Kylan and Kyrsten

Top 10 for 2011!

2011-12-24T23:22:00.000-08:00

Our annual list so that we can remember the fun, the unpredictable, the big changes that almost happened, and the blessings. What a great year 2011 truly was!

10. The Year of Star "Whores" and the Lion King
We have heard that boys naturally make a transition into super heros, robots, guns, etc... The transition came suddenly and swiftly for our family this year because Kylan became all about Ironman, Power Rangers, Transformers, and you name it. Above of all super hero tales, Star Wars became Kylan's favorite. Except Kylan couldn't say "Wars" so he kept saying "Whores". We get little bit nervous when he yells out "STAR WHORES!" in the aisles of Target. Next thing we know, our house was full of light sabers, legos sets, cups, lunch boxes, and other parts of the billion dollar industry. Kylan's exploits on the Jedi Knight Training Academy is chronicled here.

For Kyrsten, it was all about Simba. We don't know why. Kyrsten cannot stop watching Lion King. She sings "can you feel the love tonight" on the piano. That's how she rolls.

9. Kylan begins his sports career
He started with soccer in March. Then he did baseball. Then he did Swimming. Then he did baseball again. Then he started Tae Kwon Do (which he signed up for a full year). Then he went back to soccer. He will soon be starting basketball. Umma has been busy getting Kylan to all these activities. Umma needs a break! But in the end, it is about how much Kylan enjoys these things and he loves them. For umma and appa, we just like the fact that Kylan gets to burn some serious energy outside of the house. We also cannot help but to feel a lot of pride. Look at the smile on his face after a baseball practice in which he did nothing right (according to appa's eye) but still reminded us that having fun is the most important thing.

Now Kylan can hit a ball thrown to him.

Of course, we cannot forget his Tae Kwon Do moves. As of the end of 2011, Kylan is an Orange Belt.

8. Seriously, why is Kauai so fun?
The family went back to the island of Kauai for the annual trip. This time, grandparents went with us and that made it even more fun and special. For umma and appa, having the grandparents were just simply awesome. We did things we have not done in 3 years (no coincidence that this aligns with Kylan's age) like going for a walk, having a peaceful dinner, etc... Kylan and Kyrsten loved having them there too. Kylan went on a daily morning beach walk with grandpa. I think those will be some of Kylan's most special moments in his life. These are pictures taken during those walks.

One of many picnic lunch and dinners

7. Umma can see without glasses for the first time in 3 decades

Immediately after the surgery with the cool
wrap around sun glasses

Umma started wearing eye glasses since she was 5 years old! That is 30 years in glasses/contact lenses. This year, we finally got a break in baby having and nursing so that umma can get lasik surgery. After being knocked out for a full day after the surgery, the first thing umma said was "oh my gosh, I can't believe it. I can see as soon as I open my eyes!" Yay! Congrats umma!

6. Wherever we are needed...this year it was Alabama

Unfortunately, we saw too many natural disasters in 2011. Japan's earthquake and subsequent tsunami were devastating and sad. Even here in the US, we witnessed tornado sweep through Alabama, Missouri, and other places. Watching these devastation on TV, we really felt like we cannot just sit still. We have to go and help! When we were looking for the right place to go. TouchGlobal ministry reached out and asked us to help in Hunstville, Alabama. On April 27, 2011, a category 5 tornado swept through the area destroying everything in its wake. Ambassador Church quickly assembled a team of 6 people. When we got there, we were joined by John and Kevin who were just awesome people who provided even more inspiration. The people we met, the stories we heard, the things we did, the times we spent in the youth ministry center that housed our bunk beds...simply put, it was the best week of our lives...in every way imaginable.

5. A job change? NOT!
Back in October of 2010, appa got calls from two head hunters out of the blue. Appa never fields calls from head hunters but something said these were little bit different. What the heck? Let's see where this leads. Well, the journey ultimately took 6 months and about 15 interviews and became the dominant the storyline for the first quarter of 2011. It was time of a lot self reflection, evaluation, and waiting to hear God's voice. The family had to decide among staying put at Ernst & Young and 2 great job offers. They were all great companies offering incredible opportunities. It was really an honor and a blessing. In the end, the family (not just appa) heard God's direction and decided to stay at EY. The practice that appa took part in building for the past 3 years had too much memories and pride to leave behind. It has been 8 months since the decision and there hasn't been one moment when the family felt a regret about the decision because we feel that this is where God has led us.

4. Not one but two cancer surgeries in a span of two weeks
We got a shocking news in April. A blood test revealed that grandpa has developed cancer in his liver. As we were preparing for grandpa's surgery, grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer. Back to back bad news really shook us. But we never lost faith for a single second. We knew that we can fight through this as a family. Grandma had a surgery on 6/30 and grandpa had his surgery on 7/13. Now, just 5 months later, we heard from the doctors that both grandpa and grandma basically have better health than before the surgery. What a blessing!
These pictures were taken about a week after we got the news about grandpa's cancer. We went to a park to celebrate uncle Charles's birthday. We forgot about the bad news and had a really great time as a family.

