1 year checkup update!

a picture of the picture at the clinic

We went to the doctor for Jacet's one year check-up. Everything is perfectly fine! The doctor commented that he's an early walker, that we need to keep an eye on him because he moves fast and a lot haha. I totally knew that already! This is a new doctor for us, since we just moved. The clinic is literally 3 minutes by foot from our apartment, so it's very convenient! The doctor was very nice and when he was doing the checkup, he made faces and tickled and made sure Jacet had fun. The nurses were also very nice. Everybody loved him! And apparently at this clinic they take photos for 1 year birthdays, so we got a nice little print as a bonus :)

       He also had to get two shots. MR (measles & rubella) and ...something that I'm not sure what it's called in English but my translator says "streptococcus pnuemoniae." Anyway, apparently the measles one is made in America and hurts way more than the Japanese made vaccines...and boy did Jacet scream! He cried normally for the other one, but then when they did the MR, he screamed his head off! My poor baby. It also made him really cranky the rest of the day. But who can blame him? I'm sure his arms were so sore :(  He's been sleepy and somewhat cranky ever since that shot. Plus he woke up once during the night, which hasn't happened in months! Hopefully it wears off soon and I get my little happy fellow back.

ONE YEAR STATS

weight: 9.33kg (20.5lbs)

height: 75.5cm (29.7in)

**apparently he's smack dab in the middle for Japanese babies, but on the small side for American babies...probably because he's constantly on the move!**

New decelopments:

   He loves trying to use his fork when eating but gives up and makes me help after a few failed attempts. When he DOES manage to get food on, he gets so happy that he just holds it out to show me and then it falls off lol. He loves to blow raspberries into my neck when we're getting ready for naps...every single day. He does it on his hands too... He enjoys pushing things out of doors/under doors/off ledges/into sinks. He gets his shoes for me when I ask, and even holds out his feet when I put them on. He also holds up his feet when I tell him it's time to put his pants on lol. He learns new things so quickly!

Family News:

    There is some non-Jacet related stuff going on too, so here's a general Izumiya family update. Our car has bit the dust. The engine decides to randomly shut off while driving, which is very scary, especially with a baby in the car! So we're in the process of buying a new one! It's pretty exciting as we have never bought a car before.

Since Jacet is now 1 year old, I probably won't be posting as much since there are really no more milestones for him to meet. But I will try to keep updating occasionally. So stay tuned!

Happy Birthday Jacet!

     Jacet has finally (or should I say already?) turned 1 year old! Time sure does fly when you're kept busy with a little one! He has grown so much and I'm so so happy that he is a healthy and wonderful little boy. My life has changed so much because of him and I can't imagine not having his little face light up my life every single day. Sure there are tough times, but what can you expect? Even on those tough days, his smile and all-over adorableness makes me forget all of my annoyance. All the poopy diapers, poopy clothes, poopy floors. All the laughs and tears and boo boos. All the sleepless nights and napless days. All the stress and all the fun. Every day is a new learning experience for both of us, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY JACET HARU IZUMIYA!


Now on to his birthday celebrations~

Shirt from Gramma & Grampa!

The day of his birthday, April 7, we Skyped with my parents. I made some yummy birthday pancakes topped with homemade strawberry sauce and whipped cream, stuck a candle in it, and we sang happy birthday. I wish we could have done it in person with my parents, but Skype is the next best thing. Gotta love technology! Hopefully we'll be able to celebrate together soon though!

Skype time!

Tomo's parents flew in from Hokkaido that evening and Jacet and I met them at the station. When we got back to the house, we opened their presents. He got a soccer ball (which he'll only kick if someone is holding his arms lol), a car to ride on and/or push, and lots of much needed clothes (he just keeps growing!). They also brought lots of yummy chocolates and sweets for me and Tomo!

Cute doggie hat

The next day, April 8, we had a day of birthday fun since Tomo had off from work. In the morning we had a lovely first birthday photo shoot. IT WAS ADORABLE. I cannot wait for the prints to come! We were allowed to take videos during the session, so I managed to take some screenshots off the video to show you all a little preview of what the real ones will look like. Of course the real ones are much better and cuter, but this gives a good idea. Jacet was such a good boy. He loves people and the photographers were great with him. We were there for 2 hours and the only time he got fussy was when he couldn't play with the rug they had him sitting on. I'm really glad we decided to get these photos done. Definitely no regrets!

Some photo previews

After the photo session, we adults had some lunch (Jacet ate during the photo shoot and passed right out in the car afterwards) and when Jacet woke up, went to the park to have some birthday cake and celebrate with the Japanese traditions. We sang happy birthday and he ate his first ever chocolate cake. Actually, I think that's the first time he ever had chocolate! He enjoyed it of course.

Trying to pick up the mochi!

Now, in Japan, when the baby turns 1, they are made to carry pretty heavy lumps of mochi (if you don't know what that is, look it up I guess. Though I think they have mochi ice cream if you go to hibachi restaurants? It's the chewy stuff that is wrapped around ice cr
eam.) If the baby can walk with the mochi, I think it means that they're going to be independent and leave home early. If they can't, then they'll be staying home longer I guess. I'm not too sure. Anyway, Jacet couldn't walk with the mochi so well! Guess he'll be my little mama's boy forever!

Walking with mochi

Sadly, while we were playing in the park, he fell and scraped his cheek on the gravel track. A memory for his first birthday I guess~

yummy cake!

We opened more presents when we got home. He got some Disney Sing-alongs from Aunt Andi, an Anpanman (Japanese cartoon character) fire truck from Aunt Andi, a Fisher-Price Mailbox thing and a match the shapes cube thing from mommy and daddy. He also got a super cute plaid shirt from gramma and grampa.



On April 9, Tomo had to leave for a work meeting, so it was just me, Jacet, and the in-laws. While the ladies went grocery shopping, the males went to the kiddie area and played around. Then Tomo's mom and I went to see Frozen (finally!), which was as good as I heard it was! That was their last day visiting and that night they left. It's always a whirlwind when they're here, but I don't mind at all. It's always fun and they help out with things a lot.

Jacet has his one year checkup next week. I'll post that update when the time comes.
Stay tuned!

11 Months Old - Growing Like A Weed!

I really do mean to update monthly, but time just gets away from me. I do have an excuse for missing 10 months though! We were visiting Tomo's family, which was a wonderful time.

So let's get down to business! (Warning: thoughts are jumbled so writing will be jumbled. Bear with me!)

Here I come!

Jacet is still growing like a weed and learning new things constantly. Before visiting the in-laws he was barely standing on his own, but during that 20 day visit, he not only started standing without support, but he started walking! At 10 months! I couldn't believe how quickly he picked it up. He walks constantly now and even tries running a little...still needs to work on that though. We just bought him his first pair of little shoes and he's already a pro at walking in them!

After we got back from that visit, we had to move yet again. The new apartment is bigger than the previous one and has lots of room for Jacet to practice his walking. There's even a room to use as his playroom...though he rarely plays with any of his actual toys. He prefers household items... It's a nice apartment and the area is pretty nice. There's supermarkets and shopping nearby, as well as a pond and park. Not to mention the beach is just a short 15 minute drive away. Can't wait for summer!

Jacet now has 6 teeth! Four on top and two on the bottom. He's also eating practically normal foods, just chopped, softened (if needed), and a thinner flavor. He loves strawberries and kiwi. Recently I've started letting him hold the spoon or fork to let him try using it. He's making progress. I have to help out the food on but he brings it to his mouth on his own. 

He loves looking at animals and makes happy noises every time they are on tv or when he sees stuffed animals at the store. I really want to being him to a pet store and see his reaction! He also likes to bounce and "sing" along to songs on tv. 

I've started trying to start the weaning process. Right now we're just having a snack time and then I'll nurse to fill him up, but after he's a year old I'm hoping to eventually replace the nursing with cow's milk so that he'll only be nursing before bed and in the morning. But of course, if he's not ready then I'll wait until he is.

Snack Time & Mickey's Clubhouse

According to our home scale, Jacet weighs about 9.2 kg (about 20 lbs), which is a little lower than average but is keeping on track with his growing curve. He's always been lower than average...

I'm not sure about his height, but we'll find that out at his 1 year doctor visit coming up next month! 

And let's not forget the big news: we booked our tickets to America! Jacet and I. Tomo isn't sure if he'll be able to take off work so he'll be buying his ticket later if he can. Jacet and I will be visiting for a whole month. I'm already excited! 

Stay Tuned!

9 Months + Sleep Training

Wow. Have I really not updated this since Thanksgiving? I really thought I made a post for 8 months but I guess not. Well, I guess I'll just have to catch you all up with this one!

This little boy is growing by leaps and bounds. He's the most curious little guy and is becoming such the troublemaker! He has definitely changed a lot since 7 months. He's already almost 19 lbs! Getting so so big.

Loves reading, just like mommy!

The wii controller is mine!

