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Watch out, Daddy!

I've been sick on Daddy twice today. That's now four times in three days. Should I be contacting the Guinness Book of Records?



Right now, I'm crying as I've never cried before. It's been another topsy-turvy day for me.

Perpetual hunger

After a slightly restless night, I started the day off as I ended yesterday. I've wanted constant feeding and vomited on Daddy once more (as well as on Mummy).



Daddy bought me a giraffe growth chart yesterday, but I don't really make much of an impression on it just yet.



For the rest of the day, I really put Mummy and Daddy through their paces. I've been pretty impossible, in fact. If I've not been feeding, I've been vomiting, needing a change or screaming and crying incessantly. Despite that, they still seem to love me.

Tantrum time

I'd been prescribed some antibiotics for my tummy button because the swab came back saying there's an infection. It's cleared up a lot, though, so the midwife's been to check up on it. She says it's fine so I don't need to take the medication. Phew.

My hair is getting fairer at the sides and I'm starting to focus on things a little more. I still can't see a great deal, though, as you can see.



I've not quite been myself today. I've vomited on Daddy, wanted constant feeding, and kicked up quite a fuss when being changed.

Tantrum video 1 (2.6MB)
Tantrum video 2 (close-up) (2.8MB)

Sleep galore

I fell asleep last night at around 10pm and didn't really wake up again until around 8am.

It's been a quiet morning but this afternoon I met up with Gordon and Luke at Charlie's Cafe Bar in Kendal. (Mummy knows their Mummys through antenatal classes.)

After that, Mummy, Daddy and I went to register my birth but there was a queue so we thought we'd try another time. It was around this time that I experienced rain for the first time... urgh... that reminds me of bathtime!



PS - I'm 2 weeks old today!!

Sheep galore

I heard a different noise this morning. It didn't sound like the bullocks from the other day. Daddy looked out and the farmer has now put lots of sheep and lambs in the field instead. They sound even funnier!



Mummy's and Daddy's new sofas arrived later in the day. I wonder why they got a sofa protection guarantee with them also... don't they trust me?!

Granny and Grandad visited early in the evening. I was sick down Grandad's shirt. Mummy tidied up the situation and then handed me back to Grandad, at which time I promptly did something at the other end.

Lazy day

I slept right through until about 7.30am this morning. I think Mummy and Daddy are thankful for that. Perhaps Mummy slightly less so, since I peed on her when she came to change me.

Today's been a lazy day and I've slept quite a bit. I've learnt a new breast-feeding tactic and discovered that Mummy doesn't go away if I pull on (and hold) her hair.

I'm wriggling more and more, and can roll right over on to my front.


Does my bum look big in this?





Grandma Sheila went back to Yorkshire this evening and is hoping that I don't grow too much before she sees me next.

Health visitor

Had a visit from the health visitor today... so long as Mummy and Daddy don't suddenly take up smoking, I think they'll continue to get her approval.

We've also had visits from a teacher at Mummy's school, as well as Granny and Grandad. And flowers arrived from Uncle Mark and Auntie Jaymie, too! (They are now back in the country following their recent travels.) Mummy was very pleased with the flowers, but my emotions have been all over the place today.



Mummy's becoming a dab hand at changing nappies, and I'm kicking up less of a fuss with that ordeal than I used to.

Nappy video 1 (3.1MB)
Nappy video 2 (3.6MB)
Nappy video 3 (3.1MB)

Mundane Monday

Today's been a relatively uneventful day bar a visit from midwife Lucy who taught Mummy and Daddy everything they need to know about me at antenatal classes. She weighed me and I'm around 8lbs.

You wouldn't know it from the picture but I've been giving Mummy and Grandma Sheila a good run around with one thing or another - feeding, washing, etc. I even vomited on Mummy's face.



We won't be getting any more midwife visits now. Instead it'll be a health visitor once a week, for the next few weeks.

Visiting Granny and Grandad

We visited Granny and Grandad today. Granny hasn't really seen me with my eyes open much before, so I duly obliged even though I can't see a great deal just yet.



Here I am with Granny.



And here I am with Grandad.



Granny and Grandad's dogs - Driver (on the right) and Guard - were quite interested in me.



Not much else to report today. I've just been relaxing for the rest of the day. It is Sunday afterall.



