marc.vic.max.elliot

? Max has returned to and surpassed his birth weight. He now weighs a grand 7lb 12oz (3.520kg) The midwife was very happy with this as it usually takes 10-14 days to get back to birth weight after the initial weight loss and he’s only 5 days old.

? I’ve been thinking about my role in Max’s early days. Because Vic is breast feeding (and very well – see above ) she has to be involved every time Max needs feeding. I usually get Max when he cries and change him before we put him down and most of my time is spent getting things for Vic when she is feeding and doing most of the stuff around the house to make sure it runs OK. I kind of see myself as the support crew for the feeding machine that is Vic. It’s a difficult feeling to explain – at times I feel that I’m not doing enough but then Vic says that the stuff that I do is really appreciated as it allows her to concentrate on feeding and resting. A confusing time……

? Max is very, very cute when he gets the hiccups He also has a new record in the category “projectile shitting with his nappy/diaper off” – 30 inches! Well done that little man.

? Sorry Grandparents, no new pictures. The house has been full of visitors today and with looking after them and Max it’s been a very busy day! Like the party animals that we are we were in bed at 19:30 tonight and then up at 21:15 for Max’s next feed…….. Saturday night in the Cramer household! lol! 

Last night was very strange…….

Max woke up about 22:00 last night for a feed which is pretty normal and he latched on and went for it like a starving wee fella. What wasn’t normal (gee, from the whole two nights before ) is that he didn’t go back down until 02:45 🙁 And this wasn’t just being up either, this was screaming and wailing as though the world was doing him some great disservice staying up! By 02:00 our eyeballs were just hanging out of our heads and Vic and I were handing him back and forth like a football to try and get him settled but it wasn’t until we changed his nappy again and fed him from 02:00-02:45 that he settled to any great degree. Vic’s last words as we fell very quickly into a deep sleep (passing out?) were “good effort”

So that was the bad part…..

The good part is that it’s just before 08:00 and he’s only just woken up! I’ve just changed him and he’s feeding strongly but we’ve had five hours sleep all in one go both for him and us. Much yayness!

Here’s another picture. This was just me playing around but I liked this one because you can see the wee blister on his top lip from feeding.

Here you go…

Well the second night was much better than the first

Now that Vic’s milk has come in properly (and man, what a rack!) we think he’s got something to digest and is therefore sleeping better. Last night he had feeds at 01:30, 04:00 and 06:00 and is feeding for between 45mins and 2 hours! It’s funny how your perspective changes – three nights ago I would never have guessed that I’d be rapt to get an hours and a halfs sleep in one go

Last night he also had two firsts – he had his hair washed for the first time and then he had his first bath. It has quickly been decided that baths are definitely a joint effort and although he seemed to eventually enjoy having his hair washed (he fell asleep during the rinse!) he really wasn’t a big fan of a full bath In saying that he didn’t go quite as mental as I thought he would – maybe he’ll come to enjoy them, maybe he won’t.

He’s a screamer!

Here’s another couple of pictures of Max. In his eyes you can see the touch of jaundice that he has. You can also see the scratches that he’s given himself

Max number one

Max number two

Well it’s the afternoon after the first morning after first night that Max was in his home and I’m not feeling too bad (famous last words!) Vic and I had a terrible nights sleep and Max didn’t really fare much better. The poor wee chap would leave it no more than half an hour before he’d start crying so we’d lie there for a few minutes waiting to see if he’d stop and then take turns on getting up if he didn’t.

When I got up I’d check his nappy and change it if needed it (all normal stuff coming out now!) and then wander around for a bit to see if that would help. Unfortunately he would usually only quiet down if he had a nipple in his mouth (and we all know how that works ) so Vic would usually have to get up and start feeding him. The funny/annoying thing is that he’d feed for about two minutes and then fall asleep the little bugger! At six this morning during the one time that Vic was feeding him in our bed I had an idea though. I took off my t-shirt and lay him on my chest so that we had some skin to skin contact and so that he could hear my heart. This really seemed to work as he and Vic both slept for the next three hours The feelings of tenderness and love for him really kicked in during this time and I felt amazingly lucky and privileged to have such a perfect little son. The last few days have also unlocked a different level in my love for Vic as well and seeing her as a mother just makes me want to hug her all the time, which can be annoying when she’s trying to do stuff! lol!

We really seem to have bonded as a family and that’s pretty damn cool (I’m getting way too soppy, must be overtired) I got up at 09:00 and put Max in his moses basket and he slept for an extra hour while I caught a few z’s as well.

The community midwife paid us the first visit this morning as well and she gave Max the all clear except for a touch of jaundice so that’s another check out of the way.

I hope everyone’s OK – sorry to all my blogging friends for the lack of comments but I’m sure you understand that things are a bit hectic at the moment. I’m just about finding time to visit but not to comment 🙁

Just a quick note to let y’all know that Vic and Max are home now and getting settling in.  The trip home was uneventful and until now I hadn’t realised how bumpy the streets in London are! Max slept the whole way home though so it couldn’t have been too bad.

Thanks to everyone for their love and best wishes either by email, phone or on their weblogs.

Vic will be doing an update hopefully in the next few days in our joint weblog to give you her side of the story

PS: Not a big deal but I changed my first (and Max’s second) shitty nappy today (well, Meconium actually which as some of you may know is a real bugger to clean )

Well here he is and he now has a middle name

I’ve just got back from the hospital (and changing Max’s first nappy/diaper ) and have left mother and son to get some well earned rest.

Here’s a brief run down of my last two days……..

Vic woke at about 02:30 on Sunday morning and was concerned about some unexpected bleeding taking place.  After a quick call to the hospital it was into the car and 20 minutes down the road to St Thomas hospital. Vic was checked over by the medical staff and given the all clear. They did however want her to stay in overnight and they were going to do a scan this morning to check things out.

The scan never happened though because at 02:50 this morning I got a call saying “your wife is 9.5cm dilated and wants to push so you’d better get down here!” The trip this time took 9 minutes (speed limits and red lights? pah!) and at the time I was really annoyed that they had let it get that far without calling me, grrr. Little did I know that she had only had her first decent contraction at 01:30 and by the time they examined her she was already 9cm!

So an hour or so of pushing while I was there, a bit of help from some scissors and a ventouse and out he popped (I make it sound so easy!) Vic was planning on having an epidural at some stage but because of the speed that events happening and the fact she didn’t feel too bad the only pain relief she had was gas and air (oxygen/nitrous oxide) and she didn’t even use that for the last 30mins! I’m so very proud of her for the way she handled the whole thing and I don’t think that an expectant father could ask for better.

Anyway, we are now the very proud parents of a lovely little boy who will hopefully be coming home to be with us tomorrow.

PS: here’s the view from Vic’s room…..

Yep – a private room overlooking the Houses of Parliament, not bad for the NHS!

Max {middle name to be decided} Cramer was born today after a brief 3 hour labour at 04:32 weighing in at 7lb 11oz. Mother and son are doing well. He is, of course, perfect (new parents HAVE to say that don’t they!)

More news and maybe a pic or two to follow soon.