I realize that some of these are nearly identical. Sometimes he's just so cute that I can't choose.

Posted by Becky at 8:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I didn't bother putting on the pants that go with Henry's since they were way too big. He'll wear them for his one-year portrait though.

Today is the first day of the Year of the Tiger. I gave the girls some new hanboks because their old ones were getting too small and worn out. I bought Henry one for his first-year picture since I have that of the girls. It was difficult to pick a hanbok for him because they were all in what I think of (as an American) "girly" colors. I chose this one because I liked the dragon and I will probably take the dragon off and frame it after he's had his one-year portrait in it.

Posted by Becky at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I think he just can't stop doing them! He has finally started rolling on his right side now (until now he would only roll on his left). He still isn't into solid food and I've pretty much given up on it for another little while. Traveling at the end of the month will be easier if I don't have to bring a bunch of food for him anyway!

Posted by Becky at 8:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We expect him to start clapping in between his push-ups any time now.

Posted by Becky at 7:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Everyone is finally feeling better (still some coughing but no fevers) so we had to get out of the house today for some fresh air and a walk through town. **Note the ride Sarah is on has a "police officer" with his gun drawn.**

Too bad Craig & Henry were not also on the couch. Now that would have been a picture!

Posted by Becky at 8:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sarah refuses to admit she is sick. But she doesn't nap anymore and she doesn't leave fruit snacks un-eaten. Poor little girl. I feel especially bad for her because Henry is also sick and he is in the Baby Hawk a lot which means I can't hold her like she wants me to. At least Craig is back from gas-trials and can help in the evenings and Anna is finally starting to feel better.

Posted by Becky at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I set Henry down on the floor near where Sarah is standing and he made his way all the way around the kitchen table going backwards (he is on the other side of the table there with Anna in the picture above)! I think he has started to realize his potential here because he never backed into a chair or a wall but made all the turns very nicely. We are definitely stepping up the fun-factor here soon! Yay Henry!

I ended up taking the kids in to the doctor this morning because Anna still has a fever, Sarah has it, and I think Henry's coming down with it (he sounds a little congested in his chest). Henry was supposed to go in this week for his six-month check-up but since he was sick they won't do his vaccinations until next week.

Here are the kids stats:

Anna (4 years 10 months)
-Height 108.4 cm (42.7 inches)
-Weight 17.3 kg (38.1 lbs)

Sarah (2 years almost 8 months)
-Height 92.7 cm (36.5 inches)
-Weight 14.4 kg (31.7 lbs)

Henry (6 months)
-Height 70.8 cm (27.9 inches)
-Weight 9.2 kg (20.3 lbs)

Posted by Becky at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The girls were super-excited to get a box from Anita filled with Valentine's candy and these cute sweaters.

Sarah is starting to get sick now, too, so I can now just hope Henry & I don't get what Anna started! Craig should be home tomorrow though so at least I won't be on my own much longer.

Posted by Becky at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Henry slept from 6:30 PM until 7:15 AM and the best part is that I went to bed at 9! I honestly don't think it will happen again soon but it sure was nice. The girls had given me many random nights like this by six months and this is the first time ever for Henry.

Posted by Becky at 7:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Henry especially likes his Eric Carle books.

I got in on the action, too, and did this butterfly.

The girls & I really enjoyed this project and I was so pleased with the results that I framed them and hung them up (mine will go into the trash soon). I drew each piece on tracing paper and then the girls laid the tracing paper cut-outs on the colored papers so I would know where to cut/which colors to use. Anna isn't feeling well today (slight fever & a cough) so this just about all we got accomplished today. Craig is on gas-trials until Wednesday so I hope Sarah, Henry, & I don't get it, too!

Posted by Becky at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

His hair is not at all red, I realize it looks like it might be in this picture. He is definitely blond!

Henry is six months old! He can suddenly sit for long stretches (I think 8 minutes is his current record). He is generally happy and loves to watch his sisters whenever they are in the room.

The only food that I can get him to eat so far is pumpkin-sweet potato. I don't think I'll be able to find that in the US so I hope he likes just plain US-style sweet potato, too! Not that solids have helped his night-sleep anyway so it's kind of feeling pointless to keep pushing it just now, maybe I'll wait another few weeks and try again (or maybe just wait until we get to Texas).

I can't seem to control this rash on his neck so I'll see if there is anything else we can do when I take him in this week for his vaccinations. I use the cream we got earlier this month maybe every 36 hours and it seems like that is too often/regular to be using hydrocortisone for me. I am looking forward to seeing how much he weighs when we go in!

Posted by Becky at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

He has worked his way from the rug near the green couch where I set him down to this point with a series of twists, turns, and scoots.

Posted by Becky at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Henry is moving backwards a lot. It doesn't seem very intentional yet but I don't remember even Sarah moving around the apartment like this at this age! He also moves around a ton in his crib which neither girl did. Things could get exciting around here really soon! I've already been reminding the girls to keep tiny things and things they don't want to get drooled on up off of the floor and out of Henry's reach.

Posted by Becky at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Henry is almost too big for the bouncy seat.. I think it's time to give it to little Gunvor soon. The girls were never this big in the seat and he can actually reach the things on the "activity" bar. I'm a little sad to see it go!

Posted by Becky at 8:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

His new fleece bib: let's see if it helps keep that rash away.

Henry tried oatmeal, applesauce, pumpkin, and avocado in the past week and didn't seem to care for any of it (he seemed like all of it the first time it was offered but not after that). Also since we started the solids he has started waking up an additional time to eat in the night. That wasn't how that was supposed to work! So, we're going to back off and try again in another week or two and see if we have more success with something else (sweet potato maybe?).

He has been a little fussy lately and I wonder if he's working on those first teeth (I don't see or feel anything there but he's not talking so it's my best guess).

Posted by Becky at 8:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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It has been increasingly difficult to get out and about lately as the weather has been colder and windy the past week or so. I think Henry enjoys getting out as much as the girls & I do though. I think we are all already looking forward to some spring weather.

Posted by Becky at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Henry & Gunvor.

Sarah likes to sit at the table with Anna & me when we do her reading and math lessons. Sometimes she likes to color and other times she wants an "activity" to do. This week I decided to give her two days of learning about a letter (so I could have some focus when coming up with her activity!). We did H & S this week and she can now tell you what sounds those two letters make.

Our neighbors came back from Norway yesterday and we got to meet baby Gunvor for the first time. She is eight weeks and didn't seem that much shorter than Henry but she is light as a feather compared to him! Henry grabbed her shirt and held on tight. She doesn't move yet and Henry only rolls to the left (both front to back and back to front) so they can safely share a blanket for now as long as we put Henry more than one roll's distance away from her.

Posted by Becky at 8:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Henry is 5.5 months in these photos.

Anna is 10 months here. (January 15, 2006)

This is the sweater that Carolyn knit for Craig when he was a baby. I wonder if he also wore it in January?

Posted by Becky at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The cream from the doctor was like a miracle cure for Henry's rash: two applications and the rash is gone! And now he's rolling from back to tummy and suddenly able to sit up for minutes at a time. He doesn't seem to like the oatmeal as much as we originally thought though; I'm not sure how much he has actually ingested. I might try giving him some pumpkin tomorrow to see if he likes that any more.

Posted by Becky at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Henry is starting to push up on his arms already!

First taste of solid food!

Henry has a rash on his neck and chin from constant drooling (I swear I thought Sarah was a drooler but that was only because I hadn't met Henry yet!) and it isn't going away with my attempts at treating it. Worried it would turn into a yeast infection, I took him in the pediatrician. He prescribed a cream that was part hydrocortisone and part clotrimizole and said it is not yeast. Here's hoping this cream does the trick!

We also decided to get Henry started on solids tonight because he seems like he is ready. He really seemed to like it!

Posted by Becky at 8:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Henry fell asleep on the way home from lunch with Craig and rather than wake him up to put him down for a nap I decided to take the girls to the Lotte Mart play area (45 minute drive). He woke up by the time we got there so it was all just as well that we were out and about. The girls, however, did not want to play in the play area as it was pretty busy with kids. So, we went to the Daiso section (Japanese discount store) and got a few little things then packed up and went home. The kids were all great at the store as they have been each time I've gone out with all three.

Posted by Becky at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I took the girls to the play area at Home Plus today because it has been too cold to go to the playground with Henry. They had a lot of fun but only when it was them and two other girls who were pretty tame. Two little boys came and Anna & Sarah got a little less enthusiastic about being there. This is actually a place where I can drop them off and do my shopping if I want but based on today only they aren't quite ready for it (Sarah anyway). We might check out the D-Cube play area next week.

Posted by Becky at 8:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Henry likes to watch his sisters swinging. At least for now!

Posted by Becky at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sarah wanted her bag of books & animals on her lap when we got going. I convinced her to put it down on the floor and I would hand her things as she wanted them.

There we are hugging the wall!

Henry and I have not been off of Geoje Island since we went to Seoul for his passport (I'm not counting Lotte Mart since that's barely off of the island) so it felt like a great adventure today taking the car ferry and going to Shinsegae Mall to take the girls ice skating. We had talked about doing that in July but they don't carry Craig's size at the skate shop and I was too pregnant to go so now seemed like a good time. If we had known that Craig & Henry could have gone into the area with us it would have been a much better experience though.

The girls and boy split up and we hoped that Henry could take a nap in his stroller. It took forever for me to find and adjust the helmets for the girls, get a locker for our shoes, get the skates on everyone, wobble to the ice, and then get onto the ice. Sarah's skates were much too big for her so she had a harder time than Anna but she had a good attitude and laughed every time she fell instead of getting frustrated. It would have been much better if I could have left one girl with Craig while I did a lap around the ice with the other girl and then switched girls every couple of laps or so. If we go back we will try it that way. The girls both said the best part of ice skating was when it was time for the zamboni to come and the ice rink guy picked them up and skated them to the carpeted area. (!)

We had fun and we were all glad we went. Henry did not nap as well in the car or stroller as we thought he would but he was still easy-going. I think he enjoyed getting out and seeing some new stuff. Also I was happy to find that there was a nursing room at the mall near the restrooms so I didn't have to go back to the car or into a bathroom stall (I'm not 100% sure of the breastfeeding laws here but I know I have never seen anyone doing it and I am under the impression that Korean moms are more into formula-feeding than breastfeeding—I could be wrong about that though).

Posted by Becky at 8:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Henry drools a LOT. Anna spit up when she was little and I thought Sarah drooled a lot. I have to double-bib Henry and often his shirt is still soaked underneath when I take off the bibs for his nap. So, today I cut up a terry cloth baby towel and made three double-thick bibs to try and help with the laundry situation (since I double-bib him I have half as many bibs available which means I need to wash them faster). I don't know how well these are going to hold up but they turned out better than I thought they would. Just don't look too closely. The important thing to remember here is that they are keeping drool off of his shirt and chest because he is starting to get a bit of a rash from it constantly being wet around his neck and chest. Poor little guy.

Posted by Becky at 9:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We all made felt crowns with sequins for decoration.

We needed an excuse to get dressed up so we had a formal hors d'oeuvres party with the kids tonight. The kids liked most of the menu and we all had fun. I think we'll do the same next year and make it a tradition as long as they're into it. Now that there are five of us it really felt like we were having a party! The crackers I bought from Crate & Barrel were lame and didn't come with crowns which is why we had to make our own this year.

Posted by Becky at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Making the "2010" look sparkly.

Sarah had the puzzle pieces between her toes until she saw my camera coming. Anna has wrapped up the puzzle in a medical bandage. Henry just thinks hanging out with his sisters is cool.

Posted by Becky at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sarah makes the best Hippopotamus Pie this side of the Pacific.

Posted by Becky at 9:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sarah is so in love with her new pig pajamas we had a hard time convincing her to put on her clothes today!

Henry seemed to like having more space to stretch in his new full-size crib.

We really want to get Sarah "trained" to sleep in a regular bed before we move (probably by the end of February) so we decided she could "give" Henry the crib for Christmas. She thought this was a great idea but wanted to "wait until Saturday." I think she has matured a lot since we tried this six months ago so I'm hopeful that it will go well tonight (and I'm really glad we don't have to deal with a nap now!).

Posted by Becky at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Solving some dinosaur puzzles.

We had a great Christmas morning. The kids were so excited that it was finally time to open their presents but they were also disappointed that Zamp (the elf that had watched them all month) had gone back to the North Pole with Santa in the night. We made Corrine's sticky buns for breakfast and spent a relaxing day checking out the new stuff.

Posted by Becky at 9:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Henry is five months old today! I think he is looking so much more mature here in these pictures now that he is sitting up a little better. He can sit for about 5 seconds on his own and at some point in the next month he will start eating solid food. I can hardly believe it is already time for that; it seems simultaneously like yesterday and like ages ago I started pureeing apples and pumpkin for him. I'll start letting him have some water out of a cup soon and then we'll probably start with avocado if Home Plus has some in stock (they usually do).

