Two Months and Counting…

Well, Dasan is one month closer to his first major league appearance for the Rangers. Hard to believe he’s already 2 months old. He used to be so little and helpless, but now he’s…oh come on, who am I kidding – he’s still tiny and completely helpless. A lot has happened though, since the last posting. If you’re in a hurry, here’s the short version: Dasan smiled, cried, met some friends, drank from a bottle, started imitating mouth movements, got a mild ear infection and started working on his pitching mechanics.

If you’re looking for something to do, here’s the long version.

It’s been thrilling to watch Dasan grow. It’s hard to see his physical growth, but you can’t miss some of the cognitive and motor developments he’s made. The greatest is the little smile he pulls out every once in a while. Sometimes when Kim is changing him or playing with him he really gets it going. It’s so heart-warming to see. It’s the beginning of the two-way relationship. We may have just spent the past 4 hours trying to talk him off the ledge but when he whips out that little smile the 4 hours worth of pent up anxiety dissolve in an instant. Near the end of the month he even started imitating us when we’d open our mouth really wide (there’s a great picture of Dasan imitating his Aunt Rachel on the site under Month 2). We can see that he’s trying to imitate the sounds too. I wouldn’t be surprised if by next report he’s invented his own language.

Another highlight this month was Dasan’s first bath in the tub. The first month we used these little towlets (picture giant wet wipes). Beginning this past month we introduced him to the bath tub. He LOVED it. That warm water really soothed him.

He also had his first hang-out session with a couple of his friends. Kim’s good friends, Kate and Holly, brought over their little guys and we got some great pics (see Month 2 on the web site) of them. I think Dasan was just learning that the flailing thing hooked to his shoulder was his at the time, so I’m not sure he was able to fully appreciate the experience, but the pictures are priceless nonetheless.

The highlights of the month far outweigh Dasan’s incessant crying. The crying just comes with the territory. We did feel like he was crying more than he should be so we took him into the doctor today. As it turns out, he has an ear infection, so we’re optimistic that once we kick the ear infection he’ll feel a lot better and sleep a little better too.

I mentioned in the last posting that Kim is an awesome mom. It hasn’t taken me long to realize that’s a gross understatement (although if you ask her she’ll humbly tell you otherwise). She has masterfully adjusted to motherhood. She’s a savvy mom – wisely navigating us through the gauntlet of decisions new parents are faced with. She’s developing a connection with Dasan that is touching to watch. It’s amazing to see the way her touch calms him.

Having our family in town has been the biggest blessing! I shutter to think of how the past two months would have gone without the unwavering support from our family. We’re getting such great encouragement and advice from the whole family. It’s neat to see their eyes light up when little Dasan comes over.

Can’t wait to update you again a month from now. I’ll leave you with a few predictions for what my next report may hold with along with the Vegas odds on each. I’d love for you to share your own predictions for Dasan’s 3rd month with the rest of the world on this blog.

* He’s so close to laughing, I think it’s going to happen this month. (75%)
* He’s definitely going to start making noises – other than crying, burping, and tooting (85%)
* He’s going to take an interest in noise-makers like baby rattles (90%)
* He’s going to grow out of his current diaper size (70%)
* After breaking his arm it heals with bionic strength and he’s going to obliterate the MLB record for the youngest pitcher ever to get an official invite to a Spring Training Camp, but sadly, gets cut after coaches realize he can’t make out the signals from his catcher. (.001%, but let’s not rule it out)