Typhoon Songda

(Okinawa is the TINY island next to the eye of the storm.)

*I wrote this last night right before our power went out, so it never got a chance to publish.*

Typhoon Songda has arrived and she is a feisty one! Her strength has downgraded from a category 5 typhoon to a category 2, but that hasn't stopped her from wrecking shop on this island! The storm started to get pretty bad around 8pm and it is now 10pm. The photo above is from about 5 minutes ago. The "eye" of the storm hasn't even reached Okinawa yet! I seem to be the only one in the house that is excited and terrified of this storm. Liam has been sound asleep in his crib for about 2 hours now, and Kyle is playing xbox...I have spent the last 45 minutes standing in my doorway like an idiot taking all sorts of videos.

This is our first official typhoon since we have lived here. We have had 4 or 5 hit the island, but none close enough for us to really feel them. We live on the 4th floor of our building, and the walls are shaking so bad it feels like an earthquake. Our windows are screaming, and the doors are rattling! I have never ever been through a storm like this in my life, it's so intense! I would be lying if I said I wasn't a tiny bit freaked out...

I decided to open the door to feel the wind, and I got a face full of leaves and dirt! There is so much crap flying through the air. The power is flickering and all the street lights went out. The base is pitch black! Of course, with every storm comes crazy idiots. I saw a couple walking down the street holding hands. I heard there were teenagers skateboarding down the streets. My neighbors on the 5th floor were holding onto their balcony railing and pretending they were in Titanic. Locals don't give a dang about typhoons, they are out walking their dogs in it like it's no big deal! While all of these things DO sound fun, it's just not smart people!

For my entertainment, I blew up a balloon and watched it get ripped out of my hand and carried away in the wind. I would like to tie a rope to a bucket and fly a bucket kite, but I will have to save that for another day.

Anyway, sitting next to the screaming and rattling sliding glass door is starting to freak me out a little, so I am going to move to the couch and wait for the power to go out. I will update you all tomorrow on the damage! The wind is suppose to be nuts like this for another 5 hours!!

Churuami Aquarium

Being Asian after running through the pouring rain.

Holy toledo it has been a long time since I wrote. I know I still need to do Liam's 1-year update. Little dude is so grown up and he has changed so much, it's ridiculous.

Anyway, this weekend is kind of exciting. As you all have heard, there is a super typhoon that is going to hit us here on Okinawa tomorrow night around midnight. I have heard some compare Typhoon Songda to Hurricane Katrina! This is the first typhoon that will actually hit Kadena since we have lived here, so we are pretty anxious to see what these typhoons are all about! We are all stocked up on food and water since we are not allowed to leave our house when it gets close to us. This base turns to a ghost town! Right now I guess you can say we are experiencing the "calm before the storm." It is 9:30 at night, and there isn't even a slight breeze outside and the typhoon is less than 24 hours away! So, since we are going to be stuck indoors all weekend on our nice, long, 4-day memorial weekend, we decided to take the only opportunity we would have to do something fun before the storm hit. We got up early and headed up to Churuami Aquarium!

It was about a 1.5 hour drive. We took the scenic route up, and the expressway on the way back. It is sooo pretty up north! It is very mountainous and you are driving along the ocean the entire way. It was cloudy and drizzly when we got there, but oh so humid as usual. The aquarium was super sweet! My favorite thing about it was that all the creatures in the tanks were ones you could find out here in the local area. Every tank was a tropical fish tank, so it was very different than what I was used to at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. First off we saw a "petting tank" with starfish and sea slugs. From there there were a lot of tanks with fish that looked like they belonged on "Finding Nemo." If we're just being honest, I wanted to just bee-line to the 2-million gallon tank and check out the whale sharks! About 15 minutes after we got to the aquarium, a SWARM of Japanese high school students showed up and flooded the place. Before their arrival, it was pretty quiet and Liam got front row views of all the tanks. We were trying to stay ahead of the crowd, but it just wasn't working. They cramed in any little space they could find, and holy cow were they loud! Needless to say, Liam went into sensory overload very quickly. All the locals were trying to talk to him and wave to him, and all the tanks, and the loud noise...I just wanted to run to a corner and hide with him for a minute to have some quiet time to pull ourselves together! It was so chaotic haha!

Eventually, we made it to the whale shark tank. For those that know me, you know I have a phobia of deep water and large objects ( boats, whales, airplanes...) I wouldn't say it's a serious phobia or anything, but seeing these things makes me freak out a little. As soon as we turned the corner and I saw the tank, I instantly started feeling sick! It was the craziest thing and I have never experienced a feeling like that in my life! I was getting all panic-y and nauseous, it was nuts! Kyle basically told me to snap out of it and stop being a baby hah And so I did. The tank was incredible! There were three whale sharks, all of which I was told were not full grown. There were manta rays, sting rays, all kinds of schools of fish, tuna, sharks, and so much more! There were so many different fish in there, you didn't know where to look!

