Trip to Aqua City - Odaiba, Japan

It was a while since we last went out for a short trip. Last one was for Richie's birthday. So without thinking twice, we all set out to aqua city in Odaiba-Tokyo. Aqua City is a gourment and shopping mall. There are also some lovely attractions close to it. The main attractions are:
- Odaiba Kaihin Koen (Odaiba Seaside Park)- a small, but beautiful man-made beach.
- the miniature version of the Statue of Liberty.
- the Rainbow Bridge.
They specially look beautiful in the evening when it is lighted up.


In aqua city, there is also a kid's shopping place called ToysRus. They keep various toys for kids to try out. Richie was excited seeing the new place and all the toys. He could not stop himself from having a feel of them. Richie noticed some kids pushing the push-cars and walking. As Richie is practicing walking himself, he also wanted one for himself. The moment he got one, there was no stopping him. He dashed along the walls, but soon learnt to take the reverse. He was happily cruising around with me or his dada keeping a check on him.

It was already 3pm in the afternoon, and Richie was well past his sleeping time, so we thought we should leave. But Richie was not ready to listen. He wanted more of it. We literally had to drag him out by distracting him.

You can view more information about aqua city here.

11.5 months old baby - trip to hometown

We had taken Richie to our hometown when he was 12 weeks old. He could not understand much that time but he was happy to get all the attention. Specially his 4 cousins who would sing nursery rhymes and play with you. He was cooing and making cute little sounds. He would talk to the poster of babies on the wall and smile at everyone.

This trip was different. He was aware of the surroundings and would react differently to different people. The first few days, Richie was observing everyone. He would not allow anybody near him and would coming running to me or his dada. He took a little while to adjust himself to the new place. After a week or so, he started playing with his cousins and was happy to be in the company of kids. He started interacting with the elders in the house too. After some days he was so comfortable that he started staying with mom while we were running errands. When we came back home he would shout with joy and come running (crawling fast) to the door.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!!