Fish bone

My super awesome baby Echo,


Saturdays are a constant rush, with gymnastics and Italian lessons, groceries, errands that did not get done during the week, laundry piles, birthday parties... We look forward to Sundays to wind down a little, and spend quality family time. Like we did a few Sundays a go... We went to the movie theater to see the new Trolls in 3D, chomping on popcorn, marveling at the colors, and the creatures pooping cupcakes. We strolled over to the nearby sushi place for lunch. Bites of sushi, sashimi and rolls, travelling on little plates, on the conveyor belt. We picked the dishes we liked, as they passed by our table.

"My mouth hurts" you said, at some point during the meal. I looked for mouth sores, but didn't see any. I tried to feed you some rice, you tried to eat... "My mouth hurts" you said again. I looked carefully to see if I missed something, or if your throat was red, but I saw nothing. "Go away pain" you said. We talked about it, and kept exploring. Then I saw the fish bone! It was at the very back of your throat, stuck to one side. I put my fingers in your mouth, but couldn't reach. We tried again and again going deeper. If we only had clean long tweezers...

Since it was Sunday, we had to take you to Urgent Care at Seattle Children's Hospital. And absurdity ensued. The Urgent Care doctors said that given the risk (what risk?!", we needed to be transferred to the emergency department, where we waited close to 2 hours, being visited by a nurse, a student doctor, another nurse, no one daring do a thing, and us sitting in a room, waiting. The solution would have been so simple for any person with or without medical degree: Take tweezers, ask child to open mouth, pull the bone out. But in America, whether in a hospital or the corporate world, noone dares take action. I shuffled through the supply closet in the room, hoping to find an appropriate tool I could use to pull out the bone, but there was nothing for the purpose. Finally the big master doctor came in with 2 assistants. they lay you down. Under the doctor's supervision the nurse took a pair of long tweezers, and pulled the bone from inside your mouth. A couple of weeks later, we received a bill of $1200 in the mail, to be paid out of pocket, not covered by insurance. Anywhere in the world, whether advanced or underdeveloped, this would have been either free or just a few bucks. People envy that Americans earn big numbers. What's the point, if it's all for a farce? Next time, we'll go to the pharmacy and buy long tweezers, and solve the issue for under $10 and under 10 minutes.

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Ponies!
Dinner at a local pub, waiting for our meals to arrive. We were all hungry and tired from the long day behind us, and you girls were getting impatient. I reached in my pocket, and quietly pulled out a tiny little plastic pony and placed it on the table. You girls marveled. A few seconds, I pulled out another one, same size, different color, and quietly placed it on the table. You girls became more and more intrigued. Then I reached for the third time and pulled out yet a third pony and placed it on the table. In your eyes, this was magical, exciting, and fun. 3 little plastic ponies that I picked up from the office that day, made your evening...

And more...

On the way home from daycare one evening, your sweet voice pretending to be mommy, a gentle smile on your lips you said: "I have something for youuu. It's in my pocket." "What is it?" I asked. "It's ponies!" you said, and passed me the imaginary pony. And another one... It's so fulfilling to see that my action made an impression on you - a positive one. And such a simple action. Papa and I are blown away sometimes to see how easy it actually is to make kids happy. Months later, you still reward from time to time on our ride back home from daycare with this same enactment.

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Dancing girl

You love dancing, and you love your weekly dance classes at daycare. You talk about them sometimes on the way home. Once I asked you to show me the moves. And you did. We stood side by side, and you taught me the dance moves you do in class, pretending you are bears, frogs, leafs blowing in the wind... Since then, you occasionally take my by the hand, and guide me to a spacious area saying "I'm going to teach you the dance moves."

I love you so much my little energy bird.

Mommy

Do you have boobs?

My Little Echo,

I wonder if you still remember the times you used to nurse...

It was bed time. You, me and Zoe were cuddling in the bunk bed.

"Do you have boobs?" you asked.
"Yes, I do," I said.
"Do you have milk in them?" you asked.
"Not anymore, but I used to," I responded.
"I drank it all!!!" you declared.

You've been occasionally asking if you could drink milk from me, even though you know I don't have milk anymore. I think you are curious about the response I give, or the conversation the question triggers.

Papa's birthday weekend:
Since our trip to Hawaii, you've been asking to swim in a bubble pool. I really wanted you to experience that again. And Zoe has been asking to go to a fancy hotel, like the one we went for Valentine's day. So on and off, I've been searching for a nice place we could spend a family weekend. Having a hot tub as a requirement limited the options, also factoring availability, cost, distance, a luxurious look, per Zoe. Not many hotels have pools or hot tubs in the area.

Papa's birthday was just the occasion to renew my search. After endless website visits and phone calls, I found a resort, only 30 minutes away that had a hot tub, and ice cream and chocolate malt balls all day! First I booked 1 night, then with papa's encouragement, I switched it to 2 nights. I packed nice clothes for you both, and birthday decorations to keep you busy decorating the room. I was also looking forward to the on-site gym.

It rained a lot, so we didn't get to enjoy the outside space much, with the ponds, the fish and the lily pads. You girls loved the hot tub, the hotel room, and the overall space. Every time we left the room, on the way out, papa would make a stop at the relaxation area and give you each chocolates, from the continuously filled jars. You both made herbal bath salt mixes at the hotel spa which you used with pleasure in the bath tub. We gave you long baths every day, with bubbles, salts and herbs - spa bath Zoe calls them. The bath tub was large and comfortable. Papa joined you first day. Second day I washed you girls alone, and the 3rd day, I got in the tub with you, because I know how much you love taking baths with me. You both washed me with soaps and scrubs, and we were all so clean and smelled nice. You focused on my hair and my boobs. Mama gets no privacy.

In retrospect it was a fun weekend. But it was also very tiring to keep you both entertained, and make it a special experience for you. I didn't bring your sippy cups from home, counting on your superb fine motor skills to handle liquids in regular cups. But old habits die slow - you treated the cups as spill proof sippies, and ended up spilling everything you drank. All added a level of anxiety and required cleanup. In one such occasion you spilled the sweet sticky apple cider all over the couch outside the restaurant. By that time, I had enough of spilage, and sent you angrily away, to sit on the steps until you finish your drink, and I finish cleaning. Zoe has a very soft heart for you, and cannot handle the thought of you being sad. So she sat with you and consoled you. During this trip you also hit Zoe a few times for no reason, although we asked you to stop, until we had to give you time out, which broke Zoe's heart again, and just wanted a hug from you to make up for your deed, instead of punishment. I think overall, being away from home, although was fun for you, was also tiring and confusing, which made you more difficult to handle, especially at meal times.

By the end of the trip I was beat, and ready to be back at home. I told dad that we should take a break from family vacations until winter. At home you mentioned the bubble pool and asked to swim in it again. Your wishes become missions I want accomplish, because nothing is more meaningful than seeing your smile. So now, I'm starting to change my mind about not going anywhere for a while.

Love,

Mommy.

My little helper

My lovely little Echo,

I love having conversations with you.

Mommy: "Echo, my phone broke."
Echo: "Your phone broke?"

Mommy: " Yes. I was running to my car to pick you up from school. I didn't want to be late, so I was running real fast. Suddenly, my phone jumped out of my bag and CRASH! It fell on the ground. The little cat decoration flew across the street. I picked up my phone. It was cracked open. I snapped it together - snap. I looked, the screen was broken. I can't fix the screen.

At this point of the story, your face changed to pain, sadness, and desperation. I worried that you'd cry... "I will take it to a store tomorrow and they will fix it for you!" I said excitedly.

You brought your little fists to your cheeks, with a wide smile, and eyes bright open, "they will fix it for me?" you said with happiness.

"Yes, they will fix it for you!"

"Tell it again! Tell it again!"

We went through this exact dialogue for days in our commute to school and back. If you wanted to initiate the conversation at another time, such as during dinner, you'd ask "your phone broke?"

You are a very helpful little girl. When I come home with grocery bags, or am in the kitchen preparing meals, you come to me and say "I will help you." You help m put groceries away, set the table, wash produce, prepare salad... You always clean up after yourself when you are done playing. You even clean up after Zoe.

You are also well mannered, except when you declare that you farted or tell me "clean my butt!" If I'm having a meal or doing work, and you need me, you come and ask "are you all done?" If I say yes, you hold my hand, saying "come, I want to show you something" and lead me away.

I went to Italy for a weekend, for your uncle's wedding. The day I came back, you started calling Zoe with her name, rather than "Ayi." You say it so perfectly: Zowi.

I love you my little bundle of fire cracker.

Mommy.

Your first haircut, camping, bows, and your expressions

My lovely little star,

Your beautiful curly hair has been growing rich and wild, with your baby hair frizz, hanging on the edges. It was hard to get myself to take you to a hair dresser, because I love it so much. But it was time, and we knew you'd love the experience of being in a kids' hair salon, with the car chairs, cartoons on the TV screens, the hair styling the glitters, and the nail polish.

When your session came to an end, you receive a balloon, stickers and a lollypop, and you looked beautiful!

Your teachers say speech set you free, and that since you started expressing yourself verbally, your personality and your confidence, have been coming through. At home you were always confident, so I have not seen a personality change. But you do become even more enjoyable, friendly, surprising and assertive as your language grows.

Around the house, you always come up to us and ask "Hello, what are you doing?" Never forgetting to greet us first with your sweet "hello." If I"m doing something you find interesting, you add "I'm going to help you."

While driving, when I catch you suck your thumb at the back seat, which happens often, I ask you what's in your mouth. We pretend its a piece of fruit, and you give me some. I pretend to take taste, and spit it out, saying yucky, you are trying to trick me. You laugh and we repeat. I ask you not to suck your thumb. When I insist, you get upset. You pull it out, and put it right back in. On your face, I can see the struggle, and the failure, which leads to anger. Sometimes you kick your leg. "No. I kick you out of the car!" you say.

When someone touches you when you don't want to be touched, you put your hand forward and say "go away." Once papa replied "you go away," to which you replied "you go away," and this dialogue went on and on.

At bed time, you get under the covers without much resistance. By the time you go to bed it's so late that you are exhausted. "Mama cuddle," you say, persistently. By that time I'm exhausted too and I just want to sit on the couch and relax a little before I go to bed. You are a persistent little girl. "Mama cuddle," you repeat. "Mama cuddle with me." How can I say no?

Sometimes, after you fall asleep, I pick you up and carry you upstairs to sleep with us all night. Next day, on the drive to daycare I tell you about how I got you out of your bed, carried you to the big bed, we got under the covers, and cuddled all night. You ask me to tell it again and again, until we reach your daycare.

You have a nursery rhyme book, passed down to you from Zoe. The cover is designed like the head of a sheep, fluffy. You love reading the rhymes. So did Zoe. One of the pieces is called "Kitty in the Well" and it talks about a boy that threw a kitten inside a well, and another boy who rescued it. The illustration i of a boy holding a dripping wet kitty in his hand. To explain to you who is who, I once pointed at the boy who threw the kitty in the well and said "bad boy." This stuck with you, and became the highlight of the story. You point at the boy and say "bad boy!" and every time one of us does something bad or something the other person doesn't like - me, Zoe, or papa - you point at the person and say "bad boy!" The highlight for Zoe was the wet little kitty. She'd point at it ad say "o-oh o-oh!"

We went camping. Going camping with kids is hard work for parents - from set-up to feeding, to cleaning, to entertaining. But it can be magical for kids, and giving you the experience and seeing you happy is our satisfaction. It can easily turn to nightmare for all if the kids are not entertained. We got lucky that there were two girls in the camp site next to ours, which provided plenty of entertainment for Zoe. Partly your age, partly your personality, you were ecstatic.

We stopped by a local Walmart and bought you a new toy each, a pinata and a bag full of candy for you two to fill it. Everything we did was exciting to you - swimming in the lake, canoeing, sleeping in the tent, peeing in the bushes, running around wild, having tea around the camp fire... but most of all, you enjoyed eating shelled peanuts at night around the fire, and banging the pinata with a stick. More than 2 weeks after the event, you still talk about it: "I'm going to bang it!" We went hiking yesterday, and you used your walking stick to bang the rocks by the river bed, like a wild little warrior. Bang bang bang!

I love you!

Mommy

My Little Pony and other cool stories

Your sister Zoe decided it was time to introduce you to My Little Ponies. She put the show on the tablet, and the two of you started watching, and watching, and watching. Not only that you were hooked, but her interest in the show reawakened. Next day when I came back from a run, I found the two of you watching the show on the TV screen.

