Well, I guess that we've been busy because it's been a long time. Where to even begin? It's been about 3 weeks since I started my new job at PG&E. It's been a weird time to start because there was a big explosion in San Bruno on 9/9 of a PG&E pipe. I still can't believe that there were only 4 deaths. The way that explosion looked, I would have expected a lot more. I like it so far, but it certainly is different from working at an agency. Sometimes I miss the pace and excitement of working at an agency, but I also like the ease and predictability of being the client.
Lukas is now 18 months and the milestones have slowed in pace. He's talking more and more everyday. Much to my chagrin, he has transitioned himself to only one nap a day. I know most kids transition much earlier and I should consider myself lucky to have had more time with 2. He does seem to become frustrated much easier and is trying to be more independent.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Lukas at 16 Months
Lukas is talking a lot more now and starting to string his words together. His new words have been "baby," "arm," and "rice." Here are the latest pics from this past month from a busy summer. I'm sure we'll have more this month when po-po comes to visit for 2 weeks and we go to LA for a weekend to visit family.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Poop!
As a new parent, you spend a lot of time talking about and analyzing poop. When was the last one? Did you get any on you? How can someone so little produce so much? What was that? A blueberry? However, last Saturday, Lukas had another first. He pooped in the potty! That does not mean that he is potty trained. It simply means that we timed it correctly when we thought he might need to go, we took off his diaper, sat with him in the bathroom, sat him in his potty, and he produced. AKA- he knows what is supposed to happen in the potty and he can say "Poo Poo!"
So it is the very first step in what I am sure will be a long journey towards being toilet trained. I was so proud I almost took a picture of it. Almost. Then I thought to myself, when will I ever look at this again and who would want to see this? I would say that even proud grandparents might squirm at the sight.
Later that day, Lukas also did say to me "Poo Poo" and so I took off his diaper, sat him down on his potty, and he peed. So I thought to myself, "maybe he doesn't know the difference. Either way, he still produced something." 2 minutes after I put his new diaper on, I realize that he pooped. So I guess that he tried to tell me, but I didn't let him sit on the potty long enough. They say that toddlers will tell you when they are ready to be potty trained. I am totally ready and my guess is that he might be ready too since he really hates it when I change his diaper. For the last 2 weeks, it's been a battle to change his diaper. Though I found out, the nanny has no issues changing his diaper. His temper is reserved solely for me and sometimes his Daddy. Therefore, you can bet that both of us will be happier once we don't have to change his diaper anymore.
So it is the very first step in what I am sure will be a long journey towards being toilet trained. I was so proud I almost took a picture of it. Almost. Then I thought to myself, when will I ever look at this again and who would want to see this? I would say that even proud grandparents might squirm at the sight.
Later that day, Lukas also did say to me "Poo Poo" and so I took off his diaper, sat him down on his potty, and he peed. So I thought to myself, "maybe he doesn't know the difference. Either way, he still produced something." 2 minutes after I put his new diaper on, I realize that he pooped. So I guess that he tried to tell me, but I didn't let him sit on the potty long enough. They say that toddlers will tell you when they are ready to be potty trained. I am totally ready and my guess is that he might be ready too since he really hates it when I change his diaper. For the last 2 weeks, it's been a battle to change his diaper. Though I found out, the nanny has no issues changing his diaper. His temper is reserved solely for me and sometimes his Daddy. Therefore, you can bet that both of us will be happier once we don't have to change his diaper anymore.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Parents Day 2
Today, we took the day off from work to have a nice lunch in Napa. We went to a restaurant called Bouchon with the Banerjees and Schneiders while the kids were in childcare. It was nice to have a long lunch without interruption.
After lunch, we walked around Yountville and then did a little shopping in the Napa outlets. We definitely need to keep doing this.
Here are the long-awaited photos of Lukas from Easter and through our vacation in FL:
Maybe I'll post the pictures from the 4th of July by the time Labor Day roles around...
After lunch, we walked around Yountville and then did a little shopping in the Napa outlets. We definitely need to keep doing this.
Here are the long-awaited photos of Lukas from Easter and through our vacation in FL:
Maybe I'll post the pictures from the 4th of July by the time Labor Day roles around...
Friday, July 16, 2010
Bienvenido a Miami
So I've been trying to upload pictures from the last few months. It's been a long process because I used to upload monthly, but I was trying to consolidate and it's just taking a lot longer. Part of it is due to procrastination.
Things have also been busy. We went to Miami and Key West last month with the Banerjees. It was a good time, but very hot. Love the Cuban food and the Peruvian food we had while we were there. We were able to rent a few condos and it made staying in Florida a lot easier. While we were in Key West, we rented a packNplay. I am a little surprised that there aren't more small business catering to traveling families. It was very nice. They dropped off and picked up the packNplay to our condo for $10 a day. Renting it relieved us of the hassle of having to bring ours.
Unfortunately, I got burned on my shoulders on the first day, so that limited my time at the beach and in the sun. Luckily, there were no traces of the oil spill.
It was a fun vacation, but it already seems like it was so long ago. Updates on Lukas: he's started learning how to use a spoon and can sip from a straw.
Things have also been busy. We went to Miami and Key West last month with the Banerjees. It was a good time, but very hot. Love the Cuban food and the Peruvian food we had while we were there. We were able to rent a few condos and it made staying in Florida a lot easier. While we were in Key West, we rented a packNplay. I am a little surprised that there aren't more small business catering to traveling families. It was very nice. They dropped off and picked up the packNplay to our condo for $10 a day. Renting it relieved us of the hassle of having to bring ours.
Unfortunately, I got burned on my shoulders on the first day, so that limited my time at the beach and in the sun. Luckily, there were no traces of the oil spill.
It was a fun vacation, but it already seems like it was so long ago. Updates on Lukas: he's started learning how to use a spoon and can sip from a straw.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
No More Milk!
Today was a milestone for both me and Lukas. Today was the day that I stopped breastfeeding. It's been 16 months since Lukas was born. It's something that I have been sharing with Lukas for every day of his life. I hear that it can be difficult for some babies to wean. Lukas, as usual, was easy. The morning feeding was the last one that we had because I had heard from friends that the evening one would be harder to give up (not at all for Lukas) and because I could at least sleep while nursing in the morning. (If I can do 2 things at once, and one of them is sleep, that is the best option for me!)
So I was mentally prepared for Lukas to protest or at least have a look of confusion when I handed him the bottle this morning. Nothing. He just took the bottle and started drinking. He drank every last drop, handed me the bottle, and said, "All done." And that was the end of breastfeeding. "All done."
Part of me wants him to miss our time together, but it's definitely time. I never had any intention of breastfeeding for this long. My goal was to make it to one year. That's pretty standard. What I found was that at one year, Lukas was still nursing 4-5 times a day. You can't really cut nursing cold turkey and so I had to gradually stop. First, I would mix his bottles with half cow's milk and half breastmilk to acclimate him. We did that for a few weeks until we ran out of frozen milk. Then, I reduced the number of feedings. I was having some painful issues that I will spare you the details, but it meant that I couldn't stop breastfeeding because I needed to remove the milk. Then, Lukas would get sick and they say that you shouldn't try and change things when they are sick. Then, we were going on vacation and we didn't want to do it in a different environment. So, we got home, we are settled and so here we are. Done.
