Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Our beautiful family had a wonderfully cozy Christmas morning together. Tay woke up around 4am, but we coaxed her back to sleep for a while and finally woke up with her around 6am. We lazed around in the bed with her and took some funny pictures...:)

She was only pretending to sleep here in this photo...

She was up and playful only seconds later...

Jeff's the one who had a hard time waking up. Tay was so ready to get to the presents...:)

We started the morning by taking a family photo by the tree and then we proceeded to open the presents. Tay enjoyed helping tear the wrapping paper off, but didn't have much interest in the presents themselves...at least not for any length of time.

I made some "breakfast grains" with blueberries (off of weelicious.com) for Jeff and me, and Tay just had some frozen blueberries to chew on in her mesh teether (which stained her little chin blue...).

Jeff also made his fabulous cheesecake today and I made some chocolate chocolate chunk cookies. Very chocolatey...

Tay's getting so good at pulling up and standing without holding on to anything. Her balance gets better every day. I'm worried that she might start walking very soon...early walkers tend to fall much more, so I want to avoid that as much as possible...that precious little head of hers...I don't want her to bang it up any more than absolutely necessary. She's also gotten quite efficient at crawling. She can make her way around the house with no problem.

She also has started pointing at things she wants and trying to call out for it...mostly just ooo's and mmm's, but it's so adorable when I'm feeding her lunch and she points at her sippy cup and goes "ooo, ooo" because she wants a sip of water. :) I love her so much! It's amazing how quickly she is developing and growing...it seems like just yesterday when she could only lie there and coo. I LOVE how interactive she is, and Jeff's really getting a kick out of the fact that every morning when she wakes up, she points and him and goes "ba-ba" or "da-da" and flashes her beautiful two-tooth grin at him...:)

Every day is more and more exciting and I only wish I could spend every moment with her so as not to miss a thing...

Merry Christmas! Hope your holidays are filled with joy and love!

Love,

Rosa, Jeff, and Shingil

Eight Months!

My sweet little girl is eight months old today. I can't believe it. Every day she grows a little bit cuter, a little bit sweeter, a little bit more lovable...I just can't fathom what my life was like or would be like without her.

She now has two little teeth on the bottom front, she's growing a little more hair, but still none to really call hair...she can crawl quite efficiently, she can go from crawling to sitting, pull up to a standing position, and can almost stand up from a crawling position except she can't figure out how to get from a bear crawl position to standing...yet. :) She's just so fun right now! Loving and entertaining - laughs so much and smiles at everyone. She babbles all the time now...her latest (which Jeff is proudest of) is da-da-da-da-da-da...:) She hasn't quite gotten down ma-ma yet, but she's getting close...she's gotten na-na-na-na...:) I love her so much. Her first consanant was a soft ba-ba-ba-ba, and moved on to ga-ga-ga-ga and then it was da-da. :) Now she's gotten to na-na so maybe she'll get ma-ma soon. :) She knows she never really has to call me, though...'cause I can't stop looking at her and I'll never stop loving her!

Another interesting part of Tay is that she seems to prefer the vegetables to the fruits...or maybe it's just that her sweet tooth isn't developed yet. She makes faces when I give her pear or apple sauce, but when I give her avocado (which is her favorite, lately) or broccoli (today's first introduction) - she loves it! She eats up green beans and broccoli like candy! Strange, but I'm glad she enjoys it. I'd be worried if she had a sweet tooth like Jeff or me. I also gave her a little fish for the first time today and she seemed to enjoy it. She kept opening her mouth as I ate my meal, so I gave her a little bit and she just ate it up! I'm going to have to bake some fish for her...yay!

I've never been much of a cook (Jeff will be the first to tell you that), but now that I've had Tay, all I can think of is what I can make for her - healthy choices for her to eat. I taste everything she eats before she eats it, and if it doesn't taste good to me, I don't give it to her. I love that I can so easily make such tasty food for my little one...and Jeff gets the benefit of eating some of the food I make for her before I puree it. :) It's a win-win! The website I've fallen in love with lately is weelicious.com. It's a fabulous baby food site with great advice. :) Every mom should check it out. Healthy snacks and meals for everyone in the family...:)

Tay and her Daddy had this past week to spend a lot of time together because I was off to Camp Casey play Army games. I only came home to sleep a few hours before I had to head back off to tent city. Jeff got up with her in the morning, got her dressed, took her to the sitter, picked her up after work, and played with her until I got home around 8pm. Then it was bath time and I went to bed with her to wake up at 3 to drive back to Casey. Ugh...it was quite a rough week for me, but Jeff and Tay had a wonderful bonding time while I was gone.

I love her more each day...more and more and more. :) It just makes me happy. :)

Kisses from Tay

My little Tay has started to give me drooly, open-mouth kisses! :) At first, I thought she was just trying to eat my face like she does everything else, but she wasn't! She gently takes a hold of my head with her two little hands and brings her face ever so sweetly closer and closer to mine until her mouth plants a big wet one right on my cheek/nose/forehead/temple and holds for a second and then pulls back with a huge grin on her face. :) It is literally the sweetest thing ever...:) I Jeff got a picture of her giving me one...so once we get it uploaded, I'll post it here. I love my little girl...she's growing up so fast!

Seven Months Old!

