Dek and Yukino

 

 

Dek became fast friends (and quite the flirt) with buddy Yukino, who he hadn't seen since they were babies. Both had a good time hanging out in Tokyo. Though Dek already exhibiting typical boy behavior by ignoring Yukino when she would share toys, and then refusing to share anything Yukino.  (Sigh who knew this started so early). Here they are enjoying a nice little moment in Ginza while we take a time-out from our walk about town.

Through Tokyo

 

 

We were pretty jetlagged when we got to Chisa's place. But we managed to wander about Shinjuku and Ginza a bit. We made it down near the fish market to try some sushi and then Dek had his first real Mochi. He was pretty cooperative though navigating the big city with a stroller required some skills in finding elevators and ramps, but we managed to have a good time.

Transit to Tachigawa

 

 

 

 

We made it. Us and our 3 luggages (only 1 big one surprisingly for a whole month in Asia with a little one, I'd like to pat myself on the back for that killer packing job).  We stopped at an ATM, bought bus tickets, called Chisa and were on our way. The bus was one of those nice big coach varieties where you can sleep. It took us over 2 hours in traffic to go from airport (to the East of Tokyo) out to the suburbs. Luckily the announcements were in English too so we could figure out where to go> Dek and I were so tired we zonked out on the bus.

The Journey East

Terminal time

Airplane!

5 hours in

Where do I sit?

Let's start off. The first leg of the trip was Dulles to Narita - about 8,000 miles and a 12 hour plane trip. I had prepared for weeks about what we'd bring on the plane. Extra clothes for all of us. Snacks, enough to feed us for weeks. Toys. An enormous assortment of toys. In the end, there wasn't too much to worry about, Dek loved flying. What's not to love? He enjoyed the TV, juice in unlimited quantities and he even napped a good 5 hours at the end of the journey. ANA was a great airline to fly and even though we were in economy, I felt that it was a decent experience, until Derek spread across my seat and started sleeping in and warmed me up beyond belief. Note that Japanese airlines keep their cabins warmer than American ones and I found myself sweating even with just 2 layers on.  Dek had a mall making friends with other passengers, using the lavatory and even eating cabin food. His favorite of course was Soba  noodles. I, on the other hand, slept none of the flight and jet lag would soon be hell to pay.

The Big Trip

We are back from our trip to Asia. Lots to catch Dek-lovers up on how he fared on his first international trip in Asia. Here we are at the start at Dulles Airport before our first (of many flights). Sadly, that little panda backpack didn't make it out of the airport.  Sorry for the radio silence! Next stop: Tokyo!
 

Happy New Year!

Dek, age 2

Happy 2013 everyone! I can hardly believe that 2012 is behind us, it seemed to go way to slow and fast at times. As for Dek he's literally taken off. In January, he was just barely walking short distances and now he's running ahead of me and saying "No Mommy, Derek do it!" I can barely believe it.

So on reflecting in the last year, our little guy continues to be an education in every way. The Terrible 2s seems to be hitting in fits and starts (e.g. he was sharing great until he started his preschool program and now he's grabbing toys from other children without returning them). We've also seen him go from talking in total gibberish sentences ("Ah mo ti. An ca cay! Ma ta ba ba.") to asserting himself more and figuring out the different languages that we've been speaking to him.

Dek did a fair amount of traveling stateside a bit and visiting friends and family in: Livingston, New Jersey; Pittsburgh, PA; Raleigh, NC, Orlando, FL and Chicago, IL all in the first half of the year. Things had slowed down while I was on my detail assignment, but he's got his passport and ready to go overseas. We're headed off to Asia in January with stops in Japan, Philippines and Malaysia. Dek will be able to see one of his ancestral homelands and visit with Mike's family who hasn't had the chance to meet him yet.

He continues to have a pretty good appetite, eating mostly everything but vegetables. He's gone from mostly having baby food/pureed food right at 12-months to eating everything under the sun. His favorites of course continue to be all things carbs: rice, pasta and cereal.  On the unprocessed side, he still likes sweet potatoes (well, he does again now), apples, tangerines, and pears. We're still avoiding dairy, peanuts and shellfish. Dairy is a confirmed allergy - so no ice cream, yogurt or cheese - but he's done amazingly well eating a palate of other foods, so we're glad he's gaining well and his hair is finally coming in.

With that, I'll wish everyone a very happy 2013. May the year be full of  happiness and joy, as well as tasty snacks for all.

Younger Dek Begins his Education

 

 

Long overdue, these are Dek's pictures from his first days of the weekday program (kinda like pre-pre school), when he was just a 20 month old. Now a full-fledged 2 year old, he loves going to the 1-day a week program where he gets to play, have snack, nap and story time. Those first few months were rough. I'd leave and there would be the "MAAAAAAAAAMAAAAAAA" screams. It was heartbreaking, but after a few weeks, he got used to the routine and was finally happy to go there. I've noticed him now "asking" to go ("Sk-ool! Su-kool Skool, pease!") when we walk by the church.  continued social behavior with him, especially around other kids. He's always been a very untypical toddler and has a huge willingness to share (most of the time), but its nice to see him learn to play with others. Most importantly, he has not bitten anyone at the program so its thus far a success.