Snow Days...Shmow Days!

Wow the snow in Portland has crippled the city once again... I think people are always amazed at how snow and ice affects the Portland Metro Area. I'm not gonna complain, mostly because I'm an Oregon boy (born and raised.)

I get that Portland will always be unprepared for weather like this. We are spoiled with fair weather 90% of the year so when there is extreme cold or hot Portlanders crumble like blue cheese.

As for our house we tried to venture out to church on Sunday morning as the snow came down. I got about two houses down before we made the wise decision to turn around and hunker down. I wanted to worship Jesus at church on Sunday not in Heaven. 

Snow Days have been fun with Kaden. We bundled him up and took him outside to play. He didn't really know what to think. Well maybe he though his parents were crazy and should take him back inside.

Please remember that young ones have more sensitive skin so their little cheeks can get that freezing air burn. We were outside for about 15 minutes and Kaden's cheeks were rosy the rest of the day.

It has been a fun couple of days with friends dropping in and out and we are hunkering down for another blast of cold the next few days. More friends coming over as I type. 

One last thought... I have been calculating and I think there may be an influx of babies in the NW come September. 

Raising Daddy Tip of  The Day

Bundling your child up for snow days is wise, but make sure you are around if they fall down in the snow!

To Your Health!

It's that time of year again when I head to the Doctor for my annual check up. For some reason it is also the time of year I start to think about New Years Resolutions ;^)

I didn't mention it in my blog description, but on top of being a Christ follower, stay at home dad, Asian American, yadda yadda yadda..., I am also a diabetic. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in October, 2005 just over 3 years ago. Since then I have managed it fairly well (depending on who you talk to) initially I lost around 35lbs. within a two month period by changing my diet and exercising. This helped a great deal, but over the last year and a half I have let it slip and haven't been pro-active about the disease. Diabetes, like any other disease is one that you must be pro-active in order to stay healthy. 

After some urging from my wife I decided that I need to once again get serious about my diabetes and stay serious about it. So in the last two weeks I have gone to see the doctor and my diabetic counselor. 

"Good News," is that I am healthier then I was last year at this time. "Bad News," that's not saying much. All my test show that I am borderline in everything. Blood Glucose levels, High Blood Pressure, and Cholesterol. Sometimes I wonder if I have borderline personality disorder too. Ok so I am a wreck and I have to admit it. 

Lisa would turn a blind eye if she could, but she is seriously worried about my health. She tells me she doesn't want to be a widow, yet she is always threatening to kill me if I don't get this stuff under control! I want to tell her I am only 32 years old, but that isn't a good argument actually it weakens my case. All indications show that I am sick and if I don't do anything about it then I am headed to an early grave. 

So there it is ~ I am admitting it, "I am sick and I need to get my health under control. I must do something about it long-term."

I have three reasons that will motivate this change long-term:

1. A Beautiful Loving Wife - I don't want her to be left without me, allowing her to marry the man of her dreams.
2. My Amazing  Baby Boy - I want to play football with him and watch him tackle some kids.
3. Not Done Serving Jesus - I know I still have BIG things to accomplish with Christ.

Here are my health goals for this coming year. Feel free to pray for me and keep me in check:

• Educate myself in these three areas - Diabetes, Cholesterol, and High Blood Pressure.
• Portion Control - Understand food intake and how it effects my blood sugars and overall health.
• Weight Loss - Want to lose another 25 lbs. (currently @ 225 lbs. and want to drop under the 200 lbs. mark)
• Exercise - Want to be consistently working out 3 times a week by March.

I'll try and remember to keep you up to date while I blog. It will be an exciting adventure. So here is to 2009 a New Year and a New Start!!! 

(BigTo before) December 2008

(BigTo after) December 2009

Raising Daddy Tip Of The Day

Having a hot wife and a crazy advanced baby is no good if you're not alive to brag about it!

Super Nap...

(Started writing on Monday afternoon... didn't have time to finish till Tuesday afternoon.)

I feel energized this afternoon. Kaden is happy and playing while I again do a weekends worth of cleaning. It was a nice surprise this morning when Kaden decided he wanted to take a nap only 45min after he woke up. Daddy was so tired he decided to just hold the boy and nap too...

2 hours later we woke up smiling and laughing at each other.  I love naps like this when baby wakes up alert and refreshed. You know that things are just gonna go well the rest of the day.

Napping with your baby in your arms is so peaceful. It goes beyond the natural rest that one feels physically and mentally. Naps like this allow your heart and soul to rest. I think it is the dynamic that you know where your child is and that you have a little bit of peace that your precious baby is in your arms resting. 

