Claire loves books. This bibliophile of a mother couldn't be more proud, as our 11-month-old's favorite "toys" are books...
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Isn't it funny how you resist and even resent your parents growing up, and only when you become an adult — and more so, when you become a parent yourself — that you realize how wonderful they are? Many of my readers may already be aware that Korea has deep roots in Buddhism. When I was still living in my native country in the early 1980s, it was not unusual for Buddhist monks to go around to neighboring houses to chant prayers, and ask for donations — in the form of money or rice — in return. (image source) My mother raised my sister and I in the Christian Church, so I have been a Christian for as long as I can remember. Because...
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I do not consider myself a breastfeeding failure. Yes, I struggled tremendously with breastfeeding. Yes, it is true that I was "only" able to provide my firstborn three months of breastmilk. And yes, Claire has been exclusively formula-fed ever since I decided to quit. But I do not consider myself a failure. Claire has never gone hungry. She has never been sick — not even common baby rashes like eczema or a diaper rash — nor does she suffer from any allergies. She is smart as a whip and she is, simply put, thriving. What more can you ask for in an 11-month-old? But with all this being said, I do want to give breastfeeding another go with BebeDeux. J remembers the hardship...
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Lately I have been wondering how I will tackle the inevitable question that all parents get asked by their young children: Where do babies come from? My parents will be the first to admit that I was an unusual child. Always preferring books over other children, and never having to be reminded to go study, do my homework, practice the piano, etc, I am told that I hardly ever asked my parents or other adults questions about the curiosities of life. Rather, I chose to seek out the answers myself (usually in a book). And when I could not discover the answer myself...
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J loves our firstborn with all his heart. It is not unusual for him to spend an entire Saturday playing with her, then stare forlornly at the baby monitor after he has put her to bed and sigh, "I miss my baby." That being said, he is much better at saying "no" than I will ever be. He is constantly reminding me that it is better to enforce good habits now than to have to break bad habits long after they have formed. Not surprisingly, Claire does not like this aspect of her father. :-P Take tonight, for example. After J put his foot down for what seemed like the millionth time today, and she threw her millionth tantrum as a response, I gathered...
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