I wake up and feel refreshed from the night I had last night. We actually slept for more than an hour. Miracle. I look down at baby Jeteyam sleeping peacefully between me and Neteyam and cant help but smile. We made him. He's so perfect. He's special. I stroke his little arms and Neteyam starts to stir and opens his eyes to me caring for our son. He smiles and looks down at Jeteyam and then looks back at me.
"I actually feel rested today" he whispers to not wake Jeteyam up.
"I know! The first night we actually slept longer than an hour at a time!" I whisper back.
Jeteyam starts to shuffle and opens his eyes and smiles at us.
"Hey baby" I coo and pick him up. He rubs his eyes then grabs at my chest. I giggle and move my top so he can latch on and he has his morning feed.
"He is so greedy" I giggle.
"I would be too" Neteyam says staring and smiling at my exposed breast. I gasp and shove him and he chuckles.
"Skxawnd" I giggle and he smiles at me.
Jeteyam finishes feeding and unlatches from me then he starts wriggling so I set him down on the hut floor. I put him on his back and I lay decide him on my belly and kick my legs as I play with him. I tickle his tiny belly making him giggle for the first time. I gasp and Neteyam looks at me shocked.
"Did he just?" Neteyam asks.
"Yeah" I say excitedly. My heart feels so full.
"Yo where's baby J" Lo'ak says as he walks into the hut. He calls Jeteyam baby J. The rest of us just call him Jeteyam or JJ but uncle Lo'ak needs to be different apparently.
He walks over and sits beside us and looks at Jeteyam.
"Why does he look bigger?" he asks.
"Because he is growing?" I say in a sarcastic voice.
"I know that skxawnd, but why so fast!" he says sadly.
"I know, too fast" I say holding his shoulder and smiling.
"Check this out baby bro" Neteyam says and he tickles Jeteyam so he giggles again and Lo'ak smiles in awe.
"He is too cute" Lo'ak smiles.
"When is the ceremony?" Lo'ak asks. The sully's haven't been to a birth ceremony before so they have no idea what even happens today. Neteyam told me in the forest they all gathered round a tree of souls and the baby connects to eywa by tsaheylu. It's slightly different here.
"This afternoon, we need to get ready" I say and turn to Neteyam who nods.
"Okay I guess i'll see you guys this afternoon" Lo'ak says and then he says to Jeteyam "See you later bro" and fist bumps his closed fist making me laugh.
We spend the morning getting ready and looking after Jeteyam before the ceremony. The time soon approaches and we leave the hut and make our way to the beach. I climb onto Neteyam's ilu behind Neteyam and hold Jeteyam as we ride along the water to the spirit tree.
We get there to see everyone already waiting and sitting on their ilus round the tree.
"Erm y/n, how are we going to get Jeteyam to the tree?" Neteyam asks in a worried tone and I giggle.
"How do you think?" I say.
"No way" he panics.
"Ma Neteyam, he will be fine I reassure him but he doesn't seem any less worried.
I dressed Jeteyam up in his song cord necklace and a flower crown Tu made him as well as his little bottoms.
Mother instructs everyone to circle round the tree and hold hands so everyone but us do. They all join hands and the Sully's look worried. This is very different to their birth ceremonies.
I tell Neteyam to ride to the centre of the circle and near the tree. He listens and does as I say. I hold Jeteyam up and start singing his song cord song.
LIE SI OE JETEYAMUR (I EXPERIENCE JETEYAM)
NAWMA SA'NOKUR MÌFA OEYÄ (TO THE GREAT MOTHER IN ME)
ATANTI NGAL MOLUNGE (YOU BROUGHT LIGHT)
MIPA TÌREYTI, MIPA 'ITANTI (NEW LIFE, A NEW SON)
LAWNOL A MÌ TE'LAN (GREAT JOY IN MY HEART)
LAWNOL A MÌ TE'LAN (GREAT JOY IN MY HEART)
NGARU IRAYO SEIYI AYOE, TONÌRI TÌREYÄ (WE GIVE THANKS FOR THE NIGHTS OF LIFE)
NGARU IRAYO SEIYI AYOE, SRRÌRI TÌREYÄ (WE GIVE THANKS FOR THE DAYS OF LIFE)
MA EYWA (MY EYWA)
MA EYWA (MY EYWA)
LAWNOL A MÌ TE'LAN (GREAT JOY IN MY HEART)
LAWNOL A MÌ TE'LAN (GREAT JOY IN MY HEART)
As I sing Jeteyam holds my hand and makes me smile. Neteyam takes him and holds him up and I smile proudly as everyone cheers for Jeteyam.
"Ready?" I say and Neteyam nods unsure and I slip into the water with Jeteyam. Me and Neteyam take a breath as we go under the water and Neteyam watches Jeteyam anxiously and I surprised when he sees Jeteyam is fine. I smile and we swim down to the tree and I grab Jeteyams tsaheylu and connect it to the tree. Jeteyam smiles as his eyes closes and he experiences eywa for the first time. He grabs onto my hand and Neteyams sweetly and we smile at each other in awe and hug while Jeteyam connects with eywa.
After a few minutes Jeteyam opens his eyes and we disconnect the tsaheylu and swim back to the surface. When we resurface everyone cheers for Jeteyam and then everyone swims closer as we climb back onto the ilu and everyone touches each other in a domino effect so we are all connected.
After the ceremony we ride back to the village and it is getting dark so we decide to head back to the hut after the long and exciting day. Jeteyam is officially part of the metkayina clan and connected to eywa. My son, i'm so proud.
Jeteyam feeds while we walk back and falls asleep in my arms.
"Well, how do you feel?" I ask Neteyam.
"Proud, I was worried at first" he chuckles.
"I could tell" I joke and he rolls his eyes.
We get to the hut and place Jeteyam in his basket and he sleeps soundly. We lay down decide the basket in each others arms and sleep with him to get as much sleep as possible before the night time wake ups.