hellozachariah - Tumblr blog

[hellozachariah]

Hi baby boy,

Time has flown by in the blink of an eye, and life has been so full and at many times, so crazy and chaotic, that I’ve managed to severely neglect this blog. It’s been almost a year since I’ve updated! Where do I even begin to catch up? Zachariah, you are now 21 months old!

You are not only walking, but running and jumping every where you want to go. You can fully ask for what you want, and saying “Peash” (please) and “Tattchu!” (thank you) when you receive it (and you also freely show your frustration when you don’t)

You sing songs, happy birthday (hap buht-day), itsy bitsy spider (itty bidey), the alphabet (A, B... any other letter or word you think of), elmo’s world, (ya ya ya ya, eh-mo’s wod) C is for cookie (tootie)

You’ve received two professional haircuts by your dada’s barber, Dan.

You’ve been taking swimming classes for the last few months, and you LOVE it! You take to water like a little fish. 

You’ve been swimming in the ocean in Hawaii, twice, as well as the Yuba River. Aside from Hawaii and the Yuba, you’ve traveled to St. Louis (twice), Oregon, Lake Tahoe (twice), Pismo Beach, Joshua Tree and Palm Springs,  Mendocino, any countless weekend mini getaways. You are a great traveler and a patient and enthusiastic camper and road-tripper. You love running around the redwood grove by our house and finding walking sticks and chasing Tisha around the woods.

I have a lot of photos and updates to share, so I’ll be working backwards here. Updating retroactively for an entire year will be a bit of a task, especially now that I’m working full time at my new job, but I’m ready to catch up so that when you’re big, you can see what a storied life you had even as a tiny dude. 

Love,

Mama <3

[hellozachariah]

9.5 months

Hi my baby boy!

Time is going by way too quickly, and I’ve neglected this blog. In the last three months, you have learned so many new skills! Here are just a few highlights:

1) You are now regularly eating solid foods... and boy do you love to eat! You will eat some “baby” food (i.e., pureed food), and your favorite seems to be butternut squash and carrots. Baby food doesn’t seem to excite you too much though. On the other hand, you LOVE little pieces of solid grown up food, and are very interested in whatever we are eating. You will even lean into us with a wide open mouth, like a little baby bird, when you see us eating something. Some of the items you’ve tried and seemed to really like are: Japanese curry, Ethiopian doro wot and kik alicha, any Filipino stew of course (namely your Tita Monica’s pamplina and nilaga), any of the hearty soups your dad makes from scratch (your favorite, which is also my favorite, is his roasted cauliflower soup), scrambled eggs, dried seaweed, and your kale and spinach “puffs.” Quite an eclectic palate for a little guy!

2) Not only do you crawl like a speed demon, but you are now standing, unassisted! You began pulling yourself up to stand very early, at around 6 months. And now you will bolt up from the squatting position into full extension, and stand there for up to 30 seconds at a time! You’ve figured out how to climb over the foot stool, and climb onto the coffee table. You are always trying to climb everything and use various items to make you taller and give you more leverage. Definitely keeping us very busy. 

3) You are a little chatterbox. You say “mama” and reach for me, and mostly say it when you are in distress or need me. In the middle of the night, when you are hungry, you cry “mama” and reach for me to nurse, and I hug you so tight! You say “dada” and sometimes just “dad.” You also sad “babababababa” and sometimes it just sounds like you’re speaking your own intricate language. We love it when you dramatically sigh, like you’ve had a long day, or are perplexed by something, and you draw the sigh out suuuper long. You usually do that after you yawn, and it cracks us up every time. 

You laugh so much and so hard when you are tickled! You also think it’s funny when mama sneezes, or when Tisha does anything. You looooove your Tisha!

In the car seat, on the drive to your nannyshare, is when you really start chatting it up. You babble and sing, and sigh, and pull your socks off and spin them around in circles and sing “Wowowowow!” Needless to say, you are constantly losing socks. 

