BabyKen

Age: 15 months (11 months, corrected)

This past weekend, daddy spent most of the day in the hospital, leaving me and grandma here at home. Mommy’s surgery is progressing well. They did find a slight infection, so mommy has been on medication for that. But she is eating and getting slight exercise, so she is well on the way to recovery. They also changed her room. It’s a bigger room, but she has to share it with a few other people. She says she is incredibly bored and tired of being there. However, today in the morning she got some good news. The doctor says she can go home today. Hooray!

Daddy stayed home from work again, not just for mommy, but because today I have my monthly RSV shots. Since my appointment was in the early morning, it meant daddy had to take me there by himself. Grandma did come with us, but she can’t speak Japanese, so daddy had to redouble his efforts to do it all himself. Usually, daddy and I go park the car while mommy gets us all checked in, so the check-in and check-out procedures were new for both of us. We got to my hospital, got parked, and we all went in. Daddy scanned my insurance card into a machine, and then our appointment number and details came out. Daddy asked a staff person if there was something else he needed to do at the counter. But they told him no, he could go directly to the pediatrics office. There, he had to first get my temperature, and fill out some forms. He told them he was not so good with Japanese, and that he needed help with the form. They figured he meant that he could not read Japanese, but that he could understand it. So somebody came out and read each question to him. He was able to roughly understand and answer some of the questions, but some of them he could not. But together, they managed to get everything answered. Grandma was trying to help too. She could understand and guess some of the kanji characters, but maybe she couldn’t get the meaning. Anyway, after waiting around a while, I got weighed, and finally I got the shots. You know the drill by now, one needle in each leg, I scream my lungs out, shed a few tears, and then I get some milk to calm me down. I cry and scream less each time, but man, do hate the feeling of getting shot!

After my shots, grandma took me away to a less crowded area to give me my milk, while daddy went to go check out. First he had to go to a counter to submit some forms, then he had to wait around to make a payment. They have machines for this, like an ATM where the money goes the wrong way, from you to the machine… Daddy had no trouble operating the machine, but by the time we got out of there and back to the house, it was already noon.

Daddy wasted no time moving to the other hospital to pick up mommy. There, they went through the check out procedures, and they arrive home in the late afternoon. I was so happy to see mommy again, although she was not able to pick me up or move too much. She did go to the grocery store with daddy in the evening, and she did a little bit of light cooking. But after that she had to rest. Her recovery will involve lots of rest, lots of eating, and an increasing quantity of light exercise.

Age: 14 months-3 weeks (10 months-3 weeks, corrected)

Today was mommy’s surgery. Daddy stayed home from work to stay with mommy. He headed off to the hospital in the morning. Her surgery time got changed from 11am to 2pm. Mommy decided to have her surgery done the traditional way, using a single large incision, as opposed to minimally invasive surgery, using a camera. The main thing is she didn’t want to be completely asleep during the procedure. Instead, they numbed her from the waist down and she stayed awake while they did the procedure. It took about 1-1/2 hours to finish. After the procedure, she was all smiles. She got back to her room, and daddy stayed with her for a while. In the evening, daddy came home to pick us up, and then we all went back to the hospital. By the time we got there, the anesthesia was wearing off, so mommy was in a little bit of pain. We stuck around for only a short while, because unlike yesterday, the nurses politely reminded us about the visiting hours. So we got moving, leaving mommy to recover. They also decided that I probably should not come back to the hospital, to avoid me catching anything unwanted.

Age: 14 months-3 weeks (10 months-3 weeks, corrected)

Today there was a lot of excitement. Things started off normally enough. I heard mommy complaining that she had a stomach ache. But she and daddy got ready as usual and headed off to work. Mommy usually drops daddy off near the train station, and then they go off to their workplaces. Well, a few hours later, mommy showed up at home. Of course I was happy to see her, but she was not feeling well. She had gone to the clinic, and from there she came home to rest. Later, she started feeling worse and worse, so she decided to go back to the clinic. They did some more tests on her, and then they decided to transfer her to a big hospital. There they did even more tests and scans. They found out she had a case of acute appendicitis. She was going to need surgery as soon as possible. As it was already late for the day, and because her appendix was not ruptured, they told her she could have surgery the next day.

