We converted our smallest bedroom into Duke’s playroom since we needed a space to put all the stuff animals his aunt and uncle gave him. They are his buddies. Dana got him a bead maze table. Although he’s still too young to move the beads around, he still likes to hold and spin them.

Yesterday, Dana and I were in Toys”R”Us and we found WordWorld characters on sale for $5 a pop. We went nuts and bought all the characters available in store. I had no idea what WordWorld was, but I was immediately hooked on the concept of combining typography with visual character. We posted them on one side of the wall so Cu Dao can choose which one he wants to take down to play. When I showed him the characters, he just looked and smiled. Dana has already looked into getting more characters.

Duke’s playroom is now becoming my favorite place to spend with my boy. I am sure we will accumulate more toys, but I am still missing a good stereo. We could kick back, play with the toys and listen to some jazz. Now that’s my ideal family quality time together.

Despite the rain, Dana and I toured nine daycare centers around our area and Dana’s workplace. We narrowed down to two choices: Horizon Child Development Center in Fairfax and Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia.

Both facilities are the cleanest. What sets Horizon apart is that it is the only place that has a full-time nurse on site and the cheapest fee ($270/week) out of all the centers. The staff appeared to be passionate and the kids looked happy. They waved and smiled as we entered (with our shoes off). When it was nap time, some of the kids just laid down with a bottle in their hands. They seemed to behaved well. They also get to learn sign language, music and Spanish. The only down side is that it is not too convenient for either of us. The traffic from our house to the facility is a bit crazy and the late pickup fee is $5/minute.

The Jewish Community Center, on the other hand, is a bit more convenient for us, but the tuition is also a bit higher ($1,350/month plus $70 monthly membership fee). The caregivers seemed care-giving and the kids appeared to be happy to be there. It had a good vibe. Jewish folks seemed nice and friendly, my only little worry is that Duke is the only none-Jewish baby. Is that even an issue?

We still have a bit of time to decide since grandma has extended her time until next summer. Grandpa worried that January would be too cold to take Duke to the daycare so he asked grandma to stay a bit longer. How sweet of him? We still want to get Duke to the daycare though so he’ll learn to get along with other kids. Unlike his daddy, Cu Dao seems to be a very outgoing baby. He loves to go outside and meets other people.

My sun rises every morning around 5:30 with a big smile. I didn’t even realized it was raining outside this morning until I started to go to work. The showering weather makes me want to stay home with Cu Dao and Dana who gets to spend a whole Veteran day with my little sunshine. I am so jealous.

Yesterday, I scheduled six daycare tours for this Friday. We are looking to send Duke to daycare by early next year. Experienced parents, what should we look for and what questions should we ask on the tours? Any tips are welcome.

I still can’t imagine sending Duke off to daycare; however, I have seen many positive results with kids who go to day care. They often behave better and they don’t cling to their parents like kids who stay home. Most importantly, they can eat all by themselves. I saw a three-year-old boy who goes to daycare tearing up a piece chicken while another boy who stayed home with his mom being chased down to be fed.

Cu Dao started his solid food a few weeks ago. Like daddy, he loves sweet potato. For the past three nights, Duke gets his sweet potato while adults get dinner. From the way he chew to his commend for more food if I don’t feed him quick enough, watching him digesting his food is heaven-sent. I don’t even have to put the spoon into his mouth. He just leans forward and grabs the food. I hope his appetite will continue like this all the time.

Duke could also sit on his own, but not for too long. He simple doesn’t pay attention. So if he gets off balance, he just let himself drops to the ground (on the soft surface of course). Cu Dao also started to crawl. He finally figures out how to use his arms instead of his head. Whenever he raises his left arm, he lifts up his right leg as well as if both were wired together. He looks amusing with one leg and arm in the air. Whenever he sees a toy he likes, he would crawl to it, but stop about a foot away and scream to tell us to pick up the toy for him.

Cu Dao smiles more often these days, but I do miss that serious look on his face from time to time. The other day I was singing “Trong Vang” along with Phuong Thanh but with my horrendous, not-remembering-the-lyrics phrasing and he busted out laughing so Dana could capture his two bottom teeth.

Oh no, Foggy Bottom station is already here. I have to run. It’s going to be a busy day at the office.

I am back at work today and only a few hours away from my boy, yet I miss Duke terribly. On Tuesday, I was coughing and sneezing so I couldn’t be near him even though we were in the same house. Yesterday, I felt much better so I spent a whole day with him. Dana and I took him to the doctor yesterday for his six-month visit. Disappointedly Duke only weighs 14lbs and 6oz, which is only in the 10 percentiles. Feeding him in the morning is quite difficult. The only time he would take the milk is when he was about to fall asleep. The problem was that he could only take 3oz before he fell asleep.

The doctor encouraged us to let him sleep on his own. The problem is he would roll over as soon as I placed him in the crib. He would rub his face against the sheet or drag his face by pushing his feet. He would get all rash all over his face. I tried to hold him on his back, but he would scream and wake up. I held him in my chest for ten minutes and he slept like a puppy. After that I can gently placed him in his crib.

Last night, I fed him some sweet potato for dinner. He ate so well that I kept feeding him and feeding him until he threw everything back out. I should have stopped when he had enough. I am now sitting here reminiscing on the time we spent yesterday. The beautiful smile on his eczema-laced face revealing his two bottom teeth is what I miss the most.

I read Dr. Seuss’s ABC to Cu Dao today and I couldn’t keep a straight face on some of his nonsensical verses including “Camel on the ceiling,” “Lazy lion licks a lollipop” and the very very very best ” Vera Violet Vinn is very very very awful on her violin.”

I have not read a single book by Dr. Seuss. In fact, the only time I heard of Dr. Seuss was at Vassar’s 2004 commencement Address by Samuel L. Jackson. At the end of his speech, Jackson read a passage from Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and I thought it was witty and appropriate. A couple of weeks ago, I told Dana that we should get a few Dr. Seuss books for Cu Dao.

I was working from home last Friday and the mailman delivered a big box. I opened the door and he dropped the box right on my lap and I almost staggered because I didn’t expect a heavy box. I opened it up and there were 50 books by Dr. Suess. I called up Dana and she told me she bid them on eBay. I guess we will be reading a lot of Dr. Seuss books to Cu Dao. Can’t wait!

Katie is three months older than Duke. Her dad and I are drinking buddies and we have joked that we will be in-law in the future. I love Kate because she is totally opposite from Cu Dao. Unlike Duke who is like a monkey on coke, Katie is quite calm. Most of the time she would just sit at one spot and play with her toys. When I hold her in my lap she would stay still.

Unfortunately Kate and her family will be moving to the west coast. Last weekend, my sister-in-law threw a farewell party for them. We put Duke and Kate together. Kate sat still, but Duke kept trying to grab her sweater. I had to pull him away several times. Kate just looked at him and unexpectedly returned with a poke in his face. It was so hilarious.

Grandparents went on a cruise yesterday. Cu Dao got a fever and running nose. Dana and I worked from home to babysit him until we pick up my mom this weekend.

We were doing our work at the dining table and suddenly heard a big drop right above us then followed by a scream. I dashed upstairs and the little guy was underneath his crib. I pulled him out and held him my arms. Dana came up with tears in her eyes. Luckily we have carpet so he wasn’t hurt so bad. I did a little peekaboo and tears turned into laughter.

What happen was Dana didn’t pull the rails all the way up. Usually we don’t have to because the rail would still be too high for him even it’s halfway down. Somehow he managed to get himself over the rail. We have lowered his mattress and will remember to pull the rail up because the little guy can’t seem to stay still. He wears both of us out every night trying to put him to sleep. The good thing about the accident is that his temperature has also dropped. He’s now doing a bit better. No pain no gain.

“Beautiful love, you are a mystery / beautiful love, what have you done to me?” These two bars, sung beautifully by Sophie Milman, captured my feelings for you. You are a mystery because I never know what you are going to do next. I don’t know what have you done to me, but you’ve been on my mind 24/7 since the day you were born.

Each night you give me something new to look forward to. Last night, you were jumping and laughing with joy on the Sassy seat for the first time. The night before, you were grooving to Shakira’s She Wolf like a little snake. The other night, you made me kissed your cheek a hundred times in order for you to go to sleep. I really don’t mind using that technique again and again.

You melted me when you woke up in the middle of the night, rolled over, pulled your head up, looked at me, cracked a smile, dropped your head and went back to sleep. Both your mom and I loved to watch you sleep. You looked so adorable and we can’t help caressing your back and kissing you on your head. You have brought us way too much joy. Thank you for being such a beautiful love.

Watching Cu Dao sleeping last night made me think of my father and our relationship. Once in a while the little guy would open his eyes halfway, stare at me to make sure I was still there, crack a half smile and then close his eyes again. Just the joy of seeing that is indescribable. I thought to myself: there is nothing in this world that could keep me away from him. Then I thought of my father who was hardly around me when I was a kid.

There’s a saying that you give your children what you never had. If that’s the case, the first thing I will give Cu Dao is a fatherhood. Even when I lived in Viet Nam, I never felt what it was like having a father. He would go to work (mostly charity) for a few weeks or months and only stay home for a day or two.

When I left Viet Nam, our relationship was disconnected as well. Growing without a father was hard. I didn’t know who to turn to when I was bullied at school. No man around the house to teach me how to become a man. Mentally I was weak. I lacked the confidence in myself; therefore, I could never make a decision on my own. Sometimes I wish I could be strong like him. I wish I could do whatever I please and fuck everyone else. I envy him and despise him for that. He made his decision to go back to Viet Nam to live his life even though his wife and kid needed him here the most.

I am now walking in his shoes and I could never see myself doing the same thing that he did. I will be there for my son. I want him to have the confidence I never had. I want him to not only make his own decisions, but live and be responsible for them. I would like him to take risks and to follow his heart. I will be satisfied as a father if I could accomplish these goals.