    Jacet is finally crawling for real, and let me tell you, he is fast! When I open the door to go out to the entrance, he zooms right across the room to try to reach the open door before I shut it. He is finally sitting easily and on his own. He's cruising around the furniture and he'll occasionally balance without holding on for a quick second. He learned how to pull down the zipper on my sweatshirts, he's a champ at shaking things, loves opening books and looking at the pictures, and practices using his two new teeth constantly. Yup, he has his two bottom teeth in! He likes rocking on his hands and knees when music is played, he understands cause and effect (when you shake the rattle, the car moves etc.), and he's just an overall happy baby. He eats very well and has moved on to normal food. Basically what I'm having except chopped up or thinned out. He loves miso soup and blows bubbles in the bowl whenever I give it to him. He also loves loves loves bread. As soon as he sees me pull out the bag, he goes crazy! His favorite thing to do is climb things. He climbs into his walker, he climbs onto the table from the table chair, he climbs the bottom rail of the gate that keeps him out of the kitchen, and he climbs me! I guess I should also mention that he is becoming very clingy (separation anxiety! Ah!) and very vocal...especially when mommy takes away something he's playing with...

yummy soup

So since I haven't update since the holidays, I guess I'll give a brief summary of that.

*CHRISTMAS*
   Jacet loved the Christmas tree and the ornaments. Good thing they were plastic! He pulled those ornaments off the branches every single day. I guess since they were shiny red balls they probably intrigued him. He also pulled off the red ribbons on the tree. Oh and lets not forget how many times he knocked that tree over!
   Christmas Eve was pretty uneventful, but nice. Tomo didn't have to work so we had just stayed home and relaxed. Dinner was KFC and pizza (Japanese style Christmas meal! haha). Christmas Day was much more exciting. I wrapped all the gifts and put them under the tree the night before, and when we woke up, Jacet was very interested in all those colorful presents. He got the moving Santa and Reindeer that sing, he got a little piano book, building blocks, a toy to hook on to the stroller, a car that moves when the wheel on its top is turned or the rattle is shaken, sippy cup, stuffed animal, clothes, and some books. I got Tomo a new metal iphone cover and an electric toothbrush, and Tomo got the family a nice heater for the house.

Troublemaker!

   Later Tomo and Jacet spent some time together and went out while I prepared some stuff for dinner. Then we did some errands and went to see some pretty Christmas lights. Came home, Jacet went to bed and I made a Christmas dinner of very expensive steak (which was given to us as a gift), Christmas tree mashed potatoes, and a salad. Not much, but still filling and delicious. It was a very nice first Christmas for Jacet.

*NEW YEAR'S*
   New Year's is more of a holiday here in Japan. Christmas is usually just a date night unless there are children. Businesses and banks are still open and it's really just a normal day. But everything closes for New Year's. Tomo decided to invite some people from work over to have a little party to countdown the new year. They all pitched in and brought food and of course I made some too. It was a good, fun night. Jacet even slept through the noise!

   

-SLEEP TRAINING-
   To start off, Jacet's sleep had been very irregular and he had stopped sleeping well. His naps were rarely more than 45 minutes and he would wake up every 2-3 hours at night. It was becoming very tiring and I found that when I got up at night to put him back to sleep, I couldn't even walk straight. I couldn't keep my eyes open. Sometimes it would take an hour or more to get him back down in the crib. So I decided to try to teach him how to sleep. I did a lot of research and learned that the reason he was waking up every 2-3 hours was because he couldn't put himself back to sleep after waking up from a sleep transition (which everyone goes through apparently). He would realize that mommy wasn't holding him anymore and start crying.
   So I looked into a lot of different methods. I really didn't want to just let him cry until he cried himself to sleep. I found a book called The Sleepeasy Solution. I read through it and really felt like it was something I could do. It was easy to understand and the authors covered so many things. They basically answer any question you could have about sleep training in the book. They cover what to do to help your child sleep from age 4.5 months to 5 years old. It was such a helpful book. I took notes and decided to try it. Sadly, the method does require crying, but I would go in and check on him at certain intervals.
   So here's how it went. I did his bedtime routine and made sure he was calm and sleepy. We went up to the darkened room. I held him and rocked him a short time while telling him how much I loved him and that I would be right next door. Then I put him in the crib, kissed him goodnight, turned off the light and left. Of course he protested. I decided to check in on him at 5, 10, 15 minute intervals. He had stopped crying by that third check! And he never even reached the screaming/coughing/heartbreaking cry which I am so happy about because I don't know if I could have continued. He woke up just once during the night and only needed one check. Ever since that first night, he has slept through the night! I put him in the crib, kiss him goodnight and he goes right to sleep. No crying since night 1. I am AMAZED at how well he learned. He wakes up happy and refreshed, I wake up happy and refreshed. Win win. I definitely recommend this method to anyone who needs to sleep train their baby! His naps are still awful but I'm not doing this for naps because I want cuddle time with my little boy〜

Troublemaker Part 2

OTHER NEWS
   A quick update on the adult lives here. Tomo passed his interview and is getting a promotion! This means that he needs to manage a bigger store, which means that we need to move at the end of February. But before that, we're going on a nice vacation to Hokkaido to visit his parents for awhile. Tomo will be leaving earlier and I'll be staying with Jacet so they can spend time with their first grandchild. It will be a nice break before things get hectic with moving again.

That's it for now.
Until next time!