What's New with the Kiddos?

Just thought I'd give you a quick list of what they're up to these days...



Nathan is:
...obsessed with TV (yes, we've discovered the Sprout channel and have turned to this on occasion, especially when we're up before 6am)
...even more obsessed with trucks, especially construction equipment
...trying to climb on everything. He's figured out that if he moves certain things from one place to another (chairs, for example), he can climb up and get to whatever it is that's out of reach. Clever little guy!
...running and FAST!
...still loving books
...getting really good at eating with a fork...although his preferred eating posture is still holding the fork in one hand and shoving in the food with his other non-fork-holding hand
...taking better naps...about 2 hours on most days! Hallelujah!
...so affectionate. He often just comes over and rubs my arm, or snuggles up to my leg. He does this with John and Abigail, too...it's so precious!
...starting to remember things. A few weeks ago, I was baking something and the smoke alarm went off (the oven had an old spill that was smoking). He points to the smoke alarm every now and then as if to say, "That's the thing that made that terrible noise a few weeks back."




Abigail:
...is almost 4 months old! Seriously, she was just born yesterday! And the day before that I found out I was pregnant! Where does the time go?!?
...is already experiencing stranger anxiety. It's been a bit rough but I know it's just a phase.
...is a social butterfly. She's not as content to be parked in one spot now, especially when the rest of us are in another part of the room. She wants to be where the action is!
...is sleeping great at night, waking around 4am to eat and then back to sleep until about 7am.
...is just as alert and curious as Nathan, maybe even more.
...adores Daddy and loves to be held in his arms. She is so relaxed there and super super content.
...is a chatterbox. She loves to talk and shriek and we love to listen.
...is turning over from her tummy to her back. She started this at about 2 months but I thought it was a fluke. She's so long that if she gets a little off balance, over she goes.
...is blowing raspberries, no lessons from Mommy required

Time is flying by here...these babies are growing up too quickly and I'm trying to savor every moment. It's hard to keep things in perspective--housework will still be there but the kids' babyhoods will not keep. Ah, all the lessons I have still to learn!

No rest for the weary

So I thought I'd last posted about a week ago...turns out it's been over a month! There's not a lot of time for things these days. Nathan and Abigail are still the most amazing children, and John and I are constantly talking about how blessed we are. But the fact remains...2 kids under 2 is tough!

It wouldn't be so hard if there were any breaks. But when one baby is fine, the other one invariably needs something. And they seem to have perfected this tag-team bit. If it's Nathan's nap time, somehow Abigail is either needing to eat or super alert and wanting to play. If Abigail's sleeping, Nathan wants to play. If John and I are sleeping, you can be sure that someone is waking us up! Nights lately have played out this way...Nathan and Abigail are both down by 8pm (usually closer to 7 for Abby). We try to get to bed by 10. Sometime between 2-3am, Nathan wakes up and comes in crying. Either John or I will walk him back to his room and sleep on the floor (John has been a saint this week and has taken most of this duty). If I'm sleeping on his floor, then I sleep with one ear listening for Abigail who usually wakes to eat around 4am. If I let her stir too long, she ends up waking Nathan and then everyone's up!

OK, that's all the "whining" I'm going to do right now. I'm very tired these days and somehow there's not a lot of time for sleeping or when I am asleep, somebody wakes me up too soon. There...I'm done.

Aside from being tired, life is pretty grand. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Sacramento. The kids and I spent the week with my Grandma who was staying at my mom's. She had a blast playing with Nathan and loving on Abigail, and I had a blast visiting with her and watching her love on my kids. We got to see friends and family for Thanksgiving and Nathan had a great time playing with cousins and friends. After Thanksgiving, we met my dad and Paula in San Francisco for an overnight excursion to the auto show and some kid-friendly fun. They hadn't seen the kids in awhile, so it was really nice for Nathan and Abigail to see them. We rode the carousel at Yerba Buena Garden, had lunch at Bloomie's food court, walked through China Town, saw the Christmas tree at Union Square, and of course, toured the auto show. Nathan ran squealing from car to car, climbing in and test driving them. Cute! Both kids did great despite being out of their element and having their routines slightly tweaked. Abigail is very go-with-the-flow. She napped in the stroller when she was tired and was otherwise her happy self.

And now we're getting ready for Christmas. The cards are done...I just have to address them and mail them out. My shopping is mostly done...just a handful of people left. John is off to the U.K. again next week, so the kids and I will go to Sac for a few days. I "can" be the single parent but I was totally wiped out last time and am taking advantage of help this time. When he gets back, we'll put up our tree and then the fun will begin. Nathan is fascinated by Christmas tress right now...everywhere we see one, he "talks" up a storm about it. So cute!

Muscle Building

Abigail and some tummy time

Cookie Monster

Nathan's been enjoying some extra treats this week as John and I have been feeling sorry for him after his injury. He got syrup on his pancakes on Sunday after we left the ER and today he got an entire cookie to himself...of course, he had a few bites and then left it somewhere because something else caught his eye. Oh to have that kind of self-control!

She Sleeps

The other day Abigail was laying in the portable crib, watching the mobile go around. She does this several times a day and loves it. I was getting a few things done while she watched and suddenly it got quiet over there. I peeked over the side of the crib and her eyes were starting to close. A few seconds later, she was asleep! She looked so peaceful and angelic that I couldn't resist a few photos. What a dream she is!

Abigail

Crash Test

Early Sunday morning, Nathan woke up crying. I went in to see what the matter was and...he was fine. After sitting with him for around 30 minutes, he started smiling and trying to engage me in being awake. I gave him a kiss, made sure he had his animals and blankie, and left to go back to sleep. He was crying, of course, and then...CRASH! I was in going to the bathroom when this happened, and then I heard the sound of him padding into our room. "What in the world?" is all I could think. Around the corner came Nathan, crying, and head gushing blood! Enter hysterical mommy... John woke up and got Nathan to assess the problem and try and stop the bleeding. Meanwhile, hysterical mommy... After about 10 minutes, the bleeding slowed but the gash was pretty gnarly looking. We called the advice nurse and she advised us to go to the ER. And off we went. He ended up having to get 2 stitches but he was such a trooper! He cried, but only because of the new environment and having to be strapped onto the papoose board. The stitches come out tomorrow and then we'll see if there will be a manly scar for him to brag about to his friends.

Since he either climbed or fell out of the crib, John thought it would be a good idea to convert his crib into a toddler bed. This involved taking the front panel of slats off and lowering the mattress. Voila! Big boy bed! Nathan's adjusted to that pretty well, too. Yes, he can just get out whenever he wants to now, but so far it hasn't been too bad.

Chef Nathan

One of Nathan's latest interests is cooking. Ideally, he'd love to do it all by himself, but he tolerates sitting in his highchair and watching/participating as much as he can. When I was a kid, I remember sitting on the counter in my grandma's kitchen and observing/helping, and Nathan has LOVED doing that as well. He's not entirely steady yet though, so the highchair has been a better location.

He also loves to get the pots and pans out and pretend he's cooking up a wonderful concoction. A few weeks ago I also gave him a bowl and a spoon and we "tasted" his creations when they were finished. The huge grin on his face made my day.


Exploring the veggies


Adding some ingredients


Helping stir the pancake batter

More September Pics

Abigail and Great Grandma Hansen



Nathan supervising some yard work in Woodland



Weekend in Reno to celebrate Grandma Ko's birthday and to let Abigail meet Grandpa Ko

September Pics

Our trip to the beach at Half Moon Bay...Abigail was asleep in the stroller



Abigail's first tub bath...she liked it a lot after the initial shock



Nathan taking a trip down memory lane...having his bottle while lounging in the baby papasan chair he sat in as a baby



Abigail, aka Snuggle Monkey, cuddling with Daddy

October Pics

Abigail finds her thumb!




A small peek at Abigail's smiles



Nathan feeling oh-so-proud of himself for standing on the step stool



Nathan wearing the outfit my boss from Japan sent when Nathan was born


More to come...Apple Hill and Halloween festivities are on our agenda for the next week or so. Stay tuned!

Life is Good

What happened to the last month? Oh that's right...a whirlwind of sleepless nights with a teething toddler, early morning feedings, lots of poopy diapers, a perpetual mountain of laundry, dark circles under our eyes, and here we are in mid-October! But seriously, life with 2 babies under 2 definitely has its challenges, but each day has so many wonderful moments. The lack of sleep, the being spit up on just as we're ready to walk out the door, the poopy diaper blow-outs coming from such a tiny and ladylike girl...none of that really matters. Some good concealer, a lifetime supply of baby wipes, and a large box of OxyClean have helped solve most of the problems I face on a daily basis. Oh, and coffee or caffeine of some sort...

But the kids...oh the kids!! Nathan is just the most adorable boy. He's happy 99.9 percent of the time and is such a great helper--to me, to John, and especially to Abigail. He must watch us care for her an awful lot, because he knows exactly what to do when she's upset! And if the thing she needs (binky or whatever) isn't within his reach, he starts "telling" us what to do...in his own way, of course...with lots of hand gestures. So cute. He's finally mastered the art of climbing onto the couch...and the first time he did it, his sense of accomplishment was awesome! Now he scampers up to see the garbage man on Monday mornings or just to check out whatever noise he might hear down in the parking lot area. Cute! His first tumble and subsequent need for stitches has been relatively easy. He cried, sure, but mostly I think he was just tired and wanted to go back to sleep. He cried a bit at the ER while they stitched him up, but that was more from having to be strapped down on the "Papoose Board" (definitely not PC...had a picture of an "Indian" baby with a feather headdress and everything!) and having strangers in his face than from being in pain. We went out for breakfast afterward and he was his giggling, smiling self immediately. Definitely resilient!

Nathan's Latest Tricks
Us: What does a sheep say? Nathan: Ba-ba
Us: What does a doggie say? Nathan: Woo-woo (barely moving his mouth...so cute!)
Climbing up on the step stool...and knowing that moving said step stool opens up his world tremendously!
"Swimming" in the bathtub...laying down on his tummy and stretching out
Eating raisins like they're going out of style!
Doing hand motions to songs like "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and laughing and clapping when the song is done
Sitting still for up to 10 minutes for story time at the library or circle time at our Wednesday class for 1-year-olds
Obsessed with machines and tools of all types--he'd watch the washing machine all day if I'd let him!
Desperate to help in the kitchen, no matter what the job--will put the plastic containers away while I'm unloading the dishwasher, will add ingredients to a bowl to be mixed, loves holding and exploring veggies and fruits of all sorts...a regular chef in training!
Knows how to unscrew the lids on my spice jars...after the rosemary got dumped out onto the living room carpet, the spice jars found a new home out of his reach

And Miss Abigail...I could eat her with a spoon! I love my time with her...the way she smiles and coos just melts my heart! She is a dream baby...eats and sleeps predictably and even when she's crying, there are only a few options for what's causing the problem. Mostly she wants to snuggle (hence her nickname, Snuggle Monkey), eat, have a clean diaper, and be entertained. She's even starting to hate the car less, which is a definite bonus! She's found both of her hands and usually manages to successfully suck on a thumb or finger when she needs to pacify herself. She's rolled over twice now from her tummy to her back...the first time was definitely a fluke (she was off balance and over she went) but the second time was all her!

Abigail's Latest Cuteness
Weighs over 13 lbs.
Is over 23 inches long
Wears 6-month size clothing...she's too long for smaller stuff!
Smiles and coos for a long time after she's fed and changed
Loves to watch the mobile
Hardly flinched when she got her first round of shots at 2 months...and had no reaction whatsoever the rest of the day...so easy-going!
Is dainty, ladylike, and cute as a button...but man can she toot! She's been mistaken for adults in our house!

Every night, during that hour or two before we go to bed when both kids are asleep and the house is quiet, John and I sit in the dimly lit living room in our state of exhaustion and we talk about how amazing it is to have these 2 kids. Sure, it's hard. Sure, we're tired. Sure, the house has never been in quite this state of disarray. But my goodness, we are blessed! The other day after Nathan got up from his nap, we were sitting on the floor in the living room and I was feeding Abigail. Nathan was sitting by me, playing, and I was overcome with the thought of how much I love these 2 precious gifts. The phrase, "My heart swells" doesn't begin to describe the feeling I had...I looked at the two of them--both babies in their own way--and was so indescribably thankful for them. I watch them sleep and wonder what we ever did to deserve them. Life really is good...

Abigail's First Month Stats

OK, maybe John and I have some kind of weird pride thing when it comes to our kids' height/weight/head circumference stats, but we've always gotten pretty happy when they've "scored" high. That being said...

Abigail had her 1-month check-up today and she weighs 9 lbs. 7.5 oz. (yes, that's right, that's a 19.5 oz. gain in 10 days...twice the average gain in that amount of time...and yes, I have some serious breastfeeding mama pride right now!). She's in the 75th percentile for weight...woohoo! She's now 22 inches long (90th percentile) and her head is 75th percentile (can't remember the actual number...oops). Her belly button is all healed up so she can have a tub bath now (I've been wanting to give her one so badly so I'm pretty excited about that). We'll go back in a month for another check-up, at which point she'll get her first round of immunizations...poor thing.

What Happened to Our Routine??

Yes, it's happened to us. Those of you who have been through having a second (or third or nth number) child knew this would happen. In some vague, obscure way, I did, too...I just wasn't prepared for what it would "mean."

Up until 4 weeks ago, life at the Ko house was pretty predictable. Nathan would get up around 7 and the rest of the day would unfold with the same sort of routine each day. By 8pm, Nathan was asleep and would greet us the following morning with his smiling, happy face. This even continued for a few days after Abigail came home from the hospital...and then everything abruptly changed!

Nathan began waking up at all hours of the night, needing John or I to go in and comfort him back to sleep for a few minutes. Then the earlier waking times started...6:30, 6:00, 5:00 or 5:30...each day seemed crueler than the previous. This past week has been particularly rough...four or five times a night, Nathan wakes up. He's woken up at 4:30 and then the mind-boggling 3am today! He's still only napped his normal 1.5-2 hours, so it's made for incredibly long days around here. One morning after an insanely early wake up, both kids were crying at the same time, I was trying to get dressed and brush my teeth, and John was leaving for work. Feeling completely overwhelmed, I brought both babies into our bedroom where I promptly bawled like a baby myself while John consoled me. Imagine how I'd be feeling if Abigail weren't such an easy baby?!? Sleeping 4 hours and then waking to eat...not too shabby for a 1-month-old!

Of course, after the babies and I slept for awhile, life looked a bit brighter, but this lack of routine, lack of any sort of predictability is taking its toll on me. I know it's to be expected when adding a second child to a family. I know that in time I will figure this out and life will return to some sort of routine, albeit a different, 2-child routine. I know that I just need to be patient. But I also want to scream, "I don't do well with change! I want my predictable systems back! Couldn't we just fast-forward through this tumultuous, learn-to-be-patient part??" In the midst of the craziness that is my life currently, I look at my babies and marvel that they are ours. Nathan is the sweetest boy...so caring and loving to others (especially Abigail!). And Abigail, though we don't know her personality fully yet, seems to be such a calm, easy-going person. Nathan's smile just lights up my day and Abigail has the cutest little noises that have just captured my heart. So, after all my complaining and kicking and screaming, I guess my life is really pretty great.

...and I know that those of you with more than 2 kids are chuckling and shaking your heads at me...it's okay...anyone with 2 or more kids is currently my hero!

She's Fine...

Abigail's doing great. She's at 8 lbs 8 oz today, 2 oz more than her birth weight. I admit to worrying a fair amount about this over the past 2 weeks, mainly because this is really my first baby to actually nurse. Nathan got breast milk in bottles so it was easy to see how much he was taking in...with Abigail, I've just had to believe she was getting full at each feeding. I knew she was getting some since she's so alert and content, but I just needed some data for reassurance. So I did a little dance at the doctor's office this morning when we went for a weight check, and I've been feeling better since. Now I can just enjoy feeding my daughter and stop worrying...she's doing fine!

Grandma Ko Comes to Visit

Mama Ko has been with us this week and has been thoroughly soaking in her grandchildren. She's cooked up a storm (yeah for us!) and has been keeping Nathan entertained and Abigail's "snuggle tank" full.

And Baby Makes 4

Yes, this post is late. I've been wanting to write for awhile but have been listening to my wise husband and have been trying to prioritize sleep over everything else. I'm still tired but that was a good decision...I'd really be a wreck otherwise!

Anyway, Abigail Katrina was born on August 5 at 3:33 p.m., the day before the full moon. I woke up extra early that morning, thanks to Nathan and his latest habit of waking up at 5 a.m. or earlier, and brought him into our bed for a few minutes of wake-up time before getting up for breakfast, etc. We were all laying there, groggy, and my water broke. We called the doctor who told us to come into the hospital, and then I proceeded to do what all pregnant women do...clean and organize like a madwoman! I "had" to fold and put away laundry, take a shower (and shave my legs of course!), make lists for gMa who would be caring for Nathan while we were in the hospital, pack Nathan's lunch (in case gMa didn't make it in time), etc., etc. , etc. Yes, I was crazed! At some point, John looked at me and said, "I'd rather you not do that right now...we need to go!" Always the voice of reason, that John Ko.

We got to the hospital in plenty of time, gMa met us there, and after about 5 hours, Abigail was born. Such a different baby than Nathan. She has such a soft cry, sleeps well and wakes up to eat, wants to (and can!) nurse, and just seems like a very easy-going soul. She has periods of being extremely alert and she just looks around and takes it all in. She sneezes a lot every day and usually has at least one sneeze that doesn't fully come out and she ends up making the most adorable "a-hoo!" sound. We're trying really hard to capture that on video...

We've been home for 2 weeks now, and John and I keep marveling at how life is so much different this time around. We were so stressed with Nathan, fighting like cats and dogs (love that sleep deprivation!), and life was just nerve-wracking. This time, we feel so calm, so well-rested (relatively speaking), and so at peace. We've gone out on several outings, and all of them have been really enjoyable.

Nathan is adjusting to big brotherhood fairly well. He was so glad to have his parents back (though he loved his days with gMa) and was pretty clingy the first few days home. We've tried to keep his routine fairly consistent (although he's had other ideas) and have been including him in Abigail's care as much as we can. He loves to touch her toes or hands, takes her dirty diapers to the diaper pail, brings her pacifier when she cries (unless he feels like stealing it!), and turns on the music in her papa-san chair. He's very gentle with her and we can tell already that he'll be a wonderful big brother.

John continues to be the most amazing husband ever...he takes one feeding so I can get a few more hours of uninterrupted sleep, he's been cooking/shopping/cleaning and the house looks incredible every day, he gets up with Nathan (who continues to be waking at the ungodly hour of 5 a.m.) and keeps him entertained and fed until I get up with the baby. He's been taking Nathan out to parks or on outings to keep the little guy busy. And poor John's not getting much more sleep than me!

We feel incredibly blessed with the newest addition to our family. These 2 weeks have flown by but they've been a really sweet time for us. I love Paid Family Leave that has allowed John to stay home for 3 weeks, but I love my family most of all. I was such a mess after Nathan was born but this time around, I feel like this is how having a baby is meant to be. Sure, I'm tired and sometimes can't remember if I've eaten or if I've brushed my teeth yet, but on the flip side, I have 2 beautiful children and a husband who are the most amazing gifts. I complain about being sleep deprived, but like someone said the other day, "You have the rest of your life to sleep...you only have your babies as babies for a very short time." I'm trying to soak in every minute for now.

Nathan's Newest Stats

Today was the boy's 15-month check-up and he got an A+, according to our beloved Dr. Kerr. He weighs 26 lbs 1 oz and is 32 inches long (both 75th percentile)...and shock of shocks, his head is 47 cm in circumference, a whopping 95th percentile still. Dr. Kerr was pleased to hear about all of his progress with walking, climbing, eating, and babbling. Nathan's nervous parents have nothing to be concerned about in terms of his language skills...his developing "jargon" is right on track and we can expect real words around 18 months, especially since boys tend to develop in this area a bit more slowly. Whew! He got 2 shots and screamed briefly but was quickly back to himself...we love how easy going he is. Back in another 3 months and hopefully I can schedule BOTH kiddos' appointments for the same day.

Oh my, the 2 kid thing is starting to sink in more and more....can't wait though!

Every Mother's Dream

I didn't have to wait as long as I thought! Ah, Mommy's (and Daddy's!) Little Helper! (yes, he did in fact vacuum up some actual dirt here and there...but practice makes perfect, right?)

Nathan's Newest Eating Position

Nathan's latest eating pose, much to my chagrin, is with one foot up on the tray of his high chair. We go around and around with me saying, "Put your foot down" and him putting his foot down slowly, only to give me that sly grin and put it back up again. Ah! I figure the less attention I give to this, the sooner he'll lose interest in it...

Another Try at the Pizza

The night of my 38-1/2 week appointment, we decided to give the labor-inducing pizza idea another try. There's a pizza place in Pleasanton with one of these gimmics, so we all went there to see if "Frank's Special" would do the trick. I'd been having cramps and some contractions throughout the day, so what the heck, right?

We've been to this pizza place a number of times before, but somehow I only noticed the street name on this visit...very appropriate!

38-1/2 Weeks and Still Nothing

Dr. Eyvazzadeh: "Where's the baby?"

Me: (thinking he means Nathan who he enjoys seeing each week) "At home with Grandma."

Dr. E: "No, I mean where's this baby?"

Me: (sighing) "I wish I knew!"

Yes, that's right...still no baby...and not many signs that she's planning to make her appearance any time very soon. I had a lot of cramping this week and a few contractions off and on, but when Dr. E checked me, he said, "No change." Disappointing...

I've been walking as much as I can and we even gave in and ate another pizza with special labor-inducing powers...and all I have to show for that is gas pain, yippee!

I know she'll come when she's ready and I really don't want her before that (unless there's some medical reason she needs to be out sooner) since God knows best. Just trying to be patient...but waiting and all this anticipation is getting to me!

Estimating the Baby Girl

This morning we had our long-awaited 38-week ultrasound to estimate Miss Ko's weight and see her position. She's head-down already and Dr. Eyvazzadeh said she has a "big head." Based on the head circumference, size of the abdomen, and length of her femur, he estimated her current size at 7lbs. 14 oz. Of course that's just an estimation...it's hard to know for sure when the baby is still inside. But we're happy that everything seems good with her and that before long she'll be joining us! I'm not at all dilated but have been having some contractions off and on for the past day or so. The doctor said walking can help things, so I'm planning some serious walking in the next week! More info to come...

Baby Spice

Nathan was up extra early this morning after having NO nap yesterday. I got up with him at about 6:15 and was waking up myself while he was tootling around, as he usually does in the mornings. He was in the kitchen drawers as usual, but today he decided to find out what was in the top drawer where I keep all the spice jars. Next thing I saw, he was carrying around a packet of gumbo spices that I'd bought awhile ago but never got around to using. A few minutes later it suddenly got very quiet in the kitchen and when I walked over to see what was going on, there he was... sitting on the floor, packet pulled open, gumbo spices all over the floor and Nathan, and Nathan happily eating the spices...mostly smiling but every once in awhile making a face that said, "Whoa, was it THAT taste?!" Unfortunately, the camera was in the other room and I never would've made it back without Nathan following me...it was priceless though!

36.5 Weeks and Counting

Went to see the OB this morning. All is well with the Little Miss--her heart sounds strong and she's head down, ready for action. We'll have our last ultrasound next Friday to estimate her size and make sure we're all set. I haven't gained anything for the past 3 visits, but Dr. Eyvazzadeh said not to worry, especially given my terrible heartburn. He said as long as I'm not losing, he's not worried. I so appreciate his easy-going attitude. He did say I can try Zantac for the heartburn, so I'll pick some up today. Mylanta, my usual standby, hasn't been helping much lately, so bringing in the big guns should help. Made the rest of my OB appointments, too, and I laughed when the receptionist stopped at the August 7th appointment and said, "We'll just wait and see beyond that..." I told her I hoped I could even cancel that one! It all feels very surreal right now--I know there's a baby on the way but it just doesn't seem possible. Just a few more weeks...

Because One-Handed Isn't Enough...

Can you tell we're starving this boy? Clearly he's malnourished...that must be the reason he's eating graham crackers from BOTH fists, right??

Yes, this is our son, the boy who SHOVES food into his mouth as if someone were lurking nearby, ready to take whatever morsels he may not inhale quickly enough. It's almost like the people I know who've grown up in large families, with lots of siblings. They always tell me that you learn to eat quickly because if you don't, the food will be gone. I assure you, this isn't the case at our house, but somehow the little man takes his eating very, very seriously...

Ride 'em Horsey

Nathan got this "horse" (yes, I know it's a zebra...) for his birthday from Aunt Marie and Uncle Philip. He's thoroughly enjoyed playing with it while standing up, spinning the little thing that makes music play. If you sat him on the "horse", he enjoyed sitting there but would quickly get down. Sometime this week he figured out how to get on the "horse" on his own and now happily bounces along for several minutes at a time.

Unfortunately, once I brought out the camera, the super-cute faces/poses promptly stopped, and it was all I could do to snap a few pics before he bee-lined for the camera. Little turkey...

Boxing Nathan

Nathan's understanding of language seems to be increasing by leaps and bounds each day. His use of "language" is improving, too, although his vocabulary still consists mainly of dada, mama, nana, tata, etc. He uses all kinds of inflection with those "words" so we know he's on his way to talking soon.

Today I was trying to pack a box of unused things around the house just to make space for more baby stuff and Nathan was "helping" as usual. He carried the box out of his room as I was getting the pile of things together. He walked back in a few minutes later when I was ready to start packing. I said, "Nathan, bring Mommy the box" thinking that was wishful thinking. He tootled out of his room and I heard John say, "Oh my gosh..." and then I looked over to see Nathan carrying the box into his room...a funny sight given that the box was as big as him almost!

I've heard people say that the time between 12 and 18 months is so incredible for language development and we're learning that it's all true. We're so excited to hear his first real words...to finally get a window into his little mind.

About 4 weeks till we are 4...

The Little Miss is due to arrive in about 4 more weeks, and none of us can believe how quickly the time has gone. We've had a great summer just the 3 of us, getting into a good routine and just enjoying the last few months of our little family before the newest member joins us. John and I talk often about what the changes will be like...will she be an easy baby? will she sleep well? will she be able to nurse easily? how will Nathan react? how will we deal with sleep deprivation while caring for an active toddler? ...of course there is no way to know, but we have fun guessing. We figure that if nothing else, we have some experience now which will go a long way in helping us navigate whatever lies ahead.

Nathan is at such a great age right now, and we are just eating him up each day. He's walking all the time now and is so proud of himself as he conquers new feats. He loves to go to the park and explore the playground or just walk in the grass and find leaves, sticks, or whatever other treasure may be laying there. He "helps" around the house, too, with the dishwasher, vacuuming, and trying to put pots and pans from the cupboard up on the stove. He is so social and such a flirt--walking up to strangers and patting or hugging them! John and I marvel at this, as both of us are fairly reserved...we wonder how Nathan got such a personality!?! And hopefully I won't jinx anything by writing this, but he's been sleeping great at night now for about the last 6 weeks. This makes up for his mediocre napping during the day...but even naps are improving now that he's so much more active. It's been a great few months.

