Well, we're finally here in Korea.  We've actually been here about a week but we're finally at Camp Page and somewhat settled in so I thought I'd give you a rundown of how the trip went.

During the few weeks home Charlotte was having severe separation anxiety, as she had been before we left Texas with the packing and all going on.  She started getting a little more comfortable around family and friends at home but there were still many times when all she wanted was for me to hold her which made it very difficult to get anything done.  Luckily she started sleeping pretty good at night and taking really good naps (3-4 hours) which helped me with packing for the trip.  However the night before the trip she woke up just after I finally got to sleep and we were up most of the night.  Of course this made her very fussy in the morning so we were not off to a good start.  Then the lady at the Northwest ticket counter really made things miserable for me.  I got to the airport an hour before my flight and she started lecturing me about how I was suppose to be there 2 hours ahead and if I did not get to the gate on time they would not hold the flight.  Then she gave me grief about all my baggage.  I did have a lot but it was all within the limits of Northwest's policies (2 large checked bags, a small checked bag for Charlotte, a small carry-on suitcase, a diaper bag, a purse, a stroller, coat, blanket & sling).  Going for 2 months I wanted to utilize every bit of space I could to bring stuff.  Even with all that I still shipped a big box of toys.  Anyway she had me so frazzled that I ended up leaving my tickets at the counter and having to go all the way back to get them.  Then security was a nightmare.  I started realizing that I had more carry-on than I could handle and nobody was really offering to help.  Finally one of the ladies saw what a hard time I was having and said I could have one person come with me to the gate so I had my Mom help me.  But then I forgot to take my cell phone out of my pocket and it set the thing off.  Instead of letting me take it out and go through again, they took me off to the side and had to go all over me with the wand.  By this time I was so stressed I was in tears and just felt like I would never survive the 22 hour trip as bad as the pre-trip events were going.  When we finally got all the way to the gate at the very end of the terminal I realized I once again did not have my tickets.  So I had to run again all the way back to security where I had set them down.  I finally get back to the gate in time for final boarding and the same mean lady is there again.  As she sees my carry on items closer she starts saying I have too much stuff and that I'm going to have to pay $130 for excess baggage.  As we went through the items I told her the backpack was the diaper bag and the smaller bag was my purse (actually a diaper bag but I also carry my stuff in it).  She tries to say that its not a purse - that it's too big.  When I said something about women carrying purses bigger than that, a woman in line turns around and shows her hers.  I was so upset by then I was about to lose it.  I was begging for her to give me a break and finally she said I could go on.  Luckily when I got down to the end of the ramp where they take the stroller, the guy there asked if I wanted to gate check the carry-on suitcase.  And he checked it all the way through to Korea.  What a blessing that was - I never would have made it if I had had to carry that as well.

When I finally got on the plane the flight attendant could see I was stressed and she was extremely nice and really helped me settle down.  I finally thought things were looking up.  But then I decided to go ahead and give Charlotte the medicine the doctor prescribed to help her sleep.  I set the bottle on the seat while looking for the dropper.  When I looked back somehow the childproof screw cap which had never been opened had come off and most of the contents of the rather large bottle had spilled all over the seat.  What a sticky mess.  Luckily there was still enough in the bottle for quite a few doses and the flight attendant said the mess was no big deal.  Other than also spilling my glass of apple juice later on in the flight, that pretty much ended my string of rotten luck.  Charlotte slept most of that flight (2 hours) and had no problem with her ears.  She was so sound asleep that I couldn't even wake her to get her to nurse during the landing.

The layover in Detroit went really smooth.  Charlotte rode in the stroller fine during the long trek to the next gate and we had plenty of time to get her changed and even get some lunch.  The next flight was the long one - 13 hours to Tokyo.  But Charlotte did great especially considering I was unable to use the bassinet which I had really been counting on.  When I had called all they said was under 20 pounds and she is just over 19 pounds.  But when they saw her standing they said they cannot be used if they are sitting or standing on there own since they could fall out.  Like I'm going to put her in it and leave her.  I never saw what they looked like but as close as the wall was I'm pretty sure the thing would have practically been in my lap.  But someone's kid probably fell out and they got sued or something so that's their policy.  My next preference would have been a seat with an empty seat next to me like I had on the first flight but the flight was full.  Having the seat at the wall ended up being ok though cause I had extra leg room and Charlotte could sit or stand on the floor in front of me and play.  Luckily the guy to one side of me was an Air Force Captain heading back to Korea from mid tour and he had just left his 3 yr old and 6 wk old so he was pretty understanding and helpful.  And to the other side was a 3 yr old Japanese girl and her mother.  Having the little girl next to us gave us a little more room on the floor and they enjoyed playing some.  She did not speak English but of course that doesn't matter for little kids.  Her Mom spoke some and we chatted a little.  They made Charlotte a little piano origami which was cute.  Charlotte ended up sleeping on and off about 6 hours total and she was pretty good the rest of the time with just a few short crying episodes.  Unfortunately though I didn't sleep much when she did so I was pretty wiped out by the time we got to Tokyo.  But just knowing I only had a few hours left kept me going.

