lighter notes / around the house:

Baby Sofie (Naomi's bf Josiah's little sis) is here! :)

Despite all that's happened, we're still able to laugh, especially with Naomi around. You're never just going to have one emotion all the time.

A funny story from a while ago. Manny works in a job where you often have to wear face masks and goggles (so that you won't contaminate the product, not the other way around). Anyway, he came up behind his coworker to scare her. He went "lalalala" or something. He managed to startle her and the group of people she was in. Then he said in a high-pitched voice, "Oh, so scary!" But unfortunately this was the wrong coworker, and she and her counterparts weren't so amused. That was awkward. I think I mentioned before how I once tried to get his attention in the lab, but he didn't recognize me and kept trying to avoid his little stalker.

It's still strange to see someone I know on TV, even though it's happened a lot. Remember when we had that giant beehive near our roof? We got the "Bee Man" to get rid of it. At the time, I was skeptical and thought he sounded gimmicky. But he definitely knew what he was doing. Well, we saw him on a show called "Dirty Jobs" (Discovery Channel) which we never really watch but just happened upon that evening. Pretty funny, if you saw that ep.

Lately, Naomi has really been into playing big sister. It's bittersweet to see. Today, she got herself and her little "baby" ready to eat, getting water and snacks and setting her little table Grandma got her. Anyway, I was washing the dishes and she cries out, "Mami!" I asked what happened and she said, "Baby eat mine!" And then she asked me to discipline the baby because she ate her snack. She's tattling already! I just moved the baby away, which made Naomi sad and she said sorry and gave the baby her (the baby's, not Naomi's) bowl.

Later she saw some owls on a Baby Einstein DVD. They scare her, but she got her baby and hugged her and patted her and said, "Mimi's here...Mimi's here." I know these are things a lot of 2-year-olds do, but it's still cute to see. Especially coming from someone who's usually a bit of a tomboy.

And last night, Manny gave me some time alone while he took Naomi to our community group potluck. Mike had sprawled on the floor, and she asked him if he died. She came home and told me he died, so I had to tell her why that wasn't the case. Lately anything that melts or collapses or shrinks "dies." I only recall mentioning batteries dying. And Jesus, too. It's morbid humor but kind of funny coming from a 2-year-old.


Naomi set this whole thing up while I washed the dishes.


I think her goal in life is to make us laugh.


She said her dogs were tickling her. We love her laugh.

good grief:

So some of you correctly guessed that we lost a pregnancy. I was almost 11 weeks along when I miscarried. The baby had died at 7.5 weeks. I most likely had another miscarriage earlier this year, but it was very early so nothing had developed. I know miscarriages are common, but I wouldn't wish this on anyone. You have no happy memories with the baby to hold onto, only a horrible goodbye that comes too late.

Last week I went to the doctor's office because I was cramping and bleeding. I had prepared myself for the worst, but seeing the ultrasound was simply overwhelming. I buried my face in my hands as I got into the car and wept. Naomi saw this and said, "Papi, help Mami sick!"

Naomi was never as agreeable or cooperative as she was last week despite being cooped up and not having much attention from me. Thursday was the worst. I'll spare you the gory details, but it was difficult to protect Naomi from what was happening and entertain her while I was in so much pain. She was patient, though. God was merciful to us.

I could have called Manny at any time to come home, but I wanted to be alone when the worst of it happened. Since Naomi's so young, it's still easier than having anyone else there. It was a really tough week for both of us. Sometimes people don't think about the men, but it's hard on them, too. I'm really thankful for Manny.

The week before this happened, our pastor preached on church leadership. In the subtopic of suffering, he reminded us that as Christians we actually embrace suffering. He quoted Elisabeth Elliot who said, "Christ did not suffer so that we would not suffer, but that in suffering we would be more like Him." I'm going on memory, so that may not be exact. It's not that we go looking for pain, but God promises we will have suffering, and that He will strengthen our souls through it. And thus it can be used to help others. God never promises happiness in this life, but He does promise us joy if we follow Him. And joy we do have through His word and the encouragement of others (a few friends actually are bringing us dinner!). I've read through a lot of Psalms, as I did when Naomi was born. It's amazing how David's intense, personal reflections thousands of years ago could be so comforting to us today.

