wons upon a time...

Meltdowns

2012-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Alex, Ang, Isabelle, Isaiah, and I didn't make the final showing for Disney Junior (which was at 4:15), by the time we got to the park, so Isabelle threw a fit. We weren't even inside the park yet... we were still in the car driving through the parking structure- MELTDOWN 1.

Angie Eemo took Isabelle into the park first while Alex and I got everything else (and Isaiah) ready. Angie Eemo said that Isabelle chose to "ride the elevator not the escalator", but was disappointed that she didn't get to press the buttons on the elevator- MELTDOWN 2.

The trams were full, so Isabelle had to wait for the next one, but insisted "I want to ride that one!"- MELTDOWN 3.

The ride she chose, inside California Adventure (Ariel), was not operating on Friday night. My sister had to ask the worker to explain to Isabelle that the seashells were being repaired that day so she wouldn't have a meltdown- MELTDOWN 4.

We decided that California Adventure was a bust for the evening, so we headed to Disneyland. I asked Isabelle to sit in the stroller, hoping it'd get us there faster. She refused and insisted "I want to walk instead." She ran- MELTDOWN 5.

At Disneyland, we made it in time for the parade. We had great seats and watched all the characters go by. She was mesmerized by the parade, as she usually is.

After the parade, I fed Isabelle her dinner. She didn't want to eat it nor did she like the fact that the parade ended. It took many distractions from Angie Eemo to get her to finish her food- MELTDOWN 6.

Angie Eemo took Isabelle onto King Arthur's Carousel. When the ride finished, Isabelle was upset. Angie Eemo asked why and Isabelle said she wanted to come down from the horse all by herself- MELTDOWN 7.

We asked her which ride she wanted to go on last, as the park was closing pretty soon. I gave her two choices: It's a Small World and Casey Jr. Isabelle picked It's a Small World, then she changed her mind to Casey Jr. Angie Eemo and Alex went on the ride with her. Afterward, we told her it was time to go home. Isabelle refused. She said it was time to go on It's a Small World. Unfortunately for her, it was nearly bedtime- MELTDOWN 8.

Gotta love the "Terrific Twos"! When will this phase pass? It's such a thin line between love and hate right now. Isabelle is really blossoming and her personality emerges more and more each day. She is imaginative and loves to pretend and play make-believe. Isabelle's mind is one of a creative, inventive and playful two-year old. I enjoy the sweet moments where Isabelle is discovering parts of her growing self. But Isabelle is also dealing with her emotions and her independence. And guess what? She's learned that I don't control her and I can't control her! ARGH!!!!! So, this has become a daily battle- arguments that basically wind down to me letting go and Isabelle thinking she has control. I hope this is not indicative of what I will have to deal with during her teenage years!

I'm sure these meltdowns will provide for amusing anecdotes later on. Right? Right? :-/ For now, I am often publicly humiliated by my two-year old daughter, which, I'm sure, is amusing to others. :)

Life with Izzie- On Rationalizing

2012-01-27T14:30:00.000-08:00

Last week, Isabelle had asked to go to Disneyland. She had been asking me all day. Really, alllllll day. It was too late in the day to take her, so I was finding ways to tell her no. I continued telling her that we would go the next day, but I guess that answer wasn't good enough because she repeatedly asked, "Eomma, could I go to Disneyland please?"

Here was our conversation on the car ride home after the umpteenth time of me telling Isabelle that we wouldn't be going to Disneyland.

Izzie: Eomma, I want to go to Disneyland. Disneyland, Disneyland, Disneyland!
Me: Isabelle, what did Mommy say? Not tonight. It's too dark out. That means Mickey Mouse is sleeping. {Iz seemed satisfied with that answer. I thought to myself, I am a genius!}
Izzie: Minnie is koja (sleeping), too?
Me: Yes, Mickey and Minnie are both sleeping.
Izzie: {to herself} The sun is koja (sleeping) like Mickey and Minnie. {It was dark outside.}
Me: Yes, it is nighttime, so the sun is koja.

A few minutes later...
Izzie: {to herself again} I wonder if Minnie is still koja (sleeping)? Let me look outside. It's still dark. {then singing} Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are? Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are? When sun is not koja, Minnie wakes up.

And the other morning, she argued with me saying she wanted to wear her brother's superman onesie. I told her it was too small. She looked at me as if to say, "Is that a challenge?" Isabelle did not accept that as an answer and squeezed herself into it (backwards). She rationalized (and proved me wrong) that she could indeed fit into it! Did I mention she's TWO and his onesie is for 3-6 months? Haha!

This girl cracks me up... and today we are taking her to Disneyland! :)

(Please, Lord, no toddler meltdowns in public!)

Changes for the Little Guy

2012-01-26T18:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, just one week after he turned five months, I introduced him to rice cereal. And boy, did Isaiah LOVE it! I did want to wait until he turned six months, however, the little guy seems to have an appetite that I cannot keep up with. He's also been teething for the past month and a half and seems extremely interested when Alex, Isabelle, and I eat "real" food. I worried for a split second about introducing him too early, but Isabelle took to solids right after she turned five months (because she was also an early teether and so very interested in solids). Funny thing, they both responded to the rice cereal in a similar way.

At first, he was uncertain of the spoon. He kept batting at it like it was a toy and tried to grab it from me. But after several spoonfuls, he realized this spoon was going for his mouth and he hungrily and eagerly accepted what was coming. :)

He's not quite ready, because he cannot sit up too well on his own (is this proving that boys really are "slower" than girls?). Still, I might give him this "dessert" of rice cereal every once in awhile. :)

Isaiah also started drinking formula yesterday. I am still nursing, but since I have about four and half months left of work (yipee!), I don't think I'll have enough frozen breastmilk to last that long. So I decided to supplement my nursing with formula. GASP! I decided to start introducing formula now, just here and there, so that Isaiah won't refuse the taste when he has to drink it more regularly.

If this situation had happened with Isabelle, I probably would've had a melt-down (from not nursing exclusively), Alex and I would've gotten into a HUGE fight (because he would tell me this isn't a big deal but would've felt like a big deal for me), and I would just be so frustrated with myself for getting upset about something so trivial (because really, it's not that big of a deal). But, I have learned, this is not the end of the world. Don't get me wrong... I still do wrestle with the fact that I won't be exclusively breastfeeding Isaiah as long as I did Isabelle. I still do feel guilty about this. I think I'm just learning to deal with it better this time around.

The thing is, I just can't pump enough (did I mention I HATE pumping?) and freeze enough to keep up with the hungry guy's needs. (I might not have encountered this if I were a SAHM, but who knows?) So, when I come home from work and on my days off, I will happily nurse my baby boy. (Just please stop biting, Isaiah!) But while I'm away, when the frozen milk bags run out, he will need to take formula. And as I've learned, this boy will eat anything!

Sooo very thankful that my baby boy has a great appetite and will take (mostly) anything that comes his way without too much of a fight or fuss! Isaiah is such a good-natured and easy-going baby! I need to learn to accept changes in life the way Isaiah handles them... with ease and gladness. :)

Could he be more lovable? :)

Chocolate Pudding

2012-01-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

She was being too quiet, which is never a good sign.

I went to check on Isabelle and this is how I found her...

I asked, "Ummmm, what are you doing?" Isabelle simply answered, "I'm eating Eomma's mammah (food)."

I guess that'll teach me to leave my chocolate pudding around.

Isabelle said, "Tastes like brown ice cream (chocolate). Now I need to wash my hands with soap and water." Uhhhh, you got that right! Needless to say, I had to take her pudding-stained clothes off and clean her up. Did I mention that she had just taken a bath?

Her new obsession is "brown". She has discovered that brown ice cream tastes better than white ice cream, that brown milk tastes better than white milk, and now, Isabelle can add another new "brown"- chocolate pudding!

Life with Izzie- Being Honest

2012-01-25T10:30:00.000-08:00

I put Isaiah in the Exersaucer one night while we were at my parent's house. He was carefully examining all the toys around him. Isabelle, who all of a sudden has interest in the too-small-for-her Exersaucer, ran over to Isaiah and started yelling.

Izzie: No, Isaiah! Stop it, Isaiah!
Me: What's wrong, Isabelle?
Izzie: {ignoring me} Isaiah, stop it! Don't!
Me: {watching Isabelle attempting to squeeze herself into the Exersaucer with Isaiah while prying his hands off of a toy he had grabbed} Um, Isabelle, are you being nice?
Izzie: No! I am being not-nice! I am angry inside!
Me: Oh, okay. At least you're being honest.

Superheroes

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Last week, on one of my days off, this is how I spent the day- with my superheroes.

Isaiah was already in his Superboy onesie, so Isabelle asked, "Eomma, can I wear Supergirl pajamas?" I said yes, knowing this would probably be the last time it would fit both of the babies. They both had fun staring at themselves in the mirror. Isabelle sat on top of her brother and not next to him like I asked... oh dear!

Isaiah looked like he was "flying" as he cooed at his reflection.

Isabelle told me, "Eomma, Appa has regular belt. I have Supergirl belt!" Haha! She makes me laugh so much!

Later, we went to Target- me and my superheroes. :) Isabelle insisted that Isaiah sit next to her. He's not so great at sitting up, yet, so after a short while, I put him back in the carrier. Normally, we change out of our pjs when we leave the house. Haha! But Isabelle refused to change and demanded that Isaiah also stay in his superhero onesie. Just a typical day off with my Supergirl and Superboy!

Life with Izzie- Going Places

2012-01-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

Isabelle loves this toy car that Monah Eemo let her borrow. She plays out different scenarios every time she goes for a ride. The conversation always starts the same, but Isabelle always changes who she is going to go see.

Izzie: Bye, Eomma!
Me: Where are you going?
Izzie: I am going to see Gavin Oppa, Meela Unni, and Susan Eemo.
Me: Okay, have fun!

