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Ok, I’ve never been a very good correspondent. I never answer letters, frequently forget to reply to e-mails, and have been for the last couple of years a very infrequent blogger, but UltraChenoa scolded me so I’d better at least continue to fail to meet expectations. UltraGirl continues to be less and less sore from the surgery and more and more sore as she gets into breastfeeding. Link (let’s spell it like that in it’s short form for the time being), continues to get better at his end of the breastfeeding business, though he gets real comfortable all snuggled up to Mommy and tries to doze off on her pretty quickly much of the time. He is still taking some formula from the bottle, and he does much better with staying awake with that so I think it must be how nice it feels to snuggle up to Mommy. I can vouch for it, it rocks, so I understand his position on the matter.
This afternoon, I went to visit UltraGirl’s 96 year-old grandmother in the rest-home where she is having a short-stay to show her pictures of her great grandson. She was very happy to see them, and mentioned many times that she had thought she wouldn’t get to see him until UltraGirl got out of the hospital on Saturday, and was very glad to see them, so I was really glad I brought them.
See what happens? I’ve totally run out of steam but my words aren’t what you wanted anyway. On to the pictures (no comments allowed on my crappy rushed photoshop job):
Link displays early signs of being a Star Trek fan
UltraGirl’s lunch today. We thought it looked a little on the light side
…until they brought out the big plate of spaghetti to go with it.
What a good-looking kid. Certainly doesn’t take after his dad.
and supper. What a rough life UltraGirl leads.
My last look at Link when I was headed home.
Finally yesterday we were able to have Linc in the room with us for extended periods of time, and his Mommy was finally able to interact with him when he was awake. She even got to breastfeed him a little bit, and today that begins in earnest. She wasn’t breastfeeding before because of her own illness and the antibiotics and things that were being pumped in via IV.
Shoot! Don’t have time to check out the podcast this morning, but you can bet I won’t be giving it a miss, though, of course, better with UltraGirl:)
I love these pictures. I’m itching to hold the little guy.
I’m glad Tomoko is feeling better. I hope the breastfeeding goes well. The first few weeks are a little painful (or at least they were for me--worst was day 3), but it gets better quickly. Those little gel soothy pads feel so good to relieve the burning.
I love the little robes they have Linc wear at the hospital. American babies get cheated!
Although everyone else is singing your praises UBob, I’m going to chastise you a little. You’re not putting up nearly enough pics. I think we need a 5-10 / day minimum. Everyone agree? I know, I know, you’d rather enjoy your son than spend all day uploading photos. I guess that’s reasonable…
I love all the pictures! I just wish I was there to hold him and see him in person.
Awww those pics are fab!
Chenoa I totally agree. Those robes are pretty awesome, I want one in my size.
oh...my....goodness!!!! I love him!!!!! His cute little everything!!!!! Exclamation points really don’t do justice for the excitement level of this Arial black font something or other. Congratulations Ultraparents.
LINC
Loveable, Incredible, Newborn, Çharmer
..
Yes, it’s true, UltraMom is decidedly going sappy over this little guy she has only met in pictures who weighs less than the bag of potatoes in my cupboard.
I have 7 or 8 photos living in my purse, ready at hand for quick viewing. Everyone in church and Tai Chi class has been so privileged. I’ll catch the guys in my C N A class tomorrow. Several people said I didn’t look old enough for this, and I didn’t tell them I’ve actually been old enough for quite some time. Everyone agrees, as well they should, that he is absolutely adorable.
As previously requested I have been trying to remember the songs I sung to my own babies. I think there were the standards; Rock a Bye Baby, Turaluralura (you know, It’s an Irish Lullaby), There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly (Bob got his first taste of that one from his Grandpa Wesley accompanied by guitar) My own dad used to sing me to sleep with that old Christian standard “In the Garden,” so I’m sure I passed it along. Later, I favored ballads that told a story like Barbry Allen, Cockles and Mussels, Alive Alive 0 and of course The Preacher and the Bear. I learned a few cute ones from some cassettes we had about Dinosaurs in School and Monsters under the Bed that passed the time in the car. But mostly it was just whatever popped into my head, probably including some Carpenter’s tunes.