Daddy arrived in a rush a little earlier than normal. When he arrived, he told me and grandma to get ready, and then we drove out to the hospital. We had to stop for gas  because the gas lamp was already burning brightly. Daddy had to go ask for help because the place we stopped at was self-serve only, and he took the chance to ask for detailed instructions on how to get to the hospital, because it was strangely oriented away from the main highway. Anyway, we finally got into the hospital, and I saw mommy. She was hooked up to IV fluids, and she was already ordered not to eat anything to prep for the surgery. She was not in as much pain as before due to some medicine. We stuck around well past visiting hours, but nobody seemed to mind too much, as mommy had a room all to herself. But eventually, it got late enough that we had to go home. It was strange not having mommy around at the house…

Age: 14 months-3 weeks (10 months-3 weeks, corrected)

Today was Boa’s last day in Japan. She has been here almost 3 months, and her visa was about to run out. So today we took the long drive to Narita airport to drop her off. It’s almost 3 hours of driving just to get there. Daddy was off from work, so he did all the driving. We got Boa checked in, said our goodbyes, and then waited around at a coffee shop while we confirmed that her plane took off safely. Then, we took the long drive back home. We stopped along the way for a late lunch. Then, we stopped at Costco for some groceries. Everyone was a little tired, so we finished up and headed home. Still, it was evening by the time we arrived. I was kind of sad to see Boa go home. She was always entertaining me with her singing and dancing. But don’t worry, we will see you again soon!

Age: 14 months-3 weeks (10 months-3 weeks, corrected)

I had a nice weekend. Yesterday, we stayed at home most of the day, relaxing. In the evening, we decided to go out for dinner. We went to a nice Italian place called Destino. I got a little baby chair as usual, and mommy and daddy kept me entertained. They did a good job, but I have to say, everyone else was not doing too well. First, Boa spilled her drink. Then later, mommy spilled her drink. Everyone probably thought it was my fault, but I was on my best behavior!

Today, we had a very early start. Boa took her latest TOEFL test, so we all went to Shinjuku by train. We dropped Boa off at the test center, and then the rest of us went shopping at Isetan. I was pretty bored. Daddy pushed me around while mommy and grandma had a good look around. Later we relaxed at a coffee shop for a long time while we waited for the Boa’s test to finish. Finally, around 2pm we went to pick her up. We decided to go to Shin-Okubo. Daddy knew a few good places to get some Korean food, so we all agreed to have a Korean dinner. The place we went to was nice and empty. Daddy insisted on ordering freshly killed octopus. Mommy and grandma were not having it at all. Boa dared to have one piece, and she was complaining “It’s biting me, it’s biting me!”. Apparently, after the octopus is killed and chopped up, the legs and the little suckers keep working for like 15-20 minutes. Daddy says it is massaging to the tongue and to the cheeks. I can’t tell you if it’s true or not, but it is interesting to watch it wriggling around on the plate. After dinner we went straight home.

Age: 14 months-2 weeks (10 months-2 weeks, corrected)

It’s been a slow 10 days since my last post. I am all recovered from the stomach flu I caught a couple of weeks ago. We are all thankful, especially mommy and daddy, that I didn’t catch an all out cold, flu, or fever. It seems the worst of it was just the bouts of diarrhea and the occasional crankiness. Last week as I was recovering, mommy took me to the clinic again for a quick follow-up, and at the same time I got the second part of my flu shot. As you can imagine, while I was sick, I have been staying indoors, which is just as well because it has been freezing cold out. We had a big snow the other day, and mommy and daddy were really late to work because they had to dig the car out and unfreeze it. I heard it took them about 5-10 minutes and a jar full of hot water just to get the first door open! Since then, it is several degrees below freezing every day. I sometimes get cold at night because I like to turn and roll all over the place during the night.

I am doing well, still growing quickly and becoming more active by the day. I can stand up with ease now as long as I have something or somebody to hold, and I like walking around the house by myself holding on to furniture. I have also perfected the art of getting out of my walker. It used to be difficult because I kept getting one leg stuck, and I would have to cry out for help. Now I can just get out easily and go exploring. It sends everyone into an awful panic when they suddenly realize I am gone from the walker. My teeth are coming out all at once, it seems. I have my main two upper teeth and some of the lower teeth breaking out. It has been causing me a lot of discomfort, but on the other hand I am putting those teeth to good use eating my little egg balls. Speaking of which, I have also discovered a new trick. I can get more than one egg ball in my mouth at the same time! It’s so much fun to cram them in!

