la-paciencia

Aidan's entry into this world

2007-04-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

Just a word of caution, this is a very long entry and may not be for the faint of heart as I am going to describe Aidan’s birthing experience. I thought that I should write down in detail so that I can share it with him when he grows up =)

It all began on in the wee hours of March 27, 2007….

00:00 Right before sleeping, I realized that I was having some minor contractions. I took out a notepad and started writing down the length of contractions. I was considering calling Vince since he was working at Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock so that he can come home to be with me but I decided to suck it up and wait to see if it was truly the “real” contractions.

00:01-7:00 Vince got off early at 3:00am. Thank God! It was so great to have him back home and help me to time the contractions. I felt so relieved that I was able to get a few hours of sleep after he came back home.

7:00-12:00 The contractions seemed to go ON and OFF so we weren’t alarmed to get to the hospital yet. My goal was to wait for them to be 5 mins. apart as I didn’t want to be sent home. Plus, I wanted to make sure that they were real…but it’s hard to know even though I’ve read a million books on pregnancy and what to expect.

12:01-18:00 A series of events happened…

· I ate a light lunch

· Continued to time the sporadic contractions

· Contractions seem to be getting stronger but still unsure

· Went out for a walk at the Fraser River park with Vince and Rylee.

· Rylee meets Buddy and they chase after one another along the beach.

· I was so engrossed in watching Rylee play with Buddy that I completely missed a big pothole while walking. I ended falling on my left elbow and then onto my knees. Thank goodness, my big belly was the last thing to go down…

· I felt so embarrassed and worried at the same time.

· Vince felt that it was time to go into the hospital to check things out just in case.

18:01-19:15 We got home and I immediately showered and got ready for the hospital. I was thinking of getting something to eat but I didn’t have any appetite at all due to the stronger contractions. Vince took out his sterilized gloves and checked to see how dilated I was… (it’s great when you have a hubby as a nurse!). He found out that I was 5cm dilated! You need to be 10cm dilated in order to start pushing…so we were already half way there and it’s been a not so bad experience. I was hurting a bit but I was still in really high spirits. We packed the rest of the stuff that we needed for the hospital and off we went.

19:16-19:30 While driving to the hospital, we saw a little dog running loose on King Edward St. We tried to get him out of the traffic but that little thing ran so fast that we couldn’t catch him. We also thought, even if we did catch him, what are we going to do about it? We are in labour!! Yikes.

19:31-20:30 We checked into BC Women’s Hospital and told them about what happened in the park and then they told us to wait as it was a really busy night. My contractions were getting harder but still bearable at this point…

20:31-21:44 Our super-friendly British nurse checked us into the Assessment area and she found out that I was now at 6cm dilated. I was trying my best to be a good patient and yes, I was still smiling and making jokes with everyone. We were left alone as they found out that Vince was a nursing student and was capable of taking care of me since there were a lot of other patients. At this point, I was hurting about 7/10 and with each passing contraction, Vince used counter pressure on my back while I hung onto the bed railing. I made him push so hard on my back that his wrists were quite sore afterwards. I also had some ice chips which seemed to help.

21:45-22:25 My water breaks!! Gross, it’s like having a big pee-pee and Vince had to clean me up. I got up to go the bathroom to clean up but the contractions were getting sooooo painful now that I felt that I was going to faint…

The contractions now spread all through my back and then to the front of my abdomen. It’s like having really, really, really bad menstrual cramps for about 90 secs. and then it stops for a bit….and starts all over again. I was able to breathe through the contractions and also meditate on Psalm 23 and 1 Peter 5:7.

By now, I was not a happy camper b/c I wanted to be in the birthing room as I felt ready to push but other patients kept on getting rooms ahead of me since it was my first time delivery and they thought that I would labour for a long time.

I told Vince to tell the nurses that if they don’t get to that darn room soon, I am giving birth right here and now. I didn’t want to push until I was given an OK or else I would be in a lot of pain….

