Pregnant with Kenzo, I truly felt in awe of my body and all that it was accomplishing. My big ol' belly growing a precious baby inside. My "sisters" preparing to do their very important job of nourishing baby once out in the world. I was even OK with the slight(??) enlargement of my hips and derriere so as better to support all the extra weight. I was embracing my time as a fertility goddess!

Now that baby is here, I think I have transitioned well into motherhood. My child is a happy chunky little babe, exploring the world with excitement and curiosity, and I think I'm doing a pretty good job so far, and really really enjoying it!!

But as a stay at home mom (yes, I am working, but it's not a 9-5 office job and I have much more free time than hubby, so it's all on my shoulders), I have to admit I hate hate hate the household duties. HATE!! So here's my list of things I will gladly pay someone to do for me once Miny Moe takes off and becomes a fortune 500 company. One can dream...

1) I would kill to have a housekeeper - even if it's just once a week or once every other week! Just someone to come in and do the dirty work - scrubbing toilets, dusting, vacuuming, you name it!

2) We need a chef. Let's face it, I'm a dunce in the kitchen, a dunce who hates being in the kitchen no less. That's the worst combo!! At the very least, I'd love to have someone give me a meal plan with recipes, because I can't even be bothered to look up fun things to make, which is fine for hubby who loves simple things like rice, steamed veggies, and a piece of fish. And that's usually what gets made cuz you don't have to look anything up. But it's so boring - boring to make and boring to eat. Better yet would be to have a chef who comes in a few times a week with several meals already cooked or prepared and just ready for me to cook up. Ah yes, that would be awesome, and healthy, and did I say awesome??

3) Someone to do the washing and ironing. Funny enough, I don't mind doing laundry, but the machines are across the courtyard in the next building and I'm stuck with the following choices: a) do it while Kenzo is napping in his crib - I'm gone 5 minutes tops at a time, so the risk is rather low, but it's probably technically illegal and makes me nervous, b) do it during the weekend when daddy is home, but this is family time and I don't want to waste it doing housework, or c) bring Kenzo along, but I can't manage the stroller and the laundry basket, and having him in a wrap is hard cuz I'm leaning over and he's thrown about and I have to watch out for his head/neck. And as far as ironing goes, I'm hopeless. Sure, I could get some more training in and learn it properly, but so far every time I've given it a go, hubby has to end up doing it again, so really, what is the damn point??

4) This isn't technically housework, but if we're talking about earning tons of money that we can't spend quick enough, well, I want a car and driver!! For now, Kenzo and I are happy strollering around the nabe, especially in this lovely spring weather! But summer will be upon us soon, sweltering humid sticky yucky summer. How nice would a car and driver be?? Did I mention we don't have AC in our apartment? I'd probably take advantage of the car just to get into a cool temp controlled climate!!

Is that really so much to ask for?? Or I can just suck it up, get off my lazy a$$, and start taking better care of my family and my apartment.... HA HA, yeah right, nice one Heather...

I consider myself a pretty open-minded adventurous worldly gal. Traveled outside the States for the first time at 12, sans family at 17, did a year abroad in college, and 5 years abroad after graduating. I love learning about other cultures, studying languages and accents, trying crazy food (blow fish, raw horse, whale & sting-ray jerky, frog, snails, whale sperm sack - tried them all!!), you name it! That said, I am slightly on the shy side of the spectrum, and until now have often relied on alcohol to bridge the gap in meeting new people and to get the courage to see and do everything the world has to offer!

When I studied abroad in Germany, making friends seemed so effortless. We had a 1 month language program before the semester started, and boom, day one, tons of international friends to party and explore with! When I moved to Japan to teach English after college, same deal. I was on the JET Programme and as soon as I landed in Tokyo for training and again after arriving in my city of Ryugasaki, bam, an intimate group of gaijin (foreign) friends you are suddenly besties with no matter how different the lives you previously led were. Both of these easy-friend-making situations arose because everyone was so far out of their comfort zones that you had this automatic bonding experience over the new and scary local and life you were living.

When I moved to New York the first time as a singleton, and again when I moved here with my hubby, it was quite a different situation. Everyone here had their set group of friends, and meeting people was soooooooooo tough! I really felt pathetic, like, "Hey, I have no friends, will you be my friend?? I'm cool, or at least I think I'm cool..." hmph. Even if you made some friends, it felt like such an effort to get invited to hang out. Sad, but true, at least in my case anyway.

But now, with a baby, the world is open and friendly and exciting again! Everyone loves babies. Everyone looks and talks to your baby, sure it's not going to turn into a life-long friendship with the lady cooing at your little one in the elevator, but still, it feels nice (unless they randomly touch your little one without asking, which is NOT cool!!!). And reaching out to make friends through meetup.com or Facebook or whatever doesn't feel so pathetic, cuz, hey - I'm a good mom looking for friends FOR MY BABY *wink wink*. Sure he doesn't know his his hand from his a$$, but you know, he needs play dates right? So does mommy! I never thought it could be so easy to make friends, and AWESOME ones at that, in New York. But we did it!

*Disclaimer: I did not in fact have a baby in order to make friends, but rather making friends was merely an unanticipated added side benefit of having said baby. ^_^

One other thing I'd like to mention on this topic happened just yesterday. Let me start by explaining that since moving to NY I've become somewhat fascinated with the Hasidic Jewish culture that is quite prevalent here in Brooklyn. The way they dress and act and talk, the various things you hear about them but aren't quite sure which are true or merely rumors. I'm just fascinated with it, much like I am with the Amish. I'm currently reading the biography of an ex-Hasidic Jew, called "Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of my Hasidic Roots" which gives an amazing insight into the culture (though, I don't know what is exaggerated or specific to her sect). For instance, it says they believe God sent Hitler as their punishment for assimilation, which is why they are so careful now to dress so traditionally and piously. They believe having as many kids as possible is the ultimate revenge against Hitler, so that is basically the women's job. Once married, they cannot show their real hair to any man other than their husband, and some sects mandate keeping their hair shaved under their wig or scarf. One would be correct in assuming they go out of their way not to interact with people outside of their group, and until yesterday I only had one (very negative) interaction with one - he was a realtor who showed us an apartment, and gave it away to someone else despite him promising he'd give me a warning if anyone showed interest before I could get our contract to him. A-hole. I tried not to generalize him to the entire population. But yesterday, while at H&M with baby and hubby, I briefly chatted with a Hasidic women in the elevator about our babies, and then while shopping another one asked me where I got the baby hat I was holding. Nothing major, I know, but still, imagine my elation, to have crossed such an extreme cultural division! Hoorah!!

So there you have it folks. Alcohol and babies, the ultimate tools for breaking ice, bridging gaps, and crossing the cultural divide!

I'm not a big fan of going to the doctor. I get more and more cynical about them as I get older, and I tend to second guess every word that comes out of their mouth. I feel like for the most part (when it's a non-life threatening issue, of course) I can fix it myself with some common sense, a wee bit of googling, and 2 cents from friends and family. That said, I'm not a radical here - I'll take my baby to his check ups and get the official verification that all is well and good in his development, and even uneasily allow him to get the required vaccinations (though, he's on an alternative spread out schedule).

But I'd like a minute on my soap box for a bit of a vent. We go to the most popular practice in Bay Ridge, and saw this one doctor, let's call her She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named (SWSNBN for short), at Kenzo's 4-day check up (required since he was discharged early). She freaked out saying he was totally jaundiced and needed his bilirubin checked. "Oh no! Well, so check it then", I said. She says, "Ohhhhh no - you see, it's Saturday and our office closes in a couple of hours (2pm), so we wouldn't have time to get the lab results until Tuesday, because, you know, Monday is a holiday." I took that to mean she would rather us rush to the emergency room and expose our newborn baby to god knows what kinda germs just because she can't be bothered with getting a call from the lab on her cell phone while not at work to find out if her patient is actually sick and in need of emergency treatment or is completely fine and in no need to visit a hospital. So, off we went in a taxi to the hospital, new mom hysterically crying and also not in the best of physical shape for such an adventure, you know, having gone through a 50 hour labor and pushing an 8 pound baby out of her hoo-hah just 4 days prior. Long story short, Kenzo was FINE. Below the critical threshold and in no need of UV treatment or anything. Thanks Dr. SWSNBN for a WONDERFUL day, which cost us $240 to boot (ER visit and round-trip cab ride)! Did I mention she had also given me crap about Kenzo having lost 10% of his weight (which is NORMAL), and that I NEEDED to supplement him with formula?? She made us come back in for a weight check that next Tuesday, by which time he was already back above his birth weight. I'm glad I didn't listen to her or the ER doc pushing the formula. Shame shame shame on them!!!

