Rio's baby shower

Last Saturday was my baby shower for Rio. It was interesting trying to plan it so it was Japanese and American friendly, because some of my Japanese friends do not speak English well, but in the end I think everyone enjoyed it. I am very lucky to have a good group of friends that are as excited about welcoming Rio into the world as I am.

When I was expecting Ravyn I knew she was a girl, so of course I got mounds of baby items that were girly themed. Unfortunately, that's not ideal when your second child is a boy. Let's just say I needed nearly everything except for the stroller and toys. Thankfully, I received many necessities as well as some uniquely Japanese gifts. One of my favorite gifts was an Okuizome set. Okuizome is a ceremony held on the 100th day of life for an infant. A variety of foods are cooked, but usually not eaten, wishing a baby not to suffer from lack of food throughout life. I also got many Japanese outfits called jinbei which are basically glorified pajamas. The funny part is that most of them will not fit the baby until he is well over a year old! The Japanese see Americans as extremely large people, so I am guessing that maybe they thought their baby clothes would not fit an American Baby. : )