Gagabber

1 Year!

2017-11-11T07:44:00.003+07:00

Watching you grow, learn, and develop from a squirming little newborn to a power walking (almost running), inquisitive, determined, and giggly tot has been the most rewarding and joyful year of our life. I'm having trouble letting go of my cuddly infant that was happiest snuggled up with Mom and Dad and would gladly nurse through a 10 hour international flight. You now want lots of varied activities and time to explore new places, toys, and everyday objects. You love to carry Oolong's toys around so she'll follow you around and will even hand them over to her on occasion. Your sense of humor is evident and you love to make people laugh, especially Dad and Gramma. We love you so much sweet boy.

We had a busy month and started it out with a trip to Nevada to visit Grandma, Pap-Pap, Great Grandma, Auntie, Uncle, and your two older cousins. You loved chasing them around and all the extra attention from family. You must have opened their cabinets 200 times per day and walked several miles in their backyard pushing toy trucks around. We ended the month with a small birthday party for you where you received so many fun gifts, chowed down on pizza, practiced sharing your toys with friends, and seemed to enjoy your first taste of cake.

Size: At your 1 year check-up you were 25 pounds and 30 ¾" tall.
Eating: Your favorite foods are spaghetti, any kind of fruit, and pb and applesauce sandwiches. You didn't quite know what to make of your cupcake on your 1st birthday at first, but really got the hang of it a few minutes in. You still enjoy nursing, but Mom is ready to start cutting down the sessions so hopefully the weaning process isn't too difficult for us.
Sleep: You have recently started sleeping much longer at night and seem to be transitioning towards one nap a day, but we're both not quite ready so we'll hold onto that second nap as long as possible.
Talk: You love to talk and now say Dada, Mama, Nene (Oolong), and No (towards Oolong). You have so many different sounds and really have the "more" sign down, especially when eating.
Play: You've outgrown many of your baby toys and now love to carry small objects around and put them in bins. At the playground you love to explore around and often find a hill to try running down while Mom, Dad, or Gramma tries to catch you before you fall. You enjoy climbing the stairs and are slowly learning to put toys away with lots of encouragement from Mom and Dad.

Miles and miles of rough and tough construction play

Cuddles with Morgan

Play time with Madden

Farm play at the pumpkin patch

Studying the many pumpkin options

Zoo day with the ladies

Captain Hux at the air museum

Our little pumpkin

First set of wheels

First taste of frosting

Happy little Halloween mechanic

11 Months

2017-10-18T10:17:00.002+07:00

Look out world, Huxley is walking and we couldn't be more proud! You started walking at 10 ½ months and its taken several more weeks for you to gain confidence and begin walking more than crawling. Another big milestone is that you are self-feeding and really want to do it all by yourself now. You are clapping, learning to hand things over, and passing a ball. It amazes me how much your personality is showing through now and we love our determined, inquisitive, and goofy little boy. Your favorite books right now are Little Owl, Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site, and Doggies.

Size: You weigh 24 lbs this month and fit really well in 18 month clothes. We started cloth diapers and some of your pants are really tight now while at the same time being too long.
Eating: You are an ambitious eater and have a habit of shoving food into your mouth faster than you can chew. According to Grandma, this is another trait inherited from Dad. Now that you're feeding yourself, you've become much more picky and would love to subsist on fruit and cheese. We usually give you vegetables first hoping that you'll be hungry enough to try them. You still nurse about 4 times a day, but seem to prefer it mostly for comfort and cuddles first thing in the morning and before you nap / sleep.
Sleep: You are still such a good sleeper - at least 10 hrs at night and 2 naps that last about 1 ½ hrs. Even with all that sleep, it often seems like you overtire yourself with exploring around.
Play: You love to push things around - furniture, chairs, laundry baskets, push toys, your computer table, Tupperware, your highchair, or even the stroller. You love tickles and find funny faces from Mom and Dad hilarious. Dad roughhouses with you when he gets home from work and you love being swung around and hung upside down, especially if it ends with a good tickle.

First steps

Who's that handsome boy?

Family beach day

Just tasting the sand Mom

Wrist rolls club

All smiles at the fountain

Park time in Tualatin

All smiles during picnic time

Family hike

10 Months

2017-09-02T05:05:00.003+07:00

We've been making the most of the beautiful Oregon summer and getting outside as much as possible which seems to be the best antidote for the seemingly endless teething and recent cold you had. One of the highlights of this month was going down to Salem to celebrate Grandma's birthday, watch a baseball game, and see the solar eclipse. You slept through the eclipse but sure enjoyed playing with Grandma's kitty toys and exploring the big parks close to her apartment. You've been mimicking a lot more noises this month including (we think) the elephant noise your jumparoo makes. Your love for the water continues to grow and we usually get to a splash pad, pool, or beach once or twice a week to keep you happy. You always go to sleep so easily after a day splashing around. Hopefully we'll find a good indoor pool for the long Oregon winter.

Size: We met our new pediatrician this month and you were 29 ½" tall and 23 lbs, still a very big boy for your age. We've been living in temp housing much longer than expected so I've been hoping that you don't hit another big growth spurt before we move into our house in late September. All your bigger clothes are packed in the shipment.
Eating: You still highly prefer to be fed but will grasp blueberries, bananas, and grapes and let us guide them to your mouth. You drink out of a straw and can mostly feed yourself a pouch. You like almost everything but have started protesting anything with a little bit of spiciness in it like Mexican rice.
Sleep: We had a few rough nights where we had to hold you throughout the night when you were sick. You were so uncomfortable and tired it just broke our hearts. Trying to give you Motrin is the absolute worst part of parenting and elicits the most dramatic fit I've ever seen from you - violent back arching, high pitched screaming, and arms flailing wildly. Grandma says you get this from Dada and that she is scarred for life from trying to give him medicine.
Play: You really love to turn the pages in your favorite books. Since we're living in a temporary apartment, we've avoided buying new toys for you but its becoming clear you're done with the "baby" stuff and ready for some more challenging toys. Luckily its summer and super easy to entertain you by taking you to the park, playground, or splash pad nearby. Your favorite activity seems to be looking for doors to close, cabinets to open, and drawers to slam. Mom has to be on constant patrol.

Still feeling a little under the weather for this month's photo.

Cruisin around our favorite playground

Gymnastics practice with Dada

Splash pad at Orenco station

He's quick on the grab so we have to clear the perimeter

So sad you've outgrown these awesome Nikes

Zoo day with the ladies

Fun at the pool

Keepin' an eye on the girls

Jamison square fountain with your friend Cedar in the background

Play hard, nap hard

Proud zoo members!

Perfecting those modeling poses

Sauvie Island beach day

9 Months

2017-07-31T00:45:00.001+07:00

This month we moved out of our apartment in Taiwan and have been staying in a temporary apartment in Hillsboro, Oregon where you've been excitedly practicing your crawling, standing, cruising, and falling. You've been saying "dada dada" for a few months now and to my joy started saying "mama mama" too! We're not sure that you know what it means yet, but absolutely love hearing it none the less.

Grandma G is delighted to have you near and has babysat several times now while Mom and Dad enjoy a few dates. You love all the attention and snuggles and have really turned on the charm to get her laughing.

Size: We haven't had a scale this month so we'll have to wait for a weigh in when we meet your new pediatrician next month. You look to have grown in height quite a bit and slimmed down with all the activity.

Eating: You still love eating and we've started giving you more table foods cut into small pieces rather than purees or mashes. Your favorites have been blueberries, peaches, cherries, raspberries, pasta, cheese, and pb&fruit sandwiches. You often say "mumumumum" when you really like your food. You are growing less interested in the pouches of food, but still eat them on occasion when we go out to eat and there aren't good options for babies.

Sleep: You were a jet lag champ and adjusted to Oregon time in just 3 days, which was much faster than Mom and Dad. You've been going to bed at around 8pm and waking up between 6 and 7am. You take two naps and they've been quite long lately as you've been going through a growth stage.

Play: You've figured out how to "play" with Oolong by grabbing her baby or bone and swinging it wildly around while squealing with enthusiasm. Oolong doesn't quite know what to make of it but is very ready for the day that you learn to throw her toys for her. You've spent many, many hours playing with your stroller while you stand up - exploring the straps, wheels, and levers while making various grunts and blowing loud raspberries. You also love to push your highchair around, swing doors, pull on drawers, open your books, and unlace our shoes.

Bath: Dad gives you a bath in the regular tub after dinner every night and you love to relax and play with your cups while he scrubs you down and squirts water on your belly.

Looking slim and trim this month, please don't lose those leg rolls yet Hux!

Turn up the volume for Huxley's giggles

Who's that handsome baby?

Last visit to the Art Museum in Taichung

Making friends

View from our hotel room in Taichung

First crawl through the grass in America

First playground swing

Always enthusiastic about dinner, we're enjoying it while it lasts!

Jeff has this exact facial expression!

Cheeky boy!

Exploring the Portland Children's Museum

Games at the park, sadly Hux couldn't enter the eating competition

Stroller time is serious business

Oregon Summer

2017-07-28T05:30:00.000+07:00

Since we moved to Asia 5 years ago, our trips back to America have felt like a whirlwind of activity and reunions. While we needed to pack the schedule so that we could spend as much time as possible with our loved ones, we also missed the leisurely summer days in Oregon. We've been so lucky to travel the world the last 5 years, but we haven't yet found a place that can compete with Oregon during the summer (February in Oregon is a whole different story though). Since our move back on July 2, we've spent our days soaking in as much of Portland's beauty as possible.

Our travel back to Oregon couldn't have gone any smoother which is really saying something when you're traveling with baby who just learned to crawl. Since we weren't flying on our dime, Hux got his own business class seat which still seems a bit hilarious and ridiculous to me. We were able to build a little blockaded area in our row where he could crawl around and explore all the features of the plane. He is so active now and can't sit still for longer than a few minutes so this made the trip very close to pleasant.

We will miss you Taiwan

Hux and I clearly livin' it up in business class

We arrived back just in time for the Smith's 4th of July party and the festivities did not disappoint - homemade burgers, bubbles, wine, sparklers, a table full of desserts, and this wonderful group of ladies.

Celebrating 4th of July with old and new friends

We've spent an enormous amount of time exploring all the parks in the area around Orenco Station where we're staying temporarily until our shipment arrives from Taiwan. Our apartment is very hot so getting outside in the evenings for picnics and play time for Hux and Oolong has kept us all happy.

No shirt, no problem for Hux

Who me proud? Dad says Hux is ready for lawn mowing duties.

Movie in the park with a special appearance by Santa and the Easter Bunny

Jeff sporting Hux's new backpack on our way to a concert at Shute Park

Waterfront park while visiting Grandma during her lunch break

Wow have we missed Oregon wines! Luckily tasting and opportunities are readily had and much easier to manage with the help of Grandma G to babysit. We LOVED the break from parenting, thank you Grammy!

White Rose winery with the Smith's

Going solo at a few wineries in Forest Grove

Trying to stay cool at the Hillsboro Hops game

Stick statues at Orenco Woods park

Cuddles and botany lessons with Grandma G

Blueberry picking with a great group of Moms and their kiddos

Sweating it up in the carrier!

8 Months

2017-06-26T09:52:00.002+07:00

You started crawling this month and there is no stopping you now. We're in the process of moving back to Portland, so we haven't put up baby gates yet which keeps me very busy chasing you around. You have started pulling yourself up on furniture but often can't remember how to sit back down when you get tired. We had a few rough days and nights when your second tooth popped through but overall this month has been smooth sailing. Our last few weeks in Taichung have been full of goodbyes to friends at playgroup, a few last trips to the play area of the art museum, and missing Oolong who is settled and safe back in Oregon. We have so much to look forward to but it is really hard to bid farewell to our wonderful life and friends in Taiwan.

Size: As expected your growth has slowed down quite a bit, perfect timing since you have the best wardrobe in the family by far. You weigh 22 pounds.

Eating: Once you started crawling your big appetite got even bigger and you now eat 3 meals per day and nurse 6 or 7 times. You're starting to get the hang of the mesh feeder and love it filled with sweet potatoes as an appetizer before dinner.

Sleep: You are back to your great sleep habits and almost always sleep through the night. You do seem to be waking up earlier lately so we're hoping that moving you into your own room once we're settled in Portland will help you to sleep in a bit more.

Play: You love crawling around, exploring everyday objects, finding things to pull yourself up on, and testing out our baby proofing. Your favorite toy right now is a battery operated baby computer that makes all kinds of noises and plays songs.

Bath: You really want to stand up in your bathtub so I sit next to you and try to keep you distracted from crawling out. We've decided to give your baby tub to a close friend who is expecting in a few months so big boy tub here we come.

