Feeling Fat

I swear that after the 2nd baby, my abs had been replaced with fat layers that I can't get rid off. I also lost the reflex of pulling my abs in and I must consciously remind my self to suck my abs in or it'll just pooch out like I'm 3 months pregnant. Doing sit ups doesn't seem to help because the fat layer is still there so the only option remains is to modify diet, exercise to get rid of them fat once and for all. I'm at the point where I'm ready to change.
When I saw my cousin's wife who had the baby about the same time I did and she's back to her skinny self which got me thinking about my own body and the possibility of it going back to the shape where it used to be 2 years ago.
I read the South Beach diet and it's a bit too strict for the 1st 1 weeks. It's not realistic for me to follow their recipe so I'm working to put something together to incoorperate the food I'm already eating but cut out the rice, noodles and bread. I can cut out rice but noodles and bread are going to be tough.
I'm tired of feeling fat. I want to feel fit where my body is tight and strong. It's just going to get harder as I'm getting older so be patient with your self please.
P.S.: I'm so odd. Even when I'm trying to eat healthy, I still go to those food blogsite to tempt my self. Must stop doing that.

Exausted

This pass weekend was so busy with events centering around kids and families that I didn't get to do any of my chores.
Saturday morning, I took an hour of boot camp at the gym. Instructor is 4 months pregnant so she had to keep her heart rate at a certain level but still goes pretty hard. "I want you to be exausted after my class!!!" She was tough and merciless similar to Jillian of the biggest looser.
After class, Secondo and I went to our last swim lesson. She was paddling with her hands and doing some kicking but not consistently. She's more used to being dunk under water but still doesn't like floating on her back. I decided to stop the lesson and start again next summer. She's getting really tan and I have sufficient training to teach her my self at this point. Primero is the one who should take lesson so I'm going to put it on the list. Their cousins came by in the afternoon so Primero went to the pool again while I stayed home with Secondo. She napped for 30 min and said "ma ma.. ma ma" That was the end of my hope to get more chores done.
When they got back from the pool, everyone was hungry except for my pregnant sister in-law who had been having terrible morning sickness. She had to hide upstairs where the smell food isn’t so overwhelming for her.
I cooked for 6 adults. The menu was soy sauce simmered baby back ribs, shrimp with ketchup and wine sauce (which I learned from Ang Lee long time ago watching an interview on TV), and baby bak choi stir fried in garlic sauce. I have not cooked for anyone since Secondo was born so it felt good when people liked my food and said how delicious they were.
After dinner I play cards with the kids, the guess left and we all went to bed exhausted.

The next day, I woke up with a sore body. My legs were the worst when going up and down stairs. (They are sore still today) We got ready and went to one of mom's cousin's daughter's 1st Bday party. When we got there, lots of girls in Primero's age group was running around playing. They have a dog fluffy who loved Secondo and the other kids but Secondo was afraid of it.
After that party, we went to visit my friend Steve who lived in that neighborhood so our kids can play together. We had pho for dinner and play badminton. It was really fun.

15 month old

We took the kids to "Build a bear workshop" and Secondo was ruffling in to all the different outfits for the bears. She's 15 months old now and she has mastered walking and is trying to run and jump. Itsy bitsy spider is her favorite song and I'm so tired of singing it for the 20th time. She's also a thumb sucker like her cie-cie (Elder sister) but she's more hard core and her thumb has blister already at this age. Secondo has higher pain level too. Sometimes she'll have a bloody broken toe nail and it doesn't phase her at all.
Here Primero at her cousin, E's house building their cookie and popcorn shop.

3 Iron

I traveled for business last week and due to the terrorist findings in the UK, I was forced to check my bag with my toiletries and be at the airport 3 hours before departure. My out going flight was @ 7:20AM so I was scheduled to wake up @ 3AM and be at the airport by 4:20 AM. Secondo had too much excitement that night so she was not able to sleep soundly. She woke up many times and I wasn't able to sleep until about 1 AM. Airport was a zoo even @ 4 AM but I checked in and went through security within 40 min so I was roaming around the airport waiting for Starbuck to open and get some coffee. It finally opened around 5:30AM so I was able to get some breakfast. The flight was uneventfull but I'm not used to waiting around for baggage claim etc..
While traveling, I didn't have to attend to anyone. I ate when ever I'm hungry and go as I please. It felt as if I was single again, freedom.. but it wasn't the same. There was something missing in my life during those days, my family. This one restaurant that I highly recommend is Paesanos. They have the best Italian food I have ever had. I heard that Pachanga Casino area has the same restaurant so I'm going to convince hubby to go to Pachanga sometime this year.
Returning flight was about the same and I was really glad to be home and see my kids.
This pass weekend, we rented a Korean movie "3 Iron". It's an interesting movie that didn't have much dialog between the main characters so it works well for a foreign movie. I would recommended this movie for everyone.
Secondo can say "ma ma" now but the thing is she says it to both me and hubby.

No longer a polluter

Last Saturday, hubby took the Accord for a tune up and CAT (Car talk for Catalytic converter) change and the Accord passed smog test! Hallelujah!! Now I can drive the car with out feeling guilty when I see the smog in the air.
Primero went to Boomers for the 1st time yesterday and she can't stop talking about it.
P: "Mom, can we go to Boomer this weekend? Can we, can we?"
Hub: "What ride was your favorite?"
P:"Oh.. all of them"
Last night, Secondo was really whiney so I scolded her and said "No more whining!" in the mad motherly tone. Next thing I heard was this loud cry. She was in the master bathroom so the crying was magnified by the echos our empty bath room was able to generate. Big mistake.. so I told her I was sorry and held her but she was still cranky the whole night

Swim lesson

This weekend, Primero was hanging out with her cousin, hubby was at work and I took Secondo for her 1st swim lesson. I decided to get there early considering I got to stroll her from parking lot to the pool and in general it takes an extra 10 minutes to do anything involving a toddler. When I got to the pool, there's a message on the gate "Swim Lesson is moved to another pool due to contamination" I was stressing out because I don't know where the other pool was. While panicing, I noticed that they had direction to the backup pool on the gate so I got there shortly. I knew I was at the right place because all the crying and laughing of children in the Air.
We all finally got into the water with our toddler and the lesson began.
Since a toddler can't comprehend what's going on, the swim lesson was more for the parent than for the child.
1. I sang the wheel on the bus and went round and round with the baby, up and down, swish,swish swish while dipping the child side to side so they get used to getting wet ears.
2. I got a floating toy and threw it to a distance and encaurage the kid to kick while getting the toy.
3. I helped the baby use their arm to make the paddling motion while singing row row row your boat.
4. The instructor springkled water on Secondo's head while singing it's raining it's pouring.
5. I helped the baby float on their back while they lay on my shoulder.
It was fun and short so we'll do it again next week.

Old Car

My accord is due for smog so hubby took it in for a test and it FAILED! Here goes the journey of making the car pass smog. 1st we went to a mechanic and he said to flush the ERG which didn't work. Now we think it's the catalytic converter so that's what we're going to do next

Wanting what I don't have

I borrowed another audio book on meditation by Jack Kornfield called "Meditation for beginners". It was the request of Primero because she enjoyed one meditation audio book I borrowed one time. This one however is different. It explains about the intent of meditation and how to manage when many thoughts are running in your mind and the "what if" or "if only" energy enters the mind. Bottom line is that meditation is a form of acceptance of one self with all the inperfections.
Another interesting quote I learned is "The greatest diappointment in life is not getting what you want and getting what you want" This ring alot of truth for me in many ways and I'm happy to say that I've learned to accept my self more as I'm older and wiser
Here's an example of what I did to meet a certain want.
In my younger years, I was never satisfied with my feet. They were wide and have bunions on both sides which made it difficult for me to wear cute or fashionable shoes. My friend who had similar bunions problem had them removed and she was so happy with the result. I saw how happy she was wear heels and trendy shoes so I decided to remove the bunion from one foot and once it recovered, I'll do the other one. Recovery for that surgery was true suffering. I had to crawl around for 2 weeks and hubby washed my hair for me since I couldn't really shower. After the foot healed, I was disappointed that my toes were shorter than before. I didn't realized that my toes would get shorter. I was not satisfied before or after the surgery so the quote is so true. Over time I learned to love both my feet as they are and buy shoes that fit my feet.

