Mio’s friend Junna turned two on February 9, and we invited over on Saturday to celebrate with her and her parents over lunch. I brought over some handmade mini heart pies for the intimate celebration!
Thank you Junna-chan and family for inviting us to be a part of your special birthday celebration! We can’t wait to see how you’ll continue to grow… 🙂
I’m a bit behind on updates, but Mio turned 22 months old February 2. Here’s the latest on her growth and development!
Stats: I’m not sure how tall you are right now because we haven’t had a chance to measure you in a while, but in terms of weight, you now weigh 28 lbs according to the scale at home. You are already getting too heavy for me to carry, and I have to put you down after a couple minutes.
Things You’re Doing Now: You are starting to take an interest in colors, and like to point out things that are red and blue, saying “aka” and “ao” (the Japanese words for the colors, respectively) — though sometimes you get the two mixed up. You’ve always been really into animals, but in the past month or so, you’ve really taken a liking to sea creatures, and like to say “fish” (but with a swishing tone when you say it) and have recently learned “turtle,” too! You have been picking up on certain songs, frequently singing Justin Bieber, as well as singing parts of your favorite Japanese kids’ songs (“Ai Ai,” “Chou-chou”, and “Zou-san”). You’ve started learning some manners too and say “Douzo” when you hand things to people… though sometimes you get confused and say it when you are receiving things, too. You love to take care of others, and I see you frequently trying to feed and dress your stuffed animals, hand toys to other kids, and push doll strollers around. It shows that you have a very nurturing and sweet nature, which is a joy to watch. You’ve also started taking pairs of stuffed animals in either hand, bringing them closer while you make a smacking noise with your lips, followed by “daiii” (for “daisuki”), showing that they are kissing! I have no idea where you learned this from, but it makes us laugh every time! You have been doing a lot of quirky things that I want to capture on camera and remember forever because they are just so silly. You got your first hair trim the other day at the hair salon, where they just cut your bangs, leaving your curls in the back intact. You didn’t even flinch and just stared into the mirror while in my lap, as they snipped away. You broke out into a beaming smile when you saw the results! You are more active than ever and constantly climbing onto furniture and up to high places. The other day you climbed up and stood balancing on top of your tricycle seat, and then triumphantly clapped and shouted to show us your feat! You are becoming more and more independent, and we can definitely see the beginning of the “terrible twos” with some of the tantrums and frustrated whines you’ve been exhibiting when you don’t quite get your way or have trouble communicating what you want. You’re still our sweet little girl though, and while we say this at every stage of your growth, we think you are as cute as ever and can’t wait to see how you will continue to blossom! 🙂
Mio’s caught Bieber Fever since a couple weeks ago… After hearing the radio play the song a few times, she’s been repeating “baby ohhh.” We’ve been trying to capture it on video, but are always too late!
Today, my sister and I were marginally successful in recording her. Right before I started recording, she’d been belting it out enthusiastically, but as soon as the camera started rolling she started clamming up. Oh well…
Last Saturday, we went out to get some Chinese food and Mio started running around with the two kids of the restaurant owner. She’s usually pretty shy and reserved when she sees other children, but the little girl (apparently 3 years old) was so friendly and kept coming up to Mio and giving her hugs that Mio warmed right up to her and soon they were running back and forth across the store. It was really cute to watch! 🙂
…and here’s the helpful advice I got from my fortune cookie there. ♥
Some snapshots from Superbowl Sunday! We went to watch the game with some friends over in Maryland. Dan and I were the only ones cheering for the 49ers in Raven country, but they put on a great game.
We actually had to leave right after the halftime show (with a very fierce Beyoncé!) so we could put Mio to bed, but thanks to the blackout we were able to catch the tail end of the game and tune in for those really close, exciting (and stressful!) last few minutes. Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens!