100th Day

Time flies... a while ago we celebrated Elisha's 100th Day.. It's a Korean tradition.. little did I know it used to be a Chinese one too..! In a couple of days... she'll turn 4 months!

11 weeks

I can't help but to notice that while my darling wife's blog is full of Elisha's birth story and how she's surviving the postpartum period, my blog is rather anaemic on this aspect. 

Well.

For all that you can refer to her blog. For how a dad who works part-time cope with 2 under 2 at home, read on.

It's tough.

There you go, all summarised in one word. 

I don't know. As I said to my best friend, parenting a baby and a toddler is really a tough gig. Sure, I love them to bits, I want to spend my every single living moment with them. 

And that is, exhausting.

I know I better start to enjoy the journey, as it's a journey that will go on, and on, and on. 

Not having family around would be really hard, yet having them around pose some quite unique challenges as well.

Life is never perfect. Well, nothing is. 

Having said all that, I'm forever grateful for what I have. Just look at how cute Jonathan and Elisha are in the photo!

2 under 2

Baby Elisha turned 2 months this week. We had a mini photoshoot at home last week and it turned out to be quite a nice experience with some nice photos. I have to admit we took heaps more photos of Baby Jonathan in the first few months after he was born.. The reality is I was less busy with work then, and also there was only ONE baby to look after. Now... with J approaching 21 months.. he's a really busy boy. Add to the fact that his molars are coming out....

I'm very hopeful that things will improve.. J just loves E and hopefully E will reciprocate that when she's a bit older. They'll play together, entertain each other, keep an eye out for one another.. 

One of the more important realisation I have after being a parent is the fact that   ... your time is not really YOUR time anymore. 

I do regret how I didn't maximise the use of MY time before they were born....!

7 weeks old

Elisha turned 1 month a bit more than 2 weeks ago. She is such a cute little girl, gentle, calm, and pretty! With her, I feel like time is passing by too quickly. Inevitably, with Jonathan still under 2 (20 months) years old, I end up spending most of the time with him while my wife looks after her day-to-day needs (feeding!).

Older parents around us keep on saying all the hard work of parenting is worth it. I don't know. This is a tough gig, and I guess all I can wish for is that it all pays off, somehow, sometime in the future. Otherwise the whole thing is pretty hopeless really. I love them to bits, no question about that. But loving them doesn't mean I can't admit it's difficult to function day to day, to juggle between chores, work, play, looking after them... etc. (My wife will not like this, she doesn't even feature on the top three on this list...... my bad).

Elisha was born on the 5th of May, 2015. A big little girl - 4.3kg. Dani had a lightning fast labour - so fast that there was no time for even an IV and not to say an epidural. No nothing but holding on to my arms and hands. She did it the good old fashioned way!

Elisha is a little treasure from the heaven above - arrived just 18 months after little Jonathan was born. I pray that she'll grow up to become a smart, happy and healthy person. With 2 under 2 in the house, it is interesting times ahead!!

Finally, after months of having my mother helping out with Jonathan, we're on our own. Things of course were easier when she was around, an extra pair of hands always help. Now it's me, 17 month old Jonathan, and Dani who is 33 weeks pregnant. 

Things are settling in, nicely. J is getting used to go to Day Care... I've got a bit of work lined up, everything seems to be in order... but not for long!!

Mexx, Target and google glass

Less than 3 months after we left Calgary, two of our favourite stores announced they will be closing in 2015. Target opened in Canada before we went to Calgary in mid 2013. We bought some of Jonathan's best clothes from Mexx.

It's certainly a world where the fittest survives. Let's see what 2015 brings. In a few days, we'll be starting a new chapter in our journey again, how long we'll be staying in Melbourne this time round?

Grandparents

Our grandfathers love baby Jonathan to bits! 

Christmas 2014

Christmas this year is quite different from last year's. Jonathan was a bit more than 2 months then and he is now a confident 14 month toddler with a mind of his own. Snow vs grass, winter vs summer, next-to-no-family vs all the siblings on both sides of the family coming home in the next few days.

It is also probably the last Xmas we get to have some "quiet time" as a couple... our yet-to-be-born baby (girl!) will be just a bit more than 6 months old next xmas, while he'll be... a bit more than 2. Our family has expanded from 2 members to 4 members in a... fairly short time.

I look forward to 2015, a challenging, exciting year.

Parenting

Even in the toughest times I want to blog at least once a month. The last month has been one of those. Well.. there are still a few days left before the end of the month but at least today is practically Dani's last day of work. Help is near!

I've been babysitting for the last 3 weeks, alone, at home with 13 months old Jonathan. Make no mistake, I love him to bits. Yet it is hard work. I thought studying for college finals was hard, no, med school was probably harder, but no, parenting, yes, parenting not babysitting as he is MY son, is the hardest.

My mum of course will say the hardest times are yet to come, wait till he goes to school, gets his car licence, relationship troubles.. you name it. My mum is of the view that you don't stop being a parent - till you die. She is forever proud that she "stayed at home" for 2 years when I was born, no outings, no movies, no dinners out, nothing. She is, that dedicated.

Of course there are other things to blog about; I finished my fellowship in Calgary this month, the movers came and packed everything a few days ago. We will sell our car next week, and we're leaving Calgary next Friday! Goodbye to this city which we have called home for the last 1.5 years. 

Jonathan is having his nap at the moment, after the longest tantrums. I have kind of figured that when he throws a tantrum, it's either milk, food, play, sleep, or diaper, roughly in that order. Instead of cleaning up the house, checking emails, I thought, today, was the time to blog this month.