Daiso haul

I'd love to hug the genius that invented the dollar store.  Especially the Japanese genius who invented Daiso.  My hubs recently went to Seattle, where THEY HAVE A DAISO (sadly, no Japanese dollar stores in our city), so I requested a few items.  Of course they're cute.  They're Japanese, ha!

The items pictured above are some cute bento-type items that I requested.  We just started solids with Kiyomi, but I'm planning ahead.  Time will tell whether I'll actually get around to crafting bentos full of fun-shaped food and edible marker decorations. The large pink cloths are 2 furoshiki.  They're basically square cloths that you use to wrap up your bento, or your fave potluck contribution.  You just put your casserole dish in the centre and tie opposite corners together.  It helps in transporting your mama's favourite crystal dish, so that you don't drop and destroy any family heirlooms, or delicious food.  Note the bright pink-ness of it all.  Below are some heart-shaped food picks (you stick them in food to pretty it up...it's like bling for your food!), and then there are kid's chopsticks, along with a contraption that actually trains you to use the chopsticks.  The multicoloured containers are made of silicone, as are the muffin cups, and I'm planning on using them to separate the delicious theoretical treats that will one day make it into our bentos.

Here are some extreme examples of bento artistry:

By BC Roll in Japan

And a slightly less extreme example:

By happylittlebento.blogspot.ca

The other items I got were onigiri (rice ball) molds, which make rice ball-ing SO much faster, some glue, lace tape and steel hooks.  I actually wanted s-hooks, so I could do this, but didn't mention that to the hubs, so it's completely my fault.  I'm really not sure where to use these little hooks now...ideas?

The best part about all of this is that most of these items only cost a DOLLAR, or close to that, anyway.  AMAZING!  I feel like starting a petition to bring a Japanese dollar store to our city. 

Officially 7 months old!

To my dear Kiyomi bear!

Mommy cheated and posted your 6-month letter only last week, so it really seems like this month flew by!


I know I say this every month, but really, really, really, we can't believe how much you've grown!  We attribute this extra weight gain and better sleep to the fact that you're eating a lot of solids everyday, although you still protest off and on.  It's a little unpredictable, because some days, you'll eat without any complaints, and other days, you cry when you see a spoonful of food in front of you.  So far, you've eaten rice cereal, oat cereal, avocados, carrots, broccoli (you really really do not like broccoli... I try to hide broccoli in with rice cereal or yams, but you can taste the difference and try to push the food out of your mouth when I do that.  Sigh.), peas, banana, buttercup squash, Japanese yams (satsumaimo), and apples.  Apples are your guilty pleasure.  They're also a stopper.  We try not to give it to you too much!  The yams/squash combo seems to make your poop nice and solid, which has been nice for this cleanup crew.  Was that too much information? Your favourites are all pale-coloured...rice or oat cereal, Japanese sweet potato, banana, apple...all rather sweet-ish things.  You definitely do NOT like anything green (broccoli, avocado, peas), and are only slightly into carrots.  I am posting a photo of the lovely face you make when we feed you too many green things.

It's blurry...but you get the idea.

You had your first real trip to the park this month, and LOVED the swings!  You were rather impartial to the slide, but the swing definitely made you giggle.  You also loved to watch the other kids play on the jungle gym.  You tend to sleep really well after a trip to the park, which is nice for your mama and papa, who also enjoy naps after park outings.

You might not be able to tell, but you're happy and giggling.

Overnight, you regularly sleep a longest stretch of 6 hours, even with a smaller dream feed at 10pm.  We think the solids you're eating are staying in your tummy longer, so that you can sleep more soundly.  You're really settling into a pattern throughout the day, too, and are a champion sleeper, averaging around an hour each nap.  You barely ever cry, but when you do, it's usually because you're in a crowded area and aren't being held by mama or papa.  I think you feel overwhelmed or scared, but you stop crying as soon as we pick you up.

You are definitely sitting up on your own now, although you still tend to flop over if you get too excited or reach at a weird angle for a toy.  You also regularly roll over from your front to your back, but only to the right.  It's your strategy to get off your tummy, which is really a place you don't like to be.  In other play news, you have discovered that you love to hit objects together to make loud sounds.  You've also discovered how to scream, loudly, and will do it for fun while we change your diaper, or while you play.  We can tell that you're getting tired of your current toys, and you really want to play with anything mama or papa are holding.  Especially if it's plastic, and a suffocation hazard.  Sigh.  You have a strong grip and are sofast at grabbing things, so we really have to watch you carefully.

You smile and laugh really regularly now, but are happiest in the mornings.  Your papa goes in to get you, usually, and you greet him with a smile, giggles, and excited arm and leg flailing.  When you're in a good mood, you're ticklish around your neck and underarms.  When you're not in a good mood, you look at us quizzically as we attempt to tickle you, as if to say, "Why are there wiggling fingers attacking me?" But still, you really only laugh hysterically at home.  You're a cautious baby, and eye strangers suspiciously, but when you're relaxed and around people you know, you love to laugh.  You laugh the most when something surprises you, like when your Aunt Nami uses your stuffed bear to pop out of places.  You also laugh a lot when you zoom in really fast to something.  Your grandpa Osakabe likes to zoom you in, close to mama's face, and you giggle a lot at that.  Is my face funny?  :)

We still read books together, and you can sit patiently through around 3-4 books before you get bored and antsy.  You're getting very good at turning the pages, even though it's usually for the purpose of attempting to bring said book to your mouth.

We think you're the bees knees!  Almost every night, your dad and I share photos of you that we've taken on our phones and marvel at how cute you are.  We love love love love love you!

Love,

Your mama and papa

Half a year!!!

To our dearest Kiyomi,

This year, you're celebrating your 6-month birthday on Girls' Day, March 3rd.  Actually, you'll always celebrate your half-birthday on Hinamatsuri!  Your Aunt Ryuko sent you a small Hinamatsuri set just in time!

Hinamatsuri set - March 3

 6 month stats:
Height: 67 cm
Weight: 15 lbs.

YOU ARE HALF A YEAR OLD!  Wow, six months.  You grow and change so quickly, and everyday is an adventure.  When we go in to give you your dream feed, I am in awe of how much you've grown and matured.  We pray for you every night!

Lately, you seem to have grown tired of your toys, and now want to play with anything that isn't a toy!  You love to put things in your mouth, so we have to be really quick to prevent it if you end up grabbing something (which you do...you grab EVERYTHING!).

If we put you down for a nap without your two blankies, we are in trouble!  You often sleep with one in each hand, and will snuggle your face up to it when you're trying to get to sleep.  You learned to sleep longer overnight, but still wake up once at around 4 am to feed before you sleep through to 7am. 

You still don't like being on your tummy, so you haven't really practiced rolling over too much.  You do, however, love to stand and can stand if you're holding onto something.  I have a sneaking suspicion you'll try to go from lying down straight to standing and bypass the whole crawling thing.  We're putting you in the jumparoo so that you have time to strengthen your leg muscles in preparation.  You've learned to sit on your own, although only for a little bit.  When you play while sitting, you tend to lean to the right and end up on your side.

We started giving you rice cereal right before you turned 6 months old, and you love it!  You'll even grab your spoon to feed yourself, which is great for later, but ends up being quite messy right now.  You're also practicing sucking with your sippy cup and can drink water through the straw!

You're becoming more patient, and can play by yourself for longer periods of time.  When you get bored or tired, you'll grunt and whine until someone comes to pick you up.  Before we pick you up, we'll say, "Up", and you tense your muscles in preparation for being lifted.  You are so smart!  :)

You still give your grandpa Osakabe the most giggles.  He knows how to play with you to get your smiles.  He even took you outside to play in the snow for the first time!  You seem more and more happy, which we love.

Gosh, we love you!

Love,

Your mama and your papa

Easy banana muffin lovin'

I'm not sure how many people can relate, but after having Kiyomi, I've basically had very very little time to eat.  This is complicated by the fact that I am the world's.slowest.eater.  In the early days, I didn't even have time to go into the fridge to grab leftovers to re-heat.  I just went without food and prioritized sleep.  It's really God's grace that I'm still producing enough breastmilk for Kiyomi! 

But I digress.  One of the lovely ladies at my church dropped off some chocolate chip banana muffins for me while I was adjusting to motherhood, and I loved them!  They were somewhat healthy, and easy to eat.  So, I went on a mission to find a recipe that I could duplicate and have been having banana chocolate chip muffins every morning for a week now.  Love love love them!

Here's the recipe (adapted from this recipe submitted by TRUTHISBEAUTY)

Ingredients:

3 large bananas
3/4 cup sugar (I cut this down to 1/2 cup and they were still deeeeeelish)
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup melted butter or unsweetened applesauce (I used butter, because that's what I had on hand)
Chocolate chips to taste (I used half of a 350g bag)

The first time I made these muffins, I also added in 1/3 cup of quick oats for extra health benefit.  Because you know that's why I eat baked goods.  Because they're "quick", they soak up the moisture in the muffins and don't make it dry at all!

Directions:

1) Mash bananas in a bowl.  I just used a fork and actually added the sugar here, for faster mashing.
2) Add egg and sugar.
3) Add melted butter or applesauce.
4) Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips (and oats, should you choose to participate in this eating healthier thing).  Stir until just combined.  Muffins turn out fluffier when you don't overstir.  You should see bits of flour (not chunks) within the batter.
5) Fill muffin tins approx. halfway with batter.
6) Bake for 18-20 mins at 375° F, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean.  If you hit chocolate chip while doing this test, just lick it off and try again in a different part of the muffin.  And keep the muffin for yourself!

I must use large size muffin tins because this recipe only yielded 12 muffins for me. 

Happy muffin-ing!

Macarons and macaroons

Mmmm...I love coconut macaroons.  And French macarons.

My first attempt at making macarons!  Dulce de leche, straight from Argentina, sealed the deal, yum yum!

But, I had always heard that French macarons were finicky and difficult to make.  Judging by this looooong blog post, it is.  Enter Ann Reardon and her helpful video.  I'm a visual person, so it was great to see all the photos and video of her maracarons, both good and bad.

This is the recipe we used.  A lot of people recommend using the weight measurements, but we used the volume ones (cups), and they turned out fine.  The ground almonds we used were quite coarse, which is why we ended up with the grains in our macarons.  I liked the added texture, and then sandwiching the dulce de leche made them delectable!

We also made coconut (American) macaroons.  I had no idea how easy they are to make!!  We used this recipe, because we wanted a gluten-free recipe, and it doesn't have flour, which is an ingredient in a lot of other ones.

We did a lot of tasting during the baking...and now I have a sugar headache.

What did Kiyomi do in the meanwhile?  She tried out her new (used) jumparoo!

Are quiet books really quiet?

Ever since Kiyomi started going to sleep earlier, I have been on a crafting kick!  I've made cards, and started sewing.  Lately, through my Pinterest browsing, I have discovered quiet books, and I am on a mission to design and create a quiet book for Kiyomi.  Basically, a quiet book is an activity book (usually made of felt, cloth, or even paper) made to keep your child busy, and hopefully quiet, on car trips, plane rides, during weddings, at church, etc. etc.

From the craftpicker.com

Sock-matching page from imagineourlife.com

Here are some that have inspired me:

The pages in these books are beautiful!
The Star Trek Quiet Book (because my husband is a Trekkie)
A cloth and felt book
Mr. Potato Head quiet book
Lots of different page ideas and more detailed instructions for making the pages

So I'm busy making a list of all the pages I want in my quiet book, and have realized that I will have to cut the list down.  I think I'll split the quiet books (ha, when did this become a multiple book project?!) into themes.  I'm planning the first one to be a food theme, because hey, I love food.

I think I really have to thank my mother for my love of crafting.  She made me a quiet "book" quilt when I was young, which was the same sort of idea, only each "page" was a square on the quilt.  I'll have to dig up a photo to post, but goodness, I loved that thing!  So excited to start my own quiet book(s)!

Cloth diapers

We love us our cloth diapers!

I grew up with cloth diapers, but the ones we had back then were so primitive compared to the stylish, convenient ones that are available today.  Kiyomi's cloth diapers are colourful and so easy to use!  Safety pins are a thing of the past!

Kiyomi in her Cherry Tomato red Applecheeks

We use both all-in-ones and cover/insert diapers.  All-in-ones are basically a one-piece cloth diaper (ie. the same principle as a disposable, but made of cloth).  You use it once, then you wash it.  We use these for when Kiyomi has a babysitter, to make it easier for the non-cloth-diaper inclined to change her.  My favourite all-in-ones are Rumparooz.  We have the ones with snap closures.  I love the inner gusset (the elastic ruching really reduces leakage), and they seem to fit Kiyomi really well.  Rumparooz are really adjustable in their absorbency, as they come with two inserts that you can mix and match, depending on how thick/absorbent you want the diaper to be.  I've also tried Totsbots Easyfits, but I find they really aren't as absorbent as Rumparooz or Applecheeks, especially since they switched to a minky lining.  

