07.17.09
July 4th Trip to San Diego (there are a lot of pics on this post...hopefully you make it to the end)
Our flight was leaving around 8am on Friday morning. The night before we plan to leave at 6:15am, because we need to park in long term parking, check in bags, and factor in delays because it was July 4th weekend. We end up getting up at 6:30am! We park in short term parking (which costs us an additional $100), then end up buying a plane ticket for Aaron because we did not have his birth certificate, we end up bringing EVERYTHING on the plane because we did not have enough time to check in...luckily we make the flight with about 10 minutes to go. We start the weekend off with a bang =)
Enjoying Madagascar on the plane ride down...he did pretty good on the flight in general...thank god it was only a one hour flight =)
We land in San Diego, grab the rental car, and head on over to SD Zoo.
Have to show SD Zoo's panda...there was a pretty big line to see this...
Aaron holding Marty while watching the zebras...
Getting ready to see the polar bears...
SD Zoo's polar bears were so awesome...they were very playful in their pool.
Family pic on the chromed out polar bear...
Having fun jumping off the curb...
Aaron took about 1.5 hour nap in the stroller...it worked out pretty well, because we did not have to leave the Zoo...
1st time having crack, er I mean ice cream...
Aaron was asking Ma Ma to join him in this picture....
When we're in the hotel later that night, Aaron climbs out of the pack and play for the first time...on one hand I'm impressed (and proud), but on the other hand, I'm thinking how are we going to get any sleep this weekend...Aaron moves around a lot when he sleeps. Jess ends up sleeping with Aaron.
Sea World!
Checking out the dolphins...
Trying to dip his finger tips in the water...
Face to face with Shamu and Shamu Jr....
Watching Shamu...Mom was more excited about this than Aaron...Aaron calls Shamu "Mu"...if you ask him what Mu does, he'll say "Spash" (splash), and bring his arms down.
Pretty awesome I must say...
Showing Aaron the star fish...the water was FREEZING...
Had to include this shot for Shell...
This was cute shot...this little boy sat beside Aaron to show him his necklace...
He was excited about seeing cookie monster until he got up there...he is holding on to mom for dear life...
Aaron put this together while we were at Sea World...his future looks bright at Tetris...
He also liked knocking down what he built up...boys will be boys...
Sea World was great...Aaron definitely enjoyed it there...we'll be back here again for sure.
Legoland!
He was excited about Thomas the train...he does not really know Thomas (we keep it that way because those toys are waayyyy too expensive), but he loves those trains!
The force was not strong in Aaron...
Aaron had fun building cars....
and racing them down the track...
Having fun with Mom...
Had to include this one because of the great smile...
We're getting ready to blast off!
Getting Aaron in the water playing mood...
Waiting for the geyser to pop...
Legoland was OK, it would have been better if Aaron was older so he could have ridden more of the rides.
On the plane ride back home, everything goes right on schedule...
Little buds even has time for a snooze on the ride back...
06.27.09
Gilroy Gardens
This place freaking rocks for kids (very age appropriate for Aaron)...we went with Steve, Bernice, and Ayden, and we all had a great time...we'll be back for sure!
Mom and Aaron ready to rock!
First up the Merry Go Round...
Waiting in line for the strawberry ride with Steve and Ayden...
We were a little nervous on this one, because he would be strapped in by himself...then I thought what is the worst thing that can happen in 30 seconds...he did fine.
He really like driving the cars and fire trucks...I picked out a burnt orange car for him...
Nice family shot before we go up in the balloon...
Aaron and I go on the Ferris Wheel....Mom had a bad experience with this in the past, so it's a dude ride...
Aaron enjoying a frozen snack on a hot day...
Nice shot of the Lui Family...
One, Two, Threeeeeeeee (he is actually trying to count)...
He gets comfortable going head first...
We go hit the water park....
I think Mom is having more fun that Aaron...
05.29.09
Memorial Day Weekend!
It was jam packed, but we had a great time, and Aaron was great throughout...it is really been fun taking him out more, because he is so much more aware now.
SF Ferry Building (Aaron's first time to SF)
It was great hanging out with Steve and Kathy!
He loved chasing the birds...
The staredown...
Nice family pic with the Bay Bridge in the background...
Trying to find more birds...
Lookin good with the chucks...
Steve wants to take a pic with Aaron, and I can tell Aaron does not want to go to Steve (he's holding me pretty tight), so I tell Steve just to just grab him...here is the result...
Much calmer pic...
Oakland Zoo (Which is much much better than the SF Zoo)
Aaron was running around all over the place checking out the animals...we'll be back here again soon...this place rocks!
Aaron and Jericho...Aaron had to borrow Jericho's sweater because it was a little chilly in the morning...lookin pretty preppy...
I believe Aaron is pointing out the giraffes...
Chillin with Mom on a frog...
Jericho with Kristina...
Climbing on the spider web...
Pic with the old man...
Combing the goats at the petting zoo...the goats seemed sedated...way too calm...
Jericho was more interested in the broom instead of the goats...
Aaron spotting Nile Crocodile (from Little Einsteins)...
Hanging out at the Park
Great shot that Mom got...Aaron saw me go down the slide with my arms raised up, so he copied me, and went down by himself...seeing that joy makes everything worth it.
After wards, I slide down head first, and then Aaron climbs on me...he says "bak" that is when he want to climb on my back and go for a ride...
Great weekend!
05.24.09
Man, it's been a while since I've given an update...here are some random pics over the last month...here we gooooooooo....
Aaron's latest class portrait...it's more of a nervous smirk, rather than a smile...love the shirt...
Class shot...amazingly Aaron is the only Asian kid in his class...
Playing on the swing set with Grandma...once and a while he wants to play on the "big boy" swing...I would have pics of this, but I am playing "net" in case he falls off.
So relaxing...
Tough guy...
Aaron was helping me wash the rice here...he would laugh a lot when I put wet rice on his arms.
Swim School
We have enrolled Aaron into swim school...this is not the first time he's been in a pool, but this is the first time he is formally taking lessons...this will go on for the next 4 Saturdays. He's learning how to kick, blow bubbles, be comfortable on his back, swallow water (ok, not this one, but he's doing it quite a bit), etc. Overall he is doing very well...and he is definitely becoming more comfortable. He is doing a great job kicking...we'll be spending a lot of time in Grandpa and Grandma's pool this summer!
Checking out the scene before he goes in...
Gotta love the palm tree sandals...
I get him to laugh in the water (yes I am pale)....
One of the first dunkings...he did ok, but he was gripping me pretty hard after the first one...
Trying to get him to blow bubbles...
In the pool with Ma Ma and Momo (Nemo from Finding Nemo)...
Nice shot...
04.20.09
Trip to the Children's Muesuem!
Every boys dream job...
Aaron wants to show Mom how to handle the wheel...
He liked putting the balls on top of the air blower...
In the bubble room, he is waiting for a bubble to come down...
He takes a swing at it...
He cannot help but pop it...
He really liked watching the washer go around and around...although when he did it, he would just throw it down the hole...
Next up the water area...kids just loved sitting in the whirlpool it is so relaxing for the kids...Aaron sizes it up...
Ok, so I lied...the kids and sometimes adults would throw the balls in the whirlpool...Aaron is boxing out the girl from the balls...nice move...
Aaron attempts to balance a ball on the water fountain...
Attempt unsuccessful, but it was fun...
hmmmmmmmmm, what masterpiece shall I create...
No he is not short, he is just with older...girls...
I show him my double fist technique...
Finally some quiet time to himself...
03.27.09
03.14.09
I've spent most of this blog documenting our activities with Aaron, wanted to give an update on his personality, likes, dislikes, etc:
Here we go....
-We started teaching Aaron sign language at about 9 months (through DVDs and mom's skillz), and he has a good list of words (close to 30). This has helped us communicate with him, which has helped in less tantrums. Here is a sampling of some of the words he knows: eat, more, drink, bird, please, mom...
-His favorite food is blueberries...a close second is waffles (he says waffles by going "wa wa wa wa").
-When we're eating in restaurants, I have to eat twice as fast as I usually do (I already scarf down food pretty fast), because once he's done...he will not sit still in the high chair...I need to let him walk around outside.
-He's becoming a ring leader in school...he likes to get the kids screaming and running around the room. In the previous room he was in he was of the few kids that knew how to unlock the baby gate...so he would lead a lot of jail breaks...
-His favorite show is Little Einsteins...and his favorite movies are Finding Nemo and Cars. When he wants to watch TV, he'll sit in his chair, point to the TV, and nod yes.
-He is still learning to share...I like to put him in these "moral dilemmas"...when he has a lot of blueberries in front of him, he will share with me...I ask him to share when there are only two left and he shakes his head no.
-He sleeps from 7 to 7...thank GOD!
-His first word was dinosaur ("dinasr").
-He is now drinking from a cup (under parental supervision), sippy cup, and utilizing a straw. When he is drinking in his high chair, he always puts the cup back in the cup holder slot.
-He loves to get read to...some of his favorite books: Bear Wants More, How Does A Dinosaur Say Goodnight?, The Cat and The Hat.
-Some of his favorite songs: Wheels on the Bus, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
That is all we can think of for now...will update as we come up with more...
03.08.09
Sorry, for the long hiatus...will be better in keep the site up to date...
We load up the car to take Aaron to Fort Funston. The weather was great that day, so we wanted to spend some time on the beach.
Checking out the scene...
I start taking him out to greet the waves...
I let him go, and eventually a wave causes him to lose balance and fall (my bad!)...we all know how warm that ocean water is...
Waiting to change into dry clothes...
Snacking on the beach...
Who needs a lazy boy when you have Auntie Shell...those pale legs belong to Mom...
Mom helps Aaron build a sand castle...
We take Aaron back out, and he does not want a repeat of history, so he tries to hold up his legs when Mom puts him down...
Walking back with Grandma...
Had to take a shot of Pete's comfortable trench...
02.08.09
2008 Year in Review
I thought that it would be good for me to recap 2008. So I took a picture from each month.
Watching his Baby Einstein...still needs the recliner (Bumpo) to hold up his head...
Trying to reach his toys...
Reading Green Eggs and Ham (no I am not sleeping)...
Starting to crawl...
Working on his motor skillz...
Chillin at Ikea in June...
Walking down the aisle as a family at Deb's Wedding...it was HOT that day...
Picking up and throwing a football (I'm shedding a tear)...
Aaron's birthday in August after Mom shoves his hand in the cake (Mom's celebrates with her evil laugh)...
Had to show "The Haircut" again...
This is a great shot, we had Pete and Jade sit down before we feed them, then Aaron walks up to make sure that they're in line...
Nice pic at the Pumpkin patch...
Just like Mom...
Merry Xmas!
01.24.09
Trip to Texas
We left at the crack of dawn on the flight from Sac to Texas. For the most part, it was a uneventful flight (which is a good thing =)...we played some Little Einstein's shows on my laptop that kept him occupied, and he eventually fell asleep. I wish our return flight back went as smooth...more later on this...
Also in other big news, my Sister and her long time Boyfriend get Engaged! Congrats to the both of them!
My Dad showing Aaron how to draw...
We go to the Longhorn Store to buy up some gear! Nice pic by Phi...
Afterwards we go stuff our face with cupcakes! Aaron's first...
We then go to the Aquarium downtown...
Minding our own business...and all of a sudden this Tiger came outta nowhere...
The calm before the storm...at first I did not want him to get wet, but I eventually caved...I am glad I did =)
We took off his pants and shoes, and let him go to town....
The smile says it all...
He drys off in Mom's hoodie...luckily the weather and the water was warm...
Aaron see sawing with his invisible buddy...
Stella is careful not to catapult Aaron off...
Frisbee skillz...
Nice pic with Auntie Stella...
Walking Aaron up his "Half Dome"
I liked this pic with Mom...
The cheesy engagement shot...
Aaron and Bentley hanging out at the dog park...
This puppy was too cute, so we had to take a picture with it...he was very well behaved...
The plane ride back to Sac...our flight left around 9pm...he was VERY fussy when we were checking our bags in...after security check, I buy a full sized yogurt parfait, and he eats about 90% of it...I'm thinking, cool his stomach is satisfied, so he should be snoozing on the plane...NOT. We show him Finding Nemo, and a couple of Little Einstein episodes, and he is STILL awake, and moving around like crazy, he just could not sit still...thank god he did not cry at all. A three hour plane ride seems like it is six hours...when the plane lands, both Jess and I are totally relieved and exausted...when we stand up to leave our row, all of the passengers around us tell us how good Aaron was...I do not want to know what bad is if that was good...afterwards, I tell Jess we're driving to Texas year...
12.29.08
We wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!
We headed up to Sac the night of the 23rd. Aaron really had a hard time sleeping that night. We finally let him sleep in the bed with us. Once he got in our bed, he went down in less than a minute..he's starting to play Mom and Dad like a cheap violin...
Pic with Cousins Robin and Lisa...
Sorry Aaron, but you are not the youngest anymore...pic with Jeremy and Cheng...
Family shot by the tree...
Uncle Phil...
Auntie Michelle LOVED walking around the house holding Aaron's hand...
We took Aaron outside with the dogs, and he loved kicking the leaves with Mom...
There is a smile in there somewhere...
I am sure everyone has seen Christmas Story a million times by now...does that jacket bring back any memories..."Hey guys wait for me...."
After roughly 10 shots, we get one with Pete looking at the camera and Aaron smiling...yes, my eyes are open...
This one is even more miraculous...Jade and Pete looking at the camera, AND Cory not blinking...
Aaron is excited to spend time with Uncle Steve and Kathy...
Aaron helps Grandpa read about the birth of Jesus...
Aaron with all of his gifts (Thanks Everyone)...
He's checking out a toy from his favorite show Little Einsteins...
Checking out his new "vroom vroom" (Aaron speak for car)...
Pic with Jeanny...thanks for the cowboy hat!
All of the dudes get a portable pull up bar (Thanks Dad!), and Aaron wants to give it a shot...
Finally, Aaron's goofy face...
Up next...the trip to Texassssssssssssssssssssssssssssss....
12.15.08
Trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium!
We headed out to Monterey Bay Aquarium with Chris, Jelena, and Carmel...we all had a great time.
Me and little buds waiting for the feeding session to begin at the main tank...this event is worth the admission alone!
Checkin out the Sea Otters...
Nice action shot...he really liked chasing the birds outside...
Where is a good stick when you need one...
Goofin around with Mom...
Checking out the anchovies...
This will be the photo on their Xmas cards this year...
Nice shot trying to reach the jellyfish...
It was a miracle that Jess got this photo...both kids relatively looking at the camera with no one around...
We finished the day in the kids area...Aaron liked putting the blocks through their respective holes..
11.28.08
Ben and Wendy's Wedding
My family comes out for my cousin's wedding in Tahoe.
Shot at Halu Ramen...BTW, Aaron loves Japanese food =)
We rent a Toyota mini van for the Tahoe road trip...I will NEVER get one (unless it's for Jess), but it was GREAT driving it around. It has about 20 cup holders, great pick up through the mountains, and it fits 6.25 people plus one dog very comfortably.
Little bud snoozing on the way up to Tahoe...
Pic with the Grandparents...
Pic with Auntie Stella and Phi...
Pic with sexy Mama...
Aaron showing us his Heisman pose...
We decided to make him look a little hipper this time with the tux...we tucked out his shirt and put him in his chucks...my sister comments that he's as fashionable as Justin Timberlake...
Shot of the boyz...
Aaron is getting much more vocal now now and he really does not stay still, so I stayed in the back with him while the wedding ceremony went on.
Afterwards, the guitarist at the wedding is nice enough to let Aaron strum a few bars on his guitar...
On the way back we go back to Sac and spend some time at Jess' parents pool...
Aaron gives us his blast off pose (Phi is too chicken to go in because he does not want to mess up his hair)...
11.05.08
Happy Halloween!
We had a jam packed last two weeks filled with pumpkins and dragons...
Pumpkin Patch
Steve, Bernice, and Ayden invited us to the Pumpkin Patch in Livermore and we all had a great time! Let's do it again next year. If you would have told me a year ago I would get excited about going to a pumpkin patch, I would have thought you were crazy...
Family shot...
Practicing his dead lift...
I think we found a winner...
We find a nice climbing tree to rest on...
Ridem cowboy...yeeeeehaw...
Steve and I trying to feed Aaron lunch...
Nice shot Mom...
Boo at the Zoo
The SF Zoo had a special event, so we took Aaron there with the Grandparents.
Cute pic with Grandpa checking out the bears...
The Dragon is released into the wild...where are your Dragon pants?
Big smile with Grandma and Grandpa...
One of the highlights of the visit is when they feed the bears in the pond with live fish...it was awesome to see the bears corner and eat the fish up close and personal. Aaron was right up on the glass...luckily it did not freak him out. Not a great pic, but it shows how close we were to them...
At this point, he was getting pretty tired walking, so he wanted Grandma to carry him...
One of the highlights of the Zoo is the train ride for the kiddies...truthfully I think the Grandparents had more fun...
Trick or Treating
We took Aaron trick or treating in the neighborhood. It was pretty cold, so we did not stay out there too long.
Getting ready to hit the houses...
Aaron mesmerized by the decorations...
Of course I had Aaron grab my favorite candy...
See ya next year!
10.29.08
Swimming!
We've had Aaron in the pool a couple of times over the last couple of months...it is definitely a plus that the Grandparents have a pool up in Sacramento =) He loves playing in the water.
Showin off the beer belly. This is the first time he is in the sun with his shirt off, and I am as pale as he is...sad...
Family group shot...
Shot with Mom...
Shot with the Grandparents...he looks like a old man with that comb over hair...
We would play this game where I would swim under his raft and pop up and surprise him...he's trying to find out where I am now...
He would always have a big laugh every time I would come up...
Here are some random shots over the last couple of months:
Cute pic of Grandpa showing Aaron a new toy at Ikea...
This is Aaron's personal love seat (his head is blocking his name)...he actually climbs in the chair with the remote control ready to watch his favorite TV show Little Einsteins.
Andy and Ethan...Andy and I both met our wives at Club Cocomo on the same night (I actually met Jess earlier but it's a long story)! So when this pic was being taken, Andy says "Thanks a lot Club Cocomo"
Aaron with a watchful eye on Sunnyvale's finest...
Lurking...
Ready to pounce with that big smile of his...
These pics are courtesy of Eugene Pong when we went to Fort Funston...
Great shot of Pete, so I had to include it...
10.11.08
The Haircut II
After the last incident, we were pretty rattled...once we built up the courage again, we decided to give Aaron's hair another shot. Besides, we could not let Aaron go to school every day with that last haircut. It was a tough, he fought all of the way, but I think we're pretty happy with the results.
Baby and Dad are happy that it is all over...
Hahahaha...ok, seriously, we decided to take out the element of human error and put the clippers on a 6 and went at it, as long as I stayed away from the eyebrows, it's all good.
Little buddy was good throught the entire process, he was probably just freaked out....
The aftermath...
Not too bad...I have decided that he will have this haircut the rest of his life...
Chucks
This is the only article of clothing that Aaron and I have the exact same thing of...courtsey of Phi. Sadly, i think his shoes cost the same as mine.
09.20.08
Trip to the Zoo!
Since we had Monday off, and my parents were in town, we decide to take Aaron to the SF Zoo. He's too young to remember this, but we all had a great time. To top it off, the weather was warm and sunny, which is extremely rare in SF.
Check out the following link if you want to see more photos at the zoo:
http://picasaweb.google.com/chiuaustin/090108AaronAtTheZoo?authkey=GUTCeT-KP9g#
Little dude is cooler than the other side of the pillow...
Grandma and Grandpa with Aaron and the giraffes...
Our turn...
Hurry up Grandma! We've got places to go animals to see...
Aaron is starting to walk with assistance...cute pic with Mom and Grandpa...
Seeing that smile makes it all worth it...
At the petting zoo..
I was a little nervous approaching this one...God game them horns for a reason...
Nice pic with Mom...
Goofin around after lunch...
Aaron loves watching Little Einsteins...during every show the characters say "Blast Off!" and they raise their hands...now when we say it Aaron raises his hands about 50% of the time...we were lucky enough to get this one on camera...
The Haircut...
We figure it's time to give Aaron his first haircut...he was getting the comb over and the mullet at the same time...
We distract him with his favorite fruits...before shot...
Close up of the before sideburns...
Mom goes in for the kill, and takes a shot at the sideburns....
Needless to say, she went a little high...
Mom loses confidence, and hands the shears over to an ol pro (me)...
uh (cough), um...yeah...went slightly high on the bangs...ever seen dumb and dumber...remember Lloyd?
Aaron's day care sees him for the first time: "Oh my gosh! Did Aaron get a hold of the scissors?" Nuff said...
09.05.08
Aaron's First Birthday!
As you can imagine, this was a pretty big deal...both sets of grandparents and 50+ of our closest friends would be here. It was a pretty stressful week getting ready before hand. I definitely want to thank all of those who helped out with the decorations, set up, and clean up: All Grandparents, Deb, Jay, Shell, Evie, and Winnie. Thanks to all that showed up and all of the great gifts too! As you will see from the pics...we had a dinosaur theme...
You can see the full photo album here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/chiuaustin/083108AaronSBirthday?authkey=mG87qLq5QHk#
Never realized how many of our friends have kids now...Pete snuck in there too...
Aaronasauraus...
Peteasauraus...
Dinosaur Egg HUNT!
This picture is too cute...Olivia picks up a goldfish and actually shares with Aaron...sharing is caring...
Who's more excited in this pic...Ayden or Steve...
The bounce house was a big hit...
Carmel, Aaron, Olivia, and Mia...Aaron as long as you live in the Bay, you will NEVER see the guy to girl ratio like this so consider yourself lucky!
Aaron with his buddy Jericho...
Mia looking very stylish in her hat...
Max is not feelin it in the bounce house...
Mommy helping Aaron pull on the pinata...
Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn (who does not belong in this pic)....
ddddddddddddddddddddddyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! (Like taking candy from a baby)
Little dude admiring the cake...what happens next is one of the highlights of the party...
Aaron gently touches the cake, then Mom shoves his hand in...at first he's not sure how to react...
One second later....he responds...
Mom is evil...
The aftermath...
Grandpa and Grandma with their birthday gift that Aaron and every kid at the party absolutely loved....
08.29.08
Before I start with the next post, I have to share a pretty funny story. When Aaron went back to Texas my Mom got the high chair below from a friend that was giving away their baby furniture.
Winnie reads Aaron's blog, and she recognized that high chair.
This was Winnie with the same model high chair in Boston some 20+ years ago (notice how I did not mention specific years)!
