Dear racist, fat, ignorant, self-absorbed, money-obsessed white woman:
You work in a department which aims to protect the diversity of your organization. You act appalled and offended when others say or do racist things. You constantly brag about how you are so not racist, that you adopted your "firstborn" from Asia.
And then you have the audacity to tell me I don't understand your culture. Your AMERICAN culture?
I'm sorry, I was born here. In the city of brotherly love, in fact. And last time I checked, ALL Americans had a heritage originating from a different country.
You don't deserve to have the son you do, he's too good for you. You treat him like shit time and time again, despite his consistent attempts to appease you. He feels so grateful that you adopted him and gave him a home, but the shithole of a "home" you gave him isn't worth the dirt it sits on. You do not treat him like your two, biological, sons, perhaps because he's not biological or perhaps because he's not of the same race. Either way, the only person who actually deserves your unconditional love, is the only one you do not give it to. You are the worst mother I have ever seen.
I have never been so happy that someone has left my life. I hope to never meet you again. But fate is never so kind.
Love,
Me.
20 March 2011
18 March 2011
Let's Review Some Baby Shoes!
Everything 'baby' is just so adorable, isn't it? Little bath robes, tiny hats, miniature t-shirts.. just makes me want to squeal with delight! :D
Teeny meeny wittle shoesies are no exception! (Okay, no more creepy baby talk in this post, promise! :P) I actually didn't buy any shoes or booties for Saeri until she was able to stand up on her own. No shoes are worn inside this Asian home, and she was carried when we were out and about. So I spent the unused funds on Rufflebutts and BabyLegs instead muahahaha! xD
Ah, but then came 10 months, and she decided to master walking. She had been taking unassisted wobbly steps since she was 5 months old, but there wasn't much progress over the following 5 months. Secretly I was a bit worried, silly as that sounds. Both of the grandmothers constantly bragged about how both Appa and I had started walking early at 9 months, but Saeri still seemed more interested in crawling at that age. But a few days after she turned 10 months old, something clicked and she was walking around like a champ!
Anyhow, all of a sudden we needed baby shoes. She began refusing to let us hold her when we went out; she wanted to walk and run and explore all on her own! My umma bought her some Robeez (by Stride Rite), and FMIL constantly raved about Stride Rite (even though she never bought them, just cheapo crap from discount stores). I did my usual googling, and I discovered that other moms were raving about Pediped and Bobux.
With infants who aren't walking, buying super cute (and super cheap) shoes from retailers like Old Navy or Target are just fine IMO. They won't constantly be putting their weight on their feet, so their feet and back don't need all the cushioning yet.
Then you've got pre-walkers/early walkers and walkers/runners/juniors. Uh.. what?? From my extensive googling (lol), it seems that babies go through 3 stages on their way from non-walker to full-time walker.
Stage 1 (non-walker): not walking, perhaps crawling, maybe taking a few shaky
steps before falling
Stage 2 (pre-walker): can stand up unassisted, highly interested in and motivated
to walk as much as possible
Stage 3 (walker): walking around and getting into everything without any hint
of exhaustion
Pre-walkers need something to protect their feet from sharp things on the ground, but the soles should be thinner so they can still feel the ground and properly develop their balancing skills. And walkers obviously need all the same protection that adults do--maybe even a bit more since those little feet are just so precious!
I believe having proper footwear is essential for children, so I have no qualms about spending a lot of money (can you hear Appa groaning in the background?) for shoes that are approved by the American Podiatric Medical Assoication and moms alike. I want to give her feet and back all the comforts I can afford! :)
Blah blah blah... yes, I can hear you, dear readers lol. Let's get on to those reviews!
My umma impulsively bought these Robeez on one of our first outings with Saeri to the mall. I wasn't in love with them, but my umma was absolutely gushing so I couldn't deny her this halmuhni-pleasure. We ended up getting SO MANY compliments on them though, by friends and strangers alike, so kudos to you umma! But I quickly noticed that the back elastic wasn't well-designed and actually made it more difficult to get her foot in.
My FMIL bought these Skidders from Target, which are basically like thick socks with non-skid bottoms. The floors of our home get so cold in the winter, but I can't put socks on her since she'll slip and fall... something she's been doing a lot lately, poor thing. These shoes are totally shaped like clown shoes, but I absolutely love the concept. Too bad my crazy daughter refuses to keep them on. So I guess she'll just have to deal with her cold feet while indoors!
When Saeri's dohl was coming up, I bought these Pedipeds for her to wear. OMG Mom was raving about Pedipeds, and when I checked out the site, I fell in love with these pink patent lovelies. The quilted stitching gave them a little special something over your typical mary janes. When I received them, I unfortunately discovered that they were way too big for her, and Appa surprisingly had an opinion about them--he didn't like the black soles. He's since changed his thinking, since the black soles show barely any sign of wear or dirt lol. She's been wearing them recently, as her feet have finally grown into them, and I don't like how the patent creases so badly and easily. It'll be real leather uppers from now on. It doesn't matter anymore though, see anything missing in the picture below? Yesterday one poor shoe slipped off to its death, into the mob of drunken high school and college kids skipping classes to get rowdy at the St. Patrick's Day Parade downtown. *sigh*
So when I found the Pedipeds were too big, Saeri still needed shoes for her dohl. I searched and searched and finally found these adorable Bobux shoes! They don't look so great online, but I couldn't believe how gorgeous they were in person! The shoe is unbelievably well-made, with a buttery-soft leather upper and hidden slits in the back to easily get baby's foot in. There's a rhinestone in the middle of the leather flower too! The only thing I don't like, is the bottom of the shoe. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely non-skid and functionally perfect for a baby who's just started walking. But the design isn't so great for formal pictures... like, say, when she's wearing a fancy silk dress and sitting on her umma's lap and the bottom of the shoe can be seen when the expensive professional photographer is taking portraits. Argh. She eventually ripped off one of the flowers while we were out, and it came time for her to have shoes without any adornments on it. Too bad Bobux doesn't have more styles in their Pre-Walk selection!
All in all, my recommendations are definitely with Pediped and Bobux. They're not as readily available in local brick-and-mortar stores as Robeez or Stride Rite, but I think the quality and style is exceptional. Bobux leans more towards comfort and Pediped towards style, but I'm more than pleased with both brands. Both companies have super fast shipping and amazing customer service too!
I've been looking for new baby shoes yet again, and it's disappointing to see that shoes for early walkers aren't as cute. I'm just not feeling the thick exposed rubber soles, meh. So I decided that they're really not necessary for Saeri yet lol. I went ahead and committed to these Pediped mary janes! :D
Can you tell I'm partial to pink mary janes? :)
Teeny meeny wittle shoesies are no exception! (Okay, no more creepy baby talk in this post, promise! :P) I actually didn't buy any shoes or booties for Saeri until she was able to stand up on her own. No shoes are worn inside this Asian home, and she was carried when we were out and about. So I spent the unused funds on Rufflebutts and BabyLegs instead muahahaha! xD
Ah, but then came 10 months, and she decided to master walking. She had been taking unassisted wobbly steps since she was 5 months old, but there wasn't much progress over the following 5 months. Secretly I was a bit worried, silly as that sounds. Both of the grandmothers constantly bragged about how both Appa and I had started walking early at 9 months, but Saeri still seemed more interested in crawling at that age. But a few days after she turned 10 months old, something clicked and she was walking around like a champ!
Anyhow, all of a sudden we needed baby shoes. She began refusing to let us hold her when we went out; she wanted to walk and run and explore all on her own! My umma bought her some Robeez (by Stride Rite), and FMIL constantly raved about Stride Rite (even though she never bought them, just cheapo crap from discount stores). I did my usual googling, and I discovered that other moms were raving about Pediped and Bobux.
With infants who aren't walking, buying super cute (and super cheap) shoes from retailers like Old Navy or Target are just fine IMO. They won't constantly be putting their weight on their feet, so their feet and back don't need all the cushioning yet.
Then you've got pre-walkers/early walkers and walkers/runners/juniors. Uh.. what?? From my extensive googling (lol), it seems that babies go through 3 stages on their way from non-walker to full-time walker.
Stage 1 (non-walker): not walking, perhaps crawling, maybe taking a few shaky
steps before falling
Stage 2 (pre-walker): can stand up unassisted, highly interested in and motivated
to walk as much as possible
Stage 3 (walker): walking around and getting into everything without any hint
of exhaustion
Pre-walkers need something to protect their feet from sharp things on the ground, but the soles should be thinner so they can still feel the ground and properly develop their balancing skills. And walkers obviously need all the same protection that adults do--maybe even a bit more since those little feet are just so precious!
I believe having proper footwear is essential for children, so I have no qualms about spending a lot of money (can you hear Appa groaning in the background?) for shoes that are approved by the American Podiatric Medical Assoication and moms alike. I want to give her feet and back all the comforts I can afford! :)
Blah blah blah... yes, I can hear you, dear readers lol. Let's get on to those reviews!
My umma impulsively bought these Robeez on one of our first outings with Saeri to the mall. I wasn't in love with them, but my umma was absolutely gushing so I couldn't deny her this halmuhni-pleasure. We ended up getting SO MANY compliments on them though, by friends and strangers alike, so kudos to you umma! But I quickly noticed that the back elastic wasn't well-designed and actually made it more difficult to get her foot in.
My FMIL bought these Skidders from Target, which are basically like thick socks with non-skid bottoms. The floors of our home get so cold in the winter, but I can't put socks on her since she'll slip and fall... something she's been doing a lot lately, poor thing. These shoes are totally shaped like clown shoes, but I absolutely love the concept. Too bad my crazy daughter refuses to keep them on. So I guess she'll just have to deal with her cold feet while indoors!
When Saeri's dohl was coming up, I bought these Pedipeds for her to wear. OMG Mom was raving about Pedipeds, and when I checked out the site, I fell in love with these pink patent lovelies. The quilted stitching gave them a little special something over your typical mary janes. When I received them, I unfortunately discovered that they were way too big for her, and Appa surprisingly had an opinion about them--he didn't like the black soles. He's since changed his thinking, since the black soles show barely any sign of wear or dirt lol. She's been wearing them recently, as her feet have finally grown into them, and I don't like how the patent creases so badly and easily. It'll be real leather uppers from now on. It doesn't matter anymore though, see anything missing in the picture below? Yesterday one poor shoe slipped off to its death, into the mob of drunken high school and college kids skipping classes to get rowdy at the St. Patrick's Day Parade downtown. *sigh*
So when I found the Pedipeds were too big, Saeri still needed shoes for her dohl. I searched and searched and finally found these adorable Bobux shoes! They don't look so great online, but I couldn't believe how gorgeous they were in person! The shoe is unbelievably well-made, with a buttery-soft leather upper and hidden slits in the back to easily get baby's foot in. There's a rhinestone in the middle of the leather flower too! The only thing I don't like, is the bottom of the shoe. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely non-skid and functionally perfect for a baby who's just started walking. But the design isn't so great for formal pictures... like, say, when she's wearing a fancy silk dress and sitting on her umma's lap and the bottom of the shoe can be seen when the expensive professional photographer is taking portraits. Argh. She eventually ripped off one of the flowers while we were out, and it came time for her to have shoes without any adornments on it. Too bad Bobux doesn't have more styles in their Pre-Walk selection!
All in all, my recommendations are definitely with Pediped and Bobux. They're not as readily available in local brick-and-mortar stores as Robeez or Stride Rite, but I think the quality and style is exceptional. Bobux leans more towards comfort and Pediped towards style, but I'm more than pleased with both brands. Both companies have super fast shipping and amazing customer service too!
