Thursday, June 28, 2012

Catching Up

I can't believe it has been over a week since I've last posted something! Things have just been so hectic around here...and exhausting...I am so beyond tired...even with an 8 to 9 pm bedtime. So here is a little bit of a catch up on what we have been up to.

First, things are going fairly smoothly with our move so far. Mia has received both her Japanese and American passports and birth certificate. Also, her Social Security card arrived at my mom's house a few days ago, so she is ready to fly out whenever. Ten has his visa interview at the embassy on July 11, and then he should get his visa in a week or so after that. So, if all goes well we could be out of here around the 19th or so....but at the latest it could be around the 25th...either way it looks like July will be when we are leaving...so once again we will be flying or moving around the time of my birthday! This has happened every year for the past 4 years! It's kind of too bad for me...hahaha...but that just seems to be the way it always works out. 



Also, I recently had a bunch of things sent to me from the US, and I got them all yesterday.


I finally got Mia's bedding in. She hates sleeping in her bed, so Ten and I thought maybe making it a little bit cozier might help the situation....and I have to admit...these are just so cute that it makes me happy to look at them.



Here are some thin blankets that she can use for both the summer and winter. I absolutely love the goldfish print. Goldfish remind me so much of the summer time, and you can find lots of cute goldfish patterns here in Japan...so I was happy to find these blankets!




Here are her crib sheets. Little owls sitting in a tree. Also, on the bottom you can see her fairy blanket. The back side has cupcakes on it...so sweet...This blanket is mainly for the winter though since it is four layers of muslin.



I also went ahead and started getting some things that I think will be useful for the plane trip to NY. We will fly business class, so it really won't be that bad...but I still needed a few things.


On the left is my new changing pad from Fisher Price...this thing is great. My current changing pad is too tiny for Mia now...and this one has a place to hold wipes and comes with little disposable bags for diapers...great choice Sarah! Also, on the right is a 31 bag from my sister. It's really cute, and I may start to use this as my diaper bag....it might be a bit small for the plane though so I might have to bring a small carry-on.



Some Clorox wipes to disinfect seats and tables on the plane since those things are never cleaned and some more diaper sacks...and no I'm not a germaphobe...but we do have to be a bit more cautious since Mia is a preemie.




Magazines for me...though I'll actually read these before we go I'm sure...hahaha. I love O Magazine by the way...probably my favorite.


Supplements for Ten...also not related to the move...but he just "needed" them...hahaha.

I've also been in a mad scramble to try and finish my Sports Nutrition course...and it has totally paid off...I only have one more essay to finish...and then I will be sending it off to be graded next week. So, I will be DONE...what a relief!! 

So, I had to find a way to keep Mia occupied while I typed up about a million essays...so I did what any good parent would do...turned on the TV....and you know what her favorite shows have been so far.




Not sure if you can see it...but Anpan Man...Keeps her entertained for like 20 minutes at a time...which is a lot for a 2 month old.
And you know what her all time favorite show is.....



...The Real Housewives of New Jersey...not even kidding. She can watch this for like an hour straight! And, what's even crazier...she will start talking like crazy. I've never seen anything like it. Ten's says that we should be worried about her expectations growing up...She will probably demand a BMW for her 16th birthday...so scary...She also has a lot of leopard print clothes and zebra striped outfits that we dress her in...so it is also probably our fault...and my sister's for buying her all of those clothes.

Anyway, I think I've went on for long enough right now...so I will dive back in to the mountain of laundry that I have and piles of dishes...that way I can move on to more exciting things like going through closets in order to prepare for the move...FUN! --please note the sarcasm :o)



Thursday, June 21, 2012

State of Affairs

....or better yet the state of our household. That is what I need to vent about today because let me tell you dear friends....it is out of control! There isn't a place where I can look right now and feel that sense of "aah, all is right in the world." Instead I feel like we are living in a really bad episode of Hoarders or one of those shows where the people are in desperate need of a life planner....something along those lines.


So, here I go...here are the areas that have me wanting to stay in bed for the day and hope some version of the life organization fairy will come and make everything all better.