Our favourite brand is Applecheeks, which is a cover-insert system.  Here's why:

1) The bamboo inserts.  Bamboo is much more absorbent than cotton, and it absorbs faster.  I have bamboo hand towels, and they literally suck the water right off your hands in one swipe.  They are AMAZING.  So, it follows that the bamboo diaper inserts that Applecheeks has are also super-absorbent!  I also find them much softer than the cotton inserts.

2)  Adjustable sizing.  Applecheeks are a two-size system, and each size is really adjustable because it has so many button snaps!  We started Kiyomi on size 1s when she was just a few weeks old, and she still fits into them.  We predict that we'll have to move up to the size 2 in another month or so, as her thighs are getting quite chunky!

3)  Re-sale value.  Did you know there are Applecheeks collectors?  They scour the internet for the limited edition prints, especially.  I've heard of a diaper cover selling for up to $60!!  Either way, you can sell the lot of covers plus inserts

I think the main reason we use cloth is the monetary savings!  The startup cost for cloth diapers is high, but once you have a stash, you don't have to spend any more money on the diapers.  There are water and hydro costs of course, but you still end up saving money.  There's a great article about the cost of cloth diapering.  Especially since we plan on having two children, our savings really add up!  Once we're done with them, I plan on attempting to resell them on Craigslist or Kijiji, so we can recoup some of the initial cost.

Now, you may be wondering how ridiculous our laundry schedule is.  Kiyomi has 6 covers, with three inserts per cover.  This gives us 18 diaper changes, unless she dirties the diaper cover.  Usually, we can go around 3 days before we do a load of laundry, so it ends up being 2-3 extra loads a week, just for her diapers.  We were blessed to inherit a huge diaper pail, so there's no smell (and even when we just use a wet bag to store the soiled diapers, there's really no noticeable smell....and we keep ours in the main living area of our small condo!).  Overall, I'd say that once you get used to it, there's really no hassle.  I should let you know though, we started cloth diapering Kiyomi around 3 weeks in, because I was mentally and physically unprepared to transition to doing more loads of laundry than necessary!  We used disposables until that point.

I'm not a hippy, or a super eco-friendly type-gal, but I really really really think cloth diapering is a great idea!

Happy 5 months, Kiyomi!

Wow.  I can't believe you're 5 months old already!  You have grown by leaps and bounds this past month!

Weight: 16 lbs!!!
Height: 65 cm

Just after your 4-month birthday, you discovered your feet.  Now, you can't get enough of them, especially when we're changing your diaper.  You love the freedom and will grab your feet as soon as your diaper is off.  You bring your toes up to your mouth and suck on them, although you scrunch up your face as though you don't like the taste.  I can't blame you, because sometimes your feet smell a little sour.

You also love to clasp your hands, and can pass toys back and forth between the two hands.  You tend to clasp your hands a lot as you're holding onto one of your favourite squeaky star toys, sucking on one of the points.

Your neck muscles are so strong now!  When you're lying down and want to get up, you crane your neck forward as if you're going to do a sit up.  You also grunt, to get our attention, so that we know to pick you up.  I think you're also getting used to the word, "Up", because we try to say it before we pick you up.  Your grip strength is also amazing!  After we say, "Up!", if we give you a finger to hold, you will grab on and we can pull you up to a sitting position.

This month, we decided you were getting too big for your bassinet and finally moved you to a big-girl crib.  You didn't like it the first couple of nights, but have adjusted really well.  You even slept for 8 hours straight on one night, which we're hoping will repeat itself in the near future!

You are also smiling and laughing more and more.  You love when mama makes popping noises with her mouth, and will give a big smile when we pop out during Peekaboo.  You laugh at things randomly, but once you're laughing, if we imitate you, you think it's hilarious!

This month, you had your first babysitting experience with your aunt and uncle.  You were so well-behaved, and we're hoping it motivates them to give you a cousin!  ;)

Kiyomi, we fall more and more in love with you everyday.  Even when you're sleeping, we stare at the monitor and are amazed at how blessed we are.  We love you so much!

Love,

Your mama and your papa

Dohm saves the day!

