Yin and Yang

Christmas Morning

2010-12-25T19:03:00.000-08:00

We had a fantastic Christmas this year. It seems to get better and better as Genghis gets older. It started with a Christmas Eve dinner I hosted for family living nearby. The menu included shrimp cocktail and stuffed mushrooms (Walton family tradition) in addition to the ham, mashed potatoes and salad. We had plenty of yummy desserts to end the evening on a sweet note. Genghis then opened one gift from Grandma Susie (who was at our house), and it was a remote control helicopter. Yang loves it as much as Genghis does.

After our guests left, we changed into our new pjs and tucked Genghis in bed. She fell asleep surprisingly quickly, considering how excited she was for Santa's visit.

The video shows Genghis's morning. Her favorite gift from Santa was her drum set. We had a relaxed morning and spent the day together. It was fantastic. Hope yours was as well.

Merry Christmas!

Hint hint

2010-11-13T13:29:00.001-08:00

I think Genghis is trying to tell me what she wants for Christmas. I'm pretending not to hear her.

Genghis

2010-11-02T19:28:00.001-07:00

Our village (read: house) has been razed by a conquering, pillaging, and plundering toddler. At 33 months old, 37 inches tall, and an impressive 25 pounds, Xiao Mei has earned the name of the most notorious, feared (and loved!) invader of all time. Genghis Kahn. Our little Genghis sweeps across the steppe spreading toys, clothes, food, mom's shoes, and kitchen utensils in her wake. She laughs in the face of sleep, climbs every counter, and breaks through all child locks, including the lock on the door.

She is a master of languages (thanks Dora and Kai Lan!), an athlete, and an artist. She is both loved and feared (feared mostly by Freya, our poor cat). She keeps life busy, exciting, and out of control. She is the cure for overconfidence, self-reliance, and a sense of order in the universe.

She will make history.

Universal Correspondence

2010-10-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

The universe speaks to me through fortune cookies. I listen. While I was studying for the bar exam, Yang and I went to Happy Panda for lunch. My fortune read, "you will soon pass a big test." Seriously. I knew I still needed to study, but I was a little more confident after that. (I passed.) While I was pregnant with Xiao Mei, I received a fortune that said I would soon meet a new best friend. The truth of that fortune increases every day. XM is a hilarious little person.

So, I pay attention to my fortune cookies. I have tried to give XM a sibling for quite a while now. Last Christmas day I miscarried for the first time. (How is that for dramatic timing?) We went out for Chinese a couple days later and my fortune read, "Time heals all wounds, keep your chin up." Thank you, universe. I'm waiting for my fortune to tell me that we will add a new person to our family. When I receive that fortune (which I am utterly convinced I will), I'll let you all know. Until then, Universe, good night and good luck.

I went on a cruise to Alaska the beginning of September to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. I was the youngest person on the boat by 20 years. Fantastic.

Here is a picture of an awesome Taiwanese man I met. His business card read "Paly Boy." (It think he meant for it to say "Play Boy.") Wow. I am confident that this picture is posted on a Chinese website of ill-repute. Somehow, I am not as bothered as I perhaps should be. For the sake of reciprocity, I am exploiting his image on my blog.
Here I am with my brother and sister-in-law in front of the Hubbard glacier. I think. One of those Alaskan glaciers, anyway.

Summer Place

2010-10-20T11:03:00.001-07:00

Lake Powell used to be my favorite place on earth. It was the vacation destination of choice for my parents while we were growing up. We went every summer.

Then I grew up, moved away, and started my own family. In August I received an invitation from my brother to join everyone on a trip to Lake Powell. It had been over 8 years since I last visited. I had forgotten how much I love that place.

The trip was a blast, and Xiao Mei had a fun time meeting most of her cousins for the first time!

This is me water skiing! I wondered if I could still get up on one ski, and I did it! I lasted about three minutes before I fell. I proved to myself I could still do it, and now I never have to again!

I'm Back

2010-05-23T19:16:00.000-07:00

I stopped blogging because of Facebook. I uploaded photos and posted witty little status updates on my Facebook profile, and I assumed that would fulfill my need for sharing the mundane details of my life with others. And, at first, it did fulfill that need. I abandoned my blog to drift aimlessly on the interwebs--an available target for comments advertising various pharmaceutical panaceas and shiny new discos in Berlin (I still regret titling that one post in German). Because of those random, and somewhat disturbing comments, I deleted my blog a few months ago.

But lately, I've been missing something. I had a difficult time figuring out what it was. Then it hit me--I had stopped visiting other personal blogs when I stopped blogging. I felt left out of the loop. I missed reading about the lives of my friends--both close and distant. And I missed telling others about my life. Why say something concisely, in a Facebook status update, when one can use oh so many more words in a blog post? Why, indeed. So, I'm back. Thankfully, blogger gave 90 days to change my mind about deleting my blog.

I promise to make an honest effort to update my blog more frequently. (Thank goodness there is no consideration for that promise, and therefore it is not legally enforceable. Just socially enforceable).

The series finale of Lost starts in a few minutes, so I must go now. Please allow me to leave you with a picture of a lion trying to eat my daughter. I realize there is "safety glass" between the Tsavo man-eating lion and my daughter, but it still freaks me out.

My Loves English

2009-07-30T10:57:00.001-07:00

Xiao Mei's onesie says, "My loves flowers." Gerber must give its manufacturing facilities artistic control.

It's been extremely hot these last few days. Here is XM trying to stay cool.

While on a business trip to Klamath Falls, Yang took a break from boring depositions to visit Crater Lake.

Finally, here is XM's first experimentation with make-up (that is my concealer all over her face and hands). At least it wasn't lip stick (knock on wood). The concealer was very difficult to remove! I think I washed her face at least four times before it was clean.

To battles lost

2009-07-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes surrender is the only viable option.

A big thanks to Yang for teaching Xiao Mei how to drink from the hose.

Women are soft and gentle, but they hit things.

2009-06-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

If your wife hits something in a Volkswagen, it doesn't hurt you very much.

Ha!

(HT By Common Consent)

Nobody Knows

2009-06-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

Last night I watched the film Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons. It is a documentary film about some of the struggles faced by African Americans who joined the Mormon church.

I thought the film was amazing. There is a lot of anguish and sadness associated with this topic, but the film, while sobering, was also uplifting and joyful. It presents honest discussion from African American Mormons about the difficulty faced by black members both before and after the priesthood ban.

Darius Gray was the heart and soul of the film. His story is truly inspiring.

On Idaho, gardens, and dirt in the diaper

2009-06-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

We took a spontaneous trip to Idaho last weekend to visit family. It was fun to see Xiao Mei and all her cousins together. She loved the sun, grass, and great-grandma's dog, Hercules.

We brought the sunshine home with us, thereby allowing our peonies to bloom without falling over. We took lots of pictures because this has never happened (usually they fall over within a day of opening up).

Xiao Mei is going wild. She loves, loves, loves everything outdoors. She runs around, eats grass, and has dirt in her diaper every night. Good times.

Oh, Mexico

2009-05-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

We are back from Mexico! We are flu-free!

Our trip was wonderful. Ironically, the swine flu made for ideal traveling. The flights were not full and the beautiful mega-resort we stayed at was at 15% occupancy. My friend's wedding party made up half of the guests. We had the place to ourselves. It was fantastic.

Thank you so much to Grandma for watching Xiao Mei while we were gone. Our four day trip was very short, but I was ready to get back to my little girl.

Messy Baby Pics

2009-05-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

Every mommy blogger does it. . . posts pictures of the messy baby in the high chair. I'm no exception. Enjoy.

Butterscotch and tapioca pudding on plastic, by Xioa Mei.

Sweet Dreams

2009-04-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Yup, those are baby spiders. . . right outside my window. Thought I'd share.

You're welcome.

Luck of the pigs

2009-04-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

My highly anticipated, desperately needed trip to Playa del Carmen with Yang (without Xiao Mei) in two weeks is essential travel, right? RIGHT?

Curses, swine flu!

Duke of York

2009-04-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

The grand ole’ Duke of York, he had ten thousand men.

He marched them up to the top of the hill and he marched them down again.

And when they were up, they were up

And when they were down, they were down

And when they were only halfway up they were neither up nor down.

This is Xiao Mei’s favorite nursery rhyme at the moment. It is also rather descriptive of the last few months. We have had our ups and downs, but we are alive and well.

Downs:

XM and I had colds at the same time. That was the first time our illnesses were concurrent, and it was not pretty.

XM has begun to flush things down the toilet.

I decorated the gym all day Holy Saturday for our church auction, rather than taking XM on what would have been her first Easter egg hunt.

Ups:

Xiao Mei’s growth is back on track. She was quite a bit underweight at her 12 month check up, but she gained extra pounds these last few months. Sadly, so have I. Thank you Cadbury mini eggs.

XM’s vocabulary is exploding. It is fun to teach her new words, and discover what words she learned on her own. The other day I mentioned to my mother-in-law that “Mr. Brown can Moo” was XM’s favorite book. Right after I said that XM ran into her bedroom, found the Mr. Brown book, and brought it back to us.

We had a lovely Easter. Both Yang and I played with XM all day, and Grandma and Grandpa joined us for dinner.

2009-02-19T17:09:00.000-08:00

When I left a drawer in the kitchen for Xiao Mei to play in, this isn't what I had in mind.

Outside

2009-02-17T15:23:00.000-08:00

Oh the joy and wonder that is outside. We are finally putting our back yard to good use.

This is Xiao Mei at her birthday party on Saturday.

The Big One

2009-02-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

Long time, no post. Sorry. (Per my last post, I've created my first digi-scrapbook page using Paint.net and a free paper kit. It turned out ok, but I still need more practise).

Xiao Mei turns one tomorrow. I can't believe how quickly this year has passed, and I am grateful that XM, Yang and I survived relatively unscathed. She is such an amazing little girl, and I am so happy that we are her parents. So, in the spirit of this important milestone, please indulge me as I gush about my daughter.

While I was busy around the house yesterday, XM was in her room looking at her books. I overheard her humming the "abc" song. She had the tune down almost perfectly. She loves music more and more each day. I tracked down my "Primary Childrens' Songbook" CDs, and I have been playing those in the car and at home. It is so fun to see her dance to the songs she recognizes.

Her vocabulary is growing. She says "hi" to everyone she sees, and she is starting to mimic Yang and me more often. Time to watch our language.

XM walks all the time now and is learning to run. She loves to chase Freya (poor cat) and loves me to chase her. She enjoys playing outside and swinging on the toddler swings at the park.

We traveled to Idaho last weekend to visit G and T. We drove, and XM handled the car so much better than I thought she would (thanks primarily to the heroic efforts of XM's grandma who traveled with me). XM played really well with her two cousins, and I suspect that they will raise hell together in a few years. We also visited XM's great-grandma and grandpa. It was fun to see everyone again. G and T were wonderful hosts.

XM started acting pretty grumpy the last few days of our trip. I assumed she was having a hard time because of the unfamiliar surroundings, but it turns out she was breaking a molar. Ouch. She has nine teeth now. I think she may be working on more molars. Happy, happy, joy, joy.

XM sleeps really well at night, and has been for several months now. Because of that, she is not the best napper. She is already down to one nap. If I am lucky, she will sleep about an hour and a half during the day. She does fine with that little nap, so I am not too worried about it. She is like her dad in that way, neither of them need much sleep.

Happy birthday Xiao Mei!

