The first Monday back to work was way too damn hard after spending two and a half weeks with Cu Dao. I miss the father and son daily routines. I miss jogging with him in the beautiful morning weather. I miss feeding him even though it was tough. If he finished the whole bottle, I felt like I have accomplished something. I miss making him laughed out loud. I miss taking him to visit his mom at work so we can get lunch and he could get his milk straight from the source. I miss napping next to him listening to Lullaby: A Collection. This album works every time putting Cu Dao to sleep. All I have to do is wrapped him up and turned on the CD. I wish I could have done more with him, but I am glad we had a bit of quality time together.

Because Cu Dao’s hair isn’t growing evenly, I have been itching to shave his head. In the past, I shaved both Samantha and Eric, but I couldn’t do it to Cu Dao yesterday. My hands were shaky so I let Dana do it. I also made a promise if we were to shave his head, I would shave mine as well. So I lived up to my words. Obviously, Cu Dao looks so much cuter than his daddy.

Cu Dao has been sleeping through the night for more than a week. We put him to bed around 10 and he doesn’t get up until 5:00. That’s the great part. The not-so-great part is that he doesn’t like feeding through the bottle. It took him an hour and a half yesterday for me to feed him 3 oz.

It has been quite a busy week for Cu Dao. Last Thursday we drove 4.5 hours to New Jersey for my brother-in-law wedding. We had fun seeing the family again. Thanks to Thu Hoai and the Magic Night for kept us on the dance floor. I also took some great photos for the newly wedded couple as I was trying to hone my photography skill. My family (mom, sister, Sammy and Eric) also joined us at the reception. Then we all drove back to Virginia on Sunday. My folks hang out with me around the area while Dana at work for the past three days. Got a speeding ticket right in D.C. These damn cops.

Dana, Duke and I will be joining my in-laws in Wildwood for the weekend. I am looking forward to relax and to win some money at the Casinos. I still have one more week to spend with Cu Dao before returning to work.

He is up now. I better take him out for a stroll. Enjoy your Friday. Peace out!

As we were looking at Duke’s recent photo, I said to Dana, “Our boy got swag.” My wife had no idea what I was talking about. Just look at that face, no one on the corner has swagger like Duke and he just turns three months yesterday.

Time flies by so fast and everyday with him is a joy. A smile on his face washes away all my stress. Since the day he was born, nothing could bring me down. He’s the reason I stay up at three in the morning and he’s also the reason I get up at 5 in the morning. He’s the reason I strive everyday to bring him a comfort life. My job as a father is just starting. I still have a long way to go, but seeing smile every time I talk to him reassures me that I am doing a fine or at least so far so good.

These days I have become a frequent reader of the mama’s blogs. Mad love goes out to chi Quyen who has always giving advice whenever I have baby issues, Chuoc Con’s mama for letting us see the little girl grows day by day, May’s mama for deep personal thoughts, Tully’s mama for some cultural experience, and of course the mama-to-be. Thanks all and keep blogging, mamas!

Last night, we put Cu Dao to bed around 9. He woke up an hour later and we thought it’s going to be another long-waking night. After Dana nursed him, she put him back to his crib around 11 and we didn’t hear him cried until 5 in the morning. We both couldn’t believe it. Duke slept 6 hours straight. I wish he pulls more nights like this because daddy can’t play at three the morning anymore.

Cu Dao’s acne is also going away. I guess the salty water from the beach works. He looks so beautiful this morning.

New study reveals how kids can easily learn two languages at once according to AP:

Scientists now know babies are born with the ability to distinguish all of them, but that ability starts weakening even before they start talking, by the first birthday.

I’ve been speaking both languages to Cu Dao, more Vietnamese than English. We’ll see if the study actually works.

Cu Dao gets his first experience of the beach over the weekend. Saturday morning, we headed to Virginia Beach with grandma, aunt and uncle. Half way through the 3.5-hour drive, we got pulled over for tinted window for the first time. Unbelievable!

The nice thing about driving was that Cu Dao slept the whole way through. We arrived around noon and headed toward the beach. He slept some more on the beach under the umbrella. When he woke up I took him into the water. I dipped his feet first and he cried. I pulled him up and he stopped crying. I dunked his entire body in and he screamed his lung out, but stopped immediately when I held him tight into my arms.

Cu Dao slept again when we took a night stroll along the strip. We enjoyed all types of entertainment from jazz to break dance. He slept quite well that night and woke us up at six the next day. We walked along the boardwalk and breathed in the morning fresh air

We hit the beach again before checked out. Dana held him in her arms and walked along the beach. It was a priceless image. I then took him into the water again. The water seemed to clean up some of his acnes.

The traffic on the way home was horrendous. Cu Dao slept for three hours. Woke up, screamed, got fed and then got back to sleep for two more. The result was that he wanted to play at one o’clock in the morning with daddy. Being a parent is a tough job. I feel like I am on cloud nine most of the time due to lack of sleep.

A quick conversation with my cousin who was holding Cu Dao in her arms:

Cousin K: “He’s strong boy. Stronger than Andy when he was two months.”
Donny: “Oh yeah? So when will Andy have a sibling to play with?”
Cousin K: “We’re done.”
Donny: “Already?”
Cousin K: “Yes. I wouldn’t mind one more if I have a father like you.”

Coming from my cousin K who doesn’t BS, that’s a compliment. Still, I don’t deserve such a high praise. Cu Dao’s mom is the one that do most of the hard work, such as feeding him in the middle of the night and putting him to sleep when I fail to do so. Last Sunday, I was supposed to make him fall asleep, but I got knocked out first. His mom had to pick him up and soothe him to bed.

It’s me who is lucky to have a son like Cu Dao. He changed my world. Before him I couldn’t sleep at night if I had a cup of coffee in the morning. Now coffee hardly works anymore even when he screams at night. As you may have already noticed in the photos, Cu Dao smiles quite often these days. All I had to say is “Cuoi di con” (smile my dear) and he would laugh like I just told him the funniest joke in the world.

In contrast, Cu Dao could me laugh without even saying a word. About a week ago, after he already fell asleep in his crib, which located next to our bed, we laid back to rest and tried to enjoy a quiet moment. The peaceful night was erupted by a loud passing-gas sound from his direction. We looked at each other and couldn’t hold our laugh. It was the most innocent fart we had ever heard. We still crack up every time one of us mention it. It was just price less.

Last night, Cu Dao slept almost six-hour straight. We put him in his crib around 10. A midnight, he made a few coughs (not sure where they come from) and we were expecting him to get up, but he went back to silence. We waited and waited and nothing happened so we felt asleep. Almost 4 o’clock, the train finally came. Dana nursed him and I lulled him back to sleep, but then he got up again around 5:45.

Cu Dao also loves to sleep on the bean bag. Whenever he stays at her aunt’s house, he would sleep on it like a little puppy. He likes the way the bag wrap around him. Just put him on the bag, push the bag around a bit and he would snore like his daddy. (Dana complaint hearing both of us snoring on both side of her ears.) We are going to get him a bean bag as well.

Lil Duke had me good last night. He literally got me whipped. It was midnight and he still didn’t want to sleep. He was crying in his crib. I didn’t want to wake up his grandma who has been with him during the day and his mom who has been struggling at work due to lack of sleep; therefore, I got up and patted him a little. It didn’t help and he cried louder.

I picked him up and rocked him a bit until he felt back to sleep. Half an hour later I tried to put him back down, but he was brawling again. I picked him back up and went downstairs. I tried to sit on the couch and rest, but he wouldn’t let me. I had to walk around the house. Around one something, I was so burnt out. I put him on the kid mat where he usually played in the morning and laid next to him. He started to cry and I determined to let him cried out. I consulted the doctor and he told me it was ok to let him cry. Eventually he would get tired and fall asleep. Half an hour went by and his cries crescendoed.

I couldn’t let him go on any further. His cry was like a knife cutting straight through my heart and mind. My head was pounding and my soul was shattered. I gave up. I held him tight into my arms and the guilt of letting him cried took over me. I didn’t know what to do. If you’ve been through this, please advise.

Saturday morning, we decided to drive 2.5 hours to Lancaster, PA to pay my mom and my sister a visit. Coincidentally, my family was throwing a birthday party for Andy and Sam who are Duke’s cousins. The party was fun until one of my cousins decided to have a little drink. He drove home and brought back a bottle of Mezcal Con Gusano. Between the five of us, we killed the entire bottle plus a case of Yuengling.

Everything seemed to be fine until I got back to my sister’s place. I was throwing up and had one of the worst feelings ever. At this point, I had to relied on Dana to take care of Duke. I passed out, yet in my mind the pain of guilt was even heavier than the pain of the liquor. The next morning, Duke got up around 7:00 and signaled me to take him out for a stroll like usual. He smiled at me as I picked him up, but I had to put him down again. I still couldn’t even stood straight. I had to lied down again because my head was still spinning.

What the hell did I do to myself? I let both Duke and his mom down for just a moment of drink. Thankfully, Dana who is a wonderful mother had been there for him when his daddy couldn’t. Sorry kiddo for daddy’s irresponsible behavior.

Duke has been doing great even after the shots and the long drive. He’s a strong boy.