SuperJuicyChicken

HAPPY DRAGON YEAR.

2012-01-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

I wish you all the best of wishes from good health to just being happy in the year of dragon.
xoxo

HELLO TO YOU AND TO YOUR TWO THOUSAND AND TWELVE.

2012-01-15T20:35:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year guys. I am hoping everyone of you had a wonderful holiday in your own little way. We went on a vacation and we had an awsum time, but I must tell you guys that it started pretty bloody wild. Literally bloody wild.

On our 15 hours outbound flight, Milo's good eye started bleeding. Yes, BLEEDING. We still had over 8 hours to go until our destination at that point. We thought about what exactly constitute as an emergency landing and if we were to land, I think the closest place at that point would be Japan. And of course to top it off, Milo started throwing up soon after the bloody discovery. And eventually his nose started bleeding intermittently as well. So, for the rest of the flight, his good eye and nose were bleeding and he was throwing up pretty regularly. It was the worst flight of all time. I kept thinking and panicking to myself that oh crap, is he going to loose his vision right now, right before our vacation starts, right before I get to show him all these cool stuff on our vacation and right before we meet up with his grandparents that he has been so eagerly looking forward to visit with.

I called my parents when we landed. I kept thinking of ways to break it to them without freaking them out, but there wasn't really a good way if I had to use blood and Milo's good eye in one sentence. We got really lucky and was able to see my dad's ophthalmologist. The wait time before we saw him was scary. Milo kept saying I can't see. I would gasped each time but I realized it was because of the giant puddle of blood collected in his eye. The ophthalmologist concluded that Milo must have rubbed his eye hard and made a small incision. He said it's not uncommon at all and it does happen all the time. A giant sense of relieve was released in the air between myself, my hubby, my parents and possibly the kids.

Milo's eye bled for couple more days. Matilda caught a cold on the plane and then we all caught it as well. SO, after a week of blood, vomit, and cold, we were so ready to play and we sure did. We had an awsum time and the kids loved seeing all the excitements and holiday decorations throughout the city. We ate all kinds of good food, with the exception that we ate at only two facilities since we wanted to be super safe due to Milo's peanut allergy. We shopped at all different kinds of toy stores and I keep going back to my favorite store, MUJI. We took Milo and Matilda to Disneyland too.

Time went by super quick and it was so sad to go but I am so happy that we went and that it all worked out and no other crazee medical issues happened.

I want to write a little thing about traveling with special needs children, so, if you have no interest, then Happy New Year and I wish you guys the best of 2012 and I promise that I will try to post more this year and illustrate more. But if you are interested, here it goes. Being away from your home and really, from your own stuff is pretty hard especially when you have kids or special needs kids. During our trip, Milo didn't like to walk much and it was not easy to carry a 3.5 year old around. Milo did not want to walk because there were so many people and they were all moving at a very fast pace and for being visually impaired, that makes it pretty darn scary and intimidating. It took Matilda awhile to get used to all kinds of loud noises. She turned her head a lot and was looking at me often for possible explanation as to what and where the noises were coming from. Being hearing impaired, it was challenging to be in such a place but at the same time I thought it was a good experience for her to learn to locate sounds. Milo was more challenging during our vacation since he is older and he is not as easy to carry compare to Matilda. (I used to ergo him in our past trip and he felt very secured with me holding him and we would talk about all the things we were seeing.) We wanted to take Milo to many places but we had to keep in mind of what he might like and not like due to his limited vision and whether or not he would be able to see them. I kept wishing there were some sort of ergo like thing for older kids with special needs. I wanted to ergo Milo but my hubby thought I was crazee because my back would have been dead if I were to walk around with Milo. Matilda was in the ergo everyday and she loved it. I guess a stroller would have been perfect but being in such a tight city, it was hard to get around. My hubby and I each had a pretty decent size backpack filled with Milo's emergency medical supplies, extra clothing, diapers, wipes, Matilda's baby food and snacks. It was okay when we didn't make any purchases since we still have our hands to hold or carry Milo and Matilda, but when we did have shopping bags, it was a pretty good workout. I just wonder what your thoughts are and if anyone have any tips on traveling with special needs children. I really want to travel more with my two kids and especially with Milo because I want him to see as much as he can before his vision completely goes, but at the same time, I am reluctant to take him far because it is kind of a pain and also I am afraid to be far from his team of doctors after our bloody plane ride experience. Maybe I can win some kind of awsum ultimate vacation where when I travel with my kids, I would get car service following me around and have access to anything I want so that I know I can always reach doctors for my kids and that I don't have to worry about Milo not walking. I want stress/medical free trip for my special needs children. All advices and tips are much appreciated.

Anyway, I think I win with this crazee bloody hell plane ride. Happy New Year guys and 2012 better rock your world.

xoxo
me

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MERRY HAPPY LUCKY SUPER WONDER NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOURS.

2011-12-23T05:37:00.000-08:00

I am away from my own stuff and in another part of the world discovering new stuff during this holiday with my hubby and kids. But I will update my post as soon as I return. I swear I will. Happy Holidays guys.
XOXO

MY KIDS ARE SERIOUSLY SUPERHEROES. NO DOUBT.

2011-12-12T21:19:00.000-08:00

Let's get right to it people. My sense of time has been on drugs recently or at least it feels like it because of all the unexpected medical stuff that has been happening nonstop since first week of November. I have to keep reminding myself that it is no longer November.

After Milo's whole asthma attack (see post), we had about 5 uneventful days where we got to catch up on those days when Milo was in the hospital. Right before Thanksgiving, Milo went back to see his ocularist and got another impression done since he already outgrew the one he got one week prior. Milo is still not happy with the process of putting in and taking out the shell but at least it's not bothering him when it is in his eye.

Milo had an EUA just last week and the good news is that his pressure is stable. The tube part of his Ahmed valve has worked itself out to the top layer of his iris, so the doctor removed it since it wasn't functioning anyway. He left the plate part of his implant in since that would be a bigger procedure. At the same time, his glaucoma doctor discovered a shallow retina detachment and a retina doctor took a look and reported no damages as of this moment. It is just sitting there taunting his vision and my stress and worry. The recent discovery of the shallow retina detachment is sitting behind the laser wall that Milo got when he was 11 days old (he got a laser surgery to prevent his retina from further detachment, hence, his vision on his only seeing eye is not so good). And according to the doctor, it will do no threat to his vision unless it breaks through that wall. The really sucky part is that it doesn't slowly happen or it does not creep up to the wall, it just happens and when it does, there goes Milo's vision. It may never break through that wall but the fact that it exists is driving me crazee and making me worry. The doctor told us that we will know it break through when Milo's vision worsen. How great is that. No warning sign. I am not even sure if this is something they are able to see at a regular office visit.

We've been prepared since day one that Milo's vision will never get better and that it can and might get worse, meaning he will be completely blind. He has been doing so well in his three years of life and seeing more than what all the doctors have expected which made my expectations way higher. I know Milo would still be fine if he were to have no vision, but it's just not fair. That's the best way I can put it.

The night of his EUA, Milo threw up all over our bed (he barely ate anything that day since he was so whiny and was complaining of pain). The next day he pretty much threw up all day and even had diarrhea. At first we thought it was his reaction to the anesthesia but it was probably a stomach bug he caught from the hospital. The next day he was better and then he started complaining about pain in his right eye. We spoke with the doctor the day before and she did tell us that he might be sore from the EUA and the tube removal. The next day he woke up crying/screaming and refuses to open up his eyes because it hurt and he was very light sensitive. Eventually we got him to snap out of it and he opened up his eyes but still had complaints about his eye hurting a few times. The next two days were pretty much the same except that he didn't really open up his eyes at all. Luckily we had a scheduled routine appointment with his ophthalmologist so he was able to check his eyes before the weekend. It turned out that Milo had an infection on his right eye and hence the pain and light sensitivity. It's been almost a week and it's almost all better. We went to see the ocularist and he did a minor cosmetic adjustment on his shell and after 2 days, he had some discomfort so we went back to see him and it was just a minor scratch on the shell that he had to smooth out. SO, now with only a few days left before we leave for vacation, I really hope that nothing else will happen. Because really people, what else can happen. I think in the month of November and up to today, we have covered the whole spectrum of Milo's eye conditions, from his retina and glaucoma to his prosthesis and then to the surprising asthma.

And oh yes, my little Matilda. She barely got much time from us because we were so busy with Milo. She has been a great little sister and was easy to take care of during all of this as we go from doctor's visits to hospital to just being in a dark house while Milo was in bed. But there was one day when I did take Matilda in to see her doctor because I noticed a decent size lump on her breasts and some discoloration. An ultrasound was done right away and it's benign but we have to keep an eye out in case it changes. The last thing I need is for my kids to have more crazee medical crap because I already got way too many going on. If I were to ever encounter a person called GOD, I would say, DUDE, what IS up with all this stuff with my kids and why and what the hell were you thinking?

This is the story of my November and December. And I can't wait til our vacation and to report to all guys about our awsum trip and how we had no medical surprises afterward! Let's cross those fingers and whatever else you are supposed to do to make bad stuff go away. And to practice, let's make this new sick feeling I am getting tonight be gone by the time I wake up tomorrow.

I WOULD LIKE TO GO ON A SECOND DATE WITH YO GABBA GABBA. CALL ME PLEASE.

2011-11-28T16:01:00.000-08:00

The show was SUPER AWSUM guys. I am so glad that we went and I am looking forward to our second date with Yo Gabba Gabba (minus the crazee accessible seating drama of course) when they come back to SF Bay Area again. Milo and Matilda had so much fun. Little Matilda seriously was rocking out the whole time on my lap. She is only 10 months old but she was dancing and waving her arms during the whole show. Milo still talks about the show and he likes to tell strangers that he went to see a big Yo Gabba Gabba concert and how they all came out of the box on stage. We get our daily dose of Yo Gabba Gabba on our boom box and we shake our sillies out.

Thank you YGG, you surely rock my kiddies world (and mine too). Please come back soon because we want to see you again.

1. Waiting for the show to start. 2. It was very exciting to see the whole gang and they shot out all these confettis. 3. Yacht (band) rocking out but the kids weren't sure what's going on.

4. YGG dancing with Ms. Leslie Hall 5. I love the bug costumes. 6. The centipede costume reminds me of No Face character from Spirited Away.

7. There's a Party in my Tummy. 8. Biz Markie rocked the stage. Parents were cheering like crazee for him. 9. I enjoyed all the backdrop illustrations.

10. Weather theme confettis being shot out at the audience. 11. One final dance with Ms. Leslie Hall. 12. It's time to say goodbye!

We headed to the party after the show. It was a room where we could meet the characters and balloons were all over the floor for the kids to play with. We were told that we could get a chance for hassle free merchandise shopping but guess what guys???!! The selection were so limited. It was NOTHING like what we saw at the main floor and it was so disappointing because we wanted to get stuff for the little ones but we waited thinking we could get the same stuff at the party!!! Milo was all prepared to shop for some YGG stuff and when I told him that we couldn't, he kept telling me let's to the party and get it. But he had so much fun meeting all the characters that he forgot about it. Now, I need to figure out where I can get those shirts I saw. We got the Muno shoes for him already.

Milo was SO excited to meet all his Yo Gabba Gabba friends.

Milo decided to get more dancing out of his system and then we ended our night with a quick story time with DJ Lance Rock and Ms. Leslie Hall.

HAPPY HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND TO YOUR PEOPLE.

2011-11-23T14:44:00.000-08:00

THERE'S A PARTY IN MY CITY.

2011-11-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas came early for my kids. The people at Yo Gabba Gabba read my post about my difficulties getting accessible seating tickets to their show and decided to send an amazing goody bag to my kids. It was truly a wonderful surprise for them and for me too. We had no idea especially since it was not Yo Gabba Gabba that did damages to the ticketing process.

Milo was ecstatic when we had him open up the package. He was not sure what was going on and why he was getting all these goodies for no reason. We blasted the CDs and danced around ever since. He would hang all the little characters around his fingers and pretend they are dancing with him. Matilda has been trying to get her hands on them but no luck yet since Milo has claimed them for himself.

We cannot wait for the show this Saturday because that's when the party is coming to a city near us. YOOOOOOO GABBA GABBA!

Dear Ms. Tricia Olson: You are too cool and so awsum. Thank you thank you. You made my kids so happy and made us so happy because they are so happy. bestbest+jollypop to you + YGG.

I BUMPED MY HEAD WHEN I RODE THE AMBULANCE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

2011-11-15T07:35:00.000-08:00

I am still trying to catch up in time with the rest of you. It was a crazee medical week last week. SO much to share and here it goes. Milo's first night time trick-or-treating was good. We made it halfway around the neighborhood before he got too freaked out with the darkness. I think it's just too much for him visually especially when there were lots of blinky halloween decoration lights.

Last week we had to take Milo to the urgent care at the clinic for his wheezing and he ended up in the hospital via ambulance for 4 days and 3 nights. It turned out that he had a pretty significant respiratory distress secondary to an asthma exacerbation. (We did not know he has asthma and this was the first time ever.) His oxygen level was pretty darn low for awhile and eventually he only needed his medication every 4 hours, in which it was safe for him to go home. Those couple days were very hectic. Matilda and I would run home in the evening and in the morning we would hurry back to the hospital to hang out with Milo. My hubby stayed with him every night and he would go home when I am there just to shower and get more supplies for the night.

Milo was discharged on Wednesday afternoon and it is so nice to have him back home and just have everyone in the house.

The next morning, we had to get up insanely early to go see his ocularist for a prosthesis scleral shell fitting. We made this appointment over 2 months ago. All in all it wasn't too bad. Milo was not put under for the whole process. The impression was made at 8am and we went back at 11:30am for the shell. Milo was not too happy about it but he survived and so did we. We have been taking the shell out daily and each day we add more hours on his wearing time so that he can adjust better. It is pretty scary to put it in and take it out, especially the first day, and especially difficult when he is crying and squeezing his eye real right. After the first day, we noticed the shell turning sideways and it is still doing that on day 4. The ocularist told us to try it for a few days and if it's still happening, we would need to go back for another impression. Milo does not have much luck with prosthesis but at least it's not like last time (or at least not yet).

