Hi~!  Sorry for being MIA…we’ve been super busy.  The past month has been SO awesome!!  Andy decided to change jobs.  The best part was that his original contract had a non-compete so he wasn’t allowed to start the new job for 30 days.  It was so fun hanging together as a family every single day.  I took a tech break…unintentionally at first since we were so busy but then I decided to continue the break so I could focus all of my attention on family time.  In the beginning I was nervous about not being online all the time but then I got used to it, hehe.  Andy is back to work so I’ve been on my own again…its been tough adjusting (hence the lack of Xanga time).

Maui Wowee

Four Seasons Maui

First of all, I want to tell you something that you should always do (if you don’t already)…always ask for a complimentary upgrade at your hotel.  It never hurts to ask.  You just might get lucky!  We got a 1-bedroom suite (over $1,000/night) for the price of the lowest room plus one night free.

I’d highly recommend the Four Seasons Maui if you have kids (and even if you don’t).  Here are just a few of the awesome perks:

* From the moment we arrived they knew Evan by name and even how old he was.

* They set up the room to be completely baby-friendly -- crib, organic bath set, bath tub, even sponges spelling out his name, Diaper Genie, changing station, swim diapers, playpen, toys, etc.

* They remembered my birthday throughout our entire stay -- 2 cards, special sweets each day and beautiful orchids!

* We forgot our tripod so they got us a rental through a professional photographer.

* The service is just so good.  I always feel like there isn’t anything they couldn’t or wouldn’t do for us.

Favorite Moments

* The plane ride wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.  Thanks so much for all of your super helpful tips!

* Evan slept for 12 hours straight each night!

* Hanging at a secluded beach watching the waves.

* Not having to change a single diaper!!

* Evan was taking a nap by the pool but we wanted to move to the beach so two staffers actually carried his playpen (with him in it!) all the way to the beach.

* Eating super cheap but yummy food at all the local spots.

* Taking Evan swimming for the first time!

* Since Evan went to sleep early, every night was like a slumber party.  We watched movies, talked and ate junk food like ramen.

* Having a family come up to us and say Evan should be a baby model, hehe.

* Driving through black lava and feeling like we were on Jupiter.

* My new Gucci messenger bag!  [Thanks trueclassic for the Wailea shopping tips!]

* I love how now that we have a baby people are so open to sharing their stories and experiences with us. 

* Being goofy.

* Doing nothing most of the time and just spending time with my two favorite boys.

4-5 Months Already

4 Month Check-up

Weight:  16 lbs 2 oz (71st percentile)

Height:  25.5 inches (68th percentile)

Head circumference:  42.5 cm (53rd percentile)

5 Months!

Dear Evan,

I know I’ll say this every single time but the past few months have truly been the most amazing months of my life.  Seeing all of the infinite changes in you and watching you grow has been so life changing.  So here’s a short recap of the past few months.

* We went to Maui and Michigan.  You were such a good boy for us on both trips.  Thanks!

* Aunt Sandy & Uncle Marvin got married!You slept the whole way walking down the aisle.

* Daddy changed jobs so he got a whole month off to hang out with you.

* You love greeting your loved ones (and strangers) with a huge grin.

* You were sleeping through the night but then somewhere along the way you started getting up a bunch of times in the middle of the night.  That’s where we are right now.  Mommy is tired.

* It is so hard to keep track of you now that you’re rolling around like a pro.  I’ll leave the room for just a minute and come back to see you all the way on the other side.

* We celebrated Mommy’s birthday and Mother’s Day.

* You love grabbing everything, including Bella’s fur.

* Daddy sang you 4 songs and you sang along to the one you knew~ Twinkle Twinkle.

* You are so so so happy when you wake up in the mornings.  I think we all need to learn to approach each new day with that kind of attitude.

I don’t know how time just slipped through my fingers so quickly.  I’m so happy that Daddy got to spend so much time with you during his break.  We literally spent every single minute together for like 5 weeks.  The simple moments are what I loved most…those moments when we would just sit on the couch or on the ground together just being silly and talking to you…and seeing a big tuft of white fur passing by or lounging near us.  It’s as if time froze and I’d have no idea what time it was or if there was something else I had to be doing.  Baby Bear, you make us so happy!

Love,

Mommy

Animoto

You’re going to love this new program I found!  Being a packrat sometimes has its perks.  I was going through an old Oprah magazine and saw a review on Animoto.  Animoto is an online program that automatically generates slideshows that are customized orchestrations of your images and music.  The company was created by TV and film producers so it really does feel different from other slideshow programs.  It’s like magic!

Here's something I made... [here or below]

30-second videos are free OR one full length video is $3 OR $30 for a one year all-access pass to unlimited full length videos.

Click here and use this code for $5 off the one year all-access pass >> sdjmwcax

I actually didn’t have a promo code but I wanted to buy the all-access pass so I created an extra account to refer myself so I got 3 free months of all-access.  I want to share the extra account with someone who is interested.  I’ll pick randomly!

Anyways, I’d love to see what you make.  Add me as a friend!

Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend!! 

Hi hi!  We’re baaaccckkk from Maui!!  Thanks so much for your thoughtful tips and comments.  Will post photos soon but for now just a quick post on my baby bear!  I’m soo behind.  I like to post new entries after I’ve had a chance to respond to all comments/messages/e-mails but I haven’t had time~!  We just got back from Maui this week and next week we’re off to Michigan.  In between Maui & Michigan I have 4 birthday celebrations, 1 Mother’s Day celebration, 2 sets of friends coming over, 1 playdate, 1 babygroup session, 1 photo session and a ton of errands~ busy but fun!    

