With a newborn.
Alone.
So my mom had to go back to hometown earlier than scheduled due to family emergency on my day28 postpartum.
When she told me about it, i was like oh okay sure!
But my heart turned blue and was like
Anyway, that marked the end of my Baby Holiday™. And ironically, that was also the start of my confinement, because i literally cannot step out of the house (not that i have the confidence yet anyway) and am grounded with the baby.
A few friends thought that i was crazy enough not to start finding or hire a maid/confinement lady/baby sitter when i was pregnant. Also they predict that if i wasn’t already crazy, i will soon be. Point taken.
But so far it wasn’t as bad as i thought because my mom was more like Junya’s mom than i am, i was pretty much just a milk machine wtf. I relaxed, did my work, put on make-up, even went out for dinners while she took good care of the baby. But eventually the day i feared has to come. And came it has.
After mom was gone, i stared at the danna, poker faced, didn’t know whether i should start freaking out or not. But he just told me one thing that instantly lifted me up. I suddenly feel like my life is full of hope and seeing the lights of a bright future wtf.
He said,
Well, this is the perfect chance for you to experience how being a mom in Japan is like. And this is the ultimate challenge for you. If you can do it, you will be sure that you can live in Japan.
I CAN LIVE IN JAPAN!
Actually the danna also said:
1. If you can take care of the baby, cook 3 meals a day, do the laundry, clean the house all by yourself and not go crazy, congratulations, you can now survive in Japan.
2. If you can take care of the baby, cook 3 meals a day, do the laundry, clean the house all by yourself, at the same time prepare bento box for your husband (and kids) and not go crazy, you are a true Japanese mom.
3. If you can take care of the baby, cook 3 meals a day, do the laundry, clean the house all by yourself, at the same time have the godly patience to prepare Instagram Popular Page worthy Kyaraben (Character bento) for your husband (and kids), calculate all the calorie intake and always buy the most value-for-money household items and not go crazy, you can be a popular charisma housewife.
4. If you can take care of the baby, cook 3 meals a day, do the laundry, clean the house all by yourself, at the same time have the godly patience to prepare Instagram Popular Page worthy Kyaraben (Character bento) for your husband (and kids) and dress up and put on make up before your husband wakes up and only remove your make up after your husband falls asleep, you are a super star housewife. (And probably truly crazy).
(Eh i’m not joking. Watched a variety show on Japanese TV where this actress admitted she did that and her husband has never ever seen her without make up before in their entire marriage wtf.)
One of the reasons why i didn’t give birth in Japan as you all curiously asked was because i would be all alone. Without any family except my working husband and a crying baby. In Japan there’s no such thing as maid/confinement lady. There are helpers and babysitters but maybe only people like Ayumi Hamasaki can afford because it probably costs more than your college fee. (Even some of the most popular models i know in Japan told me that they do their own housework.)
Everybody does it themselves. Lucky ones have family to help out, but millions of Japanese moms probably do it alone all the time. Right after delivery, they do all the cooking, grocery, housework, taking care of their child (sometimes more than one child!) while their husband work till late night. Some even had to do all these WHILE having a job. Don’t say Japanese mom la, our own grandmothers (my grandma had 11 children!!!!!) or even mothers also did it without all these help, their children never die also wtf if not we all won’t be here today.
SO WHY WE CANNOT??? Summore last time there was no such thing as washing machines/microwaves/vacuum cleaners/pizza delivery/Wikipedia/Google etc etc etc. What happened, modern moms???
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.
So i decided to document a day of my life as a new mom taking care of the baby.
07:00
Get up (not wake up, since there’s no such thing as sleep) and feed Junya.
He drifts back to sleep and i did a quick pump session to boost supply.
07:39
Wash all midnight feeding bottles.
And sterilize .
07:54
Feed Champon and wash his toilet.
08:30
Eat breakfast with the danna.
08:50
Bathe Junya (and dropped my iPhone in the water and kelam-kabut-ly splashing water all over myself while taking this picture wtf.)
Successfully undrown him and changed him into new clothes. And myself.
09:08
While the danna is still around to keep an eye on Junya, go downstairs to run errand and come back, danna goes to work and i clean up dishes etc.
10:00
Feed a screaming baby.
10:31
While Junya falls asleep, it is the best time to cut his nails. WHY DO BABIES’ NAILS GROW SO FAST???? I just cut it few days ago!!! Sucking all the calcium off me T___T
And no matter how short you cut it it’s still sharp so have to file it off to not end up having a scar-faced baby. Cut half way he wakes up crying and comfort him back to sleep.
11:16
Take out the laundry. Then hop over the PC and check some emails.
12:15
FREAKING HUNGRY. And already failed first test.
Because no time to cook so i had food delivery for lunch.
Half way have to tend a wailing baby to change his diaper.
After changing he is still wailing so have to feed him while feeding myself.
I think in a few more weeks and i can rock-climb with just one hand. Also another astonishing new discovery : my feet are actually beyond dexterous. The amount of things i pick up from the floor while both hands are tied, and the degree of weird angles my legs are able to bend to accommodate feeding and multitasking. In a few more months i could probably build a castle with just one foot.
Then continue to finish trimming all his nails! (Now it’s time for mine)
13:26
Discuss with Champon about life in general and brush him.
13:40
Vacuum the house with Champon chasing around the dust machine.
14:00
Feed a screaming baby. Then continue to clean the house foreverrrrrrrr.
15:15
After a few decades of forever, tend to a screaming baby thinking it is nappy change time, and he decides to have a poo explosion the moment i open his diaper FML.
After some frantic cleaning up i was rewarded with a smile that makes at least half the troubles worth it.
Snack while watching over Junya’s tummy time.
15:49
Fold the laundry then console a fussy baby.
Finally he falls asleep on the couch and i heat myself a snack.
Then baby wakes up, feed, cuddle etc etc etc.
Baby naps again, mommy does some work, tends to crying baby, feeds, goes back to work….
The rest of the evening was a fuzz i couldn’t even be bothered to document what’s what. That’s when i failed the dinner test again. Decide i was just too lazy to cook so i napped next to Junya until the danna came back at night.
He made us dinner, and we ate straight out of the pan so there’s less dishes to wash wtf.
Finally it is time for the two of us to relax and catch up with each other’s day over dinner, until…
Junya insisted he wanted to join dinner too.
So the three of us ate dinner on the same table.
23:14
Attempt to write this blog post.
23:45
Decide to screw that and crawl into to bed.
To sum it up, my life:
And how i feel at night:
lolol
PS: In the end this blog post is done two days later over small stretches of baby nap breaks. If it sounds incoherent or doesn’t make any sense at all, that’s exactly how i am now. Anyway. One thing at a time. Just wait, you award-winning-popular-page-worthy-hubby-and-kids-kyaraben.
Very interesting read! Love this post ..Junya looks so adorable
I’m in the same situation as you except I have an another older 7 year old. Baby is 10 months now. Everyday I still put on basic makeup, clean and stillnDo my freelance writing job even though I don’t have anywhere fancy to go. When its almostnTime for my hubby to come home I pop on my contacts and touch up my makeup. I did this during my confinement too. Sounds crazy? But I think every self respecting woman needs to do this so she doesn’t turn into a resentful grumbling yellow face auntie 🙂 good luck to you cheesie!
you are doing pretty well as a new mom, keep it up and i believe one day you will have an award-winning-popular-page-worthy-hubby-and-kids-kyaraben 🙂
Reading this blog post, it definitely light up my boring day today~~~ Keep it up, 新米ママ！！ I know you can do it!!
Hi! Just curious, which language do u and ur Danna communicate in? :)) also, your baby is so cute!! And you’re already super amazing being able to do so Much stuff. Hahaha I probably can’t! But still jiayou!!
Reading this makes me greatful that I married a supportive Malaysian hubby… who doesn’t have all the expectation on me instead contributes with household chore & is a hands on dadn : ) Do keep up the good work and enjoy your mummyhood!
oh my Cheesie!! BB Junya is cute and you did great! one step at a time, you can do it! Ganbatte!!
omg! this is how I feel about housework sometimes. Neverending and how do mums find time to cook all 3 meals a day! I don’t even have a baby yet =(. Not sure how I’ll manage when I do. Anyway, good luck to you!!! I’m sure you will level up very soon! =D
You are doing so well consider you are a 1st time mummy. Soon, you will be a super mum 🙂
Hi there, Cheesie! You did a great job! 🙂 Love reading this post! So cute~!
Ahahahaha was just talking about people eating straight out of the pot/pan the other day!
Hey Cheesie/ Junya’s mama! All the best and jiayous in being a new mummy. 🙂
This is my life too! My baby is almost 4 weeks and I am amazed by how much you don’t get done! No such thing as confinement lady in NZ either. I’m just lucky hubby works from home!
Haha were you doing it!!!
Ahhhh that would help a lot!!
