Sofia's Baptism

We had her baptism yesterday...it was great! The Father was hysterical! Sofia got tired midway...fussed a little and fell asleep.
Here are some pics of the dress eating when I was trying to take the dress off after we got home! The video is long, but I will see if I can get it posted.

Miyamairi!

Today was Sofia's Miyamairi! It was so cool!
We entered the Shrine area and sat with a few other families. The priest entered and said a few things. He then made offerings and chanted a few things. The families then had to place an offering - a branch with paper tied to it. We then bowed and clapped and bowed again...2 times each. Then the priest came around and put rice 3 times on each baby's head. It was so interesting! The priest then gave us a gift...a lucky charm and a paper with kanji, which I will read later and give an update on, but this paper is sealed by the shrine and you put it in your home shrine to keep bringing good luck and blessings to Sofia...it shows you how and what to put as offerings...like sake and rice. I am so loving this!
Today was also a holiday where you put wishes for the new year on paper and tie it to a line that was set up at the shrine with hopes that your wish will be answered.
It was very busy there, but Sofia got so many compliments on her cuteness!!
We also ran into our post office friends...they run the extremely small post office that I get my Japanese mail at....they are so nice that I just have stuff mailed to me there and they call me to come pick it up. No PO Box. They have a very cute 1 year old! She grabbed her dad's hat off while we were talking...it was funny!
Another highlight was Tom getting a ticket for pulling a U turn where it was not allowed...we both didn't see the sign...we were so hungry and trying to get to the convenience store for a small snack. We thought maybe the kimono and the fact that we were on our way to Miyamairi might get us out of it, but no go! So anyway...it will cost around $65, but that is not too bad.
Tomorrow Baptism!

Today's Car Ride

Self soothing...thought it was wine, chocolate or the fetal position....you were wrong. This is how it is done!!

Finding our groove

Well...no crazy stories this time, but just for an update -
We are sleeping through the night for at least a month now! I feel so much better! Sofia is working on her sentences...they are more like drawn out sounds that she strings together with very serious looks! It cracks me and Tom up! She is liking her Bumpo chair and her new carrier. We really like it, too! No more broken arms!
She is also blowing tons of raspberries...aka spit bubble makers or drool ejectors!
We enjoy seeing what position she has gotten herself into every morning...normally it is a 180 out of the covers, but some days she is on her stomach.
We are going for her Miyamairi and Baptism this weekend, so I will post those pics and hopefully there are no Macgyver moments!
We are also starting rice cereal this weekend..and hoping to start the transition to a sippy cup. Isn't is amazing....they have transitional cups for as early as 4 months! Who knew!?
Sofia is very alert and into everyone and everything! She stares so hard that she ends up leaning toward whatever she is looking at....it is so cute!

From front to back

No this is not about how we should all wipe! This is about how Sofia has been working on her rolling!
We kept waking up to her upset because she had rolled from back to front, but was resting on top of her arm...she couldn't quite get that arm from out underneath her.....but last night we got to witness a full roll! We have pictures, but no video...sorry we were too late and the card was out of it anyway. It was awesome! She used the lift the head and chest technique to give room to move the arm tot he side! We were so excited, but she on the other hand needed a hug! She freaked herself out somehow!
Nevermind...just found out we don't have pictures! We both got new point and shoot cameras for easy picture taking....apparently we need to read the manuals or something! HAHHAHHA

Christmas Present

Well Sofia's present to us was giggles at the end of the day on the changing table. Tom was blowing raspberries on her tummy! It was hilarious! By the time I got the recorder though....she was done...Bummer. Maybe today!

Good news!

Well Tom was selected to be promoted to Lt. Colonel!! YIPPEE! He will pin on in 2012, so earlier than we expected.
He came home from Korea last night after being there for about a week. He had to take his pack and MREs and I was not really sure why...I joked that maybe he was going on a secret mission to get Mr. Il.....hahahhah. Ok but then a few days after he left I talked to a neighbor whose husband happened to be with mine, and she kind of gave me the feeling she was a little worried...I am thinking "what is going on over there"...so I turn on the AFN channel...these are the military run programming when you live on base...lots of interesting military based commercials...anyhow apparently there has been something going on with N. Korea threatening S. Korea for doing some live fire exercises on an island....oh well that is where Tom was! I guess that maybe I should read the news or whatever, but then I thought about it, and not knowing saved me 6 days or so of worrying, so maybe I will keep my head in the sand sometimes!
Going to post videos this week I hope...I got some really cute ones..at least I think so!