Henry still only rolls from back to tummy and he always rolls to the left. He is starting to get "stuck" on his tummy at night time which is frustrating. If I felt confident in his abilities to roll back onto his back I'd let him figure it out but until he does it (and does it consistently) during the day I feel compelled to go in in the middle of the night when he's fussing and roll him back over.

Henry loves to watch his sisters play and really loves it when they stop and talk to him or show him something. He loves to read books (he kicks his feet in excitement) and he likes to get out and about for a change of scene. It's too bad it's such a hassle getting three kids ready to go out in freezing cold weather or we'd probably go out every day but right now we're probably doing it every-other-day (there aren't that many places to go when it's this cold anyway!).

Henry's naps are getting better/more consistent which is great. He is taking three naps per day now and is still nursing 6 times per day (including one time in the middle of the night). He wakes up around 7 AM and goes down for the night around 6:30 PM.

Posted by Becky at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Button tree from my mom.

Posted by Becky at 8:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I had so many exactly like this one; I think his mouth was stuck open like this!

Posted by Becky at 8:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Wombats playing "Duck, Duck, Goose" while they wait for their turn to see Santa.

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Henry rolled today! He rolled from back to front four times. The girls both rolled front to back first so I was a little surprised by this. I assume he'll add the other direction soon.

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Sarah has been obsessed with collecting leaves this fall.

The boys at Prince Coffee.

Posted by Becky at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I ordered these stockings from an Etsy store. I need to get one more stocking hanger but Craig & I will have to share this year.

Posted by Becky at 10:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Transferring popcorn kernels with some little tongs.

Anna adores Henry and very often wants to hold him.

Anna stayed home from school today because she wasn't feeling 100% and hey, she's only 4 years old and it's preschool. We had a nice time at home and an extra bonus we didn't have to go out in the cold (read: "I didn't have to get three kids and myself dressed in winter clothing")!

Posted by Becky at 8:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I took Henry up to Lotte Mart today. I figured he could take his 30-minute-nap in the car (he did) and we could both have a change of scene. I know it did me some good anyway!

I haven't decided if having the name and photograph of the driver helps anything. Maybe he's a better driver than he would be if that information wasn't there? Maybe that's not even why it's there. Who knows?

Posted by Becky at 9:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This morning I took Henry for his 4 Month doctor's appointment. Here are his stats:

Height: 70.2 cm (27.6 inches ) - above 95th percentile
Weight: 8.04 kg (17.7 pounds) - 75-90th percentile
Head Circumference: 17 inches - 50-75th percentile *this I have to measure myself since they don't do it here; I hope to at least be consistent with how I'm measuring it*

This afternoon the girls helped me bake a chocolate cake for my birthday: delicious!

Posted by Becky at 8:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sorry, I can't help it. I love going to Starbucks for lunch because I can get a really tasty chicken caesar wrap and feel like I am in America for a short time.

Posted by Becky at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Poor little Henry, my notes on your progress are not going to be as good as your sisters' just because you're number three. I hope you understand some day when you have kids: I'm doing the best I can with the time and energy I've got right now!

Henry likes to read books. He looks so thrilled when the girls ask to read a book and I have them sit next to him (in his bouncy seat or the megasaucer). He also likes to hold my hands or grab the book when I read to him for nap time.

This past week he has been a nightmare during the day. Screaming a horrible scream and not wanting to sleep more than 30 minutes at a time (and then being obviously tired between naps). Hopefully it won't last much longer (there seems to be nothing "wrong" with him other than he is tired and can't figure out how to sleep during the day for any length of time all of a sudden).

He still hasn't rolled over but I swear it looks like he's going to at any moment. I'll keep waiting!

Posted by Becky at 9:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are cabbage trucks all over town right now and they're all stacked as high as this. People (all year) load up their grocery carts with cabbage, too. I realize they're making kimchi with it but it still looks insane in mass quantities like this! (I don't know if I ever mentioned on the blog that I loved walking past the kimchi section of the grocery store when I was pregnant with Henry—I love that smell!)

Posted by Becky at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Getting set up for the experiment.

The girls were really excited when a package from Grandma came with a few new clothes!

The girls & I did a "color hypothesis" activity from the Dinosaur Train section on PBSkids.org today and they really had fun. Sarah got a little bored with the data sheet but liked making predictions and figuring out the results.

Posted by Becky at 11:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This will be the picture we send out this year.

And we're done.

Posted by Becky at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Henry was a little freaked out when I put him in the Megasaucer yesterday but today he seems to like it pretty well. This contraption has gone through seven kids now (Owen, Raisa, Anna, Sarah, two Norwegian kids here, and now Henry). I will pass it on when Henry is finished with it.

Posted by Becky at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Henry keeps looking like he's going to roll but it hasn't happened yet. I'd actually prefer he figure out how to put his own pacifier back in his mouth at naptime and the middle of the night!

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Sarah still has a bit of a cold so I kept her home one more day.

The girls were so happy to see Craig come home!

Craig finally made it home today after spending the night in Tokyo on his way back from Houston. Anna and Sarah ran to him yelling, "Daddy! I love you! Daddy, I love you!" Henry preferred when I put him down for his next nap, however.

Posted by Becky at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Anna is sorting out the dinosaur pictures by herbivore/carnivore/omnivore. This is a hot topic of discussion around here lately.

Craig's flight out of Houston was delayed so he won't be home tonight as planned. At this point, what's one more day? We're all still doing great but Henry has been getting a bit fussy today so I'll be glad for Craig's help after tomorrow!

Posted by Becky at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I admit that today was the day I was dreading most of all this week. I had originally planned to go to the store on Wednesday with just Henry (Anna & Sarah had Friday off already this week). I usually go to the store by myself on Sunday morning and then once into town for a quick trip on Wednesday night (again, by myself). The kids were perfect. I got a cart with a baby seat for Henry and Anna & Sarah held on to my cart the whole time (I thought for sure Sarah would bolt since she usually rides in the cart). I don't think I'll ever take them again so that they will have a fantastic record of being great when I've had all three with me in the store.

Also, today is Sarah's half-birthday and she can suddenly pedal her little tricycle. She's not going crazy fast yet but I'm sure that time will come soon enough. She was pretty thrilled when she figured it out! Henry is 16 weeks today and is finally starting to look like he might roll over (he looks like he's working on both directions).

Posted by Becky at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's still going really well over here! You can see we did some suncatchers today, Anna was busy creating more art, Sarah was getting good use of the dress-up drawer, and Henry is starting to make some moves toward rolling over. I am so surprised and happy with how this week has gone (and that we seem to have escaped the H1N1 virus so far).