Since that fateful day, we've seen several other doctors at the practice, who have all been absolutely wonderful. No complaints! But today, for Kenzo's 4 month check up, ahhhh, wouldn't ya know, it was Dr. SWSNBN again. She rubbed me the wrong way right from the get go. She says there are 2 options at this age and starts talking about the first option being to go ahead and start the baby on solid foods. I immediately start shaking my head and she looks at me funny, and reluctantly switches to telling me option number 2 which is to stick with breastfeeding-only until later. I chime in and say, yes, we're planning to wait until 6 months for food. And she says "OK, that's what WE'LL do - WE'LL wait until 6 months to introduce food". OMG. I don't know why her saying "we'll" bothered me so much, but it did. Ick. WE are not a team. The "we" here is me, my husband, and my baby. YOU are not part of this decision making team, douche.

From there, things just got better. She started examing Kenzo. He's a pretty chill dude. He's doesn't give away smiles and grins easily, but he really only gets upset when he's super tired. But, man, he took a look at her and got that pouty chin (which is super cute, I have to add) and started to wail!!! Hmmmmm, this kid is a gifted judge of character ^_^ Next came vaccines - one in each leg, ouch! More wailing, to the next level of course (tomato red face all scrunched up, so sad)!! She puts on the bandaids and says I can pick him up. Then she says, "Oh, oops" - and tells me she put one of the bandaids in the wrong spot. Nice one. I look down and there is blood on Kenzo's clothes because of her error, and he now 2 bandaids on one leg. She couldn't even be bothered to take off the one that isn't even covering anything up. Thanks.

To cap it all off, I get home and checked our health records that they update at each visit and send us home with. Updates are hand written by each doc, and it has everything on it including his birth stats! Dr. SWSNBN wrote down the wrong date for today and today's vaccinations. Yeah. Sounds about right.

Next time, when I call to make the appointment and they ask me with which doctor, I will no longer say "Oh, whoever is available". Lesson learned!!

Because this was such an unusually negative post, sorry about that, I'll leave you with Kenzo's cutie patootie photo collage:

Totally psyched for the second annual Brooklyn Baby Expo, hosted by A Child Grows!!

Get your calendars out, ladies and gents, and save Sunday, June 2 for a baby bonanza!

Over 600 attendees are expected, with helpful seminars such as “Brooklyn Resource Guide for Parents” and “Essential Gear for the First 2 Years”, product demos, and amazing raffle prizes. Oh yeah, and did I mention the $150 worth of swag in the gift bags?? Yeah, this is some good stuff ^_^

I'm really excited to attend with my little one in tow, and also thrilled to be including a couple of Miny Moe Diaper & Nursing Pad Sampler Packs in the raffle!

Go to the bottom of this page to register, and follow the Expo's page on Facebook for updates.

Hope to see you there!! Comment below to let me know if you'll be going!!

Spring has sprung and we're feeling generous ^_^
So, welcome to our very first giveaway!!

Miny Moe will be giving away one
Newborn / Size 1 Combo Diaper Sampler Pack
(pictured below).

This sampler pack includes 3 newborn size diapers and 3 Size 1 diapers from each of 6 different brands (Huggies, Pampers, Luvs, Earth's Best, Walmart, Target), as well as a nifty score card for each brand to help you figure out the best one, with a photo reference guide to help you easily find you manufacturer's pack at your local store. The combo pack gives you a total of 36 diapers and is valued at $35.99.

Every brand fits each baby differently, and it can be a frustrating challenge to find the best fit for your little munchkin, like a messy game of eeny meeny miny moe. That's where Miny Moe can save you a lot of time, effort, and moolah!!

Miny Moe diaper and nursing pad samplers are perfect for someone with a new baby at home or one on the way, so check 'em today!! P.S. They make AWESOME baby shower gifts!!

One winner will be chosen by random via Rafflecoptor and announced on May Day (May 1). Get multiple entries each day through the Rafflecoptor box below - first entry by leaving a comment on this blog entry, and then by liking Miny Moe on Facebook, following Miny Moe and Heather on Twitter, and tweeting about this giveaway! **Sorry, US Residents only**

So I posted before on the pros and cons of baby wearing vs. using a stroller. I love doing both. I love our Mei Tai wrap and the closeness of having Kenzo on me, but I love the stroller's ability to carry all of my crap! I'm usually of the "to each her own" kinda mentality, but when marketing leads to something dangerous becoming the norm, it really really irks me. So, here's what I've heard and come across in my research. Do what you will with it!

I've heard that the Baby Bjorn carrier is terrible for the baby's hips and spine, and in doing research came across a whole plethora of devices that can lead to hip dysplaysia. Hip what now?? Actually, I'd heard that term before. It's quite common in some breeds of dogs. I knew that, strangely, but I didn't really know what it is. Here's the explanation from HipDysplasia.org: "If the hips are forced into a stretched-out position too early, the ball is at risk of permanently deforming the edges of the cup shaped socket (hip dysplasia) or gradually slipping out of the socket altogether (hip dislocation). Hip dysplasia or dislocation in babies is not painful so this may go undetected until walking age and may also result in painful arthritis during adulthood." Yikes!! No i understand why the doc gently rotate Kenzo's legs around at his check-up each month, they're looking for signs of this!

Basically, in any activity or situation you should avoid having baby's legs stretched out straight and pushed together. In a carrier, have baby in froggy position or hug position, with legs supported throughout the butt all the way to the knee, with knees parallel to or slightly above butt level. Don't put baby in a jumper, walker, exersaucer, etc for extended periods of time as these put stress on baby's hips. In a carseat or bouncer, make sure baby's legs and hips are free to spread out and bend. When swaddling, have the legs bent up (think fetal position) or use a sleep sack where the hips and legs are loose (go here for a swaddling how-to video). Interestingly enough, because of the danger of incorrect swaddling, it has recently been banned from day care centers, which I think is crazy town because little babies NEED to be swaddled to sleep well! But we all know how the government loves to get involved by telling us what we can and can't do... Anyway, here is some more info & photos showing the good and bad positioning in car seats, carriers, etc.

Some general safety tips for baby wearing:
* As mentioned above, baby's position is key to avoid developmental problems with the hips and spine. Ideally, baby should be in the froggy or hug position, depending on age with legs coming out into hug position after 4 months or so.
* Baby's chin should never be touching his or her neck - this would make breathing quite difficult. Unfortunately, this position is tough to avoid with a newborn in the cocoon kind of slings. Not impossible, but you have to be really careful. I should add laying in the cocoon sling is not great for baby's hips.
* Do not let fabric cover the baby's face. This could cause the baby to "rebreathe" air, which is believed to be one of the causes of SIDS. You not only have to be careful about the sling or wrap's fabric, but also your clothing. When wearing my baby, I sometimes look down to find him face down on my chest after he's passed out, and I have to be careful to make sure his head is turned so that his nose is not nuzzled in my shirt. Or I arrange his hands so they're tucked under his chest to push his head back away from my chest a bit.

Not to rag on Baby Bjorn, but it's sub par for many reasons: 1) bad for hips (as discussed above), 2) bad for spine (doesn't support natural curvature of baby's spine), 3) bad for brain (front facing, baby has no escape from overstimulation). Yet, somehow Baby Bjorn is the most popular and most well known brand of baby carrier in the States. Go figure. Well done to their marketing team >_<

Helpful websites:
* Read in detail about Hip Dysplaysia, a risk especially in the first few months from bad positioning in car seats, baby carriers, and swaddles.
* Safety tips from Baby Wearing International
* 9 reasons why carrying your baby front-facing is bad

Kenzo took his first flight in utero - to Japan no less! Out of the womb, he flew at 6 weeks. Just a 2 hour jaunt this time, but he was a trooper! I on the other hand was a nervous wreck!! Would he scream the whole flight? Would we join the mile high diaper blowout club? Luckily, neither of those happened, and I'm knocking on wood for our next flight in May, this time I'll be sans daddy!!

I did a lot of research regarding flying with baby and here is what I'm happy to share with you. Please heed the disclaimer that you should check with your own airline about their policies as they do vary quite a bit!!

Baby's Ears:  We all know we have to pop our ears during ascent and descent to avoid discomfort and possible damage. Whether this is by chewing gum, yawning, holding our nose and blowing, etc. Unfortunately, baby can't do any of these things. So, it's recommended to have them nurse or drink from a bottle during those times, especially descent. If they won't drink anything, at least see if they'll suck on a pacifier. Anything to get that jaw moving, which will help the ears pop. At 6 weeks, my little one slept through the first flight, door to door. On the return flight he was awake during the descent so I nursed him. He never did show any signs of discomfort.

Carry-Ons: Most airlines give you a freebie carry-on for baby - usually EITHER a car seat OR a fully collapsible stroller. This is in addition to your regular freebie carry-ons of one bag and one personal item. The car seat is great if the flight isn't fully booked, as you can use the seat next to you if it's empty! Otherwise, it can be checked at the gate, as the stroller would be. If you're traveling alone as I will be next month, I highly advise wearing baby in a hands free carrier and checking everything but the diaper bag. Dealing with more items seems like it would quadruple the stress load. Also, keep in mind baby has to come out of whatever they're in for the security check. Yes. Annoying but necessary. No body wants a suicide baby bomber to go unchecked! Don't forget about the 3-1-1 policies for liquids if you have a formula fed baby. As we're exclusively breastfeeding I haven't done any research into what's allowed with that.

