They say "Mama" is often the first word...

...but they never say to WHOM! Alas, my genious son has started to formulate words, and "Mama" was one of them. While I'd be ecstatic that he chose such a meaningful word to be his first, I was not thrilled that he used it on... my husband. And it is obvious. In the house when my husband comes home: "Mama!" At the mall three stores down he sees him: "Mama! MA-MA!" Pictures of him: "Mama!" And I try and I try...
Me: Yuta, say "PA-PA"
Yuta: Mmma ma
Me: That's "Pa-PA"
Yuta: Mama!
Me: Puh, puh, puh, pppppppaaaaa paaaaaa
Yuta: Mama ma ma

He is mocking me, I'm sure.

Among other things, he says "boh" for ball, "byeh" for bird, "mumum" for food (because in Japanese the baby term for food is "manma"), "bey" for baby, etc. The "B"s and the "M"s seem to be his thing.

He is now a pretty regular toddler, although his head is too heavy and he has two left feet. He's not nearly as out of control as I thought boys would be... he's more the pensive type and tends to get cold feet. He needs encouragement to start walking and exploring, except at stores. He likes to discover the various items that are eye-level for him, but he makes it super easy for me by never leaving my sight. Or rather, he makes sure I'm never out of HIS sight. Either way, it works.

Oh! And how could I forget. He now sleeps through the night AND falls asleep on his own at night! woo hoo!!!! Ohhh this is so heavenly for me. After a full year of waking up every 4 hours, this is immense. Of course, this didn't happen over night. We had tried everything we could think of, and eventually tried the "Cry it out method". Before he went to bed, we always do the bedtime routine. Bath, book, milk, sleep. The first three steps go fine... it's the last one we had trouble with. My husband and I would try to put him to sleep in our arms, because he would cry otherwise. But well, with my son having the physique of a linebacker, it just wasn't possible anymore. He's a big boy now, a full 12 months old, he can handle it. Plus, I can tell if there's something REALLY wrong, or if he's just being fussy. So one night, we did our routine... bath, book, milk... goin' good. Then I did the unthinkable (for Yuta). I hugged him, told him good night, put him in his crib, and left.
Sound the alarms!!! BOY, did he WAIL! I would presume this is what a tantrum sounds like. For 30 minutes he cried, until he must have tired himself out and went to sleep. It was tiring just to listen to him. Second night, same thing. Third night, same thing, but a little shorter. Fourth night, shorter yet. And amazingly, on the 6th night... not a peep. WHAT?! I looked at my husband in utter disbelief. Did I go deaf??? I didn't hear ANYthing! Hallelujah! Things have been soooo nice since then. He sleeps through the night since he doesn't need me to comfort him if he does wake up in the middle of the night. He easily falls asleep for nap time, especially since he learned how to sign "sleep" when he's sleepy. He even points to the bedroom! Those times, I absolutely love the munchkin. His chubby cheeks are even more adorable than ever!!!

So my son has made huge strides since turning one. It was a major milestone for him and me. Oddly, I've become more tired than I have been in the past 12 months, and I've been getting strange headaches and sensations. Maybe the exhaustion is catching up with me and the breather is exacerbating it. I guess I should stop writing now and go to sleep...?

Happy Birthday Yuta!!!

Hard to believe my little baby is a one year old toddler! The year has seemed long and short. I felt like he would never grow up, being all immobile and rolly poly. And just in time for his milestone, he started taking steps, a few days before his birthday! Boy, talk about showmanship. He took his first steps at his own birthday party, with my family watching (with video cams!!!). Dude, is this kid the next American Idol??

Today I realized something amazing. My tendinitis on my right wrist has cured!!! This was the lingering one. My left one had healed itself a while ago unknowingly. And now my right wrist is all better! I guess all I needed was for Yuta to become mobile himself so I don't have to carry the big monster. I am so psyched. I can still feel a little tension, but that should get better over time. Hallelujah!

