Finally

Ladies and Gentlemen, people of the world, it is my honor and it is also my privilege to introduce to you all to Shimogawara Yoshiro.
It seemed that he was very unsure of his arrival time and kept his new family very uncertain as to when it would occur. 
Late on Friday evening when the dishes had been dried and put away and the television switched off and Hitomi and I had climbed into bed and were getting ready to sleep, my brother Hiro rang!
In fact as he pressed my doorbell, my cell phone lit up and my brother shouted it's now! We quickly put on our jeans and shirts and I got my car keys while Hitomi went to help Rina and Hiro carried the suitcase. We must have been running around looking like some silent slapstick movie from the 1920's where everything is a little speeded up and extremely chaotic.
Once we arrived at the hospital, Rina's contractions started slowing. He wasn't ready to arrive yet and finally after some shaking of the heads, we all went home with a mixture of emotions such as frustration, disappointment and strangely relief.
On Saturday night Hiro called us again while Hitomi and I were having fun in the Mars. 
"This time for certain." he assured us.
He was driving her there and so we left the bar, drinks unfinished and caught a taxi to the hospital.
Again we were left waiting.

Sunday night came and this time her contractions were too close together. Three minutes apart as we got her into the car. Of course by now some of us held a little cynical doubt about what would happen. She had her eyes shut all the way and luckily so did the police. We didn't see one policeman on the way as I sped as safely as I could through the traffic. Luckily Sunday night isn't too bad on the roads.

Rina's waters broke as we helped her into the hospital reception and she was quickly wheeled away into maternity. Hiro went into the delivery room with her and Hitomi and I waited outside. 
I went out into the corridor to telephone Dad to let him know that this time it was happening. He was very pleased with the news. I then telephoned Rina's father and told him the good news, I could hear him shout for joy as he relayed my message to his wife. Then with my broadcasting duty done, we waited. We walked up and down and drank some tea from the machine and we sat and looked at each other and then we stood and walked around again quite  impatiently and then after all that we waited some more. Occasionally we'd see some medical staff member rush past us or we heard a sound that we may have hoped would herald in our good news but no! Ever so slowly the clock hands inched their imperceptible way past midnight and after a lot more uninformed waiting they also moved passed one.
At one twenty seven, September 20, my nephew finally arrived to the delight of his parents and his new family, weighing in at a pretty healthy 3.9 kilos (eight and a half pounds).
Rina was exhausted after her delivery but the pride in both her and Hiro's eyes lit up the room with warmth and love. Rina needed a couple of stitches and baby Yoshiro was cleaned and wrapped and introduced to his parents and to Hitomi and I.
When I held him so tenderly in my arms and looked at him, I could easily see Rina and Hiro in his beautiful features. When I looked at Hiro I saw our Mother in him. I feel a warm satisfaction within this recognition of faimily when features are carried across the generations. I cannot begin to describe the joy that I felt in holding him close to me, to see his little movements and to hear him breathing. It is love in its purest form that I feel and that I offer him and I saw that even Auntie Hitomi looked teary eyed as she held him.
I feel broody!
I am so happy to welcome a new member of our family into the world.


Rina and baby Yoshiro will stay in hospital for a few days and then they will go to her parent's home for a couple of weeks. Hiro will visit her and baby there pretty often.