xiao wei news

Been Away

2012-01-23T10:35:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone,
I've been away for awhile, mostly due to Facebook, but Wendy and I are attempting to do more frequent updates!.

First Day of First Grade

2011-09-07T17:35:00.002-04:00

Somehow the summer managed to go by and today was the first day of school. Here's Wei Wei and his best friend this morning. Wei Wei looks thrilled about going back.

Not funny

2011-04-01T10:23:00.001-04:00

It's April 1 and it's snowing. This is not an April Fool's joke . . . unfortunately.

March Madness

2011-03-18T16:25:00.003-04:00

Yes, it's March and it's madness.

I'm mad that spring doesn't seem like it's ever going to come. With the exception of today, the weather has been cold and/or cold and rainy.

Jerry's mad that it's the tournament because it means that only college basketball is allowed on the tv.

Wei Wei is mad that Chinese school has so much homework.

Xiao Li is mad because . . . well, she's just generally mad.

But here she is enjoying today's warm weather. C'mon spring!

Xiao Li

2011-01-23T14:31:00.003-05:00

I don't know how much of it is personality versus gender, but Xiao Li is different from Wei Wei in so many ways. She can be so sweet when she's not as mean as a snake (this translates to about five to ten minutes a day). Here she is during one of those five-ten minute periods. I think she ate Wei Wei's lunch and made him cry shortly after this pic was taken.

Christmas Spectacular

2011-01-06T12:17:00.004-05:00

Whew! Christmas came and went! Things seem to get more and more hectic each year as the kids get older (and we keep adding to the group). Here is a picture of Gong Gong and Po Po with all six grandkids. Pretty impressive that we were able to wrangle everyone together.

Holiday Preparations

2010-12-04T22:19:00.004-05:00

We were in Indiana for Thanksgiving and are in denial that it's already December. I tried to take a photo of the kids this morning for a holiday card. Here are some of the more interesting ones.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-02T21:09:00.004-04:00

Happy Halloween! A good time was had by all: Eva (from Wall-E), the lion, the black cat, the pumpkin (not pictured), and our two kids in traditional Chinese clothes.

Two years old!

2010-10-14T11:22:00.002-04:00

Xiao Li turned two years old last month, but she didn't have her two-year check-up until last week. I'm proud to say that she continues to occupy the high end of the height and weight spectrum. At 35 cm and 30 pounds, she is solidly in the top quartile.

To put it in perspective, Wei Wei is 39 pounds and he's 5 1/2 years old . . .

Po Po and her grandaughters

2010-09-25T21:53:00.002-04:00

After four grandsons, Po Po now has two granddaughters. Here's a pic from over the summer. Too cute!

Good-bye summer!

2010-09-10T22:26:00.001-04:00

I say this every year, but how does the summer pass us by this quickly? Luckily, we were able to sneak in a quick trip to Florida before Wei Wei started kindergarten. (That water and sand are definitely not from the Jersey shore!)

Popsicle Season!

2010-07-02T22:54:00.002-04:00

Warm weather means popsicles! I think these photos speak for themselves.

Still here!

2010-05-01T22:27:00.002-04:00

As you can tell by the lack of posts, it's been a busy few months. We're loving the warmer weather! Here's a pic from a little while ago of Wei Wei and Xiao Li. Trust me, they are not usually this accommodating or willing to share.

Luge!

2010-02-27T22:24:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Auntie Grace, Uncle John, and cousin Jake, Wei Wei is now a luger! He's been loving the luge they sent for his birthday. And so all of this snow has had a good side too. Wei Wei and Jake share the EXACT same birthday and are basically twins separated by birth. It's scary how similar they are.

Ski Bunnies

2010-02-01T14:53:00.003-05:00

Wei Wei went skiing for the first time yesterday. It was my first time skiing since high school, which was like 10 years ago . . . okay, maybe a little longer than that.

We both survived without any broken legs or arms, so I consider that a success. Wei Wei did great -- he had a lesson with his friend Kai and did ski down a teeny tiny slope on his own. Success! He is turning into quite the winter sports guy. Maybe luge is next?

Star Wars and more Star Wars

2010-01-18T05:01:00.003-05:00

Wei Wei has entered the Star Wars phase. It's all he basically wanted for Christmas and all he's been wanting to play these last few days. Jerry and I are tiring of it and mildly annoyed at George Lucas for creating the franchise.

Let it snow!

2010-01-12T14:57:00.001-05:00

We had our first real significant snow the weekend before Christmas and it was Xiao Li's first time in it. As you can see, she wasn't sure what to make of it.

Wei Wei Gretsky?

2010-01-05T10:04:00.002-05:00

Santa brought Wei Wei skates, so we've been taking him onto the ice. So far he likes it -- maybe we have a future hockey player on our hands?

Holiday happiness

2010-01-02T16:36:00.004-05:00

Ho-ho-ho! The holidays were great -- Santa was very kind to Wei Wei and Xiao Li. Xiao Li is still too little to understand the whole notion of presents, but Wei Wei makes up for it. And with all of the cousins (we're up to six now), there was much festivity. Just seeing them all together makes me smile.

Vanilla wafers

2009-12-30T22:14:00.008-05:00

Xiao Li has been in a MOOD lately. Seems like every pic we've taken of her has her scowling or pouting or crying (or some combination). Here are a few from earlier in the month when she was in a good mood. This was her having her very first cookie. She is her daddy's girl.

Chatterboxes

2009-11-21T10:05:00.004-05:00

Wei Wei is a talker -- the only time he's quiet is when he's asleep. Looks like Xiao Li is going to be the same. At 14 months, she's already got quite the vocabulary:
> Ma Ma
> Ba Ba
> Ge Ge (brother)
> Wei Wei
> Po Po
> Mei mei (little sister -- Kaiyi)
> Bye-bye
> Hi
> Ni ni (milk)
> Bao (pick up)
> Mao (cat)
> Go go (dog)
> All gone
> Elmo
> Wei? (Hello?)
> Patti
> Kyle

Artwork

2009-11-13T21:03:00.003-05:00

Jerry has a new adornment -- that's right, here's his newest tattoo. Actually, that sounds like he has a ton of them when this is only his second. He already has a tattoo of the monkey king (Wei Wei's zodiac sign). Xiao Li's zodiac sign is a rat (not as cute), so he got a phoenix, which represents the female.

