February 9, 2009
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Weeks 1-3
Hey buddies! Thank you sooo much for all of your sweet comments/messages!! I especially appreciated reading them while feeding Evan by myself in the middle of the night. I can’t believe I’m a mama now!
WEEK 1
Bella, Orphans & HormonesI was told so many times that the post-pregnancy hormones could cause me to be really emotional. Didn’t think much of it until it happened to me. Two moments from that first week stand out…
(1) It was middle of the night during our first night at the hospital. Evan started whimpering a little so I got up to check on him. As I approached his little plastic bin I thought about orphan babies and how they have no one to love and comfort them. I picked him up and tears came down my face as I thought of all those motherless babies crying themselves to sleep. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for orphans but I never felt the depth of their loneliness until I held my own baby in my arms and imagined what it would be like for him not to be loved.
(2) As you all know, Bella is my furbaby and I love her with all my heart. It was really hard coming home from the hospital and seeing her not getting as much attention. She was confused, curious and maybe a little sad/miffed that we brought home this little being who was suddenly taking up ALL of her parents’ time. I’d see her with her head down in a corner or being shooed away by someone and it made me so sad. I tried to make time for her but I was just too exhausted. The exhaustion and guilt finally got to me one night because I started bawling at 4am and couldn’t stop for an hour. Things are much better now but we’re still all adjusting. For those of you with pets…how did you make the baby+pet transition go smoothly?
WEEK 2
Breastfeeding Woes
I don’t think I’m being a drama queen when I say that breastfeeding has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done…even harder than law school and passing the bar…even harder than the actual labor. Maybe it’s so hard because it’s also one of the most important things I’ve ever had to do. Maybe I should’ve actually read some of those books on breastfeeding while I was pregnant. I thought they were boring so I didn’t. Instead, I sat in a dimly lit room at 5am with one hand on Evan and the other flipping through a breastfeeding book trying to figure out what I was doing! I don’t have problems with milk supply…just latching. I even went to a lactation consultant. It just isn’t clicking. Everything in my chest area hurts. OUCH. I hope we’ll both get the hang of things soon!
WEEK 3
“WHAT?! You’re going outside?!”
Korean and Chinese people have very similar (stringent) traditions re postpartum care. Don’t go outside, don’t be cold, don’t do anything for the first month. It was like 85 degrees outside and my mom told me I had to wear a sweater inside the house. I guess they believe that your bones and insides are all loosened/messed up after giving birth so you need to recover properly or else you’ll suffer from bodily aches and pains when you’re older.
The first few weeks I sort of brushed it all off. We even went to a wedding!! It was Andy’s friend’s wedding and when we RSVPed we thought Evan would at least be a month old by the wedding. However, it ended up that Evan wasn’t even 3 weeks old! I didn’t want to go but I just couldn’t back out because I know what it’s like to plan a wedding and have people back out at the last minute. So I brushed out the knots in my hair, squeezed myself into a dress and shoes, pumped some milk and went to the wedding.
I go back & forth now. Are there truths to these ancient postpartum care traditions? Am I going to suffer when I’m older just because I didn’t heed the warnings of my elders? What do you think? Should I try to stay home wrapped up in blankets eating miyuk gook (seaweed soup) or can I go out to eat sushi and hit the mall??
PerfectionI’ve always been a perfectionist. It drives me (and others) crazy sometimes.
One of the lessons I learned quickly about motherhood…don’t expect perfection but know you can still be perfectly happy.Example – can you name all of the things wrong with this photo?
1. Andy’s tie
2. Skippee’s bra is showing (those darn ginormous nursing bras!)
3. Evan is blinking/sleeping…hehe!
4. Bella isn’t looking and no one cleaned her eyes!
5. The 6 different kinds of undereye concealer didn’t work
It doesn’t matter though because I can’t think of a happier moment.
Comments (84)
Ok, i have to keep this short cause Abbie is trying to pull out the keys on my laptop as we speak, but here goes: Yes, breastfeeding was the HARDEST thing I have EVER done in my life. But it will get easier (though it took me 2 months to finally get used to it). The position that helped me the most when it came to latching on was the “lying down” method. I also found this method useful cause I got to half-sleep while feeding her. Abbie’s nickname is also “Baby Bear.” She was also born practically the same weight and height as Evan. And girl, its been a year and 5 months since Abbie was born and I still don’t look half as good as you!!!! Hang in there, it will get easier!!!
Umm wow! First of all, your baby is GORGEOUS~~~ congrats again! and second of all you look INSANELY gREAT!!!! GIRL, is that really ur week 3 pic??? i just can’t belive you gave birth!!!
i dont know if i believe those postpartum care that korean people are so into, but at the same time, what if they are true? lol so i definitely want to err on the side of caution. evan is so cute!!!!!!!! and you look SO GREAT, who would imagine that you just gave birth a few weeks ago??
it’s so great to hear from you and see such a long update!!! =0)
your baby is so cute!!!!!!!!! He has such great facial expressions!
I have the concern about my fur babies when the day comes that we decide to have one of our own. I totally know how you feel and will probably feel your heartache for them.
and last but not least, you look amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because we had so many people at our house when Matthew came home, Pimp (my dog) didn’t feel neglected. It was intentional but a nice side benefit. Also what probably helped was that I came home from the hospital before Matthew because he had to stay an extra night because of his jaundice.
Breastfeeding…I can’t really give you any advice. We never really overcame the latching issue we had. (Come one…my nipples were too large for Matthew’s little mouth to latch on.) In the end I pumped and then supplemented since my supply was never enough. Just hang in there.
I did the 1 month hiding in the house. It was well worth it. The few times I had to go out (doctor’s appointments, nanny interviews and signing my tax form at my accountant office) I could feel the strain on my ankles and hips from wearing heels. (BTW…I still feel my ankles are not as strong as they use to be. Certain heels I will turn my ankles now.) But then my joints really expanded because I was a champion waddler the last 10 weeks of my pregnancy. I don’t know if it is psychological but I felt more healthy after taking the time to rest and eat the “post-prego” diet. LOL…at the first SKAM mommy lunch…everyone thought I was looked like I was in my late 20′s. (I’m in my early 30′s.) So maybe there is some truth to it
LOL….perfection is no longer in my vocab . As long as everyone looks clean and no one is hurt…I’m happy. (Please note that I am wearing my hair up in a messy ponytail at work because I work up late this morning because Matthew didn’t want to go to sleep last night.)
OMG, he is just so adorable. And you… you just had a baby?! You look fantastic!
And I know what you mean about the frustrations of breast feeding. Not that I know, know. But I saw my sister crying because my niece didn’t latch, and then my niece crying because she was hungry, and my sister crying because she couldn’t feed her baby. It broke my heart.
Seeing him… makes me want an Asian baby.
i went through similar situations when jacob was an infant…breastfeeding IS one of the hardest things about being a mommy; i had no idea how difficult it would be because i thought it was something that would come naturally…boy, was i wrong!!! it took me about 7 weeks to finally get the hang of it and for it to not hurt while i breastfed…even then, my milk supply wasn’t adequate and i had to quit after 6 months…
my mom was super strict (or at least tried to be) with me after i gave birth, but everything they learned about what you’re supposed to do, they’re all old wives’ tales…everyone will eventually get bodily aches and pains when they’re older, but you can’t directly correlate that to things you did/didn’t do post partum…
i went to a wedding 3 weeks after i gave birth, too! my mom tried to make me stay home, but she knew if she didn’t babysit, then i would take the baby with me to the wedding, so she reluctantly agreed to let me go without the baby…haha!! i kinda overdid it that night, though, because i danced at the reception, and i realized the day after that i shouldn’t have…i had mohm-sal for two days after that!! lol!
As I am reading your post I cant count how many time I said “yup, un-huh and man, I feel you”. ;p You’re doing a wonderful job Jenny and keep on going. Now that Desmond is hitting almost two months, it’s true, it is getting easier (i.e. breastfeeding). It is truly the hardest thing (even harder than labor itself) and makes you not want to breastfeed again but, seeing how much Des and Evan is growing healthy we need to press on. Plus, not sure about Evan, but Desmond is already 14lbs and he is only in week 8 (Kat old me that Nathan was at 15lbs when he was 6months)! The power of golden milk! ;p
I have a wedding to attend too this weekend so I’m gonna try to bundle up. We shall see how it “effects” us later but only thing for me is that the spot where I got my epidural is so sore when it gets cold/raining outside. *sigh*
Anhow… I miss you and I hope we’ll be able to schedule a play-date soon since I want to hold Evan soon before he gets too old and get fat-fat like Desmond (i’m getting carpal tunnel cause of my little piggy).
wow!!! you look fantastic!!! breastfeeding was very tough on me too and i give BIG props to all moms who do it longer than 3 mths. that’s how long i lasted. that is the cutest family pic~i see nothing but a beautiful family!
Try this person’s bio for baby+dog tips:
Baby+Dog
Hope that helps!
evan is so cute! and u look fantastic
thanks for sharing all of your adorable pictures! evan has the cutest facial expressions! i’m surprised to hear that breastfeeding is so hard (even harder than labor?!). hang in there!
