experiencing your first earthquake!

or..... sleeping right through it. I guess she is a true California girl.

For the rest of us... quite a bit of rolling shaking... nothing fell down and we're all ok.

The little girl was sleeping in Bethy's lap and didn't even peep!attached picture isn't during the earthquake.. .but why not post what she was doing anyway!

Good night!

more interactivity

She has been quite a bundle of joy lately... more interactive, more expressive, more portable.

Yesterday was, if I remember correctly, the first "kid" thing that we have done.... meaning stuff that Bethy and I normally wouldn't go to. Yes.. there were lots of little rug rats running around, getting dirty, and providing Lauren with perfect examples of what we'll expect her NOT to be like. I'm not sure if she fully comprehended the lesson, but I'm sure there will be plenty more cases for reinforcement of that message in the many years to come;)
Hopefully tonight I'll get a chance to map out and execute on my plan... but until then, I won't tell you what it is so that if it fails miserably... oh... did I say something?

She has been quite a bit more fun lately to be around too.. .not that she was a party pooper before... but there was just more poop than there was party ;) Putting her in the Bjorn and walking around with her beats the heck out of lugging around a stroller, so that's what I'll prolly try to suggest more in the future. Mind you, the back will need a bit of conditioning as well. If you'd like to simulate on your own... visit your local grocery store to heft that bag of potatoes around for a while, or your local bowling alley and hang a bowling ball off the front... you'll get a better idea.

So she walks around... talks to people(not with people... that's later), and is generally very curious. And it's nice for Bethy and I. While our world does focus on her during feedings and partial play time... the rest of the world and chores and dishes and bottles and errands still accumulate. I've heard that for 16k+room/board, that we could get an au pair, but imagine that would be generally frowned upon by the family(JUST KIDDING!!!!!).

Clothes are SOOO EXPENSIVE!!! Thanks to everyone again for all the clothes that we haven't had to buy. All the cute outfits that she's going to outgrow so quickly. I was looking online for cute holiday outfits and they are pricey!!! especially considering she is going to grow out of it by next year... spending $80 on an outfit for her seems crazy. but I may yet still do it ... we'll see how it goes.

She's making progress on her tummy too. Bethy bought the little tummy boppy and she's doing good hanging out on that too. yes.. she gets a little tired on it, but if she didn't... we wouldn't need it would we!

ok.. that's all for now... maybe there will be some good pictures tonight.

Pumpkin Patch Sunday

It has been getting cooler outside so we have started putting hats on our little girl. The knit cap is one that Tai Tai made for her and now it fits. I think she looks really cute in this hat. I am obviously biased though :).
She is trying very hard to eat the taggie blanket but alas it didn't taste as good as her hand.

We decided to go to the pumpkin patch today with Lauren. We went to the Ardenwood pumpkin patch in Fremont. We should come earlier in the month next year to see this patch with many more pumpkins. It was still fun to walk around and try and find a Lauren size pumpkin. We love the pictures of Lauren as the pumpkin girl and the sunflower.

Of course her head is too tiny to fill the hole so it makes it all the more adorable.

You can see we have been using the Bjorn carrier. She likes looking out while we walk around. She is sometimes extremely quiet while she is in it as she observes her surroundings. Eric got the pleasure of hearing her chatter/make funny noises today as we were walking around. I always wonder what she is doing and what faces she is making when she is making these funny noises in the carrier since you can't see her face when you have her in that thing.


We finished our day out by having a late lunch with the grandparents and Tai Tai. We tried feeding her some milk when we first got to Barney's but she became a little upset when she realized we had the extra slow flow nipple on the bottle (unintentional). Her hunger outweighed how hard she had to work to get milk so she ate anyway. Alas the slow nipple has its consequences, she fell asleep pretty quickly. She woke up from the power nap she was taking during the meal and gave everyone a fierce yawn. Thanks Tai Tai for coming out to come see us for lunch, especially since you were tired.

always having new things to do and play with!

Today we did a little this.. did a little that.... spent some time with A Jan and Jordy....

