THE KIMS...love is where it all began...

cold days ahead!

2010-10-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

What? It’s almost November? Nathan’s almost ONE and Caleb’s almost THREE!

Time has gone by so fast, though it doesn’t always seem like it when I’m in the daily grind…but looking back…wow. This year really flew by.

Thank you to those who faithfully follow our blog and took the time to actually remind me to update! Thanks for being so interested in our lives, even though most of the time, I blog about my kids or sometimes nothing much at all :)

I have not been a very good and diligent blogger this year. I think there are many reasons that contribute to my lack of blogging…but mainly, I think it’s simply laziness. And the cause of the laziness? Facebook. I upload so many pictures on there and quite frequently, I must say, that I didn’t feel the need to keep this updated. But it is true, this is different. There are actually words :)

The summer has come and gone. It was a pleasant summer with beautiful weather and great people. Summer weather here in Washington is truly wonderful, I just wish it were longer :) we had many visitors here, both friends and family. I loved it. We were also able to take a mini vacation with Jun’s family to Lake Chelan for a few days. We rented a condo and it was very relaxing. We rented a boat and went water tubing. Caleb went with daddy too! He loved it! We went golfing and most of all, ate many great meals. Then, we visited LA for a short week. We enjoyed it very much, although our schedule was a little crazy and we didn’t get to relax at all :) It was just good to be back home where everything was so familiar and comfortable. We didn’t get to see everyone we wanted to see and that was the only downside :(

After coming back to Washington, I felt like I had to readjust all over again! However, it was only for a couple of days. After a summer of being surrounded by close family and friends, it was back to being me and the kids again…it all of a sudden felt very overwhelming. But I was so thankful for a great summer.

We’ve been in Washington for 2 years already! We are going on our third year. It has been an emotional roller coaster for me! I can’t even fully say that I’m completely adjusted to this new place we call home and my role as just mom and wife. It’s a completely different life, but so many good things have come out of this move and we are thankful. We are blessed with so much. I just wish I could transport my close friends and family here! Hehe…wouldn’t that be nice?

The weather’s changing here…the leaves are vibrant orange, red, and yellow….so beautiful. It definitely feels like fall here and we are getting ready for the cold weather. Like I said, so different here, but so much to be thankful for :) Jun is not so thankful for all the trees around our house during this time of year, haha...our driveway is a mess, so many leaves to clean up!

Caleb and Nathan are definitely becoming brothers. Caleb takes away Nathan's toys and Nathan cries. At home, they have a hard time sharing, but at the same time, Caleb misses Nathan when he's not around. He's also very protective of him around others, but i think when they are by themselves, Caleb gets frustrated that he needs to share his toys. MANY lessons to be taught everyday...i pray for patience on an hourly basis! Oh but when they love on each other, it is truly priceless.

Many things come with Caleb's growing vocabulary and personality...like heartache :( he's starting to say things like, "You're mean, mom" or "I don't like you." it's weird, i know it's coming from a 2 year old who's just learning to express himself, but it still hurts! during those times, i need to just remind myself that...it's ok and it's more important for me to be a parent!

Anyway....this entry has been long....moving on...

Jun will be celebrating his bday soon, as will our 2 boys! The three boys in my life have bdays too close together! I get a little crazy trying to think of ideas for gifts and celebrations for all 3 of them! But at the same time, it’s kind of exciting I guess!

oh, and last update for now! caleb is potty-trained!!! well, except for naptime and bedtime? does that still count? anyway...he did so well :) i'm so so so proud of him.

some pictures....more to come.

my first attempt at making bibimbap for our guests...and i can say that i won't be doing that for awhile! haha....

yum! looked easy on paper, but so not easy! the yumminess was kind of worth it...kind of...
nathan in his big boy car seat! lovin it!
caleb in his carseat
my little monster after bath :)
nathan having fun on the swing!
his first haircut!
caleb and his crazy obsession with CARS...not just any cars...not interested in hot wheels at all! only disney pixar's CARS. i had to buy him a case because all the little cars lying around everywhere was driving me nuts! he loves the box, so win win situation :)
my eater :) using the corn as his teething toy :)
caroline and the kids visited from la!
caleb at the museum of flight

playtime with daddy...
at the puyallup fair...
driving with his friend, logan.
taking his brother for a ride! i framed this picture in his room and Caleb went to show it to Nathan and said, "look, nathan! we are best friends." oh my goodness!!! i almost cried!
uncle john took this picture of us :)
so happy with daddy. he seriously loooooves his daddy. it's so cute.
aww...i am so blessed. thank you, god!

june gloom

2010-06-27T06:28:00.000-07:00

for the past month, it has been gloomy. the skies were gray and it was often rainy. it sure didn't feel like june, at least not the kind of june i'm familiar with having grown up in la... but the good thing about the gloominess is how much you appreciate and enjoy the sun when it does come out! seriously, it's like you look at the day in a whole new way. we always talk about what a beautiful day it is when it's sunny and clear and we rarely did that when we were in la! i actually enjoyed a little bit of rain in la :) it really is so beautiful here when it's sunny though and we try to go out and do something so that we don't waste the day. so far, it's been sunny for a week already and it should stay pretty much like this for while considering it's summer :)

this month, a high school friend of ours actually had a wedding that was held here in seattle, so it was fun to be reunited with old friends. it felt so nice to just sit around and chat. we slept late and man... did i pay for it that whole week! i guess i'm not cut out to stay up late anymore...haha. thank you, christine for coming to visit me and making my month so much brighter :)

jun has been super busy with the summer kicking off...vbs (vacation bible school) just ended and he worked hard and was very tired at the end of the day, but it paid off. over 120 kids showed up! amazing... today, he will be giving his first bilingual sermon ever to the whole church. he usually either does korean or english, but never together. today is family worship and he was asked by our senior pastor to deliver the message. he's a bit nervous, i think it's the largest crowd he has ever addressed, but i have no doubt that god will use him :) i am proud that my husband continues to so faithfully do the ministry that god has called him to, even though it's a field that may seem to be all give and not much take. i don't hear him complaining...i should learn from him :)

the boys are great, or should i say, have been great? nathan was very sick this past week, with cough, sinus congestion, and fever. the worst night was when he woke up every hour. the next day was not the brightest of days for the parents :) he's getting better now and is back to his happy, smiling self. however....caleb was coughing a lot last night, so i'm hoping that he won't be full on sick! sick kids=exhausted parents! more than anything though, it was just hard seeing nathan so miserable because he's usually such a sweet and happy spirit.

caleb is such a character. he does and says things that make us laugh everyday. it seems like he picks up new sayings and words everyday, it amazes us. he was still too young for vbs, but he loved going to the praise part. he would dance and jump with the big kids. in one of the songs, there was the word, "supernatural" in it. that night, when i was putting him down for bed...he looked at me and said, "mommy...you are supernatural." i got a good laugh out of it!

i am definitely seeing a bond that is forming between the brothers :) nathan smiles whenever he sees caleb, even though caleb is always "accidentally" knocking him over and pushing him and screaming around him! caleb is already protective of his brother and it's so cute to see. if caleb is scared of something, he would tell us not to show nathan because he'll be scared too...things like that. also, if it's just caleb and me, he'll ask, "where's nathan?" when nathan's napping, he'll say, "nathan's up now" because he wants to go get him. in the car, they sometimes stare at each other and smile :) or caleb makes noises so that his little brother smiles. i think everyday, they love each other more! i can't wait until they can actually play together...i tell jun that and he says...but that's when the fighting begins! i hope it won't be too bad....that's my prayer and my hope...that they will love more than fight.

ok, now me...i'm ok. i'm just always tired and low on energy it seems. i feel like there's so much to do around the house and so little time because i only do things when the kids are sleeping and that's too little time in a day to finish everything! it seems like no matter how much i clean up, it never stays clean! i guess that's the territory that comes with having kids. i've been missing home and family and friends...i just need to have a getaway soon...to clear my mind from the daily routines so that i can do my job better. it's that time...i need a vacation.

so i figured out that uploading videos on youtube is so much faster. here are the links to the recent videos of caleb and nathan...

http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=cd5F1mS62hU
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=utQoIU34pB0
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=iV8VJrKbZIA
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Mh9APXiFWiQ

now, pictures...

time with daddy...
melts my heart...
favorite family time...spending time on mommy and daddy's bed
such a sweet moment
oh happiness :)
thanks, nathan honey :) enough said.
vbs 2010, caleb joining in on all the fun with the big kids!
nathan and mommy
nathan and daddy
caleb and mommy being silly...

exersaucer time...it was a hot day
supporter of the korean soccer team for world cup
playing with our neighbor's little boy...they were such good friends...so sad they moved :(
sofa picture time....
christine's visit :) good times...

decorating

2010-04-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

so now that nathan is almost 5 months (already!), i have finally began thinking about decorating the house. i bought frames and am looking for artwork for the house. however, there seems to be too little time in the day to do anything at all. the only time i could really do anything is when the kids are napping at the same time. that gives me 2 hours a day. i feel like i get started on something and then i have to put it off to the next day. oh, and not to mention how hard it is to shop for house stuff with 2 kids! when the kids are in bed for the night, it's jun and my time together...so i guess this decorating thing will just have to be an ongoing project...slow project :)

i will be starting solids for nathan next month! i can't believe how fast it has gone by...of course it didn't feel like it the first 2 months when i was so tired and nathan was waking up at night, but now looking back, it's flying by. i think it's so much faster with the second one. i love seeing caleb and nathan grow, but at the same time, i'm so sad because they grow up way too fast. i love them so much!!! i told jun the other day that i think i'll have a hard time when they grow up and leave the house. haha...already thinking about that!

when i look at my two boys, i feel like they are changing everyday! it is especially obvious in pictures. jun is doing well, very busy this month, with a conference coming up next week. he'll be gone for 4 days...i know i'm going to be very tired with the two kids by myself, especially with the bedtime routine! on the bright side though...my sister will be visiting! i am so looking forward to some time with her and caleb loves his auntie!

the only other thing coming up is nathan's infant baptism...hopefully i will have pictures to share on my next post :)

now, pictures!

caleb painting a picture frame...
bubbles outside...the weather is getting so nice, so we have more opportunities to go out.
nathan has one eye bigger than the other...caleb was like this too!
caleb hugging nathan
caleb's smile
sleepyhead :)
resting on mommy's pillow
tummy time...but nathan can now turn over, so he doesn't do this for long anymore.
after bath
our nighttime routine...after bath, they both play on the bed for a little bit.
experimenting with caleb's hair before bath

i love my boys!

