Ten months, ten onesies.

Each time I write a 'onesie' post, I want to say how fast the time is going. In fact, I probably do. So, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I can't believe that Kio is already ten months old!

As I'm with Kio everyday it is more difficult to see how he changes physically. It's not until someone, who hasn't seen him in a while, comments on how much he's grown that I realize that he is sprouting like a little weed. It also reminds me that I should probably go through his clothes and sort through the stuff that doesn't fit anymore. 

Seriously, the rate that he goes through clothes is ridiculous.

The changes that that are far easier for me to notice, and never cease to amaze me, are in the things that he can do. I don't just mean things like rolling and sitting, which were of course amazing milestones to witness, but the skills like thinking and reasoning are what blow my mind every time.
 

Oji-chan (grandpa) and Oba-chan (grandma) Hirano recently bought Kio his first car - the kid totally thumped my 37 year wait! In fact, he didn't even have to wait for Christmas. Lucky boy.

It comes equipped with all the bells and whistles that a ten month old could ever want: a keyboard, a dancing bear hood ornament, a musical horn, a key that revs the engine and best of all a radio that plays all the great kiddy hits.

Unfortunately, it does NOT come equipped with earplugs.

Shin is pretty sure that his parents are getting revenge for his rather rocky teenage years. Too bad that he's soundly asleep for the majority of the time Kio spends rockin' out in his groove mobile. 

In all honesty it doesn't irritate me that much...that much.

When Kio first got behind the wheel he wasn't really sure what to do. He loved all the sounds but I ended up pushing the buttons for him. Which of course didn't last very long and he spent his time just rockin' on his own.

The second time he hopped in the driver's seat there was no stopping him, he knew straight off which button to go to for all his favourite tunes. And has since played them over, and over, and over again.

Trying not to dwell on the noise factor, it was amazing to see how quickly he had watched what I did and then was able to do it by himself. He loves things with buttons and is always inspecting how they work. The TV remote control is one of his favourites. We have also been reading books from the 'That's not my...' series. Each page has a new texture for him to touch and he's right there with his little finger rubbing and scratching away.

Discovering stuff is the best!

For those of you that check-in on the Hiranos with any regularity, you may have noticed that we've been on a bit of a hiatus. Of course the Christmas season has been keeping us busy but before that there was also Mommy Thumb to deal with.

On December 11th, Kio's ten month birthday and also 2013.12.11 (I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm such a sucker for stuff like that) I had my Mommy Thumb operation.

I had originally planned to write a separate blog post about the whole procedure, I even got as far as penning a bit of it, but it ended up being rather graphic. I figured that if I was giving myself the creeps after actually going through the procedure, people weren't going to want to read about it. So in a quick summary - being awake while having an operation, no matter how small, is extremely nasty yet totally fascinating.

It also ended up being quite painful.

There was at least a week where typing was definitely out of the question, and after that my thumb was all stiff. It has now been twenty days and I'm happy to report that my thumb is back to normal, no pain when picking up Kio whatsoever!

Anyway, excuses made and belated Christmas and New Year posts to follow soon.

Kio's ten month onesie was made by grandma Hirano and it is his first double digit shirt!

I've tried to take pictures of Kio wearing his special onesie on the date of his birthday, this time it wasn't possible (see above excuse). However, it was only a few days later that he wriggled into his ten month shirt.

And wriggle he did!

I took countless pictures of him. Trying to get him to face forward, with the full picture on the shirt showing AND smile, all while trying not to use my left hand became a bit much. In the end I settled for this.

It doesn't show up as much as I thought it would, but he managed to scratch his eyelid in the process and I've just realized that he's probably due for another haircut.

What a nutter!

 

Christmas is in the Air!

I have always loved Christmas! I love the decorations, the food, the shopping hysteria and although I could do without Mariah squealing in my ear, I don't even mind the music. But most of all, I love spending time with family.

On November 22nd, I had my thirteen year 'Japaniversary'. During that time I have only been back to Canada once for Christmas. In many cases I've had to work, but mostly it is the crazy price of travel at this time of year that has kept me away. As such, I have become accustomed to a rather scaled down version of Christmas celebrations.

I always put up my Charlie Brown Christmas tree and make a turkey dinner for friends who are also far from home. Shin and I exchange presents and the Christmas spirit is certainly in the air but...

...it's just not the same without your family.

Now that I have my own little family, Kio's first Christmas is something that I have been looking forward to.

On one condition, it doesn't start until December!

In my world there needs to be some downtime between Halloween and Christmas. It drives me crazy that shops are blaring Christmas music first thing in the morning on November 1st (in some cases even before that).

Now that December has arrived we're totally ready to embrace the Christmas spirit. Unfortunately, it has been very busy in the Hirano household and we weren't able to do anything together as a family until last night.

It is my hope that when Kio is all grown up, he will think back on Christmas and not focus on the presents, but remember the good times that we had together as a family. As such, Shin and I are trying to do all of our Christmas activities together.

This is a difficult thing when you live on different 24 hour clocks.

As last night was the first time we were all in the apartment together we cranked the Christmas tunes and got good ole' Charlie out of his box.

Assembling Charlie.

While Daddy and Kio were busy putting the tree together, I got the ornaments out - Kio was immediately enthralled.

We decided that for this year we would keep the tree out of Kio's reach, so we put it up on a small table in our living room. We all had a hand in decorating, Kio couldn't get enough of the shiny baubles and flashing lights.

He clearly enjoys the Christmas tree MUCH more than the blow-up Jack-o-lantern from Halloween.

With Charlie all decked out in his glory we finished off the evening by writing Christmas cards. Kio insisted on signing them himself.

He also 'signed' his face, my arm and his highchair.

Yea for Christmas!

Mommy Thumb

In the past I've heard mothers say that they wish that their child came with a handbook. Admittedly, it would make parenting your individual child a lot easier, but where's the sense of adventure? Where's the feeling of accomplishment when you get it right for once? Although I think that I'll survive without the handbook (hopefully Kio will too), there are a few tidbits of wisdom that I wish someone had passed on, and today I want to focus on one of them: The 'correct' way to pick up your baby.

A no brainer you say?

I beg to differ.

Of course, most people that posses an iota of common sense know that you don't pick up your baby by one arm or by their head, but just in case...

From the time Kio was about three months old, I've been dealing with tendinitis in my left wrist and thumb. Many women get it when they are pregnant, but mine showed up after the fact.

In the beginning there was some tingling and an occasional spasm of pain, especially when I was picking Kio up out of his crib. I dismissed it as one of the side effects of having a rather pudgy baby.

After a couple of months the pain was constant and it became necessary to wear a wrist supporter.

As an aside, I would like someone to please tell me why supporters either come in, "Filthy After the First Wear White" or "Nobody Actually Has This Skin Tone Nude"? Maybe that's where my millions await me - designer wrist supporters.

Yes?

Anyway, I decided that it was time to consult Dr. Google and figure out what the heck was going on.

Dr. G: Trouble lifting even small objects, like a coffee cup?
Me: Check!

Dr. G: Restricted range of movement in the thumb?
Me: Double check!

Dr. G: Pain on the thumb side of the wrist while twisting or gripping?
Me: Any excuse not to wash dishes, check number three!

Dr. G: Hurts to make a fist?
Me; You bet!

Dr. G: Weak hand - afraid you'll drop things?
Me: Like my baby!? Hell yes!

And thus I was self-diagnosed with 'Mommy Thumb'.

Apparently, this form of tendinitis is common in new mothers because they repeatedly pick up their babies incorrectly.

This is where a manual might have come in handy.

After months of hooking my thumbs under Kio's armpits I was informed (again by Dr. Google) that this method of picking up an infant is wrong. If done repeatedly, it can lead to a repetitive strain injury.

No kidding!

Apparently, what I should have been doing is using flattened hands on either side of his ribcage and then picking him up.

I have since tried this and it is virtually impossible - it might have worked when Kio was a teeny newborn, but now that he's in all of his pudgy glory...no way! So much for your silly advice Dr. Google, perhaps it was time to go to a real doctor.

It took Real Person Doctor less than a minute to diagnose me with De Quervain's Syndrome (aka Mommy Thumb). He spent some time explaining exactly what was going on in my wrist, and in true Japanese style, it was done as cutely as possible.

