larissa's wedding / naomi pony ride:

We went to Larissa and Baldwin's wedding this past weekend. The drive was a little uncomfortable, but this pregnancy is still so much easier I can't complain. We dropped Naomi off in San Bernardino and then headed down to San Diego. We had to miss the ceremony. We had wonderful filet mignon and salmon at the reception along with an ice cream/sorbet dessert in a candy heart shell and passion fruit cake. They had a professionally done "E! True Hollywood Story" video which I thought was hilarious. I always like the videos where friends reveal the groom's little quirks to the world. The bride, of course, is supposed to come out unscathed. :) It was great to reunite with old friends. And we are really all getting older. That's okay with me. Talking to some people at our table from my past reminded me how much better it is to be a little wiser now. I so enjoyed conversing in the car alone with Manny (sorry I talked your ear off, though!). :)

She had a great time with the grandparents. They always go all out preparing for her arrival, but she just wants to play with and feed the pets (they have a dog, cat, and fish) and run around in the backyard. We have neither pets nor a backyard. She got to watch special movies and open gifts for no occasion and eat lots of sweets. I admit I get kind of stressed about it, but I also know their time together is special and short. There was a carnival within walking distance, so Naomi got to ride a pony. The grandparents said the whole time, she was bouncing and shouting, "Go Rusty! Go faster, Rusty!" Rusty is what she calls her spring horse at home.


Scanned photo of Naomi on her pony ride. I was thrilled she had a great time without us.


The view from the ballroom at the Bahia Resort hotel.


The first dance to Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder, which I think has very fitting lyrics.


We enjoyed the video.


Cake cutting.


Their "destination wedding" still had like 350 people, so I was glad to get a photo in. We "won" one of the centerpieces simply because we were one of the few that drove.

planting seeds:

There are so many passages in the bible related to gardening, cultivating, and farming. I was very excited to hear about a gardening class offered by the same education center that hosts Naomi's other classes (generally, the classes are <$10 each because parents participate). I have done a little teaching about gardening at home with Naomi, but I don't have a green thumb--more like a death touch. And yet for years my family grew all our own vegetables. I bet the ones that didn't make it were mine.

The first day was all about seeds. Now Naomi's noticing seeds everywhere. She explained the growth cycle to Manny, even though I thought she was zoned out in class. The two-hour class is on Monday afternoons, which is Naomi's weekend recovery time. Naomi planted cosmo flowers and was given zinnias to bring home to grow. It's still 45 degrees at night here, so I have to remember to bring them inside each afternoon. Let's see how I do. Naomi REALLY wants to grow carrots, so maybe we'll still do that at home in a pot. Naomi was the only girl on the first day, but I doubt she noticed.


Getting the soil.


Watering her cosmo flower seeds.

This is just a random photo for me to remember my first kite-flying experience with Naomi during our playdate last week. At two years of age, Naomi has had some experiences I hadn't had till 32 (like kite-flying). The kites were Tyler and Kyle's, and they were really great about sharing. Also, Manny got Naomi an ice cream from an ice cream truck last weekend. I still have yet to do that!

easter:

Arriving at the party. Sometimes she'll give me a nice pose.


But she's been putting on this smug face lately.


Picking poppies.


With cousin Shea. It's kind of neat that she has cousins that are blonde, black, etc. Well, I guess even Mom and Dad don't look alike.


Very happy with her find.


She strained to lift the basket for this photo.

I finally got over the flu and was able to return to church yesterday. The resurrection is so integral to the gospel; sometimes we just gloss over it. It's hard to believe Manny and I started attending our church on Easter Sunday 10 years ago. Now we have a little one and one on the way. Naomi couldn't settle down in class, maybe because it's been a while, so Manny had to pull her out.

We spent Sunday afternoon at Manny's aunt and uncle's near Santa Cruz with some other families (6 kids and 6 dogs--Naomi was elated). We had shredded pork and ham this year. We pretty much go every year. Even though this was the earliest Easter we've had out there, it was also the hottest that I recall. Naomi loves it there because they live in the woods, just like I did as a child (in a trailer park in Delaware). Not to mention the play structure. I like taking pictures there because they naturally look nice, even if I don't have a good eye for photos.

Naomi doesn't really care if there are people she doesn't know; she makes it a point to introduce herself to everyone. I do teach her about strangers, but I guess it's okay if we're around. Anyway, she scored very well on her first egg hunt without any help from us, even getting the camouflaged egg the older kids skipped. I think when you're that age, it's easier to notice everything.

bruins all the way (i hope):

March Madness is well under way. I thought the Bruins were done for even before halftime against Texas A&M, but they came through in the end. I'm a little bummed that I didn't get to join my annual ESPN group with the Stanford folks. Manny was telling me that someone else was going to set up the group, so I said, "Oh that's good. I didn't want to do it." He thought I meant I didn't want to do the tournament challenge, so he skipped me when he sent out the invites. I meant I didn't want to set up the group. Oh well, I know it was a small thing, but I was actually kind of hurt. It felt like a broken tradition. That's okay, because I'm in my fellow Bruin James's yahoo group. I picked UCLA beating Georgetown in the finals, but that, like everything else, was mostly a wild guess.

a child's interpretation (naomi quotes):

The other night, Naomi picked up a book and said she was reading the bible. At first I was like, "Ok, sure." I ended up running to get a notepad because she said a lot:
"God loves me. God helps us to not be angry or selfish. Thank God for tasty food. Be kind to your friends. Thank God for bible songs. Thank God for my books, like my Clifford book..."

I told Naomi 2 days ago not to touch my cleaner because it had chemicals, and she might spray it. She said she wouldn't. Naomi said, "Mami, God says not to worry. He will take care of it." I said I was just being wise, not worrying, but I totally get what she was saying.

Me: I'm hungry.
N [getting some crackers]: Here you go, Mami.
Me: Well, I'll only have one because we're going to go eat. I don't want to spoil my appetite.
Naomi wails and runs off. I forget sometimes how sensitive she is. Manny comforts her a bit.
Manny: Well, maybe you can take me somewhere to eat, Naomi.
N: I can't. I'm not big enough to drive.

Me: No, Naomi you cannot have that right now.
N: You don't love me! [singing] Nooobody looooves meeee, nooooboooody at aaaaalllll.

Every single day since it happened, Naomi talks about how one night she told Manny she didn't love him. I think she's still in shock she said it.
N: Mami? I told Papi last night I didn't love him. I didn't mean it... But I can say, 'Sorry!'
It was a good opportunity to discuss untruthfulness and forgiveness.

Naomi will be 3 in a month!

sermon on suffering:

From Angie's xanga, a powerful sermon preached by Dr. Ron Sauer a month after his daughter took her own life. This is a grievous downward spiral I've known with people in my life, but I imagine it would be especially heartbreaking for it to be my own child. But God is still good in the worst trials of life, and it can only be His goodness that has allowed Dr. Sauer's family to press on in faith.

pregnancy comparisons:

I am now 21 weeks along. This pregnancy has been pretty different from when I was pregnant with Naomi. It'll be interesting to see how different this baby is from Naomi. I won't try to compare them (too much), especially in their presence. :)

Here are some comparisons and old wives' tales, which were wrong on a number of counts, especially if we do have a boy. N is for when I was pregnant with Naomi, B is for this one.

Heartbeat - Myth is that a heartbeat > 140 means girl, < 140 is boy.
N: Right at 140
B: ~150

Chinese Gender Chart
N: Predicted a boy.
B: Predicted a girl.

Aversions
N: Chicken.
B: Salmon, sweets, mint toothpaste/mouthwash.

Cravings - Myth is that sweet tooth = girl
N: Sweets!
B: Sour foods (lemons, pickles, sour cream, plain yogurt), beef.

Nausea
N: Vomiting around the clock (about every 4 hours) well into the 5th month.
B: Vomiting in the morning only on occasion, rest of the nausea mostly gone by month 4.

Carrying - Myth is high watermelon is girl, low basketball is boy.
N: Looked like a watermelon tummy, carried high.
B: Both Manny and I noticed more of a "ball" this time, though the nurse said that's probably because of a previous uterine stretching. Can't tell if it's high or low yet.

Weight Gain
N: Total was 48 lbs, and I hardly gained any weight until month 4.
B: 10 lbs so far, eating quite a bit (but hardly any sweets).

Face/Hair - Myth is rounder face with "mask" is girl.
N: My face was rounded by now, hair was getting pretty thick.
B: Not much change in face or hair.

Ultrasounds
N: She was a fast kicker and slept with her arms up in the air (still does)
B: He had his arms cocked at his side and moved fairly sluggishly. Appeared to suck his thumb at one moment.

With the last pregnancy, I was far enough along to crave Thousand Island dressing and sardines. It's sad to think about, but that really was a little life I'd already come to love. I can't ever take pregnancy for granted again.

sick but well:

Two Kleenex boxes, 3 mini-packs of tissue, and two toilet paper rolls later (and I'm fairly conservative with tissues), the recovery process is still pretty slow for me. Now Manny seems to have finally succumbed. :( Naomi is still okay with that amazing immunity of hers, though she had a clear runny nose one day this week.

Thanks for your suggestions on the sudden attack of the unbearably itchy throat. I noticed it happens in two instances: when I change temperature, going from warm to cold or vice versa, and when I get excited, like when Naomi decides that yogurt can be put to better use as fingerpaint. I guess it's just a stress-induced reaction in my immune system, so now I just try to avoid it or better prepare for it. The salt water rinse/gargle seemed to work the best.

I miss being able to take Nyquil and have a speedy recovery. I haven't taken much medication in 4 years, being either pregnant or nursing. The ob/gyn said in the second trimester, it would be okay to take Sudafed or Robitussin, but he didn't recommend it if I could sustain a higher threshold of misery. Well, with God's grace, I've managed to do over 30 continuous pages of my advanced transcription practices (exam due this week!), cook, clean up a tiny bit, and take care of Naomi on very little sleep and rest with Manny working very late. You gotta do what you gotta do. Plus, when you're transcribing severe medical problems and emergencies, the flu really doesn't seem so bad. Manny and I joke that someday when we have an empty nest, we'll just think about how much we miss this busy life with our kids...and then maybe we'll hop on over to a movie. :)

ji yeon:

Ok, so I cried a little at the end of the Desmond and Penny ep, but last night was the waterworks (and I'm not a bawler in general). Don't read if you don't want a spoiler! I think the old cell phone and "year of the dragon" gave it away. I watched it before Manny got home, so when he watched the recording, I almost let the cat out of the bag when he noticed the year of the dragon mention. This season is pretty good so far, except the Kate and Juliet eps were 50% meh.

Still pretty sick, think Manny's coming down with it, Naomi isn't showing any flu symptoms so far, thank God.

goodbye, ah-gong:

At our wedding in 2000.


The last time he came to the States, we celebrated his 90th birthday.

My paternal grandfather (I called him "Ah-Gong," but normally he'd be my "Yeh-Yeh") passed away last night at 92. Somehow we all thought he'd live even longer. He was still swimming and playing tennis almost everyday into his 80s. He was doing well when my mom visited just last year but had two strokes since. He was Naomi's only living great-grandparent on my side of the family. I'm thankful he got to meet Naomi. He professed faith before; I hope he really knew that peace and is now in paradise.

*cough*

The last time I had an extremely itchy throat, apple cider vinegar and honey was enough to soothe it for a length of time. It seems tougher to stop coughing this time. I've had 3-5 hours of broken sleep the last couple nights due to not being able to breathe or having a very itchy throat. Better than the chills and aches from the first night, though.

