Let it snow!

It snowed! Just in time for my birthday too. Actually it snowed on the 27th while we were eating lunch at my new favorite Indian food restaurant. It was fabulous! There was a couple of inches, so we got to go up to the 35th floor of my mom's Trump Tower apartment building to play in the fresh snow! The view would have been great, had it not been so foggy.

We got some cute pics in the snow with Grandma, but alas, Reina has since decided she does NOT like the cold. On my birthday she practically threw a fit when we tried to go out (right about the time we put on her "winter" coat). Fortunately she was in a better mood today and we got to a pretty cool area called Insadong - the monk area. We actually saw a couple of monks and the things they were selling, but that was the monkiest it got! We really like Seoul. It is very international and we like that you can walk and/or take the subway anywhere! So convenient.

Lastly, Grandma took some great pictures with her digital SLR - I like it! We also snapped a shot of "the last bath," as we head home for Okinawa early tomorrow morning. We had a great Christmas and visit. Reina received so many toys from Grandma that we will be mailing home 3 boxes! Reina also got early Xmas gifts from Grandpa Eastman and Grandaddy Bearden. Thank you everyone.

Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas

We arrived in Seoul with a tired, but happy baby on Wednesday and made the drive to Mom's apartment in downtown Seoul. Since, we've had two international meals, Greek and Korean, and had a very merry Christmas, where Reina was thoroughly spoiled with many, many gifts. Unfortunately Reina had a bit of a fever Christmas eve, but she had more or less recovered by Christmas day. After three nights of rough sleep (more for Chris and I than any one else), we finally had a good night of sleep last night. We have my birthday celebration on the 28th, and then we'll fly back home on the 30th. Of course we've taken many pictures, so here are a few I wanted to share.

Brrr

We haven't even made it to Korea yet and we're already cold. It has been in the 50s here....BRRRRR. I put Reina in about everything she's got and darn was she cute! Hopefully a warmer hat and some mittens will be adequate for Korea (yikes!).

We also put together our bike seat for her. It was fun to have her along on the bike, and despite freezing hands I think she enjoyed herself. We rode to a park (hence the "hammock" swing that she loved) and then I got a cute pic of her afterwards still bundled up with crazy hat hair! Gosh I love that girl....although she woke up THREE times last night, so maybe its a love hate thing!

Safety First

Now that I have officially written down on "the calendar" that Reina is walking, we decided it was time to get her a helmet, since there are many falls in her future. Ok, not really - we got a seat for the bike and she does need protection for that!

Today we went to the Yomitan Pottery festival and finally bought our first grown up dishes. We bought five "cereal" bowls, although I have a feeling their maker intended them for soba. They are pretty cool. I also got to wear my new ring sling out that I LOVE from Liz and Jeff (thanks!).

I included some other snap shots that I wanted to show off - she's getting SO big. She's eating alot more too - and actually swallowing. She still loves her broccoli, but other new favorites include cucumber, curry rice and yogurt (separately)! Reina also has a silly new habit - if she is walking somewhere, she is going to be carrying something, and often times she carries more than one item, which of course necessitates putting something in her mouth! AND she is now quite apt at taking cheerios out of the special dish they designed for little babies to take small food out of and not make (too much) of a mess. I might be the only one really excited about this particular achievement, but this is quite a skill to have!

The other two pictures I haven't really commented on are the one with the little plastic pieces and the one where Reina is chewing on a blue bath toy. I got the plastic toys for a skit I was doing at school, and we thought it was funny when I brought them home how Reina insisted on taking them all out of the bag, even though they are all the same. I think its about taking things out at this age! The other picture: well, every child should have a picture with a skirt on their heads. Happy Holidays everyone! We'll be in Seoul next time I write!

To the park!

We went to what I would consider one of the coolest parks on island (that we've found so far) this past weekend and were joined by a couple with a 2.5 year old that we met this summer in swim class. She took some cute pictures I wanted to share.

In other news, we are getting ready for our trip to Seoul in less than a week (yay!). I keep worrying about what Reina will wear, as its quite warm here compared to there! But I did purchase some cute stuff from Old Navy that I am hoping will do the trick!

And then, Reina will celebrate her first birthday! I've invited over a handful of people on the 2nd for a small bash (and am planning on cupcakes...so far!). She is still working walking and talking and not much else!

Stand and squat!

Reina has really been mastering her balance. She can stand by herself for some time now and will take a few steps on occasion too. But, lately she has been working on something very Okinawan - the "oki squat." As you may know, Japanese people do a lot of kneeling (at mealtimes). What you may not know is that Okinawan's are also often seen squatting (for lengths I am incapable of and in a posture I cannot master). More specifically, they can squat with both feet very close together (if not touching). While Reina still has a bit more work to do on perfecting the "oki squat," she has mastered the squat to a stand.

A Christmas Stocking

I have a Christmas stocking that I cherish because a relative of mine took the time to make it from scratch (it also looks good). I wanted Reina to also have a special stocking, so I designed a stocking this Thanksgiving. As usual, it was important to incorporate a little Japanese into the design, which is apparent in her name in kanji and the fabric I chose. The yellow fabric is a traditional Okinawan print. Fortunately Romeni has lots of sewing experience and was here to help me carry this out! It turned out pretty cool and Reina seems to approve.

On another note, we had a nice little picnic at a local park yesterday (and finished some of our leftovers). Romeni got some cute pictures of Reina and I, which seem to be rare since I am usually the one holding the camera. Granddad and Romeni fly home today :(

Happy Thanksgiving!

We can check another box: had thanksgiving turkey. As always, Reina much preferred the meat to her other dishes! Romeni cooked a nice meal with all the usual fixings and we had over Chris' mom, Aunt, and two other close friends. Reina did amazing! I was worried that she would be afraid of all of the new faces, but she soaked up all of the attention like a champ! She even went down for a nap with no qualms while everyone was over (and we got to eat with just the grownups).

Hope everyone else had a wonderful thanksgiving. I know we have a lot to be thankful for.

Visitors

Dad and Romeni are finishing up their trip to Oki this Saturday. They've gotten to spend a lot of quality time with Reina - they watched her Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday while Chris and I worked and got to witness first hand Reina's routine. She has taken to them great and I know will be sad to see them go (and have to head back to daycare). They also brought her first Christmas gift - a rocking horse. Reina is still not so sure about it, but after she is put on it, seems to enjoy the horse!

First Steps?

Reina took two mini steps all by herself last week, and Chris was able to catch it on camera! Remember, they were VERY tiny steps, but this is where the phrase "baby steps" comes from, right? She hasn't done any since, but I think she'll be walking before Xmas (I said it, so we'll see!).

Other exciting news? We're officially having a house built. We have signed off on final plans, submitted those to the city, and paid a down payment! How exciting! We're hoping to break ground in January and move in August 1st. I added pics to the 10month slideshow of our final plans. Also notice we have a "deed." I thought it was interesting that in Japan, they sign the sides of the documents, so that they can be cut in half. Our original documents go exactly together. We were also encouraged to get a "hanko" which is a stamp with Eastman on it! This is how official Japanese documents are signed - with a small, circular stamp of their last name.

A few things you may not know

• Reina LOVES tomatoes, asparagus, and broccoli. Given a choice between these and a trisket, she will always choose the former. However, chicken, beef, and bread win over everything!
• She is getting better and better at standing. She does it all on her own. She'll stand up using some assistance, and then let go all on her own. She's so brave.
• Reina does a shuffle. See video!
• She knows her own name :)
• She LOVES to watch other little kids play. We bring her to the playground, and she doesn't want to play. She wants to WATCH!
• Reina likes condensation. See pictures!
• Reina knows that when music plays, you're supposed to "dance!"
  

Silly Goose

Reina has really started trying to stand on her own. I tried getting a picture of this for about 15 minutes, but I guess she just wasn't in the mood. Today at the park she probably was close to 30seconds standing on her own! Such a feat, I know.
I also got lots of pictures in her new jeans and Japanese shirt. Don't tell any parents that it says something about Okinawan sake though, which they will say is totally inappropriate for a 10 month old. Oh, she's 10 months old! Crazy that she'll be one in two months. She is still right under 20lbs and 27inches. Chris and I think she's working on building muscle, hence all the standing.

Somehow I think I failed to mention Reina's bought with some type of food allergy. Twice now she's expelled all of her stomach contents via her mouth about two hours after eating. The trigger is one or more of the following: soy (tofu), fish (seasoning), or buckwheat (soba noodles). She LOVED tofu about 6 weeks ago, but this throwing up bit coincided with that so now I'm afraid to give it to her again because when she gets sick its pretty sad. I'll convince myself its the soba noodles since she had so little of the fish seasoning (literally its mixed in with the soba), but the second time it happened she didn't even ingest a noodle. Anyhow....its a mystery.

The video is some footage of Reina playing in her crib. She is such a snorter - reminds me of the studderer in Pearl Harbor - you know, the guy with the red hair. I hope she grows out of this snorting. Its funny now, but later it will just be embarrassing.

Waaay Back When

Chris was looking at old media on his cell phone. He happened upon this video that he forgot about and I had never seen. Reina is 30 minutes old! She had just gotten the "goop" put in her eyes and it was Chris' first time holding her. Crazy how small she was.

Whereever Blankie is...

Reina has been caught more than once sucking her thumb. However, it has recently been brought to our attention that if her blankie is nearby, she will go to it and immediately put her thumb into her mouth. Granddad and Romeni sent us some new blankies (for back up purposes). As soon as they were out of the box, Reina immediately found her thumb and put her head down. So sweet. I will miss these days.

We also had a recent meeting with the folks who are helping us buy our house. Good news: the land has been bought! We will go in for a final approval of the plans on Monday and then they will be submitted to the city for permits. There's no turning back now!

PS - Happy Halloween! Will we be dressing up? No. Next year for sure.

She has feet!

And they taste good! Need I say more?

Our Brown Eyed Girl

I have finally accepted that Reina will have brown eyes and hair. I figured she'd have brown eyes, but I was certain she'd have bleach blond hair like her mama, when she was a kid.

I've uploaded my next masterpiece. Chris and I took footage from the real video camera (versus the still camera) so the quality should be better, but I can't promise the editing is any better! It was fun looking at all of the things Reina can do now.

Anything new with Reina? Well, she's been torturing me by waking up in the middle of the night. I'm not quite sure what that's about, but I miss my 11hour sleeping baby. Hopefully she'll be back soon. She is very close to having 6 teeth, is still working on walking, and is still LOVING her tomatoes! Chris insisted upon documentation of Reina's first Laker game with him. I think he enjoyed in more than she did.

"Ready, set...NO!"

Reina has learned a new trick. The infamous head shake. She seems to randomly do it though, so I am not convinced that she actually shakes her head to mean "no." But its quite funny. I think Chris is convinced she does it when you ask a question, any question. Here's a short clip of her disagreeing with some of our questioning. Also included some pics of her when she was supposed to be napping. At least she won't need her two front teeth for Christmas, because she's got those covered!