X'mas Time for Richie

This was Richie's first Christmas. It was great to celebrate X'mas with the big family. More than him, I was excited for Richie, because I know how much fun we have at X'mas time. We started playing christmas carols one month in advance. He would dance to the tunes of the songs. His favourites being "Feliz Navidad, Do they its Christmas, I met an angel on Christmas day".

Few days before Christmas, we decorated the Christmas tree playing carols in the background. Richie was fascinated and was wondering how could such a big tree could be there in the house. We also put stars and lights outside the house.The next few days we were visited by groups of carol singers.

Even Santa Claus came to meet Richie, with lots of gifts for him. Richie shook hands with Santa Claus and Santa Claus gave him Candies. It was a whole new experience for Richie. He was enjoying himself thoroughly. On X'mas day, we went to see the beautiful cribs all over the town. Looking at the crib, we told Richie stories about the birth of baby Jesus, 3 kings, shepherds, shining star etc.

All in all Richie had a loads of fun for christmas.

Travelling home for Christmas

I remember this song "Travelling home for Christmas" and brings back nostalgic moments. Yes, we are all going to our hometown for X'mas celebration. This is Richie's first Christmas and we are going to have a blast.

Formalities after childbirth in Japan- Part 2

After the formalities at the city office are done, you need to apply for the passport and visa for your little one within 30 days after birth. We had found out the procedure for obtaining a passport for our baby. So we took the necessary documents i.e baby’s birth certificate, our alien registration card copies, our passport copies etc. and proceeded to the embassy.

Now there is one interesting thing which had happened when we were filling the passport application form. It is so fresh in my mind as if it happened yesterday. Richie was 4 weeks old. The application form needed baby’s photo and signature or thumb impression. Now the photo needs to be such that baby’s both ears are seen, fully awake etc. Babies are fidgety. It is difficult to hold them in one position. And Richie has the habit of sleeping on his side. So getting a good photo was difficult thing. I must say my hubby is very patient. He held Richie and even managed to click a good photo of him.

The work was not over. We had to get Richie’s fingerprints on the form. Richie’s dada used to come home late those days. After having dinner we decided to give it a try. We tried putting Richie to sleep first. After that was done, the thumb impression had to be correctly taken without spoiling the form. I was rocking Richie in my arms while dada took the fingerprints. It was not once but 3-4 times on the form. Sighhhhh. It was 2 am by the time we finished.

Next was visa application (residence permission) at the Immigration bureau of Japan. To avoid any penalties, you have to apply within 30 days, whether you have got the child's passport or not. Actually we did not know this as we thought we need to apply only after we get the passport and we crossed the 30 days limit by few days. They expressed their concerns as laws in Japan are very strict. Luckily the penalty was not too much. We had to provide our income tax certificate as well as the certificate of employment (COE) along with other documents (mentioned above). It actually delayed the process, which could have been avoided if we had done within 30 days. I am not sure if there is a payment penalty. If you have applied for a passport but haven't got it yet, take the document showing that you have applied for the passport to the immigration office. It is very important to apply for visa within 30 days regardless of whether you have your baby's passport or not.
Here is the Immigration bureau of Japan site link. You can browse to get all the details.

After all this is done you can sit back and relax and enjoy the time with your little one.

All the very best!!

Looking for nursery in Japan for Richie

As I have to join back work soon, we are on the lookout for nursery for Richie.
There are 3 types of nurseries in Japan. The first type is the government owned ones, wherein the nursery fees depends on the tax paid by the working parents. Higher the tax paid, higher the fees. For the government nursery you have to apply in the city office (Kuyaksho). Second is the semi-government one, which is affiliated to the metropolitan (for us Tokyo-to). Third one is the private nursery, which is run privately by an individual or private organisation.

In Japan, the academic year is from April-March. April is the best time to get admission. Other time of the year, it becomes difficult to get admission as the nurseries get full and there are several people in the waiting list. We are having a difficult time to get entry. We tried several ones, but still no luck. Lets see what happens. Keep trying!!

Formalities after childbirth in Japan - Part 1

After 5 days in hospital, Richie and I came home. Giving birth in a foreign country, you have to abide by their rules. We were given a birth certificate by the hospital of which one side was filled by the hospital and the other was supposed to be filled by us and submitted in the city-office. My hubby went to the city-office with our passports, alien registration cards, mother-child handbook and of course the birth certificate. Our baby was registered and an alien registration card was issued to him. Also the city-office gave a official birth-certificate which will be a proof of Richie’s birth in Japan for years to come. An official copy of the birth certificate costs around 300-400 yen.

Now my dear hubby was smart. He thought of finishing all the official work on one day. He had National Health Insurance(NHI), so he entered our baby's name on to the insurance card. He also applied for "marufuku," which is free medical care for infants. That is a very wonderful service in Japan. You can go to any hospital and if you have the card, you can get free treatment for your child till he goes to elementary school

He also applied for the hospital child birth expenses (around 350,000-380,000 yen) which I had already mentioned in my post “Pregnancy and childbirth in Japan - What to expect”. There is also a child benefit programme . The Japanese government pays 10000 yen per month for the monthly expenses of the baby. You can do all this in one go. Remember to take all the documents with you. More about passport and visa in the next post.

What goes in comes out

We were just preparing to have our lunch, when Riya said she can smell papaya. Now, we had papaya last night, and we even disposed off all the leftovers last night itself. How could we have the smell of payapa around?

Oh, by the way, did I mention that last night was the first time Richie had papaya? He liked it a lot!

Now, Richie has the knack for doing it when we are about to have our meal. "Could it be Richie?", I asked Riya. Since I was the one who suggested, I got to do the honors of checking his nappy. Lo and behold, it was him!

So we had to do the necessary chores before we could have our lunch. As we finally sat at the table, I said, "Can't complain!". Then, as we began munching, I thought to myself and could not help but say to Riya, "Well, what goes in... must come out". And we both roared with laughter!

Baby has started scribbling - 10.5 months old

Babies are voracious learners. They explore the world with their touch, eyes, ears and specially with their mouths. Whatever is in their hands goes in their mouths, however much you try to stop them.

Richie wants to do new stuff everyday. He easily gets bored with the same things. So I am always on a lookout for new toys, games etc. Last week we got him the Magic Board. With the Magic Board, kids can practice their writing skills over and over again! The magnetic “pencil” makes writing fun and simple…and the easy-to-use eraser bar lets kids clear the board in seconds.

Initially he learned to erase the letters by moving the eraser bar. He would smile to see the letters disappear. He would wait for me to write and then erase it himself. Seeing me write, he was fascinated, and tried pulling out the pencil from my hand. I held his hand and guided him. We drew straight lines and then circles. He was amazed. He tried it over and over again. And now he does it independently. He likes to watch this particular video "Sesame Street: Crayon Magic Letter I" and must be thinking to himself , after all it is magic.

Japan Autumn -Trip to Hibiya park

It is Autumn time in Japan. Richie is 10 months old now and this is his first experience of autumn. The weather is pretty cool, but he seems to enjoy himself.
Richie loves nature and the moment he steps out of the door in his stroller, he gives a broad smile with a "yeehh, yehh" meaning we are going out "grrrrooom, grooooom".


We thought of making a trip to Hibiya park to enjoy fall. The trees change their dress from green to beautiful orange, red, yellow color. On our way to the park we across the Imperial palace moat (called so as it surrounds the Imperial palace). His Majesty (The Emperor of Japan) lives in the Imperial Palace. There was a beautiful swan swimming in the waters and we were lucky to find it so close to us.

There were many people in the park. Some were sitting on the benches and reading books, some were doing photography, kids were playing and babies were enjoying a ride in the stroller.There was this wedding in a nearby hall and the Japanese bride was posing near the fountain. We could get a slight glimpse of her from far.


Another thing I loved was a man who was sitting near the fountain and playing his guitar. I liked the amalgamation of music with nature. It was soothing to the ears. Richie was enjoying the cool breeze near the big fountain. He loves the fountain. He got into a deep slumber in the cool breeze and got up right in time for a photo session.

Why are you boiling the white balls?

Here's the thing about the white balls. Riya placed a couple of them in the vessel, poured in some water and kept them to boil. I was carrying Richie, who was intently watching what mama was doing. Seeing the white balls in the water and the vessel on the flame, he immediately expressed his surprise. "Huh!?, Huh!?", he said, and "Huh!?" again.

Richie has recently become very curious. Rather, he always was, but recently he has begun to express his curiosity verbally. With a big question mark on his face, he'd go, "Huh!?,... Huh!?", interchanging looks with the thing he's curious about and the person who he expects an answer from - that would be Riya or me.

So what could it be that he was curious about this time? Now if you paid careful attention to my previous post, you'd realize that there was no white ball in the set of balls we recently brought for Richie. So his curiosity was well justified. Did he just want to know what it is that we were doing with white balls? Or where the white balls appeared from?