Thank you
Thanks a lot!!
I guess when you have to do it you suddenly can just do it lol
Hai
Definitely not easy to do all these. I know.
Yes actually Malaysian wives are extremely lucky hahahha
We mix rojak eveything hahah
Thank youuuuuu
I hope so!! Haha
WHAAAAAAAT for real? you are hardcore lol
I NEED to read your blog!
Thank you!!!
My foot can do unlimited amount of things too after I started tending baby! She’s four months now which means I don’t have to carry her so much (phew) but still as fussy as ever! Sure get use to it after a while haha
Does anyone else think the description of a Japanese super mum sounds just like a normal mum? (Minus the the make-up and instagram lol) I think I should carve my momma an award made of pure gold o.onnAnyway glad to hear both you and baby-chan are doing well (minus the stress) ^-^
Wow, you’re doing a good job!! While I was reading this blogpost I thought “oh sh*t, how my mum must have been working and taking care for me and my sister when we were little toddlers”. I have a huge respect for every mom on this world! And don’t be down or depressed when smth might go wrong. Every mom is also a human being! Keep up with the good work! :))
I’m in the US with a 5 month old baby boy and this has been my normal since day 1 as we don’t have such a thing as confinement. At 2 months I even went back to work 3 days a week (my mom watches him while I’m there) and then come home to do all this after. You are doing great! I promise it gets easier. 🙂
i also need to read your blog!! i am the yellow face auntie. i look like shit almost all the time after having baby. please teach us.
Cheesie, how about finding part time maid to help cleaning house and ironing clothes? so you can have time to rest / cook / something else.
Man, I feel for you. My sister is also married to a Japanese husband who spends a lot of time away (constantly travelling for work). They have two kids and she’s a doctor, so she has to work away from home too, but since she .
had them, her time is super limited between taking care of the kids, the house and working. Still her husband expects a hot meal and a tidy house. The world is so unfair for women, really… Hopefully cute little Junya will turn out to be a more hands on husband.
my dad was also a hands on dad. he can brush our hair, make food for school etc when we were young. when my bro was just 1 or 2. we leave him at home with our great grandma who’s already 80.. she just lie on the bed. While we all go to school and my parents to work. My grandma comes during lunch break from work checks on him feed him check his diaper and leave.. he turned out well very okay he is now 20. he was never kidnapped and never had an accident lol. hehe
Wow!! I always give thumbs up to Japanese mum. Told my husband I will cook him bento but nv once able to wake up to do so.
It can be draining! But remember there is nothing more important in the world to do than look after a little life that relies on you and cannot look after itself. All other things you might be thinking about doing are so much less necessary and vital! You matter more to Junya than to anyone else, you are his everything. You’re a champ for being the life support to your little bunny.
awww it looks so exhausting.. one reason that i am delaying having baby forever.. lol.. ur baby look so cute ~ i am glad u r still blogging so much even after having a baby! true true blogger! nnxo hitomiblog.com
oh no!did your iphone still works after it is splashed into water?
Hey Cheesie, that’s how my life too during maternity leave and when mum is out for few hours. It is all kelam-kabut but worth it when your baby smiles at you. nI can see that your nail clipper is special & safe?? and it is from Pigeon brand? Can I get that from Malaysia? I find that it is a bit risky to cut little one nails with usual small nail clipper because they tend to move around. You are doing great by completed so many housechores while having a newborn!! I would like to see your baby dimple.. will drop by again! Good luck! 🙂
champon is cute
You’re so busy, champon must be tagging behind behind everywhere you go! Haha.. cute Shiba..nJapanese moms are really super moms! You can do it! Be super Cheesie! *sounds like another meaning. lol*nnhttp://tenshichn.blogspot.com/
Baby Junya is so cute!! And you’re doing a great job 🙂 I can’t believe it has been a month since he was born!! nNot sure if you know (you probably do since you take many photos), but you can snap photos on your iPhone by using the volume button instead. Must easier if you need to take photos with one hand. 🙂
I’m curious to know too how Japanese mom do all that! Often when i’m in mall i notice Japanese family very hands on and do not have helpers follow around, unlike Chinese families which usually have one or even two helpers follow around, which i found very interesting. Hope to see more sharing of parenting from you on different culture!
Yea that’s because helpers are extremely costly in Japan so very few moms can afford one.
