First Word

Oh my goodness, has it really been a month since my last entry??! It has been a hectic month with Yuuki catching a cold again, Mizuki back in Tokyo, starting to look into the job market and along with that looking for day care programs for Yuuki. It is really hard here in Japan for working mothers since there is not enough day care centers for babies, but that is a whole other story I will write about again.

Anyways, Yuuki is starting to really speak. He's been cooing and ahhing at a fairly early stage, but recently it seems he has a favorite word he likes to speak! It's......"Momma"!!!! Yay! It's not like I whispered "Momma" into his ear every day and night, it really isn't...: ) They say it brings tear to your eyes when you first hear that magic word....it really did....! Thank you Yuuki!

Teeth

Last week, as Yuuki was biting my thumb as he likes to these days, I felt something hard and sharp....something I've never felt before...I opened his mouth and saw...Yuuki's bottom front teeth!! I was so amazed...my little baby has teeth already! He is growing up so fast. Yuuki wouldn't let me take a picture of his teeth, but here he is, all grown up!

Eihosai, Yutenji

Before our walk around Yutenji, we filled our empty stomachs with delicious Chinese food at Eihosai (03-5721-3666) on Komazawa-dori. I had been wanting to check this restaurant out for a while, and it was a great hit!!

It is mainly Taiwanese-Chinese cuisine with some Shanghai flavor to it. Their dishes are not greasy, but very light and elegant. Their price range is also very reasonable, so you can try out many dishes which is lots of fun. I definitely recommend coming here if you want to eat Chinese that will make you and your wallet happy : )

Let me eat too Mommy!!!

Walk around Yutenji

The day after Mizuki got back from San Fransisco, we went for a walk around our neighborhood, Yutenji. Yutenji is just three stations on the Tokyu Toyoko Line from Shibuya (Shibuya is a town for young people and shopping, famous for its multiple crossing with thousands of people...you've probably seen it on a guide book or an image picture of Tokyo). Despite being only three stations away from such a busy part of Tokyo, it is a cute little town with a flavor of its own, with little local shops that have been here for many years still in business. In a supermarket-dominant society like Tokyo, it is difficult for small shops to compete, but here in Yutenji, we still have a butcher, a flower shop, a non-Starbucks local cafe, a general store, a house ware store, a pharmacy, a bakery, a liquor shop, etc.  There is a very nostalgic feeling to this town, where people still know each other and say hello. On the other hand, it is also becoming a trendy spot for artsy people, and many new galleries, furniture shops, and restaurants are making its debut in Yutenji. It is definitely an interesting little town with so much to look forward to. I grew up in a more residential  and established area of Tokyo, so it is all very new to me and I am beginning to like it here in Yutenji.

The name, Yutenji, is the name of a buddhist temple that represents this area. It is an old and grand temple that has been around since the 1700s. 

Anyways, we had a nice long walk around Yutenji. We put Yuuki in the Baby Bjorn carrier so he can face the world. I usually put him in a carrier that faces my chest, so Yuuki loved his new view!

As we walked on Komazawa-dori, we passed by a gallery called Happa where they were having a photo exhibition by Ikuko Soda, with pictures from her latest trip to India. I heard they had free curry and chai but I guess we got there too late. 

There was a little shop behind the gallery that had cute little things made by artists. 

After walking a bit, we ended up in Nakameguro, the town next to ours. There was an antique shop we had been wanting to check out, and guess what we found!! A baby USC sweatshirt :) I've never seen a blue UCLA-colored USC sweatshirt before! How rare....but it was $100.....couldn't get it. 

On our way home, Yuuki fell asleep....he seemed very happy to be able to spend time with his daddy. 

Puppet Show

I got a cute little piglet puppet from my friends Yukiko and Kimiko, and the boys love it! Well, Sosuke cried a little when I played peek-a-boo, but Yuuki seems to love it. Either way, it really grabs kids' attention! Thank you Yukiko and Kimiko for such a cute gift : )

Yuuki's favorite toy

Being first-time parents, we have both bought and been gifted many many toys for Yuuki. But somehow, Yuuki's favorite toy seems to be my cell phone. Japanese cell phones have so many different ring tones and the it also shines and glitters when it rings, so it actually is a great toy for Yuuki. Sometimes he presses buttons I don't even know of and my phone goes weird, but if it'll keep him quiet for a while I guess it'll have to do.

So much fun!!!

