7 Month Stats

We went for Jacet's 7 month check-up yesterday. He seems to be right on track, though on the smaller side. Since he's gaining weight on the right curve, even though it's on the lower part, it's not a problem, thankfully. Just a small baby I guess! It's probably because he moves around so much all day!

   He's reaching all of the correct milestones, but needs to work on his sitting. He can sit but not very well, and basically prefers to crawl around instead. The doctor said to practice with him because if he can't properly sit, he won't be able to stand on his own, but really he seems fine. 

 

yummy!

   He still hasn't gotten up on his hands and knees for crawling...still doing the army crawl, but he does get up and rock back and forth and does manage a few steps before reverting back to the method of moving that he can do easily. He's more interested in grabbing on to ANY surface and trying to stand! Nothing is safe on the table or tv stand...and forget about the diapers! He is also very intrigued by the rice cooker. I had to tape it closed because he figured out that the button opens it. Can't have him doing that while rice is cooking! Not to mention that he immediately stands when he wakes up in his crib at night...IDK if he does it in his sleep or not, but I hope that ends soon because I feel like part of the reason he won't go back to sleep on his own is because he can't get down! These days our days consists of stand up, fall down, cry, soothe, stand up, repeat. Since our floors are hard, I've been putting the table on the blanket for padding. Hopefully we'll be getting a new rug soon for the winter though!! 

So here's a breakdown: 

Weight: 7830g (approx. 17 lbs)

Height: 67 cm (approx 26 in.)

Milestones: army crawling, standing while holding on to things, pincer grasp is coming along, transferring things from hand to hand, finger foods, opening drawers, and saying consonant sounds like "ba," "da," "ma."

Ready for the cold!

Some Other Jacet Stuff:

Here is where I am going to write out a bunch of stuff. It might not make sense since I haven't organized my thoughts or anything, plus Jacet is probably going to be waking up from his nap soon and I want to get this finished!

We bought him a walker to keep him occupied and interested. He likes it enough. He's figuring out how to play with all the different things on the tray part. He loves to spin the thing with the balls inside. But mostly, he just uses it to reach the things that he can't reach when he's on the ground...like the curtains (Our curtains are too short for the window doors so they don't reach the ground). We also bought a gate to keep him out of the kitchen and getting into things since he now knows how to open drawers and doors. It's nice not having him around my feet while I'm cooking.

busy day...

He is now on cold #2. We didn't get medicine this time since it's just a stuffy and drippy nose, whereas last time was the nose and a nasty dry cough. Hopefully he gets over it soon! We both need more sleep!

He also got the first flu shot the other day. Didn't even cry at all. Not even a little. I didn't even notice the doctor did it, he was so fast. Jacet probably didn't even realize either. Probably still doesn't realize haha. No side effects so far either.

We now do 3 meals a day of solids. Fruits at breakfast, veggies at lunch, and veggies plus some miso soup at dinner. Occasionally I'll throw in some finger foods too depending on what I'm making.

Some Me Stuff:

Mommy <3 Me

The only really interesting thing that happened is......I got a job! I'm sure most of you read about it on facebook. It's a job translating recipes from Japanese to English from a very popular Japanese cooking website. They're trying to spread the joys of Japanese cooking to other countries. I actually use that website (in Japanese) almost every day for dinner ideas. It's the perfect job for me right now. I can do it right at home whenever I have the time. I can even do it from my phone, so when we're out or Jacet won't sleep, I can still get some work done. I get to learn new recipes, improve my Japanese, AND get paid for it! It doesn't pay much, but it will be nice to have that little bit of extra "me" spending room every month.

And that's all for now! Since it's Thanksgiving back home...Happy Thanksgiving!

First Cold

   Yup. Jacet caught his first cold. I never knew a little runny nose could cause so much lost sleep! The first night he was up every hour, but really I should say every half hour because it would take about a half hour to get him sleeping in the crib. He would wake up every time I tried to put him down. I knew he would probably be up a lot, but I was not expecting THAT much of a sleep disruption, and being unprepared for lack of sleep is not fun at all.

all bundled up!