Family pics with the Jang clan
During July 4th weekend, we also had a chance to take some family pics with Aaron. It was pretty warm in the studio, so we had to act quickly or Aaron would not be in a good mood. On top of that, he pooped like 3 times while we were there...we actually had to ask someone there for a diaper.
Close up of the little dude...you can see his chompers...
While they were changing the background, Grandma puts Aaron in this Radio Flyer car...the smile says it all...
Pic with Mom...Mom always complains "Honey, how come you never have a picture of Aaron and me on his Xanga site..." When she starts a sentence with Honey, I know she's not messin around...
Pic with Jang clan and significant others...not to worry Jeanny, we'll photoshop you in. This will eventually become the family photo....hint hint...wink wink...nooooooo pressure...
Finally a pic with Uncle Steve, too bad they cut off Steve's hair in this shot...we actually spiked up Aaron's hair so they could have matching styles.
08.09.08
Jay and Deb's Wedding!
The entire Chiu family was involved in Jay and Deb's wedding (we gave them a group discount) on July 4th weekend. We had a great time the entire weekend with the bachelor/ette party, wedding rehearsal, and of course the wedding and reception. All pics courtsey of Shell...thanks!
Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez...you guys are awesome!
Jess bringin Aaron down the aisle...and Aaron trying to eat the rings...
Jess hands him off to me, so he can be with the boys...he's pretty good, but he does the "ba ba ba ba ba ba" speech a couple of times during the cerimony...
Family pic after the cermony is over...what a great smile...Aaron's and Jess' smile aren't that bad either...
Afterwards we all hopped on a small train that took us around the reception area. It was really hot that day, so we changed him out of his tux.
Thanks again to Grandma Jang for the little guy's tux...it was a big hit! To the other Jangs and my sister reading this, get married in the next year, or he's going to grow out of this thing...not like any of you needed any more pressure =)
08.03.08
Ready to rock and roll...Jess and Aaron at the terminal in San Jose...they both look happy now...
Jess feeds Aaron a bottle to help with the ear pressure...the person that sits by Jess on the airplane is a Godsend...she helps Jess with Aaron during the entire trip...
Little buddy takes a snooze on mama...Jess gets a moment to rest as well...
Overall his first airplane experience was not too bad (easy for me to say since I was not there for the first one), Aaron was pretty active which can be a handful, but at least he did not cry on the flight...just remember food = happiness.
They make it to Texas safe and sound...we stay at Stella's place while we're in Houston.
Stella and Phi with Aaron...
Stella feeds Aaron...like the high chair? It's from the 70s...bet you could not tell. It still works so we're not complaining...
Aaron enjoys a moment with Bently...Bently, enjoy this time while Aaron is still the same size as you.
It was cute seeing them respond to each other, Bently would actually drop a toy in front of Aaron, hoping that he would either play fetch or tug of war.
Mom and Dad with Aaron...thanks for babysitting while we were there...we got some needed down time, and Aaron got to spend some quality time with the Grandparents.
Back on the plane ride back...Aaron checks out the view from the top...
Here is the backpack that I was mentioning earlier...very helpful...he actually enjoys riding in it checking out the sites. We all look forward to coming back to Texas soon...just need to make sure that it is cooler next time =)
07.27.08
Recently we dedicated Aaron at our church (GRX). What exactly does this mean? This is when we present Aaron before God and the church to ask for grace, wisdom, and prayers to carry out our responsibility as Christian parents. We make a promise to provide Aaron with the proper spiritual guidance in hope that someday he will come to trust Jesus Christ as his Savior. Thanks for all that came out...even for the ones that came late (Kim and Kristina)
Little dude checking out the crowd...
Pastor Steve blessing Aaron...he did not move his head during this time...
07.20.08
Nice pic with Grandma and Grandpa...
05.14.08
Fooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood....another one of my favorite subjects.
Aaron has always had a insatiable appetite...he has graduated from breast milk to formula, and is now he is working on solid foods! We started him with rice cereal...now he's working through veggies, meats, and fruit. He has been making great progress!
One of the very first pics of Aaron with a bottle.
Now he's able to hold the bottle himself...this has been a huge blessing, because I can get some other things done while he's drinking his formula.
His first time with rice cereal...you gotta make em want it...
This is the first time we feed him with a spoon as well, so as you can imagine, it is pretty messy.
Auntie Winnie feeds him peas....mmmmmmmm
To introduce new foods, we give him the new food every morning for three days straight. Then we watch to make sure that he does not break into any type of funky rash or have some other type of allergic reaction to the food. Some notable foods that he has had: peas, tofu, apples, pears, oatmeal, Cheerios, carrots, yogurt, chicken, etc. So far he loves everything...he's a little sketchy on the tofu, but he still eats it. Right now he's eating about every 3-4 hours.
As you can tell, he also likes spraying his food...not to worry, we just put him in front of Pete afterwards, and he just licks him clean....just kidding Mom.
He definitely knows how to open his mouth for the spoon now...Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (That is the sound I make to get him to open up)...
We are also teaching him how to pick up small snacks to help with his motor skills...he's getting better at this...about 47.9% of the Cheerios actually make it into his mouth.
One satisfied full baby...
05.13.08July 4th Trip to San Diego (there are a lot of pics on this post...hopefully you make it to the end)
Our flight was leaving around 8am on Friday morning. The night before we plan to leave at 6:15am, because we need to park in long term parking, check in bags, and factor in delays because it was July 4th weekend. We end up getting up at 6:30am! We park in short term parking (which costs us an additional $100), then end up buying a plane ticket for Aaron because we did not have his birth certificate, we end up bringing EVERYTHING on the plane because we did not have enough time to check in...luckily we make the flight with about 10 minutes to go. We start the weekend off with a bang =)
Enjoying Madagascar on the plane ride down...he did pretty good on the flight in general...thank god it was only a one hour flight =)
We land in San Diego, grab the rental car, and head on over to SD Zoo.
Have to show SD Zoo's panda...there was a pretty big line to see this...
Aaron holding Marty while watching the zebras...
Getting ready to see the polar bears...
SD Zoo's polar bears were so awesome...they were very playful in their pool.
Family pic on the chromed out polar bear...
Having fun jumping off the curb...
Aaron took about 1.5 hour nap in the stroller...it worked out pretty well, because we did not have to leave the Zoo...
1st time having crack, er I mean ice cream...
Aaron was asking Ma Ma to join him in this picture....
When we're in the hotel later that night, Aaron climbs out of the pack and play for the first time...on one hand I'm impressed (and proud), but on the other hand, I'm thinking how are we going to get any sleep this weekend...Aaron moves around a lot when he sleeps. Jess ends up sleeping with Aaron.
Sea World!
Checking out the dolphins...
Trying to dip his finger tips in the water...
Face to face with Shamu and Shamu Jr....
Watching Shamu...Mom was more excited about this than Aaron...Aaron calls Shamu "Mu"...if you ask him what Mu does, he'll say "Spash" (splash), and bring his arms down.
Pretty awesome I must say...
Showing Aaron the star fish...the water was FREEZING...
Had to include this shot for Shell...
This was cute shot...this little boy sat beside Aaron to show him his necklace...
He was excited about seeing cookie monster until he got up there...he is holding on to mom for dear life...
Aaron put this together while we were at Sea World...his future looks bright at Tetris...
He also liked knocking down what he built up...boys will be boys...
Sea World was great...Aaron definitely enjoyed it there...we'll be back here again for sure.
Legoland!
He was excited about Thomas the train...he does not really know Thomas (we keep it that way because those toys are waayyyy too expensive), but he loves those trains!
The force was not strong in Aaron...
Aaron had fun building cars....
and racing them down the track...
Having fun with Mom...
Had to include this one because of the great smile...
We're getting ready to blast off!
Getting Aaron in the water playing mood...
Waiting for the geyser to pop...
Legoland was OK, it would have been better if Aaron was older so he could have ridden more of the rides.
On the plane ride back home, everything goes right on schedule...
Little buds even has time for a snooze on the ride back...
06.27.09
Gilroy Gardens
This place freaking rocks for kids (very age appropriate for Aaron)...we went with Steve, Bernice, and Ayden, and we all had a great time...we'll be back for sure!
Mom and Aaron ready to rock!
First up the Merry Go Round...
Waiting in line for the strawberry ride with Steve and Ayden...
We were a little nervous on this one, because he would be strapped in by himself...then I thought what is the worst thing that can happen in 30 seconds...he did fine.
He really like driving the cars and fire trucks...I picked out a burnt orange car for him...
Nice family shot before we go up in the balloon...
Aaron and I go on the Ferris Wheel....Mom had a bad experience with this in the past, so it's a dude ride...
Aaron enjoying a frozen snack on a hot day...
Nice shot of the Lui Family...
One, Two, Threeeeeeeee (he is actually trying to count)...
He gets comfortable going head first...
We go hit the water park....
I think Mom is having more fun that Aaron...
05.29.09
Memorial Day Weekend!
It was jam packed, but we had a great time, and Aaron was great throughout...it is really been fun taking him out more, because he is so much more aware now.
SF Ferry Building (Aaron's first time to SF)
It was great hanging out with Steve and Kathy!
He loved chasing the birds...
The staredown...
Nice family pic with the Bay Bridge in the background...
Trying to find more birds...
Lookin good with the chucks...
Steve wants to take a pic with Aaron, and I can tell Aaron does not want to go to Steve (he's holding me pretty tight), so I tell Steve just to just grab him...here is the result...
Much calmer pic...
Oakland Zoo (Which is much much better than the SF Zoo)
Aaron was running around all over the place checking out the animals...we'll be back here again soon...this place rocks!
Aaron and Jericho...Aaron had to borrow Jericho's sweater because it was a little chilly in the morning...lookin pretty preppy...
I believe Aaron is pointing out the giraffes...
Chillin with Mom on a frog...
Jericho with Kristina...
Climbing on the spider web...
Pic with the old man...
Combing the goats at the petting zoo...the goats seemed sedated...way too calm...
Jericho was more interested in the broom instead of the goats...
Aaron spotting Nile Crocodile (from Little Einsteins)...
Hanging out at the Park
Great shot that Mom got...Aaron saw me go down the slide with my arms raised up, so he copied me, and went down by himself...seeing that joy makes everything worth it.
After wards, I slide down head first, and then Aaron climbs on me...he says "bak" that is when he want to climb on my back and go for a ride...
Great weekend!
05.24.09
Man, it's been a while since I've given an update...here are some random pics over the last month...here we gooooooooo....
Aaron's latest class portrait...it's more of a nervous smirk, rather than a smile...love the shirt...
Class shot...amazingly Aaron is the only Asian kid in his class...
Playing on the swing set with Grandma...once and a while he wants to play on the "big boy" swing...I would have pics of this, but I am playing "net" in case he falls off.
So relaxing...
Tough guy...
Aaron was helping me wash the rice here...he would laugh a lot when I put wet rice on his arms.
Swim School
We have enrolled Aaron into swim school...this is not the first time he's been in a pool, but this is the first time he is formally taking lessons...this will go on for the next 4 Saturdays. He's learning how to kick, blow bubbles, be comfortable on his back, swallow water (ok, not this one, but he's doing it quite a bit), etc. Overall he is doing very well...and he is definitely becoming more comfortable. He is doing a great job kicking...we'll be spending a lot of time in Grandpa and Grandma's pool this summer!
Checking out the scene before he goes in...
Gotta love the palm tree sandals...
