James E. Lee's Personal Blog

Redwood Regional Park Trail Walk

2008-11-30T00:30:00Z

We want Arianna to enjoy being out in nature as much as we do, and today, we took her on a trail walk in Redwood Regional Park.

We did a more rigorous hike there once before and loved it. The great thing about the place is that you can do an easy walk like we did today, or a challenging hike with lots of elevation changes, but either way, it's a gorgeous place and you really feel surrounded by nature. There are people, but not enough to make it feel crowded.

Arianna was excited to see all the people, dogs, birds, trees, and even a cat. The first thing she did when we put her down to walk around and explore was to bend down and pick up a stick. There were lots of them and she would have inspected each one if we'd let her, so maybe she'll be a nature girl after all!

She's just started to get comfortable with walking and had a bit of trouble negotiating the slight incline of the trail. We couldn't help but chuckle as she tumbled forward a few times. Unfortunately, she got a bump on the head, but she shook it off and kept going like the tough girl she is.

Reservoir Walk - Fall Colors

2008-11-23T00:00:00Z

We went for a walk around Lafayette Reservoir to enjoy the beautiful day outside.

I carried Arianna half way around the reservoir on my back, then she decided to make us proud by walking for a while on her own.

Ari had fun playing in the leaves; I think she likes the Fall as much as her parents!

Happy Halloween 2008!

2008-11-01T06:00:00Z

We didn't think Ari could get any cuter, but we just loved seeing her in her ladybug costume!

Pumkin Patch 2008

2008-10-26T00:00:00Z

Ania, Ari, and I went to get our pumpkins today. This was Arianna's second time enjoying our tradition of getting pumkins at Mangini's. She wasn't even a month old her first time.

Arianna Says Thanks For a Great 1st Birthday Party!

2008-09-29T06:00:00Z

Everyone who was a part of it made Arianna's first birthday party a very special and fun day for her, and she seemed to have a great time. Thanks to everyone for being a part of her happy day and sharing our joy in celebrating her!

In Support of "Bark" Obama

2008-09-15T06:00:00Z

We saw this at the Solano Stroll:

Week 45 | Fun in the Sun

2008-08-09T06:00:00Z

Saturday night, Ania and I went out for a date for the first time in a while. We had a reservation for our anniversary dinner last year at Bistro Aix &mdash the place we had our first date & got engaged — but Arianna was born that night, so we decided to go there, and had a great evening out. We needed to get out by ourselves, and we knew she was in good hands with Grandma Wanda. Of course, we had to say goodbye to Arianna before we left:

We've all been enjoying the gorgeous Summer weather lately, and Sunday, the four of us went for a walk at Lafayette Reservoir and enjoyed being outside in the sun.

For the first time, Arianna stood up on her own from seated position in her crib, so we lowered her mattress all the way. It seems so low! It's amazing to consider that she's grown so much that we have to do this, but sad that it means she's one step further away from being a little baby. At the same time, this is a wonderful sight first thing in the morning:

We took Ari swimming again and she still likes being in the pool.

Arianna has discovered the joy of laughter, and she's started to laugh spontaneously to make us laugh, and it always works. It's adorable and wonderful to have her communicate with us in yet another new and joyful way.

Milestones & Metrics

Stood up on her own from seated position in her crib (8 Aug)
We lowered crib mattress to lowest setting
Started to laugh to make us laugh
How Arianna looks this week:

Where's Arianna?

2008-08-04T06:45:00Z

Theeeerree's Arianna!

Ari really likes peek-a-boo.

Week 44 | Hug!

2008-08-02T06:00:00Z

I thought the crying when I left was something emotional, but my goodness, now Ari can give hugs! Words just aren't relevant when it comes to describing that feeling. It's the cutest thing ever; she tilts her head toward me, trying to rest it on my shoulder while I'm holding her. I could hold her like that forever — this is truly one of the rewards of parenthood!

She's started pointing distinctly and directly at what she wants. Before, she was putting her arm out and leaning in the direction she wanted to go, but this is different. She's very specific and precise, and she uses a single finger. She engages you, then locks her eyes on her target, so you'll follow her gaze. It's like she's got a laser pointer! As with the Daddy Taxi, Ari is simply not hesitant to involve others in helping her achieve what she wants. I like that she's so inclined to pursue her desires.

Sometimes she puts pointing together with the "surprise noise", when she wants to direct or catch your attention to show you something. I am dying to know what she would say when she shows me stuff! As it is, we talk about it with her, both to help her know we acknowledge what she's doing, and to start helping her identify, explain, and put what she's showing us in context.

The pointing is especially apparent when we're feeding her; she'll point to the cup of water until we give her some. She doesn't seem to have learned the signs for "drink" or "water" yet, but if we make them, she'll turn and look right at the cup, and she already knows exactly where it is. "Does Arianna want some water?"

She's really getting physically strong and dextrous now. Ania had a good idea to hand her individual pieces of fruit, vegetables, cereal, etc., in addition to her normal scooping and picking off the tray or plate. The idea is to give her more practice specifically with the pincer motion, which it seems she only just developed, but now has all but mastered. She can move, rotate, twist, and roll her body at will, and proto-crawls when she sees that as the most efficient transportation.

The notable thing is the facility she has with all these movements; she's building up a repertoire of them and has some down pat. She can push buttons and operate switches on toys that used to frustrate me because I thought they required too much physical strength. (She got the concept and had the dexterity, just not the strength.) There are still some she can't push, but the list is getting smaller fast.

Grandma Wanda is leaving soon, so we went to the Build a Bear Workshop and she made a special teddy bear for Arianna, with a recording of her voice, so Ari can hear her any time she wants.

Arianna adds so much beauty to our lives!

Milestones & Metrics

Giving us hugs
Sat up on her own from lying on her back
Pointing distinctly at what she wants
Showing us things
How Arianna looks this week:

Week 43 | Tugging at My Heartstrings

2008-07-26T07:00:00Z

Grandma Wanda brought Ari to the door to say goodbye when I left for work Wednesday morning, and Ari started to cry as I walked away! I don't think I've ever experienced something so heart-wrenching, especially knowing that it was because of me. It was so hard to go!

Ania and I have talked about this kind of thing, and agreed long ago that we wouldn't prolong goodbyes, nor go back and forth as we leave. We want Arianna to get used to the idea of either of us leaving, and learn that it's not permanent. We think distraction is a good tactic for now, and Grandma Wanda's got plenty of those up her sleeve. It was still really hard to walk away from my sad little baby!

Arianna has started making a "surprise" noise; she sharply draws in breath when she wants to direct our attention or demonstrate that she recognizes something. She must have heard one of us doing it as we tried to direct her attention to something, and now she does it for the same reason. It's really cute! It's also surprisingly gratifying to see her excitement about the fact of recognizing a ball, or any number of other objects. It might appear that she's excited about the ball itself, but I suspect she's more excited about her new-found ability to recognize and identify things.

Ari got to meet "aunt" Dee Dee (my cousin) for the first time. We had some very nice visits, and we're all glad to have her get to know some of our extended family more.

And we all had fun at Cordi's 1st birthday party Saturday. She's generally very social and does really well with lots of people around.

Balloons and balls seem to be Ari's favorite toys. I think she sees balloons as some kind of ball, which makes sense, if you think about it from the perspective of how much context she has for objects. For either one, she says "Bah!" We'd just gotten a new (helium-filled) balloon for her, and when she was lying on her back, I held it above her so she could catch the string. I let go, and she pulled the balloon down toward her, hand over hand. Where did she learn to do that?

Ari started playing the "fall back game" this week. On weekend mornings, we bring her into bed with us, and she loves to sit up in bed, then give us a knowing look, fall backward, and laugh with glee! I was immediately paranoid this would become some bad habit she'd want to do everywhere, but my hope was that she'd recognize that the bed is soft and safe, and only do it there. It seems she's a smart baby; she only ever does it in bed, so we say "faaaall back" and laugh with her (it's hard not to!) and I stopped stressing. It's so cool to think that our daughter is inventing games to play with us!

Milestones & Metrics

Cried when I left for work
Surprise noise
Started "the fall back game"
Stats: 21lbs 11oz (85%), 31" tall (98%), 45.75cm (90%)
How Arianna looks this week:

Week 42 | Sharing

2008-07-19T06:00:00Z

Arianna spontaneously started to share things with us. In my case, she started by offering me her teething ring. It's very sweet to see, and a pleasant habit for her to get into; I hope it continues! I wonder if she's just mirroring the fact that we give stuff to her...

Now that Ari can eat more "real" food, Ania made some meatballs for her out of ground turkey, vegetables, and breadcrumbs. She got the idea from the food Cordi — the daughter of our neighbors with whom we're going to share a nanny — had one day when her nanny Daysi brought her over for a play date. Aside from good protein, these make excellent, safe finger food when broken up into pieces. Ari loves them! We've been taking her to restaurants more, and she does really well sitting in a high chair.

