Baby Maika Mania

Maika's New Play Area

2010-11-21T17:33:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest reminders of Maika's development is the evolution of her play area. What was once a space occupied by a baby swing and bouncer, this area now has play kitchen and an art desk. Every time I see this, I am reminded that my baby is growing up fast.

She really loves this new area and can play for hours without asking for the TV or the IPad. She loves to paint and color and since adding the play kitchen, she has been having tea parties with her dolls. I hope this setup will keep her busy for a while.

New pics! Enjoy!

My Little Thrillseeker

2010-11-21T17:04:00.001-08:00

Maika going down the "big kids" slide headfirst!

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Maika Got a Haircut

2010-11-19T16:37:00.001-08:00

Maika's hair needed some trimming so we went to a professional Russian stylist for a chic new haircut. Thanks Auntie Guzel for our chic cut.

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Goodbye October, Hello November

2010-11-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

October was a busy month! 2 trips, Brian's birthday, plus Halloween really made that month go by fast.

Enjoy the pictures!

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

2010-10-12T18:29:00.000-07:00

Fall in New England is by far the best time of the year. The weather is not too warm nor too cold, the trees are vibrantly colored in various shades of red, and there's tons of Fall activities to cram in before it gets too cold. Since our last blog post, we went apple picking, took a road trip to Montreal, and next week we are taking Maika to the heart of USA - Washington, DC.

This past weekend, we took the princess to a road trip to Montreal which involved a 5 hour drive each way. It was our first trip with Maika as a toddler and I found it to be easier now that she only naps once a day. We were able to take her out in the morning until lunchtime and we all get a break from 1 to 4pm. With that said, I also realized a number of things on this trip. First being that unless we leave Maika with her grandparents, the only trips we will be taking are to places that cater to kids and families. I didn't find Montreal to be particularly interesting for kids. I guess its either cruising, Hawaii, or Disney for the next 10 years for us.

I also found driving long hours with a toddler is not the best way to travel. Thank goodness for the IPad and cheerios. I've decided that I will avoid road trips of more than 3 hours from now on.

With that said, I'm glad that we will be flying to DC next week. I'm just dreading the 2 hour pre-flight hassles we have to endure. I'm sure we will have interesting photos from that trip and enjoy the latest ones for now.

Our First Corn Maze

2010-09-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

Its Fall once again in New England! Since we have never been to a corn maze, we decided to welcome this season by taking a 40 minute drive to Marini Farm in Ipswich, MA and got lost....

Maika had a great time running around the farm and even walked for about 10 minutes inside the maze.
The path was quite rocky though so we did not spend a lot of time in it. It was quite a big maze and on average takes over an hour to go through. Maybe when Maika is around 10 or 12 we can take her back so she can get lost for an hour (or two)...
We brought home some amazing sweet corn, local produce, and even a white pumpking to make white pumpking pie.
Enjoy the pictures everyone!

New Year, New Look

2010-09-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

I spent the last 2 weeks of our summer vacation planning a new layout for our apartment to make it seem bigger. To be honest, since we've moved into Westgate, I have probably rearranged our furniture at least 5-6 times based on Maika's development and needs. I have to say that our current configuration has been the best so far and it has made a dramatic difference in the amount of space we now have. Here are some before and after pictures.

From Welcome to Bawston

Boston: Year 2

2010-09-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

After taking off for the Summer, we are slowly settling back into our old routines. Things are the same but also different in many ways. Maika is now a 17 month old toddler who is no longer a baby but a little girl with an independent streak who knows what she wants and when she wants it. I have to say that things are definitely easier in the childcare department which makes everything else easier too.

It was pretty hot when we arrived but the weather has dramatically changed in the past week. I'm trying to hold on to summer by making Maika (and myself!) wear her summer clothes but I'm afraid that I am losing that battle and will need to give in to fall outfits soon. Sigh..Oh well, I least I was able to take Maika to the water fountain park at least twice in the past week.

This fall, we plan to explore the New England area as well as some nearby cities such as Washington DC and New York. Who knows if this may be our last year to see this part of the United States in a while. On the agenda the following weeks would be apple picking, visiting a corn maze, and going on a Fall Foliage road trip. Stay tuned for our pictures.

A special "WE LOVE AND MISS YOU!" greetings to Maika's grandparents who we know especially miss her. We look forward to seeing you in Vancouver. In the mean time, enjoy her photos from Manila, Hong Kong, and Boston.

16 Months

Back in Boston - 17 Months

2010-05-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

Why is the Internet so slow?!

Since Maika's turned one there's definitely been some noticable changes with her personality and behavior. My once easy to feed baby has turned into a food slinging, messy eater. Feeding that used to take 10-15 mins now take at least 30 mins (if I'm lucky!). She is definitely more vocal and shows her displeasure without hesitation. I wonder what the next few months will be like...

We are a week away from leaving Boston for Manila, which will be our home for the next three months. The last time we were there, Maika was only 5 months. We are so excited to see Grandma, Grandpa, and the rest of the clan!

In the meantime, enjoy Maika's pics from the past Mother's Day weekend.

Warm and Muggy May

2010-05-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the pictures!!

My little toddler and potty genius

2010-04-26T07:51:00.001-07:00

Today we marked two milestones - Maika gains free reign of the apartment and she is consciously using the potty. After a great weekend in Newport, RI, I came home with an urge to clean and "redecorate" our apartment. Maika has been walking for about a month now and she seems to understands her boundaries so we felt that it was time for us to give her more freedom. So as of today our "baby kennel" officially in storage until the next one (in due time) comes along. Maika seems to like this new found freedom and is now free to move about from one room to another. Our apartment feels and looks bigger too so it is definitely a win-win situation for everyone.

Before

After

I also noticed that Maika has been quite bored with her toys lately and decided that it was time to pack away her infant toys. I was lucky enough to chance upon a neighbor's yard sale and scored on some cheap toddler toys. Another bittersweet moment...

We also took one big step towards potty training today. Lately I've noticed Maika walking over to the potty randomly and when I place her in it, half the time she will "go." Today, she gave me "the look" and ran to the potty. A few minutes later, success! Brian saw it all happen and he also thinks that this is a really good sign. Hopefully, she will be a pro by the time we go to Manila.

What a journey it has been! It seems like yesterday, Maika was in my arms all the time, now she just follows me around.

Finally here are some photos from our weekend trip to Newport.

Busy April

2010-04-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Maika!

2010-04-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

Maika's 1st Birthday

A week away...

2010-04-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

After 3 weeks of "vacation" in beautiful Vancouver, we are finally back in Boston. Funny thing is that I starting to see this place as home and felt like saying, "Home sweet home!" when we arrived at our tiny but functional apartment. The countdown begins to Maika's first birthday next week and I can't believe that one year ago today, she wasn't even in our lives.

We crossed a big milestone on our trip - yes, she is now walking. At 11.75 months, she started with one or two steps, two to four the next day, and so forth. Now she can walk from our living room to the kitchen and back without sitting back down. She doesn't really want to be held and prefers to be walked everywhere. Sigh...first it was the breastfeeding, then the bedtime cuddles, now its the holding, and now that she's mastering the art of drinking milk by herself, the bottle feeding sessions will be next to go. I can't help but think its time for another one!

Here are some photos from our trip:

Maika's Trip to Vancouver (March-April 2010)

Countdown to 1

2010-03-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

In less than 8 hours, Maika and I will be on our way back home to beautiful British Columbia. Its a pretty painful traveling experience (over 12 hours in total) but well worth the time and effort once we see family and taste the authentic Chinese food. I should be sleeping but decided that I should mark the past week's events.

First, we witnessed Maika's first steps today! Its bittersweet and I'm not sure what to expect when she starts walking but its definitely exciting to see her standing and walking a step or two. Last week she was barely standing but in the last two days, she's pretty good at standing and can even hold other things or even drink while standing!

I've also noticed that she communicates much more now with signs, sounds, and pointing. She is a lot more interactive and she shows more emotion though her actions. It really melts my heart when she wants to be held and holds on tightly.

Where did the month go?

2010-03-08T12:59:00.000-08:00

My goal was to post at least twice every month but I realized that I'm falling behind on updates. I wonder if its because Maika and I have settled into a new "mommy and baby" bliss period where we completely understand each other's needs and wants. Well, its mainly Maika's wants and needs but I've been blessed with an extremely easy going baby (which I hope won't change) so if she's happy, I get the breaks and sleep that I need.

I'm trying very hard to slow time down and as with all other moms, I have been unsuccessful. In the past month, she has gone from cruising to standing on her own to transitioning from one spot to another by leaning on various things. I have a feeling that walking is not far behind and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

She also started signing distinctly this past month but doesn't really use it much cause we "understand" each other well. haha...She is also starting to understand "cause and effect" with her toys and she absolutely delightful to watch when playing (see video).

The weather in Boston has been great lately (sunny, 10 -15C) so we've been spending a lot of time at the playground and walking in the city. I can't wait till she walks and learns to run around.

Finally, we are once again heading back to Vancouver for 3 weeks. I hope that this time, we will start to make emotional connections to her grandparents, one set of which will be traveling quite a distance just to celebrate her birthday with her.

Here are her photos from March and some videos of Maika's antics:

Momzilla?!?!

2010-02-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

So the countdown begins for Maika's birthday and as such, I've been busy planning Maika's 1st Birthday celebration. It was supposed to be very low key but we realized that she was only going to turn one once and even if she doesn't remember any of it, we want her to have cool photos to look at one day.

Personally, I've never been big on birthdays and don't even like celebrating my own so didn't think I would be one of those moms who obsessively plan their kids' birthdays. As with everything else I thought I wouldn't be, once Maika came along, I realized how wrong I was. Turns out, I like celebrating and planning birthdays ... of my children. A friend who is celebrating her son's birthday a day after Maika said to me, "Planning a birthday is fun but I have to remind myself that its not a wedding!" I laughed and felt completely the same. Somehow anything that involves my daughter is exciting and birthdays especially the "first" one should be celebrated in style.

On a sidenote, I haven't written much about Maika's development since we came back in January so here's a summary of what Maika's been up to lately. She has dramatically improved in the sleep department and now has a very consistent nap/sleep schedule. She still naps twice a day for 1 to 1.5 hours and now sleeps from 7:45/8pm to 7am. The best part is that her awake time is consistent so if we need to be somewhere at a certain time, I am now able to adjust her wake time/nap time to accommodate our day's schedule.

She is a master cruiser now and can walk well on her walker. She still crawls cause I think for her its the fastest way to get anywhere. She definitely has an independent streak and tends to go where she is not supposed be. Needless to say, our place is completely baby proofed, most especially our kitchen.

Her cutest new trick is kissing her plush toys and the characters in her books. She now has 4 teeth - 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom - and has another one coming out on top.

Sigh...my baby is growing too fast.

Enjoy her February photos!

Maika in High Def

2010-02-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

When Maika was born, my parents bought us an HD Camcorder so that we can capture special moments as she grows up. I wish I had used it more now that she's almost one and we don't really have a lot of videos of when she was a newborn. I guess cause she didn't really do much back then! I've been taking more videos now that she is mobile and is showing more and more of her great personality.

Here are some of the best videos we've taken so far:
Maika plays peek-a-boo

Maika loves to read and kiss

Maika having a giggle fit

Maika's playdate with Quintin

Enjoy them!

Water Baby

2010-01-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

Our cruise photos:

Standing Tall

2010-01-27T13:40:00.000-08:00

We are amazed at how fast her progression has been since we came back from Vancouver. She started with cruising the apartment and on Monday she was finally ready to use her walker. Today, Maika stood on her own two feet for the first time! We were so excited and I'm really hoping that she can walk by the time we fly back to Vancouver in March.

We've also noticed that Maika needs more activity now that she doesn't need to sleep so much. She is still taking two naps but I find that she sleeps better after a play date. We now go to story time at the library on Mondays, community play group on Tuesday, swimming on Wednesday, and MyGym on Saturdays. Thursday and Friday are random play date days for now until I find something else for us to do.

A Late "Happy 2010!"

2010-01-20T08:28:00.000-08:00

2009 came and went in such a blur that I still have a hard time accepting that its been over a year since our journey towards parenthood. From the beginning, I knew that there were changes coming but looking at where I was and where I am now, I feel like a different person - a more selfless, patient, and compassionate person - all thanks to God's little blessing to us.

Maika just turned 9 months and as I look forward to her 1st birthday, I am also kind of sad that she is growing up faster than I want her to. Its made me realize that time doesn't slow down for us and every moment spent with a loved ones must be cherished as if it was the last one (esp. for the ones who are far away - Love and miss you mom and dad!). With that said my new years resolution is to try to spen as much quality time with those I love every chance I get. This means, playing or doing activities with Maika when she is awake rather than checking email or doing chores. Those can wait when she is napping or sleeping!

Since my last post, Maika's had quite a bit of memorable moments and I'm listing my favorite ones so I can always go back to this blog and reminisce when I start to forget.

1. First Christmas - December 25, 2009

2. First Words - Mama, Dada, and Mum-mum (food)

3. First signs - Wave, more (a double wave) and she just clapped for the first time yesterday.

4. First cruise - We went to the Bahamas for a 4-day cruise and needless to say, she was a big hit onboard. She melted hearts by smiling and waving at everyone.

5. First teeth - I didn't realize she had teeth until the end of December and her two upper teeth were already out!

6. First taste of ice cream - I love the look of bliss in her face.

7. First athletic activity - Unlike her mommy, I want Maika to be more involved in sports so she attended her first swimming lesson today. We just played in the water but she seems to be a natural water baby.

8 Months of Happiness

2009-12-14T12:41:00.000-08:00

Brian and I can't believe how fast time flew by and today Maika is 8 months old. Around the same time last year, Maika was still chillaxing and kicking it in my belly. Today, my life revolves around our precious Maika, playtime, feed time, and nap time. Sometimes it can get frustrating as everyday feels like groundhog day and I wonder if part of me misses the variety that I once enjoyed. However, when I hear Maika call out, "Mama" or when she scrambles to sit on my lap to read a book, it know in my heart that there is nowhere I would rather be but at home with her watching her grow.

Brian's first term at Sloan finally ends this Wednesday and like most students, we are booking it out of Beantown as soon as possible to come home to family and friends. Its a 7.5 hour plane trip to San Fran plus another 2.5 hours to Vancouver but nonetheless, I am soo excited to come home for the holidays. I used to wonder why people would travel all the back back to the Westcoast just for the weekend but now totally understand.

We are excited for Maika to get to know her grandparents and hopefully, she will impress them with her social skills and cheeky attitude. I wonder if she will continue to pick her nose...LOL. We was doing this octopus face for the longest time but now she's stopped and started to "dig for gold" all the time. I'm hoping this is just a phase.:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-28T18:56:00.000-08:00

This week we celebrated our favorite holiday (again!) - Thanksgiving! As with our Canadian Thanksgiving dinner, we were fortunate enough to be invited to dinners which featured all the classic dishes that induces a food coma. Maika was too young to eat most of the yummy dishes but I made sure she had her own pureed turkey, sweet potatoes, and yam for the special day. She's is even enjoying the turkey stock and turkey congee we've made from the Palmer's leftover turkey. YUM!

This week was also special because Maika said her first word on Black Friday, which (much to my delight!) is "mama." She can also pull herself up easily now and seems to be more confident with taking steps. I wonder is she will be walking by the time we go on our cruise in Jan...

Lucky 7

2009-11-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

Maika is 7 months old today and we are officially over the halfway mark of her first year of life. I was told that the period of 6 to 12 months will go by unbelievably fast and it will be marked with rapid development - that was an understatement.

Everyday Maika is showing us some new "trick" and seems to build upon what she learned the day before. Currently, she has been obsessively working on her balancing and cruising skills and is getting better day by day. We also started potty training her and its been going quite well. I've gone from 5 to 6 diapers per day to about 3 to 4. She seems to be getting the idea but we still have to catch the right opportunity (ie. after waking up, 45 mins after a meal).

