My So Called Life

My Independent Girl

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:56:00 +0000

My dear Mekayla has always been an independent girl. Probably from the moment she was born she had exhibited her independent streak but it couldn't have been more evident when she attended her 1st day of preschool. Now don't get me wrong. We had prepped her for school for months. We'd taken her on several tours of various schools and on the Friday before school started we went in for Drop In Day where she got to see her class again and meet her teacher, Ms Judy.

That Monday morning, as we walked into her class, she just ran into the room and picked up the 1st toy she could find. Mommy and Daddy were clearly forgotten, left to put away her lunch box for her and stand all lonesome in the corner of the classroom taking pictures of this momentous occasion. After about 10 minutes (of which she barely noticed we were there), she ran up with a toy to show us. It was by this point we had to leave however. They advise us not to stay too long - messes up the whole transition to preschool thing - Transition? What transition? Did you not just see how she ran into the room and made herself at home???

Anyway, here came the big goodbye:

Mommy and Daddy: Okay Mekayla, we have to go now. Have a good day at school.
Mekayla (barely looks up from her toy): Okay. Bye.
Mommy and Daddy: How about some hugs and kisses?
Mekayla: Okay. (Provides momentary consolation hugs and kisses)
Mommy and Daddy: Bye.
Mekayla: Bye. (Still playing with her toy)

As I'm driving away, I'm suddenly hit with the realization that my big girl is not in the car with me. It's awfully quiet without her little chatter (she talks non-stop these days - as her teacher will attest later). So I did the only thing I knew to do. I drove to Cupertino to Sheng Kee bakery to get 4 red bean buns and then to the quilt store for some fabric therapy. It was a very poignant moment when I discovered that I was missing her more than I thought I would. I thought that I would be glad for the break from having two of them anchored to my ankles constantly but I missed having her around not matter how irritating she could be sometimes. Miss tough Momma was not so tough after all. And you know what? Miss Independant Mekayla did just great at school. To find out more about what it was like when we picked her up, go visit Carter's blog.

Today is Friday and she has had three awesome days at school and loves it. She comes home singing the songs she's learned that day at school. Day 1 and 2 was "Jesus loves me this I know..." and today it was "Please shine down on me" as well as "Head and shoulders knees and toes". She has developed such a wonderful confidence in those 3 short days that I am continually amazed and indescribably proud of her. I'm so happy with the preschool we picked for her (Achiever Christian School) and thrilled that I can leave her there and know she is in very good hands and treated with care and handled with the grace she needs.

Regarding Mommy's quilt therapy, I got nice hugs from the dear ladies at Prairie Queens Quilt shop when I walked in. It wasn't really fabric therapy. I actually had to get some red fabric for a Civil War quilt I'm making for a very special Civil War fan - more on that and the other quilts I'm currently working on later. BTW, I'm totally loving this new hobby of mine and the "Back to Basics" class I'm taking with Debbie and Mary at Prairie Queens. Learning soooo much. Thanks ladies.

Chicken and Eggs According to Mekayla

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:58:00 +0000

At bedtime tonight after her story:

Mekayla: Mommy, do you like chickens?
Mommy: Yes. Chickens give us eggs. I like to eat eggs.
Mekayla: Oh. But we can't eat bird eggs. They have birds in them. And I already ate the chicken eggs.
Mommy: Yeah. Okay. We don't eat bird eggs. They have birds in them. But we can eat chicken eggs. They don't have chicks in them.
Mekayla: Oh. They don't have chicks in them. Yeah we can eat chicken eggs. We let the chicks hop out first then we eat the eggs...

Hmm... Okay.

Nadia Walking Video

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:56:00 +0000

Here's the video I promised of Nadia walking. It's on Carter's blog. By the way, is is quite the pro at walking now and is even trying to run. So much for baby steps.

Just 3 Words

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:03:00 +0000

I just have 3 important words to say....

Nadia walked today!!!!

Hooray!!!! This happened while we were at Aunty Abbey and Uncle Andrew's house. We are so proud of you little baby girl. Video courtesy of Aunty Abbey's camera coming soon. (Bad Mommy left hers at home on accident)

Potty Training

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:36:00 +0000

So you know how life can sometimes be described as a series of successes and failures? Well, today was a combination of both. We’ve been trying (on and off) for a while to get Mekayla potty trained. Now, my older daughter (in case you don’t know) is one of those strong-willed persons. She has one of those “I’ll do it when I’m ready and not a moment sooner no matter how much you plead, beg, cajole or bribe me even though I know perfectly how to” attitudes. And of course, she has decided to assert this one admirable but frustrating trait with her potty training which is probably why her dad and I have not really pushed it on her and have been working with her on and off.

Well, over the weekend, while I was at the Women of Faith conference, Daddy seemed to have made some headway with her potty training. It involved letting her walk around the living room sans pants with a potty accessible and within close proximity. Well, guess what? On Friday, she knew when she had to stop playing, go sit on her potty and pee on her own!!! Wow!!! I was so impressed when I got home Friday afternoon. Saturday however was a “I think I will assert my free will today” kind of days where she ended up peeing on her Rainbow bear and in the corner of the living room, anywhere else but in the potty. Oh well, successes and failures, right?

So, it’s now Monday morning… Day 3 of potty training adventures… (Sunday doesn’t count – it’s hard to potty train with church and lunch and all – I can’t very well, let her walk around town without pants or diapers on) I am up in the study checking some stuff up on the good ole Internet when I hear peels of laughter… I hear Mekayla laughing…. Nadia laughing… I think “Oh cool! They are having fun together… That’s so sweet.” More Mekayla laughing… Nadia laughing… Mekayla laughing…. Nadia laughing…. Hmm…. I’d like to think that they are playing some fun innocent game together but really, I should know better by now. I’m starting to hear red alert sirens and I think “Oh God, what am I going to find when I turn around the corner and look down?”

This is the scene that greets me… Nadia is standing, holding on to the coffee table, with both her feet in the potty. Only, the potty is not empty like I’d hope. Mekayla is standing off to the corner (out of reach of the splash zone) laughing and watching her sister happily wade in her ankle-deep contribution. Ordinarily I would have been thrilled for there to be light yellow liquid in that pristine white potty but not at this moment. I am inundated with conflicting thoughts. I want my older daughter to have had a successful potty episode but at the same time I pray to God that this is not one of those times. God doesn’t always answer all our prayers. I know He has been known to raise the dead and part the Red Sea but I have yet to see Him remove pee from a potty. Both girls look up at me. They have expressions on their faces like “This is fun Mommy!!! But now that you are looking at me with that look of horror in your face, I’m not so sure anymore.” The following conversation ensues with my oldest:

Mommy: Mekayla, did you go potty? (Stupid question… I know what the answer is… But I ask it anyway hoping for a different answer)
Mekayla: (Gleefully) Uh-huh….
Mommy: (Rushes down the stairs) Oh dear… (Nadia splashes some more) Nadia!!! No!!!!
For the record, this is not the appropriate response when your potty training child just successfully peed in the potty.
Mommy: (Picking up Nadia) I mean good job Mekayla but it is not good for Nadia to play with the pee...
Mekayla: But why?
Mommy: (Oh God save me – I’m walking to the bathroom while dangling Nadia in front of me) Because it is dirty and it’s making everything wet. Oh and good job on peeing in the toilet Mekayla.
Mekayla: Oh….

I now begin the process of washing Nadia’s hands and feet with copious amounts of soap and water whilst simultaneously keeping her from tasting the potentially pee laden soap suds. My next 10 minutes includes the following flurry of activity (not necessarily in this particular order because I can’t quite remember all I did in the aftermath of said destruction)… Dry Nadia’s hands and feet. Grab Clorox wipes. Put down Clorox wipes. Wipe down Mekayla (with baby wipes, not Clorox wipes). Remember to give Mekayla reward of Cookie Monster sticker and 4 M&Ms… Trade out extra brown M&M for blue M&M per recipient’s request… Pick up Clorox wipes. Walk into living room. Ask Mekayla where her sister is wondering what other trouble she is getting into. Wipe up little kiddy chair, coffee table and surrounding 5 feet radius around potty, wishing pee was more viscous and did not splash so well. Pick up pee laden potty and carry quickly to bathroom. Ask Mekayla where her sister is again. Wash potty. Wrestle with bottle of Clorox wipe to get 2 sheets out to wipe down potty. Quickly put down potty so I can grab Nadia and keep her from chewing on the rim of the toilet bowl… Wash Nadia’s hands again… Prevent Nadia from eating more pee laden soap suds… Return potty to living room for future potty training episodes… And it is only 10:30am.

I call Carter to relate all this to him and he suggests that this is a good one for the blog. My response is, "And let the world know what a failure I am as a mom??!!!" My ever optimistic husband’s response? It has some success in it too.

I’d like to say tune in for more potty training adventures but in all seriousness, I hope not. Till next time, remember, God has a sense of humor… We should too.

Waking Sleeping Beauty

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:34:00 +0000

This occurred while putting Mekayla to bed one night…

Mekayla: (holding her Cinderella tiara) Put on the crown Daddy…. You are Sleeping Beauty.
Daddy: Oh good idea. I like to be Sleeping Beauty. (Any reason to take a nap, right? Lays on bed and pretends to fall asleep).
Mekayla: Mommy, Daddy’s Sleeping Beauty. He’s sleeping.
Mommy: I know. Would you like to wake Sleeping Beauty up?
Mekayla: Yeah.
Mommy: How do you wake Sleeping Beauty up? What do you do?
Mekayla: You say “Hello!”
Mommy: (laughing with Daddy) You say “Hello”?
Mekayla: Uh-huh!
Mommy: (still chuckling) Okay. Go wake Sleeping Beauty up.
Mekayla: ( crawls up onto Daddy and gets real close to his cheek and yells) Hello!!!!
Mommy: Is Sleeping Beauty awake now?
Mekayla: Uh-huh…

Yeah I’ll bet. I don’t think even the real Sleeping Beauty could sleep through that wake up call. But I think the Prince would have had a hard time convincing her to marry him after that.

Ni Hao

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:32:00 +0000

Mekayla watches Ni Hao Kai Lan, an educational preschool program on Noggin from time to time. It’s a bilingual (Mandarin and English) show about a little Chinese girl who lives with her grandfather and has several little animal friends. (Think a Chinese version of Dora the Explorer) Anyway, Kai Lan starts the program each day with a friendly, “Ni hao, I’m Kai Lan.” (Translated to “Hello, I’m Kai Lan.”) Each episode, she introduces a few new Chinese words to the kids watching and it’s a nice way to expose Mekayla to some Mandarin. Well, I’ve been practicing some of these words with Mekayla as we learn them and today’s conversation went like this:

Mommy: Mekayla, what is “mao tze”?
Mekayla: “Mao tze” is for hat!
Mommy: What is “thor sie”?
Mekayla: “Thor sie” is for slipper!
Mommy: What is “ni hao”?
Mekayla: “Ni hao” is for Kai Lan! That is what Kai Lan says…

Oh boy.

It's Been Awhile

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:30:00 +0000

So, a lot has happened since my last post. Yes it has been awhile but it's been nuts with traveling to Malaysia, getting back with 2 sick kids, recovering from jet lag with 2 sick kids who also have jet lag. But all is good now.

Nadia has since sprouted 2 new teeth and is crawling and cruising up a storm around the house... This has irked her older sister somewhat who seems to have discovered some until now dormant aggression and is taking it out on poor unsuspecting Nadia. We have found Mekayla kicking her sister, sitting on her, grabbing her and pinning her down Pro wrestling style to smacking her in the head with a Magna Doodle (resulting in a really nice bruise that lasted 5 days). Preschool would be really good for Mekayla soon... That kid needs a way to spend some of that excess energy she seems to have developed lately.

The weather is improving and with the arrival of our new outdoor blanket, we should be able to spend more time in the park or yard and Mekayla will have more opportunities to run around and not feel so couped up in the house with her sister bugging her. We've discovered recently that Nadia has an aversion to grass. She won't get on it, she doesn't like to sit on it and she won't touch it. Nice for me for now since I can be sure she will stay on our blanket and not crawl off in the opposite direction of her sister anytime soon. We'll see how long that lasts. Her tendencies seem to be shortlived and she's constantly changing her likes and dislikes every several weeks (just long enough for us to figure it out, get used to it and Bam! she changes). Keeps us on our toes that's for sure.

