Mer Bleue Fall 2012 - Part 1

I know how much my friend Shos loves fall time and the colours at Mer Bleue were just out of this world. She indulged my request to do a random photoshoot but sadly when we got there one week later, the view had changed completely. Two days of mad rain and a cold front knocked the minestrone soup look outta there! Nevertheless I find the muted tones of wheat and burnt wood very beautiful.



If you don't know about my love of Mer Bleue, here are some reminders ;) Wow I had so much energy, I love visitors!

Don't Carpe Diem

This week my challenge has been the physical kind. After getting over my cold I feel much better and happy to be able to smother Edie with kisses, but she's also waking up 2-3 times a night, so keeping up with a mobile and somewhat cranky baby isn't the most fun.

New thing I've enjoyed this week: holding Edie a bit longer after she dozes off at nap time. I have to pop her in the crib or else the nap will only be 20min, but just staring at her for a bit longer makes me so happy (I'm tearing as I type this, hahaha).

I have a tendency to get sarcastic, ok border line bitter, when things get tough. Motherhood is definitely one of those things that get tough. Here's a perfectly good example of how a mother keeps it real without the unnecessary cynicism. Bravo for the author's honesty and apt analogies. Glennon Melton: Don't Carpe Diem

I am the Queen of Best Intentions

Friends, I ask once again for your advice. How do you stay focused and get to work when your ideas and intentions out number your time and energy? I have so many questions I want to explore, so many thoughts I want to share and discuss, and oh, the many creative projects I want to tackle, but instead of feeling fulfilled by the power of my imagination and skills, I feel a sense of burden and just constant "I wish I could..."

Perhaps it's my inability to make decisions or just my head-in-the-clouds tendencies, making lists have not helped me in the past. I could try that again, but maybe someone can help me with some new ideas on what to do with the list after all my items are listed. They just stare back at me and I still want to do every single thing!

My sister is much better at getting things done than me, and here's what she does:

The plan: One monthly goal and one weekly goal. One monthly goal that allows me to be creative. To complete one thing that will take me a full thirty days to complete or one thing that I know I'm just lazy with. One month gives me enough time to move my ass without feeling controlled and pushed around (I am a Chung afterall). And my weekly goal? It'll be a smaller, shorter, quicker but very important goal repeating every week, once a week, for four weeks.

At the end of the day, I want to live an intentional life accompanied with action. I have been trying but it feels like I'm not really moving forward. I feel like a mental/creative hoarder in need of an intervention.

Love Stories

I love stories. I love stories that are told with truth and thought. As a kid I'd beg my dad to tell me stories after stories, about his life, about his parents. To this day my love of "real" stories has only grown.

Today I want to share two very different but equally amazing love stories. I hope you'll be as moved as I was by the craft of the storytellers as much as the stories themselves.

Enjoy!

P.S. Cliff and I went to school together. CONGRATS, Cliff and Wai Jia!!!!
P.P.S. Jonas Peterson is my favourite photographer at the moment.

The Wonderful Story of Cliff and Wai Jia from Josiah Ng on Vimeo.

jacqui and jonas wedding day from WE ARE THE PARSONS on Vimeo.

Treats

8 Month Update

 Hey world, I'm 8 months old!

Better late than never (I actually never think that haha!), here's a recap of Edie at 8 months. I was 99% done w/ this entry but then when I went to look for photos from the month, I got overwhelmed with my backlog of images to upload/edit. Edie needs to learn about image processing, fast!

Way Back Playback

Today I visited my dear friend who gave birth to a baby boy five weeks ago. It had been so long (Yes it felt like eons ago!) since I'd held such a tiny bub. It sure brought back some good and tough memories (sleep, oh what is sleep?)

Just now she sent me an email asking me about when I gave Edie a soother, so I went into my email and tried to dig up an answer. I couldn't find a solid start time but I did recover this little nugget when Edie was just over a month old. I'd totally forgotten about that time already but reading that email brings everything back.

When a newborn isn't yours they look just about perfect. When it's your own you just want them to sleep and give the pooping a break if for a few hours!

Christmas in September

Thanks to my crafty mama and handy daddy, we've got some new things around the house.

Nursery Art / Nucleus Art Gallery and Store Review

  Bigger Than My Boat by Montreal artist, Sandrine Mercier. Details here.

I am so excited to finally find the right focal piece for Edie's room! But before I start, I will put it out there that this post is a partial rant of my first-world problem. If you can bear it, by all means please keep reading.

Baby Shoe Sale - Robeez

There's a 30% sale going on at Robeez right now. Free shipping if you buy two or more pairs. Get in on it with a friend :)

Normally I don't buy new baby items at retail prices, but the slow response from Kijiji sellers is just pathetic. I'm going to get some boots to cover those tiny toes. The mornings are so cold already and socks keep magically disappearing after our walks.


Everyone needs one (or two!) pair of practical boots. Image via Modern Hepburn.

Little Reader

  Wow, belly buttons are serious business! I caught this rare moment today as she's reading, rather than eating the pages.

Edith was really into reading one or two months ago. Since she started exploring the world with her mouth, she doesn't really listen to us read anymore. Instead she spends the entire time trying to grab the book so she can get a good bite out of it. So it surprises me that she'll flash a big grin when she sees certain covers, as if those were her favourites.

7 month update

 Her repertoire of funny faces just keeps growing. She'll make a little chirp here and give a side way smirk there. Of course her trademark is still that little tongue smile and her rock-on(!) finger sucking.

This month was marked by Edie's little skin fiesco (Oh eczema!), sleep ups and downs, and being able to stay up longer, MUCH longer (yay I love this!).

Teething = No Eating

For the third day, Edie is eating a lot less solids and nursing even less. What's that saying, a baby won't starve herself? Yeah I believe it in my head, but it doesn't translate well when I'm taking care of her hour by hour. Something happened today to give me enough encouragement to tackle this hunger strike with patience and hope.


 Check out my beautiful new teeth!

Edie's Favourite Big Kid

Edie watches his every move like he's the raddest kid on the block. Oh, these little people, they are simply too cute.

Great-Grandparents

Even though I'm told my paternal great-grandma took care of me when I was a baby, I don't remember those times and the most senior members in our families were grandparents. So the concept of great-grandparents always seemed so surreal and crazy special. When friends around my age tell me they still have great-grannies around, I just think, wow that is so cool!!

Three of Kel's grandparents are still around (man, he so blessed!), and Edie the lucky duck has hung out with her great-grandpa a few times now. They seem to have lots of fun together and the fascination is mutual.

Sometimes I imagine what my grandparents would be like with Edie. My gong gong (公公, maternal grandpa in Chinese) and his love of peanuts (oh dear), my pau pau (婆婆, maternal grandma) and how she purses her lips (Edie rocks a close impression). I think my paternal grandparents would just like to hold her and they'd smile those endless smiles.

Oh grandparents, sometimes out of the blue I miss them, a lot. Not on their birthdays or big family reunions, but just random days when I'm not thinking about much and I just wish I could call them up. I used to call my grandma on the long commute from school and just tell her the most random things. She always laughed at my silly jokes and teased me about my boyfriend. Oh, if only she could see my "boyfriend" and our little one now!

Funny sidebar, what started out as my icq moniker and later became a regular nick name, was grannE. Yes, the dorkiness started early. I wonder if I'll ever live to be a grandmother?


Edie bear sharing an inside joke with great-grandpa.

Will You Be My Friend?

 Edie wants to be STP's friend so bad! Isn't he so sweet to give the little midget a hug?

Just for fun, here's STP around Edie's age:

Eczema Update

It's been almost two weeks since the start of Edie's eczema flare up. Things have calmed down and her skin is healing nicely. As I mentioned in the previous post, we tried a few different ways to control the flare up, but the source of the problem and the consequent antidote remained with Edie's little body, which needed to regulate SOMETHING, but what?

Sleep, interrupted

Edie's sleep, and hence mine, has been rudely interrupted in the past week, thanks to sore gums, itchy skin, and way too much rolling about after hours. She's been waking up more often in the evening. For a few days she was awake for 2+hrs, thrashing around her crib. Sleep really is a hot commodity when you're not getting enough of it!

6 Month Update

Edith turned 6 months last week. Here are some highlights at her half birthday.

 From my unbiased (hehe) point of view, she's cute as a button!

