoid Lana falling on the floor, my wife and I had to sleep in an L position to close out the gap that cannot be blocked by the wall.

I love the fact that my baby now is more playful. She smiles at everyone, even at strangers. She can now hold a lot of things, even a ball using just one hand and practically puts everything she can grab to her mouth.

She's also communicating a lot now, making sounds and I believe she's trying to speak. She uses her tongue now whenever she opens her mouth and tries to speak. I thought she can already say 'daddy' but maybe it was just my imagination. She always says 'dadadadada' and 'tatatatata' though. Very cute and funny. :)

Here are some more of her photos I took in our mini-studio:

Enjoying in Tokyo and 5th Month Photos

2009-02-28T05:05:00.000-08:00

Lana's currently in Tokyo to visit Daddy.

My Baby's First Flight

2009-02-26T05:08:00.000-08:00

I am currently stationed in Tokyo and I fly to and from Singapore every 3 weeks. Since my wife already took a week off from work to take care of our baby, I offered her the idea of spending the week off here in Tokyo. She was very excited with it!

The flight time from Singapore to Tokyo is about 7.5 hours which is quite lengthy. So immediately, I did some research on the web if it's safe to fly a 5-month old baby.

I found a couple of information and got a sigh of relief knowing that it's perfectly safe for my baby. I just have to make some preparations.

From my research, I learned that Singapore Airlines is the best possible choice of carrier since it offers the biggest bassinet and the most comfortable one for babies. Here are a few tips to prepare for your baby's first flight:

1. Book a night flight if possible so as not to disturb your baby's sleeping pattern. In my case, I booked the night flight for Singapore Airlines A380 since it's a big plane and probably offers the largest space for bassinet even on economy seat.

2. Bring as much food for your baby as possible. Airlines allow parents to bring formula milk and bottle with water. Prepare them in such a way that if your baby needs to be fed, you can prepare the milk in no time. This way, you can prevent your baby from crying and avoid inconvenience to other passengers.

3. Strollers are allowed to be brought passed security gate, and doesn't have to be checked in. This is really helpful especially that you still have to carry another bag with your baby's stuff in it.

4. Bring toys to entertain your baby.

5. Be sure to pack at least 3 changes of clothes. During feeding, she might spill milk on herself and this will be very helpful just in case your luggage gets lost.

6. Feed the baby during take-off and landing. I believe feeding eases pressure on the baby's ears.

I also found this article while doing my research and it offers more in-depth advice on taking your babies/children to flights.

Lana's 4th Month

2009-01-10T06:03:00.000-08:00

My baby is now rolling all over the place while sleeping. She sleeps in the middle of the bed, between me and my wife. Sometimes I'll wake up and she'll be there right in front of my face. Sometimes she sleeps really close to my wife. But most of the time, she's positioned very near the head board.

I love staring at my baby while she's asleep. Ever since she was born, I never get tired of watching her sleep. Sometimes no matter how tired I am, I try to keep myself awake just to look at my baby sleeping. It gives me a very relaxing feeling.

Now, I enjoy watching her sleep even more. Her cheeks are getting a bit bigger (or fatter in a sense) and because she's sleeping on her stomach with her face on one side, her cheek tends to bulge out more. I love that sight! =)

She now starts to hold her toys, and even her milk bottle. I can let go of the bottle now and let her hold it for a few seconds. She can now start to sit but not on her own yet.

My favorite part is that she pays more attention to me now. One time, my wife and I are trying to put her to sleep, so my wife was holding her as I read her bedtime story. I was surprised that I was almost half way through the story and she's still listening!

My baby's 4th month also marked the period when I first heard her laugh. It takes making funny faces and crazy movements to make her laugh but when she did, even my tiny movements can make her burst to laughter.

My Baby's 3rd Month

2008-12-29T05:16:00.001-08:00

I missed the first two weeks of my baby's 3rd month because I was on a 4-week business trip in Tokyo. She had grown strong enough to roll over and can support her head already while lying on her belly. Her legs are now stronger too, as she's able to stand and bear her weight when supported.

