The First Noel

This year was Akemi's first Christmas and we celebrated it in grand style. On Christmas Eve we had a brunch with my relatives. Then for Christmas Eve we went to my in-laws. And Finally for Christmas dinner we went to my folks place. Our place was so full of stuff that we didn't even bother to put up a tree. The first picture is from Christmas Eve, and the second from Christmas dinner. I've also put up some random pictures from Christmas morning. I like Akemi's unchanging expression with the different presents.

Pre-Christmas Pix

Ok. I'll admit that I've been pretty lax with updating my entries lately. So, I've posted some pictures leading up to Christmas.

The first one is Akemi examining her pre-Christmas present from her grandparents.

The next one is Akemi at my folks' place, and the third is Akemi practising her sumo exercises.

New Pictures

On the weekend we went out for my brother's birthday lunch (today's actually his birthday). Here Akemi is trying to get her mother's attention to look at the handsome man in front of her. In the other picture Akemi is dancing to Silvina's folk songs.

Class Reunion

Silvina went to a Christmas do with the mothers from the pre-natal class. They tried to take the same picture they did a couple of months ago, but it didn't go over so well with the kids. Some of them had to be shovelled in face first while others were learning how to run away before they could even walk. One way or another they all made their way into the picture.

Ready for Winter

Akemi is all ready for winter this year.

Long Weekend

It's Sunday evening and our neighbours to the South are enjoying the last hours of their Thanksgiving long weekend. We are coming off of a long weekend of our own. Only two days, but was it ever long... For some reason Akemi was very fussy this weekend. Could be the rash that's peppering her butt. Anyway, she was agitated about something. Even my two-tone humming wasn't working. I took a long stroll with her just before noon and at least at that time she was content.

One thing I noticed when she cries is that the tears jump off her cheek like ball bearings off the sidewalk. Maybe it's because her cheeks are so round that the tears can really gain momentum. They fling out into the air, and I don't know where they land. They look oversized for her small face. Sometimes when she stops crying one tear will sit at the top of her cheek just below her eye. It reminds me of a crumb on a table waiting to be wiped off. I'll call it a tear-crumb.

Sunday Morning Frolic

This morning Akemi slept in until 8 and joined us in bed to tell some jokes. Yesterday she was at odds with her mother, but today being a new day and a new week, both were renewed and in good humour.

Silvina was mentioning that it looks like Akemi has more hair. I don't know if it is more or just longer. Maybe it's a bit of both.

This bear outfit used to have a hood with ears sticking out but Silvina decapitated it. She thought it was unsafe and got in the way. I was thinking that she should hang it from the wall as a trophy. Akemi was worried that her favorite Eeyore outfit would suffer the same fate, but I assured her that Eeyore was safe.

Four Months Old

Akemi turned 4 months old this week and Silvina took her in for her check up - 16 pounds!

Away from Home

Last week I had my first business trip since becoming a father. Silvina visited her folks most of the days I was out.

Before, Akemi had the hair on the top of her head sticking up like a cockatoo. I guess now they have grown to a point where they are not sticking up so much. That's a good thing because they would always tickle my chin when I held her.

Here she's modelling the jacket Silvina's cousins gave to her.

By the way, Akemi turns 4 months old tomorrow!

Jolly and Jumping!

We set up the Jolly Jumper last week and let Akemi go for a spin in it. The first time she tried it she didn't know what to make of it, but now she can jump about and have a good time.

The exercise is a combination of intentional movements, experimental body gestures and random acts in response to the laws of physics. Fun for the whole family!

Fashion Model

Here are some pictures of Akemi modelling the latest fashions.

First is sleep wear. Here Akemi shows how a baby can be both warm and stylish when greeting Mr. Sandman.

Next is casual wear. Whether sitting up or lying down this Eeyore outfit is guarenteed to bring a smile!

Morning with Akemi

On Friday I took the day off to stay with Akemi in the morning so that Silvina could go to the dentist. Akemi has taken to dolphin talk and playing with my face. In case you don't know what dolphin talk is, it's when she tries communicate with the dolphins in the Pacific using an ultra-high frequency broadcast. She's actually in a good mood when she does it.

After some not so happy tummy-time, I hummed my two-tone soothing sounds and walked her around the house to put her to sleep. She didn't take to napping in the crib though because every 20 seconds or so she would startle and wake up. That turned out to be a blessing because I ended relaxing in the glider with her sleeping in my arms and Jane Sibery singing in the background. It doesn't get much better than that.

On a Roll!

Tonight I was witness to yet another historic moment in Akemi's life, and this time I have it on tape. Silvina was giving Akemi some tummy time in the jungle gym, and she managed to roll herself over to her back! The last time I witnessed a roll over, if you recall, was about a month ago. That time she rolled from her back to her side. It might have been a fluke because I didn't see any other roll overs until today.

Hush

There's a CD by Jane Siberry called Hush that has a remarkable pacifying affect on Akemi. Earlier this week I put it on and she was zonked out in no time. I tried it again and the same thing. Silvina has been using it when she gets cranky and it seems to work. Music in general has a good effect on her, but that Hush CD is very effective.

Independent woman

It's been a while since my last entry. Funny how quickly time goes by. Last weekend we moved Akemi to her own room. It worked out smoothly. I looked in on her the morning after and she was spawled out like a starfish. The only problem is that now I hear her crying in the middle of the night. Before Silvina probably tended to her quickly so I never noticed anything.

We also got a glider for the room. That thing is so comfortable! Silvina says it saves her back when she feeds her at night. I like to rock in it with or without Akemi.

Recently Akemi has been starting to grab at things with her hands and feet. Just the other day I was changing her and she was kicking the dancing bears. I was amazed. She would have her legs ready and when one came around, she would kick it. I think Silvina got it on tape today. It's pretty funny to watch.

Tonight we went over to my brother's place in Hamilton for some roast beef thanksgiving dinner. Akemi was well behaved and kept my parents amused for a long time without crying.

Not Always a Happy Camper...

As incredible as it may seem, Akemi is not always smiling and cooing. Here is proof.

Spirit Watcher

Sometimes when Akemi is lying on her back, she stares up at the ceiling as though something is catching her attention there. She could then smile spontaneously, or trace an invisible pattern around the room. I wonder what she sees...

Love those dancing bears!

Akemi really gets a kick out of the bear mobile on her changing pad. You crank it up and they dance around her head to the music. Before she didn't pay much attention to them, but now she loves them.

Baby Factory

Yesterday we had a reunion with the other couples and their babies who went to the same pre-natal class. It was fun to see all the babies all around the same age.

Akemi was quite social and was already trying to pick up the boys! Luckly for him he didn't seem too interested. I'm going to have to look out when she gets older...

Buddha's Footprint

I remembering wandering around Thailand, almost everywhere I went I encountered "Buddha's footprint". These footprints varied in size as I recall, but the common trait was that all the toes were the same size so it looked like a rectangle.

I wanted to take this picture when Akemi was just born because it was more true then than now. However her toes are still like tiny identical sausage links, and her foot is still somewhat rectangular. From the underside her toes look like little corn kernals.

I wonder if all babies have buddha feet. And if they do, does that mean anything about our original nature... Hmmm. If Akemi cries and I'm at work, does she make any sound? I'll have to ask Silvina.

Roll over

This morning when I was changing Akemi I witnessed a milestone in her tiny life. She rolled over on her own! Silvina then went on to tell me the ramifications of this milestone i.e. more supervision... So then I rolled over.

