Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' Rawhide!!!!

Just a quick lil' update because it's momma's bedtime....after she folds the laundry. I'd like to announce that we have liftoff....in the form of rolling!! It's true, TJ can now roll effectively and consistantly from his back to his tummy!! He's so pleased with himself he'll just keep rolling back and forth and back and forth, even in his crib, while he sleeps! Momma's so proud and daddy actually got to see it today as well- BONUS! Now if only he could sit by himself for longer than a minute......

Happily, Acy has tomorrow AND Tuesday off so we're planning something hardcore- like cleaning the whole house (looooong over due and I hereby officially apologize to and thank those who've been kind enough to visit us in our pigsty of a house.)

Lastly, today was the day Cissy's remains were buried. Oddly enough she was buried over our grandfather Norman's coffin (I didn't even know you could do that.) I wanted to be there with all my heart but unfortunately the day and time that was chosen was the least available to me as I had to take care of baby and there was slim to none possibility of driving four and half hours one way by 11am then four and a half hours back in the same day. So instead, I've put on "Your Beautiful" (the song that was supposedly played the most on her Ipod) and am having a glass of red wine, flipping through her a photo album of her in Japan that her mother gave me (I'll do the laundry later.) Here's to you 'ster.

'Ster at my wedding: 10/16/10

Lucky Number 7!!

You've survived more than half a year baby! Believe it or not, that IS something to celebrate in mommy's eyes. We've had our challenges this month, that is for certain and it seems that they're not over just because you've hit that special number.

Although you started your seventh month of life fantastically; You were sleeping through the night, simply pleasant during the day and it looked like things were really starting to get into the groove of things between mommy and you. Then, like a horrible horror movie plot, your bottom two teeth started to rear their ugly (secretly adorable) little heads >_<; At first it seemed like you didn't even notice them really. Sure, you were drooling so much that a bib became a permanent fixure and we really had to watch anything withint your arm span for fear of it being shoved into your perfect little mouth, but overall you were still a delight night and day.

Then mommy and daddy went on their little Babymoon to Duluth and you were knocked off your sleeping schedule a bit. Normally, I think you would have taken it in stride, but either the sleeping interference made you wake up to the fact that you were in pain or it was a coincidence that you chose that moment to become a little shi-ummm....monster because the night we got home you were awake and screaming you head off like someone had just killed Mr. Penguin- I'd like to point out that he's right there by your shoulder every night.

So the moral of the story is, that you have two shiny new teeth halfway through your gums and you're awake and crying almost every hour- and mommy's right there with you....crying.... So here's where you readers can input your advice and experience...please...for the LOVE!! Is he in pain still from teething though the teeth have already cut through the gums? We're giving him 1.5 ml of children's Tylenol but he's still crying....what do you all out there advise us to do next?

Ok, back to the more positive growth you've had.... You are now a ROLLING MACHINE! You are gracefully rolling from your stomach to your back (almost so well that mommy's considering putting you on your tummy for bed) and you are thisclose to rolling from your back to your stomach. In fact, if I just support your back you can throw that leg around and get enough momentum to roll that gut over!


And this wasn't even your BEST attempt!

You're also semi-sitting by yourself. You're cool if you're leaning forward almost folded in half but the moment something catches your fancy off to the side and you sway that 97th percentile head, you start to fall. You're definitely getting there though and I have no doubt that you'll be a pro by the end of the month!

It's also so fun to put a toy just out of your reach. You can tell that you reaaaaaally want it and sometimes you can semi-crawl/roll/scooch/rake your hands out enough that you can finally get to it (seriously, you do a really funny combination of all of these things.) It's definitely an improvement to only being able to spin in a circle on your tum tum!!

So you ARE developing despite mommy's constant worry that you're lagging and mommy loves to hear your shouts of encouragement (in the form of babbling, raspberries, and what looks to be an actual cheer when you grab both of your feet and kick them up) and though she's sad that you renigged on the deal to get dentures later in life rather than grow teeth, your smile can still light up the room and life the fear in mommy's heart every time (even in the middle of the night when you should be sleeping.) Keep growing young grasshopper and we'll keep doing our best to get you to where you need to go! Love, mommy (and daddy)

"Can I See Your ID Please"

No, I did not get arrested or carded (not recently at least...carded) but these last few days I've been struggling a little with an identity crisis. Something I feel like is probably pretty common with new(ish) moms but that doesn't really make it any easier. While I love being a wife and mother and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, I'm feeling like I lost a little of myself in the year-ish transition.

While some people dream of being a stay-at-home-mom, it's hard for me. I never thought I would be and I completely miss the social aspects and self-confidence booster that comes from working. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find anything (work-wise) that would allow us to be in the financial situation to put TJ in a daycare that I'd be comfortable with. Nor would I consider asking my mom and dad to take TJ like so many people I know- I feel like that's too much of a burden on them and they're done raising kids (paid their dues if you will) and now they should be able to have the freedom that they deserve in retirement. Besides, they help quite a bit as it is and need to spread their love and time between three grandkids!

I envy those who either had the ability to take their time and enjoy their marriage for a few years before diving into having children as well as those who fell into parenthood like it was a familiar, warm, cozy bed. It amazes me to see some of Acy's friend as well as my own two friends that have babies, seemingly navigate their first born with ease while I constantly feel like I'm struggling to keep my head above the water and my baby alive and looked after (he wants for nothing though people!)

I realize that I should be writing about how amazing he is (because he really IS a genius) and all of the growth he's gone through and not whining about how I cringe when I hear him crying at night because his teeth hurt (I think), but I can't help but look myself over as a parent at this juncture in time and grade myself. But how do you grade yourself in parenting? Technically he's still alive, thriving- has more chins than a Chinese phone book- and developmentally seems to be doing well. I just feel as though that's all a fluke of his own accord and not anything that I've really done to get him there. So, how do you know when enough is good enough? How or WHEN do you manage to just KNOW what your baby needs and when?

Save Me!!

I was checking out one of the seventeen thousand cloth diaper/green living blogs that I follow (only a slight exaggeration) and stumbled upon this cloth diaper savings calculator. Inputing the cost of the diapers I've bought and the cost of doing laundry- soap and power usage- and subtracting it from the cost that I would have spent on disposables and it spit out these statistics:
You will break even in 26.94 weeks or 6.2 months. You will save $346.9 in 10 months. You will save $529.54 in 1 year. You will save $1077.43 in 1 1/2 years.
Not too shabby eh?! That's not even including the fact that I'm using reusable wipes. Although the savings are nothing to sneeze at, I know I could've saved a bit more had I been a little smarter about my first purchases. I love love love my BumGenius 4.0s, but I'm also finding that I really enjoy the prefolds and covers. The snappi and flats are great backups but definitely not my go-to diapers. The flats dry so quickly and wash so well, but they also are a little difficult to put on a squirmy baby. The Cutey Baby's have been put in the far back part of the changing table as a last resort even after the flats. Some people like the all-in-one factor that keeps things easy to stuff, wash and keep track of, but they're a bit of a hazard when baby poops- too often the poo goes between the cracks where you tuck the main insert into the middle opening so it oozes and actually soils the cover and good luck getting that rinsed well. All poop aside, I feel pretty good about my purchases thus far! I'll have to recalculate things in another couple of months though as see how the savings are then.....dun dun DUNNNNN!

Off to Grandma's We Go!!

Well, we're all back home safe and sound (though some of us a little worse-for-wear than the others.) Acy and I decided to take a little Babymoon and go up to Grandma's Marathon in Duluth (northern Minnesota) while baby stayed with Nani and Bapa at the cabin in Alexandria (along with his Auntie Beth, Uncle Jim and cousins!)

Acy's alive after running 26.2 MILES at Grandma's Marathon and finished with a very respectable time of 4 hours and 20(something) minutes, though I think having only run about four times this year before hand is taking a bit of a toll on him- he's walking kind of like he just got off a horse after riding a day. But he finished and in my books, that's amazing! Overall, I think he actually really enjoyed himself, despite his disappointment in his time. We were able to have some yummy appetizers the evening of the race with some well-deserved beers (at least on their part), we had breakfast at our usual coffee/pancake house (The Vanilla Bean) and Masa and Acy had some time together after the race and that afternoon to happily rehash the individual times for each mile, where they struggled, etc. Ahhh, the bromance continues.

I, happily, decided not to go to the finish line this year and stayed at the campsite where I caught up on my sleep, read half of my book (The Magicians) and listened to my music while having a gentle breeze pass through my tent and over my bare feet. It was perfect- much better than having to go through the stop-and-go, one-lane traffic to get into Duluth, find a parking spot and successfully park, walk about two miles myself, see them finish (hopefully) only to lose them in a crowd of about 15,000 people and have to find them again after they exited the runner's area= HEADACHE!! So it all worked out; I got to relax and enjoy my day alone and Acy and Masa got to be the crazy fools they are and run in 50 degree, slightly rainy and windy weather.

