Isabella, Our Gift From God

Hawaii Again!

2008-09-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

We had a really good time in Hawaii this month. S worked like crazy but Bella & I had fun regardless. =) Bella did amazingly well on both flights to and from Hawaii thanks to our new DVD player and she's okay now if she doesn't sleep in the plane.

Waikiki Beach is so calm and sunny. Bella loves the sand more than the water. She had a good time throwing sand everywhere while me and Hubby took turns going into the water. So refreshing!

Bella went thru a "lemon" phase where she would eat the lemon out of our water! Here's one where she's all puckered up after eating one.

We finally made it out of Waikiki one weekend and here Bella's playing next to a tide pool. It was a bit cool that afternoon and she caught a cold the next day. Of course the following day I caught her cold....that wasn't too fun.

Bella hanging at Waikiki Beach. Thanks to some friends we had an umbrella at the beach...gosh the sun is so strong out there.

We stayed at a condo next to Ala Moana mall. Bella and I went to the mall almost everyday and here's a toddler toy store we loved. She really liked the Thomas the Train station.

We went to the Zoo again since she loved it so much the last time we were there. Surprisingly, this time she so so scared of the animals she didn't want to come out of the stroller. There's a playground in the middle of the zoo where she played a bit with other kids.

Having breakfast and Longhi's. They had the best pineapples and a really nice view. Bella still likes to "taste" new items at times.

We're at the mall again in the toy store. She had so much fun playing with the different toys each day. It really was our personal play room for couple weeks.

We stopped by Dole plantation on the way to North Shore. It was pretty fun for Me and Hubby. Bella doesn't look too happy there. =) We bought some pineapples and they were the sweetest pineapples EVER!

North shore was nice and peaceful. We weren't prepared for the beach so we didn't stay long but it was still fun to hang out with my husband for once at the trip.

Bella in the plane watching her Einstein DVD. She had a good time and the little girl who sat by us was such a good sport!

This seems like an ordinary picture of a baby sleeping in her stroller but this picture is truly AMAZING to us b/c this was the first time she EVER fell asleep in her stroller. I was so surprised I had to take a picture to remember this monumental moment. =) She fell asleep right when we landed in Honolulu airport.

Maybe b/c we only stayed for couple days in Waikiki this time (we rented a condo the rest of our trip) they gave us a ginormous suite. The suite had a quite stunning view of Waikiki.

Birthday Party

2008-08-10T23:27:00.001-07:00

We went to a birthday party today and Bella had a great time. Bella is getting older and she's getting more laid back about her naps and we are so happy about that! Bella actually fell asleep very late this afternoon and when I took her out of the car and put her down in her crib, she actually went back to sleep. This is pretty big news for us b/c she's NEVER been able to fall back to sleep after we take her out of her car seat. Actually, it's pretty big news that she can fall asleep in the car without screaming her head off for 30 minutes. We've been going out more b/c she's been so much better about being in the car. She's getting so much easier to take care of these days. I LOVE that she can enjoy her car rides and not get irritated the moment she sits in the car seat the way she used to.

This is one of my favorite summer dress for Bella.

A picture with Daddy. She loves her grapes!

I didn't know I looked so intense putting on her sunblock! It takes effort to cover everything. =)

I think she gets her intense eyebrow action from me. Doesn't my eyebrows from above look similar to hers below?

Bella's Drink of Choice!

2008-08-09T21:47:00.001-07:00

It's been quite warm the last couple weeks. Here you see Bella's two favorite activities for the summer. Hanging out at a bookstore and drinking her Starbucks drink of choice: Mango Banana Vivano with soy milk and no protein powder. She loves sharing this drink with me and I think it's one of the healthier drinks at Starbucks.

First time to Huntington Beach

2008-08-05T00:10:00.001-07:00

We took Bella to Hungtinton Beach for the first time and she loved every minute of it. She had a great time hanging out with our friends (who set up the blue tent in the background for us). Of course she had more fun throwing sand everywhere and walking on the beach & getting her little feet wet. Bella is a water baby. She LOVES playing in any kind of water from the hose, pool or the beach. I wish I can take her swimming everyday but b/c of her eczema I try not to soak her in Chlorine water (aka pool). The beach, is a different story! I am looking forward to our Hawaii trip this month. Now that she's older, we'll have more fun on the beach playing.

Bella in her blue tent with her own chair.

The water was cold, but Bella didn't seem to mind so much. I think she really liked the different texture on her feet.

Happy family. We're getting more family pictures together.

My little baby is growing up too fast! She looks like such a big girl now.

Bella usually doesn't look at the camera when all 3 of us are in the picture....but here she's looking at the camera. We just have to have her work on her smile now. =)

Bella's Friends

2008-07-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce to you to some of Bella's friends. The very first friend she liked is the white dog in the middle with her nose falling off (I put her toys one day in the dryer & ruined them). Few months later, she moved on to the teddy bear on the far left with the pink sweater. She loved him so much she would kiss him all the time. I don't know why but she has a love & hate relationship with Piglet. She throws him to the ground sometimes and refuses to kiss him while she gives kisses to all her friends. Few hours later, she would pick him up, give him a kiss & throw him on the floor again. Right now she really loves her "Teddy", the biggest stuffed animal sitting in the middle. She wants him going to bed and and plays with him in the morning. She woke up 4am yesterday and I heard her yell "Teddy! Teddy!" I took him out of the crib 'cause I thought he was too big to be in the crib with her, but not after last night~ When "Teddy" is out of sight, she opts for Mr. Giraffe on the far right. Today I saw her sleeping with her arms wrapped around Mr. Giraffe. I'll replace him with "Teddy" so she doesn't scream for him tomorrow (just in case). The brown puppy just hangs out & gets love when she plays with all her buddies in the morning. It is SO cute to see her try to feed her friends her snacks & drinks! She brushes their teeth with her toothbrush and when she "talks" to them, her daddy says it sounds like she's telling them what to do....

