Sharing and Learning Pt1

Not such a good night last night Jamie was awake at times looking after a slightly more needy Reagan than the previous night nappy changing and feeding but I was able to get a couple of much needed hours sleep so when Reagan stirred at about 5am we changed her and I took her down stairs like yesterday to give Jamie a chance to charge the batteries again.

During the 5am diaper\nappy change Huggies came out winner of the newborn diaper contest over their big rival Pampers purely on size, but I have a feeling this contest could run and run don’t you think? …I also think you will agree it easily over shadows by a long way the news that Floyd Mayweather Jr has just unanimously out pointed fellow American Shane Mosley in Las Vegas

So here I am again doing the early morning shift, which I have to say is very easy because she is is asleep again so just some coffee to keep me awake write up me blog and tidy around the downstairs and we’re good to go. I am hoping I might get a couple of hours later when Jamie gets up as I wrote this “Jamie’s daughter” (lol) filled her nappy and has started to cry back in a mo’!
Now I struggle a little bit with the whole parent thing at the moment and can look like a rabbit in headlights at times usually I look to Jamie when things get this tricky but here I’m on me own and I’m either going to SINK (take her to Jamie) or SWIM (be a parent and change a diaper)
I SWAM! YAY!
I really shouldn’t be happy and proud about this Jamie has changed loads but I am “my daughter” (lol) has now stopped crying because she’s clean and dry and she is now sat on me knees looking at me checking out this great….oaf in front of her who isn’t mommy!
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Becoming a Grandma!

I told a birth story today that I don’t think I have told here which I think was one of the most important things on my birth plan apart from the welfare of Jamie and Reagan!

Keeping everyone informed as much as I could throughput the day but most importantly making sure Pam was the first to know anything, just because it was her daughter all the way over here having her first grandchild!
So, I wrote as much as I could on this blog which wasn’t a lot because I was busy lol and also emailed from my blackberry (sorry Jamie lol) too but it was once Reagan was born that the urgency came. Once Reagan had been checked over and given a perfect bill of health straight after the birth, she was handed to look after in recovery whilst Jamie was put back together. All of a sudden I’m dad without a clue left alone with a baby who everyone was anxiously awaiting news of, and I was sat there in baggy greens but all the phones were all back in room 7.
I decided to nip and get them and carry Reagan in my arms walked the short distance to pick them up…I’d be back in recovery in no time. Exiting room 7 with phones and Reagan I was stopped by a nurse who said “Where are you going with that baby ” which at the time had no tags on? In hindsight it was foolish Rule 1. you do not carry baby’s in the maternity ward you might drop them and if you were steeling a baby you would carry it so they like to see baby’s in the wheeled cots at all times. Rule 2. Baby’s MUST be tagged (Reagan wasn’t yet) because of mixing up baby’s.
OK I now know I was wrong to do that but I now had the phones so I decided to email Pam a photo Reagan’s first ‘published’ shot, half an hour before anyone else even knew of the birth!
Once Jamie arrived in recovery she called Pam to tell her the news while Reagan was weighed and checked over again she was also given her vitamin K injection, then it was time to place Reagan in her mommy’s arms for the first time. If I remember correctly the conversation was ended by Jamie saying “got to go mom my daughters here” as she threw the phone down on the bed. Reagan was placed in mommy’s arms at 23:24 (one hour 17 minutes after she was born)

Up to that point all the contact she’d had with her daughter was the family time we had directly after the birth with Jamie still in theatre. Next the daughter mommy and Grandma conversation resumed and I also got to hear Pam’s reaction seconds later when she first set eyes on Reagan’s photo and the cuffufal around her as she was at work with what sounded like the rest of the office behind her. The last thing we said was just give us some time to tell everyone else now, as they didn’t know and we wanted the chance to spread the news ourselves.
It makes me happy that Pam was able to experience that with us before anyone else in the world even knew anything about the birth. It was one plan I had on the day and I achieved it the best way I could GRANDMA! 😉
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Build her and they will come!

Before I get onto the visitors I have to say I feel so happy that my time has come to be able to help Jamie with all this, and feel needed. This morning (early shift) ended with Jamie getting up around half nine sort of refreshed but grateful for the chance to sleep in. I’d had the easy time of it, Reagan didn’t stir very much at all so the whole family was happy.

If you can call having Reagan “building” then yes that’s the reason they are now coming. We had a lot of visitors today and we were so pleased to see all of them everyone calls before showing up which helps so we can head them off if its not a good time. We have been blessed with lots of cards and and gifts for Reagan and she is amassing quite a wardrobe of pretty little dresses now, she will be the talk of the town when she makes her debut!
A Champagne cork was heard in the house at one point when Aunty Karen and Uncle Karl arrived and Jamie (now such a cheap date these days) had a glass and was “buzzed” lol
It thundered and lightened at teatime, something it hadn’t done for a while here but it didn’t frighten Reagan at all
Now one of my favourite things at the moment is watching Reagan suck frantically on her dummy\soother\ pacifier (whatever?) then stop…..the suck frantically again then stop, this goes on for hours and for me is the best entertainment!

Midwife came to see how we were getting on and to check on mom and baby and both were given a clean bill of health and told they were doing just fine. We also had a couple of questions to ask
Question 1: Does the house have to be as hot as the hospital? Answer: NO!
We noticed Reagan’s hands looked a little blue so the fire went on and then the heating and that was left on all night and her hands were still slightly blue? We on the other hand were walking around half dressed and almost passing out it was so hot, the midwife laughed and said no the blueness is normal and baby’s temperature should be judged by the torso generally not the extremities and the house should be kept as you normally keep it and wrap baby up in the same amount of layers you have on yourself and she will get used to it! If you need another layer then so does baby That is so simple and logical but until someone tells you you go on what you know which is hospital was hot so house needs to be hot!
Question 2: Can we leave the house? Answer: YES!
We were scared to take Reagan out in case we damaged her by… well actually I have no idea (a temperature thing again) but it was like we needed permission to do it? Again the midwife laughed of coarse you can go out baby will be fine just refer to the layer rule again! Mommy is the concern right now when ‘going out’ she has had major surgery a couple of days ago and needs all her strength and energy for baby and not trips to Asda or visiting family and friends also no vacuumng or any household chores for a while rest when you can and see to baby. This was good advice because I can do all that 🙂 Yay I have a purpose! We agreed then that a walk to the canal at the bottom of the road to feed ducks was the limit for our first family outing and I will blog it when that happens.
While the visitors were here we got them to take a family photo, something we didn’t have yet other than the self taken one published earlier.

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Morning has broken

At 5:30 we heard Reagan finally stir properly after both semi consciously listening to her breathe and squeak and move around although not a lot as we took the advice of the midwives and as Jamie so eloquently put it “swaddled the shit out of her” but we did get some rest.

She needed changing and feeding so Jamie set about those tasks helped by me fetching and carrying. Nappy changed it was feeding next and again she seemed like she didn’t want to suckle, resisting any kind of latch so we had to work out what was wrong but luckily for us we stumble on the answer straight away while sitting her up so we could think she burped…! So wind was the problem here and Jamie again started to pat her back and sure enough after throwing up and a couple more burps she was feeding perfectly.After 30 minutes feeding we swaddled her up again and put her down in the basket again but this time I took her downstairs to give Jamie a chance to sleep some more.

So here I am sat with Reagan a sleep next to me while I watch sky sports news, typing this blog at 07:30 having some breakfast having folded yesterdays washing and doing another load and pegging those out to dry
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Parenting, a piece of piss…..NOT!

Today started and ended with a load of washing…my life changing would be most apparent today when we arrived home and I didn’t know what to do in me own house and ended up faffing about until we found a sort of rhythm and we started our new “family life” the 3 of us!

