Days of our Laives

While having my morning cup of coffee, I flipped through the new West Elm catalog that just came in the mail. Thankfully, Kira was coloring and Renee was sleeping. I didn't expect much from the catalog thinking it would have a lot of rooms I've already seen in previous WE catalogs, which it was. But the nice thing about the new catalog was that in the middle section, they laid out the majority or the most popular big ticket items, like rugs, beds, side tables, coffee tables, chairs, dining tables, buffets, and so on. It was nice to see everything listed in grid style. Sometimes when you see an item arranged in a room, it looks awesome, but you don't see them item separately. For example, look at this room, and look at the rug on it's own. Maybe they've done that before in previous catalogs, but seeing it this time was very eye opening. Maybe it was the graph paper background they used, or the numbering system, or the size of the items. Sometimes the middle s...

Without kids..easiest is bed time because sleep feels so good. Hardest - is dragging myself out of bed in the mornings. With Renee kids it seems to be the exact opposite. As far as the mornings go, this has always been the smoothest part of the day with kids. Mornings generally start around the same time, and kids that have had enough sleep are full of energy, in great spirits, and ready to play. The usual morning routine starts with Kira waking up between 7 and 7:30am, opening her door, running down the hall, and then coming in to our room. There was a time, probably before Renee was around, when I would be able to wake up and get ready for work before Kira busted in to our bedroom. Since Renee has been around, with the lack of sleep, this has not been possible so Kira either plays for a while in our room or climbs in to bed with us and naps or entertains herself until she gets bored. The routine is simple and consistent, which helps make things flow since we all know what we're d...

I feel guilty saying this, but I think Renee is so cute when she cries. Sometimes I just watch her cry. She's so sad...it's cute!! I never thought the same about Kira, and I'm not sure why. Maybe Kira had a more intense cry? Maybe it was more high-pitched? I don't remember. When Renee cries, she looks soooo sad, and she makes a lot of eye contact with me. I don't think Kira did that. She would just scream with her eyes shut. And sometimes Renee throws her head back a little...because she's soooo sad! Or, maybe it's because I'm a more experienced parent, and I don't worry so much if she cries a little. So that allows me to appreciate the cuteness in her crying. Renee crawls so fast now. She can even crawl while wearing the sleep sack! And, she has two more teeth coming out of the top. She'll be 1 year old in about 6 weeks. A friend of mine who had her first baby a few months ago was asking me how to transition solids into her baby...

Renee is almost 1 year old, and I haven't spoken much chinese with her. Even when she was first born, it was mostly English with Kira and everyone else in the house. It's too bad because I remember a time when Kira knew more Chinese words than English words. Here's my resolution to speak more Chinese to Renee. And, I'll make it Cantonese, too...even though my Cantonese sucks really badly. But, I figure, if this gwai loh can do it, then I can too! Here are some ideas I have for keeping us motivated: 1. During mealtimes, we must speak Cantonese 2. Take videos of conversations and new vocab 3. Watching cartoons in Cantonese Wish us LUCK

Kira-isms. Only when I stop to think about it do I realize that Kira's language development has grown so much over the past year. Here are some phrases she likes to use: 1. After explaining something that involves many steps, or has high complexity, she says, "you know what I mean?" 2. After listing several things, she says, "and stuff like that" 3. While we were in FL last month, I asked her if she was enjoying the trip. She said yes. I decided to tease her and asked her if she wanted to stay in FL. She nodded and said "forever". Then I asked her what about Poh poh and Gung Gung, and she replied, "they can visit". 4. A different day while we were in FL, Kira told every one in a matter-of-fact tone that she wanted Mah Mah to go to the market. We all asked why and she replied, so that Mah Mah can make dinner at home and we don't need to go to the restaurant. (That story was much better in person.) 5. She can make jokes. For exampl...

In four days, Renee will be 10 months old. Then it will be two more months (8 weeks) until her first birthday. That is the fastest year I have ever experienced! I'm astounded. Anyways, seeing that time has just been flying by, I figured I should jot down some of the things Renee is doing right now. She can crawl. Marc caught it on video. She's not very proficient. She uses her elbows to heave herself forward. She doesn't really elevate herself with her hands, and she doesn't coordinate her legs to help with movement. She is getting better day by day. We lowered her crib mattress. Yesterday while Trevor was at work, I was freaking out every few hours because after putting Renee down for a nap, upon her waking, I would find her peeking over with both hands gripping the edge. If she would just pull a little more getting her shoulders up and look over the edge to the ground, the sheer weight of her head would just take her down. Scary! So, yesterday, while I bat...