Little Tay woke me up around midnight the night before last whining, so when I went to pick her up, I noticed she felt warmer than usual, so I took her temperature. It was 100.9! I was so surprised and worried. I took off her nightie and got a wet wash cloth to cool her off. I continued to take her temperature probaby every five minutes until around 2am when the temp finally went down to about 99 degrees. She still hadn't sweat at all, which is very unusual for her, so I was still worried but she was feeling better so she fell back asleep. Around 4am, she was awake again and her fever was back. She was only sleeping in a diaper! Her temp was now up to 101.2 and I thought about calling the ER, but decided against it because she was still nursing strong and when she cooled off a bit, she was happy and wanted to play. I cooled her off again with a wet wash cloth. At around 4:45am, her fever finally broke and she soaked the sheets where her head lay. We fell asleep again, Tay cuddled in my arms. Then, around 6am, we woke up to my alarm and I took her temperature again. It was back up to 101, so I debated ditching work and just taking her to the hospital, but I had read that really all they'll do for an infant over six months who doesn't have a fever over 103 will just be given some medicine and sent home. Also, Korean hospitals these days are too quick to medicate, so I didn't want to default to that yet. She wasn't lethargic or overly cranky, and I knew she was due to pop her first tooth soon, so I just cooled her off again. I let her play a bit as I got ready, and when I was ready for work, I noticed her fever was back down again. I took her to the sitter's and asked her to check her temp every 15 minutes or so and to let me know as soon as it started going up again. Luckily, the fever never went up beyond 99 again, so I worked only about half a day and went home to take care of Tay.

When I got to the sitter's to pick up Tay, she told me that she thinks there's a tooth that cut through the gum! I looked and felt it with my finger, and there was! She has sprouted a little tooth - the front bottom right one! :) My baby got her first tooth one day before her seven month birthday! :)

I can't believe little Tay's already seven months old. She has grown so much! She now knows how to roll front to back to front, pull her body up off of the floor onto her hands and knees, scoot forward, backward, and in circles, sit up all by herself, and wave hi and bye! She's just the most adorable thing in the world and I love her more and more each second of each day...I still can't believe it.

That's about all for now...

Love,
Rosa

Six Months Already...

Our little Tay has already turned six months old! I can't believe it...

So much has happened this last month! Our move into the new apartment went well, and Tay adjusted quite easily into the new space. Although I don't feel like we're completely moved in just yet...(it's already been over a month!)...it has become home for us. We're into somewhat of a routine now in the mornings. I get up to shower before Tay and Jeff are up. While I'm in the shower, usually, Tay wakes up and wakes Jeff. Jeff and Tay cuddle and play in the bed while I get ready for work. Jeff gets her dressed for the day and I take over and play with her as I grab a bite to eat and Jeff gets ready for work. Then I walk Tay over to Beth's place and head off to work.

Tay and Beth are getting along fabulously, and occasionally I feel a little jealous, but I am glad that they enjoy each other's company. Tay is always happy when I come to pick her up, but not happy just because I'm picking her up; she's happy because Beth keeps her happy. She also takes plenty of pictures and little movie clips for me during the day, as well as keep me updated on everything that goes on with Tay. I appreciate her for that.

Last week, Tay went to her six month check up and all went well. She weighed in at 21lbs. 4oz. and was 27 inches long! The doc said she was large for her age, but not abnormally or something of any concern. I looked up her size on a weight chart and it said that she was over the 95th percentile for her weight and somewhere in the 70 to 90 percentile in length. I'm still not worried because the doc's not worried and I love my healthy baby. :)

As for her nightly routine, Tay is getting a little out of sorts. She's having a hard time staying asleep at night these days unless she's co-sleeping with us. I thought I would never co-sleep with her on a regular basis, but now it's becoming a nightly thing. I actually love being able to cuddle with her at night and in the morning, but as she grows, Jeff and I are slowly getting kicked out of the bed. :) She has lately been turning perpendicular to us and kicking and pushing us out. We need to upgrade to a king-sized bed. What I've read is that as she starts entering her "separation anxiety stage (6-18 mos???), she has a harder time sleeping alone in her crib. I need to re-read The No-Cry Sleep Method and implement the measures. Just need a little time off to go a few weeks sleep-deprived to get her used to sleeping in her crib again. :) She just sleeps so well when she sleeps with us...and I love how she looks for reassurance in the middle of the night with one hand on my arm and the other on Jeff's arm as she sleeps cozily between us.

Today, Tay went to visit the gravesite of her great grandparents...and the great grandmother after whom she was named, Shingil. We took the KTX train down to Daejun in the rain and visited the site. We sang and prayed and said our hellos. The rain didn't let up the entire time. Afterward, we went to the little restaurant close by and ate a delicious meal - Tay only got to suck on an apple slice. Poor thing.

Speaking of foods, Tay's tried quite a few new foods now: rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, carrots, sweet potato, sweet peas, banana, apple, pear, and a few combos of the listed items. :) She loves it all, but I think her favorite is my homemade applesauce mixed with oatmeal. It also helps keep her quite regular...:)

My goodness, this is getting lengthy. I'll try and be back to the regular entries. It's been a bit chaotic with the new job and all...more to follow about that.

