Robin
turned 7 months on July 2nd and I feel like this month she actually
grew up a bit. I want to think that daycare helped, but maybe it was
just her time.
We can officially say that she is
sitting and that she is (kind of) eating solids. Her favorite so far is
spinach which hopefully means she is my kind of girl. With Motoaki and
I having slightly different tastes and cultrual backgrounds with food, I
imagine the kids will decide which way we sway. So far she prefers
savory over sweet which is how I like it.
She has had a bad cough/cold all month but you
wouldn't know it by seeing her. She remains smiling and energetic,
jumping her jumperoo and trying to chase after the dogs. She was never
so bad that she had to miss daycare and she continued to eat as normal
and sleep through the night.
No sign of teeth but I have heard from my Aunt that
all of the cousins got our teeth late, so I won't hold my breath. She
is finally getting hair though we aren't sure if it is curly yet or not.
I am pretty sure it will be fine and soft like mine which is a
blessing and yet a curse since Japan is so humid. I think I might have
to go against what my mother would have wanted and cut her hair short.
We have three weeks of school in July and then we
are on summer vacation, so Robin and I will be heading back to America.
We are hoping to road trip to DC so that by 9 months she will have been
to 13 states.
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Showing posts with label Robin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robin. Show all posts
Thursday, July 4, 2013
7 Months
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Robin is 6 Months
(Written June 3rd. Work computer won't let me get on blogger so I wrote this and emailed it to myself... and then didn't get online at home).
And we're back... Hopefully for good this time. I am back at work so the regular schedule should help me stay regular. Being a SAHM was just way too unstructured for me.
And we're back... Hopefully for good this time. I am back at work so the regular schedule should help me stay regular. Being a SAHM was just way too unstructured for me.
Robin
turned six months on June 2nd and for me I don't feel like she has
changed much since she was three months. But maybe that is because I
see her everyday. She was rolling around three months but now doesn't
do it much except for when she is asleep. I think because she is
content to scoot on her back to get things and when she is on her
stomach she just wiggles her legs. She has become a champion bouncer
and would do that all day everyday if we let her.
Last
week she started daycare but only went half days at it is a rule for
beginners. Though she did cry in the mornings the staff reported (we
get a little notebook that they write in everyday) that she calmed down.
Since she was only there for about four hours, she mostly just ate and
slept. Although they did say that one day the older kids were singing
and Robin was quite entranced. I hope she can carry a tune and sing in
the children's choir that is connected with my adult choir.
Unfortunately she came home Friday with a cold that
included fever, throwing up, cough, etc This was way worse than the
surgery she had in January, IMO, because we were kind of our own as far
as what to do when. We went to the Dr and got medicine, but it was
impossible to get her to take it and then to make sure it stayed down.
She kept throwing up. Then at 8:30pm when she was sleeping, we kept
wondering if we should wake to feed her because she hadn't held anything
in since about noon. I was afraid she would get dehydrated but also
felt bad waking her and going through the stress of getting her to eat
again. Luckily she woke up twice that night and ate a bit and Saturday
managed to eat and take her medicine. At the hospital with her surgery
it was easy as they had IVs and nurses to tell us when to feed her. By
Monday she was pretty much back to herself but the weekend felt like it
lasted forever.
During
this she also puked on me for the first time and it was horrible. I
have been peed on and will take that. I think I would even take poop
over puke as her puke smelled like spoiled milk. Sorry if that is a bad
image for some.
It
has become humid and hot which brings all new worries as a parent. I
worry if she is comfortable and I worry about Japanese insects. She has
already had one small mosquito bite but she didn't really seem to
notice it. Though I haven't seen any yet I am worried about the giant
bees, wasps, and centipedes that come out in summer. And though we
figured out it was non-poisonous, there was a big snake in the yard one
morning that just made me want to pack up Robin, Finn, and Tom and move
to Iowa where the summer bugs are cute- like lightening bugs. I am
being a little silly since most stuff doesn't get into the house and
Robin is still a little too young to be out in the yard (if we had
grass, maybe, but we only have rocks....).
No
teeth or words yet but Robin has discovered how to blow spit bubbles
and seems to have a knack for comedic timing. When we were visiting
temples on an island near Hiroshima, many women would stop to comment
how cute she was, to which she would respond with blowing spit. As if
to say, leave me alone granny.
We
tried our first food, avocado. She was pretty uninterested for the
most part. She ate it but didn't get excited. Avocado on it's own is
pretty bland, but we wanted to start with that so as not to shock her.
When we were giving her the medicine she was quite upset because she
was not used to such a sweet taste (I didn't try it but it smelled like a
sports drink). We wanted to try more foods this past week/weekend but
with the cold we decided against it. Motoaki has voted banana for the
next food which should be fun, though I personally HATE bananas.
I
feel like I need to be recording stuff and at the same time I am not
bothered enough to. I will say that in her first six months Robin has
been to Osaka, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Tottori, Okayama City, and
Kurashiki. In America she has been in the San Francisco and Denver
airports, and she has visited or at least driven through Iowa,
Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Baby's First Surgery
So on January 7th we went for Robin's one month check-up and all seemed well. She was gaining weight, responding and reacting like she is supposed to, yadda yadda yadda. The Drs said everything was on track and that we were doing fine as parents. How ever, after pressing down on her abdomen he found that she had a small lump that he thought might be a hernia. This was news to us as she had never made any sign of discomfort in that area during diaper changes or bathing. The Dr assured us that it was nothing we could have known and that while she wasn't hurting right now, we needed to check to see what the lump was since it could do permanent damage.
