Scott and Linh Plus One Plus One

Bonus: Ava comes with a dimple

2012-01-13T02:12:00.000-08:00

Well, the cute factor went way up when this dimple was captured on film (or digital card). She certainly didn't get the cute factor from me, so my wife must have some powerful influence!

As our 3-day, 2-night stay at the hospital comes to a close, Spencer will finally get to meet Ava Friday night and he's excited. We'll see how he handles it but knowing Spencer, he'll over-analyze the situation. Should be fun!

Like when Spencer was born, Ava has a strong grip and makes all types of faces (her lips are so cute when they pucker up). Unlike Spencer, she likes to keep her eyes closed. However, when I was holding her late tonight in the dark (we keep a low light on), she was wide awake and staring and following my every move. If I move my head, she moves her eyes to follow me. Really cool stuff. But otherwise, her eyes are closed or half open.

Aftermath

2012-01-11T22:06:00.000-08:00

Just over 8 hours after she was born, Ava is just as happy as then. And so are we. We appreciate all the notes and text messages. Some pictures from the day incude myself being hands-on...

... though that cord was tough to cut. Here are the happy mother and father...

...and why Spencer can't come to visit :-(

Here she is

2012-01-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

Ava Linh Tamashiro beats her big brother by 2.6 ounces and 0.4 inches. And just 5 minutes to get pushed out.

Waterworld

2012-01-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

You know, kinda like the movie, this idea of the "water breaking" being this epic moment is a big flop (during our 1st or 2nd kid). No puddle on the floor, no cry for help. Just "hey, sometime in the last hour your water broke". I guess I can't complain since so far, everything is going smoothly. So smoothly that the doctor is on her way now (although she was optimistic to deliver by 12:30 to get back to the office :-)). It's almost 12:30 now so unless there really is a zero hour labor (

For some reason, the hospital had the number of hours my wife was in labor as "0" for Spencer

), she won't make it. But she's on her way.

Painless and tired

2012-01-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

The pain has gone and we're both very tired. Problem is, the labor hasn't started yet. Linh's gotten her feel-good op and we both had very little sleep last night (or this past week, really). Hard to believe we've been at the hospital almost 4 hours. Things are progressing quickly... we were hoping to rest and maybe get an hour or sleep here and there waiting for the process to start, but the dilation has already happened so as the nurse told us, it should be soon (and she said she didn't jinx us by saying that). So maybe after lunch?

Baby # 2 did seem like she knew what was coming. All week, just normal movements. Last night/early morning, she began moving A LOT, seemingly anticipating we were going to induce her in a few hours and she was getting prepared.

I hope I remember what to do when the labor starts.

The waiting game

2012-01-11T07:06:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe Baby # 2 (I still left the field blank on the form but I think most of you know what it is going to be -- but gotta see if she looks like the name) is almost here. For various reasons, our doctor has recommended going the full induction route so this could take a while. Good news is the hospital has full internet access, which means that I can use my Slingbox (already tested) to watch my DVR if the labor really takes a while to get started. Thought I had a new ep of Glee, but it's just a repeat. Bad news is that due to the flu season, it is very unlikely Spencer will get to see Baby # 2 until we get discharged, which is a bummer. So while last time we basked in the great service and got to stay at the hospital almost five days (I think), now we will be hoping to go home quicker after birth.

I miss having the hospital to ourselves (when Spencer was born, he was the only baby in the maternity ward) but it is quiet. Then again, it is just 7 am right now. I do hear a baby crying now and then which makes this more and more real that we will soon be parents of 2 kids. Two. And yes, this will be the last. Kids are too expensive. I think we had to mortgage Spencer's education to have this one :-)

Birds & the Bees?

2010-07-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

Spencer explained something to Mommy yesterday. He said that we (me and Mommy) were strangers at one point. Then we knew each other and weren't strangers anymore. Then we bought Spencer :-) Considering how much it costs to raise a kid, maybe Spencer's right.

Another Dry Diaper, Another Rhyme

2010-06-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

Spencer had another dry diaper this morning, the very slow progress continuing. Also, he informed me today that "Hank" and "tank" rhyme. Who knew?

I take offense!

2009-07-08T22:32:00.000-07:00

So Spencer has been choosing to sleep either in his bed in his room or in our bed in our room. A third option has opened up, which is the twin mattress on the floor next to his bed. So Spencer wanted Daddy to sleep with Mommy and him on the twin bed. So I start to lie down on the bed and slipped off the end to the floor. What did Spencer do? He said "Daddy, too big".

It's About Time...

2008-07-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

About a half hour ago (11:42 am) there was a 5.8 (prelim) mag earthquake near Chino, which I wonderfully felt on the 9th floor (swaying and a rockin') of my workplace in El Segundo. Once you realize there is nothing you could do and accepted the earthquake was happening, it was pretty cool. First thing was I went to the window to watch the streets below and saw all the lamp posts swaying and I knew it was okay when I still saw planes landing and taking off at LAX (we have a view of the south landing strip). While cells seemed to be down, with good ol' Verizon, I was still able to leave a voicemail with my wife (and vice versa). Linh was at a shoe store with Spencer (now 15 1/2 months) and everything is okay.

