We spent Christmas day with both families this year. It was really nice having everyone together. As expected, Natalie was showered with gifts from Grandma and Grandpa and her aunties and uncles. She had loads of fun unwrapping all of her presents and was so excited about all of her new acquisitions :-) Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa, Gong-gong and Po-Po, Uncle Wayne, Auntie Wendy, Auntie Vijanti, Uncle Winston and Auntie Rose for the generous gifts. Natalie is so blessed to be part of such a caring and loving family. And that for me, is the best Christmas present of all. Looking forward to having you home tomorrow, Auntie Betty!
So we took Natalie to Yorkdale once again for the annual photo with Santa. I prepped her all week long leading up to the visit, and everything seemed fine. We would ask her "what does Santa say?" and she would reply, "Ho ho ho!" And when asked "when you sit on Santa's lap and Santa asks you what you want for Christmas, what do you say?" she would answer with enthusiasm, "toys!" So we had every indication that a meeting with Santa would be a happy one. On the afternoon of the Santa visit, we made sure Natalie napped beforehand to eliminate any chances of a cranky baby (in fact, we lined up while she was napping in the stroller). When she woke up, I greeted her with a nice big bagel from Baguette. She munched away at it happily and I said to her, "you're not gonna cry when you see Santa, right?" to which she nodded, "right." So while the kid in front of us wailed away as he was plopped on Santa's lap, I grinned and thought to myself, "that ain't gonna be my kid." Well, let's just say I was....wrong. Refer to photo below.
I guess Natalie woke up a bit cranky from her nap :-) Ah well. After the visit with Santa, we took some pictures around Santa's photo area and picked up some Kernels popcorn - which got Natalie's full approval.
Natalie was much happier taking photos at home, decked out in her "Santa dress" and taste-testing Santa's cookies.
Happy Holidays, everybody! All this holiday cheer has motivated me to organize some photos and finally post something...
Baby's asleep + kitchen's all clean + load of laundry in the dryer + just showered and hair's still wet + 2-week Christmas break = perfect conditions for (retro) blogging!
Meant to post these photos sooner, and I ain't lion...
Notice the common theme here?
Natalie is always happy when she's eating.Natalie aka Strawberry Shortcake
We celebrated the final days of summer break (Labour Day weekend) by visiting the Grandparents. We caught the tail end of the Air Show at the Keele House and then enjoyed the last "boon-cha" bbq at Gong-Gong and Po-Po's house. Natalie wore a pretty strawberry summer dress (courtesy of Auntie Bets) and looked cute as button. So instead of brushing my teeth and getting to bed, here I am attempting to catch up with my blogging (a never-ending saga, it seems....how frustrating!). I go back to work next Thursday so I'm running out of time! Once it's back to work, the only thing I can barely keep up with is preparing dinner during the week and getting the laundry done on the weekend. At work I'm pretty good with multi-tasking but at home, not so much. I guess this means I'm really not the homemaker type after all :-)
July 19, 2009 - "Keele House" BBQ
We invited the "Keele House" aka Wendell's side of the family over for a summer BBQ. As always, Natalie had lots of fun playing and eating with everyone. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for the cool tricycle. Natalie's legs aren't long enough to peddle yet but she's still enjoying her bike nonetheless.
July 26, 2009 - Playdate
We hosted our very first "playdate" for Natalie and despite the uncooperative weather and having to move the bbq indoors, it was a wonderful afternoon. It was so nice for Natalie to finally have Abby & Justin, Tal & Noam and Sophia over. Phillip - you've got a VIP pass to our place and Natalie's always happy to have you over :-) Didn't think our house could accommodate so many adults and children but I guess it is possible...which means we'll have to do it again some time :-) I had the perfect excuse to make "broken-glass jello" which turned out to be a hit! I love it when recipes turn out. Unfortunately not all recipes do. The following should probably be posted on my non-existent food blog but what the heck..
I attempted to make my own falafel balls the other day. I was mixing the batter and was getting all excited...ooh, I thought to myself, Natalie is going to looove her lunch today (no left-overs for once). I dropped a few balls into the deep-fryer, closed the lid and patiently waited for the delectable falafel balls to finish frying. It smelled so good in the kitchen. After a few minutes I opened the lid and my mouth just dropped. I was in utter shock. There were no falafel balls in sight, just an empty basket! Turns out the falafel balls just fell apart in the oil. I was about to cry...and it didn't help that Natalie was crying too...she was getting impatient and wanted her lunch, pronto. But I had nothing but falafel-infused oil to give her! For the first time in my life, I think I experienced 5 seconds of what they call a melt-down, no pun intended. It must've been my newfound motherly instincts cuz I managed to pull myself together (normally I would just run to Wendell and cry) and used the remaining batter to make falafel "cakes" on a pan...it wasn't the same, but at least I managed to salvage Natalie's lunch. I should've listened to the lady on Youtube and took heed of her warning...DO NOT USE *CANNED* CHICK PEAS. Doh!
Just when I thought I was up to date with my blogging, I fell behind again. But at least this means that I've had such an eventful summer that I just can't keep up :-) We went on a 3-day CRUISE (for the first time) to the Bahamas and spent a couple of days in Miami Beach from July 31 to Aug.5. Wen and Raf joined us and all in all I have to say it was a great experience (minus the usual tedious procedures at the airport and port). Would I cruise again? Yes. But it's all about the beach. It's such an invigorating, incredible feeling to be swimming in the warm ocean waters beneath sunny blue skies. Ahhhh....wish I could master the art of teleporting right now...
As expected, Natalie loved being in the water. She equally loved the free-style dining on the cruise...eat whenever, whatever, and however much you want :-)
Shots taken at Miami Beach...
Miami Beach was beautiful with its palm tree-lined streets and art deco architecture. We gave up our last day in Miami for shopping at Macy's which to my disappointment, was a mistake. I was expecting back-to-school shopping heaven but could find nothing but - go figure - Miami beachwear. Why would anyone in their right mind wear slacks and long-sleeve shirts in 35 degree+ weather?? Ah well. Gives us an excuse to venture back to Miami Beach some other time to fully enjoy the beach. And it also gives me an excuse to make a trip to New York city to check out the highly acclaimed Macy's there :-)Shots taken at "Jungle Island" in Miami...
They've got an awesome collection of parrots of all colours! Natalie enjoyed checking out all the other animals at Jungle Island too. 
Auntie Dr.Bets and Mikey was in town last weekend! And she's all finished with first year residency! So to celebrate, we hosted a bbq at our place. It was so wonderful to have everyone together again. My parents brought over the signature Tuong bbq meat "boon-ja" (Vietnamese grilled pork belly) to grill which made it all the more special. Natalie had lots of fun playing with everyone, and her food :-) It was great to see you again, Auntie Betty! All the best in *2nd* year residency and hope to see you during the holidays. Love you!!!!
July 1, 2009 - Canada Day
We spent a relaxing Canada Day at home and got some yard work done (it may sound like an oxymoron but it is relaxing...at least I feel relaxed when the weeds - that are up to here - are finally removed so I can relax in my yard). Thanks to our neighbours across the street, Natalie got to enjoy a very cool display of Canada Day fireworks from the comfort of our front porch.July 5, 2009 - Gong-Gong's Garden
Natalie had lots of fun running around in Gong-gong's garden and admiring all the beautiful flowers. As always, Gong-go and Po-po were thrilled to see Natalie.July 7, 2009 - Little Miss Diva
Natalie found a pair of pink boots (a gift from Phan) and insisted Daddy put them on her. Something about being in boots - she kept running around all over the house, stomping her feet and laughing. Paired with the cute dress that I had picked up from Children's Place (boy do they have good sales!), Natalie looked just like a little girl - a little Miss Diva in Diapers. How incredibly fast my baby girl has grown up - it's very exciting but at the same time, I'm a bit sad to say goodbye to her infant stage (I still remember coming home from the hospital like it was yesterday - how incredibly special that time was...Here's a video of Lil' Miss Diva Diapers in action...