So later that week we packed up and went to the main hospital in Okayama City. I say pack up because when you are traveling with a one month old you have no idea what you are going to need. On a side note, if you are ever going on a day trip with a friend with a baby, show up their house early. That may seem rude, but you will be a big help if you offer to watch said baby for a few minutes so the parents can finish eating breakfast, packing the diaper bag, brushing their teeth, getting themselves dressed, etc.
Anyway, at the hospital the Dr confirmed that it was indeed an inaugural hernia and that she would need surgery (read more on that here- http://www.chp.edu/CHP/Inguinal+Hernia+Repair+Surgery). He told us that this was a common procedure and that it would be quick with a quick recovery as well. Still, we were a little worried about her having surgery so small.
The following week we checked into the hospital. As much as I was worried about the surgery, it was interesting to be in a Japanese hospital. First off, we were given a bed, not a crib and a chair as I assumed we would get, and told to co-sleep with Robin. The bed had large sides that slid up and down to make an adult size crib. This was just weird as both co-sleeping and these types of beds are frowned upon for babies in the US. We were also given a pillow and a comforter for Robin- another no-no for safety in the US.
Because only one parent could stay and because Motoaki had work, it was decided that I would stay with Robin. I was a little nervous about my lack of Japanese, but luckily I had the experience of staying in the hospital after her birth to go off of. The main difference this time is that we had a roommate. And we were quite close. The beds were actually pushed up against one another with a curtain drawn between them. But we could hear everything the others were doing and vice versa.
I don't mean to talk ill of a baby, but I was so impressed at how well Robin behaved compared to this other baby. While it screamed through the day and night, she just stayed calmly in the bed while I read aloud from my kindle. And it didn't seem to be screaming due to whatever it was in the hospital for because the mother just kept asking it, "What's wrong?" rather than say, "Oh I know your such and such hurts," or "I know you don't like the medicine but you have to drink it."
Actually, it wasn't the kid that so much annoyed me but it was the other mother. The few times that Robin was fussy at night, I took her to the hall and to the common room, walking and rocking her so that she became calm again so that she wouldn't wake the other baby. The same thing with the lights and whatnot- I kept the lamps on our side soft at night so as not to disturb the roommates, but she would turn the lights on super bright at all hours. To be fair, she had a curtain around the bed so I don't know what she was doing (she might have needed a bright light) but I still think she could have been considerate. During the day too she kept leaving the baby in the crib to go out into the hallway alone. She also only had one song that she sang, a counting one that I pretty much memorized in the first five minutes.
Enough of that- back to Robin. So we had an uneventful first day and then the next day was surgery. She was cut off from eating for four hours before the surgery which got a little difficult as time passed, but thankfully we had a soothie. I was against pacifiers since my mother had always been against them, but this thing was a life saver. An hour before the surgery they brought her a light robe (see picture) to change into and asked if I wanted to be present for the operation. I said no because I figured I would just be upset. Plus, she wouldn't know I was there anyway.
When it finally came time for the operation the nurse came to get me and we went together up to the entrance of the operating room. I handed her over to the Dr and then was told to wait back in my room. I got some lunch and started to write my Jaken article for the next month. It was just under an hour when the same nurse came to get me to go pick Robin up. I assumed that she would be passed out when we got her but she came out of the surgery room awake and crying. She wasn't wailing but you could tell she was not happy. I was really nervous to hold her but they encouraged it and promised I wouldn't hurt her. I took her back to our room and since she couldn't eat for another four hours, I gave her the soothie to her and sang to her. I am sure that the Japanese woman who was my roommate is writing her blog about how annoying my songs were, especially when I forgot second verses and repeated the first verses over and over.
Finally after four hours she got to eat and after that she was pretty much back to being the baby we were used to, just slightly more alert and a lighter sleeper. She got upset when they took the IV out but otherwise didn't seem too put out by the pain she had. This amazed me as I know that if I had gotten stitches I would be moaning about it for at least a day after. In a way it was nice that she had surgery this young as it doesn't really mean anything to her.
On a side note, you see in the picture that they attached the IV with a big pad taped around the baby's arm. I am so stupid- the day before when I saw the kids with these I was like, "Wow, a lot of kids getting arm/hand surgery!"
Motoaki came that night and helped comfort her while I stole away for food. Though the small hospital where I gave birth was great, it was so nice to be in this big hospital that had a major coffee shop, a bakery, and a convenience store. She didn't sleep through the night but she wasn't fussy either. Again, just sitting there while I read to her.
The next morning Motoaki came and we got ready to go home. The Dr did one last check, changing her bandage and giving us some simple instructions on caring for it. We joked later about her big crush on him as she was so focused on his face when he was talking. She's getting better at focusing but will go in and out as far as looking at one object or person, but this guy captivated her. Actually, I will note that all of the staff at the big hospital seemed good looking and young. You watch shows like ER and Greys Anatomy and you think, yeah this is good but you never find Dr.s and Nurses quite so attractive in real life, but they were there in the children's ward in Okayama. But I think I heard somewhere that the hospital has an association with the university, so that would explain the drama-like staff.
The rest of the week she would wake up crying a lot more, but I wasn't sure if that was due to a growth spurt or an operation. We went back the following week to get the bandage taken off and the Dr said she was good to go. I guess I would just like to end by saying that if you have anyone you know that has to go through this, it really isn't that bad.
So later that week we packed up and went to the main hospital in Okayama City. I say pack up because when you are traveling with a one month old you have no idea what you are going to need. On a side note, if you are ever going on a day trip with a friend with a baby, show up their house early. That may seem rude, but you will be a big help if you offer to watch said baby for a few minutes so the parents can finish eating breakfast, packing the diaper bag, brushing their teeth, getting themselves dressed, etc.
Anyway, at the hospital the Dr confirmed that it was indeed an inaugural hernia and that she would need surgery (read more on that here- http://www.chp.edu/CHP/Inguinal+Hernia+Repair+Surgery). He told us that this was a common procedure and that it would be quick with a quick recovery as well. Still, we were a little worried about her having surgery so small.
The following week we checked into the hospital. As much as I was worried about the surgery, it was interesting to be in a Japanese hospital. First off, we were given a bed, not a crib and a chair as I assumed we would get, and told to co-sleep with Robin. The bed had large sides that slid up and down to make an adult size crib. This was just weird as both co-sleeping and these types of beds are frowned upon for babies in the US. We were also given a pillow and a comforter for Robin- another no-no for safety in the US.
Because only one parent could stay and because Motoaki had work, it was decided that I would stay with Robin. I was a little nervous about my lack of Japanese, but luckily I had the experience of staying in the hospital after her birth to go off of. The main difference this time is that we had a roommate. And we were quite close. The beds were actually pushed up against one another with a curtain drawn between them. But we could hear everything the others were doing and vice versa.
I don't mean to talk ill of a baby, but I was so impressed at how well Robin behaved compared to this other baby. While it screamed through the day and night, she just stayed calmly in the bed while I read aloud from my kindle. And it didn't seem to be screaming due to whatever it was in the hospital for because the mother just kept asking it, "What's wrong?" rather than say, "Oh I know your such and such hurts," or "I know you don't like the medicine but you have to drink it."
Enough of that- back to Robin. So we had an uneventful first day and then the next day was surgery. She was cut off from eating for four hours before the surgery which got a little difficult as time passed, but thankfully we had a soothie. I was against pacifiers since my mother had always been against them, but this thing was a life saver. An hour before the surgery they brought her a light robe (see picture) to change into and asked if I wanted to be present for the operation. I said no because I figured I would just be upset. Plus, she wouldn't know I was there anyway.
When it finally came time for the operation the nurse came to get me and we went together up to the entrance of the operating room. I handed her over to the Dr and then was told to wait back in my room. I got some lunch and started to write my Jaken article for the next month. It was just under an hour when the same nurse came to get me to go pick Robin up. I assumed that she would be passed out when we got her but she came out of the surgery room awake and crying. She wasn't wailing but you could tell she was not happy. I was really nervous to hold her but they encouraged it and promised I wouldn't hurt her. I took her back to our room and since she couldn't eat for another four hours, I gave her the soothie to her and sang to her. I am sure that the Japanese woman who was my roommate is writing her blog about how annoying my songs were, especially when I forgot second verses and repeated the first verses over and over.
Finally after four hours she got to eat and after that she was pretty much back to being the baby we were used to, just slightly more alert and a lighter sleeper. She got upset when they took the IV out but otherwise didn't seem too put out by the pain she had. This amazed me as I know that if I had gotten stitches I would be moaning about it for at least a day after. In a way it was nice that she had surgery this young as it doesn't really mean anything to her.On a side note, you see in the picture that they attached the IV with a big pad taped around the baby's arm. I am so stupid- the day before when I saw the kids with these I was like, "Wow, a lot of kids getting arm/hand surgery!"
Motoaki came that night and helped comfort her while I stole away for food. Though the small hospital where I gave birth was great, it was so nice to be in this big hospital that had a major coffee shop, a bakery, and a convenience store. She didn't sleep through the night but she wasn't fussy either. Again, just sitting there while I read to her.
The next morning Motoaki came and we got ready to go home. The Dr did one last check, changing her bandage and giving us some simple instructions on caring for it. We joked later about her big crush on him as she was so focused on his face when he was talking. She's getting better at focusing but will go in and out as far as looking at one object or person, but this guy captivated her. Actually, I will note that all of the staff at the big hospital seemed good looking and young. You watch shows like ER and Greys Anatomy and you think, yeah this is good but you never find Dr.s and Nurses quite so attractive in real life, but they were there in the children's ward in Okayama. But I think I heard somewhere that the hospital has an association with the university, so that would explain the drama-like staff.
The rest of the week she would wake up crying a lot more, but I wasn't sure if that was due to a growth spurt or an operation. We went back the following week to get the bandage taken off and the Dr said she was good to go. I guess I would just like to end by saying that if you have anyone you know that has to go through this, it really isn't that bad.
Japanese Baptism
So it wasn't really a baptism in the sense that we think of one, but we took Robin to a temple to get her blessed. Motoaki's grandfather was a Shinto priest and so part of Motoaki's parents house is a temple. But people don't really practice there anymore (except for a few old people) so we went to the headquarters of their specific brand of Shintoism just outside of Kurashiki (for those of you have visited me, it is the town with the mall and the button rings) in Tamashima.
I didn't know what to expect other than the fact that Robin was going to be wearing a Christianing gown and a kimono that her grandmother had bought her. Apparently the kimono was around $2000 and was the most expensive one at the place she went to (according to Grandpa). Can we say spoiled? It is quite beautiful. Not the colors that I would have chosen, but seeing as I didn't buy it, I didn't say anything. It seems like a lot for a baby but she will wear it again for her 3 year old blessing/ceremony. You can read more about that here on wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shichi-Go-San
We got to the temple and it was actually quite a big building. It looked more like a school rather than the temples I am used to. There was a traditional temple next to the large, gym-like structure we were entering which I guess is the original structure on the complex. This was nice as it meant that it was actually going to be warm inside. However, it made me mad since I had gone for weather instead of fashion with my clothing choice and seeing as how I am in between sizes these days, I didn't look too hot. I had on work pants and a blouse I got forever ago at Khols. If I had known it was going to be in a big building I would have worn one of the dresses I had worn to me brothers wedding with a cardigan.
We entered first into a basement and changed Robin in a tatami room that looks like it is used for receptions. I had put her in a sleeper for the car ride since, no matter how much I trust cloth diapers, there is always that fear of exploding poo. It quickly became "Grandma's Day" which is fine. I am not super possessive of Robin and am willing to share her, especially for something that I don't really care deeply about. Not saying that I don't care or respect Motoaki's families traditions, but it is not something I have ever done before so it doesn't mean as much to me. So anyway I let her dress Robin. Even when the hat didn't fit and she kept retying and retying it (whereas I would have just taken it off) I let it be. Luckily Robin was pretty chill and didn't get fussy about it.
I had actually been mistaken about the kimono. Robin didn't wear it, I did, blanket style over Robin while holding her. This wasn't a big deal but it did mean that I was more "up front and center" and it also meant that I wasn't going to be able to step back and take pictures. Not a big deal but Motoaki isn't familiar with my camera and accidentally messed up the settings, resulting in most of the shots being a bit blurry.
After we had finished dressing her we went upstairs to a big open room where people were praying. We then went to a corner and asked for the blessing from a priest who was doing this for several people. The whole thing lasted almost all of ten minutes. No big deal but I felt bad as MIL had spent so much on clothing. I had expected there to be more but didn't mind it being short since Robin is still small and can get fussy out of nowhere.
After leaving the big room I assumed we would be packing up and heading for home, possibly stopping for lunch. I went to change Robin out of her stuff but the PIL told me to wait since we were going to be going for a photo shoot. Now I got a little upset about this because I hadn't been told about it. I don't mind pictures but I do mind when I am wearing crappy clothing and didn't really do anything as far as make-up or jewelry.
It was actually interesting because the photo shoot was done at a really old photo shop/studio. The kind that Motoaki probably got his photo taken in back in 1975. The photographer had to have been in his 70s and his only assistant was his wife, also quite old. Still, they did a great job of getting Robin, a 6 week old, to focus and the photo that I have seen so far was great. I say the photo I have seen so far because I only saw one- a passport photo for her Japanese photo. That is actually for a whole other post. Let's just say that even the professional photo was rejected by the super strict city hall.
Anyway, I was upset that I looked crappy for photos that will no doubt be sent to all of the relatives and be put on show in the living room for decades to come, but overall it was a good day. We ended it by swinging into AEON Kurashiki (the big mall) for Starbucks (Grandpa stayed in the car with a sleeping Robin) making it a GREAT day! However, I am still looking forward to the Christian baptism that I am planning on having in March when I am in America.
I didn't know what to expect other than the fact that Robin was going to be wearing a Christianing gown and a kimono that her grandmother had bought her. Apparently the kimono was around $2000 and was the most expensive one at the place she went to (according to Grandpa). Can we say spoiled? It is quite beautiful. Not the colors that I would have chosen, but seeing as I didn't buy it, I didn't say anything. It seems like a lot for a baby but she will wear it again for her 3 year old blessing/ceremony. You can read more about that here on wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shichi-Go-San
We got to the temple and it was actually quite a big building. It looked more like a school rather than the temples I am used to. There was a traditional temple next to the large, gym-like structure we were entering which I guess is the original structure on the complex. This was nice as it meant that it was actually going to be warm inside. However, it made me mad since I had gone for weather instead of fashion with my clothing choice and seeing as how I am in between sizes these days, I didn't look too hot. I had on work pants and a blouse I got forever ago at Khols. If I had known it was going to be in a big building I would have worn one of the dresses I had worn to me brothers wedding with a cardigan.
We entered first into a basement and changed Robin in a tatami room that looks like it is used for receptions. I had put her in a sleeper for the car ride since, no matter how much I trust cloth diapers, there is always that fear of exploding poo. It quickly became "Grandma's Day" which is fine. I am not super possessive of Robin and am willing to share her, especially for something that I don't really care deeply about. Not saying that I don't care or respect Motoaki's families traditions, but it is not something I have ever done before so it doesn't mean as much to me. So anyway I let her dress Robin. Even when the hat didn't fit and she kept retying and retying it (whereas I would have just taken it off) I let it be. Luckily Robin was pretty chill and didn't get fussy about it.
