Friday, August 1, 2008

Month 18-2 (7/21/08 - 8/11/08) - I am a girl


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Originally uploaded by gabeluk.
... and not a baby, but more on that later.

Picking up where last week left off, we had two weddings this weekend, one in the Bay Area and one here in LA. Since it would have been too much for mommy and me to make both, we lost daddy to the Bay Area for a few days so he could go to Uncle Mark's wedding on Saturday. Then on Sunday, he flew back down to join us for Uncle Admond and Auntie Cristine's wedding reception at night. Just thinking about all that traveling makes me tired. Good thing daddy is used to it. What a trooper.

Anyways, Uncle Admond and Auntie Cristine's reception was huge and elaborate, complete with dragon dancers, live entertainment, and even an Elvis impersonator. It was fun, especially with Uncle Mike, Auntie Hilda, and Ryan there. Ryan and I got to hang out quite a bit as our tables are right next to one another.

Btw, what a small world? Uncle Admond is mommy's cousin's cousin, but he also grew up with Auntie Hilda as their families are close family friends. What do they say about Asians and the 6 degrees of separation again?

Mommy and daddy are getting sentimental about me not being a baby anymore. I can walk normal, I am talking more and more each day, and I pretty much understand everything mommy and daddy says (even though I pretend not to so I can get away with stuff). I have even lost most of my baby fat. Sigh... how time flies...

See my pictures and videos from Month 18. My pictures are also available on Shutterfly.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Month 18-1 (7/12/08 - 7/20/08) - Bay Area road trip 2008


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Originally uploaded by gabeluk
Wedding season is in full effect with 3 weddings in 2 consecutive weekends in 2 different cities. Wow!

First, we made a road trip vacation up to the Bay Area for Uncle Eddy and Auntie Grace's wedding. Daddy took a couple of days off to hang out and to show me around his old stomping ground. We stayed with Auntie Julie and Uncle Keno's place, so I got to hang out with Jayden a lot. I love playing with Jayden. He is kind of like my own little baby brother, except that he ain't so little. He is almost as heavy as me and he is only nine months old. Let's just say that I am very impressed with his appetite.




Our Thursday schedule was a bit hectic as we ate hand pulled noodle (yum) in Fremont and hit Ghirardelli Square & Fisherman Wharf, Chinatown, and the expanded San Francisco Centre all in one day. At night we visited Uncle Dave, Auntie Ying, and Audrey in Palo Alto. Audrey was only about two months old when I last saw her, and she is about my size now. (Let me get this straight. Both Jayden, 9 months, and Audrey, 1 year, are my size? And I am close to 18 months old already? Hmm... I am not sure if I like where this is going. I think I need to start hitting the gym or something.) Anyways, hanging with Audrey was so much fun for the both of us that I kept her up way beyond her normal bedtime. Comes with the territory if you want to keep up and party with me.

Friday was all about food. We had Zachery's pizza for lunch. Unlike last time where mommy and daddy ate while I salivate, I got to taste the legendary deep dish pizza this time. In fact, I pretty much ate half a slice all by myself. Impressive huh? We then chase down our pizza with gourmet ice cream, daddy got his Mocha Bianca at Cafe Strada in Berkeley, and had Singaporean food with grand auntie Teresa and grand uncle Wilfred for dinner. Man, writing this makes me hungry.

The Bay Area gang were all in attendance for the Uncle Eddy's wedding. He was his usual goofy and sweet self. Good music and alcohol flowed freely as would be expected. How can that not be fun? See here for pictures and videos at the wedding.

Finally we had dim sum and boba with Uncle Willie, Auntie Karen, and Uncle Alan the next day before driving home to LA. While entirely too short, it had been a really really fun trip!!! I can't wait for my next visit.

See pictures and videos from our Bay Area adventure. As usual, these pictures are also available on Shutterfly.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Month 17-2 (6/30/08 - 7/11/08) - It's all about me again


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Originally uploaded by gabeluk
On July 4th, we went to Auntie Christine and Uncle Phillip's place where I got to be ring leader for my subordinates Nathan and Nicole. I also met Benjamin (Uncle Patrick and Auntie Susan's newborn) for the first time. When he is a bit older, I will also recruit him into my army of mischiefs. At night, we went to grandma and grandpa's to watch fireworks from their front porch. I was too young to truly appreciate fireworks last year, but I found them totally fascinating this year.