We held memorial and burial services for my dad this week, and Ari was a model baby in both cases. She was incredibly well-behaved, and her smiling face and happy disposition brought a bit of sunshine to a sad occasion.

Arianna earned her Certificate of Completion for the Contra Costa Library's Summer Reading Program for Babies that Ania signed her up for, and got a new book as a prize! We chose a "board book" (cardboard pages, which Ari loves to turn — and bite) of favorite nursery rhymes.

She's been making some fun developmental steps this week. She now dances any time there's music, and it's really fun to see. We've always danced her around and danced with her (especially Grandma Wanda), but now she's doing it herself! She's got a whole repertoire of moves too; she'll shake her head, bend her knees, and if she's sitting, she'll twist from side to side with her arms open. It almost seems like different music elicits different moves too...

She's also doing great at identifying objects; she can point to a ball in two separate books, as well as a balloon and a fish. Just a couple weeks ago, she started being able to choose a fish from among several toys.

Milestones & Metrics

Starting to share things with us
Starting to dance on her own
Can identify a ball, a balloon, and a fish in books
How Arianna looks this week:

Jim Lee: Our Memories

2008-07-15T21:50:00Z

Whether you were there with us in spirit or in person at Dad's memorial service, all of us — Dad included — appreciate all your love, support, and kindness during these last months and days.

Here is the presentation that was displayed at the memorial service. It includes various memories you have shared and that we hold dear about my father.

Here is the front of the chapel at the service, with Dad's urn in the center:

Lesson from Grandpa Jim: Persevere

2008-07-12T06:30:00Z

One of Dad's favorite and most valuable lessons was to persevere. "If at first you don't succeed", he'd quote (so often it became part of my subconsious), "try, try again." We're already passing this philosophy on to Arianna.

Week 41 | Bye, Bye, Grandpa Jim

2008-07-12T06:00:00Z

Ari's Grandpa Jim passed away this week. They had a very special bond, and Ari never smiled so quickly or fully for anyone as for her Grandpa Jim. When we brought her over to their house after he'd gone, the first thing she did when she got into the room was look over to where he'd been resting in bed, smiling in anticipation.

It's very rewarding to experience now with Arianna how he felt about me as a baby. I always felt very loved, but now I have a first-hand understanding of where that love comes from. Now I can empathize with it.

I'm sad that Dad won't get to enjoy loving and being loved by Arianna, but she still remembers and loves him. This is evident even two months later, as I finish writing this entry. When we walk into her room, you can ask, "Where's Grandpa?" and she'll turn and look up at his picture, and the biggest grin will spread across her face. Sometimes, she even starts to laugh. Dad had an uncanny ability to communicate his love, and Arianna basked in it. I'm so glad she's had an infusion of the love that Jene and I got all our lives from him, and that even for the short time they had together, she was able to brighten his spirits and remind him of the love, beauty, and joy he so appreciated in the world.

Dad used to always take Jene and me to Nancy Boyd Park, down the hill from the Montessori school we went to when we were very young. He would tell Ari how he looked forward to taking her there, so we took Lily and Ari there one morning not long after he passed away, in memory of those good times with him.

Milestones & Metrics

Can pick out fish and ball among toys
Had her first pancakes
Shows "I'm so tall" by reaching up high with her hands when you ask her "How tall is Arianna?" (This is incredibly adorable!)

Jim Lee's Obituary With Online Guest Book

2008-07-10T18:30:00Z

After spending his last weeks enjoying the company of family and friends, Dad passed away peacefully Monday morning. I plan to write about it more here later, but right now, we're trying to make arrangements and spend time with each other and cherish our pleasant memories of him.

I want to post his obituary here now, and mention that the Contra Costa Times has an online guest book where people can share thoughts and memories about him. The guest book will be online for a year, until 9 July 2009.

Here is his obituary:

James ("Jim") Edward Lee, III, devoted husband and father of two, passed away peacefully at home on July 7, 2008. He is survived by his loving wife, Helen, their daughter and son, Jené and James, and two granddaughters, Lily and Arianna. He will be remembered and missed by many more family and friends. A memorial service will be held at Ouimet Brothers Concord Funeral Chapel at 11AM on Sunday, July 13, 2008. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to The American Lung Association.