   The next day was not much better. I turned the heat on and bundled him up to keep him warm. Most of the naps consisted of bouncing him in my arms because he would wake up if I tried to lie him down. He couldn't and didn't nurse very well because he couldn't breathe through his nose. He wasn't his normal playful self and needed mommy to be with him at all times. Needless to say, we were both running on serious lack of sleep.

Luckily, he slept a lot better the next night. Maybe because I got out the humidifier. He still woke up but only a few times. Today he was almost back to normal! It was a cold and rainy day so I bundled him up in nice warm clothes again. His nose is still runny but it doesn't seem to bother him as much today. He even took several nice long 1+ hr naps and I was able to nap with him. I think we're both feeling refreshed. As I type, he is sleeping in my arms after we both fell asleep while nursing, making this nap a nice long 2 hours. Hopefully tonight we'll be back to sleeping through the night!

feeling better!

Oh, a little side note. Did I mention that Tomo and I both have colds as well? Not a fun house to be in right now!

Moving Machine + Solids Success + 6 Months Old!

    Happy belated 1/2 year birthday to my little boy! I cannot believe how fast time is going, and I will probably say that same thing with every month that passes. He has grown and changed SO much since he was born and I really couldn't ask for a more perfect baby. He is not attentions seeking, he doesn't mind being left alone for awhile, he puts up with my long walks and grocery store visits, he barely cries or fusses, and he is just the happiest, most content baby in the world!

I don't have any 6 month stats as he doesn't see the doctor again until 7 months, but I will write about his new milestones.

- Eating Solids:

can't wait to eat!

   It was a little rough going in the beginning. I don't think his digestive system was quite ready at first because he did wind up spitting up a lot. But I think that's due to the fact that he is constantly squirming around on his belly, because when we're out for the day and holding him/he's in the stroller, he barely spits up at all. He's always had a sensitive stomach. I can't drink a lot of milk/yogurt (soy is okay though) or eat too many bananas because they always give him stomach problems. Milk is the worst. If I just have one glass of plain milk he'll have painful gas that he cries about all day. The avocados I gave him did give him some gas and kept him up all night, so I switched to sweet potatoes, which also gave him gas, though not as much. Next we moved on to apples, which he loved, and bananas, which even though did give him gas, he loved more than the apples. We started carrots a few days ago and he hasn't been too fond of them. He eats everything up though and gets excited when he sees his little food bowl and bib. It's adorable.

- Crawling: 

loves crawling around

   It's still basically the army crawl, but he's using his knees now and moving around MUCH faster than before. The good thing about him crawling is that he is interested in everything and can get to it himself, meaning that he can keep himself occupied for longer periods of time so I can get some housework done. The down side is that he LOVES plugs and cords so I really have to pay attention to what he's doing. He loves moving around. I lay him down for a diaper change and he just rolls right over and tries to crawl away. I try to keep him sitting is his little food chair to sort of relax his tummy, but as soon as his food is gone he just tries to escape. He won't even try sitting because he just wants to be on the move!

- 6 Month Sleep Regression/Growth Spurt:

 

   Not a milestone but it's part of our update. Apparently there is a sleep regression/growth spurt around 6 months, and let me tell you, we have definitely been going through that. At least I hope that's what it is. Jacet has NOT been sleeping well at all. He used to sleep from basically 11pm - 6:30am. Not recently. Now he's been waking up every 2-3 hrs at night! I've been spoiled from getting a full night's sleep that this is really taking a toll on me. Jacet's cranky, I feel cranky, everyone's tired. Well, except Tomo, who apparently sleeps through it all. Lucky him. According to that "Wonder Weeks" chart I posted awhile back, this stormy period is one of the worsts and lasts around 4 weeks! Well, it has been happening for at least 2 weeks now. He still doesn't sleep like he used to, but last night he only woke up once. So maybe we're nearing the end and will finally get back to our normal routine!

Getting close to standing on his own!

- In Other News:
   Two of my college friends are coming for a visit, and since they'll be here on a day when Tomo isn't working, I get a day out with the girls! No baby and no Tomo. Just the girls. I'm very excited as this hasn't been able to happen since we went to America in July. I really need a day to relax (though how relaxed I'll be leaving Jacet with Tomo I don't know) and just enjoy time out of the house. Other than that, there's nothing really going on at all.

