Time Out

my daughter and her stuffed dog, on a self-imposed time out (which really makes a parent wonder: what's the point of time outs??) ~ As of January 8, I officially became a stay-at-home-mom. I was petrified. I thought: What WILL I do with two children all day every day?!? Back when I was working, I'd come home and I really had trouble entertaining my kids for 2 hours before bedtime. Ha! Ha! I laugh at my old self now. I guessed that SAHMs were busy, but let me say it now: I have never been busier in my life.

~ I'm on a quest to lose that last 10 pounds. I am at the gym 3x/week but nothing is happening. WHY?!? On a side note, there are 50-something and 60-something women at the gym who are in (MUCH) better shape that I am. San Diegans are serious about their work out.

~ I love our new church. There are some growing pains as we all get to know each other, but I really love attending such a diverse church. All ages, all backgrounds, all cultures. Mixed together, the way I imagine heaven to be.

~ We've been in SD for 2 1/2 months. People continue to ask me how we like it here. Honestly, what's not to like? Even my husband is sporting a Chargers jacket (haha, okay it was a gift).

~ Did I mention we sold our home in LA?? It was hanging over us when we moved down. But our realtor was awesome, got us in escrow in 2 weeks, and closed in <14 days with a cash buyer. Kind of a miracle.

~Are you watching Batchelor? Is he the dumbest batchelor ever or what? He deserves Courtney. Don't judge me, I can't stop watching. It's like a train wreck.

~ We've test-driven three different M-vans. I can't even say the M word. Haha. I've accepted it. We've narrowed it down to one, and the next time you see me I'll be a full-fledged soccer mom. Yikes.

You Had Me at Hello

welcome dinner @ clinton & liz's

view from our dining room

tangelo orchard out back
fresh squeezed TJ

local neighborhood park

local mall

cheetahs & giraffes live 3 miles away

escondido children's museum

local library, borrowing our first book

carlsbad outlets (there's a barneys!)

Del Mar

San Diego you, really do, complete me

I'm Still Here

Yoga House, October 2011 I so enjoy yoga these days--it is the antithesis of my daily grind. It is quiet. Peaceful. Hands-free. I used to think yoga was too new-age for me, but Farzi (my instructor) changed that misconception. Plus, I'm still refraining from aerobic exercise due to post-labor issues. Ha!

~My big kid is currently in the throes of the terrible twos. She has multiple meltdowns per week. She's also developing a little bit of a 'tude:

Like the time Jess was feeding her potluck and asked her "Aren't you full? Haven't you had enough?". To which she answers, "it's just rice" (with the LOOK to accompany it).

Or the time that Junie was pretend-playing with her and asked her "Can Pastor Junie have some food?" I'm soooo hungry." To which she answers, "too bad" (again, the LOOK).

I'm still scratching my head where she's picking this stuff up??

~Baby is now 7 months old. I know I haven't been blogging her life as much as kid #1--but with 2 kids, free time is a precious commodity. Anyways, A is in 99% for weight, and 95% overall. We make 'em chunky, yes we do... She is now rolling over, sitting up, smiling and laughing frequently, has explosive poops, eats squash/pears/sweet potato, and is still driving her parents nuts with her inconsistent sleeping habits. But her little dimples and hearty laughter bring me such joy. Seems like I just had her yesterday, but her dohl is already around the corner...

~Me: I gave notice back in August, and am, for the time-being, a stay-at-home-mom. (More thoughts on that in another post.) Also took my licensing exam in October & passed! Which is a miracle, considering I was studying during baby's naps (and while carrying her around in her carrier around the block in the hot sun!). It's a relief & a high to be done with that chapter in my life. No more tests....forever?!

~Hubby: went and came back from Bolivia trip #2 in September. Got a call to be the Associate Pastor of Poway/San Diego church merger. Decided to accept, and move down in November. We found a realtor, put our house on the market, and found a home to rent--all within a week of each other. Next week will be our last weekend at LAC. (More on that in another post.)

What I've learned so far--all the pieces are falling in to place, I don't think I should worry so much! (Even about this current housing market & all the short sales/foreclosures around us.) God takes care of us, always.

Pictures from home

Amelia's first two weeks at home...
Auntie Kange dropping off fruit (& stickers for the eldest, lest she feels neglected)

Cousins C & C again! Son brought a footlong box of Paulette's macaroons--YUM!



Always "posing" while sleeping

Getting comfy...

...till little sis decides to disrupt things.

Three separate people have mentioned that little A looks like my sister. What'ya think?

Mommy's Breast Friend, turned into R's "boat"

Alphabet time with halmoni

Snack time. Dried apple snacks & Bolthouse carrot juice, both from Costco. They're R's favorites!

Do we look alike?

Sisterly love

Becca loves her some "drawing class." She can draw for hours on end...



More visitors, Jullie & Ben, saying their farewells

Going to church with daddy...That's it for now. See you on the other side, from Redding.

Product Reviews

Here are some quick reviews, "mom" & otherwise:

1) L'Occitane Almond Oil. Got this as a gift & used for both babies while I was pregnant. Love the smell & worked great on itchy tummy skin.

2) Yoga House. First class is free at most yoga houses. Bought a series of prenatal classes here. Loved them, they were totally re-energizing when I had 3rd trimester exhaustion. I recommend to any mom-to-be. They also have postnatal classes as well.

3) Mambino Organics set. Another gift. The product I liked best is the belly butter. It smells SO good, I would just open it to sniff it! Go smell some, you'll agree.

4) Aveeno Radiant daily cleansing pads. I'm exploring some drugstore finds, to find products that I like. This one has an Allure mag stamp of approval and works well to remove dirt/makeup.

5) Jurlique lavender hydrating mist. My friend Jullie works for this Australian company, and introduced me to several of their products. This facial spray smells light & is refreshing.

6) Sugar Lover set. Another gift from friend. I used the body polish while I was pregnant, and it was super re-hydrating for belly. This lip balm is pricey, but it works well & has SPF. Also, gotta love their packaging.

7) Alex farm finger crayons. Easy to hold for toddlers. Becca loves to stack the crayons on top of each other, and point out the animal faces on the crayons. Alas, they don't color very brightly:(.

Introducing...

Amelia Saemi Oh

Meaning: "flatterer, work of the Lord, beloved"; "industrious"
Born on April 10 @ 4:58pm
7 lbs 15.9 oz, 20 inches

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

L & D: Amelia arrived 2 weeks early!! I was awakened @ 6 am with the sheets soaked. My water had broken! I nudged Joey awake & told him it was time. We started scrambling around to pack our bags, install the car seat, called our nanny to come over, & headed to the hospital. We hadn't decided on a name yet, either. We arrive @ the hospital, thanked God for our daughter, & prayed for the journey ahead.

9am-1pm: I got checked in & found out that the same anesthesiologist that had given me the epidural last time (& gotten a wet tap from) was the only one on-call. PANIC. (I think this is when Joey conceded the name debate to me.) This was stalling my decision about the epidural even more. However, my Obgyn somehow heard about it, requested another anesthesiologist from Surgery, and I was able to wait for them to arrive. The epidural took, and went smoothly for the rest of l & d. Thank God!!!!! However, while waiting for the surgical anesth, I got to experience some unbearable contractions--I don't know how those women do it w/out drugs.

1-4:58pm: Labor is progressing well. I think I tried to nap, but couldn't. These few hours are a blur. Right before her birth, I began pushing for about 1 minute. She came out! Everything happened so quickly, in comparison to before. It really is easier the 2nd time around.

Day 1: Visitors who brought us dinner. A BIG thank you to Tim also, for picking Joey's mom up at the airport!! (not pictured: Kange. where are you?)

Day 2: Rebecca meets her sister!

You'd think she was happy to meet her little sister, seeing from this photo. She actually pushed the baby away after taking the above photos. Day 3:Proud gohmoh, and cousins Caleb & Casey. (not pictured, D, Rylan, & Nixon. where are you?)Son brought over a feast enough to feed a small country. There were actually only 4 adults in the room.Day 3, Homecoming:Commissioned by mi mama, put together by my MIL & hubby. I was so surprised--they really got me!

One of several vases of long-stemmed roses placed about the house for me to find. It's now Day 5 as I write this. It's quite a culture shock to be back in the infant stage. Feedings every 2 hours, elephant feet/legs, painful engorgement, recovering from birth, breastfeeding kicking my butt, is all a huge shock to the system. However, this time around, the first few weeks aren't clouded by a fog of pain, and things seem so much better than with Rebecca. I am present. And it's a comfort and wistfulness as I think this is the last time we will go through this. So I am not as resentful of the lack of personal time or sleep. I am a mom of two girls. WOW. It's gonna be an amazing ride.