So, the other day I was lamenting how I hadn't felt an earthquake in a long, long time. I seem to be driving or something and miss all the moderate ones we've had. After feeling today's, I don't really miss it. Which reminds me, I haven't been on a roller coaster in a long, long time. Also, yesterday, I was browsing around in one of our buildings and they had a radar map of the LA area where in small print at the bottom was that the most prominent feature on the map was the San Andreas fault, but I couldn't see it. So I was going to look up the fault to try to remember where it exactly is but never had the time. I guess I'll do that now...

Six Spencer None the Richer

2007-10-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

Wow. From zero to six months (that's why there's 7 pics above) in no time. It's amazing the progress he's made. Our pride and joy entertains us and others with his curiosity, mannerisms, and now, movements. Yes, Spencer has been flipping back and forth for a couple weeks now. He can crawl in a circle, crawl inches at a time forward (using his head), and scoot while on his back forward or backward. Spencer thinks he's ready to walk but we have to get him to crawl first. His attempt is to look like a cat ready to pounce on a mouse (butt all the way up and on his hands and toes) but then he can't move his arms and falls back down onto his stomach. Once his arms get coordinated with his legs (which have been moving for weeks now), we'll have to watch out. He's already getting too big for his bassinet. And the pictures above (the latter ones) where taken in his crib, and he looks to big for that, too!

Spencer also has been eating single grain foods for a couple weeks and he's taking it well. Unlike his daddy, he's not a picky eater at all... breast milk, milk formula, soy formula, single grain rice, single grain oatmeal, water... doesn't matter to Spencer.

Linh and I are very blessed to have such a wonderful baby. We can't wait for the next six months...

Swim Spencer Swim

2007-10-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

Today was Spencer's first swimming class at Cerritos' very impressive Olympic Swim Center. I think I was the least nervous and was looking forward to it. For Spencer's first lesson, he had just myself in the water but there was his mommy, Van, Quang & Debbie, and both sets of grandparents watching him near the pool. The class is just a half hour long and boy, they went through it like a speed reading class. We went through song after song, swishing our babies in and out of the water. (Apparently, you 're supposed to enroll over and over in this class so that the child doesn't lose his interest in being in water.) So Spencer was probably the youngest there (6 mo.-3 years) and there were probably a quarter of us who were new and trying to keep up. Spencer impressed everyone and he didn't cry. There were times he looked like he was about to, but then I'd put him on my stomach and he'd smile again. After a little bit, Spencer started to slowly kick in the water when we had our "free" time. I think it was very overwhelming for Spencer (and me!). Notice how I forgot to take my glasses off in all this excitement. Luckily, when we gave him a bath that evening, he didn't start to kick around in the sink.

Next week will be a little nerve-wrecking, as they will teach you how to dip your baby's head under water. The instructor (Linda) told us not to experiment with this (ha!). And maybe mommy will join us this time...

Moving on Up...

2007-10-04T01:43:00.000-07:00

Doug was extremely nice in giving us a high chair (Slovenian, not Swedish, so not from Ikea). We were so excited we set it up that night while Spencer slept. And being impatient, I put Spencer in for his midnight feeding!

Feed Me...

2007-09-23T23:50:00.001-07:00

After Spencer was over his side effects from his 4-month shots, we decided to finally test feeding him solids. Of course, we had no baby utensils so we were stuck with the silver spoon. Spencer did surprisingly well though sometimes it'll dribble down his cheek. Which is cute.

BTW, that forest you see is my hairy leg. Too lazy to crop out.

First Fever & Road Trip

2007-09-15T23:10:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago (9/12) Spencer got his 4-month shots (even though he is almost 5 months old). He was moving around the table but he got through the shots okay. He's very strong. The nurse goes quickly and it was like last time, four quick shots, two in each leg plus the oral vaccination.

This time, however, Spencer developed a fever that reached 102.9 F the next day (9/13) but with some Baby Tylenol, he was fine that night (thank goodness). When Linh called the doctor, it was bring him in if it reaches 104!!! That's pretty high and luckily the fever passed quickly (though it never feels quickly as a parent).

I had a meeting for IEEE in San Diego (where some of my friends finally got to meet Spencer) so we spent Saturday in San Diego for our anniversary (6 years!). So I took the Amtrak from Fullerton to San Diego, my first time on Amtrak. Lesson learned: there is only a small parking structure in Fullerton where you can park overnight (up to 3 days). Because of this, I missed my train and my business class seat (Amtrak automatically refunds your money! Don't you wish airlines did that?). Eventually, a spot miraculously opened up and I parked there. The next train did not have any business class seats left so I was dreading the ride. It was sort of full when the train got there (15 min late) and picked a seat on the aisle. However, after the first stop people got off so I snagged an exit row seat! This had tons of leg room, I was by myself (no one sat next to me and it wasn't because I didn't shower that morning), and it had electrical plugs (for my laptop). Actually, the car was soon pretty empty. So I make my way to the "dining" car where the refreshments are and when I got to the Business Class car, it was 100% full and not as much legroom (though you do get refreshments for free). So not only did I get the better and more comfortable seat, I paid $12 less ($20 one-way, $32 for business class).