Finally, a nurse arrives and puts me into the wheelchair to get upstairs into one of the Cedar rooms (which is the nicest rooms available in the hospital). We prayed for this room and we got it! God is sooo good =)

22:26-22:49 While I was being wheeled, I felt as though I was in a trance and I had to close my eyes and focus. All that prenatal yoga did a marvelous thing as it really prepped for this birthing experience…. I kept hearing my instructors’ voice saying: “breathe through the pain”, “many women of generations past have gone through this”, “you are strong”….

My nurse, Nikki, asked me to go pee while they set up the room and while I tried to pee, I felt as though the baby’s head was ready to pop out any minute. I told them that I am ready to PUSH but she still needed to check how dilated I was…and sure enough, I was at 10cm. We need a doctor!!

Vince set up the laptop with the songs that I selected to listen to, and he even got the scented candle lit to set a more relaxing birthing experience.

Nikki held onto my right leg while Vince held my left leg and I was told to relax my legs and push with all my might as though I was pooing. I tried to listen to their instructions and Vince was so supportive and loving through this whole process. He really helped me to breathe through each painful contraction. By now, the pain level was at 10/10! Dr. Gupta arrives and is shocked at how fast my labour was going considering that it was my first baby!! She even thought that I was another patient.

After a few pushes, baby’s head was already there! All I had to do was push some more but not too fast as Dr. Gupta was warning me loud and clear that if I pushed too hard then I would TEAR BIG time so I tried to listen as much as I could. It really does feel like you are constipated and you need to get a big piece of poo out…. Hee.heeee…

As painful as it was, I was remembering that with each push and with each contraction, I was closer to meeting my baby so I stayed focused.

Within ten more mins. of hard labour, out came Baby Chan. I faintly remember them telling me that it was BOY!! They placed him on me right away for skin to skin contact and the first I saw was Aidan’s head full of hair. Wow!! It’s over…

Or not…they had to the placenta out and then stitch me up at I tore to the second degree. I was still in so much pain that they decided to now give me so laughing gas. I didn’t feel like laughing, though… =)

I was losing a lot of blood and a young, female Asian Medical Student Intern wearing Lululemon headband was about to stick me with a huge IV drip but Dr. Gupta stopped her in the nick of time saying: “STOP, she’s okay now”. Phew………that IV looked huge and I didn’t trust that girl one bit to stick it into me. I would have much rather have had Vince do it than her…

Praise God for such a speedy and natural delivery!

We have a winner!

2007-04-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you for putting in your guesses for Baby Chan's arrival. The person with the closest guess is Melody Wong! Congratulations =)

Her guess was: March 30th/ 7lbs 2oz./ 20.5 inches A BOY!

Her prize is a book of her choice from Chapters Online ($30 value). Great job at guessing!

In case you didn't know yet, our Baby Chan was born 11 days ago...

Aidan Cooper Chan
March 27, 2007
7 lbs 6 oz
51 cm

http://chanfamilia.blogspot.com/

Win a PRIZE =)

2007-03-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring Break!

Want to win a prize? I was inspired by my friend, Jen, who made very specific predictions on Baby Chan that I thought I will make it into a game. Be sure to put your name and your prediction on the comment page and include the following info:

Born before or after my due date (April 3)?
Boy or Girl?
How many pounds?
How long? (in inches)

Have fun guessing! The closest winner will get a prize!!

3, 2, 1...

2007-03-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

Baby Chan is now considered full term at 37 weeks! He/she is getting quite cramped in the limited space that he/she has. Baby should weigh about 6 pounds, and is probably close to 20 inches. Last week, my obgyn told me that baby's head is down and all systems are ready for blast off (well, I made up the blast off part!). I finished packing my hospital bag and I am now on mat leave and enjoying every minute of it!

I went to a breastfeeding class last weekend and was able to learn a lot about the history of breastfeeding. Who knew that so many women was sworn off from breastfeeding back in the 70s because they were told that formula is better and a lot more convenient? Formula companies also did a superb job in marketing (made me think about how influential marketing and logos can be...anyone read "No Logo"?). I enjoyed learning the history and the practical ways of breastfeeding as I think that the breast is definitely the best (hahaha). Not only is it economical, it is also rich in fat and high in protein and antibodies. It is truly amazing how God made women!

