So on February 5th, the exact date you turned 9 months old, we took you for your 9 month check up at Dr. Fleiss’. You measured 29 inches tall and weighed 19 lbs 10.8 oz. And boy have you grown. In your height, they said that you were in the 95th percentile. That’s pretty darn tall. And you’re still growing. Yikes!

You continue to love to eat as well. You’re discovering different foods and starting not to like your baby food. You love noodles and sweets. Like chocolate (daddy shakes his head).

There goes raising you on a healthy diet!

And as you can see, if it doesn’t get all over the place, it doesn’t belong in your face.

So the day before Valentine’s Day, I had to fly up to Oakland, home of the Raiders, for work. It was planned so that I would be able to fly back the next afternoon in time for your first Valentine’s day, and I didn’t want to miss that. I also didn’t want to miss being with your mommy either.

Being the romantic that I am, and also since I knew that I was going to be out of town, I ordered to have a large bouquet of flowers sent to your mommy on Valentine’s Day while I was still in Oakland. So while I was in meeting after meeting, I keep wondering when your mommy would get the flowers, wanting to call her, hoping to hear her be all surprised and lovey-dovey. So between meetings, I would call and see how she was doing. She’d just say “Okay,” with a melancholy manner. I said, “Oh that’s nice,” trying not to sound too dissapointed. I wondered, “When she was going to get the flowers?!” I know that the flower shops are usually really busy on Valentine’s, but I hope that they don’t miss her before she leaves work. I didn’t want to ask her either and ruin the surprise.

As the day reached mid-afternoon, my meetings end and my co-workers and I headed back to the airport. I thought I’d call your mother again, and our conversation was pretty much the same. No flowers! Argh!!!!

I was also hoping to get home in time so I could do something special for your mommy. Maybe cook her a nice dinner or go to some fancy restaurant or something. After some traveling boo-boo’s by my co-worker who planned our travel arrangements to the airport; some walking; some near muggings in downtown Oakland; we finally arrived to the airport and just made our flight.

I arrived back home later than I thought. There was so much traffic. I got dropped off in front of our apartment at 7:30pm. It was dark and I walked up to our door and you and mommy were there to greet me with smiles, hugs and kisses. It was good to be home. Mommy surprised me with a wonderful home cooked meal that was amazing. I just loved it. And you loved it too. Especially the Belgian Brownies that just melted in your mouth. YUM!!

So then I asked your mommy, “Did you ever get any flowers?”

She broke out with a uproarious giggle and exclaimed, “Yes!” She continued, “I knew you were wondering about the flowers when you called. And there they were, sitting on my desk. But I just loved them! They are so gorgeous. I’m sorry, I just thought that it was funny hearing you wonder if I got them or not.”

So you gotta love you mommy’s “unique” sense of humor.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

As soon as this Target Commercial comes on, you stop dead in your tracks and stare at the TV or computer. It’s so cute. I don’t know if it’s the song or the voice of the singer, but I have to get a copy it of it so you can see it in the future.

Update:
So YouTube, took down the commercial so it’s not available now. I should’ve know better. Once they got big corp, they haven’t been the same. I didn’t even get to making a copy of the commercial. Stupid me! So instead, here’s a clip I took of you watching the commercial when it was still up.

Still too cute …

We’ve been having fun with you Muoi.

Here’s you getting sick of daddy taking pictures of you like the paparazzi, as I was trying to get your attention. “Over here Aslin!” “Aslin! You’re so cute! Give me a smile!”

If only you could make complete sentence, you’d be saying, “Stop it Daddy!! Daddy crazy!” And if you were mean, you’d say, “Get Outta Face Mista!” with a little neck twirl, with a finger snap.
Ever since Kelina, aka TITA, started staying with us again, you’ve been getting to know each other again. You took to her really fast. It’s amazing. It’s like you know that you guys are sisters. Here’s you, Tita and Mia having a good time feeding you and celebrating the New Year.

It’s funny, you are now at the point that you want to eat all the junk that everyone else is eating. We feed you almost everything that we eat and what we know you can eat. So now we have to try and keep things healty. Like above, you were attacking the Triscuits that Tita was eating.

Recently, you discovered oranges. When you took your first bite you didin’t quite know what to make of it. You krinkled your face as though it was the most disgusting thing you’ve ever tasted. But then you took another taste and gnawed on it, and you liked it! You had one piece after another. Whined and reached when we didn’t give you a piece right away. It was pretty funny.

Well… we didn’t exactly stay up until midnight, Pacific Standard Time. But we did countdown New Years in New York. So since they are 3 hours ahead of us, we got to go to sleep early. Besides, there was no way you were going to stay up till midnight our time. You would’ve been really really crabby and we don’t like it when you’re crabby.

But anyway, we only actually accidentally ran across the countdown because daddy wanted to see what was on ESPN, hoping to see some sports highlights on Sports Center. If ESPN doesn’t exist anymore by the time you’re able to read this, which I highly doubt, it’s THE sports channel of sports channel. And since they’re in New York, we made it just in time to see their countdown. And what grand countdown! We had champagne. We as in mommy and daddy. And we shared a New Years kiss.

And then you went to bed! Then mommy and daddy played sudoku and “partied” for an hour before we went to bed too!

WOO HOO!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Merry Christmas Baby!

The holidays are the a time to spend with family and loved ones. A week earlier, our family started coming in. The boys flew in on the 18th and Kelina flew in on the 22nd and you got to spend time with your brothers and sisters who were amazed by how much you have grown since they’ve last seen over the summer. We shopped for our “Not So” Secret Santa and poked and prodded each other trying to find out who each other had. Some caved in and others stood strong.

So Christmas morning came and to celebrate the commercialization of the birth of Christ and the season of giving, we opened presents. Here’s who had who. Mommy had Jared, Daddy had Mia, Kelina had you, Mia had Daddy, Julius had Jared and Jared had Kelina. We had a wonderful time smiling and laughing at the presents that we received and thanked each other for the spendid gifts.

For friends that weren’t there, we thank you too for the thoughtful presents.

Later on in the day, we all got ready, dressed you in the beautiful dress that Kelina got you, boarded the car and drove to Yeh-yeh’s and Ma-ma’s house where all the Grand-Uncles, Grand-Aunties, Uncles, Aunties, and Cousins gathered. The food was bountiful and delicious. The joy and laughter warming. We all celebrated into the evening, took many pictures, and opened presents. It was your’s and your newborn cousin Kaiya’s first Christmas.

Daddy and Mommy wish you a Merry Christmas and many more wonderful Christmases to come.