I'm also getting better at holding my neck up a little from time to time. I'm not meant to be able to do this very well until I'm around 4-6 months old.

FA Cup final day

I slept really well last night, right through until just after 5am. I've had another bath - I'm getting a little more tolerant of them but I do wriggle a lot.



We went for a walk down by the river and there was a fair on. Here's Uncle Charles and Isaac on one of the rides.



And here's me, enjoying my first outing in my pram.



Oh, and here's Mummy.



Isaac won a gun.



Here's me and Isaac.



And here's me with Mummy's side of the family.



After that I watched the football with Daddy. It's FA Cup final day and Manchester United beat Millwall 3-0. Hooray!



I'm having a growth spurt and have fed pretty much constantly all day today.

Cousin Isaac

I've had a bit of a restless night. There were some very strange noises this morning. Daddy looked out of the window and saw they'd put eleven bullocks in the field at the back of our house. Gosh, they make a funny noise.



This morning, I did a number one on Grandma Sheila. I've also had a visit from the midwife. She weighed me again and I've nearly re-gained my birth weight. I've still got my dry skin but it's getting better. She also took a blood sample from me. With the first heel there wasn't enough blood, so the other had to be used instead, but I didn't flinch one bit.

After she left, I had a feed and then we visited Mummy's school (Mummy's a teacher) to be shown off. Everyone made a big fuss of me there.

Since then, things have been pretty eventful. I've slept throughout Granny and Grandad's visit, done the squits on Grandma Sheila's hand, been sick a few times and had the hiccups.

Hiccups video (4.3MB)

I'm not sure what Sam the dog thinks of me. He's staying with us just now also, but is often kept outside. I think he's feeling a little left out now that I'm on the scene.



A hot air balloon has just passed the house and Uncle Charles and Cousin Isaac have arrived. More on that tomorrow.

Mummy's little angel

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

I'd been relatively good throughout the night, and what happens? I get another of those bath things. I've squitted in my nappy a few times and urinated on Mummy's dress in protest. They're bound to get the message soon.



On a more positive note, I'm getting very excited... cousin Isaac is coming to see me tomorrow, with Uncle Charles. At five years old, he's almost a grown-up.

My first full day at home

I was good in the night and only needed feeding at 1am, 4am and just before 8am. Mummy and Daddy seem to think I might always be like that. Boy, are they in for a big surprise in the weeks ahead!

The scabby bit of my umbilical cord finally came away today, much to everyone's relief as it was starting to smell pretty bad.

I've been visited by the midwife and Grandad this morning. Mummy's friend Mandy has also been to see me and brought Freddie with him. Freddie is 7 months old and pretty damn clever. He can hold his head up all by himself and everything!



Granny visited on her way back from Keswick this afternoon. Grandma Sheila is already here, staying with Mummy and Daddy.

Oh, and Mummy and Daddy tried bathing me this evening. I peed on the wall so hopefully they won't try that again.

Homeward bound

Yippee... I went home today!

Daddy visited in the morning, and the three of us (me, Mummy and Daddy) had a mini-service in the day room with a hospital chaplain. She seemed a nice lady.

I was given a quick checkover by Dr. MacKenzie around lunchtime and was told that I was a strong and healthy little boy, and that I could go home (once Daddy had worked out how to fit the car seat, that is). Here we are leaving the hospital.



And here we are arriving home. The "It's a Boy" banner is courtesy of Uncle Mark and Auntie Jaymie.



Daddy had bought Mummy a bottle of Champagne (but unfortunately she's not allowed any yet due to the antibiotics she's taking) and some flowers. I'd got Mummy a CD for coming home - "Friday's Child" by Will Young seemed pretty appropriate.

Nasty midwife!

Daddy arrived around 10am this morning. I'd been a bit naughty through the night but neither Mummy or Daddy seemed too angry. Daddy had even brought a toy with him... a little bear in a box.

I was given this thing called a bath today... ugh!!! What do they think they're doing?! Couldn't the silly midwife see that all I really wanted was a damn good feed?





Oh, and another midwife insisted on weighing me again. What's up with them? I was weighed only a few days ago. Apparently I've lost a little bit of weight (that's normal for a newborn like me) and I'm around 7lbs 7½oz right now. Who needs the Atkins diet when you can just drink milk and watch the weight drop off?