He said that a shot of cortisone would more than likely fix me right up, but warned that it would be 'quite painful' as the injection site is next to a nerve.

'Quite' painful my ass!

I realize that after going through natural childbirth I should have an altered concept of pain. But in all honesty, I don't really remember the pain part of the whole ordeal. So, keeping childbirth out of the equation, that needle was probably the most painful thing that I have ever experienced!

At the time, Kio was fussing a bit so Shin was busy and unable to provide a hand to hold - more than likely for the best. I'm sure that there would've been a broken bone or two! I grabbed the closest thing I could find for support (the handle of Kio's stroller) and bore down...

If the mere thought of a needle makes you feel queasy, I recommend skipping over the next bit.

Once the needle was in, everything went in slow motion.

Some pressure...

A little more pressure...

A kind of 'pop' as the needle worked it's way around some cartilage...

And then total freakin' agony!

As I was gritting my teeth against the excruciating pain an odd thought popped into my head - in the movies you always see people biting down on a stick when they are experiencing something extremely painful; I would've given just about anything for a stick at that moment.

And then it was over.

Time to exhale.

For the next couple of hours my thumb felt like it had been to the dentist. After the numbness subsided the familiar pain returned but I figured it was from the needle and I'd be as right as rain in the morning.

Wrong!

After all that, my Mommy Thumb was left uncured.

This all took place in September and according to doctor's orders I've been resting said thumb as much as humanly possible.

But when you have a rather busy nine month old, and no dishwasher, rest does not come easily.

Plus, I couldn't find any little pillows.

After a couple of close calls where my thumb stopped working altogether, I went back to the doctor and demanded more drastic action be taken (as long as it doesn't involve another needle). So next month I'm having a little outpatient operation to snip the sheath that covers the swollen tendons.

Hopefully it will go as 'cutely' as this...

Nine months, nine onesies.

Last month when I was writing about what Kio had been up to, I mentioned that I was worried about not having any exciting stories to tell. Then the egg allergy incident happened and there was all sorts of excitement.

You truly should be careful what you wish for.

This month I am happy to report that our lives have been drama free and Kio has spent most of his time bathing us in cuteness and his lunch.

Last summer while we were in Canada, Kio spent a great deal of time poking his tongue out and blowing raspberries with his Grandpa Gary. At the time it was pretty high up there on the adorable scale, unfortunately the trick has taken a new turn.

Each morning I'm woken by raspberry fueled smiles and strangers on the train get their fair share as well. Raspberries are blown during playtime and nap time and meal time...

Green beans anyone?

During his rare breaks from raspberry madness, Kio spends a most of his time in motion.

Unconcerned about the presence of music, or the toy that he happens to be holding, when the urge to dance comes upon him, Kio gives it his all! There is arm waving, head shaking, feet kicking and toys flying - basically the boy is a dancing fool.

You'd think that all of that dancing would leave him exhausted and ready for nap time. Not our Kio.

Once the raspberries have been blown, and the dance has been danced, it's time for crawling practice.

Before you get all excited, I have to say that he still hasn't mastered his crawl and for the most part his efforts end in teary frustration. But I'm thinking that he's going to figure it out any day now, then Hirano household will assume a whole new state of chaos.

So far, this is what he's got:

Arms out in front.

Bum in the air.

Aaaannnddd...

Backward motion only.

That's usually when he starts to cry or gives up and rolls to his destination. Like I said, any day now.

Kio's nine month birthday coincided with our second wedding anniversary. Last year Shin and I began the practice of giving each other gifts from the traditional anniversary gift list - second anniversary is cotton. We are neither in the market for sheets or towels, and with Christmas and birthdays just around the corner I was rather hesitant to buy clothes. As such, I was kind of at a loss for a gift idea.

A couple of days before, I was looking for a button to sew on one of Shin's shirts (awww domestic bliss), and I came across the material swatches from the suit that he had made for our wedding. Digging a little further, I found the swatches from my wedding dress. A quick trip to the craft store and I had our anniversary give sorted - his and hers wedding outfit key chains. The perfect 'cotton' gift for people that have just bought a car!

