Viva la Vie

No Music Necessary

2012-03-07T17:54:00.003-08:00

Cuteness that fills our hearts

2012-03-02T18:46:00.002-08:00

This is the face that brightens my morning~

2012-02-28T18:33:00.002-08:00

This is usually how Sky wakes up: with cute little face and smiles... I am totally smitten...

14 Months!

2012-02-28T18:21:00.002-08:00

Sky turned 14 months yesterday. Matt and I forgot but luckily, she has grandparents who care. My folks called in via Facetime to wish her happy birthday yesterday. Today, Sky received a huge box from her grandparents in San Francisco. As you can see from the pictures, she loves her new toys. Thank you very much! And really, thank god someone remembers her birthdays!

Cuteness that is Sky.

2012-02-23T16:00:00.004-08:00

Sky and I did our very first clothing drive to collect clothes for Afghanistan kids that have nothing. Thanks for the moms in Jersey City, it was a huge success. Sky was right there next to me helping me pack and putting the clothes in the boxes.

We ended up shipping 15 large boxes and we donated rest of the clothes that weren't exactly suitable to Goodwill.
Here is Sky packing already!

Unfortunately, Jan. and Feb. were marked by a lot of sickness in our household. Sky first had a flu that lingered for about 3 weeks which morphed into a nasty stomach virus. She was puking up projectile for a day or so and she ended up loosing 2 lbs. She finally got her appetite back and back to her normal self.

Even when she was sick with fever/ throwing up, she did very little crying and was such a good sport. When I put the camera on her face, she even managed a fake smile for a second. She is such a strong girl!

Oh Yeah~

2012-02-23T15:52:00.002-08:00

Matt and I don't busy ourselves with teaching Sky something educational or useful. But anything that will make us laugh? We are game. Luckily, Sky is a good sport and has a good sense of humor already.

Shopping in Style!

2012-02-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

We went to Ikea today to pick up something for work and Sky couldn't be happier with her newest shopping cart we got for her. She walked ENTIRE Ikea store! She got a lot of smiles out of people and so much envious stares from little kids.

She is growing up so fast!

2012-02-09T14:50:00.000-08:00

I have been lazy with posts of late. Sky is VERY much her own person who requires a lot of my time. She is so much fun. But that also means it's getting harder for me to do things during the day so I am often up very late at night catching up with work. But I am not complaining. She is just so darn cute...

Holidays well spent thanks to friends

2012-01-08T20:53:00.000-08:00

This last Christmas and New Year were spent at our friends' houses. And thanks to wonderful hosts we were well fed and it was nice being with them and their extended families.

2012 didn't start without some drama though:

1/1: our water heater broke.

1/2: our car broke.

1/3: I had to go to dentist office for a cavity.

1/4: Our main sewage line broke.

Bring it on!

2011-12-27T17:11:00.000-08:00

Happy 1st Birthday, SKY!!!

2011-12-27T13:03:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't you know it, Sky turned 1 today! Time flies so fast I cannot believe she is already one. She is bit under the weather so we nixed the plan to go to the zoo. Instead, I was up late setting up a photo station to celebrate her birthday.

She woke up in good spirit, quickly turned into bit of crankiness during the breakfast. Her nose is very stuffed up. We tried to take a family picture after her meal. but she wasn't going to have any. Then I put her in the Korean birthday outfit my folks got. I even sewed the strings to attach to the headpiece but she hated it still so we had to take if off. Overall, we got a few good shots but it was trying. She passed out soon after the cake.

Sky, we love you very much and hopefully, you will be bit easier to manage on your 2nd birthday. And yes, hopefully by then, we will have some friends to invite over as well.

Almost a year round ups!

2011-12-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

Sky's 1st birthday is coming this Tues. and I am posting some pictures before the big day. Matt's expression says it all, she can be, shall we say, very engaging? She is a very good natured, tough, independent, and vocal being. I cannot wait to go through her 'no' phase...

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T12:32:00.001-08:00

Sky had her first Christmas today. I must say it wasn't very exciting, given she was more interested in plastic wrapping papers and ribbons more so than the gifts. Also, Matt and I both detest shopping. But thanks to our very thoughtful friends and family, Sky was very well rewarded. There should have been much more gifts under the tree, but her very impatient mom had opened pretty much all her gifts prior. Thank you so much Gil, she loves the puzzles; Diana, she loves the bouncy horse, and yes, she fell off of it already but she got right back on it; my parents, she loves Pororo so much; Uncle Ji, she loves the music table and this one has so many more songs than the one she has; my sister and Matt's parents for their generous donations, she is very well on track to go to any university she would like in future; Mario for making her so fashionable; and Shinae for giving her such a cool lunch box and stickers, she is already on her way to branding her name!

Cool things you get to see because you are now the parents

2011-12-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

We get to do random things we would normally pass up because we are now parents: Matt is now a member of the science center and goes there with Sky couple of times a month when I am at work and we went and saw a holiday train show at the Botanical Garden today and it was pretty awesome. I think as she gets older, we have to do more things like this. Oy vey...

Happy Early Birthday!

2011-12-19T20:54:00.000-08:00

Sky is 1 year old next week and already, her birthday celebration has begun. Her grandma and grandpa from Korea have sent her Pororo Toys that I couldn't wait and gave it to her already. Also, when we ichat with them, they sing her songs and show her the balloon they got for her. Aunt Gillian has also sent her very nice gift which arrived today. And Matt got something for her as well which I am TYRING not to open...

Mom, I got this!

2011-12-19T20:42:00.001-08:00

So Sky is not just doing her drunken baby walk (that's what I call her wobbly walk), but she is running now and she is not even 12 months yet. Also, she nails the stacking puzzles. She figured out how do do it at 10 months but now, she does it with so much speed and confidence. Here are some collages of her moments and random cuteness before she officially becomes 1 year old next week!

Jamming with Dad

2011-12-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

Just like her father, she is way into music and just like her mother, Sky LOVES John Lennon. Might be due to the fact I listened to a lot of his music when I was pregnant with her. Here is Sky having one of her many jamming session with her dad.

11 Months Round Ups

2011-12-10T19:34:00.000-08:00

Soon, Sky will be one year! It's not easy to have any free time now days since Sky is VERY mobile and active. So here are belated 11 months round ups: she is walking everywhere, I call it 'the drunken baby walk', she had her very first Thanks Giving Holiday, she loves her play dates, and loves music and dancing.

Dancing Queen!

2011-11-19T05:38:00.000-08:00

End of Fall...

2011-11-12T18:41:00.000-08:00

We are at almost end of Sky's first Fall. We are doing more indoor play dates and activities and Sky is really getting into music, singing and yes, the egg shakes. Oh, I didn't capture it on film but Sky is walking. There she goes!

Play Date and Wipe Out!

2011-11-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

I have a bit of concern about Sky being an only child. I love having siblings and it was a nice check and balances growing up. So to make up for her being an only child, I am TRYING to give her as many play dates I can find. It's bit difficult since I am not a huge fan of meeting strangers or making friends, but I am doing my very best.

So far I friended Ryniee and her handsome son Roman, and I am trying to be bit more active in Meetup activities. Sky enjoys her music classes and playing in a group. So I have booked activities for her 4 days out of a week this winter. Monday, she has a meeting at a yoga studio with kids around her age, Tues. it's play date with 18 babies, Wed. it's a music class and Fri. it's a community play date with bit older kids. Hopefully, this will be enough balance for her but no play date will make up for having a sister like mine. I hope Sky will meet Gil and Diana's sons in near future and they will become surrogate siblings.

1st Halloween!

2011-11-01T15:21:00.001-07:00

Sky's 1st Halloween was bit dampened by the Oct. snow storm we had. I will never get used to snow in Oct.! But luckily, we had picked out her costume back in hot Aug. to be a ladybug which was pretty cold weather friendly so it all worked out perfectly. In all, we had loads of fun, scared some kids off with Matt's horror sound effects which echoed throughout the block, and Sky received tons of compliments on her cuteness.

Autumn 2011

2011-10-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Yikes, today was 38 degrees... not looking forward to winter so I am going to insist it's still fall here. I got Sky her flu booster shot today, as usual, she was a trooper. She was playing at the Dr's office and I just cannot believe how fast the time has flown... I guess that's why so many of us parent's try to capture every moment with our cameras... here comes Halloween!

Happy 10 Months!

2011-10-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Sky,

It was your 10 months birthday yesterday. If you haven't figured it out yet, we think you are pretty awesome and we kind of like you a lot. You make use laugh about the silliest thing. One request though, let's try to go to bed bit earlier.

xoxo

Mom and Dad

Fall 2011

2011-10-24T16:29:00.001-07:00

Sky's first fall is met with loads of wondering eyes and giggles. Just today, she discovered pigeons for the first time at the playground and was chasing them by crawling. Soon, she will be chasing them by walking.

I love my rice!

2011-10-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

Sky is true Korean in her taste. Her favorite food? Rice and seaweed. She also used to love Daikon soup I made her until this week she moved on to grapes. But her love for rice continues. She doesn't like it when I feed her, she much prefers to feed herself. Sometimes the food makes its way to her mouth, other times, well, the pictures speak for themselves.

What we've been up to.

2011-10-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

It's been bit busy lately juggling work and Sky so I am having to play a bit of a catch up here. Sky is standing freehand from time to time. She is a speedy roadrunner with her walker. We got her winter wear complete with a stylish green down jacket. She loves taking her baths especially since I have filled her tub with the sea creatures (rubber replicas). We have become lunch play buddies with Roman and his stylish mom Ryniee. Sky is known to Roman as the 'Baby' and just today, he touched her arm and said 'beautiful'. We've been going around JC eating at different restaurants and I cannot think of a way to spend an afternoon.

I am guessing Sky will walk next month. I am excited but also apprehensive about her falling down which will happen more often. Oh well, she is determine to walk so go Sky!

9 Months!

2011-09-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

Sky has rocked our worlds since she graced our lives and turned them up side down. Cannot say dogs are happy, well may be except for Jr. who gladly takes scraps off her hands. We went for her 9 months check up today and she is super healthy and didn't even cry much after the shots. The Dr. and the nurse couldn't believe how mellow she was. That's my girl!

8 Month Milestones

2011-09-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

I feel like her developments in last few months have been tremendous. She is now her own person with her personalities and voices. She is very mellow thanks to Matt and very independent and focused like me. Here is Sky wearing a cute outfit Diana sent her.

A Tough Month

2011-09-13T14:44:00.001-07:00

September has not been kind to our household. Both Duncan and Guy are not doing well health wise and both went into surgery and we found out Guy has cancer. They have been consistent source of joy, love, companionship, stress, mess and everything else in our lives for over 12 years going on 13. I cannot imagine our lives without them but at the same time, I want to do the right thing and not let them suffer.

But both are in good spirits and have more great moments than not so I am not ready to throw in the towels. So we shall see. Neither of them are too keen on Sky but Junior and Sky are quickly becoming fast friends. Mainly since Sky has figured out how to feed him off her table. Junior is very careful with her and will not bite her which is funny since he is ready to chomp off our fingers if we were to feed him something he really wants, buy not with her.

It's very endearing and I love the fact that she is learning to share already...

Sky's first summer round ups.

2011-09-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

Sky's first summer on this earth with us was fabulous to say the least. It was amazing seeing her grow and evolve into her little person. She is definitely a Ms. Independence with a smiley face. Bring on the winter! Well, may be not so much...

Yummy Soba!

2011-08-13T18:57:00.001-07:00

Sky loves eating food especially when she gets to play with them with her hands. I found soba to be a nice 'play' food for her and healthy snack, if it ever made to her mouth.

7 Month Mile Stones!

2011-08-06T20:13:00.001-07:00

Sitting down? Check.

Crawling? Check.

Standing herself up? Check.

7 months mile stones have been very significant. I guess her walking and talking is next. Watch out!

Ice Cream + Baby = Perfect Saturday

2011-07-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

Our first outing to East Coast beach (I am not much of a beach person) was made fabulous by delicious ice cream. Who needs sand and salty water when you are under the shade eating ice cream?

Learning

2011-07-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

Sky is going through the fabulous phase where everything must go into her mouth. So trying to read and play with her can be a bit of a challenge unless I let her eat the alphabets literally. By the way, she passed the puree phase and is now eating more solid foods including little Cheerio like things with the holes in them. We couldn't resist putting one on her nose.

She wants to eat my iphone!

2011-07-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

Another Milestone!

2011-07-19T19:40:00.001-07:00

She is sitting now! She cannot get herself into a siting position by herself yet, but if I sit her down, she is able to sit and stay on sitting position for a while. This month has been full of so many milestones.

Off She Goes!

2011-07-15T19:31:00.001-07:00

Sky's learning curve has picked up the momentum and everyday she is connecting the dots and figuring things out. She has started to crawl and is starting to pull herself up and just today, stood up holding onto my legs. It's pretty awesome.

Her favorite song is 'Twinkle Twinkle Litter Star' and she is mesmerized by the Youtube video I play for her. It has over 24+ million hits and I see why. I captured her first attempts at crawling last week while I enticed her to crawl playing her favorite song and moving my lab top. And rests are some random pictures I took of her recently.

So ready to talk next?

2011-07-11T10:00:00.001-07:00

Sky figured out she can blow air and has been doing it non stop lately. It gets bit messy when she does it while eating but it's been very entertaining. Kathy at work captured it for me so perfectly yesterday.

Having too much fun?

2011-07-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

I might be having too much fun with Sky. She has an excellent sense of humor along side of me and laughs at everything I do. Yes, it's tremendously difficult to love her, can you tell?

Happy 6th Month!!!

2011-06-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

We've come far, Sky and I. In the middle of the blistering snow storm, I went into labor and had her. I hibernated inside the house bonding with her for first couple of months thanks to the weather. Now, summer is in full, we joined Mommy Meet Up group, had couple of play dates and Sky learned how to turn over and is starting to crawl backwards.

Love does not even describe the tug in my heart when I see her. Matt is so taken with her as well and wakes up every morning with a smile on his face.

To celebrate her 6th month birthday, I put her in the outfit my folks got for her and had a little photo shoot. As you can see, she is very engaging and plays with her toys very well.

Happy 6th month birthday!!!

A Toe Sucker

2011-06-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

Uhmmm, I knew I didn't want her to suck her thumb and luckily she doesn't. But she has become a toe sucker. I guess at her age, she is very flexible and she loves to suck her toe. It's cute and I for one am glad she is not walking yet since her toes are clean.

Yes, she is sassy.

2011-06-19T17:27:00.001-07:00

Need I say more? Happy Father's Day.

Yes, More Brunch Please!

2011-06-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

I work on the weekends but since I had a wedding to go to, I had a rare opportunity to have my favorite past time, having brunch with Mario. I think Sky is going to love Mario very much growing up. Already, they are starting to sync. Thanks Mario for the brunch.

Summer Wedding in Greenwich Village

2011-06-18T20:25:00.001-07:00

Today, Sky went to her very first wedding. Sayra, my muse/ fit model/ friend got married today to Bryson. It was a very intimate wedding with her family and a few close friends and I felt very privileged to have been invited. I think it had something to do with the fact that Sayra likes Sky so much :-).

It was a lovely wedding in their amazing house in Greenwich Village. I always wanted to see one of those grand brownstones inside so I got to see it today. Bryson had an amazing taste in art and furniture and it was just effortlessly chic and cozy inside. Sky luckily behaved and was smiling at everyone so she was a welcomed guest. Good for us, we got out just in time for her hissy fit due to being tired and hungry.

Congratulations to newly wed couple! And yes, she wore my dress. She truly looked stunning...

Sky being Sky = Simply Adorable

2011-06-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

Do all parents feel this way I guess? I just cannot get enough of how adorable she is! Even when she scratched my neck with her sharp nails, pull my hair out in fist full clumps and peel my skin after I burnt it from pouring hot tea on myself. Not to worry, no baby was harmed during my clumsy episodes.

Summertime Memory Making

2011-06-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially here full blast. It registered over 100 degrees yesterday, unbearable. But I felt the urge to make Sky's very first summer by making some memories and capturing them. So we braved the heat and took a drive to the Bronx Botanical Garden. Matt wanted to walk a bit but as soon as I saw the tram come near, I hopped on it so fast all you saw was the dust behind me. The roses were starting to wilt due to the heat but they were beautiful still. We will be back to see the Spanish Garden Exhibition next time.

Her Father's Daughter

2011-06-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt that Sky is her father's daughter, none. Especially if you know how they both love to sleep in in the morning. I usually grab her from her crib around 6AM to change her wet diaper and feed her while she is asleep. And then she sleeps on our bed until both Matt and Sky wake up. Lately though, she is sleeping in even more than Matt. I am a morning person so this is coming from Matt's side obviously.

Bliss = Sleeping Baby

2011-06-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

Meaning of some words have changed for me since I became a mom.

Bliss = Sleeping Baby = Happiness. Having said this, Sky really is good with her sleep so I cannot complain too much. Alas... I think it's time for Matt and I to pack up our bags and leave her room and go back to ours... I am giving us until end of this weekend. All good things must come to an end...

Feeding Solids

2011-05-31T07:37:00.001-07:00

Sky is getting hang of eating the solids now. Her favorites are banana and butternut squash. Her least favorite is green beans. She spits it out projectile style and gets it everywhere. Thanks to solids, her poop schedule is more regular but my god, the smell! It makes Juniors fart smell like flowers.

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

It was a very hot Memorial day weekend this past weekend. I had to work Sat. & Sun. and we planned on going to the botanical garden on Mon. but we realized we didn't want to battle the traffic. So we stayed in JC instead and had a lazy family day.

But most exciting thing was going to the playground and having Sky have her first go at the swing: she loved it! I think I was more excited than she was, boy, I am such a 'Mom' now... Craziest thing, we met another mom who had a daughter born on the same date as Sky. She also was having her daughter ride the swing for the first time right next to us. You can tell we were the newbies since we were all busy whipping out our cameras.

Just in 5 months

2011-05-29T05:50:00.001-07:00

Just in 5 months, Sky went from being slapped by Curious George to eating his hand. Not to mention she has grown double in size and is now towering over him: Watch out Curious George!

Also, I am attaching Sky's first solid eating experience that happened at four months in April. It was the rice cereal and she was none to pleased. She doesn't cry but still isn't that into solid. So far, she ate: banana, avocado, sweet potato, apple, green bean(her least favorite), and butternut squash.

Important Milestones

2011-05-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last post. A day goes by so fast when you are juggling work + baby + dogs + etc. But I don't want to forget important milestones. Sky is 5 months today.I cannot believe how fast time has flown but at the same time, I cannot imagine my life before her. Sky really changed our lives.

Sadly, she has gotten too big to sleep in her co-sleeper so I had to move her to her crib. Every book I read told me to do it by her 4th months, but I just couldn't, so I postponed it till next days until I realized I ran out of an excuse. So I filmed in her last day sleeping next to me on her bed. She was so happy and just being her adorable self.

