Calliope

Meet Calliope Josephine Chan. She was born February 23 at 6:59 in the evening. She wasn't scheduled to come out until February 27, but the little girl was just hell-bent on stealing her brother's birthday. Let the sibling rivalry begin!
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We choose the name "Calliope" because it means "beautiful voice." We named her "Josephine" after the woman who has done more to help me in my own journey through motherhood than anyone else - my mother, the strongest, most selfless, and most loving person that I know.
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I'll be back later to write more about her hectic first week of life. For now, I need to go catch a few zzzzz's!

Belly Dancing

It's hard to believe that in less than a week, the little creature that's been growing in my belly since last June will be an actual child I'll be able to hold in my arms. Part of me is ready for this journey to be over. So long, swollen feet! Bye, bye, backaches! Adios, rude comments about how huuuuuuuge I've gotten! On the other hand, I know that the real trials start once the pregnancy is over and the baby is out. And does the baby ever want to get out! I mean, does it look like my belly can stretch much more than this?
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It's like I turned into a giant, flesh-colored watermelon on toothpicks. Actually, replace "watermelon" with "bag of cats," because sometimes that's what it looks like.

Frightening, isn't it? I don't know about you, but it makes me think of a certain scene from a certain movie involving an alien and Sigourney Weaver.

Before the big day arrives, we're cherishing our last moments with just the Boo. Yesterday, we took a stroll to the neighborhood farmer's market with our buddies the Bowens. Once there, Benjamin and Nolan met up with fellow Playa Vistans Aaron and mom Winnie. Together, the three boys grooved out to the tunes of a street performer.

Later on, Benjamin took his Plasma Car out for a spin. He had a blast, giggling even as he hit a ditch and almost toppled over into the bushes. It was great to hear his laughter and see the carefree smile on his face.

Although I'm certainly worried about how Vince and I will adjust to what life will be like with two kids, I'm almost more worried about how Benjamin will take to it. After all, he's been used to being the only baby in the house, the one on whom all attention is focused. He hasn't had to share anything - his toys, his space, or his Mommy and Daddy.

I'm sure Oliver can tell him a thing or two about that.
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Hao Po to the Rescue

As soon as she heard I was expecting again, my mother booked her ticket to Los Angeles from her home in China. Just as she did when I was preggers with the Boo, she planned on helping me out in the weeks leading up to the birth and for the month after. Then, when she found out I was exhausting myself out to the point that I was racking up frequent flyer miles in the maternity wing of the ER, she pushed her arrival date up - way up.
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For most couples, the thought of your mother/mother-in-law unexpectedly crashing with you during one of the most stressful times of your life might be enough to make you run for the hills, but not us. Vince and I knew that her arrival would bring us the relief we needed. Yes, she's not as spry as she used to be. And yes, the woman can be, um... Idiosyncratic. I mean, where do you think I get it from? This particular brand of crazy runs in the family! But even so, my mother likes nothing more than to be a mother. When she's with us, she cooks our meals, she takes care of Benjamin, and she helps me clean. And all she wants in return is to watch Wheel of Fortune at night.
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My mom arrived several weeks ago, and within days I was feeling better. The contractions lessened, my back stopped hurting as much, and I stopped being as much of a cranky b*tch to Vince. The Boo's been having the time of his life, too. Suddenly, he has a second person there to love him, play with him, wipe his butt, and feed him his favorite treats. Like Pinkberry.

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Even more than Pinkberry, however, Benjamin loves to eat Hao Po's cooking. Check out what happens after he inhales his first helping of her Chinese BBQ short ribs. The two things you'll hear him repeating are mo (Benja-speak for "more") and mei you (Chinese for "no more"), as in "give me MORE because there is NO MORE."

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Wow, cool it there, Benjamin! If you keep that up, you'll wear your Hao Po out. Luckily, Hao Gong arrived just in time to give us all a break!

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Lilies for Lily at Lilly's or My Surprise Baby Shower

Several months ago, me and my two mom friends Julie and Sheila started up a weekly ritual: each Friday, barring illness, travel, or other circumstance, we meet at the local mall for lunch with the kids. It's a fun tradition which allows us to get the kids together to play while also squeezing in some mommy social time.
.It's also extremely exhausting. Benjamin, Nolan, and Kayla are a rambunctious crew, and they feed off of one another when together. This makes for a lot of yelling, chasing, and cajoling on the part of us moms. Julie said that after our Friday lunches, she often feels like she's run a marathon!