Instead of spending the last day relaxing and recouperating from the race, we had to drive back that morning after a delicious breakfast to attend a wedding at 2:30 Sunday afternoon. So we got home around 12:30, jumped in the shower, threw on some decent clothes and jumped back in the car (where I proceeded to poke my eyes with my mascara as I tried to put on makeup) to drive to downtown Minneapolis and hop on a boat that would take us on a little "cruise" up and down the Mississippi while we saw Acy's friends from Origami get married!! It was a lovely wedding and the weather held up perfectly for it- a little cloudy and humid but the sun peaked out and there was a gentle breeze off the river.
When we got home last night at 10 we were ready to crash but couldn't help but sneak down to see our baby (who was awake and crying actually) and smother him with kisses. There really is no feeling in the world like seeing your baby, your heart again. I missed him and today he's spending time with daddy (daddy even took him to his work for a little while so he could put in an order for fish) but tomorrow he's all MINE again- and I'm very happy about that for once!!

And, as always, I must speak about my cloth diapers- I had to run over to Peapods again after I dropped baby off at Auntie Beth and Uncle Jim's house (they were super sweet and took TJ to the cabin with them so we didn't have to drive two and half hours out of our way) because I had to pick up some more Bac-Out and Rockin Green laundry detergent. I was intrigued in hearing that Rockin Green is now a "remix" and that their formula is slightly different so we'll have to see how that compares. I also couldn't resist the Econobum trial-pack in green that comes with a shell and three pre-folds. I also, then, had to pick up another Duo cover in Bluebird, a Duo set that comes with two pads, and a Thirsties hemp insert- all just to try them out, ever the explorer in this world of cloth diapering.

Now, I need an opinion! How do you feel about someone putting a drying-rack out on the deck on sunny days (bringing it in after the day and not as a permanent fixture) to sun-bleach their clothes? What if said deck was in view of the road?

El Cabino

You all may know that my parents have a cabin up in Alexandria and that I've already spent a ton of time up there, but it's great to get out of the citys, be around other people/family and even have a little help with TJ since I'm basically a single parent five out of seven days. Last weekend I carted TJ back up to the cabin after being home only a few days to celebrate my dad's birthday. As usual, we had delicious food, TJ got his Nani and Bapa fix and I was able to get a few more hours of shut-eye while they watched him for me. The weather really couldn't have been any better- it was sunny pretty much all three days I was up there and the weather was warm but not terribly humid which allowed me to go for walks every day and we also took TJ on his first boat ride!

Not especially happy about this...

I think we need to take him out a few more times before he'll feel really comfortable (and maybe get him a bigger life jacket as this one crowds his face too much.)

We both really love it up at the cabin (I mean, who wouldn't really) and I'm looking forward to a fun summer, especially because Jimmy and Beth will be up there fairly often as well with my adorable little nieces! Hope everyone else got a chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather before it got smoking hot (103 here I believe.) Thank goodness for air conditioning!

Thanks for stopping by!

He may not have liked the boat but he loves the swing!

Growing The 'Stash'

So....since starting cloth diapering, I've become a bit of an addict. I check at least three of the cloth diaper online stores every day to see if they have anything on sale or any great deals or new prints that I just can't pass up or, if I'm to be completely honest, pretend to add things to the virtual shopping cart but not checkout and actually spend the money but still get the pleasure of having purused everything and picked out my wants. It's bad...really bad.

We now have our stash of 24 BumGenius 4.0 snap one-size pockets, 1 Flip cover, 1 Bummis Super Whisper Wrap cover, 4 GDiapers (in medium though so we really will have to upgrade those sooner rather than later) 2 Swaddlebee's econosnaps, 2 prefolds, and 12 birdseye flat diapers. You may have noticed that I've left out the 6 CuteyBaby diapers but that's because they're my least favorite of my lovely stash and will only be used in emergencies I think (the velcro keeps poking baby no matter how we try and secure it- he's too squirmy.)

In addition I've also built up a nice supply of accessories- two wet bags, two pail liners, two sticks of GroVia, 3 dozen cloth wipes, and 3 regular snappis and 1 toddler snappi. This kid wants for nothing beacuse I just want it all!!! More specifically, I want to try/collect them all!! That's where I feel a little awkward...has cloth diapering become my hobby?

I also would like to note that hubby has been completely supportive but weary of how much money we're actually saving (not unjustifiably admittedly.) Although I'm using the savings toward buying more (and so not really saving a whole lot) I am trying to compensate for using more water/running another load of laundry by line drying all the diapers so that we're still conserving some energy if not water.

I did read taht the more of a stash that you have, the larger the likelyhood of it lasting through another child because you're rotating between so many diapers they don't get worn out as quickly. That helps ease my conscious a little...

Mama Moto/Our Favorite Things!

Mama Moto's taking over the blog for a second just for a bit of guilty pleasure in the form of one of those survey thingys....You may now skip down to the botton of this entry if you choose.

Three Names I Go By:
1. Mol
2. Snickers
3. Ellen
*Note: Name not necessarily applicable but used all the same

Three Jobs I've Had:
1. Swim instructor in my backyard pool
2. English instructor in Japan
3. Sales associate (glamorous no?)

Three Places I Have Lived:
1. Woodbury, Minnesota
2. Tokyo, Japan
3. Hamada, Japan

Three Places I Have Been:
1. London, England
2. Sydney, Australia
3. Singapore

Three of My Favorite Foods:
1. Tofu (that's right, Tofu!)
2. Lobster
3. Tuna sushi/sashimi/nigiri

Three Things I'm Looking Forward to:
1. Toshi being able to talk
2. Working again
3. Having another child!

We now resume our origional posting----

THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS (ala Sound of Music)

A blog for those of you that are thinking about having a baby, are preggo, or just want to compare and share what's great for ruling your children's lives-ermm...taking care of your precious little ones.

1. BumGenius One Size 4.0 - so flipping easy to use and comes in a variety of cute colors and prints! They really make cloth diapering easy-peasy!
2. Jingly Ball-thing - this is perfect for his little hands to grasp, he loves the gentle tinkle sound it makes with the wood on wood and the little knobs are perfect for him to gently chew/teeth.
3. Travel System - I feel like this is a must for all parents and I don't really get why you wouldn't get a travel system honestly. Simply a best buy.
4. Panda Musical Toy - no joke, possibly THE BEST $10 (it was on sale when we bought it) we've spent so far. This keeps my little one entertained for an hour straight which is amazing considering the kid doesn't like suckies.
5. Squeaky Toy - we got this and Sophie as a gift and apparently our child was a dog in another life- he gets ridiculously excited when he hears this thing. I enjoy it because it's made from natural rubber so he gets to chew on something safe. I know, another toy you're thinking but seriously...get one.
6. Aden and Anais Blankets - so you may think blankets are kind of lame to be on the list, but these are amazingly useful blankets...we (tried) to use them for swaddling (our baby was not happy about it but most are), car seat cover from the sun (especially nice since they're so light-weight...I don't feel like my son is going to get sufficated), tummy time blankets and simply as blankets for night (I always have one in the diaper bag since they're actually quite compact.) I also recommend the silky blankets my mom makes...but you can't buy them so they're not officially on the list.
7. Dr. Brown Bottles - when I went to register for TJ I was blown away by all the information and kinds of bottles there are out there. I think I listerally panicked and registered for one of each only to find that I should have listened to all the mothers I knew and recommended these to begin with. They really reduce the air TJ takes in (I can tell by how much gas he has the next day/how fussy he is) and my husband likes that it's a straight bottle (which he says are easy to hold/position unlike the Playtex ones- which are probably my second favorite.) They come in wide-neck if you're nursing to avoid nipple confusion and despite the fact that they come with a tiny bottle brush, they really can go in the dishwasher just fine. Phew...that was a long rec. Guess I feel pretty passionately about it.
8. Play Mat - just an example of something that will be your best friend until baby can crawl as he's entertained for hours at a time by all the things hanging down/that make noise/that he can see and hit, etc. This is also nice because it really carries him through until he's mobile, acting as a cushioned surface as they learn to roll over and teaching them all sorts of things like depth, color, and cause-effect. I can't tell you how proud I was when my little one figured out the ball that the zebra-cat was holding would make noise if you spin it.
9. Flip Video - the simplest video camera out there that'll help you capture all those first and fun moments (like when baby suddenly sneezes sweet potatoes all over you while you're capturing his first bite...yeah...fun...) Easy to upload and share videos and perfect for those little clips.
10. A Partner in Crime - I apologize ahead of time but this is about to get reallly mushy. If you're lucky, like I am, to have someone to share this experience with then you can relate when I say that having someone there to learn everything along side of you and support you is something utterly invaluable and is definitely one of my favorite things to have for this journey called parenthood. TJ couldn't have wished for a better dad (although I'm sure he could wish for more time with him) and I'm lucky to have him as my rock (aka: to have him race home from work with my favorite sushi, put his arm around me and take over for the night when I call him crying saying I broke our baby because he won't stop crying no matter what I've tried to do.)

And with that, ladies and gentlemen, I wrap up our favorites with a couple more things that I'd recommend (just not as highly as the above): Boppy, Sandra Boynton Books, Diaper Pail Liner (if you plan on cloth diapering), Sound Machine, Boon Drying Grass 

You can see the little wooden ball thingy!

And there's the blanket!! TJ was only about two months here!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!

Oh Boy, My Big 6-month Boy!!

Honey, you are now no longer able to fit into your 9-month clothes- at least not very comfortably- and it's not just because your cloth diapers are a little bulkier than the disposables. It's mainly because you're 28 inches long and 19 pounds and 9 ounces now!!! :O That places you firmly in the 92nd percentile for height and 75th percentile for weight! We definitely don't make small babies in our family though personally I wouldn't want it any other way. Your head is also MASSIVE- 18.25 inches around which is the 97th percentile....can I just say thank you for exploding after you were born! :D

All ready for work!

You're becoming a bit more snuggly with mommy and although you flirt CONSTANTLY with strangers, batting your long eyelashes and grinning from ear to ear especially at women, you have a little bit of a stranger aversion- you like to look but you're not a fan of being transferred to someone you don't know well. However, you LOVE LOVE LOVE your cousins, Bapa, Nani, Uncle and Aunties!! You're sleeping through the night thank goodness!! Unfortunately with your shots you've had a hard couple of nights...actually you may be teething because all this week you've gone down super easy only to wake up and hour later screaming like a banshee!! Man almighty do you scream! You've actually never screamed quite like this so it's been very hard for mommy to hear without being able to do anything but hold you until you calm down (so much for sleep training.) So we're thinking the culprit is either teeth or possibly your cold bothering you. I hope once that's dealt with you'll get back to being your sweet, well-rested self (for the sake and sanity of us all!!)

Developmentally, you've managed to hold yourself up sitting for a few seconds at a time. You're back to rolling and have brought back the raspberries and different vowel and consonents again. Despite your night-time problems, you're an awesome napper and are incredibly happy and delightful in the mornings and when you wake up from one of those stellar naps. Mommy often leaves you in your crib for a few minutes after she hears you because you like you talk and play by yourself for a little while- yay baby!! You've also started to try and push onto your knees and have definitely pulled yourself toward toys just out of reach. You're still so strong-sometimes painfully so when you pull our hair or pinch our cheeks- but it's amazing how interested you are in everything and how much you just want to explore!!

This weekend we're up at the cabin and your cousins are so sweet with you. Lucy's giving you lots of kisses and strokes your head fondly and even Greta's calling your name and comes to investigate how her real-life 'baby doll' is. P.S. Greta's trotting here and there and talking!! It's amazing how many words she knows and comprehends and your older cousin, Lucy, is just a riot!! She's so spunky and loveable!!

On that note, mommy's going to go hang out with the other half of the "Bad-Mommy Club" (Auntie Beth) and go make some "mommy sippy cups" and "milk...milk was a bad choice onesie." I'll have to upload the picture of you and Greta having lunch together...kind of. I'm also thinking my next post will have to be about our favorite things since it's what all the cool kids are doing.

Thanks for stopping by...you stay classy e-world.

TJ in his PJs at 5 Months!

So a monthly post isn't so bad...right? right?! Well not a lot has changed actually. I go up to the cabin with my mom and dad every other week or so to have some adult company (and help if I'm being honest) which is actually very very fun. We watch Big Bang Theory, just relax on the porch, go shopping, etc. Unfortunately my dad has been laid up in bed with a bad pinched nerve in his leg so he's not able to be vertical for very long. We still make the best of it though and it beats sitting at home everyday, all day by myself saying "mamamama" over and over again. I really need to get active in the Woodbury Mom's Club and Early Childhood Education....I'm still waiting for when TJ is a little more chill though..................-_-;

Well, we've started in on the cloth diapers and it's working out really well. After a couple weeks of investigation on which diapers to use, we got a strong recommendation from a friend and went ahead with BumGenius one-size diapers. So far they're great and super easy- just changed like a normal diaper, throw in the cloth diaper "trash" wash after a few days and hang up to dry. Not much different then a regular routine honestly.

We've had no leaks, the diapers are super soft for TJ and, (not-so-)secretly, I love the colors! Mom also helped me out and made a dozen cloth wipes so we're going to give those a try too since you just throw them in the with diapers! We've got 18 BG, 2 GDiapers, 6 CuteyBaby Diapers and some GroVia bum lotion, Thirsties wipe wash (though I'm going to make my own with Tea Tree Oil and Lavendar Oil) and those on the right are some of the 14 cloth wipes mom made- Call me ECO-MOM!!!!

Anywho....baby's starting to roll pretty consistantly both ways so mamma's very proud! He's starting to get into a better sleep pattern (naps at 9, 1 and sometimes 4) and goes down to bed a lot quicker (about 45 mins. from start to end) rather than taking two hours- bleh! He's generally sleeping well two nights in a row (almost 12 hrs.) but then decides that's too nice for mama and wakes us up around 4 on the third night. Still, two out of three nights is not too shabby by my book. (P.S. Thank-you shout-out again to Bethie for recommending Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child -I finally read the chapter on his age group as you can see!)

This month, he's also started doing two of my favorite things -blowing raspberries and finding his feet!! It's sooooo cute to see him sit in his high chair, grab his chubby little feet and then tilt his head to the side, look at you and blow some raspberries (always causing him to smile with delight afterwards!)

Actually, I guess a couple major things happened that I've forgotten about- my little niece/goddaughter (Greta) turned ONE!! It's sooooo amazing how quickly she's grown up. She seemed to learn how to crawl, stand, walk, and talk all within a week (at least that's what it felt like!) She and TJ are finally beginning to acknowledge each other a little more and she's actually very gentle and friendly with him!

Yay cousins!!! Also, the Norman family came over to celebrate Easter which was soooo fun because Lucy can now hunt for eggs!! I had a lot of fun buying, stuffing and walking with her around the house to find them! Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures with MY camera but Beth has a few great one on her blog -> Happy Mama Beth

TJ's turned out to be quite the good eater and has plowed his way through squash, sweet potatoes (probably his favorite), peas (his least favorite), sweet peas (is there a difference?) and has just had his first taste of apples today (I have a feeling those are going to be a contender for fav.) He's also up to at least 3 tbsp. rice cereal and then sometimes a little "dessert" of veggies.

We've also learned that he's quite the ladies man/flirt and smiles at pretty much every girl he sees....danger Will Robinson! Here's a picture of him meeting Acy's friend's (Ming and Ai) little girl (Tia) who's almost a year old (though TJ seems to dominate her in weight and height at 5.5 months!) Notice her possessive touch...they're destined to be married :D

P.S. Aren't they so handsome as proud daddies?

T.J.'s lower left front tooth is starting to rear it's ugly little head so I think that's making the Teej a little more cranky than normal though he's uber happy baby right after waking up from his naps!! We'll keep truckin'

Aaaaannnnnd I think that pretty much wraps up this month. Masu Sushi and Robata (the restaurant that Acy works in) is still booming and he's finally getting a day off at least a week- thank GOODNESS!! Alex (the Executive Head Chef) was on Kare-11 this morning pitching/cooking the food so feel free to take a gander and check it out - Masu Sushi and Robata Interview I'm lucky I get to reap all the benefits of having a chef as a husband:

Miso, robata fare (grilled chicken, corn, pork belly, fried scallops, etc.) and tuna sashimi with wine...y'know you're jealous :D

Other than that....Need....sunshine.....badly..... But thanks for stopping by! See you again soon (in a month?)

The Teej Months 3 & 4

Sorry for the looooong delay in updating but things have been a little crazy to say the least the last month and a half:

Firstly, baby is alive and thriving and keeping mama plenty busy. At three months, he started off rolling to the right from his tummy,but he's since gone 99% left!! These days he's only managing to roll over once a day but he still manages some pretty impressive push-ups (puts me to shame!) As he's gotten older, he's also become a better sleeper- still not great but there are glimpses of hope! My favorite night was when he slept 9pm-9am. Ahhh....8 hours of straight sleep for me never felt so good. TJ has also started to laugh in earnest which makes those times that he gets up during the middle of the night easier to pass. When he laughs, everything's ok. Even when he smiles, it just makes your heart melt (one of the family members-maybe my dad- said when he smiles, he smiles with his whole face and it's totally true! :D)

Bumbo Smiles!

At his four-month appointment, he weighed in at 17.01 lbs. and 25.5 inches long. He's in the 95th percentile for each of the three stats so he's quite the big boy!! I'm a self-confessed nerd and we went straight from the check-up to Target to get some baby food (the moment I've been waiting for!!) Though he started off a little shakey with only a couple teaspoons of rice cereal, baby's now up to 3 tablespoons of cereal once a day and also half a jar of baby food-we started with sweet potatoes...YUM!- I'm so proud. He's also drooling up a swimming pool for us and waking up during the night so we may have a teether on our hands! I love his babbling and squealing

Big Boy in the Bumbo!

Roll Up! ^.^

I'm getting the hang of this mom-thing but I'm also very lucky and happy to have Beth and my brother. We've actually set up a weekly date-night where I get to ask all my questions over some delicious dinner, wine, cheese and Big Bang Theory (with a little Jimmy picking.) It's also great to get to see Lulu and Greta and my are they growing fast and get cuter every time!! Now that my parents are back from Florida though, I've been going up to the cabin quite often with them. It's so nice to have so much amazing support and help and also some adult company during the days.

It's been especially great because Acy has been helping to open a new restaurant in Minneapolis called Masu Sushi and Robata. Since it's just starting out he's been having to work long hours (8am-3am) and although he's enjoyed helping with the concept and menu, it's been quite stressful for him to be away from his family so much and we miss him. It's so cute to watch Toshi and Acy when they do get time together though. Toshi gets so happy and excited and Acy's just like a big kid as well. We just have to keep reminding ourselves that we knew, going into this project, that it was going to be hard for a couple of months. I guess it really does make me appreciate the time I get to spend with him as well. Anyway, if you want to check out the restaurant and menu for funsies the website is http://www.masusushiandrobata.com/!