I love when he smiles, esp the semi-wink picture! Keep up the good work…you’re a terrific mom!
awwww. very very cute baby pics. no need to feel guilty about bella. think about when evan gets a little older. your pup will give HIM all the attention. lol.
oh and can i just say that you look absolutely fab in your post baby pic! you don’t even look like you have any baby weight!
hi evan cutie pie~! i’m so glad to see you updating here on xanga… i’ve been wondering how you’re doing these days. every time i text with my friend yoorim (remember you met her in hk) at 3 am during breastfeeding, i think of you. i can see so much more of evan’s face and what a good looking little fella~ isn’t it so fun seeing their faces change everyday?
i’m still struggling with breastfeeding. lucky you that you have adequate milk supply~ for me, the prob isn’t latching but supply. sigh, it has gotten a little easier and i’m glad i stuck with it but i can’t wait until it becomes like second nature.
btw, i’m giving away charlie. i just couldn’t handle both so we’re bidding farewell to charlie this week. luckily, we found a great home for him. i didn’t think that’d ever happen but so much has changed since bringing callie home and i just couldn’t find another way. i really hope you make it work with bella… =)
you look fabulous for post 3 weeks! i’m insanely jealous as i type away here in my sweats smelling like milk.
your baby is soooo handsome!! and your bod looks amazing too! i really admire you!
Oh my gosh, Evan is so cute. He seems older than 3 weeks because he is able to focus on you or the camera…
I hope breast feeding gets easier for you. I’m not preggers or anything, but I like learning from your experiences for the future
Jenny!! Evan is really really good looking!! Not like a wrinkled newborn at all! What a cutie! Seriously, as I was reading your post…I was nodding my head the whole time!! EVERYTHING you said applies to me…..so I’m actually going to go message you right now instead of typing it all out here! Hang in there mama!
From what all the new xanga mommies have been sharing, it sounds like breastfeeding is one of the most difficult parts of motherhood. I hope it doesn’t stress you out too much. At the very least, there’s always formula. My sisters weren’t breasftfed at all and they turned out just fine (for the most part.. haha).
And I can’t believe you attended a wedding merely 3 weeks after delivery? You’re superwoman! My goodness, you look fabulous. If I met you at the wedding and you told me you had a 3 week old son, I would have assumed you adopted or used a surrogate. Pregnancy? What pregnancy?
OMG, Evan is soooooo cute! he is so darn adorable….i love it how he smiles and looks into the camera~ k
I still have another 3 months to go till we see our little girl, but i can only imagine the post-pregnancy hormones playing with you emotions…just yesterday i started crying watching the grammy’s when i saw jennfer hudson perform…(im not a emotional person to begin with) i can only imagine what you are going through….they say it will soon get better!~
Your so cute, to feel guilty for Bella…well my BIL also went through the same thing, but i guess they just knew that when their little boy came around, thing would definitely change and not because they didn’t love their dog any less, but at least until everything in the house gets back to routine….don’t feel to bad, soon enough little Evan will start playing with Bella, and you guys can all join in….Bella will hang in there….
On another note, in regards the korean/chinese tradition of care, i think it all depends on what kind of health condition you were before pregnancy…are you prone to get sick easily?? or are you weaker than others…i think if you were an active girl…who hit the gym regularly and everything….after staying home for about a month or two its totally okay to go back to start going out and doing a little of outside acitivities…but i still think the first month or two you should just stay home…drink mee yok guk…and spend lot of time with little Evan and catch your well needed rest when you can. They say if you don’t take care of youself now, it would hurt you later in your later 50′s…..
Lastly, you look awesome! can’t even tell you even had a baby 3 weeks ago~ hang in there and i hope to hear more updates soon!!! i will probably follow the same exact footsteps soon enough!!
Evan is such a sweetheart! I can’t believe you look that good less than a month after giving birth!
congrats on being a mommy!!!! baby evan is absolutely precious and so adorable!!!! your family photo speaks volumes of happiness (every “flaw” seems perfectly natural, tho i didn’t really notice anything “imperfect” but the tie!)… *^_^*
OMG can I trade bodies with you? My baby is almost 2 and I still have a gut! Argh! Anyways, as for breastfeeding as everyone has mentioned it will get easier. I found the football hold was the easiest for my goma to latch on. However, I was told not to get too comfortable with one position because you need to alternate your positions in order to get all your ducts drained. Does that make sense? So you may want to start out with the football hold but then next time due the craddle hold so that way you’re getting both sides of your breast drained. This very important in preventing mastitis which I don’t wish on my worst enemy. It’s very painful and it’s caused by plugged milk ducts. Hope your furbaby is doing well. I hate to break this to you, but I don’t know of a single family that’s been able to please both pet and baby at the same time. Pretty much 100% of the time, baby wins. However, I’m sure as Evan gets older, your furbaby will have a lifelong companion. Lastly, as far as this korean/chinese old wives tale…it’s SO true! I can atest to the joint aches and pains and it doesn’t happen when your older either. It happened for me within the first 3 months (sorry to scare you)! Since you’re young you probably won’t have any problems or it’ll be minimal, however I suffered for almost a year. Read my post and all the mommy’s comments: http://www.xanga.com/avamommy/691378339/should-i-be-offended/ Have fun with little Evan!