That's all for now! I don't know when I'll update again...I guess when something new and exciting happens! Thanks for reading!

Starting Solids

Now that my little guy is already 5 1/2 months old, it's time to start solids!

 I have done a lot of research online and decided that I would like to try to make my own baby food. It saves money and it's nice to know exactly what my baby will be eating. The website, http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/, has a ton of information about making baby food and starting solids. She has lists of what foods are safe for baby at what age, the different textures and consistencies the food should be for each age, recipes for mixing different foods, how to cook and puree different stages of food for different stages of starting solids. It's an extremely helpful website and a great guide for anyone looking to make their own baby food.

Sweet Potato and Avocado

To make baby food, all you have to do is puree! Mostly it's just steaming/baking/boiling fruits and veggies and then mashing them up, adding liquid (breastmilk, formula, water) as necessary. I assume most people would use a blender/mixer, but I don't have one so lucky me gets to use a fork and do it by hand. It's not so hard if the food is mushy enough but does take a lot of time. We're planning to buy a blender soon so I can make larger batches to store in the freezer. Using ice cube trays is supposedly helpful for portion sizes. One ice cube size is about one ounce, which is the ideal amount for the beginning stages of starting solids. Just pop out the food cubes and put them in a freezer ziploc and then it's nice and easy to grab a cube or two for mealtime.

Yuck! This isn't mommy's milk!

I think I mentioned before that here in Japan they provide various classes and help for new moms (and if I didn't, then I'm mentioning it now!). I went to a short class that explains how to make baby food and learned that starting solids in Japan is very similar to starting solids in America. I know that in America, starting with baby rice cereal or oatmeal is common. Here in Japan they start with something called "okayu," which is basically just really watery rice. The class taught us how to prepare the foods and what consistency they should be. We made some okayu, carrots, tofu, spinach, and miso soup. It was quite fun and I got to meet other mom's with babies around the same age as Jacet. The class didn't really teach me anything I didn't know from that website I mentioned above, but it did help me with how thin/thick the puree should be. I was a little confused about that.

I decided to skip the rice and cereal and start with avocado. Right now I'm just giving about a tablespoon in the mid-morning, just once a day until he gets used to it and starts eating better. The first day he didn't take to it too much, but the second and third days he got better. Maybe he's getting used to the taste now. I'll be giving avocado for maybe 5 days to make sure he doesn't have any allergic reactions and then next up will be sweet potato. I'm planning to try a fruit, veggie, fruit, veggie, schedule to get him used to everything. Then start mixing them up, and of course adding meat once he's able to eat that. I've already frozen a bunch of sweet potato, avocado, banana, and apple cubes. I guess I need to get more veggies ready!



Other News:

Found his foot!

In other news, Jacet is learning new things so fast! He can manage to sit by himself for several seconds, sometimes longer if there are no toys that distract him. Tomo's mother bought an inflatable chair that he can use to help with the sitting and can also be used in the bath. He has become a moving machine! Not crawling yet but he has got the army crawl down! I went to the bathroom and when I came back he had moved from his mat and was under the table! He can also push himself up onto his hands now. Just needs to get that butt up and the crawling will be next! I guess I'm going to need to start keeping a close eye on him...and I'll need to make sure the floor is clean everyday! Looks like I'll be having my hands full from now on. 

As for Tomo and I, I think we have finally settled in here. Tomo is enjoying his work more and I am enjoying the start of cooler weather. Tomo has been working a lot lately, which usually happens during these season transitions, so it's just been me and Jacet hanging out together all day. I try to take a walk everyday and now that the weather is getting cooler, it's a lot easier on both of us if we can't make it out in the early morning. I've started doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred (again) and hopefully I can lose the last of my pregnancy weight! Although with the way I eat, that won't happen for awhile :)

On the move.

Under the table!

4 (and a half) Months!

I can't believe Jacet is already 4 1/2 months! He is growing like a weed! I swear he grows a little bit every night.

First photo booth experience!

He had his 4 month check-up today. Here in Japan (or maybe just Saku?) the check-ups are scheduled by the city office. Basically every baby born during a certain time frame and living in a certain area of the city gets their check-up the same day. So there were about 12 of us altogether in the "born 4/1-4/15" time frame. They had different areas set up and we were basically just rotated around. First was the height and weight area, then we moved on to the development area, third was the "Dr" check, after that was tooth care, and then last was learning a little about starting baby food. We also received information on a class to learn how to prepare baby food, a class on how to play with baby to help with development, and information about a place that lets you hang out with other mamas and their babies, which is I guess good for making some mommy friends.

So here are Jacet's stats!

Height: 62.4cm (~24 1/2 in)
Weight: 6.62kg (~14 1/2 lbs)
Milestones: rolling over from back to tummy AND tummy to back
                     real laughs (occasionally)
                     grabbing (and chewing) EVERYTHING (including mommy's hair!)
                     reaching for toys out of his reach

Loves Daddy!

Here in Japan it's recommended to start baby food around 5 months if they show signs. Apparently Jacet is showing signs, which include lots of drooling, staring at mommy and daddy while they're eating, grabbing plates, etc. I read that in America a lot of people start with oatmeal or rice cereal, or some people skip that and go straight to veggies. In Japan they start with watery rice called okayu, which is what they're going to teach me how to make at that baby food class. I'm looking forward to the many photo opportunities or messy faces!

Other News:
        We went to the northern island called Hokkaido to visit Tomo's parents for a few days. It's very much like Vermont. A lot of land and cows and farms etc. That island is famous for it's seafood and dairy products. While we were there, there was a big fireworks festival. Tomo's cousin does photography as a hobby and took some really nice pictures of us. I got to wear a yukata (summer and less formal version of a kimono) for the first time! Jacet really liked the fireworks and would stop fussing every time they went off!

 family photo at the fireworks

watching the fireworks

        We applied to a model agency for fun just to see if Jacet would pass...well...he passed! He passed the preliminary online application and then we had to go to Tokyo for a camera/video camera test audition. The results came in today that he passed that too! Which means that if we decide to enroll him, we just have to pay the fee and he'll get to be in the agency. Of course it's not guaranteed that he'll get any jobs though. They also have free dance lessons for the older kids and free monthly photo shoots for the kids who aren't old enough to dance, aka babies. So Jacet would get those photos every month which I would really like! The problem is that Tokyo is far and expensive to travel to every month, so we still need to think about whether we want to do this or not. It's exciting news though!

camera test audition photo

Update Catch-Up

Since I never got around to posting a little update on Jacet's development for 3 months, here's a little catch-up post! He's actually 4 months today, but that update will come after his Doctor Checkup in a few weeks.

I believe the last Jacet post was about getting his shots and whatnot. Well, after we came home from America, he had to get more! Tomo was able to come with me this time, which was a big help since the doctor we went to doesn't speak English. Of course he cried but since we were both there comforting him, it only lasted a short time. The Doctor was very nice and the clinic is within walking distance of our house so I think we'll continue going there.

Anyway, here's the more fun stuff. I've been trying so hard to get him to lift up his chest and roll over onto his back during our 'tummy time' sessions to no avail. Sometime in the past month he has gotten very good at lifting his chest. Next step is to roll! I'm ashamed to admit that I treated him a little like training a puppy. I would show him a toy, push him over, then praise him and give him the toy. It still hasn't worked though! He'll get there in time I suppose. However! I have reason to believe that he prefers lying on his stomach rather than his back because he can now roll from back to tummy! He does it all the time now. But he does get a little frustrated after awhile because he can't roll back to his back. Especially since his favorite flashing crab is hanging up! He can't play with or see it when he's on his belly! But he'll learn eventually I'm sure. I added a video of his rolling over, but I'm not sure if it will work. I hope it does!

loves chewing his new toy!

He is very good at holding and grabbing things and I think his depth perception has developed a lot. He reaches out and tries to grab anything that catches his interest...but mostly he still just wants my cell phone. Daddy bought him a nice chew toy rattle that he does enjoy chewing on though, as well as a new playmat that keeps him interested when he does get stuck on his belly.

