We are currently transitioning the boys' mealtimes away from spoon-feeding jarred baby foods and towards self-feeding homemade meals. The boys have been eating chunks of raw organic pears, cooked organic carrots, clementines, sweet potato, turkey, banana chunks rolled in organic wheat germ, organic bran muffins, oatmeal pancakes, and french toast sticks made from whole grain bread and cage-free eggs. Do you notice a trend here? Yes, we're really trying to give the boys mostly organic and unprocessed foods. They have also been enjoying tastes of Halmoni's yummy Turkey a la king and spaghetti.
When I first fed the boys muffins, Caleb held his muffin and took little bites like a gentleman while Joshua smashed his up and threw most of it on the floor. He knows that this is not acceptable behavior, because he will pick up a piece and look right at me as he dangles it over the edge of his high chair tray. Then when he's sure I'm watching, he drops it and waits for my reaction with a thinly veiled smirk on his face. Rascal!
It has not been easy for me to sit back and calmly watch the boys tear through the food I so painstakingly prepared for them like Taz from Looney Toons. I just keep reminding myself that it's the experience that's important, and that they don't need to eat every smidgen of food for it not to be a wasted meal. And I must come to grips with the fact that food will inevitably end up on the floor, all over their clothes, and in their hair, and that the vacuum is just going to have to see a lot more action from now on!
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Joshua is walking!
Joshua has been taking steps here and there for the past couple months, but I think it's safe to say that he is now officially a toddler. Over the past couple days he's been especially daring, walking distances of up to 20 feet at a time (tonight, for example, he walked from the end table in the living room to the chest of drawers in their bedroom) and sometimes moving his feet so quickly that it looks like he's running. He even jumps a little bit, too! It's so cute. We knew he could do it for a while now, but figured he was just waiting for his brother to catch up before taking off. But don't worry, sweet Caleb, your time will come soon!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Caleb disrobes
I guess taking his socks off was getting to be too boring. Today was a rather balmy November day, and so when Mommy wouldn't take his sweater off for him, he decided to do it himself! Well, he got it over his head but his arms were still partially stuck in the sleeves behind his back, so i helped him with that part. He and Joshua have both recently developed a great interest in trying to put clothes on and take them off all by themselves. He's getting to be such a big boy!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
1-year stats
Today the boys went to the doctor for their 1-year-old check-up. Caleb is in the 40th percentile for weight at 21 lbs. 4 oz. He is in the 90th percentile for length at 31.5 inches, and the 70th percentile for head circumference at 18.5 inches. Joshua is also in the 40th percentile for weight at 21 lbs. 6 oz. He is in the 75th percentile for length at 30.5 inches, and the 50th percentile for head circumference at 18.25 inches. We take the length and head measurements with a grain of salt, however, since it's not easy to get a baby to lie perfectly still while being measured.
Both boys are perfectly healthy, aside from a cold that they're just now getting over. They went their entire first year of life without a cold, then caught one on their birthday!
The doctor (not our usual doc) made what we thought was a rather silly comment about the boys' skin color. She said "I can tell they like to eat yellow vegetables b/c their skin is yellow." We responded, "well, actually they're a quarter Korean- that's why they're yellow". But the doctor insisted that their Korean heritage had nothing to do with this skin color. We didn't feel like arguing, but it's obvious that their skin has always been slightly yellow, long before they ever tasted a yellow vegetable. Like when they were born and Caleb was diagnosed w/ jaundice, the hospital staff was perplexed b/c his skin looked a lot "worse" than the biliruben levels indicated. Let's face it- a yellowish complexion is the only Korean feature that these blue-eyed, fair-haired boys got! And they eat just as many if not more green veggies than yellow ones. Anyway, we just thought that was a really silly thing for the doctor to say!
Both boys are perfectly healthy, aside from a cold that they're just now getting over. They went their entire first year of life without a cold, then caught one on their birthday!
