Here He Comes!

The day has finally come. November 26, 2013 sometime in the afternoon, our baby will be born. I wish I could say I knew how to feel, but its a mixed bag of emotions. I'm nervous, excited, worried, happy, and grateful. I'm nervous for the delivery and I'm constantly praying to God that both Mimi and the baby will be just fine, no complications. I'm excited because watching and bringing a new life into this world is a true gift from God. The power and energy of that first breathe, the first cry, and even that first touch is simply amazing. I'm worried for the future and again, praying that this son is healthy with no complications as he grows. I've worked with, seen, and treated many with conditions that really have no cure like ADHD or Autism. As a clinician those really freak me out when it comes to my own child. I'm happy because our family is growing and this third child is truly a blessing by God. Finally, I'm grateful because God knows of our troubles with the miscarriage just prior to this pregnancy. He knows the desires of our hearts and here God has sent this gift to us and in just over an hour we may meet him face to face. For that, I am deeply grateful for this precious gift God has entrusted to Mimi and I. I've had some time to just stop and reflect this morning. Mimi woke me up around 5:45 am and let me know that it was time. I quickly got out of bed, washed up, and grabbed the essential items. The good thing is, yesterday, our OB was so certain that the baby might possibly come yesterday and Mimi was feeling such strong contractions I prepped ourselves for going in as of last night. So this morning, all was ready. We let her mom know that we were leaving and even Phoebe woke up amongst all the commotion. She was extremely happy that since Mommy and Daddy had to go to the hospital, she was going to have a stay home day with Po Po. Allie was sound asleep the entire time and well, she got her beauty sleep in. When we got to the hospital, they quickly assessed Mimi and got her straight away to a room without a bed. We waited and the bed finally did come, but then of course we came during change of shift and things took much longer than we had anticipated. The important thing was that Mimi got her epidural and that was priority for her. So from 9:00 am till now which is roughly 2:30 pm, its been a waiting game for the little prince to make his arrival. At 2:05 pm Dr. Quinn-Chen broke the water and we figured about an hour after maybe they would start the process, but I have to say, this little guy is making himself comfortable in mommy's tummy. I think this is already a sign that he will be a mamma's boy. So in reflection all day, I was wondering why I had not blogged as much as prior. At first I felt a little bit down about it that I was not being good documenting the pregnancy. Then I realized I also have two other children and we both had jobs, and that sometimes just finding time to just sit and write was not always an option. I'm so glad that we have these many hours to just wait. There is something precious about these moments before our family grows to a family of five. There is something that will forever change our lives, for the better, but there is definitely no going back. God has put us on this path and this path we will continue with great joy and excitement. I am also pondering how this marks the end of our child bearing part of life. We are too old, too tired, and just don't have enough resources for another child. This will basically be our last one. Like I mentioned earlier, there is something precious about this time because how often does someone actually get to witness the birth of a life into the world. Its amazing, wondering, fantastic, powerful, and energetic all in one. I guess I'm sad that this will be the final one for us. Its now 2:50 pm and Mimi is definitely feeling pressure down below. The nurse just came in to measure and she said with a few more contractions she should be ready. The Doctor is coming back and we'll get the pushing started. God, thank you once again for this chance to bring a baby to the world. May you be the one who guides this delivery and may You be glorified in this moment. Amen.

Week 25 Out of 40 and Growing

It really has been a while since I last got on here to journal.  I suppose one might be able to say things got busy, but I actually wondered if part of me was trying to avoid the realization that this will be our last pregnancy and I'm just not wanting to write about it.  I know that sounds strange, but in many ways, I consider this a stage in life that is now ending.  Being that I'm 41 and Mimi is 39, our days for having children are definitely numbered.  Watching Mimi go through this pregnancy has been watching someone really struggle with energy and body pains, something that I know with age just does not come any easier.  I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm having to come to grips that we are definitely moving on to another stage of life where our kids will no longer be babies but children, and after that it is when they are adolescents, and then adults.  By then, I'm lucky if I can still run my morning runs without pain.  

Both Phoebe and Allie are really growing up fast.  In the past one month, Allie has learned how to exist in underwear and she only uses the pull ups at night.  At school she can go most days without an accident, though it is about once a week for now.  The first two weeks she was coming home with one or two accidents, but she is getting much better.  We're so proud of her for being potty trained so early.  Phoebe got potty trained about 3.5 years of age and Allie is just over 3.  It was sort of funny, the Angelfish classroom teacher, teacher Paula actually bought Allie new training underwear and it was this one act that got Allie really excited to try.  So we put an underwear over the pull up and then when Allie was ready during the day, they would not put a pull up back on and let her be in an underwear.  Having both girls potty trained is awesome, a large financial burden that is off our expense list (at least until November), and so glad that the transition went smoothly.  

Here is a picture of our girls using the potty before heading home.  

Here is Mimi's belly at week 24.  

Allie is certainly enjoying playing with the baby in Mimi's belly.  They really want this baby to be a girl so they keep naming the baby Georgina or Cora, but for Mimi and I know, its a boy.  In fact, Phoebe recently told her Dolphin classroom teachers that she was going to have a baby sister.  Her teachers were surprised that we were having a baby and then when they heard baby sister they were surprised with three girls.  Then when I told them it was actually going to be a boy they understood that the girl was really more of Phoebe's desire more than anything else.  

We've been lucky to see these two girls really grow close to each other.  In fact, they are so close they hold hands during day and night.  Here is a picture of them walking together.

And here is a picture of them sleeping together.  

They really are super cute.  We believe that Phoebe tends to be a little bit more insecure and so having Allie around is really helpful for her.  In the picture where they are sleeping, Mimi and I left their room to get them to fall asleep on their own.  Allie really had no problems and in a few minutes had gone to sleep.  Phoebe kept crying that we had left and felt quite emotional about our leaving.  Eventually I kept going back in to check on her and she finally went to sleep on her own, but in the morning she got up earlier than any other time this week to make sure she had the chance to say bye to Mimi in the morning.  

Going back to the pregnancy, what I've noticed most about Mimi is just how tired she is.  She is working four long days per week and then the evenings and weekends are still requiring helping with the children.  Thank goodness that her mother is with us now, as at least during the weekdays the cooking for dinner and cleaning is taken care of and Mimi and I can actually spend some quality time with the kids.  This past Monday Mimi had her glucose test to test for gestational diabetes.  In the previous two pregnancies, she had failed the two hour test and had to subsequently do the four hour test.  This time, she made sure she passed the two hour test.  She first made sure that she walked around and she secondly took some time to go to the shopping mall to return some water shoes.  In the end, her results were negative but not without having done some exercise in the process.  I have no problem with this.  We would have noticed a much more different presentation if her glucose was certainly out of control.  

Another change in our household recently is the addition of the piano.  

This was the one we purchased from Costco and the main intent is to have Phoebe and Allie grow appreciation for music.  Thus far, I have been the only one playing the piano, and I have to say that it has been a true enjoyment to have this instrument in the house.  I feel so free to play as I wish and the piano sounds great.  

In addition to the piano was this bongo drum that Allie got for her birthday.  Here she sits with no underwear or pull up playing the bongo drum.  She was having so much fun.  

In a few weeks we'll be heading off for Hawaii.  We are all excited.  A few weeks ago we all went shopping for new swimsuits since we each need two.  Mimi was able to get a few other items like a cover up and we both purchased rash guards.  I think this Hawaii vacation is just what we all needed.  Work has really bee stressful for Mimi and I and though we love the trips to Chicago, they are just trips and not vacations.  This vacation is for us to just relax and have fun with the kids.  Mimi's mother is coming and this will be good since we promised her we would eventually take her to Hawaii.  She is excited as well.  Luckily we were able to get a discount from Canaan and we'll be staying at the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island.  Hawaii here we come.  

Another milestone was the kids first trip to the dentist, or maybe I should say their first cleaning.  Both Allie and Phoebe did extremely well, but I also have to say that this dental site is totally geared towards kids.  I mean, they had videos in the ceiling so they could watch while being worked on with headphones over their ears.  I swear, if I had that growing up I totally would love going to the dentist.  I only got prizes, which is better than what Mimi every got.  

I guess a lot happens in one month and even hear, I'm just going into small detail in each area.  I'm so glad that I have pictures here to help tell the story.  I'm sure I'll be back sooner than this most recent drought, especially with Hawaii right around the corner.  

Allie's Third Bithday

Today Allie turned 3.  It is the first time I have really seen her understand and enjoy her birthday.  Yesterday we celebrated with a party at Junior Gym and invited about 17 other friends, well, mostly our own friends.  I saw how Allie clearly understood it was her party, and she was the center of attention, and she did not shy away from any of it.  It was awesome to see her happily go to the center of the tent and just sit there as everyone sang happy birthday to her.  

In the beginning, Phoebe and Allie got there early and they had the entire gym to themselves.  Mimi topped the cake with six ponies since the girls are all about ponies these days.  These six are Rainbow Dash, Apple Jack, Flutter Shine, Pinky Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity.  Now, don't ask me how, but Mimi is the one who knows all of these.  I have no idea.  Her and the girls seem to know all the characters.  This cake was huge.  To this day we are still eating it and had enough to continue the celebration on Allie's actually birthday the following day.  

On Allie's birthday, we celebrated further by going to her favorite restaurant which is Korean BBQ, so of course off to Soon's we go.  Bear in mind she had just been there on Monday with Poh Poh, and Mimi, and so its less than a week before they went again.  Then we came home and everyone had a good nap.  Then after the nap I grilled and we ate dinner and had more pie.  During the entire day we talked to Ahma, and Ah Gong, Uncle Mike and Tim and last night we talked to Auntie Christina.  It was nice to just talk with the family.  

The last picture was the dog at Soon's where they girls got to play with the dog before lunch.  

All in all, what I noticed most about Allie was how much she just enjoyed every moment of every day during this birthday weekend.  One of the best quotes was when the Junior Gym teacher asked Allie how old she was, she says, "Two", which of course she was.  Her birthday was not until the following day.  Then I asked her the same question today "How old are you?"  and she confidently replies, "Three".  Then I asked her how old were you yesterday, and she replied "Two".  Then just to make sure I asked her how old she will be tomorrow and she said "Three".  She was very proud.  

For Phoebe, its been a very rough weekend.  She has struggled to have attention all weekend since much of it was devoted to her sister.  With all the new toys, Phoebe really wanted to claim them as hers but we reinforced that these are Allie's toys and she needed to ask Allie to borrow them.  Phoebe tried to cooperate, but it was clear that she was struggling with wanting the toys to be hers and then being in the lime light.  She had to be redirected so many times, and in the end I knew she was having a tough time and tried to talk to her about it, but that would only last for so long before she got frustrated again.  So today when she woke up from her nap early, I took her to Home Depot with me for  little outing.  While we were there, I got her a special treat for accompanying daddy and so she got some M&Ms which made things all better.  On the way back, she did say she wanted to save some for  Allie so she could also have some of the treat, which I thought was very sweet of her.  

These two girls are just amazing.  When I compare to the pictures from just two years ago with Allie smearing cake all over her face as a one year old, I'm seeing just how much she has grown up.  I'm also seeing how much Phoebe has grown and how her mind is so much more complex than just two years ago.  Her physical stature is so much taller and larger, and these girls are clearly not babies any more but rather little smart cute bright girls.  

Oh, and one more story. So in Chicago I bought this birthday card that specifically has Allison on it.  It also sings Happy Birthday specifically to Allison.  When Allie first opened it, she was a little shocked because it played music.  But after she got used to the music she loved the fact that it was singing happy birthday to her over and over again. She must have played that about 25 times before we finally had to tell her to give it a rest.  There was one point where she would open the card to play the music and hold it over her head to blast it throughout the house.  Mimi and I recall the movie "Say Anything" where John Cusack holds the boom box over his head in front of this girls house that he likes, and that is what Allie looked like.  It was the cutest thing.  

Happy Birthday Allie.  Mommy and Daddy love you very much!!!

Kids In Their Nest

So after nearly 4.5 years we have the room to ourselves for a night.  It started last night when Phoebe asked to sleep in her own room, otherwise known as "The Nest".  I think she was asked by Zosia's dad about what it was like for her to sleep in her own room and they talked about how Zosia sleeps in her own room with Toshia.  For some reason, I think that conversation sunk into her, because last night after bath, she told me she wanted to sleep in her nest and asked if I would sleep with her.  I agreed realizing that here was an opportunity for her to take control of some decisions like where she sleeps, plus this is something we would eventually have to do once baby number three comes.  

So last night, on a twin mattress, Phoebe and I slept through the night.  It was tight with lots of tossing and turning, but we made it happen.  I think in the morning, she was extremely proud that she had slept through and was thrilled that there was a pink flower light in her room to help light it up.  We had purchased that light almost three years ago, but it was too bright when she was a baby.  Now that she is a young girl who does not like the dark, this light is just the answer.  She was so excited about it that she wanted to show her mommy and Allie all morning.  

