September 13, 2006, Wednesday
Dear El,
You've started 1st grade! And you are so incredibly busy. You are taking tkd 3 times a week, plus jazz AND ballet class on tuesdays, plus piano on saturdays and chinese school on sundays, which you just started this past sunday. Crazy girl! But it's so great to see you do dance. I love dance and wish I could do it again too someday. You enjoy each of your classes, although you complain before your tkd class and then leave the class very happy. Im not sure about you taking chinese school. It's just a lot, 3 hours, and you already have so much going on, but you insist that you like it and want to keep it. So, okay. You just love taking classes, I think. I could sign you up for bongo drum lessons and you would love it. But Im proud of you for that. I sat with you in chinese class and man! The teacher is really boring. You guys just repeated the pinying vowels over and over again for an hour. But you liked it and raised your hand to participate as much as possible. You're so cute. And so not shy, so unlike me! Which is great. I love watching you learn and grow. You've been having lots of fun at school too. You always want to stay for daycare because you love to play on the yard, and it doesnt matter who's there, cuz you can play and make friends with just about anyone. Last week, I let you stay at daycare and you said, "Mommy! I had a super fun day today!" You played with the boys that day and played Ninja Turtles. You enjoy playing with the boys a lot because they play action games that involve a lot of imagination, and that's what you love doing. You usually play with Connor during the morning recess, chat nonstop with Isabel during lunch, and then play with other boys later on. You told me on monday how you made a new friend in class, Nathaniel. When you first told me about him, you swept your arms up and put your hands together, almost like a little girl who has a crush on someone. You told me how you guys held hands in car line. You were so excited about making friends with him. During the first week of school, you told me how you approached a new girl in your class and said, "Hi, wanna be friends?" And then had her join you and the boys and Gillian in a game of Star Wars. I thought that was so kind and so YOU! But she, Grace, didn't speak much english, so you couldnt understand a lot of what she said, so you tell me that now, she plays with a different girl in class, which you totally dont mind. I love that about you. You really dont let a lot of things bother you, you easily get over stuff and dont let people get to you too much---so unlike me, again, which is a blessing! You made friends with one girl in jazz and two more new friends today in ballet. Yeh-yeh says you have great PR skills. You're finishing up Charlotte's Web right now. It's so awesome to see you read so well, although you tend to lose your place a lot, going from the end of one line to the beginning of the next. You just have an awesome memory--and an awesome skill for all things involving computers. You picked up the concept of instant messaging "like that!" and you can navigate through folders on any program easily. It's so natural to you. You were really into checkers and one day I saw you on my laptop, trying to connect with someone to play a game of checkers over the internet. You also love comic books like Power Mark. I just cant say enough about how much you amaze me. I love you very much, Ellie. G'nite.
June 13, 2005, Monday
Dear El,
I can't believe it's been almost 3 years since I've written to you. Wow, time flies by so quickly. You are 5 now. My big big girl. You will be graduating from pre-school on June 28th. So soon! Your teacher asked us to think of a cute story about you when you were a baby and type it out so she can read it to the class. I dont know which one to pick! There are lots of little stories in my letters here, or maybe I should tell them how your Bae Bae came about? "The History of the Bae Bae." Kee kee. I put you and Maddie to bed at 9pm tonight, wow! A new record! But you have so many excuses to come out of bed. You've come out 4 times so far. Its 945pm and I just checked on you both and you're still not sleeping!
But El, I'm so proud of you. You can read 12 books now. You are so very smart. I think you have a photographic memory. You can read certain words because you've memorized them, like "people" or "said." I have 6 cd's in my car and you know the cd number and song number for every song. It's amazing. Maddie will ask for the Mary Poppins song, and you would remind me, "Oh, that's cd 6, song 16." And you do that for every song that you and Maddie want to listen to. You excel in everything you do. You are very good at TKD. You just got your striped purple belt and you know basic form 1-20 already. Last week, the teacher even asked you to teach your friend, who started at the same time as you. In piano, you are also very good. You pick up things so quickly, Im so impressed. Even with the choir, you knew the words and movements after the first few practices and most kids older than you still didn't know it. Maddie knew them well too. You are not shy. You couldn't wait to get on stage to perform.
I am also proud of you because you take such good care of Maddie. You understand that she's younger and you give in to her a lot. You are very mature. I think you'll look out for her always. Daddy has also taught you the diagram for salvation. You can draw it pretty well now and I believe that you are beginning to know who Jesus is. I love to listen to your prayers. You really pray from your heart. I think you have the gift of intercession. It was Sun Hee's birthday last week and I asked you to pray for her that night. You not only prayed for Sun Hee, but you also thought to pray for Taylor, that she won't feel sad for not getting a lot of presents like her mommy on her special day. Wow, again, I am so impressed by you. Sometimes, instead of singing a song to say grace at mealtimes, you say your own prayer and you always thank God for sending His only Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. That is such a blessing for me to hear. I praise Him for you.
I've been pretty busy with the Angel Tree summer camp lately. I feel bad that sometimes I have to take time out on our days together to do Angel Tree stuff. Last saturday, I had to go to the mentor training at the campsite, so you had to miss piano lessons and I didn't see you or Maddie the whole day. *SIGH* Im learning. Im learning how to balance everything so I dont take too much time away from you and Mads. But at the same time, I want you to see how important kingdom work is, that serving God is #1. I hope you and Mads will remember this and grow up serving the Lord all the time. But taking care of you and Mads is kingdom work too. I know you both will be awesome women of God.
You have a fragile and gentle spirit. I know I've hurt you by raising my voice in the past and I've asked the Lord to forgive me and to protect you and heal you from my mistakes. The Name Book that I saw at the Christian store says that Eleanor means "kindhearted." And you are definitely that. When your friend William first started school, just this year, he would cry everytime he came. A few weeks later, William's parents came up to me and asked if I was your mother. I said yes and they both gave me a big smile and said how thankful they are for you. They told me how William had a really hard time adjusting to school, but you, as they put it, "reeled him right in" and he's fine now. I really believe that the Lord has blessed you with a kind heart and I'm glad to see that come out, even at this early age.
At school, your friends are all boys. Your teacher says that you are SO popular and they all fight over you. Haha. You play with Connor, CJ and William mostly, although you now play with Kyle too. You guys like to play Teen Titans or Star Wars, during which you guys usually just run around nonstop. You have so much energy. I remind you to ask your girlfriends to join in, and when you do, they say no, because they dont like to run around like you do. But Im glad that you are willing to include everyone. A few months ago, another boy in your class asked to play with you guys, and CJ turns around and asks you if its ok that he joins in...and you said, "I dont know....." as if you have to think it over some more. I whispered to you that you should let everybody play, and you listened and later at recess let him join in, but he refused because he doesnt like to play with girls. Oh well, you did the right thing!
I really need to start on that little story for your teacher. I hope I don't embarrass you too much.
Ok, here is the story I came up with:
The Story of “Bae-bae,” Eleanor’s Blankie
When Eleanor was about 7 months old, she fell in love with her Grandpa’s pillow, which had a black and white, polka-dotted pillowcase over it. She went everywhere with it. She also had to have it during naptime and bedtime. Every time Daddy and Mommy took her out somewhere, they had to bring this big pillow along too. You can imagine that it was difficult to carry such a big pillow around. It didn’t fit very well on her lap when she sat in the stroller and kept falling onto the ground. Finally, one day, Mommy took the pillow out and just gave her the pillowcase. It was much easier to carry. Eleanor didn’t seem to mind that her pillowcase was now flat.
But then, Mommy couldn’t keep up with washing the same pillowcase over and over again, so Grandpa introduced Eleanor to his blue and white pillowcase. It was a king-sized pillow case, so it was very long. Grandpa had used this pillowcase many many years, so it was very soft. Eleanor liked it very much and soon forgot about the black and white, polka-dotted one. One day, Eleanor’s Auntie was visiting and decided to cut the pillowcase into many smaller pieces so it wouldn’t drag on the floor when Eleanor walked around with it. This pillowcase also had a matching sheet. So very soon, Eleanor had many, many small pieces of pillowcases and sheets.
Four years later, Eleanor is still using her many pieces of blue and white pillowcases and sheets. She calls it her “bae-bae” because it means “blanket” in Chinese.
October 6, 2002, Sunday
Dear El,
You've been going to preschool now for 3 weeks, twice a week since Sept. 17, when u were exactly 2 years and 7 months old. It was really hard for you that first day, (and hard for me too), you cried so hard, like I was abandoning you. I stayed with you for an hour that first morning, then I went to work at 930. I called your teacher at 12 that day and she said you were still crying. My heart hurt so much to hear that you had been crying the whole day. I prepared to go pick you up, but when I called again at 1230, she said you fell asleep, cuz it was naptime. I guess you were so tired. Naptime was over at 230 and I came to pick you up right around then. Even though you had such a hard time, you were still able to keep your underwear dry all day, I was really surprised by that. You cried right when u saw me. But once u were in the car, you were fine. We went to the Disney store and I bought you that Belle Vanity toy and Belle pajamas, and also picked up Monsters, Inc. We had a good time playing in the store. You are doing much better in school now. The teacher says that you don't really cry at all, only a little right before naptime. But you ask (probably command) her to lay down with you for naptime and she's totally willing to do that for you cuz that calms you down and ur able to sleep. I'm so thankful that God has provided such a caring teacher for you. She seems to be really understanding and caring. You also took your first school picture last Monday. That was hard for you too, even though I stayed with you the whole time. You tried to be brave, and stood in front of the background by yourself, and tried to hold in your cry, but the photographer asked u to smile, and you just couldn't hold it in and started sobbing. The teacher suggested we give u more time to warm up and u watched 3 other kids take pictures, and then I led u back there for your picture and u still wouldn't do it. Perhaps the big lights were intimidating to you. The photographer had this silly stuffed monkey toy and he'd wave it at you to make you smile, and you just looked like him, so angry, as if saying, "Is THAT supposed to make me smile?" He just doesn't know you and how smart you are. :). Finally, the photographer suggested that I sit next to you on a stool and hold your hand. That seemed to work, only you still couldn't smile, but that was good enough. I think my hand is in the picture though, but that's ok. You did better for the class picture, because your teacher stood next to you. But you didn't want to smile in that one either. You still looked oh-so-cute regardless.
You're doing much better with Maddo too. You understand when I have to put her to bed and that you have to watch TV by yourself for a little while. You loooove to play with her and you're the only one who can make her laugh out loud and smile a gigantic smile. You don't know your own strength yet, and u hurt her sometimes too. You like to tickle her tummy with your nose, but sometimes you do it to hard and it makes her wail....but I know you mean to make her laugh :). We're going to go see your friend Trinity tomorrow. She really likes you. Her mom tells me that she's always asking to see you again. I'm not sure you feel as strongly, though you were very excited when I told you that we would be seeing her tomorrow. But if I don't mention her, you don't seem to remember her at all. Same with Lana. Auntie Anne says that Lana asks for you all the time, but I never hear you mention her to me.
A few weeks ago, Daddy, you, and I went to a Chinese cafe for dinner. (Maddo was with Nana because gong gong went to China for a week). At the end of our meal, the waiter came to our table with some ice cream for you. He said, "This is for her, she's so cute!" I was surprised, you don't usually get free stuff at a place like that. But this happens to you a lot. Everywhere we go, you get comments. I try not to stress it to you now, but I'm describing it to you here cuz I think its fun to know. Another time, we were driving home on the street and I noticed this man in the car next to us kept looking at you. He kept waving at you and you just stared at him like he's some psycho. Finally he noticed me looking at him and he mouthed to me, "She's so cute!"
You don't seem to have any trouble making friends either. You're really comfortable saying hi to other kids, but other kids don't seem to know how to say hi back. Its frustrating for me to see that. One time, we were at the store looking at the books, and this older girl, about 7, comes to look at the books too. Something about her made you like her immediately and you said loudly to her, "Hey! Hi! Hi friend!" and she just looked at you, then looked at me, and we were both smiling at her--waiting for some sort of response, and she rudely walked away without saying anything. I told you that she just doesn't know how to say hi, but you didn't seem to mind. I guess you're used to it. You've been saying hi to other kids since before you were two, and most of them walk away or just stare at you dumbfounded. I really wish they'd learn how to be more friendly....I'm afraid you're develop some kind of emotional complex if you experience to many of these instances. Fortunately, you have a few good friends at school. And for the past two Saturdays, Yeh Yeh has been taking u to his church, mostly cuz he's so proud of you and wants to show you off to his friends, but also because he wants u to be able to play with the other kids there. There is this one 5 or 6 year old girl named Julie there and I hear she likes u a lot. She didn't want to go to choir practice cuz she wanted to stay and play with you. You seem to really like her too. I think you prefer to play with the older kids. Even when I take u to the park, you pick the older girls to say hi to. I'm really glad you're so outgoing. You're nothing like me in this department, and I'm really happy about that! I hope Maddo will follow in your footsteps.
Well, El, I love you. I hope you feel that in your heart. I know I mess up a lot, but I hope you know that I absolutely love you. Goodnight, my sweet.
My big-little girl! You are talking so much now. You can even speak short sentences like, "I drive car!" You love to sit in the driver's seat of Mommy's car...or any car. You are with Gong-gong and Puo-puo at Uncle Jimmy's house right now while Daddy and I are at Puo-puo's office doing some work here. Well actually, Daddy is working, I'm writing a letter to you! Your little sibling will be arriving in 3 months. Our lives will be really different after he/she comes! But I will only be working part-time after the baby comes so I will get to spend lots more time with you and your little sibling. Then I will have the chance to potty-train you, finally! Currently, your favorite items are your "bae-bae" and your little Sonya Lee toy. You even held Sonya in your little hand throughout Gymboree class today. You just got over a terrible cold. You were sick for about a month! I'm really happy and relieved that you are ok now. But now I am sick...so the whole cycle may start all over again, *sigh*. I miss you already. I'll be seeing you in about 4 hours. I hope you are taking your long-overdue nap right now though. I think you are pretty ready for a little sibling. Sometimes, I hear you talking to your little wooden doggy toy or your "wah-wah." It's so cute. I love you very much my little precious princess. *HUG*.
May 25, 2001
October 9, 2000, Monday
I'm still wondering what costume to get you for your first Halloween. Daddy says to make you into a little pumpkin. Kinda boring, huh? I want to make you into a power puff girl, Buttercup, but how? I must get acquainted with someone's sewing machine in the next 2 weeks! Daddy are so amazed that you can play peek-a-boo with us. You'll use your favorite black and white spotted pillow and put it up to cover your face, then lower it to reveal your face again! It's too cute. But you'll only do it for four or five times, after that, I guess its not funny to you anymore. Haha. You are rapidly growing out of all of your clothes! Now you're down to only two or three dresses.
You tend to sleep later now, I can't figure out why. You'll go to sleep around 10, but more often at around 11 or even midnight. Then you'd wake up at 3, 4 or 6am. I've just switched you back to regular formula, instead of the soy-based formula, cuz you don't seem to have a problem with it anymore. We'll see what happens today. You really like ice-cream and yogurt, and green beans and sweet potatoes. Oh, and applesauce. But the weird chicken & wild rice dinner I bought doesn't seem to taste very good.
Can't wait to see you later today. I think about you all day, you know, my little baby!
