Crawling

We've been in Texas for three days and the houses here are more conducive for little ones learning to crawl.  Grande has plenty of practice time on the large, carpeted spaces.  Today, he finally connected the arms and legs to form a crawl.  Until now, he's experimented with many moves, some ackward, some effective, some turning in circles.  The belly crawl is what he uses most.

Grande takes flight

Grande on his first flight to Austin. He slept almost the entire flight until the last half hour. Of course mini is a flying veteran.

Tooth Emerging

Grande, your first tooth (bottom left front) is coming out.  We can feel the bump.

Outsmarted

It's happened, I have become a pusher of a bus-sized shopping cart.  I resisted but Mini outsmarted me, here's the conversation...

Me: No shopping cart.  There's no way I can push Grande's stroller and a shopping cart.

Mini: But I want to sit in the shopping cart!

Me: I can't.  I can only push the stroller.

Mini: (long pause) Ok. Ok. I know.  I sit here, Didi sits here, the car seat goes inside, and the stroller goes down here.

Me: Oh crap.

Mini on Ice

In the Winter spirit, Mini agreed to try ice skating so we went to Yerba Buena Ice Rink.  She usually resists trying such things but today there was no fight.  She was excited to try the skates on and looked so cute wobbling around as we practiced walking on a single blade.  I thought they had toddler double-bladed skates but not here.

Once comfortable on the floor, it was time to step onto the ice rink.  Mini never fell but there was so such slipping and sliding and grabbing my leg - what a fun time!  We only moved fifteen feet but she had a blast and couldn't stop laughing.  Mini tired herself out trying to stand up so she asked to go back.  When taking off the skates, she said to take a picture of her different shoes and the melting ice.  She even said she wanted to come back and try again.

Then we headed over to the playground and had even more fun with the giant slides, rock climbing, and balance beam.  It was a pretty fun day.

Almost Crawling

Grande is on the move.  For a week now, he has been scooting around using arms and feet.  His technique is half belly crawl, half spinning until he gets from point A to point B.  Since yesterday, he has learned to lift up onto hands and knees.

Big Sis tries to help him.  

Mini putting together her newest toy.  She has been asking to try a scooter for a couple months now so here we go.  

The Next Stevie Wonder

Cry It Out II

In mid-October when Uncle Tim stayed downstairs, we tried having Grande sleep in the crib by himself. He cried for over an hour before we finally gave in. Last week, we finally had a break in our reservation schedule. We were able to get him to sleep on his own in the crib although there was definitely crying. Now he's able to sleep on his own in the crib. He still wakes up 2-3 times a night. Sometimes he's hungry so Mama feeds him but usually he can fall asleep after 15 or so of crying. We hope Grande doesn't become dependent on us to go to sleep like Mini.

New Bed for Mini

Not actually a new bed, but we gave Mini our bed because she agreed to sleep in it. So this weekend we went and bought a memory foam king size bed because we figured at some point the two kids would climb into bed with us and a Queen just didn't cut it. We moved our queen into Mini's room, which didn't leave much room for anything else. Anyway, she's been sleeping in it ever since although I've been sleeping with her while we let the smell of the new mattress dissipate. Good-bye car bed.

Rolling and Swinging

Grande is rolling.  During his afternoon nap, he slept on his stomach.  When he woke up, he was on his back.  I thought it was a fluke that he rolled over.  I attributed it to his fussing and crying because of sleep training (yes, we are doing this again).  But today during Mini's bath time, he was rolling all over the place.  Since he has to keep Mini company in the bathroom, there's limited space and he kept trying to eat the portable potty.  Yuk. 

Mini is swinging.  When I picked her up from school today, she was swinging away without any help.  She was so proud and kept shouting to everyone, "Wo hui dang la" (I can swing now).  Then I had to wait another half hour for this excitement to subside and for her to tire of the leg pumping.  Flip side... it'll be an easier time at the playgrounds now.  Now she just needs help getting onto the swing instead of also pushing her.

Ok, I eat cai (vegetables).

Pigs are flying somewhere because Mini is FINALLY eating vegetables, even green ones!  For the past couple days, she has asked for veggies and actually eats them.  And I'm talking real vegetables like gailan and napa cabbage, not just broccoli.  This is unprecedented and worthy of a post.  Hope I'm not jinxing myself now.

Six Month Checkup

Healthy, happy, and growing!  Grande aced his six month checkup. 

Weight - 19lbs 6oz (80% percentile)
Height - 28in (90% percentile)
Head Circumference - 44.9cm (88% percentile)

Scout

Finally...mini can say "Scout". It's been over a year since Mini first started watching Number Land where one of the main characters was a dog named Scout. Not long after, she would talk about "suck" -- and at first, we were like what?? We finally realized she was talking about the dog. About 3 or 4 months ago she was still saying "Suck" although now she was fully aware that she was saying it wrong -- she would laugh as she tried to say it. Well, yesterday, she finally said it and she was so proud. She kept repeating it, even as we were going to bed. Scout, Scout, Scout. :)

Siblings

It's happening... Mini and Grande are becoming siblings.  These days you can see a relationship building between the two.  Whether it's Mini complaining about Grande eating her toys or Grande pulling Mini's hair, it's the beginning of a life-long bond.

Grande adores his big sister and can't get enough of her.  He likes watching her play and gets the giggles when watching her jump around.  Mini makes funny faces at him and he squeals with delight.  He loves following her around and playing hide-and-seek.  Yesterday, he laughed so hard each time Mini stamped his face.  He had no clue what was happening but finished with a face full of red dinosaurs.

Mini plays the big sister and takes care of him.  She's pretty careful around him and has been good about not hurting him during play.  Her main concern is keeping her toys saliva-free and out of Grande's reach.  She's very understanding of Grande's needs and doesn't complain when it's time to nurse him or do a diaper change.

It'll be interesting to see how these two grow together.

Trick or Treat

Happy Wanshengjie!  Mini's been learning about this holiday from her teachers and associates it with witches,skeletons, and pumpkins. Somewhat accurate.  Preschool also had a costume parade but Mini refused to wear her costume.  Some parents thought she was dressed as someone from the 80s, Cyndi Lauper/Madonna style.  But no, that's just her usual look.

At night, we met with Baby CP and parents for trick-or-treating on Belvedere Street.  But before we could go, Papa had to cajole Mini into wearing her costume because she was pretty adamant about not putting it on.   Not sure what he said to convince her but it worked and Mini left the house as a monkey (Curious George to be exact).

And once we got to Belvedere, Mini discovered the true joy of Halloween - CANDY!  She did an awesome job of going to each house and saying "trick or treat" to get pieces of candy.  Thanks to Papa for carrying her on his shoulders for the whole stroll and generous neighbors, Mini amassed a hefty bag of goodies.  She was definitely excited about everything.

I bet next year there will be no hesitation to put on a costume now that she knows it translates to candy.

Mismatched Socks

This week, Mini decided she no longer wanted to wear matching socks. She's been picking out different ones every day.

Diaper Duty

Last night, I forgot to put Mini into a diaper when I put her to bed. A couple hours after she went to bed, she woke up crying saying she wanted to pee. I went to the bedroom and told her she could just pee in her diaper but she kept crying about wanting to pee in the bathroom. I picked her up and finally realized she wasn't wearing a diaper. I quickly got her to the toilet to do her business. I asked her while she sat there if she knew she wasn't wearing a diaper but she didn't answer me. I wonder if she knew -- maybe she's ready to go without a diaper at night -- or maybe it was just luck.

Sunglasses

Mini has a pair of sunglasses she likes to wear. On Saturday we went out to the park with Uncle J. That night she decided to wear them in the house. We discovered that Grande would cry whenever Mini looked at her. When she looked away he would stop. We asked her to take them off but she refused. We're not sure if Grande thought something had happened to her eyes or if he just thought the were a bad fashion choice.

However, the next day, she wore them again. This time Grande laughed whenever he saw her. I guess maybe he just disapproved of her wearing them at night. I mean only poseurs wears sunglasses at night right?

Expanding Palate

Pediatrician said it's now ok to start solids at four months.  When Mini was a baby, the recommendation was six months.  But Grande is a big boy and started looking longingly at food during our meals.  So we gave it a go.  I don't think he has learned to swallow so he's been sucking on a lot of foods - carrots, lettuce, fruits, sauces.  I even saw Papa let him suck on Slanted Door's famed shaking beef.  I swear I could hear Grande slurp away at the filet mignon from across the table.  This kid knows what the good stuff is!

So this has been going for two weeks and he's gotten better at swallowing.  Today, he had a spoonful of mashed banana and managed to eat most of it.  There was some gagging and spitting, but a lot went down.  Too bad it came out as chunks in his poop.  Maybe five months is still too young to be eating real food.

Sit and Roll

Grande can finally sit up.  It took a while because his big belly got in the way.  He has also rolled from back to tummy a couple of times.  It's not a fluid roll and it takes some effort.  He can get on his side pretty easily now.  

Grande's new toys

This morning I asked Mini if she wanted to share her toys with Grande. She said no. I then asked if she would give Grande the toys that she didn't like. She agreed. We went through her stuffed animals and Grande ended up with Elmo, a blue whale, and a rabbit in a carrot car. Grande has taken to making out with Elmo.

Sleeping with Mini

So we have never been successful getting Mini to go to sleep on her own. At this point, she can sleep on her own during the night but requires one of us to lay with her until she falls asleep. Ever since about 6 months ago, I've been laying with her with her grabbing my ears to fall asleep (I'd gotten her to not grab my ears sometimes but instead wrap her arms around my neck. However, as she falls asleep, she'll still subconsciously touch my ears) .

In the last 2 weeks I decided that I wanted to slowly break this habit. Instead of lying down next to her, I sat up in the bed. Immediately, she tried to reach for my ears but I sat up high enough so she couldn't reach. Then she started crying and saying, "Wo bu yao" (I don't want this) and "Wo yao ni tang zai zhi li" (I want you to lie down here) as she pointed to the pillow right next to her. It was heartbreaking.

The first night, this went on for at least 30 minutes. Then she said she wanted my hand. She grabbed it and massaged it as she fell asleep. The second night, she cried and whined another 15 minutes before she took my arm and fell asleep. By the 3rd night, she was fine with me sitting next to her (it seems like 2 days is how long it takes to change her behavior). Since then, she's actually been able to fall asleep without grabbing my arm even when I offer it to her. Next step, I'll be moving her to her own bed. :)

Moon Room

It's been a month since Mini started the Moon Room at preschool.  After turning three, she was bumped up to the big kids class.  She didn't like the idea since Star Room was her comfort zone and Li Lao Shi wouldn't be there.  The beginning was hard with morning drop off crying and running back to the Star classroom.  Now she's finally used to it and seems happier.  She's got best friends, more playground time, and an admirer.  There's this 3.5yr old boy that treats her like a mei-mei/girlfriend.  Lucas always sits by her, holds her hand, and won't leave the school until she leaves (all this according to teachers and Lucas' mom).  When I pick her up, he is always there by her side and has to give her a hug and kiss before going.  Good thing they only overlap on Wednesdays, otherwise Mini might be smothered.

Mini is also learning quite a bit of Chinese.  She's going to surpass me pretty soon, how sad but exciting.  She's going to be teaching me new vocabulary.

She also hasn't forgotten her Star teachers.  She always asks to see them and goes for weekly visits, always getting lots of love from them.  

Cookies from Scratch

Papa and Mini were inspired to bake after reading a Maisy the Mouse book.  After finding all the ingredients in the kitchen, they set off to make chocolate chip cookies.  Mini helped measure, mix, and taste.  

Cookies looked pretty good out of the oven.  Mini said we couldn't have any until we finished dinner (our own words backfiring against us).  But we got a small taste and Mini decided they were bitter (a little too much baking soda went into the dough).  

Car Song

For at least a year, we've had to listen to the same chinese children's song in the car whenever riding with Mini (see previous post about Bedtime Lullabies). Last week, upon realizing that we were about to take a 3 hour drive with Mini, I decided to break this habit. During trips to and from school, I turned off the repeat on her song. For 2 days, she would cry and whine to listen to her song. I explained to her that Daddy is tired of the song and wanted to listen to other songs. By the third day, she was ok with listening to other songs. When we took our trip, she didn't ask to listen to her song but she did ask to listen to other songs. I let her listen a few times but I didn't want her to just get hooked on another song. However, she didn't let Papa listen to his music, which she had agreed to switch off prior.

Four Month Wellness Check

Grande saw the pediatrician for his four month check up today.  Three shots and a oral vaccine.

Height - 26 inches (82% percentile)
Weight - 17 lbs 11 oz (85% percentile)
Head Circumference - 47.4 cm (75% percentile)

Love these stats!

Tiny Tear

Grande squeezed out his first tear today.  It's was a tiny, tiny drop.

100 Days

Happy 100 Days to Grande!  You are such a happy, cheerful baby.  Love you!

By the way, you have a sense of your hands now and found the thumb.  Looks like you are going to be a thumb sucker and heavy drooler. 

First Laugh

Heard Grande's laugh for the first time tonight while playing peek-a-boo with grandma.  He's good at squealing and screeching but tonight was his first gurgling laugh.  Pretty cute.  

Grande's First Fall

It happened finally. Grande fell off the couch while I went to the kitchen to prepare my tea. He was laying on the couch cooing and then all of a sudden, I hear a thud. I immediately knew what had happened but when I rushed over, he was on his belly on the floor silently stunned. I picked him up and he started crying finally. I checked him all over and he looked fine. I was worried that he might have hit Mama's wooden footstool but it looked like he had narrowly missed it. Crisis averted. I put him into his swinging chair where there's no chance he'll fall off. Anyway, that was Grande's first fall -- at least with Daddy.

Bedtime Lullabies

Last week, I decided I'd play Mini a song from my phone -- "One More Story" by Peter Cetera when we went to bed since it was a song about going to bed. I tried to translate it to her as best I could. When I got to the part about how she'll be on her own when she grows up, she said "I don't want to be on my own. I don't want to grow up". So touching, yet so innocent.

I also played "Daddy's Girl" also by Peter Cetera. Again, I did my best to translate in my broken chinese. She asked me, why does the girl not want to say bye-bye to daddy? I told her do you want daddy to go work? And she said no. This song also talks about the daughter growing up and becoming independent -- common theme huh? Anyway, we listened to the song on repeat and then I noticed she was crying. I asked her why she was crying but she didn't give me an answer. I chalked it up to being tired.

The next night, we listened to a few other songs but settled on "Forever Young" by Alphaville (other songs like "With or Without You" by U2, she didn't really like). This one, I didn't bother trying to translate because the lyrics are way too complicated with lots of metaphors.

On the third night, she asked when we went to bed -- can we listen to the song about the girl that doesn't want to say bye-bye? So we listened to Daddy's Girl again on repeat. I found her crying again. I again asked her why she was crying but she couldn't explain it. I guess maybe she's sad that daddy has to go to work in the morning.

Anyway, ever since then, she's asked to listen to the song every night. And whenever I try to change it to another song, she won't let me. It's our new Rain Song from the car that we listen to whenever she's in the car. She hasn't cried since that second time though although she still asks me why the girl doesn't want to say bye-bye.

Magnetic

Field trip to Ocean Beach with Mini's preschool.  Kids loved the bus ride there.  Once on the beach, the lesson was about magnets and polars.  Kids were given magnets to find buried toys.  Surprisingly, the beach had its own magnetic sand.

Three Year Check-up

Mini got a clean bill of health from the pediatrician.  She was told to eat her vegetables since she barely eats any.

Weight is 26lbs and height is 34.5in.

Eco-Artsy

Eco-Art in taught in Spanish is Mini's latest venture.  She likes art, she needs to learn Spanish.  But again, the class setting is not for Mini.  She doesn't pay attention to the teacher and runs rampant.  So far, she has enjoyed using scissors and glue.  There was also some painting that she liked.

The class is a great idea, taught outdoors using sustainable supplies.  Plus she gets to hang out with Baby CP.

I've been bedazzled

It's begun. Mini's feminization of Di-di.

Happy 3 to Mini

Happy 3rd birthday to Mini!  It wasn't planned but Mini gets three celebrations - one on her birthdate, one at preschool, and a joint party with Cousin C.

The Swing Saver

I discovered that Grande loves the swing. Mini never really took to it but almost without fail, putting Grande in the swing when he is fussing results in silence. He'll start looking up at the ceiling in wonderment and usually will end up falling asleep. If he continues fussing or wakes up and starts crying, I then turn on the music and he'll calm down again. It's amazing! I'm glad we held onto it!

Grande's Two Month Check-up

Grande measured in at 14 pounds, 23.5 inches, and head circumference of 40.7cm.

All else is well.

Mama's [undisclosed] Birthday

For mama's birthday, we went to BJ's Brewhouse. Beforehand, we took the kids to Hop 'n' Play. Mini really loves Cousin E. She spent the entire time following her around to all the rides. She even went on some of the older kid rides with her that she had never tried before. It was cute because they would hold hands everywhere. After a while, Cousin C came over and maybe was jealous because he took Mini's hand and took her around.

At the dinner, Mini wouldn't sit still and spent a lot of time running around the table. However, we learned if we want to get her to do something, we would ask cousin E to tell her to do it. It was quite effective. She ended up blowing out Mama's candle before we even sang happy birthday. I had taught her earlier in the day how to blow correctly (usually, she does it with her teeth clenched together and ends up spitting) and she did a perfect job. Guess who ate the pizookie?

Baby Boobies

Grande has man breasts.  

Independence Day

It will be a long time before we get our independence. For now, Happy 4th of July from Grande courtesy of Mini

Babysitter

Mini taking care of her little brother...

Grande at Six Weeks

Grande is 12 pounds now.  He doubled his birth weight much faster than Mini.  We are past the six week mark and the little guy can coo, smile, and recognize voices if not faces.  Grande eats all the time and is sticking firmly to a feed every two hours schedule during the day.  Kinda rough on me but nighttime is pushing three hours now so that's improving.  Other than that, it's sleep, sleep, sleep for LO.

The Mexican Standoff

The last week and a half of bedtime rituals for mini has been frustrating. Mini has been "testing her boundaries" and refusing at each step of the process. I have threatened timeout and sleeping alone, two things which she fears greatly, to get her to bed although the process takes way longer than it should. Usually by the time I get her to the timeout chair, she is crying and says she'll be obedient and do whatever I've been trying to get her to do for the past 10 minutes.

Two nights ago, something very unusual happened. She wouldn't let me brush her teeth, and I asked her if she wanted to follow instructions or go to timeout. She calmly said she wanted to go to timeout. I brought her over to the timeout chair and put her in it. She just sat there. Mama and I looked at each other in disbelief. I started to worry that timeout would lose its effectiveness. No crying, no fussing -- i'm not sure what she was thinking. Anyway, after a couple minutes, I asked her if she was ready to have her teeth brushed and she complied. The rest of the nighttime ritual went smoothly and, not really knowing what happened, it was one of the least stressful rituals in the last couple of weeks.

Fast-forward to last night. Again, mini was being adamant about not letting me brush her teeth. After 5 minutes of various tactics including threatening time out, she said she wanted Mama. I said go ahead. Mama came back with Mini telling her to brush her teeth. I tried to brush her teeth - each time, she would rudely push my hand away with mouth tightly shut. After the third time, I picked her up and took her to timeout, kicking and screaming. As soon as I put her on the chair, she started crying, "I'll be obedient, I'll brush my teeth." But I was tired of having to get to this point every other night. I wanted to actually make her sit and calm down before I let her out (in the past, as soon as she started sobbing, I would give in and everything would be fine). She kept struggling to get out once I let go of her, continuing to scream "I'll listen to you! I want to brush my teeth". I responded "if you were listening to me, then you would sit down like I ask you to".  This went on for several minutes. Perhaps I should not have expected a 3 year old to understand my logic but at that moment I wanted her to experience timeout. And if she really was going to listen to me, it had to start with her sitting down like I had asked. The other problem was I did not know how to explain my reasoning in Chinese. Finally, I asked Mama to come explain what I wanted. At that point, mini started really freaking out, sobbing "I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared". Then she peed in her pants and started saying she wanted to go change her pants. Mama did a good job talking calmly to her and getting her to sit down. Then she explained what I wanted and why.

Finally, I took her to change her pants. I always worry after these episodes that she will hate me, but it seems either toddlers forget easily or they respect it when we set boundaries. In the bathroom with puffy eyes, I was able to make her laugh and we joked around. When we got into bed, I also tried to explain to her in my broken chinese the reasons we did everything and how I didn't want to have to fight with her every night. She said she understood and would listen tomorrow -- we'll see. This morning she gave me 3 big hugs before heading to school. I guess all is forgiven.

Soccer Tot

Mini has been attending soccer class for a month now.  The first class was great because she participated and did everything the coach asked.  Then it went downhill.  Every class since then, she has ignored the coaches, refused to follow activities, and just runs around on her own.  She plays on her own and sometimes joins in, but mostly she's playing with the little door shown here.  Stamp time at the end of class is when she actually listens.  This kid, hmph!

Pickup Potty

Since Grande arrived, Papa has been doing school duty for Mini since he's been on paternity leave. In the past month, Mini has had several potty accidents in the car seat. Papa (and the teachers) have been unable to convince her to potty even when we know she hasn't gone in over an hour. Finally, last Wednesday, she peed in the car again on the way home after a futile attempt to get her to pee at school. I told her when we got home, "See, that's why you need to pee at school. Will you please pee at school now?". She finally agreed, and ever since, she's been keeping her promise.

Big L Becomes Little L

Sometime in the last couple days, Mini became Little L (Xiao L). Before that, she's always been adamant that she's Big L (Da L) even when I told her I should be Big L. I guess she didn't want Didi to be the only one with a name change.

Mini2 Becomes Grande

We had our 1 month checkup today. Here was Mini2's stats:
weight: 10 lbs (50%)
length: 22" (65%)
head size: 38 cm (66%)

Mini2 gained over 3 lbs in 2 weeks! He'll be half mini's weight soon. We will now refer to Mini2 as Grande.

Mommy's Busy

This is what I found in Mini's playroom.  I asked her what it meant and she replied "It's what mommy does all the time now."

At least Mini is taking this transition well.  With a new sibling, we were expecting the worst but Mini has been very understanding and hasn't shown any signs of jealousy or resentment.

My Two Peas in a Pod

First Bath

Baby's first bath.  Umbilical cord fell off on May 16.

Mini2's 2nd Doctor Visit

We're in the period of lots of doctor's visits for Mini2. Still doing well says the doc.

STATS:
weight 6lbs 13 oz (gained over a pound!)
height N/A (not measured this time)

Woodworking Finale

Mini's finished product from her woodworking class...

it's a spinning top originating from the 17th century.

First Doctor's Visit for Mini2

Mini2 has a slight bit of jaundice but not as bad as his big sis. Otherwise, everything looks good.

STATS:
weight 5lbs 9oz (Mini's birth weight)
height 20"

Mother's Day

Perfect day for Mama!  Family and friends came over for cake and Mini made a beautiful pasta necklace for me. 

Official Big Sis

Mini is a champ big sis.  Since baby E was born, she has quickly warmed to him.  In the hospital, she gave him kisses and very gently pet his head.  Since being home, she asks after him, keeps him company while feeding, and likes to rub his tiny ears (surprise, surprise!).  So far, so good with the new sibling.

We finally have a full name!

Mini Burrito 2 came early, almost 2 1/2 weeks early. We weren't prepared. Just last week, Mini Burrito 1 had just decided on Mini2's first name. I had given her about 5 choices and she picked her favorite. However, we still hadn't decided on a middle name in time.

Yesterday, after Mini2 was born, I came home to spend the night with Mini1. As we lie in bed, I usually ask her questions and/or sing to her. Tonight, out of the blue, she asked me something about her new baby brother in chinese that I didn't fully understand. I finally figured out that she was asking me if Mini2 had a middle name. I told her no. Then she picked one of the other names in the original list of first names. I was a bit taken aback that she remembered any of them. Then she said the 2 names together and it sounded pretty good. And that is how Mini Burrito 2 got his name.

Speedy Delivery

Baby E, you were a speedy delivery.  Very literally.

Around 5:30am, I felt slight cramping but tried to keep sleeping.  Nothing alarming and I even thought they were Braxton Hicks contractions.  So tough it out.  After not being able to sleep, I had the sense to start packing a suitcase for the hospital. 

Around 7:00am, the cramps turned into something stronger.  This is when I started feeling feint and weaker (enough to throw up).  We even tried calling the advice nurse to ask for instructions but never got through to anyone (I found out later that I called the wrong OB's office).

Around 745am, it was no joke.  It was time to get to the hospital because there was no doubt I was having contractions and major pelvic pressure.  Papa and I rushed out of the house with me groaning/yelling pretty loudly.  Good thing Grandma Chan arrived early and she was able to take care of Mini. 

My water broke in the car garage as we jumped into the car and sped off to CPMC.  The car ride was just like in the movies where I am screaming and crying from the pain and Papa is doing his best to calm me down but still drive quickly.  We really thought you might be born in the car.  We must have gotten to the hospital around 8:00am and Papa rushed to get me a wheelchair because there was no way I could walk without you falling out. 

The nurses took over and got me into a bed where you popped out at 8:24am.  I have to add there was no time for an epidural so it was a blessing that you delivered so quickly.  If I had to endure any more contractions, I would have been toast.  

Everything happened so quickly and I can remember all the feelings as I write this.  There's a day where the details will be hazy but what an exciting experience.  You came 2.5 weeks early and I am so glad to have you right before Mother's Day.

It's MY birthday

Helloooo world! I too have arrived. See right bar for my stats.

I'm L!

It's been a couple of weeks, maybe even months, since Mini chose a new name for herself.  I think it started when we were learning to write alphabet letters and she took a liking to the letter "L" and dubbed herself this new name.

It started out mildly and she would say it here and there.  Recently, it's full blown and she has to clarify her name to be "L."  Whenever I say her actual name, she screams out "NO, I'm L!"  This has happened in all her classes, at preschool, and whenever she's introduced.

Now people are getting to know her as "L."  Wonder how long this will last.

(Mini is also helping us pick out a name for little brother.)

Woodworking Week 3

Mini's project is coming along and taking shape.  Today, she used the drill press to make two wheels, a shinto rasp to smooth out handles, and electric drill to make four holes.  She loves it here and is always excited to play with the "toys." 

First Bloody Nose

Mini had been sick for the last week so she's had the usual symptoms including a runny nose. I woke up this morning at 5am to Mini sitting in bed and saying "I need a tissue" in Chinese. Sleepily, I said you can get it yourself as it was on her side of the bed. She replied I can't, I want Daddy to get it. I leaned over her and grabbed a tissue and handed it to her. She blotted her nose with the tissue a few times and gave it to me. I threw it toward the trash can. Then she said I need another one. I reached around her to grab another one as she wiped her hand on my shirt. I gave her the tissue and noticed that something dark was flowing from her nose. I suddenly realized that she didn't have a runny nose and leapt out of bed to turn on the light. There was blood everywhere: on the pillow, the sheets, on her face and hands, on my shirt... I quickly carried her to the bathroom and tried to get her to tilt her head back and pinch her nose but she didn't really understand what I was asking of her. I shouted out to Mama to come help. She picked her up and laid her across her legs so her head would tilt back. After about ten minutes the bleeding stopped.

I don't think Mini really understood what was going on -- I'm not sure she even knows yet what blood is. Anyway, I think her bloody nose was a result of having dried up snot in her nose. She had been rubbing her nose vigorously before going to bed so I think she might have been doing it throughout the night, which might have caused her first bloody nose.

Ring, Ring

In the last two weeks, we found out that Mini is finally tall enough to ride her trike.  She knows her left and right directions so It's much easier to push her around too.

Sleeping With Daddy

Starting about 2 month ago, we decided we really needed to work on getting Mini to sleep without Mama. We had tried getting her to sleep in her own bed, but she would wake up every couple of hours and it was draining on Mama. When I try to console her, she would only scream more loudly. With baby #2 on the way, we had to do something. We decided we would take a baby step and try to break her attachment with Mama and at least get her sleeping with Papa.