July 9 & 10, 2009 - Thank Goodness for the City of Vaughan!
I had actually signed up for four weeks of Parent & Tot swim lessons with the City of Toronto Parks and Rec commencing June 29th but of course, with this looming CUPE strike, the lessons are obviously cancelled for the time being (three weeks and counting) . All local splash pads and recreational swimming/wading pools have been shut down as well. I didn't want Natalie to miss out on fun in the water so I ventured north of the city to the city of Vaughan. Fortunately it's a mere 15 min drive from where we live. As you cross Steeles ave. there's a sign that says "City of Vaughan - the city above Toronto" and right about now, I'd have to agree. Thanks to the city's wonderful facilities, Natalie and I have been enjoying the awesome playscape and splash pad at the Dufferin-Clark Community Centre as well as the pool facilities ($4 per visit but well worth it). So thankfully the summer has been salvaged despite the unfortunate city worker strike. I really hope a resolution is reached soon...I feel for parents stuck with no daycare...and all the kids that can't go to city-run daycamps and summer programs...and teenagers out of a much-needed summer job with Parks and Rec (I'm thinking back to my camp counsellor days).
I had actually signed up for four weeks of Parent & Tot swim lessons with the City of Toronto Parks and Rec commencing June 29th but of course, with this looming CUPE strike, the lessons are obviously cancelled for the time being (three weeks and counting) . All local splash pads and recreational swimming/wading pools have been shut down as well. I didn't want Natalie to miss out on fun in the water so I ventured north of the city to the city of Vaughan. Fortunately it's a mere 15 min drive from where we live. As you cross Steeles ave. there's a sign that says "City of Vaughan - the city above Toronto" and right about now, I'd have to agree. Thanks to the city's wonderful facilities, Natalie and I have been enjoying the awesome playscape and splash pad at the Dufferin-Clark Community Centre as well as the pool facilities ($4 per visit but well worth it). So thankfully the summer has been salvaged despite the unfortunate city worker strike. I really hope a resolution is reached soon...I feel for parents stuck with no daycare...and all the kids that can't go to city-run daycamps and summer programs...and teenagers out of a much-needed summer job with Parks and Rec (I'm thinking back to my camp counsellor days).Here's a video of Natalie in the public swimming pool wearing a life jacket for the first time. She was so at ease - a true water baby - love it!
Natalie Natalie Natalie!
June 21, 2009 - Father's Day
We were invited to Auntie Vijanti's lovely new home on Father's Day for a nice lunch. Natalie got to play with Grandma and Grandpa and as usual, snacked all afternoon long.Natalie Loves the Water!
I took Natalie to a year-end pool party at a colleague's house in the last week of school. It was her first time sporting a bikini for the season and her very first time in a pool - and she loved it! She was so comfortable in the water and was laughing the whole time. So we went out and got an inflatable pool for Natalie to splash around in for the summer.
I've always wanted to go strawberry picking and since Natalie is a Strawberry Monster (see video below), I figured it would make for a perfect family excursion. I did a search for strawberry farms in the GTA and came across Whittamore's Farm by Steeles and Markham Rd. It turned out to be a perfect day indeed - the weather was beautiful, the strawberries were plentiful and sweet. Naturally, Natalie stuffed her face with the fresh strawberries, even though you weren't allowed to "pick and eat". We couldn't really conceal the evidence because there were strawberry stains all over her mouth, bib and pants, but we figured who could really get mad at a baby?
We always knew Natalie loved strawberries. Here's a video of her enjoying her favourite fruit taken in April, when she was around 15 months.
June 27, 2009 - Strawberry Picking at Whittamore's Farm
I've always wanted to go strawberry picking and since Natalie is a Strawberry Monster (see video below), I figured it would make for a perfect family excursion. I did a search for strawberry farms in the GTA and came across Whittamore's Farm by Steeles and Markham Rd. It turned out to be a perfect day indeed - the weather was beautiful, the strawberries were plentiful and sweet. Naturally, Natalie stuffed her face with the fresh strawberries, even though you weren't allowed to "pick and eat". We couldn't really conceal the evidence because there were strawberry stains all over her mouth, bib and pants, but we figured who could really get mad at a baby? We always knew Natalie loved strawberries. Here's a video of her enjoying her favourite fruit taken in April, when she was around 15 months.
Keeping the momentum going with the retroactive posting...presenting highlights of May 2009...
May 10, 2009 - Mother's Day
We celebrated Mother's Day (my second) with dim sum at Grand Chinese Restaurant, followed by a visit to Grandma's house. I'm still getting used to the fact that now Mother's Day celebrates not just my mother and my mother-in-law, but little old me too :-) I love the fact that I get pampered at least twice during the year - on my birthday and on Mother's Day (read: Wendell is obligated to put on a nice shirt and take me out to dinner - yipee!).May 20, 2009 - Apple Tree Blossoms
I remember being greeted by Natalie on the porch steps as I came home from work on this day. It was a beautiful spring day and the sun was still out so I decided to take a few photos of the apple of my eye, and the apple tree blossoms :-)Just Chillin' in the (new) Kitchen
Thanks to Winston, Wendell's younger brother, and his natural talents as a handyman, we finally got around to renovating our builder's original kitchen. The new kitchen was completed around the end of February. Now Natalie can chill with me in the kitchen while I cook and clean dishes. And she can even eat off the shiny new floor (which she actually does) :-)May 24, 2009
Doors Open Toronto - Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Hindu Temple)
Doors Open Toronto - Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Hindu Temple)
It was our first time checking out Doors Open Toronto. We decided to visit the Hindu Temple in North Etobicoke. Grandma and Grandpa joined us too. The temple is a true architectural masterpiece - it is filled with beautiful intricate carvings throughout, and is constructed from only Italian marble and Turkish stone - no steel was used in the construction at all! Baird Park
After we got back from the temple, we decided to capitalize on the gorgeous weather and spent some time playing in the park across from Grandma's house. Natalie is with Grandma during the week and has been playing in this park almost every day since the nice spring weather has arrived. Her favourite thing to do is to ride the swing and play in the sand (and covering Grandma's feet with it). What a fun-filled day it was!Here are some highlights for the month of April...
Meet Natalie the Easter Bunny
Two words: too cute!April 12, 2009 - Grandma's Birthday
We celebrated Grandma's birthday this year at an Indian restaurant downtown called Kama. Natalie had a great time hanging out by the buffet table and devouring the yummy papadums. The waiter even gave Natalie a mango lassi on the house cuz he thought her bunny ears were so cute.
Natalie met Abby for the first time at Abby's Dol (as well as Justin, Noam and Tal - quite the social event!). Kudos to Sarah and Bevon for organizing yet another wonderful party. It was nice to catch up with the Palod and Lo families. Maybe Natalie, Abby and Tal can meet up for a playdate sometime?April 19, 2009 - Philip's 3rd Birthday Party
The day after Abby's Dol was Philip's 3rd Birthday party. As always, Phan and Paul threw an awesome birthday bash for their little guy, complete with Bob the Builder decorations specially imported from the States :-). Natalie had a blast with the Easter Egg Hunt (sooooo creative, Phan!) and loved the generous prizes and loot bag. What an exciting weekend it was for Natalie (and me!). Hope to get Natalie and Philip together sometime soon!Oogie's Park
We took a stroll down to Oogie's Park one fine Saturday afternoon. A visit to the park wouldn't be complete without a nice looong ride on the swing (something Natalie does everyday at Grandma's) and digging around in the sandbox. What can I say...it's been an awful long time since my last post - which was six months ago! Props to all the working moms (Phan and Sarah) who make the time and have the energy to update their blogs. I just couldn't. But now that I'm off for the summer, I'm determined to get back into the blogging business - at least till the end of the summer (let's hope I don't start another hiatus come September).
I told myself I'd keep it simple and start blogging as of today, but I couldn't bring myself to omit 6 months worth of Natalie. So I painstakingly uploaded 6 months worth of photos onto my computer (note we have three cameras from which I need to extract - very time consuming!) and started making photo collages from January onward. Hopefully I'll be back on track and blog about the summer before the summer's over! So here it goes with the retroactive blogging...
March 2009 Photo Collage
The first few weeks back to work wasn't easy - between work, dinner and dishes, I barely had time or energy to play with Natalie in the evenings. But thankfully, March Break rolled around and I got to spend some quality time with my baby.
January 25, 2009 - Chinese New Year
Gong Hay Fat Choy! Maybe next year Natalie will be able to wish everyone Chinese New Year greetings and actually earn her lai-see money :-)
February 1st, 2009 - Natalie's First Birthday
We had a very special birthday celebration with both families for Natalie's First Birthday. Auntie Dr. Bets even flew in all the way from Vancity to celebrate with us. 'Twas truly wonderful. Natalie is so blessed to have such loving grandparents, aunts and uncles.
It's official. Natalie is a picky eater. Right now the fixed menu consists of edamame, bread, broccoli, and more broccoli. If Miss Natalie is in a good mood, add a few pieces of organic vegetable pasta and organic carrots to the restricted menu (I shopped at an organic food store and got carried away). But that's about it.
The other day I came up with a recipe for baked chicken fingers that I thought would have the potential to be a winner. I cut up chicken breasts into thin strips, marinated them in organic paprika and oregano, garlic and a splash of lemon juice. Then I dredged the chicken in a flour, egg and wheat germ coating. I sampled a piece and thought it was pretty tasty considering there was no salt in it whatsoever. So what did Miss Natalie think of Mommy's chicken fingers? The video will tell all...
Natalie filling in for Daddy in a conference call...
Natalie and Daddy enjoying a night cap together...
Happy New Year! We'd like to wish everyone good health and happiness for 2009.
Thankfully, Natalie has recovered and is back to her usual self now. Well, kinda...
Baby food fiend no longer. Natalie used to love jarred baby food and would inhale that stuff. But ever since those two weeks of being sick and fussy, she has completely rejected Heinz, Beech Nut and President's Choice. And she's started to turn her nose at rice cereal too. Can't really blame the girl - why settle for mushy food when you can chew and experience texture, and preferably something with some flavour? Like Swiss Chalet, par exemple.
I've tried giving Natalie steamed vegetables, poached chicken and fish but she'll only willingly eat three things: broccoli, edamame and bread. Po-Po made some congee with dried scallops (supposedly all Chinese babies MUST eat this magical stuff) but Natalie doesn't seem to like it much. And Miss Natalie has also decided that she likes to eat socially with real food. So to ensure that mealtime is enjoyable and that she eats sufficiently, we try to have our meals at the same time. She's always looking at what we're eating and wanting a taste, so we try to sneak in a spoonful of something else in between the real food :-) Here's a video of Natalie enjoying her edamame (which she discovered at a sushi restaurant):
Fortunately, Natalie still loves her Cheerios, rice puffs, and formula so at least she won't go hungry. I had to go out (not that I minded the excuse to go...shopping!) and buy larger bottles because she's drinking more - from 5 oz. in one feeding to 7 - 10 oz. It's about time I packed away those small Medella bottles for breastmilk anyway.
I'm trying to come up with new food ideas for Natalie but it's proving to be very challenging, not to mention wasteful. At first I was over-zealous and made large batches - only to discover that Natalie would refuse to eat it all! Arrgh! Looks like I'll have to consult my mommy friends and seek advice...and comfort!
Here are a couple of other tricks that Natalie's picked up recently:
Since Natalie's almost a year old (can you believe it??) and too engrossed with playing and exploring, I figured I'd change things up and write Natalie's blog for her (wink wink). Well, Natalie was feeling sick for quite some time leading up to the holidays and we've determined that it was probably a combination of a cold and teething. Natalie now has four upper teeth, giving her a grand total of six pearly whites!
Thankfully, Natalie has recovered and is back to her usual self now. Well, kinda...
Baby food fiend no longer. Natalie used to love jarred baby food and would inhale that stuff. But ever since those two weeks of being sick and fussy, she has completely rejected Heinz, Beech Nut and President's Choice. And she's started to turn her nose at rice cereal too. Can't really blame the girl - why settle for mushy food when you can chew and experience texture, and preferably something with some flavour? Like Swiss Chalet, par exemple.
I've tried giving Natalie steamed vegetables, poached chicken and fish but she'll only willingly eat three things: broccoli, edamame and bread. Po-Po made some congee with dried scallops (supposedly all Chinese babies MUST eat this magical stuff) but Natalie doesn't seem to like it much. And Miss Natalie has also decided that she likes to eat socially with real food. So to ensure that mealtime is enjoyable and that she eats sufficiently, we try to have our meals at the same time. She's always looking at what we're eating and wanting a taste, so we try to sneak in a spoonful of something else in between the real food :-) Here's a video of Natalie enjoying her edamame (which she discovered at a sushi restaurant):
Fortunately, Natalie still loves her Cheerios, rice puffs, and formula so at least she won't go hungry. I had to go out (not that I minded the excuse to go...shopping!) and buy larger bottles because she's drinking more - from 5 oz. in one feeding to 7 - 10 oz. It's about time I packed away those small Medella bottles for breastmilk anyway.
I'm trying to come up with new food ideas for Natalie but it's proving to be very challenging, not to mention wasteful. At first I was over-zealous and made large batches - only to discover that Natalie would refuse to eat it all! Arrgh! Looks like I'll have to consult my mommy friends and seek advice...and comfort!
And Natalie's not a consistent Sleeping Beauty anymore. Again, this all started with that two-week episode of feeling under the weather. Even Daddy couldn't work his magic and put Natalie down in the crib. So we let her sleep with us, and I guess that's the reason for the messed up sleeping patterns. But I have to admit I love being able to snuggle up beside her and hearing her little baby snore :-) Natalie's sleeping in her crib now, but she tends to wake up in the middle of the night sometimes. And what do we do? We bring her to our bed :-) I know, I know...
About two days ago, Natalie started to clap her hands, just like that. She's been clapping non-stop: while she eats, plays, gets her diaper changed, and even when she's dosing off, ready for bed. Sometimes when she pulls herself up to stand, she'll release her hands briefly for a clap-clap. Looks like Natalie's working on her balance. Ooh, does this mean she'll be walking soon? I sure hope so! Here's a video of Natalie clapping along to "If You're Happy and You Know It". I could sing this song all day. Actually, I do sing this song all day :-)
About two days ago, Natalie started to clap her hands, just like that. She's been clapping non-stop: while she eats, plays, gets her diaper changed, and even when she's dosing off, ready for bed. Sometimes when she pulls herself up to stand, she'll release her hands briefly for a clap-clap. Looks like Natalie's working on her balance. Ooh, does this mean she'll be walking soon? I sure hope so! Here's a video of Natalie clapping along to "If You're Happy and You Know It". I could sing this song all day. Actually, I do sing this song all day :-)
Here are a couple of other tricks that Natalie's picked up recently:
It was so wonderful to spend my very first Christmas holiday with family and friends. Naturally, I was showered with lots of Christmas presents :-) And naturally, Mommy had lots of fun dressing me up in various holiday outfits (most of which were courtesy of Auntie Bets). The best part of the holiday was being able to spend a whole two weeks with Mommy AND Daddy ALL day long. And getting to taste roasted turkey was quite nice, too!
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