Mom is the best**

At the end of this month there is a exiciting farewell party of work.
They asked me there. SoI really wanted to go there and I was planning to do it.
I didn’t mean to but my baby boy doesn’t like bottlefeeding. So I can’t get someone to look after him.
If I took him there and made an appearance not to drink, I’d go to Nihonbashi of Tokyo at 6:30 at night and how I’d get home to get on the packed train with a babybuggy or holding my babyson.
Oh, it would be dangerous.
In addition the flu is going around. So it’s bad my baby son goes to the center of Tokyo because of being crowded.
I talked to my sister about it. She was finding the way I can go and said “ Why don’t you go to the station near your husband’s work and avoid the rush and go home around at 8? “
But my baby son must be tired because he usually goes to bed early.
So I didn’t have a choice.
“ I’m jealous of dad. He can get such a cute baby also go drinking with friends.”
I thought of it for a moment.
But I thought I was lucky to be mom right away.
Feeling the fetus moving, the pain during a delivery and breastfeeding is really happy things. I feel it more than others probably.
So mom is the best for me.
Sometimes it’s busy to take care of him because he starts to cry when he doesn’t find me.
But I could say “ My prince loves me very much. That’s why he starts to cry. “
Am I happy, or what ?***

Please save Fukushima's children

A friend of mine posted the website named “ Save Fukushima’s children “.
Seeing this website without thinking, a photo that a child was gotten rid of the radioactive
materials caught my eyes.
I ccouldn’t stand seeing it…..
After becoming a mother, I feel aches to watch the news that children experience hard time.
I signed it right away.
I don’t want children are grown up nowadays to spend hard time in the feature because of
our failure. I wanna do something I can do.
By the way I took this picture in Fukushima several years ago.

Happy days*

Yesterday we went to a large park in Tokyo.
I watched the park on TV before and I learned this park is a very good park.
It was much more wonderful than I imagined. So I wanna go there again bringing
some rice boals!
When my husband took pictures of me holding our baby son, an old man came closer
to us while saying “ I’m your granpa granpa! Oh, you’re cute! You like granpa, eh? “
And then we took pictures together.
When I go somewhere with my baby boy, it’s easier to communicate with people.
Everyday I really enjoy spending time and happy days*

clear nice autum afternoon

　

Last night my husband worked through the night.
I used to be scared even when I heard small sounds at night.
But now I’m perfectly OK because I have a baby son.
You might laugh about it, I can be relaxed and feel safe sleeping while touching
a part of his body.
Who protects who?
Today we visit my husband’s friend.
He asked us to come over saying “ Why don’t you come over? We’re doing BBQ with friends
now at home ! “ all of sudden.
So we went to his house at the next station from us.
His wife is pregnunt and she’s rasing a baby son in it.
Fathers went to the same school together and baby sons are the same age by coincidence.
In the clear nice autum afternoon we spent nice time.

Dear attractive women

I’m taking a break with a book from my mother’s bookshelf and coffee.
This book is entitled “ Dear attractive women “.
Today my energy is running out……
Tonight I’m in the mood to enjoy spending time for myself at night in Autum.

I'm a selfish mother but...

Around at 7 at night when I breastfed my babyson, he fell asleep.
Oh, I was gonna read picture books for him. But if he slept so early, I didn’t need to do
something for me tonight. Oh, is it OK it’s that easy? You don’t need to sleep.
Mom thought of that.
Hmm? He waked up actually!
Mom was a little bit disappointed....
Oh, I'm a selfish mother.
But he was sleepy you know. And then he fell asleep being breastfed again.
My first priority is you and I really love you!
It’s True*

Sunday Afternoon*

I decorated the room for Halloween because my friend enjoy doing various things
for Halloween.
Picture books that I borrowed at the library for my baby son were like Halloween
for coincidence.
Putting that aside, it was nice out and it was delightful on a Sunday afternoon.
And a friend of mine visited me with her husband to see my babyson.
My husband cooked Vietnamese salad roll and stirfried bitter gourd with Tofu.
And I made hamburger, pumpkin salad, Japanese soup and baked Mont Blanc.
It was a pleasant afternoon.
When I cooked, I said “ wait a minute! “ to my baby son many times.
I wanna take a long time for him tomorrow.
Oh, he is crying while sleeping often tonight.
I gotta go to bed next to him already!

Happy Friday*

My hands are getting rough because I wash my hands a lot everyday.
I put babylotion on my hands and wear plastic gloves when I do dishes before it’s worse.
So my hands still looks goodJ
Everyday it’s hard my baby son keeping waiting for me when I take a shower before
I let him take a bath.
Tonight and last night he was able to wait for me watching “ Baby Mozart”.
But he can’t seem to be bottlefed.
I sometimes gave it up and it’s OK he can’t do it I thought. But sometimes no, no!
it’s better to do it for him I thought.
Tomorrow it’s gonna be raining.
He can’t enjoy seeing the scenery outside.
I’m wondering what I should do for him tomorrow.
For starters I’ll go to bed next to my baby son to play with him a lot tomorrow
even though it’s 9:00 at night now.
night night, everyone!
By the way I ate various vegetables from South of Japan that my sister and my friend
sent me. They are vegetables that I don’t need worry! It’s very good!

comfortable time after being nervous

For the first time I took my baby son to the doctor to get vaccinated for thepneumococcus.
My heart was pounding and I was sweating a lot.
When I get a shot, I can’t see the needle inserting into my arm.
But this time I watched it because I’m mother of him.
He didn’t cry when the needle inserted into his arm. But when he was injected the medicine,
he started to cry. I was gonna cry, too.
I said “ good boy!” to him.
Leaving the hospital and started to walk home, he fell asleep.
I didn’t get a shot and of course I didn’t stand the pain of it but I had break at Tully’s.
I was relaxed with coffee at Tullys’s where has a calm vibe with jazz music.
After a while my baby son waked up.
I borrowed two picture books at the library. So I read a book entitled “ Curious Geroge “
to him there.
I used to read it when I was a child, too.
I don’t have chances to speak English these days.
So it’s good for me to read English aloud. Oh, it’s “ killing two birds with one stone.”
I watch an English educational TV program for kids with him.
Listening to English since he is a kid is good for him?
I don’t have plans to let him learn English but I want him to get used to listening to English
from TV or something!

I was lucky I was fine and I had delish dinner

　

There was a terribly strong typhoon today!
To be honest, I was lucky I’m having a matanity leave now.
I went shopping to the grocery store holding my baby boy in the morning when the rain
wasn’t storng yet.
After getting home I played him a lot and saw his face when he slept in my arms.
And then I sometimes saw the strong rain and winds outsides the window.
If I didn’t need the rain is included the radio active materials, I wanted him to feel
the rain in the rain.
He can understand words. So I explain various things to him.
For instance today I told him about typhoon. And when we saw the harvest moon
few days ago, I told him about it while seeint the beautiful moon.
I talk with the little baby. So sometimes people see me strangely. Ahahaha!
This picture is dinner that I made last night.
These days I text a friend from college each other and we ask each other about dinner
that we make at the night.
This is rolled mixed minced chicken, some vegetables and some seasoning with fried Tofu.
It was very delish! I love it!

Sometimes people pull to each other

Yesterday I texted a friend who used to work at the same company after a few year.
She was at the other division and I didn’t work with her. But I started to communicate with her since we found out that we lived close to each other and she already quit her job. She replied me and said “ What a coincidence! I’ve been thiking how Aya is doing, too.”
Oh, it’s a funny coincidence!
We have a lot of thing that we wanna talk about. So we have plans she is coming over to my house.
When I checked my email today, I got an email from a man who used to be the general manager.
It’s a coincidence! I was about to email him today.
Sometimes people pull to each other.
We might feel vibes or our senses might work.
Anyway when it happens, we’re pleased!
By the way I took this picture in Saipan last July.
When I’ve been there, I didn’t imagine I’d become a mother next year.
I’m imagining how I am next July.

I wanna get nutrition from vege that I can get.

　

After the nuclear accident in Fukushima I avoid eating vegetables from the north of Japan
and around Tokyo as possible as I can.
I don’t care my health but I don’t want my baby boy to suffers from cancer when he grows up
and enjoys living in his teens.
The radioactive materials from the nuclear accident in Fukushima was as much as several tens
atomic bomb and they fell on the ground in Tokyo and around here.
So I choose vegetables from Hokkaido, the south of Japan and other countries.
I can’t help it if I can’t get vegetables that I want because there aren’t the vegetables
from the safe area. I wanna get nutrition from vegetables that I can get.
Recently I get carrots from Hokkaido and eat them often.
I make Korean marinated carrots, salad with Tuna and carrots glace from it.
You know, I wanna enjoy eating food when the problems of the nuclear hasn’t solved.

the more, the merrier!

On the 49th day of my baby’s birth my sister’s family got back to hometown when They were during the summer vacation.
We spent exciting time on the weekend after a few month.
They said “ He’s becoming much bigger!” about my baby son,
It was a really muggy day but at night there was a nice wind. So we were able to spend time safe and sound even at the room where weren’t any air conditionings.
Thinking of it, we’ve been worried what we should do if the electricity went out this summer.
It was good to be able to spend time safe and sound in summer.
Probably many Japanese people think we can live without the nuclear plants.
Putting that aside, I had my shoulders and back massaged also pulled my neck by my sister on the day. It felt really good and my body got well even though it had been hurt.
Thanks to sister!
On the 50th day of my baby’s birth there is a lot of window in my parents’ house.
That’s why the wind feels so good also the living room gets a lot of sunshine.
So my baby son sleeps comfortably and he looks like he feels nice.
He hardly waked up in the middle of the night and I didn’t need breastfeeding.
So when I pumped my breast milk, I was surprised to get 100ml milk at least.
My baby son was talking a lot on the day. Probably he enjoyed spending time with his cousin and uncle.
In addition when my sister was singing, he was singing with her.
It was a wonderful weekend.
The more, the merrier!
We’ll get a lot of fun thing from now on!
By the way this picture is my baby son and I. We were playing in the hanged laundry.

sweet juice for breast feeding

At hot dusk in the summer vacation
I was getting sleepy when I watched a game of high school baseball tournament
The top of the eighth inning almost finished
I asked my sister to wake me up when the top of the ninth started
And I closed my eyes for a while
When I waked up, my sister was singing to my baby son
And he was singing “ elluAUuuau---“ with her
I said “ How’s the game of high school baseball tournament? “ to her
She told me I didn’t wake up at all when she waked me up.
She gave me a glass of juice saying “ This is a juice for breastfeeding!”
It was a little bit sweet banana juice
She made this simple juice from milk with crushed banana
It was very delish and sweet juice for breastfeeding.
I wanna drink it again and tried to make it!

mother's special privilege

The thing that I’ve been wanting to do is going to Tully’s and drinking rich and strong coffee.
The day before yesterday I was able to do it after going shopping with my husband.
But my baby son was starting to cry there. I was sure there wasn’t the nursing room.
I totally didn’t know it even though I live here for many years. Actually there was it on the second floor at the grocery store where I go to.
Tully’s coffee that I’ve drunk since a few months was great!
I ordered a plate of desert, too!
There is a lot of thing that I can’t do it since my baby son’s birth.
But there are many customs that got better because I have a baby son.
I don’t sleep in until over at 10 in the morning on weekends. Now I get up around 6 and have breakfast. In addition I go to bed at 9 or 10 at night. It’s a very good lifestyle.
And now it’s very hot but I take a bath not a shower everyday and I hardly don’t watch TV.
I can’t go out by myself.
Because I’m mother not father. Yes, it’s the thing that is hard.
But you can say it’s mother's special privilege.
Mother can feel that her baby’s existence in her womb and she can experience the pain and happiness when the baby comes out from her body. Also she can be breastfeeding to her baby.
I wanna enjoy doing mother’s job!

tears running....

