Judging by evolution and the continuing presence of our species,
we assume that this must be a change for the better. Possibly this
is just blind optimism, and just as possibly blind optimism is a
genetic necessity in this situation.
The saga
Practical stuff
Picture gallery
JoeyMatrix - Animations (New!)
~ The saga ~
6/6/03: D-day (literally). Nothing happened at all. Predictably,
given its genetic inheritance.
9/6/03: Karin is still in full sail as it were, although
by the set of her jib the forestay increasingly needs tighting.
We are both getting fed up of curries, as well as her getting fed
up of raspberry leaf tea, pinapple chunks and the upstairs neighbours'
dubious taste in music. I'm planning on finding some stairs to push
her down soon.
10/6/03: Still nothing. Work is difficult to concentrate
on. Meetings are also difficult to arrange... Where do we go from
here? Homeopathy? Strange dances? Gin (for me, not K.)? My father
told us he drove my mother widdershins around a roundabout (Stephen
Spender eat your heart out) on a motorbike. It didn't work. Several
things are immediately obvious:
- I am going to have difficulty trumping this.
- My mother is unflappable.
- My father is lucky to still be married.
- My sister has always been emminently sensible and posseses
an acute sense of danger, in a similar way that ostriches do.
13/6/03: Apparently it is likely to happen in the next three
days, according to the consultant. Blair had better sort out the
NHS waiting lists, is all I've go to say.
16/6/03: Karin gave birth to a 7.2 lb (correction! 8 lb,
someone at King's couldn't add up...) son this afternoon at
16:55, after a 20-hour labour with no pain relief. Ow! Mother and
baby are well, what an experience, for all of us! Thanks to all
who sent their congratulations. Current front runner for a name
is Gollum (Karin's suggestion!).
20/6/03: It's been a rollercoaster ride for the last few
days! Totally absorbing, as we have found feeding him difficult,
partly as the labour was very long and ended with a venteuse delivry
- and a knackered baby! The support available at King's College
Hospital, where the staff have been practically uniformly wonderful,
was an invaluble help to us. There are too many of you to mention
here and I would not be sure of remembering all of your names, but
particularly Claire, Joanne (at the breastfeeding clinic) and Sue
- without you all we would have found it difficult and maybe given
up.
I'm hoping that he can come home to-morrow - It would be great to
have them both here rather than having to leave them each evening
- plus it means that both of our times would be more productively
(and pleasurably) spent. Speaking of which - HE is no longer
HE. We have decided to call him
Joseph Oscar Buckland
Joseph as there is a family connection and Oscar because we like
it - plus if he grows up with the wit of Wilde it will be no bad
thing. Having said that at the moment we think he looks mostly like
a Joey.
He's more alert and awake a lot of the time now, as you can see
in the right-had sidebar. I've changed a few nappies and he hasn't
pissed on me yet (oh how I hope this website is still up when he
is 17...) but I may change my mind yet!
22/6/3: Well Joey (& Karin) have been back at home for
one night now - and we managed to entertain my sister and her fiancee
at the same time - thank heaven for the local curry house! It's
great to have them back, he was helping (watching?) me fix the car
earlier, and real life can recommence, albeit plus Baby.
Karin has started his first clinical trial, namely is mother's milk
the universal panacea? Experimental group are the creases on his
left leg, control group are the creases on his right leg...
29/6/03: Well its been a couple of days - things are gradually
establishing themselves into a routine, no, I lie, things are actually
just falling into their natural orbits around a new sprog. My orbit
to date has been severely eccentric, and I must be passing through
the remains of some sonspot activity as I am seeing the Northern
Lights at 2 am - oh dear I really must get some more sleep.
Got some more pics up here.
I'm back to work to-morrow - but I dont want to think about it.
His passport has been applied for, ready for the great trip to Rome
in a few weeks time. He'll be ready, but will we???
~ Practical stuff ~
For eco-friendly parents, Twinkle
on the Web have a great range of terry and washable nappies
plus all of their accesories. One great baby accessory we have found
is the "Sling Easy"
papoose-style baby sling, which allows continual contact and is
dead easy to use. Twinkle also sell these in the UK.
For other baby stuff, SmartAzzKids
do a fantastic portable cot called the BB
Balo, which folds up into a shoulder bag - marvellous! They
also do a good range of educational and wooden toys. Kiddicare
are a good source of deals, we got an award-winning car seat there
for half its list price!
We got a lot of information about which things are successful and
useful on Mumsnet, and BabyGoes2
is a good resource for the travelling fraternity.
King's College Hospital
have great new labour suite, including two birthing pools and a
great staff who include a dedicated breast-feeding support team
and twice-weekly clinic. Other good resources for this are BabyCentre
and reputedly La Leche,
although for the latter you have to join up, which we haven't done
being tight... They do have a telephone information line though.
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