More Breaking Routines

Lately, I have decided that I will accept no substitute for mommy's breast. When daddy went on night shift for two weeks, I realized my late night feeding doesn't have to be a bottle. Mommy can do every feeding! From that point on, I made up my mind that daddy's milk is a thing of the past.

Mommy and daddy don't like this idea. So mommy bought a few different kinds of nipples to try on my bottles. I liked the playtex one at first, but then, you know, it's just a bottle, not the real thing.

Now whenever daddy tries to get me to take the bottle, I know how to get what I want... Crying! If I cry enough, mommy will rescue me. Or daddy will give up. He is persistent though.

I've decided to start keeping score. Since I started, it's Owen 2, Daddy 0. If I'm hungry enough, maybe I'll take the bottle. More updates to come...

Exercise Time

First things first... Happy Cesar Chavez Day!

Because it was Cesar Chavez Day, daddy got to play hooky and stay home from work. But instead of letting him play with me, mommy left him snoozing while she took me to a new exercise class called Stroller Strides. She met up with a group of other mommies for a power walk in Santa Monica. The weather called for rain, so they met up inside the mall. We walked around the mall and did some exercises. I got to meet some other babies, but I'm still the youngest one. Mommy's really excited about the group. Maybe if we go again on Monday, she'll bring the camera and take some pictures.

In other news, I'm 12 weeks old today! Vitals-- weight: 13 pounds, 6 ounces. Head circumference: 39 cm. Length: daddy didn't wake up sleeping baby to measure me. Thanks daddy!

Breaking the Routine

Here I am taking one of my catnaps during the day

I have apparently become a critter of routine. I fall asleep around 6:30 pm and sleep for 6 hours or so. Then after partying for an hour, I go back to sleep until 5 or 6 am. Nap in the morning. Nap in the afternoon. Bath. Then sleep. It's a tough schedule, and I keep having to push mommy and daddy to stick to it.

This week, though, I broke my schedule to take mommy and daddy out to dinner. I wanted to see Aunty Vivian before she moves away. Dinner was fun! Actually, I slept through it, but mommy and daddy had a good time.

Afterwards we went out to Uncle Jimmy and Aunty Irene's new house. Here I am meeting Aunty Irene's baby. He has a lot of hair. Much more than me. Later I found out he's a crazy doggy named Gizmo.



In this picture, Gizmo is trying to wiggle his way out of his mommy's arms to meet me. I was grumpy because I had just woken up.



Because Gizmo was too happy to see me, Uncle Jimmy put him in the kitchen, behind a baby gate. Poor Gizmo.



Anyway, that meant I didn't have competition for the girls' attention. In this picture, Aunty Vivian is holding me while Aunty Kathy is trying to get me to sing the USC fight song. As if! Didn't you see what I'm wearing in the first picture?

I had a lot of fun, and I got to stay up past my bedtime! That meant chaos the rest of the night for mommy and daddy, but whatever, it was worth it.

In other news, mommy went to another consignment sale today and bought me a new chair! It lets me sit up without being held. Daddy says it's like my throne. Here I am, surveying my kingdom.


You're mine

Sunday Walk and Manicure

Yesterday mommy took the bunnies for their checkup and left me at home with daddy again. While mommy was gone, I took daddy for a walk around the 'hood. Here's some of the things we saw:


One of our neighbors has a fish tank on his front porch for his kids to look at. I like how there's a little chair out there for them to sit in and watch the fishies. Who needs tv?


Daddy also pointed out the neighborhood ent to me. I was sleeping by then though, so I didn't get to see it.


After my walk I was passed out.


But then mommy came home and I woke up and had a snack. After snack time it was on to story time. Daddy read me this new book I got. For some reason, I like to look at birds and this new book has lots of birdies in it.

Later on Ah Mah and Ah Gong drove up from Orange County and brought us yummy Thai food for lunch. Ah Mah is such a good cook.


After lunch Ah Mah gave me my manicure. I don't usually like this part of my grooming routine, but Ah Gong kept me entertained while Ah Mah buffed and polished away.