Posted by Becky at 8:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The kids & I went into town today to get out of the house for a bit. We went to a park in town, Starbucks for lunch, and then stopped at the convenience store for some milk (we'll do our big shopping trip on Friday when the cleaning ladies come).

Posted by Becky at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My three fantastic kids. I love Sarah's Bumbo hat. Anna worked on art projects for most of the day.

Decorating the ornaments. Sarah wanted to make all of them for Opa. I convinced her that we should send some to a few other people as well.

Day three of no Craig and no school and we are doing great! The girls have been getting along so well, Henry has been napping predictably and fairly well. And, so far, no one seems to have gotten sick! It is only Tuesday, however.

Posted by Becky at 9:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Henry I (heart) you"

Just after Henry woke up from his (awesome) nap this morning Anna's school called to tell me to come get her because one of the Wombats had H1N1 and probably had it on Friday while they were at school. It turns out a ton of kids were home sick already on Monday (I watched all of this unfold on Facebook!) so it was spreading around OIS fast. Henry & I drove over to get Anna and then walked over to get Sarah out of school early as well. We stopped at the Import Lady & Bakery Lady to stock up on a few supplies and then went home to stay away from other people while I started panicking about what I would do if one of my kids got the flu (or me--how would I take care of all three of them with Craig gone?). So far it's just Sarah & Henry with the remains of their colds which aren't so bad. I'll have to think of some fun stuff to do around the house this week and hope for the best.

Posted by Becky at 9:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Craig left for Houston today. He will be gone for one week... wish us luck! Today has gone well so far and since Sarah has a cold (Henry, too), I ended up putting her to bed a bit earlier than usual which worked out very well for getting Henry down hassle-free. (The bedtime routine is the part of Craig being gone that I'm nervous/stressed out about.) I got Sarah to bed at 6:45, Henry in bed at 7, and then Anna went to bed at 7:30. Anna worked on some art while I put Henry to bed which was perfect.

One sad/cute thing to remember this morning is that when Craig was leaving, Sarah was in a panic to find a tissue. She ended up unraveling a large amount of toilet paper, wiped her nose, and told Craig she "wiped off her cold" so that she could kiss him goodbye (we had asked her to not hug & kiss Henry & Anna when her cold started... too bad Henry got it anyway!).

Posted by Becky at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ready for school!

Sarah had a little party at school this morning but she is starting to get a cold so I don't know that she had very much fun. After her party we walked over to Anna's school for the Halloween assembly to see all the costumes. They went from oldest classes to youngest classes so we had to stay a lot longer than Sarah really wanted but I was proud of Anna when she walked on the catwalk (hey, I wouldn't want to do it!). The girls were a bit overwhelmed by all of the carnival activities at school but they really liked Trick-or-Treating. We didn't hit every house (the school arranged for everyone to go just to the row-houses so it had the right atmosphere of trick-or-treating in a neighborhood) and the girls still got a ton of candy. Henry stayed awake the entire time (when he normally would have been sleeping) I think because of the cool air and lights. Everyone went to bed happy tonight!

Posted by Becky at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm really going to try to not eat lunch at Starbucks every other day but it's so good it's hard to resist! I almost feel like I'm on American soil when I walk in there! Sarah had a ton of fun at the Ferry Terminal playground today and was not interested in leaving when I told her it was time to meet Craig for lunch. She did, however, enjoy tasting my hot chocolate once we got there.

Posted by Becky at 9:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Henry's infant seat goes to 22 pounds and I wonder just when he'll outgrow this seat. I've been using the seat and stroller combo for dropping the girls off at school which has been really convenient since we're having a bit of an awkward fit in the sling with our warmer (bulkier) clothes on.

Posted by Becky at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I've started putting Henry in the (purple!) Bumbo for a few minutes each time he is awake. I still can't make my camera "smile" at him so he stops smiling at me as soon as that big black camera goes up in the air...

The fairies are sleeping under a big window so it won't snow or rain on them.

Posted by Becky at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I didn't have my camera with me today because Craig took it golfing...

Sarah, Henry, & I went to the "Pagoda Playground" today near the old abandoned amusement park. Sarah had a blast and Henry slept in his stroller (the reason we went was because he had such an awful attempt at nap earlier in the morning I thought we had all better get out of the house for our own sanity!). Thankfully Henry kept sleeping as we went back into town and checked out the new Okpo Starbucks! Sarah and I had a really delicious lunch there and Henry had a relatively nice nap (sure it was noisier than home but he actually slept!).

Tonight (I just forgot to put the camera in my purse after Craig came back), I took the girls to Anna's Open House Night at school. Anna showed me all around her classroom and the library. I got to talk to her teacher a little bit and let her know that she is teaching Anna things since Anna still refuses to speak at school (at some point I need to find out when this is going to become an actual problem for her. Kindergarten? First grade? I just hope she gets over it before I have to find out!).

Posted by Becky at 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think we're all finally getting used to our new routines. Sarah still (some days) runs up to Anna when she comes home from school and gives her a giant hug and says something along the lines of, "oh, Anna I missed you!" And then some days they start bickering about 35 seconds after Anna comes in the door.

Posted by Becky at 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Henry is three months old today! He has suddenly started napping really well, too (I'm jinxing myself for sure)! Of course I had to work quite a bit last week to get him there. I got tired of the sling and it wasn't making him happy any more, either, so I switched to napping only in his bed and he has had a few two-hour-long naps this week! He has started staying awake for longer than an hour at a time which I'm sure has helped with the sleeping, too. He still wakes between 6:30-7 and goes to bed between 6:30-7 as well. he eats once at night and some nights he goes right back down; other nights I have to go back in a few times to give him his pacifier.

I still can't get over how happy and chatty he is and I'm just so excited to watch him grow and develop more. He's not rolling yet but he is holding his head really well. He has started spitting up a lot more and is kind of drool-y.

Henry really likes when I do pat-a-cake and when I sing the Itsy Bitsy Spider (he loves both songs best when I make his hands do the actions).

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I enlisted Sarah to help me get the pumpkin seeds separated from the pumpkin slime but she wasn't into the job. I made some cubes for Henry and set aside three cups of puree for us to use in cookies, bread, and pancakes. I will probably have to buy at least one more pumpkin to get enough puree for Henry for this winter.

Posted by Becky at 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Feeding the rabbits.

Henry & I went along on Anna's class field trip to the Bunnies, Birds, & Chickens park this morning. The kids got to feed the rabbits and we walked over to a small garden. The Wombats are talking about "food" right now in their class. Henry slept in the Babyhawk (I have to get a picture of that sometime since my mom changed the pocket to be more masculine for Henry) the whole time we were out.

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I had a pair of "Baby Legs" from Sarah that she never wore because her legs were too chunky when I tried them. She switched to skirts & tights when winter came along and pants were too long and tight. I'll eventually have to start hemming Henry's pants, I guess, because his pants are too long but also too tight around his middle. For now he's wearing some Baby Legs in the mornings until it warms up later on in the day.

He has also started drooling a lot so he is starting to wear his bibs when he is awake.

Posted by Becky at 8:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two month portrait.

Anna wanted a picture of the two of them together.

Henry is getting bigger and stronger by leaps and bounds! I brought him for some more vaccinations on Friday and he weighs sixteen pounds already. No wonder my back is tired! I have been holding him in the sling a lot but I'm going to have to come up with a different game plan because it is just wearing me out.

He is still Mr. Wonderful at nighttime and we stopped swaddling him a few weeks ago and just put him in a sleep sack. He typically goes to bed around 7 PM wakes one time (between 2-4) to eat and then goes back down until shortly after 6. When he wakes up at 6 he is talking and laughing to himself. I wish I knew what he was thinking about that he wakes up so happy!

Henry has the biggest smile when you look in his eyes and talk to him. He "talks" back and has so much to say. He really likes when Anna or Sarah stop and talk to him or are just near him. He has a fondness for one particular lion finger puppet and is learning to hold on to rattles, etc. He loves when I clap his hands and do "pat-a-cake" with him. And to end on a note of extreme cuteness: he has discovered his hands this week and finds them incredibly fascinating (this is particularly adorable to observe).

Posted by Becky at 9:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Sarah, Henry, & I went to check out new-to-us playground this morning. We called it the "Rocketship Playground" but I think that the jungle gym looks more like a spaceship. Sarah won't budge on the name.

This afternoon, Sarah, Henry, & I went to watch the Wombats & Pandas perform a few songs and poems. All of the kids made their home flags for the presentation. Anna is now interested in going to South Africa to see where her friend River is from.

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Our dryer was acting up so I had to dry Henry's diapers on the drying rack. That' find for the covers but the hemp inserts get super stiff so I ended up throwing them in the dryer for 10 minutes to soften them anyway (and then the repairman came to fix it!).

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Henry is wearing a 6-9 month outfit in this picture!

This is Sarah's "family" that she has to load in the (play) car or the shopping cart and take to the store (Costco or the Apple Guy, usually). Daddy the bunny, Mommy is Hello, Kitty, Anna & Sarah are the Minnie Mouses, and the owl is Henry.

Today was the last day of the Chuseok break (Craig & the girls had Friday, Monday, and Tuesday off).

Posted by Becky at 8:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Craig bought a season pass to NFL.com so everyone got on their Broncos shirts for the game this morning. Enthusiasm died pretty quickly but I'm sure as the kids get older they'll get more interested (hopefully anyway, for Craig's sake!).

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I still have a little work to do on Sarah's costume but she was really happy with it (and so was I). Anna's & Henry's are store-bought, obviously!

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Anna was so excited when she saw the new shirt I bought her, it says "Shine Like a (star)."

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Sarah suddenly cared about not getting messy today.

Sarah cried at drop-off on Wednesday but today she just got a little teary-eyed. Henry went in for a couple of immunizations today and it was the first time he noticed his shots. He was so sad. It's a good thing he doesn't realize that he's going in for some more in a couple of weeks. Poor little guy.

Henry weighs 6.72 kg (14 lbs 13oz) and is 62cm (24.4 inches) long.

The strange thing about Henry's appointment today was instead of laying him on the table like his last visit and like they would in the US, Henry sat on my lap and the doctor gave him the same "exam" as Anna & Sarah. Which is to say he listened to Henry's heart, looked in his ears and throat, and felt his tummy. That was it. End of exam. This is very strange to me. They also don't measure his head here so I have to remember to do that this weekend!

Posted by Becky at 9:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Henry is two months old today! He is so smiley and social and I think he is so much more so than the girls were at this age. He is such a little sweetheart and has been easy to take along to school this week in the sling. He still is an awesome sleeper at night (waking once now) and goes down pretty well during the day for naps. BUT he doesn't nap quite long enough in his bed though so I do have to pop him into the Hostling for 30-45 minutes several times per day. Sarah likes to imitate me when I'm rocking him in the sling and it's super cute!

Posted by Becky at 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was my first day out with all three kids and it went amazingly well. The girls were on the see-saw at OIS and a little girl said, "Hi, Sarah!" It was her new friend from Playschool, Michelle. It was a strange moment for me to witness Sarah's social life developing. Sarah did cry when I dropped her off today so I hope that goes better (she didn't cry the other times I dropped her off maybe because I didn't have Henry with me?).

I read The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear to Henry today and he was chatting and laughing at the book. I'm trying to start the reading before nap-time routine but he's not really into it yet (so I am reciting Goodnight, Moon while I wrap him in his blanket).

Thankfully, I have Craig bringing Sarah home from Playschool and Anna is taking the bus home every day from school. This makes everything much easier!

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Craig & Anna took Anita to the airport and I stayed home with Henry & Sarah. I think we're in a much better place than we were when my mom left probably partly because Anna & Sarah are going to school now and partly because Henry is a few weeks older and more "organized" with his day routine. Thank you for everything you've done to help us get to this point, Nana!

Posted by Becky at 8:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This is how we've been sharing a room with Henry the past eight weeks. I will post a picture of his room once it is set up next week.

The sweet card Anna made for Craig & me for our anniversary. ("Happy Anniversary Mommy Daddy From Stars" and you can see she drew each of us on the card... from right to left is Craig, me, Henry, Anna, & then Sarah with red hair (Henry has black).

Craig & I have been married ten years today!

Posted by Becky at 8:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Sorry this is fuzzy, I took it through the screen.

Sarah showing off her new walking shoes with "Jacques" (formerly known as "Mater" but he's been Jacques for much longer now so I think that's going to stick).

Summer is coming to an end already, I think we'll take down the terrace pool after this weekend. I think the girls went into the big, apartment pool for the last time last weekend. Nana leaves for Colorado on Saturday and we'll be left to fend for ourselves as a family of five without a granny-nanny or a nana-nanny to help out. We are so lucky that our moms were able to come out for so long to help out.

Posted by Becky at 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lookin' good on the griddle!

I can't imagine why we never made English muffins before. We have missed them for so long and they are so easy to make! I imagine we'll have them at least once per week now.

Craig & Anna went to Anna's back-to-school night. I think she was super excited to show Craig around her classroom and for him to meet her teacher.

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Waking up on the couch.

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Baking oatmeal cookies. Sarah loves to help but she's quick and sneaky always looking for an opportunity to "taste."

Sarah loves Henry!

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Anna is waving to me & Sarah as she leaves on the bus from our apartment to school. I think I was more nervous than she was!

He is getting too long for some of his swaddling blankets (notice his toes poking out).

It is really strange to not have Anna at home for lunch; I think it will take a while to get used to our new routines this fall.

Posted by Becky at 8:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I couldn't resist taking this lady's picture as she walked past Prince Coffee, sorry, Lady.

Today was Anna's and Sarah's first day of school. We started out by taking Anna to the Wombats classroom. This year I won't take her up each morning, instead she will line up with her teacher outside and walk up with her class when the bell rings. We found her cubby and made a name tag and then the kids sat on the mat and waved goodbye to their parents. I could see that Anna was nervous but she was brave and reports back that she had a good day. She is going five days a week from 8:30-2:45 (until 2:30 on Fridays). Tomorrow will be another big deal since she is going to take the bus to and from school (!!).

After we said goodbye to Anna, Sarah and I walked over to Playschool. When we got to school, we put her outside shoes in her cubby and put on her fancy new sparkly indoor shoes. Sarah went straight to a rocking horse and started to play. One of her teachers came to play with her and I said goodbye. Sarah looked up and waved goodbye and that was that. When I picked her up from school, Sarah saw me with Henry and got a super big smile and said, "that's my new baby!" I could tell she had been crying and her teachers said they took her for a walk outside until she told them she was thirsty. But she had settled down and was fine when I came to get her. It was so strange to walk into the Playschool and see Sarah sitting in the same chairs Anna used to when I went to pick her up (and with Henry in the sling just like Sarah used to be). Sarah will go to school Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:45-12.

As for Henry, Anita, & I, we went to the silk store with Karen & Alfred and then to Prince Coffee before we had to pick up Sarah. Today was kind of crazy with running back to school all day and I don't think I could have done it without Anita here! Hopefully we'll figure out our routine before she leaves.

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The girls were pretending the couch was a firetruck and they put on their seatbelts to go to a fire.

The girls helped Nana in the kitchen this afternoon.

Henry is getting more fun already at only six weeks! He is definitely getting more social and I think he gives out more smiles than either of the girls did at this age. He has still been easy at night (with the occasional gas-bubble causing a ruckus at 4 in the morning) and this past week Anita & I have gotten him on a 2.5-3 hour schedule instead of the 2-hour schedule he had been on. Last night he ate at 6:45 and didn't wake up to eat again until 1:45 (usually it's closer to 12)! He woke again at 5 but I think I could have had him wait until 6 to eat since he didn't eat very much/very well at 5. This was very nice and I am sure I'm greedy for hoping he does it again tonight! He is having a hard time taking decent naps during the day unless he's being held which is fine while Anita is here but I imagine he'll be taking a lot of naps in the sling after she leaves until he learns to stay asleep longer than 30-45 minutes in the crib.

Posted by Becky at 9:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I can't resist a picture of a baby-yawn.

I guess he is meant to look more serious here.

Henry has really started noticing his black-and-white books and smiling at the pictures in them (he likes a picture of a seal and a panda the best) and also really smiling at us and making some cooing/"talking" noises. It's hard to believe but this kid is just going to keep getting cuter!

Posted by Becky at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mijung & Jaynie stopped by to meet "The Henry" on Mijung's day off from work.

Henry has a bit of infant acne (not as bad as Sarah's was, I don't think) so we will wait to do portraits with Anita for another little while in hopes that it will clear up a bit.

The girls schools were delayed one week due to the Swine Flu but today the Playschool had the kids come in to meet the teachers and other students. Sarah got to meet three of her teachers and went to play with one of them when she asked. Anna went with Sarah & her teacher (Sandra) but came running back to me and said in a worried tone, "mommy, Sarah's talking to her teacher!" Anna totally reverted to her super-shy self while we were at school so I thought maybe it was a good idea to walk over to OIS and see if we could take a sneak-peek at her classroom and meet her teacher, too (thanks to Jacki for the idea!). I'm glad we did but I forgot my camera which I think would have been nice to look at the pictures this week. Anna didn't talk to her new Wombats teacher but I have hope that maybe she'll do it this year since she has gotten a lot more self-confident over the summer it seems.

Posted by Becky at 9:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sarah got the pillow balance-board idea and didn't care any more that she wasn't the one playing the game.

Henry really likes getting baths!

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Sarah was dragging "Jacques" around like he was Bernie in Weekend at Bernie's.

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I had to take Henry in for a vaccination today so I have some updated information on him & Anna (Sarah refused to stand on the device that measures height & weight so we can't compare her info). Henry screamed for one half second when he got his shot and then fell back asleep when I picked him up. Anna & Sarah actually ended up taking Anita over to Prince Coffee because the wait was so long at the pediatrician today. That worked out well for everyone (coffee for jet-lagged Anita and less exposure to sick-kid germs for Anna & Sarah!).

Henry weighs 5.7kg and is 58cm
(12 pounds 10 oz and 23 inches)

Anna weighs 16.6kg and 106.1cm
(36 pounds 10 oz 42 inches)

Posted by Becky at 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anita missed her connection in Tokyo last night and didn't make it to our house until bedtime tonight. She got to hold Henry a bit, give Sarah a goodnight kiss, and read Anna a story so she made it just in time!

Posted by Becky at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

These pictures remind me a lot of Anna around the same age.

Henry is starting to observe a bit more while he's awake but he doesn't like to be awake for long. I asked the girls if I could take their picture today but they refused and then continued to run around like crazy (pretending to be Nala from the Lion King).

Posted by Becky at 9:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Henry is one month old today! It has flown by to say the least... Today I got to hear a few little social squeaks in addition to the more usual grunting or complaining coming from him. Of course it was adorable and once he starts "talking" a bit more I'll make a video to share.

Henry still has a hard time staying awake throughout the day but now he's also having times where he's having a hard time falling asleep! His awake-time is getting slightly more social but his favorite thing to do is to look out the big window in our family room.

Anna & Sarah are still charmed by Henry.

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Henry's first trip to Prince Coffee.

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Henry's first family hike.

I don't know what Anna's goal was here, but she was happy with the result.

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Henry at 4 weeks.

Anna at 3 weeks.

I guess I've changed the size of my thumbnails as the years progressed as well!

Posted by Becky at 8:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This is what Henry looked like most of today.

Henry is four weeks old today and he has been FUSSY since about 2 AM this morning. He has set my expectations way too high for this! His routine lately has been to eat every 2-3 hours during the day and then go to bed around 7 PM, eat at 12 AM, 3 AM, and 6/7 AM. And going right back to bed easily after his night-time feedings. Last night was different. He was fussy and ate every two hours after midnight and didn't nap well today (I had to use the sling twice today and I only had to use it one other time this week). I really hope this was just a one-day thing but I can't think of anything that I may have eaten to cause this... Here's hoping we get our regularly scheduled Henry back tomorrow!

He is outgrowing some of his 0-3 month clothes already. I washed his 3-6 month clothes to have ready and put away some of the smaller ones. He goes in for a vaccination next week but I weighed him between 12-13 pounds on our home scale this week. I'll update with a more accurate weight after his appointment next week.

Posted by Becky at 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Ahhhhhh!

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Anna & Sarah love to set up the Gymini and the bouncy seat for Henry with lots of stuff to look at.

Henry is doing a good job lifting and turning his head!

We survived the first two days without my mom. Craig worked a half-day yesterday and then came home for a long lunch today. The girls have watched a bit more TV than I would normally prefer but we are working our way through it!

Posted by Becky at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thanks, mom, for everything you did for us while you were here the last four weeks!

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I let the girls have the bottom of the background paper. Anna wanted me to trace her and then she decorated her paper self.

I'm not sure how Craig claims he's tired. Henry has been so easy at night, Craig hasn't had to do anything at night after the second night home from the hospital.

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Henry still occasionally can't wake up when he is "supposed" to be up.

Three weeks!

Henry is getting stronger every day. This past week he has started turning his head when we put him on his tummy (he seems to enjoy tummy-time) and also trying to hold his head up when he is being held up-right. He is more alert when he is awake but not really interested in anything particular (Craig found he did like a pink Barbie cat-purse the other day, however). His newborn sleepiness is wearing off a bit but he really has been the easiest baby so far so I can't complain, really, about anything he's been up to so far! This week he started to look really big in the pack n' play and I think he has just started to stretch himself out of the newborn scrunched-up phase.

He is still getting along well with his big sisters. This week was the first time we've had all three kids in my Tucson and Anna was so excited to finally have Henry next to her in the car! I knew I chose well to put Anna in the middle when Henry started fussing on the way home from the Fishing Museum on Wednesday. Just as he started to cry, I looked back in the mirror and Anna had popped Henry's pacifier into his mouth and was holding his hand.

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Modeling his cloth diaper on the play blanket my mom made for him.

Anna & Sarah both wanted to read their books to Henry.

Henry is two weeks old today! He is still Mr. Wonderful in the night and he is definitely setting high expectations in the sleep department. He is more alert now during his wakeful times of the day and seems to enjoy tummy time. He practiced lifting his head up off the floor and turning it a few times today which was exciting for everyone to see since it's really the only thing he "does" so far.

I also decided to start using his cloth diapers today since I'm almost out of the newborn size diapers I bought last week and I'd rather not keep buying more. They are super bulky on him because they are one-size diapers. Sarah started cloth at 15 months and I never used the smaller settings so bulk didn't seem so extreme on her. I wonder how long it will take to get used to the bulkiness?

I weighed Henry on our home scaled and it said he is eleven pounds. He is getting more efficient at nursing (only taking ten minutes now) so we're not spending so much time doing that and he gets more time to play and stretch during his wake-time. I'm so glad my mom is here and that Craig has had time off so that by the time I'm on my own with the three kids he will hopefully be even more predictable and our days will run relatively smoothly. Craig is planning to work half-days the week between my mom & his mom's visit so we'll see how it goes then!

Posted by Becky at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Henry seemed to like his first bath tonight. I was so glad to finally give him a decent cleaning now that his cord is off.

The kids did an even better job on the drive back from Seoul today. We made one less stop as well. There was slightly less traffic so it was a bit less time in the car, too.

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Photos by Craig Waiting in line. Thankfully we got there right when it opened so we didn't have to wait long.

Sarah was a bit of a grump once we got to the top of the tower. She was hot, tired, and hungry. I guess I'd be a bit of a grump, too! She took a nice nap once we got back to the hotel this afternoon.

Posted by Becky at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Nice drawer, Henry!

Outback Steakhouse.

Craig, Henry, & I went to the US Embassy this morning to apply for Henry's passport and to get our wills notarized. The Embassy here is much smaller than the one in Doha (but maybe the one in Doha was just "grand" as was everything there?). We were done with everything in about an hour and it wasn't too big of a deal. Now, we wait for Henry's passport and then we have to get his Alien card right away once we have it. I am also really happy to have our wills taken care of. Now let's hope we don't need them.

Craig & my mom took the girls to the hotel pool this afternoon and then we all went out to Outback for dinner. You can see in the picture above that Henry was happy to just sleep on the bench at the restaurant even while his big sister Sarah was throwing fits (in the picture above she is yelling that she didn't want me to take a picture). We're hoping she's getting her two-year molars but it's probably a lack of naps, being two years old, and all of the changes that are getting us a lot of nice tantrums from Sarah lately.

Posted by Becky at 9:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We got a minivan for our trip to Seoul this week and the girls were excited to sit in the "way back." Henry lost his cord stump between rest stops on the drive up (yay!) and he slept so much in the car that I'm worried he won't sleep well tonight... especially since he is sleeping in a drawer. We asked for a baby crib when we made our hotel reservation but apparently that didn't matter to the hotel! Luckily we brought the Pack n' Play for Sarah or we'd be in all sorts of bed-time trouble. The kids really did pretty well on the drive up probably partly because we stopped every two hours or so so Henry could eat (and the girls were able to check out rest-stop playgrounds, etc.).

Posted by Becky at 9:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anna told me last night that she really wanted to hold Henry so I told her she could do it in the morning (she was on her way to bed at the time and Henry was nursing). She was so pleased with him and so excited to hold him it was super sweet to see.

Henry & I had our one-week follow-up appointments this morning. Both the pediatrician and the OB were crazy busy because of the holiday next week (not really a "holiday" but the vacation week at least for the shipyard here, and apparently other businesses, too). Craig took the girls on a hike and my mom & I took Henry to the appointments. Henry had to get his BCG vaccine which I was dreading but it was so much better than the ones Anna & Sarah got maybe because he is newborn and they were older (Anna was 2 years, Sarah was 4 months)? Anyway, it was not a big deal and he basically slept through it. He did get weighed but it was with his clothes and diapers on (as will the rest of his weigh-ins) so it probably seems as if he's gained more than he has because of it. He weighed 4.54 kg (up .34 kg from last week (naked, at birth)). That is 10lbs (12 oz more than birth so I'm sure it wasn't all clothing and his diaper!). We will have to measure his length and head circumference at home since they apparently don't track this in Korea (?!). I'll try to update this post tomorrow with those numbers.

Posted by Becky at 8:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Henry has been such a sweetheart this first week and (dare I write it out?) really easy so far. But I realize he is still a super-sleepy newborn and this could change wildy in the next few days and weeks! But, because he has been so kind to me the last three nights I have to sing his praises: he has woken up at 9 PM, 12 AM, and 4 AM (and then again at 7:30 AM) the last three nights and then gone right back to sleep without any hassles! I love this kid! So, I feel relatively rested and am trying to appreciate that this could just be temporary and tonight he might go berserk (he was really fussy during the night the first two nights we had him home).

Henry makes little squeaking noises and really sounds like a puppy when he does it. I'm trying to capture it on video but you know how that goes (as soon as the camera is out everything stops!). I will try to get a video posted this week regardless so that everyone back in the US can experience him a little more.

Anna & Sarah really seem to like their little brother which makes me happy. I was a little worried about Sarah since Henry is taking her "place" as the baby but she seems totally cool with it and is proud to be a Big Sister. Anna is always commenting how Henry is "such a cute baby!"

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Just a picture of the three kids hanging out together. It is going to be fun to see how Henry interacts with his big sisters as he grows!

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This is my current favorite of Henry. HOW did he get so cute?!

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Craig & I took Henry in to get his blood drawn (PKU, etc.) and then stopped by the office to introduce him to Craig's co-workers. This small outing nearly took it out of me!! Some of the Korean ladies in Craig's office had never seen a baby so young/small before because in Korea it is very rare for anyone but immediate family to meet the baby before—at a minimum—three weeks.

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Sarah thought Henry needed another blanket. Her reaction to her new brother is so cute (Anna was super shy about Sarah when she was born). Both girls think he is great.. I hope that never changes!

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Good morning, Henry!

The girls were excited when I asked them to get in the picture with Henry. We might try for a more formal portrait session later in the week when I have a bit more energy.

Anna & Sarah are adjusting really well to Henry but it is an adjustment to our routine and I'm sure things will be a little crazy for a little while as we get used to our new routines. I'm so glad that my mom is able to be here to help out and that Craig is able to take time off of work as well.

Posted by Becky at 8:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I keep forgetting that we left the hospital so early and that we normally wouldn't have even been home by now! Here are some things we've heard around the house since we brought Henry home yesterday:

Anna talking to Grandma: "His skin is so soft! Your skin is really hard... like wood."

Sarah: "I don't like Henry's crying voice."

Anna: "He is the cutest baby!"

Sarah: "I love you Henry."

Posted by Becky at 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Although I was pleasantly surprised that the nurses and Dr. Lee respected my list of requests for labor, delivery, and newborn care we really wanted to get out of the hospital ASAP! The room had the floor heater on and we were scolded for turning the A/C on. I was sweating to death even with the fan we brought along (probably because I was lying on a plastic bed!!). I also don't know if it's because the staff knew this was my third child or what but I got virtually no advice on how to care for myself or my child which I thought was slightly strange.

We did bring Henry down to the pediatrician as part of the checking-out process and the doctor said he looks good and advised us on his cord care (different than the US, they don't put iodine on it to dry it out so it is still soft and flexible—kind of gross, actually!). We were home by 11:30 this morning. Henry was less than 24 hours old!

Henry goes back to the clinic on Monday for a blood draw (PKU, etc.) and both of us go back to our doctors on Saturday for follow-up appointments.

Posted by Becky at 9:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

6 AM: Check in at Miz-Mam Clinic (raining and cool this morning). Blood pressure check, fetal monitoring for 30 minutes.
6:50: The nurse declares that my "uterus is closed" and inserts the Propess gel. I have to lie down for at least 30 minutes. Another 30 minutes of fetal monitoring. The gel starts things moving pretty soon but I've got a long way to go and I am disappointed that I'm starting out at 0cm.
8:00: Walk the halls (the clinic is pretty small so this gets boring fast but we get to peek at the nursery twice each lap).
9:15: Dr. Lee wants me to come down to check Baby weight, etc. on the ultrasound. Baby Boy is measuring big still (4.4kg) and Dr. Lee says they recommend c-section over 9lbs in Korea. This is when I said, "I"m American, I can get him out."
10:00: Dr. Lee calls for Craig, sends him back up with a textbook marked at the shoulder dysplacia to try to convince me to go for the c-section. I am a little annoyed with Dr. Lee even though I can see where he's coming from. I am too stubborn to get too discouraged.
12:00 PM: 3 cm, oxytocin started. I got really nauseous at first and thought I would pass out but as quickly as that all came on it was over. Harder contractions start.
1:00 PM: oxytocin level increased. Baby is in a funny position with his bum way off to the right and is causing quite a bit of back pain with the contractions. I switch my position and change his. Contractions stop altogether giving me a nice break.
2:15: 4 cm, break water (without warning, I might add!) The contractions are coming like crazy and are really hard to get through.
3:00: 7 cm, I want oxytocin OFF, nurses aren't listening, finally get Dr. Lee to come up. It is going too fast for me to handle. Dr. Lee reluctantly turns off the oxytocin, predicts another hour or more before I'm ready to push. I start thinking about epidurals and c-sections and I realize I must be in transition to be having thoughts like this! Shortly after Dr. Lee leaves I let them know I am ready to push and I think the nurses are surprised since Dr. Lee had just left! I push a few times in the labor room and then walk across the hall to the delivery table. This was something I was dreading but actually wasn't a big deal at all. Maybe just knowing it was all almost over made the walk totally do-able.

Henry Lawrence arrived at 3:24 PM on Friday, July 24, 2009. He weighed 4.2kg and was 50cm long (but it should be noted that the measuring tape only went to 50cm so this is probably not correct). He has blonde hair and super chubby cheeks! To be more specific: he is ADORABLE!

I want to note that I was really nervous about having Henry in Korea based on a few stories I had heard. I think I had a really positive experience at this clinic because I knew what I wanted and didn't want and then had someone (Craig's fantastic secretary!) translate my list of preferences into Korean for the nurses. The nurses basically left us alone (other than the fetal monitoring, etc.) and respected our wishes. In this way I had a much better experience than in Qatar even though Al Ahli Hospital felt more "modern" or "advanced." I think my stubbornness also paid off in not getting a c-section. I could tell that I was frustrating Dr. Lee from the time I was reluctant to schedule the induction. To be honest, Dr. Lee was frustrating me with all of his c-section talk! In the end I'm glad I was induced at 38 weeks because it was hard enough getting Henry out at this size!

Posted by Becky at 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)