No more milk

By MAVEN DING

We are a sick family. Let's track this ...

1/31-2/2: Mama sick with fever

2/2-2/4: Sedona sick with fever

2/4-2/9: Maven sick with fever

2/10-TBD: Dada sick with fever and still having cold symptoms

2/20: Mama sick with tummy ache

2/21-2/23: Maven sick with fever again!

2/28-3/1: Sedona sick with fever again!(posted 3/3)

If you happen to look at the dates and contrast it with the Lakers' schedule, you'll notice that Dada missed out on all my congested sleepless nights. Amazing timing by him, huh?

During this time Mama's milk was low, which Dr. Saad said is normal when she is sick -- so I've been transitioning to formula now. Mama didn't quite me it to a year with milk for me as with Sedona, but almost!

Happy Valentine's Day!

By SEDONA DING

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I've been sneaking into Mommy & Daddy's room in the morning around 5 a.m. to cuddle with them (today included). I thoroughly enjoy it, causing me to sleep in longer than used to -- until 8:30 or 9 a.m. Maven usually joins us around 6 a.m. Today, our wake-up time was 9 a.m.! I think my parents are liking this schedule!

Daddy doesn't celebrate V-day with Mommy, because he doesn't believe in contrived holidays to celebrate their relationship. I didn't care. I woke up this morning offering Daddy three empty water bottles -- my arms were full! -- as my "Valentine."

Then we headed off to have breakfast and play at McDonald's. After McD's we went to Delthorne Park in Torrance for some family fun (see below).

Have a great day with your loved ones!!!

P.S. Maven has a total of six teeth now: four on top and two on bottom.

I'm so cute (so says Sedona)

By MAVEN DING

Thankfully, I am feeling much better. I'm usually so good that all my caretakers are spoiled; they don't know what to do with me when I'm sick and therefore crabby.

Anyway, here's a photo montage to illustrate how I'm a gen-tang ... 

I just crawled myself into a spot under our easel ... 

... Let's see, can I get out this way? ... 

... What about this way?...

... Oh, I've got it. ...

... Ha-ha, I'm clever (like my Chinese zodiac sign, the rat) ...

... I'm out!

And I do this all the time, whether it's under the dining room table or even under Mommy's nightstand, where all the books I like to eat are.

"Daddy! Don't go away!"

By SEDONA DING

It has been a rough week with Maven and me being sick. We've both continued to have fevers off and on over the past week, with mine finally ending Saturday. Maven is improved but still has a stuffy nose and wants to be held upright to sleep so she can breathe better. She is starting to get used to it and maybe enjoying it a little given that now she cries out at night time for some tender loving care. Little does she know, Mommy and Daddy are strict sleep trainers. She'll be crying it out soon (well, more like already).

Daddy finally came home Monday. I really missed him. After he got home from the airport, he still needed to go to his Orange County Register office to swap computers because his broke on the 12-day road trip. But I didn't want him to leave again, so I said, "Daddy, don't go away!"

I also said it a few more times when Daddy was saying he was just leaving the room momentarily. The message was sent, and the entire family made the drive to the Register office in Santa Ana, but it wasn't a waste: Mommy got her cajun-flavored Boiling Crab again!

Today, I woke up and climbed into bed with Daddy, basically sleeping on top of him in various alignments until 9:10 a.m., which is way late for me. It was so late that we almost missed all of  Mommy & Me class that starts at 9 a.m. But I wanted Daddy and Maven to join us for class, so here we all are! (Mommy and I are on the left side in the first photo.)

Today was all about giving Valentine's Day cards. I'm stuffing personalized sweet hearts into my class-pals' heart folders.

Hearts! Hearts! Hearts!

We are hanging outside our classroom, where there is a play area with swings and slides, with Maven. She's so cute! I like to say that over and over.

We parked our car by Valley Park so here I'm showing my climbing skills. Impressive, huh? I'm always concentrating.

Then we took a shortcut through the grass to get back to our "Big Car," which is what I call our Cayenne ... although I always prefer to ride in the "Little Car," which is the 325. I started out walking ...

... but soon was running ...

"Daddy! Don't go away!"

Editor's note: Daddy is leaving Sedona again in about eight hours for an overnight trip to Utah. Luckily for the family, he is skipping the All-Star Game in Phoenix this weekend, so we'll have him home for a while.

Sick Girls

By MAGGIE WANG

Kevin is currently in Toronto on Day 7 of 12 on this trip, one of his many trips the rest of the Lakers' season. He has quite the timing because Saturday I came down with a 101-degree temperature -- and of course passed it along to both my precious daughters.

Sedona started her fever Monday but has been in pretty good spirits despite the whining and clinginess. I am not sure if that part is because I'm working too much or because she is sick. Either way, I've indulged it enough and I am ready to start taking control of the situation.

Maven started her fever last night. She has been a real trouper, too. She is stuffed up and cries more for "Mama! Mama!" but overall has been another great sick child. Maven is really mobile these days. She is crawling everywhere and totally getting into things (unlike our Baby Sedona). I call Maven, "Jen-tang." It is Taiwanese for "Bug that Gets into Things."

1/3/09: "No, I love you!"

1/1/09: Sliding in Vegas

12/30/08: Sledding in Vegas

12/29/08: Hopscotch Exhibition

12/24/08: Sedona the Gift-giving Elf