Too much sugar

It was freezing this morning when we left for school. This was the first time that daddy did not drop Ethan off. Back to school for my little buddy and he was really good. Ethan did not fuss when we arrived in his class, he went straight to the train set! I missed my little baby...but the day went by so quickly!

Van left for work really early this morning but it was great that he came home early to take Ethan to M for some fries and chicken nuggets! When Marisa came home from school, daddy took both kids with him so that Marisa could get her Chipotle. A moment of peace for me...yeah! No, I actually doze off for when my gang left. It was nice to catch a little zzzzz since my boy was tossing and turning all night. I think Ethan had too much sugar right before bedtime. Well, Ethan had two clementines and one box of orange juice. Note to self, don't feed the baby any sugary stuff before going to bed...it took Ethan a long time to fall asleep and he was tossing and turning through out the night.

One thing for sure...Ethan was a great entertainer! He kept us smiling into the night with his singing and dancing. Marisa and daddy kept encouraging Ethan with their laughter! The dancing seem to go on and on...just to think, Ethan is normally an energized baby but since he's been powered by sugar, he can keep going and going and going. I hope that he gets enough sleep for school...hate to see him tired.

Random thought on Sunday

After a lifetime of shopping (that's what it feels like), it's nice to just be home, even if it's for a brief moment! It's 10:30 in the morning and how nice it is to have this moment to update on my blog. My husband is working today, yes, on a Sunday and my children are still asleep. Oh no, I spoke too soon...I hear my Ethan calling for daddy and for me!

I'm back and it's 6:31 in the evening. I ran into the room when I heard my baby boy calling. Ethan was sitting in a daze but when he caught a glance of me, he called out "mom". I held my baby for another 15 minutes longer and he closed his eyes to just catch a little bit more sleep! I love to cuddle with my sweet boy but the sun was glaring through the windows... Ethan was also asking for daddy and for Sa when he finally was fully awake. I told Ethan that daddy was working and that Sa was still sleeping.I woke Marisa early enough though so that we could head on out to Potomac Mills Mall. Marisa wanted to go and exchange her sweats so she did not fuse with me for waking her up so early. Figure that! Marisa loves to sleep in as much as possible but it was so nice and sunny out that I just had to get my children out before the day is over. I did not want to keep them out so late since they have to return to school on Monday.We ended up at grandma's house for dinner. She made pho, Thai style, and it was really good. Ethan was so playful! He ran around the house and took a dip in the toilet water..yes, he's been fascinated with flushing the toilet and watching the water twirl around. Thank goodness that he stayed away from Yai's plants (dirt) while he was drenched! Ethan loves to not have to wear clothes so this was just perfect for him. Grandma thought that he was so adorable...she said that Ethan must be feeling better because he was just too playful. She also said that Ethan's uncle in Thailand misses Ethan so much. She said that he was hoping that Ethan would come to Thailand to visit. We would love to go but financially, it's not really possible for us. Oh but to dream though!

I was so happy to not have to cook tonight! I'm a bit tired from running around today that having a break from cooking is a welcome change. We dropped Ashley's friend off in Sterling before coming home. My husband was home before we arrived...Ethan was so happy to see his daddy.

It's getting late and Ethan is getting fussy since he did not take a nap today...just wanted him to have some time with daddy before I get him ready for bed. Can't believe that December is right around the corner!

Thanksgiving 2010

Happy Thanksgiving...may your days be blissful & your lives by filled with wonders, laughter, love, warmth, music, hugs and kisses.

I'm so thankful for such a gracious Heavenly Father. Through good and bad times, HE has watched over me and often times have carried me. I am grateful that HE has given me the wisdom to know what's right and wrong, strength to stand up for what I believe in, courage to not have to conform, perseverance to continue to do what is right, knowledge that I am blessed with a wonderful family, will to face obstacles with optimism, freedom to choose, tolerance to withstand any bumps along the way, confident to do things with an open heart, a sense of peace that HE is beside me, hope & faith that I am truly loved, and foremost, patience to live, laugh, learn and love while staying true to who I am!

I'm thankful to be surrounded by those who love unconditionally and give so whole heartedly.

My children are everything that’s good in my life. My children are my reminders of how precious each day is. They've filled my heart and warmed my soul when at times I thought that it would not be possible. They've taught me that every moments, big or small, are meant to be treasured. When I became a MOTHER, I was given the greatest gift in this world. The gift of motherhood to two perfect little angels! An incredible miracle in my life came in the form of the most beautiful, amazing, and precious Marisa and Ethan! At first glimpse of my little angels, I knew how fortunate I was to have been chosen to be THEIR mother. Feelings of pure joy and perfect LOVE overwhelmed my heart! It was impossible to find words that would have described what emotions have engulfed me. My children have completed me in so many ways! I was scared but also excited knowing that I was given the responsibility of caring, nurturing, raising, teaching, guiding and loving these perfect little babies. As moment’s passes, I feel so privileged to have witnessed the profound differences that my children have made in my life. I am so full of gratitude and also at awe with the love that I was given!