Kids and their questions! I could clearly see that the time had come. I look forward to some interesting years ahead, answering all those crazy questions that are going to pop up every now and then. So off I went, trying to address one of Richie's first questions - or at least what we could make sense of from his curious "Huh!?,... Huh!?". "Why are you boiling the white balls?". "Well, son, these are called eggs...".

Richie attempts three-ball juggling at ten months of age

A couple of weeks ago, Riya brought Richie some colored balls - blue, orange, yellow, pink and green, which instantly became his favorites. He'd hold one in each hand, and we'd have fun seeing him trying in vain to grab yet another one though his two hands were already fully occupied. He was almost obsessed with the balls and, for the first few days, would just not want to let go off of them. He'd even crawl, or rather commando on his arms/elbows, still holding on to a ball in each of his little hands.

Well, we ourselves liked the balls and, just for fun, even tried doing some juggling with the other three balls while Richie was focused on the two that he could handle. We would have probably tried it only for a few minutes, and didn't realize that we were actually being watched. As soon as we gave up juggling and kept the balls down, Richie immediately took control of them and, guess what, started banging the balls together desperately trying to juggle the balls himself.

I must say that he is a fast learner, and I sure am proud that he started juggling - or at least trying to do so - at an age as young as just ten months :-)

Fatherhood – Diary of a dad

Thank you, Riya!

Well, hello everyone! As you can see from the URL, little did my wife know when she started this blog that I would also contribute to it someday. She was pleasantly surprised when I said to her the other day that I would also like to write some posts, from the perspective of a dad.

The truth is that I have been wanting to take the time out to write, ever since Richie was conceived one and a half years ago. Lots of sweet memories and loads of stuff to share, but time just flew by so fast. I plan to make some back-dated posts to make justice to those memories, especially for Richie to read about them. So, better late than never, I'm here to write about it all - from a dad about his son, from a dad to his son.

Consequently, I hope to be able to convince Richie's mom to change the title of this blog to include "fatherhood" as well, but that would not be fair until my contributions come anywhere close to the loads of stuff that Riya has already brought about.

As I am joining the good stuff that Riya has been carrying on with such dedication all this while, I look forward to us making this a complete experience - from a mom as well as from a dad, from the proud parents of our lovely baby boy, Richie.

A warm welcome to Richie's Dada

The other day Richie's dada told me that he too would like to pen down sweet memories of our baby. I was thrilled to hear that. I have invited him to contribute to this blog. I am looking forward to his contributions of the journey of our lives together as parents. I am sure Richie will enjoy reading dada's posts when he grows up. And I hope you guys too.

A loud round of applause by small hands

I am very fond of singing and dancing. I often put on music and dance my heart out. It helps me to exercise and also keeps Richie entertained. He usually smiles and bounces while sitting.
The other day he did something different. As soon as my dance was over, he started clapping. O wow, my heart skipped a beat. Happily, I phoned my hubby and told,"You know what,I actually got a loud round of applause from small hands for my dance today".

Baby is 10 months old today - Milestones

Richie is 10 months old today. He has been doing a lot of things. And bringing a lot of joy to our lives.
Some of his things he loves to do are:

• Saying mama, dada, baba, haba, nene, mammam(when hungry),huuhun(for questions and asking about new stuff),roaring sounds.
• Crawling well on his 4s.
• Pull up to a standing position from sitting, holding onto support.
• Walking a little holding onto furniture.
• Dancing on his feet.
• Trying the pincer grasp.
• Responds to his own name(started from the 4th or 5th month).
• Imitate others, specially people in videos.
• Shows/touches his head, mouth, tongue, hands and legs when asked.
• Playing the keyboard
• Singing using his toy as microphone.
• Indicates choice for music and songs by making sounds meaning yes and no.
• Clapping hands when he likes something and is happy.
• Waving Hi and Goodbye.
• Respond to command without gestures like "No","Get the ball","Open/close the book","Sit Down/Stand Up","Wait for 2 mins, mama is coming","Give the ball" etc.
• Signs/make sounds meaning "come", "milk", "want love", "made poop", "hungry/thirsty"
• Distinguish emotions by the tone of our voice like happy, angry, sad.
• Puts toys or objects into a container.
• Play ball by throwing to us and catching it.
• Looks at objects when we say the names i.e ball, clock, alphabets, piano, pooh, dog, cat etc.
• Pull off socks and also remove tshirt when it is around his neck.
• Eating cooked rice without pureeing.
• Biting apples,bananas,pears and eating.
• Loves to look at picture books by turning the pages.
• Plays peekaboo and finds toys hidden under bedsheets, pillows etc.
• Loves to use the remote.

Baby ate egg and flounder meal

Richie is close to completing 10 months. He started eating solid foods after completing 6.5 months. We tried leafy vegetables,carrots, corn, beans, lentils, sweet potatoes, potatoes, rice, wheat etc. with a mix-and-match combination for the past 3-4 months. And also fruits like banana, apples, pears etc. I used to usually puree or mash the food before feeding him. He has kind of got used to the food now. He is ready for new tastes and textures. Pureed food doesn't suit him much. And he gives me the questioning look "Just vegetables and fruits everyday Mama?"

Keeping his new tastes in mind, we thought of trying new foods. We were not sure what new baby foods to give and what is the best way to prepare them. A friend of ours told that there are nice baby foods containing fish, chicken, egg etc. in the super store. She has tried for her 10 month old and he just loves them. Off I went and purchased a few for trial.

Richie had his first meal of egg and flounder today. He has this habit of feeling the taste of new foods for sometime before taking the next spoon. He was happy to have something new. But more than him, I was the happiest seeing my baby liking the new stuff.

Nogeyama Zoo - Trip to the land of animals and birds

Richie watches a lot of videos featuring animals. He has started liking them a lot. His favourite one is the animal sound video, "The dog says bow-bow, the sheep says baa-baa" and also "Mom is taking us to the zoo tomorrow". He gets happy and claps when the videos are played.


Now that Richie has started liking animals, we decided to take him to the Nogeyama zoo.We make half-day trips so that he doesn't get too tired. Richie was very excited as it was his first trip to the zoo. After entering the zoo, the first thing that attracts you is the red Panda. Children scream in delight to see the little one trotting around in his little forest. The Panda is always seen thinking and moving around as if there is some huge responsibility on his shoulder and he needs to find a solution to it.

Then we went to see Richie's favourite Monkeys. I have seen many children loving monkeys. I wonder why..is it because they have a close resemblance to us?

Next was a visit to the gracious Tiger and Lion. This beautiful and ferocious animals were a treat to the eyes... and maybe they thought the same about us too ;)It was Richie's first encounter with the Tiger and the Lion face-to-face. No worries, of course they were in the cage. Their loud sounds didn't scare Richie, as Richie thinks he is a tiger himself, always making roaring sounds and trying to scare us at home.


Then we went to see the gigantic Giraffes. They come so close to you,that you feel you can almost touch them. By the time we finished clicking photos, Richie got tired and fell asleep. Nevertheless, we kept going.

After sometime we reached a pond having lots of Ducks and a Swan. The ducks were in a merry mood and quacking loudly. Richie might have heard it because he woke up and started smiling. It might have sounded familiar. He kept staring at them and enjoyed watching them waddle in the pond.

Last was penguin time. We missed the domestic animals as we reached the spot a little late. They close it 20 minutes before the actual closing time of the zoo.

Richie came home happy, having seen the animals live, rather than just pictures,videos. But before leaving the zoo, we didn't forget to buy souvenirs for him to remember in the years to come, the Red Panda and the Tiger.

How to get to Nogeyama Zoo:
1)From Yokohama Station, take the JR Negishi Line to Sakuragicho Station and then walk for about 15 minutes.
2)A 10 min. walk from Hinodecho Station by the Keikyu line.

Address:63-10 Oimatsu-cho, Nishi-ku, Yokohama-shi,Japan 220-0032
Phone: 045 231 1307
Fax: 045 231 3842

Baby has started standing - 9.5 months old

I am wonder-struck at how babies starting from nothing reach such great milestones. I will surely attribute it to their constant practice and determination. They observe, study and do it themselves. Wish, we as adults also could learn something from them. When we reach a certain age, we tend to stop learning. We feel we know everything or if we do not know, sometimes we tell ourselves, "it is too late to learn now".. and the mind does what we think. It does not know whether it is right or wrong. It stops being receptive and shuts itself,closing all doors to new information.
But kids till a certain age (0-12)years try to learn as much as possible. They make their knowledge bank richer and richer day-by day. We should support and guide them towards a bright future.
Having said that I am happy to say Richie is making steady progress and achieving new mobility skills. Richie has started standing, holding the railings of the bed. He first tried kneeling down and trying to put pressure on one leg and stand. After some practice, he could stand easily from a sitting position holding to something. Now he even holds our fingers and stand. He can pick objects with one hand while standing holding onto support. And what more.. He dances to his favourite music on his feet now. You should see the happiness on his face when dancing. He loves this "hello kitty" tune and the song.

Playing the keyboard

Richie has got a fancy for his keyboard (meant for children)these days. He has his own unique style of playing the keyboard. He uses his legs more than his hands to play the keyboard. He is our Mr.DJ. Sometimes he will put on auto song mode and go to play with other toys. If the song gets over he will come over from wherever he is and play another one.
As I said earlier, he has a great liking for music. He is thrilled to have an instrument of his own. He likes to create a fusion.Along with the keyboard, he also plays the drums and the rattles creating a band of his own.

Halloween Party for Richie - 9.5 months old

One of the child-care center (jidokan)had organised a halloween party for kids. So I woke up Richie early in the morning to get ready for the party.
We reached on time for the party. They had made costumes for the kids. Lot of other Japanese women had come with their children. I guess I was the only foreigner. There were lots of games, songs, and dance. Richie enjoyed it because he loves music too.


Later they distributed sweets and stuff by the hands of different characters like the witch, ghost, pumpkin etc. Some children got scared of the ghost. And what do you think Richie did? He was sleeping away to glory as he got tired after his dancing. He missed it. Or should I say smart guy? ;)

Baby - 9 to 10th month checkup

In Japan, medical facilities are free for kids till they go to elementary school. Also many a times, for special checkups (i.e 6 month checkup, 9 month checkup), the city office gives coupons so that we can avail those checkups free of charge too. Even some of the regular vaccines like polio, BCG are given free of charge at health centers.
Last Saturday we took Richie for his 9th to 10th month checkup. It was overcrowded so we had to wait for a long time. Meanwhile we went for a stroll to the nearby park and came back.
The doctor checked for the following:
-overall health
-pincer grasp (thumb-pointer finger hold)
-has started crawling or not
-checked his reflex by trying to throw him down. Richie touched hands down to save himself from falling;)
-Whether holding on to support and standing.
-Mashing and eating solid food.

Richie is 9 months and 11 days old now and had started to do all the above just 1 or 2 weeks back. Doctor said he was progressing well and there was extremely no need to worry. He will master it slowly and steadily.

Amusement in the Park

Last weekend, Richie, me and my hubby went to our nearby park and played a lot. Richie was in a jolly good mood. He loves to see children playing and tries to imitate them. He sat on the panda, with the panda giving him a good ride moving forward and backwards. He was holding panda's ears and bouncing. He loved it.
Then we put him on the slide. Since he is just 9 months old, he needed us to give him little support. This was his first time on the slide and when he got a hang of it, he wanted more and more.
Next was swinging time. Seeing monkeys swinging on the trees,Richie wanted to give it a try.;) The moment we put him on the swing, his reflex was to hold the chains tight with his little hands. He observes other children doing it and does it himself too. That was good.
Later he also drove the boat wheel, standing on his own without our support.
He enjoyed a lot laughing and giggling with dada and me. And the best part was that he not ready to come home.

Biting and eating - 9 months old baby

Our baby has started to become more and more independent. He wants to eat with his hands and throws food all over the place.
All these days I used to mash the fruits and feed him. But today he bit an apple with his tiny-miny teeth, mashed it with his tongue and ate it. Another step towards enjoying new ways of eating food and feeling the textures. He also loves bananas and pears too.

Baby waving bye-bye - 9 months old

Usually, Richie finishes his dinner first and then sits on his high-chair to give us company. Actually he observes what we are eating and how we eat it. He also pulls our arms to give him a taste of what we are eating. Now that he is 9 months old and can mash food with his tongue we give him variety of food.

After food, we have fruits and Richie waits for that. He loves fruits. Today, after finishing dinner, we had fruits and I took Richie out from his high-chair to get him ready for bed. Casually my hubby waved bye-bye to him. Spontaneously, Richie started waving bye-bye to him. My hubby tried again and he repeated. His little hands looked so cute waving out high up in the air. As parents, we feel so good about every small achievement of our children right?

Exploring the world

Richie has become very active and wants to explore the world. He is very curious of his surroundings. He wants to touch and grab whatever comes in his vicinity. He throws down things to check how they land down. For e.g, balls goes bouncing, rattles make "zing-zing" sound, soft toys fall softly etc. He is learning cause and effect and how it is different for different things. He tries it several times and observes the different ways he can play with the toys. He bangs 2 toys together, then on the floor, on walls, and laughs out loud at the wonderful sounds.

I take him to the supermarket whenever I go shopping. Earlier he used to quietly sit in the stroller looking at things and people around him. Nowadays he has developed a new habit. As we stroll pass through the various stalls, he keeps touching all the things and even drops some. Yeah, he feels mom does not have much work... so he is happy to give mom some exercise. ;)

Baby is crawling - 9 months

Richie has added another feather to his cap.He decided to go on his 4s rather than pushing forward on his belly. Yes, he has started crawling. I was wondering whether he would prefer to walk directly rather than to crawl. But he has his own plans, which he doesn't disclose in advance. ;)

He realized that crawling takes him faster to his destination, than pushing on his belly. Initially, he would try putting just 1 leg in the crawling position and would sit down as soon as he felt he was going off-balance. Just to give him some boost, I would also crawl along with him singing songs. He would look at me,smile and start practicing again. This time there was no desperation. It went on so smoothly that for sometime I failed to realise he was indeed crawling properly on his 4s.

Now he has started crawling fast and follows me in every room in the house. If I am in different room, I hear some thud-thud-thud and next moment he is at the door. Another step towards mobility and he feels so proud of himself.

Two little hands go clap clap clap

Today, being a Saturday, we were all relaxing at home.My hubby was at his computer and I was doing my Japanese studies. Richie was very busy with the toys, playing and lost in his own world. I was glancing at him in between my studies just to check everything is in order.

He was singing "aaaa, iiii " and suddenly I saw him bringing his hands together and clapping. Was it real? I signed to my hubby and he gave me a broad smile acknowledging the fact that Richie had indeed reached another milestone. We joined him, clapping to the beats of the nursery rhyme "Two little hands go clap clap clap" which he loves. We had started the fun game last week, and here he was clapping independently, when the words "clap, clap, clap" were sung.

Health care programme for Mama and Baby

Richie loves to sleep till late in the morning. He plays till late in the night as his dada comes home late. Today we had a health care programme in one of the childcare center (jidokan in Japanese) close to our place. It was a tough task waking Richie up and getting him ready for the early morning session.

Nevertheless,we reached on time. It was a good session with other Japanese moms and their babies of less than 1 year. Richie was very happy as he got to play with other kids. He loves babies (I know, he is a baby too).He smiles when he sees them and tries to touch them. We had exercise, games and lots of talk session of how to take care of oneself, while catering to the needs of the baby. These days I was having backache and legs muscles were also paining very badly. The exercises during the session proved to be wonderful and I came home refreshed.

Richie - The Budding singer

Richie is very fond of music. When he was 7 weeks old, I played nursery rhymes and he was listening and watching it. He has a good ear for music. He likes pop,reggae and soft music. If he doesn't like a particular song, he indicates it by doing "huuum, huuu" and turning away his head. He eats well if his favourite music or song is played. So I have kept a list of his favourite songs ready, which needs to be refreshed every now and then.

Today my heart went out for Richie. You would ask me why? He was in full spirits today. He took hold of one of his toy (like a microphone) and started singing "aaaaaa,iiiiii, aaaaaa". He was not at all bothered of the world around. There was no stopping him. He was busy sitting down,singing and bouncing,as if dancing like the pop singers. It was cute to watch him sing and funny at the same time. One of his favourite song is "We are the world, we are the children" by Michael Jackson and his group consisting of well known singers. He watches them and sings with the chorus "aaaaaa,aaaaaa,aaaaaaaaaa". Here are the wordings of the song for you with the singer names.

***We are the World***

Lionel richie
There comes a time when we heed a certain call

Lionel richie & stevie wonder
When the world must come together as one

Stevie wonder
There are people dying

Paul simon
And its time to lend a hand to life

Paul simon & kenny rogers
The greatest gift of all

Kenny rogers
We cant go on pretending day by day

James ingram
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change

Tina turner
We are all part of gods great big family

Billy joel
And the truth, you know, love is all we need

Chorus:
Michael jackson
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving

Diana ross
Theres a choice were making
Were saving our own lives

Michael & diana ross
Its true well make a better day
Just you and me

Dionne warwick
Send them your heart
So theyll know that someone cares

Dionne warwick & willie nelson
And their lives will be stronger and free

Willie nelson
As God has shown us by turning stones to bread

Al jarreau
So we all must lend a helping hand

Chorus:
Bruce Springsteen
We are the world, we are the children

Kenny Loggins
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving

Steve Perry
Theres a choice were making
Were saving our own lives

Daryl Hall
Its true well make a better day
Just you and me

Michael jackson
When youre down and out, there seems no hope at all

Huey lewis
But if you just believe theres no way we can fall

Cindy lauper
Well, well, well, well let us realize that a change can only come

Kim carnes
When we stand together as one

Chorus:
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving

Theres a choice were making
Were saving our own lives
Its true well make a better day
Just you and me

We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving

Bob Dylan
Theres a choice were making
Were saving our own lives
Its true well make a better day
Just you and me

Chorus
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving

Theres a choice were making
Were saving our own lives

Bob Dylan
Its true well make a better day
Just you and me


Ray Charles
Alright let me hear ya

Chorus
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving

Ray Charles
Theres a choice were making
Were saving our own lives
Its true well make a brighter day
Just you and me

Stevie Wonder / Bruce Springsteen
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving

Stevie Wonder
Theres a choice were making
Were saving our own lives
Its true well make a better day
Just you and me

Stevie Wonder / Bruce Springsteen
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving

Bruce Springsteen
Theres a choice were making
Were saving our own lives
Its true well make a better day
Just you and me

Chorus
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving

Theres a choice were making
Were saving our own lives
Its true well make a better day
Just you and me

James Ingram
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving

Ray Charles
Theres a choice were making
Were saving our own lives
Its true well make a better day
Just you and me

Trip to Pallete town in Odaiba

It was a long weekend in Japan as Monday is a holiday. We decided we will take Richie for an outing to Palette town in Odaiba. He loves the outdoors and gets excited when we tell him we are going on a trip. I told him that he can drive real cars and go "grrmmm, grmmmmm". Yes, he knows that because he does it with his toy cars and the wheel on his stroller.

Afternoon came and we all set out, packing Richie's foodstuff and other accessories.It is autumn now and the weather was very pleasant. We took Tokyo Teleport, the nearest station to the Pallete town.


Pallete town is a shopping and entertainment complex which consists of Venus Fort, Sun Walk, Mega Web, a Ferris Wheel and Zepp Tokyo, a large concert venue.


We sat in the giant Ferris wheel. I am scared of heights and get motion sickness in the fun-rides. When we reached the ticket counter, I pulled my hubby aside and asked "Do you think it is fine for Richie?" My hubby laughed. He knew exactly what was going in my mind.;) When I sat in, I started singing nursery rhymes and playing with Richie. Yeah, you guessed it right!! But later everything seemed great. You get a lovely view of Odaiba city from the top.



Then we went to Mega web. Mega Web is a Toyota showroom, where you can view and touch Toyota's newest models and car accessories. Richie got behind the wheels of a Toyota to take Dada and Mama for a ride. ;) Later, we had fun driving the motor sports simulator car in Mega web. Richie was fast asleep in his stroller when we were driving. We also visited the Mega web history garage where they have exhibited historic cars. Richie was curious and looking at the cars with great interest.



Venus Fort is a shopping mall, a kind of 18th century South European town. It features more than one hundred boutiques, shops, cafes and restaurants. It looks like a fairyland and has a false blue sky which makes you feel it is still daytime even if it is pitch dark outside.

We returned home with Richie enjoying the cool breeze in the night, with the hopes of another fun trip soon.

Rainy week in Tokyo

It was a rainy week. Richie and I were kind of stranded at home. One of these days there was a typhoon(cyclone) too.It was a strong one with everything being taken away by the wind for its collection.;)

We could not enjoy our trips outside nor could I go for Japanese classes due to the incessant rains. But our hopes were not dampened. We decided to have fun at home.

I took out my sketch book and started drawing for Richie's playroom. Richie was keenly watching me and trying to grab the pencil as if to say "I wanna draw too".

We played ring-a-ring roses. He was laughing with joy when we did "all-fall-down".

We　also played peekaboo, with me hiding Richie's favorite toys and Richie screaming with delight after finding them.

There was lot of floor time for Richie with him attempting to crawl and walk with my support.

We also sang "Royal duke of york" and other songs with actions with Richie bouncing on my lap.

All and all we kind of enjoyed our days at home.

Richie eating with his own hands

Richie is getting curious and smarter day-by-day. He wants to know all that is happening around him. He watches and listens to every small thing or sound and does "huuu,huuumm" asking "what is it mama?". Whether it is the sound of pressure cooker whistles, mixer, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, cutting vegetables, water splashing, washing utensils etc. I make it a point to explain to him and show him how it works.

He also studies me when I eat food and tries to imitate me. Recently we started giving him finger-foods. He mashes it with his tongue and then gulps it. Today I put some small round biscuits in his plate and picked up one and ate. Seeing me do it, he also caught one in his tiny hands and put it in his mouth. Then I did again. And he did the same. Yes, this was his first time. Now if I put something in his plate, he eats it on his own.

I want to see mama when I wake up

I am full time working mother and currently on childcare leave for 1 year. During the week, I am alone, taking care of Richie, rather we both have loads of fun together. Our daily routine is somewhat fixed. I wake up little bit early to make breakfast and to finish most of my daily chores. When my little one wakes up, I am around and take care of his needs.

On weekends, the schedule is different. Dada sleeps till late and hence Richie loves to be in bed till then. If Richie wakes up, dada takes care of him. Recently the pattern has changed. As soon as he wakes up, he searches for me and cries if I am not around, even if dada is there. Once I come in, he is happy and raises his arms so as to say "Mama, take me in your arms". Earlier, he used to wake up and give a nice smile. But now he just cries. I wonder why!! Definately, he loves his dada a lot and the two of them have lots of fun together. But when he wakes up, he wants his mom near him. Have you also come across such a change in behaviour? He changed after completing 7.5 months. I read that babies develop separation anxiety after the 6 month. Maybe that's what it is. Separation from mama who is the primary caretaker.

Richie's favourite toys

Richie is 8.5 months old now. He has started having his collection of favourite things. Can you guess what they are? You might say, stuffed toys, cars, ball? No, those are not the ones. He is fascinated by the labels attached to the toys, pillow cases, bedsheets etc. He will sit holding and feeling them with his hand for a long time. After a while, whatever is in his hand, then goes in his mouth. He says "Mom, I just want to taste and check whether it is good." He is also exploring and checking the textures of different materials whether it is papers, cloth, books, plastic toys, strings etc.

While I am writing this he is playing in his bed. Wait a minute, he seems very quiet and sitting with his back towards me. Let me check. There he goes.... He found the label of a new stuffed toy I had given him today and is happily chewing away to glory.

New pearls seen

Richie, now shows off his 4 pearls when he smiles. He cut his 4th tooth as soon as he completed 8 months. 2 teeth of the lower jaw came out first and now the upper jaw ones. There are 2 more canine teeth trying to make their way out. His first 2 teeth were seen when he was six and half months old. It seems babies get cranky during teeth eruption. Luckily, Richie sailed through it with minor hiccups here and there.

Baby sitting on his own

"Yataaaa (Japanese phrase for 'to do')", he did it. Today Richie sat on his own. I witnessed it. I felt so very proud. What a beaming smile he gave me!!:)There was a sense of great achievement in his innocent smile. He looked happy and relaxed. He sounded confident and tried it a couple of times. I propped some pillows around him, just in case. As you know, moms are always the worried lot. ;)

Funtime - Playing in the park

After a long time, we thought of stretching our muscles a bit. So I and my hubby decided that we will play soccer in the park. Evening came and we all 3 marched to the park in our sportswear. We played whilst Richie sat in his stroller, watching and cheering us up. After a while, some kids also joined us. Richie was overjoyed and was almost jumping out of the stroller to play with us.

After coming home, I saw him laying on his back and kicking his plastic ball just the way we did. That was pretty fast for a 8 month old.

Practicing hard to sit on his own

Richie is trying his best to sit on his own. Everyday he practices by putting weight on his hands and pushing himself up. He is almost there. Just needs to shift his leg position once he gains control. 1 week back, he was in his bed, and I was in the kitchen. When I turned back, he was sitting and smiling at me. I don’t know how he did it, maybe took support of the pillows or side of the bed. But there he was smiling and saying “Mama, look, I sat on my own”. He is 8 months 8 days old now. Maybe a bit late to achieve this milestone as compared to other babies. But every child is unique. He is developing his language skills better than gross motor skills.

He is very eager to achieve this milestone of sitting up on his own. I have noticed that if he cannot do something, he puts in every effort to reach it. The coolest part is he even gets up from his sleep and keeps trying as if sleep walking. He feels desperate and cries when he cannot do it. But he doesn’t give up. He did the same thing when he wanted to turn on his tummy. I know he is close and will reach his target soon.

Wonderful things about being a mom to Richie

Richie has completed 8 months and life feels wonderful as a mom. Yes, credit definitely goes to Richie. He does so many wonderful things. With Richie in my life, everyday is a happening one and is different. To jot down a few things,

-Richie has a very understanding nature. If we tell him to do something, chances are that 90% he will listen.
-he is a sweet little angel and I love when he looks into my eyes and smiles when I am holding him close to me.
-he gives tight velcro hugs and wet kisses.
-he laughs when we crack a joke as if he understood everything.
-he has started taking part in adult conversation and he starts blabbering to gain attention when we talk.
-in him, I find at least one fan follower, who giggles and laughs when I sing and dance.
-he is my partner to play with the ball and to blow bubbles.
-he is my friend to go for walks in the park.
-when I talk to him, he does 'uuuunnn','huunn' as if he is listening to me.

I hope days go on smoothly like this and with every passing day, Richie grows to be a strong, talented and a happy kid.