Rain is good

It's been so hot and humid lately that I was so glad when it was drizzling this morning. I slept by the an open window from 3 to 6 AM and really enjoyed the cool breeze. We took the kids to a new water park in the neighborhood and Primero had lots of fun. Secondo didn't enjoy it as much as the kiddy pool. Her latest habit is drinking pool and bath water. She knows how to say "up" now that she's 14.5 months old. She copies different things that we do such as hand motion, facial expression,and sound effects. She loves to blow rasberry on her elder sister's belly and made everyone laughs. She's independent and wants to feed her self during meal time. Because she's not so coordiated, the dining area is such a big mess after meal time.

Long lost friend

2 days ago, an old friend of mine T got a hold of me. We lost contact about 3 years ago. Since I moved to OC, I would send her Xmas card hoping to reconnect or asked people we both knew as of where she's at. The good news is that we got a hold of each other and we have so much catching up to do. I knew her kids when they were 2 and 3 years old. Now they are in college and all grown up.
I plan to visit her soon :)

Cooling down with Strawberry Lemonade

It's been hot and humid for the pass several weeks. I got to get this Strawberry Lemonade recipe from my friend Angie. It's delicious.




Her chocolate/strawberries dips are also to die for.

Getting lost

With starting a new job, I'm not familiar with the surrounding so I go and explore the area during lunch. I found a gas station with reasonable price and a target. My next mission is to locate a bank. I refuses to buy gas in my neighborhood which is typically 15-20 cents above average. My journey to the gas station was fine but, I got lost on my way back to work. The street name changes from one city to another so I ended up at this strip mall and spotted Coffee bean. I got my coffee with direction and got back to work OK.
I also found several a 24hrs fitness close by so the goal is to go to the gym twice a week and exercise for 30min/ session. They don't have any classess that I can take but my goal is to strengthen my abs.

Motivation

I hope that with me posting more often now, it will inspire Bulleye and Fresno's hot to at least post once every month or so. One can always set goal to stay connected with the ones you care about. I understand that both of them are busy with their career so one paragraph once in a while would be a treat.

I'm slowly easing back to the gym. Unfortunately my spin instructor Judy moved to Chicago so I go to the earlier weight lifting class instead of spinning. She battled cancer with Chemotherapy and she's doing great.

The other reason is that I want to be stronger and able to lift and carry the kids around with ease as they get heavier all the time. Sorry to admit but my abs is not as strong as I would like them to be and after Sunday's lift, my back was really sore and uncomfortable. I also realized that my upper body is not in good shape so sculpting my body is good for me.

Current goal is to hit the gym twice a week and take a walk once a week. There's a boot camp class on Saturday Morning, which is taught by a really tough instructor. For those who are in to reality show, she reminds me of Jillian, personal trainer of the red team of the reality show "The big looser". When I got tired and tried to cheat and she was on me and pushed me to my limit. It is pure suffering when I am taking the class and I am sore everywhere the day after. I plan to take this class this coming Saturday so I can burn up to 400 calories.

