2 days

Mother and baby are doing great. We had lots of visitors this afternoon. It was lovely to share her with everyone, and great to return to the quiet of the three of us again this evening. We are in our babymoon.

Blessings abound

A letter from Hirini Ready. . .


Kia ora James, Kim and new daughter

Nau mai mokopuna
Mai i pari nui te ra
Wai heke
Wai ora
Wai ata e

Welcome sacred one
From the birthplace of the Sun
Cascading Water
Life Giving Water
The Song of Life


Congratulations on the birth of your daugher. Much love and joy to you and Kim. Perhaps one of the names for your daughter could be Waiata - or Song. There is more to the word. Wai is water. Ata is morning or dawn. The birds sing at first light. They welcome in the dawn.The song of life.

Much aroha

Hirini


And this letter from Ruth Tai. . .

Kia Ora James and Kim, 

Thank you for sharing your beautiful moments. Today the energy was high and some powerful confirmations came through. I felt the energy shift upon waking at 5.30am. What a blessing as she heralds our return to the island of cascading waters (Waiheke). It is very significant. I support Hirini's suggestion for the naming (Waiata).

We have a tradition called the Maioha which is the call of welcome to baby. Yesterday as I was thinking of your baby and her journey through the canal, I started calling to her to help welcome her in. This maioha I first chanted when my friend Atarangi's first grandchild was born nearly three years ago. I have called babies in with it ever since and this year added our Haka energy. 

Part One of the following was the maioha I sent out yesterday. Part two is to acknowledge her presence and to thank you both for stewarding her through and providing her the haven she deserves.

Much Aroha

Ruth Tai and family

The wonder is the wide and supportive community that this soul has chosen to be born into. I am deeply grateful for you all.

sunrise yurt water birth

Here she is at 5 hours.

I can hardly begin to describe the emotions.

Kim's waters broke at 10:00pm last night, contractions started at 11:00 and we were in the birthing pool at around midnight. It was an ordeal for Kim, and for me as the support person, of eight hours of intense contractions, almost without break.

I retreated from the yurt to the house for a few minutes around 6:00am, leaving Kim in the very capable and gentle hands of Beatle our midwife. Claire, Danielle and Sonia had been up all night and were hanging out in the kitchen while the girls (who had also been up and popping into the yurt from time to time) watched "Mrs Doubtfire." I could hardly contain my emotions, it was so hard watching my lover go through such pain, and I took a moment to breakdown and let my own tears flow.

Once outside again I looked at the stars for a few minutes then Kim's crying called me back.

When the moment finally came it all happened very quickly. We had been out of the pool for about three hours, when Kim felt it might be helpful to go back in. Within half an hour, at 6:50am her hairy head pushed through and on the next push it was all over. She came straight up onto Kim's chest to be embraced by us both and she gave a few little whimpers, but looked straight at us with big inquisitive eyes.

She held her head up and looked strong and serene. A perfect baby was born in a candle-lit yurt on a clifftop, in a birthing pool just as the sun came up!

just checking

From 11:00pm contractions were coming strong and quite frequent, but inconsistent. The night was spent ferrying pots of boiling water from the stove to the pool, while Beatle and Kim chatted about the mystery of the labour process.

The yurt was ringed with candles, soft music playing, and by 2:00am the birthing pool was yummy and warm. We relaxed in it for a while, finally going to bed at 3:00am.

We slept until 6:30, then woke up to this. . .

three days to due date

Getting closer

Yesterday I put up the Yurt, as a cover for the birthing pool. The night before Kim had come back from the cinema reporting contractions every seven minutes. That got my adreneline pumping. It was a night of checking the clock but by morning things had became quiet again.

Then I checked my email I discovered a blessing from Ruth Tai, who I have been working with. It was confirmation that she supported Hirini in his suggestion that the Haka For Life workshop which is taking place on Waiheke on the 29th, be dedicated to the new life we are awaiting:

Hirini:
I would like to dedicate this Haka For Life event
to the birth of your baby.
The dawning of a new vision.

Ruth:
Maioha mai ra te mokopuna
Bring Forth the Grand Child,
Bring Forth the Abundance (Mai oha)

I am deeply moved by the many expressions of love and support for this new soul, who is about to land, and feel confident that she has chosen an amazing community in which to arrive.

After breakfast I went to work and put up the wall, door frame. As I was putting the rafters in place a heard a loud splash in the ocean directly below. I turned to see the white left by . . . dolphins! There were about 20 bottle nose dolphins cavorting close in at the base of the cliff, which could be seen easily in that section of view framed by the door!


After sharing this delight with Kim, I went on to complete the roof and then created a simple cover by covering the frame with blankets, curtains, towels, even an old paraglider. This formed an attractive lining and offers a little insulation. Using some borrowed tarps I was able to finish the cover.

Sun rising towards birthing pool

A funny thing happened the other day when we brought the birthing pool home from Beatle's place (our midwife).

Kim carried the frame while I carried the bag containing the liners. As I rounded the corner, I saw that Kim had put the frame down on the grass, right in front of the house on the cliff top. We looked at each other and knew this was where it had to go.

So last night I put up the yurt floor, with help from a couple of friends. This was the misty sunrise that greeted us this morning.

If our baby lands here, or in the house, or in a hospital, I trust all will be well, but the possibility of her arriving here on this clifftop appeals to our romantic nature.

The bump

Off to a school dance

Hope and Elise are going dancing tonight. There was much excitement, particularly as it is Hope's first dance.

Back from Africa

Kim is at 22 weeks now.

She is almost past the frumpy look that bothered her terribly, and is starting to look pregnant.

The journey to Africa was full of learning for us both and we are sure we will process that trip for years to come. I am immensely grateful for it.

If you want to read some more about this you can go here.

A welcome letter

While sitting on a remote beach after a kayak trip, I found myself penning these words:

Kindred traveller, welcome to my world.

A place where we forget for a moment, that aspect of ourselves which is fluid, free, fully conscious, and infinitely aware.

It is my privilege to be your guide for as long as you need.

And I treasure what I have learnt from you already,
and you are not yet physically born.

I trust I will continue to learn from you
and I trust I can offer you a little wisdom
with which to begin your bodily journey through life.

Introducing . . .

This was my birthday, last August. The beginnings of my relationship with Hope were becoming apparent already!

Kim made a lovely cake - the first birthday cake I have had for a few years.

The family is growing

How quickly life can change.

About three months ago we realised that we had been party to a process that will result in the presence of another human being in the world.

From our family of four, Kim, James, Elise (almost 11) and Hope (8) we will soon be five - July 27th is the due date.

If the special place where it was conceived has any influence on the spirit of the child who is still growing in Kim's belly, parenting this one will be an especially fun ride.

We don't know if it's a boy or a girl (only that there is only one - whew!) and we're playing with name possibilities. What a sense of responsibility this brings, though we agree we won't be rushing to name it.