I had actually been mistaken about the kimono. Robin didn't wear it, I did, blanket style over Robin while holding her. This wasn't a big deal but it did mean that I was more "up front and center" and it also meant that I wasn't going to be able to step back and take pictures. Not a big deal but Motoaki isn't familiar with my camera and accidentally messed up the settings, resulting in most of the shots being a bit blurry.
After we had finished dressing her we went upstairs to a big open room where people were praying. We then went to a corner and asked for the blessing from a priest who was doing this for several people. The whole thing lasted almost all of ten minutes. No big deal but I felt bad as MIL had spent so much on clothing. I had expected there to be more but didn't mind it being short since Robin is still small and can get fussy out of nowhere.
After leaving the big room I assumed we would be packing up and heading for home, possibly stopping for lunch. I went to change Robin out of her stuff but the PIL told me to wait since we were going to be going for a photo shoot. Now I got a little upset about this because I hadn't been told about it. I don't mind pictures but I do mind when I am wearing crappy clothing and didn't really do anything as far as make-up or jewelry.
It was actually interesting because the photo shoot was done at a really old photo shop/studio. The kind that Motoaki probably got his photo taken in back in 1975. The photographer had to have been in his 70s and his only assistant was his wife, also quite old. Still, they did a great job of getting Robin, a 6 week old, to focus and the photo that I have seen so far was great. I say the photo I have seen so far because I only saw one- a passport photo for her Japanese photo. That is actually for a whole other post. Let's just say that even the professional photo was rejected by the super strict city hall.
Anyway, I was upset that I looked crappy for photos that will no doubt be sent to all of the relatives and be put on show in the living room for decades to come, but overall it was a good day. We ended it by swinging into AEON Kurashiki (the big mall) for Starbucks (Grandpa stayed in the car with a sleeping Robin) making it a GREAT day! However, I am still looking forward to the Christian baptism that I am planning on having in March when I am in America.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Robin: 1 Month
So this is late (and already on Facebook) but I want to add it to the blog so I can keep it for the future. I also realized that I never added to her birth story that her middle name is Nagisa (凪沙) which means calm waters.
I stole these two ideas from two blogs that I love (or loved- I think both ladies are taking a break these days). The first picture I stole from Umebossy and it is simply Robin witha paper staing her age and the date (she turned on month on Jan. 2nd).
The second I got from Nay at Chasing Happiness in Japan. She takes a picture each month of her baby with the same teddy bear so that you can see the baby grow. We got this lovely Harrods Bear from Grandma Fujiwara and he is perfect for the job. I named him Phillip and he is quite lovely.
Anyway, I am not sure what the "one month milestones" are (I just downloaded a baby book to my kindle on Friday) so I am not sure if Robin has met them, but I will say what I do know.
-Right now at one month she is pretty good at holding her head up while being held or when placed on my chest. I've never timed it or anything. We have been extremely lazy with tummy time (partially because our floor is horrible right now and partially because of all the holiday stuff) but this week I am going to get on that so hopefully we will see exactly what that little body can do.
-She is pretty much exclusively eating formula at this point and is up to about 3 ounces every 3 hours, though sometimes she eats almost every hour (growth spurt days). We are going to her one month check in on the 7th and hopefully her weight is fine. Motoaki said that sometimes they put babies on diets here if they are being overfed...
-She sleeps from about 11-3 and then from about 3:30-7. This is actually pretty good. Though I know this could change at any day, it is nice to have her somewhat on a schedule. It can be a little tiring but it's better that we know what to expect. She is starting to be more and more alert during the day and will sometimes stay awake for up two hours and a half at a time.
-She is barely fitting into newborn clothing but that is partially due to her fluffy butt (slang for cloth diapers). She lives in 0-3 month footed pjs, but the legs are slightly too long.
-Cloth diapering is going well so far. We had some leaks in the first few days but that was because the pocket diapers were too big for her legs (pee would come out the leg holes) and she was too heavy of a wetter for the nb all in ones (cheapy THX- I think those would have worked if we would have used them the first week rather than waiting until the third week). But her fitteds and covers are working marvelously. Since she has gained a bit of weight, though, I think I will try pockets again this week as well as some BG all in ones I ordered. I know that might be confusing for the non-cloth diaperer. I'm really excited it has been working so well.
The second I got from Nay at Chasing Happiness in Japan. She takes a picture each month of her baby with the same teddy bear so that you can see the baby grow. We got this lovely Harrods Bear from Grandma Fujiwara and he is perfect for the job. I named him Phillip and he is quite lovely.
Anyway, I am not sure what the "one month milestones" are (I just downloaded a baby book to my kindle on Friday) so I am not sure if Robin has met them, but I will say what I do know.
-Right now at one month she is pretty good at holding her head up while being held or when placed on my chest. I've never timed it or anything. We have been extremely lazy with tummy time (partially because our floor is horrible right now and partially because of all the holiday stuff) but this week I am going to get on that so hopefully we will see exactly what that little body can do.
-She is pretty much exclusively eating formula at this point and is up to about 3 ounces every 3 hours, though sometimes she eats almost every hour (growth spurt days). We are going to her one month check in on the 7th and hopefully her weight is fine. Motoaki said that sometimes they put babies on diets here if they are being overfed...