Linh drove with Spencer Friday night after he went to sleep and got to the hotel. So Spencer slept in his first hotel bed (not including the hospital he was born at, which was like a well-run hotel). Linh was like Mr. & Mrs. Howell, bringing like six bags for a one-night stay. So we'll have to get better at packing, I'm sure. Aunty Van and Sam came over and took us to this amazing dessert place called Extraordinary Desserts. They really excel in presentation. You have to remember what you want in the display window when you sit down because the menu only has specials/seasonal listings. I had to go back and find out what I wanted (don't ask me now, just some chocolate chocolate truffle something (Truffe Framboise?)). It was good but I think others made better choices than I did. So this was one day Spencer got to stay up way past his bedtime.

Spencer-cise!

2007-08-07T23:53:00.000-07:00

Spencer finally made it to his first Gymboree class. He met his teacher and gave her a big smile right away. She was so impressed with Spencer that she kept complementing him. He sure knows how to impress a woman, I don't know where he learned that from. Spencer was also showing off his other skills. He was next to a 3-month old and a 6-month old baby but he prefers to compete with the 6 month old baby. When the teacher instructed all the mommies (about 10) to put their babies on the tummy, she passed out this miniature bobby pillow to the 3 month old babies to help them support the upper part of their body. Spencer didn't want the pillow, he preferred to raise himself up with his own two hands. He kept himself up pretty long and was staring at the other babies. The teacher and the other parents were so impressed that they kept staring at him. This mom didn't believe that he was only 3 3/4 months old. When it was time to sing the different nursery rhymes, Spencer realized that his mommy didn't know all the words so he helped her out. He was talking and smiling so much that his teacher commented to all the parents that Spencer really likes this class. So mommy got sucked in to signing up for 14 classes. Thanks a lot Spencer. For the next 14 Satursdays, Spencer will be sleeping very well after his Gymboree class.

Spencer Potter & Specks

2007-07-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

First crazy thing we did with Spencer? Take him to Borders for the Harry Potter midnight madness book party (7/20). Since this was last minute, we had to get standby tickets and they assured us there will be enough books. Doug came down once he decided how much fun we'd have standing in line :-) I have only read the first couple chapters of the first book and have seen just the first four movies. I like HP a lot and one day will read the books which sit in the computer room. Spencer was enjoying the sights but eventually sleepiness crept in. We stood outside for a while and thus, the infamous Beckham jersey (I mostly kid my most expensive piece of clothing) shot. After about 1 am, we decided I'd take Spencer home since the it may be a while. About 3 am, Linh came back with book and free poster in hand (I managed to snag a free "wand" earlier). All in all, for the last HP book ever (until the $$$ come calling again), it was a cool experience.

At 9:41 AM, Spencer Eats...

2007-07-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

We just put Spencer to bed and I'm amazed how he just falls asleep (well, some of the time). We (er, Linh) have worked really hard in putting Spencer on a schedule (for eating, playing, bath, napping, and bedtime) the past couple months. Before, we would need to make sure Spencer was sleeping before we put him in the bassinet. But now, when he's drowsy, and it's a naptime/bedtime, you can just put him down (with or without a pacifier) and he will soothe himself to sleep (most of the time). Linh was reading a couple of books about putting your baby on a schedule and I was skeptical, especially for an infant. I mean, how does the infant know that this is his time to sleep? But sure enough, we are seeing the fruits of our labor.

Daddy: I don't... I don't believe it.
Mommy: That is why you fail.

The Where's America's Cup

2007-07-03T23:56:00.000-07:00

One cool thing about Blogger is that you can change the date of the post. So I could have changed the date of this post to yesterday and say I think Alinghi (Swiss boat) is going to squeak by Team New Zealand (TNZ) by less than two seconds today and win the America's Cup. Sort of makes this quirky, but I'll take it. I'll try to post some stuff from past events and pre-date them. So I apologize for not posting but Spencer and work have taken up a lot of time and energy.

But my first non-Spencer post is about one of the most exciting and tense sporting events I've seen on TV. America's Cup. Race 7. I taped from Race 4 on, because usually these are routs (the last three were 5-0 wins) and I thought I would just watch the last leg (4) and be done with it. Wrong. You have to watch the whole race (about 2 hrs) to get the whole feel for it and what other sport has excitement and gameplay 5 minutes before the race starts? I would rather watch an America's Cup match in full than an NBA Final game (with no local team involved) in full. The NBA game, you can just tune in the last five minutes of the game and not miss anything. In the AC, you'd miss TNZ nearly forcing Alinghi way out of position before the race started, TNZ blowing two leads, Alingi luffing TNZ into a stall, a near head-to-head collision between the two boats, and a rare AC penalty (on TNZ), and therefore not realize that Alinghi nearly choked and why TNZ stopped and turned before the end. Because of the penalty (TNZ needed to do a penalty turn before it finished), Alinghi, leading 4-2 in the Best-of-9, was on its way to successfully defending the AC with huge lead and TNZ still needing to take a penalty turn. All Alinghi had to do was coast to victory (literally).

