Between working and taking care of Mio, it’s hard to find time to upload all the photos and videos that we take of her. Our precious little girl is 19 weeks old as of last Saturday; here are some pictures and video footage from this past week…
Mio likes to be upright and push her feet against the floor, so we recently got a doorway jumper so she could jump up and down in it. Great exercise for the legs!
Feet firmly planted! Are you ready to stand up on your own soon?
The jumper can turn, but she likes to twist her neck around so she can look at Mommy and Daddy.
When she gets tired, she starts slouching and sucking on the tray... lol.
Mio can keep her head and shoulders off the ground for long periods of time now. Here she is doing pushups in her crib. Not ready to go to bed yet!
I had web conference to attend on Saturday, so Dan and Mio drove over to San Lorenzo to spend the day with the grandparents! Dan took these photos and video:
With Grandpa and Grandma!
Mio with Grandpa and Choco (Dan’s parents’ dog):
Looks like she had a great time, as always, with her grandparents! 🙂
Mio on her playmat back at home.
Licking her lips as she looks up at the animals around her. A carnivore in the making....
Squealing while she watches us eat.
You can see her squeals and laughter in the following video, where we have some fun with Hello Kitty:
Our little Mio is growing up so fast, she’s making our heads spin! We have to remember to stop and cherish each of these moments and hold her close, because before we know it, she won’t want to be held anymore….
Yesterday on Sunday, July 10th, Mio turned 100 days old! A baby’s 100th day is a milestone in several Asian cultures, and traditionally in Japan it’s celebrated with a ceremony called okuizome.
When a baby is 100 days old, Japanese families celebrate a weaning ceremony called ‘‘okuizome,’’ or first food. This ceremony traditionally involves a large shared meal prepared by the mother-in-law. The menu varies by region. Traditionally, a small pebble is placed on each plate and the adults symbolically bite down on it. This ritual is meant to wish the baby a life of abundant food without hunger as well as good strong teeth. While a father or grandfather may pretend to feed the baby solid food during these festivities, the baby is usually still drinking exclusive milk.
We did not have a formal okuizome ceremony, but Mio got to spend the day enjoying lots of time with loved ones! In the morning, we went over to Berkeley to have brunch with my dear friend Julianne, who happened to be in town! The last time we saw Juli, I was still pregnant, so this was her first time meeting baby Mio.
We had gelato for dessert afterward... my favorite! It was so good seeing you, Juli!
Later in the day, Mio’s grandparents (Dan’s parents) came over to have a celebratory lunch with Mio. Dan’s mother made and brought over some delicious sushi rolls! Mio couldn’t have any, of course, but we very much enjoyed the food on her behalf! 😉
Mio with her grandparents!
Dan's mother handmade this dress and bonnet for Mio for the occasion! So pretty! I love the lace, bows, and flower detailing.
So happy to be in grandma's arms!
Mio with Mommy and Daddy on her 100th Day.
Mio started to fall asleep, so we put her in her bouncer and she immediately woke up and started to cry when she realized she was no longer in anyone’s arms….
"It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to!"
Happy 100th Day, dear little Mio!
We feel so blessed and lucky that Mio is so healthy and she’s already given us so much joy in the past 100 days. In some cultures, the 100th Day is also celebrated as the one year mark since the baby came to exist in the womb. Sure enough, it was around this time last year that Mio started to develop within me — it’s amazing to see that only a year later, we have such a big, healthy 3-month old in our arms! I used to feel like the nine months of pregnancy was unbearably long (especially while I was experiencing it), but if you look at it from that perspective, it’s pretty incredible that a fully functional human can be created from nothing in a mere nine months! Life is truly a miracle.
Mio has already changed our lives forever in this short period of time, and we cannot wait to see how she continues to blossom and bring more joy to us as well as those around her.
“My heart is yours.
My spirit sings with love.
For you. My child.
You’ve grown yourself,
inside me.
Foot under my rib.
One became two.
At last you are here.
Sleeping on my chest.
Clutching my tangled hair in your hand.
Your dark eyes calm as a lake.
Your breathing making me safe.
You who gave birth to this mother.
A life. My child.
We gave birth to each other.
I kiss your face.
A million times a day.
I sit still and listen.
To the whisper of your wisdom.
To life, right now.
This is love, my love.”
— ULRICA
Last Sunday, we spent the afternoon strolling around Lake Chabot with Dan’s parents. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we enjoyed some quality time with the family and got some exercise while walking for about four miles around the lake. (I couldn’t handle the full seven mile trek around the lake, even in flats….)
Mio and Mommy upon arriving at Lake Chabot
Daddy calls her "Chubby Cheeks"
Mio got to spend some quality time with Grandma!
Now that it’s summer, we’re looking forward to getting out more and enjoying the outdoors with our little Mio!
Last Sunday, we took Mio down to San Jose to meet some very special people…. She got all dressed up in her Sunday best before making the drive down.
Mio in her vintage bonnet and dress, a lovely gift from our dear friend Tarrin.
My little blue belle ♥ Can't get enough of this adorable outfit!
Mio got to meet her great-grandmother Eileen! She is Dan’s paternal grandmother. 🙂
Mio with her great-grandmother, who still looks lovely at 92 years old.
Mio stretching in her great-grandmother's arms.
Little Mio also had the honor of being welcomed by her great-aunts!
Mio smiling up at her great-aunts.
Getting doted on by lovely great-aunt Mary.
Mio with her sweet great-aunt Monica and grandmother
Mio with her grandparents, great-grandmother and great-aunts!
With her Daddy this time... four generations of Allens!
Great-grandmother Eileen gave Mio a beautiful layette, and her great-aunts got her a portable swing! 🙂 We were very thankful for the generous gifts.
A portable swing for Mio. Great for travel and to take on-the-go!
Mio with Mommy. ♥
We enjoyed a delicious homemade dinner with everyone, and it was really nice seeing grandma Eileen and Dan’s aunts again, since we hadn’t been able to make it down to visit in a while. We were touched by their hospitality and were thrilled that Mio got to meet some of the wonderful ladies of the Allen family!
Mio ended up sleeping for most of our time there… I suppose it’s a lot of work being a newborn!
"This baby gig is pretty sweet but tiring... I'm pooped!"
Mio has been soaking in love from both sides of the family. Dan’s parents were there for her birth and helped out a lot during her first week… and my mother’s been in town since this past weekend and has been doting on her non-stop. 🙂 Mio is getting spoiled with all this attention from her loving grandparents! I can’t wait until she gets to meet my father, too, since he’s the last grandparent she hasn’t met yet. (He is on a business trip this week, and could not make it across the country with my mother.)
Mio with her two grandmommies!
Cake for Mio, celebrating her first week.
Sorry Mio... you can't have any yet.
Baby Mio with her parents and grandparents!
She loves to explore with her hands right now.
Mio wearing the sleeper that my mother got for her. 🙂
Grandma has been waiting for you for so long! She is so in love with you.
My mother’s here for another couple days until she leaves on Friday night. The week is already flying by and I wish we had more time with her here before she goes back to Virginia. I wish we weren’t so far away from my family, so that they could all come and see Mio, but I’m sure there’ll be an opportunity soon when she can meet Mommy’s family too. 🙂
After this coming weekend, I’ll be flying solo with Mio, as Dan is back at work and I won’t have any grandparents around to depend on. It’s a little daunting, but because we’ve gotten so much help this first couple of weeks, I feel like I’ve really been able to recover and adjust enough that I will be able to handle it… and for that, I am grateful.