Reflecting upon my pregnancy, here are some of the pros and cons...

PROS:

Being on mat leave rocks! (especially for one full year)
The indescribable feeling that there's something growing within me
People are generally a lot nicer to you and are willing to help you out
Extra attention from Vince
Eating more food! (well, I did try my best not to overeat as I only needed an extra 300 calories per day but it was nice to indulge in DQ ice cream once in a while)
Preparing the nursery and getting things organized for baby's arrival
Hardly any nausea throughout my whole pregnancy
No swelling of the feet or hands (I'm keeping my fingers crossed)
Researching for baby stuff so that we don't end up getting unnecessary things
Generous friends who have lent us so much of their baby stuff (like Eudora and Woon Ai)
Taking life at a slower pace and enjoying the practice of yoga

CONS:

Going to the bathroom almost every hour is not fun at all
Bad acne skin during first trimester
Third trimester especially the end of it as I feel so BIG that I can topple over anytime
Mood swings (just ask Vince)
Klutziness and not being able to pick things up as quickly as before
Baby's kicking in the ribs that it feels bruised
Braxton Hicks contractions
Heartburn
Shortness of breath and fatigue
Some stabbing back pains
Not being able to have a full eight hours of sleep
Not sleeping on my tummy or on my back!
The labour part? A mom reminded me that it is truly an amazing experience and that eventhough it's painful, I will remember it fondly.

Canstruction

2007-03-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

As part of our date, Vince and I went to Canstruction at the Canada Place. =)
http://canstructionvancouver.com/past.html

It was really cool to see how amazingly creative people are as they made sculptures out of cans! My favourite is the "As CANadian as it can gets" by Team Richmond (above pic).

If you have time you can look through my imagestation album:
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2094576473

A Sundae Celebration

2007-03-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, March 4, Lucia and Sharen threw me a baby shower with a "Sundae Celebration" theme where guests had to each bring a creative topping. It was definitely a shower to remember as we all had yummy sundae treats with soooo many toppings to choose from, and played some interesting yet fun games. It was also really nice to see all my girl friends from my various parts of life under one roof. Baby Chan is sure spoiled as he/she received many, many gifts! Thank you to all the lovely ladies that came to the baby shower...

And many thanks to Lucia and Sharen =)

Here are some links to the shower pics...

izzy and lucia's pics http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2094825890

eudora's pics http://www.dotphoto.com/Flashtool/GuestViewShow.asp?SID=144630

gizzy's pics http://www.flickr.com/photos/gizzypooh/sets/72157594570293465/

Habitat for Humanity

2007-03-02T18:42:00.000-08:00

Just heard on the news that there will be grand opening tomorrow, Sat. March 3 for the Vancouver location of ReStore! The ReStore accepts donations of new and used building materials and sells them to the public at bargain prices. Profits pay operating costs and help build local Habitat for Humanity homes. It's a great way to help an awesome organization, save some $, and reduce waste!

Happy shopping!

Here's the link:

http://vancouverhabitat.bc.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=66&Itemid=112

The Vancouver ReStore is located at 69 West 69th Avenue, Vancouver, BC

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T16:44:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a very, very Happy Valentine's Day!

From, Mrs. Chan and the Love Bugs from Div. 3

Friendship Fruit Salad made by Div. 3!

Happy Birthday to Rylee!!!

weekend full of fun, fun, fun!

2007-02-13T18:12:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I was able to have some fun....

Sat: I woke up at around 9am and stayed in my PJs until 12:30pm as I cleaned the house, read, washed a lot of baby clothes and cloth diapers (to get ready for baby chan's soon arrival), and just hung out with the dogs. I then went to Richmond and experienced for the very first time: hand-detailed car wash. Even though I had to wait for almost an hour, it was worth the trip as close to ten people came to wash the car. It was a drive-thru service and all these Chinese people would come one station at a time to clean....the first guy cleaned the rims, and then another two came to hose and scrub down the car. Thirdly, I slowly drove through the wax sprinkling system and afterwards, I had to leave so that a few others can get into the car to vacuum, and clean the inside. I was escorted to the cashier to pay $20 for the car wash, and then I watched two more guys wipe down the car so that it was sparkling clean. I was amazed at how efficient these people considering how long the line up was. It was definitely an interesting experience but I don't think that I could afford getting it done on a regular basis.

Sun: I began my day with Hatha yoga, then I went to church with Valerie. We had lunch afterwards at Mui Garden and were able to catch up on each other's lives! Then I rushed home at 3ish to get ready for babysitting the Burtchett's three girls: Alisha (10), Chelsey (8), and Mikayla (3). Vince and I took care of the girls while their parents and brothers went off to the Vancouver Giants' game. We made it more of a special occasion this time around b/c it was Chelsey's birthday! We took them to White Spot and they all ordered my all time favourite: Pirate Packs!! We even let them order milkshakes!!! Needless to say, it was a ton of fun and it gave us a brief glimpse of what parenting looks like. Oh yeah, I also forgot to mention that they also brought over their duck-tolling retriever, Terra! (so not only did I have a lot of fun, so did Milo and Rylee).

And the countdown continues, I have about 7 more weeks to go until my due date!! I don't know why but I have a gut feeling that he/she might be early. I feel almost ready, though! The nursery is almost complete and everything is in order. The stressful part right now is the waiting part and also picking a name that is meaningful! Any suggestions?

Baby Countdown...

2007-01-20T10:01:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am now onto my 30 weeks of pregnancy which only leaves me 10 weeks to go...

The above picture is the 28th week ultrasound. You might have to tilt your head a bit to figure out what position baby chan is in. His/her head is on the right, and I think that he/she is sucking the thumb. This baby sure loves to take pictures as this is already my fifth ultrasound. When I went for my monthly checkup, my ob found out that I was measuring small....for every week, I am supposed to grow one cm. So, at 28 weeks, I was only measuring 24cm....and off I went for another ultrasound just to ensure that baby is growing normally. I was a bit nervous going for the ultrasound but it turned out great...the technician told me that baby looks good and that I have nothing to worry about. Phew!

Baby Chan is measuring about 10.5 inches from crown to rump, and is about 3 lbs. He/she is slowing losing the lanugo (early body hair) and his/her eyelids can now open and close. The skeleton hardens even more and the brain, muscles, and lungs continue to mature. I am feeling a lot more kicking and punching these days esp. during early morning and after dinner. I don't have a lot of cravings and I have to eat a lot of smaller meals throughout the day as I tend to get heartburn quite easily. I have not swelled up yet so I can still wear my wedding ring! I am still waiting for the day that I wake up all swelled up and for my feet not to fit my regular shoes.

I am a bit more tired but I have more energy than my first trimester. I still feel good enough to continue practicing hatha yoga, swimming and walking the dogs! My goal is to gain no more than 30lbs!!! We shall see what happens ;)

Being prego has taught me to enjoy the stillness of life and not being afraid and ashamed to ask for help. I tend to hate asking help from people and I am slowly learning to depend on others. Prego life in general is a lot slower, for example, it takes me a lot longer to walk up (or should I say "waddle" up) the small hill as it seems to be this huge mountain.

I hope that you are having a great week thus far...and thanks for reading my baby blog!

Out of the Cold

2007-01-09T21:05:00.000-08:00

If you were homeless, Vancouver would definitely not be a bad place to be considering all the various social services that are available in the downtown core and its vicinity. There are co-ed shelters, women only, and men only shelters. Who can forget the safety injection site? A safe place so that one can inject oneself with needles... (hmm..still a very strange and foreign idea to me)

I've only been helping out with the "Out of the Cold" program at Tenth Ave. Alliance since Oct. 06 and I already feel jaded towards the homeless. During Boxing Day, we were thrilled to pass out brand-new Roots bags that were stuffed with their everyday necessities such as scarves, mitten liners, gloves, deodorants, water bottles, etc. I thought to myself "Wow, it really isn't that bad to be homeless in Vancouver and boy, these are super nice bags. I would like one for myself". The homeless happily left the church with their new packs on their backs looking like excited school-aged children. I felt so joyous that the church could provide them not only with a place to stay for a night during the week but also very yummy meals...and indeed, I felt that I was making a tiny difference in someone's life.

Then came today, I went in at 6am to make breakfast and soon found out that a lot of the homeless no longer had their bags. Innocently I asked "Did they lose them already?", then one of the volunteers replied, "Probably not. Considering their situations, some of them probably sold the bags on the very same day to get money for drugs". I felt so devastated. I couldn't believe that one could do that...

As I brought the breakfast up to the pungent smelling gym, I couldn't bear the thought that one could just so easily sell their "gift" off and I began to ponder about homelessness and drug abuse. One of the volunteer's daughter is a drug user and she's been living on the streets for a very long time. She shared with us about how she still loves her regardless of her position but she has chosen a path that has no future. Sure there is plenty of help for drug abusers but they all seem to cure it for the short term rather than the long term. I really wonder what else we can do to help? Where do I draw the fine line of compassion and pity? How do I love despite knowing that they would sell off their "gifts" for their own drug satisfaction?

Just some questions to start off the new year.

Feliz Navidad!

2006-12-25T13:53:00.000-08:00

December Celebrations

2006-12-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

*Vince's 29th Birthday. On Dec. 5th, we celebrated Vince's
Birthday with some of his fave people, dogs and food: Winyee, Brian, Lucia, Milo, Rylee, 3 large pizzas, smirnoff ice, and a specialty Pineapple Bun/Cake aka po low pow (in cantonese). Win and Bean had the huge pineapple bun made by one of their baker friends! Vince was definitely surprised by the immensity of the bun...

Want some pineapple bun?

*Chrissy's 28th Birthday. What an amazing job Keith and Christine did in throwing a one-of-a kind, Hawaiian Murder Mystery Party. Their place was totally re-decorated with bright Hawaiian colours, candles, a tiki bar, and lots of fresh fruit. Even Solly had a lei on. My favourite was of course, my Beachside Shoppe, where I got to act like a crazy woman (as though that is not like my real self, huh?). Happy Birthday, Chrissy!

*Baby Chan is 6 months (24 weeks) today! Yeah, just 16 more weeks to go and our lives will forever be changed. Baby Chan is about 1.5 lbs and measures about 8.5 inches from crown to rump. He/She is now producing white blood cells to fight infection, and can even recognize my voice. Vince and I have been reading to baby and I enjoy the bonding time between us! It's great that I'm teacher because I have so many books already. One of the best parts thus far is feeling the kicking or punching. Yesterday, Vince was bugging and poking baby that he/she decided to give him a BIG kick back. That was quite funny! I've also been going to prenatal yoga with Ghis at Semperviva and it's great to finally implement some form of exercise back into my life. I decided not to run just to be cautious and that is one of those things that I miss the most. I've been trying not to worry about my pregnancy....as some questions randomly pop up like: "will baby be healthy?", "will the delivery be super long and painful?", and "will everything be alright?". I panic and then I constantly remind myself that God is the One who is ultimately in charge... I need to wholly trust in His Grace and Goodness. I'm reminded of one of my favourite Bible verses that I would like to share with you...

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."

Matthew 6:30 (The Message)

Meet Milo & Rylee!

2006-12-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

Presenting our two dogs that we rescued from the Vancouver Pound....

Rylee (black) and Milo (black and white)

Name	Milo
Breed	Lab X Border Collie
Gender	Male
Date of Rescue	Sept. 16, 2005
Nickname	Milo monster
Age	~5 years

Hobbies	playing with rylee, napping in the sun, frolicking in the snow, sleeping on vince and izzy's clothes, going out for walks, chasing squirrels, sunbathing, running and up down the stairs.
Rescue Story	I was the one that Milo saw first and I realized what a handsome dog he was. He was sitting in his kennel and was not the type of dog that was vying for my full attention. We took a better a look at him and we got to know him better at the play area. Jenn, who is a volunteer at the pound, went over the expectations for first time dog owners and analyzed our living situation. She thought that Milo would be a perfect fit! We still wanted to wait a few more days just to think about it so....we did. But, when we went back, Milo was transfered to the Richmond SPCA. We were so heartbroken b/c we thought that we might have missed the chance of adopting him but we called Richmond and there he was. We got the paper work done and soon enough, he was in the back of our car, heading home. What an amazing feeling! It's been so wonderful to be able to give these dogs a new home to live....

