Teething Baby = Late Blog

Spouse's bowling league ended this week :( We played our last game on Wednesday, well technically Pagi played our last game (I was having severe back pain which kept me from bowling but I still went to root her on and our team member has only ever showed up a handful of times). Pagi and I are terrible bowlers, there is no denying that, yet we somehow got first place in the league! Steven and Eric did not believe us when we told them because of course the one day they came to watch us bowl we threw gutter balls the entire time. Our bowling party/award ceremony was scheduled for Friday. We were excited for our husbands to see us get our first place ribbon but they got stuck at work preparing for the typhoon and missed it :/ Steven hung my ribbon up on the wall when we got home :D

Tastes like victory

Avery had been a terror all Saturday long. That evening we realized she was teething. I was up with Avery all night, nothing worked to soothe her. Around 3 or 4am Steven got up with me (I was so tired I honestly can't remember if I woke him or if Avery's screaming did). It was a very rough night for everyone. Of course this teething spell decided to strike at the worst possible time because I was hosting Pagi's baby shower at my house the next day. It was the first time having guests (other than Pagi) in my home so I wanted the house to be spotless and everything perfect but that didn't happen. Sunday morning Avery was still in pain so she was super needy and clingy. She wanted nothing to do with Steven so I was running around on zero sleep trying to cook and clean with only one hand and a strict time restraint. Thankfully Pagi came over early to help me get the house ready while Steven went on base to get me coffee and last minute supplies. Before the bowling party on Friday Pagi and I had gone to a Korean dollar store (well won store I guess) to get decorations and prizes for the shower. Pagi and I did our best but the first guest arrived before we were finished. Steven took off before the house filled with Estrogen.

I'm not sure what is worse: the spelling errors of the fact that they sell dog meat

There were 15 of us (if you count all the kids that came). We played games, ate delicious food and cake and watched Pagi open her gifts. The shower lasted a bit longer than expected so Steven showed up to a house full of women and children. He grabbed a plate of food and adjourned to the bedroom while we finished up. After everyone left I was shocked at how beyond destroyed my house was: sticky watermelon hand prints on everything, pictures knocked over, crackers smashed into a million pieces in the carpet, slices of turkey and ham on the floor and magazines ripped to shreds! I'm really not looking forward to Avery learning how to walk now, I will never have a clean house again!! The destruction was worth it though because Pagi got a lot of cute stuff and every mom deserves a baby shower. 

The amazing cake 

Mom-to-be

That evening Avery cut her first tooth!!! Her gums are still very tender so she won't let me snap a photo of it. Hopefully she will cooperate by next week's blog :)

Avery Quinn - 7 1/2 months

Videos of Avery :)

Steven had this week off of work which gave us some valuable couple time. On Monday we dropped Avery off at daycare in the morning and ran some errands. We did laundry at the laundrette on base first. I despise not having my own washer and dryer, oh the little things I used to take for granted in the states... Steven and I put our clothes in the washer and went into the ville sine we had exactly 28 minutes to kill. We came back to find some old creeper taking all of our clothes out of the washers. The conversation when like this:
Creeper: Are you mad? This guy said you'd be mad (he gestured to a man that had apparently told him not to touch my stuff). Me: Not mad but its weird. Creeper: Its not weird. Me: Its weird dude, you're touching my panties. Creeper: Its not weird, people touch my clothes all the time.
The entire time we were debating the weirdness of the situation the creeper continued to touch my clothing. That is the last time I change my routine and do laundry on a Monday!

The next day Steven took Avery to day care which gave me an hour of absolute alone time. I didn't know what to do with myself! I actually took my time getting ready (before Avery was born it would take me roughly an hour to get ready everyday). When Steven got back we took a trip to Osan AB. Steven had been in a baking mood lately and I had been in a wanting to eat freshly baked cookies mood but we couldn't find buttermilk at our local commissary. Osan's commissary had a powdered version which was as good as it was going to get. Steven tried his hand at red velvet creme cakes but they were a total fail. He redeemed himself with chocolate chip cookies from scratch that were DELICIOUS!!

Random blast from the past - exactly one year ago I was 20 weeks pregnant :)

For those of you who don't know, 90% of military wives are obsessed with creating drama. Now take those drama wives and stick them in a country where jobs for Americans are almost non-existent and they are isolated and bored. Sounds pretty bad, right? Well it gets worse, they all have access to Facebook. Yes, drama mongering bored women on Facebook for 8-12 hours straight creating drama out of thin air. I've had to deal with this for a year and a half. During summer vacation when all the kids are at home bugging their moms the drama gets even more intense because they are annoyed that they actually have to do something productive. This week alone I've been called a bitch 7 times (along with several other names), told I am a horrible mother and want my baby to die because she goes to daycare for a few hours a week, I'm a child trapped in a woman's body and that I don't love my child because I don't cloth diaper her. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. It makes me really appreciate my family and friends back home. I love you guys.

I am grateful to have a few good friends here in Korea too. On Friday night we had dinner with Pagi and Eric. We tried out Chatroulette, watched some funny videos and had a great meal. Pagi is due in a few short weeks (although I'm sure they seem endless to her). We have been planning her baby shower! Its my first time throwing a shower so hopefully it goes well and is memorable for her.

On Saturday night Steven played a night air soft game. He came home a little after midnight covered in what seems to be bites. He counted 34 bites, 28 of those on just one arm!! No one else he was playing with got bit by mosquitoes so we aren't sure what actually got him considering he was wearing bug spray and long sleeves. Ghost bugs?

Sunday was very mellow. Steven was recovering from his late night of air soft while I was recovering from feeling generally rundown. I've been overly exhausted for several days and I'm just not sure how its possible considering Steven has been super dad this week - feeding, bathing, playing, getting up at night, the works. On top of him being home all week to help out, Avery has gone to day care a few hours this week giving me time to relax and her sleeping has greatly improved which means so has mine. I think sleep is poisonous to my system lol. Even with how cruddy I feel today was definitely one of those days where I couldn't get over how lucky I am to have Steven and Avery in my life.

Avery Quinn

Rumors

Let me start off by stating this: no one is dying or seriously ill, Steven and I are not getting divorced, I am not pregnant. For anyone that came to one or more of these ridiculous conclusions please stop reading my blog for a awhile and stop bothering my parents for information. I'm not trying to be rude the barrage of interrogating emails and rumors being spread has used up the last bit of my patience. The only thing you need to know is that my little family is about to go through a big change. We are not ready to share the details of that change until we get more information. We need your support not your questions. That is the end of my little vent.

Our week started off with a 2 hour drive up to Seoul for Avery's appointment at 121. She was born with a little lump on her chest and I felt it was time to get it checked out via ultrasound. The ultrasound tech was amazing! She was very gentle and kind, Avery was fascinated by her. I fed Avery before her appointment so she laid on the table lazily during the procedure and didn't even cry. That night her pediatrician called to say that her ultrasound looked great. She has a cavernous hemangioma (although don't bother using Google Images because hers don't look like any of those) and 50% of them go away by age 5 and 90% go away by age 9.

I think Avery caught a bug at the hospital because the next day she woke up with a stuffy nose, cough, and slight fever. She was not a happy camper! Thankfully after lots of fluids and rest she woke up Wednesday morning acting like herself. She still had the sniffles so I decided not to take her to daycare. We took Steven to work, picked up Pagi and went to bowling. I did much better than expected considering I was lugging around a kid twice the weight of my bowling ball. After bowling I handed over the keys to Steven and he dropped us off at Lunch with the Ladies. I hadn't gone to LWTL in what seemed like forever! Not only was it at one of my favorite restaurants but Avery slept in her stroller until I finished eating. When Steven got home from work he strapped Avery onto his chest and we took a walk.

By Friday Avery was feeling well enough to go to daycare for a few hours. The free time allowed Steven and I to attendant an appointment and go to a company BBQ. The BBQ was pretty dull but it allowed an early start to the weekend.

Apparently Avery wants to be a vegetarian

Avery leaving her mark around Korea

Saturdays are easily my favorite day of the week. Steven usually takes Avery for a bit so I can sleep in and this Saturday was no exception. He heard Avery babbling for "dada" over the baby monitor and got her. I woke up a few hours later to Steven, Avery and Starbucks :) Its the best way to start the weekend.

Hair past her shoulders!

Our normally crappy Sundays turned out well. Steven left bright and early to go play air soft so Avery and I were on lock down. Monsoon season finally decided to make an appearance so the torrential downpour cancelled our morning walk. By the time Steven got home that evening I was suffering from a severe case of cabin fever. Steven suggested we go to dinner and go bowling. Even after weeks of practice in my bowling league I still can't beat my husband. The night ended perfectly with a passionate kiss in the rain.

Avery's first time having mashed potatoes

Steven: 106 Randi: 94

Avery Quinn - 7 months

Little Lyon's Not So Little

On Monday morning discovered a rash on Avery's chest. It was a surprise since her fever had broken and she was back to her normal self. I called the pediatrician since the rash could have been caused by a number of things. We were asked to bring Avery in the next day.

Avery's rash

Once a month a group of moms get together for a breastfeeding support group. This month's meeting was at my friend Niki's house. I took Steven to work then picked up Pagi. The support group was fun and I got to meet some new moms. After the meeting Pagi and I grabbed some lunch for Steven and ate at the hanger with him before Avery's appointment. Avery's gained a bit of weight and gotten taller since her well baby appointment. The pediatrician examined Avery's rash and said she had roseola. He said she was already on her way to recovery. We asked the pediatrician to check out a puffy spot on Avery's chest. Avery was born with a squishy blue lump on her chest that has recently gotten worse. The pediatrician ordered an ultrasound for her chest. He didn't seem too concerned but would rather be safe than sorry.

I missed another week of bowling :/ Steven had an appointment at Dankook. We were there for a few hours because his appointment was scheduled for 11:50 and everyone went to lunch at noon. After meeting with the doctor Steven had to get an x-ray and have blood drawn. We got some interesting news this morning but we're ready to share it with the world yet (enjoy the anticipation).

Patient board at Dankook

We passed a tire factory that was on fire

Steven and I toured the CDC (child development center) during parent orientation. The place looked pretty nice. Steven signed Avery up to go for a few hours on Friday and a few more hours next week. 

Avery's first day at daycare! Steven had the day off which worked out well for us. He took Avery into her classroom while I peeked through the window. When it was time to leave Avery held her arms out for Steven :'(

First day of daycare

When we left we didn't really know what to do with our baby-free selves especially for four hours. We took a leisurely walk through the ville looking for a place to eat. It was still pretty early so nothing was open. We decided to eat at the AMC on base. We watched the Olympics and both got to eat hot meals at the same time. We even got to go grocery shopping, power cleaned the house, and went to the PX.  Steven and I drove home in silence enjoying the peace and quiet. As nice as it was we were excited to go pick up Avery. We went into her classroom and called her name but she didn't even look up at us, she was too busy playing with another baby. When she finally noticed us she gave Steven the biggest hug and kiss. The teacher said Avery refused to eat or nap but did much better than most babies on their first day. Avery was too tired to even eat and passed out the moment she touched her crib. The first day went so well that Steven signed her up for two more days next week.

We've been purging the house of anything we no longer have a need for. On Saturday we sold a few items and racked in $150. With cash in hand we decided to get Avery some new shoes. All babies over 6 months have to wear shoes at daycare and she doesn't fit into any we have now. We decided to go to Osan's BX to shop but as we left the house Steven brought down his pistol, mask and pants. He said he was going to shoot me and we drove to an enclosed parking area. I put on the pants and mask and started firing at me. I could tell I was being hit but couldn't feel anything until I got shot above the hip. I was wearing a very thin shirt so I ended up getting a welt, it hurt. After that Steven let me fire at him for a bit :) Some would call shoot at your partner dysfunctional but we call it bonding.

We ended the week by taking a big step. Avery now sleeps in her own room! After months of waking Avery every time we enter our bedroom we finally decided it was time to make the transition. Steven and I put up make-shift curtains, set up her foam mat, moved the crib in and set up a nursing station. Her room is pretty sweet and our bedroom is HUGE without her crib. My baby girl is growing up.

Avery Quinn - 8 months

Korean Cultural Tour

For a few days Steven had been complaining about his missing shorts. He went to laundry mat on his way home from work to make sure he didn't leave the shorts in the dryer. He realized that there was an entire washer full of our clothes that he had forgotten to put in the dryer. They had been sitting there since Saturday (thankfully no one stole them) so he rewashed them. Avery and I put them in the dryer and spent the hour on base so that Steven could have some peace and quiet. 

Helping mom do laundry 

The next day Steven and I had an appointment to register Avery for the CDC (child development center). It was fairly quick but the lady wasn't able to answer many of our questions :/ She set up a Parent Orientation appointment for us next week to take a tour and such.

Steven and I had been signed up for a morale trip for some time yet we knew nothing about it. Steven tried to get some information about the trip but was unsuccessful. The night before the trip Steven was told what time to show up on base but that was it :/ I packed our bags while Steven and Avery took a bath. A friend was kind enough to let me borrow her pack n play for Avery since we don't have one.

We met on base early Wednesday morning and were told we couldn't drive our own vehicle. That sucked considering we had our bag, Avery's diaper bag, Steven's back pack, the pack n play, Avery's car seat and stroller, the boppy and Avery's bumbo. We loaded everything onto the bus.

Making friends on the bus

Our first stop was Gyeongbok Palace & National Folk Museum of Korea. Five minutes into the trip our camera battery died so we don't have many photos of the first half of the day. The museum was cool, Avery and I were more popular than most the exhibits though. We had several Koreans take photos of us and with us.

A swarm of Koreans around Avery and I

The Palace was completely outside (obviously) and it was really freaking hot!!! The sun was very strong, Avery and I were miserable. Lunch was at an underground buffet, it was pretty good, the air conditioning was amazing. After lunch our group was dropped off at Insa-dong which is a shopping street. We only had enough time to walk to the end of the street before the bus picked us up because we were behind schedule. We immediately headed to N. Seoul Tower. Steven and I stayed on the bus so that Avery wasn't out in the heat. We had already gone there for our anniversary so we weren't missing anything. 

We went to a cinema to see Jump which was a non-verbal martial arts comic show. Another baby in our group started fussing so the mom and baby got kicked out of the theater. A theater worker then came and kicked out Avery and I :/ Avery was silent but we were guilty by association I guess. Thankfully there was a Korean Starbucks on the 1st floor. Steven left the show to hang out with us. He tried to order me a drink but the Korean employee couldn't understand us, a local who spoke Korean and English was able to translate for us. Once the performance was over our group headed out to dinner. After dinner we were finally able to check into the hotel. It was a relaxation hotel which meant there was no tv, no radio and was completely isolated. Our room had 3 twin beds which was lucky because we couldn't get the pack n play to lock. I made Avery a baby nest out of blankets to sleep in and we pushed the beds together. None of us slept very well that night. The room was too unfamiliar for Avery, the concrete slabs known as Korean beds were killing Steven's back and I was camped out in the bathroom completely sick to my stomach from the severe motion sickness the bus caused.

The next morning our chunky alarm clock woke us up bright and early. I was still feeling queasy and couldn't bring myself to eat breakfast (other than toast). Our group quickly ate, checked out and climbed back onto the bus. Our first stop of the day was Suwon Hwaseong Fortress. Steven and another father got the strollers from the undercarriage of the bus. One of the wheels had popped off our stroller so Steven crouched down to put it back on. The bus driver was in a rush apparently because he started driving away while the undercarriage doors were still open. The door almost took me out but Steven managed to pull me back in time to not be hit. I was one angry momma because Steven and Avery were both very close to the bus as well. Thankfully the day went smoothly after that.

At the fortress we got to try archery. Steven landed 4/10 arrows, I only managed to hit the target once but since it was my first time trying archery I call that a success :) The rest of the day Steven, Avery and I stayed on the bus. Avery was very tired from all the adventure so we took naps. We got back to base around 7pm that night. I was so glad to be home and sleep in my own bed!

Steven and I were looking forward to lazing around the house on Friday but unfortunately Avery's two bottom teeth decided to torture her. I could see two white bumps under her gums. My poor baby didn't sleep from 3am-7am which means neither did I. We were hoping that her gums would feel better the next day but that wasn't the case. Saturday Avery spiked a fever and was a little terror, our day consisted of Tylenol and frozen wash cloths.