My husband, who is my best friend, have walked with me through thick and thin. He is the epitome of a leader. With his exemplary character and easygoing personality, he has taught me to not sweat the small things in life. My husband is my advocate for living life with no more regrets. My husband has taught me to never settle for anything less than what I am entitled to. I use the word "entitled" because my husband said that I have to be selfish every now and then & put my wants and needs first. My husband said that it's okay to say "NO", just do what I can. He said that I've lived too long trying to accommodate others. He said that I’ve been too amendable, obedient and conscientious of what others are expecting. He said that it's time for me to open my heart so that I could see what he and my children have always known…that I am an amazing person and that with no doubt, I have so much love for everyone. My husband is a man with very few words but when he open up his heart and mouth to tell me things, I am reminded of how charmed my life is!

Cheesecake Factory & The People Picture

Yummy! It's never wrong to go to the Cheesecake Factory after a long day of waiting. The red velvet cheesecake was so delicious. This was a welcome treat for me and my children especially when we waited for hours at the Picture People place. What a huge differences in customer service ~ night and day. We were seated right away and our server was exceptional. Although he had just started with the company a few weeks ago and was a bit nervous, he did an excellent job. He even went as far as to wait for our table to finish out meal before getting off from work. I would recommend everybody to go to the Cheesecake Factory in Fair Oaks Mall for some TLC. It took us a while to finish our meal since we waited on Amanda to join us for dinner. Marisa was so hungry so she had ordered so much food, which I knew that she was not going to finish. It was a perfect ending to a horrible session with the picture folks.Who knew that everybody was thinking the same thing when it came to getting their Holiday pictures taken! Initially, our appointment was at 4:30; however, we were able to get Marisa into the doctor's office early so we headed to Fair Oaks in hope to change our schedule. We arrived at 11:30 but the place had only two people working...the manager and another person. I was pretty patient since I knew that it would be hectic but boy, not being acknowledged was pretty bad.I was not greeted when I walked into the store nor did anyone person from the store approached me while I stood in front of the cash register. I don't care how busy you are but you must acknowledge your customer...say that you would be with them soon or say I'm sorry that it's crazy but I'll be with you as soon as possible...anything. I went back to the car to gather my children so that we could go to the Apple store to check online for any available time besides my scheduled appointment. I decided to give the People folks another try...walked in, stood at the register but this time, I open up my mouth to a guy that was helping another customer in previewing their pictures. Now I know that he did not need to sit with them while they preview their pictures so I asked for him to check on the schedule. Good or bad, he was the manager and I told him that I came into the store a moment ago but did not get any service. I normally don't greet people this way but I wanted him to be aware that customer service was lacking. We changed our appointment to 1:30...and it went downhill after that. We arrived early to get ready...twenty minutes later, we were lead into the back. The photographer was the same girl who had taken pictures for us before...I was not happy with the choice but we didn't have many choices. I wanted to make the best of things so we went with the flow. I didn't really anticipate that the wait would be so long. I don't think it really matters on when we come to this place, it's always horrible to wait for hours. This place was packed like sardines...thank goodness that my children were really great troopers! I was very disappointed with how the pictures turned out...Ethan wasn't even looking at the camera in most of the poses. I hate having to go back to the Picture People folks but I keep giving them chances. We've been to them five times already since Ethan's birth and all these visits resulted in bad customer service, poor quality of poses/pictures, long waiting time however, I always end up buying pictures and leaving these poorly taken pictures in my piles of stuff. I hate to throw pictures of my angels away even when the pictures are in poor quality. This is why my husband hates for me to go any photography place...I can't say no! My heart was set on getting some really great pictures but of course it was such a big disappointment. You live and learn but in this case I've been giving the folks at the Picture People many opportunities to getting it right. My daughter is fifteen and the only time that we got really great pictures from the Picture People was when she was seven. We took the pictures with Ashley, Celina, and Samantha for Yai's birthday at Springfield Mall. Who ever had great experiences with a photographer...please let me know. I would love to capture my Ethan and Marisa while they are still young.

