Joy and sorrow

Happy Halloween! It's been a weird couple of weeks, but Iris has experienced her first "trick-or-treat"-ing experience. Once she had a bag and was placed on her way up the steps of friends' porches, she knew what to do and wasn't too shy about going to the door. She was a cute angel with a somewhat loose halo. See for yourself.

Earlier today, Dad and Iris spent time carving a pumpkin. Here's a photo of the one Mama did a few weeks ago that didn't last with our warm weather. The pumpkin is saying Iris's clear utterance, "Uh-oh!"

After a downpouring of rain one Tuesday, we weren't able to go through the corn maze on our annual pumpkin picking date with cousins Noah and Matthew and Aunt Ruth. However, Iris got a pony ride that she wasn't too sure of.
We enjoyed lunch back at home with her first viewing of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" Unlike Charlie Brown, Iris didn't get a rock for Halloween. She did manage to lose her shoe as we strolled down a lively street in town that hundreds of people meandered without cars for several blocks. Iris is a great joy to watch and love!

The sorrow part is that our dear dog, H.G., had to be put down. She was over 13 years old and lived up to her namesake; a good dog. We have her ashes now and memories of her kind, fun and quiet companionship. For those who knew her, I've set up a link to a photo gallery.

On the other brighter note, Mama had a birthday that was celebrated with a couple of friends for lunch, parents for the afternoon, and a delicious mocha cake that lasted all weekend. It's middle age we're talking about, as Mama (and Dada) have realized that we need to watch our diet and exercise more. We're definitely not getting any younger, despite the silliness we exhibit playing with our daughter. Dada truly cherishes the Saturdays (while Mom is working) for bike rides, visits to the park and even grocery shopping. Last week, Dad made an impulsive buy of some sunglasses for Iris. Isn't she cool?

Finally, here is an update of "words" Iris says:
bear, bee (which might mean baby), pee (or pea? or please?), bedtime, cracker, goldfish(as in cracker), banana, mama, dada, up, down, playdough, juice, thank you (in Mandarin), kitty (she sees neighborhood cats), cheers when toasting with drinks, and still the all-purpose uh-oh.

Potty training continues, of course, as well as occasionally dropping food off the high chair. Pray for us regarding that!

Happy Mid-Autumn Moon Festival!

Iris is on the move! Here she is meandering around the park at the recent FCA Moon Festival potluck. There were a few dozen children, but Iris was one of the younger ones. The weather was windy, but the food was delicious, and Iris liked the pineapple mooncakes,

There was a grassy area with some balls, a colorful parachute, a gong, a taiko drum and drum sticks, and a traditional parade lion head. Dada and I helped Iris color and create a lantern. She was happy to hold it as the children paraded behind the lion at the end of the evening.

See for yourself in this video:

As summer turns to fall, we spent a day at the beach. It was a sunny and warm enough day as days are along the coast. Iris found the water too cold and a bit scary, but she loved the sand and walking barefoot. Oh yeah, she loved drinking and eating, too.

That was a thanks to dad's delicious sandwiches. The cheese-flavored baked goldfish crackers were the best!

Last Post-placment report

Before this month passes by completely, there's more to say about our one year anniversary with Iris. First, the post-placement visit by our agency's social worker is done and we think that the information will be favorable. Iris played while our conversation about her was happening. At one point, she stood up in her new chair/table set (from Aunt Ruth!), and mama asked her to sit down. She did...and other times, she didn't. There's definitely independence happening. The words we used to describe Iris: active, fast learner, happy, and fearless. Today after her playgroup, one lady described Iris as a go-getter.

She's usually a great eater and sleeper. As you can see in the photo, she can make a real mess! Yet one new developments: Iris is not eating some of her favorite foods, such as banana (She eats all other kinds of fruit!), french toast, yams, carrots, and rice. She's not eating vegetables, except for frozen peas. Each day is a challenge to give her good nutrition.


Another new development: She communicates more with pseudo-words, such as "day-do" for "playdough" (See photo with her friend Grayson). So far, she says: uh-oh (a lot!), dada, mama, Mmmmm (for cow sound), "guh" for "all gone/I'm done", "ticka ticka ticka" for "tickle tickle tickle" (which ma and dada like to do to her).

As she will turn two years old in November, we are slowly seeing her assert her independence and sometimes, defiance. It reminds me of how as a Christian, sometimes I don't listen to God's Spirit to guide me in the right paths. That's when I get stressed and feel out of sorts. In parenthood, I realize that one of the most important roles is to protect the child. Therefore, I will need to meditate and pray more in listening mode to understand fully how much Jesus loves and protects me. After all, this is what children learn to sing at at young age: "Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so."

1st Anniversary of Gotcha Day

It's amazing to think that one year ago, we met our fun, happy daughter Iris. We were in China fumbling our way around what to do with our 9-month old. Wow! We've learned a lot, yet it seems that we still know so little about raising a child.

For example, I think Iris is ready for potty training, ...but how? Once again, I try to consult books and videos. Other parents may try to help, but oftentimes their recollection is not tied to a "method." So, we're going to try different things-potty in her room, potty in the bathroom, regular times after drinking or eating to "try". It's just strange that we are doing this, but she can't really express herself in words.

But onto more pleasant thoughts: a reunion with one of the families that we met one year ago. We met Iris's friends, Isabella and Alexandra, at Tilden Park. All the girls enjoyed petting calves, feeding cows, chickens, ducks, and seeing rabbits, and sheep in the little farm. Iris enjoyed feeding them the lettuce leaves that Isabella's dad and mom brought. It was a joyous and sunny day. Here are some photos:

From Psalm 104 that celebrates our Creator God:
"May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD."