Simply Me

Lately, whenever your turn on the TV, radio, newspaper, it displays Japan disastrous earthquakes/tsunami and nuclear crisis. It's depressing to learn about the disaster happening in Japan. For this reason, I play only CD in the car since last Friday.
Look, what has the world come down to? I cannot take it anymore!
 
On Tuesday, I ordered 4 books from Amazon.com, two of which are Diary of A Wimpy Kid. I know Wimpy Kid series are for someone under 18. But who cares, it's funny, it makes me laugh. I highly recommend adult to read if your frame of mind needs an instant boost.   
 
I must confess I spend far too much time on internet. In the office, I'm in front of my computer all day. After work, you will still see me carrying my iPhone and iPad around the house. Sometime, my phone, iPad and laptop lie on my bed till I fall asleep. Can I live without internet? ehh…mmm…hmmm… I don’t know?
 
To promote the reading environment at home, I should start picking up books. I (used to) love to read, but I have no time for it now. Excuses. I know, I know. I need to make time to read. Ryan loves to read. No, he loves to listen when we read to him. Every night, he wants at least 2 books and 3 audio books. Someday, I just too tired to read to him. I know that's bad, I shouldn't turn him down, i shouldn't discourage him.
 
I like reading books by Malcolm Gladwell. As I grow older, I don’t like reading fiction books anymore. My preference has switched to non-fiction book. At book store, ,my choices are within inspirational and motivational books, baking books. As youngster, this type of book is just too boring and dull. Only novel, comic and fiction books appeal to me at that time.
 
I was browsing on Amazon, out of my curiosity, I want to know if they sell Chinese book. I search the word 'Chinese', hoping to see some nice Chinese books. Instead, I found an English book written by a Chinese, the title caught my eyes - "Chinese Cinderella: A True Story of an Unwanted Girl" by Adeline Mah-Yeh.  
 
Couldn't find it in any bookstores here, I bought the e-book. It's a good book to read but it's a little depressed too. I now looking for the next book from this author, her memoir, Fallen Leaves.
 
 

I like talking with Ryan on the phone. He sounds so cute on the phone. I wonder why it's different in person?


This is how he starts when he get the receiver, "yes, mommy… Mommy… blah-blah-blah… start telling me whatever is in his mind, totally ignore what I'm saying on the other end. And pass it away once he thinks he is done with his talking.


Yesterday, first day of his March Break staycation with daddy, I call to talk to him in the mid morning, he was eating his breakfast…
"Yes, mommy" with his cute voice. Ohh, I just love to hear his voice on the phone.
He continues, "mommy, one second".
I was waiting.
Then daddy laughs and answers the phone, "he is busy eating his breakfast, he is done talking to you".
He actually put the phone away and continue eating.
"What? I haven't even started".


Today, he and Tony running some errands. I call him at home. "Yes, mommy". This is his starting line.
"I'm doing my Abacus right now".
"Oh mommy, I got this REALLY BIG toy, from this place…"


When he was younger, before 2, he used to like to pick up my cellphone and put it behind his ear, "alo? alo?"


As he grows a little bigger, "halo? OK. Bye bye".

I thought I had received the best gift ever.

A week before Christmas, I was told I was pregnant. That news was the best Christmas and birthday gift to me. I called it the gift from Heaven!

I was very careful: I walk slow, I move slow, I eat healthy, I quit drinking both tea and coffee, I stop carry Ryan… I was so happy. I kept remind myself to be extra careful from the lesson I learned previously and superstitious reason I didn't tell anyone about the good news other than my family and Adeline. Adeline is the first to learned the good news. Everyone was very happy for me and Tony.

I wanted to share the good news with Val. Then I decided wait till the holiday is over when things are more stable.

Christmas holiday is fast approaching. I was thrill, I get to enjoy the quietness of 2 weeks staycation. My holiday start Dec 23. We don't have special plans for the holiday, except we're hosting two parties at home.

Tony invites his staff over on Dec. 27. The day before the party, I started the preparation. On Dec. 27, I was busy in the kitchen since morning. I stop from what I was doing when a friend visited me. While sitting in the dining room with him teaching me about W&WW stuff, there was a strange feeling inside me.

After V left, I continue working in the kitchen, put the strange feeling behind my head. I was on my feet all day, climbing up and down the stool. I'd done a lot of things that I shouldn't have done during the critical period.

While party reached the height of the night, I start to feel uncomfortable. I went to washroom, and there was spotting. I quickly went back to my room, get change and put my feet up. I start getting worried.

I couldn't rest. I fell into a deep fog of anxiety. Lying down on bed with my iPad reading about forum regarding miscarriage. In my heart, I was praying, please GOD, please don't take it away from me, again. PLEASE DON'T! DON'T GIVE ME HOPE AND TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME SO QUICKLY! DON'T HURT ME TWICE!! I promise I stay away from kitchen, from baking. Uncontrolled flow of tears wet the pillow.

Next day, thing got worsen. Tony rush me to ER. Sitting alone on the chair looking at the sick people in and out the room. ER of MSH is no stranger to me. In the past two years, I have been visited ER like a regular customer.

Did my blood work, ultrasound… HCG level remains high. Due to the early stage of the pregnancy, they couldn't detect heart beat. From the research I did, as long as the HCG level stay high, hope remains.

Another day past, no sign of improvement. My tummy started to cramp. The worst has arrived, cramping with bleeding is definitely not a good sign. All my hopes were dropped to point zero. Dr. Pyselman office still closed for holiday. I went to ER once again. Repeating yesterday test. No exact answer of whether I still pregnant. I didn't wait for the reports cos I know it's already over.