He has also found his voice and is screaming nonstop! He screams when he's happy. He screams when he wants attention. He screams when he's hungry. It's actually very cute! He is chatting up a storm and learning new noises as well. I'm excited for when the little words come! He sometimes tries to blow raspberries after he sees mommy or daddy, but all he accomplishes is a bunch of drool being spit out...

playing on the new play-mat

His sleeping for the past month has been very good. He was sleeping through the night wonderfully. BUT now I believe we are in the midst of another developmental AND growth spurt. I read online that from weeks 15-19 there is a huge "stormy" period of growth that also includes sleep regression/wakefulness. Well. It sure is happening now. He has been waking up earlier and earlier. As well as one time during the night. His naps are just 30 minutes long and getting longer and longer apart. He definitely tries to avoid taking the naps. He'll fuss and rub his eyes and yawn but just won't relax enough to sleep. It takes a good half hour to get him sleeping for naps. I don't mind too much during the day, it's the evening that it gets difficult what with trying to get dinner ready and finishing up laundry etc. But we make it through each day and I always have at least something ready for dinner when Tomo gets home from work.

One of my favorite recent developments is the smiling and laughing. He's starting to make actual laughing noises now. When I leave the room, I always get a huge smile and laugh when he sees me again. I love it. That's got to be the best part about being a mom. Even if he's just keeping himself occupied and I'm across the room, if I go over to play a bit with him, he gives me a huge huge smile as soon as he sees me. It's adorable and of course makes me forget any frustrations and impatience I have with him. Once I see how happy he is, I get happy. I always try to take a picture, but as soon as he sees my phone he just concentrates on it so hard! I'll have to recruit Tomo for secret picture taking services.

That's about it for now. Next update will be a quick one after we go to the Dr and find out his current height and weight. I'm excited to see how much he has grown in actual numbers!

The United States of America!

   This post is dedicated to our trip to America. Not much of a baby post, more of a life/family post.

Part 1. -To the Airport-
     Since we just moved to a location farther away from Tokyo, we had to travel about 2 hours to get to the city. We took the Shinkansen (aka Bullet Train) into Tokyo and stayed at Tomo's sister's apartment that night since our flight was too early the next day to make it in time from Nagano. The next morning we traveled the 1 1/2 hours to the airport. We got there nice and early so that we could have some down time and eat breakfast. But of course nothing ever goes as planned. We had trouble with customs regarding Jacet's nationality. Since we only had a U.S. Passport and no legitimate proof that he was Japanese, there would be a hard time getting him back into the country. So they had to make a tourist visa for him, which took about an hour. Because of that, we lost all of our relaxing time and had to go straight to boarding the plane. 

Bassinet on airplane

     The good thing about having an infant on a long flight is that, if requested, you get to sit in the bulk head seats with lots of leg room! Plus they provide an infant bassinet that connects to the wall. This made for a very easy flight...not counting the fact that even though Jacet slept pretty well, I did not because I was worried he couldn't breathe...

Part 2. -Arrival-

Grampa holding Jacet for the first time

      We arrived at JFK around 10am to be greeted by my family. Everyone was so excited! I could tell that they would rather greet the baby first rather than me but they all welcomed Tomo and I before Jacet stole the attention. He was a very happy baby and smiled for everyone.
 

Gramma holding Jacet for the first time

 The morning after we landed, I had a nice brunch with my sister and mom at a cute little local cafe. They make great sandwiches and breakfast burritos! That evening the extended family on my dad's side came over for some hot dogs and burgers and to meet the cute little baby. We weren't sure how he would react to so many people surrounding him since it's usually just the three of us, but he was so well behaved! He's such a happy baby.

The next day we drove to my grandparents' house so he could meet some of the other side of the family. My older brother, sister in law, and their 3 kids were there as well. Jacet was yet again so well behaved. Part of it was probably due to jet lag though now that I think about it...

Later on I had a nice relaxing lunch with some of my very good friends. We chatted and caught up on things and later went back to my parents house to see the baby. He was of course passed around and he was of course a happy little boy. Apart from feeding him, Tomo and Joseph (younger brother) took care of him most of the day so that I could relax and enjoy my time with my friends. It was such a good day and I wish I wasn't so far away so that we could have more like it!

Jacet the pimp!

Sister, Me, Mom, Jacet

Part 3. -The Yankee Game-
    
    We made a last minute decision to go to a Yankee Game and managed to get some cheap tickets. Of course the seats weren't that good but it all worked out. We decided to spend the day in the city, so my parents watched Jacet for the day. We met my sister and her co-worker for lunch and then walked around a little. It then decided to rain. We didn't have much to do so we went to the game a little early. We took some pictures around the stadium, bought some stadium food and drinks, and waited for the game to start. It was very exciting! ....until it started pouring, which led to a rain delay for about an hour. Our seats were worth the cheap price then because they were under the hanging and we didn't get wet. We decided to leave early since it was wet and miserable and I wanted to get home to Jacet. But yet again things just don't go as planned. We got to the train station and lo and behold we had just missed it. The next train wasn't for another hour, so even though we had planned to get back nice and early, fate just wouldn't have it.

Yankee Stadium

Tomo and Kuroda

Tomo and Ichiro

Part 4. -The Wedding-

   Next up is my cousin's wedding! Because the location was a few hours away from my family's home, we booked a hotel room for the night. We had special permission to bring Jacet to the reception so that the family on my mom's side could meet him. I was quite nervous about bringing him because of the loud music and I didn't want him to steal any attention from the bride and groom, but of course he was an angel. Of course he got a lot of attention, but he didn't take any away from the new married couple! It was a wonderful and beautiful wedding. I'm so glad that I had the chance to attend! That night, all three of us conked out for the night and slept very soundly after such an exhausting and fun-filled evening!

Part 5. -Boston-
     Then comes Boston. We stayed at my Aunt and cousin's home which we are very grateful for. Jace accompanied us and was watched by my Aunt and three cousins for the day while Tomo and I visited the city. It was a very hot day and we did a lot of walking around. We explored the waterfront area and ate at a nice Italian restaurant. Boston is such a nice city and we always have a good time visiting. It was just a short visit since we arrived late and needed to get back early, but it was worth it.

Part 6. -Returning to Japan-
 
   My parents drove us to LaGuardia airport in NY where we had a short flight to Chicago and then on to Tokyo. We arrived in Chicago about 20 minutes early, only to find out that our flight to Tokyo was delayed 4 hours...leaving us a total of 7 hours to wait! Using this extra time to our advantage, we decided to head out to the city and explore since neither of us had ever been there. It's a very nice city! We didn't have too much time to do or see a lot and didn't have anything planned, so most of the time was spent walking around trying to find a place to eat lunch. We found a nice Italian place in the Italian Village place and had some really good bread, salad, and pasta. Unfortunately, Jacet decided to get hungry and cranky and would not calm down so we had to pack up the food and leave. After that we just decided to head back to the airport.

After waiting awhile we finally boarded the plane. We had nice spacious seats again and the person next to us never showed up, giving us an extra seat! Jacet got his little bassinet again thankfully. We all slept a lot better on this flight, although I did wind up holding Jacet a lot because of turbulence. He was very good though and slept most of the flight. He must have been worn out from entertaining so many people!

We landed at Narita pretty late and only JUST made the last train back to Nagano. It was hectic and hot! Not to mention that the Shinkansen was completely full and so many people were standing even before we got on. Luckily two very nice people let us sit down since we had a baby, a stroller, a baby bag, a backpack, and 2 suitcases.

We finally made it back to our house around 11:30pm but because of jetlag, were not tired! Jacet conked right out though. 

And that wraps up the very wonderful trip to America! I am so so glad that my family and friends got to meet Jacet in person, and that I got the chance to relax. I hope we will be able to visit again next year!

Next up: Jacet's 3 month update!

New Town: Saku City

  In the last post I mentioned that we were moving again. Well, we did. We are all moved in to the new place. I somehow managed to unpack the whole house AND take care of an almost 3 month old in just about 2 days. I was quite proud of that!

The town (or city technically) that we moved to is called "Saku." It's much more countryside than where we were before, and much farther from Tokyo. It's not a bad little place. There are a lot of trees and parks, the sky is blue and clean, and I think we can see stars at night though I haven't checked. It doesn't get unbearably muggy like Tokyo and surrounding areas and it cools down most nights. The only bad points are that there are tons of bugs, especially dragonflies, there's not much to do, and they have very very strict and elaborate garbage separation rules...I'll talk about that later.

Living Room

Kitchen

As for our house, it's a cute little "tri-plex." Instead of a duplex, there are 3 houses connected. We're stuck in the middle. It's just a small 2 bedroom, 1 bath, kitchen, Living Room house, but it'll do. The two stories makes it feel more like a home than apartments do. The location is very convenient. It's within walking distance to a big park, a small park, convenience stores, and two shopping plaza/department stores. There are also quite a few restaurant nearby. Jacet and I have been taking nice morning walks with the stroller to explore the area. It's very relaxing.

But then there are the garbage rules. So so many, as you can see by this picture on the right. Practically everything
except food and papers get recycled. Plastic wrap, ramen containers, take-out containers, plastic wrappings and bags, milk cartons, aluminum foil etc. Oh but if its too dirty it goes with the trash. We have to use special garbage bags and I can't put garbage that's in a plastic shopping bag into the garbage...it has to be emptied from that plastic bag into the special garbage bag, and that plastic bag is then recycled. For example, the supermarket plastic bag that I put dirty diapers in cannot be thrown away, I have to empty the diapers into the trash bag and recycle the shopping bag. Does that make sense to everyone? It's just so much work and so many rules and exceptions, I don't know how I'll ever get it down. 

I wouldn't worry about it so much if not for the fact that if it looks wrong, they check the garbage. They then find out who's garbage it is and make them correct it. I know this because they've already made us re-do all of our garbage from before I knew about the rules completely...not a very pleasant experience.

But, all in all not a bad place to live for the next 6 months!

On a random final note: Tomo bought me a very nice and sharp ceramic knife! So excited to use it!

Moving Again...

    Yes you read that right. We are moving yet again. What was supposed to be a six month stay turned out to be a short 4 month stay in this town. We got a short 2 week notice about the move and I've got only 4 days to pack up EVERYTHING! On top of taking care of a (almost) 3 month old! Not to mention getting ready for our vacation to America, which is a short FOUR days after we move! It's going to be a busy busy week!

     Long story short, Tomo's store is moving to a bigger, better location and Tomo is not quite at the level required for management of the new store. So, we get sent to a different town that has a store that suits his level. In this case, we are moving to a much smaller town somewhere in the semi-countryside. We will be surrounded on all four sides by mountains and there were not very many housing options! We will be leaving out very nice, spacious apartment (if you haven't seen our current apartment, check out pictures HERE )  for a very cramped, small, but two story house-type apartment. Sort of like a duplex, except really small. I'm a little worried that we won't be able to fit all of our stuff! But we will probably only be staying in this new place until March, so we will have to put up with it. A good point: There are a lot of hot springs and ski slopes in the area! I don't really ski or snowboard, but Tomo does so at least he'll enjoy that.

Of course I will be taking pictures and sharing with everyone once we're settled in and probably after we get back from the states.

Quick Baby Update:

 Not much to update here. Poor baby has what's called a "Bohn's Nodule" on his gums, which is basically a keratin filled cyst that looks like a tooth and should disappear once the actual tooth comes in. So Jacet has been acting like he's teething already! Lots of drool, everything goes in the mouth, chew chew chew. He was a little cranky about it at first, but I think he's getting used to it since he has calmed down.

  He also had a clogged tear duct, which means that his eye basically wasn't able to drain the tears and they would dry up and get crusty around his eye. The doctor gave us some eye drops and it cleared up within a day!

    The little slow poke is finally starting to push his head and shoulders off the ground. While a lot of babies are starting to roll over from their tummy to back, this little guy shows no interest. He enjoys licking the mat too much! But I'm sure he'll get there in his own time. In the meantime, I'll just keep making him practice!
  

That's all for now. Just a quick boring update. He's starting to wake from his nap and I've got a ton of packing to do!

Until next time~~

2 months plus shots!

   I can't believe my baby boy is already 2 months old! Time is flying by! It's amazing to see how much he's changed since he was born, both physically and mentally. So here's an update so you all can experience his growth as well!

*Jacet from Day 1 to 8 weeks!*

I want to start by saying that taking care of a baby is a definite learning experience for us all. There are times where my patience is tried and times where I'm just so exhausted, but I have learned to put these things aside for the sake of my baby. 