Week 40 | Nine Months Old

2008-07-05T06:00:00Z

It's amazing to think Arianna has been "on the outside" as long as she was gestating. Where did nine months go? I'm trying hard to savor this wonderful time when Arianna is a baby, yet it seems to slip past, almost in defiance of my efforts. One reason I'm spending so much time and effort writing and choosing pictures is to try to connect us as clearly as possible to what it was like and how we felt when look back on the times we've had. Neither words nor pictures can convey the profound sense of joy we feel, but I don't think that's going to do anything but take different forms as we continue to experience the magic of Arianna...

She continues to be engaged, intrigued, and entertained by her Leap Frog Learn and Groove music table, which encourages her to sit up and kneel, as well as reach and use her hands while maintaining her upright position. Ania was always looking forward to the time when Arianna could play with it, and I see why! We gave one to cousin Lily when she was ready, and she too, really got a lot out of it.

She's been especially smiley this week, which you can see from the photos we took during our family picnic at Lafayette Reservoir. It's clear that Ari really likes to smile, and more than that, to make us smile. When she flashes a grin at you, you can't help but feel a ray of joy going right to your heart!

Ari has started to "dance", and it's adorable! It's mostly bobbing her head at this point, but it's clearly associated with music -- I play reggae on the XM radio that comes with our DirecTV service, and I think the music table is part of it too -- and she seems to get a kick out of it. For her, dancing is yet another reason to smile.

She's also begun to laugh spontaneously, then really start cracking up at herself, which is of course, quite infectious. It's awesome to see her developing a sense of humor!

Arianna always enjoys the swing when we go to the park.

And she gets a kick out of her Kindercise class, where she sometimes encounters unexpected challenges.

She had another play date with our neighbor's daughter, baby Cordi and her nanny, Daysi, who will also be taking care of Arianna when grandma Wanda goes home to Poland. Ari and Cordi always seem to have fun together, and the nanny is great with the two of them. We've been having several play dates with both Daysi and Wanda, so Ari has a chance to get used to her new nanny with the comfort and security of her loving grandmother.

This year was Ari's first 4th of July. She's too young to stay up for fireworks, but showed her spirit nonetheless!

Milestones & Metrics

Fourth tooth (top right) all the way in
Can consistently pick up individual Cheerios and eat them
Had pasta for the first time
Had Chinese food for the first time; Shen Hua, of course!
Starting to be comfortable standing, with support
How Arianna looks this week:

Photo Shoot: Reservoir Picnic

2008-06-30T00:00:00Z

We had a fun picnic lunch at Lafayette Reservoir this afternoon!

Week 39 | Busy Baby

2008-06-28T06:00:00Z

Arianna was pretty busy this week, and seemed to really enjoy herself. The big event was going swimming for the first time this Sunday, which she loved! She also had two play dates, and is doing great interacting with other kids.

Allan and Denise brought baby Eliza over for brunch:

and Ania's friend Ania (also from Poland) brought baby Julia over for a play date:

There's something really lovely about watching babies learn to relate and socialize...

She ate her first ice cream cone — minus the ice cream — and we had just about as much fun watching her as she did exploring the new textures, sounds ("crunch!"), and tastes.

Ania took her to the library to get some new books:

And she worked on her piano skills:

I put on a little puppet show — my first ever — for her and made her laugh. Now I see what people mean about kids bringing out the kid in you, and it really is fun!

Milestones & Metrics

Fourth tooth (top right) started coming in
First time swimming in a pool (YMCA, 22 June)
We lowered her crib mattress to second-lowest setting; she's really becoming a lot more mobile, and is pretty tall for her age. It was sad, though, because it's another sign that she's not so much of a little baby anymore...
First ice cream cone
How Arianna looks this week:

Fruits of Her Labor

2008-06-25T16:00:00Z

Ania's mom, Wanda has single-handedly transformed the hillside in our backyard from an eyesore of a bleak and barren slope to a lush, terraced garden full of flowers and tomatoes. The colorful flowers have made spring and summer at our home even more pleasant and beautiful!

Here's a look at the yard as it was in April 2007 and below, after all her hard work, how it looks now in June 2008:

After weeks of care and attention, those tomatoes have finally started to ripen, and the first crop is ready!

It's too bad I so strongly dislike tomatoes — I'm sure they'll be juicy and delicious — but I will at least try them!

Our Little Minnow

2008-06-23T03:00:00Z

We took Arianna swimming for the first time! She did great and really seemed to enjoy it!