Rinse and Repeat

Exactly one week after our midnight trip to the ER, the event repeated itself last night with exactly the same symptoms and the same outcome. Only this time, we waited as long as we could hoping to ride this one out in the comfort of our home. In fact, during one of my puke breaks, Bill and I were pleasantly entertained by our Little Peanut as he flipped and turned nudged and shoveled, making a bulge with his little behind here and a hard spot with his tiny foot there.

At 5:30am, we finally decided to go to the ER because I was getting quite weak. Though we didn't think it could be pre-eclampsia 'cause all my blood and urine test results have come out normal and many of the symptoms didn't apply, we thought it'd help just to get a saline IV to keep me from throwing up every time I had some water. With the experience from last Wednesday, we knew exactly what to expect once we were in the ER. This time, however, we went to the ER in the bigger branch of Tri-Service Hospital (where I had my surgeries) because Dr. Liu had clinic hours there starting from 9am. I felt better knowing that he'd be able to come see me if anything went seriously wrong.

Shortly after 9am, they pushed my bed up to OB-GYN. It was quite "interesting" 'cause we got to see the Obstetrics section of the ward, which we didn't see during all my previous stays in the hospital. In the ultrasound room, we were half-guessing which doctor we might see ('cause pretty much all of them know us). It was a pleasant surprise when Dr. Sun appeared from behind the curtains. He's been my favorite resident since my first surgery 'cause he's so easy to talk to. Seeing it was him made me feel a whole lot better right away.

Through the ultrasound, we saw Peanut practicing breathing on his back with one foot resting on the knee of the other leg ("Just chillin' and gettin' ready for the outside world, mom.") Then he flipped to face away when Dr. Sun tried to take a look at his face. Although it's only been a week since we last saw him, he seemed to have grown and plumped up even more. Dr. Sun did an overall check-up on Peanut and told us that the amount of the amniotic fluid was sufficient for him to be moving around. "Everything looks good, "Dr. Sun said, "the baby is very active."

Then we were wheeled to a Labor Room to monitor fetal heartbeat and to see if I was having contractions. It was quite an ordeal getting settled. At first, it took the nurse a while to locate Peanut 'cause he wouldn't stay still. Then we discovered the reason might have been the fact that this little guy was having some major hiccoughs at the time. While the nurse continued trying to get a grip of his heartbeat, we chatted about why fetuses have hiccoughs. "He probably had too much to eat," she said. "Well then," I replied. We exchanged a look and both started chuckling. All joking aside, it was both amusing and comforting to know that my little boy managed to stuff his tummy while I spent the entire night puking my guts out. Mommy's so proud of you, Peanut!!! That a boy!

We got home before noon in the blazing sun (it always takes me a while to return to real life after time in the hospital).
"I wonder..." Bill said, "'Cause you know how all the doctors told us Peanut's quite active.... I wonder if that means he's gonna be..."
"Rambunctious?" I finished his sentence.
"Or just a terror," Bill attempted to downplay it a bit. How is that better than being rambunctious?
"I don't know. Were you a terror when you were little?" After all, like father like son, right?
"Hell yeah!" he replied with almost too much pride, I thought. "My mom had to tie up the door during nap time 'cause I didn't want to nap."
"What? I thought you were a sweet little boy." I heard slight panic in my voice. I thought of calling Bill Senior or Donna right away.
"I was sweet, but I also just didn't want to stay still. Okay, we need my mom to verify this, but the story I remember is that I'd stand in my crib, hop in it to move it to the door, and open the door."
Okay, you have to be super impressed with the innovative thinking and determination involved in this little story like I was. However, instead of throwing my arms in the air, grabbing Bill and kissing him all over the face to show how proud I was of him as a little boy, I remained calm, "How old were you then?"
"Like 2, I think?!" As Bill tilted his head so very slightly trying to recall, I thought I saw a faint smirk caught in the sunlight across his face.

