Post Christmas catch up

Yes...been slack! But with all the Christmas excitement and all.......

So this is what you have missed:

Grayson had a fun Christmas and probably got too many presents but at his age all he was really interested in was his milk. He does seem to like his rings (see photo on Flickr) which were probably the cheapest present....always the way.

He had his first shower and seemed to like it...or at least not hate it as he didn't cry! He is getting a bit big for his baby bath and it certainly is easier in the shower.....just so long as you have a good grip on him as soapy babies are slippery little suckers!

Les and myself took Grayson on his first Bunnings trip (also photo on Flickr) for a bit of male bonding. We were trying to teach him that there is always something you need from Bunnings and for any future father's day present a Bunnings gift voucher never goes astray.

Last night was his first "Beers of the World" party at Greg, Cheryl and Felix's place. Once again he was on his best behaviour and it had nothing to do with the home brew that was slipped into his bottle! (for any child welfare officers reading this blog..I was just kidding!) The best beer of the night went to an offering brought by Mick and Ailsa, a 14% beer from France (the world's most alcoholic lager apparently) that tasted more like a liqueur. The worst beer also was a Doyle offering which was a chestnut beer from Corsica. Sorry can't remember the names of them....must have had too much beer!

We are off to a NYE party tonight but can't see us lasting the distance (such smugs now).

So that should have just about caught you up on all the gossip.

Christmas Tree!

Christmas Tree
Originally uploaded by b boy.

In keeping with the Christmas theme of the blog at present I have included a photo of our tree. Each year we add a few more trinkets. This years additions were some small tin toys (a red wagon, rocking horse and a car). When Grayson will be old enough to contemplate such things, the tree will no doubt seem giantic from his perspective......but I think we will have to fence it off so he doesn't eat the ornaments!

Grayson with Santa!

Grayson with Santa
Originally uploaded by b boy.

We headed to DJ's to see Santa today. As you can see Grayson was SOOOOOO excited :) I think Mel was just pleased he didn't puke or poo on Father Christmas. A bit hard to explain brown stains on the white beard!!! If Grayson did ask Santa for something for Christmas I believe it was probably milk squishies.......his favourite!
This is a photo of a photo so doesn't have a very good resolution.

After escaping the clutches of the bearded one we dropped Mel at work and headed for the Jenkins'. Grayson and Felix had a good time playing. Felix was giving him little kisses on his cheek.......but I suspect it was all a ploy to get close enough so he could suck his nose! Very cute......or weird depending on your personal preferences :)

We have been lazy!

What can I say....no photo this post as I have been quite busy with work, study and the new skin cancer college. Between all that and looking after the little man, there hasn't been much time to do anything else. Hence it has been some time since the last post. Attempts to get Mel to write something has also ended in failure as she has been just as occupied (or so she says!).

So what's the latest......well quite a big development is that Grayson seems to be getting into a reasonable sleeping pattern. Most nights this week he has slept for between 8-10 hours at night with last night being the best. He went to sleep about 7.30pm after a feed and didn't demand any food or nappy changes until 5.30am! I hope it lasts. Even when I did decide to go in and see how he was going he was quietly lying in his cot with his eyes open just amusing himself by looking at the mobiles and anything else in his range of vision. Such a good little boy.

I think we are going to inflict Santa on him this Thursday by taking him to the Queens Plaza DJ's for some shopping and a photo with Santa. Should be fun. Hopefully there will be some more photos soon. I think there are some on the camera....now just have to get the energy to extract them.

Reindeer!

Reindeer!
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Well we survived the weekend away and managed to fit everything in the car/pod. Grayson didn't seem to mind sleeping in his travel cot and enjoyed all the attention from Great Grandma and Grandma.

Today Mel has gone off to work and left me with the baby! As you can see I got up to all sorts of mischief dressing the boy up like a reindeer while decorating the Christmas tree! It must be the style of the season as I notice that a certain Felix also had the reindeer ears inflicted on him too....

Sleep over!

We are off to Great Grandma's place today to stay the night. It will be Grayson's first night away from home (apart from in hospital of course). We will inevitably take too much stuff with us but it will be a learning experience. At least I will get to use the roof pod on the Beamer! (yes I know it's very not cool) We might even take Grayson down to the beach for his first swim.

Brave Grayson!

Yesterday Grayson had to have his 2 month immunisations. Mel did the honours of holding him for the traumatic event (traumatic for the parents more so than the baby!). He was very good and only screamed for about 20 seconds. Not bad for 3 needles! He settled quite quickly so we decided to go to the new Cibo at Chermside for a well earned coffee.

He also had a sweat test last Friday just to make sure he didn't have the dreaded CF thing. Thankfully he is normal....unlike his Daddy who is definitely NOT normal (and has CF)!

To top off the week Mel took some video of Grayson having some fun. Why she uses her little Ixus and not the new digital video camera we bought specially for baby video is beyond me but there you have it....

Climbing Boy!

A short video taken by Mel on her little Ixus while daddy was tying to have a rest. It seems the all daddy was doing was creating an obstacle to Grayson's progress across the bed!

6 week checkup

Our little man had his 6 week checkup with the paediatrician today (well he was actually 6 weeks and 5 days). All seemed to go well, namely he didn't poo all over the doctors examination table! When he lifted him out of his bugaboo he said "he is heavy isn't he!". He wasn't telling us anything we didn't already know. In fact he was exactly 5.8kg which is on the 90th centile, but this is ok as his height (or should that be length since he can't stand yet?) is also on the 90th centile at 60cm. So all in all quite a well proportioned, if not big, baby was the final verdict.

Now we have to prepare for the next doctors visit in about 1 and half weeks time for Grayson's first round of immunisations. Very cruel world indeed!

Grayson knows boats!

Oohhh! that's a big boat daddy!
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Yesterday we got our coffee and cake fix down at the relatively new Portside Wharf precinct. This is the upgrade to the cruise ship terminal in Hamilton (much nicer than disembarking in the middle of a run down industrial estate). Our destination was Cream Patisserie and Boulangerie where we partook in decadent lemon curd tarts and strawberry flans. Grayson stuck to his formula (sucker!). There happened to be a big boat parked out the back (yes I realise I have probably offended the seamen...or seawomen...out there with my appauling ignorance to the correct boatological terminology but hey...the title is Grayson knows boats not Ben knows boats).

Anyway the boys were suitably impressed with the size of the life boats let alone the floating city they were attached to. Mel on the other hand could not see what all the fuss was about. I guess interest in anything big and motorised is a guy thing!

Picnic by the sea

Picnic by the sea
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Yesterday we decided that it would be a good day to have fish and chips by the sea. So we headed down to Clevland Point to the lighthouse cafe only to find it boarded up for renovations. A quick change of plans saw us end up at Wellington Point after stopping off for some schnapper and calamari. It is definitely good to get out of the unit from time to time just to remind yourself that there is a life AB (after baby)

Grayson speaks!!

Blue steel mk 2
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Yeah well, I have a few things to say about that Melbourne Cup Party I went to the other day.

Some people are saying that I drank too much squishey and as a result was so milk drunk I slept through the race. Now, I know my mum has photographic evidence (which she conveniently put onto the flickr site - grrr) suggesting I was napping during the race which stops a nation.

ITS ALL LIES!!! I WAS JUST RESTING MY EYES!!!
Really, I love horse racing.
Now if I could only work out what a horse is, I think I will be set.

I'm not even 6 weeks old and I am having to defend myself against further scandalous allegations that I may have been holding hands with an older woman.
Yes, I realise that mother (once again) has posted evidence on flickr to suggest a liaison did occur (and after the over indulging in squishey event).

I WAS JUST BEING NICE!! I'M NEW TO THIS WORLD, AND SHE WAS JUST WANTING TO KNOW WHERE THE NEAREST MILK BAR IS....

And finally, there are rumours that the Jenkins and Cook boys banded together and partied hard after the race.
I am telling you, less than an hour after that photo was taken, I was in BED. I am an INFANT and need my beauty sleep

Look into my eyes, would I lie to you???

Mmmm...Chocolate cake!

Mmmm...Chocolate cake!
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Well, give him a few years at least - but he is getting there!

Grayson is 5 weeks old tomorrow. He looks rather sweet and innocent here, but I feel that the truth must be known - he has a secret sneaky streak.

The evidence
1. Whenever he is nursed by his mother, regardless of how she manages to protect herself (burp rags, nappies, waterproof body suit) he is guaranteed to vomit a small posset down her cleavage.
Every single freaking time...
And it is getting too hot for turtlenecks.
2. Whenever he is nursed by his father, particularly if aforementioned father is wearing "good clothes" and is about to go out, Grayson manages to wee on him. This is despite wearing nappies with nappy liners, having all the anatomy in the right place and making sure the leg bits are out.
That being said, these incidents usually occur after the mother unit has changed the nappy
:D
3. He is starting to make what one could perceive are small smiles, which fills the receiver with warmth and joy, until their nostrils are filled with the wafting smell that can only occur after one's bowel has been colonised by gut bacteria

I rest my case

On the move

On the move
Originally uploaded by b boy.

He is starting to get mobile. This morning while I was out, he apparently managed to get himself from the tucked in lying on his back position to the sideways halfway down the cot with his legs through the rungs and stuck position! Not long afterwards while lying on his stomach (and also tucked in) he managed to move himself up the cot to the position seen in the photo. He is a wiggly little worm. Also of note he tipped the scales at 5kg today. We weighed him at the chemist while we were stocking up on more formula (as he is obviously going through quite a lot).

Sunday Markets

His second favourite pastime!
Originally uploaded by b boy.

We went down to the relatively new Northside Markets today for a bit of a look. We have missed living in Teneriffe for the Farmers Markets that are on at the Power House so thought maybe we might have a substitute closer to York Street. Well, they are in their early days (and they tend to include arts as well as food unlike the Power House version), but there was certainly a fair amount of fruit and veg and at least one good looking meat truck. Next time we shall have to get there earlier if we want to buy the produce as the sun tends to make the food look a little tired.

We then went for a stroll up to Queenie's for tea and scones, where we happened upon Rae, Quinn and their new baby girl Madison (born the day before Grayson) before taking the long way home and enjoying the time outdoors. All this left the little man suitably tired and hence he made himself comfy on the couch!

No more photos already!

No more photos already!
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Yesterday we had 2 outings. One to check out the new extension to the Chermside Shopping Centre (yes, we know how to have a good time!) and when we got home we were invited to have dinner with the Jenkins' at Hello India, the newish local Indian fix (reassuringly run by Indians). This photo was taken in coles where it would appear that Grayson felt that he has had enough photos taken for one day!

First dining out experience (at night)

First dining out experience
Originally uploaded by b boy.

We decided to start Grayson's culinary education with a trip to the local pizzeria. As young Master Cook hasn't quite got into solids yet, he was content with some freshly squeezed milk (did I mention - OUCH), whilst his parents consumed some fine Italian fare.
It seemed to be the night for babies as there were several scattered throughout the restaurant. The parents of the one behind us were surprised that Grayson was only 3 and 1/2 weeks, as he was about twice as big as their 8 week old...
Well, our little man is getting through over a litre of milk product a day, is almost out of his 0000 onsies and is eyeing off the next size nappies.

Must lay off the growth hormone supplements...

Mel

First night in cot!

Night in cot
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Well almost.....This is the first morning that he woke up in his cot. Mel reluctantly agreed to lengthen the umbilical cord a little and let him sleep in his own room 2 nights ago (but with the door open so we could hear him). All that succeeded in was me hearing every squeak and Mel sleeping through his banshee impersonation at 2am! Hmmmm....I think the door will need to shut soon or I will have to wear earplugs. In the middle of the night he wet his bed (talented as he was wearing a nappy) and I couldn't be bothered changing the sheets so for the rest of the night he slept in his bassinet again. Hence last night was the first full night in his cot. He must like it because he slept in until 7.30 this morning!

The jacarandas at UQ

The jacarandas at UQ
Originally uploaded by b boy.

We were starting to get a little stir crazy in our unit so we went out to UQ for lunch and a wander around the campus. The jacarandas are in flower and are quite spectacular as usual. We also had a look at the new green bridge which is due to be opened in early 2007 and will make our river loop ride a little shorter (if we are feeling lazy!) There are a few photos on Flickr along with a curiously coloured bearded dragon. Grayson was well behaved as usual and had a snack down by the lake. When he is a bit older no doubt he will be running around chasing all the ducks!

Wheely Bug!

Wheely Bug
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Grayson was lucky enough to recieve a gift (benefit of being a new baby....people like to buy you stuff!) from Grandpa Cook, Karen and aunt Riley. They didn't know it but we had our eye on the wheely bug before Mel even got pregnant. Grayson had to try it out straight away but it will probably be a little while before he will get the hang of it himself. I consider it a first step toward a 2 wheel vehicle (this one has 4). You have to start somewhere!

Surprise visitor from France!

Surprise visitor
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Today Ailsa thought she would surprise us with a visit. As much as Grayson would like to think she came all the way from France to just to see him, she actually had a friend's wedding to attend. Ailsa left Michael in France to fly in for a quick trip and thought she would take the opportunity to see the little man while she was here. I think she was worried Grayson would puke all over her as technically she was at work today and had to go back to the office (hopefully without any stains). Grayson was given a lovely gift of some french couture which he will model when he gets a little bigger.

Photo Shoot

Hand
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Yesterday we had Cath from vivid come over to take some photos of the little man in his natural environment. Usually in the mornings he has been quite awake so we thought this should be a good time for some photos but like everything when it comes to babies, we are learning that they run to their own schedule. He was initially hungry and hence crying so we gave him a little incentive to perform and fed him some milk (the good stuff). This worked a treat at stopping the crying but had the added disadvantage of putting him to sleep! Oh well, most of the photos are of him with his eyes closed but he was still cute. The photos on Flickr are the ones we took ourselves. We should see the pros shots next week!

Two weeks! (and one day)

worry lines already appearing
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Such a serene countenance for one so small, and so adept at keeping his parents awake...
Here Grayson is trying some tummy time, after having his whims of freshly squeezed milk (ouch) and clean nappy met. Not to mention another play session involving a Miffy book and his squeaky play mat. Shortly after this photo was taken he had a bath with complimentary shampoo and oil treatment in preparation for lunch with his uncle.

One needs to be looking good around aforementioned uncle - particularly as he doesn't own any pink A&F shirts yet, having to make do with white bonds onsies...

Coffee shop baby!

Coffee shop baby
Originally uploaded by b boy.

We made it to our first coffee shop outing with Grayson in tow this morning. I think it was important to do this as it means we can still have a life AB (after baby). We went to the James Street Markets for some fresh fruit and veges and stopped off at Spoon for a quick coffee and cake. We fed Grayson just before we left and he managed to stay asleep the whole time apart from a few squeaking nosies when he was being put in and out of the car seat.

We also went to the GP's yesterday for his first weigh since coming home and he has put on a goodly amount and is now 8 pound 7 ounces (3.85kg). He has apparently also grown 4 cm in length!... but I suspect that part of this is variation in measuring techniques. On the way home from the clinic we stopped in to say hello to Felix and Cheryl. I get the impression he will be a very sociable baby.

Relaxing

Relaxing
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Grayson is 12 days old today! We have survived the first 6 nights back home as well. As you can see from the photo he is quiet and peaceful at least some of the time. He has seemed to adopt this favourite sleeping position (that is unless we have swaddled him at night...although he does seem to find a way to get those arms out even then!). We have our first well baby check tomorrow for a weight and other measurments down at Banyo Clinic. It will be our first outing (apart from coming home from the hospital of course). It will be a test of how organised we are and if we can fit everything in the car.

Grayson comes home!

Play time
Originally uploaded by b boy.

We were able to bring Grayson home on Friday to start the next stage of our adventure. What would it be like now that we were on our own without the midwives being a buzzer call away in times of utter confusion/uncertainty or just what the hell do we do now.

After sleeping for 3-4 hours between feeds at night while in hospital, his first night at home was a little different. Waking every 2 hours for feeds was wearing us down a little. Thankfully he has settled a little now that he is getting used to things in his new home.

He even enjoyed a Miffy story and some time on his play mat. He also had his first visit from his new play mate, Felix Jenkins, but was a little sleepy at the time.

It is amazing how someone so small can completely absorb all your time. Oh well, better get used to it I suppose!

Grayson's First 5 Days

A little sample of what Grayson got up to during his first 5 days with us.

My first full night with Mummy and Daddy!

No NG tube!
Originally uploaded by b boy.

As you can see he behaved himself enough to get his NG feeding tube out. He looks much more respectable now don't you think? We had him in our room last night for the whole time and we had to feed him ourselves (instead of the nice nurses in special care). He was quite well behaved and managed to wake himself at exactly 2am and 6am for his feeds. Very clever I thought. Must have an inbuilt clock. He is feeding well now from the bottle with expressed milk so we hope to be going home tomorrow. Mel will get her turn to bath him today and he will have his hearing test also.

Say hello to Grayson!

Grayson
Originally uploaded by b boy.

As promised I have put a few photos on Flickr that you can view here. The story about Grayson is as follows. He was due (for an elective C-section) on the 4th October. He didn't want to wait........so thanks to our conscientious O+G (who performed the operation on her weekend off!) we now have a baby boy. Mel started getting contractions on the Thursday (and as you might remember our O+G was still out of the country until Friday night). Things seemed to settle a little and did not progress thankfully on Friday. Come Saturday morning Mel started getting more contractions and now they were getting stronger! We called Dr Watson and she said to get back to her mid afternoon. So we decided to do a bit of shopping. We picked up some nice Jocelyn's lamb and rosemary pies for lunch and headed home. As soon as we had finished lunch Dr Watson called back. "How are you getting on?" she asked. To which Mel replied that the contractions were getting stronger. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's just do it!" was the doctors reply. And from lamb pies at home to a baby in our arms took just 1 and a half hours! Dr Watson doesn't mess around. I think she wanted to get home to watch the Grand final.

Grayson came out screaming but due to being 3 weeks early and not being squeezed out the usual way he had a little bit of fluid on his lungs (which isn't unusual in this situation) and had to spend the night in the special care nursery. He was very well behaved over night and was able to come to Mel's room the next morning. Now all we have to do is convince him to start breast feeding. He is making a good go at it but is still needing a few top ups by his NG tube. Apart from that he is doing quite well and of course is very cute (yes I realise that is what all parents say!)

Anyway I shall keep you updated with photos and blogs from time to time.

We have a BOY!

Obviously disregard the earlier post I made today as our son didn't want to wait. We are proud to announce the latest edition to the Smugs, Grayson Alexander Cook. Born at 3pm Saturday the 30th at Wesley Hospital weighing 3.52kg (7 pound 12 ounces for the oldies) and measuring a respectable 52cm long. He has light brown hair with a hint of ginger. I will add photos and or video when we get home (or sooner if I get the time).

Last weekend of life as the Smugs!

This is it. Our last weekend together as a couple sans bébé. What will be in store for us? Life....but not as we know it! I don't think any amount of preparation can fully ready you for the moment the doctor pulls a gooey, wrinkled pink with blue hands life form from ones belly and declares, Right..my job here is done...now it's up to you. NO NEED TO PANIC! I keep reminding myself as this will become my new mantra. I am sure the inevitable doubts of ones ability and second guessing will ensue but with any luck things will just sort themselves out (kind of like what has been happening since Adam did the nasty with Eve I guess). So, in just 4 days time (or maybe less) we will enter to realm of parenthood and all that it entails. Wish us luck and remember....there's no need to panic!

One week to go!

Well today marks the one week to go mark (unless Noodles decides to make an even earlier arrival). We had our last antenatal visit before the C-section date but alas it was not with our usual O+G as she is still overseas until late Friday. We went to see her stand-in. We were getting a little stressed today as our usually very active son seemed less intent on making himself felt but instead remained quiet! The O+G understudy suggested we go to the Wesley for a CTG (or "a tracing of the heart rate and uterine contractions" for the uninitiated) just to reassure us. After Mel was attached to various wires and the machine that goes ping for 40 minutes everyone was happy with the way he was behaving. What a relief! After we got home he was much more active (always the way!). Anyway, it was a good excuse for me to get out of seeing my afternoon patients :)

Lady of Leisure

With less than 2 weeks to go now Mel has finished work. She is slowly getting used to not having the pager beeping all the time. So what is she doing with her free time? Mostly pedicures, massages, facials and hair appointments. It's a tough life! We are going to Centro to see The Devil Wears Prada on Friday night. It includes a glass of champagne so I think for me that will be two glasses :)

Movie!

This is my first attempt at publishing a movie to our blog! The camera work is very amateur and the editing is even worse. Be warned that this will be 2 and a half minutes of your life that you will never be able to have again!

A little bit of nipple!

A little bit of nipple
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Mel and I went down to the Coast today for lunch with Grandma. We also took the time to enjoy some of the sculptures at Currumbin Beach as part of the annual Swell showing.

This one was a popular favourite with Mel and myself. There are a few others on the Flickr site.

Portrait

Portrait
Originally uploaded by b boy.

OK...so here it is. Finally we can show you one of the photos that Vivid took of us.
Laugh if you must.......

35 Weeks!

Not long now! These last few weeks seem to be going by more quickly. Melinda had her last day on call at RBWH yesterday and now doesn't have to go back for 6 months (unless she gets bored earlier). Just a couple more private lists to go and she will then be a lady of leisure ....... for at least a week or so! We saw the O+G again today and she seems almost as excited as we are at the prospect of Noodles arriving.

We have stocked up with enough non-perishable groceries to last out WW3 (or at least the first 6 weeks of baby), so the garage is now our defacto supermarket (we even have our own freezer section complete with butterscotch ice-cream, not to mention a bottle shop (fridge filled with beer!)

We have to attend our pre-admission clinic at Wesley this Thursday but that will be the last official paperwork to do before baby arrives. We are both excited and scared at the same time!

Sleeping Noodle

34 week Noodles
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Actually he was anything but sleeping today when we had our last scan of the pregnancy (despite the appearances of the photo). In what has become his style, he wouldn't stop moving around, making things very tricky for the sonographer. It is quite apparent at the moment that he is quickly running out of space in there as most of the pictures show him getting squashed here and there. At one point he had both hands up on his cheeks and was squashed so as to make an impersonation of a fish with pouting lips. He is about 2.6kg at the moment (5lb 14oz for you old school people). Not long to go now and he will be free!

Mmmm...Cake!

shirt
Originally uploaded by b boy.

I think this t-shirt pretty much sums it up! Needless to say Mel just had to buy it.....Noodles will look rather stylish in this I am sure.

34 Weeks and counting!

This week marks the 34 week mark....not long to go now! Mel now has her bag packed and ready (just in case). I think we are ready but I am sure we will feel very UNready when it is all about to happen.

We went back to Vivid to look at the proofs on Monday and there were quite a few that we liked (I really don't like looking at photos of myself) but Cath managed to bring out the best in us. We might have one for the blog in the near future!

We have our last scan on Thursday (we always like the opportunity to see our little man rather than just feel him).
The count down continues!!!!

Father's Day!

Maybe I am getting a little ahead of myself here......but I think I am being denied presents on a technicality!!! After all our little man is quite viable and certainly makes his presence felt (obviously more to Mel than me). Does he not constitute a human being yet...if not only to justify getting a father's day present. Alas I think I am being somewhat optimistic (if not totally naive) and I will have to wait another 12 months. Maybe I just didn't hint enough to Mel (the way she has been hinting to me that mothers as supposed to get a present for giving birth!!!). You mean getting a baby isn't enough??? Mmmmm...what to do, what to do!

C-Section Class....

A few people wondered why we would be going to a C-section class (as we should already have a fairly good understanding of the whole process.....even though it has been over 10 years since we did O+G at Uni). But I figured it was not so much about the actual operation (seen one operation seen them all really) but rather the non-medical aspects that might be useful. Such as Where is the husband allowed to stand in the theatre, who gets to take photos, what happens to the baby while Mel is getting stitched up and will Mel get a private room etc, etc. We didn't learn much in the end but it was fun watching Mel confuse everyone when she asked questions using big words like sequential compression devices. What the??? A few people looked panicked because they hadn't heard of them and wondered if they had been missing out, or just played along so they didn't look ignorant. All in good fun really.

Parenting 101 Part two...

Nappy Changing
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Tonight we fronted up for another helping of "Babies - You made them...now you look after them!". The topic of tonight's lesson was "Nappies - get used to them!" and "Breastfeeding - how not to poke your baby's eye out" As you can see from the photo Mel had mastered the disposable but the cloth one proved a little more challenging as there are two different ways of folding them....one for girls and one for boys! Don't ask, I didn't quite understand. And for those of you brave enough, you can clink on the "Ben's photos on Flickr" link to see just how humiliating it is for a grown man to pretend to feed a doll with his fake boob. It comes with a MA15 rating. Don't say I didn't warn you!!!

