First Glance of Tokyo: City of LED

I took off from San Francisco at 7pm Tuesday and arrived in Tokyo at about 10:00pm Wednesday. The long flight (13 hours) is getting easier since I can now sleep on the plane! I didn't realize I slept so much until the smell of fancy cup o soup noodles woke me up with 2 hours left in the flight. I watched the cameras from the bottom of the plane that showed the dark cities of Japan. Previously we got to watch the camera from the front of the plane and see the runway for take off which was really interesting.

After eating the normal plane food with a side or rice crackers and noodles, I looked out onto Japan for my first time. It was really dark and what amazed me was the many small blue lights that lit up the cities instead of a couple bright spotlight type lights that I am used to. I think I was expecting Vagas lights or something but the land was pretty quiet with light, which dark patches mingled in between.

I had a good companion sitting next to me who spoke English but was raised in Tokyo. I was happy that she spoke English and Japanese and helped each other through the flight. I helped her with her suitcase and tray table, she helped me with my Japanese pronunciation. At 85 she still travels yearly to Japan!

Getting through the airport and customs was pretty simple with the grace being English posted next to the Japanese characters on the signs. I am good at languages, but a whole new alphabet is another beast to tackle in the future. I asked the bus ticket counter if they could get me to my hotel and for about $10, I got a bus ride straight to my hotel. Pretty good price since I expected a taxi to take all the yen I had exchanged. I hear it's expensive here!

The bowing is really impressive here. Everyone bows to everyone. Even if a little bow, showing a little respect to some stranger, it brings this understanding of respect to everybody and helps people get along as they live their lives. I feel so welcomed. Bowing is a civilized way for humans to tolerate each other for the small amount of time that you come into contact with them so you can both be productive in society. Don't get me wrong, these people charge. My bus driver took his bus lane at the airport while making sure that the bus in front of him was able to get in the lane as well, and then punched the gas!! They make sure that those around them have a chance to charge too. Considerate in all ways.

I got to the hotel and found Steve fast asleep from a long day he had already in Tokyo. I was antsy to explore Tokyo! But, since it was 11pm, I went to sleep, though I woke at 4am with no way of going back to sleep. The city from the bus reminds me of the bay area a little with all the bridges and tunnels. I wonder what the rest of the city is like...

Today is Japanese Culture Say so I hope we get to see what we can about the culture. Very happy to be here. I am pleasantly surprised.

18 Months

Jack a boy is a riot these days! He is walking all over, running on his tip toes, waving goodbye to everyone he sees, giving flirty smiles to people who will talk to him. He has also learned to give hugs instead of pull hair to his friends or little people he sees. The only problem with this is that he is built like a Mac trucka nd sometimes bull doses them over while he is loving them. He also loves the 3 and 4 year old girls. LOVES THEM! Will not stop looking at them. Hugs them at every chance. He loves the older ladies.

Jack is also working on his vocabulary. His latest and most impressive is "bubbles" that he learned with Aunt Tris. You get smarter just by hanging out with this lady. He has "momma, dadda, dawwwwg, door (doh)" down. He has also started to say "bye (bah)" and anything else you say to him. If you ask him to say something, he will try and usually at least has the number of syllables right. He loves to go "out (ow)." And knows how to say more when he's eating "mo!" Oh and he also says "ni" and takes his drink and pulls it away from you like it's mine. What a goof.

With his incredible charm and hilarious sense of humor comes also the beginning of tantrums. He knows what he wants most of the time and though we try and distract with other things, he does not so easily forget these days what he wants. So, instead of giving him something that is not good for him, we have to hold the hard line and then love him after he has fitted. This is the hard pert of parenting and we are in it now.

New Baby News

All is going well with little Clark, or Colin, or Owen, or Oliver. He have quite a list of names we are considering so thank you to all of you who have suggested names. This one is hard. He is good though. I finally am feeling him kicking all of the time way low in my belly. It is quite a change from last feeling Jack kicking my rib. I am thankful for that right now. Those days will be here soon. We have about 4 months left in this pregnancy. January 25th will be here before we know it! Will we have a new kitchen by then??? Will we have any sanity come February? I am not planning on it.