Soliciting Advice

2009-01-19T16:59:00.000-08:00

Occasionally I will scroll through the hundreds of pictures I have saved on my computer. Cute pictures like this one:

Or this one:

Or this one:

These pictures are hidden away in my computer and not admired nearly often enough. I have printed a small fraction of the pictures saved on my computer, and I've placed an even smaller fraction of those in scrapbooks. I am not a crafty person, and I am known to be afraid of colorful things; nevertheless, I've tried to keep current on scrapbooking. I'm losing in that effort. Aside from Xiao Mei's baby book, my most recent scrapbook contains pictures from 2003.

So, as my digital memories get larger and larger, and my corresponding actual memories get fuzzier and fuzzier, I am considering digital scrapbooking.

On to my request: do you scrapbook digitally? If so, what program do you recommend? How do you publish your scrapbooks?

Thanks in advance for recommendations.

New Nie

2009-01-16T11:16:00.000-08:00

Stephanie Nielson is back to blogging. If you are not familiar with her story, I encourage you to look into it. She and her sister cjane are amazing examples of kindness, strength and love.

Welcome back Nie Nie. May God continue to bless you as you heal.

Simon is evil and other random observations

2009-01-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

American Idol is back. While I don’t watch it as religiously as I used to, I try to keep tabs on each season. I used to be a Simon Cowell apologist. He is harsh, yes, but his honesty is refreshing and often spot-on. Last night a lady (girl) auditioned in a bikini, and she had a great body. Her voice was not terrible, but it wasn’t good enough to move to the next round. Simon sent her to Hollywood anyway. He was so smug about it, and he was clearly trying to send a message. It made me sick. I’m surprised he didn’t just turn to the camera and say “hey, girls, you can use your body to get recognition you don’t deserve, so bikini-up.” Ugh. Maybe I see things differently now that I have a daughter, but I was furious. I am now, officially, a Simon Cowell hater.

Xiao Mei is 11 months. She is less like a baby and more like a toddler each day. She can walk now, albeit unsteadily, and she has an impressive vocabulary. (Hi, dada, mama, pretty, and hmmm (as in this food is good or I want some of whatever you are eating)). She loves music, and last Sunday she stumbled to the front of the relief society room and started leading the hymn.

My friend, G, told me that every time he watches Biggest Loser he craves doughnuts. Ironic, right? Well, last week CMT had a Nanny 911 marathon. I ignored XM for about 2 hours while I watched a few episodes. Sadly ironic.

I made Freya a few sweaters out of old shirts. She loves them.

I was 650 pages into Brisingr (the third book in the inheritance trilogy) before I realized there is going to be a fourth book. I’m very annoyed.

10th Wedding Anniversary

2008-12-29T22:12:00.001-08:00

Yang and I were married ten years ago today. Ten! Other than the painful law school years, it's been a wonderful ride. Happy anniversary, Yang.

This is our engagement photo. It was taken in August of 1998. Shortly after, Yang went to Washington DC to intern for a senator, and I went to study abroad in London. We returned two weeks before our wedding.

We were married in the Salt Lake City temple.

We were so cute then, and happy and smiley! We are crusty and ill-tempered now.

Here's to another fantastic ten years together.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T18:44:00.000-08:00

Where do I live again?

2008-12-22T09:31:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of my back yard. This much snow reminds me of Utah. It's beautiful!

Xiao Mei ohs and ahs every time I turn on the Christmas tree lights. She makes the same sound for the falling snow. It's adorable.

Elfishness

2008-12-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

(ht: Hailey)

Love actually is. . .

2008-12-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

. . . all around.*

I am absolutely and completely in love with these two people.

A friend took these pictures of us at Forest Park several weeks ago. Sometimes Xiao Mei was less cooperative than other times.

*I watched Love Actually again the other night. Best holiday movie ever.

30

2008-12-15T23:20:00.000-08:00

30 years.

9 years, 11.5 months of marriage.

10 months of parenting.

1 child.

19 years of school.

6 years living in Oregon.

23 years living in Utah.

1 year living in China.

10 nations visited.

13 years of part-time/temporary work.

3 years as an attorney.

7 pets.

2 cars.

13 residences.

0 broken bones.

Things I learned during Thanksgiving vacation

2008-12-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

Yang, Xiao Mei and I spent Thanksgiving with my sister K. She lives a mile away from my high school, so it was fun to go back to my old stomping grounds. (Does anyone still use the phrase "stomping grounds?" If not, I'm bringing it back).

Here is what I learned last week:

1. We like games. Yang and I don't play many games, but my sister and her family are big game people. We had so much fun playing cards, pictionary, scrabble, and a dozen other games I can't remember the names of.

2. XM is a TOTAL mama's girl. I suspected as much, but last week confirmed it. XM had two darling cousins eager and willing to play with her, hold her, walk with her, sing to her, etc, and XM only wanted mom. Ugh.

3. I like turkey. I had turkey on Thanksgiving for the first time in approximately 16 years, and it was great. Thanks for the delicious turkey dinner, K.

4. My 11 year old niece, J, is two inches taller than I am.

5. XM and her cousin, C, are adorable together. (They are the same age and met for the first time).

6. Miche bags are VERY cool. Check them out.

7. Apparently, Yang is a gamer after all. As long as it is Mario Cart.

8. Costco puts cocaine in its pumpkin pie.

9. I am getting old. We walked a 5k Thursday morning, and my butt was sore all weekend. (In my defense, C and I walked an additional 2 miles, up hill, in snow, without shoes).

10. It is always fun to catch-up with high school friends, no matter how much time has passed.

11. Cart-wheels are an acceptable mode of transportation. Just ask my nine year old niece, K.

A big THANK YOU to the C family for hosting Thanksgiving. I hope all of you had a great holiday.

Building a Library

2008-11-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

When someone asks me what I am reading, I always consider lying.

“Oh, I’m currently re-reading my favorite Shakespearian comedies.”

Or, “I’m reading The Isles by Norman Davies and Alison Weir’s collection on the British monarchy and then I’m going to read the latest biography about Mao Zedong.”

I consider lying because the truth is that I’m probably reading People magazine or perhaps the Twilight books, again. Or blogs. Do blogs even count as “reading”?

“I’m currently reading The Superficial and Feminist Mormon Housewives.” Um, yeah. That doesn’t sound nearly as erudite. (And NOTHING sounds nearly as erudite as using the word erudite on one’s blog.)

It’s not surprising that I read low-brow literature considering what I chose to read while growing up. When I learned how to use the school library in the sixth grade (yes, that’s correct, I didn’t learn how to check out a book until the sixth grade) I became addicted to The Babysitter’s Club first and then to Sweet Valley High. I read every single one. Ugh.

At home, we had a complete set of 1978 encyclopedias. That was cool. However, when I was bored with the encyclopedias I would read whatever else was on our bookshelves. Usually that would be a Readers’ Digest condensed novel or a Danielle Steele book. (I hold my mother fully responsible for my condensed novel and Steele phase).

Despite her penchant for Readers’ Digest, and against all odds, my mom tried to get me to read good literature. I’ll never forget reading The Secret Garden with her. We would read it in the formal living room (you know, the room where the vacuum marks were visible all week long) on the fancy couches. It was very special, but unfortunately, it didn’t ignite a passion for good books.

So, to my point. (Yes, there is one).

I want to build a library for Xiao Mei full of timeless children’s and young adult literature. I don’t want too many books, but enough to tempt her away from the shelf full of old issues of People (and realistically, by then, a shelf full of Weekly World News—Bat baby!).

Today I’m going to find my library card and pay my late fees. Then I’m going to borrow children’s books and start reading them. Lots of them. I’m going to start with the National Book Award finalists for young people’s literature or whatever the library staff recommends. If I love the book, I’m going to buy it.

See, I’m building a library (sung to the tune of Building a Mystery).

What do you recommend? What was your favorite book when you were a kid? What do your kids love to read? What is the Babysitter’s Club of today so I can avoid it?

A Broken Heart

2008-11-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

The following essay sounds a little eulogistic (is that a word?). Please be assured my dad is alive and almost well. He is recovering from heart surgery at home (well, at his apartment in Beirut).

My dad was in the hospital when I was born. He wasn’t there to see me (though he was present at my birth), but rather he was there as a patient. He was involved in a ski accident several weeks earlier, and was still undergoing treatment on his leg. This was only one of several sports related injuries he would sustain in his lifetime. You see, my father is active, somewhat impetuous, and often quite fearless. He is also pragmatic, devoted, loving, and a bit irreverent.

I love the story of when the apostle Peter tried to walk through the stormy sea to Christ. Only after he jumped out of the boat did he start to fear. I love that Peter was the only one who jumped out of the boat, and he did it because of his love for the Lord. Peter reminds me of my dad. My dad would have jumped out of the boat, too.

My dad is currently serving his fourth mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in France when he was young, and in Belgium, Hong Kong, and Lebanon as a “senior” missionary.

In France, my dad braved anti-American sentiment to profess his faith. In Belgium he held together, through sheer diligence and devotion, a small, eclectic congregation of worshipers whose only commonality was their love of God. In Hong Kong he acted as a surrogate father to hundreds of Filipina women who were so far away from home. And in Lebanon, he is using his charm, wit, and intuition to choose lucky recipients of substantial charitable donations. (My mom has been his strong and inspiring partner in Belgium, Hong Kong, and Lebanon.)

In the Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 9:20, it says “And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.”

My dad has sacrificed for the Lord. He has given his time, talents, money, and energy. He has already offered a symbolic sacrifice of a broken heart to God. But, as my dad would say, “Don’t give me any of that symbolic crap. Give it to me straight.”

So, when the Lord asked for a broken heart, my dad literally gave Him a broken heart.

Request

2008-10-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

My dad had a heart attack two days ago and underwent triple bypass surgery yesterday (in Beirut, Lebanon). My mom reports that the surgery went well, but my dad is in a lot of pain. He has several weeks (months) of recovery ahead of him. Please pray for him and my mom (or send good thoughts their way).

Nie Article

2008-10-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

If you are following Nie's recovery, you have probably already read this article. If you are not, this is a great place to start.

Excuse me while I go dry my tears.

Amen, Mr. Friedman

2008-10-09T14:12:00.000-07:00

Palin's kind of Patriotism.

I've tried to avoid politics on this blog, but . . . I am very, very afraid of Mrs. Palin.

Ok, back to the personal and mundane, as usual.

Book Babies

2008-10-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

I made a wonderful discovery last week (thanks to A, my jogging partner). My local library hosts "book babies" once a week. For 30 minutes every Thursday morning, babies and parents can meet for music and story time.

At first I was skeptical - I thought a free event at a public library would be a bit sketchy. But, it's wonderful. The teacher is delightful, the room is clean, the toys are age appropriate and clean, and the other babies and parents that attend are very nice (no shifty eyes in sight).

Most importantly, XM LOVES it! She is fascinated with other babies, she enjoys the songs (especially clapping at the end of each song), and she loves the bubbles dispensed via a fantastic bubble machine (I have to get one of those). I think the interaction with other kids and adults is good for her.

Hooray!

Patience, My Love

2008-10-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

Xiao Mei cried when I lifted her out of her crib this morning. That was my first indication of the day to come--she usually greets me with a smile. I assume she is teething, but I don’t really know the cause of her discomfort. She has been whiny and clingy. She screams if I leave her alone for too long.

By 11 am, my to-do list eroded down from things I wanted to accomplish to things I must accomplish. The more rushed I felt, the louder XM screamed.

Mercy, child.