evan is one of the cutest babies i’ve ever seen. nice job, guys! i love the hat and mittens picture and the one where he’s snuggled up against your husband’s side. precious!
as for the traditions — some are customary, but some has some logic behind them. your body has gone through so much after labor and delivery you need to recover. getting a cold would be pretty bad. certain foods have heeling properties, blood restorative properties, and will help your milk supply (though it sounds like you’re all set here). things like not climbing stairs and exerting yourself — that’s about your joints popping out of place towards late pregnancy. need to give things time to pop back into place.
breastfeeding should get easier as evan grows. his mouth will get bigger and stronger, so with time and practice he’ll get the proper latch…which won’t hurt at all! hang in there!
and how did you get yourself into that dress at 3 weeks???
i so agree with you on being a perfectionist..cause it drives me crazy too when something is not perfect hehe yeah it sometimes annoys myself too >.< but other than that your baby boy Evan is just sooo adorable….awwwwww….when i was reading your post i was just smiling the whole time =) he is just soo beautiful and handsome hehe …i really love the 2nd to last picture of your family picture… its soo adorable
evan is adorable! and my GOD jenny, you look incredible!! it’s like you were never even preggers!
Evan is adorable!!!!
Love all the pictures!!! especially the 3rd one… awww
p.s. you look fabulous in that dress!!!!!
my goodness, your baby is adorable! i love his many funny expressions! and you look GREAT for someone who just had a baby! breastfeeding is tough, it was the toughest thing i’ve had to do in my life, but hang in there, it does get easier!
you are doing a great job! evan is a doll and every week, he gets cuter…and plumper! hang in there with the breastfeeding-just DON’T GIVE UP (at least for the next few months
! is the boppy helping?
aw, little bella…i feel like she’s my dog (maybe because she looks just like my dog!). with einy, he LOVES all our kids and just wants to be next to them all the time. we made sure to keep some of the same routines so that he wouldn’t feel neglected. we continued to let him sleep with us on the bed and tried to walk him every day (which is good for the baby, too!).
you look great and sound like you are doing well, too! i love the family picture-so cute and an honest picture of life with kids!
evan is adorable. congratulations! meet with more lactation nurses. You’ll get it eventually. Otherwise pump. getting some breast milk is better than none.
awwwwww my nephew is sooo adorable!!!! i esp love the pix with evan/bella on bed and u in UCLA shirt holding evan – they both look very artistic! i can’t wait to meet him next month!!!! hang in there jenny!!
I love the picture of you and baby Evan looking up at you (the 3rd picture). I hope breastfeeding gets better, I’m worried that are baby wont latch on, and stuff… You also look great, I cant believe you just had a baby, did you do anything special to take the weight off?
omg! the 2nd picture from week 3 looks like kyle when he was that small! woah, so weird!! i guess the stereotype that “all asian look alike” isn’t so far fetched? LOL.
emotions: i remember thinking something was wrong with me because i was so emotional and i also had the baby blues. omg. i totally remember tearing up on several different occassions when my dad or other relatives would shoo bbobbo away or yell at him to get away. it was sooo sad and i felt soooo guilty. i tried to hold my tears back cuz i thought i was being overemotional, but i couldn’t hold em back. i still feel guilty every day because bbobbo doesn’t get even half the attention he used to get before the baby… especially, now with the playzone… he’s not allowed in so he just sits outside crying.
aaaaanyway, as for breastfeeding.. don’t give up!! it’s reeeeeally tough in the beginning and you may be tempted to give up, but believe me.. it gets easier~ i would hold my breath whenever k got near, ready to latch because it was soooooooo painful!!! i think it started getting better after a month, but i think it felt totally natural and not painful after 3mths??
call me crazy but i stayed indoors for a whole month?? i slept on a heating pad, with socks and a sweater. not sure if the whole “bone” theory is true, but i just gave in because the first night back home, i refused to listen to my mom and the next day, my body was aching soooo bad i started crying. all i know is that the heating pad did give me immediate relief. oh & i ate miyuk gook so much (like 4x’s a day), i literally started crying because i was being force fed. i also ate lots of mah, tofu and johk bal soup…..yeah. lol. i don’t know. but when my chinese mil insisted i microwave my oj (since it was cold), i drew the line. didnt want to offend her so i just set the glass down and told her i’d drink it later after it was room temperature. lol.
