After we went to the park for the first time on Thursday, Dan wanted to go to the park with Mio too, so we went as a family on Saturday afternoon. It was colder than it had been the first time we’d gone, so we couldn’t stay out as long, but we had a great time — here are some of the pictures and video from last Saturday!
All smiles on the swing this time!
Trying out the slide... "Ready?"
"Here we go!"
Back on the swing, with Daddy
It’s rainy all this week in the Bay Area, so it looks like we won’t really be able to go outside for a while. Mio has been getting cabin fever and is itching to go outside! Hopefully the sun will come out again soon.
I was just reflecting on the amazing baby shower that our West Coast friends threw us exactly a year ago on March 12 of 2011, and I realized that I had never shared the beautiful photographs that our friend Tea of Dreambox Photography took at the shower for our memory books. As usual, her photos are gorgeous and captured the day beautifully! I was floored by how extravagant a shower our friends Megumi & company threw for us, and continue to be moved by it every time I look at these pictures!
Many of our friends have asked where we’ve gotten some of our portrait and newborn photographs taken, saying how much they love the dreamy, ethereal, and slightly vintage look to the pictures. If you’re ever looking to get photographs taken for any occasion, whether it be a wedding, engagement, portraits or family pictures, Dreambox Photography comes with our highest recommendation!
(Warning: This post contains partial baby nudity and baby bottoms!)
We got rid of Mio’s infant bathtub a few weeks ago, and I’ve been taking baths with her ever since, mostly because it’s just easier to hop in there with her when trying to wash her, but also partially because it’s something I probably will only be able to do for a few more years. In Japan, it’s not uncommon for family members to bathe together, and I think it’s sweet for parents to join their children in their bath while they are still really young.
For obvious reasons, I can’t take any pictures of myself with her in the bath, but Daddy decided to join Mio in the bathtub for a change the other evening, and I had to take some photos to capture these sweet moments!
"You're here with me?!" Mio can't contain her excitement.
Playing with the water
"Gimme that!" (Mio LOVES her foam Piyo Piyo duck)
A bewildered expression as she holds her foam duck hostage.
Exactly one year ago last year, on March 11 at 2:46 pm Japan time, the country was rocked by a massive earthquake and tsunami which killed thousands and set off a nuclear crisis. While Japan has made great strides in the recovery effort in the affected areas, the Japanese people are still suffering from the physical damage and emotional trauma brought on by the triple disaster.
At the time, I was less than a month away from giving birth to Mio, and I could do very little else to contribute to the relief effort than to donate money while caring for a newborn baby in the months following the disaster. However, my family was far from uninvolved in the relief effort — my father spent several sleepless nights interpreting between the US and Japanese governments to discuss how to control the nuclear crisis, and my sister Miwa spent a part of her summer volunteering for the Japanese Red Cross in Ishinomaki to bring aid to one of the most heavily damaged cities — and I couldn’t be more proud of them.
“The pain of one part of humankind is the pain of the whole of humankind. And the human species and the planet Earth are one body. What happens to one part of the body happens to the whole body.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
While we may be living on the other side of the globe from Japan, we are all connected. Seeing the images and hearing the stories of the victims brought heartbreak to people around the world. At the same time, many of us were inspired by the resilience, selflessness, compassion, and strength exhibited by the Japanese people in their darkest hours. I continue to pray for the victims and their families, and hope that Japan can persist in rebuilding to see brighter days.
Mio can’t get enough of being outside and walking around lately — when I take her outside, she’ll initially stand outside on the pavement, stunned and taking in all the sights and sounds and fresh air… and then a huge grin will spread across her face and she’ll start toddling around everywhere. It’s pretty adorable! But then when it’s time to go back inside, she starts crying and has a meltdown, because she wanted to stay out longer.
So you can imagine Mio’s excitement when she got to go to the park for the first time on Thursday! We had a playdate with her friend Sofia, and they live right by the park — both Mio and I had never been there, so it was a new place for both of us! Mio was overwhelmed, trying to take everything in and seeing all the other children at the playground (she’s really interested in other babies/toddlers lately, especially ones that are older than her). She even rode on the swing for the first time!
She was pretty apprehensive, with her signature furrowed brows.
Watching the other kids.
It looks like it may take some time for Mio to really enjoy the swing, but at least she didn't cry!
Bathed in the afternoon light...
Sofia and Mio crawling
The weather was gorgeous, and it was so relaxing to have playtime on the grass!
15-month old Sofia and 11-month old Mio
They are so adorable together!
You can see from Mio's smile how much she's loving the park!
(Thanks Sonya for the photo)
The park is about a 25-30 minute walk away, but we’d love to take more trips over there as the weather gets nicer! It’s great stimulation for Mio and good exercise for Mama, too! 🙂 I’m such a homebody, so it’s sometimes difficult to push myself to get out of the house, but I have to do it for both our sakes!
Thank you Sonya and Sofia for inviting us out to the park — we had such a fun time! 😀
