So Where Are All The Baby Photos?

There is without a doubt nothing I am more proud of than being a mom to my little BBH. So naturally like every other parent I can't help but want to flood my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds with cute photos and videos of my baby. However, I also worry about privacy online and what little BBH will and will not want to share when she is older.

Well, everyone has their limits. I know some parents who just won't share their children's names on social media or others that hand select a few pictures. The majority however, share everything - and who could blame them? Kids are cute and it's so hard to resist! CGB and I have decided that family photos are okay, and so is the occasional "too cute not to share", but in general we keep BBH out of focus or off social networks simply in respect to her future self. Like us, when she's older, she can share all the baby pics of herself that she wants.

So what's a proud mama to do? My iPhone is chock FULL of photos and videos just begging to be cooed and fawned over. And besides, even the over-sharers know there are just some videos and pics you would only want family to see.

Well, here's how my proud parent bug is satiated:

Apple's Shared Photo Streams:

One of the latest iOS updates made shared Photo Streams available. Shared Photo Streams are the easiest way I've found to share photos in my Camera Roll with just the people I choose. Friends and family are invited to subscribe via email and every time I add a photo to my stream, they can leave comments and "like" it. In fact, they get notified automatically when I add a new photo or when comments are added. It's our own private social network for photos!

It's become such a hit, each of our family members has their own stream and we share everyday photos with just a tap of the finger. Learn more about it here. Only available for Apple devices.

Fantastic for photos, but what about video? Well, I'm addicted to:

Joya - Send Mobile Family Videos

Pretty much anything you can do with the streams, Joya does for mobile videos. In addition, the beauty of this app is that it takes all the technology out of sharing videos. Viewers don't need the app (unless they want to view and keep all your videos on their mobile device). Also, unlike Photo Streams, this app is device agnostic, android/apple they're all friends here.

No more grainy videos via MMS or fiddling with attachments and downloads. No need to worry about what kind of file extensions I have or finding the right program to play the video. I just upload within the app, and a private link can be sent via SMS or email to Grandma - all she has to do is click and my full length, full quality video plays in a browser window.

With Joya I don't worry about who is viewing my videos. I don't have to take time setting anything to private or editing lists because I invite and send videos directly to my family and friends. It doesn't sit on YouTube somewhere or semi-hidden in Facebook. In addition, I get a notice every time one of my friends or family watch a clip. It brings a smile to my face knowing they can get a little nugget of BBH's world anytime they want.

Just like the Photo Streams, we've expanded our usage beyond baby. I have family members sending vacation videos, funny pet clips and even special messages to BBH to get her accustomed to their faces and voices (wayyy better than just photos!). The privacy element actually makes the experience very personal. Download it for free here!

The funny thing is, with these private options available, I actually share more than I would have with just social media. I think I average about a photo every other day and a video ever other week! BBH just started crawling about two weeks ago, so I've got quite the bevy of videos taking up my Joya stream these days!

Disclaimer: All views and opinions are my own. Full disclosure: Though I had the privilege of working with the Joya team, I was not compensated or asked to write about this app I simply love :)

6 Months: Reflecting Back, Looking Forward

It's hard to believe that over 6 months have already passed. We have so much to show for it, and yet not a stitch of it in writing! But to be honest, it's been hard. REALLY hard. There was a lot of panic, frustration, tears...so many tears. I always thought that being the oldest of seven children would come in handy. Maybe it did, but THANK GOODNESS for family, and the support of friends!

I just wasn't one of those moms that fell instantly in love at first sight. Part of this was due to my unbelievably long labor - I was exhausted! But I've always been a more reserved person. Always been the type that doesn't include newcomers easily into my inner circle until proven worthy. Not to say that BBH had to prove herself worthy. I was attached and loved her, but certainly not "in love" with her. 

The first 3 months put CGB and I through the ringer. No amount of detail or explanation can really prepare you for those early first months. To even try is folly since every baby is totally different. If you're a parent, you know what I mean. Everyone tells you to, "enjoy every minute!" But it's so hard to do when you're worrying every second on zero sleep.

This isn't to say that I wasn't in complete awe and wonder at little BBH. Since day one, I've been fascinated and completely enthralled by her. However, it wasn't until around the 5 month mark that she's truly become nothing but a complete and absolute delight. Being away from her is now TOR-TURE! Every smile, every giggle. The way her bangs have grown out longer than the rest of her hair. My dimples, CGB's smile. Her button of a nose that has yet to reveal its final form. The tiny baby cleft chin that I can't figure out where she inherited from. Her intoxicating, sweet baby smell. It's impossible to get enough. I already find myself looking back at older pictures mourning the tiny infant that was :(

6 months. So long and yet so short. I can't even begin to express the excitement and unmeasurable love I have for this still small, but maybe "not so tiny anymore" person. Every morning I look forward to learning more about who she is, and who she wants to be.

100 Days and Counting!

So much has happened in the past 3 and a half months. It's hard to believe that we survived it all. My new year's resolution is to start writing down more updates as up until now, finding time to write even a little tiny thing has been the furthest from my mind. To summarize, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times".

BBH is a textbook baby that doesn't like to nap (as textbook as a baby can be anyway - hello, grow spurts!) Thankfully after the 2 month mark, we figured out how to nap and have settled into a traditional E.A.S.Y. pattern. The length of the naps, however, is still a mystery. Sometimes as short as 40 minutes, or randomly as long as 3 hours. Once she's down, I'm on the clock for "me-time".

2013 brought us our first uproarious giggle fit, and the beginning of 8-hour long stretches of sleep...in her own room! No more kangarooing, and no more co-sleeping. She loves taking selfies and squealing at her reflection in the mirror. This week, she started to wiggle her hips more and take an interest in her toes. Above all else, RAB loves to "stand". It's been her favorite activity since week 4. Coming in at a close second is bath time! Needless to say the "splash zone" has increased significantly since the early days.

As timing would have it, BBH's 100 days was January 1st. In Korean culture, the 100 days tradition (baek-il) is celebrated with a mini birthday party. You have piles of fruit, rice cakes and plenty of food for friends and family to come over to celebrate. Stemming from low survival rates, the 100 days celebration is first of many cultural milestones tied to the birthday. We were in the midwest for the holiday break, and had some beautiful white snow to play in for a festive photo shoot to commemorate the special occasion.

showing off her winter coat

waving to the paparazzi in her sherpa hat

Halmonee's Postpartum Rules

Halmonee is Grandma in Korean. And below are a combination of Korean old wives tales and my mother's own anecdotal postpartum rules from having 7 children. I thought I'd jot them down while I still remembered them so that I can be sure to *lovingly* nag my own daughters and daughter-in-laws in the future.

• Soup of any kind is the best for breastfeeding (seaweed soup is best).
• One must stay covered up at all times, to the point of sweating. 
• Socks must be worn at all times.
• Don't take large bites of hard objects, teeth will start to weaken.
• No reading or computer time, your eyes will get worse.

My mother has never spend more than 10 minutes in front of a computer her entire life so not sure how that one got in there, but her visits during the first two months were a godsend.

I understand now why new parents can seem so obsessed with their kids, smug even. It is without a doubt the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. To survive caring for a newborn is nothing short of a miracle - thus my complete absence from blogging for the past 3 months! But for now, a toast to all the mamas and papas before me as I raise this glass (of real alcohol!) to them.