Rachel Salt and Jeff Honey with Max. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey
Max Arthur Honey may have kept his proud parents waiting but he seems to have timed his late run perfectly.
Max was born at 12.07am yesterday at North Shore Hospital, the first child to smitten Beachhaven couple Rachel Salt and Jeff Honey.
The 4kg (8lb 14.5oz) boy
- who was a week overdue but was delivered after a 4-hour labour - is also understood to be the first baby born in New Zealand this year.
Max pipped a 2.94kg Central Otago boy born at Dunedin Hospital five minutes later and an Auckland boy, who was delivered via caesarean section, at 12.26am.
Mr Honey said Max got his name when he and his fiancee were travelling to work on a bus one day and they "heard someone call out Max".
"His middle name 'Arthur' is from Rachel's family but we quite liked Max so we went with it," he said.
Asked what he hoped his son would become when he grows up, Mr Honey had no hesitation. "A millionaire, mate - he's going to be a golfer."
Ms Salt, an external communications manager with the Automobile Association, said she hadn't thought that far ahead.
But the 32-year-old was also hopeful Max would be into sport like his dad.
"We just want him to love sport like any good New Zealand boy."
She said she was recovering well but had barely slept since giving birth and found herself constantly checking on her son.
"You can't stop looking at him, it's too exciting to go to sleep."
Mr Honey said he and Ms Salt planned to marry sometime next year.
"In the meantime we've got this young fella to look after."