I'm not sure what else will come along the long road of childbearing, but I would have to say that it is getting much easier. (for now) The first year was definitely difficult, but it got easier around 11 months. Maybe I'll have a little peace and quiet until he hits the terrible two's? Who knows.

We have contact!!

After 3 months of potty training and 2 months of signing, my son Yuta has figured out how to tell me when he needs to go potty! Rejoice! It's not the official ASL (American Sign Language) sign for potty, however. I needed to figure out what he wanted to do.

He was ahh-ing, looking at me intently, and poking at his chest with his right hand. I was like, I have no idea what you're trying to say. So I started naming off things. Hungry? Thirsty? Sleepy? Finally, when I said "potty?" (honestly, I didn't think it could be it) he signed "more more". In his terms, "more more" means "I want". I was like, OMG. POTTY?! So I took him potty and sure enough, he went #1 and #2. I was so excited I was just smothering him!

Since then, I have hardly ever had to change a poopy diaper. He still has trouble telling me pee-pee, especially if he's playing. I think he just forgets. But I was so proud of him when I left him with a babysitter-- he actually signed to her that he needed to go poopy. I had told her about it, so she knew! I was incredibly proud. I know all parents think that their child is smart. But seriously, my child is the most brilliant kid in the world. LoL.

Some other signs he knows now: wash wash, drink, eat, clap clap, potty, and of course, more more. He can also do twinkle twinkle little star. He opens and closes his hands, and when it comes to the part "up above the world so high" he raises his short little arms over his head. So cute.

Enough gloating. My next blog shall be gripes. ;)

My Favorite Toys

10. Baby monitor (also can be used for oven-timer monitor!)
9. Electrical socket auto-timer
8. Bottle warmer
7. Toddler gates
6. Humidifier
5. Single handle kitchen faucet
4. Hot water dispenser
3. Crockpot
2. Super absorbent microfiber dish towel
1. Veggie peeler

(What did you think I was going to list? Tech gadgets??)

More, more, more, more, more...

...heart attacks! Boy, is my little monkey turning into a rascal. I built a barrier into the kitchen out of boxes a while back when he started crawling. Even when he started pulling himself up to standing, he couldn't climb over it. Yesterday, I was washing some dishes when I heard him yell "AH!' I looked over and he was proudly sitting ON TOP of the boxes. Yikes!! It made me laugh at first, at his attempt to get my attention for doing something "cool". But then I realized that the only way he knows how to get down from high places is head first. Little Gym has not taught him how to "get down" safely. So yeah. Head first onto slate floor will NOT be fun. I promptly got rid of the boxes and frantically started looking for "real" gates.
Second heart attack. I was doing my thing around the house while Yuta was romping around as usual. Again, I hear him yell "AH!" I look around and I don't see him anywhere. I finally found him half way up the stairs, looking for me and my reaction. Great job climbing, little guy! Now how were you planning to get down?? I taught him how to get down butt-first, and removed him from the stairs... but I don't think he got it. Today, we bought the safety gates. We couldn't wait any longer for "used" gates to come in to the local consignment store.

Well, I finally brushed off the dust on this little blog. Much has been going on since then. He is learning TONS of stuff everyday, and my life has certainly gotten more exhausting. LoL. This is only the beginning!! I found out that he loves swings and slides. We went to the playground down the street and he was having a blast on the playset. Too bad it's about to get cold! It was tiring for me to "help" him get up and down and all around, but it was fun to see him enjoy himself.

He's over his separation anxiety (finally), but he sort of has a stranger anxiety. He does this cute thing where he smiles shyly at the person from the corner of his eyes while he snuggles his head into my neck. Cute, yeah, but I don't fall for that! Once he's used to the person, he goes off and starts playing without a glance at mommy.

