Dragon with No Teeth

Long time since I have posted but time flies. Since 2015 when our son was born, we also welcomed a baby girl in 2018.

It has been an amazing last decade of raising a family and being together on a series of adventures. My husband and I camp with the kids and friends every year and the memories we have will stay with us forever.

As much as this journal seems abandoned, I guess it never really was. It has been busy. Not too much time in between exists.

As I get ready to send the kids to March Break camp and prepare for work (still an accountant!), I wanted to wish my friends a wonderful next decade for those that use livejournal.

Victor has been getting on all fours and trying to crawl. Not quite there yet, but almost. Won't be long before he is mobile. He is six months old now.

It has been exciting to see his first smile, see him start solids, watch him turn over and see him recognize songs as we sing.

He has grown up so much since Christmas, it feels like yesterday when I was still in high school figuring out what the future would hold. Before the husband, kids, house and career.





We live a very ordinary life but I've found it to be extraordinary. Life passes by us so quickly. There are so many other things I want to accomplish the next few years. I am so very lucky.

July onward has been busy. We welcomed the birth of our baby boy, Victor Yang. We are delighted, tired and happy all in one. It has been a lot of work, but as he passes his 4th month, I don't know what life would be like without him or Mark. Husband has been instrumental to helping us all keep our sanity during the first few weeks of sleep deprivation.

Baby is healthy, happy and sometimes, cranky (when tired).

In other news, my husband decided to go to university and obtain a business degree after realizing that the job market has 'up-credentialed' all career postings in his field. Upon inquiring about the university program, he learned he had to go back to high school to obtain a missing math prerequisite before being considered! It was a humbling experience to realize that all the things one didn't do in youth, comes back to haunt you at 35 years old.

It will be a slow journey but one, I hope, is worth it. We live 4km from York University and work in the GTA.

It will be hard for the both of us to put him through school with a young child...but without some struggles, life wouldn't be worth living.

We will be aiming for baby number two in the future regardless :).

We bought our baby car seat yesterday at Canadian Tire. We were looking for it before Christmas and waited for a sale. We specifically wanted Graco because our stroller uses the standard car seat to stroller set up - simplifies the process by leaving the baby in its carrier and just moving the seat between stroller and car seat. The entire process is exciting...getting the room ready, buying the baby gear, seeing the ultrasound and movements, hearing its heartbeat and anticipating whether we will have a boy or girl.

Starting Feb 18, I could start feeling the baby move as he/she has grown. They are little flutters under the skin. They sometimes tickle depending what the baby is doing. I could tell its orientation based on where the movements were happening.

As we prepare for the new arrival, work has been stress free. We have our moments but it is unlike the old job. Family comes first and we are lucky to have such an understanding workplace.

There have been so many appointments between doctor, specialist and technicians. Everything from blood tests, ultrasounds, follow-ups, hospital registration/tours, pre-natal classes etc. The maternal care in Canada is number one. I feel safe knowing that our health care system does a great job to make sure mother and child are taken care of from start to delivery.

It has certainly been a blessing.

The veal shanks were on sale (3 inch cuts!) and tonight, we are in the process of making Osso Bucco - a 2-3 hour slow braise with tomato paste, mirepoix and chicken stock. House smells delicious. It will be for tomorrow's dinner which taste's better the day after rather then the day of.

We had a little scare over the holidays of a potential miscarriage and fortunately, it was a minor blip that requires extra rest and less running around with household chores. No more vacuuming, carrying laundry between floors and snow shoveling. The doctor said that with the blood clot shrinking, all signs appear good for a normal delivery. I'm happy we found a doctor in our area, seeing that I had spent 8 years at walk-in clinics. I do and don't miss downtown. It depends on what it is. Downtown traffic, one lane roads and congestion, I don't miss.

On advice of a co-worker, started to watch the TV series Downton Abbey. He said to pay particular attention to the dialogue, attire and mannerisms. The estate is the same place that shows up in Pride and Prejudice (2005) movie. It was represented as Lady Catherine's home and I couldn't help seeing the same actors in this show as in the movie. It brought a smile to my face watching it last night.

