Saturday, May 8, 2010

Happy 2nd Birthday to the Kimchi Kid!



I can hardly believe it has been 2 years already! Time has gone by so quickly and our bouncing baby boy is now a bouncing little boy! ^^ He amazes us on a daily basis with his keen intellect, curious mind and charming personality. We are so proud of the little man our baby boy is becoming and we can't wait to see what the future holds for him!

Thomas, we love you so much! Happy 2nd birthday from Mommy and Daddy!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Mommy Cha and the Kimchi Kid LOVE Moby Wrap!

When we first found out I was pregnant we immediately began to research what we needed to prepare for our new baby. Since we live in South Korea we knew we would be limited in some of our choices.
During the many hours of reading reviews, surfing websites and asking opinions as to what we would need, we decided the must-have baby carrier for us was the Moby Wrap! The wrapping technique seemed to really confuse people, but we found it very simple and easy to do.

A lot of people did not know what a Moby Wrap was when we told them, so I often had to compare it to a sling for people to understand. The reality is that the Moby Wrap is so much more!

via Moby Wrap .com

Be comfortable
The design of the Moby® Wrap uses your entire back, as well as your shoulders, to carry the weight of your baby. Unlike other carriers, which have narrow straps or go across one shoulder, the Moby® Wrap is a wide piece of fabric that is wrapped over both shoulders. It is amazingly comfortable and easy to wear. There are no buckles, snaps or other fasteners. It is easy to adjust the fit of your Moby® Wrap by varying how tightly you wrap yourself and your baby.

Be secure
The Moby® Wrap comes with an easy to follow instructional guide and this web site with the latest news, tips and techniques. With the single stretch cotton and the width of the Moby® Wrap, your baby is wrapped close and tight, ensuring a secure hold. Your baby’s head can also be secured under the stretchy cotton fabric for added safety. You can finally have both hands free and know your baby is safe and secure.

Be uniquely close to your baby
There is not a lot of extra material or bulky padding between you and your baby. Your baby can hear your heartbeat and finds comfort in the warmth of your body,
and sound of your heartbeat within the cuddly confines of the Moby® Wrap.

Preemie to 35 lbs.
The Moby® Wrap is an optimal baby carrier for premature infants. Preemies are often prescribed to practice "kangaroo care" and this skin-to-skin practice used to increase birth weight can be easily achieved while wearing the Moby® Wrap. The Moby® Wrap is long enough to adapt to your growing baby. The fabric can hold up to 45 lbs, and most people feel comfortable carryin
g up to 35 lbs.

Soothes fussy babies
It is amazing how quickly a baby will settle down once wrapped in the Moby® Wrap. Experts like Dr. Sears, stress the importance of holding your baby often and close. The Moby® Wrap allows you to do this with ease. The style of the wrap insures your baby is uniquely close, while providing ultimate comfort and support. No more aching backs or tired arms! Now your baby can be kept close and happy for as long as he or she desires.

Versatile
There are many ways to wear your Moby® Wrap. You can wear your baby facing you, facing the world, sideways or on your back. When not being used as a carrier, the Moby® can be used as blanket, pillow or anything else that comes to mind.

Machine washable
The Moby® Wrap is easy to clean. You can mac
hine wash your Moby® in cold water and tumble dry low. Slight shrinkage after washing may occur. Once you start wearing your Moby® again, it will stretch out.

Thomas was a heavy baby yet I never understood why so many mothers complained of back or shoulder pain. So often moms would talk of how heavy their child was and how they couldn't carry them for long. With the Moby Wrap I was able to happily wear Thomas for hours on end.

Daddy takes a nap with Thomas sleeping in hug hold.

From the beginning he disliked the cradle hold, preferring to be upright in the hug hold. Thomas has always been eager to sit, crawl and walk earlier than most babies! So being upright in the hug hold made him so content, he would sleep for hours! I remember the first days, he was fussy and loved to be worn in the Moby Wrap. I would walk around the apartment building and he would fall asleep in minutes!

Visiting an amusement park using hug hold.


Sleeping peacefully in hug hold while Mommy enjoys the Summer evening at a cafe!

Breastfeeding in the Moby was just as easy for us. Once I walked around Costco with him happily feeding and no one had a clue!
Everywhere I went I wore the Moby. If I was breastfeeding I used it as a cover, if he was in the stroller it became a blanket. If we visited friends or went to the park, it was there for us to sit or lay on. We even used it as a towel after playing in the water fountains last Summer!

Moby Wrap towel after playing in the water park.


Moby Wrap leg cover in the stroller.


Moby Wrap Stroller liner and blanket!


Moby Wrap picnic blanket in the park!

When it came time to fly, Moby Wrap was with us! The 11 hour flight to Vancouver, Canada when he was 4 months old was a snap thanks to Moby! He slept peacefully and fed easily when he was in the wrap. Even the stressful journey to Texas, USA was made easier thanks to Moby! Several people commented on how happy and QUIET my son was during the flight.