I get him to laugh in the water (yes I am pale)....
One of the first dunkings...he did ok, but he was gripping me pretty hard after the first one...
Trying to get him to blow bubbles...
In the pool with Ma Ma and Momo (Nemo from Finding Nemo)...
Nice shot...
04.20.09
Trip to the Children's Muesuem!
Every boys dream job...
Aaron wants to show Mom how to handle the wheel...
He liked putting the balls on top of the air blower...
In the bubble room, he is waiting for a bubble to come down...
He takes a swing at it...
He cannot help but pop it...
He really liked watching the washer go around and around...although when he did it, he would just throw it down the hole...
Next up the water area...kids just loved sitting in the whirlpool it is so relaxing for the kids...Aaron sizes it up...
Ok, so I lied...the kids and sometimes adults would throw the balls in the whirlpool...Aaron is boxing out the girl from the balls...nice move...
Aaron attempts to balance a ball on the water fountain...
Attempt unsuccessful, but it was fun...
hmmmmmmmmm, what masterpiece shall I create...
No he is not short, he is just with older...girls...
I show him my double fist technique...
Finally some quiet time to himself...
03.27.09
The Train Museum and Multiple Trips to the Zoo
In all seriousness The Train Museum was actually pretty awesome. We will definitely be back there again. Aaron had a great time. Aaron goes "choo choo" when he sees trains...little does he know that his last name will be ridiculed in this way on the playgrounds (do I still seem bitter about this)...
They had a lot of full size trains there...
Chillin with Grandpa...
Of course the best part were the toy trains...
Aaron loved watching the toy trains go go go go...
SF Zoo
We have definitely made the most of the season pass...we have gone to the zoo multiple times already this year...here is a compilation of pics over the last couple of months.
Cute pic with Grandpa and Grandma...
Nice cap...
He was a little hesitant riding the train, but after the train stopped, he still wanted to keep going, because he was giving us the more sign.
Checkin out the penguins...
He was really excited about putting his finger through the hippos nostrils...hopefully this is not a sign of things to come...if you think those nostrils are big, check out Mom's (hahahahaha)...
They have a great playground at the park, where Aaron enjoys the swing...
We're preparing him for the 2028 Summer Olympics...it's never too young...
Snoozing on the car ride home...
In all seriousness The Train Museum was actually pretty awesome. We will definitely be back there again. Aaron had a great time. Aaron goes "choo choo" when he sees trains...little does he know that his last name will be ridiculed in this way on the playgrounds (do I still seem bitter about this)...
They had a lot of full size trains there...
Chillin with Grandpa...
Of course the best part were the toy trains...
Aaron loved watching the toy trains go go go go...
SF Zoo
We have definitely made the most of the season pass...we have gone to the zoo multiple times already this year...here is a compilation of pics over the last couple of months.
Cute pic with Grandpa and Grandma...
Nice cap...
He was a little hesitant riding the train, but after the train stopped, he still wanted to keep going, because he was giving us the more sign.
Checkin out the penguins...
He was really excited about putting his finger through the hippos nostrils...hopefully this is not a sign of things to come...if you think those nostrils are big, check out Mom's (hahahahaha)...
They have a great playground at the park, where Aaron enjoys the swing...
We're preparing him for the 2028 Summer Olympics...it's never too young...
Snoozing on the car ride home...
03.14.09
I've spent most of this blog documenting our activities with Aaron, wanted to give an update on his personality, likes, dislikes, etc:
Here we go....
-We started teaching Aaron sign language at about 9 months (through DVDs and mom's skillz), and he has a good list of words (close to 30). This has helped us communicate with him, which has helped in less tantrums. Here is a sampling of some of the words he knows: eat, more, drink, bird, please, mom...
-His favorite food is blueberries...a close second is waffles (he says waffles by going "wa wa wa wa").
-When we're eating in restaurants, I have to eat twice as fast as I usually do (I already scarf down food pretty fast), because once he's done...he will not sit still in the high chair...I need to let him walk around outside.
-He's becoming a ring leader in school...he likes to get the kids screaming and running around the room. In the previous room he was in he was of the few kids that knew how to unlock the baby gate...so he would lead a lot of jail breaks...
-His favorite show is Little Einsteins...and his favorite movies are Finding Nemo and Cars. When he wants to watch TV, he'll sit in his chair, point to the TV, and nod yes.
-He is still learning to share...I like to put him in these "moral dilemmas"...when he has a lot of blueberries in front of him, he will share with me...I ask him to share when there are only two left and he shakes his head no.
-He sleeps from 7 to 7...thank GOD!
-His first word was dinosaur ("dinasr").
-He is now drinking from a cup (under parental supervision), sippy cup, and utilizing a straw. When he is drinking in his high chair, he always puts the cup back in the cup holder slot.
-He loves to get read to...some of his favorite books: Bear Wants More, How Does A Dinosaur Say Goodnight?, The Cat and The Hat.
-Some of his favorite songs: Wheels on the Bus, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
That is all we can think of for now...will update as we come up with more...
03.08.09
Sorry, for the long hiatus...will be better in keep the site up to date...
We load up the car to take Aaron to Fort Funston. The weather was great that day, so we wanted to spend some time on the beach.
Checking out the scene...
I start taking him out to greet the waves...
I let him go, and eventually a wave causes him to lose balance and fall (my bad!)...we all know how warm that ocean water is...
Waiting to change into dry clothes...
Snacking on the beach...
Who needs a lazy boy when you have Auntie Shell...those pale legs belong to Mom...
Mom helps Aaron build a sand castle...
We take Aaron back out, and he does not want a repeat of history, so he tries to hold up his legs when Mom puts him down...
Walking back with Grandma...
Had to take a shot of Pete's comfortable trench...
02.08.09
2008 Year in Review
I thought that it would be good for me to recap 2008. So I took a picture from each month.
Watching his Baby Einstein...still needs the recliner (Bumpo) to hold up his head...
Trying to reach his toys...
Reading Green Eggs and Ham (no I am not sleeping)...
Starting to crawl...
Working on his motor skillz...
Chillin at Ikea in June...
Walking down the aisle as a family at Deb's Wedding...it was HOT that day...
Picking up and throwing a football (I'm shedding a tear)...
Aaron's birthday in August after Mom shoves his hand in the cake (Mom's celebrates with her evil laugh)...
Had to show "The Haircut" again...
This is a great shot, we had Pete and Jade sit down before we feed them, then Aaron walks up to make sure that they're in line...
Nice pic at the Pumpkin patch...
Just like Mom...
Merry Xmas!
01.24.09
Trip to Texas
We left at the crack of dawn on the flight from Sac to Texas. For the most part, it was a uneventful flight (which is a good thing =)...we played some Little Einstein's shows on my laptop that kept him occupied, and he eventually fell asleep. I wish our return flight back went as smooth...more later on this...
Also in other big news, my Sister and her long time Boyfriend get Engaged! Congrats to the both of them!
My Dad showing Aaron how to draw...
We go to the Longhorn Store to buy up some gear! Nice pic by Phi...
Afterwards we go stuff our face with cupcakes! Aaron's first...
We then go to the Aquarium downtown...
Minding our own business...and all of a sudden this Tiger came outta nowhere...
The calm before the storm...at first I did not want him to get wet, but I eventually caved...I am glad I did =)
We took off his pants and shoes, and let him go to town....
The smile says it all...
He drys off in Mom's hoodie...luckily the weather and the water was warm...
Aaron see sawing with his invisible buddy...
Stella is careful not to catapult Aaron off...
Frisbee skillz...
Nice pic with Auntie Stella...
Walking Aaron up his "Half Dome"
I liked this pic with Mom...
The cheesy engagement shot...
Aaron and Bentley hanging out at the dog park...
This puppy was too cute, so we had to take a picture with it...he was very well behaved...
The plane ride back to Sac...our flight left around 9pm...he was VERY fussy when we were checking our bags in...after security check, I buy a full sized yogurt parfait, and he eats about 90% of it...I'm thinking, cool his stomach is satisfied, so he should be snoozing on the plane...NOT. We show him Finding Nemo, and a couple of Little Einstein episodes, and he is STILL awake, and moving around like crazy, he just could not sit still...thank god he did not cry at all. A three hour plane ride seems like it is six hours...when the plane lands, both Jess and I are totally relieved and exausted...when we stand up to leave our row, all of the passengers around us tell us how good Aaron was...I do not want to know what bad is if that was good...afterwards, I tell Jess we're driving to Texas year...
12.29.08
We wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!
We headed up to Sac the night of the 23rd. Aaron really had a hard time sleeping that night. We finally let him sleep in the bed with us. Once he got in our bed, he went down in less than a minute..he's starting to play Mom and Dad like a cheap violin...
Pic with Cousins Robin and Lisa...
Sorry Aaron, but you are not the youngest anymore...pic with Jeremy and Cheng...
Family shot by the tree...
Uncle Phil...
Auntie Michelle LOVED walking around the house holding Aaron's hand...
We took Aaron outside with the dogs, and he loved kicking the leaves with Mom...
There is a smile in there somewhere...
I am sure everyone has seen Christmas Story a million times by now...does that jacket bring back any memories..."Hey guys wait for me...."
After roughly 10 shots, we get one with Pete looking at the camera and Aaron smiling...yes, my eyes are open...
This one is even more miraculous...Jade and Pete looking at the camera, AND Cory not blinking...
Aaron is excited to spend time with Uncle Steve and Kathy...
Aaron helps Grandpa read about the birth of Jesus...
Aaron with all of his gifts (Thanks Everyone)...
He's checking out a toy from his favorite show Little Einsteins...
Checking out his new "vroom vroom" (Aaron speak for car)...
Pic with Jeanny...thanks for the cowboy hat!
All of the dudes get a portable pull up bar (Thanks Dad!), and Aaron wants to give it a shot...
Finally, Aaron's goofy face...
Up next...the trip to Texassssssssssssssssssssssssssssss....
12.15.08
Trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium!
We headed out to Monterey Bay Aquarium with Chris, Jelena, and Carmel...we all had a great time.
Me and little buds waiting for the feeding session to begin at the main tank...this event is worth the admission alone!
Checkin out the Sea Otters...
Nice action shot...he really liked chasing the birds outside...
Where is a good stick when you need one...
Goofin around with Mom...
Checking out the anchovies...
This will be the photo on their Xmas cards this year...
Nice shot trying to reach the jellyfish...
It was a miracle that Jess got this photo...both kids relatively looking at the camera with no one around...
We finished the day in the kids area...Aaron liked putting the blocks through their respective holes..
11.28.08
Ben and Wendy's Wedding
My family comes out for my cousin's wedding in Tahoe.
Shot at Halu Ramen...BTW, Aaron loves Japanese food =)
We rent a Toyota mini van for the Tahoe road trip...I will NEVER get one (unless it's for Jess), but it was GREAT driving it around. It has about 20 cup holders, great pick up through the mountains, and it fits 6.25 people plus one dog very comfortably.
Little bud snoozing on the way up to Tahoe...
Pic with the Grandparents...
Pic with Auntie Stella and Phi...
Pic with sexy Mama...
Aaron showing us his Heisman pose...
We decided to make him look a little hipper this time with the tux...we tucked out his shirt and put him in his chucks...my sister comments that he's as fashionable as Justin Timberlake...
Shot of the boyz...
Aaron is getting much more vocal now now and he really does not stay still, so I stayed in the back with him while the wedding ceremony went on.