Well... we still need Grandma (or anyone who has heard about 2-year-old Billy hopping his crib to open the door) to verify the story. Meanwhile, I take temporary comfort in knowing that, when he's 2, Peanut will still be too young to secretly turn on the computer in the middle of the night to read and learn from his daddy's story.

Being a Mother

To be honest, I never thought it'd be difficult to make the decision to be a full-time mother. Given my natural tendency to go extreme (aka the "Go Big or Go Home" mentality), I've always believed that being a mom means staying home to take care of the kid. I always thought, when the day comes, I'd be able to drop everything at once without hesitation. It should be that easy, right? Well... now that I'm truly confronted with this possible reality, I find myself constantly experiencing a faint feeling of uncertainty and guilt: Are we going to be able to afford it with only one income? Is it fair for Bill to carry all the load on his shoulders?

Don't get me wrong; I understand and value the importance of parental interaction during the early stages of life. I'm not a hardcore feminist who lives to defy traditional gender roles, nor am I an oblivion idealist who believes she can do it all and do it well. I know it's a choice to be made, and the choice has got to be one way or the other (I'm not going to dump my kid at my mom's while Bill and I work). The problem is, I only know what I'm like as a career woman. As a matter of fact, I like the career woman part of me. Now there's a new role for me to take on, and to do that, I have to let go of what have defined me as an adult woman and what I've considered the vital elements of independence and self-reliance: a source of acknowledgment and financial freedom, both of which I've enjoyed since I was 20.

I think I'm just having a bit of jitters before taking on this new role. It's been helping, though, when I think of it as taking on a new job (from what I've heard and read, being a mother IS a full-time job).

A part of me is really excited about this new assignment as a mom. It's a whole new challenge and I'm eager to find out how I'd do. However, I'm also aware that it is a job that requires thorough preparation and frequent skill training. To compensate the lack of previous experience and suitable mentors, I've enrolled myself in a self-study program of motherhood. I've been reading baby books from cover to cover and watching "How To" videos repeatedly. Adrift in the hazy borders of consciousness, I rehearse in my head what I've learned in the previous lessons. In fact, I'm seriously considering getting a life-size doll to practice on (Okay, some of you veteran moms can stop laughing now).

I realize I've probably made myself sound like a freak, but I think it's important to recognize and address the control-freak part of my nature. Let me put it this way: I'm not going to sink into depression when the diaper slips right off as soon as I pick him up (most likely, I may laugh my head off and let him go butt-naked for a while before we try again), but I'd feel a lot better if I have at least some basic idea of how to put on a diaper before Bill has to hop over small puddles on the floor just to get into the living room when he comes home from work. The same goes with learning to breastfeed. I just want to avoid as much discomfort as possible.

Bill showed me our finances the other night to reassure me the length and "doability" of raising Peanut on one income. I have to say, I feel much better now and I'm extremely grateful that I have a supportive husband who's willing to take on the load (though he has also hinted his desire to be a stay-at-home dad). Who knows?! Maybe 6, 7 months down the road we'll switch so we can both have the luxury of experiencing being a full-time parent. What's important is that it's all good for the little one anyhow. He gets to have his mom and dad ALL to himself no matter who stays home.

Trip to the ER

Tuesday

• after lunch -- my tummy started hurting a bit.

• during yoga -- I got heartburn but thought it was normal for a pregger in her third trimester

• home at 5pm -- tummy really started to hurt

• around 8pm -- Daddy came home from work and found me moaning in bed. He grabbed "What to Expect" and looked up heartburn. "Oh, this is interesting," he read, "New research has actually backed up what old wives have maintained for generations: The more heartburn you have during pregnancy, the more likely your baby will be born with a full head of hair. Implausible as it sounds, seems the hormones responsible for heartburn are the same ones that cause fetal hair to sprout."Clutching my stomach in a fetal position, I chuckled, "He'd better be born with a full head of hair or I'll feel robbed."

• between 10:30pm and 2am -- puked in the bathroom 6 times until nothing but stomach acid came out.