After we spent a good 45 minutes at the big tank, we moved on to see what else the aquarium had in store. We saw so many more tanks filled with crazy looking fish and eels, it was a blasty blast. After 2 hours in the aquarium, Liam had enough of the shenanigans. We got a phone call from Kyle's boss stating that the TCCOR had dropped to 2, meaning that the storm was closer and we needed to strap everything down at home and prepare for the storm. Since it was a 2 hr drive home, we figured we better head out. As soon as we walked out the door, I saw a Japanese man passing out umbrellas for you to borrow as you walked around the park. I figured, " eh, it's just sprinkling....I don't need an umbrella." Right as we turned the corner to head to the car, it starts pouring. Kyle and I are in a sea of Japanese people with umbrellas, and we are the only dumbass Americans who don't have one. We look like complete idiots and we are soaked. As I recall, Kyle said I looked like a " wet rat." I should mention that the rain feels like bath water. It's so warm, that Liam was soaked in his stroller and he didn't even care the least bit. I started to feel bad for him, so we decided to run the rest of the way to the car ( which was a good 10 minute run hah)

Our drive home was a little nerve-racking as well. It was dumping rain most the way, and it was near impossible to see out the windshield! Great idea to go on a mini-trip the day before a hurricane. Who's bright idea was that?!....

As unfortunate as the rain situation was, it made for a good memory and a story. It is moments like that that you look back on and laugh. All in all, it was a great day. We didn't get lost at all, and I loved spending the day with mi familia! I hope you all get to enjoy your nice sunny Memorial Day weekends!! Don't forget the reason for the holiday, dudes!

xo

To the Madres

Before I was a Mom -
I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom -
I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never been puked on - Pooped on - Spit on - Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and My thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests...or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life
so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

And remember that behind every successful woman......
is a basket of dirty laundry.

Some of My Favorite Pregnancy/Mommy Products

As most of you may know, my beautiful big sister and brother in law are expecting their second baby. I couldn't be more excited to be an Auntie again! I feel like I am always trying to remember to tell her about a certain baby product I use, or something I used while pregnant, so I decided to make things easier and just write a "favorite products" blog. Since we live overseas, I have to order 99.9% of our belongings online. Because I have to order flippin' everything, I end up doing a ton of research since I can't just go back to the store to return it. Here are a few of my most favorite Mommy things. :)

Quinny Buzz 3 Stroller

This stroller is the bomb.com. We saw a ton of parents pushing these around all over Europe (it's a European stroller.) We always said that when we had a baby, this would be the stroller we were going to get. I cannot explain to you how many times we get stopped when we are out. Everyone comments on it and asks us about it. Anyway, one of my favorite things about it is that to open it, all you do is flip a little latch, an the stroller assembles itself. I can hold Liam in one hand, and open the stroller with the touch of a latch. Collapsing it rules too. It is all so smooth and simple, you never have to shake it open, or kick it, or scream at it. The "big kid" part of the stroller comes off so you can attach a carseat for the infants. When the carseat is attached, it looks like a little carriage. Also, you can switch the "big kid" seat around so it can face you, or leave it where it is so it can face out. The stroller came with a rain shield and bug shield. You can switch out the front tire to make it a running stroller as well. Also, the front tire swivels so you don't have to tilt the stroller back to go around corners. I friggin' love the heck out of this thing! We ordered ours on eBay brand new for $300-ish.

Johnson's Face and Hand Wipes

These are a diaper bag must! I picked these up at Walmart in Reno for a couple bucks. I can't find them here in Okinawa, so I had to switch to a different brand :( Anyway, these are antibacterial wipes and I used them on everything! It is inevitable, some person you don't care for is going to touch your baby, kiss their hands, slobber their face etc. I know I can't STAND it! So, if you don't feel like being rude, just wipe baby down when they are finished :) These wipes smell incredible. I will admit I have used some to wipe my face and arms to "freshen up" if I have been out all day. They smell so fresh and clean! They also work great to wipe off a pacifier that has been thrown on the ground, or a dirty table at a restaurant. I highly recommend buying these babies in bulk! They come in a tiny package that fits well in your diaper bag.

Method Products

I pretty much love Method, and everything they have to offer. We use their laundry softener, hand soaps, baby products, household cleaners..everything! The baby products happen to be my favorite. Their soaps don't contain Peg-80 which is the main reason we buy it. (I will save the Peg-80 talk for another entry ;) ) It leaves Liam's hair smelling delicious enough to eat and his skin so soft! The diaper cream happens to be my second favorite. It comes in a pump-able bottle which makes for a super easy application. You can order all the products on Amazon, or pick them up in Babies R' Us.

Dimpleskins Bum Bum Balm

So, having a baby has turned me into a tree-hugger. Laugh all you want, but I would rather not pump my kid full of chemicals. I stumbled across Bum Bum balm and I LOVE it! It is chemical free and organic. I use this on his toosh daily. He has yet to have a diaper rash. It smells like lavender and it's clear so you don't have to worry about it staining clothes, or baby's bum. It is thick like wax (not a paste) so it can be a little more time consuming to get on there, but it works wonders! I ordered it on Amazon for *I believe* $8.

Udder Cover Nursing Cover

I literally have 6 of these bad boys. I ordered them all from uddercovers.com. Each cover is $32. I ordered one, and since then, the company sends me emails ALL the time for free covers. They send me a promotional code, and the only thing I have to pay for is shipping. These covers are great. They have boning at the top so you can see baby, and baby can see you. The neck strap is adjustable. That way, if you are breastfeeding in a spot where people passing by can see down your cover, you can tighten it up. The adjustable strap helped me a lot when we were flying to California. I tightened it up so that I didn't need to worry about the people sitting behind me seeing my boobies. The patterns are super cute and they are lightweight so you don't have to worry about baby sweating his bum off while he grazes.

Bravado Bliss Nursing Bra

This is my all time favorite nursing bra. I bought at least 6 different bras, and this one is my go-to. I ordered it on eBay brand new with tags, for about $40. It has great support, and light padding so that those passing by can't tell what the weather is like by looking at your chest. The snaps are easy to undo with one hand so you don't have to put your little one down to get the goods out. I believe they come in 3 colors: black, nude and white.

Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil

I figgin' love this stuff! I used it twice a day when I was pregnant, and I made it out with only 2 small "battle scars" on my belly. I would apply the oil right after my shower or bath. It doesn't have a strong "foody" smell, and it absorbs quickly. It leaves your skin feeling incredibly soft. I still use it on occasion on my arms and legs. I believe it is around $4 a bottle.

Today, I have an 11 month old

My little bug,

First off, let's get straight to the exciting news. Your birthday is next month! I got an email today saying, "things you should know about your 11 month old..." and I felt like I got kicked in the stomach. I can't believe I am 30 days away from having a ONE YEAR OLD! Where in the world has the time gone?! I have been a Crafty McCraft-pants this past month. I am making everything for your birthday party since we live in Japan. It is too difficult to order everything online. I am making your very first cake from scratch and I am super excited about it!

One thing I discovered today, is that it is like pulling teeth to get you to smile in pictures when you are distracted. You think plastic easter eggs are the bees knees, and once you got your hands on them, you tuned the rest of the world out. You are truly the happiest and most calm baby I have ever seen. You really don't ever fuss unless you are tired. I can't even remember the last time I saw tears in your eyes.

You are an excellent napper. You still take two, sometimes 3 naps a day. Every time you get close to sleeping from 7pm-7am, you get a new tooth that pops through and makes you miserable and restless and puts us back at square one.

Some fun 11 month facts about you are:

*You learned to wave this month. It looks more like you are trying to get something sticky off your fingers, but to us, it's a wave.

*We have officially conquered your fear of the grass. You hated the texture of it and always tried to climb up me like a cat in water when I set you down. As of last week, you love picking it and throwing it.

*Your favorite snacks are bananas and toast with jam.

*We are still unable to find a food that you don't like. Hopefully that never changes. You are still breastfeeding, however you only nurse about 3 times a day (before you go to sleep.) We have almost reached our 1 year goal and I am so proud of us!

*When you hear an airplane, you cover your ears with your hands and laugh.

*You wear size 18 mo clothes, and size 5 diapers. You are in the 90th percentile for height, and 50th percentile for weight.

*We got you your first pets a couple weeks ago. We snagged you 2 parakeets. They are both girls and their names are Frankenstein and Snuffleupagus.

*You almost have SIX teeth! You have (almost-two more popped through today) four on top, and two on the bottom. You look like such a big boy!

The most exciting news of all is that you are starting to walk! You are sooo close to doing it on your own. You walk all over the house with your dinosaur walker. Whenever we walk to the room to get a diaper change, or when we walk to the bath, you insist on holding our hands and walking there. You think walking like a big boy is the coolest thing since chilled teethers. You are getting better at it too. You can walk along side us while holding on with one hand. Today, I set you down and you took one step with your left foot, then you plopped down! I am so excited that you will be toddling around pretty soon.

You are babbling all the time, but no new words have popped up in your dictionary. Everything still seems to be "da-da." When you are tired you always say, " Ni-ni." (nite nite) And when you are finished eating, you say, " Ah-da." (all done)

As I say in every entry, you are growing way too fast. I am not prepared to be the Mommy of a ONE YEAR OLD! At the rate you're going now, I guess I better start prepping myself for your first day of kindergarten. I love you so much my little bug. You bring so much happiness into our little family, and Daddy and I love you more than we will ever be able to describe. Just try and stay little for a little while longer...please?

10 Month Update

My little Liam,

This entry is about 10 days late...this month has been a hard one and Mommy has just been emotionally drained. You lost your great Uncle to stage 4 melanoma a couple weeks ago. I am going to keep you lubed up in sunscreen your entire life mister. Right after your great uncle passed, mainland Japan got hit with an 8.9 earthquake and a massive tsunami that hit 30 minutes after the quake. The wave moved houses out of it's way like they were little toys. Since we live in Japan, this earthquake has hit home and has affected us emotionally. It is so heartbreaking to see footage on the news. This month has been a devastating one...

On a lighter note, you are now 10 months old! I don't believe it. You have been out of my tummy as long as you were in it! You are becoming more and more independent and it tugs at my heart strings. My little boy is growing up!

You are talking a lot more. You try to repeat a lot of things Daddy and I say. You repeat "all done" except it sounds more like, " aa-daa" and you can say, "nite nite." It is so neat to hear you talk! You are always laughing or singing it seems. You are a very happy little dude. We NEVER see you cry. If there are tears, something bad must have happened. The only time you whine is if you are super tired and grumpy.

You are still taking 3 naps a day. They will range anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Your day is pretty much down to a predictable schedule. You wake up around 7:30 every morning. Your naps are always 2 hours from the time you woke up. And you are in the bath at 6:30pm, and in bed by 7pm. Routine has always worked so well for you since you were a tiny infant. You sleep through the night most of the time, but when you are teething, all bets are off.

You officially have four teeth! You no longer look like a tiny little baby...You are still eating pureed foods, but for the most part you love fingers foods and you love being able to feed yourself. It's fun being able to experiment with different foods. So far, I haven't found a food you hate. Last night I made some broccoli, and you were literally licking your tray trying to eat every last crumb! Your most favorite foods are bananas, toast with a little bit of jam and butter, cheerios/puffs and spaghetti. Breast milk still takes the cake. Nothing wins your heart over more than milk straight from the tap. We are still nursing, but you have definitely cut back a ton. You nurse before naps/bedtimes and that's it.

You are taunting Daddy and I with this whole standing thing. Some days you stand a whole bunch, other days you refuse to do it. You are capable and have the strength/coordination to do it, you are just nervous. As soon as you realize you are standing without support, you fall down onto your butt.

You love playing peek-a-boo with your shirt and you love when you sneeze. Every time you sneeze you look at us and wait for us to give you a reaction. Then you try to mimic the sound of your sneeze by making a spitting noise with your mouth. You find it hilarious! Every time a jet flies over our house, I shout, "airplane!" and you quickly put your hand over one of your ears and you laugh and laugh. If your hands are being occupied by a toy, you quickly lay your head down on the floor so your ear is against the carpet. It is so hilarious! I get a kick out of watching you do it every time. If there are lots of jets, the whole family joins in and we all sit there with our hands on our ears. You think it's the funniest darn thing.

We don't watch much tv, but if it's on, your favorite show is Sesame Street and some creepy show called, " In the Night Garden." It freaks Mommy out and I hate when we have to watch it. Nothing beats Baby Einstein though. Those will always be your favorite.

You are huge. Every time we go out, people think you are at least a year old. You should see their faces when I say you are only 10 months old. It doesn't surprise me, you are in 18 mo clothes, and size 5 diapers!

We have started to plan your airplane themed birthday already. I can't believe you will be 1 in less than 2 months!

We love you more than we will ever be able to describe!!

Dear Boobs,

I found this online and was highly entertained by. Breastfeeding Mamas, (past and present) I know you can relate.

Dear Boobs,

I just wanted to write and say thank you ... and sorry.

I'm sorry for all you've been through over the past five years what with all the pregnancies and nursing for months on end. I'm sorry for all of the tenderness, the cracked nipples (why couldn't that kid get his latch right?!), the mastitis, the clogged ducts, the thrush, the chemical burn (that was totally my bad! I had no idea putting straight grapefruit seed extract on nipples would cause 2nd degree burns). I'm sorry for the time Leo intentionally bit you and drew blood. I'm sorry for the time he twisted your nipple so hard it turned purple for days. I'm sorry for flashing you to the general public on a regular basis. I know you're shy by nature, but I just couldn't get that stupid Hooter Hider to work. And most of all, I'm sorry that you went from being two buoyant, glorious orbs to the deflated, sad rock-stuffed socks you are today.

You've been such troopers. I'm sure it hasn't been easy. I see you staring at the ground, demoralized and it breaks my heart (not to mention my back).

So please forgive me. I'll buy you fancy bras and I promise I won't ever let another infant use you as a chew toy.

Love,

Saggy Sistah

P.S. I do have one last favor to ask you. I know you've been through a lot, but could I talk you into a boob job?