Oh, did I also mention that there was not a single tear shed when she slept on her crib by herself? She slept through the night without any hitch. It was bittersweet for me though... It was sometime around her 4 moths and 2 weeks that we passed this milestone.

Below is the video of Sky turning over. She finally figured it out this week. She is now like a monkey turning over all the time. So my days of leaving her on one place and coming back to find her on the same spot are over. Her head is still bit too large for her head and she gets tired as she turns over on her video, it looks pretty sad. But I promise no baby was hurt during the filming of this segment.

And the last video is our celebration of Sky's 5 months birthday today. I am completely tone deaf. But it's the thought that counts and we sang our hearts out for our lovely daughter Sky.

Cool Baby

2011-05-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

All things done in baby scale is just so darn cute. Sky is very sensitive to sunlight so we got her a cool shades. Bono has nothing on her really. She is a one cool baby.

Do all babies grow this fast?

2011-05-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

I feel like Sky is growing up so fast. Her face is changing every day. Of course there is the case of missing hair. I think if it wasn't for her lack of hair, she will look like a toddler already. I tried to catch her changing face today. Despite the cold she has, she was a good sport. Always smiling at me and not cranky at all. Love her!

Happy Mother's Day & Parents' Day

2011-05-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to Matt's mom, aka Sky's grandmother and Happy Parents' Day for my folks. In Korea, we have it all bundled together as parents' day which I think makes more sense. I think we can all agree Sky is the best present we could ever come up with.

Spring in full bloom!

2011-05-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last post. Let's see... spring is finally here in full bloom, Matt's parents visited Sky to their delights, I worked a lot and yes, somehow I am sick again... But between passing Sky's 4 months birthday and all the craziness, we managed to stop a moment and enjoy Sky's very first spring. She is also starting to play with toys slowly but surely. Sophie beats out others since she is most chewable.

Tummy Time

2011-04-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Sky's neck muscle is getting stronger and she is getting so darn cute. She turns her head when I call her name, smiles easily and shows just a smidge of interest in her toys. She screams, I mean SCREAMS the highest pitch I ever heard when she is bored or annoyed and is starting to flip her body over. I think we are going to miss her being a blob.

Flip Video

2011-04-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

Larry and his lovely wife Joy got us the Flip video camera. Now this is a great toy for someone who is a low tech like me but loves to film things. Let the fun begin!

I was able to capture Sky waking up in the morning. She wakes up everyday with a big smile, it's so heartwarming. Also, I captured a comical moment where I am talking to Sky in English and Matt is trying to counter that in Korean.

I hope I won't bore everyone with mundane films and hopefully will get better at filming in future.

Growing Up So Fast...

2011-04-17T19:10:00.001-07:00

Spring has finally graced us with its presence. That also means Sky has already gone through winter and is about to embark spring for the first time. I have to make sure I capture some of its magic on film since spring here is so fleeting.

Sky is growing up so fast. Everyday, there is a new milestone. Just this past week, I finally decided its time for a high chair in the dining table so I ordered one. We chose a Fisher Price for it's safety rating + value, and it doesn't hurt that it comes with all the bells and whistles. Some past customers were complaining about the decorations and color scheme, but I love it's brightness after the dreary winter. And come on folks, it's a baby high chair, not a Dwell spread. Did I mention I let my Dwell subscription run out long time ago?

Here are some shots of Sky this week.

100 Day Birthday!

2011-04-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

Today is Sky's 100th Day Birthday! This is a date celebrated by Koreans celebrating a baby's health and this is the day a baby can be shown to the world after being incubated at home to insure the baby doesn't get sick for 100 days since birth. The rice cakes are eaten as a tradition so I am going to go get some today to share with some neighbors and friends.

I am just so happy Sky is so healthy and progressing with her developments so well. After sleeping through the night until 7AM this morning, she took a big poo so she should be stress free for rest of the day. She is such a great baby, I am so lucky. Also, she has now mastered her smiles and wakes up with biggest smiles every morning when she sees me. She started to play with toys by putting them in her mouth as well this week.

Although I am going to miss her being a baby, I cannot wait to see what kind of person she grows into. She also received a lovely card from her grandparents in Korea in celebration of her 100 Day Birthday and a lovely call from her aunt Yoolim from Singapore. We all love her so very much...

Happy 3 Month Birthday!

2011-03-29T20:05:00.001-07:00

Sky's 1st train ride to NYC. She frowned all the way while Matt and I were beaming with the pride.

Brunch on her 3rd month birthday at our Mexican stroller friendly restaurant.
Sky has been with us for 3 months now and we cannot imagine our lives without her. In short 3 months (which feels like 3 years), she has grown double in weight. She has now progressed to 80 percentile in weight and whopping 98 percentile in height. Unlike her rather short mom and dad, she is very tall for her age. She is already wearing 9-12 months clothes!

She can almost hold her head now. She smiles and giggles when she sees me, sleeps very soundly at night, cries when I am work, enjoys her strolls in the morning, babble talks all the time, gets angry is something doesn't settle well with her, really she is almost a whole person.

I love kissing her face and she responds back with a smile often. She just warms my heart...

Awwww Meghan

2011-03-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

When economy hit the shitter and I had to shut the business I had poured my heart and soul into 2009, it broke my heart. Not because I was losing what I had built, but because I had to let go of my family: my employees. I actually never used the word employees, they were co-workers. I still have flashes of that day, and miss the unit we had and the jokes we shared.

So it's especially heartwarming to me that most of them keep in touch with me. Meghan is very special. A free spirit, loving survivor. I used the word survivor because she overcame some major losses in her life to become a beautiful person she is today.

I am so grateful that despite the fact that she is currently living all the way across from the globe, in Korea, she sent me a care package filled with things she picked out lovingly. Sky is bit too young for the books and the smashing outfit she picked out but the hat fits her perfectly.

Thank you Meghan, you warmed my heart, truly.

Sky meets Mimi & Zack

2011-03-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

Mimi and Zack rode their bicycles and risked getting another HEFTY tickets (long story...) to meet up with us for Brunch this past Sunday. They wanted to meet Sky. It was especially very nice of them since I chose the time at 10:30 AM which technically was only 9:30 since it had just switched over to the Day Light Saving Time. To do that to someone on Sunday is borderline cruel but they were good sports. Sky behaved relatively well, didn't splash her smiles at them. Occasional scowl was present but overall, she liked them very much. Thanks for coming out to meet us!

