Meet Malik (now 7lbs 10oz)

Well folks, we have a name: Malik. It has been tough choosing one (it was tough last time but Kirin was our favorite by a long shot) but this is the only name that both Johanna and I liked. It is a Muslim name meaning "king" in Arabic. It's also a popular surname among aristocratic families in Pakistani Punjab (my family comes from Indian Punjab). Just as important, it satisfies the key criterion: a name that Indian that non-Indians can pronounce.

And finally, another contest: we still haven't decided a middle name so we looking forward to your suggestions in the comments.

PS - You will note a new link on the right on the page to Baby Guerrieri. This is the blog of Johanna's cousin Nicola and her husband Todd, who are expecting their first child on July 1st.

Tired, very, very tired

Yesterday was Kirin's second day back at nursery since his little brother arrived on the scene. Because I am still on paternity leave, I was able to take him.

He woke up early (5:20am) and after a big breakfast of porridge, you would think he was ready for a big day. He enjoyed the session and when I walked him home, was happy to push himself along on his scooter. He got home, had lunch and then announced that he needed to go to the toilet. He was in there a long time (he usually lets us know when he is finished), so I suggested to Johanna that maybe she should check on him, just in case he had fallen asleep. She was incredulous ("I'm sure he hasn't") but opened the door to find son number one, snoozing on his potty.

I handed her the camera before she took him off to bed.

It's not all about number two

You could be forgiven for thinking that this blog is all about the new baby. In truth, that was the kick in the butt needed to do some more posting, and Kirin is still the original star.

Today, Kirin and I left mummy to have a nap and spent the afternoon wandering around Bloomsbury and the British Museum. The highlight, for Kirin, was seeing the neo-Assyrian lions at the British Museum. Below is a pic he took of them. The highlight for me was seeing how excited his face was when we rounded the corner and saw his lions. I don't, unfortunately, have a pic of that.

Eyes and thumbs

One of the inevitable realities of having a second child, is that you are constantly comparing him to the first, both in terms of whether they do the same things but also how you, as a parent, approach the whole experience.

At a week old, "Number two" seems to open his eyes more than I can remember Kirin doing and he is getting close to thumb sucking. More important, I managed to grab a lovely pic of him doing both.

On another note, thanks for your comments both offering answers to the logic behind the last post's title (correct answer: a combination of weights of our two little lovelies; most creative answer: Avtar's suggestion that it was the amount of weight I had lost through pacing during labour) and some ideas for names (the best beer title was from Derek, offering a brand from Calgary: "Big Rock" Mattu). We obviously have a clever set of friends of relatives.

Does he look like his big brother?

Check out the archive and the first postings. They both have a lot of hair.

14lbs 2oz

So, there you have it. You spend more time planning the last few weeks of pregnancy than any other period of time during the previous months - you will sort out your birth plan, pack your bag, get the house painted, make sure Kirin is as happy as can be for the momentous change about to be unveiled, get back into the pregnancy yoga that you loved so much last time, go through the new born baby clothes, get away for a few days before the chaos and relax - and then the baby decides to show up three weeks early. 

We are still adjusting to life with two kids but so far, things are going as well as can be expected. Johanna is as amazing as ever. She delivered a breech baby completely naturally - a textbook breech delivery, the midwives said. And, crucially, Kirin is doing his best to understand how his world has been completely transformed and welcome his little brother into the family. It can't be a easy thing and he's been fantastically gentle. Watch out for a very cute video in the next few days, with some suggestions for names.

And finally, a prize for those readers who can guess the logic behind the title of this posting. Any thoughts welcome in the comments section below.