2017!

2017 is here!

We finally got around to getting everything set up to take a family photo but our crazy pre-toddler Noah had something else in mind and wouldn't sit still; so we spent the entire time trying to keep him from  plummeting off the bed instead.  I'm still happy we have these though because they capture some that boundless energy he has.  He has a sense of humor like his dad and his laughter is so genuine and full hearted and totally contagious.  Though I feel like he is all boy right now and constantly trying to climb something or destroy something - he also has a sweetness to his intensity and is constantly running up to us for bear hugs and kisses.

My resolutions this year are to be mentally present and enjoy this sweet and fleeting season of life.  For me it's not so much about having to unplug the phone or TV, but letting go of anxiety and negative thoughts that act as a continual distraction from the amazing things I already have right in front of me.   I also feel like I say this every year and never manage to do it-  but I am realizing how much happier I am when I make time to do creative projects and want to prioritize it more this year.

However, the biggest thing by far that we have to look forward to this year is that we are expecting a baby girl on  June 9!  My heart still skips a beat every time I think about it.  Feeling anxious about doing the whole giving birth and newborn thing again but also having a toddler to take care of.  However overwhelmingly - I am just so excited, thankful and can't believe how lucky we are to get to do this again!

Month 4

Photos from the Rancho San Antonio Space Preserve

Can't believe we just finished up month 4 with our little human Noah.

A lot happened this past month. We tried sleep training for 5 minutes and then gave up.  Noah's future wife Emilia Kwong was born!!  We recently started solids, though so far Noah has been more interested in eating the spoon than the actual food. And Noah also started rolling over in both directions - whenever he's sick of tummy time he just rolls over now which has been pretty hilarious to me (though it's crazy to get glimpses of a no longer stationary baby)  Feeling really blessed to have him in our lives, a year ago from today, I was in the thick of morning sickness and my What to Expect When You're Expecting app was telling me Noah was the size of a grape!

Month 2

We are a little more than half way through month two and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as we inch our way out of the fourth trimester!

Our little Noah is growing up, discovering the world,  and getting cuter and cuter by the day - we couldn't be more proud.   I can see a happy baby emerging and I think it totally has to do with the overflowing amount of love our friends and family have poured on to this little guy.

The past several weeks have been really  hard at times but it's definitely a growing and maturing journey.  My brain feels too mushy at the moment from the land of never ending feeding, diapering, pumping, washing, soothing, rocking, swaddling and burping for me to process it right now; but  even though I can't quite put it in words yet, I know I've changed in meaningful and permanent ways.

Anyway, some things I hope to remember from these photos are : singing and dancing to Beatles Karoke , getting in some good snuggling time during these cool autumn days, and watching Noah play with his dad.

I'm going to miss the version of Noah so much. I've gotten in the habit of taking him everywhere with me in this wrap; being able to hold him close while he's so precious and little while hearing him drift off to sleep has been the sweetest thing. Theres a part of me that is so tired of always being tired and am dreaming of the day he starts to sleep for longer stretches in the night, but I'm reminding myself to enjoy the moment because he only gets older by the minute and i'll never be able to get these moments back.

Its been fascinating to watch him slowly discover things and see flickers of his personality emerge. He's starting to smile more these days too - it melts my heart every time and when its just me and him I'll do just about any silly or embarrassing antic to get him to do it again. There are days when he looks like a spitting image of Taylor (what a compliment to Taylor), I wonder if he'll have his personality too.

October

October marked some big milestones for our little family this past week - Taylor and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary on October 1, and the next day Noah reached his one month birthday! 

NEW NORMALS // 26 Weeks

26 weeks in and carrying around this baby in my belly has kind of become my new normal (though a lot of times it feels like the minute I get used to something it starts changing again, so I have a feeling that there are going to be a lot of "new normals" to adjust to for a while to come).

Pregnancy has been a bit of a physical and emotional roller coaster for me; sometimes overwhelming. But I am thankful and in awe of the life growing inside me and that he's come this far; I wouldn't trade some of the moments I've experienced through this journey for anything. 14 weeks til my due date and it's starting to sink in that it's going to fly by and that if all goes well I'll be giving birth before I know it. A little terrifying, but we still can't wait to meet this little guy!

HALF MOON BAY

We decided to keep with our Valentine's Day tradition of celebrating valentine's day on the weekend (instead of on the day of), and took a short day trip to Half Moon Bay before meeting up some of our college friends for a "quintuple date" at a bruschetta place in San Mateo. It was a nice mini getaway- even though this place is super close to the freeway that we take to work everyday, you feel like you've been transported to a different world when you get there!

FROM PORCH TO TABLE // My Beautiful Lemon Tree

I finally worked up the courage to pick some lemons off my lemon tree. I'm such a newbie "gardener" so I'm always scared to cut my fruits because I don't know if new ones will ever come back! I love lemons and am always putting them on anything and everything- water, sauteed veggies, fish, sauces, dressings... this time around I think I'm going to try to make something sweet.

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I love how the winter sky looks this time of year. The clouds come to visit but the sun is popping through, and the light is always changing, always moving. Simple things like that just make me really happy.

HELLO 2014

I'm a few days late, but here's to a wonderful, happy, full, meaningful, beautiful, rich and creative 2014!

The New Year is always one of my favorite times of the year- a chance to reflect on the year past, and spend a few moments to dream of things to come in the next.  2013 had a lot of milestones and "stuff" happening in it, but I think somewhere in the busyness of it all, I lost myself a bit.  At times it was just easier to dig myself deep into work and study or a really long to do list, and pretend that my negative emotions and insecurities weren't there.  I hope that 2014 will be about taking time to pause and work on some of those things. Making time for relationships, reflection and art; allowing myself to dream, take risks, be vulnerable, face the discomfort of my fears, and explore!

CALIFORNIA COAST // Part 1 : Beautiful Big Sur

Thought I'd post some pictures we took during a trip to the Monterrey Bay/ Big Sur area over Thanksgiving weekend (Pictures from Monterey and Point Lobos to come later). One of the highlights was hiking with our friends Chris and Julie in Big Sur. What unbelievable beauty! They took us on the Ewoldsen Trail and I kept saying that I felt like I was in some sort of surreal scene on Lord of the Rings, hiking through the cool crisp mountain air, listening to the beautiful sound of water flowing downstream, and watching the way the sun was pouring out through the giant redwoods. It's so crazy how these gigantic trees and rocky mountains all coexist within a few steps of the ocean and her crashing waves. I definitely hope to return again- maybe on a camping in the summer time!