Riley Rolls Over; a catch-up entry...

At a mere seven weeks and four days old, our little Riley rolled over from her belly to her back, much to her surprise!  Usually in the mornings when she wakes up, I bring her out to the living room floor mat and we do stretching and some tummy time because she's fairly content and relaxed and quite playful.  This morning, we were moving slowly, so Tay was also awake and Tita Beth had already arrived at the house.  I placed her on her tummy on the mat to see if she'd reach for some toys we had set in front of her, and after doing a little mini-push-up and holding her head and shoulders up a while, she suddenly rolled onto her back going to the right.  She looked so surprised and we were all so surprised that we yelped with joy and laughter (which I'm sure startled the little one even more).  Anyhow, we wanted to see if it was just a mistake, so I placed her once again on her belly, and less than two seconds later, there she went, rolling immediately to her right and startling herself again and flailing on her back.  :)  We decided to let her try again, so she went on her tummy again, and with a few more grunts this time, she flipped herself right over onto her back once again.  YAY!  :)  Perhaps tomorrow morning, I can get it on video...

I feel awful that this is my first posting on Riley since she has been born, but life is much more hectic with two little girls to entertain than it was with one.  As for milestones, the rolling over one is probably the first really big milestone for her, but she has already passed many of the smaller ones.  She has been lifting her head when lying on her tummy since birth, almost...whenever I'd put her on my stomach as I lay on my back, she'd lift her head to look at my face.  She studies faces like they are the most interesting things on Earth...especially new faces.  She always turns toward the sound of her big sister...:)  She smiles and coos a lot in the morning and after every nap when she's at her happiest.  She chuckls in her sleep...which I personally find hilarious...when she's dreaming, you can actually hear her go "hm-hm-hm-hm-hm" with a huge smile on her face.  She hasn't actually done that awake yet, but I think she's going to have a great sense of humor much like her big sister.  Around five weeks, she noticed her hand for the first time and stared at it for a while before hitting herself in the eye with it.  Then, she didn't know what to do, so she got all upset and made sad faces until I picked her up.  Earlier this week, I had laid her in her little floor mat gym and she stared intently at the hanging toys for a while with her hands by her side, then suddenly, she swung her right hand up and batted one of the toys!  When she did that, her eyes got really big and both her arms and legs started flailing, but she didn't do much more coordinated hitting after that...mostly accidental batting, I think.  She smiles a lot at any face that's smiling at her, including stuffed animals and dolls. 

I have a feeling she's going to be as talkative as her big sister because she'll gurgle and coo at anyone who's talking to her, but especially her big sister.  She really enjoys the interaction and will spend quite a long time just lying on the mat as long as someone is talking to her and listening to her.  She's generally a very happy baby and also a very good sleeper.  Her hardest time is between 6 and 8pm when she's most cranky.  Our nightly routine now is she gets a bath while her big sister is getting a bath, then a nice little massage and swaddling, nursing, then put down for sleep...usually by 7:30.  Then she'll sleep until three or four in the morning!  Last night, she slept until 5:15 in the morning and woke up STARVING!  :)  She's been doing that for a couple weeks now already...it makes my life so much easier.  :)  If by chance she doesn't get a bath, though, she definitely wakes up many more times in the night.  I think the bath relaxes her and she sleeps so much better.  Her big sister was much like that as well, and I had a good sleeper until around 4 months when she started waking up more frequently in the middle of the night...I attribute it to a growth spurt...perhaps it will be the same with this one, too. 

Speaking of growth, Riley's growing like a weed!  Her birth weight was 3.47 kgs (7lbs, 10oz), her one week weight was 3.85 kgs (8lbs, 8oz), and her one month weight was 5.2 kgs (11lbs, 7oz)!  I have her two-month appointment scheduled for the 18th, so we'll see how much she weighs then, and perhaps they'll do a length measurement, too.  She looks fairly long now, as opposed to when she was first born and she was just this tiny, curled-up bundle.  I'm thankful that I am able to breastfeed and that it is plenty for my little one because it is just so much easier than having to prepare and warm bottles and such, but I must admit, pumping is not my favorite thing in the world...

Going back to work full time in a short six weeks after delivery has been a rough adjustment.  Work has been very lenient with my pumping and feeding schedule, so I am able to go home at lunch time every day and pump twice/three times a day.  I don't really like having to pump in the bathroom - it's quite chilly and not the most comfortable environment - but luckily, my milk lets down pretty quickly and my quantity is going up since I nurse on demand when I'm home, so the routine is getting easier.  I think the first week back, I had some major tension headaches because of the stress of coming back to work and getting back into the swing of things while having to leave my little baby at home.  Luckily, the baby is not with a stranger and I know she's very well taken care of, so that part was a little easier than I thought it would be.

I can't complain about how things are going right now because it is only getting easier.  The girls are doing very well and are generally quite happy the way things are.  I'm getting accustomed to being at work again, although it's hard to focus on work when all I can think about are my babies back home.  I look forward to the holidays this year as a family of four...although it would be nice to be able to spend them with our extended family back in the States. 

How thankful I am for the life I lead...I truly cannot ask for more.

Rosa

Postpartum...

I titled this post a long time ago...about two weeks after birth...and never got around to sitting down and writing.  I have been meaning to write about this thing called "baby blues" because I think I experienced this for the first time, even though it was my second pregnancy and birth.  The first time, I know I was a bit moody, but I didn't feel completely helpless and hopless like I did in that first week after I gave birth to Shinah.  The term "baby blues" is much to "sweet" of a phrase to describe this terrible feeling that can overcome a new mother.  It's not just a feeling of being sad or overwhelmed...it's this rush of spiraling out of control where you feel there is nothing, no one, who can help you and there is absolutely no sign hope of improvement in the future. 

During the first week of being home with the baby, I had a moment where and overwhelming feeling of guilt, hopelessness and helplessness came over me and I just lay in my bed and cried and cried...probably for a good hour or so.  My mom was there with me and she was talking to me and consoling me, reminding me that "this, too, shall pass," and that this is the way it is at first as a family readjusts itself to grow into an even greater family...and all I could do was lie there and cry, feel guilty, and feel sorry for myself.  Why did I feel guilty?  Well, it was way past bedtime and the little one needed me to nurse her and the older one just needed me to hold and hug her, but I couldn't do both, so daddy took the older one to try and put her to bed because she was starting to get a little rough to deal with as I sat and nursed the little one.  Tay's now screaming in the other room, yelling for Mommy and completely out of control, the little one is crying and trying to nurse at the same time, and all I could think about was putting down the nursing baby so I could go console my big girl, knowing that the little one needed me physically and the big girl needed me emotionally...

I was one person and two people needed me simultaneously and I felt like I was letting both of them down.  I couldn't be a good mother to either children by having both children...I wanted to be the mother that I was for Tay for Riley, but I knew I couldn't.  I wanted to continue to be the mother that I have been for Tay, but I couldn't.  How much more helpless could I get?  All I could do was to cry along with the girls with this numb feeling coming over me and a painfully aching heart because it just couldn't love the way I thought it could because I was physically just one person who was trying to physically recover herself...

At that one moment, I thought for certain that I could never succeed as a mother of two.  I had let down both my children and I had only been a mother of two for a week.  How was I ever to survive many more years of this? 

After I finally ran dry of tears, the little one had fallen asleep and the older one had finally escaped from her daddy to come to my bed and tell me she's sorry and that she needed me.  I hugged her and told her I was sorry, too, choked back some more tears, and told her good night so she could go back and go to sleep in her bed.  After she left (after some more cuddling with me in my bed), I stayed up half the night just talking to my mom about parenting and how I was going to overcome this incredible guilt I felt at my shortcomings for both girls...and ultimately, my mom told me that my love for them will overcome any "shortcomings" I may feel I have...and that feeling of guilt is unnecessary because love only doubles with more children and never divides into lesser amounts.  Only time spent becomes less with individual ones, and that will be an adjustment...but the love a mother feels for all children can overcome all odds.  Thanks, Umma.

Now that I'm seven weeks into being a mother of two, I think I can handle it.  I've had a few successes that have given me the confidence to know I CAN do it and I love both girls more and more each day.  Hopefully you'll be able to read about them here someday...when I have time to sit and write for longer than a minute!  ;)

Happy and healthy...
Rosa

My Second Labor Story

After about a week of recovery, I finally feel sane enough to right down my second labor story.  So here goes...

My mom arrived in Korea at 4:30 in the morning on the 19th of September.  Jeff went to pick her up and after they arrived home, we got cleaned up and mom, Tay, and I went to church while Jeff got caught up a bit on sleep.  The rest of that day was spent just catching up with mom and we made a run to E-Mart for some basics to fill the kitchen and prepare for after the delivery.  After the trip to E-Mart, I was exhausted, and when we got home, I felt a little cramping in my lower stomach, but nothing I thought that was worth noting or worrying about...

Later that evening, we had a nice dinner and my mom left for her sister's house because the next day, 20 September, was the anniversary of my grandmother's passing, so my aunt had rented a van to transport all the sisters down to Daejeon in the morning to visit the grave site.  Jeff and I put Tay down for the night around 8:30 and we actually went to bed around 9pm.

I was feeling a little anxious for some reason so I tossed and turned for a bit, but I eventually dozed off until I was awoken by a stronger-than-normal contraction.  I got up out of bed because I wanted to know what time it was...it was only 9:30.  I didn't think I could fall back asleep right away, so I decided to check my email and facebook.  A short while later, I felt another one of the contractions, so I checked the time and it was 9:40.  No pain associated with the contractions, though, so I didn't think anything of it.  As I'm facebook-stalking my friends, I have another contraction...9:49.  Another one at 9:59.  Now I'm curious...could this be...early labor?  I Google early labor and continue timing the contractions.  They keep coming regularly at 9 to 10 minute intervals...still no pain.  Then they get a little closer...about 7 to 8 minutes apart.  Still no pain...but the Google findings are confirming that I am probably in early labor since the contractions are coming on regularly and getting progressively closer together and not going away when I "change positions" by walking around or sitting for a while or lying on my side.  I still haven't woken Jeff yet because I am still not convinced that I'm in labor...

