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July 26, 2004
Relax, it's the weekend.
We had quite a busy weekend, but it was surprisingly relaxing. The key? Don't stay at home.
When you stay at home, you feel like you HAVE to pick up those magazines, finish the dishes, laundry, dusting, and and and and and...
When you're not at home, you just get to BE. It's particularly good to BE at a one year old's birthday party.
It's also good to BE on the shore of the big, big lake you live so close to for four hours.
But first the birthday...
Isoo's party was like no other one year old's party. It was a tol, a Korean 1st birthday celebration. From what I've heard, back in the day, it was a big deal to make it to the first birthday, so it is a big celebration. The child dons a birthday outfit and is placed by a table that is full of different symbolic items... books, brushes, pencils, money. The child is encouraged to grab three things. Those three things are said to indicate the child's future.
So first, Isoo had to put on the outfit. Not happy.
Here is Isoo with his parents, Chris and Cheong. Happier.
Isoo was then placed before the table. Ummm. Not so happy here. How do you explain that it's important for his future?
Then we all crowded around. We watched as Isoo became quiet and noticed the things on the table. We secretly chanted him on to pick the *right* thing (depending on your vantage point and opinion). His hand hovered for a while...where would it land? The anticipation!
Paintbrush! Yippeee!
Isoo then had two other picks. The second one? A hundred dollar bill. Yippeee! The third? Another paintbrush!
A rich artist!
We also got to see Seth, Monica + Evie there. Three weekends in a row, so lucky!
Baby Swap! Seth + Gus
John + Evie
John + Gus... ahhh.
The best one yet. You wonder why Gus is sleeping through the night?
Then there was the lake! Ah...site of bbq and required relaxing. Christin + Andy + Theo invited us. Theo is now four months old, check him out!
Posted by janna at 09:54 PM | Comments (1)
July 25, 2004
What good does the paper do?
Gus went to the doctor's on Friday for his monthly check-up. He has now officially graduated to the every two-month check-up.
That means he's growing up.
You know that paper they put over the exam tables? That thin, white, crinkly, loud paper that protects the patient? Who the heck thought that it would truly work with an infant? Seriously... imagine the scene:
I put Gus on his back. Two seconds later he is on his belly, practically off the table. I cannot blink with this boy. He is on the move. Whilst on belly, boy recognizes wonderful crinkly properties of paper. Must...grab...eat....mouth...arghhhhmmmm...roll roll roll.....wrap..self...ayeyeeeeee!!!
Then picture Mama (that's me) trying to pick up said boy without also taking the paper (that's still attached to the big roll under the table), trying to say "no eating paper" through tears of laughter, trying to untangle as boy practices his high-pitched screams that echo (as he's discovered), all the while trying to smooth out the unsmoothable paper and place boy back on paper as if nothing has happened and as if no one will notice the destruction.
This happened again. and again. and again.
Thanks for the real from-the-belly/soul laughs, Gus.
Here are the stats:
19 lbs - still 50th percentile on the chart o' baby growth
28 1/4 in- still 90th percentile
It wasn't as big a leap as last month, but that makes sense. He started solids last month. The doc was pleased with his consistent growth, his eating, and his overall health.
Gus loves to stand up. He seems quite excited and proud as he does it too!
Posted by janna at 10:03 AM | Comments (1)
July 22, 2004
Social social social.
Sunday began on a high note, with plenty of sleep all around. We had a wonderful brunch with our friends Gordon and Patti in town from LA. We also got to see Seth + Monica +Evie + Ben O. + Maddie + Ben S.
Gus and Evie are so cute together...
Look at those gorgeous teeth! Evie is now almost 10 months!
Evie + Monica
Notice the child does not have my complexion...
Gus + Patti
Gus + Gordon
Our time with Patti and Gordon was too short...good, good peeps.
Posted by janna at 08:07 PM
July 19, 2004
You know you're a father when...
You park your car at the train, you look down on your shirt, and you see orange Gustav poo...
and you can't go home to change.
*just say it's baby food, no one will know. it looks the same coming out as it does going in!*
Gus went to sleep on his own again! There was about 30 seconds of complaint, then he was out.
He's almost sitting up on his own! This Friday is his monthly check-up.
Posted by janna at 11:20 PM
July 18, 2004
Really?
Ok. We put Gus down at 8:15, awake. He didn't cry.
He fell asleep.
That hasn't happened since the first week we brought him home.
!!!!!!
Posted by janna at 08:59 PM
July 17, 2004
wow!
I mentioned the fact that we were working on the sleeping...
Gus slept from 9 to 7:15! He woke up very happy, and it's no surprise. It's the longest he's slept ever in his entire life! can he do it again tonight?
It's not to say we didn't struggle. There was crying and us going in after five minutes to talk to Gus and soothe him. I think it took going in four times.
We're off to the shores of Michigan for ther day...
