Moving down to the OC

Last Friday some men came and took all of our things away. We sat outside and watched all of our stuff get loaded onto a big truck. When I went inside again, everything was gone! I was very concerned, but then I saw that they had left my pack-and-play where I sleep and all of my toys. So it wasn't all bad.

That night we drove down to Orange County to Ah Mah and Ah Gong's house, where we've been staying ever since. I like it there. It's quiet and cool, and Ah Mah and Ah Gong are there to play with me.

On Saturday I tried something new:


Mommy and Ah Mah decided it was time to have some rice cereal.


At first, I wasn't sure if I would like it.


But I decided that it was okay and I wanted to drink the whole dish.

Later that day, we went to celebrate my Aunty May's graduation from UC Irvine.


Wait a minute, I know what this is for now!


But where's the food?


Uncle Chao makes a nice chair. He is soft.


Uncle Ryan, Aunty Ying, Aunty May and us. I am still ready for my food...

That night we went to a birthday party at the family's restaurant. There, I met my cousin Miles. He is only 5 weeks old or something like that, but he is a big boy. He also has a lot of hair.


Me and Miles

It's so hard to say goodbye...

As many of you may know, I'm taking Mommy and Daddy across country next week for a new adventure in Boston. Actually, Daddy got a new "job", so all of us have to pack up and move. It might take us awhile to get settled in, so I might not be able to update the blog quite as often.

Anyway, Mommy, Daddy, and I have been busy making our rounds to see people one last time before we go.

On Sunday, Uncle Jimmy and Aunty Irene invited us over to their new house for a BBQ... but there was nothing on the grill. In fact, they don't even have a grill. It turns out that someone had started a rumor about a BBQ when we were supposed to order take-out. I don't know what the fuss was all about. While the adults chowed down on Baja Fresh, I had my classic breastmilk dinner.


Hanging out with the Thai gang. Did you notice that Aunty Leng and I matched?

Gizmo wanted to play with me again, but I was too tired and made Mommy and Daddy take me home early. So Gizmo made the aunties play with him. He really likes Aunty Kathy's pants for some reason.


Aunties Kathy and Leng being mean to Gizmo.

Yesterday, Mommy and I went over to Aunty Shelley and Baby Yasmin's place to hang out and say goodbye to them. Yasmin is my first friend, she is only one day older than me. We were neighbors in the hospital during our first days of life.


Here we are hanging out on Yasmin's cool alphabet quilt enjoying tummy time.

We hope to see everyone else in the LA/OC area next week before we go!

Foot in my mouf

Lately I have discovered a new toy... my feet! As with all new toys, these ones spend a lot of time in my mouth. I can only do this when my pants are off, so diaper changing has been harder for mommy and daddy. Every time I have diaper change, I get to eat my foot!

Disneyland hat

This week, Uncle Jeff and his family went to Disneyland. They invited me but I couldn't go. My parents thought I would still be too young. Anyway, instead of taking me, Uncle Jeff and his folks bought me a hat from there. It even has my name sewn into it.


My hat traveled all around the park. You can see how tall I'm not, Aladdin's lamp, Dumbo, Pirates, and Small World, and Mulan, who refused to wear my hat...


Later that night, they came by and dropped off my hat for me. It's a little big right now. I can't wait to be big enough to fit into it and go to Disneyland!

Five Months Old

I turned 5 months old today. Mommy compiled some of her favorite pictures to show how I have been growing. (You need to have Flash installed in your web browser to see it.)



Here are some of the things I can do:
- I can roll from my back to my tummy if I feel like it. I still haven't really figured out how to get from tummy to back though.
- I can "walk" when Gong Gong supports my weight.
- I take long afternoon naps.
- I can hold my foot up with my hands.
- I can reach for things to put into my mouth - including my left foot.
- Sometimes I can pass one object from one hand to the other.

Just one more month before I will be able to start on solid foods!

Graduation and more Thai food!

On Saturday, Daddy was honored at his "graduation" banquet. He's finally finishing his pediatrics training. Gong Gong and Grandma came all the way from Hawaii to celebrate. We are so proud of him.

Even though he has his "diploma," Daddy's still not at home tonight. Mommy said he still has to work two more weeks. I don't see why, when he has his certificate of completion. Come home, daddy!


Gong Gong, Grandma, and me hanging out on the terrace before dinner.


Uncle Jeff, Uncle Dan, Aunty Linda, and our family at the banquet

Today, we all went to the Thai Temple in North Hollywood for some yummy Thai food. Ah Mah and Ah Gong also met us there. Too bad daddy was still at work - he missed out again on yummy food. I know what that feels like daddy. I miss out every time.


Since it was so hot today, my two grandmas tried to cool me down with a cold bottle of water. It made me laugh. Ah Mah laughed too.

Trip to the Sunshine State

Mommy, Ah Gong, Ah Mah, Uncle Nick, and I got to Florida on Saturday morning. Daddy had to stay in LA to "work" again. Too bad, because he missed out on a great trip and lots of yummy food.

I was asleep for most of the flight to Atlanta and the connecting flight to Fort Lauderdale. When I woke up again, I was surrounded by luggage!


