Photos: Lydia and Bobby the Bear

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Lydia is holding Bobby the Bear's left paw.

Bobby the Bear, a name that Lydia gave to this stuffed animal, was a gift from Dennis and Frances Woitte to Lydia in February 2008 during the weekend when she was hospitalized with pneumonia. This is the first stuffed animal to which Lydia formally announced a name. Even her beloved "Tigger the Tiger" stuffed animal does not have a special name other than "Tiger" or "lofu" (the Chinese word for tiger).

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Lydia is happily hugging Bobby the Bear.

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Friends: Bobby the Bear and Lydia

Before her afternoon nap in her crib, Lydia asks specifically for Bobby the Bear and Miss Kitty, a Christmas 2007 gift from Lydia's great uncle Mike Wan and great aunt Helen Wan.

Note: SiowFong took all of these pictures on March 30, 2008 in the living room of our home.

March 2008 Milestones

March 31, 2008


March 2008 Milestones

SiowFong has been updating a Microsoft Word document called “Lydia’s Firsts” that began the week that we returned to the states after finalizing Lydia’s adoption in China.

Some of SiowFong’s entries for March 2008 include the following:

March 2: Lydia was able to climb up and down the stairs without any assistance

March 9: Recognizes numbers from 1 to 9; can recite up to 20 sporadically; says her ABCs in groups (e.g. ABCDE, IJKL, STUVWXYZ)

March 10: Asks “Is this new?”

March 12: Says “This is too high.”

March 15: Sang “For the Bible tells me so” (which is part of the song, “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know”

March 17: Sang, “Jesus loves me this I know, For the Bible tells me so, Little ones to Him belong” (which is part of the song, “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know”

March 20: Locks papa out of the house in the morning (mom returns from work to open the door)

March 26: Said 1 to 20; Lydia has been interested to learn to count as well

March 27: Sang the entire Jesus Loves Me song

March 28: Heard her sing the Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star song (a song that Rajni, her day care teacher, had taught her)

Photos: Whizz Kids, October 2007, Part 2

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Fun in the sandbox

(left to right): Atkas, Jameson, Lydia, and Zachary

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More sandbox fun

Atkas, Jameson, Zachary (in background), and Lydia (in foreground)

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Lydia is pushing a shopping cart.

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Lydia and Calvin are sitting on a blue teeter totter.

Note: All of these pictures were taken by the child care staff in October 2007 at Whizz Kids, Lydia's day care.

Photos: Whizz Kids, October 2007, Part 1

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Lydia is pointing at something on a box of Marathon Bathroom tissue in the Waddlers' outside play area. (A waddler is between 1 to 2 years of age.)

Atkas (on far left), Zachary (to the right of Lydia), and Amaya (in background)

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Snack time

(left to right in a clockwise direction): Lydia, Amaya, Calvin, ? Atkas, ? Zachary or Jameson, ? Zachary or Jameson

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Lydia is trying on a baseball cap.

Note: These pictures were taken by the child care staff during October 2007 at the Whizz Kids day care.

The Necessity of Wisdom

March 26, 2008

The Necessity of Wisdom

In America, there does not seem to be a lack of options with respect to activities that are available to children, even infants and toddlers. Just a cursory look at the advertisements in any of the local parenting magazines and newspapers reveals the diversity of those alternatives; as a result, one of the challenges of parenthood is trying to determine the best choice for one’s child given the limitations of time and resources. Given the inherent uncertainties of life, an important attribute that parents seek is wisdom, and the following story about wisdom seems apropos at this time.


“Coping with Life’s Turbulence”

March 6, 2008
by Ravi Zacharias

”There is a story told about one-time heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali. Ali was flying to one of his engagements and during the flight the aircraft ran into foul weather. Moderate turbulence began to toss the plane about. Of course, all nervous fliers well know that when a pilot signals “moderate turbulence,” he is implying, “If you have any religious beliefs, it is time to start expressing them.” The passengers were instructed to fasten their seatbelts immediately, and all complied but Ali. So the flight attendant approached him and requested that he observe the captain’s order, only to hear Ali audaciously respond, “Superman don’t need no seatbelt.” The flight attendant, however, did not miss a beat but quickly fired in reply, “Superman don’t need no airplane either!”

I draw attention to that story because I would like to consider the larger context in which many of us find ourselves. Unquestionably, we live in a nation of immense wealth and are offered an array of possibilities for material and educational success. Some of us will be granted access to the finest education available anywhere, thus positioning ourselves for extraordinary success in a rapidly-changing world and engendering a sense of invincibility--regardless of what measure of turbulence may lie ahead.

Yet unfortunately, academic or material advancement does not necessarily confer wisdom. How foolish it would be for us to take what generations preceding us have valued in coping with life’s turbulence and cast it all aside because we are “modern.” G.K. Chesterton aptly advised that before pulling any fences down, we should always pause long enough to find out why it was put there in the first place. British rock group King Crimson once sang a similar warning: “Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules.” In other words, we need wisdom as we process and distill all knowledge. But where does one find it?

In one of his proverbs, King Solomon writes: “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding, for they are more profitable than silver and yield better returns than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with it” (Proverbs 3:13-15). From this same king we are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. In other words, reverence for God is where we must start, recognition that there is a giver of knowledge and wisdom.

On days when we are tempted by thoughts of invincibility, might we remember that falsely posing as a superman will only ensure a crash landing. In places where we are overwhelmed by turbulent forces and despairing of instability, might we recall that humbly seeking wisdom and following it to its source will lift us to glorious heights.”

Ravi Zacharias is founder and president of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

(Source: http://www.rzim.org/slice/slicetran.php?sliceid=1630)

Photos: Lydia Home Portaits, Harmonica Girl

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Profile view of Lydia playing the harmonica

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3/4 view of Lydia playing the harmonica

Note: These two pictures were taken on March 26, 2008 in the living room of our home.

Photos: Lydia Home Portraits on the Floor

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Lydia is looking at her beloved "Tigger the Tiger" while lying on the floor in her Christmas 2007 dress.

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Is that an impish grin on Lydia's face?

Note: Both of these pictures were taken on March 26, 2008 in the living room of our home.

"I Want Hawaii"

March 26, 2008

“I Want Hawaii”

Although we have videotaped many of Lydia’s experiences dating back to January 2007, none have captured her interest as much as the two DVDs of our March 2008 trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. Previously Lydia was much more interested in viewing commercially produced DVDs, particularly “Let’s Have a Playdate with Brahms”, a video created by Lisa and Linda of Let Your Music Shine!, since Lydia had seen both of them live at past Tiny Tots concerts at Benaroyl Hall. For about three months, Lydia asked to see the Brahms DVD at least a few times each week.

The home made Hawaii DVDs, however, have taken center stage recently since she has enjoyed reliving those experiences. In the last two weeks, Lydia clamors every day to see those videos by announcing, “I want Hawaii”. Of the two Hawaii DVDs, each of which is about an hour in length, the one that Lydia prefers has the following table of contents:

SeaTac Airport
Hawaiian Airlines
Kona Airport
Hilton Waikoloa Village
Car ride to Kona
Lunch at Kona Taeng-On Thai Restaurant
Shopping at Hilo Hattie
Our hotel room at The Palace Tower of Hilton Waikoloa Village
Children’s sand pool
Boat ride
Buffet brunch at Kamuela Provision Company
Boat ride
Dolphin Lagoon
Children’s sand pool
Kahalu’u Beach Park around sunset
Dinner at Ocean Seafood Chinese restaurant
Waiting for the monorail
Lunch at Island Fish and Chips
Sightseeing at Pololu Valley Lookout

We are fortunate to have a video camera, especially one that features a hard drive so transferring the data onto a personal computer to create DVDs is an easy, straightforward, and time-efficient process. One key advantage of video is its ability to document life and capture childhood’s magic – and transient -- moments in a way that still images cannot because of the multiple, continuous images and because of the audio component.

Photos: Cranes and Harmonica Girl

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Lydia is playing the harmonica for "grandpa Al" and "grandma Florence". The harmonica was a gift that I received a few years ago, and since I did not know what to do with it, I stored it. About a week ago, I found it again while searching for something else. I demonstrated to Lydia how to make some noise with it. Then I gave it to her, and Lydia has been enjoying it.

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"Grandma Florence" is concentrating her attention on Lydia's music making.

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"Grandpa Al" is watching Lydia play the harmonica.

Note: All of these images were taken on March 24, 2008 in the living room of our home.

Photos: Cranes

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"Grandpa Al", a retired teacher and principal, is reading to Lydia after dinner.

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Al and Florence are laughing in response to something Lydia just said. Seniors and young children can benefit greatly from each other's company, and Lydia's relationship with "grandpa Al" and "grandma Florence" attests to that reality.

Note: These pictures were taken on March 24, 2008 in the living room of our home.

An Evening with the Cranes

March 24, 2008

An Evening with the Cranes

Al and Florence Crane, our longtime friends from church and Lydia’s honorary grandpa and grandma, came over for dinner tonight. When they arrived, Lydia smiled and gave each of them a big hug. Over the last year, Lydia’s regular interactions with the Cranes at church, our home, their home, and the Old Country Buffet (their favorite local restaurant) have resulted in the special bond that she has with grandpa Al and grandma Florence. Another important factor has been Al’s and Florence’s interest in Lydia. At church, whenever Lydia approaches them, they take great interest in her. Florence frequently tells Lydia, “I wish I could take you home with me.” Al draws things on Lydia’s magnet doodle toy, and he occasionally lifts Lydia up onto his lap so that she can see the choir or the pastor better during the worship service. At our home, Al and Florence focus most of their attention on Lydia, playing with her and reading to her. Tonight, for example, Lydia brought the books that she wanted Al to read to her, and he patiently did so with Lydia sitting next to him on the sofa. To her credit, Lydia often delights them with her actions and personality, and this frequently causes Al and Florence to laugh.

Photos: Borders Book Store

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Lydia is carefully examining four pink bears that are sitting on a toddler's table while she is sitting on a toddler's chair. Lydia was not satisfied with just playing with one of the bears; she wanted to play with all of the bears. This experience was a double bonus for Lydia because she likes stuffed animals and she likes sitting in chairs made for children.

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Lydia is looking at a variety of paperback children's books.

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Lydia is sitting next to three Elmo stuffed animals. Lydia's introduction to Elmo occurred when Sonio Cano gave her a pair of Elmo slippers last year, and after Lydia began watching Sesame Street months ago while drinking her milk in the morning, she likes Elmo even more.

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Lydia is playing with a toy on the floor. One huge benefit of going to the mall on weekdays, particularly during the middle of the week, is the absence of crowds. During the forty-five minute period we were in the children's section of this bookstore, we only saw one other child.

Note: These images were taken on February 20, 2008 in the children's section on the second floor of the Borders book store at Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, WA.

Treasured Memories

March 24, 2008

Treasured Memories

In reference to Lydia’s photos on her blog, a few friends who have either seen or heard about the blog have commented, “Lydia is the most documented child.” Speaking of family photographs, I read an article a few months ago that was written by Jack Reznicki, the 2007 to 2008 president of the Professional Photographers Association of America and a Canon Explorer of Light. The editorial entitled “Remember the Connection” resonated with me because Mr. Reznicki explains the reason why many of us take pictures. A brief excerpt of that column is as follows:

“Photography in the 21st century is proving to be an exciting, confusing, exhilarating, frustrating, and just plain interesting time for photographers. . .film vs. digital (or something even newer) is not what we should be concerned with. In the end, photography will be what it always has been to most people: a means to record what we see and treasure. . .a way to freeze a moment in time to be our memory. . .

Photography is first and foremost about its context. If a fire was about to consume your house, your loved ones were safe, and you were told you had minutes to collect your valuables, wouldn’t you try to get your photos? Most everything else – your TV, your furniture, even your cameras – can be replaced. Your photos can’t.

Now if you had to make a split-second decision on which of two photos to save from the fire, what would you do? One photo is Ansel Adam’s Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico that moves you every time you see it, and the other is a snapshot taken on a bad amateur camera, like those old, tiny 110 format cameras. That snapshot is grainy, slightly out of focus, and only 3.5 x 5 inches. The Adams print is a glorious 16 x 20 inches, as fine a print as there can be. . .But the grainy snapshot was of an early birthday party and includes a loved one who is no longer here. I hope that the choice of which to save is a no-brainer. I’d always go for the snapshot. The Ansel Adams print, while great, doesn’t have the context and personal emotion that the snapshot holds.

In the end it’s not about the media, the process, the equipment, or the print itself. It’s about the photo and what that photo means to the viewer. The context. The emotional value.”

(Source: Jack Reznicki. “Remember the Connection,” Professional Photographer. November 2007. page. 109.)

Photos: Group 7, March Playgroup 4

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While stooping, Lydia is peeking at the action from the island at the center of the court where the Rothaus home is located.

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Brenda Rothaus is helping Lydia to ride a scooter. Brenda's daughter, Mina, is standing in the background.

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Taylor Rothaus is helping Lydia to walk on the curb. Seeing Lydia do this reminded me of female gymnasts trying to navigate the dreaded balance beam.

Note: These pictures were taken on March 21, 2008 outside the Rothaus home in Woodinville, WA.

