Super Saturday

This is a way I found to keep her occupied while I'm in the kitchen.

We went to a dual first birthday party this afternoon for Gracie Blew and Sophia Neu (I'm so tickled that the names of the birthday celebrants rhyme!). Here's Grace trying to convince Sophia to give her some of that cake.

I told Mike he could pick out her outfit today and surprise, surprise- this is what he chooses. I did enjoy looking at my matching duo today.


Last night we had dinner at Chili's where Grace managed to spill salsa, ranch dressing, and a full glass of water onto the floor (and all over her mama's skirt). It was a little embarrassing, but very amusing at the same time. I figure it's a rite of passage for newbie parents who aren't yet used to how quickly those little hands can grab things. It was just funny how it was one item after another. I didn't even have a chance to process what was going on before there was another thing on the floor. We made sure to leave a very good tip for the poor waitress.

Into Everything

Lately, Grace doesn't like for me to be out of her sight. She cries when I leave the room, so whenever I have to step out for a second, we play a long game of peek-a-boo. And she wants me to get down on the floor and play with her all the time, which I'd be happy to do, but there are things like laundry and cooking dinner that I have to accomplish too.

I'm trying to find ways to teach her how to play quietly by herself sometimes. So this morning I leave her with an empty laundry basket while I make the bed and this is how she entertains herself. Hey, whatever works, right?






Tearing into that InStyle magazine.

Somehow got stuck under the coffee table. Again.

Ready, Set, Go!

My girl looked like she'd been getting ready to crawl for a couple months now. She'd get up on all fours, but could never get coordinated enough to actually make any progress. Sometimes she'd manage to go backwards (she's a talented one), but no luck on the forward motion.

I tried enticing her with various toys. I tried calling her name enthusiastically. I tried clapping and making silly faces. Nothing worked. Until I put the InStyle magazine I was reading down on the floor. I don't know what that foreshadows about my baby, but I'm hoping it means she'll be a girly-girl and will enjoy all the dresses and bows I plan on putting on her for many years to come.

But since Grace has learned to get up and go, she's been keeping me on my toes. No longer can I put her down and expect her to be in the exact same spot I left her. Maybe one day she'll be mama's little helper, but for the moment, she's actually the opposite of that. She's been making me earn every penny of my stay-at-home mom pay lately. And she's made me realize that our house is not very baby-proof.

I don't mind the extra work one bit though. It's such a pleasure to see her explore her world. I can see the excitement on her face when she sees something she wants and I can feel her accomplishment when she can get it for herself.

I've been enjoying every moment of Grace's babyhood. I just wish the moments wouldn't go by so darn quickly.

Here she is happily undoing the basket of clean laundry I just finished folding.

Making a mad dash for mommy's favorite red shoes.

This is her reaction when I have to put her in her crib so I can get something done without worrying about what she'll get into. You'd think I stuck her in prison or something! Sorry, Lola- I know you don't like to see your baby cry, but now that the extra help is gone, there are times when it's inevitable.

Labor Day Weekend

From a birthday pool party to a baptism on a ship, not to mention purging the closets and cabinets of accumulated junk in preparation for our move in a few weeks, this three day weekend flew by at record speed. If our remaining weeks in Japan go by as quickly as this weekend did, we'll be back stateside in no time at all.


Here's Grace with her first birthday party favor, a Lolo and Stitch cup filled with goodies.

In front of the USS George Washington, a ship that is near and dear to us. Mike and I were both at her commissioning many years ago, we were engaged and married while he was stationed on the ship, and our baby was baptized on board the ship.

Here's sweet Mimi giving Grace some love. Mimi used to hug my pregnant belly and tell me, "I love your baby!" Good to see that she still loves her as much as when she was just in my belly.

Baby Olivia at her baptism reception. She and Grace were both wearing sailor dresses.



Hanging out with Daddy as he watched the first Tech game of the season. Unfortunately, because we committed to attending Olivia's baptism, he missed all but the first quarter. Poor Daddy!

Tokyo Disney

I was very nervous on the morning we were heading out to Disney. The clouds looked like they were threatening to open up at any minute, and because we pre-ordered our tickets, there was no backing out. We HAD to go to Disney that day or lose out on quite a bit of money. Not that a little rain would've stopped me before, but it's a bit more difficult with a 7 month old baby and a sometimes moody thirteen year old brother in tow. You never know what to expect from the two.

Turns out the cloudy weather was a blessing in disguise. What would normally be a sweltering hot and humid day during this time of year turned out cool and comfortable. The 7 month old had a blast watching shows and a parade, albeit in Japanese, and the thirteen year old even managed to have a good time. But then again, who wouldn't have a good time at Disney? You'd have to have some serious issues NOT to enjoy a day at Disneyland.



Visiting Asakusa the next day.

Lola and Grace in front of one of the guard houses at the Imperial Palace.

Little Tourist- Mt. Fuji and Hakone

Grace experienced her first organized tour on Tuesday. She even got her little "I'm-part-of-this-tour sticker". The three girls- Lola, Grace, and I- went to Mt. Fuji and Hakone. We were nervous that the trip would be cancelled because a typhoon had just swept through the area the night before our scheduled tour. Thankfully we were still able to go, although it was extremely cloudy and misty because of the lingering weather.

Grace was definitely the star of the trip. People were amazed at how good she was on the tour bus. And take it from me who had to Bjorn her for 12 hours, it was a long day. One Italian family was so enamored with her that they asked if they could take pictures of her. I know she looks completely Asian, but she is 1/4 Italian afterall, and I think they may have sensed that.

See You in Four Weekends

We had to say goodbye to Lola and Uncle Josh today, but it wasn't that painful because we'll be seeing them again in a few short weeks. We'll still miss them a lot though.

We've been quite busy the past week trying to cram in all you can see in Japan in just a few days. Hence the lack of blog updates. I was going to try to update tonight, but my eyes just refuse to stay open much longer. I promise to catch you all up as soon as I can. I have a ton of pictures to sort through!