Lap Child vs. Ticketed Child: On domestic flights, you can register your under 2 year old child as a lap child and they fly completely free. You can use an FAA approved car seat (it says on the side if it's certified) in the seat next to you if it's empty, still for free! On international flights, you pay something like 10% of your ticket price for a lap child. Not toooooo bad. So why would you consider buying a full-fare ticket? Well, for one, SAFETY. For another, they get the same free checked baggage allowance as anyone else with a ticket. Probably not worth it if that's the only thing you're considering, but worth factoring in. Personally, I am a total cheapskate and go the lap child route and hope for the best.

Child Abduction Precautions: For a domestic flight, if both parents are traveling together, baby doesn't require any documents, though I would recommend bringing a copy of the birth certificate just in case. If traveling abroad, of course they need a passport, more on that below. If only one of the parents is traveling abroad with the baby, Customs and Boarder Protection "strongly recommends" a note from the non-traveling parent stating "I acknowledge that my wife/husband/etc. is traveling out of the country with my son/daughter/group. He/She/They has/have my permission to do so." I would recommend this kind of note even if traveling domestically, and am planning to do that when I travel alone with my son next month. Also, be sure to check the requirements of the country traveling to, apparently Canada has very strict laws about paperwork needed and you will not be allowed in without it!

Baby's First Passport: When applying in person, both parents and the child applying for the passport must be present. If both parents cannot be present, a notarized statement from the absent parent must be presented at the time of application. This is serious business folks! And not every post office has the ability to take the photo there. So, do your research. If you have to bring the photo yourself, note that there can be no one else in the photo, and baby must be looking at the camera with his or her eyes open. Good luck with that if it's a newborn!! They also have specific requirements for the dimensions of the face, etc. I wouldn't trust the local Rite Aid to have a clue how to get an infant's photo, but if you shop around you'll find places advertising infant passport photos. For example, Brooklyn's Photofaction at 117 7th Ave. The State Department has some tips here which include laying baby on a plain white or off-white sheet. They even have a photo tool that helps you crop it to the right size - super easy!! Here is the passport application, and here is where you can find your nearest passport acceptance facility.

Let me preface this entry by saying I have not yet tried any of these products yet, and the companies have not asked me to promote them, nor do they know that I am doing so. These are just some products or companies I've come across in my search to protect my little one from the harsh rays of his first summer without slathering him with chemicals or keeping him tethered to my sofa indoors all season! Check 'em out if you're so inclined, and please leave a comment if you have tried (and recommend or don't recommend) any of these!

Sunny Sleevez - UPF 50+ sleeves - much cooler than long sleeves, and quick to pull off when kiddie comes inside and throw on again before heading back outside. $14.99 for a pair.

Coolibar - Sun protection gear for the whole family, though it looks like from 6 months for babies. I'm thinking about this one piece UPF 50+ romper, but I'm not sure if we'll be going to the beach or pool this summer, and $40 (plus shipping?) is a bit much for "maybe". And also, seems like it'd be hot.

Baby Banz - UPF 50+ sunglasses, hats, swimwear, etc. $17-20 for a pair of baby sunglasses, about 3 times more than Target, which do say "UV Protection" but don't say what level, so...you get what you pay for?

UV Skinz - UPF 50+ outdoor and swimwear products for the whole family.

Tickle Time - 100% all natural mineral powder UVA/UVB protection, lasts all day and is water resistant. I saw this on "The Doctor's" and looks very interesting!

Badger All Natural Sunscreen - UVA/UVB water resistant, comes in scented and unscented.

Poofy Organics "The" Sunscreen - effective yet toxic-free at 22.5% zinc oxide. Free of chemical fragrances, parabens, and nanoparticles.

If this post has gotten you thinking about the safety of any of your products at home, check out Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database - they rate tons of stuff on their safety for us and the environment!

While pregnant, I didn't get the crazy cravings you always see depicted on TV, you know, the ice cream and pickles kind of cravings! I didn't get them in the middle of the night and force my hubby to make a midnight run to the grocery store. Mine were pretty mild, not much stronger than pre-pregnancy. They were along the lines of "Oh my gosh I want some french fries" or "mmmmmmmm chocolate!!". Pretty run of the mill. Aversions were a wee bit stronger, mostly I was turned way off of chicken. I used to LOVE chicken burritos, but with a bun in the oven I quickly realized chicken was a no-go, and those formerly beloved chicken burritos turned into veggie ones.

