Sleepy…

Wakey…

Back when August was no more than the faintest outline of the boy he’d become, Michael and I traveled to Tokyo and became somewhat entranced (shall we say) by the consumer culture of Japan. There were things we simply had to have. I mean, it’s Japan — everything there is cute or cuddly or quirky and usually all three at once.

You know how the Japanese love nicely packaged things. Well, nothing wraps up as well as a newborn, so it makes sense that baby clothes in Japan comprise some of the cutest items on the market. And if logic follows logic, you won’t be surprised to learn that our vacation rapidly turned into a shopping spree for the baby-to-be.

Among some of the items we purchased for August: A tiger sleep suit (Year of the Tiger), dinosaur socks, burpie bibs with little leaves, a kimono-esque wrap suit with houses on it and then … this precious item from Miki House.

At first glance, it may look like an ordinary newborn suit, but there are a couple of fine Japanese details:

(1) The top wraps and ties with little ribbons.
(2) The legs and body are cut really wide.
(3) The pattern of teeny tiny cars is just, I don’t know … I think the word is cute?!

So here is August, finally big enough to wear his first Japanese suit and modeling it very nicely, don’t you think?

Tags: Baby Clothes, Newborn

It’s amazing how time flies. No really flies. With a newborn, a minute can last forever (usually when crying is involved) but a day can be as short as a second. And I couldn’t tell you where the past four weeks have gone.

August no longer fits in his size “N” (Newborn) nappies. He can more or less hold up his head. He is sleeping for longer stretches. He is cooing now. He is sticking his tongue out. He is exploring his surroundings with his hands.

And as he grows and makes progress, his newborn moments slip away like sand through my fingers. But I need to hold on to these moments! I want to preserve every breath, every snuffle and sigh, every suckle, every yawn and stretch and stare.

People tell you to treasure every second and I really am, oh I am. I don’t take any of this for granted. I’m not wishing it away. I try to focus entirely on the present, only occasionally turning my attention to the future. And since I can’t freeze time, I’m opening my eyes and ears especially wide so that, at the very least, I can capture these ephemeral moments in my memory.

Tags: Newborn