Unfortunately this last month has been made even harder with the passing of my closest cousin, Cissy (Zita), who lost her battle with depression. I kind of crawled into a hole and avoided answering the phones and emails so although it may sound lame, it's another reason why I haven't ventured to enter another blog. Again, I'm lucky to have such great friends and family here and the pain is still too fresh to talk about right now but we're working through it and the Celebration of Life that we had for her helped the healing along.

That's My 'Ster

So while these last couple of months have been way up and way down, I'm looking forward to a more quiet month hopefully. Feel free to weigh in on cloth diapers for me and also answer this question for me- can I start giving baby fruit purees after three days of the same veggie or do I have to stick with veggies for a while?

Hello Moto!

Sooo…in true “Molly” fashion, my son has turned three months (as of yesterday) and I have only just now started the blog of our new life as a family. Go me.

This whole blog has been started to keep distant (as in “living miles away”) friends and family in the Teej Loop of Dispair!!!!!! (aka in touch and updated on little baby T.J. Moto.)

The shenanigans all started on November 23^rd. I woke up that morning and felt a little off kilter like I had just pulled a stomach muscle after eating a whole Chipotle burrito then decided to run up a long flight of stairs. It was not a comfortable feeling especially as it kind of came and went. Luckily I was happily distracted by running around with mom and dad preparing for the baby’s arrival (read “preparing for baby’s arrival” = SHOPPING!! BUYING CUTE ADORABLE CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES!!)

Baby must have gotten the message that mommy was uber excited that day and was also prepared beyond a doubt (at least clothing and toy-wise) so he started making his move. Mom and dad returned home after spending and helping spend a bajillion dollars on their first grandson and Acy came home from work in time to whip out the stop watch and pull up a chair to do some hardcore contraction timing. It was already 11 at night when we decided that a hospital trip was in order and, again, in true “Molly” form, I frantically threw stuff into a bag because although baby’s due date was the next day and although I had made a list (I love lists) of things to bring, I had not packed them yet…

And so Toshimasa James (T.J.) Yamamoto was born November 24^th, 2010 (yes the day before Turkey Day) at 3:57pm (how considerate of him to come in the afternoon rather than the wee hours of the night) and came in at 6 pounds 14 ¾ ounces and 20 inches tall. The delivery went quite smoothly (I hate to brag but… 7 min. and 4 pushes), he was a good eater, a great sleeper (ah, the good ol’ days) and adorable to boot. totally in sync and were one big happy family.

Then the panic set it… what just happened? Had the hospital really just let us leave with this fragile little thing? Don’t we need like a license or something to operate this baby? D-do we need gas masks when he poops? Will he need a shower cap when we bathe him? What if we break him?  Ahhh…the joys of being a new parenthood. For the record, I blame Acy for anything that went wrong.

I actually wish that was true, but (much to my chagrin) Acy’s a natural dad and has more of a motherly instinct than I do!! That’s not supposed to happen….and it pissed me off to no end but it’s actually a good thing that it did because I was pretty much frozen in fear and self-loathing for the life of freedom I had lost in bringing this child into the world. After getting over the realization that I couldn’t put him back though, baby and I came to an understanding. I agreed to love him with all of my being and nurture him in every way possible and he agreed not to sass off to mommy in the first six months of his life. Good deal right?

So here we are, he has survived his first three months of life. You always hear people saying “enjoy them while they’re a baby. It all goes by so quickly,” you really don’t fathom it until you experience it. It’s amazingly true how that is.

I thought of making a post for each month but decided that it would be more efficient to just make this a very GRANDE FIRST POST. Here's the first three months of the life of The Teej (from his baby book):

At ONE MONTH you are eating very well, peanut, and you are growing so fast! You’re already 10.07 lbs. and 22 ½ in. long (both over average.)

You’re starting to be able to lift your head for longer and longer amounts of time and you’re already smiling and laughing a lot! You make lots of really adorable coo-ing noises that sound like “ah” and are very short and sweet. Sometimes you throw in an “aw.” Of course, mommy and daddy are still awfully amused by the noises of your tooting and though you sometimes cry when you have gas or want to burp you only consistently cry when you’re hungry and occasionally when you’re overtired or lonely.

You love your milksies though and that’s mainly what makes you happy but you also love to snuggle and bounce a little (which also helps you burp.)

At 6 weeks, we’ve started loosely sleep training you because you love to sleep everywhere but your crib and haven’t quite understood the difference between day and night. On your second day, though, you’re doing great!