I was a little concerned about making the connection in Tokyo cause the Air Force guy talked like it might be hard to do in an hour.  We had to go through security again and there was a long line but then they told us there was another place we could go through with no line and the next gate was very close which was lucky cause the Tokyo airport is huge.  We taxied for about 30 minutes and I was seeing gate numbers like 212.  The only problem in the airport was the heat - it must have been about 90 and it was very crowded standing around waiting to board.  As soon as they started boarding first class, I just made my way through with the stroller and said how about people with small children and they said go ahead.  I realize now that even if they don't say it you just go up there and they won't tell you no.  Of course then I got randomly selected to go though another thorough screening before boarding - bag search and the taking off your shoes and being scanned routine.  But once I got on board it was smooth sailing.  I got an aisle seat with an empty seat next to me and Charlotte fell asleep before we even left the ground and slept the entire flight.  My good luck continued as I got off the plane in Seoul.  I met another Mom traveling with her 2 yr old who was making the trip for the 3rd time to visit her husband who was a govt contractor at Osan AFB.  We chatted and she stayed with me through the whole customs and getting your bags process which was a big help.  This time I lucked out and strolled right through customs without being selected to be searched - probably cause they saw all the luggage I had.

Once through there, Kenneth was waiting for us with roses in hand.  I felt like I was just going to collapse in his arms I was so relieved that I was there and it was over - not just the long trip but the whole ordeal I had been through since he left in August - selling the house, the move, the drive from Texas and now the trip to Korea.  Finally we were reunited and the best part was that Charlotte went right to him with no hesitation and didn't even cry when I went to the bathroom.  I was so afraid that she would cry like she had been doing with family and friends back home.  But it was obvious that she remembered her Daddy.  We hung out in the airport for about an hour and a half waiting for the bus to Yongsan where we were staying for the weekend.  This gave Kenneth and Charlotte time to get reacquainted.  She was in a good mood since she had had a good nap and to us it was morning.  Then on the hour bus ride she went back to sleep.  So of course when we got to the hotel at about midnight she was ready to play.  So we didn't get much sleep that night.

The next day we were going to go to Osan (about an hour bus ride) to go shopping but I was feeling pretty lousy so we just hung around the hotel and ended up all napping for a few hours.  The hotel (the Dragon Hill Lodge at Yongsan) was very nice - almost like the Hale Koa where we had stayed in Hawaii.  Definitely not your usual military lodging.  We got a little more sleep the next night as Charlotte started getting accustomed to the time difference.  The next day we did go to Osan where we went off post and got our first real taste of the Korean culture.  Charlotte is like a movie star over here.  The Korean people (especially the women) go nuts over American babies especially ones with blonde hair and blue eyes.  They ooh and aah over her and want to touch her.  Most of the time she likes the attention.  We did a little shopping in Osan (Kenneth is getting a leather coat custom made and we are both getting some shoes custom made.  And we got some cold weather stuff which none of us had much of - scarves, an ear muff kind of thing for me and some cute mittens for Charlotte).

The next day we just hung around post at Yongsan until we caught the afternoon bus to Camp Page (our home for the next 2 months).  This bus ride didn't go quite as well as the others had.  It was longer (a little over 2 hours) and the roads had lots of twists and turns and there was a lot of stop & go.  I was feeling pretty queasy which made it tough when Charlotte wanted me to hold her.  We made a pit stop about half way and the fresh air helped some.  I had my first experience with a Korean toilet (basically like a urinal laying on the floor that you squat over).  Luckily I had tissue with me since that wasn't provided.  When we were about 30 min. from Page Charlotte started getting fussy and we soon discovered why - she threw up all over herself and Kenneth.  And of course all here clothes were in the suitcases under the bus.  This was one time I was glad it was hot on the bus.  We stripped her down and cleaned her up and I just wrapped her in my sweatshirt to take her to the room when we got there.

The next day was still a holiday so Kenneth didn't have to work.  We went into Chuncheon to eat at a place the Americans call Smokey Joe's.  They set hot coals in the middle of the table and you cook pieces of steak over them.  It was very good but it was a bit challenging keeping Charlotte far away from the coals.  We were the only customers there and in Chuncheon they see even fewer Americans so they go even more crazy over Charlotte so the ladies in the restaurant held Charlotte & played with her some while we ate.  Everywhere we go here it is very hot inside so we've learned to dress in layers since it is in the 40's outside during the day.  In Kenneth's room we can't turn the heat off so even though it's freezing outside we have the window open and a fan going at all times.