One day, Sheila suggested that we meet up some weekend for a relaxing brunch sans offspring. Of course Julie and I jumped on the idea, and we decided to have our moms-only brunch in late January at a French cafe in nearby Venice called Lilly's. Parking in Venice can be a nightmare, so Sheila picked us up in her car, and the three of us headed to what I thought was going to be a mellow meal with two friends. We valeted the car and walked into the restaurant, where I saw this:
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A surprise baby shower! Can you imagine my shock? In case you can't, here's a visual:
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I was so shocked that I nearly peed myself! Everything was so lovely, from the lily-themed decorations and favors to the Sprinkles cupcakes. The masterminds behind this surprise? Deb, Julie, and Yvonne. The three of them had been planning this little shindig for quite a while, and they'd managed to keep it a secret from me!
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Even though the shower was supposed to be more of a "sprinkle," there was a veritable downpour of gifts. As a special touch, each person brought a book for big brother Benjamin to read.
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Clockwise from left: Co-conspirators Deb, Julie, and Yvonne; Neighbors and fellow moms Monica and Shelby; Vince's Mom and Vince's sister Adele; fellow mom friend Brooke and neighbor/mom friend Holly; neighbor and mom friend Sheila; friend Jeni and high school BFF Jen.

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The greatest gift, however, was seeing my dearest female friends gathered in one place to welcome my soon-to-be born daughter into the world.

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After the festivities concluded, I hugged my girlfriends good-bye, and Julie and I piled back into Sheila's car for the drive home. My head still reeling from the events of the morning, I was caught off-guard for the second time by yet another surprise:

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As though planning such an amazing shower wasn't already enough, Julie, Deb, and Yvonne pitched in and bought a bassinet for the baby! Tucked inside the bassinet was a box full of newborn necessities from one of my favorite stores, The Pump Station.
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I was overwhelmed by their thoughtfuless. What had I ever done to deserve such a caring group of friends? I was truly blessed to have them, and my daughter will be even more blessed to have them in her life as loving aunties.

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Seeing Double

With the birth of Baby C just around the corner, we decided it was time to upgrade our ride. Well, to upgrade Benjamin's ride. As much I loved my City Mini single stroller, I knew that having a toddler and a baby at the same time meant that I - and my back - would be better served with a double.
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Due to the fact that Benjamin and his best bud Nolan were inseperable, I'd already had a chance to see a few "doubles" transport options in action:

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As cute as these options were to behold, none of them quite did the trick. I needed something leaner. Something less bulky. Something specifically designed for two kids that didn't run the risk of one inadvertently being flung with a quick turn or stop. And that's where the Phil and Ted's double stroller came in.
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The Phil and Ted's line features a new breed of stroller- a double stroller with the footprint of a single. The side-by-side double strollers we'd tried were just too cumbersome. And being the clutterphobes that Vince and I are, we didn't want to deal with storing both a double and a single stroller. So I sold my beloved City Mini and ordered a Phil and Ted's V2 sport double stroller in basic black.

.As soon as it arrived, the men in the family got to work putting it together. The stroller came with a free bassinet attachment, which Benjamin claimed for himself by way of having an accident while sitting inside it. Well, I assumed it was an accident, but Vince claimed he was marking his territory.
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We took our new double stroller out for a test drive with - who else - Nolan. He enjoyed sitting in it so much that Julie - who is due with her second baby in July - went ahead and ordered the exact same stroller! After it arrived, and I cruised over to her place with my own Phil and Ted's for a walk. I thought it would be adorable to push Nolan and Benjamin around in their matching strollers, but they had something else in mind. Much to our amusement, we discovered that the boys still preferred to cram themselves into just one of the strollers.
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I suppose we'll be putting the two newborns in the other one!

The Tiniest Poltergeist?

I've made it to 33 weeks, and I'm in the home stretch. Emphasis on stre-e-e-e-e-tch. My shirts are stretched out, my patience is stretched thin, and my tummy is stretched so tight that every time I sneeze, cough, or laugh, I feel as though my baby will come flying out of my belly button. Did I mention that our home is being stretched, too? Yup, the storage capacity of our home is being stretched to its limits with new baby crap. Even though we still have tons of gear left over from when Benjamin was a wee infant, we've acquired more stuff for Baby #2 - more cloth diapers, a double stroller, and baby girl clothes. Thank goodness my nesting instinct has kicked in, or else our place would be a total disaster. It's like I'm having a flashback to this time two years ago when I was in the throes of feathering my nest in anticipation of Benjamin's arrival. But this time, the joy of nest-feathering is tempered with the dread of knowing sleepless nights are just a month away. Yes, ignorance was bliss!
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Benjamin has been nesting, too. Sort of. He recently developed this strange habit of lining things up - his toy cars, his books, and - most strangely - his playroom furniture. I've gone into the kitchen, only to be barricaded in by a neat row of chairs. Or, I'll get up to answer the call of nature only to find that the hallway leading to the bathroom door has been blocked by the chairs.
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Benjamin's new obsession reared its head at our friend George's birthday party a few weeks ago. As soon as we got there, Benjamin got busy rearranging the metal chairs on the patio. Ten minutes after our arrival, he'd pulled them away from the table and lined them up in a neat row. Considering that each chair was twice his size, this was no small feat! The other partygoers - as well as Vince and I - looked on in amusement and a little puzzlement. Was this "normal" behavior? Sure it was cute, but the single-mindedness with which he rearranged those chairs was also a little odd. It was like he was a Boo possessed. It was strange, maybe even a bit creepy.
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If the incident with the patio chairs wasn't enough to creep me out, this was:

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It was the weekend, and I'd left Vince at home with Benjamin while I ran errands. When I returned, Benjamin was napping, and these chairs were on the table. I asked Vince if he was the one who did it, and he said, "No, that was the Boo. He's nuts." Maybe I wouldn't have found this creepy at all if it weren't for the fact that it reminded me of a certain scene from Poltergeist.
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Creepiness notwithstanding, I'm hoping that Benjamin's obsession with order will spread to other areas, too!

Déjà Déjà Vu

When I was pregnant with Benjamin, I called my OB about anything out of the ordinary - headaches, cramps, pains, lack of pains, what-have-you. This time around, I've been a little less paranoid. Besides, the thought of trying to go in for a last-minute checkup with toddler in tow gives me the vapors. So my solution for most of what's ailed me is just to ignore, ignore, ignore. Unfortunately, certain things you can't ignore. Contractions and abdominal pain, for example. Those earned me my last two trips to the hospital. A fever of over 102 degrees is another example. And if you have that fever for more than a few days in a row, that means you get to take your third trip to the hospital. Man, I need a frequent flyer card.

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As soon as I arrived, the nurses took blood and other samples to test. They gave me Tylenol for my fever, and when that didn't work, they packed me in ice. Not comfy, but it did the trip! I also got hooked up to an IV so I could be given intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Even though I have pretty good veins, it took the nurse two tries to get a line going. Maybe my hormones were making me extra-sensitive, but it actually really stung! As I was about to say "ouch" in protest, I thought of the last time the Boo was in the hospital for a transfusion:

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That shut me up right away.

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Later on after Benjamin had gone to bed, Vince called our neighbor Shawn to come over and keep an eye on the monitor so he could visit me in the hospital. Since I hadn't eaten since that morning, he brought me McDonald's. And since I was bored out of my mind, he brought our latest Netflix arrival: House, M.D. Ironically, the episode we watched featured a pregnant woman on bedrest who had complications and delivered a very premature baby. Maybe I should've asked Vince to bring a different DVD.
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After Vince left, I tried get some sleep. In a way, I should have been happy to be where I was; it was, after all, the first time in almost two years that I'd have a chance to spend a night without a certain someone waking me up crying in the middle of the night! Ironically, it was his very absence that prevented me from getting my rest. I just missed him too damn much! I finally nodded off around 5 am, only to be awakened for another course of IV treatment at 6:30.

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By the early afternoon of my second day in the hospital, we were no closer to determining what was making me sick (in fact, they never did determine what the root cause was). My fever, however, had managed to stay under 100 for most of the day, which meant that I got to go home! My OB discharged me with instructions to see her in the morning for another shot of antibiotics. She also sternly cautioned me to "take it easy" and rest.
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Not likely!

New Year's (Not So) Rockin' Eve

Being hugely pregnant with a husband and toddler means that you're not going to be doing a whole lot of partying on New Year's Eve. Still, Vince and I had planned to celebrate in our own old-fogey way by spending a quiet evening playing board games with our buds Julie and Shawn. Not too terribly exciting, but it was still something that we were excited about. Unfortunately, our unborn baby girl had a different sort of excitement in mind.

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I'd been experiencing symptoms of preterm labor for several weeks, most of which I'd ignored. Why? Because I'm invincible! And also because I have a toddler who makes impromptu trips to the doctor very inconvenient. Two weeks prior, however, my symptoms were severe enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. Julie took me so Vince could be at home with the Boo. Several hours of monitoring, tests, and exams later, I was discharged with strict instructions to "take it easy" or else risk being put on bed rest. I did my best to listen to my doc - after all, I had a Roomba now, so daily vacuuming was one of the chores I could cross off of my list! I suppose I wasn't taking it easy enough, though, because on I woke up on the morning of NYE with abdominal symptoms so strong that I was having trouble walking. By the afternoon when the pain had progressed to the point where I was having trouble standing up straight or breathing, I knew it was time to call the doc, who told me to go straight to the hospital. Since Vince wasn't feeling well (and becomes so bored in hospitals that he drives me batty anyway), I called my best bud Deb to take me.

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As soon as I arrived, they hooked up me to the monitors and took samples for testing. As I lay there resting, my pain lessened and my tummy stopped contracting, which led to my getting a lecture on what "taking it easy" really means. Apparently, it doesn't mean being a jungle gym for my toddler. And I guess it also means that because I have a Roomba to do my vacuuming, I'm still not supposed to be moving furniture or rolling up area rugs to clear the floors for it. How was I supposed to know??

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Apparently, mine wasn't the only belly causing problems that night; the maternity ward was bustling! As a result, things weren't happening nearly as quickly as they had the last time. And as the hours ticked by, I started to worry. You see, Deb and her hubby had made NYE plans to meet some fabulous friends at a trendy restaurant in Hollywood. When I called her at 3:00 pm to ask for a ride to the hospital, I figured that since my previous trip there had lasted only a few hours, I could have her back with plenty of time to spare. Boy, was I wrong. After three hours had passed and we were still waiting on more tests to be performed, I urged Deb to leave and let me take a cab home. By the five-hour mark, I was begging her to leave. By hour seven, she was ready to tape my mouth shut. And not only did she insist on staying, but she told me that she wanted to stay - and she actually meant it! It brought tears to my eyes, but I guess that that's what true friends do - they give up the chance to get gussied up and mingle with the fab and famous in order to sit in their sweats and feed ice chips to their pregnant friends.

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In the end, I checked out fine and Deb managed to make it to her destination exactly one minute before midnight. The docs told me that my symptoms may have been caused by a purely mechanical issue: my abs stretching out and separating. Yikes! I was told that in order to avoid being checked into the hospital and put on bedrest, I really needed to try take it easy by staying off of my feet and getting some help with Benjamin. I was also advised to get some more support for my growing belly in the form of a maternity belt:

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Is this not the least sexy item of clothing you've ever seen? If Vince still finds me attractive after seeing me in this, then it must mean that he really loves me!

Scary Old Saint Nick Part 2

Last week, my friend Heather was having a few moms and tots over to her place to meet with a friendly Santa she knew. Like any parent swept up in holiday cheer, I wanted a picture of Benjamin sitting happily on Santa's lap. Well, at this point, I would have settled for just plain sitting. Despite having had two failed attempts at capturing this Hallmark moment, I figured the third time would be the charm.
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Boy, was I wrong! Benjamin's reaction to Santa was even more instant than the last two times. As soon as he entered, Benjamin ran screaming to me...
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...and took refuge in his new favorite hiding place under my belly.
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And it didn't get any better over time. Just as soon he would start to calm down, he'd spot Santa and start bawling again.
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Unfortunately, there were three witnesses to his theatrics - Pedro, Claire, and Adelyn. Judging from the looks on their faces, one can only imagine what they were thinking.