We have been looking forward to giving Naomi a little sibling for a little while. Well, we plan our ways, but the Lord directs our steps (Prov 16:9). And we trust He does what is best, what brings glory to Him. We are thankful for that.

On a side note, I was also a little depressed that I am back in remedial work for the medical transcription course. I had 4 A's and 1 C (I was having a lot of fatigue from pregnancy at the time) in this module, and the one bad grade means another delay in progress. I can be an anxious, impulsive, fast-paced person, though. Sometimes I need to be slowed down.

break:

I'll be back in a while.

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."--Psalm 34:18

father's day:

For Father's Day, Naomi "made" Manny a card. I got him a men's valet and a couple shirts. We went out to eat with his aunt, uncle, and cousin at the Elephant Bar. Afterwards we went to Chuck E. Cheese, where Naomi finally got to go around the big tunnel/slide with cousin Francesca. She went back a few times. It's funny that even when it's Father's Day, Naomi still has the most fun. :) But it was great to relax and watch someone else play with her. Haha. She wore Francesca out. That cute dress is from Grandma's coworker.


With friends at church. We don't know if she acted up this Sunday. Didn't ask, didn't tell. But she was very happy!


At Elephant Bar with family. Couldn't get the camera to stop blacking out, except for this one photo.


Naomi pressing her face against the bubble in the slide.


More fun with Francesca.

happy birthday:

Happy Birthday to Larissa! It was yesterday. I finally saw her Franklin-Templeton commercial appearance today on CNN. I wasn't fully paying attention, but there she was, sitting in an airplane in a red Chinese outfit. It is really weird to see someone you know so well on TV. :)

great america/boomerang bay:

On Saturday we went to Great America. I still remember when it was Six Flags, then it was Paramount, and now Cedar Fair owns it. The featured characters for kids used to be Hanna-Barbera/Bugs Bunny, but now it's Nick Jr. Naomi does love her some Dora and Blue's Clues, so that was very special for her. But you know what Naomi loves even more? Rides. Fast ones. High ones. Not the Skyway-type ride, though; she says that's "too high." And after a year's wait she finally got to go swimming again. Boomerang Bay is the water park inside Great America (no separate admission required). Just the water park alone made for some of our best memories as a family. I'm not in any photos because I was busy taking them. I definitely want to get back into scrapbooking, even if I have less time to make fancier ones now.


Hi, Mami! Airplane ride.


Loves to go on rides without us (and especially with other kids).


Naomi floating down Castaway Creek with Papi.


Swimming pool.


Naomi insisted on riding on Manny's back in the pool. What is this, Sea World?


About to go down her first water slide.


Ran in to give Dora and Diego big hugs.


Scooby Scooby Doo!

father's day

Happy Father's Day to my dearest husband and also my father and father-in-law.

He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Proverbs 17:27

in the news:

Not trying to spread paranoia, but it's a good idea to err on the side of caution.

Toddler served margarita in sippy cup at Applebee's

5-year-old brings heroin to daycare

Bengay death highlights OTC dangers

the urgency is always there:

Yesterday after giving Naomi a bath in the afternoon (it has been in the 90s around here), I heard sirens outside. A fire engine parked right outside our driveway. My first thought was that maybe our home was on fire. Then a second firetruck pulled up. About 10 firemen ran into the home across the street. Then an ambulance came. After a few minutes, a distraught man I hadn't ever seen before, who doesn't live in that home, came out talking on his phone.

The ambulance left without a passenger. I was relieved, assuming everything was fine now. But the firemen stayed in the home for quite a while. I couldn't stay upstairs looking out the window any longer, so I left them to do their job. I didn't see any smoke, so I figured it was under control.

