Baby gears from Taiwan

I have bought many baby "gears" from Taiwan. Some I never got to use at all (but I did give to my friends.:)

I love the following items:

1. This Nasal Aspirator was the best buy and got plenty of use with Di-di's multiple colds and flues!
2. This ice pack stays as soft as a pillow, even though it's frozen in the freezer for months. It's great when Di-di has a fever, because he would sleep on it just like a regular pillow.
3. This special shaped pillow helped keeping the back of Di-di's head from becoming flat.
4. Special-made pillows and mattress with breathing "holes" so that Di-di wouldn't suffocate by accident if his nose is pressed against the pillow or mattress by accident.

Now, my newest purchase- baby shower hats!! Thanks to cousin T for FedEx these hats to the U.S.
Di-di hates getting his hair washed!! It's been getting harder to keep him steady so that the water and shampoo doesn't get into his eyes and ears. It's still not easy to wash his hair with this hat, but at least I am not worried about water getting into his ears!

(Testing his new shower hat)

Why I envy my baby

My last posting of a Chinese poem by an Emperor must seem odd to those who don't read Chinese.:)~ I am not religious, but sometimes I do need Buddhist teaching to keep me grounded and calm in a time like this!! The sudden meltdown of the stock market since September and the prospect of a global recession did make me feel anxious for a couple of days. This particular poem sums up so well the "impermanence" of life, even for a powerful Emperor. The only certainty in life is the uncertainty that we face every second.

I haven't blogged much, because I have been focusing more on studying the market and spending more time with Di-di. Even though my aunt is here to dote on Di-di, he just wants to be glued to mommy when he is home! My poor baby probably misses his daddy so much that he is feeling some insecurity.

I will give you more Di-di updates later, but here are some of my favorite pictures of him sleeping. I am so envious of him, because he sleeps like a baby without a worry in the world~~ (wait, he is still a "baby"!:)

(Yes, I let Di-di has his pacifier again. He started sucking his thumb, so I chose the pacifier..for now.:(

順治皇帝醒世碑記

天下叢林飯似山。砵盂到處任君餐。黃金白玉非為貴。惟有袈裟披最難。
朕為大地山河主。憂國憂民自轉煩。百年三萬六千日。不及僧家半日閒。
來時糊塗去時悲。空在人閒走這回。未曾生我誰是我。生我之時我是誰。
長大成人方是我。合眼矇矓又是誰。不如不來也不去。來是歡喜去是悲。
悲歡離合多勞思。何日清閒誰得知。世閒難比出家人。無牽無罣得安宜。
口中喫得清和味。身上常穿百衲衣。五湖四海為上客。皆因屢世種菩提。
雖然不是真羅漢。也搭如來三尺衣。兔走烏飛東復西。為人切莫用心機。
百年世事三更夢。萬里江山一局棋。禹開九州湯放桀。秦吞六國漢登基。
古來多少英雄輩。南北山頭臥土泥。黃袍換卻紫袈裟。只為當年一念差。
我本西方一衲子。為何落在帝皇家。十八年來不自由。南征北討幾時休。
如今撒手西方去。不管千秋與萬秋。

(P.S. This poem was written by Q'ing Dynasty's first Emperor. Q'ing Emperors were Manchu, not Han Chinese. Most of them were known for their hard work. I am simply amazed by their ability to master the Chinese language.)