Wednesday 30 September 2009

101 things to do and I don't have the energy

well, I sit here all dishevelled in my jim-jams surrounded by washing to be put away, washing to be done, suitcases to be unpacked,washing-up to be done and generally mess everywhere.

All I can do however is fantasise, now fantasys should normaly take the form of gaining superpowers or  immediate and unfathomably large wealth, however I my case I am day-dreaming of sleep.

Yes, you guessed it, we had a busy night, as far as I can make out its (believe me we checked and rechecked everything) because her umbilical cord has started to detach which looks an uncomfortable process, however than doesn't stop me now wanting sleep, lots and lots of sleep.

Tuesday 29 September 2009

Bound to the baby like a modern dad should

Well we had a good night and I started the day with AG lying on my chest finding it a fun game to grab fist fulls of chest hair and tug as hard as she could!

Then we went off to register at the doctor wearing the badge of middle class dad-hood, the baby sling!

Though I was aware that even if I tucked a guardian newspaper under my arm I couldn't look more "modern dad" I must say it was really comfortable!

I then treated CK to her first soft cheese experience in nine months (lightly toasted bread sandwich of grilled  green pepper and brie) and had an impromptu visit from a friend, all good so far!

Then had a game of "guess the grumble" settling down AG to sleep, eventually when I exhausted every option just leaving her did the trick, though not the easist thing to do as the slightest peep from her tugs the heartstrings hard!

soon off to bed myself, hopefully it'll be an easy night.

Monday 28 September 2009

Zombie

I have lost the power of speech, my feet are like lead, my back hurts and I have bags under my eyes capable of carrying shopping.

People that are parents already probably recognise the symptoms, baby's first night at home.

I have climbed mountains and not felt this wrecked as I am this morning after the three hourly feeds.

Need coffee, need coffee, need coffee.........

Hidden talent

Everyone wants their child to have a talent, often in science or the arts, unfortunately perhaps as a karma's way of telling me off for saying perfect to many times, AG first talent is projectile poo, to be exact projectile mustard coloured poo.


It was quite funny (in a "Farrelly brothers" film kind of way) when she did it in the hospital and the orderly had to come and change the curtains that were four feet from her at the time, but now we are at home I have better things to do at quarter to one in the morning than start a soaking bucket, wipe down surfaces and generally do lots of  things other than sleep.

Sunday 27 September 2009

Day 6 - a whirling dirvish

Its 2pm and I am running around the flat in a whirlwind, but why? Well the day started simply enough with me waking in the slum I have turned the house into, getting to the hospital to find them asleep and spending the day with them just chilling, then the doc' comes to see me to say shes going home!

Uh-oh, I planned to clean up tonight, I zip back to the flat and make it liveable, my parents collect me and an hour later we walk out into the sunlight with baby, we bump into a friend as we leave the hospital and then we're home.

We pop open some champagne for us, my parents and CK's dad and partner then I rustle up a little dinner (home-made carrot and coriander soup to start, baked mushrooms with melted Spanish cheese for main) then her dad and I "wet the baby's head" (drink a spirit in her name) with a ten year old glen morangie.

I am now happy, content and heading to bed!  

Day 5 - another perfect day

I come into the room and they are both gently sleeping, its Saturday and another day on from her getting the all clear.

We spend the day simply, just the three of us and finish it off with a visit from our friends the thugetts, perfect.

Saturday 26 September 2009

Day 4 slummy daddy

Well another day back at the hospital and now its returning back to how is should be.

Baby day and night is feeding well and comes out from under the sun lamp, we have a nice amount of visitors including the last of my siblings and we find out my builder brother-in-laws huge biceps are the kind of comfy pillows a girl likes to sleep on.

I cycle home to the flat I've let turn into a slum over the last few days, put a wash on and fall asleep happy.

Friday 25 September 2009

Day 3 The rollercoaster continues – Thursday 24

I wake up, upside down, sharing a single hospital bed.

I feel like hell, we been up constantly through the night with tests, tests more tests and difficult feeds that need the nurses assistance, well must stop feeling  sorry for myself, strong face on!

At six we head back to intensive care for a lumber-puncture, this is to find out if the infection is in the brain, they hit us with a big scary word that describes what they are looking for, meningitis.

