Post #90: I promise, I'm still here!

I sound like a broken record, but I've been so awful about coming here to update. Something about uploading pictures onto my computer and then incorporating them into a blog entry (let alone writing that entry) just seems so tedious. Sorry. I've really been wanting to update but have been too lazy to put it all together. I have the day off today, so here I am and I am determined to get back into this! Whoever is reading this probably doesn't believe I'll be back, but I'm trying!

Things have been getting crazy around here again, especially since I have begun to train for my new J-O-B. I think it smartest not to divulge too much about work here, but I will say that I've had a blast so far and if it is any indication of how work will be on a regular basis, then I am absolutely thrilled. I've met a lot of great people so far and I am excited to have some adult social interaction beyond home and family & friend life.

Since the weather has been so nice this month, Dave and I have been trying to get BB outside as much as possible, and we try to do it when all three of us are together (it gets difficult with his work, my work, daycare, being tired, etc.). This past weekend, we went into the city and spent time in the Public Garden, strolling around Beacon Hill, and checking out the India Day celebration going on at the Esplanade.

BB snacking on grapes and Goldfish. Dave brought his WSJ.

BB had a lot of fun pushing her stroller around the green.

Watching the ducks, geese, and swan boat.

BB + a scenic view of the Charles on the Esplanade.

The India Day celebrations were neat. There was also a lot of food and we had some tasty vegetarian samosa and an even better mango lassi (it was like drinking a mango). We spent the day just walking around the city that day. Basically, it was Dave and me asking each other which street we wanted to turn on next and we just went wherever. I had never walked to the top of Beacon Hill before (posh) and I realized there is still a lot of Boston I still have not seen despite living there for a few years. I think I restrict myself to Back Bay too much.

Tuesday, I had to run an errand in Newton and I had BB with me. On the way back home we stopped at a playground in Wellesley so BB could play and have some fresh air. I wish I had some friends who had babies too, because something like this is perfect for groups -- so the kids have other to play with and the moms can sit and chat. Still, we did manage to have fun, just the two of us.

BB is all about throwing balls these days. Today, she just started jumping, too!

Had to bring her snack with her.

Screaming with excitement.

Modeling in the sandbox. Actually, there was a boy a little older than BB sitting right next to her who was making her laugh just by yelling "DIG!" He thought he was so cool, making her laugh.

BB enjoyed shoveling mounds of sand and then "gifting" it into my hands, followed by a xie xie (thank you in Mandarin) each time.

So, hopefully not jinxing myself, I must say that I've been very happy lately. I'm so enjoying BB and all the changes she's going through. She's learning to talk now and it is the most amazing thing. As I said before, she started jumping today and it is so funny because she barely gets off the ground but it so proud of herself. Whenever I ask her for a kiss, she leans in and plants one on me. It is the best.

I'm going to go for now, but I will try to be back soon. I've been taking more pictures (check flickr for more). *** JUST NOW: My computer shut down on me! I thought it could have crashed because the screen pixels just went nuts, but phew, everything is still here and THANK GOD FOR AUTOSAVE!*** Also, BB just spilled vanilla soymilk onto my keyboard...I need a new computer. Time to go now. That's enough excitement for one entry.

Too Busy To Type

What a week, what a week. It was almost as if I was back in college, studying for finals. Except, instead of studying, I was sitting in front of the computer for hours upon hours. Almost every night this week was an all-nighter and I hope I never have to pull one again. However, all the work paid off and I'm just relieved it's the weekend.

Since I had no free time on my hands (any free time I had was spent passing out on the floor), I didn't get a chance to upload onto my new flickr account, nor did I have a chance to blog. As a result, I have all these random pictures from the past week or two that have been patiently waiting in iPhoto. Here are some, and they're all off BB (except one).

First time BB got to roam the supermarket on foot.

We spent the entire time chasing her.

Every baby should have a bag of rolls to squish. We put them back on the shelf (don't tell anyone).

We tried the Shabu at Fugakyu Café. It wasn't too bad. A little plain. Bad idea to use ponzu as a dipping sauce for EVERYTHING.

BB's good behaviour didn't last very long...

My other child. He actually kind of looks like one here. Don't tell him I said so. <3

Warm enough to wear a t-shirt today! She also kept her giddy giddy clip in her hair!

Hanging out in the Prudential food court before having a gigantic breadbowl filled with chowder for lunch. We ate it so fast and forgot to take a picture of it.

The past few weeks have been spent getting in touch with friends before everybody graduates (except me, but that's okay for now -- I'm the only one with a job!). Last weekend, a friend organized a reunion party for the close group we hung out with freshman year. We've all kind of drifted apart over time in two's and three's, but it was so great to all be seated at one table at our old haunt, Kayuga (that's also where Dave and I met). I laughed until I almost peed in my pants as we reminisced about all the childish things we did and recalled all of our old inside jokes. Must get together with them again within the next month.