This pregnancy is treating me a little differently. I am so sore after water polo practice. My abs are not working with me and I will have to calm down the jerky reactions in the water to changing direction and reaching high out of the water for the ball. I am lazy pregnant lady right now. Also with swimming. Yesterday I puled my back muscle trying to reach out far when I was sprinting. I will have to be like those ladies who do head up breaststroke so that they don't get their hair wet. Cruise. I hope that I just don't fall asleep in the water!

Tech Mom

Steve has this great idea to start a blog about how a mom these days is so technically inclined. I do have my own personal gateway to technology having him around, but honestly, it's the only way that I can keep up. Mommy groups are organized online and with contact groups, evites to functions and mom nights out, I do everything via my iphone because I am not sure I would read anyone's twitter, facebook or email, let alone get any calls to anyone if I din't have it. Jack would have my computer if he could. When he sees me on it, he is all over it. My phone is a little less attractive and is always with me when I have a second.

New blogs will be coming in more often since BlogPressLite app just came out. So I will keep you updated via my phone. Hopefully I can be eloquent and interesting while on the go. We'll see.

2009-06-25

Click here to view these pictures larger

Trapped

There is never a time in your life, other than when you are responsible for another human being, that when mistakes happen, the stakes are so high. Like locking your keys in the car... with your child in it as well. 

We just finished a nice dinner for Jack's cousin's birthday and were getting in the car to enjoy some ice cream cake at her house. I threw all of the junk in the passenger seat and the key in the driver's seat so I won't loose it, and got Jack all buckled up and ready to go. I close the passenger door and look down at the lock that is down, and then to the driver door lock which is down. I grab my head and say "Oh no oh no what do I do????" A man nearby getting some Hawaiian BBQ hears me and says first you go in and call 911 from the restaurant and they will get someone to open your door. The police man came, he saw that Jack was chillin (thank goodness he is so mild mannered) and the tow truck was close by. Though Mini Coopers are extremely hard to jimmy into, they ended up pushing the unlock button of my key with a long stick. 

Jack was a little sweaty but in good spirits and with a little playing, he was giggling like that was the greatest thing he had done in a while. We hung out and drank a little water while the car cooled down and had some ice cream cake at his cousin's house.

Luckily tonight it wasn't very hot out and there were many people around that were being helpful that it really calmed me down. Jack was fine. He was interested in all of the people trying to slim jim their way into the car, watching all the people that would wave to him like the police man that I thought was going to arrest me. 

There have been many times that I thought, "Poor child, you have me as your parent." The fact is though that we are all human and we make mistakes. Hopefully they are not life threatening. It just seems so magnified when you are a parent to this real live human and they are relying on you for everything. It's tough and you feel so responsible. So all is well and now I will check for locks before trapping my child into any vehicle. 

May Day May Day-He Has Taken Off

It is official that Jack is walking all over the place these days. He is loving it and highly influenced by his friends who are running all over the place and he crawls really fast and then hurts his knees. I am happy because i can just hold his little hand and walk him places instead of picking him up. It's a very sweet time. 

He is also "jolly" as my friend Sarah put it so well. He will laugh at people, with people, smile and squint his eyes and then hide behind something like he is so shy! Oh everyone gets a kick out of him. He is also starting to communicate well. He is using the signs we have been practicing with him, making animal sounds that we've taught him, and mimics sounds like "hi daddy" and "all done." It's so crazy to see happen. 

