Arata's Pumpkin Farm

For a few years now, Elaine and I have been meaning to visit Arata's Pumpkin Farm in Half Moon Bay. There are a few reasons why we chose Arata's over the other pumpkin farms.

1) It's a little further away from the 92 so there's less traffic
2) The hay/corn maze that it's famous for
3) I play basketball with the owner and his son so we were a little biased. :p

Anyways, Jordan really loved it. He was very enthralled with his surroundings...so much so that he decided to take a huge #2 before we went into the maze. At least it wasn't while we were in the maze. :)

New Day Care

About a month ago, Elaine and I decided to move forward and take Jordan out of Good Samaritan Daycare. It wasn't that the care the he was receiving was bad, but we just had issues with the new room that they put the toddlers in. Elaine was more certain about moving him, but I was still a little hesitant. I know that Jordan is great socially. He's proven that over and over again. But I know that he likes it at GS, and the caretakers love him. That's what makes it difficult for me to pull him out. I guess I've been hyper sensitive about moving him and how he'll be the first week at the new place. I just don't want him to cry out. It's hard enough when he cries when we put him down for a nap.

The new location is closer to my work, so I will now be dropping and picking Jordan up everyday. This morning on the drive in, Jordan was fairly quiet, pushing his musical key chain over and over again. I think I sang "Yankee Doodle" 5 times, "Doggie in the Window" 6 times, and "Mary had a Little Lame" 5 times.

We approached the location and we said a quick prayer, a normal routine that I do with Jordan before daycare. When it came time to pass Jordan off to the new caretaker, he looked back at me like, "Uh, where are you taking me?" He reached out a little, and I held his hands while talking to the caretaker. He didn't cry though, and an email from the daycare said that he was doing fine. So I guess maybe all my worry was for naught.

13 Months!!!

It's been an exciting week. Jordan now stands up with ease, and even walks about 10 baby paces. With all the new changes, it's great to know that his smile remains the same.

More Baby Steps

Last week we reported Jordan took small steps. Well, he's been practicing! :)

Jordan Walks!

Jordan has always loved using his baby walker to parade through his play area at home. Now that his legs are stronger, he's able to take baby steps!

the 5th Tooth

Hard to believe, but this afternoon we discovered why Jordan was so irritable today. A 5th tooth is emerging! Hard to beleive. We were expecting more teeth for another month or so, but here it is. Thank God he was ok at his birthday party yesterday.

11:39pm - It's Official!!!

It's official!!! Jordan is officially 1 year old as of right now, 11:39pm. It's cliche to say "time goes by so fast" but it really does. You really don't understand that until you have a child. We're thankful for God for a year of learning, laughing, and loving. All praise and thanks to Him!

Happy 1st Birthday to our little guy, Jordan!

Jordan's Cautious Crawl

Spending my Monday's with Jordan for the past 6 months has been a real joy. I don't really dabble with video, but now with Elaine's new camera (and my 5dmkii), video is starting to become more of a theme. Especially with capturing Jordan's personality.

2010AUG21 - My Little Gym

We took Jordan to My Little Gym this morning, hoping to get him more coordinated with climbing and walking. Although he's actually quite good at those things already, it doesn't hurt to get in some extra practice.

Immediately when the class started, Jordan was quick to be the center of attention.

Jordan wasted no time in getting comfortable with the class and flashed his signature smile.

He even thanked Mommy by giving her a kiss!

Soon, Jordan will be able to do the "Iron Cross".

2010AUG19 - Google and Back to the Future

Linda and Daniel invited us to watch Back to the Future at Google tonight. It was fun. They even had the Delorean there. We got a free meal, free movie, and Jordan fell asleep during the flick. This was better than our trip to the drive in theater.

2010AUG15 - Raynor Park

On Sunday we brought Jordan to Raynor Park. It's actually the site where we'll have his 1st birthday party. It has a dinosaur theme, so it also appeases my ocular delight. :)

Jordan loves swings, and it totally shows. Of course, he has to get past all the distractions, such as the screaming kids and the screaming parents. But once he's fully concentrated on the task at hand (ie swinging), he just can't help but laugh out loud.