I was on bed all day for a week. Someday, I still keep the hope, hoping for miracles.

Jan 3, Carrie called me from Dr. Pyselman office. "I'm sorry, Alice. The result doesn't look too good. Your HCG level dropped 30% in just a day…"

Jan 4, see Dr. Pyselman. I told her I blame myself cos I was overworked on the day before bleeding. She look at me and said, "think of women around the world who tries to abort the baby, no matter what they did, they just cannot get rid of it…" "is there still hope?" "well… let's do the ultrasound. But looking at the decrease of your HCG level, I'm not positive" **sob** I know, I just trying to give myself hope.

Jan 5, did ultrasound. My favourite sonographer of Dr. Pyselman. A middle age East European lady, decent and soft voiced lady. When she saw me, she asked for Ryan. I know she's trying to find a topic to cheer me up. She remember Ryan as a very good boy. 2 years ago, I had an ultrasound appointment but I have to bring Ryan along. There is a rule in ultrasound room, no kid under 12 allow in the room. She wasn't very happy to see me carried a toddler into the room. I reassurance her Ryan is very good, he won't disturb. She was impressed with him cos she never seen a child that young quietly sitting on the chair without trouble.

As she started talking to me, my tears flow…I remember vividly on Monday, August 31, 2009 afternoon, I was in the same room with her… "it's a boy". I heard her but I didn't give her any response. She looked at me and repeat, it's a boy. I response softly, I know. I told her the strange pain I experienced. Every night, at around 2p.m. a very strange pain kept me up. At first she told me, nothing wrong. Then, she paused, her eyes stared at the monitor. She went out to get Dr. Pyselman. My heart sink.

I was sent home to rest while she is going to bring my case to her colleague in downtown and was told to come back in 3 days. That evening, I was sitting in the living room, replying Adeline email. When I got up, a gust of water wet my pant. Nightmare started. I was rush to ER for the first time. At the ER, I was put on bed and hooked up with IVs. I was scared, worried, and helpless. I couldn't help myself but sob.. I still feel his movement as I rub my tummy. "Baby, stay strong. Mommy's here."

Clock is ticking, no one attends to me. I started to bleed and the blood seep all over my gown and bed. A nurse came to me and told me to prepare for the worst. I broke down into tears. I held her hand, "please do something to save my baby".

I was pushed into a familiar room. The last time I was in this room was when Ryan was born. It was the joyous moment. Today, I'm here again with completely different experience. Everyone was tired. Ryan didn't know what was going on, he knows mommy is in a lot of pain. He dare not go near my bed. In the wee hour, he slowly climbed up to my bed and slept beside me.

The fetal movement has slowly stopped. "Please baby, please don't leave mommy". Helpless. It was hurting to see my baby slowly died inside me and I'm not able to do anything to help. It was the worst experience ever. Everything happen too quickly.

Dr. Arnold sat down by my bed, with gentle voice, we chatted for a while, he planted a tiny hope in me. That night was long and dark. I heard baby cries coming from next door. New arrival to the world. I'm sure that room is filled with joyous, contradict with the environment in my room.

Next morning, I was wheeled to the ultrasound room. The technician silently stared at the monitor, she left the room, came back with a radiologist announced the bad news. My tears burst out like a broken dam.

That morning, Dr. Virro induced me. The worst part is I had to gone through the whole labor process, the same familiar contraction that every new mom experience. The only different is, after the labor pain, instead of new life, I gave birth to an angel.

My angel, Riley was born on September 1, 2009.

上星期五，我请了一天假去YR面试。
面试时间2pm.
早上9am, 送宝宝去上学后，便去找Mina做脸。做好脸后快12pm. 问Mina,我的头发行不行？她建议我去修剪发尾。她是形象设计师，听她不会错。
时间很紧，飞车到Flora那里，怎么搞的，星期五上午也这么多人。不能等。我兜过前面一排店，去Tony以前office隔壁的理发店，怎知他们搬了。搬去隔几间。如果不是赶，我才不会上那家，因为之前有过 bad experience. 心想，修发尾不会太大分别。推门进去，一个胡须老在帮一个男子剪，另一个胖子出来望着我. Dude,剪发！他问我要找那个师父。随便啦，赶时间。洗头先。Nooooooo...赶时间！
都不知他是不是学徒。修发尾大半小时还没搞不好。
气死人，花了20元剪了个不三不四的头发。我一年都没花20元剪发。在Flora那，剪一次才5元。从此 boycott 这家！
飞车回家，冲凉、换衣、化妆，出门。心情开始紧张，没胃口吃东西。看看钟，天呀！一点多了，急死了！还不懂怎么去那里。今天气温直升10度，飞速很高，决定驾MDX北上。从来都没去过Newmarket, 设了GPS. 哇呀！快一点半了，半小时都不知会不会到。冲上高速。着急死了。
幸好不难找，到达那里还有五分钟。松了一口气。
和柜台的女子说我是来面试的，她向我要文凭副本。这么奇怪的，从来没试过面试要交文凭副本。
正式面试开始，里面有三个人：之前的经理，现在acting女经理，人事部的小姐。更奇怪的是，他们三人轮流问问题，搞到我头晕。大约40分钟就结束。
如果二个星期内有答复就有机会。keep my finger cross!
面试后，Vin 带我去参观他的office. 哇，好大，好喜欢YR 的office. 比我们city hall 还好看！

After disconnect from here, I thought I'd just concentrate on my food blog, but maintaining passion-of-baking requires a lot of effort. I'm so behind my food blog :( and cannot keep up with my baking. So, I decided to re-open simply-me. As I realize I need a channel to express myself, a channel to bitch about life, a channel to share...