and last but not least, you are looking soooooooooooo freakin good!!!!!!!!!! it’s almost been a yr. since i gave birth and i still look like crap. totally depressing. i hope you join the kam group and come out to the playdates in the future~! evan is so adorable & precious.
u crack me up! all the ‘ mistakes’ in the last picture. haha
didn’t even notice. i did notice bella not looking because you wrote about bella before. i felt bad for her after reading about her situation. that’s tough. i think having our birdies will be easier. pipe will just wonder why i’m not paying as much attention to her…. i was hoping to breastfeed too but now, man, since you are saying it’s so hard….i wonder. you guys are so cute, all of you. i
evan! so cute!!! you look soooo great after having evan. i mean, i hope i look that great! hehe yea, it makes me wonder about all the sayings from koreans…like not to take a shower for like 2 months or something, etc. crazy stuff. i doubt i will be paying attention to the sayings. but good luck with it all! i am so happy for you. 
Things will eventually get better juggling your furbaby and your baby. But its still hard to give the dogs as much attention as you had before the baby came home. When your baby gets on a sleep schedule, it’ll be easier to give her more attention when the baby is sleeping.
OMG OMG OMG!!!! Congratulations!!!! I’m SO happy for you guys and LOVE the pics and updates! That baby is so lucky to have such a great momma! And you look AMAZING for just having a baby! WOOHOO! Congrats again! Please keep posting!
evan is such a cutie!!! how did you manage to fit into that dress just 3 weeks after you delivery?!?!?! you look fantastic!
still undecided if I believe in this whole asian postpardum rest but i’m going to err on the side of caution and take it easy and rest. i think it’s totally fine that you went to a wedding. it’s not like you are doing strenuous hard labor or anything.
i am totally not looking forward to breastfeeding. i really don’t want to do it. i hope that doesn’t make me a bad mommy. =(
hi evan! ohhh…he’s already starting to break hearts, so adorable! btw, mom is looking super HOT! I can’t get over the fact that you just had a baby! With that said, let me tell you…you are more than ready to get back into your life again. What I mean is, get your rest, but don’t be confined to your home 24/7. In our parents generation especially, life was harder on women. It’s a pity they didn’t have xanga to filter in all these well wishes to lift their spirits! Enjoy your baby boy….truly these are the days to cherish “quiet time” with him. Good luck with the feeding…looking forward to the next update!
OMG Jenny! You look AMAZING! You seriously don’t look like someone who just gave birth a month ago. Can I also say that Evan is the cutest little thing I have seen? I don’t think all babies are cute, but seriously… he’s got some great features. He’ll be a heartbreaker when he grows up!
Jenny, he’s so beautiful. Congratulations!! =)
awww. evan is such a cutie!! and you’re looking awesome for just having a baby!!!! whats the secret?? haha, welll not for now but once i have a baby later later later in the future
anyways, awwww. is bella jealous at all? my lil roxy goes crazy even when im just holding my niece/nephew (cousin’s baby). i wonder how it would be later…
Evan is soooo cute!!!!!! and omg, did you just give birth, girl??! you look fabulous!!!!
you are so kind-hearted skippee! you’re always thinking of others.
evan is such a cutie! love those expressions. and ditto to all the comments above – you look AMAZING!! i’ve never given birth and i still don’t look at fit as you!
I love Evan and Bella! And how the heck do you manage to look so beautiful always? I’m sooo happy for you girlfriend!
wow!!! congrats!!!! your baby is sooooo adorable! and i can’t believe you just had him 3 weeks ago you look amazing!
Awww J, I looove your beautiful entry! So happy you updated so quickly =). Evan’s a cutie pie! So cute you took a picture of him and his sonogram picture! I love the family picture!!
I can’t believe you went to a wedding a few wks after Evan’s born! And I couldn’t even tell you just gave birth!! Where’s your tummy?!
I actually do believe in postpartum care. I have a few gfs that went out in cold weathers after they gave birth. One even got caught in a rain 2 weeks after giving birth, severe migraines ever since so I was very good the first month. I don’t blow dry my hair but I would make sure my hair was completely dry right after the shower. My mom just told me to wear a hat when I go out for doctor visits and it’s been 9 years and I’m fine! lol. I know Korean people drink seaweed soup, chinese people drink ginger chicken soup, all great for recovery! Hey, better being safe than sorry =).
