Jeans

Yesterday I pulled out my winter clothes and tried on my jeans. WOOOOOHOOOO!!! I tried TWO pairs and they both were a tight fit!! But FIT nonetheless!! Yay!!! No need to have to buy more pants. I'm so happy to start wearing jeans again. :) They really match with most sweaters. :)

Hips are still massive...and so are my thighs...but, we don't need to discuss that. Ha. I'm just so happy that my pants can button up! Yes yes yes! Winter cold...here I come!

Meg, Motozo, & Ty visit Tateyama

Motozo, Meg, and Ty, came to visit us on the 19th of this month. It was great fun! Thank you Meg and Motozo for driving all the way out here to visit us.
It was so good to see Ty again and it was so much fun to see the changes. Babies grow up so fast! It's amazing. Ty and Brian were pretty much the same weight and hight this time. Ty is growing up even faster than Brian!!

They arrived in Tateyama mid day. Meg called me for directions and when I asked, "Where are you now?? What's around you??" and Meg answered honestly, "Hmm...nothing, grass, fields..." Hahaha!! (Jan's thoughts: "Hmm...where could she beeee.....")
I had to pass the phone to Josh and I have no idea what he said...but he helped them get to our house safely. :)

We had lunch together in our disasterous house that's being reformed now, and Ty started talking and making all these noises. Brian just sat there staring at Ty. It was soo cute.

In this photo Motozo was trying to get Ty to say more to Brian.
Motozo: Ty, what did you say to Brian? What did you say?


LOOK AT THEIR BODIES!! TY IS SOOO TALL!!! He really looks like a little baby though. He's so cute. His eyes are still my favorite to look at. He's got this really sweet tender look. Brian, while also sweet and tender, is also very curious and constantly on the look out for some more action somewhere.

Yes..caught them both looking at me!

Brian caught a hold of Ty's hood, and started pulling him in every direction! Ha!

Ty, didn't like that too much.

Holding hands.

Ty studying Brian, or maybe checking out the suspicious character next to him.

I didn't take too many photos while out at the beach. This is the only one I got of beautiful Meg...and muscular Motozo. Both are caught off guard, but still lookin' good.

My two favorite boys.

Ty, 3 months. Brian, 4 months. Same size. Let's see how they are next time we meet!

Josh and I really enjoyed the two evenings where we ate dinner together and just chatted about different things. Tanoshikatta desu! We will be looking forward to the next time you visit (or we visit).

Late nights. Foolish baby.

Brian has been sleeping real late these last two weeks or so. He tries his very best to stay up as late as possible. He looks sooo tired, and his eyes are half closed, but he's got this huge goofy smile on his face and can't wait to play with the next person that walks into the room. Grrr...
I've been kicking Josh out of the room the last 3 or 4 days to see how that works, because Brian just loves to try and get Daddy's attention so he can keep playing and not sleep. It hasn't been working out too well, because he just get's cranky and starts crying. He's just not ready for sleep or something. So...today I woke him up at 8:00AM (normally he sleeps 11, sometimes 12, and wakes up at 9:00~9:30) to see if he'll just start going on an earlier schedule over all. We'll see how things go. :)

I'm tired... yet...I would enjoy a good movie right about now. Ha! I guess I'm not too tired.

4 Months

I'm quite late in posting this...but I haven't had much time. Sorry for no photos... I posted them all on facebook because it's faster... I'll try and post more later on. :)

Brian’s 4 Month Report

October 11, 2011

Weight: 5878g

Height: 60.8cm (Didn’t grow much ay?)

This month seemed like all he focused on was trying to grab things, watch people intently, talk a lot more, and goof around being silly.

He rolled over for the first time from back to tummy.

When he’s in his bouncer, car seat, or in a reclining position he struggles to sit up and gets frustrated when he finds that he can’t. Because of this, he doesn’t sit still for very long. I’ve started propping him up with pillows.

He loves walking around with me and watching what I do. I carrying him around with me all day long and I’m starting to get concerned about whether I’ll regret it later on. At the moment, it’s easier to carry him around and have him be content and happy, instead of having to entertain him in other ways. Of course, once he’s older it may not be as relaxing for me to constantly be telling him, “No, Mommy can’t carry you right now.” But then again, maybe I don’t have to be too worried. We’ll see how things play out.