Though I will miss it in some ways, I am also looking forward to the freedom. Being tethered to a nursing pump totally sucks so I was actually happier about being done with the pump than I am about stopping breastfeeding. However, there were a few nights where it would have been nice to not have to race home to feed Lukas. And there were a few close calls at work that threatened travel with an overnight stay. I was just in denial about what I would have done.
Lukas has been talking up a storm. He's been mimicking a lot. He has been saying "outside," "Elmo," and cheese. We have lots of pictures to share, but I still need to add my comments, so I'll hopefully have another posting soon.
So I was mentally prepared for Lukas to protest or at least have a look of confusion when I handed him the bottle this morning. Nothing. He just took the bottle and started drinking. He drank every last drop, handed me the bottle, and said, "All done." And that was the end of breastfeeding. "All done."
Part of me wants him to miss our time together, but it's definitely time. I never had any intention of breastfeeding for this long. My goal was to make it to one year. That's pretty standard. What I found was that at one year, Lukas was still nursing 4-5 times a day. You can't really cut nursing cold turkey and so I had to gradually stop. First, I would mix his bottles with half cow's milk and half breastmilk to acclimate him. We did that for a few weeks until we ran out of frozen milk. Then, I reduced the number of feedings. I was having some painful issues that I will spare you the details, but it meant that I couldn't stop breastfeeding because I needed to remove the milk. Then, Lukas would get sick and they say that you shouldn't try and change things when they are sick. Then, we were going on vacation and we didn't want to do it in a different environment. So, we got home, we are settled and so here we are. Done.
Though I will miss it in some ways, I am also looking forward to the freedom. Being tethered to a nursing pump totally sucks so I was actually happier about being done with the pump than I am about stopping breastfeeding. However, there were a few nights where it would have been nice to not have to race home to feed Lukas. And there were a few close calls at work that threatened travel with an overnight stay. I was just in denial about what I would have done.
Lukas has been talking up a storm. He's been mimicking a lot. He has been saying "outside," "Elmo," and cheese. We have lots of pictures to share, but I still need to add my comments, so I'll hopefully have another posting soon.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Where Have We Been?
I wonder if anyone is still reading this blog. It's been over a month since my last post. It's not that I haven't wanted to post, but it has been so long that I just kept procrastinating. I guess it's like exercising (not that I would know) in that if you do it regularly, it's not that painful. But if you get out of the routine, it's a lot harder to get back into it.
So to keep the pressure low, I'm going to keep this one short. I know I'm behind on sharing photos and videos. We're going on vacation for a week to Miami and Key West on Sunday. I can't wait!
So to keep the pressure low, I'm going to keep this one short. I know I'm behind on sharing photos and videos. We're going on vacation for a week to Miami and Key West on Sunday. I can't wait!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Baby Steps
This past weekend was another nice weekend spent with great weather and even better friends. On Friday, we had dinner with the Banerjees in Walnut Creek. Who knew that it would be so crowded that Tomatina would have an hour long wait? We opted for a Vietnamese place that was clean and had no wait. Figures that all the white people in WC don't want to eat in the tasty hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Got a little ice cream for dessert and by the time we bathed the kids, it was already past 10PM and we had to head home since it was way past Lukas's bedtime and he skipped his afternoon nap.
On Saturday morning, Lukas was G-R-U-M-P-Y. He woke up around the same time at 7AM. I thought he might fall back asleep after eating, but he didn't and was not happy to just hang out in bed while Mom & Dad slept. We had plans to go to the zoo for Tyler's 2nd birthday, so we dragged ourselves out of bed, ate breakfast, and finally got ourselves out the door and headed for the Oakland Zoo at around 11. Spending the day outside in the beautiful weather and with friends definitely improved all of our moods.
We went to the zoo about a month ago, but we managed to do some different things that we didn't get to do during our first visit. Last time, we went to the petting zoo too late, but this time, Lukas got to see and pet the goats. I would have thought he would be scared of them since they were bigger than him and there were swarms of kids, but he just walked right up to the goats with the rest of the kids. We also took him for a ride on the train. He enjoyed it, but not as much as the birthday boy. We saw a few animals that we didn't see the last time, but mostly, we just hung out and talked.
Since we missed Tomatina on Friday, we decided to try again, but this time in Alameda. There was a small wait, but they were able to accommodate all 11 of us. We got more ice cream, bathed the kids again, and then everyone left our house around 11. I'm noticing a trend here. Guess this is what it means to have a social life with kids. Used to be dinner, maybe a movie, or talking until until 1AM. Now everyone is in bed by midnight.
On Sunday, Edwin did a bunch of yardwork while I reorganized stuff in the house. It was such a warm day and Lukas ended up napping for almost 3 hours. I wish I could predict when he will do that. We had dinner at our friends Heather, Shannon, and Katie's house and enjoyed more kid-friendly entertainment.
I also forgot to mention that Lukas has started walking. You would think that I would remember such a momentus event, but it kind of happened gradually. First, he was able to take 2-3 steps. But about 1-2 weeks ago on a Saturday, he started being able to stand from a seated position by doing a downward dog and kept doing that to walk. He was taking 5-6 steps and now, he is walking all over the place. And climbing all over the place. We enrolled him in gymnastics last week so that he could start exploring his new skills. Took some pictures and will upload them later.
On Saturday morning, Lukas was G-R-U-M-P-Y. He woke up around the same time at 7AM. I thought he might fall back asleep after eating, but he didn't and was not happy to just hang out in bed while Mom & Dad slept. We had plans to go to the zoo for Tyler's 2nd birthday, so we dragged ourselves out of bed, ate breakfast, and finally got ourselves out the door and headed for the Oakland Zoo at around 11. Spending the day outside in the beautiful weather and with friends definitely improved all of our moods.
We went to the zoo about a month ago, but we managed to do some different things that we didn't get to do during our first visit. Last time, we went to the petting zoo too late, but this time, Lukas got to see and pet the goats. I would have thought he would be scared of them since they were bigger than him and there were swarms of kids, but he just walked right up to the goats with the rest of the kids. We also took him for a ride on the train. He enjoyed it, but not as much as the birthday boy. We saw a few animals that we didn't see the last time, but mostly, we just hung out and talked.
Since we missed Tomatina on Friday, we decided to try again, but this time in Alameda. There was a small wait, but they were able to accommodate all 11 of us. We got more ice cream, bathed the kids again, and then everyone left our house around 11. I'm noticing a trend here. Guess this is what it means to have a social life with kids. Used to be dinner, maybe a movie, or talking until until 1AM. Now everyone is in bed by midnight.
On Sunday, Edwin did a bunch of yardwork while I reorganized stuff in the house. It was such a warm day and Lukas ended up napping for almost 3 hours. I wish I could predict when he will do that. We had dinner at our friends Heather, Shannon, and Katie's house and enjoyed more kid-friendly entertainment.
I also forgot to mention that Lukas has started walking. You would think that I would remember such a momentus event, but it kind of happened gradually. First, he was able to take 2-3 steps. But about 1-2 weeks ago on a Saturday, he started being able to stand from a seated position by doing a downward dog and kept doing that to walk. He was taking 5-6 steps and now, he is walking all over the place. And climbing all over the place. We enrolled him in gymnastics last week so that he could start exploring his new skills. Took some pictures and will upload them later.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Parties, Zoos, & Musems- Oh My!
I'm a little behind on pictures, but here are the photos from last month:
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Timing is Everything
When Lukas first arrived, he taught us that timing is everything. We try to time most activities around his naps and nursing schedule. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. This weekend was a good example of that. On Saturday, we planned to meet up with Edwin's sister and mom. We knew that we would go to either the Oakland Zoo or the Bay Area Discovery Museum. We decided to go to the Bay Area Discovery Museum and to lunch first at Sam's Cafe in Tiburon. It was a nice day eat outside, but by the time Lukas woke up from his nap, we drove over to Tiburon, had lunch, and got to the museum, it was 4PM. The museum closed at 5PM. To make things worse, Lukas feel asleep again and woke up at 4:45. We did take him in for the last 15 minutes since his cousin Freeman was already inside and they wouldn't charge us since they were closing. It was fun and we'll definitely be back because we bought a membership for half price online. This was the day that timing did not work out for us.
For Easter, they have an Easter egg hunt on our block every year. It starts promptly at noon and is usually over by 12:03PM. Lukas woke up from his nap just in time for the hunt to begin. His cousin Freeman, on the other hand, woke up about 5 minutes too late. (It's OK, his dad Jon picked up a few eggs for him and we had a private egg hunt for him.) Lukas didn't realize what was going on with the egg hunt, but his cousin Freeman was very excited to find eggs.
We were invited for a second egg hunt and brunch at Jamie and Kaori's house. We weren't sure if Edwin's family would be up for a second egg hunt, so we didn't know what time we would be able to get there. Though I texted and called to let Jamie and Kaori know that we were on out way (they didn't answer, presumably because they were already eating!), it was too late. We arrived to see the remnants of a delicious ham, egg frittatta, croissants, and fruit. Alas, timing is everything... next time! (We arrived in time for the second egg hunt.) Maybe next year, Lukas will be into collecting eggs in his basket. Pictures will be posted someday! Happy Easter!
For Easter, they have an Easter egg hunt on our block every year. It starts promptly at noon and is usually over by 12:03PM. Lukas woke up from his nap just in time for the hunt to begin. His cousin Freeman, on the other hand, woke up about 5 minutes too late. (It's OK, his dad Jon picked up a few eggs for him and we had a private egg hunt for him.) Lukas didn't realize what was going on with the egg hunt, but his cousin Freeman was very excited to find eggs.
We were invited for a second egg hunt and brunch at Jamie and Kaori's house. We weren't sure if Edwin's family would be up for a second egg hunt, so we didn't know what time we would be able to get there. Though I texted and called to let Jamie and Kaori know that we were on out way (they didn't answer, presumably because they were already eating!), it was too late. We arrived to see the remnants of a delicious ham, egg frittatta, croissants, and fruit. Alas, timing is everything... next time! (We arrived in time for the second egg hunt.) Maybe next year, Lukas will be into collecting eggs in his basket. Pictures will be posted someday! Happy Easter!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Lukas's First Birthday
So I finally got around to uploading the photos from Lukas's first birthday. I can hardly believe that he is already one!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Mom's Visit to Alameda
Last week, my mom came to visit. Since things were slow at work, I stayed home on Thursday and Friday. My mom cooked a lot of food, but that always requires a lot of cleanup. Time went by quickly since she came with us into SF on Wednesday, we went grocery shopping on Thursday, and to the library for singalong on Friday along with dinner with the relatives. Edwin and I managed to see a movie in the theatre on Wednesday night. We went to see Green Zone with Matt Damon. It was OK. The cinematography was very shaky so I only watched about half of it.
On Saturday, we met up with our friend Sully and her daughter Kinsey. We had lunch and then went for a walk along the beach in Alameda. On Sunday, we went on another bike ride to a nearby park. It was a nice day out and very crowded at the park.
On Saturday, we met up with our friend Sully and her daughter Kinsey. We had lunch and then went for a walk along the beach in Alameda. On Sunday, we went on another bike ride to a nearby park. It was a nice day out and very crowded at the park.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Lukas's First Tooth Brushing and Bike Ride
Another beautiful day out today, so we took Lukas out for his first bike ride. Well, his first ride in his little chariot behind Edwin's bike. He loved the ride, but hated the helmet. Photos and videos to come. I've been trying to upload photos and videos, so here is one of Lukas brushing his teeth (he loves putting stuff in his mouth, so why not give him a toothbrush?) back in January:
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Visit to the Zoo
We had a lovely day at the zoo today. The weather was gorgeous, so it was a great day for a stroll. The zoo is only 15 minutes from our house, so we got a membership and will be returning soon since the summer will soon be upon us. The Banerjees tell us that we will appreciate it even more when Lukas starts walking so that it will tire him out. They say that it's even better when you go with Maika and the Schneiders because then they (the girls) go off on their own. (Though I have a feeling that we won't get to enjoy that luxury since I'm sure that Kai will be more likely to lead Lukas to climb over the fence to get a closer look to the animals- that kid has no fear!) Lukas enjoyed seeing the animals (pictures to come later,) but I think his favorite part was when we let him out of his stroller to crawl around on the playground. They had this big spider web made of rope which he loved and he practiced walking on the rubbery and cushiony floor. (Relax, dad, he's not walking yet, but he is trying to take a few steps.) He's pretty close, but I'm hoping that he gives us a few more months of no chasing. I used to think those kid leashes were kind of cruel, but they are starting to look better and better every day....
I like that we spring forward tonight. Hopefully, it doesn't mess with Lukas's sleep schedule too much. Tomorrow, we go into the city for a birthday party. If it's nice, we might need to take a short bike ride to try out Lukas's new bike trailer.
I like that we spring forward tonight. Hopefully, it doesn't mess with Lukas's sleep schedule too much. Tomorrow, we go into the city for a birthday party. If it's nice, we might need to take a short bike ride to try out Lukas's new bike trailer.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
How to Piss Off a Loyal Customer
I am a very loyal customer. If you get me, I'm hooked. I'm still using this shampoo that they discontinued because I bought 3 huge bottles when I realized that they were going to stop producing it. I love Prego spaghetti sauce. That's the only sauce I will buy. I am definitely a creature of habit, so what pisses me off? Change the formula- yeah, how well did that work for Coke? Do they even make the Coke II anymore? If it ain't broke, don't break it! How about discontinuing a product? Yeah, but I understand that will happen. If it's not selling and I am the only person buying it, I get it. But here's what really pisses me off. I find a product that I really like, but they stop selling it and I know that it's not discontinued.