3. The housing market IS horrible
It is a long story but every unexpectedly, we decided to put the house on the market in August. We love our house but story number 4 had a big impact. We decided that having a bigger house in which our grandparents have a room was necessary. The house stayed on the market for close to 4 months. We looked at bunch of potential dwellings. Ultimately, we realized that the house we live in now is better/more comfortable than any other place on the market and we decided to stay put for a few more years. We just couldn't give away the house in which Kylan and Kyrsten were raised. Constant stream of visitors, endless house cleaning, worrying about offers, unsure of finding a good next home, etc... These things kept us busy and hectic for the last quarter of the year. It turns out this was a blessing in disguise because, just 2 days after we decided to pull the house off the market, we learned what is shared in #1 below.

2. Kylan turned 3 and Kyrsten turned 2
We are going to celebrate each and every year of Kylan's and Kyrsten's lives. Kylan and Kyrsten truly make umma and appa happy beyond description. We thank you for being such healthy and energetic kids.

1. We are no longer Fanstikk4 because the fifth member is on his/her way!
We end this list with a big announcement. The biggest of the year in 2011. We are expecting #3 in July of 2012. We are SUPER excited! We welcome all responsibilities because we know that these kids bring us unlimited and endless joy. In the next 7 months, umma and appa will be learning how to play the zone defense. There will be a lot of pressure on Kyrsten to be completely potty trained and learning how to be an older sibling. Kylan will be force to start school in July granted it will be only two months ahead of schedule. All in all, everyone will be getting ready for this gift from God. Appa always said that if we ever have a third, that would be a game changer. Well, this baby already has changed our game for the better. We cannot wait to welcome this baby to the family.

These two are silly and we are happy
that there will be
one more of them next year

When we take this picture next year, someone
will be on the ground

The Fantastikk4 fearlessly and eagerly welcomes 2012!

18 months!

2011-06-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

Kyrsten,
You turned 18 months old today. It is amazing how fast you are growing up. Umma and appa wish that we can stop the hands of time. We want you to be our baby forever. But at the same time, we realize that you will be our baby no matter how old or how big you are.

You are really an amazing little girl. You make us laugh everyday. Over the past 6 months, we can really see how you've moved on from being a bady into a little girl. Your personality has definitely come out and girl, were we surprised (pleasantly mind you). Our motto for you is "not backing down. not one step." You really know how to mix it up with people that are bigger than you. You will yell out "mine!" with the best of them. You will hold your ground like a great general.

Your language skill has definitely improved a lot. You are constantly saying something...mimicing us...saying a word at a time but you definitely get your point across. You are so cute when you talk. Your favorite words are: mine, shoes, mamma, and tto-joh. It's amazing how much those 5 words can work for you throughout the day.

You like to cuddle and we definitely appreciate that. You like it when you lay down and we rub your belly. Those are really special times. You really are our special one and only daughter.

your favorite acitivty: tto-joh snack

With your favorite person

This was no Hawaii but we still had so much fun with Habi and Harmi in Indio Springs

We don't know if you are athletic but you like to do stuff like this. And oh, at Gymboree you climb the obsticle with the best of them

My Young Jedi

2011-06-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

Not so long time from now, in a galaxy we live in, Kylan and Kyrsten will see this post and realize what an awesome umma they have.

This story starts with Kylan discovering a Disneyland feature called "The Jedi Academy". Kylan was instantly hooked with the idea of becoming one of the young Jedi trainees. But it was easy for the academy to overlook Kylan because of his size - most other trainees are at least 5 years old. Each time we visited Disneyland, Kylan would jump up and down in front of the academy head master to become a member of the elite force but he wasn't picked. But Kylan didn't give up. Kylan somehow got a hold of two light sabers (ok, we just went to Target and spent money). We video taped other Jedi trainees in action so that we can practice at home. Day after day, Kylan practiced patiently sharpening his skills.

When Kylan knew all the Jedi Academy sequence by heart, umma knew that Kylan is ready. Umma made this cool sign for Kylan so that the head master couldn't resist. It was Kylan's entrance essay in a simple sentence.

Kylan was selected to the Jedi Academy on June 1, 2011. The Jedi head master called Kylan "32 pounds of unbridled fury." We don't know how he pinpointed Kylan's current weight on the dot. Amid cheers and cuteness induced laughter, Kylan went head to head against the evil Darth Vader and didn't take a step back. Darth Vader has nothing on the young Jedi named Kylan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJCnclhSdyE

Kylan activates his light saber - a move appa taught him

Definitely the smallest Jedi out there. The smallest Jedi since Master Yoda.

Let's hope that Kylan will continue to hone his skills in more than sword fighting to bring balance to the force.

I think this is one of the coolest thing that Kylan has ever done. Kylan was so happy. He couldn't stop talking about it for days and nights. Kylan really should to remember how umma always went the extra mile to give him special things.

3 Years Old?!?!

2011-01-26T23:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Kylan.

You turned 3 years old today and we can't stop tearing up. Appa and umma are crying today because we are so thankful and so overcome with love for you. We are so thankful that God made you the boy that you are. We are so thankful that you are such a fun person to be around. But above of all, we are so thankful that you are a healthy vibrant boy full of energy and life. Do you know that you grew 5 inches in the last year? You grew vertically a lot last year. Horizontally? Mmm...not so much. Seriously, where do they (the food you eat) all go? 5 inches of growth only resulted in 4 pounds. How does that happen? But we don't worry because you eat more than any other 3 year old we have ever met. When you get on the scale in our bathroom, you yell "29!" as if you are taunting the number 30. By the way, where did you learn to do that? We can't figure it out but this is just another one of those things that makes us laugh.

We are so proud of the fact that we can do everything with you and take you anywhere that we want to take you. You are our partner in crime in every sense of the word. We frequently go together to the hair salon. You patiently wait for 30 minutes until appa is done. The ladies there are amazed...they say they have never seen any 2 year old do that ever. People say you are appa's mascot because anywhere appa goes, there you are with him. Appa wants to thank you for being such a great friend.

You are a wonderful big brother. Kyrsten LOVES you. We want you to remember that Kyrsten never imitates umma and appa. That's because she is too busy imitating you. Always be mindful that your little sister is watching and following. But you will do great because you already are doing great.

You never cease to amaze us. You find things, you see things, you hear things that we would've never noticed. I wish we can capture every one of these moments and show you later.

The other day, we went to Toys R Us to pick out your birthday gift. You wanted Twitch from Toy Story 3 and you had been asking for it for weeks. (By the way, we love how you always fall in love with obscure/less popular/villains in movies - Twitch, Lotso, Strech, Cool Dude from Nemo, Tractor from Cars, Chick Hicks, Zurg, etc... we hope that you will always be someone who looks after the less popular and the overlooked.) We got there with about 5 coupons in umma's hands as usual. Sadly, the $5 coupon wasn't effective until the next day. Umma and appa deliberated for awhile and decided that $5 is worth saving. When we told you that we have to come back the next day to pick up Twitch, you were not happy. Who ever wants to leave a toy that you already have in your hands behind? But when appa reasoned with you, you totally listened. You understood. You believed us that we will be back the next day. You didn't throw a tantrum. You just protested through slight whining probably because you don't know how to use your words yet. But we got home without an incident and you went to bed happy. The next morning, the first you that come out of your mouth was "Appa, twitch!". (Don't let this fool you years from now. You can throw a good tantrum when you want to. You are really good at it. We just appreciate those times when we can see you hold back. But you are no saint who skipped the terrible two stage.)

We love you with all of our hearts. Appa makes a lot of mistakes with you. See, appa is learning how to be a dad too. I am so glad you are so forgiving. We hope you will always remain such a forgiving person. Appa promises to do much better. Thank you for loving us too.

We really love everything about you. No human being is perfect (including you) but we wouldn't change a thing about you. Be a man of God. Be strong and courageous. Seek wisdom first. These 3 things are all we ask of you on this day you turned 3.

Top 10 Fantastikk moments for '10

2010-12-23T22:33:00.000-08:00

Another year full of blessings for the Kim family. It was truly a year with lots of laughter and great moments. Here is a list for the top 10 happenings of 2010.

10. Appa continues his road warrior ways.
Another crazy year on the road for appa. Appa once again made the Executive Platinum status on American Air and made Gold and Platinum statuses on Marriott and Starwood respectively in the same year. That's a lot of nights in a hotel room, folks. However, it was all really worth it because it was by far one of the most successful professional years of appa's life. Praise God! This year's projects especially forced appa to visit many different areas. Let's just name the states that appa went to this year (besides California and Hawaii): New York, DC, Virginia, Maryland, Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, Nebraska, and Colorado.

9. The Year of Buzz Lightyear
Kylan fell in love with the movie character watching Toy Story 1 and 2 on DVD. Well, after more than a decade, Disney Pixar released Toy Story 3 in the movie theaters. Kylan went to watch the movie with Appa for the first time in June. Then again in July. Kylan sat there and watched the movie without budging once. After the movie, it was "muubi buzz" the all the time. He goes to sleep in Buzz pajamas (multiple sets), plays with Buzz toys, and of course, come Halloween time:

8. Appa gets in shape
It was time to stop being lazy. 2009 was a rough year so appa got completely out of shape. About a month after Kyrsten was born, appa realized that he needed more energy and flexibility to be a good dad. So, appa started on P90X. Bring it! Appa kept up with the whole 90 days. Lost about 12 pounds but probably lost more like 25+ pounds in fat. Felt totally different - confident in everything and honestly attribute some of the success at work to being in a better shape. During the summer, appa was going on 8 mile runs in the DC heat like it was nothing. Appa getting healthy was definitely a big family story for the year. I will not put before and after pictures here.

7. Kylan gets potty trained
Kylan started showing interest when he was only 19 months old. Then the baby sister came and then he wasn't interested anymore but rather chose to do exactly what his sister was doing. Then again starting around June (about 5 months later), Kylan pretty much got full control of pee pee. Around November, Kylan started to have pretty good control of poopy. Kylan had many accidents on the way but we don't think there has been an accident in December. Umma and appa are so proud. At the same time so glad to stop changing diapers for at least one of the kids. Here is Kylan wearing his underwear proudly around the house.

6. Kylan makes his first pay check

When Kylan was about 8 months old, he got sign up with an agency in Hollywood (a legit one). Appa and umma had no special aspirations. We didn't even update his portfolio for a year and a half and we got threatened to get dropped from the agency. So we updated his pictures. I always make fun of Kylan that he is an out of job model and that he should wait tables. All that changed on a faithful day in May. He got a call, he auditioned, he beat the odds, and got a gig. It was for Toyota Lexus. Funny thing is we have not seen what has become of the photo shoot. One job but we had a lot of laugh over it. Here is a picture of him holding up his first pay check - first of many in his life, we hope (sporting his summer dress code again):

5. Fantastikk4 goes to DC
Appa worked from a project near DC for about 7 months this year. That gave the family a chance to visit appa in DC and sight see all the cool historic places. It was only a weekend trip but we got a lot in as usual. Kyrsten got on the plane for the first time, too. As always, Kyrsten could not have been any better on the plane. But Umma was super nervous since she flew both legs of the trip by herself with the kids. We went to the National Mall, the White House, the Smithsonian, Alexandria, and even Baltimore. This is a picture in front of the Obama residence. Our pictures from the trip are located here.

4. Fantastikk4 goes island hopping
For the second straight year, we decided to visit the great state of Hawaii for our summer vacation. The timing could not have been better as the last week of September was historically hot in LA. Of course, this year's trip was even more special as Kyrsten joined us. This year, we spent 4 days in Kauai (this year's return confirmed it - this one is our favorite) and 4 days in Oahu (sorry, our least favorite). It was such a great trip...we had so much fun together.

3. Fantastikk4 has its first mission event together
We had a chance to go to Japan in 2009 on a mission trip. We knew that it was going to be impossible to go on a mission trip this year. We still prayed in January that God would give us a chance to serve Him and our neighbors together as a family. In November, God showed us a way. Ambassador Church participated in a food drive to feed 12 families in the city of Brea. These families were chosen by 6 principals in the Brea Olinda school district. We, along with Ambassador family stood in front of a grocery store and asked the shoppers to pick up one more items for us. After 16 hours, we collected enough for not 12 families but 40 families. We actually had so much left over even after 40 families that we donated boxes and boxes of food to different organizations. God is great.

2. Kylan turns 2
Kylan turned 2 early in the year. We are going to celebrate every and each year. There were 16 things we prayed for when we asked God for a child. Kylan is every one of them. Umma and appa love him with all of our hearts. No one makes us laugh like Kylan does. We are so thankful that God gave us Kylan.

1. Kyrsten turns 1
We described how we feel about our precious daughter in the previous post. We don't want to be repetitive. But we want to say that Kyrsten brings joy like no one else. The first year with her was the happiest year of our lives.

Kyrsten is 1!

2010-12-14T00:03:00.000-08:00

We love you, Kyrsten! A year ago today, God gave us a gift named Kyrsten. We didn't know what to expect - having gone through raising a boy's boy in Kylan, what will it be like having a girl in the family? Will it be different? How scary if it is but wouldn't it be kind of disappointing if it wasn't?

A year later, we cannot imagine this family, this world, without Kyrsten. Kyrsten is the sweetest child. When Kylan started to crawl, he used the skill to explore the world (mostly umma's tupperware pantry and appa's drawers). When Kyrsten started to crawl, she used the skill to be next to us.  Kyrsten makes loving her so easy, it is like she dipped our emotion in oil and pushed us down slip-and-slide sitting on a Pyramid.

At the one year mark, Kyrsten is talking (so chatty!) and walking (cautiously). Kyrsten is that baby that makes everyone want to have more babies. Kyrsten never complaints.  Kyrsten is so easy in so many ways. We don't feel like we taught Kyrsten anything because Kyrsten figures things out on her own. Kyrsten is the baby that never drooled (not that this is so bad), never let others know she is in pain ("you mean other people have teething pains?", "Let's go to the beach, I only have Roseola"), and doesn't need a fence installed because she sets her own boundries. OK, OK, there is one flaw - let's just work on that thumb sucking. Appa will help you.

As a baby, all appa and umma wanted are eat well, sleep well, and stay healthy. Kyrsten's appetite can make Kobayashi blush. Kyrsten will put Ambien out of business. Kyrsten will make Obamacare just a government spending excuse. We have already started to heighten our expectations and something tells us that Kyrsten is going to meet them all. We expect Kyrsten to change the world. There will be books written about her that are not written by her.

The most enjoyable thing in the past year is watching Kylan and Kyrsten love each other. Kyrsten thinks that she can do everything her oppa can do. The cutest thing she immitates? Whenever Kylan gets a timeout, Kyrsten crawls over and stis right next to him. Kyrsten sits and faces the same direction even. This is even when Kylan is getting punished for being rough with Kyrsten. Kyrsten stops crying and crawls over.  This makes scolding Kylan with a straight face impossible. Although Kylan doesn't know how to express himself, we can tell that Kylan loves his baby sister. Kylan, you are so lucky that you have such a faithful companion in the timeout trade.

There are a million more things we want to say but we can't think of better words than these so we are going to stop here: WE LOVE YOU, KYRSTEN GRACE!

A quick tribute to our daughter and celebration of Kyrsten's first year.

Fantastikk 6 months! (and other updates)

2010-06-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

It has been about 3 months since our last post. We have been announcing our latest happenings on Facebook and we have gotten lazy about our blog. Sorry to our readers! (I don't know if we have any left anymore)

Where does the time go? Kyrsten is already 6 months old and we cannot believe it! She has had a very busy couple of months as she has had a lot of growing up to do. Where do we start? She got two teeth now as you can see in this picture.

Kyrsten now eats solid food once a day (started on 5/15/10). Let's just say that she eats like her brother. Umma and appa are so blessed to have children who eat like they are being starved. We really count our blessings at every meal.

Kyrsten can flip at will. Not only that she can scoot her way backwards. The days of her crawling are just around the corner. We will post a video of it someday. Kyrsten just makes everyone happy because she has such a great personality. Kyrsten is really so sweet. There is no other way to describe her.

Meanwhile, Kylan is now 28 months old. Kylan is quite busy these days - going to school, going to the Disneyland (as you can see it is "Kylan try" on everything), getting gigs (he got a job as a model for Lexus), helping appa do everything (even stuff he probably shouldn't be involved in), and just generally rocking in out.

Umma and appa would like to thank Kylan and Kyrsten for the most loving, worry free, enjoyable, happy, and healthy babies in the history of mankind. We fall in love with you more and more everyday. Life is so great with you.

100 Days for Kyrsten

2010-03-24T22:43:00.000-07:00

Kyrsten turned 1-0-0 days old today! Now, it takes 3 numbers to describe how old she is. I know that we says this on every post but I must say it again. She is a sweet sweet baby. She smiles with her whole face. She never complaints (cries) and she has already been putting herself to sleep at night. We can't say we sleep trained her because we didn't have to do anything. She just figured it out! She sits in a bumbo by herself. She has full neck control. She's almost flipping over from back to tummy. She just keeps kicking and turning to the side. Look at her full head of hair. :) When we try to tame it, it ends up looking like the Kate Gosselin do instead. We always thought Kylan was an incredibly easy (worry free) baby. Well, Kyrsten is even lower maintenance. She even stopped crying in the car. She has really captured our hearts. We love her.

Kylan and Kyrsten watch Nemo together

Meanwhile, in the Ky-land, things are...well...let's let the pictures do the talking.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-15T00:26:00.000-08:00

Today was Valentine's Day. Although it is no longer a romantic day that it once was for the Kim household (we rather spend the day with the kids than worry about child care), we still want to talk about love today.

I believe that many parents who poured their hearts out to the first child have these fears before the second child arrives: How could there be room for another person in my heart? Are we dividing the love we have two ways and can I really do it 50/50? Kyrsten's umma and appa had similar fears before she was born. Now that she is here, all that is gone. Having Kyrsten is leading us to realize and reflect on our hearts and realize our capacity to love. It is almost like we grew a second heart. Having kids definitely changes your life style (as evidence by our lack of romantic Valentine's day). But kids also change our perspective and our hearts. It also is leading us to thank God for giving us this capacity to love. We truly are created in his image. Otherwise, how can we explain this?

Kyrsten's grandparents who, to this day, say that they really don't see much resemblance between Kylan and appa raved this week on how much Kyrsten looks just like appa. I don't know...there is no way appa is this good looking.

Most people say that both kids look like appa. Appa cannot be more proud but at the same time really wish that they turn out much better than he.

This is a picture we took this morning at 7:30. Kylan's eyes are swollen after a 11 hour sleep (notice he is still holding onto the balloon he fell asleep with). Kyrsten's eyes? Not so much after she got up at 5 with appa. She does that on Sundays for some reason. This is why appa keeps falling asleep in church. It is becoming embarrassing. I want to wear a t-shirt that says "falls asleep during service due to 5 am baby duties"

Can I also take a minute to give mad props to Kylan for being the oppa that he is? Our hearts get filled when Kylan adores his sister. Yes, he does get unnecessarily rough sometimes. He even got a good scolding this morning because he kicked her. But mostly, he protects her, he adores her, and he is patient with her. Kylan never gets frustrated when Kyrsten cries her lungs out in the car. Kylan just takes it in stride. Way to go, Kylan!

I have been putting wrestling moves on Kylan for about a year now to play rough. Here is Kylan putting his wrestling moves on Kyrsten.

We are one lucky family to have each other.

How many candles are on Kylan's cake?

2010-01-26T19:58:00.000-08:00

Two, Dos, Dul!

Kylan is getting old(er)! As we write this blog, we are overcome with pride, joy, and love. Kylan is simply everything umma and appa ever wanted in a son. For us, he is perfect. Yes, he is hitting his terrible two stage and drives us crazy sometimes (I really want to ask him what is it about tooth brushing that he hates so much? Why does it have to be a wrestling match every night?) but he is playful (he hides his milk cup in the cabinet, runs to us, and asks "milk, where are you?". we play along by looking for the cup which prompts him to run back to the cabinet and yell "right there!"), engaging (we debrief after everything...who did you see? "friends name1, 2, 3,..." what did you do? "choo choos (played with trains)" where did you go? "hammi (grandma's house)" so on and so on), loving (best oppa that a two year old can be), and most thankfully healthy.

The cake above was just from our small family dinner tonight. Kylan got a huge birthday party on Saturday. We were proud how many friends he already has!

He had a jumper

he played basketball

And of course a basketball cake to match the party's theme

On the day of the actual birthday, Kylan went to Pretend City in Irvine to pretend to do a lot of things. He had SO much fun that I thought he may pass out from fun overload. He even picked up a date in his flashy convertible ride. (we do not know who she is and not sure if we approve.)

another question...why do you like to do this so much? most kids are afraid of the noise. you revel in it. so glad you pretended to do this so many times today. I hope you flushed it out of your system.

Of course, this little princess went along with her oppa. They charged her $2 to do this the whole time.

or this

At night he blew out two candles again!

We can't wait for birthday #3 already!

Unbelievable but true...Kyrsten is already one month old!

2010-01-14T23:45:00.000-08:00

It is unbelievable, amazing, incredible, etc... Our baby girl is already a month old. We are so proud of her for being such a first class baby. She sleeps well (relatively speaking), eats like her brother (which says a lot), and grows like she is chasing someone (maybe her brother). We went to the doctor's office for her two week check up on 1/31/2009. She had already grown 2 inches and put on a pound. She also has way more neck control than her brother had at this stage. When we put her down on her stomach, she picks up her head fully to switch side to side - we were shocked to see her do this at week 3. She also has more hair than her brother at 18 months! (which brought a big sigh of relief from umma...she didn't want a completely bald baby girl.) Each day, our love for Kyrsten grows deeper. She really is a sweet baby. She is indeed our most adorable baby girl.

Here are some pictures taken today to mark her one month milestone.

another picture from earlier in the month

Kylan adores his little sister. He calls her "baby" or "Ae-gi" depending on his mood for a language. For some reason, he refuses to call her by her name. But we know that Kyrsten is loved by her brother because she gets squeezed and kissed by her brother everyday. We think they will get along just fine.

Umma's recovery was 100 times smoother this time as well. Umma is doing remarkably well. She got lots of compliments on how good she looks throughout this month. Appa was so grateful for that.

Kylan's bff Brayden's mom took these remarkable pictures for us when she was only 8 days old. She is really a talented photographer. Like these pictures? Get to know her work at www.drewbphotography.com

Thank you, Kyrsten, for making the past month so special!

Top 9 Fantastikk events of '09

2009-12-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

What a GREAT year it was for our family in 2009! We collectively had so many special moments and events. We feel so blessed and fortunate. One of the most important ways to thank God for all the blessings is to chronicle and remember them. So, we would like to count down our 9 very special events of 2009.