This past week was a crazee medical week. We pretty much lost a week and I thought Thanksgiving was in two weeks but realized that it is next week! I want my week back. I am so behind in everything, let along have time to blog. There are so many things I need and want to do. I guess I can catch up if I give up this week's sleep but that is not possible since catching up on sleep is one of the things that I've been wanting to do since I had Milo. And most importantly, poor Matilda seemed forgotten last week because we were just so busy with Milo and she was so great at being so easy for me.

In sum, Milo is doing well since his asthma attack. He has all these inhalers he has to take and one of them is every 4 hours (my hubby gets up in the middle of the night to administer it) and hopefully he can cut down a bit after seeing his pediatrician. Now, I need to go and purchase a giant bag, a cute one of course, to put all his medications (eye drops, Epipen, inhalers, sclera shell case) so that it can easily be transfer between bags.

BUT WE GOT OUR TURKEY. I wish I can time freeze like that Evie girl from Out of this World. And if I could, I would rent out my time freezing fingers to others and can make some good money and not have to worry about getting projects while being a full time mom.

P.S. - Update to my last post about my Yo Gabba Gabba tickets, the people at Yo Gabba Gabba are so great at responding to my email and have been wonderful. The supervisor level people at San Jose Team email me and told me that they are dealing with the issue. San Jose Mercury News email me and told me that they will keep an eye on it (whatever that means). And I received lots of direct message due to the post which all has been very nice. I am still spreading word around when I can. I know the parents and staff at Early Staff appreciate my story and will know how to deal with situation like this in the future. Thank you everyone. xoxox - don't mess with me because i will do something about it.

MY FIRST DATE WITH YO GABBA GABBA.

2011-11-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

We decided to get tickets to take Milo to see Yo Gabba Gabba this November when they are in the Bay Area. It occurred to me that I will need to get front row seats for Milo and Matilda due to their vision and hearing impairment. I called San Jose Civic about accessible seating and they directed me to tickemaster.com. The process turned out to be super easy and I was told that my accessible seats are on the front row. I was thrilled and told Milo how we are going to see them and he was ecstatic. Later that day, I went to check the seat map of our seats and discovered that the tickermaster representative had booked us at the Fresno location!!?? I called ticketmaster.com and luckily I was able to get a refund. (It almost seemed too easy when I did it because they made a big point about how the tickets are nonrefundable and blah blab blah.)
FORESHADOW OF THIS LITTLE EXPERIENCE: THIS WAS JUST A PRACTICE RUN AS TO WHAT IS TO COME.

Between Muno and Plex, Milo picked Muno as his Halloween costume because they didnt have Plex in his size.

Here comes the craziness and I will try my best to refrain from using bad mouthing language:

CALL TO TICKETMASTER.COM - OCTOBER 26, 2011 AROUND 9PM (SPOKE WITH KIMBERLY):
I called to get tickets for the correct location and was told that there were no accessible seating for vision and hearing impairment for this event but they have wheelchair seating on the balcony level in the back. WhatWhatTheWhat was in my head so I repeated my question and I was told the same thing and that I should contact the venue because it is up to them to release those seats. AND she made a point to tell me (more than once) that it is very rare that they get requests for accessible seating for vision and hearing impairment. I did not respond to her because I was confused and surprised by her comment and not sure why she felt the need to say that to me. Was I suppose to say oh in that case never mind, let me just get some regular seats for my vision and hearing impaired kids so that they can go and sit super far away and won't be able to see or hear a thing.

CALL TO SAN JOSE CIVIC BOX OFFICE - OCTOBER 27, 2011 AROUND 9AM:
I asked to speak with someone that can help me with accessible seating and he told me that they have no control of the seating arrangement and how it is up to the producer of Yo Gabba Gabba and I should call them to complain. I told him that I called ticketmaster and they informed me that the venue itself should be able to accomadate accessible seating for me. He then told me again that he cannot help me because they are not selling tickets to this show and that I need to call ticketmaster.com or call the producer of Yo Gabba Gabba and question them about accessible seating because they are the ones that have the ultimate control. Our conversation ended. I was pretty confused and a bit frustrated at how difficult it is to get accessible seating. It reminded me of speaking with lame-O airline representatives and how you get a different answer for the same question based on who you speak with.

I took a break since I had to take Milo to his weekly swim class. On the way, I kept thinking how I should approach this because it's a bit ridiculous how NOT easy it is to get accessible seating and how ironic it is that it's so hard to do it. AND the thought of reaching out to the producers of Yo Gabba Gabba did crossed my mind because I want to share with them how hard it is to get accessible seating and how they need to accommodate since it is part of the ADA law. I decided that I will call San Jose Box Office again to get more information about accessible seating and how it is arranged so that I can have all my information and start my complaint and get my answers. At this point, my goal was NOT about getting accessible seating for my kids, it's about fighting for my kids' rights. (I know it sounds kind of like a breakthrough point in a movie but unfortunately this is FOR REAL people.)

CALL TO TEAM SAN JOSE - OCTOBER 27, 2011 AROUND 10:30AM:
Instead of pressing 4 to be connected with the San Jose Box office, I pressed 0 under all other information (I was hoping that there would be someone else that I can speak with aside from the person that I spoke with earlier this morning at the box office). Claudia answered and I asked her who should I speak with about accessible seating for an upcoming venue. Right away she told me I should call the box office and Kevin or Peter can help me. She kindly transferred the call.

CALL TRANSFERRED TO SAN JOSE BOX OFFICE - OCTOBER 27, 2011 AROUND 10:32AM:
I started out the conversation again with can I please speak with someone that can help me with accessible seating. I was told by the other end that he was the one because he did not transfer me to another party and he responded by a yes. I told him that he might have been the person that I spoke with earlier in regards to accessible seating (I knew he was because I recognized his voice) and I would like to get a better understanding on this subject. He confirmed with me that I did not speak with him earlier (but I am sure it was him.). I told him that I want to find out more about accessible seating for the Yo Gabba Gabba event and he quickly told me that I will have to talk with the producer of that show because they do not sell tickets to this show and that San Jose Box Office has nothing to do with the seating arrangement and I should call ticketmaster to get the ticket. I told him that I did talked with ticketmaster and was told that I need to talk with the venue because they are the one that has control over the seating arrangements. Again, box office guy told me that he cannot do anything and that I need to call the producers of Yo Gabba Gabba. (As you can see, this is pretty much the same conversation that we had earlier that morning.) I then proceed to ask him how does accessible seating work for any shows that takes place at the San Jose Civic and I shared with him that I was booked by mistake for the Yo Gabba Gabba show in Fresno and they had accessible seating and it seems strange that the producer would make arrangement for Fresno location to have accessible seating but not at the San Jose Civic. The box office boy's voice got very irritated and told me to stop calling him about this because 1) he cannot solve my problem and 2) he does not work at Fresno location so he has no idea what they do. With that being said, he pretty much confirmed with me that he was the one that I spoke with earlier in the day because he told me to stop calling him about this subject. I was too pissed off at this point to point this factor out to him. I told him that 1) I am not asking him to solve my problem 2) I am simply asking and gathering information as to how accessible seating is arranged so that I can have all the correct information and make complaints to the appropriate party and 3) he needs to calm down because I am not blaming him for anything. The all worked up box office guy kept on going off about how I need to stop calling him and that there is nothing he can do and how if I want to discuss SJBroadway he can tell me all about that. I pretty much tuned out at this point because I was getting very upset. SO, in a very calm voice, I said to box office guy, let's get this straight, if I am to come into the box office today in person and told you that I need to get tickets for accessible seating for Yo Gabba Gabba you would tell me sorry I cannot help you. He said yes that's right. I knew with that I was so done with him and that this is turning out to be even more crazee than what I expected. For reference sake, I asked him for his name and he did not say anything. I asked him if he was Kevin or Peter and he paused for a bit and said Kevin is not here. I said you must be Peter. He paused again and said no. I asked him again for his name. He paused and said there is no need for you to know my name because I am not selling you anything. I said are you refusing to tell me your name, he said yes. I told him that your name must be ASSHOLE because you are a complete ASS on this and he better read up about the ADA law. He was going off about something but I tuned out and was livid and almost in tears because I cannot believe the words that came out of that guy's mouth.

CALL TO TEAM SAN JOSE - OCTOBER 27, 2011 AROUND 10:45AM:
I chose option 0 again because I want to find out the name of the box office guy and to file an official complaint. Claudia answered and I reminded her that I had called earlier and I told her what had happened. She was quick to apologize and assured me that she will go and find out the name of the guy and she will put in the compliant. I was a bit emotional when I was speaking with her because I was filled with so much frustration. Claudia told me that I should talk with Peter who is the ticket manager and he is extremely nice and would be able to help. I thanked her and was put on hold to be transferred to Peter.

TRANSFERRED TO PETER, TICKET MANAGER AT SAN JOSE BOX OFFICE - OCTOBER 27. 2011AROUND 10:50AM:
I got his voicemail.

CALL TO TEAM SAN JOSE *OPTION 0 - OCTOBER 27. 2011 AROUND 10:51AM:
I informed Claudia that I was not able to reach Peter and she told me I should leave a message for him and that Peter is extremely nice. She suggested that I should mentioned my bad experience with the box office guy to Peter.

TRANSFERRED TO PETER, TICKET MANAGER AT SAN JOSE BOX OFFICE - OCTOBER 27. 2011AROUND 10:52AM:
Peter answered and I told him that I need help with accessible seating for Yo Gabba Gabba and before I even told him what had happened, he quickly told me that yes he can help me even though they do not sell the tickets directly. I then told him what had happened and that I was told that they are not able to help with accessible seating and he confirmed with me that it is not true. He said he is able to look at the same seat map as ticketmaster and he saw available seats for accessible seating. Since he cannot sell tickets directly from his box office, Peter put in a request for Kathy from ticketmaster to contact me with my reserved accessible seats. I think at this point I was relived because there's actually someone that is reasonable and know what the hell they are talking about. But at the same time I think I was still thinking about that nasty useless box office guy and how stupid it is that I had to go through all that just to get seats.

All this ended pretty much when Milo was done with his swim lesson and I am sure parents and teachers at the pool were wondering what was wrong with me since I was on the phone and was so emotional. Milo had no idea of course what happened.

When I got home, I called Claudia to thank her for her help and to ask her for the name of the rude ass box office guy. HIS NAME IS MICHALE. Claudia assured me that a verbal complaint has been made to a supervisor and that an internal talk has happened and that he is or has already gone through some people skill training. (In my opinion, Michael needs more than people skill training.) She again apologized and said that box office staff should have excellent customer service and she did not know what happened.

CALL FROM KATHY AT TICKETMASTER.COM - OCTOBER 27, 2011 AROUND 12:30PM:
Kathy got Peter's message and helped me processed the accessible seat tickets that Peter had reserved for me. I asked her why is it that Peter can see the availability of the accessible seating in his system but the representatives I spoke with at ticketmaster.com could not. She said that she could not see them as well. I was confused because Peter told me that his system for the seating map is the same as ticketmaster.com. Why do they make it so difficult for people that need accessible seating to get a ticket? It's already annoying that people that needs accessible seating have to call or email versus getting it online like a regular seat. And since San Jose box office does not sell tickets to this show directly how will people get accessible seating if ticketmaster cannot see those accessible seat or if they get someone like Michael that is no help. ANSWER THAT TICKETMASTER.COM AND SAN JOSE BOX OFFICE??!!!! Please refer to this ADA requirements on ticket sales ticketmaster.

CALL TO PETER AT SAN JOSE BOX OFFICE - OCTOBER 27, 2011 AROUND 12:50PM:
I called to say thank you to Peter and told him that I got my tickets. He apologized for my horrible experience and told me that they had talk about it internally.

Yet again, I learned a lot via my kids's disabilities and how hard things can be and will be for them and for many out there. When things like this happen, I really wish I have more time to get involved to help. But as of now, all I can do is to be a constant advocate for my children and to blog about it so that others can see and will pass it along. I will for sure share this eperience with Early Start's teachers and parents. Please kindly re-tweet this or share this on your blog and pass it along. I have every intention to email this to the producer of Yo Gabba Gabba, to City of San Jose, to ADA.gov, to my local news team and to other places that I can find along the way. If you can think of anyone else, tell me. I love sharing!

THIS SHOW BETTER BE GOOD.

BOO!

2011-10-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE.
TRICK OR TREAT.

I have to admit that halloween is so much more fun when you have kids. This will be the first time for Milo to go trick or treating. His cousins are coming over and we shall attack our neighbors' treats after pizza dinner and my homemade pumpkin cupcakes with my special made cupcake toppers! I hope most of the candies will be nut free (Milo is highly allergic to peanut).

Oh. I almost forgot. Milo decided to be Muno for Halloween this year. It took him about 15 other different costumes before coming to this decision. You don't know who Muno is? Well, not many do for some reason. When people ask him who he is, this is how the conversation goes:

Person: "Who are you?"
Milo would quickly replied with his hands up in the air: "I am Muno, the one eye monster from Yo Gabba Gabba!"
Person: "Oh?!"
Milo always ends his descriptions by saying: " It's kind like dancing around in a movie theater."
And with that, the Person who has no idea what Milo is dressed as gets even more confused and would just smile and slowly walks away.

Milo's vision teacher at Early Start thinks his costume is too perfect for him because of the one eye. We love it and he is so proud!

Matilda was going to wear the pumpkin outfit that Milo had for his first halloween but then the day before her halloween parade at Early Start I realized that it was too small. I went and got her a bumble bee costume instead.

DEAR AUTUMN: YOU BETTER COME KNOCKING SOON.

2011-10-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

seriously guys. autumn is my most favorite season. its the perfect weather for fashion, at least in my book, its the beginning of all the wonderful holidays and the colors of autumn is pretty rocking too. i always miss living in the east coast around this time with the foliage and the sounds of my feet crunching the leaves. it all sounds so wonderful but guess what people, AUTUMN HAS NOT ARRIVED YET!!!! and this year i better get it because autumn cheated on me last year and i will never forget. i am ready for my boots-tights-wearing-and-much-layering-but not necessarily a winter coat wearing weather. this household has been ready for you since summer, SO get going and push that heat loving summer out of your way.

thank you very much.

SLEEPOVER WITH OVERNIGHTER DOER.

2011-10-12T15:11:00.001-07:00

milo had his first sleepover last weekend with his two cousins (ages 3 and 4). they all slept in our room with their sleeping bags. it was a kind of a last minute thing so i didnt even think about what milo would sleep on. but right before we were setting up the kids on our floor, i remembered about my old skool Fisher Price sleeping bag which my dad scored for us via his connection back in the day. it was still in its original box which i kept after all these years. we have one in blue/yellow and another one in pink. it was perfect. we opened it and was very impressed with its simple design. you just roll it up and secure it with velcro and it has pockets on the end for him to put his goodies in. the bestest part is that it is blue which is milo's favorite color (the pink one i am saving for matilda). i think it is pretty hard to find a sleeping bag with no designs or characters on them these days. i am SO glad that i kept this and i do love my old skool Fisher Price items. thank you thank you dad, i bet you never knew that someday it would be your grandson that would be using this.(because i certainly never imagine that it would be my kid that i am saving this for.)

dont get jealous people. sometimes its good to be keeper trapper (not a hoarder or at least not a dirty messy one). i have things that i kept from my childhood and most of the stuff are still in its original packaging (especially my hello kitty stuff) and it is not because i am hoping to sell them. it is because i love my stuff.

UMMM...I HATE BREAK UPS. WELL, SORT OF.

2011-10-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

in april and may, milo had tired a prosthesis scleral shell and they both failed horribly. the first time only lasted one day and the second time he had it for about a month but it was a bad month and he ended up with a bad cornea infection. you can go here and here and here and here for more detailed postings.

we recently went to meet with another ocularist to see if he would be a better match for milo after discussing the matters with milo's opthamologist. just to clarify, our first ocularist was a super nice guy and i dont want to give the impression that he is bad in any way. he did come highly recommended to us but sometimes you are just not compatible. this new ocularist we saw was very nice as well and we told him about milo's history of scleral shell and what our concerns are. we left feeling confident and milo will get his impression of his third trial of a prosthesis scleral shell in november. i am already anticipating the anxiousness of it all and also we were informed that we should take it out of milo's eye every night or every other night. EEK!

to prepare him, i have been showing milo how i take out my contacts (or shells is the term i used for him) every night and how it tickles my eyeballs and its not scary at all. i remind him that a new big boy shell will have to be place back in his big boy's eye. so far, his reactions has been positive. fingers crossed you guys, i really hope this will work out. i dont want to see my little milo to be suffering like last time.

if anyone out there would like to know more in details about my experiences with the ocularists and who they are, please email me and i will tell you as much as you want.

and to our first ocularist: thank you. you are nice but because we love our little milo, we have no choice but to try another ocularist because we cannot see him suffer again and maybe his eye and you are not meant to be. this is hard because its a small eye world and i am sure we will cross path again. all our best to you.
(i honestly believe that he kind of figure out that we will find someone else because of the bad experiences milo had from talking with him at milo's recent EUA.)

p.s. i am always so thankful that we live in the awsum SF Bay Area because we actually have the choice to go see another top rocking ocularist.

I SWEAR TO YOU PEOPLE.

2011-10-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

i am a huge fan of Anthropologie and i was checking out their fall item and came upon their Hampden Pea Coat and i seriously did a double take as i saw the picture. i was confused at first because i have the exact same coat hanging in my closet which i know i got last fall and i know i did not get it at Anthropologie. i had to think for couple seconds and confirmed to myself that yes indeed i did not get it at Anthropologie because i remember my mother got it for me at Zara. i studied the pictures and i looked at my jacket and i cant get over the fact of the similarities.

i had the chance to go to the store last week and seriously people, its almost exactly the same thing. i was overly excited (not sure if that is the correct term) to share my discoveries with the sales lady but she wasnt overly surprised for some reason or maybe i was expecting her to be like what the what and to be more surprised/excited than i was. in fact, i told two sales lady at two different locations and they both seem kind of like, oh wow thats great and thanks for sharing with me. well actually, the one sales lady told me that i have the future fashion since i got the jacket last year, but in my head, i want to tell her no lady, you are totally wrong because i dont think i can ever have the future jacket because there will always be another jacket year after year.

i cant get over it people. is there anyone out there that knows about this and would like to talk about it or if i can talk to the buyer of Anthropologie or Zara??! i dont know who designed the jacket at Zara but it is Elevenses that makes this Hampden Pea Coat at Anthropologie.

and yes, i will be sharing this news with another Anthropolgie staff the next time i am at the store.

I CANT GET OVER THIS PEOPLE! someone explain these things to me. PLEASSSEEEEEEEE.

AN ILLUSTRATION JUST FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU ASKED ME TO DO IT.

2011-09-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

i met this lady friend via my supergood friend a little bit ago and when we got to talking and liking one another, she had asked me to make her an illustration of her MR CAT. it took me awhile but i never forgot and i finally did it and pretty happy with it. i have never met MR CAT but this is what MR CAT looks to me based on his awsum rocking master (a.k.a my new lady friend).
i shall and am calling this piece of work, THIS IS A BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP VIA MR CAT.

MEOW TO YOU, MR.CAT.

WHO WANTS CUPCAKES BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE YOU SOME CUPCAKE TOPPERS. CALL ME.

2011-09-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

milo and matilda's ECE school had their annual BBQ this past week and everyone is asked to bring something to share. this year i decided to make Giada De Laurentiis's chocolate chip and mascarpone cupcakes. i did not have time to do a test run and my theory is that its chocolate and you probably cant really tell if its too bad. i decided to make cute little cupcake toppers to go with it and if the cupcakes turn out to be bad, maybe the cuteness of the toppers would distract the people from the bad taste. but really, i have been trying to incorporate all my creativity and love of making and drawing into everyday things. i must admit that i was overly excited for this project and finally had an excuse to buy tons of circle and scallop punches . i went to Paper Source to get them but they had sold out on their last circle punch. i ended up going to Michaels and they were on sale so i got even more punches than planned. whenever i go to Michaels my head gets all crazee and my brain goes in all kind of directions because i get so many ideas and want to do a million zillion projects and want to buy all kinds of crazee sticker making/scrapbook making machines. i wish they would have a rent center for those things so i can actually try it out before making an actual purchase.i should call Michales and tell them to get on it.

milo and i did the cupcakes and the cupcake toppers and we had so much fun. instead of getting wooden picks for the cupcake holders i got these tiny bartender's cocktail sippy straw things. they are just as thin as the wooden picks but i like how it has stripes on them and it goes with the stripe backgrounds on my illustration. the only thing i didnt care about and would like to figure out is to make some kind of pocket for the straw/wooden picks to avoid the little bump after putting on the illustration.

the cupcake actually turned out to be quiet delicious. everyone was pretty impressed when milo showed them what he had made. i kept thinking about how to transport my cupcakes the night before the BBQ and i ended up going to my local bakery asking for an empty cake box (thank you nice bakery lady!). i also got two disposable aluminum foil tray for the cupcakes to sit on and then placing that in the cake box. the aluminum foil tray worked well (even though it seems repetitive to have both) because without the foil tray the cake box is too flimsy and it was hard to balance the cupcake on someone's lap or when carrying it.

p.s. - someone came up to me and told me that she really appreciate the i am nut free sign because she has a nut allergy. i told her that i appreciate her telling me and i like to announce it whenever i can since milo has a high nut allergy and its nice to know instead of asking or banning your child from the food. its just nice to make it known to the non nut allergy community because i was certainly not aware of this before milo.

p.p.s. - i enjoyed making the cupcakes and the toppers so much (well i really enjoyed toppers more and in order to make more i had to make more cupcakes) that i made more two days later for the friends we were visiting. this time i went to Whole Foods and they were kind enough to give me empty cupcakes holders to transport and i used Starbucks's wooden stir (cut it in half) as the pick. thank you to the consuming world for letting me use your tools without even knowing.

and try the recipe people. its pretty darn good.

HAPPY MOONCAKE DAY.

2011-09-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

go outside tonight and look at the moon because its moon/mid autumn festival today. and if you like your mooncake, have one under the moon. i dont not like it nor do i really care for it. i have introduced the mooncake to friends before and out of all of them, theres only one that actually really likes them but she is under Berlin moon tonight. i think of her every mooncake day because i still cant believe she likes them.

XOXO.

SUMMER FUNFUN GOODBYE BUT WE CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU MR. FALL.

2011-09-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

summer has officially (kind of?)ended with the end of summer vacation and all the back to school sale being over. but weather wise, it is still summer warm here and i cannot wait for my favorite season to arrive. fall was a huge disappointment last year because it cheated on us and it never came. when fall does fall, it makes me miss living in the east coast with all the foliage and all the beautiful colors.

milo started his new preschool last week and it went off pretty well even if he missed his first day of school due to his scheduled EUA. speaking of his EUA, to our surprise and to his doctor, milo's eye pressure was at 17 which is super good so he doesnt need surgery yet but as the doctor stated it wont be long before he grows out of his valve and need a replacement. at the same time, his occularist was there to take another impression of his left eye for his future sclera shell (so NOT looking forward to that again).

this is the second week of school for milo and he is there three times a week for about 4 hours each time and so far, he is liking his big boy school. his main teacher and his VI (vision impaired)teacher are super great. milo is doing pretty good with his potty training! a HUGE yeah.

matilda has her behavioral hearing test this friday and we will hopefully get a better idea as to how much hearing loss she has. she is sitting up very well on her own and is doing everything except for moving forward. she gets up on all fours all the time and i bet she will be crawling in no time.

as for stuff, this is all the update i have so far. i am just waiting for the weather to be fall so i can really look forward to the beginning of all the great holidays beginning with halloween. i am never a big fan of halloween but now that i have kids, i really do love it and its also a kick start to the upcoming wonderful holidays like turkey eating day and christmas. lets get it started people.

DEAR WEE FOLK LOOKING DUDE, LETS MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

2011-08-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

pretty much as soon as i recovered from my flu, the very next morning my mansomeboy (a.k.a. hubby) woke up with a mysterious swollen right foot and he has been home bound since he cant drive or stand and walk too much. he tries hard to help out with the kids but due to the pain and me telling him not to, its been busy busy busy. i used all this week to re-start potty training milo and let me tell you, i am so sick of hearing myself saying do you need to go peepee or poopoop in the potty (i even dream about it) even more than cleaning up our floor and washing his superhero underoos. its not going great but its not bad. i know i will succeed. (but a little part of me have to admit to the fact that wearing pull ups is SO much easier especially when you are out and about. they DO grow up too fast!)

milo also decided to have a cold on thursday night but at least he never got my evil awful flu. he had a check up with his ophthalmologist on friday and i had to update him with everything that went on with his eyes since march and he was wowed by it. we are holding off on getting him a new pair of glasses until his EUA on this coming monday because if milo needs a new implant valve then his prescriptions would most likely change as well.

milo is starting his new preschool on monday but unfortunately he is missing his first day because he has an EUA to check on his eye pressure. i hope his eyedrops have been helping so he will not be needing a surgery to replace his existing valve. we shall see. lots of things are happening and lets hope all will be good in the end and we can go back to our summer fun list (we kind of took a break since i got sick and then with my mansomeboy's swollen foot).

matilda is too cute for me and she is growing up way too fast. her upper front two teeth are at the halfway mark and i noticed yesterday when she was crying that both her lower lateral incisor are coming in as well! OUCHIE BOOBIE i say! i have gotten bit too many times already. i am still waiting for her to have more hair because bangs is what i want to see on her cute little head.

AND
DEAR WEE FOLK, HERE ARE SOME THINGS I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO MAKE IT HAPPEN:
1. milo's eye pressure is under the range of 20.
2. no more swollen foot for my mansomeboy & the doctor will say its nothing major.
3. success with potty training.
thank you very much.

Sincerely Yours,
ME (who believes in your wee folk clan.)

DEAR NURSE: PLEASE EXCUSE ME FOR MY ABSENCE AS I WAS DEATHLY ILL FOR THE PAST WEEK.

2011-08-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

i was caught with the surprise visit of the flu last week. i had a fever for 4 straight days ranging nothing lower than 100.7 and as high as 105.5 people. it was golly awful, especially with the chill and the sweat. i went to the doctor on the evening of the third day and was told that i had the minor flu. i had no fever for one day and was so happy but then it came back for another full day. so, to this doctor of mine, this aint no minor flu because it is deadly serious and if this is minor, then i dont know what the hell is the flu because this totally kicks my ass and then some more.

i was trying to draw a picture of what i feel like after the worse part of my flu and this is what i came up with. i am pretty happy with it and for some reason, this IS what i feel like. i am still a bit congested and still has a sore throat but i think i send the big evil portion back to its home.

it was hard NOT to think about the kids when i was super sick but there were moments that i just had to let go and passed out. i was still nursing matilda since she refuses the bottles (she prefers her milk straight from her source). my mansomehandboy was great at being with the kids and taking care of me the whole time and doing all the errands that i usually do as well. i think it was harder for him to keep me in bed than anything since i was trying hard to find ways to do things and be with the kids. as of this moment, no one else has caught my awful not minor flu and it better stay that way.

i am going to do all the fun things i wanted to do last weekend this weekend. YIPPEEEE.

note to self: need to get my bangs trimmed.

SUPERJUICYCHICKEN (PLUSH) UNITE.

2011-08-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

the final color (green) of SUPERJUICYCHICKEN plush is out guys. go and collect them all and please spread words. you wont regret it. i guarantee you.

psssstttt. i decided to do a little something something special, so, here it goes : for those of you that purchased SUPERJUICYCHICKEN plush, simply email me and show me receipt of your order (or some proof) and i will send you some special limited edition tee or tees. its that simple. no weird strings attached. i am doing it because i like you and i like that you like SUPERJUICYCHICKEN plush.

LETS DO THIS PEOPLE.

xoxo
me

A LITTLE SOMETHING SOMETHING MORE ABOUT MY M+M.