Love,
Rosa

New Apartment

Our little family has just moved into a new apartment just down the street from our old apartment. We decided that as little Tay started to accumulate more and more stuff (toys and clothes), we probably needed a little bit more space - we upgraded from a two-bedroom to a three-bedroom apartment. The area is very nice, actually, and it's surprisingly close to some nice little restaurants and very close to Tay's sitter's house.

Beth and Tay have bonded well and as much as that pains me to see that she has bonded with someone else other than me, I am thankful and glad that she will be taken care of by such a loving lady who will watch over her like another mother. I think Tay still loves me, but I fear that there may come a day that she reaches for Beth instead of me...and I'll probably cry about it and be sad for a while, but I'll get over it and just love Tay even more to make up for losing time with her by working.

I start work on Monday and I'm quite nervous about the whole thing, but I think it will be good in the long run. I hope this is the right decision for our family.

Tay's new sitter

Well, yesterday, little Tay and I finally met the lady who will be watching her once I go back to work. Her name is Beth and she was wonderful with little Tay. We spent about four hours there together and Tay and Beth got along wonderfully. The only time Tay got a little upset was when she got tired and wanted to nap...then she started looking for me and cried when Beth walked her around to try and get her to fall asleep. As soon as she handed her to me, she drifted off to sleep without a peep.

At that moment, I had a little moment of joy because I felt needed, at the same time, I realized that Tay was going to have a little bit of a hard time once I actually did go back to work. I also knew that I was going to miss her terribly...it made me feel strange and sad. As soon as the little one drifted off, I set her down on the couch and she stirred awake a little and whined. I asked Beth to pick her up to calm her back to sleep and luckily she was able to do so and Tay slept peacefully in her arms...

...which made me even sadder...

...but I knew this was for the best for the future. ::sigh::

My little baby...how many moment will I miss with her now?

My sleeping beauty...I already miss her.

Tay's first word!

We got a recording! Our little Tay lately has enjoyed hearing herself "speak" (more like little yells and screams), and the day before yesterday when she was experimenting with her voice and making some tarzan calls and yodels, she said her first word...

What was it, you ask?

DADDY! :)

You can hear it yourself...right at the very end...

Isn't she absolutely adorable??? Our little girl...growing so fast...

Tay's also so much more exploratory with her hands now...and so affectionate already! See her loving her Umma:

We took her to Sunday brunch today to meet some friends of ours and dressed her up...

Jeff thinks she looks like a little old lady in this dress, but I think she's beautiful...:)

Well, that's all for now!

Going back to Work

...I'm so torn about going back to work.

A part of me really wants to go back to work.
Another part of me really doesn't want to leave Tay.

I don't know what to think.

I just feel...strange. Uncomfortable.

I don't know what to think.

Who knows.

Taylor's First Overseas Trip

So here's how the trip was supposed to go...

Taylor and I would fly to Bristol for two weeks to visit my family, and then we would fly down to Melbourne to visit Jeff's family (where Jeff would meet us there) for two weeks. In those second two weeks, we were supposed to fly up to Dartmouth for a couple days for my five-year reunion. After those four weeks in the states, we were supposed to fly back to Korea to get back into the routine of things.

Here's how it actaully happened...

Taylor and I flew to Bristol for two weeks to visit my family. The visit went great and she was even okay on the flight over from Korea to Bristol. We were exhausted because she didn't sleep hardly at all (about 2 hours of a 14-hour flight), but we rested up and we had a great time in Bristol. Then it came time to fly again...which she did not like. The flight from Tri-Cities to Atlanta was a nightmare...it was a short 45-minute flight, but she cried the entire second half of the flight making it probably the longest flight ever for me. She didn't stop crying until I walked off of the plane. Yikes. I was dreading the flight from Atlanta to Melbourne. Luckily, this flight was not full and I had a row to myself and Tay...she began fussing as soon as we sat down in the plane, so I rocked her and prayed that she might fall asleep...please, please, please. Before we even took off, she was sound asleep in my arms...phew. I wondered how long she would stay out. This flight was supposed to be an hour and a half long...I didn't think I could take another 30 minutes of my baby crying her heart out. She must have felt sorry for me, so she was actually very good the entire flight and slept in my arms until we landed at the Melbourne airport. Yay!

After that scary travel day, I didn't want to put little Tay through another traveling ordeal (or myself). I decided to cancel our trip to Dartmouth (sad). Jeff arrived a few days later in Melbourne, and we relaxed and enjoyed spending time with the families. Taylor really enjoyed watching her cousins and especially chatting it up with her almost-twin cousin Lucy.

Overall, the trip went very well in Florida, and then, as we were about to head home...

This happened...a lovely appendectomy. Ugh.

Even my little Tay suffered because I was hospitalized...

My poor little baby had a bad stomach ache and a low-grade fever. We think it was because of the antibiotics that they pumped me full of for the surgery. She had to go 24 hours with my breastmilk, but thankfully, my sister-in-law (Lucy's mom) helped out by donating some of her frozen breastmilk for the cause. Baby made a full recovery and I am on my way to being back to normal...mostly. I think I'll have a deformed bellybutton forever...sad.

Well, we're now back in Korea after a surprisingly easy flight back (baby slept most of the way in my arms...:) Since we've been back, baby has made a HUGE developmental milestone. See video clip below!