Photo shoot!

Mmmmm.....what were we thinking? Probably something along the lines of...Hey, you never know, this might be our only baby....and wouldn't it be good to have some nice photos to remember what the bump was like??? Yes, I know I have taken some photos...but really...I am not a photographer. So we decided to go visit our old friends at Vivid. (our wedding photographers)

This time we had "studio" shots. Very professional. I like their style...they have macs everywhere and the music was playing from an iPod attached to the kick ass iPod stereo. (let's just ignore that fact that it was playing the sound track to "Oh Brother, where art Thou") Anyway a few "blue steels" later and it was a wrap. Can't wait to see what magic photoshop can do....after all Mel is supposed to have the bigger belly!

Parenting 101

Last night the good wife and I went to our first parenthood class at the Wesley. As you would have guessed from previous posts we were not sure what to expect. But surprisingly it was fairly innocuous. The midwife that took our class seemed disturbingly normal! What....no diatribe about the wonders of natural birth over C-section?......no ranting about breast is best????
She seemed to be quite sensible in her approach to the whole process. About the only thing that she said that some might think was a little old fashioned was how "when dad gets home from work he might like to bath the baby for some bonding time" What if the dad has been home looking after bub and the wife has been at work all day? Well a guy can dream can't he. I always wanted to be a kept man! Anyway, the midwife found a 1 day old baby floating around and showed us how to bath it, without causing any permanent damage. Which surprising didn't seem too hard. I think this baby was a ring in as it was extremely well behaved and made it look like a breeze. (maybe it is a professional baby). After bath time we went down to the basement and talked about C-sections in emergencies, cord blood storage, SIDS and the essential check list for the nursery etc. For the two of us the funniest part was watching the husbands get all grossed out about the thought of possibly having to be in an operating theatre if their wife needed an unplanned C-section. One guy was adamant that he would pass out. What wimps!!!

Well we survived that first class. Bring on part 2 I say. Apparently this one includes more on breast feeding and the midwife said I even get to play with boobies!!! Woo Hoo! (I am not sure who's boobies) And we need to bring a doll. I suggested to Mel we take the giant teddy which should be quite funny to see Mel pretend to feed it.

PS at one stage we were handed a fake baby and asked to guess the weight. Mel was the closest out of everyone. Mel said 3.8kg. Others had said 11kg, 10kg etc. My guess was a carton of beer! But sadly I was wrong.

32 weeks

Today marks just 7 weeks to go....Arrrggghhh! Scary stuff. Like most first time parents to be we go through those "Oh God, this is really happening" moments but we usually get over it and move on......at least until the next one!

The other milestone that we have reached is that the baby is now old enough to be delivered at the Wesley. Any baby under 32 weeks old has to be delivered at either the Mater or RBWH as they are the only ones with a NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). Our little boy is so grown up now!

But of course, even though Mel would quite happily give birth at any time now (getting weighed down by the belly) our little one better not make any moves at least for the next 2 weeks as our obstetrician is away on conference leave. She said she was going to NZ to learn about menopause but I figured she should already know about that.......maybe there is something new to report on the cranky old woman horizon......oops did I say that?

A Prickly Day

What to give the couple who has everything prepared for their delightful bundle of joy's arrival?

INSULIN!

Yes, that's right - its all the rage these days, particularly if one hasn't gained weight for the past month (although son and heir seems to be expanding in all directions at once) and one's fasting BSLs steadfastly refuse to go below 5.5, despite a diet of steamed veges and meat product (well cooked of course). The insulin packaging is QUITE delicious though - an attractive grey pen for daytime, and a slinky shiny green number for evening. What more could a woman want?
Well, how about sticking one's finger with a sharp metallic object four times a day (with the option for more if one feels a bit funny in the head) - WOO HOO!

OUCH is more like it

I figure, that as this foetus was created with a series of pricks (FSH/Lucrin/B-hCG injections for those with minds in the gutter) then it is fitting that it should end with a similar pattern.
On the upside, I may be able to sneak in the odd (or more than odd) piece of high quality chocolate option.

Less than 8 weeks to go....tick tick tick tick tick
Bring it on

Breast feeding class

Yesterday was the day Mel went for her breast feeding class at the Wesley (remember ...... the one they wouldn't let me attend!). I was very disappointed to hear that there were no boobies on show ( after all I was assuming that would be the reason that I was not welcome) but not a booby in sight ....... well at least not a real one anyway (they showed a video!) Do they think men haven't seen boobies on video before?!?!? Or is it women feel uneasy about their husbands seeing boobies on video?!?!? No, I think the real reason that men weren't allowed was so that the women (or at least the midwife running the show) could have a lets bash men session ...... at least that was what I was hearing from Mel's description of events. These types of women have to get over the fact that God chose Eve to be the one that would give birth and that Adam didn't have a say in it (so stop trying to make us feel guilty alright! It's not our fault we can't experience the joys of pregnancy first hand). Anyway apart from male bashing (apparently we are only useful for changing nappies and bathing the child) I would have liked to have been there just to witness Mel pretending to breast feed with a doll! I mean she didn't even play with dolls when she was a little girl let alone a serious surgeon type. She tells me she had trouble keeping a straight face. Oh, and I am seriously concerned about the level of skill from the midwives at Wesley when their lactation consultant didn't even know anything about electric breast pumps (maybe that is because that was not the way God intended the milk to come out). Mel found herself answering the questions of some of the other mums to be since through all the research her (useless) husband has done on the subject she was more than able to fill people in on the breast pump market (including the world wide shortage due to the better than expected success of the product in the giant American market and poor planning by the company) I guess these classes are a rite of passage for all new parents. Let's hope the parenting class will be a little more useful.

And on a completely unrelated, but no less funny (if only in retrospect) topic, according to the rumour mill at RBH apparently Melinda and I have split up! Mel had an urgent sounding voice mail message from one of her friends who work at Royale wanting to know if it was true. We do not know where or why this particularly scurrilous rumour has started but let me once and for all clear things up...... Mel and I are definitely not split!!!!!! And besides she has to give me a million dollars if she ever leaves me (verbal pre-nup, should stand up in court). So there you have it. All is well in the Cook camp. I feel like one of those celebrities who are forced to make denials on their websites about similar such rumours. Oh well we can see the funny side now but it was a little hurtful that someone would say such a thing.

Parenting classes start next week. I can't wait (tongue in cheek)

Big Day Out

Bigger Bump
Originally uploaded by b boy.

For something different today we decided to take our unborn child on a ferry ride. We headed down to New Farm park and caught a city cat to southbank where we had lunch before returning to Cibo at Merthyr Village for some gelati. It was a perfect warm winter day just right for travelling on the river. There are more photos on Flickr. All in all a very satisfying big day out.

PS bump photo by popular request

Chubby cheeks

Noodles!
Originally uploaded by b boy.

This is about the only pic we got of his face as he was determined to a little trouble maker on Monday at the scan. You can see that he is starting to put on some baby fat especially when you compare it to the 19 scan photos where he is quite a bit skinnier.

30 Weeks!

Today marks the 30 week mark of our extraordinary journey. We had a doctors visit and a growth and wellbeing scan to see how Noodles was shaping up. Our doctor was happy with how things were going and Mel seems to be contoling her chocolate cravings and thus her blood sugars have been respectable. No insulin yet! Woo Hoo! When we had our scan Noodles was his typical trouble making self and wouldn't remove his hand from in front of his face so we couldn't get a good view of his good looks. At one point he seemed to be gesturing towards the scanner as if asking the bus driver for "2 to the valley" please. Well he was trying to get some sleep I guess and we were prodding and poking him. At this point he is in the breech position and seems to like jumping up and down on Mel's bladder (I said he was a trouble maker). He seems to be fattening up nicely and has a belly circumference in the 98th percentile (takes after his father here)! The sonographer said she could actually see hair on his head (obviously doesn't take after his father here). Couldn't tell if it was a ginger though! When I get out of hospital on Wednesday I will put a photo from the scans on the blog. We will have another scan in 4 weeks.

The 3 bears...sort of!

The 3 bears...sort of!
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Well as you can see the cot has arrived.....along with the matching change table (see Flickr). After waiting about 7 weeks I took delivery the other week. Both boxes just made it into the back of my car and they were quite heavy. It certainly felt like they were made to last. The reason we chose the Stokke cot and change table is that like the high chair, they can grow with the child. The cot becomes a bed or later 2 chairs and the change table can turn into a desk or set of shelves. Apart from that we liked to look of them. Putting them together took a little longer than I had anticipated as I had hoped to get them all set up before Mel got home that day as a surprise for her. My plans came unstuck when in the middle of construction I was interrupted by wine salesmen (actually one was a woman). Think used car salesmen of the wine industry complete with very fake blonde highlights in the hair and too much jewelery....and I am talking about the guy! How did this all happen????

Well one day when my brain was clearly going out in sympathy with Mel's much blogged about "placenta brain", I had recieved something in the mail telling me that if I wanted to fill out some very short survey then I would be given, as a token of their appreciation that I actually bothered to fill in their survey, a rather stylish vintner's knife. Without thinking I filled the thing out...I mean what harm could it do....and after all I would be getting a vintner's knife! Many months later (the day before picking up the cot as it turned out) I recieved a call from a rather attractive sounding woman telling me that she would like to drop arround my knife and let me sample some wine and she was only free to come around tomorrow at either 3 or 4pm. I was about to make my first mistake (well actually second if you count filling out the survey in the first place). At this point I should have said that I was actually quite unavailable at either 3 or 4pm and left it at that but again without thinking I said sure, 3 would be OK. So in the middle of trying to put together the aforementioned nursey furniture the woman who called the day before arrived with her boss I presume and then I had to listen to his blurb about the boutique wine they make down at Golden Grape winery in the Hunter while being offered tastings of the same. By the time I managed to avoid buying anything and convincing them I needed to be somewhere else, it was all too late for me to finish putting things together. But I did get my vintner's knife.

By the time Mel got home I had finished the change table and was halfway throught the cot. Oh well I tried.

It all seemed to look like the picture in the catalogue when I had finished which was a relief. It seems that there is nothing that you can't put together these days with an allen key and some instructions written in a foreign language.

Spicer's Peak .... Part 3

Latin
Originally uploaded by b boy.

So I have already mentioned the mud, food and drink....what else is there to tell you? Well not much really. The weekend was just the thing we needed and we couldn't have picked a better place to stay.

I can't help but wonder if part of what made this place so good were the hosts Lou and Ben (I assume they are married but they have different last names) They have been looking after the property and it's guests for the last 12 months now (the lodge only opened in 2004) and have only had 2 days off in that time!!!! They live in the cottage about 100 metres from the lodge and are in at 7am usually and then stay through until dinner and drinks are over and most guests have retired to their cosy rooms with those toasty fireplaces. Anything you need they will get for you and they also serve the meals. Ben is one of the cooks and takes over when the other 2 regular chefs have their days off. They were nice to talk to and obviously like what they are doing otherwise I am sure those sort of hours would drive you crazy.

So that just about wraps up our weekend away. It is definitely somewhere we would like to visit again. Oh and on the trip back down the hill with Ben in his 4WD he mentioned how a BMW Z4 made it up the hill in the mud after we arrived! He sure knew how to make a man feel inadequate!
You can check out their web site here

Spicer's Peak .... Part 2

Crisp morning
Originally uploaded by b boy.

So Where were we up to? ...... Drinks at the bar I believe. OK, so after a quick wander around the property to see what was on offer we subsequently slipped into relaxation mode. What made this such an enjoyable getaway? Well everything really. The way this place works is that you pay a fee for the weekend and then everything is included (except optional massages and the premium wines). That means you can go to the bar and pretty much take whatever you feel like. Champagne, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, and for the pregnant wife san pelligrino. Everything in the minibar in our room was up for grabs. I like this concept as you can just enjoy having a drink or 2 (or 10) and not have to worry about the bill at the end of the stay. Champagne for breakfast? Why not! B and T at 5? Sure! The bar was self serve if you fancied playing bar keep (and I did) or you could get the hosts to serve you (but where is the fun in that). I also enjoyed playing barista with their commercial espresso machine.

