Mrs. Independence - Week 4

Grandma K has left and I’m learning each day to be more and more independent.  Chuck’s very hands-on, but the fact of matter is he has to be at work.  This week, Em and I started venturing out all on our own – by car and on foot!  When we got to our first destination, might I say on time, it felt like such a feat! 

Em bursts out into laughter nowadays – some in response to our silly faces, some spontaneously in her sleep.  We are also noticing that she seems to be more demanding in the late evening.  The hours between 9PM to 2AM have been hit or miss, particularly if I’m getting a break and Chuck or Grandma K is on watch.  Both of them seem to think the cause is her showing preference for the “boob” over the bottle.  Hmm…

...Could you even believe that this sweet face can throw a tantrum?  I think not.  :)

Em also had her first visitors this week!  The Panaros came to visit with lots of goodies from the Korean market (thank you!).  Their son is 3 years old and the daughter is 10 months old.  Em really had no clue that she had her first play date, but we are all looking forward to more to come!  

Getting acquainted - Week 2 & 3

Em’s cord fell off in week 2, and she’s starting to show more facial expressions, including her beautiful smiles!  Em is surprisingly alert and curious of her surroundings as a newborn.  I find myself already starting to worry how to entertain/stimulate her. 

My mom, Grandma K, came to visit from Toronto.  It was so helpful to have her around.  Thanks to her gentle ways, we learned Em loves to take bath.  We also ventured out around downtown.  Grandma K did not approve at first (in Asian culture, newborn and new mom did not leave the house for at least 30 days!); nonetheless, she came on board and we enjoyed a little shopping, gelato, and a cup of Joe!

We got poop! Give thanks! - Week 1

It's week 1.  As newbies, both Chuck and I are clueless as to what we are doing.  However, we are managing and surviving (I might even boldly claim that we are thriving)...except we have one serious matter at hand.  Em needs to poop and she isn't...

Em is bit jaundice, although not quite to require phototherapy.  Our pediatrician, Dr. Katy, told us that bilirubin is passed through poop; hence, Em needed to poop.  Alas, she just could/would not gift us that dirty diaper.  Finally, on the day that she was a week old, which happened to be Thanksgiving, she finally started pooping.  Chuck was on diaper duty and he joyously shouted, “We got poop!”  I ran over and we were both in glee as we changed her.  We’ve never been (and my guess is, will never be) so happy to see poop!  

Photo credit to Bella Baby!

Introducing...

...so, it appears this website will just have to remain neglected for a little while longer...

However, I am determined to do a better job to keep families and friends in the loop via this blog once Emerson arrives.  A blog feels a bit more personal then posting it to the world on Facebook.

Who's Emerson?  The next generation of Ko/Dauk families, of course!  Today, she is 29 weeks and 6 days in incubation!

As I did in 2010, our yearly update will come soon enough.  For now, very briefly, we are now based in Stamford, CT while I continue to work at Northwestern.  I have been commuting weekly until about two months ago, when frequent traveling was discouraged by my doctor.  So, I rented an apartment in Evanston and here I am while Chuck, Patty, and Selma are in CT.  On September 23, I head back to CT for good!  [I can't wait!!]  I will continue to work remotely until maternity leave, then figure out what to do from there post Emerson's arrival.

Without further delay, here's introducing Emerson (Emma) Dauk!

I also managed to add a few photos from recent past to the slide show.  Enjoy!

2010

Happy New Year to everyone!  Hope everyone had a meaningful finale to 2010, and may God bless each and every day in 2011 with His Grace and Peace. 


Have been slacking on sharing "KoDauk moments", but here's an attempt at remembering all the special events of 2010:


January: 
I started working for one of the most acknowledged chemist/nanotech scientist in the world.  After so many years working in the field of Circadian Rhythms, switching the field of research was exciting but also very terrifying.  Thanks to great co-workers, the new work began with full blast right off the start!


February:
Hm...looking through my calendar, only event that stands out for February is that I finally got my IL license after 9 years of living here! The calendar is full with work, work, work...and some wedding planning.  


