A day in the life of a pug-obsessed, knitaholic stay-at-home mom

Great Minds Poop Alike

2010-03-11T21:00:00.001-08:00

It's been my goal this week to snap a picture of my two kids together. I have hundreds (probably thousands) of pictures of the Boo. I'm starting to amass quite a collection of pictures of the She-Boo as well. But what I really wanted was a picture of both of them. After all, there's room for only one photo on the homescreen of my Blackberry, as my desktop wallpaper, and as my Facebook profile pic. Lest I be accused of playing favorites, this means that I need a picture of both of my offspring together. Since Calliope's still a floppy little newborn who needs head support and her brother is a rowdy two-year-old who doesn't realize the power of his own toddler strength, this is the closest that I got:
. Yep, that's Benjamin pooping. And Calliope? I realized a moment after this picture was taken that she was pooping, too.

The She-Boo Cometh

2010-03-09T14:41:00.000-08:00

A bit more than two weeks has passed since Calliope's birth, and I've finally had a chance to sit down, relax abitandcatchmybreat--- Ok, so not really. Life with two kids leaves with me far less time than than life with one. But I digress...
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As I mentioned in the previous post, Calliope came few days in advance of her scheduled c-section date. With all of the preterm labor I'd been having during the last trimester, I had a feeling that she'd come early, but I was still shocked that the date she chose was her brother's birthday! The night before she was born, I began having regular contractions, but they went away after three hours, and I called it a night. The next morning, my OB checked me out, determined that I was most likely in the early stages of labor, and sent me to the hospital. By the late afternoon, I was contracting like crazy, and by 7 pm...

... we had a new baby girl!

The next day was spent in the throes of new parenthood. Vince and I blearily got through the first night with Calliope. I struggled to remember what it was like to breastfeed a newborn and missed my firstborn something awful. Both sets of grandparents came by for a visit. I continued to look six months pregnant. It was wonderfully, blissfully uneventful.

By the next day, however, Calliope was beginning to look a little yellow. Not quite Lisa Simpson yellow, but more than Asian baby yellow. Blood tests revealed that she had hyperbilirubinemia, AKA jaundice, which is fairly common with newborns. The blood tests also revealed that she had likely inherited spherocytosis, the same red blood cell disorder that Benjamin had inherited from his Dad.
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After a night spent under the bili-lights in the nursery didn't stop her bilirubin from climbing, she was moved to the Neonatal ICU. Benjamin had been a prior tenant of the NICU, but he checked out of the hospital only one day after I did. Calliope, on the other hand, would go on to stay a total of 12 days.

During her time there, she continued to receive more light therapy as well as intravenous fluids. To combat her falling hematocrit, she also received two separate blood transfusions. They weren't able to find a vein to start the IV in, so they were forced to shave off some of her hair and transfuse her through a vein her forehead.

It looks like a macabre sort of barrette, doesn't it? It's baby's first hair accessory! Hey, I have to look at the bright side of things.

Since I wasn't allowed to drive so soon after my c-section, we developed a routine in which Vince would drop me off in the mornings around 7:30, I would stay to nurse her through several feedings, and then my mom would pick me up in the afternoon. In between feedings, I would pump, eat, or walk aimlessly around the nearby shopping mall. Luckily, I was still far (VERY far) from my prepartum weight, so I wasn't tempted to buy much.

Another lucky thing was that the NICU visiting policy had recently changed. My parents were permitted to take turns coming in with me to Calliope's bedside. Though they weren't able to stay with me the entire time, it was very nice to have their company while they were there.

To give her the maximum amount of exposure under the bili-lights, we were only allowed to take her out of her isolette for feedings for 20 minutes every three hours. This meant that we spent an awful lot of time just standing there staring at her. In the process of doing so, we determined that she looked like a female version of Benjamin, and this led Vince to give her her nickname: The She-Boo.
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After nearly two weeks of watching her levels - and our hopes - go up and down, the She-Boo was stable enough to bring home. As we drove away from the hospital, we talked excitedly about how Benjamin would react to his baby sister. Would he be jealous? Antagonistic? Indifferent? The reality was better than we could have hoped for:

Did you see that smile on his face? That's a warm welcome if I ever saw one! In case you're wondering, the two things that you heard his saying over and over were mei mei ("little sister" in Chinese) and ching ching ("kiss kiss" in Chinese).
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It might've helped that she came bearing a gift! Gift or not, the Boo seemed to take to his sister immediately. And as I watched him react to her, it finally hit me - we're now a family of four.

Welcome home, Calliope!

Calliope

2010-02-28T20:42:00.000-08:00

Meet Calliope Josephine Chan. She was born February 23 at 6:59 in the evening. She wasn't scheduled to come out until February 27, but the little girl was just hell-bent on stealing her brother's birthday. Let the sibling rivalry begin!
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We choose the name "Calliope" because it means "beautiful voice." We named her "Josephine" after the woman who has done more to help me in my own journey through motherhood than anyone else - my mother, the strongest, most selfless, and most loving person that I know.
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I'll be back later to write more about her hectic first week of life. For now, I need to go catch a few zzzzz's!

Congratulations, Leon and Claire!

2010-02-22T13:58:00.001-08:00

Cristian Ren-Jie Liu was born to my little bro Leon and his wife Claire on February 19 in Singapore. He weighed a healthy 7.5 lbs and had a full head of wavy black hair. Congratulations, Ree and Claire!

Belly Dancing

2010-02-21T13:08:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that in less than a week, the little creature that's been growing in my belly since last June will be an actual child I'll be able to hold in my arms. Part of me is ready for this journey to be over. So long, swollen feet! Bye, bye, backaches! Adios, rude comments about how huuuuuuuge I've gotten! On the other hand, I know that the real trials start once the pregnancy is over and the baby is out. And does the baby ever want to get out! I mean, does it look like my belly can stretch much more than this?
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It's like I turned into a giant, flesh-colored watermelon on toothpicks. Actually, replace "watermelon" with "bag of cats," because sometimes that's what it looks like.

