Baby Dreams

As she spends more time asleep than awake, I often wonder what - if anything - does Emily spend her "downtime" dreaming about. I often have major difficulty remembering my dreams, whereas Sue is quite apt at regaling me with tales of sleepytime amazement.

I figure Emily is processing all the experiences of the day, and all the things she knows. So that would be Sue as mummy and primary food source and myself as someone who's there sometimes.

I guess as she builds up an arsenal of experiences, from rain and snow, to seeing doggies and cats, experiencing wind and seeing and feeling grass for the first time, she'll be able to develop some robust dreams.

I'd so wish for one of "Unky Herb" Simpson's baby translators, so we could just ask Emily. I assume soon she'll be dreaming of Dora the Explorer, and Barbie's (mis)adventures with Ken... sigh.

To sleep... perchance to dream

It's tempting to take the easy path.

We're constantly discovering that with Emily. If she cries, give her whatever will shut her up. If she won't sleep, put her in bed with us, etc. etc. etc.

I realise that developing these bad habits early on is tantamount to guaranteed damnation, but when it's 3.30am and you're desperate for sleep you will do ANYTHING to ensure it comes sooner than later, and that really doesn't include listening to a baby cry itself to sleep for an hour or so.

How will things be when she's two or three and desperate to sleep in our bed or else not sleep? Who knows. I can plan down the road for future events, but with Emily future events seem to end when my eyes close.

Of course, a baby sleeping with you isn't the end of the world. The mid-wife who came to visit said she did it with all her children, and the books only say not to do it for fear of smothering, crushing or overheating your baby, not because they'll never want to leave.

Hopefully we can continue to weave the obstacle course of bringing up baby and come out the other end victorious. I am fully aware we'll make mistakes along the way, just as our parents did with us, but as long as their the small stuff, I'm happy with winning the larger problems.

What's goin' on?

Marvin Gaye asked it in 1971, I'm asking it today - "What's goin' on"?

For the last two days our little bundle of joy has been devil spawn with her screaming, crying, and general not going to sleep.

Last night she slept what we adults would almost classify a full night's sleep. Today, she's been asleep more than awake, even when the mid-wife came to check her out. She stirred, went back in the Moses basket and whoop, she was out.

Tonight, she's been a bit grumpy, but nothing a feed couldn't solve.

It's been nice, especially after the last couple of days. Sue and I are just trying to distil the issue, much like on an episode of CSI. Is it a growth spurt? Is she over stimulated with all the new people she's met? Is she just coming to terms with being in a new home? Is her gastrointestinal system working out some kinks as it gets used?

We may never know, but as long as she's serene and happy and there's no more blood curdlers, we won't have to further out examination.

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Now playing: David Bowie - Fame
via FoxyTunes

Day one of having a baby

Woke up dazed at 9am and trundled down to the hospital with clothes for emily and provisions for sue. As sue is c-section victim, I have to do everything for her, which is cool. For the first time in this pregnancy / birth I feel useful!

I've been to the ward kitchen for food and held Emily while Sue winces in pain. I've even attempted to wind Emily.

Sue and I have managed to changed Emily who is pooing bovril. If only I had some toast!

Alive and well

Emily arrived healthy and alive at 12.38p today. A whopping 9 lb 15 oz! She looks like a 6 month old baby already. wow!

I'm a dad!

C-section update

Sue's been shaved to allow for c-section access and they're going to size me up for scrubs so I can hold sue's hand in theatre.

I read in one of our books that they put a sheet up so don't have to watch the op.... Which is good.

The consensus amongst the practitioners here is we have a monster baby - around 9 or 10 lbs. Sue's eyes watered at the thought of passing that. Maybe nature has a way of handling these larger loads cuz it doesn't look like it's coming the normal way.

Inducements

Well, it looks like our child isn't arriving without some medical intervention.

Went to the hospital yesterday for another "how far along are we" exam, which Sue failed (i.e. it's not very far along).

At the same visit, Sue got booked in on Friday afternoon to be induced. Apparently, they do three attempts at inducing and if that doesn't work, they move onto Plan B.

I think Plan C is C-section, which involved up to six weeks recuperation, as it's major abdominal surgery. Thus, that's the very bottom of the desirable list.

Whatever happens, we've been assured that when Sue arrives at hospital on Friday, she won't be leaving without a baby, whether it's Saturday or Sunday when that comes.

It's all a bit final now and all a bit sterile and medical at the same time.

Oh well, at least we can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

You Reeka Moment

This whole baby lark is starting to hit me in dribs and drabs.

Yesterday, in Asda, we bought newborn nappies, and like that boulder in Raiders of the Lost Ark that just about hits Indiana on his escape, it hit me that... whack... we ARE having a baby. Sue's not just fat, with bloated fingers and problems bending over, it's actually leading to something, and something big!

Now we have to focus on finishing the "big shop" - stroller (to be sourced from Mothercare, via cashback website), crib/bed combo and the nappies.

Here's to giving the credit card a good baby-sized bashing.

41 Days and counting

Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the desert.

I've got 41 days and I think 40 nights before our baby is actually due.

Talking to all and sundry about whether it'll be early, on time or late. It's anyone's guess.

The mid-wife says the baby is in "firing position", so I take that to mean from next weekend on (or possibly the weekend after), we wait in a state of perpetual cat-like readiness - bags packed, no long trips to anywhere, a full tank of petrol in the car, keys at the ready and a full-charged battery in the video camera.

Oh, and access to update the blog (most important, this last one). Here's to the next 40 days before our life changes for ever!!!

