Gratitude Countdown - Day 6

I'm thankful for the internet.

I'm an internet addict. A junkie. I need to check my email 3,567 times a day. I just do. I'm a Facebook stalker (but the good kind). I'm constantly visiting my friends' blogs to read about their lives. And probably some of your friend's blogs too, when I get especially bored. I get to "see" my friends and family via Skype and our webcam. I can watch all my favorite television shows. I can still shop at all my favorite stores. I get to be 6,000 miles away from all my friends, family, and homeland and still keep in contact with them and still feel like I get to be a part of everyone's lives. It's a truly blessed thing.

I can still remember the first time I ever heard about the internet, the first time I used it. It blew my mind. It still blows my mind. I have no idea how it works....I'm just glad that it does. And now that I've been using the internet for so long to do so many things, it's a wonder that we ever lived without it.

So I love the internet. We're good friends. I have a hard time staying away. But sometimes I can restrain myself. (But this is why I'll never own a smart phone because I cannot be trusted with that much access. I'd be useless as a human being.) Isn't it amazing that we get to live in our modern world with all of it's amazing technology and inventions? Yes, I think they sometimes distract us from what's most important in life and certainly make being productive much more difficult, but they also bring amazing advantages with them.

I wouldn't be able to share this message with all my friends and family all around the world right now. And that would be truly sad.

Gratitude Countdown - Day 5

I am very grateful for our plucky little car. It's been a good, reliable car for us and takes us where we need to go.

We sold our cars in Hawaii before we came to Korea. We just didn't think that either of them were nice enough to ship all the way here so we just decided that we'd buy some used, but serviceable car when we got here. And how we came to buy the car we did was one of those events in my life that reminds me that God is always watching out for us and that there is a reason that things work out the way they do.

We got to Korea in June of last year but since money was a little tight, we decided to wait to purchase a car so we walked, took the subway or taxis everywhere. By October, with the promise of a cold winter looming ahead of us, I decided that we could wait no longer; I needed a car. So we started looking around for used cars everywhere we could but since it was no longer PCS season (when soldiers move to new duty-stations), there weren't many options available, particularly in our price range.

We called around to a few listings and checked out a few cars but none seemed right. We called about a Hyundai, selling for $2000, which was a little bit more than we wanted to pay for a car but David knew not to test my patience anymore. I was sure that we would buy this car and I was over-joyed at the thought of finally having a vehicle again. But, as we were walking to the commissary to test-drive the car, the owner called David to tell him that he had just sold the car to someone else. Needless to say, I was very upset. There just weren't any other cars out there and that had been our best bet. David tried to cheer me up and say that we'd find something else. Once we got to the commissary, we noticed a new "for sale" sign that hadn't been there before. It was for a 1996 Kia Sephia and the guy was asking only $850 for it. It seemed like too good a deal to pass up so that night David called. Later that week, we test drove the car and we both knew it was the right car for us.

We found out that the guy had just put up that sign and we were the first people to call him. So it all worked out the way it was supposed to and we didn't have to stretch our money to cover the cost of a car. I'm so grateful that our car has lasted us this last year. I'm happy every time the ignition starts and I can drive our car to work, the grocery store, or to a friend's house for some much needed social time. I'm grateful for the independence that a car brings and that driving in Korea has become second nature--and much less scary--to me now. I hope our car will last us until next June, when we can pass it on to some other soldier or sailor in need.

Gratitude Countdown - Day 4

If there's one thing I'm going to really miss when we leave Korea (besides easy access to Korean food) it'll be our apartment. I love our home. Love. And I'm trying to resign myself to the fact that I will probably never live in a home so nice for a long, long time. We may complain about certain aspects of the military, but they do take good care of their people and our beautiful home here in Seoul is one of the perks. Some of our friends have very nice apartments as well, but I still think ours is the best.

I love that we have four bedrooms (including a guest room if anyone wants to visit) and lots of space. I love my kitchen with it's big gas range (I love cooking with gas....electric stoves just aren't as good), built-in refrigerator/freezer and bountiful cupboard/counter space. The only thing that could make it better would be a full-size American oven but I'll take my tiny little one. At least I've got an oven.

I'm so grateful that we get to live off-base. I love our little neighborhood with its tiny streets and cramped little markets and delicious restaurants. I love that we are in walking distance to several Korean landmarks (Seoul Station, Seoul Tower and Namdaemun market) and that we get to really feel like we live in Korea, not just some high-rise two feet from base. I love that I can see the 63 building from our living room window, I love that I can just run down to the market 50 yards from our house to buy ice cream whenever the craving strikes, and I love that I can never get lost in this city because Seoul Tower always points me home.