Day three is legendary for mums to feel low, I must admit, I am feeling really low myself how can we go from such highs to this? An unexpectedly cheery doctor walks in, as he talks to us he realises no-one has told us the lumber puncture was all clear, the hands us both tissues as we feel the pressure release, in short now, further tests will keep in check but the future is bright.

By 8:30 I apparently look and respond like a zombie, a short bicycle ride later I flump into my bed at home.

Day 2 Roller-coasters go down as well as up -Wednesday 23

Well here I am back at hospital, CK's not had much sleep as missy's had a busy night, oh well we'll be home soon, a few tests and feeds later and our visitors begin, this is great, I can't wait to get her home for a walk her around the park, she seems to be quite inactive today, this parenting lark should be easy!

It's 6pm someone has ripped out my beating heart and showed it to me, an infection indicator in AG's blood called CRP is high, they worry if it is twice what it should be, but it's not, its ten times. I want to cry and scream but I have to be strong.

An hour on and we are in intensive care, getting a valve fitted to her for the anti-biotic injection every  twelve hours, as the valve will be there for a week, they need a solution to stop her fiddling with it, so my baby now a sock on her hand and looks like she has three legs.

My brother has come to visit, just as another blood test comes in, she has jaundice, but at least we now get a private room and our baby is the same room gets a nice suntan lamp and heated cot, she's going to look like she fresh from a holiday in Southern spain

Day 1 birth – Tuesday 22

Well, where to begin, innocently padding to the loo in what felt like the middle of the night is where it started for me, but it turns out my partner had been up since 2am when contractions started and had been making sandwiches and having a nice bath.

So it's quarter to five thirty and I suddenly feel wide awake and out of my depth!

Okay, “get a hold of yourself and look at this logically” I say to myself. I attached CK to the TENS machine, then using the infamous “watch with second hand” I start timing the contractions, realised they were steady, phoned the hospital and then we're off!

Well to say I was a movie cliché wouldn't be an exaggeration, driving the other motorists mad with my “not hurting mummy super-smooth pot-hole avoiding technique”, bumbling into the hospital with more baggage than an emigrant and generally looking like a worried dad in a bad comedy.

Anyway, into see the midwife we went, fully expecting to be sent home, only to find we're not going anywhere, it's go-go-go time!

After CK went for a swim the other week she fancied the weight relief  of spending some of the time in the pool and as luck would have it, the only room with a fixed pool was available, not only that we got two midwifes as ours had an experienced trainee with her.

We had to wait two hours for a doctor to come and give CK an anti-biotic drip for a “group b strep” infection she was diagnosed and treated for some weeks before and then it was off with the TENS and into the pool.

It's a weird thing for the partner to go through, for a while now I have felt very protective but now I am in the situation that my loved one is in a lot of pain and there is not a darn thing I can do about it.

The midwifes I must say are brilliant, they say all the right things and apart from checking the baby's heart-rate with an ultrasound device that makes sweeking and  swarking sounds likes a freeform jazz enthusiast tuning a transistor radio, they don't touch her at all and at 9:40 little AG swims into the world.

Wow, I feel on a high, bedraggled and flushed she maybe but in my eyes my partner has never looked more beautiful and the little wrinkly bundle of flesh that is already looking for milk, well what can I say, love at first sight!

For the rest of the day there is the inevitable flow of tests, feeding, visitors and texts and finally at 10pm I head home completely and totally knackered.

Monday 21 September 2009

Hoping and waiting and weighting and waiting

Eights days late and according to today's estimate a weight of eight, sureley a co-incidence?

man, this waiting is driving me crazy, somehow waiting at the top the rollercoaster for the ride to start feels s longer then all the chugging all the way to the top.

hurry up baby, daddy's waiting!

Sunday 20 September 2009

Donkey!

Well seven days on from the due date and we're waiting waiting waiting.....

Yesterday we went to a BBQ  at where there were three small children and a cute baby, I ending up playing with the young kids and was exhausted after just an hour of bouncing them around and being used for donkey rides!

man, if I'm this knackered after an hour of kids what am going to be like when its full-time?

Friday 18 September 2009

Not so private life

As much as I like to see myself as an enlightened citizen of the world, I can't escape I'm British, terribly terribly British and as a Britain there are a few things we don't talk about..