Now, we're just wrestling with jet lag. Poor Tay is having a terrible time adjusting...but I think we'll get there eventually. I just need more sleep...zzz...

That's all for now.

2 Month Check-up

Our little angel had her 2-month check-up today and got two more immunization shots. She's growing so quickly...I try and take hundreds of pictures every day to capture every moment of her babyhood...I think it comes with being a first-time mom. :) She weighed in today at 14 lbs, 13 oz. and is still about the same length (23.7 in). She's such a good eater...:)

It's late so I must head to bed, but just wanted to write a quick post. Probably will write more later...

Six weeks already!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our little Shingil has already turned six weeks old! She's growing like a little weed in the richest soil. When she was last weighed at the pediatrician, she weighed in at 11 lbs, 8 oz., and was 24 inches long. I imagine she has already put on more weight and grown even longer since then! While I stay home with the little one, I try and take pictures of every little funny and adorable expression she makes to share with Jeff when he gets home from work. I take short video clips of when she's happiest and cooing and laughing at every slight expression...she has recently taken a liking to hearing herself yelp loudly and then laughing. :) Just the thought of those sweet smiles and how her eyes just disappear when she smiles really big make me smile and almost tear up with joy - how could I have been so lucky to have such a little angel flitter into my life? Even when she is inconsoleable and all I can do is hold her and rock her and walk her and sing to her, she is still the most beautiful little angel I've ever seen. I love her! From her chubby little cheeks to her tiny little toes, from the tip of her little mohawk hair to her ever dirty bum, I love her! Every little thing she does makes my heart melt...

Never did I know that I would love being a mother so much. Never did Jeff and I know that we would have such a precious little thing join our lives!

Today was little Shingil's first outing in her stroller. She surely doesn't remember much of it since she slept through the majority of it, but while Jeff went to the gym, I walked her around post getting some minor errands done and getting a bit of fresh air and exercise. I think she enjoyed it...at least I hope she did. We have to be so careful here in Seoul with the smog and the yellow sand - don't want our little one getting asthma or something worse before she's even one. I check the dust levels every day and each hour before we go out anywhere, and when we get back home, I wash her little face, hands, and feet off and change her clothes, just in case. She like it when I wash her face...:) She smiles and coos at me while I try and wipe her down...I have to be careful not to wipe her tongue accidentally...hehe. I think we're slowly getting ourselves into a routine...Jeff might not believe it, but I think we are...:)

And so each day passes with a new smile and a new tear, a new giggle and a new wail...and each moment, Jeff and I are able to cherish with our little angel...

Love,
Rosa and Jeff

Lucky...

I must be one of the luckiest moms in the world to be blessed with this little angel in my life. My mom, dad and brother left yesterday morning to go back to the states and the prospect of playing mom by myself during the day was quite scary. I didn't think I was ready or capable of taking care of this little person without another set of hands constantly helping me, but I survived my first day while Jeff was at work without any breakdowns or too much chaos...:) It's funny how motherhood is expected to be such a natural thing, but in actuality, it's such a learning experience. It's quite experimental, too. With a crying baby, you try various different methods that you think might work to stop the crying - it's amazing what a mother will do to figure out what this little creature needs to soothe her. :) Thankfully, our little Taylor is fairly easy to soothe, even when she's crying so hard that she turns purple...phew. Now the thing I need to figure out is how to fit in the rest of the household chores while still taking care of little Tay and meeting all her needs. I feel confident that I can now meet all her needs without too much trouble, and I've managed to slip away quickly enough to go to the bathroom without panicking when she starts wimpering.

This morning was our first venture out of the house - just her and me. I had to take her to the hospital to get her first immunization. I was quite nervous...but she was such a champ with me - putting up with me seating her into her car seat, getting examined, and even getting the shot. I was so nervous myself that when the doc told me that the shot would go on her left arm, I undressed her right arm...and they laughed at me and said that it was very common among new moms because the moms are more nervous than the babies! Little Tay wailed while she got the shot, but after the shot, I held her close to me and she stopped crying immediately. She just snuggled in close and went to sleep because that was the only way she could cope...poor thing. We still made it out of the hospital without too much trouble and I tucked her snugly back into the car seat and we made it home. Once we were home, we were both wiped and took a nap together.

I'm also very lucky in that our little one sleeps relatively well at night. I was so nervous about the first night because I was afraid that I might not wake up to her needing me...but, I did! I actually woke up before she started crying! It's like that little bit of motherly instinct inside of me was coming out...it was a wonderful realization for me...and a tremendous vote of confidence. Jeff has also been a tremendous help in boosting my confidence about becoming a mom...I think we're gonna make it. :)

I must get back to my new little family...:)

Much love,
Rosa and Jeff

The first experiences with Tay

Our little Taylor is now almost two weeks old and these past incredibly fast weeks have been unbelieveably memorable. She is the most beautiful little creature I have ever laid eyes on and she changes so much every minute of every day! I want to keep a permanent camera on her so I can capture every little expression she has and every little noise she makes and keep it recorded forever. As much as I am excited to see her grow up, I just love this tiny little being just as she is...

