I will never forget about Oct-Dec 2013 because over this 40-day period, I gained a family member (baby Ethan) but also lost one (my mom). My mom was diagnosed with unknown primary carcinoma back in Feb 2009, the year I was getting married. Miraculously her chemo worked and 5-month later she was able to attend my wedding in San Diego in Sept. The past 4 years we had such great time together and she was able to enjoy my sister's kids Kani and Ian. She and my dad have always wondered when Derek and I will have our little one. Finally this year I was almost done with school and she was thrilled when I told her I was pregnant in early March. Sadly two weeks after she was diagnosed with tumor recurrence in her pancreas. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers and it saddens me every time when I read about it online and how most patients have poor prognosis and only have less than a year to live from diagnosis. From March my due date is Nov which is about 8 months from her diagnosis. In June and late Aug I went back to Taiwan to cheer her up and was really hoping her condition can stabilize until 2014. Her radiation and chemo therapy didn't stop the tumor from growing and spreading but her doc okayed her coming to the US to see me having my baby. 也許是天意 baby Ethan came two weeks early and we checked out the hospital the day my parents arrived in LA (10/30). My mom was able to spend some time with the baby before her jaundice worsened and they had to go back by 11/10. I had a hard time not to cry when she left our house on that Sunday morning and I didn't know that was my last time seeing her and talking to her with her full consciousness.
Her jaundice got real bad once they got to Taiwan on 11/11 Monday morning. She then had hepatic coma and lost some of her consciousness. The doc recommended no more active treatment to minimize her pain. And they said Mom only had "weeks" to live from then. At this time baby is only two week old and I still have two more weeks to finish my 月子. It was so heart breaking knowing I will lose my mom in such a short time. We then had to go get baby's passport and book tickets. My mom fell into worse coma after Shirley went back and by the time we flew in on 11/28 late Thursday night, she had not much consciousness. I remember holding her hands talking to her with tears in my eyes. Dad had to start talking to us about funeral details and I couldn't imagine Mom can barely made it to her birthday on 12/15. The morning of 12/1early Sunday morning, Dad called us at home around 3 am saying Mom is almost there and we rushed to the hospital with 大姐. 媽媽就這樣地走了! In some ways she stuck around for a few more days so that I can see her once more before she passes! It was hard to not be sad but I am also happy for her that she doesn't have to suffer no more. 我親愛的媽媽, 我真的很愛妳啊！也許我們能來世再做家人!
Speaking of traveling with baby Ethan at his 4-week old benchmark, it was exhausting. But overall he was a good baby. We basically just fed him whenever he fussed. He was good at take-off and landings. Derek was a great dad taking care of him while I had to be out in the hospital and funeral stuff. On the day of the funeral he stayed at my cousin Tony's house and Joyce helped taking care of him with her own 4-month old Josh. On 12/14 we also took him with all Wang relatives to Shangrila hotel for Italian food at Marco Polo. On 12/15 my bday we had a nice afternoon tea in the lounge overlooking Taipei 101! This is my first bday celebrating with Ethan!
On 12/16 we flew back to CA and finally trying to get back to normal life. Baby Ethan is now at 7 week old. Check him out in the bassinet on the airplane on EVA air!
Her jaundice got real bad once they got to Taiwan on 11/11 Monday morning. She then had hepatic coma and lost some of her consciousness. The doc recommended no more active treatment to minimize her pain. And they said Mom only had "weeks" to live from then. At this time baby is only two week old and I still have two more weeks to finish my 月子. It was so heart breaking knowing I will lose my mom in such a short time. We then had to go get baby's passport and book tickets. My mom fell into worse coma after Shirley went back and by the time we flew in on 11/28 late Thursday night, she had not much consciousness. I remember holding her hands talking to her with tears in my eyes. Dad had to start talking to us about funeral details and I couldn't imagine Mom can barely made it to her birthday on 12/15. The morning of 12/1early Sunday morning, Dad called us at home around 3 am saying Mom is almost there and we rushed to the hospital with 大姐. 媽媽就這樣地走了! In some ways she stuck around for a few more days so that I can see her once more before she passes! It was hard to not be sad but I am also happy for her that she doesn't have to suffer no more. 我親愛的媽媽, 我真的很愛妳啊！也許我們能來世再做家人!
Speaking of traveling with baby Ethan at his 4-week old benchmark, it was exhausting. But overall he was a good baby. We basically just fed him whenever he fussed. He was good at take-off and landings. Derek was a great dad taking care of him while I had to be out in the hospital and funeral stuff. On the day of the funeral he stayed at my cousin Tony's house and Joyce helped taking care of him with her own 4-month old Josh. On 12/14 we also took him with all Wang relatives to Shangrila hotel for Italian food at Marco Polo. On 12/15 my bday we had a nice afternoon tea in the lounge overlooking Taipei 101! This is my first bday celebrating with Ethan!
On 12/16 we flew back to CA and finally trying to get back to normal life. Baby Ethan is now at 7 week old. Check him out in the bassinet on the airplane on EVA air!
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