On the seventeenth day of my baby’s birth I couldn’t stop my tear running because of losing hormone balance after giving a birth.
My baby started to cry terribly from in the middle of the night more than he cried.
He cried strongly in the middle of the night. So I couldn’t sleep well and my mother worried us and got up many times.
He cried terribly in the afternoon also in the evening.
I didn’t know what should I do and I tore many times because I was worried if he became sick. My mother said “ Every mother cry with their babies. Everybody becomes mother doing
that. “ to me.
When my mother went shopping for dinner, I took a nap with my son. Then I waked up and looked for my sister and her son. I thought they were going shopping with mother automatically. And then I realized they got home and I missed them and cried.
I called my sister. Then I cried again.
When my mother came home, she realized and said “ Were you crying? “ to me.
And she said “ you’re lucky your sister got back when you had a baby! And you might not have a chance to spend such a long time together, right? “to me smiling.
By the way this picture is my son being bottlefed from my mother.

brother!

Having gotten a knack for breastfeeding, my baby drank breast milk well on the fifth day of his birth.
My breast didn’t’ hurt even though I didn’t use the breast pump.
Then, I was gonna give my baby a bath for the first time.
I learned how to do it at the hospital but I couldn’t understand it well.
But I was OK. Because my sister came to my mother’s house after me having a baby and she was able to teach me the way she does it.
I was able to do it while learning how to do it from my sister.
After taking a bath I bottlefed him. He fell asleep comfortably.
At the night I didn’t realize when he started to cry at 11:30 at night for a while.
I didn’t feel tiredness but I was tired. I thought I would take a nap tomorrow.
And I put my baby on the side of me on the Futon bed.
By the way this picture is my baby and nephew.
My nephew knows baby is weak and has to take care of him by instinct.
He looked like he wanted to touch the baby but he didn’t know the way he treats it.
After few days he tried to touch the baby bit by bit.
He’s gonna become a brother for my baby.

he always looks cool and calm. that's funny!

On the third day after having my baby I used the breast pump because a midwife told me to
use it. And I got much milk more than I imagined.
I heard it already but the milk looked pale milky yellow.
I made powdered milk also and he couldn’t wait for the milk and cried strongly four times
for the first time.
The loud cry came as a surprise to me!
I thought he got angry with it and it rushed me.
He looks calm and cool.
When he even poops, he keeps cool and calm like nothing happened.
It’s very funny and I like that!

I feel that it was a long time ago.

About one month almost passed after having a baby.
I supposed to be with my baby at the same room on the following day of giving birth.
It was the first day when I spent time with my baby.
At the first night he didn’t stop to cry and I was wondering what to do and went to the
nurse station to get some advice.
Thinking back now, it was a long sleep.
He slept from at 3 to 6 in the morning. So I was able to sleep for 3 hours in a row.
But I was sleepy and talked with other mothers about it on the following morning.
I feel that it was a long time ago.

labor pain??? no way!

Today I was gonna try to walk. The frozen drink was ready and anytime I was able to go.
But I was feeling different from usual days.
I was feeling like something that I had ever experienced.
The baby was going down and my tummy stretched too much.
And everytime I stepped, the baby went down something like that.
My tummy hurt a little.
I was just guessing was it labor pain?
No way!
Today the temperature reached 39 degrees in Kumagaya where is near Tokyo.
I left home and went to the park around at 3:30 with 3 rice balls and a frozen plastic bottled
tea and a not frozen plastic bottled tea.
But my tummy sometimes hurt. So I came back and went to the park near my house.
Because it takes an hour to go to the park where I went yesterday.
I got to the park but my tummy still hurt once a while. So I got home.
Tiding up the rooms a little bit, doing laundry and I prepared for going to the hospital.
They say “Forewarned is forearmed.”.
Yesterday I said “ I’m working for delivering you. So why don’t we work for it together!” to
my baby.. So he might start to come out.
What a good boy!
Anyway my time of pregnancy is almost over.
Thanks to everyone. It was fabulous time that I had never experienced.
Now I just ate two macarons that my colleagues got to me and kept in the fridge.
Because if I was in the hospital, I couldn’t eat them for a while.

taking a walk at the park in the next town

I got a check up for the baby yesterday. The doctor who was strict was his first time to exam me and I was warned various things.
He might tell it up to me. But his words made me scary.
My baby is coming out soon. So I decided to walk for 3 hours a day.
The first day, today, I decided to go to the park in the next town.
I walked from my house there for an hour, walked in the park for an hour and walked to my house for an hour.
I left home before 11 in the morning. So I got hungry when I got to the park.
I brought three rice balls that we call “ Onigiri “.
I cooked rice with the pressure cooker in the morning and put sea weeds called Kombu that was simmered in soy sauce in the rice and wrapped it with sea weed called Nori.
The rice balls were really delish.
I sweated a lot. That’s why the salt of the sea weed was definitely the thing that I wanted.
Many people got sunpoisoning already.
So I walked in the jogging road while drinking enough water and was careful not to be too much hot.
The sound of birds singing and of leaves swinging felt so comfortable. So I didn’t need to listen to the music.
Sometimes I rubbed my tummy and said “ Mom is working for delivering you. So you try to work for it. “ to my baby.
Anyway it was too much hot in the park around at noon. I felt my temperature going up.
So I took some break while reading a book at the lobby in the public hall where I found by coincidence. And then I got home.
I left home before 11 in the morning and go home over at 4 in the afternoon.
I was tired but it felt very good. I was able to finish today comfortable.
So I’ll go to the park tomorrow again!

