Four Fantastic years!

It's been a lot of fun, and I'm ready for more. Happy Anniversary sweetheart!

Wedding Day

Visiting Tateyama in May of '06

Second Anniversary in Okinawa

Due to morning sickness this was the picture closest to our '08 anniversary

This Sunday, and he's still HOT!

Mover

Someone is learning to squirm his way to where he wants to be before
he sleeps.

Bahahahaha

A tongue-in-cheek rap video about a Prius....hahahaha

Accomplishments!

I'm just way too excited about this to not share! I know some people have mixed feelings when their babies get mobile, but I'm nothing but happy about it, despite the impending destruction. He's been working very hard on this for the last week, he has been so determined. My favorite is the big smile he gets when he's done.

He's building up speed and practicing every chance he gets

I was thinking about waiting a bit longer for the food, but BK is just WAY too excited about it. He was practically laughing while he was eating dinner, and started whining when I looked like I was closing up shop. He's LOVING it! Grabbing my hand and sticking it in his mouth. I was kind of planning to wait, but he's been so excited about it, that I'm just going with it.

Fun times!

For being practically housebound, we've had a lot of fun this week. Three out of four of us have gotten hair cuts (can you guess who didn't?), we've tried feeding BK solids (Happily going in, not so good feeling coming out), MIRACULOUSLY gotten the boys into their matching out fits even with a pink shirt fettish, painted toe nails, and had a visit from someone very very far away!

They look so cute, thank you Grandma!

Tres chic, and in a manly blue as well!

My dear friend Ms. L, a wonderful visit and it reminded me just how much I miss hanging out with her

Catching Edamame for the picture...barely.

There is a season...

Turn, turn, turn. Ok, so almost there, he'll roll in the next few weeks.

eggs!

Edamame saw some pictures of his cousins hatching, and has loved the idea ever since.

Now he wants BK in on the action too. Here is a play by play of our morning hatch.

She-rin-gu

"She-rin-gu" as Edamame likes to call it when he speaks Japanese. Sharing, quality time, male bonding. It's happening a lot recently.






what you can't tell from these pictures is the amount of attention Edamame gives BK. BK ADORES his big brother, loves looking at him, giggles when he sees him, but you can see that in his stare. Edamame on the other hand tries to hide in 'eggs' with BK, rolls him into his play tent when I'm on potty break, tries to hold him, hug him, lay on top of him. While there are times I hear "NOOOOOO, don't pick up BK", "No, mommy, don't feed him", they are getting fairly infrequent. I've been told not to put BK down for his nap too...which surprised me a lot!

Snowman

"We made a 'noman!"

Excited for summer!

For the grandparents

Just thought you should see a picture with me in it. I look tired, disheveled, etc, but whatever!

...and yet I still wonder

...why I can't lose the baby weight. It couldn't have anything to do with what I eat for breakfast?


p.s. that is whipped cream. I needed to eat it or it would spoil! No whip in a can here.

One last Golden Week Picture

I totally forgot! Ojiichan made an awesome Kabuto hat out of paper. Edamame would have nothing to do with it, so of course we had to get one of the baby for his Hatsuzekku(I think I spelled it right this time).

Golden Week

Well finally getting to Golden Week pictures. It is so sad looking at them and seeing how miserable BK looked. At least Ed is a good big brother and tried to make him feel better.

Very Very Unhappy baby!


Brother is hold me....ahh feeling a bit better.


Ok, this isn't so bad.


There was a lot of love all around that day.

Edamame and his favorite *and only* Japanese Uncle.





BK doing ok with the ride.


Of course, what would a holiday be without food?????
...and what is food if you can't play with it?






Oh, and in honor of Children's Day, Edamame got to make koinobori in nursery. All the other kids got one, but I heard that Edamame was pretty adamant about getting all three (a daddy, a mommy, and an Edamame).



Next up on our list of things to do, get BK's Japanese passport!

More fish eggs for Sarah

He had these with his udon noodles today.