Happy Anniversary Via Inlaws

2011-03-15T18:30:00.001-07:00

Every year, Matt and I are reminded of our anniversary thanks to my in laws. My mother in law without fail sends us a card reminding us of the day plus a generous donation to us non celebratory folks. It doesn't help that we eloped in Vegas either. For the life of me, I cannot remember when we got married.

I guess what's important is that Matt and I still love each other very much and we even procreated an offspring. Can you tell I am a non romantic type? The in laws even sent us a Valentine's day card as well, spreading the love. I think 14 years Matt and I have been together, we had one dinner out that day celebrating that day. Of course that was while we were still in 'Courting' phase.

Thank you very much for reminding us of these days that we seem to just let go. Here are some shots of the cards I got this year from them.

Love you forever and ever.

2011-03-12T19:09:00.000-08:00

Is it possible to love someone so much? This is how my parents felt about us children? I am humbled.

Daddy's Little Girl

2011-03-12T08:05:00.000-08:00

I was downstairs catching up with work for couple of hours and I come upstairs to find these two just lounging on the bed. Matt is very playful with Sky while I am more of a nurturer. He is very attentive while he is awake (when he is asleep, he does not hear her cries), and she responds to him by showering him with smiles. I cannot believe how fast she is growing up!

Sky's sound filled day

2011-03-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

Very little narration is needed with this video. Only thing I would like to say is that Sky fills my days with laughter.

Thanks Sam, let's do it again!

2011-03-07T16:03:00.000-08:00

We met with Sam and his family for a brunch on Saturday. Their daughter Nooria blew Matt and I away with her well manner and wonderful disposition. We hope Sky grows up to be much like Nooria. Being an only child herself, Nooria was very taken with Sky and didn't want to say goodbye when we parted, it was so endearing. I was bummed I forgot to take the picture of our get together but Sam sent me some shots he took with his phone camera today. Thanks Sam, let's do it again soon!

My Favorite Things

2011-03-06T16:14:00.001-08:00

Sky I think is already interested in some food other than breast milk. In just several more months dear...

I love going out for a brunch on the weekends. It's relaxed, you are not in a hurry and one of my favorite ritual. My good friend Mario and I used to go out for the brunch when we both lived in Los Angeles. And luckily, he moved to Jersey City a few years ago for work as well. But we didn't get together much for the brunch until now. Matt used to hate going out and we would literally have to quarrel to go out for a brunch or any meal if ever.

Now that we have Sky, Matt is all game. and for two weekends in a row, we went out for a brunch and caught up with our friends. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of Sam's lovely family when we had a long brunch. So today, I made sure to take some shots when we went out for a brunch with Mario. It felt like we were back in Los Angeles, well almost.

New Discoveries

2011-03-05T21:13:00.000-08:00

It feels like forever ago we had Sky but she has just been around 9 weeks. I cannot believe it! Since then, she has grown so much and withnessed so many new discoveries. She has discovered her fists: she loves to chump on them when she gets bit hungry. She literally licks her entire fist and slurps it like it's the most delicious thing in the world. Her eye sight is better than ever and she loves to fixate on light fixtures and her mobile. Gillian gave us the Fisher Price lullaby light that you hang on the crib. She is mesmerized by its light and movement of the fish. She stares at it when she is in good mood and literally has a deep conversation with it with her cooing noise. She has also mastered her daily ichat with her grandparents and stares at the computer screen and even smile at them each time. Oh yes, forgot to mention, she smiles now, not consistently but she breaks out in smile several times a day. It's short lived but very effective in melting our hearts.

The hounds have also accepted her into our clan. Duncan especially has now mellowed out and does not bark at her cries nor growl at her. Junior also has now acknowledged her existence by smelling her head now and then.

She feels better today!

2011-02-26T09:31:00.000-08:00

I gave Sky my cold and she wasn't happy. She was having a real rough time yesterday: couldn't breath well nor eat since she doesn't know how to breath out of her mouth yet. She sounded like a old man how has been smoking all her life. At one point she was struggling so badly I started to cry out of guilt. We finally had to do the dreaded washing the nostrils with the saline solution cure.

I of course called my 101 go to person, Gillian and she calmed me down and gave us a solid instruction on how to do it. I really don't know what I would do without Gillian. Thank you!

Matt was up with her until 4AM and I was with her for the rest and happy to report, she is feeling a lot better. I even had a chance to have a bit of fun with her. I have to go back to work tomorrow and I hope she is all better by tonight...

Ouch!

2011-02-24T08:01:00.001-08:00

All my friends are sending me the video of their babies laughing/ smiling. Sky on the other hand, a smile comes very rarely and a laugh so far has escaped her. Scowling/ frowning on the other hand, she has mastered. I should try to smile more since I feel very responsible for this. Oh well, she will not grow up to be a light-hearted-ditzy at least.
I see a lot of Yoolim on her face.
It's been a while since I posted anything about Junior so I am giving him a shout out. Here he is resting at Sky's room. He has been so down since my dad left, he hardly wants to leave the kitchen. I feel so bad for him. I should try to play with him more but with a baby around, it's harder than I thought.
Here are the badges of honor after the horrible shots Sky had to endure for her 1st immunization shots. She has so many more to go through...

We had Sky's 2 month check up today. Okay, so I am all for immunization but do they really have to give a little baby 4 shots at one appointment? Her poor chubby little legs got stabbed pretty badly and she screamed, I mean SCREAMED in pain... Also, the doctor told us she will be lethargic and cranky afterwards, and boy, she cried the entire time rest of the day. I think she was in a lot of pain. She was so tired she would sleep and wake up remembering the pain/ be still in pain and cry. I felt so bad for her. She didn't really eat either. Luckily, around 2AM, I woke her up and she was so parched and hungry she finally took to the breast feeding. I did it every other hour and by the 7AM rolled in, she was back to herself again.

Also, there was something funky going on with her belly button. She has herniated belly button which should eventually heel itself but there was a lump growing. The doctor assured us it's okay, and he put some chemical to burn it off which made her belly button turn black. It did not look pretty let me just tell you...

It was rough 2nd month, and I am not looking forward to doing this every other month...

On a happier note, she is over 90% on weight and 73% on height. I have done swell job fattening her up, and she is growing out of her clothes faster than I can count. I hope her legs grow longer faster to match her super long torso :-).

L.O.V.E.

2011-02-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

It's difficult to sum up the words to describe the emptiness I feel now that my parents went back to Seoul. The house seems so quiet and I keep hoping that they are still here... Some socks, toiletries, and articles of theirs left behind only makes me miss them more. Sky was bit fussier than normal and didn't really sleep much. She would cry as soon as I put her down. May be even she is missing their presence since her days were filled with them dotting over her... Love is a strong bond... My mom is just like me, she isn't too fond of taking the pictures so I don't have may shots of her while she was here. So here are the pictures that conjure up the word 'Love' for me today.

