Tuesday 14 October 2003

Oh baby

David & Micah had their baby!!!

I'm an auntie I'm an auntie I'm an auntie ... Okay, so I was already an auntie by marriage - Tuxedo's sister's little boy - but this was my big brother's first baby, and thus my parents' first grandkid, which is pretty exciting.

The Birth Story is pretty amazing.  David and Micah had gone to the usual huff'n'puff classes, and had engaged the services of a midwife, with the intention of having as natural, non-invasive birth as possible, at the (relatively alternative) Birthing Centre attached to Perth's primary maternity hospital.  Things turned out kinda different ...

I should mention here that Micah had had a completely trouble-free pregnancy; no problems, not even puffy feet or aching back (I hear all those pregnant women/mothers out there yelling "BITCH!" right now), and she's a wonderfully laidback, sensible, practical woman.  I love her to bits, and was hoping that things would go well for her - the way she wanted - when push came to shove, so to speak.

Anyway Micah started having contractions at 9 pm Monday night, David went to sleep, until she woke him up at 11 pm saying "call the midwife".  The plan was that the midwife would stay with Micah for a while then they'd transfer (a 15 minute drive) to the Birthing Centre, and go from there.

By the time the midwife and assistant got there, Micah was well and truly on the way; there was no way she was going to get into any damn car and (a) experience even more discomfort and (b) risk having the baby in a Holden Commodore.  So given that she was having a (relatively speaking, I suppose) easy time, and there were no complications, they all decided to just stay and go for it right there at home.

Apparently Micah was fantastic; she didn't get into a panic, she didn't yell or swear at anyone, and even though the pain was excruciating she was totally focused on the process, quite unaware of what was going on around her, just concentrating on getting that baby out.

David was simply amazing too; he didn't freak, or panic, but was calm and supportive, helping Micah as much as he could, supporting her through the contractions etc, rubbing her back and carrying her from bedroom to bathroom to lounge-room floor as things progressed.  I have an incredible brother. 

So Reuben was born on the lounge room floor of their house at 2.30 am, a perfect little boy weighing in at 8 pound 9, and within half an hour mother, father and baby were all snuggled up in bed, blissing out and bonding.  Sounds pretty ideal to me.

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I visited them this afternoon (12 hours after the event!) and he really is an adorable baby.  Okay, I'm biased, but I usually hate babies, and at that age they all look the same, kinda like red wrinkly grubs ... you know, not attractive.  But Reuben is very fleshed out looking, a lovely colour, masses of dark brown hair, blinky eyes (of that indeterminate shade all babies have - but definitely David's eyes in shape), and a really strong grip.

No I'm not clucky in the least.  Shut up.  And no I'm not the least bit weepy ... Okay maybe just a little bit; it just highlighted so intensely the fact that Tux and I probably won't be able to have kids.  I mean, right now we don't want them, but in a couple of years, well you know, it might be kind of fun.  But we probably won't have the option, because of my crap body and physical state ... I'm really trying not to sink into a big black bog of self-pity about all that, because I can't do anything about it anyway (well, no more than I am already) and its totally counter-productive and miserable.

So I'm just focusing on the YAY factor:  Congratulations Dave and Micah!!!

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In cat news:  she came back.  On Saturday night, having given us two and a half days and two nights of absolute hell.  She turned up at the back door around her usual dinner time, the wee bitch.  Mind you, I don't think she had just been tarting around; she seemed pretty nervous and freaked out, and was very clingy and reluctant to go far from Tux and me - even more so than usual.  I think she may have got locked in or trapped somewhere, and only just got out, as she came belting over the back fence at high speed, and her coat was a bit dusty and matted and she's very pernickety about personal grooming.  Poor kitty ... jaysis I'm so happy to have her back, simply over the moon.  My baby came back!

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