2010-03-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

i haven't updated in awhile because i've been lazy. i just post pictures on facebook...it's the easy way :)
but i heard from my mother in law that some people in korea have been asking about our blog, so i guess i should still maintain it with some pictures once in awhile :)
oh...i'm loving my two sons....they are wonderful. truly wonderful. they bring me so much joy. when i was pregnant, mothers told me that love just grows because i was wondering if you'd be able to love as much with the second one...
but man...it's true....love does grow. caleb and nathan are doing well together...caleb is good with him...he hugs and kisses him all the time, but can be a bit rough sometimes when he doesn't know what to do with his excitement :) it's cute to watch their interaction with each other already. caleb wants to play with nathan, but doesn't know how, so he just places a toy next to nathan. so adorable.
caleb was going through a tantrum stage for awhile, so it was very difficult, but he seems to have calmed down a bit now. we are working on potty training now...very slowly.
nathan is so sweet. he is sleeping through the night now...he sleeps for 12 hours and takes 2 naps during the day. i am so thankful.

life is definitely slowly going back to normal now, but without jun, it's so hard! we have a whole night time routine going now and it works great...but when jun's not here, it's so much work! usually, jun takes caleb and bathes him...while i bathe nathan. then jun reads to caleb while i feed nathan. so jun and i are able to put both caleb and nathan down at the same time...8:30. if jun's not here, one of them has to sleep later because i have to do one at a time.
i am thankful for my husband. he is a great dad. i truly love my boys.

here are some recent pictures and videos :)

erin's visit
side swept hair :)
oh my baby nathan....
i love putting hats on caleb, but he can never wear them for long...
nathan's classic look :)
at the park...

easter egg hunt
caleb is such a character now!
love his cheeks!
he smiles sooo much...

silly boys...
tummy time!

caleb likes to do tummy time with nathan :)

videos:
nathan growling at daddy....caleb learning to read/recognize words...

nathan's growing!

2010-01-09T16:40:00.000-08:00

hi all...i am soooo tired! nathan is almost 7 weeks now and he's now eating every 3 hours instead of 2. yeah...a little better, but sure doesn't seem like it. i just can't wait to have a good night's rest...hopefully it'll be sooner than later. so life with 2 has been crazy...especially after all the family members left and when jun's at work! sometimes i feel like i can't do this by myself. but moms who have done it give me inspiration :) i tell myself, i can do it...
caleb is becoming very good at playing by himself while i feed nathan, but i feel bad for the little guy. i think he's bored most of the time, but he's so amazing. he is beginning to love nathan more and more. he wakes up saying, "i want to see baby." yup! caleb can put together simple sentences now! i can't believe how much his speech has developed in the past couple of months. he knows all the letter sounds from A to Z and can put together puzzle pieces...and most of all, is just talking up a storm in english, mandarin, and korean! nathan is a sweet boy and he's growing soooo fast! at his 1 month check up, he was already 11 pounds and couldn't fit size 1 diapers anymore. he's so much bigger than caleb was at this age. caleb was always in the 45th percentile and went down to 25th percentile at one point, but nathan's in the 80th percentile! i'm glad he's eating well and growing. you'll see in the pictures how chubby he has gotten! his baby acne is getting pretty bad and the frustrating thing is, there's nothing you can do about it! or is there??
nathan is starting to coo and make noises. he is also smiling a lot now, melts my heart when he does :)

i'm going to try to fit in a nap right now, so this is the end of my post...here are some pictures and video clips.

oh, and i forgot to say....happy new year, everyone! may this year bring great blessings...

caleb wearing daddy's socks...being silly.
auntie with nathan...
caleb loved his auntie when she was here!
daddy napping with nathan...
caleb kept wanting to take pictures with auntie!
nathan asleep with his eyes half open...
caleb loves corn!
brothers in their pjs...they look alike, just with different skin tones :) haha...
daddy with nathan...
nathan looking around...
smiling..

tired...
caleb playing with nathan...
my two handsome boys :)
nathan holding his head up...
i look so tired...because i am! but i love them both!
the four of us...
daddy and his sons...
caleb and nathan's first bath together, with daddy's help, of course!
tummy time!
side by side :)
aww...
nathan sitting and smiling...
my sweet boy...
caleb hugging nathan while watching dvd...
caleb and his silly smile!
as usual...so peaceful when sleeping...
caleb is such a character now. that is a fishing net on his head that he insisted on wearing for the picture :)

video clips! one of caleb kissing nathan and the other of nathan smiling...fun, fun!

nathan's arrival

2009-12-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

nathan keehoon kim arrived on november 24th, 2009. his birthday is 4 days before older brother, caleb's bday. he weighed in at 7lbs. 14 oz. and measured 20 inches long. he was almost a pound heavier than caleb was at birth.

so for those who don't know by now...i gave birth at home. haha...yeah...
i gave birth in a birthing tub. i wanted to give the home experience a try without any meds. it was a great experience, but wow, super painful. thankfully, my labor was super duper short. i don't know if i would have been able to do it if it had been longer.

i was frustrated and uncomfortable with being overdue...i went to my doctor's appointment on tuesday at 4:30pm. i told the doctor to check me to see if i had dilated at all...i said that i had some minor cramping. little did i know...i had actually been in labor the whole week without even knowing it! she checked me and said...wow! you're already 8cm dilated! for those who don't know...10cm is when you are ready to push and give birth. she said that she's done 200 births and this has never happened before. so we hurried and met back at home by 5:30. we set up all the equipment and i began to feel the pain...i got in the tub and after the most intense hour and a half of my life, nathan was born at 7:15. jun got to experience catching the baby as he came out. after all the cleanup and newborn check, caleb and the grandparents came upstairs and met nathan for the first time. the best part is i got to stay in my bed and recover...
recovery has been much better this time, but i'm still in bed and taking things easy as of now thanks to my mother in law who watches caleb and prepares food for me. i am so thankful. all i really need to do is feed nathan, which is every 2-3 hours. what do i do once my dear mother in law leaves? oh my....

the hardest part of this whole experience is not being able to be with and interact with caleb to the degree i use to. he gets sad sometimes and so do i...but i think he's slowly adjusting. jun's been doing a lot of the things i use to do with caleb like all the bedtime routine stuff...they've definitely bonded even more through this experience.
having two is really crazy! i can't wait til things settle down!

i am so tired and still physically kind of weak...so i'm going to end here and get some rest before i need to feed nathan again. i'll end with this...i love my boys so much. they are so precious, including jun.

caleb's 2nd birthday. grandpa and daddy took him to chuck e cheese. i was so sad i couldn't be there.

caleb's birthday cake that he chose with daddy...
grandparents got to sing happy birthday to caleb
enjoying his cake
daddy napping with nathan
an outing with daddy and grandpa
before grandpa left for korea...they took a picture with their grandsons...
caleb loves blowing out candles and us singing the happy birthday song, so we did it again with his leftover cake.
caleb and nathan
daddy and nathan
daddy, grandma, and the boys...
grandma wanting to get a picture with nathan while his eyes were open...
grandma loving his grandsons...
caleb posing with his brother
daddy setting up the christmas tree
enjoying some family time...
caleb looking at nathan. he says his name very well now!
nathan doing what babies do best...sleep :)
wide awake!
brothers...
caleb was very happy that day...

caleb kisses nathan all the time!
my boys...
grandma spending time with caleb and nathan...
hello!
our little one...
i can't believe we are a family of four now.
caleb's christmas pjs...from grandpa.
reading before bedtime...
bye bye....til next time!

before the baby arrives...

2009-11-22T21:31:00.000-08:00

the baby is a couple of days overdue and i am so uncomfortable. my stomach is really ready to pop! that is my update. hey, at least i got one more post in before the baby, like i mentioned in my previous update :) our second son's birthday is going to be sooo close to caleb's birthday. caleb will turn 2 on the 28th...aww...growing up so fast. love that little guy.

just wanted to update some pictures of what we've been up to while waiting for the baby. jun's mom has been in town and jun's dad arrived not too long ago as well. we're all just...waiting...

for now, enjoy the pictures until our next post of our second bundle of joy :) can't wait to share him with all of you....will keep you all posted!

caleb just up from his nap...he was a little out of it, that's probably why he stood there and let me take a picture of him. we took jun's mom to good indian food and i got to take a picture with my baby...
jun with mom...
it's been so gloomy, cold, and rainy...but one day...the sun was out and the weather was beautiful, so we took mom to pike place market...
the gum wall...pretty disgusting and cool at the same time. turns out well in pictures because of all the colors. look at my tummy...oh my oh my...
caleb fascinated by the gum wall...
posing with daddy and grandma...
a family shot, too bad you can't see the background very well because of the sun...
caleb loves his daddy...
grandma, daddy, and caleb coloring...
coloring some thanksgiving pictures...
building blocks with grandpa...
cutting some wooden bread. this was a gift from auntie stacy :) thank you, he loves it!
caleb watching video clips with grandpa and grandma while eating snacks....
grandparents enjoying time with their grandson...
caleb was throwing a fit, so we put him in time out...
he didn't want to look at the camera while he was in time out...
grandma thought time out was a great photo opportunity! haha...
caleb getting ready to eat at duke's chowder house....
caleb makes grandma very happy!
grandparents...
caleb loved the sourdough bread...yum yum.
i love my boys...and one more to come...
we thought it was so interesting how caleb learned how to hold the phone on his shoulder like this....
we ate by the water....it was cold and gloomy, but they thought it was a beautiful photo opportunity...
jun with dad....
i try to get a picture with caleb whenever i can...it's always very forced because he can't stay still!
caleb being silly. thanks, auntie mi-yeon for the cute outfit!
lovely girls at church. they love on caleb sooo much. caleb's a lucky kid to receive all this love.
happy thanksgiving, everyone. thank you for following our blog and for being important people in our lives. we are thankful for you.

october...a month of blessings...

2009-10-29T16:25:00.001-07:00

october has truly been a month of blessings. we moved into our new house on october 1st and for the first couple of nights...we would just lay in bed and be in awe of the new place. until now, we are still so thankful and cannot comprehend the fact that we have a house...we hope that not a day will pass by without us giving thanks for this gift and privilege.

Needless to say...it's been hectic trying to unpack these past few weeks. i've been tired and just got over the flu...however, i keep wanting to get things done before the baby. it's been really pretty hard on my body. i'm so tired and caleb requires a lot of time and energy as well. juggling him and moving into a new place while being sick has not been easy. i feel much better now and most things are pretty much done, except for some boxes in the garage and den...but those can wait a little. my next project is to get all the baby stuff ready once november hits. baby's coming! i can't believe it. when i wake up in the morning, i think to myself...it won't be long before i have to wake up every 2 hours to feed a little baby! i've been spoiled by caleb...who has slept through the night since 3 months and has never given us trouble in the middle of the night, unless he's sick. he is such a good boy.

last week, we purchased a full size bed for caleb. we wanted to just leave it in his room for him to get familiarized with it. but jun decided...hey, why not try putting him there now and see how he does! so, we put the crib against the bed as a rail and laid down with him for a little bit and left the room. he did great and slept through the night. we went to get him in the morning and he was exactly where we left him the night before. he slept on in for nap time as well and we are so proud of him! he still seems so little on that big bed :)
he's starting to eat by himself...makes a huge mess, but....no complaints. we tried to start potty training him, but it's getting so cold here that we can't really strip him naked. before shower time, we just take off his diaper and see if he wants to go sit on the potty. so far, he has pooped and peed in it :) that's a start. however, for most of the day, he still tells us he pooped after he already went in the diaper.

another event for the month is my wonderful husband's milestone birthday. he will turn 30 tomorrow. however, caleb and i already threw him a surprise bday party last weekend so that he won't be suspicious. it turned out great. he was super surprised and our church family was there to celebrate with him. that was my gift to him this year...and i also put together a book of letters from his close friends and family members who weren't able to be here to celebrate with him. he was touched by everyone's words.

wow, to think i've known him for half his life already and we have two kids together. he just keeps getting better....
we love you so much, my husband and the father of our two sons....thank you for being an amazing person. 30 is just the beginning :) happy birthday.

we have a halloween family event at church. caleb's going to be a pumpkin. we'll see if he can handle wearing the costume all night and i'll try to get some good pictures if he cooperates and post them next time. hopefully i will post one more time before our second son is born.... :)

some pictures from this month....

caleb on a sunny sunday afternoon...

caleb sitting on our couch...
watching a dvd. he loves watching dvds now!
our family room...i will try to post more pics of the house in the months to come.
kitchen/breakfast nook...
notice the green chairs :) love em!
pictures from jun's surprise 30th birthday party...

a rare post of a video clip. caleb laughing during dinner while daddy made farting noises :) notice he says "ahba funny..." meaning daddy's funny. haha...our little cutie.

a nice getaway

2009-09-29T16:23:00.001-07:00

it's been another long while since my last post. things have been hectic around here, but things have been good. we just got back from our la trip. it was so nice to be "home" where everything felt so familiar and so many people we love surrounded us...oh and not to mention, the best chinese food besides in taiwan :) good times. however, since we were living out of a suitcase and didn't really have a "home" there, we knew that washington was truly our new home. it was indeed a refreshing trip and we are so thankful that we got a 2 week break.

since getting back, we have just been busy packing...yes, we are moving. jun is doing most of the hard work because i get tired so easily! he can finish 5 boxes in the time i finish up my first box! there's 2 more months to go in my pregnancy and we are still working hard to pick out a name for caleb's little brother. we know it will come to us soon...hopefully.

here are pictures from the la trip.

still in washington...caleb and daddy playing with the itouch...oh my two handsome boys!

caleb getting ready for la...helping us pack!
we were on the same flight as john. his iphone was caleb's entertainment...kept us sane too! caleb is getting very active and does not like to stay in his seat, so thank god for uncle john's "toy."
our first night in la...dinner with the family. we ate at an amazing and fancy steakhouse :) yum yum.
how can we be in la without some pool time? caleb had lots of fun in the pool!
meeting friends....

family dinners...
spent some time with one of our favorite families...so great to be in each other's company again.
in-n-out baby....it was so delicious....so not overrated! haha...
a day at disneyland with jun, caleb, and my mother in law....
what an expensive day! but well worth it :)
waited in a loooong line to meet mickey.
caleb went on this 2 times :)
caleb right before falling asleep....
before we left the park...
late dinner with young and caroline...
we welcomed our little nephew, ian ko....
caleb loved kissing his little cousin, sometimes a little too much!
the lee family :)
chinese breakfast...mmm...mmmm..mmmm....
i absolutely love california beaches...caleb had a blast!
digging a hole with daddy...
the hat...yummy pastrami...and great company.
yogurtland...
my little sisters...
jun's previous high school students...now all grown up.
caleb and his second cousin, sadie. so cute!
more second cousins :)
caleb enjoying the slide at kylie's 3rd birthday party.
going down the big slide with daddy...wheee!
happy birthday, kylie!
caleb and josie...
caleb was desperately in need of a nap! look at all the kids staring at my fussy baby!
i love my shiao rong jeh jeh :)
jun loves his mark guh guh :) haha...
the 2 kim families....
to end on a sweet note...once again, our nephew ian at a few days old....

hotness!

2009-08-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

so believe it or not...it was the hottest week in the history of seattle last week...that and me being prego did not mix well! i was in a bad mood and we only have one fan that caleb got to use. jun and i couldn't sleep at night and when we went out looking to buy another fan...they were nowhere to be found! they were either sold out or they had stopped carrying them for the season. oh and my poor friend, mi-yeon, had to experience it while visiting from la...she was trying to get away from the heat to find that it was hotter than la for once! luckily, we borrowed a fan and she survived! most of the pictures i am going to post this time are from mi-yeon's camera, so you can thank her for the many pictures of caleb kim :)

quick update on my pregnancy...doing well now, just getting bigger, so have a harder time breathing and sleeping...plus, the back pain is still lingering around...3 more months and baby boy #2 arrives! still no names yet....but i'm sure it'll come to us...hopefully...hehe...
he's moving a lot these days and caleb rubs and kisses my tummy all the time....such a sweet boy.

this week is cool again. it's in the 70s now and it feels so nice! we will be visiting la in a month and we just can't wait to see people and eat food we miss. also, my sister in law will be having her baby then too!

ok, well...onto pictures...caleb is definitely growing...still kind of short and small, but he went through a growth spurt and all of a sudden, all his shoes don't fit!