6 Month Old

 Edith turned 6 months today. Definitely feeling emotional as we prayed with her before bedtime. Such a little bub, with a big piece of my heart.

Small Steps

It's been a week and a bit since I talked about being in creative block. Here are some SMALL steps I've taken to wiggle out of that funk. But before my little list, let's just reminisce with an old song. My brain was dancing as I typed the title of this entry.

A Solid Mess

Starting to feed the monkey some solids. No real plan in place, just getting her used to the idea of a spoon going in her mouth, the feeling of a bib going around her neck, and all of us sitting at the table together. I'm going to spoon feed her mushy food to start. I know baby led weaning is touted as the best way to introduce solids, but I don't think Edie can actually get much without any teeth. I agree that "food before one is just for fun", but I don't want to clean up a giant mess each day just so she can have fun at the table. Hopefully Edith will develop a love for food as well as the occasion of eating. Nothing makes me happier than to enjoy a simple and delicious meal with family or friends. Can't wait to share such moments with little E.

For now, let's start with eating the food and not the bib.

Dragging my Feet

I know I have much more time and energy than before, but there are so many nights when I just don't want to tackle any of my to-dos, not even the half finished projects that I once looked forward to. It's a conflicting situation when I usually find contentment in creating things. Is this a mom thing? A mid-life thing? Or just laziness?

More importantly, how do I get out of this funk?

Looking for your thoughts and suggestions. Now don't all jump at once(!), the two people who read this blog.

Edie's 5 Month Update

Size
Weight: 12 lbs 3 oz
Height: 25" (haha wha same as last month? Honey I shrunk the kid!)

She gained so little in the past month, boo! More alert and louder than ever, I'll take that as she's just fine. Plus, she doesn't fit into her 0-3 onesies so she must be growing taller.

 Attending her first wedding.

Way to go, David!

While we were visiting family for the week, we got a chance to check out a CrossFit competition at my sister and brother in-law's gym. Since Kel exercises at home and I do it in my head, we were just slightly out of place standing next to all these strong bodies! It was fun to sneak into this world if only for an hour. We were able to catch Dave in heat two and saw some of his hard work in action.

I'm not athletic at all, but there's something so moving about the dedication and discipline required in an exercise challenge. Congrats Dave, for meeting and exceeding your goal! Maybe you can show Edie the ropes to become a CrossFit champion.

Just Another Ordinary Day

Nothing exciting happens around here. Baby wakes, we play a bit, she sleeps again. Kel watches soccer, I read or write.
I am thankful for these quiet days. Not to mention the incredible smell and taste of steak, haha.

Mummy Milestone

This past weekend, Kel and I went out without the baby. It was our friends' wedding, so double the fun!
It felt monumental, nerve-wrecking and liberating all at once.

Two goofs at the photo booth.

Edie's 4 Month Update

Edith Bear is 4 months old today.

Size
Weight: 11 lbs 12 oz (almost double her birth weight)
Height: 25”

She’s wearing her 0-3 footed pjs for the last time this week. I should be happy she’s growing well but it’s so nostalgic to pack away the things that used to be so big on her.

 Such a serious face for someone in a bikini.

No naps

I was able to get Edie to sleep all of 1.5hrs during the day. I was going a little mad.

Well, we got no naps, but some fun photos.

Just gotta make the best of each day, right?

Song Bird

Two weeks ago, Edith started talking to herself in the crib. She only did that for two days and then it was back to her regular cooing. When she's in talk mode, day sleep is horribly interrupted. Normally, she's pretty good about putting herself to sleep when it's nap time, but on such days she'd just talk herself out until she was super tired and then mad cranky.

Yesterday Edie found her voice again.

Before Kelvin left for work today, I was starting to feel stressed. I was so tired from trying to get Edie to nap all of yesterday. Kelvin said he'd pray for us. So Kelvin, half asleep, and me, fully anxious, prayed for the day.

I guess if I have great faith, I wouldn't be surprised by what happened, but well, I don't and I am.

