HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET BABY GIRL!

SAENGIL CHUKHA HAMNIDA!

Celebrating Three Months Home!

Wow! Once again, where has the time gone?!?! Our little girl has been home for three full months! And tomorrow she will be one years old! On this exact date three months ago, I was praying to get off that plane and just make it here alive! Zoey did so great on the flight home considering the circumstances and we were both so relieved to finally be out of the airplane! She continues to grow like a leaf, eat everything in sight and follow everything her brother does! She is practically running around the house now and still enjoys tormenting the dogs and the bunny. She is definetly in toddler mode now...getting into everything and making her presence known! She is still working on popping all six of those teeth out, and says "uh-oh" pretty regularly. She has now called me mama just twice, and will whisper "dada" occassionally to Danny. But there is no shortage of kisses, as she gives those frequently, even to other family members! Her favorite thing to do by far is to turn the satellite off when we're watching TV, and we've discovered that telling her "ah-nee-oh" (no, in Korean) just eggs her on! Braedan has even started saying "ah-nee-oh"! She has discovered the "goodie cabinet" at my parents home and will walk straight to it, open it up, and proceed to carry a bag of M&M's almost the same size as her, to the nearest adult and beg them to open it! We have started the transition to whole milk and so far, she has tolerated it really well. She is such an amazing little girl and we feel very blessed to finally have her home.

With that said, she still struggles with night time sleeping. Our hearts just ache for her as we know she is still having some grieving issues and seeks comfort in the night to reassure her. She has become what we like to call a "shirt puller" and will pull on the collar of mine and Danny's shirt, especially at night. She does this sometimes for hours, just needing the reassurance that we're still there. We know that while three months has gone by quickly for us, it is still such a short time for her to fully adjust to this new life and we pray that we will be able to do the right things to continue to let her know we are her forever family.

Braedan continues to do well also, and loves his little sister! He is very overprotective of her, yet is not too thrilled when she gets into his toys. We had the pack and play out the other day and he decided that he needed to get in with his toys so sister wouldn't bother him! He proceeded to play in there, while Zoey watched, for nearly an hour! She still giggles with delight every morning when they first see each other.

Here are some pictures to enjoy!

Braedan Cam!

Well, I went to offload my camera pictures today and surprise, surprise, a certain little four year old got a hold of my camera and took these shots. Not too bad, actually!
Self Portrait

Say cheese Zoey!

And of course, can't leave out Lizzie the bunny!

Mmmmm...Seaweed Soup!

My brother (a wanna-be Korean!) and I went over to get a cooking lesson from a Korean family friend of ours. It was AWESOME! We had the best time and learned so much! I'm bummed because she'll be out of town for Zoey's Tol Party, but gave us the basics on how to prepare most of the food. She had some to sample and we enjoyed chowing down on the seaweed soup ( my brother was brave enough to eat the mussels she had added - me, not so much) and helping her make Yaki-mandu, one of our absolute favorites! And yes, she told my brother that he made very good work of the dumpling wrappers...she said no such thing to me, whatever. :) She loaded us up with all kinds of goodies from the Korean market to bring home and even had a cook book for me. We have known her for about 15 years and she has always been so helpful and sweet. She often sends me things from Korea and books about adopted children. She ordered two traditional Korean Rice Cakes for the party next week and I'm so excited to see them! She had actually been in Korea just two weeks before I picked Zoey up and we were disappointed it did not end up at the same time! She loaned me a traditional Tol table for the party and sent us with all the leftovers from our cooking lesson. So this afternoon I was excited to see if Zoey enjoyed the seaweed soup and she chowed down! Loved it! Here are some pictures of her slurping it up! Braedan was not so brave...

And here she is trying out some sticky rice with a piece of toasted seaweed

I so enjoy anything that has to do with Korean culture. Coming from a military family, we lived and traveled the world. I was exposed to many cultures and places and appreciate them all. But being adopted and not having that Korean culture in my life every day, makes me appreciate it that much more. After traveling there to pick up Zoey, I am left awe struck at the wonderful country it is and crave it more each day. At 27, I feel it's about time to know what being Korean is all about. One of these days, I would love to return there to live with my family. But maybe I should learn how to say a bit more than "hello" and "thank you"?!?!?!

My brother and I the day we brought Zoey home...
And Dave, I love you even though you made prettier Yaki-mandu than I did, but you would still stick out like a sore thumb walking the streets of Korea!

Video Tuesday

Zoey is walking like crazy now! She still crawls more than walks, but to keep up with big brother, she finds walking more suitable! Braedan was playing computer in the office and she found it faster to walk to him rather than crawl. Tongue out and all! (ignore my obnoxious voice in the background...apparently I forgot I was videoing this:))

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Zoey has discovered these whistles that are actually bath toys, but she thinks they're hilarious and eventually learned how to blow them herself! She is pleased!

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And finally...my little man has ALWAYS been ahead physically. He could jump off the ground before he could even walk! After playing a few rounds of one on one with his daddy, he was getting tired, but his shots kept getting better! Check out his "swish" in this cute little video after a couple of attempts! And then he's back to a four year old complaining that he's tired...

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Yummo!

Today we made what we like to call "Korean donuts". Boy are they yummy! This is the second time we've made them and I must say, for the directions being completely in Korean, we pulled it off pretty well! The dough is super sticky and thick almost like play dough and you roll it into little balls and drop them in oil, where they puff up like a blowfish! Then you roll them in cinnamon sugar while they're still hot and they come out chewy and delicious! Drooling yet? Here's some pictures where scratch and sniff would come in handy!

Landa Park

Daddy finally had the weekend off so we decided to head out on Saturday for a little family time at a local park about 10 minutes from us in New Braunfels. There is so many fun things to do out there even in the heat, but we decided to start off by taking a little walk and stopping to feed the ducks, then rode the train around the park. We ended at Rudy's, a local BBQ, and one of our favorites! It was a nice family day! And the kids seemed to really enjoy themselves! Zoey and I wore matching shirts that read, "Everyone loves a brown eyed girl". It was a lot of fun and we were home before the much needed rain storm hit.


Braedan enjoyed hitting the ducks with the bread and Zoey enjoyed her ride in the carrier!

On the train...


We love Rudy's BBQ! Well, all of us except Braedan, who brought his own lunch and skipped the creamed corn!

Enjoying some Gerber snacks...she wished they were BBQ flavor!

Piggies!

Boy, Zoey's hair is growing like crazy! We're still in "no hairstyle" mode as we're trying to grow out her bangs and make it all one length. It's starting to pull back easier with clips since her bangs are growing, but I feel like it's in her face all the time and I'm constantly messing with it! But I finally got some good pigtails going the other day! Hair in the face or not, she's still beautiful!

BEFORE:
AFTER:

And we just shave this one's head, and it's looking about that time again! I just hate cutting off all that red but his hair gets really wirey if I let it grow out. Too bad! People come up to us all the time and compliment his hair color. One lady wanted us to come with her to the salon so she could show her hair stylist that this was the color she wanted! Um, no thanks!

And I just had to show off his shirt I picked up for him in Korea that he wore for the first time today because for some reason (uh, maybe motherhood?!?!) I hadn't unpacked this bag yet. He loves it and told people all day long what it said. Isn't he a cutie? I guess I'm just a little biased, but think my kiddos are too cute!

He's Home!!

Don't know who "he" is? Check out this earlier post! http://seonmikyung.blogspot.com/2009/06/two-families-one-boy-much-love.html

Well, technically he's been home for nearly 3 weeks now, but chasing around a toddler keeps you on your toes, so I just received these wonderful pictures today from his very happy mommy! Precious Micah is such a handsome little guy, isn't he? I'm happy to report he is doing great and adjusting well to his forever family! I am so happy to see his little face! He will be 19 months old next week! Let's just say I'm not at all against being Micah's future mother-in-law! Wouldn't that be fun?!?!

Swinging with his big brother Isaac!

Meeting Mommy at the airport!

And saying hi to daddy!

Thumb sucker! (I was one of those!)

Hanging with his kitty cat!


Thanks to Beth and family for letting me share!! Thoughts and prayers are with you for a smooth transition and health in your family...

Our Baby Announcements!

I CAN WALK!

Believe it or not, Zoey took 10 steps this evening walking back and forth to Danny and I! I didn't catch that on film, but I did catch a couple of clips of her attempting it this afternoon and she is so delighted with herself!

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Just Beautiful!!!

Ugh!! She's getting big already!! And prettier, if that's possible! I took these snapshots today in her gorgeous hanboks for her birthday invites. The pink is from her foster mother and the other I picked up while in Korea. She loved playing dress up and just looks like such a big girl!

Our Favorite Things Part II

Diposable Stick-on Table Covers
$8.99 for 20 Toys R Us

These are great for on the go! They come prefolded in a package about the size of a diaper, so I just pop them in the diaper bag and have them with me. You just pull one out at a restaurant, peel the backing off and stick directly to any surface for a instantly clean eating area! Love them!


Foogo Insulated Stainless Steel Sippy Cups
$14.99 Toys R Us

So this might sound pricey for a sippy cup, but it's so worth the money! Keeps any liquid cold or hot for up to 12 hours (really!!!) and has a straw to drink from which is great since Zoey cannot yet tilt a sippy cup to drink. So I can just hand her this one while we're in the car and she can sip away! Easy to clean and holds 9 oz.


Fisher-Price Precious Planet Deluxe Soft Travel Tray
$17.99 Babies R Us

LOVE this item! Will attach to any carseat and adjusts for babies comfort. I just snap it on Zoey's lap and fill with snacks for a car ride! It's easy to reach around and throw more on there when she's all out! Usually keeps messy eating in the car to a minimum!


Snugglebottoms Fitted Cloth Diapers with Velcro
$25.00 for package of 6 Babybunz.com

Yes, we cloth diaper when we're at home! I love it! These diapers are a great value for the quality and so easy to use and wash. Soft on Zoey's skin and keep their shape after washing. Highly recommended!


Bummis Super Whisper Wrap Cloth Diaper Cover
$12.95 each (price varies) Full Circle Baby.com

So cute in 4 different patterns and keep everything inside where it should be! Easy to wash and easy to use with velcro. Grows with baby. Can make diapers pretty bulky, so we sometimes have Zoey go pantless around the house or go up the next size in pants...


For "Our Favorite Things" Part I, see this post: http://seonmikyung.blogspot.com/2009/06/our-favorite-things.html

Happy 4th of July!

May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country! ~Daniel Webster

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Surprise!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my entire family was in town to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday a few weeks ago. He did not know that my sister and her kids would be coming in from Maryland and we certainly surprised him! Sometimes when my dad gets home from work and we're over at his house, Braedan will hide till Papa comes and finds him. So it was not unusual on this particular day to go find Braedan...but the surprise came when more than one kid starting screaming and it took him a few seconds to figure it all out! Not to mention that Braedan does not usually hide in dark closets by himself, which Papa thought was strange, but he went with it...

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