Then Alinghi had a mast break (not a big deal cause they could coast). But then the wind crazily shifted 180 degrees, stalling a flat-footed Alinghi team who still had their spinnaker up while TNZ had already compensated for the wind change, TNZ roared past Alinghi toward the finish line. Problem? Penalty turn. It's a 270 degree turn (not full circle) but TNZ turned too soon and by the time it exited the turn and headed for the finish line a few yards up, Alinghi recovered and was soaring forward and beat TNZ by just over one second. Closest AC race ever. And how does a land-locked country win the AC... twice?

D-Day

2007-07-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

D-Day. Yesterday (7/2), Spencer got his first vaccination shots since he was born. Four of them. This was a day we were both dreading as no one wants to see their baby in pain. We were nervous as the nurse brought in a tray of shots, ointments, and bandages. Linh held Spencer's head while I held his arms, which kind of started the crying (wouldn't you?). The first shot went in and out and no real change in Spencer's crying. But after the 2nd shot, Spencer cried a little louder and there were still two shots to go. Luckily, our nurse did it really quickly and applied band aids after each shot, two in each thigh. The whole process probably took less than two minutes but it felt like an eternity.

So I was holding Spencer who was starting to calm down. I was rocking him back-and-forth as Linh was making his next appointment in September. And he was falling asleep. I kept telling him how strong he was today and he slowly fell asleep. I was very proud of myself. Then in the car, Linh told me most babies fall asleep after the shots. Blech. However, Spencer woke up in the car ride home and was active for most of the evening (Linh said she thought babies are prone to sleep longer), moving his legs as if it were yesterday. Of course, the band aids reminded us to be careful, but Spencer was moving his legs trying to crawl up Daddy's shoulders. In fact, he was up every hour til around 11 am this morning, waking up (and us) constantly. His temperature reached 100.0 but with Baby Tylenol, it was between 99 and 100. The doctor told us that after shots, temps above 104 are worrisome. 104! I'd freak out at 102. All in all, Spencer is doing fine and I removed his band aids this evening after giving him a wash without a sound. His wounds are a little swollen but they aren't red and don't hurt when I touch it. Next D-Day: September 12th.

Double the Size, Double the Fun

2007-07-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

Today (7/2), our trip to the doctor confirmed that Spencer has now doubled his birth weight (6 lbs, 0.5 oz) and is now 12 pounds and 6 ounces, which is the 75th percentile. He is also 23 1/2 inches, gaining 4 1/4 inches since birth and at the 50th percentile. And again, despite our questions (dry scalp -> baby oil, back rash -> different detergent, thick legs/bowl leg? -> Nope), the doctor said Spencer is very healthy and she'll see him two months. Of course, Linh has taken him in twice in-between visits, once for a rash/baby pimples and once to confirm that he is indeed teething. So our doctor was asking if Spencer is socially smiling and/or talking and as if on cue, Spencer started cooing and smiling in Linh's arms. Then the doctor put Spencer on the table as she needed to take a look at his back "rash" and put turned him on his stomach. So Spencer frantically starts moving his body and legs as if he's trying to crawl (his arms still aren't coordinated yet so he doesn't get very far), impressing our doctor who said he was very active at 11 weeks. Spencer was either trying to show off... or trying to escape.

Snoopy & Spencer

2007-07-01T23:58:00.000-07:00

Well, it was bound to happen. Spencer and his first picture with a cartoon character. For Linh & Carina's birthday (and a belated Father's Day for Grandpa Phung) we decided to try something different and went for the Champagne (yes!) Brunch at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant. It had a lot of variety (especially dessert) and was decently priced (for a Brunch). And a bonus as up comes Snoopy walking through the restaurant. We got two pics (one in the car seat and one with Grandma Phung) of a very playful Snoopy (I wonder if he was still playful at the end of the day). So we are more comfortable taking Spencer out now as he is stimulated by the new environments and forgets to cry and he gets out of the house. So this past weekend, we took him to Ruby's Diner, Claim Jumpers, and now Mrs. Knott's. Maybe because his shots are coming up...

All I Want Is My Two Front Teeth... Nooooooo!!!!!!

2007-06-22T23:54:00.000-07:00

Well, the doctor confirmed what we were afraid of. Spencer is teething. Less than two months and his bottom gums are slightly swollen (though you can see teeth-like impressions in the gums of both). Linh had talked with her friend Ana a week ago and comparing notes about their babies and Ana suggested the Spencer may be teething based on the symptoms. Drooling. Crying not related to feeding or diaper changing. Hands going towards the ear. So that break we thought we might get (Spencer adjusting and crying less and getting more sleep) just overlapped with teething, which is what most people warn us about. Oh, well. The doctor gave us permission to use Oraljel so hopefully that helps. And if the teeth don't come for months, it could be a long teething period. Poor Spencer.