I put the little song bird in her crib and sure enough she kept talking and talking, maybe a good 20 minutes and it didn't sound like she was slowing down. But then, silence. I tip-toed to her room and suddenly she just stopped and started sucking her fingers. She fell asleep shortly after that. For her second nap I didn't even see her yawn (sometimes she doesn't yawn even though she's tired), but after a walk around the block, I popped her into the crib, expecting a bout of protest or singing, but instead, she started sucking her fingers right away and slept. Her naps were short and she was cranky throughout the day, but compared to yesterday, today was a breeze. I don't think it's how well/poorly she slept today, but I felt God was telling me not to try so hard to control everything, especially not a growing little person.

I kept thinking about verse 1 of Jesus Paid It All:

I hear the saviour say
Thy strength indeed is small
Child of God, watch and pray
Find in me, thine all in all

Edie gives these long speeches only when she's alone in the crib, but Kelvin caught a little clip just before nap time. Make sure you listen to the last 15 seconds. Can you hear what she's doing?

Edith's Birth Story

Edie was born on February 5th, 2012 at 1:30 in the afternoon. Here’s my side of her birth story.

At 40 weeks plus 4 days, I was getting anxious as to when baby was coming. I was annoyed at the physical discomforts and not enjoying the waiting game one bit. At this point of the pregnancy I was still sleeping but in chunks. Sleeping on my side, the pressure/pain on my hipbone would wake me up every 2-3 hours. During the day I had little energy and moved about awkwardly. There was a lot of pressure in my groin and my Braxton Hicks contractions were sometimes 20 minutes long. The doctor always commented on how low the baby was, so I was expecting her to be early, or at least on time (My sis and I both arrived on our due date).

Pretty grumpy towards the end.

"Alone" in Toronto

It was two weeks before Kelvin's board exam, which just so happened to coincide with Edith's peak sleeplessness. We decided it would be best if I stayed with my sister in Toronto if any studying was to be done. So Edie and I packed up and left to see our families. I cried so many times before we left. I couldn't even remember when the last time I was apart from Kelvin, let alone apart with a cranky baby.

The first couple of days were rough; I was literally losing my mind. Little precious princess decided she did not want to eat or sleep. The no sleep I was expecting, but the refusal to nurse or drink from the bottle was crazy stressful. The first day back, my sister took us out to get some supplies, but all we got was the parking lot, with Edie screaming and crying, my face drenched in tears the size of Niagara Falls, and my sister on the phone with Tele-Health next to the chaos.

Growing Patience

I cried and laughed when I read this.  For me, this is too true, but I ask Edie if she'd want me to throw her into the sewer. I haven't asked her lately, but I did a lot when we first met.

From Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott:

"He's so fine all day, so alert and beautiful and good, and then the colic kicks in. I'm okay for the first hour, more or less, not happy about things but basically okay, and then I start to lose it as the colic continues.  I end up incredibly frustrated and sad and angry.  I have had some terrible visions lately, like of holding him by the ankle and whacking him against the wall, the way you "cure" an octopus on the dock.  I have gone so far as to ask him if he wants me to go get the stick with the nails, which is what my friend Kerry says to her dogs when they are being especially bad.  I have never hurt him and don't believe I will, but I have had to leave the room he was in, go somewhere else, and just breathe for a while, or cry, clenching and unclenching my fists.  I have four friends who had babies right around the time I did, all very eccentric and powerful women, and I do not believe that any of them are having these awful thoughts.  Of course, I know they're not all being Donna Reed either, but one of the wort things about being a parent, for me, is the self-discovery, the being face to face with one's secret insanity and brokenness and rage.  Someone without children, who thinks of me as being deeply spiritual, said the other day that mother hood gave me the opportunity to dance with my feelings of inadequacy and anger, and my automatic response was to think, Oh, go fuck yourself, you New-Age Cosmica Rama dingdong head - go dance with that one".

 
Don't just stand there, ma. Pick me up already!

Sleepy Edie Returns

Day 3 back home.

Oh la la Edie is so sleepy. Who IS this baby?

I still can't believe she can soothe herself to sleep in the crib. Sometimes she seems to be begging me to put her in the crib, and literally it's 20min after she just got up. If she wants to sleep, I'm gonna let her!

Today I'm thankful that I made AND ate breakfast on my own. That's a first, as I usually have enough time to shove a piece of bread down my throat before Edie wakes up.

First Day Back

After two weeks in Toronto (Post Update Here), Edith and I arrived back home yesterday afternoon.

