No 1 Son

Mike was born 19 August 1981 ... we were living in Auckland, Pete was doing his Masters Degree at Auckland University. We lived in Mt Eden in a small 1 bedroom apartment on Grange Road. Mike was born in the early evening ... about 5.30pm at North Shore Hospital. I remember going into labour in the morning ... John & Suzie Dallas came to visit us during the day and John drove us over to North Shore hospital in his VW ... it was the most uncomfortable ride of my life ... trying to get comfortable while I was having full-on contractions.

My labour and delivery with Mike was uneventful ... I laboured for about 12 hours ... when I arrived at the hospital they could see his head. I remember the nurses telling me not to push ... I have never figured out how to not push a baby out when your whole body is telling you to push. Mike came out normally, head first and there he was looking around the room ... wanting to know what was going on. He's been fiercely independent from a very early age.

Nothing had prepared me for the moment when I held Mike for the first time ... it was amazing ... I was in love! I thought I knew what love was ... I loved Pete ... but that moment when the nurse put Mike in my arms I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest! Our lives were changed forever. He was perfect ... he was beautiful ... suddenly my life made sense ... he was why I was here and all I wanted was for Pete & I to be perfect for him. I remember lying on my hospital bed with Mike lying on my chest thinking that I was going to die ... my feelings were so intense.

When we lived in Auckland I biked everywhere ... we found a bike seat for Mike, we bought it of an American couple ... it was yellow ... I thought it was the coolest thing ever and loved it. Mike loved it too. We rode everywhere on that bike. He loved riding down hills and as he got older he would slap my bottom and say 'faster Mummy, faster'. He was a thrill seeker from an early age.

Mike has a piercing intellect ... he was always too bright for us. I think if Mike was born now he would be labelled a gifted child. Mike has always had lots of energy ... he loves to do physical things. He went on his first tramp when he was about 8 years old, Carly, Mike and I did the St James ... 5 days ... he carried his own pack that was almost as tall as him, he did not complain once. I think that was the beginning of his love of the outdoors. As a little boy Mike regularly did tougher tramps than most adults. Mike is very hard working. We had a policy in our family that if our children wanted something they had to come up with half the money and we would pay the other half. That is how Mike got his first bike ... he worked so hard ... stacking wood, cleaning windows, doing a milk run! He was 12/13 ... he was exhausted when he reached his half of the bike money. Taking Mike on tramps or having him do some form of hard physical work was a way of focussing his energy and he would be settled for a while after that.

We took Mike to see Star Wars when he was about lar's age ... he sat through the movie absolutely riveted. He has had a love of fantasy stories, science fiction and space since then. When Pete went to the States in 1986 he came back with an Imperial Cruiser from the Star Wars movie for Mike ... he loved it. On one occasion Mike broke something on his body ... that happened a few times ... and Pete sat with him in hospital and read Lord of the Rings to him ... he was about 10 ... again Mike was riveted. He still loves fantasy and science fiction fantasy books now. We read some of the Shannara Series to our children when they were young and Mike loved them and we would sit for hours reading and Mike would be totally engrossed. He still loves being read too. He loved playing Dungeons and Dragons, an extension of his love of fantasy, with Pita and his friends and would play after school with them.

Mike is a romantic ... he used to write poetry when he was in his teens. I loved dancing with Mike round the lounge to some of my favourite bands ... Neil Young ... Bruce Springsteen, etc. Our house was always full of Mike's friends when he was at high school. He used to ride a mountain bike like he had a date with death. He was super fast and really skilled on downhill sections. Anything is possible with Mike. There was a skate board stage for a while and he had a really nasty fall of one and had to go to hospital for concussion ... he broke his wrist riding a mountain bike down some steps, he got hit in the nose with a cricket bat at school, he broke his arm when he fell down the stairs at 29a ... there is some confusion around that though, Mike says Rosie pushed him ... Rosie said he fell. Perhaps all these injuries is why he hates needles.

Mike is a true renaissance man. He is highly intelligent. He always did well at school and has a first class honours degree in philosophy and religious studies and a graduate diploma in business (in which he got straight As). He still loves to learn, he is planning on doing his PhD and loves the stimulation of a good debate. He gets really excited over a good action movie, particularly when there are lots of special effects. He is great at business. He is a brilliant salesman and was one of the top Canon salespeople in New Zealand. He is also really practical. He loves his big Ford tiptruck and he can fix heating and hot water systems and handle all sorts of building projects. He's our very own can-do man ... we are not sure where that comes from, but we are amazed at his skills in this area. Mike just does it ...

Mike is very generous with others, nothing is a problem, he reminds us of Rob Cammock in so many ways. He is always there to help us with our computer blunders. He is a terrific Dad. He is kind and patient and really enjoys hanging out with lars and Roxcy ...  we love the way his whole face lights up when he sees them. He gets excited about lots of things and comes up with ideas that most of us wouldn't think of. The tandem and the WeeHoo Trailer is one of them. lars and Roxcy love riding behind Mike and Chris in the WeeHoo.

Mike loves Chris ... they really enjoy hanging out together and watching TV series. Mike is a sensitive man ... he feels things deeply. Mike cries. He is not afraid to take risks and brings energy and enthusiasm wherever he is. Mike is a lovely man ... he is friendly, engaging and tries really, really hard to be the best he can be for Chris, lars and Roxcy. He gives them the very best of himself! We love the way that Mike keeps in touch with us ... he skypes us often with lars and Roxcy present so that we can stay in touch with them and not be strangers in their lives.

Today Mike is 33 ... we hope you have a wonderful birthday Mike ... we love you and are very proud of you!

Bed Time

A Family Outing