The Public Library is Cool Again

How long has it been since you've been to the library? Did you know they have an enormous e-collection now? Did you know you could rent a musuem pass that would allow you to go to the New Children's Museum, The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and the Museum of Art for free? Yup. The library is cool again. I convinced my co worker to visit the library with me during lunch yesterday so I could get my library pin and start checking out books from the e-collection. While helping me with that, the library guy let me know that I had a $1.50 late fee from 2009. Ha! After we took care of that, we wandered through aisles and checked out the audiobooks collection. I read quite a bit and am super excited about my renewed relationship with the San Diego Public Libraries and how much money I will be saving on kindle books.

 

 

[Mmmm the smell of books. Serra Mesa Public Library.]

Let's Get Healthy

During my pregnancy, I was at the doctor all the time being monitored for my diabetes and everything else. What kept me motivated with keeping up with all the glucose checks, injections and pills was the little bean growing inside me. I wanted to give him the best start I could.

Fast forward one year, I finally went to the doctor for my annual check up and received some scary news. My A1C is off the charts and I have high cholesterol. What?? While I am not that surpised about my A1C score, I am very surprised about my cholesterol level. Dr. A made it very clear that I need to make some serious changes to get myself back on track. So this is me, making it public that I am going to get my act together so I can be a healthy and happy mama. I spend all this time making sure Parker is eating healthy meals while I have been indulging in girl scout cookies and waffle fries. Yikes! The bottom line is that I don't ever want Parks to have to take care of me because I made bad choices about my health. I want to be fit and healthy enough to see my grandbabies get married.

 

 

[Parker feeding daddy while daddy is feeding Parker. These two are my motivation.]

A few snapshots from this past weekend

This weekend was busy busy busy with social gatherings. Here are a few snapshots from our time out and about with friends and family.

 

 

[Uncle Hoa playing with Parker at Yogurtland. It was his first time there and he loved the spoons.]

 

[We stayed up late Friday prepping our business taxes and headed up to OC super early Saturday to file them. This green tea latte was totally necessary.]

 

[After attending Tania's first yoga class at Corepower in Tustin, we headed back to Karen's house to eat and help her assemble her wedding invitations.]

 

[Happy 25th birthday, Tania!]

 

I also want to say happy 5th birthday to Landon! We left OC to go to his party at Sky High (trampoline park) on Miramar. I was too pooped to take any photos.

 

[This is totally gross but a daily occurence now that Parker has become the sweatiest baby in the world. Why do babies' heads sweat so much??]

 

[Attempt 1 at Parker's Godzilla shoot was a total bust. He is too sweet to be a monster.]

 

 

[After dinner at Tender Greens, I came home and made this week's batch of baby food. Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.]

 

 



Book Review: Doggies by Sandra Boynton

If you have any desire at all to sound like a crazy person/dying dog/best mom ever then you need to buy this book. Parker received this book as a gift at his baby shower and it's been sitting at the back of the book shelf for a while now. Earlier this week, this book was chosen during reading time and all I can think is "WHY??" The book is crazy. You are basically barking like a schizophrenic dog the whole time but the boys love it. The LOVE it. They sit there engrossed in my maniacal barking and laugh. Oh, the things I do to amuse Parker and Kaden.

 

By the way, last night I caught my SIL trying to record me reading the book and I had to confiscate her phone. Not cool, Loan!

 

[Doggies by Sandra Boynton can be found on Amazon for $4.81]

Mini Me Look Inspired by a Blue Checked Shirt

Mini Me Look Inspired by a Blue Checked Shirt by marychu showing what to wear with distressed jeans

H M top / H&M distressed jeans / See Kai Run Lucas Saddle Shoe (Infant) / Gap Checkered Henley Shirt - spectrum blue

Another Day at Seaworld

I'm loving the summer-in-winter weather we are currently enjoying. While the east coast is experiencing the worst winter ever, it is 78 and sunny in San Diego. Here are a few snap shots from our morning at Seaworld. Follow me on instragram @sdmama33 for more photos of our adventures out and about in San Diego!

 

[You can't see us but Parker and I are riding in that elmo-zebra-fish. We are slowly getting him ready to ride all the rides at Disneyland!]

 

 

[I felt a little queasy after the elmo ride]

 

 

[Dad, is that my shadow??]

 

 

[Tee and leggings: Taylor Joelle Designs "Cohen" Collection, Shoes: Nike]

 

[We finally managed to locate the Wild Artic attraction only to find that the Polar Bears were not available! Oh well. We enjoyed watching the beluga whales and harbor seals. You know what we didn't enyoy? The walrus. The walrus was the scariest effing thing I've seen in a while. Don't say I didn't warn you.]

 

Reading Before Bed is Getting Wild

 

[It always starts out innocently enough]

 

 

[Then he tries to read upside down]

 

 

[Reading for too long makes him tired, so he takes breaks]

 

 

[and starts rolling]

 

[and rolling]

 

 

[He also uses the book as a foot rest]

 

Happy Valentine's Day! + Photos from Dig This Vegas

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! A lot of folks (ahem ahem Tuan) may call this a fake holiday but what's so bad about a day that celebrates love? I just want to take this time to share some photos from my awesome day at Dig This Vegas. Tuan gave me a gift certificate to Dig This on our wedding day and we finally found the time to make it to Vegas for me to cash it in. In short, it was the best day ever. I've had a fascination with bulldozers and contruction equipment for a looooong time and my valentine's-day-hating husband made my dream of driving a bulldozer a reality. Thanks Husband for this amazing gift!

 

Dig This Vegas

http://www.digthisvegas.com/

3012 S. Rancho Drive

Las Vegas, NV 89102

 

[Taking my safety class. I also had to take a breathalyzer test.]

[I was smiling the whole time!]

[Created a giant mound.]

 



 

[Drove over the mound.]

[Moved some giant tires through cones]

[So proud of myself for not running over any cones AND reverse parking the bulldozer. I can't even reverse park my Prius.]

[This is me. The happiest person in Vegas.]

 



 

[Receiving my bulldozer certification!]

Breastfeeding with a Side of Booger Picking

I don't get to hang out with my mom friends as much as I want to so it was great to see everyone (and all the babies!) at Parker's birthday party. Our topics of conversation have gone from shopping and planning weddings to baby milestones and feeding habits. Fun right? One thing I'm glad to have learned is that almost all of my friends have had this done to them. Hahaha. I'm normal again!

 

 

[On the way back from Vegas, we pulled over so I could breastfeed and Parker did this. Awesome.]

Mini Me Look Inspired by A Blue Varsity Jacket

I think Parker could definitely score a hot Valentine's Day date in this varsity jacket outfit. Enjoy!



 

 

[Spotted on Pinterest]

Mini Me Look Inspired by A Blue Varsity Jacket by marychu featuring t-shirts

T shirt / H&M jeans / Gap Striped Varsity Jacket - blue galaxy / Baby Toddler Boy Girl Soft-Sole Shoes Leather Slipper brown Size 3 -...

A Colorful Birthday Celebration for Parker

Where do I even begin? After 3+ months of pinning ideas for Parker's birthday, everything finally came together on Saturday. Here are some photos from P's colorful first birthday celebration full of balloons, sprinkles and fun!

 

Thank you to all our family and friends that came to celebrate with us. Parker loved all his gifts. We especially want to thank Tuan's mom and step dad for making all of the party food. It was delicious!

 

Thank you to my amazing husband who helped me pull this off. You are the best. I can't wait to take Parker to Disneyland (his birthday gift from us).

 

 

 

[Cake flown in from Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC]

 

[I put sprinkles on everything. Dipped pretzels, rice krispie treats and strawberries.]

 

[We also added some birthday oreos and animal crackers to the mix]

 

[We had a lot of babies at the party so I wanted to have a spread just for them. I filled these colorful bowls from Costco with blueberries, plain macaroni pasta, cheese, chicken nuggets, fish sticks and snap peas.]

 

[One of the party highlights was a balloon pit. We fenced off half of the living room and filled the pit with balloons 3 ft deep. It was a huge hit with both kids and adults and took about 300 balloons of various shapes and sizes to fill.]

 

[This was my WOW piece. A giant fringe wall inspired by a DIY project on Oh Happy Day. I love the way this looked and the fact that crepe paper is almost indestructable. Crepe paper from Papermart. 34" letter balloons from Amazon. Not gonna lie. It's still hanging in our house right now.] 

 

[We filled 36" clear balloons with tissue paper confetti from PomLove. The tassel garland tails were made by yours truly. Just FYI, I learned that you can only hang about 5 tassels on each balloon without weighing them down.]

 

[Custom birthday shirt by BirthdayCouture on Etsy]

[The one thing I didn't make? This cute felt birthday sign from Target.]

[It's Vietnamese tradition (called thoi noi) to let the birthday boy pick what he will be when he grows up. We placed various items on the floor and sat him in the middle. Items included a book (scholar), a stethoscope (doctor), pen (writer), whisk (chef) and money (finance/banker).]

 

[First he picked the money.]

[Then he picked the stethoscope.]

 



 

[Then he cried when everyone cheered at his good choices.]

[Kaden playing in the balloon pit. Balloons were getting popped left and right but none of the kids seemed to mind.]

 



[One of my favorite projects was making Parker's birthday crown. I really liked this crown from Etsy but didn't want to pay $28 for it so I made my own using this tutorial. I also made a really simple triangle bunting to decorate this high chair with.]

 

[It's my party and I will stuff my face with cake if I want to!]

 

[My sister Tania getting confetti blown in her face. Ha!]

 

[Opening his first gift.]

[The best gifts of all were all our family and friends who came to visit. Baby E is the cutest!]

 

[My super photogenic niece Audrey jumping in the bounce house. What a great way to let the kids get their energy out in a contained environment...and out of the house!]