Frightening, isn't it? I don't know about you, but it makes me think of a certain scene from a certain movie involving an alien and Sigourney Weaver.

Before the big day arrives, we're cherishing our last moments with just the Boo. Yesterday, we took a stroll to the neighborhood farmer's market with our buddies the Bowens. Once there, Benjamin and Nolan met up with fellow Playa Vistans Aaron and mom Winnie. Together, the three boys grooved out to the tunes of a street performer.

Later on, Benjamin took his Plasma Car out for a spin. He had a blast, giggling even as he hit a ditch and almost toppled over into the bushes. It was great to hear his laughter and see the carefree smile on his face.

Although I'm certainly worried about how Vince and I will adjust to what life will be like with two kids, I'm almost more worried about how Benjamin will take to it. After all, he's been used to being the only baby in the house, the one on whom all attention is focused. He hasn't had to share anything - his toys, his space, or his Mommy and Daddy.

I'm sure Oliver can tell him a thing or two about that.
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The Boo Turns TWO (and more February birthday madness)

2010-02-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

February is a busy month for our family. Vince's birthday is in February. Benjamin's birthday is in February. Vince's nephew Tyler's birthday is in February. Valentine's Day is in February. Chinese New Year (usually) falls in February. Now we have the upcoming birth of my brother's first child, not to mention the imminent arrival of our own daughter. February's shaping up to oust December as the most festive month of the year!
. Vince's birthday was the first February event to be celebrated. We marked the occasion by indulging in a sumptuous family-style dinner with a few of our closest friends at nearby Mosto Enoteca. We took a leap of faith by allowing the chef to choose each dish for us and were not disappointed; the meal was one of the best to be devoured ever. After three-and-a-half hours of sheer gluttony in their private dining room, we rolled out of there, happy and sated.
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The next evening, we drove down to Long Beach to celebrate Tyler's third birthday at an indoor playground.
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Although the Boo was the youngest one there, he had a great time. Never one to let his Liliputian stature hold him back, he jumped right into the fray, swimming in the ball pit, bouncing on the mini-trampoline, and playing "follow the leader" right along with the big kids. He also shocked us with a demonstration of his surprising upper body strength:

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Maybe we should sign the kid up for gymnastics classes!
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In order to avert a potential conflict with his sister's birth, we celebrated the Boo's birthday a few weeks early. So last Saturday morning right after he woke up, we gave him his birthday gift, a bright green, pint-sized running bike. Also known as a balance bike, running bikes have two wheels and no pedals. The idea is that the child will propel himself with his feet and get a sense of how to balance the bike as it moves without the help of training wheels.

With the help of Daddy and Hao Gong, the Boo was able to tool around on his bike. Kind of.

We went across the street to Nolan's place, where Benjamin let his best friend take his new wheels for a test drive, too.

Later on, we got ready for Benjamin's birthday party. Our original plan was to order pizzas for our guests, but when my mom got wind of that, she made a horrified face. She sniffed that her precious grandson deserved to have something better than mere take-out for his second birthday party. So instead of pizza, my mom cooked up a big batch of Chinese-style fried rice from scratch. And if that wasn't enough, she also whipped up a huge tray of stir-fried noodles!

While my mom was cranking out fifty pounds of Chinese cuisine in our kitchen, I headed down to the toddler playground to stake a claim. My faithful friends Deb and Julie were there to help me out. Together, we blew up monkey balloons, arranged the monkey goody bags, and set up the monkey pinata. Did I mention that the theme of the party would be "monkeys"? I'd even had a special monkey birthday cake custom made by the talented Elizabeth Lam, the same pastry chef who'd crafted Nolan's birthday cake several months earlier.

The guests arrived shortly after, and soon the party was in full swing. Although February had been plagued by cold, wet weather, we were blessed to have clear skies that day. Benjamin seemed to understand that the fuss was for him, and seeing him joyfully running around with his little friends made me so happy that I thought my heart was going to burst.

As the sun started to go down, we gathered around and sang "Happy Birthday" to Benjamin.

In the spirit of the celebration, I put aside my food tyrant ways and allowed Benjamin to have a cupcake. We won't talk about what it did to his tummy the next day, but he sure did enjoy eating it at his party - and wearing it on his face!

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It's hard to believe that our little boy is growing up. It seemed like just the other day that he was born, and in the blink of an eye, two years have passed. In a a few short weeks, Benjamin will have a little sister, and he'll no longer be the baby in our family. But until then, I'll hug, hold, and celebrate Benjamin. Wonderful, beautiful Benjamin.
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Hao Po to the Rescue

2010-02-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

As soon as she heard I was expecting again, my mother booked her ticket to Los Angeles from her home in China. Just as she did when I was preggers with the Boo, she planned on helping me out in the weeks leading up to the birth and for the month after. Then, when she found out I was exhausting myself out to the point that I was racking up frequent flyer miles in the maternity wing of the ER, she pushed her arrival date up - way up.
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For most couples, the thought of your mother/mother-in-law unexpectedly crashing with you during one of the most stressful times of your life might be enough to make you run for the hills, but not us. Vince and I knew that her arrival would bring us the relief we needed. Yes, she's not as spry as she used to be. And yes, the woman can be, um... Idiosyncratic. I mean, where do you think I get it from? This particular brand of crazy runs in the family! But even so, my mother likes nothing more than to be a mother. When she's with us, she cooks our meals, she takes care of Benjamin, and she helps me clean. And all she wants in return is to watch Wheel of Fortune at night.
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My mom arrived several weeks ago, and within days I was feeling better. The contractions lessened, my back stopped hurting as much, and I stopped being as much of a cranky b*tch to Vince. The Boo's been having the time of his life, too. Suddenly, he has a second person there to love him, play with him, wipe his butt, and feed him his favorite treats. Like Pinkberry.

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Even more than Pinkberry, however, Benjamin loves to eat Hao Po's cooking. Check out what happens after he inhales his first helping of her Chinese BBQ short ribs. The two things you'll hear him repeating are mo (Benja-speak for "more") and mei you (Chinese for "no more"), as in "give me MORE because there is NO MORE."

Wow, cool it there, Benjamin! If you keep that up, you'll wear your Hao Po out. Luckily, Hao Gong arrived just in time to give us all a break!

Lilies for Lily at Lilly's or My Surprise Baby Shower

2010-02-10T07:56:00.000-08:00

Several months ago, me and my two mom friends Julie and Sheila started up a weekly ritual: each Friday, barring illness, travel, or other circumstance, we meet at the local mall for lunch with the kids. It's a fun tradition which allows us to get the kids together to play while also squeezing in some mommy social time.
.It's also extremely exhausting. Benjamin, Nolan, and Kayla are a rambunctious crew, and they feed off of one another when together. This makes for a lot of yelling, chasing, and cajoling on the part of us moms. Julie said that after our Friday lunches, she often feels like she's run a marathon!

One day, Sheila suggested that we meet up some weekend for a relaxing brunch sans offspring. Of course Julie and I jumped on the idea, and we decided to have our moms-only brunch in late January at a French cafe in nearby Venice called Lilly's. Parking in Venice can be a nightmare, so Sheila picked us up in her car, and the three of us headed to what I thought was going to be a mellow meal with two friends. We valeted the car and walked into the restaurant, where I saw this:
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A surprise baby shower! Can you imagine my shock? In case you can't, here's a visual:
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I was so shocked that I nearly peed myself! Everything was so lovely, from the lily-themed decorations and favors to the Sprinkles cupcakes. The masterminds behind this surprise? Deb, Julie, and Yvonne. The three of them had been planning this little shindig for quite a while, and they'd managed to keep it a secret from me!
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Even though the shower was supposed to be more of a "sprinkle," there was a veritable downpour of gifts. As a special touch, each person brought a book for big brother Benjamin to read.
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Clockwise from left: Co-conspirators Deb, Julie, and Yvonne; Neighbors and fellow moms Monica and Shelby; Vince's Mom and Vince's sister Adele; fellow mom friend Brooke and neighbor/mom friend Holly; neighbor and mom friend Sheila; friend Jeni and high school BFF Jen.

The greatest gift, however, was seeing my dearest female friends gathered in one place to welcome my soon-to-be born daughter into the world.

After the festivities concluded, I hugged my girlfriends good-bye, and Julie and I piled back into Sheila's car for the drive home. My head still reeling from the events of the morning, I was caught off-guard for the second time by yet another surprise:

As though planning such an amazing shower wasn't already enough, Julie, Deb, and Yvonne pitched in and bought a bassinet for the baby! Tucked inside the bassinet was a box full of newborn necessities from one of my favorite stores, The Pump Station.
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I was overwhelmed by their thoughtfuless. What had I ever done to deserve such a caring group of friends? I was truly blessed to have them, and my daughter will be even more blessed to have them in her life as loving aunties.

Seeing Double

2010-02-08T13:35:00.000-08:00

With the birth of Baby C just around the corner, we decided it was time to upgrade our ride. Well, to upgrade Benjamin's ride. As much I loved my City Mini single stroller, I knew that having a toddler and a baby at the same time meant that I - and my back - would be better served with a double.
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Due to the fact that Benjamin and his best bud Nolan were inseperable, I'd already had a chance to see a few "doubles" transport options in action:

As cute as these options were to behold, none of them quite did the trick. I needed something leaner. Something less bulky. Something specifically designed for two kids that didn't run the risk of one inadvertently being flung with a quick turn or stop. And that's where the Phil and Ted's double stroller came in.
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The Phil and Ted's line features a new breed of stroller- a double stroller with the footprint of a single. The side-by-side double strollers we'd tried were just too cumbersome. And being the clutterphobes that Vince and I are, we didn't want to deal with storing both a double and a single stroller. So I sold my beloved City Mini and ordered a Phil and Ted's V2 sport double stroller in basic black.

.As soon as it arrived, the men in the family got to work putting it together. The stroller came with a free bassinet attachment, which Benjamin claimed for himself by way of having an accident while sitting inside it. Well, I assumed it was an accident, but Vince claimed he was marking his territory.
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We took our new double stroller out for a test drive with - who else - Nolan. He enjoyed sitting in it so much that Julie - who is due with her second baby in July - went ahead and ordered the exact same stroller! After it arrived, and I cruised over to her place with my own Phil and Ted's for a walk. I thought it would be adorable to push Nolan and Benjamin around in their matching strollers, but they had something else in mind. Much to our amusement, we discovered that the boys still preferred to cram themselves into just one of the strollers.
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I suppose we'll be putting the two newborns in the other one!

Singing in the Rain

2010-01-31T18:42:00.001-08:00

Some people love rainy weather. I am not one of them. The rain makes me cranky, pessimistic, and depressed. Plus, Los Angelenos forget how to drive as soon as there is any precipitation, so in addition to being in a bad mood, the rain makes me fear for my life. Benjamin, on the other hand, doesn't seem to mind the rain one bit. In fact, he really seems to dig it, and taking him outside to splash around gives me one way to tolerate crappy weather.

LA recently went through a week of rain. And it wasn't just any rain; it was good solid sheets of the stuff that thoroughly drenched everything in sight. So last weekend, we dressed Benjamin in his little yellow raincoat and favorite camo galoshes and took him out to search for puddles.
. We found some really good ones in Concert Park. Unfortunately, Benjamin's legs are so short that his galoshes came up past his knees, making it nearly impossible for him to manuever the steps. Luckily, Daddy was there to lend a hand.

After a few minutes of puddle-splashing, Benjamin spotted some friendly crows hanging out nearby. He tried to run to them to introduce himself, but they were too quick for him and flew away.

Benjamin really worked up an appetite with all that splashing around, so we made a stop at the neighborhood Pinkberry, where he refused to let either Mommy or Daddy help feed him.
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As you can see, he still needs to work on his table manners. Perhaps we should've done the puddle-splashing after Pinkberry!

The Tiniest Poltergeist?

2010-01-19T13:38:00.000-08:00

I've made it to 33 weeks, and I'm in the home stretch. Emphasis on stre-e-e-e-e-tch. My shirts are stretched out, my patience is stretched thin, and my tummy is stretched so tight that every time I sneeze, cough, or laugh, I feel as though my baby will come flying out of my belly button. Did I mention that our home is being stretched, too? Yup, the storage capacity of our home is being stretched to its limits with new baby crap. Even though we still have tons of gear left over from when Benjamin was a wee infant, we've acquired more stuff for Baby #2 - more cloth diapers, a double stroller, and baby girl clothes. Thank goodness my nesting instinct has kicked in, or else our place would be a total disaster. It's like I'm having a flashback to this time two years ago when I was in the throes of feathering my nest in anticipation of Benjamin's arrival. But this time, the joy of nest-feathering is tempered with the dread of knowing sleepless nights are just a month away. Yes, ignorance was bliss!
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Benjamin has been nesting, too. Sort of. He recently developed this strange habit of lining things up - his toy cars, his books, and - most strangely - his playroom furniture. I've gone into the kitchen, only to be barricaded in by a neat row of chairs. Or, I'll get up to answer the call of nature only to find that the hallway leading to the bathroom door has been blocked by the chairs.
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Benjamin's new obsession reared its head at our friend George's birthday party a few weeks ago. As soon as we got there, Benjamin got busy rearranging the metal chairs on the patio. Ten minutes after our arrival, he'd pulled them away from the table and lined them up in a neat row. Considering that each chair was twice his size, this was no small feat! The other partygoers - as well as Vince and I - looked on in amusement and a little puzzlement. Was this "normal" behavior? Sure it was cute, but the single-mindedness with which he rearranged those chairs was also a little odd. It was like he was a Boo possessed. It was strange, maybe even a bit creepy.
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If the incident with the patio chairs wasn't enough to creep me out, this was:

It was the weekend, and I'd left Vince at home with Benjamin while I ran errands. When I returned, Benjamin was napping, and these chairs were on the table. I asked Vince if he was the one who did it, and he said, "No, that was the Boo. He's nuts." Maybe I wouldn't have found this creepy at all if it weren't for the fact that it reminded me of a certain scene from Poltergeist.
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Creepiness notwithstanding, I'm hoping that Benjamin's obsession with order will spread to other areas, too!

Benjamin's Outhouse

2010-01-13T13:51:00.000-08:00

I recently ordered a new baby bathtub for our unborn daughter. When it arrived, it was packaged in a ginormous cardboard box. Never one to let anything go to waste, I turned it over to Benjamin to play with. I figured that a box that size would make a fine fort, truck, or cave for the Boo. The Boo, however, had different designs for his new toy.
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I watched in amusement as he removed the paper packing material from inside the box, stood the box on its end, and placed his little yellow potty inside. He then went to his potty, pulled his underpants down, and proceeded to, um... christen his new outhouse.
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Business finished, he stood up, pulled his pants back up, and went back to his playroom to continue about his afternoon. Thankfully, the deposit he had left in his potty was not of the variety that required a roll of TP and a brisk wiping!

Déjà Déjà Vu

2010-01-11T14:46:00.001-08:00

When I was pregnant with Benjamin, I called my OB about anything out of the ordinary - headaches, cramps, pains, lack of pains, what-have-you. This time around, I've been a little less paranoid. Besides, the thought of trying to go in for a last-minute checkup with toddler in tow gives me the vapors. So my solution for most of what's ailed me is just to ignore, ignore, ignore. Unfortunately, certain things you can't ignore. Contractions and abdominal pain, for example. Those earned me my last two trips to the hospital. A fever of over 102 degrees is another example. And if you have that fever for more than a few days in a row, that means you get to take your third trip to the hospital. Man, I need a frequent flyer card.

As soon as I arrived, the nurses took blood and other samples to test. They gave me Tylenol for my fever, and when that didn't work, they packed me in ice. Not comfy, but it did the trip! I also got hooked up to an IV so I could be given intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Even though I have pretty good veins, it took the nurse two tries to get a line going. Maybe my hormones were making me extra-sensitive, but it actually really stung! As I was about to say "ouch" in protest, I thought of the last time the Boo was in the hospital for a transfusion:

That shut me up right away.

Later on after Benjamin had gone to bed, Vince called our neighbor Shawn to come over and keep an eye on the monitor so he could visit me in the hospital. Since I hadn't eaten since that morning, he brought me McDonald's. And since I was bored out of my mind, he brought our latest Netflix arrival: House, M.D. Ironically, the episode we watched featured a pregnant woman on bedrest who had complications and delivered a very premature baby. Maybe I should've asked Vince to bring a different DVD.
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After Vince left, I tried get some sleep. In a way, I should have been happy to be where I was; it was, after all, the first time in almost two years that I'd have a chance to spend a night without a certain someone waking me up crying in the middle of the night! Ironically, it was his very absence that prevented me from getting my rest. I just missed him too damn much! I finally nodded off around 5 am, only to be awakened for another course of IV treatment at 6:30.

By the early afternoon of my second day in the hospital, we were no closer to determining what was making me sick (in fact, they never did determine what the root cause was). My fever, however, had managed to stay under 100 for most of the day, which meant that I got to go home! My OB discharged me with instructions to see her in the morning for another shot of antibiotics. She also sternly cautioned me to "take it easy" and rest.
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Not likely!

"Bye, Bye, Daddy!"

2010-01-07T14:56:00.001-08:00

Here are Benjamin and Vince giving each other their customary morning good-bye:
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Is it possible for something to be TOO cute?

