写在女儿 Leslie 满月的第三封信

Original 孟庆伟Justin 孟庆伟英文写作 2022-09-01

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Dear Leslie,

Happy one month anniversary!

You turned one month on September 25th, which coincided with mom and dad's 4th wedding anniversary. But it's funny that neither of us noticed that until the day came to an end! This says pretty much how you have literally changed our life.

The day before ayi left to take a much-needed break, and mom and I were on our own taking care of you. As expected, it was messy and overwhelming. The idea of the wedding anniversary never crossed our minds. Normally, we would be celebrating it at a fine sushi bar in Beijing, indulging in sashimi, uni sushi, and sukiyaki. Not this year.

Mom and dad have known each other for over 9 years. We have remained close almost since the day we met (in a summer volunteer program in the northwestern province of Gansu). There were of course some bumpy roads on the way, but looking back, it's been a wonderful ride. The credit goes to mom: she is the most tolerant and big-hearted person I have ever known.

In the past month, you have grown a lot. You are heavier and taller. Jaundice is gone, and your face is ruddier. You have gained more muscle and can make attempts at turning. When you lie on your tummy, you can even lift your head briefly, an indication of strength and growth of your neck. Good job!

Even though you cannot talk, you are a great communicator. You are good at crying and making throaty noises to signal that you need help. I call this "the siren mode": whenever we hear you cry, we jump to action. Mom is the quickest responder. You also know how to communicate by hand gestures and eyes: sometimes you pull at your ears or suck on your fingers to show you are tired; you wave your fists to show you are jolly and want to play a bit more; you look away from a previous point of interest to say you are bored.

While I have helped a bit here and there, it's mom who is the primary carer. I have sensed an incredibly natural and strong bond between mom and you. When she is feeding you, you two are in perfect unison. She is better at reading you, predicting your moves, and comforting you. She is even trying to categorize your different types of cries. It seems she just knows how to deal with every situation intuitively.