Farmers' Market

We are back from LA and trying to settle in again. While hanging with my family I got hooked on juicing by my brother Gonzalo. It makes me feel good and it is super fun for me to mix the flavors of fruits and veggies and watch the juice flow out! :) So this weekend we went to 2 Farmers' Markets and stocked up on oranges, strawberries, carrots, broccoli & grapefruit. Yum!

It has been tough for me after my father's death but I'm taking it one day at a time. It'll be 1 month on the 8th. I miss my family - his illness gave us the gift of bringing the family closer. So being back feels a little strange now... I've also started to work part-time this month and that is a huge change for us. Through all of this Gemma has been a super star. I have to say, I don't think I could have handled anything else. Becoming a parent and losing a parent within 6 months has been incredibly live-changing in ways I would not have expected. It has grounded me, pried open my heart, up-lifted my spirits, forced me to be vulnerable and ask for help and forgive ... basically made me rethink life as I knew it. This life and death cycle had made me feel more human and connected and very much grateful for all I have. I am sad that Gemma will not know her crazy abuelito. But I am glad that they did meet and he did get a sense of her. And I know wherever he is he will be watching over her and taking good care of her and all his family.

I wish you all and your families health and love and light! :)

5 months!

Today Gemma officially turned 5 months! :)

She continues to surprise us everyday with how much she is blossoming and becoming her own little person. She laughs a lot now, like real hearty laughs, bats unwanted things away with her hand, has learned how to put the pacifier in her mouth when we hand it to her (this was really incredible the first time we saw it), plays with her feet constantly, continues her drooling ways and vocalizes like crazy.Gemma is learning how to sit up, though she's still can't do it by herself. Her tummy time has become more comfortable for her and when she tries to crawl she grunts a lot - we call her little Monica Seles. She loves to see the world upside down and exercise her leg muscles by pretending to walk like in the picture above. Everyday is a new adventure. :)

4 Months!

Yesterday Gemma hit her 4-month milestone! :) She's happy and doing well. :)
Her favorite things to do these days:
* Babble and squeal in delight, especially in the mornings.
* Screech in discomfort - this little girl has some lungs on her especially when we misread the cues like when I try to feed her and she wants to nap!
* Chew on both index fingers at the same time. It is hilarious and I have get a picture of this.
* Produce saliva like it is going out of style, especially in bubble form.
* Grab her toes! - She did this for the first just this past week!
* Play 'shy girl' in the mirror - she looks at herself, smiles, turns away only to turn back to the mirror and smile again at herself. She also likes to play this game with her daddy too.
* She likes to sit up these days and observe everything, especially Blitz .
* Her mouth is the first line of defense when investigating anything and everything!
* She loves her bunny, we call him Frank the bunny, sometimes Frank ze bunny (a mountain climber) or Frank le bunny (a chef)
Here she is actively grabbing her first toy successfully just before xmas!:"I did it, mommy!!!"Her stats:
* Weight = 14lbs 2 oz. - she's doing good, but dropped from 75% to 65%
* Head Circumference = 16.14 ", maintaining at 50%
* Height = 24" , maintaining at 50%I have been concerned about my milk production since it has gone down some for 2 reasons I think - first my bout with mastitis (never fully recovered my flow) and Gemma sleeping through the night.

So a friend of ours loaned us their child scale (thanks Gary & Jen!) to do weigh-and-feeds to see how much she is really getting. She should be getting at least 4 oz but preferably 5 to 6 oz at each feed, per the lactation consultants. At the clinic I went to yesterday she only got 2 oz. But that was in the afternoon and she definitely eats more in the mornings. Hopefully the scales will help me understand what is going on better.

Here is Blitz, of course, weighing in on the topic. LOL! We found out he weighs 7.5lbs. He's doing much better and starting to regain some of his weight after his illness. :)
I've also started taking fenugreek, a traditional herbal supplement used to increase milk production. It has this sort of sweet smell to it and I'm told I might start smelling like pancakes drenched in maple syrup but if it helps with my production, I'm all for it! :)

Just before the weather turned, Gemma and I went out for a walk around Lake Elizabeth:I'm excited for this new year and continuing our journey with Gemma - she makes us laugh every day and it feels great.

Wishing you all the best!