It's been a while since our last blog. We blame it on the holidays, but really, it's a tad of laziness. Jared turned 19 months today. He's not quite talking, but understands everything we say. He loves the Wiggles and we've even caught ourselves singing and humming the silly songs. The teeth are still coming in (molars), and so far, he hasn't been too miserable. He's gone to the pediatric allergist after having bad reactions to milk at six months and eggs last May, and we've gotten the news that he is severly allergic to milk (we need to carry an Epi-pen) and also highly allergic to egg whites but not yolks. This week we will be going back to see how much peanut he can tolerate. These dietary restrictions make it difficult to feed him like a normal child, and while we fear that he will turn into one of "those" kids in school that ruin snacktime and parties, we've heard that about 85% of kids grow out of the milk & egg allergies. What do you expect - he has two parents that are lactose intolerant.
We've gone to the LA Zoo, even got suckered into a yearly pass, and went to the Van Nuys Airport this past weekend to watch the planes take-off and land. We have our playdates, go to the park, do errands, and just be together. We're still working on our house; slowly but surely things are coming together. Paul has been working at home lately, and will soon become solely home-based, so that's good for all of us.
So, that's the latest from this side of the hill. We can't believe that Jared will soon be 2!
Also, congratulations to our friends Joyce and Bernard, who are expecting a girl in June! Yea!
For more recent pictures, click here.
We've been doing work around the house and Jared has been watching. Whatever mom & dad are doing, Jared has to try. Good thing we're not drug addicts or prostitutes.
Click here for more pics.
Just Hangin' with My O-mies
For more pictures click here
It's been a while since we've blogged and have received a few complaints about it. First, we must say that we decided that we needed to move out of our crowded condo. The realtor said it might take 2-3 months to sell but it actually took about a week. We then found our current home and made the painful move from the Westside to "the valley". So, if you haven't heard from us recently via phone or e-mail, that's what we've been up to. Hopefully you have received our card with our new contact information. If you haven't, it may have gotten lost in the mail, or we just didn't think you were important enough to receive it.
We celebrated Jared's second Halloween, and if you can't tell, he was a kangaroo this year. It took some coaxing and a small tantrum to get him into the costume, but as you can see, it was all worth it. We even dressed up the dog, and unfortunately, he got more attention than Jared did. On Saturday we went to the Pierce College Halloween festival. It was 90 degrees (no kidding). Jared had fun with the pumpkins, eating plenty of kettle corn, meeting the animals in the petting zoo, but most fun playing in the dirt.
Jared is fully walking now and when we thought about it six months ago we thought that life would be a little easier when he started walking. We were wrong. With walking comes independence, a strong will, and the "I want to do it myself" mentality, which also includes "I want to do what I want" and the development of the tantrum. It's still amazing, though, his level of comprehension, even though he may not be able to talk yet. He can follow simple commands, express himself through screams, and gives the most rewarding hugs and kisses when requested. We can't get enough of him.
Hope all of you are doing well and that this satisfies your need for a Jared fix for a while. For more pictures of our favorite marsupial, click here. Enjoy!
A couple of weekends ago we took our future Bruin to visit our old college. Michelle thought it would be good idea to take a picture with Jared's head inside the Bear's mouth. As you can see, Jared was not happy.
More pics here.
July 5 was Jared's first birthday, and his birthday party was July 8! 365 days ago he squeezed his way into the cold, loud, bright world!
365 days of diapers (about 1800)
365 days of breastfeeding
365 days of "Wow, we made that?"
365 days of "Please take a nap"
365 days that have all been wonderful, breathtaking, and exciting.
Happy 1st birthday, Jared! We love you very, very much!
Click here for more pictures of Jared's big day and party!
Let's say it together: "Hi, Jared". The boy is smart, and he continues to get smarter and smarter. When he is hungry, he knows to crawl over to the pantry, open the doors, and pull out of his bag of Cheerios and Barbara Bakery's shredded multigrain cereal, affectionately known as "babas". Recently the bag was not zip shut all the way, so he sat on the floor in front of the pantry, pryed the bag open, and just ate. And ate. And ate. Well, at least he's self-sufficient. And the bran in the cereal keeps him regular.
More pics here.
For baby's daddy's weekend, we got to do a bunch of things. First, on Saturday, we went to Bel Air Camera in Westwood to see Leo Laporte do his KFI show. Jared wore his appropriate "My dad's a geek" t-shirt, which got a couple laughs from people. Then we went to Asakuma for dinner with the grandparents. On Sunday, Jared & his "dada" went to Gymboree and had a blast. Jared fell at one point and started to cry, but the teacher then gave his special bubbles and he was happy in an instant. Jared gave Paul his presents, including a die-cast metal bi-plane model. And, there was also the Father's Day card from the dog. Charlie, trying to suck up, signed the card "Your favorite son, Charlie". Little does he know.
