Rainy (and busy) days

As March approaches, we ask, "What happened to February?" February was marked by rainy days and the anticipation of Lunar New Year parade in SF. The Year of the Tiger began on February 14th (Yep, Valentine's Day). I'm also confused by the possibility of developmental delay, particularly with expressive language. Iris was evaluated and the report will come back sometime in March. We're not too concerned because Iris is learning words daily. She's just not putting too many words together, but she's good at mimicking and repeating.

Iris is quite a fast learner. Her memory of things also impresses us. For example, when Dada and Iris were outside weeding the yard around a rosebush, D. said, "You need to use gloves." So, Iris immediately goes to the place where she saw mom put gardening gloves. She retrieves them and brings them outside. The proceeded to have fun putting the gloves off and on, while pretending to touch the thorns of the rosebush ("Ouch!"). She's also very good at naming what is "Mama's" and what is "Iris's". Of course, some of Mama's things become Iris's. There's definite whining and crying due to wanting things...NOW! Without clearer communication with words, it's very hard to know her wants. I don't know if my speaking Mandarin Chinese is hindering her too much. It's very complicated learning a language, isn't it?

Somewhere in the middle, we (Dad and Mom) managed to find a date night to celebrate another wedding anniversary. We went out to a French restaurant and left Iris with a babysitter for the evening. It was relaxing and expensive, but worth some time together to have some conversation not around diaper training or eating habits. I attended a parenting video series class at my church that has made me realize, yet again, the awesome job it is of parenting. Daily, I'm reminded of the love and care that our heavenly Father offers us, and I want to be the best parent to Iris because of that. Of course, there is no perfect parent except for our Holy Lord. May He grant us wisdom to teach and love in His grace and Spirit.

The month ended with a the bang of drums and firecrackers, we attended the LNY parade with Aunt Ruth and cousin Matthew. Despite the rainy weather during the week, the evening was clear, the full moon rose, and we stood in a place that had a fairly close-up view of the parade. Take a look at some of the sights:

Welcoming 2010

January has already passed, but it's still okay to say, "Happy New Year!" as we look forward to the Lunar New Year 4707 on February 14th. It will be the Year of the Tiger. We welcomed 2010 with a couple of days in Monterey with family and one friend, Toshi (a.k.a. "sho sho" as Iris tried to say her name). This was part of a golden anniversary gift to my parents. In addition to formal portraits, we shared meals, walked together, and relaxed at a rental house owned by my brother. It was a special time. Several of the adults (two of Iris's cousins, too), stayed up until midnight to welcome the new year with sparkling apple cider. Below are a few photos from our family time:


So, what's so new about 2010? First, Iris began two mornings (and afternoon naps) at a nearby preschool. This was a bit guilt-inducing for Mama, but Iris seems to be okay. The best days are when she sleeps well there. I (mom) am not sure if starting her this early is too early for school structure. However, I'm grateful that Iris is safe and most likely playing these mornings, so that I can work on school stuff. I miss her evenings, but so far, Dada has been here, except for one Thursday.

That leads me to describe another first- leaving Iris with an evening babysitter that wasn't a family member. We called upon a friend of the family, Meesha, who came for the evening to play with, feed and put Iris to bed while B. was on a business trip and I had to teach. She only had praises for Iris, and Iris was asleep when I got home that evening. Not only that, the toys were put away and dishes were clean! Yeah! Way to go, Meesaha! We were all glad when Dada came back from his trip, especially since Mama was coming down with a cold. It turns out the cold/dry cough has been going around in this area. It has been a lingering cough that caused me to nearly lose my voice. It's almost gone, but I've drunk a lot of hot tea in that past 10 days. I'm praying that Iris won't get the same "bug" I have.

Throughout January, Iris has been saying more words, most recently the colors. She really likes to say, "blue", "yellow" and "pink", but guesses on the other colors (red, purple, yellow). On the suggestion of the preschool director, Iris will have an intake to evaluate any possible development delay, including speech and language. It must be tough learning two languages-Mandarin Chinese and English. Her vocabulary list is nearly 80 words, 1/3 of which she says the Chinese words. Her comprehension is way beyond that. She still doesn't say two words together, unless you count the expression, "Oh no!" This is not a big worry, but it's better to check it out now (for free!) than too much later. Iris is part of a playgroup of moms who speak languages other than English with their children. It's great to hear about how the bilingualism develops, and just for Iris to know other children close to her age.

Now that Iris is distinctly in her toddler two's, we still marvel at the wonderfully delightful and adorable girl she is. Her smile gives us joy, and her laughter is a true blessing. The sweetest part is when she calls out "Mama" or "Dada", sometimes quite loudly. She's looking to make sure that we're around. I think about how important presence of a loved one is. Likewise, I'm thankful that God's Spirit of love is around, and is a faithful presence in our lives. I continue to pray for Iris to know that throughout her life.