Dad is so good at capturing our happy Hux

One of your first crawls

Cuter by the day

You can't beat baby plumber crack

How long will these last?

Showing off your new shoes

Bath time is always a favorite part of your morning routine

Saying bye to all Dad's work friends

Final picnic at our favorite park in Taichung

Alishan

2017-06-01T13:18:00.001+07:00

We recently received the bittersweet news that we'll be moving home soon. We've always known this day would come, but our initial reaction was that it felt just a bit too soon for us. For the past 5 years we've lived the life of expats where we've travelled the world, experienced countless wonderful cultures, met lifelong friends, learned and forgotten 2 languages, enjoyed a multitude of new tastes and flavors, and most importantly grown from a couple to a family of 4. Throughout the numerous trials and tribulations of settling into our new homes away from Oregon, we've become a stronger family since we needed to rely on each other for our support system. After taking a step back we're both happy to admit that we've had a extraordinary go of it and can move home with only a single regret - that we didn't forgo our cheap ways and spring for a few nights in a 5 star ritzy resort in Bali while we lived in Indonesia.

I was so glad we booked a trip to Alishan a few weeks back because this was one sight I really wanted to see before we left. We weren't enthusiastic enough to wake up at 4am to take the train up the mountain for the famous Alishan sunrise, so we settled for a more baby friendly after breakfast departure time. After a near sleepless night with Hux likely keeping our entire floor awake, we made it out the door before 9am while trying to pretend we didn't notice the looks from other families at the breakfast buffet. Despite the holiday weekend crowds, we managed to secure parking and find our way to the train station with very few hiccups. The scenery was pretty fogged in so we missed the famous views but were able to enjoy a walk through the ancient red cypress forest. We ended up heading home a night early as we all needed a good night sleep, but regardless had a wonderful time getting out of the city for a few days.

Alishan Forest Train in the background

Unclear if this was the Elephant Trunk tree or if we needed to keep hiking further

Hux is clearly catching up on all the missed sleep

Hux is very happy to be snug in the carrier

Alishan Temple

Really going to miss Taiwanese hot pot

7 months

2017-05-31T09:16:00.001+07:00

You have a bottom front tooth! This month you've also started getting into crawling position but haven't quite figured out how to propel yourself. You rock back and forth trying to scoot forward so likely it won't be long before we need to figure out how to install the baby gates. You often push your chest up while you're on your belly and slide backwards. You get further and further from your toys and sometimes end up stuck in the corner of your play area which ends in grunts and howls of frustration. This month you've really started protesting diaper changes or being left alone while I'm changing over the laundry or running to the restroom.

Size: You weigh 21 pounds and can barely fit into medium diapers which breaks my heart just a little bit.

Eating: We've started giving you much thicker purees with soft chunks and you are getting the hang of chewing or maybe I should say gumming. We've tried a mesh feeder which you enjoy but don't seem interested in holding it yourself so we'll try again in a few weeks.

Sleep: You are fully transitioned to your flat crib which wasn't nearly as hard as we'd dreaded it would be. With all the travel, teething, and new skills you've been learning we've gone through a bit of a sleep regression where about half the time you sleep through the night and half the time you wake to nurse at some point. Luckily you usually go back to sleep on your own after these feeds.

Play: You are very into active play and have started rocking around in your new (to you) Jumparoo and love "walking" around while we hold your hands. Between our apartment pool opening and our Cebu vacation, you have really gotten a lot of time in the water and enjoy kicking around and playing shark with Mom and Dad.

Bath: You take a bath while Mom takes a shower in the morning. I put your little tub right next to me so you can play and chat while I'm watching you.

Loads of enthusiasm for your first cart ride

All smiles despite the chilly water

Beware shark spotted

Your favorite activity at the Art Museum Children's area - knocking down the foam blocks

Painting with your good pals Ralphie and Lizzie

Clearly proud of your work

Highchair painting at home

Almost ready to crawl

You saw the big kids playing on this rocker and really wanted to give it a whirl

Cebu

2017-05-29T14:45:00.001+07:00

With Jeff's contract in Taiwan expiring in early July, we finally pulled the trigger on a trip to the Philippines which we've always wanted to visit but the timing just never seemed to work out. Traveling with a baby has been a learning process for us thus far and we opted to try staying put in a resort and avoiding the hassle of installing the car seat in taxis or doing stroller diaper changes on the go. We booked 5 nights at a beautiful resort with several restaurants, pools, lagoons, a beach, and a kids play area. We were undoubtedly nervous that we would get bored, but on the contrary found that playing in the water with Hux was quite entertaining. I fully admit though that I absolutely looked forward to our sunset wine each evening so we could have a little adult focussed time.

Sunset over the lagoon as we tried to keep the mozzies at bay

Waterfall antics

Clearly we're not bored

Hux is almost ready for the 400 IM

We're working on drinking from a cup

Dad cut him off at 1 bottle

Hux's first dip in the ocean

I predict a LOT of this in the near future

Hawaiian luau in the Philippines? Why not?

These ladies wanted to devour little Hux

Hammock naps for the boys

Wine time, my favorite part of the day

On our final morning, Jeff offered to take some photos of Hux and I. I couldn't have been happier with the results and especially his bargain rates. Hux is in such a cuddly stage right now and I want to remember him as my snuggly little boy forever.

Ready for some scuba!

Great Ocean Road

2017-05-05T11:45:00.001+07:00

The Great Ocean Road covers a ~150 mile stretch of road that hugs the coast just a few hours southwest of Melbourne and offers amazing views and cute beach towns. A few of our friends claimed that you can see it in 1 day so considering our 6 month passenger, we opted to make it into a 3 day road trip. This ended up feeling pretty rushed and a bit too much driving each day for our restless boy and we wished for more time in several of the towns that we passed through.

On our first day we drove to Port Fairy and checked into a well loved and historical B&B that reminded us how wonderful it is to stay in small boutique hotels. The room, common areas, staff, and especially breakfast surpassed all expectations and our 1 night stay felt very restful and pampering. It was ANZAC day so dinner options were a bit limited and we ended up at a fine dining restaurant with a cranky baby. The staff was so kind and eased our embarrassment by telling a story of their 4 year old son coming down from the upstairs apartment in his underwear to help himself to the drinks cooler during dinner service.

Hux is happiest when he's standing and has Dad's attention

Stretching our legs and soaking in the incredibly fresh air

Such a yummy breakfast spread with homemade jams, bread, granola, fresh squeezed juice, and made to order omelettes

The following day we started our drive along the GOR and took in the stunning views while Hux slept through all the excitement. We arrived to Apollo Bay, settled into our AirBnB, and discovered that there was no wifi and wow what a blessing in disguise! We had to talk to each other, and play with the baby, and had to choose restaurants without reading reviews! Seriously unplugging for 2 days was such a great finish to the trip.

Bay of Islands

Twelve Apostles

Postcard views

The next day we backtracked a short distance from Apollo Bay and visited the Cape Otway lighthouse which is the oldest working lighthouse in Australia and claims to be the most important. We got stuck in a sudden rain storm and dropped into the cafe for some tea while the storm passed by as quickly as it came. We rounded out the day with some wine tasting and a delicious and casual seafood dinner.

Little man sleeping through the action again!

Brings back memories of our first trip to Australia where we stayed for a few nights in the Hunter Valley wine region

Our final day started a bit rough as we had no plan and were all coming down with a cold. It certainly improved once we got to Lorne and had a coffee, bought some adorable clothes and swimmers for Hux, grabbed a top notch burger, and relaxed on a knoll overlooking the ocean. Not too bad ehh? We capped off the trip with dinner at Mountain Goat Brewery in Melbourne and a frenzied search for a gas station by the airport as I refused to pay the exorbitant gas prices charged by the rental car company.

Already missing the Land Down Undah

Melbourne

2017-05-03T11:51:00.001+07:00

As we were driving to the airport for our trip to Melbourne, Jeff and I realized that in the last 5 years since we moved overseas we've been to Australia more times than America. It certainly feels like a second home for us! Our flights to Melbourne couldn't have gone any smoother, Hux slept the whole way and only woke up to nurse once. We must have used up all of our good flight karma though because the way home was a tortuous combination of 2 sick parents, a feverish baby that needed continuous soothing, baby Tylenol sadly in the checked bag, and a very unhappy toddler next to us that kept waking Hux when he did manage to get to sleep. Needless to say we were very happy once we arrived back home!

Ready for take-off

Our #1 learning point of the trip was that we packed too much stuff and vowed to condense our packing for the next trip

Bede, Susie, and Edgar flew in for the weekend and Hux got to meet Edgar, who is 6 weeks older than him, for the first time. If only we had audio for these pictures as the grunting back and forth between the two babies was hilarious.

The main event was the following day so we took it easy in the morning, just walking around a bit and exploring the park before dressing up and heading to the ceremony at a beautiful church close to the river. The reception was cleverly held at the Melbourne Zoo so we got to see a tiger, elephants, orangutans, and giraffes before the party began. Hux was the perfect wedding guest and managed to squeeze in eating, napping, dancing, and flirting with a few of the ladies. We had a bit of a meltdown in the taxi back to our BnB, but a good friend and fellow mom informs me that it doesn't count if only 1 stranger witnesses it.

Hux wasn't all that thrilled initially about his outfit, but he warmed up to it once we told him how handsome he looked.

The beautiful couple, Mike and Mary

Hux was mostly interested in chewing on his lip rather than seeing the elephants

Two hotties!

Jeff managed to sneak an extra piece of cake from one of the kind servers.

Quoting Jeff: Hux looking like a classic gentleman in bowtie and suspenders

Dance floor moves

The following day we woke up to a beautifully sunny day and a fantastic view of hot air balloons from our balcony. We met Edgar and family for a late brunch, walk around the city, diaper blow out, and finished the day off with our first footy game.

I could get used to a view like this

Even with 2 experts to explain the rules, I had a bit of trouble following but apparently the home team won

On our final day, we enjoyed coffees at a highly recommended coffee shop and loved the Portland vibe without the hipster attitude. We met up again with the Edgar clan and devoured a picnic lunch on the bank of the Yarra River where we pondered and judged a group of 20-somethings perfecting their razor scooter grinds and spins. We capped off the day with drinks on a barge bar and brainstormed ways to get rich. Our final goodbyes were a bit sad but fingers crossed we'll get a chance to meet again soon.

St Ali coffee shop

Cool mural close to the coffee shop

Thankfully parenthood hasn't subdued these two champs

6 months

2017-05-03T11:21:00.000+07:00

Your big milestone this month is sitting on your own and you and love the freedom of being able to reach more toys. We still need to put a pillow behind you since you tip over when you get tired or overly rambunctious while shaking a toy. You seemed to really get the hang of sitting when Anaiyah and Arriana were here so you could watch their every move.

Size: You weigh 19 ½ pounds and are 27" tall. You seem to be going through a continuous growth spurt and have gone from the 5th percentile when you were born to the 85th percentile in weight. Your legs are adorably plump and so well padded that you didn't cry at all during your most recent shots, just a single grunt.

Eating: You've got one big appetite and always finish your solids (except for a few days recently when you had a fever). You're still eating just breakfast and dinner, but always look at me anxiously during lunch ready for a bite. Your favorites are sweet potatoes and applesauce and you're not too impressed with green beans and peas. I'd have to agree that pureed green vegetables are not so palatable without butter and salt!

Sleep: You are sleeping through the night! Well done my darling Hux!! Typically you go to sleep at around 7:30 and wake up around 6:00 give or take. Mom and Dad are so well rested now and the zombie feeling every afternoon has let up. Thank you and please keep sleeping like a champ.

Play: You have so many more options now that your sitting and have figured out how to turn all the dials on your walker car toy. You also like your little wooden animals on wheels and love to bang them around and make noise. Your favorite activity this month has been sitting in Dad's lap while he plays fetch with Oolong and it often makes you giggle hysterically (see video).

Bath: We've been busy this month with travel so you've started taking a lot of showers with Dad and love the warm water, snuggles, and chance to pull on Dad's chest hair that go along with shower time.

Bill seems to be shrinking!

Practicing your standing

So many smiles and "mmmm" noises at meal time

Look at this huge boy of ours

Teething?

So proud of your new sitting skills

All your playgroup friends

Weekend picnic time, can that smile be any cuter?

Sorry I can't help but document this moment!