The shows fueled your interest in My Little Pony toys, which Zoe already had a few, and the good sister that she is, she passed them on to you. You noticed Applejack was not in the collection. Zoe wasn't a fan of Applejack, and it turned out that you are. I needed to go to Target anyway, so I offered to bring you along, to get you one. You got excited, "Buy Applejack!" you said. On the way to target, we went over our shopping list multiple times. "Hairbrush, hair color, diapers, buy Applejack!" When we got to target, you repeated "Buy Applejack." We browsed through our options. Of course you wanted them all, but soon understood that you needed to make choices, so you told me to put some of them back on the shelf. You picked one good sized Applejack stuffy, and one little hard pony. "2 Applejacks?," I asked. "Don't you want one of them to be Pinky Pie or Rarity?" The two other ponies that were missing from your collections. "No. Applejack," you said. Later that day papa had to go to Fred Mayer, and he came back with the other 2 little ponies. Your collection was complete. We made a little living space for them with food and water.

You were sick, so at bed time, I took you to bed with me, as I always do when you girls are sick. You broke fever and got all sweaty at night, so I changed you into my T-shirt, not to go all the way down to your closet. You were so amused to find yourself in my shirt when you wake up, you want to wear it to bed every time you see it.

I picked you up from school on the bicycle earlier this week. We were in a lot of hurry, because I had a time sensitive surprise planned for you two. It's a tough route, with lots of hills and lots of cars. I was pushing myself, pedaling as hard as I could, to the sweet sound of your unexpected cheers "You Can Do It! You Can Do It!"

Zoe is a very loving girls, and we often hear her say "I love you mommy." Last week you came to the kitchen while I was preparing dinner. You looked at me, and quietly said "I love you mommy." I don't know if you meant it, or were you just repeating because you heard Zoe say it. Either way, you knew it was something special that makes mommy super happy to hear.

"My Mommy!" you say, mouthful. "My Echo!" I say heartful.

I love you, my Echo.

Happy 2, and many more!

My baby love Echo,

We celebrated your 2nd birthday, though in my thoughts, I celebrate your birth every day. You are unique, independent, interesting, and incredibly cute. We had a party at your daycare, shaking pompoms, dancing, and eating cupcakes with your friends, the day before. Your teachers watched you in awe as you knowingly blew the candle.

On June 18, we celebrated at home with our little family. You don't know what a birthday celebration is, but you were quick to figured out it was something special for/about you. "It's my birthday. It's my birthday," you said, pointing at your self.

The theme of your cake was Minnie and Mickey hula dancing on a beach in Hawaii, since we just came back from Hawaii where we all had a great time. Papa made sure to pick balloons that matched the nautical theme.

Some interesting developments about you ,as you approached your 2nd birthday:

You can ride a bike! When you saw our excitement when Zoe started biking without the training wheels, nothing was going to stop you. We already had a bike waiting, a barely used hand-me-down from Zoe. After a few trials, you started pedaling on your own. You are slow and cautious, but it is still incredible. People stop and watch you with a smile. Some cheer you and congratulate you for your effort. I congratulate you for your determination. When you first started pedaling on your own, you;d say "Look at me! Look at me! I'm biking!" You already know how to turn the bike, and you are slowly figuring out how to go straight.  The bike is still a bit big for you, but in a couple of months, you'll be able to go downhill with more confidence, and pedal with more power.

You love Elmo, and lately, you have become absolutely crazy about Dora. You love the show and you love the books. "I need to poop," you say, and we go to the bathroom. "My tablet. Watch Dora." You sit on the toilet and watch, and interact with the show as Dora asks her questions. "The map! The map!" "No swiping!" "There it is!" "Right there!" You make us read the same Dora books over and over. Zoe went through a similar stage when she was your age.

You are about to transition to a new class. There's a little bathroom in the new class. I know you will love it and use it often. At pickup time you take me to that bathroom some times already. Your teachers said that you have been very ready for the transition. They are all amazed at your verbal development. One of the teachers said that since you gained your language, you have become more confident and more involved. She noticed that you even stand up more straight. I noticed that too. She asked me if we sing a lot at home because you knew the lyrics to some of the songs you all were singing in class. My amazing girl. I miss you all day.

Many happy birthdays to come!

Love,

Mommy

Farts are funny

My Baby Echo,

The birds that built a nest in our flower basked last year, came back to lay their eggs again. Three baby birds hatched, and are growing under the watchful eyes of mama and  papa birds. They bring food, and take the poop drops away, so the nest is clean. We are waiting for them to fly, so we can remove the dying plants, and plant new ones for the season. We don't want to water the basket, not to get the nest wet, or scare off the parents. I added a couple of laurel branches to shade the sun and hide the nest away from predators.

