Rachel - 3 month update

Hello there!

We are going to keep her monthly updates on the blog now.

I'm not going to lie, being new parents is really really difficult. The transition has been extremely rocky, not because of Rachel's behavior as an infant, but because embracing this new role takes sacrifice that I did not anticipate. It was an extremely rough first two months. Sleep deprivation is a form of torture.

But The Lord has been very present with us through the struggle. He is teaching us to put ALL of our hope and trust in only Him. If you are interested in the ways He has been showing up, I would love to share more with you!

We just got back from Houston, after Rachel and I were staying with my parents for a month. Justin came after his trip to Sri Lanka for work. Needless to say, we were pampered with love, home-cooked meals, and lots of babysitting.

Rachel has developed a lot this month.

She has discovered her voice and likes to use it as much as possible. When you get close to her face and talk to her, she coos right back as if responding to what you're saying. 

We did not deserve it, but Rachel started sleeping 10-11 hour stretches while we were in Houston. We will consider that a clear gift from God, as all parents know they cannot control their kids sleep. 

Rachel is pictured here using the blanket I used as a baby and my first doll ever.

Rachel in one of her many Christmas outfits from PoPo

Daddy daughter time

Another Christmas outfit :)

Justin's mom was a huge blessing to travel with!

Family photo with the Leung's

Friends that visited

Friends we visited 

We wish we could have seen everyone this trip, but as we are adjusting to the new baby, we mostly stayed at home, recovering under the care of our parents :)

2 Month Update

[retro-active blog post from an email dated 11/17/13]
Hope this email finds you well! We have survived another month, by God's grace!
Rachel is growing before our eyes. Her newest thing is smiling at her mobile and bouncer. She also loves to kick her legs uncontrollably. The biggest development -- she has begun to sleep through the night. She also went to her first wedding and visited the beach for the first time (outside the womb)

Here are a few pictures of Rachel lately:
1. 2 month old photo
2. Rachel went to her first MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting
3. Rachel in a good mood

1 Month Update

[retro-active post from email dated 10/19/13]
Time flies and our little bean is one month old as of October 17th.
She is such a sweet baby. Mom and Dad are still learning all her ways.
Thankful for God's provision, especially with improvements with
breastfeeding. Please pray for more rest! :)

Last Hurrahs Before Baby Girl Wong Arrives!

Hi People! Alot has happened since we found out that we were expecting. Preparing for the baby, doing some things as a couple before she arrives, and learning what it really means to trust in God's character.

Bed rest since 34 weeks: Due to some early labor risks, I'm on bed rest until the baby arrives, so that she will have a better chance of making it to full term. 37 weeks is this Thursday, August 29th. 

Although untimely, God has definitely used this situation to embody his love through friends visiting, bringing food, bringing babies, and keeping me company! Totally overwhelmed by their selflessness and thoughtfulness.

Since March 2013, here's what we've been up to!

Joyce and James Wedding in Norcal - Our cousin Joyce got married in Palo Alto to James. It was a big family reunion with the fanciest Chinese food we've ever tasted, night after night! We stayed with Uncle Andrew & Auntie Flora in Atherton. It was also the first time for Andrea's parents and sister to see her belly bump!

Joyce & James @ Allied Arts Guild

So fun that Edna is part of the Lee family now - Baby Whitaker!

Roomie #3! - Our cousin Erin was finishing up PA school in LA and stayed with us every other weekend for a few months. It was nice to have a 3rd roommate to cook dinner with and chit chat in the evenings.

Here's Erin graduating from PA school at USC - with Delia!

Justin has picked up surfing! - While Ann was in Houston, Justin took a surfing lesson to brush up on his initial lessons from Hawaii and he fell back in love with it. He has even bought a surf board!

Hermosa Beach

Showered with Love in Houston - Ann was spoiled rotten with a baby shower thrown by Jeannie, Sarah, Steffy, and Tina at Julie's house. The theme was gray and yellow and it was the most Pinterest-y shower ever!

Just a taste of the decorations and food

Amazing Hostesses. All busy women.

A special family dinner at Kata Robata

What a fun lunch with Cat and Mom at Ruggles Green in City Center!

Babymoon in Las Vegas - We got an awesome deal at the Wynn with free buffet and tickets to their water show, La Reve. Turns out, that weekend we experienced Las Vegas record highs of up to 115 degrees! The best dinner was at DelMonico Steakhouse in the Venetian. 6 years ago, we ate here while we were dating. 6 years later, we are expecting!

July 2013

March 2007

Up Close and Personal with Beyonce - Justin won this MasterCard Priceless Experience - VIP Tickets to see Beyonce at the Staples Center. We were weary of this deal - sounded too good to be true. But sure enough, when we arrived, we received a personally signed picture from Beyonce, a box of her new perfume, and admission into a VIP seating area where we saw Courtney Kardashian and Rashida Jones and Beyonce's mom!

It feels like she is staring right at us, doesn't it?

Baby "Sprinkle" in Pasadena - Blessed to have a 2nd shower for Baby Girl Wong thrown by Grace and girls from my church. What a fun, Spirit-filled shower. My favorite part (aside from the Chickfila minis) was when every single friend prayed for the baby, Justin, and me in this upcoming life change!

 Visiting Paramount Pictures: Justin's surfing buddy was an intern at Paramount this summer, so he gave us a private tour of the sound stages and grounds. Fave part was Justin re-enacting his favorite movie on the very bench Forrest Gump was filmed on!

"I may not be a smart man, but I know what love is"

Picturesque shot in front of Paramount. Hollywood sign is hazy in the back

Andrea Hired First Staff at NightLight - Because I am going on maternity leave, it was necessary to find a staff accountant to assist during my absence. After a long two month search, at the very last minute, the Lord provided someone who is a believer, passionate about anti-human trafficking, and has some previous working experience. Relief cannot describe how I felt!

Visitors (Some pictured below):

Denise

Jen Lai

Sarah and Nick, Christina 

Daniel and Loan

Cyndi 

Sandra, Denver, Sophia, and Olivia

Houstonians Reunite! Sandra & Denver with their sweet girls visited us and the Wangs

Bun in the Oven!

Big Announcement: We're expecting! Due date is September 19th.

The baby is waving to us!

Justin just returned from a business trip to Myanmar & the Philippines. He went to train people how to budget and forecast in their individual microfinance institutions. We are so thankful he didn't get sick the entire time (and he recovered from a bad cold right before leaving).

Here are some photos from his trip.

Justin training the local staff in the Vision Fund Philippines Office

Vision Fund Myanmar Office from the outside

Justin trying balut (duck fetus)

He wasn't a fan!

Shwedagon:Temple in Myanmar - Made of all Gold

On Justin's last day, the Philippines CEO took him and the team to visit this beach on Panglao Island

Earlier this year, we got to take a special trip with some friends to Whistler, Canada!
I didn't ski because I was 5 weeks pregnant at the time, and it was so hard to keep my mouth shut! Justin had a great time tearing up the mountain and got to use his GoPro for the first time. Needless to say, we had so many laughs and many hearty meals together.

Riding the Peak to Peak gondola

The view from our cabin each morning!

Since we flew in through Seattle and drove up, we got to pit stop at our fave donut shop in Pike Place Market!