The Unthinkable Happened!!!

Oh my...the most unthinkable thing happened today, Isabelle!!! You fell asleep on the couch by YOURSELF!! I think this warrants being called a milestone because sleep has been such a difficult thing for you to master! Usually you need to be slinged, rocked, shhhhed or sung to before you can sleep.

Mommy and Daddy were busy doing arts & crafts of your footprint and Mommy just set you down on the couch for 5 mins. When we came back to look at you, you were fast asleep! Let's hope this is one of the many more times you will fall asleep on your own!

Love, Mom

Milestone: Rolling Over!

Congratulations, Isabelle! You just reached another milestone 15 mins ago!

Mommy and Daddy put you down for some tummy time after you woke up from your nap. We were both sitting beside you and were watching TV. And after 5 mins of tummy time, Mommy caught a glimpse of you in roll over motion! You went from tummy to back. Daddy was so surprised!

I think you scared yourself while rolling over because we saw a shocked look on your face and then you started crying. Mommy nursed you to soothe you and you are all happy now!

We are so proud of you...but you are growing up way too fast!

Love, Mom

This moment was captured after you rolled over...

Daddy & Mommy's 13-year "Going Out" Anniversary

Mommy & Daddy celebrate 13-years of being together today! We are celebrating by taking you to Shady Island restaurant in Steveston Harbor. That was where Daddy first cooked for Mommy, his special garlic chicken penne, and Mommy was hooked ever since! Mommy knew for sure she had to marry this man and have his baby (=YOU!).

It's such a great day today, so beautiful and sunny! Auntie Steph came out and took some photos of us by the water. We can't wait to see them!

Love, Mom

Happy 13 week birthday!

Dear Isabelle,

We think you might be FINALLY done with your growth spurt. In the late afternoon and evening, you ate almost every 1.5 hours. We went out for dinner with Auntie Celina and Uncle Steve. When we got home, Mommy fed you one more time at 10 p.m. before putting you to bed. You then woke at around 2:30 a.m. for another feed. For the last week, after your 3 a.m. feed, you would wake up every 2 hours for feedings (5 a.m., 7 a.m. and 9 a.m.). But you didn't! Instead, after waking at 2:30 a.m., you woke up at 6 a.m. and then at 9 a.m.! And the best part is, after the 3 a.m & 6 a.m. feed, Mommy put you back into YOUR crib and you didn't protest. We are thinking you have definitely doubled your birth weight by now. We will weigh you when we return to LA!

Love, Mom

Chillin' like villians...

3 generations...Ah Ma, Mommy & Izzy

Isabelle and Kaiden

What are the two of you doing sleeping together?!?!?

Baptism Celebration Dinner

Hey Isabelle!

To celebrate your baptism, your Daddy cooked up a storm! Godpa Dan, executive chef of Hotel Bel Air, and Uncle Arwi, executive sous chef of the Vancouver airport Fairmont, helped Daddy out with everything. We invited about 35 of our close friends and family to celebrate this joyous time with us. The food was fabulous and we all had a great time!

Love, Mom

Chef Daddy in action!

One of the tables with the scrumptious spread!

Sable Fish

Shrimp Cocktail

Lamb chops

You Got Your Angel Wings!

You have come into the world so tiny,
Yet with such great promise for the future.
Before you were even born,
God planned wonderful things for you.
As you are baptised,
May you feel His love
And the love of those around you,
And may you always follow in His way.

Congratulations on being welcomed into the Catholic faith today, my little angel!

Godma Danielle, Godpa Dan, Daddy, Mommy, Isabelle & Father Luthebach.

No More Schedule...

...Not like we had one anyways!

Mommy's still not sure if your growth spurt is over because you are still holding on to one extra night feed and your nighttime sleeping schedule is all screwed-up? What happened to sleeping your 4 hour long stretches without food and in your own bed? After your 3 a.m. feed, it always seems like you migrate into Daddy's and Mommy's bed. Mommy never really believed in the family bed but for my own sanity, I am letting it slide. You better not be making this a habit now! We are attributing it to your growth spurt and the unfamiliar environment. Just when Mommy thinks we have you figured out, you always throw me back out of the loop!

Love, one very tired Mommy

Zoë's Hair

Dear Isabelle,

Since you are in the stage of grabbing things like Mommy's and Zoë's hair, we have decided to give Zoë a haircut! Because sometimes we find Zoë sitting beside you on the couch motionless, we go in to have a closer look, and you have a chunk of her hair in your hand! You are lucky that Zoë is so mild-tempered with you! She is such a good fur-sister!

With her new haircut, Zoë looks like she's 5 years younger! She's like a little baby puppy now.

Love, Mom

Izzy & Zoë on the couch together again!

Before...

After!

Happy 12 week birthday!

Dear Isabelle,

You are 12 weeks today! You are still going through your growth spurt...it's been 3 days, Mommy and Daddy are barely getting any sleep because you wake up every 2 hours at night for your feeding. But we can already see a difference in you...especially today! You are extra alert, talkative and hyper...hmmm, I wonder if that's a good thing! Mommy thinks that your brain is growing on overdrive speed! You are getting cheekier and cheekier as the days go by! Well, you are growing in size too because it is time for size 2 diapers. We hope for the sanity of Mommy, you'll be done your growth spurt soon.

Love, Mom

We finally caught you chuckling!

3 month Growth Spurt

Dear Isabelle,

We think you are going through another one of your growth spurts! Last night you hardly let Mommy or Daddy sleep at all; waking up almost every hour for feedings. WOW, Mommy feels pretty destroyed today...luckily Daddy has a spa appointment booked this afternoon. Both Mommy and Daddy totally need it! I wonder how many days will this growth spurt last...

Love, Mom

Belle Meets Kaiden!

Dear Isabelle,

You met with your instant friend, Kaiden, today. Both of you are only 4 days apart but what a world of difference! To start, Kaiden is such a good sleeper/napper as opposed to you, who doesn't take naps. Both Mommy and Auntie Peggy compared notes and concluded that both of you and our pregnancies are complete opposites!

Mommy and Daddy also got to catch up with Auntie Christine, Uncle Andrew and Auntie Peggy. It was good to see all of them again. It's so funny, our last meeting, both you and baby Kaiden were still in our bellies!

Kaiden is such a cutie pie. We need to set up longer playdates as today's meeting was way too short! We'll see them again at your baptism celebration.

Love, Mom

Happy 11 week birthday!

Happy 11 week birthday, Isabelle!

We have arrived in Vancouver. Ah Ma and Ah Kong are sooo happy to see you! The last time they saw you, you were 1 month old, now you are almost 3 and they cannot believe how big you have grown.

We will be spending the next 3 weeks here and you are getting baptised on your 3 month birthday! Daddy will be catering your very first party and he is planning a fabulous menu.

This will be a great vacation...we will play "Pass the baby" and Mommy and Daddy can get some much needed rest!

Love, Mom

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Dear Isabelle,

It is your first time on the plane today! We are flying to Vancouver to see your Ah Ma, Ah Kong, Auntie Danielle, Brooklyn and all of Mommy's and Daddy's friends!

You did so well on the plane today. The air pressure during take-off and landing did not even phase you. You did cry once on the plane though...but that was because you had a poopy diaper!

We are going to have so much fun on your very first vacation out of the country!

Love, Mom

My bags are packed and ready to go!

Yay! So excited...we are boarding!

Sleeping on the plane and dreaming of Vancouver...

Little Miss Copycat

Dear Isabelle,

You are beginning to grow a personality every day! Seems like you pick up new tricks all the time. Today Daddy was sticking out his tongue at you and guess what??? You stuck yours back at him! How funny!

Now we have to stop Daddy from teaching you nonsense.

Love, Mom

Hmm...what is Daddy doing?

Looks like fun...

HAHAHA...back at ya, Daddy!

Mommy's First Mother's Day

Dear Isabelle,

You are such a sweetie today! Mommy put you in our bed this morning after our 6 a.m. feed because we were too lazy to put you back in your crib. And at 8:30 a.m., Mommy woke up to your big brown eyes and the widest smile! Thank you for letting Mommy sleep peacefully for another 2 hours. I wonder if you had been awake the whole time after your feed!


We spent our Mother's Day morning at church and as usual, not one peep from you. I think you really enjoy church with all the singing and church organ playing. It might remind you about the times you were in Mommy's belly when we go to church every weekend too!

It's a quiet day for us today, Mommy is packing for our trip back to Vancouver and Daddy is having a busy day at work. You might not be able to see Daddy on all the big holidays because Daddy is a very important man at work and needs to take care of things on those big days. You will understand more when you are older.

Guess what Mommy got for Mother's Day?? The infamous stolen Manolos from one of Mommy's favorite show, Sex and the City! We love it and one day, it will be passed on down to you in addition to all of Mommy's other classic shoes!


So far, we are enjoying our day! You are quietly napping in the sling right now and Mommy's going to finish up packing!

Love, Mom

Infant Massage Class

Dear Isabelle,

We went for our Infant Massage class today and learned a whole lot of new things! Before starting the class, the instructor, who also is a registered nurse, asked us what we would like to accomplish. And we told her that because you seem to always want to be carried and are clingy during the afternoons and would not nap, we would like to try to relax you so you can get some much needed sleep, and Mommy get some much needed time to herself. She then immediately asked if you were born early. She has worked in many NICUs and have seen that babies who were born early, seem to need more reassurance and touch. You fit into that category!

We learned a couple of techniques to aid in colic and digestion...although you are not a colicy baby, you liked it when Mommy massaged your tummy. After your tummy massage, you let out 2 loud farts and 1 explosive poopy diaper! How embarrassing...but the instructor was very happy because it showed that the massage works! We also learned back massage and when we put your chest on our thigh, you started kicking and moving your arms, like you wanted to go swimming. It was a really funny sight!

Mommy's going to incorporate a massage session to your daily routine and hopefully you will learn to calm down and relax and maybe take some afternoon naps!

Love, Mom

Happy 10 week birthday!

Dear baby,

WOW! You are 10 weeks old already! If you were a puppy, this would be the time where you would be able to go home with your new forever family. I think we took Zoë home when she was 10 weeks!

Anyway, talking about Zoë, seems like the both of you are starting to like each other. Well...more like Zoë is starting to like you. She kissed you a couple of times this week! Both of you nap on the couch together all the time.

Isabelle & Zoë love napping on the couch

On to the subject of milestones, we have heard you chuckle a few times already! The only thing is that Mommy is still not sure what triggers it...you chuckle at the randomest things! You are also able to bear weight on your legs...sometimes when Mommy puts you on your legs, you like to try to walk a few steps! Also, your neck and shoulders are getting stronger by the day, you are able to do mini pushups!

Seems like you are also getting fussier and fussier as time goes by! You LOVE to be in the sling close to Mommy all the time. You definitely sleep more when you are in the sling as opposed to by yourself in the crib. Oh well, you are only this age and this size once so Mommy is giving in to you for now. Hope you grow out of this one day!

Love, Mom

Yummy Drumsticks...

Dear Isabelle,

You seem to think that shoulders, arms, faces and necks are delicious! But I think the most delicious thing of all are your own fists...yummy. Don't you worry, once you get to taste Daddy's food, you won't get enough of it and thinking your "drumsticks" are yummy will be a thing of the past.

Love, Mom

New Boss Meet Old Boss

Dear Isabelle,

We took you to Mommy's work today. It took us about 45 mins to get there when it usually only takes about 20 mins or less! We had to stop a couple of times at gas stations because you started crying in the carseat. Daddy really needs to get us one of those mirrors so Mommy can see you from the driver's seat! Anyway, after consoling you, you passed out in the carseat and the rest of the drive into the office was nice and quiet.

When we got there, we introduced you to sooo many people! But most importantly, the new boss met the old boss. You got carried and passed around. You had a great 1 hour nap in the arms of Mommy's various co-workers. After you woke up, we fed you and changed you and you were in the best of moods, cooing and smiling at everyone!

You were such a well-behaved little girl that no one would believe Mommy when we said you were high-maintenance. Oh well, at least you don't embarrass Mommy when we go out! We will go back for more visits soon!

Love, Mom