Waiting To Meet Charlie!

Since Charlie was no bigger than a jelly-bean, it was quite the wait for him to get big enough to peek out of Indie’s pouch.

Like all new mothers, Indie was hormonal and tired. She was a wild roo now, but loved the soft comforts of home. On our overcast winter days she could always be found on her favourite patio couch, sunny days, she would nap on the soft roo-bed on the veranda and as the temperature dropped as the sun was setting, she loved curling up on that patio couch snuggled up to me. I was in heaven.

She at least once or twice a day I would see here tucking her head into her pouch to check on her little bub and clean.

She was so attentive, but while everything was instinctual, it was all so very new too. I loved watching her push her head deep into her pouch to look after her little curiosity. She new how to look after it without hurting it, which amazed me being that it was so very small.

And so we waited and we waited, watching for that little wiggle-worm to get big enough to see when he was moving around in her pouch.

Finally . . .

Exactly six months later, while Indie was contentedly dozing on the verandah, Charlie timidly started sniffing the world outside.

Just a few days later, Charlie’s little head peeked out entirely. Capturing this tender moment in a photograph brought me so much happiness.

It took her some time to get used to him wanting his head out of the pouch. I don’t know if it was a tickle sensation of his head popping out, or a balance sensation, or a protective reaction, but for the first week she seemed to always be gently swatting him back inside.

It was just a week after this that she was mated again, but she would hold on to that next one for 4 months before giving birth. Kangaroos are quite brilliant that way, an early-stage embryo can be born within 36 days of mating, or the mother can “pause” the birth for many months before giving birth again. This way she always has only one baby in her pouch and she doesn’t have to give birth when there isn’t enough food and water around either.

This is probably one of my favourite illustrations in the book. It’s winter and a bit foggy in the story, but that little pink head is such a joy to see. I know we only waited four months, but at the time it felt like an eternity.