4) You are a seasoned traveler and road tripper! So far we’ve been to Hawaii, St. Louis, Mendocino, Lake Tahoe, Pismo Beach, Sea Ranch, and lots of other quick weekend trips that I’m forgetting right now. We are looking forward to taking you on your first camping trip in a couple months. You love going on hikes with us and looking up at the trees, and watching Tisha and she weaves about on dirt trails ahead of you. I think your favorite place is the beach. You love crawling on the sand and feeling it under your feet. You kick your feet up and let the sand sift between toes and your fingers. And yes, sometimes you try to eat it. You are very determined about that and we have to be quick to stop you!

5) You currently weigh 22lbs! Almost the 90th percentile for your age, and 29+ inches tall--81st percentile for height. When you were born, your hair was jet black, and now it’s growing in soft brown, with some blonde highlights in places! You are a big guy who loves his mama’s milk! You are wearing 12-month clothes or older, and quickly growing out of everything. You wear lots of stripes, and people compliment you on your style and skinny jeans. We try to keep you looking hip, because you are a cool dude! We call you “Cool Z.”

6) You are a social butterfly. Every where we go, people stop us to tell us how beautiful you are, what big eyes you have. At restaurants, waiters dote on you (some have even picked you up to show you off to their co-workers). You babble and laugh and lock eyes with other customers, it’s like you’re putting on a show! You love your Tita Monica and Tito Phil, and Tita Heather and Tito Alex. You are friendly to everyone and don’t cry when other people hold you. 

We love you more and more every day. Life is hectic, and our days are shorter, but everything we do is for you. I want you to grow to be a happy, secure, empathetic, and giving human being. I look into your eyes and you look back into mine, smile and hold me and I realize that you understand more than I give you credit for. I know you feel loved, and that you will be a great person who will do amazing things. I’m so grateful for you!

More to follow, and lots of photos. We take thousands and don’t  upload them (I have over 12,000 in my phone, to be exact). Stay tuned!

Love you!

Mama

[hellozachariah]

No. 2 special

I feel the need to document what might be your biggest blowout ever (sorry adolescent Zachariah, for the potential embarrassment).

Last night we fed you some carrots and avocado, and then you went to town in your bouncer (maybe not the best idea after dinner, but we wanted to tire you out because you were so hyper). You went to town in that thing for a good 45 minutes, squealing and laughing and jumping so high!

Finally, you seemed tired, so daddy picked you up to get ready for bed. He walked into the bedroom with you and gasped, which made me turn to look and gasp also. You had just had a major poop explosion!

Poop everywhere. I’m not kidding. And I’m sorry, but it was just so astounding that I need to write it down. All up your back. On your shoulder (how the heck did it get up there?!) All over your dad. We were frozen, we didn’t know what do. Change your diaper? Hose you off?

Meanwhile, I’m holding you out at arm’s length and you have the biggest smile on your face and are just giggling and cooing the whole time. Happiest baby in the world, even when covered in poop!

It was decided that both you and dad had to take a shower,and I had to assist. A full, three person clean up job for a tiny 20-lbs baby.

You were so sleepy that you almost fell asleep in the tub after. I picked you up and wrapped you in a soft fuzzy towel and swaddled you like a tiny baby--which you usually do not like, but you were so tired, you just let me cuddle and hold you all wrapped and bundled. It reminded me of when you were just a few days old.

I anticipate there will be many more of these blowouts down the road (hopefully not in public though, please), but I just had to write this down because I’m still laughing about it. 

xo, mom

[hellozachariah]

Six months old!

Hi baby,

I’m a few days late, but you’re officially 6 months old! After a few failed attempts (you were too tired), we successfully fed you your first solid foods last night: avocado and banana. You loved both! 

Dad is writing his own letter to you celebrate this occasion, and I will go ahead and write mine.

You have changed my life in such a profound way, and make my heart so full of love when I think about you--which is all the time. Before I gave birth to you, I really had no idea how my concept of love would change and grow to nurture you and our family. No sacrifice is too great, and no amount of time is overspent in our endeavors to keep you healthy, happy, and safe. We look forward to taking you on adventures, and find serenity and joy in witnessing your eyes light up in wonder and amazement at the new sights you see. 

One of my favorite things to do is take you into nature, to our favorite spots on the coast or in the woods, and show you all the areas we love and have traveled. I know you are still small and may not recall these times, but I really hope we can imbue this love of nature into your dreamscape and subconscious. 

(Above, our weekend trip to the Sonoma Coast a couple weeks ago. We showed you the spot where dad and mom got engaged. You are such a happy little dude!)

To commemorate your 6 months in our little family, here are 6 of my favorite things about you (which sounds ridiculous, because of course, in my mind, you’re perfect, and thus everything you do is my favorite):

1) How easily you smile. You could have missed all your naps and have a full diaper, and it is soooo easy to make you smile. You are such a happy, sunny baby. You remind me to lighten up when I’m having a not-so-great day.

2) How quickly you learn. You seem to be developing at the speed of light! We saw this during the first few weeks after we brought you home from the hospital. You were already lifting your head up to look at me when you were 2 weeks old. And now you’re crawling and almost standing on your own. Which is a little scary... slow down!

(Below, you were only about 4 months old here. You look so tiny and mischievous!)

3) Watching you go berserk in your bouncer. You love that thing and your legs are so strong (just like mama!) you jump so high! I could watch you squeal and laugh and dance in that bouncer for hours.

4) How obsessed you are with Tisha. You love your puppy/sister! She is kind of weary of the attention you dole on her, but if you promise to be sweet and gentle to her, she’ll come around. She does like to cuddle you when you’re sleeping (i.e., not moving or trying to pull her tail).

5) Your sweet laugh. The first day I heard that laugh, months ago, it made my heart soar. Now you laugh so easily, all the time. You think it’s so funny when we dance in front of you, or sing silly songs. You crack up when we give you kisses on your neck. Or when I say “HOY!” 

6) The way you reach for me when you’re tired, or hungry, or just when you want to be held. You put both arms out and lean your head against me and you are so sweet and warm and loving. I love holding you in my arms and rubbing my cheek against yours. Sometimes when you’re sleeping, you hold me in a leg or arm lock so that when I move, you wake up and pull me back to you until you fall asleep!

I could go on forever. You’re the sweetest boy and you make mommy and daddy so happy. Thanks for making these last 6 months the best of our lives. We look forward to watching you grow! 

I love you!

xo Mommy

[hellozachariah]

My darling Zachariah,

As I write this, you are currently [almost] 22 weeks old, and I am back to work and missing you!

I’m grateful to have had 5 months of maternity leave, but it all went by so fast! And I was so devoted to cherishing every moment with you that I lapsed on this blogging business./ Most of the next few posts will probably be retroactive, charting your growth and experiences during those five months.

xo,

Mama

[hellozachariah]

Your Birthday, part II: The Arrival

(for part I, start here: http://hellozachariah.tumblr.com/post/119999978674/your-birthday-part-i-the-weirdness)

We got home from Birthways around 9:40pm. The discomfort was nonstop but I was still convinced it was just indigestion. 

We got into bed and I curled up into a little ball trying to alleviate the pain, but it just kept coming in waves. By the time 11ish PM rolled around, the pain intervals were more rhythmic and getting closer together, so your dad downloaded an app that helped us count the intervals. I conceded that these were contractions, but for some reason it didn’t sink in that this meant our baby was coming! We called Gingi, our doula, and she didn’t seem too concerned and said to try to get some sleep (as I’d probably be in labor for a long time), eat a good meal, and she’d call back in the morning.

The week before, I had told your dad that I wanted my pre-delivery meal to be a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs. This way, I could carb up like I would do for a half marathon--since a marathon was what everyone was likening labor to. 

But as soon as I got back into bed to try to sleep, the contractions got VERY sharp and painful, and very close together. There was no way I was sleeping through these, let alone eating a meal. At around 1:00am, we called Kaiser Labor and Delivery, and they told us to come in and they’d check us out. If I wasn’t ready, they’d just send me home. 

This is when it started to sink it. And this is when the pain got real. Since it was 2 weeks before your due date, we hadn’t even finished packing our hospital bags! So your dad was frantically running around the apartment trying to get everything in the bags, and meanwhile I’m yelping in pain, and grabbing onto him and breathing and trying not to scream. Hunched over and breathing through my teeth, audibly, we got into the car and dropped Tisha (your big sister, aka, our family dog) off at your Uncle Phil’s and Aunt Monica’s, and headed to Kaiser.