Posted by janna at 07:54 AM
apples are sour.
It's easy to forget how sour something is until you see someone experience sour for the first time.
Gus, Gus, Gus. How can you be this little boy already? How can you be eating apples, grunting for more, albeit hesitantly. What happened to your dark hair? Was it a farce, a baby toupee meant to confuse your parents?
We're well into our solid food stint. (I just got this sensation that I haven't written in a very long time...). We've become pros at making baby food. It's actually much easier than it seems. We buy veggies in bulk, steam the snot out of them *pardon me* and then puree, puree, puree. Who knew there would be such joy in filling up ice cube trays with mush? And who knew that pureed cauliflower could really make you lo-carbers happy as a mashed potato substitute? The joys of puree!
We originally went full force with the solids because I wasn't able to provide 21 ounces of milk for daycare a day without being connected to the pump. Gus is still drinking quite a bit of milk, somewhere between 13 and 17 ounces, but it's getting less. I'm able to pump twice at work now, which is such a relief to me. I've struggled with the urge to quit, but anytime I think of quitting, I just walk down the formula aisle and see how expensive it is and I am motivated once again. I've gotten this far, not much farther now.
Look at this kid... can't you see the ten-year-old in him?
The boy is waiting for me to just turn my head for a second so he can start crawling. The minute you put Gus on the floor, he starts rolling in all directions. He really tries to make a path towards you or an object, so he has this great way of using his right leg pulled under him a bit, pushing off, then kind of rolling on his side...so hard to explain, but let's just say it's like Gus is slithering towards you. Am I ready for mobility?
No.
We're working on sleeping through the night. It's going to be a hard road, but I think Gus will have much better sleep soon. Sometimes he wakes up once, sometimes twice. Nothing seems predictable!
Here's Gus with Grandma Shirley last week...he misses her.
Posted by janna at 12:12 AM
July 16, 2004
Gus has somwthing to say:
o jljlkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkknj nnnnnnnnnn sdx g7g6hiokl,jkn mmmmmmm
Posted by janna at 05:06 PM
July 09, 2004
Auntie Ali + Uncle Emilio
It's official, Gus has an Uncle, or Tio. Ok, Emilio already filled that role long before the rings were on the fingers, but now it's official.
We flew out to DC on the first, suitcases, stroller and car seat in tow. Oy, it is not light to travel with a child. I was quite proud of ourselves, we didn't bring the pack-n-play, used the hotel's crib (which was new, amazing!) and packed exactly the right amount of outfits, no more, no less. We somehow managed to get Gustav's food cubes (all those frozen veggies) to DC without thawing and -somehow- got them to fit in the 4 in x 4 in freezer compartment of the mini fridge in our hotel room. Success after success in travel logistics. Gus did pretty well on the plane, although he seemed to have some pain during our initial descent.
We saw loads of people...
Grandma Shirley + Gus waiting in line
Family and friends gathered for a pre-wedding party at the hotel. Gus was enamored with the kids. John's cousins Lisa and Lori both had the most adorable kids.
Emilio's Mom was pointing out how wonderful he looked holding a baby. Now that the wedding was less than 24 hours away, it was time to encourage the next step!
Gus + John, cute cute cute.
Mom + I
The ceremony was at this place called "Top of the Town," in Arlington. The venue was at the top of a building. WHAT A VIEW. We entered the room where the ceremony was to take place, and the room had a wall of windows looking out towards the Washington Monument, Lincoln Monument, Jefferson Monument... Iwo Jima was literally outside of the building. It was amazing. No fireworks outside, but inside... the fun began.
Grandma Janice + Alison
First Dance
Gus + Grandpa Paul
Gus + Sue, Grandpa's wife
Us out on the balcony...I think Gus was getting tired of photo ops
John + Washington Monument + Gus (can I just say Gus is getting this 'fake' kind of 'are we done yet' smile...I love it.)
Us.
I hope we don't win the bad parent of the year award for taking a 7-month old to a 6 pm wedding, but I must say, Gus was very patient with us. We brought him out on the dance floor with us and he had a ball. I've never seen him kick so much in his little life (well, perhaps when he was still inside of me I felt him kick much much more, but this was different).
On the Fourth, with it pouring outside, we spent the majority off the day at the hotel, taking it easy. It was the perfect time to take Gus swimming for the first time...
...and he wasn't a fan.
Luckily the skies cleared just enough towards the end of the day for fireworks. Emilio works in a building close to the Pentagon and the view from his office is the Washington Monument and the other monuments. We went to his office and from the comfort of a conference room chair (no grass, no mud!), we were able to take in the fireworks. Very patriotic! It was great.
We're so happy for Alison and Emilio and glad we were able to make it.
Posted by janna at 07:02 AM | Comments (1)
July 06, 2004
Back from DC
So much to tell! We'll do that soon!
Posted by janna at 09:03 PM