It's not often I have the opportunity to nap like this so when I do I count it pure joy. I'm not sure who is more rested Daddy or Baby. I'm looking forward to this rare occasion again. 

Raising Daddy Tip of The Day

If you play lion or tiger with baby make sure you know where their hands are when you play bite. Their little fingers aren't very tasty specially when they are crying out in pain.

Scrap Magnet...

My son is a "Scrap Magnet." Since he started crawling he has been able to find any little scrap we have in the house.  He has amazing eyesight, this is proven by his ability to spot a tiny peace of paper from across the room and zoom over to get it. 

These activities would be perfect if he could pick stuff up and bring it over to the garbage, but honestly he is only 7 months and that is probably expecting too much.  So I have found something better... this is courtesy of our cousin Tim.

A Japanese inventor came up with this little gem! 

The Baby Mop... put Jr. in this and let him crawl around mopping the floor and cleaning the house! Genius?? 

Notice the sleek design with mops under the arms and legs this maximizes  the active cleaning surface. 

I figure it's never too early to start training the young ones. Mom and Dad love a clean house and baby needs to do his part also.

Raising Daddy Tip of The Day

In houses with crawling babies half decorated Christmas trees are becoming more trendy. Just decorate the top half of the tree it looks great! ;^) 

Separation Anxiety...

The last couple of days has been a little trying for daddy. My little Kaden who is normally very independent and super easy has become a little clingy. Once again please don't read more into that comment. I am not complaining, because I know my little one is a dream. He makes parenting look like a cake walk. For Kaden a little whining or a whimper is odd and we consider that off. 

So let me explain what is happening. When Kaden is playing and exploring, I take the opportunity to get some stuff done i.e., wash dishes, do laundry, pick up the house, Facebook, catch up on Prison Break you know just being a good husband and daddy... When I walk away he will start to whimper or cry. It's like I am leaving for good! I turn back to reassure him that I am in the room and I am not going to leave him, but he doesn't settle until I get down and look him in the eyes and talk to him. 

If all reasoning fails and baby just can't pull it together I will finally pick him up. As I hold him and rock him he quickly calms and sometimes will even fall asleep. He seems so peaceful when he sleeps in my arms. The other day I was thinking "Wouldn't it be great to have someone big enough to hold us and rock us to sleep?" Hmmm.... I wonder what that would look like...

haa haa... just a little tangent so I could post this funny picture. Back to the story:

My undergrad degree is in human development and family science I know the crying is normal. I studied all about separation anxiety but it is still difficult to handle. Understanding that this is a stage of development doesn't help the fact that I feel inconvenienced (is that bad?). It sounds bad, but really when it comes down to it this is why I get upset. I'm praying that God just gives me grace to extend to Kaden. And I have to remember that parenting is not about me, but is a blessing and responsibility that has been entrusted to me by God.

I'm hoping this stage is quick and that I will learn the character that God is trying to teach me during this time. Until then I will be dreaming of getting one of these robots to rock me to sleep. Zzzzz.....

Raising Daddy Tip of The Day

Dancing with baby is a fun activity just make sure you know what's on your iPod... As the little one gets older, "Brining Sexy Back" might not be a good idea.

What's That Smell??

A week ago our house was wafting with the fragrances of baked goods, and the preparations of an amazing feast! Well like I said that was a "Week Ago!" 

Those smells have changed and they are anything but fragrant! Last week our fridge was packed full of goodies on top of our normal groceries and left overs. It's amazing how much we can eat during the holidays... We even scaled it back this year and made sure we didn't over indulge ourselves ( I was very good, trying to watch my figure.) 

Thanksgiving is not just Thursday at our house, it's the entire weekend. My mother in-law went out and bought a ton of food so we could prepare it over the weekend, but with all the shopping and craziness there was still a lot left. This might not sound like a bad thing, but remember we are Vietnamese so some of the food for lack of a better term, "stinks."

 The last couple of days my wife and I have been trying to finish off everything, by having friends over and eating what we can. This morning I opened up the fridge and some funky smell came rolling out and flooded the kitchen. After lighting a bunch of candles and opening some windows I plunged back into the fridge to do a "Quick Toss" this is when I toss anything that:

• looks old
• smells old
• is unidentifiable
• can't remember when it was made
• is no longer it's original color
• can be found in a science lab experiment
• was solid and now is a semi-liquid

Enough said? In this process I figured out what smelled... As our fridge filled up with goodies the leftovers from pre-holiday festivities were pushed to the back we just missed it during our weekly inventory and cleaning.

It's been a week folks. Do a quick toss before you regret it! 

William "the Refrigerator" Perry - Chicago Bears

Raising Daddy Tip of The Day

Remember no matter how well you plan your day it never prepares you for a blowout. So just take a deep breath (of course with head turned away from the blow out) before you dive in.

Simply Entertaining

Like many other Americans, on the Friday after Thanksgiving I headed out to the big sales around town. I didn't really buy anything though... most of my time was spent people watching and gasping at the prices of some of the items that where supposedly on sale. I wrote in an earlier blog about Advent Conspiracy and how our family is pushing back against consumerism this year. As I was out I saw all these crazy toys they make for kids and thought to myself, "my boy would rather play with the box it comes in or the wrapping paper used to make it look pretty."

I've heard many parents say this over the years and wondered why we still go out and get our kids so many toys.  I  decided that I'm not getting Kaden any toys this year (of course it's easier cause he is only 7 months and isn't expecting anything yet.) In stead I'm going to make some toys that Kaden and I can play with together. 

Some ideas that are brewing in my head:

• Getting a refrigerator box and making a play house
  
• Filling up milk jugs with rice or beans to make noise
• Building a box that has old remote-controls, strings, and  belts,  attached to it.
• Used plastic bottles and wrapping paper roles (just that don't have to add anything to those)

Some ideas that are not smart but ran through my head:

• Plastic bags
• Bag of coins
• Used bowling ball
• Doggie chew toy with peanut-butter in it (keeps our friends' dog entertained)

Raising Daddy Tip of  The Day

Daddy's brain doesn't work when he is blogging at 1 in the morning and now won't work when baby wakes up at 7am! Daddy must remember to take advantage of the sleep time and actually take time to sleep too.

Baby's Cry

Waaaaaaaa..... Aaaaaaaa.......Oouueee.....!!!!

There's nothing like the sound of a baby crying when they have hurt themselves. Believe it or not 7 month old Kaden has never really hurt himself while playing. An occasional tip over and bonk on the head, but nothing to write about.

Yesterday while I was cleaning Kaden crawled into the kitchen to play. This is no big deal we keep a fairly decent kitchen floor (don't judge me.) So as he was playing he pulled open a cabinet, as he leaned on it his to little fingers got caught. 

The scream was obviously different then I am used to. Instantly I am moving toward the sounds as I turned to look. Poor little guy is staring at his fingers pinched in between the edge of the cabinet unable to asses the situation.

Super-Dad here runs over and swoops him up, just hugging him tightly instantaneously examining the tiny digits.  "1, 2, 3, 4, 5 all there... No blood... No major damage..." It's amazing how fast the mind can work in these situations. What sounded like life and death turned out to be a little boo boo. 

What I realized is that Kaden has never hurt himself like this while exploring or playing. He was in shock that such pain could exist. His experiences leading up to this gave him no fair warning.

Once again as a father I learn a part of the character of the God I serve. Just as I jump at the sound of my child in pain and I'm quick to care for my baby, my Father in Heaven is quick to hear my cries. He knows my pain better then I. He knows the source of the pain when I stare helplessly at it not knowing how to ease it. Scooping me into his arms  he wants to comfort me and care for me. 

Sometimes the pain may be so intense that we are oblivious to our Fathers presents. Even though the injury was very minor my son continued to cry for about ten minutes. I had no idea what to do... I kissed his hand, I held him closer, I even drew a bath. Finally knowing that I was at the end of my rope I held Kaden close to me and whispered in his ear, "I know it hurts, but daddy is here and Jesus is here. Let's pray to Jesus and ask him to heal you and to calm our hearts." We prayed together and he began to calm down even falling asleep in my arms.

Why is it that I have to do everything I can think of before I turn to Christ and pray? Why is that not my first reaction? Is this just the independent human nature in us? 

Life may be intense and maybe we can't see past the situation, but I encourage you to look around your daddy is there.

Raising Daddy Tip of  The Day

Prunes are amazing when baby can't go, but just plan out your day after feeding. Do you really want to be out shopping?

Guest What?!!

Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season can bring an onslaught of guest. Last night my wife and I were talking about all the guest who were coming through in the weeks to come. I didn't realize how many people were in town. Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining. If you know us we love people around and we love hosting guest. 

With Kaden being a Busy Beaver (Go Oregon State!) I have had to change my cleaning strategy. Instead of the normal last minute all day once through, we will have to clean the house in stages. While Kaden slept today I started on the kitchen by putting things away and organizing the cupboards (this may be a three day process.) Tonight after the boy goes to bed we'll do a deep clean of the bathrooms and try to keep them clean until Thursday.

Who would have thought even the way people clean changes when they become parents. I just have to learn how to be satisfied with a house cleaned in stages. I don't get the satisfaction of a completely cleaned house at the end of a 6 hour cleaning marathon anymore!

Raising Daddy Tip of The Day

Be aware of the faces you make when feeding baby cause it seems like everyone else is aware of how wide you open and close your mouth while encouraging the little one.

Why Didn't I Think of That?

In the last seven months I have come across many baby products that make me say, "Why didn't I think of that?" People are making millions off of silly gidget, gadgets, whoseits, whatsits, and a ton of other products. 

Gerber Puffs

Little snacks to keep baby interested while they eat.  Don't really have to worry about the kido choking on them cause these treats de-solve when baby saliva hits it. Unlike M&M's they do melt in your hands. But really do we need these snacks?  Substitute crackers instead: cheaper and less sugar.

Hands Free Bottle 

A bottle with a hose attached to the nipple so baby can sit back chill-lax and suck. What a wonderful device, daddy doesn't have to hold the bottle for junior anymore. Why don't they make this for adults. Oh wait... maybe that's why my wife calls it a baby bong.

Wee Wee Tee-Pee

I admit it we've used one of these ingenious designs, to keep daddy and mommy from taking it in the mouth. Unfortunately we didn't get a big enough one for our son and the first time Kaden tried to test it out we had a "tee-pee rocket." (We even got the Super Wee Wee!)

There are countless other products that I laugh at and think, "who would buy that?" But as long as people keep reproducing I think the market will be there. Parents want to give there children good gifts. And they want to make their own lives more convenient.  

Raising Daddy Tip of  The Day

It's ok to keep baby in pajamas all day... change them around 4:30 or 5:00 before mommy gets home. The bonus: baby's clothes are nice and clean this makes mommy very happy!

Discovering Family Traditions

The Holiday season is here. Thanksgiving is only a week away and Christmas will soon follow. I have my turkey and ingredients to make my famous potato salad. 

I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. When it is all said and done and everything is put away I am always grateful for the family, friends, and the luxuries I have. But in the moment there are many times I am overwhelmed with the activities and stresses that seem to surround this time of year.

That said let's focus on the positive and the great opportunities to strengthen the family structure and create long lasting memories.

One of the discussions that Lisa and I have this season, revolves around creating "Family Traditions." A 50 year study shows that Traditions, rituals, and routines are important to the health and well-being of family. The Holidays are an easy time to create and renew traditions since it is almost expected. 

Last year we began a tradition that we will carry on into this year. Along with our church we participated in a movement called Advent Conspiracy. This movement desires to push back against consumerism in order to make a difference in the world. As a family one of our goals is to live lives that make a difference and extend the love of Christ to others. Our new tradition is to spend less on material things in order to give the extra resources to our community and build wells in Africa. Does this mean no gifts for you? Not really it means we look to give more relational gifts like our time, attention, and maybe a helping hand. So get your relational gift request in quick! (Check out the Advent Conspiracy website and join us this year)

This year will be Kaden's first Christmas so we are looking to create memories that will last over a life time. Some ideas we have in the works:

• Tree Cutting and Decorating
• Hanging Stockings
• Baking Cookies to Give Away
• Family Photo Day

Holiday Traditions floating around in Daddy's head:

• Hanging turkeys on the mantle for Thanksgiving
• Decorate friends houses with white streamers (used to do this in HS but called it something different)
• Replace Christmas carols with Christmas yodeling

 

If you have more ideas feel free to send them our way. Hopefully you'll be able to start some of your own traditions this Holiday Season. 

Raising Daddy Tip of The Day

To conserve diapers: check to see if the diaper is wet by pulling the diaper and peeking in near baby's bum. Warning watch those fingers for unidentified objects! 

Morning Coffee and Poopies

I created this sight over three weeks ago, but didn't know how to start my first entry. I'm still trying to figure out what I want this blog to be about and how to make it entertaining, informative, relational, meaningful, and really something I would want to read. 

So you can see why it's been about 3 weeks before entering my first blog.

This morning I started my day with a steaming cup of black coffee and a poopy diaper. Nothing wakes me up more then a morning poopy. For those who haven't had the experience it's almost as refreshing as that cup of coffee.  

As I was changing Kaden I thought to myself, "God still has to do this for me every day." After all these years as a Christ Follower I still don't know how to clean my crap up. My son will grow out of this stage, he will be potty trained one day. But what about me as someone who has committed his life to Christ?

In the spiritual sense I will never be able to clean up my own mess. No matter how hard I try or how long I train it is impossible for me to clean my own spiritual crap. So I humbly and thankfully go to Jesus and ask him to cleanse me.

So after changing my boy I wash my hands and sit back with my coffee imagining the day when I can  just enjoy my morning coffee. 

Raising Daddy Tip of The Day

Clear the floor when playing on the ground with your kids, toys don't belong in certain places...