Hina matsuri

I thought it has been warmer and warmer... but it was COLD and windy today!!

I have been searching recipes for Hina Matsuri(ひなまつり：Girl's Festival in Japan)
About Hina Matsuri
and here


I have been trying to show her Japanese festivals, tradition and custom as much as possible.
Because she is an American and also a Japanese.
One of her roots that she knows about will be important for herself, myself and my family and relatives.

BUT!!!! it is difficult to do completely... so I just want her to know about those...
Menu will be....
Inari Sushi
Chirashi Sushi (without Fish)
Futo Maki
Fried chicken(Japanese tastes)
Salad
Mochi Cake(made by rice... and my friends said it tastes like a browny)
Roll cake

I don't know what else I need to cook!!!
uhm...... I wonder.... if I can cook all by myself.... (￣▽￣;)

7 Months Old!!!

Our daughter became 7 months old!!!
祝☆7ヶ月

She discovered how to move where she wants to go now!!
It is not perfect crawling yet... but she moves like a frog with knees and very fast, especially there is something she wants to get!!

She has started solid food once or twice a day... she has been pretty good.
Tonight, Daddy first tried to feed her solid food!!!
She started crying.... he though she finished.
I held her and tried to give her food....（￣∀￣） she still wanted to eat (￣m￣* )

Daddy.... you are still BEGINNER!!!!　(｀▽´メ) hehehe~~

She also wants to do whatever I am doing.

When I am reading a newspaper..... she wants to read it to check the latest NEWS!(￣▽￣;)
When I am checking ads... she wants to check which is cheaper!!
When I am eating.... she wants to eat,too!!

When I am talking on a phone... she wants to hold a phone!!
I was talking on my parents with speaker phone... and.... she pushed OFF button(￣_￣ i)

She HANG UP THE PHONE!!!!!　(￣Д￣；；

She was fussy today because her tooth is coming out... we can't see any yet though.
but... every day and every night she is growing, knowing, learning, discover a lot of things.

(￣_￣ i)really??

A forecast says we will have snow tonight!!!
I miss SNOW!!! I want Hana to play with snow...
It looks around my hometown will be snowing,too!!!


Anyway, on 17th we were going to go shopping after her 6mo check-up to get a couple of cans of formula as it was almost out.
but Daddy said " Is it OK to go shopping tomorrow?? because I need to take a nap and study for tonight's test"
"no way!!! she may not have enough until you come back home!"
After we left her clinic... we got in our car

and....


"・・・・・・・(￣ ￣) ?
・・・・・・・(￣ ￣) ?
・・・・・・・(￣ ￣) ?
He is going toward our house....."


and then....


ARRIVED!!!!! at a home(￣_￣ i)

well... the test looked very difficult so... it might be OK

After we came into a house.... I asked him "You must come home early tomorrow!!"
"WHY???"
(￣_￣ i) he already forgot about formula.... you lost your memories too fast...

well.... we went shopping next day!
Why my husband took so much time to be ready ?????
I know.. he does not have to comb his hair....(〃￣∇￣)ﾉ彡☆
Is anyone who has a husband take so much time than a wife to go somewhere??

After he is all set, he was just watching on TV.....
so I need to do for myself ready... and our daughter.
She did not wear shoes... but I was just lazy to put her shoes on.

He likes looking TOY Aisle .... mainly GI JOE or HOT WHEEL... now he goes baby's toy section and Girl's toy section... so we need much time to see TOY SECTIONS!!

I do not know why... but every time we went to Target... he wants PIZZA(￣_￣ i)
He said " Let's Pizza tonight!"
It was a little different from usual.... this time!! He wanted to choose from Frozen one!!

He realized when we were almost done.... "Where is her sock?"
(￣△￣；）えっ･･?(what?)
She lost one sock somewhere!!!!!!!
He went back where we came... he found her sock.
I took her blanket and tried to put it on.... one more sock was gone(￣Д￣；；
well.. the sock was under the blanket.

anyway..... I checked baking things... because I want to try to have her first Girl's festival party!!!!!
She was getting cranky ... we had to speed up!!
We got Oreo's litter and food.... and DONE!! oh.. we had to pay.
I asked him"do you think how much we spend?"
(￣_￣ i) I had to pay from my saving.....
He needs to STOP spending too much!!!!!!!!!!!!

I paid all.....（T^T）


After we came home... he applied a second job through online.
I was with our daughter(Nina)
He called my name.... so I went to a computer room.
He asked me....
"What was the name of my school?"
Why you ask me??
"ummm.... maryland?"
"how is the spell??"
(￣_￣ i)
" m-a-r-y-l-a-n-d"
"...... that does not right"
(￣_￣ i)
"how is the spell university?"
・・・・・・・(￣ ￣)
He typed all small letters... so I told him to type capital letters for U and M.
and he typed Maryland University... so I corrected.

" how is the spell BUSINESS?"
・・・・・・・(￣ ￣)
"B-U-S-I-N-E-S-S"
"no!! it is not!!!"
(-゛-ﾒ) "yes... it is!!"
"business.... a d m e n e n s "
(￣▽￣;) "it is not right already.... Capital B and usiness and A d m i n i s t r a t i o n!!"

are you really an American??? and you are a college student?????
I only went to Jr. High!!! of course in Japan.

well.... that happens often at our house.... I hope Nina can learn CORRECT English....


I have not ever had comments .... Please give me a comment（T^T）
Your comment encourage me to keep on !!!

It's a BOY!! and OUR GIRL!

Finally!!! my sister has a BOY!!

A contraction was started... and they could see a baby's head!!
I had started to tell her "If you don't start delivery, it will be torn up!!"
but .... before tears up or anything... he was too big to come out(￣▽￣;)
My sister's blood pressure was getting high... so they decided to do C-section.

January 16th 2008. about 18:40(Japan Time)
The boy arrived this world!!
Now my daughter has her first cousin.
Now we have my first nephew.


He was 8 lbs 8 1/2 oz(3870g)
It will be in average for Americans... but! The baby is huge for Japanese!!!!!
and his height was 22 1/2 in(57cm).
First I heard his size... I only could say ... was....."HUGE!!!!"

His name is Kiyoshiro(清志郎） which named after .... a famous Japanese musician(￣▽￣;)

First I heard his name... I only could say... was...."no way!!!"
Uhmmm..... it is hard to say the name....remember, too....
Kenshiro?? Koshiro?? Kyoshiro??? ummmmm OH! Kiyoshiro!!(￣▽￣;)
Daddy(my husband) will not be able to say it!!!

I talked my mom and dad last night on a phone because my daughter had her 6mo check-up.
My sister has not had anything to eat yet!!!!
That was her second day!! She has not been said OK to eat!!
Bless your heart!!!
She had to be STARVING!!!!
Even I chose the induce labor and Epidural .... I was starving before I delivered!!!
And First thing I wanted to do was... I wanted to drink and eat!!!
She is only available to take .... IV!! both of arms!!!

well... 11 days late from Due date... and He was in an incubator over night, Just in case.
I guess both of them have been well...
In Japan, New mom and newborn baby stay in a hospital for a week.
They can rest plenty and read for survival for the NEW WORLD!!!


Congratulations!!!
but... I wanted to say the most... is.... お疲れ様でした(〃￣∇￣)ﾉ彡☆


I forgot to write about MY DAUGHTER!!!! ！Σ(￣□￣|||)
She had 6 month check-up on 17th. We had her appointment on Jan 3rd... but our car was broken on the way!!!!!
We canceled and re-scheduled.
This time.... our car was FINE　ε=(￣｡￣;)

Her height was.... 25 in (63.5cm)
・・・・・・・(￣ ￣) Our nephew... her cousin.. who was just born... 22in(￣▽￣;)
only.... 3 inches??
well.. weight was... 16 lbs 7 oz!!!!!!
(Yiiipppppyyy!! we do not have to give or throw away "Step 2" diaper)
She got 4 shots and 1 from mouth.
HepB（B型肝炎）
DTaP（3種混合ワクチン＊ジフテリアDiphteria・破傷風Tetanus・百日咳 Pertussis）
HIB　（インフルエンザ菌ｂ型ワクチン）
PCV7　（肺炎球菌）
Flu Shot（インフルエンザ予防接種）
経口ワクチン（シロップ式）：Rota Virus（ロタウィルス）


She started crying second shoto(TﾍTo) however... she stopped crying... within 5 minutes(￣▽￣;)
I was waiting at a waiting room while Daddy(Husband) made a next appointment.
I carried her car seat... and was swinging ... I thought she was fine!!
She started crying right after I sat on a chair...(￣Д￣；；
I was holding her while we were waiting for Doctor came(￣_￣ i)

She slept sooooo good last night!!
I wanted to change her diaper... but she was sleeping well.... I just let her sleep.
She slept from about 7 pm to 5:40 am!!!!
I realized.... she had a little fever. 99.8F
I changed her clothes and fed her... she fell sleep while I was feeding her second one.
well... I fell sleep,too... so I don't know how long she stayed awake.

She was fine after passing noon!!

mmmmmmhhhhh Happy!!

My sister is not delivery yet(￣▽￣;)
Not about my nephew or niece....
We had a BATH TIME tonight!
with who??? with my daughter!!!!!(*￣∇￣*)

I had been using a baby tab always... but I have had a bath with her once a while since this year!!
I am a Japanese... for Japanese, Taking a bath is important!
Taking a bath ... and relax.... refresh for tomorrow.... warm from in center of body!!!
I used to not taking a bath so often because my heart raced so fast when I took a bath.
and I had not had any chance to take a bath since we moved this house.
BUT... while I was doing ready a bath for her... and I felt Soooo gooood!!! and I thought I wanted to take a bath like a her!!

I used to take a bath every new year's eve and listened Joya no Kane(除夜の鐘: the tolling of temple bells at midnight on New Year's Eve)
That was my most relaxing time of year!!!!

Unfortunately, I can not hear Joya no kane here.... but I did take a bath on New year's eve at first time after we moved in US)
Since then, I took a bath once a while with my daughter.


I am surely A JAPANESE....

Not yet???

I will be an AUNT soon... but how soon??
My sister is going to have a baby on Jan 5th... let see...
Today is.... Jan 14th Over there(Japan) it is already 15th!!!

I called my parents today... first I said was "Not YET???"
This is my first nephew or niece, so as my husband.
We have been waiting for 10 days more!!!

She went to her check up on last friday.
but she is still in Pregnancy!!! and not change anything!!
well... she will see Dr. today.. and if it is not changing at all... She may need a medicine to get in labor early(EARLY???)
well... if it is not changed so much.. she may need an induce labor or C-section.

No one knows the baby is boy or girl... I guess only my sister knows about it, oh and her Doctors.(she has two OB-GYN doctor, one is close to her house and the other is close to our parents' house which she will deliver the baby. )
Her husband does not want to know... so she is in secret.
My parents said the baby will come to see us in a couple days...

People around her(like a ME!! and even Daddy's parents,too!) are so exited and looking forward it too much...
but... my sister is.... not exited so much( of course she is happy)

My parents have already told me they would call us when a baby is born...
but I could not wait .. I know the baby is not yet.... I called (￣▽￣;)

Magic!!

Our daughter recently learned to enjoy rollover.
She still can't rolling.. and the other side...
so she rolled over once, she is DONE!
BUT! she learned how to move a little bit... I do not know how?? but she knows.

I was in kitchen and heard something sounds came from a den.
I went there to check her... she moved and played with ad papers!!!
Oreo was there,too!! and she loves playing paper,too... so I bet Oreo taught her about it.

what were they talking???
I guess they were talking about how to play with them much nasty!!

Oreo likes being in a box, even box is so small!!!

She enjoys touching papers and tearing them!!
She grabbed plastic bag once... I took away from her.
That is NO!NO!!



After she enjoyed playing papers... now she was hungry!!
Her favorite position of drinking formula is..... you will be surprised!!
She may be able to join in Cirque du Soleil.
Hello???? Can you drink?
She IS drinking.....(〃￣∇￣)ﾉ彡☆
I had to hold her bottle, so the picture's angle is no good.
She is the SOMETHING!!

She has been in the season which waking up middle of night. so She and I moved to another bed room from last night.
Last night was our first night, She woke up often...

When Daddy came back from work, he said " I woke up 10 to 5am!!! I was surprised how much I slept so well!!!"
(￣_￣ i)....... I bet you did....

New year's eve and New year's day!

It's already 2nd week!!
but.....

Happy New Year!
あけましておめでとうございます！

I wanted to show my daughter how we spent on New Year's day in Japan.
so.. first of all! I cleaned up whole house in December!!
That is called "Oh So-ji大掃除" and clean up house inside and out.
That means ( I think) thankful to this whole year and clean up dust during a year, then we welcome to fresh clean new yeaer.
Actually, I could not finish whole house.... while I was taking care of baby.
but... I cleaned up most of rooms, windows, blinds... etc!!!

I put our Japanese new year decoration on front door and side door.
I cooked Toshikoshi-udon( usually, toshikoshi- soba年越しそば, buckwheat noodles customarily eaten on New Year's Eve. )

on New year's day, we invited daddy's parents.
I cooked Japanese new year meal for us.

From right top: Potato salad( mother-in-law asked me what else I wanted her to buy... so I requested it, just in case two of them did not like at all)

in middle(top): Chirashi zushi(ちらし寿司) that is a kind of Sushi.
rice with vinegar, some vegetables... and cooked very thin flied eggs and Nori(seaweed) and sesame.

right bottom:in Japanese box
3 types of beans(taste sweet), Chikuwa, Kamaboko, thick flied eggs.
Very traditonal one is different. we call Osechi and all foods have meaning why we have.

center (bottom): that is daddy's(husband) plate
Natto mochi(rice cake with natto) and Natto- gohan(rice with natto)
He said he did not want to eat Mochi... but I insisted "That is New year!! eat!"
he just eat one mochi!!

left bottom: Inari- zushi(稲荷寿司) this is also one kind of sushi. I put Chirashi-zushi in soy beans bags with sweet soy souce.

His parents loved and enjoyed our Japanese new year's meal!!
I hope our daughter learn and have one soon!!

Hope everyone have a wonderful new year!!!
Best wishes all!