But these are all assumptions. A couple hours later, I took Naomi out so I could purchase some drinks for the community group. There were three cars around the home, and everyone was on their cells, including the distraught man I mentioned earlier.

Through all this, there was no sign of our neighbor who lives there, John, or his mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's. We used to see her every day, several times a day, sweeping the leaves at odd hours and aligning all the little rocks. John often had to come out, whether it be 1 a.m. or 5 a.m. and retrieve her. We still saw the senior helper van come and pick her up a week or two ago.

Then when Manny arrived, the men were still out there, about ready to leave. And Manny overheard that John might have died. Or did they say John's mother passed away? That really hit us like a brick. Whether we knew for sure, and it probably was likely given the set of circumstances, it is possible we lost one of our neighbors.

Manny spoke to him a few times. We hardly saw him during the day. The only time I saw him up close and spoke to him was when Naomi was playing soccer with him. I tend to just avoid male neighbors in general because of a bad experience with a male neighbor. But were they all missed opportunities for sharing? Could we have offered him a message of love and hope in his life and in his last minutes? The urgency is always there. We are praying to be able to minister to his mother somehow.

a pilgrim goes home:

Ruth Graham dies at age 87

movies:

I'm now writing my lame movie reviews on the xanga site because they have that cool "currently watching" feature. The last five movies we rented were Shinobi, Densha Otoku, Stomp the Yard, Stranger Than Fiction, and Curse of the Golden Flower. Apocalypto is up next (this weekend).

los niños:

I went over to Annette's yesterday to babysit Josiah while she went to the doctor's. Naomi had a blast. And I had good practice handling two energetic kiddies. She's still saying "Josiah's house happy" and "Yai-Yai's [Josiah's] mommy the doctor." She also talked to me about Oh-ma (Grandma)'s painted nails and dog Chuy. She is a total chatterbox in the morning. Between that and how much I ramble at night, Manny will have many fun years to come. Haha.

Annette pointed out Naomi's long-term memory. Naomi does like to tell me about events that occurred months ago, especially who was there. I think Annette's often more observant about Naomi than I am (I know, hard to believe with how much I write about her). I feel bad sometimes when other people, like Manny, notice things about Naomi I just take for granted. I do notice she's very quirky and empathetic. Well, every child has wonderful, unique traits.

I should be more thankful that she's almost always willing to try new foods (not peanut butter--poo poo!), even exotic foods, rather than having favorites. I should be more thankful that she is such a sensitive but aggressive being, even that she has this seemingly endless supply of energy. Someday these could be great traits to be used in service, even if they make my days more challenging now.

mommies & us:

We had a good time at the last Mommy & Me event at Santana Row, so I invited some mommy friends to this one. I made a disclaimer that they might not win the 4 free tickets but should try--and Janean won them this time! Cool. I love to share the wealth...or freebies.

We scored a Bob the Builder video, some books, and a yellow (Naomi's favorite color) balloon. Clifford was supposed to be there, but I think they let him (actually her) take an early break because it was too hot. Once I got out of the parking lot, I chased her all the way into the Borders store, but she was already heading up the escalator. She proceeded to take off her Clifford head, which I think was a bit startling for Naomi, but Naomi said "hi" anyway from the bottom of the escalator. She was satisfied, and we headed back out.

The theme today was "All About Animals." There weren't a lot of animals, but it was really nice that Naomi got to touch a couple of them. I made sure to wipe her hands afterwards.


I love free stuff.


Naomi and Ben petting the Humane Society dogs. She is really gentle now with dogs.


Walking hand in hand with Joan (and a banana).


Naomi touching a snake.


The kids meeting a police officer.

dance stuff:

My friend and former dance instructor's group, DS Players, recently won 1st place at Body Rock (biggest hip-hop competition in California). Yay for old school funk styles! I linked the vid here (remember, it's probably PG and the comments are R). What I like: clean and uniform, creative style without over-the-top gimmicks.

