Self Play!

Some new baby developments make parents' lives harder, but some of them make them easier, or at least sweeter.

Recently, you've started to play on your own! You'll sit in front of your box of toys and take them out one by one. You don't even mind if I'm eating a sandwich next to you (which would previously cause you to yelp in anger until I share some of it with you).


And also last week, I saw you hugging your stuffed animal for the first time ever! You cuddled with your little lion stuffie (pictured here) for a good 5 minutes. Awwwwww.

Of this I know

There is the way that things should be, and then there's the way that things are.


Many days I feel the gravity of knowing that things, many things, seemingly all things, are broken beyond repair, gnarled and twisted beyond straightening, and gone with the wind.

I can almost feel all of creation groaning along with the wheezing in my own chest.

The senseless destruction goes as far as my eyes can see, to the ends of the earth, and begins in the seed of my own heart--my own self. I can not part the foolishness from the fool.

Of things that are true, I know very little. But of this I know...substitution, exchange, imputation, clothing, covering, hiddeness, redemption, grace, and hope.

Baby Love

Hi buddy! Mommy's at work now but I miss you so much. This last week has been so brutal because I worked almost non-stop all week. Instead of my usual 60% schedule, I've been working at more than full-time. I barely spent any time with you and I can feel my Judah-stores have depleted. I should be concentrating on the monstrous pile of work I have ahead of me, but I just keep thinking about how much I want to smooch your chubby cheeks.


I wonder if you miss me as much as I miss you. I really hope that's not the case because then you'd be in a world of pining. I hope you're happily oblivious to my absence and having a grand ol' time without me.

Another working mom once told me that leaving your baby to go to work is like that crazy feeling at the beginning stages of falling in love where you can't stop thinking about the other person and can't wait to see them again.

She is exactly right.

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

You got this electronic dog from your dad's dad and you are totally obsessed with it. Everytime you see it, you point and scream until I bring him near you and activate him. The other day I even caught you trying to give him your beloved pacifier as if the dog were a real person!


Me and your dad aren't thrilled because the music it plays is kind of annoying. But at least it's entertaining to watch you shake your bootie to it.


Dancing Dog from El Bebo on Vimeo.

You sure know how to shake your money-maker. Maybe one day you can teach me and your dad those smooth moves.

And then there were 3...

Our church plant started last year with zero babies, and then you came! There was no need for a real nursery since you would just sleep on Mur during the service.


But then Alexa came and sweet little Keira a few months later, so we now have a real legit nursery! Aren't you a lucky guy, surrounded by lovely ladies!


Alexa loves to grab your snacks (here she's got your bread), and feed you.


Although, in this pic, it looks like she's decided to just keep your snack to herself! Funny girl.


I just love holding Keira--she's light as a feather compared to your chunky self, and I've never heard her fuss once.


I warn Keira's mom that I'm going to secretly switch our babies one day. She'll look down in her infant carrier one day and discover, to her horror, that you're in it! But of course, we all know that would never happen. You could NEVER sit quietly in an infant carrier!

Judah Fact #001--You have insatiable curiousity

You absolutely hate it when I lay you flat to change your diapers. You have such an insatiable curiousity that you can't stand to be lying down and NOT exploring your world.

So every time I have to change you, to avoid you bursting into a wailing tantrum with giant elephant tears rolling down your face, I have to give you an interesting object to hold on to.

Lately it's been a toothbrush.

But I know the novelty is wearing off after just a few days so I need to find a new interesting and baby-safe object soon.

Reunion!

Recently your auntie came back to see you after being gone for 3 weeks. We were worried you would forget her, but judging from these pics, it looks like you welcomed her back with open arms...and open drooly mouth.


You love your auntie!


Later we went to CPK to celebrate and you enjoyed some water and bread...




...and the company of course.



We marveled at how easy you've become. We could never have done something like this when you were younger as you were so fussy. You're still a handful (yes siree bob you are), but it really does get easier every day!

Dada Day

Every morning when I bring you into bed, you open your sleepy eyes and point to your dad and shout "Da-da!"

After months of preferring me over your dad, it's remarkable that you seem to know his "name" before mine! I have never heard you say "ma-ma" to indicate me, but every single day you happily greet your sleeping dad.


I can't wait for you to get older and realize more fully what a fun, loving, patient, and caring Dada you have. I love imagining all the great times you'll share reading, building blocks, playing ball, walking, chatting, etc. together someday soon.

I can't wait for you to realize more fully how much your Dada loves you.

The Boy and Girl Next Door

I love our housing complex, not least of all, because there are tons of kids here. You have 2 little buddies that live right next door to you!

Here's you with the girl next door. She's just 1.5 months younger than you and just as big and tall as you (prob cause her dad is almost 7' tall)! You have a huge crush on her.


And here's you playing with our other neighbor who's almost 2. He's the sweetest, most generous little guy. When he's inside his house he'll spot you outside and shout "Baby!" at his mom and make her take him outside to see you. On this day, he made his mom get his box of Thomas trains out to share with you.


I feel kind of bad because he's usually sick with some kind of germ so I don't really like you playing with him. I know you need to get sick to build up your immune system, but it's just so miserable watching you sniffle and hack.

Other moms...how do you balance the need to socialize with the need to keep your baby from getting sick?

It Takes Two

Recently you went to your first wedding! Here you are dressed in your best dapper dan clothes.


Thankfully mommy's friend Jenny could come along and help me wrangle with you. There was no way I could have possibly managed you and all your gear--stroller, diaper bag, snacks, bibs, socks, shoes, etc.--without her.


Mommy was a little horrified that the wedding was so small and intimate, you could hear a pin drop--how much more a fussy baby whining! I held you in the back, ready to dash off at a moment's notice as soon as you showed signs of yelling your head off.


The bride could not have looked lovelier, and the bridesmaid too. All in all, it was one of the most beautiful weddings I've ever attended.


I'll be going to Alaberi's wedding later this Summer on the opposite coast, and I briefly considered bringing you along. But if it's one thing I learned from this experience, it's that it takes 2 to make this thing go right, as they say. There is no way I could handle you all by myself, much less participate meaningfully in the event!

I'll be sad to leave you as I fly away for a couple days. It'll be our first night of separation and the longest I've ever been away from you. I keep consoling myself by saying that babies have no concept of time (thanks for that thought Mandi!), so in your mind, maybe it's as if I'm only gone for a few hours.

And on the other hand, it will be a nice extended break from baby care--something I haven't had since you were born (thanks for that perspective Peg). It's about time mommy gets a weekend off!

Twinsies at Nine Months

A few weeks ago, Judah had a couple play dates with his twinsie, Ryan, who's just 3 days younger than Judah. Pics are courtesy of Ryan's awesome "pappa-razzi."


It's always so fun comparing notes with Ryan's mommy and finding out what kind of mischief he's into these days.


Judah and Ryan both have tons of hair, lots of teeth (and drool), and love their solids. But when it comes to gross motor development, they could not be more different.


Ryan has always been 1000x more physically developed than Judah. He's been crawling for weeks, and walking like a pro (while holding onto his mom's hands), while Judah still doesn't care to roll over (even though he can do it), much less crawl, and walks like a drunken sailor.


When I held Ryan, it was like holding pure muscle--very lean and taut.


Judah on the other hand...well we've all seen the generous rolls on him, which Ryan's mommy likes to grab--who can blame her!


At our home, Ryan showed Judah his crawling skills while Judah sat there completely unmotivated to join in the activity. Hey, you don't get a big booty by working off all your calories!

Workin' Hard for the Money, Part II

Here's a video of Judah's "pole-dancing." I've watched it a bazillion times and can't stop laughing. He pulls out every trick in the book--mouthing, wristing, waving, slapping, grabbing. Some would say it's his finest "hour."

Naked Standing Time from El Bebo on Vimeo.

Big Brother

A few weeks ago you had a visit with your bud Isaac, who's just 7 months older than you. It's always so fun to see how much Isaac's grown and to imagine you doing all the things he's doing in a few months.


Isaac knows a ton of words in English and Mandarin, and he's walking all over the place. You, on the other hand, still just want to get your paws on Isaac.



You also got to pet your first dog! You thought it was pretty fun. But don't get too attached, your dad will NEVER let you own a dog. Believe me, I've tried.

Workin' Hard for the Money

You're mommy's lil' pole dancer!


Work that pole baby, you're looking good! It's all the funnier because you like to shake your booty while you hang on.


For the last month or so, all you want to do, all day long, is stand while hanging onto furniture. Recently you've started taking a few drunken steps as you hold onto things--I'm told the proper developmental term for this is "cruising."


I wonder how long until you actually start walking!

Cottage Cheese by the Window

Life has been a blur of work lately so I'm way behind in blogging. So much has happened this past week, including 4 play dates, going for your 9 month checkup, sleep-training all over again, saying goodbye to your wonderful, caring auntie, and suffering through your first cold.

You were moaning and groaning with a fever for a couple days and now you have a stuffy nose and phlegmy cough, poor guy. It's doubly bad since it's totally disrupted your sleep-training. All those tears for nothing!

I can't possibly record everything now, but I did want to post some pics of you deep in thought, doing what you love to do best--standing by your changing table.


I just love every roll and dimple on your chubby little body!

Hush Puppies

Since you're obsessed with standing lately, I've decided to buy you your first pair of shoes.


100% leather, soft-soled, affordable, and cute as a button. Thanks Target!

The Other Baby

As many of you know, Judah is not our only baby.

We have another baby that just recently turned 1 in May, our church plant, Indelible Grace Church.

Being the wife of a planter, it's inevitable that you consider the 'success' or 'failure' of the plant since your whole lives are very much wrapped up in the church.

One thing that has always bothered me about church plants, and churches in general, is that the de facto way people measure 'success' is almost always about numeric growth. How many people attend? How many visitors stay? How much is the budget?

But as Piper would say, Brothers we are not professionals.

We should not measure things the way the 'professional' or 'corporate' world does. Bottom lines, efficiencies, revenue, numerical growth, polish and pizazz, etc. Those external measures have nothing to do with the values we hold nearest--self-sacrifice, humility, death to ourselves, and inner transformation--namely, the gospel of a God who emptied himself of all but love to save the lowest and the least.

That's why my heart lept with joy when I read this excerpt from Reb Bradley, another church planter:

"Shortly after I first planted Hope Chapel in 1987 we were visited by Pastor Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand. (They both had been tortured for years in communist prison camps and are the godliest people I have ever known.) During their visit Sabina asked me how the church plant was going. I responded, saying that I believed I was in obedience to God to be in Sacramento planting the church, so anticipated that the church would be a success. For that statement she firmly rebuked me. She looked me in the eye and declared, “Obedience is the highest success!”

I think our young plant is doing well, by external measures, but that is hardly the point. Since our Lord "failed" in a most spectacular and public way, we must therefore redefine our measure of success.

Let us only follow Him.

Bath, Bed, and Beyond

Recently I've decided to give you a bath everyday, even though you don't need it, so it becomes a part of your bedtime routine. I'm just desperate to get you to sleep earlier!

Here's you "discovering" yourself. Yeah, you better believe this is going into the 'best blackmail photos of all time' collection.


And here's you looking like you came straight out of a Dr. Seuss book. You look like a Whozit or Whatzit or Whatchamacallit. Crazy boy.

iBaby

You're only 9 months old and you're already programming!


Just kidding--no need to freak out, all you competitive Asian moms.

But seriously, you think computer keyboards are fascinating. I think it's because you see us typing on them all the time.
(Thanks to Rachel for the pic!)

Happy 'Older Than the Womb' Day!

Today is your 9 mo birthday! You have now spent as much time outside the womb as you have inside the womb (roughly).

It has been amazing watching you become a real person (instead of just a baby-blob) as you slowly gained control of your eyes, mouth, neck muscles, torso and core muscles, arms and hands and fingers, and now legs (and watching you discover your private parts which you just love to "discover" every time your diaper is off).

You can now stand-up on your own for a few seconds:


Browse catalogues to redecorate your nursery:


And "point" to whatever your heart desires:


But most endearing is when you share your favorite things with me and your dad. You'll be enjoying your pacifier, and then suddenly, with a twinkle of empathy, hold out your pacifier to one of us so we can lean our head in and have you stick it in our mouths. "Put it in daddy's mouth" is one of your favorite "games" and makes me think you're a thoughtful, generous person at heart, inspite of all your fussiness (just like your dad).

Or you just think it's fun to give us something and then snatch it away!