2010AUG14 - Santa Cruz

We took a quick trip to Santa Cruz on Saturday. It was gloomy during the drive, but once we got to the coast, the sun was in full effect. We ate on the wharf and then walked the Boardwalk. It was Jordan's first time there and he was really excited. Once I took him out of his car seat, he couldn't stop beaming. It's probably been 8 years since we've been to the boardwalk. They've done some pretty cool renovations. It's very modern now. When Jordan gets old, I'm sure we'll spend the day here again.

2010AUG13 - Good Samaritan Picnic

Jordan's last day in the infant daycare room was on Thursday. On Friday, the daycare held a summer bbq for all the parents. It was a great way for us to meet the other parents besides the normal "Good Morning!" every day when I drop Jordan off. His friends Katie and Wyatt were there of course. And Ms. Laura just had to hold Jordan one last time. But she'll still have Jordan every morning for an hour before he goes into the next class. thanks to Good Sam for a great picnic and a great time for all the parents.

2010AUG11 - Baby Jaws

My sister, Tiffany, knows that I love sharks. That's why when she saw this shark towel for a 2-3 year old, she couldn't resist getting this for me...uh...I mean Jordan. Well, Jordan's not 2-3 years old yet obviously, but he's been really squirmy after his baths. This makes things difficult when trying to put his diaper on. So, I thought I'd slow him down by putting the Shark poncho on him. It serves two purposes, 1: the thick and large towel prevents him from moving around, 2: if he does move, the towel soaks up the water droplets. Anyways, a third byproduct is all the laughter I got from watching him trying to crawl with the towel on. It may sound mean, but as soon as you see it, you can't help but laugh.

2010AUG09 - New Toys!

We got Jordan a convertable....walker that is. Actually, this was a gift and we since Jordan's been walking along the sofa now, we though he might enjoy walking across the floor. He really likes it. It look like he's test driving it and then slamming on the brakes in the 1st 3 photos. We then converted it into "sitting" mode and he had no problems with that.

Wesley's Birthday

Last week we celebrated Micah's 1st birthday and this weekend, the celebration continued with another birthday. Congratulations to our friends Mark and Grace Lee, and a very Happy 1st Birthday to their son Wesley. Many people tell us that Jordan is a big boy, but wait till you see Wesley. He's only a couple weeks older than Jordan, but he is one hefty baby. He'll be a natural if he plays football. But I'm sure taekwondo will be in his future. We had a great time and we look forward to the next baby birthday....which is Jordan's!!! See you all again early next month!

2010AUG03 - Happy 11 Months!!!

Man, 11 months old! Jordan has come along way. As you can see, he's standing up with the aid of objects like our couch. But he's really really good at it. Last month he would stand and we would be so scared that he'd tumble over. And he did, but nothing too serious. But in a weeks time he's gained strength in his little chubby legs and has really gotten comfortable with his new found "sport" of standing. Happy 11 Months, Jordan. Mommy and Daddy can't believe how far you've come!

Some other milestones: He's getting his two upper teeth; He sort of rolls his R's!; He'll be "graduating" from the infant room at daycare in two weeks; He's become an expert crawler, crawling at the speed of light.

2010AUG01 - Happy 1st Birthday Micah!!!

To round out our baby party weekend, we celebrated Micah's 1st Birthday in Menlo Park. Micah (in the middle) is only a month older than Jordan, but man does he have a lot of hair. It was fun hanging out with everyone from our small group since Warren and Patrina were the first to be parents amongst us. It's crazy how fast time flies. And next week we have another 1st birthday to celebrate. I guess this is our life now. Baby showers and baby parties. Ah, the new "normal."

2010JUL29 - Uncle Rudy and Aunt Evelyn

We got a special visit from Uncle Rudy and Aunt Evelyn on Thursday. They are very well traveled, but had the opportunity to visit the bay area for their high school reunion. This was the first time they met Jordan, and he really liked them. Just look at the video Uncle Rudy took!

2010JUL29 - Going Berzerk!!!

Sometimes, you just can't explain what Jordan is thinking. Thanks to Uncle Rudy and Aunt Evelyn for recording this.

2010JUL28 - Bengals?

Today the Cincinnati Bengals signed Terrell Owens. So now they have two loud mouth wide receivers in Owens and Chad Ochocinco. Not sure how they'll handle that. On a side note, Jordan randomly has a Bengals onsie, so to mark the day the Bengals gained not one but two crybabies, I added a 3rd one to their line up.