He also is very strong willed and strong bodied. If he wants to do something, he will try his darnedest to do it. I am trying to redirect when this happens. He is also so into loving people but with a grab and open mouth, like, "I am going to eat you!" It's a little scary to me and definitely scary if you are a little kid. Easy and gentle are words that are used at many play times during the day. It's good that he has such a big heart:)

This month we have visited Santa Barbara where we have met a new little baby and got to hang out with some good friends. We also got to hang out with a friend who is expecting as well. Babies everywhere! We just returned form a visit to Southern California where Jack got to meet his visiting Great Grandmother. That doesn't happen very often anymore! She is 85 and still kicking. Jack was also adored by his grandma, grandpa, uncle, and of course his cousins. Those two girls just would smother him with hugs and kisses at every second if they could. I am not sure anyone could adore him more. Jack is lucky to have such sweet cousins. They will look out for him for sure.

As we embark on our first trip to Yosemite as a family, we have one more to consider now as well. I just found out form a test this morning that we will be expecting another McGhee probably in February. I am both excited and very nervous. How will pregnancy be this time while running after a toddler? How will I take care of a baby and Jack at the same time? The great thing is that people do it all of the time. It will work out and we will find ways. I just can't believe how excited I am knowing how tough it is to have a baby. I am looking forward to seeing it:)

Here is a video of Jack laughing with Grandma and in the water, of course.

http://photo.stevenandria.com/gallery/8276121_QFoQF#541784551_BMGhy-A-LB

Jack Walks

And I missed it! While I was at water polo, Grandpa Matt was holding Jack's hands as he was standing between Matt's legs. Matt said that Jack "allegedly" let go, took two steps and fell to his bottom. Does this count if the parents don't see it? I think it does. Oh man! I am gone for 2 hours and this is what happens. At least he feels like he can take some chances with someone else watching him. That is great.

New Independence

It's not even July and I am celebrating Independence! Jack is growing into a young boy. He is not breast feeding during the day, Steve takes him for hours on end and it feels really good to be able to just relax without a constant buddy. Though now I am starting to savour those times with him when he hugs me or sits next to me to explore something like a whisk or when I get to feed him to sleep at night. He's getting more fun.

I turned 30 last week as well! It's quite an honor. I play water polo with these women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, have such great friends in their 30s, have an impressive mother and mother in law, and to be one more step closer to them is fantastic. I was saying all week that I have much more confidence than at 20 but the ability to make some seriously fun decisions about where my life will go. 

What topped off my birthday was a wine and cheese party that my husband surprised me with. I didn't think I wanted a party but to be surrounded by all these great people (and those who couldn't even be there) made me really happy and thankful that I have them as guides and companions in my life. 

That's a secret, I guess. Put yourself around good people and all the bad ones fall to the waist-side. Life is really too short to waist your time on the dark side. It's really going to be a good decade. (Now waiting for my other half to get there, hee hee hee!)

The Thinker

Time is flying by and all of a sudden, Jack will be 1 year old next week. He is doing so much. 

Physically he is crawling like a mad man and pulling himself up to stand. He is just now starting to be daring and let go to reach another chair nearby and stand for a couple seconds by himself. We just went to his first Gymboree class which was so much fun and met some new people and saw some old friends. Jack just loved following the kids around, meeting them, taking their eyes out of their sockets. The class is great because they are moving so much, singing, doing things together to help them walk and climb. He has 6 teeth with 2 coming in a little secretly this time. 8 in total by his birthday I presume.

Mentally he is a little engineer. Grandpa McGhee (AKA Opa) says that John was like him, always trying to figure out how things work. A couple weeks ago it was the light switches and now it is knobs. He loves to open and close doors.  Huge breakthrough was when he was closing the door yesterday to the bathroom and the cupboard door was blocking it. I asked him what could be in the way and what would he do and he closed the cupboard door and then closed the bathroom door. It was fantastic! He was really intent on figuring out how the fix that problem. 

He is still a big guy. I am not sure if any pounds are flying off of him but I am not worried. He might just be a tall boy. He goes to the doc in 2 weeks to see how he is doing and get a shot, eww. Dr. Nash is great for him though and great for me because he is so mellow. Maybe we can figure out what Jack's little rash on his cheeks are from.

In our house, Steve and I have had our 4 year anniversary. I got out my wedding dress to bask in it's beauty and then we gorged ourselves in a 4 course meal with wine. Yum. Steve wouldn't let me wear my wedding dress but I guess I can wait for our second wedding for that;) (We will be getting married again to each other. I will keep you posted.) 

Grandma and Grandpa Hough came to visit and loved playing with their little grandson. Jack's God Mum Anna and her hubby Ben visited from England. It was great to see our good frineds who live way too far away. I have been happy to get away on the weekend to get a massage here and there or do some Andria time. I have also been playing polo with my awesome ladies every week. I love it. It has been great to have the sun out and Jack napping so well (knock knock on wood.) I can finally do some email and blogging and whatever else I need free hands for. I also had a chance to wine taste with my uncle John who is such a great guy for showing us around a couple wineries. He is starting a great blog about wine and marketing which I hope to study more thoroughly once I get some time to go back into working. Check it out if you are interested. It is getting a lot of attention. http://thinkwinemarketing.wordpress.com

Pictures to come!

I forgot my pants!

Well maybe not my pants. Yesterday I got the crew all packed in the car, Charlie and Jack, and all that goes with them, drove to Grandma's to drop them off and go to water polo practice. I was cozy, in presentable clothes but as I hop out of the car, I look down and I have my slippers on. Ah the life of a parent. Now I can understand why I see moms out with the weirdest of things on. Thank goodness grandma's house and the pool were my only destinations.

Explorer Jack

Jack had his 10 month check up last week. All was great, and is still off the charts for weight. The doctor said he is just the size of a 18month old. The only problem we have with that is that people might start thinking you have a retarded child who doesn't talk and walk when he should. He said once you tell them he is only 10 months then you will see the "ahhh, okay" light bulb go off. Our pediatrician is funny and I can see his point.

Today Jack has amazed me. Yesterday he was super clingy and drove me crazy, not able to do anything. Today I tried to let him explore everything. I vacuumed and he crawled around me as I did. When I stopped, he pushed the vacuum back and forth like I did. Same with the broom. He also gave me a kiss with an open mouth and blows kisses by saying "ba" instead of mwoah. He has been crawling like crazy and now pulls himself up on anything and makes a walker out of chairs, toys, Charlie. Today he let go and was standing for a couple of second by himself. Woah! This is the first of his independant high up life. Let's clear the second shelf of stuff off! He can now get to it. All in one day. He is a busy boy.

With my new computer, pictures and videos will be on line soon! For now, here is Jack in his first bike helmet and first snow. Not an infant helmet, no, he has outgrown that one already. He is in a toddler one already, Big Heed!! The second is our trip to Tahoe with the local McGhees. The last two are of naked time before bed. He has no modesty (maybe that's us).

Christmas!!!!!

Last time on Jack: well that was some time ago. He is getting seriously busy.

Jack is crawling on his tummy like a champ these days. With one arm as balance and the other to pull him like he is going under barbed wire in boot camp. Dr. Jim says that that is called crawling and he has yet to creep with the tummy off the ground. This boy's tummy is sizable so I think we should give him some time for that. He is flying with the crawling trick already. We are now baby-sizing our house.

More impressive is how he cal crawl and then tuck his leg under and push himself back onto his bum. He'll crawl, sit to inspect something he has come across, then continue along the floor with thing in hand or it being tossed to the side. He loves Charlie his "dig" and now tries to climb over him. Charlie is okay with most of it but moves when he is annoyed.

Things that amuse him are fake coughs, I think because he does fake coughs and knows we are onto him, attacking our hair, tickles in his rib and pudgy thighs. He is kind of sneaky and laughs when we catch him at things. He also is keen to wave at you if you do it first, except with Opa McGhee which he just does whenever he sees him. I think he does a little wave when he wants more of something.

