Today

Dear Tessa,

Your daddy and I were lying in bed talking about how cute and sweet you were today and how much we love you, so much so that even after daddy had fallen asleep, mummy still couldn't stop thinking about you. Now I am wide awake because my mind is filled with thoughts of you!

Today I put a slice of apple in your palm so that you can learn to hold and feed yourself. You kept pushing the entire slice at once into your mouth. I said, "Tessa, eat slowly." But you won't listen and kept stuffing the apple into your tiny mouth. In the end, you realized you weren't able to chew the apple properly when your mouth is so filled, so you just spitted everything out. So messy! *sigh* Looking forward to more lady-likeness someday...

In the evening, after I gave you your last feed of the day, you sat up and looked at me with such a smile of contentment on your face. You always have that smile after every feed that makes all the difficulties of breastfeeding worth it. Looking at you, I couldn't resist saying, "I love you Tessa." And you smiled again so sweetly. Then I asked you, "Do you love mummy?" And to that you shook your head and smiled. The thing is, nowadays, you have learned to shake your head when you want to say "No", but you shake your head too when you want to say "Yes". ( By the way, I love the way you shake your head. Gentle, honest and endearing.) Somehow, at that moment, from the way you looked into my eyes and smiled, I knew your response meant "Yes". *my heart melts* That was the first time I "heard" you telling me "Yes Mummy, I love you too."

At night I went through the usual bedtime routine of putting you in your cot and singing and praying and patting you to sleep. Then I suddenly remembered how I have been wanting to train you to fall asleep on your own progressively by first not patting you but sitting by your side and just sing and pray. So I stopped patting and rested my hands on the bars of your cot. To my surprise, you stretched out and grabbed my palm and placed it on your bottom. And when I still didn't moved, you patted your own bottom twice, as though commanding me to continue likewise! I couldn't believe you were demanding me to pat you, so after a few pats I decided to stop again and rested my hands at the side of your cot. Again you did the same thing! That's when I realized how dependent you have become on my patting to fall asleep! In the end I insisted not to pat you but just sat by your cot side. After some time and with much resistant, you finally fell asleep. And now you are still soundly sleeping... :) I hope you will soon master this important skill of soothing yourself to sleep, and fall asleep knowing that even though I'm not patting you, I'll still be there by your side watching you fall asleep every night.

Meeting my bestest friend in Nagoya, Chikage san- Day 7

I am so glad that Chikage was planning to return to Nagoya from the States the same time that I am here! Have been one of my biggest wish to meet her after she gave birth to Miya-chan two months before I gave birth to Tessa. Of course, with the two babies running and crawling around we could not sit down and chat for a long time like we used to do so often in the past. But with her, even a minute of conversation could feel like we've connected deeply. And I just want to talk to her and hear from her so much more. Well, we were also hoping that our baby girls can become good friends like their mummies. Perhaps...

Miya & Tessa finally meets

Miya was so active, Tessa took a while to befriend her...

Doesn't help that Miya tries to snatch Tessa's favourite mirror...

...and took complete possession of it

We tried to take an impossible group photo...

無理ですね。。。

はい、これでgroup photoです！

It was only when Miya initiated peek-a-boo...

that there seems to be a chance...

that they might actually become good friends! ^__^

Visiting the Moriyamas- Day 6

The Moriyamas called and said:" Why don't you bring Tessa over and we can hang out?" So Takeshi-san came to pick us up with his car. The moment we arrived at their apartment, I heard Mannon's voice exclaiming:" CandyとAkachan が来た!!!" :D That familiar, cute voice of Mannon.

After so many days of saying "No" to almost everything that she touches in the apartment that we are staying in, I'm glad she could be at a place where she had lots of toys and little friends to play with. I also had a good time catching up with Yukako-san. There will be so much that I can learn from her if I was staying in Nagoya. She is such an amazing mum. How determined she must be to want to home-school all three even after Mannon had leukemia at the time when Sono-chan was a newborn. And she actually said that she wouldn't mind having a number four... Wow.

Kannon-chan, the oldest of the 3. I really love her. Whenever I imagine Tessa as an eldest sister, I always hope that she'll be one like Kannon. Maybe then I could consider having 4? ;P

Playing piano with Mannon. His hair turned curly after the chemo treatment.

