Rico...

Suave.... I'm so blessed. I get to spend my days w/ this handsome little guy!

Dear...

Dear Daisy,

I never did get to meet you...but I know you were one loved little baby girl. I have thought about you so many times over the past year. I wonder if you would look like your momma....I wonder if you and Jude would grow up to become BFF's like Zoe and Brody...I wonder...

Happy Birthday, Daisygirl. I'll see you in heaven...

Love,
Aunt Kimmy

..heehee..

So...I'm the SAHM, right? You know- quit my job b/c I wanted to raise the boy...so that I wouldn't miss out on any of the milestones in his life...

...so yesterday afternoon, Derrick and I came to the conclusion that we needed to go grocery shopping...I quickly volunteered, as it gave me a reason to get out of the house sans boys. Well...in my selfishness to get away....my son laughed out loud with his dad. What. The. Heck! Granted, I was SUPER excited and happy for Derrick to be able to experience this with Jude...but I did feel a wee bit ripped off! I've been trying to get him to laugh for ages! But- Jude was so gracious- when I got home, dad showed me what he did to get the booger to laugh, and Jude did. Cutest. Thing. Ever.

Derrick's such a good dad! :)

...my little lover...

Jude is growing up so fast...too fast! He's no longer the baby of the family.....Our sisterinlaw, Niki (wife of Derrick's brother, Jerrod) just had her baby on Wednesday! Braylon "yettobemiddlenamed" Logan. He was 4.5 weeks early...but STILL weighed 7lbs 8oz and was 19.5 inches long. Unbelievable! Mom and baby are great...and should be released sometime today...

Anywho...Jude has been so cute (and sometimes notsocute) lately! He's graduated from cooing to squealing- which is the funniest thing ever b/c it kinda scares him to hear himself! He's tolerating tummytime a wee little bit more...He follows us around the room (w/ his eyes, of course)...He plays in a new "walkerish" type toy- the Step&Play Piano- which is wicked cool and perfect for a musical family! There's a piano thing at his feet that makes everything light up and plays music whenever he steps on them...and a little drum and trumpet and mic and keyboard and...a cowbell! YES!He is still in love w/ Mr. Zebra that hangs off of his carseat (his grandma Logan bought him a new toy to go on his carseat...a frog thing that lights up and has things you can spin- yeah- Jude has a love/hate relationship w/ it!!! It's too funny- he plays w/ it...then scowls and yells at it)...and is learning how to swat at things and grasp them. I have busted out some plastic keys and rattles that I had gotten at my shower- Jude loves to watch me shake them and swats at them. I have started teaching him to grab for them- which he is doing so great at. Once he gets the toy in his little chubby hands, he just flings his arm around...and it's too cute!

I am just so blessed to be his mommy. I love spending all my time w/ him- even though he's been way fussy lately (I think he's starting to seriously teethe- he'll stop when I let him suck on a chilled teething ring)- I wouldn't change it for the world!

is this a joke?!...

So...I've been really into the Olympics (btw- have you noticed that I like to start by blogs w/ so?)...tonight I flipped it on to see what the competition of the night was.... a 20K walk. What? a 20K walk. What? Laugh. Out. Loud. What? It was probably the funniest thing I've seen all day. What? And to top it off...these women were like not really walking- it was a cross between jogging ("sometimes pronounced yogging"- j/k- that's a quote from Anchorman) and flailing on a tightrope! Hi-lar-i-ty. I really sat there and stared w/ my mouth slightly hanging open for a while!

So. If you are a competitive walker. Laugh. Out. Loud. No offense! And if you know someone who is...then I apologize but...Laugh. Out. Loud. Fantastic! Almost made the fact that my precious angel cried for an hour tonight! I think he's teething! GRRR.

PS. To Walker #2771. It's okay...you CAN eat something once in a while!

Dear Blogger.com...

I loathe your formatting skills.

백일

100 Days. That is what, if your computer can show Korean fonts, my title says. 100 Days. That is how long my son has been out of my womb. 100 Days. I cannot believe it. How does that many days go by so quickly? How?

We celebrated Jude's 백일 (Baek-Il or 100 Days) today Korean style. In Korea, on the 100th day after a child's birth, the family has a small celebration for the baby's health and the mother's recovery from delivery. On that day, people make Korean rice cakes called Baek-seol-gi or Su-su-pat-deok, and pass them around to neighbors, believing that sharing the cakes with 100 people will lead to the baby's healthy growth. Those who receive the rice cake return the plates with threads, rice, or money on them. Threads represent a wish for a long healthy life, and rice and money mean a wish for wealth for the baby.

It was important for me to celebrate this with my son because I want him to know his Korean heritage. Although he looks...completely...American...there is a lil' Korean in him! :) Derrick and I (I should really say my "mom and I"!) invited our families over to celebrate with us. My parents, aunt, cousins, Derrick's parents, grandparents, brother, sister, and cousin Ary all came. It was such a fun day. Jude was the cutest thing in his 한복 (Hanbok). Although he only wore it for like a half hour- he was a champ! We all feasted on the most delicious 갈비 (Galbi- ribs) and 불고기 (Bulgogi- bbq beef). Other 반찬 (Banchan- sides) consisted of 짜장면(Jajangmyeong- noodles), 새우 (Saeu- shrimp), and some fish/egg thing and veggies/fruit for the white folk! It was topped off with 떡(Tteok- sweet cake made w/ rice). Yum. Everyone had full tummys...and mommy/daddy have TONS of left overs! Jude was SUCH a good little guy! (even though he hardly napped at ALL!!! He has to be awake to not miss a thing!)

Dear Jude,
100 Days ago, God blessed your daddy and I with a beautiful boy. We cannot possibly remember life without you. You bring your dad and I so much joy. We love you and we're proud of you!
-Mommy




Lord-
Why have you blessed me so much? I haven't deserved it...I love Jude more than I could ever imagine. Thank you for trusting Derrick and I with him... Please guide us in raising him...give us patience...help us to be more like You so that he will want to be more like You....God- I just thank you for answering our prayers....