Afterwards, the guitarist at the wedding is nice enough to let Aaron strum a few bars on his guitar...
On the way back we go back to Sac and spend some time at Jess' parents pool...
Aaron gives us his blast off pose (Phi is too chicken to go in because he does not want to mess up his hair)...
11.05.08
Happy Halloween!
We had a jam packed last two weeks filled with pumpkins and dragons...
Pumpkin Patch
Steve, Bernice, and Ayden invited us to the Pumpkin Patch in Livermore and we all had a great time! Let's do it again next year. If you would have told me a year ago I would get excited about going to a pumpkin patch, I would have thought you were crazy...
Family shot...
Practicing his dead lift...
I think we found a winner...
We find a nice climbing tree to rest on...
Ridem cowboy...yeeeeehaw...
Steve and I trying to feed Aaron lunch...
Nice shot Mom...
Boo at the Zoo
The SF Zoo had a special event, so we took Aaron there with the Grandparents.
Cute pic with Grandpa checking out the bears...
The Dragon is released into the wild...where are your Dragon pants?
Big smile with Grandma and Grandpa...
One of the highlights of the visit is when they feed the bears in the pond with live fish...it was awesome to see the bears corner and eat the fish up close and personal. Aaron was right up on the glass...luckily it did not freak him out. Not a great pic, but it shows how close we were to them...
At this point, he was getting pretty tired walking, so he wanted Grandma to carry him...
One of the highlights of the Zoo is the train ride for the kiddies...truthfully I think the Grandparents had more fun...
Trick or Treating
We took Aaron trick or treating in the neighborhood. It was pretty cold, so we did not stay out there too long.
Getting ready to hit the houses...
Aaron mesmerized by the decorations...
Of course I had Aaron grab my favorite candy...
See ya next year!
10.29.08
Swimming!
We've had Aaron in the pool a couple of times over the last couple of months...it is definitely a plus that the Grandparents have a pool up in Sacramento =) He loves playing in the water.
Showin off the beer belly. This is the first time he is in the sun with his shirt off, and I am as pale as he is...sad...
Family group shot...
Shot with Mom...
Shot with the Grandparents...he looks like a old man with that comb over hair...
We would play this game where I would swim under his raft and pop up and surprise him...he's trying to find out where I am now...
He would always have a big laugh every time I would come up...
Here are some random shots over the last couple of months:
Cute pic of Grandpa showing Aaron a new toy at Ikea...
This is Aaron's personal love seat (his head is blocking his name)...he actually climbs in the chair with the remote control ready to watch his favorite TV show Little Einsteins.
Andy and Ethan...Andy and I both met our wives at Club Cocomo on the same night (I actually met Jess earlier but it's a long story)! So when this pic was being taken, Andy says "Thanks a lot Club Cocomo"
Aaron with a watchful eye on Sunnyvale's finest...
Lurking...
Ready to pounce with that big smile of his...
These pics are courtesy of Eugene Pong when we went to Fort Funston...
Great shot of Pete, so I had to include it...
10.11.08
The Haircut II
After the last incident, we were pretty rattled...once we built up the courage again, we decided to give Aaron's hair another shot. Besides, we could not let Aaron go to school every day with that last haircut. It was a tough, he fought all of the way, but I think we're pretty happy with the results.
Baby and Dad are happy that it is all over...
Hahahaha...ok, seriously, we decided to take out the element of human error and put the clippers on a 6 and went at it, as long as I stayed away from the eyebrows, it's all good.
Little buddy was good throught the entire process, he was probably just freaked out....
The aftermath...
Not too bad...I have decided that he will have this haircut the rest of his life...
Chucks
This is the only article of clothing that Aaron and I have the exact same thing of...courtsey of Phi. Sadly, i think his shoes cost the same as mine.
09.20.08
Trip to the Zoo!
Since we had Monday off, and my parents were in town, we decide to take Aaron to the SF Zoo. He's too young to remember this, but we all had a great time. To top it off, the weather was warm and sunny, which is extremely rare in SF.
Check out the following link if you want to see more photos at the zoo:
http://picasaweb.google.com/chiuaustin/090108AaronAtTheZoo?authkey=GUTCeT-KP9g#
Little dude is cooler than the other side of the pillow...
Grandma and Grandpa with Aaron and the giraffes...
Our turn...
Hurry up Grandma! We've got places to go animals to see...
Aaron is starting to walk with assistance...cute pic with Mom and Grandpa...
Seeing that smile makes it all worth it...
At the petting zoo..
I was a little nervous approaching this one...God game them horns for a reason...
Nice pic with Mom...
Goofin around after lunch...
Aaron loves watching Little Einsteins...during every show the characters say "Blast Off!" and they raise their hands...now when we say it Aaron raises his hands about 50% of the time...we were lucky enough to get this one on camera...
The Haircut...
We figure it's time to give Aaron his first haircut...he was getting the comb over and the mullet at the same time...
We distract him with his favorite fruits...before shot...
Close up of the before sideburns...
Mom goes in for the kill, and takes a shot at the sideburns....
Needless to say, she went a little high...
Mom loses confidence, and hands the shears over to an ol pro (me)...
uh (cough), um...yeah...went slightly high on the bangs...ever seen dumb and dumber...remember Lloyd?
Aaron's day care sees him for the first time: "Oh my gosh! Did Aaron get a hold of the scissors?" Nuff said...
09.05.08
Aaron's First Birthday!
As you can imagine, this was a pretty big deal...both sets of grandparents and 50+ of our closest friends would be here. It was a pretty stressful week getting ready before hand. I definitely want to thank all of those who helped out with the decorations, set up, and clean up: All Grandparents, Deb, Jay, Shell, Evie, and Winnie. Thanks to all that showed up and all of the great gifts too! As you will see from the pics...we had a dinosaur theme...
You can see the full photo album here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/chiuaustin/083108AaronSBirthday?authkey=mG87qLq5QHk#
Never realized how many of our friends have kids now...Pete snuck in there too...
Aaronasauraus...
Peteasauraus...
Dinosaur Egg HUNT!
This picture is too cute...Olivia picks up a goldfish and actually shares with Aaron...sharing is caring...
Who's more excited in this pic...Ayden or Steve...
The bounce house was a big hit...
Carmel, Aaron, Olivia, and Mia...Aaron as long as you live in the Bay, you will NEVER see the guy to girl ratio like this so consider yourself lucky!
Aaron with his buddy Jericho...
Mia looking very stylish in her hat...
Max is not feelin it in the bounce house...
Mommy helping Aaron pull on the pinata...
Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn (who does not belong in this pic)....
ddddddddddddddddddddddyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! (Like taking candy from a baby)
Little dude admiring the cake...what happens next is one of the highlights of the party...
Aaron gently touches the cake, then Mom shoves his hand in...at first he's not sure how to react...
One second later....he responds...
Mom is evil...
The aftermath...
Grandpa and Grandma with their birthday gift that Aaron and every kid at the party absolutely loved....
08.29.08
Before I start with the next post, I have to share a pretty funny story. When Aaron went back to Texas my Mom got the high chair below from a friend that was giving away their baby furniture.
Winnie reads Aaron's blog, and she recognized that high chair.
This was Winnie with the same model high chair in Boston some 20+ years ago (notice how I did not mention specific years)!
Family pics with the Jang clan
During July 4th weekend, we also had a chance to take some family pics with Aaron. It was pretty warm in the studio, so we had to act quickly or Aaron would not be in a good mood. On top of that, he pooped like 3 times while we were there...we actually had to ask someone there for a diaper.
Close up of the little dude...you can see his chompers...
While they were changing the background, Grandma puts Aaron in this Radio Flyer car...the smile says it all...
Pic with Mom...Mom always complains "Honey, how come you never have a picture of Aaron and me on his Xanga site..." When she starts a sentence with Honey, I know she's not messin around...
Pic with Jang clan and significant others...not to worry Jeanny, we'll photoshop you in. This will eventually become the family photo....hint hint...wink wink...nooooooo pressure...
Finally a pic with Uncle Steve, too bad they cut off Steve's hair in this shot...we actually spiked up Aaron's hair so they could have matching styles.
08.09.08
Jay and Deb's Wedding!
The entire Chiu family was involved in Jay and Deb's wedding (we gave them a group discount) on July 4th weekend. We had a great time the entire weekend with the bachelor/ette party, wedding rehearsal, and of course the wedding and reception. All pics courtsey of Shell...thanks!
Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez...you guys are awesome!
Jess bringin Aaron down the aisle...and Aaron trying to eat the rings...
Jess hands him off to me, so he can be with the boys...he's pretty good, but he does the "ba ba ba ba ba ba" speech a couple of times during the cerimony...
Family pic after the cermony is over...what a great smile...Aaron's and Jess' smile aren't that bad either...
Afterwards we all hopped on a small train that took us around the reception area. It was really hot that day, so we changed him out of his tux.
Thanks again to Grandma Jang for the little guy's tux...it was a big hit! To the other Jangs and my sister reading this, get married in the next year, or he's going to grow out of this thing...not like any of you needed any more pressure =)
08.03.08
Before I get started on a new entry, here is another pic from Aaron's Dedication that I forgot to add to my last blog post:
After the Dedication...Jess with Aaron (giving his tough guy face) and Kristina with Jericho...when I need a hair transplant someday, I'm coming to Jericho...he's about 4 months younger than Aaron, but he's always had a full head of hair....oh yeah that is Kim in the middle...
After the Dedication...Jess with Aaron (giving his tough guy face) and Kristina with Jericho...when I need a hair transplant someday, I'm coming to Jericho...he's about 4 months younger than Aaron, but he's always had a full head of hair....oh yeah that is Kim in the middle...
Trip to Texasssssssssssssss
I was already down in Texas for work, so the plan was for Jess and Aaron to meet me down there to see my family. So, that meant that Jess had to fly solo with Aaron on her own...yikes...this was Aaron's first time on a plane too, so not sure how the experience was going to be.
We bought a really cool backpack for the trip that Aaron rides in, so it would make the travel a little easier for Jess (pic below).
Ready to rock and roll...Jess and Aaron at the terminal in San Jose...they both look happy now...
Jess feeds Aaron a bottle to help with the ear pressure...the person that sits by Jess on the airplane is a Godsend...she helps Jess with Aaron during the entire trip...
Little buddy takes a snooze on mama...Jess gets a moment to rest as well...
Overall his first airplane experience was not too bad (easy for me to say since I was not there for the first one), Aaron was pretty active which can be a handful, but at least he did not cry on the flight...just remember food = happiness.
They make it to Texas safe and sound...we stay at Stella's place while we're in Houston.
Stella and Phi with Aaron...
Stella feeds Aaron...like the high chair? It's from the 70s...bet you could not tell. It still works so we're not complaining...
Aaron enjoys a moment with Bently...Bently, enjoy this time while Aaron is still the same size as you.
It was cute seeing them respond to each other, Bently would actually drop a toy in front of Aaron, hoping that he would either play fetch or tug of war.
Mom and Dad with Aaron...thanks for babysitting while we were there...we got some needed down time, and Aaron got to spend some quality time with the Grandparents.
Back on the plane ride back...Aaron checks out the view from the top...
Here is the backpack that I was mentioning earlier...very helpful...he actually enjoys riding in it checking out the sites. We all look forward to coming back to Texas soon...just need to make sure that it is cooler next time =)
Recently we dedicated Aaron at our church (GRX). What exactly does this mean? This is when we present Aaron before God and the church to ask for grace, wisdom, and prayers to carry out our responsibility as Christian parents. We make a promise to provide Aaron with the proper spiritual guidance in hope that someday he will come to trust Jesus Christ as his Savior. Thanks for all that came out...even for the ones that came late (Kim and Kristina)
Little dude checking out the crowd...
