Our babies

It is six days to Christmas. The tree is already bought and trimmed. The stockings - brand new and embroidered with the names of Zoe, Evan and Zachary - are hanging on the mantle, ready for "Santa" to fill. This Christmas feels extra special. It is the first where Zoe is really cognizant of Santa and what Christmas means (an occasion for presents, lights and candy canes!!!). She is really excited about it and we in turn are excited because she is. This is also the first Christmas we are spending in our home and our first Christmas with Evan. How wonderful all this is.

Eight Weeks Stats

Evan had his eight weeks Well Child checkup yesterday. He is now 23" long, 11 lb 4.1 oz (5.105 Kg), and has a head that is 15.55" (39.5 cm) in circumference. Pretty good!

Seven Weeks and Three Days

Dennis and I are today seven weeks and three days into our journey as parents of two. Zoe is today seven weeks and three days into her journey as a big sister (and hopefully friend) to Evan. Evan.. well... he is also on this same journey as a member of our family. So far, he seems to be content (mostly) with us; and when he is not, he let us know about it! In short, we are all adjusting to our new little one. Some days are better than others. Some days Zoe is not bothered by the diminished attention she is getting from us. Some days, Evan feeds and sleeps well. Some days, we sleep relatively well or I get an afternoon nap. Other days, we get no sleep, which makes everything else so much less intolerable.

I remember the time when I thought Zoe would never be sleep trained nor have a schedule. But she was eventually sleep trained and our lives attained a new rhythm. I expect the same will happen again with Evan. Time is passing much faster this time - where did the last seven weeks go? - but right now, I can't wait till both Dennis and I get a good full night of uninterrupted sleep.

Oh the things you can say!

Zoe uttered so many amazingly amusing things today I feel I need to record them before I forget them. Here they are, the two I can still remember:

Zoe sees me pumping milk.
Zoe: Mama, what are you doing?
Me: I am pumping my milk.
(Zoe comes closer to examine the entire contraction).
Zoe: Oh, why?
Me: I am pumping it so that Evan can drink it later.
Zoe: But how would you put it back later?

We are in the car driving and Zoe tries to tell me which way to go.
Zoe: Mama, you have to take the "Puma Path."
Me: Uh-huh.
Zoe: You got to take the left because you need more light. Why didn't you take the Left? Why didn't you trust me?
You must trust me the next time ok mama?

Poop

Is it ok to curse on one's own blog? For really, instead of saying Poop, I really want to scream out loud "shit!" I've been dealing with flying poop the last couple of days - really since Dennis went back to work. Dennis has been, heretofore, the main diaper changer. And I suppose I'm just not as adept or less lucky in the diaper changing department. I spent an hour cleaning up poop that sprayed across the carpet yesterday. Oh, did I mention it went all over the table first and down the little space between the drawers and table? It made the other poop accidents - the ones I managed to stop in time with my bare hands or diaper but nevertheless soil enough of Evan and clothes and surrounding area - seem so easy in comparison. But still they take their toil, especially when it happens twice in the middle of the night. A thorough cleaning always wakes Evan up fully, which means a prolonged wake and soothing time, which means lost sleep. That's one poop issue I have. The other comes from Zoe who refuses to use the potty. I've been so good about not pressurizing her - because I did before and it backfired. Well, this morning, I lost it and pressured her again. When Zoe came and told me to leave her alone - code word for she is about to go poo poo in her diaper - I suggested gently she use the potty instead. When she went from zero to one hundred on the cry dial, I lost it and yelled at her. I told her that she has to learn at some point because she is a big girl now and she replied "No, I am a baby still!" I had to leave the room because I was so mad and I really shouldn't say anything when I'm mad. So now, as I type this, she may well have a budge in her diaper that needs changing. I'm so vexed. I know that no child goes to elementary school with diapers, but I don't know when Zoe is going to learn. I fear that my occasionally pressure is two steps forward and one step back. I should go out to the garden to curse. Because that's all I want to do now. Then perhaps I can say "C'est la vie" after. Life is, after all, very good.

Update: Sometimes Zoe says such disarming things I don't know if I should cry or laugh. Following the outburst with Zoe over the potty - as recounted above - I left Zoe alone in her room to "think about it," while I retreated to blogging about it. All was quiet for about twenty minutes. Then I hear Zoe's feet peter patter out. She walked up to me and addressed me. When I turned to face her, she said, "Mama, I forgive you." I was speechless! Then, I said, "And I forgive you!" 

Evan Kim

It is truly four Kims now! Evan, our little boy weighing 7 lbs 1.9 oz, was born on Monday Sept 20, 2010.

Euphoria doesn't quite capture how we felt when he first emerged from me. It was part relief, part disbelief, but mostly joy. Overwhelming joy. This joy was compounded by the fact that about twenty minutes before Evan's birth, I was convinced that a C-section was imminent. (More on the birth story later). But here he is. Our little baby boy.

Computer Literacy

Zoe loves her early birthday present from Grandma and Grandpa.

Here is a summary of the things she apparently looks up on the internet:
-- A recipe for Chinese beef, with chocolate and raisins
-- Where to find Costco, so she can buy nectarines for Baby Tad (her toy frog)
-- A picture of Uncle Paul
-- Photos of starfish, Uncle Paul, "and stuff"
-- A photo of Lancie, hiking. We're not exactly sure who "Lancie" is; Zoe alternately claims she's a bear or a mouse.
-- Pictures of marmots
-- A picture of a big sculpture from China
-- Pictures from New York City: the museum (dinosaurs) and the Statue of Liberty

Getting ready for the baby

Of course there is no way one will ever be totally ready for a new baby, but we are, at least in the preparation department, getting close. This week, the beautiful dresser Haraboji and Halmoni bought for bun 2 arrived. Once that was in - the crib arrived more than a month ago - I got busy with decorating the walls and making it all nursery like. I also got around to ordering other necessities like a shower tub (the old one of Zoe's got moldy) and a new diaper changing pad. Today, we picked up a bag of newborn baby diapers and placed it next to the burp clothes (retrieved from Zoe's room), receiving blankets, and bibs. We have an appointment with the police station to help us install the baby car seat next Wednesday. Once the infant car seat is in, we would basically be ready to receive the baby.


Here, the "we" I mean refers to Dennis and I. Though we talked to Zoe about it, read books about babies and new siblings to Zoe, we won't know how ready Zoe is for Bun 2 till he arrives home. I'm not even sure how well (or I should say badly) Zoe will take to my not being home for a few days. Just a couple of days ago, Dennis and I went out to a movie in the evening. We thought we would let Uncle Ben put her to bed, just so she gets used to the idea of being put to bed by someone other than us. She couldn't sleep till we came home. She waited. Ben said she looked like she was in tears. Later, she told us that "she missed us."

Despite the worry that Zoe will have a hard time, we are excited about Bun 2. We still don't have any names (English nor Korean/Chinese). Dennis and I can't seem to find one we both love in unison. Zoe has been trying to help with many of her own suggestions. Names like "Fit Kim!" "Peanut Butter Kim!" She laughs and laughs at her own joke too!

Storyteller

This is a long video, but if you can get through it, you'll hear Zoe's version of "The Big Bad Wolf and The Three Little Pigs." In her version, the Pigs are camping.

New Piano

The piano arrived about a week ago, a very generous and thoughtful gift from her Po Po and Gong Gong. Zoe is still too young for lessons - hands are too small and we doubt she has the patience and aptitude for formal training yet - but she certainly shows enthusiasm for playing and singing to it!

Aphids, Ants and Ladybugs

We have a severe infestation of ants and aphids on our corn. I noticed the ants way earlier, but thinking they are not too much of a problem, I didn't do anything about them until about two weeks ago, when I realized that they are all over the corn. I sprayed the corn with diluted vinegar because that supposedly chases the ants away. Going out to check on the corn a few days ago, I realized that the corns are turning black with aphids. It turns out that - after some basic research on the internet - ants "farm" the aphids. The ants keep aphids the same way humans keep cows. The aphids are terribly proficient at sucking sweetness out of saps, and the ants milk the sap out of the aphids.

I thought I would resolve the problem by introducing more ladybugs to the area. Every ladybug can eat hundreds of aphids a day. It is not clear to me if this will work at all now. I noticed, after dumping a box of ladybugs onto the corn, that the ants were actively attacking and chasing away the ladybugs. The ladybugs are much bigger than the ants and yet they seem easily deterred by the ants.

In short, I think I will probably have to resort to a different method: more neem oil and soap.

We probably won't be eating home grown corn this season.

Sequoia National Park

We went out to the Mineral Kings area of Sequoia National Park over the July 4th weekend. I think it is one of our best camping trips ever. The area was beautiful - full of alpine scenery, lush green meadows and vistas of jagged peaks. We camped right next to the Kaweah River and fell asleep to the sound of rushing waters. And we got plenty of exercise, though we didn't quite make it to the alpine lake we wanted to get to. We are, alas, no longer in great physical shape. I have bun 2 in the belly and Zoe plus pack is just about 30 lbs on Dennis' back. Still, we got to romp through the dusky wild. We think Zoe enjoyed the trip very much too.