Daycare Week 3 / daily schedule

Whew! Sarah's 3rd week at daycare was muuuuch better! She seems to finally get the hang of the place and the people.  All week, she didn't cry during drop off!!  I am so happy that she got through this transition phase fast! (yes, yes, I didn't think it was fast enough last week).  Every morning, we would walk her in, wash her hands, and then bring her to the table to eat breakfast.

At breakfast, she has a variety of foods, including oatmeal, smoothie, cereal, fruits, pancakes, eggs, etc.  Then they have free play - they can roam around in the play kitchen, build blocks, hit the drums, pretend-play with figurines, soft toys, play dress up, or read a book. Then they do a morning snack with crackers and fruits. They have group activities which vary by day.  Sometimes it's puzzles, water play, or messy art. Then it's time to go outside to play in the play yard.  Sarah loves to go outside.  In fact, she insists that she is the first kid to go on the buggy so she is guaranteed not to be left behind!

After the outdoor play, they wash their hands & eat their lunch at 11:30.  The lunch menu is prepared fresh by the on-site Center's chef daily. Most of the food are organic, including milk. After lunch, they brush their teeth and go for their naps. Unfortunately, this lands during my lunch hour. One day I walked to the center planning to visit Sarah, only to find out that they were all sleeping!

Depending on the length of the nap, some kids will go outside for a second time. Others will continue to sleep. Sarah is a pretty good napper, so she usually misses the afternoon outing and sleep for 3 hours. Then by 3ish, all the babies come together for an afternoon snack. They then do afternoon activities such as music, dancing or more art projects. Then free play for the rest of the day until pick up time!

I feel that Sarah learns a lot from this daycare, since all the activities and even playing are geared towards child development. I noticed that there are no battery operated toys there... Not only because it's expensive to buy batteries all the time, but it takes away interaction time. The toys there induce creativity and imagination, which some battery operated toys lack.

This center is by no means perfect. There are things that I dont like. One of them is that I feel the place is very instituionized. Everything is by the book and there are a lot of rules and regulations, for both kids and parents! Most parents are very involved in the classroom....kinda like the PTA. I'm not used to it. Dont people know that I'm anti-social!!?

Sarah's 15.5 month old vocabulary

Sarah has been communicating to us a lot lately, which is great! I am surprised everyday with the new words she's picked up.  The other night, she pointed to the sky and said, "oon" I didn't know what she was saying until I finally saw the crescent moon.  Where did she learn that?? How did she know that was the moon?? Sure, we've read "Goodnight Moon" to her many times, but was she really able to figure out that cartoon picture of the  moon was the same as the real moon outside in the sky?! If she did, WOW! 

A warm evening in September

Sarah's breaking out her dance moves! 

Daycare Week 2

We are having a hard time with Sarah's daycare transition.  This week (Week 2) has been more difficult than the week before.  Everyday this week, Sarah cried at drop-off. She is very clingy and the minute she walks into the room, she cries.  Last week, at least she didn't cry. She went straight to the table for breakfast.  This week, even the sight of food doesn't appease her.  She wants to cling on to me. Seems like she is regressing, instead of progressing... To be honest, I thought Sarah would do better than this since she's been dropped off at a daycare before. She's used to not seeing us during the day.  But I guess the new environment and new faces are enough to throw her off and make her uncomfortable.

It also seems like Sarah is going through her separation anxiety phase right now.  She's also very clingy at home and at other familiar places.  Now she needs to have us nearby or in the same room.  She whines when she doesn't see one of us and then drops what she's doing to look for us.  Sarah has always been an easy-going baby. She rarely cries and fusses.  That's why we can bring her to restaurants, libraries, everywhere because she was so easy. We are definitely not used to this sudden change of personality.  But as my sister said, there are a lot of things that we won't be "used to." Kids change. Welcome to Parenthood!!

A Letter to Sarah at 15 months 2 weeks

My sweetest mao-mao:

Recently,

• you have just transitioned to a new daycare and you're having some problems adjusting to the new environment and the new caregivers.  But I know that you're a very strong baby and soon enough you will get used to the place and make new friends.  Life will be full of changes, and you will find your way to cope with these changes, your own way.
• you say so many words now... about 15-20 of them at least.  You say some words in Chinese, like nai nai (for milk) and mut-mut for socks...and some words in English, like duck-duck, apple, nana (banana).  You're going to speak Chingish! 
• you got a lot more whiney and you cry a lot more lately.  I'm wondering if it's because you're going through the separation anxiety phase or because you're transitioning daycare. You tend to always want to be near us and in the same room. You don't want to be left alone, anywhere.  I hope this only a phase.
• you are now growing your second molar on your right side.  It's about 50% out.  Including that one, you now have a total of 10 teeth!
• you eat just about everything now.  We don't really keep track of what you eat anymore.  You eat pretty decent sized portions too!  I seem to constantly underestimate the amount you can eat!  Just eat up, my little girl!
• you can self-feed yourself. You are getting pretty good at it. You can put a spoon and catch at least 85-90% of the food into your mouth, which is actually great! The only thing is that you can't scoop up the food well...and tend to make a mess that way.  But you're making very good progress.  You can self-feed a whole cup of yogurt by yourself. 
• you respond well to simple commands when we ask you to put things away or give us an object. 
• you either know all of your colors or all your shapes. You are able to put all the wooden shapes into the puzzle.  I'm truly amazed that you are able to do that...though I'm not sure if you can put the puzzle together because you recognize the shape or if you made the connection through the color.  You can do this puzzle all by yourself.  You can even say "oval" and "circle."  
•   

• you continue to surprise us everyday with the new things you can do and new words you can say.
• And you can jump. Or so you think you can jump.  Don't know where you learned it or when. One day, you saw a cartoon kangaroo on TV and you started to jump!  You also know the meaning of the word Jump, because when I ask you how to jump, you jump!!   

15-month Wellness Checkup

We brought Sarah in for her 15-month wellness check up yesterday afternoon.  Overall, it was a relatively good appointment.  She only whined for a little bit and was fine for most of the appointment session.  Sarah is developing and growing on track.  I mentioned a couple of my concerns : Sarah's feet point inwards when she walks (bow-legged) and her vomitting whenever she cries hard/coughs.  Doctor said all of these are not cause of concern and will self correct themselves as she grows older.

Sarah took 2 vaccination shots and 1 flu shot during her visit. For the remainder of the night, she was irritable and had a hard time falling asleep. Woke up today with a slight fever. :-(  

15-month stats:

Weight : 22lbs 8oz (43% tile)

Height:  31.75 inches (85% tile)

Head Circumference: 18.7 inches (89% tile)

She didn't gain as much weight as she did the last few times. She dropped from the 50's percentile to the 40's.  Not a big deal, but I wonder if it's because she's not drinking formula anymore and her food intake is not enough to supplement?  I guess it's fine... she's just going to be a tall slender baby! 

Sarah's First Day at New Daycare

Monday was Sarah's 1st day at the new daycare center.  I purposely took Friday off to bring her to the center so she can get accustomed to the new environment.  Throughout the 1.5 hours I was there with her, she was very clingy and she cried on and off.  She stayed close to me most of the time, played a little bit, and cried when I was not in sight, even though I was only a few feet away.  Given all of this, I was very nervous about her first full day there.

On Monday, we dropped Sarah off in the morning and to my amazement, she was relatively calm.  She didn't cry or whine at all.  She wasn't even clingy.  I led her to the table for breakfast. She sat down and began feeding herself the cereal and bananas.  Both SQ and I then left.  We didn't spend more than 10 minutes there.  I was happy to see her settle in.  I called the center around 10am and they said Sarah is doing fine.  She was napping at that time.  I left work early at around 3:00p to pick Sarah up.  The teacher told me that she's new to the schedule and environment so she cried twice during the day, once after waking from her nap and once after coming back from the playground.  Most kids there have already transitioned to taking only 1 nap in the afternoon. Sarah still takes 2 naps during the day.  

I hope she will adapt to her new place soon.  I know it is overwhelming for a little baby to have such a big transition...but I know she will do just fine.  

Sarah playing in the kitchen

Sarah having breakfast

9/11 Tenth Year Anniversary

Today is the tenth year anniversary of Sept 11. It is one of those events and moment in time where you would always remember where you were and what you were doing when you first heard the news broke out.

I was still living at my parents' house at that time. My sister who lived in Castro Valley called our house around 7:30 am and told us to immediately turn on the TV. The images from the TV are still so fresh in my mind. The news kept on playing and replaying the airplane flying into the 2nd tower. It looked like a scene out of the movies. I called SQ who lived in Berkeley to turn on the TV too.

The magnitude of the event didn't even register on me at that point. I was naive enough to take the bus with my sister to downtown for work. A lot of people on the bus were talking about the attack.

When I got to my building lobby, one of my office facility managers told me to go home. No work today. So I went home. All this time I didn't understand why SF was so on edge since the event happened in NY.

It was only when I got home and began to be glued to the TV did I realize what all this meant.

A truly sad day in American History. A day we will never forget. A day that has changed our lives forever.

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Blogger vs Wordpress

I've kept a journal since high school.  I've written throughout my college years and even after I came out to the real world to work.  I don't call it my diary because I don't write it every day.  I write whenever I have something to say or whenever I'm bored and have nothing to say.  Some entries simply recount what I did that day; some entries are just pure random thoughts.  I've always enjoyed writing, or in recent years typing.  However, since blogging came into existence, I do my journal entries online instead, on this very blog.

I joined Blogger and had this weblog since June 2003. A whole 8+ years! Wow!  I still remember that when this all started, Blogger only provided 1 template and we couldn't post pictures. Now, we can change the templates as often as we wish, attach pictures, videos, links, etc. I've been OK with this blog site but there are definitely things I wish it could do:

(1) let me create separate tabs.  Sometimes I think how nice it would be to have a separate tab just for my Sarah entries...since she is the subject of most of my blog now!

(2) let me password protect selected entries.  For most posts, I don't mind if everyone (yes, including strangers) read it.  But there may be some posts I want to keep some privacy.  Right now, I don't have the option to lock-in selected posts. It is either private-protect the entire blog or nothing.

I know these are 2 things that WordPress allows you to do.  So sometimes I wonder if I should switch over to WordPress... but looking back at the entries I've made here & the history, I voted against it.  I just wish that someone who works for Blogger can make these enhancements so I can continue to blog here!  

Today is our 8 year wedding anniversary! Can't believe that I've known SQ for over 11 years and we have been married for 8 years already! I must say that it sure doesn't feel that long.  Other than me travelling for work, there was not one day that SQ and I are apart. We spend almost all weekends together. His friends are my friends and vice versa. Some couples like their own space, their own separate friends, own time, but for me and SQ, we don't mind each other's company a bit...because we are best friends.

Sure, we get into arguments and fight about the silliest things, but we somehow get over it and move on. There are things we don't like or can't stand about the other, but we either overlook the flaws or find a way to change. Life's not perfect.  It never will be. All I know is that I can always count on SQ to be by my side, through good and bad times.

Cheers to a wonderful Eight years and many more to come!

Happy 15 months, Sarah!

Guess what Daddy got Sarah for her 15-month birthday? a HUMMER!!

** Nah, this was a hand-me down from Sarah's cousin.  It's a battery-operated car that comes with a foot pedal, forward and reverse gears, and a working horn! No joke! No car keys for you yet, little girl!!

New daycare

After being on the waitlist for 1.5 years, there was finally a space at Easter Seals for Sarah. This daycare center is located in downtown San Francisco and has a program from infant care through pre-K.  This means that I don't need to look for a preschool for Sarah after she turns 3.  I have always liked this place due to the proximity to work, the fact that they are in a large facility with ample space, provide meals, and have a preschool program.

The availability caught me somewhat by surprise, and although I'm happy to finally get Sarah in, I am apprehensive about the change. I am a creature of habit and routine, so I often get nervous when things go besides the norm.  We now have to figure out the drop off and pick up schedule, commute hour, commute route, etc. It will be an adjustment for us, and of course for Sarah.  She has been going to her current daycare since she was 6 months old.  She is used to the caregivers, other kids, and the environment there.  Now she will need to adjust to a new place and new faces. She will be in class of 12 with babies within her age group (12-24 months).  I hope silly girl can manage all of this. Her first day is on Mon, Sept 12.

What the Future Holds

I keep a rather updated profile on Linked n not because I'm currently looking for a job but I use it as my online resume.  I usually have a hard time locating my latest resume...it's saved in a memory stick somewhere or saved in the hard drive of a computer we no longer use.  Plus, the resume is always a few years old.  I have to update everything over again anyways.  So LinkedIn works for me.

I've been contacted by several recruiters before via LinkedIn- they're looking for people to fill retail buying positions for companies like Williams-Sonoma, CostPlus, etc. I usually politely inform them that I'm not currently looking to move companies but would love to keep in touch for future opportunities.  Because the truth is, I know what the future holds for me. 3/4 of our merchandise buying office has moved to Hong Kong.  It is only a matter of time when our last group goes too.  I swing like a pendulum back and forth on both extreme ends on whether I would move to Hong Kong when the day comes.  Some days like today, I just want to stay here, right where I'm at.  I'm happy living here - all my friends and family are here.  I'm a creature of habit and routine - if it isn't broken, why fix it?

Then I think about if I don't move to Hong Kong, I would surely get laid off.  Will I then find another job similar to the one I have now??  Will any of those opportunities in Williams-Sonoma, CostPlus, etc be able to pay me at my salary level and the bonus I get every year?  Will they be able to give me all the perks (vacation time, airline miles, AmEx reward points...)?  All these questions pop up in my head....This is the part where I don't know what the future holds.      

I've Dreamed Many Dreams

I ran across this poem a while back and loved every word of it.  I'm posting it here in case you haven't read it. Very inspirational and uplifting! 

I've Dreamed Many Dreams 

I've dreamed many dreams that never came true.
I've seen them vanish at dawn.
But I've realized enough of my dreams,
To make me want to dream on.

I've prayed many prayers when no answer came,
Though I've waited patient and long,
But answers have come to enough of my prayers
To make me keep praying on.

I've trusted many a friend that failed,
And left me to weep alone,
But I've found enough of my friends that are really true,
That will make me keep trusting on.

I've sown many seeds that have fallen by the way,
For the birds to feed upon,
But I've held enough golden sheaves in my hand,
To make me keep sowing on.

I've drunk from the cup of disappointment and pain
I've gone many days without song,
But I've sipped enough nectar from the Roses of Life
To make me keep living on!

Happy Hollow

Sarah spent this past Sunday on a play date at Happy Hollow in San Jose with little friends CF and SKC.  At Happy Hollow, Sarah -

• petted a few goats and a lizard
• rode the Danny the Dragon ride  
• sat on a lemur on the Merry-go-around
• saw a tortoise, lemurs, capybara, jaguar, and meerkats 
• had a picnic lunch in the park 
• ran around in a maze
• played on slides
• had loads of fun in the sun with her buddies!! 

We really liked Happy Hallow.  It is a small park perfect for the little ones to run around. Adults don't get too tired walking because it's a small place. All the rides and activities are included in the admission ticket so there are no additional costs.

A Letter to Sarah at 14 months 2 weeks

Hi mao mao
Boy, you are growing by leaps and bounds! You've learned so much in 1 month!

• You are able to follow instructions/directions now... you understand when we ask you to bring us something, sit down, stand up, go someplace, put things back, etc. The only thing we can't get you to do is to stand still!
• Your vocabulary is improving substantially.  Sometimes we are surprised you even know the word! You are able to say: baba, mama, ose (for nose), circle, "gor-dough" (Cantonese for 'over there'), bye-bye, mum-mum, duck, nai-nai (for milk), dog, uh-oh, "deet jor" (Cantonese for 'it fell down'), po-po (Cantonese for 'carry me').  I'm sure they are more words that I'm forgetting or haven't discovered yet!
• You don't seem to be afraid of anything (exception may be the iRobot).  You get on slides and swings, and monkey bars if you could.  Not afraid of heights or falling. 
• You are a little bit better at playing with toys. You know what the buttons do and hand-eye coordinate in stacking up boxes
• You are eating all sorts of table foods now.  We're not even keeping track of what you're eating - hopefully, you're not allergic to anything...'cuz if you do, we wouldn't know how to trace it back to the source!
• You are pretty much bottle-free.  You drink most of your milk in a straw cup (Lollacup).  The only time that you don't is in the morning...and that's mostly our fault/choice because we need to get out of the house in a rush!    
• You have 9 teeth. 4 on the bottom, 4 on the top and a molar!
• We are in the beginning stages of letting you feed yourself with a spoon/fork. You already mastered eating finger foods, so now onto the utensils! Your first self-feeding was a success. You got most of the rice cereal into your mouth. Practice makes perfect!  I can tell that you're kinda like a clean freak because you don't like getting your hands dirty. 
• And you think you can dance!  

Project Runway

I love Project Runway and Season 9 has just started!! It is my all-time favorite show.  I don't have cable so I can only watch this show is online. I like watching the designers' creativity and all the challenges that go with it.  The little bit of drama and personalities also make the show interesting.  I'm not a fashionista but I love the different clothes that come out of the show.  2 episodes out so far...can't wait until the next episode! 

By the way, while watching one of the season's show, I was so inspired that I even shopped around for a sewing machine...thinking that I can try to make my own clothes! ha ha ha!! The sewing machine never made it and I still have to buy my clothes.  Sewing is one of the skills that I wish I had.  My mom used to sew at home as a part-time job when we were little.  I remember that she would get these bags of fabric delivered from somewhere and she would sew the pieces together to make belts, collars, etc.  She would get paid like 10 cents a piece or something like that.  I remember helping her cut off loose thread strands off the finished products or flip the fabrics inside out.  We had this Brother sewing machine that comes on a table, equipped with foot pedals and all.  It was the Mercedes Benz of all sewing machines.  My mom ended up selling the machine off many years later to a friend of a friend for $200 (I think).  I regret that I didn't learn how to sew from that machine.  It was too intimidating.  I would still like to learn how to sew though.  Maybe I should just get a cheapie machine and ask my mom to show me!  

Oakland Zoo

This past Sunday, we met up with some friends at the Oakland Zoo.  The outing was part of my semi-annual get-together with my girlfriends from elementary school.  Yes, amazingly, we still keep in touch (even before Facebook!) Along with our significant others and kids, we met up at around 10:30am.  We walked through the exhibits one by one.  At around noon, we took a break to eat lunch in the grassy picnic area.  Then we continued our walk around the zoo premises. Sarah saw a lot of animals - including bears, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, elephants, and crocodile.  She also spent some time at the petting zoo, with the goats.  Too bad the lions were not out so we didn't get to see them.  We finally made our way to ride the train.  It was a rather long wait - but the kids all waited so patiently!  The train ride took us to the back side of the zoo, which we saw emus and wallabies.  We left the zoo at around 3pm and Sarah was so tired she felt asleep the minute we left the parking lot!

This was our first time to Oakland Zoo.  I must say that although the premise is smaller compared to the SF Zoo, it seems more catered to the younger kids.  The animals seem to be more lively and/or at least you can see them moving about.  The weather is also nicer and warmer. Too bad, this zoo is so far away from our house; otherwise, we would come back more often.   

Sarah turns 14 months today!

A vacation for my vacation

Even though I just came back from a week-long vacation, I am dying to take some days off soon.  Yes, I need a vacation for my vacation!  Because we traveled to a new city, our agenda for the day mostly comprised of wandering about and exploring the place. We did a lot of walking so at the end of the day, we usually returned back to the hotel tired. And of course, having Sarah with us added to the exhaustion. Although I had a lot of fun visiting the Northwest, I didn't feel like I got to relax at all!  

I actually love to take vacation days to do nothing.  Yep, nothing at all.  Wake up late, go to lunch, go shopping, go get a manicure/pedicure or a facial, take a nap, etc.  Just to be lazy. SQ is different - if he takes a day off, it needs to be productive.  I'm on the opposite end.  I don't mind being lazy, even for a few days.