• 2:30am -- took a cab to the ER. They hooked me up to a saline IV to keep me hydrated and gave me some stomach medicine. Puked 3 more times while in the ER.

• around 6am -- puking stopped but the pain persisted. Got a second bag of saline.
  

• 8am -- I was wheeled to OB/GYN. They hooked me up to monitor your heart rate and movement. Your heart rate maintained around 147 beats per minute. After the 20 minutes, we went to check you out on the ultrasound. I didn't have my glasses on, so I couldn't really see you. Daddy told me that you were rubbing your feet together and moving your hands around your face. At one point, I saw you opening and closing your left hand. The last shot of you, which the doctor froze on the screen, was a close-up of your face. Even though it was a somewhat blurry black and white image, my heart melted when I saw that little face. The doctor estimated that you now weight about 1,400 grams (3lb and 1.38 oz), which is normal for a fetus at 29 weeks.

I felt a lot better after seeing you.

• 10:45am -- got home from the hospital. Daddy and I both passed out on the sofabed.

• 7pm -- had 3 spoonful of the congee Daddy made for me. Pain came in waves.
  

• 10:30pm -- passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I first woke up 'cause Mocha was scratching the door. Then I noticed you were moving a lot. It felt like you were doing aerobics. The next time I woke up, I noticed there was no pain in the stomach (hooray!!) Gotta take it slow today in terms of what I eat though. You'll have to be on a light diet with Mommy for a day or two. Actually, I take that back. It doesn't really matter how little I eat, you're still gonna get all the nutrients and water you need from my system anyway.

Wait! It's Thursday already?!

Nesting

I started taking pictures of things that make our home "home" a few days ago. Then I realized that I was talking to you when I took these photos, so really I was introducing to you this environment you are yet to see and documenting it.

A Sneak Preview around the House


This is the baby in the house... for now.
Nuage is going to stay at Grandma's house two weeks before you arriveso we can de-hair the apartment.

It was a corner of my dress he was sleeping on...





Not that you can play with candles any time soon.
I just really like the color scheme in this corner of our living room.






Isn't this a fun lamp?








I imagine this is where you and I will spend many afternoons during the first few weeks of your life.


Yes, the fabric is machine washable.



This is a Taiwanese aborigine wood-carving painting daddy and I bought at an artists village during the family trip to Taidong last month.

The picture shows the Chinese lunar year you're born. This is one of the keepsake items in your time capsule.


This is one of the many homework assignments your nerdy mom has been doing -- Storage Guideline for Human Milk

I've also been watching videos on "How to Change a Newborn's Diaper", "How to Bathe Your Baby", and my personal favorite, "How to Calm a Crying Baby When All Things Fail".



When it's nice out, we can have brunch on the balcony.

Daddy also bought you an inflatable swimming pool.



Preparing for Your Arrival

These are the things Uncle Scottie and Auntie Lisa sent you from Canada.



I love the fact that they included a snow suit in one of the boxes. :D


These are some of the towels and washcloths we've prepared.

Keiko told me that we can never have enough of these...





This is a baby bathtub from Uncle Brian and Aunt Kitty.

One of these days, I gotta bring it down to the kitchen for a test drive.








This? .... I have no idea what this is for.

Can anyone tell me?







I've also been drawing pictures for you. I want you to be surrounded by lots of colorful and fun imagery, and I figures I might as well do it myself. Maybe I'll take pictures of the pictures when I'm done.

Just Checking in -- 27 Weeks

I can't believe I've been pregnant for 27 weeks. If I were a cat, I would've had 2 litters of kittens already.

My last prenatal checkup was on Monday, and my blood and urine test results came out fine. The next one is in a month's time. Then we'll see the doctor every two weeks.

We didn't do an ultrasound during the last checkup, so I thought I'd put a picture here for those who have been wondering what's going on inside my "carry-on basketball".