just taking random pictures of caleb around the house...
eating cheerios...
he has so many expressions! such a character now!
a very forced smile :)
hello?
walking on the pebble beach with daddy...
picnic lunch with john. notice caleb "smiling"
when he sees the camera, he tends to automatically do this...
john and me...
me and my wonderful hubby...
caleb throwing rocks with uncle john...
one of his favorite things to do...throw rocks.
check out the temp! yes, it says 107!
we had great food when mi-yeon was visiting...
this is some soul food...the mac and cheese was amazing!
caleb wandering around the house with his pjs...
caleb loves books!
happy sitting next to auntie mi-yeon!
we went to a little breakfast shop and waited 1.5 hours! caleb was a trooper :) he got hungry so we gave him a snack.
finally sitting at our table...waiting for the food. meanwhile, caleb ate ice cubes to keep himself cool...
where's my food?
yay! yummy yummy....
caleb posing with the lolipops...
it was so hot that we roamed around target...
caleb in his little executive chair :)
running around target aisles...very happily i might add :)
i love this picture that mi-yeon took, he's actually smiling with his eyes :)
oh, and notice he is covered in his blanket in 100 degree weather!
the ds lite kept him entertained for a little...
caleb holding onto daddy...
we went to eat at a revolving sushi place...
i love my baby...he brings me so much joy!
jun with all the plates we finished! jun looks...uncomfortable...haha...
mi-yeon really hit it off with my other friend from here, helan...yay!
lovin' the jamba juice!
we don't know where he got this from, but he draws lying down like this with his head tilted....

i'm sure you got your share of caleb pics today :) haha...

birthday

2009-07-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

it was my birthday not too long ago and just want to say thanks to everyone for the cards, gifts, texts, fb messages, flowers in the mail ;) and calls. i really appreciate every little thing. thank you!

caleb is majorly teething! he has 8 teeth and it's been awhile since he has gotten any new ones. but now, 8 new ones are coming in altogether! he has a slight fever and is a little fussier than usual, but still a good boy. poor guy, it must be irritating!

we don't know if caleb really understands the concept of a baby in mommy's tummy, but he is so sweet, he hugs and kisses my tummy all the time and says "baby." even if he doesn't quite understand, it still makes me happy :)

i am going to be 6 months (24 weeks) next week. i can't believe it...
the little guy is moving a lot these days and my tummy is definitely getting bigger and bigger. we are still kind of having trouble with names, but i think it'll come to us as the time gets closer.

my lower back or sciatic nerve is killing me this time! sometimes i even have trouble walking without limping a bit. i try to stretch and it helps, but man...it's painful. hope it subsides soon.

well, here are some pictures from the past couple of weeks.

caleb playing with the water table...playing with blocks while wearing daddy's tie...
ok, so this picture is the story behind my broken camera :( i took caleb to play with rocks at the beach and my friend was taking pictures of us. caleb had so much fun throwing rocks into the water that i thought it was so cute. i turned around and let go of caleb for a few seconds (literally) to get the camera from my friend because i wanted pictures of caleb playing...

while i was reaching for the camera, caleb had ran into the water excitedly and got swept away! he seemed so far out. he was in a panic and struggling in the water. i was freaking out! so, i swam into the water to get him, with my camera in my hand. we were both soaking wet and crying when i got him out of the water. my flip flop broke and we both had minor scrapes from the rocks. devestating experience and it goes to show you can't take your eyes off your child at all!

therefore, for my birthday, my wonderful hubby and siblings got me a new camera :) i'm so happy, thank you! but i do miss my old one though.
caleb was happy in the car that day...
at a bbq with daddy...
we love playing with his hair during bath time!
he always falls asleep in the car after a long sunday at church...such a big boy now!
throwing rocks with daddy
some father and son time...
it's so bright!
don't know why caleb is fascinated with rocks :) but it's fun to see him play.
i tried to get a picture with him, but of course, his eyes were closed...or is he just smiling? when we ask him to smile, he shuts his eyes and squints his nose...
i love this picture that someone from church took of him!
jun and i had a date night on my birthday! two lovely ladies volunteered to babysit for us :) they are so good with caleb that we didn't think twice :)
prime rib, well done of course...for the prego lady :) oh, and there's the loaded baked potato :) yum!
mud pie for dessert!
sunset at a park after dinner.
when we came home, a few of the girls from church surprised me for my bday...balloons filled the house...cupcakes, a banner, and a gift :) thank you! it was very unexpected.

here's jun, me, caleb, and baby brother :) haha...
yummy cupcakes...
enjoying the cupcakes :)

thanks again, everyone.

announcement

2009-06-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

we are having another BOY!!! yeah..our minds were kinda set on having a girl just because we don't have one...BUT jun and i kinda had a feeling it was going to be a boy again and we are totally happy and excited. we think it'll be fun to have two brothers growing up together. we just wonder...will this one look as much like jun as caleb does?? haha...
the ultrasound was exciting and jun actually saw the "boy part" before the technician did and he just couldn't stop smiling, so i asked him, "what?! is it another boy?" he answered yes, very happily...and the technician took another look and confirmed it. it was a cute experience :)

that's the only big news around here. there aren't too many pictures this time because my little camera broke, so i always have to use the big fancy one, which means i end up taking less pics because it's hard to carry around. no worries, we'll buy another one soon :)

the weather in washington has been very nice...no rain and very clear and sunny. i'm enjoying this while i can...because i hear summers are short here.

pregnancy has been ok. i am still so tired all the time and my sciatic nerve gets to be very painful at times...lower back pain is not fun. i still get very light headed and need to take things slow...but i am trying to enjoy my second trimester. i am 5 months as of this week.

one of the few pics i have taken with caleb since my pregnancy, so i love this one and it wasn't even from our camera.
focused on the computer screen...he only gets to watch the wiggles music dvd once a day.
a shot of his bathtime...
he's starting to use his chair a lot more these days.
we took a nice long walk at greenlake ....
auntie helan and uncle yong took us to the seattle aquarium with their prime card :)
caleb was fascinated and especially liked the starfish...maybe because he was able to say "star"
a family pic at 4 1/2 months prego...
caleb playing with felt fish...
with helan...
caleb looks so much like his dad...
with yong...
i made this for jun for father's day....
before...
after....
smile! he does this everytime he sees the camera...so funny.

father's day

2009-06-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

happy father's day to all the dads out there! i know that jun is not my dad, but i celebrate today for him because of my appreciation for him as the father of my child...soon to be children. i love him more because of the father that he is to caleb.

on this day, i have great appreciation for a few people in my life. first and foremost, i am thankful for my heavenly father who truly saved me and gave me life. Not only that, but he gave me meaning to life. he loves, protects, and forgives unconditionally....i am just so glad that i know and serve him.

then, i am thankful for my own father, who until i became an adult...was not able to truly understand and appreciate. he has been such a responsible father...doing all he can to support and provide for this family...sacrificing his own happiness. as a parent myself now, i can not imagine the loneliness and emptiness he felt when he sent our family to the US, while he worked in taiwan...seeing his family once every 3 or 4 months. he sacrificed his time, youth, energy...and most of all, he sacrificed the days he could have built memories with his family. until this day, he still sacrifices for our well being and our happiness. he is a wonderful father.

next, there's my husband's father...my father in law. i appreciate his love and the example he set for my husband, for him to have become the great man that he is today. i am so thankful for the christian faith he has passed down and the endless prayers and love he has given. a big part of why my husband and caleb's dad is the way he is today is because of him. how can i not be thankful. he raised a dependable and responsible person, who is also a person of great faith...and now our family benefits from it...

this then leads to the father of caleb...my loving husband. i always knew he'd be a great dad, but he exceeded all my expectations. his unconditional love for caleb touches me everyday. he tries to be better for his family all the time. our children are truly blessed to have him as a father. i know he will pass down many great things and build great memories with them. i love him more each day because of the father that he is.

to end this post....
thank you and once again, happy father's day. i love you.

jun's dad. caleb's harabuhji.
amber's dad. caleb's gong gong.
caleb's wonderful dad since day one...

what a pregnancy it has been...

2009-05-28T20:51:00.001-07:00

hello. we weren't suppose to get an ultrasound until 18 weeks, but i experienced some complications yesterday and the doctor wanted to make sure the baby was ok. i will not write the details here, but it was a scare for us. i am still not feeling well and am ordered to rest and take things easy...

the baby is ok. thank god. however, i am still experiencing some symptoms, so i'm still scared...and worried, but i will trust....this has not been easy...

the good thing about this whole thing is...i got to see our baby before the 18 week mark. he or she is beautiful and moving a lot. he or she is 15 weeks and the due date is now november 18th.

take a look at the profile...you can see his or her hand too...

kim baby #2....
mother's day...jun gave me a card and roses expressing his appreciation for me as caleb's mom. very sweet.
caleb can hang on these bars for a long time...very impressive. he loves it.
he's starting to love the playground.
caleb's new tool bench from uncle kwan and auntie ashley...
uncle kwan playing with caleb....
all the pictures you are about to see are from my sister in law and kwan's visit to seattle. kwan, being the amazing photographer he is, took so many photos of caleb :) we have no complaints!
caleb wearing auntie ashley's sunglasses....
with the lovely couple...
we don't know where he learned this, but he puts his arms behind him and walks around, kind of like a grandpa :)
caleb enjoying the view...
peek-a-boo!
he loved putting his head through the bars...
jun and john...
the weather has been amazing...in the 70s all the time...super clear and blue skies.
caleb had a good time picking flowers and giving them to us...
jun and his sister at the museum of glass. i rested in the car with caleb...
took the ko family to happy hour...
caleb not wanting to drink water!
caleb eating away....
what a mess! but i love seeing him eat...
caleb's very fascinated by dogs right now, but he still needs the comfort of daddy next to him or else he gets scared.
with my sister in law...
the view of caleb from behind....
what's up?!
looking at the pigeons...
group shot at pike place public market...
caleb wanting to go see the "go go" or "dog" in mandarin...
a nice day at the park...
happy happy!
playing with daddy...
number one!
he loved these sunglasses! he kept playing with it...
he liked wearing it too!
sporting sunglasses with daddy...
hello!
sweet picture. holding onto daddy because he was scared of the dog. he warmed up to the dog eventually :)
what is this?! he picked up a piece of grass...
thirsty after running around...
caleb getting ready to pray while daddy preached!

please keep us in your prayers as i go through this pregnancy. thank you. hope you enjoyed the many many pics of caleb and our second child as well :)

lots of learning!

2009-05-05T21:20:00.001-07:00

caleb has learned so much recently...i am so proud of him. i am working on letters/sounds, colors, and shapes with him and he picks them up pretty fast. occasionally, i'll throw in numbers, but i'm trying not to overwhelm him! there's a lot of learning taking place just in everyday life and he picks up so much from daily things, but i'm trying to be intentional with teaching him certain things. so, he just recently learned the colors red and blue. he seems to be getting purple too. he knows the shapes star and circle. he knows his letter "B" really well and i'm working on A and C. i want him to master a little at a time before moving on. however, he does listen to the abcs many times a day and is starting to watch the letter factory dvd from leap frog. he knows many names of objects that he sees everyday, like elmo, blocks, blanket, duckie, bubble bath, birds, ballon, airplane, juice, milk, crackers, and so much more! it's so fun to see! he also knows a lot of verbs like "brushing" teeth, "throwing" trash, and so on. the awesome thing is so far, he seems to be getting all these things in english, mandarin, and korean. some things he only knows in one language, but he gets most things in 2 or if not, 3 languages. i am just fascinated by how much they learn at this age and that is why i'm sharing :)

caleb was starting to bite when we tried to brush his teeth and it hurt!!! then, he started putting his foot on the dining table while he eats. i tried different discipline methods and though it took various times, he seems to have stopped for awhile so i am glad, but we'll see how long this lasts! i am still working on the tantrums, which will be an ongoing struggle i think. what i've done so far is talk to him calmly, redirect his attention, or ignore him. haha...there's so much to think about!

ok well, if you read through all that, i hope it didn't bore you...especially if you are not a parent. haha...just an update on caleb :)

before i go on to pictures, update on kim baby #2....i am 11 weeks, going on 12 now. the exciting news is that he or she is doing well and we heard the heartbeat for the first time last week. it was again, an emotional experience.
nauseousness has not gone away and last week was a terrible week physically for me. i fainted at lowe's, it was so scary. but thankfully, jun was with me. ever since then, i've been physically worn out. then, the right side of my back starting hurting terribly and it's just now starting to go away. however...today, i feel like i am catching a cold. oh my....
jun's been sick too and caleb's nose is runny. i hope we'll all feel better soon!

i am excited because we got to see an old friend and his family 2 weeks ago while they stopped by washington and my dearest friend, christine, will be visiting me next week....AND jun's sister and brother-in-law will be in town after that. oh how nice it is to see beautiful and familiar faces!

onto pictures....thank you for reading!

on a REALLY nice day in washington...caleb and daddy taking a walk.
looking over the pier...
by the water...it was actually sunny! look at the sunglasses and caleb squinting!
some father and son time...
caleb at the children's museum. he's grocery shopping!
noah's birthday at chuck e cheese. i haven't been there since i was a kid!
noah is such a character!
it took caleb some time to warm up to the place. he did eventually and enjoyed the toddler section :)
one of the things caleb likes to do with daddy...build blocks together. jun comes up with a new creation each time! this is a dog house :) the dog is a husky, the UDub mascot. it was a gift to caleb from my elementary buddy, kelley.
caleb playing with toys at ikea...what a great place to take kids! caleb loved exploring the place!
i realized that in washington, when it's a nice day out...people don't want to miss the opportunity to go out and enjoy the day. that's what we did after a long sunday....we couldn't miss a clear and warm day. we had a picnic withe john and the han family.
noah being himself :)
it was a nice day, but it got really cold again after the sun went down. we had to leave.
ok, that's not what you think it is...it actually an empty rootbeer bottle that caleb enjoyed holding. we thought it was the cutest thing because he really was pretending to drink it like it was beer and walking around all tipsy!
drunk?
tough guy....
the first time jun wore shorts in a long time!
noah in attack mode...
caleb's first real accident. he fell on his face and his nose starting bleeding. so what did the parents do? grab the camera. THEN, we comforted him :)
ok, meet mykaelah phillips. she's the daughter of our middle school friend. she's also caleb's future wife :) haha....
her mom, leslie, suggested an arranged marriage :)
their first meeting...
getting to know each other...
sitting together :)

the phillips...
a group photo. we're all just happy that the kids were looking at the camera!
going in for a kiss....
all happy :) hugs before caleb's bedtime.

the nice camera

2009-04-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

not too much to update this time, just got the nice camera out again and took some pics of caleb, so wanted to share them with you!

i am entering my 3rd month of pregnancy..i am 9 weeks. i am still nauseous and fatigued...and my tummy is definitely growing at a faster rate this time around! what can i say...my stomach was already stretched out once :)

caleb is beginning to throw tantrums because he's approaching 18 months soon...so that hasn't been fun...but he's still a sweet baby boy and listens well for the most part...he just takes a lot more patience and energy now. i realized that even though infancy is hard, every stage has a more demanding task awaiting. caleb knows so many words now and seems to understand most of what we say. he's walking everywhere...without control and if you try to control him...he's not a happy baby~!

i'm still homesick:( a few days ago, it was really bad, we miss our family and friends so much. i keep telling myself..it takes time...it takes time...

the weather here is getting nicer. you definitely "see" spring now...the leaves on the trees are appearing, flowers are blossoming...and the weather is much warmer. it still rains occasionally of course, but this is much more comfortable indeed!

pictures....

walking around university village....
shopping at the gap...uncle john bought caleb 2 new shirts! thank you!
caleb enjoying the nice weather. he loved just walking around freely...
touching the sculpture...
a nice afternoon with daddy...
silly boy...
checking out the handprints...
walking fast now!
he loved the slide! he was full of anticipation!
weeeee!
caleb with his shopping bag!
caleb and juhee
we went to see the cherry blossoms at university of washington...
caleb having fun...
matching shoes with daddy...
our family...
another one...
uncle john and caleb...
we went to the spring fair. caleb loved the kettle corn!
daddy wanted to go on the super slide with caleb, but caleb's still too small.
enjoying uncle john's corn dog...yum!
happy to be out and walking around.
i just followed caleb around the house and took pictures of him...enjoy!
mommy, what are you doing?
ok, that's enough...give it to me...
smile!
reading a book...
trying to figure out the puzzle pieces....

the big news...

2009-04-03T21:01:00.000-07:00

has it been that long since i've updated? well, caleb just turned 16 months and learning fast! he imitates most things that we say or do. it's so awesome! so the big news around our family is that....i am pregnant with baby #2!!! this is old news for most of you because jun and i announced it early this time. with caleb, we waited for a long time, but i guess we just couldn't contain ourselves this time! however, please keep us in your prayers since it is still early on. i think i am only 6 or 7 weeks. i am going to the doctor's next week. i found out when i was 3 weeks or so and from 3-6 weeks, i was feeling great...no nausea, no fatigue...nothing! haha, but of course it was way too early to tell. on the 6th week...it hit. the nausea and fatigue...as well as cramping. the nausea seems much worse than my first pregnancy, but the fatigue seems a little better because i remember falling asleep while teaching with the first! i really feel terrible everyday....like i can puke any minute but it won't come out...so disgusting. i feel like i have to flu everyday. i am also tired...too tired to keep up with caleb, so sometimes i just watch him play.

how i told jun this time...it wasn't very original, but i've always liked the idea. i made caleb a shirt that said "i'm a big brother." i put a jacket over it and made jun take off his clothes for bathtime that night. when he unzipped the jacket, he read it aloud once...then again....then looked at me and said, "shut up! you're pregnant?!" he was overjoyed. he screamed and came to hug me. jun is really happy. i was too...but right now i am too physically terrible that i don't show my excitement anymore. i hope this will only be the first trimester.

thanks for all the congrats. i can't even believe i'm having my second child...it still amazes me. we feel very blessed.

lastly...how has my adjustment been here? well, let's just say that it's still a lonely life for the most part...

this is caleb looking out the window on a rainy day in his raincoat...his washington gear!
we gave caleb his first haircut...well, sort of...
he had random long strands of hair, so we just snipped those few strands...but for some reason, he still looked like he got a haircut! we didn't think it'd make a difference.
the smile that he's getting so good at...
with uncle john...
suh-mii and helan came over and made some lasagna. it was delicious!
caleb completely focused on the computer. he loves watching wiggles on youtube.
the day i told my boys about the baby...
caleb's big brother shirt...he likes to play with his toothbrush.