Izzie: Bye, Eomma!
Me: Where are you going?
Izzie: Monah Eemo jib (house). I will eat pancakes with Celeste. (They had pancakes together when we went over last time.)
Me: Okay, tell Celeste I said hi!

Izzie: Bye, Eomma!
Me: Where are you going?
Izzie: Shopping!
Me: Where are you going shopping?
Izzie: Costco.
Me: Oh, what are you going to get at Costco?
Izzie: I will buy a snowman and tangerines. (She was referring to those light up snowmen they had on display when it was Christmas.)

Izzie: Bbang, bbang!
Me: Where are you going?
Izzie: To Disneyland with Angie Eemo!
Me: Oh, okay! Hve fun!
Izzie: I'm back!
Me: What did you do?
Izzie: I went on Caterpillar ride (at California Adventure) and the Carousel. And, I saw Dora!
Me: Ummm, Dora was at Disneyland? Uh... okay.

No car ride is complete without her shades and a "thumbs up"! Haha!

(Monah, we really need to return this car back to you! Isabelle has had so much fun playing in it... but before Celeste misses her car, we need to give it back. :) Otherwise, Isabelle will have a harder time parting with it!)

On another note, Isabelle is making progress with potty training! :) She was moving forward for awhile, starting the whole "I'm going to do it all by myself" process back during Thanksgiving. But then she started wanting to do everything Isaiah was doing- wearing bibs, drinking out of bottles, nursing... and of course, that included living in diapers. Then, she told me the potty was "scary" when I asked her if she wanted to use the potty. So, I didn't push it (although other people did) and knew, in time, she would be ready. And when she was ready, Isabelle would let me know.

Today, we took one step forward! After I came home from work, I started doing the dishes from all my pumping accessories (bottles, lids, shields, membranes, etc.), when Isabelle called out, "Eomma! Look! I did it! I took diaper and baji (pants) off! I did a pee pee in the potty!"

I walked over to her, and sure enough, I found her dirty diaper on top of our table, her pants on the floor, and pee pee inside the Elmo potty! HOORAY! :)

Fanamy in Vegas- Part 4

2012-01-22T19:00:00.000-08:00

On our last day in Vegas, we took a bit more time getting up and checking out of our hotel. We decided to stop by In-N-Out for some lunch before driving back home. This was Isabelle's first encounter with an In-N-Out burger. The picture is deceiving because it seems like she really enjoyed that cheeseburger. But after one bite, she was more interested in dipping her fries into ketchup. It was her first time tasting ketchup, and she had fun dipping! Isabelle kept saying, "Dip!" but she was really dipping just to lick the ketchup off of her fries.

On our drive home, Isabelle said, "Eomma? Another hotel, please!" I said, "No, Isabelle. We are driving to go back home. We are going to Izzie jib (house)." Isabelle said, "No, Eomma! Another hotel, please! San Didiego (her way of saying San Diego)! More hotel!" I guess she didn't realize that all vacations must come to an end.

Good thing she was pooped and fell asleep like this on the ride home!

Thanks, Alex, for taking us away for the weekend and showing us a great time! Alex planned this trip as a little R & R time for me because he knew it'd be difficult going back to work. Vegas is definitely different when you have two kids with you! But it was so nice to have my sisters and my brother-in-law join us! I really enjoyed my time with my family in Vegas, but I think Isabelle has started her love affair for vacations! :)

Fanamy in Vegas- Part 3

2012-01-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

Wahjoo, Angie Eemo, Isabelle and I started the morning off with our bowls of cereal (again) and some fruit while we waited for Uncle James and Alex to wake up. Isaiah woke up with a smile that melted my heart. Isabelle insisted on sitting on this tiny ledge to eat her breakfast, while looking out the window.

After breakfast (for my sissies and me), we went to grab a quick lunch at the Grand Lux Cafe before heading out for the day. Isabelle kept drawing Appa while we waited for our food. "Appa eolgul (face), Appa nun (eyes), Appa ko (nose), Appa ib (mouth)..."

Once lunch was done, we went to the MGM Grand to see the Lion Exhibit. I couldn't believe there were two guys inside, sitting so closely with the sleeping lions. One of the guys was scratching the lion's belly while she was sleeping. Isabelle, Eemos, and I were waiting around for the lion's to do something more than sleep, but, that's all they did... sleep. And, of course, I had to include a picture of Isabelle's "meltdown face." I can't even remember why she decided to publicly embarrass me in this way, but she was having a "toddler moment" (aka "my emotions swing like a pendulum and I have no control over them- help!").

We said our goodbyes to the sleeping lions, and decided we could definitely use some caffeine...

We took some "red carpet" photos before leaving the MGM Grand.

We walked over toward the City Center and on the way there, Isabelle was mesmerized, staring at all the daytime street entertainers- Papa Smurf, Batman, and Elmo. Once we got to Aria, both babies fell asleep, giving my sisters and me some downtime. Alex and Uncle James checked out the football games, while my sisters and I browsed the shops at Aria. Then, Angie Eemo, Wahjoo, the babies, and I walked over to the Bellagio for a pit stop- diaper changes and nursing. On a side note, that day, I wore boots that were not made for walking. :( We took some pictures inside the warm hotel while we waited for the next "water fountain" showing. All I wanted was one picture with me and the kids. It required a lot of "takes" to snap up a photo that had both kids looking and smiling... I'm not sure if we even got one! :)

Afterward, we bundled up for the chilly weather and watched the "water fountains" (as Isabelle kept calling them) at the Bellagio.

After the "water fountains", which were performed to "God Bless the USA" and brought out the patriotic goosebumps in all of us, we walked over to Caesar's Palace for dinner at Rao's.

Last year, when Isabelle was one, we had gone to Rao's for dinner, when we were in Vegas. An older gentleman, who was the owner of the restaurant, had given Isabelle a reindeer doll (it was Christmastime, then). We asked about him when we arrived, but they sadly told us he had passed away. He was so kind to Isabelle when we took her to his restaurant.

We sat down to a yummy bread basket and ordered our food, which came out almost immediately- osso bucco, shrimp scampi, sausage and peppers, and fusilli with sausage. Isabelle munched on noodles and breadsticks. She's just like Mommy; she loves her carbs! :) Wahjoo, Uncle James, Angie Eemo, Alex, Isabelle, Isaiah, and I enjoyed our last meal together in Vegas.

It was back to the Palazzo for Isabelle's bedtime (Isaiah already knocked out), and their last night out for Wahjoo, Uncle James, Angie Eemo, and Alex. :)

Fanamy in Vegas- Part 2

2012-01-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

Knowing Alex would be sleeping in, my sister brought a box of Frosted Flakes and Alex bought a carton of milk for the morning. So our bowls of cereal is what held us over until Alex and Uncle James were up and ready to go!

My sisters and I, and Isabelle, were up at 7:30 A.M. We ate our cereal, fed Isabelle, and played a bit in the morning. Then, it was off to the Wynn! With our big double stroller, we got many looks from people inside the hotel. The Wynn has a "no stroller" policy. Alex somehow got the guy at the door to let us in with our bright red double stroller. We walked around a bit before brunch. A lot of the hotels are decorated for Chinese New Year (it's the year of the dragon), so we checked it out.

We had brunch/lunch at the Wynn buffet... AH-MA-ZING!!!!! We sampled the prime rib, huge slabs of bacon sliced to order, strawberries with creme fraiche, eggs benedict, sweet pea and truffle oil risotto, cinnamon french toast, pork sliders with cheddar and jalapeno cornbread, veggie spring rolls, cornflake crusted fried chicken, the best salami I've ever had (I love a good charcuterie!!), Isabelle stole my pain au chocolate... at least it looked like she enjoyed it! Then dessert! We tried a bit of everything- candy apples, gelato, mini cupcakes, rocky road mousse, cream puffs. Isabelle loved eating her "pink ice cream." First, she asked for the "brown ice cream and not the white ice cream." Child already knows that chocolate tastes yummier than vanilla... I don't know how she learned that? We convinced her to eat the pink ice cream and she was giddy!

After our long and filling brunch, both babies needed a nap, so we headed back to the hotel. Sleeping babies are so peaceful. It's ironic because sometimes when the babies are up, I'm thinking, it'd be nice to have some peace and quiet. But when the babies are sleeping, I have this urge to want to wake them up and play with them because they look so adorable.

When Isabelle woke up from her nap, she had some playtime with Uncle James and Wahjoo and colored with them. Isaiah played with Appa when he woke up from his nap.

We all walked around the Palazzo and the Venetian to do some sight-seeing. Isabelle was intrigued by those people who pose as statues. She was confused by one who winked at her when she placed some money down to tip him. I think she wasn't sure if it was real or pretend. But the thing she was most fascinated by? The gondolas inside the Venetian. She could stare at those all day long.

So far, on this trip, I wondered who had the most fun? I think it's a tie between Wahjoo and Isabelle! :)

Life with Izzie- "Still Playing"

2012-01-20T22:56:00.000-08:00

Recently, Alex and I went to his friend's house for a housewarming. In their backyard, he had one of those mini-playground sets, complete with woodchips. Isabelle, who is normally shy when she first meets new people or is in a new situation, will quite often withdraw, ask me to hold her, and cling on to me until she gets comfortable (about 10 minutes). I thought she'd be the same, as usual, so I let her know we were going to a house with lots of people who were Appa's friends. As we walked into the house, she clung to me. But right when we walked outside to the backyard, Isabelle's eyes lit up. She quickly slid down my leg and ran excitedly toward the playground.

When it was time to go home, I said, "Isabelle, you have five more minutes to play. Then we are going home." Five minutes passed by.

Me: Isabelle? Let's go. It's time to leave.
Izzie: No, Eomma! I am still playing!