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

2010-01-04T21:27:00.001-08:00

Benjamin's always been an artistic little dude. He may have waited 15 months to start walking, but he began scribbling with crayons months before he turned one. As he's gotten older, he's wanted to experiment with different forms of media such as markers, pens, pencils, and - on a few unfortunate occasions - lip liner. I'm more than happy to supply him with the paper on which to doodle, but he'll often make a single mark on a sheet before casting it aside. What can I say? He's an artiste!
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It was time to look for a solution. How to satisfy the artist's craving for perfection but not decimate the rainforests? I tried Aquadoodles, but that only worked until he tried to Yogurtdoodle. And Etch-a-Sketch just didn't have the same satisfying quality that striking a pen across paper did. After seeing Benjamin frantically scribbling on the little chalkboard sign hanging on the front of his miniature shopping cart, it dawned on me - I needed a chalkboard! Since space in our home is at a premium, I decided that a wall-mounted solution would be best. And since I've been feeling too tired/lazy these days to mess with something as involved as sanding, priming, and painting a wall with chalkboard paint, I went with something even better - chalkboard ConTact paper!
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I placed an order for a roll of the good stuff on Amazon, and it arrived just two days later. I chose to place Benjamin's new "chalkboard" on one of the sliding glass doors off of his playroom. The glass made a perfectly smooth foundation, and the track which held the doors could act as a trough for catching chalk dust. The ConTact paper was ridiculously easy to put up, and the finished product was just what I was hoping for - a large, smooth, erasable surface on which the Boo could mark and re-mark to his heart's content. And since the paper is plastic, even if he does decide to use something other than chalk on it, a quick wipe with a damp cloth will make it as good as new!
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Benjamin immediately got to work going all Jackson Pollock on his new drawing surface.
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I wonder if Jackson Pollock ever had trouble keeping his paint where it belonged?
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New Year's (Not So) Rockin' Eve

2010-01-01T14:10:00.001-08:00

Being hugely pregnant with a husband and toddler means that you're not going to be doing a whole lot of partying on New Year's Eve. Still, Vince and I had planned to celebrate in our own old-fogey way by spending a quiet evening playing board games with our buds Julie and Shawn. Not too terribly exciting, but it was still something that we were excited about. Unfortunately, our unborn baby girl had a different sort of excitement in mind.

I'd been experiencing symptoms of preterm labor for several weeks, most of which I'd ignored. Why? Because I'm invincible! And also because I have a toddler who makes impromptu trips to the doctor very inconvenient. Two weeks prior, however, my symptoms were severe enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. Julie took me so Vince could be at home with the Boo. Several hours of monitoring, tests, and exams later, I was discharged with strict instructions to "take it easy" or else risk being put on bed rest. I did my best to listen to my doc - after all, I had a Roomba now, so daily vacuuming was one of the chores I could cross off of my list! I suppose I wasn't taking it easy enough, though, because on I woke up on the morning of NYE with abdominal symptoms so strong that I was having trouble walking. By the afternoon when the pain had progressed to the point where I was having trouble standing up straight or breathing, I knew it was time to call the doc, who told me to go straight to the hospital. Since Vince wasn't feeling well (and becomes so bored in hospitals that he drives me batty anyway), I called my best bud Deb to take me.

As soon as I arrived, they hooked up me to the monitors and took samples for testing. As I lay there resting, my pain lessened and my tummy stopped contracting, which led to my getting a lecture on what "taking it easy" really means. Apparently, it doesn't mean being a jungle gym for my toddler. And I guess it also means that because I have a Roomba to do my vacuuming, I'm still not supposed to be moving furniture or rolling up area rugs to clear the floors for it. How was I supposed to know??

Apparently, mine wasn't the only belly causing problems that night; the maternity ward was bustling! As a result, things weren't happening nearly as quickly as they had the last time. And as the hours ticked by, I started to worry. You see, Deb and her hubby had made NYE plans to meet some fabulous friends at a trendy restaurant in Hollywood. When I called her at 3:00 pm to ask for a ride to the hospital, I figured that since my previous trip there had lasted only a few hours, I could have her back with plenty of time to spare. Boy, was I wrong. After three hours had passed and we were still waiting on more tests to be performed, I urged Deb to leave and let me take a cab home. By the five-hour mark, I was begging her to leave. By hour seven, she was ready to tape my mouth shut. And not only did she insist on staying, but she told me that she wanted to stay - and she actually meant it! It brought tears to my eyes, but I guess that that's what true friends do - they give up the chance to get gussied up and mingle with the fab and famous in order to sit in their sweats and feed ice chips to their pregnant friends.

In the end, I checked out fine and Deb managed to make it to her destination exactly one minute before midnight. The docs told me that my symptoms may have been caused by a purely mechanical issue: my abs stretching out and separating. Yikes! I was told that in order to avoid being checked into the hospital and put on bedrest, I really needed to try take it easy by staying off of my feet and getting some help with Benjamin. I was also advised to get some more support for my growing belly in the form of a maternity belt:

Is this not the least sexy item of clothing you've ever seen? If Vince still finds me attractive after seeing me in this, then it must mean that he really loves me!

Christmas Extravaganza 2009

2009-12-28T14:09:00.001-08:00

Having been raised in an interfaith home that included both Christianity and Buddhism, my family observed the major Christian holidays, including Christmas. Even so, other traditions such as Lunar New Year and the Chinese practice of honoring of passed relatives with incense and food took precedence in our family consciousness. Once I graduated from college, I became even less of a Christmas person. It was just hard to get into the Christmas spirit when the rest of my family was on the other side of the world. Now that I have a family of my own, however, celebrating the holidays has taken on a new importance for me. Although I am not very devout or exclusively Christian, I do consider myself to be a very spiritual person. For me, this time of year represents not just that spirituality, but also the sense of community I have with my friends and my growing family.
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Our holiday celebrations began the weekend before Christmas. We met Shawn, Julie, and Nolan for what was becoming a tradition of meeting for holiday dim sum. The boys exchanged gifts and then tried in earnest to grab the fish swimming in the koi pond in front of the restaurant.
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The next day, Deb and George came over to celebrate with us. In an effort to keep them to a reasonable degree of gift-giving, I told Deb that she was to spend no more than $15 per gift. When she showed up at our door with bags and bags bursting full of presents, she started sputtering explanations. "I stuck to the $15 limit, but you didn't specify who the gifts could be from!" Huh? Well, a peek at the presents explained everything. Not only were there gifts from Deb and George to each of us, but there were gifts from their dogs Seth and Kevin as well! As if their countless hours of Boo-sitting and familial support weren't enough of a gift already, they outdid themself with presents, too! Gift-giving rule-breaking notwithstanding, Benjamin had a wonderful time hanging out with his favorite auntie and uncle, and I had a great time kicking it with my sister.
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On Christmas Eve, we headed over to my in-laws' house for a family Christmas dinner and also to belatedly celebrate my MIL's birthday.

.Benjamin had a great time tearing paper off of his gifts. I think he may even have enjoyed that more than the gifts themselves!

Christmas Day arrived, and I think that Vince and I were more anxious about the gifts than Benjamin was! We didn't want Benjamin to think that Christmas was just an orgy of gift-giving, but we were excited to watch him open the few gifts we did get him, which were some toy cars, books, and a new trike.

Santa had left presents for Mommy and Daddy, too. Vince got a new video game and video game subscription, a framed photo of himself and the Boo for his office, and a limited edition Benjamin Chan EP.

I received a beautiful jewelry holder shaped like lily pads (get it? LILY pads?), a Tiffany luggage tag (to tie to my sanity in case I lose it again), and - drum roll, please - a ROOOOOOOMBA!!!! See, our vacuum cleaner had gone on the fritz several months ago. Add to that the fact that the person to whom the chore of vacuuming belonged always seemed to suffer a sudden allergy attack or last-minute migraine whenever it came time for him to fulfill his duty, and the Roomba became numero uno on my wish list. Actually, the Roomba was more of a gift for Vince since it took one of his house duties away, but I suppose the decrease in blood pressure I get from not having to harangue him every weekend about vacuuming makes it my gift, too!
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Once we were done opening gifts, Vince set about the task of assembling Benjamin's new tricycle. Apparently, the Boo didn't think he was moving fast enough, so he tried to lend a hand. Half an hour and a minimum of cursing later, the trike was done, and the Boo climbed on...
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...without any pants on. Guess that's one way to make sure your friends don't touch your new toy!

Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays!

Scary Old Saint Nick Part 3

2009-12-24T12:44:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, we went for a stroll down "Candy Cane Lane" in nearby El Segundo. Candy Cane Lane is actually a regular residential street which transforms into a wonder of Christmas lights and displays each December.

Our neighbors and good buddies Nolan and Kayla (as well as their parents, of course!) joined us for the stroll. As they say, the more, the merrier!

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The amount of work that went into transforming these homes was incredible. While the kids marveled at the blinking lights and colorful displays, we parents marveled at the sheer amount of extra space that must be necessary to store everything once the season is over.

Benjamin seemed to be having a great time. He and Nolan ran happily from one yard to the next, pointing at the displays and excitedly babbling to one another. But then suddenly, Benjamin stopped cold and starting wailing.

What had happened? Did he stub a toe? Accidentally get whacked in the face? Suddenly realize that the amount of energy needed to power all of these light displays was cruelly ironic considering that the Copenhagen Climate Conference was happening at this very moment?

And then we saw the source of his distress:

I guess his Santa-phobia extends to Santa-themed shrubbery!

Scary Old Saint Nick Part 2

2009-12-21T11:11:00.001-08:00

Last week, my friend Heather was having a few moms and tots over to her place to meet with a friendly Santa she knew. Like any parent swept up in holiday cheer, I wanted a picture of Benjamin sitting happily on Santa's lap. Well, at this point, I would have settled for just plain sitting. Despite having had two failed attempts at capturing this Hallmark moment, I figured the third time would be the charm.
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Boy, was I wrong! Benjamin's reaction to Santa was even more instant than the last two times. As soon as he entered, Benjamin ran screaming to me...
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...and took refuge in his new favorite hiding place under my belly.
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And it didn't get any better over time. Just as soon he would start to calm down, he'd spot Santa and start bawling again.
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Unfortunately, there were three witnesses to his theatrics - Pedro, Claire, and Adelyn. Judging from the looks on their faces, one can only imagine what they were thinking.

Potty Training à Deux?

2009-12-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

Until about two weeks ago, my pregnancy had been fairly unremarkable. I had the usual complaints - queasiness, fatigue, inexplicable cravings, and hormone-induced bitchiness - but for the most part, I was able to go about my day without feeling pregnant. In fact, I'd sometimes forget that I was pregnant and be reminded only when I knocked over something with my belly.

That's all changed. In the past weeks, I feel as though my midsection has grown enough to accomodate not just my baby, but her car seat and crib, too. My skin is stretched so tight that I can play it like a tympani. And I swear she's sitting much lower than Benjamin did. She's so low that she's using my bladder as a neckrest, and sneezing in public has become a heart-stopping experience. If things continue, I may have to borrow some diapers from Benjamin.

Speaking of diapers, Benjamin is well on his way to saying adios to them (fingers crossed). It's not unusual for him to stay dry for four- or five-hour periods of time, coming to tell me when he wants to use the potty, or even just going on his own. According to conventional potty training wisdom, this means that he's ready for (drum roll)... BIG BOY PANTS! But even though the books say that he may be ready to make the transition, I don't know if I am, so we're meeting halfway and using cotton training underpants.

Taking a cue from a fellow Emerson mom, I decked out Benjamin's training pants with one of his favorite characters, Elmo. Since I couldn't find Elmo underpants that fit him, I created my own by making a sheet of Elmo decals with Photoshop, and printing them onto iron-on tranfer paper. A few quick swipes of a hot iron, and - VOILA! - custom-made Elmo training pants! When I put the pants on Benjamin, I'll tell him, "Don't pee on Elmo! He wouldn't like that!" The idea is that Benjamin's fear of soiling his beloved Elmo will heighten his awareness of his need to go. I have yet to try it out, but I'm hopeful.

