Old Pictures from 1 Year

Some more old pictures. I know, I'm going to have to upload new pictures soon!

He wants to be just like Daddy! Already starting with the computer!

His 1 year party. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for picking his beautiful hambok in Korea (Dan's parents). Still sad that my parents refused to come to his party and that they missed this. At least my sister and brother-in-law came.

Sleepy!! He loved those balloons....he still loves them! It's so funny watching how kids faces light up when they see or get a balloon.

We can't believe how round his face was back then. Compared to now, he looks so much like a baby as his face is now getting longer!

More Reminiscing

Here are some more old pictures when he was 11 months old. We were at Valley Forge Park on an unusually warm November. This is a special place for us as this is where Dan proposed to me 6 1/2 years ago in March 2000!

Dan's favorite position of holding Nathan!

The spot where Dan proposed to me!

Beautiful fall leaves! My favorite season.

Animal Lover

It's so interesting to watch Nathan loving his stuffed animals....is this normal for a toddler, especially a boy?!! He always wants his dog or bear when he's drinking his milk and he's constantly kissing them...he would say "bboh bboh" and then kiss his animals on the nose or mouth, yet he won't kiss me! I have to kiss Dan to demonstrate that you can kiss other people, then he'll kiss me. Hmmmm....

Reminiscing

Some old cute pictures I ran across from December when he turned 1:

This is one of our favorites.....he looks sooo happy!!

My bunny boy!!! This hat was so cute and our favorite!

For some reason, when he's cold, he sleeps with his butt up in the air...we would giggle in his room in the middle of the night. Hilarious!

No Soup For You!

The Soup Nazi is expanding his business to Britain. We've had the soup in NY and though it's a bit pricey for the amount they give you, it's really good. They really do have the huge signs that tell you how to order and to have your $ ready. Dan tends to take his time in ordering and when he hesitated, I told him to just move on and forget it as the chef started to look annoyed!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13839634/

Discipline

So, today it’s been officially 19 months since I gave birth. Happy 19 month to my baby....ok, I know he's a toddler, but he'll always be my baby even when he's 50! I feel like my body has aged so much since giving birth. I only gained 25 lbs during pregnancy, but I still have yet to lose the last 9 lbs of pregnancy. Before I go on, let me put the disclaimer out there that I’m not trying to be vain or be the skinniest person in the world. My only goal is to just lose my flabby stomach since that’s where all my weight went to and fit back into ALL my clothes. Some of my button down shirts, dresses, pants and skirts are still tight on me and I refuse to buy a whole new wardrobe. I also want to have more energy since I work full time, cook & clean everyday, watch Nathan, etc. It’s really pathetic that it’s taking this long for me, but it’s mostly my fault for not making the effort. In my delusions of grandeur, I really hoped it would go away on its own since before pregnancy I was able to eat everything, not exercise and not gain any weight. So the past 2 months, I’ve been making an effort to try to run or do Tae Bo every other day/3 times a week. I started out only running 10 minutes at a time since I was so badly out of shape and I didn’t want to injure myself. It’s really sad when I ran up a flight of stairs at work and I was out of breathe! And wow, the Basic Tae Bo is really really hard! I tried to do the Cardio Tae Bo and I quit after 20 minutes because I couldn’t keep up with the steps. I’ve now worked up to running more than 15 minutes and cut back on my rice/pasta intake (some of you know that’s painful for me as I LOVE rice!). I really need patience and discipline as exercise really is a lifestyle you need to adapt. Unfortunately, results do not happen overnight.

On a bit more of an embarrassing note, I’ve also had to make an effort to do more Kegals. Everytime I run, jump up and down or sneeze, a little bit of pee comes out. It’s so embarrassing! I’m tired of wearing a pad everytime I go running, so I’m proud to say that last night was the first time I didn’t have to wear one! It’s the small accomplishments that make me happy and motivate me to keep going..…the things we have to go through to recover from delivery. Sigh.

Frankenstein

Doesn't he look a little bit like Frankenstein because of his hair?! That's why we always try to comb his hair to the right. He desperately needs a haircut! Time for me to hold him down while Dan cuts it.

Bring the Rain

Just got MercyMe's new album, "Coming Up to Breathe". As I listen to this great and powerful song "Bring the Rain", can I honestly pray this prayer and mean it?

"I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty"

Lyrics of "Bring the Rain" from MercyMe's "Coming Up to Breathe" album. Sony Records, April 2006.

Words

Thought this was a cute picture of Nathan going to "school"....Daddy is starting him early! Here are some words that Nathan's been saying: dog, cat, shoes, ok, cheese, juice, ball, bear, "deddy" (not daddy!), what, watch, cookie, baby, coal, bye bye, car, duck, ouch, uh oh and pee pee (when we go to the bathroom, he says this while holding his diaper!). He seems to only say "mommy" when I'm not around. So far, he hasn't put any phrases together, but I'm so proud of him for speaking so well, especially since the stereotype is out there that boys are slower than girls. It's so nice to see him start to communicate to us instead of just crying and grunting at things.