We arrived in India on Sunday, June 21st. Currently, we are staying at our friends' home while we get the flat above them ready to move in. Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, we will be able to move into our new flat and really settle in. We have also started reconnecting with our friends. We are finding that Nepalis love babies and of course, Elijah being one adorable baby, everyone wants to hold him. It's a good thing that Elijah is great with strangers and that he is so intrigued by people. So far, my dhaal (lentil) bhaat (rice) diet is working great for Elijah. He broke out in hives while I ate the meals that the airlines provided (even though they were all vegan), but since starting the Nepali diet, his skin has completely cleared up. I am really thankful for it. Dhaal-bhaat is not the epitomy of culinary art, but it is healthy and I am glad that I know that he can have it with no problem. I think I am going to try dairy again and see if it causes any reaction because I would like some ice-cream in this heat!
Top two photos: Getting ready to leave Bangkok for India (yes, I did chop off my hair in Bangkok. Easier to manage and cooler) Third photo: Elijah, the international traveler Fourth photo: Elijah meeting our friends Fourth photo: First bath in India Fifth photo: With Elizabeth, our house help (and occasional baby sitter--Eli stayed with her for two hours yesterday while we ran some errands.) Sixth photo: with daddy--Mom brought way too many clothes! Shirtless is the way to go! Last photo: with daddy singing praise songs in the morning
Here are some cultural differences that I've noticed just being back for a few days in regards to how people interact with babies:
they are more free to touch other people's babies. Strangers would just walk up, touch Elijah's hands and face without asking.
they use their eyes --blinking to play with babies
they clap their hands and open them up if they want the baby to come to them
people feel free to walk in and out of room (men included) while I am nursing. In a way, I am glad that I don't have to be so careful because it is really hard for me to imagine trying to use the nursing cover in this heat.
in India, that is. We flew out of Los Angeles on June 17th and arrived in Thailand after 16 hours on the plane. We feel very fortunate that Elijah is turning out to be a great traveler. Paul and I have also learned that there are some privileges that come with having a baby. We don't have to wait in line at the gate for boarding. We even got to walk up to the front of the line for customs at the airport in Thailand! Smiles and kindness from strangers are readily available. It has been fun for me to see people lighten up when Elijah smiles at them. Some appear to be so pleased and I have heard them say, "He smiled at me!" It makes me want to smile at people more....there is something about giving a smile and getting a smile back.
The last two days in Bangkok have been pretty relaxing. We took Elijah to the hospital to get his six months vaccination and we were told that it is still too early to get the shots. So, the doctor prescribed the meds for us to take back to India and in about three weeks, we need to find a nurse administer the shots. We also got stronger meds for Eli's acid reflux because the one we have been using do not seem to be strong enough. Today, he seemed to be doing better than before. He has been able to sleep for longer stretches and not wake up crying in pain. With his food sensitivity, I have to continue watching my diet and slowly reintroduce some things to see if he has any allergic reactions. Unfortunately, because I am pretty certain that he is sensitive to soy, eggs, and dairy, I have not been able to eat Thai food.... I've been craving Thai iced tea! Paul and I were bemoaning the fact that here we are in Thailand and we are eating a Subway sandwich... Oh well. If Eli is allergic to dairy and soy, and if he weans himself, we would need to supply him with goat milk. So, who knows, we might become owners of a goat eventually!
We are leaving for India tomorrow morning. I am eager to return with Paul and Elijah. I have no idea how the transition will go. I expect that the initial week or two will be tough. We will just have to take it one day at a time. We read today that Siliguri has been experiencing severe power cuts for the last couple of days and that it has been sweltering hot.... I am praying that the power comes back on as we return because without it, I can't refrigerate Elijah's vaccines. I guess when I think about all the ways that life just feels unpredictable there, I could feel some anxiety rising up within me. But the reality is that life is challenging in general. Jesus even said it--that each day has enough troubles of its own, so we should not worry about tomorrow. So, that is what I am trying to do. I can anticipate some of the challenges, do my best to prepare for them, but to not spend my energy worrying; ultimately, I have no control over what will happen tomorrow. I am much more aware of this reality living in India and I feel like there is something good and healthy about that....