I've tried soup, tea, Ricola, grape juice, organic lollipops, lemonade, the aforementioned vinegar and honey, gargling with Listerine, but the relief only lasts a few minutes. Does anyone have any other suggestions for a natural home remedy? I'm trying not to take any medicine because of the pregnancy. I also can't use my tried-and-true method of jamming a toothbrush down my throat to scratch the itch (don't worry, I change out my toothbrush after an illness) because it makes me throw up. There used to be this herbal loquat syrup that was like a miracle cough cure for me as a kid, when I had bronchitis and a slew of other things, but apparently it can cause heart trouble in some folks, so I'm abstaining from that right now as well.

misc update / parenting:

A couple weekends ago, Damien & Janean had us over for a nice dinner. It's funny--when people ask us about hobbies, we really just don't have an answer other than "Naomi." We're pretty boring company. I guess we watch Lost, but I can't think of anything else we're really into these days. No time. I guess I blog, so I do a little more than Manny. :) Anyway, it was very kind of them to pass a tricycle on to us. Naomi hasn't had a lot of opportunities to ride it, but she's delighted to have it.

Saturday morning I went to a women's breakfast meeting. The topic of the lesson and discussion was parenting. I took home a lot of wisdom, all of it centered on the fact that without the gospel, we are only modifying behavior externally. I think if we only give our kids a fear of consequences or the need to please Mom and Dad or even just the comfort of rules to follow, it will distort their view of the gospel. It's analogous to people who profess faith only out of a fear of hell or because Mom and Dad are Christian or have become self-righteous or relying on their own good deeds to please God. I said all these things myself before I truly came to know Christ.

To guide and train up our children toward a heart transformation, to instruct a child in the way in which he should go, we have to continuously center on the gospel with our children. A Christian home doesn't guarantee Christian children. I understand when a friend says she wants get to practical specifics, but I think the greatest practical advice is right there in scripture--to seek first His kingdom, His righteousness, and God will give us all we need (Matthew 6). Yes, the bible doesn't tell us how to potty train, teach manners, do a bedtime routine, etc., but it does say we should know the condition of our flock and pay attention (Prov 27:23), and what we are doing is shepherding our children even thought we are such imperfect agents. As one of the moms brought up, His power is perfected in our weakness (2 Cor 12). She originally didn't want any children, and she now has six! Going back to the other point, if Naomi is completely potty-trained, always prim and proper, and never puts up a fight at bedtime, it would help maintain order in the home, and maybe even impress others, but in the big picture, it will do nothing for her heart, her soul. I'd be so thrilled, of course, but her growth struggles are part of my growth as well.

I can't remember what else I wanted to say. I have come down with the flu. I'm thankful I got sick during the weekend when Manny was around. I'm pretty weak today just from attempting some of the usual routine (laundry, cooking, a fraction of the dishes, medical transcription, playing with and bathing Naomi) and I couldn't take Naomi anywhere. She was understanding. She just said okay and that she was lonely without Papi. Me, too. I am just hopeful that Manny and Naomi don't get it. I didn't have that much of a fever, so hopefully it didn't affect the baby adversely. I have a doctor's appt Thursday to see.

photo time:

Feb 2008 Photos - Monterey, my birthday, class, etc.

learning experiences:

Medical transcription (the final module--yes!!!) is engulfing my computer time again, so here are a few photos of Naomi exercising her mind. A friend of mine jokes that since she sleeps so little, she has more time to learn. Maybe it's true. Now if only I was always awake enough to teach...


There is this Reader Rabbit Toddler game at the library she loves to play. Good thing there's a 30-minute limit on the session.


The thing I like about Playdoh is that it's like having a new set of toys every time (this one was an aquarium scene with an octopus, starfish, and otter). Everything usually ends up being a birthday party, though.


Discovering dandelions. All I kept thinking was--ack, all those weeds! My parents used to get really upset if I blew dandelions.


Math day in her Preschool Adventures class. She can count to 20 sometimes, except fifteen always comes out "five-teen" and fourteen is usually nowhere to be found.

Happy Birthday, Winnie!