Around 12:45, the contractions are coming about every five minutes now and I'm debating whether or not to wake Jeff up, so at 1am, I decide it might be time to wake up Jeff and let him know I might be in labor.  When I tell a very groggy Jeff, he almost leaps out of bed and says, "Let's go!" but I am not in a hurry because I'm still not convinced I'm really in labor.  There's still no real pain coming with the contractions, so I guess that's why I just had no sense of urgency...I hadn't gotten to the active labor part yet...perhaps.  I finally call my mom at 1:30am at my aunt's house and tell her we're probably going to head to the hospital soon to check if I am in labor and my mom says she'll meet us there...then she says she'll just come straight to our house and go with us to the hospital because I told her we were getting our bag ready to go and that it might be a bit before we actually get out of the house.  By 2am, Jeff and I are packed up and ready to go, but my mom hadn't arrived yet...and Jeff's now getting antsy, but I'm still pretty relaxed although my contractions are still coming every five minutes or so.  My mom finally arrives, we pick up Tay from her bed (who is still sleeping), we head to the hospital and arrive there at 2:30am.  On the drive over, Tay wakes up and she's wired...poor thing. 

We first walk into the Emergency Room (ER) because I'm not sure if there's anyone in Labor and Delivery (LD), but the staff in the ER direct me to LD.  We walk over to LD and there seems to be only a cleaning staff there and one of the ladies tells me to go on in (no children allowed).  We leave a wide-awake Tay with my mom and Jeff and I go in to find out what's going on with me.  When I tell them my contractions are coming about five minutes apart and not painful yet, they have me fill out a card and direct me to a tiny labor room.  They have me change and such to prep me and check me and tell Jeff to wait outside.  Disappointingly, no one is really friendly or smiling, which is bothersome since this should be a happy time...but since it was the middle of the night shift, I assumed they were just all really tired.  There were a few other women I could hear laboring, which was also a bit disturbing. 

Jeff came back in after I had changed into the hospital gown, so we waited some more for them to come and do a non-stress test and check my contractions.  Jeff went out again to check on how Tay and my mom were doing and he brought in all the bags so that my mom didn't have to watch Tay and keep an eye on our bags. 

With the monitor on, the contractions were showing that they were still coming every four to five minutes.  They checked my dilation and effacement and I was only about 30% effaced and 3cm dilated.  After about 30 minutes of the NST, they removed the contraction monitor and kept the heart rate monitor on for the baby.  By now it was past 4am and I was getting antsy and uncomfortable from just lying there.  I was also getting upset because I had wanted to tell Tay that everything would be okay and that I love her before I was stuck to a hospital bed.  I also thought she'd be able to be in the labor room with me for a bit before they had to leave, but they wouldn't let me go back out to see her because I was already dilated.  I guess that's the difference between a Korean and American hospital system...I was restricted to the bed entirely even though I still wasn't in any pain from my contractions.  Quite frustrating.  Anyhow, it was 7am now and Beth was on her way to the hospital to pick up Tay and I really missed her so I asked the nurse again if I could go see her and at least tell her good bye before she went with Beth for the day.  They finally said okay, but after their shift change!  Ugh...I was frustrated, but I said I'd wait and waited and waited and waited...until finally I called someone in it was someone new, so I knew shift change had happened (by now it was about 7:30 and Beth was already there, but I asked her to wait so I could see Tay before they left).  When I mentioned to the nurse that the previous shift nurse had told me I could go see her after shift change, the nurse said she had to check me first and that it was not recommended that I walk anywhere.  NOOOOOOOOO!!!!  I told her I HAD to go see my daughter and that I would be very very upset if I didn't get to, so when they checked me, I was still at 3cm dilated and just a bit more effaced.  So they finally said I could go see her so I got up and walked out (all of 20 yards or so) to see her in the waiting area and got to hug and kiss my sweet big girl...knowing that the next time I saw her, our relationship would change drastically...even though I would still love her all the same...::sigh::  It made me so sad to see her go...seeing her so grown up. 

After the brief meeting and farewell, Jeff took Tay and Beth home (where Tay finally fell asleep since she woke up at 2am) and Jeff went into work...for a bit.  It was about 7:45 by now. 

When I came back in, they checked my dilation once more and told me I was at 4cm now and almost 100% effaced.  A good sign!  They moved me into a "labor and delivery" room where they informed me I would be delivering there.  They also told me my labor was stalling (I was back to having contractions about every five minutes again), so they would be starting me on Pictocin to get things moving again.  I let Jeff know that they were going to start me on the drip so things may start moving quickly, so he started making his way back to the hospital.  Shortly after they started the drip, the contractions started coming back more frequently (no clock in front of my bed now, so I don't know how frequently) and I started to feel a little bit of pain along with each contraction.  I actually had to concentrate and breathe rhythmically to get through them.  Nothing worth yelling about, though.  Less than four or five of those times of contractions later, another nurse came and checked my progress and I was already 6cm dilated from the previous four!  Sweeeeeet.  Only concern was that since I had progressed that quickly, they were saying I'd probably be ready to push soon, but Jeff wasn't back yet!  Anyhow, the contractions continued to come on stronger, although I couldn't tell if they were coming on more frequently or anything.  A few more contractions later, they checked me again and I was at 8cm!  The room started to buzz with a few more nurses and they called the doctor to tell him I was almost ready so he should make his way down.  The nurse also broke my water (I think) when she last checked me to keep things moving (or else my water broke naturally while she was checking me, but whatever) and after that happened, the contractions were significantly stronger and definitely painful...but still not nearly as painful as I could recall from my first labor.  They told me to roll over on my side to help things move along (and reduce my back labor!) so when I did that, MAN, the contractions were much more painful, but still manageable with controlled breathing...and shortly after that, I felt Jeff's hand on my shoulder to tell me he was here.  I guess that was Riley's cue, too, because I had that sudden sensation that I really really needed to push really soon!  I started to say, "I need to push, I need to push!" but apparently no one understood me except Jeff and my mom...and of course, my mom runs to one of the nurses and tells her that I was ready to push...in ENGLISH.  :)  Hehehe...not so funny at the time, but funny now that I think about it.  Anyhow, eventually they got the message that I was ready to push and they told me not to push too hard because they didn't want me to tear.  One of the nurses coached me through the breathing so I wouldn't push too hard and soon everyone was ready to receive the baby and I was ready to push her out of me.  I'll spare any further details, but after only about five or six times pushing, Shinah Riley Ryals entered the world at 9:08am.  A healthy 3.47 kgs (7 lbs, 10 oz.) little girl born at 38 weeks + 5 days and a whopping 19.5 inches...a whole inch shorter than Tay was when she was born and almost a whole pound lighter than Tay. 

As they're discussing various things about the baby and such, one of the nurses asked if I had registered for cord banking and someone responded "No" and oddly enough, I was lucid enough to speak up and say, "YES I DID!" and they came over to me and asked me if I had any paperwork, and luckily...I had all of it, including the receipt of when I paid for it all together in my hospital bag that I had packed!  HA!  If this had happened with Tay, I definitely would not have been lucid enough to catch the conversation, much less remember that I had all the paperwork in my bag.  They brought the bag over to me and I fished out the paperwork and they banked the cord blood right away.  We didn't bank Tay's cord blood, but we did decide to do it this time...just on the off chance that we may need it someday.  Hopefully not.  

Unlike when I had Tay, they wrapped the little bundle up and handed her to me to hold while the nurses were massaging my abdomen so that Riley could get familiar with my scent before they took her to the nursery to be examined, cleaned, etc...I'm not sure where Jeff and my mom went (perhaps with Riley) but the nurses covered me in a super-warm blanket after the doctor left and I was left in the dimmed room to rest and recover for a bit before they moved me to the recovery room in a whole different wing.  I also had to remind the nurses again that we wanted to room in with Riley instead of leaving her in the nursery so they would bring her up to the recovery room as soon as she was ready. 

All in all, this hospital experience was much worse than my first time around with Tay, but the labor and delivery was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much easier...and I felt lucid the entire time.  I never felt out of control and I can clearly remember the entire event with no negative feelings about it.  I have no negative feelings about my labor with Tay, but I also can't remember exactly what happened toward the end when I actually started having the stronger contractions.  I guess maybe because my body had experienced it before, it was more ready to take it on and my tolerance for pain had grown significantly.  I didn't even need to let out a yelp.  Jeff likes to remind me that I yelled at him quite a bit in Korean during my first labor.  I don't recall any of that. 

Anyhow, that is my second labor story, and it was surprisingly pleasant for me.  The recovery story will come at a later time.  :)

Welcome to our family, Shinah Riley.  :)  We're so glad to have you!

Sports Physical...for Toddlers...

For the upcoming fall "term," I've decided to disenroll Tay from the ballet class she has been taking now for 9 months (mainly due to a teacher change) and give her a chance at trying out a "Tiny Tumblers" class which is a gymnastics class for tots on base.  I had wanted to enroll her for a while, but I was always told that there was a wait list of over 50 people, so I didn't think there would ever be a chance for her to get into the class.  Anyhow, the teacher opened up a second (and a third, I think) class, so we finally got her into it.  Enrolling took me about four hours of waiting, but I'm hoping the wait was worth it.  We went to the first class and she seemed to enjoy it quite a bit, but it was a little chaotic because her little buddy was also in the same class and she just wanted to goof off after she got a little comfortable in the class.  Anyhow, I think she'll develop some stronger gross motor skills through this class, so I look forward to her participation in the class in the upcoming weeks. 

Anyhow, for the enrollment process, I was told Tay had to get a "sports physical" within the first 30 days of her enrollment.  I thought..."sports physical" for a toddler?  What could that possibly entail?  Well, pretty much it's just a general check up (like a 2-year check up for a toddler) where they make sure she's a "healthy" child with no underlying conditions that might prevent her from participating fully in whatever activity she was enrolled in...

So, I scheduled an appointment for her at the Army hospital...perhaps against my better judgment.  More about that later.  Anyway, I was told there might be an extravagant charge since I'm not military, so I had to check into that before getting her physical.  We wandered all over that hospital being redirected a few times, but finally did get a satisfactory answer that there would be no charge because it was specifically for her to participate in a Child, Youth Services (CYS) program.  Sweet. 

On to the appointment.  We checked in at pediatrics and after a short wait, we were called in to get her "vitals" and general information.  Tay was a little shy at first and didn't want to get weighed and measured, but after a brief explanation of what the machine does (and reminding her that she has done this before) helped her bravely stand on the machine herself and stand up straight.  She measured at a tall 2 feet and 11 inches and weighed in at 32.6 pounds.  My big girl!  :)  They also used a neat little gadget to measure her "oxygen saturation level" by sticking a little bandaid-like sticker on her thumb...didn't know they could do that.  We answered some general questions and then we went back out to the waiting area to wait for the doctor consult. 

After waiting a bit, we were called in to meet with the Doc.  She was fantastic and Tay was suprisingly comfortable with her, so she sat up really straight on the little examination bed edge while I sat next to her in the chair.  The doc checked her eyes, mouth and teeth, ears, etc., and she did exactly as the doc asked her to...then the doc took her shirt off to check her breathing and heart.  Tay sat super-still while the doc listened to her chest and back, all the while glancing over at me to see if I was watching and then grinning a bit and then getting the serious face again as the doc continued to listen.  When she was asked to take a few deep breaths, she took really deep breaths, all the while moving her little shoulders up and down to emphasize the depth of her breath...:)  Very adorable. 

Tay had gotten a bump on her head the night before, so the doc asked her during the check up what happened.  Tay's response:  "Yester-time, I FELL down and BUMPED my head on the floor.  Mommy got green boo-boo cream and she put some boo-boo cream on my boo-boo.  Then it felt MUCH better.  I all better now."  All of this with hand gestures and VERY expressive and explanatory facial expressions...:)  The doc said that it was the best description of how a boo-boo happened she has ever heard...and that she gets less detailed descriptions from teenagers.  Hilarious.  The doc said her speech development is very mature and advanced for her age as is her height and weight, so she seems more like a three or four year old rather than a two and a half year old...not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, so I'm just going to take it as a good thing.  One thing that she did mention that scared me a bit was that Tay has a "functional heart murmur."  Whenever you hear the term "heart murmur," it's a little scary, but the doctor said that it's actually pretty common in young children because their chest cavity is very shallow so sometimes you can hear the blood rushing in and out of the heart.  Nothing irregular or unhealthy about it.  As they grow older, it will probably go away as her chest cavity gets thicker, but she also said that if she gets sick, the sound may get a little louder or more noticeable.  She assured me that it was nothing to worry about and definitely not a  health concern...but still...I'm a little worried.  Eh.  I googled it, too, when I got back, and it told me the same thing...I should just relax.

Anyhow, the doc said that since Korean hospitals normally don't check for lead content or anemia for toddlers, she would put in an order to the lab so Tay could get checked.  I asked her what that entailed and she assured me that it would be just a finger prick.  As usual, I explained to Tay what we were going to do after we left the doctor's office (I generally do, especially if she's going to get a shot or something...it helps her prepare herself and she's a little less upset about the whole ordeal).

Here is the "MORE" part that I referenced earlier...about why I question my judgment when I go to an Army hospital.

When I got to the lab, it appeared that there were many people waiting to be helped.  We went up to the desk to sign in (or check in or something) and the young Soldier (clearly having a bad day) at the computer was leaned back in his chair.  I handed him my ID card (I had done this many times before when I was active duty and had blood drawn, etc., for my first pregnancy) and told him I was here for my toddler's finger prick to check anemia and lead.  He slowly sat up, took my ID, let out a big sigh, and started typing on his computer.  Not a word to me yet.  Meanwhile, Tay, Beth and I are just standing there...he hands me back my ID, sighs again, and continues typing.  We're all still just standing there...I'm thinking, should we sit down now or just stand here?  Anyhow, after he gets done typing or so, he sighs again, gets up, picks up something from the printer and walks away from the desk and toward the next room where they do the blood draws...still hasn't said a word to us yet...we're still standing there.  He's almost in the next room and then he looks back at us still standing there and says, "You need to come over here."  Well, now I'm getting a little irritated...

We follow him into the side room and he says, "Sit down" and points to a chair.  I'm about to say something about professionalism and customer service, but I bite my tongue and just give him the benefit of the doubt that he's probably just having a bad day (it's only 1030).  I sit down and place Tay on my lap and he starts to pull out some supplies...and I notice a regular blood draw needle and a regular vial.  I remind him that it's not me getting blood drawn...that it is my toddler who is here for a finger prick.  He tells me, "No, the order is for blood draw."  I tell him, "The pediatrition told us 'finger prick'" for both anemia check and lead check."  I ask him to recheck the order.  He pulls out the labels he printed out and looks at it again.  Then he SIGHS and ROLLS HIS EYES and walks out of the room.  Now I'm really irritated.  A short while later, the Soldier comes back in followed by another young Soldier, a Specialist.  Right in front of me, the Soldier hands the labels to the Specialist and says, "She wants a finger prick for this." The Specialist looks at the two labels and says, "Yes, this label is for a finger prick, and this label can be done by blood draw or a finger prick, but it's at the discretion of the patient."  AT THE DISCRETION OF THE PATIENT.  Obviously, I want a finger prick for my toddler...not a BLOOD DRAW...especially if I have the OPTION.  Then, the Soldier proceeds to sigh AGAIN and then say right in front of me, "I can still do this as a blood draw, though."  WHAT?  NO.  You cannot do this as a blood draw anyway because I am the patient's guardian and you are NOT drawing blood from my toddler when  you have the option of doing it via finger prick.  The Specialist is now getting uncomfortable and tells the Soldier again that it is AT THE DISCRETION OF THE PATIENT and that although it might be a little harder for him to do the test via finger prick, he should still do it via finger prick.  Then again, the Soldier ROLLS HIS EYES AND LETS OUT ANOTHER SIGH and says again, "But I can do the blood draw instead, right?"  WHAT THE...

NOW I'M REALLY ANGRY. 

I interrupt the conversation and ask the Specialist if I have to get this done TODAY.  He politely tells me, "No, Ma'am, you have 60 days from when the order is placed by the doctor to get it done."  I stand up holding Tay and say, "We're NOT doing this today" and we walk out of there...me, FUMING.  That Soldier better be glad I didn't get his name (I was only seeing RED by this point) or slugged  him right then because a pregnant woman who's trying to protect her child is NOT someone you want ANGRY.

Only because Tay was right there with me did I even maintain my calmness and sanity because had she not been there and had gotten that sort of attitude from a Soldier, I think I might have yelled him and asked to talk to the first field grade officer in his chain of command.  These are the times I wish I was still in uniform so I could snap that young Soldier to attention and explain to him what proper professionalism is and how he needs to treat all of his customers, ESPECIALLY patients who may be nervous about getting a needle stuck in their arm or finger or wherever.  ARG!

So...now the question is, do I actually go back to that lab to get her finger prick done or do I just go off post and ask for lead and anemia testing at her normal pediatrician?  I haven't made that decision yet. 

As we walked out, I think Tay could sense my frustration and she asked, "Umma, what happened?  Where we going?  What happened?"  I just told her that we're going home and that she did a GREAT JOB at the doctor.  Her response, "Thank you, Umma."  Smile. 

My big girl...so grown up.  :)

Week 38/39 Doc Visit

Well, this morning's visit to the doctor's office was none too exciting, but it was lengthy.  I had the usual ultrasound to check the size of the baby, then had my consult, then a chest x-ray and EKG.  Riley's growing like a weed in there because she's already measuring 3.5 kgs (7.7 lbs!!!), but the doc assured me that babies usually weigh a little less than the measurement on the ultrasound.  That still means she's going to be over seven pounds, which is fine, but I still have two weeks to go according to the calendar!  How much more is she going to grow? 

At least the no-later-than date is now set - the induction is scheduled for the 29th of September if she doesn't come out on her own before then...so that she doesn't get too big and get stuck.  I guess I need to start powerwalking everywhere to make sure she comes out before then...I'd rather try and avoid the induction this time around, but there is something nice about knowing when her ultimate due date is...I guess. 

Other than that, Riley's growing strong and running out of room in there.  I'll get the results from my x-ray and EKG next week at my next appointment.  I know most hospitals do the cervix check and such around this time to see if I'm effaced or dilated at all, but they haven't done that and doesn't look like they'll be doing that in the next week or two, so I guess it'll just be when she comes she'll come.  I do have another NST (non-stress test) scheduled for next week's appointment; I had one of those two weeks ago as well and she's definitely doing just fine.  She was asleep for the first ten minutes of the test, so they came and buzzed her so she'd move around, and she definitely didn't like that so she got active and kicked around quite a bit for the next twenty minutes.  We'll see how she does next week.

