April 11, 2009
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Weeks 10-12
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
Extreme Kitchen Makeover
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.
WEEK 11
Confessions of a Mommy & Me Dropout?
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?
Foreigner
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.
Have a wonderful Easter weekend!
Comments (60)
awwwww that was so sweet of you guys to do that for your mom
She was in shock! Happy Birthday to your mom (= Have a good Easter!
He is the sweetest and cutest little boy! My nephew is 16 weeks isn’t nearly as big as Evan. That’s a good idea about Mommy & Me. I bet Vegas was really fun for you guys! You have the cutest little family. Congrats!
jenny!! u forgot to add that evan met his auntie sandy and uncle marvin for the first time during this timeframe too! =P ohh… but maybe don’t post that pic of evan crying in my arms, LOL!!
btw, i LOVE the omma’s birthday surprise video!! its sooo cute!!!! ur mom was soo happy!!
omg. that video was so sweet. that’s exactly how my mom reacts to things…haha she slaps! and your baby video is so cute and funny with your hubby narrating. you look fab. by the way for just having a baby!
Aw how sweet! In the omma’s birthday surprise x]
So much to say….=) 1. Evan is getting cuter and cuter! 2. You and Andy are soooo sweet to your mom! What a wonderful surprise! It’s sooo funny how she didn’t notice it at first! hahah 3. we’re going to vegas this weekend too with J! Any advice on what to do and what to take?? 4. Evan flipped already! What a fantastic video!!!
what a great way to surprise your mom!!! her reaction was priceless, especially when she opened it! the video and music got me all teary eyed~you guys are sooooo sweet and thoughtful! yay congrats to his new milestone!! i agree, xanga mommies really are the best.
Happy Easter!
you are the best daughter for surprising your mom with such a wonderful gift!!! i love the refrigerator. the look on her face when she saw it is priceless. as for mommy and me group, are you talking about mom’s club or a group run by the city? i think you should continue if you like it and are comfortable with it. there is no such thing as what you’re ‘suppose’ to do. i was part of one that i LOVED couple years ago but after moving, i didn’t find one that i liked so i didn’t renew my membership.
i love that pic of him in his blue outfit sitting all by his lonesome on the sofa! soooo cute! and i can’t believe that he’s so chubby! love his second chin!
hi jenny!!! omg that bday surprise for your mom was the sweetest!!! your video made me so teary eyed…so sweet and thoughtful of you guys =)
ohhhh and i’m so sad i missed an opportunity to meet you. hopefully SOON since i know we’re not that far away from each other =)
i loove that video of evan flipping over…your husband is hilarious! haha.
who needs mommy and me when you got xanga mommies??? kekekeke
the video of your mom is SOOO sweet! so funny how she didn’t even see it at first! what a great surprise present. aren’t xanga moms the best?? i feel so fortunate to have found them.
that was an awesome surprise for your mom.. her reaction was so priceless and you got it capture on video… what a wonderful daughter you are… Evan is so cute… love to nibble on his chubby wubby cheeks….who needs mommy & me class when you have xanga mommies to the rescue…
yay, Evan!!!! congrats on your first roll….
omg the video of you surprising your momma is soooo sweet, i was awwwing and awwwwwwing the whole time…
It was soo great to finally meet you last week. Remember that we need to hang out more and moree since we live so close, okay?? Lets set up another playdate soon!
awww! loved the video of you mom.
she’s so cute! hahahah! =)
awww – that was such a great surprise for your mommy!
ahh!! i love your site!! can’t wait for my future hold such surprises and love as well.. you’re so awesome =)
That was such a wonderful thing you did for your Mom. She was so surprised and the best part is you got it on video. You should only continue the Mommy and Me class if you’re having fun. If you’re not having fun then it’s not worth it. I love Xanga Mommies too. They been so supportive during this difficult time. I can’t believe Evan rolled over all ready. What a champ! You’re husband is super cute! You guys are perfect together. Miss you! Can’t wait for our next play date!