HAHHAHAHA!

Today Sofia was eating...well drinking, and she looked up at me...tensed up, lifted a leg a little, and ripped a big fart! HAHHAH! She smiled and kept on drinking! This will be one moment that I will never forget...I am still laughing!

3 months

Well this week has been serious for Sofia. I was wondering what all the extra feeding and messed up sleeping was bringing, and finally found out! She is now able to roll from front to back...it kind of freaked her out at first, but then that is all she wanted to do. Also I supplied a new toy this week (which she loves) and did the first intentional grab and jam in mouth.

http://www.forsmallhands.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1265_1782

She picked it up and jammed it in her mouth and partly onto her forehead...it is kinda big. Glad she didn't hit the eye! This is one I need to watch her with for now, but it is great for learning to use her hands. It is a perfect size for her to grab. I find that most of her stuffed toys are too big for her to really get her hands around...the only one so far has been a little snake I got from IKEA....but it is kind of disturbing to have a snake be her first toy. Not that I have anything against snakes, but you imagine bears and bunnies being your newborns toys.
Anyhow...I highly recommend this!
Her other favorite is the cow, which has a hinge on the neck (so wrong) that opens to a mirror. I keep that closed for now, but it has crunchy sounding collar pieces and a variety of textures that she is just so fascinated with.
Took some videos, but Tom is in Korea and I have no idea how to get video off the camera and onto here....so later all.

We almost are laughing. I can almost get her to when I kiss her belly or feet, but not quite yet!

The Christmas Fair

Last night we went to the Christmas Fair on base. It was basically a carnival, but it was cool. Sofia fell asleep in the stroller and we could not resist her cuteness!

Mr. Kitty's Last Stand

Well today we say goodbye to a great lamp...Mr. Kitty. He was there for many nighttime diaper changes, and we commend him for his service.
Goodbye Mr. Kitty :(
Yes...he had a tail!

Cat in tree

So cute!!

Tom to deploy

Tom has been slated to fill a watch position in Afghanistan end of January for 6 months. It is a relatively safe assignment, but most likely extremely boring. Good for me, but not so good for his sanity. I hope we will have internet access so we can Skype to help with the boredom.
He has also been slated for an interview on Tues to possibly be the incoming 3 star General's aide...really not thinking he will get this as he has already been pretty much slated for Afghanistan, but you never know.
With this news I will be planning some travel back to the states...Spring will be AZ...cause sorry all relatives there, but I am not coming in summer! I will go to CA for my summer trip. I hope to see many of you, and will give more details as they come!

2.5 to 2.75 months

Today Sofia weighs 12.4 lbs and has graduated into her 3-6 months attire! We finally have a decent sleep pattern...in bed by 10 pm...one wake up around 4-5...then final wake up at 8! I am so glad I can get some sleep these days. She still naps 3-4 times a day and feeds a lot!
Last night she did a 360 in the crib...we are just waiting to see when she decides to jump ship mid night and run all over the house...I guess we will give it a few months or so!
No rolling yet, but we are working on it. Is able to grab and slobber all over her toys though, and is very interested in being held upright so she can watch everything that is going on while you walk her around. Cutest thing was Tom and her staring at the TV the other night....wait until her shows her the computer!

The bouncer

Ok so....we have the bouncer, and recently she has decided she likes to be in it while she watches me do chores and stuff around the house. Now thumbs up to the relief my arms have been feeling, but thumbs down to the inevitable poop that follows every time she gets in the thing! This is an exceptional poo because since she is sitting reclined a little when she poos it has no where to go but into the front of the diaper.....then once you are at the changing table and the kid decides she will use her new found hands to explore...of course she chooses to stick them right in the poo!! Microbiology nightmare!! So I am trying to hold feet, hands and get a towel and remove a diaper at the same time....good luck right? I have found a technique that works...at least minimizes the damage.
First place a sock on the culprit hand...generally the other is in her mouth already! The sock is used to distract her from feeling anything else...although it has been placed in the poo a few times...it is a 50/50 chance people.
Second open diaper and place towel over front area.
Third remove diaper while holding legs, and quickly grab towel to wipe back side before placing behind on the changing area.
Fourth wipe everything up with multiple towels and one wipe down with our new found friend...Mustela no rinse stuff.
Fifth remove sock from hand (it should be noted that it may be removed at any point it gets funky).
Sixth wipe hand if sock was removed prior and there are any doubts to poo presence.