One of the things that has brought us a lot of freedom as parents is playing white noise when Kiyomi sleeps.  We live in a small condo, so it can get quite noisy.  Around the 1-month mark, we burned a CD (yes, we're still living in the 90s and have a vast collection of CDs) of white noise and popped it into the CD player on repeat.  Having the white noise allows us to par-tay (ha, not really wildly) into the wee hours of the night after Kiyomi has gone to bed.

But then, yesterday, my hubby decided he would put in some other CDs to find out what kind of music Kiyomi liked.

And now the CD player rejects the white noise CD.

AHHHHHH!!! 

Cue Dohm to save the day!



Apparently the Dohm white noisemaker is the most popular.  It claims to save marriages, even!  It is the "Official Sound Conditioner of the National Sleep Foundation".  Makes it sound so effective!  All I know is, there's a fan inside and it makes enough noise to cover our outside conversations, even though there's only a door between Kiyomi and the rest of us.  Amazing.  Babies sleeping...does it get any better?!

I don't know about marriages, but this thing really saved our social lives!

Lest you think that sleep training is easy...

I am currently staring at my baby monitor.  Staring at the image of my daughter, who has been crying on and off for 15 minutes or so.  I am confused.  Should I go into her room to get her, or do I continue to let her cry it out?

My husband put her down for a nap after she yawned a few times.  That was 45 minutes ago.  She proceeded to play quietly by herself for half an hour.  Usually, after a few yawns, we put her down, she plays and calms herself down, and then she's out in 15 minutes or less.  Today, she played for half an hour.  And then started crying.  In 15 more minutes, it'll be time for her next feed.

I'm so confused.  Should I just go get her?  She seems to almost drift off, and then wakes herself up and cries.  GAAAAAH.

I wish I had the Baby Whisperer here.  She would know what to do.

Things not to say to a breastfeeding woman

It figures that the day after I write a post about breastfeeding, that I would get one of the comments that still makes me unsure of my breastfeeding success.  I had just finished feeding Kiyomi, and passed her off to my friend.  He was holding her a while, and noticed that she started to suck on her fingers.  I know Kiyomi, and this is her self-soothing thing.  Anyway, he decided to give me a "you're a bad mother" look, and said that Kiyomi was obviously (really, though?  OBVIOUSLY?) still hungry.

And then.

You know what he said?

"You don't have enough."  And he pointed at my chest.

Seriously?  I'm still pulling the dagger out of my chest, thanks.

If he had said that to me 2 months ago, I'm sure I would have broken down in tears and cried in the corner for half an hour.  Today, I brushed it off, but it really made me think about how insensitive people can be about breastfeeding.

Never ever ever ever assume or vocalize something like this unless you are in a position to do so (you know, if you're a caring sister/mother/grandmother/lactation consultant), who is really looking out for the best interest of the breastfeeding woman.  And, I think, be especially careful about your comments/questions if you're a guy, or have never breastfed. 

Another thing that used to put me on the defensive was when people would ask whether I had enough breastmilk.  I'm not talking about other caring mothers who were trying to encourage me through the ordeal.  I'm talking your normal, everyday, never-breastfed-a-moment-in-their-life bystander.  Uh, it's none of your business, thanks.  And you asking me whether I have enough milk just makes me doubt whether I have enough.

It's funny that I now love breastfeeding (gasp, did I just say that?!), but being asked about my breastmilk production still shakes my confidence a bit.  Sigh.

These types of comments and questions are entirely different when you're asking them out of a place of love, and a desire to help the breastfeeding woman.  But really, I've had enough of these insensitive comments.

They may have meant well, but I want you to know, it didn't help.

My must-haves for breastfeeding

If you're not breastfeeding, never have, or never will, don't bother reading the rest of this post.  If you are currently breastfeeding (don't worry, it DOES get better), or if you plan to (it may be the hardest thing you'll ever have to do), read on! 


I remember wondering, numerous, numerous times, whether I would survive breastfeeding. 

I also remember wondering, many, many times, whether I had enough breastmilk for Kiyomi.

Well, I did survive!  But, I needed a lot of help.  Here are my top five must-haves for breastfeeding success!

1.  A lactation consultant.  Yes, go to the breastfeeding class, the clinic, go again and again until you feel comfortable doing it on your own.  For most people, breastfeeding is ONE THOUSAND PERCENT a learned skill.  Practice (I know, your sore, cracked, bleeding nipples don't want to, but IT WILL GET BETTER!), practice, practice.  Practice through the toe-curling and excruciating pain.  Remember how bad labour was in comparison (even though I know you don't remember it right now).

