There is actually big news now that Emi has turned 7 months!  First off, she has finally learned how to roll – both from her back to her stomach and from her stomach to her back.  I have to admit, I was quite worried when she didn’t do either or and slightly less worried once she figured out the first.  The latter took a bit more time because after all, isn’t there so much more to look at and see once you are on your stomach?  When Emi first rolled from her stomach to her back, I completely missed it.  All I heard was an “Ehhhhh!” since I was putting one of her books away and the next thing I knew, she was on her back again when I turned around.  Initially I was sad to have missed it, but she did it immediately again and ever since then, she has been rolling back and forth and back and forth…and back and forth.   Toy a bit out of reach?  Why, I will just roll over there!  It is funny to watch her do it over and over again and she is now starting to make hand movements that point towards the direction of eventually crawling.  We’ll see where Emi is by next month!

In addition to rolling, Emi can now sit up on her own.  She loves to sit and play with blocks, balls, and anything that catches her eye.  Emi is able to grasp items with both hands and manipulate them in order to examine them closely.  She is especially fascinated with my necklace or the collar of my shirt when I hold her. Whatever she can get her lil’ hands on she grabs with full force.  It is especially funny when Emi tries to grab Sandi’s tail as it wags back and forth or when she tries to pet Peanut.

Since Emi can sit up on her own, she is now joining us at the big table in the highchair.  We no longer have to eat our meals in five minutes or less since she happily plays with her toys while we eat.  She won’t sit there indefinitely, but it is nice to be able to chew our food thoroughly now.  And Emi likes to join in on our conversations.  Did I tell you I have a talker?  It is so funny when she babbles along and reminds us that she is there, too.  She even talks when I run errands and heads turn to see where that big voice is coming from.  It is pretty darn cute.

As you can see, this entry is really late, but I have had my hands full!  Month eight is fast approaching and there is much to look forward to…like my first Mother’s Day!  More updates on Emi soon!

It was absolutely wonderful capturing the love between the sisters, but also seeing how much Charlotte has grown since the first time I met her.  Congratulations again, Lisette and Jeremy on the new addition to the family.  Your girls are lovely and it was a delight to spend the morning with your family!

I love this funny face Charlotte made!

So not only did Emi finally roll, she can sit up!  She still needs some support, but she is learning to put her hands in front of her to hold herself steady.  Sometimes Emi is a silly monkey and decides to suck her thumb, which results in her tipping over.  However, she is trying to master how to sit and suck her thumb.  I think she will get it soon.  I am guessing she is getting one step closer to being mobile.  Once those little hands and feet figure out how to move and coordinate together, I think I will be chasing after her.

Emi absolutely loves to play and finds pulling on toys, throwing her ball, and playing and throwing the stacked cups on the floor hilarious.  The best, though, is that she loves books.  We read anywhere from four to six books a day and she actually reacts to them.  She laughs in anticipation to the sound effects in one of her books and thinks it is hilarious when I roar to the green dinosaur.  I am crossing my fingers that I am building the quality of an avid reader.  Afterall, I love to read and so does Taro.

We are looking forward to so many things with Emi – her first Easter, her first trip down to San Diego – and it continues to be a wonderful adventure with her each and every single day.

Last year I took photos of Fiona, celebrating her first birthday.  I remember her happily running down the sidewalk and smiling to her mommy and daddy who were singing songs.  Now as a two-year-old, some things have changed, but some things have remained very much the same.  Fiona was running around during the photo session, just like she did last year.  Only this year, she is much faster which meant that I, too, was running around.  I wasn’t prepared for this workout session, but thoroughly enjoyed capturing Fiona’s love for the seesaw in the park, kicking around her ball, or just chasing after bubbles.  Those same songs brought smiles again and if anything, more animation and spirit in Fiona.  It was definitely fun seeing her throw her hands up in the air or put her fingers next to her cheeks and say, “Cheeeeese.”

It was so much fun hanging out with this lil’ girl and seeing how she progressed from a one-year-old to a two-year-old.  I cannot wait to hang out with Fiona again and to meet her little brother in May!  She is going to be an awesome big sis!

I feel as if time goes by faster as you get older. As a kid, time went by really slow as you anticipated your birthday, Christmas, or summer vacation. Now it seems like the holidays speed by and birthdays come faster. You forget how old you are whereas when you were a kid, you were seven forever. Time goes by even faster now that I have baby. I think, “Wow, back in September she was hanging out in my belly” or “Remember when Emi…” It hasn’t been that long, but at the same time, she is now five months. How did five months go by so quickly?

Not much has changed with Emi. She can scoot her lil’ bum around, but hasn’t felt the desire to roll around. She does like to kick her toys and continues to furiously kick her piano in the car. She realized that if she kicked the piano hard enough the animals on the mirror would move. It is pretty amusing to look into the rear view mirror and see the animals bouncing up and down.

Emi went through a silent period where she didn’t babble and coo much. However, she has re-established her voice and “talks” more than ever. Not only that, she loves to laugh and smile. Emi loves to play and gets a kick out of animals that surprise her, putting her rings in her mouth, and watching the movement of fingers. She likes to dance and wiggle and it makes Taro laugh when Emi and I do the tango. Emi smiles when I do silly things like that with her. She likes to play peek-a-boo and loves classical music…along with off-key renditions of The Wheels on the Bus. Emi also likes the ABCs, books, and sticking her lil footsie in the air.

It has been an amazing five months and I cannot believe that six months – half a year!- is just around the corner. I know a year will be here in a blink of an eye and I’ll look back and see how far my baby girl has come.

I love this girl.  And I have had the pleasure and honor of photographing her from the very start.  I cannot believe she is turning two already.  Time has truly flown by and to see her turn into this little girl – I held her when she was just a week old! – is truly amazing.  Isabella is an absolute doll and sweetheart.  She loves other kids and gives hugs freely.  She especially loves babies – Emi holds a special place in her heart and that makes me smile – and will one day be a great older sister.  Besides that, Isabella is imaginative (playing with her doll and always up for make believe), full of energy, and a lil’ talker.  I love that she mixes in Cantonese with her English, is her mommy’s best friend, and just brightens up everyone who is around her.

I cannot wait to capture more memories of Isabella and to celebrate her 2nd birthday this weekend.  Happy birthday, big girl!  Hugs and kisses from both me and Emi!

To celebrate Emi’s arrival into the world, my parents had her Red Egg Party in January. We wanted to have it later so that she would have all her shots. There was tons of food – Hawaiian food from Aloha Cafe – along with a roasted pig, a celebratory tradition. My mom made her chocolate chip cookies while Taro’s mom made castella. In addition, I had pastries – brownies, raspberry jam bars, and lemon bars – and pies – lemon meringue, strawberry rhubarb, and cheesecake – catered from Maile’s Fine Pastries. To really top it all off, there was also a candy buffet done by AJB Events. I am sure some guests worked backwards and started with dessert since there were all sorts of sweets (even cupcakes from Portos)! It was so nice to have our family and friends there, especially those meeting Emi for the first time. Even though she slept through most of the party, it was good to catch up with friends and enjoy the company of others over a plate piled high with food. I cannot thank my parents enough for putting the party together, but also to our friends and family for their love and generosity. Emi is one lucky girl to have all these people in her life! 5 months is fast approaching and as always, I cannot wait to see what is to come.  Emi has already celebrated her first Chinese New Year and grandpa’s birthday. There is definitely more in store since she will be our little valentine!

New Year’s Eve was also unlike the ones from previous years.  Usually Taro and I would be in Vegas anticipating the countdown with a crowd of people.  This year we were with the Kan family and enjoyed food from Luscious Dumplings – oh so good, by the way -, cherished our girls and reminisced about how life was before and how we cannot imagine Isabella and Emi not being in our lives, and played Catch Phrase – boys against girls, tied 1 to 1.  Yes, it was a low-key night, but it was relaxing, fun, and simple in the most enjoyable way.  You can’t beat a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream and for the boys, a glass of  30-year old scotch, neat.

Today we headed off to Little Tokyo to celebrate the new year.  We met up with Taro’s family and enjoyed the magic show that was on stage – I don’t understand how he pulled out a gigantic straw from the hat nor how the 4 doves turned into a rabbit – and later had lunch with Rich, Lizet, and Sienna.  It was nice to see them, especially since our schedules are always busy.  Hopefully this year we can get together more, especially since I know Emi and Sienna will become great playmates and friends!

I look forward to what 2012 will bring.  2011 was an exciting year with my pregnancy and birth of my little munchkin.  However, I know there is a lot to look forward to and I cannot wait for the adventures that lie ahead, the good food and eats we want to try – perhaps this is the year for Cut and Spice Table and many more restaurants are on the list, the continued growth of my photography venture, the milestones Emi will overcome, and everything else life has to offer.

Happy new year to all of you and to those who have been a part of my path down photography, thank you for all the opportunities and letting me be a part of your lives.  I am sure we will cross paths again…especially if there are additions to your family…or just because you want photographs to document the new year.

Besides her physical changes, Emi is officially a talker.  It started off with coos and grew into more babbling.  Today, I think I held a 20+ minute conversation with the girl!  I think she has more things to say than me and that is not only surprising, but a whole lot of conversation!  It is really cute, though, and I find it entertaining.  She is so talkative and loud that I can hear Taro and Emi talking in the bedroom from the laundry room!  She definitely keeps her daddy busy.

Emi is a wiggly little one now and I can see the beginning attempts of trying to roll over.  She can get on her side and bend her knees.  I’m guessing with a little more practice, she is going to be turning over soon.  In addition to her movement, she has a strong hold with eye contact and whenever she sees someone familiar, Emi gives a smile.  I have to say I am lucky because I usually get the most smiles out of her and they are becoming bigger and a laugh usually accompanies it.  She is definitely a momma’s girl and will now only be held by me at night and be put down for bed by me only.  I have to admit, I absolutely love it and cherish these moments.  I hope she will go back to Taro, though, because I know night time, especially on weekdays, is the only time they have to bond and hang out.

I don’t exactly know what is in store for the next month, but I do know that I am going to enjoy every moment of it, especially since I go back to work at the end of January.  For now, I am going to hold Emi tight, have 5 minute, 20 minute, hour long conversations, smile, laugh, and giggle, and enjoy the 8 hours that she is sleeping at night!  (You were so right about it getting easier at 3 months, Lizet!)

It was a joy capturing the Fong family and I cannot wait for our next session together.  Congratulations again on your beautiful girl, Andy and Amy!  Emi is going to love having play dates with Madeline!

After the crazy wind in South Pasadena, it left piles of leaves in the park.  However, Kaitlyn had a blast tossing them in the air with her daddy!