I, as a mother, really just take each day as it comes, and hope for the best. I find that the way my mom raised her kids was pretty good and it works for me too. I do, however, do my part in studying up the different methods of this and that and see what I can improve in my parenting. I worry sometimes that in my relaxed “easy-going” state, that I’ll ‘waste’ these precious days away ‘relaxing’ with my kid instead of ‘teaching and training’ him. But, like people say, “They are only babies once in their life!”

Brian, unlike his buddy Ty, is a real goof ball. He’s really silly and always smiling, laughing, and giggling at me and other people. He loves people interacting and talking with him. He’ll right away start responding with his own goo-goos and gaa-gaas.

He’s become a very sociable little boy, and gets distracted when it’s nursing time and others are talking in the room. He needs attention constantly and doesn’t enjoy playing on his own. I am determined to teach him about “Quiet Time” in the middle of the day…if not for him, for me.

I started using cloth diapers again as the whether is getting cooler. No chance getting a heat rash in those anymore. There are those lazy days when I don’t want to do the laundry, and I return to disposables.

Brian has been such a good boy this month and has a very sweet and considerate spirit. Naturally, he’ll whine when he’s tired or hungry, but I’m right there to give him what he needs so he doesn’t fuss for long. I am trying to stretch out his feeding times though, so I try to distract him with different things when the 2 hour stretch comes around. Yes…he’s still nursing more or less every 2 hours.

He takes about 3 naps daily. 11am, 3pm, and 6 or 7pm. This isn’t always accurate, but I’m starting to see a clear pattern, and am thinking of making this a set schedule for him. His naps can last anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour. -Usually no more than 1 hour.

This month he hasn’t had any interesting ‘incidents’ or ‘happenings’. Only one comes to mind. Josh and I were taking apart a bed to move it into the next room. Normally Brian has been perfectly fine with the sound of drilling, but this time it was extra noisy, and he was a bit tired so he really freaked out and started crying and crying. I took him to the next room and nursed him and calmed him down. But then when Josh started drilling again in the next room he stopped nursing, looked up at me with his mouth all pouty-like, and more tears started to flow. Awww…so sad. He was so scared of the drilling sound. So, I took a little walk with him outside so Josh could finish taking apart, moving, and putting back together the bed. Josh mused, “I guess after this he may never be a carpenter.” But since then, there’s been drilling going on almost every day in our house because of the reforming, and he hasn’t had a reaction in the least. The extra noisy days, though, I hang out in the other buildings around the property so it doesn’t damage his ears.

Last week I pulled out his 3~6 month clothes and put away most of his 0~3 month clothes.

Brian still isn’t very into his bath time. I put toys in his bath tub to distract him. He enjoys that and loves to suck on them while I shower his hair, -something he really tries to get away from.

His biggest development milestone he’s learning now is grabbing objects in front of him and putting them in his mouth. He smiles and laughs at toys that make noise or music.

This one lady that’s living here has started teaching English twice a week to two Japanese kids, -a 2 and 4 year old. I have been joining in to help translate with my very poor and broken Japanese. Of course, not much has to be translated. It’s all very visual and exciting for both kids and parents. I dress Brian up in his big boy clothes, -a shirt and jeans, and he sits on my lap very quietly and watches the kids playing and learning English. There’s lots of color, toys, and talking; all the things he loves.

Over all, Brian has been a very positive, happy, content, interactive, social baby. It brings me such joy when I see how Brian makes others happy. He’s so simple, joyful, and innocent, people can’t help but smile.

PS. Josh has still been sneaking food into Brian’s mouth when I’ve got my face in my bowl of soup. Ha! I don’t know what his first solid food is or what he has tasted and what he hasn’t. Ha!

Rolly Polly

This evening I left Brian on a mat on the floor to go get something, and I was only gone for a few seconds, but when I got back he had flipped himself over onto his stomach!!!

SHOCK and great excitement suddenly came over me!

I laid him back down on his back and pulled out my camera to see if he'd do it again. Sure enough, after two tries, he was back onto his stomach again! Wow!! Amazing.
I was just talking to my neighbor lady (who had the same due date as me, but had her baby earlier), about when was the normal time that babies turn over, and she said about 5 months. Her baby has a big head and can barely hold it up on it's own.

