what the update alert?!

ok randomly checked in on my blog and saw that i haven't posted in like 3 years. and though i'm pretty sure nobody else is checking in anymore, thought i should let it be known kate was born. and then grace too. haha!

here they are with big bro james.

OOTLNM (outfit of the last nine months)

not sure if i've mentioned on the blog, but we are expecting baby #2...in just a couple of weeks! pregnancy this time around has definitely been different from the first. a lot less anxiousness, a little less gluttony (just a tiny little), and it seems to have just flown by as i've been chasing jamesy around.

one great part has been not having to dress up in business suits, pantyhose and pumps for work. which pretty much means i've been wearing these same 5 things, along with my trusty flip-flops, every single day in various forms and fashions.

1. h&m maternity leggings - discovered these a little late in the game, but have been love loving them. they have enough support so they won't droop while not feeling too constricting on the belly. nobody wants to see a big ol'preggo lady with saggy leggings. plus, they are just $12.95 (or less if you score a coupon)!

2. madewell boyfriend chambray - if it's not maternity, it's gotta be boyfriend fit aka big, baggy, and long enough to cover extra square footage. i got this shirt before i was pregnant and it's transitioned nicely as something to throw on over an outfit that doesn't look like it belongs in the exercise or sleepwear department.

3. PINK boyfriend sweatpants - again, no thank you to the clingy or fitted styles. sometimes wish i could just wear joe's size L sweatpants, but i like to think these at least have a cute logo that helps me look a little more fancy when i'm out and about.

4. gap maternity pure body tank - ok, i've actually been wearing this since i was pregnant with james, today, and almost every day in between. i've even had to throw out the original and order replacements. they are just that comfortable and perfect for layering under non-maternity tops that have belly exposing potential.

5. old navy maxi dress - this is also a newer addition, but overall have been loving all maxi dresses during pregnancy. never thought i'd say this, but i'm thankful for the extra inches on my waist that now make these the right length for me without having to wear heels or get alterations.

the pic of me up there showcasing my manhands is from a couple weeks ago in the 1-4 combo. and yes, we've just about landed on the name "kate" as our final answer but probably won't know for sure until we meet our sweet baby girl. eek, so so so excited for the day!

mad skills

lately, there are lots of times during my day--like during the fifth round of "if you're happy and you know it" when my arms are tiring from the motions--that i think back on my college and work days and have to laugh a little at the drastic change in scenery. i mean, i recently finished a book i started almost one year ago. *patting self on back*

it definitely has its frustrating and groundhogs day-worthy moments, but i gotta say, i'm learning and being challenged in different ways for which i am so thankful.

here are a few skills i can proudly say i have gained as a mom.
- tetris-ing together plates, cups, utensils, huge stack of free napkins to corner of table furthest from the kid when eating out
- reading a 6-page book in less than 15 seconds so the kid can have closure before losing interest and getting up off my lap
- hiding the remote control, iphone, ipad, ear picker (sometimes joe has to call me to ask where said things are)
- reaching across the back seat of the car, cirque du soleil-style, to grab fallen [fill in the blank] for crying kid
- coming up with strategies while looking quite crazy to keep kid awake in the car to ensure successful nap at home

and on top of that, it's so awesome to be able to see james growing and developing his own little set of toddler skills every day.

c'mon...marching with bells and rolling (aka being thrown) down an incline? somebody hire this kid, already!

a neon party for james

very happy to be posting pics from jamesy's first birthday party that i've been antsily pantsily waiting for. thanks a bunch, pam! love them!
special thanks to jenny for letting us borrow her most perfect backdrop, my aunt pauline the florist, best cousin hyein for her slave labor, and all our wonderful friends and family for coming out to celebrate with us!

we love you, jamesy! sorry for putting you in such merf-tastic shorts on your big day, though...hehe...

zippity zoo day

one quiet friday a couple weeks ago, joe and i were hit with the crazy bug and came thiiis close to packing our bag, strapping the little one into his carseat and making a mad dash for vegas. enter voice of reason, and reality found us heading out early the next morning to san diego instead for a nice little day at the zoo.

it was actually kind of a big deal, because this was the first time being at the zoo EVER for both james and joe!

here's jamesy - a little bit scared, little bit excited (mostly not sure what's going on) to see all the animals.


a couple of our fave friends.


ooh look, a new exhibit next to the pandas in the asia section!


gorilla, man, back to back chillin'.


elephant squeeeze!


good times, especially thanks to cutiepie cousin london and fam.

jamesy is one!

dear james,

happy 1st birthday, son! if i could, i would name 365 things i love about you, but that's kind of a lot, so i'll try to boil it down to 12 -- to match each of the above pics, and for each sweet month we've had the blessing of raising and loving you.

1. i love when we sneak into your room and "accidentally" wake you up in the middle of the night and you look up at us give us the biggest sleepy smile. i hope you will always be so happy to see mommy and daddy, even when we do bothersome things to you like this.

2. i love how you are a master-signer, from "please" to "thank you" and "more." recently, you even added a new one where when we say "ow!" you take it upon yourself to smack your head with your hand and crack up at yourself. that's some dedication!

3. i love how you are strong in your baby-convictions, like refusing to do tummy time early on and not crawling until you felt ready. i pray that as you grow, this will translate into your strength and not your weakness and make you a brave boy and a wise man.

4. i love the moment we shared the first time you got sick and could only be consoled by mommy's arms. i wish i could promise to always be there for you any time you fall or get hurt or feel bad, but i know that's something only Christ can do. trust in Him, son!

5. i love how your face beams when daddy comes home from work and how you pout when he's leaving. it makes me so happy to see your bond growing stronger each day.

6. i love the few quiet minutes before you go down for the night when you rest your head on my shoulder as we sing to you, and you pat my arm with one hand as the other clutches your yellow towel. just for the record, mommy's not the one singing off key.

7. i love how you are (as alaska-grandma told you a million times during her last visit) full of emotion and so expressive. you "ooh" and "addahh" and "mmm" as if you already appreciate the mini-world around you.

8. you love food. and i love that! as auntie connie puts it, when you eat, it's like you are a teenage boy. people probably think you get that from daddy, but i can't deny, when i see you shovel those snacks into your mouth, maui onion chips do tend to pop into my head.

9. i love it when you get excited when you hear music. you bounce, wave your hands in the air, and even pretend to snap your fingers. sorry i can't teach you much in the dancing dept, but even if you do adopt mommy's weird moves, hope you will bust them out proudly. no fear!

10. i love how affectionate you are with your stuffed animals. as i watch you clutch and hug each of them, i pray that it's a glimpse into the big, loving heart you will have for all sorts of people as you grow older.

11. i love the look you get on your face when you are so focussed -- the pressed lips, the intense eyes. so far this usually means you are pooping, but we're starting to see it when you look at books and play with your toys too.

12. i love you just because! some times i can't even explain it, but when i look at your little face i'm swept away with love about to explode in my heart and i just want to give you nonstop kisses and make cheesy lists about you all day long!

i can't wait for this next year and discovering a whole new list of things to love. thanks for bringing so much joy to our hearts, baby boy!

love,
mom

almost one update (and wish list)

oops, looks like i got stuck in bad blogger mode again. in case anyone's keeping tabs, i'd like to use party planning as my excuse. that, and... teething? (gotta throw that one in whenever we can, right moms? ;)).

but really, i feel like i've been on a conveyor belt going between michael's, party city, dollar tree and the mall (though this one's not really related). and being the type of shopper i am, i end up doing a lot of walking slowly through aisles, deep thinking, calculating, looking items up on amazon and then going home with one pack of glue sticks. true story.

slow as it may be, i do get a kick out of this running around and planning. can't believe a year ago i was on bedrest, surrounded by fans and bottles of water while counting down the days for james to be born! so crazy how fast the past year has gone by. i had a moment today watching james play when i realized how much he's grown and how much he can understand now. his toys are now actually getting some real play instead of being banged together and eaten.

speaking of which, a couple people have asked for help in the bday gift department, so i had james put together a wish list on amazon. i know. already so computer saavy. must be the product of a tiger mom huh? :)

room for the little one

yesterday at james' 9 month check-up i got another reminder from our pediatrician to child-proof our house as james becomes more mobile so i figured i should really get some photos of the nursery before any of this rearranging, removing, padding, covering actually takes place. (any tips, moms??)

thankfully it happened to be a decent day where his room was relatively clean. heaven forbid the blog-world catch wind of the version where drooly bibs retire on various pieces of furniture and a massive humidifier sits most obtrusively next to the bowl of doritos mom was munching on while watching baby play, right? ;)



ROOM DETAILS:
crib - pottery barn kendall crib via craigslist with skip hop mod dot crib sheet and crib skirt made by donna
mobile - ikea fabler hot air balloon mobile (no longer sold)
burlap bunting - DIY adapted from here
lighting - world market maru round paper lantern
dresser - ikea hemnes dresser via craigslist with button knobs in various colors from anthropologie (no longer sold)
lamp - ikea bran table lamp
alarm clock - thrifted
wall art - air transportation print gifted by janice, alphabet and hot air balloon prints made by me
mirror - target frameless circle mirror with rope pulled off old drawstring pouch
laundry - ikea kusiner mesh basket in red
chair - ikea ektorp jennylund chair via craigslist with gray check slipcover gifted by pam
wall color - benjamin moore stonington gray

9 months, baby!

can't believe the little man is 9 months old today. from his slowly but surely growing head of hair down to his carpet-clenching toes, i just love him to bits and pieces!

there hasn't been anything too monumental to update on, but here are some things i did note on james' agenda...

TODAY'S TO DO LIST:
- compete in cheerio-eating contest against myself
- take a ride on the alphabet train
- star in iphone video to send to daddy at work
- pretend to read, then start chewing on books behind mom's back
- get mom to sing "itsy bitsy spider" 10 times in a row
- clap at random times throughout day to make mom smile

GOALS FOR THE MONTH:
- stop army-crawling and learn to crawl foreals
- figure out how to lessen the gaping hole between front 2 teeth
- overcome gripping fear of the vacuum and magic bullet
- find a pool and master drifting in a floatie
- stop being stubborn and finally sign "please"

THINGS TO TELL MOM TO DO:
- start planning my 1st birthday party
- get me into a convertible carseat, already!
- make some prints for etsy instead of watching korean dramas
- refold that blanket sticking out of my bottom drawer

favorite items: mommy vs. jamesy

kinda late in the game, but thought i'd jump on the trend and compile a "favorite baby items" list. james took one look at the items and didn't seem to approve though. instead of trying to argue back and forth with him, i just made a separate list for him below. enjoy! :)

M O M M Y // T O P F I V E



1. jesus storybook bible - love how it goes through all our favorite bible stories in easy to follow fashion. helps us see the big picture and how everything points to christ. not gonna lie, sometimes makes me tear up.
2. agabang pajamas - as much as i tried to resist these fresh off the boat gifts from korea at first, must admit the quality of material is most excellent and quite comfy (not that i've tried it on, but you know). fobulous sleepwear ftw.
3. bumkin waterproof bibs - recommended by concon, these bibs have come in very handy for our daily adventures with solids. good coverage, super easy to clean, and cute designs too!
4. sleep sheep - good thing concon had an extra one of these noisemakers to spare. early on, it was the perfect background noise to lull james to sleep. and now as soon as he hears the waves, he knows it's time for lights out.
5. baby deedee - before james started flipping, we swore by the miracle blanket, and now have switched over to this sleepsack, which we equally love. it's plenty warm and cozy for those cold cali nights and shoulder snaps make for easy on and off action.


J A M E S Y // T O P F I V E


1. ty liony/matty doll - when we first moved into our place last year and i was pregnant, our awesome neighbor got this for us as part of a welcome gift. what started off as a beautiful flowy mane has now become a short, matted fro due to time spent in the washer/dryer (hence the name change).
2. fisher price whale-of-a-tub rinse cup - in or out of the bathtub, for some reason, james has a huge affection for this little orange plastic piece and clutches it as if we all want to steal it from him. we don't dude, relax!
3. graco doorway jumper - we have this on loan from shar and have been putting james in it starting around 4 months. he loves to jump up, jump up and get down in it, especially when mommy turns on some good (and clean) hip hop tracks.
4. goofy pook a looz plush doll - an early gift from susie, this is the only doll that accompanies james in his crib. he loves holding onto the ears and biting on his hat. and i love it because it's furless and seems cleaner than the other dolls.
5. organic puffs - had to include this because i'm pretty sure if you were to put any of the above items next to these (or any) puffs, he would quickly betray goofy and liony/matty for his snackies. hm, wonder where he gets that from? ;)

hey cuz, what should we do today?

spontaneous photo shoot at the park! (said london, hopefully).










looks like at the rate i'm going, this blog gets updated every 4 months, 3 times a year. eek! well, jamesy is now a big, healthy, happy 8 month old boy who devours all his solids as well as most of his toys and books, squeals like a dinosaur, fake laughs, army crawls at impressive speeds, greedily picks up puffs and puts them into his mouth at even-more-impressive speeds, and pretty much melts mommy and daddy's hearts with every smile.

ok, with every cry, burp, poop and glance too.

seriously, sometimes it scares me how much i love this little guy. each day i think to myself how crazy and amazing being a mom is. and this feeling i could have never imagined before just seems to grow and grow with each day. of course with it comes bouts of frustration, anger, fatigue and helplessness, but all in all i'm so thankful for this great blessing. and hopefully i'll do a better job of sharing it with you here! :)

hello again, blog.