Small Things



  • Email: My inbox is out of control. I have dozens of emails that I actually NEED to read through and form some sort of reply...Also, I have tons of email folders whose names and content don't match. I'm pretty sure that I have almost every email that I have sent/received (minus junk mail) for the past 5 years...and it is quickly catching up to me.
  • Pictures/Scrap booking: So B-E-H-I-N-D. I have multiple things that I need to finish with my pictures, but this won't be happening any time soon...as much as I would like to think that it is going too...it won't.
  • Books: I had my beautiful summer reading list, but it has been attacked by a host of gifted books. I swear we have received every childcare book known to man!! We have not bought a single one, but we have more than our book shelf can hold...so they are actually tucked away under our couch! Very nice that we got these all....but I'm wondering if I will actually get to read them while Mia is still a baby...haha
  • Clutter: Me and Ten like to pride ourselves on the fact that we are almost completely clutter free! However, over the past month...we are swimming in it...in every corner...every shelf...every everything...there is clutter. My closet is one of the scariest places on Earth right now....There are things everywhere...we also have empty random cardboard boxes taking up space....sob.
  • Blog: I hate my blog design... absolutely don't like it. I would love to sit down and reorganize it and such...and need to rename it to now that I think about it.
  • Shopping: I have went on a bit of retail therapy session these past few weeks. I have ordered blankets, sheets, a new planner, a new desktop calendar, and an address book. I actually did need all of these things. I am also having some magazines sent to me and a new tote bag from my sister! However, I still have so much more I want to get...sigh...because I need it I should add.
  • Cleaning: Vacuuming, Scrubbing, Wiping Down...words not heard in this apartment regularly since we found out we will be moving.
The Big Things

These things are so chaotic that I don't have enough space to write about...but can you imagine...we have to choose a 401k plan, health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, a new apartment, getting rid of all of our appliances (hard to do in Japan), opening new bank accounts, finding a new apartment, trying to get a home loan and finding a house, and buying a car....all at the same time. Makes my head spin....and not to mention THE COURSE...so evil I don't want to think about it.

Now I'm really not overly stressed about this....because things always do have a way of working themselves out in the end...however, it is enough to make me want to watch hours of the Real Housewives of New Jersey and eat cookies for dinner while not moving from my bed....BUT since I did that yesterday I guess I should soldier on today. :)

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Mia is Two Months Old!!

Dear Mia,

You are now 2 months old...and quite the chunker might I add. Today you had your doctor's appointment and are now weighing in at 11 pounds. 




Over the past month you have grown so much. You now absolutely love sleeping in your bouncer. Complete turnaround from a month ago. Also, you have a favorite toy! A stuffed rocket ship....you try to talk to him all of the time on your play mat...It's too funny.



You are a pretty easy baby and there aren't that many things that you don't like...except for sleeping alone. You are much happier in bed with your mommy and daddy...and yes...we let you sleep there...you're just too cute so we can't help it.


You are nowhere near sleeping through the night yet, but you make up for it with all of the toothless, drooly smiles that you give us in the mornings. You also love to hold hands which is just too precious.


They say that the days are long, but the years are short....and that is a lesson that you have taught us. We cherish every moment that we get to spend with you. 

Love, mommy and daddy



Monday, June 11, 2012

Things I'm Loving Right Now

Rosemary and Mint- This scent is my new all time favorite. I'm using Rosemary and Mint shampoo and conditioner....and I am so in love. It wakes me right up in the mornings. I also just picked up a hand wash in this scent and can't wait to bust it open.


aiden + anais- We got two of these blankets as a gift for Mia....and they are so soft. They are also really cozy and warm without overheating baby. The designs are so simple and cute. I'm about to bust out Ten's credit card this week and purchase a few more things for Mia (read myself...haha). I cannot recommend this company enough... :)


Home Organization Binders- I am beyond pumped to make my binder. I've been reading up on them from a lot of different sites on what to include in making one....this is like the ultimate in list making and planning...so right up my alley!! I will also have a ton more to plan for...three adults, two kids, and lots of fun...so we will need to be very organized.


Proverbs 31- If I feel lazy I just flip over to Proverbs 31 and read about this perfect yet attainable image of how a woman should be....it really helps motivate me to get a little bit extra done. This may seem a bit old-fashioned...but I really admire the Proverbs 31 woman...in fact, she is like my new obsession...right up there with the Duggars....that means...yes, I'm even reading books dedicated to  the topic.


Homeschooling- No...we are not planning on homeschooling...well not exactly...but Ten and I have talked about how great we think homeschooling is. To be honest...and not to offend any of my teacher friends...but I don't have a lot of faith in the public education system. Also, I do have a university degree and taught English...so I could do it...and we could customize the material....but in the end...it isn't really that socially acceptable. However, I have decided to use some of the curriculum with my nephew when we move to the US...and with Mia we plan on doing it during summers....fun learning for a couple of hours each day is better than sitting in front of a TV....in our opinion.


Suntory Oriental Blend Tea- I grabbed a bottle of this yesterday while we were in the checkout lane....it's a blend of oolong and jasmine tea with some other things mixed in....I could drink this stuff all day long....sad I only grabbed one bottle!! May have to ask Ten to make a run to the grocery store for more.


