Put into Perspective

Guess who turned 3 today?

Time flies. Just three years ago today, our little bundle of joy arrived.  And now she is 3!  Wow!  A few observations about Bethany: 

• The little wheels are always turning in her brain.  She is a great strategic negotiator.  "I should only have to eat 2 broccoli since I am 2.  Jonathan can eat 5 since he is five."  But then later, when I am giving out mochis, "I want 5 pieces of mochi because I am going to be 5."  I ask her when.  She says, "I am 2 now.  Then I will be 3.  Then 4, and then 5.  See I am going to be 5 just like Jonathan!" 
• Bethany loves to sing and dance.  We often hear tunes coming out of her room late into the night as she sings herself to sleep.  
• She must must sleep with Pooh bear. We have 3, two of which Jonathan has (one of which he is keeping safe for Danielle).  She never wants "yucky bear" but the other two are fair game.  Then comes Baby Bear from Aunt Susan, and Tutu (Chinese for rabbit) from Uncle Stuart.  Add to that three Hello Kitty dolls, a dinosaur, a couple dogs, and turtle and you have the entire menagerie. 
• She just started pre-school. We worried about her fitting in with the younger kids since she is so tall and mature.  So we asked if she could join the older class.  She is the youngest in her class now, and she is the second tallest. I hope she will be 6 ft tall someday. :) 
• Bethany loves her baby sister, but she wants to make sure she gets her own Mommy time. Bethany said that she wants to be Mommy's favorite, but that Daddy should love Jonathan and Danielle more.  Hm...  I hope to come back and read this someday when she is a teenager and smile. 
• She wants to be just like her big brother.  Even though he is 2.5 years older, she likes to think she is also 5. Always keeping up with the older boys.  She is upset when Jonathan and their cousin Noah (also 5) do not let her play with them.  But when I ask why she does not play with Olivia (who is only a few months younger than B), she says, "Olivia is too small to play with."
• Her favorite food is shrimp dumplings and potstickers. Yum!
• I was not a girly girl growing up, so I am not sure where Bethany's preference for pink came from. But there is pink everywhere. Do they not make clothes in any other color? 

Happy birthday, Bethany! 

B's first day of school

I cannot believe it, but my little girl is growing up.  Bethany started her first day of school yesterday.  It seems like yesterday that she was just a baby, and now she is all grown up.  We put Jonathan in part time preschool at age 2, but because of Bethany's many illnesses, her doctor suggested we keep her at home until she turned 3.  

Bethany was very excited to go to her new bilingual Chinese school. She has been begging to attend school since Jonathan goes, so she finally had her wish come true. She is in the 3 year-old class room, and though she is much younger than all of the kids, she is nearly the tallest child in the class.  Those are either some small children in the class or Bethany is very tall.  Or both.  

Her Daddy drove her to school, and I picked her up.  On the way home, I asked her if she wanted to go back, and she said, "No, I want to just stay home with you and Daddy."  I replied, "But Daddy has to go to work. And Mommy is going back to work soon too." She said, "Mommy, don't go to work.  Stay home and play with me all day."  I am not sure whether to be happy that she enjoys our company or sad that she said it.  

Today, she was once again excited to go to school.  She loves her new classroom and comes home bursting with news of the day.  Unlike her big brother who tells us nothing about his day other than a couple of "I don't knows", she gives me a good play by play of the activities.  

It is strange to see your little girl grow up so quickly.  It is particularly pronounced in Bethany since she is a 2 year old but wearing size 5T clothes.  She is bigger than many 4 and 5 year-olds we know.  We hope that this is a start of a lifetime of joy in learning that her father and I had when we were in school.  

I am 2 months old!

Time flies for a little baby.  It is a brand new year, and I am two months old.  Here I am with my brother and sister in a photo courtesy of Prevoir Photography's Erin.  

• I have been sick about 5 weeks of my 9 weeks.  It has made me sad.  I have something called bronciolitis which made me cough for the entire time and kept me from eating and sleeping.  Finally I am better!
• I like to smile when my tummy is not hurting and I am not coughing.  It is not my fault I have colic, but it does keep everyone in the household on their toes. 
• I took my first trip.  We went to Dallas, TX and Raleigh, NC to visit my grandparents.  I met my Grandpa (daddy's dad) for the first time!
• Grandparents love babies. So I get a lot of attention.
• I look just like my big brother.  Daddy pulled out Jonathan's baby album, and there I was!  Or so I thought.  
• I only like to eat when being bounced.  Everyone feeds me on a excercise ball or a recliner.  
• I eat like I am a dribble glass.  I like to let milk leak out of the side of my mouth.  It makes for a messy, messy meal. 
• Yummy mommy's milk is great, but it is a lot easier for me to get it from the way Dr. Brown intended, from a bottle!  I still cannot nurse normally which makes Mommy sad. 
• I have cute hair.  It stands up on end just like it did for my big brother and sister. 

Well that is it for this month!  See you next month all!