Call me Unni!

Koreans have this showing respect thing where older siblings have a title. Like if you are a girl, you'd call your older sister, " Unni" and older brother, "oppae". If you are a boy, you'd call your older sister "noona" and older brother," hyung". My parents did not instill this korean etiquette with me and my siblings. I actually force it upon my 12 year younger brother. I felt that I was so much older than him that I warrant this respect. My other younger brother by 2 years does not call me noona. I'm okay with it especially while growing up he always acted like an older brother to me.

Hubs and I don't make our children call their older siblings by the respective titles. We are not very "Koreanized". I think it's because I was born and raised here and hubs is adopted to a Caucasian family. However, we attend a Church where it's dominantly korean-american. I overheard my two oldest daughters playing. Bunny turns to Lamb and says, " j, call me Unni!" Lamb says okay. And she was saying, " happy birthday, Unni!" "Go to sleep, Unni." And then it turned in to, "hi, onion... go to sleep, onion... where's your home, onion and then Bunny turns and says, " NO, J, NOT ONION... UNNI!!" The way they say Unni too is so funny because it said with such an american tongue.

It made me chuckle.

Sonic ,where art thou?

Every time I see a Sonic commercial, my mouth starts watering. I don't quite understand what the people in the car are griping about but the frozen treats that are in their hand always looks so appetizing. They commercialize the treat of the day and it looks so good. A couple years ago, I even tried to locate the nearest Sonic and there were no Sonic near me but today, the nearest one is in Limerick about 50 minute away. Is Dairy queen blizzards just as good? Or do these frozen desserts look especially good because I know I can't easily get a hold of one? I am tempted to drive out there and try it out. I should be dieting, though. Man, they should be banned from televising their commercial nationally.

Crazy

Frog reached 1 month and we are slowly trying to get back to life. After a month of just taking care of Frog, I had to take care of all 4 children while hubs went to work. Thank goodness that Bunny and Lamb play well together. Puppy is another story. He is still a baby and very needy. Having four children who are s0 close in age is CRAZY. It is very tough. I know as Frog gets bigger it'll get easier.

Funny story:

Hubs went down to the beach with 3 kids. As he sat watching the ocean with Lamb and Puppy sleeping in his arms, Bunny comes running to him. She had to go to the bathroom. I usually take her to the near by bathrooms but I was not there. So Bill whispers to her, "just go in the ocean." So she runs to the water, pulls down her bikini bottom and squats. All hubs sees is this bright white butt cheeks and he starts screaming her name. He drops both kids and runs to Bunny. He then told her how to go to the bathroom in the ocean. "You splash around and do it secretly in the water. " hahaha She mooned the whole beach. hahahaha

Faith and Hope

Drug-free Childbirth

I must document my very first drug-free natural birth before the experience leaves me. I had volunteered willingly to receiving an epidural during all my previous child births and never considered going all natural. However the last time I gave birth, I had a very bad experience with the epidural. The bee sting like prick wasn't so bee sting like and icy cold liquid constantly flowed down my spine and my back ached and then my blood pressure dropped and I was nauseas and throwing up. Then for the days following I had these phantom pains in my back. I comforted myself saying that I would not have to go through that again. Then I got pregnant AGAIN. As I approached my due date, I was asking around other mothers and many of them did not receive the epidural, they went all natural. After talking to these women, I felt like "you know, I can do that too..." I thought I'll go as far as I can and if it's unbearable, I'll ask for Nubain (to take the edge off) and if that didn't work I'll go with the epidural.

I was so use to being bed ridden from the beginning b/c once you receive the epidural you are tied to your bed. I was able to walk around or sit in the rocking chair. I didn't have an iv in me so I was free to toss and turn in bed. Then the contractions were getting more intense and longer and after they broke my water. The pain was intense. Hubs was an awesome coach, he helped me blow through each contraction. I was able to squeeze his hand, arm, leg, stomach, and face when I needed to transfer my tension from each contraction. And once I reached 7 cm, I started screaming, give me the drugs. Then I heard the nurse say... "sorry , it's too late!" WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now it was constant pain... knives twisting and turning in my stomach. I screamed, I cried... in midst of my arms flailing , I slapped Hubs a couple times. I was trying to pull and push anything I could. It was the longest 45 minutes of my life. I kept saying how stupid I was for not going with the epidural. Stupid... Stupid... Oh, and the pushing was excruciating. Thank goodness that part was short but OMG... the pain. Then once the baby is out... nothing. No pain.... Contractions stop and I see this beautiful beautiful baby. But one split second of a split second, I was angry at her... that she inflicted this enormous pain but then it melted away to love... Weird how your emotions are such a roller coaster. It was work... a lot of work. I was left with a sense of accomplishment. I guess, the feeling you'd feel running a marathon. Painful during but once you reach the finish line, you feel so great.

In retrospect... It was worth it of course but I don't know if I'd do it again. I would go with the epidural and consider it a blessing from God that it's available. Well, there will never be a next time. People were saying that I look the best after labor with this one which is weird because I felt like I got run over by a truck.

Recovery has been going well so far. I've been able to just relax with Frog but our household is a bit crazy. Also, my church has been a great great help, too. They are bringing over food and offering babysitting. I feel so blessed. Also, Hubs family has been a great help as well. They took Em, Ja, and Jon to the shore for a couple of days.

Frog had to be readmitted to the hospital because she had sever jaundice. She went under photo therapy for 24 hours. She's all better now. It was so cute... it looked like she was tanning in a tanning bed. They even gave her these shades to cover her eyes.

Now just hoping for a fast recovery for me...

FROG

FROG

July 22 nd at 2:15pm
7 lbs 14 oz
20 1/2 inches long