with annie and noah...for uncle john's birthday...
the han family...the other family that moved up from la...
fried oysters...i was able to enjoy this because i wasn't nauseous yet! now, it doesn't sound so pleasant.
monica took caleb and me to the art museum...
family visited in march...it was great! how nice it felt to have close people around again. everyday is just caleb and me...
sculpture park...
caleb having a good time with family...
it was a beautiful day to be in seattle...
with my hubby and son...
everyone resting on the chairs...
taking a walk with grandparents...
a sweet moment with daddy...
the public fish market...
these are all the people in my family born in the year of the pig...except me.
caleb had a really good time with grandpa...
gong gong and jio jio watching caleb enjoy the cadillac at costco...
watching youtube with grandpa...
caleb made everyone laugh...
at starbucks corporate...such a cutie...
jun and college students at the northwest conference...
another shot...
elementary department dinner...
caleb with his favorite blankie...it goes everywhere now! this smile...melts my heart.
the girls made this pork chop with bokchoy and rice noodles...
because i was so nauseous....these girls were so amazing. they cooked...helan gave caleb a bath, suh-mii and anna washed dishes, and sandy took out trash. they did all this at MY place...i felt so bad, but so thankful at the same time.
after caleb's bath...

i think i need to go lie down now...

caleb at 15 months

2009-03-07T21:16:00.001-08:00

caleb is now 15 months...and walking around so well. he enjoys being on his feet and roaming around. however, he has been going through a not-so-pleasant stage. whenever we tell him "no" or don't pick him up or do anything he wants to do...he screams and cries like there's no tomorrow! he'll even throw himself on the floor and sometime bang his head on the floor. it's driving me nuts! but i've learned to just ignore him sometimes and the first couple of times, it didn't work...he just kept on screaming...but today, it worked a little. so, we'll see how this goes. i'm hoping everyday will get better. so this stage...at least i hope it's a stage...has made staying at home with him even harder. a couple of days ago, i had to just grab him and go out. i didn't know where to go, but i put him in the van and drove. thankfully, he fell asleep after not too long and i drove through jack in the box to get a cup of coffee and sat in a random parking lot to have some "me" time. it helped.

the weather here is a bit strange. it will rain for a little bit and then become the most beautiful day ever. it felt like spring weather...not too cold anymore. BUT, today was too cold for me again. it was windy and chilly. i miss socal!

this has been a hard week...but regardless, i was able to get some good photos...enjoy.

caleb walking around the apartment in his overalls...so sweet when he's happy :) haha...looking like a big boy now...
enjoying his freedom
looking through groceries...
he liked the pasta box...
i grabbed him and forced him to take a picture with me! so i look happy, he doesn't...hehe...
we had the children's ministry's teachers come over to our place. it was a good time!
celebrating february birthdays...suh-mii and sandy...
group pic 1
group pic 2
group pic 3
daddy built a box of out blocks because caleb likes to put stuff into boxes...
i really like this picture. my two boys both look so handsome :)
having a good time with daddy...
another stuffy day...so when jun came home from work, we went for a walk. it was sooo cold!
caleb was able to walk around the grass for a bit, but then it got too cold so we had to leave...
having fun...
daddy and caleb
mommy and caleb
of course, we had to take one together :)
wanted to show you what the sky looks like on a nice washington day...
so nice...but when it's gloomy, it's VERY gloomy!
i believe this is the grey's anatomy hospital. i know it's not filmed here in seattle, but this is the one that they pretend to be in :)
may it be a better week...

under the weather...

2009-02-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

our family has been under the weather. i'm sure most of you know what we are talking about. it just goes around, from one to another. jun and caleb were sick at the same time. one night, they both woke up at the same time...3am with the same temperature...103. they were both achy and uncomfortable, so i stayed up with my two babies...both laying in bed. thankfully, their temperature both dropped a little and they went to sleep after 2 hours. jun is doing much better, but caleb is kinda feeling miserable. everything is hitting him at once. no more fever, but he is coughing and sneezing...congested...AND he's painfully teething. he's fussier than usual of course and needs a lot of hugs, but as usual, he's being a trooper. now...the bug got to me and i am sitting here congested and uncomfortable. this has not been a good week for the kim bunch in the health department!

caleb is walking so well now...it amazes us. i'm beginning to discover his personality more and more each day. he is a sweet spirited boy and very sensitive. he is also very observant and introverted. i know these things change, but his personality is definitely being revealed and i like what i see so far...but then again...i'll probably always like what i see because he is my son.

as for my adjustment here...it's a day to day struggle. i feel like i am just keeping myself occupied and not doing anything significant to make this place home. i really should try harder, but i don't know what to do even if i wanted to make this home. i'm just hoping time will solve all things.

so, as i promised, i tried to take more pics of washington and our life here...so here are the pics!

caleb loves bubble baths! the weather here has been incredibly nice, but just this one day...it snowed like crazy! it was a total photo op.
you see how hard it's snowing! haha, sorry to those who are use to snow. we are still amazed because we are from socal :)
these are the pastors from la...
john calls this winter training?
what our car looked like after just an hour of snow.
caleb on his chair...
this is chambers bay, right behind our apartment. amazing, isn't it?
we went for a walk after a stuffy day at home...
john has been helping out a lot with our adjustment here...
group pic
buddies
a beautiful day out...looks all sunny and nice, but it was actually really chilly!
sunset...
caleb all bundled up...
john and jun...

the end of our walk...
feeling much better after a walk...
downtown seattle...
mi-yeon came to visit. yay! our first official guest. it was nice.
nice weather...
pike's place fish market
the first starbucks

building blocks together...
jun and caleb both under the weather...

caleb going for a ride...

caleb doing his tricks :) most of them are in mandarin though...
we taught him to raise his hand when we call his name...we learned that trick from "kylie sun!" because jun thought that was the cutest thing. next, i said, "i love you" and he blows a kiss. then i said, "nose," "tongue," head," and "ears." at the end, i told him to clap.

hello from washington!

2009-02-04T15:16:00.001-08:00

this is our first official post from our new home, washington. we've been here for almost 3 weeks now and we've finally managed to get everything out of boxes. we kept a lot of things we don't need in storage so that we can open it once we get a house. it's been a huge adjustment. our goodbyes in la were very difficult...a lot of heartache and tears...but i know some bonds can never be broken.

our first week here was ok, it didn't feel like we actually moved here. i think during the second week, the fact that we're here for good really hit me hard. i am trying hard to adjust to not just the new place, but also the new role as a stay at home mom. last week was a difficult week. this week is a bit easier, but still so homesick. i miss the people more than anything else.
jun started his job at church. he seems to enjoy it so far, but there's a lot of work that needs to be done. i'll never forget how it was snowing a little bit on my first sunday to church.

these few days have been beautiful...the sun is out and the temperature is nice :) washington is a beautiful place. i can't wait to "explore" this place, however, you know what people say...there's no place like home...but i will try to make this place home. in time, i hope it will happen.

we've already had a few familiar faces come by to visit and it is soooo nice. it's a wonderful feeling because they really bring a piece of home to us. i hope more people will come by :)

here are some pictures from la and washington...i will try to take more pics of washington to update.

caleb looking just like daddy...seeing some people before leaving la...
uncle tony...
the kim family...
esther...
nancy....
uncle dave...
auntie angela...
jun selling his corolla before we left :(
we are now owners of a van!
uncle kevin and toby...
caleb making a mess with the blackberries...
caleb playing with post-its. i put one on his head and he put one on mine. had to take a pic!
my co-workers threw me a little good-bye party...
the beginning of our roadtrip....leaving la...
caleb on the roadtrip...
on our way...
still going...it was a long drive...but very enjoyable.
stopped at the last in-n-out in california...
oregon...
caleb was amazing again....slept for so long in the car. gotta love him for being the best roadtrip baby ever!
jun flew back to la and became an american!
david lin's visit. i was so happy that we found a tiny taiwanese food place and a place for taiwanese teas! it's still interesting to me that we need to go to chinatown to get stuff like this, whereas in la, it's literally everywhere!
taken by john...a day out at downtown tacoma, washington.

i saved the best for last. caleb is now walking! this video clip was a few days ago. he walks even better now! the other video clip is to show you how caleb screams now! it's sometimes cute...and sometimes very unpleasant! haha...enjoy!

milestones

2008-12-25T16:04:00.001-08:00

merry christmas and happy new year, everyone! it has been a busy time of year for our family. caleb celebrated his 1st birthday and many came out to celebrate with us. we were showered with love and gifts, for which we are extremely thankful for... we as a family felt very fortunate to know such great people who love us and most of all, love caleb. caleb is definitely not a baby anymore. he is officially a toddler! i was telling jun how i didn't want him to grow so fast and jun agreed but then jun said why should we feel that way when he will grow into someone great. it's true, i can't wait to see all he will do and all that he will become :)
after hitting the one year mark, he has definitely changed...still a great happy boy, but always on the move and more difficult to satisfy. he doesn't eat just anything we put in his mouth anymore, he has learned to spit out anything that does not satisfy his taste buds! he screams when you take something away from him and nope, you can't just put something else in his hand to replace the object anymore...he knows what he wants! though it's harder on us, it is also more rewarding...seeing his character and seeing how much he learns. he knows so many things now and can do all these cute things. caleb now has 4 teeth and doesn't walk yet. he is a pro at crawling though and can walk when holding on to things. he has taken 2 steps, but he is a cautious little one. his one year mark was a blessed milestone.

