Falling asleep...

Many times did the little girl fall asleep between bites at meal time. Her teacher even had a story of her seemingly fine at lunch one minute but nodding and falling off her chair the next. Last month her father called me upstairs to see the child curled up on the diaper changing station with her arm outstretched for nail clipping and completely asleep. None of this, though, compared to last night.

Evelyn skipped nap yesterday. No matter how many stories I told, she would not fall asleep at nap time. But as the day wears on, her energy level began to drop quickly. Temper became shorter, and tears came easier. Seeing how tired she was, I rushed her and her father upstairs for a bath as soon as she finished the last bite of her dinner. As I was cleaning up the dishes, the little girl's father hollered from upstairs for help. I stepped into the bathroom to find the little girl sitting in her bath with her head tilted back for her father to pour water over, and her eyes closed. Hearing me, she opened her sleepy eyes for a lazy glance, closed them again, and commenced to nod off, right there, in her bath water. "Oh dear!" I exclaimed, as we hurriedly maneuvered the sleeping girl so we could finish soaping and rinsing her off. When her father lifted her out of the bath, she snuggled into his shoulder and thoroughly gave herself up to a deep sleep. The loud blast and hot air of the hair dryer could not even stir her. Apparently, this is one little girl who refuses to sleep until she could no longer hold it off, and then she surrenders to it no mater the circumstance.

A family of four

When I went to pick the little girl up on Monday, the teacher showed me the family portrait that Evelyn made. On a sheet of paper, she glued on four paper cut out figures to depict her family: one woman, one man, and two children on the side one right next to the other, as if holding hands. The teacher asked her to identify the figures, and, after much prompting because she's not voluntarily speaking to the adults yet, Evelyn told the teacher that the second children is "my sister." "Is it really a girl?" the teacher asked me. "Yes," I answered as I stood mesmerized by this simple, plain picture. The inclusion of her little sister made me incredibly proud and happy. It shows how well Evelyn understands what is to come. My growing belly is not just an at times inconvenient phenomenon, and baby sister is not just a noun in conversations or a kiss/hug on my belly. She knows that baby sister is about to come into the world, stay, and be a the newest member of our family. That she will have a new person to care and love, play and fight with. That we will go from a family of three to a family of four. Seeing how she already perceives baby sister as an integral part of our family touches me so. I have an amazing daughter.

To Dear Baby - We're almost there

Dear little baby,
How are you doing in there? I got to see you again this Monday when we had our ultrasound to check on your growth. Looks like you are doing pretty well. Despite how small I may look on the outside (trust me, I don't feel it), you are actually measuring large. Besides the numeric measurements, you also demonstrated how nicely you are readying yourself for the outside world by showing me how you practice the motion of breathing. You further showcased your athletic abilities by stretching and kicking as best as you can in the cramped space. Oh, little one, you are not the only one who is feeling squeezed and squashed. Your little bottom is situated right between my rib cage. Your heart is beating under my bellybutton, and your little head is in my pelvis. To sum it up, there is no more room for my lungs, heart, or other organs anymore.
I've long forgo grace in my movements. So what if I waddle? As long as I can get across a room, I'm happy. Bending is another motion that I can no longer perform. The feeling of having an agile body is but a distant memory. "I'm ready to give birth," I'd tell people with a hand on this solid lump that is you. But then, yesterday, the doctor found out that he's about this close to declaring that I have preeclampsia. Your sister was induced three weeks early because of a trace of it. If I have it this time, you might follow her foot step and arrive early as well. As early as say in two weeks. TWO WEEKS! All of a sudden, I realized that I'm not prepared yet! Yes, your cloths are washed, folded, and put away. And yes, your carseat is all prepped to be set into the car. But... can one really be ready to welcome a new baby? Be ready for the changes that a little new life brings into one's current life? How would you change our family dynamic? How would we continue with the house planning? How would I manage school and your sister and you? I know everything will turn out okay somehow. But I am still nervous and a little scared. Nervous, scared, but sure of one thing, and that is you will be welcomed to this world with plenty of love.

Imaginative play

Evelyn loves to pretend play. Not just with toys, but with imaginary items or characters as well. For example, she is very fond of the step mother and step sisters of Cinderella. Sometimes, she would pretend that these beloved characters are right here visiting. She would pointed to a corner of the room and tell me "look, mommy, my step mother and step sisters are over there". Right... her step mom, so... where does that place me? Never mind that. To her, step mothers are a part of fairy tales. Besides, when she assigns us roles to play I'm either the prince or the princess. I gratefully take this as an indication that she sees me as an equal play mate instead of a powerful, but very scary wicked witch. See, I am usually the one that, when she is clearly tired but wired to play, insists she leaves the fun behind and stay in bed for quiet naps. I have held her down physically disregarding her screaming protests in the past, until she tiredly falls asleep. I am also the one that would wage a battle of will with her, such as refusing to pick her up, and insisting that she walk by herself no matter how she whines; or call her on her antics and drag the child-turned-boneless-jellyfish back to her time out corner time and again until the required time was served. In those times, I see myself as a stubborn, merciless dictator. And yet, she still generously let's me play the heroic prince or the beautiful princess. How cool is that?
Once, though, the role play became a bit freaky. She was the prince and I was either Sleeping Beauty or Snow White, so I lay there as still as I can as she gave me the kiss to revive me. Only that the kiss lasted and... lasted...

Sink (Disney)

Upon spotting the child-height sink in the public restroom in our hotel, Evelyn just about came aglow. "Look, mommy, look! It's for me!" she exclaimed, excitement radiating from every syllable. She ran to the sink and immediately began to wash her own hands. "I do it all by myself! I don't need mommy's help! Evelyn wash my hands by myself!" This sink that she can reach without a stool, without help, became the single most significant item in the whole hotel. Such a little detail, such a big impact on the child. Watching her happily scrubbing away, reminding me time and again of this little sink that is "just for me", makes me happier then I ever imagined a sink would make me.

Table manner

We've been teaching the little girl that she must ask for permission before she leaves the dinner table.
At the end of dinner tonight, I could well tell that the thought of pooping was forming in her head. "Let's go poopy," said her dad as he walked around the table to help her off her booster, and I hurriedly took her crumb filled bib.
"Come on, down the front, down the front," her father urged her. She crabbed tight to the booster's side and won't let go. "Wait a minute, wait a minute," she said.
"Come on, let's go to the bathroom," her father encouraged.
"I want to talk," she said firmly.
Then, she turned over to me, looked at me calmly and asked "may I get off, please?"
"Yes, you may," a surprised me replied with a heart filled with pride and joy.