I check the Duo , Email, Skype and MacGallery ever few hours when I’m home just in case there is anything new about the little guy. Maybe just a little obsessive, but in an entirely healthy way, I’m sure. Btw, do you want to see my baby pictures?
Sappy Ultra(Grand)Mom
Rest assured, UltraMom, you’re not the only person obssessed with hearing about Linc. I’ve been checking this site several times a day to see if there is any news about him.
I have also been checking the site daily to see new pics and showed pics to people who were’nt all that interested because I already love the little guy so much and want to show him off. I just realized I think I am currently his only Aunt right?
…and as your name suggests, his favorite. Of course you are also his least favorite.
Ummm… Aunt Kathy, I’m pretty sure the request was that you record a CD of you singing your favorite lullabies. Not just make a list. Nice try at getting off easy. Drag out that recorder.
I’m afraid that UltraChenoa is right. Time to tidy up the recording studio and get back to producing hits.
Was going to try to get some video up today, but I can’t find the firewire cord I need and I’m exhausted so two photos of Linc sleeping will have to do you, but first the news. Linc is not 67cm long, he is 47cm (18.5 inches) long. Blame the nurse’s horrible number writing abilities. We almost ended up with the wrong weight too, but she was there when I was reading that off and corrected me. UltraGirl is feeling a lot better though it is still very painful to cough and hurts to talk in some positions. She was able to walk around in the room with the support of a walker on casters, and that seemed to actually feel better than laying in bed.
When I got to the hospital at 7 this morning, Linc was in the incubator, apparently he had not been keeping his body temperature up
Later in the day he got out and was sleeping in another bassinet. Here’s hoping we can have him in the room with us soon (that means Tomoko has to stop coughing and I need to stop the cough she seems to have given me. Anyway he was awake for about an hour in the nursery and was opening and closing his hands, waving his arms, and trying to figure out how to suck his thumb. I don’t think he has quite figured out that those hands and arms belong to him yet.
He covered his face most of the time he was sleeping and half the time when he was awake, so it was hard to get a great shot, but just before I left at 8 tonight, he was sleeping like an angel and I got the shot above.
Incidentally, his yawn reminds me of his Grandma McDonald.
Oh yes, and a fair number of people have commented on his big hands and feet.
I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty disappointed that he isn’t a giant. I was really enjoying myself having visions of him towering over his Japanese kindergarten (the building not the class). Still, he is quite the dapper young gentleman. Have you considered getting him a derby hat and cane?
He’s really really beautiful 
. Congratulations you two.
John, as you assuredly know, a dapper young gentleman will always insist on picking out their own derby hat and cane.
Mary: I don’t have to guess I am the master of the Internetz. This would be the former Mary Lear, sorry I don’t know you current last name. Thank you for the kind comment and congratulations!
How long will UltraGirl and UltraLinc have to stay at the hospital? I am sure you are on cloud nine!
I thought perhaps there was a little conversion error there or something:) I for one am glad he is not a giant, just an adorable baby. Hope things are still going well. I can already tell I am going to be one of those Grandmas who carries around pictures and will show everyone around me at the least bit of encouragement.
Well UltraGrandma, you’re supposed to show off pictures of your grandchildren. Its rule #1 of grandma-hood. He’s so cute!!!
Pictures! I need more pictures!
I had to think a minute before I realized who “Grandma McDonald” was. To me, that is Dad’s mom! Maybe I need to be Grandma UltraMom, or Grandma Kathy (or Kashe)
Initially, after seeing the little tyke in a glass enclosure with monitors and all sorts of electronics, I was sure that was in all actuality, some sort of wireless internet hub, and that his father (my nephew) was already putting him to work. But then I saw the pictures with his mother, and realized that he’s not working him too much, he lets him have one or two breaks inbetween.
Congratulations to both of you.
