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When it was just the hubby and I, we’ve gone through countless holidays and weekends where we just stayed home but now that we have a baby, I would really like to explore places that are family-oriented. Whenever we think of a place to visit we would always try to make sure that it’s kid-friendly. Since towing a child can be hard sometimes, we’ve learned to be creative and make something simple such as a walk to a park be more fun as a family. I find joy in walking around our neighborhood or to our local grocery with the two loves of my life. I wouldn’t even think about walking around our neighborhood for fun pre-baby.

One thing I like about where we live are the countless parks. This Saturday, they will unveil the newest park, the 76th park in town. It’s also only a few meters from us. I can picture Connor running around the grass, going down the slide and riding the swings. Parks are a godsend to parents since they’re good outlets for kids’ boundless energy. Plus, they’re free! I’m starting to list down places we can go to as the year goes on, places that I never thought about but starting to now because of Connor. Honestly, it doesn’t have to cost money to enjoy a fun-filled weekend. Just pack a lunch and have a picnic at the park, at the beach or wherever you feel like and then, there you go. Kids nowadays are bombarded with too many ‘artificial’ things such as video games, TV, the internet. I would like to raise my child a little bit closer to how I was raised. I’m not saying that I didn’t play videogames cause I did but nothing beats hanging out with your friends, going out on bike rides and playing physical games with them.

Tomorrow we’re visiting the Aquatics Complex. We’ve passed by this place a hundred times, especially since it’s right next to the tennis courts, but we’ve never gone inside. I’m pretty excited to see how it is but more so because it’ll be Connor’s first time swimming. We never got a chance to go swimming in Monterey cause it was cold. Tomorrow should be perfect. Simple things like that give me joy. This 3 day weekend couldn’t’ come any faster.

Bev’s entry about Ayden’s 1st birthday just made me realize how far we’ve come as a family. I remember (vaguely) the first few weeks and months when Connor was born. I hated night time because I knew that sleep was gonna be non-existent. When I went back to work, I walked in a fog all day because of sleep deprivation. I honestly don’t know how I managed those early months but like every parent said, we got through it. There are still times when his sleep isn’t the best but for the most part, I feel normal again.

Connor’s turning 9 months tomorrow and sure compared to a lot of things, that isn’t a long time but to a new parent, it seems like it. Sometimes I can’t help but watch his older pictures and videos and all he does is turn his around around and kinda coo. Then I compare that to now where he tries to get into everything, flipping, kinda crawling and just all around being active. It’s really amazing. Now I know how it feels when parents say: “I don’t remember not having my son/daughter around.” He just seems like he’s been always there with us. Not to say that I don’t miss the old days but having a kid around isn’t so bad. It definitely changes the feel of the household.

Everyday I look at him and tell him how much I love him and I’m not sure if he really understands but he gives me that smile and something tells me that he does. Sometimes I ask my husband how we created such a beautiful creature. He just gives me this knowing smile and he says: “I’ve always known that we will.” hahaha… Kinda arrogant there but I believe him somehow.

So his 1st birthday is coming at us at light speed. Wasn’t it just yesterday when I had him? Time truly flies fast when you have a little one so you better make sure that you stop and enjoy the precious moments whenever you can.

Connor’s crib is part of the Jardine recall. So I called the hotline and we’ll be getting a kit and eventually a voucher to replace his crib. I’m still deciding if we should just let him sleep in his Pack ‘n Play temporarily or buy a new crib and get a refund for it. We’ll see.

He’s getting more and more active these days. During diaper and clothes changes he likes to wiggle and flip over. Last night was so funny. After his bath and everything, I usually give him a bottle so he’ll be full before going to bed. Well, I was trying to get situated in the glider and he was on my lap. I guess he couldn’t wait any longer so he grabbed the bottle and stuck it in his mouth. It was hilarious, I guess you should’ve been there. It’s weird though since he’d normally wait until we give him his bottle or food. He doesn’t try to grab the spoon when you feed him and when you show him the jar of baby food, he’ll just open his mouth expecting you to feed him. Spoiled brat! hahaha j/k. I am encouraging him to feed himself though.

