Once again, the most important news is that Takumi is fine. I spent the morning with him.
He apparantly decided to squeeze a year's worth of illnesses into a month. He followed up on the mumps with glandular fever (at least I think that's what it was - a swollen liver and a swollen spleen but not serious). Then he got a cold (which he generously gave to me) and managed to turn it into pneumonia.
On the name front - his name is definitely Takumi Oliver Melchior. Oliver was my paternal grandfather's name. He was a truly wonderful man and I'm very happy that Takumi will have his name.
I will officially become Takumi's foster parent on Wednesday and there will be a ceremony/going-away party at the orphanage. Lois will be there because she's taking her grandmother duties very seriously and will be back on Tuesday for her second visit in as many months!!
I still don't have any more pictures, but I should have lots next week.
Now back in time . .
Monday, May 27, 2002
It's been a great weekend with Takumi. (he was better for a bit imbetween the glandular fever and the cold) We went to the park yesterday for the KETC picnic and had a very nice time. We were able to get some smiles out of him but he stayed his usual new-situation-somber self and felt that he should be touching me at all times. He did let Amy hold him while I went to the bathroom, but Saadi (Amy's daughter) was very unhappy about the situation, so Emi held him and he started to go to sleep. Teruko insisted that as a nurse she had the most experience holding sleeping babies and so she held him for a while too. I forgot my camera but Mario and Evelise brought theirs and took a couple of pictures.
We had a lot of thunder this morning and so Takumi woke up a little early at 5:30 (usually he gets up at 6). Waking up early hasn't been as bad as I thought as I don't have to do anything for the first 30 minutes &endash; just pull Takumi over from his futon onto mine and smile at him while he tries out various sounds and scoots around. If I close me eyes, he grabs my nose! He doesn't do this when my eyes are open &endash; although he does like to stick his fingers in my mouth. I must admit to joining him for the beginning of each of his naps today. The Japanese method of putting babies to sleep (patting (more like swatting) them on the back) puts me to sleep as well.
Takumi remains very fond of the Pink Panther tune. He nearly always collapses in giggles before you actually touch him let alone tickle him.
Amy asked me if he knew how to give a kiss yet. This morning, I tried to teach him how to kiss a picture. I have a Christmas picture of Lois, Marin and I in a plastic frame with his toys. I kissed the picture and gave it to him. He licked it!! Slobber all over Marin's cleavage!!
He's getting more comfortable in the parks near my house and is willing to walk around outside. He's also starting to walk away from me. Outside just going where he wants, but in the house when it's my idea to pick him up, he usually smiles and moves away so that I'll have to chase him.
He finally touched a stuffed animal other than to push it away. He likes the soft white puppet and for me to make the puppet kiss his check. Cardboard books are still mainly for chewing, but he really likes the cloth book with the baby bear on the string. He carries it around and opens and closes. He also brings it to me for me to put the baby into each page and this morning got into pretending to eat the food off the baby bear's plate.
Tuesday, May 28th
Takumi took naps that were about twice as long as usual yesterday. I tried to keep him up a little later last night, but it didn't work. He kept lying down on the floor at about 8pm, so I made him his bottle and he didn't even finish it. He drank about 75% and then handed me the bottle, scooted down, turned over and was asleep in 30 seconds! This morning he woke up at 5:15! Too early, but I am somehow more awake today and didn't feel the need to join him for his 8am nap.
We visited the Brazilian daycare yesterday afternoon. I think that there are not quite enough adults per child. About 15 kids and usually only three adults. However, the atmosphere is really nice. A husband and wife and the man's sister are almost always there. A couple of other people seem to work there occasionally. Takumi would be one of the two youngest kids with the others ranging all the way up to 7 years old. It seems like the adults spend a lot more time with the younger kids. I'm sure it is because the kids are older but the kids seem to play together much more than in any of the other daycares that I have seen. The other great thing about it is that two of the women who work there speak English well, so it is very easy to communicate with them and find out what is going on. Optimally I would like the adult/child ratio to be better, but I think that it will be okay. If social services approves it, I will put Takumi there until I can get a place in the city daycare &endash; which I just found out is not only great daycare but also free because I'm single!!! They told us (Amy and I &endash; because Saadi is going there now) that they are licensed. Yesterday I asked about what kind of license &endash; just a business license or is there a special daycare license. There is a special daycare license which they have. I'm going to see if I can find out what one needs to do to get a daycare license. I'm curious if there are rules about kids per adult, etc.
Saturday, June 1st
Takumi's got a cold but I visited him and he seems okay. They say it's a sore throat and a fever.
I had a meeting with the Japanese social workers on Friday morning. They had the signed release statements from his birth mother and grandparents. They also had the answers to my family medical questionnaire, but they said they cannot give it to me yet. After meeting with me they met with Midori (as my coworker) and Miki (as my friend). Miki was able to pump them for lots of information. She said they thought the Brazilian daycare was out of the question and that even a friend as a babysitter would be bad, I should really have somebody with a license. They thought that I might be able to get a list of retired daycare workers from the city and then see if one of them would be able to work for a month or so.
Monday, June 3rd
I got Takumi's cold so I wasn't able to go visit him yesterday or today. I did go to City Hall to ask them about the list of retired daycare workers. They said that they couldn't give it to me, but they did give me a list of the licensed daycare centers in Komaki. However before I left they were able to promise me a place at Hoikuen Dai3 (Daycare Center Big 3) from June 17th on!!! The daycare center is about a ten minute walk from my house!! It wasn't my first choice as that would have been the one next to the civic center where I work, but it is still a great location. Everything is starting to pull together.