Love, GUDan and GAMary
Billie: They get out of the hospital on Saturday followed by a month or so of life at the in-laws house due to the satanic, but in this case definitely useful, Japanese tradition of Satogaeri.
Grandma McDonald: The other grandma objected to being called grandma before the baby was born. It will be interesting to know how she feels about it now. Let me know when you’ve figured out what your name should be 
Jessica: you obviously have highly-refined taste in baby cuteness! Thanks.
GUDan and GUMary of Oz: Hospital stays aren’t cheap you know, the guy’s gotta earn his keep. With his cut, I think he may be saving up for a corn-popper though, so beware.
Here’s a couple more now that I had a chance to pull some more shots off the camera:
I asked Mike (with his waning Japanese) what Oyabaka meant and he said Baka was fool and Oya is parent. So loosely translated, “parent fool”? Does that mean something like overly-smitten parent?
My advice to Little Linc (love the alliteration) is don’t be a wampaku (that’s the extent of my Japanese knowledge. It’s what Mike calls Chester when he’s being mischievous.) But I’m sure you won’t have to worry about any wampakuness for many years to come.
Mike says Linc is very “kawai” (but with the disclaimer that my romaji is not very good so please forgive me if I just conveyed that Mike called Linc an armadillo or something similar).
You got it exactly right on your guess for the meaning of oya baka.
You got Kawaii almost right, I mix up the long sounds and short sounds all the time. Struck me as hilarious though in my somewhat exhausted state that you said literally translated that you are not very good at roman characters.
Congratulations!! Linc is so adorable!!! I’m glad that mommy is doing well.
Congratulations! We look forward to seeing more pictures.
Sorry I missed the phone call, but congratulations!!! Good lookin kid, just like his UltraUncleJimbo! Let’s just hope he doesn’t inherit his dad’s demonically yellow teeth featured in the picture;)
Thanks Jessica and Billie!
UltraUncleJimbo: Yellow teeth? I’m sure I have no idea what you are talking about. Hope your bar hunt went well.
They said it couldn’t be done but I’m a bit speechless. I’m so totally in love that I can’t think of much to say about it. When my mother-in-law asked how it felt to be a Daddy all I could muster was a thumbs up, and just the thought of our beautiful son brings tears of, to quote Tenacious D, “exultant joy.”
So as I mentioned before the name is Linc or probably Lincoln in English. If we go with Linc, I haven’t decided on the spelling, and we do have a kanji in mind for the Japanese version of his name, but I’ll announce that later when we’ve decided for sure.
Linc takes his first ever bath.
Linc was born on April 26th, 2008 at 2:32 P.M. He weighs 5lbs 14oz and is 26inches long. His Mommy is busy recovering and when I left the hospital tonight she was in a lot less pain already than when she left the delivery room. Linc had a powerful scream, and immediately wanted some milk. He kept opening his mouth like a baby barn swallow until he was finally given a nipple at which point he went to town on it with vigor.
Linc with the most amazing woman in the world.
After things calmed down a bit I was able to go view him in the nursery while Mommy was being examined by the doctor. He was awake and kept his eyes on my face the whole time, very alert and interested. Later when his Grandma Suzuki and Uncle Mitsuhiro came with his Great Aunt to visit him he was still awake and still intensely interested in what was happening on the other side of the glass. Finally, just before visiting hours were over and I had to leave, the nurses wheeled him into the room for a visit. They said he had drunk 20cc of formula before falling into the deep sleep he was in when we saw him. The nurse told me how to disarm the alarm on the bassinet so that I could pull him out and hold him, but he was sleeping so peacefully I wouldn’t have dreamed of disturbing him.
UltraGirl and I would like to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for all your thoughts and prayers. I have never been so joyful, grateful, and utterly out of my depth as I am at this moment.
Finally just to prove Linc and I have some kind of psychic connection, I won the baby sweepstakes baby detail guessing contest on facebook. It looks like his Uncle John took second place so the as yet to be named prize will go to him.
Happy Birthday Linc!