She's now smiling a lot and able to make sounds. I believe this is the time that she starts to become curious that she's able to make sounds. I tried to imitate the sounds she's making and she responds to me most of the time. One day at mass, I have to go out of the church because she keeps on talking to the other guy beside me, and the other guy cannot concentrate and pray. :)

She can now open her cute little hands as well, and puts her fingers in her mouth most of the time. One of the things my wife and I loved about this stage is that our baby now sleeps 4-5 hours straight. A big relief because we both have to get up early and head to work. So being able to sleep soundly works well for the 3 of us. The 3-hour sleeping and feeding pattern is now over! Thank God! ;)

Babies' development happens really fast. I was just talking to my wife one night when she's putting our baby Lana to sleep. I told her that those days (or nights) of her crying before going to sleep were over. We even have a technique of swaddling Lana with a piece of cloth as she falls asleep. But as soon as we put her to bed, she wakes up and cries again. So we have to pick her up again and dance her, sing lullabye to put her back to sleep. Now, we don't have to wrap her anymore.

Honestly, I missed those times though. Looking back, how I wish I could have recorded a video of the swaddling, the singing and the dancing to put her to sleep to remind us of those times. Now, it's just a happy memory. Seemed too long ago already, but it was just two months back.

Happy 1st Anniversary Mommy & Daddy!

2008-12-22T03:17:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, Baby Lana here! Today, I am writing for my daddy because he is quite busy catching up with a lot of things coming back from a 4-week business trip.

I would like to take this opportunity to greet my parents a Happy 1st Wedding Anniversary! For the first time in 3 months, they went on a date without me, but it's ok, I understand them completely.

So mom and dad told me that they went to the restaurant where they got engaged 2 years ago. They said the view was quite stunning, as the restaurant is surrounded by glass walls. It is located on top of a hill and they told me that they've got a very good view of the setting sun.

Daddy didn't want to bring his huge camera on this date, so they have to settle with this photo as a remembrance.

I Love Maxi Cosi

2008-12-04T05:14:00.000-08:00

Choosing baby seats/strollers may seem to be an easy task. But with a wide range of models to choose from, the task can be overwhelming. Try walking into a store, ask the sales lady and she'd show you a wide range of models with different features.

But for me and my wife, safety and comfort are the two most important things that we were looking for. Features that we only found in Maxi Cosi CabrioFix.

CabrioFix is a baby seat that you can attach to a Maxi Cosi or a Quinny stroller. I love the fact that when my baby is sleeping and we need to jump into a car, I can just remove the baby seat from the stroller and put her at the back seat without disturbing her sleep.

You can also strap a seatbelt into the CabrioFix (even without buying the car seat accessory) for added safety so you can drive or sit at the back with peace of mind.

Backtrack: Pregnancy Photos

2008-11-20T05:15:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I have made a new post to this blog. I had been very busy at work lately. Anyway, I got a couple of emails from my readers saying that they loved the photos I took for my baby and they were wondering if I took some pregnancy photos of my wife. As a matter of fact, I did! I transformed our bedroom into a little makeshift studio, played with lightings and came up with these photos....

Click MORE>> for the full post...

Expressions

2008-10-29T02:45:00.000-07:00

Q: How many different facial expressions can a baby do in 5 minutes?
A: Unlimited

It only took me 5 minutes to take these series of images. I set my camera to burst mode and fired about 50 shots. Here are some of the cute and funny expressions I captured.

Let's Play

I'm Listening

Shake Shake Shake

You're Too Near Daddy!

I'm so Cute

I Don't Know How to Pose Anymore

Daddy's Little Princesss

2008-10-26T00:39:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how fast a baby can grow in just one month. My baby has now shown some signs of reactions. I can now talk and play with her. These days I always find myself rushing home because after a long hard day at work, I get my reward, and that is Lana's angelic smile.

Postpartum Depression - A Husband's Perspective

2008-10-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

I ought to write this article for a long time now, but I had to wait until my wife's situation gets better. So when she reads this, she can just smile and realize what she had undergone. The situation I am talking about is Postpartum or Postnatal Depression.

I realized that new dads have a lot to deal with than I initially thought. From changing diapers, to soothing crying babies, to substituting your wife to feed the baby past 12 midnight, to carrying your baby and dancing to put her to sleep during the wee hours, and to your wife's post natal depression.

My wife is a strong person, so I never thought she would undergo depression. I did not anticipate this situation so when it happened, I was unprepared. I found it hard to handle at first, but I slowly learned how to cope with it. During this period, I dropped almost everything except my work. I stayed away from photography for a while, I put off my investing activities, and stopped playing sports.

I let my wife know that I was there for her and became sensitive to her needs. I help her take care of our baby in anyway I can. Now that it's getting better and looking back at the situation, if I am to grade myself, I think I did ok. I believe I just barely got a passing grade. So I did some research and found this article. Hopefully, this information would help the new dads so you can get better prepared when the situation arises. I also recommend reading this book:

The Postpartum Husband: Practical Solutions for living with Postpartum Depression.

Here's a bit of the article:
"In retrospect it all seems so clear to me that she was suffering postpartum depression, but I didn’t understand it at the time. I would like to give the other fathers and husbands out there the following important advice:

1) Be there for your wife. Many guys dive back into work because having a baby can be scary and really get us out of our comfort zone. But you need to pull your weight and more. Whatever your best is, give it now.

2) If you sense something is wrong, talk about it with her. Shame is a prevalent part of PPD. My wife was ashamed that she wasn’t feeling joyous and happy. You need to talk to her about how she’s feeling and let her know she is safe to share her thoughts with you, whatever they are.

3) Watch what she does, not what she says. OK, so I told you to talk to her, but talking is not enough, because she might not tell you the whole story. Pay attention if after a week or two she doesn’t seem to go back to the things she normally does. My wife is a Southern belle, who takes care to do her makeup and her hair, and it should have set off alarm bells for me when she stayed in her robe for more than a month.

4) If you are worried, take action. God gives us gut instinct for a reason. Trust it. Reach out to a doctor for professional help — not just your friends or mom or sister. Sometimes family members will be so scared that they will tell you not to worry, it’s just baby blues, because they don’t want to see the truth themselves. Talk to a doctor. You will never find a man who has lost a wife or a marriage who will tell you he wish he’d done less — he’ll wish he’d done more.
5) Get in the boat with her. Realize that recovery from PPD is a family project. Go to the therapist if need be. Talk to the doctor. Participate with her. As guys we don’t like talking about our feelings, but it will be the most manly thing you’ll ever do.

I’m thankful that great therapy, medication, love and selfless giving have allowed my wife, once so heartbroken, to fulfill her life’s purpose. I wish I had known the five tips I just shared with you so I could have been more fully there for her. I hope this will help you and your family to suffer as little as possible.

P.S. If you are a woman and are having a hard time talking to your husband about PPD, just print this out and give it to him.”

Happy First Month Lana!

2008-10-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

It's a common tradition for us (not sure for the rest of the world) to celebrate the baby's first month. We had a simple celebration last October 9 and just had barbeque beside the pool. We had planned to combine her first month's celebration and Christening into a one big party.

Type rest of the post here

Stimulating My Baby's Visual and Brain Development

2008-10-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

I had a conversation with my manager last week and his words kinda stuck with me and they are: 'Your wife must know something that you don't!'

