Family Updates

Seoul is such a big girl now. I was looking at all our pictures and the change from birth to almost 2 months is incredible. She has so much personality and I believe she already has an attitude! Now she knows what she wants - don't mess with meal time or nap time or she can really put her lungs to use these days... tears included. We are working on falling asleep for naps in the cradle instead of being held/carried constantly. She sleeps well at night - the last couple weeks have been 6-8 hours consecutively each night. Last night I got 6 hours of sleep without waking every hour (after 4) to make sure she's ok. We have discovered that we both like the Baby Bjorn so I can get some things done and she can have the motion and see what is going on around her.

After bath time in her hippo towel. She loves to gaze at daddy when he holds her.

Daddy and Mommy love our little Seoul!


Chilling while mommy takes yet another photo.

We went to visit Daddy at work and had to represent Beaver pride!


Grandma Dubbee came to visit.


Seoul in her church clothes... we have discovered headbands fit her now.


Mommy and Seoul chilling after church. Seoul has a full tummy - who doesn't want a nap after that?

Update on daddy and mommy:

Daddy - Kelley is still enjoying what he does at work. He had night call last week so that kept him busy. He is in crunch time to get everything ready for the fantasy baseball draft coming up in a few weeks. With work, commuting, Seoul, and fantasy baseball his days are full and long. I will hope that his life is fulfilling these days... (he can definitely change this statement if he chooses).

Mommy - I am back to normal these days. Physically I am in a better place than I thought I would be at this point. I look forward to working out again to get my muscles toned again Fortunately with Seoul's good sleep at night I'm not too tired these days. I keep very busy playing with Seoul and trying to keep the house clean. Hopefully in the next couple weeks I can start working part-time from home if there is work to do. I am blessed with all I have.

NCAA Tourney

Joo Lin and I are having our annual NCAA Tourney Challenge. The loser has to make meals for a week. Last year there was some controversy as I told Joo Lin that she lost when in fact she won even though she had started making meals. Hopefully this won't happen again this year.

Overall Points
Joo Lin 33 - 15 (42 total pts)
Kelley 27 - 21 (30 total pts)
Seoul 48 - 0 (64 total pts)

Round One Day One:
Joo Lin 14 - 2 (14 pts)
Kelley 11 - 5 (11 pts)
Seoul 16 - 0 (16 pts)

Round One Day Two:
Joo Lin 10 - 6 (10 pts)
Kelley 8 - 8 (8 pts)
Seoul 16 - 0 (16 pts)


Round Two Day One:
Joo Lin 6 - 2 (12 pts)
Kelley 5 - 3 (10 pts)

Round Two Day Two:
Joo Lin 3 - 5 (6 pts)
Kelley 3 - 5 (6 pts)

Priceless

OSU vs BYU

The other day, Joo Lin, Seoul, and I were hanging out together and spending some quality time with each other. We noticed that Seoul was holding up her index finger (making the number one sign). Because of this I decided to see what school Seoul wanted to go to, OSU (mine) or BYU (Joo Lin's).

I asked her first about OSU, the finger stayed up. I then asked her about BYU, the finger went down. Joo Lin and I laughed. I then asked her again about OSU, (no lie) her finger went back up. Joo Lin and I looked at each other and bursted into laughter. I then proceeded to ask about BYU, her finger went down. I yelp with a yipee!!! I decided to press my luck one more time, I asked her about OSU...but this time I didn't get a reaction. I asked about BYU...still no reaction. I am assuming that Seoul was fed up with our little game and decided not to play anymore. Any who...Seoul loves OSU!! Go Beavers!!

Joo Lin & Seoul's Days

Oh my! Yesterday Seoul ate every 4 hours and last night she slept from 9 PM - 4 AM. Realistically it was probably out of the ordinary but I definitely appreciate it. Hopefully it becomes more common - it was nice to get so much sleep at one time.

Today is Seoul's 6 week birthday - the time has flown by! I am so loving being a mom and appreciate the patience it is teaching me. It is very good for me to think of someone other than myself the majority of the day/night. The time I do get to think of myself is when Kelley is a great daddy/husband and takes over in the evenings & weekends so I can relax and have some Joo Lin-time.

Day 1 to 5 1/2 weeks... what a big girl!



Warning: this is mostly verbiage without a lot of pictures - sorry!

Now that we're getting into some routines, here is what the day generally looks like. Seoul wakes between 7-9 AM, depending on the nighttime feedings. After the morning feeding she is usually awake for 1-1 1/2 hours so we play... I sing songs, read books, and talk to her. She really likes hand motions. Her favorite songs are "The Wheels on the Bus" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." Her smiles are becoming more frequent, showing those cute little dimples. She falls asleep after a while so I shower and eat breakfast. Generally she wakes for another feeding and is then awake for another 1-2 hours so we have tummy time and play time again. She really likes mirrors and lights/windows. Between afternoon feedings is when we go out and about. Some days I take the stroller and go for a walk through the neighborhood. As the weather gets nicer this will probably happen more often. Some days we run errands or go to appointments. Time for another short nap and more eats for Seoul. I attempt to be a good wife and make dinner but it depends on when Seoul eats. I'm trying to be better about having dinner ready since the evenings are so short. Then Kelley and Seoul and I have family time. The days fly by but they are good. Don't get me wrong, there are not-so-great days when Seoul is fussy or needs more attention but the days still fly by. Fortunately they are not often.

On Wednesdays we go to storytime at the library. Yes, she is young but she has been awake the last couple times and seems to really enjoy watching the kids run around and do the motions to the songs they sing. Plus I get to learn songs and activities to do with her on the other days. Then we usually check out a few books for daddy to read to her at bedtime.

A couple baby helps I enjoy:

Smart Stages 3-in-1 Rocker Swing

Seoul is now truly entertained by the hanging animals. The seat comes off and becomes an infant bouncy seat, which is great for when I shower. She either sleeps or is entertained by the animals. She likes the sound of the shower, blow dryer, or Beethoven to soothe her.



Bright Starts Play Gym

Seoul likes looking up at the mirror and I put the rattle toy where her feet kick so she likes the sound of that. She is starting to make more baby noises and she "talks" to the hanging sun/flower. It keeps her entertained in the mornings. Tummy time is on this mat so it's cleaner and the colors catch her eye. If I play with the crunchy flower and butterfly she will turn her head to see what I'm doing... sometimes. Some days she hates tummy time. Mean mommy am I!

I am super cute!

Look at me...

Changing Every Day

Seoul is really starting to enjoy her play mat. She will lay for a while looking in the flower mirror. She makes noises and smiles at herself. It's pretty cute... and nice for me to get a few things done now and then.





Kelley and I think she gets longer every day. He estimates maybe 24 inches now. I have no idea but she will push her legs off my tummy or legs and bonk her head on my chin.











I got her all bundled up for church last Sunday. I put tights on her little legs so they would stay warm and apparently they are SUPER big. Sure they are for newborns! The jacket is a 0-3 mth size so she swims in it. Kelley laughed because I had her in so many layers. I kept the bib on her so if she spit up in the car it wouldn't be on her dress before church. *sigh* just trying to be a good mom :)














This adorable face speaks for itself!! Every day I look at her in wonder. She has changed so much from the day she was born.









The other day she had her hand open and so I touched this stuffed dragonfly to her palm. She grasped it and waved it around for a while. After a while she opened her hand so it fell out. I know, it was just the reflex of her fist but it was pretty cute to see her holding onto something besides our finger.

Seoul loves to sleep!!

It's hard work being a baby!

Love from some family

Here are some pictures of love from the family. I am waiting for other pictures to be sent to me to post from other members of the family... send them over...

Seoul visits Daddy at work

Seoul came to visit me at work the other day. It was so fun to parade her through the office to show her off to everyone. Everyone was so surprised at how awake and alert she was. They also thought she was so beautiful. One lady said that she should be a baby model. I also had to keep my eyes on some co-workers because I thought that they were trying to keep her. Lucky for me, they gave Seoul back.

Here are a few pictures from her trip to see daddy.

Snuggling with Seoul

One of my favorite things is my "hugging hold" with Seoul... she snuggles her little face into my neck and I can put my cheek on hers to calm her down. Then I just wrap my arms around her like a big hug to secure her body. She wraps her arms around me or holds on to one of my fingers with her little hand and she can fall asleep.

Oh how I love this little girl!

Daddy gets to feed Seoul

The doctor suggested I introduce a bottle around 3 weeks to see if she takes it. She did great! Kelley loved being able to share that with her. He feeds her every few days.

Our Angel - 4 weeks old today!

Seoul changes every day. She can hold her head up, and can move it from side to side during tummy time. She makes lots of baby noises and kicks her legs and arms. I think today she started really smiling. It's funny when she is falling asleep she does this laugh/smile thing and shows her dimple. Enjoy the photos!

I'm working with daddy so mommy can sleep longer in the morning.



Sweet dreams for me... do I do anything else?



Where am I??



First attempt to suck my thumb - if I hold all my fingers in front of my face mommy can't see me doing it!



Chilling while mommy and daddy are making dinner - do I get some??



Hi Mom - I'm just going to poo again now that you've changed me!



Got to pray just to make it today...



Quality time with daddy when he got home from work.



Haha - not sleeping... but at least I'm super cute!



I hope future Valentine's Days are more eventful.

Growing so BIG!

This is a daddy-love outfit for sure - orange beaver beanie and an "I heart my daddy" sleeper. What a cutie!

Seoul had her 2 week well-baby appointment today. Our lovely girl is growing like a weed! She is now 8 lbs 2 oz and 22 1/2 inches long. The doctor gave her a clean bill of health and said she's doing very well. She sleeps well and eats about every 3-4 hours. Fortunately she isn't fussy often (unless she's hungry and then don't mess with her!). I like to believe she smiles at us (non-gassy smiles) to show off her adorable dimple. She holds up her own head briefly when she's upright over my shoulder. In the mornings she's very alert and we just hang out and read books and sing songs. Apparently she likes car rides... she didn't sleep during our drives this morning that I am aware. I could hear her making noise and sucking on her hands. She found her thumb this morning... the other fingers aren't in a fist, they are splayed across her face like she's hiding. Maybe she knows I hope she doesn't become a constant thumb-sucker - ha!

First Kiss from a Boy (non-family)

Jennie and Blake came to visit Monday. Blake loved giving Seoul kisses on the cheek. Should daddy be concerned?? :)

Unfortunately I didn't catch a kiss on camera, but here is a picture as Blake's moving away from her cheek... I think she is showing him her dimple!

Domestic Dispute

Joo Lin and I got in a fight yesterday and I was wondering what everyone thinks about the topic. Here it goes:

This weekend, I wanted to do something nice for Joo Lin for Valentine's day. My plan was to take her and Seoul to Monster Jam 09 at the Rose Garden. Our favorite monster truck is going to be there, El Toro Loco!!!

(Grave digger!!!)

Joo Lin says that it would be to loud for Seoul and my thoughts are that it would make Seoul stronger in the long run plus she would have ear plugs. So who's side are you guys on? Was I in the wrong or was Joo Lin? (Don't forget to vote in the poll, it's to the left of this post).

UPDATE:
So it looks like everyone is taking Joo Lin's side for this battle. Thank you to the other two people that voted for me. We will forever be friends! It looks like we will not be attending Monster Jam 09, :( El Toro Loco will be sad that we won't be seeing him this year. Hopefully he will be back next year.

Visit from our Aunt & Uncle

Also on Wednesday, my Aunt Laurie and Uncle Jerry came up from California to visit our newest addition. It was great to share Seoul with them and I could tell that they fell in love with her instantly. Here are pictures of them with "Lizzy" (Aunt Laurie's nickname for Seoul, her middle name is Elizabeth).

Seoul's BFF

On Wednesday, my little sister Klorissa (she isn't really little anymore though), her husband AJ, and their adorable son Cason paid us a visit. They came all the way from Tucson, Arizona. Tucson is a hot and miserable place year round, so it was nice for them to get away from the heat. They enjoyed the coldness of Oregon. I think the best part of Tucson is that the movie "Can't buy me love" was filmed their and that they have an "In-n-Out".

Cason is the cutest, he is almost three months old. He has grown so much since we have seen him and it was strange holding him after holding Seoul because of their difference in size and weight. Joo Lin and I visited Cason shortly after he was born and it is amazing how much he has developed since then. His daddy is hoping that he will be self sufficient soon (ie changing diapers, eating on his own, getting a job).

Here are some pictures of the two cousins. Joo Lin and I like to say that they are BFF's!

Seoul Update

Seoul went to the doctor on Tuesday. She got a clean bill of health and the doctor seemed impressed by how well she was doing. Her weight is back up - she was 7 lbs 4 oz at birth and is now 7 lbs 8 oz. I guess that is very good for less than a week old.

I will say that she is the best baby in the world (as a proud mom)!!! She cries little and just chills with us. The adjustment is going rather well I think. Kelley can't get enough Seoul time, and quickly became comfortable with changing diapers and holding her while doing other tasks. It's pretty cute watching him! For me, looking at her sweet little face makes all the nighttime escapades and labor & delivery so worth it. After gazing at Seoul and kissing her little dimples Kelley asks what took us so long to have a baby. We are obviously excited and so happy that she is doing so well... and hasn't kicked us to the curb as parents yet!!

We have enjoyed the visits and introducing our little angel to everyone! If you haven't met her, please do - your life will never be the same again because you will fall in love with her :) Please note that little boys must keep their eyes off her for a few years! Haha!

I will ask Kelley to post more pictures since I'm not sure what has been uploaded to the computer yet.

Seoul Slideshow!