Thats so sweet what you guys did for your mom! I love her facial expression.
how is taking a trip with the little one, we plan on traveling too when the baby is about two months. (sister wedding)?
you mother is so lucky to have such a thoughtful daughter and son-in-law! that was a really amazing thing you did for her birthday and based on how you described her selflessness, it sounds like no one is more deserving.
i am loving your flip mino videos! the quality is so good. i’m trying to convince jack to get one for trips and stuff but he says he’ll lug around his d90. ::shrugs:: sure he will…
awwwww! that is all i can say about everything on this post~ awwwww! so adorable…the video of your mom’s suprise…that is soooooo sweet.. i need to do that for my mom too someday….and evan is just tooo cute for words to explain….him flipping over is soooo cute…hehe ^_^
That was an awesome gift for your mom. I love your photos! Yeah, I have been reading mom blogs on here because I’m going to be a mom for the first time (due August 7), and most of my close friends don’t have kids. I know people who are married and having children, but we’re not close friends (plus they don’t live nearby).
awwww Evan is soo cute! I joined a mommy group. It only cost $6 every 6 months =) Go to meetups.com and look for a mommy group in your area. It’s awesome to join on caues you get to go out and meet and talk to other moms
what an incredibly generous & thoughtful gift for your mom! a gift that will keep on giving.
Does your mom have a separate kimchi fridge? My best friend, who is living in Korea now, was telling me how most Korean households do. So cute!
Wow- that Mommy & Me group you’re attending sounds like serious business. I’ve never heard of such a high-end program but that’s LA for you I guess. I always thought it was more of a social gathering so mommies and babies can spend time with one another.
I am itching to go to Vegas. We keep pushing our trip back month after month. Now we have it scheduled to go in June. Was it difficult doing things in Vegas with baby in tow? I have heard of parents using daycare services at some of the hotels but don’t know anyone personally who have.
i love your mom’s surprised yet HAPPY reaction to her b-day gift! what a wonderful gift to shower your omma!
isn’t the encore beautiful? we were there w/ some friends a couple weeks ago. hooray for evan rolling over! soon, he’s going to start crawling! i remember when kelsey started to roll over she totally fell off our bed….blame the hubby! 
Congrat’s on the roll and first family trip. Evan definitely looks relaxed on that couch picture . hahaha.
Anyway,that was really sweet of you to get your mom a new kitchen set. I need to do that for my parents too. I think your mom and my mom have similar ovens (I mean your mom’s old one) hahaha. so old….
i love it how you guys surprised your mommy for her b-day! that is so super duper sweet! its so cute how she walked by 3 times and didn’t even notice it! lolz….your mommy is so cute! happy birthday to her!!
Evan looks handsome as the days go by…and i love it how Andy capture his little flip…i may have t get a mino myself once the baby arrives! it was so good to meet you on this trip and will see you in LA in a few months~
btw, mommy and me, im thinking about joining here in my area, not sure how it will be like…but the mommy and me las vegas its only $50 for a year membership…so if i don’t like it i will probably not attend. Since I’m out here by myself i think i need to join a little network…on the other hand you have xanga mommies and many of them in LA, so if you don’t really feel the need to join the group i don’t think you should do it~ its all how comfortable you feel! =)
what a great clip of your mom’s surprise! you are such a sweet daughter and your husband-what a wonderful son in law!
you are doing such a great job as a mommy. as long as evan is growing, he’s happy, and your still smiling at the end of the day-you are doing everything right!
what you did for your mom was SO nice! i love how she said “aigoo, eegeh moya?” like 5 times.
you guys did a wonderful job surprising her. *pat pat*
omigod…the video of your mom…it almost made me cry. u guys are so good to her. she was totally clueless just walking by it like i don’t know how many times without noticing. i don’t know you but i love you that you did that for her.