Now that I'm breast feeding, unfortunately, the cravings seem just as strong! My biggest one is quite ironic following my pregnancy aversion... I'm obsessing over rotisserie chicken!! What is that about? Like, I can't get enough! Mabye Kenzo is sucking all of the protein out of me or something. Or whatever is in chicken that I went about 7 months without my body is in overdrive for? I'm sure the chocolate and french fry cravings are 100% mental, I mean, there's nothing healthy in there that you need. But chicken? So random...

Anyway, I wasn't expecting this food thing. Everyone said the baby weight just falls off if you're breast feeding. My sister said she got "scary skinny" and I was SOOOOOOO looking forward to that!!! Not the "scary" part, but definitely the skinny part!! Unfortunately, not happening. 20 pounds dropped off in the first two weeks - most of that was baby, placenta, amniotic fluid, extra blood supply, retained water, etc. But after that initial and very exciting plummet of 20 pounds, the scale has not budged. It seems my jelly belly and child-bearing hips are happily holding on to that final 10 pounds, but lets be honest, I could certainly stand to lose double that. Sure, I'm walking about an hour a day but other than that not doing much exercise. Definitely not dieting. Partly because I'm scared of it having a negative impact on my milk supply, but mostly because, well, I'm hungry and want food! I mean, I want FOOD, not salad and quinoa...But we're coming up to 4 months postpartum and I reflect on another situation in which I let time go by and ended up feeling ashamed with my lack of motivation... I am THAT American, you know, the one who lived in Japan for 5 years and still only speaks basic Japanese. Whoops!

One of my great new mommy friends was so sweet in offering me one of her extra gift certificates to a nearby salon. Since I hadn't had my hair cut in over 2 years (and I remember when it was because it was right in between the March 11 earthquake and when we left Japan), I jumped at the chance to have a nice cut! If you remember my blog about postpartum hair loss, I had considered donating to Locks of Love. But now with the cut leering closer, I decided against it since donating would dictate exactly how much had to be cut off (10+ inches), and would undoubtedly leave me with a SHORT cut that I wouldn't be able to tie back. Tying back is key so my hair isn't shedding and floating about the apartment, of course it still is, but not as much. Also, Kenzo tends to grab my hair if left within his reach!

With the appointment set for 2pm on Saturday, I scheduled the baby's naps and feedings to give me the most time (i.e. 3 hours) before needing to get back to feed him. Hubby would be on official babysitting duty. Until now, he'd only watched Kenzo in the house while I took a shower or power nap. But this time, they'd walk me to the salon and hang out and about until I was finished. I know he's a great dad and loves Kenzo to death, but of course I was a wee bit nervous as he's just not gotten all that much alone time experience with him. I'm usually there saying he needs a diaper change or it's time for his nap, so daddy isn't so perceptive of such needs.

Got to the salon, waited 10 minutes, got seated at the washing station, waited 10 minutes, then had an AMAZING shampoo and head massage. I mean, we're talking goosebumps here!!! I got this kind of salon treatment while living in Japan, and cost an arm and a leg, but I really missed it! Oh, it was glorious!!! Then to the cut. For a simple cut and layer, it took for EVER!!! Time was crawling. I kept thinking about daddy and Kenzo, waiting for my phone to buzz with dad frantically saying "He won't stop crying, what do I do!!??". But it never did and finally my cut and blow out (the good kind, not the kind from my last blog!!) was over and I was out of there calling hubby. No answer. WHAT!?!?! WHERE IS MY BABY!?!?!?!?! Panic. I started walking (sprinting??) in the direction I thought they would be... Starbucks. Called again. Finally, an answer. They were walking, Kenzo was sleeping, all was good in the world. Except the situation with North Korea. Yikes.

So, my 1st time being separated from Kenzo, albeit only about 2 hours in total, was a success. The one failure on my part was the cause of his frantic screaming the entire 20 minute walk home. It was still a good 30 minutes before his next feeding, and he is never hungry before his feeding, like never. So, we were so confused and stressed and worried what was the matter. Then, I remembered what a rush I was to get out of the door for my hair appointment. I guess Kenzo hadn't gotten an entire feed at that one, so he was pretty hungry for the next one. Poor guy!! Note to self, never rush a feeding, ever!!