If you are positioned exactly like the baby in this picture, it's your little bum that daddy and I have been patting, huh?!

Your Development:

• You now weigh about 2 pounds or, in produce terms, like a head of cauliflower.

• You're now developing regular sleep-wake intervals (On some days, it certainly feels as if you spend more time awake than asleep), opening and closing your eyes (Not much to look at in there, huh? Maybe one of these nights daddy and I could fashion some kind of a shadow puppet show for you), and perhaps sucking on your thumb.

• Your brain is also developing rapidly with neurons firing away just like those of a newborn baby (Time to get Uncle Simon to come and read the Economist to you regularly. See March 24 "Male Friends and Baby Talk").

We have about 13 more weeks to go.... I don't even want to think about how big I'll be and feel then.

Deja Vu

Chinese New Year (February 2005)
Daddy and I had known each other for about 3 months. We'd gone out on two "date" dates and were going to have nachos and a movies at daddy's apartment tonight. During the movie, we snuggled on the couch sharing a blanket. I can't remember what we watched, but I remember how comfortable I felt. I ended up spending the next 2 days in the apartment with him. We could not leave one another because we both came down with the flu and were keeping each other alive (sort to speak).

Saturday, June 13th, 2009
I woke up because I couldn't breathe. The room was still dark and the AC was humming rhythmically in the background. It felt as if all the hair in my nose had turned into needles and my uvula was the size of a horse pill. "Yep," I thought, "I've got the cold Bill brought back from China."
Daddy had already gotten over most of his cold, so I took comfort in knowing that this nasty little bug will only last for about 3 days. I grabbed "What to Expect" and read the entire section on "When You're Sick During Pregnancy" and was pleased to know that you will not be affected. It was the weekend, so I thought I'd just ride it out.
When I was putting the book down to go back to sleep, daddy moved and groaned, "My back's killing me...." All the hours of working in front of the computer (and our crappy mattress) have accumulated tension deep inside his muscles. I sat up and started rubbing Tiger Balm on his back. I've got one hand rubbing hard into daddy's back while the other rubbing my leaky nose with a tissue. We were both miserable: he couldn't find a position that wouldn't hurt, and I couldn't seem to find a way to stop sniffling and hacking.

We spent most of the day in bed watching "Band of Brothers". We laughed at how much this was just like CNY 2005, when we first started dating.

At 3pm, the pain in daddy's back got so bad that he could hardly move. We decided to venture out to a Chinese medicine doctor. The doctor listened to our descriptions of the pain and, with one touch, pinpoint exactly where it hurt on daddy's back. He then told us that daddy would need acupuncture. Before he inserted the needles, the doctor grabbed onto daddy's right should with one hand and pressed down on daddy's spine with the other hand. Instantaneously daddy's spine crackled like popcorn and daddy let out a sigh of relief.


The doctor put 5 needles around daddy's right should blade.
It probably took him a total of 5 seconds to do it.
Daddy said it didn't hurt at all.





Then they hook daddy up to a machine that sent out electric current and put a heat lamp directly above the area that was being treated.

Daddy had to stay like that for 20 minutes.




The final step was to put these section cups on daddy's back.

This took another 15 minutes.




After the doctor's, we grabbed some food on the way home and went to bed at 7pm.

Daddy is feeling a lot better this morning (though he's still not 100%), and my nose has stopped dripping (though it's like swallowing glass now). We're still gonna take it slow today, but we also want to get out of the house for a bit. Maybe we'll go get you a diaper change set to put on a dresser.

Mommy Talk

Keiko, a Japanese teacher at our school, came to the office for a visit this afternoon. The last time I saw her was in mid-February, when she was put on bed rest in the hospital due to premature contractions. She was in her 33rd week then. 3 weeks later, after an emergency C-section, she gave birth to a healthy little boy on March 3rd.

