Catching up with the Kims: Slide show of last 12 months

Here comes the Train!

I've decided to revive the blog so we can post more details about the goings on with the Kims than the current snippet here or there on facebook.

My mom and dad were out here for a couple of weeks - helping around the house, playing with Joey, cooking lefse, kolaches and other tasty treats.

Last weekend we indulged Joey with a train ride to Sacramento to visit the California State Railroad Museum. Last summer started Joey's love-affair with trains when he found a book at Grandma Ludtke's - Trains. There is no plot, there are no cute characters, and the artwork isn't really that beautiful - it's a non-fiction book about trains that we have now read to Joey about 5,000,000 times. If you ever get to spend time coloring with Joey, he will request that you draw trains for him (with kitty's riding them - don't ask me why...)

So we decided a trip to the museum with a ride on a real train would make for a fun weekend and packed our bags and headed off to Old Town Sacramento for the night. The following picture pretty much sums up how Joey felt about this.

He was in heaven. We took the big Chicago-bound train to Sacramento and realized how nice train travel can be. Joey enjoyed seeing the big train and eating and sleeping on the train just like in his book. (ok - his sleeping was just a nap in his daddy's arms since we were only on a short trip but still - it counts!) When we got to Sacramento we went to the hotel which had glass elevators and lots of buttons to push. Then we walked around Old Sacramento where there were trains to look at, horses pulling buggies and boats in the river. He thought he was in heaven and we hadn't even gone to the train museum yet!

After our afternoon naps, my friend from college, Heidi, came over to visit and swim with her two kids. It was nice to catch up with an old friend - I wish we did it more frequently...

On Sunday we enjoyed an early breakfast and a little bit of playtime at the hotel before we headed out to the Train Museum. Once I mentioned that we were going to see the trains Joey pretty much dragged all of us out of the hotel room and would have just gone himself if possible. The museum itself is amazing - I would have enjoyed it as an adult but it was even more impressive through the eyes of a child. They have a large collection of trains and guides throughout who tell you about the trains that you are on. The mail train was one of the most fascinating - that looked like some seriously hard work - sorting mail as you went across country getting new bags of mail along the way and dropping off the sorted mail all without stopping.

Upstairs they had the model trains and a section of train tables where the kids could play with the Thomas the Train sets they had available. One of the fun perks of having a kids is that you get to be a kid again yourself. Of course now Ray is as train-obsessed as Joey and has started researching model trains...


That's about it from Oakland for now!

This is how Swine Flu is transmitted

I borrowed this picture from my friend Angus' Facebook album. I thought this was cute and very appropriate for current news. Hope everyone is doing well and practicing good hygiene.

Hope this kid is ok :)

Back On (thanks to iPhone)

Joey just had his 1 year check up. He's now 33 inches tall and weighs 23 lbs 10 ozs.

And thanks to iPhone's blogging app (and thanks to Scott and Brenda for the gift card), I can now post blogs easier through my phone. With FaceBook, I have been very lazy updating the blog but hopefully with this app, I'll be blogging more.


-- Post From My iPhone

Already a 6 month old...

I can't believe that we haven't updated this for two months but I guess time flies when you're having fun. In those two months Joey has gotten good at rolling around, manages to turn and scoot forward if there is something worth getting a hold of, started eating (a lot!), started sitting up pretty well, and even started swim lessons! Above is a photo from today's adventures over with his friend Jackson. As you can see, he's looking sharp in his Tiger Shark pj's.

Since I've decided to get on top of the photo publishing and I'm a flickr girl rather than a picasa boy, I've created a collection of photos out there. I will be updating this soon with additional pictures but you can look here to get started.

I have been coaching Joey on rolling front to back (he mastered back to front.) I think once he figures out that he needs to tuck his arm he will be a rolling maniac.



As part of his Olympic spirit, Ray has been coaching Joey in the 100 yard dash.

Joey's 4 month statistics

Clearly, Thor is going for the gold here!

Establishing the Thor Growth Fund

A friend of ours took this picture last Sunday. I guess it took the view from an outsider's lense to discover and realize that Joey was born big and will probably grow up to be big.

Just look at this picture. Joey is still a week and a half from the 4 month mark. And Andrea is 5'9 (taller than me )!

So we will look into establishing a Thor Growth Fund for obvious reasons. All proceeds will go into groceries, diapers, and cloths. It will take a 3rd source of income just to keep this bear happy :) (we're kidding about the fund... just slightly).

Roll Over Video

Here is the first footage of Joey learning to rollover.  He had some issues at first untucking his arm after the flip but now, he's quite the pro.  It should be noted that the right way to begin rolling over is to roll over from the tummy to the back (usually during tummy time).  However, much like his mother, Joey likes to do things his own stubborn way and go from back to tummy. Great... all we needed was another stubborn Kim in the house.  What are we gonna do???