We had a rough night today. Tears, oh there were lots of them from her and then me. I even yelled at her and you bet she yelled at me. I am preparing for a long night, so before I forget, I better write down the things I AM thankful for.

Edie napped in her crib and soothed herself to sleep twice today! I totally wasn't expecting that. She didn't put up much of a fight at all and seemed to really look forward to hoping into her crib. With her improved sleep and mood, even Kelvin can't believe this is the same baby. The bean also seems to be genuinely happy to be home. She'd look around and smile, not the delirious-I'm-crazy-tired smiles, but just a normal happy smile as she glances around the room. And of course she's over the moon to play with daddy again. Too sweet to see them reunite.

Edie and I drive each other crazy. Is there any other kind of mother-daughter relationship?

Boba-ing the Babe

Here's what I typed up on my phone yesterday morning:

These days the only way I can get baby Edie to nap is to wear her in the soft carrier. No amount of rocking, bouncing or cuddles can stop her protest and back arching, but as soon as I pop her in the carrier she's helpless to sleep. She falls asleep really fast (5-20min) and I'm surprised how easy it is. When she was smaller I would rock her on my chest and use a scarf or the sides of my sweater to cover her, so perhaps this reminds her of that environment. The tricky part is that you can't do anything once she's asleep. If you keep walking after she's asleep, she wakes. If you try to transfer her, she wakes (when you do it doesn't make a difference).

While we're away from home these two weeks, my morning goes like this: baby wakes up (6am to 8am), walk to Tim Hortons, eat breakfast, read/email and wait for Edie to wake up, then go back to my sister's house. Sometimes Edie wakes up screaming. The Timmies patrons stare and probably wonder why the black lump on my chest is bubbling and screeching away. I repeat the process three to four times during the day, minus the trip to Timmies.

Yeah it sucks Edie's nap requirement is so restricting, but at least there's one sure thing that allows her to sleep. All four grandparents and my sister have "boba-ed" her, giving me a much welcomed break during the day.

Today's update: I shouldn't be surprised since it's happened more than once, but I still can't believe how fast and dramatic Edith changes. As of yesterday, Edie seems to have regained her sleep abilities. Still wearing her to nap but she doesn't wake up as easily. She is also a lot less fussy. Last night I let her sleep with her arms out for the first time in about three weeks. We rarely swaddled her since she was a newborn but had to do it because her arms kept waking her up in the last little while. What do you know, last night she slept from 9pm to 4am, occasionally sucking her fingers to soothe herself back to sleep. She was wide awake and crying loudly at 4am, but it's so encouraging to at least see some change in her sleep behaviour.

I'll try to put her to bed around the same time once we get home. For now I think she deserves to hang out like a koala on me, with all the new stimulus and schedules here.

I'm thankful we bought the carrier.

Edie is still showing no signs of a predictable schedule. It's tiring but I'll TRY to roll with it (really what else is there to do?). She seems healthy and content.

Humour is still the best medicine

One day we will look back and laugh, right?!

These days, Edith is tired easily, but she will not sleep. I can get her to a state of calmness, eyes almost closed but cannot for the life of me get her to sleep.

Mommy, I'd rather play with the mobile. Hi monkey!
Mommy, I'd rather talk to the ceiling. It's white!
Oh mommy c'mon, look at this really interesting bed sheet. It's white too!

ok Edie, how about some food? You haven't eaten in hours.

NO!!! No eating!! I'd rather cry and scream and chock on tears than eat your poison!

Now, is there some way to get back the two hours that I just spent lulling this kid to sleep? She only slept for 20min. I want my two hours back! What about stopping the poo that happens at the most untimely moments, like JUST as she's about to fall asleep? And why does opening the fridge door wake her up?!

I cried out of happiness when she finally took a nap and when she went to sleep again in the evening I ran to pray with thankfulness.

So what is the good in all this? Well I was really stressed out yesterday but it felt so good to make my mom laugh when I told her some of the crazy stories. Some day I'll laugh my head off about this. Until then, fighting!!!


I ain't tired, no way!

New Start

With so many things that can and do go wrong in a day, I'm going to start documenting all the things that are going right. On the days when nothing is, I will look back and give thanks for the good times.

Today Edith went for her 2 month check up. Doc says she's growing well and everything's perfect. Little baby got three shots in a row. When the nurse said: "you're probably gonna cry, mom", and I laughed. Me? No way. I held back tears on the second shot and I think dad did too, haha. Edie cried so hard it looked like her head was going to pop off, but as soon as the needles were done she stopped and just looked dazed. My little baby is almost 10 lbs. This morning when I picked her up she said "hiiiiii" and smiled. haha ok so it was just a sound that sounded like hi, but it sure was a sweet tune to my ears!

Breastfeeding is going soooo much better. My body has decided to settle down the craziness and stop producing milk for triplets. So now Edie rarely chokes and I don't get woken up by rocks on my chest. Funny thing is Edie used to prefer the slower flowing side, but now she favours the faster side. Maybe she likes the challenge or just doesn't have to work as hard. Whatever the case, I'm just glad we don't have to do battle at every feed.

Edie is fast asleep in her crib and not being woken up by her little fingers (haha did the Tylenol have anything to do with it?). The discovery of her fingers is a great self soothing tool, but not when she'd rather keep playing with her fist than get some shuteye.

I'm sitting down like a sane person and typing an entire blog entry. Not that long ago, I found it hard to find time to get ready in the morning, run to the washroom and eat some food during the day.

Today I may look exhausted and scatterbrain, but I feel fresh and bright. I'm ready for a new start!


  My mom's caption for this photo: "Power to the People!" LOL.

Happy 2 Months!

My daughter (hehe, my daughter!) has a pretty extreme personality. She will go from super calm and widely happy to top of her lungs cranky in a matter of seconds. She is curious, loves to suck, not interested to eat, and loves sleep, even if she's not so good at falling asleep and waking up, yet. Sometimes I wonder why she doesn't behave like the typical baby, but I'm learning to read her more and read the books and the Internet less.

Edith turned 2 months yesterday. 60 days of bliss, chaos and wonder, all rolled together as if it was one long day. As the saying aptly goes, "the days are long but the months are short". (Thanks for sharing, super E!)

My honest thoughts so far.

The perfect mother doesn't exist

The perfectionist tendency in me often leads to procrastination. If A isn't done then I can't move on to B, or I'll wait till I have X number of things to buy at this store before I make a trip. The truth is that I can be a logistics mastermind, but holding out for the perfect thing, be it a plan, purchase or moment, can also be painfully crippling.

This morning I was telling Kelvin a couple of things I think I'm good at. He thought it was cute that I kept reassuring myself in different ways. I even said, "I think I'm a good mom". I surprised myself a little by saying that aloud. In the past few weeks as a new mom, there's been so many episodes of self doubt and inadequacy, so to verbally announce something so bold to the world (ok it was just us 3 in the kitchen) was a big deal.

After lunch I headed out to check Edith's weight. Despite our breastfeeding challenges and Edith's cold last week, she's been growing at the recommended average, and near the top range no less. Her weigh-in today was below average. As I walked home from the clinic I felt disappointed, and a little guilty.

What on earth was I thinking that I'm a good mom? My baby is not growing properly! I thought about all the different ways I could've and should've tried to boost her weight.

An evidence-based study this ain't, but I don't think it's easy for any mother to tell herself she is a good mother. Friends that I admire for their sacrificial love and maternal tenacity can still feel like they're not good enough. There's self doubt and sometimes guilt, for things we actually didn't do so well, or even failing to meet a standard that we think equates to good parenting.

On a day like today, when I'm not overly tired or stressed, I can reason myself out and not get caught up in the small things that measure our success as a parent. It really helps that our friends and family are there to support us. My dad keeps e-mailing me to ask if I'm getting enough sleep and of course I keep telling him "NO!". He responded with "well anyway, 'add oil'", which is a Chinese phrase of encouragement, like "you can do it / keep going!". Sometimes it's not advice that we need, but just small reminders that it's ok to experience insecurity and even failure, simply because the perfect parent does not exist.

As I look down in the carrier, Edith gives me a sleep-grin and wiggles her chubby little thumbs like she's holding a video game controller. I think she's growing, a little each day, and so am I, even if I'm not doing it perfectly.

Hello World!

Edith Rae Chan was born on February 5, 2012. It's hard to believe that almost 6 weeks have gone by. I have a million thoughts but as you can imagine, it's hard to write things down with a newborn. Will do my best!

Here's Edie just minutes after she was out of the womb. I don't remember her at this size!




And here she is yesterday afternoon.

Being on mat leave without the baby = time to get sewing.

I did a bit of sewing when I was much younger but haven't touched this craft since grade school. Setting up the machine took about 5 hours, prepping the fabric another day or so, buying all the little accessories was one too many trips to the dollar store and Walmart! Once I started, I realized that this new hobby was pretty random. Unlike my other creative outlets, I have ZERO natural talent for sewing. No natural ability plus no skills is a surefire combo for lots of eye rolling, chubbyhawking*, and good fun in the crazy room. Honestly, I am really enjoying this. A lesson in patience, humility and manual dexterity, all rolled into one.



If you want to try, here are the source tutorials that inspired my projects. Left to right, top to bottom:

Stuffed heart from Design Sponge. I made mine smaller but that was a mistake. The curves are killer hard. Instead of a topstitch, a ladder (or invisible) stitch will look more seamless.

The lampshade. I didn't follow the tutorial. Instead I wrapped the fabric around the lamp and "measured" it that way. Maybe because the fabric I used was more stretchy, but the lazy method worked just fine. Or if you want to be even more lazy/smart, just use hemming tape to close the gap.

What I really wanted to try was this freezer paper stencil technique, but I couldn't find that stuff at supermarkets or Michael's, and I already had my heart set on making this apron as a gift. So I printed the design, held it up to the window and traced it onto the fabric. Then I "painted" it with fabric paint. It took a long time, but I'm not sure if cutting out a stencil would've been any faster. This was fun and made me want to try painting!

Next up is the change pad cover . I thought the result was so-so, but I don't know if it's the tutorial (probably not) or if it was because of my poor sewing skills (if I'm being honest). The curve of the change pad is not accounted for, because the pattern is constructing a straight box cover. There were other ones I found online but since this was the first project I tackled, I choose the easiest tutorial. Whenever I look at this I'm reminded of a giant eraser.

Two tutorials in the last photo. First, the fitted crib sheet. After I made this I kept wondering why I decided to make bedsheets?! Oh well, it was good practice and got me to understand some basic concepts. The bed skirt, is a quick video tutorial. After I made this, I thought of an even faster version. How about I just lay two pieces of fabric under the mattress? Now THAT would be no-sew. I should've done that since my fabric is actually a flannel bedsheet. Cutting such a large piece of clothe took forever. Another project when I ask now why did I do this??



*Chubbyhawking is this weird noise I make when I'm frustrated. Imagine someone simultaneously exhaling, imitating a hawk and a pirate. (>_<)

1-2-3-4-5 Ribs (Braised Ribs with Chestnuts)

Ribs were on sale at Farm Boy (my favourite grocery store! We'll save that for another post, hehe), so I tried my mom's recipe - Braised Pork Ribs with Chestnuts. I have made this three times. Definitely yummy. Degree of difficulty - depends.

The "depends" is because the chestnuts. Chestnuts have a hard outer shell but also a hairy/waxy coating that wraps the nut completely. I never worked with them prior to this so I am no expert, but here are three different peeling methods that I've tried:

1. Roasting them over the pan. Here is Martha Stewart's step by step guide..
PROS: Relatively fast if you're good with a knife. Quick clean up.
CONS: The nut is basically cooked through and has a distinct roasted taste after braising. Maybe that's not a CON but I didn't like that taste for this dish.
NOTE: I got carried away and removed huge parts of the shell before putting it on the pan - DON'T DO THAT. The nut will burn and then you'll have to remove those black parts.


2. Par-boiling for about a minute. You have to make the X slit first.
PROS: Nut is heated through just enough for the skin to come off but not cooked through, so the flavours of the sauce will be nicely amalgamated during the cooking process. Also, since there's no danger of burning the nut, you will see the condition of the nut very clearly. Bad and/or moldy parts will not go unnoticed!
CONS: Could take a while...like an hour. But that's also because I did it wrong!
NOTE: Boil the nuts in batches. Once they cool down, the skin isn't going to come off anymore! I made this giant mistake and re-heated 5 nuts at a time in the microwave.