We love watching the birds grow and move about the nest, open their demanding beaks to gobble the worms, and cozy up to sleep. Lately, you and Zoe have been sleeping all snuggled up in the same bed. We got a bunk bed thinking you would enjoy sleeping in the same room, but lately you've been preferring to be in the same bed. So you sleep together for several hours, and some time during the night, you wake up, and cry for mama, and come upstairs to join us. You occupy so much space that I can barely sleep from that point on. I know it's not going to last forever, so I'm not complaining. I love having you close to me.

Going to bed is still a battle. We went through this with Zoe, for years, and the dame old struggle continues with you. Your friends go to bed at 7:30 - Rena falls asleep by 7:15. No matter what we try, you stay awake, and you want mama right there with you. Papa stays with you, and reads you a book. When its time to sleep, you cry, standing behind the door, until I come in the room. You don't give up.

A few nights a go, I took you to bed. You pointed at the upper level of the bunk bed. So we lay there. Zoe joined us too, under the condition that she would keep quiet. I could tell you had no intention to sleep. We cycled through moments of chatter, my threats to leave if you two aren't quiet, and seconds of silence. You broke one of those seconds with spitting raspberry sounds you make with your mouth. "I'm farting!" "I'm farting!" you declared. We broke in laughter.

A few days later, we were on the couch. I smelled something funky and asked if you pooped. "No," you said. "No poop." "I farted," said Zoe. You looked at me and confirmed: "Ayi farted."

You still call Zoe Ayi. You two were playing at the swings, in the back yard. Zoe got bored, and moved on to another game. You called her "Ayi! Ayi! Sit. Sit," tapping your hand on the seat.

You worry when Zoe cries. You come close "Ayi, Ayi" you cry out, standing right in front of her, concerned, and hug her. She loves your touches.

Every coin has two sides, they say, and it is so true. Every positive trait, has a flip side. You are very independent, and eager to do everything on your own. "Me me me" you say, pointing your cute little finger at yourself. You want to put your pants, shoes, shirts, everything on your own. Wash your hands, wipe your butt, and the list goes on... And you want to put your diapers on your own. It gets frustrating, because we are usually in a hurry, and as great as your fine motor skills are, you are not ready to put your diapers, or your socks on without help. When I take charge, hell breaks loose. Even though it gets frustrating, I still prefer that you want to do all these things by yourself.

You are my happiness. It is so easy to make you happy.

Love,

Mommy.

Holidays, nursing and other updates

My dear baby Echo

As a grownup, I never cared for the holidays. Lack of belief, cynical view of anything collective, an intravert personality, distance from the society in which I was raise, all played part in my disengagement. Then I had kids, and now we celebrate everything. We started mildly with baby Zoe, mostly focusing on Halloween and Easter, because they are the most fun, and lightly covering Passover and Christmas, and a tad of Hanukah, without much holiday spirit.  As she grew up, she became more aware, so we bumped up our efforts each season. And then you came along, and doubled the fun of each special occasion. And now, like the rest of Americans, we celebrate.

We just finished celebrating Purim and Easter. They were back to back this year, so it's been an exciting week. First came Purim, so we went to a costume party. Zoe put on her pirate costume from past Halloween and you dressed as a fairy. You loved your pink wings, and swayed your airy dress from side to side. The next day, you had another Purim celebration where you dressed as a ballerina. You adored your ballerina tutu, and kept asking me to repeat the words, so you learn the type of costume you are wearing. "This this?" you asked, pointing at your dress. "Ballerina tutu, for dancing," I responded. You looked deep into my eyes, a smile forming on your lips. "This this?" "Ballerina tutu. For dancing. "Dance." you said. "This this?" you asked again, pointing at your dress. "Ballerina tutu," I said. You tried to say it too. We repeated this cycle over and over. I also put flower clips on your hair, to complete the look. You were beautiful.

Then Easter came. I've been collecting egg and bunny related fun stuff for the last few weeks in a secret bag. Stickers, chocolates, stuffed bunnies, plastic eggs to be filled with chocolate... The night before Easter, papa and you went to Home Depot, and Zoe and I spent some mama-Zoe time, filling some of the eggs with chocolate and candy. Only some of them, because I wanted the rest to be a surprise for her too. We had so much fun that when you two came back, Zoe asked that we continue to have mama-Zoe time. On Easter day, papa and I hid the eggs in the back yard. You girls had a ton of fun looking for the eggs, and even more, eating the chocolates.