The doctor (not our usual doc) made what we thought was a rather silly comment about the boys' skin color. She said "I can tell they like to eat yellow vegetables b/c their skin is yellow." We responded, "well, actually they're a quarter Korean- that's why they're yellow". But the doctor insisted that their Korean heritage had nothing to do with this skin color. We didn't feel like arguing, but it's obvious that their skin has always been slightly yellow, long before they ever tasted a yellow vegetable. Like when they were born and Caleb was diagnosed w/ jaundice, the hospital staff was perplexed b/c his skin looked a lot "worse" than the biliruben levels indicated. Let's face it- a yellowish complexion is the only Korean feature that these blue-eyed, fair-haired boys got! And they eat just as many if not more green veggies than yellow ones. Anyway, we just thought that was a really silly thing for the doctor to say!
Friday, November 10, 2006
Birthday Party!
The boys had their first birthday party today! We were thrilled that so many of you were able to make it! Thank you to both sets of grandparents for providing such yummy food, and thank you to everyone who travelled from near and far to attend this special event! We really appreciate it, and it's amazing to see how many loving and dedicated people the boys are blessed to have as their family and friends even at this early stage in their lives.
Happy 1st Birthday!
Happy 1st Birthday Caleb and Joshua! Today at 6:51 and 6:52 pm our sweet muffins turned one year old! Their birth seems like it was just yesterday, but at the same time we feel like they've been with us forever. They bring us such incredible joy and we can't imagine life without them. We couldn't have asked for healthier, cuter, sweeter, funnier, or smarter babies. God truly has blessed us beyond all our expectations and we are so very grateful.
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
Don't be like Peter!
Tonight Joshua walked all the way from the dishwasher to the fridge... a distance of about 5 feet! The funny thing is that he doesn't seem to realize what he's doing when he walks. He will get up and start moving his feet, and then all of a sudden his body will tell his brain "hey buddy, you're walking", and then his confidence suddenly plummets and he plops down on his butt. We tell him, "Don't be like Peter!" (Jesus' disciple who walked on the water until he lost faith and started to sink). Joshua also will not walk if he sees us watching him. As soon as he sees one of us, he'll plop down and crawl towards us!
Saturday, November 4, 2006
Some more things the boys do
When we say "Yay!" or "Good boy!" the boys will stop what they're doing and start clapping. When we say "Yes!" they will make a "ssss" sound like they're trying to say it, too. If we make raspberry noises, they'll imitate us. They'll also imitate each other's sound effects.
If you're wearing a hat, they'll grab it and immediately drop it on the ground. Joshua especially has a penchant for dropping things on the ground and then staring at them intently from afar. In fact, Joshua is pretty much obsessed with the ground. When you pick him up, he'll immediately bend over and look at the ground. Caleb, on the contrary, will always look upwards when you pick him up.
Caleb is a very sweet boy who loves to see other babies, in real life and in pictures. Whenever he sees a picture of himself, Joshua, or another baby on the laptop screen, he'll smile and giggle.
Apparently, the boys' expensive taste goes beyond their preference for organic food. Both boys are particularly drawn to anything shiny and gold, such as Grandpa's pen and watch. They also like anything made of glass, and if you're drinking from a glass they will not hesitate to beg you for a taste.
If you're wearing a hat, they'll grab it and immediately drop it on the ground. Joshua especially has a penchant for dropping things on the ground and then staring at them intently from afar. In fact, Joshua is pretty much obsessed with the ground. When you pick him up, he'll immediately bend over and look at the ground. Caleb, on the contrary, will always look upwards when you pick him up.
Caleb is a very sweet boy who loves to see other babies, in real life and in pictures. Whenever he sees a picture of himself, Joshua, or another baby on the laptop screen, he'll smile and giggle.
Apparently, the boys' expensive taste goes beyond their preference for organic food. Both boys are particularly drawn to anything shiny and gold, such as Grandpa's pen and watch. They also like anything made of glass, and if you're drinking from a glass they will not hesitate to beg you for a taste.
