Three Weeks Home!

It is hard to believe that we have had our little man home for three weeks now! I can't help but smile when I look at him! We are doing well overall, and starting to get into a daytime routine (sort of). The poor little guy is still struggling at night and sometimes is up every 20-30 min or so (when we can get him back to sleep)! We have dubbed him the "King of the power nap", as he seems to function very well throughout the day with very little sleep! I feel a bit like a zombie some days, but I know it will get better with time. (right?) He is exploring the house a little more and has discovered the pots and pans! Somehow he has already broken the child proof tab locking the cupboard and is a regular visitor....I think he is a natural born percussionist!

Christopher had his first birthday last week and his first check-up with the pediatrician. Unfortunately for him, they were the same day! His actual first birthday was a bit of a bust with the booster shots, and by the time we got his first cupcake in front of him, he fell asleep with only a little frosting on his lips...I don't think he actually tasted it! We made up for it with a nice little party on Saturday with both sets of Grandparents, and including Great Grandma and Aunt Julie! He had a blast, and certainly loved being the center of attention! He must have given 100 "high fives" and had them all in stitches with his giggles most of the day! He received many wonderful gifts of toys, books and additions to the college savings account he got from mom and dad! He is certainly a loved little boy! His new favorites include all his books (I think I'm going to have a good reader on my hands) a shopping cart to walk behind, a singing mailbox, a cell phone and a dancing monkey! Round two with the birthday cake was a little more fun, but I think he was more interested in squishing the frosting in his fingers than he was in eating it! He was however successful in getting frosting in his hair and ears and on his eyelids!

For those of you not familiar with Korean customs, the first birthday (Tol) is a big celebration in Korea! Those who attend the celebration bring prayers and wishes of good luck, longevity, and prosperity for the baby's future, traditional clothing called a Han-bok is worn, there is an offering table, and a doljabi ceremony to predict the child's future based on which things they choose from the table. It was actually pretty interesting to watch as Christopher seemed to contemplate what to pick up, as if he knew this was an important decision! His little hand hovered over the Korean flag, the thread, and the money, before he finally picked up the stethoscope, resulting in cheers from the grandparents! His second choice was a toothbrush! Maybe we will have a little oral surgeon on our hands! :o)

We are planning to take him for his first haircut this weekend, so hopefully I will have some pics to show soon. Dad is a little embarassed that he appears to be sporting a baby mullett!

In farm news, we were involved last week in the rescue of 14 unwanted young and baby male alpacas from a local breeding farm. The owner decided that they were of no value to his million dollar breeding industry, and told the farm hand if they were not off the property by the next day he was going to smash them in the head!! This may seem like an empty threat, but since it has actually been done before, we knew he meant business! If you have ever seen a baby alpaca you would know they look a little like a baby teddy bear and so sweet...the idea of someone intentionally hurting them makes me want to vomit! (This is why I am loosing faith in humanity!) Luckily some good friends of ours who run the local 4-H club got wind and initiated a mass rescue of the 14 males! Phil and Matt spent Saturday morning bringing them home to our farms. We were a little freaked out that we would end up with them stuck here permanently since we are running a little short on space and there is no way to put up new fencing in the frozen ground, but thanks to amazing efforts, they all found home in just 3 days!!! Thanks Matt and Lisa for the awesome job!!

That is all for now, below are just a few more photos of everyday cuteness that goes on here!