So poor baby has not been sleeping well and cranky all week, and today we discovered that she has a yucky rash all over her body. Hyunnie has VERY sensitive skin, and can only use certain laundry detergents (Tide Free powder version, not liquid) and a certain kind of diaper cream (A&D, not Desitin). Fortunately we also discovered that Aquaphor heals almost everything, so we have a very greasy, Aquaphored baby wearing minimal clothes right now. Now the funny/sad thing is Sol and I both have very sensitive skin. Sol has almost the exact same rash as Hyunnie, and last year I found out I’m allergic to fragrance, chemicals, etc… Too bad Hyunnie “inherited” such an inconvenient trait from both of us! It made me start to think of all the ways, big and small, that Hyunnie truly is similar to me and Sol…Ways that Hyunnie is like Daddy…
- Many people say Hyunnie looks like Sol. I can definitely see it (round face, big eyes)… When people who don’t know she’s adopted look at me and Hyunnie and ask if she looks like her dad, I can honestly say “Yes, she does!”
- Hyunnie is a homebody, just like Daddy. She is happiest at home, so happy in fact that whenever we come home from a long day out and about she is literally dancing around and practically kissing the floor. Lately she likes to do a dance that resembles an Irish jig, very quick feet
- Hyunnie doesn’t seem to care what other people think — in a good way! I always tell Sol that he so doesn’t care what other people think, he’s pretty much the opposite of a people-pleaser. Hyunnie also seems to be independent and a leader — hopefully she won’t grow out of this trait as she gets older.
- Hyunnie can be both hyper-active sometimes and very focused at other times. The hyper part was Sol when he was little, he says that sometimes he had so much energy he just couldn’t stop running in circles! The focused part is Sol now. When he focuses on one task, there’s not much that can distract him. That’s definitely like Hyunnie. Just observe her playing with a toy that interests her… it’s like super intense concentration powers come over her!
Now ways that Hyunnie is like Mommy…
- The girl LOVES to eat! Especially chips, fries, anything crunchy and salty. I feel like I have to eat chips in secret from now on… otherwise Hyunnie is going to develop a bad junk food habit just like mommy!
- She gets a bit cranky when she wakes up and doesn’t like to go to sleep when she’s tired… Sol is always telling me to go to bed earlier, and just like Hyunnie I find myself fighting sleep too often!
- Hyunnie is very determined and doesn’t give up easily. One of our friends told us that is similar to me, and although I didn’t see it first, I guess that I can be quite stubborn and determined in getting my way for certain things that I want!
- She has a very high-pitched scream these days… when I told my mom about it, she said, “Oh, you used to scream like that ALL the time when you were a baby…”
Most people wouldn’t guess this about me and Sol (hopefully!), but we were actually both kind of difficult children growing up. Apparently we made it hard on our parents and now I see it coming back to us in Hyunnie!! But, of course I still love my baby One way that Hyunnie is NOT like either of us? She’s very fair-skinned. Fortunately a good trait in Korean culture. When we look at family pics of the 3 of us and see how dark Sol and I are, and then look at Hyunnie, I can see why people start to wonder, hmmm…