He is so beautiful. I love the picture of him with Tomoko. What a wonderful day for the UltraFamily.
Is he really 26 inches? Did you do the conversion right? Rowan is barely 26 inches at 4 month and she’s in the 85-90th percentile.
I hope the two blogs are inundated with more photos. Congrats again!
Sorry, had to post again, b/c I can’t get over how beautiful he is and I want to make sure I got that across. He’s incredibly handsome!
His chart, unless I misread it or they misread it said he was 67cm. Google says: 67 centimeters = 26.3779528 inches
He was much longer than I expected, but it is possible there is a mistake somewhere. I will double check tomorrow.
Thanks for the praise of his good looks, he obviously takes after his mother!
I’m sorry, but I really must insist that you refer to yourself as UltraChenoa. Plain Chenoa just won’t do.
Don’t want to brag, but I’m sure I had first photos, right UltraBobDad? You guys were all 21 inches, which was considered quite long. He is amazing and I love the name. Wish I could be there to hold him in person! I feel a little jealous I will be out of computer range all day, as we are meeting Aunt Debi, Uncle John and Michael in Twin Falls today, but I will come armed with photos! Tomoko, you are far too beautiful in these photos to have just had a baby and come out of major surgery. Love you all.
You did indeed UltraMomGrandma
Welcome Linc!
Much love to Bob & Tomoko too.
love MJ, Yoshi & the One Still Kicking Inside
Happy Birthday Linc!! Welcome to the world!!
Congrats to both of your sensational parents. They are going to take excellent care of you I am sure.
Love
the Goddess
Hey, congratulations!
Welcome to the world, Linc!
Congratulations Bob and Tomoko. I can tell you are very happy 
Enjoy.
Gigantic Hugs and Congratulations are in order for all three of you. We are so happy to hear that mom and baby are fine. Your blog is very touching and sweet. Congratulations and hope to meet this handsome man soon!
Best,
Jenny, Tomo and Makoto (aka rock friend)
Thanks Cook, T, Sako, Andrew, Jenny, Tomo, and especially Makoto-kun!
ウルトラおめでとう！！！！
Very very ultra happy for you! ultra Linc is looking ultra good yea!?
and yes you must be The ULTRA 幸せな男です。
again! CONGRATS!!!!
see you later~!^^
Hey Bob!
Congratulations!! UltraLinc is super cute and I believe he will be as smart as his father! Being a dad must be amazing.
All the best to your family and let’s meet sometime in Japan~
Carmen Wong
What a beautiful little boy.
Congratulations to you all.
Thanks Mike and Jim and Carmen!!
Carmen, where did you hear about the baby? I was amazed to see your comment show up.
Your expression of your “exultant joy” made me cry. Welcome, Linc/k/oln!
Oh yeah, and of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that his poop is now a nice shade of Yellow, just as UltraChenoa said it would be. She’s smart, that UltraChenoa.
That’s my new favorite pic of Link (the one where you can see his face, not the vulcan hand--although I must say that is kind of cool). He’s darn adorable in it.
Incidentally, with the new spelling of Link’s name (especially when used in the possessive), I think you should sign him up for golf lessons soon. Tiger Woods, Schmiger Schmoods is what I say. There’s a new phenom on the tour!
UBOB, don’t worry--you will soon know just as much about poo as you do about the cervix.
UltraGirl is being fed quite well. Link sure is a sleepy little fellow.
I love the pictures of Link (now I have to come up with a new word..instead of “charmer”....Loveable Newborn Infant Kid? Doesn’t have the same panache.
Let’s get one thing straight, I have NO objection to being called “grandma”, just not sure I want ‘grandma mcdonald’. Needs to be a little less formal, and less last namey.
I also love the pictures of UltraGirl’s meals! I brought pictures of the meals to show my Nursing class today, and they all agreed Japanese hospital food beats Amercian hospital food all hollow. My teacher was so excited I ended up giving her the photos! Of course that was AFTER looking at about 15 pictures of little Link.
Thanks for the frequent updates, UltraSonDad.