Maybe I should make myself some Elmo underpants. :(

Scary Old Saint Nick Part 1

2009-12-17T13:53:00.001-08:00

Last Christmas, Benjamin was still an infant. Sure, he was captivated by the twinkling Christmas lights, and he enjoyed crinkling wrapping paper in his chubby baby fists, but the more abstract concepts surrounding the season were beyond his comprehension. This year, however, he was old enough to start participating in certain holiday traditions, and what better tradition to begin with than with a visit to Santa Claus!

We found out that "Santa" would be visiting Playa Vista courtesy of the LAPD. So on a recent evening, we bundled up the Boo and waited in line for our turn to sit with Santa in his sleigh. Several of his friends were also there, and everyone seemed excited to meet the big red fella. As we waited, Benjamin tapped out a happy rhythm on a park bench and did a little dance in front of the twinkling lights.

Unfortunately, his enthusiasm was short-lived. Benjamin took one look at Santa's big red face obscured by his giant white-beard, and he completed freaked out. Even candy canes offered by a friendly police officer didn't stop his wailing.

. A few days later was our holiday celebration at Emerson. I was a bit nervous because I knew that Santa would be paying the class a visit. However, Benjamin seemed to be feeling happy and relaxed. He listed attentively to Teacher Kathy as she read a Christmas story, and he happily shook jingle bells while we sang carols. Perhaps this time things would be different.

At precisely 11:00 am, the door to the classroom opened and Jolly Old Saint Nick burst in. "Ho! Ho! Ho" he proclaimed. I turned apprehensively to see Benjamin's reaction...

So far, so good. He wasn't jumping for joy, but at least he wasn't hysterically crying like last time. Hmmm... Maybe he'll even be willing to go and sit on Santa's lap.

Nope. As soon as stood up to approach Santa, the Boo started bawling, so we beat a hasty retreat back to where we were on the side of the room.

From our safe vantage point, Benjamin continued to look fearfully at Santa. His eyes were glossy with tears, his lip quivered, and a low whimpering sound came from his throat. Each time I tried to go anywhere, he grabbed my legs and whimpered even more. He eventually sought refuge beneath my belly.

That's funny - I always thought that it was the older sibling who was supposed to protect the younger one!

Diaper Distress

2009-12-11T08:58:00.000-08:00

Benjamin hit a potty milestone this week: without prompting from me, he stopped playing, took his diaper off, sat on his potty, and peed - in that order. See, sometimes he'll sit on the potty and pee, but forget to take his diaper off. Sometimes he manages to get his diaper off, but then gets distracted and continues playing, and winds up peeing on the floor - or worse. So this is a major potty coup! Of course, it's only happened one other time since, but such is the rollercoaster that accompanies all toddler milestones. The fact that he was even able to remember to take his diaper off before going potty is enough for me.
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Now, if only he could figure out how to get the diaper back on.
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Whirlwind November: Part 2

2009-12-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

We had much to give thanks for this Thanksgiving: a happy home, Benjamin's continued health, a baby on the way, and a loving group of friends and family.
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Speaking of friends and family, Thanksgiving proved to be a reunion of sorts. We had hosted the last two Thanksgivings at our home, but this year we decided to visit my brother Leon and his wife Claire at their new home in Kansas City. Our dear friend Umbo also joined us from Milan for the second year in a row. Like me, Claire is pregnant, and her baby boy is due in February just a week before my baby girl. Seeing those familiar faces and knowing that in a year our family would have two more members gave us even more to be thankful for!
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There was one new face in the mix: Skittles, Leon and Claire's Yorky Terrier. Benjamin and Skittles hit it off immediately, perhaps due to their similar stature.

This was our first trip to Kansas City, MO, and we weren't sure what to expect. The word "Kansas" conjured up quaint images of Americana - farm animals, freezing weather, and clapboard homes on spacious lots. The reality was far from that. Yes, it was rather cold, and yes, there was lots of open space, but we discovered that Kansas City was much more cosmopolitan than we'd imagined. Leon and Claire's home was situated in an area known was the Plaza, a bustling, pedestrian-friendly area filled with shops and restaurants that reminded us of Old Town Pasadena.

Though they had moved to Kansas City from Miami six months prior, Leon and Claire had moved into their condo only recently due to the massive renovations it was going through. When we arrived, contractors were still in the process of finishing their work, but the place was nonetheless beautiful. It had an open, spacious feel and views of a nearby park. On Thanksgiving Day, while Claire spent most of her time in the kitchen putting together our Thanksgiving feast, the rest of us got to work dusting, mopping, and tidying up the areas still under construction.
.Benjamin helped, too. Well, he helped as much as a three-foot tall toddler is able to!
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That evening, due mostly in part to Claire's hours spent in the kitchen, we enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving feast. After dinner, we watched fireworks from a window and went to bed semi-comatose and groaning from overindulgence in the delicious meal.
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The next day, we visited some of the local attractions, among them the Crayola store.

After that, we checked out a beautiful Christmas display at the plaza across the street. As you can tell from the t-shirt-clad kids running soaked through the water fountain, the weather was unseasonably warm.

Back at home, we cracked out our favorite board game: Settlers of Catan. If you're not familiar with Settlers, think of it as a less-onerous, shorter, and much more fun version of Risk. We had a great time playing, though one of us proved to be a sore loser AND a sore winner. I'll bet you didn't even know that it was possible! I won't tell you who that person was, but I'll give you a hint: his behavior made us think that sportmanship is inversely proportionate to height. Oh, and his name rhymes with "Schmeeon."

On Friday night, we met up with Vince's cousin Kathleen and her kids Tanner, Samantha, and Trevor. Tanner and Sammy were smitten with Benjamin and fought over who got to carry him, sit by him, and feed him. I don't know how she did it, but Sammy even carried Benjamin on her hip for much of our walk around the Plaza!

We took it easy on Saturday, doing a little shopping and walking to nearby Loose Park. We were headed for the pond at the edge of the park, but our plans were put on hold when Benjamin discovered the joy of stepping on crunchy, dry leaves. He ran as fast as his short little legs would take him, back and forth across fields of leaves, with the wind chapping his cheeks and a grin plastered on his face. I think he would have stayed there for hours if we'd let him!