Picture of her friends on her new pink chair.

It's not too often we get a chance for a family photo and for bonus Bella is also looking at the camera.

This is our favorite picture this month. She looks so cute staring at the remote and smiling at daddy.

Bella will be 17 months at the end of this month. I can not believe she's so big now. I know she's my daughter and all but when I look at pictures like this I can't believe how cute she is. =)

First trip to Legoland

2008-07-14T20:48:00.001-07:00

Bella's first train ride. She had her own seat and everything!

It was really amazing what they made with Lego pieces. Here's hubby posing as a Hawaiian cowboy...I think.

Family photo before we left the park. Bella was pretty out of it by the time we left.

Here's Bella with Daniel and Jenny. I love this picture with Bella putting a huge piece of melon in her mouth. Daniel and Jenny look darn cute too taking a break from their snack to pose.

My cousin, his children and my hubby before their roller coaster ride.

Here's Bella on top of a toddler sized slide. I think she wanted to come down face first.

My cousin whom I haven't seen in 10 years came to visit with his wife and kids. It was nice to finally meet his family and have them meet my family too. We all went to Legoland together and we all had a good time. I was excited for Bella to experience new stimuli but I think she'd enjoy the park more in few more years. We left the park earlier than our cousins and came home by 7pm but Bella had a really hard time falling asleep and that night she woke up at 11:30pm and she did not go back to sleep until about 3am! I guess the park was just too much of a stimuli for her??? She's never done that before and I was so dead tired the next day and so was she. She took a long nap the next day and went to bed super early. I am so happy that Bella is growing up and is more responsive. It is so fun to watch her dance and play. It really brings a smile to my face and lifts me up every time. It's also nice that she can communicate to me what she needs. It's really amazing to realize how much she can understand. I really love this stage more than any other stage in her life so far.

Bella 16 months now!

2008-07-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted any pictures since her birthday in March so here's a picture chronicle of Bella until now....

Here we are at the Honolulu Zoo a few months back. She loved the zoo so so much. We'll definitely have to take her to the zoo back at home too. The Honolulu Zoo was surprisingly clean and had more animals than what I expected. Friends told us not to expect too much and we were pleasantly surprised.

Daddy, Bella and some lovely giraffes in the background.

We were in Cancun, Mexico a few weeks back. We stayed at the Rosewood Miyakoba and it was THE most amazing hotel we've stayed at. Thanks to work, everything was paid for as well. The weather was quite humid which was great for Bella's skin. Her eczema was totally gone that week and she got to wear shorts and tank tops the entire week. It was so awesome in many ways expect for my hair!

Here we are at Tulum, one of the Mayan Ruins near Cancun. It was super hot, but we went for a quick swim which was so refreshing. The water was the amazing aqua color of the Caribbean and the sand was butter soft on our feet. Thanks to Mom baby sitting, we were able to make this trip.

Not sure where we're at. It's a cute one, so I added it.

Bella's playing at home. After our trip to Cancun, her eczema has really cleared up and she's able to wear short sleeved outfits. Yipee!!!! I am so happy especially since the weather's been super duper warm. I notice now babies/infants with eczema and I really feel for the babies and their parents.

She's growing up so fast! Bella finally started walking at the end of 14 months. I was getting a bit worried because she took her sweet old time walking. Even at 16 months, she not in any hurry to run off somewhere. Bella's in her pink fairy outfit.

Bella and headless daddy at church. She looked so sassy, I had to snap away. It's one of my favorites pictures for the month.

Bella at a friend's birthday party. She was such a good girl even though she missed her morning nap. There's been many many birthday parties this year.

Bella at a wedding. It seemed like one of the hottest days of the year and the church had no air conditioning! We felt like we were melting, but Bella had a good time people watching and entertaining herself. She's been so good in public places...I don't know if this is because she's a girl, the age, or if this is her personality. We're hoping this will be permanent trait of hers.

It's been a long time since the last post. We've been quite busy going back and forth from Hawaii, my mom's health issues, vacation, weddings & birthday parties, and of course Bella is growing up fast & I've had less time to sit and work on the blog. I hope I can keep it up!

Roseola

2008-03-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

This week was one of the most difficult weeks of my time with Bella. I recently joined the local Mom's Club to have Bella play with other babies and to meet other moms in the neighborhood. We've gone twice to the play dates and both times Bella got sick. The first time she caught a Cold which wasn't so bad. She just had a runny/stuffy nose that didn't seem to bother her much. She was her usual happy self despite the Cold. I agree with the philosophy that it's actually good for her to get sick a few times before starting school to build her immunity.