This is only part I. He needs to back for part II for more coloring.

Halloween pics

2009-11-10T20:12:00.004-05:00

I still can't believe that it's already November. Here are some pics from Halloween of our ninja and cow (and pumpkin).

2009-10-20T21:27:00.002-04:00

Wei Wei has been in fine form:

Do the Wonder Pets brush their teeth?
When Ma Ma goes to Africa and Ba Ba buys his Ferrari, can I get a metal detector? [These were Jerry's conditions, not mine.]
Those shoes are adorable.

Jerry is sitting here with his leg shaved. Tattoo tomorrow!

We have real lift-off!

2009-09-24T22:12:00.001-04:00

Xiao Li took her first steps today (that we know of, at least). A few steps at daycare, then a few more at home.

We're still here . . .

2009-09-18T22:07:00.003-04:00

. . we've just been busy!

Is it me, or is it hard to believe that it's already mid-September? We had a great summer, although it went by too quickly (which is always the case).

Judy, P'ng, and Kaixiang are now officially NJ residents. We love them having them around. It's a hoot to see all four boys run around together. Xiao Li is going to have to work hard to keep up with them! (As is the future Wong-Loke baby girl.)

And in other big news, Jerry turned 40 and Xiao Li turned one. Here are some photos commemorating the big events. Happy birthday!

Budget Friendly Summer Fun

2009-07-18T20:58:00.004-04:00

This goes to show that you don't need much to make a four-year old happy. I guess the water was a little cold . . .

Houston..we have lift off!

2009-07-13T19:48:00.003-04:00

Here she is with her best attempt at crawling. I give her points for creative form.

I love Pablo

2009-06-04T20:01:00.004-04:00

Here is what you've been missing.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

2009-05-22T21:21:00.002-04:00

We've been lame in posting photos, so here are a couple from a few weeks ago when we had a nice weekend.

Xiao Li is still eating like a lumberjack. At her eight-month appointment, she was almost 19 pounds and 29 inches. At this rate, she's going to be Wei Wei's size in about six months.

Some good quotes

2009-05-17T21:52:00.002-04:00

Wei Wei's been on a roll lately. He's had some good ones:

I can't wait until it's winter because then there won't be any pollen.
If I have to kill a mosquito, I would use a knife.
I want to work at Noggin when I grow up so I can play with Pablo.
[Said while getting out of the bath, standing away from me and bent over] Here's your breakfast! Go ahead and take a bite!

Compare and contrast

2009-04-19T21:37:00.003-04:00

Garrick and Adelaide at about the same age. I think Garrick might be about 1 month older in his picture.

2009-04-18T08:19:00.003-04:00

Here she is trying to roll over again. It takes a little while, but she gets it done!

Some Adelaide video

2009-04-11T10:16:00.004-04:00

Here is a quick video of Adelaide trying to roll over. She just didn't want to cooperate. Maybe later. She is 7 months old now, that means walking is coming soon!

Weekend Pics

2009-03-31T21:07:00.004-04:00

Here are a few from this past weekend. Wei Wei was trying to look menacing. I'm not sure he got it!

Xiao Li is starting to sit in a high chair and rolling over.

Ready for summer

2009-03-28T22:06:00.004-04:00

Wei Wei has had three favorite items of clothing lately: two "cowboy" shirts (plaid button-ups) and this swim vest. He likes to wear it when wrestling with Jerry. It makes him tough, which is relative.

Xiao Li is eating like a lumberjack. Her menu has been expanded to include green beans, carrots, and sweet potatos.

Our Butterball

2009-03-19T21:18:00.002-04:00

Xiao Li had her six-month check-up today. She's bigger than Wei Wei was at this age. She's 17 lbs, 3 oz and 27 3/4". That's two pounds heavier and two inches longer.

Wei Wei had better beef up!

Catching up on photos

2009-03-14T21:32:00.004-04:00

We've been slacking on posting -- no excuses really, just been busy. We all have spring fever. C'mon sun and warm weather! So here are some photos of the family and a photo from Wei Wei's speech contest at Chinese school (he did great -- I half-expected him to bail out at the last minute, but he went up and performed like a trooper). Some other updates:
> Xiao Li is a chunky butterball. She's just learning to roll over and has started solid food: the cereals, yogurt, and green peas. Wei Wei still adores her.

> Judy and Kaixiang are coming in for another visit this week. Can't wait to see them -- check out Kaixiang and Wei Wei in the bathtub and all of the boys eating together from their last trip.

> Wei Wei is still going to Little Gym and loving it.

> Wei Wei is already in the "I know that" phase. Yessiree, you can't tell that boy anything that he doesn't already know.

Snazzy haircut

2009-02-18T09:49:00.002-05:00

Quick update

2009-02-11T22:17:00.002-05:00

Judy and Kaixiang returned to California and we still all miss them. Kaixiang is too darn cute. We love our nephew.

This is my first week back to work. I miss Xiao Li and Wei Wei like crazy.

Wei Wei continues to be a buster. We love him, but he can drive us crazy with his questions and talking. Both of which are nonstop. Seriously, is this kid ever quiet? My two favorite Jerry quotes from this past weekend:
1) Wei Wei, did someone put a question chip in your butt this morning?
2) Wei Wei, go sit on the couch and think about breathing through your nose.

Wei Wei turned FOUR years old on 2/7. Holy crap. Where did the time go?

Wei Wei wondered today why Uniqua doesn't wear shoes.

Crazy Math

2009-02-03T21:04:00.004-05:00

Basic math: 3 kids (Adelaide, Wei Wei, and Kaixiang) + 2.5 adults (me, Po Po and Judy) = mass chaos

Advanced math: 5 kids (Adelaide, Wei Wei, Kaixiang, Kyle, and Nathan) + 9 adults (me, Po Po, Judy, Gong Gong, Jerry, Audrey, Badri, Alice, and Dan) = maximum destruction (which incidentally, is Wei Wei's wrestling name, courtesy of Jerry)

Judy and Kaixiang are here for a quick visit. Judy has some interviews lined up, so during the day it's been just me and mom. Aaaack!

