that dreaded regression

Yup. It's that time. Elijah is in the throes of the 4-month sleep regression. At this age, babies' sleep cycle starts to become more mature, so they have to learn how to transition between the sleep stages. It's not easy for them to do this, and then throw in new motor skills to practice (in their sleep), plus lots of new synaptic pathways developing . . . you end up with a baby who wakes up hourly (actually, more like every 45 minutes) all night long.

It's rough.

It will pass, but it's so hard right now. I actually held him all night for the past couple nights. It helped, but I certainly don't want that to become a habit!

He eats all night long too, far more than what he eats during the day. I don't really know how to stop this 'reverse cycling', and so for now I'm just going with it.

In other news, it's Korean Chuseok, kind of like Thanksgiving. Gary had 2 days off, which was amazing, as I was able to take naps! We didn't do anything at all, other than the usual house-cleaning. We didn't go shopping (one of the most popular past-times here), and we didn't even go to the beach. With Elijah not sleeping well, I am too exhausted to do a whole lot. We just hung out, played with the baby, went on a couple walks, and watched movies/tv shows together. It was really nice. I wish Gary never had to go to work.

Oh, and Elijah loves his daddy. He always has smiles for him. But for me? I just get yelled at.

looking at daddy

looking at mommy

loafing about

100 days

Today is Elijah's 100th day celebration!

Here in Korea (as well as in China), 100 days is an important milestone for babies. Traditionally, there was a high infant mortality rate, and surviving 100 days was a big deal. During the first 100 days, mother and baby stayed indoors and no visitors were allowed. The babies were often unnamed until this day. For Baby's 100 Day Celebration, rice cakes were given out, and spirits thanked.

(Rice cake: 'Congratulations 100 Days')

There aren't any 'rules' for this celebration, but parents still give out rice cakes - 100 of them for the best luck.

From what I gather, it's a popular time for a photo shoot, and the time to shave baby's sweet, soft locks. Which is kind of sad, really... who would want to nuzzle a stubbly-headed infant? Razor burn!

Another reason why the 100th day is important is because it marks the 365th day of life!

From actual conception to birth is about 265 days, plus the first 100 = 1 year!

So happy 365th day of being alive, my son, and thank you for being in our arms for 100 days!

*info on Korean culture from Hyon Ju Park Lee's Korean culture blog and ddok picture from Gyopo Wife's blog.