Now the other thing that made this place a standout destination was the food. It was simply divine. I was waiting for them to slip up and serve us a dodgy dish but it just didn't happen. Through two A la carte breakfasts, two 3 course lunches and two 7 course degustation dinners, they never stumbled once. Everything is made fresh on site by the 3 chefs (one of them is also one of the managers/hosts) including unbelievable sorbets, gelati and icecreams. The menus were set (at lunch though you had 2 choices for mains) but they could have brought us anything and I am sure it would have been good. I even tried some black pudding for the first time at breakfast and it was actually very nice (if you didn't think about what it actually was!)

They were very accommodating with our diet requirements (I don't think we have mentioned on the blog yet that Mel has a touch of gestational diabetes which was diagnosed about a week before we were going away). They made sure Mel's meat was cooked a little longer than mine, gave her hard cheese instead of the blue or brie that I had and would have given her a different dessert but Mel drew the line at that. Damn the sugars for the weekend she thought! And the desserts were to die for so who could blame her. Considering this approach her sugars were better over the weekend than they had been at home. Damn those chefs are good.

So, I think it is clear that the food and wine were definitely a big part of what made this weekend so very enjoyable and absolutely a reason to want to go back some time for a repeat performance. Maybe in summer next time as it is meant to be a sensible 10 degrees cooler than in Brisbane most days.

Part 3 tomorrow.

Spicer's Peak .... Part 1

More mist
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Yes, it has been awhile since the last blog entry by myself but the wait is over. The last weekend was spent at Pepper's Lodge at Spicer's Peak as a birthday present for Mel (which I obviously benefitted from as well) and the second and probably last weekend getaway before Noodles arrives. This lodge was recommended to us by Mel's anaesthetist and we are glad he did so. It was probably the best place we have stayed at for a long time if not ever. It is unusual to be able to stay somewhere and not be able to fault anything. It was simply fabulous.

But wait, I am getting ahead of myself here. The journey started with the drive up to the lodge. We were warned by the aforementioned anaesthetist that the road was a bit dodgy and if you didn't have a 4WD then you could have difficulty. I had mentioned to the staff of the Lodge that we planned to take Mel's car which has lowered suspension and low profile wheels but we were assured that it would be ok if we went slowly. That advice was given before if rained quite a lot on the Friday that we set off on our trip. As we started on the final 12km of dirt road (by now mostly mud) I had a few reservations. My concerns seemed to be reinforced when we got to a sign that said "only suitable for 4WD's when wet". Oh my! Never the less we pushed on with a certain feeling of foreboding. They had said it would be ok hadn't they. All cars can access our property the blurb said. At one point I thought things would work out....that was until the road started going up and the car started going nowhere! Surely my advanced driver training would come to the fore and somehow enable me to pilot this sports car up this muddy goat track without too much fuss. Sadly I was wrong. Spinning wheels in mud and a sinking feeling told me to raise the white flag and check my masculinity at the door. Even just reversing the car back down the slope to a flatter, and presumably safer, part was a bit hairy as the car seemed to be going sideways at one point.

Luckily we had mobile phone reception and were able to call for backup and were picked up in a sensible 4WD and taken to the top in relative comfort and warmth. Mind you, you could even feel the 4WD sliding a bit from time to time. Their defense was that they hadn't realised it had rained so much further down the hill and that other cars had made it up earlier in the day including a Hyundai. A Hyundai! How could this be? I consoled myself with the fact he must have been an ex rally driver and I was told it was a rental car so he probably didn't care if he wrecked it in the atrocious conditions.

Anyway we made it up safely and proceeded straight to the bar for a stiff drink by the log fire and quickly forgot the recent traumatic events. Oh, and we made it in time for a 3 course lunch as well. Now, back to the bar for some more refreshments!

Part 2 tomorrow.

Hormonal manipulation

Continuing on with the theme of my previous entry - regarding the susceptibility of the impregnated woman to manipulation by multinationalistic corporations ... I provide a vignette of a recent event which resulted in palpitations and postural hypotension on my part (and yes, I was wearing those damn stockings). Alas, twas on a smaller retail scale (I can't claim another international conspiracy) and which perhaps goes to show that placenta brain should be included as a potential medical diagnosis for women with my hormonal imbalance (or at least be able to be used as a valid excuse as to why we sometimes do some pretty wacked out things)
The last three weeks had been particularly hellish at work, so with a part weekend off I needed some down time.
I ventured into a hair salon for an overdue haircut (ginger roots!!) and was greeted by an over zealous hairdresser who told me I was all washed out and needed a makeover. (Not to mention that if I thought I was going to be able to keep up with regular hair foils post-partum I was living in la la land.)

All washed out? Not being able to cope with foils every 2 months??? Meep!

Naturally no woman wants to be labelled "washed out" - so I agreed to a slight change in hair colour. In his words, just a little darker. Darker I thought, meant some sort of caramel and not the PURPLE-RED hue which it ended up being. To add insult to injury, my eyebrows were darkened too. I left the salon looking a bit goth like (well, my make-up applied that morning had washed off) and not the smug married which I thought I was. Dear husband didn't make matters MUCH better by saying "What the freak have you done to your hair???"

Sadly, I had to agree with him.
Fortunately the colour is only semi-permanent.
There must be a good colourist in Brisvegas somewhere. Right?? RIGHT???

And I am NOT putting a picture to this post until I have given it another 10 more washes or so.

Tour de Nundah!

A few months (I will not say exactly how many) since my last bike ride and I think the TDF has inspired Les and myself again. We dusted of the bikes, pumped up the tires and after a few moments of trying to remember were my helmet was hidden we managed to get underway. It all seemed to be a bit like...well, riding a bike really. Hadn't seemed to have forgotten how to handle the bike but I almost forgot how to work the cyclo-computer. Although quite cool this morning (but I do like it cold) and trying out my new arm warmers (which were actually purchased quite a while ago) it seemed quite easy. This feels quite good I thought.....sitting behind Les doing 30km/hr. That was until we turned around and hit a head wind.....it was actually more like a head breeze but it has been 6 months off the bike. I wasn't going to say how long it had been was I...oh well! After a relatively short ride (compared to the TDF boys) we made it home but my legs were trying to negotiate a surrender! Sitting back on the lounge, where Les and I seem to be more at home, we were quite satisfied with our attempt at getting some exercise and restarting our love affair with road riding! To top it all off we watched the 8th stage of the Tour de France and saw Robbie win another bunch sprint (it was only for 4th spot but still quite important for the maillot vert). Life is good!

Belgian Beer Cafe Brussels

Belgian Beer Cafe Brussels
Originally uploaded by b boy.

