9-10 month Videos

Here are some videos ranging from when Hiro was 8 (almost 9) months old until just a few weeks ago. The first video is during our Saturday morning tradition of having breakfast together. The last video is when Hiro is crawling around and starting to nod his head. The last one is of Hiro crawling around...kind of long, kind of boring, but shows a lot of what Hiro can do right now. Obie does Turbo Jack as well.

Christmas Fun!

Christmas Tree Hunting!
We love December and all the festivities it brings! We always go to Sleighbells in Sherwood to get our tree. This year was extra special, since it was Hiro's first year with us (at least with him on the "outside").

Decorating our tree

Christmas Cookies!

Merry Christmas!

The Ford family paid us a Christmasy visit...what a cute family.

First Snow!
We were blessed with lots and lots of SNOW! In fact, we got snowed in with Becca, Josh, and MeeAe, which was such a blessings...if they were not here, I would have MAJOR cabin fever. We took 45 minutes to pull all the hats, scarves and warm layers out of the closets and put them on the babies. After all that, and buying new snow boots for everyone, we were outside for about 5 minutes before it was just too cold! Maybe we will have a white Christmas?

First Haircut
After several days of Hiro being called a girl, we decided it was time for Hiro's first haircut!

The BEFORE picture

The AFTER pictures!

Ten Months Old!

Hiroshi's tenth month has been a HUGE month of firsts. Our little man has taken up what we call "preaching." He points his fingers and makes deliberate motions with his head and arms while babbling phrases, almost poetically. He LOVES to push things around, mainly his truck. He also loves rocking and holding Mae's babydoll. He now can nod his head yes and no, although he doesn't always mean "yes" and "no" when he does it. He can point out Daddy and Papa from a pictures and points to mommy's nose all the time...ususally UP my nose. He has 8 teeth, four on top and four on the bottom. Hiro and Mae love each others company, even though now they notice when the other has a toy or food that they want!

Baby Story Time!

When we get a chance, we like to go to the library for baby story time. It's fun to have someplace to go that is especially geared for Hiroshi and other babies his age.

MeeAe plays with bubbles at the Tualatin library!

We try to get story time in at home, too!

Japanese Gardens
We discovered cultural passes at the local library. We've been going on FREE family outings ever since!
Daddy and Hiro against the beautiful Portland skyline.

The Children's Museum
We completely enjoyed our trip to the children's museum with Auntie Becca and MeeAe. It was so much fun to go to a space completely geared for the little ones. We did storytime and explored every room.
We painted the kid's faces. Messy, but a lot of fun!

Hiro's favorite section of the children museum was the water room. We could have spent the entire time in there!

Johnson Thanksgiving

We were so pleased Zach came up from Colorado this year! It was just like old times...with a little added Wii action!

Even Hiro wanted to play Wii!

Thanksgiving Table

Libby and Hiro on Thanksgiving

My handsome little man

Iwata Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Table

The little cousins playing together after the meal.

It's so cute watching the cousins interact now that they are getting "closer" in age.

lMommy, Daddy, and Hiro

Daddy and Hiro. Hiro LOVES to push things right now.

bSilly Nana!

Alexus Time
Lexi is such a delight! We have been having a lot of fun together on Wednesdays. She is such a help with the babies!

Excersizing with Lexi

Alexus practicing for her try-outs for a school play.


Sibling Christmas
For the last four years, the Iwata siblings forgo giving each other presents for Christmas, and instead have one night out of the year that we gather just for the purpose of enjoying being brothers and sisters. We are really blessed to have one another. This year was the most fun of all! There were more babies, lots of laughing and being merry. We had a wall sit competition and listened to Muppet Christmas carols late into the night. That sure does beat getting a Starbucks card!

Sisters wearing aprons I made them.

After the wallsit competition. I went down first!

Auntie Erin and Gabe wearing his Mommy's apron

Additional 10 month pictures

Here are some additional pictuers of Hiro and family during November. Noah, his oldest cousin, turned 10 years old! Very exciting! We also had a lot of fun at some other pumpkin patches with some very wonderful friends. Hiro met Caitlyn, the daughter of Brandon and Kristy Welcome, home for a few months from Ireland. It was a great month!

Nine Month Blog

Nine months has been a very big milestone for Hiro! He can sit in a shopping cart now, can pull himself up on anything (even the walls), explores everywhere on all fours, creeps along the furniture standing up, seems to enjoy reading more, and eats all solid food (aside from Mama's milk). He is so happy, such a joy to be around. Sadly, he also got in his first car wreak this month, and got sick for the first time as well. Such is life!

Hiro discovered the piano, AND he can stand up and play it all by himself. Now, this is one of his favorite things to do. We hope this sticks!

At Uncle Tyler's 25th birthday party. We had a lot of fun playing Wii!

Chadae Fox's Wedding
Right around the time Hiro turned 9 months old, we took a trip to Idaho to attend Chadae Fox's wedding to a very nice gent named Ryan. We also got to see our beloved friends, Tahlie and Steve Scammell (Chadae's sister). Tahlie just had her second baby, a beautiful girl named Eden Elizabeth! Tahlie looked great...she is a glowing and wonderful mama!
It was so good to see everyone...Chadae, Tahlie, Steve, Evan and Eden, Shimei, Mama Amanda and Papa Fox. We are so blessed with our relationship with them.
Hiro plays on the Fox's floor.

Pumpkin Patches!
What would the month of October be without pumpkin patches visits? We first went to Lee Farms in Tualatin with Andy and Ashley. Beau got to come with us too, which made it extra special. The following weekend, we got to go to BiZi Farms with Becca, Josh, MeeAe, Steffi, Jeni, Andy, and Skylar Malone. We had a great time and Nat and Josh found the perfect pumpkins.

Our Little Monkey
This year, Hiro dressed as a monkey for Halloween, along with his cousins Mae and Gabe. We got to go to a few parties with Hiro dressed up, which was a blast for us...thank you Leila and Kevin!

Carving Party!

We had our first, hopefully annual, carving party with some of our dearest friends. If you couldn't make it this year, please come join us next year!

Rachel and Isaiah. Did we mention they are artists?
Bill and Liam with their pumpkinEllie and her season shapesOlivia and her French pumpkin

Becca and Josh matching their pumpkin with MeeAe

Andy and Ashley. We love the tongue on your pumpkin!

Uncle Ryan!

Bree and her very artistic design.

ChristyAnne and Toby with their KeepingSquash MouseCasey and Cambell

Kim and Adam with their leaf designAuntie Emiko with Gabe and his pumpkin

When we were not carving, people were eating chili and visiting. We love having people in our home! It's such a blessing to us!
Auntie Allison with Hiro, Uncle Josh with MeeAe, and Gabe with his mommy, Hiro's Auntie Sarah.

Kori and Julie.
Some of the kiddos hanging out on the lawn. It's been a beautiful Indian summer feeling fall...we were so thankful for the sun that day!


The winners of the costume contest...Kim and Adam Snow!
Liam helping Noah carve.
Celest with her lovely daughter, Cambell
Auntie Em helping Mae and Gabe carve their pumpkins.


Hiro's First Halloween
Although we are not usually very involved in this holiday, we will jump at any opportunity to celebrate Hiro's childhood and family. All the cousins and Iwata aunts and uncles came over for trick or treating and a meal together.

Hiro slowly walking with some assistance from Auntie Em
Noah and Arian dressed as vampires together.
three little monkeys!
The fairy princess!
Noah and Sis...Sarah made their costumes!

Hiro liked that he got to pick candy up BY HIMSELF out of the candy dishes.

Hiro's favorite treat...a water bottle from the Apple Store.
My little monkey!

Videos of Hiro at 7 and 8 months

Hiro brushing his teeth all by himself! We are so proud!

MeeAe is such a little mommy and a great big cousin. Here she feeds Hiro a noodle...so cute!

This video is a lot of fun...you hear Hiro's happy scream, and his fake laugh. He sounds like a chipmunk!

In this video, Hiro says "Papa" and sleepy talks. You'll see what we mean!

Here is a lower quality video, but we had to include it because Hiro is having so much fun with his Papa... Grandpa Johnson, that is.


Along with new foods comes lots of messes. Hiro loves yogurt. Look at that eye hand coordination. This was right at 7 months old.



When he turned eight months old, Hiro also conquered stairs. Well...going UP stairs anyway. The first single stair was at Mamo Caroline's house. The following weekend, he went ALL the way up Grandma and Papa Johnson's stairs.

Zoo Videos...
The next two videos are Hiroshi meeting a giraffe for the first time, and another fun mommy and Hiro zoo video. Hope they bring a smile to your face!






Any of you that know Nat, know that he is exceptionally musical. In this video, daddy gives Hiro his first drum lesson.

Preview of nine months old

Can you guess what Hiroshi is going to be for Halloween? More pictures coming soon!