SYTYCD started a new season. I always like the bboys/funk stylists, but I don't know if they can ever win with all the ballroom and contemporary emphasis. Maybe I'll be surprised. Then you have the partner shuffle. Did anyone else remember Twitch from The Wade Robson Project? I'm pretty sure he won it. He didn't make it through to the finals because of the ballroom and contemporary styles, but he's one of the best at what he does. They should separate them out to another show.

poor naomi / contending with God:

Naomi had a couple bouts of diarrhea and vomiting on Sunday. It might've been something she ate while out, or that I forgot to wash her hands before her Sunday school class (for snack time). I made her some of her favorite fresh chicken wonton soup which she wolfed down...and then subsequently threw up. At least she's taking some of her Pedialyte now. And probiotics help with diarrhea. So far today she seems much improved and is eating fairly well. Despite all that, she's still being a silly little clown. So is her father--I found some hilarious and strange photos on my camera this morning. Sorry, not sharing.

She also kept up her perfect record of misbehaving in class. This time she had hit Dorothy on the head with a doorstop they were fighting over. She eventually gave Dorothy a hug. I did wonder why they let the toddlers play with the doorstop? Oh well, if it wasn't a doorstop, it would've been something else. Naomi and Dorothy are stubborn fighters. After church, Naomi tried to steal an older boy's lollipop. She struck him first, and then to her surprise and chagrin he hit her back. I took her away immediately, but we did feel that this will probably not be the first time she learns the hard way not to strike another child. She doesn't have a sibling yet where I can really work on this at home. And at the park or play areas, often it's other kids that strike first (and these situations are probably where Naomi learned that brute force is way to get what you want when you want it).

P.S. Here's a closer shot of the kabobs. I tried to wash the film off the pineapple leaves, but it looks like I should've coated them with oil?



I'm thankful for being able to finish the kabobs just in time, but at 3 am that morning, while Naomi was crying again inconsolably for an hour and a half, I was actually angry at God. Fine, I haven't slept for two years. Fine, we'll have to start all over again with Naomi's sleep because of her fevers. But why make it hard on me when I had obligations the next day, when the end result would be someone else being let down? When people would try to talk to me while I was dizzy or had a headache? I'm so tired of being tired! But God never lets us stop at "woe is me." The last thought always ends up being "God is good." And I was reminded how many times in my life I've felt this way, only to be shown that God does indeed work all things for our good (Rom 8:28), that there are no uncommon temptations that are beyond what we are able to bear (1 Cor 10:13). Yes, He is faithful at 3 a.m. I can honor and glorify Him at 3 a.m. Not that it wasn't hard with Naomi fussing till midnight, 2-3:30, 5, and 7 in the morning. But my complaining heart rested in Him, and I am very thankful for my wonderful, lively daughter, my wise and helpful husband, and the Lord who has changed me forever.

bridal shower/fruit kabobs:

Today I attended Ana's bridal shower while Manny took Naomi to Great America. He told me so many hilarious stories that I'm convinced we need the video camera next time (but as things usually work out, she probably won't be so silly then).

For one of the activities, the hostess had us get cards for a certain holiday or month so that we could send Ana a piece of mail or gift for it. For example, someone got a card saying to send her a Thanksgiving recipe. I thought it was a nice idea. In the day of the internet, who doesn't like to get packages or snail mail sometimes? :) It was a great turnout and my favorite part was Ana's reaction to the gifts (also seeing old friends I hadn't seen in a while). :)

Thanks for your input on the fruit kabobs. I concluded, "better safe than sorry," and also "buy whatever is on sale." So I used pineapples, kiwi fruit, and bananas for the tropical theme, along with strawberries and grapes for color. Tossed the bananas in pineapple juice to prevent browning. Stuck it all in a half-pineapple as well for presentation. It went over pretty well. You can see it in the photo below.

I only took a couple photos on my camera at the shower (below). Most of the time, I had the hostess' camera, which I really liked (Canon Powershot SD700 IS Digital Elph). You don't even really need flash so much as it has an image stabilizer. One to consider as a replacement for our poor dying Powershot A70.


The food was terrific and very Hawaiian, from Hawaiian bbq to Spam sushi!


The 5'3" and under crowd at the shower, including the bride-to-be in the middle.

happy hollow:

We had a playgroup at Happy Hollow Park and Zoo yesterday with Janean, Monica, Lisa, and their kids. It was pretty crowded for a few hours with all the field trip groups, probably because it was the last week of school. Everyone, including the rest of our playgroup, seemed to leave at 2pm, so when Naomi and I went through the zoo, it felt like we pretty much had it to ourselves. There's a lot to do there for the 7 and under crowd. We packed 6 of the kids on the ladybug ride, and Naomi just laughed and laughed the entire ride. She just loves getting to do stuff with the big kids. :)

Our church had a town hall meeting in the evening which was very encouraging. We thought Naomi would be okay, but she spiked a fever again, so we took her home at about 9. She was a lot all night, so she's pretty miserable today. Well, aside from the 4 hours we were out, but I'm just too wiped out to take her out anymore. She's been crying and saying "mall" and "rides," but I'm afraid I can't accommodate. :( She hasn't been napping well all week either, poor thing.


Rumpelstiltskin at the Puppet Theatre. Pretty much the only part Naomi seems to remember is that the baby made a stinky. :) (Click on photos to see large versions)


Down the treehouse slide with Joan.


The action mode on the camera doesn't work anymore, so this was the best one I got in auto mode of her cracking up.


Naomi and Jacob on the carousel. 5 rounds total on 2 different carousels.


Feeding the goats.


The jaguar was sleeping. This is what she mentioned the most today.

gilroy gardens:

She loves rides she can get on by herself.


Driving her firetruck.


On the paddle boat.


*thumbs up* Her favorite ride, the fastest one, was the balloon ride.


She loved going under the waterfall!


Big slide!

We've been here twice before, when it was called Bonfante Gardens, but this was our first time with Naomi (unless you count that she was in my belly the second time). There is so much for toddlers to do there. We hadn't had much sleep all week, trying to re-train her to settle down to sleep on her own, but all that fatigue was worth it. We all had a great time.

The highlight of Saturday was actually that evening when we bumped into Katie, Ed, Jon, Renee, and their seven kids at a Chinese plaza. Naomi probably would've traded the entire day just for those few moments with them. Naomi pretended to be stranded while they came to the rescue. She ran happily with them, and then they swarmed around her for a group hug. Why didn't I pull out the camera? I guess I was avoiding the camera because it's really dying. At the Gardens, sometimes it wouldn't zoom, the lens wouldn't close, and the action shots weren't working at all. Poor camera--I'm still determined to use up whatever life is left in it.

More photos

food post / question:

Everyday a toddler is supposed to drink at least 2 cups of milk. It's a good day if Naomi even drinks half a cup (but I do try to give substitute foods). Anyway, flavored milk doesn't seem to do it for her. So instead of resorting to chocolate milk, I have to resort to...broccoli soup! That's right--I serve it about once a month, and she gobbles it up. I use this recipe and basically tweak it with extra milk, omit the onions, and use organic ingredients (like organic broth or basmati rice instead of minute rice). Works wonders. Go figure.

Next week is my friend Ana's bridal shower. I'll be bringing fruit kabobs. Since it's a tropical/Hawaiian theme, I wanted to try tropical kabobs with papaya, mango, pineapple, maybe watermelon, and grapes at the end, but the hostess was wondering if those would not hold up well in transit and would be too hard to cube and skewer. Anyone know from experience? I'll probably still make traditional kabobs as well but just curious. Also, you can sprinkle on lemon juice to keep fruits from browning, but does any other juice work as well and taste better? Orange? Pineapple? Lime? Thanks.