Tane Family Visit

2017-04-17T12:29:00.000+07:00

Last weekend Yan and Tane, who live in Hong Kong, came to visit with their two beautiful daughters and we had such a wonderful time hosting them. Hux loved playing with the energetic girls and thrived with all the extra attention and snuggles from them. Their visit passed way to quickly, but luckily we were able to squeeze in a great mix of activities and delicious meals. We're already looking forward to our next reunion, hopefully in Hong Kong or Macau.

On the first day we headed to the National Art Musuem which is always impressive and amazingly FREE to everyone. We checked out the main floor exhibits while Ariana and Hux napped in their strollers. Next we had a fantastic lunch including bubble tea at the famous tea house, Chun Shui Tang. After some confusion around the queuing system at the children's play area of the museum, we determined that it was a long wait and opted to head to a nearby park instead so the kids could blow off some steam.

First trip to the play ground

Anaiyah shows Hux the ropes while Arianna runs laps

Hux really wants to join the fun!

Almost had all three of them looking at the camera

The following day (Monday) Jeff had to go into work so Hux and I had a relaxing day while the Tane family explored around our neighborhood. They kept the kids entertained with art classes, parks, shopping, and lunch at our favorite vegetarian friendly resto. That evening we went out for a fantastic hot pot dinner coached along by Yan who kindly customized dipping sauces for each of us and not surprisingly picked the best broth of the night - miso milk.

Say hot pot!

On our last day together we headed out for brunch at Next Door Cafe so that everyone could have a break from my chia seed breakfast pudding experiments. Afterwards we loaded up the mini van and headed to the Nike employee store where we certainly did some damage and Tane won the award for best new gear. Afterwards we stuffed ourselves full of xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung and then headed back to the apartment for naps all around. For the finale that evening Yan spoiled us with a delicious and healthy home cooked meal that far surpassed anything that has come out of our kitchen to date.

Brunch crew

Six dishes including chicken, fish, and lots of veggies

Ready to dig in - where is Anaiyah???

Weekend Getaway to Yangmingshan

2017-04-06T13:16:00.003+07:00

Jeff had a 4 day weekend so we loaded up the van and headed out on our first road trip with baby Hux. Yangmingshan is a national park in the Northeast of Taiwan with beautiful forests and mountain peaks. We booked a "family friendly" hotel close to the park that had onsite hot springs and a few restaurants to make evenings more convenient. Jeff saved the weekend by remembering the crib as we were about to leave the parking garage and ran back to our apartment to grab it. The drive went smoothly and Hux managed to sleep almost the entire way. On our first night we relaxed, walked around the hotel grounds, and took a dip in the hot springs - our first time in Taiwan!

Thank you Hux for napping nearby while Mom and Dad soaked in the springs

Beautiful sunset and cherry blossoms from the deck at the hotel

Loved the robes the hotel provided!

View from our hotel room

The next day we stuffed ourselves to capacity at the breakfast buffet - so many choices and of course we had to try them all. We then headed into the park where we opted for a stroller friendly walk with beautiful views and lots of greenery for Hux to look at along the way.

Views along the Erzihping Trail

Picnic area at the end of Erzihping Trail

So happy to find a stroller friendly path

By the time we were done with our walk, we were starving so Jeff found us a local eatery where we managed to order enough food to feed a large family. It was worth the wait and holiday traffic as the food was delicious! We observed some regulars expertly bagging up a huge pot of soup in what looked like supermarket fruit bags hanging on the wall. Afterwards we followed suit with our leftovers and had a lovely picnic for dinner later on.

Anxiously waiting for our smoked chicken and pork belly

Chicken foot

Part of our spread

Bag your own!

After our outing, we excitedly headed to the indoor swimming pool for Hux's first swim lesson. He's turning into such a water baby and loved splashing around in the pool.

Is it possible to love this little cutie any more?

Everyone (even bald babies) must wear swim caps in Taiwan

On our way out of town the next morning we stopped at Yehliu Geopark which hosts unique geological formations. It was a quick but fun stop and Jeff hit another dining home run on the way out with a local restaurant where we ordered a fish cooked in sea salt and seasoned with lots of garlic, ginger, and Chinese black beans. It reminded me of my Dad's famous steamed fish which has very similar flavors.

Tired but loving our getaway

Yehliu Geopark

Handsome Gagatko boys

My best hairdo EVER!

Our trip finale was a stop at Fi and Dan's in Taipei. They are always amazing hosts and spoiled us with French cheese, Australian BBQ, Fi-gronis, bubbles, wine, and lots of baby soothing for little Hux who caught a cold and was uncharacteristically cranky.

5 months

2017-04-05T09:35:00.001+07:00

This month you had your first babysitter and it went great for both Mom (who opted for a massage) and you (who had a personal nap assistant to rock you each time you stirred). You haven't developed any fear of strangers yet so it was easy for you to warm up to Jasmine and you were such a good boy for her. You are standing with support now and love to stand on the counter with Dad holding you while I'm making dinner. Much to our joy, you love the outdoors and can spend an hour digging your feet in the grass and looking around at the trees and plants.

Size: You weigh 18 ½ pounds and at 5 months we've started buying clothes for 9 months since you've been growing out of onesies and pjs faster than we can buy them.

Eating: You've been loving solid foods and have been eating a small "meal" for breakfast and dinner. Breastmilk is still most of your nutrition, but it sure has been fun having you at the table with us. You like to cluster feed in the late afternoon/evenings so introducing solids has given me a window to enjoy dinner with Dad. So far you've tried rice cereal, oatmeal, sweet potatoes (your favorite so far), squash, pumpkin, avocados, bananas, and green beans.

Sleep: You are sleeping so much better at night which coincided with starting solids. You usually sleep around 8 hours straight and wake-up for one feed at around 3 or 4 AM. I can typically get you back down for a few hours without too much effort. Nap times are still much more difficult and we're trying to get into more of a schedule with 3 naps per day which are typically short ~30-45 minutes.

Play: You've taken a big interest in Oolong and love to pet her and pull on her and grab onto her beard hair. She is so sweet and gentle with you and makes sure to be nearby whenever you sit in Bumbo. We also started a music group this month and you can usually make it through about 30 minutes before the excitement wears you out and you fall asleep in my lap enjoying all the noise.

Bath: You still love your baths and a massage afterwards. Unfortunately your neck float is getting a little snug so we'll need to switch it up soon and move you to sitting baths.

