New Baby Addition Edition

He's here. And ahead of schedule.

Friday night, around 11:00pm, Sumie and I were planning out our last weekend without baby. We'd head up to the cute downtown in Novato for some Indian food, perhaps look at some antiques, and then take Mimi to the park. Sunday would be spent in quiet anticipation and luxurious relaxation, both of us knowing that we didn't have to wake up early for work on Monday.

Plans have a way of being just that - plans. By 12:15am Saturday morning, Sumie and I were in the car, with a very groggy Mimi in the backseat, heading for San Francisco and the Labor and Delivery ward. Someone wanted to take part in our weekend.

But he wasn't going to join us right away. By 2:00am it was apparent that our little man was going to take his time, so Mimi and I trudged back to the car to finish the night's sleep up in Marin while Sumie stayed behind to sleep between the occasional contraction (she's hard core). By 7:00am Grandma had arrived and I was on my way back down the hill to the hospital.

Reunited at the hospital, Sumie and I began the waiting game. We watched our son's heartbeat on the monitor, as well as the progress of other mothers and their soon-to-be sons and daughters. We'd see them come in, we'd see them come out. Our boy, however, was methodical. He'd planned a late afternoon arrival and he'd be damned if he'd see it any other way.

Things really took off around 3:30 or so and by 4:00, on the dot, Christopher Yoshinobu Kemp made his appearance. At 6lbs 9ozs he was light, but also a lanky 21inches.  He immediately took to his Mama, who, somehow, looked as fresh and bright as ever despite being up for nearly 36 hours and undergoing labor.

I, however, despite a shower that morning, was not nearly so photogenic.  Kuri (our nickname for Christopher) thankfully didn't mind.

Later that evening I headed back up to Marin (my third trip that Saturday) to fetch Mimi and Grandma. Mimi had been an amazing girl for Grandma all day. We were all so proud of her. And we were even more proud when she smiled at her little brother for the first time.

We were both a little worried about how Mimi would respond, but on the whole, she's really taken to him.

Grandma also got some time in with Kuri. From what I've heard of my own behavior as an infant, he was a welcome change to hold.

By the end of the evening, Mimi was beginning to have a few second thoughts about this new addition to the family. As someone who is used to being the absolute center of attention, regardless of the venue, I think Mimi handled it pretty well. She's still adjusting here at home (that's a future post, for sure), but she always has a smile for her little brother. It's Mama and Papa she's a little annoyed with, I think.

Unlike his big sister, Kuri has so far been a quiet crier and a consistent sleeper. 9 times out of 10, if you look for Kuri, you'll find him like this.

During the day, he really loves his rocker.

But at night, he's attached to Mama. We're still working on our sleep schedules (Kuri's not a big fan of sleeping away from Mama, particularly at night), but we're getting there.

We don't know what the future will hold for this new addition to our family, but we are certain that we're glad he's finally here.