And playing she was! This girl's shoe had fallen off at one point, but she didn't care. She ran around the dirt and woodchips with one shoe, slid down the slide backwards and on her tummy, and played on the swings. She was so happy! Needless to say, since she had discovered the joy of playing with dirt that day, she was in definite need of a bath!

Flexibility... Happy Five Months

2012-01-20T02:09:00.000-08:00

Ahhh... I feel like I've been stretched in every way possible since returning back to work three weeks ago. When I am at school, I know I give my best to my kids and I try to provide the best instruction they can receive, in addition to loving them as much as possible. But then, my work week stops on a Tuesday or Wednesday (I am a part-time second grade teacher), and then my babies at home need me. Still, my work seems to follow me home. Whether I'm bringing home the tears of a student who is in a foster home with many other foster children already, or the neediness of many other students who just seem to crave any sort of attention, to the pressures of "test, test, test", or trying to juggle the demands of working in education in today's world, I feel stretched. Even though my paycheck shows part-time teacher, I am full-time. And that's my struggle.

Why? Because I have two babies waiting for me to be a full-time mommy when I come home. I struggle with the fact that I am physically and mentally exhausted by the time I come home from work. I struggle with the fact that I am physically and mentally exhausted on the days I am not working. Then, I get frustrated with myself for feeling so tired and needing more rest, that I can't seem to remember how to juggle my two babies and their needs, while eyeing my schoolwork on the side.

I am drained and trying to "do it all"- cleaning the house, cooking the meals, doing the laundry, washing the dishes, going grocery shopping, bathing the kids, feeding the kids, loving the kids, pumping and pumping (ugh!), reminding myself to take a shower, changing endless diapers, grading Language Arts assessments, planning ahead to teach certain standards, and the list could go on. In the middle of it all, I have forgotten that God is in control and I need to let go and have a different outlook! I feel like I am stretching myself out with every "hat" I wear.

So, I have been feeling like Elastigirl from the movie, The Incredibles. Except I am not a superhero. But I do feel like I'm being pulled and stretched from every demand I place on myself to meet and sometimes wish I could physically stretch myself out the way Elastigirl does!

Isaiah has been exercising his flexibility, too, in a non-super hero way. Lately, he has discovered his toes! :) He's grabbing on his toes all the time, roly-poly-ing around from side to side (he hasn't quite rolled over enough times successfully, yet), and sliding and spinning around on his tummy.

Isaiah has also found his voice. At his four month check up, the doctor asked if Isaiah was screaming yet. At that time, the answer was no. He was giving sweet coos and maybe an occasional squawk, but no screams. That has all changed. He will randomly scream as if he realized sound can come out of his vocal chords. Most of the time, it's cute. :)

He still sleeps well on most nights, sleeping at 7:30 P.M. and waking up at 8:30 A.M. with one feeding time at 5:00 A.M. But when he has an off day (usually when I'm at work), he has an off night with his sleep. He's great with taking the bottle and with nursing. Isaiah plays more with the toys around him and is constantly grabbing things, especially my hair. Still drooling like crazy from teething, his clothes are usually soaked (eww!) from neck to chest.

Isaiah is different in some ways and similar in other ways from how Isabelle was at his age. Isaiah doesn't like to bounce like his sister did at this age, but he does like the jumperoo. Not to jump, and not even to play with the toys, but Isaiah will test each toy out to see how it works. He's very serious when he does this. I can almost see a light bulb click above his head! Haha! :) He's not quite ready for solids like his sister was, but he is definitely showing interest. (I think I'll wait as long as I can before he needs this!) Isaiah likes having a blanket (or something to hold on to) in one hand (like his sister), and his thumb in his mouth with the other hand (unlike his sister). Isaiah loves getting hugs (especially from me!) and giving hugs (especially to me!). But my favorite thing of all? Getting him to laugh... the best sound ever! :)

Happy five months, Isaiah!

See more happy times here...

Acceptance- One Month

Balance- Two Months

Confidence- Three Months

Euphoria- Four Months

Fanamy in Vegas- Part 1

2012-01-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you who wonder what it's like to travel with a two year old and nearly 5 month old baby? Here's what happened on Friday on our drive...

Alex and I had planned to leave our home at 10:00 A.M. for Vegas. But what takes "normal" people 15 minutes to get ready to leave, it takes us an hour. Haha! So, after we packed Alex's car with the stroller, Isabelle and Isaiah's duffle bag full of clothes and diapers and wipes, a snack bag for Isabelle, a snack bag for Alex and me, my camera bag, my diaper bag, an "activity" bag with books and toys for Isabelle and Isaiah, a tote with our iPad (for entertaining Isabelle and Alex!), our laptop, my pump and pumping accessories (I hate pumping!), Alex's duffle, my rolling suitcase, our Baby Bjorn, and mini cooler/lunchbox, it was 11:00 A.M. and we were ready to go! Haha!

I nursed Isaiah right before we left, so he was good for about two and a half hours. Yes, he eats every 3-ish hours, still, even though he's nearly 5 months old. But that's why he sleeps 11 hours a night. :) I figured he'd be good until we made a pit stop for Alex and me to eat lunch. Isabelle needed her lunch soon, so I fed her on the drive there. Isaiah napped while Isabelle ate. After her lunch, she was so excited to go to Las Vegas that she started singing! (Apologies for the bumpiness... The roads were not smooth!)

Then as we were approaching Barstow, Isabelle fell asleep and Isaiah woke up. Of course, the two don't ever nap at the same time. That would be asking too much!

Instead of stopping in Barstow, Alex drove on, for fear that Isabelle would wake up from her nap before she needed. I did an illegal thing that I'm sure many moms have done (someone validate me, please!) and nursed Isaiah on the drive to Baker, since we missed Barstow. Isabelle slept nearly two hours and woke up just in time for us to have a late lunch at The Mad Greek.

After lunch and two diaper changes, we drove toward our destination. Just an hour left to go! Isabelle kept herself entertained and Isaiah took a mini-nap. Isabelle provided some entertaining conversations during the remainder of our drive.

Iz: Appa has a black car.
Me: You're right! What color is Mommy's car?
Iz: White.
Me: Yup! What color is Habi's car (grandpa's car)?
Iz: I don't know.
Me: It's blue.
Iz: {thinking for a moment} Blue noodles.
Me: Huh?!?
Iz: Blue noodles at Annie Eemo jib (house). I did splish splash.
Me: Ohhhhhhhhh. Hahaha! That was way back in July. You remember swimming at Annie Eemo jib?

Me: Look, Isabelle! The sun is setting. The sky is changing colors.
Iz: The sky is blue and orange. Eomma, Hawaii.
Me: What?
Iz: In picture. Eomma, Hawaii. Eomma wear a bra (I think she meant bikini, haha!) and "swim soup".
Me: Oh, yeah. Hahahaha! I wore a swim suit.
Iz: Appa? Could I go to Hawaii please?

Me: Oh, Isabelle, they are playing a song from Peter Pan (on Pandora). Did you ride the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland?
Iz: Yes, I did. I didn't like it.
Me: Why?
Iz: The light was off. It was scary.
Me: Oh, yeah. I could see how it would be scary.

Nearly six hours later, we made it!!! We checked into the Palazzo with all our gear. And then we waited for my sisters and brother-in-law to join us! Hooray!!!!! :)

Isabelle tested everything out. She ran to the fax machine and pressed buttons. She got on the phone and said, "Christian? Christian? What are you doing? Okay. Bye!" Then Isabelle ran to all three T.V.s and said, "I will watch T.V." She jumped up and down on the beds, picked up all the body wash and shampoo and then set it back down, and ran around the suite like four times! Hahaha! We ordered food from Grand Lux Cafe and both kids took a bath. Thank you, Palazzo, for providing the bath soap and shampoo for the babies. :) Then the babies went to bed... that's how you do Vegas with two kids in tow! :) Well, the first day, at least! Haha!

Stay tuned for the rest of our adventures!

Viva!

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

We are on our way to Las Vegas until Monday! :) Hooray for some "fanamy" time! Here was my morning conversation with Isabelle.

Me: Would you like to go to Gymboree today?
Iz: No, I wanna go to Las Vegas!
Iz: Can I wear ladybug costume, please?
Me: No, we need to get ready to leave for Las Vegas.
Iz: I will wear my ladybug costume to Las Vegas.

I started to explain that people don't wear costumes to Las Vegas, but... well, that would be untrue. Haha!

Well, this should be an interesting road trip (our longest yet!) with our two babies. Diapers for both babies, wipes, food, toys, books, clothes for both babies, our double stroller, our iPad, in addition to my things and Alex's things... Whew! There is no such thing as traveling light when you have two kids! :) But there is no other way I'd rather travel. These two tug at my heartstrings. I may be singing a different tune halfway through our drive! Haha!

Happy Friday!!!!! Enjoy the three-day weekend!! :)

Outlook

2012-01-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

Isaiah met my grandmother, his great-grandmother, for the first time when we got together with my dad's family for New Year's Day. Last year, Isabelle was pouty when it was time to bow and say "Happy New Year" to our family members. This year, Isabelle enjoyed the "bowing portion", but I think we'll have to work on her form for next year! ;) We didn't quite get a chance to practice. Last year, Isabelle loved receiving the envelopes, but did not care for what was inside (money). This year, after receiving each envelope, she tried to peek inside. I love that my dad's family still gives me saebae don (money for New Years) even though I'm married, 31, and have two kids. Hahahaha!

At my aunt's house this year, Isabelle shouted "Money!" when she received her first envelope. It was a bit embarrassing, but hey, the girl knows! :) I don't think Isabelle really understood what was going on, but she went with the flow because she saw other people bowing and hugging and receiving envelopes. Yes, I still get saebae don from my mom's family, too! My aunts and uncles on my mom's family still give each of the "kids" an envelope for New Years. I love that Alex, Isabelle, Isaiah, and I each get our own envelope! I wonder how much longer this will last?!

Looking back, it's pretty insane how much has changed in a year! Last year at this time, I was newly pregnant and Isabelle had just turned one. And as the year progressed, the most challenging and rewarding times were adding baby Isaiah to our family as well as encountering a crisis in our marriage. And yet, through it all, I felt God's blessings every step of the way. This year, I look forward to see what God has in store for our growing family. There are some things right now that Alex and I are praying for and we are eager to see how God will answer our prayers.

Outlook
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: point of view
Synonyms: attitude, direction, frame of mind, mind-set, perspective, routine, standpoint, viewpoint, views, vision
Antonym: indifference

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to focus on for 2012 and I think this verse best summarizes my outlook for the new year. This year, I want to let go and trust God more in every aspect of my life. It won't be easy, so I humbly ask for your prayers...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. - Proverbs 3:5-6

My Little Artist

2012-01-10T06:00:00.001-08:00

Isabelle loves to draw on her easel. She has a newfound fascination with dry erase markers! Here she is drawing Santa Claus and explaining her illustration as she draws: his rosy cheeks, his nunsseob (eyebrows), and my favorite part... his ponytail! Hahahaha! I guess his hat (which Isabelle calls "ho ho ho hat") does look like a ponytail!

My Kind of Morning

2012-01-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

I have been waking Isaiah up at 5:30 A.M. to nurse him on the days I go to work. He'll usually nurse for about 20 minutes, I'll change his diaper, then he goes right back to sleep after exchanging some coos with me. I was hoping he would sleep in on my days off. No such luck. Both days, he woke himself up at 5:30 A.M. to nurse. And this past Thursday morning, he even pooped on our bed. I was being lazy and just changing his diaper in the dark on top of our bed. MISTAKE! So, a load of laundry at 6 A.M. on my day off was not what I was imagining. Still, I was happy to be with my babies.

Thursday morning, Isabelle planted the biggest kiss on my lips and woke me up from "sleeping in" (which means she woke me up at 7:00 A.M.), and said, "Eooooooommmaaaaa! Wake up?! Can I have mam mah please? And can I do reindeer puzzle?"

I think I was still sleeping while I did the reindeer puzzle with her. Oops!

Then, when I decided to actually wake up and get off the bed, Isabelle kept herself occupied while I brushed my teeth. She started saying, "Jellyfish! Jellyfish!" I asked her, "What are you talking about? What jellyfish?" She grabbed the diffuser portion of the hair dryer and lifted it up, saying quite matter-of-factly, "Jellyfish!" I guess it does look like a jellyfish!

I smiled and said, "Let's go change your diaper." She said, "Nooooooooooo, Eomma!"shaking her finger at me. I just looked at her and repeated myself. She said, "Sorry, Eomma!" I asked Isabelle, "What are you saying sorry for?" She responded, "I'm being mean to Eomma." Haha!

We went downstairs together and she watched as I changed the load of laundry that had been started in the wee hours of the morning. Isabelle said, "Eomma? Are you doing dishes?" Then she answered her own question and said almost to herself, "No... Eomma is doing bballae (laundry). I will help Eomma."

She quickly became distracted when she spotted the empty box of cheez-its sitting on top of our trash can. And at 7:30 in the morning she decided to ask me if she could have some cheez-its. Since she had not eaten breakfast yet, I told her that she couldn't. She stared at the box and yelled upstairs, "Alex?! Alex?! Could I have cheez-its please?"

Isabelle didn't even wait for an answer. Instead, she asked me if she could watch her Elmo Potty Time DVD. I didn't see it, so I asked her, "Where is your DVD?" She said, "At Izzie's jib (house)." I asked her, "Where? I don't see it." She said, "No, Eomma. Not this one. At other Izzie jib." Then looking past me, she started calling out, "Mom? Mom?!" I was so confused! I said, "I'm mom! I'm right here!" She said, "Nooooo. Mom. Geu oehalmoni (maternal grandma)." Hahaha! She was talking about my mom, her halmoni, and calling her what I call her. Mom. Hahahahaha!

She hopped around and then started singing "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Jingle Bells" over and over again. Apparently Christmas was not over, in her eyes.

When she finished singing, she brought me her apron and said, "Eomma? Tie apron, please. I have to cook right now." (If only she could actually make herself some breakfast!)

All of this happened before 8:00 A.M. These are the mornings I miss when I am not with my babies. :) So tender, so precious, so much fun (poop on bedsheets and all)! I love this stage that Isabelle is in! She's so energetic and her personality is emerging more and more. I enjoy having these little conversations with her in the morning. And my baby Isaiah? His coos are so sweet and expressive, and I feel like he is really talking to me. :)

So, I survived my first week back. It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Still, I'm counting down the days of the rest of the school year so I can enjoy every morning with my babies. Sigh... Monday, here I come!

My Happy Heart

2012-01-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a difficult day. Monday night, I cried before going to bed. Tuesday morning I cried before leaving for work. And then, I put my mascara on and told myself I wasn't allowed to cry anymore.

Tuesday morning was challenging. It was so dark in the early hours of the morning, and my two babies were sound asleep. Isaiah, in his crib, breathing deeply, and Isabelle sprawled out on her bed, slightly snoring, made my heart smile. But while I cradled Isaiah to nurse, he grabbed my pajama top and clutched onto it with one hand while he ate in his sleep. Almost as if to say, "Don't go, Eomma." Then I cried. And later, right before I needed to leave, Isabelle woke up, and still half-asleep she asked in her tired morning voice, "Eomma?! Where aaarrrrre you?" and I cried silent tears while I hugged her.

Yes- the day went by quickly, I only work part-time, I have a job to return to, the babies are in good hands... blah, blah, blah. :) Not that I am ungrateful for any of that. But my heart is happy when I am with my two babies. I miss these moments, early in the morning, right after they are awake from a long night's sleep. They smile, make silly faces, and just fill my heart with glee! Sooooo glad that today is my "Friday". That means, I can spend the rest of my week cuddling with my babies! :)

Tuesday Blues

2012-01-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

Today, I return to work. I've been out of the loop since June when school ended. While I am extremely grateful for my job, my heart aches to leave my sweet babies behind. Hoping the day flies by so I can go back home to hug my lovelies!

Healthy Duo

2012-01-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

Last week, Isabelle had her 2 year check-up while Isaiah had his 4 month check-up with our favorite pediatrician, Dr. Kwon. :) They are both healthy and that makes mommy happy. :)

Isabelle is a bit "petite", but an excellent eater and super active, so I have no worries. :)
Height: 33.75 inches (50th percentile)
Weight: 25 pounds and 2 ounces (30th percentile)

Isaiah is long and lean, also an excellent eater. :) (We are battling the beginnings of eczema.)
Height: 26.75 inches (85th percentile)
Weight: 14 pounds (30th percentile)

The two were not thrilled to be receiving their vaccinations that day. However, Isabelle was treated to her very first lollipop, a promise I made on a whim, to keep her from crying. She had never had lollipops or any type of candy for that matter, so she was thrilled! As soon as her lollipop disappeared, she said, "Eomma!?! More lollipop, please!" I had to gently let her down and explain that lollipops were rewards for brave little girls who endured shots. Isaiah wasn't rewarded with a lollipop, of course. But some snuggling was just the remedy to stop him from crying. Healthy and happy babies... I couldn't ask for anything more! Thank you, Lord!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2012-01-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

These are a few of my favorite things (or moments) from 2011...

- throwing my baby sis, Wahjoo, her bridal shower

- sharing with friends that Alex and I were expecting baby number 2 (although, I first found out around Christmas)

- celebrating my baby sister's wedding

- finding out we were having a boy (it wasn't necessarily a "favorite" at that moment, but I learned to accept that I would be having a boy!)

- traveling to the Bay Area (parts 1, 2, and 3) as well as taking a trip to San Diego

- discovering Isabelle's love for parks and playgrounds

- going to Maui for the first time with Alex, but without Isabelle, which was hard and sad for me (parts 1, 2, 3, and 4)

- enjoying our family reunion up in Seattle (parts 1, 2, 3, and 4)

- going to San Diego (again) for my 31st birthday (parts 1 and 2)

- cherishing my last moments with Isabelle as my only "baby"

- welcoming my sweet, sweet son, Isaiah (I think this wins as my all-time favorite of 2011)

- learning to accept the new changes with a new baby

- embracing my sassy Isabelle

- counting with Isabelle

- having an infant who slept through the night at an early age (this balances out Isabelle being a not-so-great sleeper)

- singing with Isabelle

- celebrating 100 days of Isaiah

- sharing tender moments with my big girl

- going to San Diego (yes, again) with BOTH kids (and sisters and brother-in-law)

- continuing a family Christmas tradition

- baptizing Isaiah

- celebrating Isabelle's second birthday

My most challenging moment of 2011 was this...

I thank God for both the trials and the blessings in 2011 and pray for hope and restoration in 2012.

We ended the last day of 2011 with a day at the park.

God is good! Happy New Year, friends! :)

A Birthday Cake and Some Presents

2011-12-31T11:49:00.000-08:00

Isabelle didn't have any birthday cake on her actual birthday. So, the day after her birthday, when the craziness of Disneyland subsided, my parents dropped by the house, early in the morning, with a gift and her birthday cake. Isabelle doesn't usually like cake or anything bread-related, and she also hasn't had too many opportunities to eat it. She must not be my daughter because I LOVE bread! :)

We sang "Happy Birthday" to Isabelle and then sliced up the castella bread, which was more bread-y than cake-y.

She loved opening her present, which was wrapped in Disney princess wrapping paper. It might've been a toss-up as to whether she liked the princess wrapping paper or her sparkly pink shoes better. Isabelle was hanging on to the wrapping paper like it was gold. But then again, when Halmi and Habi were praying a prayer of blessing over her, she was quite distracted by her sparkly shoes.