Next weekend is a first birthday party for our friend Reese. Happy birthday Reese! Also, it's time for the Venice Community Center carnival.
Click here for more pics.
As the weather heats up, it's time to start using the pool grandma bought Jared. With his very cute swimming trunks, he made his way into the pool and seemed to enjoy it. Unfortunately, it was very hot and mom got scared about him getting sunburned so after 10 minutes it was time to head back into the house. He got some color, though.
As we pass the 11-month mark, he is crawling like crazy, pulling himself up all the time, and is starting to point and grunt in effort to communicate with us. He has also learned how to let Charlie Brown out of his crate!
We are closing in on one year! Can't wait to celebrate the big day!
For Baby's Mama's Weekend, we decided to go to the park and let Jared play with the sand. He was more interested in people watching.
Uncle Scott helped us take family pictures. It's still difficult to say who Jared resembles. Now that we're all together in one picture, what do you think?
It was a great 1st mother's day. Lunch with the grandmothers.
I'd write more but the Grey's Anatomy season finale is coming on...Gotta go.
More pics here.
We celebrated Jared's first Japanese Boys' Day on his 10-month birthday. He received gifts from great-grandparents and great-auntie & great-uncle in Japan. Ultimately, he was more interested in the stick than the fish. (see pictures)
To celebrate his 10th month, Jared got a feast of cereal that he cleverly used to write out "10". The boy is a genius!!! He is more active now, still scooting on his tummy (what we call the army crawl) but he's getting fast at it and we have to watch him all the time because if he's not pulling himself to a standing position, he is sticking his index finger in all sorts of places and opening up drawers. We had to get safety equipment for the sockets and drawers. Jared is also very interested in picking up everything with his index finger and thumb, and ultimately (surprise) putting it into his mouth. This fine assortment has included carpet fuzz, cat hair, and unfortunately, a dead spider killed by our cat Lucy. YUK!
Click the pictures for more 10-month pictures.
We've put Jared hard to work by providing technical support (he's gotta earn his keep somehow). However, we found him slacking when he caught him talking to Terry on Skype. The little bugger even has a picture of himself on his desk. A corner office and unlimited Cheerios are good incentives for the boy.
More 9 month pics here.
Scoot... scooting... almost... there...
Here are some pics of Jared really really trying to crawl to mommy. As you'll see in the later pics, he got frustrated after traveling a whopping 1 1/2 feet and started to cry.
Go Jared go pics here.
We felt like we had to share these pictures of Jared eating, or attempting to. There was a combination of a teething biscuit, cheerios, and corn with butternut squash. Before you know it, he'll be asking, "Please sir, may I have some more?" Until then, he'll just bang on his highchair tray to let us know he's still hungry.
More pics here.
Here are some pics of when I caught Jared having a "conversation" with his monkey. It included a lot of "baba" and "dada", but I don't think he was talking trash about his dad. Unfortunately, as the later pictures show, I distracted him from his conversation as he attempted to mozy his way toward the camera (and subsequently molesting the poor monkey along the way).
- michelle
More pics here.
Jared is getting better at standing up and using objects like Charlie's crate to stay balanced. We've even seen him almost stand from a sitting position by climbing his way up an object.
Needless to say, our little boy is growing up fast. It's hard to believe how much he's changed in 8 short months.
Week 8 pics here.
Jared has become very interested in independent movement, but unfortunately at this point it is all desire and less ability. He enjoys being in this position, but becomes easily frustrated at his inability to do anything with it. Also, at 7.5 months, he has no teeth, and we're still waiting! He is enjoying solids, often smacking his lips to indicate he's hungry, and he is still chewing on everything and drooling like crazy. Oh what fun! Oh yeah, he also said "dada" when Paul walked in the door one evening. No, I'm not bitter or anything...
- michelle
You can find pics here.
Month 7 pics here.
We battled our first cold a couple weeks ago (thanks to Auntie Lisa)! There was endless sneezing (sometimes 7 in a row) and always a face covered with snot. There was also a bad cough, and our dear baby's eczema flared up over his entire body, as well as a new diagnosis of asthma! It's very exciting. He has a miniature inhaler (it's kinda cute with teddy bears on it). Of course, this is new for us parents so mom took Jared to the pediatrician twice in one week. Yet, as you can see, after a couple rough days and nights, he's in good spirits. It is true - sometimes the most exciting things to play in are cheap, like a laundry basket. Let's hope there are no more colds in the near future!