Name	Rylee
Breed	Lab X Terrier
Gender	Female
Date of Rescue	April 30, 2006
Nicknames	Ryster, RyeRye
Age	almost 2, a Valentine's doggie
Hobbies	playing with milo, galloping like a horse, running like a reindeer, chewing on pens, staring out the window, barking at every noise. chasing squirrels, rub her face in bushes and in izzy's tummy.
Tricks & Commands	sit, down, stay, leave it (to not touch the item she's interested in), come, shake (handshake), high 5.
Rescue Story	Rylee was one of those dogs that were brought back to the Vancouver Pound about four times which makes us to be her fifth owner. She wasn't doing so well at the pound so she had to live with one of the volunteers, Angelina. Vince fell in love with her and really wanted to have her as our second dog. We knew that it would a lot of work because we would have to earn her trust and affection as she's been abused before. She is getting along really well with Milo and they are even sharing the same bean bag now, and she likes to rest her head on his bum.

Global Perspective

2006-11-16T14:34:00.000-08:00

Since being prego, I have been thinking a lot about how we are going to raise our children and thus, I have come up with a simple philosophy:

"To instill a global perspective in our future generation"

So...what does that exactly entail? I hope that our kids will realize that they have a huge responsibility living as God's children and that we must do our very best to take care of what we have. I want them to know that their actions, whether big or small, will impact our world. Our lives are altered by the choices that we make each and every single day.

Some of the ways to instill this global perspective would be ask the following questions to our kids, and to ourselves. Feel free to answer them if you feel compelled to do so...(I got the questions from World Vision)

Do we buy fair trade and environmentally responsible products?
Do we pray for events in the news?
Do we choose to live simply as a means of having more to give away?
Do we reconcile our reality with that of others and live in a way that makes a positive difference for us all?

The above questions are very difficult and I often struggle with them. I know that I want to live simply yet I yearn to have nice things. Say for example, buying baby stuff. Sure, it would be great to buy the latest and funkiest stroller so that I can take baby out running in the trails but, do I really need the most expensive one? And that is just one of the many other purchases that we will have to make. And did you know that some cribs can cost up to $2000? That is absolutely insane. We want to purchase minimally so that we don't fall into the trap of consumerism.

Another thing that I'm still debating is whether or not we should use cloth diapers instead of disposible ones. Our land fill is already filled to the limit and to add more waste such as diapers seem ridiculous. Vince and I are both willing to do whatever is possible to reduce waste...and yes, we are strong advocates for recycling, composting, and turning off lights whenever not used. We are also very pleased to hear that some of our friends are also becoming more environmentally aware. One even joined the Greenpeace. No matter how big or small our actions are, as long as we are thinking globally, then we will make a difference.

Missing my class...

2006-11-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

I didn't get called today to work so I decided to go back and visit my old class at CCA. It was really wonderful to get lots of hugs from various students and to see how much they have grown. My class is now the leading Grade 7s!! Wow. I even had the chance to go rockclimbing with them at The Hangout in Richmond. Being with them made me really miss having my very own class this year.

On the left here is Andrew Huang aka Yao Ming. He kept insisting that I should climb as well instead of just watching them.

On the right is Vikki Kam. She is one super achiever! She stays up in the wee hours of the night to finish up her assignments to perfection.

On the left is Tyler Wong and I'm really proud of him trying to rockclimb as he tends to be one of those students that are always afraid to try new things.