Sono-chan on her Rodie. She imitates everything that her brother says :)

Yukako shared some of her scary experiences of the earthquake, about how her whole apartment was winding round and round. This disaster killed so many because the tsunami that usually would come 30mins after the earthquake came in less than 10mins. And in those regions there were many elderly and children who could not escape in time. After the tsunami, churches were destroyed by the tsunami and so Christians started to gather in small home-churches everyhere. Many unbelievers started turning up in these gatherings. At Tohoku region where the spiritual ground was one of the hardest in Japan, Christian volunteers went in to distribute supplies and help rebuild homes. At first they did not intentionally try to share the gospel, but people found out that they were sent by churches and so many started seeking and receiving Christ. The tsunami had brought about revival in so many unreached areas of Japan.

Mannon: "Maybe God deliberately bring the tsunami so that people can become Christians."

Yukako: "God will not kill deliberately, but in His sovereignty and power He can turn something bad into something good."

A mother-daughter trip to Nagoya, Day 4 & 5

The week is passing so fast. We've just been eating and shopping. To my surprise, the big summer sale has already begun and every shop's having huge sale of 30-70% off. I have to be so super selective cause every corner I turn I keep finding something that I like! arghhh... ("><") Mum is more excited about the supermarket and she loves the fish and vegetables here so much that she even thought of the possibility of shipping them home! Haha...

Tessa loves this mirror!

We've been eating cold udon/ soba with "rojak" side dishes

Popo having fun

How can anyone bear to eat such a kawaii bread?

Popo disappeared with Tessa and came back with another cap on her head.. LOL :D

After Lindy requested for the Muji sling bag, mum immediately said: " Let's go to Muji!" And so Muji we went. Unfortunately they don't sell that series of bag anymore. We ended up dressing Tessa up with the Muji Kids selection. So here's featuring Muji's Next Top Model:

Playtime

ケンケン綾子の結婚式〜7/16☆

Memories of their wedding, thanks to RJ-the photographer of every wedding!

♡Mr and Mrs Hayashi ♡

Kenken looked sooooo shiawase

So cute, the way they enter the banquet (^__^)

Couples feeding each other their wedding cake

Ayako being naughty

ShOCKing performance. Audiences were all quiet----

Games at 2nd reception: Arm wrestling for the ladies & mineral water drinking competition for the gentleman.

Omedetou~!

A mother-daughter trip to Nagoya, Day 1-3

A huge hug from Daddy at the airport before Tessa bids farewell for the next 2 weeks

Being back in Nagoya has been rather surreal. This place has so much memories, yet my mind seems to be lagging in processing any nostalgic emotions. I know it's probably because both mum and Tessa are here with me, and Tessa requires all my attention every second that she's awake. I hope I can find time at night when Tessa's sleeping to journal about this trip.

Was really moved by Kenken and Ayako's wedding. My heart was filled with praises as I thought about how God brought them together. Not that everything was perfect (yes,there was a great deal of mistakes and misunderstandings and should haves/ should have nots), but in the end, I know that this is a couple that truly loves and pursues the heart of God. And I know that God looks upon them with great delight. May they build a house of faith that will continue from generation to generation here in Japan.

I was also awed by how wonderful Ayako's family is. Though they do not know Christ, they exhibited so much love and respect for each other. Much more than many Christian families that I know... Why are there so many broken marriages and disfunctional families amongst those who proclaim they are followers of Christ??? My heart hurts when I think about this... God, help Victor and I build a family the way you have intended a family to be. Help us to be the kind of husband/ wife and father/mother that reflects all the love and grace that you've shown us. I really want Tessa to grow up in a home where Christ lives with us...

Tessa seems to have changed a little since she turned one. She's so much more active and demanding now! When she doesn't get what she wants, she yells and breaks into tears so quickly. I'm honestly feeling my huge lack to be a patient and self-controlled mum.

Anyway, here's some pictures of Day 1-3 in Nagoya... I actually forgot to bring my camera to the wedding!!! (T_T')

Tessa exploring every part of the house and making sure everything gets sweep onto the floor @_@#

Eating kids meal- udon and rice with hamburg and wedges! We gave her only the udon and rice of course.

Refusing to sit still

This is the only way to keep her from crawling to dangerous items when we are busy...

PoPo trying to cheer distressed Tessa with a song. Thank God for PoPo!