Haeley's Going On 3 Months

Gung Xi Fa Chai! Gung Hay Fat Choy! We wish everyone a healthy and prosperous Year of the Rat! Eventhough Haeley doesn't know the meaning of the Zodiacs or the significance of Chinese New Year, I'm sure she will understand the meaning of Lai See or Red Packet very soon! So keep them coming!

Another month have passed and Haeley is turning 3 months old this weekend. Quite a number of events happened in the past few weeks for Haeley. One of the most exciting news we like to annouce is that Haeley has a Godmother and Godfather!! We proudly like to introduce our dear friends: May and Hoover Wong, now known as Kai-Ma and Kai-Yeah (cantonese for godmom/pa). May and Hoover have been Kurt's good friends since their Berkeley days, and since we moved to the Bay Area about 2 1/2 years ago, they have been one of our closest friends here. We even live minutes away from each other! May is great with kids (she has 2 wonderful boys), loves babies and has been showering Haeley with lots of presents, even before Haeley was born. Haeley is one lucky gal!

A tight hug from Godma

Godma May with her 2 boys Ethan and Justin

2 families having hot pot during one cold night...yummy!

all the "mothers" of Haeley unite

------Thanks for taking such good care of me, Grandma Pang------

A week ago, Haeley and I sent my mother to the airport for her return flight back to Singapore. My Mom has been here helping us care for Haeley for almost 3 months and it was sad for us to see her leave. Without my mom around, I would not have had found the time to take leisurely showers, go to the gym, surf the Internet and organize the house. Whenever the three of us "ladies" go out, my mom becomes Haeley's backseat playmate, entertaining her with her toys till she falls asleep and diapering her in the backseat whenever Haeley needs a change. Together, we had lots of fun going out for lunches, walks, shopping and buying groceries.

We know Haeley misses Grandma's singing, chatting and playing. Haeley showed some withdrawal syptoms for a few days since my mom's departure. She was very quiet, did not babytalk and was a little fussier than before. Kurt and my multiple attempts to imitate my mom's high pitched voice and singing could not fool Haeley.

It's (RED) shirt day!

Power hike at nearby Crystal Springs Reservoir

tender loving care by grandma

-------Haeley's Developments-------

• Haeley has started to sleep through the night. Hooray! She averages around 6 hours, followed by a feed and she slumbers back for another 4-5 hours. (note: sleeping through the night is a pediatrician's term, not by our definition: if she goes to bed at around 9, she'll wakes up at 3am!)
  
  
• Now that Haeley is sleeping longer at night, we decided its time to introduce her to her room and crib. We think she likes it there since its roomier than sleeping with us or in her bassinet and more importantly, she don't have to tune in to Dad's snoring (just kidding Kurt).


• She has learned to lick and suck things these days. Put a bib near her month and she'll start licking it. She also likes to suck on her tiny hand and sometimes her own lips just to make some funny sound.


• Haeley likes sitting up straight and she's able to sit up on her own for a few seconds before toppling over.


• Haeley now weighs about 14.5 pounds and is getting so chubby, her cheeks are hanging down her face.

-------More Photos-----------

tummy time!

Laughing at mommy's joke

Haeley commits her first fashion crime!

One of her favorite past time: sucking on her own little hand

Her second favorite past time - blowing bubbles

Is there something on my lip?

Haeley is not interested in gourmet food yet

Enjoying her daily hot tub

Grandpa Kwok giving Haeley a jiggle

Hey same outfit! It's a coincidence, I swear!

Haeley Turns 2 Months Old

Haeley turned 2 months old last week. Her day started off with the usual affair: feeding, bathing, screaming and some playing. Afterwards, we headed out to Kurt's office to have lunch and meet some of his colleagues. Haeley didn't find Kurt's office particularly exciting as she pretty much slept through the entire visit while Kurt's colleagues surrounded and chit-chatted over our sweet little one. After lunch, we did some birthday shopping, bought more clothes for Haeley (after-x'mas sales are awesome) before we headed home to bake her birthday orange chocolate cupcakes. That evening, we had a nice cozy little birthday celebration for her.

Haeley made some significant developments this past month. Here are some of her milestones :

• Haeley has started to smile (voluntary) and wink at us (involuntary) when we sing or talk to her. She loves listening to Grandma Pang sing to her and gets really excited by kicking and waving her arms around. Sometimes, she gets so excited that she hits herself in the face and starts crying.
• She's getting talkative (in her gibberish). She listens attentively and baby-talks back at us by making different pitched coos, occasionally squealing and babbling out loud.
• She is also getting stronger by the day. She steadily holds her head for a good amount of time when we sit her up to burp her or when she is on her belly for some tummy time.
• She learned how to play with her saliva and makes saliva bubbles. She also drools constantly and goes through a bib almost every hour.
• Haeley now weighs a little over 12 pounds and is 23½ inches tall.
  

Haeley's 2 month birthday cup cakes!

Haeley, center of attention as usual, and she loves it!

Daddy, your office is messier than my play pen!

-----2 Month Pediatric Visit-----

Haeley’s 2 month well-baby doctor visit was one that we dreaded bringing her to. She was scheduled to receive 5 painful vaccinations. They were DTaP (2 shots), Polio, Hep B and pneumococcal conjugate. That’s 5 nasty needles poking through my little girl's chubby tender little thighs. While we were in the doctor’s room waiting for the nurse, Kurt and I were thinking of an escape plan for Haeley, but there was no way out. Baby Haeley screamed in pain after the first needle went in and I started tearing not knowing how to comfort her. That evening, Haeley became really mellow and sleepy and developed a slight fever, which is quite normal for babies to have after being vaccinated. Thankfully, she sprung back to her usual chirpy self the following day.

All smiles during her check-up (that's before she knew about the shots!)

Daddy says everything will be okay (for him!)

5 big needles and 2 little baby thighs

-----More Pictures-----

Haeley loves to take baths!

Hey Grandma, stop posing and get me cleaned up!

... but the moment we take her out of the water, she SCREAMS!

Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the cutest of them all?

Sometimes daddy likes to dress me up like a boy!

Playdate with baby Tristin aka Haeley's boyfriend

Haeley would not let the camera out of her sight

Haeley's First White Christmas

December was an exciting and busy month for Haeley. Haeley met her Grandpa Pang who came from Singapore to spend a good 3 weeks with her. Together, we went Christmas shopping at different malls around the Peninsula, mainly Stanford, Hillsdale and Santana Row, took trips to San Francisco, strolls around the neighborhood, frequent dine-outs and even a drive down to Gilroy (that's about a 45 min drive) for some outlet shopping. Not too bad for an 8 week old baby! I must say Haeley travels really well, she pretty much sleeps through car rides, the noisy malls and loves being pushed around in the stroller or bundled up in the sling.

Haeley's first Christmas was filled lots of red outfits, gifts, picture taking, family celebrations and more driving. Yep, Haeley took her first long distance first road trip to Lake Tahoe, which is about a 4-5hr drive and got to enjoy the cold snowy weather. Of course in between we had stopovers for feedings, diaper changing and more outlet shopping. By the time we arrived to Lake Tahoe, our car's trunk was overfilled with shopping bags!! Tahoe's weather was perfect, it snowed the few days we were there but was not bitter cold or too windy. We think Haeley loves the cold. Even after covering her up in her white puffer jacket, she somehow manages to wiggle her tiny fingers out for some snowflakes.

Enjoy the pictures!!

---------Lake Tahoe, Here We Come---------

Are we there yet?

I can't move my arms

Scenic South Lake Tahoe

Where are you taking me Paps?

My Grandparents adores me

Mommy & me

Haeley's fingers are out again

Daddy, is my tongue whiter than snow?

snow fight, snow fight

Get me back to the lodge, I'm sleepy

Tummy time turn naptime

---------Haeley's First Trip to San Francisco---------

Outside Pier 1

Time to slurp on some oysters at Hogs Island cafe

Mama, what did you get me from Gap this time

Doctor says I need more sunshine