Yes, there are things that frustrate me about living in Korea (and even in our home....some carpet would be nice) but mostly, I just think about all the wonderful memories that have been made here. And even though the world outside my window is so very foreign to me, inside my apartment, it truly does feel like home. And I'm always happy to be here.

Gratitute Countdown - Day 3

Today I am grateful for garbage disposals and dishwashers. Dirty dishes are the bane of my existence. There are many, many things I'd rather do than wash dirty dishes. I love to bake and cook but cleaning up after the baking and cooking is done sucks. (Though admittedly, there are the rare moments when washing the dishes can be therapuetic.) I am grateful that we have a dishwasher to help lighten my load. We didn't have a dishwasher in Hawaii and even though are dishwasher here is on the smaller side, it's still a dishwasher and I still love it for getting my dishes are sparkly and clean with just the push of a button.

On the other hand, I never knew how wonderful and magical garbage disposals were until I moved here. We have to collect all our disgusting food waste and put it in little yellow bags. It's beyond gross. I miss the days when I could just throw food down the drain and watch it disappear, never to return again. Oh garbage disposals, I never knew how wonderful you were until I didn't have you anymore. I'm really looking forward to having a garbage disposal again when we move back to the States.

Gratitute Countdown - Day 2

I am very grateful for my health. It is something that is so easy to take for granted until you don't have it. I have been very lucky to have had relatively few health problems in my life aside from the seasonal colds and flus that strike every year (and even then, the last cold I had was last Halloween). Sure, I've broken several bones and received three sets of stitches, but those were the result of being rather accident-prone, and in all cases, I healed completely. Until I got pregnant, my biggest medical issue was my Barothlin gland cysts but since my outpatient surgery two years ago, they haven't bothered me again. I am also grateful for adequate health insurance and access to good health care providers when I've needed it.

My healthy body is a huge blessing. I need to remember to not take it for granted and to treat it better. I should eat better (darn my sweet tooth!) and exercise more. I want my body to last me a long, long time.

Now my teeth, on the other hand, are a whole other story. I should have married a dentist.

Gratitude Countdown - Day 1

"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed.
When you are discouraged thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

We sang this hymn ("Count your many blessings") at church last Sunday and it got me thinking about how many things I have to be thankful for. So for the next two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I'd like to document the many things--both big and small, silly and serious--that I have to be grateful for this year.

The first thing I am thankful for is my fertility. No seriously. It sounds weird but it really is something I am so, so grateful for. It was around this time last year that David and I decided that we wanted a baby. The time was right and we were ready. So we tossed out all our birth control methods, counted my cycle and went to town. It only took one try. Honestly. One try. It takes some people months. Years. Sometimes it never happens. But for us....a month. And in those agonizing two weeks--a whole two weeks!--that I waited to take a pregnancy test, I thought how awful and horrible and soul-crushingly hard it would be to want something so bad and be disappointed every time. To get that negative sign and know you'd have to be patient, oh so very patient, to try again and face the possible disappointment or supreme elation once again.

In reading about pregnancy, fertility, and implantation, I realized how shockingly difficult it is to get pregnant. I mean, it seems like it should be easy. People have been doing it for thousands of years with no help. Lots of people end up pregnant without wanting to or even trying to. But it amazed me to learn just how many little things need to be juuuust right for that one tiny sperm to meet a ready and willing egg that results in a viable embryo. A lot of things can go wrong.

I have many friends who struggled for years to get pregnant. Who are still struggling and are doing everything they can and spending lots of money to get something which came so easily for David and me. And now, a year later, I have the most perfect and beautiful baby girl anyone could ever ask for. It truly is a miracle.

So yes, I am thankful for my fertility. I only hope I'm not so fertile that Zara ends up with a little baby brother or sister before I'm ready for the next one.

Korean Folk Village

The Seoul Searchers are a group of women from our church who get together twice a month to explore different parts of Seoul. They've gone to different museums, parks, and cultural sites around Seoul. I went to the first outing--to the Seoul Zoo--and then pregnancy, birth, and motherhood got in the way. I've been anxiously awaiting my chance to re-join them and they finally gave me a good excuse. This Wednesday we went to the Korean Folk Village in Suwon, a place I've been wanting to go since we first got here. It's a large open complex that shows what a traditional Korean village would have looked like.

It was a beautiful fall day and all the trees with their orange, yellow, and red leaves were spectacular.

I wish it didn't feel like fall gets shortchanged every year.

The village was separated by a river and there were several bridges--of various styles and materials--that spanned the water.