Smile, Baby, Smile! (Just Not For Vi)

2007-06-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

When Spencer wants to, he is very social and smiles at people. A couple weeks ago, my parents were surprised when they wanted a picture with him, he smiled. Then when they wanted to retake the picture, he smiled again. At Carina's birthday party this afternoon (which is his 2 month date), Spencer was very responsive and interacting with Uncle Quang, Debbie, Aunty Van, and Sam. When Aunty Vi got there, Spencer wouldn't smile. Or when he did, Vi would just miss it. So Vi tried holding him, but when he would smile, it was hard for Vi to turn around and catch it. Even in the picture, Spencer is smiling where Vi can't see it. Eventually, Vi caught his smile.

First Trip Without Spencer

2007-06-09T01:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I just got back from my first trip away from Spencer. I'll say it is very hard to know I wouldn't be seeing him for almost three days. I just kept praying that he wouldn't be crawling or talking when I got back! Linh got some help from my parents but for the most part, she handled Spencer all by herself, proving that her motherly instincts are spot on. Knowing that Spencer was coming, I reduced the number of IEEE trips this year but still staying very active in the professional society. So if I was going to be lonely away from Linh & Spencer, I had to make up for it. And that was a sixth row ticket to Les Miserables. It is the first time I have sat so close to the stage (for a major production) and my first time seeing Les Mis on Broadway (and like 6th time overall). And it was amazing and spectacular. From seeing the actors spitting as they're singing to the great Lea Salonga singing "I Dreamed a Dream" to noticing all the side acting/movements that go on, it was the best theater experience ever. After the show, I even got to talk and take pictures of some of the cast (including those who played Cosette (great performance by Ali, it's the first time I liked the character!), Eponine, and of course, Salonga's Fantine). But on the hour long train ride back to New Brunswick, NJ, I was still wondering if Spencer had learned a new trick and called Linh up.

Run For Your Life?

2007-05-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

Spencer's first outdoor appearance was Alhambra's Relay For Life. This is the 24-hour event for the American Cancer Society that's held in cities around the country. Vi was one of the main organizers and several of us supported her efforts. The team name was "Run For Your Life!" which was ironic since it was a walking event. But the team raised the most money by far and Doug raised the most money for an individual (also by far). The Luminary Ceremony, despite the technical difficulties, was an awesome event (that I missed last year) highlighted by a little girl who can sing the dickens out of any song, including Titanic's "My Heart Will Go On" (embarrassingly, my favorite song of all-time... yes, surpassing another embarrassing number "We Can't Go Wrong" by the Cover Girls). Linh was very protective of Spencer getting cold so he was enclosed in the stroller's canopy (combined with the car seat's canopy which formed a bubble-like shield) as we walked him around the course. The luminary bags, when they get lit along the course at night, for cancer victims or survivors is always a highlight for its strong message.

My First Blog Post About Spence

2007-05-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

Don't look now, here is my first blog entry ever. I would say that the birth of baby Spencer is as good a time as ever to post my thoughts and feelings. And with the amount of time it has taken Scott to get a cell phone, it has taken me just as long to post my thoughts for everyone to read on any type of community blog. To start, I would say that I like little babies as much as I like listening to Mark and Brian argue about basketball on a hot Saturday afternoon. I'd probably prefer the intense high pitch crying of a little baby to hearing those guys chatter back and forth. I don't know why I feel this way, it just is. It's not that I don't think that they're cute and adorable, in fact we all know Spencer is one cute kid! Maybe because they are a bundle of responsibility needing your constant attention or because they are so tiny and fragile. That all is probably true, but I think things are going to change. That was with other people's kids, but now Spencer is my bro's kid, my first nephew in my immediate family so it feels different. He's special and he has brought a lot of joy to my family. Although, it might take a while before I'm insisting to baby sit and change his diapers, you might see, more fantastic pictures of me holding the little guy. For you dream doctors out there, I had a dream that my brother brought over little Spencer to my house, but he wasn't so little anymore, he was like four years old with a big head. I felt saddened because I felt like I missed out on his growing up. So, Spence, sorry about missing your one-month party, Brenda and I will do a better job of visiting. I know she wants to hold him and play with him and I'm starting to feel that way too.

Spencer's First Public Appearance

2007-05-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

Well, Spencer made his first public debut today for his one-month celebration (Chinese tradition) at the Phung House. And he handled it really well (guests, you see) with everyone wanting to hold him and such. Eventually, he got tired and slept (as did Daddy) the last part of it. Quang debuted his new BBQ grill and smoker to great success. Great Grandma Au got to hold Spencer (a little nervous, but she's pretty strong) and Spencer entertained all the kids. Hopefully, all the germs surrounding Spencer were harmless. We are glad this first event is over and we are getting more comfortable taking him out.

First Dinner

2007-05-12T23:37:00.000-07:00

We were convinced to bring Spencer to Doug/Debbie/Tran's birthday dinner at Sophia's Greek Cuisine Restaurant. So this was his sneak preview public appearance ahead of tomorrow's official first public appearance for his one-month celebration. We were a little worried how Spencer would handle this and if the restaurant would be too loud and where we would put him. The chairs were pretty sturdy and we were able to set the baby car seat on the chair and keep it secure. It didn't get loud until the belly dancer (and her dancing music) showed up and had a certain connection to Quang (or his one dollar bill). The food was actually pretty good and the Moschofilero Boultari wine was excellent. We were able to feed Spencer and he behaved the whole time, much to our relief. This was also the first time Tran visited us since Spencer was born so she finally got to hold him, the last of the Aunties and Uncles to do so. So it was a fun and nice family dinner and it's weird to think that we are a party of three when we eat instead of two.

