raise a daughter

next week i will be away from you for a consecutive total of FIFTY-FIVE hours. this will probably be the most heart-wrenching FIFTY-FIVE hours of my existence so far. i have been away from you for a thirty-six hours before, but never over two days and nights like this.

TWO WHOLE FREAKIN DAYS without my little buttercup.

what am i going to do?

i can imagine spending the whole time i am attending this conference pining just to smell your hair after you have had a bath. the aroma of lavender and chamomile is so intoxicating, it even makes me sleepy.

oh…and we (your dad and i) think we have figured out what you are trying to say when we have always thought you were saying “what’s that?” you were really saying “what’s up?” which when i think about it, does make sense.

when you were just a little, itty-bitty baby, i would always greet you by saying “what’s up, buttercup?” maybe…..ahh…..who cares?

just hearing you say “wass dat?” is WONDERFUL MUSIC TO MY EARS.

you will be staying with nana and pop while i am gone to birmingham. please remember they are not as tolerant of your screaming fits of rage as i am. PLEASE remember that.

also remember that if you act really sweet to pop, he will probably sneak you a monsters inc scare-berry pop-tart when nana isn’t looking. he’s always been good for that kind of thing.

i still have a few days before i leave to go to birmingham…but it still looms over me like a dark cloud.

please have fun with nana and pop.

and remember what i said about the pop-tart.

—mommy

well.. this is a goal I cannot control… except if you tell me to sow a lot of seeds to increase the odds! LOL

I only had a brother growing up, but the majority of my cousins were all female and treated me well. I don’t know if that explains why I would rather have a daughter than the obligatory chinese son. I have one rationale for that, the chinese character for good is made up of 2 characters, girl and boy. And the character for girl comes before the boy. ;P

I have names picked out already. Of course, until the day comes, I am still open to name suggestions. I have 2 choices for chinese names, and 2 choices for english names. I love my daughter to have a name that sounds like a boy’s name.

I don’t mind sharing with you, but my daughter’s english name will tentatively be either Aaliyah or Owen. I hope to find more interesting names to name her. The chinese names would sound either like Chen Li-Yah (beautiful elegant), or Chen Kai-Nan (triumphant boy) in mandarin (literal translations).

Nas once wrote these lyrics, “thinkin a word best describin my life, to name my daughter”. I may not be that good, or that introspective.. but it’s an important goal of mine!

And no, the wife probably won’t have a say in this, she can name the son whatever she likes.. LOL