Well, I think this week she caught Roseola after her play date and had a fever of over 103 for 3 straight days. Fever combined with her teething made her so miserable all she did was cry and cling on to me 24/7. It was pretty difficult to deal with to say the least. Not only was it physically draining, it's difficult to see your child suffer so much. Motrin really saved the day/night this week. I think it helped her to sleep through the night. The Pediatrician didn't know the cause of the fever until she broke out with the rash today which is typical with Roseola.

I think I almost reached my breaking point today. Even though her fever died down, her teething still made her irritable with crying spells all day long. It was a tough week to say the least. However, when we put her to bed and started looking at her newly arrived photos from her 1st year Birthday, I just felt so much better. (The thick slice of ice cream cake helped too)

I knew that being a Mom would be hard work, but I never thought I would be so physically tired all the time. I guess I am pretty weak and need to do some muscle training to keep up with my little one. In that way I can't wait until she can walk!!! Everyone tells me it'll be harder once she walks, but at least I won't have to hold her so much (or so I hope).

Birthday Pictures II

2008-03-14T20:07:00.001-07:00

We finally received our pictures from our photographer from her birthday party. We are so happy with the pictures and she was really awesome to work with. We really enjoyed Bella's birthday party with our friends and had a great time doing Bella's first professional photo shoot. I felt bad for not taking any professional photos of her the entire year so I was pleased that the photos came our really great. Here are a few of our favorites....enjoy!

Here's her princess cake. It looked really great but I heard it didn't taste very good. I was so busy with her that day I think I managed to drink a sip of water and that was about all the food I had the entire day. Here Bella's in her traditional Chinese dress. She had Korean one and a princess dress too!

We had to help her hurry and blow out the candles. She was reaching for the flames with her hands!

Family photo where we're all looking somewhere different.

This photo looks neat with the mirror as the background.

I really like this photo of Daddy and Bella. They look so happy together~

Another fun one with Daddy.

Here's Princess Bella clapping for us during the photo shoot. Did I mention it was a Princess themed party?

Me and baby happy together. The photos look great but the weather was actually pretty cold.

Here's Bella looking postcard perfect. Our photographer did a great job editing the photos.

Pretty in Pink.

Happy Birthday Part 1

2008-03-03T20:32:00.000-08:00

This is the "cake" I made for her on her actual birthday with a banana and blueberries. I don't think she's ready for eggs quite yet due to her eczema and milk products makes her skin irritated so it's my version of cake for her. She loved it and ate the whole thing in a minute! =)

Here's a video we showed at Isabella's first birthday party. It was so much fun to dress her up in 3 different outfits and to have all our family and friends to celebrate with us. I'll post the pictures once we get them from the photographer. We hired a photographer for the day since we didn't take any professional photos for her first year. We're hoping it looks great.

Here's the Youtube site:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN42fZrgTGA

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T17:26:00.001-08:00

S & I celebrated the end of 2007 on our own, thanks to my parents being in town. We enjoyed dinner with our friends and later went to a party and danced the night away. On New Year's day our family went over to Bella's Great-grandma's house. Bella put on her traditional Korean dress Grandma bought for her while she was in my stomach.

In Korean culture, children receive money on New Year's day for bowing to their elders. She's too young to bow this year but received her first "bowing money" anyway from Great-grandma. Bella is the only baby in our extended family right now and everyone wants to hold her when they see her. Unfortunately, she still has some separation anxiety so she won't let anyone hold her for too long. It was fun to see all my aunts and uncles trying their best to win Bella's attention. It's really too bad that we don't live close enough for us to visit more often. Due to the holidays, Bella's been sleeping in the car for her 2nd nap for the last 4 days. I hope she'll be okay going back to her regular nap schedule starting tomorrow.

We're about to go out to lunch with some friends the last day of 2007.

"Goodbye 2007!" Thanks to my parents all 3 of us can be in the picture.

People in Korea wear their traditional Korean outfit on New Year's day to go visit their elders.

We're going to have her wear her Chinese dress on Chinese New Year. It's neat she has 2 other cultures she can embrace other than being just "American".

She's also sporting a new "side ponytail" hair do thanks to Grandma.

Engagement Party and happy 10 months

2007-12-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

Today we went to our friends engagement party out in Temple City. It was a far drive and she took her afternoon nap in the car. She cried for 10 minutes in the car before she fell asleep but it felt like forever listening to her screaming her lungs out. It was fun to see some of S's old friends at the party. Bella had a good time meeting new people and exploring her new environment. She even had enough energy for us to check out the new Korean Market in Irvine on the way home. Bella is growing up and now she can stay up without being cranky for more than few hours at a time. I really can't believe she's 10 months old now. These pictures were taken after we got home. Bella had her bath after and she was wiped out by 6:10pm. She was fast asleep in less than few minutes. We are really fortunate that Bella developed really good sleep habit. We worked hard and sacrified lots of our activities to have consistancy for her. It's really paid off and now she's in her crib every night asleep between 6:30-7pm and wakes up at 6am. She's been doing great on her naps as well. Tomorrow will be another full day for Bella. She may have to take another nap in the car. My mom and day are flying into LAX tomorrow. I really don't like that airport but we're all excited that they are coming back. Bella will have someone else to adore her and S & I will be able to go out on date nights.

Bella says, "Hello!" She's learning to wave hello.

Here's a "smug" looking one.

Happy smile with still only 2 bottom teeth. We're wondering when she'll get more....