I got some new clothes again from grandma, this time a set with a tiger theme. Just my style… Thanks, grandma!

Age: 14 months-1 week (10 months-1 week, corrected)

It has been a miserable week for me. As you know, every since my birth, my folks and I have been extremely careful to avoid getting me sick. Everyone that visits me has to wash their hands and/or use sanitizer. I also avoid going to crowded places, or places where a lot of people (especially other kids) congregate. And when it is necessary to be out in public, we take precautions to minimize my exposure and maximize my personal space. Anyhow, after more than a year of carefully avoiding viruses, one finally caught up with me. But don’t worry, it is not a bad one, it’s just a little embarrassing. It is giving me the runs. And for anyone out there using automatic translators, it’s diarrhea, OK – there, I said it.

My stomach actually started acting up last weekend. In addition to the runs, I threw up twice. So on Monday morning, mommy took me to the clinic and I got checked out. They tell me that the virus I got is not easy to avoid as it is a really popular one in Japan at this time of year. Plus, considering how crowded everything is here and how packed some places can get, like trains (think canned sardines), the virus could have come from anywhere. So I got some medicine to take home and I have been taking it ever since. I am slowly getting better. But like I said, other than the runs it is not too bad. I didn’t have any other symptoms like coughing, sneezing, or fever, so I haven’t been lethargic (maybe I was a little tired one or two days) So I am hoping that the virus has just about run its course, and I will be back to normal any day.

Some great news today. We woke up to the first snow of the season. I thought it was going to be a big one, but by evening it had stopped, and only a little remained on the ground. I was hoping mommy and daddy would let me go out and play in it, but since I’ve been sick, they didn’t let me. Ok, I admit it. They would not have let me even if I wasn’t sick. By the way, on Sunday, I received a package from San Jose. I got a couple of cool new gifts. I got a Batman jacket, complete with a hood that has little bat ears. This, together with a cool Panda hat, came from Uncle Adam. The hat makes me look chubbier than I really am. Thanks, Uncle! I also got a little Baby’s First Bear from my Cali grandma. It’s not actually my first, but it’s Ok. It’s head has a little rattle that makes noise when I shake or rattle it. And it has these two orange hairs poking out from under it’s hat, which I quickly learned to chew on. Thanks, grandma!

Here’s a couple of pics of me with some of the new stuff, my Batman sweater, my panda hat, my bear, and my legwarmers from last week.

Age: 14 months (10 months, corrected)

I had a big day today, with a hospital visit starting early in the morning. Not a great way to start the weekend, but whatever. This time only mommy and daddy came along, as my grandma and Boa wanted to do some shopping. First we went to see my pedi, who continues to be impressed with my progress. He thinks based on everything he has seen personally, as well as with the reports from the other doctors, that I am doing very well. A little while later, we went in for my monthly RSV shot. I saw it coming, too. As soon as the nurse grabbed a hold of my leg, I knew I was in for it so I started complaining. When the needle went in, I screamed my objections so the whole ward could hear me. My eyes watered up slightly, but mostly it was just screams.

After that we took a break so I could get my milk, and in the afternoon we went for our last appointment to the physical therapist. He too is very happy with my development, and he always gives us really good information about where I should be. I really like him, and I know he likes me. Today he even gave me a little English book with cassette tape. I know, what is a cassette tape, right? We’ll see if we can find a way to play it somehow…

After we got done at the hospital, we went to Kawagoe to meet Boa and my grandma. After we found them, we went for a late lunch/early dinner, and then we went to Costco for some shopping. Finally, we got home around 9m.

So, as you can see, I am not gaining weight as fast as I used to, but still we are making good progress. Lately, I am growing more in length than in weight, so I am looking thinner and thinner. I am up to 75.4cm or almost 29-3/4″. Other miscellaneous things: I am making all kinds of sounds these days, making active efforts to communicate. I am keeping everyone busy trying to figure out what I want. I can also wave hi and bye to people properly now, and usually on cue.

Weight: 8,795g / 19lb-6.2oz.