The room is pretty small but we've got it arranged pretty well to optimize the space.  It took a few days to find places to put all our stuff and get it so it wasn't so cluttered.  And it's kind of hard to babyproof.  But we've got it where there is kind of a living room area that we can block off and Charlotte can play pretty safely in there.  Feeding here was kind of tough without a high chair but one of the other wives showed me her booster seat with a tray and even picked one up for us when whe went to Yongsan one day so that is working out really well.  There are 2 other wives here with kids - one has 18 mo. old and 5 yr. old boys and the other has a 2 yr. old girl.  And another wife who has already been here a year just found out she's pregnant.  The first day Kenneth had to work I went with them on an MWR  tour to a jade mine.  The tour was ok but the companionship and conversation was the best part.  Having other wives here especially ones with kids is really going to help make the stay here better.  Kenneth had duty one day and needed to sleep the next day so I hung out with the wives in one of their rooms while they swapped off going to the gym.  I've been to the gym twice while Kenneth watched Charlotte but I'm going to get in on the babysitting deal with them so I can go during the day.  I haven't been yet but there is also a place we can hang out during the day where the kids can play and I think is has kitchen stuff, TV, internet, laundry facilities, etc.  That will be good cause you could definitely get cabin fever staying in these little rooms.  They have nicer, newer ones that are like a one bedroom apt. with separate bedroom and living room and a decent size kitchen but those are for the higher ranks - bummer.  But even though the living arrangements aren't the best it still beats being separated.

We've also been to the commisary and PX - they actually have more selection than I expected.  And we can special order stuff or just get stuff when we go to Yongsan which we will probably do about every other weekend just to get out of Page.  One night we went and saw a movie at the theater which is free and it has pretty recent movies.  We went into Chuncheon yesterday afternoon and went to the underground mall which has tons of shops.  We got Charlotte a really cute coat with tweety bird on it from a Baby Looney Tunes store.  They even had BLT strollers, car seats and just about any baby stuff you could think of.  The prices aren't quite as good here as down south since it is a so-called resort town but the stores are nicer and it is still cheaper than the states.  Today Kenneth has duty again but he was able to leave for a while and we went to a birthday party for the 5-yr old boy.  They had it at the community activity center which a pretty nice facility.  I think we are going to have a party there for Charlotte next weekend.  I had an early one for here home with family and friends but I'd like to do one here too with Kenneth.  She'll actually have more kids at this one here since the only one at the party home was here cousin who is 18 mo.  The other kids there were older.  We'll have to get her a few presents at Yongsan next weekend since I already gave her all her presents at the other party.

As far as how Charlotte is doing, she seems to be adjusting really well.  She seems much happier now that she has both Mommy and Daddy around.  Most of the problems I was having while I was home - like the clinginess and needing to use the swing a lot to get her to sleep - are not a problem now.  She's been going to sleep well - most of the time with Kenneth giving her a bottle and the last 2 nights she has slept through the night.  And she's been going down good for naps.  She sleeps good in the pack n play with a dark blanket over it and it hasn't been a problem with us still being up doing stuff while she sleeps.  I had planned on weaning her off the breastfeeding at a year and the bottle shortly after that but I've decided to wait till we get back to the states and get settled since it's still the only way to get her to sleep sometimes.  She only nurses about once a day and we've started giving her whole milk mixed with formula  She's taking the sippy cup more too.  She's also eating more regular food but we still give her baby food some just to make sure she gets enough to eat and that she gets good nutrition.  She now has 6 teeth - 4 on top and 2 on the bottom.  She started standing on her own while we were home but is not walking yet.  She crawls very fast so I don't think she has much interest in walking since that would slow her down.  When you get indoors with her it's very hard to hold her cause she just wants to get down and go.  Most of the time we let her but it means she gets pretty filthy sometimes.  As far as words its pretty much just mama and dada with an occasional cat or dog.  She seems to say no when you try to do something with her she doesn't want to do (sometimes it sounds like nay or noy though).  And once in a while she'll repeat a word you say like Elmo and she said red once after her toy phone said it.  She understands some other words and will point to objects when you ask her where they are like baby and bear.  Her favorite toys now are things with buttons she can press and make things happen and things where she can take stuff in and out.  She also loves books now especially ones with flaps to lift.  We have all hers in a bin and she will pull one after the other out and sit down and flip through them.  She is still into Elmo but I think Bear in the Big Blue House has become her favorite now.  The one thing she's having a hard time getting used to here is wearing all the cold weather stuff, especially socks and shoes.  As soon as you take her shoes off, she immediately pulls her socks off and then carries them around and puts them in her mouth.  Today we really had to bundle her up since we woke up to a pretty good amount of snow on the ground.  It was the first she has seen and she seemed to think it was neat.  She was trying to catch it with her hands as it fell.

Well I had no intention of writing this much but it looks like I've ended up with a book.  Guess you can tell I have a lot of time on my hands now.  I'll attach a few pictures now and send more with updates (much shorter of course).

Take care!

Shari, Kenneth & Charlotte