Well, we have both girls birthdays coming up soon. The big 1st birthday for little Nadia and Mekayla's 3rd. I am starting to plan for it and it should be fun. I will try to be back here more and write from time to time. It's cathartic for me now and I like documenting the little things the girls do since I'm bound to forget all the little cute thigns the do at some point. Till the next post. Adios!

Nadia Update

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 03:46:00 +0000

Nadia is moving up in the world. Well, she's moving around at least. She is starting to crawl. It's not quite a real crawl yet. She will get up on her hands and knees but when she tries to move around it is more like a soldier crawl and it doesn't stop her from getting what she wants either.

Tomorrow morning, bright and early is her 1st haircut. The kid was born with a full head of hair that grows like a weed. So, to prevent it from looking any more like a mullet than it already is, we decided that it was time for her to get a haircut. Wish us luck. She seems to have a slight sensitivity to new people and especially Caucasian women (or so we notice). Why Caucasian women specifically? We are not sure but we think it's because all the women who have really bonded with her so far are Asian... She has no problems with Caucasian men (well, obviously because of Daddy) and there are some exceptions to the Asian/Caucasian thing but it seems like a general rule of thumb. She is definitely wary of strangers which won't help the hair cutting process since she has never met the hair dresser and Gail, the hair dresser happens to be a Caucasian female. We'll let you know how it goes and perhaps post some crying baby photos too. :)

Ironic

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:14:00 +0000

Driving Carter's car to church and back tonight inspired this post. Now, I have never been much of a country music person. The first time I ever enjoyed country music was Shania Twain. Now, I know she is considered a part of the country music community and all but seriously, I think most hard core country fans would consider her kind of modern country. Not country country, if you get what I mean. So, why didn't I really like country music. Well, I found it kinda draggy and whiny and too twangy... Kind of like how country people speak I guess. But that never really was my thing. Like Chinese opera. Same problem.

Flash forward 10 - 15 years and who do I marry? A guy from Kentucky. A country guy. But hey, Carter told me, when we met, that he didn't really like country music. It never was his thing, especially bluegrass.... Wow, did I get lucky or what? I found a nice country boy who doesn't like country music. It's like jackpot!!!

Well, they say people change. Today, I was driving in my dear hubby's car and do you know what kind of music I'm listening to? Seriously, do you know what kind of music I am listening to? Country music people!!!! Hard core, twangy Garth Brooks and Kenny Rogers kind of country music! A mixed CD that Carter made a few months ago. Now if you want to find people that really know how to put some lyrics down to some music, find a country music writer. They don't just make music, they know how to tell a story to music. That is talent. None of this funky "Pump the Jam" kind of lyrics where the whole song consists of 3 to 5 words at best. So, I am listening to this thing and you know what??? Oh my God, I'm enjoying it! I am singing along and some of the words even made me laugh... Maybe it's because this is the first time I am really listening to what they are saying in the song. Or perhaps I am getting old because I am enjoying the music too. Golly jolly who would have guessed.

Anyway, I was reflecting on this while I was driving and it made for some amusing thoughts that I figured I would share. So, share in my amusement and sing along with me.

Sharing

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:55:00 +0000

As she gets older and plays more with other kids, Mekayla has had to learn to share more. The arrival of her sister made it even more important that she learn this. Well, it has been a journey for us teaching her how to share and today, it came full circle.

Mommy (sits down to eat some chocolate)...
Mekayla (comes up to Mommy): Mmm chocolate Mommy? Have some chocolate?

Now mind you, Mekayla has already had some chocolate tonight. Now it is Mommy's turn.

Mommy: This is Mommy's chocolate. You had some already.
Mekayla: No this is Mekayla's chocolate.
Mommy: No this is Mommy's chocolate.
Mekayla: Mekayla have some chocolate Mommy? Please? Share....

Mekayla got some more chocolate tonight.

This One's For Kong Kong and Po Po

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:42:00 +0000

This post is for Kong Kong and Po Po. Merry Christmas.