As always, so freakin' cute to see all of the cousins together. We are all more than a little scared of what this crew will be capable of in a few years. Let's hope they are able to channel their energies for the forces of good.

SUPERSTAR

2009-01-31T23:14:00.003-05:00

At least we think she is. Adelaide is almost 5 months old now and getting better head control. She's trying to roll over as well.

Snow

2009-01-28T11:28:00.002-05:00

Well, it's snowing again. And sleeting. I checked the weather in Orlando -- 85 degrees and sunny. Why is it that when we were there last week they were having record-setting cold weather? Sigh.

And no daycare today, which means it's me, Wei Wei, and Xiao Li all day. All day.

Someone send reinforcements!

It's official . . . we're parents

2009-01-26T21:23:00.003-05:00

We just returned from Florida. Spent Saturday through Tuesday with the Torlucci's and then headed to Orlando on Tuesday to go to SeaWorld on Wednesday, then back to New Jersey on Thursday.

Some highlights:

Loved seeing Joanne, Mark, Carina, and Sophia. We had such a good time with them. And I think Wei Wei has his first official crush -- on Sophia. He's going to have to stand in line with the other potential suitors.
Carina fractured her elbow while we were there, from jumping off the swing. She was a real trooper and is now sporting a lovely purple cast for the next four weeks.
Weather was cool, but nice in Bradenton. Then chilly in SeaWorld. Like in the 30's. We wore our winter coats to the park.
SeaWorld was fun, despite the cold. We got to pet a penguin, pet and feed a dolphin, pet a shark, feed a sea lion. I was worried about Xiao Li (Adelaide) in the cold, but Jerry had a good idea about using the sleep sack to keep her warm (see photo below).

Our real relevation came while we were waiting for the Shamu show to start. There we were on vacation. With two kids. In Orlando. At SeaWorld. Driving a rented mini-van. Happy about staying in a hotel room with a kitchenette. Then it hits us . . . holy crap, we're parents. When did the heck did THAT happen?

And a pirate says "argh!"

2009-01-15T13:30:00.003-05:00

Wei Wei had a birthday party last week -- a pirates and princess theme.

Jerry vetoed my original suggestion of sending Wei Wei in a princess costume. (It was to make a point -- boys can't be princes and girls can't be pirates?)

So I dutifully set about thinking about a pirate costume.

At least I started on Friday (the party was on Sunday). Usually I start thinking about it the night before, if not the morning of. Julie and I both agreed that a vest would be key.

So with a trip to the craft store and her help, voila -- a vest made out of felt! Not too bad, I have to say (although I will never be a contestant on Project Runway).

Here's the fierce looking pirate, growling out his best "argh!" Very scary . . .

Happy new year!

2009-01-11T21:35:00.004-05:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks! We're all slowly getting back to normal. Here are some highlights (and some pics, with more coming soon):

Holiday parties and get togethers
House of germs -- me, then Wei Wei, then Adelaide. Jerry surprisingly escaped this round
Christmas tree -- I had imagined us decorating the tree as a family. I ended up decorating it myself after Wei Wei lost interest
Wei Wei's Santa list: a baby goat, a fishing pole with a pond with sharks and fish in it, a jet pack, and a rocketship. He got the fishing pole.
Fullers visit -- their first with us over Christmas!
Judy, Kaixiang, and P'ng -- Wei Wei loved playing with Kaixiang. So cute to see all four boys together. We have some adorable photos.
Adelaide's 100-day party
Lots of new toys and presents

Double Whammy

2008-12-17T16:54:00.005-05:00

We're the House of Germs once again. Wei Wei was sick over Thanksgiving and got wallopped again. This time with a nasty cough/cold with a touch of a stomach flu. Boy has it been a hoot around here.

Our holiday cards are going to be late. We had three photo sessions with little success. Here are some photos from our first shoot:

Whew!

2008-12-09T22:48:00.006-05:00

Leading up to the holidays, we've been busy! In addition to a trip to Westwood, Little Gym visits, and holiday preparations (or lack thereof), we've been:

> Grateful that Wei Wei is such a loving big brother

> Run an 8k race (thanks to Andrea's support) -- here she is on race day with Adelaide. It wasn't pretty, but at least I slogged through it.

> Spending time with Gong Gong and Po Po

> Visiting with Niko and Annoesjka. Niko is a big kid -- they were born only one day apart, but he weighed in at 15 lbs, 7 oz at two months (compared to Adelaide's 11 lbs). Zowie!

This one is for Kaixiang

2008-11-27T20:17:00.004-05:00

Howdy Pilgrams!

We hope KX likes it.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T20:04:00.004-05:00

It's that time of the year when we all reflect about the things we are thankful for. This year, our list is not as traditional as usual. Of course, we are thankful for family, friends and all of those things, but Turkey Day this year forced us to think outside of the box. So, here goes the list and it's not in any particular order.

1) Let's take a minute and thank the people that invented those waterproof pads used on a bed.
2) What would the world be without a washer and dryer. Gotta love those.
3) On-demand television, now that is helpful
4) The command center (that's our couch in the living room).
5) Lysol--Wendy may disagree, but I love the stuff.
6) Jello-the cherry kind without fruit
7) Children's Motrin--Magic, it really is amazing stuff.
8) M & M's
9) Hotwheel cars
10) It should only last 24 hours!

Yep, you probably guessed by now. Wei Wei came down with a stomach flu last night. I'll spare you the details, but it wasn't pretty. So, we stayed home today and had a lovely day despite the illness.

Happy Turkey Day!

Adelaide's Big Hair

2008-11-24T21:23:00.003-05:00

We shot a little video of Adelaide. It's not really a Summer blockbuster...not much action. We were very impressed with her big hair. She's really trying to go Jersey at a young age. I wish I could dub "Hey, someone pass me the Aquanet".

Zzzzzzz . . . .

2008-11-19T21:38:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure if it's a fluke or the start of a trend, but Adelaide slept through the night last night. Slept from 11:30 pm until 6:15: am! Of course, I still got up to check on her.