Insomnia has really been kicking my behind the past week and it doesn't seem to be getting much better.  The frequent bathroom trips don't help, but it's not the primary cause...I just have very very busy dreams where I'm just busy doing every day stuff from work to taking care of household chores to caring for Tay, so when I finally wake up, it feels like I haven't slept at all!  The constant exhaustion is really making me cranky throughout the day, which I'm sure is wearing on Jeff and Tay...so how do I break this cycle?  I feel like I got no rest this weekend, and it was supposed to be relaxing!  Ah well...even taking naps during the day just don't seem to help much anymore.  Perhaps this is the way my body is trying to prepare me for having a newborn in the house again...getting my body used to the lack of good "rest?"  At least then I'll have a cuddly newborn to love on with a sweetheart of a big sister to help me out...and no work to think about...at least for six weeks?  Maybe I should just start my maternity leave next week...::sigh::

Mom gets here on the 19th and Chuseok is on the 22nd...I'm hoping the little one comes on the 23rd.  Others are betting earlier.  I'm still hoping the 23rd.  Riley, come on the 23rd, yes?  Please?  :)

Hoping for a good next week...and a safe and happy delivery after my mom gets here!

My little big girl...

I look at my Tay every day and every night and think, my goodness she has grown so much...but she is still so little.  She still can't even reach the light switches in our house.  But she's over twice as big as she was when she was first born.  She's an incredibly good communicator in amazingly complete sentences, although sometimes it takes her a couple tries to get it right, and her little mind is like a lock box that once a piece of information has been stored, it is locked in tight so she can think back and retrieve it and apply that piece of knowledge or information at the right moment.  It's amazing to me.

I know that she's going to be a great big sister, and I also know that she's going to take some time to adjust to having another member of the family joining us on a permanent basis.  It will be hard for her to see me holding the little baby when she so wants to be held and it will be hard for her to know that I won't be able to lift her up (like I still do today) right after the baby comes.  I do my best to try and not lift her, but sometimes, she just needs me to so I can I say no?  How much cuddle time will I lose with my little big girl?  We cuddle and giggle a lot, you know...it's so special...at least for me.  Sometimes she even stops me and says, "Umma, that's enough."  But then, of course, she giggles and cuddles me right back.  :) 

I guess we just have to practice cuddling a lot with baby sister included so we don't squish her. 

Good cop, bad cop?

Funny how little ones already know who's the "easy sell" of the parents.  Tay has figured out a sweet way (already!!!) to try and get what she wants.  There are certain things that I am pretty restrictive of when it's just Tay and me in the house (like when Jeff's away on business or something), so she normally doesn't ask me for these things...I just use them as special treats for her when she's been good all day or I just feel like giving her a treat (like ice cream or Dora or chocolate).  I wouldn't say I'm totally restrictive, by any means, but I tend to ration a little more than Jeff.  :)

Anyhow, when Daddy's home, she always goes to ask Daddy for these things that she really likes, but doesn't get on a regular basis as far as Mom's concerned.  This is how the conversation goes, normally:

Tay:  Appa, I want ice cream right now, please.
Appa:  Right now?  Did you ask your Mom?
Tay:  Mommy's busy right now.  I want ice cream, please.
Appa:  We haven't had dinner yet.  Ask your Mom.
Tay:  Mommy's busy right now.  I want ice cream right now, please. 

Depending on Jeff's mood, she will end up with ice cream or she'll be distracted by something else.  She's a persistent little bug.  :)  For a while, she would say, "I want *something* now" or "I want *something* right now," but I told her that wasn't polite and she needed to say "please," so now she adds "please" after her "right now."  ::sigh::  Clever girl...:P

The last month...

I now have just about one month left before our second angel joins our family.  I don't know what it is that I feel about the pregnancy right now, but a strange sense of calm and happiness has settled over me, so perhaps serenity is the best word to describe it.  For most of the pregnancy, I think I was feeling anxiety and some guilt about brining this new life into our seemingly perfect three-person family life, but now as the time draws closer to meet little Riley, I'm happy and feel ready to take on the task of mothering a newborn again with enough love to spare for my still beautiful and ever-needy-yet-independent Tay.  I feel bad for those people who always comment that Tay will become old news once the new baby is born because I think I will be even more amazed and loving toward her because of her new role as a big sister, and I fully believe that she will embrace that role with enthusiasm.  Of course, I expect the natural jealousy and moments of frustration she will feel when I, or others, have to be preoccupied because of the newborn, but I feel I will be able to help her feel loved enough for her not to feel threatened.  Not because I think I'm some super-mom or have any special skills on mothering...just because I know that Tay has an enormous heart and my love for her is so overwhelming that I can't fathom feeling any other way toward her...no matter what.  It's a great sort of feeling that has settled over me, and I hope it carries through the rest of the time I have left being pregnant and through the birth and thereafter. 

As for my physical well-being, I can't say it's quite as happy as my mental state.  My lower back is aching all day, especially first thing in the morning when I get out of bed, and of course, by the late evening when the day's activities are wearing me down.  It feels like little Riley is starting to move down already, which puts a little more pressure on my lower nerves and of course my bladder...which results in more frequent trips to the restroom.  I don't mind those as much, but I don't like the wake-up calls in the middle of the night feeling like I'm about to wet myself if I don't hurry up and get to the bathroom.  Also, when pregnant the first time I didn't have any reccurance of nausea once my third trimester hit, but now I'm feeling that slight queasy feeling again; thankfully not as severely as the first trimester.  I am significantly more tired this trimester than I was in my second trimester, but I know it's because I'm wearing myself out trying to keep Tay busy and entertained after work.  Keeping active has also given me much more energy, though, so I think the tiredness during the day is worth having more energy in the evening to spend with her.  I have started to battle the "waddle," as my natural gait starts to widen to make room for my ever-dropping baby belly, but I think part of it has to do with the fact that I don't like the way my inner thighs rub together in this sweaty heat.  Waddling reduces the friction...ugh.  Sleeping is also a little less comfortable now because when I lie down, breathing gets to be more difficult until I get my belly situated "just-so" on one side or the other, so every time I wake up to roll over (or go to the bathroom), I have to resituate myself into a comfortable position to fall back asleep.  My insomnia seems to have passed, but I still feel like I'm losing quite a lot of sleep because of all the time spent waking up in the middle of the night with visits to the bathroom and rolling over.  And of course, I can't forget Mr. Sciatic Nerve as it continues to cramp my behind's style and Mr. Leg Cramps as it wakes me up in a jerking motion trying to get the cramp out before it really locks me up.  I don't remember being so whiney about all the physical pains of pregnancy during my first pregnancy, but man...it just all seems so much worse this time around.  I think I just got lucky and had it super easy my first time, so I'm paying for it this time around...:P  Can't REALLY complain, though...I still have it pretty easy compared to some of my poor pregnant friends who are on bed rest or have morning sickness throughout the entire pregnancy.  I feel for you guys...

Last, but not least, I've been doing a lot of reading about doulas lately and now am considering hiring one for my birth.  It seems there are quite a few options here in Korea for doulas, and although I feel a lot less anxious about this labor/delivery than the first time around, I have this feeling that I experienced my first labor/delivery sort of haphazardly.  I think after Jeff gets back from this exercise, we'll chat about it and see what he thinks and maybe we'll chat with one or two ladies to see how we feel.  Anyone have any experience with doulas here in Korea wanna share?  :)

Silence...

I have been trying to think of how and what to write about my feelings on the transition between being a mother of one to being a mother of two, and have been at a loss for words.  I was hoping it would just come naturally for me to express to my first born how the time we have shared together, just the three of us as a family, have been so special...but that she would be doubly blessed to have this new being in our lives.  Still...it's hard to imagine how much our lives will change until this new one joins our lives. 

I probably have a little over a month left with my Tay being my only, and it's beginning to feel like a bittersweet end.  She has been everything and more than I ever imagined I would ever have as my child and her love is just incredible.  I know it is inevitable that the relationship changes between a parent and child 100 times over as every day passes, but adding a new family member is sure to rock the boat and bring about some insecurity in my little girl as she sees how much time a newborn requires of the mother.  Even this morning when I woke up, my lower back was aching due to my ever-growing tummy, so when my Tay asked me to carry her from her bed to mine to cuddle a bit before we got up for the day, I told her I couldn't because Mommy's back was hurting.  My sweet Tay then got her groggy self out of her bed and as we walked to my bed together, she rubbed my back with her tiny little hands and said, "You feel muuuuch better now, Mommy?  I make your back aaaaaalll better."  ::tear::  Then we both collapsed into bed together and cuddled for a bit before getting up and ready for the work day.  Will we still be able to have those moments once the new little one arrives?  Probably not for at least the first six months while I'm a milking machine (hopefully), but I must do everything in my power to keep our special moments together so I can stay connected to my Tay...my sweet sweet girl...my first baby. 

We did start a sort of ritual every evening a couple weeks ago - foot lotion!  After bathing or showering every night, we sit at my small vanity and I massage her little feet with foot lotion and put socks on her, and then I do mine while she admires herself in the mirror.  :)  It's good for our tired, abused feet, and we get some girl pampering time together...she seems to enjoy it quite a bit and it gets her relaxed for bed time.  After a long day, it's a good way for both of us to reconnect and relax, even if it only takes a few minutes.  It's also working wonders on my nasty cracking heels and calluses. 

In other Tay news, I think we will be ending her ballet classes for now after this week (end of a term), mainly because the teacher she has been with now for three terms will not be teaching the next term, and I think it would be good for her to try out a different class.  I took her to a trial class called "Creative Music" where there were three young ladies who led the class in rhythm, dancing, drawing, and general silliness.  Tay really seemed to enjoy the class, and since that class is conducted in Korean, I think it will be a good way for her to get more Korean language exposure since I'm clearly not providing enough of it at home.  :P  I have also enrolled her in a "Music Together" class in English that is supposed to be the sister class to the ones held in the US that her cousins participate in, so maybe they can be learning the same songs and activities from across the big pond that separates us!  The new classes don't officially start until September, so this is the direction we're planning on going for the next three months.  Because all of these classes are held in the same location as her ballet classes (IPark Culture Center, Yongsan), it should be a pretty smooth transition for her. 