Kamata

The other day, my parents took Yuuki and I to Kamata, a little suburban town in Tokyo. I wanted to go to Yuzawaya to get some yarn to knit a scarf for myself. Yuzawaya is like the mother ship of all arts and craft stores in Tokyo. They have multiple locations, but I think the biggest store is in Kamata. Kamata is like Yuzawaya Town and they have at least 4 separate buildings that handle different craft goods and gadgets galore.  Endless rows of ribbons, buttons, prints, beads, art supplies, stationary, and yarn fill the stores! I only went to the yarn section, but it would definitely take days, maybe even weeks to browse through all the stores. This place must be heaven for crafty people.

After getting the yarn, we took a walk around the town. It is an interesting town, Kamata. Kamata is an industrial town where lots of small and medium sized businesses are located. There is a big shopping arcade  with lots of local stores selling daily goods and supplies, a little diner that's been around for years, a local barber, a fruit shop, etc. They have old-fashioned neon lights all over the arcade, and Yuuki was just mesmerized by all the bright colors.

Halloween Party

On Thursday, we had a baby Halloween Party! Momoko, a family friend we have known since we were babies, was back in Tokyo from Dusseldorf with her son, so her sister, Ai, and her baby son, and Yumiko and Sosuke all got together at my parents' house. We decorated the house with Halloween confetti and dressed our babies up....well, kind of, since they all hate having something put on them! Yuuki was supposedly a pumpkin, but he just wouldn't let me put on the pumpkin bib, so here he is with a pumpkin stem. :) Next to Yuuki is Sosuke in his cowboy outfit!

Ai's baby son, Harufumi, was a cute little devil, and Momoko's son, Rintaro, was a cat. The Nakazawa sisters both made their baby's outfits!! How creative. 

I remember as little kids our parents dressed us up and had a Halloween Party some thirty years ago. Now we all have kids of our own. I thank my mother for passing on such a wonderful friendship with the Nakazawa's. Good friendship is truly a treat. 

Socks

The Diaper Game

Yuuki's cold

Yuuki caught a cold last week....poor Yuuki...his nose is running and now he's coughing too....thank goodness he doesn't have a fever yet....I hope he gets better soon. It kills me to see Yuuki sick...I never thought I would hurt this much just to see Yuuki have a runny nose. I guess this is a part of parenthood.

Train Ride!

WeEeeee!

Sushi!! @ Kai, Todoroki

2 weekends ago, my parents took Yumiko, Sosuke, Yuuki and I for sushi!!! I don't think I've had sushi since I came back to Japan, so it was a great treat. I didn't think I would be able to have decent sushi so soon with Yuuki, since you cannot go to sushi counter bars with a baby, but Kai in Todoroki, close to my parents' place. They have sushi counters on the first floor and 2 private Japanese tatami rooms on the second. A Japanese tatami room is covered with tatami mats, which is made with woven straw. I love to lay on the tatami floor, enjoying the grassy aroma. It is one of the moments I feel very Japanese, as I think most Japanese people do as well. Anyways, in a tatami room, the tables are low and we sit directly on the floor with a cushion called a "zabuton". (This restaurant had carpet on top of the tatami mats as you can see below) We  let Yuuki and Sosuke play around while we enjoyed our delicious sushi made downstairs at the sushi bar. Yumm!! Thank you, gradparents!!! : )

Enjoying beer

Grandpa Ken's treasures

Cousins

My sister, Yumiko and I are only 11 months apart. Everyone says she looks and acts like the elder sister. I used to hate being mistaken for the younger sister but I must admit...she actually is like the elder sister...she is taller,  more sophisticated and composed than I. While I'm out and about doing this and that, she stays calm and comforts me when I'm upset and gives me advice. We grew up like friends and I am so lucky to have her in my life as my sister and best friend. 

Anyways, just like the elder sister, Yumiko had a baby boy 2 months ahead of me in February, and just like the elder sister, she gives me lots of advice on parenting which I am so grateful for! The baby's name is Sosuke.  Since his father is a rugby player, Sosuke is a big boy, and has great reflexes. Yumiko and Sosuke live within walking distance, so we see each other almost every other day. Yuuki loves playing with big brother Sosuke, although sometimes he gets beaten up or has his toys taken away...: ) They play and fight together, and it is so cute to see them together. It's miraculous that we both have baby boys at such close age.

They will grow up like brothers, and I hope they will have a relationship like Yumiko and I have.