Bad day

Dear Aidan,

It's really hard for me to write this right now because I am beyond upset. I'm upset because you are so sick and I can't do what a mother should do and take care of you. The daycare called me around noon to tell me that you had a fever of 101 and that I needed to pick you up ASAP. When I told the daycare teacher that the earliest I could get there would be in an hour she was like, "You better hurry, he's really sick." Unfortunately I couldn't leave work because I am currently in production. I had to call daddy and tell him that he had to go pick you up. This is the 3rd time that daddy has picked you up. I'm so thankful that daddy could do this, but I'm also upset that I can't do it. I was so depressed that I almost cried at work. It was hard. Knowing that you were sick, but I couldn't do anything about it... Sigh.

Then when daddy picked you up he found out that you had a scratch on your face- again. He sent me this photo by text.

When I look at this photo I'm just so angry. Who would do this to you??? Especially when you are sick!

I took a screen capture of what daddy and I were texting when he sent me this photo:

Apparently you got in a fight with another kid in class and you tried to bite him. It's hard to believe because you are so not like that. I'm not trying to be like the blind mother that refuses to see their son the way that they are, but I've never seen you to be aggressive to anyone. Not even Rosco!

Tonight I had dinner plans with my high school friends, but I had to cancel because I wanted to rush home to see you. However, work was insane and I ended up leaving work at 8pm. By the time I got home you were already sleeping. I'm just so frustrated.

I'm sorry that I said yesterday how I was looking forward to Monday. I didn't mean it...

Daddy took tomorrow off (again) to take care of you. Hopefully you will break your fever.

Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it off...

Dear Aidan,

It's so exhausting taking care of you when you are sick. This weekend has been exhausting even though we didn't go out much. You were so tired and sick that you were being crabby. Daddy and I couldn't even put you down for one second because you would start crying and start being all needy. Today, even though you woke up at 8am and took a 3 hours nap at 12pm, you were exhausted by 5pm. I didn't want to put you to sleep that early because you would be waking up at 4am so I tried playing with you until at least 7pm. Let's just say I can't wait for Monday. I didn't think I would ever be saying that...

On a happier note, we taught you how to point to your nose when we say, "Where's your nose?" Daddy and I are a little worried about you because your doctor said that you should be saying more words than what you currently know ("daddy"). We are trying to teach you more words each day.

Ikea dinner

Dear Aidan,

One thing now that daddy and I love to do after we had you is to eat at family-friendly places and for cheap. One place that we love is Ikea. I know when you think of Ikea the first thing that comes to mind is cheap furniture, but we love to go there to eat. It's cheap and it's so child-friendly. I can't believe I didn't notice it before I had you. They have free baby foods in the cafeteria and they have a good selection in the kid menu. Plus, the dining area has lots of high chairs (with tray) and the food is cheap, cheap, cheap. Daddy bought dinner for all of us for $18! I can spend $18 just on myself in some restaurants.

Daddy ordered macaroni and cheese for you, but you weren't really feeling it today. I think it was too mushy or something. I had to give you milk. Look how happy you are!

You know why you're laughing here? Mommy was telling daddy a story about a little boy in mommy's bus that got the bus doors shut on him so he was stuck inside while his siblings were outside of the bus. The boy was yelling, 'no no no!' and mommy was reenacting that and I guess the repetitive, 'no no no!' that mommy was saying was making you giggle.

Got Milk?

Mommy was making you laugh by shoving stuffed animals in front of you. BTW, you love riding in shopping carts. That's your thing.

Time to go home!

Boys day out

Dear Aidan,

Thank goodness you're ok. You broke your fever last night. Daddy kept checking up on you throughout the night so that mommy could sleep. He had a day off today, you see. Apparently you guys had a boys day out. Daddy sent me photos of what you guys were up to throughout the day.

You at Sunset Grill for brunch with daddy.

Grocery shopping at Metro.

You love riding the shopping carts.

Oh no, daddy is buying 2 bags of chip! What's he up to??

Time to go home.

Fever

Dear Aidan,

You have a fever of 38.1 degrees right now. The thermometer had a sad symbol when I took your temperature. I'm worried sick. You were so lethargic too. I think daddy has to take another day off tomorrow to take care of you. I'm sorry I can't be there more for you! I think you realize that because you are now calling out for daddy more than me. It breaks my heart to see that, but then I'm glad you and daddy are bonding in a special way. Even when mommy was trying to hold you you were crying out for daddy and pointing to the direction daddy went.

Daddy took you to the doctors today to get your 16th month check-up. The doctor said that your skin was pretty bad so she upped the dosage for your hydra cortisone cream. Sigh. Then she mentioned how you should be saying more words at this age. She gave us a chart of what you should be doing now:

- Follow simple one-step directions (Sit down)? Yes

- Look across the room to a toy when adult points at it? Yes

- Consistently use three to five words? No. Right now, you consistently say 'daddy'.

- Use gestures to communicate (waves hi/bye, shakes head for no)? Yes

- Get your attention using sounds, gestures and pointing while looking at your eyes? Yes. You get our attention by being more physical than verbal. You slap us or wave at us.

- Bring you toys to show you? Yes

- Perform for social attention and praise? Yes. You dance when music is on now.

- Combine lots of sounds together as though talking (abada baduh abee)? Yes. Actually you do this a lot.

- Show an interest in simple picture books? Yes. You love books. Every time I grab a book you immediately sit down on my lap to be read to.

It's actually what you should be doing by 12 months so you're a little behind. I'm not sure what we can do more, but I'm going to read you consistently every night and talk a lot to you.

