i am not sure whether it is okay for me to write this post. because so far, i am not one of the closest ones to the baby and because it feels like the parents should deliver the news. so here come my excuses:
– i thought, maybe i can do it in english and the others do it in german, which is probably being read by much more people.
– i need something to do because i cannot go to the hospital, as i’ve got a stomach bug.
and with this bug, i could infect both mother and child. yes, believe your eyes: after it felt like an easy pregnancy (to me as an observer) where it looked like the birth would happen pretty much „in time“, everything happened really fast since last tuesday.
and the result is: Kiko was born on saturday, september 15th at four o’clock! s_he wheighed nearly 2000 grams and has got hands that are as wide as one bone of my index finger is long. TINY!
apparently, the birth was relatively easy. or at least to me it sound like an easy birth if it only takes about 8 hours from the first contractions till the baby is out! and despite that it had to happen in hospital because it was 6 weeks before the date, all others (biological father, emma, the godmother and of course the midwife) could be there, too. without doctors. the horrors of hospital birth did not become true, which i am really glad about – although of course some things went unnecessarily weird.
so here i am at home, sick in my bed some of the time and checking out heat lamps with the father and discussing where to put them at others. and now and again trying to reach yuriko on the phone. we hardly managed to get hold of each other yesterday because she’s so busy hand-feeding the child, pumping milk from her breasts, taking showers and trying to get a rest in between…
part of my imagination of what it would be like for myself when Kiko is born was that i would not see him/her right away (because around the calculated date, i would be travelling quite a lot). i wonder what it is good for that now that i could be close i get a stomach bug which keeps me away…
but apart from those musings: the pictures of the baby that i saw last night, taken by one of our house mates, are really beautiful. Kiko is beautiful and won my heart right away. i am looking forward to welcome the baby personally.
Wow! no words can describe the space, babys are in ….and they make you feel the same. I was there holding her the whole night through, giving Yuriko some sleep and enjoying the dreamworld Kiko is in. The hospital-crew had to discuss it for a while, „the familiy-room is for the family“ (which means mother, father, child of course), but in the end they accepted me sleeping there instead of the father. They are conservative, but somehow open, I am so thankful, how they look after Kiko and Yuriko with so much care.
And I am so thankful, that I can be there with them all and experience this wonder.
And I am so thankful, that we are this extended family, where there is a backup for the backup for the backup (which means I can sleep tonight!!!!!! without all the mother-hormons a night without sleeping was quite tough). When you are fine again, there will be plenty of time to get in contact with the new earthling and I am looking forward to the moment they come home and we can share this alltogether.