Apollo on duty with yard work & floor care

So, moving to a bigger house with a big yard means alot of work.  This is probably the biggest house I've lived in and knowing my obsession with organizing (and cleaning and clearing), I'm up for the challenge!

Today, we started clearing out the yard as, obviously, the last owners of this house looks like they never even touched the rake or the mower, not once. 

 

So I put the two boys - Ryan and Apollo - to work.  Our little helper Apollo is proving to be quite a good worker and I think starting them young in helping with the cleaning and organizing will help prepare them to be clean and organized.

He was also helping with polishing up the new hardwood floors!  What a trooper! :)

apollo loves pineapples

I am so happy that Apollo loves pineapples!  He ate a whole slice of it after dinner last night and wanted some more.  It's really important for me that he grows up eating all fruits and vegetables so this is one big milestone once again! :)  Way to go my boy!

making dyed easter eggs for Easter 2013

Happy Easter!  It's Apollo's first time to make easter eggs.  Last year he is still too small but this year we let him get dirty and have fun!  I got the idea from this blog Her View From Home where she used shaving cream and some food coloring (I used icing coloring) to make the marbled effect on the eggs.  Plus I figured Apollo is still too small to use paint and a paint brush (maybe next year) to paint the eggs.  Mine didn't totally turn out like the one she made because I did not mix up a lot of colors but I think they still look great!

where's apollo?

For a second there I panicked when i cannot find him in the kitchen, bedrooms, dining room and living room.  I have to check every room twice and the last room I double checked was the living room.  there he is under his blanket surrounded by his toys. :)

Apollo found the light!

It's been a week since Apollo found the awesomeness of turning on and off the light switch.  He will drag his little wooden chair by the wall where the lightswitch to the kitchen is located and will stand there probably about 40 to 50 times a day.  I would stop him several times and he will keep on going back. 

Until today I hid his chair in our bedroom...

I obviously underestimated how smart my boy is.  My resourceful son started using anything from his toy plane, to a bucket and even a large empty box of Huggies diaper to use as a stepper to reach the light switch. hahaha.  It was hilarious when he tried to step on the empty Huggies box and obviously cannot stand up properly because the box is caving in.  He got so frustrated he grab the box with both hands and put it on top of his head and threw it across the room, grunting in frustration haha.  I wish I have taken a video of that. 

As Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) said, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.”  Apollo remembered. Hahahha!

Apollo a year after 2-10-2013

History repeats itself.  Exactly a year ago, Apollo was sitting inside the same clothes hamper where he was playing with Daddy's GPS unit today. You can see the same smile on that adorable face.  The only difference he is a foot taller and probably 15 lbs heavier haha.

3:30 AM

It is exactly 3:30 AM as I started writing and I cannot sleep!  My husband went to St. Augustine, FL for work and will be back tomorrow night (he just arrived half an hour ago and I already talked to him after he checked in the hotel) and I am here in the house with Apollo.  Usually when Ryan is at work and Apollo and I are going to sleep, I put him to bed with me because 1) i know he loves sleeping in our bed and 2) i love him sleeping beside me too.  Apollo is already fast asleep but I cannot sleep.  I miss my pudding.

Apollo's first studio photo shoot

We went to Sears Portrait Studio to get Apollo's first studio shots (for free because I have the coupon, score!!).  It was so much fun!  It's so hard to get him to smile just because he is looking around the room all curious and wiggly.  Nevertheless, I think we got some good first shots!  the photographer said that usually when they get to about 4- 6 months, that's when it will be easier to get them to smile and focus on the camera.  Nevertheless, we got some great shots!  We won't get the photos until 23rd of Sept but here are some previews of the shots taken. :)

apollo's first meal

My husband and I have been arguing about feeding Apollo solid food.  From what I was taught by my mom and from what I have read from textbooks and online, babies should start eating at around 4 to 6 months of age. 

apollo's 3rd month

Can you believe it?  i have a 3 month old baby!  yayyy!! it wasn't even 7 months ago when I learned that I am pregnant.  now I have a quarter year old baby! 

first physical rehabilitation visit

Yesterday (8/15/2011), Apollo went on his first physical rehabilitation visit with Dr. Miriam Weinstein.  As he is 7 weeks premature, he has 7 weeks of development that he has to catch up to so the NICU recommends consultation with a pediatric physical therapist for all premies so that they can get caught up with their motor skills development based on their adjusted age. 

Apollo's big tummy

This is a very funny picture of Apollo's tummy haha. It's huge!  This was taken a few weeks ago.  He has not pooped in like 2 days.  I remember he finally did go a few hours after this photo haha

boogie man

Early this morning I noticed Apollo having heavy labored breathing.  He can breathe, but I know there's something blocking his nostrils - yes I know he has a booger.  As usual, I used his ear and ulcer syringe on his nose to suck any nasty that's on the way.  True enough there's a big blockage on his nostrils and it both popped out after he sneezed about 5 times! LOL!  There's my little boogie man :P

bare nakey Apollo!

haha i just have to share this because you can tell how big Apollo has grown over the last 9 months!  He went from 4 lbs 3 oz to 10.5 oz!  not bad considering he lost 1 lbs 2 days after he was born.  so he is growing by an average of almost a lbs a week. i am a happy mommy :)

inside our little pigpen

It's unbelievable how time flew by and I did not even realized that I did not write anything in my blog site over the last two months!  i'm sure everyone will understand how busy it has been since our little Apollo joined us (a lot earlier than expected!). Th,ere has been a lot of exciting, crazy and emotional things that happened over the last 9 weeks so I have alot of catching up to do in order to update everyone.

day 8 @ UTMC - Happy Birthday Apollo!

May 29, 2011 at exactly 3:06PM EST (Sunday) our little Apollo Raphael is born! :)

I know huh!  It's been a whirlwind of so many activities, surprises and emotions in the hospital since Friday that I never had a chance to update everyone of what is happening.  So I think the best way to put it is my vital stats are not going well over the last few days before Apollo was born.

The protein level in my urine rose from 1,800 to 9,000.  5,000 is very very dangerous already so I am at a double risk level already!    My blood pressure is not going down and my swelling is getting worse.  Apollo on the other hand is doing great (thank God!).  So early morning that Sunday at 330AM, the nurse told me that I am giving birth that day because everything is not going well.

 at my private delivery room waiting for the induction medicine to work.  Not working!

anxious daddy to be :)

 my nurses Caroline and Amy prepping me up for surgery.

 

At 6:00AM that Sunday, I was brought down to the labor and delivery at the 3rd floor east wing and they started the induction medicine, antibiotics (penicillin) and magnesium (which should help me from having seizures of heart failure).  I was hooked up to the stress test machine to get Apollo's stats. They drew blood from me like every two hours to check my CBC and protein level.  I was there for almost 9 hours,  Ryan is with me and so is Mom Beverly.  The next thing I know my nurse came in at around 2PM and told me she needs to prep me up because they need to do a C-section ASAP.  I was so flustered and surprised I don't even have time to react.  Ryan was upstairs in our room taking a shower and he has to go back down immediately because they are going to start really soon.  

 getting ready for my surgery

am being prepped up for my c-section.  

the epidural actually feels really good coz it's cool in my back.

 The next thing i know I was being given my epidural and being prepped up at the delivery room.  It is weird because I do not feel too scared at that time. I am a little nervous but not too scared.  Ryan  on the other hand was shaking the whole time.  He was sitting beside me while I am laying down behind the curtain so I cannot see the delivery team open me and up and get Apollo out of my tumtum.  Ryan on the other hand saw everything and it's amazing how I do not feel anything at all!

 Apollo:  Mom why did you post a pic with my willie showing??

First pic of mommy and Apollo together

It was exactly 3:06PM when Apollo was taken out and it was the greatest moment!  When Apollo was out we did not hear him cry and Ryan panicked.  I was too groggy to react but I insist on seeing him.  The doctor said that premature babies do no cry but they whimper.  After a minute or two of the doctors and nurses checking Apollo out make sure he is all good and breathing, they brought my little boy to me and he is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! He is whimpering like a kitty and it's the best sound I have ever heard.  I only spent a minute with him and they took him away to bring to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). 

It all happened so fast.  It was over in less than 30 minutes. I cannot describe the feeling.  At some point I felt a huge relief that everything is over.  But at the same time I also feel scared because he is so tiny and still so young to be out of mommy.  Then again I guess that epidural helped me forget about my anxieties after the ordeal even for just a few hours (more like 15 hours because I slept that long after the surgery haha).  

Anyway Apollo was taken to the NICU and I was taken back to the private delivery room where I need to spend the next 24 hours there for another dosage of magnesium.  The magnesium will keep me from having seizures or any organ failure.  it will also help stabilize my blood pressure after.

Happy Birthday Apollo!  It was a stressful day for everyone but it is all worth it because you are just precious! Mommy loves you so much!


P.S.  More blogs to come after Apollo's birthday (again apologies that I have not been online to update everyone!)

apollo raphael

our baby name search is over!  actually it has been over for several months now but we have to make a decision on the middle name of our babe.  we are going to name him APOLLO RAPHAEL.  :)

The name has been causing raised eyebrows with some family members but Ryan and I do not care.  Apollo has been a name that we have chosen for more than a year now, even when we were choosing a name for our first baby, Joaquin. We are so excited because now everyone knows he is little Apollo! :)


Apollo

I got the name Apollo from watching on TV the Olypic gold medalist speed skater Apolo Ohno (spelled with only one L) in theWorld speed skating championship.  Aside from the fact that he is such a hottie (haha), he is Asian and he is so good at what he does.  And he is the only famous person and non-famous person I know who has the name Apolo.  Ever since the name stick to me.

 

 I also like the Greek Mythology meaning of the name Apollo.

Apollo is one of the most important and diverse of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology. The ideal of the kouros (a beardless, athletic youth), Apollo has been variously recognized as a god of light and the sun; truth and prophecy; medicine, healing, and plague; music, poetry, and the arts; and more. Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto, and has a twin sister, the chaste huntress Artemis.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo) 

Απολλων 

 

 Ryan, on the other hand also thought of Apollo Creed, the fictional character from the movie Rocky IV, who portrayed the world boxing champion who fought against Rocky Balboa.  Hey, maybe our little Apollo could be a handsome greek god who can will one day become a speed skater or boxer haha.

Raphael

The name Raphael, on the other hand is a Hebrew name meaning "God has healed."  Raphael is traditionally one of the seven archangels. He is mentioned by name in the apocryphal book of Tobit.

Raphael is also the name used when referring to Renaissance Italian painter Raphael Santi or Sanzio. One of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was named after him - this is Ryan's favorite reference of the name haha.

There really is no significant event why we chose the name Raphael, but we both love the sound of it and it goes well with the name Apollo.