Age: 13 months-3 weeks (9 months-3 weeks, corrected)

I had another good weekend, getting a lot of time out as I continue to get socialized with the world. Last Thursday, we had a nice visit from Joyce. She came by and spent a few hours here at the house. Of course, we were happy to see each other, but so was Boa and my grandma, as they met a few years ago when Joyce visited mommy’s family in China. Joyce brought me a little towel, which was really nice. Thank you! On Friday, daddy went back to work. Mommy was still off, so I was alone with the girls. On Saturday, we took it easy at home. Daddy made some burritos, which were a hit with everyone. Except for me, I will have to wait before I can try them. Although, mommy and daddy are slowly introducing me to more and more foods, so I am often getting to sample different things. Every new taste makes me do a sour mouth, as I try to figure out what I am eating. But so far, there is little I don’t like after I get a few mouthfuls. It helps that more teeth are coming in now. Recently, some more lower teeth erupted, and it looks like my main upper teeth in front are getting close. So as you can expect, I am really slobbery right now, and I am chewing my fingers constantly, along with my whole hand, and just about anything else that will fit. Come to think of it, I even get things in my mouth that clearly don’t fit, like tables and chairs…

Yesterday, we spent the day in Tokyo. Boa is taking the TOEFL exam, so we took here there early in the morning. We went by train, so getting there was pretty quick. The test place was in Kanda, close to where daddy used to work, so he knew the area pretty well. After we dropped off Boa, daddy, mommy, grandma, and I had a nice walk around. We decided to go do some shopping in Takashimaya, close to Tokyo station. We spent a good while there while mommy picked up some clothes. After shopping, we relaxed at Excelsior Caffe. I was asleep most of the time. When I woke up, we walked back to the testing center to pick up Boa.

After that, we went back to Takashimaya, this time by subway, because grandma wanted to buy Boa something. But Boa was not liking what she saw, so after a while we got going. We walked over to Tokyo Station and headed for home. At Ikebukuro we made a stop to get some foodstuffs and a few gifts for mommy’s friends. Then we got back on our train and went all the way home. It didn’t seem like the day was that busy, but everyone was tired.

Today was a holiday, so daddy was off, but mommy had to work, so daddy took care of me. Grandma and Boa went out to Kawagoe for some more shopping. Grandma bought me some leg warmers. Now, I know what you’re thinking, so STOP. Leg warmers are not just for girls. Leg warmers are cool. Because they’re warm. That’s it, no discussion. Thank you. They feel great, and everyone agrees I look like a furry animal. I like them. Thanks, grandma!

Age: 13 months-2 weeks (9 months-2 weeks, corrected)

The final day of our vacation started off only slightly earlier than yesterday, and probably only because we needed to check out by 11am.

The first destination today was Kiyomizudera, a beautiful temple in the hills. It took a while to get there on account of the traffic, another good while to get parked, and another good while still to walk up to the temple. My goodness, so many people everywhere. At least the way up there is full of cool historical buildings and shops (well, they look historical, anyway). We found one good place for lunch, which had an awesome view down towards Kyoto. After lunch, we got up to the temple and wandered around for a few hours. I got a little antsy towards the end, but then I fell asleep so daddy carried me on the way back to the car.

Our second destination, like yesterday, was not to be. Daddy insisted that we had to go to Fushimi Inari, a really cool temple with thousands of red toriis, the famous Japanese gates. They are all lined up so it looks like giant tunnels. The problem was that it seemed everyone in Kyoto had the same idea on that day. When we got to the local area, there was just absolutely no place to stop the car and park. At some point, we were far away enough that we thought “This is way too far to walk”. On account of that, plus the fact that everyone was kind of tired and quickly losing interest in temples, – I guess it’s true, you can have too much of a good thing – we decided to end our trip.

So we reprogrammed the navigation system for home, and headed out. In retrospect, it was probably a good thing that we got going, because the traffic on the way back was not quite as smooth as when we drove out here during the night. In fact, it was horrendous. Combined with a few lengthy stops at rest areas, it took us about 12 hours to get back. We arrived home at almost 4am, and we all collapsed. Of course, I slept during a lot of the trip, but my folks welcomed a return to their beds.

Here I am at lunch with mommy and daddy, and later deep inside Kiyomizudera.