Then we went over and spent some time with A Juney and U Greg. But... she slept most of the time... I guess that's what happens when you put away 8 OUNCES in one sitting!

Yup.. this morning started interestingly with her taking about 5 oz at about 3:30. She finished those 5 ounces at about 3:40(which is really fast for 5 oz going in). I took her upstairs, put her in her swing before she was really asleep, assuming that since she just pounded the 5oz away, that she'd drift off into sleep....

riiiiiiiiiight

After playing a little bit, bethy offered another 3 oz... sure...



gone.


but this time.. she was sleepy, and she went down.... till about 9:30!

So anyway.. we spent some time up in Oakland with AJ/UG, but she was sleeping most of that time and didn't really visit much.... and that's pretty much how the rest of the day went too. Verdict is out on whether her sleeping so much is a good or a bad thing....

but until that gets decided... at least I have some pictures!!!

First off is her first lollipop!!! yummy!!!


Ok.. she never got the wrapper off, but it looked like fun!

This next pictures is what happens when I find a deal on Disney.... about $15, and she gets her first Halloween costume! We didn't put the leggings on yet.. but she's a cutie!

I wonder if I can score some candy for having such a cutie little girl! I promise I'll stash it away so she can enjoy it when she gets older!!! ... and be sure none if it goes bad too ;)


Next picture is her new throne. Yes... she matches well with it.. and is such the cutie in it too!

I kinda feel bad about putting her in this, as I know it'd drive me NUTS if I had to sit in something like this. Hopefully it will allow us a little bit of free time and encourage her to sit up more!

Good Morning

She woke up happy today and we were able to get a shot of her after her diaper change and before dad left for work. She usually wakes up in the morning slowly with a few grunts here and there. One of us will go to her to wish her a happy morning and she smiles as she stretches. One would think she would be hungry after being asleep for a few hours but she seems to patently refuse to eat right as she wakes up. She likes to play a little bit. On a normal morning when dad doesn't have to leave for work early, she will go downstairs and hang out with dad. I take this opportunity to sleep in a little bit but I think the activities include some tummy time, some time hanging out on the couch, some time in the swing. After this play time if daddy has time he will feed her, if not he gets ready for work as I watch her for a spell. Overall mornings are relatively calm in our household.

A first for dad....

Today was my first day spending alone with the little girl. Yes... there was a bit of worry on my part with questions like: what if I can't stop her crying? will she have a strong separation anxiety from her mom? Will I be able to replace the boob with the bottle? Will I know or pick up on all the signs fast enough? will I still be able to get work done?

but all in all... not a bad day at all. I spend some time in the AM with her just hanging out, she napped through the better part of the middle of the day, and there were no prolonged periods of fussiness.

She did wake up in the middle of her big nap, but after picking her up, she was back to sleep and back in the swing in less than 5 minutes. I walked around with her a couple times in the baby bjorn, including over to visit Sophie and Hannah, and as usual, was a model of good behaviour.

There was one amusing glimpse though... she went from a cry(not a full cry, just a singly yell) to a pout, to a smile and a laugh all within about 3 seconds... it was quite quizzical.

One of the things that we've been trying to increase over the last couple of days is the amount of time she is spending on her tummy. Trying to improve her arm and neck strength, and get her accustomed to being able to roll over from her tummy to her back. It is usually a source of fussing and crying within about 30 seconds, but we're working on it. Today I practiced with her rolling from her back to her tummy(different), and she's able to recover to her back, from 3/4's of the way there. With a little more work, she should be able to get that... sadly, not without quite a bit of investment in the fussing futures.

She's a darling, and spending time with her should never be a fret for anyone. Check the diaper, check the time for the possible feeding, and if that doesn't solve it, get up, walk her around and you'll be good to go!

A couple of pictures:
Hanging out with mom and dad in an outfit given to us by Auntie Di.

"I'm ready for my driver's license"

Normal Day

Each day she is getting more and more aware. Grandma bought her a book called "The Farm" which she has read to her when she babysits. Tonight as we were sitting on the couch I decided to read her that book. She seemed very interested, gurgling on each page. She liked the last page with the big pig on it, she giggled every time she saw it. I of course read it to her more than once.

