Holiday Travel

Jaime and I have been spoiled by the efficiency of the HK Airport and had to learn our hard lesson when we were told we couldn't make our flight when we arrived at the counter one hour before our flight was scheduled to depart. We were on the 6.45am flight going to Miami with a connecting flight to Panama yesterday. We were up all night packing and actually got done around 3 am. Being the "super efficient" travelers, we only left around 430am for the airport. That usually would have allowed us more time than we want at the HK airport but such is not the case when it comes to LAX. We missed the flight since the flight time somehow was changed from the time we booked to now departing at 6.20am so we had only 50 minutes at check-in. The staff thought with two luggages and a baby we wouldn't be able to make it to the gate on time. Afterall, it is the day before Christmas eve and LAX was a madhouse. So after one hour at the counter, we managed to get on the 12pm flight to MIA and had to spend overnight at Miami before catching the flight today to Panama. We were super conservative and arrived today at the MIA 3 hours before our flight departed (but still ended spending almost 40 minutes checking in somehow-- no wonder the line is always so long at the US airports). Two days and five airport meals later, we finally landed in Panama, and all three of us were exhausted (and Chamu and Mamu passed out and missed half of the Christmas Party).
Now we know why our parents always told us that we needed to be at the airport at least two hours before departure... Chamu couldn't disagree more with the super-uncool advice from his parents and made the same expression we always did before...One day, he will need to learn his own hard lesson when it comes to holiday travel, just you wait...

Joaquin's New Buddy

One of the best Christmas surprises this year is that little Liam decided to arrive early. I got the wonderful news the same day that I was running around between a wedding and a college reunion. Little Liam has arrived almost one week early! We went to the hospital to visit the happy family. Growing up together as teenagers, we (Jenny, Lisa and I) shared a lot in common but never have we dreamed that we would be giving birth to a boy all in the same year. First little Ian, then Joaquin and now Liam. Lisa looks so great after a natural delivery (I am so proud of her!). Even though it's only been 7 months, I had already forgotten how tiny they are when they are newborns...

My Berkeley Pals

Berkeley Friends at Vivian's - 10, originally uploaded by Joyce and Jaime.

I didn't exactly had the wild college life at Berkeley that everyone thought we Bears do and that I now regret sometimes why I didn't try. I did have a very close group of friends whom we shared a lot of joys and laughters with. I can't believe it's been more than 10 years since we graduated. Fortunately, we have kept our friendships and have all made an effort to stay close despite the fact we got people scattered from the East Coast to the West, from S.F., L.A., to Tokyo, Hong Kong and Taipei. This time in LA, Vivian helped host a gathering even though I only had a 2-hour window (in between attending a wedding ceremony to attending the wedding banquet). Just in time for more holiday cheers: we have two expectant mothers who will soon be giving birth to our already enlarged family.

Happy Holidays!

Chamu the Stuffy Nose Reindeer

Chamu had his first Christmas party this afternoon. He had a lot fun (according to Dadu since Mamu couldn't join) with his friends who together were all dressed in outfits that for sure will embarrass them when shown at their weddings some 20 years later (but they are too innocent to care or resist now). Little did Chamu know he had a doctor appointment waiting for him after the party.


He has had a stuffy nose since Sunday. He cannot breathe well and he has been refusing to eat and been waking up frequently in the evenings (somehow he always has excuses to wake up at night). At the doctor's office, they had to suck his nose with this machine and that freaked the heck out of him (and also Mamu who couldn't even bring herself to be in the same room when the nurse did it). He was a trooper though and stopped shrieking the minute the procedure was over. Chamu still has a running nose after we get home and we desperately want him to get better before our flight this Friday evening (would be quite painful if he cannot equalize at takeoff and landing). We had to give him his medicine tonight, hoping he can sleep better (it makes him drowsy) and get better. Hopefully Mamu can also sleep better and not to have to worry about Chamu.

Going meta

Ever since he was very little I've always played with him and this bee toy, having it buzz around him by flying it around by this little green strap. First he learned how to track it as it flew left and right. Then he started to reach for it and grab it. I would have it fly away at the last minute and he would always have a big laugh at that. Today I tried that and after a few rounds, he stopped grabbed my hand, took the strap from me and started happily flying the bee himself!

-- Jaime

Busy Mamu

Mamu has been so busy and have been coming home well after Chamu goes to bed. I usually only get to see him for 30 minutes before I have to go to work. He is so alert now and smiles a lot... Really wish that I could spend more time with him...

Good news is that his skin is getting better since we cut him off from the rice cereal and moved to rice porridge. Weekend is around the corner so I will get to see him more...

Chamu tests out the legroom in Business Class

Hanging out at KHH

Sleep Training

November is usually a busy month for me and this year was the same. Joaquin happened to have the skin eczema and was waking up every other hour at night. Not being able to get a full night sleep (or even a continuous 4-hour sleep) was starting to affect my coherence during the day. Last week, I finally decided to that it was time to adopt the CIT ("cry-it-out") method. But it was not that easy (since Jaime and I are both softies). I decided to give Chamu and ourselves another shot. I designed a new schedule for him (after checking with my good friend Karen) and started implementation last Saturday.
The main difference is putting him to bed at 7pm in the evening regardless of what state he is in. We used to wait until he was tired and sleepy before bringing him to his room which could be as late as 11pm (sometimes I would fall asleep before Chamu goes to bed and he would still wake up several time during the night). Since we put him on the new schedule, he has been sleeping from 7pm to 7am (well, he still wakes up at 11pm, 3am and 6am but it's already a big improvement...). We are now trying to train him off the 3am wakening (by feeding him diluted formula) and then hopefully the 11pm wakening too.
For the last few days, I had to come home late because of work and that means I didn't even get to see Chamu at all before he went to bed. I am really bummed but I think it's better that he gets enough sleep and I get enough sleep (and Dadu gets sleep and does not need to be yelled at by very sleep-deprived Mamu)...

P.S. We have moved to soy-based formula hoping that his eczema gets better. He now also wears socks on his hands to sleep. His skin is getting a bit better but still not fully recovered yet...