It was time to say good-bye to all. Everyone returned back to California, except us. We stayed behind to enjoy Waikiki for a couple of days. However, we found out that Jin, Grace, and Christian met "Sawyer" (from Lost) and his wife and daughter at the airport waiting for their flight. Daniel and Grace got upgraded to first class. Unfortunately, Eunjoo and the family didn't get any pleasant surprises on their flight back...
Day 8 (Monday, May 25, 2009)
We spent an hour at the world famous Waikiki beach. Elijah didn't like the water very much initially as the photo will show. Then, we went to Waikiki aquarium where Elijah got to explore the beautiful marine life.
Day 9 (Tues, May 26, 2009)
It was our last day in Oahu. Our flight was not leaving until 10:30pm, so we had the whole day to enjoy it before heading back. We spent the day at Pearl Harbor. Elijah received a big compliment from one of the veterans there. He stopped Paul and Elijah as they were walking over to join me in line to specifically tell Paul that Elijah "is the perfect picture of satisfaction." God has blessed us with a very happy baby. Here's a video of him squealing in delight at the Pacific Aviation Museum.
Well, I am going to have to do the updates on our Hawaii trip another time when I have more time available to go through the pictures and have better internet connection for posting. So, they will be posted at a later date.
Today, I took Elijah in to see the doctor. For the last couple of weeks, but especially last week, Elijah had been especially fussy at the breast and refusing to eat. He and I have both started feeling frustrated. I could also tell that maybe he was not gaining weight as he used to, so I wanted to see if my intuition was right. I took him to the breastfeeding support group to weigh him and it said that he had only gained about six ounces. That is low, as most babies should be gaining about a pound a month. I had left a message at the pediatrician's office yesterday, but didn't get a reply so, as soon as I had the weight info, I called again. They told me to come in to the doctor's office right away because he is not gaining weight to make sure there is nothing serious.
The two major theories are that he is sensitive to certain foods or/and acid reflux. So, I need to cut out milk, soy, wheat, eggs, fish/seafood, nuts, and citrus out of my diet completely for a week. I have already cut out milk and I have been wondering if he's also allergic to soy because he would seem to develop a small rash whenever I would have soy sauce... When you cut out soy, milk, and wheat, I basically have cut out both Asian and American food.... Oh well... Meanwhile, I need to eat more fat because around this time supposedly the fat content in the milk diminishes...
I have to breastfeed him propped up, which is easier to do now that he could sit up with some help. And then, we're supposed to watch out for how he responds when he is put on his back after he is eaten to watch for some signs. After that, we have to try this Maalox test on him for three days.... I am praying that we will have more info and that things will get resolved before we head back to India in less than two weeks.
Meanwhile, our son is rolling over like crazy. Last night, he rolled over in the middle of the night and eventually fell asleep on his tummy. Of course, I was up for an hour to make sure he is breathing right, etc. before I felt confident enough that sleeping on his tummy now would be okay. Yes, I confess--I am a neurotic first time mom....
This weekend was the first time that Elijah and I were alone without Paul. We had a fun weekend together. I learned that I don't like to stay in the house, but preferred to be outside. So Friday, we spent the whole day with friends and today, we spent the day at the Huntington Library with a college girlfriend. Elijah tried the high chair for the first time today at the Rose Tea Room. Of course we padded the chair with two blankets as he is not able to sit up completely on his own, but with some help, he did okay. He has been also trying to roll over. On Thursday, he rolled over from his tummy to back on his own, but since then, he hasn't figured out how to do it again. He has been practicing rolling over from back to tummy for some time, and today, he rolled over all on his own with no problem a few times. He is growing so quickly! He also sat up by himself for more than a few seconds. I think he is going to be an active kid. He does not like to stay put and when he is on the floor on his tummy, he is already starting to inch himself on the blanket. He has all the instinct of crawling, which is fun to watch. We also had a tough day with nursing.... The theories that my friend and I came up with are that he might be ready to drop a feeding, he is teething, or it was the kimchee that I ate... we will see the next couple of days....
We went out for breakfast at Boots and Kimos, which is known for its Macadamia pancakes. The pancakes were tasty, although the service was horrible.
It was a hot and sunny day. So, the little kiddies were kept under shady trees. One was in a stroller, another was carried in an Ergo, and the other on a sling. I thought it was a classic photo to take.
The rest of the day was spent at the beach or in the house just enjoying one another.