I took BB to Boston this afternoon so we could have lunch and shop with my friend Moyoko, whom I have not seen in months and months. The weather has been glorious, and BB and I broke out the short sleeves. The anime convention was in town. For those who live in areas where the conventions travel to, that's all I would have to say, but for those of you who are not familiar... there were dressed up people everywhere. And I mean dressed up. And I mean everywhere. Now, I have nothing against anime, but it is definitely interesting when this is standing behind you when in line for Ben & Jerry's. Or when this and this walk past you while browsing through the aisles of Sephora. This, too. Anyway, we were still able to enjoy ourselves. BB saw some dogs and got outside. Moyoko bought some shoes. I picked up a necklace and some Shu Uemura (<3)>

Tomorrow, we're off to South Hadley to spend the day with my dad, stepmom, and little sisters (aka BB's aunties). Hoping we'll be able to make it in time to join them at Lupa's. I know BB will love it there! She's definitely an animal lover. We'll be having a feast for dinner as well, since my dad is not capable of cooking a small meal (which is A-OK, since he's the best cook).

Time to go to bed. This took way longer than I thought it would, plus Dave is home. Plus, I want some ice cream. BYE!

Our plates are FULL!

Spring is teasing us here in New England. Every time it gets warm, we're hit a few days later with cold air (or worse, snow). It's going to be a comfortable 65 degrees today, but if the weatherman is telling the truth then we're in the high 40's all next week. Not looking forward to that.

Not only have I been swamped with work this past week, we've had several engagements throughout. It's been a week of turning points and milestones. Turning points being: Dave's brother Warren moving to Arizona, finding out our old roommate Masaki is moving to Chicago, and weighing a positive but lifestyle-changing offer from my employers.

The milestone is that my little brother Sam turned the big 1-6 yesterday. He also took his permit test and, damnit, I was worried for him. I honestly failed the first time I took it, so I was on edge because he admittedly didn't study. I should have known that Mr. Nonchalantabouteverything would ace the test... just like every other test he takes.

We went to dinner with Masaki and friends Wednesday evening. We initially planned to go to P.F. Chang's, but it was SWAMPED. Stephanie's on Newbury (one of my favorites) was next on the list but, as we parked the car, another restaurant across the street caught our attention. That building was under construction for the longest time, but this time a finished and operating restaurant was in its place. Bouchée is a much needed economical French option (forget L'Espalier!) on Newbury Street, even if its menu is practically identical to one of my old haunts, Eastern Standard.
The food was decent. I wish I tried something other than coq au vin, but I couldn't decide what to order and that's what I ended up blurting out. The dessert, Crêpes Marscapone, was definitely tasty, though. I wish there was more than one on the plate, like maybe...hmm...a STACK! BB was, as usual, a hit with the staff, and we had such a great time catching up with our friends.

Anyway, I can't believe it's Friday again! The weeks go by so fast. Dave's birthday is tomorrow, so I have to go confirm some plans. I feel like I have so much on my plate at the moment, for the first time in a LONG time. So much to do today, so I'll stop here for now. I'm getting all scatterbrained!

weekend romping

What a crazy week. So exhausting. Even though we had a little time this weekend to recuperate, we're all still lethargic and sleepy. I figured I'd just post some pictures instead of write a lot, because 1) I should join my two babies who are already both asleep and breathing loudly, and 2) If I don't post my pictures, I'll have too many "unused" ones on my hands. Here's a glimpse of our weekend (not including the 2 nights Dave and I got to GO OUT -- yes, into the city -- to drink and have fun with friends!).

(( First bubble bath. Hated it at first, but eventually warmed up to it. ))

(( What happens when Daddy gets to dress BB... ))

(( Always one to show interest in the lens of a camera. ))

(( Toy overload in BB's toy corner. ))

(( Rearranging the furniture. ))

(( Fuzzy pictures, fuzzy friends. ))

(( Tallest baby ever. Touch the ceiling? Piece of cake! ))

(( Daddy's favorite: chicken & veggie pasta in vodka sauce. ))

(( Exhausted BB, doing what we do best! ))

This week is going to be hectic. Dinner with Warren before he moves to AZ. Dinner with Masaki before he moves to Chicago. My brother Sam's 16th birthday on Thursday. Dave's 22nd birthday on Saturday. Work. Work. Work. I hope we'll be able to fit SLEEP somewhere in between...

I have no name for you, post.

We've been up to a bunch since I last posted. I ended up taking BB back to the pediatrician because I suspected she had a yeast infection. Yes, babies (even baby boys) are prone to those. Since she wasn't feverish anymore, the doctor said we could take her off the antibiotics (the culprit). We also found out she has thrush, so she got a prescription for that along with the Monistat cream that was recommended. Poor thing!