Super Cool Biz

My husband’s company started to do “ Super Cool Biz “.
It means co-workers can work wearing an aloha shirt and chino pants not a business suit.
But nobody hasn’t done that yet.
Because they can’t visit their customers wearing that.
We have to save the electricity this summer. It’s our first priority!
So why don’t all companies start to do “ Super Cool Biz “!
I changed the tablecloth on the table for summer.
I got this cloth in New Caledonia.
I enjoy feeling like summer before summer!

world heritage, Shirakawago

I went to Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa and stayed in Toyama thing in the last half of the holiday in May.
By coincidence I went to Toyama in the same holiday last year.
My husband told me that he wanted to go to eat fresh fish that took from near the fishing port called Himi.
I was satisfied to eat fresh fish when I went traveling with my family in the beginning of the holiday. So it was not that I wanted to eat it but we ended up going to the restaurant to be able to eat it.
There were men who were in the same generation as us and enjoyed drinking around there.
I guess they went to the same school.
I was surprised when I heard their conversations.
Because one of them talked about the same area as I live.
I found out he lives there and he got back there because of the holiday.
In the following day we left for Shirakawago where I really wanted to go.
Taking a walk around the town, and we got on the train.
It was crowded because of the holiday and I saw few foreigners.
We took the bus after the train for few hours. And then finally we got there.
The scenery from the high hill looked like a diorama.
Shiwakawago was a very small town more than I imagined.
There were people who live there. It means the town was not the town for the tourists.
But it was organized for the tourist.
Clean much water was running in the canal and it was like time passed slowly there.
Local children played in the unwatered rice fields.
It was looked like the scenery of 30 years ago.
There were few accommodations there but we couldn’t book there.
So we took the bus for a half hour and got to a B&B where we were able to soak in the hot spring.
There were small bathtubs like for family use and the rooms where you can hear the voice from next rooms.
The B&B was very small and meals that were served there were very simple.

one of Japan's three most beautiful gardens called Kenrokuen

I wanna talk about the thing in the last half of the holiday in May.
We, Japanese, have a week holiday on the beginning of May. It would be boring if you stayed home all days.
I was 8 months pregnant. So I couldn't get on the plane and I’m a short on physical strength.
That's why I couldn't go traveling far away.
We go traveling to the north of Japan often. But that’s too bad I should avoid going there.
And I came up with going to the middle of Japan. It’s Hokuriku and Shirakawago in Gifu.
I had been thinking I wanna go there when I saw pictures that Kay took there.
But it was hard to book accommodations and trains on the day before our date of departure.
Every accommodation was fully booked. And then my husband found them for a half day.
We took high-class seats of two trains. So it was very comfortable and we were able to sleep
there. We didn’t have any plans. So we decided to go to a famous beautiful Japanese garden called Kenrokuen.
It was already over when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. But it looked very shinning in the garden in the season when the fresh greens come out.
The season when the leaves turn red or yellow is good but in the spring when various lives come out I feel like getting energies from them.
My SONY camera that my husband got for my birthday is small as a digital single-lens reflex camera. But it’s very good. So when we go to the beautiful places, my husband and I compete to take good pictures by it.
The garden was larger than I imagined and I got tired easily because my bump became bigger every single day. So I walked while being out of breath and rubbing my bump.
I heard snow covered the garden is much more beautiful but it looked very beautiful.

going over being at work

Last Thursday it was the last day before my maternity leave.
Going to work after about two weeks it was a hassle actually.
I was a little bit anxious to keep standing on the train with my bump much bigger than before.
After getting pregnant I left home before 7 in the morning everyday.
8 months flied and I can’t believe I’m becoming mother after a month.
When I had a morning sickness it was hard to go to work.
When you get pregnant, you get sleepy. So I got sleepy strongly often and I got home around at 8 and I was asleep before my head hit the pillow around at 9.
And I didn’t vomit but I felt sick always. Especially when I was so hungry, it was getting worse.
So I brought a bite size of apples in a tapper wear to work.
You know you call it morning sickness but I felt sick after work worse than in the morning.
So it was hard time to got on the train after work.
I hadn’t had a big bump. Even I put a key holder of expecting mothers on my bag, I hardly took a seat also most people didn’t give me their seat.
When I got to the grocery store near my house, I sometimes wanted to sit on the floor because of feeling sick terribly.
In January I was 3 months pregnant. And I was thinking I was gonna feel sick until my baby coming out. But the morning sickness was gone without knowing in the middle of February.
My task at work was not decreasing. Instead, I was getting busy much more than before.
It was hard to work after getting pregnant. So I was glad when I started to take paid holidays two weeks ago.
And I was really happy and I enjoyed spending time after becoming a full time wife.
Because my house kept clean and I was able to do various things that I couldn’t do it after working.
So I had been thinking I couldn’t go ba ck to work anymore.
But going to work after a while, I was gonna miss being at work and it was not bad to keep working, I thought.
Every single day I have to go to work even if I’m not in the mood to go to work and sometimes
I have difficult tasks. In addition I have to study and I’m under the pressure because my boss wants me to do high level tasks more than when I was 20.
But it’s worth to do them.
You have to communicate with people who you don’t like at work. If you’re a full time house wife, you don’t need to do though.
But that’s why you can meet various attractive people and you can become friends with them because you work at the company.
You get money because you work hard. Getting paid is not easy.
But it’s worth to do it.
I go back to work after the maternity leave. So I don’t have to forget it.
And I wanna enjoy spending time as a fulltime house wife.
By the way I took this picture in Toyama last year.

