: Baby Lamb

Post from Venice Beach

2009-08-02T11:30:00.001-07:00

Nika insists on calling me Muddar.

Lan-Chi Lam
// via Blackberry - please excuse typos and brevity //

Doh!

2008-09-25T23:34:00.001-07:00

I just uploaded 8 photo albums via DotMac/MobileMe service and I have to re-upload them because I set the photo quality too low -- a few hours on the weekend for me. Middle-quality will have to do for now.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

OK folks, 2008 pixs -- all in one night !

2008-09-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

New photos are finally up!
Busy as ever! and it didn't help that Apple couldn't make up its mind on a web service -- .Mac, MobileMe, iWeb, Pages -- all doing the same thing.

I gave up on using iWeb because the page builder required too much effort when all I do these days is post photos. I started using Google's Picasaweb to document work on the new, old house and ended up really liking it; the built-in publish feature from iPhoto is ideal. But I do want to keep that album strictly for the house and other real-estate projects. Nika and our family have our own website.

Here I am, last quarter of 2008 and on to the next Apple web product: the revised .Mac -- now MobileMe. I am embarrassed to say I should of checked it out when my dear friend and Apple colleague, Sarah Brody took over the design group of .Mac a few years ago. The feature enhancements were significant and UX very elegant. I'm making up for it now, the process was soo smooth, I uploaded all of our family trips and events (8 albums) thus far; all in one night.

Again, I had these albums organized in iPhoto, I just couldn't get myself to open iWeb and build new pages. The other option was FaceBook, but I've been very specific what I put there. Enjoy and sorry for the delay.

Testing feature

2008-08-27T01:00:00.001-07:00

Its late, testing email-to-blog feature
Chi Lam {via blackberry}

Officially on vacation

2008-04-15T21:59:00.001-07:00

I am officially on vacation and not taking the laptop with me.
Pictures will be taken with my digital Canon and uploading photos to facebook via my mobile phone.

Can't wait, we get to spend two days in Washington DC -- it's going to be a great trip. Nika's first long plane trip -- 6 hours.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Finally subscribed to buddy bloggers

2008-03-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

Wow, two posts in one month! My browser of choice is Flock and I finally subscribed to all my fellow bloggers. Yay technology. But don't get too excited, the next big house chore calls Lars and I.

We need to investigate serious sun shade products for the back patio and pool area. And one of trees is aching for a trim.

2007 was a busy year

2008-03-28T00:46:00.000-07:00

You might have noticed there are no posts for 2007 -- we were a little busy.
1. Bought a new house.
2. Fixed new house so we could live in it.
3. Tried to sell the Tujunga house (while doing the above), its now rented to lovely tenants.
4. Raising Nika !

Click on the picasa link on the left for pixs of the new house.

Big ups to The O & Bill G

2006-04-15T01:10:00.000-07:00

Say what you want about the Evil Empire -- they make horrible software, they accept mediocrity, they suck -- but give a hand to Bill G and the Gates Foundation. They are philanthropists who are Really investing in Long-Term change and issues. He's not just giving the money away, he's looking for systematic progress. Bill and Melinda went on The O to bring focus to the sad, shameful state of our education system - it was depressing, it brought me to tears.

… Nika will never have to worry about her education.

Bill G has a good point on the long term effect of this mediocrity: the decline of America as a leader in brainpower.

Nika is 5 months

2006-04-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Monday, April 17th, Nika will be 5 months ! WOW!
She is developing into a little person -- extremely vocal. I like to think we have our own mother-daughter language.
The best is that she recognizes familiar folks in her life; Lars and myself, grandma and grandpa.
And she is starting to pay attention to the dog, Bubba (trouble)?

The new photo and movie are from an Easter photo shoot and play wither her monkey on her changing table. This is typical Nika-Grandma interaction, gMa does what she wants and Nika is along for the ride.

PS: I was not blogging due to host server issues.
The good news, I found a new host and my site is back up and I will be revising that periodically too.

Our little family during Tét 2006 (Lunar New Year)

2006-03-03T13:48:00.000-08:00

Mermaid Baby (bless you)

2006-03-02T00:32:00.000-08:00

When the story about Milagros Cerron began airring on Discovery Health a few months ago -- I was still pregnant with Nika -- and was quite moved but could not comment (because my site was off limits).

Lars and I discussed the story and came to the conclusion... Thank goodness for good medical coverage. The truth is -- if this happened in the US, chances are -- doctors would have caught it in-womb and operate then (would it even be possible)? I just remember feeling sooo thankful for having good medical coverage and being able to see my doctor every month/week then.

The other aspect that touched me was the 'folklore' and superstitious p.o.v. of the Milagros' family. It was kinda like straight out of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel describing "magical realism." Vietnamese culture has many superstitions, so I empathized with the baby's family quite easily.

I just wanted to note on the mermaid baby. Discovery Health also did a great job telling the story.

Nika Update - 3Months!!

2006-02-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

Darn that unreliable web host! Here's the latest on Nika:

Have you seen the New Year's pictures? Well, lots have happened since New Year's.

We recently took a trip to the Bay Area to introduce Nika to the Schullers (Lars' side), and she was also Baptised.
Those pictures are ready, I have to add to the .mac photo album.

I also have returned to work and my mother is Nika's primary caretaker. She stays with us Mon-Wed and Thurs-Fri, takes Nika to Bellflower (my parents' house). We get her back Friday night or Saturday morning -- depending on convenience. Nika visits me a few times a day "at work" in the home office and I get to take "baby breaks" -- rather than coffee breaks if I were in the office. It's very nice having the baby so close, it keeps me in great spirits and very calm. Surprisingly, I don't get distracted from work either, once I am in my office -- its all business.

I often think about the emotional benefits and productivity level of working moms if more companies had onsite daycare and moms could visit their children during lunch and breaks. I would love that if I were in the office again.

ISO reliable, cheap host

2006-02-28T15:56:00.000-08:00

I haven't been able to access my website (www.sacredlam.com) since the last post -- which was October '05. I need a new host, does anyone have suggestions?

More Shower Pics

2005-10-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

Two more links from friends:

San Jose: http://homepage.mac.com/jenniferrose/PhotoAlbum18.html

Oakland: http://flickr.com/photos/nicolenguyen/sets/979356/

thanks Jennifer and Nicole.

Kicks, Turns and the Hiccups

2005-10-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

I am 8 weeks away from due date and this I know -- the baby kicks, turns and gets the hiccups.

The Kicks: when I lay on my back, you can see my stomach actually move and jump. And the kicks have gotten stronger per week too.

The Turns: stomach turning really! Not as visual as the kicks, but just as noticable to me. I usually have to stop what I am doing for a second and let the baby do her thing.

The Hiccups: this is a recent development I have noticed. This is getting more common too, about two to three times a day. The hiccups go on for about two minutes.

Baby Showers

2005-09-03T01:56:00.000-07:00

We had two baby showers in the bay area, one in Oakland and one in San Jose. Both were thrown by our gracious friends in the bay and from Apple — we are very lucky! Lars came up to attend both and we drove the loot home together.

I have photos and home movies of both showers. The one in Oakland was a smaller one with family and north bay friends; the one in San Jose was thrown by my Apple friends — both were amazing and very fun. Lars and I are very grateful to all the folks who planned, hosted and attended both parties.
Thank you !

Sex & Name

2005-09-03T01:20:00.000-07:00

So I guess I may suck at this blog thing — I’m suppose to write and contribute all the time, right? Well, I’ve been kinda busy. Here’s the latest…

We’re having a GIRL. We’ve picked the name, Nika Kim-Cuong Schuller.
Nika is Slavic/Russian (Lars is part Russian), Kim-Cuong is Vietnamese for “diamond in the rough.”
Baby’s room is almost ready; new floors, painted (but still need detailing).

So I Enter the Blog World

2005-07-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog post.
It's not that I am not aware of the Blog World, rather, I just didn't feel I had anything to write about - all the time. Now I do! Lars (my husband) and I are expecting our first baby - due date: November 28th, 2005. This blog will document our journey till then and afterwards, when our little one is born. I will probably not divulge on anything else other than the topic of our baby.