Ahhhh.... after three weeks of non-stop visitors, we finally have some quiet around here. These days, I've been treasuring the moments when ESK has gone down for a nap and all I hear is the sound of air forced through the heating vent and the occasional "tap-tap" of my keyboard.
Of course, I enjoyed all our visitors. But this weekend, hubs and I will be doing N-O-T-H-I-N-G.
Too Much TV
Back in the not-so-distant past, I was not a TV watcher. I didn't follow any shows and turned on the TV usually to pop in a DVD or to catch the NY1 weather report (Weather on the Ones! for you NYers out there). I was a busy person, with a packed social schedule, and lots of reading to do.
Fast forward 1.5 years... No one told me pregnancy and having a baby would turn my brain to mush! I saw my sister catch the TV bug when GMK was born and didn't think I would succumb. But I've fallen into the TV trap. And hard.
I'm not very proud of the caliber of shows we watch regularly. Mostly reality TV like "The Hills", "Real World", and even... gulp... "A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila" (which, by the way, is full of some crazies!). Of course, we are really into Season 4 of "Project Runway". Love the fashionista drama! Anyone notice the Korean girl Victorya seems pretty talented, but you never see any clips of her? Also, when we can, we catch "Jon & Kate plus Eight". Watching eight kids run around makes me feel lucky to just have ONE right now.
Not all of our TV is crap however. On a recommendation, we also started watching "The Wire" and are now completely hooked. Sooo very good. It is quite seriously the best television drama series I've ever seen. Like a novel on your TV screen. It is a cop show and has it's share of grit and violence, but it is 100 times better than "Law & Order". You root for the good guys, but because the show is so realistic and shows all points of view, you also find yourself rooting for the bad guys (drug dealers). And then later on, you realize some of the "good guys" are actually not so great, and that some the drug dealers are crazy messed up, but you love 'em anyway.
And then of course, we rent many movies. So many that I now have short conversations with the guy at our video rental store. Recently, we saw a documentary called "God Grew Tired of Us". Highly recommend.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Fingers Crossed
ESK has been a poor sleeper lately. The past two nights, she's woken up in the middle of the night and played for two hours. Hubs has had really busy workdays lately, so it's up to me to keep the little one entertained. Which means, I've just been exhausted lately!
My fingers are crossed for a uninterrupted night of sleep tonight! I don't know how much more I can take!
My fingers are crossed for a uninterrupted night of sleep tonight! I don't know how much more I can take!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Interesting Weekend
We had an interesting weekend. Our friends from the Bay Area came to visit, two accomplished (and overly nice) women who we met while Shane was doing his fellowship at UCSF. They had never been to Portland before and we had an entire day planned out for them.
It was fun to show them around our neighborhood and parts of Portland, but we were really looking forward to Saturday evening. We hired a babysitter for the very first time (it went very smoothly!) and went to a much talked about restaurant. It was really our first adult night out since ESK arrived.
Unfortunately, dinner did not go as planned. Little did we know that one of our friends had been feeling sick all day but was too nice to tell us. She thought it was something that would pass. But by the time we ordered appetizers and main courses, the tiny tickle she had been feeling in her throat had blossomed into full-on nausea. She refused to have anything more than water and a few crumbs of bread. And in the middle our delicious main course entrees, she quietly excused herself to the bathroom, where she tossed her cookies.
I felt terrible for dragging her around Portland all day. And I felt guilty for trying to enjoy my meal while she was getting sick in the bathroom.
Luckily, by the end of dinner, she swore she was feeling 110% better and even finished off a glass of wine. I was hopeful for the evening to come. We planned on trying some martini bars in our neighborhood.
We were putting on our jackets and gathering our things, when all of sudden, the OTHER friend crashes into me and slumps to the floor. At first, we all thought she had tripped and fallen over. But when we heard her head hit the concrete floor with a loud thump, we knew something was wrong.
