Mission accomplished

It's quite unbelievable that I actually have the courage to fly all the way to the other side of the world alone with a toddler. I am not gonna lie, the 14+ hour flight is not easy at all. Would I want to do it again? Maybe not. LOL

The good news is we landed safely and no major tantrum on the plane. Aaron napped about 4-5 hours, which I don't quite remember as I was out on and off. It was hard for him to find a comfortable position to sleep even when his head was resting on my lap. He kept adjusting to different position and rolling of the seat, but he was amazingly not cranky about it.

Aaron has been coughing since Saturday and his cough doesn't sound good at all. I think I might have to take him to the doctor today and get checked out. I hope it's nothing serious when daddy is not around.

Ready to take off at SFO

iPad is such a lifesaver!

We landed safely

Moving up to Advanced swimming class

Aaron has been progressing quite quickly in terms of swimming class.  He started taking the beginner's class back in June and now he's starting to take the advanced class. I've been noticing that Aaron does not quite swim in the kiddie pool after he figured out that he can stand in the pool. All he wants is to play with all the bath toys there, which can be quite frustrating. I am trying to help him practice what we learned from the class, but he doesn't seem to be too interested in it. I guess I need to be more persistent with practicing so he can make some improvements.

Daddy agreed that we need to keep letting Aaron learn swimming as it's good for both his health and physical coordination. I am not sure how long it will take him to really start swimming on his own, but swimming class is one of the activities we will keep doing.

Hungry after swim lesson

Gotta love living in California

I definitely appreciate living close to the ocean after living in the Midwest for over a decade. I love that Aaron is not deprived of being able to go to the beach pretty much whenever he wants. He loves playing in the sun, the beach, and the water just like any other kids in Cali. Living close to the ocean has always been just a distance dream when I was stuck in Indiana and didn't know when I could get out. I am glad that it's all over and can live in a place we love. 

It's hard to even imagine how did I survive in the middle of nowhere for so long, yet I've only moved to the West for a few years. I love the food, the weather, the scenery, the activities, and not being a minority in CA.  I don't think I would want to live elsewhere unless we are moving back home. (:

1 more month to go

We have exactly 1 more month to go before heading home to HK.  For some reason I am not as excited as I used to be. I wonder if it's because going on a trip is not as relaxing as before when I was childless. It is definitely hard to go anywhere with a little one when there are so much planning and preparation to do for everything to run smoothly. I am so not looking forward to flying back alone with Aaron as there are so many things to take and he won't be able to sit still for a long period of time. But I guess I can't let that discourage my will to go anywhere as I really need to go home to see my parents.

I have been looking for different kind of activities for Aaron to do in HK so that he won't just be sitting at home all day. It's tough to arrange all these when we are thousand miles away. Luckily I can have my mom to take care of most of it and we already have swimming and playgroup lessons signed up. I hope we will have a better trip this time and Aaron gets to spend more time with his grandparents.

ABCs + First day of swim lesson

Since Aaron turned 2, he has been talking more and more.  It's amazing how much he can understand and speak in both languages, even though English is so dominating that he hardly answers me in Chinese. I blame myself for forgetting to speaking Chinese to him at all times because I have gotten so used to only speaking in English.  I am so proud that Aaron can sing the entire ABCs song by himself today. The little guy simply loves singing and playing with the music instruments. :) I should record his singing so I won't forget how cute he sings!

Aaron started his very first swim lesson today at Waterworks Aquatics in SJ! I have been procrastinating to take him to swim lesson since he was 6 months old as I didn't think I could handle going into the water with him. It's definitely a lot of work to go swimming with all the packing and showering at the swimming pool, but it's 110% worth it after just one lesson. Aaron loves being in the water and isn't afraid at all. He did amazingly well for his first lesson and I am definitely going back with him for more lessons.

Aaron is turning 2!

I don't even know how to describe my feelings that Aaron's turning 2. How did my little baby turn into this 2 year old toddler so quickly? It felt like yesterday that I just found out that I was pregnant. I still remember all the ups and downs of the pregnancy so vividly, and all of a sudden my baby is no longer a baby already. This whole motherhood experience is so real yet feel so surreal at the same time.  I am learning new things about how to raise a child every day. There's no guideline to tell me what's right or wrong. I just have to follow my own instincts and take it one day at a time.

Hello! I am 2 today!

Aaron's 2nd Birthday Party!

Daddy is finally back from NY just in time to help with the last minute tasks for Aaron's birthday party. We are hosting Aaron's birthday party at KidsPark this year and invited all his little friends. I originally planned to book the Steven's Creek location but it was already taken. Fortunately the Oakridge location is still open and it's actually closer to our home.

All the kids we invited showed up and everyone had a blast as they could play and roam freely everywhere. Aaron definitely had a lot of fun running, screaming, and playing with all the toys he has never seen before. Even though he might not remember any of this, I still think it worths all the effort and time. I hope Aaron would look back one day and feel that he had a happy childhood knowing that his mommy and daddy love him.

My silly 2 year old Aaron :D