Isabelle actually ended up loving her "birthday cake" because it was not too sweet. Isaiah, good-naturedly, played with his toys and cooed at his big sister.

Later, in the afternoon we went over to see Halmi and Angie Eemo. Still in her pjs and sporting some bedhead, Isabelle opened up gifts from Wahjoo and Angie Eemo. (Thank you, Eemos, for getting her some oh so lovely gifts!) But the gift she was looking forward to the most was still waiting for her.

So, several weeks ago, I asked Isabelle what she wanted for her birthday. She answered, "Eomma, I want a bicycle." I asked her, "What kind of bicycle do you want?" Isabelle said, "A pink one. A pink princess bicycle."

Well, she didn't get a pink princess bicycle (because I just don't see her brother being excited to ride it in the future), but she did get a red and blue one, which she was equally excited about.

Isabelle took a stroll down the street (still in her pjs!) in front of my parents' house and just couldn't contain her excitement of riding her very own bicycle.

She sort of got the hang of riding her bike, but then decided she would ride it "Fred Flinstone"- style! :) Haha!

It was a great day full of continuing the celebration. I just hope she realizes her birthday isn't every day! :)

On another note, I cannot believe this year has gone by already! God has blessed us so tremendously in this past year and I feel so grateful and humbled for His faithfulness to us. Looking back, I am always amazed at how much God truly loves us and how He reveals His love for us. God always does want His best for us, even if it doesn't seem like it in that moment. Looking ahead, I am eager to see how God will work in our lives for the new year and how He will answer our prayers.

Goodbye, 2011! Hello, 2012! :)

Celebrating Two at Disneyland!

2011-12-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

For her second birthday, Alex and I took Isabelle to Disneyland to celebrate with Angie Eemo and Wahjoo. This was our first trip to Disneyland with BOTH kids! Eeek! Thank goodness my sisters came along! Not only were they helpful, but Isabelle only wanted to ride with Eemos.

Isabelle's first ride was Peter Pan with Angie Eemo and Wahjoo. She didn't like it; she said it was scary. It's probably because it's dark the entire time. Then, she went on King Arthur's carousel. I think this has been her favorite "ride" as of late. She loves that she gets to ride by herself. So, I think she was not pleased when a Disney cast member told Wahjoo to climb on the back of the horse Isabelle sat so proudly on. Isaiah nursed and napped while his big sister had some fun.

Next, it was lunchtime. Apparently, there were more than 90,000 people at Disneyland that day. So, there were a few tips Disneyland gave on trying to avoid long lines or crowds. We decided to eat lunch before the lunch crowd hit up the restaurants. We used Angie Eemo's motto of "divide and conquer" to best maneuver through the long lines and waiting. Angie Eemo ran to the BabyCenter to heat up Isabelle's lunch, while Alex ate lunch and Isabelle finished up on the carousel. Then, I fed Isabelle while Angie Eemo and Wahjoo bought our lunches.

Then, while Angie Eemo and I ate, Wahjoo and Alex took Isabelle on Casey Jr. We were totally being efficient! :) Isaiah just played in the stroller. He was such a good baby!

Wahjoo and Alex took Isabelle on Dumbo next while I nursed Isaiah.

Then both babies sat in the stroller and fell asleep. :) Alex and Wahjoo stood in line for the Star Tours, while Angie Eemo and I waited with the babies. After, the babies woke up at the same time Wahjoo and Alex finished, so they took Isabelle to the carousel one more time. This time, Isabelle rode on her own horse. By herself. :)

While they rode, I nursed Isaiah, again. Angie Eemo and I also saved some seats for the Christmas parade. Isabelle loved watching all the Disney characters during the parade, especially the princesses, of course. Isabelle's favorite princess is "Sleeping Booty." I think Isabelle really enjoyed the parade. This was her first time watching a parade and there were some wonderful highlights. She received a high five from one of the snowmen. When she saw the reindeer, she said, "Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?" Haha! Jiminy Cricket (aka RJ, Ruby's sister) waved a "special" hello to Isabelle when she rode by on her float. When Santa came out singing a Christmas song, she squealed and said, "Santa is singing 'Jingle Bells'!" And, of course, she waved hello to every character that danced by her.

After the parade was over, we watched the lighting of Sleeping Beauty's castle while Alex waited for a corn dog (yum!).

Then, it was time to head home. Right after a group photo, of course! (Ignore the boy in the background who looks like he's a part of our photo!)

I loved experiencing Disneyland through Isabelle's eyes. I didn't do much. I actually didn't do anything. Haha! But I did see how excited she was to be at Disneyland celebrating her second birthday with her family and Eemos. And that was more than enough for me. :)

P.S. Hooray! I'm a premium passholder!!! Thanks for getting us Disneyland passes again, Alex!! :)

Happy Christmas, Happy Baptism!

2011-12-29T22:13:00.000-08:00

Isabelle was baptized on Easter Sunday last year; Isaiah was baptized on Christmas Sunday last week.

It was pretty special to have our Isaiah be baptized into God's family on the day we celebrated His Son's birth. Alex and I, as well as our family and church family, celebrated together, making our covenant promise. Just as we chose Isabelle's name with a purpose, we also chose Isaiah's name for a special reason. Isaiah means salvation of the Lord. As he grows, we pray that God would be the Rock (his middle name) and fortress in his life and that he would be able to use his relationship with God to bring others to Christ.

My parents, Angie Eemo, Wahjoo, and Uncle James, as well as Gomo (Alex's sister) came to witness Isaiah's baptism and our promise to God. Isabelle was a great nuna and watched as her baby brother was being dedicated to God's family. I am so grateful that God blessed our family with this sweet little gift. I feel privileged to be his mom and to have that responsibility to guide him to be the man God intended him to be. Isaiah brings such joy to our family and I look forward to watching him grow. Alex and I continue to ask our friends and family to keep both our precious little ones in prayer.

On another note, it was nice to see our growing church family with all the married couples and their children (though not all were present for the group photo). And it has been amazing to see the work God has been doing at our church with our married couples. (This photo was taken in the middle of trying to get all the couples and families together, which took a bit of time.)

We took advantage of the nice Christmas tree for some festive family photos to commemorate this special moment in Isaiah's life. :)

P.S. Thanks, Uncle James, for taking all the pictures during Isaiah's baptism to help us remember this blessed moment in his life. :)

Read about Isabelle's baptism here.

Happy Two Years, Isabelle

2011-12-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

Dear Isabelle,

I cannot believe you are TWO! :)

This past year has been so much fun getting to see you grow into a big girl. You are no longer a baby; you are a big toddler. This is exciting for me and sad at the same time. I am sad because I miss having you be my (only) baby. But I am extremely excited because you are becoming more curious about the world around you and more talkative with the people in your life and growing up to be such a fun kid!

You have such a kind and generous heart, Isabelle. You are good at sharing with others and you always want to take care of your baby brother. I love watching you and Isaiah playing and interacting with each other. You love to cover him with blankets when he is cold, you read books to him, you sing songs to him when Isaiah is crying, you love to be next to him in his crib and watch the mobile, and you really love holding his hand and giving him bbo bbos! My heart melts when I see how much love you have for Isaiah.

I adore your imaginative and creative mind. It is so fun to watch you when you play with others or when you play by yourself. You can take any ordinary object and turn it into the most exciting thing to play with. You are simple and don't require many "things" to have fun and I love that about you.

Your language is incredible and I love having conversations with you. Sometimes you say some pretty funny things that make me giggle, and I always try to post them in the blog so that I can remember them again one day. :) They are especially fun to read when I am having a bad day. I also love seeing you sing more and more lately. You're always singing your favorite songs wherever you are in your lovable voice.

I can still remember every detail of the day you were born and I cannot believe two wonderful years with you have already flown by! Appa and I are so very grateful for the gift God gave us, through you, two years ago. I pray every day that you would love Him and have a relationship with Him. I also pray that God would use you, even as a little girl, to show others of His love and be a reflection of the hope that He offers.

Isabelle, you warm my heart with your sweet and mischievous smile. The way you look at me and say, "Eomma" always, always makes me fall in love with you over and over again.

Happy two years, my sweet Isabelle! I loved celebrating today with you and seeing Disneyland through your two-year old eyes!

I love you more than I ever thought I could...

Love,
Eomma

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people. Ephesians 1:16-18

P.S. If you wanted to start sleeping through the night this year, I wouldn't be opposed! :)

Read about her birth story here.
Read her one year letter here.
Read about her Dol (first birthday) party here.

A Christmas Tradition

2011-12-27T23:32:00.000-08:00

Get ready for a hefty post (with tons of pictures)...

My mom's side of the family has a long-standing Christmas tradition that started ever since I can remember. Every Christmas, we, the cousins, "earned" our gifts by singing or performing a musical instrument in front of family members. Last year, Isabelle was just one, so she was too young to participate. But this year, I thought she'd be able to sing a few songs.

In order to prepare Isabelle for her singing performances in front of all the grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, and cousins at my aunt's house later that evening, Isabelle did some "practice runs" at my parents' house in the afternoon on Christmas Eve.

Alex, Isabelle, Isaiah, and I went to my parent's house to meet with my mom, dad, sisters, and brother-in-law. Yes, our outfits were intentionally coordinated- the girls wore red and the boys wore green. Cliche, I know. But we couldn't find hideous Christmas sweaters to wear in time, which was our original plan. My sister, Wahjoo Eemo, made fabric bow headbands for the girls and fabric bowties for the boys.

Halmi and Habi (Grandma and Grandpa) started us off by singing a song to receive her presents, setting a good example for Isabelle to follow. Then Angie sang her Christmas song.

After they opened all their gifts, we asked, "Who would like to go next?" Isabelle raised her hand and said, "Izzzzzie!"

Isabelle performed a different song before she opened each present. Here are just a few videos for your viewing pleasure. :) She was a bit confused after opening each present. At first, after we told Isabelle who the gift was from, she would open the gift and then give it back to the person who gave it to her. Hahaha! Later, she realized she got to keep her gifts.

Her first song was "Three Bears", a Korean children's song.

Here she opened her first Christmas gift from Halmi and Habi.

For her second song, Isabelle sang "Jingle Bells." Well, she sang part of it!

Angie Eemo wanted a thank you bbo bbo.

Her next song was "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" with a few words missing!

She opened another present and I loved the way she said "backpack."

Then, Isabelle sang "Jesus Loves Me" in Korean. Well, she sang just the verse and decided she would end after the verse.

She had such a great time performing, and she didn't show her shy side, which I thought she would. Isabelle was probably feeling very comfortable. I enjoyed watching her open presents. I think the gifts portion of Christmas has become more exciting to see through her two-year old eyes. :) Isabelle loved everything she opened and was enthusiastic with every gift that was unwrapped- Hello Kitty slippers, a bunny blanket/snuggie, an owl backpack from Skip Hop, an Elmo wooden puzzle, a Disney princess puzzle, a Minnie Mouse jumprope, and matching Mommy-and-Me Toms. She is a simple girl. :) Those were just the gifts from my family. We still had to open gifts from my aunts and uncles later, as well as the Christmas from Alex and me. So, more singing and gift-opening was to come! My sweet (and sleepy) Isaiah just watched all the commotion going on around him.

Wahjoo and Uncle James gave us their rendition of "Feliz Navidad," while Alex and I belted out a classic, "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer".

Isaiah didn't have to sing, obviously! But he played with one of his gifts and I enjoyed opening his presents for him :)

Then, it was on to my aunt's house for our family celebration with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. We had a delicious dinner as well as some yummy desserts. I think the enormous box of toffee was my favorite!

And then, it was time to sing and open gifts, again. This has gotten to become a much bigger deal because the family is growing. My mom has five sisters and one brother to begin with (although not everyone was there), plus when you add all the cousins, cousins-in-law, and babies... it's a big family celebration. And here are a bunch of pictures... probably more for the viewing pleasure of my cousins. :)

I think that's why Isabelle froze a bit when it was her turn to sing. She was eager to open her presents and knew the rules to be able to open them. But she was probably overwhelmed to sing in front of a much bigger crowd.

My favorite performance was when my mom and aunts got up to open their presents. Someone started chanting that they should have to sing as well. And they did... the song they sang is sort of like a "nursery song" in Korean. So it's silly to see four grown women sing this song! (Yes, it's the same song Isabelle sang.)

Then, group photo time. Thank goodness, I brought my gorilla pod. :)

Of course, since little Ellie and Isabelle were wearing matching pajamas (unplanned), we had to take some photos of this cuteness!

And just when the evening was dwindling down, it was time for... BINGO! Yes, my family played BINGO! With prizes provided by my uncle, things got competitive. Then, it got even more serious. After all the prizes had been handed out (and there were many!), my uncle announced that there would three more games for CASH PRIZES!!!!! It was hilarious to see so many people take BINGO so seriously! Hahaha! BINGO, I think, is going to become the new family tradition (in addition to singing for presents).

We ended the evening after my cousin, Becky, won the grand cash prize. :) Isabelle was way past her bedtime and getting a bit tired, but she had such an enjoyable time creating these memories and participating in my family's traditions. I know we'll continue both traditions- old (singing for presents) and new (BINGO) for many more years to come. :)

I think that's the wonderful thing about Christmas. Not only are we gathering together with loved ones to celebrate Jesus' birth, but we are creating memories together and sharing our love with one another. Next year, Alex and I will need to add to this and start our own Christmas tradition. Wonder what we'll come up with...

Life with Izzie- Arguing with Appa

2011-12-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

While working on her Rudolph puzzle...

Izzie: Yay! I did it! Look, Appa! I finished!

Appa: Good job, Izzie! Should we do it again?

Izzie: {exasperated} Appa! I already did it!

Playing with her milk and intentionally tipping it...

Appa: Isabelle, please clean up your milk. Don't do that. And please say sorry to Eomma.

Izzie: {cleaning up her milk with a napkin}

Appa: Isabelle, say sorry to Eomma, please.

Izzie: No, Appa! I will clean up milk first. Then, I will say sorry to Eomma.

Her language is crazy these days and she surprises me sometimes when she speaks. I am amazed at how much she is soaking up and absorbing. Here she is going for a wagon ride with her Appa, whom she loves and loves to tease. :)

San Diego with "Fanamy"

2011-12-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

Alex wanted to take us to San Diego last, last weekend for a quick getaway trip. We invited Angie Eemo, Wahjoo, and Uncle James... and without their help, the trip would've been impossible for Alex and me to tackle on our own. :)

So on Friday, Angie Eemo, Isabelle, Isaiah, Alex, and I drove down to San Diego and checked into our hotel. We had an amazing view of the bay from our hotel room.

After we got settled, we took a stroll down to Seaport Village just in time to see the sun set. Beautiful! The colors we saw in the sky were incredible!

While we walked around, Isabelle spotted an antique carousel from 1895 with wood-carved animals. She eagerly waited to ride the carousel and chose the giraffe once it was her turn.

Right before we left, Isabelle noticed some Nutcrackers. She was quite intrigued by them.

Onto dinner!!!!! The much-awaited Lucha Libre burritos! (Thanks, Angie Eemo, for buying our dinner!) How can you refuse french fries inside your burrito? Delicious!

After dinner, we called it a night because we knew we had a long day ahead of us. Isabelle went to sleep, waiting for her beloved Wahjoo and Uncle James to join us the following day.

On Saturday, we started the morning with brunch at The Mission. Wahjoo and Uncle James joined us. We also met up Tina, who lives in SD at the moment. Sweet Tina brought Isabelle a cute Hello Kitty ornament. I enjoyed some fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth blueberry pancakes and tender roast beef hash with horseradish sauce.

Then, it was on to Sea World! First, we needed a picture at the entrance with Mr. Sea Otter, which I mistakenly called Mr. Squirrel. But of course, it's a sea otter. Because why on earth would a squirrel be at Sea World? Haha!

And we had to get in a family picture in front of the gigantic Christmas tree, as well as a group picture.

Our first show was the sea lion and otter show, which Isabelle seemed to enjoy. I think she was trying to process the idea that animals were performing. This was the only show Isaiah "watched." :)

Next, the Shamu show! Isabelle's favorite part of the Shamu show was anytime Shamu was doing flips.

Then, it was on to the Sesame Street Bay of Play. Isabelle wanted to ride Elmo's Flying Fish with Wahjoo. Alex rode by himself. I think the ride didn't look intimidating to her when she was waiting in line for it. But once she got on and it started moving, Wahjoo said Isabelle was just slightly scared.

We left the play area to watch the Blue Horizons Dolphin Show. Isabelle was waiting for this all day. She kept saying, "Dolphins. I see dolphins." Her favorite part was, of course, when the dolphins were doing their flips. She said, "Dolphins splish splash!"

After our final show, we wanted to have her meet the Sesame Street characters who were out greeting the kids. She was so excited to meet Elmo and Zoe. Isabelle did a great job waiting in line for her turn this time (last time, she skipped the lines and went straight up to the characters, bypassing everyone who was already in line). She hugged the two characters and said, "Hi, Elmo! Hi, Zoe!" Then she eagerly sat in between them and took a picture.

This little guy was just bundled up the entire time. :) Isaiah did join us for some fun, but mostly, he was sleeping.

I think, our stomachs were as patient as they could be at this point. So, none of us were opposed to leaving Sea World and heading to Phil's BBQ for some yummy ribs! But before we could leave, we found this sleigh and attempted to use the opportunity of the beautifully decorated Christmas tree as our backdrop for one more group picture. FAIL. I guess I should've expected to get a blurry photo when we handed over our camera to someone who accidentally turned off the camera (how? I don't know!) in the midst of taking our picture. Then, because she couldn't figure it out, she let her 10 year old daughter handle my camera to try and take a photo. Oh, well. What can you do? :)

I think Uncle James enjoyed Phil's BBQ the best! Their chicken, baby back ribs, and beefy ribs were all delicious. But those beer-battered colossal onion rings were TDF!

My favorite picture is Alex eating his BBQ with a sleeping Isaiah in tow. :) That's how much he loves his BBQ.

We had an amazing weekend! I'm grateful that Alex enjoys traveling, although traveling with two little ones is not the easiest thing to do! But Alex knows I love going places as a "fanamy" (Isabelle's word for "family") and he is so thoughtful to plan trips and invite my sisters along. I love creating memories with my "fanamy".

Happy Christmas, Happy Birthday!

2011-12-25T10:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas from Isabelle and Isaiah!

And Happy Birthday, Jesus- the reason we celebrate.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6

Euphoria... Happy Four Months

2011-12-22T23:31:00.000-08:00

Tonsillitis and bronchitis... that's what I've been battling for the past five days, which is why I've been missing from this blog. :(

But here I am... better late than never with this post. :)

Several (five) of my friends are pregnant with their second baby right now. I guess knowing that things are going to change by adding another child to the family, some have anxiously asked me how having two kids has been harder. :) It was definitely hard in the beginning, trying to juggle two kids- from scheduling naps, to figuring out simultaneous feedings, to making sure they're both receiving enough love and attention. However, it's been wonderful adding our little Isaiah to this family. And I think the happiness he brings outweighs any of the hardships we face.

He has brought so much joy into our family in his four months. Isaiah is a smiley baby and he can melt anyone's heart with his smile. (Those of you who have been on the receiving end know what I mean.) He does cry, don't get me wrong. But if you catch his eye or get his attention in the midst of his cries, Isaiah will flash you a bright smile, eyes disappearing into his chubby and squishy cheeks.

Isaiah is now so into his sister. I know, soon, they'll be able to play with each other, not just play next to each other! I think, because his sister is so talkative, Isaiah wants to join in on the conversation by "talking" to her. :) His coos and gurgles are so adorable and I love listening to him.

Isaiah drools on everything (due to his teething), pulls hair (because he's discovered his hands can grab things), and stays awake longer during the day (although he still naps four times a day). He is still sleeping 10-12 hours a night (I LOVE YOU!) and eating constantly during the day. Isaiah seems interested in eating solids because he stares at Isabelle's food when she eats. But he will need to wait a bit longer! He is a people person and hates being by himself. He starts squawking when he realizes he is playing alone and will not give up until someone comes and plays with him. :) He is also starting to like his jumperoo. :) Yay!!

Isaiah has taught me to love better, if that makes sense. With Isabelle, everything was new. So, as a new parent, I had a lot of self-doubt, questioning my every move on parenting her. Whether it was using the correct bottle, to deciding on which sleep-training method to implement, or figuring out when to introduce solids to wondering if/how/when I would wean her from breastfeeding. Every topic was researched. Overly researched. I was probably concerned about doing everything "right", whatever that may look like. And I worried when I felt like I was doing things "wrong." And now that Isabelle's nearly two years old, I realize I let some of those wonderful moments slip by. Instead of cherishing each memory, I became consumed with the unimportance of doing things correctly.

So, I understand how fast time flies by. And you don't get those moments back. I know two years is still young, but I feel like I just blinked and those two years with Isabelle have gone by. That is why I feel like I try harder to treasure my Isaiah. I now know to let go of certain things and not feel like I have to do everything "by the book." He also makes it easy to enjoy every minute of his precious life because he is such a good boy. He really is teaching me to love better. Isaiah is teaching me to soak it in, to enjoy the tender moments, and to be grateful for my growing family.

I love you, my sweet, sweet baby.

Happy four months, Isaiah!

See more happy times here...

Acceptance- One Month

Balance- Two Months

Confidence- Three Months

Monday Chuckles

2011-12-19T09:49:00.000-08:00

Izzie was playing with her Mr. Potato Head toys. Isaiah was watching her during his tummy time. They were playing well together, as usual.

Izzie narrated her every move to Isaiah, telling him, "Isaiah, this is appa Potato Head. Where is his tongue? There it is! Where is his ear? There it is!" Isaiah just watched his older sister and smiled.

I needed to do a pile of laundry that had been dirtied from our weekend trip to San Diego (which will be blogged about later), so I decided to start a load. I came back and this is what I saw... My mischievous Izzie had taken advantage of my sweet Isaiah. This left me chuckling!

Happy Monday, all! :)

Something to Brighten Your Day

2011-12-16T11:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!

It's the start of the craziness and busyness that the holidays bring. We are heading down to San Diego today and staying for the weekend! Then, we'll need to embrace the avalanche of all the festivities- Christmas, Isaiah's baptism, Isabelle's second birthday, and New Year's! Looking forward to seeing family and friends during the next two weeks.

I'll leave you with my two babies, who always manage to bring a smile to my face, no matter how the day is going. Hopefully, they brighten your day a bit! :)

Isaiah, drooling (due to his teeth) away in his jumperoo. I can't get enough of this baby!

Isabelle, "nursing" her Boots doll. (I did not ask her to do this. She took the fabric-sewn purse that Angie Eemo made for her and used it as a nursing cover. Too hilarious!)

And the two together? Isabelle is such a sweet older sister to her lovable baby brother. I love how Isabelle pretends to sleep in the first clip. And in the second clip, she repeats that her pajamas have a cow on them by pointing to the cows and saying, "That's moo, Isaiah, that's moo." Hahaha! And the fact that she tells him it's "yucky" that he's pulling on her clothes? Hysterical! :)

My Giggle Place

2011-12-15T21:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Isabelle and Isaiah had a play date with Christian and Christian. Yes, two Christians, who were born one day apart (I think), in the same hospital.

I remember Alex and I went to visit Sam and Tina when Christian was born. While we were on our way to the hospital, we got a call saying that Jay and Nga (parents of the other Christian) had gone into labor. While we visited newly born Christian Park, Christian Cheng was being born. :) Can't believe that was a year and a half ago!

Anyway, both these boys and Isabelle had fun playing at My Giggle Place, an indoor playground. Isabelle loved the make-believe kitchen area, the slides, and the bubbles, of course. And she ate most of her pizza when it was time to eat, but she really wanted to play instead. Thank goodness for the books that were in their library area. Isabelle usually needs to be reading while she's eating. :) So, I quickly grabbed a book so she wouldn't run back to the play area before finishing her food.

The kids had fun (Isaiah either nursed or napped, haha!) and the mommies had a great time... I think they got a taste of what's to come with toting two kids around. ;)

Better with Two

2011-12-13T11:57:00.001-08:00

These days, Isabelle wants to be a baby. Yes, you read correctly. My 23 month old daughter is acting like her 3 month old brother. And this drives me crazy.

She wants to drink from a bottle, wear bibs, play inside the pack-and-play, stop using the Elmo potty, be "burped", "sleep" inside Isaiah's crib... you get the idea. She even asked if she could nurse again. Yes.

I think that's been one of the hard parts about having an infant when your firstborn is still almost a baby herself. It has forced her to grow up, which makes me a bit sad. But having Isaiah has also taught her how to be a good older sister.

Isabelle has learned to wait better. This was not easy for her, but now she is able to wait for longer periods of time. She waits while I nurse Isaiah, she waits while I feed Isaiah, she waits while I take Isaiah out of his car seat first, she waits to spend her alone time with me. Most days she is great, but she has her bad days, too. Who wouldn't?

Isabelle has learned to share better. Isaiah is using her jumperoo, her Bumbo, her old toys, her infant car seat, her old blankets. And things that I thought she wouldn't be so possessive about? Well, Isabelle has had a hard time letting go of things sometimes. But she always reassures herself by saying, "When I was a baby..." and I tell her, "Yes, you used these things as a baby."

Isabelle has learned to love better. She realizes she is not the only baby in the family anymore. She loves her brother and showers him with kisses. When she wakes up, she is concerned about where he is. She always runs over to his crib to check up on him. When he cries in the car seat on our drives home, she tells Isaiah, "Don't cry, Isaiah! We're almost home!" She tells me, "Eomma! Isaiah is dripping! Isaiah is dripping!" when he throws up or spits up. Isabelle loves to lay down next to him or sit near him or try to hold him, which is getting more and more difficult because he's growing! :) She is so helpful to me and Isabelle really can't get enough of her baby brother.

As Isaiah grows and responds more to Isabelle, she becomes more eager to interact with him. Sometimes, the two have "tummy time" together. Sometimes, Isabelle reads books to Isaiah. Sometimes, they lay in Isaiah's crib, staring at the mobile, holding hands together. Whatever it is that Isabelle and Isaiah are doing, it's so sweet to see the two together.

I thought having one kid was great. But I've learned how much better it is with two. Now, three? We'll have to see about that later on! ;)

Life with Izzie- On Singing

2011-12-13T10:39:00.000-08:00

During breakfast, Isabelle started singing Jesus Loves Me. In her lovable yet screechy and off-key voice, she sang...

Izzie: Yes, Jesus loves Eomma. Yes, Jesus loves Angie Eemo. Yes, Jesus loves Halmi. Yes, Jesus loves Isabelle. The Bible tells me so.

Yeah, I know that's not how the song goes. Still, my heart melted. I want to freeze time and these moments. Thank you, Jesus, for my sweet babe. Can't believe she will be two at the end of this month!

On another note... Three weeks from today, I will be returning back to work, leaving my precious babies behind. :( Most of my colleagues are probably rejoicing that this is their last week with the kids before they can enjoy two glorious weeks of vacation. :) I, however, am hoping every day goes by slooooooowly until I have to return! :)

Life with Izzie- Does it Get Any Sweeter?

2011-12-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

I'm sure it will get sweeter. But for now, I must remember these tender moments before my momnesia kicks in and I forget!

Isabelle is so gosh darn cute. I know, I'm biased. She is my daughter. But I love, absolutely love this stage! From the minute Isabelle wakes up to about noon-time (right before she needs her nap), she is super adorable.

Isabelle had woken up and Alex went into her room to check in on her. She spotted him from the mirror and said, "Appa! I woke up!" Then he asked if she had gotten a diaper change this morning, to which she responded, "Appa! Eomma already did it!"

In the morning, while making her oatmeal, she pitter-pattered up to me and asked, "Eomma? Are you making Izzie's mammah?" I know this doesn't seem like a big deal, but she had never asked me that before, so it caught me off guard. And she asked me so sweetly. :)

Then as I was feeding her, she asked for her Dora ballerina doll. I'm looking around unsuccessfully so I asked, "Where is it?" She answered, "Eomma, it's in the bag! I clean up!" HAHAHA! I pulled out the doll and she asked me, "Now, where is Boots? Dora needs friend!"

After breakfast, she ran up to our Christmas tree, I'm sorry... her Christmas tree. She looked at our tree skirt (which has a snowman riding on a train) and said, "Snowman? Snowman? Are you in there? Are you riding choo-choo train?" Then she looked at the wrapping paper that had some reindeer and laughed, "Ha ha ha! Reindeer is so silly with a scarf!"

As I brought Isaiah down from his room (I heard him wake up at this time), I saw her squealing, "Ouch, ouch!" while she stood in the middle of a pile of plastic necklaces. I asked, "What are you doing?" She said, "Crocodile is biting!" Hahahaha!

Then, I got ready to change Isaiah's diaper. I noticed her small Minnie Mouse doll laying on it. I asked Isabelle, "What is Minnie doing here?" She answered very matter-of-factly, "Diaper change. Eomma Minnie (a bigger Minnie doll that she calls the Mom Minnie) is over there (on the couch). She is giving boobie (her way of saying she's going to nurse the smaller Minnie doll)." HAHAHAHA!