Pastor Steve blessing Aaron...he did not move his head during this time...
07.20.08
Soooooooooooooo, um yeah, needless to say it's been a while (I will get back on track!)...I've received a lot of text messages from angry readers waiting patently for the next post...so without further adieu...
Aaron is really excited about going to Prom...
The little guy is lookin sharp, ready for a night drinking (formula shaken not stirred) and dancing (loves the ABC song) on the town...just be sure to get him home by 8pm...
Pic with Grandpa and Grandma Jang...
Grandma actually made the tux (everything but the shirt) for Aaron...it came out AWESOME! Thanks again. He was a ring bearer at Jay and Debbie's wedding. His services cost $100/hr...the ring will be guaranteed to make it there or your money back ($5 insurance incase he eats the ring). More pics will come later on this particular event...
So I know I have some catching up to do, so I wanted to include some memorable pics over the last couple of months...
I took this portrait for Jess for her first Mother's Day gift...in case you were wondering, they were holding a treat so Pete would look at the camera.
We took this pic when we were at Target... great smile...not quite long enough to reach those pedals...but I bet his legs could squat about 300lbs right now...
Good pic of Shell and Cory with Aaron...good job on not blinking Cory..
Nice pic with Grandma and Grandpa...
Joe Cool...good thing he has chubby cheeks, or the glasses might fall right off...
More to come in the next couple of updates...first time on the plane going to Texas and Jay and Deb's wedding...stay tuned...I promise more frequent updates =)05.14.08
Fooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood....another one of my favorite subjects.
Aaron has always had a insatiable appetite...he has graduated from breast milk to formula, and is now he is working on solid foods! We started him with rice cereal...now he's working through veggies, meats, and fruit. He has been making great progress!
One of the very first pics of Aaron with a bottle.
Now he's able to hold the bottle himself...this has been a huge blessing, because I can get some other things done while he's drinking his formula.
His first time with rice cereal...you gotta make em want it...
This is the first time we feed him with a spoon as well, so as you can imagine, it is pretty messy.
Auntie Winnie feeds him peas....mmmmmmmm
To introduce new foods, we give him the new food every morning for three days straight. Then we watch to make sure that he does not break into any type of funky rash or have some other type of allergic reaction to the food. Some notable foods that he has had: peas, tofu, apples, pears, oatmeal, Cheerios, carrots, yogurt, chicken, etc. So far he loves everything...he's a little sketchy on the tofu, but he still eats it. Right now he's eating about every 3-4 hours.
As you can tell, he also likes spraying his food...not to worry, we just put him in front of Pete afterwards, and he just licks him clean....just kidding Mom.
He definitely knows how to open his mouth for the spoon now...Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (That is the sound I make to get him to open up)...
We are also teaching him how to pick up small snacks to help with his motor skills...he's getting better at this...about 47.9% of the Cheerios actually make it into his mouth.
One satisfied full baby...
Aaron is REALLY getting around now. Initially we used Jess' cell phone as a way to get him to get him to start crawling. He started off with the army crawl (the whole body is on the ground), but now he crawls like a pro. We definitely need to keep our eyes on him so he does not get into any trouble. We've got these blue kid friendly crawling mats in the living room, but of course he does not want to stay anywhere near those...
One of the first things he started doing was "rearranging" the magazines under the coffee table....yes that is a T-Mac jersey he's wearing...
Then he started getting into Pete's stuff...
Can you tell he likes playing in Pete's water bowl...as you can imagine we've been washing Aaron's hands much more recently.
Not only Pete's water bowl, but he also likes getting on to Pete's bed too...there is a bed like this at his daycare, so I think that is what draws him to it.
Of course if he's messing with Pete's stuff, he is also become more aware of Pete as well...so there is more interaction there...sometimes Pete just gets up and walks away when Aaron comes over....
Then there are other times when the lick fest begins...
The first time Aaron crawls on grass...
In addition to crawling all over the place, Aaron is starting to pull himself up into standing position.
This is one of the first time he pulls himself up...mmmm now how do I get down from this position?
Now he's a pro...once he did this we lowered the crib.
First crawling, now standing, you know what is coming next....anyone know if they make helmets for babies....
Dad's (Jess' Dad) Birthday!
We take the whole family to go up to Sac to celebrate Dad's Birthday! We PACK (and I mean sit on top of the suitcase type packing) up the RAV4, 2.25 people, 1 dog, and enough toys/babies clothes/diapers/formula to stock up Babies R Us.
The Jang Clan have not seen Aaron in a while, so they are excited to see him. Shell calls us up as we are heading up Saturday morning..."When are you guys gonna get here..."
On a gas stop on the way up, we change Aaron, and he wants to take over the wheel...it's like he is Short Round from the 2nd Indiana Jones movie...
Pete and Aaron share the back seat, and they are pretty good travel buddies...Jess took this picture from the top of Aaron's baby seat in the car...Aaron likes to touch Pete's fur. Sometimes when Pete barks in the car it makes Aaron laugh.
In turn, Pete likes to "clean" Aaron's hand.
We make it into Sac, and the first item on the agenda is Alyssa's Red Egg & Ginger Party.
A shot of Grandma and Grandpa with Aaron...
We put Aaron down in his stroller so we can eat...he likes playing with his balloon (even though we need to get him a more manly color next time)...
Steve is so hungry he wont event pose for the camera...Kathy are you sure he's "sharing" that plate of food with you....
Another shot of the balloon boy...
Jess takes a pic with Alyssa....hard to imagine Aaron was that tiny...
This is a cute shot...Shell and Kathy try to get Aaron to smile for the camera...
A lot of people are starting to say that Aaron looks a lot like me...other than the matching khaki outfit and the stunning good looks, see any resemblance...
What do you see outside little fella....
Group shot...
Back at Jess' parents place, I demonstrate how Pete needs to be walked to use the restroom...if you are wondering, yes, those are IV bags tied around his pink and green bandaged paws. Yeah, I kinda forgot to mention that earlier in the week, I "lost" Pete for a couple of hours in our neighborhood. Luckily for ME, he was able to find his way back home (truly amazing story)...his paws were pretty ragged, because he had been running on concrete for 4 hours.
Aaron and Jade...
Later that night we go out for Dad's birthday at Black Angus...mmmmmmm steak.
On Sunday, we go to the gun range...ohhhhhhyeaaaahhhhhh! Aaron's first time to feel cold steel in his hands...ok, so I lied, he stayed home with Grandma...BUT you can bet, as soon as he is old enough, he's going to be trying out a 22...
Dont ever think about messing with the Jangs...
And finally, Aaron's Mom (you can see the shell casing fly out of the gun, close to Jess' head)...they will not let you do this in indoor ranges...John Woo style...Aaron just remember this photo when you do something bad...
Happy Birthday Dad!
04.05.08Now that 2007 is finally wrapped up, I can continue on with 2008...good thing it is still only April =)
This is what Jess and I have planned for this weekend...Red Egg and Ginger Party for Jerico, Birthday Party for Dylan (1 years old!), and we have a Play Day with all of Jess' coworkers kids (there will be 8 kids at our place)...in addition to all of this I need to somehow squeeze in time to watch the Final Four =)...I pray that Aaron is in a good mood this weekend.
I laugh about how much our life has changed since we've had Aaron, because sometimes I feel like Will Ferrel in the movie Old School..."What do you have planed for the weekend?" "I think we're going to Home Depot to pick out some new..." Instead of Home Depot for us, insert Target, Costco, and Babies R Us.
One thing I have not talked about that is a very important topic...sleep...
Ah sleep, it's overrated pre baby, but let me tell you, it is definitely a valued and treasured item after you have the baby...
In the beginning, Aaron would need to feed every 2-3 hours which means Jess would need to get up as well. Luckily for me, both of our Mom's were here, so they would take the graveyard shift. A lot of books tell the Mom to sleep when the baby is sleeping, but that is easier said than done. We have had Aaron sleeping in his crib since the beginning...thank God (actually Steve and Bernice since they got it for us) for the video monitor, as it gave us peace of mind about having him sleep alone.
So here is a funny story, during Aaron's earlier months, I hear him crying in the video monitor...I look in the monitor, and I do not see him in his bed...I jump out of bed like the house is on fire, run into his room, and I find out that he wiggled himself down to the bottom of the bed out of the sight of the video camera...whoowee that was a close one.
Another blessing, Aaron sleeps in the car about 99.9% of the time!
After the Mom's left, I handled the night shift...Aaron would get up around midnight, 3am, and even 5am...it was brutal. I even "tried" changing up my routine. After the 5am feeding, I would get ready and go into work...this lasted for about two days. Some how I survived this. We start getting him to sleep longer through the night by giving him the pacifier instead of the bottle.
Aaron sleeping with the pacifier...just as important as the video monitor!
Not a worry in the world...
After a couple of months, Aaron starts sleeping 6 hours and finally even 10-12 hours! When his bottom teeth came in recently, he wakes up at least once during the night for a couple of nights, which isn't that bad compared to the beginning, but when you get used to 10 hours, it's hard to go back.
Now that he can roll over he can actually sleep on his chest...he is very active when he sleeps, he actually has turned himself around 180 degrees a couple of times.
Finally a pic with his favorite sleeping buddy...
Gotta go...sleeping beauty just got up...
03.29.08In wrapping up 2007, we celebrated Xmas in Sacramento with Jess' family and all of the siblings' significant others. We had a blast. Everyone was very excited to see Aaron. It was also a added bonus for Jess and Myself, because there were so many people that wanted to hold, change, and play with Aaron, that we also get some valueable time to catch up on some rest as well =)
While everyone is sleeping, Aaron puts on his Santa outfit ready to go down the chimney and deliver gifts...
Falling asleep on uncle Steve...
Close up...he just grew out of these pants =(
This was a great shot that Shell took...hopefully he sleeps all night long...
Talk about a lazy room...
Group shot of the entire gang...
Cannot mention Xmas 2007 without mentioning ROCKBAND! The Pong's were gracious enough to let me "borrow" this over Xmas, needless to say we played it a couple of times. The reason the picture is blurry is that we were playing on expert..."say it aint sooooooooooooooooooooooo"....
One more major event to mention in 2007....Mike and Kristina welcome baby Jerico to the world!
Picture of the proud parents...
Aaron has a new buddy to play with!
03.14.08 While everyone is sleeping, Aaron puts on his Santa outfit ready to go down the chimney and deliver gifts...
Falling asleep on uncle Steve...
Close up...he just grew out of these pants =(
This was a great shot that Shell took...hopefully he sleeps all night long...
Talk about a lazy room...
Group shot of the entire gang...
Cannot mention Xmas 2007 without mentioning ROCKBAND! The Pong's were gracious enough to let me "borrow" this over Xmas, needless to say we played it a couple of times. The reason the picture is blurry is that we were playing on expert..."say it aint sooooooooooooooooooooooo"....
One more major event to mention in 2007....Mike and Kristina welcome baby Jerico to the world!
Picture of the proud parents...
Aaron has a new buddy to play with!
