Korean 100 Days Celebration • Baek-il 백일

In Korean culture, a baby’s 100th day of life is a big milestone. The tradition comes from the olden days when a lot of babies did not live past 100 days. Although the same risks do not exist today, the Baek-il still marks a celebratory moment in a newborn’s life.

Elliot’s 100th day happened during the depths of COVID. We are sad that we couldn’t gather in a larger setting, but feel lucky to have celebrated more intimately with our immediate families.

We rented the main table components from Hello Design and Party. I loved the neutral color palette as well as the traditional Korean elements - Bojagi (wrapped boxes 보자기), Thread (signifying longevity), 5 colors Songpeyon rice cake (good wishes & dreams). We ordered a custom banner & cake topper. It was important for us to include Chinese elements in the design to honor Jon’s Taiwanese heritage. The beauty of Chinese characters (Han-ja) is that they are prevalent in Korean culture, so it was very easy to incorporate.

Our first 100 days with baby was filled with the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Being able to celebrate Elliot’s 100th day was a humbling reminder of our blessings - Health, happiness, & family.

Hope everyone is staying safe during this time!

Love, MH

Table Rental: Hello Design and Party
Hanbok & Baby Outfit: Hello Design and Party
Knitted Doll: Cuddle & Kind
Korean Name Puzzle: marsbymar
Wooden Cake Board: Lipper Intl
100 Days Cake Topper
Custom 100 Days Banner

Newborn Faves - Month 2

Month 2 of parenthood was filled with more firsts - baby’s first coos, first social smile… as well as, our first mental breakdown, & first feelings of complete defeat. I’m happy to report we made it out the other side wiser and tired-er. I get it. Babies have it rough too. They go from the comfort of mama’s belly to this big new world they are not developed enough to understand. During month 2, we found joy in watching Elliot’s eyes light up as he recognized our faces, responded to our voices and started interacting with this toys.

Here are some of our Month 2 Newborn Must-Haves!
Funnily enough we did not register for most of these items and we bought them or were gifted them after baby was born. Just goes to show you can’t prepare for everything when it comes to babies.

*Product links & comments below.

Month 2: Newborn Edition

• High Contrast Books: Look Look!, Hello, Bugs!, Hello, Animals!
  Sturdy board books, stimulating images for a newborn from birth but baby engaged way more during month 2. Great for promoting tummy time and setting aside time for baby to hear your voice.

• Black & White Rattles
  These rattles make the most pleasant bell sound that bb loved and the black and white patterns on the animals catch bb’s attention. The bodies are plush but the ears are crinkly which add an element of textural/sound interest too. Ring attachment make it easy to hook to any bar. Elliot spent mornings playing with this on the side of the bassinet, under this playgym and even in his car seat! Feel like this really helped to develop his hand-eye coordination.

• Zipper Sleep & Play: Simple Joys by Carter (3pack, 2pack)
  During month 1, we kept bb in a kimono top and swaddle for most of the day but as we entered month 2, we quickly discovered the ease of sleep & plays, specifically zipper sleep & plays! Easy on and off for diaper changes. There is no greater enemy to an overtired parent than snaps on a baby’s onesie.
  *Honorary mention: Magnetic Me Sleep & Play - Register for these in multiple sizes! We only registered for one 0-3M to try out but ended up buying many in all sizes.

• Snoo - Smart Sleeper Bassinet (Amazon)
  You see these things around the internet, on blogs, in influencer round ups and you think, “I’m not gunna need that! Sounds like a fake, expensive gimmick.” Ohhh how naive we were. With a colicky, nap-resistant, sleep-resistant baby, the Snoo was our saving grace. Does every parent need one of these for their child? No. Did we in a moment of desperation in our sleep deprived misery break down and purchase this at 6 weeks? Yes. And it was the best purchase we ever made. If you’re interested in learning about our Snoo journey, send me an email with your questions and I’ll put together a longer post! *We were able to “sleep train” right at 8 weeks, as recommended by our pediatrician. BLESS THE SNOO.

• Tulip Sound Book (Korean Song Board Book) - 튤립 사운드북 4종 세트 *This set of 4 is a nice catch all assortment of classic Korean children’s songs!
  These board book + singing tulip sets are must-haves in the Korean baby community! The songs come in different collections like classic children’s songs, Christmas Carols, even your English Nursery Rhymes. At 2 months, he loved staring at these tulips during diaper changes and we would play them in the background while playing with him on the playmat. The tulips also make for great photo bait when we want his attention. They are readily available for purchase in Korea, but for international families, you can purchase these via iBookPark.

• Baby Bjorn bouncer
  Elliot would sit here to digest after his feeds & play with his toy bar for 20 minutes at a time. It’s designed to bounce with the baby’s kicks but at 2 months, his kicks weren’t strong enough. I would bounce it with my foot while sitting at the table doing work or pat him on the back through the jersey material to provide contact.