Could this be? Dare I hope?

Although my expectations are not high that this will last, but at ten weeks old, she's already sleeping a ton better than Wei Wei was at this age. He didn't sleep through the night regularly until he was about two years old.

Chutes and Ladders

2008-11-11T12:31:00.005-05:00

Garrick has been trying to enter the realm of big kid games. So,we picked out Chutes and Ladders. It's a childhood standard. It doesn't require reading, you only need to be able to count to six and if you are like me, you can even be color blind (I always have a hard time with Candyland). Anyway, Garrick who is Mr. Let's Play, can't seem to get his mind around the concept of a board game with rules. It quickly devolves into playing with the little stand-up pieces.

We are considering bringing a class action lawsuit against Milton Bradley for it's false claims. It clearly states 3+ years of age. Garrick is 3+ years of age and while he's no Einstein, he's not exactly a Lenny. Wendy and I can hardly bring ourselves to open the box and play because it's such a mess.

Wendy took Adelaide in for her 2 month check-up. All is well. She is now a little over 23 inches and 11 pounds. She enjoys eating every 1 1/2 hours and recently she has been able to stay awake around the clock. She must get that from the Wong family.

Boo!

2008-11-01T22:34:00.009-04:00

We have survived Halloween!

Wei Wei had a great time. He tricked, he treated, he got lots of candy. He dressed as a Secret Agent. Inspired by the Backyardigans and a little Mission Impossible, we were able to pull together a costume that met his high standards.

Adelaide, on the other hand, got a hand-me-down from her cousins. She went as a big pumpkin blob.

In other Halloween festivities, we made cupcakes for daycare. Check out our buggy cupcakes. Not too scary. We clearly need cupcake lessons from Ivanna!

Here's Wei Wei's attempt:

Baby and Kaixiang update

2008-10-27T14:18:00.004-04:00

I love my little sister Adelaide, although I can't believe she's already seven weeks old. She still has some awful gas -- she could teach me a thing about burping and tooting. Thankfullly, her baby acne and cradle cap seem to be going away, so she's not as crusty.

Kaixiang turned two years old yesterday. We called to sing him happy birthday. He liked it so much he asked for two encores. I must have really been rockin' the song.

Here are some recent pics:

Play date with Keira

2008-10-19T21:46:00.003-04:00

I was lucky enough to see Keira twice last week and had a good time playing with her. She just turned two, but she can certainly keep up with me. We played with play doh and painted too.

Here we are eating ice pops:
Here I am giving her a hug:
My Ma Ma and Ba Ba are working on my Halloween costume. I don't want to commit to anything yet. It will be a big surprise for everyone. I've noticed that Xiao Li has been wearing her Halloween costume for the entire weekend. I'm not sure what she is, but she has this yellow, crusty stuff on her head and her face is all red and bumpy...pretty scary stuff!

Fullers in New Jersey

2008-10-14T15:13:00.003-04:00

The Fullers were in visiting last week. Wei Wei thoroughly enjoyed having an extra two people to boss around (and who were willing to be bossed around) and Adelaide was happy to have two extra people available to hold her.

We visited the zoo and the farmer's market and also put them to work. Continuing a trend, when Jerry and his dad replaced the sink faucet, the plumbing underneath broke, so we had to get a plumber out here. Also, the dishwasher broke, as did the lawnmower. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Getting along

2008-10-09T11:04:00.004-04:00

Wei Wei and Adelaide have been keeping us busy. Some quick updates:

Annoesjka and Niko (born one day after Adelaide) came to visit us last Friday: Adelaide's first play date! Niko is adorable.
The Fullers are in visiting this week. Wei Wei loves having two more people to boss around. We went to the zoo on Tuesday. We also tried to shop for a Halloween costume for Wei Wei, unsuccessfully. He's said that he's wanted to be a knight, a cowboy, a ninja, and a dragon. Hmmmm. . . .
We babysat Kyle and Nathan on Monday night. They are adorable. You should have seen us running around like crazy. And that was with four adults and four kids. We weren't even outnumbered!
Adelaide is four weeks old. She's developed some baby acne, which I hope goes away soon.
Wei Wei continues to be a great big brother. Here he is trying to comfort Adelaide:

Alice and Daniel's Wedding

2008-10-02T21:54:00.006-04:00

The big day was this past weekend -- a whirlwind of activity, but what fun! So cute to see Kaixiang, Kyle, Nathan, and Wei Wei all together. Adelaide was too young to keep up with them, but just wait another year!

Wei Wei fulfilled his ringbearer duties. He did great. I was so proud of him. AND he looked darn cute while doing so:

We unfortunately don't have any photos from the wedding, but are hoping to rely on others'. Audrey, Judy, and I were in the wedding and all of the husbands were busy corraling kids.

Alice looked beautiful and the reception was a great party. We were all pooped by Sunday night. Ali and Dan are in China for their honeymoon.

A tux, a cake, and Adelaide

2008-09-24T11:00:00.005-04:00

Xiao Yi and Danny's wedding is this Saturday. Er Yi and Kaixiang fly in tonight, so the festivities will be starting! We did a practice run with Wei Wei in his tuxedo:

While Ivanna teaches Justine and Vasco "real" cooking (see her blog to the right), we helped Wei Wei make a volcano cake. I don't think we've ever had that much food coloring in our house at one time. Wei Wei was disappointed that we wouldn't let him eat it.

Adelaide and I continue to live in two-hour increments. This child can eat. We had our two-week check-up yesterday and she's gained 8 oz since we brought her home. Nice! When she's not eating, this is what she's usually doing:

More baby pics

2008-09-10T10:52:00.003-04:00

Hi -- getting some more photos posted of Adelaide.

Here's the oblilgatory photo from the hospital, where she's coyly peeking over the blanket:

And here she is relaxing at home. Jerry is the one holding her, in case some of you thought the pregnancy hormones had wacked me out.

Adelaide's Debut

2008-09-08T15:30:00.003-04:00

O.K. here she is! Adelaide was born 09/06/08 at 3:17pm. She weighed in at 7lbs 2 oz and was 19 in long.

Wendy and Adelaide are doing well and we are now enjoying our first afternoon at home.