Anyways, I hope you break your fever and wake up a little refreshed.

Nathan's Baek Il

Dear Aidan,

Today was our friends, Jenn and Ed's son, Nathan's baek il (100 day). Koreans treat the baek il more importantly than the 1 year birthday in Korea because I think back in the day a lot of babies didn't survive past their 100th day. We (mommy and daddy) didn't celebrate baek il with you, but it's because we wanted to make your 1 year birthday party BIG. I guess we are more western style. However, Jenn was telling me that both sides of her parents wanted to have the baek il so she decided to have it. She invited close friends and family so that it was more of an intimate gathering instead of a big hoopla.

Mommy was tired because she had to work in the morning because of a last minute photo shoot that came up, but luckily it ended early so I was able to make it to Nathan's party.

You and daddy. This weekend you had quite the bonding time with daddy because mommy was so busy. Even tomorrow, daddy is taking a day off to take you to the doctors.

The treats and loot bag table.

The cake was amazing.

A close-up shot of the cake. Too bad I didn't try it!

Ed, Jenn, Nathan, mommy, you, and daddy.

The kids table.

They had this really cool wall where you could take photos with your personalized messages on a chalkboard sign. Our message to the Lee family was 'Kim-Chi Slice'. It's an inside joke. I hope they get it.

You lounging in the kids chair. I think you thought you were sitting in a car seat because you didn't move. I think you thought you were strapped in.

Look how cute you are sitting on a kids table.

You thoroughly enjoyed scribbling on the paper table cloth with crayons and playing with Play-Doh.

You and your table mate. I forgot what his name was. It started with 'S'...

Look how much fun you are having.

Your loot bag!

Aidan: Open your gift!

This kid Joshua was so cute. I was trying to figure out a setting on my camera to shoot things in motion so I used Joshua to run back-and-forth in the party room as a test subject. He thought he was playing a game of catching the ball, but I was just using him! Haha.

Third eye

Dear Aidan,

Yesterday was an utter nightmare. I guess you could tell from my rant in my last post. Daddy thinks you are traumatized by my method of trying to put you to sleep that's why you can't sleep anymore. I don't think that's true because you slept fine today. I don't know what's up with you. I really hope that you will learn how to sleep on your own. You are not getting any lighter, that's for sure.

So I came home from work to find out that you had a big bump on your forehead between your eyes. I'm not sure what had happened- if a kid hit you on the head or you ran into something. The daycare won't tell us anything because they don't want us to get upset at anyone if it indeed was another kid. They daycare said you didn't cry (I'm not sure if I believe them) when you got the bump. You cried when they put an ice pack on your forehead. I guess the coldness shocked you.

I think you can see the bump the best in the 3rd photo. It's much more apparent in person. Oh boy. You're not crying because it hurts in these photos, although it sure seems like it. You were upset that mommy put you in your crib to take photos of your forehead. I think you got flashbacks of what happened yesterday.

I'm not going to lie, it's a struggle taking care of you now. You get so restless easily and you want to touch everything. Daddy and I have to keep a watchful eye on you at all times. Plus, you are getting louder and louder each passing day. When we don't pay attention to you you start calling out, 'Daddy, daddy, daddy!' I'm upset about that too. You won't say mommy or 'um-ma' to me. That just goes to show you that daddy is around you more. Sigh.

I'm about to f-ing lose it!

Dear Aidan,

I'm so fed up with you. It's been so stressful trying to put you down for a nap and now you're having a hard time going to bed. I don't know you can't just sleep?? If you're tired, then sleep! Daddy and I tried many times to put you down for a nap the past few days and it took well over 45 minutes. Even so, you still didn't sleep. I was so fed up that I just put you in your crib, locked your room door and let you cry to sleep. Daddy didn't think that was the best method, but I don't care. Even now, I tried putting you to bed because you were exhausted. As soon as I left your room you started having a crying fit. I tried twice to soothe you, but again you were not having it. I was so frustrated that I just sat on the ground and almost broke down in tears. Daddy came and is now trying to put you to bed, but I don't think it's going to work.

Mighty machines

Dear Aidan,

You are in love with your toy car that your Toronto grandparents gave you. You cruise around it (with daddy pushing you from behind) and you honk the horns while doing it. I noticed that most of the toys you have (and like) are cars, blocks, and balls.

BTW, below is a jpg of the gift guide spread that's in mommy's current issue of her magazine. If you look closely you can see that you made a debut appearance in the issue!

Allergic reaction

Dear Aidan,

I think you have an allergy to eggs. Last time you broke out into hives when we had a dinner party with friends we weren't sure what you were allergic to. We suspected it was eggs because I had given you a bit of carbonara pasta that I had made. This time around I gave you scrambled eggs and the skin around your mouth turned all blotchy. Great. I don't know what this means, but I'm going to make sure I ask your doctor when we go in for your checkup on the 22nd.

Tonight I'm dropping you off in your Toronto grandparents' house because mommy has to go to a dinner party tonight. Daddy has to go to hockey so it was best if we left you with your grandparents. However, daddy is so scared to leave you there because they have this staircase leading to the basement that is pretty steep. Their house is all hardwood floors and now that you walk pretty fast it's an accident waiting to happen. I'm sure nothing will happen, but that's something that worries me too...

* Update: After your afternoon nap the hives went down quite a bit. I mean, you still had a big red mark by your lip, but it wasn't as bad as when you first broke out.

Well, hello there!

Still groggy from waking up.

This is a game you and I play before you take a bath. Every time I put your shirt over your head like a muslim headpiece you start giggling. You look darn cute too.

Aidan: Take this shirt off of me mommy!