3. Buying pre-peeled nuts. I really want to try the vacuum sealed kind but haven't seen them yet. We bought some dry and peeled ones at a Chinese grocery store yesterday so here's what I thought about those.
PROS: Super fast, just need to rehydrate and them throw them in the pot!
CONS: Lacks flavour and chewiness.
NOTE: I was very reluctant to buy these but Kelvin insisted that I at least try. When I picked them up they smelled like beans! Kelvin thought they tasted fine. I think he just doesn't want to hear me whine as I peel 'em nuts! I think if I really can't spend the time to peel the nuts I will just make the dish without them.

Onto the recipe:

- 1/2 lbs pork back ribs (I asked the butcher to cut them in three lengthwise and then I cut them between each rack at home, so they're essentially riblets)
- Chestnuts (sorry I really don't know how much. I just envisioned how many I wanted to eat with the amount of ribs above. If you're buying fresh in the shell, get 1.5 the amount. There are always duds that need to be thrown out.)

Here's why my mom calls this the 1-2-3-4-5 ribs:
1 part wine
2 parts vinegar
3 parts sugar
4 parts soy sauce
5 parts water

Throw all the sauce ingredients in a pot, bring to a rolling boil. Place ribs and chestnuts in and bring it back to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Then lower heat and let the goodies braise for at least an hour. I did it for an hour and 25 minutes, turned the heat back on high for 5min and put a tbsp of honey to thicken the sauce. My mom serves it with malt sugar but leaves the sauce watery, so it's all up to you!

I adjusted the sauce by using only 2 parts soy sauce. I found it too salty the first time. Also on the second try, I browned the ribs first. I liked the smokey flavour on the meat but I did not enjoy the tougher texture. I probably won't do that in the future. A 1/8 measuring cup should cover 1/2 lbs of ribs and chestnuts. I guess it depends on what kind of pot you're using.

And yes, the photo is sort of blurry because I wanted to eat this! I had two more bowls of rice with just the sauce. yum yum yum yum yum!

Baby Shower

We had a small party to celebrate the baby's arrival two weeks ago. I am really bad with large crowds so my sweet friends accommodated my request for something casual and intimate. It was a beautiful Saturday, filled with sunshine, laughter, and a copious amount of home-made goodies. I think I had four or five servings of the strawberry shortcake that Liz made. Nom nom nom nom.

Each guest brought a gift that represented themselves to put in the baby's time capsule. She'll get to open it when she is older. I wonder if she'll be sentimental like her mom and dad or find our nostalgic tendencies strange.

We also collected newborn supplies for a local charity that provides support for pregnant women and mothers in need. On the day we dropped off the goods, a snow storm was starting and the white stuff was just whipping everywhere. I stayed in the car since the front steps were completely covered in snow. When Kelvin returned he said that we had just made it! They were planning to close shop for the day because of the storm. I was disappointed that I didn't get to go in and find out more about their programs. Something to look forward to in the future perhaps.

I am thankful for the home we have for the baby and all the wonderful people she will get to meet in our lives!

Dreaming of Baby

I saw our baby in my dream last night. I held her and she smiled at me. She was a few months old and had a beautiful head of hair, it was fine and soft like her father's and not crazy like her mother's. Ahhh...can't wait to meet her!!


We bought a few sleepers at Loblaws and I couldn't stop giggling when the cashier said: "Congratulations! Expecting a boy?"

2011 to 2012

On the second day of the new year, I'm at home sorting all the gifts we received for baby Chan. We've been blessed with loads of new things as well as hand-me-downs. It's actually overwhelming as I look at the teeny tiny pieces that make up the mounds of onesies, bibs, blankets, etc.

We are so loved, oh my! I'm having a hard time processing how much she is loved, not just by our families, but by our friends and coworkers, who have yet to meet her.

We spent Christmas in Toronto. My schedule was totally cut down this time and I only put in one or two to-dos a day. I was worried since I wouldn't be able to see as many people as other visits, but it worked out well since I wasn't over-tired and people were extra understanding of my "condition". My poor sister could not get over how slow and tired I was, hehe.

As I reflect about the short but sweet time we spent with family and friends over Christmas, this old hymn comes to mind. For the Beauty of the Earth by Folliott S. Pierpoint:

"For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise."


For more Christmas 2011 photos, click on our family photo below!