Bella's 2nd Birthday...Where Oh Where Did the Baby Go???

Soon I will have a 2 year old in my home. She knows how to operate a mouse, click on things on a computer, and play some computer games. She knows how to host a mean tea party. She loves eating Kimchi and is finally learning that veggies are a wonderful thing to eat. She loves to be a Mommy to her dolls and stuffed animals. She loves her Hello Kitty (otherwise called affectionately Kitty). She still loves to hug. She still loves to be held. She is still very much a Momma girl but loves her Daddy as well. She loves her big brother and sister. She loves to talk on the phone.

She sings the ABC song, can count to 10 on occasion, , loves to smile and lights up the room when she does, has an infectious laugh and so much more. She loves her Omma and I know that her Omma loves her. She loves her puppy (and her puppy loves her too!!) and when she calls her puppy to come Maggie will go to her (but not to the other two kids).

We talk about puppy dogs, butterflies, Dick and Jane, letters, Elmo, Hello Kitty, her dolls, music, flowers, her wanting to help, Korea and more. We talk about her mentor, Jen, and how she came from Korea too. We still wave hi to the First Lady that Bella is on a first name basis with when she says Hi Michelle all while waving at the TV at the First Lady.

My little girl who came home 2 days before Thanksgiving was so afraid of us and then afraid that I would leave her sight so much so that she had a deathgrip on me for about 48 hours. Slowly that grip loosened to the point where she felt comfortable to have me out of her eyesight but within hearing. She took no time to warm up to her siblings and her siblings took no time to warm up to her. She slowly started solids and has had little problems except for a few allergies/intolerances that she seems to have to dairy and to berries. She disliked most veggies at the beginning but now loves beans, corn, broccoli, and a few more. My little girl who tells me every day love you and then smiles. My little girl who tells me hug me please and then says thank um afterwards.

Where did my little baby go???

She grew up into a wonderful 2 year old

~Jen

PS You'll see the traditional photos we take after the party this weekend with our family and friends.

Pictures of Our Sister and her Tol

Here are a few of the pictures of Bella in her Hanbok on her birthday and of her Tol Celebration:























~Ryan and Katie

Bella's Tol Party

We had B's Tol Party this past weekend. We had tried dairy with her over a week before her party and she had what we think to be an allergic reaction (just like her big brother) to diary. She had red rosy cheeks for her party. Poor girl!!!!

We were up until 1:15 am Sunday morning cleaning, preparing food, and decorating our home for the party later that day. She loved coming down the stairs and seeing the Hello Kitty Happy Birthday balloon we picked up for her. Her face just lit up and she smiled when she saw that and the Hello Kitty party lanterns we hung up. It was like she recognized it.

We invited family and friends to come celebrate her Tol. I had made Chicken Bulgogi, Ssam (vegetable wrapped rice), and Nokdu Namul (seasoned mung bean sprouts), P'atbap (rice with red beans) for our Korean dishes and the ever staple in a Korean home--Kimchi. We served red and white this year. I found the white one to be more palatable for me and others who aren't into the spiciness of the red one. I always have made Korean foods for the kids' birthdays and birthday parties. I also cooked up a Calico bean recipe in my crockpot and my mom had made potato salad. I had Korean music playing or a Korean children's video playing for the kids.

Due to Bella's reaction to dairy, I had made a special Applesauce Snack Cake that was both dairy-less and egg-less (since one guest is allergic to eggs and Bella hasn't tried them yet) that was topped with a simple glaze. The snack cake was done in the shape of hearts for my B.

For her Toljabee event, she chose rice and the jujube (we used a substitution of a date since we couldn't find anything else suitable). So this girl is growing up rich and will have many descendants!!! She really didn't want to be in her Hanbok again (I had tried on her birthday and it was a struggle to get her into it, leave the hat alone and take pictures!!!

I cried again today both in the morning thinking about the kids' First Mom. I started at night thinking about her Omma and her First Mom again. I thought about all of the other losses she has had...loss of knowing her birthfamily, loss of homeland, language, etc. Then the tears started to flow again. I have been crying on and off since for various reasons but when we left Korea in November, I think I left half my heart there!!

She got many nice gifts from everybody who came so thank you. 감사 합 니다 (in Hangul) Kamsahamnida (in Romanized Korean) or, Thank you (in English)to everyone who came and celebrated B's first birthday with us.

See pictures from her birthday and of the Tol Celebration in my next post!!

~Jen

We now have a one year old in our home!!

Our little Valentine turned one today!!

I'm dealing with very mixed emotions today. I'm happy to have her here with her brother and sister but so sad about all of her losses. She is just one of my princesses here in our home. She loves to dance to music. She loves to give hugs (or as I like to call them "loves"). She loves her siblings and her puppy (Maggie). She loves it when we play Korean music or our Korean DVDs She smiles when I sing to her in Korean (let me just state here that I know right now one song in Korean and that is London Bridges--I'm hoping to learn more).

As I have done with the other kids, they got dressed up in their Hanboks for me to take pictures. I always take pictures of the kids in their Hanboks on their birthdays (of course it's done outside since the other two kids have their birthdays in Spring and Summer months). Today being that it was 25 degrees outside with several inches of snow and ice on the ground, we did it indoors.

I'll post pictures from today after her party this weekend.

So today I'm crying both happy and sad tears for my little one year old Valentine in our home. To me, she will forever be my Princess Valentine!!!!

~Jen