Letters to Luc: Wonderful Christmas Time (Month 11)

 Dear Luc,

Winter approaches again, the season of your birth. We harvest persimmons together as they hang heavy on the branches. Mommy used to dehydrate these for snacks throughout the year. They were even the party favor gifts at your baby shower last year. But this year we mostly give them away fresh since you take up all of Mommy's free time.

 Christmas approaches, Daddy's favorite holiday! We have fun taking family pictures for our holiday cards.

Mommy and Daddy got a tree and put our collection of ornaments on it, memories through our years together. Perhaps you vaguely recall the scent of pine from when we first brought you home from the hospital? We didn't take our tree down last year until we welcomed you. This year, we have a special ornament just for you, as well as those of places we have traveled to together.

Daddy even put up lights on the outside of our house for the first time since we moved in.

Unfortunately, you got sick for the first time in your life right before the holidays hit.

You had 6 days of fever, and we took you to the doctor twice. They ordered x-rays to see if you could have pneumonia. The x-ray machine looked like a torture device, and you screamed through the process, only to be told that they didn't get a clear shot of your lungs after it was over.

Your flu nose swab came back positive, and your fever broke on the 6th day, so we didn't think it could be pneumonia with you slowly recovering.

You begin to get very mobile. We opened Mommy's and Daddy's Christmas gift to you, an activity cube carefully selected and bought brand new, to distract you from the misery of being ill.

Of course, you ended up liking to play with the box a lot more than the cube itself, using it to get around the house like a walker. You also like to store scraps and junk in it like empty water bottles and whatever treasures you find around the house worth taking along with you.

 Mommy and Daddy missed their holiday parties to tend to you.

But we still ended up doing Christmassy things together, like bake thumbprint cookies for our many family holiday gatherings.

 We had so many parties, Luc! Christmas Eve's at Grandma's house, we had Italian and Jamaican catered food. You got lots of gifts.

Then we had Christmas lunch at Daddy's uncle's house, where you got lots more gifts.

Then Mommy and Daddy hosted Christmas dinner for Grandma and Grandpa, and Uncles Johnny and David. We had Mommy's slow-cooked beef stew. And you got even more gifts.

In recent developments, you enjoy giving people fist bumps, even though you don't clap your hands yet or feed yourself. You start to drink out of a training straw cup. In Vietnamese, you learn to say "di" (go) "choi" (play), and "cho" (give).

During Mommy's holiday shutdown, we went to the Children's Discovery Museum for the first time. You were wide-eyed at all the sights, sounds, and cool new things to discover.

We got to spend a good couple of weeks as a family so that Mommy and Daddy could enjoy your company fulltime and plan for your big 1st birthday! Soon, you will move out of babyhood and into toddler-hood, my boy.

Letters to Luc: Thanks to You (Month 10)

Dear Luc,

 

You turn the big One-Oh! 10 months, that is. You now crawl all over the house, pull up to stand, and start cruising along the furniture. You like to walk assisted. You are eating bits of our food, trying new textures and flavors. Your favorites are crab glass noodles (just like Mommy) and the soft insides of French baguettes (just like Daddy). You are starting to pay more attention to the books that Mommy reads to you, enjoy listening to music (especially live) and like to bang on your xylophone. You also like to crawl with a toy in your hand or throw it a short distance, then retrieve it.

The leaves turn brilliant shades of red and yellow, Mommy's favorite time of year. Only for a few months do we get to see such jeweled leaves crowning their trees like robes of light and fire.

This month, Mommy turns one year older and is content to have you as a gift.

Daddy took Mommy to see The Sound of Music as an early birthday present. When you are old enough, we will take you along to musicals, especially The Lion King.

You get to be quite the pro at dining with us...

...even though you still refuse to feed yourself.

We did something a little wacky this year and drove nearly 1,000 miles round trip to visit friends from far away. First, we saw Auntie Cleo and buddy AJ in Anaheim. They are visiting from far away, too, from the land of New Zealand where Mommy and Daddy honeymoon'ed once upon a time.

You fell asleep partway through our lunch. It was long miles for you, Luc. Southern California traffic was so terrible, so we didn’t get to fit in many activities or attractions.

We toured the town a bit, including Downtown Disney.

Then we saw Auntie Meredith and buddy Amelia in Santa Barbara.

 

We met at the Natural History Museum, and there happened to be an orchid show that day, along with a meeting session with the local birds.

Christmas trees are starting to pop up everywhere to usher in the winter season, bedecked in ornaments and lights.

Weekends, we still like to take you around town while the weather is still nice, like hanging at the Row.

You celebrate your first Thanksgiving, Luc. You enjoyed all the food and ate lots of tidbits off Mama’s plate.We have a lot to be thankful for, most of all you this year--your health, your vibrancy, your laughter.

Thanksgiving also marks a special time since Daddy finally took his paternity leave to hang with you for 6 weeks, up to your first birthday! I wonder what you two will be up to, left to your own devices.