Alright guys, spring is finally here and we have fun birthday parties coming up. EEK!
Evie - I just sent you off with 12 vanilla cupcakes with strawberry frosting and a bag of veggie straws for your little birthday party at preschool. The excitement on your face was worth all the energy I put into each one. I can already imagine how wide your smile is going to be when the teacher brings them out and it makes me so so happy. Your dad just came home and said he offered to stop the car so you could eat a cupcake. But you said no and that these cupcakes are for your friends and teachers. HAHA. Evie, I'm so excited that we'll be taking you on a 2 on 1 day trip tomorrow, we don't get a whole lot of that dad/mama/Evie time these days, do we? It seems your second year of life flew by and in some ways it is really bittersweet for me because I missed so much of it caring for Max. A part of me wishes I had just brought Max along to more of your outings but I think I was also just trying to figure out how to care for a little baby again and keep my sanity. I'll make it up to you, promise!
You are looking more and more like a little girl. Even when I search and search your face for signs of baby, l fail. And you are definitely talking more and more. We love asking you to tell us stories, so you've been telling us stories about Joe the doggy and all sorts of other wild imagined things. I'm not much of a storyteller but I will remember for always the night we lied down when you asked me to tell you a story and I told you about us taking Joe to the beach. And how Joe sat on my lap in the front seat with his head out the window, his ears flopping in the wind. You told me it was a good story. That might have been the best thing I've accomplished. Love you.
Max - The long wonder week seems to finally be over! No more intense screaming and crying every time I walk out of your sight! You and I had a short Max and Mama trip to California last week, all by ourselves. It was for Mr. Zabel's memorial service. He was my math team coach when I was from 5th-8th grade. I pray that you and Evie will have teachers and mentors as amazing as he was, that would make us all so lucky. I think you had a good time with your paw paw, gong gong, and Aunt Ying Ying and you loved all the attention! You're cruising a lot more, babbling, and eating more solids. You love watching your ga je, jumping in the crib with her, yanking the mouse off your dad's desk, and chewing your sippy cup. You are calm and relaxed, enjoy alone time, and can giggle the best giggles in the world when you feel like it. Your glare and stoic looks are also well practiced by now.
My babies - there are so many tiring days where your father and I hum and haw at the dining table talking about the injustices of our world...but because of the two of you, there are so many many more moments where I thank the universe that we have your giggles to live off of. Thanks for bringing meaning to our lives.
Love, Mama.
*Po Chi Fung is a Washington DC and MD lifestyle and documentary family photographer serving Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Rockville, and Potomac