Toddler Time Flies!! Almost 18 Months!

Oh my goodness! 

Aiden is almost 18 months!! I have to send my apologies for not blogging in awhile, but in all honesty, I'm exhausted after chasing my little man all day. But there is so much to share!

Aiden has grown so much since my last post. My baby has most definitely achieved full- fledged toddler status, with a personality to match. It's amazing to see how much he has changed in just a few short months. 

Bath Time

Aiden loves bath time. Vic and I were sure we had a water baby on our hands... until swim class that is (more about that to come). Aiden especially loves when Daddy creates "waterfalls" for him to run his hands through. Despite all the bath toys we have for him, his favorite thing to play with is a cup! Simple pleasures. =)

Mother's Day

For some reason, this Mother's Day was particularly tough for me. It was the first time I really allowed myself to miss my mom. Thinking about how wonderful it would be to share this type of day with her made my heart ache.

I took Aiden with me to visit my parents in the morning. We left flowers for them both, but extra special ones for the extraordinary mother who taught me how to love my son selflessly. It was a gorgeous morning and I felt my mom's embrace around me and her grandson.

Vic planned a low-key Mother's Day for me this year, exactly what I wanted. We had a picnic lunch at Black Hills Regional Park down the street from our house. They have a huge playground there, so after we ate Aiden spent some time checking it out.

Swing Time!

Daddy managed to get a nice pic of Mommy and Aiden near the fishing pier.

Aiden LOVES looking at water, so he really enjoyed people watching on the pier.

After lunch (and ice cream, of course), we spent the evening with Vic's family. It is heartwarming to see how much they love Aiden and how much Aiden loves them! He is always ready to greet Grandma (and especially Grandpa) with a warm hug and smile. We are so blessed to be surrounded by so much love.

Grandma indulging in another one of Aiden's loves... reading!! I used to think that he just liked to turn the pages, but as he is getting older, he is more and more interested in the pictures and colors. Hopefully this love will last through the ages! Thank you, Grandma, for always reading to him!

Aiden is very spoiled at Grandma and Grandpa's house... which may explain why he sometimes doesn't want to leave. Grandpa set up a nice big pool for him on their deck, perfect for the summertime heat! Thanks, Grandpa!

Playing at the Park 

As long as it isn't too hot out, Black Hills Park is my go-to when I run out of things to do with Aiden. He loves just walking and walking.... and walking and walking. When Aiden was about 14 months, I started wondering when he was going to start walking independently... but look at him now!! He's running!!

Water Park Fun!!

To beat the summer heat, we found a water park near our house. No pool, but lots and lots of water mushrooms, fountains, and sprays galore! We figured our water baby would love it!

Aiden was a bit tentative at first... after all, up until now the only water exposure he really had was at the beach pool, the bathtub and at Grandpa's house... all standing water.

But he adjusted quickly and had a great time!!

Oh my Love, please don't drink the water. =)

OH MY GOODNESS... Swim Class 

Since our little man loves the water, Vic and I figured swim class was a must. We wanted to make sure we finished the class by the time we left for our annual trip to Myrtle Beach. So, off to class we went!! The purpose of the class was for water introduction. We picked a Tues/Thurs 9am class so that Mommy could take him each week. I was so excited about it! On the day of the class when I met the instructor, Susan, and the other parents, I was bragging about how much Aiden LOVED the water.  

Oh dear... EPIC FAIL....

Aiden was so upset!!! I still haven't figured out whether or not it was the time we picked or the structure of the class, but for the first 3 classes, my pumpkin was NOT having a good time. HUMONGOUS shout out to my friend Kris for giving me some suggestions on how to prep him in the morning for class. By the 4th and 5th class, I at least got a couple of smiles and giggles out of him. 

Daddy felt left out so he took Aiden to the last class. I was able to get some shots to remember this traumatic time for him.

Climbing up the water wall. 

Aiden didn't mind this activity since he was able to feel the water falling on his hands, which he enjoys from our bath time adventures. Daddy is much stronger than Mommy... when I did this in class I was only able to lift Aiden about halfway up.

Forward gliding.

One of the class exercises. After a few classes, Aiden grew more comfortable with this. He really did not like trying to float on his back.

Aiden's favorite part of the class, and the only time he wasn't upset, was during the last 5 minutes when the instructor brought out water toys and let the kids play. Aiden especially loved sprinkling water from the watering can and playing catch with the balls.

Despite the fact that Aiden did not enjoy swim class, I'm glad we did it. He was definitely better towards the end and we learned some activities to do with him to increase his comfort level. Aww, don't worry, baby, class is over!

So many developments over the past few months!! Here are a few more:

- Eating: Aiden has officially transitioned to solid foods. It's fun to see his facial expression when he tries new tastes and textures. He's a bit of a picky eater, but when he finds something he likes, he eats a whole lot! His favorite things to eat right now are: tangerines, mangoes, rice, spaghetti, cinnamon raisin bread with peanut butter, noodles of any kind, black beans, potato chips and french fries. Seems like a lot, but I feel like I'm feeding him tangerines and spaghetti all the time! Vic and I agree that once we can get him to eat chicken nuggets, we'll be golden!!

