Welcome everyone. This is our new home for recording little tidbits of life at the Doua/Yeng household. Below are old posts from a previous blog that I still keep, which I am transferring to here. Also at the very bottom are a few photos (in no particular order) that I had posted in older blog entries that I had (regrettably) erased, but hope that they're able to help you get a glimpse of life with Chloe. Be sure to come back frequently for promised updates, videos and loads of photos!
Logan and a new home for tidbits
As with Chloe, Doua and I settled on a name with this baby early on. He is already a big part of our lives and we didn't want to have to keep calling him "the baby" or referring to him as just "he" and "him". So, Logan it is. He will also have a Hmong name, which we are extending to our parents to help with. Chloe has also become partial to the name and have begun sharing it with everyone already. She's decided that it's a better name than her choice of "Benji". We actually considered it, but the truth is, I know a Ben and he's a jerkoff -- and you know how it goes where you don't want to give your kid the same name as someone that you don't like... LOLs.
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I regret erasing ALL of my blog entries from early on, about Chloe. Only now do I realize the importance of having them. They are one of the only records of the little tidbits of Chloe's early years. Keeping and having a journal (or in today's age - a blog, for all that matters) will be a such a sentimental treasure to my children (and me) in the following years. So I'm starting it up again, sharing my little thoughts and life online with you all (my close friends and family), with the thought that one day, my children will be able to access it and have a sense of how life was like for them as they're growing up. Therefore, we invite you to follow us at www.chasingchloelogan.blogspot.com . Doua will have a part in this blog as well and will update as he feels necessary. He likes to keep everything in and is really not into the whole journaling ordeal, but I think he'll catch on soon as I'm opening this to him as an active participant in this family project. Check in frequently for promised family updates, videos and of course, loads of beautiful pictures.
Cheers, Yeng
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Gender Thoughts
We went in for our level II ultrasound this morning. I guess the technician was new or something, because the ultrasound took over an hour! Or do they normally last that long? I don't remember Chloe's ultrasound being that long. Anyway, all the old wive's tales were wrong and everyone else's assumptions and hopes were right. We're having a baby boy! I don't know if Doua's gotten that smile off his face yet. He's so happy.
I called to tell my mom and she was like, "You better not be kidding like your brother Cheng, because he had a girl and lied that it was going to be a boy!" She's silly. I told her even though we were hoping for a boy, even if it wasn't, we would be just as happy with another girl. It's weird how having a boy can get such high reactions from people in comparison to having a girl. I remember being so psyched about having a girl when I was pregnant with Chloe, but everyone around me seemed to pity me, telling me that "it'll be ok and maybe the next one would be a boy." Even Doua then was hoping that she would come out a boy. It just makes me a bit frustrated to realize how the gender of a baby can have such different impacts on people, especially Asian parents and fathers. I only wanted a boy this time around because I already had my girl and wanted to mix things up a bit. Now - I'm just glad that I can finally start to pick out names, clothes and toys!
Here's some ultrasound photos. Enjoy!
Monday, April 14, 2008
"Today, I'm not Chloe, I'm Rapunzel."
Chloe woke up this morning and decided that she's Rapunzel. I couldn't get her to do anything, much less get out of bed and hop into the bath without calling her Rapunzel first.
We have conquered a great feat overnight. We finally got Rapunzel to sleep in her own room and last throughout the course of the night. It's strange because it was like a switch just suddenly turned on or something after months and months of failed attempts. She's just decided that she's old enough to sleep in her own bed in her own room and that the hanging lights from the tall ceiling are not a monster's eyes anymore. I turned off her night light when she fell into REM sleep, then heard her around 4am fussing around to turn it back on (this is around the usual time when she would sneak into our bed) and when she couldn't, she called out for me to go help turn on the light. Then low and behold, without say, she turned and went straight back to sleep in her own bed! I'm still struck with awe over this and must admit that our bed did seem a bit empty without her this morning. But I'm so proud that she's finally taken a step forward in getting over this stage, and just like that, she's turned into a fairytale princess overnight.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Hi-key on classic white is always a favorite of mine from the beginning. It's good to return to it.
Had a cancellation in the studio today so Doua, Chloe and Mom came in with their Hmong clothes. Let me boast again, I have the cutest daughter! Hahaha. Doua made the effort to go buy a Hmong outfit just for this mini-shoot. All of my sessions with Chloe are under ten minutes. She usually gets the shot within the first few frames.
