you're beautiful but your nose bridge will be pinched

His eyes are closed but they are quite large when he's awake. Double eyelids too. After 5 days in hospital with no access to internet, my brother had started to notice the behaviour of people for entertainment.

"Staying here, I've observed the behaviour of people. When they are leaving the hospital and the grandparents are holding the newborn...you already see them start pinching the nose bridge to make it sharper. Of course this doesn't work. But people still do it."

Today is his first day at home with his parents. Let the nose bridge pinching and sleep deprivation begin.

Russel

Russel came into this world on 8.29 am on Sept 11. He is my newborn nephew. Not a minute has passed in the past 2 days without my thoughts being with my sis in law as she was going through this passage called labour which every woman fears but knows she has to brave.

I didn't want to overwhelm them with too many calls but every few hours or so, I would receive a text message.

9 Sept:

First inducement 10 pm little effect and painless so doctor will do second one at 10 am. Gotta wait and see.

10 Sept:

Update. At 6.20 pm, elaine's water bag bursts naturally. Just arrived at delivery suite.

Text message at 10 am today 11 Sept:

El delivered naturally at 8.29 am. Russel small but healthy. Call you later.

When I finally got to see them in the evening, feelings of relief and joy washed over the anxiety the past 2 days. My nephew is in the special care ward, tiny arms connected to a feeding tube. At only 2.1 kilos, it will take a day or two more before we can start holding him.

As my mother, brothers and I peered through the window of the nursery looking at the new addition to our family, my mother remembered the family member who wasn't with us "Your father would have been so happy". Yes he would be. He would be.

Edie Brickell - once in a while once in a blue-ooo moon there comes somebody like you