Wet Behind the Ears

Today I was changing Akemi, and as usual I had my attention on the hot spots. During changing, Akemi usually has her head turned 90 degrees to the left side. It's uncanny really because if you just look at her head you wouldn't know if she was face up or face down. Sometimes her drool runs down the side of her mouth and forms a puddle around her neck. This was one of those times. Silvina mopped up the spillage and I picked her up.

I noticed though that her neck was still wet. Tracing back to the source, I found that she was wet behind the ears. Maybe that's where the expression came from?

Too Big for the Tub!

Akemi is getting too big for her "starter" tub, so these pictures are a record of her last rub-a-dub-dub in this small tub. As you can see, she's already quite stylish running her hands through her hair.

Intimate Play Time

Saturday morning I was playing with Akemi in bed and Silvina took this incredible picture. Then on Sunday I tried to take one with Silvina and Akemi. Ahhh weekends!

Bolder Excursions

We are getting more and more confident taking Akemi out and about. Last weekend we went out for my brother's belated birthday supper with my side of the family to a restaurant on Kingston road. There was a drunk there who was a bit scary, but Akemi did very well. No big fusses even though she made a deposit in her diapers.

Then on Wednesday we went to a local Greek restaurant with her. The service was soo slow. I was getting nervous because it was coming up to her feeding time, but again we made it through with no big fusses.

Yesterday we went to Centre Island for a picnic with my company. When we were waiting at the ferry dock I was having my doubts. The crowds were making me claustrophobic, especially when the big masses funnel into the boarding gate. But Akemi faired well and we made it there and back with no problems!

A walk by the lake

Today was a beautiful day so we went for a walk along the lake. We had a good time, but it looked like Akemi was having a yawn. When we turned around to head back home she woke up.

Silvina read some where that it's good to take all kinds of pictures of newborns when they're young because they change so much. I've been somewhat negligent so far, but I'll try to take pictures at least every week.

And the answer is...

The pediatrician weighed her in today at 10 pounds 8 oz. Where's my prize? I guess that means I can keep her.

Anyone need a bicycle pump?

I'm sure that our little cycle girl (or should I say psycho girl) could fill up a tire in no time flat. Today she was showing us how much air she could expel from her lungs continuously. It is literally unbelievable. I don't know when she gets a chance to breathe. Needless to say, Silvina had a rough day.

Tomorrow Akemi has a scheduled visit to the doctor. Maybe she's getting it all out of her system so she can show her best face to the doctor. I predict that she will weigh 10 pounds.

First Excursion

On the weekend we took Akemi on her first excursion to meet people (other than doctors). On Saturday we dropped in to the kendo dojo to show our faces. The practice area was like a sauna and everyone was dripping with sweat. When the people came to take a look, I was tempted to put up fencing so they didn't get too close. Not just because of the sweat, but the smell! Anyway, it was good to see them and soon I'll return to be a sweaty, stinky one too.

On Sunday we visited my folks and had an iChat with my brother and his two year old daughter Risa in Vancouver. Akemi was behaving well most of the time. We took some pictures with my dad's camera. Once I get them, I'll post some.

All in all the excursions went well.

King of Calming

I am the King of Calming! If you don't believe me, just ask this little one. I have so many techniques that I could write a blog just on that. Not all of them work, but it's the quantity that matters. At least I can keep Akemi amused.

One technique I developed the other day that works often is I sustain a medium-high frequency note with my voice. It mesmerizes her - no joke. Maybe I can add some kind of subliminal key so that when she grows up I can control her.

I also have a technique that has not failed yet. I don't want to announce it here in case I jinx it. Long live the King!

Out for a Stroll

This morning was so pleasant that we decided to try out the stroller for the first time. Since Akemi was behaving, we took her along too. Most of the time she was sleeping, but we enjoyed the walk. I even got the test drive the stroller!

Tai Chi Master

I like to watch Akemi wake up. As she's falling out of sleep, she stretches her arms and legs out and across in mysterious positions. Her facial expressions make you think that her limbs are being controlled by her cheek muscles. Then she will start to open her eyes, usually her left one first. When she's good and ready, she'll open both up and look around. Most of the time when I'm holding her she will start crying.

I believe this is a form of Tai Chi. She builds up chi to prepare for the waking world, and then she jumps into action with a big kiai. My daughter the Tai Chi Master! Or maybe she just wet her diaper and wants a change...

Playing with Fire

Today when my brother and inlaws were visiting, I had to change Akemi. I put her on the change pad, and sure enough, there was some business in there. As I was removing the diaper, some more splurted out. I quickly covered the danger zone with a wipie. After some reflection on what had happened to Silvina yesterday, I decided to wait a bit. The coast looked clear.

As my brain was initiating the motion to start the clean-up, without warning, Akemi blasted another one over the change pad. My only saving grace was the protective barrier built into the change pad! I waited longer still, and then cleaned her up. This time I escaped unscathed, but staring eye to third-eye I knew I was playing with fire.

No more navel gazing

I went out to get some supplies and when I came back, Silvina and Akemi were wearing different outfits. Silvina said that she was holding Akemi when she heard the infamous bowel movements. Previously Akemi had sprayed all the way up the back of her shirt, so Silvina was checking to see if it was ok. No problems there, but then she felt some wetness on the front of her own shirt. When she looked down she learned that Akemi is quite versatile and can spray both backwards and forwards. Poor Silvina - pooed on twice in one day by her own daughter!

During the fiasco of removing Akemi's clothes and changing her, Silvina noticed another milestone. Akemi's umbilical cord had fallen off.

Projectile Poo

Last night I think Akemi and Silvina slept better than I did. I got up at about 2:30 for some reason, and I noticed that the baby bed thing was pushing me out of bed! Anyway, I tried to carve out some space so I wasn't sleeping on the floor.

At around 3:00 Akemi was making some noise, and we could tell it was a poo. The sound of one bowel movement, two, and then Silvina went to change her. I was about to warn her not to take her diaper away from her bum when - too late. The instant she took it away Akemi let loose another movement and then started to cry. She projected her excrement onto the change pad, onto the bed, onto Silvina, onto the floor, and onto the bassinet two feet away! This girl has killer abs!

Another Visit to the Pediatrician

We had another appointment with the pediatrician Friday morning to see how Nina was doing. She weighed in at 7 lbs 12 oz - same as her birth weight.

That evening my folks came over for supper. Part of the stipulation was that they bring supper. Nina made a brief hello before crying for food and disappearing for her own supper. After me and my folks were well into supper, Silvina brought Nina down for a more civilized visit.

I'm now up to date with this blog. Nina Akemi is eight days old. I'll add more entries when interesting things happen or to post pictures.

Return to Work

It's funny how fast things can change. Wednesday evening I wanted to get up to date with this blog, so I typed out a bunch of stuff in the basement. In between paragraphs I could hear some faint cries upstairs. When I went upstairs to go to bed, Silvina was in her familiar feeding position and was looking ragged. I fell asleep but I think Silvina was left wondering if the bed-sleeping contraption was at all useful.

Thursday July 13 I woke up for a normal day at work. Everyone was congratulating me and asking for pictures. I had no choice but to send them some.

That night, after a rough start, Nina managed to sleep in the bed-thing pretty well. The next day Silvina was very happy.

Home visit by the nurse

It was pouring on Wednesday July 12, but our Toronto district nurse met her appointment and came calling at 10:30. We were impressed that they would come and visit us at our house to check out Akemi and Silvina, and to tell us about programs and such. Silvina had a good night with Akemi and was in high spirits.

In the afternoon the rain let up and I went out shopping for some more dirty diaper containers and a contraption to let the baby sleep in our bed. Silvina had an idea from the night before and wanted to try out this thing. We were both feeling good, and I was due to go back to work the next day. The sequence of pictures was taken when Akemi was waking up in the bassinet after a feeding.