Talon turns 2!

Talon turned 2 yesterday! We will be having a small celebration together with Grandma's birthday this next weekend! Still...to commemorate his big day...here are some fun shots with daddy!!! 

ps: Capri gave Talon a pink Thomas train - Rosie!

Talon turns 2!

CAPRI

So I went to my Dr's appointment Jan 9 and Dr. said well...Baby is due so we should induce in 2 days - 1/11/12 - the due date. So we checked with the hospital but there was an overflow of scheduled births that day. We switched the inducement to 1/12/12...cool date huh? Well...baby girl didn't think so. I started having contractions around midnight - not bad ones. Thinking this would be just like the first, I figured I wouldn't even head to the hospital till later in the morning - as in when the sun was out and all! Around 2am, the contractions started getting much closer and hurting a lot more. Hmmm...I thought this seemed different but second guessed myself into thinking it was probably because I couldn't remember how it was like the first time as well as I thought. Around 3-ish am, contractions started to hurt a ton more and since I couldn't sleep, I started to get ready. Then, I had a feeling we should call my brother Matt and just have him come over now. I figured he would take his time and by the time he got here, it would be perfect timing. Good thing he thought otherwise and decided to head on right away. By the time 3:40-45ish rolled along, the contractions were pretty bad. Tim said we should just go and Matt can let himself in but I was worried about leaving Talon alone in his crib. He has a crib tent, so it prob. would not have mattered as much. We called Matt and he said he was turning in from the freeway. Feeling better about the situation, we left first. Tim was in full speed and in the car, the contractions really kicked in. This was definitely different. We got to the hospital and the nurse checked me. I was 6cm dilated. We got there at 4am. The darn nurse insisted on going through our data before she called the doctor and anesthesiologist. I really wanted that epidural. Then suddenly, I felt the weirdest sensation that I was pushing and I could not stop. I ask the nurse "Why am I pushing?" She looked at me weird and said: "Oh you're not pushing..it's not time yet!" I looked back at her incredulously and repeated "Why am I pushing then?". The nurse checked and went: "Oh coz I see the head!" Seriously? Seriously!!! Then in another push or two, the baby came right out into the nurses' arms. That was 4:09am...no epidural!!! Seriously? Seriously!!! Well...quite the event and I know understand what the phrase "don't get attach to your birth plan" means! At least she came fast! 

It's been just over a month now and we're adjusting to having 2 kids. Talon gets spurts of jealously and spurts of gooey, salivaly, give lots of hugs and kisses moments. We always said "SOFT" to him when he touched the baby so he now whispers that whenever he touches baby. There have been quick smacks to baby girl from her ever so "loving" brother...but it's died down quite a bit! It is a challenge to devote equal attention to both kids...so it's safe to say we're quite happy and contented with our 2 now. How do people have more than 2 kids? It beats me! Capri's Chinese name is XueQin which means "as pure as snow and admired and respected."

CAPRI

M.I.A again

Amanda is having a baby boy so we threw her a Hush Baby shower! We had the yummiest soups, salads, and desserts!

Other than that and some major nesting, I'm just waddling around and spending nights wondering why baby likes making me uncomfortable! :) will try and post pics of the nursery when we actually get to it! :)

M.I.A again

We Love Pink!

Looks like this next couple months will involve plenty of:

...coz we're expecting a GIRL in January!

We Love Pink!

Our new Youtube series!!!

Help us spread the video and give the Youtube video link a thumbs up if you like it!!! Thanks friends!!!

Our new Youtube series!!!

Giveaway Winner

For the Giveaway winner, please go to our Facebook Page or The Railroad Classrooms Blog!!! Thanks for all your support and love!!! Keep spreading the word! Stay tuned...more giveaways coming!

Giveaway Winner

Giveaway!

Our new Facebook page is also up: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Inception-Learning/128128180594552. Please please please do help us spread the word through your very own Facebook, twitter, blogs, emails, whatever it is!!! Keep following our Facebook and blog as we will keep launching new and exciting things the next couple weeks and months!

If you become a fan, you get entered into our Giveaway! Plus, if you refer a friend to be a fan, post this on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc... you get an additional entry for each thing extra you do! So basically if 10 friends of yours become fans, you will get 1 entry plus 10 additional ones. Please comment on our Facebook page to let us know what you did to help spread the word to ensure your entry! The Giveaway will end May 15...which equates to PLENTY of chances for you to have multiple entries!  Here's what you stand to win:

1 Melissa and Doug Abacus TOY!!!

Waiting for Superman DVD which includes a $25 gift card to donorschoose.org.

1 REAL Soroban/Abacus

Giveaway!

Our Exciting New Venture

The past year has been nothing short of craziness. We have been trying to build up a new business - Inception Learning. We actually did come up with the name before the movie Inception came along. I guess great minds think alike! Christopher Nolan....we have the same ingenuity! :)  Our product is called Abacus Prodigy. We have since developed an electronic Abacus keyboard - Soropad that will be connected to our online digital platform. There, kids ages 3-8 (we be continually expanding to fit ages 9 and up) can learn Math with a strong Abacus foundation, along with a full Math curriculum, using top problem solving techniques from China, Singapore, and Korea! Our site: www.abacusprodigy.com will incorporate virtual tutors, practices, games, music, animations, videos, and assessment tests. We're still fixing a minor glitch on Mozilla Firefox. So for the next few days, it's best viewed in Google Chrome. Doesn't most of everyone use Chrome anyways? Maybe this is the PC vs. Mac talking in my head! lol... It's definitely exciting as we have been HATING the school system for a very long time. I think in Asia, it was way too academic and here way too much focus on play and sports. I feel there's needs to be a good medium for the children to be well-rounded and be academically, physically, and socially capable! Hopefully, our products will help close up that gap! I believe that Math should be fun!!!  Why not? It can be fun solving difficult problems. Math also teaches children to solve problems creatively...which I feel is SO important in everything we do nowadays! Yes! Creativity is a MUST. The great thing about Abacus learning is that it teaches children conceptual skills at a very young age. I see the kids who have gone through my program approach things in a very different light. I LOVE the innovative spirit such kinds of learning helps instill in young children!!!

Anyways, it's been most exciting and stressful at the same time getting our business put together. Who knew how much went into starting up a business?! AND...programmers...yes programmers! Finding the right programmers is truly the hardest thing to do. Lots of programmers are skilled but finding the ones who will communicate well and give all they have...now that's the tough part!!! It's been super great working with our Illustrator, Alvina though! Here's a link to more of her work: http://www.alvinakwong.blogspot.com. 


It is also not easy to juggle being a parent, spouse, and business owner at the same time. I know there are times that I feel bad that I can't play with Talon because I HAVE to take a call or send an urgent email. But we try to make sure we switch off spending quality time with him if that's the case! He is definitely still a very spoiled but a real loving boy at the same time! Hmmm...the irony!


We're hoping to officially launch our product some time in Fall. Meanwhile, please help us spread the word by being fans of our Facebook page and getting ALL your friends to be fans as well!!! Our Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Inception-Learning/128128180594552

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Our Exciting New Venture