He Bit Her!

The other day, Thevy was bitten by a baby human. Can you believe it? I was hurt myself when I saw the mark left on her face. It was a friend's son who injured her face. We're not exactly sure why it happened. All I know is when I saw her cheek, below her eye, I could still see the grooves where the teeth dragged across her skin and it was still pinched up a bit in a circle. I had to try not to cry myself.

As there were no openings available at her pediatrician that day, I took her to an after-hours type of place and the doctor prescribed antibiotics as a precautionary measure, as human bites are the worse kind with the mouth harboring different bacteria. The doctor also had us follow-up with the pediatrician, which is where I took Thevy the next day.

The doctor was alarmed at first when she saw the bite, but later confessed that it didn't look so bad upon closer inspection. She also said that unless I had any concerns, there was only a slim chance that things would be bad with the bite. That is, the wound would probably heal with no scar. Only if it got worse - becoming red or pus-filled - would I need to bring her back. And if I was concerned of the transmission of anything, like hepatitis C or HIV, then I could bring her back in six weeks because even if she did contract such diseases, there would be no way to tell so early on.

But man. This is not the excitement I needed! Meanwhile, I have to administer the amoxicillin every 12 hours and apply antibiotic ointment on the skin.

Poor thing got bitten by a 1-year-old baby human!

Evenflo Product Recalls

In the past week, I just found out that I own two products that have recalls on them. Both are car seats and both are of the Evenflo brand. The first car seat we bought was an infant car seat for Thevy, which is now being used by Sothea. I just recently discovered by chance that this particular model, Embrace, had a recall from last March. I only found out because I went to the Evenflo website to see about maybe viewing the product manual online because I don't remember the height/weight limit for the seat. So, I would never have known about it otherwise. When I first registered the product, it was two years and two addresses ago, so if someone sent me a notice, I didn't receive it. Anyway, the recall stated something about the handle of the car seat, when used as an infant carrier, releasing unexpectedly and there have been babies who have fallen forward out of the seat. Yikes! So, I've ordered some replacement kit.

Now, today, I just received a product recall notice from Target.com, where I purchased the second car seat. It's a convertible car seat; the Triumph model. Evenflo is doing a voluntary recall because they say the fabric that covers the seat can be pulled back, revealing Styrofoam, which a child can pick at and potentially choke on. Thevy has done this already in the past, but luckily, she hasn't choked on any pieces of the 'foam. Now I have to order another upgrade kit.

Thevy's Imagination

Thevy has got such an imagination already. She pretends to catch butterflies and to go fishing. She builds towers and plays dress up. I love to see how her mind is already taking her so many places.

She sometimes asks me for things, but she only expects me to "play along". She's asked me for tape, a watering can, and various shapes. When fishing, she sometimes gives me the fish. I once responded, "Wow! That's a big fish!" She corrects me and says, "Nooo, it's a little fish."

A couple of her imaginings involved her little sister. One day I went into the kitchen to do something, leaving Thevy and her sister alone in the next room. I left Sothea in her Exersaucer and I heard Thevy talking to her. I thought her heard Thevy say the word "crayon", so I rushed to make sure Thevy wasn't shoving crayons in her sister's face. But when I saw them, I found an amusing sight.

Princess Sothea
Thevy wasn't saying "crayon". What she actually was saying was "crown" and that's actually what I heard! But the reason I had interpreted it wrong was since my the girls had been spending a little bit more time with my mother, whose English is quite busted, and who pronounces the word "crayon" more like "crown", that's why I thought what I thought. :-P

Anyhoo, Thevy was saying "crown" and when I came out to the living room, she told her sister that here was her crown and that she was a princess. Hence the crumpled, used tissue on top of her head. lol... And then the next day or so, Thevy had pulled a dirty-tissue-on-Sothea's head move again. This time she told her sister that she was a cupcake. LoL. Get it? Like the icing on top of a cupcake? Thevy has provided some comic relief for me in these days when I don't have much to laugh at...

Age, Race, Gender, and Little Kids

It's very interesting to see that Thevy is quite perceptive. She may not fully understand a lot of concepts yet, but she gets the general idea. This is apparent in her references to complete strangers. For example, when she sees older women, she calls them "grandma". Once, when "The Simpsons" was on and Homer's dad appeared on the screen, Thevy cried, "No more grandpa!", meaning she didn't want to watch it.

She mentioned "uncle" when we were at the supermarket and a man passed by and he wasn't "old". She has referred to my friends as "Aunt Gina". So, I see that can make out differences between men and women and older and younger adults. She refers to children as "kids" or she calls out, "Hey, boy" or "Hi, girl!".

And the amusing part: during the same trip to the supermarket, a man in the meat department was putting the chicken out and Thevy called him "Mr. Rogers" and he was a white man. My neighbor, a middle-aged white male, was leaving his house and Thevy also called him "Mr. Rogers." lol.

So far, she knows nothing about race and I don't intend to bring up the subject, but I find it curious as to what they see with their own little eyes...

Update: Thevy watched a neighbor of ours wearing a baseball cap and taking his groceries out of his car and called out, "Hi, mail man!" Funny stuff.

Geographic Tongue

Have you ever heard of such a thing? I hadn't until a few months ago at Thevy's dentist appointment. Basically, there are patches on the tongue that form geographic shapes. You know how our tongue is covered in bumps, yeah? Well, most of those are taste buds, but the ones that aren't are the ones involved in creating these patterns on the tongue. There are parts of the tongue that are smooth and 'bumpless' surround by areas where the bumps, or papillae, are flared up or overcrowded or something. These patches come and go and are apparently harmless. When we first noticed them in Thevy, we wonder if she hadn't eaten some hot food and burned her tongue.

