Birthday weekend

I can't believe today is already Monday and my 5-day mini birthday/vacation long weekend is coming to an end. Can I NOT go to work tomorrow?  :-)   After 3-day off-site seminar, I took Thursday and Friday off as vacation days. What sucked was that I got sick late Wed. I most likely caught the bug from mao-mao (she's a germy baby!).  So on Thursday, I did nothing but stayed home and moped around.  I have to give myself credit though for finishing Sarah's 6-9 months photo book.

On Friday, I was a little better after some OTC drugs, so I did a whole bunch of errands, i.e. Costco and Target runs.  I feel like that's what I always do during my day off, especially since SQ hates going shopping so we seldom go during the weekends. He doesn't realize that diapers and toilet papers don't get filled up miraculously!  After SQ came back from work, we went to Mandalay Burmese Restaurant. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the City. All the dishes are soooo tasty and good.  I always order my usual dishes because I can't afford not to order them (and satisfy my cravings) whenever I go there.  However, I guess it was sort of a bad day to go ...because of my congestion, I didn't enjoy the food as much as I would have.

On Saturday, my sisters took me to Spiazzo Italian Restaurant in West Portal..  I thought the food was just OK, but I was happy for the birthday treat!

I feel especially happy this birthday (despite my cold) because it's my first time celebrating my birthday with Sarah.  Same time last year, she was still inside my tummy! :-)

Shared Learning Experience

For the past 3 days, I attended a Company-sponsored, off-site leadership workshop called Shared Learning Experience (or SLE for short).  At first, I was a bit annoyed with the fact that this class was "mandatory" and that it took 3 days out of my workweek to attend.  But after these 3 days, I am so glad to have taken this workshop!!

Throughout the seminar, we discussed case studies of successful companies and learn what made them successful.  We also went through a team building exercise where it not only tested the ability of the leader to lead the team to perform the task, but how we could learn to think outside the box.  We had role-playing exercises to learn the different ways of coaching and how to apply "soft" power.  We learned how to apply different management styles to different people.  My biggest gain out of SLE is self-discovery and self-awareness of who I am as a manager in the workplace.  There were a lot of "ah-ha" moments during the 3 days. Knowing my flaws, being subconsciously aware of them, and having these concepts and best practices not only allows me to become a effective leader but a better person.  I have learned a lot.  It was a great seminar!  There is a 2nd part coming up next week. I can't wait!

One of my favorite quotes I learned:

"In matters of style, flow like the current ; In matters of principle, stand like a rock."
                                                        -Thomas Jefferson

Moments: Crying

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Sarah loves taking baths!

Networking

This morning, I got a call at work from a Recruiter looking for people interested in Planning positions in the New York area.  She said she got my information via LinkedIn.  In case you don't know, LinkedIn is another Social Networking site out there (like a Facebook), but it is geared toward professional networking.  So yeah, NO weird fetishes and racy photos to be found here.  Your profile is basically your online resume.  You connect with friends, classmates, colleagues, and business associates. And then your network expands because one of your contacts is linked to another and to another.  I must say that this site is actually quite a handy tool.  I joined LinkedIn some years ago, but didn't spend much time elaborating on my profile.  I've outlined the different positions I've had (all within the same company). However, I didn't include any descriptions or details.  Since I've been with my company for over 11 years, I got too lazy to update my resume. But I think it's always good to have your resume updated and ready to go, just in case.  And plus, it's much easier to jot down notes about your current job than try to remember what you did years ago.  I'm going to make an effort this weekend to update my LinkedIn profile.

As for the recruiter, I told her that I am currently not interested in moving to New York, but have a few friends and colleagues in the New York area who may be interested...


P.S. Coincidentally, in case you didn't know, LinkedIn launched its first IPO today; priced at $45/share.  The stock closed at $91.25, +109% on the first day.  Wow...

2nd House dilemma

Multiple people within the course of this weekend coincidentally asked me if SQ and I ever considered buying another house. The answer is yes. We've had this thought for at least a couple of years now.  So why haven't we bought one already?  You see, the problem is that SQ and I aren't on the same page when it comes to real estate. I want to 'upgrade,' sell our current house and buy a larger house. For sure, we need more space, especially now with Sarah in the mix.  But SQ wants the second house to be more of an investment property, i.e. a multi-unit property for rental. I am not a fan of being a landlord (I've heard too many horror stories). So we've been debating this issue back and forth; meanwhile, seeing house prices drop gives us an incentive to wait until the prices bottom out (of course, no one knows where the bottom is).

Well, recently, SQ may have a change of mind in perhaps buying a Single Family House.  I make this statement in a very non-confident manner because I am just guessing.  He hasn't said it out loud yet.  So, this weekend, with nothing else to do, SQ and I went to a handful of open houses.  We only looked at SFR listings in the Inner and Central Sunset area (just because they're in our neighborhood, close by for an easy drive).  We didn't really see anything we absolutely loved (yet).