First bites

Best buds

Dad thought this shot looked like a baby boudoir photo

Solids can be a messy endeavor

One of our favorite family activities is a picnic in the park and the weather lately has been so nice for it

Feeding the sheep at Happy Cow Ranch

Like father like son, your second pair of matching shoes

Favorite activity - standing with dad

Showing off your wheels

Our weekly brunch at Juggler, our favorite local cafe

Rainy day antics

4 Months

2017-03-05T12:26:00.001+07:00

This month was full of many firsts - first plane ride, first time to see America, first passport stamp, first time meeting all your relatives, first jet lag, first cold, and first snow sighting. You traveled like a champ and we are super excited to take a few more trips in the upcoming months. You've been slowly losing your hair and are almost completely bald on top with another bald spot starting to appear in the back. Your eyes are still baby blue and this is often the first thing that strangers comment on, especially here in Taiwan. I love taking you to the park because there are so many people that want to say hi to you and you seem to adore all the attention.

Size: You weigh 16 ½ pounds and are about 25 ½" tall. Your 3-6 month clothes are getting really snug and I can't help being a little sad about retiring these adorable outfits.

Eating: You are so much faster now but becoming more and more easily distracted while nursing. You often look up at me to get my attention for an extra smile and chat. You are also mesmerized with anything I'm eating or drinking and can't take your eyes off it. Our pediatrician gave you the green light to slowly start on the solids which we've been really excited for!

Sleep: We all struggled big time with the sleep this month likely caused by a combination of jet lag, teething, a cold, and being overstimulated by all the new activities. Your nap and bedtime schedule were all over the map during our 3 weeks in America so its not surprising that most nights you woke 2-4 times and also had trouble getting a good nap.

Play: You've begun getting tired of the same toys day in and day out and are sure to let me know when you need to mix things up a bit. You've also taken a much bigger interest in feeling and exploring different textures and have a few books that are great for this. We've been going to play group for a few weeks and you love charming the other moms in the group or sleeping through all of the commotion.

Bath: We've mostly stopped using the baby bath tub and now use your float ring and put you in the big bath tub. You love to kick around somedays and other days just enjoy relaxing and floating.

Dad is working hard on the walking practice

First snow sighting!

One of my favorite outfits

First time in a high chair at Grandma and PapPap's house

Happy Hux!

Story time with Elmo and Dad

I LOVE this sleepy face

Baby jet lag is so sad. We had to try to keep you up during the day so you would be able to sleep at night.

A little bit of Mt Hood love from Tav and Jenny

Stylish outfit for Maya's birthday party

Goof ball

Huxley Meets the Family

2017-03-03T14:52:00.000+07:00

Our first trip home to introduce Huxley to the family surpassed all expectations. Jeff and I hadn't been home in over a year and a half so we were excited for a dose of America and of course overjoyed to show off our amazing baby. We knew that the 20+ hours of travel with a baby would be tough so we buckled up for anything that would come our way and had bags and bags of diapers, wipes, burp bibs, toys, extra outfits, etc. Before our flight from Taipei to SFO, we didn't even think to buy extra waters and wow breastfeeding on an airplane for 12 hours can really dehydrate a rookie mom. Jeff and I took turns sneaking back to the kitchen area to grab the extra 8 oz water bottles. We won't make that mistake again! We focused so much on the flights that we didn't think much about baby jet lag and how big of a challenge that would be. Luckily all of Hux's lost sleep was made up for in extra love and cuddles from family.

Leaving Taichung

Gone are the days of traveling with just a carry on. On the way back we had 2 additional bags!

Hux is ready for his first plane ride

He managed to sleep a few hours in the bassinet, seems miraculous that he didn't feel claustrophobic

Hux was excited to meet everyone and managed to push past his exhaustion in order to charm his new admirers. We recruited my parents to baby sit one night and Jeff and I hit the town for our first date in several months. We arrived home in time to witness the little man polish off the last of 15 ounces of breast milk that we left with Grandma and Pap Pap. This number doesn't mean much to most people, but it is a LOT for a 3 month baby to eat in just 2 hours. We were hoping it would translate to a full nights sleep but the jet lag still got the better of us. While we were in Carson, we also managed to take a trip up to Lake Tahoe and didn't take even a single picture. I give you my word that it was beautiful.

Meeting Desta and the cousins

Nap time with Cousin Morgan

Cuddles with Great Grandma

Bundled up for the snowy weather

Snow strollin'

First time facing forward in the carrier, Hux was thrilled to take in the view

For our short time in Portland, Jeff found us a great BnB with 2 bedrooms so we could stay together with Grandma G. She checked out every single children's library book in Salem and took on story time. He's going to be reading in no time! We caught up with our friends one night at the delicious Mexican restaurant Xico - yummmm. We also made it to the employee store where Grammy bought Hux his first pair of air maxes. They are adorable but getting shoes on a baby requires a lot of patience and is often followed by one falling off within the first 10 minutes. Jeff also took us all on an outing to eat at some food carts and walk around the park under St. John's bridge. What a beautiful neighborhood and such a nice ending to our 3 week trip that flew by. We arrived home exhausted but so glad we made the trip and very happy to be reunited with Oolong.

Reading with Grandma G

Showing off his new kicks

Family outing to St John's bridge

Exhausted but having a blast

Sunrise on our flight out of PDX

3 Months

2017-01-24T12:28:00.000+07:00

This month was a huge transition for us as Dad returned to work after 10 weeks of paternity leave. The first week was tough and there were a few times that I stepped out from the shower and you were screaming at being left alone in your crib. Luckily we've both gotten the hang of it, but always look forward to Dad coming home every night. Your personality is really starting to show and wow are you a happy boy! You have a huge smile that often goes hand in hand with a coo of joy. You like to meet new people and are happy to be held by anyone willing to snuggle. We also took you "swimming" at the baby spa for the first time this month and you LOVED it (pics at bottom). Both Dad and I were very skeptical at first, but you had so much fun we decided to buy a neck floatie for home.

Size: You weigh 14 ½ pounds and are about 24 ½" tall. You doubled your birth weight at about 12 weeks!

Eating: You are still a great eater and would sleep / eat for hours if I let you. Luckily for you we have a long flight back to America coming up and I won't have any chores to do so it just might be the happiest 12 hours for you.

Diapers: We finally conquered the diaper rash after I eliminated several possible allergens from my diet including dairy, wheat, eggs, and peanuts. We have a lot fewer dirty diapers now too as the new diet seems to be more agreeable to your tummy. The plan is to try reintroducing these foods back in one at a time to see if one in particular is causing the issue.

Sleep: You are finally taking a consistent nap in the morning! I now shut the curtains, swaddle you up, turn on your lullabies, and lock the dog out of the bedroom so you can sleep more easily. I typically put you down around 11am and you sleep for around 2 hours. You also take several cat naps throughout the day. Your bedtime is 8pm and most nights you wake up 1 time for a feed. Generally you are up around 5 or 6am and love to have a snuggle with Dad before he gets up to get ready for work.

Play: You are becoming a champ at independent play which is so helpful for Mom. I like to do some yoga while you play in your jungle gym and work on belly time. You love gazing at yourself in your mirror and also still love hitting and kicking your toys. Surprisingly you have a lot of fun during diaper changes now (whereas you used to despise them) and often talk to Mom or Dad and have learned how to grab your feet "happy baby yoga" style.

Bath: You graduated to a new setting on your bath tub and no longer need the newborn hammock. You seems to enjoy bath time even more now that more of your lower body is in the warm water.

We can't get enough of your smiles and giggles

Buddha belly

IWAT luncheon where you charmed all the ladies and got to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Exhausted after your first play date.

Dad is a great multitasker!

Super into story time these days

We love taking you out to dinner with us.

Happy boy!

Very relaxed. The neck floatie looks a bit strange but you were completely comfortable when they put it on so that eased our minds a lot.

We were a bit uncomfortable with the crowd of gawkers that you attracted, but we decided to try to relax and enjoy how watching you kick around.

Fun in Wufeng

2017-01-05T13:26:00.002+07:00

Wanting to make the most of Jeff's last week of paternity leave, we headed out on a day trip to Wufeng. It was so nice to forget about the laundry and chores list and enjoy a day with the family. Our first stop was the Taiwan Provincial Memorial Park where we walked around and had a picnic lunch while Oolong rooted around in the park and returned with several ants stuck in her fur biting her.

Family photo at the Memorial Park

View from the pagoda

Behind this were several nice walking paths leading up the hill

Next stop was the "Flying Goblet Drunken Moon Pavilion" which according to our guide was built during the Japanese colonial era.

We also visited the beautiful and well maintained Lin Family Mansion but opted not to stay for the tour as we prefer to wander around on our own.

Lin Family Mansion From the outside

Detailed painting inside a courtyard

Hux and Dad exploring a back alley

Yes we're new parents and looks like we haven't slept in days

Another view from outside the mansion

Our final stop of the day was at the 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan which is dedicated to the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck on Sep 21, 1999. We had to rush through most of the displays because Oolong was waiting for us outside the museum and not happy about being left by herself. The museum stands where a high school used to be and they brilliantly left the collapsed buildings as is and built large tent structures over the top to protect them from the elements.

The remains of the school track

High school main building where entire floors collapsed

What used to be the school restrooms

Baby's First Christmas

2017-01-03T10:50:00.000+07:00

Christmas truly is more magical with kids and we loved celebrating with little Huxley although we really missed family back home. Taiwan definitely gets into the Holiday spirit with lots of great decorations and lights throughout the city and in our apartment building. We all received fantastic gifts thanks to a few of Santa's helpers carrying goods from America.

We started the season out with Huxley's first party and first time meeting Santa. Even though he slept through the "awwwws" from the crowd, Santa still knew exactly what he wanted - a Seahawks outfit so he could match daddy.

Hux meets Santa and his helper

Go Hawks!

Cute Christmas display close to our apartment

Family photo inside the Santa Express

Our Christmas card this year displaying the best gift we could ever receive

Dad's little reindeer

Oolong is always ready to celebrate

Opening presents was so much fun considering most of Huxley's gifts were really presents for ourselves. Why wouldn't a 2 month old baby want a set of 10 of my favorite Dr. Seuss books?

All dressed up and ready for gifts

Happy Hippy toy from Grandma - Hux's personal favorite

Christmas is exhausting!

2 Months Old

2017-01-02T13:56:00.000+07:00

This month you have grown so quickly and have already outgrown several of our favorite newborn outfits. We don't hesitate to take you out to dinner or to parties and so far you've done great usually sleeping through the commotion and waking up for a snack once or twice. We are hoping that getting you used to being out and about early will make it easier later on. We also love to show you off to anyone and everyone that is wants to meet you. Your personality is really starting to come through and you've been learning to make new sounds and love to "chat" with Dad by making noises back and forth with him.

Size: You weigh 11 lb 14 oz and are 23.5" tall.

Eating: You have a ravenous appetite which has really spurred on your fast growth. You still eat around 12 times per day and have learned how to drink from a bottle also. Every few weeks you seem to hit a growth spurt where you want to eat nonstop for a day or 2. We are convinced that you love the smell of food because you usually get very hungry when Mom and Dad sit down to eat.

Diapers: We are still going through tons of diapers as everyone warned us we would. We have creams, ointments, fans, and protocols in place in order to prevent that darn diaper rash. We also do "sun's out buns out time" while we are playing in an attempt to keep the diaper area dry. Looks like you may have inherited Mama's sensitive skin.

Sleep: You prefer to sleep on the go (surprisingly the more noise and commotion the better), but have been taking at least one nap in your bassinet each day. We try to put you down for bed before 8pm and you usually wake up 1 or 2 times throughout the night for a feed and diaper change. We celebrate with cheers and lots of praise each morning after a 1 wake night.

Play: You love to play with mom and dad and smile back at us when we talk to you or tickle you. You've also discovered how much fun it is to play with your hands and seem very entertained by them. You have become a lot more interested in story time and we generally can make it through a full book before bed.

Bath: As long as the water is warm enough and your belly is full, you love bath time which has become a part of our routine every other night. Dad is in charge of washing all your nooks and crannies and lucky Mom gets to give you an post bath massage, one of my favorite times of the day.

We love to watch you grow. So much change in one month!

Getting really good at tummy time!

Bundled up for the winter weather

We're so happy you are big enough for the carrier now

Making noises for Dad

Snoozing in your napper.

Milk coma...

Story time with Mom.

We also had another fantastic photoshoot with Hunnicutt Photography. It was so hard to choose a reasonable number to add to the blog, but here are just a few of our favorites.

