Military Life

Sometimes it sucks.  Just missin' my hubby :-\.  Watching "Broken Bridges" didn't help - 5 small town boys lost in a military training accident.  Hubby's not deployed, but we know many who are - my heart goes out to them and their families!  Please say an extra prayer tonight for all our boys and gals in the service.

Nerves of Steel or a Wet Noodle?

I was 15 when I watched as my mom was wheeled off the ice rink on a stretcher.  I was 14 when my brother head-butted our dog and ended up with 47 stitches and skin grafting.  I was 10 when my baby brother busted his chin open and was the first of us to need stitches.  I've had surgery, I've given birth, I watch CSI.  None of these things bother me - buck up and deal.  I accidentally pinched my husband one day and nearly threw up.  The fact that I had caused him pain, that he was even IN pain or hurt in any way literally made me nauseas.  I've watched kids take tumbles and not batted an eye but I couldn't hold my own child down as she got her first round of shots.  As she grows and takes her own tumbles, needs stitches, or (heaven forbid) gets wheeled anywhere on a stretcher, will I have nerves of steel or will I be a wet noodle, a blubbering incoherent mess?  Lord help me, I have no idea.

On a Mission

I am on the lookout for the perfect diaper bag - either purchased or a pattern to sew my own.  An easy task I (erroneously) thought this would be!  Most diaper bags are made for disposables diapers and formula feeding - neither meet our family's description.  My perfect diaper bag would include these features:

1. Wide enough to handle a day's worth of cloth diapers.
2. Short enough to stash in our stroller's storage basket.
3. Washable or wipe-clean.
4. Outside pockets for mama's stuff, pacifier, and extra bib or rag (gotta grab those suckers quick!)
5. Inside pockets for change of clothes and wipes.
6. Neutral so my husband will carry it (right now we're using my purse - he's not thrilled... ;p)
7. Long enough strap to wear crossed over my body (bending down while holding baby and carrying bag on 1 shoulder just doen't work).
8. Outside pocket for water bottle or sippy cup.

Open to suggestions! :)

Fiddling

not on the roof :P.  Please forgive any confusion on this blog for the next little bit - I'm trying to figure out how to add tabs so I can have other pages on the blog but make them look different.  It's a work in progress.

Finally

Nearly 4 months.  14 1/2 weeks.  102 days.  1020 feedings.  That's how long it took till I suddenly realized the other day that yes, I love nursing and I will miss it when dd is all grown up and eating "people" food.  Somewhat longer than the 2 weeks people told me would be the hardest.

I never would have made it without some serious support (from my husband and piles of others) and advise from people who have "been there."  And prayer.  Lots and lots of prayer.

Some of the issues we've encountered have been typical ones, others not so much.  So thank you - to those of you who shared your own experiences with me and to those who have been brave enough to bf!  Now don't even think about bringing up teething.

Jesus was a cloth-diapered, breastfed baby!

Wide-Eyed Wonder

Each time we've gone off base with our little one, we've attracted a small crowd.  Fellow milfamilies warned us about this phenomenon before our daughter was born but I was unprepared for the gifts!  Yes, gifts.  Let me share an example:

We and a couple friends spent the day at Mt. Takao a few weeks ago.  Lots of fun.  Before riding the rail up the mountain we needed to fill our tummies.  We sit, we order, we drool over others' food as its delicious scents waft our way.  All the while dd wiggles, coos, drools, typical baby stuff.  The eyes of the lady and sons at the table next to us are riveted upon all this American babyness - simply unable to look away.  Next thing I know one of the pint-sized sons is handing over a toy at the coaching of his mother, "Dozo, dozo, dooooozo."  Yeah, we were a little dense.

I'm always afraid of looking the wrong way or saying the wrong thing or just in general looking stupid, but that fear is amplified when out and about in an unfamiliar culture where I can't even pretend to read the signs.  My solution?  Keep my eyes down, smile, and nod.  Periodically toss in the handful of Japanese words I know and hope I didn't just call someone a dufus.  My strategy was failing miserably and the pizza hadn't even arrived yet.  Crud.

Well as it turns out, this family was being super nice and just wanted to share something cool with our little girl.  I'm sure I totally botched the whole thank-you-and-bow bit and they must have walked away wondering just how many more times they were going to have to say "Doooooozo" (please, as in I am offering this to you, please take it dingbat) before the idiot American caught on (they literally must have said it about 20 times), but all in all it was pretty neat.

I assumed this was a one-time deal.  Nope!  Our daughter has been the oblivious recipient of now two unsolicited gifts from random strangers.  I really need to read up on this phenomenon - how do you deal with people giving you stuff you can't use, didn't ask for, or don't know what it is?!  I'm not ranting, I'm just curious.  I've been told it's terribly rude to refuse a gift in Japan (understandably so) but I didn't even realize that first family was trying to give us a gift - I thought they just meant dd could play with the toy while we were sitting there (which wasn't going to happen - 5 second rule is one thing, but letting your 3-month-old knaw on a toy of undisclosed history is quite another).

This type of event is becoming rather frequent.  People here positively gape at our daughter, coo at her, and otherwise indicate that they are impressed.  Yes, she's cute (oh I'm not biased at all, no) - all babies are cute (not as cute as she is, but that's okay ;p), but in Japan, the American brand of cuteness is apparently a hot commodity.  We've had more than one discussion with strangers running something like this:
"She? He?"
-Yes, she.
"Sleeping? (or drooling, or whatever she is obviously doing at the time)
-Yes, sleeping.
"She has small head, round face, not like Japanese"
-Ah, yes, thank you (seriously, how do you respond to that?).

Families with blond-haired, blue-eyed children tell me they get it the worst.  People randomly come out of nowhere and rub their kids' heads.  Ack!  We haven't had to deal with that one (I have issues with people touching me and I'm not too keen about strangers touching my baby girl!) but I really am at a loss at all this wide-eyed wonder she seems to generate all around her.  So much for staying incunspicuous!

Snippets

I haven't posted recently - well at least not anywhere other than in my head.  Will try and get something more substantial up here soon.  Mothering takes up lots of time and energy!  Loving it though :).  In the mean time, back to enjoying the much-needed shoulder rub from my amazing husband :D.

He makes me smile :)

OK, so I walk in the kitchen this evening and my husband is squawking like a chicken.  Literally.  I love my husband :).