Loving it in hug hold with Auntie Heather at Piper's Lagoon, Nanaimo, BC, Canada.


Happy in hug hold with Halmoni at Salt Lick BBQ in Austin, Texas, USA.

We flew to Bali, Indonesia when Thomas was 9 months old. Once again Moby Wrap made for a peaceful and easy flight! Touring Bali's many beaches and temples full of stairs would be next to impossible with a stroller. Moby Wrap made it a smooth experience and we didn't miss a thing! Thomas loved to be in joey hold, facing the world and watching everything around him. But if the sightseeing got to be too much for him, he could easily turn into hug hold and have a nap while Mommy and Daddy kept exploring!


Sightseeing in Bali, Indonesia in joey hold.


With Mommy and Daddy at a traditional restaurant in Bali, Indonesia, sleeping in hug hold.

Over the first year of using the Moby Wrap we introduced it to many friends and family members. Everyone fell in love with the comfort and security the Moby Wrap provided both parents and child.

Heidi and Thomas in hug hold.


Aaron and Thomas in joey hold.

As we continued to use the Moby we decided to bring Moby Wrap to Korea.
We were so excited to share the Moby Wrap with Korean families who already had a long standing tradition of wearing babies on their backs. It was no where near as comfortable as wearing a Moby Wrap so we knew that once Koreans found how great Moby Wrap was to use it would be a hit!
Moby Wrap is growing in popularity by the day here in South Korea and we still use it even now with Thomas who weighs 13kg/28lbs and is now 21 months old. We plan to use Moby Wrap with the next child we have and have recommended it to everyone we know!
We have never tried any other baby carrier on the market as there was simply no need! Moby Wrap was comfortable to wear, fit all sizes of our family members, was versatile in the different positions Thomas could be in as he grew, was portable, easy to clean and came in enough colors and patterns to keep us happy for years! Even when we would go out for a walk with a stroller, the Moby Wrap came with us just in case.
Thomas has grown up in the Moby Wrap and it means comfort and care to him. When he is sick, he will pull out the Moby Wrap and ask to be carried in it. Recently he even began asking for it by name, although he says "Noby", that is pretty close for a 20 month old! I've now begun carrying Thomas in hike hold on my back, the style Koreans like the most. I can carry him for over an hour with him on my back, despite his 13kg/28lb weight!
It really was the best thing we bought for our baby and it still is even now as a toddler!
What more can I say, WE LOVE MOBY WRAP!!

Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, anywhere and anytime in the World, MOBY WRAP is where your baby wants to be!!


Chejudo Dinosaur park with Daddy, joey hold.


Chejudo Glass Castle with Mommy, sleeping in hug hold.



Walking in the park watching the Fall leaves with Mommy, hug hold.


In Paju Artists' Village with Daddy, joey hold.


At the Paju Book Fair with Mommy, hug hold.


Having ice-cream at Baskin Robbins with Daddy, joey hold.


At Incheon Movie Theme Park with Daddy, lotus hold.


Enjoying the Cherry blossoms with Daddy, joey hold.


Checking out all the animals with Daddy, joey hold.


Watching the fish swim in Vancouver International airport with Mommy, hug hold.


Being just adorable in the elevator with Daddy, hug hold.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

The Kimchi Kid and ABCs!


It has a QWERTY keyboard so he is learning the keyboard at the same time!


Thomas loves his Leap Frog Text & Learn.


He also loves to sit in his book tent and read.

When we went to Texas I bought Thomas a new toy, LeapFrog Text & Learn. He has been playing with it on his own in the house, during car rides and such. Then one day we were in the car, sitting at a red light, when Thomas started saying "I,i,i!". Tom said to me that he didn't know what he was talking about so I looked back and realized that he was looking out the window at a store sign next to us. It was the "DIY Mart" and Thomas was pointing out the "I" in "DIY" to us! We were so surprised as we hadn't put any attention or effort into teaching him his ABCs yet. After all he was only 20 months old!
From that day on, Thomas was an ABC learning machine! He was pointing out and saying the ABCs everywhere we went! Daddy has been working hard to help him now, practicing them with stickers on the fridge. Thomas can now identify, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, K, Q, S, V, and Z on his own! He can spot them on signs, on books, papers, cars, toys, boxes, anything and everything. We were so surprised and impressed with his knowledge and even more his desire for knowledge. We bought some posters with the ABCs on them and he loves to read them and tell us what he sees!
Beyond his new-found knowledge of ABCs he is starting to speak more and more English. These days he can easily say "I love you", "please", "more", "all done", "night-night", "thank you", "orange juice", "orange", "car key" and several animal names in English. His Korean skills are also advancing, he can tell us when he doesn't want to eat, that he's had a good sleep, when he wants a bath and he has started saying hello and good bye in Korean. He communicates so well that we rarely have trouble understanding what he wants or what is bothering him. I guess one of the most important developments recently he's come up with is "No". He can tell us what he wants more accurately now and it really helps us in our daily life.
The Kimchi Kid is surprising us daily with his new vocabulary and behaviour. He's growing up so fast, sometimes I feel that it is too fast! We went to the orientation for his Kindergarten today. I cried when we were done, I'm not ready for him to start school! In Korea he is already almost 3 years old! They follow the lunar calendar here and the ages are on average 1-2 years older than in Canada. There were several other kids his age at the orientation, but I just think he is still a baby and no where near ready to enter preschool! Unfortunately Tom, Doumi and the Kindergarten teachers all think differently! I am sure Thomas will love it and will thrive in the new active environment. They don't focus on teaching too much in the beginning, they try to help them with basic skills, behaviour, manners and such. He will have snacks twice a day, lunch, play time, story time, song time, gym time, nap time and more. I worked at his school for the past year and really love the system and his teacher. She is a sweetheart and loves him already since we've been taking him for visits and special days through the past year.
Hopefully I'll update more often in the future, especially once he starts school. I know we will most likely have lots of new and fun stories to share!
Much love from Mommy Cha and the Kimchi Kid.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Today Is Our 3 Year Wedding Anniversary!


Flowers for our anniversary! 3 pink roses, 3 red roses, 3 cream roses, 3 yellow roses and 3 carnations.



One of our first trips together, Muuido Island, Summer 2005.



After climbing up to Namsan Tower, Fall 2005.



My birthday in Busan, we scuba dived with the sharks in the aquarium, September 2005!



Our first Christmas together, we went to Thailand, Christmas 2005.


Summer vacation in Hong Kong, we went to
Disneyland, June 2006!



Cutting the cake at our wedding in Canada, January 6, 2007!


Honeymoon in Bali, February 2007!


Monkey Forest in Bali on our honeymoon, February 2007.


Jimbaran Beach seafood dinner in Bali on our honeymoon, February 2007.


Exploring Seoul one weekend, Spring 2007.


Christmas 2007, 6 months pregnant!


VERY pregnant, enjoying the Cherry Blossoms, April 2008.


Thomas was 100 days old here, August 2008.



Happy 1st Birthday Thomas, May 2009.


Enjoying Traditional Korean food together, Summer 2009.

Today is our 3 year wedding anniversary. We've had a wonderful 3 years married and look forward to many more.

A few weeks back,
Tom saw an old couple in their 80's walking and holding hands. He told me that seeing them so happy still after so many years made him hope that one day we would be that couple, old, tired, but still in love and holding hands as we walked.
Shortly after he told me this, we saw another couple, maybe in their 60's. They were fighting in the street and the husband was chasing his wife. This made Tom say that we'd probably be that couple as well! Hahaha...that is my husband, 100%!
No one can make me laugh like he can, and no one can make me hurt like he can. Tom says no one can make him crazy like i can, and no one can make him happy like I can!
I am so happy and thankful that he is my husband each and every day. I love him more and more with each day and I know he feels the same.
Happy Anniversary Tom!

Monday, January 4, 2010

SNOW DAY!!


This is the view of the 4th floor garden and the street behind our apartment.


All this snow fell in just a few hours this morning!


Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

We rarely get snow in Bucheon, and when we do it is usually a miserable dusting that melts within an hour. So imagine our delight when we woke to see everything blanketed with a fine white powder and it was already ankle deep! The Kimchi Kid has a bit of a cold so we left him inside with the doumi and ventured out for a few photos and a small snowball fight! It started snowing even harder while we were outside so we had to concede defeat and retreat indoors. Nevertheless we will try again later today once the snow stops falling! Since the roads are so bad all our classes were canceled(except for my class on the 14th floor of our building!) so we have lots of time to play in the snow and take pictures with the Kimchi Kid!
Hope you get to enjoy a snow day where ever you are!

Friday, January 1, 2010

The Kimchi Kid wishes everyone a Happy 2010!


The Kimchi kid chilling in his play tunnel, waiting for 2010!

The Kimchi Kid and I would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! We hope 2010 will bless you all with health, happiness and financial freedom! We hope to keep you entertained and updated with many more of our exciting adventures learning, growing, loving and living here in South Korea! HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 새해 복 많이 받으세요!! (seh heh bok mahn ee bahd euh sae yo)

Friday, December 25, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS!


Doumi tries to help the Kimchi Kid get in the Christmas Spirit!


Merry Christmas from the Kimchi Kid!

We want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, from our family to yours!
May you be blessed with health, wealth and happiness in the coming year!
Merry Christmas from Mommy Cha and the Kimchi Kid!!