Dear Eva,
Guess what, I didn't forget this time around. That is my promise to write you every year on your birthday... and yes, it is that time again! What? What? Someone turned FOUR?? Yes, that's you, Eva! Happy 4th Birthday!!
And what a crazy year you've had. I feel like I say this every year since you're born, but somehow every year does seem crazier than the last. Let's see if we can recap...
You lost a full-time dad and gained a full-time mom all of a sudden last summer. Then you got thrusted into an exciting but at times scary place called preschool one September day AND moved to a new house later that same week. We spent a wonderful holiday together, only to see your mom gobbled back up in the working world with a new job that takes her away from you most days of the week. You have a new nanny whose name you couldn't even pronounce (but now you correct me if I didn't say it with the right intonation).
And through it all did you not only survive, you've risen up to every curveball we've thrown your way, proved to us that you're more flexible than Gumby, and have blossomed into a happy, self-assured, sociable, and emotionally in-tune little girl.
To celebrate that, we've thrown what you called "the best BEST birthday party EVER!" (oh and you've picked up that and other language that we didn't think we'd hear from you for a few more years...)
This is the first birthday party where you've crafted your own guest list, and we can see from these pictures of you beaming with your friends that the days your world evolving solely around your mom and dad is dwindling... we're proud that you're growing up, just please don't grow up so fast if you could help it, OK?
Speaking of growing up, one milestone that caught me by surprise one day was watching you scribble your name for the first time, I mean other than on the Elmo alphabet game on the iPad...
Which speaks to my love/hate relationship with your iPad. Did I say your iPad? I mean MY iPad, which possess a evil magnetic force aiming straight at your little swipey fingers. *Sigh* Technology schmechnology... by the time you can read this though you might be saying "iPad? that's soooo 2010...". Lol...
Fortunately unlike those "future humans" in Wall-E, you still enjoy getting outside and bouncing around, especially if it involves frilly outfits, twirling around and giggling with friends...
And you never miss a beat when it's time to break out in song... "Oh Susan Blue, How do you do..." I have to admit when I travel and get home sick I just have to look at this video and I'll feel a little better :)
You also enjoy it when we bust out low-tech games like giant floor puzzles (which you're actually quite good at), and home-made sand boxes where you can create entire fantasy kingdoms for hours on end...
And helping me tend to our little front deck garden... remember these radishes you grew from seed and watched sprout and bloom? And those cilantro, wow, you went from refusing to touch cilantros on your plate to plucking one from the plant to taste every time you pass by (and pronouncing "YUM!")
Speaking of yum, I guess nothing beats making smores for the first time, yummmm...
Of course you had your partner in crime, Bryson, with you every step of the way. At almost 10, you like to tell people he's an "old dog", but fortunately 4 years since he's diagnosed with Addison's Disease, we seem to have found the right mix of meds and diet for him and he seems to be doing better than ever...
And he was ever faithful by your side when you had pneumonia for the first time, running temps of >103 for 3 days straight...
We're lucky this year we're able to travel up to Seattle to see your cousins. The last time you saw them you weren't even a year old yet... I'm just so happy that you and your Cousin Chloe took all of 5 seconds to warm up when you met at her front door, and have been bff's since...
And you thoroughly enjoyed Gong Gong and Po Po's annual visit from Hong Kong, this time accompanied by your favorite cousin's family... and it's funny when I take you to their hotel near the airport you think you're visiting them in Seattle, and that their favorate restaurant is the Jack in the Box across the street...
Sorry we have such a spread-out family that you don't get to see as often as you should...
But again you seem to take everything in stride. As we look back at another year of your childhood, I can't help but feel so fortunate that despite of all the craziness, we're surrounded by friends close to home, families from afar, and so much love and awesome memories that I hope this blog post will remind you of when you're old enough to appreciate it.
And to conclude, I'd like to borrow your motto of the year: you're "A-OK"!