We found a composting bag called Biosak at Costco. It was great. Worked well, got Jeannette to become a fan so that we were buying her bags at Costco too. Well, we are almost out and we have been going to Costco's near and far looking for these bags. Costco doesn't have the labels/pallets for them. Cannot find them anywhere. We went to Target where they told me to check WalMart (huh? I thought you were competitors. And really, do you think that WalMart shoppers compost? I may sound like a snob, but I really don't think that they do.) So I'm checking their site. It's a company in Canada and they have a customer support email. I actually email them asking them where I can buy the bags. It's been a week and no response. If I, the consumer, work that hard to find you, can't you at least tell me how to freaking buy your product? Do you not need my business? I finally found them on Amazon, but then I have to pay for shipping which practically doubles the cost. Even after all this, I still want to buy this product. So, if anyone knows where I can buy these garbage bags at a retail store, ping me. Please. Or tell me you know of an even better composting bag that I should buy.
We found a composting bag called Biosak at Costco. It was great. Worked well, got Jeannette to become a fan so that we were buying her bags at Costco too. Well, we are almost out and we have been going to Costco's near and far looking for these bags. Costco doesn't have the labels/pallets for them. Cannot find them anywhere. We went to Target where they told me to check WalMart (huh? I thought you were competitors. And really, do you think that WalMart shoppers compost? I may sound like a snob, but I really don't think that they do.) So I'm checking their site. It's a company in Canada and they have a customer support email. I actually email them asking them where I can buy the bags. It's been a week and no response. If I, the consumer, work that hard to find you, can't you at least tell me how to freaking buy your product? Do you not need my business? I finally found them on Amazon, but then I have to pay for shipping which practically doubles the cost. Even after all this, I still want to buy this product. So, if anyone knows where I can buy these garbage bags at a retail store, ping me. Please. Or tell me you know of an even better composting bag that I should buy.
Monday, March 08, 2010
CA Academy of Science & Oscars
So this weekend was fun... on Friday, we had dinner at the Banerjees with the Schneiders. Always a good time. On Saturday, I had a ladies brunch with Kaori, Nikki, and Corinne. Edwin stayed at home with Lukas. When I got home, we headed out to go shopping at Babies R Us and Bay St. For those of you who are not familiar with BRU, picture Costco but for baby stuff. I really cannot go there with Edwin and Lukas anymore because at least one of them while have a meltdown while we are there since it in nearly impossible to leave in under an hour. We ended up having dinner at Burgermeister which always cheers up Edwin. We would have liked to have gone to see a movie, but we ended up at home watching a movie instead. It's definitely cheaper, but just not the same.
On Sunday, we met up with Jeannette and Freeman at the CA Academy of Science in the afternoon. We wish that we could have spent more time there, but we had an Oscar party to attend and Lukas needed to nap anyways, so we'll just have to go back some other time. Even though we were there for less than 3 hours, we still managed to spend $70. $25 for one ticket since Jeannette has a membership and can get one guest in free. The rest was spent on food. We know the rule about eating beforehand, bringing your own food, etc. But the food was good. Real good. Guess it better be at those prices, right? Lukas had a great time looking at the fish in the aquarium and playing in the toddler area. Pics to come later.
Then, we headed over to Nikki and Dan's for their annual Oscar party. They are the only ones I know that have an Oscar party every year. The only movies that I saw that were even nominated for anything were Avatar, Up, Star Trek, and Sherlock Holmes. It was a good time, but we had to leave early because Lukas did not nap well that day with all the activity. He's definitely getting to that age where he is getting into everything and doesn't want to sit still.
On Sunday, we met up with Jeannette and Freeman at the CA Academy of Science in the afternoon. We wish that we could have spent more time there, but we had an Oscar party to attend and Lukas needed to nap anyways, so we'll just have to go back some other time. Even though we were there for less than 3 hours, we still managed to spend $70. $25 for one ticket since Jeannette has a membership and can get one guest in free. The rest was spent on food. We know the rule about eating beforehand, bringing your own food, etc. But the food was good. Real good. Guess it better be at those prices, right? Lukas had a great time looking at the fish in the aquarium and playing in the toddler area. Pics to come later.
Then, we headed over to Nikki and Dan's for their annual Oscar party. They are the only ones I know that have an Oscar party every year. The only movies that I saw that were even nominated for anything were Avatar, Up, Star Trek, and Sherlock Holmes. It was a good time, but we had to leave early because Lukas did not nap well that day with all the activity. He's definitely getting to that age where he is getting into everything and doesn't want to sit still.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
One Year Check-up
Lukas had his one year check-up yesterday at the pediatrician. He's pretty normal-50% for weight (22lbs. 5.5 oz) and 50% for head circumference (46cm), but only 25% in height (29 inches.) He used to be in the 80th percentile for height. I guess his friends have all gotten taller in the last 6 months. He's pretty much weighed the same for about 3 months now, but he looks a little leaner since he started crawling.
Monday, March 01, 2010
Party! Party! Party!
So as most of you already know, Lukas celebrated his first birthday on Friday. I worked from home on Friday and spent most of it running errands to prepare for his party on Saturday. We stayed home on Friday night to clean the house. Saturday morning, we got up bright and early, cleaned some more and started the party at 11. We ended up hosting 20 kids and about 40 accompanying adults. It went by fast, but it was fun.
We had veggies, Cheerios, puffs, goldfish, potato chips, shrimp cocktail, pizza, mac-n-cheese, and cake. Everyone left by 3:30 for their respective naps and we spent the evening at home trying to recover. The cleanup wasn't too bad since we used mostly paper plates and disposables. He now has lots of books, puzzles, and toys to play with. We haven't given him everything so that he'll have some new stuff to play with every few days. He ate cake, but wasn't that fazed by it. To him it seemed like it was just something else to eat, so I guess it will be a while before I give him more of it. Why start a sweet tooth when he doesn't seem to have one?
All in all, I think everyone seemed to have a good time. The kids seemed to like the balloons and the giftbags that we put together. It was a beautiful day outside and we spent it with good friends, so what else could you ask for?
On Sunday, we attended another first birthday for Lukas's friend Katie. They were born about 45 minutes apart and we met them on our Friday stroller walks. Hers was a princess party which was more intimate and definitely less crazy, but still fun.
Pictures to be posted later, but here's a video of when we were in Hawaii:
We had veggies, Cheerios, puffs, goldfish, potato chips, shrimp cocktail, pizza, mac-n-cheese, and cake. Everyone left by 3:30 for their respective naps and we spent the evening at home trying to recover. The cleanup wasn't too bad since we used mostly paper plates and disposables. He now has lots of books, puzzles, and toys to play with. We haven't given him everything so that he'll have some new stuff to play with every few days. He ate cake, but wasn't that fazed by it. To him it seemed like it was just something else to eat, so I guess it will be a while before I give him more of it. Why start a sweet tooth when he doesn't seem to have one?
All in all, I think everyone seemed to have a good time. The kids seemed to like the balloons and the giftbags that we put together. It was a beautiful day outside and we spent it with good friends, so what else could you ask for?