Anyway, I'm just so happy!! I just had to get on my blog to tell everyone the good news. :)

Kay, good night! I'm heading off to bed now.

Soldier Boy

October 7th--Brian is now 4 months old. :) He's still pretty small for his age. I weighed him a few days before the 7th and he was only 5.8 kilos naked. Next time I go to our Loc City (Shopping Mall) I'll measure and weigh him.

Isn't he sooo cute in this outfit? It won't fit him for long.
This last week I pulled out all the baby clothes I had and sorted through them and put them in piles (80cm, 90cm, etc. etc.). The 0~3 months clothes have started getting a little tight. Not on the sides, but mainly length. He's definitely getting taller. As for chub...my baby still isn't a chubby boy. Maybe he never will be.

I think Brian really has a otona (adult) look to him. He's not a "baby baby". He's so sturdy on his feet and his head is also so strong it seems that he's much older. I see other 4~5 month olds and they are still baby baby. Their mothers carry them in their arms and the can barely move their heads. Aww...I can't remember Brian when he was like that. It seems his baby baby, helpless stage is soon to be over. He really is growing up so fast.

In this photo I think he looks like his cousin Ryo-kun.

This photo too...Ryo.

Awww...he looks like a little sheep. Baa baa...

Not much time.

Sorry for not posting in a while. I've been quite bored in the house and so Brian and I have been taking longer walks, hanging out in other people's rooms, and spending time down the street watching Josh build a wood cabin. There hasn't been too much time to get on the computer and blog.
But, here are some cutie photos of Brian who is becoming a little boy more and more each day. :)
I'll post more sometime today or tomorrow...if I can. :)
I have SUPER cute photos I want to show you! I just thought to make this post quick so at least I can post SOMETHING today. Just thinking of you!

I realized, from the different toys that were given to us, we sort of collected a bug/insect theme. So I put on his bee outfit and took some photos. Brian was in a grouchy mood, so I didn't get good photos. These two turned out good. Especially the first one. :)

I noticed the plant in our house started growing these little white 'droplets' on them. At first I thought they were seeds, but yesterday when I passed by I noticed all the 'droplets' became cute white flowers. Ah, so beautiful.

PS. The little time that I do get on the computer I make sure to look at your blogs! :) I enjoy reading your posts and commenting when I can. :)

Now That's Funny!

Here's another Joke for those who enjoy a laugh. :)

There was an old fashioned woman. She and her husband were planning a week-long camping trip, so she wrote to the campground for reservations. She wanted to be sure it was fully equipped, but didn't know quite how to ask the about toilet facilities. She didn't want to write 'toilet' in her letter.
After much deliberation, she thought of the old-fashioned term, 'bathroom commode', but, when she wrote it down she thought she was being too straight forward, so she started all over again, rewrote the entire letter and referred to the 'bathroom commode' as the B.C.
"Does your campground have its own B.C.?", is how she finally put it on paper.
The campground owner wasn't old-fashioned at all. When he got her letter, he couldn't figure out what she was talking about. After worrying about it for a while, he showed the letter to some of the campers; but no one could figure out what she was talking about.
After giving it much thought, the owner decided that she must be asking about the location of the local Baptist Church, so he sat down and wrote the following reply:
Dear Madam,
I regret very much the delay in answering your letter, but I know take the pleasure of informing you that the B.C. is located six miles north of the campground. It is capable of seating 250 people at one time. I will admit that it is quite a distance away if you are in the habit of going regularly. No doubt you will be pleased to know a great number of people take their lunches along and make a day of it. They usually arrive early and stay late.
The last time my wife and I went was six months ago, and it was so crowded that we had to stand up the whole time. Right now there is a supper planned to raise money for more seats. It will be held in the basement of the B.C.
I would like to say that it pains me that I am not able to go more regularly, but it is not for lack of desire on my part. As we grew older, it seems to be more of an effort, particularly in cold weather.
If you decide to come to our campground, perhaps I could go with you the first time that you go, sit with you and introduce you to all the other folks. Remember, this is a very friendly community.
Sincerely, The Manager