Salad* of onion, Mizuna and Tomato

My father-in-law sent us various vegetables that he grows at his garden.
He lives in the south of Japan. It means he lives in the safe area.
Recently I haven’t eaten spinach. This time he sent us them and other good vegetables.
So I was able to eat much good salad after a long time!

these happy days

my maternity leave started.
Yesterday it was my second day being a full time housewife that is addictive.
I wake my husband up, made dinner and had it together.
Then I saw my husband out and I was relaxed while watching TV.
And then I took food on the trays in the fridge and washed the trays.
I wanna clean each place in my house in turns everyday.
I’ve wanted to do that!
Small things make me joyful and happy.
And yesterday I went to see the doctor to check my baby.
I was worried because my baby was in breech position but my baby turned around in this
two weeks and he is head down now.
I’m relieved. My baby is a very good boy. Thanks to my baby!
Many people say “ You must be looking forward to seeing your baby. Your baby is almost
coming out. “ to me. But I’m gonna missing being pregnant more than looking forward to
seeing my baby.
Probably these 8 months was the happiest time in my life.
Pregnancy is much more wonderful experience than I imagined and I didn’t feel maternity blue.
I watch news about young couples kill or abuse their babies on TV many times.
Why I was able to feel that is that I’m not in my twenties and that’s why I was able to feel that
and have space in my mind. I thought of that when my friend called me last night.
Each person has the best timing. My best timing is now probably.
The storks with batons that left from me are almost to my best friends.
I wanna say “The storks are working on it. So why don’t you keep at it. “ to them.
By the way this picture is a picture that my husband took in Toyama.

a wonderful trip

The establishment where we stayed this time was a little bit expensive.
At the entrance much stuff waited for us, and they bowed all together.
This establishment was large and courtyard was beautiful.
We were able to stay at two big joinable rooms.
My nephew called U-chan was more than delighted to crawl in the large Japanese styled room more than usual.
My husband got used to take care of our nephew.
So he lifted up him when he moved to the dangerous place and he took him to various places to lift him up.
There was each small garden at the each small open air bath room.
We chose cypress bath and I soaked in it with my mother, sister and nephew.
My nephew called U-chan watched my big bump. So I said “ A boy like your brother is here. “
to him. Then he looked like understanding it and pointed himself and my sister’s stomach.
Probably he wanted to say “ I was here. “ to me.
I can’t soak in the bathtub for a long time. So I finished taking a bath soon.
At the end of the brilliant sunny day we had dinner at our room.
I wanted to drink after taking a bath but I made do with jasmine tea.
In addition I wanted to eat a ice cream but I didn’t eat it.
Evev so it was really wonderful time because I didn’t need care what to eat and I was able to enjoy going traveling with my family.
I don’t drink much tap water like I used to. So my water intake is decreasing more than before.
This time I left Tokyo and I drank water more than usual without knowing. So I waked up to go to the bathroom much more in the middle of the night.
It hasn’t been happening like that.

the first happy mother’s day*

Today it's mother's day.
I do something for my mother-in-law for mother’s day but I don’t do something special
for my mother.
Mother-in-law seemed to be pleased to get orchid from my husband.
So she called his cell phone few hours ago.
My husband got a rose on the way home from the hair salon in the evening.
He handed it to me while saying “ You’re almost a mom.”
And he picked up Goya (bitter gourd) from the plastic bag and stir- fried it with some meat
and egg after checking a recipe on the net.
It was the best dish I had been eating. So I ate it while saying “ It’s very good. Very good! “.
He looked like he was happy also.
Today was the first happy mother’s day for me.

an attractive friend *

I have an attractive friend at work.
It was lucky to meet him.
We met each other last August.
We enjoy talking about various things
Our characters are totally different from each other.
So there was a situation when I couldn't understand him and felt uncomfortable few times.
But basically the difference is interesting.
He likes reading books,too.
I think people who like reading books write beautiful sentence and they have various ways they describe about various things.
That's why when they text to me, I can enjoy reading it.
I like people who can describe various scenery and food beautifully and dramatically as I can imagine them even if I don't see them.
Also I want people to enjoy reading my sentences about scenery, food and such.
It's fun to text to each other with such people.
I wanna enjoy communicating with him anyway.
He is one of my valuable friends also not kind of like family.

One happy cherry blossoms-night

I went to see cherry blossoms with an attractive person to Chidorigafuchi.
We enjoyed seeing them while eating a sandwich and some bread.
We shot the breeze and talking about something while taking a walk about for two hours.
I totally forgot the worry of radioactive materials.
It was one of happy night during the crisis.

Cherry blossoms, Japan, Hope*

　

Cherry blossoms are more beautiful when you see them at night.
It looks like a sexy mysterious woman.
In Japan we say there is a female body under the cherry blossoms and that’s why they look
mysteriously beautiful.
Springs come, I think “ Is Japan attractive, or what? “
Coz when cherry blossoms bloom is the hottest news in springs.
Anyone know such a country around the world there is?
But this spring I hardly heard such news.
Every news program announces news about Fukushima nuclear plants.
That's too bad.
I hope things are getting well and such a terrible crisis doesn’t happen again.

Now a little bit strong earthquake is hitting here!!

Cherry blossoms*

　

Few days ago I watched a news that big earthquakes happen again in a short time.
We have to be careful.
There are a lot of worries still now.
But cherry blossoms are blooming.
And it makes us happy and we can forget all worries when we see them.
I took this picture at Suitengu shrine.