John and I have become such a great team this year. He's such a wonderful Daddy and Nathan adores him (as do I!). We've figured out systems to make communicating easier and have found ways to give each other regular baby breaks during the week which have been great for us both to recharge. It's also allowed Nathan to be comfortable with either of us caring for him which will be a definite plus once the Little Girl arrives. We know that the addition of another baby will be a transition for us, but I feel so confident that we'll just take our current systems and tweak them to fit the new situation. Before long things will be humming along nicely again. I'm so lucky to have my husband also be my very best friend.

This year has been one of lots of lessons for me. I think back to the times of my major frustrations during the past year...when I thought I was doing things wrong by not having Nathan on a "strict schedule", or when I worried if he was eating too much (a teacher sees too many obese kids at school and I still fight against this fear...), when I thought we were hurting him by letting him cry it out at night, or when I thought I was the only one with a kid who didn't nap (or whatever else the "crisis" was)...and now I can laugh at myself, at least a little. I hope that I've learned to have fewer expectations for the Baby Girl (though no expectations would be best...) so that I can just enjoy the journey and know that all the details will iron themselves out in time. I admit to still having bouts of anxiousness over wondering how on earth I'll be able to care for both a newborn and an active 15-month-old at the same time (not to mention myself!), but then I tell myself that people have done it before and survived, that I have a wonderfully supportive and helpful husband who will do all that he can to make things easier, and that everything will seem "easy" again in time. I think it's just that change terrifies me, especially when it's a BIG change like this! I always chuckle to myself when I have these realizations because I know God is looking down at me (as He always is) and wants me to know how much easier things would be if I'd just let Him handle all the details, instead of trying to figure them out by myself. I hope I'm getting better at that, but I know it's something that will take awhile...luckily, I have my whole life to learn and even more luckily, God is very patient.

I am fighting hard against all the mommy guilt that has me wondering how Nathan will cope with having to share his parents, how he's not getting as much "fun" time right now since I'm as big as a house and lacking energy/stamina, how will the baby fair when she won't get as much undivided attention as Nathan got as a baby, etc., etc., etc. There are other moms in my mothers' group who are expecting #2 and going through the same thing, so it's been good to commiserate. I just keep reminding myself, once again, that millions of kids have had siblings and both kids have adjusted just fine. All the looks of pity or disbelief and comments I've been getting at playgroups or at parks from other moms (strangers, no less!) about how close together the kids will have been extremely hard for me to deal with. I know it doesn't matter what other people think, especially people I don't even know, but at a time when I'm feeling extra vulnerable and sensitive, it's been hard to stomach at times. I try to concentrate on the people who say the wonderfully encouraging and positive things...things like, "they'll be so close, just like best friends" or "you'll be all done with diapers and the craziness at about the same time" or "how wonderful to have a boy and a girl...a perfect family" or "we wanted to have ours that close together--you're so lucky!" These are the people who have made me feel that things will be wonderful...and I love that many of these comments have also come from perfect strangers, another way God has encouraged me in the last few weeks.

I've been busily nesting, getting as much ready for the Baby as possible. I'd said it didn't matter how much was prepared in advance, but alas, it does. We could certainly survive as long as she has a place to sleep and a few clothes and diapers, but the act of washing and folding her clothes, and organizing her dresser and closet somehow makes her upcoming birth seem more real. Not that I could forget given how huge I am and how much she's constantly on the move! But having time to get the sea of pink things ready for her has been a fun time. We are so very excited to meet her!

New and "Improved"

Welcome to our new blog! Why a new blog when Nathan already has his own, you ask? Well, in case you hadn't heard (and most of you have...), we're expecting Nathan's sister sometime in early August. So knowing that a busy mom of 2 under 2 won't be having enough time to blog separately for each kid, Nathan's blog has morphed into the Ko Family Blog. My goal is to update weekly on our doings, so please check back regularly to see what's going on in our little family.