February 10, 2012
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Catching Up!
It used to feel like I was always trying to catch up on everything…emails, photos, projects, etc. Lately I’ve been trying not to stress about it and just enjoy the moment. Hope you’ve all been doing great and appreciating the beauty of little moments too!
iPhone Blues
My iPhone broke and I lost a lot of data. Nothing past October 2011 was saved. When I look at my phone it’s weird…all the settings and everything are as if it were still October. I lost so much that I can never get back. I’m probably the only person in the Apple world who didn’t know that syncing and backing up are two completely different things! If I think about it too much I want to cry so I just have to move on!
Instagram
So I have a new internet love and its name is Instagram~ a photo editing & social network app for the iPhone. I love it so much! Until my friend Linnet found me on Instagram I had been using it for months without knowing it was a social network too~ lol! You can find me under skippee.
Here are some of my recent favorites~
For Joy’s Room
I recently ordered some photo projects through Shutterfly. I’ll share them with you once I get them! Here’s one I made to put up in Joy’s room.
Appreciating Life
There are moments in your life that just change you forever. When I was younger I said good-bye to my best friend on life support and later saw her mom bury her only child. Just recently a dear friend passed away and I watched as a young boy cried for his mom. Heartbreaking and impossible to wrap your mind around events like that. It does give me a bigger appreciation for life though. It makes me want to hold my loved ones even closer and say prayers of thankfulness.
B touched the lives of so many people~ through her kindness, courageous battle with cancer, recipes and photography. She will most be remembered for her profound love of her baby boy. Helen is making a scrapbook for J so I wanted to include a letter for him to remember his extraordinary mom.
Dear J,
I just want you to know what an amazing person your mom is. She touched so many people’s lives with her big heart, bravery, photography talent, cooking skills and her unconditional love for you. Just remember that she is always with you…in your heart, in all the happy moments and sad ones too, when the sun shines brightly, when you pray, when you’re feeling scared or lonely…she will always be there. She is going to be so proud of the incredible boy, man, husband and father you will be one day. Always know that there are so many people who love you so much. We will always pray for you and wish you the best. Here’s a quote from your mom that I will always hold close to my heart:
“Cherish each and every moment and live your life like there’s no tomorrow.”
Love, Jenny Eemo
To Hold My Grandma’s Hand
Although I never imagined I would take a trip internationally with a baby, B has inspired me to live my life to the fullest and not to have any regrets. We are headed to Korea to see my grandparents and attend a wedding. I know it’ll be hard but totally worth it to hold my grandma’s hand. Luckily Evan gets to stay with his favorite people (his grandparents!) so we don’t have to worry about him at all. However, I really need your help because I’m so nervous about the trip with Joy. Any tips on how to take a 6 month old on a 12-13 hour flight? Also, Korea will still be really cold when we go. How do I go from a warm suburb to a chilly metropolitan city?! Thanks in advance!
Comments (57)
yay for tito’s tacos… it’s not what it used to be, though… *sigh
I really wished there was Instagram for the android.
Have fun on your trip to Korea!
Syncing and backing up are not the same thing?? Umm… I guess we’re the only TWO people who didn’t know that! How do I back up everything on my phone?
Your pictures are amazing…and look at those cheeks on Joy! to die for!!! hehe~ have fun at Korea. Can’t wait for more pictures!
is joy wearing hairpieces in those pics lol?
um yeah, I don’t know about syncing and backing up either. =/ Joy’s cheeks are absolutely adorable! I love baby chubbs. It’s so cute to see how E and J look so much alike! Good luck with your Korea trip. =)
awe~ i love reading your updates~ I know I already said this but Joy has gotten SO big~! If only I could hold her again and squeeze her everywhere. I love her big cheeks, and big smile~ she’s so cuteeee and totally resembles her oppah ~<3 You are so brave to take her on a flight, an INTERNATIONAL one at that~ but you are right, always live life to the fullest and never look back. <3 I love instagram too, but what do you mean its a social network? don’t get it please explain. I just use it to take photos on iphone. I love the photo you are blowing up for Joy’s room!! We need to catch up soon. miss you dearly my love! ^^
Joy is adorable! And isn’t crazy how big our boys seem compared to our babies? I always think taking a 6 month old is the easiest time to fly because they aren’t mobile yet. We are actually going to Disney World at the end of February (~6 hour flight) and most of the on flight stuff I’m taking is for Luca. Does Joy like any kind of baby carrier that she sleeps in? If so, I’d consider taking that on board, just in case she gets cranky and wants to be held. For Luca, I’m taking DVD player (savior!) and playdoh! I never let him play with play doh at home so it’s something that he’ll be interested in. And they are cheap so if it dries up or whatever during our trip, I’m just going to toss them.