This conversation happened today but similar ones to this have happened in the past (not so much the one about breakfast - that one is a bit weird, but everything else):

Mekayla: This is my breakfast (shows me a bowl with what vaguely resembles a burger bun and a fish).
Mommy: Oh? What are you having for breakfast?
Mekayla: Fish! And Ham!
Mommy: Fish and ham... Wow.
Mekayla: Where's Po Po?
Mommy: Po Po is in Malaysia with Kong Kong.
Mekayla: In Malaysia with Kong Kong?
Mommy: Yup.
Mekayla: Miss Po Po.... And Kong Kong.
Mommy: You miss Po Po and Kong Kong?
Mekayla: Yeah. Go visit them.
Mommy: You want to go visit them? (Mekayla nods) Okay. We'll go visit them soon.
Mekayla: (nods) Okay. (And goes on her merry way out the kitchen)

The Sweetest Things

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 07:27:00 +0000

Mekayla has just blossomed into the sweetest girl.... She will just throw her arms around me from time to time and give me the biggest and loveliest hugs and kisses. Then she'll look at me and say, "I love you too, Mommy"... Oh it just so totally melts my heart.

Sometimes she'll wish you well and happiness in the little way she knows how which is to wish you Happy Birthday. I'll give her a hug and she'll hug me back and say, "Happy Birthday Mommy". She associates birthdays with good things so we figured her wishing you Happy Birthday was equivalent to her wishing you good things and blessings.

The other day, she just started wishing me "Happy Holidays! Happy Holidays!" She must have heard it and picked it up somewhere then decided to repeat it. It was a pleasant surprise.

Lately, when Nadia is fussing or crying, she will sometimes go up to her and sing her a song. Nadia loves it and will often stop crying or fussing enough to listen to her sing.

These are such beautiful, precious moments I wanted to put down here to cherish. It is someplace I can always come back to revisit them.

Don't Open Till Christmas

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:49:00 +0000

We've had a lot of Christmas activities for Mekayla lately. Now that she is talking more and more aware of the things around her, she has really had a chance to absorb a lot of the Christmas things going on around her.

For starters, there was the Trader Joe's Christmas Advent calendar that we got her. It counts down the days till Christmas with chocolate. I cannot think of a yummier way to anticipate Christmas than with chocolate. So everyday (except some days where we forget), she gets to countdown the days till Christmas with a little piece of chocolate. Initially, she didn't get it and after the one piece, she would ask for "More chocolate... Need more chocolate." I like how she says she "needs" more chocolate... No, we do not starve her to death. It is a rather small piece of chocolate but no, she does not "need" more chocolate. Now that Christmas is almost here, she's finally getting the hang of it and understands that she only gets one piece of chocolate a day. Just in case though we still store it out of her reach, on top of the china cabinet.

Her 2nd exciting Christmas activity was helping us put up the Christmas tree lights and ornaments. Earlier that day, Daddy went up on the roof to put up the Christmas lights around the house... All I heard for the first five minutes was, " Careful Daddy.... Careful." Very thoughtful of her. It didn't help that earlier, she watched Handy Manny on Playhouse Disney and saw a very bad example of Mr Lophard putting up Christmas lights the wrong way. So, I guess her extreme concern was warranted. Since the tree when up, we've had a good lesson in not touching the ornaments (she got all the low hanging ones and for some reason tossed them into the middle of the tree???) and definitely not giving them to Mei Mei to chew on....

Then the presents appeared. Oh how we loved the presents and how very exciting that was... Ever since her 2nd birthday, she has loved, loved, loved presents... If you give her a present, she will have an adorable, surprised look on her face and say something like, "A present? For me? Wow!" Well, with the presents came another lesson.... And that was "Don't open them till Christmas". Well, that lesson was learned well one day when I came downstairs to hearing Nadia screaming from her activity bouncer and the sound of tissue paper being removed from a paper bag. Mekayla was opening one of Nadia's presents and proceeded to play with the little elephant in it that sings. Nadia was not thrilled that she didn't get to participate, Mekayla was just so fascinated by that singing elephant and Mommy was in shock, running down the stairs before further damage was done to the present. All was saved and the present is now safely back under the tree (the bag is a bit beat up from Nadia kicking on it recently) but Mekayla got a good lesson that day about not opening presents till Christmas. It is the cutest thing now because if you ask her to tell you about the presents, she will say, "Don't open till Christmas! Don't open till Christmas!" She has just been so wonderful about it and so very, very patient too. She keeps saying "Don't open till Christmas" but I don't think she has any idea when Christmas is! She is showing great restraint I think.