Her visit today was unannounced and I guess she didn't expect to see me in the office so late in the afternoon. As soon as we saw each other, we screamed and locked hands like excited high school girls. Then we spent the next half an hour sitting knee-to-knee, exchanging pregnancy experiences and birth stories (well, she was doing the telling of course). Having been deprived of contact and connection with women who are able to relate to my current condition, I held on to Keiko and asked her about EVERYTHING, from what it felt like when her water broke to what kind of container she's using to store breast milk. She was also able to share her experience giving birth in a hospital in Taiwan, which really helped to put me at ease (most of the stuff I've been reading online talks about situations in North American hospitals. Hospitals in Taiwan generally don't provide this kind of support, for patients in Taiwan are not accustomed to actively seeking out information on their own).

Keiko is going to bring her little boy to meet everyone in the office early next week. That should be a lot of fun!

I called the hospital this morning to ask about the birthing classes they offer. There's one next Saturday (June 20) that talks about Lamaz and other childbirth techniques, what happens while we're in the hospital, and they'll give us a tour to the delivery room. Only dads who have completed this class will be allowed into the delivery room, so you can say this is a prereq to the privilege of witnessing your own child's birth. I don't know about Bill, but I'm kind of excited about going to this class. I think I'll feel much better-prepared than I do now.

Daddy's Home

Daddy came home from his business trip to China, and he bought you a set of a onesie, a cap, a bib, and a sleeper from China, brand named "Duck Duck Goose" from the infamous Xiu-Shue Street Market.

Tienanmen Square

I guess all the reporters from international media had already left after June 4th.





Raising the flag









Daddy's also got a cold, so he has to wear a mask around the house for a few days.

Dancing Belly

What were you doing all night last night, little one? You moved around so much I hardly got any sleep.

After an emotional day yesterday, we were in bed at 9:30 and I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow. You, on the other hand, were just getting ready to P-A-R-T-Y!! The first time I woke up was around 10:30 and again at midnight. At times it felt as if you were body slamming me ("Take THAT, Mommy!"), while other times the movements were so rapid that it was as if you were trying to scrub little bits of hardened cheese off of a plate. At 2:43 AM (I was wide awake then), I lifted up my PJs and watched on while you made waves on my belly.

The book suggested that I change positions to "knock [you] off balance", but that only worked for about a minute each time. Also, you seemed to change the way you moved each time you regained balance. As a result, I flipped around in bed like a Wiener on a grill, yet you persisted.

It's 5:30AM. You seem to have settled down, and I'm here writing this post. I don't think I'm gonna be very productive at work today (and I have a long day at work today too). Oh well, at least I've got some stories to share with the dads in the office.

Sleep tight, little one.

Weepy Monday
I've been feeling weepy all day. Bill's away on business, and I had a really bad day.

I had to step into a classroom to sub as soon as I arrived at work this morning, but I had been looking forward to having breakfast (I was very hungry). The class went okay, and the students seemed to have had a great time. However, my breakfast was cold by the time I came out, and I was not happy about that.

Then I spent the entire morning getting materials ready for other substitute teachers. Boring~!

The academic writing class in the afternoon didn't go that well. The students were like zombies, even the usually responsive and talkative ones (I'm guessing it was because of the heat and mugginess). I, too, was feeling yucky because of the heat. Then 3 older ladies were yapping away very loudly on the bus ride home. I could still hear them even through deafening Beethoven on my iPod.

By the time we got home, I was already drenched in sweat. The first thing I saw was Nuage's puffy red eyes and two streams of tears on the sides of his nose. After I cleaned off the tears, I saw a cut on the upper lid of his right eye, which is also swollen. My first guess was that Mocha probably scratched him by accident when they were play fighting. Though the cut didn't look very serious, I was worried about infections, so I made an appointment with the vet.

Taking Nuage to the vet is really not that big of a deal. First of all, the vet is less than 10 minutes away from the house (on foot). Also, Nuage is a very calm kitty and he's generally nice to the doctors (especially if it's a female doctor). The vet gave him a thorough checkup and gave us a tube of ointment to put on the cut. When I was paying, I put Nuage's cage on a bench. A woman who was there with her Proodle went over to the bench and started meowing at Nuage (the woman did, not the Proodle of course). Even though Nuage was not violent, his patience was definitely running thin after the 45-minute session with the vet. He wasn't in the mood to put up with a meowing stranger, so he hissed at her. That woman (and I still can't believe she did that), tried to open Nuage's cage with her one free hand (the other was holding her stupid dog) while threatening to send her Proodle in to bite Nuage! I was so infuriated I thought I was gonna rip the Proodle out of her arm and kick it out the door like a soccer ball.

One of the interns stopped that woman from trying to open the cage while I rushed over to take Nuage away. I didn't say anything to that woman; I simply treated her as if she was crazy. On the way home, though, I could still feel the adrenaline running through my veins (we walked very fast), and I had all kinds of scenarios in which I told that woman off running through my head.

I just wanted to be home and be away from stupid people. I decided to allow myself a good cry after we got home.

As soon as I opened the door, Mocha was there to greet us. He was obviously wondering where Nuage had been. When Nuage and I went into the living room, this is what we saw:


While we were out, Mocha had taken out some kitty cookies and put them on the floor.

Nuage, who usually doesn't like cookies, went over and started eating some.

(You can kind of see Mocha lying upside down in the upper left-hand corner of the picture)


I stopped feeling weepy.

100 Days

As of today, we only have 100 more days to go until Peanut arrives. We should really get all the stuff on the list ready.

This is a "Preparing for Newborns" list I found.

Experienced moms, please take a look and see if there's anything we missed or don't need. The items in black are what we have already. The items in red are the things we need to get, most of which are big items anyway.

I also have some questions about some of the things...

Aunt Lisa, THANK YOU so much for the 2 boxes of clothes. They all smell like a baby still : ) and totally reminded me of the time I spent with Jordy (obviously he's much bigger now). I went through each of the clothes and could not stop awing. Peanut's for sure gonna be the coolest kid on the block because of you. Love the overalls and all the T-shirts, fleece jackets, and of course, the Montreal Canadiens bib. Those socks, man, are tiny. I love how colorful they are.

I updated the list of items.

NEWBORN ESSENTIALS

A. Clothing the Baby
sleeping onesies
one-piece undershirts that snap around the crotch
side-snap T-shirts
mittens
baby caps
socks/booties
bibs

B. Feeding the Baby
nursing bras
a box of washable breast pads
breast pump
small glass bottles with nipples
burp cloths
bottle brush

Questions:
I can just use regular towels as burp cloths, right? I mean, it seems to me the only difference is that the material for burp cloths is softer. Any other differences?

C. Grooming the Baby
plastic baby bathtub
soft hooded towels
baby bodywash
wash cloths

D. Diaper Duty
diaper pail and refill bags
diaper bag (washable and water-proof with lots of compartments)
diapers (one 40-count package of newborn or size 1)

Questions:
It was recommended that backpack- or messenger-style diaper bags are easier to carry. Any other suggestions?

Any brand names worth recommending? Pampers? Huggies? Aren't they pretty much the same anyway?

E. Sleeping
crib/cradle/bassinet
crib mattress & sheets
crib mattress pads
waterproof liners
receiving blankets
pacifiers

Questions:
Aside from the crib, which is usually a stationery bed, we'd also like to get a portable bed for
the baby. We saw a foldable play pan kind of thing that could double as a bed. Is that good?

Does the firmness of the crib mattress matter?

F. Baby-On-the-Go
stroller
a blanket for the stroller
baby carrier

Question:
Do we need to get a stroller now? When can you take a baby out in a stroller?

G. Medicine Cabinet
cotton pads/swabs
rubbing alcohol
nasal aspirator
digital rectal thermometer
pain reliever/Infants' Tylenol

Question:
What's a nasal aspirator for?

