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!

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

3 Days Left

So it's been tough posting since family has been in town. The week has pretty much flown by. I'm not sure what we did as it seems like a blur. The beginning was filled with shopping and preparing for Christmas. I got 95% of it done in time. Christmas Eve was spent wrapping gifts. By the time midnight rolled around, we were too tired to finish wrapping all of Lukas's gifts. We decided that since he probably had enough to open, we didn't wrap his new clothes or some of his new books since he had already seen them anyways.

Since Lukas was already good at ripping paper, he was quite happy to open his gifts. Pictures will be coming. He received a lot of electronic toys. I tend to buy him a lot of mechanical or wooden toys. It's not that I dislike electronic toys- it's just that I am not as drawn to them. I'm glad that other people got him a few for Christmas to round out his toy collection. Pictures will be coming.

Since the grandparents were in town, we also took the opportunity to go see a movie. We got to see Sherlock Holmes which was quite enjoyable. I used to read Sherlock Holmes when I was in junior high, but I can't say that I remember much even though I read most Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's series. I did remember most of the characters. We also wanted to catch Avatar, but ran out of time.

Because I didn't post at all while family was in town, I only have 3 more days until my deadline which means that I'll need to post every day until New Years. Maybe I'll even post 2 in one day!

Bebel Gilberto

So I totally forgot to blog about the concert that we went to see her in concert a few weeks ago. She is the daughter of the Gil Gilberto and Astrud Gilberto who sang the song "The Girl from Ipanema." She is from Brazil and sang the song "So Nice" which was the song we danced to for our First Dance at our wedding. We have seen her in concert once before when we lived in SF near our old apartment. We dropped off Lukas at Jeannette's and headed over to our old neighborhood. The area felt so familiar and yet so long ago. We knew where to go since we had done the drive so many times while we lived there for 5 years, but it has been 2 years since we lived there and of course before Lukas was born.

It made us feel like we were that young urban couple again living in the city and on our way to see a concert. This is something we used to do without much effort. With Lukas, we are still able to do it, but with a lot more effort! It wasn't that long ago in terms of time, but it does feel different in terms of life stage. It's just another reminder of how our lives have changed in a short amount of time. If we get to do these types of things every once in a while, I don't think that we will miss much and we definitely feel like we got a better deal with Lukas.

Last Minute Shopping Frenzy

I remember in years past when I used to start Christmas shopping early to avoid the big crowds. I think that with online shopping it has reduced the numbers at the malls. Also, the extended shopping hours have helped to appease the masses. Finally, I think that people are spending less this holiday because of the recession. The mall was still very busy, but there weren't any crazy long lines. Maybe it's because there is still almost a week left before Christmas. Good thing because I still have a TON of shopping to do.

The World Through Lukas's Eyes

Most of the time, I think that it must be pretty easy being a baby. You get fed every 3-4 hours, you sleep 12-14 hours a day, and everyone loves you. This week though has not been one of Lukas's best weeks. He got his shots on Tuesday. He hasn't slept well the last 2 nights. Tonight, mom got home late because she had her company holiday party and then she made him take a bath which he really didn't want to, so he cried the whole time. He hardly got to see mom and when he did, it was not so fun. Life can be rough when you aren't allowed to make any decisions. I'm just trying to make it to next week. Only 3.5 more work days until I get 10 days off of work. Next week should be better for Lukas. He'll get to see his cousins and grandparents as well as celebrate his first Christmas.

9 Month Check-up

Lukas had his 9-month check-up yesterday. He is now 28 inches long and 21lbs. 7oz. That's about 9 inches and 14 pounds he has gained since birth. In other words, he is growing 1 inch and 2 pounds per month. I can easily gain 2 pounds per month, it's the 1 inch per month I was never able to master. He's at about 50% for height and 65% for weight- so he's healthy. He's got 2 bottom teeth and his pediatrician said that his upper gums are swollen, so she thinks his upper teeth may be coming soon. Isn't there a song that goes, "All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth...?" Maybe I'll start singing that one to Lukas.

He also got 4 shots yesterday- 2 were flu shots. I mention this because Lukas also woke up screaming last night at 2AM. He never does this. I am hoping and praying that this is not a trend. We have been spoiled because he usually sleeps around 9PM and wakes up around 7AM, mostly uninterrupted. If he does wake, he usually falls back asleep in 15 seconds. He doesn't even need a pacifier to sleep anymore. I rocked him to sleep for what seemed to be at least an hour. This is after Edwin and I stayed up too late decorating the Christmas tree. (Edwin really- I was registering Lukas for a class or something.) I think that Lukas was either having nightmares about the shots or in pain from the shots because he could not get back to sleep. I could tell that he really did try to go back to sleep too, but then he would cry really hard like he was in pain. Anyway, point of the story is that he didn't sleep well and so neither did we. We all hate it when he has to get his shots. Maybe that's why I'm rambling on today not getting any work done. Well, more so than normal anyways.

Lukas and Santa Meet for the First Time

Here is one of the first photos I have of Lukas with Santa. No, I still haven't found that battery charger yet, but thanks to everyone for all the suggestions. I got this photo from the filmmaker that is making a documentary about our street. Unfortunately, you cannot see his face, but I'm sure he's saying to himself, "Who is this guy? He seems so familiar, yet I can't recall how I might know him..." Look closer. You all might know him too. Hint! So there I am as Santa's helper- thus the orange vest. I help Santa remember all the boys and girls names, I help pass out candy canes, and I help people to cross the street so that cars slow down.

My baby likes to party all the time, party all the time! Last Saturday, we were invited to 3 Christmas parties. Believe it or not, we made it to all 3. We weren't sure that we would, so we RSVP'd to the third one as a maybe. Many parents thought that we were ambitious. Others just thought we were plain crazy to think that we could attend all 3 parties in one night. To be honest, we had trouble making 3 parties in one night when it was just the 2 of us, but we really wanted to attend all 3, so we thought we would try. We started early and headed off to our first party at Byron & Liza's at 5. Their party started the earliest and we arrived at 5:30 with rock star parking in Glen Park. Literally, our car was parked in front of their door which is kind of unheard of in SF. We stayed for almost 2 hours and headed out to party number 2 at Edwin's coworker's house in Pacific Heights which was only 10 minutes away. We scored great parking again less than a block away. Keep in mind that we arrived early again at 7:30PM. We stayed for an hour and a half and had to leave because this party was getting a little loud and crowded. Our last party was back in the East Bay at my former coworker's condo which also helped since it was on our way home. Lukas was a trooper and napped between each party while eating or snacking during the parties. We arrived home a little after 11:30.

Edwin and I have a few theories as to how we actually pulled this off. First, we started way early. We knew that we were limited on time and if we wanted to make it to all 3 and spend quality time there, we would need to be there close to when doors were open. Attending parties early is generally good because then you get to talk to the host since they may be busy at the height of the party and you get the best parking. Segue into reason 2, we got awesome parking and no traffic = happy transport for all involved. Reason 3- setting expectations low. We told ourselves that we would do the best we could, but we were not going to promise to attend all parties. You never know when babies are going to get sick, get tired, or just be upset. You also never know what kind of parking, traffic, or weather you will get. You get a bad combo of any of the above and sometimes, it's just better if you go home. If you are flexible and can handle not doing everything, you aren't disappointed with what you could not do, but just happy with the things you were able to achieve. Reason 4- Lukas really likes to see new things and new people. He had a great time meeting happy new people, seeing all the decorations and food, and being with mom and dad. Reason 5- we were just plain lucky.

We just picked up our Christmas tree yesterday, but we have yet to begin Christmas shopping. Anyone have any good gift ideas? We have our annual Christmas cookie baking this weekend. Woo hoo.

I am not a Twit!

