Are you surprised I’m back so soon??  I am!  I’m going to try really hard to not fall behind in posting as I have so often in the past.  Thanks so much for all of your support and encouragement~ it helps!

WEEK 4

1 Month Check-up

Weight:  10 lbs 5 oz

Length:  22-1/2 inches

Our pediatrician has been awesome so far.  He’s featured on this website called Video Jug (sort of like a video encyclopedia) as a pediatric expert.  It’s really helpful for us to see his viewpoint on issues and just get general info (i.e., newborn hospital procedures, vaccinations).  Here’s the link if you want basic baby info in video form!  For the non-mamas, there are lots of how to videos like “how to replace a blown fuse,” “how to choose a digital SLR camera,” etc.   

WEEK 5

Bellatine’s Day

We wanted to give Bella a special present for Valentine’s Day so we took her out for some alone time.  Bella got to be a Beverly Hills doggy for an afternoon shopping on Rodeo Drive…hehe!  She got tons of attention and we were thrilled to see a perk in her step and that big fluffy tail wagging like crazy. 

One of our neighbors called us to ask about what it’s like to have a dog because her daughter really wants one.  She asked if her daughter could borrow Bella for an hour each day so she could learn how to be responsible for having a dog before they got one.  Wow, what great timing.  When Bella needed a friend the most…one showed up in the form of a shy little 12-year-old girl. 

A Mother’s Love

I read an article from The Pump Station that really touched me.  The author (Jessica Sacher) talks about how she lost her mother 20 years ago and not a day passes that she doesn’t think of her.  Here is an excerpt:

“For those of you who are still lucky enough to have your mother, relish the time with her.  Don’t wish that she would go away and stop nagging you.  Overlook her faults, criticisms, and human frailties.  So what if she doesn’t fold the towels the way you do, or load the dishwasher the way you do?  So what if you can’t find where she put the lasagna pan after she made you dinner. 

Give her the gift of spending time with you and her grandchild.  Let her spoil this baby in the best sense of the word.  Let her hold this baby while you take an extra 10 minutes in the tub for yourself.  It doesn’t matter if she drives you nuts, or says the wrong things at the wrong time. 

Or, if you are lucky, as I was, and your mother is your best friend, tell her and treasure her for today and for this moment, because who really knows what tomorrow will bring.“

I need to keep this article and remember to always be thankful to my mom for all that she does for us.  Just yesterday I told her I didn’t have a small pan for eggs and she told me she was going to bring me hers.  She came over and ended up making stuff in the kitchen and cleaning until 3 in the morning!  Then she woke up early to go straight to work.  When it comes to her kids there is never a moment’s hesitation to put our needs/wants in front of hers.  The ironic thing is that the people closest to you see the best of you but also the worst.  I know that it’s wrong but I do get annoyed with her at times and don’t show enough appreciation.  That’s why I think it’s so important to sometimes just sit down and reflect on our relationships.  That’s what I’m doing right now. 
 

The Babysitter

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 & Hormones

I 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.

Baby Bear is finally here!!  We sent an e-mail out to our family and friends so I wanted to also share with you!

 

Evan

January 11, 2009

5:35 p.m.

8 pounds 4 ounces

21 inches

We call him “little” Evan…everyone is surprised when they find out how big he is…hehe!  Here are a few photos from the hospital. 

Love,

Jenny

P.S.  To all of you mommas out there…you gals are amazing!  I have no idea how you do all that you do…

         
Hello my dear Xanga buddies!  I’ve been gone from Xanga for so long~!  Sorry for being MIA…I’ve been super busy and the last part of my pregnancy has been tough.  Back problems, carpal tunnel syndrome and a broken PC have kept me away from the computer for too long!  I can’t believe our baby bear could be here any day now!!  Here’s an update of what I’ve been up to~~

WEEK 25 (Highlight – Miny & Steve’s wedding!!!)

I felt so blessed to be a part of my little Miny’s wedding!  She looked so gorgeous and in love.  I couldn’t be happier for the two of them!!

WEEKS 26-27 (Highlights – Sarah & Jeff’s baby shower; getting to do a photo shoot with 6 dogs; Ezekiel’s birthday party; Teresa’s birthday party with law buddies)
 

WEEKS 28-29 (Highlights – Andy’s birthday party; Davin’s birthday party; meeting Tori & Dean; Lisa’s baby shower)

Why does it have to be the day I have absolutely no makeup on that I run into Tori & Dean?  Tori was so nice and insisted that I be in the photo, nappiness and all.

WEEK 30 (Highlights – my baby shower; family reunion)

My baby shower was sooo awesome!  I was so overwhelmed by all the love and details my buddies put into planning it.  My friend, Teresa, even cut fruit into little animal shapes!  I couldn’t believe how many thoughtful and generous gifts I got…handmade quilts, tons of cute clothes, a Pack & Play, a baby food cooker, etc.  I even got a surprise gift from Andy~~ this Stella McCartney LeSportsac diaper bag I’ve been in love with since I first started my diaper bag research!

