Spoon feeding

I realized that although this blog is supposed to be an avenue to share my inner thoughts, it has become a compilation of EV's milestones and adventures.  Oh well, what can you do?  When I leave work, most of what I think about is EV, I'm such a typical momma bear!

EV has always been a very opinionated and stubborn baby.  So, it does not surprise me when you started insisting that you feed yourself with a spoon.  In an attempt to minimize the mess that I will have to clean up afterwards, I tried to place foods that are sticky onto the spoon so that it'll stay on until you get it into your mouth.  You took the spoon from me, stuck it in your mouth, sucked on the spoon until everything was off of it, and threw the spoon on the table, as if you were saying, "put some more on the spoon, please."  After you were done with dinner, I gave you fruit for dessert, and you proceeded to put the fruit onto the spoon but got frustrated when the fruit would fall off before you got the spoon into your mouth.  Eventually, you learned to balance the fruit on the spoon and get it into your mouth.  At one point I tried giving you the bowl but you cannot scoop the food out of the bowl yet.  That made a real mess.  Note to self:  buy a deeper spoon.

The countdown is on

Happy 11 months my beautiful baby girl!!  I cannot believe how fast time flies.  I look back at your baby pictures and am so amazed at how much you have grown.  I cherish every moment we have together and look forward to every new adventure.  I just wish we could slow down time just a little bit so that I can have a moment to take it all in.  Your personality is starting to really show.  I love how you are completely your papa and completely your momma at the same time.  You are strong-willed, stubborn, and opinionated but at the same time you are patient, nurturing, and laid back.  As of today, you have two teeth on the bottom; you say appa, umma, baba (for book), baby, uh (for up); you point to everything; you feed yourself most of your food; you love cheese; you can stand on your own; take one to two steps by yourself; you are finally sleeping through the night without needing to nurse; you love wrestling with piggy and rolling on the floor; you love music and you love to dance; you swing your feet when you're happy; you know how to scribble on a magnetic board; and when I ask you, "where is EV's tongue" you love to stick out your tongue.  Each day you learn something new and you bring a smile to our faces.  We fall in love with you more and more each day.  You are an amazing little baby!  I can't believe we will be celebrating your 1st birthday soon.  The countdown is on!

Kimchi squats to standing

Evangeline is such a Korean baby, and this is not just based on her looks.  EV, you love Korean food more than any other types of food, and I'm not talking about basics like rice or vegetable porridge, I'm talking about fermented soy bean paste soup (think miso soup but stronger).  You also like to sit in a kimchi squat position.  I have never seen a baby sit like this, comfortably in the middle of a room or while reading a book, but you love it.  Then you took it up a notch yesterday.  After you have a bowel movement, you never like to sit, so you are either on your side or in the kimchi squat.  So, after you had a BM, you were in a kimchi squat, then you slowly started pushing yourself up (feet shoulder length apart).  Next thing I know, you are squatting, standing, clapping.  You did this over and over and over again.  Well, tonight you were very cranky and only wanted to be held.  While I was nursing you, you kept on putting your leg up on my shoulder and taking my hand and putting it on your leg.  So, I started massaging your leg.  I think your leg was hurting because of all the squats you've been doing the past two days.  Your legs went limp as I massaged them and you slowly started falling asleep.  You are always so determined to perfect whatever you learn.  I love that about you!!

A cerebral extrovert

When EV was a newborn, I thought she was going to be introverted, more like her father.  Even at 2-3 weeks of age, you would pretend to sleep when we had visitors and wake up when they would leave.  You would avoid eye contact with everyone, and even sometimes momma and papa.  You never smiled and you were a homebody.  Then as you got older, you started to become less inward and much more social.  Then it hit me, it's not that you were being an introvert, you were just taking it all in.  As papa would say, you are our "cerebral" baby.  You're actually not that different now, but that you take things in much quicker and in a different way.  It's also dawning on me that you're not an introvert but an extrovert like your momma.  You LOVE being around people and it doesn't even matter if you know them or not.  You will approach anyone and you will try to engage in some communication with them.

Last week we were at a friend's house for a superbowl party and you did not want to be held by momma.  You wanted to play with the 2 and 3 year olds.  You wanted to touch other people's shoes.  You wanted to be held by everyone else.  You were exploring and socializing.  You could have cared less if momma or papa were there with you.  Today we went to your friend Olivia's first birthday party and you wanted so badly to open her gifts, pick her doljabi, and grab her toys.  You sat behind Olivia very patiently waiting your turn, looking over at me to see if I will give you the okay, but it never happened.  Momma was very proud at how well you listened and behaved.  I guess we will have to have a big lesson on not talking to strangers when you get older.  Until then, it's a lot of fun watching you explore, interact, and engage new circumstances and people.  

Tooth

EV, although you were fast in your motor skills and average in your language skills, you were slow in cutting your first tooth.  After 10 months of your precious gummy smile, you finally cut your first tooth this past month.  It's so strange to see you with a tooth!!

Bronchiolitis

After having a runny nose for a week and a half (during the snow storm), and an occasional cough the last week, you started wheezing today.  At first I thought you were getting congested again but after I cleaned out your nose, it was obvious that you were having difficulty breathing.  I called the Pediatrician's office and they sent us to an urgent care center.  The doctor immediately saw that you were wheezing and after checking you out, said that you had bronchiolitis.  I had no idea what that really meant, but all of a sudden I had a rush of guilt.  Did I cause this?  Should I have brought you in earlier?  Were you in extreme pain? Did I expose other kids to something contagious?

They gave you an oxygen breathing treatment and some steroids for the inflammation in the lungs.  You also got an inhaler for the rest of the week.  Unfortunately, all these things can only decrease the symptoms but there is nothing they can give you to make it go away.  It's supposed to improve on its own.  Although you are in terrible discomfort, thankfully it's not anything I could have predicted with your cold, they probably wouldn't have been able to do anything for you if I brought you in earlier or have prevented this from happening, and bronchiolitis is not contagious.

That's all to say that in the last two weeks, other than having a drippy nose and an occasional cough, you showed no signs of discomfort or pain.  It wasn't until today that you complained and even today, the only thing that was really evident was that you were not eating how you normally eat or after playing you would get easily tired.  You would even come crawling into my lap, rest your head, and then get back up to play.  Then you started wheezing.  That's when I knew that something was wrong and my heart started pounding in my throat.  EV, I know I said this before, but please don't hold in your pain.  Let momma know.  It hurts me so deeply to know that you are in such discomfort!!  You are the bravest baby I know.  I love you!

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

What a gorgeous day today!  After being cooped up in the house and getting chapped in the face from the cold, we had a very nice, warm, relaxing day at the park today.  EV all your life you have hated the sun, grass, swings, and most things associated with the outdoors.  But today was different; you actually enjoyed yourself.  You were having fun watching all the kids, you didn't mind the swing or the sun, and you even touched the grass (although you refused to touch it again after the first time).  You also took your first steps at the park today!!!!  You were standing and then took two unassisted steps to get to daddy.  I am so looking forward to spring and summer!