Two weeks ago, I saw my wife laid down some flash cards around the bed, supported by pillows so they'd stand up and so my baby can see them. I didn't understand why she did that but now I do.
I rarely watch TV these days, but when I do, I make sure I watch something that's worth my time. So I tuned in to National Geographic Channel and they have this episode entitled 'Science of Babies.' One thing I learned from that episode is that even though newborns have a blurry eyesight, they can pretty much recognize what they see within 12-13 inches. And that's one of the reasons why they can develop an early bonding when she breastfeeds from her mother because the distance from the mom's chest to the mom's face is just right, it's within the 12-13 inches range. It's such a wonder, isn't?

Going back to the flash cards, I noticed that they only have 3 colors - red, white and black. I learned that a newborn baby's eyes perceive these high-contrast colors better than any other color. You might ask me, what's in the flashcards? Well, each card has two sides. One side has a drawing of a shape such as triangles, ovals, circles, squares and stars. The other side has a drawing of objects like a house, a bird, a pair of socks, etc.

Studies have shown that visual stimulation is known to help stimulate brain development. A baby's brain grows rapidly especially during the first two years of life.

So how do I use these flash cards?

1. I pick a time when my baby is quiet and alert. This normally happens after she's fed with milk, and she'll just be playing. I know I have to pick the right time as I can only get her attention for about 5-10 minutes before she starts to cry again.

2. I make eye contact with my baby and call her by her name. This would help her establish a sense of identity and belonging.

3. I show her the flash cards one by one, remembering to keep in mind the 12-13 inches distance. Then I point out the different shapes and colors.

Maybe next month, I can start introducing ABC, numbers and simple words.

I believe my baby is going to grow up a very beautiful and smart girl, and daddy's gonna be strict with the suitors! Just kidding! ;)

How to Soothe Your Baby

2008-10-02T05:58:00.000-07:00

First of all, I would like to thank my regular readers out there. I checked the statistics of the visitors to my blog and the number keeps getting better everyday. Also, I had been getting a lot of personal emails asking me to update this blog regularly. I am very busy juggling my time with my full time work, my photography business and of course taking care of my family and spending quality time with them but I will do my best to write regularly and hopefully add value to all of you.

Last time, I have talked about the possible reasons why your baby is crying. This time, I'll write about the things you should do to soothe the baby. I will be sharing my first hand experience and also some things I found on the internet. So if you can't figure out why your baby is crying, do the following:

Wrap her up and hold her close
Newborns like to feel as warm and secure as they did in the womb, so try swaddling your baby in a blanket, wearing her, or holding her against your shoulder. But be aware that some babies find swaddling or cuddling too constrictive and respond better to other forms of comfort such as rhythmic movement or sucking a pacifier.

Let her hear the rhythm
Babies are used to the sound of your heartbeat; that's another reason they love to be held close. You can also try playing soft music, singing a lullaby, or even putting her close to the rhythm of an electric fan or the white noise of a vacuum cleaner.

Put her in motion
Sometimes just the motion of carrying your baby will be enough to calm her. Other times, it may help to rock her gently in a rocking chair or swing, set her in her bouncy seat, or place her in her car seat on top of the dryer while it's on (the dryer's vibrations can cause her seat to move enough to fall off, so make sure you stay by her side while you do this!). You could also push her around outside in her stroller or take her for a ride in the car.

Massage her
Most babies love to be touched, so a massage might be just the thing to soothe your baby. Don't worry about not knowing the perfect movements — as long as they're gentle and slow, they should bring comfort. Also, try rubbing your baby's back or belly. This will help if she's having gas pains — which may be the problem with some colicky babies.

Let her suck on something
Even when she's not hungry, sucking can steady an infant's heart rate, relax her stomach, and calm her flailing limbs. Give her a pacifier or a finger to clamp onto and let her go to town.

Take care of yourself
No baby ever cried herself to death, but a crying baby can be very stressful for new parents. You're chronically sleep-deprived and may already be unsure about how to care for this baby. Mom's emotions are all over the place due to the hormonal changes she's going through. Dad may not be sure what role he should play in caring for the newborn or whether he'll ever get Mom's attention again. Add a crying baby to this scenario and many parents can become overwhelmed with feelings of incompetence.

