A wet end to GW

After a glorious string of sunny days, yesterday's torrential downpour brought to an end a very relaxing GW here in Tokyo. Miyu and I ventured over to Gotanda and visited Akachanhonpo, which is like a giant baby emporium selling everything you need for children and parents under one roof. I checked out the baby chairs and spotted a very nicely designed one which we may buy a few months from now (no sense getting it now as the baby wont be able to sit-up for a while after birth). Bought a very cool baby sling called Natures Sway Sling, which is very ergonomic and easy to use. It holds the baby in a cocoon like sling, and keeps body contact with the carrier (which is supposed to be important for development). We were going to buy lots of baby clothes too, but after consulting with Miyu's mum, was told she has a whole stash of baby clothes from one of Miyu's aunts, so we wont have to buy very much. That's a relief, as baby clothes are really expensive! Plus, as they grow so quickly, they outgrow everything in a few months, so I'm a bit loath to splurge on designer gear. It's a very good business to be in though. No wonder a lot of top designers now have a baby range - it's a real cash cow.
The baby's moving around so much inside Miyu's womb now. You can actually see this rippling wave of movement across her belly, as the baby seems to flip and turn. Very "Alien" like, but surprisingly not disturbing at all.
One of the things that I've been noticing going to places like Akachanhonpo here in Tokyo is the attitude of young fathers to their children. I had this image that they'd be more distant, letting the mums do most of the work, but it's quite the contrary. Maybe the fathers from previous generations were like that, but these fathers are very hands on, it seems. At least they are when I see them. I suppose during the week they don't get as much chance to be with their kids, so they try to make up for it on their days off. Plus, I've heard from several Japanese fathers that they don't want to be like their fathers were to them - distant and untouchable. They really care about bonding with their kids. I think this attitude is also seen in the recent spate of magazines that are aimed specifically at young fathers, and how the central message in them is the importance of maintaining closeness to your child's growth. It's definitely a good thing, I think.