BushChang Family Web Site

Home of Steve, Christine, Katherine, Ally, Rosebud, and Rex

You are here: Home / Archives for Friends / Patty Salgado

Patty Salgado

Katherine’s First Jogger Ride

We borrowed a Kelty jogger from the Sarins because we wanted to try one out before purchasing. The Kelty Joyride seems like the top choice for us. Katherine on the other hand would probably trade the jogger in for a nice heated car. I have to say our daughter is a real trooper. I not only took her out for a jog in 40 degree weather but I squeezed her into a 6-12 month snow suit that was too tight. It was kind of like a mix between a down jacket and Lycra pants for Katherine. Patty, our wonderful nanny, mentioned that Katherine must have looked like a burrito.

We went around the block a couple of times, never more than 5 minutes from home in case Katherine imploded from stress, the cold or the tight fitting outfit. Katherine only whimpered a couple times. I wouldn’t say she enjoyed jogging around in the bitter cold but she didn’t scream bloody murder, a sign of hope for more adventures.

Thankfully Patty arrived this morning with two fleece full body outfits for Katherine. Patty regularly takes Katherine for strolls around the neighborhood and recognized the need for some more comfortable warm clothing.

Patty in Action with Katherine

This is Steve. I had a conference call this morning so I got the opportunity to watch Patty in action. She’s great with Katherine. She sings to her in English and Spanish (alternatively), plays with her, and reads to her. Christine and I have definitely noticed that Katherine is very curious now and craves new stimulation and experiences. She’s become more coordinated so she can interact with the world around her. The picture on the right is Patty reading to Katherine laying on Katherine’s activity gym.

I really missed Katherine today at work. She’s growing up so fast and everyday brings new experiences. I’m truly the proud father who thinks his daughter is the most beautiful, well-adjusted, and smart girl on earth. ๐Ÿ™‚

Katherine rolls over

Katherine is growing up so fast. On Sunday, Katherine started to roll over on her side. We bought a chime for her activity mat which she had a great time kicking it to make it sound off. Christine and I watch her discover that she could use the momentum of her legs to pull her body over. It was a fascinating experience to watch as we witnessed Katherine learning a new skill. She would kick her feet out and turn her body using her legs as ballast. We practiced the maneuver several times until she could repeat it at will. We can no longer put her down and leave as she has the ability to rotate her body out of a chair or changing table.

When I checked on Katherine Monday morning she had rotated nearly 180 degrees in her crib and was having a vociferous conversation with her mobile. Katherine is really babbling up a storm now. Instead of crying she’ll babble to Christine or I to let us know she’s hungry. With a little more experience, I think we’ll be able to determine what Katherine wants by her babble (an early form of communication). It’s truly amazing watching her grow up as I can see the wheels turning in her head. Patty, our wonderful nanny, reads to Katherine every day and tries to expose her to new sights, sounds, and experiences. Christine and I do the same in the mornings, evenings, and weekends when Patty isn’t around. Katherine is soaking it all up and starting to understand and want to manipulate her surroundings. The second picture below is me reading to Katherine.

Katherine loves to watch TV though we turn it off when we notice her watching it. She’ll crane her neck around to see what’s on the “boob tube”. She especially likes sports and shows with a lot of action. Christine and I have decided to restrict our TV watching to when Katherine’s asleep. We want her to interact with her environment and not be distracted/entertained by the TV.

The last set of pictures are Katherine hanging out with Bisco. Bisco really wants to play with Katherine but realizes that she’s just too small. Bisco has adjusted well to Katherine joining our family. He often feels a bit neglected but Christine and I try very hard to give him some quality time after Katherine has gone to sleep. Christine and I are looking forward to when Katherine is old enough to start interacting with Bisco. Hopefully, they will be great pals.

Christine Goes Back to Work

This is Christine. I went back to work this week starting on Wednesday. After only a two day transition period, Patty did a great job taking care of Katherine and managing the house. Every day, Katherine made more and more progress to take the bottle from Patty.

  • Monday: She only took 2 oz after crying for 10-20 minutes and ate nothing else from the bottle the entire day – despite Patty’s valiant attempts.
  • Tuesday: We didn’t have much more success, until Patty remarked that the Avent nipple seemed too big for Katherine. I pulled a Gerber bottle out of the back of a drawer, and voila…Katherine emptied the entire bottle! She drank about 7.5 oz that day.
  • Wednesday: Patty switched entirely to the Gerber bottle. She fed Katherine 10 oz over a couple feedings (right before she fell asleep) and brought Katherine to work so I could nurse her.
  • Thursday: She drank 14 oz. over four feedings, although she ate only when she was tired.
  • Friday: Katherine drank 14 oz. readily over three feedings with no crying or fussing at all. This has been huge progress!

Katherine is now drinking from a 3-6 month moderate flow Gerber nipple. The only downside is the fact that we invested in 10 Avent bottles and a bunch of Avent nipples (which she still refuses to take), but this is a small price to pay for bottle feeding!

Other huge news – Katherine started to sleep through the night this week. She fell asleep at 9AM Tuesday night and slept the entire night! I work her up, much to her dismay, at 7:30AM the following morning to feed. Her schedule has started to solidify. Both Wednesday and Thursday nights she feel asleep by 8:30PM. Unfortunately, she did wake at 1AM Friday morning with a wet diaper, but it was an uneventful night otherwise.

Between her sleep schedule and acceptance of the bottle, parenthood has gotten so much easier. Our only remaining challenge is Bisco, who came down with a nasty case of kennel cough after our LA trip. While he is no longer congested, he’s sneezing quite a bit. On Wednesday, Katherine came to work with white stuff in her hair. Patty explained that Bisco sneezed on Katherine’s head, and that she wasn’t able to clean it all out. Oh Yuck. ๐Ÿ™‚

Katherine is also developing her motor skills. She grabbed her little plastic keys from my hand a few nights ago and shook them enthusiastically as I made my dinner in the kitchen. She’s also taking walks with Patty around the neighborhood in her Baby Bjorn facing forward. I’m looking forward to this weekend and spending two quality days with Katherine, learning more about her developments this week.

I’ve include two pictures Steve took of Patty playing with Katherine.

Patty Salgado

Last week, Christine and I hired a nanny for Katherine: Patty Salgado. Patty is an experienced nanny who loves children and is also our age. Katherine and Patty bonded from the beginning (see photo) and we’re excited to have Patty join our family. Christine and I can go to work confident that Katherine is in good hands. Patty speaks fluent Spanish so Katherine will hopefully be bilingual. I’m hoping to brush up on my Spanish skills, too.