If you know your baby's needs have been met and you've tried to calm her but she's still crying, it's time to take care of yourself so you don't get too exasperated:

• Put your baby down in a safe place and let her cry for a while.
• Call a friend or relative and ask for advice.
• Give yourself a break and let someone else take over.
• Put on quiet music to distract yourself.
• Take deep breaths.
• Remind yourself that nothing is wrong with your baby and crying won't hurt her — she may just need the release.
• Repeat to yourself, "She will outgrow this phase."
• Whatever you do, don't take your frustration out on your baby by shaking her.

Fortunately, babies (and their parents) are resilient and somehow manage to get through even the most difficult crying episodes. Take heart that by the time your baby is 8 to 12 weeks old, she'll be better able to soothe herself and much of the crying will stop.

How Fast Can You Blink?

2008-09-26T06:24:00.001-07:00

How fast can you blink? The baby's appearance can change drastically within a week. I guess for me, I have to make sure that I take a lot of photos. I can't even afford to blink and miss a moment. ;)

The First Week Adventure: Sleepless Nights

2008-09-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

I am a patient person....I think. But being a new dad, I think I lost my patience a bit, but in a good way. Baby Lana didn't sleep with us during the first night because she has to be fed and had to be seen by the doctor early in the morning. When I got up the next day, I immediately took a shower and hurried to the nursery only to find out that the curtains were still closed. It's funny because I can't wait til I see my baby and went back a numerous times to the nursery just to take a peek at her, even from afar. Too excited!

Being a new dad isn't all fun and excitement though. There's also a challenge, a heck of a challenge! Before I became a father and that was like 3 weeks ago, I was always being warned by my friends to prepare for sleepless nights. I never really understood them until we brought the baby home from the hospital.

I took 3 days of paternity leave and additional 2 days of annual leave from work so I can be with my wife and my baby for a longer period. During the first night, the challenge began. After feeding her milk, she slept for about an hour. Then my baby woke up and started crying. Being a first time dad, I didn't know what to do. Was she crying because she was hungry? But it was not yet time to give her milk.

Over the course of the first week, I learned these things. When your baby started to cry, it might be the case of one or all of the following:

1. Your baby is due for breast/bottle feeding. Breastfeeding is on demand, there's no timetable on when to feed the baby. On the other hand, milk bottle should be given every 3 hours. Doctors said it's also ok to feed your baby after 2 hours when your baby started to cry.

2. You need to change the diaper. It might be wet or there might be poop.

3. Your baby is sleepy. You just fed his/her milk or just changed the diaper but still the baby keeps on crying. You will have to put your baby in your arms and start to sing lullabye. There was one night that I was carrying my baby straight from 2am to 4am. I tried to put her down but she started to cry again.

I was told by a nurse that the baby cries a lot during the first month, most especially during the first week because she does not like the new environment. Is it because it's too noisy outside the mother's womb while inside it's very peaceful, warm and quiet? I'll ask my baby when she grows up. LOL

These were my first hand experience. I also did some further research on why babies cry a lot and this is what I found:

How can I tell why my baby is crying?

She's hungry
Once you learn to recognize the signs that your baby wants to eat — she'll fuss, make noises, and root around for your breast if you pick her up — you'll get pretty good at feeding her before she starts to really cry. Until then, checking to see if she's hungry is a good first step when your baby cries. Food might not stop her crying right away, but let her keep eating if she wants to. She'll stop once her stomach is full.

She needs a fresh diaper
Some babies let you know right away when they need to be changed. Others don't mind when their diapers are soiled — it's warm and comfortable to them. (Parents are often surprised when they pick up their infant and find she's been sitting in a dirty diaper and never made a sound.) Either way, this one is easy to check and simple to remedy.

She's too cold or hot
Newborns like to be bundled up and kept warm. (As a rule, they need to be wearing one more layer than you need to be comfortable.) So when your baby feels cold, like when you remove her clothes to change her, she'll express her discomfort by crying. You'll learn how to quickly change a diaper and wrap your baby back up. Be careful that you don't overdress her, since she's less likely to complain about being too warm than about being too cold and won't cry about it as vigorously.

She wants to be held
Babies need a lot of cuddling. They like to see their parents' faces, hear their voices, and listen to their heartbeats, and can even detect their unique smell (especially Mom's milk). After being fed, burped, and changed, many babies simply want to be held. You may wonder if you'll "spoil" your child by holding her so much, but during the first few months of life that isn't possible. Infants vary a lot in how much they want to be held. Some demand a lot of attention, while others can spend long periods of time sitting calmly by themselves. If your baby likes the attention, pick her up, wear her in a front carrier or sling, or place her next to you.

She can't take it anymore
While newborns often thrive on attention, they can easily become overstimulated and have a meltdown. You may find that your baby cries longer than usual after spending a holiday with many adoring family members or has periods at the end of each day when she seems to cry for no reason. Newborns have difficulty processing all the stimulation they receive — the lights, the noise, being passed from hand to hand — and can become overwhelmed by too much activity. Crying is their way of saying, "I've had enough." This usually happens when your baby is tired. Take her somewhere calm and quiet and let her vent for a while, and then see if you can get her to sleep.

She doesn't feel good
If you've just fed your baby and checked that she's comfortable (she can be troubled by something as subtle as a hair wrapped around her toe or a clothing tag that's poking her), but she's still crying, consider checking her temperature to make sure she isn't ill. The cry of a sick baby tends to be distinct from the hunger or frustration cry, and you'll soon learn when your baby's cries "just don't sound right" and she needs to be taken to the doctor.

None of the above
Sometimes you might not be able to figure out what's wrong. Many newborns develop periods of fussiness when they're not easily soothed. These fussy periods can range from a few minutes of crying to full-blown colic. Colic is defined as inconsolable crying for at least three hours a day and at least three days a week. Even if your baby isn't crying this much, these episodes may be difficult for you.

So there you go, this is a long post but I hope this helps. Next time, we'll talk about how to soothe your babies. Ciao!

Source: Seven reasons baby cry

Day 2 - Daddy's Identity Revealed

2008-09-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

You've seen the photos of the mommy and baby Lana, now it's time to reveal the identity of the 'daddy.' I'm a photographer and I am always the one behind the camera so it's not very often that I pose for pictures. But this was a very memorable day for me. It's the first time I get to carry my baby so I have to have something tangible that will remind me of this moment forever.

Enough of the cheesy thingy. This same day was Lana's first time to breastfeed from her mommy. These first few drops of milk is called 'colostrum'. For the benefit of other new dads out there, according to Wikipedia, Colostrum (also known as beestings or first milk or "immune milk") is a form of milk produced by the mammary glands of mammals in late pregnancy and the few days after giving birth. Colostrum is high in carbohydrates, protein, and antibodies and low in fat (as human newborns may find fat difficult to digest). Newborns have very small digestive systems, and colostrum delivers its nutrients in a very concentrated low-volume form. There are a few scientific studies suggesting that human consumption of bovine colostrum is beneficial to general health. Proponents of the use of bovine colostrum by humans as a dietary supplement claim that bovine colostrum raises both general immunity and physical strength, and sometimes cite the few small-population studies of bovine colostrum in humans.

We learned that breastfeeding at this stage of the baby's life was quite a challenge. Mommy has to find the right and comfortable position for both her and the baby. During one of our antenatal classes, we were taught that it's best to hold the baby like a person carrying a football (the way an NFL running back carries a football). It's the easiest way for the baby to latch and suck efficiently. For all the daddies out there, you have a very important role to play during this time. You have to help to hold the baby's head so the baby can latch properly. Sometimes you have to help squeeze mommy's breast for the first milk to come out. No kidding! We all had a hard time, but at least Baby Lana was able to get some milk.

On the lighter side, Mommy and Baby Lana also received a lot of gifts from mommy's and daddy's friends. Mommy got some healthy food and supplements to help her recover faster and Baby Lana got a new set of clothes, a very cute photo frame and a high-tech thermometer to name a few. Daddy got a lot of congratulatory calls and text messages from friends and relatives too.

Day 1 - Our Bundle of Joy

2008-09-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

I was waiting anxiously when my phone rang. The nurse called me up and asked me some personal information such as the name of my wife and my ID number so she could identify me. The reason was because my baby was in the viewing room and I can take a look at her for the first time. No words can explain what I've felt when I first saw her. But I can tell you for sure that it was one of the happiest moments of my life.

The nurse opened up my baby's blanket to show me her whole body. And because it was a bit cold in the room, my baby started crying. I am telling you, it was quite loud. I took some photos of her and took out my video camera to record her crying. I wanted to lift her up and carry her but I was a bit scared because I haven't held a newborn baby in my whole life and she just looks very fragile. I think all babies are like that. Or is it just my impression?

Now I understand how most parents feel about their child. When you become a parent, you'd say that your baby is the cutest baby in the world, no matter what other people might say.

I believe I have earned a new title. Well, it's not CEO. Though I've always wanted to have that title, I could say that I have earned a title more prestigious than that. You guessed it right, and that title is 'D-A-D.'

Here are some more photos of Baby Lana:

Oh by the way, for the sake of my wife's friends and relatives as well as mine, Baby Lana was about 6.8 lbs and 49 cm long when she was born.

Day 0 - Labor

2008-09-15T04:21:00.000-07:00

Everything started out with my frustration at work. This frustration led me to the thought of taking my 9 months pregnant wife for a short walk for some quality time to talk and have a light exercise at the same time. I needed to let out some steam anyway because I was about to burst!

Little did I know that this short walk would eventually lead to a very special moment in our lives. At around 12:30 am when my wife and myself were reviewing some Accounting Software which we can use for our photography business, she had a spotting. According to her doctor and to our antenatal class instructor, this was an early sign that my wife was about to give birth. When my wife yelled out that she saw some blood, I almost panicked. But good thing, I was able to keep myself calm.

We rushed to the hospital and got there at about 1:00am. The doctor confirmed that my wife was having a contraction. At exactly 2:00am, she was brought to the delivery room. Good thing I have my photography equipment all packed up, ready to take that image of my first sight of our bundle of joy. I stayed with my wife at the delivery room. Not much activity on her part. She's not feeling any pain yet and I was busy checking the DSLR camera settings and testing the video camera.

It was a long uneventful labor. It's 8:00am and she was just about 5 cm dilated so she was given an Oxytocin to go with the IV to induce her labor. Apparently, the OB-Gyne instructed the nurse to give it to my wife if she's not fully dilated yet. But they never informed us!! We didn't know that she was being induced until my wife asked the nurse what the oxytocin was for.

At about 1:00pm, she's fully dilated and ready to push our baby out. This was when my wife's suffering began. She started pushing, but according to the nurse, the 'baby is not making any progress.' I find it odd that there's only one nurse in the room, I didn't even see a midwife. My wife was pushing hard. I knew she gave her 110%. I was there with her all the time. The epidural ran out and she was in a lot of pain. What's worse was that the nurse kept going in and out of the room, leaving us behind most of the time. She even asked my wife to push even if she's not around. Hey, it's her first time. We didn't know what to do! And besides, when the baby comes out, who's gonna catch her?!? You can sense my frustration right? You bet I was!

Then at about quarter past two, the doctor came. According to her, my wife's condition 'doesn't look very good.' So she advised her to undergo emergency caesarian section.

We've got no choice, I wanted to get it done with as well because I can no longer bear the sight of my wife suffering from severe pain.

On September 9, 2008, three minutes past three in the afternoon, Leia Natasha came to the world.