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August stayed awake for a long time this morning, finally falling asleep to music around 1. He woke up around 2:30, although it took him a long time to really wake up. 

So we left the house a bit after 3 and had a nice adventure in the warmer weather. We walked to Toys R Us where we bought him a drum from the clearance rack and five books (4 Eric Carle books and a book about cats) as they were cheap. 

We then went across the street to the park (where we ate our Quiznos sandwiches when my parents were here) and played on a slide for awhile. 

From there we walked to Eunhang Junction and went to Subway where Carly got a sandwich and August had a snack (including part of her sandwich). 

Next, we walked to the park that my dad and I found with August. I hadn’t paid attention to the playground at the time as August wasn’t using them at the time. It turned out to be perhaps the best one in the area: 4 slides, swings, a nice surface, a pleasant location, and no crowd. I am sure we will be going back.

We went on the swings and did some more sliding before heading home. August really likes when I count off our swinging, particularly drawing out the first sound of the numbers (ssssseven, for example). 

At home we opened one of his new books and played with the drum. August had difficulty again getting to sleep even though he was really tired. Spent four songs quietly clinging to my shoulder before he was then able to fall asleep with Carly. 

Morning: 

Out on the town: 

His new poster from class: 

Big Pororo: 

August on the slide, Carly on the swing in the background: 

Laughing as I flop on the bed: 

Lot of skyping happened this morning, to PA (Cherie, Cassie, and family), Chelan (my parents), and Seattle (Glecy). 

We made a big shopping trip to Home Plus after his first nap. 

Then I left at 2 to go see Birdman with our friend Meg. I can understand why it won best picture, but still haven’t seen Grand Budapest Hotel or Boyhood for comparison. 

While I was gone Carly and August took a walk by the stream. August fell asleep and Carly got a coffee cafe in the women’s center and sat by the stream. They played at the playground by the stream for awhile before coming home. 

August had a ton of energy this evening. He spent a lot of time today playing with the vacuum cleaner in the hallway, pushing it around and playing with the hose. The iron (cool and not plugged in) is another favorite toy, as are our shoes. 

He also had fun eating today. Carly fed him his first brussel sprouts and grapes today, as well as yellow pepper, which he hasn’t had in quite awhile. I brought burritos home from my outing, and he ate onion and mushrooms and black olives from that. He was quite insistent about wanting more. 

One of the books we bought when last in Itaewon is called Wild About Books and is about a librarian who takes her bookmobile to the zoo and all the animals learn to read. Anyway, August can now identify at least ten different kinds of animals and people in the book – seven in one picture. 

He had trouble getting to sleep. We think his teeth may have been bothering him. So I had to dance him to sleep to Hozier again, although Carly had to finish the job in bed as he started to fuss again. He’s been asleep for close to two hours, so so far so good. 

Looking like spring without the cover and with a lighter hat: 

His hallway toys: 

We did a lot of playing at home this morning as he woke up at 5:40 and didn’t nap until later. After his nap we walked to APIS in the warm sun. 

It was the Culture Fair. We found Carly and went up to the gym. Carly got to see August at his most shy as he leaned his head on her shoulder. He eventually relaxed and was totally as ease the rest of the time we were there. He really liked watching the music students play the xylophones and he got a balloon from the Polish Embassy. On our way out of the building he was excited by the art outside the art room. Students had made cartoon characters such as Larvae.

We went across the street to play in a park until Carly was done working. We went on the swings at that park but then found out the slide was broken. So we walked all the way to the next park (about 60 yards) and played there the rest of the time. There were two slides right next to each other – one smooth and one wavy. I let August go down the wavy one a few times and he did quite well, but then he once hit a bump and tumbled forward and I had to catch him. After that I started taking him down on my lap. Then I realized I could be on one slide and he could be on the other and I could hold him as we went down. 