Some days, I’m having a case of mommy blues, well maybe more like mommy guilt. I know I have to work and stuff so when I get home, I feel tired and sure his smiley face makes my day better but there are some days where I just wanna plop down on the bed and not do anything. This morning I felt bad because he woke up at 5 AM and I was just so dang tired from the day before that I yelled out: “Dammit! I just want a few minutes to sleep!” So the hubby took Connor and went to the other room so I can sleep. I don’t know what they did there but they came back close to 6 AM. I felt bad though but you know, we’re all only human. We all experience fatigue, frustration and anger. I’m sure I’ll have this type of experience in the future again. I’ll try to be more patient.

I kinda panicked when I saw an error message on my web page so I upgraded to the latest version (v 2.5) and voila!  it worked great!  Still getting used to the new look but I think I can find my way around.

So we’ve narrowed down our next vacation to Hawaii at least, either Maui or Kauai. My first choice is really Maui because the hubby and I have been talking about going there even before Connor was born/conceived. Since we’ve only gone to Oahu almost about 8-9 years ago, we wanted to try a different island. Ms. Dina has mentioned that Maui is the most expensive out of all the islands. From the travel books I’ve read, she was spot on but I think Hawaii in general is expensive anyway and if you do more research, I know you can cut costs. We plan to rent a condo and we’d like to eat where locals do. Also, since we’ll have the baby with us, we can’t do the helicopter rides, snorkeling and horse bike riding that most tourists do. We’ll just have to be creative. I think with those in mind, we can cut costs. We just want a getaway where we can relax. As for Kauai, I hear it’s relaxing too but to me, it just seems too remote. I’d like to experience some nightlife and of course shopping! I also heard that in Kauai, it’s best to rent a 4×4 or an SUV that can handle off-roading. That translates to more costs.

We don’t plan to go until spring of next year when the hubby has his Spring Break. However, I think it’s good to start researching now. This year we had a hiatus of having vacations because of the baby and also because I didn’t have enough vacation time but next year, I’ll definitely be ready. I’m just glad we were able to go here and there during the weekends.

So anyway, have any of you traveled to either one? If you have, what are the pros and cons, or maybe suggest good activities for young kids/infants. This one book I read recommended babysitting services but I’m really wary of leaving Connor with someone in a different State. Just paranoid I guess. I’m totally okay with not doing the usual activities one does when they visit Hawaii.

I’ve been having a slump lately when it comes to my work/career goals and I’m trying to rejuvenate my enthusiasm for educating myself. Well, I got an email today about a certification that I’ve been researching for. It’s through UCDavis which is nice and it’s online. It’s a little expensive (as expected) but I think I can make it work. Since it’s only a certification, I won’t need too many classes to get it. I really wanna move forward with this and I think it’s gonna help further my career. I need to buckle down and get serious again so I can go on with getting what I want jobwise.

Lately, I feel as if my brain is getting stale. Although stressful, I like the time in college when you had to register and plan for your classes. I think I handle stress pretty well and lately, I’ve been feeling complacent about my career. I really don’t want my skills to go to waste. So anyway, wish me luck in dealing with this. So far, they haven’t posted classes yet but I did sign up for their email list when they do. I’m pretty excited.

We watched Phantom of the Opera last Saturday in downtown Sacramento and it was the first time for me and the second time for the hubby. We made it a date since Connor didn’t go with us. It was kinda nice not having to worry about the baby but at the same time, we both missed him. We were 5 minutes late, so we had to wait a bit before going inside. I was pissed at myself cause I lagged. We didn’t leave our place until after 1 PM and the show starts at 2 PM. Although, what happened was we missed the parking garage we wanted to use. We didn’t see it so we had to go back to J Street and of course, it was bumper to bumper and then, when we got to the theater, the elevator took FOREVER so we missed it by 1 or 2 minutes. Oh well, the hubby said I didn’t miss much. I think next time though we’ll get the 1st tier cause the 2nd tier was too far I think even though we were in the middle. I was scared going through the row too because the step was so low and I feel like I was gonna go out of balance and fall on the people in front of me. The play itself was great but the stage was small. The voices were wonderful, most especially the guy who played The Phantom. It felt a little short to me. We had dinner reservations at Esquire Grille for 5:15 and we were out by 4:30-ish. I decided to take the hubby to a nice dinner afterwards as an advanced Father’s Day dinner because I know that places get packed the day of. The reviews were right on. I had the lamb chops and the hubby had the skirt steak. They were both divine. Then we shared the pecan brownie sundae for dessert. It was perfect! It was nice too because not a lot of people were there yet so the service was fast but not hurried. The last time we had a nice dinner for two was back during Valentine’s Day. It’s nice not having to make sure that your kid is entertained. After that, we stopped by a couple of stores, then we went home. I guess that was the highlight of my weekend.

I have to say though how proud I am of my husband these past couple of months. Since it’s just the 3 of us now, he’s really stepped up to his responsibilities. I get sad sometimes cause he spends more time with our son than I do just cause he has a shorter work day and he picks him up from daycare. I guess there’s nothing like having a child that makes you grow up and be more responsible. I feel lucky to have someone like him that shares the responsibility.

Seems like a lot of people are moving on at my work. I’m not necessarily jealous, in fact, I’m happy for them that they’re pursuing what they want, be it with their work or personal goals. It just made me think about what I should be doing now to get closer to my 5 year goal. I have to admit, my focus right now isn’t as strong compared to before. It takes me longer to finish something and quite honestly, I’m really bad when it comes to meetings and such–I’m always late. I know I need to make some changes in my life and I’m consciously trying to jumpstart that everyday but things get in the way and I always find myself saying: “I’ll do it tomorrow.” It’s really not a good thing.

I feel like I am really getting close to the fork in the road. I have no doubt in my mind what way I’d like to take but actually getting there requires concentration and diligence in my part. Now that Connor’s in daycare and things are starting to get back to normal, I can finally budget my time and work on stuff when I get home. I feel like I’m about to take my final exam but I’m procrastinating my studies. (Snap out of it Lissa!!!) I think my time line is still good though and I want to make sure that I come out with a good product, not a half-ass one. I want to make sure this time that I have a better shot at getting what I want. I guess from 1 to 10, I’m a 7 or 8 in terms of seriously considering some type of change.

There’s also some things going on in my family’s side that’s bothering me a bit. But with everything else, there’s no time to dwell on it because life is too short to be caught up in such petty things. No one got hurt so in the grand scheme of things, it’s all good. Just hope that some people will realize that whatever happened, happened for a good reason.

We’re halfway through 2008 and so far, I think it’s pretty good but I know it could be better. Maybe next year will be an awesome year. Exciting events seem to happen during odd years for me.

I feel like Lindsay Lohan in that one movie where luck was handed to her. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come. *knock on wood* It was Connor’s first day at daycare yesterday and we were told that he did well. He slept long about 3 hours, which is unusual for him. Maybe he was tired from the previous day’s activities. Maybe he also wanted to sleep his pain away. The poor thing, his bottom teeth are coming out. I can feel something sharp when I rub my finger on his gums. At night, in addition to the infant tylenol and teething tablets, I rub baby orajel too and that usually gets the job done.

So here’s my luck story. Yesterday when I get into my car to go home, I forgot that I didn’t setup my bluetooth headset with my phone so I get those two and walk over to the driver’s side. I close the door and started tinkering with my phone. My headset fell on the rug but I picked it up and put it between my legs on the driver’s seat. That was the last I saw of it. I got distracted that’s why, putting stuff on my PDA and putting away things. I even checked the outside if I dropped it—nothing. I was cursing myself on the way home for being so dumb. When I get home, I immediately checked again. Even the hubby helped me—still nothing. I decided to go to Costco to get another one but I didn’t open the package. My gut is telling me that it’s in my car somewhere. So when I went to work this morning, I was about to get out of my car to look around again when I opened my sun visor and there it went! It got stuck in my sun visor! Geez.. I was so happy and I’m glad I didn’t open my bluetooth package. I’ll be returning it to Costco this week.

Another thing is my conference to San Diego this August. This conference gets booked fast and the hotels that are contracted with the host fill up pretty quick. Since I’m about 2 months away from the conference, I had a hard time finding a hotel that had 5 straight days available in their hotel. Plus, the hotels left over were the expensive ones. I was about to go the AAA route but something in me said to call the conference line and ask for any availability. Well, I called and she told me that she’ll put me on the waitlist. She asked me what hotel I’d like and I told her. She asked me if I qualified for a government rate and I said yes. Next thing you know she said: “Oh, we have rooms available for that rate.” Yay! I couldn’t believe it. It’s the same hotel I stayed at last year so I know the ins and outs of that hotel. It’s convenient to where everything is and the trolley is right behind it. Plus, Fashion Valley is connected to it. hahaha.. Can’t beat that! So I’m glad that’s pretty much set. Now we have to plan our flights back to SoCal in September. The flights are getting expensive the longer we wait.

Now that daycare is just around the corner, it’s a reality that we will cough up extra $$$ that we’re not used to before so I was thinking of where to cut corners with some of our bills. We have a landline phone now but we didn’t before so that’ll probably get chucked. I’m thinking of taking out extra stuff on our cellphone plan that we don’t need and of course, most likely cut down more on eating out and stuff we don’t need. I’d probably have to adjust how much I give to my savings every month to pay for daycare as well. Thank God I have a raise in July that I can count on for this. So it’s not that I’m complaining but I guess it’s more of a reminder to myself that I need to do this. I’m just glad I don’t live in a really expensive area (LA, NYC, SF, etc) where daycare costs an arm and a leg. With a little bit of research, I think we can find a decent price for it.

So did any of you parents out there do the same? I was thinking before that if we lived near family we wouldn’t be worrying about this too much but at the same time, we really like where we live and to move down South again just to save on daycare just doesn’t make sense to me so I guess we’ll pay the price for it.

Pretty much from the time Connor was born, we’ve always had someone in the family watch after Connor but we need to put him in daycare for the time being so we’re planning to do interviews this week. I know that it’s inevitable that we will have to put him in daycare someday but I guess just the thought of a stranger looking after him makes me worry. I know that daycare is pretty much the norm in the US but maybe I’m more worried about how I feel more than how Connor will feel. Babies are very adaptable to their environment after all. At first we were thinking of a daycare center but I hear stories about babies getting sick a lot (totally normal) so I opted to look for an in-home daycare. I’ve found several and they’re really reasonable price wise so we’ll see.

Also, I know that some of our friends and relatives in our town are willing to watch over him. He really is a pretty easy baby. The first time we left him with someone other than my MIL, I was so worried. Worried that Connor will fuss and also worried that they won’t be able to give the same attention we do for him. It was only a couple hours but he did so well that our friend asked us if we need a sitter to ask them anytime. hahaha… I’m the type though who don’t like to impose too much. Also during Tuesday nights at choir practice, since I’m the only one at night watching him, I don’t go but my choir director tells me that it’s totally okay and that there are several aunties that can watch over him. So I’ll take her up on that and I’ll attend practice this Tuesday just to see. The only reason I’m apprehensive is because his bedtime is between 8:30-9 PM and practice ends at 9. So I guess I’ll just get him ready before I go to practice so after it’s done, it’s straight to bed for him.

Yeah I have some trust issues I need to work on and I know I need to loosen up but can you blame me?