The nuclear accident level raised to maximum

This picture is a scenery in Fukushima. I took this picture when I went traveling there about two years ago.
Japan's nuclear safety agency has raised the crisis level of the Fukushima nuclear plant to 7 from the current 5.
Why does this have to happen to us?......

clean green vegetables after a while

Tonight I ate a lot of green vegetable for dinner after a week or more.
My-father-in law sent me many vegetables that he grew at the garden.
I cut the all leaves of Daikon and fried them in the pan.
I bit some thick stems of it while frying them.
I fried all of them and put most of them in freezer. And I fried a few rice with some of them
and soy sauce.
I cut some radish on the cutting board while cooking and bit them.
Adding a drop of mineral water and broccoli in the pan and I put the cover on it.
I steamed it not boil it.
Vegetables that my father-in-law sent me are not contained radioactive materials.
So it would be waste to boil them with lightly polluted tap water.
These days I try to cook without tap water.
For instance when I make croquettes., I didn’t boil potato and steamed it in the
microwave. Plus when I cook pumpkin, I put some mineral water and pumpkin in the pan and
put the head on it. I hardly use water to cook various food.
I make some efforts to cook with only a small amount of mineral water not to be stressed out.
I kind of gave up getting used to drinking tap water contained radioactive material.

worried about radioactive materila but I wanna value precious time to be pregnant

Time flies and the stork arrives in 3 months.
My bump became big and I became anemic and I managed to stand there with an umbrella.
Then I fainted suddenly without knowing.
I can run full marathon and I have confidence about stamina.
Even I faint suddenly during pregnancy, I found out having a baby in the womb is really tough for the mother again.
The trains don’t run as usual because of saving on electricity. That’s why it’s really packed in the train-cars even when I get on them between 6 o’clock to 7 o’clock.
I’m scared if my bump is pressed there.
So I save some space for my bump with my arms and protect it.
Getting to the stations, most escalators don’t work for saving on electricity and you have to go up the stairs many times.
Every time when I go up the stair, I have to stop walking not to become anemic.
Even I b I’m become anemic, I’m gonna miss being pregnant.
I’ve been thinking I gotta value this special fabulous time.
These days are different from before in Tokyo.
Most lights are off on the signs and billboards and one streetlight out of two streetlights is off.
It’s dark in the street more than before.
But I’m getting used to it and on the other hand I think it was too much bright before.
Everyday I see the notice that says “ one per person “ at the grocery store after work.
But yogurt and other various food is gone already because people got them by night.
So I can’t seem to get food that I want.
But I make some efforts to get a lot of nutrition as possible as I can.
I do it for my baby not for me.
But it means, you can say my baby protects my body.
Thinking of it, I can't stop loving my baby.
Now the amount of radioactive material is 5.63 Bq/kg in the tap water.
It's less than the moment when it was raining.
But it's more than the amount of it when a week passed after this earthquake.
The amount of it was 1.47 Bq/kg.
If it was 300 Bq/kg, you can't drink tap water.
So I think it's OK to drink it but I'm worried about it because babies are tiny.
asking mothers who have kids about it, they don't give their kids tap water.
Reading the information of Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, it says “At the current moment when pregnant and breast-feeding women drink lightly polluted tap water everyday,
it’s not health damage for mother and baby. But fetus and infant could be susceptible to
radioactive material and the less they’re damaged by it, the better it is for them.
So if you could get drink instead of tap water, you should better drink it. “
I’ve been thinking I gotta get used to drinking tap water contained radioactive material.
But I can’t seem to drink it. It takes more time to enjoy drinking hot miso soup made from tap water.

there was a usual day in the west of Japan+

At night on 17th of March my husband and I made a decision to take a day and a half day off
and go to see his grandmother in the hospital all of sudden.
We left Tokyo and went to Nagoya where is in the west of Japan.
Getting there, there was time as usual.
Around at 11:30 many businessmen walked to the station after going drinking
Bright lights sparkled there and people enjoyed spending time as usual.
They talked about something and shot the breeze, laughed while walking.
I was relieved in the crowd.
We got to the hotel around at midnight.
I went to the top floor to soak in hot right away spring when I got there.
I washed my hair and body and I stretched my legs in the large bathtub. And then I went to the bathtub outside.
I met a local young woman there and talked with her for a while.
She works in the railway.
And she said “ Many customers want to go to the north of Japan to find their relatives.”
to me. She talked about people in Nagoya after the earthquake.
I told her how shocked I was and the atmosphere in Tokyo. The talking soothed me
and I was gonna cry even though my house wasn’t broken by this earthquake.
Needless to say, spending simple normal usual days is really happy, I thought.
I hope we get back such a usual day as soon as possible.
My husband and I liked the north of Japan.
I’m gonna work on everybody getting back the usual days, work hard and pay tax for
our country being able to help people and Japanese economy not slowing.
I never forget the bitterness even after few years and I’ll help them as possible as I can.
By the way this picture is a picture that my husband took at Kofuku-temple in Nara.

I believe in everything going well

　

I learned how to bake this tart the day before the earthquake.
This lesson was the last beginner's lesson.
These days many men are working in the front of the nuclear plants.
They risked their lives even though they have family.
I'm thinking of various things.
But now I have to live strongly not to be worried too much.
I should get my mind off of it.
I gotta work hard and save on electricity.
Don't worry about anything too much.
I believe in everything going well.

something that we have to think about

　