What to do when babies are not eating?

Richie wakes up in the morning and makes a fuss to have milk. It almost takes 1-2 hours by the time he finishes just 100 ml of milk. We could not go anywhere in the mornings as we used to get delayed on account of this. Recently I got a nice idea. As soon as he gets up, I dress him up, take all his food stuff and go to the park. He loves nature and feels hungry after a good round in the park. And the very good thing is, he gulps down whatever comes in his mouth. ;)
It works wonders to take babies outside. They feel good in the fresh air and come home refreshed. It is like killing 2 birds in one stone.

We had fun - 7 months 26 days

Today was yet another lovely day. Richie and I had fun. We usually sleep in the afternoons and by the time we wake up, it is late in the evening. Though I decide to take him to the park, we hardly manage to do so.

But it was different today. It is the onset of Autumn and the weather was wonderful. Soon after lunch, I decided, let us go out. I had my Japanese classes at Kumon center, hence I had no excuses whatsoever. The timings are flexible and it becomes easier for me to attend it. Richie sat with me during the class. He behaved well, except for some minor hitches. The class is one-to-one, so it is no problem. He felt asleep during the class so it was good for me.

After the class was over, I took him to a Jidokan - day-care center where mother and baby can play together. He had fun playing with the toys and rocking on the chair. He was smiling when the other ladies were talking to me in Japanese. I guess he likes the language.

Later we went to the park. He met his 4 girlfriends and was happily playing with them.

We came home and I thought he will fall asleep the moment he touches the bed. But I was wrong. He was still playing. He had milk and apple and after a long time he is sleeping now. And I am writing this blog to remember this memorable day.

Mirror, Mirror, have I changed?

Some babies are born bald, some have little hair and some are gifted with a lot of hair. Maybe the environment plays a vital role or is it hereditary? I don't know. When Richie was born, he had lot of hair. We used to have trouble drying his hair after bath. It seems that baby's head is soft and care should be taken not to cause any harm.

Now Richie is 7.5 months old. As his lustrous hair were dangling down, everyone thought he was a girl.:) He used to pull his hair because they were causing hindrance, by going in his eyes and ears. We decided to give him some relief. My hubby was the best barber we could get. :) So we put on his favourite music and made him sit and started giving him a trim. Richie is a very curious and a sensitive baby. We had just started triming, he realised something is fishy. He started turning and seeing what is happening on top of his head. We struggled for 1 hour, but in vain. We barely could managed a little. After all the tiring work, he started feeling sleepy. That was a good chance. We let him sleep away to glory. My hubby managed to do the work. When Richie woke up, we showed him the mirror and he started staring at himself, as if saying "Mirror, mirror, have I changed?"

Fun with precrawl exercise - 7 months 15 days

Richie is now sitting unsupported when kept on the floor.He has completed 32 weeks i.e 7 and half months. Though he is not yet sitting on his own,he is doing his "precrawl" exercise, rocking back and forth on hands and knees with his trunk parallel to the floor. He gets excited and giggles and laughs. I kept some toys in front of him (a little out of reach) and he went a few paces on his fours and got it too. I felt really proud of him.
It seems most babies begin to crawl between 7 and 10 months. A few never crawl at all and bide their time until they're ready to walk!

DPT vaccination - second dose

DPT refers to a class of combination vaccines against three infectious diseases in humans: diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus.

Richie had his 2nd dose of the DPT vaccination 2 weeks back.It was a weekend and hence his daddy too accompanied us. He screamed loudly when he got the shot and my heart just skipped a beat. Good that my hubby was there for support.
The following week he seemed a bit colic. Maybe side effects of the vaccination. No major problems though.

Sitting Without Support - 7 months 12 Days

Days were passing very fast and Richie had completed 7 months. He was not ready to sit unsupported yet. I had read that babies start sitting on their own at 6 months and here my baby was going plop on the floor as soon as I left my hands. My hubby was reassuring and telling me not to worry saying he will take his own pace. I guess mothers are always the worried lot. ;)

Yeah, actually babies reach different milestones at different times. No 2 babies are exactly the same. Some start rolling over fast, some directly walk rather than crawling. So there is absolutely no need to worry. And the most important thing is "Do not compare your baby to others". Just provide your baby with the necessary love and care and see him/her growing stronger day by day.

Richie is a healthy baby. He started rolling on to the tummy at 4 months and rolling in both directions at 6 months. And I guess he was happy rolling over and reaching his destination. Maybe he didn't feel the need to do otherwise. So in order to achieve his new milestone, Richie and I did a lot of sitting sessions and playing on the floor. We taught him how to hold his hands on the floor for support. Slowly he started getting the confidence in himself. Now he sits unsupported playing with his toys. And he has started loving it... to sit just like all of us. He looks at us and smiles. Maybe he gets a sense of independence.

I got the joke Dada!!

Richie was 30 weeks old, almost close to his 7 month mark. He was playing with the ball holding it between his legs and passing it to his hands with great diligence. I and my hubby were talking and happened to joke about something and we were in laughter. Hearing us, Richie also started laughing (shouting loudly) as if he too had got the joke. This was the first time he was laughing so spontaneously upon hearing us laugh loudly. It was funny!! :) And did we think he was happily playing alone? He was keenly listening to what mom and dad were talking. I had read that babies start participating in adult jokes at this age. I experienced it myself too.

Trip To ShibaKoen park in Japan

Richie loves nature and enjoys the outdoors. We went for an outing to Shibakoen - a Japanese garden, last weekend. The park is densely populated with trees and winding pathways. You can also get a good view of the Tokyo tower from the park. We had a relaxing time sitting on the lawn in the open park.


When Richie was put on the lawn, he shouted because it was poking him. Later he liked it and was even trying to pull some out.;) He loves to feel the different textures of things. The lawn was a new experience for him.

Kumon - pursuing my Japanese studies

My baby has grown up and has become very loving and understanding. Though there are times when he throws tantrums, he is well-behaved most of the time.

After 7.5 months of hiatus, I decided to do some new activity. I thought I will pursue my Japanese studies. I inquired at the KUMON centre for Japanese studies. They said that I could join them after giving a test to check my current level of Japanese. Now the point was, who will take care of my baby while I am away. It was getting difficult to find day-care centre in the place where I live, as they are already fully occupied. When I asked the teacher, she said I can keep my baby near me in the class. So that was it. Richie and I are both learning Japanese together. He loves to be in the class, watching what people are doing and learning Japanese too. It is like 2 people are studying in the cost of 1 (just kidding);).

Features of the Kumon Japanese Language Program (taken from the site)

The learning materials are designed for self-study.
Each student can study the level that suits his or her current ability.
The course is broken into small steps, for faster understanding and advancement.
The materials are aimed at developing reading comprehension skills.
Students obtain a high level of proficiency in Japanese.
The basis of the program is home study.
The course can be taken either in class or through correspondence.
Students can start at any time.

For people who would like to join KUMON in Japan, here is a link for you.
Kumon - Japanese Learning Program

Also you can make your inquiries for free at the below given number.
Toll free: 0120-494625 (9:20 ～ 17:45)
Available in Japanese, English, Portuguese, Chinese and Korean.
3F Gobancho Grand Bldg., 3-1 Gobancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 〒102-0076
Fax: 03-3234-4389　E-mail: japanese@kumon.co.jp

How smart can a baby be?

Many a times Richie and I play peekaboo. He just loves the game. If he gets bored, I start it and instantly his face lights up. It does not require expensive toys and it is fun to play. Sometimes I just keep hands on my face, or pull a cloth or sometimes hold his favourite teddy. If I am close to him he pulls the object and starts squealing, indicating that he found mama. Sometimes I hide behind the door and he gets startled when I suddenly jump out.

Yesterday Richie did an interesting thing. There is a dressing table in our bedroom and Richie loves to see his reflection in the mirror. He was on the bed and I was in the outer room near the door. While playing, I suddenly jumped out as usual and this guy was cool. I was surprised. I tried it again. And he just looked at me and smiled. Later, I noticed that this guy was looking in the mirror and finding out where mom was. The angle of the mirror is such that you can see the outer room easily. I just could not help laughing over the incident. I was fooled by this smart little boy of mine.

Where can you get cerelac in Japan?

My baby became 6 months and his demand for food was increasing. Breast milk was just not enough and as a result he was biting me...thinking maybe that biting may get more milk out of me. ;)
It was time for new tastes and foods. In our home-town, we offer cerelac as baby first foods. I was wondering what to offer as in Japanese stores cerelac was not available. So I opted for rice meal called Okayu.

After some days, a friend of mine told me where we can get cerelac in Japan. Here is a link for people who want to buy it in Japan.
Cerelac in Japan

In other countries, you can also order on Amazon. Here is the link for you.

Surprise visit by my Japanese friend

Last Saturday we had a surprise visit. My Japanese friend with her 5 year old son came over. They had specially come to see Richie. Richie was in the bedroom and almost asleep. Hearing new sounds, he became alert and excited. He started shouting aaa,gaaa, baaa,yeee.. Maybe he wanted to meet his guests. When he saw them, he first studied them and then went to them. Her little son was happy to see Richie and they started playing together.