2. Nipple shields!  These brought back so much dignity to my life.  I couldn't wear a bra, let alone a shirt, without these!  Confession:  For the first month or so of Kiyomi's life, I went topless around the house.  Why?  I couldn't stand ANYTHING getting near my poor, sore nipples.  Then, I discovered these!  Put them on, slip on a bra, welcome back normality!  But don't hug anyone too hard, as they will feel these rock-hard knockers.  Apparently they are now available in a softer, more natural feeling silicone, but mine were hard plastic.  Second confession: I still use these sometimes, instead of breastpads, because they collect any leakage.

Breastshells saved my life.  I mean, my nipples.

3.  A breastpump.  If you can afford it, get the double pump.  If you think you'll be traveling with it, like I did, still, get the double pump, because who are you kidding...are you going to be traveling that soon?  I spent an enormous amount of time pumping in my early days to increase my breastmilk production, and to supplement Kiyomi's feeds with my own breastmilk (instead of formula).  I have a single pump, which takes 10-15 mins. per side.  That means 20-30 mins. total pump time.  That was on TOP of a 2-hour feeding time.  Seriously.  Get the double-pump.  I ended up renting one from the breastfeeding clinic for about a month, and now that I'm back to my single pump, I really miss the double days.

4.  A Milksaver.  You know the saying, "Don't cry over spilt milk"?  Well, you will.  You will cry over the barely 2 mL of breastmilk that you worked 10 mins. to squeeze out, when you spill it on the floor 10 seconds later.  You will cry when you accidentally dump it down the drain thinking it was expired formula.   Breastmilk is liquid gold, people, and this Milksaver helped me save every last bit.  I won't go into too much detail, but if you want to see what it does, go to their website.

5.  Faith and lots and lots and lots of prayer.  Unless you're weighing your baby before and after a feed, there's really no way to know how much milk the baby is drinking.  I was terrified that I didn't have enough milk for Kiyomi.  Breastmilk production is such a sensitive and personal issue (I HATED it when people asked whether I was producing enough)!  I really just had to have faith that God was helping me produce enough (and when I wasn't, that it was okay to supplement with formula).  I had many, many people praying for me, and I prayed SO many times, "Oh please please please let me have enough milk for Kiyomi."  God answers prayer!  Kiyomi definitely had enough wet and dirty diapers to indicate she was getting enough to eat.

I'm sure there are so many other things that make for breastfeeding success, but these were my top five!

While she's sleeping...

We've been trying to move Kiyomi's bedtime earlier and earlier.  We used to put her to bed anytime between 9:30-11:00pm, but I realized it was a little late for her.  Putting her to sleep later really came from not wanting to wake up too many times in the middle of the night, but now that she sleeps for a good 6-hr stretch, I can put her to bed earlier and still wake up only once in the middle of the night for a feeding.

Slowly, her bedtime has moved to 9pm, and we're working on making it even earlier.

So, what do I do with this newfound free time?  Blog, apparently.

And, I make cards!  Love love love crafty things!

Ingredients (all from Stampin Up):  Fresh Vintage DSP, Baja Breeze pleated satin ribbon, Reason to Smile stamps (stamped in Old Olive) for the flower images,  Sweetly Said stamps for the greeting.

Delicious and nutritious!

Confession:  I did not even attempt to make any New Years' resolutions this year.

Is it learned helplessness?  I don't think I've ever managed to keep a resolution the whole year.

I digress.  In lieu of a New Years' resolution, I seem to have decided to make a January 2nd resolution.  I feel like there's less pressure in making this resolution, than in committing to a New Years' one.  As if one day makes a difference?

This year, I want to cook more, and be a more organized mom/wife/person.  Maybe I'll even meal plan.

Ha, wait, let's not get crazy.  I'll start with cooking slightly more than last year, and we'll see where that goes.

So, I had a cauliflower head sitting in my fridge and decided to make this oh-my-goodness-looks-so-good soup from the Pioneer Woman.  I didn't follow her recipe exactly, mainly because my fridge if more of a place where vegetables go to die, as opposed to a plethora of culinary ingredients.

Can I say...IT WAS DELICIOUS!  And my husband, the vegetable hater, agreed that it was deeelish!  I think the secret is in making the separate white sauce and adding it into the soup.  I used 2% milk and didn't add any cream or sour cream, and it was still velvety smooth and thick.  I didn't have celery, so I settled for the carrot-onion combo.  I probably used proportionally more butter than she did.  In my defense, it is winter, and we need to up our body insulation, right?  Oh, and just to be clear, there were no soup tureens involved in my straight-from-the-pot version.

But, we got our veggies, which is a challenge in this meat-loving household.

And then...it gets better!  Tonight, I cooked again!  Two nights in a row!  Tonight was a little fancier, as I had some sushi-grade tuna sitting in my freezer.  We had tuna tataki (seared, raw tuna), sushi rice, and an asian veggie stir-fry.

Before you think I'm all Chef Morimoto, let me tell you that I called my dad twice for his help and used a recipe off of the back of the frozen veggie bag.  But, in the end, it was a success, and I'm hoping this will continue.  Let's see how long January 2nd resolutions last!

4 months young!

Dear Kiyomi,

Today, you are 4 months old!  You continue to make our lives so much richer, and we love watching you grow!

4 month stats:
Weight: 13 lbs, 5 oz
Length: 65 cm

Today, you had your 4-month vaccinations, and you took them like a champ.  The doctor says you are growing well, and you are gaining so much control of your head and limbs.  You can now hold onto our fingers and keep your head in line with your body when we pull you up.  You also learned to roll over from your belly to your back, and you love to grab onto the toys that hang on your playmat.  You can even sit on your own for a little bit before you tip over.  You have started drooling a LOT, and blow very attractive spit bubbles.  We think you're teething, but don't know when we'll see those first teeth poke through!

You have also become so adept at self-soothing!  You love to suck on your fingers or fist, and under the right conditions, it only takes you a moment or two to go to sleep once we put you down.  At other times, you can cry for up to half an hour.

You're no longer that interested in the toys on your vibrating chair, and the vibrations no longer guarantee that you'll poop.  Instead, you play with your teethers and your star toy, and you suck on the Tigger rattle a lot.  Your leg muscles are also growing stronger, so you can stand with assistance.

You are becoming a homebody, and are the most relaxed at home.  You're starting to become really suspicious of people you don't know, and will cry if someone besides you family holds you.  You still like to sing along when mom sings, "You Are My Sunshine", and talk a lot with grandpa Osakabe.  You are also starting to become more ticklish, and laugh a lot when we imitate you.

You've technically been in our lives for more than a year now, and we love you more and more everyday.  Your personality is starting to develop, and we love to see you smile and laugh.  You seem to do something new everyday, so we can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Love,

Your mama and papa

Breastfeeding - My love-hate relationship

Breastfeeding was one of the hardest things I have ever had to learn!  The first thing I discovered was an uncontrollable urge to punch anyone who said, "If you're doing it correctly, it shouldn't hurt."  Hah.  I get what they're saying, in terms of proper positioning, etc., but this is definitely AFTER your nipples stop being super-sensitive to the strong suction-force of your newborn.  The second thing I discovered was a weird okay-ness with random healthcare professionals touching my boobs.  They really just get in there and poke and squeeze!

We did skin-on-skin pretty much immediately after Kiyomi was born, and the nurse helped me to get her latched.  In the beginning, Kiyomi had a terribly small latch, but the lactation consultant taught me to push her shoulders in as she opened her mouth, while kind of hooking her lower jaw around the lower part of my nipple.  That way, she opened her mouth really wide.  Ha, but this took a lot of practice, and I used to take her on and off my breast a few times until she got it right.

Kiyomi had good sucking muscles (I had seen her previously practicing during an ultrasound) and went for it.  I knew there was colostrum coming out, but she wasn't getting enough at the beginning, and she ended up becoming quite jaundiced and losing almost a pound in weight over the first few days.  We had to take her in a few times to get her bilirubin levels tested and started supplementing with formula.  The thing with jaundice is that it makes your newborn quite lethargic, so Kiyomi was constantly falling asleep while feeding.  It was taking me 2 hours at the beginning to get through a feeding, which is crazy, considering you're supposed to start the next feeding 2 hours after the previous one!  I ended up constantly having her attached to my boob, my nipples were cracking and bleeding, and I was in a general state of exhaustion.  I didn't think it was going to get better and needed multiple support people to keep reassuring me that it would, indeed, get better.