She is eating well and taking care of her "other" baby business in good fashion. Hopefully she will adjust to being at home and make her mother's life easy for the first few weeks.

I guess we will need a new name for the blog? Maybe not.

And waiting . . .

2008-09-04T12:40:00.002-04:00

And still we wait. No baby activity to speak of.

We've missed Jerry's birthday, Grandma Cox's birthday, Sue's birthday, and Big Jerry's birthday. And today is Andrea's birthday.

We sure do have a lot of birthdays around this time of the year . . .

Wei Wei was asking me where the baby was going to come out and how. As I stammered for an appropriate answer, Po Po told him that the baby was going to come out in the hospital, neatly side-stepping the question. She's quick.

Still waiting . . .

2008-08-31T21:23:00.005-04:00

No news on the baby front yet. No activity to speak of. Jerry made a request that the baby make his/her debut on his birthday, but with only 2 1/2 hours left, doesn't look like it's going to happen. If it makes him feel better, the baby decided to skip my mom's birthday too (8/28).

We were at Ali's tonight (Xiao Yi) to help with programs and favors for the wedding. It was quite the scene: everyone was there: Gong Gong and Po Po, Audrey, Badri and the twins, and us. It took several of us just to entertain the kids. Thank goodness we have a big family. Jerry got the knack pretty quickly of tying the knots. Mom and I gave up. She watched the kids and I worked on the favors. I'm better with menial labor, not the stuff that requires dexterity.

We planted some sunflowers earlier this summer and they turned out to be big! Here's a photo of Wei Wei (with Zoe, the neighbor's dog making an appearance too).

A tux and a party

2008-08-25T21:41:00.006-04:00

Another busy weekend. Went into Flushing on Saturday with Xiao Yi to get fitted for a tux for the wedding. The nice ladies at the shop made a big fuss over me. I actually blushed for the first time. I look darn cute in a tux.

And then went to Kai's 4th birthday party on Sunday. I had a great time playing with him. I think my favorite was the moon walk. Here I am with Ba Ba learning to somersault. I don't think I'm going to be a serious contender for the 2016 Olympics just yet.

Bouncing with James (blonde) and Kai (red).

Looking pensive, with ketchup on my face.

Cutie Pies!

2008-08-22T08:53:00.005-04:00

Some recent photos of the twins, Kyle and Nathan, who just get cuter and cuter. Seriously, just when you don't think they could get cuter, they do. Overachievers already.

Kyle took his first steps yesterday. I can't wait to see him in action this weekend. Here he is not in motion :

And here's Nathan:

A busy few weeks

2008-08-15T21:51:00.002-04:00

Whew! Summer is in full swing. No pics for this post yet, but a quick update on the past few weeks from Wei Wei:

Spent a Saturday morning at the beach with my buds Kai, Katarina, and Ethan
Had the Lim boys and Sienna come over for a barbecue. I really do need to spend at least a weekend with the Lim boys to toughen me up. Or spend a weekend at a boot camp. Or, spend a weekend at a boot camp to train me for spending a weekend with the Lim boys.
I'm pooping in the potty now. You should see how excited Ma Ma and Ba Ba get over that.
Kaixiang came for a visit -- I loved hanging out with him
Tried to get a photo at Sears of all four cousins. Ma Ma said she has a new appreciation for people who work with kids or animls because in 45-minute session, we managed to get only four photos of all four of us.
Celebrated Gong Gong and Po Po's 40th anniversary with a surprise party
Ma Ma and Ba Ba caught colds -- luckily I am okay (for now)
Ma Ma and Ba Ba have been watching a whooooooooole lotta Olympics
Ma Ma has about 3-4 weeks left until her due date (September 7), but remember, I was ten days early. This means I could be getting a new baby brother or sister the last week of August, which isn't that far away. Aaaaaaack!

Garrick and Ethan 4-wheelin'

2008-07-27T21:25:00.003-04:00

Garrick and Ethan enjoyed taking the Jeep for a spin. They especially liked it when Steve (Ethan's Dad) and I figured out how to take the speed limiter off. That's when the fun really started!

They also spent some time cleaning up. Garrick really liked the backpack type water sprayer.

His favorite quotes . . . not ours

2008-07-20T22:01:00.004-04:00

Recent quotes from Wei Wei:

"I don't like [ma ma, ba ba, insert whoever]."
"Why, ma ma?"
"Why, ba ba?"
"Can you buy me a toy?"
"I don't want to eat. My stomach hurts."
"I don't want to eat. I'm tired."
"I don't want to eat. I don't like this."
"I won't play with you."
"I don't like anyone. I only like Ethan."
[Sung, not spoken:] "I like to move it, move it . . . I like to move it, move it . . ."
"I won! I won! Oh, yeah . . . oh, yeah . . . oh, yeah . . . slow motion." [Accompanied by gleefully jumping up and down. What a graceful winner.]

Ahoy, matey!

2008-07-18T22:14:00.003-04:00

Here's Wei Wei sailing the seven seas . . . in our backyard.

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-05T10:23:00.004-04:00

It's not been the best weather, but we've still managed to keep busy: cookouts, friends, and family. Audrey brought the twins over for a bit yesterday. It was quite a sight to see Nathan, Kyle, and Wei Wei all in the tub together.

Here's a photo from last week when the weather was better. Check the pecs . . . KA-POW!

Tooth stress

2008-06-30T21:36:00.003-04:00

Another rhetorical question: why is it when kids are running at full speed they are always looking over their shoulder?

Wei Wei ran straight into the couch doing that very thing. The lip looked okay, but the gum above the tooth was bleeding. We put ice on it, of course, but the worst is running through our heads: he knocked the tooth loose, the tooth is going to turn grey and fall out, he's going to have a space, which is going to mess up the rest of the teeth and when his adult teeth come in he's going to have Sponge Bob Squarepants teeth.

Jerry took him to our dentist and the tooth still seems solidly rooted, but unfortunately tooth damage might not show up for several weeks. So we wait and see. And worry . . . sigh.

Underwear update and other news

2008-06-29T20:50:00.004-04:00

Big strides recently with the potty training. Big strides. Wei Wei has been wearing underwear during the day since Friday with only one accident. Woohoo!