- Talking- I love love LOVE the sound of Aiden's voice. It is so sweet, yet filled with so much wonder, amazement, happiness, and curiosity all at once. He has quite a few words in this vocabulary right now:

* English: Da-da, ball, up, wow, uh-oh, peas (I think means "please"), and his all time favorite- no!

* Vietnamese: Vic's family has been doing a wonderful job teaching him to speak Vietnamese. Aiden knows how to say "shoe" and "go" and can understand simple phrases like "give me a kiss" and "where's your head".

Now... if only I knew some Korean!!!

- Motor Skills- My little man is a runner!!! Arms flailing... that boy is quick!! His fine motor skills are also developing. He can grip onto wide crayons to draw (his first masterpiece is already on the fridge), experimenting with a fork and spoon, and loves to build little towers!

-Teeth!- Aiden is finally sprouting some pearly whites! He has 5 that are in and 4 breaking through. Teething has been uncomfortable for him this time around, but he's a trooper and just needs something cool to calm him down.

- Dancing: Aiden also loves music!! We try to play all types of music when we're home and it's so cute to see Aiden pumping his arms and swaying to the beat. He's even starting to try to sing along!

If it's possible, I love Aiden more and more every day. I truly understand what my mom meant when she used to tell me "you'll never understand how much I love you until you have a baby of your own". I never imagined I could love someone so much. I can't wait to see what's in store for us next!!

13 going on 14 Months!

Hello Spring!! In 3 days, Aiden will officially be 14 months old. My little baby boy has grown into a full fledged toddler, with the energy to match! It's hard to believe that time has flown by so quickly.

Life for us has been busy as usual. Aiden changes every day and his little personality is certainly starting to show! He has developed a little naughtiness and I have to try really hard to keep a straight face when I'm explaining why he can't throw peas at Mommy or climb into Rocky's crate. But he is such a sweet boy who gives the best hugs and loves to cuddle. Aiden is at such a fun age; he's curious, adventurous, and playful but still loves to be held and kissed.

We're working on increasing his tolerance to solid foods. He is a bit of a picky eater, like his Daddy, but is usually willing to try things at least once. I have found that he loves peas (at least for now), Ritz crackers, Kix cereal, Gerber puffs, mashed potatoes, and chicken.

The weather has been so beautiful here in Maryland (unseasonably warm, which makes me wonder if the summer is going to be a sizzler!). Vic and I decided to take Aiden to Washington DC today to see the Cherry Blossoms in full bloom... and what a gorgeous day it was!

Here's a view of the monument from the Tidal Basin!

We took Aiden to lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Old Ebbitts Grill. Aiden is infatuated with water and was mesmerized by the fountain in the restaurant's atrium. It was hard to tear him away from it! Vic and I can't wait until our annual beach trip this summer, Aiden is going to be a water lover for sure!

First look at the Cherry Blossoms!

My munchkin playing along the tidal basin.

A walk with Mommy! Aiden's not able to walk independently quite yet, but he's super close!! When he finally does, I have a feeling Mommy and Daddy will have their hands full!

Don't you love that face!

My favorite picture of the day.

So sweet... he gets away with everything.

Other than wathcing the fountains at the restaurant and the ones we past along our way, Aiden's favorite part of the day was playing with all the fallen Cherry Blossom petals. I set a big pile of them in front of him and he loved scattering them into the wind.

Family picture!

Aiden and Mommy

It was such a gorgeous day, so we just walked and walked and walked. I think our little man had a good time. =)

Happy Birthday, Aiden!!

It's hard to believe that a year ago, Vic and I were welcoming our first born into the world. We went from this:

Aiden at One Month

To This!!! My Little Bug at a Year Old!!

As in all cultures, the first birthday is a big one. In Korean tradition, you celebrate a child's first year of life with a Dol ceremony. We thought long and hard about whether or not we wanted to have one, but decided that we would. My mom would have wanted us to and what a great way to show some of my Korean culture to my son.

All I have to say is, planning a Dol is like planning a small wedding. There were invitations, flowers, decorations, favors, food, and entertainment. But I think that in the end it was a success! It was wonderful to have all of the most important people in our lives there to celebrate Aiden's first year... and our first year of parenting!!

We held the Dol in the King Farm Community Clubhouse, right in my brother's neighborhood. It was a gorgeous room and centrally located between our friends and family in Baltimore and Virginia. The weather forecast called for a wintery mix the night before the party, and for those of you that know me, you know I was freaking out! Luckily, it was only a light dusting that added to the beauty of the day!

I decided to make the theme Tigers and Jungle Animals.

Here are some pictures of the party!

The Dol head table. I tried to have all the main elements of the tradition Dol table.

Fruit: Represents future children and a happy life for the entire family

Red Bean Cake: Symbolizes good health and safety

White Rice Cake: Symbolizes purity and honesty

Dol Go Ims (The Towers): Are not usually part of a traditional Dol table, but I added them in for a modern flare and because they are circular, which represents a life without hardship

One of the towers has a tiger to represent Aiden's Chinese Zodiac... hence the theme. =)

And just as an aside... I made those towers. Thank goodness for hot glue, dried beans, Daddy, Uncle Rez and Aunt Jennifer!!

Here a picture of Aiden's birthday cake! Top cake courtesy of Giant, cupcakes made by me. =) I found this idea online with a different theme and sent a picture to a cake maker. After receiving a ridiculous quote, I realized I could make the whole thing for a fraction of the cost! The kids at the party were able to enjoy the cupcakes and we purchased another larger cake for the adults. Yay Costco! And yay for Etsy where I found the fondant pieces!

As our favor, we had a candy bar. Those chocolate bars in the middle were from my brother. and personalized with a Happy Birthday to Aiden! Thanks, Uncle Brian!

We also gave out traditional boxes of duk, which is Korean rice cake. Supposedly, the sharing of rice cake with family and friends is said to bring good fortune to the one providing it. And it's delish!

We also were able to have a balloon twister and face painter for part of the party. She really did an amazing job and is very talented! I wish I got some shots of some of

her balloon art, Elizabeth's "Angry Bird" really doesn't showcase it well.. but cute

nonetheless... this bird flies!

The main event is the actual Doljabi where objects are laid in front of the child and they are encouraged to pick one. It is believed that whatever they pick is a predictor for their future. We made Aiden's into a little raffle, with everyone voting for what they thought he would go for.

Basketball: Professional Athlete

Money: Wealth

String: Long life

Calculator: Accountant (For Uncle Brian)

Stethoscope: Doctor

Book: Scholar

I displayed some pictures of Aiden throughout the room as a way to show people how much he has grown and changed over the last year. I love this one, which shows the pictures Vic and I took of Aiden on the 25th of every month in the same chair, next to the same teddy bear (I posted the one month and 12 month pictures at the start of this blog post). Shout out to my friend Faye for the idea, it was a great one! We'll hang this one in our new house!

Here's the birthday boy playing!

We love Uncle Brian!

Aiden in his traditional Korean Hanbok. Hehe, he looks like a little prince. I don't think he liked wearing it all that much, but he was a good sport and wore it for the doljabi event.

If you noticed in the previous picture, Aiden is wearing a gold pendant. Here's a close up of it. It's actually on loan from Uncle Brian. It's tradition to give children gold jewelry on their first birthday. This is the necklace my parents gave my brother at this Dol. Having Aiden wear it for his meant a lot to me and made me feel like my parents were there with us too.

Aiden did score some nice gold bling of his own! A BIG thank you to Grandma, Grandpa and Great Aunt Di Thu who gave Aiden beautiful gold rings!

Daddy laid out the items for the Doljabi. Can you tell which one Vic wanted Aiden to choose? No cheating Daddy!!!

So... what did Aiden pick??

The stethoscope! Hooray!!

(as another aside, despite popular belief... Mommy did not prep Aiden for this choice).

Aiden was so cute during the Doljabi. He initially went for the basketball (which is what I thought he would go for.. hey, it's big and bright!). But then he stopped, looked at each object, then went for the stethoscope. It was almost as if he thought to himself "hold up, this is my future I'm picking!!". Way to go Aiden!!!

Yummy yummy food in my tummy!! We had a great spread of both Korean and Vietnamese food. Thanks to Grandma and the rest of Vic's family for cooking up a storm all morning! Everyone raved how great everything was!

Of course we had to pay our respects to Aiden's Vietnamese side too! Here he is in his Ao Dai, the traditional first birthday outfit! I think Aiden liked it too!! He is too cute!

We love Grandma and Grandpa!

A big thanks to the best Aunts!! They were so helpful throughout the entire party. We are so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing family who love Aiden so much!

Happy birthday to Aiden!!!

Aiden is clean like his Mommy. He did not enjoy sticking his hands in the cake all that much. I'm sure that will pass though...

Us with some of my aunts and cousin from my Dad and Mom's side.

Aiden's party was so much fun. I was very proud of my little boy, he was amazingly good!!! We had a great time spending time with all our wonderful family and friends. A HUGE shout out to our posse (Mark, Josie, Rez, Jen, Brian, Joong and Sunmi) for helping us set up and clean up! There is no way we would have been able to do it without you!

After the big celebration, Vic and I were excited about spending some quality time with our little man on his actual birthday. We took Aiden to the Aquarium in Baltimore. I think he really enjoyed it! Here are some pics from the day:

Lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe

Aiden loved watching the bubbles!! Daddy says that Mommy looks more excited than Aiden in this picture... but I think we were equally happy here. =)

Aiden loved watching the fish swim by! He would reach up and tap the tank when one would get near.

The aquarium has an area that overlooks the inner harbor. It was a gorgeous day on the 25th, so we enjoyed soaking up some rays.

The jellyfish exhibit was our favorite part!!

What an amazing year it has been... and how quickly it has flown by! Aiden has brought so much joy and happiness into our lives, we wonder what we did with our time before him!? He has grown into such a sweet and handsome little boy.

We cannot wait to see what the next year will bring!

Mommy and Daddy love you VERY much, Aiden!!