Swim Class?

Hey All - I've been looking at swim classes for Mason so when he turns 6 months we can start taking the classes. I'll always remember when my teacher in elementary school informed us that the earth is made up of 75% water and how terrified I was because I didn't know how to swim!

Thankfully, in high school I was forced to take a swim class to pass the swim test which was needed for us to graduate from high school. Since I learned to swim at an an older age I know now that it would be better for Mason to learn how to swim sooner rather than later. So that leads me to the present time where I am researching swim classes for my little boy.

I've checked out La Petite Baleen swim classes but they seem rather pricey and the classes appear to be hit or miss depending on what teacher you are assigned.

Any moms out there in SF or the peninsual have suggestions? If so, it would be great!

Have a good weekend.

My Chubs!

Hey All,

Here are more pics of my chubs! Ever since I've returned to work, I am appreciating EVERY.SINGLE.MOMENT with him.

IPAD FUN!

I am LOVING my new Ipad. First off, it keeps Mason quiet during our car trips because he gets to watch Yo Gabba Gabba! and he also gets to have fun looking in the photo booth taking pics. He absolutely loves the Ipad. It is such a great investment because it gave me back my sanity during our VERY short car rides. And Mason is happier because of it.

We have been having so much fun taking pics with the photo booth and camera with the IPAD. Here are some of our IPAD pics (The other baby in some of the pics is Mason's cousin, Tristan):











Had to put a sleeping pic in there cause I love him so much!

Good Morning!

Hi Everyone! My lovely family and I had a great weekend.

After my first week of work, my girlfriends came over and we had dinner and some adult beverages together. It was so fun. We ordered chinese food in and the kiddies had some cupcakes. Mason of course enjoyed his baby food.

All of my girlfriends brought their daughters ranging from 3 months to 5 years old totaling a total of 4 girls and Mason was the only boy. He of course LOVED it. We all watched RIO which was so much fun.

Here are some pics of the girls, our drinks and a pic of Mason the next morning still sound asleep from all the fun.







We also brought Mason to church and he was very very well behaved, that is until he wet his diaper and we had to leave about 10 minutes early just to change it. He enjoyed going to church and watching all of the people. It was so much fun!
Here's a pic of Mason and his daddy walking to church.



We also spent some time with his cousin Tristan at the Gymboree Learn & Play class which was so fun. We love getting to spend time with them. Have a great week to you all!

Back at Work!

Hey all. I am finally back at work and it has been great.
What's great is that Mason is with his grandmother's (my mom, mother-in-law) and dad during the day. But we will probably put him in daycare once he turns 1 or closer to 2 years old. He adjusted really well to the transition and even ignores me when I return home from work.

My first day back at work was awesome! My colleagues had a big YAY sign outside of our office door and gave me balloons, welcome back cards and even cleaned my desk. It was so amazing to be back. I did miss my baby boy and kept texting and calling my Mother in law and his dad to send me pics. :)

The only thing I HATE is pumping at work. Ugh - it is the biggest drag but I know I have to continue doing it to keep my supply up for the baby. If you mommas have any tips on how to increase supply during a pump session - let me know because I am only getting about 3 ounces per session which is so odd. Anyway, that's all. Have a great weekend!

Here are pics of my balloons and office door.

It's a Charmed Life

It was my last weekend before I start work again so my family and I decided to go to Napa Valley just to get away.

It was so much fun! We stayed at a Westin property and indulged in relaxation, some wine, great food and snuggling with baby Mason.

Mason had a great time and was so good. He loved being out and about. We will definitely return to Napa since Mason had so much fun. He even wore his cute sunglasses and everywhere we went people stopped us just to comment on his cuteness. I loved spending time with my family.

Here are some of the pics! I will definitely upload more from my camera as soon as I get the chance. Have a great evening.













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FIRST NIGHT OUT!

(The beautiful couple Camille & Brian)


(The gorgeous bride with her bridesmaids and flower girls)


(Pic of us which we used in the guest book)

I can't believe my husband and I actually went out last night without Baby Mason. He is 5 months and 2 weeks old today and last night was the first night we actually went out without him. We were invited to our good friend Camille and Brian's wedding and it was SUCH a FUN night. I actually had an adult beverage (well half of one haha) and didn't fell guilty about it one bit.

Mason got to spend time with his grandma (my mother-in-law) and cousin Niko and he had a great time. Although my MIL did let me know that he cried about half the time he was there before going to sleep. Awwww... I missed my cute little baby.

Anyway the wedding was so much fun and I got to meet another momma who has a 4 month old son and we talked about all of our baby adventures, going back to work etc. My husband and I agreed that we will now start going on date nights at least once a month. I think it makes for a happier marriage, a happier mom and dad which equals a happier baby. Have a great weekend all!

Special Delivery!

YAY! I finally got my IPAD 2 in the mail. That's right, I bit the bullet and joined the masses and bought myself an Ipad. I even engraved it with a special shout out to my son.

Time

Where has the time gone? I still remember being 36 weeks pregnant and leaving work for the last time to start my maternity leave. I was ecstatic! I felt like a kid who just started summer. 6 months felt like it would be FOREVER.

I remember my husband picking me up from work for my non-stress test and then going out to dinner after. I was so happy.

Those weeks before Mason was born dragged a bit but I remember enjoying that time and getting a prenatal massage, a mani/pedi, catching up on trashy TV shows, getting his nursery ready (which he STILL does not use haha), SLEEPING and spending time with the dogs.

Now it's been EXACTLY 6 months that I've step outside of my work doors and I am scheduled to return to work next Wednesday. I now have a 5 month old soon who wakes me up every morning by "singing" to me.

My husband has a new job and is away from Mason and I on most nights and though I am thankful for that job, I miss my husband.

We also only have 1 dog now instead of 2. But that's another story.

I remember my friend telling me, "Your life will never be the same after you have your baby".

And she's right, My life hasn't been the same. I have another beautiful life that I am responsible for. I know how precious life is and the miracle that I have been blessed with.

It's crazy how time flies. I wish I could stop it for once and just sit here and hug my precious little boy. He is growing up too fast.

One thing is for sure. I am enjoying the PRESENT moment. Because that's exactly what it is.

Sleep Sheep

I am so THANKFUL for my Sleep Sheep because my son has now been sleeping for approximately 2 hours for his afternoon nap. I love it because it blocks out any outside noise and I can take it anywere. Everywhere I go, people ask me about it. Our dentist even mentioned that she wants one for herself. I only wish I bought this sleep sheep earlier. It was the best investment ever!

Precious Moments

I love watching my son sleep. That is all. Sigh...

Close to my Heart

The day after Mason's birth day (March 5, 2011), my very best friend Nina gave me a necklace engraved with his name. I have never taken it off UNTIL the chain broke last week. Thankfully, I was able to buy a cheaper chain on Amazon.com (LOVE THEM) and I was able to put my necklace back on yesterday.



I absolutely love this necklace because it allows me to have Mason close to my heart even when I'm not with him. When I accidently broke the chain, Nina gave me the website where she bought the necklace which you may access by clicking this link.

I love their necklaces and want to buy the Forever Loop necklace so I can have my husband and son's name engraved on the necklace. What do you think?

My Favorite Time of the Day

Hands down has to be right before bedtime. I love the time I get to read to my son and rock him to sleep. The quietness and joy of the moment brings me to tears at times.

It is absolutely the BEST thing in the world. I am so in love with my son and love being a mother. I've honestly never felt a love like this before and it's terrifying. A piece of my heart will always be with Mason and it has changed me forever.

Once my son is asleep, I just watch him. I revel in the way his eyelashes curl up, the way his cute lips purse and the way his chubby cheeks feel against my hand. It is the best feeling in this world and indescribable. Now I know why women continue to give birth over and over again. Because the feeling you get when you're with that baby is absolute BLISS.

Pictures for My Desk

One of the March Mommies in my birth club posted that she has a digital picture frame of her son loaded with about a hundred or so pics at her desk when she returned to work. She mentioned that it makes her day go by so much faster when she's at work and if she misses her son she can just look at the pics. I am so going to do this. I think it's a great idea. I don't know how I'm going to pick the pictures since I've taken over a thousand pics of Mason. I can't wait to receive the digital photo frame so I can load it with pics.

Last week of Maternity Leave

I had a relaxing morning today. My husband put together Mason's jumperoo and Mason was finally able to play with it. Although like all things, the jumperoo only held his attention for about 15 minutes. But after playing in the jumperoo he was ready for a nap which was awesome! I love the jumperoo.

So, it's my VERY last week before I start work next week and I was able to squeeze in some "ME" time and ran to get a quick mani/pedi close by so I can run back home to snuggle with the baby. After all, I won't have as much time with Mason once I return to work. When I returned home, he had a huge smile on his face. It was adorable! I don't know how I'm going to feel when I return return. If I had the choice I would stay at home with my sweet son but I need to get back to work so I can provide a better future for him.



The pic above is a post of him when I returned home. Love my son to pieces.

Gymboree Play & Learn class

Mason & I had a play date with his cousin Tristan today at the Gymboree Play & Learn class. It was so much fun! We're planning on signing up for the membership so Mason can spend this time learning and having fun with us.

The first class is free and it's totally worth it. It's so much fun and such a great time for the babies. If you're interested in signing up for a class, you can click here.

Letter from the President to YOUR Baby

Hey all! How cool is this? You can get a congratulations letter from the President addressed to your baby. I'm going to get this done over the weekend so I can include the letter in Mason's photobook. Follow the steps below to get your letter:

To receive a congratulatory letter from President Obama for your baby send:

Name and home address of baby

Form of address (Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., Miss, etc.)

Exact date of occasion (month, day, year)

Your (the requestor's) name and daytime phone number

Baby's Birth (Include baby's date of birth and full names and address of baby and parents)

Submit congratulations request AFTER the baby is born by:

Fax:
202-395-1232

Mail:
The White House
Attn: Greetings Office
Washington, D.C. 20502-0039

OR Web Mail:
White House Web Mail

Our New Mobile

Hey Mommas! We finally received our rainforest mobile a couple days ago and my husband installed it on Mason's crib. He loves it but like all other things it can only keep him entertained 15 minutes at the most. At least I can wash his bottles or get ready for the next day during this time.

I also found a take long mobile that I can attach to Mason's car seat that I'm debating on buying. He has been hating his car seat rides and right now the only thing that distracts him from crying is this baby app on Shane's iphone but someone has to be in the back seat for him to watch it. :) And I can't always have someone in the back seat especially when I return to work. Anyway, here's a pic of the item. Do any of you moms have this? If so, what do you think?

Happy 5 Months Baby Mason!

Happy 5 Months Baby Mason!! We LOVE you so much. You're growing up so fast. You've changed my life for the better and I'm sooo happy to have you as my son.

Sprinkles Cupcakes

Mason turns 5 months tomorrow and I really want to celebrate it with a box of Sprinkles cupcakes. I've been craving for them lately! Actually any cupcake will do right about now. I want to satisfy my sweet tooth. Hopefully after our dentist appointment tomorrow we can spoil ourselves with a cupcake.

Yum! I know what I'll be dreaming of tonight.

TUMMY Time!

If it wasn't for my March Momma friends, I wouldn't have known to start Mason on tummy time as soon as I did. If I recall correctly, we started doing tummy time with him at approximately 2 to 3 weeks. He HATED it at first and would cry every single time we would put him on his tummy but he's finally grown to love it.

Today, he actually started to scoot when I put new toys in front of him. Pretty soon, he'll probably be crawling. I don't know if I'm ready for it yet. My baby is growing up so fast! I can't believe he'll be 5 months tomorrow. Wow!

Baby Website deals...

Since we're on the topic of baby related deals. Here's a few sites I check out to score deals on the latest baby stuff:

www.zulily.com

www.gilt.com

www.babysteals.com

www.babyhalfoff.com

www.amazon.com/mom (ABSOLUTELY recommend! They have the lowest priced diapers than anywhere I've researched. I usually use their subscribe and save deal. If you don't need it anymore, you can just cancel the subscription at any time)

What discount sites do you recommend?

BabyGap 30% off today until August 8th

Hey All! I know how quickly our babies outgrow their clothing so I am constantly looking for the best deals for my little boy. Well today BabyGap is having an extra 30% OFF sale online if you use coupon code 30off. Happy Shopping Mommas!

Lunch time Date @ Lavash

Since it's getting close for me to return to work, my family and I have been trying to enjoy as much time together before I return to work. Today we went to lunch at a Persian restaurant called Lavash. It was so good. I tried their Persian iced tea, chicken kebabs. My husband had the beef/lamb kebab. Mason was asleep during the first half of lunch but woke up while we were eating and watched us eat our food. He was so interested in what we were eating. It was so cute!

Here's a pic of Mason watching his daddy cut his food. Since we're such foodies, we want to expose Mason to the different types of food our city offers. Next time, we'll try a Spanish restaurant.

Car Seat Drama

Mason used to LOVE sitting in his car as a newborn and up until early last month. For some reason,the past month he has decided he hated the car seat. Now, EVERY.SINGLE.TIME we are in the car he cries and cries. No matter what we do, he wants to cry until he is OUT of his car seat. I've tried reading to him, singing to him, driving with the window down, holding his hand and NONE of it works. I hope it's just a phase that passes quick!

Love You Forever...

Mason,
Every night I read you this book. And every night it still brings tears to my eyes.

"Love You Forever
Like You For Always
As Long as I'm Living
My Baby You'll Be"

I've read plenty of books in my life and this book has left a footprint in my heart like no other book has. I want you to know that this book reminds me so much of you and how I feel about you.

Like the song I sing to you everynight before you fall asleep, "You make me so happy."

Love, Mom

YummY!

Mason,

The very first time you tried solids was at your Ninong Philippe and Ninang Sheryll's house. Ninang Hazel videotaped the whole thing and you hated it.

So after a few days, I tried fruits and veggies and it still took you a while to enjoy the food but you finally took to it and LOVE it now.

I love how wide-eyed you get when I'm feeding you. You love your food.

Maternity Leave

Honestly, I can say that I am VERY LUCKY to have a career that allows me to take 6 months of maternity leave. But those months have gone by so fast! I return to work in approximately 2 weeks and I feel as if I need more time with my little boy. But, at least I am lucky that he will be taken care of by his daddy since we have opposite work schedules. BUT if I could move to Canada and take advantage of their 1 year of maternity leave (paid with half your income), I would! After all, our babies are only this small for such a short period of time.

Where are you from and how much maternity leave did you have?

Dreams for my Son

I've wanted to be a mother for such a long time and when I was FINALLY blessed with baby Mason I was so happy. When I was younger, my parents always told me that anything I could dream of, I could achieve as long as I worked hard for it. I am forever thankful for the way my parents raised me. Now that I'm a mother, I have many dreams,hopes and wishes for my son.

I dream for him to have a happy, healthy long life.
I dream for him to have many many friends and to find happiness in all that he does.
I dream for him to find a career that will not only provide him with stability, success and wealth but also happiness and fulfillment.
I wish that he finds love one day and that she treat him with respect, love and loyalty.
I hope that he is safe from dangers and is protected from ill will.
I hope that he finds this world full of joy and happiness.
I dream for him to have the ability to travel this beautiful world that we live in.
I hope that he has the means to eat whatever he wants.
I dream that one day my son will live in a peaceful world.

I love you son. Lastly, I hope that all of your dreams, hopes and wishes come true.

Hello World!

Hi all! After seeing all the momma blogs and my sister(in-law's) awesome blog I decided to start one so I can document all of my baby Mason's milestones and adventures. Excited to share all of our adventures with you!