O Christmas Tree

My son, my super super helper! Yes, I've been slaving over our Christmas tree and the only helper in our home is my sweet baby boy. I'm so amazed with my little angel...I'm glad that Ethan is like me....LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Christmas!Ethan gathered all of the branches for the tree. He also tried to help with the lights but it was more work for me to get them untangled around Ethan! Ethan was able to put some of the ornaments up on the tree...so sweet watching Ethan in deep concentration when he was trying to find the perfect spot for the ornaments. My husband said that the tree looked nice...Marisa said that we are missing something on top. Well, in years past, we've topped the tree with an angel and a huge bow but this year, Marisa asked if we could get a star. I've been looking for the perfect star but have not been too successful. Not giving up...we'll fine one that's right for our silver, white and blue tree. It was easy last year because we decorated the tree with cold, white and red and I already had a huge red bow for the top!I asked my husband and my daughter to please try and continue this tradition for our Ethan. I just want one tradition that I love so much to be passed on to my children. I love everything about Thanksgiving and Christmas...when Marisa was young...she was a great helper too! In years past, we've always put the Christmas tree on or around Thanksgiving but since Ethan's been with us...I've been trying to have our tree up by my husband's birthday...thought that it would be a nice thing for our family to do together and plus to be able to enjoy the decorations much longer.

Off again, on again

When oh when are we going to see the light at the end of the tunnel? My little man's fever is like a yo-you, up and down. It was up again tonight/morning, but luckily Ethan did not wake up when he cried for me constantly in his sleep...he also cried out for daddy twice during his sleep!

Ethan woke up early to say good-bye to daddy. I struggled while giving Ethan Tylenol and Ethan won the fight with the cold wet towel/compress for his forehead! It's been about one month now that Ethan's been fighting off this viral infection. This is not normal...I just have to keep my eyes on Ethan to make certain that this doesn't turn into something worse.

Thank goodness that my little monkey bear is so happy and energized. I hope with all of the running and playing around that this would help kick this viral stuff out of Ethan's system! I know that it takes time but it's heart wrenching to see my son sick and that there is nothing that I can do to take it away from him. What's keeping he going is knowing that my baby bear knows that he has us wrapped around his little fingers and toes! Ethan, you are so loved...mommy, daddy and your big sister are here for you...just get well soon!

Random on this cold evening

Van and I decided to renew our passport so we took some pictures. My husband doesn't believe in smiling for the camera so this was the best picture of him! It will be another ten years before we get a new passport...oh well!

Relaxing at home after dropping Marisa off to see Harry Potter with her friend Gabby. Ethan is downstairs with daddy and I'm trying to catch up just a bit. My little monkey was fascinated with this bag of bagels so I left him to entertain himself. Ethan is just too adorable to say "NO" to but I'm happy that he is feeling much better to run around with a bag of bagels. YOU GO BOY!This afternoon, Ethan and I went to Arcola Elementary to meet with his teacher. We talked about Ethan's progress for about an hour before we headed home to meet up with daddy. Ethan's teacher said that Ethan is doing very well considering that he's been out of school for a very long time. Ethan's teacher said that everyone who's been in contact with Ethan have been very impressed with how well he follow instructions. She also commented that everyone raved about how evident it is that we work really hard with Ethan. We still have a long way to go but we are so proud of our son.Ethan's been using words with daddy rather than signing since daddy doesn't understand. Ethan would ask for "more" when he finishes with his milk. Ethan is also saying "bye bye mom" and "bye bye daddy". Last night when I was reading Good Night Little Bear to Ethan, he said "apple". This morning, Ethan said "no no" and pointed his index finger at daddy. Two days ago, Ethan asked for Ashley. Of course, Ethan asks for Sa Sa every moment possible. I'm thrilled to hear my little man's voice...it is music to my ears! I can't wait for more to come...I believe that Ethan will be more like his mommy...I hope!

yaaaahoooo

Two wet diapers so far and it's only 10:15 in the morning. Ethan's temperature is down but I'm still weary of Ethan's condition. Gosh, I thought that as Ethan gets older...that I would be less incline to worry about him getting this sick.

I remember those days where we were always in and out of the doctor's office and being stuck in the hospital forever. I've been told that Ethan would "grow out of it"...I'm still waiting for Ethan to grow out of this. My heart aches when I see him so sick...I feel so helpless when I have to rely on TIME to make everything better. Modern medicine can't help my sweet angel but this doesn't stop me from thanking Heavenly Father for my little baby. Ethan is pure joy and he is such a fighter. Mommy is going to be strong for you, my baby!

IV or not

Ethan's doctor said to take Ethan to Fairfax Hospital to have Ethan hook up to the IV. Ethan only had one wet diaper at 8:30 this morning and it's 4 o'clock in the afternoon. In addition, Ethan is very sluggish today especially with his temperature racing to the top! My husband said to just give Ethan one more chance to fight this and if he is still not eating or drinking, we will take him in the morning.