After three sessions today, I am EXHAUSTED and ready to go home, or to Khoua's house and eat some Thai curry noodle soup. Yum! I bet baby in my tummy would like that too.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Chloe's names
She's finally come up with two names on her own. Chloe said that if her new baby is a boy, we should name him Benji Chang. Hahaha. I love how she says it -- "Ben-jiChang!" Then if the baby is a girl, the name should be "Kelly". Not exactly my first choices, but we'll let her in on the fun of picking out names.
The pregnancy is going good so far. A few clinks in there, but I just over worry too much, I think. This baby seems a lot more calm than Chloe was. He's starting to move around in there now although Doua and Chloe have yet to feel him tap against me. They're so excited and jump at the opportunity every time I think the tap is strong enough to be felt from the outside. April 15th is the big day where we go in for the anatomical ultrasound, when we'll find out the gender. I'm overly anxious that I dream about the sex of the baby every night. (Yes, I want to know that bad). We're hoping for a boy, as most of you know, but we would be just as blessed with another healthy girl.
I'm showing already at 4 1/2 months and have begun to enjoy food again, although I still can't take in greasy things. I've also learned to say good-bye (at least for a couple more months) to one of my all-time favs -- chicken wings. The last time I had some didn't end up too well and I could never look at a wing the same way anymore. Perhaps one of these days, I will turn in-tuned with my artistic inner self again and take a self portrait of my pregnant being, which is something, surprisingly, that I have never done before, not even while I was pregnant with Chloe. We'll see if I'll have the nerves to post it up for you all to see.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
New Announcement
Here's a recent conversation:
At the dinner table with Chloe, Doua and my sister-in-law, Mee. I was eating some bomb ass Hmong food with chili pepper, something I haven't done in a long while, that Mee had made.
Chloe: Mom, why are you eating pepper?
Yeng: Because I like it.
Chloe: But it's so spicy, Mom...
Yeng: I know, that's why I like it.
Chloe: But it's going to be spicy for my baby brother!
Mee, cutting in: What? You have a baby brother?
Yeng and Doua just gave eachother awkward smirks.
Chloe: Uh huh, I have a baby brother.
Mee: When did you have a baby brother?
Chloe: Well, you see, he's still in my mommy's stomach!
Mee, to Yeng and Doua: Is it true? Are you guys pregnant?
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So the answer is, yes we are. We have just reached our third month. It's been a bit of a roller coaster but I think everything will be ok now. We found out around the same time as we did last year, when we had jumped the gun and told everyone right away, only having to tell everyone a month later that we suffered a miscarriage. So this time around, we wanted make sure that everything is ok before we share the incredible news with all of you. There's been a lot of praying and numerous phone calls to Mom -- but the best thing was being able to see the little heart beating at six weeks, then having it confirmed again yesterday by the doppler. To be able to have a baby is so amazing. I can't begin to describe the state of bliss we're in at the Chang household. We're just delighted that we are finally able to share this wonderful news of our anticipated addition. Cheers,Yeng.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
I have come to the harsh realization that Chloe may not be emotionally ready for kindergarten screening. I do not want to push her through the screening process. It's freaking insane what these kids have to indure just for a chance to be on the waiting list for early admission -- Chloe would have to spend a morning with fully seasoned kindergarteners in which she would have to prove that her mindset is at or above the level of those who are a good 18-24 months older than she. If she passes that first stage, they pull her aside to a room where she is cognitively tested -- fine motor skills, letter recognition, reading, math, whatever the hell the kindergarteners have learned all year. And even that's not enough -- if they feel that she's passed the first two stages, then she'd have to go see a psychologist to determine whether or not she's emotionally sound and mature enough to handle a learning environment with kids who are born in the same year as she, but just before the September 1, 2008 cutoff. WTF!! Give me a fucking break, people. If she is able to show that she's smarter than your average seasoned kindergartener, then shouldn't she be allowed to enter first grade instead?
Friday, December 28, 2007
Chloe turns four tomorrow and we're going to Disney World! Yay!
We got a very special gift for Christmas this year. I'll share with y'all when I get back.
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Three Year Old Birthday
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