-She sleeps from about 11-3 and then from about 3:30-7. This is actually pretty good. Though I know this could change at any day, it is nice to have her somewhat on a schedule. It can be a little tiring but it's better that we know what to expect. She is starting to be more and more alert during the day and will sometimes stay awake for up two hours and a half at a time.
-She is barely fitting into newborn clothing but that is partially due to her fluffy butt (slang for cloth diapers). She lives in 0-3 month footed pjs, but the legs are slightly too long.
-Cloth diapering is going well so far. We had some leaks in the first few days but that was because the pocket diapers were too big for her legs (pee would come out the leg holes) and she was too heavy of a wetter for the nb all in ones (cheapy THX- I think those would have worked if we would have used them the first week rather than waiting until the third week). But her fitteds and covers are working marvelously. Since she has gained a bit of weight, though, I think I will try pockets again this week as well as some BG all in ones I ordered. I know that might be confusing for the non-cloth diaperer. I'm really excited it has been working so well.
Her first CD- a THX.
Second CD- another THX (her pretty one). Unfortunately these only lasted about an hour...
A BG Flip Cover with an Ashar fitted underneath. These things rock. No leaks and she doesn't really notice when she is wet, only when she poos.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
The Birth Story: Having a Baby in Japan
So it has been about 4 months since I last updated this blog. I got tied up with work and my own self and kind of let it fall to the wayside. But this year I really want to keep up with it. I love going to other blogs and being able to pretty much read their life stories with all of their entries. I think it is a great way to preserve a bit of myself and my family's history. There is a lot to re-cap from the fall of 2012 but no time. But I will document this because it is a pretty big deal. It also helps explain why I kind of cut contact with a lot of people after having my baby. So here goes.
Let me start by saying I was never one of those women who wanted a baby. I have always wanted kids with kids being the key word there. I am not a fan of infants and sadly, am still not. There is just so much stress and panic that goes with having/caring for a newborn. But let me back up.
I will say that getting pregnant and being pregnant was one of the easiest things I have ever done. OK- so not as easy as becoming a karaoke legend, but a lot easier than I thought or was led to believe it would be. For me the movies/stories are lies. I never threw up, I never had swollen ankles (except for the car ride back from DC), I had heartburn like once. I also never really felt the baby kick nor was I ever kept up by her moving. I would feel her shift or roll around, but that was about it. Even as I passed my due date it was really hard to feel that I was pregnant. Leading up to the birth I was swimming, walking, cleaning, and pretty much acting as if I wasn't pregnant.
Also, for the most part, labor was pretty easy too. Not easy, but not as bad as it could have been. I was worried about being able to do it without an epidural but I did do it and all while managing not to kill my husband or the hospital staff. I had actually gone in for an appointment on Saturday, December 1st feeling extremely normal. The Dr told me that I wasn't dilated at all and that since the baby didn't seem to be coming, we should schedule an induction. We told him we wanted to wait a little bit longer and we all agreed to meet again on Tuesday.
That afternoon we went shopping and then out for dinner with friends. That night I started cramping and by early morning (3am) I was having regular contractions. We headed to the hospital at 10 am only to be sent home again since I was only dilated at 1cm. We then went back (at the urging of Motoaki's mom since I was having contractions every 3 minutes) and stayed, having the baby at 9:23pm that night. It hurt, but I was able to push through it (pun intended) by pushing against Motoaki while he pushed back and by using the breathing I learned at the class in Iowa.
I will admit that when she was born I didn't feel quite the way that I thought I would. Rather than being filled with the overwhelming love that you read/hear about, I mostly just felt tired and worried that she was going to suffocate on my chest since she couldn't hold her head up. I didn't cry or get overly emotional. When the nurses took her to clean her up and do tests, I was actually a little relieved, and I had no trouble giving her over to Motoaki and his mother and sister. I had kind of thought it might go this way, as I have never been one to get excited over things like my engagement or my wedding day, and figured it would get better over the next few days.
It didn't. In fact, in some ways it got worse. I could handle the no sleeping (this has long been one of my secret talents- one that served me well in college and at Camp Adventure), the crying, the diapers. But I couldn't handle the breast feeding (STOP READING NOW IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE TMI). She couldn't figure out nursing for the life of her (partially because I have flat nipples- there, now you know everything about me ) and for the first two days she didn't really eat. Finally they asked to give her formula and I okayed it but felt pretty crappy about it. Then one of the nurses found a special nipple shield that Robin would eat with, only it was a slow release shield that meant what would normally take a baby 40 minutes, would take her an hour- or two- or three. I think the record was the day when she nursed from 3:00-6pm straight. And even then I had to give her a bottle to make sure she gained weight. Though I was happy to be nursing, I was starting to resent it as well as it was always a fight to start and then took forever. Plus because she had lost weight we were having to wake her every three hours to eat. Basically all I was doing was feeding her in a hospital room. I wasn't allowing visitors because I was literally topless all day everyday and despite having Motoaki and his family drop by, I began to feel really isolated.
I also think that I really started processing my father's death as well as being reminded that my mom was dead and that just made me even more depressed (loading the ipod, in hindsight, was not the greatest idea- great for singing along but also great for cuing endless tears about my family, as I had always known it, ending).
