2010 Oct-Nov-Dec

2010 October-November-December

Life with PJ and Mei Mei

October

  • E-ling was introduced to the world on October 11th at noon. At 9 pounds even, she was 3 ounces lighter than her big brother. Other than their feet and fingernails, Emily thinks they looked the same. Her name is Sydney May Li-Shen Bowden, but we call her Mai-Mai or E-ling. She was almost named Payton, Pepper was considered; Daddy liked Remi. If she had been born on October 10th (10-10-10) we would have been forced to name her E-ling.
  • One day PJ was behaving badly so Mommy smacked him on the top of his arm. PJ promptly stopped his bad behavior, looked at his hand, looked at Mommy, then said "Hey, did you just hit me on the arm? That's not very nice!"
  • Dinner Conversation:

Uncle Ray: Looks like we've used up all of the leftovers.

Daddy: Oh no, what are we going to eat tomorrow?

PJ: Cake!

November

  • After 1 whole month of life, Mae-Mae finally met Lau-Lau and Gong-Gong.
  • PJ had the time of his life playing with "blue-guy" and "yellow-guy". If "green-guy" has good photos of that, please email them to me and I'll post them here.
  • Someone started calling her sister "cheesy muffin" due to baby acne and cradle cap. As of the end of this month, this has cleared up so she no longer resembles the Cheeseboard cornmeal sprinkled muffins.
  • Daddy was sitting on the floor with Mae-Mae and somehow dropped her on her head. Daddy lashed himself for being such an idiot.

December

  • PJ started classifying bubbles as either "good" or "bad" during his bath, with the former generally being small while the latter were bad. Shortly before Christmas, during a bath, I asked PJ if one especially large bubble was good or bad, and my heart sank when he replied, "It's just a bubble".
  • "OK, but it's not scientific." PJ's response when Mama asked if she could eat some of his food.
  • After bouncing off both walls in the hallway, PJ learned not to put on his coat and walk at the same time.
  • Christmas was in Santa Cruz. PJ didn't want to anyone to open presents.
  • New Year's Eve and day were at home. We didn't make it past 10 pm.

Mama the day before birth. Apparently we took a similar photo, with Babar, the day before PJ's birth.

At the hospital the day of E-lings birth. Being large and breech, like her brother and father, E-ling was a scheduled caesarean.

First photo of E-ling.

Mama and E-ling.

8 pounds and 15.6 ounces rounded up equals 9 pounds 0 ounces.

The vigorous scrubbing of the first bath shocked Daddy.

E-ling has long-narrow fingernails like Mommy. PJ and Daddy have short-wide fingernails.

PJ does not like to be forced to interact with E-ling. And sometimes, when she cries, he yells "NO". But most of the time he is his usual sweet, gentle self.

A two-year-old can only pose for so many photos before hiding behind a pillow.

Big brother and little sister.

Mama and E-ling.

My sweet, sweet family.

Spiderman.

Spiderman, Cat-woman, and 49'ers Cheerleader.

E-ling, future cheerleader?

Trick-or-Treating Crew.

Sydney is super chubby and happy.

Good natured jostling.

I think we'll see these expressions a lot when they both get in trouble later.

PJ watching TV.

PJ blowing out three candles on his birthday cupcake, with E-ling and Melissa in the background.

Guests at PJ's party.

The theme for PJ's 3rd birthday was the movie "UP", so we had a lot of balloons around, in addition to tying about 15 helium filled balloons to his cardboard house (thanks Uncle Will).

Sydney May Li-Shen Bowden asleep in Mama's arms.

Even through she's only two-months old, E-ling often sits down at the table with us for dinner.

Sunsets and smiles. Note that the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge are visible to the right of PJ, just above the railing.

E-ling caught with a perfect SPS (soul-penetrating-stare).