Zoe is learning a lot in Kindergarten and through her, I see how aspects of life can be confusing. She is learning about all the holidays at school, including the Chinese New Year, Presidents Day and Martin Luther King day. Given the party animal that she is, coupled with a child's love for gifts and surprises, she is expecting celebration, and is surprised that we only acknowledge these dates without gifts, decorations, and special meals. There is no explanation that makes sense, we  you think about it, so I leave it to time.

Nursing:

Baby Echo, we haven't nursed 4 days in a row. It wasn't easy. It broke my heart to say no night after night, and to see your sad face, as you snuggled into my chest and sucked your thumb. Last night started like the previous 4 nights. You, on my lap, asking for boob, pointing at them, saying "yeah, yeah," me saying "no baby, you are a big girl..." you insisting, lifting my shirt, me insisting, you giving up, snuggling and sucking your thumb. Only that you didn't give up. You kept imploring. It was making me sad, and I wished you would stop asking, because I started doubting my willpower to say no. Your imploring must have affected Zoe too. She was sitting next to me, hearing our exchange. "Give her a little boob mom," she said. That pretty much broke the little resistance power I've left. Let's see how we do tonight.

You're growing:

You went down the steps, holding on to the railing, walked all the way to the mailbox, got the mail out, and started waving the envelopes, with a victorious face. We didn't ask you to get the mail. You just did.

I love you.

Mommy.

Talking bird, girl fun, and other updates

My Baby Echo,

I've been wanting to write a blog entry for you since Valentine's Day, because I wanted to make a record of our little Valentine's fun this year. Here we are, two weeks later.

Papa had a great idea to reserve a fancy hotel room for us at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. Him and I took the day off, to enjoy downtown, and the hotel. We decorated one of the beds with chocolates, balloons, and a candle, as a surprise for you and Zoe. At night, we brought you girls to the hotel, in your PJs, and watching your excitement and faces full of joy.

In the morning, you had breakfast with cookies, milk and M&Ms, and off we went to the jacuzzi and the pool. After a royal brunch, we spent the remaining of the time playing princesses at the palace grounds. Although this was probably more enjoyable to Zoe, you had fun in your own way, going up and down carpeted steps and being greeted by hotel residents and personnel. Before heading home, we went to Zara, to give Zoe an opportunity to pick a piece of clothing for herself. I let you pick what to wear as well, but I usually narrow it to 2 items and ask you which you like more. With Zoe, we are slowly moving toward letting her pick on her own.

I wonder if we had sons, instead of two daughters, we would ever plan this event. On Sunday, we went to the Science Fiction Museum, to see the Hello Kitty exhibit. We had so much fun, watching everything in awe and desire. Zoe kept asking if she could buy a toy at the end of the exhibit. I agreed to one gift each, although I was actually ready to buy multiple things you girls liked. To my disappointment, the museum store was very meager in their selection, and Zoe settled for a hard Hello Kitty doll that wobbles her head. I got the same for you, and at night, I searched the web for a near by Hello Kitty store, and when that failed, I went on an online quest to find awesome Hello Kitty gifts. Next time we have some time to spare, I will sit with Zoe to pick a few items. I will also try to get a feel from you, on your preferences. Just like the Valentine's day - I wonder if we would do any of this if we had boys.

Updates on your vocabulary:
Nearing your 20th month, you started going through a linguistic breakthrough. You point at things and want to hear me say what they are. You repeat almost everything, some with greater clarity than others. You are very polite, and use "please" often: "Help please," "milk please," "more please," "boob please." That makes it a lot harder to say no, especially when you also add "yea!" as in "boob please, yea!"

You point at yourself in the mirror and say "Echo" and love eating "hanni" (honey). But best of all, is to watch you ask for chocolate. "Kakash, kakash" you say, while rubbing your thumb to your fingers, as if signaling money.

Zoe and you:
You love Zoe. When you see her door closed, you start knocking, and yelling out her name "Ayi, Ayi." When she watches a show on the tablet, you sit with her, and watch too. This has been easier since you learned not to touch the characters on the screen. Zoe surprises us daily at how good a sister she is. She is very gentle with you, no matter how rough you are at times. I interfere, so she doesn't get stepped on, and so you learn that hitting is not ok. Instead of complaining, or hitting back, Zoe chooses to be kind. Not too long ago, you kept pulling her hair over and over, no matter how many times I sad no. I just couldn't watch it anymore, and I pulled your hair, so you know how it feels. You stopped pulling Zoe's hair. "Mommy, next time, let me handle this. I say 'no baby, no Echo' caressing her."

At pick up time, if little siblings show up, her teachers at the after-school program give stickers to the little ones. Papa told me that when they didn't give you a sticker, Zoe took you by the hand, went to the teacher and asked the teacher if she could "give a sticker to my little sister." She is a very special sister and I hope you two stay friends.

Other updates:
Papa and I have been aware of your exceptional fine motor skills, and your teachers took notice too. The way you hold a crayon and draw, the way you operate the faucet and wash your hands, put your boots on and off, put your coat and pants on, and the anger you display when I want to do it for you. It is all so unbelievable and cute. On Thursday, we have a parent teacher meeting. Can't wait to hear about all the things you are doing in class. I wish they had cameras I could watch during the day.

I love you so much.
Mommy

Where's Echo?

My lovely little baby,

When we drive home from daycare, I hear your little voice at the back seat: "Echo? Echo?" I turn around, and I see your hands covering your face, as your way of inviting me to a game of hide-and-seek. I start playing along, looking for you under the seats, and the flip mirrors. I panic: Did I leave Echo at school? What am I going to tell Zoe and papa? Where is Echo? Oh no! Where is Echo??? Echooo! Echo? Where are you? Your giggles bubble. You try to keep your hands on your face, but you peek through, to follow my search motions. At some point you lift your hand, and I’m super happy to have found you. “More more” you say, tapping your fingertips together, and so we go again.

It’s nearly impossible to have a free hand to prepare meals or start a load of laundry. From the moment I pick you up from daycare, you want to be held by mama, and cry if I let you down. I summon papa or Zoe for help, to entertain you just for a few minutes, so I can put dinner together. But sometimes you take off on your own. We quietly sneak up on you, and watch you put together a tea party, using the tea set in Zoe’s room, or a meal, using the toy plates, bowls, and play food. You bring me a plate you prepared, to eat. Or we find you in your room, changing the diapers of your dolls, sitting them on the potty, wiping their butts, putting butt paste, and trying to put a diaper on.

You love receiving new things. Shoes are your favorite. You put them on immediately. If it’s Zoe who received new shoes, you make sure she wears them right away. You take the shoe, take her foot, and put them together.

This morning we skyped with Dede for his birthday. I pointed at him and said “dede” “dede.” You said “dede.” One more new word is added to your growing lexicon.

You are very very precious. I love you.

Mommy

Your Bio

My dear baby Echo,

Your daycare asked us to send a bio which includes a paragraph about your family, a paragraph about you and a paragraph about our wishes for you. Here is what I came up with:

Echo lives in a little house near Green Lake with her mom Maya, dad Marco, and her older sister Zoe. Dad is an electrical engineer, and spends his days studying customers’ problems and needs with respect to non-volatile memory, and explaining to his gang of engineers how to solve those problems. Mom, with two feet on the ground and head in the cloud, tells people how a particular cloud service helps them grow their business. Zoe, the big sister, is 5 years old, and is in kindergarten. She loves art, and asks the best questions about the universe. She is sensitive, and like a coin, her sensitivity has two sides. Although jealous of the attention little Echo gets, she treats her little sister with great care and love.

Echo is a naturally happy baby. She maintains her beaming smile even when parents are upset at something she has done. She loves playing with dolls and balls. She has a blast at her weekly soccer game, and takes care of dolls as if they were real babies. She is very independent, and mechanically inclined. She insists on using the toilet instead of the potty, on dressing herself, disassembling and re-assembling objects, on wearing backpacks and heading out into the world. At dinner, she asks for a fork. While not as verbally agile as her sister was, Echo is quickly building up a vocabulary. She rarely cries, sleeps little, and wants to be held by mom very often.  She looks up to her sister, and is often found in Zoe’s room, playing with Zoe’s toys.

My wishes for her are to maintain her innate happiness, reach her potential (whatever it may be), be very close to her sister, and to be healthy.

My special baby. I love you!

Mommy