the other milestone is...our family is making a move. we are moving to washington in mid-january. i never thought i'd leave this place of comfort, familiarity, and history. however, we think it is best for our family right now to experience change and to get out of our comfort zone. jun has a great opportunity up in washington and it will allow me to stay at home with caleb. we'll take it a day at a time. if i don't like being a stay at home mom after 6 months or so, i'll go back to work. we'll see...but we feel ok about this time of change. of course we will miss our close family and friends here, but i think we'll be back often :) i'm aiming for twice a year :)

jun's mom was here for a month and helped out greatly with caleb and everything else. it was a good time. i'm sure caleb enjoyed having grandma around. he needs more interaction with people, that's for sure.

so, now it's picture time. hope our huge bundle of joy brings some joy to you as you look at these pics :) will update about our move in our next entry...

this is a hilarious picture...he was so excited and he scrunches his nose when he's very happy...
"i want YOU!"
one of caleb's favorite things to do right now...play with daddy's wallet. he pulls out all the cards and money and when he's done, he moves on to something else.caleb's happy time...in his bed.
learning to eat by himself and doing so well...
caleb loves to watch elmo on youtube. he is sitting on his pottery barn sofa that his "yi" or auntie gave him for his birthday.
caleb loves his chair!
it is korean tradition to do this for a first birthday. you basically lay out different objects on a table and the baby needs to pick an object. whatever they pick represents what they will like or become in the future. we put out a bible (some kind of ministry), soccer ball (athletic), pens (intellectual, studies hard, etc.), yarn (long life), money (he'll earn a lot of money), book (smart), mouse (tech savvy). so caleb picked 3 things: first, pens...next, money...and last, the mouse.
so this is how jun put it, "he will be intellectual and earn a lot of money through technology." haha...fun stuff. isn't it interesting how traditions come about? jun picked a pen when he was one.
family fun. playing jenga with mom.
his double eyelids come and go...but usually when he gets it, it's only on one side.
a day at the beach with mom and sis. caleb's sleeping in the ergo.
crawling up a slide...
we went to walk around at downtown disney.
at the airport when mom left...she was really sad to leave caleb :(
caleb didn't nap that day and he fell asleep while watching elmo on my lap. too cute.
the trip to seattle. sleeping on the plane...he is such a good one :)
eating fish and chips near john's place with a view of the water.
bonding time with john...fireplace, wine, cheese, and hot chocolate...
downtown seattle. it was soooo cold. caleb had a hard time. he was so bundled up that he couldn't move!
at the fish market...
thanks to john, we had so much good food. caleb enjoying indian food.
there were so many 1st birthday pics, but i'm just going to post one...happy 1st birthday, caleb. you have brought us so much joy. we love you.
if you would like to see more, i posted some on facebook.
jun's first birthday as a daddy.

caleb is almost one~!

2008-10-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

caleb is almost a year old! we cannot believe how fast this year has gone by. i guess it's because we've been so occupied with our little one and each day just passes us by. we have been brainstorming different ideas for caleb's 1st birthday. ideally, we'd love to just keep it casual and have close family and friends over to our house, but...our place is just not spacious enough. so now we have to find a venue...soon. it's only a month away. caleb knows so much more now. he's always pulling himself up and definitely knows how to say "mama" and "ahba." we can play little games with him and he has more of a sense of humor. it's fun. it's also more fun watching him play with toys now. he actually figures some things out all by himself! parenthood has been good to us thus far. besides caleb's 1st birthday coming up, jun's birthday is coming up first~i'm still figuring out what to do for that as well. i want both to be special for them because they are my boys :)

we recently took caleb's one year photos at jun's brother-in-law's studio. we're not going to post them this time because we will be using them for caleb's invites as well as our holiday stuff...so you'll just have to wait to see those!

however, there are other pictures to share!

picture time~

this was christine and danny's engagment dinner. another sleeping picture because i just love watching him sleep!
eating at souplantation with mommy and daddy.
angela finally got to see caleb after way too long....
daddy and caleb
we went to south coast for lunch and i had to take a picture of jun and caleb both eating bread. they look so alike...i love this picture.
another day at the park. caleb enjoys the swing. he's so relaxed everytime he's on the swing.
full of smiles...
chillin' on the swing...
towards the end when he was getting a bit tired.
caleb with my aunt from canada and his "jio jio" (uncle).
jio jio and caleb
caleb with the Im family
caleb loves stacy biao e...
daddy taught caleb how to head butt. it's the cutest thing :)
i don't know how he learned to smile like this, but when he's really happy, he tends to smile just like this. hehe...
one of caleb's favorite things to do...eat...
daddy took us to the korean festival and we got to take a picture with ronald mcdonald.
caleb's pooh costume. mommy and daddy had a ball seeing him in this :)
looking all grown up at 11 months!

kylie playing with caleb. she is such a sweet girl and loves to kiss caleb :)

our caleb...cute as can be...

2008-09-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

there are lots of pictures for all of you! but before that, a quick update on the kims...it's been 2 weeks since i've begun teaching again. kindergarteners are difficult...but not only that, i have 3 very very difficult students, who make work a struggle on a daily basis. i hope things will get better. jun is doing well. he's doing a great job taking care of caleb and me :) i miss my two boys very much everyday and it's always so nice to see them after a very long day. caleb now has two teeth and is babbling a lot. it sounds like he can say "ahba" which means daddy in korean and he can also say "mamamama," which may be mom? it could very well be just babbling, but we'd like to think he can call us mommy and daddy. hehe...
he is crawling so well now. he pulls himself up and is starting to cruise around...so fun to watch. he's an active little one and often bumps his head everywhere. for awhile he had multiple bruises on his head. poor guy. he's definitely doing cuter things everyday. when he wants us to hold him, he'll crawl to us and pull on our legs now.
he's eating well still...and isn't drinking as much milk...but he seems to be growing well thanks to god :) he has really watched over caleb since he was born. again, we feel blessed.

now, here are the pictures...

eating teething biscuits...stuffing his mouth!
he likes to stand in his crib now...a day at the park with the family...
john, jun, and kwan...
on the swing and oh so happy :) i love this picture.
having a good time...
with auntie christine and uncle danny...
a little morrison gathering...christine, danny, jun, cindy, amy, dave t., and angela.
with auntie amy...

sitting at the park...
a friday night with johnny. we love having him here!
this is j-town...
johnny took us to the most amazing sashimi...it was the first time i tasted sashimi in almost 2 years! yay!
jun and caleb were both enjoying their food. do you like their matching hoodies? i saw it and had to buy it for them! they looked really cute together :)
with uncle dave...
with auntie cindy...
more j-town...
it felt like i was with 2 juns :) they are so alike!
with my son :)
family...
caleb chilling on an old car hood...
jun took caleb and me to the la county fair...
they look very similar here...
content with my baby :)
uncle john looooves caleb :) sweet.
showing off their matching jackets...
more fair pictures...
caleb enjoyed seeing these budweiser horses...
jun and caleb with the monster truck...
family shot...
caleb holding otter fur...
met up with christine after her engagement :) caleb eating a strawberry...
with christine...
check out her engagement ring!
uncle kwan and caleb looking suprised!
last picture...
it looks like jun is chopping my head off!

summer is coming to a close

2008-08-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

it feels like summer just began and now i'm getting ready to go back to teach little kindergarteners . yes...for those who may not have heard, i will be going from 1st to k. maybe i'll like it, but i really didn't want to change grade levels yet. teachers start work on tuesday and then students come back the day after labor day. it's been a good summer though. the kims are doing well...we are happy and content as a family.

we took caleb to seal beach today and it was his first time on the swings...he enjoyed it a lot...but not for too long...just long enough for us to get some good shots.

with daddy on the swing...the peak of his enjoyment:) so happy!
daddy walking around with caleb...
a picture that we forgot to post from korea...but wanted to share with everyone. caleb sitting on an old antique chair.
more swing shots...
i love how he looks so tiny here!

awww, our little ray of sunshine....
mommy pushing caleb on the swings...
can you see his tooth?? it's on the left side looking at the picture, but it's caleb's right side.
more 1st tooth smiles...

caleb loves his daddy so much...it's wonderful to see

we met up with the torgersons....what a beautiful family.
the dads with their sons...
jesse, edmund, and caleb...
i still enjoy watching him sleep. it puts me to sleep and makes me smile.
the pier...
our gathering with gabe, tony, and john. it was such a great time!
the uncles with caleb...caleb is so lucky, he gets so much love from these guys!
uncle tony feeling caleb's tummy. he's a little monster, he eats so much!
uncle gabe with caleb...
after the cafe, we went to visit kohei at his tattoo studio. haven't seen him since high school!
auntie ashley and uncle kwan took caleb on an outing to laguna beach...

a picnic...

jun feeding calebwhile using the computer...
chillin' with uncle mark...
a day at the pool with uncle mark, kylie, and daddy...
he loved it!
and last but definitely not least...caleb with the chang kids :)

jun, caleb, and i will end with very happy notes...two people recently got engaged :) congratulations to kimbs engaged to nathaniel and christine chen engaged to danny :) yay! the day has finally come and we are so happy for both of you guys!