Secondo 14 months old

I've started a new job last week. I'm in training for the 1st and 2nd week and I'll have a project I assume on the 3rd week. This company is closer to home compared to the old one. It's different being the new person on the block but I'll managed the change.
Primero attended a birthday party on Saturday at a park. It was so hot and humid but it didn't bother the kids. They still jumped in the jumper, run around the park, having a great time. She hasn't seen some of her classmates for a month so they were happy to see each other. After the party we went to her cousin's house to play some more. By 8:30 PM she was yawning and had enough energy to lay down and watch cartoon.
Secondo is walking and learning to talk. She has her own language that she says to people but no one can make sense of what she said. She uses mostly body language to get what she wants. She's able to say mommy and daddy accidentally but not to get our attention. The new word of the week was "Let's go" which came out as "Le go"


PS
I totally forgot that Secondo was 14 months old on Monday. She's very active and loves to play with Primero. She copies certain things that Primero does and they play well together until someone is hurt which is usually Secondo falling or bumping her head. Her latest thing is to get a thing and give it to someone. She mastered walking but refuses to wear shoes so we put socks on her and I continue to experiment with different type of shoes. She loves the out door and water. Her swimming lessons starts in August. Hubby worries about her getting too dark.

It's been a while

Just can't to find any free time to blog anymore. Primero graduated from Kindergarten last week. We video taped the ceremony but we didn't really had good seats. She's out of school but will start summer camp next week. She lost 4 bottom teeth and still has all her top fron teeth. Secondo started to walk on her own at 11 months. She was bitten by her day care friend on the arm last week.

Secondo had Roseola

This pass week Secondo had been sick. She had fever since Monday and we figured because her top teeth are coming in. By Wednesday, her fever reached its peak of 105F so I raced home from work, picked her up from the sitter and she seemed OK but very cranky and clingy. On Thursday she was tired and clingy so I stayed home with her. The fever went away but I noticed some rash on her neck and upper chest. By Friday night, the rash was all over her torso so we took her to urgent care again not knowing what's causing the breakout. There were other sick kids there but the wait wasn't too long. Dr said that she had the textbook case of Roseola which I've never heard of. It starts with fever and ends with rash. Thankfully she was fine. Primero said that going to urgent care at night gave her a strange feeling. She felt much better after we came home.
Below is literature I found from kidhealth.org after goggling Roseola. I've included in the blog for others to recognize the symptoms because it could have gotten really serious and scary. We are fortunate that she didn't have any convulsion nor febrile seizure, Whew... Sigh...
Her rash went away today but my poor baby is still fussy and demanding.

"Roseola (also known as sixth disease, exanthem subitum, and roseola infantum) is a viral illness in young children, most commonly affecting those between the ages of 6 months and 2 years. It is typically marked by several days of high fever, followed by a distinctive rash just as the fever breaks.

Two common and closely related viruses can cause roseola: human herpesvirus (HHV) type 6 and type 7. These two viruses belong to the same family as the better-known herpes simplex viruses (HSV), but HHV-6 and HHV-7 do not cause the cold sores and genital herpes infections that HSV can cause.

Signs and Symptoms
A child with roseola typically develops a mild upper respiratory illness, followed by a high fever (often over 103 degrees Fahrenheit, or 39.5 degrees Celsius) for up to a week. During this time, the child may appear fussy or irritable and may have a decreased appetite and swollen lymph nodes (glands) in the neck.

The high fever often ends abruptly, and at about the same time a pinkish-red flat or raised rash appears on the child's trunk and spreads over the body. The rash's spots blanch (turn white) when you touch them, and individual spots may have a lighter "halo" around them. The rash usually spreads to the neck, face, arms, and legs.

The fast-rising fever that comes with roseola triggers febrile seizures (convulsions caused by high fevers) in about 10% to 15% of young children. Signs of a febrile seizure include:
unconsciousness 2 to 3 minutes of jerking or twitching in the arms, legs, or face loss of control of the bladder or bowels.

Contagiousness
Roseola is contagious and spreads through tiny drops of fluid from the nose and throat of infected people. These drops are expelled when the infected person talks, laughs, sneezes, or coughs. Then if other people breathe the drops in or touch them and then touch their own noses or mouths, they can become infected as well.

The viruses that cause roseola do not appear to be spread by children while they are exhibiting symptoms of the illness. Instead, someone who has not yet developed symptoms often spreads the infection.

Prevention
There is no known way to prevent the spread of roseola. Because the infection usually affects young children but rarely adults, it is thought that about of roseola in childhood may provide some lasting immunity to the illness. Repeat cases of roseola may occur, but they are not common.

Incubation
The average incubation period is about 9 to 10 days after exposure to the virus.

Duration
The fever of roseola lasts from 3 to 7 days, followed by a rash lasting from hours to a few days.

Professional Treatment
To make a diagnosis, your child's doctor first will take a history and do a thorough physical examination. A diagnosis of roseola is often uncertain until the fever drops and the rash appears, so the doctor may order tests to make sure that the fever is not caused by another type of infection.

The illness typically does not require professional treatment, and when it does, most treatment is aimed at reducing the high fever. Antibiotics cannot treat roseola because a virus, not a bacterium, causes it.

Home Treatment
Until the fever drops, you can help keep your child cool using a sponge or towel soaked in lukewarm water. Do not use ice, cold water, alcohol rubs, fans, or cold baths. Acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin) can help to reduce your child's fever. Avoid giving aspirin to a child who has a viral illness because the use of aspirin in such cases has been associated with the development of Reye syndrome, which can lead to liver failure and death.

To prevent dehydration from the fever, encourage your child to drink clear fluids such as water with ice chips, children's electrolyte solutions, flat sodas like ginger ale or lemon-lime (stir room-temperature soda until the fizz disappears), or clear broth.

When to Call Your Child's Doctor
Call your child's doctor if your child is lethargic or not drinking or if you cannot keep your child's fever down. If your child has a seizure, seek emergency care immediately.

Reviewed by: Wayne Ho, MD
Date reviewed: November 2003
Originally reviewed by: Joel Klein, MD

Things

Mom and Dad just got back from their trip. Primero is having her friend for a sleep over tonight. She's very excited. Secondo is almost 11 months now and is learning to stand on her own. She likes to eat everything that I've offered her so far. Hopefully it won't rain tomorrow.

Out of touch

It's been so long since my last blog. I felt that all of us are blog less and less now days and don't really stay in touch as we've had intended when this all got started.
My guess is bulleye is busy with his new Job, Hendog is busy smoking cigar with his wife and I'm eager to find some time to my self( other than going to the bath room).
Secondo is 10.5 months now and she's very active and demanding.

Primero's new school

Went and visited her elementary school recently and gotten the form for getting in the 1st grade. Can't believe she's going to be a 1st grader. I still remember the day that she was born in my arm with her long lashes.
The enrolment package is quite extensive. I'll try to have hubby fill out the form. I also want to make an appointment to meet the principal of the school and understand his philosophy on education. This will be a new environment for her so some adjustment will take place. Apparently, some kids bring their personal apple laptop to school and do their homework on the computer. I hope it's not mandatory because I want her to learn to write and have nice penmanship and also learn to type.

Bye Eric

Went home last night and and Eric was dead at the bottom of the tank. On the bright side, he lasted 3 weeks longer than our 1st fish.
P: "What should I get for my next pet?"
Me: "How about nothing?"
P:" I want a hamster or an iguana!"
Me: "We'll wait until you're older so you can take care of it."
Sigh..
Both kids got baptised last Sunday by the way. It was supposed to be for Sister Inlaw's boy but she said may be we should get Secondo baptised too at the same time. It wasn't planned and apparently it has been bothering my inlaws that our kids were not. Brother inlaw's comment is " Now they can dye in peace that all the grandkids are baptised so I didn't resist.
P: "What is the purpose of baptism?"
Me: " The priest said is to take away your original sin.."
P: " I don't have any sin !"
Me: "Ask your dad, I don't know why.."
P: " I thought mom knows everything..hm.."
Me: " Like you, I don't know much about original sin"
Hubby wasn't able to explain it either so hopefully it doesn't bother her that much.