Home as in our apartment. Nobody has lived in our apartment for more than 4 months. We have come and gone- I was even there for three nights in early January and I think Shun spent a couple of nights there while Noah & I were in Australia but basically it has sat empty waiting for us. I was there on Friday, Sunday and Monday but just for visits. Tonight we will be back. My mum also arrives from Australia tonight so it will be Shun, me, mum and Noah and from Saturday, Shion as well.
I have missed having our own space- having a place for everything, wireless internet (!), sleeping in my own bed and using our own kitchen. Not looking forward to having to do all the cooking and cleaning again though. HAHA!
Shion is doing fantastically and will be released on Saturday 19th Feb at six weeks 2 days old (and I would of been 37 weeks 6 days pregnant)- he weighed in just over 2400grams yesterday so it is possible that he will be over 2.5kg when he gets released. He is breastfeeding well although only gets the chance to do it once a day (he is fed breastmilk in a bottle the other 7 times a day)- I was really concerned that he would never get the hang of it and that I would have to bottle feed him breastmilk to top him up but I think I am producing enough milk and he is supposed to have 55ml every three hours but has had 60-75ml each time I have fed him over the last week. This is great compared to the 8ml he drank the first time I breastfed (and 0ml at other times 
) and also to think when he was one day old he was having just 2ml every three hours- this gradually went up to 5ml, 10ml, 15ml and so on as he started to stack on the weight. He is actually filling out in the face and you could almost say he is getting chubby cheeks- albeit very tiny ones!
It is also my birthday tomorrow- I will be 26. Hard to believe that I am heading into the “late 20s” age group bracket. Shun will be 30 in a couple of months though so when I start to feel oldish I just think of that 
I am pretty sure my husband has done/will do nothing for my birthday. When I spoke to him last weekend he asked me when I thought he had time to go shopping since we were doing stuff at the apartment most of the weekend and he has been working insane hours, often not coming home until after midnight. So the other day I shouted myself a massage, some nice chocolates and a bottle of wine and told my self that it was my birthday present from Shion & Noah- thanks little guys! I loved it!
That was also the day I had my one month check up (yes, I was a bit late) at the baby clinic and had 2 hours to myself before going to visit Shion since my in-laws were babysitting so on top of the massage, wine and chocolates I had a nice Italian lunch and a starbucks coffee by myself. You may think “By yourself? Wasn`t that a bit lonely” but honestly it was heaven. I could take my time without shovelling food in my face because Noah had had enough of the highchair or needed to go home for a nap or because I was feeding him – I also just sat and listened to the music and wrote a little bit while I drank my coffee too. Bliss! Doubt I will get a chance to do that again for A LONG TIME!
I am not sure how Noah will go with the adjusting to life back in the apartment (he pretty much hasn`t been there for 4 months except for visits on 2 occasions and two nights sleeping there after we came back from Australia.) and then again adjusting when Shion comes home- I am glad my mum will be around to help keep him company so he doesn`t feel too left out. Shion is still in the sleepy newborn stage too so hopefully this will mean I can still give Noah some undivided attention each day.
Time to finish the packing I guess…
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I am just a twenty something Aussie girl living in Chiba, Japan with my Japanese husband trying to make sense of the crazy Japanese world we live in! We welcomed our first son in December 2009 (Noah) and a second son in January 2011, 2 months premature (Shion). I am working hard at raising them to be confident, bilingual, happy kids!
Home the move home goes well!
Good luck!!
What wonderful news….going home, but mostly the great progress Shion has made over the past 6 weeks!
Good news. Your baby is a pig!!! LOL.That’s great!!!that’s what my midwife called our Riki born the same day as Shion.
Writing 1 handed here, but I hope to meet you one day….
Michaela – kiwi in Saitama
Great news. Hope you have a lovely homecoming with all your family there.
You will be home now and your mum will be here! It will be nice to be back in your own space again with your own things. Nice also that you have your mum there to help with the transition of getting into a new routine. I imagine the time away would have put Noah out of sorts a bit and I hope he is in good form for you. With a baby it is so often the older child that sets the mood for the day.
Shion will love having mummy around 24/7 and boob a la natural.
xxx
Oh, and happy birthday for tomorrow. I LOVE the present the boys gave you. Fabulous.
Happy Birthday! What a great present to have your family (including your mum) all together. Enjoy!!
Sounds all very wonderful! You guys are all doing so well, I’m sure all the advantages of being home will outweigh the difficulties. Your birthday treat sounds lovely – when your kids are older you might enjoy taking them with you for a meal or coffee, as I did on my last birthday but right now, yes I can imagine that lonely drink was quite blissful!
A date by yourself definitely sounds like BLISS. It’s funny how it’s the little things that can be the most refreshing.
Shion is a little champ, now he’s at average Japanese baby size, there’s no stopping him now. This maybe great timing for Shion and Noah to go home. While the adjustment for Noah will be a big one he’ll be reacquainted with all his toys that he hasn’t played with in months. It maybe just what you need! I hope the transition for all of you goes well.
…I first came to japan whenI was 26!!!
Happy Birthday Lulu! Hope you have the best birthday ever! Glad to hear that your mum arrived safely. I bet you’re going to have a tough time sleeping tonight because of all the excitement this week!
Things have been very chaotic since we moved back to the states, but I have been following your blog still when I have a minute. I was so excited to have learned (awhile back) that we were both pregnant at the same time. You were due only three weeks before me. And then I have a free moment to check in today and find that baby Shion is here??? And that early??? Bless your heart for making it through all the craziness and the emotions that surely went into every step of this journey. I am sending you many happy, healthy blessings for your beautiful new little boy and of course the darling you have at home. I’m at 33 weeks now and had my own flu and early contraction scare, but am in the clear… for now. And I am expecting my second boy just like you! I would say we are both very lucky and very blessed. And I also say I need to check in more often.
Less of the old thing – Shun and I have the same birthday remember!
heh heh
The time to yourself sounds heavenly, what a special birthday treat. And YAY for Shion being home and healthy. It must be a huge relief for you to have him home at last xxx