Protection

Moms and Dads are different. From this picture you can see that Mommy was the one who set up your play area. You have really started to enjoy sitting on your own. That exersaucer that you used to love to play in will only keep you occupied for about ten minutes. You would rather just sit by yourself and play with your toys, sometimes playing for up to 30 minutes! (good boy!) Each day, you are learning to sit better and better, but you still have some accidents. Daddy wants you to learn to fall and brace yourself. Mommy puts lots of pillows around you so in case you fall, you won't hurt yourself. This is probably a little foretaste of how things might go as you get older. Maybe it's a manliness issue or a maternal protection instinct. Whatever it is, know that we do everything because we love you.

Yum!

You've started solids and what an adventure it has been. Mommy and Daddy have learned that you really can't force a baby to eat when he or she doesn't want to. So far your favorite foods are sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, and more sweet potatoes. Sometimes it's messy (usually when you don't want to eat), and other times you gobble that food up so quickly and cleanly we hardly have to wipe your mouth. Here's a picture where it got messy.

Your Great-Grandparents

Your Great-Grandparents live almost 7,000 miles away in Taiwan. We decided to brave the 13+ hour plane ride to visit them. You were so well-behaved on this trip! Sleeping on the plane ride both ways, adjusting to the new environment very quickly - we are so proud of you. It's a good thing because Mommy and Daddy love to travel so you're going to be lots of fun to tote around. It took about 6 days for you to get over your jet-lag. Let's just say during this period, we vowed never to take you out of more than four time zones. But we got through it and we're already planning out next trip (more than four time zones away). Thankfully your Ah-ma was came with us and helped hold you while you slept on the plane. She's a lifesaver!

On this trip, we did some sight-seeing, lots of eating, shopping, and more eating. Mommy tried stinky tofu for the first time and it wasn't so bad. (Daddy still thinks it's the worst thing he's ever tasted.) All your Taiwanese relatives loved meeting you and you now have a big deposit of red envelope money into your college fund!

Happy New Year!

2009 was a great year. You came into our lives on July 5th and from that day on, our hearts grew bigger each day. We never knew we could love someone the way we love you. Although you are not speaking yet, you communicate to us that you need us (usually by crying), but somehow as you are growing older, you begin to reach out to us to indicate you want us to hold you or cuddle with you. You are full of energy, rolling around on your foam play mat but when you really want your mommy or daddy, you sit still, put your head on our chest and just let us hold you. We look forward to all the new memories we will create this new year!