We drove up to Sydney on Boxing Day morning. Unfortunately Liam had chosen to have his most unsettled night of sleep so far the night before, so we were a little later getting away than we had hoped, and Soph and I were both very tired! On the plus side we managed to make it all the way to Croydon without having to stop for a feed. We thought we'd have to stop at Sutton Forest McDonald's to feed him as he started crying just before we reached it, but just as we had pulled in to a parking spot he stopped, and we decided we'd head off again and see what happened. He started crying again on the M5, and we decided that we would give him 5 minutes to settle back down again or we'd pull over and feed him, but again he stopped and he was quiet the rest of the way.
The rest of the day was spent with various sections of my family. My family from London (Anne, Kuldeep and Nina) were visiting so it was fantastic to catch up with them once more, and show off Liam to them. We also got the mandatory "Four Generations" photo with Liam, myself, my Mum and her father (my Grandad). We then headed to Longueville to visit my Dad's side of the family - my Grandpa and my uncles John and Graham. After the traditional games of Rage and Uno, and another "Four Generations" photo with Liam, myself, my Dad and his father (my Grandpa) we headed to Amy and Simon's place in Illawong (although the Millers were still in Canberra so we had the place to ourselves). We pretty much unpacked, fed Liam, and collapsed into bed.
Liam didn't sleep particularly well in either of the two nights we were there. Each night contained one bad section where he didn't really sleep at all between feeds, which of course meant Soph and I didn't sleep between feeds either. I guess it's understandable with all the new surroundings and new people to meet for his schedule to be thrown a little!
On the 27th we drove to Lisa and Jesse's house to spend some time with them and Nina. We accidentally took the long way round to get there so it took about an hour, and before I'd even got in the door I almost had to turn around and drive straight back as we had Amy and Simon's only set of keys and Simon was an hour away from arriving at his house! Luckily he was able to find a way inside and I was spared a 90 minute round trip. We had a lovely dinner at an Italian Restaurant in Lane Cove, followed by dessert at Baskin & Robbins which I didn't really need but hey, it's Christmas!
The 28th we went back to Croydon to spend some more time with my Grandad and the Virdis, before driving back home again. Liam started crying much earlier this time so we decided to stop and feed him at Sutton Forest. He was still a little unsettled after that but we made it home and he fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the mattress on his bassinet.
I loved showing Liam to all my family up in Sydney, but it was certainly a very tiring trip, I don't think we'll be doing another one for a while!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Liam's First Christmas
Liam started off his first Christmas by receiving his first Christmas present (a Gingerbread Man book from me) and also giving his first present to me (a book called Why I Love My Daddy). It's never too early!
Christmas Day was spent with Sophie's family. Liam had a decent amount of time being held by various members of the family but he spent most of the day sleeping in his travel bassinet in an upstairs bedroom. So Soph and I accepted his presents on his behalf, and there were certainly a lot of fantastic gifts! I think everyone there did very well in the present department, but Bella and Christopher certainly took home the lion's share. The toys that got the most immediate use were a first bicycle for Bella, a small drum and saxophone for Christopher, and a soft toy monkey that plays "If You're Happy And You Know It Clap Your Hands", and you clap the monkey's hands together in time with the song in order to keep the song going. Christopher was absolutely fascinated by the monkey, I hope he wasn't too disappointed that he wouldn't be taking it home!
Christmas lunch was fantastic. We had prawns with mango and avocado, a potato salad, roast turkey and what I think is the best ham I've ever had, glazed and roasted in the Weber by Simon. We then had an amazing spread of desserts made by Cath. She had made cannoli, a Swiss chocolate mousse, a Toblerone cheesecake, a lemon and berry cheesecake and a croquembouche (profiterole tower). And as a former pastry chef she certainly knows what she's doing! I sampled all five desserts, and had two serves of my favourite, the cannoli.
For the rest of the afternoon we watched Toy Story, and then went outside to see Bella take her first ride on her new bike. Christopher was tottering around on the same patio on which she was riding, but despite some extremely close calls they both came away unscathed.
