Kristiana's baptism, in Mama's words

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Only a few months ago, when cleaning up some old files, I ran across a note that Mama had sent to Nan and me many years ago. It is a kind of journal entry that dates from the time that Mama had some thought of writing a book of her life. Here is the story, transcribed from her letter.


2nd visit to Kristiana - 5 months old

We received a lovely invitation to Kristiana Christening party in November. Jim and I considered a long time before we decided to attend. We both are 63 of age now, we don't know how many big events of Kristiana's we are able to attend. When she graduates from High school, some 16 years later, we will be over 80 years old and we don't know where we will be then.

She [Kristiana] was having a bad cold at that time, often one of us would get a soft kleenex to dry her running nose. Even Auntie Tina did also.

At that morning, we all got up and dressed up pretty. Nan was the busiest of all. She had to breastfeed her first, then asked one of us would feed her solid food, which she [Kristiana] has just started two days ago and doesn't like very much. Papa was the first to volunteer. Kristiana sat in her infant seat semi-reclining, which was on the kitchen table. This side Papa showed her to open her mouth, so he spread hs mouth very big, looking like to eat her whole bowl off.

No, she doesn't want it, she won't open her mouth. Then she sneezed. From her two cute nostrils blowing out one big and one small bubbles. It is such a hilarious sight we all laugh out loud, and made Kristiana laugh. There goes her opened mouth, so Papa quickly got in one spoonful of solid food into her mouth. We found out the trick is trying to amuse her and make her laugh.

So in no time all solid food was all fed and gone. Nan was very happy the eating ordeal has been finished we can now concentrate on dressing her up. Our Nan's relative has given her a white Christening gown. And she has new white lace socks and black patent shoes. After she dresses up, she look like a beautiful princess. Except one thing. We all have to guard her socks and shoes every second. In a wink she can use her two feet rubbed off both socks and shoes.

First we went to a fancy Chinese restaurant to have a gourmet Chinese buffet dinner. Timmy and Nan had invited several their good friends. We occupied a nice room. For the buffet part, we went to the main dining room to get our food, then lobsters were placed on our table.

Everybody enjoyed to the fullest capacity and still many lobsters were left on the table. Then it's time to drive to the church.

It is a very pretty cathedral and very big. At that day, there were 10 (?) families who had babies to be baptized. Each family occupied a few pews. Nan put on the special embroidered white stole on Kristiana and check her socks and shoes on frequently. As each were called, each group go up to the alter to receive the ceremony. When Yao is called, the parents, god parents, Tina walked up to the alter while I remained at the pew. Then I noticed couple white socks on the floor. So the dressed up little angel was barefoot during the ceremony. She was very good and quiet.

We returned home happy and tired. Papa cooked us each a big bowl of lo-mein. After the feast and excitement, the home style is most comfortable and all went to bed early.

We pre-arranged with Nan that when she arrived at Chicago airport, we will arrive similar time, so we can take her and Kristiana to Timmy's apartment. It turned out our plane was a long time delayed and arrived very late. It happened Nan happened to get a food poisoning and having misery like a severe virus, vomit and diarrhea. We had a difficult time to locate her where she is waiting. After we found them both, we drive to our hotel and let everybody settle down. Nan was very sick and exhausted by then. She dared not to [feed] to Kristiana in case her milk is bad, so my assignment while she was lying down, is to take care of Kristiana. I took her to the bathroom, but she not only misses her mommy, she misses breastfeeding milk. I had a very difficult time tried to calm down her crying. My two arms ached on the second day. When Timmy came after his office hour, Papa told him he and Nan better use our hotel room for the night we can go use another room, so Nan can rest better and do not need to move around and upset her stomach. Fortunately, next morning she did feel better.

Third visit to Kristiana - 8 months old

We sure miss Kristiana very much. So at the University spring break time, we arranged with Timmy and Nan that we'd go to visit them just at the weekend period, so they both don't need to take off from their work.

But Nan did need to take off many hours of her previous days to get some work done ahead of time and also came...



At this point, the narrative ends.