On Sunday, we attended another first birthday for Lukas's friend Katie. They were born about 45 minutes apart and we met them on our Friday stroller walks. Hers was a princess party which was more intimate and definitely less crazy, but still fun.
Pictures to be posted later, but here's a video of when we were in Hawaii:
Friday, February 26, 2010
365 Days of Joy
Happy Birthday, Lukas! Today is your first birthday. You were born one year ago today and it's hard to believe that it's already been one year because it went by so fast. Everyday you make me smile and bring me joy. Your dad and I are the luckiest and most blessed parents in the world. We can't wait until we can celebrate it on Saturday and we are excited to begin 365 more days of joy.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Catching Up
As you may have guessed, things have been busy. First, there was Valentines Day/Chinese New Year/Nikki & Dan's wedding trifecta. Yes, those events were all on the same day. We spent the day preparing for the wedding since I was part of the wedding party. Unfortunately, my "new" camera charger crapped out and so I was not able to take any more photos. (Given that Lukas's first birthday is this weekend, I'm gonna have to figure something else out soon!) Therefore, anyone who has photos of this event, please share!
The wedding was a great time to hang out with friends, eat good Chinese food, and have a good time. There was lots of dancing and lots of alcohol (for Edwin.) Luckily, we had the next day off for Presidents Day to recover.
Last weekend, we went up to Tahoe for the weekend with the Doans and Schneiders. It was a nice, relaxing weekend for the most part. It was the first time that Lukas got to see snow and I regret that I forgot to let him feel snow in his hands. However, the drive back was long. It's usually only 4.5 hours to get back, but it took us about that long just to get to Placerville, which is about an hour drive to Tahoe.
This week, I've been catching up on a lot of things. Since joining Facebook, there have been a lot of people to catch up with. Also, I got a new cell phone this week and so I've been trying to figure it out and get everything configured. It's MUCH BETTER than my old phone, but it still takes getting used to. I have been trying to prepare for Lukas's birthday party this week. He won't remember it, but I still want him to have a good time.
Lukas milestones- he's been waving good-bye, blowing kisses, and he's been trying to talk. He's been saying mama and dada, but he's also been attempting truck, banana, and up/down. Last week as I was leaving for work, he waved good-bye and gave me a kiss. It was so cute. Melted my heart.
The wedding was a great time to hang out with friends, eat good Chinese food, and have a good time. There was lots of dancing and lots of alcohol (for Edwin.) Luckily, we had the next day off for Presidents Day to recover.
Last weekend, we went up to Tahoe for the weekend with the Doans and Schneiders. It was a nice, relaxing weekend for the most part. It was the first time that Lukas got to see snow and I regret that I forgot to let him feel snow in his hands. However, the drive back was long. It's usually only 4.5 hours to get back, but it took us about that long just to get to Placerville, which is about an hour drive to Tahoe.
This week, I've been catching up on a lot of things. Since joining Facebook, there have been a lot of people to catch up with. Also, I got a new cell phone this week and so I've been trying to figure it out and get everything configured. It's MUCH BETTER than my old phone, but it still takes getting used to. I have been trying to prepare for Lukas's birthday party this week. He won't remember it, but I still want him to have a good time.
Lukas milestones- he's been waving good-bye, blowing kisses, and he's been trying to talk. He's been saying mama and dada, but he's also been attempting truck, banana, and up/down. Last week as I was leaving for work, he waved good-bye and gave me a kiss. It was so cute. Melted my heart.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Facebook Frenzy
So I finally activated my Facebook this week. I justify my actions by saying that I joined for work. I held off the throngs of requests to be my friend until I had some time at work to do nothing. Anyway, still learning the ropes, but I have 50 friends. If you're not my friend yet, please ask me to be your friend. It's a lot of work looking for people! Hoping that this will help me to keep in touch, but not require too much time. Edwin is still not on Facebook and is hoping that this phase will pass before he has to join. He wants to remain "off the grid."
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Not Too Old to Party
Last weekend, we celebrated an early Chinese New Year by having dinner with my cousins in Fremont. We're going to be attending Nikki and Dan's wedding on Chinese New Year and the Chinese restaurants are always packed that day. It's always fun to see how big the babies have gotten and see what kind of development milestones they have achieved since our last visit. They are definitely starting to interact with each other more now since they can reach out and touch each other.
Then, we went shopping on Saturday and attended a birthday party for our friend Steve in SF. We made the mistake of leaving an hour late. The party started at 7:30PM, but you don't need to be there at the start unless you have a baby. It just means one less hour for us to socialize, Lukas is a little grumpier, and there is less good parking. We know this to be true according to our Chrismas party escapades.
On Sunday, we went to Andres's (our neighbor's baby) baptism party. It was fun hanging out with our neighbors and we ended up staying a lot later than we had intended. We also went to Jamie's birthday/Super Bowl party. We had lots of food and got to catch up with friends and see Michelle and Mike's baby Isabella again. Well, it was my second time and Lukas and Edwin's first time seeing her. She looked so little and I can't believe that it was almost a year ago that Lukas looked just like that. Lukas kept wanting to touch baby Isabella which I thought was cute, but I'm sure made her parents a little nervous. When I saw Jamie's cake, I thought to myself, "36? Geez, I thought that Jamie and I were pretty close in age. Jamie is older than I thought," and then I realized that I'm turning 35 myself this year. How did that happen? Am I considered middle aged now? Or does that happen at 40? If you're only as old as you feel, then I think that I am still 30. I remember when I used to be the youngest one in our group of friends and they used to tease me about being young. Not anymore. Happy Birthday and sorry Jamie for thinking you were old. If it makes you feel any better, I guess I am old too. :)
Lukas milestone: he can now stand for about 10 seconds without holding on to anything. He's also eating stuff without it being pureed. We can give him rice, noodles, or cut up veggies. Yay!
Then, we went shopping on Saturday and attended a birthday party for our friend Steve in SF. We made the mistake of leaving an hour late. The party started at 7:30PM, but you don't need to be there at the start unless you have a baby. It just means one less hour for us to socialize, Lukas is a little grumpier, and there is less good parking. We know this to be true according to our Chrismas party escapades.
On Sunday, we went to Andres's (our neighbor's baby) baptism party. It was fun hanging out with our neighbors and we ended up staying a lot later than we had intended. We also went to Jamie's birthday/Super Bowl party. We had lots of food and got to catch up with friends and see Michelle and Mike's baby Isabella again. Well, it was my second time and Lukas and Edwin's first time seeing her. She looked so little and I can't believe that it was almost a year ago that Lukas looked just like that. Lukas kept wanting to touch baby Isabella which I thought was cute, but I'm sure made her parents a little nervous. When I saw Jamie's cake, I thought to myself, "36? Geez, I thought that Jamie and I were pretty close in age. Jamie is older than I thought," and then I realized that I'm turning 35 myself this year. How did that happen? Am I considered middle aged now? Or does that happen at 40? If you're only as old as you feel, then I think that I am still 30. I remember when I used to be the youngest one in our group of friends and they used to tease me about being young. Not anymore. Happy Birthday and sorry Jamie for thinking you were old. If it makes you feel any better, I guess I am old too. :)
Lukas milestone: he can now stand for about 10 seconds without holding on to anything. He's also eating stuff without it being pureed. We can give him rice, noodles, or cut up veggies. Yay!