He still won't sleep through the night; some nights are worst than others. After 11 months of NO solid sleep, I am really desperate for him to sleep. I am going to try something today... put him in a different room by himself. I hear that it may work. I shall see, since I have done just about everything else. (besides letting him cry it out. I'll leave that as my last last resort)

My friend delivered a bouncing baby boy two days ago! I am SO SO proud of her because she did it completely naturally. I think that there are too few women in America these days that deliver without epidural. I delivered Yuta without an epidural, but I can't say that I did that on my own will. I did ask for an epidural, and I had an allergic reaction to it. I had no choice. I DID go in with the desire to deliver naturally, but I did not realize how painful it was! Really! But well, now I know that i can do it, so I shall do it again. (some day... in several years...) Anyhow, I totally respect my friend who was so determined to deliver the baby as natural as possible, and she certainly accomplished it. What a WOMAN!!!

Yuta's still going potty, but I still can't figure out his signs. I think we are progressing a little because when I ask him "potty?" sometimes, he gives me the sign for "more more". The "more more" sign has now morphed into "I want I want" and almost as far as "I'm bored and I want something to play with" and "maybe if I ask for 'more' I'll get something good". LoL. Kiddo, you are DEFINITELY going to have to learn more signs if you want to communicate! I really want him to learn "Potty" and "drink". For now.

He is back into doing "Banzai! (hooray!)", as well as clapping. Which are both total mood lifters. He also copies Josh smacking his mouth when he eats-- which is hilarious because I don't think Josh knew that about himself until his little monkey started copying him! Yuta points at everything in sight, and says "mummummum" when he's hungry. Ahhh, he's growing up... *sniff*

Well, now that the Yuta developments have been updated, here are the other topics: 1) I wish I had a knack for interior decorating. I try, and I have no idea. 2) I went apple-picking... twice. Baked an apple bread and made a bunch of apple sauce. I also made a pumpkin pie. I have decided that I really LOVE baking, and it makes me happy!! 3) I joined a parent's association in town and am volunteering as webmaster. I am totally not web-savvy, but I hope to get involved and meet more people. 4) I really really need some time off. I am so tired!!!!!! I want to go get a massage and get some time off by myself here and there without worrying about time. This 24/7 job sucks sometimes. (although it definitely has its rewards) 5) Contrary to #4... dare I say it?? I'm looking forward to having baby #2.

I must be insane.

Motto, motto, Banzai!! (More, more, Hurray!)

It started with just a mere coincidence. I was putting his diaper on after his bath, and he was in a good mood. As he was laying down, he was being goofy and he threw his hands up in the air above his head. (not much above his head, with his short arms and big head...) He really stretched high and scrunched his face. It was funny and looked like he was cheering, so I said "Banzai!" (which is like "hurray!" in Japanese) At that moment, something clicked in his little brain! I saw it in his face. He was sort of staring at me. So I said... "Banzai!" again. And he threw up his arms in response. I was ecstatic! I cheered and congratulated him and totally rejoiced. We have been teaching him sign language for more basic things like "more", "eat", "potty", etc. It was seeming sort of futile. This was a major development! I quickly got him dressed and took him to Papa. I said, "Papa, look at what he can do!" I sat Yuta down, and said "Banzai!"... and sure enough, he gave a big scrunchy smile and threw up his hands! So much for the calm bed time routine... we were all rejoicing and laughing and blowing up his ego like crazy! He got it. I told Papa, it won't be long before he'll do some of the other signs, I'm sure!

Next morning, I was feeding him breakfast and tried to emphasize "motto". (which means "more" in Japanese. The sign is tapping the finger tips together) I did it myself and then held his hands to do the same gesture. I saw that look on his face again. I had a feeling he got it. So I gave him a bite, and waited for him to swallow. He opened his mouth for the next bite, and instead of giving it to him right away, I asked "motto"? He sort of stared and then slowly put his hands together. I shouted "yes!!! That's it! Good job! 'Motto!' That's great!" (positive reinforcement??) And I gave him what he wanted. It's not the cleanest sign, but the message was clearly received. He totally got it that day, and he has done it ever since. He also realizes that he will get more than just "food". I think he's a little confused in that he thinks the sign stands for "give me"... but that's okay. It's a huge effort at communicating. He doesn't yell anymore when he wants food. He will just put his hands together. BANZAI!!

