We Decided Your Name! - Week 20

We saw you yesterday. We've been thinking of names for you. We've come up with cool names for a boy or a girl. But we now know what you'll be, and after your performance on the ultrasound, me and papa thought that we already had the perfect name picked out. You move so much. I think other babies don't move so much like you that time. The doctor also was surprised because you are so genki.

I didn't eat breakfast that time so you must have been hungry. You tried to lick your fingers.

That was super cute. Make sure you stop that before you turn 5 years old (not like your uncle...).

Ah! also, Your papa touched and felt you first time last night. Did you hear his voice? He called you and you answered.

He doesn't listen to me though! (I hope you are different).

Tropical Fruit - Week 19

According to our little iPhone app, you're about the size of a mango right now. That's fitting seeing as how your mama and I just went to Hawaii. Now I don't eat a lot of mangoes, but I have an idea of how big they are. To think you are already this big boggles my mind.

To your credit, you've been kind enough to not get too big too fast. The casual observer wouldn't even notice your mama is pregnant.

Speaking of mangoes, well, not really...I'm hoping you like carrots. I won't say exactly why right now. I just really want you to love carrots.

Your mama giving you a gentle pat on the beach in Maui.

You Must Be a Gymnast Or Something - Week 18

Thank you for relaxing and relieving me of my morning sickness. I know now you are always starving and want to eat more and more. Did you like that Japanese restaurant, Shigezo? I understand it's good but you ate too much yo. Or am I just shifting blame to you? :p

Now I can feel you only a little bit. If I relax and touch my belly, I can feel you are moving around and around. What are you doing? Trying to get a comfortable position? Already practicing the tricks of BMX? If you are, your papa is proud of you! Not flatland though...whatever.

Since we moved to the new house, your papa worked a lot. 日曜大工(nichiyou-daiku) dayo. But not only on Sunday. So your papa looks a little tired these days. He is easy to get annoyed a little. But we are not fighting or arguing. Just tired. If you hear our not so good voices, don't worry. Proof of this, maybe you can feel the warmth of your papa's hands through my hands (he holds my hand at night always).

Baby Proof - Week 18

Here's a story for you, little one. When I was a little boy, maybe 3 or 4 years old, I recall my papa caught me inserting finishing nails into electrical sockets. Seemed logical. Here were a few nails and there was a hole in the wall. I was doing my part to tidy up the house.

Let's put aside for a moment the fact that at that age I could get my tiny hands on nails. In fact, it might have been something else and not nails at all. It's my story, and that's how I remember it. I had small metallic objects and I was determined to put them in the socket.

It's important to remember, this was the late '70s. The concept of baby proofing your house hadn't exactly swept the parenting nation. I think there might have been a baby gate, but beyond that, the house was a real life game of Pitfall.

(as an aside, I will also tell you, when I was a bit older, we're talking 6 or 7 years old, I sat in the front seat of my mom's car wherever we went. And when I say I "sat," I mean I stood on the seat, no seat belt. How the hell else could I see over the dashboard?)

Back to our story. In a case of fortunate timing, my papa happened to see what I was doing. Quickly putting two and two together and coming to the conclusion that his only son was about to do a Benjamin Franklin, my pop did what any loving father would...yanked me away from the wall and gave me a spanking.

This wasn't the first or last time I caught a beating. Most of the time I deserved it (I'll tell you someday about the time I took a whiz on the tree in the front yard...in broad daylight). This time however, looking back, I am going to say it probably wasn't something that should have ended up with my rear end on fire.

Times have changed. It's now the responsibility of the parent to cover up for the shortcomings of a toddler's instinct. We no longer believe in survival of the fittest or the Darwinian law of natural selection when it comes to our offspring. So, long story short, we've begun the process to "child proof" the new house.

I trust, given the blood that will flow through your veins, that you will find new and exciting ways in which to hurt yourself in our bubble-wrapped home. And when you do, it will be with no small amount of pride and nostalgia that I whip your butt.

From Concept to Reality - Week 17

Check this out. Last entry I imagined how your nursery would look. And wouldn't you know it, it is starting to shape up. The finer details like the Ares bike and the Cubs fat head are still under negotiation, but I'm confident we can get this done.

You're meant to start moving around any week now in mama's belly. She's wondering if it's you or just gas sometimes. I made that last part up.

Baby Got A Home - Week 15

Well, we did it. Your mama and I bought a house. I think you'll dig it. Big enough for you to have your own room. Big basement to play in and a nice little yard in the back. For the first year or two you'll be right next to us, upstairs. Nothing is set in stone, but this is how I envision your little nursery:

I'm making some big assumptions here:

First, I am assuming you're a boy, or at the least a girl who'll like BMX.

Second, and maybe the worst of all, is my assumption that you will (like your dumb old pop) love a baseball team that hasn't won a World Series in 100+ years, and might not for the next 100. Sorry kiddo.

No matter, if you turn out to love skateboarding and basketball (the Bulls, of course), I'm okay with that. If you prefer snowboarding and hockey (Blackhawks of course), that's awesome. Maybe surfing and football (Da Bears!) are your cup of tea? I couldn't be prouder.

 If you like rollerblading and razor scooters and want to watch golf on TV, we've got problems.

When is my stable period?? - Week 14

So since you started growing in my belly, Kogumachan, you've made me happy but at the same time, you made me sick or feeling strange. Of course, I'm not sure all of it is because of you or not.

Sometimes I wake up at 4 or 5am and feel like...I want to go running so hard! I know your papa will be worried if I do, so I don't. I go out to the living room and walk a little and do some stretching. Then get tired and sleep again.

Sometimes I have bad dreams. I only remember the last 3 dreams. After I came back from Japan, I had a dream of your grandma. She was so sweet to me but my behavior was not good. I woke up and cried so much. I felt lonely. That day your papa came back from work early for me. I felt I'm really happy that I have this life together with your papa.

Next one was maybe last week? The dream was that your cousin Rintaro got lost, and it was my fault. I could imagine how sad and scary that is. After you are born, I will never do anything like this for sure.

And yesterday, I had another dream. I was taking a bath, and the tub was full of frogs and frog babies. Yuck! There was your grandma and she told me, "Ah, I had this experience a few times. Because your grandma (for you, great-grandma) used to live in a place where there are a lot of frogs. So some frogs put their eggs in clothes or somewhere then after she took a bath, they moved and stayed in the tub. So they grow up there."

That's a strange dream, right?

Also, yesterday your grandma (papa's) left here. I was sad and cried again.

When something like this happens, my feeling is super nervous and a little scary. I hope this feeling doesn't go to you too. Like that time, I hold your papa's hand to calm down. Your papa is my medicine :).

Do you feel this?

Today is not so bad weather. the wind is strong, clouds are moving fast. But I can see the blue sky. I'm waiting to show you many beautiful things.

-Mama