Hamish McDouall and Elinor Harvey with New Year baby Bede. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey
Baby Bede Harvey McDouall just wanted to sleep New Year's Day away - following his birth amid the flashes and booms of Auckland's celebratory midnight fireworks.
Bede, born at home beneath the southern slopes of Mt Eden, is a strong contender for New Zealand's first baby of 2007.
His head began to appear moments before midnight and he was born by 12.16am.
"He's pink and he's blond and he's slept a lot. Everyone is doing well," said Bede's excited, first-time father, Hamish McDouall.
At Auckland's main public hospital birthing units, the first baby was born at 12.54am - in National Women's at Auckland City Hospital.
By late yesterday afternoon, when the Herald visited Bede at home, all the 3.26kg baby could muster, swaddled and wearing a blue hat, was a momentary parting of his eyelids.
Bede even slept through a photo shoot - and the cooing and gentle kisses from his parents, architect Elinor Harvey, 32, and Mr McDouall, 38, a writer.
He is feeding well, too.
No one in the house was sleeping when the new year began and Bede made his entry.
"It was cool, the fireworks going off. It was a good distraction," said Mr McDouall, a former Mastermind and Sale of the Century winner.
He said the birth was straightforward, apart from the midwives having to remove the umbilical cord from around Bede's neck.
The first part of Ms Harvey's labour with Bede, her first baby, took two days, and the second part took two hours. The only pain relief medication she took was paracetamol on the first day.
The couple wanted a home birth, but had a back-up plan to go to hospital if necessary and almost resorted to it.
Ms Harvey said she was feeling "knackered" and felt like going to hospital for major pain relief as the delivery approached.
"When the midwives came it was too late anyway. It was all on so we just stayed here. It was so nice staying at home - your own pillows, own duvet, cup of tea. Not having to go anywhere [afterwards] was a relief.
"I feel really lucky. I'm the only one of my friends who hasn't had a caesarean, pretty much."
Ms Harvey said she would like to have another home birth - "but not tomorrow".