Once Riley arrives, we're hoping to keep Tay on her regular schedule of going to the sitter in the morning (with Jeff instead of me) so she can continue to "go to work" like normal, and at least for the first six weeks, Beth can just keep things as normal for her during the day with the library trips, playgroup visits, and these classes at IPark.  And then after the work day, she can come home and I can spend some one-on-one time with her while Jeff (or my mom while she's here) can watch the baby.  I'm hoping this will be the best decision for our family and the healthiest for Tay to transition into being a big sister to Riley.  I'm much more nervous about how this new addition will impact Tay than I am about actually going into labor and having this child.  It's a whole different feeling from when I became a mom for the first time...it's hard to explain.  The excitement is there, but there is this anxiety that sits in my stomach about how the rest of my family will be changed by this small being growing inside my belly right now...

I haven't been so good with capturing the little gems coming out of my Tay's mouth lately, but one I did catch was when she saw me dressed in the morning and said, "Mommy, you look like a princess!"  Mind you, I was just wearing a skirt and top for work and I was feeling as huge as a house, so that put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.  :)  Another one was when we visited Daddy at work this past Saturday.  She was sitting on his lap putting chapstick on him and afterward, she looked at him and said, "You're a beauuuuutiful girl."  Jeff then asked her what she was, and she replied, "I'm a beautiful girl, too!  And Aiden is a silly boy!"  Aiden is one of her little friends she adores.  Hilarious. 

I really want to cherish these last few weeks with my little girl being an only...I know she'll be a wonderful big sister to Riley, so I'm not so worried about that, but I want her to feel that she can never be replaced and that our love for her will only double as she assumes the new role, even if it seems we are losing time spent with just her.  ::sigh::

Vacation, Hiccups, and a little more...

Vacationing while pregnant has its perks and its disadvantages.  The obvious disadvantages are the discomforts of travelling by any mode of transportation for any given amount of time; dietary changes that may or may not impact your digestive tract; not being able to sleep in your own bed; and just being out of sync because you're out of your routine. 

Some of the perks are pretty sweet, though.  Like...being able to eat whatever dessert you want without feeling guilty (although I still did because I knew my doc in Korea would pass out at my weight gain when I got back); no work to think about (!!!!!!); napping in the middle of the day with my big girl...every day; seeing FAMILY; catching up with friends; and I think I have to admit that jet lag on vacation is actually a perk for pregnant women because now we really have an excuse to sleep all day and sleep all night...and so much more.

Moving on...

Another part of being on vacation is that I get lazy.  I haven't decided if that's a perk or a disadvantage because part of vacation is supposed to be enjoyable because you get to be lazy...right?  Anyhow, when pregnant, you must be vigilant about certain things, like taking your prenatal vitamins, and recording special developments with the little baby growing inside of you as if she were your first.  I can't say I've been as dilligent about writing about this pregnancy as I did with Tay, but I think circumstances are a little different right now, too...I'm still working full time at the tail end of this pregnancy, I've got a toddler who's quite interesting to say the least, and some things I guess are just not as novel the second time around. 

I was going back and reading through some of my pregnancy experiences with Tay, and noticed that I recorded the very first time I felt her hiccupping inside of me and how excited I was (and how hilarious I found it) to know what it was.  Well, I can't equate the experience of my first hiccups with little Riley to Tay's first hiccups, but I did record it and it was memorable.  Riley had her first hiccups on July 14th and 4:45am and it woke me up because she was hiccupping right by my bladder.  The first thought that actually crossed my mind when I realized she was hiccuping:  "Thank goodness, she's now in the head-down position."  Is that odd?  I guess I was a little more concerned with the possibility of her being breech than I thought I was. 

I did get asked if I was carrying twins a couple times, but I decided not to get offended because some people just aren't used to seeing pregnant women...eh.  At least while I was in the states, I had more people tell me that I looked small for being so far along instead of the constant "you're so huge" comments I received  here in Korea. 

Once we got back to Korea, though, the jet lag is kicking my butt since I actually have to be awake during the day because of work, but Tay doesn't want to sleep past 2am...ugh.  It's been a rough few days, but she's slowly starting to sleep a little later...like this morning, she woke up at 3:45 instead of 2am and stayed in bed until at least 5:15...

I also had my doctor's appointment after I got back and luckily, the doctor didn't fall out of her chair when she saw my weight (although she did gasp in disgust).  Little Riley is quite healthy and developing and growing at a rapid rate.  She is still in the head-down position and looks to be stuck there for the time being.  According to the measurements, she's looking like she's already over four pounds...let's hope she doesn't double in weight between now and when she wants to come out, but if she does, then I'll just have another healthy big baby girl.  :)

I transfer over to Cha hospital now so my next visit will be with Dr. Cha on the 16th of August.  Looking forward to getting to that finish line, but am in no rush to get there.  We'll just take it one day at a time and enjoy my last couple months with Riley's ever-growing big sister Tay as an only child. 

Summer Vacation, Part 1

It has been a wonderfully relaxing four days here at Callaway Gardens, Georgia.  We landed in Atlanta on Saturday morning after a grueling flight from Incheon.  On our way to Callaway, we stopped by some very important stores to ensure we picked up the necessities before getting to our destination - namely Babies R Us and Target - and eventually found ourselves at the registration office for our Summer Family Adventure.  :)

Sweetheart that Tay is, she stayed awake through almost the entire flight...not really causing too many problems, but also not allowing a very exhausted pregnant Mom to get any sleep...:P  Nonetheless, the flight was uneventful, thankfully, so although I was cranky by the time we landed, Jeff kept his spirits up for the three of us and we made it all the way to Callaway with no meltdowns.  Tay actually fell asleep the last couple hours on the plane and continued to sleep through immigration, customs, BabiesRUs, Target, and the beautiful drive down to Callaway.  Once we were parked at the registration office and Jeff went inside to pick up our paperwork and keys, she awoke and as soon as she saw me peering back at her from the front seat, she smiled her sweet little smile.  I asked her how she slept and she whispered, "Good."  Then she got a puzzled look on her face and asked, "Where's Tita?"  Hehehe...I guess she assumed we were on our way to "work" as we did almost every morning back in Korea.  After I told her Tita was at her house and that we were on vacation, she nodded in groggy understanding and she glanced around the car...at which point her eyes widened a little more as she saw that the car was not our normal car.  She looked quickly down at her car seat and grinning, she said, "Who got me my new car seat?  You get it for me?"  Funny child.  Then she must have remembered that she was on an airplane before, so she asked, "Where airplane go?" 

Well, once Jeff came back out of the registration office, we made our way to our cottage for the next two weeks.  Tay, of course, asked if this was our new home, and we explained it would be for a little while.  We looked around the neighborhood and Jeff showed us the grounds in our "little bitty car," which is what Tay decided to call our golf cart.  :)  That evening, we got ourselves dinner and a treat from the "malt shop & pizzaria" and had a nice swim to end the day.  The water was so wonderfully warm in the pool that we didn't want to get out, even though it was around 9pm!  Someone had left a noodle in the pool and as one family was leaving, a little kid came up and gave the noodle to Tay to play with since, I assume, it wasn't theirs either.  Maybe it was a community noodle.  Tay said thank you and then she turned to me and said, "Her gave it to me!" and she was so excited.  :)  We played with the noodle for a while, floating around, her playing lifeguard and pulling me out of the water using the noodle as her "lasso" and talking through it like a telephone.  She really didn't want to leave the pool, but with promises of returning tomorrow, we finally made our way back to the cottage (which is about a 100 yards away if you take the long route) and prepared to sleep for the night...or so we thought.  Tay was none to excited about going to bed because she was now wide awake...oh my...and Jeff and I...were quite exhausted.  We battled it out until around 11pm before she finally went to sleep after much tears.  She did wake up many many times throughout the night, as did we because of the jet lag, but we tried to sleep as much as we could. 

Jeff took Tay for a jog in the stroller Sunday morning before the sun came up and I tidied up around the house and unpacked a bit more.  After they got back, Tay was sound asleep in the stroller - I forgot to mention, Tay didn't sleep past 1:30 the night before.  We decided to let her sleep a bit thinking she'd wake up before we went to breakfast at 8, but she didn't wake up so we just put her sleeping into the car seat and went on to breakfast.  Jeff took us to the Country Store, which was absolutely delicious...I had whole wheat banana griddle cakes and couldn't finish them because of the quantity, but they were absolutely delicious.  I also ate the rest of Jeff's grits...yum.  Tay slept through the entire meal and didn't even wake up when we strapped her back in the car seat to go home. 

That afternoon, my mom and dad drove down from Virginia to join us at the cottage for a week.  We met them at another ice cream parlor called Sages, but I wasn't as impressed there as I was with the malt shop.  Eh.  Tay woke up then, and she quickly got reacquainted with my folks and it has been just days of grandparent spoiling since.  Tay's got the good life going for her during this vacation.  First, my folks will spoil her until the Ryals grandparents arrive and do the hand-off at the end of this week and then she gets spoiled by them for the next two weeks and then it's back to my folks for a week in Virginia!  A whole month of getting spoiled by grandparents...she's never going to want to go back home!  :)  I guess that's what summer vacations should be all about...

It has been a fantastic first three/four days here at Callaway with lots of walking, a little hiking, lots of swimming and catching fireflies...:)  We've got visitors coming down the next couple days and then the other side of the family arrives this weekend so it's going to be pure chaos once the rest of the clan gets here!  Really looking forward to it!!!

What a WONDERFUL start to our 2010 summer vacation!

Growing up...