Bella is constantly babbling and pointing at different objects and discovering the use of her wrists and fingers. She even sucks her thumbs sometimes.

Brunch at St.Regis

2007-12-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

Today we had brunch with the Chan family at the St.Regis Hotel. The hotel was beautifully decorated for Christmas, Carolers singing and Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus walking around the hotel greeting guests. Bella had a great nap right before brunch and was a very good girl for the entire 2 1/2hrs. She even managed to smile with Mr. & Mrs. Santa Clus.

Bella's been having stranger anxiety for the last month or so but I think she's slowly getting over it. She normally cries and doesn't let anyone other than mom or dad hold her but today she let Mr.Chan hold her. She was really happy and content to hang out with him! I was pleasantly surprised with my baby girl. Thanks to Mr.Chan, S and I enjoyed our brunch at the same time. She also sat in her stroller for a while too! Bella was really entertained by the Carolers singing and played with the hotel spoon for a long time. We had a wonderful time with our friends and it was especially enjoyable since Bella was in such a great mood. She also took a long nap after we came home and it was just a perfect day. Bella used to hardly ever nap for more than 40-50mins at a time, but lately she's been sleeping closer to 1 1/2hrs on each nap so I am so happy! It's so much more fun to go out with her now that she stays up longer and is curious about all the places we go.

Here's one with Santa and Mrs.Claus. She even half smiled with them.

Check out the neat sand sculpture behind our picture!

Christmas Dresses

2007-12-18T19:30:00.000-08:00

On our December Hawaii trip, we went to Princeville, Kauai for a few days and took some Christmas photos. The Hotel lobby was decorated with beautiful weaths, garlands and trees. I was sad that we had to buy a disposable camera here b/c our camera ran out of battery. Boo Hoo.

Here's a picture of daddy and Bella facing one of the glass walls in the lobby. It was rainy the entire time we were there but it was still lush and beautiful.

It was fun to see all the Christmas decorations in different hotels and on the main street of Honolulu. They had so many beautiful trees all decorated with the island twist. It rained the entire week we were there but I liked seeing the rainstorm since we get so little rain back at home.

Daddy and Bella with surfing Santa at our hotel in Honolulu.

View of Waikiki from our balcony. I really can't complain too much.

Back at home here's Bella early in the morning spending time with daddy while Mom sleeps. She's still in her sleepy clothes and sporting a major bed head and mouth full of breakfast.

She loves to play with containers, cell phones, wallets, lotion bottles, CD jackets or any other everyday items. She gets bored with her toys so quick but not with her non-toys.

Here are some dresses Bella tried on for the Christmas pictures.

We thought of using saving this one as her birthday dress but thought it might look too Xmas with the white fur collar.

With another technical difficulty (my battery on my computer refused to recharge) a month went by without any updates on my poor blog. There were many activities in the Lee household in the month of December. We went to Hawaii again and came back. We couldn't take decent pictures again this month b/c I forgot to pack the battery charger for my camera (I had a severe migraine the night before we left and couldn't pack properly). We bought a disposable camera and the pictures were not too good. I was really sad because we wanted to use the pictures as our Christmas cards. We also had our 6th year anniversary and celebrated my hubby's birthday. We also took bunch of pictures for our Christmas cards.

Ethan's Birthday Party

2007-11-10T21:45:00.001-08:00

Mommy and Bella saying "Cheese" at the party.

Daddy and Bella ready to come down the giant slide.

A rare picture of Mommy, Daddy and Bella.

A solo picture of our princess.

Today Bella went to Ethan's birthday party at Scrooter's Jungle. She went on the giant slide with Daddy and had a good time. Mommy tried out the slide and it was a bit scary for her. So steep! We had a chance to catch up with some friends and their new babies. We had a good time hanging out with everyone.

Aloha #2 Trip!

2007-11-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

Our second trip to Hawaii was just as good as the first trip last month. We went to Honolulu for a week and Kauai for 3 days. Isabella did great again on the plane. She didn't sleep as much in the plane this month as she did last month but she was just as good and she didn't even nurse during take-off and landing and didn't have any ear pressure problems. I think S & I are getting used to traveling with her stroller and etc...and going through screening is taking less and less time for us. =) Honolulu as usual I read many books while S was working day and night and Bella sleeping around 4-5pm. She stayed somewhat on Mainland time and slept early, which I don't mind since it makes life easier for me at home.

This time in Honolulu I went out with Bella more during the day since the Sun wasn't as strong as last month. However, neither S or I had a chance to go for a nice swim or snorkle in Waikiki which was just steps away. It was difficult to squeeze water time with S constantly working and Bella sleeping so early at night. However, I must say that we were blessed to be in Hawaii while we could have suffered at home the terrible air quality brought on by the fires in San Diego. I really can't complain at all.

We've never been to Kauai and I must say it was so beautiful! The island was so lush, green, and clean! I really loved our time there. We lost 2 days to travel so we only had 2 days to enjoy our time there and I am definitely looking forward to going there again. We stayed in Poipu and stayed in the lower eastside of the island. We would like to explore the northern side of the island the next time. The water was rough but we saw a monk seal hanging out by our beach and a turtle coming to shore at our beach as well so it was fun. Overall it was a fun and relaxing trip. Bella's eczema was almost non-existent despite my "bad" diet. I sneaked in a bit of dairy in the form of cheese and some custard and she didn't even break out! I think much of her eczema does come from our dry weather. This gives me hope and I will try to feed her some calcium via dairy closer to her 1 year birthday!