We started training after President's Day weekend. The first couple of weeks, Mama would put Mini to bed and then I would sleep with her the rest of the night. Results were mixed. Some nights she would sleep through the night with Papa. Some nights she would wake up crying for Mama. Sometimes, she would be inconsolable so Papa would take Mini to go see Mama in the living room. After she saw Mama and was told to go back to bed, she would go back to bed with Papa. She would sometimes ask to go to the potty (I think so she would catch a glimpse of Mama). In the morning, she would say "It's morning. I want to go find mommy." Then she would run to the living room to see Mama. I started telling her to "Go slowly" since we had guests downstairs and I didn't want her to disturb them. After a few nights, she would wake up and say "man man zuo" and then walk to see Mama.

At the end of March, we took a vacation. After a week on the road and all sleeping the same bed, Mini had regressed. When she woke up in the middle of the night, she would say "man man zuo" and go find Mama. Papa decided that he would also put Mini to bed to try to completely break the dependency on Mama.

On the first day, Mama laid down with us on the bed. We told Mini that Mama was going to leave to do work. After 5 minutes, Mama told Mini she was leaving and they gave each other kisses. Mini began to tear profusely and started to cry. I started singing Twinkle Twinkle to her and she stopped crying. After stalling a few times to go to the potty, she finally went to sleep. On day 2, we did the same thing. Mama left after 2 minutes and Mini teared up again. Instead of crying, she asked Papa to sing a song for her. After a few more potty trips, she went to bed. On day 3, she just laid down with Papa without Mama. She was tired this night and after a few songs she fell asleep. By day 4, Mama laid down with us again. This night, after a few minutes, she said "Mama, you can leave now". We knew we had been successful. Now, when she wakes up, she will actually cry "Daddy" instead of "Mommy". Next, Papa will try to get Mini to sleep in her own bed.

Woodworking Week 2

Second class was a busy one.  Mini used a miter box and backsaw to cut wood, a drill press to make holes, sandpaper to smooth wood, and a coping saw and vice clamp to cut dowels.  

We'll show you the finished product in a couple weeks (hint - it's a 19th century toy).

Swim Class

First day of swim class.  Not so great.  Mini didn't like the pool and cried to get out.  Let's see how the next six classes go.

Woodworking Class

Signed Mini up for a woodworking class at Randall Museum.  First class went really well and Mini enjoyed using a glue gun to create wood art.  Three are abstract and the front piece is a steamboat that got out of control.  It resembled a boat until Mini got excited with the glue gun and kept adding pieces. 

SF - LA - Las Vegas

Daddy needed a vacation so here's the long road trip...

Thursday
A night in Bakersfield as a pit stop

Friday
Lunch at Roscoe's Chicken n Waffles with Uncle L and Aunt V
Visit to La Brea Tar Pits and Page Museum
Drive to Torrance for hotel
 
Saturday 
Visit to UCLA (second stop of Mini's college tour, first was Oxford University last year)
Drive-by of CalTech since Mini was napping
Visit to Monterey Park to see Squirty
Trip to Al Monsour Park to feed a bag of Cheerios to ducks, swans, and turtles
 
Sunday
Free entry into Disney's California Adventure Park courtesy of Aunt F and Uncle J
Mini got to visit Cars Land and see Lightning McQueen in person (this is her favorite character these days, she calls him Queenie Queenie), rode a couple rides and enjoyed all that is Disney
En route to Las Vegas
 
Monday
Circus Circus for the Midway where daddy won horse and penguin toys for Mini
M&M Store for the free samples
 
Tuesday
Excalibur for the arcade but it wasn't as nice as Circus Circus
Poolside at the Signature MGM Grand, Mini only waded in the 6in section
Experienced the Bellagio Fountains three times, Mini was enthralled with the high spewing water
 
Wednesday
Fun is over, time to head home
Another night in Bakersfield

Thursday
Lunch in Fresno
Arrive in SF, home sweet home, Mini missed her toys

Fashion Forward??

Mini went to school wearing a diaper on her head.  Got a good laugh out of her teachers.  Such a weirdo!