We will be going back to Vancouver in a month and I am looking forward to what she would be doing by then so she can impress her grandparents. I'm hoping for a special Christmas gift which is for her to say "mama" and "dada" by Christmas.

Enjoy the pictures!

H1N1 - Check!

2009-11-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

Today I feel like we won a small medical lottery! Our whole family is now vaccinated against the dreaded H1N1 Flu and next week, we will be getting our flu shots. I've never really believed in flu shots but with all the hooplah regarding the swine flu, we've decided not to take a chance. I figured that if I can line up for Boxing Day sales, I can line up for my daughter's safety. So this morning I sent Brian to MIT Medical at 7am to line up for the 9am flu clinic and we were first in line!

So this past month has been a craxy "growth" month for Maika. She was crawling before 6 months but now she's a real pro and can get from A to B in a blink of an eye! She can also sit up and pull herself up on whatever she can get her hands on.

Enjoy our new photos!

Random Rumbling

2009-10-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

Last night the most random thing happened to me - my stomach rumbled and all of a sudden, I felt the need to pause on savour the moment as it reminded me of the first time I felt Maika kick me (almost a year ago!). I couldn't help but smile, touch my belly, and thank God for the best opportunity and blessing He's given me so far - to be a mother to the most darling daughter.

Maika is now six and a half months now and everyday I wonder where the time goes as it seems to go by too fast. Sometimes I try to reminisce about Maika's newborn days but my memory of those days seem to be fading. If only we had a way to view the past memories like we watch DVDs. I know that's what HD Cams are for but I hate seeing myself on camera and I'm referring to the most random moments where we wouldn't be thinking of using the video cam.
Anyways, since our return, fall is definitely in full swing here in Boston. Lots of leaves on the ground and the weather is as fickle as ever. One day its snowing, the next day its sunny and 60F (should be approx. 17-18 C). So far, Maika and I are taking advantage of the "mild" weather and take every opportunity to go out for walks. Halloween is 2 days away and we had the coolest Boston themed outfit for Maika. You will have to wait till after the 31st to see it, so stay tuned.
So what's new with Maika? Well, for starters, she is sitting unassisted and crawling quite well. Her pediatrician was very impressed and said that she's the 5th or 6th child she has seen crawl that early. Mommy was beaming with pride. She is also starting to sit up on her own from a crawl position. She is eating solids now and seems to like my cooking (LOVE LOVE LOVE my Beaba Babycook!). Overall, she is definitely more fun than ever and I'm sure I will continue to celebrate (and complain about time going by too fast) her growth.

Celebrating 6 Months and the Fall Season

2009-10-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

First off, Happy 6 Months Maika!

We've been BUSY ever since our return. As expected, I had to do back-breaking, 2-day cleaning duties as soon as I set foot in our place. Thankfully, we're back to my standard of "clean" and I finally got some time to see what Boston was about in the Fall.

I would agree with folks who say that Fall in New England is probably the best time of the year. Its definitely not shorts and t-shirts weather anymore as there's a definite chill in the air. Surprisingly, I'm enjoying this climate as I'm not sweating buckets anymore, I get to dress up for fall, and its still nice enough to go for a walk.

Today, Maika and I went on our first Fall Foliage walk today with fellow spouses and mothers in MIT. We had a great time taking photos and meeting new friends.

Next week our special guest, AS will be in town for the weekend and although our itinerary will mostly be shopping (haha!) and eating, we've decided to do at least one signature Boston activity, which will be apple picking! Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we will have some nice photos to show.

We're Safe!

2009-09-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

Maika in Manila

For those who are wondering about our wellbeing in Manila, we are happy to report that Maika and I (and the rest of our family here) are safe and sound. Fortunately, no one was on the road when the flooding started to happen. I cannot say the same to thousands of homeless and affected families around the city and surrounding provinces. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

On to lighter fare, Maika seems to be enjoying her vacation a little too much as since we got here, she must have gained at least 3 pounds! She's even developing mini dinner rolls on her little arms (much to her mommy's delight!). I found a new herbal supplement that has increased my milk production (no more collecting every tiny drop!) and together with a growth spurt, she is definitely not the same baby that arrived here 2 weeks ago.

Here's a summary of her developments thus far:

LOVE:

1. Uncle Michael - Uncle Mike flew in from HK just to spend time and see Maika even if he only had the weekend to visit. As usual, he was very helpful and willingly carried Maika's stuff, Maika herself, and even my bright fushia pink diaper bag! I called him my "imported" manny from HK.

2. Mastering Movement - When we first arrived in Manila, Maika could only flip. Now she can easily move to grab a toy by skillfully rolling around until she gets to where she wants. She is also crawling quite well and seems to be practicing sitting up as she tends to lift her butt a lot as if she wants to sit.

3. Social Smiles - Thankfully, Maika has been generous with her smiles esp. to her grandma and grandpa! Brownie points! She wasn't so generous when she was younger but she seems to have taken a liking to everyone here from grandparents to aunts to nannies. My favorite moments are when she giggles but those are not easy to get her yet.

4. Solids - I've started introducing her to solids (mainly cereal and carrots) so she can get used to the texture. So far, she's not loving it but she will eat it. I'm looking forward to next month when we can introduce her to more exciting foods.

5. Lack of chores - I'm savoring every moment I have here as do not have any chores or housework to do. I still take care of Maika 90% of the time but its nice to have the extra pair of hands when I want take a break and do something else. I spend most of my day watching and playing with Maika and its amazing to see her grow and develop right in front of my eyes.

LEARNING TO LOVE:

1. Movement - Its a "love/hate" relationship for this one as I'm sure all mom agree that the honeymoon period is truly over when baby learns how to crawl (then walk). I cannot leave her unattended anymore unless she is in the crib or playpen. She had an "accident" here last week and lets just say, I don't think I've ever felt that sort of fear in my life. It was as if the life was sucked right out of me the moment I saw here. She's fine now but the incident reminded me how fragile babies are and how one lapse of judgment can have very grave consequences.

2. New habits - Maika has been co-sleeping with me since we got here and I'm not sure how she would adjust back to sleeping in her crib. Its just easier to feed her in the middle of the night or put her Pacimal (Thanks Bev!) back to her mouth when she wakes. She is also taking more naps but shorter ones (30 to 45 mins) now which I attribute to her getting enough sleep at night but also because I don't let her cry to out anymore when she is put down for a nap. She has nannies that help me tire her out! I wont have them with her in Boston so I'm dreading the re-training I need to do.

We are here for another week and then we are flying home to Vancouver for a few days to spend time with family and friends there. I'm looking forward to coming home but I'm also sad to leave this place because I'm really going to miss my family here. I guess on the bright side, time does fly and I'm sure before I know it, we will be back here again to visit.

New City, New Life

2009-09-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

I LOVE BOSTON!.....from July to September.

Its been 4 weeks since we arrived in the birthplace of American independence and I have to say that I have developed an infatuation with this city. Its the perfect size city (nice and small), there's lots of trees, the air is fresh, and there tons of culture and history.

The first two weeks wasn't too pleasant as we spent most of it shopping like there's no tomorrow so we can get settled in before Brian's classes started. Thankfully our container arrived on time (the day we had to check out of the hotel!) and we were able to sleep in our comfortable bed during our first night in our apartment.

I've been meaning to update my blog for days now but somehow there is always something more important to do or I'm just simply exhausted. In order to save time and effort, I'm just break down my updates to 3 sections: Love, Learning to Love, and How's Maika.

Also, I'm starting a new blog site dedicated to my new favorite past time: deal hunting! Stay tuned.

Love:
1. Being a Stay at Home Mom - I thought I would find it boring but I'm loving my new "job." My days are surprisingly busy and I'm usually exhausted by the end of the day.

My usual schedule goes like this: 8am: Feed Maika and watch her play while checking emails and online deals; 10am: Morning walk with Maika; 12pm: Lunch; 1pm: Maika naps and I surf online and do chores; 4pm: Dinner prep 6pm: Dinner; 7:30pm: Maika's bath and bedtime routine; 8pm - Cleanup for the day and Mommy and Daddy time; 11pm: Sleep!