But the real highlight was the group of middle school girls that entertained him. First by playing tag around us as we went on the slides. Then, after three left, the other four entertained August by showing him pictures on their phones of Pororo, Tayo, cats, etc. and helping catch him on the slide. 

Carly showed up and we walked home. But first we stopped at the pediatrician so August could start getting his 12 month vaccinations. He did okay at first – until they weighed him, that is, and it was downhill from there. The worst part of his day. For the record, he is 2′ 5″ and 21.4lbs. Smack dab in the middle of the growth chart on each. 

He was so distraught from the doctor visit that he fell asleep. But it was only 5:30. So I put on the video from his new class and he was able to wake up and stayed awake until around 9. 

 

Morning: 

At my feet, looking at the photos: 

Culture Fair: 

At the park: 

With the doctor: 

At home: 

banana

dada

mama

baabaa 

moo

gramma

quack

squishy

Pororo

river

tea

cheese

dododo (Cheerios) 

ball

We took our usual Thursday trip to the children’s museum and the still-closed zoo. 

Morning went fine except we are rewriting out game plan on baths as August continues to despise them. After his bath he cried and clung to me for close to a half hour before he fell asleep for a nap. 

And he also tried kiwi fruit for the first time. I think it was too sour for him, but he at least tried two bites. Will have to make sure the next one is sweeter. 

Mid 40s today but generally sunny and not too windy. So we spent a good amount of time outside. 

But upon first getting down there we went to the children’s museum. August was very independent (he also spent a lot of time playing by himself yesterday; it is as if when he had his birthday he decided he needed to be more independent) as well as social. He had pretty substantial interactions with two other kids. 

The first was a boy who was playing next to August on a couple occasions. August at one pint offered him a ball. And a couple times the boy tried to take something from August and August thought it was a game and laughed. 

The second was a girl who he spotted sticking her head through a hole in the apple maze. They spent 2 or 3 minutes looking at each other, making noises, and even touching each other’s hands. 

There was also another girl who August crawled right up to and tried to wave at and talk to. But she was younger and started crying. 

After playing for a good amount of time we went up and ate our lunch. We then went for our usual walk: to the conservatory, around the closed zoo, and to the seals. Instead of coming back the same way though we kept walking and went to the big playground in the center of the park. Almost completely empty. 

We went on the swings, then played with these outdoor percussion instruments, then went in different swings, then finished up on the slide. August loved each of them and was upset each time we moved along. He particularly liked the drum, which he got the idea of pretty well, and the slide, which he can do entirely on his own, sitting up. I still ran to the bottom to keep him from going of the end, but probably don’t need to. 

It was also nice when we were at the big xylophone and August started saying ‘baa baa’ so I would play “Baa baa black sheep” since I play it on the xylophone at home. 

Got back home a few minutes before 5, soon before Carly got home. 

In the evening we opened the gifts from my parents (probably will be posted tomorrow) and Carly made sweet potato for August. 

Note: All videos today, as the crappy Squarespace app makes photos very time consuming. So the blog might be more video-heavy until they update the app or I figure out a workaround. 

Morning: 

Children’s museum: 

He likes to fill things. This box was empty until he started putting stuff in it: 

Didn’t actually get their most interactive moments on video: 

Playground: 

 

This morning was all about people: we Skyped with Vivian and Cassie for a few minutes, Skyped with my parents for a few more, a woman came around to spray something down our drains (it is a building thing they do a couple times a year), and Atsuko dropped by to deliver a present to August. 

After his nap and lunch and Atsuko, we headed out for a walk. Kind of grey and windy at times, but really quite comfortable. So we walked south along the river, enjoying watching the wind on the river and playing at the exercise equipment along the way. 

At Gongneung there was a stairway back up and over the roadway and we walked along streets to the playground that is built to look like a tree. There was literally no one else there and we spent quite awhile on the swings. 

