October 2008

Back to work tomorrow

Friday 31st October 2008Baggie

And so my paternity leave comes to an end and I have to return to work tomorrow. I think that it is going to be difficult for all three of us; we have been working as a team for the last week or so, since Lucinda came out of hospital, but now the onus will be on Lucinda to carry the baby duties unassisted. I, on the other hand, will return to some semblance of normality.

I could regale you with what I have learnt and grown to appreciate over the past fortnight or so, but those of you will children of your own will understand and those without would probably baulk at the thought. Suffice to say that I could now not imagine life without Éowyn, even through the crying and sleepless nights and soiled nappies, fatherhood is a wonderful gift.

We have had quite a busy day today. Our friends Danny and Andrea came round with their son Jack. I can not believe how much Jack has grown (he is only 11 weeks old) and already looks like a little boy rather than a baby. Danny and Andrea have survived the sleepless nights, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. It was great to chat with them as it gave us renewed hope and an assurance that some things are only temporary. Especially since it is so recent to them and as they have proved you will come through it, even though that is hard to believe at 04:00 while trying to rock a crying monster to sleep. Then our friend Pam arrived but unfortunately she was only here for about five minutes before our belated midwife appointment was realised, so hurriedly they all left, which was a shame but hopefully it will not be long before we see them again, especially since Éowyn slept through their entire visit and they missed out on cuddles.

The midwife was really nice and she put our mind at rest over a couple of minor concerns and gave Lucinda a clean bill of health before discharging us from the midwifery care and thus we now fall under the health visitor.

It was only a couple of hours later that the health visitor came round. She, too, was really nice and we had a long chat with her about Éowyn and how things go on from here. Also, she weighed her and we are very pleased to announce that she is 8lbs 7oz (3.850kgs). She is now nearly a pound heavier that when she was born and exactly a pound heavier than this time last week when she was discharged from hospital. This has put Lucinda’s mind at rest that she is breastfeeding correctly and that Éowyn is getting enough nourishment. This also gives Lucinda the excuse to eat those extra 500 calories that you burn each day breastfeeding.

So, with less time for me to fill in this website, you will find that the updates will not be daily, however I do intend to regularly add updates to Éowyn’s progress (probably closer to weekly updates) with photos and also fill in a few more pages on Lucinda and me.

And here are few more of those photos…

Peace and love

Baggie

She is on record

Wednesday 29th October 2008Baggie

Today marked a big day in any baby’s life: her birth was offically registered. Éowyn is now part of the population of the United Kingdom, and as such can now obtain a passport (has to be done) and a bank account (definitely has to be done, considering the money that she has received!). Once she was registered we could enrol her at our doctor’s surgery and so she now belongs to a practice. Her other big adventure was a trip to Sainsbury’s to do the weekly shop. There is no stopping this girl. Actually she slept through the whole trip, she likes sitting in her car seat and journeying into the unknown. For some reason it relaxes her and she sleeps, well, like a baby!

This afternoon she was at home to receive guests. Her Uncle Steve, Auntie Zöe and for the first time her cousins Megan and Finley came for visit and a cuddle. Éowyn has now met all her cousins, and the only member of her ‘immediate’ family she has still to meet is her Great Grandma, my nan. Obviously, she has many Great Uncles and Aunts yet to met and her Great-Great Uncle and Auntie as well as the majority of our friends, but give her time, she is not yet a fortnight old.

Tomorrow, we have a visit from the midwife (hopefully), the health visitor and a couple of our friends to look forward to. It is also the last day that I will spend with her before I go back to work. That is going to be a huge shock for both Lucinda and me, however it will not be long before I am off again for another three week ‘break’, the joys of shift work and saving your holiday to the end of the year.

Here are a couple of today’s photos.

Love and peace

Baggie

Wot no midwife?

Tuesday 28th October 2008Baggie

Again I have left it a couple of days since updating the website, my spare time is dictated by Éowyn, as it should be and probably how it will be from now on. So, what has happened since Sunday’s update? We had our first bad night Sunday night; it wasn’t just that Éowyn would not settle, but she would not stop crying and there was very little that we could do to placate her for any length of time. In the cold light of day I think that she was suffering from colic, which was possibly brought on either by the Chinese takeaway that Lucinda ate on Saturday or overstimulation during Sunday with all the cuddles, or just the first wave that she could suffer from for the next few months. Apparently it is something that many babies suffer from and there is little that you can do, although some people swear by massaging your baby while changing their nappy. I will let you know how that goes.

Thus colic made it to the list of questions to ask the midwife when she came on Monday. Only she never came on Monday. We waited in all day afraid to go out in case we missed her, but by 16:00 we decided that we would call the Topaz suite at Ashford hospital. It transpires that although the midwife told us that she would visit on Monday, we were supposed to call on Monday morning so that they could tell us when they would arrive. Since, we didn’t call them, they assumed that we were out so they didn’t come. Serves me right for using man logic to think that because someone told me that they would come to the house on Monday that they would actually come to the house on Monday; it is my fault that they didn’t come because I didn’t call them for them to tell me when they would come. Ok, now I know the rules. Or do I?

So we rebooked the midwife to come the next day, since 16:00 was a little late for them to come the same day. We told the midwife that we would make ourselves available all day if she could tell us when they would come. That is not part of the game. Although we are booked in for a visit we would still have to phone at 09:00 to find out whether the midwife would come in the morning or the afternoon, it is impossible for them to tell us the day before. So, this morning I tried calling the midwife team, it took until 09:40 before I got through. The midwife on the other end of the phonecall made me feel like the worst kind of parent because we didn’t call the previous day. Then, in the very next breath, told me that they would not be able to fit me in until Thursday. I said that I thought that we had been booked in yesterday. Apparently we had but they still couldn’t fit us in. Then she told me off that the 10 day check up wouldn’t occur until Éowyn’s 14th day. She then hung up before I had a chance to reply.

Since we were now free for the day, we went for a walk around the lake in the north west of the village, followed by a hot chocolate at the cafe at the eastern side, where we were joined by one of our friends Kerry. All four of us then returned to the house where we were joined by our next door neighbour Vicky and her neighbour Gwen. It is really heart warming to feel part of a community and how a baby brings everyone together.

Tomorrow we have another adventure planned, a trip to Walton-Upon-Thames as we are booked in with the registrar to register Éowyn’s birth. We can then follow this with a visit to the doctors where we can register her with the surgery. Thursday, my last day before I go back to work we will stay in as we have visits from the midwife and the health visitor, as well as friends who will be popping in to meet the baguette. Had better buy some nice biscuits!

Enough of my ramblings, here are the latest photos.

Peace and love

Baggie and Lucinda