Fall Highlights

2006-11-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

~dt grad 96 reunion. we had our high school reunion this past friday, nov. 3 at the Heritage Hall on Main St. i was apprehensive about going but it turned out to be a wonderful time catching up and reminiscing with old friends that i haven't seen for a long, long time. the reunion committee planned the whole event for us and even made a slideshow with some real footage of back in the days of '96 along with the old school tunes. i'm really glad that i went!

~high tea with Ste. Stella is like my big sister and she took me out on an afternoon high tea at the Secret Tea Garden. i always enjoy our time spent together as we try to unravel some of life's mysteries together. The high tea was scrumptious and I ordered the highly recommended Vanilla Roobois Tea.

~18 weeks ultrasound. it's amazing to see how much baby Chan has grown through the past seven weeks. i'm definitely showing nowadays and can't wait for the bump to be even more noticeable (it's funny cuz some ppl. just think that i'm getting fat but are too nice to ask if i have been eating too much). i have to get some new pants b/c i can't seem to fit into any of my old pants anymore. being prego has been super good for me so far....no complaints other than expanding waistline, sore breasts and being tired. my strongest cravings are sour foods like sour patch kids, mcD's tartar sauce, olives, pickles, vinegar sauce (for the little shanghai dumplings). i'm super thankful that i didn't get the typical morning sickness of throwing up. the best perk of being prego is to use it as an excuse for everything and people generally understand. (ie. i can't remember...or i don't feel like cleaning the toilet)

~28th birthday. thanks to my friends who came to Science World with me to see the Body Worlds 3 display. my favourite parts were of course, admiring the work of real, plastinated bodies and seeing my hardworking friends completing the worksheets that i have made for them. hahaha. congrats to vienne (1st prize) and to cynthia (2nd prize)!! we finished off the day by hanging back at our place and eating some rebellious tomato pizza. here's the url link to my imagestation album if you want to see some pics....

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2100375455

~hallowe'en with the Burtchetts. as part of our goal to enrich lucia's Swiss b-friend, Damien, to the Canadian culture, we felt that it was necessary for him to experience "trick or treating". we bundled up on the eve of oct. 31 and headed out to the dunbar area where we took four of the burtchett kids out for a fun night of trick or treating. needless to say, it was definitely an experience in which our bon ami n'est pas oublie!

the little girl dressed up as a cow is mikayla!! she originally dressed up as a princess but the weather was too cold to wear a dress so she ended up putting on the cow outfi on top. so....there she is, our lovely COW PRINCESS!!

Rejection

2006-10-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

It always sucks to feel rejection. On Monday, I was quite excited as I had an interview for a resource position at Macdonald Elementary (an inner city school which is composed of 60% First Nations' students). I tried my best to get to the interview early but traffic was so bad and as a result, I got there right on time. I was so flustered and nervous throughout the whole interview and I couldn't answer some questions regarding resource in the primary grades as I have no experience in that area. Nevertheless, the principal calls me and lets me know that the position has been offered to someone else that has more experience. But of course, he also says a few nice things about me....as though it would make me feel better.

REJECTED.

I guess that is life...

it's all part of it. the goods and the bads.

Then, who can understand better than Jesus himself? He was even rejected by his best friend, Peter. Just have to pick myself up and then focus on what is next.

Amazing story of a loving father...

2006-10-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

My dad passed away when I was barely thirteen years old and it's not always easy as I tend to miss him more on the special times during the year. In particular, I am most saddened at the fact that he will not be there to witness his grandchild's life. A good friend forwarded this amazing story of the relentless love of a father which really enables one to see what it truly means to be a parent. I only pray that I can be1/10 of who this parent is...

Enjoy the article! There's also a link to a really touching video of the father and son.

Strongest Dad in the World

By Rick Reilly

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay fortheir text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles inmarathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his backmountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makestaking your son bowling look a little lame, right? And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick wasstrangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.``He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told himand his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an institution.''But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room.

When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anythingto help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.''"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out alot was going on in his brain.Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor bytouching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want to do that.''Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran morethan a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried.``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore for twoweeks.''That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running,it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''And that sentence changed Dick's life.