We went out for a walk today and as usual she fell asleep for the first half of it. When she is awake I try to talk to her and tell her about everything. At the end of our walk she doesn't want to be in the stroller anymore. She likes to look out and see everything so I have been taking the baby bjorn carrier with me so I can carry her and my arms can be free to push the stroller. She makes noises as we are walking making me think she is imitating me telling me what she is seeing. We barely made it back before the rain started. I guess we will have to find other ways to entertain ourselves when the rainy season really starts.

The past few days

Well Lauren was busy the past few days.

She turned 3 months old on Wednesday and she spent the day with Grandma and Auntie Harr. I work a full day on Wednesdays so I got to take a picture with her when I got home. Yes, she is getting big! Isn't she the cutest thing. (Outfit given to us by Auntie Harr).
On Thursday, she got to play with Hannah Sakai on the play mat. Hannah liked hitting the bells in front of her, while Lauren got some love from Dad.


On Friday she got to go to see Uncle Kenny's team play volleyball. She did really well hanging out with everyone. She got a feeding in the middle of the match and promptly fell asleep. When she awoke after the match she spent some social time with everyone, gracing some with her laugh and her smile!! I should have taken a picture of her and Ken especially since she decided to share some of her dinner on him. :)

On Saturday Eric and I went to the Sharks game so she got to spend time over Auntie Harr's house. We were lucky that she also got to visit with Auntie Viv, Uncle Gif and Andi. We heard she did pretty well even tho Cal didn't that night. Thanks to all for babysitting and watching her.

After all those activities she was tired so here is a picture of her resting in her swing.
Oh I am including the next pic because I like the hat that Tai Tai knitted for her. It definitely keeps her head warm.

being a little chatterbox

Yesterday morning was a toughie on me(dad). I had to leave early-ish for a class, it was the toughest time I've had yet. Lauren had been pretty good the night before, but was up around 6-ish but even though I heated the bottle, she wasn't especially hungry while I was hanging out with her. I watched some stuff on tivo, and she just kinda hung out.

Just as I hopped into the shower to get ready for work, she went into the swing a little bit to watch and play with her favorite friend... the seahorse. She was a bit squeally, but nothing out of the ordinary. By the time I hopped out, Bethy had her on the bed and she was having a little breakfast. She was alert as she usually is these days, but at the same time, very vocal too!

I'd say hi, she'd squeal or coo back, almost to the point of having a conversation. She'd smile, get excited and chatter in her little ways. But I had to go to work... and that kinda sucked. But it's really cool to see how interactive she is these days!!!

Anyway.. onto the pictures. For the longest time now, other than her concerned look, her pouty look is probably the most impressionable expression that I can think of on her. I don't know where she learned it from, but the little lower lip sticks out and she gives this really sad look. Thankfully it's something that happens only in quick passing on the transition from fussy to crying, and to this point, its been really hard to catch. What... am I suppose to make her unhappy just so I can capture the picture? Anyway.. She was a little fussy the other night and I happened to catch it. In case you haven't seen it(it's pretty likely that if you've seen it, then you know), here it is. :(

bonding when you aren't even looking for it...

So the last couple of days have been hard.... an adjustment?

Raising Lauren has been a study in flexibility, focus on what the priorities are, and at the same time, trying to figure out where Bethy and my lives continue on in the spare moments.

So back to the moment that snuck up on me..... As mentioned in the previous post, Lauren is VERY sensitive to what Bethy eats, subsequently, and after some trial and error, resulting in Bethy excluding all and anything with even traces of dairy. Milk, butter, whey... anything even a derivitive impact on Lauren. Gas, some little pimples, tummy ache, constipation. We need to be very careful about this.... It usually takes about 6 hours to show up in the milk stream and about 2-3 hours after that for Lauren to start her oddities. From there, once it's been identified and the dairy intake stopped, probably about 36 hours to clear Bethy's system, and then maybe another 2 days to clear Lauren's system.