So it was a wonderful Christmas Day! I especially enjoyed seeing my Niece and Nephew so happy and having such a great day themselves, it made me really look forward to next Christmas when Liam might be tottering around himself and saying his first few words. He'll probably appreciate his presents a lot more too!
Christmas Day was spent with Sophie's family. Liam had a decent amount of time being held by various members of the family but he spent most of the day sleeping in his travel bassinet in an upstairs bedroom. So Soph and I accepted his presents on his behalf, and there were certainly a lot of fantastic gifts! I think everyone there did very well in the present department, but Bella and Christopher certainly took home the lion's share. The toys that got the most immediate use were a first bicycle for Bella, a small drum and saxophone for Christopher, and a soft toy monkey that plays "If You're Happy And You Know It Clap Your Hands", and you clap the monkey's hands together in time with the song in order to keep the song going. Christopher was absolutely fascinated by the monkey, I hope he wasn't too disappointed that he wouldn't be taking it home!
Christmas lunch was fantastic. We had prawns with mango and avocado, a potato salad, roast turkey and what I think is the best ham I've ever had, glazed and roasted in the Weber by Simon. We then had an amazing spread of desserts made by Cath. She had made cannoli, a Swiss chocolate mousse, a Toblerone cheesecake, a lemon and berry cheesecake and a croquembouche (profiterole tower). And as a former pastry chef she certainly knows what she's doing! I sampled all five desserts, and had two serves of my favourite, the cannoli.
For the rest of the afternoon we watched Toy Story, and then went outside to see Bella take her first ride on her new bike. Christopher was tottering around on the same patio on which she was riding, but despite some extremely close calls they both came away unscathed.
So it was a wonderful Christmas Day! I especially enjoyed seeing my Niece and Nephew so happy and having such a great day themselves, it made me really look forward to next Christmas when Liam might be tottering around himself and saying his first few words. He'll probably appreciate his presents a lot more too!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Liam's First Week At Home
Liam has been home for a week now, and it seems to be agreeing with him! He lost just over 10% of his birth weight while he was at the hospital, but since he's been home he has put it all back on again. He is sleeping beautifully, he hardly ever cries - he is such a wonderful baby!
Since he's been home he been on his first walk in his stroller and his first shopping expedition (to Belconnen Mall), both of which he slept through from start to finish. So much for visual stimulation!
He's had visits from his Grandma, his Nanna and Grandad and a first visit from his Auntie Lisa, all of whom absolutely adore him.
It's possible he's also reached out and grabbed something for the first time as he grabbed hold of my finger above his head a few times in a row. However I'm willing to accept that he just hit my finger and latched on while randomly waving his hands around - I think further experimentation is required.
But right now it's bedtime for all three of us... I hope the next week turns out as well as this one!
Since he's been home he been on his first walk in his stroller and his first shopping expedition (to Belconnen Mall), both of which he slept through from start to finish. So much for visual stimulation!
He's had visits from his Grandma, his Nanna and Grandad and a first visit from his Auntie Lisa, all of whom absolutely adore him.
It's possible he's also reached out and grabbed something for the first time as he grabbed hold of my finger above his head a few times in a row. However I'm willing to accept that he just hit my finger and latched on while randomly waving his hands around - I think further experimentation is required.
But right now it's bedtime for all three of us... I hope the next week turns out as well as this one!
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Longevity
In the end we were unable to travel to Sydney for my Great Aunt Edna's (Auntie's) 100th birthday celebration. A district nurse visited yesterday and said that he was a little under the minimum weight he should be at this stage and that we should be feeding him more. Then last night he brought up some impressively fluorescent yellow vomit just before feeding time and then refused to feed. We checked the internet and called Health First, with both saying that it's something we should get checked out. So we went back to Calvary where we were reassured that he was doing fine, and as long as it didn't become a common occurrence it was nothing to worry about. Since then he's been feeding much better, but Soph and I decided that it would be best for all of us if we stayed at home.
So it is a real shame to miss such a momentous occasion and the chance to show Liam my extended family. There is also a very impressive display of longevity genes on show at the party today. Auntie will have three of her siblings in attendance: her older brother Norm who is 104, her younger sister Snow who I think is 97, and her younger brother Ray (my Grandad) who has just turned 91. There's probably not too many people who can turn 100 and celebrate with so many of their brothers and sisters!
That's definitely one gene I hope I've inherited, and I hope I've passed it on to my son. I like the thought of Liam celebrating his 100th birthday in 2107!
So it is a real shame to miss such a momentous occasion and the chance to show Liam my extended family. There is also a very impressive display of longevity genes on show at the party today. Auntie will have three of her siblings in attendance: her older brother Norm who is 104, her younger sister Snow who I think is 97, and her younger brother Ray (my Grandad) who has just turned 91. There's probably not too many people who can turn 100 and celebrate with so many of their brothers and sisters!
That's definitely one gene I hope I've inherited, and I hope I've passed it on to my son. I like the thought of Liam celebrating his 100th birthday in 2107!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
My Firstborn
My son, Liam James Waddell, was born at 4:27 yesterday morning.
It all started at about 7:30 on Monday evening with Soph getting her first contractions. Although I didn't find out until about 8:30 as she wanted to be sure. By 9:30 the contractions were a regular 5 minutes apart, and the birth clinic told Soph to have a shower and then come in. We arrived at Calvary at about 10:15, and already Soph was in a lot of pain and quite keen for some pain relief. However our midwife, Jennifer, had another birth to finish up with so it was a while before she could examine Soph and see which painkillers would be suitable. I'm pretty sure the midwives try and hold off on the painkiller as much as possible due to the risks associated with them all.
The next four or five hours were incredibly tough on Soph as she was in terrible pain each time the contractions hit every 2 or 3 minutes. Although it obviously bears no comparison to what Soph went though I was having a terrible time too, seeing Soph in absolute agony for hours on end and not being able to do anything about it was just awful. Soph was just amazing to get through it all, and she even managed without an epidural. She asked for one a number of times but Jennifer delayed, and suggested using nitrous oxide instead and soon enough Soph had made it through Stage 1 and an epidural was then out of the question. I just wasn't really prepared for how hard the contractions would be for Soph, I had assumed that the second stage of delivery would be the most painful but I was a lot more worried during the first stage. Given that Soph thought the same thing, I think they should stress this more during the ante natal classes! Although I guess it's different for each birth.
When Liam's head finally came out about an hour into the second stage, I wasn't prepared for how pale he was, and I certainly wasn't prepared for the shape of his head! He had come out on his side, and I'm told he most likely hit his head on Soph's pelvis on the way through, so his head was very elongated and asymmetrical. I was quite worried and had to be assured a number of times that it was perfectly normal. So the poor boy wasn't at his most attractive when born, but the swelling started to recede within a couple of hours, and this morning it was almost perfect and he looks wonderful. So the whole misshapen head thing is something else I wish I'd picked up in the classes and the books that I've read, it would have saved a few moments of worry!
Liam managed a small feed straight after birth, and he was then cleaned up a little and measured (he was 3.32 kg and 49cm, although that includes the swelling!) before being swaddled. After that he didn't really wake up until after I'd left last night. So he's certainly been easy to look after so far! For me, anyway, I imagine Soph has other thoughts on the matter as I think I got triple the amount of sleep she got last night.
One of the (many) amazing parts of the night and day was the fact that Liam was born on the same date as my Great Aunt, exactly 100 years apart! Her 100th birthday celebration is on Saturday, and with Liam being a good boy and following his instructions to come out early, the three of us will now be able to attend.
So it was just a magical day yesterday! And at least next time we'll be a little bit better prepared...
It all started at about 7:30 on Monday evening with Soph getting her first contractions. Although I didn't find out until about 8:30 as she wanted to be sure. By 9:30 the contractions were a regular 5 minutes apart, and the birth clinic told Soph to have a shower and then come in. We arrived at Calvary at about 10:15, and already Soph was in a lot of pain and quite keen for some pain relief. However our midwife, Jennifer, had another birth to finish up with so it was a while before she could examine Soph and see which painkillers would be suitable. I'm pretty sure the midwives try and hold off on the painkiller as much as possible due to the risks associated with them all.
The next four or five hours were incredibly tough on Soph as she was in terrible pain each time the contractions hit every 2 or 3 minutes. Although it obviously bears no comparison to what Soph went though I was having a terrible time too, seeing Soph in absolute agony for hours on end and not being able to do anything about it was just awful. Soph was just amazing to get through it all, and she even managed without an epidural. She asked for one a number of times but Jennifer delayed, and suggested using nitrous oxide instead and soon enough Soph had made it through Stage 1 and an epidural was then out of the question. I just wasn't really prepared for how hard the contractions would be for Soph, I had assumed that the second stage of delivery would be the most painful but I was a lot more worried during the first stage. Given that Soph thought the same thing, I think they should stress this more during the ante natal classes! Although I guess it's different for each birth.
When Liam's head finally came out about an hour into the second stage, I wasn't prepared for how pale he was, and I certainly wasn't prepared for the shape of his head! He had come out on his side, and I'm told he most likely hit his head on Soph's pelvis on the way through, so his head was very elongated and asymmetrical. I was quite worried and had to be assured a number of times that it was perfectly normal. So the poor boy wasn't at his most attractive when born, but the swelling started to recede within a couple of hours, and this morning it was almost perfect and he looks wonderful. So the whole misshapen head thing is something else I wish I'd picked up in the classes and the books that I've read, it would have saved a few moments of worry!
Liam managed a small feed straight after birth, and he was then cleaned up a little and measured (he was 3.32 kg and 49cm, although that includes the swelling!) before being swaddled. After that he didn't really wake up until after I'd left last night. So he's certainly been easy to look after so far! For me, anyway, I imagine Soph has other thoughts on the matter as I think I got triple the amount of sleep she got last night.
One of the (many) amazing parts of the night and day was the fact that Liam was born on the same date as my Great Aunt, exactly 100 years apart! Her 100th birthday celebration is on Saturday, and with Liam being a good boy and following his instructions to come out early, the three of us will now be able to attend.
So it was just a magical day yesterday! And at least next time we'll be a little bit better prepared...
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Full Term
Sophie is 37 weeks pregnant today. Depending on who you ask this can be considered to be full term, despite our due date still being 18 days away. So we've now reached the four-week window where our baby could be born any day, from today until 10 days after the due date when Soph would be induced.
Ideally Bean will be born very soon, as it is my Great Aunt Edna's 100th birthday party on December 8th and all my family are flying in to attend... but it's in Sydney so Soph and I can't go if she is still pregnant. It would be perfect to be able to take Bean up to the party and show off our new baby to everyone at once! However we probably don't want to freak out Bean too much after just coming home from the hospital, so it would have to be in the next couple of days for it to be possible.
If the baby doesn't arrive early we then have to avoid the 18th December which is Soph's birthday (she doesn't like to share). After that, we're both desperate for our baby to not be born on Christmas Day , so if Soph is still pregnant by that stage she will be 8 days overdue and it will be a rather stressful day! Christmas Eve and Boxing Day aren't too much better, but probably acceptable.
So wish us luck as we navigate the calendar over the next 4 weeks!
Ideally Bean will be born very soon, as it is my Great Aunt Edna's 100th birthday party on December 8th and all my family are flying in to attend... but it's in Sydney so Soph and I can't go if she is still pregnant. It would be perfect to be able to take Bean up to the party and show off our new baby to everyone at once! However we probably don't want to freak out Bean too much after just coming home from the hospital, so it would have to be in the next couple of days for it to be possible.
If the baby doesn't arrive early we then have to avoid the 18th December which is Soph's birthday (she doesn't like to share). After that, we're both desperate for our baby to not be born on Christmas Day , so if Soph is still pregnant by that stage she will be 8 days overdue and it will be a rather stressful day! Christmas Eve and Boxing Day aren't too much better, but probably acceptable.
So wish us luck as we navigate the calendar over the next 4 weeks!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Best. Election. Ever.
I had a fantastic time at my parents' election party last night. Every one of the guests was a staunch Labor supporter, which gave the party the same atmosphere as that of a bunch of friends cheering on a sporting team - we clapped and cheered every time Labor was recording a double-digit swing, or a Liberal minister looked to be in trouble. But it was the thought of Little Johnny sitting at home and watching the results go against him - both nationally and in his own electorate - that really made my night! How he must regret not retiring a year or two ago, he could have soaked up the adulation of his followers for a couple of months before handing over to Costello and going out a winner. And if/when Costello lost the election he would have looked even better! Instead he got the quick, embarrassing exit that his selfishness deserved.
At least now I'll be able to be a little more rational about who I vote for in elections. Up until now my loathing for Howard has made my voting a "what would be the worst for the Liberals?" strategy. Now I'll actually compare the policies of all the parties. Not that it makes all that much difference as I'm in the very safe Labor seat of Fraser, but it's the principle that counts! I imagine that Labor will win a second term unless they manage to completely screw up the country, but the election after next could be quite interesting!
At least now I'll be able to be a little more rational about who I vote for in elections. Up until now my loathing for Howard has made my voting a "what would be the worst for the Liberals?" strategy. Now I'll actually compare the policies of all the parties. Not that it makes all that much difference as I'm in the very safe Labor seat of Fraser, but it's the principle that counts! I imagine that Labor will win a second term unless they manage to completely screw up the country, but the election after next could be quite interesting!
Friday, November 02, 2007
Last Hurrah
A few months ago it was announced that Canberra would have a new public holiday on Melbourne Cup Day (the first Tuesday in November). Apparently under the new Workplace Agreement laws an old union family & community day was now illegal, so they needed something to replace it with. Given no one does any work on Melbourne Cup Day anyway it was clearly the best choice!
At about the same time the release date for a game I've really been looking forward to, Hellgate: London was announced as November 2nd.
And Sunday November 4th is my and Sophie's first wedding anniversary.
So it was fairly obvious that this would be the perfect time for one last hedonistic celebration before I get down to the serious business of raising children. I'm going to take Monday off and have a fantastic four days! Here's my plan:
Saturday will be the warm-up day. I'll be sleeping in, doing some shopping, playing some Hellgate, and watching the Arsenal vs Manchester United Premier League game.
Sunday is our anniversary and Soph has planned a brilliant day for us! We'll be sleeping in, having a decadent breakfast of fried food and pancakes and watching DVDs, all before a dinner at the Hotel Kurrajong, where we were married last year.
Monday I am proclaiming Justin Day. I'll be sleeping in, watching TV, movies and sport, playing Hellgate, eating as much junk food as I can get my hands on - I'll be pretty much doing whatever I want for the entire day.
Tuesday I'll be, of course, sleeping in, followed by Hamish's touch football and BBQ event. I'll then watch the big race, and I'll finish off the weekend with my favourite pasta from Zeffereli's.
This will be the last occasion I will be able to devote entire days purely to myself, and I plan to enjoy it as much as possible!
At about the same time the release date for a game I've really been looking forward to, Hellgate: London was announced as November 2nd.
And Sunday November 4th is my and Sophie's first wedding anniversary.
So it was fairly obvious that this would be the perfect time for one last hedonistic celebration before I get down to the serious business of raising children. I'm going to take Monday off and have a fantastic four days! Here's my plan:
Saturday will be the warm-up day. I'll be sleeping in, doing some shopping, playing some Hellgate, and watching the Arsenal vs Manchester United Premier League game.
Sunday is our anniversary and Soph has planned a brilliant day for us! We'll be sleeping in, having a decadent breakfast of fried food and pancakes and watching DVDs, all before a dinner at the Hotel Kurrajong, where we were married last year.
Monday I am proclaiming Justin Day. I'll be sleeping in, watching TV, movies and sport, playing Hellgate, eating as much junk food as I can get my hands on - I'll be pretty much doing whatever I want for the entire day.
Tuesday I'll be, of course, sleeping in, followed by Hamish's touch football and BBQ event. I'll then watch the big race, and I'll finish off the weekend with my favourite pasta from Zeffereli's.
This will be the last occasion I will be able to devote entire days purely to myself, and I plan to enjoy it as much as possible!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Ups and Downs
Last night I had two activities at opposite ends of the "success" spectrum. First was Oztag. It had been raining all day, but not quite enough for it to be cancelled, and it of course got heavier as the kick-off time approached. The rain is wonderful for our garden so it's always welcome, but that doesn't mean I want to play football in it! We had a number of players out (Hamish, Geoff and Warwick), we didn't play well, and the other team was much better than us, all leading us being on the wrong end of a 50-0 drubbing (well OK it was probably closer to 15, but it sure felt like 50). I think the game was summed up nicely near the end, with Webby in the clear and about to get us on the scoreboard, before dropping the ball over the line.
When the final whistle mercifully sounded I rushed off to my poker night. Lady Luck had clearly decided to make atones for me getting thrashed in pouring rain by dealing me an amazing string of fantastic hands. At one stage I flopped 3 full houses in 4 hands, which was enough to make Andy and Al buy back in again. Poker is an easy game when you get dealt the best hand every time! I finished $100 up, my best result in the couple of years I've played with this group.
So I guess I had better watch myself at poker the next time our Oztag team is the one handing out a flogging...
When the final whistle mercifully sounded I rushed off to my poker night. Lady Luck had clearly decided to make atones for me getting thrashed in pouring rain by dealing me an amazing string of fantastic hands. At one stage I flopped 3 full houses in 4 hands, which was enough to make Andy and Al buy back in again. Poker is an easy game when you get dealt the best hand every time! I finished $100 up, my best result in the couple of years I've played with this group.
So I guess I had better watch myself at poker the next time our Oztag team is the one handing out a flogging...
Monday, October 22, 2007
My First Ante-Natal Class
With under two months to go until the birth of my first child (well under 2 months if Sophie gets her way) I'm going to be experiencing a lot of things for the first time. And I thought I should probably start keeping track of them all, which is what this blog will be all about. Plus anything else that takes my fancy, of course!
Tonight was my first ante-natal class. It wasn't Soph's first class; she went to the first class last week. I didn't go as Soph told me that the night's program was geared towards exercises to reduce soreness during pregnancy, and to learn about birthing positions, so it wasn't really going to involve me and she'd just tell me about it when she got home. I obviously didn't require too much convincing to stay home. However it turned out she was the only pregnant woman there without a partner... oops.
It wasn't the most organised class - it was in a different room to last week and there were no signs so a lot of couples were late after wandering around the hospital for 20 minutes. And the midwife had brought the wrong set of course material so it ended up being more of a group discussion than a lesson. The primary topic of discussion seemed to be "all the things that can go wrong with the pregnancy and labour, and what you should do about it". Things like the baby deciding to come out feet first, and... well lets just say that was low on the scale of terrifying things that could happen. So not the most uplifting evening I've had, but it's all information we need to know.
It was funny going around the room and hearing everyone's expected birth dates - most were in mid to late December, just like us. It seems likely that one of us will draw the short straw of Christmas, I just hope that Soph's visualisation techniques work well enough for it to not be us!
Tonight was my first ante-natal class. It wasn't Soph's first class; she went to the first class last week. I didn't go as Soph told me that the night's program was geared towards exercises to reduce soreness during pregnancy, and to learn about birthing positions, so it wasn't really going to involve me and she'd just tell me about it when she got home. I obviously didn't require too much convincing to stay home. However it turned out she was the only pregnant woman there without a partner... oops.
It wasn't the most organised class - it was in a different room to last week and there were no signs so a lot of couples were late after wandering around the hospital for 20 minutes. And the midwife had brought the wrong set of course material so it ended up being more of a group discussion than a lesson. The primary topic of discussion seemed to be "all the things that can go wrong with the pregnancy and labour, and what you should do about it". Things like the baby deciding to come out feet first, and... well lets just say that was low on the scale of terrifying things that could happen. So not the most uplifting evening I've had, but it's all information we need to know.
It was funny going around the room and hearing everyone's expected birth dates - most were in mid to late December, just like us. It seems likely that one of us will draw the short straw of Christmas, I just hope that Soph's visualisation techniques work well enough for it to not be us!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)