September 19, 2000, Tuesday
Hey El-baby! Looks like I'm down to just writing to you once a month! Well, the day has finally come! You are able to sit on your own now. It happened last Saturday afternoon. In the morning, you were sitting on Auntie G's bed and just sat up by yourself, you held out your arms for balance, and then fell down after a few seconds. It was so cute cuz you were really wobbly. But later on that day, I just put you down on the carpet in the living room, and wha-la! You were sitting for quite a long time all by yourself! It looked weird to see you do that, as if you were defying gravity.
Yesterday, I also witnessed you use the couch to pull yourself up to a kneeling position, and then you pulled yourself up to a standing position! I was so amazed! You stood up for at least 3 seconds! Heh heh, that was cool to see. Oh, how I wish I could stay at home to take care of you!!! You know El, you may be our one and only child! We're not sure if we'll ever be able to afford me staying home to raise a second child. We'll see..the Lord will provide if that is His will!
August 29, 2000, Tuesday
Dearest El,
Gong-gong and I just took you to see the doctor again, for a check-up and to get you two more shots, OUCH! You were really scared when we laid you on the doctor's table to give you your shots, two of them this time. You looked to Gong-gong (not me..) for comfort. But that's cool, you know that Gong-gong cares for you sooooo much. The doctor gave us advice on what to feed you. Since you're on a soy-based formula, you get less calcium, so we need to start feeding you tofu and green beans! Ahhh, so much information to remember about how to feed you! It's also hard cuz I only get to feed you once in the morning and once at night. I told Daddy how you're in the 60th percentile for height. He then asked, "What about weight and beauty?" And I told him that for weight, you're in the 30th percentile, but for beauty, you went off the chart, they couldn't map it! I believe you broke a world record. hee hee.
You really like to chew on the tags on your toys. Not the toys themselves, but the manufacturers' tags. You're so cute! And you really know how to find the tags! You turn the toy around so you can pop the tag right into your mouth. I think that's so neato!
Daddy and I brought you to the aquarium last Sunday. It was fun! I think you were more interested in the little children running around than the exhibits though. But you were able to look at wherever I pointed to. We then went to the beach to eat some crab for dinner. There was this lady making funny faces at you and you were really laughing. She came over, wanting to hold you, but you quickly tried to hide behind my shoulder. Hahaha! That was funny. You also liked to watch the pigeons. You didn't even get scared or flinch when one of them flew by, right in front of your face.
August 10, 2000, Thursday
Hello my baby. Today, when I went home for lunch, Gong-gong was carrying you and you were watching me eat the food Gong-gong had prepared for me. You started being fussy, so I carried you for a little while. We thought you were just hungry, but I think you're starting to be uncomfortable when I'm away from you. When I left to go back to the office, you were drinking milk. Gong-gong told me to make sure I said good-bye to you before I went out the door, so I came over and gave you a kiss, and told you I'd be back in just a few hours. As I walked away, I waved goodbye to you and you started crying really loudly, in the middle of your feeding! I thought, "oh no! the time has finally come and now it will be so hard for me to leave you!" So I came back and talked to you, assured you that I'd be back by 5:20pm, and walked to the door, but this time, I purposely DIDN'T wave bye to you, and you didn't cry at all. But, silly Mommy that I am, I realized that I forgot to take my cell phone with me when I was already down the driveway. I need to have it so my boss can contact me at any time, so I went back to the house to get it. I quickly came in, got my cell phone, and didn't say anything to you, for fear that you'd feel like crying again. But ALAS...when I shut the door to the house and even when I was inside my car, I could hear you screaming inside the house. *SIGH* I SO didn't want to leave, but I had to. Well, I guess I'd better get used to it.
Your lower two front teeth have come in! We first noticed it last Thursday, August 3rd. Your upper two front teeth should be coming in next month. I can't wait til your teething ends! It really makes you uncomfortable sometimes. When Gong-gong or I feed you, it seems like you're hungry, yet you stop eating in the middle and get frustrated and start to cry. We think it's cuz your incoming teeth are hurting you. Gong-gong lets you bite on the cold teething ring in between and right before feedings, hoping that will make you more comfortable and let you eat more. He's often afraid that you aren't eating enough. But we're giving you rice cereal now, you seem to really like it. They say its supposed to make you sleep longer at night, but for you, it makes you really hyper and you seem to sleep less after having cereal! I think I will give you some barley cereal to try tonight, see if you like that.
I can't wait to pick you up after work!
July 1, 2000, Saturday
Hello Eleanor dearest. I can't believe 4 1/2 months have already passed by! You are so big now. Nanny is leaving tomorrow. I know you will miss her a lot. She loves you so much! She taught you how to blow bubbles and make funny faces. We brought you to a restaurant two nights ago, with Daddy's cousin, Yin Yee and also Auntie G, Nanny, Grandpa, and Daddy and I. We went kind of late and by about 9:30pm, you were really sleepy. Daddy was holding you outside the restaurant and since you are not used to being carried to sleep anymore (you insist on being placed tummy-down in the crib), you really started screaming. It was a very loud and long shriek. Daddy had to bring you back into the restaurant to get Nanny or me to help him out and ALL the customers were looking at you! I felt them give me dirty looks as I walked out of the restaurant, but it could be my imagination. heh heh, but that's cool! I'm a real parent now!
But it was so scary to hear you scream like that. I thought maybe you were in pain, like an ear infection or something, but as we drove home from the restaurant, you finally fell asleep in my arms. Whew! I was so worried. You definitely have a strong personality. Daddy worries that you are so strong-willed that we will end up spoiling you and letting you have your way all the time. But what we must do is pray together and ask the Lord to teach us how to take care of you and raise you well....and then, I know you will be alright. I can't wait to see what God has in store for you! My prayer is that God's will for you be fulfilled. I know that that is the only way you will experience the fullest and happiest life.
Sometimes, I feel that you purposely look away when I talk to you. I don't take it personally, but I just noticed that it happens with only me. You always look directly at someone else's face and smile when they talk to you, but you don't seem to do that with me all the time. I wonder why....heh heh, I really do hope that you and I will have a close relationship. I really want to be the person you turn to whenever you need to talk to someone. Puo-puo is the one I go to, and I hope that our relationship will be just as close as mine is with Puo-puo. Tomorrow, we'll be taking you to church, and hopefully, Uncle Tommy will join us too. Goodnight my precious!
June 22, 2000, Thursday
Wow, it's been a while since I've written to you. You started sucking your thumb! I first saw you do that on Sunday, June 18th, on our way to church. Its so cute. You found your left thumb first. You don't suck on it all the time, you tend to prefer your fingers. Nanny is here to take care of you, while Gong-gong is in Taiwan. Gong-gong is afraid you won't remember him when he comes back. You really love Nanny. You usually calm down right away when she talks to you, even in the car! It doesn't work when I talk to you though, or for anyone else, only for Nanny. You also absolutely HATE taking baths. I don't know why. Auntie Gillian says you look so terrified of the water. But I think you're getting more used to it. You don't cry as fiercely as before.
I don't know why, but you are waking up so early nowadays. You still sleep at around 9:30pm, but wake up at 5am, instead of 6 or even 630am like before. You also make noises in the middle of the night, at around 2 or 3am. I love to hear you talk when you are falling asleep. It gets softer and softer as you fall deeper into sleep. I got that on video. You are so precious! Nanny says you are able to recognize your own name now. You turn toward her when she says your name. You are still eating about 6 ounces of formula every 4 hours. That's pretty good, I think. I hope we can get you back on the regular formula later. Its getting harder to put you to bed. Nanny or I take 30-40 minutes patting you on your little behind until you fall asleep, all the while, you're talking and making cute noises with your eyes closed.
You went to see the doctor again yesterday, to get your shots. You had 3 of them this time. You were so mad! I bet you'll probably start crying the next time we go to his office cuz you'll be able to remember what happened last time.
Grandpa loves to play with you too. He has so many songs to sing to you (really, SOO many..everytime I hear him sing, its a different song) and you seem to be really interested when he sings to you. Uncle Jimmy and Hueh are coming to visit you this weekend. Uncle Hueh says he's been practicing to hold you (he hasn't held you yet, he's afraid he'll drop you) by holding watermelons! Hahah, I have a picture of him doing that too.
June 2, 2000, Friday
It's Friday! I get to spend ALLLLL my time with YOU for the next 2 1/2 days! Daddy is leaving to Florida on Sunday, for two whole weeks for training, so we'll be with Gongong and PuoPuo til he comes back. You are doing so much better now! The doctor gave you a different kind of formula, a hypo-allergenic one called Alimentum, and that really stopped your diarrhea right away. You looove to make noises and it seems as though you don't like to be left alone too often. Gonggong carries you a lot because you cry and cry when he puts you down, but not all the time. A lot of times, when I come home to see you during lunch, you are sitting on your little massaging chair that Auntie Noni gave you and you're watching chinese tv shows. Sometimes, you're watching CNN financial news. Gonggong plays classical as well as Chinese music for you too. I read you the "I am a Baby!" book with the little baby faces in it, and after the third time going thru the book, you seemed to get bored and wouldn't look at the pages anymore. You were looking at the pages really intently the first time, a little less the second time, and not at all on the third time. hee hee, little miss ATT-I-TUDE! (that's what Daddy would call you). We brought you to Costco last night. You had fun, I think. You were looking around at all the neato things and at all the people there. We met another little Filipino baby, who was 8 months old. She smiled at you, but you just stared back, heh heh, NO SMILE FOR HER!!! You also love to clasp your hands together while you are sitting in your chair. Its so cute, you look like you're pondering something really important, or scheming to do something baaaaad. I tried to cut your fingernails last night, but everytime I tried to re-position you so I could cut them, you'd wake up. I'll try again tonight. Its funny though, all this time, I never had to cut your toenails! I guess they just grow much slower than your fingernails.
On Daddy's birthday, on Wednesday, we took you to the Monsoon Cafe. We dressed you up in that outfit Daddy picked out, the khakis and blue Hawaiian shirt. A couple walked by our table and said, "Oh what a cute baby boy!" Hahah, and Daddy and I said, "Thank you!" hee hee--don't be mad, ok?
You have very active legs! I put the rattle ball in front of you and you have fun kicking it, especially with your right leg. You have also begun to roll over from your tummy to your back. It happened the first time on May 10th. But I don't think it's a normal "rollover." You keep kicking until you just kinda flip over onto your back. It was so funny the first time it happened. You woke up crying, on your back, looking so bewildered, your eyes looking side-to-side frantically. But now, you're used to doing that and Gong gong said he found you yesterday lying on your back, but just staring at the ceiling all calm. I think you may be left handed, cuz it looks like you use it more often than your right hand.
May 30, 2000, Tuesday
You're diarrhea didn't really go away =(. You've had it for over a week now. We took you to see the doctor this morning, and he's guessing it's either a virus or lactose intolerance (oh no!). You've grown so much over the weekend! (or it could be just me...I missed you so much!). I'm praying for your health, so you will be fine soon. You don't seem like you're uncomfortable though, except for the diaper rash. We have to change your diaper so often, it's pretty red down there, but Gong-gong goes through lots of trouble to make you as comfy and clean as possible. During every diaper change, he wipes you with wipes, then takes a towel dipped in warm water and cleans you again, then uses tissue to make you all nice and dry, then applies the Desitin cream. Daddy thinks you don't like him cuz I was holding you earlier this evening and you were fine, but when I handed you to Daddy, you started crying! Maybe he just has a higher body temperature and so he made you feel too hot. You are growing so fast....SLOW DOWN!! hee hee....I can't wait til you can talk though. Daddy picked out this outfit for you at the Gap store in the Pittsburgh airport. He bought this pair of khakis and a blue Hawaiian-type collared shirt for you. It's really a little boy's outfit, but you still look sooo cute in it! He also picked out a pajama suit with little elephants on it, along with a matching bib and hat! He likes you to have matching stuff. He's jealous that you have more matching linens than he does, hee hee. You absolutely LOOOOVE looking at your own reflection. When you start to get fussy, I bring you to the bathroom and right when I turn on the light and face you towards the mirror, you let out this incredibly big and adorable smile. You are so delighted with yourself! I'm trying to show you that it's actually you in the mirror, I'm not sure if you understand that yet.
May 25, 2000, Thursday
Well, I'll be leaving tomorrow morning for Cincinnati for your Auntie Gillian's graduation. I won't see you for four days =( !! I'll miss you lots. I'm bringing a picture of you with me, of course. Puo-Puo and Gong-Gong will take really good care of you though. They love you sooooo much. They start being really concerned when you drink 4 ounces instead of your usual 5 ounces of milk! Gong-Gong does a lot for you. He cleans your face after every single feeding, cuz the milk is sticky and makes your face a little red. He wipes your hands several times a day cuz you like to suck on your fists and he's afraid you'll get sick if your hands are dirty. You usually cry when you're in the car (this just started a few weeks ago, you used to love car rides....) but today, Gong-Gong rode in the backseat of the car next to you and he talked to you and waved that little panda sock rattle and you didn't cry at all. You make sounds when you smile now. It's the cutest little shriek I've ever heard. You also like to stick your tongue out and blow bubbles. I think you learned to stick your tongue out cuz Daddy would do that to you often, when you first started looking at faces directly. Just a few days ago, you began to raise your eyebrows up and down. That was my handiwork! hee hee. I kept doing that in front of you, to see if you could copy me, ever since you were 1 week old, and now, you're finally doing it! One time, you looked at me, and while smiling, you raised your brows up and down. It looked like you were saying to me, "Heh heh, I know more than you THINK!" It was so cute, yet scary at the same time....haha..
I better get to bed now. It's almost midnight. I expect to be waking up in about 5 hours to feed you. Its so funny, looking at your face when you first wake up in the morning. You look like you don't know where you are and you furrow your brows and your lips protrude like you're REALLY REALLY mad! But then you look at me and you smile, and I forget all about the pains of waking up at 5 in the morning!
Love you.
May 24, 2000, Wednesday
My dear little one!
This is my very first letter to you! I wish I had begun this SO much earlier, I've been wanting to do this since you were still in my tummy! I wanted to record all the thoughts and feelings I had about you before you were born. I guess I'll just have to rely on my oh-so-short-term memory now! Well, I remember that you kicked me ALL day long while I was at work. Even my doctor said you were a really active one! Daddy and I read to you while you were in my womb too. Daddy and I often prayed for you, that you'd be born healthy. We really thank the Lord that you are healthy, you've brought a lot of joy in our lives too! We read you the book of Matthew, some of Mark, Romans, and Samuel. I'm pretty sure you were able to hear us through my stomach cuz you seemed to have learned to recognize daddy's voice. On the second day in the hospital, you'd cry your little baby cry, and right when daddy spoke your name, you'd stop crying. Now, your cries have gotten a lot , shall we say, stronger and more fierce. Nothing seems to be able to calm you down once you get into it!
Two days ago, you started to have diarrhea. I was pretty worried. I called your doctor about it and he kinda laughed at my paranoid questions. I was so afraid that you'd have a fever that night too. But you came out ok and today, you are all healthy again. You're sleeping quite soundly now, in the next room, though you cried for quite a bit just before that.
Well, goodnite El, I'm really tired, I'll continue again tomorrow.