March:
I am now a permanent US resident! Unfortunately, on the same day that we had our immigration interview, we also heard that Chuck's company is closing down after being unable to reach an agreement on a new round of funding with the PE firms. We were anticipating this might happen, but the news was still difficult.  


April:
Work and wedding planning pretty much consumed my life in April. Our friends were great in helping us get ready -- JM & AM took us to a trip to Costco for welcome bag contents, JB & AM organized a girls only gathering, and Chuck's groomsmen took us all out to a wonderful dinner out. We felt so loved and we were immensely grateful to have such wonderful people in our lives.


May:
May was all about the wedding!  HK and EMB organized a lovely bridal shower/brunch on the first weekend here in Chicago (MdG also came up from Dallas to surprise me at the shower); and DP and JC organized one perfect bridal shower at the resort for all the ladies on the trip.  The weeks leading up to [and following] the wedding were precious and unforgettable.  We happily soaked in all the love and support from our friends and family, and we only hope we are able to give back just as much in our lifetime.


We got married on the 14th and had an awesome(!) week celebrating with family and friends in Punta Cana.  The wedding went without a hitch.  I was very impressed with the resort and the wedding coordinator (we had Sandra) since I never even spoke to her before arriving at Punta Cana -- everything was done via email!  Ha!  :)


June:
Both of our birthdays are in June.  We each got our turn in celebrating with friends. We both attempted to throw each other a "surprise", but only Chuck succeeded.  For his birthday, he wanted to keep it low key, and when it was forced that we go out for a nice dinner, he figured out we may be expecting company.  For Chuck's birthday, we headed to Japonais and enjoyed a summer night by the Riverwalk.  For my birthday, we went out for drinks at Edge - one of the bars in the Wicker Park neighborhood.


July:
We hosted our first house party! We had the Chicago peeps over for BBQ one rainy day. We thoroughly enjoyed hosting and entertaining as husband and wife. My brother and his wife also came to visit Chicago. We didn't know it then, but we later learned that my little niece came to visit as well inside her mom. Can't wait until she graces us with her presence in March, 2011!


August:
We quietly celebrated our civil ceremony anniversary (August 31). We devoured a chocolate chip cookie cake, then had dinner at one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants (Angels and Mariachis).  


September:
We learned that we were pregnant. We were both overjoyed, and tried our best to keep the babe safe and healthy. Sadly, we lost our baby boy in mid-November at about 14 weeks.


October:
Despite the pesky First Trimester symptoms, we had a wonderful month. I traveled to NYC for a college/sorority reunion. It was a fantastic weekend re-connecting with sisterhood.  Getting some private time with Miss Burns was the icing on the cake!  We then traveled to Saint Augustine, FL for a wedding. We rented a beach house in Villano Beach with a group of friends and had a wonderful time vacationing and celebrating Puma's wedding.


November:
We headed to West Lafayette for some U of M vs. Purdue football - Go Blue! It was cold and rainy (down right pouring!), but we braved the weather and stayed for the most of the game with PMel, his sis, TN, and KN. Have to say, the highlights were wonderful conversations we shared during the drive to and from with TN & KN!


We were also faced with the worst times of our lives. What can I say about the miscarriage? It's an experience that no one should ever be faced with. We were amazed at how attached we were to the little being who was no longer with us. I do believe we coped with the situation as best as one couple could. We faced the grieving process full on. We were blessed with so much support from our loved ones, and I was ineffably grateful to have a partner who helped to make the unbearable loss bearable.


December:
The pain of losing our little one is still with us, but we are doing our best moving forward. We think of him often and we hope we never stop. He is forever a part of us, and we look forward to meeting him on the other side one day. We now have an angel who threads all our families together in heaven. We know he is safe with our beloved ones who went before us, and it is comforting to know that there is no better parent than God who is looking after him.


Chuck recently signed on to a new job and starts his new venture on January 3, 2011. This also means we are looking at a new adventure as we will relocate to the East Coast (NYC!!!) in next couple of months. We are both excited, nervous, and anxious about the move.


Well, the pages of 2010 have turned. It was one dramatic read, and the story continues. I, for one, can't wait to see what is ahead in our story. Here's to a great new chapter, 2011!