The Godfather- I had never watched this series until recently. I always started and stopped it and just couldn't get into it. Well I was determined to make it past the first half hour the other night and now I am addicted to it. I have finished the first two...so I will be lost when I finish the third one. It's always sad to finish such a great movie...because then other things are such a let down.


Walks- I don't get to leave the apartment very often. Rainy season with an infant makes that almost impossible...but when the rain does stop I am very appreciative of the bit of movement I can squeeze in.


Skype- I used to think I was wasting a lot of time on Skype...but now with nursing in full swing...there are times I can't do much else. Had a lot of fun today talking to my grandma about the gossip going on back home...and then making fun of Ten with my sister and mom...LH didn't mind.... ;)


Adoption- This isn't really something we are thinking about doing right at this moment, but it is something we are keeping in the back of our mind. With two difficult pregnancies (one miscarriage and one premature baby), we aren't quite sure if we are willing to go another round....so, this may be a great option for us...but like I said...lots to think about here.


Anyway, please forgive the typos and odd grammar and what not...great thing about a blog is that it doesn't have to be perfect.

Monday is here

Bath time is fun time. Too cute.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

First Mini Shopping Trip

One of my favorite types of blog posts to read are those where people talk about the daily things that they shop for or use. I think it is one of the ultimate sneak peaks into a person's life....or the ultimate form of creepy stalker things to look at...however you want to word it.


Anyway, one of the things I have learned from our time in Japan and short stay in London is that you definitely start to miss the small things from your host country. Right now, we miss the awesome Greek yogurt and desserts from London. While we were in London, we pretty much missed every Japanese food/bath stuff/etc imaginable. Also, when we go to the US we load up on tons of stuff. We buy everything from toothpaste to small kitchen appliances.


So since we are heading back to the US this summer, I decided to plan ahead and stock up on some of the things that we might miss from Japan. I know that we will be able to find a lot of this stuff at Japanese grocery stores but I figure that it is cheaper to stock up first and will save a lot of hassle in the beginning. Also, you can't always find exactly what you want overseas... So, here was my first mini shopping trip today. It was pretty small since I really can't be away from home for long periods of time right now.





First, I bought four boxes of pudding. Ten always missed this stuff when we were in the US five years ago. So, I went ahead and bought four boxes....I think I might pick up a few more though!




Next, I bought tons of Furuche (I guess that is how you would spell it). Four boxes each of banana, peach, and strawberry. I was on the lookout for blueberry too, but I didn't have any luck. I think I'm really well stalked though....hahaha. You may be thinking that this is a lot for two people!! However, our living situation will be a little bit different. We will also have my sister and nephew with us, so I wanted to make sure that we had enough for four people for a good long time.



Finally, I bought 3 bags of powdered milk tea. I LOVE milk tea, so I bought these. I've never tried them before, but I'm confident they will be as good as the already made kind. Ten asked me if I could just add milk to black tea and get the same result.....ummm....no....hahaha. He just doesn't get it. So, I bought three bags, so I'm sure I will have plenty to share.  

Anyway, so really small shopping trip today, but I will definitely be doing a lot more over the next month! If anyone has any suggestions of what they would want to take back with them from Japan...I would love to hear suggestions!! 

Monday, June 4, 2012

Mondays with Mia

Where we live, we can get free health checkups for babies. This is in addition to the standard well baby checkups at the hospital (which are also free...love national health care by the way). So, we decided to try one of these health checks today....why not, right?


We took the bus to Nakameguro where our local government office is, and this was also Mia's first bus ride. She has mainly been cruising around Tokyo in taxis until now.


What did she think of the ride? Well she slept the entire time...so it wasn't the magnificent learning experience we had hoped for...just kidding...we had no expectations....just realized some family members may have thought I was being serious.


We arrived to a completely empty waiting room....



There were actually maybe a total of 10 babies here by the end of the day....I was surprised more families didn't want to take advantage of this.


Anyway, first we had to get Mia undressed and in a new diaper....have I mentioned how much she hates being woken up...especially to get naked.


Here is a not so happy baby getting ready for her checkup....


....and a not so happy baby getting weighed and measured.



Do you see the numbers on the scale back there? Mia is now weighing in at around 9 pounds! We were both pretty shocked since we were guessing around 8-8.5 pounds. Also, her height is now around the 50th percentile! She was just in the 3rd percentile a few short weeks ago...talk about a major growth spurt!!!


Anyway, she passed the exam with flying colors and was much happier to be fully clothed again. Can't wait to see how she does at her next checkup in 2 weeks!!
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