They also had several demonstrations. We watched traditional drumming and dance, a traditional Korean wedding, and an equestrian show. And then there was this guy who walked on this tightrope....

....and bounced up and down it on his crotch. I can only hope that he was wearing some heavy padding.

There were only three of us there and since two of us had small babies who needed to be fed, we didn't get to explore the village as much as I would have liked.

Still, I really enjoyed what I did get to see. But I always love living history mueums like this.

Can you spot the cat on the hut?

There he is! There were several cats wandering around the village.


We ate lunch at a restaurant there and then headed home. It only took us 45 minutes to get back and now that I know how to get there, I may just have to go back again. But next time, I'm bringing David with me. I could have used a translator.

Gyeongju

Our last stop on our wild and crazy trip through Korea was Gyeongju, which is about an hour north of Busan. Gyeongju was the capital of Korea during the Silla dynasty and is one of the best perserved areas of Korea (since the Japanese have pretty much destroyed everything else in Korea multiple times over). In fact, it's called the "museum without walls." I was surprised at just how much there is to see in Gyeongju. You could spend days there, but we only had a few hours. I'd really love to try to go back there at some point. It looked liked a beautiful and fascinating area. Still, I'm glad we got to see what we did while we were there.

Gyeongju is famous for these random grass-covered hills called tumuli. They are really the burial mounds of various Silla royalty. There are hundreds of them all throughout the area.

The double peaked mounds are apparently the burial plots for husband and wife.

We visited Tumuli Park which was full of these mounds and some beautiful shady areas, trees, walkways and ponds.

They have also excavated one of the mounds so that visitors can enter it.

Basically, the tomb of the king or royal person is in the center of the mound, covered by a wooden box containing the remains of the person and all sorts of gold and jewels. The tomb is then covered by a mound of rocks, a thick layer or dirt, and finally the grass. You can see why they don't excavate more of them. It'd be a major pain. Still, I wonder what other treasures they could find.

Zara spent most of the day sleeping. Seriously. We couldn't even get her to wake up to eat. I guess she was worn out or going through a growth spurt or something.

Across the street from Tumuli Park was another open area full of more tumuli and this ancient astronomy observation tower.

It was also near several large fields where they grow flowers and other plants. Too bad we came during the fall. It looks like the are would be absolutely beautiful during the spring.

After a few hours in the area, we climbed back into the car and headed home to Seoul. We made good time (stopping at another rest stop for dinner) and only hit traffic once we entered Seoul again. Luckily, we weren't stuck in traffic for too long. At least we know our way home and didn't get lost again.

I'm so glad we got a chance to get out of Seoul. Korea really is a beautiful country with a long and tragic history. I call Korea the ugly step-sister of Asia. It often gets lost in the shadow of China and Japan, but it is a fascinating country with a strong and resilent people. I can only hope that I live to see the day when North and South Korea can be reunited as one country.

Election Day

This Election Day, Zara would like to encourage all her adoring fans to go vote for her favorite party....

The Tea Party.*

It's the party of pretty, pretty princesses and kitty cats.

I'm Zara and I approve of this message.

* Not an endorsement of any actual political party. Zara is only nine weeks old, after all.

Luckily my absentee ballot has already been mailed off. That's one thing that California does seem to do right. David hasn't even gotten his Georgia ballot yet which means he doesn't get to vote again. For those who can and will, happy voting!

Zara at Two Months!

My baby is two months old! Where did the time go? Zara is growing so fast and she changes so much every day, I can hardly believe it. It's already so hard to remember what she was like as a newborn, at a week, at a month. I take such delight in watching her grow, learning new things, and experiencing the world around her. She's such a joy and really is a wonderful baby. Here's her two month update:

General Observations, Physical Changes, Etc.

In typical military efficiency, Zara's two month check-up isn't scheduled until the middle of November so she'll almost be three months old before then. According to my own measurements, Zara weighed in at 12 pounds, 8 ounces today, although she's tipped the scale at 13 pounds before and she's at least 23 inches long. She's starting to outgrow her 0-3 month clothes and is just about ready to move up to the 3-6 month clothes.

For comparison's sake, here's a picture of Zara at one month:

And here she is at two months:

What a little chunker. I also really need a better camera.

Zara loves to move her hands and fingers and often goes cross-eyed in her attempt to look at (okay, eat) her hands. She's started to really love to kick her little feet too.

Zara still has her beautiful dark head of hair though it does seem to be getting lighter at the roots. She has cradle cap but luckily her hair hides most of it. I've rubbed lotion into her scalp and that seemed to help. Mostly, she just looks like she's got a bit of dandruff. Also, she so has her Daddy's wild and crazy hair. It's ridiculous.

Zara had some pretty bad baby acne at the beginning of the month. It started to turn very red and scaly and she had little red bumps all over her face, neck, and scalp. I started to worry that it was a bad reaction to our laundry detergent, something I was eating, or possibly even Suyom. I tried to give up dairy (since that's the biggest culprit when it comes to baby food allegeries) but that lasted like a day. I love dairy way too much (and luckily, that wasn't our problem anyway). After doing some online research, I decided that it was most likely ezcema so I started washing Zara's face multiple times a day and rubbing lotion on her face to seal in the moisture. My friend also conveniently sent me a jar of organic nipple butter which had all the natural ingredients that I had read were especially helpful at curing ezcema so I started rubbing that all over her cheeks as well. (Thanks Tessa!) Within a week, the red scaliness had disappeared and her skin is soft and smooth again. She's still got some baby acne and a few bumps, but it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be.

Zara is a still a hiccuppy baby. I'm afraid she got that from me.

Her eyes are still blue and have lightened up just a little bit more this month.

She's unsure of how she feels about bathing. She sits in her little tub and seems to enjoy to warm water but she's less sure when we start to soap her up and especially when we wash her hair. She tends to scream quite a bit when we take her out of the bath to dry her off and change her.

Eating and sleeping habits

Zara still loves to eat. Luckily she will take a bottle when I'm not around but doesn't have any problem going back to the breast when I come home. She rarely, if ever, uses a pacifier.

Zara is a great sleeper.....at night. During the day, not so much. She takes little cat naps but wakes back up as soon as I try to put her down. I just ordered a swing (which I really hope gets here soon) and I really hope that that will help calm her down or at least keep her entertained for a bit so I can get some things done during the day.

The last two weeks, Zara has taken to sleeping for six to eight hours at a stretch. She typically falls asleep around 10 p.m. and then wakes up between 4 to 6 am. I get up to change and feed her and then we get back in bed together (since David will have gotten up to get ready for work by then) and fall asleep together for another few hours. Of course, she doesn't do this every night and some nights are more difficult than others but I feel like I'm getting enough sleep every night.

Accomplishments and Firsts

Zara has gotten very good at holding up her head on her own. She can lift and turn her head on her own when she's on her stomach. She still really hates tummy time though.

Zara smiles ALL the time now. She loves to smile. In fact, sometimes she can't finish eating because she can't stop smiling.

I swear Zara laughed in her sleep the other night. It was the cutest sound ever.

Zara has started to coo and makes all sort of new sounds now. Most are very cute but she makes one sound that sounds like "ow" and she also does one in her sleep that sounds like she's barking.

Zara celebrated her first Halloween. She went as a baby Harry [Harriet] Potter. (I couldn't find any cute costumes that were small enough for Zara but I already ordered her costume for next year. I can't wait!)

Zara was blessed in church on October 17th. (See previous post.)

Zara also met her Grandma and Grandpa Hayman for the first time when they came to visit her and Korea this month.

I caught Zara doing this while taking this photo. Apparently, she can roll her tongue. Her Daddy is so proud.

Baby's favorite toys, places to go, etc.

Zara is quite the traveler. Not only has she visited three countries (in utero) but she's now traveled through most of South Korea including Seoul, Busan, and Gyeongju. She's a wonderful traveler which is a trend I hope continues because there's still a few Asian countries I'd like to check off my list before we leave Korea. But it's ridiculous the amount of things you have to pack for a baby. Sheesh.

Zara seems to really enjoy listening to music. Her new favorite song that we sing is the "Wheels on the Bus."

I picked up this play yard at a flea market the other day. I thought it would be a good toy to entertain Zara. She loves looking at the bright colors and hitting the little dangly toys. When she does, the mobile lights up and starts playing music. She's all smiles for about thirty minutes. Still, I'd say it was a good $6 investment.

And now, here's a few photos from the last month:


I think Zara looks more like David. But I see little glimpses of me in there too sometimes.

Baby pouty faces are so cute.

I just love it when Zara sleeps with David. So sweet.

Catching the tail-end of a Zara smile.

Sleeping on Mommy.

Her cute Halloween pajamas that my mom bought her.

Why are you always sticking that camera in my face?

Happy naked baby.

I love naked babies. My mom bought Zara that teddy bear (her first) at the Teddy Bear Museum gift shop at Seoul Tower while they were visiting. We named her Daisy.

Look at all those rolls of chub. Love it.