Julia in Crib (video)

This video (3 combined clips) was taken some weeks ago when Julia initially learned how to stand and keep her balance but due to our trip in January and then all the things that took place in February, I didn't get a chance to convert this. Julia is cruising and climbing up on everything in sight (boxes, chairs, couch, fireplace...).

Luckily we have this helmet thing that we put on her so that in the event she bonks her head, it won't hurt as much.

World Geography (video)

Every night before we put Jasmine to bed, we always do a bit of reading or play some games. Recently, we've been teaching Jasmine country names on the huge map in her room. She's got pretty good memory... because she knows more country locations than I do. Take a look:

I love Peas

Jasmine did something funny today during dinner time. She was eating dinner in her highchair (as usual) and I noticed that she was pushing and pressing her nose for quite some time. It wasn't unusual for her to play with her nose or even pick at it so it didn't worry me. But after 5 minutes, I went over to see what was wrong. I pressed her nose together between my fingers and felt a hard object in her nostrol. What the ??? Luckily Jasmine knows how to blow her nose so we asked her to blow her nose really hard. A green pea popped out of her nose!

Funny Faces (video)

Since Richard and I are both at work most of the day now, we realized that we haven't taken many photos or videos of the girls in a while. So we were randomly shooting pictures and taking videos after work today. We captured Jasmine having dinner and flipped the screen over so that Jasmine could see herself in the video. Then she started making goofy faces into it. Take a peek:

First Day of Work After Maternity Leave

It's my first day back at work today, after 13 months on maternity leave (I had to use up some vacation time before going back to work). It felt really strange initially, to get up and dress up, put on make up and take the bus. I had to take the bus so the car is free for LoYe to take Jasmine to preschool. That bus experience is an adventure on its own.

At first, I was uncertain how things would be because when I left on mat leave, the government was in the process of slashing jobs, announcing a hiring freeze and there was uncertainty about the healthcare system as a whole. But as soon as I walked into my office, my feelings of uncertainty disappeared. I soon found out that our department had expanded space-wise and that we had hired on several people. In that sense, I felt that my position was secure.

I also had a feeling that I haven't felt in a long time. I felt... FREE! It seems so odd to have free time, without hearing Julia cry or Jasmine throwing a tantrum. I didn't have to worry about Julia climbing onto something and falling over. I didn't have to think about when to feed milk/food and when to put Julia down for a nap. I could go to the washroom and eat lunch in peace and quiet. It was awesome!

I do miss the kiddies though and I thought about them alot. I wondered how LaiLai was doing at home, with feeding and putting Julia to sleep. I'm sure they were in good hands though. I'm really glad that I decided to go back to work fulltime, as I now feel satisfied with being a Mother and as a regular person.

Winnie and YJ - Wedding

We were very happy to celebrate Winnie and YJ's wedding in Victoria this weekend.  The Wong family travelled together on a family trip (does not happen often) to attend this special event.  Normally we'd stay at our relatives place but because there were so many people, we rented hotel suites for a few nights. 

It was a cold winter day and even though it was snowing outside, the drifting snow made it look like a fairy tale picture, a snowy castle.  The wedding ceremony was beautiful and everything went smoothly.  Jas really enjoyed being one of the flower girls. 

At night, the reception was fun and enjoyable with lots to eat.  I love attending weddings, especially when I am not part of the wedding party (sorry Win!).  You can actually eat and talk to people without having to worry about getting this and that done.  What an awesome evening.

Congratulations to Winnie and YJ!