He became obsessed with giving Rickthat feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 BostonMarathon.``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite asingle runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the raceofficially: I

n 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made thequalifying time for Boston the following year.Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since hewas six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmansin Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' hesays. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeingRickwith a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th BostonMarathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their besttime'? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things,happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of theCentury.''And Dick got something else out of all this too.

Two years ago he had amild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' one doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.''So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston,and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants togive him is a gift he can never buy.``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.

''Here's the video.... http://youtube.com/watch?v=ryCTIigaloQ

Run for the Cure

2006-10-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to those that donated to the "Run for the Cure". Our team was able to raise close to $10,000!!! Finding a cure for breast cancer is definitely one step closer due to everyone's generosity.

Captains Cynthia and Roger did a great job. I can't wait until next year!

Here's a pic of the team (missing Will and Ghis)...

Whistler Getaway

2006-10-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

vince and i managed to sneak a little romantic getaway for Thanksgiving and we even got to meet up with our good friends, Tanya and Daniel. i'm thankful to have friends where we can just hang out and relax....i am especially thankful for Tanie cuz she's been such a big part of my life since back in our rebellious high school days.....and she's one of the true gems who has stayed by me through joy and sorrow.

here's a pic of the komoris...

some small luxuries of life...

1) yummy buttered fresh corn for 2 bucks!

2) having parents pull your wagon while you & and your bro' munch on freshly popped popcorn

3) spending quality time together at an irish pub listening to live music by rob funk

now, we're back at home....and lucia's cooking us thanksgiving dinner!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

in His time...

2006-10-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

so here it is:

my very first blog although i've been reading others' blogs for a while and something within me prompted me to begin this one.

so why the name "la paciencia"? la paciencia means patience in spanish and it's a recurrent theme in my life especially in the past eight months. indeed, God is gracious and i've been trying to learn this virtue but often times to my own dismay, i end up falling flat on my face. i tend to trust in my own self rather than to give my all to the One who knows best...cerebrally, i know that i need to let GO....& unfortunately, i hold on, and sometimes, too tightly.

the thought of beginning a family has been on our minds for a while now, and i had the myth that once we start to "try" then it's all dandy and BANG, we would conceive right away. unfortunately, life doesn't work that way and God usually has a better plan. thus, our baby-making journey began in jan. 06 and to my surprise, month after month, i did not conceive and i could not figure out why? vince and i are both young, in good health (at least i try to be), and we exercise frequently....SO, what is the problem?

on one lazy, july evening as i was watering our garden, God whispered to me and said just one simple word: "patience". it was then that i finally let go....and i knew that i had to completely trust Him....

i often have this tendency of wanting things right away (just ask my mom and she can testify) and so with this whole conception thing, it was difficult. so i kept on repeating the word patience to myself and i was reminded that everything beautiful happens in His time. yes, even my dry, yellow lawn that i desperately wanted to be evergreen would need time to be nurtured.

once i entrusted my whole life to Him, an immense peace and joy surpassed through me. at the beginning of august, i found out that i was PREGO! praise God! (the long-awaited twins?)

currently, i'm on my 14th week of my pregnancy and it's been super exciting. i am thankful that the first tri is over!

When i found out that i was pregnant, i was overjoyed and i praised God using Hannah's prayer.

1 Samuel, Chapter 2

1 "My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my horn [a] is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.
2 "There is no one holy [b] like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

3 "Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

4 "The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry hunger no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.

6 "The LORD brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave [c] and raises up.

7 The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.

8 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.
"For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's;
upon them he has set the world.

9 He will guard the feet of his saints,
but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.
"It is not by strength that one prevails;

10 those who oppose the LORD will be shattered.
He will thunder against them from heaven;
the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
"He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed."

Part of Psalm 139 also reminds me of how miraculous life is...

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Thank you for reading my first blog! (i know that i tend to be long-winded).... please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for this BIG new phase of our lives especially as i've been feeling a bit sick lately with a sore throat that doesn't seem to go away.

It's great to finally share this exciting news!

Here's a glimpse of baby chan....