My Girl

My darling baby Wei,

You are the cutest, most talkative, and most stubborn baby I've ever met. At five months of age (which is how old you are now), you've already developed a rich repertoire of varying sounds and facial expressions to communicate your moods and desires. You're always busy -- looking around over my shoulders, grabbing and tasting things, kicking the toys that you can't reach with your arms, and observing your big brother. The world is such an interesting place now that you can move your head and body around, and you've already started to fight sleep (I don't have a lot of experience with babies, but it doesn't seem normal for a 5 months old baby to want to keep herself awake when she's clearly tired). I shudder when I think about the sheer magnitude of the fight you are going to put up against napping/going to bed when you're a toddler. May the force be with me and Daddy.

Unlike your brother, who was pretty much a happy-go-lucky, laugh-at-everything type of a baby, you seem to be philosophizing the meaning of life all the time (hence the grimace). This may sound weird because, after all, you are only 5 MONTHS old, but you possess a quiet confidence. You rarely exhibit extreme emotions. You watch and listen intently, and you take in the new and unfamiliar with a grain of salt.

Many of my female friends (and I have some kick-ass, tough female friends) have made a comment about how you have the looks of a dainty princess, yet you exude this ora of a powerful beast -- a force to be reckoned with. I think that may be why I'm most comfortable calling you "my big girl" 'cause that's what you are! Physically you're taller than most of your peers, and most importantly, you have a presence! You demand attention from others not through pleading and whining; you do so with your inquisitive big brown-green eyes and, impressive for someone your age, sheer determination. When you don't feel like sitting still, for instance, you will kick your legs and twist your body away from the person until whoever holding you finally gets up and walks you around. And you have no problem looking them in the eyes and telling them what is what if/when they lift you up to eye level.

In sum, we're in big trouble. You are going to be a terror -- a super cute terror with big eyes and curly hair nonetheless.

I just want to write this down so that the present I can laugh at the future I about a year from now and say, "I told you so."