• Otteroo
  For fun & comfort during bathtime! We started using this right as Elliot surpassed 9lbs. He always loved bathtime but would get cold easily laying in his infant tub so we let him splash around with the Otteroo every few times a week and he THRIVED! :)

Our Small Nursery

Setting up a nursery space for our baby boy was one of the most exciting parts of nesting. With city living comes cozier (read: small) home spaces. This meant getting creative with furniture & decor to fit into a corner of our bedroom. We opted for a small bassinet, some frames, and organization. Beyond that, everything else baby E needs on a daily basis lives in our living room - changing pad, diaper pail, playgym, etc.

Separate blog posts on Month 1 Newborn Faves & Mama Faves

Small Nursery Decor:

• Prints: Notting Hill Blues 8x10, Born to be Kind 10x10, You are Loved Little Prince 10x10

• Frames: 16x20, 11x11

• Floating Shelves: Similar here & here

• Rattles: Cactus Rattle, Taxi Rattle (Available on Babylist)

• Teether: Sophie la Girafe

• Dolls: Jellycat Bunny, Cuddle + Kind Sebastian The Lamb, Cuddle + Kind Elliott the Fawn

• Felt Pom Pom Garland

• Personalized Baby Blanket

Small Nursery Furniture:

• Rocking Chair - Love that this swivels, glides & reclines. Deep seats & head wings ideal for resting. Comfortable for both my husband (6’1”) & me (5’2”) - although, I use an ottoman.

• Bassinet: Stokke - Easy to move around our apartment as it has (lockable) wheels. Grows with baby! Extendable to a larger crib and eventually to a child’s day bed.

Hope this gives you some inspiration and confidence that a small nursery corner is totally achievable!

Love, MH

Photography: Dana Yu // @danayucreative

Mama's Faves for Newborn - Month 1

One month down of newborn life & Mama has her favorite items for her newborn. Unlike Baby’s Newborn Faves, these items are much more practical and based on function, something baby could not care less about. We purchased some of these items ahead of time, and others we bought after trial & error. It seriously has been a “you live and you learn” experience.

Most of these items age well with the baby so we’ll be getting lots of use out of these going forward. Hope this helps you prepare for your little one!

Love, MH

*Product links & comments below.

Month 1: Mama Edition

• Gerber Kimono Top
  These kimono tops were ideal for dressing baby before his umbilical cord fell off. It prevents any unwanted irritation, keeps the cord dry and makes diaper changes easy. *Bonus: comes with built in mittens to keep baby from scratching his face.

• Extra Long Phone Charger
  Not only did we pack one in our hospital bag, but we also use this extra long phone charger cable by the bedside (to go around the bassinet), in our living room (to reach the feeding spot on the sofa), and in the car (because mama needs to back seat charge)!

• ToteSavvy Diaper Bag Organizer
  This item is the answer to organizing the bottomless pit of goodies in your diaper bag. I own both the Mini and Deluxe size - both great for their own reasons. The Mini fits into a wider array of bags: small/large totes, backpacks. It’s the perfect size for a newborn because everything is so small. In case you need more things, the Mini leaves enough space inside of a larger tote for you to pack freely around it. The Deluxe size has come in handy as baby has grown a bit. It holds more things like toys, larger clothes, an extra bottle. If you’re thinking of buying just one, I think the Mini is much more versatile. *Check out ToteSavvy’s Packing Tutorials for some inspiration.

• Vava Nightlight
  A dimmable night light with warm/cool lighting options, it detaches from its charging base to serve as a portable lamp. It’s easy to take around the house in the middle of the night for bottle runs, bathroom runs, baby-changing runs without turning on the room lights.

• Gerber Burp Clothes
  Having cute burp clothes is all fun & games until they get destroyed by baby week one. These plain ones are durable, multi-functional, and priced right. With 10 in a pack, we are always well stocked despite the laundry situation. *Other favorite uses: bath washcloth, spit up protection on play mat, reusable paper towel.

• Tinybeans Family Photo Sharing App
  Free photo app with unlimited storage for sharing daily photos and videos of baby. Can easily add other family members to view & upload content. This was great for us as Jon’s parents are in AZ and have not been able to visit to see baby yet! You can also make photobooks easily through this app or by linking the app to Chatbooks.

• Booger Cleaning Supplies: NoseFrida Snotsucker Saline Kit (Amazon), Oogiebear (Amazon)
  The grossest but funnest thing we get to do as parents is clear out baby’s boogers. The saline solution helps soften any dry boogers before we suck them out & the oogiebear scoop comes in handy for any stubborn boogers that hang around afterwards. It cracks us up every time we see how much comes out of such a tiny nose!

• Munchkin Mini UV Sterilizer (Amazon)
  This mini sterilizer is perfect for paci sterilization at home or on the go. My first trip out of the house with the diaper bag, I realized there was nowhere for me to safely pack a pacifier except for in a ziplock bag. After baby used the paci in the car, the thought of putting a used, spit-covered paci back into the ziplock bag grossed me out… just all the bacteria festering inside. No more ziplocks since we bought this sterilizer!