She was unresponsive for a few minutes and when she came to, she told us she had blacked out. To make a long story short, we ended up going to the ER that night (after some convincing -- doctors make the worst patients) and getting some diagnostic tests done. Turns out she had been sleep deprived and also dehydrated. Had I known her condition, I would have insisted we stay in and rent some movies instead.
The evening certainly did not turn out the way we had planned. Even as I'm writing this, I can't believe this actually happened.
It was fun to show them around our neighborhood and parts of Portland, but we were really looking forward to Saturday evening. We hired a babysitter for the very first time (it went very smoothly!) and went to a much talked about restaurant. It was really our first adult night out since ESK arrived.
Unfortunately, dinner did not go as planned. Little did we know that one of our friends had been feeling sick all day but was too nice to tell us. She thought it was something that would pass. But by the time we ordered appetizers and main courses, the tiny tickle she had been feeling in her throat had blossomed into full-on nausea. She refused to have anything more than water and a few crumbs of bread. And in the middle our delicious main course entrees, she quietly excused herself to the bathroom, where she tossed her cookies.
I felt terrible for dragging her around Portland all day. And I felt guilty for trying to enjoy my meal while she was getting sick in the bathroom.
Luckily, by the end of dinner, she swore she was feeling 110% better and even finished off a glass of wine. I was hopeful for the evening to come. We planned on trying some martini bars in our neighborhood.
We were putting on our jackets and gathering our things, when all of sudden, the OTHER friend crashes into me and slumps to the floor. At first, we all thought she had tripped and fallen over. But when we heard her head hit the concrete floor with a loud thump, we knew something was wrong.
She was unresponsive for a few minutes and when she came to, she told us she had blacked out. To make a long story short, we ended up going to the ER that night (after some convincing -- doctors make the worst patients) and getting some diagnostic tests done. Turns out she had been sleep deprived and also dehydrated. Had I known her condition, I would have insisted we stay in and rent some movies instead.
The evening certainly did not turn out the way we had planned. Even as I'm writing this, I can't believe this actually happened.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Time Flies/Crawls
I was talking to a friend yesterday who just had a baby a month ago. She's at the stage where she's barely leaving her home, spending most of her days in her pjs and getting used to sore nipples. It seems just yesterday I was just doing this with ESK.
While it's generally a joy to see ESK developing and growing up, it sometimes makes me sad to see her becoming increasingly independent. Perhaps, because I know someday in the not-so-distant future, I know she'll become a teenager and want to have nothing to do with me and scream like a banshee at the slightest provocation?
At the same time, I can't remember what life was like without ESK in our lives. I feel like she's been around forever! It's this weird feeling of having time fly, but going slow at the same time. I don't know if any of this makes sense.
Buried in Work
The weather today is gray and wet, our second consecutive day of overcast weather. It hasn't been too bad. Besides, I find myself suddenly buried in work. I mentioned that I didn't work many hours last month, and I guess my bosses thought it was time to really put me to work.
Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to put a dent in my new assignments. My mom and dad were here visiting, which made me busier than I thought I would be. I imagined kicking back, sleeping in a bit, while my mom played with ESK in the a.m. and made dinner every night. Somehow it didn't turn out that way. It was fun nonetheless. But I do think ESK is seriously spoiled now.
We're having a string of visitors (who are always welcome!) this month and I feel like I'm constantly tidying up the apartment. On Saturday, we have friends from the Bay Area coming into town. And then on Tuesday, my in-laws are here for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Whew!
Besides visitors, ESK is keeping me on my toes. She's continuously improving at crawling and using her "walkers" -- basically any object tall enough to lean on and slide around the apartment. I try to feed her as many calories as I can pack into a meal -- cheese, carbs, avocado, proteins. Basically, everything that I should be avoiding! But she moves around so much, I think it all just burns off. As squirmy as she is, when it comes to story time, she sits absolutely still while I read to her. I hope she learns to love reading!
