Tri Nguyen

Sophie is ten weeks old now, a longer, bigger baby. She’s a happy, bright-eyed, and alert girl whom we love and adore.

Yesterday I needed a haircut and saw Oanh, my usual stylist. As she’s going to deliver a baby boy in September, we chatted about babies. (Where was Sophie? In her stroller with a good view onto my haircut.)

Then I pushed Sophie all over Broadway. Cal Anderson Park beckoned, but was still surrounded by chain […]

Replied to a good chunk of my brothers’ emails.

Met cousin Nam’s new family in Tacoma. It was my first time seeing his wife, Thao, and their preemie, infant twins, Sarah and Hannah. What eyes those twins had, such big dark irises. Cute.

Lunch was Pho Bac with Mom, Luna and Sophie. Rushed. I had the Special.

Saw […]

My favorite spot for a Vietnamese meal has to be Lemongrass Restaurant. The nearby Tamarind Tree is well-reviewed, with its creative takes on Vietnamese classics and sheer atmosphere. By comparison, Lemongrass doesn’t list a lychee martini on its menu. On the other hand, I’ve never had a disappointing meal at Lemongrass. Food and service are […]

Why do new parents put a “Baby on Board” sign on their cars? As a caution to other drivers? The narcissistic nitwits who can’t drive without a mobile dangling from an ear (cell phone suicide bombers) are not—-on seeing the sign—-going to place both hands on the wheel and drive safely.

I like driving with Sophie […]

Stunning. Sophie slept through the day today. Babies are changeable little things, but I thought that I knew her schedule after minding her since Saturday. She’s fun and lively most mornings, nappy in the afternoon, and fussy in the evening. And in fact Sophie was a joy midday when my Mom came by to spell […]

Minding Sophie—-all day—-is exhausting. I’m downing cheap wine as I write this. During the day she’s a pleasure; it’s evening that brings out her fussy inner-demon. If this presages a colicky phase, well, I’m done for. Luna said it first: “She doesn’t like you at night.” Do babies really intuit body language? Maybe she’s […]