-Michelle
For more pics click here.
Here's Jared with his monkey stuffed animal. This is the picture we used for this year's Christmas card. Everytime we see this picture we just can't help laughing. He makes us happy.
Click here for the pics.
No that's not a camera trick. Our baby is going bald!
Just kidding. He is starting to stand on his own for a few seconds at a time while holding or leaning on the couch. Just look at those chubby thighs. That's pure muscle!
Pics here.
Posted a few pics of week 17 pics here.
You can also find a few pics of Jared at 4 months here.
Today is Jared's first Halloween. Although this day will not be one his most memorable Halloween's (he's 4 months old), we still had to dress him up like any good parent should do.
Michelle spent a few weeks looking for a costume. She finally found one on eBay for a Baby Gap monkey costume. It's really cute and it was only $10 plus shipping from Canada.
We'll be heading to Westside Pavilion later today to do some trick-or-treating. We'll go ahead and take any candy that Jared should get and make sure we tell him how good it was. :)
You can find pics of his monkey costume here.
Jared can't really sit up by himself without support, but these pictures really make him look older since he looks like he can. He's actually just propped up against some couch cushions.
See the pics here.
In Japan, the 100th day after birth is special. So here are some pics of Jared on his 100th day. Enjoy!
I posted a few more pics of Jared's Week 11 pics here. Today Jared passed another milestone. He's beginning to hold his head up!
Week 11 pics here.
Jared officially turned 2 months old on Monday. It's been quite an adventure so far. He's grown so much since July 5th. He's practically doubled his weight (12 lbs. 12 oz) and gained a good 3 inches. We are really happy and REALLY tired. Luckily, we are just starting to get him on a consistent sleep schedule. He's been quite fussy over the past 2 weeks or so. He won't sleep during the day which makes him fussy at night. Fussiness just makes it difficult for him to sleep. It's a vicious cycle.
Other than the sleep issue, Jared has been quite a character. He's been smiling a lot more and been a lot more responsive to visual cues. He'll "oo" and "aa" while fixated at a mobile.
We expect a lot of changes this month!
You can find some 2 month pics here.
There's something about a baby in a Winnie the Pooh bath robe. Week 7 pics here.
I will be the first to admit that Jared doesn't look the best in all his pictures. He definitely has a "bad side." But the pictures I posted this week are definitely keepers for being cute. We also have some "not-so-cute" pictures we'll break out for those embarassing moments.
Jared is now 11 lbs. 8 ounces and 23 inches long.
I posted some more week 6 pics here.
Every proud parent has embarassing pics of their babies taking baths. We'll pull these pics out when Jared brings home his first girlfriend.
Pics here.
Week 4 pics here.
Jared is going through a fussy stage now. He sleeps okay but not as good as the first week. It's to be expected though. He's just being a baby. :)
I started using my new lens for my Nikon D70 to take a few pics of Jared sleeping. You can find the pics here. Jared is doing well. He's finally satisfied after feeding and we're confident he's gaining his birth weight back. We'll see how much weight he's gained tomorrow at the next doctor's appointment.
It's really tough right now adjusting to a VERY awkward sleep schedule. 1 hour here, 2 hours there... it's amazing how the human body can keep going with so little sleep. But just looking at Jared's face each time I wake up reminds me of how important he is to us. Sleep is not as important anymore.
Pics here.
On July 4, Michelle started having contractions at 2:30 a.m. We had originally planned a 4th of July potluck but those plans went out the window when Michelle woke me up and said that the contractions had started.
The contractions grew in severity over the next several hours but they never became consistent enough. The doctors told us to only come to the hospital after the contractions were consistent at 4 minutes apart and lasting for 1 minute. Michelle's contractions ranged from 3 minutes apart to 10 minutes apart the whole time (in fact they never got REALLY consistent until the very end).
At around 3:00 p.m., after hours of painful contractions, Michelle said enough was enough and we headed to the hospital. It was a quick car ride over to UCLA, but unfortunately not quick enough. Michelle had several gut wrenching contractions in the car.
When we finally arrived at the medical center, Michelle screamed at the ER admitting nurse, "GIVE ME THE EPIDURAL!" She was then briskly walked up to Labor and Delivery where she was examined by the doctors to be 3 cm dilated. I never saw a more disappointed look. She had been 2 cm for the past 1.5 weeks and she only moved 1 cm since the contractions started. They told her that it would be good to take a walk for an hour or so to get things moving, but Michelle sternly said, "GIVE ME THE EPIDURAL." She was then admitted and we were wheeled to the labor and delivery room.