Bella and Mommy at the Hotel Lobby hanging out.

Here's one with Daddy in Kauai

Bella, Mommy and Daddy at one of the Falls in Kauai. It's tough to have Bella look at the camera when there's so much to see all around her.

Bella in Waikiki beach early morning so she won't get a sunburn!

Bella waiting for daddy while entertaining herself at the hotel lobby in Honolulu.

Here she's enjoying the view of the ocean sitting in her own chair!

Bella in the plane on the way to Honolulu

Bella eating lunch with Mommy and Daddy at a restaurant

Here she is touching sand for the first time. She was fascinated by the texture.

Happy 1st Halloween

2007-11-01T15:21:00.001-07:00

Isabella had her beary first Halloween yesterday. She met some friends and neighb0rs and earned some candy for Mommy and Daddy to enjoy! =) It was good to be home from Hawaii for her first Holiday. I am already looking forward to next year's theme for her. I would like to dress her up as Belle - my favorite Disney princess.

New Teeth!

2007-10-19T19:09:00.001-07:00

Sorry we couldn't post regularly for a bit. We had some problems with the new camera and it took forever to fix it. I couldn't capture Isabella's first plane ride and our first trip out to Hawaii. I am still bummed out thinking about it. Bella did well on her first plane ride and didn't cry at all. The only funny thing was she went poop 3x in a row and I had to keep getting out of my seat. Although the plane was totally full, no one was sick and I was really thankful none of us got sick. The good news is we're heading out to Hawaii again in a few days and this time we're ready with our camera and our video camera to capture all the precious moments.

Isabella is now almost 8 months and she has 2 little teeth coming out! She's still putting all her toys and everything I have in my hands (cell phone, books, wallet, spoon, etc...) straight into her mouth to gum. She's drooling a bit more but isn't cranky or feverish so we're thankful. Her eczema is under control, but it was definitely better in Hawaii due to their humidity. All in all, I do think Bella is quite easy going baby and she's just getting more fun to play with as each day goes by!

Here are the teeth!

Happy Fall!

2007-10-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

Baby is 7 months old.

Happy 6 Months!

2007-09-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

6 months went by so fast and she's enjoying her first bite of brown rice cereal. I think more went on her bib than in her mouth but I am sure she'll learn fast. My little baby is growing up so fast.

I want to eat!

2007-08-27T10:31:00.001-07:00

As you can see, she's ready to eat! She's all about putting everything in her mouth right now. We'll be starting her solids this week and I am so excited for the both of us. It's so fun to watch her swallow breast milk on her spoon like it's her favorite meal in the whole wide world! I'll let you know how she does with her cereal as soon as we start. I have a feeling she'll love it.

Happy Girl

2007-08-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

Bella is now almost 6 months and she's all smiles and giggles when she's not sleeping or eating. The last 3 weeks her eczema was at its worst and it was so hard to see her suffer so much. We finally got some medication from our Ped and her skin cleared in only 2-3 days! She's been sleeping so much better and her skin looks beautiful! I am so thankful she doesn't scratch herself anymore. I really can't believe Bella's been with us for 6 months now! She has such a bright personality and loves to laugh and play all day.

Walk to Remember

2007-07-16T16:34:00.001-07:00

Saturday we went for a walk around the neighborhood with Bella in the Bjorn. Bella and her Daddy both love their Bjorn. She likes it now that she can face out and love to taste her Bjorn while being in it. She's been teething lately so she's drooling, putting everything in her mouth and whimpers her unhappiness. Her "vacabulary" is definitely increasing each and everyday.

She's armed with her hat & a cover up from the sun for the walk.

BBQ Time

2007-07-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a BBQ with some of our friends and had a good time. Bella was in a good mood even when it was late in the afternoon. It was great to see friends we haven't seen in a while and see how the children grew in such short months.

This week we worked really hard to put Bella to bed by 7pm and last night she finally went to bed without crying right at 7pm. It was so hard to listen to her cry all last week and I almost gave in many times, but we were encouraged each day by her shortened cries and her alertness the next day. I noticed right away how she is a happier baby in the afternoons. Yeay for good sleep! Now we'll just have to work on our naps.

Also, thank you Sally & Jim for your gifts for Bella & us. It was a great reminder of our Europe trip and we do miss you guys so very much. Glad you guys had a wonderful time in Vienna! We'll be sending you a thank you card very very soon!

We finally had a chance to take a picture of the 3 of us last night. Bella is smiling now more than ever.

Happy 4th America!!!!

2007-07-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Girl

2007-07-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday we went out to lunch with some friends and Bella was a happy girl. She & I wore a matching white dress. It was fun to dress her up and take her to the beach.

Happy Happy....

Joy Joy....

Here's one with daddy and her pretty dress

Let's Play

2007-07-02T14:25:00.001-07:00

Here are some things Bella loves to play with:

Her #1 entertainment these days are her fingers. She loves to hold them, put them in her mouth, and now she even grabs her toys with them!

We put her in the exersaucer and she's busy staring at the toys in front of her.

She likes to stare at the celestial shapes hanging from the musical piano during tummy time.