Before we keep on going into 2008, there were a lot of things that I did not get to cover yet in 2007...wanted to make sure I highlight some things before 2008 is over =)
10.29.08 Aaron's First Real Bath
Up to this point, we've been too chicken to give Aaron a real bath...so we've been giving him sponge baths...now the moment of truth...please God, do not let me drop him!
Pete wants to help out in the washing experience...
Aaron does great...he either really enjoys the bath, or he is just so freaked about what is happening that he does not know what to do...I hope it is the earlier rather than the latter.
He is VERY slippery when I pick him up. Putting him in his little robe to dry him off. He's got like 4 robes while I do not have even one...
He's ready to be powdered and lotioned up. That white flaky stuff on his head is cradle cap, which is very common in babies...we use selsun blue to shampoo his hair to eventually get rid of this.
Halloween 2007
Aaron gets his first round of shots. All 4 of them, 2 in each thigh...ouch. He is pretty cranky throughout the entire day and night...poor little fella. We learn next time to give him Baby Tylenol before he gets the shots to help him with the soreness and pain.
His first Halloween costume, courtesy of Grandma Jang.
11.03.07 First Trip to Fort Funston
As many of you know, we like taking Pete to Fort Funston in SF. Fort Funston is a off leash dog beach, where dogs can run around like crazy. Pete has been at the bottom of the food chain when it has come to attention, so he need to get out there and blow off some steam. This is the first time we bring Aaron there.
Me, Aaron, and Pete boy...yes that is Aaron in the harness...
Little guy sleeps for most of the hike.
Jess giving Pete water during the hike...
Thanksgiving 2007
My Parents and Sis come from Houston to visit us. This is the very first time for my Dad and Sis to see Aaron, so they are extremely happy and super excited.
Stella reads the Picture Bible to Aaron...look how entertained he is...
My Dad and Aaron have a "moment" together...
Nice Chiu Family Shot with Pete...
My Dad really could put Aaron to sleep...
On a side note we brine a turkey and it comes out grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat! Here is a pic with the turkey and the sides that we made...already getting hungry for Thanksgiving this year!
After my family fly out, we hop in the Rav and head on out to Sacramento to hang out with Jess' family.
Kathy with Aaron...Kathy gets Aaron a Santa suit, so he gets to try the hat on early...
Michelle with Aaron...you got something on your shoulder there...dang that is a good lookin photo...who took that shot =)
Steve with Aaron...
Grandma and Grandpa with Aaron...
The family shot...
Next up...Xmas 2007...
03.02.08
Aaron is really starting to get around. He is not crawling yet, but he can roll on either side now. So when he sees something he wants, he keeps rolling back and forth until he can reach it. We need to keep our eyes on him, because we let him take naps on our bed, and the last thing we want is him rolling off.
A couple of weeks ago Jess put Aaron down after a feeding. She came in to check to see how he was doing, and this is what she found...
He still has not seen Jess yet when she was taking this pic...a couple of more inches and he would have done a head dive into the carpet.
He finally sees Mom, and flashes that "who me? smile"...he's going to have Mom wrapped around his little finger with that smile =)
Up close of the little guy...
His favorite pose...only fully clothed this time...
02.17.08
We finally had a chance to take Aaron out for some professional photos. He was 5 months old in these shots. He was in a very good mood (he just chowed down), so the entire shoot was over and done with in about 10 minutes.
He's actually wearing a Juicy Couture shirt...for the guys that do not have a clue on what I'm talking about, Juicy is a very shi shi brand (ie-$$$$) The shirt that Aaron is wearing retailed at $48 (yikes!), Jess got it on super blue light special markdown for $4...just thought I would share that story.
We were pretty happy with the picture results...check em out...
Aaron looking very chill and relaxed...
I like the tough guy smirk...nice contrast with the stuffed animal...
He could only hold this pose for a couple of seconds, so the photographer had to work fast...
Man he has a big head...I wonder where he got that from...
He looks older than his age...too cute...
And finally....
the blackmail pics...enjoy!
02.02.08He's actually wearing a Juicy Couture shirt...for the guys that do not have a clue on what I'm talking about, Juicy is a very shi shi brand (ie-$$$$) The shirt that Aaron is wearing retailed at $48 (yikes!), Jess got it on super blue light special markdown for $4...just thought I would share that story.
We were pretty happy with the picture results...check em out...
Aaron looking very chill and relaxed...
I like the tough guy smirk...nice contrast with the stuffed animal...
He could only hold this pose for a couple of seconds, so the photographer had to work fast...
Man he has a big head...I wonder where he got that from...
He looks older than his age...too cute...
And finally....
the blackmail pics...enjoy!
My new years resolution was to keep Aaron's site up to date on a weekly basis....looks like it is about once a month right now...I got some catching up to do.
We have had a TON of visitors over the last couple of months...wanted to take this time to thank them for coming over to see Aaron. Some of the folks brought over food, others brought over clothes/toys for Aaron. Just wanted to thank you again for all of the love!
Auntie Stella FINALLY gets to see her little nephew over Thanksgiving...
Uncle Phil is the last of the Jang siblings to meet is nephew...
My Uncle and Auntie meet Aaron for the first time...thanks for bringing over the yummy sushi...Jess has been craving this for sometime...
The Pong's and Aaron...thanks for the massive pizza and caesar salad...as Winnie would say "awwwwww"...
Crystal drops by to say hello...
Jon and Evie are able to hold Aaron for the first time...they were sick previously...thanks for the homemade Chinese food and the Casserole.
Miss Du drops on by...love at first site...our son's too young for you!
Bobby drops on by...thanks for the awesome hip clothes...if Aaron grows up with good taste, we will know where he gets it from.
T pays us a visit...thanks for the yummy homemade Korean food...
Deb and J finally get to meet Aaron...they drove up from LA. Aaron likes sleeping in Deb's arms...
Rachel comes by to say hello...
Judy comes on over...thanks for all of the trashy reading material =)
01.08.08 Aaron’s Growth
I know I have been jumping back and forth in time in with my last couple of entries…this one actually makes chronological sense…
Aaron after one week...someday his head will be the size of that football...so far he's got my legs for sure...
Two weeks...not too much change...
One Month...he's grown longer for sure...it took him some time to grow into those onesies...
Six Weeks...starting to fill in more...
2 Months...starting to see the beer belly...
3 Months...those thighs are starting to get plump...
4 Months...he's ready to play linebacker for the 49ers...he's growing out of his clothes at a phenomenal rate.
Same shot, but with the same stuffed animal that Jess' family used to measure the growth of her brothers and sister while growing up.
Aaron wanted to wish everyone a Belated Merry Christmas! Thanks for all of the great gifts…books, clothes, toys, and Baby Einstein DVDs! He received a lot of hugs, kisses, and love.
His first pic with Santa...so serious. It was a 5 minute affair...put him on Santa's lap and shoot away. My money is on him crying next year.
He's excited about opening up his gifts.
First Xmas pic with Mom by our shiny new tree...anyone want to help me put up the tree?
One of the coolest gifts from Uncle Phi...a Houston Rocket Tracy McGrady jersey, even though it was for a 3 year old...it's OK the baggy look is in...
A close up of Super Chunk...if you put a white beard on him, he might pass for Santa.
In his full Santa gear...thanks Kathy!
For those Pete fans out there...
Anyone want to take a guess on what this is? And no we did not find it on the back of Pete's tail....give up? It is a part of Aaron's umbilical cord that finally fell out. I think we still have it saved somewhere....just kidding, that is why there are digital cameras =)
The following are pics from Aaron's first sponge bath. We waited about 2 weeks after his delivery to give him a bath. Needless to say, as new parents, we were a tad bit nervous giving it to him.
Can you tell he is not too happy...kid has some lungs.
Finally safe and dry on the changing table.
12.01.07
Aaron is now entering his sophomore year of high school, he likes most of his classes this year, and he is really excited about starting driving school…
OK, so I am exaggerating a bit here, but it has been some time since I last updated the xanga site =P
Most of the website has been filled with happy stuff, but there have been some pretty difficult times in the first three months. In a word: breastfeeding.
This has been one of the most difficult things we have had to face (this effected Jess more obviously). When Jess starts saying things like: "Man I would rather go through labor again than do breastfeeding"…"It feels like razor blades on my nipples"...you know it is not good.
The interesting this is that no one really told us how difficult this would be, even though we have a lot of friends that have kids. When you bring up the problem to them, you get the : "Oh yeah, I hated that time"..."I would cry all of the time"…"I really did not enjoy my child during this time"
One of the problems is that there is advice EVERYWHERE (friends, lactation consultants, books, websites, etc), and if you look hard enough, something always contradicts something else. We do know that breastfeeding is the best for the child (builds up their immunity system), so when Jess is having so much difficulty she starts doubting herself as a Mother. Imagine going through this roughly 8 times every day, because that is the number of times that Aaron would need to breastfeed in the beginning. There were many times where she would cry, and that is probably some of the most difficult times for me, because there is not anything I can do to help other than comfort her.
This is the email I sent out to Family and Friends during this time:
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Hey guys, wanted to send out a prayer request for Jess and Aaron during this time.
Jess has been really having a hard time with breast feeding: her milk supply has not been coming in as fast as needed and Aaron has not been latching on properly which really hurts Jess' breasts. This has been very stressful and depressing time for Jess, because she does not feel like she is being a good mother.
Please pray for: Jess' confidence as a mother, Aaron's ability to latch on correctly, Rest (she has not been getting enough sleep), Peace (about the situation), Patience (when Aaron is crying and not latching on properly) , and Wisdom about what to do.
Thanks!
Austin
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There is a happy ending to this =) We eventually got Aaron onto formula, so he has been growing well, as you will see in the next couple of xanga entries.
During this time I wanted to give our thanks to family and friends for their prayers and help…also wanted to give a very special thanks to Vickye (she is a friend of ours that is actually a lactation consultant…we never really knew this until we had all of the problems), she spent A LOT of time with us out of her busy work schedule to help Jess through a lot of this.
I promise more pics on the next entry...
11.02.07
Jess and I wanted to send a VERY VERY VERY grateful THANK YOU to the Grandparents for all of your help during the first couple of weeks with Aaron.The delicious home cookin, sage baby advice, house cleaning, care of Pete and Jade, home projects that got completed, and most importantly the late night Aaron duties (so I could still be conscious for work). I know that Jess really appreciated the quality time she got to spend everyone as well. Everyone had such a helpful heart. If you ever want to see Aaron again, we have a room waiting for you =) We love you guys!
Jess' Mom burping the little guy...
Jess' long arms get put to the test...
My Mom...Aaron is a little grumpy...
Jang portrait with Aaron.
Chiu portrait with Aaron.
10.15.07
Random pics during the first week:
Big Yawn.....
Me checking out the little guy...can you see the bags under my eyes =)
Satisfaction after one of his feedings...
His Jang-like feet...
Something to measure him against...he's about 2.5 footballs...
Family portrait...
Welcome to the gun show...
No joke, when we were taking these pics he actually pooped and hit my shorts...nasty!
Random pic for the Pete and Jade fans out there...
Bonding time with Mom...
10.05.07
We have our first Doctor’s appointment.
In the car ride over...Popeye!
Me trying to shhhhhh in his ear to help in calm down.
Nice stretch...
The first thing they do is check his weight (5lbs 13ozs). He actually weighs less than when he was born (5lbs 15ozs)…no worries, this is normal. When we left the hospital he was actually 5lbs 11ozs, so it is positive that he is gaining weight. In two weeks he will reach his birth weight again, and in 4-6 months he will double his weight.
He is not happy being on the scale...
