Update from Laurel

Kahurangi has been going well. I’ve been enjoying watching the creases and wrinkles in his face change. Notably this week his eyelashes have started to curl, and his eyes are most certainly blue – getting lighter as the days go on.

He still has his simian/chimpanzee hairdo on top, but I can’t help but dread that day when his feathery velvet hair at the back will go. Fingernails are also growing very fast – his scratched face and my boobs know it! Toenails have still not been cut – still strangely new looking layered things. They don’t do foot/hand prints in NZ, so I might have a go at doing my own this week if he cooperates. Slightly more adventurous, I might even try to do an alginate casting of his hands or feet. I also want to get some photos done, knowing that he’s almost nearly a month old and time is flying by.

One of the strange things they mentioned at our birth class was doing a print of the placenta – it looks like a tree. We have kept the placenta to plant under a tree (a mix of my hippy and tranditional Maori ideas), so I’m going to have a go at doing the print at the same time. He lost his umbilical cord quite fast (yes, the freak in me has kept it for longevity… or whatever!), and verdict is that he’s got a nicely formed innie (outies scare me, so just as well).

Oh yes, and it’s official that he’s a Barr – with a black mole birth mark on his head. He still doesn’t know how to cry and prefers panting noises and flailing arms which culminate in a frantic squawk if truly desparate. He has long fingers and skinny legs just like his dad and a possible butt-cleft chin coming in like his mom.

I’ve been tired (funny that), but more lacking in energy than tired. Feels like my brain is on static or “duh” setting. Also had a bit of the itchy feet staying at home, so have been getting out every few days to go shopping or run errands when the weather is nice. Still getting used to having to demand feed and be at home instead of work etc, but with him coming early, it kind of threw us all into a new lifestyle without the month to slowly get into that mindset and groove. I’m finding that biology prevails no matter who you are…

Me and the voracious one (I want to make him a shirt that says “boobies beware”) signing off – for, you guessed it, another feed.

Ante natal class finished

We had our final ante natal class last night, with a nice shared supper. We and 2 other couples (actually 3 others) talked about our birth experiences .. well our babies birth experiences.
It was fun, and I think the whole class thing is well worth it for a variety of reasons, the biggest one is talking with people who are going through the same things as you. Its a great sanity check.
We have the reunion thing in January, so it will be fun to see all the new babies then.

Kahurangi is doing well, in fact he’s all ready to go party with his DJ Uncle.


Great advice from Plunket

So, I was watching the news on tv tonight and they were talking about the danger of leaving babies unattended in car seats. Which was fair enough, then the plunket lady said “You should sit in the back with the baby”. WTF?? how the hell are you going to drive from the back seat? And if you do figure out a way to drive from the backseat, im fairly sure that will be more dangerous for your baby.
I can see it now, you are pulled over by the police.
Police Officer: “Excuse me sir, why are you driving from the backseat?”
Me: “Um plunket said it was safer officer”.
Police Officer: “How much crack have you smoked today?”