As for breastfeeding, my gf actually took a class on breastfeeding and it helped her a lot. I’m surprised a lactation consultant didn’t help much. I actually pumped but ran out of milk after 2 wks =(. So tons of props for you for trying so hard! Don’t give up =).
As for Bella, she’s such a sweetie! You gotta e-mail me the picture of her and Santa! I think it’s a bit tough the first year but eventually Bella will get used to Evan and have to share mommy and daddy. I’m sure you’re showering her with lots of love so don’t feel bad! The most important thing is you tried your best and that’s all that matters =). Miss you sweetie, gotta reply back to your e-mail after I put Tyler to bed. *muah*
Oh and btw, I think that was the PERFECT picture! I didn’t even notice anything wrong! You’re so funny =).
aw, your little boy is soooo handsome!!! And you look FABULOUS for having given birth just 3 weeks ago! I wanna be like you when I have a baby. =) heheheh… I love your pics!
Congrats! Evan is soooo cute!
It’s funny, our newborn son is also named Evan. He was born in Dec 2008.
evan is adorable and you look great!!! maybe keep eating the miyukguk, but i don’t think any of my friends stayed home on purpose after giving birth, if they didn’t have to. actually, a few of them went right back to their heavy work schedules 2 weeks after…take it day by day? see how you feel
bella is a cutie too.
Wow! Such great pictures! You look great after having Evan!
You’re looking so fantastic! And baby Evan is a doll- I especially love his expressions in the last set of pics.
Looks like Bella is behaving really well in the pics with Evan. I think she will adjust to having a new addition to the family soon enough. I have also had the same concerns for when we have kids in the future though since our dogs are such a big part of our lives- especially mine since I’m at home with them practically 95% of everyday. But dogs are unconditionally loyal & loving so even if some of the attention is diverted from her for the time being, she’ll continue loving you just as much. Once you’re feeling up to walking and Evan is old enough, it’ll probably be nice to take a leisurely walk with the baby in a stroller and Bella by your side.
Until xanga, I had never been aware of all the restrictions new Korean moms are supposed to be subjected to after giving birth. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anything quite as restrictive in the Indonesian or Chinese cultures. Luckily, no one forced you to give up your Bella! I’ve read that on a few Korean mommy blogs and I can’t imagine being pressured to do that!
Hang in there and keep up the good job, girly! I know you’re just a wonderful mom! Just be sure to take good care of yourself as well.
1. dang you bounced back quickly!
2. seriously.. your little baby bear is so freaking adorable!
3. i’m really glad things are getting better and bella’s growing accustomed to having a little brother around.. broke my heart imagining how tough things must have been for her. =T i’m no where close to getting married or having kids, but the thought of juggling my bentley and a baby.. is stressing me out.
eeks! great job with everything, super mommy. =) make sure you eat well and stay warm!
<3
Jenny! I loved this post! It realy warmed up my heart
Thank you so much for letting us visit you, I was so happy to finally meet Evan AND Bella 
and you looked sooooo good! Seriously, where did your belly go? I still have a belly 
and it’s been 9 months 
Have breastfeeding gotten better for you?
As for the “Old Wives Tale”- my sister in law who is in her late 30′s said, all her friends who followed it are healthy except 1 who was “naughty”! her naughty friend even went to get a pedicure like the day after she got our of the hospital! Now she gets a headache all the time. When my mom made me stay home for a month, which I would like to call “house arrest”, my argument was, why do we chinese have to do it, how about westerners? She just we have different body built. My MIL told me to wash my hands with warm water, at the hospital, i forgot. Man, my joints in my hands were hurting for 2 weeks. I’m glad it doesn’t hurt anymore but I was scared it’ll be forever! Anyway, like many says, better to be safe than sorry. Its good to listen to mom’s who’s experienced it themselves.
Hang in there~~~! Maybe you can contact La Leche League? http://www.llli.org
Miss you! xx
Wow you look soo good for someone that just gave birth! I have yet to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes (I wonder when that will be…). Evan is so adorable! I love the family photo!
I too am a “perfectionist”, and after I came home from the hospital, I would pick things up from the floor/tidy up, swiffer – all after having a c-section. No wonder I was having pains and had to see the doc, and only after having the doc tell me to take it easy did I try to rest…
Evan is sooooooooooo cute…. omg.. I can’t believe how good you good.. I would not have believe you just give birth… girl, you are so blessed…. as fort he tradition… I also stayed home for 1 month… with Ariana, I didn’t listen to my mom and have plenty of rest.. I feel that back is not as strong as before and it gets sore easily… wish Ihad listen to her…
As for inperfection.. I see none.. I see a beautiful family….
as for breastfeeding, It took a month to get the hang of it… i had cracked nipple, every time Ariana cry of hunger I cried with her cuz it was so painful… but it does get easier… it’s good that you have a good supply going…I have one inverted nipple and I got through it… I’m still breastfeeding Wyatt and 2nd time around is easier
Hi babe! Evan is just beautiful!!!! I had
the baby blues for a good month. It was tough, but surround yourself with family&friends and make sure hubby knows what you are going thru.
ryc: hiiiii, thanks for stopping by! lol..sorry about the gross food pics. maybe i should take that post down. but yeah, i know i have been slacking with blogging. i’ve been so busy with school and just haven’t had the urge to write. but i still enjoy reading your posts! so please keep updating.
No one is perfect and I loved how the family picture came out (= Evan is getting bigger each day and he’s too cute :]
jenny! omg…evan is SO SO SO cute!! we can’t wait to meet him! we’d love to come see you guys soon…please let us know when you are up for visitors. you look amazing!! we had a rough start with breastfeeding with ethan. where did you go for your lactation consultant? we went to see corky at the pump station and she was amazing. but in the end, you need to do what’s best for you and evan…
anyway, kiss your cutie pie for us and we can’t wait to see you guys…
~freya.
bf was frustrating which is why I chose to pump exclusively. It was just easier for me. Pumping allowed me to leave Evan with my mom or hubby so that I can run errands or even go out to meet some gf’s for lunch. We stayed at my parents’ place for 2 months and my mom and I fought sooo much! I couldn’t believe she wanted me to keep socks on at all times and etc…All Korean moms are the same. Anyhow, girl, enjoy this time. Isn’t he the most precious little thing…AND you do NOT look like someone who just gave birth! I was still huge then!
he’s amazingly cute!! You look stunning in that dress!! I think you need to share your secrets to getting back into shape after giving birth!!
@Girl_Interrupted118 - Thanks for the encouragement! It helps to know that even you (the bf pro) had a hard time and it took you 2 months to get used to it! I kept hearing it would click after the first few weeks and it didn’t happen. I’m going to keep trying and see where I am in 2 months!
@joesee22 - I totally think you look like you’re in your 20′s! I better do some more hiding out in the house…hehe!
I hope Evan & Bella become best buds like Matthew & Pimp!
@parkster7831 - I miss you sweetie! AND I can’t wait to meet Desmond!! It’s raining like crazy right now and I’m thinking of you~~ hope your sore spot isn’t bothering you too much. I can’t believe Desmond is already 14 lbs!! I have to see him before he gets even bigger! I still haven’t gone anywhere alone with Evan yet…….it might be a bit longer until I can go see you guys. I hope it’ll be soon though!
@avamommy - hi! thanks so much for the tips & encouragement!
i’m going to start alternating positions now. i never even thought of that! after reading your post re postpartum ailments it totally made me realize i need to be more careful. i still have a bunch of issues from when i was pregnant…scary to think that these could last for years if i’m not more careful now!
@jeanxbeanx - thanks for the encouragement!! i tried using the boppy but it wasn’t that comfortable…maybe when evan gets bigger it’ll work. i’m using this other nursing pillow thing right now but that one isn’t even that great. i love that you still let einy sleep in bed with you after you had the kids. all the books we read said kick the dog out of the bed~~ but i just couldn’t do it. so funny that you said you feel like bella is your dog bc i feel like einy is my dog~ hehe! time goes by so quickly and the world is so small. it seems like just yesterday i was reading your blog about a & e and dreaming about one day having my own little boy and furry white dog. i hope that bella follows in einy’s footsteps as a wonderful fur-sibling.
@Mrs_Cho08 - hi! i really hope breastfeeding isn’t too hard for you! the hospital will hopefully have a lactation consultant come see you during the first few days. you should check out the pump station in santa monica (http://www.pumpstation.com). they’re a great resource for breastfeeding moms (products, classes, lactation consultants). that’s where i went for my lactation consultant (corky). i’m thinking about going back. you’re too kind re the weight loss. i actually haven’t lost much at all!! i heard that breastfeeding does wonders for taking the pregnancy weight off…i’m hoping that’s true!
@K_G_C - hi hi! reading your comment made me feel so much better! you totally understand about the furbaby thing. i know how much you love your bbobbo!! i remember how you wrote once about how k liked to run his fingers through bbobbo’s fur~ that totally put a smile on my face then and even now as i’m thinking about it again…hehe! omg, it’s like you know exactly how i’m feeling re breastfeeding. i totally get all tense and hold my breath right before evan is about to latch. hey~~ is your hubby chinese?? when i read chinese mil i was like ??? i always thought your hubby was korean! our helper person did the same thing with the oj…she wanted to microwave it…gross! i’d love to join the kam group and hang with you gals + babies!!
@joesee22 - you’re in your early 30′s?!?! what??? did u tell me this or did i just forget cuz in my mind i don’t think you’re in early 30′s. wow! you look good girl
omg jenny baby evan is soooo tiny and cute!!!!! i think he kinda looks like andy, no??? wow and let me just tell you, you look SOOOO good. it’s hard to believe that you just had a baby…you seriously don’t look it! what’s ur secret
omg..you know i was sooo emotional too. the first time i saw my dogs i started to cry. it was really hard for me to see them all sad. well actually, i think belle was the one who didn’t take gavin so well, but zoe was really great and it totally warmed my heart when i would see them interact =) i think just taking the extra like 5 minutes and spending alone time with bella would help so that she just knows you still love her. it’s never the same, but she will slowly get used to it as will you =) i think just a little extra special attention helps =) sorry..i’m no help with the bf’ing…i just pumped. but good luck! oh and i didn’t do any of those korean things, but you know…i have a lot of body aches. my body really isn’t the same anymore =( keep updating more…i love seeing evan. we should totally meet up soon…i want to meet both of you!!!!
happy valentine’s day to you!!!
hope you all have a fabulous day!!! 
you’re a trooper. can’t wait to see you guys and the little guy!
@yun_bug - LOL…thanks!
@KRaZeefUnk - hii! i don’t think bella is jealous of evan…just really curious! the funny thing is that bella does get jealous of my parents’ dog whenever we pay too much attention to him but she’s been fine with evan. she always tries to sniff him and be next to him…hehe! i’m sure when the time comes roxy will be an awesome big sis!
@ehssiol - CONGRATS!! that’s so awesome that evan & evan were born around the same time! hope you’re enjoying life with your little miracle!
@yun_bug - hey buddy! yeah~ everyone thinks evan looks just like andy! i can totally see you in g’s face and i think that’s so awesome. i’m secretly hoping that maybe one day evan will sorta look like me too. ya know what? you were the cutest pregnant woman & new mama ever! i remember thinking i hope i’m just like you when it’s my turn. i have a long way to go! it’s such a treat whenever i get to see pics of g with zoe & belle…*hint hint*. i could never get enough so please post some pics of them together! anyways~ i’d love to meet up with you~~!!
this is a tad late but congratulations jenny! evan is adoraaaaaaable! does he has a chinese/korean name too?
@petitetokio - thanks and yay~ you’re back!
evan has the same chinese & korean name! he’s named after my grandpa — young. we tried to keep it simple…hehe!
Evan is soooooo cute!! He’s gorgeous!! You don’t even look like you just gave birth..dang you are a hot mama!!! As for the traditional postpartum care stuff, I think I had miyuk gook for a week or so and I just could not do it anymore. I was craving a burger and was prancing around the house in a tshirt and shorts. of course everyone yelled at me! I pumped exclusively for 2 months bc A refused to latch on. She absolutely hated it and would throw a fit everytime I tried. It was agonizing and I gave up..yeah I suck. I was also going nuts being chained to the pump 24/7.. Don’t give up.. you’ll get the hang of it soon!!
you look GREAT for having just had a baby – I wish i was that skinny NOW
congratulations!!!! he is sooooo adorable.
evan’s facials are a classic! he is so expressive for a newborn!! man, he is already melting hearts. what a womanizer!!
bfing was def the hardest thing for me too. so crazy that something that is meant to be so natural could be so difficult huh? hang in there though jenny ~ it’ll get easier once evan grows. just think, the upside to all this hard work is that you’re burning calories ~ woohoo! have your hormones settled down btw? i was so sad when i read how you cried over bella =((( on and yah, the thought of orphans totally got me too. i’ve gotten so sad thinking about them…that and sick babies. i get tearty just even thinking about it….
hey, i agree with all those ancient postpartum care traditions. i didnt take care of myself after i gave birth and i am still feeling the after effects. the body goes through so much trauma and stress after birth. plus your bones are still loose. they say that if you take care of your body during the first month, you can recover 100%. miyok gook is really good because it helps replenish all the calcium/iron that you lost during birth and during breastfeeding. plus the soup is good for replenishing your fluids. i know some women dont agree but i figure, all our elders wouldnt be saying this for nothing. i know i’ll def be passing on my knowledge to my daughter. oh one thing i dont agree on is not taking a shower for 1 mth. that’s just gross. haha
btw, you do not look like u just gave birth in those photos. hel-lo, did u really just have a baby???