At 1:40am, we arrived at Kaiser, and the contractions were almost unbearable. The nurse informed us that, indeed, I was in labor. I was 4 centimeters dilated. We texted Gingi again and told her we were being admitted. Gingi insisted it would still be awhile, and she would check in the morning.

I had wanted an all natural birth. No drugs, no epidural. But the pain was so unbearable at this point, and I knew it was only going to get worse, I started thinking... an epidural is a MUST! But I wanted time to think about it still, so as an in-between, I agreed for a Fentanyl injection, which is an mild sedative shot that doesn’t take away the pain, rather takes the edge off. You are only allowed 3 of these injections over the course of labor, and the first injection let me take a short nap.

After the first Fentanyl shot wore off, I started having severely painful contractions again, and was begging for that second shot. They gave it to me, and I fell asleep holding you dad’s hand. Your dad fell asleep next to me in his chair too--we were both so exhausted. 

10 minutes later, I felt a blinding pain sear through my body, and I started screaming involuntarily. The contractions were suddenly an entirely new level of horrible pain. I apparently crushed the bones in your dad’s hand, and begged for the doctor, and he woke up with a start and came back with the doctor to check on me. She took one look at me and said, “Well. You’re fully dilated. You’re ready to push!”

What?! I said. NO. I’m not ready! I need an epidural. I cannot do this. It hurts too much. She told me an epidural would only prolong the labor unnecessarily, and that I could do this. Everyone in the room, the nurse, the doctor, your dad, started rooting for me “You can do this!” It was indeed like I was about to run a half marathon!

So, since I really had no choice, I began pushing, and my water broke. I never screamed so loud in my life! After just two pushes, your dad exclaimed “Oh my God! Oh my God! I can see his hair!” This made me so happy that it motivated me to get you out. But man oh man, did it hurt, so I was almost deliriously telling everyone in the room that I could not do it. I could not push anymore. They all began cheering for me again! It was like mile 11 in a half marathon, when you’re so spent you really don’t care if you finish the race or not, and then you see your friends and family around the corner cheering for you, and it gives you that extra boost of energy to keep going...

After about 10 minutes of pushing (and cheering, and screaming), the doctor told me I had to really push hard, as your head was being squeezed and you needed to come out. This was it... I gave it all I got! In one mighty push, you were born! Your tiny yet somehow thunderous cry was a relief to hear, and when they put you onto my chest, I felt calm finally, and with that, a love in my heart I’ve never felt before. It was 5:44am (about 4 hours of active labor in the hospital and 10 minutes of pushing) and the sun was just about to rise. You weighed 7 lbs, 14 ounces, were 20.5 inches tall, with a full head of dark hair, and twinkly, curious eyes and a tiny heart shaped mouth. You were due May 5th but arrived April 24th, almost two weeks early! And we sure are happy you did, because we couldn’t wait to meet you.

We named you Zachariah Andrew Dominguez Wood, our sweet little beautiful baby boy.

[hellozachariah]

Your Birthday, part I: The Weirdness

Dear Zachariah,

We had fully accepted you would arrive after your due date of May 5, as many of our friends had told us their firstborns were overdue. My lola, your great grandmother, cautioned us otherwise, however. On a visit a couple weekends prior, she took one look at me and said, with the unwavering expertise afforded by her own experience birthing 10 children (all natural, at home, with a midwife), “He is coming early. The baby is not waiting.” 

(^One week before you were born)

See, you were really low, and had settled in real low pretty early. Some say it’s because I did so many squats throughout my pregnancy (I was doing weighted squats at the gym, two days before your arrival! And had competed in a 5-week long weight lifting competition, completed just the week prior). All I knew was that no matter how much I tried to convince myself you would be late--for reasons admittedly selfish, as I had a lot to tie up at work and also had so much to prepare at home--lola’s wisdom was always true, and I should have known better than to doubt it.

On April 23rd, I finished up a bunch of cases at work, met with my boss to go over a list of items that he would need to take care of in my absence, and then left a bit early to attend our final birthing class at Birth Ways in Berkeley. Before I left, I took one look at my desk, covered in paper, and thought, “I’ll clean it all up tomorrow.”

I waddled over to the car and met up with your dad, who had taken BART up to campus for our class. Walking was really uncomfortable and I was truly waddling like a penguin. We decided we were going to go to Saul’s Delicatessen for dinner, because it was right by Birth Ways and we loved eating there any chance we could get. We huddled into a little booth, which barely left room between the table and my belly, and I ordered my usual--the ruskie, with greens, and your dad ordered a french dip, and we got latke’s on the side. You started having the hiccups in my womb, which I loved, because it was my daily reminder that you were there, you were real, and thriving in my belly. 

I felt weird that night. I can’t describe it exactly--kind of like the nervous feeling I’d get right before I was about to run a race, or compete in a softball or soccer game. It was like butterflies in my stomach, tinged with a vague lower pain in my back. I told your dad about it and he shrugged. We didn’t think too much of it, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but think--does this mean anything? I’m always overanalyzing everything, so I tried to forget about it.

We walked (well, I continued to waddle) over to class, which was a few blocks away, and ran into our fellow classmates Blake and Katie, who were eating pizza at Cheeseboard. They were due a few weeks after us, and Blake asked how I was feeling. I said, “I dunno. I feel pretty out of it today. I actually feel really weird. I don’t know why.” The words kind of just spilled out of my mouth, without me thinking. I DID feel weird. Why did I feel so weird?

We continued to walk/waddle to class, and once there, I sat down in a comfy rocking chair and caught up with some of our fellow classmates. Everyone in the class was due roughly around the same time, give or take a few weeks. One couple, David and Megan, were due the exact same day as you, both at Kaiser! I asked Megan how she was feeling, wondering if she felt weird like I did, and she said that she felt fine, and was even working a week later than I would be. It made me think, well, if Meg feels ok and is working later, and we have the same due date, I will probably be good for another week too! I know, not the most logical thought, but I think I was still trying to convince myself you would be late, because I didn’t think I was ready (as if I would be any more ready two weeks later). Still so much had to be done! I still had a TON of work to tie up the next day!

This final Birth Ways class was focused on breastfeeding. Our speaker was very knowledgable and engaging, and I felt like I learned a lot, yet now as I type this, I realized I didn’t retain very much. Why? Well, the entire class, I started to feel weirder and weirder. My mind was constantly wandering, yet unfocused on anything in particular. I’d stare at the wall and just zone out. I was sooooo uncomfortable and constantly shifting in my chair. My lower back was killing me. At one point, your dad noticed and started massaging my back during class. But the pain persisted. It wasn’t horrible, just this nagging, incessant muscle soreness and discomfort. 

During the break, I went to go to the bathroom (and here’s where the TMI starts, and there’ll be plenty more after this, so fair warning...), and that’s when I noticed a bit of blood. Surprisingly, I didn’t panic. Our doula, and this Birth Ways class, had prepared us so much in terms of what would happen right before you give birth, that I understood this was coming. 

I told your father, and his eyes got wide and he said “OK.” I told him that this could mean I would give birth in a week, or I could give birth in a few days, or it could be tonight. We decided we’d call our doula, Gingi, when we got home, and I told him I’d be fine for class.

Class ended, and I told your dad we had to leave immediately afterwards... I was feeling worse and worse every minute and feeling a lot of discomfort in my pelvis. But we had to say goodbye to all our friends, so it took longer than I would have liked. Everyone was asking me how I was feeling, knowing we were first in line to have a baby, and I said the same thing to everyone “I just feel weird! Really weird!” 

After our goodbyes, I tugged at your dad’s arm and said “please let’s hurry. I need to go home.” Walking was so uncomfortable, but I wanted to do it. Sitting in the car was also super uncomfortable. I couldn’t find any relief! Your dad wanted to know if we should just go straight to Kaiser but I told him, “You know, this could just be bad gas. The ruskie had cheese in it and maybe I’m having a bad reaction.”

Then I thought, hey! That’s it! The sandwich is making my stomach upset!

I was still trying to convince myself that I was not in labor. 

We got home and I started feeling tightness around my abdomen, that went in waves. It was about 9:30pm, and it was about to be a very long night...

(See part II for your arrival!)