Friday, November 3, 2006
One week to go!
Caleb and Joshua will be 1 year old in just one week!
These boys do some really cute and funny stuff. I keep thinking of things to write in this blog, but then when it comes time to write them, I always forget them all. Let's see...
They know they are not allowed to climb the stairs at Halmoni and Grandpa's house, so every time we're over there, they will crawl over to the stairs, turn around, and break out into a big, mischevious grin at an authority figure (parents, grandparents, or uncle). They think it's a game. They also seem to think that "No!" is the most hilarious word ever, especially when Mommy says it. They're also always eager to attack the house plants, and we always have to tell them "Gentle! Gentle!" Same goes for the stereo equiptment. If it's not behind locked doors, they will open the doors and stick their hands in the VCR!
It seems that their books are their favorite toys. When we read them a book, Joshua will bend down and look closely at each page, then sit back up and smack his legs when he's ready for us to turn the page. When they're crying about something, often the only things that will comfort them is reading a book or singing a song.
At our house, they are always trying to get into the bathroom. They think it's the greatest room ever. We hope they feel the same way when it's time for elimination communication! They also love to crawl under things- end tables, their cribs, whatever. They're pretty good at figuring out how to squeeze their way in and out of tight spaces- in this way they remind me of my pet rabbits I had growing up.
I recently got them some Baby Legs. They are the funky legwarmers you see them wearing in the November Gallery. They make diaper-changing so much easier since I don't have to fight with them to put their pants back on each time I change them. It's become harder and harder to change their diapers recently. They always want to be on the go doing anything but lying still on their backs!
Today I "made" them a playroom using the wider part of our sunroom, which up until today was basically used for storage because it was too hot during the summer and attracted lots of bugs. But now that Fall is here, the warm sunlight feels nice and the bug population has dwindled. It's only about a 6 x 6 ft. space, but it's nice and sunny and warm during the day. They seem to like it out there, but unless I'm sitting out there with them they will sooner or later come back into the living room to find me (and my laptop!).
These boys do some really cute and funny stuff. I keep thinking of things to write in this blog, but then when it comes time to write them, I always forget them all. Let's see...
They know they are not allowed to climb the stairs at Halmoni and Grandpa's house, so every time we're over there, they will crawl over to the stairs, turn around, and break out into a big, mischevious grin at an authority figure (parents, grandparents, or uncle). They think it's a game. They also seem to think that "No!" is the most hilarious word ever, especially when Mommy says it. They're also always eager to attack the house plants, and we always have to tell them "Gentle! Gentle!" Same goes for the stereo equiptment. If it's not behind locked doors, they will open the doors and stick their hands in the VCR!
It seems that their books are their favorite toys. When we read them a book, Joshua will bend down and look closely at each page, then sit back up and smack his legs when he's ready for us to turn the page. When they're crying about something, often the only things that will comfort them is reading a book or singing a song.
At our house, they are always trying to get into the bathroom. They think it's the greatest room ever. We hope they feel the same way when it's time for elimination communication! They also love to crawl under things- end tables, their cribs, whatever. They're pretty good at figuring out how to squeeze their way in and out of tight spaces- in this way they remind me of my pet rabbits I had growing up.
I recently got them some Baby Legs. They are the funky legwarmers you see them wearing in the November Gallery. They make diaper-changing so much easier since I don't have to fight with them to put their pants back on each time I change them. It's become harder and harder to change their diapers recently. They always want to be on the go doing anything but lying still on their backs!
Today I "made" them a playroom using the wider part of our sunroom, which up until today was basically used for storage because it was too hot during the summer and attracted lots of bugs. But now that Fall is here, the warm sunlight feels nice and the bug population has dwindled. It's only about a 6 x 6 ft. space, but it's nice and sunny and warm during the day. They seem to like it out there, but unless I'm sitting out there with them they will sooner or later come back into the living room to find me (and my laptop!).
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