Thankfulness Friday, Part 4

1.  Parents.  I don't think I can ever thank them enough for what they've sacrificed for their children.  In the early 80's, my parents made a really tough decision to bring us to the US for a better education.  Mom would remain with us, and Dad would stay in Taiwan for his job.  We lived apart for 12 years with weekly phone calls (no Skype) and yearly visits (almost always in March).  Dad passed away in 1995, but I was grateful to have spend a month with him just months before that.  I dedicated my PhD thesis to them.  I sure can't imagine where I'd be without their unconditional love and support.  I see Dad's mouth in Bun Bun and wonder what he'd be like as a Grandpa.
2.  Mrs. Thoensen, 6th grade science teacher.  I don't remember much from the 6th grade or at least what I learned then.  I do remember writing a book report on seals in Mrs. Thoensen's class.  She was one patient teacher who noticed how much I loved science.
3.  Mrs. Kaulfuss, 12th grade social studies teacher.  She was a tough teacher who demanded a lot from her students.  I still remember tons of world culture I learned from her.  Mrs. Kaulfuss, sadly, passed away this August.
4.  Dr. Mbuy, college Immunology and Virology professor.  The first time I fully appreciated the wonders of intricate life at the microscopic scale was in Dr. Mbuy's classes.
5.  Professor Cullen, college Histology and Animal Development professor.  I still remember being completely amazed when I pierced down the microscope and saw the beating heart that had just formed in a fertilized chicken egg.  I remember thinking that this couldn't have happened by chance.  How does a clump of cells just haphazardly start to beat and form the heart plus the vascular system?
6.  Dr. Rossman, my first boss, sure had no business hiring an immature girl fresh out of college.  He took a chance and kept me around for two years.  I was later told that if it hadn't been Dr. Rossman and his wife, I wouldn't have been given a chance for graduate school.
 7.  Kate Sullivan, my PhD advisor, therapist, and friend.  She believed in me when I doubted if I could ever finish my thesis.  I learned much from her how to be a teacher, mentor, and friend for my own students now.

Daddy bought a new camera today!

Thankfulness Friday, Part 3

1.  Birthdays!  Today is John's birthday.  Happy birthday to the best Daddy and husband in the world.  Birthdays are another great day to give thanks and be grateful for another year past and the one to come.  Monday is my sister's birthday (Happy Birthday, Heather!).
2.  Seasons.  Spring is by far my favorite season.  That's when everything seems to wake up from deep winter sleep.  Everything is renewed.  Those new blossoms are always so welcoming besides being so colorful.  Summer is wonderful because we get long day light hours.  Fall is beautiful when the leaves begin to turn colors and give everything a yellow and orange glow.  I can probably do without winter, but I only like it because spring is just around the corner.  I suppose if Christmas isn't in winter, it'd be dreadful.
3.  Sunrise.  I'm not a morning person, but there is nothing quite like driving into work with the sun rising in the horizon.  It also reminds me of God's grace and unfailing love that are new every morning.
4.  Trees.  Not only do they provide great shade, they recycle the CO2 from our respiration and fix them into sugars and other organic goods.  Trees and plants complement us so perfectly.
5.  Food, glorious food.  I live to eat (rather than eat to live).  I love foods of all sorts.  Living in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area, I've tried many of the hundreds of ethnic restaurants from Thai to Ethiopian.  I also love to cook.  I'm a better baker since it's like doing an experiment - throw everything together and incubate.  When Bun Bun was in the NICU learning to suck, swallow, and breath, it really made me appreciate all aspects of eating.  We take it for granted.
6.  Laughter.  I love a good hearty laugh, the ones that makes my stomach hurt.  It doesn't take too much to keep me amused.  God has surrounded me with people who love to laugh.
7.  Tears.  We shed tears when we're sad and when we're happy.  Even Jesus wept when he was here on earth.  I am thankful for them because I am thankful that we have the ability to show our emotions.  When we cry with someone who mourns, tears speak volumes.  I often get teary when I laugh really hard, so, see #6 above.

Wireless

Since the day Baby Bunny was born, she was hooked up to wires and tubes.  Wires were there to monitor her heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood oxygen levels.  Tubes and IVs were there to deliver fluids and medicine of all sorts.  When we brought her home from the hospital, she came with a monitor that would sound off when it detected bradycardia (slow heart rates) or apnea (low breath rates), both are common in preemies.  The alarms were as loud as a smoke alarm, ear-piercing.  Once a month, the medical equipment company would have us download data from the monitor that has recorded all the activities.  Once a month, the pediatricians would get the results and inform us if we needed to continue the monitoring.  This past month, the darn thing kept going off, and I thought for sure we would be stuck with it for another month, through Thanksgiving and perhaps Christmas, too.  You see, the wires are attached to sticky pads that sometimes slide off or a felt belt that sometimes come loose.  The monitor would go off because it couldn't detect anything.  Well, by the title of the blog, you may have already guessed where I'm going with this.  When the pediatrician's office called this week and left a message for us to call back, I sure didn't expected them to tell me that there were no pathological episodes detected.  That same night, I gave Baby Bunny a bath and said good-bye to all the sticky pads and belts and wires!  For as much as it was annoying and an inconvenience to lug around even though it was small and light weight, we were able to sleep better at night knowing that we would be alerted if anything happened.  So, thank you modern technology!  By the way, for about a week now, Baby Bunny has been sleeping in her new dig, her crib.  She looks so tiny in it.

Thankfulness Friday, Part 2

1.  Veterans...  Today (November 11) is Veteran's Day.  I am thankful for all who served, especially those who served in the Pacific during WWII.
2.  Technology...  I don't have every fancy gadget ever made and certainly do not wait in line for the latest Apple product.  I do own an iPod and an iPad.  Both have been wonderful gadgets.  I've owned my iPod for over 5 years now.  I listen to Podcast sermons during my drive to and from work.  When I stay up late at night with Bun Bun, I use the iPad to pass the time and watch movies.  I am certainly grateful for computers, without them, I'm not sure what I'd be doing every day.
3.  Science...  I love to teach and think about science.  Best of all, I get paid to do both!
4.  DNA... the blueprint of life!  See #3 above.
5.  Employment...  See #3 and 4 above.
6.  Weekends...  Thank God it's Friday!  I look forward to naps in the afternoons and walks around the neighborhood with Bun Bun.
7.  Sleep...  Something so necessary yet basic is very much taken for granted when we do lose it every now and then.  I am grateful that Bun Bun has been sleeping through the night for a couple of months now.  In fact, I often have to wake her up in the morning for her first breakfast.  This morning, I realized another gift.  She falls asleep after that first breakfast, long enough for me to get ready for work.  About an hour later, I wake her up again before I head out the door when she gets her second breakfast from Grandma.

Thankfulness Friday, Part 1

This is the month of the Thanksgiving holiday celebrating the first harvest of the Pilgrims in the new America.  It usually means family gatherings to share a meal with turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pies, etc.  Secondarily, people think about giving thanks and acknowledge the blessings they have received.  On Facebook, several of my friends have begun the 30 days of thanksgiving by listing one thing or people for which they are thankful each day.  I thought about doing that in my Blog but realized I probably won't be able to keep up with it.  So, I figure I'll do it once a week on Fridays and list 7 specific things and people for whom I am thankful.

1.  My savior, Christ Jesus
2.  My wonderful husband.  He keeps me entertained.
3.  Our precious gift, Bun Bun.  She makes everything worthwhile and will probably end up teaching me lot more than I am able to teach her.
4.  My mom who has been watching Bun Bun while I work during the day.  Plus, she makes delicious meals which helps us tremendously.  Her latest projects are making sleeping sacs for Bun Bun to keep her warm at night.
5.  My friends who send occasional notes of encouragement.
6.  My praying friends, many I probably don't even know or have never met, for praying us through the tough days.
7.  My work family.  I don't think I can find a better group of people to spend time away from my baby.