Oh, How Things Change...

My, it has been a while. I didn't mean to let things go this long, but between laziness and a new baby, things are just not getting done.

My last entries were on the earthquake, almost a year ago. Time flies. Japan has been moving on as best it can. Over the New Year holidays, there were lots of programmes on progress that has been made up north, as well as stories about individuals and families and how they are faring. Lots of video clips as well. It's strange to think that that actually happened; living in Tokyo, we just don't see reminders very often. When we do, for me at least, it's very surreal. But, we cannot dwell on it forever, and so neither will I in my blog.

Sitting on my lap right now (because every time I put her down, she starts to cry) is my little angel/pork chop/sweet pea/call-her-what-you-will K. K turned four months just the other day. For her four-month check up, I had to take her down to the local health centre where all the other babies born in September, along with their mummies, were waiting to see the doctors. We got a lecture on the introduction of solids and even got a plate of samples (vegetable soup, rice cereal ("okayu"), mashed potatoes, carrots and spinach). Surprisingly delicious. From there, we were visited in small groups by library volunteers (and even given a little board book), and then called in to see a doctor. Let me tell you, a room full of little nearly naked babies is a pretty adorable sight.

Next up are K's immunizations. The paperwork that came to explain how they're given was mind-boggling, especially for me, since my ability to read kanji (Chinese characters used in Japanese) is pretty pathetic. Even H had trouble figuring all of the information out. In the end, we had hospital staff explain it to us. So, coming up this month is K's HIB vaccine ("heebu uwakucheen" is how it sounds in Japanese - confusing!) followed by her BCG next month. The BCG given here is different from back home. Kids end up with a mark on their arm like someone pressed a piece of Lego against them until it left red spots. The spots then fade to white and then disappear (or so I'm told). Anywho, thanks to K spending five days in the hospital for an unknown infection in November, resulting in numerous needles (three to her spine - ouch!) and other unpleasantness, she'll be all over this immunization business. Not that she remembers at all, but still.


Anywho, immunizations are only one of the many parts of pregnancy, childbirth, child rearing, etc., that are different from back home. I'll try to make a few more entries about the joys of doing things in a different culture over the next while - if K ever lets me put her down...