Yes I know, neither outfit was actually made of cotton. Whatever. It's the gesture that counts here people.

On the 11th we went to Nara Park for a picnic. It was freezing cold so we ate most of the food in the car on the way home. Kio was well impressed with the deer (me not so much), and a kind woman gave us her extra ticket to the Nara National Museum's special exhibit, which was both warm and impressive.

All in all, it was a nice family oriented anniversary.

Although it was quite late when we got home, there was one more thing to do and that was to have Kio model his nine month onesie.

This month's onesie and letter were done by our good friend Autumn. Unfortunately, she was unable to attend my baby shower (a job interview certainly takes precedence) but she did send along a totally awesome robot onesie and a dragon labour bead.

I tried for ages to get a picture of Kio AND the back of the shirt, this was the best that I could come up with and thus it needs a little explanation. It's a lightening bolt and at the top it says, 'The Bean'.

Love it!

Meet Kay.

In October I turned 37. Not an overly exciting number but, as one person 'kindly' pointed out, it's only three years until I'm 40.

Thanks sis.

Just as a reminder, I'm only a year and eight months older than you are!

Inevitably that got me thinking about age, and I came to the conclusion that I am (hopefully) somewhere around the halfway point of my life. Initially I found that thought quite depressing. However, I started to think about all that I've done with my 37 years, and I realized that life has been pretty good to me.

As I sifted through the various milestones, there were a few holes, but of course there is still time to fill them. In fact, I've just filled one recently by purchasing...

My first car!

That's right folks. I've been a licensed driver for 20 years but I have yet to own a car.

UNTIL NOW!

Last week I became the proud owner of my first car, and her name is Kay.

She is about the size of a can of tuna. Her engine may only be rivaled by my hairdryer. And she's white. Which in my opinion, when it comes to vehicles, is a colour that only belongs on limousines and ambulances.

But she is all mine.

By the way, I shared the above hairdryer analogy with Shin earlier today, and he thinks that my hairdryer is probably stronger.

Up until recently, I've done fine without owning a car. I've borrowed or rented when needed, otherwise I've made due with public transportation. Although I absolutely abhor taking the bus, and tend to taxi and little more than I should, I have endless respect for Japan Rail and find taking the train more relaxing than driving.

And then I had a baby.

Now taking the train is kind of a hassle. With Kio in his stroller I need to take an elevator to the platform. The elevators are always out of the way, and there are some stations (namely the one closest to my hairdresser and the shopping centre that I frequent) that don't even have elevators! So I have to schlep Kio and his stroller up and down the stairs by myself - luckily someone always takes pity on me and lends a hand, but that still doesn't remove the danger that we could go tumbling down the stairs at any moment.

And don't even get me started on taking the bus!

Anyway, since Kio was born I've been managing, but I've also been complaining. I often leave the house with Kio in his stroller, and return with him in his baby carrier as the stroller is laden down with diapers or groceries or kitty litter. Sometimes all three. We've had to send our stroller in twice now to have the wheels fixed. I blame one of the repair trips on Korean Air and the other on kitty litter.

Shin tries to help as much as he can, but seriously the guy rides a motorcycle. Diapers tied down with bungee cords are the antithesis of cool.

I suppose teeny-tiny white cars aren't what you'd call cool, but they certainly make shopping easier, and keep you dry. Shin has officially been able to retire his rain suit.

Needless to say, Shin and I are happy that little Kay has joined the Hirano clan. But the jury may out on how Kio feels about it.

You see, Kio hates traveling by car.

With a passion.

For the most part, he cries from the time that he first lays eyes on his car seat, to the 'thank God we're here' moment when we reach our destination. We have figured out a few tricks that help him keep his cool. I often sit with him in the back. If it's night-time, we generally drive with the interior light on. Finally, when the weather permits it, we drive with the window open.

That's a lot of tap dancing just for a trip to Costco.

All of the above took place during the many times that we have borrowed Shin's parents' Prius. Would it be the same with Kay?

Apparently not!

Since Kay has joined the family, Kio has been out for a drive pretty much everyday, and to date has only had one screaming fit! Unfortunately, it was while I was driving on my own and not much could be done to comfort him.

He has even napped in the car. Definitely a first!

With the addition of Kay, we’ve sadly had to let go of another member of the clan.

Anyone want to buy a scooter?

Holy Halloween Batman!

"Some matches are made in heaven, but ours was made on Halloween!" 

So went the line from the slide show at our wedding. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Shin and I LOVE Halloween!

Needless to say Kio's first Halloween was a much anticipated event in our household. So much so, that at this time last year, his costume had already been decided.

Nana nana nana nana, nana nana nana nana...

Batman!

With Kio's costume as the starting point, the rest of the Hirano clan jumped on the Caped Crusader bandwagon and a Bat-er-ific Halloween was had by all.

Starring Daddy as the schizophrenic supervillain: Two Face!

And mommy as the original eco-terrorist: Poison Ivy!

Of course someone has to keep these wily criminals in line - baby Kio...I mean baby Batman to the rescue!

Although I hadn't used a sewing machine since seventh grade home-economics, I was determined to make Kio's costume by myself. I have to say that I'm rather proud of the end product! Although, maneuvering around all the points in the Batman emblem probably shouldn't have been the first task that I took on. 

My patience was certainly tried on more than one occasion. 

Of course no Batman costume is complete without a cape and cowl. 

Which he didn't mind wearing until I tied it up.

Once Kio's costume was good to go, Shin asked me to make the jacket for his Two Face costume. This involved sewing half a jacket and then attaching it to one of his regular suit jackets. As you can see from the shoulder seam that starts somewhere around his elbow, my seventh grade sewing skills still need some work. But the idea is certainly there.

So you all must be wondering, what fabulous event did the Hirano family attend once they were all decked out in their superhero / supervillain finery? 

Ummm, none.

We got dressed up, took pictures, ate Halloween cake and then I hurriedly peeled off the leaves that I had glued onto my face, and went to work. 

Of course Shin had his yearly Halloween bash at his bar last Saturday.

And Kio attended the kids' Halloween party I planned at work.

But dressing up as a family was just something we did for fun. 

Looking at the rather ghoulish make-up Shin was sporting, and my somewhat altered appearance, one might think that the whole Halloween experience would've been rather traumatic for wee Kio. However he wasn't bothered by the make-up at all - a sure sign that he wasn't switched with someone else's baby at birth.

We made sure that he was involved in the dressing up / making-up processes, letting him touch and explore as needed. 

I believe that it's safe to say, Kio is totally down with having a pair of Halloween-loving nut jobs for parents. Although, I'll have to reevaluate that statement when he's 14. 

Unfortunately, Halloween was not without a hiccup or two. Pumpkins suitable for carving are very rare in Japan and extremely pricey! Although I did find a company that delivers them, I decided to hold off on shelling out the cash until Kio is old enough to enjoy the whole carving experience. To fill the void, Shin brought home the Jack-o-lantern that he uses for the Halloween display at his bar. It's pretty huge but I had used it for the party at work, so Kio had seen it before, and they were good friends.

Said Jack-o-lantern stays inflated by using an air pump which has to be plugged in. Unfortunately, Shin forgot the chord.

Not wanting to be charged with ruining Halloween, he Macgyver'd up a solution and inflated the Jack-o-lantern using my hair dryer...

...which Kio is terrified of!

After that, Kio was pretty much over his first Halloween. 

Now it's time to start thinking about next year!

But first...

Let there be lips!

Eight months, eight onesies.

As it was getting closer to Kio's eight month 'birthday', I was thinking that the past month had been pretty standard and that I wouldn't have much to write about in this post. Good thing this last week has been full of fun and games!

Fun and games you ask? Well if a new tooth, magic, and exorcist-like vomiting sound like fun and games to you, then you're in for a treat!

Kio now has three teeth; they're all lined up in a row on the bottom - nothing on the top yet but I have a feeling that those pearly whites aren't far behind.

There seemed to be more drama surrounding the appearance of tooth number three than there was for the other two. Kio was pretty miserable for about a week and much of his misery (and mine) was the result of not sleeping.