It's gut wrenching to I see my son in this condition. I've been watching the clock and it seems to be standing still. I've given Advil to Ethan, but it's taking an eternity to bring Ethan's temperature down. I raced to all of the local pharmacy to try and find infant's Tylenol or Motrin suppository but nothing was available. At the ER, they had recommended for me to get it for Ethan since it was easier. Ethan kept throwing up the Advil so it beats the purpose of getting Ethan's temperature under control! Each seconds that passes by & Ethan's temperature is not dropping, it makes me more eager to take a hold of my son and dash on over to the hospital.

Ethan slept for a few hours, which was good for him. He needs rest, lots and lots! When daddy came home, Ethan lite up like Christmas lights! I love seeing his face when he is around his daddy! By the time my husband came home, Ethan was laughing and running around. Ethan was willing to eat and drink again! Ethan's temperature was normal but I'm still watchful...need to make certain that Ethan is not dehydrated. I know that taking him to the hospital would be an ideal situation but you don't know how hard it is on us and on our baby. Ethan is still bruised from the ER ~ the nurses tried to take some blood & it was really difficult for them to find Ethan's veins. If we are able to keep Ethan hydrated, I would feel better than making my son suffer at the hospital. I'm going to be a hawk tonight...I pray that Ethan gets better!

ER

Again, Ethan woke mommy up at around two this morning from his quivering and heavy breathing. Ethan was having fast sallow breathes. His heartbeat was racing and so was his temperature. Woke daddy up to let him know that we were heading to the ER at Fairoaks Hospital. I did not see the need to call 911 since we did that two weeks ago and ended up with nothing. I also did not want the chance of waiting until morning to see his doctor...the ride to the hospital took us less than twenty minutes. On our way into the hospital, I prayed to God to watch over Ethan and to keep him safe. All that I could do was kiss my son so that he would know that we are with him and that we love him dearly!It's strange that Ethan is fine and dandy during the day but by early morning, my baby is suffering so much! I nebuelized Ethan at eight thirty when he fell asleep and then waited until mid-night to give him another treatment. Before heading to the hospital, I gave Ethan some Advil to help with his temperature. By the time we arrived, Ethan's temperature was 104.6!

The nurse gave Ethan a Tylenol suppository and within an hour, Ethan's temperature came down to 103.4. Again, Ethan had 100 mg of Motrin and a cold compress on his forehead. Ethan had his chest x-ray, nose swap for RSV, ears checked for infections, throat check for signs of infections and blood work done...all came back normal. The doctor said that Ethan is trying to fight some sort of a viral infection. The doctor feared in giving Ethan any steroids and recommended for us to follow up with Ethan's doctor. The doctor said that Ethan may have bronchitis but unable to determine...just received a call from Ethan's doctor's office...WOW! They wanted to check up on Ethan. I was waiting for the office to open before calling this to make an appointment...great that they called me before hand. Mommy have to take Ethan in at 11:30 this morning. Ethan's been up since two this morning...hope that he can keep his energy up to fight whatever virus that's invading his little body.

Dinner for four

Finally, we were able to catch up with my beautiful niece for dinner at Sweet Water Tavern! Her birthday was in October but she's been pretty busy with school. We were meeting up on Saturday for dinner for both her birthday and my husband's birthday. My husband was working but he was also not feeling well so we went to dinner without him.Amanda met up with us at Fairoaks Mall. Marisa shopped for her dress. Well, Marisa's friend is having a huge celebration for her 15th birthday and had asked for Marisa to be in her "court". They settled on a really cute gray dress with a flower bow in the front. I met Nicole's mom and Courtney's mom...felt better about letting Marisa go to the party after meeting the mothers. My husband is still not convinced about letting our daughter out without us...he's old fashion but I understand completely. Marisa is our darling baby and we're a bit protective of her.After shopping, we ended up at Yai's house. My mother's been there for a few days and I had told her that I would pick her up to take her back home. Ethan loved the attention that he was getting from both of his grandmothers, Yai's close friend ~ Angela, Amanda, Marisa, Ashley and Ashley's friends. I wish that I had Ethan's energy...but so glad to get the extra help from these young girls!

After dropping Thu in Manassas, we headed to dinner. At Sweet Water, Ethan said "hi" to everyone. He waved at all of the servers who walked passed us. One of the hostesses came to give Ethan a balloon and my son gave her a hug and a kiss. He is such a flirt! She said that he was so adorable and that he made her day...yep, Ethan is a little sunshine. He blew her a kiss, waved and said "bye-bye" with a smile, of course!