Photos: Dr. Bledsoe # 2

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Lydia is standing on this floor scale that is decorated with stickers so that the medical assistant can measure her weight.

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Dr. Julia Bledsoe, Lydia's pediatrician, brings a number of books in the Reach Out and Read program to show Lydia. At the end of Lydia's four year well child check visit, Dr. Bledsoe asked Lydia to choose a book to take home.

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Lydia is playing at the toy table in the reception area.

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Reach Out and Read sign

Note: Dr. Bledsoe's office participates in Reach Out and Read, a national voluntary program to encourage parents to read to their children and to foster in their children a love for reading.

Note: All of these pictures were taken during Lydia's well child check on January 27, 2010 at Dr. Julia Bledsoe's office in Seattle, Washington.

Photos: Dr. Bledsoe # 1

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Lydia sits quietly as the automatic machine measures her blood pressure.

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Pediatric eye exam chart

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Pediatric eye exam glasses

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Lydia's blood pressure of 96/64 is normal.

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Wearing a pair of the special eye exam glasses, Lydia is undergoing her eye exam that is administered by a medical assistant.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 27, 2010 at the office of Dr. Julia Bledsoe in Seattle, Washington.

Photos: Group 7 Pizza

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"Buddies"

Lydia is hugging Leila Bhagwandin while Leila is hugging Sam, her older brother.

Note: Since Bryon, Sarah, Sam, and Leila Bhagwandin live in Austin, Texas, we do not have many opportunities to see them. When Sarah contacted SiowFong and the two other families of New Hope Group 7's China adoption group to notify everybody that the Bhagwandins would be in the Seattle area for a few days, the three other families adjusted their schedules so that everyone could meet on this Tuesday night for a reunion and a pizza dinner.

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Brenda Rothaus, Doug Rothaus, Colton Rothaus, Taylor Rothaus, and Lydia are paying attention to Sam as he explains something using his hands.

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Kids' Table

(left to right, clockwise): Taylor Rothaus, Lydia, Sam Bhagwandin, Mina Rothaus, and Colton Rothaus

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Three amigas

Leila Bhagwandin, Mina Rothaus, and Lydia

Note: SiowFong took all of these pictures on January 19, 2010 at Delfino, a pizza restaurant in the University District of Seattle, Washington.

Photos: With Marianna Baghdasaryan

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Marianna Baghdasaryan, one of Lydia's dad's coworkers is teaching Lydia how to play bowling, a Nintendo Wii video game.

Note: Marianna graciously invited us to her apartment to have dinner with her, Eddie, and her parents tonight.

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SiowFong, Marianna, and Eddie are watching Lydia as she plays a game of Wii bowling.

Note: Within the last month, Lydia has been exposed to video games at the Pagtalunan, Poon, and Baghdasaryan homes, and she relished playing a few games of Wii bowling tonight.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 16, 2010 at the home of Marianna and Eddie Baghdasaryan in Shoreline, Washington.

Photos: With Pastor Bob and Nancy Stone

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Pastor Bob Stone is playing with one of Lydia's stuffed animals as Lydia observes. Meanwhile Nancy Stone is watching Lydia's reaction.

Note: Pastor Bob Stone has been the senior pastor of Shoreline Community Church for about three years, and because of the busyness of his schedule and ours, we have not had an opportunity to invite them to our home for dinner until tonight.

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Pastor Bob, Big Tiger, Lydia (who's holding her favorite Tigger), and Nancy

Note: Both of these pictures were taken on January 15, 2010 in the living room of our home.

Photos: At the Kaings

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Focusing their attention on a police boat, Lydia and Kyvin are playing cooperatively.

Note: Kyvin, like Lydia, has an easygoing demeanor, and both play well together.


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Lydia is trying to rock baby Kadyn, who was born less than two months ago.

Note: Aunty Mayfanna is still on her maternity leave, so we were able to come to the Kaing home on a Friday to have this play date.

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Kyvin and Lydia are having fun with the slinky tunnel.

