TOMS

 Hi Lina<3

We brought your first pair of TOMS. It was so exciting and cute!  When we went into the shoe store, you wanted to pick up every pair of shoes and try it, even though some of the shoes you picked up were not your size at all. The shoe store had a adult shoes as well as children’s.  You like your TOMS so much that you had to wear it out, once we brought it. I think you are going to be like Mommy, who like shoes – maybe it is a girl thing.

The day so far...

To my little Lina<3,

How are you doing? I hope you are doing well. You woke up crying for us. Daddy came and got you right away. We put you on the potty chair but nothing happened. Mommy was able to wipe you down , brush your teeth, moisturized you, brushed your hair well, without any fuss (unlike some mornings - where you run away from me, do not want to brush your head or teeth... Lol). Breakfast was fine, you drank your soy milk through your sippy cup with straw (yes Lina<3, no more bottles), and ate dried cereal.it is funny when we add soy milk to your cereal, you do not eat the cereal but only want to take sips of the soy milk. After breakfast, Mommy dressed you and fixed your hair.

 Are you having fun with PorPor? You will spend the day with PorPor while Daddy and I go to work - donot worry, it is only for three days. It has been difficult dropping you off with PorPor in the morning, you refused to go to PorPor. You would shake your head, say "no" while waving you finger back and forth, and hide behind my legs or want to be picked up. Meanwhile, in the mornings at home, Mommy tells you that we are going to see PorPor today and have fun with PorPor. You would get all excited and want to go and see PorPor, and you say "por por". In the car, right before we reach PorPor's house, Mommy tells you " we are almost there, we are going to see PorPor". You smiled. Mommy asked you, "do you want to go to PorPor's house". You said "no". Mommy : " are you sure" lets go see PorPor". You say, "no". Then you say "no PorPor" that comment made laugh so much.

You are putting two to three words together. Mommy is so proud of you. You are learning so many things. Lina<3 knows what you like and does not like.
Do you know that you are officially 21 months old today? Mommy can't believe it, you will be two years old in a few months.  I remember when you were in Mommy's belly, the birthing process, your first year, the eczema symptoms (which you still suffers from but it is very mild and under control), and your milestones. It has been great, and will continue to be great (hopefully with less temper tantrums... But I love those moments too) as you continue to grow, and learn.

Mommy is looking forward to picking you up in the evening. In the meantime, have fun with PorPor. Mommy loves you.

18th Avenue Feast

My Little Lina<3,

As the day went on, Mommy picked you up from PorPor’s house and spent the early evening at the 18th Avenue Feast of 2013 as known as Festa di Santa Rosalia of Bensonhurst, NY. I thought it would be a nice event for us to go to, since it was part of Mommy’s teenage years. We went with your grandparents. Mommy had not been back to the feast in years and it was nice to know that not much has changed. Lina<3, you enjoyed walking around, running from one venue to another, and got scared of the ringing noise from the horse race game. You saw some ponies. PorPor won some prizes for you from a fishing game, a fish, and a butterfly. It was a good night. You went home and slept through the entire night.

My Picky Eater

Oh my little Lina<3,

You have not been eating your meals very well. Lina<3, you have been picky at every meal- breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When it comes to snacks, you like to eat it and eat it all, as well as ask for more. You like snacks so much that you started to say the word, "snack." At least it sounds like the word, "snack" - "sssnnac" while pointing to your mouth with your finger.

The refusal to eat  your meals does not stop at home but also with PorPor when you spend three days with her. It is becoming more and  more difficult to feed. We (your parents and grandparents) had tried various ways of getting you to eat more. With PorPor, she tried to feed you with different utensils, using different bowls, and using different locations of where to feed you.  The same things happens at home for the last weeks. It is hard to feed you. Sometimes, you just want to feed yourself or play with your food and not eat the food. Mommy always sit with you at your kiddie table, so that you can eat better. But sometimes you just fuss and do not want to eat at all.

I need to find new ways to feed you. Mommy needs to find different recipes for you to try, although that is tricky too because you do not like new things.

Okay, let's hope that today is a better eating day.

Playdate With Sophia

Little Lina<3, you had a playdate with one of Mommy’s friend’s daughter, Sophia, this past Tuesday. At first you were shy and did not want to do anything, but you started to play, you acted like it was your house, moving all of Sophia’s toys to different locations of the play area. You had fun playing with her toys, even though sometimes, Sophia did not want to share her toys with you. You did not want to share your toys either. The two of you, played more apart than actually together, but that is the stage where you guys are.   Mommy realizes that you are a little bully, and aggressive when it came to playing with Sophia’s toy kitchen (which you love). You pushed little Sophia a couple of times. There were times when you wanted to hugged Sophia, but she was not paying attention to you so you ended up hugging her back. Same thing happens when Sophia wants to hug you, you run away or was not paying attention and she hugged you sideways, lol.
















It was cute watching you interact with Sophia. Not only did you make a new friend, you also met Sophia’s baby brother, Ivan. We only played with little Ivan a little bit, because he was napping on the swing or being fed by auntie Natalie (Mommy’s friend). We have to see them more often.

First of Many Conversations

To my little Lina<3
How are you doing? I hope that you will have a good night sleep tonight. You usually sleep well without waking up in the middle of the night.
I had the greatest phone conversation with you this afternoon. It was the first phone conversation we ever had. It was so cute, and adorable, and Mommy could not be happier. It made Mommy smiled a lot. While Mommy was on my lunch break, I called PorPor to check up on you, and you answered the phone. Usually I called PorPor daily throughout the day, while you are spending the day with her, and she puts the phone to your ear, and you do not say anything, but sometimes presses buttons on the phone, and ends up hanging up the call.
So today’s phone conversation went like this.
I called. My phone said the phone call went through but no one answered on the other end.
Mommy calls again:
Mommy: Hello ma! (expecting it to be PorPor)
    No answer.
Mommy: Hello ma, ma, ma?
Lina<3: eh eh eh (baby babbles)
Mommy: Lina<3, is that you?
Lina<3: eh ehe ehee (more baby babbles in excitement)
Mommy: Hi Lina<3!
Mommy: can you say hi mama
Lina<3: mama, mama
Mommy: how are you doing?
Lina<3: mama, mama, mama, baba, baba (daddy in Cantonese)
Mommy: what are you doing?
Lina<3: (baby babbles……..) baba
Mommy: baba is at work, you will see him later.
Lina<3: ehe, ehe  (more baby babbles)
Mommy: did you eat your food today?
Lina<3: No! ehehee ehee (more baby babbles)
Mommy: why didn’t you eat?
Lina<3: eh eh ehe ( more baby babbles)
Mommy: okay Lina<3, did you take a nap nap?
Lina<3: nap nap
Mommy: yes nap nap, will take a nap nap? fan gau gau (to go to sleep)?
PorPor realized that you are talking to Mommy, and asked if you called Mommy or not. Lina<3 refused to pass the phone to PorPor, and fussed when the phone went o PorPor.
Lina<3 in the background, go eh eh, screamed a little because Mommy had to speak to PorPor for a little bit. The phone went back to you.
Mommy: say mama
Lina<3: mama
Mommy: say buh bye mama
Lina<3: mama
Mommy: buh bye
Lina<3: buh bye

I was so happy after talking to you, and looking forward to more conversations with you on the phone especially while Mommy is working. Mommy misses you very much when I am at work. I had to call Daddy right away to tell him about the conversation.  This is going to be the first of many, many, many conversations!
I love you always, muah.

Cleaning…

To my little Lina<3,
You have become quite the little helper lately. You like to “maat maat” (meaning to wipe in Cantonese) after your meals. When Mommy cleans up after you, you like to help, so I give you a paper towel. If you see Mommy maat maat the table, you do the same. If you see Mommy maat maat the floors, where your foods had fell, you do the same. You do a job well done, helping Mommy. Sometimes, you are so into cleaning that you clean your toys as well. You go across the room to your toys and clean them up too with the paper towel. Mommy cheered for you as you clean and that made you want to clean even more.


Today, you were playing the dust pan and broom. After dinner, you wanted to clean all your mess on the floor, you took the initiative, went to get the dust pan and broom, and started to sweep. Mommy helped you, since your coordination was not that good, and you were getting frustrated that the dust pan handle kept falling on the floor. Afterwards, Daddy and I clapped for you, and told you what a job well done you have done.