100 Days

100 Day Celebration

We celebrated Evan’s baek-il (100 days) with a small bash.  It was so awesome to have our closest family and friends with us to celebrate Evan’s big day.  We don’t have much family close by so it meant that much more to have our friends there for us.  They’re just like family too.  I feel truly blessed.  Seeing them all there for Evan made me so incredibly happy…happier than if it had been an event for me.  If you love my baby bear, I will love you for life! 

One of the best moments of the day was seeing our family friend who is 100 years old with Evan.  The two of them together signify the true miracle of life.   

The Winner is…

Hey jpjchen~ congrats!  I’ll be sending you the Teething Bling necklace and bracelet!  I’ll message you to get your address.

For everyone else~ check out the Smart Mom Jewelry website and type S-SKIPPEE at checkout for 25% off your entire purchase! 

[Click me!]

A Grandma Bear with the Youngins

My sis-in-law is getting married next week!!  I’m so excited and happy for her!  She was recently in LA for her bachelorette party and I got to hang with the girls.  I felt like a grandma bear next to all the youngins but they were all soo sweet and made me feel welcome.  Check out my SIL’s post for more pics!

Happy Mother’s Day!

I leave you with a poem my friend sent me today...it totally touched my heart, especially since this is my first Mother's Day as a mom.  Happy Mother’s Day everyone!  Have a wonderful weekend with your loved ones!    

Before I was a Mom,

I never tripped over toys

or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not

my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,

I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind

and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,

I never held down a screaming child

so doctors could do tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night

watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,

I never held a sleeping baby just because

I didn't want to put him down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces

when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small

could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,

I didn't know the feeling of

having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel

to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond

between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small

could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night

every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth,

the joy,

the love,

the heartache,

the wonderment

or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,

before I was a Mom.

Hi!  The past few weeks have been so busy!  I realized I needed to update when some of my buddies thought Evan was only 2 months old because that’s the last time I updated, hehe!  Evan is now 3 months old~~ wow, time is just flying by. 

WEEK 10

You all know how I feel about my momma bear >> [past birthday post].  We had a huge surprise for my mom for her birthday.  She deserved something like this more than anyone I know.  We’ve redone other parts of the kitchen for her but there were a few pieces that needed upgrading.  We got her a new fridge, oven and range hood and surprised her on her birthday.  The oven was so old that we wanted to go sell it on Antique Roadshow, hehe.

We had to surprise my mom because she never does anything nice for herself.  We’ve given her $ before to get new appliances but she won’t spend money on herself.  I’m happy to report that the surprise was a huge success!  My brother and I took my mom shopping in the morning while Andy stayed behind.  Poor guy had to rearrange stuff in 3 fridges!  By the way, always ask for a discount when buying appliances.  We got 15% off plus free delivery from Best Buy all because we just asked for it.       

Early on in my pregnancy my friend’s wife told me that I had to sign up for this mommy & me group.  She said that some people sign up for the class as soon as they get pregnant even before telling their families.  Not knowing any better I jumped on the waiting list.  Fast forward 6 months later and I’m in this group.  I had cold feet about going because I didn’t feel like I’d fit in.  We got this e-mail the day before the first class reminding us that helpers aren’t allowed to attend the class.  There’s even a clause about celebrities in the group and paparazzi concerns.  What did I get myself into?? 

The group meets for 10 sessions at a time and is pretty expensive.  The deadline to renew is next week.  While I’ve learned a lot about developmental issues I don’t know if it’s entirely worth the $.  Were you ever a part of a mommy & me group?  I need advice~ should I continue?   

Sometimes I feel like a foreigner in the mommy world.  So much is new and unfamiliar.  Instead of how many hours worked/billed, it’s how many hours the babies are sleeping.  Instead of handshakes, it’s hugs.  Instead of suits, it’s whatever I can squeeze into from my closet.  Instead of fancy lunches, it’s quick fast food being gulped down in minutes. 

I’ve recently been so fortunate to meet some of the Xanga mommies.  I have to say a BIG thank you for making me feel so welcome and for being so nice.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Even though I’m such a mess and clueless, you have all been so sweet.  It feels so comforting to hear other mommies say…it’ll get better, I understand, try this, etc.  Most of my close friends don’t have babies so I’m especially thankful for my Xanga mommies.  You girls are so well put together and gorgeous all while taking care of your little ones. 

I have to say that I’m proud of myself.  I’ve always been so afraid of change.  I get nervous meeting new people and doing new things.  However, I’m so happy that I’m stepping out of my comfort zone because I’ve gotten to meet so many amazing people. 

Oh, so what’s the etiquette on posting other people’s photos?  I want to share photos of other people or else my blog would get quite boring with only photos of me, Andy, Evan & Bella, hehe!  However, I know that some people don’t like having their photos posted.  If you ever see your photo and don’t want it up then just let me know and I’ll take it right down!

WEEK 12

Vegas – First Family Trip

We took our first family trip to Vegas.  It was sooooo fun!      

We stayed at the Encore Tower Suites.  I loved the suite and location.  It was great because there’s a separate entrance for the Tower Suites so it’s removed from the hustle & bustle of the casino floor. 

It was so fun meeting the Vegas mommies.  I wish you gals lived close by so we could hang out more! 

Guess what?  Evan rolled over for the first time @ 12 weeks.  I missed it though because I was in the shower!  THANK GOODNESS for our Flip Mino HD because Andy caught it on video.  It’s so funny…my mom says she won’t believe it until she sees it on video.