Now Nadia on the other hand is different. Mekayla was not this mobile her 1st Christmas so we didn't have the "problems" we have now. Nadia has been rolling towards the tree and the presents almost anytime she is able to. She has tried chewing on the gift tags and has mangled two bows on Daddy's presents. It's a good thing Daddy doesn't mind. We have resorted to bolstering the presents with my very many throw pillows. It is not pretty but functional and I think Carter is glad that those throw pillows are finally getting put to good use. As far as he is concerned, they don't serve any other purpose but to take up valuable seating space on the couches.

Lastly, we've been trying to introduce Mekayla to Santa Claus. We've gone past Santa in the mall but she's been kind of bashful so I've held out taking her to see Santa... I'd like for her 1st experience to be a good one so when she's ready I figure she'd let us know. We also told her that since she's been a good girl this year, Santa will be bringing her a present for Christmas. We've tried asking her what she would like Santa to bring her and this is what we get, "A present. A bigger present (points to a rather large present already under the tree that we've told her is for her)." Hmm...

Next year, I am thinking of getting a little toy Nativity and teaching her about Jesus and Christmas. I've mentioned to her that Christmas is Jesus' birthday but she doesn't quite get it yet. The church nursery has a little toy Nativity that Pat brought out for the children and Mekayla was very fascinated with the little Baby Jesus in the "crib" (aka manger). She even rocked Baby Jesus to sleep and sang Rock-a-bye Baby to him. It was most adorable.

I think she's going to have a blast Christmas Day. She really understands and appreciates presents now and it will be so much fun to see her reaction and experience this through her eyes. I am loving this stage in her growth. She is so interactive and says the darnest and sweetest things. It is truly a wonderful time. Meanwhile, while I still can, I will keep getting a kick out of getting her to say, "Presents.... Don't open till Christmas!"

She Growls

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:26:00 +0000

Nadia has always been my vocal baby. With Mekayla, she hardly cried or made a peep but Nadia has no qualms telling you how she feels. Lately, she has been growling. Yes people, growling. A deep from within her chest guttural growl... She will be cooing and making the cutest baby sounds then suddenly, GRRROWWWLLLLLL..... It is the most astonishing sound you will hear from such a sweet looking child. And just in case you don't believe it, today we captured it on video... I'll post it here when I get a chance. Just thought I'd share that bit here.

Getting Dress According To Mekayla

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:30:00 +0000

Mommy (dressing Nadia): Nadia, don't eat your socks. (takes socks out of Nadia's mouth and hands)
Mekayla: Yah Nadia. Don't eat socks. Socks on your feet, not in your mouth.
Mekayla: Socks on your feet. Stinky feet.

Bubble Baths and Birthday Parties

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:49:00 +0000

Mekayla attended her 1st birthday party at Chuck E Cheese on Saturday. Boy was it a trip. Mommy is still recovering. That place was packed to the brim and as soon as our group of birthdays was done, they "ushered" us out and prepped for the next group. It's a birthday party factory! Anyway, Mekayla had a blast which prompted her to announce on the Tuesday morning after that, "I want birthday parties everyday!" Who wouldn't want pizza, birthday cake, games and a goody bag everyday?

Then tonight she requested a bubble bath. This is something we've added into bath time because they are just plain fun, fun, fun! However, tonight we were already half way through bath time so it was kind of too late. She was not very happy at that which led her to announce, "I like bubble baths soooo much." In case we didn't know and forgot to give her one tomorrow night I think.

All I Want for Christmas

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:46:00 +0000

Well, all Nadia wants for Christmas is..... her 2 front teeth!!! Well, we don't know if that's what she wants but she sure is getting it. Her 1st bottom right front tooth popped out on Monday (the 8th) and it looks like the 2nd one is not too far behind. We were totally clueless (probably too distracted with everything that was going on) and suddenly we had a tooth. It all makes sense now why she was not sleeping so well last week. Duh... Mommy and Daddy need to pay more attention.