By the way, sign language is a new craze for moms. Since babies can't really talk for a while, sign language cuts down the frustration of them trying to communicate and us trying to understand. They say they can learn it as early as 9 months old, and this is proof that it's possible!!!

Skinny jeans and male Ob/Gyn's

After months of having the munchkin attached me 24/7, I finally needed a break. So I asked my two bosses for a few hours off. I went to go get a haircut, but it turned out bad. Great start. I then decided to go to the mall to go shopping. I needed a wardrobe change. I have clothes, but they were all clothes I wore as a business professional... very few that would work as a full-time mom. I don't dare wear dry-clean only clothes or knit shirts while taking my baby out Little Gym!
I started wandering around, and was quickly getting disappointed by the choice of clothes out there. I wanted something different, but I felt like most styles were targeted towards young(er) women and stylish non-moms. I almost wanted to give up and call home, saying I don't know what my style is. The last store I peeked into was Express. I've always shopped at Express (their pants always fit me well), but I didn't think the store would "suit" me anymore with my new job. I was pleasantly surprised! There were casual outfits that I could easily wear while taking Yuta out and without worrying about getting it messed up. And, they're somewhat stylish so I don't feel like a worn out mom wearing T-shirts and sweats. Best yet, I tried out some jeans... I was 4 sizes smaller!!! I don't even REMEMBER the last time I fit into a size 4! I think it was probably back when I still went shopping with my mom and I had to get whatever she thought was good... Anyway, Express didn't let me down. I went home happy. They got my business.

Second topic (no, they're not related at all). I went to the ob/gyn for a follow-up yesterday. Although they have several doctors there, I guess I was assigned to the one who delivered my baby back in November. The doctor is the only male doctor there, out of 4 ob/gyn's. As long as I can remember, I always requested for a female ob/gyn because... well... isn't it just AWKWARD?!?! It's bad enough you have to go in stirrups, but to have a male peeking in?? Yeah. You know what I mean, girls. (unless you like that sort of stuff) But I have come to realize that in this field, male ob/gyn's are extraordinarily skilled and understanding. Both my past major uterus events have been under the care of male ob/gyn's, ironically.
The first incident was for my ovarian tumor. I had gone to 3 different doctors that all miraculously misdiagnosed me, and the final doctor (just a couple of hours before I underwent surgery) figured it out in a swoop of a finger. Hard to believe.
The second uteran incident, of course, was the delivery of my gigantic baby. I actually didn't have a choice of doctors, it was whoever was on-call that day. The male doctor was extremely patient, calm, and so skilled that he delivered my baby without a drop of anesthetics and with just a minor tear. The great thing about him is that he describes everything to me in detail so that I am never left wondering or surprised. He takes his time to answer questions and never fluff over details. The other female doctors have done that to me on many occasions. Being an engineer, I have to have answers!!
Anyway, long story short, in a female-dominated field like ob/gyn, male doctors probably have to work extra hard to get patient loyalty. They probably have to go above and beyond to best "understand" their patients (because physically speaking, it's impossible for them to ever FULLY understand), and have other traits that distinguish them as better doctors. Kudos to all those hard-working male ob/gyn's!

YoBaby

...makes my son fart. I guess there's too much sugar in it or something. It's a yogurt made for babies, supposedly. But man, he was farting up a storm last night. And I think it was waking him up (and me). *sigh* He went through a mild ear infection and a cold recently, and I am absolutely sleep deprived. I didn't know that a person can go so long without solid sleep. Pre-Yuta, I used to sleep incredible amounts without even moving, so this is a big change. I am exhausted!!!

Let's see. What's new? The little munchkin is now 9 months old, and is bigger than most 1 year olds. Go Yuta! His head was bigger than a 2 year old that I just saw at a play center... that freaked me out a little bit. What is wrong with this picture?!?! He's crawling like a pro now, and wanting to walk. He's doing a funky Neanderthal walk where he's half standing in his hind legs. LoL. Kinda makes you reflect on evolution. He'll stand up using just about anything above shoulder level, including my legs while I'm in the kitchen. Kinda dangerous. I dropped a spoon on his head today, and it didn't teach him a lesson.