Finally it was etiquette lesson time. In Thai society when people greet each other, they wai, or put their hands together like a prayer. Then they say "Sawatdee krup!" if they're boys or "Sawatdee ka!" if they're girls.

Ah Mah practiced my wai with me, and I liked it. Every time she put my hands together, I opened my mouth to say "Sawatdee krup!" Of course, I can't actually form consonant sounds yet, so I just practiced opening my mouth. Just imagine me saying "Sawatdee krup!" please.

My Consignment Loot

Here I am amidst the gear that mommy and daddy got me from the consignment sale. I had to wait to sit in my swing until they washed the seat cover. Now I love it! I could sit in it all day long, but daddy won't let me because he doesn't think it's good for me. Apparently I zone out and stare off into space when it's rocking me. But oh, the swaying is so soothing!

Brunch and the Promenade

On Saturday mommy and daddy took me to Uncle Mike and Aunty Monica's place for brunch. The food smelled yummy--Belgian waffles and eggy casserole! I slept for most of the morning, but as people came in, I started to wake up. Of course, I was the life of the party.


Me and Aunty Canada


Mommy makes silly faces. Aunty Monica and Uncle Mike are the ones in the background.

In these pictures I'm wearing the overalls that Uncle Mike and Aunty Monica got me from Guatemala. Daddy took it out of the pile of too big clothes, but I think I like it so much, I want it to be part of the starting clothes rotation!

Later we went to the Promenade to shop for some birthday presents for my cousins. I saw this funny looking dog there. Daddy said it looks like an Ewok, whatever that is.


Ewok like dog



I also saw this Chinese guy flipping bowls onto his head. Daddy didn't want to watch because he's been doing the same act for like 8 years now, but since I've only been around for a couple of months, he let me watch him.

A Consignment Sale and My Fist is Tasty (11 weeks)

This week, mommy and daddy took me to dinner at BCD Tofu House, where everything smelled so spicy! Mommy put me in the corner so that I wouldn't get splattered by the sizzling food...

Then we went to check out some baby stuff at a "consignment" sale in the Valley. Daddy told me that after their babies grow up, some mommies and daddies sell their strollers and toys to other mommies and daddies who are being cheap environmentally conscious.

Here are some pictures from the sale:


Lots of gear for me


We spied this stroller amidst the mix. Mommy said this is called a "Bugaboo Frog" and it was on sale for $650. This is apparently a good deal because it normally costs much more than that.

Mommy and daddy got me a bunch of things because they were so cheap (the things, that is). They didn't get me the Bugaboo.

More developments in the development front:


I can lift up on my elbows now.


I have also discovered my fist is tasty. I like to nibble at it and then put my wet fist on people's necks.

Oh, and I'm also 11 weeks old today.

Put Your Hands Together!

So here's the latest thing I figured out how to do. I can put my hands together! I know, I know, you might think it's a pretty small accomplishment, but I think it's pretty cool. Now if I can only figure out what to do with them now...


Excellent! It's all coming together...


Hands together make me smile

Grumpy

On Monday morning daddy came home and got me out of bed so mommy could sleep a little longer. I kept daddy company in the corner of the kitchen while he cooked. Actually, I was talking to my mobile, but he thought I was talking to him.



When I realized that I wasn't going to be eating the food, and that since mommy was sleeping, I wasn't going to be having any food at all, I became upset.



Daddy had to put me in the Bjorn and carry me around the house. Lucky I can face outwards now so I can show my discontent to the world. This was my attitude on Monday morning. Then we woke mommy up and she fed me. After breakfast, I was a happy baby again.

A Weekend Walk and a Sleepover with More Cupcakes

Sorry I've been a little behind in my writing. Mommy has carpal tunnel, and daddy's been on night shift, so I've been having a hard time finding someone to type for me. Don't worry though... I have been up to my usual schedule of meeting new people, walking around the city, and developing new skills, so once I get a chance to tell the folks what to write, you'll get to find out about them.

On Saturday we went for a walk in downtown Culver City. Mommy and daddy took me to have some BBQ. I'm not sure I liked the smoke of the restaurant, but we sat outside, and I had a good time taking in the nice weather.


Here we are outside the Santa Maria BBQ restaurant.