Big Stye

Thevy's got a bump on her eyelid. My mother first noticed it last Monday, saying how Thevy's eye looked a little swollen. I sort of brushed it off because I didn't see it until it was pointed out.

By Wednesday, the bump had grown and I didn't know if I should be concerned or not. Should I just keep an eye on it and see if it gets worse or goes away? Or should I take her to the pediatrician?

In the end, I called up the Ask-a-Nurse hotline and the pediatrician's office. I left a message at the hotline for a callback and I also left a non-urgent message in the voice box of the pediatrician, who was out of the office that day. The nurse who called me back said there's no way to tell without seeing it and asked different questions like, could it be a mosquito bite or did it irritate Thevy? Was there any pus or spots on the eye? She said to watch it and put a warm cloth on it.

Got a call from the pediatrician's office the next day (Thursday) and was told the same thing - no way to know without seeing the eye. So I made an for the following day. Since I had a meeting with someone, Daddy took Thevy to her appointment. It was determined she had a stye and that it's just one of those things that can happen where a gland gets clogged and to put a warm cloth on it and hope it gets better. If it starts to get worse, like redder or more irritated within a week, bring her back. If it doesn't get worse, but is still there after a month, bring her back.

I hope it goes away soon. Poor thing, with her swollen lid. It really isn't bothering her, but it rather bothers me to see it.

American Accent

I never used to think I had an accent. But I know I do. At least sometimes. I used to always think I had a "standard" accent. But apparently, I speak a brand or two of dialects. I think I became aware of having some language quirks back in college when my dear friend, Ayanna, pointed out a personal mispronunciation of mine. Her ears perked up when I said the word "saw" (as in the past-tense verb of "to see). Now, how do you say that word? I had been saying "sall". Yup. The 'w' transformed into an 'l'. For example, "I sall it." Not sure why I do/did it. I also would say "drawling" for "drawing". After Ayanna pointed out my speech flaw (no, I don't say "flall" in this case :)), I've been self-conscious of it. I make sure to say it properly. And I've never researched this language phenomenon, but I know I am not alone in it. Once a year or two ago when chatting with my nephew who grew up in the middle of the country (and not on the East Coast like me), he would type sort of phonetically (but not so accurately and more so annoyingly!) and he actually demonstrated the same phenomenon. I can recall the precise word, but it was a sound ending in "-aw" that was depicted as "-all".

And then while in the Middle East with another American student, I realized that I didn't enunciate the first 'r' in the word "February". Since then, I think I now alternate between "Feb-ru-ary" and "Feb-u-ary".

There was also a time when a couple of college students from Chicago came by the house attempting to sell magazine subscriptions. They told me I had a DC accent. Another time, while I was a State Dept. intern, my friend, also an intern, from Connecticut, but studying in NYC, she told me I had a Southern accent. I was taken aback and I think sort of offended! How dare she! I am from Maryland and of the belief that we are not a southern state! (I know, it's debatable, but I'd rather not be considered Confederate. :-P)

I've come to realize that often times, accents are in the ears of the listener. I had a guy from Washington state, I think, and he - I don't think he was white but he "acted" white and he said I sounded "black" to him. Then on the other hand, when I used to make frequent visits to Philly to hang out with my cousin, one of her acquaintances, a black guy, told me I talked "proper". WHATEVER. F*** you! hehe... J/k. But I do suppose I get a little offended if I'm ever labeled as talking white. *shrugs*

And finally, the only other example of my speech that I can think of at this time, which makes almost no sense to me, is my name. Now, I figure of all people in the world, I know how to pronounce my name and I say it correctly. But maybe not! When speaking on the phone or telling someone my first name, the idiots relay back to me "Shana/Shayna" or spell back, "s-h-a-n-a/s-h-a-n-n-a?" Friggin' morons. :-P

And here's a fun quiz I took. See? I tolja I didn't have an accent! ;)

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland   "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The West
The Inland North
Boston
North Central
The South
Philadelphia
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

and

Your Linguistic Profile:

65% General American English 20% Yankee 10% Dixie 0% Midwestern 0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

My Daughter's a Genius

Hehe. I'm supposed to say things like that because everyday Thevy amazes me with her depth of knowledge. She may just be "average" compared to most kids her age, but I don't know that. To me, she's so smart! The picture to the left is of her LeapFrog magnets on the 'fridge. Once, she had arranged them so the letters made a nearly perfect horizontal line. On another occasion, they were completely vertical. Now in this picture, not only is she arranging them horizontally and vertically, but by color! I don't know what this says about her cognitive ability, but I'm impressed! :)

And the things she says and does... Wow! She stood in her potty and began to sing the "Alphabet Song". She then took a bow and said, "Fank you, fank you!" She twirls around and says she's a ballerina. Sometimes she's a cowboy or a pirate. Lately, she's been in the circus, too. She questions me on phonics or colors or some topic and when I answer correctly, she tells me, "Very good!" or "That's right, Mama!" She'll even tell me when she thinks I'm wrong.

Thevy talks about how cute her sister is and how they're best friends. She tells me when the baby is awake or is crying or is hungry. She sings to her sister, "Lullaby and good night..." or "Rock-a-bye baby...". She sings for her own pleasure and she's even started to sing "Maybe" from the musical "Annie". She sings the do-re-mi scale, then attempts to sing it in reverse.

She imitates the things we do around the house from using the remote control, turning on/off lights, cleaning up messes, and different expressions. She's picking up computer skills little by little and I'm pretty sure she's more computer literate than my mother! I've heard her utter, "Oh, my! Oh, my gosh!" She's fallen down and I ask with concern if she's alright. She replies, "I'm okay, Mommy". She picked up a nursing pad one day (for those who don't know, it's a breast pad for lactating mothers so they don't leak out all over the place!) and handed it to me declaring, "Here, Mommy; these are for your boobies."

Last night, she was drinking my cup of water. I wanted it back and asked her if I could have some water. Her words: "Sure, you can." WTF? hehe. I'm amazed by her sometimes. And to top of all her brilliance, she's even potty-training herself! lol. What I mean is, I'm not that consistent. I don't follow all the tips for teaching the child to use the potty all the time. Last week is when it seemed to have started, her potty-training, that is. She would go to her potty without me telling her to and regularly, too. She has gone 24-hour periods with one or even no accidents.

But so far, I can only say she's potty-trained while at home. I have no idea how things would play if we were out and about. I'm sure she's not completely ready for the outings without training pants. Either way, she's still a genius! :)

Thevy's Animal Impressions

For months, Thevy has been capable of doing animal impressions. You simply ask her, "What does a ___ say?" And she'll imitate the sound. And with a certain accuracy. I mean, "ruff-ruff" and not "bow-wow", "mau" and not" me-ow". And she didn't just do the typical dog and cat. She also did dolphin and donkey.

Well, not only does Thevy do sound effects. She has started acting out the animal. One day she was on the floor, squatting with her hands to the floor. Then she said, "I'm a frog! Ribbit, ribbit!" She also does a cat. She meows and licks the back of her hand or arm, or she licks you! One day she was on her hands and knees talkin' about, "I'm a a jaguar. Rowwrrr!" (That was supposed to be a roar-sound, lol.) The other day she put her hands near her waist, bending her knees and saying, "I'ma duck walk" and started walking. Tonight, she did the same pose but said, "I'm a chicken" and clucked like a chicken, too! She's so silly...

And now I can add turtle. She was just crawling on the floor saying she was a turtle. hehe

"Quiero amarrarte a mis sesenta de cintura..."

Twenty pounds down, 25 more to go! That's until I get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight. I gotta be able to get into my Shakira t-shirt, as I only had a chance to wear it once. (The title of this post is a line from a Shakira song). I got the shirt when I went to a concert last August. Besides being overpriced, the shirt was also quite small. I would have preferred one size up, but it was all they had in the style I chose. So, even when I was at my regular weight, it was kinda on the tight side, so I know for sure I can't fit it now. Especially not while lactating! :-X

So, yeah, I went to see Shakira in concert last summer and never had the chance to blog about it cuz I had issues with Blogger. Anyhoo, I ended up going with my friend Stef and her sister. I had purchased the tickets months earlier and had no plans on with whom I'd go or what. I'm glad I found them cuz it was so last minute and I had paid for the tickets!

The seats were pretty decent - on the floor and not too-too far from the stage. I enjoyed myself and was glad I got to see my girl live. What wasn't cool was the guy next to me, who was recording all these video footage on his cell phone, smelled really bad. Like, "sour". You can imagine how someone's body odor can ruin a mood!

Another low-point of the concert was the opening act: Wyclef and his fat-azz sister. Now, I don't know if it was his actually sister, but he introduced her as such. She was fat and didn't fit the theme/style of the concert. Shakira is more pop/rock. This big girl was a bit more soul and her outfit was - ugh! A tight bodysuit that did not flatter figure! And I think it had a hole/opening on the front that would only have been "sexy" on a more slender figure. Hey - it's true.

And then stupid-azz Wyclef got mad cuz the crowd ain't get hype with him and his sis. I mean, come on! They weren't there to see him!! We wanted Shakira and that's who we were waiting on! And why couldn't they haven't gotten Alejandro Sanz to open? He collaborated with Shakira on her last album, too!!

So Wyclef got mad when people weren't standing or acting very interested in the opening act. He even had the nerve to get on a guy in the front row, even calling him a fat ass and telling him he needed to stand up. Again - wtf? We weren't there to see him! We'll stand up when Shakira comes on!! Anyway, as you can see, he pissed me off. Plus, I'm not really a fan of his, especially after I heard he impregnated a chick he did a duet with - a chick that was not his wife cuz that fool was supposedly already married. Man like that should be castrated!!

But aside from assholes who are opening acts, I did enjoy myself at the concert, getting to sing to Shakira's music while seeing her live. It was the first time I had actually gotten a chance to really go out in a long time. And it was the first time I was away from Thevy for so long. You shoulda seen me, I was a bit of a wreck internally with the thought of having to leave T. I asked my mom to watch her that night. I was so anxious right up until I actually dropped her off. And after that, I was all right. No perdí la cordura. =)

Thevy Adores Sothea

Why do people keep asking if Thevy is jealous of her little sister? A suppose a new baby can throw some things off at first, but... cause jealousy? No way! Thevy is by no means upset by having a "wittle sistah". In fact, if possible, I think she loves Sothea waaay too much! lol. Well, what I mean is that her constant displays of affection get on my nerves! She is constantly kissing or touching her baby sister, to the point where I have to tell her to quit! When I put the baby down to sleep, I don't need Thevy doing anything that stirs her! Sothea can be quite needy and I don't get many chances to put her down, so if I put her down and she actually sleeps, it's a huge relief! And I get angry with Thevy for waking her. I'm telling you, this girl (Thevy) does not listen. She is forever hovering over Sothea when she gets the chance, caressing her cheek and what have you. You may think that's cute, but it drives me crazy!

