Aloha from Maui!
Sorry for the delay on this letter. Wrapping up work and getting all of us out the door for vacation was quite the rush. Now we're settled in a condo with the Chaffees in Kihei and enjoying a slice of paradise.
Yesterday we got you in the pool in an infant float and you loved it. Normally we have to hold you in the pool, but that float lets you be independent and splash and kick at will. It was nice for me and Mom to be hands-free, too. We also spent a little time on the beach, and I think you were most entertained by the swaying palm trees.
You're getting used to the heat and humidity but having a bit of a hard time napping and sleeping at night. The time change doesn't help. It's OK. Sleeping in new places can be hard sometimes. There's no bed quite like your own.
You've had another great month overall. You're starting to communicate a little more. Mom taught you how to clap your hands together and is helping you modify that motion to say "more please' in sign language. Mom is very tricky.
You spent a lot of time with your Mom in Indiana for an entire week! Your Mom was nervous about flying alone with you, but coincidentally our second-cousin Rob was on the flight and in your same row to help! It was a little miracle.
Mom said, "Eliza LOVED spending time with family." I know your Grammie and Popa enjoyed spoiling you. I was on the road for work at 5 Point Film Festival in Colorado and visiting tech companies in San Francisco during that time. I had a lot of fun, too, but it was tough being away from you for that long. And when we all got back to Tacoma I was surprised how much your personality and behavior had changed! Seeing you day-to-day, the changes feel really gradual, but a week away felt like a year in your development. Fortunately that won't happen too often.
We celebrated your Mom, Grandma Vicki and Aunt Nina for Mother's Day last weekend. It was a low-key event at our house, and we spent more time with your cousin Harrison. We got Mom a SodaStream because she drinks SO MUCH seltzer water. This was a very smart and environmentally-conscious gift from your old man. The SodaStream wasn't the most sentimental Mother's Day gift, but you'll find that your old man tends to be practical like that.
One of my favorite activities this past month was walking around with you in our Osprey Poco child carrier backpack. You get to see the world from altitude, and it's a comfy workout for me. We've gone on some dad-daughter walks around the neighborhood together. I get to talk to you one-on-one and talk to you about what's on my mind and explain a little more of the world that you see. You're a captive audience. We'll get to do a lot more of those activities this summer. I'm looking forward to that.
I'm going to keep this letter short because we have a lot of playing to do around Maui.
Love, Dad