We then walked back up here to the pink building and hung out at the kid play area in the movie theater. The part with the big stuffed animals was closed so we played in the other part and read some books. Again, it was pretty much empty. I don’t really know where everyone was today. 

We then did a little grocery shopping and headed home. 

I went to PT and after I got back August got sleepy quite quickly. So we didn’t have time to open the presents that arrived from my parents. That will have to wait until tomorrow.

Morning:  

Looking up at the photos on the wall: 

Playing with his new helicopter: 

Watching the new video from his class: 

Chatting on the changing pad: 

Trying out the new crayons/stacking objects: 

Opening the freezer door: 

Present! His SpongeBob backpack and crinkly wrapping paper:

Spotting the bananas on his new monkey growth chart (from his Monday class and in centimeters, not inches): 

On today’s adventure: 

Wind on the river: 

At the theater: 

Reaching for some Cheerios: 

 

We had a pretty good first birthday for August. In the morning he had a nice big breakfast; since it was his birthday I gave him the small luxuries of not having to sit in his chair while he ate and also let him eat more orange and cheese than he has had in the past. We also started to listen to his new CD from his Monday class in the morning.

A bit before 10 we headed out at caught the Nowon 9 bus to Kwangwoon and then took the subway to Dongdaemun. We went to the play center on the first floor where you have to be a year old. So August enjoyed meeting his first age restriction.

It was fun. We were the first people there, and the whole time we were there (bit more than 90 minutes) there was only ever one other mother with her son. If anything it was a little cold and sterile. But better than being really crowded. He played with the stuffed animals and balls, then the rocking horses (baabaas), although he mainly rocked them while standing and didn’t want to sit on them. He then crawled over and into the sewing/house area. We also had fun in a room with these rubber circles with different shapes/textures on them and with dropping/throwing wooden balls into the ball pit. The one mishap was when I put him on the wooden slide and we were rolling balls down it. He then slid down the slide. It was a small slide and I thought it wouldn’t be a problem, but it was really slippery and he tumbled into the wooden balls.

And he has a new word: balls are ‘ba’, so it just kind of sounds like half of ‘baa baa’, but he started using it clearly with the balls at the play area.

The most unusual part was this area where you pushed a button of an object on the wall and you would hear the noise. There was a sheep, which August loved looking at, but when he heard the noise he would get all sad and keep repeating ‘baabaa’. He kind of looked scared, but would keep pushing the button himself.

Mainly though he was getting tired at that point so I got my ‘free’ drink (a basic rooibos tea) and we headed out. Walked up the boring spiral walkway to put him to sleep and sat in a chair in the design lounge for the next 90 minutes while he slept. I finished the Cleese book and read some Bolano.

When he woke up there were many more people in the lounge. Two workers came and visited with him for several minutes. He was quite shy at first, clinging to my leg. But he warmed up and was showing off by the time they left. But other people kept coming and I saw our time ticking away. 

I had wanted to do a little birthday photoshoot since the lighting up there is nice and I fit in 10 minutes or so. Rather rushed, and a little awkward as there were about 10 people in the room compared to zero when we first entered. There were even workers taking out some of the chairs. Still, I got a few decent photos.

I had wanted to surprise Carly at work but we now had only an hour to get there if we wanted to see her at all. So no leisurely visit, and no finding a scale to weigh August. We went and hopped on the 100 bus and proceeded to sit in traffic for the next 20 minutes. As it was we ended up rolling past the turn off to APIS as her culture club was starting. So rather disappointed that that didn’t work out. I should have just left after the play area and had him nap on the bus. But there seemed like plenty of time at the time.

Off the bus we walked through the park and went to the Buk to see the exhibition of new works that opened that day in the upstairs hall. It was decent. They were all videos, so got his attention.

After that we went to Home Plus and got some groceries and headed the playground. Had fun on the swing and the bouncy thing despite the cold wind. We were probably there for 20 to 30 minutes.

Thought about meeting up with Carly on her walk home, but was getting just a bit too cold (and I was carrying groceries). So we beat her home by 5 to 10 minutes.

They played for awhile and then we did his choosing ceremony. Not quite sure what he picked… either the protractor or the brain or the gavel…

He then ate dinner, then we measured him on both of his monkey growth charts, and opened presents.

A few highlights from the day. I will be posting a few more things about his birthday, like the gifts and the choosing ceremony, in the coming days: 

Morning: 

Play area: 

Nap in the design lounge: 

At the Buk: 

In the park: 

Today is the day – right about as I write this – that August turns 1. What a year…

Here he was last March 10th:

And here he is today:

We had a busy day of playing and celebrating and I’ll post more of that later. Here are the highlight videos of his first year:

This evening as I was putting some of his food in the fridge August somehow fell as he stood near my feet and hit his nose. He started crying and Carly took him and then realized his nose was bleeding. It wasn’t too bad though and after a couple minutes of intense crying he calmed down and Carly nursed him to sleep. 

He slept until 9:11 this morning, which is crazy late. We didn’t have time in the morning to do much besides have breakfast and prepare food for the day before we headed to his class. 

Class went fine. There is now a fifth student. It is actually a boy we know from the music class. We got the new set of books, CD, DVD, etc. today. August is very excited about them. I told the teacher that tomorrow is his birthday and at the end of class she gave us a present: a set of the super awesome bubbles she uses in class. They are much better than the bubble mix from Toys R Us. 

On the way home the wind died down enough for us to play in the park. We were the only people there so had full use of the swings and slides. August pretty much perfected his slide technique and can sit without holding the sides and scoot himself to start sliding and stay sitting up to the bottom. 

Back home we had an epic lunch and then Skyped with my parents for a long time. 

I started a bath for him after that but he decided he was tired and fell asleep. When he woke up we got ready for another trip outdoors and walked and met Carly halfway and walked home with her. 

A generally normal evening after that until the nosebleed. 

His new words: the definite on is ‘doodoodoo’. It means ‘Cheerios’. It doesn’t sound like ‘Cheerio’ at all, but you’ll have to ask Vivian why it doesn’t. That is what she called Cheerios so Carly taught August the same. He doesn’t yet include the final ‘doo’ but it is otherwise pretty clear. The other new word might be ‘cheese’, which sounds more like ‘chee’. He was using it a lot this evening on his own accord as I gave him a snack. We will see if he keeps it up tomorrow. That would be word #13.  

Morning: 

Putting things in the backpack: 

Magic bubbles: 

Playground: 

Lunch time: 

Lunch consisted of broccoli, strawberry, nectarine, Cheerios, salmon, tofu, egg, cheddar cheese, pasta, and bagel:

Skyping with my parents. He was in his chair for over 40 minutes for lunch, and another 15 or so with them: 

Having fun: 

Evening: 

Garbage can walker: 

First, some sad news out of Seoul: It turns out that August and I were at the zoo at the time that a zookeeper was mauled to death by a lion. It was the first day we realized the zoo was closed. We had walked around from the main entrance to the zoo to the back entrance to see the seals and were actually quite close to the lion cage. We then walked back to the main gate and went to the conservatory right next door for a few minutes. When we came out there were ambulance and fire trucks around the main entrance and an ambulance come out the main entrance.

Also, it turns out that the avian flu that has shut down the zoo and the water ways and ponds at Dream Forest was discovered in a stream just south of us.

Anyway, today was a wonderful 59 degrees. I went on a hike down a ridge south of us down to the Han. Carly and August went to the store, the art museum, and the playground by the stream. 

He went to bed – we thought – a little before 8. But he woke up a bit later and stayed up. He finally fell asleep a little after ten. That was a bit weird. 

Carly and August: 

Eating and talking. He had been saying ‘dada’ a lot: 

At BBQ: 

Evening: 

Supposedly asleep for the night: 

Back awake and having fun: