5 months

A month of many firsts. Her first roll. First airplane ride. Her very first Christmas which included a first encounter with many many relatives in Indiana. A very teeny tiny first sip of water. Most notably the first time she slept for over 6 hours!! That was last night and in typical overprotective mode, I kept waking up every hour to check her breathing.

Taking her on the plane to Indiana was a nightmare. MF and I hardly slept the night before and I was ill. Ill to the point of almost fainting in the cab ride to the airport. Poor Kumiko looked terrified once we got to the concourse and by the time we boarded the plane, she was wailing. She drifted off to sleep after an hour of crying, but the rest of the trip was an alteration of fitful sleep and inconsolable howling. Not fun at all.

Our time in Indiana was a lot of fun, however. Though it took Kumiko about five days to get used to the relatives, once she did she was all smiles. Good food, great presents, wonderful company.

And to cap off a hectic but thoroughly enjoyable time, Kumiko was an angel on the plane ride back to Seattle. She slept almost the entire time and during the brief awake moments, she was giggly and happy.

I am now done with work and am ready to greet 2007. 2006 was quite a year. My life has changed irrevocably and I don't regret it for a second. For the new year, I wish for good health, treasured moments with family and friends, humor, creative pursuits, and financial solvency for you and me both.

Happy New Year!