I had been introduced to Twitter several years ago by my colleague who was part of the whole social media wave. It was basically his job to know about communities and how to use them to market. He was obviously very good at his job. Since he knew about blogging and twitter way before anyone else I have ever known, I consider him to be my social media guru. But I digress. Why am I telling you about my friend Jeff? When he first told me about Twitter, I told him I had no interest in it because why would I want everyone to know what I was doing at the exact time I was doing it? Very big brother and I barely wanted to carry a cell phone for that same reason. It's not that I was planning on doing anything illegal, I just couldn't believe that anyone would want to know what I was doing in my mundane life instantaneously. I mean, seriously, who wants to know if I have eaten yet besides my mom? Hmm... maybe there is a good reason to start Twitter- to reassure my mom that after more than 30 years I am capable of eating meals on a regular basis and she can check my twitter to see if I have eaten yet. OK, OK, I know, I know, it's a Chinese thing. Now, I don't even have time to update my status on twitter in 140 characters much less see what 100o of my closest friends are doing (no offense!) I figure, if someone makes that time investment to call me or email me, then I'm gonna reply. People always tell me that I am good at keeping in touch, but I think it requires too much effort to keep on top of all the newest, latest, and greatest social media experiment. Otherwise, I really can't stay in touch with people because who has the time? I say this and I work in the advertising industry. What does this say about how well I do my job? LOL. So maybe one day I'll get around to starting that newfangled Facebook thingy so that I can see everyone else's photos and updates, but for now, I am not a Twit!

Goal for the New Year

So instead of making a New Years resolution (which I will probably not keep anyways...) I have decided to give myself a new goal before the end of the year. (I'm much better under pressure anyways truth be told.) I have noticed a drop in the number of posts year over year. My goal is to post at least the same number of posts for this year as last year. That means that I pretty much have to post something every 2-3 days for me to reach this goal. I have 2 things working against me with this timeframe.

First, we cannot find our camera battery charger. This can actually be a pro and a con. I like to post photos because I feel that they are more interesting. However, it is more time-consuming because I have to download the pictures, choose the good ones to upload to Picasa, put comments on them, and finally post them. Without having to go through this process, I should technically have more time for witty content rather than relying on photos to keep my 2 readers engaged. (Hi Dad!) So if anyone has any recommendations on finding a Canon Elph battery charger or would like to donate their old one to me, please let me know. The last time we saw it was in Hawaii, so I am hoping we did not leave it at the hotel... I have done some research online to purchase a replacement and these things are pricey at $40-50! I might as well buy a new camera at those prices- which may be the route we take because our camera is about 3 years old and I think we could use a shiny, new camera...

Second item that may be an obstacle of my reaching my goal is that we have family coming into town for the holidays starting on the 22nd. I may have to do daily posts before they arrive to make sure that I achieve my goal! Not to mention the normal holiday stuff we do like shopping, annual cookie baking, and did I mention that we have 3 Christmas parties to attend this Saturday? Oh and by the way, it's my firstborn's first Christmas, so are there any special traditions I should try and start to initiate this year so that I can say in future years, "Well, we've been doing that every Christmas since Lukas was born...?"

This post is turning out to be a lot longer than I originally intended it to be. I better save up my words for future posts.

Christmas Tree Lane

Some of you may already know that our street is famous for decorating at Christmas time. I had a recent post was to a local news segment about our street. We are also being filmed for a short documentary by a journalist for the Travel Channel. I don't know if our segment will show up on The Travel Channel, but I know it's going to be submitted for a few local film festivals and we thought it would be a fun way to document Lukas's first Christmas. Allison, the filmmaker offered us a personal copy when she is finished of her submission and here is her bio and some photos of her early footage:
Small Dog on the Go

This year, I feel like people have decorated their houses a little more and there has been more news coverage about it even though this block has been decorating for Christmas every year for over 80 years. If you're curious, I also added a link to the Facebook page on the right in case you want to be a fan. I don't even use Facebook and I can't believe how viral it is. Yesterday, we started with about 135 fans and today there are over 650 fans. Anyway, it's fun and exciting to be a part of it.
Christmas Tree Lane on Facebook.

Catching up on Halloween!

OK, so I know that this is coming late, but I am finally posting the photos from Halloween. Maybe I'll try and post the photos from Thanksgiving before Christmas! LOL. Enjoy!

Check out a video about our street!

So I guess that the local public TV station (KTVU) made this video about the Christmas lights on our block. You can actually see our undecorated and dark house next to the one asking Santa to come to their house. I find it so funny that our street has been on TV twice this year. Must be a slow news year... LOL. They didn't come last year.