While it's generally a joy to see ESK developing and growing up, it sometimes makes me sad to see her becoming increasingly independent. Perhaps, because I know someday in the not-so-distant future, I know she'll become a teenager and want to have nothing to do with me and scream like a banshee at the slightest provocation?
At the same time, I can't remember what life was like without ESK in our lives. I feel like she's been around forever! It's this weird feeling of having time fly, but going slow at the same time. I don't know if any of this makes sense.
Buried in Work
The weather today is gray and wet, our second consecutive day of overcast weather. It hasn't been too bad. Besides, I find myself suddenly buried in work. I mentioned that I didn't work many hours last month, and I guess my bosses thought it was time to really put me to work.
Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to put a dent in my new assignments. My mom and dad were here visiting, which made me busier than I thought I would be. I imagined kicking back, sleeping in a bit, while my mom played with ESK in the a.m. and made dinner every night. Somehow it didn't turn out that way. It was fun nonetheless. But I do think ESK is seriously spoiled now.
We're having a string of visitors (who are always welcome!) this month and I feel like I'm constantly tidying up the apartment. On Saturday, we have friends from the Bay Area coming into town. And then on Tuesday, my in-laws are here for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Whew!
Besides visitors, ESK is keeping me on my toes. She's continuously improving at crawling and using her "walkers" -- basically any object tall enough to lean on and slide around the apartment. I try to feed her as many calories as I can pack into a meal -- cheese, carbs, avocado, proteins. Basically, everything that I should be avoiding! But she moves around so much, I think it all just burns off. As squirmy as she is, when it comes to story time, she sits absolutely still while I read to her. I hope she learns to love reading!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
On Tuesday, I got my first haircut in six months. My ends were drying out and frizzy and with my post-natal hair loss, my hair just looked long and stringy. Most of the time, I was tying it in a bun or ponytail anyway....
So, I went to a nearby salon that's supposed to be pretty hip and posh. But I guess "hip and posh" in Portland means something else. I'm not that happy with my haircut. The good thing about the salon was that everyone was very nice -- no haughty attitude and no snooty once-over look at your purse/shoes/outfit (you know the one) that I used to get at salons I used to go to in New York or even San Francisco. The other good thing was the price -- only $35. That's less than half the price of my previous haircuts.
Unfortunately, I'm less than thrilled with my haircut. You get what you pay for? I was hoping that I would like it better after a few days (you know how that happens?), but two days out, I'm liking it even less. Mostly, I told my stylist that I wanted it shoulder length, hitting my collarbones. But it turned out more chin-length. I honestly think it's because she has little or no experience with Asian hair and underestimated that amount of natural curl I had. Did I mention Portland is a VERY white city?
Even out of the hair salon, my hair didn't look all that "put together". Usually, stylists make sure your hair is sleek and composed looking when you step out of the salon, even if you can't possibly recreate the look when you get home...
But maybe I'm being too harsh on her. Part of the reason my hair looks like crap right now is because a lot of my hair is still growing in. I have tiny baby hairs sticking out all over. Any of you mamas out there have any tips on how to tame these wisps of hair? They are so annoying! Maybe I'll pull a Britney and buzz it all off! Just kidding.
Diversity in Portland
So, speaking of diversity in Portland, there's very little of this in the Rose City. Asians are probably the largest minority here. Seeing an African-American or Latino/a is rare. I think they must all live in another part of town.
I do worry about raising ESK in such a white-washed city. Everyone here is very open and I have not heard even a hint of prejudice or racism yet. However, I've heard that the private schools here make it a point to have diverse student bodies. And diversity here in Portland means basically anyone who isn't WASP. I feel like on the East Coast and in California, anyone who is Jewish or Asian isn't really the target of diversity recruitment. But not here!