She has already put on about half a kilo in weight since our departure from the hospital. She had her first check up on Wednesday and she weighed in at 4.0 kgs. She didn't really want to cooperate for her length, but they approximated that she's now at 53 cm. In less than two weeks, our little girl has already gained half a kilo and grown a centimeter! She's such a good eater...the baby books say that there are five different types of eating styles in infants, and our little Tay definitely fits into the "Barracuda" category...she eats ferociously until she's content and then drifts off to sleep at the nipple. She has recently started spitting up, though, and I think it's because she's hitting a growth spurt and so she feels hungrier than her stomach is able to handle, so she overeats...and then spits up. I had my first spit-up bath this morning...it was truly a warm, wet, and lovely experience. :)

It's funny the things that as a new mom you get really excited about...for instance, the baby's first bowel movement at home. I was getting so worried because she hadn't had a bowel movement for a day and a half since she had been home, so I thought maybe she wasn't getting enough to eat...but then, when she actually had the grand first dirty diaper, I cheered and almost cried. Also, although I became quite sore after initially starting breastfeeding, it meant everything to me to make sure she got enough to eat, and to see her eating so eagerly made me so happy...it's probably one of the most satisfying feelings about being a mom.

Little Tay is definitely become a little human being already. I know many of you may think that a newborn is really just a lump for the first six months of their life until they start interacting, but watching her so closely, she is already interacting! Her eyes have now begun to follow slow-moving objects, she focuses on your face when you are close, she laughs and smiles when she is content, and she communicates her needs with her little wimpers, cries, and even simple coos that call for your attention. She dreams when she sleeps - she smiles and crinkles her face, and sometimes even tries to suck or chew while she's sound asleep. She's already so expressive!

There's just so much more to write and say, but I've got to go tend to my little angel...:)

Love,
Rosa and Jeff

The WONDERFUL Arrival!!!

Our baby has finally arrived!!! Little Shingil Taylor Ryals is here in this world - in our lives! We just couldn't be happier!

Let me tell the story of the arrival as I remember it...here goes...

As you all know, my "due date" was the 3rd of March (although I posted on the 2nd because it was the 3rd here in Korea). The date came and went with little progress, although I had been having a few cramps here and there and more frequent "false" contractions. My mom arrived the next day, and again, with no change. The doctor had told us on the 3rd when we went in for our "last" visit prior to delivery that if I hadn't gone into labor on my own before the following Monday (the 10th), he recommended starting induction. Jeff nor I had any objections to this because we didn't want the little one to get too big...

Well, the week passed with no further progress, although my mom and I walked around everywhere trying to kick-start the process. As the 10th slowly approached, my anticipation grew and grew and the night before the induction, I was so nervous and excited I could hardly sleep...but I knew I needed to because I had a hard day's work ahead of me! :)

On the morning of the 10th, Jeff drove my mom and me to the hospital at 7:30 and we checked in to the birth facility by 8am. I went in alone to get prepped and then Jeff and Mom came into the labor room around 9am. They began the Pictocin drip around 9:30 and we proceeded to wait...and wait...the upped the dosage twice before I started feeling anything - the contractions started coming in mildly about every three minutes and then down to every two minutes as they got stronger, and I was no longer able to talk or laugh through them as Jeff made funny faces and tried talking Taylor out of me. Once the contractions were coming on every minute and a half, that's when the pain was most excruciating, but honestly, I don't remember much of how painful it was because I was more exhausted from trying to push her into my pelvis. The doc said that the baby's head was just a bit larger than expected so even though I was completely dialated, she wasn't able to get fully into position because of the size of her cranium...he even said we might go to a C-section to Jeff...

All I recall is thinking how extremely tired I was from pushing so much and for so long (I had absolutely no concept of time during this whole ordeal once the real contractions started happening) - and even the thought that maybe I just simply didn't have the strength to push her out of me on my own crossed my mind. Apparently I shared that feeling with the rest of the room by begging the nurses and Jeff to just let them put me out and cutting the baby out of me. I just simply couldn't push anymore, or so I thought...

The doc must have seen that I was making "some" progress, though, because then he mercifully recommended we break amniotic sac to speed up the process and maybe help Taylor move down easier...after which, the contractions came on even stronger and closer together.

Bless the nurses who then came in and helped me push...I do remember begging them not to leave me...and I remember Jeff standing there by my side always ready to take my hand whenever I reached for him. I don't recall the pain of the baby pushing more into my pelvis, but all I recall is how tired I was - I had reached muscle failure and they were telling me to push just one more time...I simply didn't have the strength!

Then, suddenly, the nurses said let's push once more and we'll move you to the delivery room to have the baby! You're ready! I couldn't believe it!!! They rolled me into a room next door where they put me in a different contraption of a chair that was SO much easier to push from when they told me to push. All I remember from then on is that it really sucked when they cut me (the area is NOT numb when the cut is made simply because the head is crowning), and then shortly there after, feeling her head come out of me...and then the rest of her! I have a vague memory of looking up and seeing Jeff by my head all dressed for surgery...and I remember the extreme relief and immediate excitement that came over me after I heard the first little cry from my little one...and tears...

I think that's enough for details from the whole experience. I don't know if it's in the correct chronological order, but this is how I remember it. Jeff probably has a more orderly version of the day...

Shingil Taylor Ryals was born into this world at 7:28 pm on the 10th of March.
She weighed in at 3.77 kgs (8.3 lbs) and was 52 cm (20.5 in) long.

I still can't believe how every second I look at her, how beautiful she is.

I am recovering ok...my feet and ankles are extremely swollen now, but I'm hoping that will pass soon. I strained so hard during labor that I looked like I went a few rounds with Mike Tyson and lost...to include some burst blood vessels in my eyes. I feel surprisingly better than I thought I would...:)

I'll post some pictures as soon as I can...you have to see our beautiful little girl...:)

Love,
Rosa and Jeff

The due date...

The date has finally arrived...the due date. But, still, no Taylor.

We know we've kept everyone wondering if we've had the baby yet, and we're sorry to keep you in suspense, but I think those of you who are out there who are mothers understand that these last couple weeks are probably the longest weeks of your lives as you wait in eager anticipation for the little bundle of joy to arrive. With the continuously mounting anticipation comes a sort of withdrawal into your own immediate families without much desire to share anything with the rest of the world until the baby has finally arrived.

Thus, the lack of motivation to write and share anything the last few weeks...

Anyhow, I figure, today's the due date, so I probably ought to write something, so here goes.

The last two weeks have been quite uneventful for the most part. I haven't had any serious false alarms. I am having fairly regular "false" contractions that have no pain associated with them at all. I'm having about four an hour and have continued having them throughout the day for about the last week. The baby is continuing to move lower into my pelvis, but not so much that I have to run to the bathroom every 15 minutes. My hands are beginning to swell a little bit more than usual, but that's really only when I wake up in the morning - they go back to fairly normal after I'm up and about doing things. I've had a little minor cramping, but nothing significant enough to think I'm about to go into labor. In my boredom of sitting around the house, I've taken up knitting - I'm currently working on a baby blanket for Taylor, and Jeff's doing a fantastic job of supplying me with lots of yarn every time he's out shopping...:)

The latest measurements of little Taylor (last Monday) show that she's approximately 3.3kgs (7.2 lbs!), but they say one never really knows until the little one is born...but she's growing like a bean sprout in there! I have my last official doctor's appointment today (week 40!), but of course that means all they are doing now is making sure that Taylor isn't getting stressed out in her ever-shrinking home. :) She continues to be very active in there, but now the movements are much slower and directed, pushing in one direction, and then pushing in the other direction...trying to make just a little more room - without much luck.

Umma arrives tomorrow evening, so it'll be good to have her here with me as I wait some more. Maybe Taylor was just waiting for her Halmuni to get here before she came out so I'd have someone to rush to the hospital with me in case Jeff's at work. We're hoping Taylor decides to come no later than Wednesday, though...:) We'll see.

We'll hear from the doc today about how she's doing and how long he wants to wait before considering induction. He already talked to me about the possibility of inducing because she was growing so well. I think the longest he wants to wait is 10 days past my due date. I'm not opposed to induction, but I don't think I want to rush it either. I'd rather let her decide when she wants to come out...:) But we'll see...maybe she's just too comfortable in there...

Anyhow, that's what's going on with everything thus far. Still no Taylor, but I assure you that you will be hearing about it someway, somehow - as soon as it is possible for us to get on the internet to make the announcement that our little joy has joined us!

Until then, with love,
Rosa and Jeff

Changes - 1

I've had quite some time to think lately about my life, and I seem to be at a place in my life where I am very content to be doing exactly what I am doing, at the same time, I am very unadjusted to this new person I am becoming. This entry is more of a stream-of-consciousness writing exploit as opposed to a well-thought-out entry, so please see it as it is...

I look back on my high school days with fondness of good times and bad, but particularly the drive or dedication I had to meeting success at every academic turn. I would be upset if I missed one question on a biology test that I knew I studied; I would get irritated when I missed a calculus problem because of a dumb careless error. I focused and worked hard, and still wandered around with my head in the clouds about friendships, dating, and boys. Extra-curricular activities also filled my after-school hours and I never could fathom just sitting around the house with nothing to do for days and days, even during the summertime.

When I went to college, the academic side must have been burnt out because I realized I just didn't have that drive or dedication or motivation to really be that successful. I got more and more frustrated with my classes, and decided that they were no where near as important as my non-academic life as long as I was passing. That's probably why I made the grades I did my first year, and that's probably why I took some of the classes I did when I really had NO interested in them whatsoever. I just needed filler classes, so I took them. Part of it, I blame on the fact that I still thought I was pre-med...even though my brain had already decided that I was never going to pursue that route. When I think about going back to do some post-bac work and applying to med schools (or even dental school) and going through that whole process again, I just get a really sour feeling in my stomach and I have little to no desire to pursue it. I understand umma's need or want for me to find some vocation of my own - some technical skill - but I think healthcare or medicine were just NOT the directions I needed to go. But that doesn't mean that I can really see myself just being that stay-at-home mom...why?

