Ketchup With Us #24 - Meeting My Son For The First Time

For the 24th installment of Ketchup With Us, Mel and Michele posed the following: In 57 words or less, tell us about a significant first day in your life … of school, work, parenthood, rehab, veganism, prison, whatever you want.  I have chosen to write about a very significant day in my life - the day (almost 2 years ago to the day) when I first met - and held - my son.  You can read more about the day in full detail here.  

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The day I had been waiting for had finally arrived.

I was a bundle of nerves and tried to stay calm.

About to meet my son-to-be for the first time, I wondered:

Would he cry? Would we bond?

I held him in my arms, he looked at me and smiled

…and I knew we were meant to be.

A Post Just Because ... (He Makes My Heart Smile)

There is really no other way to describe it ... this boy's joy is contagious.  He is a bright, loving, smart little goofball who (almost) always keeps us laughing.

The other night, he pulled out a book titled, Gallop! He loves to flip through the book, look at the pictures and shout out (he isn't known for being quiet) the images.  This time, he climbed up on Papa and looked at the back cover of the book.  They spent the next half hour repeating the letters in the word "gallop" (as well as the number "5" which appears in the bar code.) With each letter Joe would say and Brian would repeat, they would burst out in gales of laughter.  Soon, we were all laughing ... and the end result is Joe-Joe knows how to spell the word "gallop."  Not bad for a kid about to be 3. :)

In other news, Joe-Joe attended his first Buddy Walk with me this past weekend.  He had a great time walking in the "parade", smiling and waving his pom-pom and paused for a moment by the big "football" as we walked around the warning track at Progressive Field.  All things considered, he did very well since there was a lot going on around him. I can't wait to go on more adventures with him as he gets older!

Thanks for stopping by and being part of his journey...I hope you are able to experience a little bit of his joy as I share bits and pieces of his story.

Milestones

Not long ago, we were struck with the realization that Joe Sung Min is almost three years old. THREE.  Two and a half is long gone... two and three-quarters (who really says that anyway) is a thing of the past.  In less than two weeks, we will (hopefully) be out of the terrible twos and into the terrific threes.

At first it seemed hard to believe that little man was going to be three ... but then the more we thought about it, the more we realized he has really made some big strides in recent weeks.  While they may not seem like much to some, they are pretty significant for him:

• Making a seamless transition from the high chair to the booster seat (He loves being right up to the table next to his nuna)
• Switching from a sippy cup to a big boy cup (with relatively few accidents ... so far)
• Moving out of the screeching faze. *Phew*
• Singing entire songs (usually Zip-a-dee Doo-Dah or Jingle Bells) at once - stringing so many words together is an amazing feat for him
• Knowing all the letters of alphabet and their sounds (in addition to shapes, colors and numbers)
• Learning how to ride (not just push) a scooter
• Staying dry two nights AND two days in a row (and having a few days of using just ONE pull-up and pair of underwear.)

We still have a ways to go on potty training and his speech (he talks non-stop - and quite clearly - but doesn't usually say a sentence of more than three words.  He is a remarkable little guy - happy, silly, sweet, inquisitive, headstrong and affectionate.

We're so proud of how far he has come in the past two years (and months!) and look forward to what lies ahead.  One thing is for certain - he is going to keep us smiling (and on our toes.)

See for yourself:

Having fun pushing the scooter

 A successful ride!

Little goofball saying, "Cheese, Smile!"

I call this his "Tarzan" look

Peek-a-boo (still chillin' in the crib)

Just a little snacking/singing on the potty...

We're still working on stair climbing. :)