I took this picture on Sunday two weeks ago when I took a walk with my husband.
I can’t jog after getting pregnant. So I started to walk on weekends not to be out of shape.
Looking back, it was a scene of peaceful life.
Going out while saying “ We are going where? “, and we went to the opposite side as usual route. Then we found a plum glove park near the park and found a shrine we haven’t gone to.
My husband used not to pray but after me getting pregnant he started to pray.
On the way to park we found stone-roasted sweet potatos-seller-car. And we got a middle size of potato and shared it.
It tasted sweet and it was delish.
It was not much of a subtle day but I found out that living safe and sound is a very happy thing.
I don’t need any exciting.
So on this occasion we, at least Japan, should try to find other way of energy supply instead of nuclear plants.
We must chose inconvenient not convenient and safe of our lives.
I’ve read a Japanese mystery novel connected to the nuclear plants and I was able to find out the fear of it.
Why don’t we think about the nuclear plants.
And we want our thinking to change the safe of our lives.
I heard rescue teams from US, England, Korea, China, Taiwan, Mexico, Russia and France on the news.
Not only rescue teams also many people from other countries are cheering up us.
In my case not only Maria from Austria also Maria from Belgium and Kra-chan from Canada invite me every time when I make a decision.
Pharm-san from HK told me if I need something, he’ll send anything except diamonds.
I don’t forget to thank them and return the favor.

thankfulness and anxiousness

I haven’t been able to believe this is reality yet.
Last Friday I left work at 7:30 at night and walked to the office where my husband works at.
Then we walked to our house together.
I’ve never imagined I had to walk for such a long time even though I was 7 months pregnant.
We got to our house around at 2 at midnight.
I didn’t think I used it but I put my running shoes under the desk at work just in case.
But it was helpful this time.
There were women who asked us to ride their car on the road at the two stops from my station.
So I was able to drive home for a while. I really appreciated it.
Because my bump became like a balloon since it becomes like that when mother body gets tired.
That’s why my husband brought my band and I walked while holding my bump.
This earthquake was terrible big that I’ve ever experienced but I’m scared the radioactive leak
more than the earthquake.
After the earthquake foreign friends whom I met on the blog and during the trip sent me
message on the blog also facebook.
Per say, Norway, England, US, Hawaii, HK, Belgium, Greece, Austria, Taiwan, Italy, Spain and
such.
Maria from Austria told me her husband and she would be very happy if I came to us to Vienna
and you should make a decision to do that.
A friend from HK posted an article that Chinese gives thumbs up to Japanese people for how
they r being patient and discipline even earthquake has happened. They'll wait and queue up
also help others.
I’m more than delighted they care me also Japanese.
But I’m worried if my baby goes bad by the radioactivity.
But a Japanese friend whom I met on the blog was able to see that I had a boy since few years ago
and she told me my boy is a strong boy and he is fine.
I wanna believe her words.
I took this picture on the street in Tokyo last Friday when I walked home from work.

ginger is good for your throat!

There is a lot of woman who works after having a baby at work.
I’d say our company is a good company since women can keep working after it.
There was news that many women got fired when they took maternity leave.
But it’s not unthinkable at our company.
Not only mothers at the same division but also mothers at the other division talk to me.
They say “ How’re you and your bump doing? “ or “ Your bump is becoming bigger. “
I’m more than delighted they’re kind and nice to me.
Time flies and I’m 7 months pregnant already.
Getting pregnant is greater than I imagined.
Also the bigger my bump becomes, the more pleasure I am and I think this moment is
valuable.
I wanna meet my baby soon but I’m gonna miss being pregnant….
I have a very strong body but I was coming down with something this week.
I had a sore throat but I couldn’t gargle with mouthwash, take a medicine and suck on a
lozenge, So I had been drinking a tea with grated ginger and apple this week.
Not only my throat soothing also getting well. It’s very good for your throat!
When your throat hurts, try to suck a slice of ginger instead of lozenges.
The spicy tasting feels very nice for you sore throat like lozenges.
Try it!
By the way I took this picture in Nikko when I went traveling last month.

Tokyo Marathon 2011*

Last Sunday the fifth Tokyo marathon was held in Tokyo.
My mother ran the race fifth times and I cheered her for fifth times.
This year I’m pregnant. So I was wondering if I went there for her.
But Tokyo marathon’s system was changed and people who paid much money could
participated in the race or could entry before other people next Tokyo marathon.
So my mother might not be able to participate in it next year and I decided to go there for her.
My sister asked her husband to take care of her son and she went to Ginza with me
before at noon.
There were many people who cheered runners for there and those people has increased.
I found out that this marathon became one of famous festivals for everyone.
When we waited for mother around Kyobashi, we saw two Japanese famous celebrities.
Then mother appeared!
We cheered for her loudly and took her pictures. And then sister ran while saying “ Keep at it! “
and I just walked to near the station.
We took the train and waited for her again around in Toyosu. Then we found her again!
Sister ran and I walked along the course again.
Every year mother gets old but she can run the full marathon for 4 and a half hours.
Is our mother great, or what?
I haven’t imagined the older you get, the less the physical strength decreases.
It’s a relief my mother finished running the full marathon safe and sound.
Someday I wanna run Tokyo marathon but only cheering for my mother is fun.
I want my mother to participate in Tokyo marathon next year, too.

I feel my baby is moving!

I had been thinking I could feel the fetus moving soon.
People say, “ Do you feel the fetus moving? “ to me a lot. Also I read the same thing
in a book.
I heard you feel like your intestine moving or something.
Sometimes I thought this might be the moving?! But I was not sure.
Last Thursday on 17th of February when I slept at night, I felt my baby moving!
It kind of tickled in the stomach.
Yeah, it’s true I felt like my intestine moving.
If you could feel it even once, you’d feel it often. Everybody said so. Yeah, it7s true.
Especially when I sleep at night, I feel like that how I can explain in my stomach.
It’s like fish swimming in the water.
And then I feel like it a lot a whole day.
During being at work, eating out, being on the train and watching the website of Michael
Sandel who is a professor at Harvard University.
He moved inside me to seem like being able to listen to difficult English words that
I couldn’t listen to.
He might raise his hand since he wanted to say his opinions.
I think it was really happy to be able to experience various things through pregnancy
experience.
There are many experiences and feelings that I had never imagined.
The longer pregnancy period is, the more I appreciate it.
Also I feel happy and calm.
Recently my mother, my best friend from college and some people said “ aya became pretty.”
or “ You look calm, very nice and young. “ to me.
I wanna love my baby who gives me calm happiness before he is born.