#9: Appa breaks 80...finally!
Been playing golf for 21 years. Can't remember when he broke 90 because it happened so long ago. Thought that breaking 80 would be just as easy. Oh, how wrong he was...started to think he would never break 80. On a faithful morning in November, appa finally broke 80 by shooting 6 over 76 at La Mirada golf course (+4 front nine, +2 back nine, started with bogey-bogey so actually shot +4 over the last 16 holes). So happy it happened...even if it may not happen again.

#8: Kylan runs and talks - like a lot!
We could not wait until the Kylan started walking. It happened 2 weeks after his 1st birthday. Since then, the boy has basically stopped walking. Instead, he is running everywhere now. Although it is really not running, he slides down the stairs like it is no else's business. People who witness it for the first time get shocked at how fast he slides down and get all freaked out, but Kylan has it completely figured out that that is the fasted method of getting downstairs. Likewise, he just likes to run everywhere!
Oh boy, and the way he talks... he speaks about 70% in Korean and 30% in English. We would like to tip the scale to more Korean, but I think he's following the natural tendencies of having a bilingual mom and trilingual dad. He is beyond the mark in the number of words he speaks and the way he combines his words. It is really amusing how we can really communicate with him now. He can express his basic needs and has mostly grasped the concepts of using words instead of whining. We have to say that in the past week, his communication skills have come in mighty handy, especially when we ask him to get his sister's diapers and wipes. :)

Back when he is still trying to balance himself while walking

#7: Umma officially becomes a SAHM (Stay-At-Home-Mom)
This year was the first since high school where umma did not make any money. While she was career driven prior to Kylan's birth and was blessed to have jobs where she had opportunities to advance quickly, this year was the most rewarding in her life. It was really difficult for her to let go of the work she had worked so hard for and the position she most likely will not return to, taking care of Kylan and the family on a full-time basis has been the most challenging, yet blessed job she has ever had. People always ask if she would go back to work, but umma says that she will say that it will be a year to year decision because she is a wife and mother first before being an administrator or teacher.

Instead of going to work with a bag, she now goes to the park with this guy.

#6: Appa travels all over the country
This was a tough year for appa. From Wall Street to Thousand Oaks to Dallas, appa was on the road for 8+ months straight. The projects were difficult. The clients were demanding. The life of out the suitcase was lonely. The family left behind was strained. However, it was also a year of tremendous professional and personal growth for appa. In a year that unemployment rate hit 13% in California, he was not only able to keep employed but also advanced his career. We were blessed because this was the year we will look back and realize how important it was for appa's career. Here are all the cities he went to this year: Tampa, NY, Calabassas, Dallas, and DC.

#5: Kylan turns 1!
Our baby turned one early this year. He had a big birthday party at Cerritos library with friends and family. He even showed off his Han-Bok (traditional Korean garment). He was so happy without even knowing why...

#4: Kylan goes to Hawai'i
So much fun, so little time. Not to mention the first plane ride for Kylan.

On a hilltop overlooking the entire island

#3: Fantastikk4 goes to Japan
In July, Kyle, Kathy, Kylan, and Kyrsten inside umma's belly went on a trip of our life time. We went to Nagoya, Japan on a mission trip. We worked with Nagoya Evangelical Free Church. It was a week of wonderful times, primarily meeting women and children. The people of Japan really touched our lives. Funny isn't it that we went to minister to them but we ended up receiving so much more from them. It was rough traveling with a toddler - the time change was especially rough. However, everything was worth every bit of trouble! We are going to go back one day with Kyrsten.

The most fantastic mission team ever assembled

Our fabulous host family (it was a family with four daughters. the oldest is missing in the picture. Imagine all the love Kylan received all week)

On one of our off days, we got to visit Tokyo for a day. Visiting appa's old stomping grounds with umma and Kylan was very meaningful. Even though Kylan slept most of the time.

#2: Umma gets pregnant
Umma had been feeling not so good for a few weeks. She had all the tell-tell signs but how can it be? It took 2 years to get pregnant with Kylan. It cannot happen so easily this time around. We have been disappointed so many time before that we refused to take the pregnancy test for weeks. In the beginning of May, we finally gave in. The family was up in Calabassas area with appa on a business trip and we were less than a week from flying to Hawai'i. On an early Thursday morning in our hotel room in Marriot Renaissance, we saw the promise of two pink lines. While umma and appa cried tears of joy, Kylan just slept in his hotel crib. This was on business trip appa would never forget. (showing Kylan's visit to Reagan library during the same trip when grandparents came to visit)

#1: The birth of Kyrsten
Of course, our biggest event/moment of 2009 is the birth of our precious daughter Kyrsten. She was the early Christmas gift that we all love the most.

We wait for 2010 with great anticipation on what blessings we will receive.

Kylan's Comings and Goings in December

2009-12-21T16:15:00.000-08:00

Umma has been kinda tied up lately (i.e., having a baby) that she wasn't able to post Kylan's activities in December - or should we say in early December. So let's backtrack a bit...

As the last hurrah before the baby, Kylan and umma went to the Imagination Movers Concert at Club Nokia with noona, a couple of hyungs, and his best bud B.

Kylan and B waiting for the Movers to come on stage with their matching sweatshirts.

Umma was hoping that Kylan would take a nap on the way to the concert, but of course, it didn't happen that way. He did take a snooze on the floor of Club Nokia prior to the start of the show. He might be the only kid who can say that he has slept on the floor of a club before he turned 2 years old.
The Movers on stage
Kylan didn't stick with umma, but rather danced and jumped with the big kids out in front. Look how small he looks compared to the other kids.
We had a total blast and was so memorable. We didn't know quite what to expect, but everyone who went had so much fun!

Kylan's friends also came over for a gingerbread house party several days before Kyrsten's birth. Kylan got to really experience his first sugar rush with the buffet of candy that was available and within reach. We never saw the 5 kids who were at the party as hyper as they were that day. But it was so much fun, especially to have all his friends over.

Kylan actually decorated his own house. Umma thought that maybe the house would get crushed or just be a complete mess, but Kylan created a Picasso-esque house with the key component consisting of every single piece of candy having a piece bitten off prior to it being attached to the house. We are quite impressed...
If you see it in person, you can literally see teeth marks in all the candy. It is gross if you think about it, but it makes appa and umma mightly proud that he accomplished this at 22 months. Oh, and trust me, Kylan got a good scrubbing when he brushed his teeth afterwards.

Last but not least, here is Kylan wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

We'll leave you with Kyrsten's picture of her first outing - to the Mother/Baby Assessment Center

Kyrsten is here!!!

2009-12-17T15:19:00.000-08:00

We had been waiting for 9 months for the day we get to meet our little daughter/baby sister. On December 14, 2009, our dream became a reality. Kyrsten finally revealed herself to the world. She is really a sweet baby. Unlike her brother who forced his mom to push for 2 hours, Kyrsten took all of 90 minute hospital stay before she was put into her mother's arms. We were so rushed that umma delivered Kyrsten without an Epidural shot. Yes, umma is now a member of an elite group to which no one should ever aspire. This story is too long and gruesome to be chronicled on a blog. Most important thing is how alert and beautiful Kyrsten looked immediately after her birth.

While we were in the hospital, we had a bit of a health scare. Kyrsten's white blood cell count was way high and the doctors were afraid of an infection. She was hooked to an IV and received antibiotic shots every 12 hours. This made her so uncomfortable that she didn't sleep much. There was a talk that she may have to be admitted to CHOC and that we won't be able to come home together. This worried umma and appa very much.

In the end, Kyrsten "defeated" whatever was bothering her and we were able to come home together. She is now sleeping and eating like a model baby.

This is the very first picture we took as a family.

By the way, guess what this guy is now...unreal...I think this is the first time the word "big" was used to describe him. Thank you, Kyrsten!

Kylan needed some time to get adjusted to the new way of life. In fact, in many ways, he is still adjusting. There were episodes here and there. Now that the baby is home, he is starting to show a lot of affection towards Kyrsten. Perhaps this is just another coping mechanism. Regardless, after 3 days of episodes, umma and appa were proud that Kylan had this moment with Kyrsten this morinng.

Appa kept insisting that Kyrsten looks just like Kylan. Umma didn't see it until she saw Kylan's pictures from Jan '08. We will wait and see how she really turns out.

We are just so happy and proud.

We will post more soon! Thank you to everyone for your well wishes.

Double 2! Thanksgiving style!

2009-11-26T23:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Coinciding with 2009 Thanksgiving Day, Kylan turned 22 months old today. We truly are so thankful that we have Kylan as our son. We are thankful that Kylan is healthy above all else. In addition, we are thankful

for the wonderful family he has...

for being a nice boy who gets along with others (I know...this is disputable at times)

for making everyday the happiest day of our lives no matter where we are...

and for having a baby sister in less than a month

We were reminded by Kylan's great grandmother today that we should not necessarily be thankful because we are happy but we should really be happy because we are thankful. What a great reminder...

We hope that everyone had as great a Thanksgiving as we had today.

Meet Kyrsten!

2009-11-26T22:38:00.000-08:00

Our very first post on this new blog is to introduce Kyrsten.

The doctor ordered us to go get a detailed ultrasound of Kyrsten the other day for extra caution. Good thing is, this being the 35th week of her existence, we got really good pictures including her full facial shot. This picture looks little difficult to decipher but if you look carefully, you will see her eyes, nose, mouth, and hand in the picture stretching from the right to the left. She is on her side.

We also have a shot of her full side profile and this is from week 20 so it is about 15 weeks old. It's fun to compares these to her brother's shots taken about the same time.

She will be born sometime in December and we can't wait to meet her!