We'll still be rooting for the Raiders and Niners though this season.

2010JUL24 - Lake Tahoe

It took a while, we finally got the family together for a weekend trip to Lake Tahoe. It was fun to be away from home with everyone. We hadn't done that since we went on an Alaskan cruise in 2007. Jordan was very perceptive when we brought him out to the lake. I put my feet in the water while holding him, and he started whimpering. As you can see, that escalated into some vocal discomfort on his part. But all in all, he enjoyed the beach just fine.

On the drive back, we hit up In-N-Out, Jordan's first time there. He really wanted to hold my drink.

Also, one thing to note is all these photos were taken with the Canon G11, not my dSLR. Not bad for a point-n-shoot. It even has a hot shoe for my flash!

2010JUL21-Staking his claim

From the desk of Elaine Lee, Jordan's mom:

Yesterday, I went to visit Jordan at lunch time at his daycare. He's quite the popular baby. He even has a "girlfriend" named Katie. While I was sitting in the room, Katie came over to me and put her hand on my knee. She has the most beautiful blue eyes. Very mesmerizing, which is probably one reason why Jordan is so drawn to her. Anyways, Jordan took notice, and immediately crawled over to me, got on his knees and put his arms up to be held. It was like he was staking his claim on me - "This is MY mommy!" He's never really been the jealous type, but I guess this was just another step in Jordan's showing his emotions.

Later on, after feeding him his lunch, Jordan went to go play with Katie at the toy house. I was about to leave, and when I looked back, he was propping himself up on the playhouse wall. Suddenly, he let go, wobbled a little bit and latched back onto the wall. What a brave boy!

2010JUL19 - Less Mondays Left

It's hard to believe that in a couple months, Jordan will be turning 1 year old. What's also hard for me to believe is my time with Jordan on Mondays will be coming to an end. Which leads to a 3rd "hard to believe" moment that Jordan is now standing own his own, albeit with the help of the crib hand rail or nearby sofa. Normally, Jordan vehemently disagrees with me placing him in the crib. He'll scream and yell for fear of falling asleep. But this time he was in a very good mood. It was almost like he was saying to me, "Look what I can do, Dad!" It's too bad he didn't stay this way when we put him down to sleep later on this night. But you'd never know it by the look on his face below.

2010JUL17 - Funny Faces of Jordan

Jordan is such an expressive baby. He cracks us up with all his facial contortions and screams.

2010JUL11 - Sacramento Visit

The last time we brought Jordan to Sacramento we were excited to get Jordan into my parent's pool. Unfortunately, Jordan wasn't excited at all. It was late May, and the hot Sacramento weather hadn't really kicked in yet. Thus, the pool was colder than expected, and Jordan really took notice. We put him on a little floatie chair but the cold water that was on it literally freaked him out. Lucky for us, this 2nd trip to the pool went a lot smoother.

We bought Jordan a floatie with a sun shade and he loved it. Much to our relief, he splashed around and couldn't contain his joy. It's funny what 99 degree weather can do to a pool, and what a warmer pool can do for a 10 month old.



My parents had all the relatives over for dinner, which meant Jordan had to deal with the dreaded "male cousin" syndrome again. Again, we're not sure why Jordan is prejudice against my male cousins (see July 05 Blog). This time, it was Alvin. Ah, the memories.


But over all, Jordan had a great time. Plus seeing the grand aunties and uncles were good for him. And of course, seeing great-grandpa was especially...er...special. I'm glad he doesn't have prejudices against him. :)

2010JUL05 - Aunties visit and "the Syndrome"

My Aunt Sue-Sue made her annual trip to the west coast and was able to visit us in Sunnyvale, as well with my Aunt Jane and my cousin Joseph. This was Jordan's first time meeting his grand aunt Sue-Sue, but the story here is more about Jordan's aversion to my male cousins. The whole time they were at hour home, Jordan would keep a watchful eye on Joe. We all thought it was funny and didn't think anything of it until we drove up to visit my other cousin Daniel and his wife Linda.

I thought Jordan might be a little scared of Meatball, their 2 year old chihuahua. But Jordan didn't really care too much. He just let him sniff around and that was that.