Thevy continues to amaze me with her vocab, saying things I didn't know she knew. Like when I scribbled a note down on a piece of paper, she took the paper and said "It's perfect." She's also said "It's wonderful." And she says, "I wuv you" to Sothea. She's also turned to me and said, "You're my best friend." haha. She cracks me up. =)

My Night in the ER

I spent an evening in the emergency room last week. I'm someone who doesn't like hospitals and tries not to complain if something's bothering me. I'm also someone who waits until the last minute to seek medical attention sometimes. So, Wednesday night, I finally went to the hospital. I had been complaining of headache and the chills since Monday. What prompted me to go the emergency room was when Peter said I seemed warm and then I finally took my temperature: 102.9. I searched for my hospital discharge papers (after giving birth) for any special instructions. There was one that said to call your physician if you have a fever over 100.4. I might have had a fever the previous couple days but never knew it due to my chills. When you have the chills, you obviously don't think that you must be hot when you feel so cold. I just wanted to wrap a blanket around me. I didn't even have an appetite that Wednesday. In the evening, I ended up putting on a long-sleeve shirt.

I spent from around 10:30pm to 5:30 the next morning in the hospital. I was sent home basically with the instruction of "Take Tylenol" as needed. Strangely, your subconscious wants something more to be wrong for all the hassle of going to get checked out. I had the whole gamut of tests done: blood work - vials and vials, urinalysis, chest X-ray, and sonogram of my uterus. It didn't appear to be an post-partum issue. And in the end, my diagnosis just said "febrile illness" and "viral" something or the other... I was to follow up with my doctor and still don't know what was wrong with me. I was simply sick and that's all that can be said. I did have chills on Thursday and my temperature to spike back up past 102. But I'm better now and haven't had any recurring symptoms.

I hate hospitals and hope I never have to go back!

Birth & Beyond

Wow, I can't believe I have two little girls. I'm sure many who know me can't believe it either! And for those who don't know me - it doesn't help that I look hella young and I'm sure many believe I'm a teenage parent despite the fact that I am approaching my thirties! Dang - I can't believe I'll be 30 in a couple of years!

Anyhow, Thevy is quite affectionate with her sister. She's always talking about "wittle sistah" and sometimes she refers to her as just "Thea" (remember, that would be pronounced "TEE-ah"). It's quite cute the way she gives her baby sister eskimo kisses, kisses her on the cheek, caresses her head, rubs her cheek against her sister's head... She touched Sothea's hair and said "hair soft". I love the way she's talking more and more each day, surprising me with the things she knows.

Thevy uses the word "beautiful." I imagine she got it from me when I comment on her drawings I tell her they're beautiful. So, one day she touched her head and said "Thevy hair". Then she touched my head and said something like "Mommy's hair" or "Mommy hair." Then she said "beautiful." I thought that was sweet, but then again, it also mean she's already a skilled liar because my hair is a mess! lol

Another day she was looking out the window talking about the birds. And she said they were beautiful, too. :)

She also understands that the word "baby" has something to do with size. I guess from looking at animal pictures, I talk about the babies and the mommies and she has started to associate the words with size. One day while eating clementines, there was one particular wedge that was quite smaller than the rest. Thevy declared, "Baby clementine." I thought that was adorable.

Another thing Thevy has said that surprised me was when she picked up something rope-like. I believe it was a cable (for connecting a VCR to a TV type of thing) and she said she wanted to jump or jump rope. Then another time she picked up an AC adapter and said the same thing, except this time she said she wanted to "skip rope". Obviously, she's only two and doesn't know how to do it and I've been pregnant, I surely wouldn't have shown her. Had to have been the boob tube that's been teaching her all this vocab.

It sure is gonna be fun once Sothea learns to talk and to have these miniature me's conversing. But I'm rushing ahead. Sothea is only a week old. I'm still worrying how quickly I can shed the pregnancy weight! I gained 65 pounds with Thevy and it took me more or less a year to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Then with Sothea, I gained somewhere around 45 pounds. The other day when I weighed myself, looks like I only lost 10 pounds of that. Only 35 more to go. I think - or at least I hope - I'll lose this weight much more quickly, simply because I hope to be a little more active, plus I'll have one extra child to chase after. :)

Introducing...

SOTHEA!!

Sothea (so-TEE-ah) was born May 21 at 2:46am. She weighed 8 pounds, 8.6 ounces and measured 21 inches long.

She arrived 2 days after the due date and I wasn't sure what to expect for this second pregnancy, as my first one was not "typical". That is, my water broke and I had no contractions. They had to induce my labor and then when I began to feel the contractions and as they intensified, I finally asked for an epidural. I felt like a wuss cuz I wanted to go hardcore. :-P

Well, this time around, my contractions came first. And nobody believed I was in labor - not my OB and not the nurse - since I wasn't behaving like most other women do at that stage of labor. I wasn't acting as if I was in pain or screaming or what have you. But that's also not my nature - I am not a screamer. I suffer in silence. =)

Anyhoo, I actually managed to go sans anesthesia. There were points when it was unbearable, but in the end I made it! Oh, and this time, they had to break my water for me. I sat in the bed leaking for about 40 minutes until we started pushing. Then little Sothea came out 15 minutes later. Luckily, big sister Thevy fell asleep before all the excitement. :)

So, Sothea does look like Thevy as a baby, but at the same time, there are some major differences. I wonder how much alike/different they'll look as they get older. Either way, I think they'll get along great. Thevy's already a good big sister. I can't wait to see how they grow!

Mmm: Bánh Mì

Peter brought me some bánh mì today. Bánh mì are Vietnamese sandwiches, basically. I for some reason got a craving for them yesterday. Vietnamese food has been very satiating for me lately. Get full real quick.

Speaking of food... No more Filipino soy sauce! Peter and I are not loyal to any one brand of soy sauce. We usually buy some Taiwanese brand. It's a tall bottle with a yellow label and says "soy sauce" in English, Chinese, French and Vietnamese. Anyway, one day Peter had wanted some Adobo; the Filipino version. So we ended up buying a Filipino brand that we saw in Safeway since we also had no soy sauce at home at the time. Well, since we purchased at a big chain, we paid a lot more than if we had gone to an Oriental grocer. And then on top of that, Peter never even ended up cooking the darn dish!

And then, for reasons unbeknownst to man, Peter bought another bottle of a different Filipino brand of soy sauce when we hadn't even finished up the first bottle. All I know is that these soy sauces only seem good to add to the rice you're eating, but doesn't seem to do so well as an actual ingredient in a recipe. It's too salty or something. (Yes, I know soy sauce is inherently salty, but it's even more so in these Pinoy brands, I think!).

So, never again will we buy Filipino soy sauce. Gonna probably stick with the tried and true Taiwanese kind or this other Vietnamese soy sauce. In an Asian household, you've always gotta have a bottle of soy sauce on hand, about a liter's worth. And rice. Always gotta have rice. We purchase 50-pound bags. 25 lb. minimum. I've also realized there are a few other condiments that we don't always have available in our pantry or fridge, but they always seem to be necessary for some authentic flavors: cilantro, Thai/Taiwan basil, ginger, garlic, limes... I hope Thevy will get to grow up eating mostly Southeast Asian dishes. So far it's a mixture of Asian and American... I didn't grow up with a lot of different ethnic dishes and feel a bit deprived. :-P

And about Thevy and foods... This girl is so cute. Well, let me start with a little "pre-story". We were looking at a Max & Ruby book (Max and Ruby are these brother-sister rabbit characters. We discovered them on a cartoon, but I think they may have been storybook characters first.) . So there's this book we were reading called Max's First Word. In the story Max is a little bunny who only knows how to say the word "bang". His big sister tries to get him to say other words as she shows him different objects. Max's response is always, "Bang!" In the end, Ruby gives him an apple and tells him to say "Yum yum!" That's when Max finally says, "Delicious!" Thevy and I both laughed at this. I don't know if she got it, but I was a bit amused.

Anyway, the other day Thevy was eating this peach dessert and I was trying to talk to her, asking her if she liked her food. I asked her, "Is the food good? Are the peaches yummy?", or something along those lines. Thevy responded, "Delicious!" And I've heard her use that word a couple more times when eating. She's so funny...

Thevy Turns Two

Today is mini-me's birthday. It's been 24 months since my first overnight hospital stay. Wow, where does the time go?

The picture above was taken a couple days ago. I don't know what she's doing in the pic. She might be trying to come for the camera.

She's learning to talk better each day. I notice now that she makes an effort to form sentences and declare things. The words she used to pronounce all wrong, after I say them correctly, she repeats the word more correctly.

And she still saying funny things that I have to assume she learned from the TV because 24/7 with me, I know I didn't teach her. For example, she often crosses her arms and says, "No fair!" She's even got an appropriate facial expression to accompany the phrase. Sometimes she stomps her feet talkin' about "Hup/hut 2-3-4". And then there's her spouting out some numbers and saying "Blast off!"

I've gotta stop using certain words around her. I don't use profanity around her. A whole lot. But sometimes I say "stupid" and "crap" and she has imitated me. Oops!

But she's so bright, reciting her alphabet and pointing out letters whenever/wherever she sees them. I'm so proud of her! But she's gotta stop introducing herself to every stranger. She puts her hand on her chest and proclaims to random people, "I'm Thevy!" But it's cute. :)

The picture to the right, Thevy is enjoying a Canary melon. It was our first time buying it; we'd never even heard of it or seen it before. It caught my eye, being bright yellow and placed with the other melons, but looking sort-of like a squash. Well, it's not bad. Tastes just like a cantaloupe to me. So, I guess if I want fresh fruit, depending on whichever is cheapest, I'll get a Canary melon or a cantaloupe.

Little Linguist (Pt. 2)

A few posts earlier I touted Thevy's language abilities. There are more examples I didn't include that I want to mention.

I find it quite humorous the way she references my parents. "Grandma" and "Grandpa" sound more like "Gooma" and "Poobah". lol. How cute is that?

She also has a grasp of the possessive. She'll pick up an article, like my shoe, and go "Mommy shoe." Or she'll pick up her father's pants and say "Daddy pants." The one possessive I don't like her using is exclaiming "Mine!" I'm not sure who she learned it from. If I ever use that word, it's just a declaration and nothing more. If Dad uses it, he's intentionally being annoying about it. But I'm also wondering if she maybe got it from other kids, even though she's not around them that often. I would hate for her to pick up bad habits (I don't want her to be rude, ya know?) from other children. And that's one reason why I wouldn't want her in day care! But anyway...

She has a basic grasp of pronouns, but her comprehension still needs improvement. Often times when she's struggling to do something I ask, "Do you want me to help you?" So sometimes when she wants help she says, "Help you?", but she means "Help me." Same thing happens when she wants me to hold her, she says, "Hold you?"

I also love the way she calls us by name when speaking to us. "Yes, Mom." "No, Dad." And she doesn't just call us "Mom" and "Dad." She uses interchangeably Mom, Mama, and Mommy, and Dad, Papa, and Daddy. Isn't that great? I think the way she understands synonyms or other languages is proof of the capacity of the young mind.

I've heard it said that children are sponges, that they absorb all sorts of information. And it's true! I am always amazed when Thevy names something that I don't recall ever had teaching her or something she learned from television. Once I began showing her my Wild Life Treasury cards (any one remember those?) for the first time. As I got to a certain picture, she instantly calls out "alligator" and I was like, what? How do you know that? I think she may have learned it from another one of her books of animals. But still, I was impressed. :)

Lately she's been making a creation with her MegaBlocks. It's got these "spires". (I think that's what they're called; had to Google it. These sort of pointy roofs of a castle). Anyway, she'll put it together in such a way and approach me, talkin' about "Happy Birthday". Basically, the "spires" do resemble candles. And Thevy will pretend to blow them out. I was just tickled by the breadth of her imagination already. I think she learned the birthday motif from TV.

Anyway, with her ability at this stage, I hope it will lead to a very precocious child. I'm hoping she'll read early. And once she learns to read, I hope to eliminate the use of the television as a babysitter. :)

Petroleum?! Poo on Plastic!

I'm always disgusted with the amount of plastic bags we always seem to accumulate after a trip to the grocery store. And every time I store them away I think, We need to bring these with us the next time we go shopping so we can reuse them! But then, old age kicks in and I never remember to do so until we're already away from home or at the store.

Some of the bags we do use for garbage, but proportionately, it's not enough to use even half the bags! Last time we went shopping, I did remember to bring the bags with us and was happy. But when we got home, I was still left unfulfilled since we still had other unused bags.

Anyway, this advanced nation we live in is yet again so far behind everyone else. Here's a story from CNN.com:

San Francisco to ban plastic grocery bags

POSTED: 10:40 a.m. EDT, March 28, 2007

Story Highlights

• Rule applies to shopping bags made from petroleum products
• Proponent says ban would save 450,000 gallons of oil a year
• Board of Supervisors votes yes, mayor likely to sign law

SAN FRANCISCO, California (Reuters) -- San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to become the first U.S. city to ban plastic bags from large supermarkets to help promote recycling.

Under the legislation, beginning in six months large supermarkets and drugstores will not be allowed to offer plastic bags made from petroleum products.

"Many [foreign] cities and nations have already implemented very similar legislation," said Ross Mirkarimi, the city legislator who championed the new law. "It's astounding that San Francisco would be the first U.S. city to follow suit." (Watch why it's no longer politically correct to 'think plastics' )

"I am hopeful that other U.S. cities will also adopt similar legislation," he said. "Why wait for the federal government to enact legislation that gets to the core of this problem when local governments can just step up to the plate?"

The city's Department of the Environment said San Francisco uses 181 million plastic grocery bags annually. Plans dating back a decade to encourage recycling of the bags have largely failed, with shoppers returning just one percent of bags, said department spokesman Mark Westland.

Mirkarimi said the ban would save 450,000 gallons of oil a year and remove the need to send 1,400 tons of debris now sent annually to landfills. The new rules would, however, allow recyclable plastic bags, which are not widely used today.

A spokesman for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who must approve or veto the legislation, called it sensible. "Chances are good that he is going to sign it," said Nathan Ballard.

Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Sedated Society

The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it always to be kept alive. - Thomas Jefferson

I hate that we live in a nation where everybody seems to be sleeping. What I mean is that people in this country are so unaware of the important things going in this world and in our own country. We hardly care to see what's beyond our own personal lives, regardless of how much of an impact social, economic, and political events affect us. We're so ignorant - either because we simply don't want to know or because no one breaks things down for us and we don't go searching for answers.

It's not a good way to live. That's why those in power - politicians and corporations, among others - are able to get over on us and we'll claim they pulled a fast one. But we let them. For those not in the know, I suppose this post may sound a little cryptic, but I don't care to go too much into detail, since I'm also still learning the ins and outs of society myself.

I just know it is completely ridiculous the way one day, I'm flipping through the channels and many of the cable news networks were discussing the subject of Anna Nicole Smith. Simply because she is/was some sort of a celebrity and her death and the unusual circumstances surrounding it sell, her story is being plastered everywhere. I bet a significant number of Americans can relate what happened. They know much more about the life of some short-lived model, but they probably couldn't discuss in the most minute detail the real current events - like the stock market, welfare, or the any situation in the Middle East or Afghanistan.

Why is ignorance bliss? Why are Americans content to be so numb to what's real and important? A lot of people can rattle off all the celebrity gossip, celebrities they will probably never meet and celebrities that, in my opinion, don't even really matter because they don't truly contribute to society as a whole the way the might contribute to one sole individual. People know about the daily lives of a celeb, but couldn't tell you where the majority of their or their parents' tax dollars are going. What is the state of health care or Social Security? Now, those are important issues, but most of us don't know about them, although they are extremely important to our lives.

When we look at the children of today, they're imitating all these poor role models - the celebrities, their parents, friends, etc... But what will they grow up to be? Why aren't we making sure we develop the best future leaders of this country? All of this lack of knowledge contributes to the cycles of poverty, violence, stupidity... That is why many families/people stay in their current conditions. They don't grow beyond and they either just tolerate the many injustices of life in a capitalist, power-hungry nation, or they complain, but do nothing to better their situations.

And parents are not teaching their children about life. Again, it's part of the ignorance cycle.
I'm a part of that cycle, but I'm trying to break out of it. I come from a family where my parents aren't the most educated people, nor did they teach me about the real world. I think they failed to provide me with even some of the basic tools to make it in this world/life, so I am left to learn on my own, through experience or friends or acquaintances. It's hard that way and I don't know why any parent would want life to be hard for their children. It doesn't necessarily create stronger-minded, harder worker citizens. I think it can actually even crush souls!

But anyway, I think many parents - mine included - think that making sure their kids have the basics (food, clothing, shelter) is enough. They forget to help us develop our minds. They don't realize the seemingly small things they say or do can make a great impression on who we are, even in the recesses of our subconsciousness. The smallest action or event can shape what we become and how we handle life and all she brings us. In addition, some parents must think that sending their children to public school is sufficient to educate us. This is clearly not the case. School teaches us the fundamentals of many things, but it can 100% prepare us for the reality of things. That's where our parents are supposed to come in, but that's also where many parents fail.

How many of you can try to think back through all your years of primary and secondary schooling. What did you learn? How much of your learning do you remember and how much of it is applicable to your life today? Did it enrich your mind to such a great extent that that was all the education you needed? And to speak somewhat negatively about public education, I am not at all attempting to assault our teachers because I'm sure most do a great job. What I am trying to say is that the schools do their part, but the parents need to fill in the gaps. Don't let society raise your children. It's not fair to us or posterity when the fruit of our loins spoils and goes rotten.

It's time to wake up. If history is an indication of what's to happen, the empire will fall, and where can you expect to find yourself?

Little Linguist

Since the last time I spoke of Thevy's speech, she's advanced quite a bit. She's still a couple months shy of turning two and I bet she speaks better than many, if not most, her age. I'm loving it that we're able to communicate better more and more. Her sentences are very simplistic and she doesn't always pronounce things perfectly, but she's getting there!

If you ask her to say a phrase, it may come out a bit in gibberish at times. But if you ask her to say each word one at a time, it's almost crystal clear. She still says things that only I (or her father) understand. Like "banana". For the longest time she's called it "ahmi". I have NO idea why. That was sort of a multi-purpose word at first, I guess. I think it referred to "apple" and "Elmo" once upon a time. Now she's finally started saying "mana", which sounds a lot closer to "banana" than "ahmi". lol

She sings a lot of songs and even makes up her own words. Like "Where is Thumbkin?" becomes "Where is Mommy?" or "Where is Daddy?". And she replies with "Here I is" or "Here it is" (can't tell which she's saying). hehe. I sometimes hear her asking the questions I ask her and then answering them herself. For example, whiling looking at a book, she asked where a certain animal was, then proceeded to point to it and answer, "Right there!"

And I was sort of surprised while I was driving in the car and she began singing along with one of my CDs. Now, I don't often have the car, nor do I listen to music all that much. So, if anything, I think Thevy may have heard that CD maybe once or twice prior. So, Carly Simon's "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" came on and I was singing it. All of a sudden, during the chorus, Thevy joins in! I was amazed because I had no clue she knew it! So cute. :)

Thevy can also recite her ABC's/sing the "Alphabet Song". She counts from 1 to 10 and says random numbers from 11 to 20. And Thevy's not as multilingual as I'd like her to be, but she's still got time! If I count in Spanish, she will say some of the numbers with me. I can ask her a lot of body parts in Spanish and she can point them out. Sometimes, Thevy will attempt to say the Arabic alphabet. Every now and again I will say them to her. Although I am not teaching her the language, I want her to be accustomed to the sounds of the language. Finally, out of the blue, Thevy will count to five in Cambodian (though she skips number 4!).

I'm hoping that Thevy will grow up a polyglot. =)

Question About Kisses from Canines

To start off, we all know I'm not PC, so, if you don't like blanket statements, don't read. :-P

Well, it's not that serious and this shouldn't cause any wars, but I wanna know if anyone can explain a stereotype to me: why do white people french kiss their dogs?? I know a lotta black people will feel me on this one. I'm a dog lover and have had a dog since I was one-year-old. But I do not tolerate a dog licking me on the face. That is just disgusting! I remember there was a humorous statement on the what appears to now be defunct spoof website iloveblackpeople.com.

Anyway, it seriously sickens me when I see it happen, I almost gag! There's currently a commercial on TV where an Asian female is getting kissed by her dog a little too close to the mouth, but she probably "acts white"! And I have seen one of my Asian friends receive an intimate kiss from her pooch. But then again, she's married to someone of white descent and I've noticed she becomes whatever he is, so... Yeah, it totally disgusted me. When she and the dog greeted each other as she entered the house, she went for the tongue kiss and she even had her mouth open a little!! I so wanted to vomit!!

I don't even let my dog lick my hands. Especially seeing as how dogs lick their genitals and stick their noses in the grass in search of some scent and inevitably come into contact with feces - even if they are indoor pets!

And this same friend of mine... she wouldn't even stop her unruly dog from licking my daughter. I think it's rude to not exercise some restraint on the pet for the sake of others. There are some rules of etiquette that must be followed! You can stick your tongue down your dog's mouth all you want, but you shouldn't subject other people or their children to your pets' slobber.

Even after I proclaimed that I didn't like that, she did nothing. And with the dog being so rowdy... So, next time if her dog gets thrown straight across the room, she bet' not say nothin'!! :-P But yeah, it's her house and she can do whatever she wants there. That means I just don't need to go over there anymore then.

But that still doesn't explain to me why people do it? Why do they engage in passionate kisses with their pups? I'm not gonna buy the "a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's" as any kind of "reason".

Aspiring Artist

In January, I had the misfortune of what can happen to walls and furniture when you leave a toddler slightly unattended! I was in the kitchen fixing something to eat, while Thevy was in the living room playing or watching TV.

Well, toddlers at this age love to climb and Thevy is no exception. There was a permanent marker that I had previously seen lying on the floor. I picked it up because I did not want Thevy to get a hold of it and placed it on the bookshelf. Well, I apparently picked the absolutely wrong place to put the marker because it still was not out of Thevy's reach!