I needed a special way to thank everyone within the bounds of my limited mobility and time.  For the guests I made a special Bella thank you card and included photos from the baby shower plus photos of us throughout our friendship.  For my amazing planners, I made photo albums with photos of us and got them individualized gifts.




 

WEEK 31 (Highlights – open house; my fake birthday)

We went to an open house in our neighborhood…guess whose house this is?

Tori & Dean’s!  We had no idea at first and thought we were just going to a normal open house.  They were actually filming the show…hehe!  I’ve walked past the house so many times before (it’s right around the corner) but I would’ve never known it was their house.

Andy planned a special day for me~ it was my fake birthday.  He took me out to all my favorite places~ I even got a gift and we took sticker pictures with Bella!!

WEEKS 32-34 (Highlights – Daniel & Sun-Hee’s baby shower; Miny’s birthday/Daun’s homecoming; hanging with Nathan; hanging with Alison & Alex; Sandy & Marvin’s engagement)

WEEKS 35-36 (Highlights – Miny’s housewarming; date nights; Hotel for Dogs)

WEEKS 37-38 (Highlight – The Doctors)

I was at my dr.’s office and he said it would be great if I could get on this show, The Doctors (the show Dr. Phil and his son created with the ex-Bachelor Dr. Travis as the host).  He had a contact with the producer so she interviewed me and later asked me to sit in the front row for one of the shows for a special pregnancy segment.  The segment was on the best gifts to give pregnant women for Christmas.  You won’t believe this~ I got all the gifts (baby tub, monitor, blanket,etc.)!!  If you happen to watch the show~ look for me!  (Friday @ 11:00 a.m. on KCAL 9 in LA~ it’s different for other areas)

After that show, I got a call asking if I could come in to do a field shoot asking questions about pregnancy myths.  I thought that was it until the producer called me AGAIN and asked me to come back to the taping of the show to be part of another segment.  It was a fun experience but pretty exhausting!

I don’t think I can tell you when the other show will be on…hehe!  What kind of person goes on TV with shaggy hair, bushy eyebrows, messed up nails and totally ginormous?  ME!!

TODAY

I decided I need to stop running around and relax!  I’m going to devote time now to catching up with e-mails and Xanga.  Hope you’ve all been doing well~~ I missed you while I was gone!!

Hi there!  The one thing so many people told us during this pregnancy was…travel while you can!  We love to travel anyways so we took the advice and hit the road. 

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN

This was our babymoon with Bella.  The plane rides were rough.  We hid her under the blankets on our laps but she was still so squirmy!

My favorite things:

- My in-laws have a HUGE backyard with no fences that goes on forever and includes a lake. 

- We went to the world’s largest Christmas store (hehe!) and to a German town.

- My father-in-law made us kimchi from scratch! 

- This trip was all about Bella, Bella, Bella!

We didn’t have time to research resorts so we went with the good ol’ Four Seasons, Punta Mita.  I’d highly recommend it!  It actually turned out to be a great family-friendly place.  We’ll definitely be going back with the little one. 

My favorite things:

- Celebrating our 2 year anniversary! 

- We were eating dinner on our anniversary when a family we met earlier that day sent over drinks to congratulate us.  The mom & dad were married for 36 years and were on vacation with their daughter.  They said they had seen us around during the week and we looked so happy together.  It just warms my heart to meet such sweet people!

- I felt silly getting my first golf lesson at the resort’s course which was voted 2008′s #1 golf resort by Conde Nast Traveler.  It was fun though and it makes me want to be really good at golf!    

- Every morning a boat comes in with fish caught that morning.  You get to pick the one you want and have it prepared later at any of the restaurants.  Yum!

- Getting a prenatal massage at the beach looking out at the ocean.

- Every hour at the pool & beach they bring you something~ my favorite was the 3:00pm Haagen Dazs ice cream! 

For those of you who don’t know yet…we’re having a BOY!   

I just went to my ultrasound doc (the same guy from Tori & Dean’s show~) and we got to see the baby again!  I love going to the ultrasounds because it’s just so amazing to see the baby.  The doc said the baby is large…we have a big boy! 

It cracks me up~ Bella gets all excited whenever I try to take belly pics!  Here I am around 23 weeks.  My back is killing me but I’m feeling pretty good~ yay!
 

Hi!!  Hope you’ve been having a wonderful summer!  Once I stopped working I thought I’d have so much for Xanga.  It turns out that I’ve been busier than ever.  Before we leave on our next trip I wanted to make sure I got to post about our Asia trip.  It’s crazy but we’re getting on a plane in less than a week and we haven’t decided where yet.  Where in the world will Skippee be next week??

Here’s a quick recap of our Asia trip…

TAIWAN

My favorite things:

- Hanging with and getting to know Andy’s family

- Taking glamour photos (hehe!)

- Yummy food and the best boba in the world

- Finding a cheap but really nice boutique hotel called The Tango

- Watching Andy’s aunt ride a moped

I’d definitely recommend Bali!  It is an amazing island with gorgeous beaches and so much to do. 

My favorite things:

- The villas at the Four Seasons, Jimbaran Bay – each one has a plunge pool!

- Having monkeys climb on us to steal our bananas

- Private dinner on the beach on a bed!

- Meeting rescued elephants who know how to paint, add and play basketball – the sanctuary teaches the world how smart elephants really are

- Food shopping at the local market and taking a Balinese cooking class

- Getting a Balinese massage lesson (we were cracking up the whole time because our “model” was a big ol’ Balinese dude) and crafts lesson

- There’s a guy from the hotel who goes with you to the airport and escorts you almost all the way through to the gate.  He even waits in line for you!

My favorite things:

- Getting to see my favorite international buddies wedBliss (and Charlie), Linnet (and her new baby) & Dave (Hiro from Heroes)

- Exploring Hong Kong again

- Walking around in the rain

PREGNANCY UPDATE

This is for you, Alison~ a photo of my growing belly!  I can’t believe I’m halfway through my pregnancy already.  I’m obsessed with mommas lately.  Whenever I see moms I think…wow, these women are amazing!

 

Hi!  I haven’t been able to go through our Asia photos yet but just wanted to update you all on current Skippee events.  

SMALL NEWS

I applied to become a California real estate broker a long time ago.  Nope, not changing careers…I just wanted to get my broker’s license to be able to help our family & friends with buying/selling properties without having to pay commissions.  I kept procrastinating until I found out that my application would be expiring in just a few weeks so I was forced to take the exam.  LUCKILY, I passed!  Yay!

MEDIUM NEWS

I’ve retired from law firm life!  Who knows if this is a permanent thing but I just realized that there are so many things that I love doing that I’d rather focus on.  I actually have a “wish list” of over 50 things I want to do (i.e., volunteer at the animal shelter, take more photography classes, learn how to sew).  My main goals now are the pursuit of happiness and helping others.   

Good-bye office!

 

Retirement card from my dear Teresa

Bella, Esq. (Bella in her smaller/younger days)

 

BIG NEWS

The biggest and happiest news of all is that we’re going to have a BABY!!!  Yup, so that’s part of the reason I’ve been MIA~~ I’ve been toughing out morning sickness.  The baby is due at the beginning of 2009!   

Bella is going to be a big sister!

Hi buddies!  I’m back~~ sort of.  We went to Taiwan and Bali but ended up also going to Hong Kong.  So sorry for the delay in replies to comments/messages!  I have so much to report…big news and small news…stay tuned!  First, I want to catch up with all of you and see how you’ve been! 

  
NYC

Andy took me to NYC to celebrate my birthday.  Although I didn’t really do anything in particular…it was so much fun just getting to spend time with Andy.

Fancy dinners aside, our favorite meal was sulongtang at Gahm Mi Oak.  We went 2 nights in a row after dinner.  It was so nice and magical just walking hand in hand through the streets of NYC in the middle of the night.  That’s what I’ll remember most.

Owner:  “Hey, please be patient for just 5 more minutes and I’ll be back.”

 

I saw a few celebs at the airport.  I was in full on red eye ghetto gear so I opted to not be in the photos. 

Don King

Jay Mohr

Joan Rivers sat near me on the flight but I didn’t want to disturb her so no photo!

BIRTHDAY

What I love most about birthdays is not the gifts.  I love how people actually take the time to reconnect with you and want to spend time with you.  My law school buddies had a dinner for me and tonight I’ll be going to dinner with my college buddies.  I’m happy with any excuse for us all to get together.
 

KARMA

I went to this VIP shopping event at the Desert Hills Premium Outlets.  I got these special coupons just for the day. 

I was at Ann Taylor when I saw someone at the register next to me with a ton of stuff.  I went up to them and asked if they wanted to use my coupon.  They ended up saving over $100! 

Just 30 minutes later I got a call from the management office.  I won a special prize — it was a $100 gift card!
 

Here’s another example of good karma…our family friend has lived a life filled with kindness and good deeds.  L.A. Halmoni is now 100 and is healthy (as healthy as you can be at 100) and still as wonderful as ever.
 

TAIWAN AND BALI

Taiwan

Bali



 

I’m so unprepared for this trip!  We actually didn’t even finalize this trip until just a week ago.  I feel like I have to pack and plan everything in just a few days.  Any suggestions for what to do in Taipei or Bali?  I’d really appreciate it!

Bella:  “Try to stay cool in the heat.”   
 

Hi everyone!  Sorry I’ve been MIA from Xanga.  I promise to try to be better at keeping up!  I did miss you all while I was gone.  There have been so many things going on…some of it is bad.  I have faith that things will get better though.  Maybe I can go into it later on protected.  Until then…here’s the happy stuff. 

I recently helped plan a baby shower for my buddy, Katherine.  I was in charge of invitations and decorations.  I wish I had more time to make stuff!!  I was soo busy at work that I’d end up working all day and staying up all night making stuff.

THE INVITES

This is how it all started~ the doodle ducks:

Here are a few photos of the invites:

  
 
 

THE SHOWER

I used the Hostess with the Mostess site for guidance~ such an awesome site!  Things were so hectic the day of the shower that I barely got any photos.    Here are the few I got:

THE GIFT