Today while sitting in her Bumbo, she discovered her toes! She moved her foot and wiggled her toes while staring at them. It was so cute!

She also loves staring at herself in the mirror. She says hello to her "friend" and also loves it when mommy makes funny faces in the mirror for her.

Off the Charts!

2007-07-02T14:14:00.001-07:00

Bella had her 4 months check up and her shots on Friday and did great. Unlike her 2 month shots, her fever was minimal and Bella was back to her happy self by next day. I was so relieved and thankful that things went fantastic. We measured her height: 26 1/4 inches (off the charts!) & 90th percentile in weight. She's going to be pretty tall if she's already over 100th percentile in height. We are so happy that she's a healthy and happy baby.

Bella on her swing with her legs reaching the end of her seat. She's just beginning to enjoy being in it, but she might be too tall for it too soon!

Bumbo Time

2007-06-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

It's not a Bimbo or a Dumbo but a Bumbo. It has a funny name but it allows Bella to sit all on her own. She looks like a big girl sitting all by herself in her chair. I can't believe 16 weeks went by and the tiny little baby we brought home is now able to sit all on her own in her Bumbo. These days she likes to play with her fingers and put them in her mouth more than playing with any other toys. She grew out of her favorite 0-3mo. sleeper and since it's been so warm, I cut the arms and legs off. She looks like she can be in the Flinstones movie with my not so great sewing skills...hee hee. She still looks cute in them.

New Camera

2007-06-19T20:36:00.001-07:00

Today we took pictures with our brand new camera. It makes such a huge difference in capturing the details, I was happy once again to snap away at our little angel. She is all smiles and laughter after a good night's rest. She's now sleeping from 8pmish - 6amish almost every night and we're now working on her naps. I still wake up couple times a night to check up on her and make sure her swaddle is nice and tight. If she isn't, she wakes up screaming 5am in the morning and scratches her face. As soon as her eczema heals from her cheeks, we'll have to work on unswaddling her. It's getting pretty warm and she needs to be double swaddled to have her arms secure. She feels like a hot potato sometimes when she wakes up from her sleep and I am sure it's not the most comfortable. I think in few more months I'll finally be able to sleep without worrying about her at night. I am seeing the light finally!

Here she is all cute and smiling and learning to stick her tongue out.

Visit from Grandma #2

2007-06-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

Today Bella met her other Grandma for the first time. Grandma brought over lots of gifts from relatives from up north. Bella took some great pictures with Grandma and Uncle F. Me and S had a lot of fun making funny noises trying to make her laugh for the pictures.

I love to hear Bella's laughter. It's the most joyful sound in the world and it makes my heart sing. She laughed for the first time out loud last week while playing with her daddy. We caught it on video and she's one bubbly gal. We'll post it online soon. I am exhausted almost every moment of the day but every time she gives me one of those big smiles I can't help but have a smile on my face and feel happiness and love deep in my soul.

Grandma and Bella having a great time with each other. Grandma thinks she looks just like her daddy and sometimes mommy too.

Bella was actually laughing a lot for this photo shoot. She loves the funny noises and faces we made for her.

Grandma, Uncle F and Bella looking great for the camera.

Cow Lick

2007-06-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

I love Bella's hair. It has so much spunk and personality just like the owner. She has natural high lights at the tip and '80's wave in the front. Today I was a bit distressed b/c her right cheek's been crusty and oozing for the past few days. We went to the doc's office and it turns out it's irritation from her eczema. I was hoping and praying that she wouldn't suffer from eczema but the doc said it's not as bad b/c I've been moisturizing her face like crazy the last month. The good news is that eczema is chronic but she will grow out of it. Also, her eyes have not been infected for some time. We're trying not to give her the eye medication b/c it's so strong and has some side effects that we don't like. Other than these 2 conditions, she's a healthy, happy baby. I have no complaints but please keep Bella's heath in your prayers. Thanks!

Bella has so much hair! It's growing out and you can see the "wave" from this picture. You can also see the red spots on her cheeks from her eczema.

Here's an aerial view of her cow lick. It's cute and I'll miss it when it's gone.

Tummy Time!

2007-06-08T12:27:00.001-07:00

Isabella is in her room doing her tummy time. She still really favors her right side and her head is getting a bit flat so we are working hard on tummy time and having her face her left side more. Luckily, she has strong neck muscles and doesn't mind being on her tummy. Seeing Bella exploring her room and her toys with such wonder in her eyes makes me see the everyday things in a new light.

Eating Out

2007-06-08T12:15:00.001-07:00

Last weekend the 3 of us went out to grab some lunch at Islands. Now at almost 3 1/2 months Bella is aware of her surroundings and is busy investigating everything alround her. She was so fasinated by all the people, the birds, flowers and other decorations surrounding her. She looked like a big girl sitting up on my lap until she got tired...which is still pretty quick. I was worried the whole time about her missing her nap, but she took a 30 min. nap in her bassinet after we were done eating. S & I had a good time just talking and hanging out. I am sure the waitress wasn't happy but we weren't about to wake her up just yet. Of course I have to order something new and be disappointed. Next time I'll get the usual so at least I know what I am attempting to eat. Bella is a great sleeper but I still worry about her naps during the day. I don't think it's long enough according to the books I am reading. I think the books are starting to drive me a bit nuts. As long as she's happy, I am not going to worry about it for now.