• Chicco Bottle Sterilizer (Amazon)
  We use this daily to sterilize bottle parts. Love that it has a large compartment and small compartment. We can also run a compact cycle when we’re in a hurry. Great for our family as we don’t run the dishwasher daily or have pots big enough to boil water for 6+ bottles. *Bonus: microwave compatible

• Ubbi Weighted Wipes Dispenser (Amazon)
  The best invention! Your best friend when you are on diaper duty alone and only have one hand to pull out a wipe.

• Fridababy Humidifier (Amazon)
  Whether it’s the AC or the heater, there’s always a reason for dry air during sleep time. The first day we brought Elliot home, it was peak summer heat. We had the AC on all night and forgot to turn on the humidifier - poor baby woke up with the driest cries. Really should’ve had it on day one… whoops!

• Dry Wipes
  A must-have for your diaper station. We’ve found that dry wipes help pick up poop way easier than wet wipes. Also, we use these to dry baby’s bottom after a wet wipe to avoid diaper rash. *Bonus: great mama postpartum essential

Newborn Faves - Month 1

Newborn life has been brutally challenging - 90% torture, 10% bliss. The sleepless nights everyone warns you about really needs an addendum: Yes, you may get 4-6 hours of sleep a night, but they come in 30 minute to 2 hour intervals. Not getting full REM cycles is what kills you! While there have been many hopeless moments in the depths of the night, we’ve had blissful moments too - like when Elliot is cuddled up on us, or smiling in his lounger, or cooing while kicking his legs around on the play mat.

Our opinionated Baby Elliot already has his favorites - different than Mama’s Faves for the baby. They make great registry items or early purchases for decorating the nursery. Here are some things that he loved during month one!

Love, MH

*Product links & comments below.

Month 1: Baby Edition

• DockATot Baby Lounger Deluxe+ (Amazon)
  During the day time, Elliot loves to be posted up in this baby lounger. We’ve put it on the couch, the floor, and in our bed. We sing songs, read books and let him take supervised naps. It’s his favorite place to be and feel a part of our conversations. I know a lot of moms also love the Snuggle Me for infants but he did not take to it as well - he’d always cry when we put him down in it. Just goes to show that every baby is different so definitely be open to trying different ones if you’re in the market for a lounger!

• Lovevery Play Gym (Amazon)
  This play gym has been amazing for accommodating Elliot’s developing senses. For the first week, we strictly used it for tummy time and by week 4, he was able to track black and white images with his eyes and reach for the dangling objects. It sounds so simple but it was rewarding to watch his progress! The Lovevery Play Gym comes with a Play Guide that tells you the why and how of different activities so we could react better to baby’s needs. *Mama Hack: Detach the wooden frame from the base mat and it becomes mobile/compatible with any place the baby is lying down like a baby lounger or play mat!

• Swaddles - The Ollie (Amazon), Swaddle Up (Amazon)
  From the moment Elliot was with us in the hospital, he loved to be swaddled. Swaddles help to inhibit a baby’s Moro “startle” reflex and keep them calm. This is especially helpful when they’re sleeping so they don’t scare themselves awake. We’ve been using the The Ollie strictly during night time sleep and the Swaddle Up during day time naps. The Ollie has a velcro closure which makes night time diaper changes much easier. The Swaddle Up is unique because it let the baby sleep with his arms up - we often found him with his arms up when he fell asleep unswaddled so we knew it would be a great fit. It also has a two-way zipper, which helps with diaper changes as well.

• Boppy ComfyFit Baby Carrier (Amazon)
  There are a plethora of baby carriers on the market but for mamas like me who are intimidated by the DIY wraps like the Solly, this is a great way to test a soft carrier. We gravitated towards this one because it was newborn friendly, “pre-wrapped,” adjustable sizing for anyone to wear, and the price was right. It took a few attempts at putting Elliot in the carrier until he warmed up to it but when he did (week 3) it was a game changer for us. Now he takes his longest naps when we are wearing him and we can takes short walks with him as well. Handsfree magic.

• MAM Newborn Pacifier (Amazon)
  We got these pacifiers in a registry welcome box along with the MAM bottles. Right away, we noticed how strong Elliot’s sucking reflex was but as newbie parents, we took that to mean he was constantly hungry and kept trying to feed him. He would reject the bottle but continue sucking so we tried giving him this pacifier when he was fussy between feeds & it helped soothe him and put him to sleep. I’ll take it!

• Hushh Sound Machine (Amazon)
  This machine has been on in our house since we got home from the hospital. Originally intended for naps and sleep time, this white noise machine calms Elliot whenever he is fussy and helps him to stay asleep. It is portable and clips on to the edge of his bassinet, the carseat, the stroller or carrier. Apparently, this machine mimics the noises that babies are accustomed to in the womb and helps ease the transition from mama’s belly to the real world.

• Pehr Play Mat (Amazon, Babylist)
  Soft, cushiony and easy to fold up, we use this play mat during times when Elliot is wide awake and exploring his limbs. It gives him freedom to swing his arms & legs. Also, it is a great place for tummy time. As mentioned above, we often lay him here and place the Lovevery Play Gym frame over it.