Evan and Bella pictures are so adorable! Yes, Evan is growing up fast isn’t he? What wonderful gifts you got for your mom, that is so thoughtful. Those appliances look great and I’m sure your mom is more than excited!!! I saw a segment on 60 Minutes last night and they showed Encore. GORGEOUS!!! It sure looks like a fun family trip! Kudos for stepping out of comfort zone and meeting new people and experiencing new things! I think doing so can only make our lives more rich and fulfilling. xo
what a great surprise for your mom! her reaction was priceless.
evan is the cutest thing! is he sleeping well? i noticed that he naps on his belly. does he sleep like that at night too?
that is such an awesome surprise. i love how she passed it twice without seeing it. and so awesome that you had cameras set up in two different places to catch her reaction to put the video together. that is so sweet of you, your hubs, and your brother for her. happy birthday to your mom!
Evan is so friggin cute. i think it’s so awesome for this xanga community and for you to have met so many new mommies in your boat, sharing the same interests, and making new friends.
Drop out of the Mommy & Me group if you don’t feel comfortable. What’s the point of paying for something that you don’t feel comfortable?
What an awesome bday gift! LOL…my Mom would be horrified if we spent that much $$ on her appliances. Of course, she would be okay if we told her we got it on sale
Yeah for Evans for rolling over at 12 weeks!
Hoping to meet you soon at one of these KAM meetings. Sometimes it sucks that I’m a full-time working mom and can’t go to the KAM meetings most of the time. Maybe soon…are you going to go to the May one?
Thanks for sharing! Love your pics and updates! That was a wonderful suprise for your mom! Love it! As for the mommy&me group, continue only if you are having fun and feel comfortable with the group
hi jenny! you’re such a good daughter! your mom is too cute~ i love her reaction!
We were thinking about going to the encore in vegas in may but i think we’re going to palm springs instead. the rooms look really nice! evan is getting cuter and cuter!
paul sent you an evite last week. not sure if you got it~ let me know if you didnt get it.
Hi! Love your xanga site! Your little boy is so adorable! My husband and I have been married for more than 2 years now & everyone around us are urging us to have kids! I am nervous about having kids & am just not ready yet! Reading your site has calmed my nerves a little =p. Wish you and your family a happy life
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Wow! That was such a nice surprise for grandma! The video caught it all!
OMG! Your mom is SO cute! I can see where you get it from.
She’s lucky to have you, Andy, and your brother. Evan’s turning cuter and cuter (and I thought he was pretty DARN cute when he first arrived). 
Good genes.
Evan is so handsome….
Love your baby and doggie picture~
Soooo cute~~~!!!!
@cheendy - How exciting you guys are going to Vegas!! I was so nervous before the flight but it was okay since it was so short. I’d suggest trying to breastfeed during departure and landing…the swallowing action helps with the ears popping. Evan was okay most of the time but one of the times we were landing and he wouldn’t even breastfeed~ I think he was just shocked at the ear popping thing. I wish I took a bottle/pacifier too so I could’ve given those to him. Oh yeah, take a nursing cover~ so everyone on the plane can’t see you breastfeeding, hehe. Take a moisturizer too…Evan’s cheeks got so chapped and red out there. Good luck~~! E-mail me if you have any other qs before you go!
@hongfamilia - Thanks for the advice! The mommy & me group is like one of those run by the city but it’s done privately. There’s a group leader who leads discussions every week for 10 weeks at a time. I wish I knew one that was run by the city because I think it would be a lot less $$!
You are so good to your mom! Her reaction is priceless. I can’t wait to go on our first family vacation. That probably won’t be happening for a few months though. My husband won’t even let me take out the baby on a stroller walk until the baby is 2 months old!
@Mrs_Cho08 - The trip was great~ I think it was good practice since we’ll be traveling more in the next month. Vegas is really close so the plane ride seemed like it went by quickly. I’ll let you know how the other trips go~~ maybe it won’t be as easy since the plane rides will be longer. After our other trips I hope I’ll have some good advice to give you from all the things we do right & wrong, hehe.