Whoa, you expect me to carry all of these bags?!!

I found out later that Mommy just wanted me to keep an eye on them while she, Ah Gong, and Uncle Nick went to get the rental car. Where was Ah Mah during all of this? She was busy calling Great-uncle Willy to let him know that we were on our way.


Great-Uncle Willy and Great-Aunt Ann

After meeting up with Great-uncle Willy and Great-aunty Ann at their restaurant in Sunny Isles Beach, we went to the hotel to rest and clean up.


Mommy blowing up my hot tub.


I had my own crib. Here I am eyeing the metal bars of my cage.

After I got all cleaned up, we went to meet Laow Mah (Great-grandma in Chinese) for dinner. She came all the way from Thailand for Aunty Lana's wedding and to meet me!


Laow Mah giving me a kiss

Something strange happened that night after dinner. There were lots of loud cracking noises coming from the sky that were followed by flashes of light. Mommy said it was a thunderstorm. It sounded pretty scary to me. Luckily we didn't get caught in the heavy rain for too long.

The next morning, we went back to Great-uncle Willy and Great-Aunty Ann's restaurant, which got transformed for the wedding. While Ah Mah helped to get traditional food ready for the couple, I hung out with Mommy, Uncle Nick, and Ah Gong. I was in a better mood that morning since I slept really well at the hotel thanks to Mommy snuggling me all night (I got scared in the big boy crib, and I didn't want to sleep in it so Mommy let me sleep in the big bed with her.)


Uncle Nick thinks I look like the "Thinker" in this picture. Thinking about eating, that is.


Mommy and me on the veranda. Thanks, Uncle Namphol and Aunty Vivian for the cool BabyGap outfit. Too bad I soiled it right after the picture was taken. Luckily, Mommy brought another outfit for me to change into.


Aunty Lana's friends made the ice sculpture and the cake. Uncle Nick was so impressed with the ice sculpture that he wants one when he gets married.

Aunty Lana, the bride, is Great-uncle Willy's oldest daughter. Uncle Tony is also Thai, so they had a Thai wedding followed by a Chinese tea ceremony.


Here is Ah Mah blessing the happy couple by pouring water over their hands. Mommy and I didn't get to do this since I got hungry and mommy had to feed me.


Here's a family picture after the Thai ceremony. Behind Laow Mah and Aunty Lana is Uncle Yong, Aunty Lana's brother. The groom's father and older brother made the letters in the background - pretty cool, huh?


I know how to "wai" - putting my hands together to greet or pray. Great-aunty Yi holding me while listening to the monk's blessings for the happy couple.


Aunty Lana and Uncle Tony presenting tea to the bride's parents


The ceremony and reception was so long, I got bored and fell asleep on Ah Gong


Aren't they cute?

After the wedding, we all went over to Aunty Lana and Uncle Tony's new house. Apparently, the elders needed me to "play" on the wedding bed to ensure that Aunty Lana and Uncle Tony's first born will be a boy.


Uncle Tony promised me a handsome reward if he does get a son. I'll be paid double for twins!

The next morning, we went to see Great-uncle Chai, Great-aunty Yi, and their daughter for breakfast before our flight back home. I got to play with Aunty Muntoa's toys.


Pikachu is so cool - it talks, moves, and lights up. Mommy, can you get me one?

I was on my best behavior during the flights back to LA. Mommy thinks I'm getting the hang of flying on the plane.


Playing with Ah Gong on the plane back to LA.

Overall, I had a great weekend. Ah Mah, Ah Gong, and Uncle Nick all entertained me when I got bored. Ah Gong even sang some Thai songs to me and I laughed so much! I'm going to miss them when Daddy, Mommy, and I move to Boston in a few weeks.

Gone to Florida

This weekend, mommy and I (plus Ah Mah, Ah Gong and Uncle Nick) went to Florida for my aunty's wedding. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to warn you that I wouldn't be updating my blog. I didn't even realize what was happening until I woke up on the airplane on Friday night.

Anyway, I had a good time, and the wedding was a lot of fun. We stayed at a nice hotel, and I had a real big boy crib. I'll have more stories and pictures later. Now it's back to sunny California and daddy.

Ah Mah

As you may have noticed, mommy and daddy call mommy's mother "Ah Mah." This is a Chinese way of saying grandma.

Because it's Chinese, "Ah Mah" is spoken tonally. There's something about the Mah that goes upwards. Something that daddy can't say.

Daddy calls her "Ah Ma" instead. Nobody corrected him on this until last week. "Ah Ma", it turns out, means "the dog" in Thai.

Ah Mah told mommy what daddy's been calling her, and said that I would start thinking of her as a dog if daddy doesn't cut it out. So instead of learning how to say "Ah Mah" with the right tones, daddy has taken to calling her "Kun Yaiy." This means mommy's mom in Thai. He can say this a lot better than "Ah Mah".

Lest you think that Ah Gong gets off easy on this one, Ah Mah calls him "Gong Gong." Normally this means Grandpa in Chinese, but the way she pronounces it, it means "Crazy."

A Week with Ah Mah

Ah Mah's back again!

Since mommy had carpal tunnel surgery last Monday, Ah Mah stayed with us all week last week. Mommy's doing okay, thanks to everyone who sent well wishes.

Ah Mah was fun to have around. She let me play with a carrot.

What is this orange stick?

I let her feed me a bottle.

Me in a moment of weakness

But that didn't last long. Monday when Mommy was in surgery, I took a few bottles. Tuesday, I took one. Wednesday, I figured it out again, and didn't let Ah Mah feed me any more. I can't believe they thought I would fall for that!

This weekend I went down to Orange County to observe some more ancestor days. After Ah Gong helped me kow tow at the household shrine, we went downstairs and watched TV. I like the flashing lights!


Ah Gong and me watching TV

Daddy doesn't like me watching TV. He put me in a rocking chair and turned its back to the screen.


Trying to get out of my chair

That night, we went over to Uncle Steven and Aunty Jeanie's house. Steven's the one with the spam-ku film. Dinner was yummy, and I got to meet their cat, Kaya, who is very curious. I think she sniffed me while I was sleeping in the back room, and I woke up and scared her. She ran out of the room very quickly.


Aunty Jeanie and me

My First Roll-over

I achieved a major milestone today. Grandma and mommy put me on the playmat this afternoon on my back. I wanted to touch the little bird behind the elephant's ear, so I reached over with my left hand and all of a sudden, I'm on my tummy. I couldn't figure out how to get my right arm out from under my body though... so mommy had to help me straighten it out. After a few minutes playing with the bird and the butterfly, I rolled back to my back. Mommy was so amazed at my accomplishment today. She tried to get me to do it again, but I didn't feel like it.

Past week's Festivities

Sorry, I haven't posted for awhile. Since I can't type yet, I had to wait for mommy and daddy to be free so I could tell them what to write.

On Thursday, mommy and I went hiking at Runyan Canyon with Una and her mommy. Afterwards, Una and I had a feast of breastmilk and hung out for awhile at her house.


She even let me borrow her bouncer seat. Thanks, Una!

On Friday, Uncle Nick graduated from USC and we all went to his ceremony. Too bad daddy couldn't come because he had to go to Boston and find a new place for us to live. He missed out on good dim sum!


Yay for Uncle Nick!


Ah Mah giving Uncle Nick a lei. Mommy crocheted the orange caterpillar looking lei for Uncle Nick. Gong Gong made the ti leaves lei for him from Hawaii!


I even got all dressed up in an Aloha shirt for the occasion.


Meeting Aunty Oakley for the first time at the dim sum restaurant for lunch. She keeps a cool blog too.

On Saturday, mommy and I spent the day lounging around at Ah Mah and Ah Gong's house. In the afternoon, we helped Aunty Cee with her science project on how to pop a cork from a soda bottle. That night, we went to Uncle Nicky's 21st birthday party at a Thai restaurant in Anaheim.


Happy Birthday, Uncle Nicky! Only 20 years and 8 months before I get to drink too!

Sunday was Mother's Day. I got a card and some flower seeds for mommy. Daddy helped me write the card for mommy. I don't know what he wrote, but it made mommy cry.

Mommy had her surgery for carpal tunnel on Monday. Since her right hand is all bandaged up, she can't hold me or change my diapers. So Ah Mah is here to stay with me for the week to take care of me. She's so nice - she reads me Thai stories, sings me Thai nursery rhymes, and even gave me a bottle of milk. And I took it without fussing! Thanks, Ah Mah!

In other news, I can laugh now if tickled really hard under my armpits. I'm also reaching for things to put into my mouth.


Mommy thinks I maybe teething since I'm also drooling a lot... so much that a bib is always part of my daily outfit.


I also love pulling on the links on my swing. I'm loving my swing. Mommy thinks I'll be a lefty since I often use my left hand to grab at things.

Cough cough

Sorry I don't have any pictures today.

I have been feeling a little strange sensation in my nose and the back of my mouth. It's like something is stuck inside of my nose, and sometimes it tickles my throat. When I feel this, I have to cough. Cough cough. I wonder where I could have gotten this from?

Daddy's been putting water up my nose and then sucking it out with a green suction bulb. I don't like this, but I do feel better afterwards.

I also seem to have given this new feeling to mommy and daddy. They're complaining about something sore in their throats.

Don't worry about me though. It's all smiles and fun and games still when I'm awake. And I've been waking up every couple of hours at night these last few nights.

More pictures when I'm better...

My 4th birthday

This weekend was my fourth month birthday, so naturally, I had a party. Later I found out that it wasn't my party we had gone to. My cousin Ariel had invited me to celebrate her 7th birthday. It was at the O.C.B.C. (Orange County Badminton Club), which is part of mommy's relatives' business empire.


Mommy, daddy and me, in the OC (BC)


What the heck is that?


There were balloons everywhere!


The magician went into the balloon and then she disappeared!


Daddy, the birthday girl, Na Tim, and me

I got to see a lot of the family. It was the first time that most of them had met me.

I also got a gift bag from Ariel. It had a baseball cap, sand bucket and shovel, Hot Wheels car, pinball game, and candy. Daddy says he's going to play with these until I get old enough to play with them myself.