2011-08-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

milo had an EUA yesterday morning and when the doctor came out and said let me tell you the good news first, i thought, oh crap. the cornea infection in his left eye(home of the prosthesis shell)cleared up so we dont need to worry about that anymore and at some point in the near future, another prosthesis shell will be placed back in (not looking forward to that). as for the right eye, his pressure is still higher than what it should be so the doctor is jacking up the dosage on one of his eye drop to see if that will help. (he suspects that the existing valve is blocked by the growth of his iris.) we will go in for another EUA in one month and if the pressure is still high, the doctor will try to pull back his iris and if that is not possible, a new valve will be placed. i guess milo had a good run on his ahmed valve since he had it placed when he was 3 months old and its actually pretty unusual for it to be working for so long for a child. we got lucky and i really hope that whatever happens, his pressure will be under control soon because that is his only seeing eye and its already slightly damaged (the ophthalmologist estimate about a 20/100 vision + tunnel vision due to glaucoma).

the many great faces of milo.

but aside from this, milo has been great since his last EUA. with the prosthesis shell out of his eye and his infection being detected and treated, he hasnt had an episode of eyes shutting or painful breakdown and he is not sensitive to light as much. we have been doing our fun summer-ventures and its been really nice to see him so happy.

he will be starting a new regular preschool end of august and we got him a new big boy lunch bag (he saw the catalog and said thats what he wanted and i thought it would be a great little new thing for him for his new big boy school).

the always smiling matilda.

matilda has started eating solid for almost a month and she loves food so far and i am loving my Beaba food maker. it makes making food so much easier. i want to use it to make smoothie for myself every time i am making fresh fruit for her.

the summer is not over yet and the weather has been great this year (sorry east coast peeps)! we will continue to check off our summer-venture list. yeah.

PSSST. LISTEN TO ME. I TELL YOU THINGS.

2011-08-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

1. Artist Developing Bionic Replacement for Eye Lost in Accident. check this out and go to Tanya Marie Vlach's site for more details. i get excited when i see anything eye/prosthesis related and this one is pretty cool.

2. thanks for doing a post on my blog and spreading the love: Florence Rolando's Pirouette | EQUAL DIST. | Solitary Arts

3.thank you for adding me on your blogroll guys: Thomas Marshall Does It All | Violet's Journey | Congenital Glaucoma Network | La Princesse au petit pois

4.Bandolier bag by SSCY. my friend made this. GO GET ONE and spread the word. and yes, he is the one modeling the bag if you are wondering whos that sexy all leg man wearing that awsum rocking bag in his bike.

5. i started entering myself in contest i find via twitter via people i follow because i never have and i would like to win something something. fingers crossed people because here i come.

6. we have checked off some of our fun summer adventures off our list : Academy of Sciences, Day out with Thomas, Cars 2 and Winnie the Pooh. and this week we plan to go to Monterey Bay Aquarium.

I DID & I DO + YOU DID & YOU DO = WE ARE DOING IT.

2011-07-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

HEARTS. BUBBLE HEARTS.

OH! THE PLACES WE WILL GO.

2011-07-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

milo's summer session at ECE ended last week SO HELLO SUMMER FUN TIME! we use summertime as an excuse to do more fun time with our little ones. well, it was actually last year we started this so called tradition since milo was old enough to go on adventures. so with the summer almost coming to an end, as i am constantly being reminded by the consuming world with back to school sale and pre fall season sale, i am going to share with you some fun places around us in the san francisco bay area. if you have any other places, please DO share and if you would like to meet up and join us, let me know too.

SAN FRANCISCO ZOO.

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. - we took milo last year and i think he was a bit too young but i think he is ready for it again.

HAPPY HOLLOW.

MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM. this place kicks my bum bum i tell you. i love going there. i would love to spend a night in a nearby town someday soon with my kids and make it a quick getaway that is not so far from home.

BAY AREA DISCOVERY MUSEUM.

FAIRYLAND.

PIXIELAND AMUSEMENT PARK.

STOW LAKE AT GOLDEN GATE PARK.

PARKSIDE AQUATIC PARK | SAN MATEO.

GILROY GARDENS.

LEMOS FARM.

HIDDEN VILLA.

PHIPPS FARM. well known around the bay for self-picking produce farm.

SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MUSEUM. free admission. and you can always stop by your local fire station for a visit, they are usually pretty nice about you walking in.

CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY MUSEUM | SAN JOSE.

ROARING CAMP RAILROADS. - we took milo there for the first time last year for a special Day Out with Thomas and it was fun if your kids love train as much as mine. *and please try to bring your own food because the food is not good. i know when you go to zoos, amusement parks & kids places, the food is not only overpriced but its not so good. but seriously, when we went last year we thought the food was pretty nasty. they are doing another Day Out with Thomas end of July and August, so, get your tickets if you want to go.

TILDEN PARK STEAM TRAIN.

BILLY JONES WILDCAT RAILROAD.

NILES CANYON RAILWAY.

BARON PARK GARDEN RAILWAY.

PALO ALTO JUNIOR MUSEUM & ZOO.

i dont think we will hit all these places but this is the list we will be starting from. we will at least try to visit one of these places each week, and if its not too far, we could even hit two of these places a week. but then again, we will be using this list all year round.

and oh yes, for those of you who would like to take your little ones to a movie theatre, theres a family friendly screening of Winnie the Pooh this saturday (july 23rd) at Redwood City's AMC at 10:30am. its a good chance to take your little ones since they leave all the lights on and turn down the volume and you dont have to worry about your child crying or talking since its all about that. the Metreon use to have Reel Mom but they canceled that program a little bit ago. i have been trying hard to find more family screening/mom screening around the bay area but its hard. all i can do is to call each theater and unfortunately with the summer season and all summer part time job, most of the people that answer the phone has no idea what you are talking about. so, if you do want to inquire, ask for the manager and you can ask him/her if they are interested in hosting such events. good luck and please tell me if you know more places.

HAPPY SUMMER FUN FUN WITH YOUR FAMILY.
(and if you dont have little ones yet, some of these places are good places to take your date.)

A CRAB NAMED CRAP.

2011-07-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

milo had his EUA yesterday and the good news is his doctor found the reasons behind his pain. the pressure on his right eye is way higher and he thinks its because his implant valve is clogged. he is giving us two new eyedrops to use to see if that helps. if not, then other measures will have to happen like readjusting his existing valve or replacing the exiting one. as for his left eye, his doctor took out his prosthesis to check and found that he has a pretty bad cornea infection. the prosthesis is out of his eye and we have an antibiotic eye drop to give him every two hours. a culture was taken as well to define this infection and hopefully its nothing too bad. we were a bit relieved that they can explain his reasons of pain but the same time we feel horrible because he has been in pain all this time not because of him adjusting to his prosthesis but also because there was an infection AND his right eye pressure is way high. it makes this even more tricky in the future when he has to get his prosthesis back in. what happens when he complains of pain? is it the prosthesis or is he getting another infection? and is the prosthesis causing the infection? is he more prone to infection? can we do anything to prevent/decrease his chance of getting an infection? wheres is this 24hours hotline to call when you child gets prosthesis? it sucks because you cant really tell whats going on and its not like we can tell the infection to hold off on attacking his eye until he is well adjusted to his prosthesis. if i have the power of the aforementioned, i think i would be doing greater things and i would have a blog called I HAVE GREAT AMAZING POWER AND I AM NOT AFRAID TO USE IT & NO I AM NOT A MAGICIAN OR A GYPSY. well, thats kind of a long name but whatever, you get the point.

back to reality - i am SO glad that i requested this EUA because otherwise we would not have known that his pressure in his right eye is so high. the good thing is that the high pressure has not caused any nerve damage and also the cornea infection has not caused any permanent damage as well.

since his EUA in may, milo pretty much has a bad day once a week where he is in bed all day and no food, and sometimes it will last longer. about 2 weeks ago we found out of a family screening* of Cars 2 and we told him all about it and he was insanely excited for that day to come. the two days prior to the event, his eyes were feeling better and we were thrilled. the morning of the event he woke up not so great but milo was super brave and suck it up and kept telling us that he was okay even though you could see him blinking his eyes and moving his face a lot to adjust the discomfort of his prosthesis shell. he had couple pain related scream but we all made it into the car and we were all very excited to share this first time movie seeing experience with milo. as soon as we parked milo screamed and cried. we sat in the car with him for 40mins trying to talk him through it and explaining to him that if it hurts too much, we can see the movie at a later date when he is better. milo was very set on seeing it and he kept asking us to wait for him. his eyes were closed the whole time in the car aside from the several attempts to open which all ended with him screaming in pain. eventually we had to leave. he was extremely upset and disappointed. my hubby and i were heartbroken because we were excited to see him to be super excited to see the movie.

this is an illustration of the innocent looking evil prosthesis.
it is seriously this shape and the two black dots should be on the bottom when placed in the eye so you know if its turn upside down.
i only added the evil mouth to bring it to life.
heres a picture of the first prosthesis. the second one he had is pretty much the same except the occularist took out the top black dot so its easier to know if it is upside down.

i HATE that prosthesis shell SO much because it is completely controlling his life and its preventing him from doing things. my hubby and i are making sure that milo knows that it is not his fault that his eyes hurt and that it is okay if they hurt (even though it sucks), AND most importantly, we need to make sure that milo does not blame himself for his eyes. its all sounding very grown up. sometimes i take a step back and remind myself that he is only three years old and he has so much to deal with and that he will have so much more to deal with.
milo is the toughest and bravest superhero i know and probably you know.

lets hope this eye dropping eye drops will take away the nasty cornea infection on the left eye, his right eye pressure will be under control and he wont be light sensitive anymore. we will have another EUA in three weeks. until then...or as milo likes to say now, THE END.

xoxo

p.s. - matilda is doing well and growing up so fast. she started eating solid the day she turned 6 months old. she loves to smile and she loves watching milo. i started signing with her awhile back with everyday routine basic(milk, diaper change, bathtime, more) and now i am trying to do more. hopefully she will start signing soon!

FOOTNOTES:

* family screening - movie theater would host these every now and then (i think they should have these more especially in the summer time and have more than just one showing too) where the lights would be left on and they would lower the volume so the younger kids would feel okay watching the big screen.

HAPPY TODAY'S DATE TO YOU. THAT IS YOU, JULY FOURTH.

2011-07-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

July Fourth reminds me of Hello Kitty because of the red, white and blue. sorry american flag.

MY LITTLE DUDE + MY LITTLE LADY.

2011-07-02T23:27:00.000-07:00

ONE & TWO. matilda sitting inside a step chair. my mom's arm is holding her up. i recently purchased this H&M hat and i love it on her so much that i bought another one for her growing head. THREE & FOUR. matilda started teething when she was 4 1/2 months old and they started showing couple weeks ago and its been so hard to get it on film. but here they are!

matilda has been doing great. i have been taking her to her weekly baby class and milo tags along as well. i cant believe she will be 6 months this sunday. i wish i can keep her at this age for another year because she is so cuddly and giggly! they do grow up so fast. seeing matilda makes me wish that i can turn milo back to around her age. BUT with her 6 months coming up, it means she will be starting on those blend cereal. i would have started her earlier because she did showed interest in food but since milo has a high peanut allergy, her pediatrician recommends to wait till she is 6 months old. AND i decided to get a BÉABA to make life easier.

ONE + TWO + THREE. matilda loves to watch milo and i've been encouraging more brother sister time. i am asking milo to include matilda into his activities and asking him to talk with her and to show her his toys. we are teaching milo to make sure to make eye contacts with matilda when speaking with her, and to make sure that she can see his mouth when he is speaking to her. milo hasn't quiet done that yet but at least we are starting to get milo into the habit. milo loves superheroes and matilda's hearing impaired teacher came up with sign language for all his superheroes. as you can see in the pictures, matilda is highly attracted to the snack (PRETZ) that milo is eating. and milo is highly engaged in the iPad (the iPad has been a lifesaver ever since milo had his prosthesis. it is the one thing we still can use to get him to calm down and to open his eyes.)

THE MANY FACES OF MY LITTLE SUPERHERO.

milo is still dealing with his prosthesis. he pretty much has a bad day* once a week and he still complains about his eye or eyes everyday. he is still light sensitive and his vision teacher gave him a pair of fitover** sunglasses to put over his glasses (we called them his superhero sunglasses) and he would wear those and a hat when we go outside but a lot of times he would still keep his eyes closed until indoor. his prosthesis is still bothering him and its been a month since he had that put in. we talked with his occularist several times but unfortunately he doesn't have any immediate solutions for milo and he said that it is unusual that its taking so long for him to adjust to it. we just have to wait it out and milo just need to be super brave.

due to recent bad eyes drama, i called his glaucoma doctor to schedule an EUA***soon rather than in september. i hope by then he is able to tell us whats up and maybe even get a good look at his prosthesis since the occultist wont be able to make it.

my husband and i are sometimes at lost as to who we should go to for these questions since milo has three main specialist. if only they can all check on him while he is put under at his routine EUA, it would be so much easier. or better yet, if i could just have a little dinner party once a month for them so we can talk and discuss and not have to worry about them having to rush out to see another patient or teach a class. i guess thats what you get when they are such great doctors. i should start some kind of dinner-party-with-your-kids-doctor-thing. every parent deserves to learn as much as they can about their kids and their conditions. i think i am on to something with this dinner party idea. if any doctors are out there, what do you think?

as i am writing this blog, milo is having a bad eye day. we were on our way to the SF Zoo to meet Captain America and five minutes into the car ride, milo started feeling horrible. we made it to the zoo at 9am and with loads of tears, he kept saying he wants to go see Captain America. after a hand shake and a picture, he broke down and just want to go home and go to sleep. he has been in bed all day and no meals. he tried a bunch of times to open his eyes but ended with screams because of the pain of his prosthesis. he is a super brave little boy. i just hope tomorrow morning will be better.

wish me luck.

FOOTNOTES
*bad day means that theres some sort of breakdown where he would shut down and wants to go to sleep and not open his eyes.
**milo's vision teacher said that NOIR carries great sunglasses for vision impaired kids.
***Exam under Anesthesia

SUMMER FUN.

2011-06-28T21:52:00.000-07:00

let the summerfuntime begins.
milo has one month of summer school at his Early Start School and after that he will move on to a new preschool. its going to be tough since he has known all the teachers there since he was 8 weeks old when i started baby class with him. but at least matilda and i have started baby class so i will still get to see the wonderful teachers. i think it is me that is going to miss the school more than him. but thats not the point of this post, its about summerfuntime. my hubby and i started to generate a list of things we will do with milo and matilda during this summer. i cant wait and i will share some of them with you for those that are local. yeah.

happy summerfun time to you and don't forget sunblock and don't forget to say shoo shoo mosquitoes.

xoxo
me

LET'S BREAK OPEN THAT PIGGY BANK & GET SOME OF MY RECENT FAVORITES LUST ITEMS.

2011-06-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

ONE.Shinzi Katoh's sad little bear mug is so sadly cute. TWO.these swoop bags are just what i need to organize all of milo's toys. THREE.i am a sucker for scalloped pattern + for Chloé sunglasses. FOUR.i know i posted this Lauren Moffatt dress but i just had to since i want it & its a perfect dress for those july 4th bbq's social events. FIVE.i love Hello Kitty & i wouldn't mind having this dock speaker on my desk or even in the bathroom when i am doing my toothbrusing facewashing. SIX.cupcake mixer. SEVEN.i didn't know i always wanted a raccoon tee until i saw this. EIGHT.i want a break from my usual red polish and purple is my favorite color. NINE.i recently discovered Kork-Ease and made a purchase and now i want this as well. TEN.i haven't wore a watch for so long that i don't even remember,but i saw this and i want it. i cant decide if i want black or white. ELEVEN.i like anything that i can interchange - RAYBAN.

DEAR MEN: HAPPY FATHER'S DAY. YOU HAVE EXTRA HEARTS AROUND YOU TODAY.

2011-06-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

all the fathers (a.k.a dada) shall have extra hearts (a.k.a love thing) around them today..

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY.

TO MY MANSOMEHANDBOY (a.k.a husband), HAPPY DADA'S DAY. YOU ARE AN AMAZINGLY AMAZING FATHER TO YOUR CHILDREN AND YOU PICK OUT THE COOLEST BESTEST TOYS FOR THEM. NO DOUBT, YOU SHALL BE SHOWER WITH LOADS OF BUBBLY HEARTS TODAY.

XOXO
ME+MILO+MATILDA

EYES ON EYES ACTION.

2011-06-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

i would love to make this into a wrapping paper or fabric. kids with glasses ROCK.

heres a bit of milo's update since my last report after his recent procedures. milo is definitely doing better. he still has his good/bad days and we haven't yet had a day where he hasn't complained about his eyes. we actually went back to his glaucoma doctor last week to check on his good eye (right eye) because it was tearing a lot and it was still swollen. it really shouldn't be tearing since he had an eyelid epiblepharon to eliminate this problem. it turned out that he might have caught an infection from the procedure so we were given an antibiotic eye drop to give him for both his eyes 3 times a day for one week. and aside from the tearing he has been super sensitive to lights which he has never been. we were always asked if he is sensitive to lights due to his glaucoma but it was never a problem until now. the doctor really didn't know the reason and couldn't tell us much since it was a battle to get milo to have his eyes open at the doctor's visit. we just have to keep an eye on his eyes and if anything, he would need another EUA for further exam.

the antibiotic eye drop is working very well. his right eye is no longer red and the tearing has gone down drastically. BUT he is still light sensitive. we pretty much have the blinds in the house closed when its uber sunny. when we go outside with him he closes his eyes until we are indoor. milo's ECE teacher gave us a pair of sunglasses to put over his glasses and they help especially when we are in the car.

and here comes another whole new thing on top of all this drama with milo since his first prosthesis fitting back in april. with all these new recent activities and trauma, milo likes to cry all the time about everything and gets upset pretty quickly and often. it usually starts with him complaining about his eyes hurting and from that point on, its all about him not liking this and that and all he wants to do is go to sleep. its a constant battle. we cant tell anymore if he is trained to cry so he can get what he wants (because thats what we did when he first had the horrible experience with his prosthesis to get him to calm down) or if he is really hurting. we know that there are times that he IS in discomfort/pain but sometimes he can shut it off so quickly that it makes you wonder. i feel torn at times because i want to give him credit for all the crap he has been through with his eyes his whole life, but at the same time, i cant have him acting up and using his eyes as an excuse. it is a very fine line. SO, we are still educating him about his eyes and all that is going on and what he can do to help his prosthesis to feel better (i.e. - blinking his eyes when he wakes up so that it wont feel as dry or i like to use the phrase - you got to blink your eyes to wake up your shell.). we are being even more patient with him especially when it comes to his eye drops because we want him to be in a good mood so that he realizes that they are not horrible. i got him to believe that eye drops feel like a tickle to your eyeballs. we talk about his various emotions and making sure that he knows we acknowledge them and kind of talk it out with him every step of the way. unfortunately with milo, we are always making good progress on his milestone (i.e. sleeping habit, eating habit) but then we always have to start all over because of a bad doctor's visit or some eye changing event. its hard. for him and for us. we want to just give in and say yes to everything but at the same time we want milo to learn to grow with his eye conditions as a regular thing since he has a whole life of eye events.

if anyone out there wants more details on how to do eyedrops on your kid, please feel free to ask me because i can share my tricks with you.

EARWELL DEVICE NEEDS PUBLICITY. SPREAD AND SHARE.

2011-06-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

it was matilda*'s turn today at the doctor. we went to see a plastic surgeon at Stanford about this EarWell device that our pediatrician told us about. we read an article on it hoping that maybe matilda would be a good candidate but it turns out that EarWell doesn't work with kids that have microtia. BUT i want to spread the news of this device to everyone out there since this is very new and a lot of people don't even know about it, including doctors. i told matilda's hearing aid teacher and she will spread the word for me with her colleagues. i am hoping that all the people that does hearing screening in hospital will be educated about this as well since early intervention is the key. spread this so children can benefit. thank you.

SPREAD AND SHARE.

*please see this post for history of my kids.

Oh Happy Day wants to take you out for a special treat.

2011-06-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

Oh Happy Day is doing a giveaway. check it out here. you wont regret.
i did it (as you can tell). this is my first time and maybe i will get lucky.
thank you jordan.
xoxo
me

DRAGON BOAT. DRAGON BOAT.

2011-06-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

behind the scenes of Dragon Boat Festival.

HAPPY DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL.
eat a bunch of zongzi.

WE WANT TO SCREAM: FRACK THIS PROSTHESIS TO PIECES.

2011-06-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

milo's left eye is smaller than his right eye since birth and the retina is detached (hence no vision). we were always told that at some point (roughly before the age of 5) he would need to be fitted for a prosthesis so his left side of his face will grow equally with his right side. the prosthesis is to stretch out his left eye since the face grows around the orbit of your eye.

this is a picture of him when he was 4 months old & his left eye is not as noticeably as small as his right eye.

so in his march EUA* (exam under anesthesia), his ocularist tag along to look to see if he is ready for a prosthesis and indeed he was. milo had his first fitting on april 20th and my husband and i were feeling pretty anxious. the process wasn't as bad as we anticipated. i did have to hold his arm and head and my husband was on guard for his legs in case he kicks. milo cried. it was over pretty quickly. (imagine an evil** version of a contact fitting) we left the office after awhile and milo seems to be okay with it. that very night he went crazee and was screaming and crying for over an hour and finally went to bed without his dinner. the next day he was fine and even went to his regular swim class. after lunch he screamed and cried and only this time you could tell that he was obviously bothered by the prosthesis. in summary, we had to take it out. the ocularist gave us this tiny suction cup to use. it was hard to get milo to listen to us. we kept telling him what we need to do to make him feel better but he just wouldn't listen because he is too bother by the discomfort. unfortunately we had to be sneaky and we had to do it when he was asleep. it was horrible of us and we were the wicked evil witches but we had no choice. after we took out the prosthesis, milo had both of his hands cupping his eyes for a long time. it was his natural human reaction to the trauma and his way of protecting his eyes while sleeping. it was heartbreaking. we really want to say frack this whole prosthesis to pieces because its not worth it. milo is SO traumatize by this and he still has his whole life of doctor visit and people looking at his eyes and how would he ever deal? the hard decision of parenting kicks in on this because if we don't do this now it will be too late. its now or never because his face is still growing.

SO FIRST FITTING OF PROSTHESIS: F.A.I.L.E.D.

oh. a little history of the prosthesis. milo has an actual left eye so all the ocularist gave him is a clear scleral cover shell. no need for fancy painting of an actual eye on it.

the shell is placed in the cover part of a contact case (the actual part for a contact is too small for his shell). don't be fool by the bubble, the actual shell is the rounded triangle. the one dot represents the top part of the eye and the two dots should be on the bottom part of his eye. this is just a easy way to know if the shell is turned around in his eye.

on may 24th he had his routine EUA, a lower eyelid epiblepharon*** on his right eye, and second fitting of his prosthesis (the ocularist made the shell a bit thinner this time). that same day (tuesday), he was great. the second day (wednesday), he was okay with the prosthesis eye and was only upset about putting ointment on his stitches on the right eye. the third day (thursday) was bad. the night before he was crying a lot in his sleep and in the morning he refused to open his eyes and was like that until the next day (friday). on friday he was still refusing to open his eyes and finally we took him in to see the doctor because he told us that its his right eye that was hurting. the doctor checked it out and said all was well and the stitches are healing nicely and he is good to go. that night he finally opened up his eyes and that was the best feeling my husband and i had. we were SO relieved and milo was so happy. the next day (saturday) came and milo did not open his eyes again and it was not until the evening he opened them. this pattern went on and is still going on. we now know how to handle it and how to talk to him and how to get him to do it.

milo refused to open his eyes and insisted on sleeping on the rocker.

the thing is, throughout all of this, we talked to him the whole time about whats going on and how we know how he is feeling and how we are there to help and what can we do to help and we even told him about the shell in his eye and how it does get uncomfortable especially when waking up because it gets dry.

i will never know what he is feeling. it does break my heart to see him like this because i cant help him. all this reminded my husband and i of all of milo's conditions and how he has to face this for the rest of his life.

milo is truly my superhero of all time. i am so proud of him. he has been so brave since day one, literally.

he is better about opening his eyes each day. our ipad is loaded up with his Pixar buddies - the TOY STORY gang and CARS to encourage him to open up his eyes. they are always there when he wakes up and before he falls asleep. they are on a as needed basis. milo likes to show people his shell and we encourage him to do so. we talk about it with him often just like how i always tell him he has two very amazingly amazing eyes, right eye is the big one and the left eye is the small one.

BUT HONESTLY: i wish someone can tell me how long it will take his eye to adjust to this giant plastic shell???!!!! its like a turtle shell on your eye.

FOOTNOTES:
*milo has been put under since he was born so that they could look at his eyes without having him scream his lungs out. he used to get it done every 2 weeks and now its every 3-4 months. and this is mainly with his glaucoma specialist.

** evil because the prosthesis is insanely thicker than a contact. its hard and thick like TWO Lee Press-on nail and the size of it is bigger than your eyeball.

*** fancy term of saying that they need to fix milo's lower right lid eyelashes since they are turning in and poking his eye. he actually had it done about a year ago and its happening again. sine this is his only eye, they are extra conservative and therefore they are fixing it, otherwise it usually corrects itself.

PARCA DAY AT THE FAIR.

2011-06-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 14th : PARCA day at the fair.
for people with developmental disabilities & their immediate families.
start time - 11am and rides will be open and free unti 12pm.

i never went but i signed up (thats right, you have to sign up here.)

i think it would be good for milo having that extra hour before its open to the public since he does get pretty anxious around a large crowd especially when there are lots of kids running around. he tends to step back, stay close to us and don't really want to participate. its all because he does not have much peripheral vision on his only eye and things can get a little too much for him visually.

looking forward to this and i cant wait to see you + your family and your little ones.
and yeah for funnel cakes and cotton candy and all things sweets.

summer is here.

ME+MY PERFECT PAIR:The untold brief history of me, my children and what my blog shall be.

2011-05-31T16:49:00.000-07:00

hi. lets get right into it.
my name is queenie. i am an illustrator, a designer, a wife and a mother of two. i love to create. i love to draw. i love fashion. i love patterns. i love all things cute. i love stuff. i love kids (especially my kids no doubt). AND i love to consume. oh! i almost forgot that i love bread and tart. basically i am human. i started this blog because i want to share with people my illustrations/characters and all the goodies i find from fashion to design to food to travel and pretty much anything that makes my eyes drool. the blog is my bff where i could just go and share all my findings and i could comment about it without having to stop and wait for feedbacks. i was able to let it all out (and my mansomedude a.k.a my husband did not have to hear all about it)without comments. he didn't really want to be my human blog.

just recently i decided that i wanted to find a better theme to my blog even though if you look at my past postings you get a pretty good idea of what its all about. i guess i should really say that i want to add something else to my blog and to do so i need to give you a little intro/update. i want to talk about raising special needs children and mainly from my own experiences.

i have two kids. milo is my three year old (just turned three last week) and matilda is my almost 5 month old. milo was born with a rare congenital eye defect where he has no vision on his left eye and very limited vision on his right eye due to glaucoma and FEVR. he has had many surgeries since he was 10 days old until now due to his conditions. he has these super cute blue glasses that he has been wearing since he was three months old (he is super near sighted). under the state of California milo is considered to be legally blind. matilda was born this januray and she has microtia in her left ear and conductive hearing loss as well. both of them are more powerful on their right side than their left side. i always say to milo: its okay if you cant see it, just listen. now i will have to say this to matilda: its okay if you can hear it, just look.

with milo's vision impairment since day one (on top of being a first time mom), i learned A LOT about the whole process from the State to different programs available and of course, dealing with your health insurance to just taking care of your special needs child. its definitely a lot of information to take in when you have a baby and especially when its your first one. i was very overwhelmed when we had to go through all that as milo is our first baby and with the very unexpected findings of his vision. with matilda, my husband noticed her deformation left ear as soon as she came out. i only noticed it when my husband said something to the doctor since i didn't see her left side when she was handed to me. we both acknowledged her left ear nonchalantly and was just thrilled that she arrived. milo had us trained too well with his conditions.

milo has been enrolled in Early Start Education with our county since he was 7 weeks old and he will be graduating from them after this summer because he turned three years old. then he can transferred into the district (which is a whole other system with meetings you have to go through). matilda got accepted into the same program due to her hearing loss. i got one kid in the vision class and the other in hearing class. we are the first family that the school has seen with 2 kids with a completely nonrelated conditions. in a way, i am happy to know that matilda will get to experience the same school that milo was in because the teachers are wonderful and its such a safe and friendly environment. and i get to see the teachers for another three years.

i told my husband that we should play the lottery because the chances of having both a vision and hearing impaired kids are very very rare especially since both side of the families have no history. maybe when i do go and get a lottery ticket and win you will see me on the news with those giant fake checks (wait, do they do that or am i thinking about the publishing clearing house commercial?).

i've been through it and still am and i want to share it with you and i think i am a pretty good advocate for families with special needs kids especially with hearing and vision impaired. we had no support when we first went through it (we had families to support but to be honest, its very different since its a whole new topic) and i want to be here for those families going through it.

i am not only going to talk about my kids on this blog, i will continue to do what i am doing but i want my blog readers to know that i am here if you have any questions. and i know this is the longest post ever but really theres no short brief way to introduce. (i am fancy like that.)

xoxox
me

DEAR MOMS ALL OVER: YOU TRULY OOZES LOVE.