about three-day-holiday*

I went to Nikko with my husband all of sudden on the three-day-holiday.
We hardly found the accommodations on the first day of the holidays and everything
was booked on the net.
I tried to call an accommodation in the tourist association by coincidence and one room
was cancelled.
So we decided to book it and pack our stuff. Then we went out.
It was snowing a lot and we had to walk with the bag. So we had to cut down stuff as
possible as we could.
I had a essay book written by Haruki Murakami that a person gave me in a bag.
I let a person borrow my book but the person bought the new same book for me and the person
keeps my book at home.
Putting that aside,
We walked to the station without umbrellas under the snowing.
It had been a long time since it was snowing a lot last time in Tokyo.
And I was pleased I was able to enjoy spending winter finally!
I like cold weather in winter.
Around at noon we got to Asakusa and there weren’t express trains. So we took a local train
to Nikko.
We imagined it was not crowded on the train but it was packed.
Everybody wanted to go traveling on three-day-holiday.
We couldn’t get lunch box. So we got only two rice balls, some snacks and two bottles of green
Tea. Then we got on the train.
We weren’t enough only to have one rice ball but we had to eat some snacks instead of lunch
Boxes.
The scenery from the window was like a monochrome drawing.
And I went traveling to Greece in the book.
When it was dark, we got to Nikko.
In Nikko there were a lot of people and it was snowing hard.

the stork that brings the happiness

Last Monday it was the day when I was able to look at 4D of my baby that I had
been looking forward to.
It’s fun to see 4D that is different from looking at monochrome images of it.
An unfriendly doctor said “ lie there and take off your clothing to the waist.”
And he said “ You want to know a boy or a girl? “ right away when I lay down.
Before I finished all words he said " A boy " to me.
I was so surprised at it. And I said " Is it true? Isn't it wrong? " to him. He said " Look at this."
while pointing at it between legs of the baby.
Yeah, it's true.
There wasn't a reason but I was sure my baby was a girl.
So I was shocked. Because I hadn't imagined my baby was a boy.
I had said " My baby must be pretty like me. That' why U-chan might fall in love to her." like
that to my sister and I decided to what I name the baby.
My mother and other people told us the same thing.
I think boys are cute since my nephew is cute. So I’ve thinking it’s good my kid were boy.
I called my husband right away and he was really surprised at it, too.
After the hospital I walked to my sister’s house for twenty minutes.
My mother stopped by there and she said “ Your baby must be a good company for your
nephew. Look forward to seeing him very much.“
I was worried if my baby was gone. So I said “ Is my baby alive? “ to the doctor every time
when I went to see the doctor. In addition I couldn’t believe I’m pregnant. But seeing the
baby who is shaped human being is alive in my body, I feel happy and look forward to seeing
my baby.
The worry and the happiness and how tough pregnant women are, I didn’t see them if
I didn’t experience.
I appreciate the experience that God gave me.
I experience such a great happy thing that I can’t change something else.
The stork is getting to me in a half year.
The stork is going to my best friends to pass the baton from me.

cut down sugar and salt

These days I'm putting on weight!
But I can’t jog like when I haven’t gotten pregnant. Plus I don’t have time to walk
on weekdays.
So I gotta be careful what I eat.
In addition expecting mothers have to cut down salt.
That’s why I started to write down what I eat since last night.
I wanna count calories next time.
* Today’s menu *
+ Tofu hamburger steak . Daikon steak . fried leek
+ sliced cabbage . fried burdock and carrot with sweet soy sauce
+ rice . miso-soup with various vegetables

I'm almost 6 months pregnant!

We can see 4D of the baby at our hospital.
Finally I can see my baby next Monday.
When I told my husband about it, he said “ 4D? Is it wired? It means 3D plus time?
It must be 3D! “
So I said “ The first thing you say is that? ??”
On the other day I told my sister’s family about it, my sister told me her husband was the same
action as my husband.
This week I talked with a male colleague at the lunch time.
His wife is gonna having a baby soon and I told him about it.
Then he said “ 4D? This is what? Is it wired? “
Oh, are men argumentative, or what?
a half year passed without knowing since I got pregnant.
I wanna enjoy spending time as an expecting mother!
I’m almost 6 months pregnant.

reading books calmly instead of blogging

It’s the third week of January without knowing after new year and starting to work.
Time flies everyday.
These days I hardly turn on my PC and I often read the book on holidays.
I’m into an author and I finish reading his novels one after another.
I requested his some works and I finished reading one novel a day.
I used to read books on the train on the way to work.
So there are a lot of attractive works of his.
I learned this author from an attractive man that I met.
Some people like reading books and some people don’t like it.
I was lucky to read books since a child because my parents like reading books.
Books that I used to read were not only easy to read but also difficult to read.
So I can enjoy reading difficult books also easy books.
You can able to expend your world through reading books, also connect with many people
through the books.
I can’t count people who connect with me through books.
I connected with the executive director also younger colleagues.
I got along with elder people also young people through books.
When I become a mother, I wanna tell my kids pleasure to read books.
By the way this picture is Galette des Rois that I got for the first time.

Happy new years*

Happy new years!
I went to my parents’ house on New year’s and spent pleasant time with my sister’s family,
grand mother, mother and us.
I made 5 dishes of Japanese special dishes for new year and I ate other dishes that my
mother and my sister’s husband’s mother.
Ozoni( mochi with vegetables and chicken soup) was delish.
That’s why I’ve gained weight probably.
New year holiday passed quickly.
My tired body and heart soothed perfectly.
My nephew called U-chan was very cute when he waked up in the morning.
Why don’t we spend wonderful and happy year!