Happy Chinese/Lunar New Year!

Alright…alright…I’m blogging and I’m blogging! Happy Chinese/Lunar New Year of the Ox!!

Today is New Years Day which is traditionally observed at home with family and good food. Yesterday was New Years Eve where families come together for an annual feast similar to Thanksgiving Day.


Its Katie’s first year and she had a blast! We visited my parents early in the day and settled into Yogi’s Mom’s apartment for dinner with the rest of the Le Family. Then, we started collecting on our investments…Katie’s red envelopes!! Oh yeah, there’s plenty where those came from and keep them coming all you happily married Aunties and Uncles (if you’re not happily married we’ll let you save it for counseling).

Our little girl is growing and we can’t believe it. I guess it’s what they do to keep us parents on our toes and entertained. For whatever reason, she’s been waking up more throughout the night. It might have something to do with me and her sleeping at my Mom’s a couple nights during the week. We’re stirring up her routine so much that she can’t get uses to any thing these days. The really tough part is when she wakes up for her midnight snack and she stays up afterwards twiddling her thumbs and being mesmerized by the light like she’s never seen it before. Aya!! Of course, we can’t let that habit settle in so we tucked her back into her bed and swaddled her in tight like there’s no tomorrow. She’s slowly but surely sleeping longer.

Besides her sleep routine, she has become such the nosy little one. She gets distracted very easily by voices, sounds, lights, you name it. She’ll turn her head all the way around and bend backwards to see what’s on TV, stop in the middle of her meal and spits it back in our faces to let us know she’d rather drool over watching us eat, or wake up instantly to a gentle whisper by her daddy. I suppose she’s just sharpening those senses but my goodness, she amazes us every day how long she can go without sleeping or eating to enjoy the commotions around her.

Katie loving her jumper from Auntie Annie.

"So, who's got the red stuff that's going to get me to college?"

Us and Yogi's niece Claudia.

Jumping Fever

Happy Friday!!

Wrapping Up the Month

I haven’t been writing on the blog as often as I use to, at least once early in the week. This is mainly because I don’t have much to write about. Katie is with a sitter Mondays thru Thursdays and I’m down to just making one phone call a day to see how she’s doing. So far so good!

Katie with a couple friends we borrowed from Pottery Barn Kids :oD

She graduated her first week with flying colors and hardly a peep. Her Grandparents and Aunties have done a great job keeping her quiet...hmmm...we might have to check Katie’s bib for chocolate stains. Last night, she was tossed around the dinner table entertaining us with jolly grins and attempts to grab our hair then suck our faces. She’s getting faster and faster with those active long fingers. We really have to be cautious of her reach and make sure things are not burning hot or can make a permanent mess. She’s already knocked over three cups. Good thing they were just water.

We are contemplating whether or not we should join Katie’s cousins in search of some cold white stuff this weekend. I suppose it could be a nice family outing if the sun is around which lately have not been shy. Not only do we not need a coat in the afternoons, we’re sweating on our short walks.

Along with some snow in our 3-day weekend agenda, we're also looking forward to dinner with friends, a 1 year old birthday party, our 5th annual Iron Chef, hanging out with family, and our first night out at a bar. Saturday night after we knock Katie out, we'll leave her with my sisters while Yogi and I have a few drinks to celebrate a friend's birthday. You think maybe we can get uses to this again? Or at least forget being parents for a few hours? I have a feeling we'll have to set our own curfew just so we know when to STOP!

Have a great weekend you all! Katie turns 5 months on Monday so stay tune for new pixs.

A New Year, A New Life

I started work again on Monday and for the first time Yogi and I are experiencing parenthood away from our daughter. It’s not easy but having a good girl like Katie definitely helps.

Yes, we decided to get rid of her infamous hair. We're shocked too but it was getting very uneven from the long ones sticking up to complete baldness in the back so everything must go. We figured better now while she can still get away with hiding it under a beanie verse the summer time. No worries...it's starting to grow back already. It's just hair!

Sunday night Yogi picked up his Mom to stay over with us for a couple of days and babysit Katie at home. That night, Katie also threw a fit as if she knew I was going to leave her. She woke at her usual time about 2:30am and refused to go back to sleep. Not only was she not sleeping, she was also verbally fussy which is uncharacteristic of her. She woke both of us and we tried everything to sooth her then reserved to feeding her again which finally knocked her out. Once we left the house in the morning, she was all in the hands of Grandma. Katie fussed a little bit before accepting her first meal from Grandma but that was about all the screaming she did. The rest of Monday went well and nothing but smiles and laughs all of Tuesday.

After Yogi’s Mom left, we took Katie to her next sitter, my Mom’s house for Wednesday and Thursday. Yesterday was her first day there and continued her well manners. She didn’t fuss much as she napped with her Grandma and played with her Aunties throughout the day. We’re expecting the same today.

Of course, we wouldn’t be normal parents if we didn’t have our cell phones close and checked in whenever possible. No news is usually good news but I will admit, I was more than relieved to receive my sister-in-law’s text on Monday morning to say Katie is doing fine at home. But, if she did need us, I insisted on driving into work this week instead of taking public transit JUST in case. I didn’t bring any photos of her into work nor did I try to talk about her too much, out of sight, out of mind. Although virtually, I viewed this blog more than a few times throughout the day. I do miss her like any mother would and at the same time very proud that she’s doing well without us. It’s also a good thing to be able to share the joy of having Katie around with our families. It’ll take another week or two to totally ease my mind off of her but I have a feeling realistically a Mother (or parent) can never let it go.

As for work, the processes are coming back to me like I never left. Also, as some of you may have heard on the news, people across the street (in the capitol) are battling all kinds of budget issues and propositions to ease the state deficit. What does that mean for us? We’ll most like get furlough (no work no pay) for two days a month and I might be placed on a lay off list base on my minimal tenure with the state. The furlough days are to start Feb. 1st and the lay off process is still being negotiated. We’ll see what happens! Worst comes to worst, I’ll still have a job being a Mom.