Another part of the problem was that I had Robin on Sunday and then Motoaki's dad had spinal surgery on Monday in a hospital an hour away. This meant that his mother was now going every day to visit him and that Motoaki and his sister were the only two running the company. This also meant that Motoaki's mom and sister couldn't check on the dogs. So instead of staying with me at night as originally planned, Motoaki would come from about 7-12 and then go home. I actually suggested this since I worried about the dogs. Added to this were a bunch of other curve balls like one of Motoaki's coworkers father passing away, etc
It also didn't help to see all of these other people having babies and them being so happy about it. That sounds horrible, but I felt like if I said I was overjoyed I would be lying and that if I said I was depressed and hating motherhood that I would come off as a bad person.
So anyway, the first week of motherhood was not the best. Robin was a great baby (even now she rarely screams or freaks out) but I was just not feeling the whole mother thing. It sounds horrible, but I began to relate to people who gave their kids up for adoption. Or rather, I could see how it would be possible. Fair enough, I felt the same way when I had my first ultrasound at 6 weeks and saw blinking Lima bean. Rather than being overwhelmed by the miracle inside me, I thought that I could see how women got abortions without a second thought. I am not proud of these thoughts or saying that I would ever have an abortion/give a child up for adoption, but I do see how people do it.
The second week got a little better as I got to go home and see the dogs. Yeah, you read that right. People always tease me about how much I love the dogs, but they are just such a comfort to me. I really started crying uncontrollably when I saw them. After being in the hospital for a week and not getting to go outside at all, it was the best thing in the world to walk the dogs on the bike path along the river. I absolutely love that part of our house- that we are in town and yet so close to nature and, more specifically, a body of water.
Also, being home I had better internet access and I was able to talk a lot to the people in my Facebook group, the Momma Birds. All of us had babies due around the same time so we are all going through the same things. They were/are such a wealth of knowledge and support and made me feel stronger and more confident in what I was doing.
The third week I had visitors which was great as I got to speak English and just kind of be myself. And in hearing them get excited about Robin, I got more excited about her. I also went to book club which was very therapeutic. It made me realize that Robin wasn't 100% reliant on me (she stayed with Motoaki for the two hours that I was gone) which made me relax a lot more. I think that was part of my depression/anxiety- worrying that I was totally responsible for her well being and that I was failing.
The following week my sister and David came which helped too. Finally, I just began to relax about the whole thing. I feel bad that I started giving a lot more formula, but a happy mom makes a happy baby, right? And I seriously doubt she won't get into Harvard based on that fact alone. I know that with the second baby it will be better and I will be more relaxed and probably able to do it.
So yeah- probably not the post you expected and not that much about Japan. I will say that the biggest difference was obviously the language barrier. I had thought about the mental challenge of having to translate everything, but I hadn't thought about the mental challenge of having to translate everything at 3am when a nurse stopped by to see why my baby was freaking out. Also, though the support of the hospital staff was amazing and I enjoyed being able to relax/recover in the hospital, I do feel like it delayed our bond a little bit. With American parents you kind of get thrown into the deep end, having to take baby home pretty much on their second day of life. But in doing that you really have to step up and parent and face your fears.
It's been a month now and things are a lot better. Robin is fine and each day as she develops her personality, I begin to get just that much closer to her. I am sure that after a year I won't be able to remember or believe all of the feelings of detachment I felt in the first few weeks. In fact, even now I see that in some ways I was being a bit silly- a bit of a baby. But I wanted to write about them to let other new moms know that they weren't alone if they felt the same way.
Let me start by saying I was never one of those women who wanted a baby. I have always wanted kids with kids being the key word there. I am not a fan of infants and sadly, am still not. There is just so much stress and panic that goes with having/caring for a newborn. But let me back up.
I will say that getting pregnant and being pregnant was one of the easiest things I have ever done. OK- so not as easy as becoming a karaoke legend, but a lot easier than I thought or was led to believe it would be. For me the movies/stories are lies. I never threw up, I never had swollen ankles (except for the car ride back from DC), I had heartburn like once. I also never really felt the baby kick nor was I ever kept up by her moving. I would feel her shift or roll around, but that was about it. Even as I passed my due date it was really hard to feel that I was pregnant. Leading up to the birth I was swimming, walking, cleaning, and pretty much acting as if I wasn't pregnant.
Also, for the most part, labor was pretty easy too. Not easy, but not as bad as it could have been. I was worried about being able to do it without an epidural but I did do it and all while managing not to kill my husband or the hospital staff. I had actually gone in for an appointment on Saturday, December 1st feeling extremely normal. The Dr told me that I wasn't dilated at all and that since the baby didn't seem to be coming, we should schedule an induction. We told him we wanted to wait a little bit longer and we all agreed to meet again on Tuesday.
That afternoon we went shopping and then out for dinner with friends. That night I started cramping and by early morning (3am) I was having regular contractions. We headed to the hospital at 10 am only to be sent home again since I was only dilated at 1cm. We then went back (at the urging of Motoaki's mom since I was having contractions every 3 minutes) and stayed, having the baby at 9:23pm that night. It hurt, but I was able to push through it (pun intended) by pushing against Motoaki while he pushed back and by using the breathing I learned at the class in Iowa.
I will admit that when she was born I didn't feel quite the way that I thought I would. Rather than being filled with the overwhelming love that you read/hear about, I mostly just felt tired and worried that she was going to suffocate on my chest since she couldn't hold her head up. I didn't cry or get overly emotional. When the nurses took her to clean her up and do tests, I was actually a little relieved, and I had no trouble giving her over to Motoaki and his mother and sister. I had kind of thought it might go this way, as I have never been one to get excited over things like my engagement or my wedding day, and figured it would get better over the next few days.
It didn't. In fact, in some ways it got worse. I could handle the no sleeping (this has long been one of my secret talents- one that served me well in college and at Camp Adventure), the crying, the diapers. But I couldn't handle the breast feeding (STOP READING NOW IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE TMI). She couldn't figure out nursing for the life of her (partially because I have flat nipples- there, now you know everything about me ) and for the first two days she didn't really eat. Finally they asked to give her formula and I okayed it but felt pretty crappy about it. Then one of the nurses found a special nipple shield that Robin would eat with, only it was a slow release shield that meant what would normally take a baby 40 minutes, would take her an hour- or two- or three. I think the record was the day when she nursed from 3:00-6pm straight. And even then I had to give her a bottle to make sure she gained weight. Though I was happy to be nursing, I was starting to resent it as well as it was always a fight to start and then took forever. Plus because she had lost weight we were having to wake her every three hours to eat. Basically all I was doing was feeding her in a hospital room. I wasn't allowing visitors because I was literally topless all day everyday and despite having Motoaki and his family drop by, I began to feel really isolated.
I also think that I really started processing my father's death as well as being reminded that my mom was dead and that just made me even more depressed (loading the ipod, in hindsight, was not the greatest idea- great for singing along but also great for cuing endless tears about my family, as I had always known it, ending).
Another part of the problem was that I had Robin on Sunday and then Motoaki's dad had spinal surgery on Monday in a hospital an hour away. This meant that his mother was now going every day to visit him and that Motoaki and his sister were the only two running the company. This also meant that Motoaki's mom and sister couldn't check on the dogs. So instead of staying with me at night as originally planned, Motoaki would come from about 7-12 and then go home. I actually suggested this since I worried about the dogs. Added to this were a bunch of other curve balls like one of Motoaki's coworkers father passing away, etc
It also didn't help to see all of these other people having babies and them being so happy about it. That sounds horrible, but I felt like if I said I was overjoyed I would be lying and that if I said I was depressed and hating motherhood that I would come off as a bad person.
So anyway, the first week of motherhood was not the best. Robin was a great baby (even now she rarely screams or freaks out) but I was just not feeling the whole mother thing. It sounds horrible, but I began to relate to people who gave their kids up for adoption. Or rather, I could see how it would be possible. Fair enough, I felt the same way when I had my first ultrasound at 6 weeks and saw blinking Lima bean. Rather than being overwhelmed by the miracle inside me, I thought that I could see how women got abortions without a second thought. I am not proud of these thoughts or saying that I would ever have an abortion/give a child up for adoption, but I do see how people do it.
The second week got a little better as I got to go home and see the dogs. Yeah, you read that right. People always tease me about how much I love the dogs, but they are just such a comfort to me. I really started crying uncontrollably when I saw them. After being in the hospital for a week and not getting to go outside at all, it was the best thing in the world to walk the dogs on the bike path along the river. I absolutely love that part of our house- that we are in town and yet so close to nature and, more specifically, a body of water.
Also, being home I had better internet access and I was able to talk a lot to the people in my Facebook group, the Momma Birds. All of us had babies due around the same time so we are all going through the same things. They were/are such a wealth of knowledge and support and made me feel stronger and more confident in what I was doing.
The third week I had visitors which was great as I got to speak English and just kind of be myself. And in hearing them get excited about Robin, I got more excited about her. I also went to book club which was very therapeutic. It made me realize that Robin wasn't 100% reliant on me (she stayed with Motoaki for the two hours that I was gone) which made me relax a lot more. I think that was part of my depression/anxiety- worrying that I was totally responsible for her well being and that I was failing.
The following week my sister and David came which helped too. Finally, I just began to relax about the whole thing. I feel bad that I started giving a lot more formula, but a happy mom makes a happy baby, right? And I seriously doubt she won't get into Harvard based on that fact alone. I know that with the second baby it will be better and I will be more relaxed and probably able to do it.
So yeah- probably not the post you expected and not that much about Japan. I will say that the biggest difference was obviously the language barrier. I had thought about the mental challenge of having to translate everything, but I hadn't thought about the mental challenge of having to translate everything at 3am when a nurse stopped by to see why my baby was freaking out. Also, though the support of the hospital staff was amazing and I enjoyed being able to relax/recover in the hospital, I do feel like it delayed our bond a little bit. With American parents you kind of get thrown into the deep end, having to take baby home pretty much on their second day of life. But in doing that you really have to step up and parent and face your fears.
It's been a month now and things are a lot better. Robin is fine and each day as she develops her personality, I begin to get just that much closer to her. I am sure that after a year I won't be able to remember or believe all of the feelings of detachment I felt in the first few weeks. In fact, even now I see that in some ways I was being a bit silly- a bit of a baby. But I wanted to write about them to let other new moms know that they weren't alone if they felt the same way.
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