Catching Up

It's been busy around here.  Both husband and I were really swamped at work, and for a while all it felt like was work, work, work, kids, (very) little sleep, then start all over again the next day.

Things have calmed down a bit, but our whole family is getting over a cold.  I think I have been sick the entire month of January.  It stinks.  The kids usually just get a little sniffle, but I am knocked out by whatever it is that they pass to me.   I lost my voice with this last one.

Ethan went to his 6 month check up in early January.  He is big and healthy, and weighed 18.5 lbs.  He slowed down in his weight gain though, dropping from the 90 percentile in height and weight to the 75 percentile in height and the 70 percentile in weight.  His head, though, went up from the 50 percentile to the 75 percentile - yes, his head seems huge now.

He is sitting up on his own, probably started right around 6 months. 

This ability gives us a little relief because when he sits up he can entertain himself for about 5-10 minutes before the bawling starts.  Sigh.  I love the little guy, but he is crybaby.  I don't remember Emma crying this much at his age.  In fact, it is so interesting to see the difference in their personalities already. 

From the start, Emma was a pretty easy baby and "independent".  She was content playing by herself while lying down or sitting up.  She sort of sleep trained herself.  She slept with us until she was about 4 months old, then she was ready to go into her own crib and slept for 5 hours stretches at a time.   She actually did not enjoy being held all the time and to this day, she doesn't like it when someone tries to touch or to hold her while she is falling asleep. 

Ethan - weeeellllll, he is another story altoghter.   He is still sleeping with us, he wakes up all the time and won't fall or stay asleep unless someone is cuddling him.  I mean, the kid has cried for over an hour straight.  Whenever I think he is about to stop crying during these crazy long crying jags, all it actually turns out to be is a small pause to catch his breath so that he can regain strength and volume. He nurses to sleep most nights and he uses the pacifier.  As one of my friends put it, the pacifier is our frenemy.  We are so dependent upon it.  Emma, on the other hand, never used one.

Our pediatrician says that one day we will be glad that he has such a "cuddly" (euphemism) personality.  She uses her own college age kids as examples.  She tells us her daughter was similar to Emma when growing up and her son was similar to Ethan.   Now her son calls her call the time, visits often etc., but she knows that when her daughter calls, she better be sitting down for the news.  I hope Emma won't be quite as dramatic, but I could see it happening. 

Emma is a talker.  She talks all the time (taking after her mother, I guess). 

Her phrases crack us up.  Here's a few of our favorites that we wanted to memorialize so that we can remember them in our old age:
"What's that noise from?"  - whenever she hears some distant sound.  She has excellent hearing.
"[Noun] went away?  Tired?" - when something she likes disappears or is taken away.
"Umma, I am very tired now" -  she actually emphasizes the "very".  Where did she learn that drama?
"Umma, I'm bang bang" - this is a mix of Korean and English.  Bang bang is Korean baby talk for "I am full."
"What's that you're eating?  I want some." - usually happens when I try to be sneaky and put something like chocolate or a cookie or chip in my mouth when she is not looking.  Shoot. 
"Hey, [Umma/Appa/Hammi/Insert name here], don't do that!" - when we do something she doesn't like.  Especially when we try to take something away.
"No, I am busy right now."  - told to us when we ask her to do something she doesn't want to do.
"No, the big one." - when we try to give her a little piece of something she wants, like a treat.  She points to the bigger piece and says this.
"I need a book first."  - she is learning to use potty and she sits there, but wants a book.  Where does she learn these things??
"My laptop, please" - when she wants to "work" alongside us.
"I am strong!" - one day I started to think about the types of compliments we give her.  A lot of them are along the lines of "oh, you are so cute!" or "so pretty!"  Of course, she is super cuties, but I want her to know that she is so much more than just those things.  So I have started to tell her more often about how smart, how brave, how strong she is.  One day, when I asked to her to clean up her toys, she picked up a big box filled with her blocks, and said "Look at me, Umma, I am strong!"   I almost cried.  Now, she says it all the time.

I realize that a lot of the phrases above make her sound like a demanding child, but she is a toddler, after all.  Emma is a good kid overall, bright, good natured, and funny.  She has finally gotten over ther violent stage toward Ethan, and shows a lot of affection for him. She often asks Ethan "to give her a hug", or if she can give him a "po po" (kiss, in Korean). 

She also loves eating her veggies - what a blessing!  Look at the salad she is eating.  She actually asked for salad for dinner that night. 

And, there's Ethan, lurking in the background of the photo.  He will cry unless he is held during dinner.  We have to take turns eating, if we want to eat in any semblance of peace.   Ethan is very interested in the food we are eating.  He started solids at 6 months.  He basically spit out any sort of cereal we tried, but is now obsessed with squash, butternut or zucchini.  He smiles when he sees the food, and then, cries (surprise) if the food isn't coming quickly enough to his mouth.  All this crying - I tell myself, this, too, shall pass.   I hope.  I pray.  I chant.  Please, in the name of everything holy, please!