At TWO MONTHS you’re quite the little genius and you’re so strong already! What a difference one month makes! You can now keep your head fairly stable and you’ve already managed to roll over once from your tummy to your back (going to the right) although you were none too happy about it at the time. It may have been beginners luck though because you haven’t quite managed to do it again though you’ve been awfully close a few times. You LOVE to stand and can do so for quite some time if we help you balance. I think you like it better than sitting or lying down!

You’ve learned that the little zebra-cat that hangs from your play matt is holding a ball that will make music if you hit it. At first mommy thought you did it by accident. Then you did it six times in the span of only a half hour!

You’re such a morning person and are often the happiest and most smiley when you’ve just woken the household up for the day. Mommy and daddy can’t figure out how you’re their child although it does make it easier for us to get up in the morning when we’re greeting with that smile, especially because as you get older, you love to chat on the changing table. At first you only wanted to talk to us, but now you’re becoming more content to chat with yourself as you play. It’s so cute to hear!

Your diet now consists mostly of formula because you are an EATING MACHINE! You now eat 4-6 oz. ever couple of hours and take an 8 oz. bottle before bed. Anyone could tell though because you’re starting to get a little chubbier around your cheeks and neck (the more to love my dear.) At your two-month check-up you were 13.1 lbs. and 23 ¾ in. long!! Quite the grow spurt you had there baby!

We’ve also learned that you’re quite an amazing traveler when mommy took you on your first trip out of the state to visit Nani and Bapa in Florida!! With some great tips from Auntie Beth, you didn’t cry on the entire trip and were super smiley when stepping off the plane (P.S. Mommy thanks you for being so wonderful when she was so nervous to fly alone with you.) You saw the ocean (kind of), we took walks through a state park and saw your first mangrove tree, you had your first stroller ride around the condominium complex and took some pretty fun trips to the stores and restaurants where people fawned over you (literally. People not even waiting on us at the Columbia restaurant came over to look at you.) You also have Nani to thank for getting you on a sleeping/feeding schedule but also for learning how to stick your tongue out (despite inheriting being tongue-tied from mommy and daddy.) She also took great care of you in the early hours of the morning so mommy could relax and take full advantage of being in Florida! We’ll have to go again next year for sure!

Although mom and dad don’t sing to you much, mommy will sing “You Are My Sunshine” while she gives you a bath and daddy reads to you whenever he can at night before putting you down for bed. You’re a fan of “The Belly Button Book,” “Black on White,” and “The Barnyard Dance.”

At THREE MONTHS you now weigh 15.01 lbs!!! We only know this because you had your first cold, poor bub. Your cough is so sad to listen to but you’re a trooper and are taking it all in stride (I think you have your daddy’s regenerative powers!) Although you haven’t been eating well recently because of the cold, you’re quite the chubby bubby and have more chins than a Chinese phone book! I love the big Buddha belly and face though and you’re so much fun to cuddle.

            You’ve started to laugh a little when you show off the big gummy smile (P.S. mommy doesn’t want you to grow teeth.) It sounds like “ageeee” and is super adorable. Bapa’s right in saying that you smile with your whole face. It just melts the heart. In fact, when mommy had a quick check-up on your 3-month birthday, all the nurses came out because they were waiting to see you!! My little flirt! :D

            You can’t quite pick things up yet yourself but you’ll hold and shake your plastic keys from Auntie Beth and Uncle Jimmy a bit before throwing/dropping them! You also grasp onto the zebra-kitty on the play matt, the Big Bird from the play bar and have pulled the Velcro-on butterflies down from the play matt!

            Although momma’s trying to give you more tummy time, you’ve started to get a little bit of a flat AND bald spot on your head. It makes mommy a little worried but the pediatrician assured us that it’s quite common for babies your age and that it should pop back out as you’re spending more time on your tummy, learning to roll and sit up and that your skull plates haven’t crossed yet so it’s not too worrisome…nonetheless you’ve been put in the Bumbo (which you seemed to really enjoy actually) and Auntie Beth and mommy tried out the jumper. You were quite indifferent and grew a bit frustrated with the jump after about five minutes though but we’ll try again next week.

            Mommy and you are visiting Uncle Jimmy and Auntie Beth almost every week now so you get to spend time with your cousins. Lulu loves you and often tries to “hold” you. She often comes to greet us at the door and calls out your name “TJ!” Lulu’s very sweet and will try and “help” me feed you or give you your suckie (although try as we will you dislike the suckie for the most part) and give you nice kisses on your cheek and forehead. Greta I think is still a little unsure of you but she’s happy to be the older child for once and we sometimes have to be a little careful now that she is able to speed-crawl and even walk!! I don’t know if you’ll be able to keep up with them but I’m happy you’ll have some family close in age to play with and keep you company until you get a brother or sister.

            You still haven’t successfully rolled over again but you only just turned three months this week so we’ll update this again soon hopefully with some progress.