So as tonight rolled around, I asked Phoebe again where she wanted to sleep.  She again said her nest but with daddy.  I wanted to, but I also realized that it was a rough sleep last night and I really needed the rest.  We all decided that Allie would join her in their nest, which it actually is, and that the two of them would stay on the queen bed that was previously in our room.  We moved the bed over, adjusted it so that Allie is against the wall so she would not fall off, and put the single mattress next to the bed on the floor so that in case one of us parents needed to go there in the middle of the night we would have a place to rest.  I laid down with them to keep them company and Allie was the first to fall asleep.  She was definitely tired as it was almost 10 pm by the time she fell asleep.  Phoebe had a little harder time but eventually fell asleep by 10:30 pm.  What was super cute was how she acknowledges she can be afraid and said Allie was brave, and then asked to pray a prayer to Jesus.  I said sure and prayed with her.  Phoebe said, " Dear Jesus, help me to not be scared and if I do get scared keep me in your hands and safe.  In Jesus name Amen."  I could not believe this little sweet prayer that she prayed, so real, so true, so innocent.  I loved how it just expressed the truest portions of her heart.  Here is what the two look like in their first night in the nest together as sisters.  

So now as Mimi and I are laying in our beds and catching up with each other, we sit here a little bitter sweet.  We are definitely happy that they are moving on and growing up and it was important that they went to their own room at their own time, as much as possible.  However, we both feel a little empty that they are not next to us where we can hear their sleep noises, or just look at their cute sleeping poses.  Even Mimi wanted to put up some image of them next to our bed since it felt so empty.  

One thing that I forgot to mention was how Allie was the one that would often pick her nose and then eat the boogers.  She would eat them and say "Gum, Yummy".  Mimi says Phoebe also did the same, but I can't recall it.  Here is a lovely picture of Allie with double fingers.  

This past weekend, Phoebe and Allie have really been into princess weddings.  In this case, Phoebe will be the designer and dress Allie for her wedding.  Then Phoebe will ring a bell (which is actually hit a pan with a stick) and Allie comes forward in her wedding dress as seen above, horns, cape, and veil.  

Finally, Allie has been doing this super silly face, which she calls her scary face.  Here is an example from dinner tonight.  

She is so funny.  She clenches her hands and teeth together and then shakes her head and its just so funny to watch.  

With our four day weekend now coming to an end, its sad that time went so fast, but we had lots of fun.  Till next time....

July 4th Weekend 2013

This year July 4 fell on a Thursday, so Mimi and I took the Friday off as well.  Its been a fun two days so far and we still have the weekend ahead of us.  

On July 4, we pretty much stayed home and played.  It was the last of the "hot days" of this really warm spell that we have had for more than a week now.  Warm I'm talking like 80s to 90's.  It has been just amazing and how summer should be.  To celebrate the final warm day we all went to the pool and had a great time swimming.  The girls this year are really good with their floating devices.  Once they have them on they are just fine swimming on their own and doing cool tricks.  They still struggle with putting their head in the water, but they definitely enjoy the pool.  It was also definitely nice to have Mimi come too as they like to ride our backs and go around the pool.  

Then after swimming I did a bbq and we had a nice dinner.  I had to steal away to pick up Zosia and her family from the airport but I was back in time for the fireworks to start.  We got to watch them again this year from the comfort of our own home at the stairwell.  I love how the house we purchased has so many perks like not having to leave the home to watch fireworks.  

July 5 was also very nice.  We had the chance to just kick back and relax with Popo, who took us to Tomi Seafood Buffet.  This was good and the girls ate a lot.  They ate a lot of sashimi and desserts.  At the end they both showed just how big their bellies were.  We came home and they napped on the way back and in the evening we had small group.  It was so nice just to be with other parents and children, all experiencing similar things in life and struggling with parenthood together.  As much as I appreciate the video series, I appreciate more the sharing of the struggles and the ideas that each one contributes on how best to handle parenting.  

In a week Allie will turn 3.  I can't believe that she is getting that old.  I felt like it was just yesterday that she was born and now she is so much bigger, smarter, and not a baby anymore.  In fact, I distinctly remember being at the 211 Bowsprit home and Allie had just been born and I came back to wash the carpets since I knew that Allie was coming back home and the carpets had not been cleaned for a while.  I was dead tired from being up for the delivery but I was determined to make sure that those carpets were clean for my baby.  

Allie has come a long way in the past year.  She was much more quiet and withdrawn but I have seen how her teachers at the Angelfish classroom have really helped her to come more out of her shell.  She is able to sing with the class, let her voice be known, and I've seen her laugh and smile more than ever before.  I've also seen how stubborn she can get, but then when she flashes that cute smile its hard to stay mad at her.  

These are the days that I really love capturing here in this journal.  Watching these girls grow up is just amazing and I don't want to miss a moment if I don't have to.  I have an awesome family, with Mimi, and the two girls, and one more on the way, life is good.  Praise God.  

Beach and Party Fun

This weekend has been one hot weekend.  With temperatures in the 80's we've been trying to get out, stay active, and yet stay cool.  One of our expeditions this weekend was the tide pool at Moss Beach.  We left at 9:15 am, got there around 9:45, and realized that about 200 other people had the same idea as us.  Parking was so hard to find and we just walked a few blocks to get to the beach.  When we got there, the tide was low, the sun up, and so many things to see in the tide pools.  

We saw some mussels and fish, and tried to find some star fish but non were to be found.  After all the searching, Phoebe and Allie built some sand castles with the toys we brought, and Daddy provided them with the water.  It was a perfect way to start off the weekend!  

After the tide pools we had lunch at Barbara's Fish Trap and Phoebe ate a total of almost four fish and chips.  We were all amazed at how much she had eaten and in the end her belly was so full.  Allie also ate well, as she had the majority of the crab from the crab salad.  Though the bill was pricey, the food was good and watching the girls eat well was totally worth it.  

For Mimi and I, it was just a precious time to be with the kids and enjoy the beautiful day.  It was also one of the first times in a long time that Mimi felt her appetite had returned, and she also was able to enjoy the meal.  I think in the end, that is what made the day special, that everyone really had a great time.  

On Sunday June 30th we all went to Lauren McLinden's birthday party at Junior Gym.  That was a lot of fun for both Phoebe and Allie.  It was like all their friends from the daycare were all together having a blast.  It was just as nice for us as parents to get to know some of the other parents too in a more informal setting where we are not always rushing away to get to work or get home.  Here are some pics from the birthday party.  

Finally, after a busy weekend of fun in the sun, we are home.  Sunday night, everyone fed from Tokies, and even some dessert from Nubi.  All in all, a really fun weekend.  This really is what summer is all about.  

Baby Number 3 On The Way

It is a true blessing to know that we are blessed with one more child.  The last time I had posted here was after Allie had been born and it was so few and far between.  I've been wanting to get back to journaling in order to leave some thoughts for my children in the future, but I swear, life has this way of becoming so busy.  With that said, its really no excuse for not having the time to take for myself and my family and so finally I am sitting down to just write down my thoughts and some unique experiences I'm having as a father. 

One of the first memories of this third child is a saying that Phoebe had mentioned early on.  Mimi and I were talking about babies and had let them know that we were having a baby much earlier than past the safe zone of the first trimester.  Of course, they were the ones who shared it with everyone and it was definitely hard to keep under wraps once they put it out there.  We also explained a little bit of how babies come about, with the egg from mommy and the sperm from daddy.  Then Phoebe says, "mommy, do you have sperm in your belly from daddy?"  Our response was sort of, but not in her belly.  They she said, "Do I have sperm in my belly?" and Mimi and I just looked at each other, smiled, and prayed that we would never hear those words in her teenage years.  

Now there is Allie.  She is growing so fast and she is no longer the quiet little girl who spoke very little.  I'll correct that, she does not speak as much as Phoebe does, but will certainly speak her mind.  In fact, just last night, Mimi and I were mentioning how Allie is very much like her mother, who is quite matter of fact, by the rules, and yet there is a sense of humor in her that is really dry.  Just yesterday, she went to Popo's room and when she was saying good night, she told Popo that she had to stop the video she was watching while she was saying good night.  

There is something very sweet about the both of them together.  This past week, we went for a walk and they were walking hand in hand.  

This was so precious.  Dressed up the same and enjoying a beautiful summer evening walk together.  So again, there are these moments when they are like two peas in a pod, and then there are times when they are just so mean to each other.  I guess this is what having siblings is all about.  I'm sure both Mimi and I were the same way growing up.  

So just to make it clear, we are actually having a boy for this third child, at least that is what we are told from the ultrasound.  With the third being a boy, it has certainly created some new found energy for Mimi and I, especially around the name of the child.  We are looking at some of the more common names, but also some obscure ones.  I think we'd like to go Biblical, but not tied to it since Allison is not a Biblical name either.  

For this entry, its about quickly summing up the recent events with the desire to keep going with this journal and leaving something behind for my children.  Time flies too fast, and soon enough I won't remember these little comments, sayings, and expressions and it will be lost in time.  Finally, I just can't express more my love for my family.  They are the best blessing I could ever have and they all give me meaning, purpose, and completion in my life.  Thank you God for the blessings of my wife and children.