Huxley's first month

2016-12-01T14:55:00.001+07:00

Your first month has certainly been an eventful one! You got to meet your grandma who traveled over 20 hours to see you. You've also received your American passport so that we can travel home in January to meet the rest of the family. Here are some of the details of the life of Huxley:

Size: You weigh 8 lbs 13 ounces and almost 21" tall.
Eating: You eat every 1-4 hours, about 12 times per day, and make the happiest noises of satisfaction when you're nursing.
Diapers: You go through at least 15 per day and love to hold your poops until right after we change your diaper. Mom is still learning how to avoid your clothes being soaked when you pee while she's changing you.
Sleep: You love to sleep swaddled up by dad at night, cuddled in Grandma's arms, in the ring sling nice and cozy next to Mom or Dad, or in your stroller while we're walking Oolong. You aren't very fond of naps in your crib yet.
Play: You are very interested in faces and starting to enjoy using your hands to swing your toys around in your little play gym. You're warming up to belly time, but often end up rooting for milk after just a few minutes. You love it when we sing to you or play upbeat music.

1 month old with Bill

Cuddle time with Dad

1st sponge bath

First real bath

Dressing up for brunch at Juggler, our favorite cafe

Nap time with Grandma

Break time at the park in Taipei after applying for Hux's passport

Showing off the Gagatko forehead, just like Dad

Love these moments!

Walking Oolong

Welcoming Huxley

2016-11-21T12:08:00.001+07:00

Although we'll never forget the day that Huxley was born, I still wanted to write a post to help us remember the small details that will likely fade with time. Please feel free to skip ahead to the photos if you want to opt out of the labor narrative.

Our adventure started on Tuesday, October 25 at 11pm when my water broke as we were getting into bed. We had just returned from a delicious french dinner with several friends and my first thought was how glad I was this didn't happen in the restaurant! We grabbed our hospital bags and made our way to the birth clinic where Dr. Lin confirmed that yes my water broke and that we should stay at the clinic and see if contractions started naturally. Ten hours later I was only having very small contractions about every 20-30 mins so we opted to use prostaglandins to start the labor process.

By 5:30pm we were finally making some progress and very suddenly the contractions were one after another and I was desperate and swearing for an epidural. Unfortunately the anesthesiologist took about 45 minutes to arrive which felt like days to me. I received the epidural at around 7pm and afterwards I finally let the nurses examine me and was informed that I was already 10 cm dilated. Our doula said that progressing this fast through dilation is very rare especially for a first child and not something she was used to seeing.

The epidural really slowed down the contractions which was actually a bit of a relief because I needed a physical and mental break to build my confidence back up for the pushing. After lots of pushing, encouragement from Jeff, and several declarations to the Dr. that I really needed a C-section, Huxley Beau was born at 11pm on Wednesday, October 26. We were so relieved and overwhelmed with emotions and love once we heard his first cries and saw him open his beautiful eyes. He weighed 6 lbs, 13 oz and was 18.5 inches tall at birth, had a full head of hair (although not quite as much as his Taiwanese companions in the nursery), dark blue eyes, and of course was the most adorable baby we'd ever seen.

We stayed for 3 days in the clinic which was perfect for bonding with little Hux as there were no chores to distract us from cuddling our new son. Our room was really large and we had a foldout bed for Jeff, a private bathroom/shower, a mini fridge, and surprisingly delicious and healthy hospital food (pics below).

Huxley's first night

Such kissable cheeks!

My handsome men!

Postpartum nutrition is taken very seriously in Taiwan. Each meal consisted of 5 or 6 dishes aimed to help Mom recover and build up her milk supply - lots of bone broths, veggies, protein, and herbal teas.

I usually wasn't able to finish the meal so Jeff got some of the leftovers to help with his recovery as well.

Our friend and an uber talented photographer, Rebecca of Hunnicutt Photography came for an "in-clinic" photoshoot and we were blown away at the wonderful memories she captured. Looking through them still brings tears to my eyes. Below are some of my favorites.

Hux bundled up for his first trip home!

Baby Shower Time!

2016-10-13T10:03:00.000+07:00

Being away from family during my first pregnancy has been a little tough and certainly our wonderful friends here in Taiwan have helped in so many ways. My close friend Mary threw me a baby shower a few weekends ago and made me feel so loved and spoiled. We played games, drank mocktails and wine (except me), ate homemade chocolate cake, opened awesome gifts, and overall had a fantastic afternoon.

The beautiful dessert table

Chocolate cake with an elephant on top made by the extremely talented Kerri along with the diaper cake in the background

Perhaps my favorite game of the day was guess the baby photo contest. My mom sent over some pictures of me and I can't wait to compare once Huxley joins us.

I was almost 10 pounds at birth, eek!

I chose this picture for the game and Jeff got it right away

Here's the photo of Jeff. I totally thought it was one of the girls!

Yum - me eating dirt in the garden

I always loved to dress up as a kid

All the wonderful ladies!

Master of Ceremonies, Mary leading the "he said / she said game"

Can't get over how adorable this cake is!

Finally what we'd all been waiting for, cake time!

Present time :-)

Jeff's new formal attire

With just 3 weeks left until the due date, we're both super antsy with anticipation to meet little Huxley!

Getting Ready for Our New Addition

2016-10-13T09:41:00.000+07:00

When we found out I was pregnant back in March, we were both shocked, scared, and unbelievably excited. After trying for over 2 years, we'd just started going to a fertility clinic to look into starting IVF. Following a few weeks of extreme nausea out of the blue, I took a pregnancy test and then bought a few more for good measure and all showed up positive. Soon after that we heard Baby Gagatko's heartbeat for the first time and were both in tears.

Although I managed to avoid the camera for the most part, here are a few pictures throughout the pregnancy.

19 weeks - Baby Gagatko is the size of a mango

22 weeks - Jr. weighs about 1 pound

29 weeks - pineapple size and almost 3 pounds

34 weeks - up to 5 pounds and the size of a savoy cabbage

37 weeks - almost 6.5 pounds!

Jeff has been rigorously preparing for fatherhood including expanding his cooking skills for after the baby comes, singing and talking to Jr., putting together all the baby gear, picking out some cute clothes (including matching American flag Cons), eating dessert with me every night, indulging my burger cravings with enthusiasm, picking the perfect name, and offering to be the guinea pig for the breast pump when I claim its way too scary.

No "dad bod" here, he's all muscle

Still smiling after a full day of putting together baby furniture

Oolong hasn't quite embraced her upcoming role of big sister and she certainly doesn't enjoy trying on her brother's clothes