I've been looking for new baby shoes yet again, and it's disappointing to see that shoes for early walkers aren't as cute. I'm just not feeling the thick exposed rubber soles, meh. So I decided that they're really not necessary for Saeri yet lol. I went ahead and committed to these Pediped mary janes! :D
Can you tell I'm partial to pink mary janes? :)
16 March 2011
My Poor Frankenbaby
It's really heart-wrenching when your baby gets hurt. Whether it turns out to be a minor scrape or a broken bone, the initial shock is pretty intense. Or... maybe I'm just more dramatic than most people? :P
Last week, my FMIL wanted to spend 2 days/1 night at a local hotel with her grandbaby for her birthday. We--as the grandbaby's parents--were reluctantly invited along as well. -_-; The only person I trust to babysit Saeri is my own umma, and I require her to stay at home and not take her anywhere while babysitting. I know I've got some trust/attachment/dependence issues... but more on that another time. :)
First off, this hotel was so dirty! It's an older hotel that used to be upscale back in the day, but it obviously hasn't been well-kept. Why the crap does it still have 3.5 stars? I know the Cleveland tourist market isn't great, but way to permanently scare away any tourists who might venture here! We stayed in what was supposed to be a suite, but I can't believe how disappointing it was. Both keys barely worked (had to jam it in repeatedly), the carpets were littered with giant stains, both TV remotes desperately needed a change of batteries, the glass cordials looked like they hadn't been properly washed in years, some of the sheets had stains (ew!), the coffee maker was dead, there was exactly ONE towel for 3 adults and 1 baby, and the metal was peeling off the provided crib! Oh.Mah.Freaking.Gah.
But the best part? The appalling lack of customer service! Shall we discuss just one of the instances which warrant such a bold claim? A complimentary breakfast was included in our package, and it was set up buffet style so we got several plates to share. When it was nearing the end of the 'breakfast period', one of the cafeteria workers came out and asked if she could clear our plates... when we clearly were NOT done eating. Obviously we declined, but then she had the audacity to emphatically tell us that the dishwasher would be leaving soon, this would be the last and final time she would come around, and so could she have our plates? Um.. let me think... EFF NO. What does the dishwasher leaving have to do with hospitality?? But it doesn't end there! This same worker takes the time to find out our suite number and goes knocking on the door to find my FMIL. Well she got an even angrier response from my FMIL lol. We then complained at the front desk and asked for the Food & Beverage Manager... who never came. We also dealt with a janitor who kept mopping underneath our table while we were still sitting there, and the food was swarmed by fruit flies halfway into our meal. WTF. I would never recommend this shit hotel to anyone!
So back to the original point of this post, Saeri ended up getting her 1st major boo-boo during this trip. Remember how I mentioned that I have attachment issues with my baby? Well on the 2nd day, FMIL offered to take a walk with her before lunch, so that Appa and I could get some rest. I felt so so so reluctant, because she was planning to take her outside the hotel, but I quietly agreed since I was supposed to be working on letting go. They were supposed to be gone for an hour, but imagine my surprise when they were back at the door after just 10 minutes. And Saeri's nose was bright red. FMIL kept apologizing, and at first I didn't really grasp why; I thought her nose had gotten rosy from the winter air outside. Then it clicked and I FREAKED.. inside my head. Somehow I was able to keep my cool outwardly and not punch my FMIL in the face. I could tell it was pretty scraped up from her nose all the way to her forehead, but it didn't seem too bad since only the tip of her nose was red and bleeding. And then a day passed, and the entire region had darkened considerably. It may be irrational, but I was so furious with both Appa and myself for allowing my borderline-obese FMIL to be alone with a hyperactive 15 month old. Is that harsh? Yes, I fully admit that. But she is getting old, her body is deteriorating, and she's very large... all of which mean that it's nearly impossible for her to react quickly enough if my toddler suddenly runs off and trips on a cement sidewalk littered with sharp chunks of salt. Poor Saeri basically slid on her FACE! :'(
Here's a picture of what my cutie normally looks like (I know I'm totally biased lol):
And here's how she looked about a week after she first got the scrape:
I know, I know, it's not the worst thing that could've happened. But I feel so discouraged everytime she rubs her face because the scabs are itchy... I still feel so guilty that I wasn't there. Bah.
15 March 2011
It's Not Chocolate
Saeri ate her own poo.
*record screech*
Uh... WHAT?!
This isn't something I particularly wanted to announce on the internet, so there's no accompanying photo. Sorry... or rather, you're welcome?
It was the 3rd day of attempting to potty train, and to say it wasn't going well is a gross understatement. Yea, not going well AT ALL. She peed next to the potty 7 times. 7 times!!! RIGHT NEXT TO THE POTTY! Ugh. I would sit her on the potty for around 15-20 minutes, giving her lots of smiles and encouragement, and then I'd figure her bladder wasn't quite full enough yet and let her go on her way. She'd take a lap around the living room... and then come back to the potty and unleash a puddle right next to it, wtf!
But that was not to be the worst part of my day. No, my daughter was not done with my nerves just yet. After her 6th pee-next-to-the-potty incident, I decided to give her bum some air and quickly wash a few dishes (literally, like 4 pieces). During these 5 minutes of freedom, she proceeded to push out a turd right in front of the baby gate, where I could not see. I was glancing over at her periodically, and everything seemed so fine and dandy. I finished and walked towards the baby gate... and there were brown chunks hanging out of her mouth. It seemed strange, since I hadn't given her any snacks. That's when I saw the turd. That long, healthy-looking, half-eaten piece of POO. I put two-and-two together and immediately went into shock. I made a series of hyperventilating squealing noises, which I think scared her a bit.
I cleaned out her mouth 3 times. Then I brushed her teeth. I still have nightmares about poo being permanently stuck in between the gaps of her baby teeth.
But don't worry, I made certain to use this opportunity to place the partially eaten turd inside of the potty, successfully illustrating to her that poo goes in the potty. Er wait, did I say successfully? Oops. I actually meant to say: EPIC FAIL FAIL FAIL. She still refuses to do any business in the potty. Only next to it. (Which leads me to believe that she totally understands what the potty is for, but is purposely not using it to spite me. I believe she has Toddler-Teenager-Terror Syndrome. It's real, I promise.)
So so so so so so so so so so so so GROSS! *shudders* I still can't believe my daughter ate her own poo!
What are the ways in which your child has made you feel like a complete and utter failure of a parent (and given you a minor heart attack in the process)?
*record screech*
Uh... WHAT?!
This isn't something I particularly wanted to announce on the internet, so there's no accompanying photo. Sorry... or rather, you're welcome?
It was the 3rd day of attempting to potty train, and to say it wasn't going well is a gross understatement. Yea, not going well AT ALL. She peed next to the potty 7 times. 7 times!!! RIGHT NEXT TO THE POTTY! Ugh. I would sit her on the potty for around 15-20 minutes, giving her lots of smiles and encouragement, and then I'd figure her bladder wasn't quite full enough yet and let her go on her way. She'd take a lap around the living room... and then come back to the potty and unleash a puddle right next to it, wtf!
But that was not to be the worst part of my day. No, my daughter was not done with my nerves just yet. After her 6th pee-next-to-the-potty incident, I decided to give her bum some air and quickly wash a few dishes (literally, like 4 pieces). During these 5 minutes of freedom, she proceeded to push out a turd right in front of the baby gate, where I could not see. I was glancing over at her periodically, and everything seemed so fine and dandy. I finished and walked towards the baby gate... and there were brown chunks hanging out of her mouth. It seemed strange, since I hadn't given her any snacks. That's when I saw the turd. That long, healthy-looking, half-eaten piece of POO. I put two-and-two together and immediately went into shock. I made a series of hyperventilating squealing noises, which I think scared her a bit.
I cleaned out her mouth 3 times. Then I brushed her teeth. I still have nightmares about poo being permanently stuck in between the gaps of her baby teeth.
But don't worry, I made certain to use this opportunity to place the partially eaten turd inside of the potty, successfully illustrating to her that poo goes in the potty. Er wait, did I say successfully? Oops. I actually meant to say: EPIC FAIL FAIL FAIL. She still refuses to do any business in the potty. Only next to it. (Which leads me to believe that she totally understands what the potty is for, but is purposely not using it to spite me. I believe she has Toddler-Teenager-Terror Syndrome. It's real, I promise.)
So so so so so so so so so so so so GROSS! *shudders* I still can't believe my daughter ate her own poo!
What are the ways in which your child has made you feel like a complete and utter failure of a parent (and given you a minor heart attack in the process)?
09 March 2011
Potty Training: Day 1
So we started potty training today... O_O::
I won't lie: I have no idea what I'm doing. She'll be 15 months old in a few days, and I have yet to introduce a single potty training concept to her. All I've done so far is quietly slip a pack of Hello Kitty undies into the cart when I accompanied my umma to Target. I wanted to have her potty trained around 12 months old, as is typical of Korean ummas... um, yea, FAIL.
The truth is that we haven't had enough funds to purchase a potty seat. It's so depressing that we can't even afford a one-time payment of $30 for a potty seat. *sigh* But let's talk about my financial woes another time.
BUT! My FMIL gifted us with this potty chair yesterday. It's not the one I would've chosen (as is always the case), but she found it at a bargain price during one of her daily trips to Big Lots (also always the case). I had already researched a lot about different types of potty training supplies, and I had settled on this BabyBjorn potty seat because I just didn't think a stand-alone potty chair was necessary for us. Saeri wants nothing to do with things that don't look exactly like ours. That means, for example, at restaurants we have to feed her off our plate since she won't touch anything off the kiddie menu. So I was convinced a potty chair, especially one that looks nothing like a toilet, would be counterproductive. But we all know beggars can't be choosers. Bah.
When Saeri and I woke up this morning, I took her to the bathroom... and immediately realized that I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE CRAZY I'M DOING. Why hadn't I thought of googling "how to potty train" beforehand?! I started by introducing the commands "pants down" and "pants up-y", but it wasn't much help since commands take a couple days to sink in. So then I demonstrated how to use the adult toilet... which may have been helpful if she wasn't already busy getting into the undersink cabinets. FAIL #2.
Since then, I've replaced her diaper with one of the cute Hello Kitty panties, brought the potty chair downstairs into the living room, and sat her on the potty every half hour. I've also decided to go with "shui" and "eung-gah" as the commands for pee and poo, respectively. There hasn't been a single movement yet, pun fully intended keke. xD But I've realized that a potty chair is pretty damn convenient. Its portability means I don't have to spend the whole day in the bathroom with my un-diapered baby. She's free to run around the living room and play with her toys, while the potty chair patiently waits for her in the corner.
And for anyone who's wondering, there is no method to my madness. I'm making it all up as I go, just like my parenting lol. It's the Yoori Method to potty training... or anti-potty training, whatever the case may turn out to be. :P
I won't lie: I have no idea what I'm doing. She'll be 15 months old in a few days, and I have yet to introduce a single potty training concept to her. All I've done so far is quietly slip a pack of Hello Kitty undies into the cart when I accompanied my umma to Target. I wanted to have her potty trained around 12 months old, as is typical of Korean ummas... um, yea, FAIL.
The truth is that we haven't had enough funds to purchase a potty seat. It's so depressing that we can't even afford a one-time payment of $30 for a potty seat. *sigh* But let's talk about my financial woes another time.
BUT! My FMIL gifted us with this potty chair yesterday. It's not the one I would've chosen (as is always the case), but she found it at a bargain price during one of her daily trips to Big Lots (also always the case). I had already researched a lot about different types of potty training supplies, and I had settled on this BabyBjorn potty seat because I just didn't think a stand-alone potty chair was necessary for us. Saeri wants nothing to do with things that don't look exactly like ours. That means, for example, at restaurants we have to feed her off our plate since she won't touch anything off the kiddie menu. So I was convinced a potty chair, especially one that looks nothing like a toilet, would be counterproductive. But we all know beggars can't be choosers. Bah.
When Saeri and I woke up this morning, I took her to the bathroom... and immediately realized that I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE CRAZY I'M DOING. Why hadn't I thought of googling "how to potty train" beforehand?! I started by introducing the commands "pants down" and "pants up-y", but it wasn't much help since commands take a couple days to sink in. So then I demonstrated how to use the adult toilet... which may have been helpful if she wasn't already busy getting into the undersink cabinets. FAIL #2.
Since then, I've replaced her diaper with one of the cute Hello Kitty panties, brought the potty chair downstairs into the living room, and sat her on the potty every half hour. I've also decided to go with "shui" and "eung-gah" as the commands for pee and poo, respectively. There hasn't been a single movement yet, pun fully intended keke. xD But I've realized that a potty chair is pretty damn convenient. Its portability means I don't have to spend the whole day in the bathroom with my un-diapered baby. She's free to run around the living room and play with her toys, while the potty chair patiently waits for her in the corner.
And for anyone who's wondering, there is no method to my madness. I'm making it all up as I go, just like my parenting lol. It's the Yoori Method to potty training... or anti-potty training, whatever the case may turn out to be. :P
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