@lana114 - Hi! Thanks so much for the tip re meetups.com! I’m definitely going to check it out. I can’t believe you found a mommy group that only costs $6 every 6 months!! $6 would pay for like 15 minutes of the group I’m in. I need to find another mommy group!
@Daydreamer33 - Hi sweetie! Yup, my mom has a separate kimchi fridge. So funny that you know about that. Hope you get to do your Vegas trip soon! You’ll need time to recover from your fabulous NY adventure though, hehe. It wasn’t that hard taking Evan with us to Vegas. We just had to pack a lot more stuff and it just took us longer to do things. We’re planning a few trips in the next month so we might actually end up using the daycare services at the hotels…eek! We’ll see if I’ll be able to part with my little guy, hehe.
@pifamily - Yes~ the Encore was soo beautiful! Happy to hear someone else got to experience how nice it was.
Eek~ poor Kelsey falling off of your bed! Thanks for sharing because I really need to be more careful!
your video of your mom made me get teary eyed. moms are so awesome, aren’t they? whenever we give my mom money, she always ends up spending it right back on us again. that was such a wonderful surprise for her! her reaction was so cute. ^^
you’re so lucky you got to hang out with two groups of xanga mommies!!! makes me want to go to LA and Vegas to meet everyone too! next, you need to come to Dallas, where i’m at!
That was such a sweet & thoughtful birthday present for your mom! It’s so funny how she didn’t even notice it in the beginning! Didn’t she walk by it like twice?? Too funny! I love the video of Evan, too! What great timing!
Evan is so adorable. I see a lot of you in him. Do you hear that a lot?
i love love love your pics and updates! you guys are so super sweet to your momma!
yay to Evan on the rolling over and yay to Andy for the quick thinking to capture it on tape for you! ;o)
@tubecozy - Hi hi! Evan’s sleep is still sporadic and unpredictable. We get a pretty good stretch in the middle of the night but the rest of the day is all up to the little boss. He doesn’t sleep on his tummy at night. I *try* to get him to do some tummy naps but it’s hard. Most of the time I’m just happy he’s napping so I don’t want to mess with it and put him on his tummy. Tummy time is still such a struggle!
@joesee22 - Aww…wish you could make it to the daytime/weekday outings! What’s the May one?
@jewelee501 - Hiyee! You guys should check out the Encore~ it’s so nice! I love Palm Springs too, hehe. I just responded to Paul’s Evite~ sorry so late! We’ve been trying to finalize travel plans so I wanted to wait until we were sure. Still not sure so I just RSVPed with a maybe for now. I hope I can make it!!
Omg I remember you guys telling us about the new fridge and oven for your mom. Wow~~ how did you guys film everything?? The clip’s so nice! It made me teary-eyed. You guys are so sweet =)
i cant believe that i missed this video!!! it was so awesome!! i loved how your mum walked right past and didnt even notice…and then when she did see it, she kept just repeating “ee-goh mo-yah?”- classic! haha. you and andy are so good to your parents. you mum must have had the best bday ever!
oh and happy 3 months to evan and yay to him rolling over! i forgot to ask to see it when u came over. can i see next week?
glad that u had a great family trip! your room looks identical to the room that we had except in reverse. wasnt it so nice and luxurious?
baby photo etiquette ~ i dont know how other mommies feel but i personally dont mind if ppl post up pics of nathan. as long as he isnt nekkid. haha
hmm…have i answered all your questions? oh wait, baby class. i think mommy and me groups are great but at evan’s age, i think it’s more for the mommy’s benefit. i’d recommend renewing if you get alot out of it. if not, maybe u could sign up for a cheaper mommy and me class.
i just watched the video. i love it!!! your mom was super suprised! she so deserved this wonderful bday surprise. super props to the videographer; he should make a career of making videos.
@skippeeahn - It’s May 16th @ Naya’s Garden. Check out hongfamilia’s blog for details. Hope you can come!
That video clip of your momma’s birthday gift was the sweetest thing ever – I was bawling!!!!
that is so great that you guys travelled to vegas! how nice! and how cool that evan did his first roll1!!!