A cure of for the Winter Blues!

2011-02-19T05:43:00.000-08:00

Three generations of 'Lee's posing for the picture in the atrium.
Waiting for the tram tour and having a snack break.
Dad having a 'moment' with the tree.

This area was called the 'The Garden of Africa'. It reminded us of Los Angeles.

The stroller was not allowed in the atrium which I thought was unfair. The wheelchair is allowed. It's not like the baby can walk itself... so I had to carry her. She is getting heavier so my shoulders are getting very sore, but I love having her in my arms.

We had just a one more day of 60+ degree weather this past Friday and I wasn't going to waste it. So I asked my next door neighbor Robert, who is one of the best hosts, traveler and a native New Yorker. He suggested we go to New York Botanical Garden in Bronx. I don't know why I didn't think of this before. It was a perfect cure for the Winter Blues. 200+ acres of sprawling landscaped trees, not to mention most beautiful greenhouse with all the tropical and cactus plants.

We were so taken by the place, we got the year membership and vowed to return in spring when the flowers will be in full bloom. It was a perfect ending to spending a winter with my folks. Hopefully we will see each other soon. Thank you so much for all the help and loving Sky so much. She is very lucky girl. I am going to miss waking up to sweet bacon smell every morning and the dogs are going to miss you feeding and walking them. Matt and I are in real trouble now...

A hint of spring

2011-02-19T05:30:00.000-08:00

All that walk tired Matt and Sky out. They were quickly passed out on the couch.
The canal where people have their own docks reminds me of somewhere in Europe. One would never know it's in Jersey City. JC really is huge and has so many different faces. The neighbors are friendly, it's cleaner and less crowded than Brooklyn and has better transportation.

We absolutely had a dreadful winter this year. I feel like it just gets worse and question my decision to move to east coast 5 years ago from Sunny California. If it wasn't for Sky being born this winter, we would have had such a grey winter.

But things turned around a bit this week and we hit the 60 degree marks. And since my folks are leaving this weekend and I wanted to take more pictures with them, we took a stroll around Liberty State Park in Jersey City.

Finally, family photos!

2011-02-12T13:03:00.001-08:00

I don't know why I waited this long to take pictures with Sky. I just don't like taking the pictures generally but once we did it, it was so easy! One amazing thing to note is that Sky LOVES staring at the camera. Every shot we took of hers yesterday, she was looking right at the lense without us even coaching her.

Also, we've decided to do a test run of an outing today that involves more than going to the Dr's appointments. So we went out to Ikea. She did great. She was very interested in all the lights on the ceiling. We gave her a big 'Pass' grade for today's outing. We will try going to NYC for the first time on Mon. since the weather is supposed to be mild. So she gets to see my work.

My folks will be leaving us next Sun. and we are very sad at the thought. They showered her with so much love, I think that has a lot to do with how calm she is. She is so well cared for. I hope I can keep it up once they are gone...

Thank you Joanna, Simon + Maya!

2011-02-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

I still didn't take a picture with Sky yet. Between breast feeding, changing diapers, replying work e-mails, doing the laundry + other chores, my days just fly by. Matter fact, my folks are leaving us in less than two weeks. I have no idea what we are going to do after they are gone, we will truly miss, and be lost without them. But I am determined to take pictures of us. Hopefully tomorrow...

But of course, we always have time for Sky's close ups. And thanks to the Green family, she was looking especially hip today. Believe it or not, it's the very first dress she has worn! For having a mom who designs dresses, it's ironic I didn't get her any. Thank you so much Joanna, Simon and Maya! Thanks to you folks, I am finally going to get out of our house and go shopping to find something stylish for Maya this weekend, with the baby in tow. Hopefully the weather will cooperate!

Tummy Time

2011-02-04T14:47:00.001-08:00

Trying to capture every moment as possible since she is growing up so fast already! But as Joanna has pointed out, there is no picture of me and Sky. As much as I hate taking the picture, I should take a picture of her and I for her sake. So next week, I am going to wear vomit free clothes and brush my hair, and who knows, I will even put some make up on (hadn't done this for over a year). Stay tuned.

So Much Care

2011-02-01T13:34:00.001-08:00

This absolutely lovely card is from Helms family all the way from San Francisco. It also came with spectacular packaging of a gift, a wonderful flash cards.
Having Sky made a sentimental person out of me. I love all these lovely cute cards. I am even saving them, me, saving a momento.
I was so excited when we got this parcel in the mailbox. It's Sky's very own package! I didn't know who sent it to us but as you can see, it was written in most perfect hand writing. It was from the Green family who were so thoughtful to think of our Skylar all the way from Australia on their vacation!

This Past Weekend

2011-02-01T13:04:00.000-08:00

It's true, as much as we love the hounds, they have become the 2nd citizens since we had Sky. Duncan is jealous, Guys coping okay and Jr is depressed. We try to tell them we love them still but they sense the clan order have been broken. Alas, so for the first time, we went out for a walk with them, Matt and I along w/ Sky.

We tested out the Baby Bjorn carrier and so far, success. She slept through the whole walk. But I can see she will outgrow it fast.
Matt being a proud kangaroo papa.
Erin got us this pink snow outfit. So before we went out for a walk, we put it on her and she was too passed out to care.
We invited the dames on 8th st. These are trio of ladies, Josie, Terri and Alba who were born and raised on our block. They swear like sailors and tough ladies but once you get to know them, the kindest and most generous people you would meet. They were genuinely thrilled that I had a baby and couldn't wait to meet her. So I invited them over along with my other neighbors for brunch this Sunday.

Many Faces of Sky

2011-02-01T12:55:00.001-08:00

I imagine her hands will grow quickly along with the rest of her body. So while I can, I took the shots of her tiny hands holding on to mine. It's an awesome feeling.

Sky lounging on the dining table as we eat dinner. Of course we cannot do this for much longer, only while she is able to move. Unless she is asleep, she can only sit on that chair for about two minutes until she starts balling.

Here we have it folks! This is the face Sky makes right as she is ready to poo. She also exhales along with that doughnut mouth shape she makes. It's the funniest thing!

1 Month!

2011-01-27T15:43:00.000-08:00

Because she is my daughter, and because I frown a lot and tends to be a serious person, she took it after her mama and she has the same expression. I cannot wait for her to start cracking a smile at us. She is going to get away with murder when she asks for things from us with her smile...
Sky loves sleeping on my tummy. I think she remembers what it was like when she was inside of it. I just stare at her in awe and cannot believe I carried her inside. Now that she has grown more than 2 lbs and 1" since birth, I don't think she will fit inside of me anymore. The stretch marks don't even bother me as much, I just have to look at her and be reminded it was all worth it.
My dad, once again being a trooper and shoveling the snow at the crack of dawn...
I cannot believe just one month ago today, our Sky was born. It feels like so long ago. Ironically, we woke up today again to a major snow storm just like the day I went into labor. Luckily though today, we didn't have to drive anywhere. I cannot wait for spring to come already so we can show the rest of the world outside our house to Sky...

Random Precious Moments

2011-01-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Matt playing with Sky. He calls it a roller coaster ride, you get the idea. Gives my mom a heart attack whenever he does this. That's Duncan looking over them.
So Duncan is annoyed that we brought a new addition to our clan. He barks when she cries and we caught him growling at her twice... so we separate them for now, and we are going to slowly introduce them when she is bit bigger. I am confident that he will love her once she is her own little person. My folks are not too happy about Duncan's behavior so they don't allow him to come into her play room. But I feel bad and I let him in so he can check out the place now and then.
Sky has a VERY healthy appetite. Here is a picture of her nursing on me. I am all for breast feeding but it's EXHAUSTING. I totally get why people opt to bottle feed. I am determined to breast feed, hopefully I can continue until the end.
I wonder what Sky is thinking looking at her grandpa. My dad is totally over the moon by the way.
Guy being such a well behaved dog he is, has already likened himself to Sky. He is the only one I can sneak in to the nursery with my folks' approval. I am sure his size has a lot do do it as well. Really though, he is such a well behaved dog.
Guy checking out the play time Matt is having with Sky.
Sky being her adorable self.

It was very cold today. Starting to get bit of cabin fever. I cannot wait for spring to be here already. Anyhow, here are some mix bag of pictures to brighten up my day.

3rd Week Birthday

2011-01-17T12:26:00.000-08:00

Today is Sky's 3rd week anniversary of being born. It just happens to be the day we had to go back to the hospital to get the hearing test. When Sky was born, she failed two hearing tests on her right ear. It didn't bother me since she already had a good ear with the left one. As long as she was healthy, which she was & is, that seemed very minor. She was wired on both ears, forehead and the back of her neck for the test. It looked very futuristic.

Sky at the Englewood Hospital getting her hearing test done. 3rd time is the charm, she passed! She of course pooped twice during the test, it was funny and funky (smell wise). She passed with less than a minute left on the test. Way to make mom and dad sweat!
This is the pose Sky likes to sleep in. With one arm tilted back of her head and one reaching out to the sky. I think she will make an excellent pianist. She hates being swaddled, so there goes so many swaddle blankets we got from Gil. But we will put them to other use.
She doesn't quite smile yet, but once in a while, we catch her smiling accidentally, not intensionally. She was playing with her grandma and she was in good mood so we have this picture of her smiling into the oblivion while grandma was changing her diaper.
Growing up, my dad was away a lot due to covering politics as a journalist. He was quite serious as well. He didn't play with us children much. It's very endearing to see how much he is into taking care of Sky and playing with her.

2 Week Birthday!

2011-01-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

Her belly button fell off yesterday and we are not keeping the umbilical cord, but Matt decided to take the opportunity to take some photos for keepsake. That crusty dried up thing next to the Dr Surf is her umbilical cord dried up. Gross? Yes. Funny? Sure. I think she will appreciate this picture much more than us hanging onto actual cord.
On our way to the pediatrician's office. Car ride always put her to sleep. It's Magic!
Mom is really enjoy being a grandmother. She takes Sky as soon as I am done feeding her. She plays, sings, reads, massages and all sorts of goodies with her. But what I didn't realize until today was just how much FUN she was having with Sky posing her with her all toys.

There is a baby in there among the stuff animals.
Sky is smaller than the Curious George!
It is Sky's 2 weeks birthday today. We celebrated by going to the pediatrician's office to get her health update. She has gained 1 lbs since birth and grown 1/2". I felt very proud since breast feeding her has been very challenging. She of course had an epic poop and pee at the Dr's office which explains her hissy fit. But we got a clean bill of health + got a complement from the Dr how cute she was.

Play Time & Her Very 1st Book

2011-01-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

Not that we would go outside, but it's snowing again and we are just lounging around staring at her. That is when she is not crying. She was in good mood today so we took the opportunity to play with mobile. My mom is also excellent at baby massage which she loves and stretches her little body straight whenever grandma gives her one. Also, it's been highly effective in making her poo. Only problem, it's MASSIVE when she does her number 2.

She is so darn cute to us that I just want to capture her every expression.
She frowns a bit when she is thinking. I wonder what goes through her tiny brain right now. She makes the funniest face when she poos, but I have not been able to capture it on camera yet. I most definitely will try to do that.
Here we are showing her very first book. She is interested and focuses on it more than anything else.

I asked my folks to bring loads of books from Korea so she can learn her mother's language early on, it's very important to me. After torturing me with her crying last night (she did finally go to bed around 3AM), she woke up late, well rested and alert. So my mom and I decided to get her into reading her very first book. It's not much of reading since it's all black and white graphics, but she does stare at it follows the images as I rotate them. The book is called 'Focus' and it is making her eyes focus for sure.

Love

2011-01-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

Her first bath: 12/31/2010

2011-01-01T15:57:00.001-08:00

In anticipation of 2011, we gave Sky her very first bath in the world. My mom and Matt gave her bath while I filmed it. I am only posting what is Kosher. All I have to say is that she is not a fan of taking bath for now.

Happy New Year! I have to say, this is going to be the most fun year for me personally. I cannot wait to see how she will evolve and become her own little person.

Dec. 29th 2010: Came Home!

2011-01-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

Her face is changing everyday. Her cone shaped head thanks to natural birth is changing back to round shape and her face have become less puffy. Being a novice mom, I already panicked because she is not pooping and urinating enough and took her to her first dr. visit today driving 4 hours total. All is fine, it was a false alarm and she lost 6 oz already. I think it contributed her face becoming less puffy and she is just so cute!

Dogs as expected are acting bit strange. They are very quiet, bit depressed, and will not come near her. Guy and Duncan are acting super needy and are basically will not leave me alone, they have become my shadow. I think once Sky grows up a bit and can play with them, they will be stoked. Until then, we try to give them as much attention as possible but it is true, our dinamics have changed forever.
Precious Cargo: Sky coming home all bundled up on the car seat underneath a wonderful quilt her aunt Yoolim got her from Bali: traditional Bali hand made quit.
Matt playing with Sky before we get discharged to go home.

Sky's 1st day in this world: Dec. 28th, 2010

2011-01-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

Sky had her first visitors today, her grandparents from Korea! My mom and dad waited LONG time to be grandparents, I think they actually gave up on the idea until we decided to conceive. My mom was very smitten. They came bearing seaweed soup which is a must for the mothers who give birth in Korea, and also Kimbap. They were very delicious and much appreciated.
Matt is completely in love with Sky. The way he looks are her is very endearing. Love at first sight.

Sky's adoring grandparents looking at her. Such a happy event.

Skylar Noeul Lee Schoenfeld

2011-01-01T14:36:00.000-08:00

Skylar Noeul Lee Schoenfeld

Born: 12/27/2010 at 9:53PM

Weight: 7lbs and 12oz

Skylar: Means scholar, we are going to call her Sky.

Noeul: Means sunset in Korean, a name my dad came up with.

We cannot believe we have a little daughter, and how precious she is. We love her very much and we just stare at her in awe...

The actual labor.

2011-01-01T14:35:00.001-08:00

Hospital staffs getting ready for our daughter prior to birth and Matt waiting around.
Honestly, I was never more at peace with myself and happy than during labor. I waited for this for last two years with much heartache. I was about to have my happy ending after all. My nurse Elise and Dr. Jaffe were both amazed at how peaceful I was. I never screamed in pain/ made any complaining noise other than laughing and crying out of joy. It was a very smooth transition into labor. I arrived at the hospital around 11AM and had my daughter at 9:53 PM. It was a natural birth.
All was ready for our daughter by the staffs at the hospital!
And she came crying out loud. It was such an emotional moment. People who know me knows that I do not cry. This was an exception. I cried out of joy when she came out and heard her cry. She was alive!
I don't think she was as excited to see us as Matt and I were. Her cries were very loud and clear.

Our drive to the hospital on Dec. 27th.

2011-01-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

Me happy as I could be that we arrived at the hospital timely, safely and are about to give birth!
Matt arriving at the hospital with the luggage I had ready for last 3 months.
I don't think there was any happier mother to be in labor, navigating through the snow storm that day.
Matt was excited, happy but also very nervous about going to the hospital due to the road condition. We so many stranded cars on our way to the hospital.
The road condition was treacherous to say the least. Many streets were not plowed and highway exits were closed due to too much snow.

I went on labor on Dec. 27th 2010 at 3AM!

2011-01-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

I was dying to give birth to shed the gigantic weight I have gained plus I wanted to see our little girl's face so badly. I thought for sure that I would have her by Christmas but it came and went. So came Dec. 26th, the BIG SNOW STORM in East Coast. It snowed so much that we were all joking that we were glad I didn't go into labor. Matt told me no matter what, do not go into labor. But just in case, my dear dad and Matt were wise enough to work on the car and the sidewalk. My dad especially, woke up early and shovel the snow at 6AM for 3 hours.

But as luck would have it, my water broke at 3AM. I couldn't believe it! I called the doctor and we both agreed we should wait until the sunrise to deliver the baby since my contraction was very mild.

Even my dad and Matt worked on the car all night long, when the morning came, the car was buried no matter what. It snowed over 2 feet!

My parents posing for a second trying to dig out the snow so I can get to the hospital.

My parents looking out through the window the incredible snowstorm we were having. They couldn't believe how much it was snowing.

Matt getting the snow off the car every couple of hours BEFORE I went on labor, just in case. How right he was to do this!

Love: From the two generations of women

2010-12-14T14:17:00.000-08:00

My mom brought me yardages after yardages of cotton gauze to make the cloth diaper. May be it's due to nostalgia but I love the cloth diapers I grew up in along w/ everyone in my generation. I thought they would make handy everything, throw towel, wipes for her face, for her diaper changing pad covering, etc.

So while we wait for her to come out, we spent all day cutting and sewing 84 diapers for her. I kind of had a moment of clarity where I felt the tremendous love coming from my mom to me and me to my baby, two generations of women getting ready for the 3rd. It was an awesome feeling. Thanks mom!

Getting ready for my folks!

2010-12-09T20:40:00.000-08:00

My dad loves flowers so got the flowers for him so he can enjoy them.

I am very excited to have my parents come visit me tomorrow. I wanted to get a lot done before they got here, but alas, my pregnant brain fart has deterred my planning. I locked myself out of car at Wholefood and it took AAA over 2 1/2 hours to get to me. To make the matters worse, it's FREEZING today so I got freezer burn all over my butt and legs, ouch. But still excited, I came home very late and prepared lunch for them for tomorrow.

It's Cornish Hen stuffed with sticky rice, fresh ginseng, ginger, dates, chestnut, and garlic. It's supposed to be very good for your health. And since my parents will be arriving from a very long flight, I figured something like this will wear off any airplane funky virus. It needs to cook for hours, so I started to make them today.

Cannot wait to see them!!!

From Paris with Love

2010-12-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

My dearest Mario went to Paris for a vacation and came back with the most adorable present for our girl: it's a bunny with the wings in Liberty Print! I have always been a huge fan of Liberty and it's so cute in a little stuff animal. Thanks Mario, she will treasure it I am sure! And also for other goodies!

Spoka

2010-11-29T15:27:00.000-08:00

Matt found this Spoka light from Ikea to put it with the toys in the crib. He loves it but I am on the fence. I think it's creepy and will give her nightmares. Especially the way it lights up the toys. But a marriage is about a compromise and I cannot hawk how we decorate 100% so for now, I am relenting. He even made a video and just like a good sound engineer he added a song that goes with it. At least he is having fun.

Presents from Matt's Parents

2010-11-29T15:04:00.000-08:00

Matt's parents came down from San Francisco for the Thanks Giving Holiday and they brought some presents for our little girl. They spent their summer in Europe going around many different countries and they bought a sundress from Greece and a sweater and a dress from France. It's for when she is much bigger so we will store it for her until she is old enough to wear.

She also gave us Matt's old baby clothes. That means she saved them for over 36 years! They are truly vintage. It's kind of groovy with a lot of sailor outfit theme.