Ahhhh

A cousin related the story of her father when her son was born.  He was a man of few words and not that demonstrative in emotions.  But her mom and dad would just drop by unannounced just to hold the baby then leave.  I didn't understand until now.

Day 3 and 4 Deja Vu

Camden was found to have jaundice on his third day.   Cam was able to stay in his bassinet, but with a ultra violet mattress.  Needless to say, he was not happy with the setup and little blindfold.

No, that is not the alien glow, but his home version of the ultra violet blanket .

Uncle Irving just before he leaves for Korea.  He will be Skipping with Cam for the next year in between his English classes.  He has to make sure Cam knows all 4 of his uncles.

 Uncle Jared still trying to find that comfortable position.

 

              

                                                                    Grandma and Grandpa Chu


It took three  of us to change his diaper today (Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Jared).  And we did it unprotected and escaped with no surprises.  We kind of forgot how to do this. 

Deja vu is because we went through this with Jordan.  Jordan was a little more extreme in that he was once count short of having a transfusion.  He was in one of those plexiglass incubators with an ultra violet light.  Im still trying to find a picture to compare with Cam.

Camden: Day 2

 So I finally figured out how to upload pictures to the Blog.  But not how to rotate the pictures.

Tiff claims it is her nose, and Jeff's eyes, but does he have those famous Wada eyebrows?  There is even a hint of Jared's uptick eyebrow.

Wada eyebrows?

Great Uncle Cliff

 Cliff has decided his title was Great Uncle Cliff vs. Grand Uncle Cliff.  He will claim the title Great before his brother, now Great Uncle Buddy.

Grandma Wada

Grandma and her new #1.  I guess I'm down to #8 behind Gayle, Jeff, Jordan, Jared, Tiff and Jade the dog.   Love at first sight. 

Just Plain Uncle Jordan

 Since Cliff took the Great title, Jordan becomes ?  He was surprised as to how heavy Cam is.  He is no sack of flour.

"uncle" Sean

Sean was the first one there, but patiently waited his turn.  You just need to assist by pushing his glasses up.  Camden sleeps through noise, and eats a lot.  He may never see the floor.

Camden Wada

 We are thrilled to announce the birth of the first grand child in the Howard and Bing Chu and George and Gayle Wada families.  Parents Jeffery and Tiffany Wada, welcomed Camden Nathaniel Wada, Wednesday May 8th 10 pm at Torrance Memorial Hospital .  Cam (all  19" and 7.5 lbs of him) and his mother Tiffany are doing well after entering the world through a C section.

You can now start calling me Gramps, Jichan, Grandpa, etc.

Grandbaby Update

Weds. May 8th, Her water broke and she is in labor as of 8am this morning.
9:20pm,  just got a text that they will perform a C section.

Houston, We Are Currently on Hold.

It is not quite the same as when Jeff was born.  Gayle to this day is not happy about my naps between contractions or the fact her brother brought me food during the process.  Jeff was breached and was born after a long painful back labor.  I can still hear Joyce Miyamoto across the hall going through labor.  At one point the staff were literally throwing the monitoring equipment onto the bed and hauling Gayle out of the room.  Those hospital beds roll pretty fast down those halls.  During the emergency C section I remember Gayle arguing with the anesthesiologist.  The Doctors said when they made the incision, Jeff was facing up and had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck.  They had a bit of a time prying him out.

Our grandson was due Sat. May 4th.   As you can tell, that date has passed.  Today, Tues. May 7th was the day they were to induce.  The original plan was to check in late afternoon an start the process tonight.  The latest update is they have checked in, they will sleep there over night and start the process in the morning.

This past weekend was our last official FOR basketball tournament.  It;s been about 20 years of basketball the first weekend of May.  It is somewhat of a relief.  But as we complete our cycle, I found myself deeply appreciative of all those who volunteer their time to organize and conduct the tournament.  These are very dedicated folks who contribute their spare time with little recognition.  Asian basketball may be a little obsessive at times down in Southern Cal, but it is deeply tied to the Japanese American Community.  Something our parents established and  felt committed to with great foresight.  Like it or not, Asian basketball helps the JA community survive and thrive.

Waiting Game

OK, we are waiting.

It is a little unsettling that the next phase of our life is dependant on when this little guy decides to enter the world to the joy of his 4 grandparents. 

It is interesting on how perceptions have changed since Jeff was born.  There are new theories on how to position the baby when it sleeps.  One involves a 5K custom mad helmet to help shape the baby's head.
We are relieved that Jeff and Tiff do not subscribe to that theory.

It is amazing how products have changed.  Cribs are now redesigned and the one in my garage that went through 3 boys is now deemed unsafe.  We won't even go into the complexity of the baby car seat.  There are baby mega-stores and more importantly, Amazon (Internet ordering and delivery to your door).  Enough stuff to keep the grandparents enabling the sluggish economy going for some time.

I'm reluctant to publish the name before he is born.  Gayle and I took days and numerous changes to the birth certificate before they left the hospital.  I don't think that is the case, but be sure it won't start with a J and I know there is little chance that there will be a duplicate Wada name. 

I will give you the same hint we got, it is related to baseball and starts with a C.  That's all we got, that's all you get.  I don't think an Internet search will help.  If you guess right, I will send you your complimentary See's sucker of your choice.

Did you know See's now have candy cigars?  I have two boxes of suckers waiting to give out.  The problem will be, not consuming all of them before he is born.  And yes, you have a better chance of guessing the birth date than his name.

Two Eagles and a Drum Major

One constant theme that runs through this blog is that the three sons are unique in their own right.  The main common denominator is that they are all called Wada vs. their first name.  Jared still does not understand this phenomenon.  Tiff married into it.

All three did the same activities as they grew up with different results.  Sansei Baseball, judo, Torrance parks and rec, basketball, scouts, etc.  At most, two of the three will have accomplished something in common.  As of March, Jared was confirmed at the rank of Eagle Scout by the Pacifica District of Los Angeles.  It was a proud moment for us as parents as we know he did it on his own initiative.

His oldest brother Jeff is also an Eagle.  Jordan had decided it was not for him and went on to be selected as the West High Band Drum Major, leading the band thorough one of it's most successful years.  The point is often lost in the purpose of Boy Scouts.  Even though Jordan decided to drop out of scouts, the lesson's learned have been immense.  My ultimate goal was to make sure they had the skills to survive if there was a major earthquake.  The second goal was to have them backpack to experience hiking and camping.  It turns out that Jeff and Jordan are now the experts in camping when they go with their friends.  There has been an unexpected benefit that all three are reluctant to admit.  Leadership skills.

Which brings me to those who volunteer to lead and train these young men.  Jared was lucky,  He was fortunate  to have Ron Taji as his Sscoutmaster.  After years of observing Ron, he would guide them through a process of learning.  He spent 10 years as the Sscoutmaster and I truly believe that each scout that went through the troop irregardless of what rank they achieved, learned from this dedicated leader.

For Jared, he started with a group of kids that he knew from school and went up the ranks with them.  At last count there are seven of them to have reached the rank of Eagle within months of each other.  All have shown a dedication and affection to the Sscoutmaster who led them.