Parents

Not to get too existential, but this having a kid thing is really a trip. It's one of the basic things that people of all races and cultures do, and though our methods may differ a bit, the goal is pretty much the same.

It's something that so many people share, you can meet almost any stranger with a kid and can relate to them through common feelings and experiences: the seemingly overwhelming trials of the first few weeks, the joy of little milestones, the fact that your baby will grow and change much more quickly than you expect (even though everyone tells you to expect this), the amazing learning that babies are capable of, the occasional irrational fear, the reprioritizing, the desire to make time stand still, the shift in the way that you think about the present and the future, the realization that you have all this room in your heart that you didn't know was there... all parts of the endless list that makes us parents.

And it's cool how we now share this with our own parents.

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Last week we spent a wonderful few days in socal with family and friends. She did amazingly well in the car both ways, sleeping most of the time. We woke her to feed her and let her stretch a little, which added a welcome leisurely quality to what is usually a 400 mile sprint.

Huelan got to spend some quality time with Ba Noi and meet all of her aunts and uncles. She seems like she is comfortable being the center of attention. Ba Noi showed her off to her friends and co-workers; there are few places on earth where a baby girl is more fawned over than a hair salon.

We had a great time for so many reasons, but perhaps best of all we were able to meet some of the newest people on earth- Leah An Nguyen (6lbs, 3oz) and Francesco Reno Toscanini (8lbs, 15oz!). And, to top that off, we went to a baby shower where there were THREE pregnant people. Congrats to all- you guys are going to be great parents.

Check out some pics here