I feel really lucky to be able to stay home and take care of my family. I think if I had the option to return to work, I would probably opt to stay home for now.

2. Walking - In Boston, everyone walks everywhere. At first, I groaned and complained and demanded that we buy a car; however, I'm starting to really enjoy the opportunity to see the city on foot and I welcome the added benefit of losing the last pounds of my post baby weight. hehe...Check back with me when the weather gets colder as thus new love might quickly turn into a HATE.

3. North End or Little Italy - Authentic Italian food, great architecture, and old world charm - I can't wait to take guests here.

4. Farmers Markets - Locally grown, organic, and fresh produce. Need I say more?

Learning to Love
1. Driving in Boston - Rude, aggressive drivers +confusing turnabouts+ government red tape+ 3 hour lineups to convert a licence=No car and no desire to own one - yet!
2. 598 sq ft of living space - Lets just say no matter how hard I try to keep the apartmet looking tidy, somehow there's still a lot of stuff everywhere. Sigh..I miss Riverdale Drive.

How's Maika?
My princess is doing well and is becoming more and more fun. She can roll back and forth effortlessly now and is very aware of her surroundings. She definitely recognizes her mommy and daddy and will smile and giggle at us all the time. She's on a more consistent sleep/nap schedule and is a pretty easy baby to care for. She also likes going out for walks..hehe..She likes to be proped up in a sitting position and I think she will be ready to sit up in another month or so.

Baby's awake now so I will post pictures later. Till next time!

Welcome to Bawston!

2009-08-16T03:28:00.000-07:00

The Lius have landed in Boston! Cambridge to be exact and after months of planning and imagining what it would be like, we are finally here. I can't believe that its been a week and a crazy one to say the least.

Moving with a baby is a whole different ballgame! Despite the fact that this is the smallest move we've done, it is by far the hardest. My day starts at 3am or 6am depending on when Maika wakes. Sometimes I sleep again till 700 and out the door by 8:30 so we can take advantage of Maika's pre-cranky hours. Brian's parents are with us until Tuesday and have helped tremendously by watching Maika while we buy things. We've pretty much gotten most of what we need and were able to do so mainly because my in-laws' help.

So what is the apartment like? Small (approximately 600 sq ft) but functional. I like the fact that I don't have to walk to0 far to get to any room and I don't have to go up and down stairs. I was a bit horrified when I first walked in as the apartment needed a good scrubbing. Brian's mom and the house cleaner took care of that and its in great shape now. We just need to furnish it with our things.

Many people say that there is not much difference between Canada and the US but I would disagree and say that there's quite a bit. First off, the shopping here is sooo much better. From fashion to household goods like dishwashing soap, there is so much selection that I spent 10 minutes just choosing what "all purpose" cleaner to use! Also, I've found Americans to be more up front and vocal compared to the cool and reserved Canadians. People here are either really nice or extremely rude. Although, the people that we've met so far have been super nice and warm.

I had a funny exchange with a stewardess on the way here which might be a taste of what I will encounter more of in the future. It went like this:
Stewardess: What a cute baby!
Me: Thanks!
S: Are you potty training her? (I was a bit confused and wondered why she would ask me that question.)
S: I heard in China babies are potty trained within a month. Are you doing that now?
M: (Mumbled something about waiting a few more months)

After the China comment I figured she either thought that because I looked Chinese, I was from China or that just because I was Chinese, I would be doing what they do in China. Brian and I got a good laugh from that.

Maika has been pretty good and has settled back into her old routine. She didn't even have jetlag! She slept for the most part during the plane ride and was a bit fussy on the last leg of the trip but it was because we had to wait in the tarmac for another hour and if I had been sitting in a car for most of the day, I would cranky too. I'm praying that our return flight to Vancouver next month will be just as easy.

Her most recent developments include: finding and reaching for her feet, talking in her our language (so cute!), giggling, lunging forward as if she wants to sit, and I think she is really starting to pick and chose who she wants holding her. She will tolerate my in-laws up to a degree but when she is upset, she will only calm down with me or Brian. Sigh..our baby is growing up too fast.

I will be posting pictures sometime next week when I get more time. That's it for now!

A New Adventure

2009-08-09T21:46:00.000-07:00

We are less than 24 hours away from our new life!

I haven't been able to post much as we have been very busy leading up to this day. I'm not sure if I will have time to post an update after this so here's a quick update on Maika:

She started rolling last week and is quite good at rolling from back to front. She, however, gets stuck once she is on her stomach and needs help to complete her rolls. She's also back to sleeping through the night once I eliminated her dream feed.

Tomorrow, she is going on her first plane ride and I'm hoping that she will be good as I will be traveling back to Vancouver with her by myself in a month...gulp...

Heatwave!

2009-07-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

Temperature in Maika's room - TONIGHT

Its been years since I last experienced "true" Vancouver heatwave and the past two days have not disappointed me. Its been HOT with temperatures hovering around 31C during the day and 28C at night. Maika seems to be coping well enough and enjoys being topless for most of the day (unless we go out in public).

11 days to go before we leave for Boston!

Here are some recent pics of Maika as she enjoys her first summer in Vancouver:

Cooling off with Daddy
Maika found her hands Shaking the rattle
Playing with Mr. Rogers
Tasting Mr. Rogers
Heatwave attire Mommy and Maika
Sticking her tongue outDo Not Disturb!

Before bedtime shot

The Art of Grasping

2009-07-21T17:09:00.001-07:00

Lately Maika has been having a field day with her hands. She sucks on them, waves them around, and today, she grasped a toy for the first time. It was a bittersweet moment...My baby is growing up to fast. She's been staring at her feet too so maybe she will start reaching for those next week.

As for sleep training, I think we are done for now as we have reached most of our objectives. We no longer swaddle her, she falls asleep by herself, and has learned to self soothe. She still feeds once in the early morning but I decided that "streching" her feeds would not be good for her since she is still growing quite a bit. I would say that this period has been the easiest so far and I know that her sleep habits will continue to change as she grows so I'm savoring this time as much as possible.

On an interesting note, I'm sure I'm not the only mom who has an obsesssion with their breastfed baby's poo. Brian and I scrutinize every diaper and celebrate everytime we have a MOB (mother of all bombs) diaper. Hence our dispair when Maika stopped pooping for about 4 days! She only have little shots here and there. I checked online and found out that it is normal especially during growth spurts. Today. Maika made up for lost poo time and had 4 big dirty diapers! YAY!

People We Miss

2009-07-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Today's post is dedicated to the people on the other side of the continent who we miss dearly and wish that they could be with us on a daily basis - my family in Manila (especially my mom) and Mike, Brian's brother,who now lives in Hong Kong.

Mom - We miss you and are always thinking of you. Maika is excited to visit you in September.

Maika loves her grandma!

Mike - Take care of yourself and we look forward to seeing again in September.

Maika and Michael "The Ladies Man" Liu

Maika is 3 Months Old

2009-07-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd Month, Baby Maika!

A cupcake for our little "cupcake"

Maika and her cupcake

Today marks our 3rd month with Maika and I can't even describe the amount of joy and fulfillment that she has brought to our lives. Looking back, Brian and I had some fun times as a married couple with no kids; however, since having Maika, we can honestly say that despite the challanges of raising a newborn, we have never been happier than we are today.
Maika is growing so fast and developing new skills almost everyday. She can recognize us now and can even spot us from a distance. She has better control of her hands and constantly clasps them together. She can also put her thumb in her mouth now which has helped tremendously with sleep training. She doesn't really suffer from gas anymore and can easily burp or fart the gas out of her.

Mmm..thumbs

Patting Pat the Bunny

The best part of hitting the 3rd month is the end of the dreaded "colic" period, which allowed us start sleep training. She mastered self soothing for naps first but would only sleep for 45 minutes at a time early last week. In the later part of the week, she began to sleep longer and would just go back to sleep by herself if she did wake. For the past 2 nights, she has gone to bed at 7:30pm and slept through the night till 5am with one dreamfeed at 10:30pm. She still feeds every 2.5 to 3 hours but I actually enjoy feeding her that much as its our time to bond. Hopefully, her good response will continue and she will have good sleep habits by the time we arrive in Boston.

