A book, a baby, and a walk

Look how great my life is. I can combine three of my favorite things in one. I can put Airi in the baby carrier and let her sleep, but if I stop, she gets fussy, so I have to keep walking. But, if she is sleeping, then she does not want me talking or singing to her. So, I may as well read. And walk. And hold Airi close. How great is that?

Baby Seats

Last month, when we took Airi home from the hospital for the first time, I spent about an hour getting the car seat just right. It reminded me of another difference between American customs and Korean customs. In the U.S., we start our babies off in a rear-facing car seat. As they get bigger, we move up to front-facing car seats and then booster seats and then regular seat belts in the back seat. Finally, after a decade or more, children can sit in the front seat of a car.

In Korea, the best place for a newborn baby is in her mother's arms, even in a car. Babies can stay in their mother's arms for a few years until they learn to walk. Then, they can stand in the back or front seat and look out the windows. Next, they are old enough to run around the back seat. Eventually, they get tall enough to stick their head out the sun-roof. Finally, they get so big that they have to sit down in a seat. Of course, a seat belt is still pretty restrictive and is still optional.

Lullabies

Avram sings lullabies for Airi when she's fussy. He sings English songs, but the words are always changed. For example he sings "Poop poop, where are you?" with some camping songs.

He tells Airi, "You're the only one who doesn't run away when I sing a song." How can Airi run away? Even she can't stand up. But it's very interesting that his songs work very well to stop fussy Airi.

After Airi grows up and when she asks her friends about the songs she heard from his father, I'm sure no one knows those songs. But his songs are all funny, so she can make her friends laugh with the songs.

I am looking forward to listening to Avram's lullabies for tonight.

That Warm Loving Feeling

To celebrate the end of Rie's birthday, we gave Airi a bath. Airi ate lots of milk and then we changed her diaper. Once the water was ready, we took off her clothes and diaper and I carried her to the bathroom. I enjoy that special close feeling of holding my naked baby up to my chest and cradling her in my arms. The warm feeling spread all the way to my belly. After a moment, I realized that the warm feeling was only on my belly. Another moment of reflection brought the realization that the warm feeling was not emotional, it was physical. Airi had peed on me. Thank you my beautiful daughter for the wonderful memories.

"Welcome to our family."

Airi is a good girl. She already follows her father's bed time schedule. She also follows other things too.

When we hear farts and burps, now we ask who did it. Eventually I have to do them. Then my husband makes a big smile and says, "Welcome to our family!" He looks very happy then. Airi does a good one everyday. It seems like she learned them from one of her parents since she was in my belly.

Airi is growing up fast. She's longer and heavier, so it's hard to lift her up when I hold her. I don't go out for exercise these days, so lifting her is one of my exercises.

She started to smile back at us these days. She smiles after she eats, falls asleep, and stays in our arms. Her smiles make us happy very easily. Especially after not enough sleep.

She seems like that she talks recently. Avram and I often talk and answer to her. It's fun:)

She also started to use her hands when she eats and when she doesn't want us to bother her. It makes it easier to figure out what she wants.

The funniest thing is that she is surprised at hearing farts, burps, and hiccups by herself when she is falling asleep and unfortunately she wakes up. Then I have to start everything again such as breastfeeding, walking in the room and changing diapers:(

She likes that I hold her and walk in the living room. She sometimes checks by opening her eyes if I really work for her. She sometimes opens one of her eyes, sometimes opens half of her eyes to watch me. When I am cheating, she starts to warn and cry.

She's curious about many things around her in our place, so she's excited walking around in the living room. Me? I am tired of walking in the small room hundreds times in a day. It's very BOOOOOORING, so I look at her face. Then I get sick from watching one thing too close for a long time. When my eyes are closed eyes, then Airi's eyes become so too:D

Some of her clothes and her bath tub are already small for her. It's very nice to see that she's growing so well. Watch them in our videos. Enjoy!

That Special Time of the Year

We are now in that special time of the year, after I have had my birthday and before Rie has had hers. I am 16 days older than her and today is the exact half-way point between when I was born and when she finally got around to being born.

We have been sharing the stories about what our parents went through when we were born. My mother sat outside a classroom and took meticulous notes on the timing of her contractions while my father took a final exam on the other side of the door. Rie's mother got curious on the due date, so she crossed her small island and took a ferry to the town with a hospital on the next island. She went to the mid-wife's house and asked if it was time. The mid-wife checked and said "Yes, come on in." Rie was born a short while later.

I especially like this time of year because I can tell Rie things like "You may not understand now, but you will when you are my age" and "Respect your elders." I also get to tell her about the things that happened in my lifetime, but before she was born. Wings released their first album. The West German Chancellor received the Nobel Peace Prize. The Golden Gate Bridge had a blackout. Bangladesh broke away from Pakistan. "Diamonds are Forever" opened in the U.S. The Waltons came to T.V. and "A Clockwork Orange" opened.

The world has changed a lot in my lifetime. More so than it has in Rie's lifetime.

Rie Wants Steak

Rie has been wanting steak for a few days now. We had time this afternoon to walk over to one of our local Outback Steak Houses. When we go for a walk, I wear the baby carrier and Airi rides up front. She pretty much sleeps the entire time we are out of the house, especially if she is in the carrier.

I was able to enjoy my hot soup at lunch. Airi slept through it all.

Our big girl ベイビーベイビー

I'm happy that Avram makes Airi's video everyday and that our families in the world can see her in the videos all the time.

My sister, Chikako, told me that my mother talks to Airi in the videos. It sometimes scares her because my mother looks like she doesn't know if it's a video.

I told it to my mother. She laughed and said she's all right.

When I told about it to my sister-in-law, Asako, she told me everyone in her family talks to Airi in the videos more. I think everyone enjoys Airi's growing up.

Airi has two cousins, my brother's daughter Yuki and his son Konan.

Konan, 5 years old, said he has a baby toy. I asked if he will give it to Airi. He said he can let her use it. He has many things to do for Airi. He always talks to Airi on a phone. He's so excited when he hears Airi's cry. He says he can make a funny face to make Airi happy when she cries.

Yuki, 7 years old, said she wants to read books for Airi, but she can't speak English. She was surprised when I told her Airi can understand Japanese too. Then she said Airi was born in Korea, it means Airi is a Korean baby and she must speak Korean or English. Yuki is thinking that she can teach Japanese to Airi and that Airi can teach her Korean or English. Yuki says they can make friends in the world. That would be great:)

Airi is becoming fussy these days.

We change thousands of diapers. I breastfeed , but she still cries. She wants us to hold her and walk around the room. During daytime or in the evening, Avram can take his turn for it. But at midnight I have to do it by myself. I come and go in a small room hundreds of times. Fortunately and unfortunately she's becoming heavier for it day by day.

She seems like she's dreaming these days. She smiles more often. She turned over last night, which I didn't see. She sucks her hand. She has tears when she cries.

Even though her fussy time is sometimes not easy, as parents, it's great to see that she's growing up.

You will see her growing up in new videos soon today too.

"Where is my milk?" ミルクはどこ？

Airi cried for two reasons before. First is for pooping and second is for milk.

A few days ago, she started to cry for a third reason. It's for holding. These days she needs holding to fall asleep. It's a great time with her even though she's getting heavier.

Airi had a doctor's visit yesterday. Everything is good with her. She was sleeping during a shot, as usual. She gained 1kg and is 2.5cm longer than last month.

I was surprised that one month has passed so fast though it was very long to wait for her coming the last nine months.

Airi likes staying in Avram's arms, but it's funny to see she sometimes looks for milk there. She sniffs Avram's chest and tries to eat milk from his nipples. It's like an adventure in jungles, treasures in bush. Unfortunately she can't find them. Then she looks very disappointed.

I give Airi only breast milk, but it sometimes makes me tired from not enough sleep. I hope Avram can help for it. I mean I hope he can breastfeed though he needs to shave the hair on his chest first.

Airi is growing day by day. It's not only her body but also some other functions. For example, her eyes started to follow us and she has more smiles these days. Everything she does makes us very happy.

I feel sorry for Avram because he can't stay with Airi during daytime. But we're always at home for him:)

アイリの泣く理由は２つ、うんちとミルク。

２、３日前から３つ目の理由で泣くようになった。それは「抱っこ」。どんどん重くなるわが子だけど、抱っこをするのは幸せ。

昨日は１ヶ月検診。無事に成長をしていて、注射でも泣かずにずっと眠ってる。先月より体重が１キロ増えて、２．５ｃｍ身長が高くなっていた。

妊娠中はアイリと会える日があんなに待ち長かったのに、今は時の過ぎるのが本当に速い。

アイリはお父さんの腕の中がとても好き。すごくリラックスしている。でも、おかしいのは時々ミルクがほしいときにお父さんのおっぱいを探すこと。残念なことにそこは毛があったり、ペッタンコだったりでミルクにはたどり着けない。まるでジャングルの中の宝探しみたい。そんなとき、アイリはがっかりしたような顔をしている。

今は完全母乳育児。夜も２時間ごとに起きるから本当に疲れる。アブラムが母乳をあげられたら大助かりなのにと思う。そうなると胸毛を剃らなきゃいけなくなるけど。

アイリは体格以外も日々成長。目でものを追ったり、微笑返しをするようになった。その成長を見るとうれしくなる。

仕事で昼間のアイリを見られないアブラムはかわいそうだけど、いつでも２人で帰りを待ってる。