On Sunday Steven went to an air soft game. Avery was a grump because of her teeth and I was a grump because I was trapped in the house (Steven took the truck). Some days I wish Avery was older so that I could go do fun things too but I can't bear to leave her for an entire day yet. I'm hoping that starting Avery in day care will allow the two of us to gain some independence. I can barely leave her to see a movie so its going to be a slow process. Its good that Steven still gets to go out though. Air soft helps him relieve stress. Steven also gets to sleep all night (Avery goes ballistic if he tries to touch her when she's sleepy) which keeps him rested. As a new mother I'm stressed enough and beyond exhausted so if Steven was as stressed and tired as I am we would probably kill each other LOL. When Steven got home that evening he took Avery and I out for dinner, we ate with Alex and Allison :)

Avery Quinn - 29 weeks

Date Night

Wednesday was pretty mellow. It was Pagi's week to drive so she picked up Avery and I for bowling. Afterwards we were dumb/hungry enough to go to the food court during lunch. It was packed full of soldiers and a thousand degrees. We grabbed some food and ate it in Starbucks where it was cooler. We went to the hanger when we were done eating so that I could get the truck from Steven. Pagi and I hung out there for a little bit waiting for one of Steven's co-workers to get back from lunch, he had our GPS. Once I had the GPS back in the truck Avery and I went to AK Plaza to buy tickets for Dark Knight Rises. Avery began freaking out at the ticket counter so I rushed to get the tickets and get out of there. When I got home I realized that the woman had given me tickets for Thursday night instead of Friday night like I had asked for. When Steven got off work I swung by and picked him up so that we could go exchange the tickets. He bought me ice cream :)

The next day was just awful from the start. Steven left for work and called about 20 minutes later to inform me that he had been given last minute CQ to cover for someone. CQ for the second time in 5 days, I was not a happy camper. Steven always leaves me the truck when he has CQ but because this was sprung on him he had driven in that morning. I tried to find a ride on base and failed miserably. I did not want to take a taxi with Avery, her car seat, her stroller, her diaper bag, and Steven's backpack full of stuff he needed for CQ. I left my wallet in the truck so I didn't even have money to pay for a taxi anyways. 

A few hours later Pagi called to say she could give me a ride. We met Steven at the PX, I took him back to the barracks then picked up Pagi from the hanger. We went to the CDC (child development center) to pick up a registration packet for child care. Steven and I think it would be a good idea for Avery to go there 1-2 partial days a week. To register Avery I needed a copy of her immunizations and a physical (luckily she doesn't need to get one because she just had her 6 month check-up). Pagi was trying to get a certificate of pregnancy so that she can park in the expectant mother parking spots on base and I was trying to get a doctor to sign off on Avery's latest physical, we were there for almost 45 minutes and neither task was accomplished. I was exhausted and Pagi had homework so I dropped her off and went home. Avery went to bed easily but I stayed up because our upstairs neighbors were killing each other. 

The next morning Avery and I went on base to pick up Steven. He is supposed to be relieved at 7am but no one showed up to do it. We didn't get home until 8:15 :( Steven took a nap while Avery decided to make it impossible to get ready. She loves to pull hair and try to take my glasses haha. Pagi and Eric were kind enough to baby sit Avery that night while we saw Dark Knight Rises with Alex and Allison. The movie was 3 hours long so I was missing my little girl! Avery was not happy that we left her and as punishment got up a TON that night.

Hanging out with Pagi

Saturday was great. Steven and I walked around Osan's ville and tried a new Chinese place (well new to us). We went shopping at their commissary afterwards and got so much free food it was ridiculous. Avery gets 104 jars of baby food and 3 boxes of rice cereal a month from WIC and because I'm nursing I still get a ton of food too :) WIC saves us roughly $160/month in groceries. I'm going to be so sad when I don't get it anymore. We stopped by Widener's and Kendig's briefly, and did laundry on base before calling it quits.

Watching Mom clean

Sunday can be summed up into one word: LAZY. Steven was supposed to have an airsoft game that day but it was canceled due to rain. We decided to make it an all out lazy day and did as little as possible. It was wonderful!! Avery decided to add a new word to her vocabulary: dada :)

Avery Quinn - 28 weeks