Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, Izzy!

We celebrate our first Thanksgiving today. Although Daddy is not home for Thanksgiving, he came back from work for a little while this morning to see and play with you. He misses you so much! After your first nap, we went to the park to play on the swing and slides to tire you out. Then we came home and you went down for your second nap.

Today, Mommy gives thanks for our perfect little family, for the best husband any wife could ever have, for a beautiful, healthy and growing daughter and not forgetting, our little Zoë. Even though she's in Vancouver this Thanksgiving, we miss her and we can't wait to see her in 2.5 weeks.

Happy 1st Thanksgiving, my American baby!

Love, Mom

Izzy & Peter Rabbit (thanks Auntie Janet!)

All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth

Dear Izzy,

Mommy saw that one of your front central incisor has broken through the gum and the other one is not far behind! Yet another reminder that you are growing up...*sigh*



It looks kinda swollen right now but you'll be getting your bugs bunny teeth soon and you can sing the song, "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, my two front teeth, MY TWO FRONT TEETH. All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, so I can wish you Merry Christmas!"

I am sure they'll be fully out by Christmas!

Love, Mom

Oh My...9 months already! (And 38 week birthday)

Hey baby,

Newborn Izzy, barely an hour old.

You turn 9 months today! At this hour, 9 months ago, I regained consciousness and laid my eyes on the most beautiful being God has ever created. While I am not really cut out for motherhood (I'm not and will never be a Suzy Homemaker), you are a joy in my life that exceeds the drudgery of being a mostly working at home mother. I wasn't really expecting to ever be a real mother (just a fur-mom), much less be totally in love with this tiny being...but I am. It's such hard work but whenever I see your eyes light up when you see me across the room, it makes it soooo worth it.

You are very feisty and outspoken. You know exactly what you want and you go after it with gusto. Whether it’s a piece of what Mommy is eating or that new magazine you want to rip up, you reach for it and usually get what you want. You live life with passion and perfection, when you learn something new, you do it over and over again until you get good at it. You also definitely have a funny bone in you because you love to make people laugh with all your hilarious antics!

Wait, what’s going on with your hair?

Thank you Auntie Cheryl for the little barrettes!

Oh yeah, Mommy discovered that you have *just enough* hair to make a wannabe ponytail. It’s time to start toughening up your scalp for all the fun hair do’s you’ll be getting as you get older...Zoë must be so happy that she's no longer Mommy's Barbie doll!

Now Daddy and I have only three months to plan your birthday party! Don't you worry, it will be the party of the year as Daddy has already started preparations!

Love you baby!

Practice Makes Perfect!

Izzy, Izzy, Izzy...

You've been blowing raspberries all day, everyday, for the last few days. When you eat, when you take a bath, when we meet new people... You think it's so funny! Sometimes you do it till you are red in the face! I guess you just want to practice until you get it perfect? You silly goose!

Love, Mom

Who Says?

Who says baby food is mostly pureed peas and carrots? Obviously those babies did not have a Daddy like yours! You are so lucky that you haven't even had to touch a single jar of commercial baby food. And as much as we can, we try to only give you organic food.

Daddy has been busy in the kitchen making you all sorts of delicious food! And he is thrilled that you are not a picky eater either! You are pretty sick and tired of just the regular pureed vegetables so Daddy has concocted other yummy and chunky combinations for you. Also, instead of pureeing your food up with water, he infuses homemade stock (which he simmers for hours on the stove) into them which makes it oh-so-good for you!

And as for your taste for foods, you eat anything and everything! When we go out, you eat most of our table food too. I think your favorite is dim sum, just like Mommy and Daddy! Also, you seem to enjoy your dairy and Daddy can't wait till you are old enough to have cheese courses with him when we go out for fancy dinners because he always has to have those by himself.

Your normal day-to-day menu is as follows:

• Breakfast (around 7:30 am): oatmeal cereal with a dash of ikan bilis powder, 1 egg yolk, cheese cubes, juice
• Morning snack (around 10: 30 am): fruit mixed with yogurt, water
  
• Lunch (around 1:30 pm): cereal and yogurt, avocado cubes, water
• Dinner (around 5 pm): vegetable mixed with soft tofu and cereal, juice

You nurse between each meal, before you go to bed and 2 times at night. And since you are a puff-a-holic, you snack on puffs all day long as well! I wonder if you will even put on some weight or are you just like Mommy who eats and eats but can't seem to put on the pounds?

Love, Mom

This weeks menu: carrot, chicken & mushrooms; green beans, brocoli, spinach & chicken; cauliflower & salmon

Goodbye Ah Ma & Ah Kong

Dear Izzy,

Ah Ma and Ah Kong left to go back to Vancouver today. You had so much fun with them and they were so much help to Mommy. Mommy finally got all our boxes cleared and we just have a few other small loose ends to tie up but our apartment finally feels like home now. With Ah Kong's help and Daddy's brilliant idea, we got our TV centered on the wall and our electronics all hooked up. Now you watch Ni Hao, Kai-Lan in stereo! They took Zoë home with them because you and Mommy are going back in December to celebrate Christmas there. Daddy can't come with us so Zoë had to go with Ah Ma and Ah Kong so it will be easier for Mommy and you to travel.

I am sure you can't wait to see them and your little Zoë next month!

Love, Mom

Happy 37 week birthday!

Dear Izzy,

Another week has come and gone and what have you been up to? You are now trying to cruise with the help of the furniture. You are still quite wobbly but you are trying soooo hard! After pulling yourself up, you shuffle your feet in one direction and move towards that direction. Or you let go of one hand and try to balance yourself. You have sustained many, many falls but have always taken them in stride—always just crying for a few seconds and after some comfort, you are off and trying the same thing again. You are definitely one strong-willed and determined little girl with no fear whatsoever!

Mommy can also see the beginning of some communication between us! There were a few times that I noticed you pointing to things that you want! Like when we eat our meals, Mommy caught you pointing at your sippy cup because you wanted a drink. We think that is soooo cool!

Love, Mom

Here you are being your silly self again!