Mommy - Edamame date

We had to take BK to the hospital for a last round of tests, so we
went out to eat on the walk home. He was immitating the cat statue
you see at most Japanese restaurants. You like the seaweed on his teeth?

Bye Bye Kabuto!

Well, now that it is WAY past Children's Day it is time to put the kabuto away. The first step is to take a picutre in front of it. We'd have done it earlier, but hey you know the reason why we didn't.





I really really like the way 007 looks in the last one. I just love when he does his hair and lets it curl.

I'll try to give a recap of Golden Week in the next few days. Tomorrow though we make a quick trip to the hospital for the last round of tests and an official check out. It has been sooooooooo nice this weekend. Thank you again for your prayers, wishes, hopes, emails and everything!!!!!

My Education at work

I was just reading a post about the daughter of a feminist and it got me thinking about more modern feminist rhetoric. One of the things that sticks out most in my mind is when some people say stuff like "Becoming a stay at home mother is like throwing away your education". For some reason when someone chooses to insult my choice, that is the argument that makes me the angriest. I know some women work because they want to, some because they need to. They make their choice to add children to the mix. Hmm, this isn't flowing the way I had hoped, but the end point was, how does your education(formal/informal/college/trade school/whatever) help you as a parent? not in your job, but you as you parent throughout the day?

Here I'll share, and then it's your turn.

I studied a bunch of stuff, but ended up majoring in linguistics. I use that EVERY day to help my children be proficient bilinguals. I see when they make certain steps in their linguistic development, and I know when to be concerned or when not to be. I'd say I'm making good use of that part of my education.

Need more?
Physics classes - is the object just thrown going to hit someone or not? Does Edamame have enough momentum to hurt someone?
Chemistry - will dinner likely taste good? entertaining the boys with vinegar and baking soda, or remembering not to put lemon juice in with the baking soda when I'm making cake.
Geometry - Can I rearrange the furniture like that? uhm...no.
music, art, history, etc...you get the idea...now please share. You don't have to be a parent yet either, just share your ideas.

Present idea

Now that life seems to be calming down a bit, we've decided to take on a big project....rearranging the house!

I promised 007 he could get a new TV when he gets his first bonus(hopefully this October), so he's already planning on where he wants to put it. This means we'll be switching rooms around. We also have to deal with the HORRIBLE lack of storage space in the kitchen, and we're thinking about getting Edamame a bed for his birthday, plus some new curtains for the bedroom. Lots of changes going on. We just inherited a very nice table from 007's parents, and I'm looking at this bed for Edamame.


I know there are triple bunk beds in the states too, but I just really like this one because it is about the size of a regular bunk bed, plus while the boys are small we don't need the top one, then once baby number three eventually(very eventually) comes along and is ready for a bed, we'll be set.

Either way I'm pretty sure we'll be rearranging the house this coming weekend...hmm maybe I should have my dad come over to help.

Sleeping princes

Makes me so much more relaxed.

Home on the same day!

Just brought BK home...he's sleeping upstairs with his brother. We have to go back on Monday for one more round of tests and then he's officially checked out.

Guess who else gets to bring their baby home on the 15th?? I don't think there is a blog post up yet, but I'm sure Pam will put it up in a few days/weeks with pictures of the little guy. I don't want to steal too much of her thunder, so yeah...I'm just really excited they are safe and healthy! Congrats little sis, hope you have a ton of fun with your little man!

Try Again

Picture link below wasn't working for some reason so here it goes again.

Edamame Mosaics

I was watching Tekzilla podcast the other day and they were talking about Mosaics. I downloaded a software MacOSiaX and made this. Top is the original photo and bottom is a mosaic picture of Edamame made out of a whole bunch of Edamame pictures. Zoom in and see each photos.

Some Pics

So here's a couple of pictures taken before Edamame got sick.



And here's BK a couple of days ago.



And these are from today. He's doing really well and he doesn't have to have IV anymore.
If Edamame gets better, BK could come home on Thursday.