Having a second child is not just twice the work. For me, and other mothers of multiple children I have spoken to, two children are triple, sometimes even quadruple the work of one kid! With my in-laws having returned to Hong Kong, I am finally on my own in being the caretaker of a 4-month-old […]
That Bastard Second Wind…
Any idiot can tell you that being a parent is tiring. Sometimes, I am so drained by the end of the day that every bone in my body seems to ache, every muscle sore, and I actually feel nauseous from the physical exhaustion. And at these moments, all that gets me through the next minute and […]
Reverent Sundays: Premarital Sex
Welcome to today’s installment of Reverent Sundays, where I write about an aspect of my faith. This can deal with recent books I have read on Christianity, my thoughts on religion and current issues, as well as particular messages I find touching and/or powerful. I am aware that most of my readers are not religious, and […]
Cute Interactions with Claire’s Lovey
Soon after Claire was born, we received a package from our Canadian friend Girl on the Park — an adorable stuffed giraffe for Claire! We kept the giraffe in Claire’s crib through sleep training and teething, often placing it into her arms so that she could use it as a source of comfort. Before long, […]
Aerin’s Eczema Treatments
Our younger daughter may be a happier and easier baby than Claire, but as with many things in life her merry temperament seems to have come with a tradeoff: her sensitive, eczema-prone skin. No one else in J or my immediate families suffer from eczema so this is brand-new territory for us. (Our pediatrician told […]
Three Notes of Superficiality
One… Last week, I got a haircut. I hadn’t gotten a cut in over six months, and with the post-partum hair loss I have been experiencing (it’s not as bad as last time, but it’s still pretty disgusting), my hair was in dire need of some servicing. I was about to go make an appointment […]
Reverent Sundays: Child-Like Innocence?
Welcome to today’s installment of Reverent Sundays, where I write about an aspect of my faith. This can deal with recent books I have read on Christianity, my thoughts on religion and current issues, as well as particular messages I find touching and/or powerful. I am aware that most of my readers are not religious, and […]
The Serious One vs The Happy One
At about this time last year, I would often wonder if I were doing something wrong with Claire. Yes, every new mother has her moments of doubt regarding childcare, but the type of worry that went through my mind was of a different sort — I was concerned because Claire was such a serious, intense baby. […]
“Why do we continue to watch this?”
Being the parents of two young girls, J and I have very little time to watch TV. So when we do get the time to catch up on our favorite shows, it is not uncommon for one of us to ask the other, “Why do we continue to watch this show again?” Let me explain. […]
Hibachi FAIL
Yesterday, J suggested that we take both girls and — with the help of his parents — go have lunch at a Hibachi Steakhouse. Before I go on, I should state that I do not particularly like taking my kids to “adult” places. If the locale is specifically marketed as a family-friendly establishment? Sure, let’s […]