He had made nice origami animals and gifted them to Richie. Origami is an art of paper folding (折り紙, Japanese 'ori', to fold, and 'kami', paper). And my friend got a melon for us. It was a nice re-union after a long time.

It is an interesting story of how I met my friend. I had joined Japanese classes in our ward-office soon after I came to Japan. After finishing the course we had a farewell party. We wore kimono and danced the traditional Japanese Obon (summer festival) dance. Now at that party, people who were studying English too were present. That is where we exchanged email-ids and started writing to each other.
I used to write whatever little Japanese I knew with English and she did the other way round. She also was the one who inspired me to join Karate. Our friendship has grown stronger over the years and we are the best of friends now.

Saying his first words mum-mum-mum

It feels so good to be in control of my life again. My baby has learnt to play on his own, occasionally, needing assurance that mom is there to take care of him if there is anything he needs. In between his play, he looks at me, smiles and gets back to what he is doing.

Last weekend we took Richie to the shopping mall and he played a lot in the babies section. It took us almost 4 hours by the time we finished our shopping and got home. Richie was so hungry that he started saying "mum-mum-mum". That means “give me food”. I was surprise when I heard it the first time. Were my ears just ringing? But when he repeated it again I was sure. He uttered his first words and that too he said it when he needed it. Earlier,he had said ba-bu,ga,gi,aaa,uu, but it was just blabbering once in a while.

He has this habit of quietly listening when we teach him and then one fine day he exhibits what he has learnt. It was fantastic. He exactly completed 7 months last weekend. I guess he is early for his age and it feels great to see him achieving this new milestone.

Bring out the creativity in your child

I was reading Agatha Christie’s, ‘The moving finger’ novel. I liked these particular formulation from the book. Here is an excerpt: The protagonist says, “It is a theory of mine, that we owe most of our great inventions and most of the achievements of genius to idleness - either enforced or voluntary. The human mind prefers to be spoon-fed with the thoughts of others, but deprived of such nourishment it will, reluctantly, begin to think for itself – and such thinking, remember, is original thinking and may have valuable results.”

How very true!! There are so many cases of people doing that; to name a few:

Sir Isaac Newton discovered the “The Universal Law of Gravitation ” when he was sitting under an apple tree and saw an apple falling.”

Legend says that Archimedes discovered the principle of displacement while stepping into a full bath. He realized that the water that ran over equaled in volume the submerged part of his body. This is also known as the ‘Archimedes' principle’. Legend also says that Archimedes was so excited with his discovery that he hopped out of the bath, and rushed naked into the street yelling triumphantly, "Eureka!" "Eureka!" (Greek word for 'I have found it!).

It is also true for our babies as well. Leaving your baby to play on his/her own, helps them to create new games. At this age, their brains are developing and they are constantly thinking of new ways of entertainment. Let your baby have his/her own quiet moments through the day. You will be surprised at what creative stuff they can come up with, out of nothing.

Who knows, someday they will be the next Newton or Edison!!

Nursing Mom's day off

It is very good for nursing mothers to have some time for recreation and relaxation. Bringing up a child can be sometimes taxing if you do not get time for yourself.

Richie is almost 7 months now. Last weekend, my hubby thought of giving me a nice break and said "I will take care of our baby. You can do whatever your heart feels like doing."

Pursuing my hobby of reading books, I went to the library to get my favourite books. I am a great fan of detective novels. My hubby once remarked, “If you were not an engineer, you would surely be a detective.” Rightly said!! I can spend days reading books, specially detective novels, forgetting about everything.

It was a very wonderful weekend. I felt refreshed and ready for the new week.

Baby Entertainment and Exercise

6 months after my baby’s birth, I have started becoming health conscious. I used to hardly take care of myself thinking that there is no time. I guess you too will agree with me. But my hubby believes “where there is a will, there is a way”. That statement made me think again. After making my baby’s feeding and sleep schedule, I started getting little more time for myself and I decided to have an exercise regime. What else can be better than having a healthy and sound body?

So I said to myself, “nothing doing, I am going to have a strict schedule for myself too”. Now having a baby and only you to take care of him does not allow you to go to a gym everyday. And Daycare can be little expensive for few hours. What can be done?

I realized my baby loves music and I love to sing and dance. And above all he loves when I dance. Sheer luck!! Hence I decided to kill 2 birds in one stone. Everyday, when he is awake, I put on the music, exercise and dance. There is one more benefit of this. My baby also tries to imitate me and shakes his hands, legs, starts cooing and enjoys himself.. And did I say only 2 birds? :)He is doing so much… music, singing (moving lips), dancing, exercise…lot of entertainment for him.. and for me.. I am on the way to having a slim body again. I am feeling so happy now.

Books for babies – Fun time

These days Richie is having fun reading story books. He loves to hear when I read out to him and he even turns the pages. But what he does most is taste the book to check if it good. ;) Babies at this age have very sensitive taste buds and want to taste everything to find out whether they are good or bad.
 

His favourite are “The very hungry caterpillar”, “Goodnight moon”, “Five little monkeys jumping on the wall”, “My first 100 words” and “Spot the Dog - series”. Here are some books you can buy for your little ones and see the lovely smile on their face.They will surely enjoy them.

There is nothing like listening to stories before going to bed. The rhythmic sound soothes them and makes them fall asleep. It also helps to create a love for books, which will help them in the long run. I remember our grandmother telling us stories when we were small and I used to love it, even if, she was repeating the same story everyday. ;) It brings nostalgic moments back to me.

Richie’s trip to the shopping mall

Today mom took me to the mall for shopping. In that mall, there are lots of things, right from food shopping, kids and baby clothes, toys and accessories, men’s clothes and accessories, women’s clothes, home accessories and electrical appliances, pet foods and clothes and the list goes on.. It also has a health and beauty spa, hair cutting saloon, eye testing clinic, pain relief massage parlour, and even English lessons for kids and adults. You name it and it is there. Mom and Dad can spend hours at the mall shopping and I enjoy sitting in my pram and having a tour of it. That is how I know about all of it. ;)

Now the best place in the mall is the games section where kids and adults play together. I love watching them as I cannot play much there. Here are some pictures for you. Mom says she will take me there when I become 1 year old. There is also an area adjacent to it with lots of toys, for babies to play. That is the area I like the most at the moment. Mom showed me this area many a times, but today I actually got to play. I felt a bit scared at first, finding myself amidst other babies and people. Later I got down and started playing without bothering about others. I had lot of fun trying out new musical toys, drums, alphabet blocks, cranes, books etc. It was very exciting. I am waiting to go there again.

6 month old baby feeding and sleep schedule

After all these days of on-demand feeding, I realized that Richie is still not getting enough. He was always hungry. I wondered, “what is going wrong? am I not feeding him properly?” I realized that though I was feeding him, it was all haphazard. He used to be not hungry enough and then refuse food. I used to think he had his feed and next within an hour he was hungry again.

My friend advised me to make a schedule. She said, once he is on a schedule, he will wake up for his feed at the stipulated time. Yes, it will seem difficult initially, but will be very beneficial to both of you in the long run. Some days in the schedule, and I am a happy mom. I even get time to blog as I am no longer worried whether he is getting enough. When it is time to eat, I feed him and he too is happy.

I am posting Richie’s schedule here. I thought, it might help someone who, like me is craving for time to do something for themselves. This schedule is just a guideline and you can change it to suit your baby.

8am – Wake up, drink breast milk/formula
8.30 - Play and Sleep (about 2 hours)
11am – Breast milk/Juice/Water and Play/Learn/Exercise
1pm – Lunch of rice and vegetable
1 – Sleep for 2-3 hours
3.30pm - Drink breast milk/Formula
4-6pm - Play, go for a walk in the park, drink water/juice
6.30pm – Light Snacks sweet potatoe, apple/banana puree, fruits yoghurt etc
7pm – Oil Massage and Bath
8pm – Catnap for 30 mins if the bath was too tiring;)
8.30pm – Dinner of rice porridge with fish/vegetables
11pm – Breast milk/formula
11.30pm – Sleep (+wakes up once or twice for feeds)

Saw baby's first 2 teeth - 6 Months 15 Days

My baby is 6 months and 15 days to be precise. The other day when Richie was laughing, I saw two little pearls shining at me. Oh wow, he was showing off his new possession...2 white teeth were making their way through the gums of the lower jaw. He seemed excited.

Babies typically sprout their first white caps between the age of 4 to 7 months. But teething can start as early as 3 months or late as 12 months, so there is no need to worry.

Here comes the real test for me. Now that the teeth are scratching, I get more bites when I am breastfeeding him.. Ouuuuccccch..

Pregnancy and childbirth in Japan - What to expect

Pregnancy and child birth is said to be a life-changing experience for a women. Doing it in one’s own country is difficult enough and in a foreign land (for me here in Japan) where you do not even understand the language much, makes it much more difficult.