On a much lighter note, I've sent out all the invitations for BB's birthday party. That's definitely a feat in itself! I was so worried about getting them out late -- we're cutting it close as it is. I wish I started planning it back in December, but I'll just have to make do with the time we have left. I don't think I've ever planned a party before... I'm nervous because this has to be great. It's a one time thing, a first birthday!
Dave's going to come home early from work today (yes!) and we're going to go visit his cousin Wayne in town. After, we're going to have dinner with our old roommate Masaki and his girlfriend. I miss Masaki, and he was by far the best roommate anyone could ask for.

Getting Down to Business!

The past couple days have gone by in a flash and it's hard to believe that tomorrow is the beginning of a brand new week.

A miracle happened Friday night. Dave and I went out. Out, out. That is a miracle by our standards. He finished finals that evening, so I went to the city to meet him. After a good 25 minutes of driving around, we finally found a parking spot and went to Wonderbar. Yes, a very college student thing to do, but we had fun dancing and just being together ALONE. It's something we REALLY needed. Alone time is very important. I also got to see Sammy and Brian, whom I haven't seen in ages. Great night.

Saturday afternoon, BB and I went to little Jasmine's first birthday. BB had a ball playing with all the kids (half of them were around the age of one) and she didn't hesitate on being a total ham. She clapped, smiled, and made faces the entire time. I personally did not take pictures (sorry, I get lazy sometimes), but Lenny & Flora (Jasmine's parents) have promised to e-mail me a link to the pictures. When I get them I will share. I love my friends to death, but I must admit it was really nice hanging out with PARENTS. It's fun to share information and milestone stories.

Today, we finally got our Christmas tree! I don't think we were planning on getting one so big -- it didn't seem so big at the farm -- but it almost touches the ceiling. I'm liking it very much, and it's my first tree as an adult. It's BB AND Dave's first tree ever. I am so glad my mom and dad did Christmas for us every single year. I have so many great memories. I want BB to have the same.
In the meantime, I've made some primitive pre-school style Christmas decorations. We've got the paper snowflakes (which I haven't made in AGES) and ye olde fashioned paper chain-link garland that is way too short to wrap all around the tree. I swear I'll make it to the craft store tomorrow so I can make some Martha Stewart-esque ornaments.

BB's winter coat arrived (finally) in the mail from L.L. Bean. It's nothing spectacular to look at, but at least I know it's warm. That's what matters most. I also ordered some shearling boots (pictured at the top) to keep those toesies warm. They fit perfectly and were a steal at $16.50. I need to buck up and buy my kid some more shoes, poor thing.

On a final note, I ordered our holiday cards this afternoon! I chose 2-day delivery, so I need to get everyone's address ASAP. Thank goodness for online coupon codes. I saved myself $5. I love BB's smile in the photo. The only way I was able to achieve this was by using the flash on my camera. I've really been trying to use natural sunlight, but it's been scarce lately and if you don't hold the camera steady (or if its subject WON'T SIT STILL) you'll get a fuzzy picture. I was getting frustrated, so I gave in. I adjusted the brightness and contrast a bit in iPhoto. I'm liking it. Here's the final product.
I'm really trying to get things done now that Christmas is a mere two weeks away (eek). Crunch time!

Reunion: Baby #2

Oh, Apple. You are in my arms once again. My laptop is almost like my second baby. I cannot live without it. Using someone else's computer is just not the same -- especially when it is a PC (yuck!). I have access to my iPhoto library so I can provide you with some decent photos. The sun came out for a little today, but I didn't have anything interesting to photograph.

My mommy (yes, I still call her "Mommy") came to visit today! She brought over some things I had left at her house last week (like Baby #2). It was so nice to see her and to be able to talk to her in person. She gave me some wonderful (and much needed) advice and I am so happy to have her in my life.

She also brought me this little treat: a J.Crew Wellesley cable sweater. I <3 deep v-necks.

A couple we met at Ginseng came to the restaurant again while I was there with my mom. They have a daughter, Jasmine (sp?), who is turning 1 next month. BB and her friend seemed to get along very well. We've been invited to Jasmine's birthday, which is in a few weeks. I'm getting excited since there aren't many social opportunities right now for BB and me. Am looking forward to meeting some other parents.

The couple (eek, I need to learn their names...) also informed Dave of the local daycare they use and like. I think I'm going to make an appointment to check it out and get on the wait list (ugh). I would definitely love to have some kind of outlet. I love BB to death, but this 24/7 deal sure takes a toll on me sometimes. I need to be more productive and explore more things. Isn't that what being in your 20s is all about?
On a final note, BB stood up with (little) assistance! She was sitting next to Dave on our bed and hoisted herself up using his hip for support. Kid really wants to stand.