My Baby Is Sick!

2007-05-05T23:50:00.000-07:00

Well, Spencer missed his first public appearance today. We were supposed to go together to Brian & Meliza's Wedding Reception (married last year, just took a while for the reception... and on Cinco de Mayo (neither of Mexican descent) - if it seems odd, you kinda have to know Brian to understand the un-understandable). So I ended up going solo because... Linh was sick! Probably, more like exhaustion after almost three weeks of taking care of Spencer (I'm exhausted, too, but she reached that state first, so I have to wait til she feels better before I can claim fatigue). Plus, Spencer was having some gas problems which prompted more than his usual share of crying. In the end, it was better to have a tired Linh take care of Spencer at home than for me to take care of Spencer at a wedding reception with almost 100 people. It was a lovely event and I got to see some friends I haven't seen in a while. May Brian & Meliza have a long and happy marriage. Meanwhile, Spencer was missed by all, and now we have to figure out another event so my friends can meet him.

Granddaddy of Them All

2007-05-01T23:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday (4/29) we took Spencer for his third ride, this time to the Tamashiro's home for a family gathering with my parents and my brother and his wife. Again, he behaved himself for the most part although the grandparents did get to see him cry for a while (so they know we aren't exaggerating when we tell the tales of the late night theatrics!). For some reason, my brother and brother-in-law are afraid to hold him. But Sunday, we were able to force my brother into holding him, the precious boy Spencer is. We'll work on Linh's brother later.

This was also the last time Grandpa would be able to hold/swing Spencer for a while. Grandpa had scheduled major surgery today (purposely a couple weeks after the Spencer's anticipated due date) and he went through it without any complications and is doing fine, thank goodness. Hopefully, his recovery will be just as smooth. I don't think we'll be taking Spencer to the hospital (where Dad will be til the end of the week), but when Spencer gets into his crying fits, I'll give Dad a call so he can hear him :-) When he is released from the hospital, he still won't be able to keep up with Spencer, who is moving more and more, and my dad needs to rest and not do any sudden movements - and with Spencer, at any time, he could try to fidget out of your arms. This afternoon, he knocked my glasses off my face. I don't think he knows how to enjoy doing that yet, so that's good news. Of course, while my dad will have to be content with just watching (and hearing) his grandson for a month or so, I will lose two people to change diapers as my mom will be taking care of my dad.

Don't Judge a Baby by His Name

2007-04-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

I confess. The name Spencer didn't exactly roll off my tongue at first. In fact, I had spent many a month trying to think of alternative names for my nephew. Even going so far as to try to strike a deal with Linh during March Madness. Obviously, she didn't bite because it turns out I would have won that wager fair and square. But as soon as Spencer was born and I saw him in all his preciousness, the name was the last thing on my mind. Who cares anymore? They could have called him Orange and it wouldn't even matter. So now I can say Spencer, Spencer, Spencer without hesitation. The kid's in danger of being seriously spoiled!

What a Cutie!!!!

2007-04-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

That's all I keep saying when I see Spencer or his pictures, what a cutie! I have some pictures of him hung up by my desk to show off to my co-workers how cute my little nephew is. I got to see him last Saturday, and even though all he did was sleep most of the time, I was just really entertained by watching him sleep. There were about 6 people in the living room talking and watching tv, and in the middle of the room was Spencer sound asleep ( well at least I think so, at times it looked like he was concentrating hard to sleep). I would come over to his bassinet and just watch him sleep, I would touch his cheek and he wouldn't move. Then I see him start twisting to try and get one of his arms out, and it looked like he was about to cry because he would make a smushy face but he would just fall back asleep. Even when he woke up a couple times, he didn't even cry, just opened his eyes for a couple seconds and then just go back to sleep. Then he got really cute when he tried to stuff his whole fist in his mouth. Scott and Linh told me to not let him do that, so I would gently pull his hand away from his mouth and he would do a slight push-up with his mouth open towards his hands and try to get them back in. I tried hard not to succumb to his cuteness and let him put his hand in his mouth, it was a hard struggle. I know they'll be more times like this to come, hopefully I'll be strong enough to hold my ground.