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Potty Training à Deux?

Until about two weeks ago, my pregnancy had been fairly unremarkable. I had the usual complaints - queasiness, fatigue, inexplicable cravings, and hormone-induced bitchiness - but for the most part, I was able to go about my day without feeling pregnant. In fact, I'd sometimes forget that I was pregnant and be reminded only when I knocked over something with my belly.

That's all changed. In the past weeks, I feel as though my midsection has grown enough to accomodate not just my baby, but her car seat and crib, too. My skin is stretched so tight that I can play it like a tympani. And I swear she's sitting much lower than Benjamin did. She's so low that she's using my bladder as a neckrest, and sneezing in public has become a heart-stopping experience. If things continue, I may have to borrow some diapers from Benjamin.

Speaking of diapers, Benjamin is well on his way to saying adios to them (fingers crossed). It's not unusual for him to stay dry for four- or five-hour periods of time, coming to tell me when he wants to use the potty, or even just going on his own. According to conventional potty training wisdom, this means that he's ready for (drum roll)... BIG BOY PANTS! But even though the books say that he may be ready to make the transition, I don't know if I am, so we're meeting halfway and using cotton training underpants.

Taking a cue from a fellow Emerson mom, I decked out Benjamin's training pants with one of his favorite characters, Elmo. Since I couldn't find Elmo underpants that fit him, I created my own by making a sheet of Elmo decals with Photoshop, and printing them onto iron-on tranfer paper. A few quick swipes of a hot iron, and - VOILA! - custom-made Elmo training pants! When I put the pants on Benjamin, I'll tell him, "Don't pee on Elmo! He wouldn't like that!" The idea is that Benjamin's fear of soiling his beloved Elmo will heighten his awareness of his need to go. I have yet to try it out, but I'm hopeful.

Maybe I should make myself some Elmo underpants. :(

A Mini-Me in the Making

Remember a few weeks ago when I said that it seemed my growth had slowed? Yeah... Those days are over. I'm now at 22 weeks, and the bump is in full effect. As you can see from the last picture above, my belly now protrudes enough to act as a handy ledge on which the Boo can rest his arms. Glad to be of service, Boo!
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I got a taste of what life will be like with two little ones last week when Julie and I took Benjamin and Nolan to check out a sale at Old Navy. As we were installing Nolan's carseat into my car, the boys jumped into the front seat and played around with the buttons and dials. By the time we were ready to go, my windshield wipers were going, my hazards were blinking, the radio was on, and there were two wannabe racecar drivers who had to be pried out of the front seat.
Once we were at Old Navy, the boys behaved themselves remarkably well. For a little while. We marveled at how well they kept one another entertained so that we were able to browse the racks with minimal fuss. They made a game of chasing each other around the changing rooms and got a kick out of looking at themselves in the mirrors. But - as the saying goes - all's well that ends well. After about twenty minutes...

It was time for a meltdown! Benjamin and Nolan decided that they'd had enough of this shopping nonsense and promptly turned on one another - and their mommies. First, they both wanted to sit in the shopping cart seat. Then they fought over who got to stand in the shopping basket. Then they wanted to scream at the top of their lungs. Then they didn't want to have anything to do with each other. Then they wanted to run around and play together some more. Julie and I ended up taking turns standing in the checkout line so that the other one could chase after the boys. As I ran around the store keeping tabs on the little devils, I couldn't help but think to myself, "Oh, my God, is this what having two kids is going to be like?"
On the bright side, many people have told me that girls are "easier" than boys. I'm not sure if they mean that girls are better behaved or that boys are just more rambunctious, but either way, I'm hoping that they're right. And who knows why? Maybe pigtails stimulates pressure points on the scalp in a way that calms the nerves. Or maybe it's a fear of having your knickers exposed by throwing a tantrum while wearing a frilly pink dress.
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Speaking of girly clothing, I made my first official purchase for my own unborn baby girl. I found these adorable ballet slippers while at Old Navy, and couldn't resist buying two pairs - one in silver and one in copper. If they look familiar, perhaps it's because you've seen a similar version of them elsewhere...

Don't laugh! I think that putting a pair of mini-me shoes on my daughter is perfectly acceptable, especially when compared to what Vince does with Benjamin!