Clumsiness

I've forgotten how clumsy I get when I'm pregnant. Last week, my hand got caught in the trunk door of my Pilot when I slammed it shut (yes, ouch!). I tore some skin on my middle finger and my ring finger got all bruised and swollen, but at least I don't think I broke anything. It's been over a week, and my finger is still in pain. Then over the weekend, I somehow ended up with two deep cuts on my arm. I still don't know how they got there. Baby K was looking at my arm before and this is the conversation that followed:

Baby K: Let me see your arm, mommy.
[Baby K carefully inspects the two cuts on my arm.]
Baby K: You have ouchie mommy.
[Baby K gently kisses my arm.]
Me: Thank you baby K.
Baby K: It's okay, mommy. Ouchie will go away.
Baby K: Do you need a band-aid mommy?
Me: No, I don't need a band-aid.

I think baby K said something else after that, but another symptom of pregnancy is forgetfulness and I seem to be experiencing it full-blown, so unfortunately the transcript will have to end there.

Anniversary Weekend

This past Saturday marked the sixth wedding anniversary for M and me. Baby K also turned 31 months on that day. No weekend trip was planned this year, so off to Sesame Place we went (yes, definitely taking advantage of those season passes). Baby K was very excited when we told her where we were going, and even woke up extra early that morning. However, for some strange reason, she got really cranky once we arrived at Sesame Place and refused to do anything. Maybe she was overwhelmed by the amount of people at the park (I think this is the most crowded we've seen out of all the times we've been there), but whatever it was, we were definitely thrown off by the sudden change in behavior. She just wanted to stay in her stroller; even seeing the merry-go-round didn't do much to lift up her spirits. Fortunately, she got out of her slump after we watched Elmo's World Live. We didn't stay at the park too long. We grabbed a quick bite to eat, baby K spent a bit of time playing in the water with daddy, and then we caught the afternoon Sesame Place Neighborhood Parade before heading out.

We went to a Korean restaurant in Edison for our anniversary dinner that night. M had his usual dolsot bibimbop. We ordered japchae for baby K and myself since we love our noodles, and we also got a spicy tofu casserole dish. The food wasn't anything extravagant but it was good, and my stomach hasn't felt so satisfied (or full!) in a very long time.

At the Breakfast Table

Scene: Baby K and I are sitting in the kitchen having breakfast. Baby K is holding her bowl of cereal (without milk) and munching on Cheerios. All of a sudden, she points to the floor on the other side of the table.

Me: Did you drop a Cheerio on the floor?
[Baby K nods.]
Me: Do you want mommy to pick it up for you?
Baby K: Yes please.
[I walk over and bend down to pick up the Cheerio.]
Baby K: Watch your head, mommy! Watch your head! [So that I don't bang my head against the table.]
[As I make my way to the garbage can...]
Baby K: Don't eat it, mommy!

It's funny how my little girl picks up on everything we tell her and ends up saying it back to us. At least it goes to show that she's actually listening!

Strawberry Picking

All our Saturday plans were canceled as I was forced to stay home and nurse my terrible cold (who gets a cold in 80+ degree weather anyhow??). Despite the runny nose and cough (and the unsettling suspicion that I had passed it on to baby K), we went to service at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge on Sunday. Afterwards, we decided to go strawberry picking (originally planned for Saturday), since it was Strawberry Festival Weekend at Von Thun Farms. I called MH to see if she wanted to join us and was pleasantly surprised that she said yes. We had a great time meeting up and baby K was happy to see her classmate NH; I just love watching the kids interact with each other.

Here's my little piggy trying out a strawberry:
Baby K and NH walking alongside each other as we headed back to our cars:

This Morning

Me: I have a cold, baby K.
Baby K: Feel better, mommy. Feel better.
Me: Thank you.
[I take a tissue to blow my nose...]
Baby K: Blow mommy! Blow!
Baby K: Good job, mommy!

(At what point did we switch roles without me knowing it??)

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a busy Memorial Day weekend. It started on Friday when I kicked off the holiday weekend by taking advantage of summer hours. I left work in the early afternoon and went with M to get a new mattress for baby K. When we brought it home, he spent the next few hours cramped in her room putting her new bed together. He finally finished that night with some "help" from baby K and myself. Unfortunately, baby K's crib was too big to fit through her bedroom door (we'd have to disassemble it first) so baby K insisted on sleeping in her crib that night even though she had a brand new bigger bed right next to it.

To ease baby K's transition to her new bed, we went shopping on Saturday for baby K to pick out her own bedspreads. Our first stops that morning were TJ Maxx and Kohls. I was very disappointed with their selection; we ended up walking away empty-handed from the two stores. After baby K's nap in the afternoon, we hit Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and Walmart, and finally hit the jackpot at Bed Bath & Beyond. It's still hard to believe we spent all day running around just to get three sets of bedsheets! At least it didn't go to waste since baby K was willing to sleep in her new bed that night.

We went out to New York on Sunday: first church in Chinatown, followed by lunch at my mother-in-law's place. After lunch, we headed out to Queens to visit SW. Baby K's nap was cut short when we arrived there, but she had a blast playing with SW's kids. Then that evening, it was off to the Sheraton Hotel in Flushing for FY and SS's wedding reception. We ended up spending half an hour looking for parking. It was pure chaos! M saw how stressed I got and was about to drop us off at the Sheraton when luckily we saw someone pulling out of a spot. We arrived at the wedding hall right in time for the bride and groom's grand entrance. I had a great time catching up with all the familiar faces from college. Meanwhile, it was getting way past baby K's bedtime and she was exhausted, but between the loud music, the disco lights, the glow sticks, and the balloons, she kept wanting to go out on the dance floor. Fortunately, she was tired enough that she didn't put up a fight when I told her we had to leave at 10:30pm. By the time we got home, it was past midnight.

We were supposed to head out to New York again on Monday to celebrate Mike's nephew's birthday, but it got canceled at the last minute. On a whim, we decided to take baby K to Sesame Place in the afternoon. We were only there for a few hours, but seeing the smile on baby K's face made the whole trip worth it.

Entertainment in the Car

If you've ever seen or sat in my car, you will see the back seat littered with toys, papers, dolls, books, and whatever else peaks my little girl's interest at the moment. Baby K's latest favorites are Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Somehow, she's acquired a Mickey and two Minnie dolls over her lifetime, none of which we purchased for her. It's funny how she keeps herself entertained with them in the car... and how conversations with her stuffed animals relate to what's happening in her own life. Some of baby K's latest phrases (or a variation of them):

• "Uh oh! Minnie Mouse pee pee in underwear!"
  
• "Uh oh! Mickey poopied in pants. That's yucky!"
  
• "Minnie Mouse is crying! She fall down and bump her head!"
  
• "It's okay, Minnie Mouse... it's okay..." [In response to Minnie falling down and bumping her head. This is then usually followed by a kiss.]
  
• "Change diaper, Minnie Mouse... change diaper!"
  
• "Mickey pushed Minnie Mouse."
  
• "No pushing Mickey... not nice!" [In response to me telling her it's not nice to push.]
  
• "I did it, mommy! I did it!" [When she is able to each down next to her car seat and pick something up by herself.]

I probably find more entertainment hearing baby K's ramblings than she does saying them. It's such a great de-stresser after a long day of work. I never know what's going to be coming out of her mouth next and it's awesome just to be able to look forward to that half an hour car ride home with her.

Traffic Lights

I recently started teaching baby K about traffic lights as I drive her to/from daycare. She's gotten into the habit of saying "red means STOP!" and "green means GO!" whenever she sees a traffic light. Once in a while, she would say "turn green, light!" when I'm stopped at a red light (and when she's in a hurry to get home and watch the Fresh Beat Band). This morning, the light changed to red just as I approached it, so I had to come to a full stop. Baby K goes, "come back, green light!". I just started cracking up in the car.