Emi Watch: Day 4

Dear Emi,
We spent a lovely Sunday morning having dim sum with our friends Patty and Rob.

Literally translated, dim sum means "touch the heart" and it's basically the Chinese version of British high tea. Instead of scones and cucumber sandwiches served on silver, tiered trays, waiters weave through the tables pushing carts filled with a variety of small dishes such as steamed bbq pork buns, or char siu bao, lots of different meat or shrimp-filled dumplings including siu mai and har gow, as well as lotus leaf-wrapped sticky rice. My personal favorites are sei jup pai gwut, or black bean spare ribs, and chicken feet, which no one likes except me. For dessert, tiny custard tarts called dan tan is typically served, but more restaurants are also offering my favorite steamed bao filled with egg custard.

I absolutely love dim sum. Over the years, I've taught myself how to make a few of my favorites - shrimp balls, potstickers, har gow, sei jup pai gwut and sticky rice minus the lotus leaf. But nothing beats going out to a good restaurant, where you can just point to a bamboo steamer filled with a delectable delight.

While we were waiting for Patty and Rob to arrive, I noticed a little hapa girl about three or four years old. She had light brown hair that grazed her shoulders and she was kneeling on her chair, about to dig into the fried taro fritter on her plate. "Emi could look like her," I mused to your daddy, thinking how we'd have to take you out for dim sum as soon as you were old enough to eat solid food.

Over taro cake and siu mai, we chatted about the joys of parenthood, their daughter Ryan and my maternity leave, while I'd occasionally pepper them with random questions like "Can you use fabric softener for baby clothes?" and "Did you use your baby monitor much?" We stayed well past noon, and by the time we got home I realized my legs had become swollen. Slightly alarmed, I went to bed, propping my legs up on some pillows, and fell asleep.

Patty called while I was napping. Turns out my friend Marylou hadn't gotten her email about having to cancel the shower, and she'd arrived just as Patty and Rob were pulling into their driveway. Marylou ended up stopping by our house to drop off your presents, and we spent a pleasant couple of hours talking and catching up. I felt horrible that she'd driven all the way into town for the shower, especially since she lives about an hour away in the foothills. But it was good to see her. Like Niesha, she also made me an adorable diaper cake - decorated with white flowers and pink ribbons. It actually looked like a wedding cake!

After Marylou left, I finished tidying your nursery. Daddy had hung the Japanese mobile while Marylou was here and your room was finally done. It was the perfect little nursery for a baby girl. While I'd been nervous about the bright, green paint, once everything was in place it looked absolutely beautiful. The pink, glass curtain rod filials I'd bought at Target provided a nice, finishing decorative touch to the windows. The cushioned glider added a lot of warmth and comfort to the room, and all the pink, cherry blossom decor gave it a great deal of cheer. I'm still looking for a piece of artwork to hang on the bare wall above your crib, but I'm sure I'll find something.

We did some more laundry and ended the day watching "Entourage" and "True Blood" in the bedroom. All in all, it was a nice way to spend our last, baby free Sunday.