We get some of the baby basics from the Doc…put rubbing alcohol on the belly button until the umbilical cord falls off, we will be seeing pee in the first 3-4 days, if he has a fever it means that he has an infection, his poop should be bright yellow, etc…
We get a schedule for his shots over the next couple of years…the worst is 4 shots in one day…in the thighs…good thing he will be too young to remember this.
There is a concern that he might have Jaundice. Just what is Jaundice? It refers to the yellow color of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by excess bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is produced by the normal breakdown of red blood cells. Jaundice typically shows in the 2nd or 3rd day of life. If not treated, it can cause deafness, cerebral palsy, or brain damage in some babies. Ways to treat Jaundice is with breast feeding and indirect sunlight...if it gets really bad, they will bring the baby back to the hospital for light treatment.
We take Aaron to get a blood test to check his bilirubin levels. They prick his heal, and then he slowly starts crying…I look at Jess, and she starts to tear up (If you do not really know Jess, she "tends" to cry at heartfelt issues) as well because she does not want to see him in pain…awwww.
On the car ride home...can you tell he's tired...
His score is low, but it might not have peaked yet…so unfortunately over the next 4 days, Aaron has to get his heal pricked 3 more times! Needless to say, I went on these visits by myself, because Jess did not want to see him in pain. Actually for the last heal prick, he did not even cry...that's my boy! Great news at the end is that he does not have Jaundice!
09.29.07
We have been “slightly busy” as you can imagine, so I’ve been slacking as far as keeping the site updated…I’ll do my best to stay on track with this. Before I start back on the chronology of events, I wanted to include some information that I forgot to mention in my earlier entries.
How did we come up with the name Aaron?
We were debating between Aaron and Brandon, and Aaron came out on top. If my sister ended up being a brother, his name would have been Aaron, so I have always liked the name. Both Jess and I also like the fact that Aaron’s name was biblical as well.
Jess and I had our personal favorites, but they were vetoed by the other party. I wanted Tyler and Jess wanted Jared. Jess did not like the fact that the name Tyler meant tile-maker, and I really did not want my son named after the Subway dude.
Here are the Chinese characters for Aaron’s full name.
I was also able to get a newspaper on Aaron’s date of birth. Here are some interesting factoids. It will be interesting to see how some of these things change over time.
Horoscope: Extra responsibilities and perhaps a heightened sense of ambition can be yours between now and mid-January. Don’t initiate anything new, and be sure to meet all of your obligations pertaining to sleeping, eating, pooping, and peeing (OK I added this part in) during this time period. Your work, ethics, and morals may be held up to scrutiny or criticized, so you will learn to be a perfectionist. They say it is always darkest before the dawn and your hard work and conscientious behavior will be rewarded. You may be given an advantageous opportunity or have your prayers answered in January. A serious romance might pop into view in April (mmmmm this one will be interesting).
Today’s forecast was Mostly Sunny with a high of 94.
Genetech stock closed at 73.53, while Intersil closed at 32.91.
The NYSE closed at 9456.64.
Top movies in the theaters: Simpsons (Spider pig…), Bourne Ultimatum (which we still have not seen).
What’s on TV in prime time: Dr. Phil, Ghost Whisperer, Set for Life, and 1 vs. 100 (Never heard of the majority of these shows).
A 52” LCD 1080p TV costs $2297.
Average gas prices in the US is $2.78.
Visitors!
Many thanks to all those that dropped by after Aaron was born. Many of you brought over baby gifts, flowers, and food...everything was great! It was great for Jess, because she has been locked up in the house, so she welcomes the visitors. We'll give you guys a call back when we need babysitters =)
Grace visits us in the hospital and brings us flowers!
CrossOver (Our small group) comes over to visit!
Yugi with Aaron...I think this was when Aaron was dropping bombs =)
Can you tell Dru is a tad bit nervous...
Deb Law...
Miss D Tran...
Sandy...
Chick Magnet...
After getting back from Peru and climbing Machu Pichu, Uncle Steve (Jess' older bro) and Kathy come to visit Aaron...It was awesome seeing you guys!
Steve, Bernice, Ayden, Bobby, Dom, Dean, Marnie, Anthony, Vickye, and Miles all come on over!
Miles wants to try out the rocker...
Of course if Miles does it then Ayden needs to try it to...under close supervision of course.
Bernice and Ayden check out Aaron.
Vickye...
Kim and Jarvis, come over to check out Aaron...nice hair cut Jarvis.
Helen...Aaron looks very intrigued.
Kristina, an expecting Mom (Aaron will have a buddy)...
Shell (Aaron's Auntie) FINALLY gets to hold Aaron after getting over a cold.
Group shot of the Jang women with Aaron and Pete...
09.02.07
We finally get to go home today! We are all pretty drained after the events over the past couple of days, so it will be good to enjoy the comforts of home. While Jess and I are walking around on the hospital floor, we see parents pushing their new born twins around! I could not even imagine handling that right now.Hospital rules state that the Mom needs to go out in a wheelchair, and the Baby needs to leave in a child carrier. Shoot, where is my wheelchair at?
I put Aaron in the child carrier. He is a little fussy, but overall not too bad. I pull the Rav4 around to the front of the hospital to pick up Jess and Aaron, and all of a sudden I really watch how I drive...2 second stop at the Stop sign, taking my foot off the gas and puting it over the brake during a stale yellow light, following the speed limit, looking Left-Right-Left-Right-Left to make extra sure no one is coming down the road before heading out, etc...the last time I was this cautious driving, was when I was doing my parallel parking test to get my drivers license in Texas.
Me "acting" like I was wheeling everyone out of the hospital...the nurse was actually doing this, but this was a good photo op.
Little buddy in the car seat for the first time....he looks a bit distressed huh?
All of us heading back home in the car.
Our first pic back at the house. Where is the bed, so I can crash...
We get home, and here comes one of the first major events...how will Pete and Jade react to Aaron? Pete is our dog that Jess rescued in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, while Jade is Jess' family dog that we are currently dog sitting. After Aaron was born, Grandma and Grandpa brought Aaron's beanie back from the hospital, so they could get used to his scent.
Pete is pretty harmless and aloof, so we doubt that he will take much interest in Aaron...Jade on the other hand is another story, can you say ADD Alpha Female. We put the carrier down on the floor so the dogs can see him in the chair. You can never be too sure how the dogs will react with a newborn coming into their territory, so I am ready to go Cesar Milan (aka The Dog Whisperer...we LOVE this show) on them in case they get out of hand.
Pete looking at Aaron like he's a ham sandwich.
Burping Aaron...
09.01.07
We have Aaron sleep in the hospital nursery for the first night, so both Jess and I can catch up on some rest. Before I go to sleep, I put on Facebook that I'm a proud papa! We're staying in a double room at the hospital, but luckily we did not have to share the room with anyone while we were there.The nurses bring Aaron in for late night feedings, so Jess can start breast feeding. It is a bit of a challenge, as he is having some difficulty latching on for the first time, but the nurses are very helpful. No pics to see here =)
Aaron gets circumcised today as well...nuff said...moving on.
I send out Aaron's pics to everyone, and the vote is pretty unanimous (99.999999999999%). Everyone thinks that Aaron looks more like Jess. He has my chinky eyes, upper lip, and dimples, while he has Jess' nose and feet ...not sure if you've ever seen Jess' feet, but they have very long toes almost like fingers. If Aaron has her finger like toes, he could also have her huge feet as well. This is not a well publicized fact, but Jess' feet are about half a size smaller than mine, and she is nearly 6 inches shorter than me!
Pic of the finger like toes!
Jess' first diaper change!
Aaron checking me out.
Pic with Grandpa.
Pic of the small guy.
Mom and Baby catching up on sleep.
On a side note: Overall the hospital is great, the doctors and nurses are knowledgeable and nice, but the food is HORRIBLE. People know that I am not a very picky eater, but man, hospital food is the worst. I seriously think they do this, so people want to recover faster. Good thing Grandma and Grandpa brought over Denny's.
09.06.07
Hi...welcome to Aaron's blog! We will plan on updating this as much as possible between feeding, napping, burping, diaper changes, and swaddling, so please feel free to check in with the latest updates.
-Austin & Jess
We visited the Dr two days ago, and here was her quote: "My best guess is that you're going to be a couple of days late from your due date (9.12), so we may need to induce you."
Two days later at 8am in the morning..."Honey, I think my water broke..." Labor Day (pun intended) weekend starts with a BANG =)
I walked the dogs (Pete and Jade), and we sped off in a calm and relaxed manner to the hospital. Good thing we had the emergency bag packed (Jess made me get it ready a couple of days earlier =)
Got in there around 9am, before we go into the hospital, I say a prayer in the parking lot. We check in and the nurse finds out that Jess is 2cm dilated (you need to be at least 10cm dilated before you are ready to give birth).
At about 10am, I Crackberry out the following text message: Baby is comin...we should deliver in the next 24 hours. Please pray for us! Love ya, Austin & Jess.
Best Quote from a Text Message came from Michelle (Aaron's Auntie) from Peru: Drugs are good.
So they started her on Pitocin to help induce labor. A hour or so later, the pain hit hard, because the baby's head dropped to where it should be at 10cm...but she was still at 2cm...can you spell Epidural.
An Epidural is when you get a shot in the back to help with the pain...when she was in the process of getting the Epidural, she was holding er CRUSHING my hand...I was going to cry like a little girl, but I had to hold it in beacuse she was getting a freaking shot in the back.
Through all of this, she flashes that smile!
After the Epidural, Jess takes a nap for three hours, next thing you know, she gets up and she is 7cm dilated. Half an hour after the Doctor checks her out, she is ready to go at 10cm.
Thankfully Jess' parents come at this time, so her mom is there to help out in the delivery room...the pushing begins at 5:34pm.
I comforted Jess by giving her ice during breaks between pushes, putting a moist towel on her face to help her cool down, and by telling her she was doing a great job throughout the entire process. I really felt helpless, because there was not much else I could do but be there to comfort her. At this point it was all her...
More pushing, and then we get to the point when Aaron's head is crowning...we're almost there, but this is also the most painful part for Jess. A couple of more hard pushes, and then BAM...there comes Aaron. Time of birth was at 7:46pm. I cut the umbilical cord, Jess pushes out the placenta, and then next thing you know, we have a healthy baby boy.
Baby Aaron comes out with the umbilical cord.
First pic of Mom with the Baby.
5 pounds 15 ounces and 19 inches!
Around 9am, when I find a spare moment, I send out the following text: Aaron Chiu was born at 7:46pm! He weighs 5 lbs 15 ozs and is 19 inches long. Mom and Baby are doing great. We are going to be out of the hospital on Sunday.
I start tearing up when I think that this is going to be OUR kid...it never really hits you until the day comes. We are going to responsible for this kid, and we will teach this kid about life. Scary thought =)
1st Family Photo!
Proud Grandparents!
Jess gets some rest, while I go into the hospital nursery and to see Aaron get washed and also get his first shots (in the thighs...OUCH!)...needless to say, there was a lot of crying.
Aaron getting his head shampooed.
Close up of the ear and that wavy hair!
Afterward, we go back into the room where Jess and Grandma/Grandpa can finally see a clean baby!
Cannot see it too cleary in the picture, but Jess is holding the spot where she clawed Grandma during the labor. Good thing I did not have Jess' right side =)
The little guy finally gets to sleep...
Mom finally gets to spend some quiet time with Aaron.
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