Miia turns ONE.

Between the job relocation and move back overseas to London, Phi and Juha was able to throw a 1st birthday bash for baby Miia. Aside from pictures, this will be the first time I get to see and meet the cutie. Here are some photos of the cutie on her big day.

Disney Fairies theme birthday party. Am I disclosing too much to say I like the Tinkerbell movie and awaiting part two later this month?

Here is the little fairy herself.

And her dainty little fairy feet.

Grandma just can't get enough of this cutie. I don't blame her.

Neither can her aunt Thao.

Can you say CUTE!

Kids don't like looking at the camera. That's good, because I love capturing little kids as they are. There's just a certain focused look they all have...

These are the moments I aim to capture.

But I do capture the traditional, look at the camera photos as well. But I like it done my way. For example....

Love the lighting. A glowing fairy.

Yes, this is my idea of a family photo.

I just love this series of shots with the family.

Dad's little girl. Just a precious moment.

Here's mommy and her little girl.

Flying high...

But uncle James can go higher. Mia squealing in delight.

The sisters with Miia.

Bathe and time for bed.

I adore smiley babies with their baby teeth.

Phi said Miia does this only during bed time. Very acrobatic this little one.

Happy Birthday Miia, we feel sadden that we won't get to see much of you as you move overseas. Which means it's even more important to get you in front of uncle's camera to document your growth beyond year one each time you come back to visit.

You can view the rest of the photos here. Access code is the family's last name.

Shifting focus to enjoy the present...

Some days I feel so stress because I have a huge todo list with all of the items on there due yesterday. Knowing this, Julie lovingly took Terrence out so they can leave me to my work for the morning. Jason normally has a long morning nap, so she left him in my care.

I am pretty certain that kids are put there to make us adult stop doing what we think we need to get done, and take time to enjoy the present and everything in it. Just as I was getting focus with work, I hear him wake up to change my focus and perspective. In the past, I may have push through and try to get some more done with the kids awake. But a more rewarding perspective is to let work be and enjoy spending some time with the kiddo while he's awake.

With a smile like this, how can I get any work done? These photos again makes it worth stopping every now and then and shift focus to the present.

With babies, you can get away with an overexposed shot like this.

Comon, how can I say no to cuteness like this? What work?

Adorable asset

You can see his top teeth trying to push through the gum.

Welcome to the world...

Making his grand entrance 7 days late, welcome to the world baby Jason. Weighing in at 8lb 3oz and 20 inches, baby Jason is doing super. Mom is thrilled that he is finally here and is doing super herself. We got to the birthing center at 9:30 PM and Julie was already 8cm dilated. Like I wrote earlier, babies usually come out about 10 cm. Not long after, Julie became 9.5 cm and then next thing I know, the baby was out. Official time is 11:05 PM on November 23rd. So looks like Jason and Tee's and Krystal's Benjamin will be sharing the same birthday.

We are all at home now and Julie is happy holding baby Jason and feeding him. My mom is already down here helping to take care of things and nurse Julie back to full health. Thanks mom!

Here are some photos of baby Jason.

Welcome into the world...Miia

After the labor, new mom Phi was able to shoot of an email with first pics of baby Miia. Weighing in at 7lb 11oz and long 23", Miia apparantly almost gave new dad Juha the one two punch to the mat. Mom and Miia are doing well. Juha is "slowly regaining his composure.(He almost passed out..." Mom's words, not mine. LOL

Thanks for sharing Phi and enjoy these precious time. Miia already looks like she has wonderful eyes and mom's nose.

Exploding Poo=Exploding Money

Following up on my post regarding newborns sleeping a lot. Well, there's something else they do a lot of, and I'm not talking about eating. Quite the opposite really. Terrence today perfected the technique he first unleased on Julie in this post here. It's like the trifecta of bodily fluid excretion.

After waking up, Terrence gets fed like normal. In the middle of his feeding, Julie usually changes his diapers because he usually soils them during his sleep and during the first initial feeding he wakes. While switching out his diapers and cleaning him like normal, I hear her let out a loud scream. When I go to check, Terrence had apparently unleashed a string of wet, yellow, breast milk feed poo to explode into the air and hit mom and ultimately end up all over the flood. It was so gross! But if you thought that was it...you were as suprised as Mommy was. As she clean up the first round, and pull out another clean diaper...Terrence decided to fire the second salvo and allow his pee to temporarily escape the bounds of gravity. He wets himself and the new diaper. Mommy calls for reenforcement and daddy came running. As soon as I got there, I see him launch the final attach...he throws up all over his changing pad. LOL...very nice. Dad was proud of his son's new found powers but is also sadden that like the US, each exploding bomb equates to money down the drain. Diapers gets expensive...especially when in a single session, the baby goes through three.

After the attacks were done, Terrence just laid there...with almost a smug look on his face...so content and he didn't let out a single peep. He knew his job was done for the day. The only left was to get change, finish feeding and finally sleep to dream up of the next ways to attack Mommy. Nice...the joy of being a baby. I would say, enjoy the pictures...but this is one that many of you guys rather I not share. LOL...gotta have the good along with the ugly ya know.

Exploding Poo...looks kidda like Grey Poupon

Terrence's First Bath

Last Sat, my mom gave Terrence his first bath. I took some pictures of that moment and never got a chance to share. According to my mom, Terrence really enjoy his baths. My mom said that he lays so calm, relaxing in the warm water. After the bath he sleeps very soundly and for a long time.

My mom gives Terrence his first bath

Terrence content after the bath

Lots of baby powder to keep the skin soft and dry

Who's Got the Blues?

Certainly not Terrence after being fed. He's full of life and so alert even though he's only six days old when this picture was taken. More pictures soon now that I have access to a fast PC again. I was tortured up at my parents house as the only PC I had there was a 7yr old laptop. Slow as molasses once the memory were all used up.

Terrence looks so cute in his blue onesie

Second Day...so peaceful

Terrence's second day and he looks so peaceful after getting dress for his pediatric appointment early this morning. The first night was difficult for mom as she was up every couple of hours to feed and in between that, change diapers. As new parents, you are force to learn to anticipate and communicate, all in an unspoken and almost primal way. But did you know that there is a secret language of babies? A lady name Priscilla Dunstan went on the Oprah Winfrey show to explain that at the age of 4, her parents discovered that she has a photographic memory for sound. She could hear a Mozart concert and play it back, one note at a time. This very special ability made her realize when she became a mom herself that her baby's pre-cries had the same pattern relating to what they wanted. It's suppose to be a natural reflex of babies, regardless of race or ethnicities. However, if parents don't learn those pre-cry words/sounds, the baby eventually stop using them. Here are a few samples:

Neh="I'm hungry"
Owh="I'm sleepy"
Heh="I'm experiencing discomfort"
Eair="I have lower gas"
Eh="I need to burp"

New parents, with our past experiences must rely on them to react and cater to the babies' needs. Being a new mom, despite the lack of sleep the night before and the painful labor and birthing process, you don't get much sleep the first night. The experience is just too new and raw. I speak from my observation of my wife. I guess you react to every sound coming from your new baby. Like the baby and their sound reflex above, it's a natural instinct I guess all good mother exhibit. But my friends who have gone through all this say, your baby will be a baby for a only a short time, and those time passes by so quickly. Eventually you'll long to go back to the mornings like today, where your baby is resting so peacefully and content. Enjoy the picture.

Baby Terrence rest peacefully before his scheduled doctor's visit

Gazing through new eyes

Once the Julie and my family heard of the news, everyone made the long drive down to San Diego to visit with baby Terrence for the first time. Both grandparents were ecstatic as well as all the new aunts and uncle. Terrence is so lucky to have everyone who loves him so much.

You'd think that pregnancy and birth is such a common event. But it really is a celebration of life when something so little finally comes into this world, healthy. It's not something that everyone is bless with and so far, I feel extremely bless that all the events unfolded so nicely.

Anyways it has been a long day and now that all the visitors has gone home, I will save all the gory birth pictures and leave you with this single picture. I like how Terrence was born wide awake and so inquisitive. He kept gazing at everything and everyone, seeing all for the first time. I like how this picture reflects that. He seemingly gazes right through the camera at me. I also love how Mom is in the background, still recovering from the birth. I guess this will be one of the first changes as a new parent, is that we learn to see things anew, through our baby's newborn eyes.

Terrence bundled up with mommy

Welcome Terrence...

Julie delivers a whopper any fisherman would be happy to catch. A happy, healthy 8lb 11oz baby boy. Mom and baby are doing great. More later.