eiryl's Xanga

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Sat, 05 May 2007 02:13:12 GMT

one thousand
...happy thousand day anniversary...

we just got back from our day at nyc and we're all tired, so i'll have to blog about it at a later date. thanks again to my loving husband for making a big deal out of our 1000th day together as a married couple. who knew our old wedding ticker would still be of use til now..

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 05:41:00 GMT

one year
...hello my one year old boy...

This time last year, I was being admitted to the hospital with my contractions coming every 2-3 minutes. It was a scary time, but very exciting as well. My labor was fairly short for a first time pregnancy lasting only a little more than 8 hours, but not as smooth as I had expected. Thankfully, I was blessed with a very kind nurse Monica who stayed even past her shift time just to see me through, and also our persistent Ob/Gyn who was adamant about not having to do a C-section on me. At the end of it, my mom was crying, I was crying, Sam was smiling crazily, and we had a beautiful baby boy.

I'm so thankful for this past year. It's really true how being a parent opens your eyes to so many things and I'm so awed that God has entrusted this little boy to us. I praise God for blessing us with our son and how He has been with us throughout this year, from it's rough start to the daily joys and smiles.

Sam and I have been looking forward to our little boy turning one, but also somewhat sad to see his baby days gone so today's been a somewhat bittersweet day. We're so excited though for this second year with Samsam. I pray that God continues to move in his life and will continue to help Sam and I as we parent him.

Happy birthday my little boy! When you wake up, you'll be officially one!

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 22:10:53 GMT

from our family to yours...

merry christmas,
everyone!!

Friday, August 18, 2006

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 01:16:45 GMT

As Samsam turns seven months, he has yet to master sitting upright by himself. We're really looking forward to this as it will mean we won't be burdened with his heavy car seat, which is of course even heavier when he's in it. At his last checkup, he weighed 17lbs 3.5oz so I'm guessing by now, he should be at least 18lbs. He loves going after things and has gotten quite mobile but about two weeks ago, he started his version of a 'crawl'. Prior to that, he was mainly playing bulldozer, ie. rolling around to get to his destination. However, he now uses his feet to propel him forward. At first, it was more like an inchworm-esque motion.. but now he's getting into the crawling position.. arms outstretched, bum in the air, and knees on the floor. He can't sustain it for too long, but we're guessing it's only a short while before he really starts crawling. I think Sam is getting a little concerned as Samsam is showing his penchant for tech stuff.. his favorite prey includes the speakers, the computer, and any wires lying around. The only thing that distracts him from his target is if I get his attention with his other toys. However, once I take my eyes off him, he's back where he began.

We've also noticed that our little boy is quite the flirt.. er.. charmer. A few weeks ago, we were in line at a Dunkin Donuts with two teenage girls behind us. Sam was standing at an angle, and Samsam started looking at one of the girls. He then smiled his contagious smile and the girl smiled back. Samsam continued staring at her until she went to place her order. At that point, Samsam turned his attention to the other girl and started smiling at her. The two girls thought this was cute, but I'll have to tell him when he's older that this is not a good way to treat girls.. no one wants to be second choice.

I'm glad to see he's friendly right now though. Since we don't get to go back to SJ often, I worry he'll feel anxious when he's with a lot of people, esp. people he's not familiar with. However, he's pretty good about being passed around. I guess he likes having the attention of people other than just his parents. He's also very cooperative when we go out.. he smiles at almost everyone who looks at him, which usually prompts a "He's so cute.. he's such a good boy" type of comment from strangers. Hopefully he continues to be friendly as he grows up.

Lastly, we started ferberizing him a few weeks ago. It was really tough in the beginning, but now he doesn't fight is as much. He usually falls asleep within 5-10 minutes of being put in his crib and has set his sleep time for around 7:30. Funny enough, he's become strict with his feeding schedule; he likes to eat his solids by 6:30 otherwise he'll cry and refuse to eat a lot.

As you can see, he's starting to become a little boy. He's even started practicing writing his own blog. Here's his first one. I think he put it in code so I won't infringe on his privacy.

Samsam's first blog
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uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuy
g\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777
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Monday, August 07, 2006

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 22:33:26 GMT

happy anniversary sam..

to be edited at a future time..

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 02:08:08 GMT

six months
...samsam's half year...

It's already mid July and it seems as if Summer's quickly passing by. I'm not sure if it's because my days/weeks/months are measured by Hong Hong's age and development, but it seems as if I'm in fastforward mode sometimes. No wonder moms are always saying how time flies and suddenly their kids are adults with their own families. I have this picture that I will be saying that quicker than I think.

Anyway, Hong Hong is now six months old. We've been home two weekends in a row [which is quite rare] and we still get questions about his nickname so let me clarify. Sam's family calls him Hong Jie, Hong Doi, or Hong Hong. My family calls him Samsam or Toto Sam. Sam tends to call him Hong Jie/Doi or double H while I usually go with wherever we are at the time.. ie. Hong Hong with Sam's family, Samsam with mine.. or just bebe. I sometimes wonder if he'll be confused with all his nicknames, but I guess it's better that he hears all of them now so he can used to them quicker.

These days, he loves rolling around on his mat and playing with whatever is within his reach. We even bought him a toy piano in order to expose him to music early, but the other day I saw him playing it not with his hands, but with his chin. He likes to chew/bite on anything with his two bottom teeth and blows raspberries frequently. One new skill he's learned is that when someone claps at him, he makes it easier to be picked up by lifting his arms or leaning towards you. It's especially noticeable when he's frustrated in his exersaucer or crib cause he really wants to be picked up.

The other big thing is that he's started to eat solids. We initiated him to solids with rice cereal which he was very ready for and are now moving on to vegetables. Considering how I love sweets, we're going to wait on fruits as we'd like to encourage a love of veggies before introducing him to sweeter food. He hasn't seemed to really enjoy green beans as evinced by a grimace the first time he tried it, but it's getting better. I think he likes that at least there is some taste to it, as he is a trooper and still opens his mouth for more.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Sat, 01 Jul 2006 16:42:06 GMT

one year
...happy birthday emem...

Happy birthday to my crazy beautiful niece Emmanuelle Grace. It's been such a wonder to see you grow and develop this year. You're such an amazing little girl. I pray that God will continue to bless you this coming year, and I look forward to seeing you learn more tricks. We love you!

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Sun, 18 Jun 2006 00:58:59 GMT

five months
...happy five months to chi hong...

These days Samsam is quite the playful baby. During the past month, he's mastered rolling over, sitting up w/minimal supervision, kicking his feet, and babbling. His hands are now more mobile, usually grabbing/holding things and he's entered the stage of trying to chew everything in sight. You can see on the right his quality time on the exersaucer his cousin Emma generously passed down. He's about the age Emma was when he was born |which amazes me| and growing out of his clothes like crazy.

The best thing as he gets older is how his smiles come easier and easier. He's so aware of his surroundings and he's reacting more and more. He's always looking around when we take him out, and when someone talks and smiles at him, he tends to smile back. It's especially endearing when he looks at me and smiles, or giggles at my silliness. He's such a happy baby. He's also starting to teeth and everything that comes w/it.. drooling, chewing, and interrupted sleep. My baby's gummy smile will soon be replaced by a toothy grin. I just hope he doesn't bite too hard.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Wed, 17 May 2006 19:56:09 GMT

four months
...happy 4 months samsam...

Another month has passed, and Samsam is now four months old. Looking at the websites with all the milestones he's supposed to have reached, it's good to know he's on track. They always say each child is different and will reach their milestones in their own time, but I still worry at times. Babies are such mysteries at times, and they can't tell you what they need, want, etc.. I guess it's natural as a first time parent.

This picture is such a great snapshot of where he is right now. When he was younger, he hated tummy time and could only last a few minutes on his stomach. However, now, his neck muscles are so much stronger, he can prop himself up well, and he's so playful. He's much more appreciative of his toys and I catch him babbling to himself frequently. Yay for four months!!!

Here are some photo albums of the past couple of months..
month three
our trip to canada

Also, here are some pictures of our friend Liza's wedding last Saturday, the 13th. It's my first as a mom as well as Samsam's and thankfully, he happily behaved himself. He definitely charmed some of the ladies with his friendly smile. It was a nice time to finally introduce him to some of my friends and catch up. We had a great time, we even had a family slow dance.

Congratulations again, Liza and John. We wish you all the best as you begin your journey together.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 21:25:14 GMT

three months
...happy 3 months to chi hong...

The past few weeks have been busy since I last posted.. I celebrated my 28th birthday, Chi Hong was dedicated, my good friend Lidice had her baby Oliver, and Sam and I had our one year, 8 months anniversary. Things are going well.. Chi Hong is beginning to be quite the charmer.. cooing, smiling, and giggling a lot. He's also started to show patterns in his sleeping and can hold his head up for consistently and for longer periods of time. It's really an amazing time for him as he's transitioning from being just a sleeping baby to a more interactive baby.

Anyway, today is his 3 month mark! Happy 3 months Chi Hong. I love you!