Dear Chasey ....

Last month I suggested to your Uncle Brandon that we should visit you because we both missed you so so so so so so so much! Every new video and picture of you we saw made us want to see you so much more. The night we arrived you were already asleep so we were a little sad, but lucky for us you managed to wake yourself up in the middle of the night and we were able to see your big sleepy head! Just an FYI, you inherited your big head from your Uncle. When you're older he will give you tips on shopping for the right hats and sunglasses. :-)

The next morning you did your glute routine to your nursery rhymes. I did some with you too but it seems you can squat down a lot longer than I can! While your mommy and daddy were off to work, we took you and Grandma to the Getty Center so you could appreciate some art. You didn't like most of them unless they were of animals.

Here you are with Grandma, not too impressed with the water feature. We thought it would make a pretty picture so while you were playing with your toy, we managed to at least get Grandma to smile for the camera.

You were such a good boy during the entire trip to the museum. Curiously looking at everything and you even managed to hi-five a lady after she held up her hand. Then an old man asked for one but you just looked at him as if to say "I only do that for the ladies."

Later that day after Mommy got home, she put on your Star Wars shirt so you could match your uncle. Yesterday you two also matched. He had on an SF Giants shirt (grey with orange letters) and you wore an orange shirt.

In the evening we took you out to the Buttermilk truck for french toast sticks, hashbrowns, ube pancakes, and red velvet pancakes!

Saturday morning meant drum circle time!! You played the drums, tamborine, and bongos along with all the other babies and kids in the room. Maybe one day you will be a drummer for a big rock band!

Then in the afternoon we checked out the new mall in Santa Monica with your cousin Audrey. She kinda of looks like the 5 year old version of your Auntie Tin Tin. You know her right? You might also know her as "Lady" because she's that weird lady you never see because she's always sleeping at weirder hours than you.

On Sunday we did your fourth photo shoot with Uncle Brandon at a nearby park. You had many wardrobe changes because you were the star the of the show! We said words you liked ... pogi, lady ... to get you to smile and laugh. Sorry kiddo, no pictures of that yet til your mommy and daddy chooses one they like. Monday morning was the last time we saw you. It was so hard to leave because we were going to miss you so much! Maybe you will be walking the next time we see you. Thank you so much Chasey for making our trip worth while as always. We love you and miss you very much!

Love,

Auntie Nette & Uncle Brandon

First Word?

Whenever mommy puts me in my car seat after picking me up from day care, she sits in the back seat with me to talk. This is our special time to get caught up. She tells me how much she loves me and missed me and how cute I am. She kisses me a ton and sometimes I kiss her back. I tell her how my day went - the toys I played with, how much I napped and which of the other babies I hung out with.

Today our chat was extra special. When mommy first got into the back seat, she said hi and I said hi back and waved my hand when I did it. Mommy was surprised that I could do it, but I did. She said I am the smartest baby ever. I guess she wanted me to say it again because she kept saying hi hi hi over and over. Silly mommy. I kept smiling. I didn't say it again, but I did make 'h' sounds . Mommy told me that she could tell that I was concentrating really hard to try to say it again.

Then, mommy called daddy and told him the good news. She sounded so happy on the phone. When daddy came home he said hi to me too so I said hi back. Daddy said I am so smart and kissed me all over.

Where are you going, mommy?

Today, I liked it most when mommy was right next to me. It made me very sad whenever I saw mommy walk away, even if it was just a couple feet away from me and even if she was within eyesight. Even playing with my toys would not distract me from missing mommy when she wasn't near me. Mommy always knows how to make me feel better. She kept rushing to my rescue and would give me lots of hugs and told me, "I'm right here, honey. Mommy's right here."  Mommy doesn't want me to be sad but loves being able to make me feel better. 

Startled

Be careful please. The hand blender and mommy's laughter startled me today. These loud sounds made me jump & cry, although I've never reacted like that to them before.

My first...SF Giants Game

I went to my first SF Giants Game today at AT&T Park. This is where mommy and daddy had their wedding reception 3 years ago! I wore my Giants onesie gifted by Auntie Jes and Uncle Eddy. I went with mommy, daddy, Uncle Best Friend Kevin, Ninong Kenji, Auntie Tanya and Uncle Ryan. It was Japanese heritage night so daddy and the uncles/ninong got to taste sake, whatever that is. Mommy fed me my dinner (squash & milk) when we got to our seats. I had a lot of fun looking at all of the people and lights and hearing all of the noise. There were so many Giants fans! Dad said he wasn't used to it since he's been living in LA for so long. Mommy, daddy and Uncle Best Friend bought furry panda hats. They said it's because they are fans of Pablo Sandoval (Giants 3rd Baseman), but I think they bought it to be silly.  What do you think? 

eating my dinner @ the start of the game

me with mommy & uncle best friend Kevin

what I saw today

my panda family

Scrapbook Page for Day Care

Here's a fun little scrapbook page that mommy put together for day care. Now all of us babies have pictures of our families on the wall for us to admire. The picture on the left is from the photo shoot with Uncle Brandon when I was just 2 weeks old. The one on the right is from the Huntington Gardens a couple of weeks ago. Mommy loves to scrapbook, but hasn't had too much time lately so she was happy to get the chance to make this quick page for my classroom.

Baptism - Ninongs & Ninang

Mommy & daddy picked my ninongs & ninang very thoughtfully - through them, mommy & daddy know that I will be loved and cared for. I know that they will be the best role models in my faith and in my life. They are pictured above (Top Row: Ninong Nico, Father Alex, Ninong Kenji; Bottom Row: Ninong George, Ninang Ruby, mommy, me, daddy, Ninong John)

Ninang Ruby & Ninong George - Ninong George went to high school with daddy & daddy was a groomsman at his & Ninang Ruby's wedding. They are Mateo & Nora's parents - Mateo is mommy & daddy's Godson. I know that they will be wonderful Godparents because of how sincerely loving they always are when they see me. Our families will continue to have a special bond through mommy & daddy's relationship with Mateo and now with my relationship with Ninong and Ninang.

Ninong Nico - Ninong Nico has been an important part of our family for a very long time. His mommy is grandma Susan's best friend and grandma Susan is his Ninang. I know that he will be a great Ninong because he is such a good role model. He's very responsible, respectful, thoughtful, mature, patient and selfless - he is always putting the needs of others before his own. Most of all, he is great with kids and has been such a good Uncle to Bryce and Ninong to Chrystian. I hope to be just like him when I grow up.

Ninong Kenji - Ninong Kenji went to USF with mommy & daddy. Daddy was Ninong's best man at his wedding. I am so glad that he is my Ninong because he is funny like daddy, is very down to earth and mommy/daddy could tell from the beginning that Ninong cares about me a lot. The best thing I like about Ninong is the silly songs he sings. Next time you see him you should ask him to sing you one.

Ninong John - Ninong John is daddy's only brother. He is going to be a very loving Ninong! Every time I visit him and Lolo and Lola, Ninong John makes me a sign or a card. He makes one for mommy and daddy too. He always tells us how much he loves us. I know that he was very happy to be an uncle and is now even happier to be a Ninong. He loves to hold me and always laughs at all of the silly things that I do.

Huntington Botanical Gardens

Grandma, Grandpa and Tita Tin Tin came to visit me this past weekend.  It was my first time meeting Grandpa and Tita.  They flew in to SF from the PI on Wed. and drove down to LA right away on Fri. just to come visit me. I'm so lucky to have such a loving family.  I wasn't feeling well on Fri/Sat so we stayed in those days. But, I was feeling better again today so we all went to the Huntington Botanical Gardens to enjoy the beautiful LA weather. 

We had so much fun looking at all of the pretty flowers, trees and other plants in the Japanese & Chinese Gardens & throughout Huntington.  We all loved it...especially me and Grandma. We both love nature so we were both in heaven.  Auntie, mommy and Grandpa all took turns carrying me in the bjorn. 

Me with Grandpa & Grandma

Me & Tita Tin Tin

Me & Mommy

Me, Mommy & Daddy

My First...NBA Game - Clippers/Mavs

I went to my first NBA game today.  The Clippers were playing the Mavs @ the Staples Center. Just like @ the Angels/A's game, I loved looking at all of the lights and people around me.  Everyone was cheering and clapping and yelling.  I got tired towards the end, so we left early during the 4th quarter.  I watched with mommy, daddy, Auntie Cathy and Uncle Dana. Thank you auntie and uncle for my Clippers onesies.  

My First...Solids!

CELEBRATE! I started solids today! After a couple of months of being more than ready to start, I was finally given the okay to have my yum yums. :) I had another round of allergy tests earlier in the week and they came back negative. Yay! So now, my doctors (allergist & ped) all feel that I can start to experiment with solids. Today, I started on rice cereal and had a teaspoon's worth (mixed with milk, this came out to about 8 spoonfulls).  

Mommy & daddy were so surprised at how excited I got to eat.  As soon as I saw the spoon coming towards me, I opened my mouth wide and was eager to taste the yum yums. After reaching for the spoon several times, I was glad that mommy & daddy finally handed it to me. I knew exactly what to do with it. When do I get to try chocolate cake? 

Happy 1st Bday Mia!

Today, I celebrated Mia's 1st Bday at My Gym.  Mommy & I met Mia and her mommy, Stephanie, @ St. Joseph's mommy & me class.  We  used to go every Tuesday when mommy was on maternity leave.  Happy Birthday Mia! Thanks for inviting me to spend this special day with you...I had so much fun!

Mia's grand entrance

Puppet Show

I REALLY loved the puppet show!

I went down the slide all by myself :)

Me on the zip line

My First...Baseball Game - Angels/A's.

Ninong Kenji and Auntie Jenn took me to my first baseball game today.  The A's were playing the Angels in Anaheim.  Ninong and Auntie were visiting Ninong's family in So.Cal and they stopped by to visit me, mommy & daddy.  I was so amazed when I got to the stadium.  There were so many lights and people and everyone was cheering and yelling and having so much fun.  I loved looking at the big screen and watching everyone around me.  I ended up falling asleep in mommy's arms around 9pm and stayed asleep until we got home.  Thanks for taking me to my first game Ninong & Auntie! I had a lot of fun! :) 

This is what I saw today

Me with Ninong and Auntie

Me with Mommy & Daddy

Long Beach Aquarium

We went to the Long Beach Aquarium today with Auntie Belinda, Uncle Alex, Kuya Braxton and Ate Avery.  I had a lot of fun looking at all of the fishes, baby sharks and other sea creatures and hanging out with the Yra's. Hope to see them again soon! 

Here fishy fishy..

Don't worry Uncle Alex. The baby shark won't bite you.

Daddy

Me, daddy & kuya Braxton

Mommy, me, Kuya Braxton, Ate Avery and Uncle Alex

Go Runners Go!

I went to check out the LA Marathon today.  I cheered on Auntie's Christina, Lizzi, Maha and Trish! They all work with mommy @ Unum and Auntie Chris went to USF with mommy & daddy.  She also ran with mommy & daddy in their 1st marathon @ SF.  We waited for them just before mile 22 on San Vicente in Brentwood/Santa Monica. There were so many people - runners & spectators. I had fun cheering with mommy & daddy for people running by. A lot of them had their names on their race bibs so we got to shout things like "Way to go Melissa!" or "Looking good Josh!"  or "Keep it up Samantha" or "You're almost there Sean!"  

I can't believe so many people would want to run 26.2 miles for fun! ;) Do you gusy think I'll be a runner too?

Looking good Auntie Chris & Auntie Maha!  It was Auntie Chris' 6th marathon and Auntie Maha's 1st!

 Auntie Trish & Auntie Lizzi! It was both of their 1st full marathons! Auntie Lizzi ran a half last year!

My First...Swing Ride!

I went on my first swing ride @ the park today. I'm still too little to swing by myself, but mommy cushioned me really well with a thick blanket and kept me safe by holding me the whole time. I can't wait to do it all by myself. 

My First...Heart Day!

Happy Heart Day Buddies~! This is the card that I made for daddy during a play date. I'm crafty like my mommy! :) I gave daddy a card and a framed picture of me for daddy to bring to work and I gave mommy a bouquet of flowers. They both loved their presents. Daddy's work sent him to Dallas for the All Star Game so I was mommy's date today. We spent the day playing, taking a long nap and then going for a jog at Balboa Park. It was a pretty sunny day again today so I got to ride along with the canopy down to admire all of the pretty trees. Here's what I saw today: 

P.S. It's my birthday tomorrow! Yay! 

Mommy & Daddy Love...My Praying Feet

When I was a baby *wink*...okay..what I mean is, when I was a newborn I used to cross my legs and keep them close to my chest. Nowadays they're a little more relaxed.  But, what mommy and daddy love now is how I bring my feet together.  Daddy says they're praying. hehehhe :D

Love @ the Park - Valentines Play Date

Mommy says: We had another play date today.  This time the theme was Love - in celebration of upcoming Valentine's Day. All of the mommas & babies outfits and yummy snacks were pink &/or red in color - don't you just love a themed party?! Eeek! Love!  It was hosted by Aja (mommy) and Bella (baby) and held @ the Park at Lake Balboa. I've lived here since 2001 and have been running around the Balboa Park golf course since 2004 (or 2005?) and had never even seen the lake or the park.  It's just too perfect for little kiddos. Should be fun to visit once the little munchkin is running around. What a great discovery! After a couple of weeks of on & off rain, the weather today was ABSOLUTELY perfect. Thank you weather Gods! :) Chase & I met a lot of new mommies/babies, while getting to hang out again with others we met before. Mommy chit chat today was about jogging strollers, umbrella strollers, upcoming play dates, napping challenges, going back to work, cute baby girl outfits, baby bjorns, nail cutting (Chase had scratched his nose - again) and more. I'm a mom now! Smiles!

Jog Around Lake Balboa

It was a beautiful day today so mommy and I took a jog around Lake Balboa.  Well, mommy did the jogging and my job was to look cute and distract her from her workout. I have been fascinated with trees lately so it was nice to be outdoors where I was surrounded by lots of pretty trees.  Here's what I saw today:

My New Toy

Check out my new toy. Mommy saw that I'm starting to grab things so she bought me a new toy to practice my new skill. I looooooove it! It's the perfect size for my little hands and there are so many handles for me to grab a hold of.  I played with it for the first time today and I keep trying to eat it.