Trick or treat

We are savoring every moment of our last week together before I return to work.

It is definitely a bittersweet feeling. I will miss spending 24-7 with my little guy.

Today we headed to Esther's house to dress the babies up in costumes.

Colin was his true self as a monkey. The moms dressed the babies up like they w

ere dolls. All out of love!

pictured above are noah (same b-day as colin) as chili pepper falling over on colin. to colin's right is jordan the hot dog who is always cool as a cucumber, born a few days after col

in & noah.

pictured below are all the new moms from breastfeeding support group, mom & baby yoga, and the mom & baby classes during the week. They were all born weeks apart from each other.

from left: esther & anton, kris & brianne, salena & liliana (who I too

k lamaze class with too), me & colin, emily & jordan, mara & noah

Halloween is simply the best!

Best Stroller Walks in San Mateo county

I've done quite a bit of strolling ever since the first week we brought Colin home from the hospital. Before that, I used these trails for my runs, but those days seem a distant past! For now, I will continue walking with baby in stroller for my daily exercise.

Here is what I think are the best stroller walks in San Mateo - Redwood Shores area:

1. Crystal Springs - BEST stroller walk

12 miles

By far the most scenic walk on a smooth paved road, great for strollers. i start at sawyer camp on the san mateo side. it goes through about 6 miles of breathtaking scenery by a reservoir and surrounded by trees, birds & occasional deer sightings. they finally installed some real bathroom stalls too.

http://www.strollerhikes.com/Hikes/CrystalSprings/CrystalSprings.html

2. Bay Trail in Redwood Shores or Foster City

These are great trails with smoothly paved paths and easy access for residents who live or people who work here.

6 miles

Redwood Shores: http://baytrail.abag.ca.gov/vtour/map2/access/Rdwdshrs/Rdwdshrs.htm

11 miles

Foster City: http://baytrail.abag.ca.gov/vtour/map2/access/BTFoster/BTFoster.htm

3. Redwood Shores/Marine World Parkway loop

5.75 miles

Start from Bay Trail at the end of Redwood Shores Parkway. Go up about 2.5 miles (stop for some Starbucks), then cross over to Redwood Shores library about .75 miles (Marine World Parkway behind Oracle), and down Marine World Parkway another 2.5 miles.

along redwood shores parkway you can turn onto marlin drive or bridge drive and hit an excellent park with a small beach & picnic area and a nice little playground. public bathrooms available here.

4. Burlingame Ave. downtown

1 mile

For a slow walk with lots of people milling about at cafes shops and restaurants. Dangerous if you bring your wallet. Parking is a hassle with metered parking that requires lots of quarters (the meter maids are nazis - I got a ticket once even though I got back at the same time they were writing me a ticket!), but you can park at a nearby lot behind Baby Gap for $.50 for an hr.

dehors et de - out and about

Colin is now 7 weeks old. He stares intently into your eyes, smiles, and is starting to socialize.

His newest word is "Nu-uu-eew" with an emphasis on the "ewwww" sound at the end. He says it with many intonations and whatever he means when he says it, he really means it!

This week had a french theme to it so I will do a quick recap.

Lundi: Colin visited San Francisco for the first time with me. We went to Noe Valley, where mom used to live, and visited Oriana and Fred and their kids Isabella (3) and Axel (3 mos). The beach was foggy so we headed to Dolores Park where it was clear and sunny. Colin got to sunbath a bit. Afterward, a trip to Petit Collage

to buy some great prints on wood for Colin's nursery, then a glutinous trip to the mouth watering Tartine for some pastries to bring home: chocolat croissant, jambon & gruyere fromage croissant & a biscuit chocolat. yum. tartine is to die for. Even a few days later, the croissants were so flaky and buttery after warming them up in the toaster.

Mardi: went to the breastfeeding support group at Mills Peninsula hospital - a crowded group that day with some crying moms who I felt for who were dealing with many feeding challenges. The first months are extremely stressful for moms.

"Voici mon secret. Il est très simple:

on ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux."

Here is my secret. It is very simple:

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.

- Antoine de Saint Exupery, Petit Prince

Mercedi: our friend Cathy who organized Colin's shower and was my old boss came over and brought over Petit Prince keepsakes, a bowl, spoon & fork set. Cathy will be featured in Hyphen, the only Asian American magazine in the U.S. The story will feature her work coaching Asian Americans and their cultural barriers in the workplace. Interesting.

Jeudi: we saw all my co-workers from Gilead at Town, a fun restaurant in San Carlos which was busy as ever despite the recession. Colin sat in his stroller for a while sleeping through the open kitchen cooking noises and constant buzz of the crowd. I had an excellent Ahi tuna salad and we all shared a banana split and bread pudding. Surprisingly good considering the dearth of good restaurants in this area.

Vendredi: went for our final stroll with our neighbor mimi and her son remy (3 mos) before mimi heads back to work on Mon :( They are going to France with remy's dad bernard in February. I am dreading the transition back to work as well, but I think I will definitely be ready for some intellectual stimulation by Nov 1st. Admittedly, I am already ready. we visited amy from work at the Sofitel hotel and sat out by the pool for a bit.