Bella is happy as a clam as always before going out to lunch. She loves to smile and "talk" to us after a good nap and a full belly.

Happy 100th Day!

2007-05-29T13:57:00.000-07:00

Last week we celebrated Bella's 100th day of birth. Technically it's not until June 6th, but we had to celebrate early to accomodate everyone's schedule. It was hectic and Bella was ready to sleep by the time everyone came, but it was fun to celebrate her in a very special way. S did a beautiful job helping me decorate the house with beautiful lavender and white color scheme. We'll have even more fun celebrating her 1 year birthday! I can't believe she's already 3 months old. Time is going by so fast, but I am happy to say that Bella is finally sleeping through the night more on a consistant basis. I am so blessed that she's a pretty good sleeper.

Here's Bella posing with her pretty dress Grandma bought for her. She loves looking at her pictures with this dress on. It so cute to see her stare at her own pictures in her room. Her brows are getting darker and her hair is too.

Bella's Grandma brought back a baby Chinese dress. The lavender in her dress was my inspiration for her party color scheme. As you can see, she looked so cute in it. She's blessed to be able to celebrate both her Korean and Chinese heritage. It would be awesome if she can understand Korean, Cantonese, and Mandarin when she's older...but I'll settle for just one more language if at all possible. I can't wait until she wears her Korean dress on her 1 year birthday.

It was nice to get a photo of the family at the party. It's tough to all get together these days. Poor Bella was wiped out even before the party started. She's rubbing her eyes in this picture letting us know she's ready for bed.

Bouncer

2007-05-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

Bella is 9 weeks old today. Yesterday for the first time in Bella's history, she played on her own in the bouncer while we enjoyed dinner together. Until yesterday we all took turns playing with her when she was awake, but now she has a good time playing on her own few times a day. She loves her mobile & this bouncer. She's intrigued by the little fish & sea creatures on the bouncer. Her look of concentration was so adorable. Life is definitely getting a little less challenging as she grows each day. She's also starting to sleep 7-8 hrs at a time! Praise the Lord!

Bella memorizing her little fish & sea creatures on her bouncer.

Everyday her neck & arm muscles are getting stronger and stronger. She looks like a big girl from this aerial view.

Bitter Sweet Day

2007-05-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

It's been an exciting week as usual. We took Bella to a specialist for her eyes this week and he confirmed that she has partially blocked tear ducts. There's nothing we can do about it other than to wait for her to grow out of it...which takes about a year. He said only 5% of healthy babies are born with it and Bella just happens to be one of those babies. We just have to put some drops everyday to control her infections and pray that God to heal her eyes.

It's also been a magical time for us to see her first social smile and she's starting to track us with her eyes. It's so amazing to see her turn her head to see what we're doing.

Here's one of the first pictures where we captured her smile on camera. Her eyes are a bit puffy here but we hope that it'll clear up with her new eye drops.

Today we said goodbye to Polani. We were heart broken and we cried our eyes out. The house feels pretty empty without the dogs. We will miss them for a very long time. This is the last picture we took of Polani....We hope that Isabella will bring us double the joy & laughter to make up for our sadness for our dogs.

Small Group BBQ

2007-04-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

Today we ventured out and went to a BBQ thrown by our small group. It was a beautiful day and we couldn't resist taking some pictures with her before going out. I wasn't sure how she would do since she still had a bit of temperature from her first round of shots 2 days ago. That was pretty tough, but she definitely did better than myself and Mom. S was away on a business trip and missed all the action.

She was a sleepy baby right before going out.

She was more alert right after she finished her meal prior to going out.

We had to change outfits before going out to keep her warm.

Thanks to the new cream her face cleared up and her eyes are all better.

Ryan's Birthday

2007-04-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

We tried to make Ryan's 1st Birthday party today. Bella took an extra long nap so we were late to the party. We saw a few of our friends and made it in time to see Ryan blow out his candle. I wonder if Bella's 1st birthday will come fast or slow. I can't believe she'll be 8 weeks this coming Tuesday! Now we understand why our friends who have little children are often late to events.

She's starting to smile more and making eye contact with us and the camera. It's exciting to see her actually follow us with her eyes.

She's still suffering from a bit of infant acne and the dreaded eye infection? We're not sure if it's completely gone yet. Here she's sporting her baby bracelet for the first time. Thanks auntie Hisung!

I can't get enough of her cute facial expressions.

The Other Eye

2007-04-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

First time wearing her "going out" outfit. It was fun to have her wear shoes and a cute shirt. It was difficult to put on, but she was in a good mood so it was all good. We're learning the hard way what outfits are easy to put on. Most outfits we have for her are cute but difficult ones!

It was a nice sunny day but a bit windy for Bella. Although we couldn't stay long, we hope she had a good time being in a new environment.

Here's another one. Bella is somewhat looking at the camera. I can't wait until she smiles at us.

Last week we couldn't take any pictures of Bella due to the infection moving to the other eye. Her other eye was puffy and red for about 3 days and finally her swelling is going down. It was really tough to see her red swollen eyes everyday. As a mom, I really did wish that I had the infections instead. She is too little and too young to go through all this. We finally figured out that her infections are due to blocked tear ducts. Now I have to religiously massage her eyes 3x a day.

