J can't sit through a reading of the alphabet without an interlude of some music.
Sorry for the baby-voice and Chinglish.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Playing with color
If I start taking this photography hobby seriously, I may consider starting a new blogspot. But for now, I'll keep them here.
Below is an unedited photo of graffiti on a metal wall:
I enhanced the graffiti (or painting, if that's what it is) and made everything else black and white. I also added a shadow behind the graffiti to make it look like it projected from the wall, like a painting.
I do appreciate any suggestions from more experienced photographers - composition, photo editing techniques, etc. Leave them below, on twitter, or facebook.
Below is an unedited photo of graffiti on a metal wall:
I enhanced the graffiti (or painting, if that's what it is) and made everything else black and white. I also added a shadow behind the graffiti to make it look like it projected from the wall, like a painting.
I do appreciate any suggestions from more experienced photographers - composition, photo editing techniques, etc. Leave them below, on twitter, or facebook.
Cost of childcare
I recently had a conversation with a mom raising her kids in Canada. She said that her daughter's daycare is $7 a day...$7 a day! I'd be lucky to find a childcare provider for $7 an hour. And even if I found that deal, I'd be highly suspicious and most likely wouldn't put J in that provider's hands. Crazy huh?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Hobbies
We've been spending the last 11 months struggling, learning, crying and laughing while raising our beautiful boy. Now that we are both more settled in many aspects of our new lives in MD, we are both making a concerted effort to either pick-up old hobbies or venture into new ones. A joined a volleyball league in MD, and I want to learn about photography....so here it goes...
I'm sure the photograph below doesn't tell a good "story". Nothing is standing out - not the sky, the boats, or anything. My intention was to try to capture a dramatic sky.
I won't get my dramatic sky photo but I could still practice a few photo-editing tricks.
I downloaded GIMP, a free photoshop-like software, and changed the saturation, brightness and contrast, and even used "curves" to change I'm-not-sure-what ;). The edited photo below isn't drastically different from the original. But I do think the one below is less "flat".
I'm sure the photograph below doesn't tell a good "story". Nothing is standing out - not the sky, the boats, or anything. My intention was to try to capture a dramatic sky.
I won't get my dramatic sky photo but I could still practice a few photo-editing tricks.
I downloaded GIMP, a free photoshop-like software, and changed the saturation, brightness and contrast, and even used "curves" to change I'm-not-sure-what ;). The edited photo below isn't drastically different from the original. But I do think the one below is less "flat".
Monday, June 27, 2011
Meh ramen
I've been craving Japanese ramen since I had it in Japan like 6 years ago. No bowl in the U.S. has measured up except this bowl in NYC (thanks to SIL & hubby for allowing me this joyful experience)...
which elicited this thoughtful response...
So when I saw "ramen" on a Japanese restaurant's menu (rare for me), I just had to order it.
Looks are so deceiving - the noodles had that old, fried taste, and though the broth was flavorful, neither the noodles or beef had any (except the aforementioned old, fried taste). Verdict is meh. I felt kinda sick afterwards because it was so bad, but I was hungry!
which elicited this thoughtful response...
So when I saw "ramen" on a Japanese restaurant's menu (rare for me), I just had to order it.
Looks are so deceiving - the noodles had that old, fried taste, and though the broth was flavorful, neither the noodles or beef had any (except the aforementioned old, fried taste). Verdict is meh. I felt kinda sick afterwards because it was so bad, but I was hungry!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Makeover time?
The July issue of Parents magazine highlighted 3 couples wanting to have a makeover. The couple below are parents of a 2-yr old girl and expecting.
And I thought, this outfit sure looks familiar...
Yea, that's what I wore today...I'm not expecting. Is Parents magazine trying to send me a message ;).
And I thought, this outfit sure looks familiar...
Yea, that's what I wore today...I'm not expecting. Is Parents magazine trying to send me a message ;).
Thursday, June 23, 2011
First words
About 2 weeks ago, at 10-1/2 months, J distinctly said mum mum (Canto slang for food, I think) while referring to his bottle. He said it out of frustration because he saw the bottle but wasn't able to have it immediately.
That same week, I thought I heard J say Mama when he was crying as I handed him over to Ah-Ma. A, Ah-Ma and Aunt N heard it too. Brought tears of joy to my eyes. We're waiting for him to say Dada or Baba and mean it.
That same week, I thought I heard J say Mama when he was crying as I handed him over to Ah-Ma. A, Ah-Ma and Aunt N heard it too. Brought tears of joy to my eyes. We're waiting for him to say Dada or Baba and mean it.
Graduation ceremony
On Jun 10, a mere 10 months after I received my diploma, I walked on stage and was hooded by Drs. Lim and Gurian. Unfortunately, no one from my family was sitting close enough to gnab that picture…oh well…
I got these from the "official photographer" of the graduation courtesy of GradImages.com
Before walking on stage
Shaking hands with President Fry
After being hooded
I got
these with my family
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Yeehaw
Recently I visited Austin, TX for a conference on indoor air research. You may have wondered about this tweet - it was made in response to a speech given at the conference and was directed to the speaker. She was never asked the question by the moderator :(.
I stayed a few blocks from the Austin Convention Center, which was nice because I got to see a teeny-tiny bit of Austin. It was not so nice because there was a heat wave. As soon as the sun came up, I was melting.
I stayed a few blocks from the Austin Convention Center, which was nice because I got to see a teeny-tiny bit of Austin. It was not so nice because there was a heat wave. As soon as the sun came up, I was melting.
Anyways, I only have one picture from the conference, and it was at the BBQ and it was with a longhorn. He doesn't even look real here!
Took this at sunset on the Congress St. Bridge that connected my hotel to downtown.
Did you know that Austin houses the largest urban bat colony under the Congress St. Bridge?
Around dusk, the bats leave the bridge, fly (what appears to be) upstream to eat. The event draws a lot of tourists and locals.
A swarm emerges and they just follow each other.
Amazing
Build your own animated gif here
Monday, June 20, 2011
Traveling with small child(ren)
Preparing for a future trip with J, I've been observing people traveling with small children. I've noticed strollers, car seats, and backpacks (for the older kiddies).
We currently have a Graco stroller (shown below, I'm still pregnant in that photo) that has a rotating canopy, full recline, snack tray, padded seat, and large basket. With a loaded diaper bag hung on the handles, it has never tipped over, so you can imagine how heavy it might be. I've always said our stroller/car seat combo was heavy and cumbersome, so A's agreeing to take a look at some lightweight or umbrella-style strollers. The new stroller will also take up less trunk space when we travel, which he's always worried about.
I've gotten the following two recommendations from a fellow mom:
From AlbeeBaby.com
I've also found two lists on BabyCheapskate.com (one of my Favorite Savers):
Whatever stroller we pick, I hope it is: (1) less than $150; (2) lightweight; (3) easy to fold/unfold (in case one parent ever travels alone); (4) has a canopy; (5) has an under-basket; and (6) has some recline though J hasn't napped in a stroller for sometime now.
A brought up a good point - why buy a second stroller if we are planning to have more children? We'll have to lug around two strollers then. Hmmm…
I've seen the Phil & Teds' (MSRP $350) 7-in-1 infant/toddler stroller in action. But then we'd have to buy a new car seat so that it fits in the buggy.
Britax has a convertible one too, but it's not available in the U.S. There are 22 combinations shown on their website!
The Baby Trend Sit 'n Stand (MSRP $150) also looks promising. There are two versions that we may find useful: with and without second seat & canopy. The left-most one shown below may not be the most comfortable for an older J, but maybe he won't even want to sit in a stroller like many kids. The product description says it fits most car seats.
Graco makes a stroller frame too, but it can only fit 1 child.
Oh, the decisions!
We currently have a Graco stroller (shown below, I'm still pregnant in that photo) that has a rotating canopy, full recline, snack tray, padded seat, and large basket. With a loaded diaper bag hung on the handles, it has never tipped over, so you can imagine how heavy it might be. I've always said our stroller/car seat combo was heavy and cumbersome, so A's agreeing to take a look at some lightweight or umbrella-style strollers. The new stroller will also take up less trunk space when we travel, which he's always worried about.
