Rob and Jen's Blog

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-16T23:47:00.004-05:00

We thought we'd share Aidan's latest interpretation of the Bard. This poem has special meaning for us as it played a role in our engagement story. Little did we know the little guy liked it too. The text is from the 116th sonnet. (He doesn't seem to like the second half as much.) Enjoy.

Castaways

2008-01-13T18:48:00.000-05:00

Here are Jen and Aidan bidding farewell to Castaway Cay after a day of shell collecting and kite flying on the beach. In the background, you can see the other ship visiting the island, the Flying Dutchman from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

A very happy birthday to you

2008-01-13T15:47:00.001-05:00

Our latest trip to the Happiest Place on Earth overlapped with Aidan's 3rd birthday. Here he is sporting a "happy unbirthday" hat. Notice the attire for Florida in January. We were at least somewhat prepared. There are lots of people who looked very cold coming off the Splash Mountain ride.

When you wish upon a star

2008-01-13T15:32:00.000-05:00

Our first trip in 2008 took us to the Magic Kingdom in Florida (thanks Helen and Indra). Florida was experiencing an unusual cold snap, so it was actually colder there than Pennsylvania. It was so cold that the fireworks show was significantly delayed (we didn't stay to see if was actually canceled). Still, we managed to enjoy almost everything else on list. We even had turkey legs! Thanks Brad.

How do you say bookworm in Chinese?

2008-01-01T23:07:00.000-05:00

Like many raised in bilingual families, we know it is important to impart a second language, but feel frustrated by exactly how to do this. We had a recent breakthrough with Aidan because seems so much more taken with the written Chinese than the spoken form. (OK, he rarely gets to hear the spoken form.) Jen's parents gave him some children's books aimed at families in our situation, and he's taken to them. Here's an example of him "reading" through one of these books. Sorry for the poor image quality. This is our first video blog. You may need to turn up the volume. Please excuse the gingerbread cookie.

Iron Chef Not Rusty After All

2008-01-01T22:57:00.001-05:00

On Christmas Eve, we treated ourselves to the new lower price lunch omakase at Morimoto! It was Jen and Aidan's first time and Rob's second. Rob's first experience he found rather disappointing but this time was terrific. We started with a tuna and hamachi tartare which was so good, we forgot to take a picture. Next followed 6 more yummy courses. Truly we were in tastebud nirvana! The above is salmon salad with onion dressing. We loved the seafood and sushi. Aidan enjoyed the ever changing mood lighting (think LAX light pillars but on chairs!) and the chicken katsudon.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T22:43:00.001-05:00

This was supposed to be our Christmas post, but alas we enjoyed a quiet day at the park and at home. We miss all the family and friends we usually see at this time of year. Thank you for your kind notes and gifts. May 2008 be even more full of excitement and wonder.

Back On the Farm

2007-12-16T23:53:00.001-05:00

Here's Aidan casting his vote for which Christmas tree he'd like for us to take home. He has been reading Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree and was very excited about picking out a tree. He also enjoyed the hayride, the roasted marshmellows and adding to his considerable stick collection. Thanks Uncle Greg your good advice; otherwise we would have had to chop off the top too.

Aidan Appleseed

2007-12-16T23:42:00.001-05:00

This photo dates back a few months when we set out to Linvilla Orchards to pick apples. Here's Rob and Aidan carting back the day's harvest. We strongly recommend the honey crisp variety. Philadelphia is blessed with being close to some of the best farmland in the country. This farm is only 25 minutes away. We took advantage of its proximity again during Christmas season too (see next entry).

1st Day at School

2007-09-20T21:04:00.001-04:00

Aidan recently started a new school with a new (and huge) backpack in tow. He has 11 other kids in his class which run by Mrs. Wells and her aide Amanda. He absolutely loves it. No separation anxiety here.

Hunt for October

2007-09-18T18:44:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe that the Phillies are still in the playoff hunt. Here's Aidan cheering on the local boys of summer against their rivals, the New York Mets. Jen and I don't know he managed to develop such an enthusiasm for baseball with such sports illiterate parents. He's still not willing to quite trade in his Bert and Ernie cap though.

Mr. Incredible

2007-06-15T00:07:00.001-04:00

Today was the "last day of school" for Aidan's nursery school, even though he'll be back next week for summer session. They celebrated by having a moonbounce and face painting. We weren't sure what he was but the teachers assured us that he's wearing a mask like The Incredibles. It did take an incredible amount of time to wipe it all off.

Happy Birthday Jen!

2007-06-14T23:27:00.000-04:00

We had a quiet day celebrating Jen's birthday. We had a yummy and very filling meal at Minado where we filled up on sushi. We then continued what is fast becoming a family tradition of ice cream cake for dessert. The cake was way to big for the three of us, so Aidan thoughtfully invited some friends. He offered to eat their share. Cooler heads prevailed.

Curious Aidan Flies a Kite

2007-06-12T14:27:00.001-04:00

This photograph is several months old, but we thought it was still worth sharing. Jen found these great miniature kites in New York. Aidan was a bit skeptical at first but became quite adept after a few minutes. Plus, it reminded him of a Curious George story also about kites. He was a tad disappointed that no helicopter came to rescue him.

Doin the Pigeon

2007-06-09T21:04:00.001-04:00

A manifestation of Aidan's devotion to Sesame Street's Bert is his love of pigeons. Here he is terrorizing a feathered friend. Too much!

Crocodile Aidan

2007-06-09T20:57:00.001-04:00

Rob took Aidan to the Philadelphia Zoo on a recent very rare day off. They had a blast. Aidan really loved the fountain at the entrance. It took Rob a bit to entice him away to look at the animals. We also were surprised to see how much he likes sporting a hat. Time for safari!

Hello Rubber Ducky

2007-06-08T17:41:00.001-04:00

After seeing our previous entry about Bert, Aidan insisted that we include a post of Ernie as well. He still recounts the many hugs from his Sesame Street buddies. Good thing we splurged with the season pass.

Batter Up

2007-06-08T17:17:00.000-04:00

While Jen snuck out for girls' weekend with some friends, Rob took Aidan to his first baseball game. The San Francisco Giants were in town so he got to see Barry Bonds play and hear the Philly fans boo him. Citizens Park is beautiful and very family friendly. We got there early, watched batting practice and even had ice cream, hot dogs, fries, chicken strips and water ice! The teams split the series 2-2, but I think a new baseball fan was born.

Where the Air Is Sweet

2007-06-08T16:48:00.000-04:00

This week was filled with many firsts. The most significant was Aidan's trip to Sesame Place. We've been planning this one for a long time, and it did not disappoint. The weather was perfect. The lines were still relatively short. While the park is known for its water-themed rides, Aidan was more than happy to see his favorite picture book friends come to life. He especially loves Bert (more on this later).

Mommy and Her Cub

2006-11-12T23:10:00.000-05:00

Our neighborhood is filled with kids, and Halloween is very popular. There were many ghosts, firefighters, princesses and of course our own little Simba. Thanks Pam for the lending us the costume.

Wunderkinds, part 2

2006-10-22T23:20:00.000-04:00

The kids discovered how to add special effects to everyone's amusement. Strangely, Aidan still seems strangely "normal". Yes, his head really is that large. Jen seconds that statement.

Wunderkinds, part 1

2006-10-22T23:14:00.000-04:00

Uncle Rob was quite the hit demonstrating the photobooth feature on his new laptop. Even Pandie got into the action.

A Philly Icon

2006-10-12T06:56:00.000-04:00

Philadelphia recently re-installed the Rocky statue in front of the Art Museum. While roundly panned by local critics, tourists seemed to flock to the site. I couldn't resist snapping this photo and adding some effects.

Congratulations Inbal and Rui

2006-10-12T06:48:00.000-04:00

We were able to share in the wedding of two our favorite people: Inbal and Rui. The ceremony was beautiful, and the party roared well into the night. Aidan tried to stay up for a photo with the bride but couldn't quite make it. Congratulations!

Reach for the Beach

2006-09-06T23:50:00.000-04:00

One of the treats from our recent trip to California was a detour to Santa Barbara with Rob's family. This was Aidan's first trip to the beach. He loved it until he was knocked over by an unexpectedly big, and cold, wave.

Paper or Plastic?

2006-07-22T14:46:00.000-04:00

Along with some friends, we finally made it out to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. It was fantastic. The museum has many themed play areas, including a full-sized Septa bus, a petting zoo, and a Maurice Sendak area. Aidan loved the kid-sized supermarket and charged the other kids about $37777777777 for their groceries. Thank goodness for Trader Joe's.

A Conditioned Love

2006-07-14T21:36:00.000-04:00

Aidan loves books. He has a particular affinity for the book, In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming. Each page is wonderfully illustrated and is accompanied by a short, clever rhyme. One page has the rhyme, "Pile Pack, Muskrats Stack". For some reason, Aidan will lift both his arms as if to signal a touchdown (see above). We think it's hilarious. We don't know when or exactly why he picked this up. Needless to say, we've had great fun with this peculiar Pavlovian response. He'll even do it in his sleep. Jen was upset with me for trying.

C is for Chocolate

2006-07-06T23:19:00.000-04:00

More milk, please!

Slice of the Big Apple

2006-07-06T23:08:00.000-04:00

Over July 4th weekend, Jen and I decided to relive our Greenwich Village days with a short, food-filled jaunt. To our surprise, our normally finicky eater was rabid for Joe's pizza. I must say that their fresh mozzarella pizza is a thing of beauty. Aidan also was wild for the chocolate cherry bread at Amy's Bread down the street. See the next photo for the gooey results!

At the Barnes

2006-06-23T22:14:00.000-04:00

We finally made it out to the Barnes Foundation even though it is literally in our backyard. Aidan delighted in lunging at the various African sculptures displayed in this eclectic collection. Jen and I took turns stopping him. We all enjoyed the garden behind the building.

Hair Today, Gone Today

2005-12-10T16:04:00.000-05:00

The first haircut has been a great source of anxiety for us. Finally, the time had come. Not wanting the responsibility for a potential disaster, we decided to seek professional help. We are happy with the outcome (Thanks Tina), but he looks decidedly older. Aidan behaved very well, shedding a few tears when some hair got into his eyes. Mommy had a hard time holding back her tears.

Hey Nonny Naan-i

2005-12-04T20:25:00.000-05:00

Despite our best efforts, our boy still has rather timid tastes. When presented with various goodies from the buffet, he chose the naan. Truthfully, we didn't offer any of the more flavorful items, but I thought he would have liked the dosa more (previous post). There's still time.

First Dose of Dosa

2005-12-04T20:09:00.001-05:00

Here is Aidan at his first south Indian restaurant called Dev i in Exton (sorry, no website, but see the chowhound link). Yes, he's already been to Minar Palace in Center City. Although he appears to be attacking this dosa with great zeal, he seemed more partial to the naan (see next photo).

Cheesy Rider

2005-12-04T20:09:00.000-05:00

One of Aidan's favorite activities (if you can call it that) is to ride in the car. Although he is still facing back and has a rather uninteresting view, he always seems to have a grand time.

Say Cheese...It's Nap Time

2005-11-27T21:17:00.000-05:00

Ever since Aidan learned to pull himself up, this has been the scene at nap time. He'll skip sleeping altogether. Who wants to nap when you can stand? Mom and Dad, that's who.

Fall Foliage

2005-11-27T20:54:00.000-05:00

One of the perks of living on the East Coast is enjoying the colors of fall. Last fall, we tooled around New England taking in the sites. This year, with the little guy in tow, a trip to the grocery can feel like an odyssey. Luckily, we have a beautiful Japanese maple tree in our yard. Of course, now all the leaves are gone and waiting to raked and bagged. Did we mention how much we enjoy living on the East Coast. :P

Yippee!

2005-11-27T20:46:00.000-05:00

We've been borrowing the Jumperoo from one of my co-workers. It's like an exersaucer except it goes up and down rather than around. Aidan's taken a while to get the hang of it but now absolutely loves it. Thanks Sena, Andras and Danny!

Monkeying Around!

2005-11-05T21:06:00.000-05:00

It was a bit too cold here for Aidan to go out for trick or treating. He did enjoy greeting the other kids in his monkey costume. We thought the accessory banana was over the top.

Sunday Brunch

2005-10-02T22:56:00.000-04:00

This weekend, we had friends Kelly, Sooj and Abby visit from Boston. To celebrate we visited a Philly institution, Lacroix at the Rittenhouse Hotel for brunch. This is a sample of the offerings. Yum.

Pop Art

2005-09-13T22:52:00.000-04:00

The weather was gorgeous so we strolled through the National Gallery Scupture Garden. Aidan really liked the House by Roy Lichtenstein. He also seems to be learning how to smile for the camera. If you look closely, you may spot his one little tooth!

Three in D.C.

2005-09-13T22:30:00.000-04:00

We were recently in Washington D.C. to attend a wedding of Jen's old high school buddy, Cathy to biz school beau, Russell. Congratulations to the happy newlyweds. No photographs were allowed during the ceremony, and our post-ceremony shots were less than satisfactory so we'll have to wait for the official pics. During the trip, Jen was reunited with the other member of the Mills High "brat" pack, Katie (pictured above). Aidan loved the attention.

Bean Town Reunion

2005-08-31T22:29:00.000-04:00

One of the perks from our recent trip to Boston was catching up with friends. Almost the entire cadre of graduate students from my PhD laboratory has ended up on the east coast. Kelly, now a post-doc at MIT, and Sooj have a little one too (not pictured due to bedtime). Inbal, also a MIT post-doc, has brought her sunny personality to sometimes gloomy Boston. Heather is thriving graduate student at Harvard. Still a high school student, Max is so grown up that I barely recognized him. I tried my best to pitch Penn, but I was clearly outnumbered by the Harvard/MIT gang. Missing is Pete, busy saving lives at Children's. (That cake was for you and your second stomach!). Thanks to Kelly's mom for a fantastic home cooked meal.

Backseat Driver

2005-08-22T20:52:00.000-04:00

Aidan recently graduated from his infant car seat (pictured above) to a larger, still rear-facing version. The new seat is taller and has more room, but we miss being able to see him peeking over at us.

Hamlet meets our little piglet

2005-08-15T22:14:00.000-04:00

We enjoyed near perfect weather in Boston. Here we are at Shakespeare at the Commons. This year's production was Hamlet. Aidan didn't quite make it through the whole play without fussing. Still we managed to stay and see the whole show. Also joining us was Pete and Loh-tse, not pictured because they were responsible for getting Upper Crust Pizza. Sausage or no sauage, that is the question.

Rugrats or Labrats?

2005-08-15T22:10:00.000-04:00

After many months we finally got to see Abby in person. They seemed to have hit it off right away. Abby graciously shared many of her toys and her exer-saucer. Aidan responded quickly by slobbering over everything. Sorry Kelly and Sooj. Rob was always messier than Kelly.

Funky little shack!

2005-08-15T22:04:00.000-04:00

We recently made out way to Boston for 2 weeks. Rob was working, but that didn't stop us from stopping (ok, we didn't even check into our room yet) for some good local eats. Jasper White's Summer Shack is a surprisingly large space that serves up some hard to beat New England seafood fare. We had the chowder, fish stew, fried Ipswich clams and of course, the lobster roll.

Frequent flyer indeed

2005-08-15T21:59:00.000-04:00

Here's Aidan paying rapt attention to the emergency evacuation procedures on a recent flight back to the San Francisco.

2005-08-15T21:56:00.000-04:00

You "D" man.

Scrumptious

2005-08-15T21:50:00.000-04:00

On June 25th, Aidan started on solids. Here he is with his very first spoonful of rice. The first few weeks were rather messy, but he quickly got the hang of it. He must know what is to come. Yum!

Curious Aidan

2005-05-05T21:14:00.000-04:00

Our little boy just went to his 4 month check up today. He's 25.5 inches long and weighs 15 pounds 2 ounces. He's following his growth curve nicely. We loaded him up with Tylenol before hand so he managed to survive his shots with only a few moans and groans. He's using his hands much more and appears to prefer his left hand. A possible southpaw like Auntie Joyce? It's harder to take candids of him. When he sees the camera, he'll stop what he's doing and stare right at the lens. Curious...

Taking a stand.

2005-05-02T02:17:00.000-04:00

No, he's not walking. Aidan loves to try and stand. In general, he doesn't like being put done, preferring to be held or positioned upright. He's still rather wobbly but loves pushing up with his legs.

Let them eat cake

2005-04-24T02:41:00.000-04:00

This is photo from 3/4/05 when Aidan was just turning 2 months. We had gone out to dinner at Sang Kee Bistro and happily found it situated right next to a Carvel's Ice Cream. Although it was still snowing we couldn't resist getting the old fashioned ice cream cake. Brrr, but yum.

Yankee Dandy

2005-04-21T21:37:00.000-04:00

Jen and Aidan recently took a trip to the Big Apple to relive the glorious gastronomic days gone by. (Rob was stuck in Philly preparing for his in-service exam). No trip to New York would be complete without seeing Freddy, Pam and Christopher (pictured above with our own little boy of summer). They noshed on Mario Batali pizzas at OTTO Enoteca Pizzaria. Jen had the funghi and taleggi pizza, while Pam and Freddy had the prosciutto arugula pizza and linguine con rapini pesto. Christopher had a classic cheese pizza. Aidan had to wait. Afterwards, they met up with some friends visiting from the Bay Area at Cafe Dante in Greenwich Village for dessert. Yum.

Tummy Time

2005-04-18T20:29:00.001-04:00

Aidan's been spending more time prone, more comfortable lifting his head for longer periods of time. When inspired, he may even flip over onto his back.

Little Buddies

2005-03-26T22:10:00.000-05:00

We were thrilled to finally meet Roger and Emily's wonderful little boy Ryan. Aidan was quite excited too. During the visit, Aidan rolled from his belly to his back for the first (at least witnessed by Rob).

Pleased with Pleasanton

2005-03-26T21:58:00.000-05:00

In early March, we returned to the Bay Area to introduce the little guy to the rest of the family. Here's Aidan mugging for the camera with his cousin Andrew, Auntie Helen and Om Ayin (aka Uncle Indra).

Got Milk? part II

2005-03-26T21:38:00.000-05:00

After over a month, we finally decided that breastfeeding just wasn't working out. While we do believe that "breast is best", we did find the significant resistance from the medical community to using formula. We think most of the pressure we felt came from the purest of intentions. Still, breastfeeding is not for everyone. Thankfully the little guy has adjusted well to the bottle...almost too well.

Animal Style

2005-03-26T21:34:00.000-05:00

Here's Aidan at 5 weeks with his friends (from left to right, clockwise) Pierre, Tweedle Bug, Wakko, Jurgen, Crispin, Emile and Chunky.

"Belly" Ache

2005-01-27T23:45:00.000-05:00

Here's Pete, a fellow graduate school survivor, visiting us for a residency interview and bracing himself for an authentic South Philly gastronomic experience at Tony Luke's. From left to right: cheesesteak "wiz wit", roast pork and provolone, chicken cutlet parmesan, and the "beef buster" (roast beef with horseradish sauce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, bacon and curly fries). Pete's the one with glasses.