We are pregnant and expect the baby to arrive in early July. It is filled with excitement, doctor visits, pre-natal classes and Toys R Us. It is mostly excitement and have been advised (by friends) to enjoy the remaining months of quietness until the bundle arrives.

We have names picked out if its a boy or a girl. We have the room, the cradle, stroller, the bottles and the door gate. Some minor items remain but the big stuff is almost done.

Can't wait to meet him or her in the New Year.

Cheers!

I'm in the middle of hemming the last remaining curtains. We bought them over a year ago and a year later, finally put them up. I was able to take the day off today and just enjoy an extra long weekend. It was nice to be able to see the doctor, get the flu shot, finish the curtains and start prepping dinner tonight.

Grandpa came over last weekend to visit us and see the home. In between the various months, we haven't seen him as much as we would like. A part of the problem is a soured relationship with the parents that stem from decisions they didn't agree with and the view that our interactions with him aren't 'sincere'. I've tried to explain this to him and he seemed to understand. I think he knew something was going on a long time ago. We can't change people, but only accept what will be with grace.

On a lighter note, I ordered food on Albion Road from a take-out place called "Samosa Sweet Factory". IT IS AMAZING. Someone had shared some desserts in celebration of Diwali a few days ago and it was so good. I ended up visiting the store after looking up reviews. I think these are the best Indian sweets and samosas I've ever had. I really mean it.

Please go there. You won't regret it!

"For God, Country and Coca-Cola", by Mark Pendergrast, the book has been my bedside reading the last few months. It is an interesting economic history of how Coca-Cola came to be. For a person who loves the drink, reading on its history has been eye-opening...even though it isn't an authorized book by the corporation itself. Who knew the man who invented it was around before the American civil war? Or that Coca-Cola is not the original drink, but a copy of another long forgotten drink which mixed wine, coca leaf extract and carbonation together?

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Going through the bookshelves, books have come and gone. Missing copies of "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernst Hemingway, "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry to "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser, I can't help but hope that as I acquire more books and lend people books, they find them just as interesting. Even though I may never receive them back, I like the idea that once I've read something, I hope the next person enjoys it just as much.

We are out of bookshelf space in the house now. It is time to set up the third one in our living room.

It is Friday night and I'm at home, drinking through a bottle of red and looking through this account. I'm going through my old RSS feeds attached to this livejournal account and realizing how fast technology has changed.

My interests in various RSS feeds have converted to apps. I use facebook, houzz etc..to replace all the things I use to follow on this blog sites.

Many of the people I use to follow have stopped posting for many months and years now. I wonder what has happened to them, but again, we all move on to better things.

The new house has been hassle free. With minor renovations such as a new roof, new paint (tear out old wallpaper) and re-arranging the layout of the house (study rooms, eating area versus kitchen prep etc..) it has been easy.

The new job in Federal Government has been amazing. Lifestyle has completely changed. I no longer work overtime, weekends or look at e-mails after work. I come home, have time to garden then make dinner. Was never able to do this in my old position. I no longer wear suits to work. Its quite casual and people are incredibly relaxed. We have our stresses, but they are minor in comparison to what private industry is like. I'm really lucky I was offered this opportunity and couldn't have asked for more. Most of my colleagues are all from the Big 4 accounting firms and have left because they made a lifestyle choice.

I'm happy. Everything is pretty good.

My sister got married in May and although it was hectic, the day went off without a hitch.

Tonight, we have a friend over updating us on life. Sunday, we have a bbq with family and friends...life couldn't be better right now. Monday I'm off work (June 30th is corporate tax filing deadlines and I would usually be working at my old position)...it is going to be a GREAT long weekend.

Christmas Eve, I received a call saying they would be offering a job.

I had applied to the Federal Government back in July and after going through a series of four exams (written, case, interviews and more case based exams), they offered several options: to work downtown, Mississauga, North York or Scarborough.

I took the Mississauga position and started mid January.

The culture and lifestyle is so different. There is time to cook dinner, I see the sun as I head out from the office to go home, I'm not under pressure for chargeable hours and billings.

It is a very different life than where I was at previously and it is taking some time to get use to the concept of leaving at 4:30pm, no overtime and weekends.

2013 was a very lucky year. Married, found our home and got a new job :)