Now keep in mind here... we are talking trace amounts which can have a large impact. Things baked with milk or butter will do the damage. We took some time to think about it, and has taken a good month or so to figure it out(we've known for the past month +). While we know that Lauren was a bit fussy early on, and with typical bouts of a little bit of acne... since Bethy has been dairy-free, most of you have experienced the little bundle of joy that she is.

Anyway... getting back to the point of this post... she's been a little difficult as of late as Bethy accidentally had some dairy... and the last couple of days have been a challenge on her, me, grandma and grandpa who helped do some sitting. This morning we went and had dim sum and spent some time with family(see below)... and was kinda prepped to have to hopefully endure the last bouts of this episode with Lauren this afternoon..... So this afternoon, Bethy managed to get Lauren to take a nap... longer than 10 minutes... I was downstairs and after a nap, went to go do some work on the cars, 4 washes later, some claybar and some RainX and I was done. That put us to about 5:00 or so and I moseyed up stairs , figured out dinner with Bethy and settled in. People warned me in the past that you learn to eat quickly when you have a little one, and it's true. Bethy and I usually take turns eating and tonight was no exception. I ate a little bit, and then had Lauren cradled in my arms/lap when she gave me that look... soon to be followed by what we estimate to be about 3-4 days of pent up... unhappiness.

So after a couple minutes of additional settling and release, I tried to work the rock-paper-scissors angle to get out of the changing duty, but to no avail....I went scissors, and Lauren showed rock as usual and I was stuck... I only hoped that containment was still in place.

Sadly, no... As much as I tried not to shift her too much in the move to the changing table, it turns out that there was a leak... and a bit on her outfit as well. Bethy helped soak the outfit and I went about the task of delicately and quickly changing the diaper. A couple minutes later, two baby wipes, a disinfectant wipe and a new outfit, we were all set to go.

It was still early so we decided to take a quick run over to TJ's to pick up some stuff for the week. Once we got back, Lauren got a bath and a feeding... at least a partial one.

After a little bit, I went upstairs to see how things were going.... Bethy was settling in front of the computer and Lauren was in the swing... but still awake. Behty mentioned that Lauren hadn't really eaten much and that I should warm 3oz that were down in the fridge from earlier today. After warming it up, I settled down with the little one in my lap and started the feeding.

She took most of it and dozed and fell asleep during, so I picked her up and walked a bit to try and get a burp out of her. After a couple minutes, I didn't get a burp, but she was sound asleep... and it was during this time, with the heft of about a sack of potatoes on my shoulder, that I realized yet again, that even through the oddities and helpless sympathizing with the little girl while she twisted and turned, that I had bonded with her more and more. That the loss of sleep, the worrying about the diapers and what she was eating or if she wasn't eating enough or trying to figure out why she wouldn't take one nipple or the other, that again... I had been unwittingly pulled in, sucked into the ongoing life of the little one. No.. it was no mistake having a little one... but the ways in which you learn, and things transpire are always interesting and surprising. All the little lessons we learn... I can't wait till the next one... maybe I'll even be aware that it's happening while I go through it!

Attached are a couple pics that her Grandpa took!! Enjoy...

dealing with little allergies...

So today we had to do our first bout of dumping out milk. The signs were there, and so we decided not to prolong the discomfort. About 12oz of the boob juice down the drain this morning. The past couple of days have been filled with gaseous emissions, extra burping, and quite a bit of rejection.

For the last couple of days, we've thought she's been extra picky about the nipples. From the conventional nipples, back to the breast-flow nipples, and her actually not liking either and bethy having to resort to the comforting. We think that Lauren can actually tell a difference in the milk that we are giving her, in association with the tummy aches and the gas and maybe some constipation. Hopefully the dairy has now cleared Bethy's system and the symptoms will clear along with her complexion clearing a little bit. All three of us are eager for the Lauren-Hyde of power naps, 1oz feeding, and gas to be replaced by the Lauren we all know of wakeful and playful mornings, long mid-morning and late-afternoon naps, and crystal clear complexion.

Due to the shortage of milk stores, we'll be playing it a little closer to home for the next couple of days. We're going to go up and have dim sum with Grandma/Grandpa, U Oof and A Viv and Tai Tai this morning, but probably play it low key.... anyone wanna come over? Today might be a car day... I have 3 to wash and possibly 2 to claybar....

Here's the latest pic of our cutie just after her last bath.

Just another day

I love watching her while she sleeps, she always looks so peaceful. Here is a pic of her sleeping and you can see her long lashes.


Eric noticed Lauren staring at her hand the other day and she had this look on her face like it was the most amazing thing. All these little self discovery things are neat to watch.

The other thing she is starting to do is notice the television. The tv obviously has lots of changing colors and scenes so she just stares. Below I took a picture of Eric and Lauren but she wouldn't look over because the images on the screen were more fascinating to her :P She doesn't get exposed to the television very much but on the rare occassion she will look at it for a little while before she loses interest.

Ok, time to get some rest as she is sleeping now.

Outgrowing things

Lauren will be 3 months old in 8 days and as many of you know that is sort of the break point for the next size in clothes. If any of you have seen her lately you can tell she is ready to move to the next size, so we are trying to get the most out of what we currently have. We love this hat Juney and Greg gave her but unfortunately she is outgrowing it.

Ah it was just a couple of months ago that this didn't fit (8/5) ...

Alas, they grow so fast.
I am including this additional picture of her after we took off the hat. Notice the hat hair and the surprised expression.


What you cannot see is the red line the hat made on her head because it was too tight. So I put this hat in the pile of clothes that she has outgrown. This pile is slowly is growing. They all get washed and put into a ziploc baggy for storage as I reminisce about how small she used to be.

This blog is nice because we get to chronicle these days for our future reference and for hers.

When she is off to college will I remember this little yellow bunny hat and how cute she looked in it? Or will this blog have to remind me of all the little things and memories that seem to fade as more memories file in...

hangin out...

Ugh.. feels like so long since I last posted... sorry.. I think things are starting to get back to normal for me dating back to class last month.

I came home and was hanging out with the little girl a bit. She was being really good, watching a little bit of Monday Night Football... Pats vs the Bengals... I was finishing up a little bit of the clam dip I made a couple days ago. Lauren really liked the chips.


Then the chips and dip were done so she thought she'd move onto some Cheez-its and wash it down with a bit of Propel.


After a little bit Bethy was walking around with her....


She's turning out to be a real cutie... guess she has good genes...

Today grandma came over and babysat for a couple hours in the morning. Apparently Lauren was being quite fussy about the whole deal and didn't sleep until almost 11.. and then slept for quite a bit after that. With her being more conscious and active, I had a discussion today with Bethy about the fact that we might need to establish clearer peaks and valleys of consciousness for her. Take her out on the town, give her more white noise and stimulation and curiosity of her surroundings, and then contrarily, have clearer times for her to go to sleep.

Lately bethy and I discussed trying to make sure that she is home by 7ish, so for all of you reading this, don't be surprised if we try and stick to those confines a little bit. Of course there are going to be special occasions, but we'll try to keep to it at least for now to see if it works out.

This morning before getting up, Lauren was lounging in bed with us... and she was staring at her hand!! some cooing and grunting.. along with quite a bit of fascination with the hand, opening and closing the fingers. Hopefully this might mean that she'll be able to hold her own bottle soon, and then maybe we'll figure out if she's a righty or a lefty? Not sure. She looks really cute in the little sleepers that we put her in at night... but truthfully, cute in just about anything we put her in. Juney gave her some really cute little long sleeved shirts from Jack and Jill.. and they look quite nice on her. I'll have to remember to take pictures of her in them... they go great with little pairs of pants and socks!

She does drool quite a bit more than before... and bubbles to go with that. I don't mind and wipe her when it gets a little messy, but over time, it has a habit of sopping the upper part of her shirt.

Bethy and I mashed her "pillows" today while we each kissed her at the same time... she made a funny :O expression with her mouth that we'll have to get a picture of.

More later!!! and hopefully more regularly... sorry!

PS.. both of the last two pictures were cute... couldn't decide between them so I figured I'd just put them both up.