By 4 pm, the living room looked like a tornado hit, documents and client files buried the table, and XM clung to my ankle, crying, as I prepared dinner. My temperature was rising faster than the preheating oven, and thunder pounded inside my head.

I surrendered.

I picked up my darling girl and cuddled her on the couch. For ten minutes . . . thirty minutes . . . an hour. As I released my expectations for the rest of the day, I heard a stretching, creaking sound. It was the sound of my capacity for patience expanding. Like tectonic plates, slowly shifting and moving, it was transforming an individual into a mother.

Tomorrow I will do better.

Second Childhood

2008-10-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

I am so excited for the holiday season! We have a wonderful reason to celebrate and decorate again now that Xiao Mei joined our family. (Yang and I have been scrooges the last few years). I may even get a Christmas tree! *gasp*

Before then, we are looking forward to an excellent Halloween!

You want to feel better about yourself? Read this post.

2008-10-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

I am a horrible homemaker. There, I admit it. I assumed once I became a mother, I would naturally become a good homemaker--a domestic goddess,even. Ha.

“But Yin,” you are saying to yourself, “you are almost mumble-mumble years old. You’ve had years, nigh a decade, to become a good homemaker.” Um, yeah, about that. You see, I never really had to be a good homemaker before. When we were DINKs, we ate out for lunch and most dinners. When we decided to cook at home, it was easy to shop for all the ingredients that day and have all evening to cook the delicious meal—what a novelty it was. (Yang is wondering, “when did we cook at home?”). Also, a house doesn’t get that dirty when one leaves at 7 am and returns twelve hours later. So, cleaning once a week did the trick. (Yang is wondering, “we cleaned the house once a week?”).

It’s different now.

I now know how quickly a house gets dirty when one actually lives in it. I now realize that it can be a bit difficult to plan menus and shop for the whole week (on a budget). I now realize that it’s challenging to cook dinner with an almost eight month old who thinks she is one year old. No matter how long I wait, the dirty dishes from breakfast and lunch sit there until I do something about them.

Here’s evidence that I’m a crappy homemaker. Notice the food still in the high chair.

Notice the darling baby girl crawling on a dirty floor.

Notice my kitchen counters at 4 pm. (Yes, that is a Campbell’s soup can. I am a horrible cook, but I’m trying. Tuna casserole anyone?) Also, please note that rather than cleaning up my kitchen, I chose to plop my behind in front of the computer and type this post. Ha!

So, to all you awesome moms and dads who cook meals for your family and keep a relatively clean home, my hat is off to you! You are awesome. You are my inspiration. I’ll get better, right? I won’t be cooking with Campbell’s soup cans forever, right?

You know who else is my inspiration? Nie Nie. The first time I heard about her was when Runningfan posted about her accident. After that, I read all of Nie Nie’s archives. I know I will never be like her, but she makes me want to be a better wife, mother, and homemaker. That woman is amazing, and I pray that she recovers.

It's been a hard day's night...

2008-09-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

...and I've been working like a dawg. Here is a spotlight on Deputy Dawg Yang's last 24 hours.

Yesterday Yang worked all day at his day job. Work is busy and stressful because he has several cases that may go to trial before the end of the year. After that, he geared up and patrolled all night. He didn't make it home until 5 am. When I asked him why he stayed out so long, he shrugged with a smile and said, "there was a lot going on." I can only imagine (but I don't like to).

He tells me very little, but he mentioned drunks, a guy with a crowbar, and the ubiquitous drivers driving with a suspended license.

After four hours of sleep and breakfast with XM and me, Yang got all dressed up to go to the temple with the young men from our church. When he gets back from the temple, he is going to paint our house. Seriously.

What a guy.

Presenting: Overwrought Sentimentality (it's adorable!)

2008-09-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

Before I had Xiao Mei, I would have gagged a little at what you are about to read. Now that I have XM, I think it's adorable. You may gag a little, and for that I apologize in advance. I wrote this letter for my mom today.

Dear Nana,

I have four teeth now, and I am an expert at biting. I love to chew on all kinds of things, like cords and Freya’s tail. Unfortunately, my mom moved all the exiting, chewable things out of my reach. However, she did add a nice, cushiony pad along the edge of the fireplace hearth which is perfect for chewing on. I think she put the pad there because she knew that was my second favorite place to crawl to. My favorite place to crawl to is the TV stand. One day I’ll make it to all the cords behind the stand.

My mom has been trying to prune the bushes and trees in our yard because it looks like a jungle. She takes me outside with her. She tries to make me stay in the play pen, but that is SO BORING and I tell her that after a few minutes. If I tell her long enough and loud enough, she will move me to a blanket on the grass. My mom hopes that I will stay on the blanket, but I am SO OVER the boring colors and designs in the blanket. Instead, I am really interested in grass, twigs, and dried leaves. At first, my mom wouldn’t let me put any of those things in my mouth. But, after a while, she pretended not to notice and I ate plenty of grass and leaves. It was great, and only kinda yucky.

My mom keeps trying to get me to eat yucky things like carrots and pears. I don’t like them, and I tell her that each time she feeds me. She feeds me bananas, and they are kinda ok because they remind me of you, Nana. I love oatmeal, and I wish she would just feed me that instead of those other things.

You know what else I love? Pulling hair. My mom tries to put her hair in a pony tail so it is out of my reach. But, I can reach around her neck and grab all the little hairs at the top of her neck. Sometimes she gets mad at me, but I laugh and then she is not so mad anymore.

Papa, it’s your birthday soon. My mom bought you a present, but she hasn’t mailed it yet so it won’t make it to you on time. My mom used to be able to go to the store, go home and wrap a present, and then go to the post office to mail it all in one day. Now, it takes her three or four days to do all those things. I hope you have a happy birthday.

I love you Papa and Nana. I am getting so big. I still have those beautiful hands with long fingers. My mom wonders what I will do with them, and I wonder that too.

Love you,

Xiao Mei

Nostalgia

2008-09-16T10:34:00.001-07:00

Last night Yang changed the oil in his car (yes, he does that). It was the first time he changed the Honda’s oil (he used to drive the Pathfinder until we switched because of high gas prices), so he wanted to take it for a drive to make sure everything was okay. He drove to McDonalds and bought us both a chocolate sundae.

It reminded me of China.

As much as I loved Chinese food, we craved the tastes of home every once in a while. So about once a week we would ride our bikes to the closest McDonalds and order French fries and chocolate sundaes. We relished every bite. The food cost double what it would cost to order a large meal at a Chinese restaurant, but it was worth it. The cashiers were always so excited when we came because they could put their English skills to use. (That particular McDonalds required all employees to learn the menu in English in case an American (or other English speaker) patronized the restaurant—a rare event).

I don’t have a picture of us in front of McDonalds, but I do have a picture of Yang learning to tie pearls. (He traded English lessons for pearl-tying lessons at the pearl market). Check out that hair!

On being a mom and an attorney...

2008-08-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

While drafting a warranty deed today, I was typing "Lot 114, TRACT D," and I was thinking "Big D, little d, what begins with D? Donuts and a duck-dog, D...d...D."

Mobile

2008-08-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

She did it! XM can crawl forward, toward her intended goal. (She's been going backward, away from intended goal for a few weeks).

Here is a video clip posted mostly for the benefit of my mom. Hi mom! *waves* How's Beirut?

You've Been Rickrolled, America!

2008-08-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

For those of you who would like to be fluent in geek, study up on this internet meme primer.

(ht: kulturblog)

Six Months Old

2008-08-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent pictures of bug. She is now six months old, weighs an intimidating 13 pounds 13 ounces, and measures 26 1/4 inches. Notice her two bottom teeth--she cut those almost a month ago. I gave her carrots for lunch today (for the second time) and she spit out every bite. While she doesn't like carrots (yet), she loves oatmeal. She still won't take a bottle, but she enjoys drinking water from a sippy cup.

Cobbler Recipe?

2008-08-15T16:32:00.001-07:00

Hmmmm, Oregon berries. I picked a bucket full of blackberries from the brier in my backyard, so I want to make cobbler tonight. I don't make cobblers very often (I'm not a good cook), so I found an easy recipe online. I'll let you know if it turns out.

Do you have a favorite, tried and true, cobbler recipe? If so, do you mind sharing?

Thanks!

UPDATE:

Here is the recipe I used

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2-3 cups fruit

Preheat oven to 350. Melt the butter in an 8x8 pan.
Mix together the flour, milk, 1/2 cup sugar, and baking powder; pour over melted butter.
Put fruit over mixture and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup sugar over the top.
Bake until golden brown (usually 30-35 minutes).

The cobbler turned out ok. I liked this recipe because I already had all the ingredients on hand. Next time, I want to find a recipe with a crumblier crust (with oats and brown sugar...something like that).

Confessions of a Novice Mama

2008-08-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

Reading H’s posts about her sleep troubles with G (here and here) gave me the courage to post my sleep issues with XM in hopes that you, my gentle readers, will offer me your advice.

Confession number 1: I still swaddle my six month old.

That’s right. Every night I swaddle XM and she loves it. When I put her down on her swaddle blankets, she holds her arms by her sides and lets me wrap her up tight.

Confession number 2: I rock my baby to sleep every night.

Or more accurately, I bounce her to sleep on the exercise ball. After she is nursed and swaddled, I bounce her for about ten minutes and put her down in her crib fast asleep. She sleeps for seven to ten hours.

Confession number 3: I put my baby down for naps in her swing.

I can put her in the swing while she’s awake and she’ll fall asleep for 1-2 hours.

Until recently, I’ve had the mentality of “why fix it if it ain’t broke?” XM sleeps through the night and naps well. I pushed the nagging “you’re fostering unhealthy sleep habits” voice to the back of my head.

Well, now I’ve reached a problem. XM is too big for her swing. She can reach up with her long monkey arms and grab the mobile at the top. It’s only a matter of time until she pulls herself out of the harness. So, a few days ago I attempted to put XM down to nap in her crib. I went through our sleep-time ritual and then I put her in the crib (awake) instead of the swing. She didn’t cry, but rather played and talked to herself for about 45 minutes. Then she cried, and I picked her up because the time for napping had passed.

The next day I tried to use the bed-time routine for napping. I nursed her, swaddled her, and then bounced her to sleep before I put her in the crib. She slept for about 10 minutes then woke up and played for about 20 minutes. After that she cried and I went in to her. The time for napping had passed.

I have Spears’ “The Baby Book” and Weissbluth’s “Healthy Sleep Habits: Happy Child.” The two books give the EXACT OPPOSITE advice, almost word for word. Nurse to sleep, don’t nurse to sleep. Let her cry it out to help her self-sooth. Don’t let her cry it out or else she’ll learn I am unresponsive to her needs. Ugh. I see logic in both approaches, but I can’t decide what to do.

How did you get your babies to fall asleep on their own?

XM’s pediatrician said I should work on two things right away: get her out of the swing and put her in the crib awake. He told me to continue to swaddle her until she no longer wanted it. He said to let her cry it out for five minutes. If she doesn’t settle down, then go into her and get her to sleep anyway I can. Eventually, she will fall asleep rather than crying. What do you think? Is that good advice? Both Dr. Spears and Dr. Weissbluth would disagree.

Please share advice, war stories, encouragement and disapproval.

Well done, China!

2008-08-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

The opening ceremonies were amazing. They were directed by Zhang Yimou and it appears he had unlimited resources to pull off a beautiful show.

Fu Qi Zhong Guo

2008-08-05T22:43:00.000-07:00

(Good Luck China!) Or perhaps it’s hao yun Zhong Guo. I’m not sure.

Anyway, I hope the Beijing Olympics are a success. It has been very fun watching all the coverage of Beijing leading up to the Olympics. I can’t wait to watch the actual games.

As most of you know, Yang and I lived in Beijing from 1999-2000. We had such an amazing time. The city was fascinating, the politics were infuriating, the air was toxic, and the food was sublime! Ohhh, the food. Seriously.

We lived and taught at a school near Bai Yun Guan (a Taoist temple) on the east side of Beijing. When we went back in 2004, our school and street had already been razed in preparation for the games. Apparently, the entire city has received a major facelift. So Chinese. (Ask me about the fake leaves on the trees sometime.)

We purchased bicycles shortly after we arrived in 1999, and that was our primary means of transportation. It was always a shock for the average Beijing commuter to see an American blondie riding a bicycle along side him or her. One time when Yang was riding along Chang’an Daijie, he was approached by a Random Chinese Guy while they were waiting at a red light. RCG asked if Yang was American. Yes. RCG asked if Yang was from Oregon. Yes. RCG then stated that he visited a family in a small Oregon farming community a few years ago. As luck would have it, Yang grew up in that community next door to that family. Weird! The light then turned green and Yang and RCG went their separate ways.

Anyway, enough reminiscing. Go China!

My mom and me on the Great Wall at Mutianyu in 2004.

Yong He Gong Lamasery.

Forbidden City

My first attempt at editing video

2008-07-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yang got me a video camera for Christmas, and I have recorded lots of wonderful video of XM. Unfortunately, the software that came with the video camera is very hard to work with. So, I have hours of unedited video stored somewhere on my hard drive in a random format not recognized by quick time or media player. This is my first attempt at saving the video in a usable format.

It is not edited too well, so I posted this long clip mostly for the benefit of my mother. She will think two and a half minutes of XM trying to crawl (in poor lighting with a shaky camera and annoying narration) is adorable. I need to remember to not talk so much next time I use the camera!

I recorded this last night. XM was very tired, but determined to try to crawl. She gets so frustrated when her legs and arms won't work the way she wants.

Family, Curmudgeons, and Flat Irons

2008-07-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

My sister K and her daughter J came to meet Xiao Mei last weekend. We had such a great time catching up, and XM loved all the extra attention she received. K is very funny—she has a dry, witty sense of humor. She was fun to talk to, and she had some great insights about XM. J is 11 years old, going on 23. She is intelligent, kind, and independent. She kept XM very entertained.

July is the perfect time for visitors to Portland. The weather was great, even out at the coast. We went to the rose garden, and there were still plenty of blooming roses. I carried XM in a front carrier at the rose garden. She loved looking around at the big trees and flowers. She was happy as a clam, so she started talking. XM is not a quiet talker. She shrieks, squawks and makes all kinds of interesting noises. At first, I was a little embarrassed because so much noise was coming from such a little person. However, I figured we were outside, so XM was fine to make as much noise as she wanted. Happy baby noises are the best. Well, there was an older woman walking near us. She was clearly annoyed that XM was disturbing her contemplative walk through the roses. She commented about how loud my baby was, and I was tempted to respond with a comment about how old she looked. (I didn’t). Anyway, that was my first experience with someone expressing her annoyance with my child and/or parenting. I’m sure it won’t be the last.

K brought her flat iron with her. She has the deluxe version that heats up to approximately one million degrees. K ended up with wavy hair after her pregnancies, so she uses the iron to straighten her hair. Well, as genetics would have it, I have also developed a few kinks and curls in my hair after having XM. I tried K’s flat iron and it was awesome! I don’t know why I have not used one before now. After K and J left, I proceeded directly to my nearest Trade Secret and picked up a fancy-pants flat iron. It makes such a difference. Before I looked like the scarecrow, now my hair is nice and smooth. The down side: it nearly doubles the time it takes to get ready.

Random Survey

2008-07-14T22:02:00.000-07:00

Zelophehad’s Daughters posted this random survey. I have never commented there, so I didn’t want to leave a comment with my answers. I thought it would be fun to answer here.

1. What’s your favorite movie soundtrack?

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, with Lord of the Rings a close second.

2. What’s your favorite holiday?

Christmas

3. What’s your favorite planet?

Earth, though I do love the rings on Saturn.

4. What is the last book you read for fun?

The Host

5. What’s the craziest space doctrine you’ve ever learned in a Church context?

(I do realize this is a tricky one–if we can’t delimit our doctrine, we certainly can’t delimit our space doctrine either. One person’s cherished doctrinal wisdom is another’s cherished doctrinal hogwash. So just define “space doctrine” however you’d like, and try to be respectful of others.)

If you’re not Mormon, you are missing out on our lovely array of crazy space doctrine. If you are Mormon, did you ever hear the one about dinosaur bones? Yup, they came from a different planet.

6. What’s your dream job?

US Ambassador to China. Yang and I talked about joining the Foreign Service when we were newly married. We decided to go to law school instead.

7. What’s your favorite food group?

Dairy, because it encompasses ice cream and cheese.

8. What’s your favorite letter of the alphabet?

K, with Z as close second.

9. What’s your favorite musical instrument?

Guitar to play, piano to listen to.

10. Which of the Standard Works do you like best (counting OT and NT separately)?

11. If you weren’t (or aren’t) Mormon, what religion would you be?

Wiccan, UCC, or maybe I would make up my own religion.

Garden Update

2008-07-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

A few pictures to update the gardening. Total crop failure in the onions and bagio beans. Our volunteer strawberries are worth exactly what we paid for them- we maybe got 10 berries and now they're done for the year. We planted two rows of melons, each a different variety, and one of them only has one plant on the whole row. I have my doubts about whether either row will produce anything more than slugs.

On the plus side, the peas grew so tall they fell over, even with my climbing lines. There are more than the one or two corn stalks I thought we had. We will likely have enough squash for the whole block. The pumpkins, beans and zucchini appear as though they'll bear something.

I realize I'll never make a living making things grow, but its still somewhat disheartening to realize you can't grow onions when you grew up on an onion farm. I'm going to blame this year on the seed.

Speaking of onions reminds me of a time on the farm when I accidentally ran over some onions with some farm equipment. I was making a very sharp corner with a disc and a large roller, and no matter how I turned, it just wasn't going to make the corner, I should have gone another way. I was chewed out real good, and then told I wasn't old enough to drive the larger equipment. The uncle who replaced me at the wheel then proceeded to drive the equipment down the road along side the onion field towards the shop and instructed me to follow him in a pickup. About halfway down the road the uncle got distracted and on the straight-away ran over several hundred square feet of onions. I saw it happening, but I figured best to wait a bit before I started honking to bring it to his attention, because maybe he knew what he was doing.

That was 17 or 18 years ago, but I still laugh about that.

Here are some pictures of the garden and our favorite gardener.

Seriously, so funny!!!!!

2008-07-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this new blog. If you are a typical Mormon girl blogger, be prepared to laugh at yourself. If you have time, start from the beginning.

My favorite bits:

"Laman's terms"
Excessive use of exclamation points!!!!! (I am guilty of this one.)
Her super-busyness running errands and 'scrappin.
The few commenters who do not realize the blog is satirical.
Her explanatory parentheticals.
Pal (Also guilty of this one. I vaycayed at Pal every summer of my life until age 20).
Capitalizing WEATHER related terms. LOVE it. Seriously.
The sidebar links to Stephenie Meyer's books. (Guilty - I did a blog post about the series).
"Either by anonymous or Boyd K. Packer, I can't remember."

Twenty Year Tag

2008-07-01T22:45:00.001-07:00

This is a long one.

I was tagged by Heidi.

20 years ago I:
1. Was nine years old
2. Lived in Sandy, Utah.
3. Enjoyed summer break after fourth grade.
4. Smashed my recorder to bits after my recorder recital and regretted it a few weeks later when I wanted to play it again.
5. Was my 15-year-old sister’s confidante and partner in crime.
6. Water-skied, jet-skied, and knee-boarded at Lake Powell.

10 years ago I:
1. Was 19 years old.
2. Was talking marriage with Yang—he proposed July 18.
3. Lived with my parents after my freshman year at BYU.
4. Managed a Metabolife cart at the mall.
5. Was packing for my study abroad to London.
6. Went to a Meeks family reunion in Kanab, Utah where everyone assumed Yang and I were already married.

5 years ago I:
1. Was 24 years old.
2. Lived in Portland, OR.
3. Just completed my first year of law school.
4. Clerked at a personal injury firm on Macadam Ave.
5. Lost my cat, Tigerlily.
6. Was about to move to a new apartment with a washer and dryer.

3 years ago I:
1. Was 26 years old.
2. Lived in Aloha, OR.
3. Had just graduated from law school.
4. Went to Barbri classes every day.
5. Studied for the bar.
6. Harassed Yang while he studied for the bar.

So far this year I:
1. Am living in Tigard, Oregon.
2. Had my first baby in February.
3. Significantly reduced my hours at work.
4. Am trying to figure out how to be a mom.
5. Set up a treadmill in the garage and thought about running on it.
6. Took our first family vacation with XM to Sun River.

Yesterday I:
1. Took XM swimming for the first time.
2. Billed an hour.
3. Paid the bills.
4. Ran on the treadmill!
5. Went on a wild goose chase with Yang to find a 10x12 rug I saw a Fred Meyer a year ago. (No luck)
6. Put XM to sleep in her crib (in her own room) for the first time.

Today I:
1. Bought Yang’s birthday present.
2. Worked on XM’s baby book.
3. Wrote an email to my parents.
4. Watched XM get up on her hands and knees.
5. Went grocery shopping.
6. Should have worked but drafted this tag instead.

Tomorrow I will:
1. Go to the office for a few hours.
2. Meet Yang at the Melting Pot for his birthday dinner (Thanks G and M!).

In the next year I will:
1. Celebrate XM’s first birthday.
2. Celebrate my tenth wedding anniversary.
3. Celebrate my first Christmas with a child.
4. Turn thirty.
5. Run a 5k or possibly a 10k.
6. Begin planning for baby number two.

I tag: Chelle, Shelley, Kim, M and/or G, Hailey, and Ashley.

Das ist Gut!

2008-06-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

The other day I got a teething ring for Xiao Mei because she is constantly gnawing on her hands, blankets, clothes, etc. It was one of those plastic ones available in the grocery store. When I took it out of the packaging it smelled like chemicals. I washed it in hot soapy water but it still smelled chemical-y, so I tossed it. Then I remembered the vow I made before I was a mom: “I will never give my kid plastic toys.” Uh….ahem. I’m only four months into motherhood, and XM’s nursery is littered with plastic rattles, rings, teethers, and toys. She loves them. My problem with plastic toys: they are usually made in China (by kids for kids!) where US safety standards are often ignored (as demonstrated by the numerous toy recalls last year). Also, the softer plastic can break down in saliva so your baby ingests toxins. While I probably won’t throw away all her plastic toys, I have committed myself to be a bit more selective when it comes to the toys I allow XM to play with and chew on.

With my new non-toxic attitude, I schlepped XM down town to Finnegan’s. I heard that was the best place to buy toys in Portland. Finnegan’s has great toys and games for older kids, but I was sorely disappointed in their selection for babies. I looked long and hard to find any wooden toys for babies, and I could only locate two things: a grasping toy and a wooden ring. The grasping toy was made in

China

, but the label said it used saliva-safe paint, so I bought it. The wooden ring was made in the

USA

, so I got that as well. Even with my new purchases, I wasn't very happy.