3 Month Growth Spurt

2009-07-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

I think Maika is having a growth spurt as she has been feeding almost every 2 hours (3 hours in between max) and sleeping quite deeply during naps today. Our baby is growing up WAYY too fast.
:(

Sleep Training Week 1 Review

2009-07-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

So its been about a week since we started sleep training Maika and its been pretty easy so far. We really lucked out on our baby as she is a pretty easy going baby and thankfully, she has responded quite well to sleep training.

Here's a summary of week one:
1. She has better control of her hands now so she can bring her fingers to her month for comfort sucking.
2. With better hand control, she is now able to soothe herself to sleep during naptime.
3. Up until today, she would cry on and off for about 5 minutes before falling asleep but as of today, I just placed her in the bassinet and she just sucked her way to slumberland.
4. Nap durations are still 45 minutes on average. She will then wake and refuse to sleep so I just let her play for a bit and put her down for another nap if there's time before her next feed. If not, I don't really worry about it as long as she does not get crankier as the day progresses. So far, this method has worked well. Today she has been napping for over an 1 hour so I'm hopeful that the "45 minute intruder" has gone away for now.
5. In the beginning of the week, I was trying to train her to feed every 4 hours but decided to go back to every 3 hours to maintain my milk supply. Also, because she is only 3 months and will probably have a growth spurt any moment, I feel more comfortable with I feeding her more.
6. We also no longer swaddle her for naps and I'm planning to do the same for her evening bedtime when I have a night where I'm not so exhausted (hopefully sometime next week!).
7. Bedtimes continue to be the same (ie. bath, feed, swaddle, and rock to sleep) as we have been out almost every evening for dinners and don't get home till 10:30pm so we want her to go to sleep as soon as possible. I've noticed that she doesn't need to be rocked for a long time anymore and she doesn't wake up anymore once she's fallen asleep. She is sleeping through the night from 11pm to 7am and I am anxious to see how she will respond to an earlier bedtime of 8 or 9pm, which I plan to do starting next week.

Overall, I think we're making great progress and next week we will continue to practice self soothing, work on extending those naps and transition to earlier bedtimes. Wish us luck and till next week!

Maika's "First 100 Days" Party

2009-07-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Just this past Friday, Maika had her official "debut" to family and friends. Normally, this occurs after the baby's first month of life but we decided to wait until after her first 100 days. To celebrate this special occasion, we had a Chinese banquet and invited approximately 160 close family and friends. The dinner was at Victoria Seafood Restaurant (where Brian and I got married almost 6 years ago) and we pretty much had the same guests so it felt like we were getting married again. It was very nice to see all our family and friends all in one place celebrating birth of our precious princess and we felt very blessed to have shared our joy with them.

This week was also very special because Brian's dad and brother also came back to celebrate the occasion. It was Mike's first time to meet the baby and Maika loves smiling at him. I've actually never seen her smile as much to anyone else!

Here are some pictures from the party and we just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone again for attending her party and for all her gifts. She is definitely one lucky baby!

Customary Liu Family Photo with the newest member of the family

Uncle Mike with Maika

With Auntie Michelle and Cousin Tegan

Fellow new mommy, Amy and Baby Lauren -
They are one month apart and hopefully will be good friends one day.

Auntie Jen

Daddy and Maika - She is looking more and more like Brian.

With Grandma and Grandpa

With Auntie Helen

Last but not the least, with mommy!

Sleep Week

2009-07-06T12:29:00.001-07:00

As our big move is fast approaching and since Maika is at the tail end of her "last trimester," sleep training has been on my mind quite a bit lately. She has shown quite a bit of developmental growth especially this past month and I think she is ready to tackle the skill of sleeping on her own.

Maika has always been a fairly good sleeper and would probably be in the category of "easy" babies. As a newborn, she pretty much had a 4 hour cycle and slept through the night at 6 weeks. However, she still needed to be rocked and held for about 15-30 minutes before she would go to sleep. I was told repeatedly that doing so would spoil her but I am a firm believer in responding to the baby's needs during this crucial period and any sleep training at this time would be pointless.

Since Maika is now 14 weeks and showing more emotional control, I've decided that now would be a good time to start developing healthy sleep habits. Her "good" foundations include:

Taking 3 naps a day - most are at least 1 hour long
Seldom awake for more than 2 hours
Consistently goes down at 11pm and will not wake until 5am to feed. Sleeps again for another 4 hours afterwards
Sleeps for at least 15 hours cumulatively

Her sleep habits that need "improvement" include:

Dependence on holding and swaying
Use of "sleep crutches" (ie. pacifiers, swings, car rides) for naps
Bedtime is too late and she is waking up too early

After doing some research and asking friends, I made the following changes so far to establish better sleeping habits:

Stimulate her and allow for a longer wake time (usually 50-60 mins) after feeds
Pay close attention to her tired cues (fussy tired cry, looks away, etc)
Put her down in her bassinet drowsy but not sleeping, which has meant enduring the most painful 10 minutes of hearing her cry this morning.
Feed her the most during the last feed (4 onces from the bottle plus the breast)
Start her bedtime routine by 7pm so she can be sleeping by 8pm

So far the first two points have made it easier for me put her down for naps and I am working on helping her learn how to soothe herself to sleep. I'm going for a gentle form of CIO (Cry It Out) technique where I just let her cry for 10 minutes and soothe her if she has not settled by then. So far, she has cried for 10 minutes and right on the dot, she just settled and feel asleep after 5 minutes. Today is day one and so far so good but needless to say, I'm in for a rough week.

The bedtime routine will be tougher as we have tried in the past to get her to sleep earlier but no matter what time we start putting her down, she will just wake up or fuss until 11pm. This week, I will time her 2nd to the last feed to be no later than 4pm so she will be hungry by 7:30pm and play with her more before her last feed so she will be more tired. I'm hoping this will have her sleeping soundly by 8pm and I can dreamfeed her at 10:30 or 11pm. I am trying this strategy tonight so wish me luck.

On another note, she successfully rolled over from front to back today for the first time. Brian and I both witnessed it and hopes that she will do more of those in the days to come.

Success!

2009-07-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

Finally after trying 4 swings and 1 rocker, Maika finally took a liking to the 5th(!) one we got her. Its been very handy especially when its nap time since I don't have to hold and sway her to sleep anymore. I just pop the soothie in her mouth and turn on the rocker. So far, she's only been sleeping in it for about an hour at a time but she will sit there quietly for up to an hour after. I'm able to have lunch or dinner without rushing and I can even do some chores.

I'm also using the swing to help with sleep training as I've found that Maika has been spoiled by demand feeding. During the day, she will only eat a bit at a time and will feed almost every 2-2.5 hours. Starting today, I'm trying to get her on a 4 hour feed schedule and I'm hoping that with the help of the swing she will nap for at least an hour after every feed. Once we have the feed schedule worked out, we will try to introduce some sleep training once she turns 3 months.

I know most people still can't tell who she looks like but I can totally see Brian in this picture of her (taken 2 days ago).

Girls Night Out

2009-06-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Since Maika was born the term Girl's Night Out has been reinvented. "Girl's Night In" would be a more accurate term to describe my social time with girlfriends. This past weekend Brian spent Saturday evening at a friend's house party while Maika and I went to visit Amy and Baby Lauren for an estrogen boost. I quite enjoy these laid back, casual nights and don't really miss prep to go out, the fancy restaurants, or the boozy atmosphere of house parties. I guess nowadays I'm more concerned about going somewhere where babies are welcome and where I can breastfeed comfortably.

Amy just bought a Fisher Price Papasan swing (which I had purchased before but Maika hated) and I decided to let Maika try it once again. I was shocked when she quietly sat in it and fell asleep. I was able to eat dinner without having to hold her and I actually stayed will 10:30pm because she was sleeping in the while time I was there. So the next day, I went and got Maika a swing so my sore arms can get some much needed relief. We ended up getting the Graco Sweetpeace swing thinking that the extra features will make her like it better than the Fisher Price. Well, I was wrong! She cried like there was no tomorrow every time we put her on it. Next time you know we are going to Amy's to see if she would react the same to the Papasan. Lo and behold, she was quiet! To make the long story short, we went from a $300 swing and ended up with a gently used $35 Papasan swing from Craigslist. Since this is the 4th swing that we've bought (I don't even want to go into assembling,dismantling, and retuning the last 3!) and since we cannot return this last one, hopefully she will like this once and fore all. To be continued....