On the 5th, we went to Auntie Annie and Uncle Tom's place for another BBQ and hung out with a bunch of daddy's beach volleyball pals. Auntie Annie's BBQ is always fun and always has a lot of good food which I can actually eat this year. Next year, I am going to take a dip at the pool.

What a difference a year make, huh? This time last year I was barely able to laugh and roll from stomach to back and vice versa. This year I am walking, talking (sort of), and eating big people's food.

BTW, my chinglish is coming along nicely. Here is a translation of a few of the vocab in my repertoire:
-- baby-ah (self-explanatory)
-- da = dog, duck, cat, and pretty much any non-humanoid animals
-- ba-pi = give me (why? your guess is as good as mine)
-- eyes = eyes or nose
-- wa = wall-e
-- mic = mickey mouse
-- bao = bread (in chinese)
-- ea-ea = eat

"Uh-oh" is now my favorite phrase, which is very appropriate. Since mommy and daddy didn't bother to baby-proof the house much, my recent favorite hobbies include emptying the kitchen drawers and throwing folded laundries onto the floor. Who need toys?

See my pictures and videos from Month 17. I have a few really cool videos where I rocked out with daddy to the tunes of High School Musical. They are definitely worth checking out. My pictures are also available on Shutterfly.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Month 17-1 (6/12/08 - 6/29/30) - The mommy and daddy episode

June '08 seems to be more about mommy and daddy than it was about me.. well, at least their lives seems a bit more eventful than mine for the moment.

Daddy finally launched FindTopSchools.com earlier this month. He has been working on this site on and off for a while, but he really turned it on these past few months, which was part of the reason why he didn't have much time to help me with my blog recently. It is a pretty cool site that helps folks find all the good public schools in California. Even though he still has a to-do list a mile long, I am hoping that he will now have more time dedicated to Cadence again. :-)

We lost daddy to Uncle Eddy's, Uncle Mark's, and Uncle Marc's (yes, not a typo) bachelor parties (also not a typo) in Las Vegas the weekend of 6/20. Sounds like fun right? Except he made the mistake of driving the Civic. He blew his tire, got stranded in the middle of the Mojave desert in June in the middle of the day without water and shade for two hours, and took 8 full hours (no AC in the car) to get the Vegas. Driving back took him 6 hours because of an overturned eighteen-wheeler. I assumed he had fun for the little time that he spent with the Uncles. Once back, he kept muttering, "That damn Civic has betrayed me for the last time!" Hmm... maybe the Civic won't outlive us after all. We shall see.

Finally, 6/28 was mommy and daddy's fifth year anniversary. They ditched me and went to the Hump for sushi. Daddy dared to try the "surprise me" chef special. He said it was delicious and the meal looked delicious in the pictures, except his tummy didn't feel so good the day after. Perhaps he was too adventurous. Anyways, happy anniversary, mommy and daddy.

That's it. Next week the focus shifts back to me. Later.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Month 16 (5/12/08 - 6/11/08) - New ride


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Originally uploaded by gabeluk.
I really think I need to start blogging more promptly and frequently again. I have almost forgotten what happened in Month 16 already. Anyways...

The week after Mother's Day, daddy and I took mommy to the Scarlet Tea Room in Pasadena to celebrate. This was daddy's and my first afternoon tea. The place was elegant and very Victorian. The sandwiches and scones were really yummy. Too bad I can't try the tea. Can you imagine me all hyped up on caffeine?

During Memorial Weekend, we went out and got us a new ride. We traded in the Pathfinder for a 2008 Honda Accord EX V6. It's about time. After all these years, we finally have one good reliable car. Mommy and daddy were a bit sad about losing the Pathfinder, but they were quickly distracted by the shiny glint and smell of the new car. Where is the Civic, you ask? It is still here, and daddy still drives it to work everyday. At this rate, that car will probably out live us all.

We also went to the La Habra Children's Museum this month. It has lots of toys, costumes, and other make believe stuff. I am still too young to enjoy most of them though. I will come back when I am a tad older.

See my pictures and videos from Month 16. My pictures are also available on Shutterfly.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Month 15 (4/12/08 - 5/11/08) - Asian Dora


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Originally uploaded by gabeluk
First thing first, Flickr now has VIDEO!!!! No more splitting up my pictures and videos. No offense Photobucket, but it has been nice knowing ya.

From my first few steps to full on walking, it has been quite a month. Still a little wobbly though, but that's what makes me cute. If I can walk normal, then I will be just another kid and a baby no longer. I like the attention I got as a baby, so I think I will take my time from here on...