Note: Lydia enjoys her play date experiences at other children's homes, particularly playing with toys that she does not have at home or at her preschool.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 15, 2010 in the downstairs play room at the home of Matt, Mayfanna, Kyvin, Kayla, and Kadyn Kaing in Kirkland, Washington.

Photos: House, January 9, 2010

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Lydia and SiowFong are using one of the framing contractor's brooms to push some standing water out the front entry door.

Living room

Note: Because the roof has not yet been installed, water pools on the plywood subfloor each time it rains.

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SiowFong, Lydia, and Tom are standing in front of the laminated blueprints.

Laundry room

Note: Both of these pictures were taken on January 9, 2010 at our future home.

The Lord Is My Shepherd

January 8, 2010

The Lord is My Shepherd

Of the preschool Bibles that Lydia has, her current favorite is the Beginner’s Bible that is published by Zondervan because the stories in this Bible have much more detail than the ones for toddlers.

Lydia has always enjoyed hearing stories. Since she began attending Sunday school at church last August, she enjoys hearing Bible stories more because Matt and Tina, her Sunday school teachers, incorporate a short Bible story in their weekly lesson plans.

Perhaps the best known psalm (a song of praise to God) in the Bible is Psalm 34 that begins with the words “The Lord is my shepherd”. The version of Psalm 34 in the Beginner’s Bible states it this way:

“This is one of King David’s songs about God:

The Lord is my shepherd.
He gives me everything I need.
He lets me lie down in fields of green grass.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He gives me new strength.

He guides me in the right paths for the honor of his name.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid.
You, God, are with me.
Your shepherd’s rod and staff comfort me.

You prepare a feast for me right in front of my enemies.
You pour oil on my head.
My cup runs over.

I am sure that your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.
And I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

Source: The Beginner’s Bible: Timeless Children’s Stories. Zonderkidz: 2005. pages 190-193.

As the years go by, SiowFong and I hope that Lydia will remember the essence of Psalm 34 and that she will see God’s love, guidance, provision, and protection manifested in her life.

Photos: Lydia's Birthday, January 8th

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Chloe Bergevin (4 years old), Lydia (4 years old), and Charlotte Bergevin (7 years old) are posing in front of Lydia's birthday cake.

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Group photo

(first row, left to right): Chloe Bergevin, Lydia, Charlotte Bergevin

(second row, left to right): Tom, SiowFong, grandpa Al Crane, Joe Bergevin (who is holding Chelsea Bergevin [1 year of age]), and Katy Bergevin

Note: Joe is our general contractor, so we invited him and his family to our home for dinner tonight. Grandpa Al Crane has been regularly attending our Friday night dinners since last fall.

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Attired in Dora the Explorer birthday party hats, Chloe, Lydia, and Charlotte are ready for Lydia to blow out her birthday candle.

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Lydia extinguishes the flame on the single "4" candle on her cake with her breath while Chloe and Charlotte observe.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 8, 2010 in the dining room of our home.

Photos: Baking Lydia's Cake

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With Lydia holding her left arm, SiowFong is cutting the sheet cake into strips so that she can make the number 4 with the pieces.

Dining room

January 8, 2010

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Lydia and her mom are getting ready to put the 9 x 13 inch cake pan that is filled with yellow cake batter into the oven to bake Lydia's homemade birthday cake.

Kitchen

January 7, 2010

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Lydia is putting some sprinkles onto the cake.

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Lydia is ready to decorate the cake some more.

Dining room

January 8, 2010

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Covered with chocolate frosting and decorated with a Dora the Explorer theme, Lydia's birthday cake is finished.

Dining room

January 8, 2010

Note: To celebrate Lydia's prior birthdays, we had purchased the cakes, but SiowFong wanted to try something new this year by making a homemade cake for the Little Princess.

Photos: Opening Birthday Presents

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Wearing a tiara, birthday princess Lydia is sitting behind her presents, and Tiger, Lydia's friend, is sitting atop a Sleeping Beauty play set, which the Poons gave to her.