settling in at home

2008-08-08T23:45:00.001-07:00

we've been back from our korea and taiwan trip for about 2 weeks now. it was such a good trip! jun and i got to spend so much time together and caleb received so much love from grandparents and many others. now that we are back home, he's back to seeing jun and me everyday again! he's getting very active as he's going into his 9th month. it's getting hard to hold him nowadays. he's eating a lot of things now and getting better and better at crawling. his bottom 2 teeth are coming in, we see it peeking through his gums. it only took him 3 days to get over jet lag and he was amazing on the airplane. he is really a good boy. he rarely fusses, only when he's tired or hungry. we have no complaints. saying "we are blessed" would be an understatement.

it's good to be back home, but we miss asia too

there's about 3 more weeks before i go back to work, so we're trying to enjoy the rest of this summer together as a family. it's been a good and fast summer. i won't write much since pictures are worth a thousand words...

i took these photos at different times and realized how alike they were, so i put it together. like father, like son...
at danshui during sunset...
christine wei holding caleb...
on top of the 101 bldg in taipei...
grandpa playing with caleb...
grandpa and caleb wearing caps...
my birthday celebration in korea...
the day we left korea...
first day in taiwan...eating yummy dumplings
night market food...yum
a friday night at the night market...so crowded...could barely move...
daddy loves caleb...
picture with mommy...
grandma playing with caleb...so much love!
caleb and his favorite blankie...
birthday cake...
playing time with daddy...
good high school friend, anita...
jun and i walking around korea...
with jun's childhood friends...
in his car seat in korea...

caleb sleeping on the plane ride back home...anita and caleb...
with lily in taiwan...congrats to stacy and mark on their second little one...absolutely beautiful...kaden tyler sun!
it's been great seeing the family of four lots after coming back :)
the most recent picture of caleb at 8.5 months...

a cute video clip of jun making caleb laugh...

korea at a glance

2008-07-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

hi everyone, here's the long overdue update from korea! it's been a good trip so far. our time here is actually almost over. on friday the 18th, we depart to taiwan. it's been interesting being in asia...the nightlife is just crazy. midnight always feels like 6pm. everywhere you go, there are still people at the wee hours of the night....so different from america.

we've been very blessed here with jun's parents. they are loving on caleb so much and jun and i are getting a big break. we get to go out by ourselves...though the time may be limited because i need to get back to feed caleb...it's been really good for us. the last time we had a real date was before caleb was born. we actually went to see a movie too...a late one! we could go out and eat, tour around, and take walks...ride the subway...it's just been a different lifestyle and i think it's what we both very much needed. everyone here, even people we've never met before from church, give caleb so much attention. he's gotten so much love and i think because of our korea trip, he kinda got rid of his stranger anxiety! i never know who's holding him! i had a problem with that in the beginning, but i thought about it and it's really good for him because he doesn't get this kind of interaction back at home. jun, caleb, and i are all getting pretty spoiled here. we are looking forward to having caleb spend some time with the taiwan grandparents as well. he is truly loved and for that, we are so thankful.

the food's been great...everything is pretty spicy, but definitely yummy. i've got to admit though, it makes me miss having a variety of foods to choose from and i crave mexican, american, and chinese food sometimes.

we've met up with many of jun's childhood friends and everywhere we go, jun tells me stories about when he was growing up, so that's been neat.

as for caleb, he did so well on the plane ride here...was only fussy for 15 minutes altogether. he slept in his snug airplane bassinet. he fit just right, so i don't know what's going to happen when we go back home. it'll definitely be too small for him. he had about a week of jet lag, but quickly developed a sleeping and eating pattern/schedule. he's a good boy and we love him more each day. as of today, he is a week away from being 8 months! for those who miss him, there are plenty of pictures of him for you to see. enjoy!

these pictures are truly just glimpses of our korea trip...there's so much more to see!

a look at seoul from the han river... jun and i enjoyed a date night at the river
it was 11 pm but it felt like 7 pm...so many people were at the river walking around and riding their bikes.

caleb is sitting up by himself now! he still needs someone around to watch him though because he is still not very steady. a silly smile...
food, food, food...
jun and i walked the korean palace and it was soooo hot that day!
fresh veggies to wrap meat with...
caleb's getting so much bigger :) our little munchkin...
3 generations of kim
what's a korea post without kimchi pics?!
jun at the chang deok gung palace
caleb enjoying the food in korea too :) family photo at an outdoor tea shop
we went to jun's grandpa's home in the country side where jun spent much of his childhood.
one of the many beautiful places in korea... cheong gae chun. one little section had literally 20 couples or so!
colorful signs...
jun and i took a walk here. felt like a 2nd honeymoon for a bit. hehe... jun's grandpa with caleb or in other words, caleb's great grandpa.
a little night market...
noodles...
spicy seafood soup...
all i can say is...good food in korea :) yum yum. seriously. there was a "celebration" with cake and all just for caleb's arrival to korea!
grandma playing the piano with caleb. he loves it!
jeju island in korea
on vacation with the parents...
caleb in his little bassinet on the plane. it's going to be too small for when we fly back to la.

pictures from before we left for korea...

uncle john chillin with the little guy. john was very good with him.
auntie christine with caleb after dim sum. caleb got a cool new toy from auntie christine! thanks, love ya!
good food, good company
dave and john's visit to la...it was so good to get together again.

2008-07-06T00:44:00.000-07:00

summer break is approaching...

2008-06-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

summer break is in 2 weeks. after i pack up my classroom, we are off to korea and taiwan. yup, it was a huge decision, especially when caleb is on such a great sleeping schedule. but we figured, he is still young and should be able to handle it ok. we'll see...

caleb is getting cuter and cuter, at least in our eyes. he's approaching 7 months already! he's eating solids now and enjoying every minute of it. i can't write much this time because caleb is fussy and it's his bedtime. til next time...

these are very very recent pics...
bath time...playing with bath toys now.

daddy bought him new toys!
waiting to eat dimsum...
caleb wearing his cap on a sunny cali day...
with uncle john...
at this stage, he loves his exersaucer...
he loves his new toys....
daddy's new photo technique...pretty cool.

in a good mood....

bath time is caleb's happy time...
auntie angel and uncle dan....
eating avacado...yum yum.

auntie nancy's visit...
auntie tina, auntie sophia, and uncle scott...

mother's day

2008-05-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

first and foremost, happy mother's day to all the mothers out there...

It was my very first mother's day and i am very happy. i am mom to a beautiful son and wife to a thoughtful husband. Jun made me breakfast in bed...stacked french toast, eggs, ham, and juice. He made a craft with caleb. he handprinted caleb's hands on a paper plate and it said, "mommy, i love you. Happy mother's day." then he got me earrings and wrote me a nice letter. at church, it was my first time getting a rose. i received texts and cards from people. it was a nice first mother's day.

Caleb is almost 6 months! wow! he's teething, so he's very uncomfortable and fussier than normal, but it's not bad at all. i just feel bad for the little guy. it must be painful. on sunday, we fed him rice cereal for the first time! he was in a very good mood and liked it a lot to our surprise! he ate many spoonfuls and then just wanted milk, but great start!

We videotaped it and the expression on his face when he first tasted the rice cereal was classic...so funny. perhaps, we can capture it on photo next time and post it. he was in shock. hahaha....

let's see...what else? he got double eye lids. haha, only asians would understand what that means! so now, he finally looks a little more like me, but overall, still a little jun.

he's such a little joy.

ida and caleb...

jio jio and caleb...
caleb's first time at the pool, but it was too cold. he just wet his feet. he liked it though!
caleb discovered his feet and now, it's always in his mouth!
uncle dave and auntie angela...
not too happy in his car seat :(
chillin on the bumbo...
do you see his double eye lids?
:)
Morning shots....
Mommy and Caleb....I love mommy
Playing time with Dad....
Jun's favorite photo of this month....so funny
teething and uncomfortable...
Amber's favorite photo...

Caleb and cousin kylie
kylie is such a good girl, she kept on kissing caleb, so sweet. she'll be a great older sister.

Stacy and Caleb

no internet

2008-04-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

hi! this will be a quick update because we have no internet and we came out to panera just to update. just wanted to share some pictures of caleb as usual. he is getting to be so much fun...he responds to peek-a-boo and laughs when we tickle him. he is a joyful boy with lots of smile. he continues to sleep well, sometimes 15 hours with 2 daytime naps! we really don't know how long this will last, but we love our little sleepyhead. he loves his crib and his blankie. most of the time, he falls asleep right away with those two things. he likes to stand and still doesn't care much for tummy time. he is showing some signs of teething these days so it could be any day now! it's just been so wonderful seeing all these milestones.

before i get into the pictures, just wanted to say congratulations to miss harder, who recently got married!!! the pictures are beautiful. we love you and are so happy for the two of you!

ok, here are the pics! oh, hey...i managed to squeeze in two posts in april! yay!

caleb was happy to see auntie "e" for a short 2 hours!

aww...auntie or "e" fixing caleb's pjs.
morning fun time on the bed...

caleb on his exersaucer...he's still a little too short for it, so we put a pillow underneath his feet to support him.
caleb absolutely loves to stand with support.

go lakers! hehe...uncle marvin and auntie miyeon bought him this lakers onesie.
caleb loves his bed and little giraffe blanket, thanks to stacy biao e...
hehehe....silly boy.
check this out! doesn't caleb look just like jun when he was little??? wow.
uncle michael's quick visit...yay! it was the first time he met caleb.
a group shot!
and of course...i'll end with a sweet father and son photo...gosh, i love em both!