I decided to take up the challenge as I and my hubby are working here and wanted to be together during the delivery. Here are some guidelines of what to expect if you are having your baby here in Japan.

Once my pregnancy was confirmed, the doctor told us that we must register our pregnancy at the city office or nearest health center.The city office gave us a Maternal and Child health handbook (boshi techo), in which we will have to record the course of my pregnancy and the birth, prenatal classes record, as well as our baby's development and immunization records. This is a very important document and will serve as proof wherever baby development and benefits thereof are concerned. Along with the "boshi techo" is a packet containing local information, prenatal classes and immunization schedules. Also included are 10-12 coupons which will give you discount for health check-ups during the course of your pregnancy.

A prenatal visit to the doctor costs between 3,500 and 10,000 yen. Since we had the coupons it came out cheaper. We had ultra sound as a routine and was included in the fee. We also had HIV, blood sugar test, as well as Pap smear test. We had to bear the extra cost for these tests which was between 6,000 – 20,000 yen. Whoops, that seemed like a big expense for us. But for our baby, anything was fine.

The average cost for a normal delivery and a 5-7 day stay in the hospital with food included is between 350,000-850,000 yen, depending on whether you have taken a private or a shared room.

The city office gives around 350,000 to 380,000 yen as assistance for childbirth expenses as of January 2009. You need to apply for this aid at the city office with the boshi-techo and/or child-birth certificate, which may differ based on your locality. You will have to inquire at your city office for the exact procedure. You can decide to get the childbirth expenses amount in your account or directly pay at the hospital.
All the best for your pregnancy!!

more in the next blog...

Sweet Potatoes as baby food

I introduced sweet potatoes to Richie after he completed 6.5 months. Sweet potatoes are nutritious and high in Vitamin A and beta carotene as well as potassium. They also contain a good amount of Vitamin E, calcium and folate. It is easy to prepare and he enjoys it as well.

Here is a simple recipe for you:
Sweet Potatoes Puree
1. Steam or bake sweet potatoes together until tender.
2. Puree as needed, adding water to thin if required.

Sweet Potatoes and Apple Mash
1. Steam or bake apples and sweet potatoes together until tender.
2. Mash/puree as needed, adding water to thin if required.

Boiling/Steaming Sweet Potatoes:
1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small chunks
2. Place chunks into a pan/pressure cooker with just enough water
3. Boil until tender.

Other foods which you can mix with sweet potatoes
Apples
Baby Cereal
Brown Rice
Carrots
Chicken
Green Beans
Lentils
Peaches
Peas
Pumpkin
Yogurt

Dream World - The land of the rising sun

After 2 days of continuos rains, the sun-god decided to shine on us. I am standing in my balcony and it feels great to breath the fresh air after the clouds have cleared up the sky. I like to bask in the morning sun, happy and contented about where I am and what I am doing. Sometimes it looks like a dream. I am working in Tokyo, Japan - The land of the rising sun, one of the world’s costliest city. It’s been more than 4 years for me here and I have enjoyed every bit of it with my hubby. It is a dream come true. In here, it is important to learn at least conversational Japanese language and I did it first thing after landing.

Another feather to my cap is, I am a MOM now and this feeling brings me a great deal of satisfaction and happiness. Richie was born here in Japan, this January, 2009. I started this blog because of him to pen down my thoughts about motherhood. I hope you feel good reading it.

I am proud of my son who is growing with each passing day to be a handsome individual. He is 6 months old now. He is learning and gaining the right skills and we are happily enjoying the days together. How good I feel to take care of his needs knowing that this li’l angel is depending on me for his every need. I know he will soon grow to be an independent person. Until then I am going to be loving mom, his guide, philosopher and above all his best friend.

Richie says Hi

Hello you lovely people, This is Richie again. This is the continuation to my previous blog Hello Everyone, Richie here... I am doing a lot of stuff..

These days I am also practicing pushing forward. Yet to master it.. But I know I will soon be there. Mom is worried that I am not sitting yet.. Don’t worry mom, I will do that too.

I have started eating solid foods. I eat rice with vegetables everyday. The other things I tasted are fruits yogurt, apple puree, orange and apple juices, sweet potatoes and of course formula milk. But of them all, mom’s milk is my favourite. :) I need mommy’s milk at least 4-5 times a day and specially when going to sleep. Not much trouble to suck from bottles or eat with spoons. I can drink in my sleep too.. he he he ;)

Mom takes me in the balcony for fresh air everyday and I love to see the car, buses, motorbikes, vans, bicycles down on the road. She tells me all about them. I specially love to see the li'l babies in their prams.

I love to sleep on my tummy these days. It makes my back cool.

Recently I have got a craze for youtube. I love watching “Macarena, Ketchup and Lambada” songs. I also like a lot of nursery rhymes. Mom sings for me so that I understand the words.Favourite among them are ”Alphabet song, Incy Wincy Spider, 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed, chubby cheeks, happy birthday” .. hmmm the list is a little long… Mom says ”I should sing the happy b'day song for my first bday”. There are six months more for me to practice.

Yes, I have also learnt some sign language. I can shake hands, give high-five, ask for milk, ask for more food, say no.. These days I am counting numbers with my fingers. I also understand “Come here, open your mouth, show tongue, touch, point to the pics, turn on your stomach, bath-time, sleep-time, nappy change time”.

Hello Everyone, Richie here

Hello dear people who read mama’s blog. I had written a blog when I was in Mama’s tummy (obviously my thoughts and mama’s hands). I hope you had liked it. I thought you may have missed me, so I am back again. You see I am growing up fast. I had been busy, getting used to the new environment and routines, learning new things.... and hence the delay. O my God!! Life is so complicated outside the womb. But at the same time, it is so much colorful and fun.And I am not alone anymore. Everybody loves me so much. I can play, shout, laugh and there is mom and dad to take part in it. I like the adventures. It is fun seeing and doing all the things I am doing now. I am 6 months now and mom says “I am a big boy now and I should do things on my own”. Do you think so? hmmmmmm.. maybe.. I am behaving myself. You know how much !! husssh husssh..
What was I doing all these days? Do you want to know?

I have learnt to play on my own.
I love to throw toys all over the place and then find them, or sometimes mom finds them for me.:)

I can hold my neck up strongly and can turn on my tummy and back.
I love rolling as it takes me to my destination faster and gives mama good exercise running after me. ;) he he he . Also it helps me to retrieve the toys I like or to go to the place where mom and dad are sitting. I give them nice surprises while they are working.

My best pastime is eating my toes… yeah they are very delicious ”in mama’s words”.ha ha ha…
I play with the ball everyday. I can hold it in-between my legs and get it to my hands. The other day I heard mom telling dad “I think he gonna be a great soccer player”..Well maybe.. I wanna be good at many things as possible. “Master of All trades”!! So I am practicing at an early age.

Mom and dad play peekaboo with me .. It is fun .. Lots of squealing and laughter goes on at that time. I enjoy it when from nowhere mom and dad suddenly appear..
Mom blows bubbles and dad and I have fun catching them.

Mom takes me to the park almost everyday in the evening.. I enjoy nature. The trees and the water.. there is a big fountain, river and the board walk and lots of children activities. I love to rock on the panda. Yet to sit play on the slide, swing, the boat, railway engine etc.
I have also made some friends.. they are girls but more than 3 years.. age doesn’t matter though;)

more in the next blog...

Home Sweet Home –Thirteenth week

As mentioned in my earlier blog trip abroad, we were home for holidays. It was a long but wonderful journey.

When we reached home,the joy on our parent’s faces knew no bounds. They were very happy to have their grandson home. More than us, it was Richie who got all the attention. They couldn’t have enough of him. He was the center of attraction.

Richie completed 3 months this week. His holidays were going good. He was happy with all the attention and pampering he was getting from everyone at home. Many relatives came to see the newborn in the family. The last baby in the family was born 3 years back so little Richie became the apple of everyones’s eyes. The other 4 older cousins were overjoyed to see a little baby. They were talking and singing nursery rhymes for him. Richie too was enjoying and responding to them with his cute sign language, smiles and cooing. There was an instant bond between them. As for me, I got some time out as he was well occupied with his new playmates and needed mom only for feeds and nappy changes. :)

The change of environment was doing Richie good. He was having good oil massage and bath from a professional person, daily. Even I was getting pampered. Mom made my favourite dishes and I relished them away to glory.

Richie’s Milestone in the thirteenth week:
- trying to turn on his own. He is holding his head well.
- he is catching his legs with his hands and playing... trying to eat his toes.:)
- he is looking at a small baby in a poster and talking a lot.. heard that babies like small babies pictures a lot.
- he is also giggling and shouting when we make funny faces... it is a sign that he understands and is reacting to new stuff.

Trip abroad – twelfth week

This week we are traveling home with Richie, to meet our parents who are eagerly waiting to see Richie. All were pretty excited.

We had a visit to doctor’s place as Richie had li’l cold.　Doctor said the cold was just starting so it should be fine with the medicines. After coming home, Richie played for more than 1.5 hrs with me singing lots of songs for him. Dada took leave and played the guitar for Richie. He loved it and was listening to him carefully. :) He was also looking at the Alphabet pictures on the wall with me guiding him through it.

I started with packing, with Richie’s things taking more than half my suitcase.:)The last day before travel became very hectic. First time for Richie and first time for me as well . :)

The day dawned and we set out for our long trip of more than 18 hours. Since he is just about 3 months, he was fully dependent on breastfeed. Bottle milk was a big no-no. We boarded the flight. Now was the real test during take-off. I had heard that babies cry a lot during take-off and landing as their ears start paining. They should be given something to chew. We had kept lollipops ready for him. During take-off, we noticed Richie sucking his fingers. His habit was a blessing in disguise. He had no problems whatsoever. He then started watching the small TV in the flight. It was a nice sight. He is so used to youtube that he loves to see the colorful moving objects. When the food was served, Richie was smelling the food and drooling :) It was too much for him, seeing all the people around him having food and he did not have anything. ;) We offered him the lollipop and he chewed it with relish. Overall it was a good journey with Richie sleeping most of the time.

It was summer time in our home-town and the weather was extremely hot. Since Richie was born in peak winter, he loves the cold and this was just the opposite for him. He took a while to adjust himself to the scorching heat. But he started enjoying himself so much in the company of his cousins, that he forgot the heat completely. 2 days after reaching home, Richie had his first dose of heptatis-B and oral polio vaccination. He cried and was angry with the doctor for injecting him. :) But then, all is well that ends well. The pain disappeared soon and he was back to playing and having fun.

The Super Mom

If you are a working or a non-working mom, you have to develop multi-tasking skills. We are the project managers, the financial ministers of our home and we have to see to it that every task is executed successfully. There is no room for delays and errors. Else you get lots of complains. ;)

Agreed that working moms may have added responsibilities, but when you are full-time moms you tend to do extra activities of taking care of everything at home. From the start of the day, we are busy juggling and getting things done right from breakfast, laundary, cleaning, cooking, checking bills, food stock etc etc. The list is endless. On the baby side, preparing baby food, feeding, diapering, bearing up with tantrums during feeding and otherwise etc.  We feel we have to make everyone happy. We want to get most of the things done in the few hours we have. Sometimes I feel, “I wish I had more time”. I would rightly give the title “SUPER MOM” to all of us.

Do you think it is worth it? No doubt about it!! It is worth every second. The joy you see on your baby’s face wipes out all the tiredness. The love and laughter makes you do more and more for him. The hugs and the wet kisses on your cheeks are enough to get you rolling…. These days will pass soon.. There won’t be these tiring days and mind you…there won’t be these hugs and kisses too. So make the best of these lovely days.

Though I am saying all this, do not be a SUPER MOM all the time by doing everything on your own. We tend to get so engrossed with home and children that we loose touch with ourselves. Ask for help whenever required, maybe from your hubby, your parents, your friend or a good old neighbour. Take time out for yourself too, so that you feel rejuvenated and can shoulder responsibilities in a better way.

Pop, Puussh- The Funny side :)

Richie does funny little things sometimes. When he grows up and reads this, he is gonna give me a good stare for revealing things about him. ;) Sorry Son!! ;) Ok, now what is it he does? At 2 weeks, when we were all sitting in the room and watching TV with Richie, we heard a loud “POP, PUUUUUUSSHH”. All started wondering where it came from. After some time it went again.. and everybody realized it came in the direction where Richie was …. And what was it? Richie was farting .. gossssh… maybe something in the milk made him gassy.. poor guy.. all were laughing and he did not know that he had all of us in fits of laughter..

It is said that whatever a mother eats affects the baby when he/she is breastfeeding. Care should be taken not to eat stuff which will make the baby feel gassy. Many a times, Richie used to refuse to drink milk.. now I know why? I guess babies feel the stomach pain and express it by crying or by not drinking milk. Nowadays he is doing great and is happy as there are no sounds. ;)

Cherry Blossom – Eleventh week

Richie just completed 10 weeks. He is growing into a happy and energetic baby.He tried to turn after we gave him an oil massage today. One more step towards mobility. Good progress!! :) His demand for milk is increasing day by day and I am trying my best to eat healthy stuff which will help to produce good milk. I do not want to give too much of formula milk in the first 3 months. Not that there is anything bad, it is just my personal choice.

We had our common friends visiting us this week. They came with their 3.5 years old sweet daughter. They got a educational toy where a 6 month old can match shapes and colors. The little girl entertained Richie by singing nursery rhymes "twinkle twinkle little star " etc. Richie was happy to see a little girl (at least someone close to his age) and was listening intently and moving his hands and legs.

This week was travel time.We went to a faraway park to watch cherry blossom with Richie. It was a breathtaking sight. The trees with fully laden with white flowers and the people sitting under it and having a gala time. Though the place was crowded, Richie did not show any stranger anxiety. This was Richie’s first trip by train . Though he did not understand much, he was etching all what he is seeing and experiencing, deep down in his heart.

I feel so great recording all his FIRST TIME activities. Thatz what parenthood is all about. You get a front row seat to history to witness the first smile, first step, first word,….. the list is endless.. I am filled with emotions when I am writing this.. Our baby makes us feel so proud. And these blogs I am writing here… he is the inspiration for it all.. My love just flows of him.. How he amazes me all the time!! A little wonder in our lives!!

Love in the air - Tenth week

With our baby around, it is always “Love” in the air. I try to make the best use of the time he is alert and awake to teach him new things.

I noticed that Richie has started to soothe himself when we are not around. He puts his fingers in his mouth and falls back to sleep. What a boon it is for us!! You guys will say how lucky we are!! Indeed yes. I am blessed!!:) But someday soon, when he grows up a little I will try to break up this habit. Sometimes finger sucking may also mean he is hungry or thirsty. I see to it that he is fed every 2-3 hours so there is no misunderstanding.

We had dada’s friend visiting us this week. He brought a lovely gift, disney’s play mat and a gym for Richie. When we put Richie on it, he was first quiet and not willing to play there. Later when we too started playing with him, he was fine. We have noticed that he has this habit of first getting to know if it is a new person or thing and then if it is good, then he will decide to change his mind. We do not force anything on him and let him take his time and make his own decisions.

It was spring time with the cheery blossom. The weather was beautiful and hence we thought of taking a walk in the nearby parks. We put Richie in the baby carrier, with me holding him close to my heart.:) We had a nice 2 hours walk. On the way, we checked out nursery for Richie. We also went to mama-baby child care center, where we could go and play together. No fees charged. As Richie is already 2.5 months old, we thought the childcare center will help Richie to interact with other kids of his age. Socializing is very good for development.

Richie got cold and cough and hence we took him to the doctor. Since we were suppose to travel soon, we did not want to take any risk. Richie gave a broad smile to the doctor. Maybe he likes him as the doctor talks and smiles at him. The doctor said that our baby is gaining weight steadily. Things are good and always keep up the good spirits.

I have learnt to relax with baby unlike the first month where I used to get tensed for every small thing. We have come to understand each other and learning more with each passing day.

Talking Time - Ninth week

This week we had a lovely treat from Richie which I am going to cherish for ages.　:) He was in a great mood and for the first time I saw him cooing, giggling and saying words like "howu, baaabaa, hiiii etc" . He was playing with his hands and legs in the air, smiling, laughing and responding to what I was saying. I was too excited hearing him. What more will a mother ask from her baby at this age? It was a wonderful sight. He is barely nine weeks old, just completed 2 months and I get such special treats. I took lots of photos and videos. He knows when we click photos and he models for the camera. He looks straight in the camera curious to know how he is appearing.;)

He now holds his head high, better than earlier when we put him on the stomach. He has also started listening and watching nursery rhymes for a longer period of time.
Another special thing this week was that, Richie held the teething toy in his hand and was trying to shake it. It was one more of his achievements, being able to hold things. But he hit his face with it not having control on his hands yet.

We also went to the park and I played volleyball with some friends while Richie sat in his pram watching us. We then had a nice photoshoot.

On the eating front, Richie is a foodie like his mom I guess. He tasted orange juice and was asking for more.:)

On one occasion, dada went for a office get-together and this boy of ours waited till dada returned and was smiling at him. He was then telling dada stories of the days happening with his “aaaa, aaaaa, uuuu, hoowwuuu ” and listening to him. It was too sweet. We could not help smiling. Although dada was sleepy, our angel was not ready to sleep. I must say he loves his dada a lot. I was watching them and cherishing all these lovely moments in my heart.

Over the weekend, I went shopping. As I am going to my native soon, I bought gifts for home and clothes for Richie. While I was away, my hubby was taking care of Richie alone and he had a tough time handling him. Maybe he just got hungry.When I came back Richie gave me a nice smile as if saying, "Mama welcome back!!" which melted my heart.

This week, I went to the visa office to submit documents for Richie’s visa. Once it is ready, we will be going home. It will be the first long trip for Richie and that too in the flight. I heard that babies cry a lot in the flights during take-off and landing. I hope everything goes on well.