However, now my partner is overdue by six days, the final bastion of secrecy is up for discussion,  all sorts of people are now asking me "have we tried..."  actually I'm too British to say, I'll leave the end of the question to your imagination but suffice to say it's usually a friendly euphemism of a quite personal nature!

Thursday 17 September 2009

The disadvantage of tall men

I wouldn't call myself tall, but at 185cm I am taller than most, but to be honest its not something I give any thought too.

However my partner had a scan today and has found the disadvantage of my height, the baby is going to be BIG

Wednesday 16 September 2009

Hot baths, long walks and curry

Well we're three days overdue and feeling impatient.

We've tried curry and long-walks I've even bought some Raspberry leaf tea, still, baby isn't budging!

We are getting loads of good will messages, hopeful text messages whenever we seem unavailable  even suggestions we try some hanky-panky !

Hurry up baby, there are grandparents, aunties, uncles (and local amdram actors) all waiting for you!

Tuesday 15 September 2009

Can I make myself more stressed?

About to have a baby - check
Job having a wobble - check
Feeling  a wee bit stressed - check

Faced with this list, you would think you would think the wise thing to do is avoid taking anything else on that is stressful. Well, no-one has accused me of being wise so I've decided to buy a house. Luckily so far it seems to be okay....I must be mad!

Monday 14 September 2009

still waiting...

Well the weekend (and the due date) has come and gone and we're still waiting for the little one.
As predicted there was a lot of the same questions at the family party but a nice time was had by all.
After playing with my nephews for the afternoon, I was so tired I just wanted to give them back and go to sleep, but of course when I have my own I won't able able to give them back, so I guess constant tiredness here I come!

Saturday 12 September 2009

huffing and chuffing

£$%^ I said to my girlfriend, do you realise within a couple of years we won't be able to have a good $%^&&*( swear at home because little ears will listening.

$%^&* %^& I will miss the occasional good "$%^&$% swear!

Friday 11 September 2009

It's not easy being green...

Following my green post the other day, the question a was posted, is being green and having children mutually exclusive?

It's quite a good question, now admittedly I have somewhat of a bias but I think raising Children are the key to our future.

This is because for the good work we are doing now to continue and for the world to evolve toward a bright future, we need the next generation to be be full of smart, world aware people with good understandings of science and technology.

Which is what I fully intend to raise.

So am I smart and green enough to raise my children my children with the minimum of negative enviormental impact? Yes.
Will my children as a result be green? Though it will be ultimately up them, I would say Yes.

Is raising children automatically un-green?

Defiantly not.

Thursday 10 September 2009

And then there were four

Went to the pub last night for regular meetup with the other expecant couples in the area that we had met on our NCT course (private birthing class), notable by absence were two couple who we found out have given birth to healthy babies!

It feels awfully close now!


Wednesday 9 September 2009

Four-wheeled temptation

We as a couple would call ourselves a bit "green" we eat more vegetable than animal, unplug things when we are not using them, cycled more than 100 miles a week between us to work, we even used to comically lug our weekly shop back on the bikes in a way that would of made Laurel and Hardy proud.

But...as CK's pregnant belly grew, so did our reliance on that tempting devil, the car, last weekend I even made a 90 minute round trip in it just to collect some posh pizza for dinner.

Last night however I felt justified in collecting her for a girls night out up in town, it was late, the area a little dodgy and traveling I thought would be really awkward. So there I stood outside the restraunt, the dashing hero with puffed chest, ready to transport his Lady safely to her abode, that is, until the bus that would have taken her all the way for free, passed the door of the restaurant and even beat us home, oh the shame.....

Tuesday 8 September 2009

T minus ??

Well here I am at work, wearing a watch with a second hand, my nails bitten to the quick, a charged video camera at the ready and a nervous jump whenever my phone rings, yes, I'm an expectant Dad.

Today is Tuesday and the due date is Sunday, if the baby has my sense of timing it'll be late, if it has my talent for being awkard it'll be right on time. This is because Sunday we are due to go to the Ruby wedding aniversary party my parents have been planning since before we knew the due date, still at least it would avoid the every repeating questions we would no doubt get at the party "when's it due","are you nervous", "do you know the sex"

Oh well, time will tell!