The Tea Maker

The first week went by in a daze of cooing visitors and sleepless nights. Michele's mum and youngest sister popped round the day we went home, so my job as the Tea Maker started in earnest.

Michele had it easy - all she had to do was to sit in the window seat looking radiant, happily cradling Harry.

Me? I had the pleasure of making pots of tea and making sure the visitors were comfy. We had more guests over in the first couple of weeks than we had had in the past eight years!

Harry's fingernails were surprisingly long and sharp, and he was prone to cutting himself as he flailed his arms about. He wasn't in distress - he was just beginning to learn about himself and his body, but even so we couldn't let him cut himself to ribbons. Before buying a special nail clippers, we invested in little mittens which, as well as keeping his face safe, made him look even more cuter!

We were going to buy a changing unit - that is, a chest of drawers with a special mat on the top to change nappies - but we didn't really have the room. That, and the fact that having the changing mat on the floor gave us access from all sides.

As he was slightly late, he came out looking shrivelled as a prune (just like when you or me spend a long time in the bath and our skin shrivels), and he also had dry skin over his body. We were told that olive oil would do the job so, as an evening routine, I "oiled" Harry's limbs and chest. Within a couple of weeks his skin looked lovely.

Oh yes, the smell.

We brought Harry home in the buggy and put a little hat on him. It's strange to say this but, when we got home I smelled Harry's hat and thought it was one of the most intoxicatingly pleasant aromas I had ever encountered. It smelled of "new born baby", and it was gorgeous.

He still smells lovely to this day, but that's getting ahead of myself again.

In the first few weeks a midwife came round and examined Harry, as well as chatting to Michele about support etc. I was still on paternity leave so was enjoying being a part of this aftercare. Michele turned out to be very on the ball, asking the right questions and taking notes of the answers.

And me? I made the tea...