楚天風雲五十天 - My 1st Journal

Austin Chutian's Personal and Social Life in his 1st 50 Days

February 9, Wednesday
I made a decisive move today: I came to the world.  The journey was exhausting!  At one point I thought I would be stuck on the way forever.  But finally I made it.
The 1st person I met was Dr. Icatar.  Then I met my dad, my mom and my grandma.  It was nice meeting them for the 1st time.  I hope they will treat me well.  Later Uncle Shan and Aunt Sherry came to visit me. 
My weight was 7 lb 12 oz and my length was 19 in.  My first meal was something called formula.

February 10, Thursday
Still in hospital.  Slept through most part of the day.  Doctors and nurses kept visiting mom and me.  Mom practiced breastfeeding me.  Dad brought us tulips.

February 11, Friday
Mom took me to a breastfeeding class in the morning.  We waited for the whole afternoon to go home.  It was already dark by the time hospital was ready to let us go. 
Dad lost the camera on way home.  A big setback.  He must have been too excited. 

February 12, Saturday
My 1st full day spent at home.  Even though by now I could only see black and white, I can feel there are a lot of interesting things around.  Mom kept breastfeeding me, but I ended up having a lot of formula.

February 14, Monday
I set a record yesterday.  I had 18.5 oz formula in 24 hours.  However, after talking to a breastfeeding consultant, mom decided to dramatically reduce the amount of formula I was fed.  She wants to only breastfeed me.  Transition is never easy, and I felt hungry sometime.

February 15, Tuesday
Can you believe it?  Dad's camera is back.  A security guy from the hospital found it and returned it to us.  Ah-hah!

February 16, Wednesday
Dad and grandma took me to a place called Pedi Care.  I was examined by a pediatrician.  She said I had been doing well.  My weight was back to 7 lb 12 oz again.  I peed when they were about to put me on the scale.  That was embarrassing!

February 18, Friday
Uncle Shan and Aunt Sherry visited me again.  They gave us beautiful flowers.

February 19, Saturday
Dad and grandma took me to Pedi Care just to get my weight again.  I gained 3 oz in 3 days.  So everyone is assured that I'm fed well.
Our neighbor Aunt Barbara, Uncle Bob and their daughter Lauren came to see me.  Lauren is a big girl, I mean, she is 2 years older than me.  I hope one day she would let me play with her.

February 20, 2005 Sunday
"Connecticut Post", the local newspaper, carried my birth announcement.  So everyone in the state knows of me now.

February 23, 2005 Wednesday
Pedi Care again.  This time I weighed 8 lb and 9 oz.  I was told on the right track!

March 4, 2005 Friday
Mom went out for her 1st time after my birth.  She and dad picked up my birth certificate, my 1st ID!

March 6, 2005 Sunday
I was visited by my dad's Chinese schoolmates Uncle Ling and Aunt Qi.  Uncle Ling used to be dad's roommate for 5 years.  Now they live in Wallingford. 

March 7, 2005 Monday
I got a gift package from Angela, and she called me her "little brother".  She looked cute on the card.  She is in Maryland.  By the way Angela is the 6-month-old daughter of Aunt Karen and Uncle Evan who was another schoolmate of my dad from China.

March 9, 2005 Wednesday
The same old place, Pedi Care.  I am now over 10 lb! 
Dad wrote and sent out a Chinese essay about me to his friends and the internet.  We got many heartfelt greetings.  Someone in Canada has claimed they have a 7-month-old with the same Chinese name.

March 11, 2005 Friday
Our neighbor Aunt Betsy came to visit, with many presents for me.  The clothes she gave me barely fit.  It seems I'm growing too fast.

March 12, 2005 Saturday
All of us, I mean my mom, dad, grandma and me, dined out in a place called "99".  I wasn't too interested, so I fell asleep there.  Uncle Shan showed up.

March 14, 2005 Monday
Dad bought everyone in his office pizzas to celebrate my "full month" but I was not invited!

March 15, 2005 Tuesday
I have been taking both mom's milk and formula so far.  Now once again mom wants to take away all the formula from my diet.  As the result I wake up more through nights. 

March 17, 2005 Thursday
Another great surprise: Aunt Agi and Uncle Attila sent me a package of gifts!  It would be really cool if I could meet their daughters Lexie and Cassie.  Hungarian girls are usually beautiful, you know.  But they are all in California! Sigh.

March 18, 2005 Friday
Uncle Shan and Aunt Sherry came again.  If I remember correctly, this was the 4th time I got to see Uncle Shan.  He really cares about me, almost like my godfather.

March 19, 2005 Saturday
My 1st real outing (I shouldn't count those hospital visits, should I?).  I slept when the St. Patrick's Day parade was going on.  But I did visit Costco and Babies R Us.  No big deal.

March 20, 2005 Sunday
I had special visitors again: my dad's American colleague Terry, his wife Kathy, and Terry's mom "Me-Me" came all way from Middletown.   I think I should call Terry grandpa and Kathy grandma just like their 3-year-old grandson Dayton does.  Then I should call "Me-Me" great-grandma.  It's getting confusing.  But as a 5-week-old, I was so honored to be visited by an 82-year-old.  To me even 1 year seems to be very very long time, let alone 82 years!

March 22, 2005 Tuesday
Mom took me to a senior center in our town where I was surrounded by many seniors.  Among them there was Warren, and I may have to call him great-grandpa.  The car-seat I use was given by him.   Aunt Sharon works there, and she is expecting her baby-son Caleb for July.  By then I will no longer be the youngest person around.

March 26, 2005 Saturday
Dined out again.  The place has a strange name "Shangri-Lee".  Finally I met Aunt Bryna and Uncle Maneesh.  Aunt Bryna was the one who initiated and organized my baby-shower from that I received loads of gifts.  To me the most useful gift so far is a knitting hat she made for me.  I also met Uncle Ling, Aunt Qi and their daughter June by coincidence.  It's a small world!

March 29, 2005 Tuesday
I had my picture taken with Dr. Icatar, the doctor who received me on my 1st day. 

March 30, 2005 Wednesday
I got presents again! This time it was from Uncle Ram, Aunt Sandhya and Sister Sindhu.  They are from India. Uncle Ram works with dad. 

March 31, 2005 Thursday
I'm 50 days old today!  Mom is busy on taking my pictures.  Too many pictures, I would say.  Mom's effort on eliminating formula has been a success.  I haven't had a single drop in 4 days and I've been feeling good.

[cool]

CONGRATULATIONS.