Making A Movie!

I haven't been posting here much lately because I am making a movie. Our new computer has all of these special effects, so it's lots of fun, with so many possibilities. The movie is more like a music video to illustrate some of my husband's wonderful musical compositions. Now that I've figured it out better, I'm moving along more quickly now. It's creating itself, really, because it is a tribute to our spiritual teachers. I hope to share it here soon!

Half Way Through Pregnancy!

Well, this pregnancy is really going fast, since I'm so busy with a two year old! I can't believe that I'm half way through now...4 1/2 months! The baby is still kicking all the time. I think it's a girl, and I know she likes pasta! :)

4 Months Done, 5 More To Go!

I've decided to take a picture of my belly every month to watch that baby inside grow! Here it is at 4 months completed, starting the 5th!

Meeting The Midwife!

I met Susan, the midwife, today. Not only does she have the same name as my mom, but also the same age, with a month difference! This is a great sign because the midwife plays a role like a mother. She is very kind and mellow...two things we find essential in a midwife. She shares all the same beliefs as us about mainstream medicine and using natural alternatives like homeopathy and herbal remedies...which I was hoping for. She supports patience in natural childbirth, as well as waterbirth. What I like best about her is that she has this overall reassuring feeling that there is no need to worry about a thing. She seems perfect for us! I'm happy I found her and look forward to bringing Vishnu Das and Haridas to meet her next month to hear the baby's heartbeat. Yay!

Beautiful Blessing Way

The blessing way for Nitya went wonderfully! We had about a dozen women and five kids gathered in our living room. We sang devotional songs of protection for her and the baby, played fun games, and painted her belly. I really liked the neclace we made for her. Everyone said a prayer while adding a bead. She went into labor later in the evening and had a baby boy at home in the water that night! It was a truly wonderful experience, and I'm so thankful everything went so well.

I have to give lots of credit to my wonderful husband. He did so much to make everything go well. He prepared food, decorated and rearranged furniture, tied ballons on the road, and even took Haridas for the afternoon, plus worked in between all of this! They had some good, fun, father-son bonding time hiking, while I was able to host a party without taking care of a toddler that needs to take a nap, which was very helpful. We all had a great St. Patrick's Day!

Crochet for the Blessing Way

I just finished crocheting this little hat for my friend Nitya, who is due to give birth any day now. We will be having a blessing way gathering for her on Saturday at our house. Blessing ways are so much fun and quite a beautiful experience. I hope it all goes well! I really love crocheting so much. I'm feeling more inspired now to make more. This hat is alpaca, from the Puruvian llamas, which is breathable like wool, but much softer. I think I'm going to be crocheting a lot more in the future!

Potato Head

Haridas really likes potatoes. I'm having to cook up extra batches for him all the time these days. I'm writing this as he eats them happily. He likes to watch me flip them in the pan. Sometimes he can't even wait for them to cook or cool down because he wants them now. It's a little strange to me, but at least he's not obsessed with candy or cookies or something worse than good old potatoes. It must be those Irish and Maine potato farmer genes!

When I'm Feeling Blue...

...all I have to do is take a look at you, then I'm not so blue. ;)

Ha ha ha!

Who is this guy and how did his picture get into our family blog???




I just wanted to cheer up the place after all the posts about child passenger safety. :)

Midwife News

I've been looking into midwives since the one who I had last time will probably not be here. So, today I talked to who I think is our best choice, and we'll be meeting next week. She seems really nice, and here name is Susan, which is my mom's name. We'll get to hear the heartbeat and all that good stuff! Yay!

Tether Straps

We always wondered what the metal hooks on the ceiling in the back of our car were for, and now I know. It's to connect the tether straps at the back of a child car seat, as a back up for if the seat beat fails. It also keeps the upper area of the car seat more unmovable, which lessens whiplash. It's nice and reasuring to have little Haridas extra super safe in the car. Even older cars can have them added, so pass the word on to anyone you know with kids! :)

Very Active Baby

This little one in my belly is so active now! All throughout the day and night I feel lots of movement! It's like the little soul is asking me to send lots of love all the time. Just thought I'd share that it looks like we will soon have two very active kids, Good Lord willing. :)

Importance of a 5-Point Harness Carseat

OK, this is a very touching and sad video that can save lives, so don't watch it unless you are prepared to cry or have a child under 80 lbs. A very kind mother made this to share the awareness that is lacking in child passenger safety today after the loss of her son. My heart goes out to her and I've thanked her for being so strong so share her story to help others, bless her soul. It's crazy to think that car accidents are the #1 cause of children's deaths in America. I'm definately inspired to keep our little ones super safe in the car.
Click Here to watch.
The only car seats with a 5-point harness that go up to 80 lbs. are Britax Regent and Sunshine Kids Radian80 or the Kid Y Safety Angel booster with add on 5-point harness. Please pass this important info to anyone with kids!

Baby's First Kicks!

The past two nights have been filled with the fluttery feeling in my belly from the baby's first kicks! It's nice to know all is well in there! These movements really bring the reality of another life growing inside of me. It's such a miracle! All I do is eat and this soul grows it's own body! Our Lord always amazes me!

The Lawnmower Team

Haridas insists on helping Papa mow the lawn. So, in the backpack he goes and together they mow.

Thank God For Sunshine!

Yay! We had a few very rainy weeks, but the sunshine is back, and boy is it hot! I even had to join Haridas in playing with the hose and the kiddie pool to cool off! We went to the beach on the other side of the island a few days ago, and we all had a blast in the ocean and sunshine (even though we all got sunburned). I'm so happy that we can go on our daily walks again...Haridas was getting so restless being inside for days in a row. Thank you, Lord, for sunshine!

In Loving Memory

This is a picture of my father's mother, Grandma Anne, with me as a baby. She passed away at the age of 93 in March, 2004 when I was pregnant with Haridas. I used to visit her as a kid for all the holidays, and always looked forward to spending time with her because she was so sweet. She was the last in our family who could speak Cantonese, and her presence always reminded me that the Chinese culture is much older than American culture.

Here's a picture of the Jung family that is no longer with us (except for the baby me), Grandma Anne, her husband Grandpa Ray, and her daughter Aunt Phyllis. Sending lots of love to these sweet souls, in loving memory!

Slideshow: Heroes

I made this slideshow of the heroes who saved me and the acaryas who teach by example. (I origionally included my husband and little boy at the end because they certainly saved me, but one of them insisted that I take them out.)

When Papa's Home...

...Haridas and I are so happy! I am so very thankful for the wonderful job and hard work he takes care of all the time, and I hope it continues to support us so that I can raise our children at home. But still, I am so very thankful for when he has a day off of work to be home with us. Haridas really gets some quality 'Papa time' and has so much fun. He does sweet things that I usually don't have time for, like make pancakes or homemade hummus. We get to hear his great guitar playing, and I'm always amazed at how he comes up with the greatest ideas that I just never thought of before, like snuggling with Haridas inside the playhouse. We love those special days!

Gaura Purnima Ki Jai!!!

The full moon on Saturday was Gaura Purnima, the celebration of the most recent incarnation of Krishna (God), Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He appeared in the mood of Radharani (Krishna's beloved), and in the form of a renounced devotee, teaching the path of devotional service to God. This year was extra special because there was a full moon eclipse just like there was the night of his appearance over 500 years ago. For the full story of Lord Caitanya, click here . All of our friends gathered to sing, dance, and hear about the Lord. There was probably around 100 devotees, and at least 25 kids. We rented this great building that even had a playground with a slide and lots of toys. The kirtan (congregational, devotional singing) was beyond words. Everyone had a great time! Here's a few pics that don't come close to capturing what we all experienced.

Toddler Kisses

Here's cute, little Haridas giving kisses!

Two Peas In A Pod

Every once in a while, I babysit a little boy named Zamar. Haridas gets some play time and practice sharing toys, and we get to help out a single mom. Zamar is 2 months older than Haridas, and they both can play with toy cars forever! They are at the same developmental stage, and are such a great match for each other. They really have a great time together bonding in their love for toy cars, dumptrucks, and the like. They are like two peas in a pod! Here's some cute pics!



And I found this and had to share: