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Isabelle,

Today you turned two weeks old. You`ve grown and changed a lot in this short time alone. You can keep your eyes wide open and follow imaginary objects around the room for hours at a time. You`ve looked at me in the eyes properly once so far. That was a magical moment for me which I`m dying you`ll repeat soon.

I`ve tried playing games with you but you don`t seem interested. I got you out with three strikes when we tried baseball and your penalty kick skills need a lot of work. I tried some easier games like sticking my tongue out and hoping you`d copy the action but you`re too much of a lady to do that.

Your umbilical cord`s stump fell off last week and as per Japanese tradition the hospital provided a small box to put the black shrivelled lump in. Disappointingly I never got to eat the placenta or even look at it.

I`m away from you most days as paternity leave is a concept so outrageous to Japanese people that they scream out in disbelief when I explain it to them. When I am home I try to attend to you as best I can but it`s taking a bit of time to get used to the fact that my pre-Isabelle life won`t ever be back.

Your grandfather came back from Matsuyama to see you and insisted on sticking a dummy (pacifier) in your mouth whenever you started to cry. I was initially against force feeding you plastic nipple substitutes but the silence that occurs as you focus your attention on furiously sucking it means my stance has changed. We`ve only got one. We need more.

Please give us many more fortnights.

Love,

Daddy
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