We had a good conversation before the food came out. Here I am, cooing and talking about how much I like walks.


One of the reasons I like taking walks is because I get to see neat sights. Like these little doggies who looked funny. They were kind of scared of me.

That night, Aunty Leng and Aunty Kathy came by to visit. We had a sleepover together! We stayed up making cards and eating pizza. The next day, when we got up, we made cupcakes. Yummy! At least, mommy told me they were yummy. She says Aunty Leng is getting quite good at baking.


Uncle Billy and Aunty Kathy. They are soooo silly!


More of Aunty Leng's cupcakes. Strawberry, Oreo, and something I don't know what.

A Bath with Daddy on St. Patrick's Day

What did you do to my hair?

Daddy never bathes me, and today, he said he wanted to try. So he bathed me in the kitchen while mommy took a shower. Afterwards, he asked mommy what to put on my skin, and she said, "I just put vaseline all over his body." So that's just what daddy did. And in my hair. Now, I know I have cradle cap, but this is just ridiculous.



Also, I'm ten weeks old today, which means (1) I am 12 1/2 pounds, (2) I can sleep for about 5 or 6 hours in a row at night, and (3) I am that much closer to my first green beer.

Visiting the Dentist and Book Club

Here I am in the dentist's office a couple days ago. Mommy got her "teeth" cleaned, whatever those are. Daddy sat with me and held me while we waited patiently. Then daddy had to get a cleaning and a filling, and mommy waited with me. The nice dentists let me go to their lunch room to eat my lunch when mommy came out.

I like mommy and daddy's dentists, even if they claim I'm supposed to get a dental exam when I'm six months old. I'm not sure what they're going to see except my beautiful gums, but then again, they did give me two "toothbrushes" and some "toothpaste" so I like them anyway.



Some more photos from this week. My head control has been getting better, so mommy and daddy tried turning me around in my Bjorn to face out. So far, I'm not too excited about the prospect. I keep tilting my head back to see who's carrying me.


On Tuesday mommy went to another grownup book club. I was sleeping when we got there, so I didn't get to meet the hosts' daughter. She is very "into" babies. She was very happy to see me. She got really excited and tried to pick me up like one of her three dollies. Her mommy kept her from waking me up, but then again, it would have been nice to meet some more girls... :) As it was, I slept for seven hours that night. Book club is boring for baby Owen.

Talking with my Mobile

Lately, I've been talking quite a bit more. I especially like talking to my mobile. When mommy or daddy puts me down to change my diaper, my mobile is almost within reach. Mommy and daddy can't figure out why I like talking with the little animals, but it's clearly because they are good listeners and never interrupt me when I'm talking. Unfortunately they haven't talked back to me yet, and I get frustrated when they don't say anything. One of these days, though, I know the lion is going to tell me why he's chasing the giraffe and the elephant around the room.


Here I am a few days ago having a conversation with the animals


Sometimes I make myself smile. Or is it gas?

Chinese temple visit

Sunday morning was cold! At least it was cold outside. And that's where we went today. After picking up Uncle Nick we headed to the Chinese temple for a late New Year's thing.


Here is the temple in Chinatown.

Inside, everyone did ancestor stuff while I sat in the corner breathing in the incense fumes. So smoky! But my family didn't forget me. Ah Mah helped me give my offerings. At least I think she was helping me out. Maybe she was offering me to the ancestors.




It's supposed to be a bad luck year for daddy (and everyone else born in the year of the dragon). Ah Mah made him give extra offerings to the ancestors. The ghostly looking guy is brushing the bad luck off of him with a wad of money, "Currency of Hell." Then daddy had to go burn the money outside.

I cooed "Ah Goo" earlier today, which is Uncle Nick's name. While daddy was making extra offerings, I started crying, and Uncle Nick picked up my seat and calmed me down. What a nice guy!



Afterwards we went to Golden Dragon, and the grownups had dim sum. I was stunned by all the different kinds of food and all the strange people. Here I am sitting in dazed silence.



I do lots of Chinese things, don't I? Well, I am 3/4 Chinese after all.

Before-After (9 weeks old)

I am 9 weeks old today. From what people tell me, I seem to have grown a little since I was born.