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Lydia is holding a soft Disney princess pencil case with colored pencils, rulers, and markers. Next to her are two stuffed animals, Mickey Mouse and Snow White.

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SiowFong and Lydia are playing with the Sleeping Beauty play set.

Note: For the last few months, Lydia has been fascinated with anything associated with the Disney Princesses, and she is looking forward to her first Disney theme park, Disney World in Orlando, Florida, in March 2010.

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4 Princesses

(first row: left to right): Belle, Cinderella, Snow White

(second row): Lydia

Note: Belle and Cinderella were Christmas presents, and Snow White is a birthday gift.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 8, 2010 in the living room of our home.

Photos: Traditional Birthday Breakfast

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Lydia and two hard boiled eggs

Note: When SiowFong was growing up as a child in Malaysia, her mom (Lydia's pour pour or maternal grandmother in Mandarin) celebrated SiowFong's birthday by giving her a special breakfast of hard boiled eggs, so SiowFong is passing along that tradition to Lydia. The symbolism behind the two eggs is that they represent how a baby is conceived.

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Lydia is peeling a hard boiled egg.

Note: Aunty MayLee sent Lydia the birthday card whose shape is the big number "4" to signify that Lydia turned four years of age.

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Lydia is eating a hard boiled egg.

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Lydia holds up the two egg cups with the peeled hard boiled eggs that her mom prepared for her as part of her birthday breakfast.

Note: Taped to the ceiling are streamers with pictures of various Dora the Explorer characters attached to them since Lydia likes to watch Dora the Explorer episodes on DVD and on television.


Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 8, 2010 in the dining room of our home.

Photos: With Aunty Peng

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Aunty Peng Liew has just said something funny to Lydia.

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Lydia is trying to show aunty Peng one of her many stuffed animals.

Note: Both of these pictures were taken on January 4, 2010 in the living room of our home.

Photos: At the Poons

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Eden Poon and Lydia are playing on the mini-trampoline.

Note: Eden, who was adopted by Frank Poon and Wee Kao, was born in China and is 5 months older than Lydia.

Kitchen

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Tired trampoliners

Kitchen

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Budding pianists

Note: Neither Eden and Lydia are taking piano lessons, but they are enjoying "tickling the ivories" tonight. Vaughn, Eden's brother, has been taking these lessons.

Family room

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Eden is emphatically saying something to her mom.

(left to right): Wee Kao, Eden, Wee's sister, and Lydia

Family room

Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 3, 2010 at the home of Frank, Wee, Vaughn, and Eden Poon in Issaquah, Washington.

Photos: House, January 2, 2010

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Front elevation

Note: The products of new home construction also includes a lot of pieces of scrap wood, which litter the front yard. Javier, our builder's laborer, periodically takes this material to the dump where it is recycled.

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Family picture near top of the stairs

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Trusses

Note: "Most complex roofs may require engineering. . .In that case, special roof frames or trusses are designed by an engineer, built in a factory, and brought to the building site. . .

Trusses are relatively easy to install -- once they are in place. They are hoisted to the top of the framed wall, and then moved into position and installed by hand. . .Trusses are attached to the top plate of the wall using a metal bracket and / or nails." (Don Ramsey. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Building Your Own Home. The Penguin Group: 2007. page 209.)

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Lydia is using this pile of plywood as her trampoline.

Master bedroom

Note: Both of these pictures were taken on January 2, 2010 at the site of our future home.

Photos: Happy New Year in Norfolk, Virginia Airport

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Lydia is resting on a plastic recliner in the play area.

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Lydia and her paternal grandparents

(left to right): Pa Chin ("Yeh Yeh"), Lydia, Tiger, and Ma Chin ("Ah Ma")

Note: During each time "Yeh Yeh" and "Ah Ma" see Lydia, they comment about Lydia's development, noting how much bigger she is and how much she is speaking. Their feedback reminds us of just how fast children grow up, and this is something that parents with older children have frequently emphasized to us.

Note: Both of these pictures were taken on January 1, 2010 in the main lobby at Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk, Virginia.