Our First Family Trip
Date: May 28 - May 31, 2009
Destination: Taidong, Taiwan
Daddy: 36 years old
Mommy: 36/37 years old
Peanut's gestation age: 6 months


We were on the road around 9AM. There was a bit of traffic right before the Xue-Shan (snow mountain) Tunnel. Daddy was like, "Uh-oh! This might take a while."




The traffic was not as bad as we anticipated. Soon we were on the Eastcoast Highway heading down south to Taidong.

We arrived around dinner time.


Breakfast at 7AM.

It was a bit overcast, but the sea breeze felt really good.




The sun came out around 8. Mommy was excited!

Today's itinerary: go north-bound and see what's there.




We found a small harbor off the side of the road, so we decided to check it out.




You don't know this yet, but daddy is a rock-climber. Naturally, he found these rocks irresistible, so off he went.

When I told a family of 3 that daddy was climbing those rocks, they didn't believe me at first. They were shocked to see your dad posing on the top of those rocks! We were very proud of daddy.


This was taken right before we were leaving the little harbor.

That's you inside my belly.





Then we arrived at Ba-Xian Dong, literal translation means Caves of the Eight Immortals.
There are more than 8 caves on the cliff, but only 6 were accessible on the day we visited due to falling rocks.




Goal: Go all the way up to the 6th cave, which is 120 meters off the ground.






We had to take a breather half way up....
You were kicking like crazy, totally energized by the oxygen in my blood.





It looked daunting at first, but we made it all the way.

I thought my right leg was gonna give out any moment on the way down. It was all shaky and weak.

Woke up in pain the next day... you'll understand when you grow up.





This is a place called San-Xian Tai (Platform of the Three Immortals).
The arched bridge is one of the landmarks of Taidong.





The sun was scourging hot at this point.
Daddy and I didn't want to be on the bridge with all the tourists, so we went to watch some people fishing on the rocks.




3PM is when all the fishing boats return. We thought it'd be cool to check out "catch of the day" at Xin-Gang Fish Market in a town called Cheng-Gong.



Look! The fish market is shaped like a ship.


















Daddy was all excited, walking around videotaping everything that was happening in the fish market. We got a video where daddy knocked on my belly to tell you to look at the fish. The interesting thing was that, though you had been quiet after the climb all afternoon, you started moving around right after daddy knocked on my belly.



Then daddy got some fresh sashimi. NT150 (US$5) for more than 20 thick pieces of tuna and sword fish. And he made me videotape him eating it... it was torturous! We'll upload the videos later.

The second day, we headed down south.


This is one of the scenic stops called the Stone Umbrella. See that piece of rock that looks kind of like a big mushroom in the back?

It really wasn't all that impressive if you ask me.




This hungry kitty came to me when we went to a coffee shop in Du-Lang.

The coffee shop is situated in the old Taidong Sugar Factory, which is now an artist village.




















We arrived at Shan-Yuan Beach around noon. Had lunch at a seaside B&B and spent some time in the water.

This was the day I turned 37 and daddy stayed at 36.


Wood carvings in the Bunon Aborigine Village.

I liked the fact that each of them looks different. The guy on the left wasn't paying attention, and the guy on the right was whistling. The guy in the middle was bored, I think.


We were heading to Hong-Yeh (Red Leaves) Village. Hong-Yeh became famous because of its Little League Baseball Team.

It was very fitting that daddy was wearing an Asian Baseball League T-shirt that day.







Daddy at Tropic of Cancer







Don't forget your shoes when you leave Taidong.

This is very fitting too 'cause you don't need your shoes when you're in Taidong.



Daddy and I are both ocean lovers, and Taidong has a beautiful coastline (and towering mountains and deep valleys). The people are loud and genuine; many of them were excited for us that there's a baby on the way. They also told us to go back with you next time.I think we should totally do that. In fact, we loved it there so much that we were trying to figure out if there'd be a way for us to live down here for a while after you're born. I think you'll love it too (though we'll have to slop a few coats of suntan lotion on you before we head outside).