APRIL (10 months)
Weight:  9.27 kg = 20.44 lbs
Height: 75 cm = 29.5 in
Head circumference:  48 cm = 18.9 in

Ever since Mishael has started on solids and experienced that slight lull in weight gain, his pediatrician has been dubious of my method.  But finally that has changed.  At Mishael’s nine month check-up, Dr. Airton actually complimented me on Mishael’s progress, especially M’s health.  In fact, he said, “I’ve never had a child (patient) so healthy!”  (Well, he actually said, “Eu nunca tive uma criança tão saudavel!”)  Yay!

Of course, the doctor’s comment is relative.  I can’t be too excited because I know that Brazilian parents tend to overreact to changes in their child’s health.  Any sort of deviation from the norm is justification for a hospital visit.  Really.  What’s truly amazing is that this mindset exists independent of social class and level of education.  So I well understand how the fact that Dr. Airton is not on my cell phone speed dial (as he is on the phone’s of all his other patients!) would impress him.

On the other hand, Carol has also commented on Mishael’s good health, especially here in Brazil where sanitation levels are a little (or a lot!) less than those in the States.  I can only attribute Mishael’s health to God’s grace.  And is he not the picture of health?

MARCH (9 months)
Weight: 8.89 kg = 19.5 lbs
Height: 74.5 cm = 29.3 in
Head circumference: 47 cm = 18.5 in

Thus continues Mishael’s growth as he enters into his first Brazilian rainy season because, ready or not, it’s here…as are more teeth that’s he’s added to his collection.  He’s now up to six.  And with all the drooling and chomping going on lately, there are others not too far behind.

FEBRUARY (8 months)
Weight: 8.4 kg =  lbs
Height: 72 cm = 28.35 in
Head circumference: 47 cm = 18.5 in

In comparison to his seven month stats, it would appear that Mishael didn’t grow.  Personally, I don’t see how that can be since I’m the one snapping his trousers on and off all day long.  My only explanation is that the doctor is a less than exact in his measuring, which I regularly serve witness to.

Mishael’s awareness of his surroundings also continues to grow, and he was fascinated with the “farm animals” during our last visit interior.

Just as Mishael was enchanted with the animals, our hostess Ivanette was enchanted with her little guest.

Ivanette wasn’t the only one who liked Mishael’s presence.  The mosquitoes also enjoyed him; in fact, they found Mishael quite tasty.

I had assumed this would be the case, so I had taken a mosquito net to cover Mishael’s Pack & Play (sooooooo thankful that Mom & Dad brought it to Brazil!!).  Unfortunately, although Mishael played fine in it during the day, he had no intention of sleeping in it, which he made quite clear!  As a result, he slept with me in the hammock.

(Sidenote: Anybody remember those fortunately/unfortunately stories!?  Unfortunately, this was just an “unfortunate” story!)

Unfortunately, I had forgotten to pack the bed sheets (occasionally sheets are used for the “cold,” but their main use is to keep off the mosquitoes).  All we had was a few baby blankets to keep us covered (it was only just enough), and they were hot and ineffective as either Mishael kicked them off or they slipped out of place.  Thus, I didn’t get a lot of sleep, but I did manage to keep Mishael covered – that is, until the wee, early hours of the morning when the heat got to be too much for both of us.  I figured the mosquitoes had already done (or tried to do) their worst, so I uncovered our heads.  The picture below shows the result.

I don’t know how well you’re able to see the pic on your computer screen, but Mishael has more than 50 bug bites on his head.  It was sight.  *sigh*  Poor guy.  What kind of mother does he have anyway?  I bet she’s a-day-late-a-dollar-short kind of girl.  You know, the kind that posts dated info on her blog…

I know, I know.  I’m posting January’s stats in February, but oh well.  At least they’re here.  With that way the months keep flying by, it’s no wonder parents resort to counting by years instead of months!  I remember after celebrating the third day (or so) of cloth diapers, I thought to myself, “Why in the world am I counting the days!?  Who wants to reach the 452nd day of cloth diapers!!”

The babe is doing great, although his pediatrician was a little concerned at our last visit due to Mishael’s low weight gain; however, Mishael grew three centimeters, so he’s obviously not starving.  After talking with several other moms (including my own), I decided to chalk it up to MR’s lack of weight gain to (1) his active lifestyle — the kid does not sit still! — and (2) his transition to solid food.

Finger lickin' good!

Yes, we’re in the transitioning mode to solids, which includes a new array of sights and smells on both the dinner table as well as the changing table!

The transition has been an interesting cultural experience.  When we began feeding Mishael solids, his pediatrician wrote out an elaborate schedule, which included a variety of things that I disagreed with (i.e. starting out on a mixture of foods, including citrus fruits, etc.), so I smiled, nodded, and carefully tucked the schedule in MR’s folder for safe keeping.  Then I proceeded to begin asking mom-friends and researching on the internet how to transition to solids.

My training has included making baby food, which is not difficult to do but it is time consuming as the only dishwasher in our house walks around on two feet and answers to “mommy.”  Then again, most baby-oriented tasks are time-consuming, aren’t they?  So little-by-little we’re making progress, enjoying the adventure every step of the way!

After this meal with squash, Mishael lost the privilege of eating on the couch. Anyone wonder why!

Brazilian bananas must have a stronger taste as evidenced in Mishael's initial reaction; however, they're now a favorite, especially when mixed with apple.

Mishael playing with his food (sweet potatoes and spinach).

"What do you mean there's no more mango!?"

You may notice the varying background in Mishael’s meal pictures.  That’s because until a week ago, we didn’t have a high chair for him, which presented some inconveniences but was definitely d0-able.  (We “secured” him to a stack of plastic chairs.)  Now, however, we’ve upgraded to a Fisher Price booster seat (a special thanks to the Dennis Family Freight Co.) and Mama Bear has never been happier.  Who knew how much a tray and a seatbelt — oh, and a washable surface! — could simplify mealtime!  But it’s the little things that keep life exciting!

Nothing "beets" a new high chair for this happy boy!

]]> http://burdenforbrazil.com/2010/02/weighing-in-7-months/feed/ 0 http://burdenforbrazil.com/2009/12/weighing-in-six-months/ http://burdenforbrazil.com/2009/12/weighing-in-six-months/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:16:46 +0000 Karifern http://burdenforbrazil.com/?p=611 DECEMBER (6 months)
Weight: 7.9 kg = 17.42 lbs
Height: 69 cm = 27.2 in
Head circumference: 45 cm = 17.7 in

With another month under his belt (literally), Mishael continues to grow – and in more ways than one!  Notice anything different about his smile?

Happily, Mishael’s two bottom teeth made their appearance just in time for G’ma Lundberg to get a good look at them during her Thanksgiving visit.  Although a runny nose and excessive drool played a prelude to the teeth’s simultaneous debute, Mishael continued to make mommyhood easy through his relaxed acceptance of his new teeth, a definite blessing!

NOVEMBER (5 months)
Weight: 7.375 kg = 16.26 lbs
Height: 67 cm = 26.4 in
Head circumference: 44 cm = 17.3 in

At any rate, we visited Dr. Airton near the end of November for Mishael’s five-month check-up.  Mishael is doing great, still putting on weight (who knew that was a good thing!?) and gearing up to introduce solids next month, which will prove to be another interesting culture point in my care of Mishael.

Overall “baby food” means something very different to a Brazilian mom than an American one.  The tentative schedule I received from the doctor favors much more fruit than vegetables.  The majority of fruits are juices and the vegetables are all soups, both mixtures rather than individual fruits or vegetables.  Interestingly, the Brazilians don’t usually cook apple before feeding it to babies.  Instead they cut the apple in half horizontally (contrary to the typical horizontal American cut); then, cupping one half of it like a small bowl, they scrape out a small bite with a spoon.  What will they think when I make applesauce?  But that is not my only planned modification.

The majority of research that I have done so far encourages introducing one (steamed then puréed) vegetable/fruit at a time over a course of 3-5 days (even up to a week) to help detect allergies.  The plan is to start with carrots, followed by banana (uncooked, of course), and then perhaps spinach to get a “green” in (peas aren’t an option here).  How’s that for an exciting menu plan?  I’m sure that what Mishael’s pediatrician will think, as well!

With that said, if anybody has some “baby food” advice, tips or perhaps a more concrete schedule, etc., please do share.  As a rookie, I can use all the advice I can get, especially since I won’t be buying baby food.  Until recently, baby food bottles weren’t even available in the stores.  Now they are, but they are incredibly expensive (kind of like the Campbell’s soup I unexpectedly encountered the other day).  Besides, homemade food is healthier.  (Isn’t that true of most foods?)  So let the adventure begin!

Mishael watching Sunday afternoon "football" with Daddy.

Mishael helping Mommy with the laundry...principally by self-entertainment and the use of very little clothing.

Mishael absorbed in a good book.

BIRTH
Weight: 2.840 kg = 6.25 lbs
Height: 50 cm = 19.7 in
Head circumference: 34 cm

JULY (1 month)
Weight: 3.920 kg = 8.64 lbs
Height: 54 cm = 21.3 in
Head circumference: 38 cm = 15 in

AUGUST (2 months)
Weight:  4.970 kg = 10.96 lbs
Height:  58 cm = 22.8 in
Head circumference:  40 cm = 15.7 in

SEPTEMBER (3 months)
Weight:  5.675 kg = 12.51 lbs
Height:  62 cm = 24.4
Head circumference:  42 cm = 16.5 in

OCTOBER (4 months)
Weight:  6.725 kg = 14.83 lbs
Height:  65 cm = 25.6 in
Head circumference:  43 cm = 16.9 in

Check out the rolls on this Michelin Man!!

Mishael (mee-shy-L’) Lundberg Rodrigues celebrated his first “birth-day” on 6/20 @ 6:20 am, weighing 6.25 pounds and measuring ~ 20 inches. And yes, it’s only taken me four months to officially announce it!

Before I continue , I would like to state for the record that I actually started this post on June 23; however, we had no internet at the apartment, then we moved and school started and…well, oh well.  Better late than never, right?  At least, that’s what Fred and I said about my obstetrician’s presence during Mishael’s delivery!

Mishael’s first due date was June 19, meaning it was the due date given by Dr. Marinaldo, my obstetrician.  ( For those of you who were counting, we had to change doctors three times, the last time at 33 weeks.)  On that morning I woke up with contractions, although it took me a while to recognize them as such.

I had felt contractions before, of course; but after a time I realized that these were much more regular and lower in my abdomen than the typical Braxton-Hicks.  At some point, I decided to time them and, sure enough, they measured at twenty minutes apart; so I called my local medical expert Carol Dennis.  She agreed that it could be the onset of labor, so per “the doctor’s” orders, I put my laptop in my backpack and went to spend the day resting up for the big event at the Dennis house.

It was a rather uneventful wait.  Although the contractions weren’t necessarily painful, they were regular, so it was hard to ignore them.  I had a little diversion when some friends stopped by around lunch time to discuss church business, but throughout and after the meeting, my contractions continued at a steady twenty.

After lunch, Carol suggested I take a nap.  Obediently, I laid down on the couch but to no avail; I couldn’t sleep, more because of anticipation than pain.  When I had rested enough to please Carol, she suggested a walk in an attempt to speed up the process.  The physical activity did cut the time down to fifteen minutes apart, but it was a small improvement; and the moment I stopped moving, so did the 15-minute contractions, rebounding back up to 20-minute intervals.

I had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for that evening, and Carol advised me to pack the car for the hospital just in case the contractions sped up during the predicted hours-long wait for our notoriously tardy doctor.  (Remember that because it’s going to be significant later on.)  While we waited, we walked, visiting a nearby grocery store to kill time and quicken the contractions.  By the time we finally got in to see Dr. Gervasio that night (two hours later than our scheduled time), the contractions were about 10 minutes apart; however, we were disappointed to discover that after an entire day of labor, I was only dilated one centimeter.  Dr. Gervasio told us to go home, suggesting that if I did not open up to three centimeters by Sunday, he would induce labor.

We returned home where I again worked diligently to put the contractions out of my mind, especially since Dr. Gervasio had predicted such a long wait; but the contractions proved more willful than my mind, and I had difficulty sleeping.  Around 2:00 AM (when I was up for the umpteenth time), I decided to measure the contractions to see if there had been any progress and was surprised to discover that they were  now only five minutes apart — no wonder I had had trouble sleeping!

I woke Fred up, then hurriedly went to get ready in the bathroom.  When I returned a few minutes later, I discovered that Sleeping Beauty hadn’t budged, so I woke him up again, this time emphasizing the timing of my contractions.  That got his attention.

As Fred loaded the car, I called and alerted Carol, who was to accompany us to the hospital.  When we picked her up a short time later, Fred took the passenger seat, too nervous to drive.  The drive was relatively simple as there were no other cars on the road (That’s the first and only time I’ve seen Washington Suares empty!), and I was “maintaining” in the backseat until we reached a section of cobblestone road.  Wowzers!!  Nothing like a few jolts here and there to encourage a baby’s arrival!  It’s just too bad I hadn’t thought of that earlier.

The hospital was dark when we arrived, including the reception area where we had previously been instructed to register.  The night guard, watching over the few cars parked out front, was kind enough to find me a wheelchair.  Since the reception area was closed, we went up to the maternity ward to see who we could find there.  (Thankfully I knew where it was from a previous visit.)

You need to understand that Brazilian hospitals function very differently from those in the U.S. (something to keep in mind as socialized medicine is encouraged more and more in the States).  They are often understaffed and, I would argue, under-trained.  In the maternity ward, there is no perpetual doctor on duty because a woman’s obstetrician is always the same one who delivers the baby.  They are alerted – or, in the case of the majority, scheduled – and meet their patient at the hospital.  That’s why you don’t hear any stories about a Brazilian woman suffering through an extended labor.  It just doesn’t happen because the doctor, weary of waiting, opts to deliver the baby by c-section.  (There are also some external factors, like the absence of a reliable internal heart rate monitor, etc.)  I had discussed these issues various times  with my own obstetrician who, due to my strong wish and disposition to have a natural birth, was willing to wait up to ten hours for the delivery; but at this point, considering the proximity of my contractions along with the fact that neither he nor any other doctor was present, that point was moot.

In the maternity ward, we encountered “Nurse Fatima” who was apparently in charge of the very few on night duty. She seemed disgruntled at being disturbed and when she measured me at only 2 centimeters apart, she deemed that I was not yet far enough along and ordered me back home. Both Carol and Fred, however, appealed on the basis of my five-minute contractions and asked Fatima to call my doctor. She did so reluctantly.  Much to her chagrin, Dr. Gervasio insisted that I be admitted into the hospital (I had told him about my mom’s quick labors.) and ordered Fatima to perform a second touch-test in one hour’s time. It was 3:30 AM.

Our room was basic but nice with an extra bed for a caregiver (explained in following paragraph), a small “closet,” a dorm fridge and, of course, hammock hooks!  It was very different from the U.S. experience, but also different from the Brazilian experience in a public hospital, God’s gracious provision through Fred’s company insurance.

Once we were settled into the room, Fatima and her assistant left.  In Brazil, as in other countries, family is expected to take care of the patient.  There is no labor nurse to give instruction (we never did find a place that taught Lamaze!), take blood pressure readings regularly or monitor the health of the baby.  We were left to ourselves while the contractions progressed.

Poor Fred, being new to the whole experience, wasn’t sure what to do!  Carol wanted him to take part as much as possible, but she (and others!) had warned him that I might not be in the best mood.  As predicted by my mother, the contractions naturally started coming more quickly and soon were down to every two minutes and very intense.  Nurse Fatima, however, failed to return.

Upon Carol’s insistence, I was struggling not to bear down and had heard plenty of “Don’t push!  Breathe, breathe!”  Finally, at 5:00 AM, Carol urged Fred to fetch Fatima. (Say that five times fast.)  Fred returned quickly but was only later (twenty minutes?) followed by Fatima who sauntered in, unaffected by my state of being.  She casually measured, then said, “Well, it appears that somebody’s going to have a baby tonight.” Thank you, Captain Obvious. (It’s just as well that I had to focus all my energies on resisting the contractions at that moment!!)

Fatima left to go call Dr. Gervasio and we continued with the wait game.  I later learned that when Fatima talked with Dr. Gervasio, he asked if he had time to take a shower. Fatima’s response? “A half-of-a-shower.” (I kid you not!)

During this time, my water broke, and a short time later, I felt Mishael’s head begin to crown. When I bellowed, “He’s out! He’s coming out!” the quick-thinking Carol clamped my legs shut and pushed me onto my side, which is how Dr. Gervasio found me when he finally arrived at 5:40 AM.

Bobbling into the room in his Santa-Claus style, Dr. Gervasio grinned upon seeing me and asked me to roll over so he could examine me. I answered, “Doctor, if I roll over, this baby is going to come out!” At that point, Dr. Gervasio took a peek, and that was sufficient for him. He asked the nurse to bring down the delivery equipment from the Surgical Center (deliveries are not done in individual rooms here in Brazil). The nurse quickly left to comply with the order.  A short time later, the door opened, however, it was Fatima who appeared – a little cup of coffee in hand! – and began to reason with Dr. Gervasio about the impossibility of transporting all the equipment.  For whatever reason, Dr. Gervasio agreed.

At this point,the nurses wheeled a gurney into the room and asked me to move over on to it. Once again, I said, “If I move, this baby is coming out!” Not to be outdone, Fatima told Fred to grab the top corners of my sheet while she grabbed the bottom lower corners; then the two lifted me onto the gurney.

All this time, Carol was talking to me, reminding me to use my energies for breathing and not pushing! She continued with me down the hall.  Somewhere along the line, we paused for some reason or other (I was a little preoccupied with other things to pay much attention).  At that moment, a strong contraction hit.  As I began to give in and push, Carol’s face suddenly popped out from behind the nurse standing beside me. “Don’t push! Not yet!!”  I will never forget that moment.  Had I not been wanting to push so badly, I would have laughed.  What a trooper and friend!!  I can honestly say that were it not for calm, cool, collected Carol, the morning’s events would have gone very differently! Such a wonderful provision from God – truly!!

With that said, Carol was left behind as I was wheeled into the Surgical Center.  It is rare for a Brazilian dad to watch the birth of his child, let alone someone else.  Fred, too, was absent as he was getting dressed in hospital garb.  As for the nurses present, they seemed a bit unorganized, probably because they so rarely perform natural births and were unfamiliar with routine.

As the gurney was wheeled alongside the surgery table, a nurse worked frantically at removing the leg stirrup.  With the way I was feeling, I was about ready to push her out of the way and say, “Let me do it!”  But finally Dr. Gervasio stepped in and detached it.  He then asked me, once again, to change tables.  I gave him the same answer as before, but he encouragingly insisted, “Try”; so I did.  I grabbed the surgery table with my hands and dragged my lower half behind as the nurses tried to hold back the damp sheet while getting a clean one under me.

Once on the surgery table, the doctor said, “Okay, turn over onto your back.”  I simply answered, for the last time, “Doctor, if I move, this baby is going to come out!”  Watching him through the reflection in an above lamp, I saw Dr. Gervasio secure Mishael’s crowning head with his hands, then he said, “Okay. Turn now!”  I flipped, waiting for the inevitable.  As soon as I was turned over, Dr. Gervasio gave me the go-ahead to push.  I asked only once, “You’re sure you’re ready?”  He nodded, and I pushed. Twice. And no, they were not long, drawn out pushes. It was more like two grunts, and POOF! A brand new baby!!  (I never did get my legs in the stirrups, which was just as well considering they never returned the one the nurse worked so hard to take off!)

All in all, I was in the Surgical Center a whopping five minutes before Mishael was born. At that moment, Fred walked in. “No, no, no!” he said. “Put that boy back in!” but it was too late.  Better late than never, right?

Now, aren’t you glad you stuck with me to the end!  Well, that wasn’t actually the end of our adventures in the maternity ward, but that’s where I’m going to stop for today!