Happy Half-year Birthday, Baby!... (Charis writes)

Jared, today you reach the halfway point of your first year with us. You have brought us so much joy and laughter, we cannot imagine a time without you in our lives. Each night, our prayer for you is to continue to be healthy & to grow strong, but mostly for wisdom on our part to raise you well. Oh, there were moments when we begin to doubt ourselves as worthy stewards of such a beautiful child! But whenever you look at us with those eyes, we see love, wonder, curiosity & contentment. So we dust ourselves off and continue on this journey of raising you once more.

I hope you will read this post someday 'coz these are the few special moments we shared together these past 6 months that I'd like us to remember:

1. Even before you were born, we already started worrying about you. The doctors here with their fancy machines told us you had imperfections and we should run more tests. What a blow to our faith! And naturally as new parents, we went with the worldly advice and we began to fear. Tests done after you were born showed nothing. NOTHING. The lesson here, son, is to trust in our Heavenly Father and rely on His strength.

2. You made your mother wait! Every morning in the final 2 weeks before you arrived, there was a heavy cloud over my head. It took a lot of strength & support from your Daddy and Grandma for your Mummy to keep sane & not feel inadequate as a woman. And I'm still working on that.

Now I make YOU wait for me while I hang the laundry
(but you get to play).

3. On the first night you were back home from the hospital, you made Daddy drive out at midnight (thank God we had a car then) to get a pacifier for you because you just wouldn't stop crying. Only the 24-hr convenience stores were opened and after going to 3 stores, Daddy finally found a pink one for you. It didn't help us that night at all.

Your first very pink pacifier.

4. On the very first day you were out of the house, we went to church. That evening, you wouldn't stop crying even after feeding you. And horrors, we forgot your pacifier! Again, Daddy had to run out and about to the whole stretch of Silom Road looking for one. This time there wasn't any and we had you wailing all the way home in the taxi.

5. Now you have 6 pacifiers and all you want is your thumb.

6. You have had 3 haircuts in this 6 months! The first time at 1mo at the barber's while you were sleeping. The second time at 3mo at Aunty Lin's and you were sitting quietly on my lap. The third time at the barber's again  at 5mo and you were sleeping again! Alas, now you are shedding quite a bit of hair.

After your 3rd haircut, you looked a little like Mr T.

7. You can hold your own bottle at 5 months! It can still get messy at times but now you've started showing off and started turning the bottle around like a steering wheel and holding it with one hand while facing one side.

You're a big boy now.

8. We share a silly but funny ritual now. Each time I carry you into the bathroom, you will start smiling as we enter and then laugh at our reflections in the mirror even as the lights began to flicker on. You do this every single time! And as I wash your little hanky, squeeze then shake the water out, you burst out laughing. Apparently you think that is funny :)

9. How amazed we were when we took you swimming for the first time. How nonchalant you were about it all and a face that said "no big deal!". If you could yawn at will, I do believe you would!

"Next! *yawn*"

10. How it took me 5 hours just to write this post. In that span of time you had pooped twice, took 2 short nap, played on your play mat, ate a banana and now you're back asleep again (and up again!). You're going to keep us on our toes, aren't you?

Happy half-year birthday to you, our handsome boy, Jared. Our prayer for you today is that you grow in strength and in good health. May you continue to be curious about the things around you and never stop reaching out your tiny hands to feel them and to learn. We pray that God will continue to watch over you and send tiny bits of wisdom to both your parents to bring you up to be a God-fearing and loving boy. We love you!

After your first half-year birthday celebration at Tony Roma's.
Yes, you dressed up!