Joy is so chunky. I just want to squeeze those cheeks! I think traveling with a six month is probably easier that you think since they still nap a lot. When Liam was 14 months we flew to Hawaii and I had to schedule it so that he was up for two hours, down for two hours and then bam we were in hawaii. Cups and straws kept him entertained during the flight.
What a beautiful letter for her son
Joy is so adorable! Do you often want to bite her chubbiness?
As for Korea, my parents brought me over here when I was 8 months old and I flew with my brother and mom when he was a baby. From what I’ve heard and experienced, tell the booking agent that you have a baby and try to get a seat with nobody in front of you so you’ll have more room and can get up more easily for when she gets super fussy
Winter clothes: Knee high furry boots, hats, gloves, knee or ankle length wool, down filled coats are a big help in keeping warm. My parents said Korea’s winter has been quite mild so far so hopefully it won’t be too cold! Have a wonderful time!
U are such a talented photographer even your instagram pics look so awesome! Look how much joy has grown i love seeing all three of your babies they are just so cute!!
Love the pictures of your three beautiful babies!! gosh they are getting so big..except Bella! hahaha..Love the touching letter you wrote to J. I never got to meet Bo in person, but I miss her!! I miss her updates, her photos, her recipes….we all saw little J grow up right in front of our very eyes….
It’s easier to take a baby on an international flight than a toddler because they still sleep a lot and are not quite so mobile. We took our 10 month old to India and with airports and flight time etc delays, the time average for each way was about 30 hours. We did not buy her a seat so I didn’t bring my car seat like so many suggested. What helped us was her bobby pillow (I was still nursing, definitely give them something to eat/drink during take-offs and landing), snacks, and lots of small toys to play with. I brought a lot of food but she didn’t eat much at all preferring to nurse. Snacks helped tremendously.
jenny when are you heading to korea? i may be there the same time you’re there! maybe maybe maybe! ahhhhhhh. anyways, i lost all my contacts because i didn’t know how to back up my phone lol. muahhhhhhhh <3 imma add you on instagram!
Is it just me or is Joy is starting to look so much like Evan? She is adorable and I love loveeeee her chubby cheeks! She seems to be a happy baby
I also have Instagram but did not know it’s a social network. I only use it to edit photos and saved it on my phone. I just checked it again and you are correct. I just added you on instagram. Sorry I can’t give you any advice on what to bring as my baby is only 3.5 weeks old 
so crazy how big joy is now!!! looks like evan’s warming up to the idea of being an oppa
so so sweet.
as for keeping joy warm.. layers! and take some cream or lotion for her cheeks. I put california baby calendula on M’s cheeks and it keeps them nice and soft and protected from the cold air.
i hope your trip to korea goes smoothly!!
Love your instagram photo’s that is the only thing I hate about not having an iphone I want to join instagram! I love when you update but your right, just take your time and enjoy things there is not rush. Also you are such s sweet friend to write that letter for her son. I know as he grows older and looks back on these types of memories it’s going to really help him feel closer to her.
@miss_prettyinpink - I was soo upset when I lost so much info! The “genius” told me that when you sync the phone it isn’t automatically backed up. You need to do it manually. I learned the hard way since I let them reset my phone and nothing had been backed up since last October! He said he does it about once a week. Here are the instructions from the Apple site:
Use these steps to manually back up your iOS device using iTunes:
(1) Connect your iOS device to a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed (2) Select your iOS device in iTunes under Devices (3) Right-click (or Control-click) the device and select Back Up
@justbee - Yes~ a hairpiece! All the babies in Korea get their photos taken with these funny hairpieces~ lol!
@always_ss - I love how C & J totally look like siblings too! Here’s a link to how to manually back up. The Apple “genius” told me that you can’t just rely on syncing to back up your phone because sometimes it doesn’t work (like in my case). He says he manually backs up his iPhone once a week.
@sooae - I miss you so much buddy!! I was totally like you with Instagram! For months & months all I used it for was to edit my photos. Then one day my friend found me and left comments here and there. Then I realized I could leave comments on her photos too! It’s like a FB for photo lovers who tell the stories of their days through photos. I love it so much more than FB~ seems more intimate and personal. I’m gonna go find you! =)
@gggsss - Thanks for encouragement! So awesome you guys are going to Disney World!!! Please take lots of photos & update! We have a few random baby carriers but what I really need is my Ergo! I lost it during our move and I sooo don’t want to pay for another one. What carrier do you use? Lol re the playdoh! I was desperate to keep Evan at the table last night so I let him play with it. I’m pretty sure some of it got mixed in with his dinner and it was just super messy!
@thaom10 - Thanks for the vote of confidence! You’re right…I’m hoping 6 months will be an easier time to fly. I realized if we schedule the trip any later than that then she’ll be wanting to crawl, move, etc.
@Mad_Wife - Lol~ yes! I can’t believe how chunky Joy is and I totally want to bite her! =P Can I just tell you how awesome you are?! Thanks so much for the tips! Better go dig up my knee high furry boots!
@a_nut07 - Thanks buddy! Bella has actually grown too…packed on a few lbs in the past few years! I know what you mean about B…I miss her updates and everything about her. I wish we could continue to see J grow up and keep in touch somehow.
@wizki - Can I just say…WOW!! You took your 10 month old to India! You are my mommy hero! Thank you for the tip re the pillow~ wouldn’t have thought to bring it but now I realize how helpful it’ll be. =)
@petitetokio - Don’t get my hopes up!!!! You know~ we’ve been looking for tickets via HK just so I could see you & my other HK buddy. Wasn’t looking good so I didn’t say anything. That would be so awesome if you’re headed to Korea too!!! I’ll message you so we can coordinate!
@LeThoa - Lol~ everyone says they totally look alike! I was on Instagram for months & months without knowing people actually “talk” through it~! I just saw your pics of your gorgeous little one! I love seeing baby pics~~ it makes me wish our little ones wouldn’t grow up so fast.
@chopsuey119 - Thanks for the tip re layers! We’ve never taken Joy out anywhere super cold so I had no idea where to start. It totally makes sense to do layers but I wasn’t even thinking about that since we never do that here! Joy’s skin is already so dry & eczema-y so I have to take extra lotions now for the cold air.
@orangemomo01 - You’re so sweet buddy~ love you! You know I was thinking you would be such an awesome Instagram-er. You have such a good eye for taking photos~ so much so that remember I thought your point & shoot pics were taken with a dslr~ lol! Maybe the next time you’re ready to get a new phone you’ll consider the iPhone?! Or hopefully Instagram will start being available on other phones soon.
Have a great time in Korea! Whatever trouble traveling with Joy may be it will be so worth it. Sorry, couldn’t give you advice b/c I haven’t travel that far with a young kid either but I am in the same boat. Family is important, wish we could visit every year.
Oh yay gonna look you up on instagram! All your photos are priceless. E smothering kisses on Joy and Joy smothering Bella. Love love!! Isn’t it the best to have a mini-me?!! I am loving the matching stripes!! You are brave for traveling overseas with a baby! I’m sure the experience will be amazing though when you see your grandmother and when your grandmother will be able to see and hold Joy.
Art wants to go to Thailand and I’m dreading the idea of the looong flight, but you’re right… we’re gonna live life to the fullest!
Your letter to J is beautiful. I still think about B daily and will never forget our lil meet-up chit chatting and laughing over smoothies and cupcakes.
OMG
I need to sync and back up my phone too. I usually upload alot of my photos to Facebook… But what a bummer. I didn’t realize those were two separate things. O.o Instagram is awesome! I’ll look for you on there, I have no idea what my screen name, I forgot. 
I LOVE Joy’s cheeks, she’s such a cute little girl! I love how chubby babies are when they’re tiny. I hope I have a cute and chubby baby someday! She looks sweet and curious with Bella.
When I come to California, I hope to meet with you all! Evan is growing up so fast. He’s so sweet with Joy in photos. Is he always kind to her like a good Oppah? 
I wrote a letter to Jacob when I sent Khrystal money. It was really sad about B. I was hoping to go out there this spring and have a big lunch with everyone and the kiddos. And I wanted to meet B really bad because she’s the reason why alot of us met! So sad.
Hi again! Following you on Instagram now… Love all your photos! I just now went public with my profile. This is yet another area to get addicted to!
@korean_angel214 - Yes~~ please sync AND back up your phone!! Don’t be like me! =P Evan is a pretty good big bro most of the time but then there are times he acts like a rambunctious three-year-old, lol! So sweet you wrote a letter to J too. I can’t wait for you to finally come visit us! We’ll have a big ol’ lunch or dinner just for you. =)
@HSookiC - So happy you’re on Instagram!!! More than a few times I found myself wishing you were on there. I think you’re gonna love it too. Instagram is my “happy place” and I just love the little community of photo lovers. Hey~ that’s so awesome Art wants to go to Thailand…you guys have to go. Thailand is one of my favorite places! With M, you have no worries at all about any sort of flight. She’s soo good! I still think about B daily too. I wish all of us had even more opportunities to sit around laughing over smoothies and cupcakes.
@skippeeahn - oh you’ve been to thailand?? you don’t even know how obsessed my hubby is with this country. after a trip there, don’t be surprised if you hear that we are going to live there.
i was going to ask you if you used instagrid and looks like you do! i’m there too. i like the layout. i’m having a ball looking at all your insta-pics! i want to comment on each one!! lol…
Currently Clara only likes the Baby Bjorn but really she prefers to be held, sans baby carrier. If you’re going to buy a new carrier, you might want to look into this one: http://www.amazon.com/Cybex-2012-2-GO-Baby-Carrier/dp/B006TJUNVW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328989960&sr=8-1
I don’t have one but I like that you can carry them in multiple positions so you don’t have to carry a baby bjorn AND an ergo.
Jenny I get so happy when I see your updates on Xanga! Love the little family! Joy is growing up and Evan is adorable as ever! So glad you’re going to get to see your grandma. Mine passed away last year and I kept saying I was going to bring Kylie to see her and months passed but I never did. And she was only 20 minutes away from me. It weighs heavy on my heart. With all the trouble that might come with traveling with 2 kids across the globe, I know the memories will be sooo worth it!
@HSookiC - Yes~ I’ve been to Thailand like 3-4 times and I loved it so much! I know you’ll love it too. =) I had no idea what Instagrid was until you just told me! Why did you think I already had it? I just signed up though~ thank you for telling me about it~ lol! I’m so happy we found each other on Instagram! Whenever I have a free minute I click over to yours and look through all your old pics. =)
@LolliPooP - You’re so sweet buddy~ thank you! So sad to hear about your grandma passed away before getting to meet Kylie. When you have a kid though time just goes by so quickly so I totally know what you mean about the meaning to go but not being able to go. =(
@gggsss - Thanks so much for the rec!! That carrier looks awesome~ especially since you can carry them in multiple ways. Taking around an Ergo & Bjorn would be such a pain. J is just like C~ prefers being held without the carrier. Sometimes she’ll arch her back trying to get out. I’m going to see if any of the local baby stores have the Cybex so I can try it out first. Thanks again! =)
@skippeeahn - oh wow, gonna have to ask you about where to go when it’s our turn to go! when i typed in skippee after the url, your page came up and and all your pics were there! maybe it’s automatically linked with your instagram profile? i am officially hooked on instagram/webstagram now, but glad we found each other too!
hi love! i am so sorry to hear about your friend.
that is so heart breakening. i think it’s beautiful how you guys are writing letters for her baby. now a mom, i feel the pain even more for the little one with the loss of his mom. 
i am so sorry for all your loss. may each day help with the healing.
that’s crazy amazing that you’re taking joy on your trip to korea! have an amazing time! you’ll do great! so much time to shop in korea! be safe and enjoy!
LOVE LOVE LOVE instagram, i so did not know that it was social sharing site as well until i started seeing your comments and stuff. it’s a quick and easy to share and give comments when we dont have the time to write the long emails to each other or hop onto FB.
i am so sorry to hear about your iPhone too. I am bummed for you and feel the pain terribly for you. i know what you feel. have you started time machine back ups?
xoxo mama.
@skippeeahn - Oh… what? I don’t think I’ve ever done that before haha. Thanks for telling me! I will go home and do it today.
Hi! Joy is so adorable! I just instagram too, ill look for you. Im under adenmom.
Flying with Joy should be easy, we fly with aden all the time at least once a year to korea, starting when he was about 9 months. Just make sure you book a night flight so that she can sleep once you get on the plane. Are you taking a stroller? we usually take one, but had to order a rain or cold cover to keep him warm, I think its called manito. Its the best to keep them warm from the snow and cold winds. Also make sure to get a footmuff to keep her warm in the stroller. I hope this helps. if you have any more question feel free to shoot me on facebook.
Happy Flying!
Omg! I wrote this whole long comment and it just got erased : (. Anyways, Hi Jenny! I love the pictures. Joy is getting so big already! Good luck on your trip to Korea! Are u planning on going soon? If so, def pack North Face type coats for the adults and hats, gloves, scarves , and mittens for everyone else. I promise u will need all of it. And for Joy, your best bet is packing a 우주복 (snow suit/bunting)…the kind that cover up/zip up from head to toe. Also perhaps u could just borrow an Ergo carrier from someone that’s not using theirs. I could not live w/o mine for my two boys on our flights. Also I made sure to always pack at least 2 pairs of extra change of clothes/a blanket/and the liquid Enfamil formula (because I breastfed & used formula). Def let the airline know during reservation that u have an infant (cause they provide a meal which consists of formula and baby food + they accommodate for seating.) hmmm…what else ??? If u have any more questions def feel free to ask…don’t know how helpful I will be tho~ hehe *^^*
@HSookiC - Oh lol~ I bet I signed up a long time ago and then never went back. I just signed up again and they didn’t tell me I already had an account! I’m officially hooked too. I check Instagram before anything else nowadays. Promise me you’ll update with at least one photo a day because I love seeing little bits of your life on IG! =)
@JayMonKeee - Thanks sweetie~ for always being so encouraging and sweet! I’m so in love with Instagram~ lol! I love seeing your pics on there! Wish you would update more often. =) It’s like the perfect app~ helps you keep in touch through photos. I check it first even before FB or emails~ lol! I’m still so bummed about my iPhone! Apple stuff is so confusing to me. I think we used to do time machine but now our backup system is all over the place and messy too. Andy is usually my “tech guy” but he’s given up after all this phone drama~ lol!
@Mrs_Cho08 - Hii! So happy you’re in Instagram too~ I just requested you to add me! I hope you update with pics of your cuties there~ since you don’t update your blog or FB~ lol! Thanks so much for the tips! Thanks for the vote of confidence too~ I’m really nervous but feel better hearing your advice. We’re taking a stroller so I’m definitely going to get that manito and footmuff thing you’re talking about. It never gets that cold here so I don’t have any of that cold weather stuff! As I start packing I might have to bother you with some more qs. I remember when you used to go back to Korea with Aden…I used to think…wow! It’s so awesome you guys are seasoned travelers. =)
@ypyon - Eek~ sorry your long comment got erased! Thanks so much for writing it though and then again just to help me! You’re so sweet! =) We’re going in early March and it says the temperature can be in the 30s…brrrr! Thanks for all the awesome tips! I’ve only lived in So Cal so I don’t know how to dress for really cold weather. You know when we were trying to decide whether or not to go I was totally thinking of you! I was thinking~ you raised two boys and went back & forth and did all that so I should be able to do this one little trip. I have no idea what to expect so I tried to imagine like how you took the boys out and stuff when they were babies. =P As I start packing and planning our itinerary I might have to bother you with some more qs. Hope you don’t mind! =)
i totally want an iphone just for instagram!!! have u heard of the photo a day challenge on instagram? such a cool idea!! LOOOVE the first photos!!!
@skippeeahn - You are too cute! *^^* Please feel free to ask any questions! Ask away~~~ I figured a lot of Americans in general (not just moms from Socal) wouldn’t know how to dress for Korean winters. There is so much walking involved that one really needs proper equipment to protect from the elements. Even here in the south east (I live in NC) we have 4 distinct seasons, yet our winters aren’t nearly as harsh as Korea’s (in the US we get in our cars that are in our garages and park right in front of our destination)..hehe! Plus unless it’s unusual freakish weather, one can bet on pretty chilly weather right up until May in Korea! Hope the Chien family had a wonderful V-day! Talk to u again soon!!!
even your iphone pictures are AMAZING!! I love seeing the world through your eyes. =) Jenny, I’m so so so excited for your trip to Korea! Seriously…family has become so much more important to me over the years….so I’m happy that you’ll be able to see them and spend time with them. And they’ll get to meet Joy!!! =) Have a wonderful time and PLEASE take lots of yummy food pictures for me! =) I know Evan’s gonna have a blast with his gparents!
loved your letter. that made me cry. i love seeing how chubby joy is. i’m gonna miss the chubbiness of isla. that’s why i love her chubby little legs and little belly now. as for flying….we flew on british airways and we requested a seat where we could have a cot set up after the plane was up and flying high enough. isla could sleep in there and she ate too. isla’s done it too when she was 6 months old on her first trip to beijing. i was told to breastfeed her when we took off and landed so she didn’t have pain in her ears. william walked her around the aisles if she cried and she was interested in looking at everyone. it went pretty smoothly so don’t worry, hon. it’s fine. i’m so glad you are going there so you can see your grandmother. so nice! i always love seeing your pictures! thanks for sharing. evan is getting more handsome and i’m so glad you have them both. bella likes joy? is she good with them both? ok love to u!
@angelahappydot - Thanks so much for your encouragement buddy! You are seriously the PRO at traveling internationally with a baby. I feel so reassured thinking of Isla doing well on her first trip when she was 6 months. Yes~ Bella loves Joy so much! She’ll always go sit or sleep next to her. She’s really gentle. I can’t wait until you visit one day so Isla can meet Bella and the other kiddos too, hehe. =)
I Bed your articles guys have it up.
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