We think he repeats words like momma and dada when we say them but we aren't sure yet.
Check our pictures for more updates and movies for his first Christmas. He asked if Santa was real already and we told him to just believe. Inquisitive kid. He hasn't spoken again since. :) Jack also wanted a Red Rider Beebee gun but was told that he'll shoot his eye out. He got a play structure. Just as usefull right now.

8 Months

Was month 7 that hard? hmmm. As you might have seen, you can follow my Twitter updates on the right of my blog or start Twitter yourself and we can update each other from our phones! How totally awesome! Or maybe thats TMI! OMG!!

Sorry it has been a while since the last post but for an update: we were packing and preparing to be in Australia for 3-6 months. While dropping our dog off at Grandma's a week before leaving we were told that we weren't going to go to save costs and so then we had to undo it all. And then the holidays came. So I guess that's why. I only just realized this now as I am typing.

Jack has been entertaining through it all. He discovered the world and is inspecting it thoroughly. He is a pro roller but is now sitting which takes a load off of me holding him (at 28 pounds. Yes, that's a lot). He plays on the floor by himself for minutes on end! He loves the book Where is Baby's Belly Button because we play peek a boo out of it. Now he recognizes signs and things with big print. He is also crawling on his tummy. He pushes with his feet and kind of wiggles to get where he wants to be. He used to only push himself backwards.

He also learned how to wave to Grandma Mary Margaret. This week he learned high five from his Abuelo and now tries to give people in stores high five and waves and smiles. He is a ham. He had a line of ladies waiting to love him when we were Christmas shopping the other day. He is the Gerber Baby to everyone. It is amazing to see this little blob turn into a charming little man with convictions and a sense of humour. He laughs at random things but always at baby pictures and his dog. He is also eating a lot of pureed things and Cheerios. He loves his food.

I am back to playing water polo with the amazing ladies. This is one of those things that you can't put a price on. The time spent for me, with a supportive group of ladies who have been through it all and love to help each other, swimming my heart out, tyring not to drive our coach crazy. It's great. At the same time, Grandma and Abuelo get thier time with him. I am lucky.

We have a Christmas tree which is so awesome. The first in our place. I am cozy. Time for bed before the baby wakes up again.

Computer for infants

My friend told me about http://kneebouncers.com where the baby can press any button on the keyboard and the screen will do something. Jack likes "jump and float" and talks to each character that pops up. He figured out that if he pushed a button, someone would pop up! Well, he is advanced;)

Happy Early Halloween! 6 month Jack McLantern

Jack is almost 6 months and last time I checked 22 pounds. He is a sturdy baby. He has been so much fun with all of his giggles, babbling, rolling, bouncing and grabbing.

Physically he is rolling from front to belly to front again. He is also sitting by himself for about a minute when he leans off to the side and finds something to play with, or arches his back, or leans onto his tummy like a cobra pose. He is also spotting things and reaching his arms out to grab them. I noticed yesterday when people would hold him, he would reach his arms out to me when he was done. It's wild to see these things come out of a child from nothing. He also enjoys the exersaucer and jumper thing. He squeals with delight! I love it because it gives my tendinitis a rest:)

Mentally and socially he is developing by constantly watching what is going on around him, smiling at every person he passes and giggling when they talk to him. He is saying dada and only mama when he gets frustrated. (No link to either of us yet). He is waking up like crazy and more fussy I think due to some teeth pain that might be coming. We'll see!

He is eating! His favs include avocado, rice cereal, and sweet potato. He is not too keen on the oatmeal and multi-grain cereal but who is, really. He has time for that later. It is so fun to see him explore the word of taste! His first tastes of life and the start of great food. He, as expected, is a good eater. It's fun ot see his dad be able to spend this time with him too.

We are getting ready for our trip to Australia now and getting excited! We will be on the plane for Halloween. What will the plane trip be like with a baby? 2 hours is nothing but 14? Keep posted to find out more.

I Know Everything and Nothing

I have just realized that we all go through life knowing nothing and then thinking we know everything. When we are kids, we don't know everything and we don't care because being a kid is fun. Then pre-teen adolescence and teen years, we know everything. College, nothing. Graduate and get a job, everything. Have a child, nothing. (Retirement, everything? Not sure yet. I haven't gotten there)

I see it in the children playing in the water fountain when their moms tell them to be careful. The either do what she says or don't because they want to do it so badly, not because they think they know it all. Then in the teens when they walk around town with their friends. They know it all, or at least they have to try and act that way. The college goers just have a deer in the headlights look (or maybe that's just a hang over). I notice this in the young twenty somethings without children. They know how to stop my child from crying when we are in public and are disgusted that I don't. I am sure they will understand in their next step, or at least see it in their close friends' struggles. Having a kid, I am not sure I will ever know enough.

Jack at 4.5 months

He is amazing! I always thought this was funny when parents thought that these little things were so amazing but it is when just yesterday they were blobs in a car seat! Jack has done so much in these past weeks:

*He is rolling over like crazy! Sometimes to his own frustration. I don't think he wants to be on his belly so often but he can't remember how to roll back onto his back. He also was waking himself up at night by rolling onto his belly and not liking it, banging his head on the crib, so we got those wedges on either side of him and he's sleeping better.

*Yesterday he had his first "solid food" of rice cereal while we ate dinner. He loved it! He's an eater (as we all know from his 20 pound girth).

*He is playing in his exersaucer and jumpy thing in the doorway. It's fun to see him enjoying himself without needing me. He is a real explorer. He also loves watching the trees outside the living room window.

*He is learning how to take naps. We all know how cranky we get when we don't get sleep. Well, Jack was starting to miss his naps and be real fussy toward the end of the day (Steve gets home and I do the quick hand off). So we are "Ferber"ing him, letting him try and find his own ways to sleep, even if he has to cry a little- it's tough. Dr. Ferber is a sleep specialist and he has some great ideas on sleeping. It makes us all happier and healthier.

Next up is sitting! I get all excited about his develpments but will be running much more when he starts running, I am sure.

Fluids

I know this sounds gross and it kind of is. These days I don't know where some of these liquids come from that are on me. In my hair, on my shirt, even on my pants or on the top of my foot! It could be from Charlie (he drools a lot), it could be from Jack (he drools a lot too), it could be spit up, it could be worse, #1 or#2! Having kids humbles you.

Oregonian

A typical year usually includes a trip to Oregon to visit my good buddy Christina and brother-in-law John, and their kids. It's always a great place to be. There is so much beauty and land to hike on and explore that you can hardly believe that any one person deserves to enjoy that beauty. Everything is so full of life. Even in the winter, the snow is abundant and coats every top of the tree or house with innocence and simplicity.

This trip was a little more interesting with a little one. Steve and I rented a car because we were not sure how we would fit 3 kids in car seats in one car. As it turns out, Christina and I did on our was to a walk, along with 2 dogs. It was awesome. It's interesting being an aunt turned mom because you can longer be at your nieces and nephew's disposal. Play time has to be after a feeding or diaper change.

This was one more week of Steve's paternity leave so Steve got to hang with the boy as I played with Patrick and got to know the little charmer girl who will be 1 soon. They were a blast and we miss them already. Though we can hike here, it's no where close to the same as the mother load of nature up there.

Nieces and Nephews

The cutest things that my nieces and nephews have said:

Gabrielle age 5:
"Can Jack be my boyfriend? Not to marry or anything, just to be my boyfriend."

Olivia at age 5 or so:
Andria -"Olivia, how do I print this?"
Olivia- "I think you go to print.com."

Patrick age 4:
After seeing Incredible Hulk, with jaw to the ground:
"Awesome!"

Australia

New news: Steve and Jack and I get to go to Sydney, Australia for 3 months for Steve's work. WooHoo! We've always wanted to go there. I bet we could get some great weekends in there. Taste some serious wine. Check out a dream of a place in New Zealand . Scuba dive ("Are you for scuba?")


If you have suggestions for places to see in Australia or Sydney, let us know!