Sep 22, 2011  •  In Blogging, Personal

On Being Happy

Whenever I have some extra time to spare (or when I am suffering from insomnia once again), I like to go through the archives of this blog. And going through some of the more controversial posts from the past year, one question that popped into my head was: when exactly did I get the reputation […]

Sep 20, 2011  •  In Aerin, Baby, Claire, Motherhood, Personal, Relationships

Family Help

It has been exactly one week since J’s parents arrived from Hong Kong to help me with the last few weeks of my pregnancy. They will stay in the U.S. and continue to help out for the next few months which will undoubtedly be tremendously difficult with two babies that are only 13 months apart. I […]

Sep 18, 2011  •  In Aerin, Personal, Pregnancy

My Second Belly Button

Two months after my appendectomy, my incision scars still hurt. The largest — a 1.5″ cut about 4″ above my belly button — is the most painful and remains an angry red. My doctor tells me that this is what I should expect with a surgical scar on a growing, pregnant belly. He says that […]

Sep 16, 2011  •  In Blogging, Personal, Web

On Blogging and Commenting

A few of my readers — especially first-time parents — have recently asked me how I manage to find the time to blog. My answer? Schedule, schedule, schedule! Don’t get me wrong — I do not have a block of time I set aside every day to blog, because let’s face it: setting and sticking […]

Sep 15, 2011  •  In Baby, Books, Claire, Parenting, Personal

Claire’s Favorite (Interactive) Books

Claire loves books. This bibliophile of a mother couldn’t be more proud, as our 11-month-old’s favorite “toys” are books…she “reads” in her stroller, she “reads” in the car, and she even “reads” during bathtime (we have some bath-safe, rubber books). In fact, I think it’s safe to say that Claire already has more books than her […]

Sep 14, 2011  •  In Motherhood, Parenting, Personal, Relationships

Lessons My Mother Taught Me

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 […]

Sep 11, 2011  •  In Aerin, Baby, Claire, Motherhood, NYC, Personal

September 11, 2011

Today I woke up and remembered how a decade ago, I saw smoke rising from lower Manhattan as I drove along the New Jersey Turnpike. I remembered how I, along with other drivers, stopped our cars and turned our radios on full blast while we stared in horror at another plane crashing into the second […]

Sep 8, 2011  •  In Aerin, Personal, Pregnancy

The Potential for Disaster

I think it’s safe to say that my body has been plagued with health issues throughout this pregnancy. In addition to the everyday stuff like vomiting (still!), migraines, insomnia, and major hip pains, I have had three more major issues since the first trimester: Two root canals An eye infection which required a visit to the […]

Sep 6, 2011  •  In Aerin, Claire, Motherhood, Parenting, Personal

The Boob Juice Dilemma

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 […]

Sep 5, 2011  •  In Personal

Puke, and Moms

How is everyone’s Labor Day weekend going? For me, it looks like this: I’m not sure if it is food poisoning or just a bad case of pregnancy-induced nausea, but I have thrown up everything I’ve eaten for the past 48 hours. I feel so weak and — believe it or not — hungry, but […]