Baby's First Northeaster

2005-01-24T22:07:00.000-05:00

We survived our first real snowstorm in Philly in style.

Got Milk?, part I

2005-01-16T21:40:00.000-05:00

Friends Song and Danielle visit bearing well wishes and a pot of Danielle's famous miyok gook (Korean seaweed soup) which is supposed to facilitate lactation. This is in addition the Chinese ginger wine, chicken soup, sweetened black vinegar, and fenugreek tablets she already taking. There's actually a very interesting literature on prescription and non-prescription remedies for poor lactation.

Doting grandparents

2005-01-14T22:23:00.000-05:00

Here's Aidan with Jen's parents. They are graciously helping out for the next month. Life is good.

Plum Becomes a Prune

2005-01-13T19:23:00.000-05:00

Nothing is more exciting (or more frightening) to new parents than bringing that new baby home. After 9 plus months of preparation, the day finally arrived. Everything seemed alright. The baby was born at a robust 8 pounds and 6 ounces. Mom appeared to be making a speedy recovery. We decided to breastfeed and dutifully attended all available lactation classes and consulted more experienced mothers. The good news was that Aidan seemed to be a natural. He latched on well, appeared to moving his jaw and mouth appropriately. Still, after 48 hours no milk appeared. We were told to stick with it and to expect her milk to come in "at any time". Compounding our anxiety was the fact that Aidan was jaundiced. This is common in breastfed Asian babies, so we held our breaths and took the moppet home.

The next 24 hours was the longest day of our lives. During this period, Aidan appeared to feed very well. Yet, something was wrong. His naps grew shorter while his cries grew longer. Literally, in the course of 12 hours, we saw his lips become chapped and his cheeks shrink. We knew dehydration is risk for breastfed babies, but clinical picture was not clear. He looked dry, but he continued to make the appropriate number of wet diapers. He latched on well to Jen's breast but easily lost interest. He also refused the bottle of formula we tried to supplement. During the whole time, he was easily arousable and very interactive, but his color became more yellow.

The morning came, and we went to check his bilirubin. It was higher than at discharge, so we decided to take him into the intensive care nursery. His total bilirubin reached 17 mg/dl, his serum sodium was elevated, and he had lost 1 pound and 1 ounce from his birth weight in 72 hours. He was immediately admitted for hyperbilirubinemia and dehydration.

Over the next two days, he responded very well to IV fluids and phototherapy. He's now nursing well and sleeping well. We're still continuing to breastfeed, although supplementing with formula a bit more liberally. We wanted to share this experience to highlight how subtle neonatal jaundice can be and to share some resources to answer some questions.

Thank you for your prayers.

2005-01-13T14:18:00.000-05:00

Hello Mommy!

Better Late...

2005-01-13T10:08:00.000-05:00

What an incredible way to start the new year. On January 6, 2005 at 10:56 AM, we welcomed our son into the world. His name is Aidan Atticus Lee and weighed in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces. He was a whopping 21.5 inches long! I still marvel at how he could fit into Jennifer for the last 41 weeks. Jen marvels too, although she would add a few other choice verbs as well.

He was originally due on December 30, 2004. The date came and went without any stirring. I was on-call at the time so we were initially relieved that the baby was late. However, as the days past our anxiety grew. Why isn't he coming out? Is there something wrong? Will he be too big to deliver vaginally? So we walked and walked and walked some more. Multiple laps around Ikea: nothing. Pacing the aisles at Target: still nothing. After exhausting every possible shopping mall in Philadelphia (hey, it's cold out here), we decided put aside our worries and enjoy some alone time together. What would we really miss doing after the little guy comes? So we headed to the nearest stadium seating theater and watched the latest Wes Anderson flick "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou". Not the greatest movie, but guess what? Jen started going into labor. I'll let Jen chronicle that particular experience, let's just say over 36 hours of contractions later, we had our baby boy!