LDR2 (Labor and Delivery Room 2) as we came to know it, was a posh birthing suite. It had a nice couch for me, a TV, VCR, stereo and a bathroom complete with walk-in shower. Soon after our arrival in the room, Michelle's wish was granted and the anethesiologist came in with the magic epidural. It took a while to get it in but when it started, Michelle was VERY relieved. She no longer felt any pain was finally able to get some much needed sleep.
At around 11 p.m., the doctors came in to check Michelle and they were surprised to see (feel) she was at 6 cm. They decided to break Michelle's waters to help speed things along even further. By 3 a.m. Michelle was finally at 10 cm and could finally start pushing. at around 5 a.m. Michelle's arrived to help with the last few pushes. At 5:08 a.m., the baby finally entered the world.
Jared Takeshi Mitsui
July 5, 2005 05:08 a.m.
7 lbs. 1 oz. 20 inches
We are extremely exhausted at the moment and I am amazed at how coherent I sound upon re-reading this entry. Baby and mommy are doing well. I will keep you all updated as Jared grows. Until then, it's back for another power nap.
Pics here.
I thought I'd take this time to write a short entry. Michelle started having contractions last night around 2:30 a.m. Right now the contractions are about 10 minutes apart so we still have a ways to go. We are supposed to go in when the contractions are 4 minutes apart.
We are already very tired. Will update again soon.
We are close. Our baby should be coming any day now. We are anxiously waiting. As of yesterday, Michelle is 2cm dilated and 70% effaced. In the baby-delivery world, this means she's close, but there's still no way of telling when she'll give birth.
At our doctor's appointment last week, we found out that she was 2cm dilated. We were excited! Finally! The baby was on its way. I was sure that the baby would be here within a week. Now, a week later... she's still 2cm dilated. Slight progress, but our baby boy is taking his time. He'll come when he's ready. However, if he does not come by July 10, the doctor said they'll induce.
So day by day, we patiently wait. The crib remains empty. The diapers remain unused. We get sleep.
Today marks the one month countdown to B-Day. One month from now, if all goes according to schedule, we will have one more person added to our household. Of course the baby could arrive +/- 2 weeks from the due date. In the meantime, we sit and wait for our bundle of joy to arrive.
Posted some pics of my work baby shower.
Okay, call me a wuss. But right now I'm still shivering at the site of some birth pictures I saw online. Michelle and I were curious about seeing some pictures of babies with cone heads. We heard that babies have cone heads when they are born vaginally, so we were a bit curious to see some pictures.
After some random Googling we came across this site. WARNING: Some of the pictures on this site are graphic in nature. Parental discretion is advised. Let's just say I had backspace within easy reach to move back off the page if the pictures got too graphic. I'm not sure if it will all be different once it's your own wife in the delivery room, but I must say it was a bit disturbing. I know .. blah blah .. miracle of birth, but COME ON!
On Wednesday night, Michelle and I headed down to Torrance to go to Babies R' Us to get a Baby Shower present for one of her friends. We also used this time to check out baby stuff for ourselves. If I could use only one word to sum up our experience there, it would be "overwhelming".
They had a section devoted to strollers. They had section devoted to car seats. They had sections devoted to baby furniture, clothing and bedding. I was on overload. The choices were amazing. I had no clue what the difference was between one car seat and the next. I had no idea what made one playpen better than the other. Bottles and detergent and Snugglies and ...
It was almost like my first experience at Fry's. I think I'll need to sit down soon and do some Internet research on all the necessities we'll need to buy before the baby arrives. All I can say is that I have my work cut out for me. :(
It's been a whole 6 months since my last post. I decided that this year I would make a resolution to finally get back to posting news and stories interesting to Michelle and myself.
I won't bore you with details of all the happenings between my last post and now, but I would like to take this opportunity to share one piece of news.
WE'RE HAVING A BABY!
Michelle is due in the beginning of July. We've already been to several doctor's appointments and we've had two ultrasounds. The ultrasounds are quite freaky. Michelle isn't showing much and it's weird to see a living-being squirm and move inside of Michelle's body. I'll post some ultrasound pics later today or tomorrow in the album section.
Although it was quite unexpected, we are both thrilled and excited. We have big plans for our baby boy... yes i said BOY. Our last ultrasound revealed that our little one has boy parts. We're still debating on some boy names. Michelle has her favorites and I have mine, but we can't seem to agree on one name that we are both ecstatic about. We still have about 6 months though to decide.
Well that's it for now. I hope to keep this blog going strong in 2005. Hope you all had an enjoyable holidays.
This is the extended portion of this entry...