Amane is Born!

Our branch president and his wife had their baby just one day before Kristen's and Jared's Samuel was born- on March 30th.  He is adorable.  The custom in Japan is that after a woman has a baby, she goes to her mother's home and stays for one month.  Ayaka's mother lives just a few blocks from us.  We have visited a couple of times, but this last time, we  got some pictures of Amane. 

Ayaka and Manabu were sealed in the temple in December.

These are just pictures of ipad pictures, but this is them with his mother in front of the Tokyo temple.

As our husbands attend meetings before church, Ayaka and I are often the only ones there.  We "visit" using a tablet program she has that translates.  She often studies scriptures or folds origami.

Shortly before Amane was born, they had us for dinner.

Isn't he cute?  His name is a combination of his parents' names.  The kanji of a name is very important in Japan.  Parents usually have several choices of kanji that will work to make the name they choose.  Amane's name means "hearing heaven."  It means he will always hear the words of heaven and of God.

Amane's birth is a much anticipated and most happy event for this little branch!  Welcome, Amane!!!  Congratulations!