Bronchitis

Aaron has been coughing for a couple days before getting on the plane to HK and I didn't think it was anything serious as he gets sick every now and then. He was in good spirit all along even after we got off the plane. I was thinking to take him to the doctor after we get off the plane anyways to make sure everything is ok.

As I haven't been living in HK for a long time, I don't know how to find a good pediatrician or any doctor in general so I asked my friends who have kids to get their pediatricians' info. Unfortunately, all the doctors my friends recommended were busy/closed. I finally found Dr. Ko in CWB who has good reviews and I took a leap of faith to go with him.

The nicest thing about HK is you can usually get to see the doctor the same day you make an appointment even if you are a new patient. I guess that's the beauty of private practice. You can go to any doctor of your wish as long as you are willing to pay the price. The wait at Dr. Ko was minimal, Aaron was seen right away. Aaron had the routine check and Dr. Ko started lecturing me for not taking Aaron to see a doctor earlier. He was diagnosed with bronchitis and was at risk of developing asthma if it wasn't taken care of properly.

I have never thought that Aaron's condition was that serious as he has been pretty healthy even with his rough start, however, Dr. Ko brought this back to my attention and emphasized the importance to take care of Aaron's condition with extra precaution. I am so glad that I found Dr. Ko as he is not only knowledgeable but caring and thorough with Aaron.  He even noticed little things like Aaron's chest retraction (a condition that he was born with due to the premature birth). I have never met a doctor being so generous with their time explaining everything in detail.  Dr. Ko spent a good 40 minutes with us, which is unheard of with any other doctor I've seen in my life. I wish we had more doctors like Dr. Ko and his thoroughness once again brought up the thought of finding another pediatrician for Aaron in CA, but I doubt I can find anyone even close to Dr. Ko. I hope Aaron will feel better soon so he can enjoy his time in HK.

Still in good spirit playing at the clinic

To be honest, this is quite a bit of medicine for a little kid who is only 2

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!