Strange Day

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:32:00 +0000

Today started off like any other Sunday with breakfast, church and then lunch with the Clarks. However, it ended on a rather peculiar note. At about 6:15pm we were about to go give Mekayla her dinner. She was downstairs in the living room watching The Backyardigans or so we thought. We heard Nadia fussing in her play area so Carter went down to check. Here's what he found:

Mekayla was lying in her little chair in front of the TV fast asleep. Nadia had rolled over to Mekayla and was chewing and sucking on her (Mekayla's) hair... Her hair was soaked and it did not even wake her up! Nadia was fussing because she had lost grip with Mekayla's hair and could not get it back. It was very very peculiar.

Now we had to come up with an alternate plan because technically, Mekayla was due to be fed dinner and put to bed in 45 minutes. We decided to let her nap a bit (so she does not turn into a crazed Tasmanian Devil) and feed her then put her to bed later. Boy I hope she does not decide to run laps in her crib tonight like she did last night at 9 pm. Is it a full moon by any chance or simply the holidays making them a little nuts?

Mommy's First Sewing Outfit

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:47:00 +0000

So, Mommy completed her 1st sewing outfit last Saturday at a marathon 6 hour (which became 7 hours) sewing class. It was fun but boy was it tiring. The top took a while and we were down to the wire for the pants but miraculously, I was able to whip it up in the last hour... (minus the bottom hem and the elastic of the waistband which I did at home after measuring it on Mekayla)So, ta da.... Here's a picture of her wearing it for church on Sunday:

Those sleeve are cute but boy were they hard to sew... They are just so small. Maybe I will just stick to sleeveless children's clothing from now on and just put sweaters over them when it gets cold. (joking) But it was a lot of fun and I'm already planning pajama pants for me and Carter as well as other outfits for the girls... Whee can you tell I'm just having so much fun sewing?

My 1st project in class was a 15 patch quilt. My sewing teacher took a picture of it and was suppose to email it to me but hasn't had a chance to yet. Maybe I should just take one of my own. That quilt is a little broken in now with Mekayla, Mommy, Daddy and Norbert all using it already. But it is pretty so it deserves a spot here. More pictures of my other creations soon!

New Blogger In The House

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:28:00 +0000

We have a new blogger in the house... Literally. My dear hubby has started his own blog. Apparently (to quote him) it seems that I was having so much fun with mine that he decided to start his own. Check out his musings here.

Oh his 2nd post is a very cute video of Mekayla singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. I'd mentioned in an earlier blog that she had started singing it. Now we have it immortalized on video.

Behind These Hazel Eyes

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:22:00 +0000

The mystery of Nadia's eye color has been solved. For the longest time, her eye color has stumped the best of us. In a darker room, they appeared brown (like her parents). However, in sunlight, they would show shades of blue and grey but with some brown in the center. So very pretty but we had no idea what it was really or what to call it. Everyone who saw her would say "Oh she doesn't have brown eyes." or "Wow she's got bluish eyes." We thought it was something like blue-grey or grey-blue eyes but no one knew what color to describe it.

Well, finally, we were forced to figure it out for sure since we were applying for her passport so she can fly back with us to Malaysia and enjoy the family festivities this coming Chinese New Year. Turns out, she has hazel eyes. Boy I would never have guessed. I figured that hazel colored eyes would be the color of well, hazelnuts! Not a darker brown like what Mekayla or I have but a lighter brown like maybe the color of peanut butter or something. Duh... Here's what Wikipedia had to say about it.

Thankfully, it had the picture on the right because I would never have figured it out simply from the description. Surprisingly, Nadia's eyes have coloring just like the picture on the right. I do love the caption underneath: "Some eye colors are too mixed to identify properly, and are identified as hazel for simplicity's sake." I think that pretty much sums it up.... She has hazel eyes.

Something's Missing (Part 2?)

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:13:00 +0000

Yes, something's been missing and it's been me!!!! So sorry everyone but with Po Po here, I've been so preoccupied and haven't had much of a chance to blog. Let's see, what have I been busy doing... Well, Po Po and I have been busy shopping and cooking and shopping and hanging out with the kids and I've been catching up on some ZZZ's and shopping and shopping and taking sewing classes and did I already say shopping? Lol. Yes, my mom is quite a shopaholic and we've been indulging in our favorite pastime while we were together. It has been fun and I'm so bummed that she went home on Saturday night.

So to quickly summarize (I hear Dora going off the Tivo so I have about 5 mins) I've been hanging out with my mom, and shopping and taking advantage of the fact that she's been here to take sewing classes on Tuesday nights! Yes sewing classes!!! It has been a blast and I've already made a gorgeous lap quilt (1st lesson) and now I'm moving on to a cute kids outfit for Mekayla (top and pants). My next class is 6 hours this Saturday and I hope that I can get the outfit done by then. Well, the classes are paying off and I've become quite a sewaholic. I've even made a baby sling for myself and a mom-to-be-again (her 2nd son in something like over 12 years) which I am proud to say, turned out wonderfully well.

Carter and I were able to get away for a glorious night while Po Po was here, to beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea. It was good to be away for a bit, to reconnect and take a breather, just the two of us. To take a walk downtown without having to push a stroller or carry a baby in a sling and be able to savor a good meal from start to finish without someone crying, or wanting to be carried or trying to climb in our lap to taste a bite. The kids behaved and did wonderfully with Tita Mae coming over to help with bathtime at night (getting 2 kids ready for bed at the same time is quite an involved 2 person job).

I'll have pictures of all we've been up to soon as well as a more detailed recap of each event of significance. I've missed blogging but I wanted to give my posts justice so I held off for a while till I had time to properly pen some words and do it justice. Sorry for everyone who's been coming back to find nothing new. But we're back!!! Have a glorious week. (Oh God I think I hear something being destroyed).

Po Po's Here!!!

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:29:00 +0000

Yay for Mekayla and yay for Mommy! I think I can sleep in for a bit now... (well, we'll see if Nadia lets me). Mekayla was very excited. Somehow, she sensed all the preparation and knew that Po Po was coming. Yesterday, she said something along the lines of "Po Po on plane. Fly fly. Po Po go shopping.". That totally cracked me up. Yes, she knows her Po Po very well. Po Po is going to go shopping. Or maybe she thinks Po Po has been on a really, really long shopping trip and is now coming back to see her. Scarily it may not be all that unrealistic. :p

And There She Rolls...

sheacyee@gmail.com (Sheac Yee) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:52:00 +0000

Nadia has started rolling. This has taken a process of about 3 weeks now. She was initially our mystery mover. We would put her down on the floor in her Gymini and when we would come back several minutes later, she would not be in the same place we left her. Somehow, someway, she moved! And no, Mekayla was not picking her up and moving her just to confuse her parents for her amusement.

Then came the mystery roller. We would put her down on her back in her Gymini and minutes later we could return to find her on her belly. Mysterious... Often times, we could return and find her stuck on her belly, fussing because she did not know how to roll back onto her back. This happened when she was about 3-1/2 months old. We could never ever see her roll because when we were around, she was so intent on looking at us, that she would forget about rolling. However when left alone to her own devices, she was a kickin' and a movin' and a rollin'. So, at this point, we knew she could roll but never ever saw it.

Next came her 4 month pediatrician appointment. We told the Dr that we thought she could roll because we would leave her on her back and come back and she would be on her belly. However, we weren't "sure" since we hadn't actually seen it for ourselves. Boy did we feel like idiots. 2 seconds after that conversation, she proceeded to roll and roll and roll and almost rolled off the examination table 3 times!! So I guess now, we've seen it!!!

At this point, we had seen her roll from her back to her belly and attempt rolling over to her back (but not a full roll since I had to stop her from rolling off the table). We get home and she gets momentary brain fart. She will roll onto her belly and get stuck. Then scream for one of us to go over and roll her to her back again. For several days, she would get "stuck" this way. I'm like well, you got onto your belly which is the hardest. Why can't you get back on your back? It's suppose to be easier.

Well, today, she did it all. She finally figured out the belly to back thing and she was off! She rolled and rolled and rolled till she got stuck on Norbert's toy basket - she only goes 1 way. So now, we have a little roller girl in our house. I suppose she will still be getting stuck till she learns to roll the other way.