ok wow, i can't believe so much time has passed since my last post...and even more so, how quickly the time has flown by since little james was born! i just put together a photo book of the past 4+ months as a christmas gift for my parents and i couldn't help tearing up as i went through the pictures of my jamesy wamesy as a teeny tiny newborn. it's so exciting to see him grow and learn, to get more smiles and funny noises from him, to get to know more of his personality and try to match different traits to either joe or me. but i can't help but feel it's all happening so quickly.

before i blink and he turns into a teenager, here's a quick recap of the life & times of JZP via screen shots from the photo book (is that ghetto? haha). enjoy!

from bump to baby

our little bundle of joy, james zachary pyo, came into the world on july 27 at 2:13 a.m., weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.



it started tuesday around 3 a.m. james was running a couple days fashionably late and just about ready for his grand entrance. with the contractions getting more consistent through the morning, we decided to make the call and head over to the hospital around 10 a.m. at 11 a.m. i was dilated only 2-3 cm, by noon 5 cm, and so it continued until about 10 p.m. when we got to 10 cm. by then i felt like i was connected to a million things, from the iv pumping fluid to me, another one pumping pitocin, to the catheter pumping fluid to the baby and the catheter pumping fluid out of my bladder, to the epidural in my back, to an oxygen mask on my face, the blood pressure thing on my arm and probably a few others i can't remember. not my best look, i'm sure.

around midnight, when james was low enough, the nurse told me we were ready to push. to be honest, i wasn't very good at it and they kept telling me i was only pushing with my face so it was getting all red and squished with no action down below. after about an hour and half of that, they could finally see james' sweet little head poking through, at which point they called my doctor to come and do the rest of the delivery. so after about another 25 minutes of waiting, i pushed a couple more times and out came baby james! along the way i had to vomit a couple times and i got a 100.3 fever, but by 2:13 a.m. none of that seemed to matter because our baby boy was perched on my chest and i was in love!

i came in not knowing what to expect, and though it's definitely been mixed in with moments of cluelessness and emotional drainage, i can't help feeling the experience is more amazing and he is more precious than what i could've imagined. can't wait to see how james' journey continues to unfold, from bump to baby to...

letters to baby

can't believe how quickly the past 39+ weeks have passed by with this little baby growing inside of me. i haven't really blogged too much about it all, but i have been trying to write about it through letters to baby james.

hopefully one day he'll read it (since he's a boy, i'm thinking it might not be until he's married and his wife reads it to him) and get to see his first ultrasound, the sweets mommy craved carrying him, how daddy painted his room and also read about the the names we almost named him, all the questions i had, and the anxieties i faced (and still face) about his health, labor, parenting...and how through all of these things we could only hope in Christ.



dear baby james...see you soon! i can't wait!!! love, mom

robot baby shower for cathie

in continuation from my last post, here are some pictures from the robot-themed baby shower we had for cathie and her dear baby oliver back in may. can't believe the little guy is already a month old!







it's been neat to have so many friends around me forging the way through pregnancy, labor & delivery, and the first crazy weeks/months of parenthood. i'm still not sure quite what to expect and for sure i don't feel mommish yet, but i'm encouraged to see how through the difficulties and unknowns sure to be mixed in with all the joys, there will be oh so much grace!

39 weeks, 1 day. let's get this show on the road!

the last month

so, we are just about one month away from the arrival of el niño!

my gut says he's going to be early, but i may very well be wrong and just wishing it so i wouldn't have to see my gut keep growing with each extra day.

here are a some things i'm hoping to do before then:
- find my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe
- eat at some new and old LA eateries (suggestions?)
- get back into the etsy world
- host a dinner pahh-tee or two
- do a photo session for someone
- learn how to use a sewing machine
- go to a dodger game

i had written the above thursday night as a draft, but oh what a difference a day makes! friday morning, i went in for my 3rd trimester ultrasound where they found my amniotic fluids were measuring lower than normal. at first they rushed me to labor and delivery to make sure my water hadn't broken [insert panic here], and then did a bunch of tests to monitor the baby. in the end they told me i didn't have to deliver the baby after all (whew!), but have to be on almost bed rest and go back twice a week until i do deliver to do all the tests and make sure baby's ok.

i know, being told to just rest might sound like a welcomed order, but not if you are crazy like me. it's probably a combo of my control freakedness and being in nesting mode that's put me in this high-productivity cooking, organizing, shopping/returning, cleaning (this one not aaas much, hehe) mode. like this morning, i woke up and felt determined i needed to juuust sort! the! laundry! so i started, joe told me to stop, i said okokok, and then secretly finished sorting it in super speed silence. sigh. this will be a good thing for me, to just let go and remember it's God who holds all things together. and He's taking care of our dear baby in my womb until it is the perfect time for him to come and meet us.

and thankfully i have joe to constantly remind me to take it easy AND make me banana chocolate chip pancakes on a saturday morning :)