To anonymous: You are so dumb I actually feel sorry to correct you, but here goes: first of all it is called a LEASH, not lash. Secondly if you insist that a baby is not a “thing”, why do you type “it” instead of “he”? You just contradicted yourself in the stupidest way LOLOL troll failed. *roll eyes*
hao you know!
ya!!! esp now baby’s neck is still unstable right i have to carry him all the time so my legs have to do other jobs lol. But i just got a baby carrier, makes things so much easier!
Yea exactly! That’s why i said our moms and grandmas did exactly that without all these help.
thank you!! :)) Advice taken!
Looking forward to it 😀
Yea sometimes i do! Makes things so much easier! 😀
Thank you! Yes i will teach him to cook for the family XD
That’s great to hear!! 😀
HAhaha as long as hubby never complain! 😀
True! Thank you so much :))
Shower and taking dumps leh? lol
Nooooo everyone have babies pls lolol
Yes it is from Pigeon! I got it from Japan but i believe they sell it here too! And very easy to use! After the first time you won’t be nervous anymore!
Thanks!
Haha yes he loves following me around esp when things are moving (magic floor wipes/vacuum cleaner etc)
Oh yes i do! But to me the round button on screen is much easier XD
You are so dumb I actually feel sorry to correct you, but here goes: first of all it is called a LEASH, not lash. Secondly if you insist that a baby is not a “thing”, why do you type “it” instead of “he”? You just contradicted yourself in the stupidest way LOLOL troll failed. *roll eyes*
Kudos cheesie. I salute your effort and spirit. You are hebat! Yes… Many women around the globe has no maids yet they can manage. Only us south east asians are rotten spoiled.nA tip to get cooking done with less effort… E.g. You are cooking bakut teh.. You can cook a big pot like half kg of meats… Then when done you divide it into 2 or 3 portion (depends on your appetite la) eat one portion immediately and deep freeze the remainding portions so tomorrow or whenever you can just take out, reheat and eat…. And slow cooker is such a blessing. … I hope this advise not too auntie for you. Hahaha. And dont call me auntie.
Cheesie, you are really a cool mother!!nYour danna really explains well about theJapanese style perfect housewife/ mother thingie.nTotally above human and almost godlike lo.nI doubt Malaysia girls can do that lol.nAll the best to you and your baby ♡ nI know being a mother& blogger at the same time is like really hard ( sommore wanna aim the super star housewife thing?) nDont stress to much and if you need housecleaner I can help you. haha n頑張れ♡n
Here in the Netherlands you can get an helper for the first week when you are out of labor. She will clean your house, cook if you want and teach you how to take care of your baby. Then its up to you. The fun part begins because you will get to know your baby. It is hard sometimes but when you get a smile it’s all worth it!
Eh.. my mum had confinement lady and a maid after that lol.. she said she honestly cannot handle. Lolol. And i always felt sje was sooo busy duno doing what when i grew up as well. So when it is my turn if without any helper i think i’d most probably become one rage firebreathing Godzilla.
I like your blog veli much!!! Especially this! The life you describe is exactly like mine last time. Because I am a working mother too, I also insist dun wan to have maid as like you say why our mother/grandma can handle it and why we can’t? That’s why the 1st few months my life was totally a disaster after baby born. But you know, baby grows very fast, my son is 22months now, when I think back that time, I feel that I was doing a great job! You will be proud of yourself! add oil!!
Congratulations on your beautiful baby! I found this post to be super adorable and hilarious at the same time. Well done for capturing the moment/day of being a mom of a little kid. It gets better with time.. well first it gets worse and then better. But still very heart warming.
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You are doing a wonderful job :] just a few tips that I hope can help, freeze your milk flat so as you pump, you can have extra milk on hand and save space in the fridge and easier to stack. When you get the chance while you cook, make extra food so that you can save time for a future meal and freeze 😀 prepping for baby#2 due in less than 2 weeks so trying to figure out how to handle a 3 year old and a newborn.
Noticed on a newer post you got an Ergo which I loved with my firstborn. Welcome to the world of babywearing :] there are many different types of carriers and Junya will definitely benefit from the skin to skin contact and once he gets bigger, back carries are great for a fussy/teething/sick baby.
Enjoy this time, it flies by far too fast.
Thanks so much for all the tips!!! 😀 If i freeze the milk flat it’s quite hard to squeeze out the air though, how do you do it?
Hi, which food delivery company u ordered from?
Hi, which food delivery you order from?
Still working towards graduating from my degree & not a mother yet but this post is simply enjoyable to read! 🙂 It’s been a long time since I drop by this enjoyable blog. Guess I’ll be reading it like a storybook again. <3
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