Photos: Group 7, March Playgroup 3

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Lydia is trying out a new scooter in the driveway.

Because the Rothaus family consists of three children, they have many forms of transportation for children of all ages, ranging from scooters to bicycles.

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Lydia and the scooter are on the court just outside the Rothaus' home.

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Taylor Rothaus is riding her bicycle around the court while Lydia is pushing her scooter forward.

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Lydia and Taylor rest in front of the driveway.

Note: These pictures were taken on March 21, 2008 in the court just outside the Rothaus home in Woodinville, WA.

Photos: Group 7 March Playgroup 2

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Lydia and Leila Bhagwandin have turned the coffee table in the living room into a kitchen.

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Leila and Lydia are playing with the toy microwave oven on the floor of the living room.

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Tom, Lydia, Leila Bhagwandin (who is looking at Lydia), and Brenda Rothaus

This was the first time that Sarah used a digital SLR camera, and she did a great job. (Flash bounced off the ceiling illuminated this image.)

Photographer: Sarah Bhagwandin

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Brenda Rothaus is reading a book to Lydia (who is sitting on her right lap) and to Mina, her three-year old daughter (who is sitting on her left lap).

Note: All of these pictures were taken on March 21, 2008 at the Rothaus home in Woodinville, WA.

Photos: Group 7 March Playgroup 1

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Leila Bhagwandin is playing with a microwaven oven toy.

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Mina Rothaus is eating something in the kitchen.

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Lydia is sitting on a wooden chair for preschoolers in the kitchen prior to lunch.

Only Chelsya Cochran and her mother, Nella, were not able to attend this second monthly New Hope Group 07-05 playgroup because their entire family was visiting Washington DC this week.

Chelsya and Leila are the same age as Lydia, but Mina is a year older.

Note: These pictures were taken on March 21, 2008 at the Rothaus home in Woodinville, WA.

Photos: Lydia and Poons

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(left to right): Eden, Vaughn, and Lydia

Vaughn has always been very gentle not only with Eden, his sister, but also with Lydia on the many occasions when our two families have gathered together.

Upper landing area

Photo notes: white seamless background paper used with two Nikon SB-800 flash units that illuminated the background on both sides with attached David Honl speed gobl (to keep light from flaring into your lens when using your speedlight as a background or hair light) while the main light that illuminated the children was one Nikon SB-800 flash unit on a lightstand that was shot through a white umbrella to the right of the camera

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(left to right): Frank Poon, Eden Poon, Wee Kao, Lydia, and Vaughn Poon

(I took family pictures of the Poons on this sofa that did not include Lydia.)

Tonight Wee Kao used the word "dreamgirl" to describe Lydia.

Living room

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Eden, Lydia, and Vaughn are seated on the red sofa.

Eden is 2 years and 7 months of age (6 months older than Lydia), and Vaughn is 7 years old.

Living room

Note: These pictures were taken on March 23, 2008 in our home.

A Generous Family

March 23, 2008

A Generous Family

Frank Poon, Wee Kao, and their two adopted children, Vaughn and Eden, came to our home for dinner tonight. They came bearing gifts for Lydia, something that they have done each time that we have seen them over the last two years. Sometimes they give us one box of presents, and at other times, it has been two boxes. In the box they brought tonight were diapers (which Eden no longer needs as she is potty trained), sleepwear, books, and other articles of clothing. As usual, the merchandise appeared brand new or nearly brand new. Lydia has benefited greatly from their generosity since Eden, their daughter, is several months older than Lydia. For example, the sneakers that Lydia wears three times a week at day care were once Eden’s tennis shoes.

During supper, Frank and Wee shared some of their parenting experiences with us. After learning tonight that Frank and Wee had not had time to take their children to have studio portraits done, I made some individual portraits of Eden and some that included Eden and Vaughn. Seeing that I was taking Eden’s picture and Vaughn’s picture, Lydia did not want to be left out, so she joined the fun too. As usual, we had a great time with the Poons.

Photos: Lydia Home

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Joyful Lydia

While lying on the carpet, Lydia is "all smiles" as she is holding her treasured "Tigger the Tiger" soft toy.

The hour after bath time and before bedtime is one of the times of the day when Lydia is at her best with respect to energy level (receiving a bath is invigorating) and mood.

February 18, 2008

Living room

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Pensive Lydia

March 12, 2008

Stairs leading to upper landing

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Curious Lydia

March 12, 2008

Upper landing area

Note: All these photos were taken in our home.