I took Jack for a walk into town before going to the hospital and was congratulated by lots of people who had heard either on Facebook or on the grapevine. It was nice to hear people say it because secretly I want every single person I saw to know.
At hospital I was reunited with my wife and daughter and we were told we could go home as a family later there was just a few formalities to get through….
right at this point I need to skip forward to family life as its becoming we settled her down in her moses basket and Jamie got her shower that she’d craved then I made tea all while Reagan slept when she cried we then became the novice parents we are trying to work out what’s wrong
First cry was because she was cold our house is always cold just the way we like it but unfortunately ‘ickle babies need to be kept warm so we put the fire on in the living room and dressed Reagan in a big onesy and hat and the crying stopped. Victory number one to us this parenting isn’t all that hard….?
Ok that sorted life carried on in a frickin’ sauna , jeez making tea was torture in that heat but the spag bol I produced was great and exactly what Jamie wanted, washed down with a glass of red wine. Once I’d washed up I wanted skin to skin bonding with Reagan so I spent the next 90 minutes lying on the sofa with Reagan face down on me bare chest both covered with one of Grandma’s crocheted blankets. For me and I think Reagan too it was a fantastic experience and something I’d looked forward to for months then…
Second cry and this one was a tough one we knew she was hungry so went with that but she did NOT want to suckle then Jamie worked out that she did not like the ointment she was using but even when it was wiped off the screaming continued then we tried winding and then nappy change and then my finger to suck on and after 30+ minutes the screaming stopped so we replaced it with a dummy then with the nipple and hey presto I am writing this at 12:10am having just watched her feed for half an hour and is now being winded
All this was done with Jamie and me looking at each other asking What’s wrong? and the screaming was clouding our thoughts and we didn’t have a clue….I take back the earlier statement this parenting could prove tricky
Stay tuned we are hoping to go to bed now but there could be many more instalments before day break I hope not…wish us luck!
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Progress Report

8cm Dilated comfortable and progressing nicely

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not there yet!

Jamie still in labour and having very regular contractions and getting closer to becoming a mom

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labour

Still in hospital and still in labour a lot of pain has gas and air

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Don’t want to say too much but…

05:16 Woken by Jamie in labour maybe?

05:55 Waters broke possibly?
06:00 Hot bath definately!
06:13 Rings mommy!
06:55 Off to hospital
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Don’t worry be happy!

I saw a lot of nervous tears throughout this morning, I first noticed there was something wrong when I was about to leave for work and Jamie was crying and saying she can’t do this! I re-assurred her that everything would be fine and she can do it because she will have me with her every step of the way, UNLESS THE PUBS OPEN!… I’m joking of coarse.

She seemed to listen but I knew all that we were about to go through and all we have been waiting for will begin today ‘possibly’ was racing around her mind. Telling her there was no need to worry and you will be fine doesn’t always work because she forgets that I am right occasionally! Anyway off i went to work leaving Jamie with her thoughts.
The time came to travel to the hospital for our 40 week appointment and a possible sweep which I know Jamie was scared about but in the car I reassurred her again and we went in together In the office I held her hand while the midwife\nurse talked to her and the consultant did the sweep and no sooner had it begun than he was taking his gloves off and saying he’d done it and whilst there touched the babies head and everything pointed towards labour very very soon and see you over the weekend it went perfectly and good luck.
Jamie’s face was a picture, from controlled breathing and a look of fright and scared anticipation with a tear running down her cheek, to surprise and “Is that it?” A big grin broke across her face and her usual bouncy persona re-appeared, immediately, along with the excited chat and confidence and well….Jamie!
In the car on the way home she was all “the consultant said this and the consultant said that and he wrote this and I’ll be in labour soon. Too early to ring her mom she said she would ring my mum when she got home lol It was killing her that it was too early to call Denver but she would burst if she didn’t tell someone…what a difference from 30 minutes ago when she was quiet and scared?
I pointed out that I was right, there was no need to be scared or worry but she dismissed me with a “…whatever, anyway the nurse was great and I really liked the consultant he reminded me of a Beatle and…” but I know I was right 🙂
Got home from work and there was unfortunately little change and no contractions let alone labour…so we walked into town, there an back along the canals then home for spicy food, a hot bath yoga and a bit of bouncing to finish the night off 8D lol
Listened to a local radio show on iPlayer ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p005l0xp 34mins in if you want to listen) our friend Patty was on tonight talking about ‘life in the UK’ and how its been to live here for a year which was really good.
Anyway hopefully I won’t get a full nights sleep tonight but I think I might ‘damn it’ although we just watched Jamie’s belly go wild so there could be more news later….
We also videoed it:

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