This particular bookshelf is next to our TV stand, which Thevy can climb. It brought her to the level where she could get her hands on the marker. Well, this all occurred unbeknownst to me as I carried on in the kitchen. The kitchen is adjacent to the living room, so I wasn't far from the little one.

At one point, almost simultaneously, I smelled poop and she came into the kitchen to inform me that she had "poo-pooed". Well, as I met her at the kitchen entrance to prepare to change her, I stopped in my tracks as I witnessed the scrawls on the wall!! I went to examine the scribbles and noticed she had also managed to draw on the armrests of her little Ikea chair, the Miracle piano (remember the keyboard for Nintendo?), and maybe a few inconspicuous marks on a recently acquired (and in good condition) second-hand stroller.

How could she?! Actually, I was mad at Peter for all this. Yes, Peter. Although he wasn't even there and I'm the one who put the marker on the shelf, he's the one who brought the damn thing into the house!! There is no reason why it should have been there period. He has a habit of bringing markers and pens home from work. (I've thrown away countless pens because we have no use for all that ink! We already had a good amount of our own!).

So, yeah... Thevy created a masterpiece and though her most prominent display was on the wall, I was more upset about the chair and the keyboard. You see, the wall can always be painted. But wooden furniture? Plastic keys? I tried to find a solution to permanent marker removal on the Net. I tried a couple suggestions, but none worked for my situation.

I thought of the Magic Eraser, which a friend had once touted a few years ago as having worked on tough stains she encountered at home. I saw it in Target and decided not to get it. I just figured, nothing will get the marker out. Then my doctor, who has two small children, suggested the same thing, even for permanent marker! Well, the other night I finally got around to actually purchasing the Magic Eraser. And you know what?? It worked!! Good old Mr. Clean helped me get the marks off the chair and piano. Now, they are not completely gone, but damn near it!

Less of a Loser

So, here's a little update to make up for half a year of not being able to blog: I'm a Master! That is, I got my Master's degree. FINALLY and SOOOO long overdue!

Ya see, right after undergrad, I enrolled in a two-year Master's program. Two years. That means, were I on top of my sh!t, I would have graduated in 2003. Two thousand-freaking-three. But, oh, no. I am a loser.

I completed all of my coursework in Arab Studies during that time period. I got all the credits I need in my political science courses and electives. But then I was left with two graduation requirements: the Arabic oral proficiency test and the comprehensive exam. (The comprehensive exam, or "comps", as we referred to it, is where three of your professors, at least one being from your area of concentration, ask you a series of questions pertaining to your major and the classes you had with them.)

The winter before finishing my classes, I had passed the Arabic written exam and not the oral. And the following spring, I opted not to take the comprehensive exam because I knew that I was not in the least bit prepared to do so. So I waited. I thought, maybe I'll be ready next spring!

Well, between finishing the all my courses in May 2003 and May 2004, I had moved back home and eventually (after several months of sittin' on my azz) gotten a job. And for me, being the kind of student I am (which is, not a very good one!), I was not able to get myself ready for that comprehensive exam! Besides not thoroughly knowing the material like I should have, I am not good at being put on the spot and answering questions spontaneously. I made a feeble attempt to cram over the period of a few days to take the exam. Not surprisingly, I failed. And miserably at that!

However, I can say that I passed my Arabic oral proficiency! That very semester, I took up an Arabic conversation course at the Middle East Institute, and I guess that was sufficient to get me through my test. So, that was half the battle left that I conquered...

Then there was still the matter of comps looming over my head. Oh, how much stress it caused (on top of other stresses)! I just could not get my act together for the life of me! Then I had a baby. So, even though I wasn't working 40 hours a week with a commute that also diminished my time, I had a baby to care for. Amd me being the unorganized person that I am, I have no time-management skills!

To try and make a long story short(er), this last year was seriously crunch time. 2004, I took the exam, did not pass, and was working full-time. 2005, I was still working the first four months of the year, gave birth, then became a full-time mom. 2006, still a stay-at-home parent, unemployed, and stressing about money, I had a deadline to meet.

My intention was to study throughout the year. And whenever I didn't get started, I'd say, okay, for sure "next month", or at the latest x month. Well, I got to the fall having barely cracked open a book, September became October became November.

Do you know that I began my cramming mid-/late November? With a test date of, get this: December7?! What the hell is my problem trying to put two year's worth of intense graduate work into my brain in a matter of a couple weeks? Well, I had no other choice. I had only one retake of the exam, PLUS, my time to complete all degree requirements expired that very month of December 2006. It was now or never and I had to give it a shot.

Well, praise the Lord, I somehow managed to pass! The same professors who sat on my board the first time were present again. I was afraid to make a fool of myself again, but apparently, they noticed I actually prepared better for this exam in contrast to the first and my efforts paid off. I am so thankful! Hey, maybe they passed me out of pity, but at this stage, I'll take what I can get!

So, on January 31, 2007, Georgetown University granted me my Master of Arts in Arab Studies with a concentration in Politics. Woo-hoo!

Back on the Blog!

Just in time for spring...

I can't believe I'm finally back on Blogger. I've tried for the longest time to get logged on, but just couldn't and I'm not sure why. We're talking several months!! I moved and was without internet connection for about a month, but that was about it. I'm using the same exact desktop PC and I even have the same company providing my internet. I don't know what happened, but I could not for the life of me even get onto the Blogger homepage, much less sign in! But every so often I'd give it a shot and I'd have one or two "almost" successes. Well, today I've hit the jackpot.

Sucks that I couldn't sign in over the past 6 months or so. I did have things to "rant & rave" about, that I think I've long since forgotten! Ah, well. There will always be new issues and events to write about. :)