100 days ... come & gone

if i weren't a '2nd child syndrome', this post would have occurred on oct 6, 2011 ... my 100th day with my family.  the good news is they *did* remember on the actual day, i did wear red & we did celebrate.  "hurray for all of us being alive!" :)

of course there were a lot of 'firsts', fun & mischief leading up to my 100th day ...

my 'firsts' in sept included experiencing beautiful, tall, large redwoods from both a day trip to muir woods and my first overnight family camping trip with friends!  i actually got to go inside an old, hollowed out, one while camping!  it was a lot of fun!

overall, i did really well on my first camping trip, napping, sleeping, eating & playing too! i even managed to rip my first pair of jeans! ... thankfully there was no injury beneath!

i also started my first class - swimming! i can't say i'm a "fish", but at least i didn't yell murder for weeks on end like my big bro, when he first started ... not that i'm comparing or anything :)

my first professional photo shoot turned out to be nothing short of a nightmare!  not only did entering the studio freak me out, i was hungry & sleepy because they were so behind schedule! the result?  no pictures, AND the need for another sitting!  the 2nd sitting resulted in my first bout of stranger anxiety.  usually i just walk up to strangers, stare & smile, but all i could do was cry and run to daddy! we negotiated an 'open' studio, and that made me feel better -- so i could make my escape if needed! i eventually warmed up to the photographer, and some results are below.  cute, huh?  the hanbok was a gift from my foster mother.

september was additionally a big month for family 'first encounters'! my uncle N made time for me during a short west coast visit, and i really took to him! i got to have a morning play date with grandpa & nanny, who showered me with trucks -- how did they know i would love that?!? at the end of the month, my ahma & dada (mommy's parents) visited for 1.5 weeks, whereby more gifts, treats & other goodies were obtained :) oh, and of course the additional attention that comes with more adults around. and while on the topic of family, i have also taken more to tobe's affection (not aggression). here we are sliding down a slide together for the first time!

my "fun" continues to come from cars, trucks, water-play (not to be mistaken by swimming), and stealing anything that is my big bro's :)

on my 88th day with my family, a welcome home party was thrown at my home. we celebrated amongst family & friends, ate food, played games, bounced in a huge bouncer, and i personally snuck in some sugar too! :) the 'theme', if one can call it that, was "hands & feet", since i LOVE touching things with my hands, and find it the best, most efficient method of feeding myself. i love using my feet to run around wild & free, as well as for my 'stomping' tantrums!

it's hard to believe 100 days have come & gone.  i've been with my family less than 25% of the time i was with my foster family in korea, yet all external actions & feelings reflect this family as my 'home'.  my affection for my family is definitely deeper than my first week or even month here, and i think i can say the same of them. 

for better or worse, i'm here to stay.

more pics from september ...

2011-9/10 Wk10-15 Fun