We got a used Jogger from a friend, so I am hoping that I will figure out a regimen where I can go for a run w/ Yuta. Too bad most of my free time is in the afternoon, and it's dog hot. And I should wait until Yuta starts sleeping through the night again. I don't know what's wrong with the kid, he keeps waking up.

No, I'm not grumpy. Just a little fed up. :( After a week of Papa being sick and another week of Yuta being sick, I am not a happy camper!!

Sand, grass, and separation anxiety

I realized that I hadn't put the bugger on any surfaces outside these days. He's old enough to enjoy it, so I put him down on our lawn. Sure enough, he loved it... loved pulling them out. We tried putting him on the weedy area so that he'd pull out the weeds. But no, he liked the soft grass better. *sigh* He was really going at it like a mad man, pulling out all the grass. I then took him to the beach down the street and set him down on the sand. He loved the sand too. He was diggin' diggin' diggin'. He was wondering why none of the sand that he grasped stayed in his hand. I'll have to take him out more often!
... and that was just the prequel. The REAL topic is, separation anxiety. Just about overnight, Yuta the Calm became Yuta the Anxious. He cries "ma ma ma ma ma" every time I stand up to leave the room. Not only that, he thinks that he'll always find me in the kitchen, so even if he hears my voice from elsewhere, he'll go straight to the kitchen. His cognitive skill goes only so far, I guess! When he's playing in the playroom, he mostly likes to keep one hand on my leg, or use me as a prop to stand up. It's a little ridiculous how close he needs to be! I have to admit, at the same time, I feel pretty special and I secretly love it. LoL. Well, until I really need to go to the bathroom or I need to make food or something. Then his crying gets really annoying. Papa's a little jealous too, but he's being a good sport about it. He tries to keep the guy busy. I just have to be careful not to show my face because it reminds him that I was gone. Supposedly it's a cognitive advancement but... when will he move on?

Yattane!!! Pooooop!!!

Such an exciting news for ya'll today. Yuta went poopy in his potty! Woo hoo!! Yes, he is only 8 months old, and yes I am potty training him. What else can I do at home? I've figured out his timing for peeing-- immediately when he wakes up from his nap, and a few minutes after he drinks milk. He goes with no fuss. The poopy-ing has been tough, because he seems to go at odd times. Sometimes while he's eating, sometimes while he's playing on the floor... and by the time he's turning red and going unnnnnggggghhhhhh... it's too late. LoL. But this morning, he was doing that during breakfast and I thought he had already gone. I checked his diaper and it was still clean. So I put him on the potty. He was silent for a while and.... voila! Poopy in the potty! Am I not like the super-duper mom or what?! Actually, my mom said that she had all four of us off the diaper by age 1, so that's what I'm aiming for. Honestly, I think that's a great idea. I mean, by the time they're 1, they're already used a lot of stuff and they get pretty independent. The habits are hard to break, which is why potty-training is so difficult. Right now, he'll do just about anything I put him to, and he seems fine with it. He even seems relieved to go potty. So here's to potty-training early!

Cheerio butt

My lovely little son is now past his screaming phase and is hard at work crawling. He's a heavy one, so it seems it takes a lot of strength and effort to get anywhere. He looks like an elephant. He learned how to back up into the sitting position... except, he doesn't really look where he's sitting. The other day, we were practicing our fine motor skills, picking up cheerios and eating them, when he decided to go for a toy a little out of his reach. There were cheerios on the floor where he was eating. He started to crawl towards the toy, got it, and backed up into the sitting position. He sat right in the cheerios. He then saw the cell phone (he gets his own, because he loves cell phones and we can't afford to get drool damage on our working ones... I don't think it's covered by Verizon), started to crawl towards it. I just about died laughing because he was boldly crawling with Cheerios on his butt! Hearing my husband and I cracking up, my son turns around and gives us a huge grin, not knowing what's funny but knowing that we're having a blast. *sigh* How much cuter can he get??
So yeah. The first several months I was wondering what I got myself into by having a baby... but these days I can't get enough of him. He is such a cutie! I know, blah blah blah, another over-indulged parent... But I tell ya, babies have a natural talent to charm their audience. It's sort of a survival skill. Sadly, most of us lose that charisma as we get older... *sniff*
I think I had something else to say, but I forgot. I guess I'll post it at another time... if I remember...!

SCREEEEAAAM!!!

Open your eyes WIDE. Open your mouth, take a big long breathe, tighten your stomach muscles... now SCREAM!!! Screaming loud? Screaming at the top of your lungs? Higher... higher... higher...
Yup. That's the sound my adorable little son is making these days. More like a "screech". Ooooh fun.
He's "learning" how to control his voice. It's either the high-pitched screaming, or a really soft goo-goo-ga-ga sound. Nothing in between. He tends to screech when something is bothering him-- wet diaper, sleepy, or teething woes. Makes me want to scream, too.
So I went grocery shopping with my mom and I hear screeching in different aisles. I peek over and each little munchkin about 6-9 months old is making the same sound. Phew. I'm not the only one going crazy. Meanwhile, my little son is cooing softly being carried in the Bjorn and I'm thinking... see how good my son is? LoL. What a conveniently proud parent I am.

I realize what a country bumpkin I've become. I went walking with my baby around my parent's neighborhood, and I got honked at. It actually wasn't an angry honk, it was a sleazy honk... if you know what I mean. Thinking about it later, I guess I should've been happy as a young woman to be noticed at least in an attractive sort of way even after blowing up like a balloon giving birth, the first thought that went through my mind was... OMG I'm going to be attacked!!! And I walked faster. Shoot, if I was a cold-blooded NY city folk, I probably wouldn't even blink. I miss my lazy daisy country lakeside home...

Motivation

I hear and read a lot about starting your own business. It sounds so fantastic, to be able to set your own goals, be your own boss, work from home, and determine your own work-life balance. So I started a T-shirt shop online. I had two full months without a full-time job before my baby was born, so I designed a couple of shirts and published it online. But darned if I didn't have the drive to continue it! It was great up until I drew out the images. I didn't want to spend time advertising it, marketing it, vamping up my website, adding new designs, etc etc... basically, I hardly put any time and effort into it. Now that I have a baby and am literally working non-stop as a housewife, I need EXTRA motivation to get it back up again. I have tons of ideas for graphics in my head, but I haven't put it down on paper. So here's my motivation. I'll just go ahead and post it on this Blog and hope that will give me the right kick in the booty. If people know about it, I'll HAVE to get it back up, right?

http://www.cafepress.com/trillz

I feel so sticky and gross... I need a shower. Sleep baby, sleep.

The Pigeon Pose

I don't have much time for this post, since it sounds like my baby woke up and is fiddling with the baby monitor. It cracks me up because I can only imagine what he is doing with it...! All I hear is heavy breathing, occasional "ah"s, and beeping because he keeps pressing the button to turn it on and off. And he doesn't get tired of it!!!

Anyway, babies are so supremely flexible, it is amazing. What happens to our body as we age?? I am stiff as a rod. Amazingly, he can do the most insane positions without a wince. I can't even touch my toes... Here's Yuta's pigeon pose (for those of you who do yoga):

Do you see where his front leg is?!?! Try this at home, ya'll...

Top 10 reasons why it's great to be a mom

10) Sleep is overrated anyway.
9) You can act totally stupid and someone will laugh as if it's the best thing they've ever seen.
8) You get to wipe someone else's butt.
7) The new boss is very flexible, but has extremely strong demands.
6) You get an idea of what you must've been like at the start of time. (you've come a long way!)
5) Food fights.
4) New weapon: Milk Squirter
3) You find that your husband's a bigger baby than your baby.
2) It's trying, but you are certainly getting stronger.
1) The huge, gummy, drooly, squishy face smile you get for just being you!