X-Mas and the gift of space

We don't even have the baby yet, and we've been inundated with loads of gifts for it from the Christmas rush. I reckon that gifts are hard enough to figure out at the best of time, so if you have something like a baby on the way (or a sports fan or video game or Simpsons fan) MAKE THE MOST OF IT!

Thankfully we didn't really start buying any clothes before we came down under, else we'd be in even more trouble.

I also got some photos from my cousin today in my email. Her baby's first Christmas was yesterday and the photo of the mound of baby toys and gear was really quite overwhelming. Makes me realise that we'll have to move into a warehouse to give this child a fighting chance... how do people cope with no space?

Teenage Wildlife

The Times today had a supplement for teens, apparently written and edited by teens.

It got me thinking about all sorts of things, like how can I protect my daughter from the harmful media-obsession with being size zero, of having all her heroes getting publicly bladdered every night and dating heroin junkies, and trying to instil in her that that is actually not how people are supposed to react.

On the other side of the coin, I was wondering whether my daughter would follow her parents into the field of journalism and find herself writing for and editing a teen section for a major news paper in about a decade's time.

The more I think about things, the more secure I feel that all is going to be well... as long as we stay away from the bad areas of town.

Another one in the office

Ismaeel, the latest father to-be (actually just plain "father" now) in the office has come back to work today, fresh from his paternity leave.

A quick quiz about how you feeling and how was it elicited the single word response "amazing". I'm definitely looking forward to our little bundle of joy arriving in the world in March, I just wish I could shake all the worry and just enjoy the ride.

Funny cartoon

Found this cartoon and thought it was apt for ... well, me at least. Although our keyboard, mouse and internet are all wireless.

Kicking it!

Sue informed me that the baby is now getting the stage where you can feel it kicking - and not internally. As the mother / foetus carrier,

Sue's had more interaction and more feeling from the baby than I have. I've felt the odd push that could have been a foot or trapped wind. I imagine that from here on the obvious signs are going to get even more obvious.

Of course, this could mean we have a Beckham on our hands!

Cool.

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Now playing: Saint Etienne - Lose That Girl
via FoxyTunes

Sometimes you kick... sometimes you get kicked

Laying in bed, watching Miss Potter on DVD, I was afforded the opportunity to feel our pre-natal child doing somersaults in Sue's belly. I felt the odd murmur, which could have easily been wind, save for Sue complaining about all this movement in her stomach.

I guess with 22 weeks fast approaching, activities like these are going to be more common, and to think there's tell of allowing abortions up to 24 weeks! With activities like this it is definitely tantamount to murder.

I look forward to further activities of our wee bairn in the days and weeks to come.

Amazon Wish List

Now that Amazon sell baby gear, I've created a new wish list for the baby stuff we imagine we're going to need.

I've only got one thing on there so far, but as Sue and I find stuff that we need we'll add it. Mainly so we know what we need in one place, but also if someone wants to buy us something they can handily find a place that lists what we still have outstanding.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/registry/REJOBQQUUPVS

Good chat

Had a good chat with a fellow-dad to be at work today.

Discussed all the usual, from scan photos to clothing. It's good that his wife is about to unload, as I can sorta see what the next few months will have in stock.

There were the usual words of advice like don't scrimp on the pushchair/carseat combo, be prepared to return loads of redundant gifts and make sure you really really need the stuff you're buying.

For example, apparently something like 60% of Moses baskets don't get used.

It's all good to know stuff and much easier on the brain than just reading this crap in a book.

What sex is it?

Even though the scan and the mid-wife seemed to confirm we're having a little Emily, Sue's given me some odd and contemplative information.

Seems her mate in Melbourne, Rachel, had a friend who had THREE scans that said "girl". Confused were they when said person gave birth to a boy.

So, while I'm awaiting a girl, I'm also open to having a boy. At this point, I just want to have it here and get it potty trained.

Baby names

With the possibility of our baby now looking more and more likely to be a girl, I've been expecting the next uphill battle with Sue - the name. I imagine that with every set of parents, this is one of the biggest stumbling blocks.

Everyone has their set of "no go" names - bosses they've hated, exes, people who broke up their favourite bands, annoying people who served them coffee, etc.

Thankfully, I've really come to like the name Emily, and not because of any extraneous influences - I've got a friend called Emily, there's Emily Watson, See Emily Play (the Pink Floyd song), and a friend of the family is married to one. I was hoping that any of the lame reasons people use to NOT choose a name didn't apply to Sue in the swaying over to the Emily camp.

I can happily report that the uphill battle I envisioned never happened. We're both quite taken with the name and if it's a girl that's what we're going with.

I do however see an uphill battle over the second name, but that's a battle for another day.

Sell Sell Sell

We went to an NCT sale today. For the uninitiated (which very recently included me) the NCT stands for National Childhood Trust.

Basically what I imagined the sale to be was parents selling things their little loved ones had recently outgrown. For the most part I was right, but what I didn't count on was the stalls selling new stuff and actually giving out information.

I got the low down on the car seat law (it's any child UNDER 135cm regardless of age, but there seems to be age 12 attached to the law) and Sue got an Indian head massage from a woman who apparently massages babies, after their hard day... at the office? pooping?

Paul came with us and stocked up on secret santa stuff for a pregnant woman at work.

All in all, a nice eye opener, and a good place for us to not only stock up on baby gear but to also offload it once we're done.

For the £1 admission fee, we also got an "I support breastfeeding" wrist band, which they were flogging for £1 in the main area of the fair. Not bad!

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Now playing: Cyndi Lauper - She Bop [12" Version]
via FoxyTunes