The Visit to the Place-That-Must-Not-Be-Named

2007-04-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Well, Spencer had his first visit to the doctor today (4/24). It was also his first car ride and first extended time outside since coming home. So this was a nervous day as we wondered how Spencer would react outside the home. But strapped into his car seat, he's a fighter. Luckily, he got no shots today. The nurse was commenting how good he was when she was taking his measurements (again, with guests, he's an angel). He actually exceeded his original weight (6 lbs, 0.5 oz) and now weighs 6 lbs, 7 oz, and grew 3/4 of an inch (now 20 inches) despite drinking only about 10-12 oz of milk a day. I guess babies typically take about 10-14 days to get back to their original weight (he was 5 lbs, 12 oz, when we left the hospital) since they are bloated right after birth. So after unclothing him, he was fussy and moving all over the place. Once the doctor came in, he started to settle down as Dr. Salem gave him his exam. Everything we were worried about turned out to be nothing to worry about... peeling skin (no need for lotion, this is normal), bluish marks on his ankles (just Mongolian spots, perfectly normal and will go away in a few years), enlarged nipples (normal), lots of hiccups (normal)... seems like I'm not reading the right parenting books. Final prognosis: Perfectly healthy baby. Thank goodness. In fact, so good we won't see the doctor for another two months. And at that time... shots! Lots of them. Not going to be a pleasant day.

Our indescribeable precious bundle of joy

2007-04-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

Scott and I have really enjoyed spending every minute with Spencer. He is an amazing child. By observing and interacting with him, we have learned more from him than what we are teaching him. He has taught his mommy the importance of being patient and calm in stressful situations. Eight years of hands-on crisis interventions and trainings, and facilitating parenting classes have left me clueless when my child is crying and screaming in the middle of the night. Now, I can really empathize with those parents. What happened to setting limits, establishing routines and schedules, and being in control? It all went out the window. Spencer is winning the war. With his beautiful smile and facial and body gestures, he makes us laugh constantly that his daddy and I forget about our sleep deprivation and migraine headaches. His pouting lip and stretching arms leave a lingering memory of him on his aunties' and grandparents' minds that they want to visit him frequently. We are so attached and in love with him that our home becomes a fun and entertaining venue.

Coincidences & Dreams

2007-04-24T01:26:00.000-07:00

About the first day or so at home from the hospital, we were putting mittens (well, socks since the mittens kept falling off) on Spencer. So with Linh holding him, I asked him to raise his hand. And he did. So I put the sock on and we laughed. Then I asked him to raise his other hand. Pause - nothing. Okay, good. But then he raised his other hand. Nervous laughter. Do you ever have that dream (or nightmare) where after your baby is born, the baby starts talking to you? That's what it felt like. I didn't tempt it further by asking him to do anything else, because at two instances, it's just a weird coincidence that we can joke about. I don't think we could handle it if he obeyed a third consecutive command.

Duel Wielding

2007-04-24T00:54:00.000-07:00

On Day 8 (4/23), Grandma & Grandpa Tamashiro came down to help us watch Spencer for most of the afternoon. For the first time, we left Spencer to run a few errands and came back in about an hour. It was hard. But of course, Spencer is just "perfect" when around his grandparents, making him an "easy" baby to take of. So after feeding my parents and thanking them, it was just the three of us again. Soon, it was changing time. We have all heard the stories of boys suddenly shooting off like a fire hydrant in the midst of changing. I had my first experience of that on the second day but it hasn't happened since. So with grandparents now at home, Spencer had a special surprise for us. Shooting off like a fire hydrant with Number Two. Yes. Without getting too gross, the bassinet suffered some collateral damage and had to be torn down and washed. But Spencer wasn't done yet. So while cleaning up his Number Two mess, off goes Number One! Then Number Two again. All this with an evil smirk on his face. And after all the drama was done, he goes back to sleep while his bassinet gets cleaned. Maybe he knows we're taking him to the doctor tomorrow (4/24)?

Two Thumbs Up!

2007-04-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

It is universally agreed that Spencer is one cute baby (of course, what kind of person would say otherwise about any baby?), and of course, we absolutely agree. Speaking of thumbs, Spencer found his yesterday (April 22), although very awkwardly. Once he has escaped his swaddle, and if he's hungry, he'll start sucking on anything. At first, it was cute because he was sucking where his thumb would be. In other words, he hadn't yet been able to stick his thumb out, instead having it curled inside his hand. So when he tried to suck, he was really sucking his hand, not his thumb. All that changed, when after many tries, he got his thumb inside his mouth. Now, it's not the normal way a baby sucks his thumb, as he has his hand upside down as he sucks on his thumb. I would try to get a picture of it but I'm trying to discourage the behavior (for now). Alas, Spencer is winning most of the battles :-)

Numerology

2007-04-23T17:47:00.001-07:00

We avoided two potential pitfalls in the delivery date. Linh started to have very regular contractions on Friday the 13th but luckily it didn't get bad until Saturday, where we went in for about four hours for a check-up, but were sent home. When it got really bad on Sunday, April 15th, we knew it was tax day. Luckily, although Linh was partially induced at the beginning, Spencer didn't come out til a couple of hours into Monday. So we avoided a Friday the 13th and a Tax Day baby!

Unswaddleable

2007-04-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

One of things we learned was how to swaddle the baby, to mimic the womb by constraining his arms close to his chest. It worked for a few days. It's a great concept. You swaddle the baby tight and you can carry and move him around easily. The nurses said don't be afraid to swaddle him tight. However, on about the fourth of fifth day, Spencer was pulling a Houdini by escaping one arm at a time. It was fascinating to see him comfortable and peaceful and then all of a sudden, movements under the fabric begin happening. There's an up and down motion that is ever so slight but eventually he wriggles his hand upward and pauses. Then with another "humph", he wriggles even more vigorously and all of a sudden you see the tip of the mitten. Then the hand. Pause. More movement and the arm pops out next to his ear. Sometimes he is content and sometimes he continues on and gets the other hand out as well. When he gets one hand out and places it next to his ear, Aunty Van says that's his "cell phone pose". When he gets both hands out and places them next to his ears, that's his "headphone pose".

20th Century... Meet the 21st Century

2007-04-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

The worst part of staying at the hospital for four days/three nights was not having internet access. We had to rely on Linh's cousin Vi to send emails to everyone who was invited to the Baby Shower and for our friend Carina to give Vi some pictures of Spencer. However, I was in contact through my cell phone. Yes, you can no longer tell people you actually know an engineer who doesn't own a cell phone. Sorry. So, with one month free of Verizon VCast, I was able to view my emails through Gmail (WAP) and able to send short messages (just the vitals) to people who were on my recently sent contact list since typing up everyone's email address on the number keypad would've taken me forever. So I got the phone the Thursday before the delivery date. To be fair, I had a pay-as-you-go cell phone from Virgin since mid-March which I let die, but this is my first bona fide cell phone, one (free!) that I will have for at least one year. With no newspaper or internet, the cell phone was a life saver. In fact, I have used the video, music, web, personalization (background, ringtone) features and barely have used it to make phone calls.

Active Labor

2007-04-23T05:33:00.000-07:00

We were at the hospital for a total of 14 hours from check-in to delivery with the "active" (or painful, even with the epidural) part lasting about 1 1/2 hours. The final "push" was about a half hour and surprised me how quickly it came. When they wheel in that gurney loaded with tools into the room, the mood instantly changes. He's coming. And when the towel was draped over Linh's chest (to lay the baby right after he's (and we were hoping he didn't become a "she") born (and for me to eventually cut the umbilical cord), it dawns on you that in a few minutes, the baby will soon be out. It all happened so fast. And I didn't faint. Cause it was real gross. I think if Linh would've had my view, she would have fainted. But it also was extremely fascinating (as was the circumcism, which I also had to take part in (holding Spencer down) and I didn't faint there either) as there's something to watching your child being born that takes out grossness of the blood, guts, and whatever other stuff was pouring out of Linh at the time.

Ice, Ice, Baby

2007-04-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

One of the things I remembered that would make the whole delivery process go better were "ice chips". Just about everyone I talked to, including the past IEEE Region 6 Director, Evelyn, said don't forget about the ice chips. And I have to agree with them! I must have had four to five "Big Gulp" cup size-fulls of ice chips to eat. And the nurses would continuously get them for me. Okay, I also used it for its intended purpose, to feed Linh since she can't eat anything once she has started the delivery process. Linh didn't care too much for them until the contractions came about a minute apart and she had to push. So when I wasn't feeding Linh ice chips in-between "arrrghhhs", I was eating them. Funny thing is, I always use the ice cubes from our refrigerator and not the "crushed" option... and still do.

Treated Like a Queen

2007-04-23T05:06:00.000-07:00

The folks at Los Alamitos Medical Center are wonderful. The staff and nurses are kind and helpful. It just happened that when we checked in on Sunday (4/15, Noon), we (well, just Linh) were the only scheduled delivery that day (and into the next morning). In fact, there was just one other baby on the whole 2nd floor (the whole floor is the Baby Center, which makes it more secure and doesn't interfere with the other hospital operations). The next day (starting around mid-morning), there were now 11 patients on the floor. So needless to say, the whole staff had just us to tend to and while I heard stories of maybe 2-3 staff (doctor, nurse, assistant) in the room with you when the baby is born, we had about a half-dozen help. The two nurses who helped pull Linh through this ordeal (hey, I helped, too!) were Katherine and Ruby. Katherine was great in keeping Linh calm and they were talking up a storm (again, she was the only mother-to-be on the floor) and walking her through the whole process when they hooked Linh up to pain medication, fluids, antibiotics, and then the epidural. Unfortunately, nurses change every 12 hours but Ruby stepped in at 7 pm to further talk Linh through as the moment came closer and closer. Ruby was tough on Linh in getting her to push harder and harder but also supportive when changes began to happen and was there at "ground zero" with our doctor (Dr. Chao). We can't express how thankful we are to those two nurses (and the nurses that followed) as well as the rest of the crew for taking great care of us (and the food was good, too!).

Here is Spencer

2007-04-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Seven days. It's been a week since Spencer Phung Tamashiro was born and this is the first time I've had a short stretch of time to capture some thoughts and will be soon be responding to some emails. We want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and congratulations. It's been a very long week but one of the most fulfilling weeks. I'll be adding stuff in the next week or so detailing the present as well as the past so these posts won't make chronological sense for a while. Today (April 22) was his first full smile (inadvertent, I'm sure) and the first day we've pretty much given up fully swaddling him (more on that later). Also, both sets of grandparents were here together being entertained by Spencer, who, as always, is a perfect gentlemen when guests are here, which makes me think we should invite people at 3 am when he's still awake and fussy.