Helme Chase

I spent the whole day at Helme Chase Maternity Unit today. We're both feeling better for a good night's sleep. Mummy and I get on pretty well as you can see.



I received the same visitors today, except for Uncle Paddy who has had to go to a peculiar thing called 'work'.

The skin on my feet and hands is a little dry because I was overdue (my fist had something to do with that, apparently).



I don't find it at all bothersome but Daddy's getting some olive oil to help clear it up.

Back to Kendal

Daddy arrived shortly after 9am and visited Mummy and I in our ward. It wasn't until afternoon, though, before we were allowed to return to Kendal.

Since returning, I seem to just get passed from one person to the next. I'm OK with it, though.

Here I am with Mummy and Daddy. They both look very tired.





Granny, Grandad, Grandma Sheila and Uncle Paddy all visited as well so I let each of them hold me for a bit.

In the evening, I went into Helme Chase's nursery to give Mummy a little bit of a rest.

Hello world!

I arrived today at 11.46am. Here's the first ever picture of me, at 14 minutes old, with Mummy. Daddy took the photo.



I was born in Helme Chase Maternity Unit at the Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal, Cumbria, UK. Mummy and Daddy were both present, as was a midwife and a trainee midwife who were a great help to Mummy. I weigh 8lbs 1oz and measure 54cms long.

I'm not sure if I'm in bad books already because I came out with a clenched fist near my head and gave Mummy unnecessary pain. She doesn't seem to mind too much, though, but it did mean we needed to make a trip to the nearby Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

Mummy went in the ambulance and Daddy and I followed behind in the car. Once we got there, we were told that Mummy would have to wait 6 hours before getting treatment, because she'd been given a little toast after I was born, and she therefore had to fast until 8pm.

I have a big forehead, narrow eyes and plenty of hair. People think I look a lot like Daddy but I think I've got a bit more on top.



My hair is a little spikey like Uncle Mark's, my cheeks are like Grandpa Ken's, and my chin and nose are a bit like Mummy's.

Well, we had a few hours to wait around so it was an ideal opportunity for a few visitors. First there was Granny and Grandad...



...soon followed by Grandma Sheila and Uncle Paddy.





Mummy was given lots of lovely flowers and I was brought all sorts of wonderful presents. Apparently I have to share the Beatrix Potter collection of books with any future brothers and sisters but I'm sure Mummy muttered something about that not being for a good while yet.

After all the excitement of visiting, Mummy waited to go into theatre. And waited. And waited. There had been some road traffic accidents which meant there were emergency cases to deal with. Daddy kept pointing that big black thing in my face and pressing buttons. What's up with him?!

Here's a couple of video clips he shot:

Video 1 (7.7MB) - Video 2 (4.9MB)

Mummy finally went into theatre at 1.15am and I thought this would be an ideal opportunity for me to give Daddy a crash course in nappy changing. He did OK but I think there's plenty of room for improvement so will give him a few more lessons over the coming months. Mummy re-emerged an hour later and Daddy left at around 4am to go and get some sleep, whilst we waited to be moved to a ward upstairs.

A pretty eventful first day. Mummy and Daddy both seem very happy with me, so that's a good start.

On this very day... My football team, Altrincham FC, revealed that standing admission prices would be going up to £8 for adults and £5 for juniors and concessionaries. Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark married Mary Donaldson in Copenhagen. Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee resigned after an opposing party scored an upset in parliamentary elections. On this day in history... 1264: The Battle of Lewes ended, making Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, the "uncrowned king of England". 1509: French forces defeated Venetians in the Battle of Agnadello in northern Italy. 1607: The first permanent British settlement in North America was established at Jamestown, Virginia. 1643: Four year-old Louix XIV becomes King of France upon the death of his father, Louis XIII. 1957: There was relief across the country as the paymaster general announced restrictions on fuel consumption imposed during the Suez crisis were to be lifted. 1964: The Egyptian and Russian leaders ended phase one of the construction of the Aswan High Dam by blowing up a huge sand barrage to divert the course of the Nile. 1991: Winnie Mandela was given a jail term for kidnaps. I share my birthday with... 1727: Thomas Gainsborough (English painter) 1885: Otto Klemperer (German conductor) 1969: Cate Blanchett (Australian actress)