Now, as I sit to type and save these memories so I won't forget these sweet moments, Isabelle watched me, grabbed her own Leapfrog laptop from her toy box, pulled herself into the chair next to me, and started "typing" just like Mommy!

Hahaha... I think Isabelle got bored with her laptop because she ran over to lay down next to Isaiah. Isabelle is sweetly singing him some songs while covering him with a blanket. He is cooing at her while she sings "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes."

These are the moments... I know one day, I won't remember. I might, but things will be fuzzy, I'm sure. But I'll always have this post, this blog, to read about life's sweet moments with my babies.

P.S. Thanks all for reading and leaving me comments. Sometimes I think I am the only one who reads this blog. Hahaha! One day, when my babies are older, I hope they will read this blog and see how much I enjoy being their mommy.

Maple Syrup

2011-12-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

I like maple syrup. I like it with sweet potato fries. I like it drizzled on top of fluffy buttermilk pancakes. It's a warm, comforting, cozy flavor and I like the way it tastes. And now, I get to smell like it! (Not sure if I like maple syrup that much, though.)

I have begun taking fenugreek. I'm not taking it because I'm not lacking in milk supply. However, I am starting work (insert sigh here) in about four weeks and want to make sure there is enough milk stocked up before I return. Currently, I have bags and bags of milk stashed away in our freezer (enough for about four months or so). Those Lansinoh bags are almost taking over, not making enough space for other things, like ice cream! But I know, once I'm back at work, all the pumping I'll be doing during my "free time" (aka recess and lunch), my supply might decrease due to the exclusive use of the pump. So, just to be safe, I'm bumping up the supply and stockpiling! :)

I've been reading reviews on fenugreek and apparently, one of the side effects is smelling like maple syrup. Hahahaha! I guess there could be worse side effects than that! They say if you smell maple syrup on yourself, you're body is responding to it correctly and you are taking the right dosage. :)

This reminded me of the yummy carrot cake with maple cream cheese frosting that my cousin made at Thanksgiving. Since I had been craving this cake and frosting for awhile now, I thought I'd make some to satisfy my belly! :) I knew my sister wouldn't be opposed (since I planned on sending some with her). My cousin had warned me that you have to grate the carrots by hand... a tedious task. But, it resulted in a light and fluffy cake batter, so it was worth it.

We had another play date today, and Monah and Celeste were the recipients of this carrot cake cupcake. Isabelle had fun with sweet Celeste, who was just so friendly, and all of Celeste's toys. And I enjoyed mommy time with Monah, sharing in our good times and not as good times in marriage and mommyhood. Also, this play date reassured me that Isabelle, Isaiah, and I are not the only ones who stay in pjs all day unless we need to leave the house. :) Thanks for having us and I hope you enjoy the cakes as much as Isabelle did!

So here's to maple syrup (eating it and smelling like it, too, I guess)!

The Importance of Play Dates

2011-12-07T21:50:00.000-08:00

I think every mom can agree that play dates are important.

For me, leading up to a play date isn't completely stress free, though. I think about how my kids will nap, if they will nap, where they will nap. I want to make sure there is a good place for nursing my Isaiah. I wonder if there's a decent area to change diapers. I anticipate whether Isabelle will eat enough food (because my 23-month old would much rather play than eat), or if she will throw tantrums. All of that comes with the territory.

But once I'm there, whether it's at a friend's house or out somewhere, all goes well. Isaiah adapts and naps wherever he is. Isabelle eats fairly well and plays nicely. And most importantly, I get some down time. :)

Today, at Tina's house, there were four moms and five children ranging from three and a half months to 23 months old. The kids were able to play independently, giving the mommies a much needed break. I always find that connecting with moms not only rejuvenates me, but it reassures me that I'm not alone. We joked about showering (or a lack thereof), laughing that if we shower at least once every two days, we're doing well! We talked about our post-pregnancy bodies and all of our issues with trying to embrace the changes that come with being a mom. Nursing is always a hot topic with moms, as well as sleep training. We shared the joys as well as challenges that come with every stage in a baby's life. And of course, mommies always share hilarious stories about the daddies. I am always reminded how Alex must feel neglected since I seem to be giving all my energy and attention to my two babies. At the end of the day, I am exhausted and haven't had time for myself, so it takes a lot of effort to make sure Alex gets some of my time.

We stayed at Tina's pretty much for the bulk of the day. Isaiah managed to squeeze in two naps and Isabelle was in desperate need for a nap herself. She had so much fun that she knocked out when we got home and Isaiah took yet another nap, giving me some more time to wind down. :)

Play dates help me realize that I am not alone in any of the struggles I face as a mom. It also gives me an extra boost of energy because I am able to talk with adults! Also, Isabelle, who is great at playing independently, can play with her friends... or next to them! :) It makes the day go by faster and it doesn't tire me as easily compared to the days when I am at home with my babies by myself. It's a great time of laughing til my sides hurt, actually being able to eat a meal, and having my kids play with their friends.

Life with Izzie- Clever or Cute

2011-12-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

Isabelle has a book that she likes reading with Angie Eemo called, I Love Trucks. In the book, there is a line that repeats, "Trucks, trucks, trucks. I love trucks!"

This morning, Isabelle was inserting different words into the line from the book. She picked up our empty pizza box from last night's dinner and said, "Eomma! Pizza, pizza, pizza. I love pizza!" Then she picked up the plastic container that had been full of apples and said, "Eomma! Apples, apples, apples. I love apples!"

I looked at her and said, "Isabelle, you're clever!"

She stared at me, smiled and said, "No, I'm cute!" and walked away.

Hahahahahaha! She cracks me up!

Sunshine Days

2011-12-05T20:30:00.000-08:00

Although Christmas is near and there is a definite chill in the air, we're still getting plenty of good ol' California sun. Isabelle, Isaiah, and I had a play date with Ruby and her four girls last week at the park. Two mommies, six kids, one pizza, some swings, and lots of sunshine made for a great play date!

The big girls, True and Brave, played well with the little girls, Soul and Isabelle, with the swings being the popular activity of choice. While the babies, Glow and Isaiah, soaked in some rays of sunshine and watched their big sisters having fun.

It was intimidating, at first, thinking about going to the park with six kids. I was anticipating possible difficulties with diapering, nursing, and keeping an eye on both Isabelle and Isaiah. But once we were there, all my anxieties disappeared and everything was pretty breezy, giving Ruby and me the much-needed time to talk to one another. It wasn't completely obstacle-free, but it was good enough! Isabelle's shoe constantly kept falling off her foot. And by then end of the play date, she was pretty much running around with just one shoe. Hahaha! And Isaiah was distracted from being outside, which made it difficult for him to nap, leaving me with one cranky baby. Still, I think it was a successful day outdoors with good friends.

I think Ruby and I both realized how important it is to leave the house once in awhile! Having our girls (and one boy) play together outdoors and spending mommy-time together was refreshing.

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

Isabelle is obsessed with all things Christmas. Or winter-related, I guess. She squeals and shouts, "Look, Eomma! I see Christmas tree!" Or when we are driving at night, she will excitedly point out, "Christmas lights!" Isabelle loves snowmen, reindeer, Santa, and ornaments.

Going to Gymboree... "Look, Eomma! Gymbo is wearing 'ho, ho' hat!"
Playing with Play-doh... "Appa, make snowman. Snowman is cold and needs scarf, please."
Putting on her pajamas... "Look, Eomma! I have reindeer on my pajamas."
Reading her book... "Eomma, Olivia has ornaments on Christmas tree."

You get the idea. :)

So yesterday, we went shopping for a Christmas tree. Every year, Alex tries to convince me to just go plastic. I refuse. I insist on having that Christmas-y, pine tree smell. I need a real tree, I tell him. And every year, we go hunting for our perfect tree.

This year, it was exciting to go with Isabelle, who could hardly contain herself. We went to a lot near our house that was full of beautiful trees. But the trees were way overpriced, so after a few clicks of the camera, we told Isabelle we would go somewhere else. She had been promised her very own tree, so this did not sit well with her. She screamed and refused to sit in her carseat. Tears streaming down her face she repeatedly yelled, "Christmas treeeeeee. Christmas treeeeeee. Christmas treeeeeee." I guess, in her mind, there was only one place that sold Christmas trees?

After she calmed herself down, I explained that we would indeed get Isabelle her very own tree at another place, Home Depot. :) We drove down there and picked out a good Noble for way less than what the Douglas firs were going for at "Santa's Garden". :) She was satisfied after being reassured that this tree was coming home with us.

We turned on the holiday music, got out our red and green storage box filled with Christmas decorations, and started pretty-ing our tree. :) Isabelle requested to watch me from inside the pack and play (she's all about being a "baby" these days with Isaiah around). She oohed and aahed as each ornament went up onto the tree. The only thing she continued to say was, "Izzie needs star at top of Christmas tree, please." For some reason, we were starless... oops! So, Isabelle will get to pick out a star this week when we go shopping for one. And once we have that star, we'll get a picture of our completed Christmas tree.

Now that we have a tree in our house, it definitely feels more festive! And it's getting me more excited for Christmas to arrive!! :)

Baby Toes

2011-12-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

This is for Angie Eemo and Wahjoo, who both hate feet and toes. Unless those feet and toes belong to baby Isaiah.

I love kissing my sweet boy's toes. :)

Warms My Heart

2011-12-01T11:30:00.000-08:00

It's December! Winter is coming, the cold(er) weather will soon be here, and a cozy mug of hot cocoa always warms my body. But these two? They warm my heart!

Izzie: Eomma? George needs banana and Minnie needs cheese. Now, take a picture!

Isaiah: coo, squeal

What warms your heart? :)