When I got home, I remembered a blog post I read months ago. It is all about safe toys and dangerous toys, and it links to several online retailers that sell handcrafted and European made toys. It was so much fun to visit the sites because the toys are beautiful, fun, and not made in

China

or with plastic that will break down. Hooray for strict European safety standards!!!

I ordered XM an Albinella bell rattle with a non-toxic finish, a Girali ring grasping toy, and HABA discovery blocks for when she is a little older. They arrived in the mail today, and I am so happy to have them. Gnaw away, little one!

Five things I'll never say (Yang)

2008-06-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

I'll bite. Here are the five things you'll never hear me say.

1. Wow, those onions are really tasty.

2. Yes Mr. Jiffy Lube, I'd love it if you'd change my engine belts and radiator cap.

3. I'm looking forward to next week's depositions.

4. I did that perfectly.

5. I need directions.

5 things you'll never hear me say

2008-06-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

1. Oh, XM, quit sleeping so long.

2. The pounds just melt away without any effort.

3. Feel free to move your party into the street--I won't hear a thing. What? It's 3 am? I hadn't noticed.

4. I don't want any ice cream right now.

5. Yang needs a bit more ambition.

You?

Mover and a Shaker

2008-06-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

Xiao Mei is growing up way too quickly! Every day she learns how to do something new or sees something interesting for the first time. Yesterday she discovered her toes. Oh, the joy. Today she has been working on getting her toes into her mouth, and it’s quite the challenge. I take her socks off when I change her diaper so she can work on grabbing those squirmy toes and pulling them into her mouth.

XM is definitely a mover. Yang and I realized this almost two months ago when we discovered how much she liked to lie on her back and kick her legs. She still loves to kick, but now she has added rolling, twisting, turning, and standing up with our assistance to her activities. I set up the bouncy chair a few days ago to see if she was ready to bounce. I think she is still too little because her feet don’t reach the ground.

Here is a picture of her in her blessing gown (only two months after her blessing).

An Ode to Gollum

2008-05-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

Now that Xiao Mei has joined us, there have been some challenges with Gollum the cat. He hasn't caused any problems yet, but there has been some foreshadowing of problems that could arise- particularly once XM starts crawling. Gollum is not the friendliest of creatures.

Last night, Gollum left our household to join up with one of our friends who used to have a Sphinx cat. It was kinda sad on the one hand, but not so much on the other. (I'm sure people will say that about me when I die.)

To celebrate/mourn his leaving the house, I have written this little poem.

Gollum:

No hair, all mad;
Now you're gone we're only a little sad.

You have to be king of where you're at,
Top of the pyramid, of man and cat.

Now that Xiao Mei has arrived,
Your status here has certainly dived.

Hissing, growling, nipping at guests;
Going to a new home will likely be best.

Sticking around eventually you'll spray;
and there's a good chance you'd get shot that day.

You are one of those entertaining guys,
But we also like our new baby's eyes.

Best of luck old friend.

Garden Blogging

2008-05-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

Yang planted a garden a few weeks ago. We have peas, beans, cucumbers, pumpkin, cantaloupe, onions, corn, carrots, strawberries, summer squash and zucchini growing in our back yard. Yang picked out all the seeds to plant, but that doesn’t mean he will eat any of the veggies.

As you can see, Yang has a pretty impressive system. He has the irrigation rows, complete with “straw” (in this case, it is grass clippings) to slow the water flow.

I’ll post more pictures as the garden grows.

This is the prettiest flowering plant in our yard. Unfortunately, it is located at the corner of our house, not visible from the street or any windows. Maybe we’ll relocate it when we tackle landscaping the yard next summer.

A's Visit

2008-05-23T14:09:00.001-07:00

My best friend from Georgia, A, and her boyfriend, M, visited us for a few days this week. We went to the Rose Garden, but unfortunately the roses aren’t quite ready to bloom. It was cold and rainy so we didn’t stay long. We also went to Multnomah Falls. We ate out more than we should have and we watched more TV than we should have. It was a blast!

Baby Xiao Mei was a rock star. She let me drag her around in the cold and rain, take her to restaurants and on long car trips with little protest. A and M were gracious guinea pigs in testing little XM’s limits.

It’s always fun to get together with friends from high school. A and I were friends through all our teenage-angst years. We understand each other in a way not possible with people I met after I was an adult. We usually see each other once a year or less, but it’s like no time has passed at all. When I hang out with her, I feel like I’m 16 again.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day, Xiao Mei slept from 11 pm to 6:30 am. Thank you baby girl! My own mother spent the day indoors to stay safe from the gunfire in Beirut. I called my parents last night and I heard gunshots in the background.

Fourth Trimester

2008-05-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

My fourth trimester ends next week. Xiao Mei will be three months old. For me, the end of the fourth trimester marks the end of the transition from pregnancy to mommy, from completely dependent newborn to a slightly more independent baby. I assumed by this point I would be more or less back to normal, physically and emotionally. I assumed that by now I would be an awesome, capable mommy and the bug and I would be in sync. I assumed by now I would have my head above water. Ha ha ha ha ha. “Funny Yin, you’re crazy,” say the voices in my head.

Here is my fourth trimester report card:

Emotional: Thankfully, the crazy highs and lows of the first few weeks are finished. Life is more rich and beautiful with XM in it. I can’t imagine life without her—she’s an old friend. I already feel much more emotionally mature than I did before I had XM. There is much more at stake in life now. It is challenging and frightening.

Synchronicity: It seems that as soon as we get a routine established, XM will change things up just for fun. Nevertheless, we are on a rudimentary schedule. She nurses approximately every two hours, and usually wakes up and goes to bed at the same time each day. She consistently gives me five to six hours of sleep before she wakes up for her night-time feeding. She does not nap at the same time during the day, but we are getting closer to a nap schedule.

Physical: Yikes. Did you ever wonder what a belly like a bowl full of jelly was like? I never wondered, and I never cared. Tragically for me, I now know exactly what a belly like a bowl full of jelly is like. It’s icky. Santa must be a woman, post partum. I assumed the icky belly would be gone by now. It’s not.

I inadvertently launched my return to running last Saturday. Yang was home with XM, so I took the opportunity to go for a walk around our neighborhood. I was feeling good, so I wandered quite a ways away before I started making my way back home. Well, it started raining. Hard. The rain poured into my eyes and down my back, my runners filled with water, and my socks were squishy. I thought I was a good Portlander, one who would not be bothered by the rain. I’m not. So, I started running and kept running until I reached home. My legs still hurt, three days later.

I hope one day I will return to the size and shape I was before I had XM, but I’m not holding my breath.

Edward or Jacob?

2008-04-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

If you don’t know what my title refers to, make haste to your nearest library and pick up Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Series. For the rest of you, keep reading. (Mild spoilers below).

A friend loaned me the books right after I had Xiao Mei. I was instantly hooked and read all three back to back. At first I was bothered by the juvenile nature of the Edward and Bella relationship, especially in Twilight; but, by the end of Eclipse, I was into it.

Until recently, I was an Edward fan. What is not to like about him? An old fashioned, gorgeous gentleman who drives nice cars, has a caring personality, is intelligent, and is incredibly rich? Oh, and he happens to be a vampire (which seems to add to his appeal rather than take away from it). Anyway, I like Edward, I really do, but the more I think about it the more I realize that he is all wrong for Bella. Throughout the whole series, Bella has a major inferiority complex around Edward. She does not know why he likes her, and she keeps waiting for him to leave her. He has to constantly reassure her that he really does care for her. Relationships require equality, and Bella will always feel unequal to Edward, even if she becomes a vampire herself. One cannot have a healthy relationship when one wonders why they are worthy of the love they receive.

Bella has to end up with Jacob. He is her perfect match. They are equals, they are friends, and they are comfortable with each other. Jacob makes Bella laugh and feel confidence. Edward makes Bella insecure.

I doubt the series will end up with Bella and Jacob together, but it should.

Baby Blessing

2008-04-18T11:56:00.001-07:00

Yang gave Xiao Mei a baby blessing last Sunday. It was a special day for all of us. It is very touching to watch a father interact with his baby daughter, and to express his hopes and wishes for her future.

Down Town

2008-04-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

Xiao Mei got all dressed up to visit her dad at his office down town. This is the first time she has worn a dress, tights, and shoes. I think she looked pretty cute, but we were both glad to get back to our standard, comfy sleepers.

On Polygyny

2008-04-08T04:18:00.000-07:00

I’ve been trying to ignore this topic, but I can’t seem to let it go. I am a little disturbed by the raid on the Texas ranch. It seems overly aggressive and smacks of a witch hunt. My Mormon persecution complex has been reawakened after the Romney spectacle,* and I suspect that there is more than concern for the welfare of the children motivating Texas child protective services.

My thoughts on polygyny are a bit convoluted. Up until my early-twenties, I despised polygyny because I was trying to distance myself, as a Mormon, from our polygynist past. I thought all polygynists should be aggressively sought out and arrested, and I did not understand why the Utah attorney general largely ignored the polygynists living in Utah.

In law school, my opinion about polygyny and polyandry started to change. I now think that polygamy should be decriminalized. Consenting adults can already have sexual relations with more than one person, so I don’t think the state should criminalize consenting adults who marry more than one person. I realize that, in practice, polygamy is often accompanied by all kinds of abuse. However, there are adequate laws in existence to cover those issues. Child abuse, statutory rape, spousal rape (in most states), and welfare fraud are already illegal. Arrest people for those crimes, not for polygamy. That way, the happy, Big-Love-style polygamists can live openly and in peace. They are a minority, but they do exist. Not all polygamists are of the Warren Jeffs’ variety.

So, back to Texas. Is it really necessary to haul 401 children out of their homes for questioning? Doesn’t DHS usually investigate parents and children in their home before they authorize removal? I don’t believe that all 401 children were at risk of imminent harm, serious enough to warrant the state taking custody of them. I am sure Texas officials will find some serious abusive situations; however, I predict the majority of the children removed from their homes are not being abused and are not in danger. My guess is that the majority of the polygamist women, who had their children taken from them, are loving and adequate parents. I wager that some of the fathers are even loving, adequate parents. Was it really necessary to remove the children from their home? Can you imagine the trauma these kids are experiencing right now? Now they will be stuck in a foster care situation for weeks, if not months, while TDHS conducts it’s investigation.

I think the raid was over the top and unnecessary. It was motivated, in some part, by religious bigotry. Any Mormon, me included, will tell over and over that Mormons are not polygamists. We’re not. The LDS church officially discontinued that practice over 100 years ago. However, we are intimately connected with the FLDS (polygamist) church because both religions are an outgrowth of the teachings of Joseph Smith. We are triplets. The LDS church is the good triplet, the FLDS church is the bad triplet, and the Community of Christ (RLDS) is the cool triplet. Anyway, because we are connected, I can’t help but feel sympathetic for the women who had their children taken away from them on Monday. They may be crazy religious nut jobs, but I don’t doubt that the majority of the women love their children and provide them with adequate care.

This post is getting really long and rambling, but I have one last thing. I am totally annoyed with the fact that the state rented buses from the Baptists. Seriously? Were there not enough religiously neutral busses available? They had to use Baptist busses? I can just imagine the local Baptist pastor relishing the symbolism of it all. The Baptists busses are leading the crazy polygynists toward spiritual salvation. Nice.

* The media coverage surrounding Romney’s bid for president unearthed major anti-Mormon sentiment. Until then, I was blissfully unaware that Mormons were so despised by so many people.

UPDATE: Here is a great blog post about the affidavit that was used the justify the raid.

ANOTHER UPDATE: I removed the link to the CNN article. I didn't realize that CNN posts a link to all the blogs that link it's articles. I got a handful of interesting comments from strangers, and I had to delete a few that told me I was on my way to hell. I didn't take it personally--I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Baby Smiles

2008-03-29T14:03:00.001-07:00

Xiao Mei is six weeks old. As you can see, she smiles now. I am totally and completely in love with this little girl.

Baby Gollum

2008-03-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest worries prior to delivering Xiao Mei was how the cats would interact with the baby. Thankfully, that worry turned out to be a non-issue. The cats barely notice the XM is around. They are mildly curious about her and not at all hostile. Phew. However, Gollum seems to be a bit jealous of the attention we give XM. He no longer has exclusive rights to my lap, but has to wait his turn.

I went shopping one evening and left Xiao Mei with Yang. When I came home, Yang was bouncing on the exercise ball. I assumed he was holding XM. When I looked closer, I noticed that Yang was bouncing (and burping) Gollum, and that Xiao Mei was asleep in her swing. It was hilarious. Gollum’s expression conveyed that it was the most natural and normal thing for him to be bounced and burped—just like baby XM.

Holy Envy

2008-03-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

Many Christians only go to church on Easter and Christmas. For me, I often want to skip church on Easter and Christmas. You see, we Mormons are a little too casual in our celebration. Like Kristine (my favorite mo-blogger), I have holy envy. I wish we had a bit more pomp and circumstance. I wish we had better music and more ceremony. I wish we were a bit more High Church, especially at Easter. Although it didn’t happen this Easter, several times over the years I have gone to church on Easter and the sacrament meeting theme was priesthood or tithing, or something very mundane for Mormons.

When I was a teenager, I used to go to Christmas mass as an act of rebellion. (Only in Utah is going to mass rebellious). Even though I was there for the wrong reason, I was always so impressed and moved with the service. It was beautiful, solemn, and important.

This Easter our sacrament meeting had an Easter theme (very good), the choir sang Easter songs (also good). Anyway, I teach Sunday school to the teenagers. I thought I would go over the western liturgical calendar. Specifically, we discussed Holy Week. I was a little disappointed, but not surprised, with how little my class knew about Holy Week. They didn’t know what was remembered on Palm Sunday. They didn’t know what was honored on Maundy Thursday (although they guessed correctly with a few hints). My class is really smart and scripturally savvy (especially for teenagers), but we Mormons have no exposure to some of the more beautiful celebrations in Christiandom. *Sigh*

Maybe I’ll become Catholic or Anglican for two days a year.

Cute Cousin

2008-03-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

Check out XM's adorable cousin born 16 days after her. I am so excited to see these two together. Baby C lives in Utah, so, unfortunately, it may be a while before they can meet.

Bon Voyage

2008-03-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

My parents moved to Beirut last week for a service mission for the LDS church. They will live there for the next 18 months. My father speaks French, and he and my mom will administer and distribute relief supplies in Lebanon.

My dad is thrilled with the assignment. He has an adventurous spirit. I think my mother is not thrilled, although she would never admit it. She is a home-body, and I know she would rather be surrounded by grandkids than traipsing around the streets of Beirut. She really loves my dad and I think she is doing this for him. I'm very proud of her.

I pray for their safety and speedy return.

Parenting. It's about. . . time.

2008-03-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Xiao Mei! I can’t believe it has already been one month!

Xiao Mei usually gives me four or five hours a day, in one hour increments, to spend on myself. What should I do with my four hours today? Eat? Sleep? Laundry? Clean? Check my work email (shudder)? Watch TV? Read? Stare at the wall? Pack her up and run to the store? I am becoming amazingly discriminating in the way I use my time. Time is precious.

The world of breastfeeding is very satisfying, but also very frustrating. Unfortunately, we still don’t have it worked out. About half the time, there is a major battle at the breast. She screams and cries and chokes and roots and squirms. During those feedings, it usually takes me almost an hour to get XM ten minutes worth of milk. The other half the time, she nurses beautifully! After receiving tons of advice from lactation consultants, friends and family, I finally went to her pediatrician. I picked up some acid reflux medicine today. If that doesn’t help, I will eliminate dairy from my diet. If that doesn’t work, I’m out of luck for the next three months. God bless her…and me.

I have anxiety about leaving the house with XM. Last week, I packed her up and took her to work. I showed her off at work for about an hour. She did great, but once we got home she was hysterical. She threw up what seemed like gallons and couldn’t eat well to refill her belly. It took us over a day to recover from that little outing. Yikes. I don’t want to be a shut in, but it is so much easier that way.

I’ve started pumping. It is humiliating and hilarious. I am no longer human…my bovine name shall be Bessy. I bought a nice pump, so it works efficiently. I’ve been pumping once a day for about a week, but I haven’t given her a bottle yet. For some reason, I have major bottle anxiety. I’m afraid that if she starts using a bottle, she will never go back to the breast. (Yang has tried giving her a bottle once or twice with no real success). However, I was forced to seriously introduce the bottle today because I had to dissolve her acid reflux medicine in the milk. (I asked the Pharmacist if I could just eat the medicine and then breast feed her. The Pharmacist didn’t realize I was kidding and earnestly explained to me why that wouldn’t work). Thankfully, she did relatively well with the bottle. We’ll see if she now shuns the breast.

My hour is up.

UPDATE: I realize that my friends with more than one child are probably rolling their eyes at this post. Please humor me! Remember what is was like to be a new mama?

Also, I wanted to add some of the highlights of my first month with XM. First, her coo can melt my heart. It can erase the tenseness of an hour's worth of crying in an instant. Also, I love it when she is well fed and just about to fall asleep. She makes a series of funny faces and sounds. She smiles, sucks, yawns, sighs, then smiles again, makes fish lips, and finally relaxes to sleep. It is adorable.

She is up to several hours of quite alertness a day/night. There is nothing more fascinating than this time. She looks up at me, and I look down at her, and we stare at each other. She is so alert and attentive. I love it! This time is best spent on the exercise ball. XM love the bounce created by the exercise ball--all other bouncing pales in comparison. The quickest way to calm her down is to pop a squat on the exercise ball.

Finally, XM turned out to be longshanks after all! She has long legs and a skinny little body. She is almost too long for her newborn sleepers! She loves it when I massage her legs and feet.

My Labor and Delivery

2008-02-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

As Yang announced below, Xiao Mei was born February 13, 2008. In anticipation of her arrival, I read five pregnancy books and three child care books. I completed a child care class and a labor and delivery class. I thought I was informed. I thought I was ready.

Nothing could have prepared me for the experience of giving birth.

Tuesday afternoon, around 2 pm, I started noticing regular contractions. They didn’t hurt, so I assumed they were “false labor.” I assumed they would last days, or at least a dozen hours or so. Experienced mothers confirmed my assumptions. I went about my work and started packing up for home at 5 pm. By then, my contractions were a bit more painful. By the time I pulled into my drive way, I was doubled over. I called Yang and suggested that he come home rather than going to his deputy training that night. By the time he got home (around 6 pm) my contractions were three minutes apart. We headed to the hospital.

When they checked me at the hospital, the nurse told me that I was only dilated to a one! A one! I could not believe it. I felt like I failed the first test of motherhood. I promise the contractions hurt. Thankfully, the nurse believed me and I was admitted. I went into the hot tub to help with the pain and stayed there for about 45 minutes. Then the nurse checked me again. I was at a five! I calmly asked (read: screamed) for an epidural. It was on its way. I waited. It was on its way. The anesthesiologist arrived just as I reached nine. The epidural kicked in just in time to start pushing. By then it was about 10 pm. Everyone assumed that the baby would be out in 20 minutes, but unfortunately I had to push for about 2 ½ hours. Ugh. Toward the end of pushing, her heart rate started dropping. The OB suggested assistance with forceps, and meanwhile they prepared a surgical bed for a cesarean. Thankfully, she came out with assistance.

The whole world melted away when they placed my Xiao Mei on my stomach.

Nothing could have prepared me for the experience of holding Xiao Mei for the first time.

That is my labor and delivery story. Let us never speak of it again.

Below are some pictures of Xiao Mei’s first bath and first car ride. My mother made my nursery set, and the quilt was too beautiful to use as a blanket so I hung it on the wall.

I also posted a picture that illustrates why we affectionately refer to her as "bug."

Xiao Mei

2008-02-13T13:07:00.001-08:00

Meet our new addition, whose blog name will be Xiao Mei. Xiao Mei was born early this morning at 12:30, after about five hours of labor. Mom and daughter are doing well.

Xiao Mei is 6lbs 12oz, 20 inches long. Welcome to the world!

You're It

2008-02-12T02:36:00.000-08:00

Chelle tagged me.

Here's the tag:

1. Pick up the nearest book (one of at least 123 pages)

2. Open the page to 123

3. Find the 5th sentence.

4. Post the next 3 sentences

5. Tag 5 people.

Here's my response:

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

"'Our whole business therefore in this life,' wrote Saint Augustine, rather Yogically, 'is to restore to health the eye of the heart whereby God may be seen.'
Like all great philosophical ideas, this one is simple to understand but virtually impossible to imbibe. OK--so we are all one, and divinity abides within us all equally."

I tag: Shelley, mellow-drama, H. Bartle, G, and M.

Really, Huckabee? Really?!

2008-02-12T02:02:00.000-08:00

"I know the pundits, and I know what they say: The math doesn't work out," Huckabee said Saturday morning at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. "Well, I didn't major in math; I majored in miracles. And I still believe in those, too."

Blech.

One Hundred Hours Until I Meet You

2008-02-11T15:08:00.000-08:00

Or two weeks, or two days, or....

Wow. I'm still crying over this essay. Thinking about the moment I get to meet my "long lost friend" is consuming my mind. Thinking about two weeks later, when I am tired and confused is also on my mind. I am about to be tested and tried in a way I can't even imagine, but I am so excited to start.

Death, Birth, and the Whole Cycle of Life

2008-02-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

I apologize in advance because this post is intentionally vague and obtuse. Two particular deaths in the last week have focused my thoughts on life and mortality. Last night, Yang commented that death comes in threes, so I should expect one more. I’m not superstitious, but I’m still a bit worried. I hope the Enforcer of Superstitious Rules bends the rule in this case or will allow Ella’s birth to substitute for the last death.

Death is a common topic of conversation in my line of work, so I am usually very matter-of-fact about it. It is natural and even beautiful. But, death is such a sharp contrast to the life growing inside of me that lately the thought of it stings. How can people be dying when life is just beginning for Eleanor and me? Throw pregnancy hormones in the mix, and I’m a big bundle of confusion, peace, fear, serenity, and tears.

I must admit, however, that nothing celebrates life more powerfully than juxtaposing it with death.

37 Weeks and Sympathy Nesting

2008-01-30T11:49:00.000-08:00

Behold, the belly! Being 37 and a half weeks pregnant is not much fun. I hurt and I’m grouchy. Poor Yang. I did not want to post a picture, but 9 months (one year...two years) from now, when I’ve finally recovered (physically, at least), it may be interesting to look back at this time.

Yang has been an ideal, supportive husband. No, really, I’m not just blowing smoke. He’s amazing. He has been so sympathetic and understanding for the last 37 weeks. Thankfully, his sympathy has never really veered into sympathy symptoms. His diet and weight have been consistent, his illnesses (legitimate and/or hypochondria-related) have never required more attention than my pregnancy caused illnesses, and most importantly, he has never complained of back pain in my presence.

Yang has, however, recently developed sympathy nesting. (The best symptom of all!). Two days ago, he decided to finish the remaining room in the house–the one we decided not to finish until sometime later this year. The last few nights, in his free time (between 10 pm and 2 am), he has removed trim and textured the walls. He still needs to paint, install hardwood floors, replace doors and closets, and add trim. Knowing Yang, this will be finished by Sunday afternoon.

Despite my grouchiness, I have been flooded with kindness from family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. The proverbial village really does step up to help raise (gestate?) a child. I have had a few baby showers, and I have been overwhelmed with gifts and support. People are so generous at a time when the help is definitely needed. I am very grateful.

I’ll keep you all up to date. It is very likely that my next post will be an announcement!

Interesting

2008-01-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

Check out this great essay on the intersection of Mormonism and politics.

Rats!

2008-01-03T12:02:00.000-08:00

Chinese New Year is February 7, 2008. That date ushers in the Year of the Rat, and Ella will most likely be a Rat. According to Wikipedia, “being the first sign of the Chinese zodiac, rats are leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the twelve signs.” Good so far. But wait,

“Behind the smiles and charm, rats can be terribly obstinate and controlling, insisting on having things their way no matter what the cost. These people tend to have immense control of their emotions, which they may use as a tool to manipulate and exploit others, both emotionally and mentally. Rats are masters of mind games and can be very dangerous, calculative and downright cruel if the need arises. Quick-tempered and aggressive, they will not think twice about exacting revenge on those that hurt them in any way. Rats need to learn to relax sometimes, as they can be quite obsessed with detail, intolerant and strict, demanding order, obedience, and perfection.”

Yikes! It gets even worse, “Traditionally, Rats should avoid Horses, but they can usually find their best friends. . . in Monkeys, Dragons, and Oxen.” Great. I’m a Horse and Yang is a Dragon. I knew she’d be a daddy’s girl.

Hmmm. Maybe I should hope for an early arrival. February 6, 2008 would be a great birthday. Then Ella would be a Pig.

“The Pig type is usually an honest, straightforward and patient person. They are a modest, shy character who prefers to work quietly behind the scenes. When others despair, they are often there to offer support. . . It is easy to put trust in pig type; they won't let you down and will never even attempt to do so.. . .”

“There is a tolerant and peaceful side to their character. Such people are never afraid to allow others their freedom of expression; they do not want to cause arguments and if there is any way to avoid arguing, they will probably take this option. However, they are not weak and if the situation forces them to fight these people will rise to the occasion, whether it is to defend themselves or those close to them.”

Rats or Pigs? I want a Pig.

Update

2008-01-02T21:09:00.000-08:00

I feel like I should be in a Nationwide commercial, with Joel McHale playing the part of Eleanor. Life comes at you fast. This post is a random update on pregnancy and other issues.

First, I am 33 weeks along. Dang. I hoped I would still be cute pregnant at this point, but I most definitely am not. I am jabba-huge. My stomach is out of control—I keep expecting to tip over. Unfortunately, my butt and legs are out of control as well. It’s a whole body transition. My back aches, I can’t sleep well, and I run out of breath after walking more than 10 steps. My emotions aren’t totally out of control, but I do have a touch of the crazy. I am much more honest than I’ve ever been. I just don’t have the patience for social niceties and subtleties anymore. My back hurts too much to be polite.

My cats have discovered that my pregnant belly provides a nice cozy perch, so they jump up on my stomach every time I sit still. Ella isn’t quite sure what to think about the company. Sometimes she tolerates the squatters, but most times she kicks and punches them. Often, she moves enough to run the cats off the belly! I anticipate this battle will continue into the postpartum days. I suspect Gollum, in particular, will compete for my attention every time I hold Ella. Sorry Gollum. You will lose, but I’ll do my best to accommodate both cat and baby.

Of all the indignities of pregnancy, nothing is more humiliating than pregnancy aerobics. (Ok, um, there are several things more humiliating, but let me be dramatic for a moment). I recently started an aerobic routine because my hugeness is out of control. Wow, I must look very pathetic shuffling along and waving my arms. I used to run 10+ miles a week, now I get winded doing the mambo-cha-cha-cha. Thankfully I can do it in the privacy of my own home.

In non-pregnancy news, I am obsessed with the 2008 campaign. It all started with the Romney Mormon issue. I am not Republican, and would not vote for Romney if I were, but I am fascinated with his campaign. I must admit I am very surprised at how the whole Mormon issue has played out. I agree with what Ken Jennings said in a NY Daily News opinion (sorry, I can’t find a link).

“This is a strange season to be a Mormon,” Jennings begins. “During my lifetime, I thought The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had effectively mainstreamed itself. Being a Mormon was like being Canadian, or a vegetarian, or a unicyclist — it made you a bit of a conversation piece at dinner, but you didn’t come in for any lip-curling scorn.”

The news coverage in December was surprisingly vitriolic. I love the irony in religious people calling other religious people crazy, or southern Baptists calling Mormons racist, or journalists requesting that Romney summarize his faith in a political speech. I couldn’t fully explain the essence, basis, and nuance of my faith if I had a week.

I think Romney asked for the scrutiny when he cozied up to the religious right. Ugh. I just hate that our whole religion was dragged into it. I am the first to admit it is painfully easy to create a caricature of Mormonism. But I am also the first to claim that faith is something beautiful, complex, and worthy of respect (or at least tolerance).

In all honesty, I hope Romney loses in Iowa and drops out of the race because he is a Mormon. I guess that makes me a bigot.

Christmas update: Yang and I had a mellow, enjoyable Christmas. We both took some time off work and hung out at the house. For Yang, hanging out meant working on the house. He finished the trim in the kitchen and replaced the kitchen window. We opened our presents a few days early. He got me a video camera and I got him a police scanner. (I know, I know, I shouldn’t encourage him).

The next few weeks will be dedicated to wrapping up work in anticipation of my leave and preparing for baby. I start my childbirth prep classes next week, and I am sure Ella will be here before I am ready. I’m excited.

Labor and Delivery Play List

2007-11-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

I am in week 29 of my pregnancy, and I cannot avoid thinking about labor and delivery any longer. I must be brave. Before I dive into the labor and delivery chapters in my pregnancy books, I want to start with a fun assignment--my labor and delivery play list.

I need some advice before I begin. Do you think I should have an up-tempo play list or a soothing play list? I have no idea. While we were at lunch today, G was telling me about his running play list. He has the Bourne Identity theme song on there, and he says it makes him run faster. Do you think fast songs will make my labor progress faster? Hmmm.

I can remember laughing out loud at some of Shelley’s choices for her labor and delivery play list. Some girls are bigger than others, indeed. Ugh...I hope Ella is not a big girl.

Anyway, I would love your recommendations.

I'll bite, too

2007-11-24T12:19:00.000-08:00

. . . a month late.

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night? Yang, as always. Gollum made me laugh, but he is not a person.
2. What were you doing at 0800? Sleeping in, but moving from the bed to the couch because my back was hurting.
3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Arriving at work to catch-up on some things before Monday. (Obviously, I haven’t started working yet).
4. What happened to you in 2006? I switched law firms, started golfing, said goodbye to a good friend that moved to another state, met up with my high school girlfriends in Las Vegas (it was the first time I had seen some of them in years), attended my friend’s wedding in California, and ran Hood to Coast.
5. What was the last thing you said out loud? Thank you to the gas attendant.
6. How many beverages did you have today? So far, some water and a cup of peppermint hot chocolate. I’ll have more milk and water before the day is up. I miss Diet Coke.
7. What color is your hairbrush? Black.
8. What was the last thing you paid for? Gasoline...Yikes. It was still shocking even though I drive a Honda Civic.
9. Where were you last night? On my new couch watching episodes of Rome.
10. What color is your front door? It still has the manufacturer’s primer on it. We will paint it when we install the new siding and brick work on the front of the house. I had a purple door at my last house and loved it.
11. Where do you keep your change? In my purse and car. I used to raid Yang’s change cup in his office (he always had lots of quarters) when there was a snack box at work. Now that the snack box is gone (employees at my firm took too many candy bars without paying), I rarely use my change.
12. What’s the weather like today? Cloudy and cool.
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor? Cherry Garcia.
14. What excites you? Parenting books, walks in the forest, good food and good movies/TV.
15. Do you want to cut your hair? Not yet. I’ll cut it eventually.
16. Are you over the age of 25? Yes. I’m almost 29.
17. Do you talk a lot? Less than I used to.
18. Do you watch the O.C.? No, although I do love low brow television. The OC never made it into my schedule.
19. Do you know anyone named Steven? Yes.
20. Do you make up your own words? No. I like Colbert’s made up words.
21. Are you a jealous person? Yes, but mildly so.
22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’. Amber.
23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’. Kami.
24. Who’s the first person on your received call list? A friend.
25. What does the last text message you received say? Can’t remember. I deleted it.
26. Do you chew on your straw? Yes.
27. Do you have curly hair? No, but I am developing a few random curls because of the pregnancy.
28. Where’s the next place you’re going to? Someplace for lunch.
29. Who’s the rudest person in your life? Former opposing counsel on one of the few cases I had an opposing counsel.
30. What was the last thing you ate? Left over pumpkin pie! Yum.
31. Will you get married in the future? No, unless it’s some cheesy renewing of the vows type thing, which Yang will never agree to.
32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks? Knocked Up. It is fun watching movies about pregnancy while pregnant because I seem so calm and collected when compared to Hollywood’s version of a pregnant woman.
33. Is there anyone you like right now? Yes.
34. When was the last time you did the dishes? Yesterday. Our kitchen was still a mess from thanksgiving cooking.
35. Are you currently depressed? Currently, no, but I am 100% at the mercy of pregnancy hormones. Ask me in 10 minutes.
36. Did you cry today? No.
37. Why did you answer and post this? Because SCM tagged me, and because my blog celebrates the mundane. Oh, and I’m avoiding work.
38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey. I don’t think I have five readers, and two of them have already done it. Skier Jess? M? G?

The Kitchen

2007-11-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

When we learned I was pregnant, Yang agreed to have the house substantially completed by the beginning of February 2008. As always, Yang is an over-achiever. The house is substantially completed now. Here are some pictures of the kitchen, start to finish.

Eleanor the Longshanks

2007-11-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

I am having a GIRL!!! My 20 week ultrasound was the first week of October, and the technician confirmed that our baby is a girl. I was convinced we were having a boy. My intuition is crap (big surprise), and the Chinese birth calendar is wrong. I am, nevertheless, very happy to be having a girl. In all honesty, I'm a little relieved as well. Yang claims he's known it was a girl all along.

Eleanor is the at the top of our short list of names. We love Eleanor and will call her Ella for short. We may change our minds before she is born, but for now she is Ella.

At my ultrasound appointment, I was also informed that Ella had long legs. I was so excited! I started making plans for her future career as a volley-ball player, US President, model, and/or Confident Woman with Commanding Presence. My daughter, the tall one. My dreams for her ended yesterday. I had a follow up ultrasound and learned that my baby is in the 50th percentile for height and weight. She is average. She is not tall. Sigh. At least she can still be president.

Comfort Blankets

2007-09-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

I went home for lunch today (yes, I live that close to work—it’s heavenly). On my doorstep was a big box from my mother. The box was full of about 8 baby blankets, each one with a matching onesie. The onesies have cute little animals on them, and they are so small with tiny cap sleeves. (Am I really going to have a baby that small? Will s/he break?) The blankets are soft, small, whimsical and so cute that pre-pregnancy I might have gagged a little. But, I am so very pregnant, and I love the blankets so very much. I wanted to curl up under them all and take a nap. But I was ravenously hungry and went straightaway to make my lunch.

Pregnancy is like MSG for my emotions. It brings out the flavor. I am super-scared, super-excited, super-loving, super-irrational, and/or super-bitchy. But I’m always super-something. My first trimester, I felt overwhelmingly nervous, anxious, and scared. My second trimester has been totally different. I love being pregnant. I love my belly, I love the concept, I am indulging my nesting instinct (with super-human help from Yang), and I am so excited to be a mom. I wonder what the third trimester will bring.

This is the first time in my pregnancy that I have been so emotional over an object. I love those blankets. I love those onesies. Not just because my baby will soon be wrapped up in them, but because they are a comfort in and of themselves. They represent my fairytale concept of domestic tranquility and maternal bliss. The cynical, smarter half of me knows that there will be very few tranquil and blissful moments as new mom, so that is why I am soaking it all up right now. Those blankets represent the impressionistic painting of motherhood, with soft light streaming through the windows and a beautiful baby sleeping soundly in the arms of a calm, capable, loving mother. Heh, heh, heh. I can dream, can’t I?

High School Reunion

2007-08-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

I went to my ten year high school reunion in Salt Lake City on June 9, 2007. I never thought I would be the kind of person that goes to her ten year high school reunion. You know the kind--the person who actually liked high school while she was there and can't wait to remind everyone of how cool she used to be (even if her coolness factor has significantly decreased since then). In fact, I intended to be the person that was TOO COOL to go to the reunion. Well, um, I went. I was never cool in high school and I'm still not. At least I had a law degree to brag about and I haven't gained 50 pounds. . . yet.

My girl friends and I used it as an excuse to get together; thereby allowing Yang an "out." My best friend A is in Georgia, J is in Utah, and S is in California. I lost contact with the girls during my late college and early law school years, but we've since reconnected. I'll take any reason I can get to have a girls' weekend. I also used the reunion as an excuse to go to Moab, Utah. I really miss Moab, and I think it may be the most beautiful place on earth. We went hiking and river rafting for two days before the reunion. The hikes were awesome, especially the one to Delicate Arch. The river rafting was FREEZING, but thankfully we didn't get dumped. We ate at fun resort-town-restaurants each night and had an amazing time.

The reunion was on Saturday. I was a class officer (gag), so I had to help plan the damn thing. We did it on the cheap and still had a pretty decent turn out. There were about 10 people I was excited to see. About half of them showed up, and it was great catching up. I spent the rest of the night making small talk with people I didn't know, care about, or enjoy. It was great practice in the art of inane social small talk, but it was excruciating none the less. In retrospect, I should have skipped the reunion and met up with the girls in Vegas. Although, Moab was worth it.

GOOD NEWS

2007-08-27T10:18:00.001-07:00

Yang and I are expecting our first child on February 17, 2008. Hooray! We are both so excited (and nervous) to be starting this crazy journey.

My pregnancy has been pretty mild so far. (I realize that the pregnancy gods will make up for it in the third trimester). I was fairly sick for about a month during my first trimester. I was also amazingly exhausted and spacey. It didn’t help that I cut out caffeine. Now I am in week 16, and things are better than before. I’m over the morning sickness, and some of my energy and focus has returned.

I posted some of my thoughts on pregnancy at Feminist Mormon Housewives. (For my non-mormon readers: fMh is a mormon-themed blog (as you can tell from the title). Therefore, keep in mind that my comments there are written for a mostly mormon audience.)

By the way, if you read this SCM, I was dying to tell you at your shower. However, I bit my tongue because I didn’t want to take any focus away from you and Ed!

Curiosity

2007-07-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

Gollum decided to help us paint. He is such a good helper.

The Rose City

2007-07-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

My parents came to visit us the first weekend in June. I love having company because it gives us an excuse to do all the touristy things in Portland we would otherwise never do. For example, we went to the International Rose Testing Garden on June 2. The timing was PERFECT. All the rose bushes were in bloom, and most of the flowers were at their peak. It was beautiful.

We also went to Cannon Beach and had dinner at Mo’s. We ate lunch at Hot Lips Pizza in the Pearl and went on a Portland Spirit dinner cruise. The dinner cruise was better than I expected, but I could have done without the waiting staff breaking into song every 20 minutes. Ugh. The cruise allowed me to view all the river-side property in Lake Oswego I will one day acquire. (Yang, start working harder).

We had a great time showing the best of Portland to my parents.

Top 5 Concerts

2007-05-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

We had a construction dumpster delivered to our house today. After work, I started making trips from the back yard to the dumpster in the driveway with arms full of cabinets, scrap wood, and tree branches. I listened to my ipod the whole time, and I got super excited every time a Killers song came on. Yang, G, M and I are going the Killers concert in Portland this Saturday. I can’t wait! I have not been to a rock concert in a really long time. I started thinking of the last concert I went to and all the concerts before that. So, dear readers, please indulge me as I take a trip down rock concert memory lane.

The last concert I went to was Indigo Girls in SLC with Jenn (I've been to three other IG shows). Before that I went to see Psychedelic Furs with K and G in Baltimore. The first concert I ever went to was The Cure (Wish tour) when I was 13 (I’m not counting MC Hammer because my friend gave me those tickets and I didn’t really want to go). I also saw The Cure’s Wild Mood Swings tour. I’ve seen Depeche Mode three times (Devoted, Ultra, and a Singles tour in London in 1998). K won front row tickets and back stage passes to the Devoted tour in 1994. Being the best sister ever, she invited me to go with her.

I’ve seen Everclear, Howard Jones, Eve 6, U2 (Popmart tour—worst U2 tour ever), Toad the Wet Sprocket, B-52s, Semisonic, and Matchbox 20. I had to lie to my mom and/or sneak out in order to see the following concerts: Tool, Marilyn Manson, and 311. I should have gone to the following shows, but didn’t because of various conflicts/problems: Sarah McLoughlin, Dave Matthews Band, and The Cranberries.

My top 5:

Depeche Mode Devoted (ahhh, Dave Gahan)
The Cure Wild Mood Swings (oh so very fun)
Indigo Girls (each concert was like an arena campfire sing along)
B-52s (I had a girl crush on Kate Pierson)
Matchbox 20 (not a great show, but my first concert with Yang)

The youths

2007-05-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

The Church asks me to assist with the youth. In both this ward and the last ward. I am more than happy to do so. I sometimes wonder why they pick me, I don't consider myself a role model. I am fairly adept at the camping/carving/hiking/etc. . . that is typical with the youth programs, but quite honestly, I prefer those activities alone, not with half a dozen teenagers in tow. There are a lot of others who I think would be better at it than me. Anyway, in addition to outdoor stuff and Sunday meetings, we meet once a week and do the typical church/youth program things. Sometimes its fun, sometimes its something civic or service related. To be fair, with the bunch I left in the last ward, I actually had a lot of fun. Perhaps with a little more time, this bunch will be the same way.

Earlier this evening I had a typical activity which went well enough, but when it was over, the kids run off and try to get in some typical teenage clownery before their parents come to pick them up. I try to keep a lid on this to some degree, so nothing gets burned down. Tonight I was distracted for a few minutes by one of the other adults, and the youths slipped away. During this time, one of the boys decided it would be funny to give one of the younger boys a wedgie. Well, the wedgie was delivered with enough purpose that it actually ripped the choneys right off the poor kid. He was fairly upset, understandably.

I really don't know exactly how best to discipline a kid who super-wedgies another. Perhaps there isn't a good way.

My TV Addiction

2007-05-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

I was a teaching assistant in law school. In addition to grading writing assignments, the TAs were supposed to offer, if requested, quasi-counseling to the 1Ls that had difficulty adjusting to the demands of law school. To help us in that regard, the writing department distributed pamphlets to all TAs discussing inappropriate stress management/coping strategies. At the time, I was convinced all my coping strategies were proper, and I looked forward to helping those with improper ones. I started reading the list of items that were not my problem: excessive alcohol use, illicit drug use, overeating, gambling, sex addiction, excessive television watching...wha? Wait a minute. What do they mean by excessive? I don’t watch THAT much TV. I don’t have a problem. I can quit anytime I want to. Well if I do have a problem, it’s law school’s fault. Leave me alone.

I realized at that point that I was addicted to TV. I still am. Network shows are my drug of choice (with a little E! and Discovery on the weekends) and Tivo is my enabler.

Now that I’ve admitted my problem, I’d like to discuss the shows I watched last night. Heroes. Best. Show. On. Television. ‘Nuff said.

I also watched the first half of PBS’s documentary called The Mormons. As a mormon, I was really impressed with the show. I thought it was relatively balanced and respectful. I think it presented mormon history as complex, disturbing, heroic and extraordinary, which is how I view our history. It did a good job of providing context to events such as the Mountain Meadows Massacre and polygamy. I’m excited to watch the second installment tonight.

Flat Stanley

2007-04-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

My niece sent me Flat Stanley in the mail. She asked me to take pictures of Stanley's adventures in Portland for a class project (she is in the second grade). Here is a picture of Stanley on a boat dock at Willamette Park. The Portland skyline is in the background.

Earth Intruders

2007-04-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

Bjork’s appearance on SNL last Saturday refreshed my recollection of how absolutely awesome Bjork is. She performed Earth Intruders. I purchased this song from itunes tonight, and I have listened to it at least ten times so far. It is wonderfully addictive. Toe-tapping, futuristic, and tribal all at the same time. I can picture her stomping and dancing as I listen to it. She is an Icelandic oddity, as is this song. I love it; however, I have no idea what it means.

We are the earth intruders, we are the earth intruders, muddy with twigs and branches. Turmoil. Carnage. We are the earth intruders, we are the paratroopers. . . Here are the earth intruders, with our feet thumping, with our feet marching, grinding the skeptics into the soil. Shower of goodness coming to end the doubt—pouring out. . . Necessary voodoo.

Whoops

2007-04-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

As we just recently started blogging again after a long break, we moved temporarily to a new URL. All was going well until one of our friends pointed out that there was a very similarly titled website with material on it that we may not want our blog to be too closely related to-- (think cross dressing, and other various trans-gender goodies, Portland style). We changed the url quickly, and decided to stick with the old one. Hence the back and forth for those of you who are paying attention.

I'm a Lumberjack and I'm OK

2007-04-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

A pine tree in our yard died, so we had to chop it down. The tree was 36 years old (we counted the rings) and about 40 feet tall. The actual chopping (felling?) was quite a spectacle, and it brought out the neighbors to watch. Yang bought a brand new Husqvarna chainsaw for the occasion.

It reminded me of the Lumberjack Monty Python skit.

I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK,
I sleep all night and I work all day.

He's a lumberjack and he's OK,
He sleeps all night and works all day.

I cut down trees, I eat my lunch,
I go to the lavatory.
On Wednesdays I go shopping,
And have buttered scones for tea.

I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK,
I sleep all night and I work all day.

He's a lumberjack and he's OK,
He sleeps all night and works all day.

I cut down trees, I skip and jump,
I like to press wild flowers,
I put on women's clothing,
And hang around in bars.

I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK,
I sleep all night and I work all day.

He's a lumberjack and he's OK,
He sleeps all night and works all day.