Also, I remember in college, there was a girl I lived with who grew up in Portland. She was very easy-going and friendly, but it was clear she wasn't used to other cultures. We had a communal telephone for the house we lived in and so we often took messages for one another. One evening, she told me my mom had called and when I asked her if she said anything else, she replied with scorn and a laugh, "I have NO idea! I couldn't understand a word she was saying!" I was pretty offended because 1) I was feeling homesick and looked forward to calls from home and 2) I'm pretty sure my mom's English is more than proficient.
Anyway, I hope ESK doesn't turn out this way or have friends like this. We're thinking of shipping her off to Korea or back to Philadelphia for a long period of time every summer to expose her to more ethnically diverse communities.
So, I went to a nearby salon that's supposed to be pretty hip and posh. But I guess "hip and posh" in Portland means something else. I'm not that happy with my haircut. The good thing about the salon was that everyone was very nice -- no haughty attitude and no snooty once-over look at your purse/shoes/outfit (you know the one) that I used to get at salons I used to go to in New York or even San Francisco. The other good thing was the price -- only $35. That's less than half the price of my previous haircuts.
Unfortunately, I'm less than thrilled with my haircut. You get what you pay for? I was hoping that I would like it better after a few days (you know how that happens?), but two days out, I'm liking it even less. Mostly, I told my stylist that I wanted it shoulder length, hitting my collarbones. But it turned out more chin-length. I honestly think it's because she has little or no experience with Asian hair and underestimated that amount of natural curl I had. Did I mention Portland is a VERY white city?
Even out of the hair salon, my hair didn't look all that "put together". Usually, stylists make sure your hair is sleek and composed looking when you step out of the salon, even if you can't possibly recreate the look when you get home...
But maybe I'm being too harsh on her. Part of the reason my hair looks like crap right now is because a lot of my hair is still growing in. I have tiny baby hairs sticking out all over. Any of you mamas out there have any tips on how to tame these wisps of hair? They are so annoying! Maybe I'll pull a Britney and buzz it all off! Just kidding.
Diversity in Portland
So, speaking of diversity in Portland, there's very little of this in the Rose City. Asians are probably the largest minority here. Seeing an African-American or Latino/a is rare. I think they must all live in another part of town.
I do worry about raising ESK in such a white-washed city. Everyone here is very open and I have not heard even a hint of prejudice or racism yet. However, I've heard that the private schools here make it a point to have diverse student bodies. And diversity here in Portland means basically anyone who isn't WASP. I feel like on the East Coast and in California, anyone who is Jewish or Asian isn't really the target of diversity recruitment. But not here!
Also, I remember in college, there was a girl I lived with who grew up in Portland. She was very easy-going and friendly, but it was clear she wasn't used to other cultures. We had a communal telephone for the house we lived in and so we often took messages for one another. One evening, she told me my mom had called and when I asked her if she said anything else, she replied with scorn and a laugh, "I have NO idea! I couldn't understand a word she was saying!" I was pretty offended because 1) I was feeling homesick and looked forward to calls from home and 2) I'm pretty sure my mom's English is more than proficient.
Anyway, I hope ESK doesn't turn out this way or have friends like this. We're thinking of shipping her off to Korea or back to Philadelphia for a long period of time every summer to expose her to more ethnically diverse communities.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Our Busy Bee
We live in downtown Portland, where there are a lot of young yuppies and hip retirees. So, come Halloween, we weren't quite sure what we'd be doing with ESK. Luckily, a neighborhood association organized a Howl-o-ween party in one of the buildings and we got to do some trick-or-treating. The older folks in the building just went ga-ga over all the little tots in costume. It was much fun. ESK had her 9-month check up today and I'm happy to say she is healthy girl. She charmed the nurse with her smiles and curious stares and hardly cried with her flu shot. I thought she had gotten so chubby and so tall over the past few months. But it turns out she's only 25th percentile in both height and weight. I guess I always imagined having a big fat baby, but I wouldn't trade in ESK for the world!
Anyway, I'm sure it's hard for her to keep her weight up these days with all the moving around she does. Here's a video of her using her Bumbo as a walker:
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