We just got back from Portland this past week and I was pleasantly surprised at how well she did on the trip and back. She adjusted almost immediately when we got there and when we got home. She was fairly good on the plane, with only a few mishaps and crying, but nothing unbearable or for an extended amount of time. She actually seemed to understand that we were on a trip and that it was temporary. She loved exploring the city, especially since there were so many dogs all over the place. Although you could tell that she was unsure about her surroundings, because as we pushed her around in her stroller she had to check that we were still there every minute or two, we hear her say, "Umma? Umma?!? Umma?" We would reply, "Yes, dear umma is right here." Then a minute or two later, "Appa? Appa?!? Appa!" We met with an old friend and an old pastor while we were there. It was really nice to catch up with both of them. The friend really went out of his way to give us a ride from and to the airport, let us borrow his car, show us around the city, and open his place up for us to hang out and do some work. It made me realize the importance of friendship and how blessed we are to have friends like him.
Although EV has never been a complete people person, she's been warming up to new people faster than she used to. It's also funny how she is now mimicking everything that we do. The other day we were in an elevator and both Jimmy and I leaned back and crossed one leg over the other. The next thing we know, EV is leaning back and trying to cross one leg over the other. She is also repeating everything we say. In Portland, we were having some Mexican for dinner, and EV insisted that she scoop her rice and beans with a tortilla chip like the rest of us. She was successful in the beginning, but as she got tired, the less she was able to scoop. So, she thought about it and decided that she needed a new chip. I gave her a new chip and that was the beginning of the end. She got so frustrated that she couldn't scoop the rice with the chip, that she threw everything on the ground. She's so determined to figure it out herself, that she won't let us help her, but then she gets so frustrated that even if she is successful, it doesn't matter, she can't calm down enough to enjoy it. The other day this happened, and she started saying a bunch of sounds, "babbit, gabba, bagga, dagit." Jimmy called it "Baby Cursing" and it really did sound like she was mouthing off. It also seemed to help her calm down. These are the moments, when I'm unsure what to do. You're not being disobedient and I can't really distract you with something else. How do you teach an 18th month old patience? And letting momma help?
EV, you are such a joy to us. You make us laugh, you impress us constantly, and you make us want to be better parents. You have one of the most amazing smiles. It's always super special when you smile because you don't smile often, but when you do, it lights up the whole room. You are one of the most stubborn, head strong, opinionated babies I have ever known. You say the word "No" and "Mine" with such clarity and intensity. You also say a million other words, some in Korean and some in English, based on what's more comfortable for you. You have so much energy from the moment you open your eyes to the moment you go down to bed. You can barely sit for more than 5 minutes before exploring something new. You love to dance and you love music with a good beat. The moment you hear music, you start dancing and it's not just baby dancing, I swear you groove to the beat. You make us look forward to every day. Thank you for being ours!
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