Naps were few and far between and nighttime wakes ups were frequent. 4:00 in the morning became Kio's new playtime, during which time I'm fairly sure that I became an expert at singing and playing in my sleep.

We were both tired and cranky but then one morning that little tooth just popped through and suddenly everything was back to normal.

Like nothing happened.

Well except for the total exhaustion, and that disappeared after a couple of days where mommy decided to screw cleaning the apartment, and enjoyed a mid-morning nap along with baby Kio.

 

Don't you just love pics of sleeping babies!?

 

 

Next on our list of news-worthy events is what Shin has dubbed "Kio Magic". 

Kio's magic act starts off with him selecting a toy of the perfect size and shape. There is actually a process where he picks up toys and examines them before deciding on the best one for his 'trick'. He then takes said toy and balances it on the end of his thumb...

TA DA!

To average, non-magic folk, this might not seem like an overly complex feat. But I have tried it several times myself, and have yet been able to balance anything as long as Kio can. This is more than likely because my hands are neither clammy or covered in slobber, but shhhhh, we wouldn't want to ruin the magic!

For me the most exciting part of 'Kio Magic', aside from the insane cuteness of it all, is watching him explore and discover new things. Everyday he finds something new (or rediscovers something old) and he spends time examining it from every angle; he tastes it, shakes it, and hits the cat with it before trying to balance it on his thumb.

 

 

Insane cuteness!

 

In Kio's seven month post I wrote about finally getting him to eat. Now he LOVES food - taking after his cousin Asher who titled his sixth grade valedictory address, "I like food...all food!" We have been experimenting with lots of different things, but since the banana incident, I've only introduced one food at a time and given him a few days to get used to it before starting the next one.

 

One afternoon Shin and I were talking about what to give hime next and Shin suggested scrambled eggs. Now, I've done all my research about foods that are generally considered 'no-nos' for infants and eggs were sitting on the fence. Some sources said absolutely no eggs before one year, others said that they should be introduced early on as it helps to prevent sensitivity / allergies later on.

 

In retrospect, I should've erred on the side of caution.

 

Kio and I shared scrambled eggs the next morning for breakfast and he loved them. About five minutes later the area around his mouth turned red (the same as with the banana incident). He was smiling and happy so I decided to carry on as normal and got him ready for his morning nap. We sang a song, read a story and then I put him in his crib.

 

 

And thats when the vomiting started.

 

Buckets and buckets of eggy vomit.

 

He threw up all over himself and his bed. I stripped off his clothes, popped him in the shower and then dried and dressed him as quickly as I could. As I was going to the kitchen to get his insurance card and head to the doctor (which is conveniently located on the ground floor of our apartment building) he threw up again - covering me and the kitchen floor. Doing my best not to panic, I quickly exchagned my t-shirt for a clean one (leaving some vomit in my hair in the process) and we headed out the door. We made it out of the elevator on the ground floor when round three of puke-fest happened.

 

We were drenched.

 

I decided to 'screw it' and just go to the doctor covered in puke but as I turned to corner, Kio gave one more heave, and I thought that it would be best for all concerned if we did a quick change. Could I really subject all of those moms and kids to our puke covered selves?

 

I ran back upstairs, put clean shirts on both of us, conditioning my hair with more vomit, and then burst into the doctor's office.

 

What a sight we must have been.

 

The receptionist bumped us to the front of the line and the doctor checked Kio over and then told us that he is allergic to eggs but he's fine.

 

Thanks dude.

 

He gave Kio some medicine and we booked an appointment for allergy testing in a couple of weeks. Kio and I went home and straight to the bath and then went to bed for a nap. After such a nutty day, Shin and I went out for sushi for dinner. I went to the bathroom and upon my return found Shin feeding Kio raw tuna off the ends of his chopsticks.

 

*sigh*

 

He loved it!

 

For Kio's eighth month I squeezed him into a onesie designed by my busines partner-in-crime, Midori (whom you may remember from her superhero feats in my post The Green Lady).

 

 

It was a really tight squeeze and I had a good laugh at his ultra-fitted-T; I can't really call it a onesie as there is no way it would snap shut at the bottom.

 

I think he found it pretty funny too...