That very night, I had a weird dream...I dreamt that my company is moving to Hong Kong (which is inevitable) and I got laid off because I didn't want to move and my last day will be Oct 29.  Don't ask me the significance of Oct 29...I have no clue.  I shared my dream with SQ the next day. I wonder if this dream is some sort of forecast telling me that I shouldn't buy a house, or what?!  The dream was sure scary and made me feel uneasy...

Letter to Sarah at 11 months 10 days

To my mao-mao,

Recently,

• You LOVE to LAUGH.  You laugh at the silliest things...!  You love the anticipation when I come slowly and slowly to catch you to hug and kiss you! You pretend to run away. But you know you'll always be caught so mommy can give you lots of hugs and kisses
• You finally learned how to chew now. You used to gag whenever I give you anything other than milk and pureed foods. Now you love to snack on the little puffs and can chew on soft foods.
• You still won't hold your own bottle! You will only hold and drink from the straw cup on your own
• You don't mind when I pour water over your head during your baths.  You're such a good baby when it comes to taking baths.  
• You are mobile now! You still can't crawl correctly...one knee and one foot but you get around places.  You've been cruising and have taken a few steps now.  At this point, you don't walk at will. You walk whenever we encourage you to do so, but sometimes you just sit right now and crawl over instead. 
• You are curious -you love to dig into boxes and bags, and touch everything you're not supposed to. 
•  There isn't much improvement on your eczema.  You still get rashes on your face if I don't apply hydrocortizone   :-( 
• You weigh 20.5 lbs now
• You sleep in the cutest fetal position (on your tummy, knees tucked in, butt sticking up) 
• You make sounds like dada, duh-duh, baba and all sorts of funny noises

Sarah's First Steps!

Sarah took her first few steps at my parents' house this past Thursday!!  She has been standing alone 'hands-free' for about a couple of weeks now, but making that first step was such a daunting task.  I see her little toes curl up and her body swaying back and forth trying to make her foot move forward.  It looked like her foot weighed a ton. When we open our arms to entice her to walk to us, she would end up just lunging into our arms instead. So I was floored on Thurs when she took not only a step, but a few steps!! When I put her a distance away from the sofa, I was convinced that she would just lunged her body into the sofa, but nope! She took her time, step by step and walked to my mom, who was holding a remote control to entice her.  Of course either SQ and I captured Sarah's first steps on camera.  We weren't prepared!

But I was able to record this video of Silly Girl walking this morning.  She's still pretty wobbly but doing great!! I'm so proud of you, silly girl! You started to walk at 11.25 months!!

Mother's Day

      On May 8, I celebrated my first Mother's Day with my sweet little baby Sarah.  We didn't do anything special in particular, but I was still super happy that day because I am Mommy to silly girl.
      Sarah, I am so proud to be your Mommy! Your presence and the endless joy you bring me is the BEST present I could ever ask for!  I have never laughed so hard and smiled so much..it's all because of you. Thank you for letting me be your Mommy! :-)

Happy 11-month Birthday, Silly!

Moments: Quiet Time

Moments : Hey, that's me!

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Flashbacks

Lately I have been getting a lot of flashbacks of my time in the hospital.  I don't know why.  A couple of  weeks ago when I was on the plane to and from Hong Kong, I adjusted my seat to recline. That very moment reminded me of the hospital bed.  I used to recline my bed upwards to a sitting position and recline it downward to a sleeping position all day long. That was the only way I could get up and off bed because I had no strength to do it by myself.  Then last Thursday when I brought Sarah to the doctor's for her fevers, the smell of the hand sanitizer at the office also gave me a flashback of my hospital stay. Various doctors and nurses would come into my room everyday on the hour and the first thing they did was to use the hand sanitizer.  So I could sniff that scent a mile away!  Just this last Saturday, I sat on the sofa and looked out the window at a sunny skies.  Again, I had a sudden flashback of the time when I was in the hospital, sitting on the sofa outside the lobby on the 6th floor, gazing out the window at the blue sky...wondering how nice it would be to leave there and go home...

During that period, I didn't write/blog at all.  I wasn't in the mood to document my progress or my feelings, not to mention a good portion of my time I was physically unable to write.  I did tweet though, mainly to my family, of my progress. Here are some of the tweets:

• In hospital right now. Thanks bontee for taking care of Sarah 10:22 AM Jun 13th, 2010

• still waiting for cultures. I can't leave until I can hold my fever down for 24 hrs which has not been possible Monday, June 14, 2010 1:19:50 PM
• 3 people tried and still can't get an IV into my arm. I have skinny veins. Always a problem Monday, June 14, 2010 11:59:00 PM 
• So the lab results of the bacteria the docs thought I had turned back negative. It's something else. The question is what is it???? Tuesday, June 15, 2010 12:18:59 AM
• Finally got the IV in after the 4th try Tuesday, June 15, 2010 12:19:28 AM
• Swelling is not just limited to the feet. My entire leg is swollen Tuesday, June 15, 2010 12:20:40 AM 
• Now I have redness on my tummy. It's one thing after another... :*-( Tuesday, June 15, 2010 10:31:16 AM 
• in room 6315 Saturday, June 19, 2010 7:20:53 PM 
• CT scan shows more drainage needed on left side. Will really position tube tomorrow Monday, June 21, 2010 12:14:21 PM
• White blood cell count is climbing again, which means body is trying to fight yet another bacteria :-( Monday, June 21, 2010 12:33:05 PM
• Is it a bad sign when there is a bacteria inside me that even the Chief of Infectious diseases can't figure out what it is. Monday, June 21, 2010 1:00:35 PM
• The 7cm abscess did not drain as expect. IR will try to reposition drain tomorrow. Abscess very hard to get to. Monday, June 21, 2010 8:00:05 PM
• It's in front of a major artery vein. If IR doctor has no confidence that it's possible, then I have to do surgery again (cut me open) Monday, June 21, 2010 8:01:49 PM
• Doctor describes surgery as "morbid" and high risk. I don't know what to think anymore Monday, June 21, 2010 8:03:07 PM
• Doctors couldn't drain out the really hard abscess near the artery vein. Now they need to access whether if antibiotics can take care of it Tuesday, June 22, 2010 6:25:12 PM
• Need to wait 4days b4 next drain check.. Good progress means no fever & no high white blood cell, which means body not fighting infection. Tuesday, June 22, 2010 10:18:59 PM
• Going to IR today at 3pm. Pray that they are able to get that hard to reach abscess out. Pray pray pray!! Friday, June 25, 2010 2:50:43 PM
•  Fever still not under control. Woke up with a temp of 101.4 Saturday, June 26, 2010 9:30:42 AM
• stomach is still very tight and swollen. dr will monitor thru-out the nite to see if tummy softens. ct shows no add'l abscess. Monday, June 28, 2010 3:59:05 PM
• whte cell count is higher, body trying to fight something. fluid in the lungs. no action plans yet other than close monitor. clear diet only Monday, June 28, 2010 4:00:05 PM
• not passing gas means bowels are still irritated, causing stomach to be tight. feel more energized today from blood transfusion yesterday Monday, June 28, 2010 4:01:40 PM
• Tummy still very hard and swollen today. No gas. Never knew farting is so important. Tuesday, June 29, 2010 6:52:40 AM
• Today complete rest of bowel, cannot drink any fluid at all, will be on IV. .. on boy Wednesday, June 30, 2010 7:13:34 AM
• It's like reliving my icu days and restarting my entire recovery process all over again! Wednesday, June 30, 2010 7:15:11 AM
• may need to put another drain to clear fluid under lungs. Bowels still not moving, may need to insert tube thru nose to pull gas fr stomach Wednesday, June 30, 2010 1:02:56 PM
• Woke up with a 102.8 fever two days in a row. Takes about 3 hours to get bk to nrml temp aftr tylenol. Dunno what's causing the fevers Saturday, July 03, 2010 12:03:02 PM
• On clear liquid diet only. Juice just doesn't cut it. I'm still starving! Hunger pain is the hardest to bear Saturday, July 03, 2010 12:09:14 PM 
• I did not have a good day today. Fevers, nausea, and outright miserable. Just don't feel good. Saturday, July 03, 2010 8:44:27 PM 
• God please oh please get me out of this misery and let me feel better Sunday, July 04, 2010 12:40:02 AM
• I AM GOING HOME TODAY! Wednesday, July 07, 2010 12:04:23 PM      

When I get the random flashbacks and scenes from this dark period of my life, I realize how far I've been. Only time will eventually erase my memories. Just glad that it's all over now...  

Moments: Quarantine

A Letter to Sarah at 10 months 2 weeks

To mao-mao (little kitty):
It's been a while since I last wrote to you. Mommy was in Hawaii and then 3 weeks later in Hong Kong for work.  These 2 business trips have been hard since I had to be away from you. But now I'm done with the trips for a while, I'll get to spend more time with you.  You have progressed so much since I last wrote to you. Recently:

1. You finally learned how to crawl at 9-1/2 months.  You crawl with your left knee and your right foot.  You don't crawl with both knees, but you are so darn cute when you crawl in that funny way.  You are now mobile...uh-oh.
2. But seriously,  you don't crawl much nowadays. You've already moved onto 'cruising' at 10 months. Whenever there is something to hold on, whether it is the sofa, the table, or your toys, you very much prefer to cruise instead of crawling to get from Point A to Point B.
3. Starting last week, you also can stand unsupported for over a minute now!  It's so exciting to see you stand so confidently without wobbling.  You just stand there and flash your watermelon smile!
4. Yesterday, at your Popo and GongGong's place, you took your first step!!  You stood there by the sofa for a long time. I can see your tiny little toes 'curling up,' trying to hold on and wanting to move at the same time. Finally you lifted up your right foot and made 1 tiny step. Then you lunged for the sofa.  We were all truly astonished! 
5. You can now clap your hands on demand, especially when I ask you, "How do you clap your hands?:" You always clap with a huge smile on your face.
6. You are just beginning to learn how to wave your hand. We've been trying to teach that to you for a while now, but you just love to clap your hands instead!
7. Silly girl, you've been sick a lot lately. :-(  Since the beginning of the year, you have had your fair share of colds, stuffy nose, and coughs. Despite all the nasty symptoms, you are still a happy baby. You never cry or whine. You still smile and laugh all the time.  You are one amazing baby! Thank you mao-mao, for being such a good baby to me and your daddy.
8. You have 2 bottom teeth so far.  Haven't seen the 2 top ones pop out yet!
9. Whenever you're sleepy, you not only scratch your neck, rub your eyes, but you like to lick.  You lick your blanket, my shirt, the toys, anything.  You don't take the pacifier and you don't suck on your thumb.  But you lick instead. That's your way of soothing yourself.  So guess why we nicknamed you "mao-mao" (little kitty)??   
10. The best part of my day is the moment I walk into your daycare and I see you with a HUGE smile on your face.  I am so excited to see you too!!

Birthday Party!

Sarah attended Baby SKC's 1st birthday party this past Sunday.  The party was held at Ardenwood Historic Farms in Fremont.  It was a great venue & a perfect day to go celebrate SKC's big day!  Sarah not only met up with her little friends but also saw chickens, rabbits, peacocks, and baaaa baaa black sheep!  Thanks SKC for the inviting us!

The Birthday Boy digging into his personal-sized cake

The 2 friends gossiping!

Hong Kong

Greetings from Hong Kong! Ironically, today is my last day in Hong Kong. I've been here a week already. I left San Francisco last Saturday and flew on Cathay Pacific this time.  The business class seats are configured quite interestingly because I got my own 'pod.'  The pods angle diagonally across the aisle, and are a bit narrow.  There are people to the left and right of you, but because of the partitions, I don't see my neighbors. No talking and no need to climb over anyone to use the bathroom. Yay!  Watched 3 movies:  The King's Speech, Little Frockers, and The Blind Side.

The week is finally over.  It felt long probably because (a) I miss home and family, and (b) I woke up almost everyday at 3am (due to jet lag) and didn't sleep until 10pm+.  I attended a lot of meetings and did some store visits throughout the week.  All of them are physically and mentally draining.  That's why I'm never thrilled about going on business trips.  They're tiring.  The good thing is that I did get to see some of my old colleagues who relocated from SF to HKG last year.  It was nice to catch up on each other's lives.

I had 1/2 day today so I went power shopping. I was disappointed that I didn't buy anything.  Most clothing stores have just launched their Spring collections so no sales.  At full price, the clothes are quite expensive (not any cheaper than the U.S.).  Plus, the clothes are all short-sleeved and not fit for SF's cold weather.  So I didn't buy anything. :-(

I did, however, enjoyed a couple of delicious meals here in HKG.  The "fancy" lunches/dinners that I ate during the week couldn't compete to the ones I ate by myself locally!  One night I went to Din Tai Fung for their yummy Shanghai dumplings.  Another day, I went to Crystal Jade for yet another dose of Shanghai dumpling goodness. Today for lunch, I went to this dim sum place called House of Jasmine in Harbour City Center. OMG it was delicious! I just ordered the basic stuff, like Har Gow, Siu Mai, and Rice roll.  The dessert I had was so die for! It was Egg White and Almond Soup.  Soooo good!!!  Love! Speaking of dessert, this Hong Kong stay would not be complete without going to Hui Lau Shan.  In fact I went there twice to enjoy their Mango Sago. The one in SF simply can not compare!  I also went to this hole in the wall place called Star Cafe in TST by recommendation on Open Rice.com (HK's version of Yelp).  It is literally a hole in wall because I had to not only find the obscure building it was in, the restaurant was in some weird basement location. Their signature dish is Tomato Beef Noodles, which was indeed very good.  However, I don't think I can go there again... it's a bit too 'local' (i.e. dirty) for my comfort level.  Planning to go to the Australia Dairy Co. tomorrow before heading out to the airport. I hope they're open at 10am!    

I can't wait to go home to see Sarah's bubbly smile and hug her!!  

Moments: Photo Shoot

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Sarah Turns 10 months Old Today!

Sarah is Dancin'