The real surprise was when Dan held Jordan. He sort of cried out like, "What the heck is this creature holding me?!?!?" It was then I realized that Jordan doesn't like my male cousins very much. He allowed others to hold him, just not Dan. With Joe, Jordan just watched him cautiously, and back in May, Jordan didn't like it when my cousin Alvin held him. Well, we plan on going up to Sacramento next week, so maybe I'll see if Jordan will let Alvin hold him again. That'll be the true test, because as far as I can remember, he's really good with babies. At least he was with my other cousins when they were under 2 years old.



By the end of the evening, Jordan tolerated Dan's presence, but we still had to quickly take this photo before Jordan turned to his right to see who was behind him.

2010JUL03 - Regina's Birthday

We had a chance to go over to our friend's the Yee's house to celebrate Regina's birthday. This is just a snapshot of the festivities.

A couple days later (July 5), Jordan's cousin, Justin was born in Hong Kong. Hopefully we'll see you soon!

2010JUL03 - 10 Months!!!

It's crazy how fast time goes by, especially with Jordan. He's already 10 months old, and started crawling a week ago. He's definitely more vocal and louder than ever. A few other notable favorites: spitting when displeased, spitting when excited, spitting when...well, you get the picture; a little sly smile when discovering something new; surprisingly enjoying asparagus; sleeping on his side and tummy; holding his own sippy cup; and seemingly having conversations with mommy and daddy with his "DADADADADADA's." Either way, we have been really blessed with Jordan and we thank God for him every minute.

2010JUN29 - Lil' Crawler

When does it click in a baby's brain that he/she should start crawling? It's a funny thing, but one day your son/daughter is laying on his/her back, and then boom, they are crawling and tickling your feet. I came home from my biweekly routine of basketball, and Elaine telling me happily, "Jordan can crawl!!!" We all knew it was going to happen soon. He was already showing signs that he wanted to crawl, it was just getting the coordination down.

Well, on Monday, I got a chance to document his crawling. He's pretty fast too for a 10 month old.

2010JUN28 - Big News!

No, we're not pregnant again. The big news is Jordan has started to crawl. Photos and video to be posted soon!

2010JUN27 - Sunday Morning

Somebody is enjoying his Sunday morning outfit. :) Elaine has been waiting for Jordan's head to fit into his visor and today was the day!

2010JUN25 - Jordan and Puffs

Elaine decided to give Jordan a Puff snack and he immediately knew what to do with it, just like Daddy and cookies.

2010JUN20 - Father's Day Weekend

My first Father's Day, simple and enjoyable. Elaine and I decided to go back to UC Berkeley to revisit where we met, as well as show Jordan the campus. The college was littered with eager high schoolers attending their CalSo Orientation. I recall my CalSo. I drove down to Berkeley (a big deal at the time) and stayed at Unit 1 along with two other high school friends (Andre and Keith). I actually don't remember that much, but I do remember calling into Tele-BEARS and signing up for my first class. It did bring back memories of the excitement of being on campus. We were on a semi-time crunch, so we could only bring Jordan to the main attractions. Next time, we'll try to spend more time

We ended the weekend at Yogurtland, one of our favorite places for "froyo." Elaine had Jordan wear his "I Daddy onsie." When we got back home Elaine had already prepared her awesome corn beef and hash for dinner. All in all a great 1st Father's day.

2010JUN06 - More Active

Jordan is getting stronger everyday. Just this morning he decided to pull himself up to peer over his crib. If that wasn't enough, he even tried to grab my camera. What's next? Grabbing the mobile and doing the "Iron Cross?" Looks like I'm going to have to drop his mattress a few notches.

It's just so strange to see him do this. He's also been rolling a lot so crawling isn't too far behind. Plus he sleeps on his side now. Sometime we'll put him down with his head facing one way, and the by morning he'll have done a 180. Life just got a little more complicated for us.

2010JUN03 - Happy 9 Months!

Happy 9 Months to Jordan!

2010MAY31 - 5 Years ago....

5 Years ago, Elaine and I got engaged. It just so happened that we were in the area of this pivitol part of our relationship so we stopped by, and showed Jordan where daddy popped the question. Honestly, it wasn't even in our plans to go back here, and we didn't even think about what day it was. But I'm happy we did, and I'm sure Jordan is happy too.

2010MAY23 - Santa Monica

We've been to Santa Monica many times before, but not as a family. This time I was able to bring my camera along to capture some unique photos.