On Saturday, we went out for some air at Fashion Island. It was too far for Bella and all of us got a bit cranky at the end. Bella's illness made all of us a bit more tired than usual. Bella doesn't like being in the bassinet for more than 20 minutes so we had to carry her back to the car. We realized anything beyond South County is a bit difficult for now.

The Eye

2007-04-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

It was nice to get out of the house for some air even if it's not easy getting all her stuff ready. Bella loves being swaddled. Here she's continuing her nap from her car seat to the stroller.

He's such a ham. Hope Bella will be as cute and fun as her dad. He's posing as a celebrity getting his picture taken by the paparazzi...hee hee.

On Easter Sunday we attempted to attend church with Bella. We went, she was asleep (good news), but no seats available (bad news). We were late and we really wished there was a nursery section at the church (Things we never noticed pre-baby). We were loitering outside the entrance for about 20 minutes before heading to the hospital.

Early Sunday morning around 1am I noticed thick mucus discharge on her left eye. We went straight to Urgent Care after church and it turned out to be an eye infection. Only 2 weeks after "The Finger" we were back in the same room waiting for another Pediatrician to check out her eye this time. As of today, her discharge is gone but her left eye is a bit puffy and the skin is red...I think side effects from the ointment getting on her skin...or it'll be Urgent Care again tonight. We are all washing our hands even more often than before. Times like this, I can only pray to Jesus for her health and a speedy recovery.

On a lighter note, here's some fun pictures of when we took Bella to the mall pre-infection.

Happy Easter!

2007-04-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

Thank you Lord for this precious new life as we celebrate the day of your resurrection.

Bath Time Fun

2007-04-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

All done and clean until next time!

Here's a close up after washing her hair.

Here's one where she's using her bear sponge for the first time.

She's still small enough to fit into a small basin for initial cleaning time. Grandma's been bathing her while Sunny and I help with everything else.

Little Lady

2007-04-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

Here Bella looks like she's wearing a little flirty dress. Actually it's a sleeper that's halfway open for diaper change.

More Pictures

2007-04-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

I know I am the most biased person in the world, but I think she is cute as a button and getting cuter by the day.

It's nap time. She gives some clear signs that she's ready to sleep.

I was really surprised that she can hold her head up so high for so long, but notice Grandma's fingers peaking next to her neck! She got some help there.

Here's a cheeky one! She makes me laugh every single day.

Heads Up!

2007-04-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

This is the index finger that had the infection last week.

Bella holding her head up during Tummy Time.

Family photo with Bella at 4 weeks old.

Here's one with Daddy. Bella looks more and more like Daddy as each day goes by.

Last week was full of memorable events. Bella had her first infection last Sunday due to her ingrown hang nail. We took our first trip to Urgent Care, manuvered through breastfeeding in public and found Kobe a new home (he's doing super well with his new loving family) all in one day. We started "Tummy Time" with Bella the last few days and she's lifting her head up pretty well. She's starting to track and stare at our faces. She loves to hear us sing and get kisses from her Mommy. She's taken a few car rides and does well if she's full and her diaper isn't wet. God is so good to give us such a perfect gift.

Our First Babies

2007-03-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

Kobe and Polani were our very first babies. We loved them and adored them for 5 years. We still love them to death and it's been the hardest decision we've ever made as a family to find them a new home. They deserve the best and all the attention we can't give them anymore. It's been a rough week for both of us but I know that God will find them the best homes they deserve. I will treasure each and every moment we had with them. They have been great companions and they really are great dogs anyone can ask for...

7.2 Mega Pixels

2007-03-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures with mom's camera. There's a big difference between our little 3.0 vs. her 7.2 MP. I think we need a better camera. The bottom photo is our family favorite so far of our little angel.

2 Weeks Old

2007-03-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

Bella is 2 weeks old today. Here's couple shots with Mommy to celebrate 14 days of life. She was super sleepy today as you can see...

Daddy and Bella

2007-03-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

Here's one with daddy. Bella's umbilical cord fell off today. We're not sure where it went at first and found it in her diaper later in the afternoon.

Funny Face

2007-03-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

Bella likes to make many faces already. She makes us laugh with her expressions.

Grandma and Bella

2007-03-10T19:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture with Grandma. She's sleeping through this photo session. Bella is 11 days old today. Her days consists of sleeping, eating, and diaper changes 24hrs a day. We're looking forward to the days when she'll be awake for more than 15 minutes.

Bella's latest pics

2007-03-10T18:31:00.002-08:00

Pics of Izzy!

2007-03-01T23:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome Isabella Ashley Rose Lee

2007-02-27T13:57:00.000-08:00

At 3:53 AM Isabella Ashley Rose Lee entered the world weighing in at 7 lbs 12.5 ozs and measuring 19.5 inches. She looks beautiful......We are hanging out at St Joseph's Hospital in Orange til Thursday morning...address is 1100 West Stewart Drive, Orange,CA.

Baby's Room

2007-02-25T09:23:00.001-08:00

This is the babies room...we are now ready for her...

If you look in the crib, you will see the teddy bear I bought for the baby for valentine's day.

I painted these stripes all by myself. You have to measure and measure and make sure everything is straight. I bought this cool laser leveling device which makes a beam of red lite.

Setting up Shop!

2006-12-30T15:43:00.000-08:00

I painted the walls for the baby....im such a handy man.