I've gotten the following two recommendations from a fellow mom:
- Maclaren Quest (online $190) - Her experience is that the stroller tips over when a diaper bag is hung on the handles. I'm surprised that the Quest weighs only a few pounds lighter (22 lbs) than (what I consider to be) our 26-lb behemoth.
- Uppa Baby G-luxe (online $130) - Her friends say it has all-wheel suspension (good for bumpy sidewalks), has a full recline (good for J), and a decent-size hood (great since we’re both careful about his direct sun exposure). And it's only 11 lbs.
From AlbeeBaby.com
I've also found two lists on BabyCheapskate.com (one of my Favorite Savers):
- 2009 Stroller ratings on strollers you love
- Buy it nowpricing on 10 best-selling strollers under $150
Whatever stroller we pick, I hope it is: (1) less than $150; (2) lightweight; (3) easy to fold/unfold (in case one parent ever travels alone); (4) has a canopy; (5) has an under-basket; and (6) has some recline though J hasn't napped in a stroller for sometime now.
A brought up a good point - why buy a second stroller if we are planning to have more children? We'll have to lug around two strollers then. Hmmm…
I've seen the Phil & Teds' (MSRP $350) 7-in-1 infant/toddler stroller in action. But then we'd have to buy a new car seat so that it fits in the buggy.
From PhilandTeds.com
Britax has a convertible one too, but it's not available in the U.S. There are 22 combinations shown on their website!
From Britax.com
The Baby Trend Sit 'n Stand (MSRP $150) also looks promising. There are two versions that we may find useful: with and without second seat & canopy. The left-most one shown below may not be the most comfortable for an older J, but maybe he won't even want to sit in a stroller like many kids. The product description says it fits most car seats.
From Baby Trend.com
Graco makes a stroller frame too, but it can only fit 1 child.
From GracoBaby.com
Oh, the decisions!
Memorial Day weekend
This post is a few weeks late, but it's been hectic these days. We made a 4-hr trip down to VA beach to visit my sister-in-law (SIL). We left around J's nap time, and he slept for 2 hours of the trip (yay!). But that left us newbies with 2 more hours to entertain a baby that'd rather not be confined to a car seat. We whipped out the toys & books, sang songs, and played peek-a-boo. The last 1/2 hr seemed the longest of the car ride, and we decided that 4 hrs was probably the farthest we'd ever want to drive again without stopping.
My in-laws and other SIL also drove down. It was a packed house with 7 adults, 3 dogs, and 1 baby. There was never a dull moment, to say the least. My VA-SIL was a great host - she grilled steak one night and chicken the other, she ordered blue crabs, and we went to the beach. Below are pictures of J having fun in the sand and really enjoying a small bucket of water. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of the family (shame on me!). I really should have a list of "shots" that I want to take in my mind. When did I become so list-oriented?
My in-laws and other SIL also drove down. It was a packed house with 7 adults, 3 dogs, and 1 baby. There was never a dull moment, to say the least. My VA-SIL was a great host - she grilled steak one night and chicken the other, she ordered blue crabs, and we went to the beach. Below are pictures of J having fun in the sand and really enjoying a small bucket of water. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of the family (shame on me!). I really should have a list of "shots" that I want to take in my mind. When did I become so list-oriented?
This was one time when J didn't mind wearing the hat. It was really sunny!
The water was a bit chilly
Oooo, water!
And here is J with Grandpa and Coco. What's so interesting up there?
I just thought this picture was funny - that's Yoshi giving SIL a shiatsu massage.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Cat & mouse
A was playing the cutest game with J last night. A would hurry from one room to another while J followed behind. Once J got to A, J would touch A & smile. Then A would hurry away again with J hot on the trail. It was so cute! Next time, A should chase J and see where he goes!
Cute plush toys & giveaway
Check out MyPaperCrane by Heidi Kenney for some cute home-made plush toys (among other products)! She's also hosting a giveaway to 15 people which include keychains, keycaps, and zipper pulls. (Go to her site to see the pictures!)
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