Ding Dong the witch is gone November 27, 2009

Well, MIL is anyways.  I don`t think she is a witch per se just not one of my favorite people at the moment either.  In fact she just was holding the baby, put her in her bouncer and said she was leaving now.  Definitely rather abrupt.  She came because she was supposed to being “helping” me but she didn`t really help at all besides hold the baby.  I made all the meals and she never even asked if I needed help while making them.  Of course I made chicken, probably just to spite her because she says she doesn`t like it (but then again she eats it back at her place).

Like my mom says she has some sort of stick up her a$$.

Well, since MIL left I have had the baby to myself for the first time since she was born.  Not that we did much.  I did some laundry (have the cloth diapers in the dryer at the moment because someone decided that she wanted to poop one after another, just after changing them).  She did sleep really well on my chest earlier of course she woke up the minute I put her down.  We`ll just have to work on that one.

T has the weekend off so looking forward to finally having some family time.

And the finish off the post; here is a baby pic.

Here`s a pic of Misora sleeping in her bouncer with her slicky from Aunt Amy.  As you can see, my mom helped and embroidered her name on it (it looks backwards because the silky side is the backside)

Back Home November 25, 2009

and I am loving the heat.  Of course it helped that Tokyo was really nice and warm today also.  The shinkansen ride went rather well yesterday I thought.  Misora needed to feed by the time we reached Hiroshima and I was able to use the wheel chair room to feed her there.  Not the most comfortable chairs as they don`t recline.  She was scheduled to feed again right about the time we were suppose to arrive so right before we reached Shin-Yokohama I fed her again (this time I had to stay in my seat as someone else was in that room.)  I must say it was a successful feed.  I was a bit nervous about trying to do it in a more public space but I had a blanket over me.

T met us at the train station (which was lucky since he then carried all the bags back).  I had Misora strapped on using the Moby by SIL and Bro bought us as a gift (definitely like using it and even if it extremely long it doesn`t take too long to get a hang of).  I used the kanagroo hold on the way home as that is the position she likes the best (curled up on her chest like a frog).

Our downstairs neighbor (who has been making T dinner on the weekends for the past 2 months) came back last evening to see the baby and to bring us a cake, which none of us actually got into eating.  Maybe tonight…..

T also made his first successful nabe (yes, even though he is Japanese, his nabes suck, and he usually burns them).  He seems really happy to have us back home and was really worried about Misora getting cold and more or less had the heat set to 30 (way too hot I think)!!  I turned it back down to 25ish.  Maybe at 3am if its freezing a higher temperature might be good but I don`t think it needs to be that warm.

Today, T had to work so it was just MIL and I.  After chatting with my mom on the computer until 1-ish, the 3 of us headed down to Daiei to get some stuff to eat for lunch.  I had Misora wrapped back up in the Moby, which she really does like as she slept the entire time we were gone and cried the minute I put her back in her bed (which is normal, she just loves to be cuddled).

Misora also likes her bouncer that I bought for her off of a MIJer way back when.  She might not like it for long periods but for short 10-15mins or so she seems quite content and happy about it.

Here`s a pic of us about to head off to the supermarket.

Last day November 23, 2009

Finally.   Misora and I (along with MIL) are heading back to Tokyo tomorrow.  Our shinkansen leaves at 10am so I hope that by 4pm I will be back in my apartment (although realistically it may not be until 5).  Hopefully the trip back will go well and it won`t be a pain to breastfeed her or give her diaper changes.

We had our first trial run this morning when we took my mom to the airport.  Since we knew that the ILs planned on leaving at 7:30 (of course we were all ready by 7am but it still took MIL 30 mins to finally get ready and out of the door, why I have no idea) we had to time Misora`s feeding for around 6am otherwise we might not make it back to the house before the next feeding.  Luckily for us, she somewhat behaved last night, feeding at 930 and then at 1, and lasting until 6am.  Of course it helps that she was in bed with my mom and besides squirming a bit around 5 she did go back to sleep.  Of course it would be better if my room wasn`t 63 degrees (17 degrees C) and this was actually warmer than it had been the night before (yes, I have been using a heater at night but when the rest of the house isnt heated and MIL leaving windows open….).  We did manage to arrive back at the house a little after 10 with Misora only having a 10 min crying fit in the car.

I am going to miss my mom and she has been a really big help to me in the past few weeks and especially during labor because I definitely know if Misora had arrived early I probably would have been completely alone as I highly doubt MIL would have actually been in the room with me (not that I think she would have been much help if she had).  So a great big thanks goes to my mom and I am sorry that the trip wasn`t the best but its opened our eyes to a few things and I highly doubt that I will be coming back here anytime soon.

Thanks to my moms help this week I did manage to give Misora a bath, without any help (MIL just stood there and watched) and luckily for me, Misora just sat rather happily in the bath and didn`t really cry at all.  So now I have a nice smelling baby once again and I have a bit more confidence at giving her her bath now  (of course I probably still need to find a baby bath for our own apartment as we don`t have one, the one here was borrowed).

Now, what I really ought to do is take a nap since I woke up a lot earlier than I have been the last couple of days.

Almost 2 weeks November 16, 2009

Weird to think that 2 weeks ago at this time I was in labor, just about 7cm dilated.

Things with ILs seem to have gotten better.  T talked to his parents and I talked to them.  A bunch of things came out (them not visiting at the hospital, not letting us do anything around the house, etc) of course a lot of their excuses were that that was not the Japanese way which my responses usually had to do with the fact that if they wanted to visit with their grandchild they shouldn`t let what other people do decide what they want to do.

So things are slightly better, but MIL stills seems to get sort of annoyed at times (last night when T called and asked for me telling me he was dizzy and what he should do, of course I asked  my mom, but after that she got pretty annoyed that she didn`t talk to him but she did send him a bunch of emails telling him to wear socks).

T doesn`t seem to be doing too well at the moment.  His cold from last week is still sort of around and then last night he got rather dizzy (due probably to dehydration) and then today he sends me an email telling me he just went to the Dr and that he had rather high blood pressure.  So now he must avoid beer, salty foods (ramen will be a big no no).  The Dr gave him some medicine and he will have to go back to the Dr again within 10 days and see if things have improved.  So it looks like I am going to have to be extra careful for when I get back (with MIL and her overly salty cooking in tow).

Misora seems to be doing well.  I have cut out cabbage, onions, and chocolate to see if that helps with her gassiness.  She is definitely not a burper and while she isn`t screaming bloody murder all day and night she does wake up quite a bit with what my mom thinks is gas.  She likes to be held in an upright position with her head on her hands up near one`s chest.  With the ILs house being soooo very cold we have only really given her a couple of baths.  Today we aimed the kerosene heater into the kitchen for an hour in order to heat it up so we could give her a bath.

cloth diapers + rain = pain November 11, 2009

So I have wanted to do cloth diapers for a variety of reasons 1) price over all is cheaper 2)better for the environment but cloth diapers without a dryer and during a week of rain is not really a good combination.  I have 2 dozen diapers and generally Misora goes through about a dozen a day.  For the past 2 days we have brought the laundry to the laundromat to dry them but the laundromat, while being within walking distance its not a walking distance in which you want to drag a bunch of laundry along.

So today, my mom walked down to Youme Town and bought some disposable diapers.  That ought to help a bit with the laundry situation so that at least we will have some diapers.  I will have to go back to the cloth diapers back when I am in Tokyo (the 24th!!!!!) and I have access again to my dryer.

I am a bit annoyed  that the weather was so nice last week when I was stuck in the hospital all day long for so long and now that I have a bit more freedom, the weather just plain sucks.

My MIL has been annoying both my mother and me.  First we had to deal with the fact that the ILs were never visiting with the baby and now that we get back they still don`t do much with the baby and then MIL seems to be annoyed that she doesn`t do much with the baby (even though I constantly ask her when she is around if she wants to hold the baby).  Yesterday my mother was taking a picture of the baby in the crib and MIL goes into the room and takes out the cloth diapers that she had bought.  I went to go find her and asked her why she took them and she says “You don`t need them”  I was like “huh? of course I will use them”  it had only been half a day that I had even been using the diapers (which I bought myself) of course I haven`t used all the diapers.

Eventually MIL returned the diapers to the basket but she then spent the next couple of hours slamming doors.  I even asked her if there was a problem and she was like no.  I had to get T to call and asked what the problem was and you know what his answer was “They`re shy.”  WTF?  T basically told me to shove the baby in their faces so that they would interact with her.  Huh?  I nicely ask if they want to hold her and they say no but if I shove her in their face that is suppose to make things better?  I told T that if she continued to do this I no longer want to stay.   Mom is already threatening to just head back home herself before the trip is suppose to end.  If she leaves I am definitely leaving and I am not likely to ever come back ever again.

Mom and I have decided that MIL just likes to have things her way and have them done only when she wants it done.  Without even asking me, my day of departure has already been decided and tickets bought.  Looks like I get to spend at least 4  extra days with her at my house.  Sure will be rather annoying.  Of course everything will be done to how I like it.

In other news, Misora has decided that she does not want to sleep alone, she will only go to sleep when she being held.  Mom thinks a lot of it is the gas that is caused by the cabbage and onions I am eating at practically every meal (we dont really have much of a choice on meals around here).

Well, so that things end on a postitive note, who can resist a cute baby with ladybugs on her feet.

Best night so far November 7, 2009

Usually Misora has been up and cranky between 2-5am but after feeding her at 130 she slept until 630 hope its not a one time thing
Today is going to be a sad day because T has to go back to Tokyo at least I leave the clinic tomorrow

only day 4? November 6, 2009

feels like forever since I arrived. I am glad that on day 2 I was moved to my own room with a shower. Dr took out my stitches this morning and T and I had a baby bath lesson. Later I will be getting a massage. BF going well she has started gaining weight again

end of day 2 November 4, 2009

feeling pretty good mostly just my muscles aching. TMI but I had my first 2 bms without having any problems thanks to the prunes I have been eating with my meals
also had a nice shower、 they didnt want me to have one until Fri talk about smelly

Sleepy baby November 3, 2009

aftermath November 2, 2009

Afterbirth only took 4 mins to come out、 I did get stiched up for 2 tears and lets say sitting isnt comftable.

did manage to get her latched to one breast last night but didnt get to my bed again until 230