Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to my friends and relatives and fans all over the world!
I hope this Christmas was as awesome and fun as my Christmas was!
And I also hope that your presents were as awesome as mine were!

8 months old~!!!!

Kyaaaa getting so big!!!!

Just 4 more months till he's a whole year old, and 5 more months till Little Boss comes along!

He's learned quite a few new tricks this month ... the most dangerous being that he can pull himself up to stand and lean on the pillows, or arms of couches, etc. that I put up to keep him from rolling off the bed, or couch, etc.

He's also started crawling ... backward! hehehe ... He actually gets such a good crawling pose as he reaches for something from a sitting position, but then he gets too distracted trying to reach it that he just flops around on his belly and flails his arms and legs. But he does know how to scoot backward and the confused face he makes as he gets taken further away from the toy instead of closer is so priceless. He also knows how to just roll around everywhere so that eventually he DOES reach the toy, or the edge of the bed ... or any random place.

On December 5th his tooth popped out! The mouthsore I mentioned before turned out to be the tooth breaking out and the break in the gum getting infected. I probably wouldn't have noticed it until the mouthsore healed up ... but Papoosie happened to bite me ... woohoooo!! I don't think there was ever a more happy Mama to have her baby bite her! ehehehe

Here's a pic of the little thingie ... it's much bigger now ... but its the first pic I took of his toothie!!!

He 'talks' and 'sings', and 'dances', and is such an active baby. Almost too active for me! I really limit the amount that I pick him up and hold him because Little Boss is really starting to grow and both of them together is just too much for me. I try to keep him really happy and fill him up with the 'mommy' time by sitting down with him, playing lying down next to him, letting him sit in my lap during school time, etc. but he's at the age where he knows the difference between sitting and standing so it's hard sometimes. He falls asleep most days with grandma or daddy or even grandpa most nights now because he still refuses to sleep on his own. I have tried a few times, but the times when he isn't too tired he makes a fuss and grandma comes in and begs me to let her hold him. I told her I want him to get used to sleeping on his own before he gets too big (because by then Little Boss will be too big to let that happen), but she promised that she would hold him ... so I let her.

He still loves the Paci ... but now I've pretty much gotten him off of it during the day. He only cries for it when he's sleeping ... and I'm not sure how to get him off of it, but his teeth are coming in so I'm hoping that somehow the feel of the teeth will make him not like it anymore ... fingers are crossed.

Also coinciding with his 6 month vaccinations and tooth coming out he got real sickly/grumpy and turned into a 100% co-sleeper. He now refuses to sleep in his crib, but loves to snuggle up in our big bed and sleep with me. I tried putting the couch back up next to the bed like we did when he was first born ... but that doesn't work either. He needs to be right next to me sharing my blanket and practically with my arm around him ... kyaaaaaaaaaa ... what am I gonna do .... for now I just want to enjoy what time I have left to enjoy with him like this before I turn into a whale and there's no space for him to snuggle up next to me.

His eating is progressing really well. He can now takes small chunks of solids (cheese, chicken, biscuits, etc) and 'chews' them in his mouth before swallowing them. He still has some stomach problems where it's hard for him to make a bowel movement ... he really has to push and struggle and he cries a lot ... so I still only feed him veggie and fruit purees, or soup or yogurt. I have considered that the formula we give him might not fit him so well so we are going to switch to a different brand ... we'll see how that goes.

His measurements are:

Height: 67.5 cm

Head circumference: 42.5

Weight: 7.6 kg.

His height and head circumference didn't really change since last month but he gained 600 grams which is quite good for him! Still a small baby but he's perfect to me!

He's getting so smart and learning so many tricks but in general he is still such a good baby and is such a joy to have around, even on my sick days.

Christmas shopping!!!!

Today I went shopping with Mommy and Daddy and Godfather and Godmother!
I played with so many toys and had so much fun!!!

I made a new friend~!!

Hey! I'm not comfortable enough with you to let mommy and daddy leave me alone~~~

Is  this how Mother Mary rode into Bethlehem???

Hey, give me your scarf ... 

Ahehehehe ... stop tickling me with your ears ... 

Taking a break in front of the toy store to admire Papa's handiwork ... 

I've been a good boy this year ... are all the snacks in the stocking for meeeeee??

Ouch

My poor baby fell off the bed yesterday. It's his first accident. Recently he's been rolling and scooting so much that every time I leave the room I leave him surrounded by pillows to hopefully prevent him from falling off the bed. But it wasn't enough yesterday, and he rolled right off the bed. Thankfully he was wearing a really fluffy sweater (which also had a hood that he just happened to have pulled over his head!) which somehow padded him a lot and he was more shocked than hurt. I was freaking out for a good five minutes ... checking his head for lumps, rubbing his body to see if anywhere hurt ... trying to get him to let me comfort him ... but he just wanted to get back to playing ... 'MOM ... I'm FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE let gooooooooooooo of meeeeeeeeeeeeee .... waaaaaaa' .... hehehehehe

He's been growing and learning so much new stuff almost every day ... I thought one day his tooth was FINALLY coming out but it turned out to be a mouthsore ... he got his vaccinations and was such a brave boy and cried only a little ...

And CHRISTMAS is coming!!! I have so many grand plans for Christmas but I'm gonna be so busy with work (as is daddy) that I have ditched them all and will just settle for taking a nice family photo.

Oh and the one other thing I can't let go of is having a Christmas tree and presents this year. I say it's for the baby's sake but I thought about it and it's more for my sake than his ... cause he enjoys the lights and all but he doesn't understand the concept of presents so ... but still ... I have a little mini tree ... and we picked out presents for Grandma, Grandpa, and baby ... so now we just have to find presents for daddy and mommy.

Hopefully I won't be TOO busy this Christmas to do at least a few Christmas-y things with the baby (and hopefully daddy too) ... we shall see ...

Happy Thanksgiving

My first thanksgiving!
I have so many things to be thankful for! But here is my short list this year:

Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa
Milk
Food
Pacifier
Toys
Bath time
Godfather and Godmother
My friends all over the world (you!)

There's so much more but I think I got all the most important ones.

Have a swell thanksgiving everyone, and make sure you are GRATEFUL for your blessings!

My awesome new hat!

Isn't it just the best! And aren't I just the cutest in it?
Thanks godmother and godfather!

Thank you A. Yurika and U. Steven

7 months old

My darling baby is 7 months today!!! And 'technically' I'm 12 weeks! PROGRESS!!!!!!
Somewhere along the line I miscounted the weeks ... so starting this month I am gonna stop doing the weekly updates ... been sick too often and it just doesn't make sense anymore.

Measurements-wise he's below average for his age. I chalk it up to him being a preemie and continue with my assertion that he is PERFECT!!!!
Weight: 7 kg
Height: 67 cm
Head circumference: 42 cm

Still no sign of the little teethies ... doctor says the gums are abnormally hard so its contributing to the no-show.
Suddenly seems to be growing up so fast! Little things he suddenly started doing that are just so adorable and cute ... like sitting on his own like a pro to play or watch videos, using his fingers to twist objects (namely his pacifier) to fit his mouth better ... or for better grip, throwing objects and then 'looking' for them, etc. He also has gotten so much more expressive with his face and voice ... is able to reach when he wants to be picked up, arch when he wants to be put down ... lean towards the person if he wants to go to them, or refuse by turning toward the person holding him and burying his face in their neck. He also cries or yells when he's frustrated, 'babbles' when he's happy ... etc. He's been such a joy to be around even though I can't pick him up so much.
Of course along with 'growing up' he has learned some naughty tricks ... he doesn't like being put down on his mat, or on the couch alone to play ... so he cries and cries for no reason until you pick him up and find something new for him to play with. And recently he's really learned to yell oh my gosh ... SO LOUD! I usually give him a little swat on the leg if he's throwing a fit and kicking is feet ... thankfully he doesn't do it too often ... but he's a smart baby so I gotta watch out as he goes along. I also feel a little bad that I can't pick him up and play with him as much as I would like because of my sickness ... sometimes I have to just dump him on the bed for a few minutes as I make a run for the bathroom and I can hear him screaming but I can't go back to him until the queasiness subsides or everything comes out ... those times I feel really guilty but what can I do ... he seems to understand because when I come back and pick him up he perks up right away and we get back to playing or whatever.
Grandma is the hero ... in the afternoon when my sickness gets real bad she takes the baby and he just loves being with her! Sometimes even in the middle of the night when he has a hard time sleeping she will come and he will end up sleeping the rest of the night with her! I would probably die if she wasn't around to help with the baby!
Grandpa is also starting to come around more often! Now that the baby is more attentive and responsive (and easier to hold) grandpa feels more comfortable around the baby and playing games and entertaining. Baby doesn't get AS excited to see grandpa as he does with grandma ... but it's still cute to see him sharing a smile with grandpa.
AAAAAAnyway ... he's just growing up so fast! And I can't WAIT to get over this darned sickness!!!!!

Here are some pics from today ...







And we ordered him a johnny jumper because the exer saucer we have for him bounces but doesn't really give him the full range of motion that the jumper would've ... and it arrived just in time for his 7 months!
We put him in to try it out and he LOVED IT!!!!





And in this one we are using the jumper as a swing ... :D:D

30 weeks

So I'm posting my weekly update today and not mommy.
Mommy's been sick a lot these days. She said that there's a little baby growing inside of her. I don't really understand what that means but I can tell that mommy is suffering, so I have been trying to be a really good boy these days.
Of course I get bored and cry sometimes but daddy says I need to take care of mommy so I'm really trying.
I'm getting really big and all the extra layers of clothes I wear every day make me look even bigger! I'm gonna be 7 months in a few days! I'm sure mommy will be able to post something for that.

Mommy told me today that it was lucky that I am turning 30 weeks on 11.11.11. I don't understand what that means either but she sang to me with the guitar so that was nice. I sat still and listened for a whole 15 minutes! Mommy says that she's going to sing to me and Little Boss a whole lot more especially since Christmas is coming up.

I have been a little sick this week with a runny nose and cough and there is a time in the afternoon where I have to just let out all the cries that I was holding back all day ... but once that time is passed and my cries are all out I go back to being as happy as can be playing with my toys.
I feel my teeth coming in and it hurts but they still haven't popped out so mommy is really looking forward to when she will be able to see them.
I miss going outside if daddy isn't home during the day to take me out. Mommy says it makes her tummy hurt to carry me ... she says I'm getting to be so big and heavy!
I try to send messages to Little Boss by kicking mommy's tummy but mommy doesn't like that so much so maybe I will learn to sing with mommy so Little Boss can hear my voice too.

Here's a picture mommy took today of me watching a video. My favorite video right now is a video about colors ... and my favorite parts are when the puppets come out.

hrm

Posted this on my blog already but since it sort of had to do with baby I decided it couldn't hurt to post here toooooo .....

I get paid online.

Usually we live on Como-kun's salary and save mine for buying things online, or saving up. Recently most of Como-kun's jobs have been for big malls where they don't get the pay for 2 months so I withdrew a big chunk of my money for our daily spending needs. Thing is it's supposed to take up to 5 days to appear in the bank account. So our little cash bundle kept getting smaller and smaller and then the baby's formula ran out.

But the money hadn't arrived yet.

Of course 2000 yen is not a HUGE deal ... we probably could've borrowed it from mom-in-law or something ... but it was ... kind of a sinking feeling ...

Just that day I had checked my Japanese bank account and found the Japanese government had deposited the baby's birth money in! The full 420,000 yen! Whoo oohoooooo!!!

And we were expecting the big chunk to come from paypal anyday ...

So we were by no means poor or it wasn't our 'last 10 cents' or anything ... but it was ... just a sinking feeling THATS ALL!!!!!

It was more dramatic to me cause duh I'm pregnant and one morning there was no more formula and no more money to buy it and I could've cried!

I can't even feed my own baby anymore WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

Well yes ... eventually I remembered that I had stashed away some baby money in some random place and it turned out to be just the amount I needed for the formula ... whew.

So all is well that ends well. Just another OMG! moment in the life of an emotional pregnant woman.

29 weeks

Obviously I've skipped a week but I feel justified because I've BEEN SICK!

Oh the horror it has been ... and still not over yet! But I'm hanging in there ... what else can be done, eh? I feel so terrible that maybe the Papoosie is suffering because I can't give him the attention that he needs ... but I promised myself as soon as the sickness is over I will re-double my efforts all over again!

As of yesterday I've stopped pumping milk (and offering the boob as a soothing method). Papoosie is a formula and food baby from now!

I bought him a potty ... but am in no condition to start trying to get him used to the idea so I am not even going to try ... I am going to wait another month or so until I can do this the right way with my full attention and energy ... otherwise he will just end up hating the potty and not get trained properly.

Such a sweetie pie my Papoosie is. Seems he understands most of the time that I am unable to do things that I used to for him ... he still overflows with smiles and love for me and the ppl around (daddy, grandma, grandpa, auntie) ... it melts my heart how sweet he is! Of course nowadays he is also starting to scream and cry for 'no reason' ... and sometimes we have swatted his leg when he seems to be throwing a fit just for the sake of it ... but it makes me feel so sad because half of the reason he does it is because I am unable to pick him up ... or I leave him lying on the bed when I get too nauseated and have to run to the bathroom ... etc. Oh well ... I'll figure it out.

He now refuses to sleep in his crib ... so he sleeps with me now on our big bed and daddy has been relegated to the baby's room. It's been getting really cold these days and most nights he ends up cuddling up in the crook of my arm even though I start him out on his own little pad next to me instead of really snuggled up with me. I guess I don't mind because eventually once the belly starts growin' he's not gonna find it as comfy as before ... and once the baby actually comes he's not gonna be able to do it anymore either ... so I want (and want him) to enjoy this snuggling as much as possible.

Eating is still progressing steadily, which is a relief and a joy to watch. I am really not a fan of formula (not only because it's expensive) ... so the less he drinks now and the more he learns to eat will be just awesome.

27 weeks

So I forgot to post his measurements last week ... so here they are:

Height: 65.5 cm

Weight: 6.6 kg

Head circumference: 41 cm

So his height is average, but his weight and head circumference as small for his age.

But we aren't too worried ... just taking note of the fact that he is a little small for his age.

This week the sickness has hit in full force, and I spent very little time with the son and lots of time lying down ... I tried moving around but somehow it gets worse when I move ... I went out a couple of times for walks but since the sickness has gotten really heavy I have been at home for 5 whole days now ...

One thing I have noticed is that he seems to have 'forgotten' how to do things. He still reaches for toys and is quite deft with his fingers, and likes sitting more than lying down... but now he refuses to roll over (both from his back and from his stomach) ... preferring to just have the toys brought to him ... even when I refuse to help him out, he rolls halfway just enough to grab the toys when straightens back onto the original position. He is either really lazy or he really has forgotten how to do these things ... which I think is kind of strange.

I fed him too much cereal a couple weeks ago and it resulted in constipation, and unfortunately we had to give him laxatives a couple of times. Poor baby. So I stopped giving him cereal and switched to making fruit and veggie purees ... focusing for the time being on foods which are supposed stool softeners like pear/prune/peach, spinach, carrot ... etc. He still likes all of these purees just fine and is eating well.

Milk continues to diminish ... he is now drinking anywhere from 200-400 ml of formula daily and only 3 of his 5 bottles daily are breast milk. When will the milk come back! It's so frustrating pumping only 90 ml at a time where I used to get around 200 in one shot. WAAAAAAAAAAAA

I don't have such presence of mind these days because of the sickness ... and god only knows it's going to get worse before it gets better ... but thankfully my darling boy seems to be doing okay, and still happy and growing. I'm so thankful to Daddy and Grandma for taking the baby so much when I just cant muster up the strength.

6 months old~!!! (26 weeks)

Can't believe my cutie Papoosie is already 6 months old! So grown up and adorable already!

Here he is just 1 day old ... he didn't want to sleep alone in his little 'bed' at the hospital ... daddy had to hold him like this and they slept together ...

Here they are on August 20th (almost 2 months ago now) ... see how much the LITTLE Papoosie has grown!!!!

Couple months back we ordered his 6-12 month clothes!!!

This is his newborn sleeper on top of his 6-9 month one.

This is his 0-3 month sleeper on top of his 6-9 month one.

His 0-3 month sleeper 'sets'. OH so cute and yet completely outgrown.

Awww ... baby socks are just too cute! The first one's are his newborn socks that he outgrew after a month. The second ones he outgrew by 3 months. He's pretty much outgrown the 3rd pair now and is wearing the last ones now! I ordered some more 9-12 month socks but they haven't arrived yet.
New clothes!!! You'll notice an abundance of Mommy/Daddy themed rompers ... hehehehe
More clothes! My FAVORITE set is the brown fleece set ... it's just the CUTEST!

Most of these clothes are still too big for him ... but some of the 6-9 month clothes he is wearing already!

It's hard to describe the feeling I got as I was putting away his outgrown clothes .... it's a mixture of pride, sadness, ... I just don't know! He really is growing up so fast and somehow he is already such a big boy!

He brings me such joy ... and these days when I'm so moody and emotional and tend to get sad more often than not ... he's always there to give me such a big smile when he sees me, cry faithfully when I leave the room, and share his love and slobber with me! I couldn't ask for a more perfect son ... I'm the luckiest mama in the world!

August 16th

Assisted sitting ... I'm a pro! 

August 15th -- 4 months old!

O oooooo so very happy!

Daddy bought this as a present for me turning 4 months! And underneath is another baby book but this one is in Albanian for Grandma and Grandpa!

Enjoying my new toy!

School time with Mommy!