After graduation and joining the Army, I realized I had what it took to succeed in this environment. I was going to be one of the best and I was going to have fun while I did it. I may not have been the best at keeping my uniform starched or keeping my boots shined, but I was great at being that officer everyone expected me to be - that officer that everyone could rely on to make things happen. I was liked by most everyone, and I knew how to learn the job, no matter what job, fast - and I could go the route I wanted to to become successful in whatever it was I wanted to in the military. It was easy. But once I found my Mister Right, I couldn't bear it. I was still obsessed with work at the same time, I was obsessed with not being that good wife I wanted to be. I hated that Jeff beat me home every day and he cooked the majority of the time. I didn't like that I was always exhausted for one reason or another because of work and I didn't like that all I had to talk about was work and people at work. I knew it was also bothering Jeff to some degree, but I just couldn't figure out how to balance work and homelife. That's why I knew it was the best decision to get out of the military. I wasn't enjoying every minute anymore. I wanted to focus my energies elsewhere - namely my marriage.

Now that I've been out of the active army for two months, I find myself somewhat bored with this stay-at-home lifestyle. But I also enjoy the freedom of doing nothing if I want to. The whole experience is a bit warped because I am so pregnant right now, but once I have the baby and am on a decent routine after the baby is a bit older, will I still feel the same as I do now about being home and bringing nothing to the family other than waiting for my husband to get home and ensuring that my baby is safe and healthy?

Jeff and I were eating yesterday around dinnertime, and a brief conversation came up about how I'm much more interested in what is going on in his life these days as opposed to before I got out of the military. In a way, it bothered him, I think, that I had become almost nosy about my interest in his life, but he also liked that I wasn't only obsessing about work like I used to...it was as if my family took the back seat when it came to my life when I was working. That's not what I wanted...but that's what it was. Maybe that's why I keep looking for some job that can be secondary to my home life. Something that I can do that will mean nothing to me except a paycheck...I still have my own self-esteem to think about so I can't see myself working as a cashier or something, but I don't want some high stress or high demand job that will consume my life outside and inside the home again.

So...I thought the teaching thing would work well - but now why are my mom and dad so adamently against it? It makes me worry a bit, but I think I could do it without stressing about it as much as they think I might...

Honestly, I just want to be a good wife, a good mother, and also be able to bring home some bread. Is that too much to ask? I want the best for my family, and I also want to have financial independence - mainly so I don't feel like I'm one of those wives who are just eating up the husband's hard-earned money. I know we're not poor by any means, but why does it feel so bad to ask for money? Maybe it's because I've never had to do it before in my entire life...I really don't like it.

Enough.

Week 37 Down!

Ah, another week passes and another appointment...:)

During this visit, Taylor and I found out that all my tests that were run last week came back normal - which is always a good thing. I am also no longer putting on any weight, but my belly keeps on growing, so I guess that means the rest of my body is losing weight? Hurray? Maybe. Either way, the latest measurement of our little baby shows that she is approximately 2.8 kgs (or 6.2 lbs)...which feels huge! You will see in the latest (and probably last) belly photo. I can't bear to get any more pudgy face pictures of me taken...;) The doc also conducted an exam to check if my pelvis is large enough for the baby to pass through naturally - I won't get into the details, but luckily the doc said that she should come right out! I must be blessed with some birthin' hips...

As for my own body, I am holding up OK. My hands and feet feel a little puffier than normal, but not as much as I expected - my size 7 tennis shoes still fit - YAY! My lower back gets pretty tired by the end of the day, but I still get around fairly easily, so that's a very good thing. Mostly what are sore are the bottoms of my feet, but Jeff takes good care of me, so I'm good. :)

In the latest couple news, Jeff took me to the Kandisky exhibition at the Seoul Arts Center, which was beautiful, but I think we prefered looking at the other Russian art that was exhibited with Kandisky - particularly the oil-on-canvas realist painters...(I don't know how to speak art, but it really was beautiful). We also celebrated a special Valentine's day dinner at home a day early...:) That's when the latest belly photo was taken.

Well, Jeff and I are very ready for little Taylor to join us, but we're hoping she holds out until the due date...maybe. I'm ready for her to come right now! :) But it'll be good for her to come right on time...let's just hope she doesn't get too much larger...the belly just can't get too much larger!

Another appointment next Monday...more updates to follow. :)

Love,
Rosa and Jeff

Lunar New Year

The year of the Rat has finally arrived - our little Taylor's year! She's going to be a rat. That just doesn't sound very nice...

Anyhow, since Jeff had to work today, I went to our relative's house (the big house) to celebrate the lunar new year (tradition). The only reason I am writing this entry, though, is because I just have the funniest story about my cousin's little daughter who is almost three years old, so here goes:

While all the ladies were sitting around the dining room table, the kids were running around playing, when all of a sudden, the little girl came by and placed her hand on my belly. No expression on her face or anything, but she just lightly placed her hand on my belly...and then she ran off again to play. A little later, she came back to look at the belly, and I told her that there was a baby inside. She got a very puzzled look on her face, and she felt her own belly. Then she lifted her dress and examined her belly closely. Then, she touched my belly, and lifted my shirt up to see under it! Then she smiled and said to me, "There's no baby. I checked." Her mom just stood there in disbelief, and then said to her little girl that the baby was inside the belly, not under the shirt. To this, the little girl replied, "Nope. I looked and there is no baby there." And then she went off to play again, not thinking any more about it. :)

Adorable. Happy Lunar New Year!

Love,
Rosa

36 weeks and counting!

Two more weeks down and four more weeks to go!

Little Taylor and I had our 36-week appointment today at CHA Hospital. Today's visit started with some fetal monitoring (30 minutes!) where the nurses strapped two little monitors on my belly (one for her heart beat and one for movement, I think), and they gave me a little button to push every time I felt her move. Well, Taylor doesn't particularly enjoy having her already-cramped space invaded from the outside, so it makes her kick and push against whatever is pressing down...so the monitoring was high successful. :) The nurse, when the monitoring was over, said little Taylor must be really happy and energetic because she enjoys playing already! I didn't have the heart to tell her that she just didn't appreciate being pushed around...:) Either way, when the doc saw the printout of the monitoring, he said that her heart rate and movement relation showed that she is very healthy and doing well.

We also discussed some aspects of our birthplan, and although I found out that some of my options were limited and there were going to be some procedures that I hadn't planned on, it looked like the event will be much like I expected it to be...who knows when the time actually comes, but the plan is looking ok.

Then, before I left the hospital, they did some bloodwork for final testing (I guess), gave me an EKG and X-ray (which I was originally a little worried about), to ensure the health of my heart and respiratory system...interesting. I'll find out those results at my next appointment.

I can't believe we have less than a month before our little baby comes into our life! These next few weeks are going to be the longest in my life!!!

Love,
Rosa and Jeff

34 weeks and counting...

Two weeks closer to meeting little Taylor, and I am continuing to grow. :)

Much as changed since the last posting - nothing with the status of the little one, but just some administrative things. Jeff and I, after much discussion, have decided to have the baby at an off-post hospital in Korea instead of the one on post. With Jeff's company's insurance able to cover us at any off-post hospital here, I think it will be to our benefit to take advantage of the much more extensive OB maternity care in a larger Korean hospital instead of going with the combat support hospital with limited staffing and delivery rooms. Now the only real concern is what time of day (or night) I go into labor...:) Traffic in Korea can be quite...hideous. ;) The hospital is only about 2.5 miles away, but in Seoul traffic, it can probably take about 45 minutes to an hour to get there! Yikes! We're just going to hope that little Taylor gives us enough heads up before she decides to come into the world...or maybe she will just come join us in the midst of the night where there will be very little to no traffic...:) Who knows...

Anyhow, we went to our first visit to the new hospital on Monday afternoon, and they were very friendly and the one new thing we learned while we were there was the approximate weight of the baby now...the doc said she was about 2.2 to 2.3 kgs according to her size right now, which translates to almost 5 pounds already! I was a little shocked, but the doc said that's very normal and healthy...so I guess I'm on track. I only saw the doc for about 5 minutes, and pretty much all he told us was that everything was normal and things looked good - so that was a good thing. When the tech tried to get the heartbeat of little Taylor, though, she had the hiccups (again!) so she wasn't able to get an accurate reading. It was hilarious to see her on the sonogram hiccupping in there...my poor little baby...

As each day passes and my belly gets larger and larger, I have found that there are things I love and find difficult about being so pregnant:

1. I love being pregnant.
2. I love my ever-growing heap of a belly - it just looks so beautiful (to me), even if it looks like it's going to pop any day now and my bellybutton is flat.
3. I'm happy I can't see my gigantic elephant legs, thanks to my lovely belly, but it is a bit upsetting that they now rub together in places I never imagined they ever would. How embarrassing.
4. The extra weight is starting to take a toll on the bottoms of my feet, but thankfully, I am not swelling with water retention like I expected. Phew.
5. The weight, also, is taking a toll on my back, but not as bad as I expected either. I can still walk around freely and get up and lie down without anyone pushing me or rolling me over...hehe. I can also still put on my own socks and shoes, although it does entice some grunts out of me.
6. I love the excitement building between Jeff and me about meeting little Taylor in the next few short weeks! I know we have at least six more weeks to go, but it's just so close now! I love how much we can see and feel her move inside of me and how eager it seems for her to interact with us already!
7. I simply love being pregnant with Taylor and my loving husband Jeff. :)

Love,
Rosa

Eight weeks left...

In just a short eight more weeks, little Taylor is due to enter this world!

I had my 32 week appointment on Monday and it went very well. The doc said Taylor was in the head-down position and prepared to come out, and that she is a good size - not too large, not too small. This was a bit reassuring because I was a little concerned that she was going to be a very large baby like my brother and me. Who knows what will happen in the next eight weeks, but if I stay on track, she should be relatively on time and hopefully a good size. My weight is still gradually going up - about a pound a week. Not sure if this trend will continue, but I'm not going to worry myself about it. I'm hopeful that it will all come off after Taylor joins us. The growing belly is definitely becoming more cumbersome, though...it's getting a little more difficult to sleep at night. I think it's harder for me to fall asleep than anything, but once I'm asleep, I sleep OK. I do wake up, though, everytime I try to roll over...:)

Otherwise, things are going well - very minimal swelling in my feet at the end of the day, and I still have energy to move around, walk around, exercise. My lower back is sore by the end of the day, but not bad enough to immobilize me. Thank goodness. I'm still waiting for that morning when I wake up and my belly is just enormous...it's still growing pretty gradually now, so I can't really notice the difference...

Enough, enough! Hope everyone's new year is getting off to a great start!

Love,
Rosa and Jeff