We also had a very busy day on Sunday which involved church, a bbq, a visit to my sister, Ikea, Daiso, and Toys R Us. Needless to say, by 11pm, I was exhausted! Its like when you have a child, you have to somehow exert double the effort and brainpower than you normally would. Its been almost 3 months since Maika arrived and I have to say that the statement, "Life changes when you have kids" is pretty accurate. A friend asked me the past weekend about coping with these changes and if it was hard to make that transition. I told him that, its like a light switch turning on and all the love you have for the child makes you forget about what you did in the past and helps you focus on the current reality. I may not get to go to fancy restaurants or stay out past 11pm but I do get to see my daughter smile at me every morning and I get marvel at how beautiful she is when she sleeps at night.

Here are some pictures from Week 11:

Maika's first friend - Baby Lauren Mukai (so cute!)

Week 10 Update

2009-06-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

"She's growing so fast!" I can't seem to say it enough these days. Every morning, she seems bigger, her cheeks chubbier, and her thighs jigglier. She is going through her developmental milestone and much to our delight, she has begun to smile back consistently. She is even tolerating a few minutes of tummy time and can lift her head by her herself.

We attended another wedding the past weekend and this time, we stayed till the end of the reception. I was a bit apprehensive about Maika and overtiring her but she was so well behaved throughout. From 4pm until 10pm, she pretty much alternated between eating and sleeping. We did the usual routine when we got home and she was sleeping soundly by 11:30pm. I am truly blessed with a good baby. I hope it stays that way.:)

As Brian's finished with all his courses, he's been helping a lot more with Maika, which has helped in the recovery of my wrist. We also booked our air tickets last week and we are officially bound for Boston in August. We are so excited to move to a new city and look forward to becoming Sloanies this coming fall. I am particulary excited about decorating our "standard issue" campus apartment and turning it into a designer pad on a budget.

Here are some pictures taken last week and today:

My Twins

2009-06-23T19:41:00.001-07:00

To honor the new daddy of the house, I've decided to post a picture that really amazed us the first time we saw it. It also answered the million dollar question of who does Maika look like.

Happy Father's Day, Brian!

Maika is 2 months old today!

2009-06-14T23:11:00.001-07:00

Happy 2nd Month, Baby Maika.

Brave Baby Maika

2009-06-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

First captured smile - 7 weeks

Yesterday we brought Maika to Dr. Kwok's office for her first set of shots. With all the controversy regarding vaccines and its potential side effects, I was a bit nervous but I do believe the the benefits outweigh all the potential negatives. We opted to give Maika all the recommended shot including a Rotovirus vaccine that our doctor recommended. There were 3 shots in total plus an oral one and Maika took the who incident in stride. She cried for a few seconds after the shots but was consoled quicky by Brian and I fed her soon after to make her feel even better.

Sleeping at the examination table beside the vaccines

Being consoled by daddy

Afterwards, she pretty much slept through most of the day, which normally does not happen,but maybe it was the side effect of the vaccines. She had a slight fever in the evening so we gave her a dose of Tylenol and she is now back to normal today.

On a sidenote, we finally figured out who she looks like. Brian's mom took out some of Brian's baby photos and their resemblance is uncanny. In some photos, people couldn't even tell if it was Brian or Maika! I will scan Brian's photo and post it here next time. In the mean time, here are some new photos of Maika between 7 to 8 weeks old.

Brian and Maika - 7 Weeks
Taking the bottle for the first time - 6 weeks

Gas for Maika, De Quervain's Synovitis for Mommy

2009-06-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

For most babies the 7th or 8th week of life signals the end of colic and provides some relief for new moms. For Maika, we seem to be going in reverse and she has been fussing more this week mainly due to gas. Our new doctor, Dr. Kwok (Aberdeen Medical Center) said its actually normal for babies to cry more during this time as their digestive system is still immature but they are slowing "waking up" to the different sensations inside their bodies. I guess this period is more noticable for us since Maika didn't really cry or fuss much up until this week. Ovol has helped a bit and I've been giving her short tummy massages every diaper change.

While at the checkup I decided to ask the doctor about the soreness on my wrist that has been bothering me for almost 2 weeks now. I thought it was just the push-ups I've been doing but good thing I asked because I actually have De Quervain's Syndrome or otherwise known as Mother's Wrist. Its caused by improper lifting of the baby so fellow moms out there, use one hand to lift the neck and one to lift the bum. DO NOT lift from the armpits cause the repeated strain by the thumb can result in this injury. I never heard of such a thing until now but its pretty painful when I move my thumb a certain way and I can't really grip things very well and its hard to write! I now have to keep my wrist imobilized by using a wrist splint for 2 weeks minimum.

On the positive note, Maika has definitely learned how to consciously smile back but she's pretty stingy on those smiles. She always looks so serious and can be a bit of a grouch. I hope its just the gas...:) She is also sleeping longer at night and we'll wait till next week before I will officially call it "sleeping through the night."

Week 6 Recap

2009-06-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

The past week has been a big week for Maika as she went through her 6 Week Milestones. She's definitely more alert and we can really tell that she recognizes us. She was still quite fussy in the beginning of the week but she seems to have calmed down a bit and is even sleeping better. She also took her first bottle and it has definitely made our evenings less stressful. I think she is sleeping better mainly because she is getting a nice full feeding from the bottle and then from me before she goes down for the night. Best of all, she melted my heart this morning by flashing me a wide happy smile for the first time.

We also visited the midwife for Maika's last checkup with her. It was very surreal since it seemed like yesterday that I was waddling into her office every week with her inside me, then it was bringing her in as a new born, and next thing you know its the last visit! We also weighed Maika and found out she is now 10 pounds. She is in a good range but can be a bit heavier so I was told to that I should continue to feed her 7-8 times a day. I felt kinda bad cause she is a fairly good sleeper and I was only feeding her 6-7 times a day the last few weeks.

I am also celebrating my own milestone as I have officially resumed my yoga practice last Saturday to help me get back to my pre-baby weight. Wish me luck as it is frustrating not to be able to fit into my regular clothes.

Swingers Club

2009-05-27T09:35:00.001-07:00

As I am writing this, Maika is sleeping soundly in her Fisher Price Calming Vibrations rocker. I was told that swings or rockers would be a "God send" to us and it would allow us some hands-free time to eat, take showers, etc. I was also told to wait until the baby is a few weeks older before I buy one as each one is particular to one type or the other. Trying to find the right swing or in our case, rocker, has been quite an interesting experience so I wanted to share some facts that we learned about shopping for the perfect swing:

Swings are expensive - The cheapest is around $89 for a portable and $150 for a full size. Furtunately, we got one as a gift so when Maika was 4 weeks old we thought it was time to bring out the swing. We excitedly brought it out as we envisioned her sleeping peacefully in it as we have our first meal together in months where we didn't have to take turns. Guess what? She hated it. We returned it and thought that maybe a fancier, more expensive one would do the trick. See next fact...
Fancy swing does NOT equal happy baby - We tried two swings, one that only swung back and forth and one that also did side to side. Both did not work!
Swings are a pain to return - Since they require assembly and you need to try them first, dismanling and ensuring that everything goes back in the box can be time consuming and annoying. Brian had such a hard time re-packing the first one that he took pictures of the second box before assembling it so that he can pack everything in the proper manner. In our case, it came handy since we actually returned the 2nd unit.
If a swing doesn't work, try a bouncer - After assembling and dismantling two swings, our vision of quiet dinners and free time were fading away. I still had one hope but I wasn't expecting much - the cheaper, "flimsier", but more portable bouncer. These range from $50 to $89 and we got the mid range one for around $50. We finally hit a home run. Maika didn't like it at first but she did sit for 10 to 20 quietly at first, now she takes at least one nap during the day in it. She seems to like the gentle vibrations and we usually wrap her in her favorite blanket while she's in it.

Caveat: This all happened when Maika was 4 weeks all the way to her 6th week, which is the infamous "fussy period" for babies. I'm not sure if that had anything to do with her hatred for swings but I had been told that they do not work for all babies and maybe she's just part of that group. My suggestion is to just try a bouncer first as both swings and bouncers only work for a short period of time and swings can cost quite a bit more compared to bouncers. I also like the fact that bouncers are portable and can be carried from one room to another.

6 Week Milestone

2009-05-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

Maika sleeping soundly with the best baby soother we have - the hairdryer

Today Maika is officially six weeks old and we marked this milestone by introducing "the bottle" last night. Together with massage and bath time, this will be part of Brian's daily "special bonding" time with her. It went reasonably well and she drank about 6 ounces then I nursed her some more.

Maika also marked this week with a milestone - officially sleeping through the night for the first time! While we've had flukes before (when she would fuss till the early morning and wake up later the next day), this morning I woke up at 4:00am with the "girls" ready to feed. Lo and behold, someone was still sleeping soundly! Somewhat disappointed as I was looking forward to emptying my "girls" but enormously happy to see my little girl sleeping soundly, I made a silent prayer (thanking God for this long waited moment!) and went back to sleep till 7am.

Sleeping is definitely important for both Maika and I and as such, I've probably read at least 5 to 6 books on sleep training. There's definitely quite a number of approaches (Let Cry, No Cry, A Mix of Both, etc) and the three books I liked the most were Happiest Baby on the Block, Baby Wise, and the one that I actually own and use, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. I found Happiest Baby to be most helpful for a newborn as we primarily used the 5 S System (Shushing, Side/Stomach Position Swadling, Swaying, and Sucking) for the first weeks of Maika's life. Babywise also provided some good suggestions (how babies should be fed, be awake, and sleep afterwards instead of be awake, fed, and sleep) but the book is more relevant for babies that are at least 2 months and I'm not sure if I like the regimented methods (ie. feed every 2.5 to 3 hours). Nonetheless, I can see how this method can work for a lot of people.

The book I credit last night's success is Healthy Sleep Habits. The main theme of the book is how overtired babies have a harder time sleeping and how it affects their development and wellbeing. The book is more applicable for babies over 3 months but it does have a chapter for younger babies and the main point for newborns include:

Between 0 to 4 weeks is to have NO SCHEDULE - numerous feedings
Between 4 to 6 weeks earlier bedtime with usually one or two early morning feeds - baby must not be kept up for more than 2 hours at a time
6 weeks onwards - I haven't reviewed it yet!

For Maika, I have started following a 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6 pm, and 10pm feeding schedule. She is more efficient in nursing now so she will nurse for about 20 minutes, have some awake/play time for about 30 to 45 minutes, and I will try to lull her back to sleep for 1.5 to 2 hours. I just started this week and Monday was bit rough but yesterday I made sure she only had less than 2 hours of awake time and if she fussed I just slinged her, which I think resulted in her being in a better mood thoughout the day and she was easier to put to sleep. It is a bit early so I guess I will write a follow up post next week to report our progress.

Our Promise

2009-05-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we gave Maika her first gift - her dedication to the Lord and our commitment before Him to submit Maika to God's will and to raise her according to God's Word and God's ways.

"As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you
praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me
what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he
will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there."
1 Samuel 1:26-28

Last weekend was also the busiest we've had since Maika was born. On Saturday, we attended a wedding, a baby dedication, dimsum, shopped at H&M, and had dinner with family. On Sunday, we attended a church service and Brian's water baptism at English Bay.

It actually reminded me of our pre-baby weekends, which led me to ponder if we are starting to "adjust" to our new life as a family of 3. Maika fed and slept through all those activities which made her extra fussy when we got home. She hasn't been back to her 10pm and 3am sleep routine so as usual, just when I think I have her figured out, she has turned the tables on me again. Let's just say I finally discovered why "co-sleeping" or having a family bed is a popular option for many moms today.

Maika is One Month Old

2009-05-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

Happy One Month, Maika! I think she is starting to look like Brian.

First smile captured-She's probably dreaming about breastfeeding!

Yesterday we celebrated Maika's first month of life and I am really amazed at how fast it flew by. Once I hit my 20s, I started to feel how fast time can pass. However, after Maika, time seems like go it's going by at warp speed.

Every time I walk her at the oval, I can vividly remember still being pregnant and having discussions with Brian about what we would do when Maika arrived. I can still feel the nervousness we felt as new parents when we brought her home from the hospital. I will never forget our first week home with her, the ups and downs and especially how beautiful but tiny and fragile she was.

Two sleepyheads

Today she is probably close to 10 pounds and getting heavier and bigger by the day. She's no longer my little newborn but we are looking forward to seeing her develop into what God envisioned her to be. I just wish time would slow down so we can take our time and savor each moment we have with her.

Maika enjoying her new swing and giving me some hands free time. Thanks Uncle Ernest from the both of us!

Infant Massage Class and Photoshoot Samples

2009-05-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

Today Brian, Maika, and I attended an infant massage class and learned some techniques to help Maika feel more relaxed especially when she's feeling cranky. She was so good and barely made a fuss during the class. Afterwards, she soothed herself to sleep in her car seat while Brian and I had lunch. She's never done that before so we were convinced that the massage may have something to do with it. We are planning to make it a part of her daily routine right before bathtime or bedtime.

Maika and I ventured out without Brian for the first time yesterday when I took her to Toys R Us to pick up an infant swing. Its definitely easier having Brian around to carry the carseat and unfold the stroller but its nice to feel independent again. I am definitely looking forward to more trips with Maika on my own.

We also got the images from Maika's newborn photoshoot and here are some of our favorites:

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

My Mother's Day gift from Brian - a "mommy" plant with a "baby" flower

Today we celebrated my first ever Mother's Day and Maika decided that she would make this occasion memorable by pulling another all-nighter. Whenever we think we have her figured out, she throws us a new curve ball now and then. Since our last "rough" night, I thought that I had solved her sleep issues by feeding her lots and swaddling her before bedtime. Well, last night that approach got thown out the door. Instead of one big feed before bed, she decided to feed every hour! Also, swaddling did not seem to work until she finally passed out exhausted at 4:30am.

I thought I was going to be good at managing the "all-nighters" as I handled the first one quite well. However, because I did not fit in a short nap on Saturdat afternoon, sleep deprivation kicked in at around 2:30am and by the time she feel asleep, I had a kink in my neck from all the breastfeeding, a throbbing headache, and I was deliriously tired but couldn't fall asleep. Even a extra squirt or two of my Rescue Remedy (so called Yoga in a Bottle and I don't leave home without it) didn't work!

When I woke up 3.5 hours later to feed, needless to say I felt like a ton of bricks hit me and in my mind no celebrations were happening today. I did come to my senses a few hours later and we did end up having a quick Mother's Day Brunch at the Radisson. Thankfully, I was able to take a short power nap in the afternoon while she slept in her car seat. We were told that she wasn't supposed to stay there for more than 20 minutes at a time but for the sake of our sanity, we decided to make an exception and left her there so Brian and I could get some rest.

I know today is Mother's Day and I'm supposed to be celebrated today but I wanted take this opportunity to write about Brian who has been the best husband and co-parent during this time. He has been so helpful, supportive, and encouraging especially when I need it the most. I really am amazed at how loving and patient he is especially now that he's now dealing with two "occcasionally" cranky girls in the house.

Mother's Day Brunch with the most important people in my life

As for Maika's developmental updates, she has outgrown her newborn clothes and we had to go buy her some new 0-3 month outfits (Thanks to Popo!).

She is also more awake now, sometimes to my dismay, as I miss my regular afternoon naps. Her neck muscles seem to be developing because she is not flopping around as much. She is smiling unconsciously now - mainly when she is sleeping - and not matter how frustrated I am, her smile never fails to melt my heart and make me smile. It makes me realize that all the sleepless nights and difficult moments are worth it. I think God designed babies to do the "dream smile" to keep frazzled moms going when the times are tough. She had a bit of a diaper rash, which probably made her cranky last night, but it is improving.