I was at the breastfeeding clinic at least once a week until Kiyomi was three weeks old, and one of the first things they did was to get me to use feeding tubes to give Kiyomi her formula.  Basically, you have a thin tube that you tape to your boob so that the end of it is right beside your nipple.  The formula is pushed through the feeding tube, so that as the baby feeds and sucks on the nipple, she gets your milk, as well as the formula.  This is really good in increasing breastmilk quantity, but is so hard on the parents who have to clean and set everything up.  Kevin rubbed my back during this period, and I asked him why his hands were so rough.  He looked at me sadly, and said that it was because of all the dishes and washing he was doing.  Those feeding tubes!  Aie!

I also did the 24-hour cure, eventually, which increased my breastmilk supply some more, and by week three, we had "graduated" from the clinic and didn't have to go back!  I definitely would have given up breastfeeding had it not been for the support I got at the breastfeeding clinic.  There were many times I cried. 

Nowadays, I almost hesitate to say this...but I love the time I have with Kiyomi breastfeeding!  She feeds quickly, and my nipples are immune to her occasional tugging and pulling.  I know this process will repeat itself when we decide to have our second child, so I'm glad I have these victories to look back on!

And the little one said, "Roll over, roll over"

Kiyomi has always hated tummy time.  Since her 1-month appointment when the doctor prescribed 30 minutes of tummy time everyday, she has wailed through the sessions.  I think the longest tummy time session was probably around 7 minutes.  When she got really upset, she would just lie there, head on the mat, crying in defiance.  So much for tummy time developing strong neck muscles.

Kiyomi's aunt finally (and brilliantly, I might add), figured that we should do tummy time while carrying Kiyomi around.  We tricked her into exercising her arm and neck muscles, mwahaha!  She didn't realize what was happening, and she would contentedly exercise while getting another house tour.  See how content she is?

Flying around for tummy time.  Look at how tired Daddy is!

And then.  A few days ago.  My dad didn't know how much Kiyomi hated tummy time and decided to plop her down on her tummy.  And she did not complain.  GASP!

And THEN.  Yesterday.  I put her down for tummy time.  She promptly stretched out her left arm and rolled herself over onto her back.  The girl who refused to do tummy time went from zero tummy time to rolling over!  Although, if I think about it, it makes sense, since she really enjoys being on her back so much more than her front.

Congratulations, Kiyomi!  You can officially roll over!

Santa...shhh

We're not doing Santa.

Did I hear outrage?  Are you asking what kind of parent doesn't do the Santa thing? 

Hear me out.  We are not going to tell Kiyomi that Santa is real, because we don't want to lie to her.  Ever.  Moreover, if Kevin and I are serious about trying to teach Kiyomi about God, what does it say to her if I tell her that there is a man who always watches what she is doing, judges her actions, and then rewards or punishes her for them, and then tell her it's all made up?  Doesn't set us up for success with the God thing, I think.

What we will do:
- tell her about the original St. Nicholas, who gave generously to the poor
- drill into her, the fact that she.absolutely.cannot.spoil.Santa.for.anyone.
- celebrate the real reason for Christmas, which is the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ

We will celebrate Jesus' birthday like it's 1995.  It was a good year for me.

Eat my fist: a sleep update

It's been about a week since we started training Kiyomi to self-soothe, and I have to say, it has gone much smoother than I expected.  The longest she cried, on and off, was about an hour.  Nowadays, she *usually* falls asleep after about 10 minutes of crying/self-soothing.  Her fist is her favourite self-soothing tool, and she often crams her hands into her mouth.  Sometimes, she extends her fingers and ends up choking herself!

I am SO proud of my little girl for learning how to self-soothe!  We've been putting her down for naps in her car seat, so that she would learn to nap anywhere, and the other day, she even put herself to sleep at church!

As for me...my husband commented that I seem much happier, and I have to say, Kiyomi's self-soothing ability has revolutionized my quality of life!  I suddenly have so much more free time (alas, I guess I must finally get around to the laundry!), and because I know she'll take a nap every eat, activity, sleep cycle, I can also plan to rest.  Ha, although most of the time that she's napping, I'm staring at the monitor, watching her sleep!

Praise God for self-soothing babies!

Sympathy burps

Everytime I go to burp Kiyomi...I also burp.

I swear I never used to burp this much before.