Perhaps I was in denial, but I always had the secret hope in my mind that my relationship that is so sweet and loving with my daughter would never fade and that I would never get my feelings hurt by a 2-year-old.  Well, perhaps I am right that the relationship won't fade, but it is definitely changing and in transition from my snuggly little girl into an independent girl who wants to grow her individuality and assert her opinions.  I got my feelings hurt this morning when she woke up and she called out...she didn't specify who she wanted at first, so I went to her bed and started to lie down next to her and instead of her usual, "Hi, Umma," I got a quick shove and a, "NO!  I don't want you!  Daaaaddy!"  From that moment, the entire morning was denying everything and anything I asked her, to include getting dressed and getting out the door.  Of course, Jeff's just eating this stuff up...:P  So...I've already lost her to Daddy...so when do I get her back?  Of course, I've had other moments similar to this where she only wanted Daddy or her Tita to do whatever was originally asked, but why did my feelings get hurt this morning?  Because at least in the morning, she lets me hug her or something to say good morning...not an immediate, NO!  Sadly, I'm sure other parents will assure me, that I've got many more of these moments ahead of me and many (and far more emotionally painful) battles to fight with my little girls, but the question is...can I handle them?  And the tougher question is...how much have I hurt my own Mom's feelings?  A countless number, I'm sure...

I guess it's true what they say about how the ones you love the most can also hurt you the most.  All you can do is just keep loving them more until they come to love you back.  That's just what you do with family...

Well, when we finally did get out the door this morning, as we were leaving, Tay took my hand and said, "Come on, Mommy.  We go to Tita's now."  The girl is a creature of habit.  When we got to Tita's, I handed her off, and that's when she reached for me for the first time all morning and with a sheepish little grin on her face, she said, "Mama, mama" like she used to when she was a little baby.  I gave her a hug and she squeezed me tight and gave me a big kiss.  As they headed up to the apartment and I to my car, she looked back at me and yelled, "I love you!"  I yelled back, "I love you, too!" and smiled as I got in my car.  Children just have no idea how much they can toy with a parent's emotions...

Tay is getting so grown up.  It's still amazing to me that since her transition to her twin bed last month (23 May), she has yet to come sleep in our bed again...not even in the middle of the night or in the morning.  She's completely potty trained during the day, even when we go to the pool!  I'm still trying to think of the best method of nighttime potty training, but I think I'll wait on that until after the sibling arrives.  She pretty much feeds herself as long as I prepare her food in reasonably sized pieces so she can eat whatever she gets on her spoon or fork or chopsticks in one bite.  She loves kimchee!  She'll sit and read books to her "babies" when she's not busy cooking in her play kitchen or dancing around the house singing "SUNNY DAY!" or "Reach to the sky like you're climbing a rope!"  Tay's so very talkative...she chatters on non-stop about various thoughts that come to mind, and one of the funniest things she does is to go and pick up her play phone and have a full conversation with someone on the other line about various subjects she remembers.  For example, she had played over at a friend's house the other day and she left two of her play cups there.  She called him up on her play phone the next day and this is how the conversation went:  "Hi, ---.  How aaare you?" Pause.  "I'm fine, thank you."  Pause.  "How are you dooooing?"  Pause.  "Can I come over?  I need a get my cups.  I leff dem at  yoooou house.  I neeeeed dem."  Pause.  "You eeeeating?"  Pause.  "Okay.  Love you.  Bye!  Mmmwah."  (This is how she ends almost all of her phone conversations).  Jeff and I just listened to the whole conversation in amazement that she even remembered that she left those cups at her friend's house. 

Tay has also been very curious what people's names are.  If anyone addresses her or talks to one of us (adults), she always in turn asks, "Who's daaaat?" and when we tell her we don't know, then she'll say, "I ask.  What's yooou name?"  She recently started calling people her "friends," too...which is really cute.  At the playground a couple days ago, she was climbing up something and these two other girls just a tad older than her, I think, were climbing up the structure as well.  One of them lightly stepped on Tay's finger, and immediately stopped and said sorry and kissed her finger.  Tay gave the little girl her other hand to kiss, too!  The little girl did so, and then they went on climbing and playing and when the other two little girls ran somewhere else to go play, Tay came up to me and said, "Where my friends go?" 

Her imagination must just be going 100-miles a minute because the other day, she also told me to come sit in her house (her play area) because it was "dinnuh time."  I sat there at her little table, curious to see what she would bring me.  She carried over a little pot with something rattling around in side and I asked her what it was.  She told me, "Don't touch it yet.  It's hooooot.  I blow it for you."  I asked her again what it was, and she opened the pot and said, "(M)ushroom soup," and when I looked inside her pot, there was one mushroom topping piece from her pizza game!  Hilarious. 

On another note, not that this entry isn't long enough already, we have started Tay with somewhat regular "swim" lessons.  Private lessons for the time being until we can find some folks who might want to do lessons together.  Tay tends to pay attention beter (oddly enough) when there are other kids around and she seems to learn faster.  She's already pretty comfortable in the water and she's perfectly happy putting her face in the water, blowing bubbles, kicking and flailing her arms, so I think we'll have her making her way around the pool pretty soon.  What I'm happy with is that after the first lesson, she learned how to get into a pool safely holding onto the side, and she is much more comfortable with lying on her back with assistance in the water whereas before, she really did NOT like going on her back in the water at all.  When we took her swimming yesterday, she happily stretched out on her back with her head on my shoulder and made the T-shape like she was taught.  I love that she loves the water...it's going to be a fun summer.  :)

This coming weekend we fly to the states for some much needed vacation time with the family.  It will be great to see the extended family and enjoy some good outdoor fun.  Definitely looking forward to relaxing and reconnecting...looking for some rejuvination before the final trimester...:)

No Phone Call Yet...

Well, so far, I've received no phone call regarding my glucose screening, which might mean good news that I am not gestationaly diebetic.  It's been almost a week, and usually they call within the week if anything is wrong.  We'll wait a few more days before the final determination. 

The doctor's visit last Tuesday went about as expected.  They told me I was gaining too much weight and told me I needed to go on a diet.  Eh.  Luckily, I am somewhat numbed to them saying it now, so it didn't have the effect it did the first few times.  :P  The baby has grown quite a bit since my last visit, too, though, so it's not just all me!  Anyhow, I'm now sitting around 27 weeks according to the size of the baby, and they said it's about time for me to start doing exercises to make the baby turn.  She's sitting in a breech position right now with her head snuggled up near my rib cage and constantly kicking my bladder.  It's so strange to have so much information this pregnancy.  I wouldn't have known if Tay was in a breech or otherwise position until at least week 36 or so...and probably wouldn't have worried about it.  Now I'm doing daily exercises already to get this little one to turn...but I think there's still too much room in there for her to stay in the head-down position.  A few times after the exercises, I'll feel her kicking up in my rib cage and think, oh, she's turned, but then later on that day, she'll be right back down by my bladder kicking away.  Maybe I should just wait a few more weeks before trying to get her turned...in the mean time, she seems to be just fine rolling around in there however she feels like rolling.

I've also tried adjusting my diet a little, mostly snacking on grape/cherry tomatoes - my latest "craving" persay.  It's hard trying to eat only healthy alternatives...for me, I think it's mostly portion control that I have issues with...and preventing myself from eating whatever is available at the time...

In other symptomatic news, I have had minor bloody noses for the past three or four days in the morning.  I think it's because our air conditioner finally works in the bedroom, so it's drying out my nasal passages, but I am sleeping a whole lot better since I'm not sweltering...is it worth the tradeoff?  Perhaps.  My lower back is also bothering me quite a bit, but I think that is mostly due to my sciatic nerve and carrying around Tay everywhere.  She doesn't feel heavy to me, but I can feel the ache in my lower back after I've carried her for a while and set her down. 

Another thing that has been on my mind lately is what Saint's name to give to little Riley since she will be baptized in the Catholic church shortly after she is born.  I'm hoping that she will be able to be baptized while my parents are still here visiting after her birth.  Some of my favorites with the September month association are Seraphia and Teresa, while Sophia is also one I like.  Also, who can we ask to be a God-parent for her?  Religion is increasingly important for me these days...I'm not exactly sure why...but I just feel the need for God's presence in our lives, and I want to raise our children with an awareness and understanding of God and His love for us. 

Oooo...another improvement from last week is that my crazy sweets craving has subsided, mostly, so I'm not craving chocolate every minute of every day.   :)  I am satisfied with a piece of fruit or even a cherry tomato!  Thank goodness.  Maybe I can finally get this weight under control...ha ha...

Anyway, I got my fit-to-fly memorandum for our vacation!  We fly on Saturday so I'm hoping for the best.  I never flew so far into my pregnancy last time around, so this should be interesting.  I hear I should walk a lot to prevent clots and swelling...I'll see what I can do.  Also...will they let pregnant women take snacks on board?

Lack of Sleep leads to Meltdowns...

...and even more sleep loss.  But, I think I've got my job cut out for me for the next few weeks because after next week, we'll be traveling on vacation, so trying to set a routine when we're going to be someplace that had a 13-hour time difference will not make things easy.  I am SOOOOOO looking forward to the vacation, though...it's much needed after the past few weeks of hormonal imbalance and meltdowns (both Tay and me, at least on the meltdowns).  I really want some down time with the family outside of the bustling city that is Seoul...

In other happier (perhaps funnier) news, Tay has taken up a few funny sayings like, "Hey, GUYS! Come seeee this!" about whatever it is she happens to be doing, or "What're you dooooing, guys?"  I'm not exactly sure where she picked up they "guys" phrase, but I assume it's from her playgroup or something because I don't hear Jeff or me saying that at all.  She will also frequently point out that I have a baby in my belly, and sometimes she'll even remember that her name is Riley.  Then, when I ask her what she has in her tummy, she'll say, "Food" in a very matter-of-fact tone.  Obviously.  She has also taken to asking other people what they have in their tummies...which can sometimes catch a few people off guard. 

Many mornings lately have started way earlier than normal because she would wake up, and the first thing she would do is either call for Daddy or Mommy, and when one of us comes to see her, she'll ask for Dora or Diego.  Well, this morning was a little different, but I think it's because her loss of sleep was catching up to her.  I heard her rustling around in her bed around 6am, but I didn't hear her get up.  She also didn't call for either of us.  I lay there waiting until around 6:20 or so...still a little rustling here and there, but no getting out of bed or coming to our bed.  So...I got up to start getting ready for the morning, expecting her to get out of bed then once she heard me get up, but she stayed in her bed, still rustling around and rolling back and forth from her stomach to her back and occasionally raising her foot to the ceiling and settling it back down again.  I just snuck glipmpses at her in her bed as I got ready for the day.  It was around 6:45 when I finally walked over to her bed to find her still lying there looking at the ceiling with her little leg raised.  She looked at me and said, "Hi, Mama."  I asked her, "How'd you sleep?" and she responded with a soft, "Good."  Then, she rubbed her little eyes and stretched a bit and said to me in one big sigh, "Mommy, I tiiiiiiired."  Hehehe...that's why she hadn't gotten out of bed or anything.  She reached up her arms toward me with a pleading look of "please pick me up," which I couldn't resist, so I picked her up and she wrapped her little body around my ever-growing body.  We picked out some clothes for the day, her still attached to me like a baby koala and we made our way to my bed to get her dressed.  Looks like it might be a good day to start readjusting her sleep schedule...earlier bedtime, here we come!  Hopefully...

I am so very glad it is the weekend.  I'm looking forward to some down time and family time and a special Father's Day!

Pregnant Beauty

Never during my first pregnancy did I ever think my pregnant body was...too fat or too ugly or too anything...except perfect.  I can't say that I didn't have any of the typical pregnancy symptoms like breakouts and fat rolls and funny skin color changes, but NEVER have I ever felt "unattractive" because I knew my body was growing a beautiful human being inside of me and that she was healthy and I was healthy.  It didn't matter that I gained weight every second I breathed and it didn't matter that I didn't stay under the recommended weight gain for a "healthy" pregnant woman...I still felt BEAUTIFUL and happy with my physical body...literally the entire pregnancy.  I might not have been emotionally stable throughout it, much like this current pregnancy, but the emotional instability was more focused on what I was going to be doing in the future, what kind of mom I was going to be, if I'd be a good mom, etc.  Not about my body image. 

This pregnancy, I think  90% of my stress is coming from how "fat" I'm getting and how much I weigh.  I stepped on the scale yesterday, to psychologically try and prepare myself for my next doctor's appointment tomorrow, and nearly fell over in shock at the number on the scale.  Honestly, I probably weighed more than that with the first pregnancy at 25/26 weeks, but all I could hear in my head was, YOU ARE GAINING TOO MUCH WEIGHT, YOU ARE OVER OBESE, YOU NEED TO STOP EATING...

I keep telling myself I'll adjust my diet, eat less, no more sweets, etc...but constantly worrying about my weight is actually making me crave the sweets and unhealthy foods that I need to be avoiding!  Why do I do this???

I don't feel "unhealthy."  I did just jog a 5K fun run in 40 minutes and 45 seconds and felt fine (my leg muscles were sore for a couple days after).  I do walk fairly frequently, although not the recommended three hours a day from my doctor.  I never charted my weight gain the first time around, but for this pregnancy, I have been keeping track, somewhat, but not religiously like my doctor recommended (to ensure I gain only 11 pounds this prengancy, ha!).  Sadly to say, I have already burst the bubble on those recommended eleven pounds, but I'm happy to report that I have been steadily gaining one to two pounds (most weeks, two pounds) throughout this second trimester.  My understanding is that is an okay weight gain for someone who was in the normal weight range before I got pregnant.  According to my current doctor, though, I started out my pregnancy as an obese person, so I was not supposed to gain the "normal" amount of weight for this pregnancy.  Blah blah blah...so I weighed more than 100 pounds when I got pregnant.  I'm not the "typical" Korean woman.  Give me a break.

This next doctor's appointment will be my last with this doctor.  I'll be transferring to the hospital where I am planning on having little Riley - the same hospital where I had Tay.  And I'll even have the same doctor if everything goes as planned.  Maybe they'll give me a break about my weight and just be happy for me that the little life growing inside of me is healthy and strong and that she will be just as lovely when she's born as my first angel was...:)

Tomorrow is my glucose screening...yay.  More to follow after the test.  Hopefully I'll have a better self-image by then...:P

Rough Couple of Days...

Now, as much as I hate to admit publicly that my perfect little family has off days, I find writing theraputic, so I tend to write about it.  Well, this past week has been a bit rough for all of us, but namely me because I have felt so...disconnected from the family / sad / anxious / stressed...you name it, I felt it.  There was no particular incident or event that caused such emotions to build up, but I think the blame solely lies with my ever-fluctuating hormones with pregnancy.  Jeff likes to remind me that I had "emotional" days similar to this week when I was pregnant with Tay, too, but I guess I just left those out of my writing because I went back through all my past pregnancy posts and didn't come across a single one.  Moving on...

I think it was a combination of hormones, Tay catching a cold, hormones, not being able to sleep at night, hormones, back aches, and hormones that made everything seem just unbearable (things like Tay asserting her independence, Jeff letting her watch back-to-back Dora and Diego, work, etc.).  Silly things that during a not-pregnant normal week, I would have just taken in stride or simply complained about, but with all of it coming together in this one week, it has felt overwhelming and I needed an outlet...so what did I do?  I walked out of the house close to midnight, went to my car in the parking garage, locked myself in it and wept.  Boo hoo hoo pitiful.  But you know what?  I felt much better after that.  The next day was a little rough since my eyes were all swollen and puffy and I didn't get hardly any sleep, but by the end of the day, I started crawling out of my self-pity hole and passed out for some good sleep on the living room floor.  :) 

The next day was MUCH brighter and I could feel my energy coming back...thank goodness.  My disconnected-ness from everyone seemed to fade and I feel somewhat back to normal again.

Let's hope I don't have any more of these weird week-long emotionally-off periods for the rest of this pregnancy...ugh.

Overdue...post.

There have been a lot of thinking on my part about this pregnancy, but I haven't had the time or motivation to write it all down, so here I am trying to capture some of my thoughts after about a month's hiatus. 

I am now around 24 weeks pregnant and feeling pretty good.  Mostly I am tired from lack of sleep, but usually my pregnancy sleepiness hits around 1:30 or 2 and really makes me tired so I like taking a nap around then for an hour or two (or three...if I can get away with it). 

As for some other symptoms, I have recently started having lower back pain and some of it I'm sure has to do with me carrying around Tay all the time still (she's now around 32 pounds!) but some of it is definitely sciatica pain that comes with pregnancy.  I had some of it with Tay, too, so it's a familiar kind of pain...ugh.  My hands and feet are also now constantly hot...which doesn't help at all now that the weather's also getting extremely hot, day and night.  The fact that our AC units in our new apartment aren't functioning well also doesn't help...especially when I try to sleep at night.  People have started saying that I just have this great pregnancy glow these past few days, but I think they are just mistaking my constantly sweaty skin for the "glow"...or maybe they're just trying to be nice.  I am showing significantly in my belly, of course, and there also has been quite a bit of growth in my behind and cheeks as well.  Welcome back, chipmunk cheeks.  Will there be photos?  Maybe.  I haven't decided.  I probably ought to get some taken of the belly at least for posterity.  I feel huge already, and I am not looking forward to getting even more huge as the summer progresses, but what I AM looking forward to is seeing all my family in a few weeks at Calloway Gardens!  I'm sure I'll be sweltering there, too, but at least I will just be relaxing and spending some fun time with family and friends on wonderful-looking resort grounds...:)  Another thing I'm looking forward to...finding and buying some summer maternity clothes!  There just isn't much selection here, and all my maternity clothes from when I was big with Tay are winter clothes since I had her in March! 

Ah, another big development in the pregnancy is that we have decided on this little angel's name:  Shinah Riley Ryals!  Jeff and I had been talking about possible names for her for a while, and we finally agreed on Shinah, which means "beautiful faith" in Korean, and it is like her big sister's name in that Tay's first name is Shingil, which means "a path to faith" in Korean.  Her middle name is just a name we had always both liked and we had contemplated between the names Riley and Raegan before choosing Riley.  I'm not sure if it's normal to announce the decision of a baby's name already, but we did the same with Tay, so here it is.  She will be called Shinah Riley Ryals. 

Riley is quite the active one.  We can already see her wiggling, jiggling, and kicking around in my belly...enough that you can see it from the outside.  Tay felt her kick for the first time and now she refers to my belly as "the baby."  She seems to be most active at night time right before I go to sleep, which doesn't help me fall asleep, but it's a nice way to drift off to sleep as I feel her kicking around in there.  She doesn't seem to have a regular awake and sleeping period like Tay did, though, because most of her movement is sporadically throughout the day.  She'll be really still for a bit, and then she'll be really active for about 10-15 minutes.  Sometimes her movements will go on for almost an hour, at which point it feels like my insides have become all jumbled and I get a little nauseous...:) 

My eating habits have not improved...I am trying to curb my appetite, but all I crave these days are sweets...and anything chocolate.  Disturbing.  I did have a hankering for watermelon, to which Jeff brought home a huge DELICIOUS watermelon.  We've eaten half of it (perfect for this stifling weather, too!) and I imagine I'll prep the rest of it for eating tonight.  I have also loved the taste and smell of cumin and chili powder as well as any and all kinds of salsa, so Mexican/southwestern dishes have been my foods of choice lately.  Luckily, I found a GREAT and easy recipe on smittenkitchen.com for Southwestern pulled brisket, which I've already made two weeks in a row.  Guess what's for dinner tonight?  :)  What I love best about it is that the prep takes about 20-30 minutes, and then you throw it all in a slow cooker for 8-10 hours (I usually do this overnight or prep it first thing in the morning) and dinner is ready for two-three days!  The delicious smell that fills our house as it cooks is just...::sigh::...I love it...and so does the rest of the family, including Tay and Riley.  Looks like it will be a staple at my house for a while. 

My next doc appointment is scheduled for 15 June, and it will be for  my glucose screening.  Not looking forward to drinking the orange stuff, but hopefully all will be well and I will not be gestationally diebetic. 

Ah, another thing to note that I didn't mention before is that I tried Zumba for the first time a couple weeks ago!  It was a GREAT class and I felt absolutely ridiculous (mainly because I'm not super coordinated) and because gyrating hips and I don't get along so well, especially in public in front of giant mirrors...and with a giant belly.  hahahaha...it provide much amusement, though, for me and everyone else in the room, I'm sure.  :)  Definitely want to go back, but need to find a class time I can make on a regular basis...I will definitely try and make that part of my post-baby routine, though - awesome workout. 

I'm still debating whether or not I should merge this blog with the currently blog I keep for Tay...I like the separate blogs for now, and I think the entries may get too long if I merge them, but maybe in the future, I'll merge them to simplify...we'll see.  If I feel motivated, I'll post some pictures of the bump and some of the ultrasound pics. 

Big Girl Bed

Sunday night (23 May 2010) was the first night that Tay slept in her own bed for the whole night.  It was actually the first night that I actually installed the bed rail, and she watched me while I was putting it together and kept asking me what I was making.  I told her I was making her big girl bed safe so she could sleep in it without falling out.  She was very excited to lie in her bed once the bed rail was attached.  I put new-to-her sheets (flower print) on it as well and stacked some of her night time reading books on the little shelf attached to her headboard.  That was around midday, so it wasn't nearly time to go to sleep yet, but I did ask if she wanted to take a nap in her big girl bed and she said "yes" and snuggled up on her pillow.  She didn't fall asleep then, but she was also not remotely tired either, so we just went about our day. 

That night, we got ready for bed, and I asked her if she wanted to sleep in her bed or in Umma and Appa's bed.  She said, "My big girl bed!" so we got her dressed in her pajamas and she lay down on her pillow.  I asked her if I could lie down next to her to read to her, but she said, "No, Umma.  My bed.  You go lay your bed."  When I asked her how I was going to read to her from my bed, she thought a moment and said, "You sit, Umma.  Sit sit."  So I went and retrieved a small stool so I could sit next to her bed to read to her.  I usually end up reading to her for about 15-30 minutes every night, depending on what book(s) she chooses, and sometimes she drifts off to sleep before I'm done reading and other times, we turn off the light together, say our prayers, say good night, kisses and then she rolls over to sleep.  Of course, it's never always that easy, but I do have a few nights a week of peaceful and easy bedtimes.  :)  Anyhow, that night, she ended up drifting off to sleep when I got a few pages into "One Fish, Two Fish" by Dr. Seuss.  It was only around 8:30, so I was surprised, but happy that she didn't have any anxiety about sleeping on her own in her own bed.  She woke up briefly around 10pm looking for us, but when I walked back into the room and told her I was there, she lay back down and fell right asleep.  Throughout the night, I kept waking up to check on her, but she was sound asleep until around 6:45 the next morning!  I guess I'm having more anxiety about her not being in the bed with me than she is!  Ugh...

When she awoke the next morning (Monday), she called to me since I was in the kitchen.  I found her still lying down tucked next to the bed rail, and since I was already dressed for work, the first thing she asked me was, "Where you going?"  I smiled and told her I had to go to work today and that she was going to Tita's.  She told me, "I go work Tita's."  Of course.  :)

Last night (Monday night) took a little longer for her to fall asleep, but she still chose to sleep in her big girl bed over sleeping in bed with us.  No problem.  I suspected I'd sleep better tonight than the first night.  She did end up falling asleep (after many many delays) in her own bed, so I was hopeful that we had made a successful transition into the big girl bed.  She still didn't want me to lie down in her bed with her to read, so I stayed on my little stool. 

A little after 3am, I woke up to her wimpering and she cried out for me, so I went to her bed, and she was sitting up and wanted me to hold her because she was "scared."  I assume she had a nightmare.  I held her for a little bit, and she relaxed and seemingly fell back asleep on my shoulder, so I laid her down in her bed.  She held onto my arm and said, "Umma, don't go."  So, I sat down on my little stool next to her bed and let her just hug my arm for a while.  When she seemed to drift off again, I started to get up to go lie down myself, and she awoke again and asked me not go to.  I told her I'd stay with her a little longer, and she rolled over to go back to sleep.  After a few minutes of just lying still, she rolled back over and sat up.  She said, "Mama, water please?"  I guess she couldn't fall back asleep, so she thought maybe a drink of water would help.  I had already pre-positioned a glass of water for her, so I got her the cup and after she took a big drink, she lay back down and closed her eyes...another attempt to go to sleep.  I rubbed her back for a little bit, and when I stopped, she lay still for a few more minutes, and finally she rolled over and said, "Mommy, you lay?"  I wasn't sure if she wanted me to go lie down or if she wanted me to lie with her, so I asked her if she wanted me to lie with her, and she said, "Yes.  You lay lay with me my bed?"  I told her, "Sure" and climbed in beside her and she tucked her cuddly little face right on my cheek and wrapped one of her arms around my neck and breathed what sounded like a sigh of relief.  Luckily, she fell fast asleep (I think I did for a bit, too), but when I finally got up out of her bed to go back to my bed, I checked the time and it was already 5am.  Aiya...oh well.  I went back to sleep in my bed for about another hour and half when Jeff woke up me up to tell me it was already 6:30.  Yay...

I let Tay sleep in until she woke up on her own around 7:20.  She didn't seem to remember the night time event, so that was good, and she was in a good mood when she woke up in her own bed this morning, so all is well with the big girl bed.  We'll see how bedtime goes tonight...:)

All in all, I think the transition is going well, and Jeff and I are still not adverse to co-sleeping with her when she needs to, so we'll just take it slowly.  Another step toward growing up...::sigh::

2-year check up

Last week, I took Tay to her two-year check up at Cha Hospital.  It's two months later than when she actually turned two, but I delayed because she was due a booster shot in May anyway, so I figured I'd get two tasks done with one trip.

All the nurses at the office were shocked at how much she has grown because they hadn't seen her since her 18-month check-up and shots.  At this visit, she was measured at a tad over 35 inches (almost three feet!) and weighed in at 31.3 pounds.  I found that as long as Tay knows what to expect when we go some place new or she has to experience something new, she'll be fairly cooperative and go along with whatever is necessary without any tantrums or battles.  Before we had the doctor's appointment (like a day or two before), I explained to her that on Thursday, we were going to go visit the doctor at the hospital.  Then, on the day that we were scheduled to go, I told her that morning that she was going to go see the doctor today and that he was going to listen to her heart and back, look in her ears and mouth, and maybe even check her teeth.  I didn't mention that she was going to get a shot, though...at least not until about five minutes before she was going to get the shot.  Didn't want her to dwell on it all day...

Anyhow, when we got to the appointment, she stood very still on the scale to get her weight (we practiced at home on our home scale...she loved standing on the scale and yelling TWO NINE as the numbers come up).  Then, she stood very straight and tall for her height measurement.  She let the nurse check her temperature, too.  Then we went upstairs to the waiting area to wait for the doc.  The waiting area had quite a few kids with their parents, but she's a social one, so she went right up to one of the play tables, said hi, and commenced playing.  Definitely thankful for that.  After a little bit of a wait, we were called into the doc's office.  She sat on my lap as the doc listened to her chest and back, she let him look in both ears with no fight, and she even opened her mouth up wide so he could check inside.  :)  Since she jabbered on the entire visit (minus when he was checking her over), she stacked some nesting dolls, and ran into the office in the beginning, the doc says she's developmentally right on track and doing very well.  Not much of an assessment, but whatever.  She already had a developmental check-up by the EDIS people here on Yongsan at a playgroup, so I'm satisfied with their assessment of her. 

Then, we went downstairs to the "shot" room, to get her booster.  We got down there and I took a number and Tay and I had a quick chat about getting shots.  I explained that she was now going to get a shot in her arm and that it was going to hurt just a little bit, but it's to keep her healthy and strong as grows up.  Her response, "Okay, Umma."  Shots usually make me more nervous than it does her, so I was hoping for the best.  Our number came up and we went in and sat down.  I sat her on my lap, facing out, and rolled up her left arm sleeve.  The nurse came in with the shot and asked me to hold her shoulder and elbow so she wouldn't jerk.  Tay started squirming a little when she saw the shot, but I held onto her and told her to look away because that would make it less scary.  She looked away and the nurse gave her the shot, Tay yelled and tried turning her head to look, but I told her to look away so she turned her head back quickly.  It was all over and Tay cried a bit, but the nurse stuck a Pororo bandaid on her arm, so when I showed her the bandaid, she stopped crying immediately and I asked her if her arm hurt.  She said, "No, Umma.  I'm good."  Hehehe...my little sport.

Now I wonder if her next shot will go quite so smoothly.  I foresee a little more resistence the next time since she'll probably remember the initial pain of the stick, but maybe not...since she knows it doesn't last long. 

I love her so much.  We had her outside almost all weekend this past weekend...we took her to Children's Grand Park and we let her play on the downstairs playground quite a bit.  I'm loving the warmer weather...now let's keep the yellow dust at bay and it's going to be a great summer!