Jerry tried to take him last week to run their first 5k race together. The weather was a little dicey, but Jerry took him anyway. They registered and were waiting around for the start, but then there was distant thunder and lightening, so they skipped it. I had headed over to Audrey's to help Ali with her wedding invitations. I get a call from Wei Wei, who is crying because he's upset and wants to be with me. So naturally I drive home, only to find out that it wasn't necessarily me that he wanted to be with -- he was upset because he wanted to go to Audrey's too. And here I thought I was the center of his universe. Apparently he missed Xiao Yi and Wei Yi. Luckily, he got his fix this weekend.

Busy weekend: Jerry and I were in NYC for dinner on Friday night, then over to Mona and Piyush's house for a BBQ yesterday, then family over today. We had the twins and Wei Wei in a blow-up pirate pool for a bit this afternoon -- that was cute.

Rhetorical question: why is it that it's always the favorite toy/book/item that you can never keep track of or find? We've been tearing the house apart looking for King (of Cars movie fame). Last week it was the "Go Diego" book.

Weedville 2008

2008-06-21T20:54:00.006-04:00

This year's Weedville was hosted in Bloomfield North (Fuller-Wong compound) and Bloomfield South (Kain compound). The Rachfals (Amy, John, Zachary, and Zoe), Hollars (Mike, Ivanna, Vasco, and Justine), Diana, Jen, and Wong-Fullers were all in attendance. Highlights included the Jersey shore (plenty of sunscreen) and our annual Vermonster (six pints!).

We had 5.667 kids this year in residence (we did manage to corral four of them here): Zachary, Wei Wei, Vasco, and Justine.

Potty success!

2008-06-17T20:24:00.002-04:00

I don't know what it is about staying at Po Po and Gong Gong's house, but it's magical and mystical. Wei Wei and I spent a few days there last week because our town lost power. During that stay, Wei Wei literally woke up one day and decided that the potty was more than an inert fixture in the bathroom and DECIDED TO START USING IT.

Many of you know the various cajoling and bribing we've offered, to no avail. But somehow, at Po Po's he needed no incentive and literally just started peeing in the potty on a regular basis (pooping is another story, but we'll take what we can get).

Woohoo! My fear that he was going to be 12 years old and still wearing diapers may not be realized after all!!!!

Summer!

2008-06-08T17:14:00.004-04:00

I guess summer is here -- it's been 100 degrees both days this weekend. Despite the heat and humidity, Jerry and Andrea ran a 10k race (called Mountain Top, which tells you that it's not a flat course). Noooooooo way.

We also celebrated Nathan and Kyle's first birthday (which was actually last week). They are both crawling, pulling themselves up to stand, and generally being incredibly adorable. Wei Wei was so excited about their birthday because he talked about it all day. On the way over, Jerry asked him how old he thought the twins were. "I don't know, we should ask Wei Yi (Audrey). She'll tell us." He didn't think they were five yet because five was when you were big and got to go to kindergarten.

Also, here are a few photos from the Grandpa and Grandma's visit last weekend. Wei Wei enjoyed having two additional people to boss around.

Siggy's spa day and Wei Wei's debut

2008-06-07T20:20:00.010-04:00

Jerry has been threatening to take Siggy to get groomed while I was away on business. This week, he kept his word. I came home to a sleek, more svelte-looking Siggy. Moxie (not-so-smart) hasn't recognized Siggy and has been growling and hissing at him ever since.

This weekend was the end of Chinese school. All of the classes performed and this was Wei Wei's big stage debut. He almost debuted early. When I told him it was time to line up, he scrambled right up on the stage and stood next to some students, except it wasn't his class. I had to go up and get him, but I give him points for enthusiasm.

Happy Birthday Aunt Laura

2008-05-25T12:21:00.004-04:00

A birthday message from Garrick!

Our budding photographer

2008-05-23T19:59:00.004-04:00

Wei Wei got a camera from the Lim family for Christmas and he LOVES it. He takes pictures of everything. And honestly, he's getting better. The first few hundred of the photos were completely dark -- because he insisted on holding the camera backwards, with the lens facing him.

Here are a few from the last month:

Giants Draft Day 5k

2008-05-20T21:02:00.004-04:00

Jerry, Andrea, and Loi made a valiant attempt to run this year's Giants Draft Day 5k, which turned out to be a dud of a race. The course was messed up, so Andrea and Jerry completed the race in 22 minutes -- too bad the course was short the 5k. Hey -- still a PR!

The runners -- fresh before the big start

If you look REALLY closely, you can see Andrea and Jerry.

Wei Wei and I hanging out in the parking lot.

The happy racers at the end.

Pics from Wongville

2008-04-26T15:03:00.004-04:00

Some photos from Wongville when we actually WEREN'T eating:

Swimming with Danny

Cuddling with Po Po after swimming

Taking a bath with Kaixiang

Kyle, Wei Wei, Kaixiang, and Nathan.

It's not easy to get all of the kids looking in one direction. It took three of us to get even this.

Wong-ville

2008-04-24T21:42:00.003-04:00

We're back from a weekend in the Poconos with the family -- the entire family! Audrey, Badri, Nathan, Kyle, Judy, Kaixiang, Alice, Danny, Mom and Dad. We ate, hung out, ate, swam, played with the kids, and ate some more. My body is going through Combos/Oreo/Skittles withdrawal.

The four kids are adorable together, but you can tell what a handful they will all be in a few years. We got some great pics and will post some soon. Highlights of the trip include:

Hearing Nathan and Kyle giggle (which they do a lot)
Watching them eat -- unlike their cousins, they can sure pack it away
Hearing Kaixiang learn how to say "Wei We" -- we unfortunately weren't able to get him to perform for Jerry
Seeing Kaixiang bust out his dance moves. He's got some good ones.
Watching all four kids in the pool. And noticing how darn white Wei Wei is. Wonder where he gets that from.

Wei Wei continues to want to assert his independence. Jerry was trying to explain the concept of "bossy" to him because that's what he's been.

Had my 20-week ultrasound last week. Didn't find out the gender. We took Wei Wei and he wanted to know why it was so dark in my stomach.

Seriously, what did we do before the internet?

2008-04-11T21:54:00.003-04:00

Jerry's noticed that there's been an animal pooping in our yard. With a quick google search, we were able to identify the origin. Jerry is so impressed with this website that he thinks we should bookmark it (because we would refer to it all the time?!). I share it with you here: http://icwdm.org/Inspection/droppingfeces.asp

Dentist -- Take II

2008-04-09T19:38:00.005-04:00

I had taken Wei Wei to the dentist several weeks ago -- and that trip was a D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R. I thought the first visit would be all fun: check out the fun chair! The equipment! Let's count some teeth. Nope, this dentist went straight to business. Not only did I have to hold him down, he has three cavities and the dentist said that at least one of them needed to be filled. Which meant drilling. Which meant numbing. Which meant using restraints. I was sick about it.

We decided to get a second opinion and went to see a new dentist today (thanks to Nancy for the referral!). This visit was MUCH better. Poor Wei Wei was so traumatized from the first visit that it was dicey at first, but the dentist had "Cars" on. Smart dentist. Also plenty of time for Wei Wei to warm up. Smart dentist. Also no poking, just looking. Smart dentist. It was miraculously a good experience. No tears from our little delicate lotus flower.

This doctor recommended taking baby steps, so we're going back in a few weeks for another look, maybe a cleaning, and definitely more tv.

I LOVE this new dentist (and not because he's a dreamboat either).

Our new favorite dentist---

Toddler logic

2008-04-06T19:40:00.007-04:00

Wei Wei wanted to play a game tonight, but BaBa said we needed to cook dinner. Wei Wei asked why we always have to cook dinner. Jerry's response was that dinner didn't cook itself. Wei Wei's response: "It can't cook because it has no hands."

True, enough.

In unrelated news, I'm 18 weeks along and livin' large. Recent cravings include: root beer, root beer floats, grapes, oranges, frozen pizza, and cheese subs.

We went to Auntie Andrea's and Uncle Loi's house yesterday. We think Wei Wei would do well spending a weekend with them. It would toughen him up for sure. Wei Wei loved playing with all the boys. And their toys. You'd think that kid never saw a toy before in his life.

Unrelated photos: here's Wei Wei enjoying some vanilla wafers (another pregnancy impulse purchase -- never send a hungry pregnant woman shopping . . . .) .

Our Big Day...and some photos

2008-03-29T20:12:00.008-04:00

I think Wei Wei is getting the idea of the whole "Big Boy" thing we've been trying to sell him. This week's major achievements have been outsanding. We were actually able to get his hair cut without holding him down. Yep, he sat in the chair and said it tickled. The barber was even able to use scissors. The last hair cut made him look like Monchichi.

He looks much much better now.

He has also been eating an amazing amount of food...real food. Nothing ended in nugget or had "Mc" in front of it. We are very happy with that. He might actually make the growth chart the next time we take him to the doctor.

Last, but not least, check out the time I'm writing this post: 8:30pm, baby! That's right--Wei Wei is already in bed. Saturday night, take out, college b-ball , adult beverages (for the non-pregnant only), and Wendy...it doesn't get any better.

Oh, the sun was out today, so even though it was chilly, we went to the park for a bit too.

Pooping in the potty! (And other news)

2008-03-28T22:17:00.002-04:00

Editor's note: If you don't have kids, you might want to skip the first paragraph.

We know that millions of other kids have done it (and do it on a regular basis), but we've been making some significant progress with the potty. Wei Wei's pooped in the potty the last three times! Woohoo!!! We're so proud. We have a quite the routine going: Mark the calendar with "p," put a sticker on the chart (and check to see if you get a poopie present), and pick out the two gummy bears. Our secret fears that he'll be wearing a diaper in high school may actually not come true.

In other news, we're expecting #2 (actually, to clarify, I am expecting #2). We've been late in getting the word out -- between the nausea and tiredness in the first 12 weeks and my ravenous appetite since then, we haven't had much time. I tell Jerry I feel like an animal in the wild: all of my waking hours are spent hunting/gathering/foraging for food. Hey -- I'm eating for 1 1/2 right now.

(And for the record, I'm 17 weeks along.)

Asserting my independence

2008-03-23T14:09:00.002-04:00

I meant what I said in one of my earlier blogs that there was a new sheriff in town. I've spent the past few weeks trying to retrain Ma Ma and Ba Ba. I've taken to throwing myself on the floor crying when I don't get my way. I also like to make up stories -- I like to blame the other parent or one of the babies (even if they aren't around). I can't wait until Kaixiang, Nathan, and Kyle are older so I can teach them some of my techniques.

In happier news, Er Yi and Kaixiang came to visit last week. We had a great time with them. Ma ma and I spent the night at Po Po and Gong Gong's house. I got to do whatever I wanted there because Po Po and Gong Gong had my back. That was great.

Still obsessed, I see . . .

2008-02-27T13:01:00.003-05:00

In Chinese school this past Saturday, the teacher asked all of the students what they liked to do:
Boy: I like to read books.
Girl: I like to dance.
Girl: I like to sing.
Wei Wei: I like to watch television.

Wei Wei's Three!

2008-02-10T21:11:00.000-05:00

What? I'm going to be three?!

Celebrating the new year with Gong Gong and Po Po. They got me a cool Thomas the Tank backpack/roll-on for my birthday.

Yet another birthday celebration (this time in Roxbury). I never get to eat this many cupcakes!

It's been a hectic week. We celebrated the Chinese New Year and my birthday all at once (my birthday was actually on the same day as the new year this year). What this translates to is lots of presents, lots of food, and lots of other food that I don't normally get to eat (reference photos above). It's good to be the king. Mom brought in cupcakes and red envelopes for my friends at daycare. I "helped" decorate the cupcakes with sprinkles and Cheerios. I love frosting, for sure.

The best birthday greeting I got was from my friends Justine and Vasco -- check it out here: http://i173.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid173.photobucket.com/albums/w47/ivannamike/MVI_0497.flv

Gong Gong, Po Po, and Xiao Yi came over to have dinner with me on Thursday. I managed to bamboozle the plans and hijacked Dad to go home with me from the restaurant (hey -- a three-year old's got to poop in private, you know).

I'm looking forward to three and I'm ready for the challenges ahead of me. For one, this business about mom and dad setting all the rules is going to go down like a house of cards. This place needs a new sheriff. I should be able to eat what I want when I want it. I should be able to sleep when I want. And I should be able to get new toys whenever I want. I've got some ideas for how to change this place and I'm not going to let a lack of income or transportation stop me. Stay tuned!

Haircut trauma

2008-02-02T21:44:00.000-05:00

In preparation for the upcoming holiday (and his birthday!), we took Wei Wei to the barber to get his haircut today. Despite going fairly regularly, he hasn't taken to it. We can typically expect a lot of tears and screaming while he sits on a parent's lap, but today took the cake.

Perhaps he wants to have more input into his haircut. We pick one guard and buzz his entire head with it. Not a lot of style.

Perhaps he took issue with the barber (we basically go to the same guy, but he kept telling us he wanted to go to another barber).

Perhaps it's that he's almost three years old and maturing into a full brat.

Whatever the case, this trip was the worst -- it took both of us to hold him down. Lots of screaming and crying and yelling.

Once at home, he was fine, but I think still generally miffed about the entire incident. Good thing we went a little shorter this time -- more time between haircuts.

Chinese School

2008-01-27T20:26:00.000-05:00

We took Wei Wei to a Chinese school in Verona on Saturday. Since he's in daycare full time now and out of Chinese bootcamp (i.e. Po Po and Gong Gong), I noticed that his Chinese is starting to slack. Aaack -- stop the slippage!

We checked out two classes: a parent/toddler class and a pre-school class. He's too advanced for the parent/toddler class (mostly for non-home-speakers) and was the star of the class. The other kid couldn't get a word in edgewise. Wei Wei had such a good time that he hugged the teacher good-bye. That was cute.

The other class was more structured (and longer -- two hours, versus 40 min). He would be the youngest one, but the parents are also able to stay, so the bonus there is that Jerry would be able to improve his skills too. So we think we're going to sign him up for the pre-k class and see how that goes.

Our baby, going to Chinese school. Sniff.

Still in the spirit.

2008-01-16T22:08:00.001-05:00

It seems Garrick enjoyed Christmas this year. He is still in the mood. We made a wonderful bunch of Rice Crispy Treats last night. Garrick has been happily munching while calling them "Rice Christmas Treats". Funny.

A whirlwind holiday

2007-12-29T22:01:00.000-05:00

Whoa -- is Christmas over already? It's been a hectic few weeks! We've been busy:

Being sick.
Visiting with Judy, P'ng, and Kaixiang. Having four kids around has put a new slant on our family gatherings. We take comfort in the fact that we'll be able to have a nice, quiet sit-down dinner as an extended family in about fifteen years.
Going to Talan and Tyler's birthday party. Wei Wei couldn't wait to tell Po Po that he got to see a magician, pet a bird, and got a balloon twisted to look like Elmo.
Celebrating Christmas. We have no idea where we're going to put all of Wei Wei's new toys. I have a feeling I know the solution: his stuff will continue to take over the house. He loves all of his gifts, but has been spending extra time with the digital camera (he's unfortunately inherited our (lack of an) artistic eye, judging by his photos), Hess truck with motorcycles, crane with power tools, and race track (Jerry had to number the track pieces to be able to put it together again -- apparently we're not smarter than a five year-old).

Complete Wong Throng

2007-12-24T21:36:00.000-05:00

Judy, P'ng, and Kaixiang landed last week, so the Wong Throng is represented in totality in New Jersey. Unfortunately, we haven't been the healthiest bunch. We've all been battling a combination of nasty colds, coughs, flus, and stomach viruses. The Leonia branch has had it the worse (everyone has been hit there). Poor Audrey. I really thought that we would have to celebrate the holiday through conference calls.

The only healthy ones have been Jerry and Mom. My theory is that they are too ornery to get sick.

Still, it's been a great time, although it feels a bit more hectic than usual and a lot more logistics to figure out. We were all together this afternoon and it seemed to be mass chaos . . . although maybe it was the sheer quantity of food and the food stupor we were all in.

We should have some good photos and will post some soon . . . hopefully before Memorial Day (ha-ha-ha).

Raising a 16-year old daughter

2007-12-13T19:14:00.000-05:00

If, for some reason, Garrick is ever a 16 year-old girl I will be ready. He is currently fascinated with horses. Yep, horses. Specifically, he likes a video on Youtube posted by a 16 year-old girl. The song really makes it something every boy would love.

You really only have to see the first 30 seconds to get the idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUJOY7y_8QQ

and his response

2007-12-09T17:21:00.000-05:00

Wei Wei watching his video turned out to be more fun than the actual video.

A Christmas Greeting

2007-12-09T17:01:00.003-05:00

I was trying to have Wei Wei do a video Christmas card but I ended up with this. We hope to have more soon.

Too much time on our hands

2007-12-06T21:41:00.001-05:00

We managed to get Wei Wei into bed at 7:30pm. That's right. 7:30pm! A short list of our activities follows:

1) ate 3/4 of a bag of Smartfood.
2) ate 2 pieces of banana bread (homemade)
3) watched an episode of Project Runway
4) talked to various Wongs on the phone
5) ate a bowl of ice cream
6) surfed the web for great things like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_3Utmj4RPU&feature=related

7) learned that Natasha Bedingfield is a white girl--this has an entire back story
8) played Snood
9) updated the blog

At least he's wearing it

2007-12-04T22:10:00.000-05:00

There's been continued interest in underwear (good news). He's worn them to daycare for two days in a row now (good news). He's also told me that he won't use the toilet at daycare -- he only pees in the toilet at home (not-so-good news). And he's kept his word. He's wet his pants both days, though not until after lunch! That's some pretty impressive bladder control.

And we think he's been secretly reading Justine and Vasco's blog, as he's been showing some pretty impressive 'tude lately. Everything seems to be a battle. Jerry and I think we should come up with some sort of scoring system to rank the tantrums and "compete" with the twins and others in a Tantrum Tournament (we could do single-round elimination or a round-robin format).