Friday, February 05, 2010
So Painful
So we had the biggest scare as parents last night. Note: Lukas is fine and was all smiles this morning, but grip yourselves for this story. Last night as we were all in the kitchen getting ready for dinner, Lukas was crawling around on the floor as he normally does. Edwin was pulling something out of the oven and Lukas reached out and burned his right hand on the door. He cried really hard (of course!) and I put his hand under running water and then gave him his frozen teether that we keep onhand in the freezer.
I was able to calm him down for a while and he even smiled a little when I put on some silly sunglasses. We sat down for dinner and gave him some Motrin for the pain. There were some white spots on his hand, but it didn't look too bad. We tried to give him some dinner, but he didn't really eat much. He was crying so much that I just sang and rocked him to sleep. He woke up around midnight presumably because he was hungry since he didn't eat or because of the pain. When I nursed him, I noticed that those white spots had become blisters- one in the palm of his hand the size of a pencil eraser and a few more on his index finger. He was able to nurse and go back to sleep, thankfully.
He woke up this morning and was smiling like he normally does. He was also using his right hand, though he was gingerly touching things rather than hitting them or swatting at things like he normally does. He also was able to crawl, but with his right palm up. Everyone tells you how painful it is to see your child in pain and not be able to do anything about it. Even though I am sad that this happened to my poor baby, I am thankful that the damage was not worse. It could have been a lot worse if Edwin hadn't seen him. We didn't have to go to the doctor (though we did call our friend Sujay who is a doctor) or an emergency room. We thought about going, but figured that if he was able to sleep and if he wasn't crying uncontrollably today, he didn't need to go.
So we have some new process changes in our house as a result. Lukas is not allowed in the kitchen if the oven is in use or must be put in his chair. No more free range Lukas because he much faster than we think. Also, for any parents-to-be, I recommend singing to your child because that was the only thing that got him to stop crying. It's the one non-medicated thing you can do to soothe your child in addition to holding him. Doesn't cost you a thing, but the ability to ease the pain of a crying baby is priceless.
I was able to calm him down for a while and he even smiled a little when I put on some silly sunglasses. We sat down for dinner and gave him some Motrin for the pain. There were some white spots on his hand, but it didn't look too bad. We tried to give him some dinner, but he didn't really eat much. He was crying so much that I just sang and rocked him to sleep. He woke up around midnight presumably because he was hungry since he didn't eat or because of the pain. When I nursed him, I noticed that those white spots had become blisters- one in the palm of his hand the size of a pencil eraser and a few more on his index finger. He was able to nurse and go back to sleep, thankfully.
He woke up this morning and was smiling like he normally does. He was also using his right hand, though he was gingerly touching things rather than hitting them or swatting at things like he normally does. He also was able to crawl, but with his right palm up. Everyone tells you how painful it is to see your child in pain and not be able to do anything about it. Even though I am sad that this happened to my poor baby, I am thankful that the damage was not worse. It could have been a lot worse if Edwin hadn't seen him. We didn't have to go to the doctor (though we did call our friend Sujay who is a doctor) or an emergency room. We thought about going, but figured that if he was able to sleep and if he wasn't crying uncontrollably today, he didn't need to go.
So we have some new process changes in our house as a result. Lukas is not allowed in the kitchen if the oven is in use or must be put in his chair. No more free range Lukas because he much faster than we think. Also, for any parents-to-be, I recommend singing to your child because that was the only thing that got him to stop crying. It's the one non-medicated thing you can do to soothe your child in addition to holding him. Doesn't cost you a thing, but the ability to ease the pain of a crying baby is priceless.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Hairy Anniversary
So yesterday was the one year anniversary of my last haircut. Today, I got my haircut. It's still crazy to me that I haven't been able to go before now. Some will say that you make time for the things that are important to you. It's true. Hair is not high on my agenda, but I know I should at least look like I care how I look! It feels a lot shorter and I like it today, but tomorrow will be the real test after I wash it and style it myself.
That also means that Lukas's birthday is coming up. He can't be that old already. I still think of him as just a few months old. I am happy to say that I also finally finished knitting Lukas's baby blanket. Just shy a few weeks of his birthday. There are a lot of things that I am happy that I have done before his first birthday. I've gone out with my girlfriends. I've read a book. We've gone on several trips and seen a few movies. We still go to parties and eat out. We haven't done as much around the house, but I think that's OK too. We've got plenty of time for that!
That also means that Lukas's birthday is coming up. He can't be that old already. I still think of him as just a few months old. I am happy to say that I also finally finished knitting Lukas's baby blanket. Just shy a few weeks of his birthday. There are a lot of things that I am happy that I have done before his first birthday. I've gone out with my girlfriends. I've read a book. We've gone on several trips and seen a few movies. We still go to parties and eat out. We haven't done as much around the house, but I think that's OK too. We've got plenty of time for that!
Monday, February 01, 2010
Documenting and Organizing
This past weekend was nice and relaxing. On Friday, we stayed in the neighborhood and watched the premier of the documentary that a budding filmmaker produced during this last holiday season. It was fun catching up with neighbors and watching the documentary. It was only 8 minutes long, but we got a lot of airtime. She had filmed Edwin dressing up as Santa, us decorating the house, and then walking in the neighborhood with my niece Hannah. Allison, the filmmaker, has asked us not to post it on the internet yet since she is entering the video into a film contest. There are 6 winners and they will be combined into 1 feature length documentary. Unfortunately, they won't announce winners until March, so if you want to see it beforehand, you'll have to come over to our house and ask nicely.
On Saturday, Edwin and Sujay went to a beer festival, so Matilde and I took the kids for some shopping. Though we only got to go into 3 stores, we had fun. On Sunday, we spent most of the day cleaning out our closet. We purchased a closet organizer from Home Depot last year and never installed it. We finally decided to pull the trigger and now we have clothes everywhere! I was a little sad to see the old shelf and wooden closet rod go, but I'm looking forward to a little more organzation in our lives. This will also help us to purge some old stuff that I've been meaning to donate anyways. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a before picture so that you can see how much better the new organizer will be. We'll see when we finish. I'm hoping we are done by the end of the week. We took some mini breaks too. Edwin went on a bike ride and I went to get a pedicure. To each his own!
On Saturday, Edwin and Sujay went to a beer festival, so Matilde and I took the kids for some shopping. Though we only got to go into 3 stores, we had fun. On Sunday, we spent most of the day cleaning out our closet. We purchased a closet organizer from Home Depot last year and never installed it. We finally decided to pull the trigger and now we have clothes everywhere! I was a little sad to see the old shelf and wooden closet rod go, but I'm looking forward to a little more organzation in our lives. This will also help us to purge some old stuff that I've been meaning to donate anyways. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a before picture so that you can see how much better the new organizer will be. We'll see when we finish. I'm hoping we are done by the end of the week. We took some mini breaks too. Edwin went on a bike ride and I went to get a pedicure. To each his own!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Love Christmas!
I'm finally getting around to posting the photos from Christmas. I can't believe that Lukas is already 11 months old. It really does go by as fast as everyone says. Enjoy!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Feeling Old
Last weekend, we welcomed Show and Derek back from their honeymoon in Japan. They were the only couple in our group that didn't have kids. We met early, ate dinner, and left the restaurant by 9PM to get our respective children to bed. Back in the day, we would have just been getting started. Probably gone out for dessert and stayed up talking until after midnight.
On Saturday, we went to a 3 year old's birthday party where they had a bouncy house. It was a lot of fun. It was our first time in a bouncy house and for Lukas. We weren't sure if he would like it, but he LOVED it. He loves jumping in general, so when there's a place where all these kids and adults can go in and jump, he had a blast. I never realized how big these bouncy houses were. I actually was able to do some gymnastics. Now, I haven't done a back handspring in probably over 10 years. I can't even remember the last time I did it and I don't know what I was thinking. You hear about all those weekend warriors who injure themselves because they think that they can still do all the things that they used to do when they were younger. Even though in my head I had visions of being carried out in a gurney on the way to the hospital, the kid inside of me couldn't contain myself. There aren't that many opportunities for me to even try a back handspring, so I thought to myself, "If I don't do it now, I will regret it tonight." I did 2 back handsprings. The first was to make sure that I could still do it and the second was because I had so much fun. I would have done it a few more times, but the kids started coming back in and I thought about how mortified I would be if I landed on one of them. How do you explain that to another parent? It's not like I can say, "Sorry my kid pushed your kid" it's more like "Sorry I landed on your kid trying to relive my youth." Though it felt great to still be able to do the back handspring, it did make me feel old because I hadn't done it in so long.
On Sunday, I spent the afternoon doing alumni interviews for Northwestern. I realized that these kids probably thought I was ancient since they were probably 5 years old when I graduated college and they were probably born near the time I graduated from high school. I can't say I blame them because I remember thinking when I was in college that 30 was old.
Lukas update: yesterday, when the nanny asked Lukas where his nariz (nose in Spanish) was, he touched his nose. That's pretty cool. He's officially cruising and I can see 4 teeth coming in on the top. We got him a little toothbrush and he loves brushing his teeth, so hopefully that means that he'll have good teeth.
On Saturday, we went to a 3 year old's birthday party where they had a bouncy house. It was a lot of fun. It was our first time in a bouncy house and for Lukas. We weren't sure if he would like it, but he LOVED it. He loves jumping in general, so when there's a place where all these kids and adults can go in and jump, he had a blast. I never realized how big these bouncy houses were. I actually was able to do some gymnastics. Now, I haven't done a back handspring in probably over 10 years. I can't even remember the last time I did it and I don't know what I was thinking. You hear about all those weekend warriors who injure themselves because they think that they can still do all the things that they used to do when they were younger. Even though in my head I had visions of being carried out in a gurney on the way to the hospital, the kid inside of me couldn't contain myself. There aren't that many opportunities for me to even try a back handspring, so I thought to myself, "If I don't do it now, I will regret it tonight." I did 2 back handsprings. The first was to make sure that I could still do it and the second was because I had so much fun. I would have done it a few more times, but the kids started coming back in and I thought about how mortified I would be if I landed on one of them. How do you explain that to another parent? It's not like I can say, "Sorry my kid pushed your kid" it's more like "Sorry I landed on your kid trying to relive my youth." Though it felt great to still be able to do the back handspring, it did make me feel old because I hadn't done it in so long.
On Sunday, I spent the afternoon doing alumni interviews for Northwestern. I realized that these kids probably thought I was ancient since they were probably 5 years old when I graduated college and they were probably born near the time I graduated from high school. I can't say I blame them because I remember thinking when I was in college that 30 was old.
Lukas update: yesterday, when the nanny asked Lukas where his nariz (nose in Spanish) was, he touched his nose. That's pretty cool. He's officially cruising and I can see 4 teeth coming in on the top. We got him a little toothbrush and he loves brushing his teeth, so hopefully that means that he'll have good teeth.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Avatar
So last weekend was a long weekend with MLK Day. We had a relaxing weekend home. On Friday, we returned to the Korean restaurant that we visited the night I gave birth to Lukas. We haven't returned in almost a year even though we liked it. It was a good time with the Banerjees, Schneiders, and Tachikis. It was kind of funny because we had a such a long table to accommodate all the kids and parents (8 adults and 6 kids). The women and children were seated in the middle of the table while the dads flanked the ends. Things have definitely changed in the last 5 years!
I also got to visit Mike and Michelle's new baby Isabella on Saturday. Lukas and Edwin didn't get to meet her because they were both sick. She was so tiny and light. I can't believe that Lukas was the same size only 10 months ago.
On Monday, we got to watch Avatar. We still had the nanny for the day since the other family had to work, so we decided to go to see it. We wanted to see it on IMAX at the Bay St. Theatre, but the tickets sold out while I was in line. Then, the 3-D version also sold out while I was in line. We were very disappointed, but then we realized that the Alameda Theatre also had it playing in 3-D. I would highly recommend it. Very entertaining and it deserves all the awards it has won. We've been very lucky that both movies we have seen in theatres lately were very good.
Another quick Lukas update, as we were leaving the house this morning, we think that Lukas was trying to say "Bye-Bye" to us. It sounded more like "Ba Ba", but it occurred as we were leaving and he said it twice. He's pretty good at saying "Ma Ma" and "Da Da" so maybe he's starting to try to speak. He started clapping last week and can also raise his arms when I say "Arms up!" Amazing that he can understand already. They do say that kids absorb information like sponges.
I also got to visit Mike and Michelle's new baby Isabella on Saturday. Lukas and Edwin didn't get to meet her because they were both sick. She was so tiny and light. I can't believe that Lukas was the same size only 10 months ago.
On Monday, we got to watch Avatar. We still had the nanny for the day since the other family had to work, so we decided to go to see it. We wanted to see it on IMAX at the Bay St. Theatre, but the tickets sold out while I was in line. Then, the 3-D version also sold out while I was in line. We were very disappointed, but then we realized that the Alameda Theatre also had it playing in 3-D. I would highly recommend it. Very entertaining and it deserves all the awards it has won. We've been very lucky that both movies we have seen in theatres lately were very good.
Another quick Lukas update, as we were leaving the house this morning, we think that Lukas was trying to say "Bye-Bye" to us. It sounded more like "Ba Ba", but it occurred as we were leaving and he said it twice. He's pretty good at saying "Ma Ma" and "Da Da" so maybe he's starting to try to speak. He started clapping last week and can also raise his arms when I say "Arms up!" Amazing that he can understand already. They do say that kids absorb information like sponges.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Learning to Let Go
Lately, Lukas has been pulling himself up to standing on the couch and on tables and shelves. He's gotten pretty proficient and the other day, he pulled himself onto me and then let go. He actually was able to stand on his own without holding on to anything for at least 3 seconds. And then he fell back onto his bottom. Edwin and I were both amazed. He hasn't tried it again since, but I don't think it will be long before he starts walking. Another funny milestone happened about a week ago. I was sitting in my glider and Lukas was sitting on my lap. All of the sudden, I hear him fart. That's not to say that he has never farted. It's just that it was usually little and pretty quiet. This time, it was loud and it sounded like it came from an adult. I guess my baby is getting bigger. When does a new mom because just a mom? Is it when your baby can say Mama? Or when your baby is considered a toddler vs. a baby? Just curious. Am I still a new mom?
Congrats to our friends Mike and Michelle who just had their baby girl Isabella on Thursday. We haven't met her yet, but we'll hopefully be able to soon! We hope you all are getting lots of sleep.
Congrats to our friends Mike and Michelle who just had their baby girl Isabella on Thursday. We haven't met her yet, but we'll hopefully be able to soon! We hope you all are getting lots of sleep.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Congrats to Show & Derek!
To begin the weekend, we celebrated the wedding of Show and Derek. They had a reception at Town Hall. It was a lovely evening in the city of dinner and friends. There was a private room and the music that they picked out was superb. I found myself singing along as I was eating my dinner which was also very yummy. The night would have ended wonderfully if I hadn't eaten something with dairy in it unbeknownst to me. It sucks to be lactose intolerant. Pictures to come later. I'm so jealous right now- Show and Derek are leaving for Japan tomorrow morning for 2 weeks. I would love to go. Someday.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Thanksgiving
Well, I finally got around to posting the photos from Lukas's 9th month which includes Thanksgiving and the beginning of the Christmas holiday. More fun times and more to come.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Back to the Grind
After not working for 10 days, it's hard to go back. Time went by so fast and now I feel like time will slow down. I know that there is at least MLK Day in 2 weeks. In February, there is Presidents Day, but then there is this dead period from March to May where there are no holidays. That is the time period that really sucks. Last year, it was nice because I got to make the most of my maternity leave during that period. I only missed getting paid one holiday for Memorial Day. I'll have to remember that for any future pregnancies.
This period of time is usually very sad. It's the end of the holidays. You have to take down all the decorations and go back to the normalcy of everyday life. At least this year, we have Show and Derek's wedding to look forward to at the end of this week. One more party before the doldrums set back in. Also, Michelle and Mike are about to have their little girl, so that's something else to look forward to. Then, we need to start thinking about Lukas's first birthday. I guess there are plenty of things to keep us busy at least for the next few weeks. All good and happy things, so maybe it's not so sad after all.
This period of time is usually very sad. It's the end of the holidays. You have to take down all the decorations and go back to the normalcy of everyday life. At least this year, we have Show and Derek's wedding to look forward to at the end of this week. One more party before the doldrums set back in. Also, Michelle and Mike are about to have their little girl, so that's something else to look forward to. Then, we need to start thinking about Lukas's first birthday. I guess there are plenty of things to keep us busy at least for the next few weeks. All good and happy things, so maybe it's not so sad after all.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
2 Short
So I didn't make my goal for last year which was to post the same number of postings as last year. However, I was only short by 2 postings. I don't even know what I have been doing the last few days, but as usual, they were busy, so I wasn't able to make my goal. I'm slightly disappointed, but I am not going to beat myself up about it. I tried. That just means that I need to post more this year. :)
I said that I wasn't going to make any resolutions, but there are a few things I would like to accomplish. First, I would like to get my haircut. This does not to be a grand ambition, but I have not had my hair cut since before Lukas was born, so it's been almost a year. I would like to make sure that I cut my hair at least twice this year. I think it will be easier this year, but I just want to put it out there because if I don't say it aloud, it probably won't happen. I did try and make appointments several times this past year, but the salon is in the city. I just need to find a new salon here in Alameda. I'm just being lazy. It's not even that I love my old salon. I'm just a creature of habit. I knew last year when I got it cut that it would be a while before I could get it cut again which is why I cut it short, but I didn't think that it would be this long.
Second, I would like to get Lukas's college fund set up. I started looking into 529 plans, but couldn't decide, so I just need to sit down and commit. I think that these are both acheiveable and things that I should be doing anyways, but having them published will just help me to accomplish them sooner, I hope.
I said that I wasn't going to make any resolutions, but there are a few things I would like to accomplish. First, I would like to get my haircut. This does not to be a grand ambition, but I have not had my hair cut since before Lukas was born, so it's been almost a year. I would like to make sure that I cut my hair at least twice this year. I think it will be easier this year, but I just want to put it out there because if I don't say it aloud, it probably won't happen. I did try and make appointments several times this past year, but the salon is in the city. I just need to find a new salon here in Alameda. I'm just being lazy. It's not even that I love my old salon. I'm just a creature of habit. I knew last year when I got it cut that it would be a while before I could get it cut again which is why I cut it short, but I didn't think that it would be this long.
Second, I would like to get Lukas's college fund set up. I started looking into 529 plans, but couldn't decide, so I just need to sit down and commit. I think that these are both acheiveable and things that I should be doing anyways, but having them published will just help me to accomplish them sooner, I hope.
Friday, January 01, 2010
Walk of Shame
In college, there used to be this term we would use for when you would walk home in the morning wearing the same clothes that you were wearing the night before- it was called the walk of shame. Now, I feel like there is a new meaning to that term. As a parent, it's when you have to leave someplace after your child has had a complete meltdown and you walk out with your child in humiliation because you feel like you have failed as a parent.
It doesn't happen to us very often, but it did last night. For Lukas's first New Years Eve, we started at his aunt Jeannette's to exchange gifts with his cuz Freeman. Then, we headed over the Banerjees for dinner. We didn't intend on staying over, but it got late and we were tired at 2AM, so we decided to stay over since Lukas was already asleep on the bed. That was a mistake. Lukas started crying uncontrollably at 4AM and we couldn't console him. This rarely happens- as in almost never. So we decided to leave the house rather than keep everyone up at 4AM. We got home bleary-eyed and exhausted where Lukas again woke up screaming. It was not a fun night and probably one of the worst nights we have had in a long time.
As a result, we started off the New Year terribly. I can only hope that each passing day this year will be better. I hope that we don't have to have anymore walks of shame. Happy New Year everyone!
It doesn't happen to us very often, but it did last night. For Lukas's first New Years Eve, we started at his aunt Jeannette's to exchange gifts with his cuz Freeman. Then, we headed over the Banerjees for dinner. We didn't intend on staying over, but it got late and we were tired at 2AM, so we decided to stay over since Lukas was already asleep on the bed. That was a mistake. Lukas started crying uncontrollably at 4AM and we couldn't console him. This rarely happens- as in almost never. So we decided to leave the house rather than keep everyone up at 4AM. We got home bleary-eyed and exhausted where Lukas again woke up screaming. It was not a fun night and probably one of the worst nights we have had in a long time.
As a result, we started off the New Year terribly. I can only hope that each passing day this year will be better. I hope that we don't have to have anymore walks of shame. Happy New Year everyone!
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