Tim and Olive's Blog

My dear firstborn, From the visit to our doctor today, it seems clear that we are in our final days of sharing this unique and precious physical connection; of you living inside of me.  The doctor said that I am close to being 2 cm dilated and that your head is quite low.  My body also tells me something is changing.  I am getting more frequent cramps and practice contractions and the random tears and hot flashes tell me my hormones are on a roller-coaster ride.  You are definitely readying yourself to make your grand entrance into the world! Read More

6 more days until the due date. The anticipation continues to rise day by day. It really could be any day now. Every time Olive calls me the first thing I ask her is “Is it time??” 5% of babies are born on their due dates. 55% of first born children arrive after their due dates. Our obstetrician is able to make it to 70% of the births of her patients. These are random statistics that are stuck in my head.
Read More

At my weekly checkup on Monday, I finally tipped the scales at 150 pounds.  So far, I’ve gained 27 pounds since my first doctor’s appointment.  Not too much, not too little.  I think baby’s growth is slowing down though because I find myself less hungry (especially in the middle of the night).
Read More

In the course of preparing for baby’s arrival, I’ve come across some great resources for new moms and dads that I thought I would share – especially for people who live in the Vancouver area (although I think that most, if not all, of these resources are available Canada-wide).  Most of them were either recommended to me, or I found them myself.  [Note: I am not affiliated with any of these companies, nor am I being compensated for mentioning them here.  I’m simply passing along the good stuff I’ve found.  I must also mention that we are part of the Amazon Affiliates program.  That means if you choose to buy a book through our links, we will receive a bit of commission – so we promise to be honest about our reviews and let you know what we found helpful.]

Read More

Olive and I were thinking that it would be very meaningful, in our 30^th years of life, to write a book together outlining the major choices we’ve made in our 20s and how it has shaped our lives. Now nearing the end of my 30th year I realize the goal of writing a book was a bit too much, so we’ve decided to write some blog posts instead. Olive has started writing about her choices in her blog series “Finding my Voice: A look back at the Defining Decisions of my Twenties“.

Here are my top 20 Life-shaping choices I made in my 20s. In November I took a poll from our readers to see which choices they would like to read about the most. The idea is for me to start writing about the ones people are most interested in. Here are the results, and the links to the decisions I’ve written about so far. I will be continuing to write this series through this year.

1. Embrace my Depression [realizing the gifts that depression brings] – 26 votes (Part 1 and Part 2)
2. Learn My Boss’ Job [how to spend my time at work] 3. Decide the one things I will die for [how to find passion in life] – 17 votes
4. See a Counselor to discuss depression, pornography and other things – 13 votes
5. Take responsibility of my spiritual growth [stop relying on my church for my growth] – 13 votes
6. Create a 5-year plan for my life – 13 votes
7. Go into marriage trusting God more than trusting Olive or myself – 13 votes
8. Find my calling in life [taking Sabbaticals to find my purpose in life] – 12 votes
9. Ask myself the right question [from “what should I do?’ to “who should I become?” to “who am I?”] – 12 votes
10. Spend time with people who are going somewhere in life – 12 votes
11. Learn to tell good stories and ask good questions – 12 votes
12. Define my goal for dating: Dating for clarity vs Dating for marriage – 10 votes
13. Decide my family will be my friends – 10 votes
14. Use words to give others courage [what I learned from Ken Shigematsu] – 9 votes
15. Think Bigger [what I learned from working with Leonard Buhler] – 9 votes
16. Incorporate Rest and Solitude into my life – 9 votes
17. Listen and understand before making suggestions – 7 votes
18. Find mentors, friends, and people to mentor – 7 votes
19. Live with margin in my life – 7 votes
20. Look for Convergence in my life [living an integrated life] – 6 votes

What defining decisions did you make in your 20s? 

[Finding My Voice is a series of blog posts on key decisions I made in my 20s.]

Defining decision: as much as possible, choose love over fear
Read More

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” – John C. Crosby

Whether you are just starting out in your career or have accumulated decades of experience, mentoring has its benefits.  For a young leader, there is the potential for personal and professional growth, the opportunity to widen your network and to gain more confidence. It’s also a cost effective way to learn from someone who has more experience.  For a mentor, there is the opportunity to share the things they’ve learned through their years of experience, and to make a positive impact on someone’s life.
Read More

Recently I read Blake Mycoskie’s book, “Start Something that Matters”. Blake is the founder and “Chief Shoe Giver” of TOMS. It outlines the inspiring story of TOMS, a social enterprise that has given over 1 million new pairs of shoes to children in need.
Read More

This past Friday, Baby Chan reached the milestone of 37 weeks, which is considered full-term.
Read More

My baby is getting on my nerves.  There, I said it.  Before you become alarmed and wonder if I’m in good enough psychological condition to become a mother, let me also say that I mean it quite literally.  You see, sometimes when I’m standing, baby’s position presses on my nerves and pain and numbness shoot down my legs.  And I feel like I’m going to crumple over unless I hold onto something and try to shift my weight somehow.
Read More