2011-05-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY.
i am very lucky that i get to spend mothers day with my mom and also with my little dude and my little baby. being a recent mom i now realize how much hearts oozes out of you upon your children. it is such an amazingly amazing thing to have. i ooze hearts all day long and all the time for my two wonderful children and i know my mom has been doing that to my brother and i as well.

i heart my mom.
i heart being a mom.
and
i think of the moms that are not with me but i heart them truly : my grandmothers and my mother-in-law. you gals are still rocking my world.
AND
to one of my most dear friend who just had her little baby girl - HAPPY FIRST MOTHERS DAY to you! (you know who you are)

xoxo
me.

THE WISH THE LIST FOR THE MOMS.

2011-04-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

this year i put together a mother's day wish list. and of course this list is great for other occasions (i.e.birthdays, i love you day, i need to buy you something, i am sorry please forgive me & i have money so heres a gift for you).

i put together two lists. one is under $100 and the other is $100 and above and with the latter some of them are hard to get in the US but hey if you have the money to get it, you probably got people of your own that can track it down or you could probably take a midnight flight on your own jet to get to that location and purchase it. and who knows, maybe you know the owner of that product.

as for me, i want it all of course. well, still not sure about the whole dinner in the sky thing but i have to include it since the idea of it since kind of cool and somewhat romantic.

happy shopping girls + boys + kids.

xoxo
from one mom to another.

THE NICE TO YOUR MONEY BAG LIST (LESS THAN $100).

ONE. kate's paperie: Campo Marzio Measuring Tapes. always good thing to have in your bag. everyone needs to measure a little something something every once in awhile and those IKEA paper measuring things are not so great and not so cute to have in your bag/purse/diaper bag.

TWO. Nixon Newton watch. i haven't wore a watch in a long time. i pretty much use my iphone to tell me time and also because ever since i have a baby i try to not wear anything on my arm since it always end up scratching the kid. BUT with that being said, i want this in purple. and i think if you are a mom, this is pretty kid friendly to have on your arm.

THREE: fresh SUGAR LEMON EAU DE PARFUM. anything by fresh is pretty good. any lovely ladies love to smell good and/or smell pretty things. you cant really go wrong with this.

FOUR: Sweater Knit Bird Throw. its always nice to have something cute and neutral color around for cozy up time.

FIVE: ban do's gold bow bobbi. this is super cute. you can clip it pretty much wherever and every lovely lady needs a good bow.

SIX: IzabelDesigns's beadwoven ring. this is simple and unique and the price is great. you can get this and something else on the list to make it extra special.

SEVEN: i have been eyeing these two items forever, especially the EmersonMade one. but the ban.do one is pretty awsum as well. its hard to decide which one so i would get both. the bigger the better i say.

EIGHT: Orla Kiely Eau de Parfum Spray. never smell it but anything Orla Kiely i want.

NINE: Lollia handcremes is super smelling good. whenever i am at an Anthropologie shop, i always go and put some of the handcreme on and sometimes even spray their sample perfume. you cant go wrong with this stuff.

TEN: Matt Pugh's Walnut Owl with Red Top. too cute to not have on her desk or on her bookshelf or by her bedside table. i want it in all colors.

ELEVEN: Yudu's Personal Card-Making Screen Printer. i got a gocco and i hear this one is just as nice and would be a great gift for a craft mom. and who knows she can use it to send you a thank you card.

TWELVE: i love all things Anthropologie and this heart shape necklace is very simple and nice. its actually kind of hard to find a nice heart shape necklace without looking like you went and bought it from Claire's or borrowing it from your little cousin. and lately i've been feeling wearing gold, especially rose gold.

THE IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THAT MONEY LIST (MORE THAN $100).

ONE: MIFFY! i love me miffy. this miffy light is pretty hard to get if you are in the US but its super cute and any moms would want that for their kids. i know i would.

TWO: Weather Report Cape. i don't know why this is so expensive but its pretty darn cute and its very useful for a mom with little one on a wet day. its hard to find a nice looking raincoat wearing gear and a different one aside from all the Burberry coat i see on a rainy day.

THREE: Sweetheart Bib Necklace. this necklace is just super delicious. its like adult candy necklace. its very lusty indeed.

FOUR: Mika Piirainen 's A line dress. i love it. i love dresses like this. so perfect for all year round in SF. with boots, with sandals, with socks+platforms. now if only it has pockets.

FIVE: DIEPPA RESTREPO shoes. no price listed but i am very sure its way more than $100. so shiny and nice. every mom needs a pair of dancing shoes.

SIX: Alex Monroe's bicycle necklace. this is pretty sweet and good one to wear since i am sure the kids would like it as well. i never seen this one in person but this bicycle necklace from Anthropolgie is pretty nice as well but seems a bit bulkier but its way cheaper.

SEVEN: Evans Cycle | Pashley Poppy Hybrid Bike. this is very cute. imagine a mom with her kid taking a ride to her neighborhood stores or local farmers market.

EIGHT: See by Chloe | Closed Toe Wedge Sandals. these are great platforms for those super moms that are still okay wearing heels with their kids. it would go great with the aforementioned dress or any spring/summer dresses.

NINE: dinner in the sky. need i say more. if you actually went and got this as a mother's day present, please email me and tell me everything.

TEN: Madsen Bikes. this is truly awsum. any mom would love to have this to carry their children around along with the kids' stuff. i want one in pale yellow.

i hope you will find these two lists useful and please feel free to email me to tell me which one you got. as for me, i am not sure what i will be getting my mom yet. i know. time is running tight. i have too many ideas and want to get my mom many things. as for me, i got another bundle of joy to celebrate mother's day with me on top of my existing bundle of joy. its like mothers day for me everyday.

xoxo

HAPPY EASTER.

2011-04-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

YOU.

2011-04-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

one year ago today someone close to our heart left us unexpectedly.

i just want YOU to know that i do think of YOU often. i admit that i do not know your favorite color(s), your most favorite candy or your most favorite shoes. but i do know that YOU are everyone's favorite and i know i think of YOU especially when i look at my main dude and my two children. theres a lot of YOU in them especially in my main dude who never forgets what you have taught or told him. you always said, Mothers are always right. (and i am a mother too now.)
YOU are missed dearly but YOU are YOU so YOU are never far.

xoxo
me

YOU DID THAT FOR MEEEEEEEE.

2011-03-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

i knew that i wanted an iPad2 the day they announced the release date. i planned on placing an order online since i knew that they would be sold out at the store. i planned a trip with my two little ones soon after the release date and an idea of having an iPad2 for my toddler on the plane got stuck in my head. i knew there were no way i would get one by ordering online and so i did a little looking around and realized the best chance to get one was to wait in line early in the morning since stores get daily shipments and sometimes it includes iPad2. i told my main dude hubby of the idea and how maybe i should do that so i could have it for my trip. i was of course half joking since i have a 2.5 month old at home that needs nursing (and the other half i was hoping that i could since i wanted one).

to get to the point of this posting - my main dude got up super early for me and waited in line. after the first morning, he knew what to expect and woke up at 3am for the next 3 days and on the 4th try, he did it. he even got exactly the one i wanted. its amazing. both my dude and the ipad2 but the latter is not as amazing as my main dude of course. all i could think of every morning when he woke up was - you would do that for me?
i admit, i felt horrible for ever mentioning the idea to him and each morning when he got up to go i would tell him to stop but he went. and while he was gone, i wouldn't be able to sleep well because all i could do was think about him standing for 4 hours in the cold and in the rain just because i wanted the iPad2 for my trip.

i love my crazee dude. not because he got me my iPad2 but because he went and did that for me even knowing that he might not even be able to get one at all. i am one lucky girl.

BACK TO LIFE. BACK TO REALITY. HOWEVER DO YOU NEED ME. HOWEVER DO YOU WANT ME.

2011-03-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

it has been too long, blog. i truly miss you and i think of you often.
ever since my new baby arrived, i have had no time except for my newborn and my toddler and sometimes for my mansome handboy (i.e. - my main man dude hubby). the only thing i can do for the things i want to do is to think about them - i.e. blogging, drawing, chatting with friends (who are now my imaginary friends), sleeping, and sometimes eating.

but here i am blog.

i actually have a free moment and i want to tell you that among my busy hectic but fun loving newborn/toddler days, i still have desires and wishes and wants for stuff.

this is just a beginning. there are SO much more i want but i dont have enough time to tell you all about it. enjoy these and feel free to get them for me, my blog readers. i miss you too much and when i find the technology to add an extra 12 hours onto one day or when i find the technology to freeze time (like Evie from Out of This World), i will be back to tell you more about me and my life and my stuff and my newfound superfantastic baby + toddler.

xoxo
me

1) signet stardust ring-14kt gold

2) Lavender Relaxing Foot Cream

3) Incense Matches - not a crazee incense lady but would be good to have it in our guest bathroom for those moments that no one likes to be in. you know what i am talking about and i am not afraid to say it.

4) Wedzu's kissing bird ring

5) Stella McCartney: Horsey printed sweater

6) Swedish Hasbeens: large shoulder bags in red please

7) Claire & Anaud's Origami jewellery pegasus necklace. i really do want this around my neck please.

8) New High (M)art shirts - any one of these stripes shirt would be great for an everyday wear and i am loving stripes these days.

9) Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent - been looking for a small/medium-ish cross over bags to carry all my stuff along with some toddler toys + infant essentials on days that i dont feel like carrying a diaper bag.

10) MCMC Fragrances - Dude No. 1 - dont know what this smells like but i would like to smell it and therefore would love to get it for my dude so that i can smell the dude on my dude. (maybe this was for The Dude on Big Lebowski?)

11) Lanvin Dear Danae Foldover Tote - this could be perfect for my i dont feel like carrying my diaper bag day because i want to use a regular bag but yet i need it big enough so that i can carry all my kids stuff but not too big so my arms are free to grab my kids kind of day. (its pretty much how i feel everyday now.)

12) Props on a Stick - this would be great for me and my little dude to play dress up especially on a rainy day or just about any day when we feel like being somebody else for one second.

13) Fjallraven 15" Computer Bag - i just got the purple Fjallraven day bag (for my upcoming trip - well it was more of an excuse to buy another bag) but i also want this so that i can carry my soon to arrive iPad2 with me.

HEART WISHES ALL AROUND.

2011-02-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

MY LOVELY FAMILY TO YOURS. HEART HEART.

GOODBYE TIGER HELLO BUNNY.

2011-02-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

WELCOME BUNNIES.HAPPY NEW YEAR. WISHING YOU A YEAR FULL OF GOOD STUFF.

TIME SUCKER:IVE BEEN GONE BUT I PLAN TO COME BACK SOON. (a.k.a - I SHALL USE THE WORD TIME MANY TIMES IN THIS POSTING.)

2011-01-28T16:07:00.000-08:00

Dear Me Blog:

i know ive been missing for some time but i have the best reason of all time. i gave birth to a new fresh human earlier this month. enough said. but i have been thinking of you, blog. and i DO want to come back and filled your space with pages of goodies but please give me some time. time is super hard to find these days with my new human and my little dude. i just want to tell you so you know i have not forgotten about you. thank you for your time.

xoxo
me

*OH.HAPPY NEW YEAR BY THE WAY. AND IT AINT TOO LATE FOR ME TO SAY SINCE CHINESE NEW YEAR IS COMING NEXT WEEK. ITS ALL LEGIT IN MY BOOK.*

2011-01-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

dear lovely blog readers of mine:

i just want you to know that i will be missing for a little bit since i am going to go off tomorrow and do some amazing stuff - like having a little baby. i will be back once i get myself back in the game with handling a new baby and taking care of my toddler and finding some shut eye time. *eek* i am SO excited (minus all the anxiousness of pain and hoping the baby will be healthy and all that scary stuff that you think about).

xoxo
me with a giant baby in my tummie.

p.s.- have some carrot while i am away and while you are reading other lovely blogs.

HELLO 2011. I WELCOME YOU.

2010-12-31T20:47:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

HAPPY HAPPY MERRY MERRY HAPPY YEAH YEAH TO YOU.

2010-12-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

LUST LIST THREE: POSSIBLY THE LAST ONE THAT I WILL PUBLISH BEFORE THE DAY OF JESUS.

2010-12-21T11:37:00.000-08:00

ONE: Maison Desalle's Paris Loves You chair

TWO: DwellStudio NEW DOTTED TRELLIS CHARCOAL PILLOW

THREE: Anthropologie DIY ( i will most likely do this since i would like to have more of these big chunky neck warmer.)

FOUR: how cute are these Collegien Slipper Socks. i want one for the whole family.

FIVE: Jack Spade Dipped Industrial Canvas. if my dude have one i can take it and use it too. a great gift for me and him. but you are only buying one. how great is that.

SIX: I love my Miffy. and i want to go here and take my little and big dude with me. so 3 tickets to the store please. PLEASE. I WANT.

SEVEN: Heal's Orla Kiely. anything from here will make me happy. anything.

EIGHT: Rebecca Coagan Scharlatt's morse coated necklace. this is super sweet and i love how small it looks on your neck. very cute.

NINE: sheriff PJ's for my little dude.

TEN: Tivoli Audio Model One AM/FM Radio.

ELEVEN: i spotted this skull necklace by made in the display window of Jigsaw several times and i really dig it since i keep thinking about it. i SO want it around my neck. OH. I WANT IT.

TWELVE: Zara dresses. i love me some zara shopping whenever i am overseas. and look at all these dresses. they are the perfect length and i want them in both black and red especially the tuplip dress. so perfect. so good. want want please.

THIRTEEN: Super Star earrings. not sure if my ears would be allergic to this but i like it. little tatoos on my ear lopes.

FOURTEEN: Fox. very cute. i just want him to sit on my shelf or i could share him with my little dude.

FIFTEEN: CC SKYE Lightning Bolt Necklace

SIXTEEN: Eggshell Zigzag Romper

EIGHTEEN: Brevity Horseshoe necklace.

NINETEEN: Johnny Cupcake + Hello Kitty. even though they were completely sold out pretty much right after it was on sale, i still want it.

SUPERJUICYCHICKEN WANTS YOU TO CONSUME.

2010-12-20T16:16:00.000-08:00

please see WHERE TO BUY ME for a list of stores for purchases for your enjoyment.
please contact me if you would like to have it at your store.