I have learned that there are many "cranky" and "fussy" stages in a babies life. During specific growth spurt periods the baby will most likely be more fussy and cranky and also want to eat much more often. These growths spurts usually last about a week and they occur at about 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 9 weeks, and basically every 3 months. We went through the 6 week phase recently and honestly it wasn't so bad. He wasn't anymore fussy than usual, but he did eat a lot more often, almost every hour! 

Jacet is now 8 weeks and has been a lot fussier than normal. I was wondering if maybe it was another growth spurt and did some searching online. I came across this book called "The Wonder Weeks," which apparently explains the different phases and changes a baby goes through. I haven't read the book, but there is a chart that goes with it that outlines each week. It shows that 8 weeks is a "stormy" period. The website explained further that most babies go through a developmental milestone at this time. They are beginning to see designs and colors, and learning to reach out their hands to grab things. Since they are experiencing these changes they may feel overwhelmed and hence cranky and clingy. Well, Jacet has definitely been clingy and fussy! 

I also found this website which explains the book in more detail: http://www.whosthatmom.com/wonder-weeks-week-by-week/

So now I can be prepared for the rest of the "stormy" periods!

*all smiles!*

We had a bout of constipation around 7 weeks. He would wake up at night screaming when he tried to pass gas or have a bowel movement. I would move his legs in a bicycle motion which helped most of the time. I think that was caused by me drinking too much milk. I have cut bak a lot of dairy and while his gas isn't gone, it's definitely better. There were a few days where he had not pooped but was passing very smelly gas which had me worried. But then he EXPLODED after about 4 days. Thankfully it all stayed in the diaper. The next day he exploded again which did NOT stay in the diaper and I was fortunate to have had him on my lap at the time...while wearing the new shorts Tomo had bought for me just the day before! I managed to get them soaked and washed in time before the stain set in though! Can't even tell it happened.

DAILY ROUTINE:

This is mostly for my benefit so I can compare as he gets older, or reference to when I have other children :). But maybe some of you will like to see what we do during the day. 

It's basically a 3 or 3 1/2 hr cycle of eat, play, sleep. I let him sleep as long as he wants at night so our day doesn't always start at the same time, but here is a general breakdown:

*he loves his light up crab and Mr. Hippo!*

7:30 - wake up and eat 

8:00 - play

9:00 - nap (walk if weather permitting)

10:00 - wake up and eat. 

REPEAT
7:00pm- eat

8:00 - bath time 

8:30/9:00 -bedtime

11:00 - late night "dream feed"

4:00am - middle of the night feed (sometimes)

7:30 - wake up and do it all again

MILESTONE UPDATES:

I'm just going to make a list of new things that Jacet has started learning and doing recently. 

- he now smiles on purpose

- he coos and ahhs a lot

- has very good neck/head control

- he reaches out his arms to try to touch and grab things

- he's very good at grabbing hair
- starting to drool

- he found his thumb to suck on!

- he "stands" when you put him on his feet, with support of course

- he mostly sleeps through the night! 

2 MONTH STATS:

In Japan they do not do a 2 month check up. The next check-up we have is at 3 months, so these measurements were done by me and probably not totally accurate. 

Weight: about 11lb 11oz 

Length: about 23 in 

Head Circumference: about 15.7 in 

Poor baby got his first two shots today! Cried up a storm and sadly the nurses took him away from me just so the Dr could explain things too me, which he could've done beforehand! They always seem to do that, at birth they did, at his 1 month check-up they did, and now for his shots! That's one thing I don't like about the Japanese system. 

*a note on vaccines* apparently we have to pay for rotavirus, hep B, measles, and chicken pox. And it's not cheap! But the Dr. said that if we stay in Japan we do not need Hep B as it's not common here and most babies do not get the vaccine. There is also the BCG (I think it's for tuberculosis?) vaccine they do here but he recommends that if we stay in America, we don't need it.

As for me, I'm working on losing the rest of my pregnancy weight! It's going slower than expected but I'm trying to be patient. Priority is staying healthy so Jacet is healthy.

So I think that's about all that happened the past month! Stay tuned for next month's update, which will be after we return from our trip to America!

*sleepy-head*