Matthew`s first month

Most recent picture of Matthew Yoshiya taken on July 28th, 2011

Well time flies when you have four children.  Matthew passed the one month mark a little over a week ago and he is starting to put on the weight.  He is now over 10 lbs and has a strong neck.  He gets a lot of stimulation from his sisters and recently has begun to make smiley faces and some happy sounds.

Newborn babyness is a precious thing, and Yumi and I both want to enjoy it the best we can.  Yet there is the hard side of it all, staying up late and Yumi breastfeeding or holding Matthew round the clock.  And don`t forget Cana is also breastfeeding too. 

There certainly is never a dull moment.  Those moments are called necessary rest breaks!

I was not able to be home for Matthew`s first month.  I was in the hospital (more details) and was not able to help with the kids.  Finally after two weeks I am feeling able to help where it is needed.  However I still need to be careful and not overdo it or I may find myself back in the hospital again.

Matthew is one month old and we hope that he stays healthy and strong in the months to come.  There are concerns over his tear duct which often is clogged and of course radiation is a major concern as well.

We are living in an area of Japan which is borderline safe.  It is not as bad as other hot spot areas in Chiba but it 4 to 5 times higher than the normal level.

But for us life continues on and we must cherish it while trying our best to be wise and safe with our children.

Welcome to the Family-Matthew!

Last week we welcomed a new member to our family.  Matthew Yoshiya was born on Thursday morning in Japan.  We were both excited and relieved to see him and to know that he is healthy.  In Japan radiation is a big concern and he has a high risk of being affected by it.  We were told that he might have Down Syndrome or a birth defect during Yumi`s pregnancy according to a test she took.  Also Yumi has been exposed to radioactive water and other contamination after the Fukushima plant melted down in March, but we are yet to see any ill effects in Matthew.  We thank God that he is well and is home with us. 

Matthew now is going to be in the middle of a tug a war of attention.  All three girls want to hold and cuddle him.  We are definitely going to have to keep an eye on him and make sure the girls take good care of him.

Manna`s birthday!

Well Manna is now four years old.  It seems like a long time, if I sit and think about it.  Four years ago we were in the hospital in Tokyo all together with little baby Manna.

It`s hard to believe how fast they grow...

Anyways onto the celebration.  Manna requested that we take her to the Rainforest Cafe.  It has quite an ambiance, from robotic elephants and gorillas to huge fish tanks, don`t forget the artificial thunderstorm that comes every 10 minutes or so.  I just wish I could say the food was that great, but it`s okay and obviously over priced.  I mean $15 tacos...come on! They also have a giant hamburger for the shocking price of $45...but it does come with fries.

So Manna was super excited and couldn`t stop talking the whole time.  She hardly ate anything because she just had to get up and explore the place.

Overall a memorable experience.  I hope you all enjoy the photos and videos