Anyway, how it all relates to this blog is that more than one person has asked about how Evan is doing, reminding me that it's been too long since I've written.
So where should I begin? How about I let the photos guide me...
Evan's still not showing very much interest in books, and because he pretty much falls asleep after his post-bath feeding, we haven't had much luck instituting a bedtime reading ritual. We still try, and he's starting to look a little more interested. The picture below, though, is one of him crying...we think it's funny because the baby in the book is crying, too.
As the weather has become warmer we've been going out a little more, although this trip to the park may have been a little premature. There are no parks within walking distance of home, so we had to take a little drive. Evan couldn't quite figure out what was going on, but I'm hoping that'll change in the coming months.
In late March the three of us took a trip to Osaka (a 4 hour drive one way) to get Evan's citizenship papers squared away. It was our first overnight trip, and all in all Evan did fine. We had been quite nervous because Evan was (and still is) prone to crying fits in the car. While in Osaka we met up with my friend Makiko. I first met Makiko when she had just graduated high school and enrolled in the Intensive English Language Program (in Santa Cruz) where I was working. It's hard to believe 12 years have passed since then!
I'll be sure to write more about the dual citizen thing when Evan's passport arrives.
On the way home from Osaka, we stopped by a lovely flower field. We wanted to take goofy pictures of Evan sprouting among the flowers, but I was a little afraid of the bees buzzing around so we kept a safe distance. The other pictures in the photo gallery just LOOK like we're among the flowers. Anyway, the pictures in the field are Evan's first as a U.S. citizen (We would have liked to take some pictures at the U.S. Consulate but that wasn't possible. We didn't even try to take pictures outside the building because we thought that might get us in trouble.)
Evan still cries a lot in general, and his stranger anxiety (an odd variation in which he doesn't mind if complete strangers hold him, but if Grandma, Grandpa, Great Grandpa or even Dad does, then watch out!) seems to have lessened, at least when his Dad holds him. We're waiting for the REAL stranger anxiety sets in...I'm sure that'll be a lot of fun, especially for me.
A little while back I wrote about Ko-chan's and my agreement that we wouldn't spend too much money on fancy clothing for Evan. Well, we broke that promise again when I found this little romper in a catalog. It's got a drum set on the front with the words "Life is Music" on the bass drum, and a pair of drumsticks on the back. We couldn't resist.
On a side note, as much as I worry about Evan's slow growth (confirmed yet again last week when I took him for a check-up), it's nice to know at least he's outgrowing his clothes.
The check-up I just mentioned isn't with the pediatrician, it's with the town's public health center. You might recall I was "red-flagged" (or at least that's what I'm assuming) at the 4-month check-up for sharing my honest feelings about how things are going with Evan. Since then, I've been reminded over and over about the town's offerings to mothers. When I didn't show up to last month's mothers' group, they sent a message via my father-in-law (who works at the city hall) about the next one. It's not that I don't want to go...it's just that the meetings are themed, and I wasn't interested in the last one. Oh, well. I did decide to go today, and here's a picture.
Basically, moms came to get their babies' weighed and measured, and then we heard a little talk (today's theme was "Going out with your Baby") and then was served homemade baby food (most mothers in Japan make their own baby food). Since Evan hasn't started solids I got to taste the meal instead. I'm not very good at mingling, so I didn't really talk to the other moms, except for those who came over to comment on how light Evan's skin is or how his eyes are two-folded (apparently very important in Japan, because Evan gets those comments all the time).
Oh, another comment we frequently get is..."Is he half (as in biracial)?" I find this question quite amusing, because the askers assume I'm the Japanese parent. Instead of saying "Does it matter?" as I might have in my more sensitive days, I usually offer "No, he's quarter. I'm half."
My mother would not be pleased, as she always resisted the label "half " and insisted I call myself "double." I think the curious questions are harmless, and doubt (hope) that they're not an indication that Evan will be singled out (in a negative way) as he grows older. As long as people see the human inside the cute exterior, they can admire as much as they'd like!
Ok, I've rambled on enough without writing about how Evan is actually doing, but I'll leave that for the next post. In the meantime, Happy Spring!!
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