We did eventually make it to the pond. As delightful as it was to watch Benjamin running deliriously through the leaves, it was equally as touching to watch him quietly contemplate the ducks.

We left Sunday morning to catch our flight back to LA. We were exhausted, but happy, too. Those five days with Leon, Claire, and Umberto had been full, fun ones. I think that Benjamin was especially sad to say "ciao" to his Zio Umbo.

They'd really bonded during this visit. As we left, he kept saying "Dow!" (his approximation of "Ciao") and "Oom-oh!" ("Umbo"). But as great as it is to visit friends and family, it feels so good to return to the familiar. Witness the reunion between Benjamin and his best friend later that day:

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As a girl named Dorothy once said, "There's no place like home!"

Whirlwind November: Part 1

2009-12-02T07:42:00.000-08:00

Novembers are a busy time of year for me; not only are there Christmas gifts to start shopping for and Thanksgiving preparations to make, but I also have several important birthdays to celebrate - my dear friend Deb's, Benjamin's dear friend Nolan's, and - let's not forget - my own! For as long as I can remember, my birthday often got lost in the hub-bub of Thanksgiving, but it seems to have diminished even more since Benjamin came on the scene. Not that I'm complaining - I'm often so exhausted that the very idea of staying out past nine PM to celebrate what amounts to an arbitrary personal holiday makes me yawn. But still, I figure that once Baby #2 arrives, my birthday might just up and disappear altogether, so this year, I did it up!
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The night before my actual birthday, four of my closest girlfriends - Sheila, Yvonne, Julie, and Deb - took me out for a surprise night on the town. We started out with dinner at a nice Italian restaurant in downtown Culver City where they unveiled their first surprise - an itty-bitty, adorable baby-sized dress form! It was a group gift from the four ladies, plus my friends Grace and Holly who couldn't be there. With it, I could easily craft clothes for my new baby girl or even for my Lileeloo Designs line. Thank you so much, ladies!

After dinner came the big surprise - tickets to see the hottest new movie on its opening night:

Whoa, whoa, wait... Where did that poster come from? I meant to show this poster:

There, that's better. That first poster looks like it should be for a very different sort of movie called "Nude Moon." And judging from the delirious screaming teenyboppers in the packed theater, that might have been preferable! I'll cop to doing a bit of shrieking myself, but only because of the fantastic special effects and plotline. Taylor Lautner is cute, but let's be honest... he's no Vince Chan!

Speaking of my beloved, I nearly forgot to mention that he swept me away for a romantic birthday dinner a deux a few nights before! He had returned from work that evening to find me in my usual harried state - waddling around in sweats trying to pick up toys and straighten up the place while muddling over what to cook for dinner. Imagine how surprised I was when he told me that our friends Deb and George would be coming over to watch Benjamin so he could take me out to dinner!

Imagine how much more surprised I was when he told me they would be there in three minutes. Luckily, my mommy autopilot setting switched on, and I was able to prepare Benjamin's dinner, lay out his PJs, tidy up the place a bit, change into a dress, put my hair up, and slap on some makeup by the time they arrived. Dinner was wonderful, and it was great to get away.

On my actual birthday, we had a dinner with Vince's family and his Auntie Viola. Auntie Vi was going to be celebrating her 80th birthday at the end of December, and to commemorate the occasion, she was traveling about visiting family. We enjoyed steak at restaurant in Long Beach, and then headed back to Vince's sister's Adele's house afterwards to open gifts and eat cake.

We wrapped up my weekend of birthday revelry with a casual get-together at our place. We ordered take-out from our favorite local Hawaiian restaurant and shared a mellow dinner with friends. And the grown-ups weren't the only ones doing the sharing - Benjamin and Nolan got into the sharing spirit as well! They shared everything from toys to fire engine rides to potty time:

And thus ended my perfect birthday weekend. I really couldn't have asked for anything more. I got time with friends and family, good food and wine, a night out with the girls, and a great movie - not to mention a dark-haired, hunky guy to moon over!

My New Toy

2009-11-20T09:10:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, my husband surprised me with an unexpected gift: a new camera! I had reluctantly agreed to go to Best Buy with him to do what I thought was going to be video game shopping. Imagine my shock when he turned to me and said, "I want to get you a new camera for your birthday." Holy camoly! I launched myself into his arms and showered him with kisses. Well, that's what I wanted to do, but being heavy with child, I would have snapped his spine in two. So instead, I gave him a big hug and did an unwieldy little happy dance. After some haggling (yes, you can haggle at Best Buy!), I settled on the lovely Canon Eos Rebel XS.

As soon as I got home, I charged up the battery and started taking pictures. Being the impatient person that I am, I didn't take the time to properly read the instruction manual, and the first few shots that emerged from my fancy new camera were totally....
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...awful. Yikes!! I was pretty appalled by how terrible the pictures were, especially given the fact that I had studied photography in college. Isn't it supposed to be like riding a bike? I guess not. Then again, the last time I held an SLR camera was over ten years ago, and they didn't have no newfangled digital thingymabobs back then. So that evening, I took the time to sit down and read through the manual. Or at least skim the first couple of pages.
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The next day, armed with my newfound knowledge, I tried taking pictures again.

Much better! Even though I primarily shot with the automatic settings, the picture quality was incredible. I mean, food particles that I had neglected to wipe from the Boo's chin which I hadn't noticed with my naked eyes were visible in the pictures!

I also tried out the "continuous shooting" function and caught this moment-by-moment series that shows Benjamin escaping from his Daddy's grasp.

Later on, I test drove my new toy at my best friend Deb's birthday party. Yes, it's helps that my subjects are beautiful, but look at how gorgeous this picture is!

I couldn't resist snapping the Boo while he was taking a potty break. I swear, even the lowly act of urinating is elevated to the level of art when seen through the lens of my fancy new camera!

Vince has probably been wondering what kind of monster he's created by giving me this new toy. If our lives weren't overdocumented enough already, now I'm shooting pictures of my son urinating in public. Well, my love, I will promise you that I will never shoot YOU urinating in public. At least not with my fancy new camera!