Monthly Archives: June 2014

Father’s Day

I don’t think anyone can fully understand Father’s Day until one is a father.

It is not like fathers ever seek praise or thanks – at least, I don’t think they should. Everything I do for Sydney I do so she will have a good life, now and in the future.

Plus, I have the firm belief, which I think I got from my parents, that kids don’t really owe their parents anything. Sydney did not ask to be brought into the world so everything I do for her over the next 18 years does not need to be repaid. It is unconditional.

At the same time, being a father (and more so mother) is a lot of work. Here has been my morning up until 8:45 AM as I write this:

4:30 AM Sydney cries and I wake up
4:45 AM Sydney cries again, so I get up and swaddle her because she seems cold
5:00 AM Sydney is still unhappy so I feed her and put her back to bed; at this point, I am up
5:55 AM I heard Sydney rustling
6:00 AM Sydney wakes up; I change her diaper and we start to play
6:15 AM very small poop so I change her diaper
6:30 AM we walk downstairs on our daily routine to get the newspaper
6:40 AM we eat breakfast together; Sydney has almost 1/2 a banana, pureed mango in a pouch, and 1/2 an egg white
8:00 AM another very small poop; by this point on a normal day I would have taken Sydney in a backpack to walk around downtown but I am leery because she clearly has a bigger poop coming
8:05 AM I feed her a small amount, under two ounces, of formula
8:15 AM it is earlier than normal but I try getting her to nap; my best success comes from bouncing her vigorously on the rubber ball and humming or singing softly – I think she likes the vibrations of my chest on her body
8:25 AM Success! I put her in her crib
8:27 AM Not so fast! I take her out again
8:32 AM Success!

My point is it is a lot of work to raise a child, for both the mother and father if a child is so lucky as to have them both around, but that any good parent worth his or her title does it out of love for the child and not for recognition. But it was still nice to wake up to a Father’s Day card planted strategically by Devon on the highchair, especially one so clever as to play the Rocky theme, which was our wedding song.

Thank you, Devon. Thank you, Sydney, Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Mom. Happy Father’s Day, all you fathers.

Sydney is 10 months old!

Sydney turned 10 months on Wednesday, June 4th. She is typically a very happy little girl, who loves to clap her hands, wave to people, and give high fives. Whether we are sitting on an airplane or in a restaurant, Sydney loves to interact with people, and she commands attention!

She still loves climbing on her little pink chair!

We recently took her to the WOW! (World of Wonder) Children’s Museum, where she had a great time playing with fake food in the “supermarket,” making noise with musical instruments, and standing in a car. As always, she loved watching and interacting with the other children.

Putting her eggs in their carton at the “supermarket” at the children’s museum

Playing three instruments at the same time!

She liked the car, at the children’s museum

Sydney enjoys going out to eat! She likes trying new food and interacting with new people. Here are a few photos of her at our local Vietnamese restaurant:

She loved the soup spoon

Straws are fun too!

Where’s the food?

Here she is very happy, at an afternoon happy hour:

Sydney likes eating at home too. Here she is getting excited about her quinoa:

Sydney also likes to play with the remote control for the tv/receiver. Her parents constantly hide it, but Sydney is a very good seeker! Not only does she like to bite it, she is also able to press the right buttons to play the cd from her music class. (Her parents don’t know how to do that!)

I can use this as a teether AND I can turn on music, at the same time!

Sydney is quite fond of interactive books, with flaps to lift or animals to pet. Here she is “reading” Pat the bunny:

And, one final photo of our sweet baby girl:

Two firsts… birthday party and beach

Sydney recently attended her first party, for her cousin JJ’s 4th birthday! She enjoyed all of the action and excitement, and she loved spending time with her family in New York.

Upon arrival, Sydney just woke up from a nap, and she was taking it all in

JJ was so happy to see her! He came over to greet her and he introduced her to his friends!

Luc took time away from his cards to squeeze Sydney’s cheeks!

After an outfit change, Sydney rode the carousel with her dad!

And she climbed in a school bus!

JJ LOVES the carousel!

Luc LOVES his cards!

Very happy birthday boy!

Happy Family!

Two days later, Sydney experienced the beach for the first time! Her Lola (which means grandma in Tagalog, the language of the Philippines) and her mama took her to Jones Beach, on the Atlantic Ocean. It was a bit chilly and windy, but Sydney liked looking at the ocean and playing with a pail and shovel.

Sydney with her Lola

Playing with beach toys

Checking out the people

Getting excited about her shovel

This is fun!

Who are those people over there and why aren’t they looking at me?

Thanks for taking me here, Lola. This is fun!

World famous Jones Beach State Park, home of 6.5 miles of beautiful white-sand beach on the Atlantic Ocean, is made up of more than 2,400-acres of maritime environment on the south shore of Long Island. Among the 6 to 8 million visitors to the park each year, families enjoy their own piece of the beach for a day, with many returning dozens of times through the summer. – See more at: http://nysparks.com/parks/10/details.aspx#sthash.Z0e3RfHJ.dpuf

Swimming

Sydney loves water! Bathing in her tub is one of Sydney’s favorite daily activities, so we expected her to enjoy swimming in a pool. Last week, in New York, Sydney had a blast “swimming” for the first time in her grandparents’ hot tub (heated to 99 degrees). Here are some photos: