I've been neglecting my Xanga lately, but I have a good excuse. We're PREGNANT! Yes, we finally took the plunge into second-time parenthood and boy, has it been a helluva ride so far! I've been sick as a dog the past few months and unable to enjoy the pleasures of eating and stuffing my face like most pregnant women do. Imagine having intense cravings for food and having an indescribable urge to eat, going to great lengths to find the specific food to pacify the urge, and then gagging and throwing it up a few hours later while you moan in agony as the low-grade nauseousness persists through the whole day. Not pretty. Fortunately, the fog of nauseousness is slowly beginning to lift as I enter my 11th week (knock on wood).
And Bella, she's been so wonderful during this time when I've been sick. On nights where I'm home alone with her because Jin is in class, all I can do is lay motionless like a lump on the couch. But Bella doesn't fuss or complain. Instead, she rubs my back or she brings her blanket (her prized possession) to cover me. She continually asks whether I'm ok and then she goes to paint or to color quietly by herself.
When I first explained to her that I had a baby in my tummy, she looked at me with wide eyes, paused to think for a moment, and then crinkled her face into a ball, "HUH!?" Her reaction and expression were priceless. Soon she figured it out because many of her classmates’ parents were pregnant and many of the children have siblings. When asked if she wanted a brother or sister, her answer would change by the day, but her excitement remained the same. I’m sure that once the baby comes, jealousy will eventually rear its ugly head, but overall, I know Bella will be a nurturing and loving big sister.
Last month we surprised my mother by making a secret visit to St. Louis. In order to pull off the surprise, we informed my father of our plans. We planned the trip to coincide with my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary, which was calculated by my father who mistakenly thought they got married in 1968 when in fact they were married in 1969. He tried to make up for forgetting by denying he was wrong, saying that in Chinese Years, the first year of marriage begins on the wedding day; hence, they’ve been married 40 years (nice try, Dad). Regardless, it was a great excuse to visit home and for Bella to make the surprise entry at the front door:
Bella waits patiently at the door, while inside, Grandma suspiciously wonders why no cars are in the driveway, or why no one is visible through the peephole. "Maybe it's those Jehovah Witnesses again..." she rationalizes as she decides to ignore the knocks.
The knocking continues and through the window, Grandma sees a harmless young girl sitting on the stoop so she decides to FINALLY open the door!!! SURPRISE!!!
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