Wedding season this year started with two right off the bat. Auntie Betty and Uncle Hansel kicked it off on April 26th. As expected, it was a beautiful wedding filled with elegance. We carpooled with Auntie Sharon & baby Aaron, and hung out with Clara, Auntie Ann and Uncle Ken. I even have my own seat and place setting at my table. Congrats again Auntie Betty and Uncle Hansel.

Mommy and I lost daddy to the Bay Area for a few days the following week. I am a hand full so it was tough on mommy. And daddy came back with a cold and gave it to me which I in turn passed to mommy. Poor form!

This last weekend was quite busy. Auntie Miranda's 10 years old B-day party was Saturday night. Happy birthday, Miranda! Sunday was Uncle Ken Thai and Auntie Ammie's wedding. It was also beautiful and elegant. And the best part? I had cake two days in a row. But it is not all about me... or is it?

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, mommy! You are the best!

We celebrated with Grandma a week early and will celebrate with Mommy a week late b/c of the Sunday wedding.

Lastly, Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there. :-)

See my pictures and videos from Month 15. My pictures are also available on Shutterfly.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Month 14 (3/24/08 - 4/11/08) - Longest post ever

Boy, what a difference 2 weeks made. Not only can I stand, I also took my first steps and even learned to dance. You all know that I am a Hannah Montana fan, but can you guess that I am also into High School Musical?

I have come a really long way from being a bump on a log.

This past weekend was very busy and social. We kicked things off by having dinner with Auntie Annie and Uncle Tom on Friday. We went back to our place afterwards and I surprised everyone (including mommy and daddy) with my walking prowess.

We had a double header on Saturday. In the afternoon, we went to Auntie Betty and Uncle Hansel's wedding shower/housing warming party. Clara was there so I hung with her a bit. There were so many other babies there. Really. A lot. If I could count at all, I would say there were more babies than I could count with my tiny fingers.

Auntie Julie, Uncle Keno, and Jayden drove down from the Bay Area for the weekend, so we met up with them (along with Auntie Cora, Uncle Dan, & Evan) for dinner Saturday evening. Jayden is so much bigger and chubbier than when I last saw him. He is so cute, and such a happy camper too. He looks a lot like Uncle Keno but with a big square head. Do you think he will mind if I nickname him "blockhead"? j/k, lol. Here are pictures from our night with Jayden.

On Sunday, Uncle Willy came to visit. He is so nice and fun and a bit like a walking and talking encyclopedia with GPS navigation. Very handy to have around. He even taught daddy how to better use his camera so he can take better pictures of yours truly. I hope daddy took notes.

Lastly, I am not sure if this posting monthly thing is working out. As unintuitive as it may sound, it actually felt easier to post weekly. But then again, after this post, I am not sure if I have left much to talk about next week. Let's play it by ear, but don't be surprised if I go back to a weekly schedule while skipping occasional posts during "easy" weeks.

Mommy and daddy went video crazy this month, but with good reason. See my pictures and videos from Month 14. My pictures are also available on Shutterfly.

Month 14 (3/17/08 - 3/23/08) - Happy Easter


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Originally uploaded by gabeluk.
The fantastic four (Ryan, Evan, Amanda, & I) spent Easter weekend up in Big Bear Lake where I saw real natural snow for the first time. I don't know where the term "snow white" came from because the snow I saw was kind of dirty.

The road to Big Bear was really windy. Good thing mommy drove. Otherwise she would have gotten car sick like Aunties Hilda & Cora.

The rest of the weekend was great. The house we rented was nice and spacious, which was great since us kids were all mobile now. We hiked along the lake. The weather was mild and the scenery was beautiful.

See my pictures and videos from our Big Bear Trip 2008.

Month 14 (3/12/08 - 3/16/08) - Victory!! I can stand!!


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Originally uploaded by gabeluk.

I told you I was close last time. Well, a few days after my last post, I actually did it. I don't do it for long though since I can't go anywhere yet and standing in one spot is kinda boring. What's next?


Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Month 13 (2/17/08 - 3/11/08) - Get off my back


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Originally uploaded by gabeluk.
After a few hectic weeks that include my birthday, grandpa & grandma's visit, and Chinese New Year, I am ready for a bit of R&R. As a result, the rest of my thirteenth month was pretty uneventful. I continued to learn how to stand (I am oh so very close) and walk, and I got a few molars growing at back of my mouth.

I did have several play dates though. I visited Clara and hung with her for an afternoon. I think she looks up to me. :-) I met baby Aaron when Uncle Jack and Auntie Sharon came to visit. And I invited my posse (Ryan, Evan, Amanda, and Natalie) over to play one Sunday afternoon. Fun, fun, fun...

See my pictures and videos from Month 13. My pictures are also available on Shutterfly.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Week 53 (2/11/08 - 2/17/08) - One year old, finally!!!


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Originally uploaded by gabeluk.
Happy birthday to me! :-) After Evan, Natalie, Ryan, and Amanda, it was finally my turn. I am now officially not a baby anymore, but a toddler.

Grandpa and grandma came all the way from China to help me celebrate. I hung out with them all week long. It was like having playmates 24/7. There was always someone to pay attention to me. We went shopping. We ate out. Now that I am one year old, I even got to taste their food. Yummy. It was a fun week.

I had my one year checkup Wednesday. I now weight 19 lbs (15 percentile) and am now 29 ins tall (50 percentile). I also had blood drawn and four shots during the doctor appointment. Ouch.

Now that we have passed the one year milestone, I think I am going to change the frequency of my blog updates. I will probably start giving monthly instead of weekly updates. In addition, I will post new entries as interesting things happen. Let's see how it goes.

See my pictures and videos from Week 53. My pictures are also available on Shutterfly.

BONUS: Mommy and daddy also made a great Photobook of my first year on Shutterfly. Check it out.

Week 52 (2/4/08 - 2/10/08) - Moon over my hammy


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Originally uploaded by gabeluk.
Kung Hei Fat Choi ! Happy rat year to everyone.

We spent most of this week preparing for Chinese New Year and next week (my birthday and grandpa & grandma's visit). In keeping with traditional CNY ritual, mommy tried to cleaned every nook and cranny of our place, but this year she did it with my "help". Every time she put things away or organized a cabinet, I tried my best to clear out the content and drop them to the floor afterwards. You are welcome, mommy.

On Sunday, grandpa and grandma (daddy's parents) finally arrived for their week long visit. I haven't seen them since my first week. Next week is going to be very interesting.

I am beginning to learn to stand on my own without having to hang on to something. I did it for a split second for the first time this week. One more baby step to freedom...

See my pictures from Week 52. My pictures are also available on Shutterfly.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Week 50 & 51 (1/21/08 - 2/3/08) - Hey, 18-1.


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Originally uploaded by gabeluk.
Tuesday was daddy's birthday, but we didn't do much since great-grandma passed away the day before. Mommy did bake daddy a chocolate cake and we sang happy birthday.

Great-grandma's funeral ceremony was Friday night and Saturday. Everyone was teary and sad. We miss her very much.

To end the week on a positive note. We went to Amanda's first birthday party on Sunday. The trio of Ryan, Amanda, and I were together once more. Amanda is only two weeks older than me, but she can walk already. I have some catching up to do.

After Amanda's party, we drove to Auntie Tina and Uncle Andy's place for their annual Superbowl party. We won the pool on the Giant's last touchdown. NE Patriots: 18-1. NY Giants: Superbowl Champion. Go Giants!

See my pictures and videos from Week 50 & 51 and from Amanda's Party. My pictures are also available on Shutterfly.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Goodbye Great-grandma! We will miss you.


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Originally uploaded by gabeluk.
This picture was taken last year when my great-grandma came to see me for the first time. On January 28th, my great-grandmother passed away. Mommy was really sad. I tried my best to cheer up mommy with my mischievous self.

My great-grandmother was a really remarkable woman. Every time she saw me she had a great big smile. Come to think of it, she mostly smiled at everyone. I wished that I could have gotten to know her a little more. We will miss her very much.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Week 49 (1/14/08 - 1/20/08) - 20 lbs...


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Originally uploaded by gabeluk.
... this has been my weight for the past 3 months. Now that I am crawling, cruising, and being more active in general, I am burning as much calories as I am taking in. As you can tell from my pictures over the past few weeks, I am not the chubster that I once was. Mommy is kind of bummed about that, and I think I sense mommy and daddy scheming to fatten me up again.

Even though I have been randomly saying da-da for a while, the first word that I actually associate meaning to may actually be ma-ma. Daddy theorizes that I usually say ma-ma when (and only when) I am crying and wanting to be soothed, and those are the times that I want mommy's attention the most. So he thinks that my saying "ma-ma" literally means "I want my Mama." He may be onto something, but, then again, he may be saying this just to make mommy less jealous about my first word being da-da. I think I am going to keep them guessing for a while longer. :-P

See my pictures from Week 49. My pictures are also available on Shutterfly.