Maika sleeping soundly while I update our blog

She will be one month old this Tuesday and we are anxiously waiting to see if she will have the "crying" stage. We are most looking forward to her first real smile and that will be a real defining moment for us. Hopefully, it will be soon!

A close-up: Notice how her hair is growing

Maika's Tip of the Day: How to Treat a Diaper Rash Naturally

Apply breastmilk to clean the rash and use a hairdryer (on cool setting) to dry. Apply Dimpleskins Natural Bum Bum Balm to protect the area from moisture. Diaper as needed but try to keep the bum uncovered as much as possible.

I tried using Penaten but it just kept of rubbing off when she peed or pooed and the rash didn't get better. My doula made the recommendations above and her rash has improved so much. The Bum Bum Balm is made of all natural and organic ingredients so no chemicals touch your baby's skin. I got the balm at Baby on Board (Richmond Center) but you can buy them at most baby stores around the Lower Mainland or online at New and Green Baby

Week 3 - A Gift for Mommy and Portrait Day

2009-05-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

Today we took Maika to Bopomo Studios to get her newborn portraits done. It seemed like yesterday when Brian and I were there for my maternity portraits and Maika was still inside my belly. She did quite well and gamely "posed" for the camera.

She also gave me a priceless belated birthday gift today - a night of uninterrupted sleep. She did fuss from 9pm till 2am by wanting to feed every hour or so , but she eventually passed out at 2am - much to our relief as we were exhausted! Next thing I knew, it was 7:30am already and Maika was still sleeping soundly. Finally after months of waking up in the middle of the night to pee or now to feed, I got the uninterrupted sleep I have been missing for so long. Now, we just have to work on turning yesterday's fluke into a habit.

Who does Maika look like? Mommy or Daddy?

3rd Week Checkup

2009-05-04T11:55:00.002-07:00

Today we visited Esther for Maika's 3rd week checkup and we were so happy to find out that she gained one full pound in one week. She is now 8 pounds and 4 ounces! I guess all the fuss during those afternoon cluster feeding sessions paid off.

We hope that she will continue to grow lots so we can impress Esther again at Maika's 6th week checkup.

Best Birthday Ever

2009-05-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

Today I celebrated my 30th birthday at home with family and friends and the best birthday gift one could ever ask for, our baby girl, Maika. A few years ago, I would have envisioned a very different way of celebrating this milestone, the actual celebration was a simple affair but everyone that mattered the most to me were there.

Guest Speakers at a Pre-natal Class

2009-04-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Brian, Maika, and I were invited by our doula, Aleksandra to attend a Pre-Natal Class that she was teaching so we can share our birthing experience and provide the soon-to-be-parent group with some tips on surviving the first weeks of parenthood. We happily obliged as we remember being part of a same group with all our questions and uncertainties. It definitely felt a bit surreal to be the "parents" providing advice as just 2 months ago, I was on the other side of the fence wondering what it would be like to be a new parent and wondering about what they were feeling.

There were also 2 other couples that attended and after hearing their stories, Brian and I realized how lucky we were to have had such a positive labour and birthing experience. Granted, we had that shoulder dystocia scare, but for the most part, our experience was a walk in the park compared to the other two couples. Hopefully, my next (if there is a next) labour experience will be similar to my first one.

The interesting part is that pain and difficulty associated with childbirth is that no matter what type of labour experience one goes through, everything negative fades and is forgotten as soon as the baby arrives. All that is left is this feeling of overwhelming love for the baby and happiness that he/she has arrived.

I guess they call it Baby Amnesia...Mine kicked in on Day 3 and all memory of my aches and pain were forgotten since then. All I knew at that point was I wanted to have another one! Yikes!

Week 2 - Growth Spurt on the Horizon?

2009-04-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd Week, Maika!

She is continuing to feed well and growing heavier and longer by the day. I don't think her "up to 7pds." newborn clothes will fit her past next week. It also seems like my "girls", Maika, and I now have an understanding on what needs to be done to keep everyone happy, sane, and rested. Thank God! Brian was knocked out today by a stomach flu so I was on my own today with the baby and it is not easy! She was her "normal" self (eat for 20-30mins and sleep for 2-3 hours) until late afternoon when she decided that she wanted to start cluster feeding and feed consistently for about 10-15 mins every hour! By 8pm, I was exhausted! Thankfully, she settled back into her usual routine for the evening and early morning.

Her favorite position even when she was in my tummy. We called it the Cellphone Pose.

Friends and Family Day

2009-04-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Some of Maika's excited aunties and uncles come over to meet her for the first time today. My mom (Ahmah Lilian) was nice enough to host the event and as usual, she made sure we had enough food and drinks for all the guests. As we have been busy adjusting to life with Maika, we haven't really seen any of our friends since I gave birth. We felt honored that most of our close friends made time to visit and it was nice to socialize again even for just a few hours.

Thanks everyone for dropping by and for the gifts that you brought. Maika is so lucky to have so many aunties and uncles who will look out for her and keep the boys away.
We also got a new Sony HD Camcorder from GungGung Simpson today and we hope to post some videos soon. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Exceeding the Birth Weight

2009-04-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

Today we took Maika for her checkup with the midwife. As she has been feeding like a banshee and I have been lactating like crazy, we had a feeling she had gained some weight. We were thrilled to find out that she had exceeded her birthweight and is now 7 pounds and 4 ounces.

She had some issues with latching the first few days but thanks to the help of my doula, Aleksandra Hendrikson,and midwife, Esther Oneke , Maika and I have learned how to "work" with each other and with the "girls." Since feeding times are now happy times, Brian and I can get more stuff done around the house and we don't feel as stressed. Maika is also sleeping an average of 2-3 hours (4 overnight!) after each feeding, so she has been good enough to give us the opportunity to sleep longer durations.

We were told that this was the "honeymoon" period and wait till week 3 and 6. We don't have expections as babies can change but we are hoping that she will continue to have the same temperament and habits!

Let's Celebrate! Its Maika's First Week of Life

2009-04-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

The past week has been a whirlwind experience and thankfully, our baby has been fairly calm and easygoing for the most part. I can only describe this week as Parenthood Bootcamp, which includes learning how to feed, change diapers, sleepless nights, stress, and bonding with the baby (the best part!). We are enjoying every moment of it and wish time would slow down so we can stare in wonder and awe at our baby more.

As we look into Maika's face and she sleeps contently or peers at us with her big black eyes, we are overwhelmed by feelings of happiness and love for our daughter. Thank you, Maika Everly Liu for bringing us together as a family and allowing us to expience the joys of parenthood. We promise to love you unconditionally and support you in everything that you do in life.

We want to take this opportunity to thank God, our Lord and Savior, without which all this this would not be possible. Our journey the last few years has been marked with His hand and we are here today because of Him. We are grateful for all the blessings He was given us - most especially for our new baby girl.

We also want to thank our parents and family members for their constant love and support, especially during the last 10 months and now as we speak. I want to thank my sister and brother-in-law in particular, for being great role models - personally and spiritually - and for being very generous in providing Maika with most of her basic and "not so" basic needs. Finally we also want to thank to friends, colleages, aunties, and uncles who have shared their excitement with us and for all their gifts and well wishes.

Happy First Week of Life, Baby Maika! We love you and we are so happy that you come into this world to show us what life is really all about!

Shamless Plug of the Day:

For all the new moms out there who can't resist a good deal, please check this site out as you will find some great prices on baby essentials. Be forewarned that the site can get addicting and you may find yourself buying more and more! I love this site because I'm saving money and they ship to Canada hassle-free. Today, I was able to buy the last 2 pairs of bamboo diapers that hopefully will keep Maika's bumbum clean and rash-free! YAY!

Happy Birthday, Maika Everly Ke-Ann Liu

2009-04-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

Look at those chubby cheeks!

We would like to welcome our baby girl, Maika Everly Liu into the world. She arrived right on her scheduled due date, April 14, 2009, just before the clock struck 12am. Talk about great timing! Brian and I are aware that life as we know it will never be the same. Nonetheless, we look forward to new experiences and adventures as a family of 3.