More JT videos

Joey finally got a Giants' onsie last week from our friend Meredith. I'm ok with letting Joey have the Twins as his American League team and the Giants as his favorite baseball team!

Joey is beginning to smile, laugh, and make lots of cute sounds!

2 Months Old Already!!!

Joey is 2 months old today. As a way of celebrating this occasion, we're taking him to his pediatrician for his immunization shots :( We'll see how happy he'll be this afternoon. I have a good idea how his doctor's visit will go... Joey will start to cry and then Andrea will start to tear up. Good thing I'm tough as nails. Right? Wish us luck. (More to come...)

Well, we survived the trauma of Joey getting his first set of immunization shots for now. Joey was very brave. He cried a little (more due to the shock) when he got his shots but calmed down as soon as they were done. I think we are fortunate that Joey is a big baby and has "thor"under thighs (where he got his 3 shots). As far as the rest of his 2 month exam went, Joey pretty much has the body of an average 4 month old. JT is 14 pounds and is 24 1/2 inches tall. He's already wearing 6 month sizes. So all is well for Joey but his parents' arms and backs are getting quite the workout.

Wanted: Your Best Quick & Easy Recipes

As most of you already know, Andrea and I enjoy cooking and eating. With an eight week infant to take care of, it is almost impossible to cook a fancy dish. Luckily for us, our family, friends and neighbors have been very good at feeding Andrea and I with home cooked meals.

A few days ago, Andrea suggested that we gather some of our favorite quick meal recipes into a folder so we can "just grab one and cook it real fast". As I was posting my blog yesterday, I thought of all our friends and family and thought that I would reach out and have you all send us some of your favorite quick and easy (and delicious) recipes. I know that we have lots of family and friends all over the country and overseas who love to cook and eat as much as we do. So please send us your recipes!!! We'd love to cook and eat some of your favorites. You can post short recipes within the "comment box" below or you can email (raykkim+recipes@gmail.com) them to us. If you'd like, you can even mail them to us. What we'll do with this collection (besides to cook and eat them) is to publish all the recipes for everyone to enjoy. We'll even pass them to some of our friends who recently became parents as well. Hope you can take a little time out to send us your recipes. Thanks!

3 hours of freedom

Andrea and I had our first official date about 5 years ago at a Giants game. So it was only fitting that we would return to a Giants game for our first date since the arrival of our son, Joey. The great thing about going to a Giants baseball game is that Steph and Doug (my sister and brother in-law) have a condo right across from the ball park... you step outside the door of their building, cross the street and BAM!, you're at the park. We volunteered Steph and Doug to watch Joey while we enjoyed a foggy San Francisco afternoon ball game.

I have always hated people who came to the ball park and yapped on their cell phones instead of watching the game. But I soon found myself reaching into my pocket on a regular basis to make sure that there were no missed calls from Steph and Doug. It was hard but I even managed to resist the urges to call and check up on Joey. Thankfully, Steph text messaged me in the second inning to let me know that Joey was fine and was taking a solid nap. After a couple of beers, a Sheboygan Bratwurst, and garlic fries, we settled in and started to enjoy our date. The game moved at a really fast pace. In just over 2 hours, we reached the 8th inning where the Giants were trailing the Padres by the score of 5 - 0. We decided that it was probably time to head back and take Joey off Steph and Doug's hands. When we got back to the condo, Joey was still asleep. Steph and Doug didn't even have to change Joey's diaper once. According to them, it was the easiest 3 hours of baby sitting they have ever had! Great... is it too late to buy season tickets???

Joey fast asleep at Steph and Doug's.

Nothing like a nice relaxing bath

With UB (Uncle Brian) stopping by to offer an extra pair of hands, we decided to give Joey a bath (his second bath at home) on Tuesday. Enjoy.

Happy Birthday To Me

With Joey's arrival on April 11th, my birthday went by without much fanfare. Unlike my birthday in Chicago a year ago, or the infamous 2006 birthday bash (I still have nightmares), this year's birthday was a simple celebration of family and the appreciation of this new experience called fatherhood. I did however receive a cool gift from Brenda and Scott (Andrea's brother and sister-in-law). I received a Flip Video Ultra. Its a small and simple video camera, that fits in your pocket and takes really good quality videos. With Joey here, I have been meaning to get a camcorder but hated the bulk and all the parts (batteries, tape, bag, etc) that go along with most camcorders. I've seen the Flips before but were not too sure about the quality. But now that I have one, it is the perfect little camcorder for us. I've included a couple of videos that I've shot in low light. Not too bad for the web.


Joey going "cordless"



Joey's First Tummy Time

And his name is....

Joseph Thor Kim
aka Joey Thor Kim
aka J.T. Kim
aka Thor

Birthday: April 11, 2008
Weight: 9 lbs 9 oz
Length: 20 inches
Head Circumference: 38 cm

After months of kicking and punching inside Andrea's belly, Joey finally entered the world "butt-first" on Friday, April 11, 2008 at 10:16 AM. In the delivery room, the first words I heard from the doctor's mouth were, "What a cute butt", and the second words were, "Wow... he's big". Both Andrea and Joey are doing well and should be home shortly. Once we get settled, we'll send out more info. In the mean time, enjoy the following pictures. I'll try to upload new pictures on a regular basis. Thanks you all for your well wishes and thoughts.

Evolution of a belly

Thor at Week 13

Ray after a cheeseburger w/ bacon

Thor at Week 15

  

Thor at Week 21

Thor at Week 34

Thor at Week 37

Boys to Men

With baby Thor on his way in less than 3 months, I recently realized that I had some fast growing-up to do or risk having Andrea take care of 2 babies (actually 3 including Kodi). I'm almost 38. I have SpongeBob pajama pants. I shriek at spiders and make Andrea "deal" with the creepy crawlers. This is what little boys do. No more! Like peeling a band-aid in one swift motion, I vowed to become a man... a father... an adult, all in one night.

So last Friday, I summoned the boys to celebrate this right of passage, my personal Bar Mitzvah if you will. One last Boys Night Out.



We started our night out at Schroeders in San Francico. Nothing could have been more fitting to symbolize the night than the 2 liter "das boot" to wash down the huge plate of Schnitzel.

Have you ever seen the movie Beerfest?

With the help of the guys, I eventually finished das boot!

We left Schroeders and headed up to my old hangout, the Mucky Duck, where I was joined by more of my friends. As I am told, I really had a lot of fun throughout the night. I really couldn't tell you for this is where both my memory and pictures end. All I know is that I woke up next morning as an adult man who had just let go of his immature youth. I spent the first day of my adult life horribly hungover while Andrea nursed my recovery with care and understanding. And yes... I was wearing my SpongeBob pajamas! Growing up is tougher than I thought!

Bodega Bay Getaway

Andrea and I usually find some time in winter to get away for a mini vacation. With time running out on our ability to travel, we decided to take advantage of the Martin Luther King Jr's birthday weekend for a quick getaway to Bodega Bay.

On Saturday, we dropped Kodi off at his pal Blackberry's house and drove up to Bodega Bay, which is about 70 miles northwest of San Francisco. Since the check-in time at our hotel was at 4 pm, we decided to take the whole day and took the scenic route along the Pacific Coast Highway. Along the way, we stopped at the Station House Cafe in Point Reyes for lunch. Winter is the slow season for tourism along the Marin and Sonoma coastline. The combination of unpredictable cold and wet weather along with narrow winding roads keep most visitors away. However, winter is also crab season and most restaurants were serving crabs on their menus along with their usual repertoire of oysters and other fresh seafood. So the lunch at the Station House Cafe did not disappoint. We ordered a half dozen of fresh oysters, crab cakes, fresh crusty bread and a pint of Great White Beer (Andrea drank Izze's instead). [A side note here about Great White Beer... I drank Great White Beer exclusively for the whole weekend. Andrea pointed out the label to my attention which stated that Great White Beer is made with a "secret blend of Humboldt herbs"!!!] Do we know how to have a relaxing weekend or what?

UPDATE: Baby 1.0 (code name "Thor")

As most of you know, Andrea and I are expecting a baby boy on April 19, 2008. Things are going ok now but for the first 4 months of the pregnancy, the "Blob" was a major pain in the arse (obviously from Andrea's side of the gene pool). All the Blob wanted to do was to chill out, eat, grow and play mad biologist with Andrea's body and mind. Andrea was constantly in a state of nausea, fatigue and discomfort. But with my loving care, bedside manners and encouragement, we made it through those rough few months and are now enjoying the glow of the pregnancy.

The Blob has been kicking and moving around for a few weeks now and we have given him a better nickname... "Thor". I have yet to feel a real kick from Thor. Everytime Andrea guides my hand to her tummy, Thor stops kicking. He's already figured out how to push my buttons!!!

This is the 1st ultrasound picture of the Blob. It was taken on September 11, 2007 which would put him at around 8 weeks. How could something so small, measuring at less than 3/4 of an inch, bring so many changes???

This was taken on September 27, 2007, around 11 weeks. He's looking less like the Blob and more like Thor.

Here are the latest 3 ultrasound pictures of Thor taken on November 26, 2007... about 19 weeks old. Our doctor assured us that this is the cutest baby she's ever seen in her life. I can't really find any fault with her professional analysis.

Ok... so maybe the doctor was wrong. These face shots are quite scary. I'm not sure if Thor has developed eyeballs or other facial organs or if the ultrasound actually picks up these facial details. Andrea vetoed my suggestion to nickname him Skeletor instead of Thor. Good thing for

Thor that Andrea is going be a wonderful mom! Besides, the above ultrasounds are over a month old. I'm sure by now, Thor is stunningly handsome like his father!

I'll try to keep the blog updated more frequently now (and not just about the baby update). Hope all is well with everyone. Happy New Year!