HAVE A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY WITH A SUPERJUICYCHICKEN.
GET ONE FOR YOUR PEEPS AND/OR FOR YOU.

WARNING: THIS IS WAY BETTER THAN PILLOW PETS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

LUST LIST TWO.

2010-12-12T17:12:00.000-08:00

ONE: Orfeo - Mimilou - School bag bird

TWO: Lauren Moffatt Wool Pea Coat

THREE: Jonathan Adler pop menagerie lion ornament

FOUR: CATBIRD Alphabet Rings - Gold

FIVE: terrain: APPLE PINCH BOWL

SIX: Jonathan Adler lion rug

SEVEN: Jonathan Adler elephants salt and pepper

EIGHT: the bestest wallpaper ive seen in a long time

NINE: Bamboo Radio

TEN: Clarevivier La Tropézienne bag - the most simple brown leather bag ive seen in awhile and i wish i can touch it just to see how soft it is. i wonder how much it weights since i hate heavy leather bags.

ELEVEN: Orla Kiely Pattern book. A must have.

TWELVE: Linge De Maison Housse de couette Chantier bed sheets. i really like the simple boyish pattern. it gives me such a clean happy feeling.

THIRTEEN: OFFI Mini-Drawer Doodle Desk (in orange). my little dude would like this. i just know it.

FOURTEEN: Jonathan Adler apple pillows

FIFTEEN: Orla Kiely Big Zip wallet - i have one of these in different pattern and i ABSOLUTELY love it. i am always scared that it will break one day and if i have a spare it would make me feel so safe.

* i realized that this wish list is a very neutral orange theme. i guess thats whats attracting my eyes these days.*

THIS ONE FOR YOU AND ONLY YOU.

2010-12-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

I WISH YOU YOUR WISHES AND MY WISHES. LOTS OF HEARTS, MOSTLY MINE.

I WELCOME YOU DECEMBER, THE MONTH OF WISHES AND DESIRES (WITHOUT GUILT).

2010-11-30T13:10:00.000-08:00

the month of december is finally upon us and it means that all my desires/wants can be shared and i dont have to feel so guilty for wanting so much stuff. heres the beginning of my list. i dont necessarily need or want every single item but since its the holiday season, i have a very loose/generous rules about things i want/need. as long as i like them or they are worthy of my eyes to stop and my brain to ponder-wonder, then its on the list. SO, here they are. i think these items would make a great gift for YOU, YOUR MOM, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR GF, YOUR BFF, YOUR SECRET CRUSH, YOUR IDOL, or simply just me. (confession: when making wish list type deal, i always rather have someone that i dont really know well to give it to me since i wouldnt feel so bad that they are spending all this money to get me my wants. does that make sense? if its someone like my close family, i would rather they spend the money on themselves. SO, with that said, i guess this is truly a wish list because who and what someone who i dont really know would go and buy me things??!!! SANTA? are you out there reading me blog?)

ONE: iphone4 bamboo case by grove. i would like to customize my own. but right now its only available for iphone4 and if i were given this case, he/she needs to buy me an iphone4 as well.

TWO: ghost lamps. they are supercute. i can use it or my little dude could use it if he fancies it.

THREE: dyson DC25 All Floor. do i really need to say anything more. i wont be me if i dont obsessed about vacuum. i REALLY TRULY WANT a dyson and this is the one i want to start with. seriously, i want it. if you read this blog, you know ive been wanting a dyson for a long long long time.

FOUR: BOLD-STEPPING BOOTIES. toggle. i want everything in toggle. everything toggle i want.

FIVE: Orla Kiely's radio. i posted about this before and i am posting it again. I DO LIKE IT. I MEAN I LOVE IT.

SIX: Diana Mini En Rose.

SEVEN: Yuma cardigan. i like the pattern and i would wear it with the bold-stepping booties (wish list item FOUR). i do i do like it.

EIGHT: Jambox from Jawbone. i want one or two or in all colors just so i can say it out loud to people that i have a jambox from jawbone.

NINE: ASICS x Sanrio 50th anniversary sneaker. i dont love it but for some reason i am feeling it and wouldnt mind kicking these kicks around. they are kinda ugly but yet i am liking the no socks with these kicks look. why not i say. size 8 please.

TEN: iP40 FM Alarm Clock Radio. just nice to have in the bathroom or in the kitchen.

ELEVEN: WorkCycles Oma.

TWELVE: Piece of Sky Rug.

GOBBLE TO YOU AND YOUR TUMMY.

2010-11-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING PEOPLE.

The turkey is all about starting the holiday season and all the consuming and all the stuff for your stuff and all the jollypopping to come. i love this time of year from all the possible clothing you can put on yourself to buying gifts for others and just seeing the face on my little dude from putting up our tree and santa claus and opening all his presents. i love it. i just love it.

xoxo
superjuicyturkey

ITS BEEN AWHILE SINCE I GOT SOMETHING FOR YOU, MY LOVELY HOME.

2010-11-09T16:13:00.001-08:00

its nice to buy things for human. but i like to also buy things for our home. there are tons of BIG things that i would love to get but it would be awhile before i can afford them since they are BIG purchases. but when i do find little things like these, i feel like i must get them.

hello kitty monopoly. i dont need it but i feel like i have to since i am a big hello kitty fan since way back when before hello kitty became this too famous for me that i pretty much dont want to buy any of the new style. (pretty much since hello kitty made her way into Hot Topic days). but looking at the style of this, it reminds me of the old 1976 design.

Orla Kiely. what more do i need to say. just come to AMERICA so i can buy you. i would love to buy more than one and have you in all my rooms. for now you can get it here or here and if you really want to, PLEASE BUY ME ONE.

LET THE WISHES COME ON FORWARD.

2010-11-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

its been awhile since i did any posting about my recent new desires. i constantly see a bunch of new wants and below are some that i actually like/want that its worth for me to share with you. and besides, its almost that time of year where my most favorite holiday is coming up and i know ive been pretty good this year that mr santa claus would want to see some kind of wish list from me (of course this is just the beginning):

1. GLORY CHEN - these shoes!! i want them in my closet for sure. i want it in all the colors. it has the most perfect round toe ever. its my most ideal roundness in a shoe and i MUST have them. i will get them. but which color should i start with. what do you think, feet?

2. DYSON - no need to say more. if youve been following this blog, you know i love vacuums and i am not afraid to share it and shout it. if i could i would have a vacuum in every room and they would have to be a different kind since they would serve different purposes, just like each room serve a different purpose. i DO like the dyson so much. i dont have one yet but maybe i will get one for christmas? how about this little one? it can sit in a dark corner and you would never know about it. OH. I WANT IT SO MUCH.

3. this bag. i always like to have a nice simple black bag around. so whenever i see one thats worthy i would like to have it sitting in my closet for those days that i feel like using a black bag. its a very comforting feeling to know that you have it when you need it since they are pretty hard to find. kind of like a good pair of jeans or a nice basic tee or jacket or sweater or etc. you get the point.

4. i really dig this set up for my little dude's room. i would want it for myself if it comes in an adult king size. what i really love is the sheets combo. it makes me think of eating strawberries and having strawberry shortcake doll as a decor. i think my little dude would really like it. maybe someone can just make one for us? please? its not for me? its for a super cute little dude? anyone? make it for us? elves?

5. this bed would be pretty cool if the case of the latter wish does not get fulfilled.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN PEOPLE.

2010-10-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

Boo. Boo. Boo.

SUPERJUICYCHICKEN in ORANGE.

2010-10-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

please see WHERE TO BUY ME for a list of stores for purchases for your enjoyment.
please contact me if you would like to have it at your store.

ORANGE ORANGE IS THE NEW SUPERJUICYCHICKEN.

2010-10-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

please see WHERE TO BUY ME for a list of stores for purchases for your enjoyment.

short-wish-list on a rainy sunday.

2010-10-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

its the first rain of the fall season after that annoying heat wave. i hope this will mean that fall is finally here to stay. it has to since i got my first pair of boots for this very fall season. heres some findings i did in the past few days. i am keeping it short since i am trying hard to not want too much.
here it goes:

Woodland Baby Bookends.

these books ends are too cute. i want them all and put them all over our house since we got rooms in almost all our rooms. they are SO very cute and yet so very pricey but i SO want them.

LU FLUX.

their Dame and Knight A/W2010 line is pretty freaking fantastic. i want everything and somehow the girl model reminds me of Bjork. their dresses are my style especially the length. come to me or come to america or feel free to send me to you.

Cord Backpack by Master Piece.

true cute.

2010-10-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

dear nephew:
welcome. i think you are super cute and i will not stop giving you kisses & hearts.
xoxo
me, your aunt.

PLASTIC AND PLUSH GOT MY BACK.

2010-10-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

thanks for the post plastic and plush.

SUPERJUICYCHICKEN Plush in ORANGE.

2010-10-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

please see WHERE TO BUY ME for a list of stores for purchases for your enjoyment.

for the sake of halloween go and get yourspookyself a lovely orange SuperJuicyChicken.
it also come in yellow, pink and blue.

another week another list of things i like to have.

2010-09-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

i like -

the Clarity project (good place for someone who wants to buy something something sparkly and special for someone thats filled with bubbly hearts.)

Polarno Pyret's neck warmer for baby

Emerson Made - i want it all.

i like the bed but i really like the bed tent for my little dude.

the micuna furniture is nice and simple and the colors are so soft.

this BOW scarf is awsum but of course is sold out right now.

these 80%20 - women's eliotte suede boots is a must have especially with the toggles. i am a sucka for toggle.

i saw these Minnetonka® fringed low moccasins in store and they are pretty cute and the price is great.

just for kicks, i would like to try this Komenuka Bijin shampoo since my current shampoo will run out soon.

MOONCAKE.

2010-09-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MOONCAKE (MID-AUTUMN) DAY.

WITH MOONCAKE DAY HERE, IT MEANS YOU CAN ARRIVE MR. FALL WEATHER.

HAVE YOURSELF SOME MOONCAKE* TODAY.

*i dont like mooncakes.i dont hate them.but i love the word mooncake. mooncake sounds more delicious than the actual mooncake.

DONT FORGET TO STEP OUT AND LOOK AT THE MOON.

I DRAW CASH.

2010-09-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

i have recently discovered a bunch of stuff that i want* and since with the lack of consuming cash, i decided to make my own cash-cash so that i can buy the stuff that i want. and with blogging about it, it would make me feel like i actually bought the items and fulfilled that desire hole in my brain. its kind of like adding stuff in my wish list.

so heres some stuff that ive been wanting to bring home:

1) Rue magazine.

2) Sausalito Moses Basket

3) Stadium-cloth Sasha peacoat

4) Glen plaid Sasha peacoat

5) stripe shirts are my new fav lately and i found some very good ones (like this). but i also want this Grayson Stripe Swing Tee

6) THE ORIGINAL MOROCCANOIL Oil Treatment - this has been on my list forever and with my cash-cash i figure why not get it now.

7) BOOTS. every fall season i have to get some boots. its in my blood to search for a new pair of boots every year. and every year i make the purchase or purchases and i will tell myself that i have all the boots in all the colors and i wont have to buy anymore the year after. and every year i lied. this year my goal is to find the perfect black boots without looking like i am wearing rainboots. i have these in Cognac and really do like them (even though everyone has them). and i feel like i should get the black ones since i know they fit. not sure. but heck, i got my cash-cash, why not.

8) a new cape for this fall/winter.

9) dinosaurs wallpaper (this one and/or this one).

i shall stop here before the list gets too long.

IF IT'S YOUR FIRST TIME, YOU REALLY SHOULD READ THIS.

2010-09-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

i’ve been meaning to put this together for awhile and I finally did it seeing how one of my buddy is having their first baby next month. we were one of the first among our friends to have a baby and we didn’t have any tips as to what we should get and hence, we bought way too much and way too soon and ended up regretting some of our purchases. SO, i had made a mental note to self that i will create an essential must have/totally should buy list for first time parent. and please note to yourself that this is based on what i think is great to have. and i will for sure use the below items for my future baby.

1) PRIMO EuroBath - we’ve been using this since he started taking bath.

2) ERGO baby carrier - i wish i got this from day one since its super nice and easy to use and with my bad back, it does no harm. i would suggest this over baby bjorn any day (sorry baby bjorn but you hurt my back so much that i can’t deal with you). i would get the infant insert as well.

3) Floppy seat - you don’t really need this til the baby can sit up but i like it since it feels so much cleaner than putting your baby directly into the germ infested grocery shopping cart especially when they are touching and putting everything in his/her mouth. and you can also use this at restaurant's high chair.

4) Boppy - this is great especially if you plan to nurse. it can also be use to prop up the baby and let him/her chill out. this was great when i travel on the plane since you can place the baby on the Boppy and the Boppy on your lap. i like the Target Dwell collection (girl and boy version).

5) aden + anais - i LOVE their blankets and wraps and everything!!! unfortunately i didn’t find out about these til way later but i got them and am still using them. their muslin wraps would be perfect for a newborn to swaddle in since the material is super soft and the size is great. they last through washes after washes. we got a lot of receiving blankets and nothing compare to this material. we also got the four-layer dream blanket for our little dude to use when the weather is cold and he loves it. the generous size covers him completely even when he is tossing at night.

that’s all i can think of top of my head as the essentials for the arrival of a newborn.

AND OH as for clothing! I pretty much narrow down to 3 main brands (they have great materials and they last through many many washes) –
1) Boden - they have a great selection of everything from socks to jackets. and their pants are the best since its mostly elastic waist and this year they extended their mini boden sizes to 4 years old. WOOHOO.
2) Hanna Anderson their pj's is the best!! and their moccasins are great too. we tried other brands that have the similar style but they did not work as well.
3) Tea Collection
4) MUJI – they don’t have it online. i get them when i am overseas. don’t hate me.

p.s. - and of course i forgot to be lame and add my SUPERJUICYCHICKEN plush on the list of must have! look under WHERE TO BUY ME and get it. please.

bestbest + jollypop
me

p.p.s. – I didn’t bother with toys and books and other stuff since the list would go on forever. and i just wanted to keep this as the essential must have. but if you are interested to know/learn more, please feel free to contact me and i will tell you everything.

today's weather in case you are inside a sealed box.

2010-09-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

i like this weather. please let fall come.

here and there. the things ive seen and i am ready to share with you people.

2010-09-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

this Nanamica Gore Tex Duffle Coat is too much for me. look at it. its super nice and as you know i am a sucker for toggles. i wish they make this for ladies. but heck, i would love to get this for my mansomehandboy.

as i have posted about these backpacks before, i think its best that i get all three different sizes (12 by 14, 9 by 11 and the 15")in different colors of course. that way, i can use them according to the occasion. and i think its a good investment since they will last and i am all for backpacks.

finally, i would like to have this necklace. i have seen many necklaces with the same idea but for some reason i like Ruth Barzel's the best. (and on the side: is that arm pit sweat??! if so, thats kind of gross and kind of cool that she doesnt care about using the pic. if its not, then what kind of shirt is that OR what is that?)

FALL. I WANT YOU TO BE WITH ME. RIGHT NOW.

2010-08-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

fall is my most favorite weather. one of the reason is because i can have many options for outfits - i can pretty much wear all the clothes i have in my closet.
i saw the Orla Kiely fall/winter 2010-11 line (via VOGUE UK) and it makes me wish that fall can come right now!

what i love the most in all these outfits are the bags and the shoes! the shoes with the socks. i love it. i want to know who make this specific shoes???! but for now, i shall replace them with these SEE BY CHLOÉ (size 8).

i like.

2010-08-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

these outfits from Zara are super cute and i want to dress just like them. is it illegal to want to use little girls' outfit as my closet inspirations? (if so, maybe law & order should do a story on this.) who cares. clothes are clothes.

i use stools especially in my closet and kitchen (and sometimes in places when i would step up and suck up big monster spiders with my vacuum) and this stool would make me feel not so short and silly.

i would love to have this little nina's house for a baby. i can put it in every room in the house. i really do want it. maybe someone can build one for me.

this desk is enough for what i need and perfect size to have in our room as an additional office space. maybe the person that will build my nina's house can also build this one. it looks pretty simple, right. maybe i have some carpenter reader on my blog? i will decorate your hammer with nice little pretty things if you are so willing? call me.

Lauren Moffatt needs to be rocking my closet for the arrival of FALL.

2010-08-14T15:48:00.001-07:00

her stuff always make me drool. my eyes that is. check out some of LAUREN MOFFATT stuff for the fall. i really DO want it. i think i can rock this shit with no effort. all i need is for them to come into my closet.

i called it nice.

2010-08-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

i had the pleasure of finally meeting giselle (visit her here and here please) in real face time. and i must say it WAS a real pleasure. she is super sweet and super wonderful. we had a yummie lunch at Outerlands. i was nervous at first (since we only comunicated via email/facebook/twitter), almost like a blind date, but as soon as i met her it was super easy and we chatted away. thank you giselle. i had a great time and i cant wait to hear all about the arrival of your baby in 2 weeks! best of luck and lets go another date when you are ready.

bright happy gears.

2010-08-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

just a few things i would like to buy soon.

Music Balloons.

Plattan - Urbanears.

Corseted Tote.

pssst... for you my mansomeboy.

2010-07-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

big feet small feet all feet need shoes.

2010-07-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

if only my little dude was smaller... then...

Little Marc Jacobs mouse baby booties.

i really like the architect of these shoes.

Jeffrey Campbell's Sherman.

Things I learned on my recent trip.

2010-07-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

we were away to the sticky humid hot east coast for 5 days and here are some things that i have learned about the world and about myself.

1) bugs/mosquitoes love my skin. i pretty much wore shorts the whole time i was there and everyday i would find new itchy red spots on my legs. (notice the plural on the word spot.) i did the whole OFF thing and it does not work on me. i truly believe that my blood is sweet and is even sweeter than my little boy's since he wore shorts and he got no bites. and if i am one of those crazees, then i will believe that the bugs are out to get me. i just want to squish them.

2) Silly Bandz ARE indeed super popular among kids' arm. i met a 9.5 year old and one of the first thing i learned from her was silly bandz and since that moment on, i see them in all kids' arm. my question is - is this like the chia pet where its popular for a bit and then its gone but then its still around somehow?

3) i really like using a backpack. its true. i said it. i really DO like my traveling backpack. i got my lululemon backpack last year when i travel with my baby alone internationally and i must say everyone should get one especially if you have kids. my next plan is to get another backpack to use when i get to my destination and i already had it pick out a long time ago but never got around to getting one since i cant decide on the color. its the Fjällräven classic Kanken backpack.

4) i hate having dirty laundry in my luggage! HATE. i do. but then this time in our hotel, there was actually a little laundry room on our floor and i got to do my laundry and was able to avoid dirty laundry in my luggage. i was seriously very very VERY happy. SO, from now on, another thing i look for in a hotel is a laundry room access. (i dont like to send out my laundry to the hotel because i dont trust anyone with my clothes. i like to be the only one that handles my clothing. and besides, they charge way too much and they dont come back the same day.)

5) 3 Floz.com

6) i love my MUJI mesh garment bags. they keep everything together. i purchased at least 10 of them in various sizes when i was over in asia. i had one big one for my mansomehandboy, two for my little dude and two for myself in our suitcase. i love my MUJI travel gears. i wish they have a store close to me.

7) the trip turned out great for the reason of us going and i was very proud for what was said by my mansomehandboy during his speech and i know his mom would be very very proud of him. she was one fantastic woman.

2010-07-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

BEAUTIFUL SHOES THAT I NEVER KNEW WAS IN MY HOOD.

2010-06-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

my eyes landed upon these shoes and AMAZING was what my brain told me. AND they have kids shoes that are just as beautiful. i think part of the reason for the attractiveness of the shoes are the candy colors. it makes me want to go and get a red candy apple down at the wharf. i must hit the store and cant wait to see what they look like on my feet and i wonder if they are comfortable at all. and i want my little dude to try them on too! cant wait.

thank you ms. glory chen.

summer fun with refreshing patterns.

2010-06-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

i found these and i want it.
if i have all these then it would make camping and picnics and just outside outings way more exciting.
i love me some pretty patterns.
Anorak remind me of the horse patten tote bag that i have from Marimekko (see below).

i just cant decide which pattern i like best.

ROAR ROAR ROAR ROAR.

2010-06-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

i had the most horrible encounter at my all time favorite store* couple days ago.

i left the store feeling so pissed off that i wanted to tell everyone in the store what happened so that they would stop shopping there. i couldnt believe it.

i had to draw up this illustration to express what i felt like. i wanted to ROAR at her. i wanted to ROAR as i was walking out the store. and i still want to ROAR when i think about it. ROAR ROAR ROAR.

* you know which store if you know me well or if you have been keeping up with this blog. if not, heres a hint - the store smells super lovely when you walk in and it begins with a capital A and ends with a little e.

So Pretty It Hurts says Juliette Hogan

2010-06-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

Juliette Hogan | Winter 10 Collection
too pretty and so girlie. i like.

i want to take my little dude to these amazing places this summer.

2010-06-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

ive been dreaming of summer getaways and i want to do something different besides visiting friends and families. just something cool to do with my little dude and my mansomehandboy (and for myself). and these are the places that i really really want to go. its better than taking your child to disneyland or anything. i want to i want to. where should i go first!!!!???

the treehouse that i can never have in my backyard.

The Giraffe Manor. need i say more. it took me a bit to realize that this is an actual place.

Sky Cycle.crazee japanese. a good excuse to go to japan again.

shop lauren moffatt

2010-06-09T16:25:00.001-07:00

lauren moffatt spring collection.
so simple but so much fun. and look at the accessories - the hat, the giant bows, the crotchet looking cluth and of course the SHOES!

i want to put you in my summer plan.

2010-06-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

check out this Rock Reach House. and the cool thing is that you can rent this place out and at a reasonable price.
i really want to do it. anyone?

i wanna rock when i am home.

2010-06-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

Grano Glider Recliner.

when i go to friends parents home, i usually see some type of recliner and never really a big fan of them, mostly because of the looks. but somehow secretly i like to have one. maybe its because i am getting older and want to recline at times but yet my sense of style is still kicking and i cant have those la-Z-boy around my home. but now i came across this and i SO want it. really i do. i want this more than all the other things i said i want in my previous posting. i know this one is aiming for nursery but really, i want it. its ORANGE. PLEASE. LET ME RECLINE AND ROCK AT TIMES.

Friends With You.

2010-05-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

Friends With You.

if anyone of you will be around in Toronto, you MUST go and check it out.
i really really REALLY wish i can be there. OH.

smallness for my arm.

2010-05-28T14:42:00.001-07:00

i like subtle little things to be around me when it comes to jewelry wearing. i came across this and i want a bunch of these
on my arm as i wear my short sleeve/no sleeve wearing garment. i think it will be nice and i know my arm will think its nice too.
lets make it happen when i get some free money in my mailbox.
thank you.

warm weather is around the corner and i want my kitchen to match the warmth.

2010-05-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

as i have stated in my past post about my dream of kitchen makeover, this is the kind of kitchen i want if HGTV is ringing my doorbell.
i think i will love it and i think my little dude would love it too. who can make this happen? anyone? please?

i will be back to blog at you. i will. i will.

2010-05-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

my mom scored on mothers day.

2010-05-10T06:27:00.001-07:00

my mom and i went shopping (of course) on mothers day and we went into marc by marc jacobs because i had to. but then my mom ended up finding the goodie. she got herself this dove pouchette! i picked it up and liked it but was debating whether or not i need another bag. the size was great. its very hard to find a good small bag. before i even made a decision, my mom asked the saleslady to get her a new one. SOLD. she got the grey/cement color since she has too many black bags according to her. and her excuse for getting it was for travel. for as long as i can remember (well, most of the time), she is always saying thats a good bag for travel when she make a bag purchase. and really does she travel that often? and if we judge how much she traveled by the number of bags, she would have gone around the world with all her bags. i have to admit, i do catch myself saying that when i come across a bag. why not. its good to be prepared when you do travel and it is hard to come upon a good bag.

and after i came home i was still thinking about the bag and did a bit of searching and researching and i cant believe this bag came out so long ago (back around dec 09?). wtf? ive seen the bigger version but never this small one and then i realized that it was sold out super soon everywhere. SO NOW, i even want the bag more and i think i will go back to the store. if they have it, YEAH for me. if not, ask my mom nicely if i can have it?

DEAR MOMS MAMAS MOTHERS: HAPPY TO YOU DAY.

2010-05-08T05:25:00.000-07:00

i want to say happy mothers day to my mom and all the moms out there.

as a recent mom, i appreciate my mom even more than before.

and on this day theres one mom that i want to remember the most. she is not with us but i want to tell her happy mothers day and you will always be remembered by us. you were one insanely powerful strong bestest mom EVER. we miss you dearly.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.

xoxo
me

Comme des Garcons neckwears.

2010-05-06T02:48:00.000-07:00

theres an exhibition going on right now in the current city that i am visiting and if i am play a character in a movie where i dont have to worry about reality i would want to steal these necklaces. I WANT THEM.

MIU MIU MIU MIU MIU

2010-05-06T02:29:00.001-07:00

i keep revisiting these miu miu spring/summer 2010 ad campaign recently. Lindsey Wixon (the model) in these Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot shots fascinates me. she is like a perfect plastic mannequin gumbi you'll find in a wax museums for high end brand models (if theres ever such thing). what i really want is everything she is wearing. even though it might not look well on my non-gumbi figure but i think i could make it work, especially if i am wearing them heels. bring it on. i will try to go to a local miu miu store while i am here on vacation.

house shoes.

2010-05-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

this is what i want to wear around the house with my home clothes. home shoes.
i am a size 8.
its as simple as that. with these on my feet, i can even feel pretty at home and more reason to feel not so guilty buying home clothes or stores would like to call them loungewear.

i want a tiny pair for my little dude too.

SUPERJUICYCHICKEN.

2010-05-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

NEED I SAY MORE. YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT. ALL OF THEM.
THANK YOU.

*please go to WHERE TO BUY ME* for stores*

i want to show you what i want but you got to use your head.

2010-04-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

i did quick shopping this afternoon due to very limited time, so, i had to make it efficient. i went to the stores that i know i will always find things at: MUJI (my all time favorite store when i am here on this side) and ZARA. (and along the way i pooped my head into French Connection.)

i saw this trench coat at Zara but the one i want is in pink. its not a god awful paris hilton-barbie-obnoxious pink (not that theres anything wrong with it. i personally just cant see that in this jacket.). i could not find a picture of the pink one so heres the white one. they didnt have my size but luckily i located one and will go and try it on tomorrow. if it all works out, i will most likely take the strap and buttons off the shoulders since those add on never does justice to my already broad shoulders.

as for this necklace, the one that attracted me to go into the store(French Connection) is very similar to this. it has the same black thick rope but the balls are super colorful and fun ( i couldnt find a pic of the actual one). i didnt get it since i was in a rush but i think if i were to pass by this store again, i will get it. (most likely when i go to Zara tomorrow, they will have this store as well.) who doesnt like multi colorful balls around their neck.

and of course when i was at Muji, i got a bunch of travel bags to put inside my suitcase. they are super helpful and makes packing SO much easier and ORGANIZED! they are these mesh bag that zips all the way around and comes in all kind of sizes. i use one for my little dude's clothing, one for my clothing, and one for my mansomehandboy clothing. and when you are at your destination, all you have to do is open your suitcase and take out those little bags and you will know where to find things instead of digging deep down into your suitcase like a cheap sale. and i always keep a small one in my bag for scarves, or for my little dude's extra set of clothing. trust me. everyone needs them. they are just bags but they do wonders when you pack.

and this morning when i was shopping before lunch, my mom and i stopped in Agnes Band we got another bag. i was talking to her this morning how i should probably just get a backpack while i am here visiting since with all the walking and carrying of my little dude, its much easier to have a backpack then a crossbags over my ergo. i went in and got a pretty cool backpack. never a fan of backpack when shopping but due to the reason and the coolness of the bag, it actually worked out well. cant wait to use it tomorrow. again, cant find a picture. but its this eggplant purple. i got a travel bag last year from them and i love it. its simple but very nice. heres the pic but i have it in purple eggplant.

the kicks that the feet will love.

2010-04-30T06:12:00.000-07:00

i finally found some kick ass comfy rubbers for my little dude. aside from green/yellow combo, they had blue/green, and red/green/yellow. but i kept starring at the green ones. i cant wait for my little dude to show them off when we get back home.

(WARNING: my little dude's rubbers will kick your dude's bum bum!)