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