What better way to celebrate Robbie's third stage win in the tour on Saturday, (and introduce Noodles to some European style surrounds) than to go to the Belgian beer bar and have a kilo of moules et frites (each!). Of course I had to accompany it with some Hoegaarden white and we finished off our meal with some Belgian style waffles which were divine. The good thing is that children are allowed in the resturant part so when our little man arrives we will be able to take him back for some more waffles!

More waiting!

Not much to report at present.

Mel's working hard....too hard if you ask me!
I am trying to watch all of the Tour de France but am finding with work I am too tired to stay up so I tape it and get up about 4.45am and watch it before going to work.
Items purchased but still waiting on:

• change table
• cot
• video camera
• breast pump

Keep waiting I guess!

P.S. Allez Robbie pour le maillot vert et allez Cadel pour le maillot jaune!

More of the Bump!

Melinda
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Some of you have been asking for more bump photos so to satisfy the masses, or at least Jen, here is a snippet to tide you over. But don't worry...there will be more to come!

More operating for us both today followed by a leisurely lunch at Capri, Emporium. Rather civilised really!

Bon Voyage!

Bon Voyage!
Originally uploaded by b boy.

I saw Riley off at the airport today for her 6 month stint overseas. I couldn't help but feel a little envious! I am sure she will have a good time but she did say she would be sad to miss the arrival of Noodles. Oh well I am sure she will get over it with a trip to Paris!

Another visit to the O+G today. All is still well. Our doctor commented on how active Noodles is every time she puts the U/S scanner on Mel's belly. Apparently some babies spend much more time sleeping or lying peacefully. She said she could even feel him kicking the scanner probe. I don't know what this is going to mean when he is born. Maybe he will take after his father and not be able to sit still for any length of time. Should keep us busy I suppose!

Male "baby survival kit" .......

Male baby survival kit.......
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Continuing where Mel left off yesterday on the theme of "what was wrong with the Baby expo", then this photo is a prime example. It also goes a long towards explaining why I don't tend to drink this particular brand of beer (apart from the fact it tastes like *#@%). Even though I realise that this is meant to be humourous, I think it is probably too close to the truth for too many to make it funny. It just scares me!. Others will already be familiar with this kit as my understanding is that Greg and Cheryl got this as part of a "sample bag" from the hospital when Felix was born. So there is no escaping it really it would seem. Talk about the dumbing down of our society! Maybe I have been approaching this pregnancy all wrong......maybe I should just drink more crap beer to make me forget that I now have responsibilities and try to get out of doing as much as possible when it comes to looking after the baby, as quite clearly I have neither the interest or aptitude to help out and have better things to do such as watch more football on TV, and not that pansy soccer either just real football mate!

Welcome to our nightmare....

Welcome to my nightmare....
Originally uploaded by b boy.

I must confess to some (perhaps many) misgivings regarding the attendance at the Brisbane baby expo. My significant other (aka the Ben) thought that perhaps it would be a good idea to see if there was anything we were missing out on. We thus handed over $12 and a complimentary ticket to be greeted by a hall full of "...life Jim, but not as we know it..."
First stop - the Australian breast feeding association stand. Now, I am hoping to breast feed (for as long as possible) but am well aware that in this less than utopian world sometimes those things don't work. Or work well enough. Or become infected. Necessitating intravenous antibiotics and hospital admission...etc etc. So do I really want to pay $50 to join an association where I get a how to breast feed book and a warm fuzzy feeling that I belong to some secret clique of womanhood? WHO KNOWS???
I got suckered into the mother and baby stand - thinking that maybe I should try to be a little more open minded and subscribe to a magazine to get in touch with my mothering instinct. Or something. For a small exchange of $28 I had a 12 month subscription, a showbag and a SUCKA sticker to place on my forehead.
GAH
It went downhill from there - too much commercialised plastic crap masquerading as educational toys for children. Too many ways to wrap your child's feet in plaster of paris and then bronze them. Seriously, how long is THAT going to be hanging up on the wall. Too many cheesy photographers spruiking their wares - whilst their wares looked like a couple of bad shots from a Kmart photo lab. I felt faint at the sight of it all - either that or I had postural hypotension and wasn't wearing my compression stockings. I suspect it was a combination of the both.
At least we got to admire a small menangerie of baby animals at the back of the hall - the piglets in particular showed a rather impressive display of intelligence by steering clear of the small plastic cups held by children and trying to jump into the large feed bin instead.
Several comments came to mind as we escaped from the zoo... but none are polite enough to post in this blog. We are smugs after all.

Melinda

Wireless...less

This week has been frustrating due to the problems I have had with our wireless router. Basically it died on Saturday night leaving us without convenient access to the internet (and a broadband phone!). Adding insult to injury I couldn't connect to the internet when I plugged my laptop directly into the modem (due to a quirk of telstra and its cable login heartbeat). 40 frustrating minutes later and 4 transfers of my call within bigpond tech support to eventually find someone that knew something about macs, and I was at least able to access the net again. But without the router it was only 1 computer at a time and no home phone. Totally sucked!!!

Needless to say the next day I went and bought another router, the same one as it turns out and almost half the price now. Setting this up so it worked properly was almost as frustrating as my telstra experience but after having to upgrade the firmware and change the channel that the router was transmitting on things seem to working ok. I will need to keep my fingers firmly crossed I think. How did we ever cope in the days before mobile phones and when the commodore 64 was cutting edge?

The only lucky thing was that the old router was still in warranty by 1 month so they have now sent me a new one. I guess a backup will come in handy one day!

Cortina.....the restaurant not the car!

Last night we made a spur of the moment decision to have dinner at our local pizzeria. Mel had been called in to the Royale for some crispy patients that needed their burns operated on and hence had been in most of the day. On her way home at 7pm we decided to take the easy option for dinner and grab a table for 2 at Sebastiano's. Sebastiano is very interested in how things are going with Noodles and always asks when I go in to pick up a pizza. He welcomed us warmly on arrival and was glad we were going to be eating in so we could relax. He always tells Mel that she should not be working too hard and should be having a few red wines for the baby!

Not long after we sat down the waitress came over with a garlic pizza for us telling us that Sebastiano wanted us to have it so the baby would be happy! So thoughtful. After having our meal we were on our way out and was saying goodbye to Sebastiano when he said "have you had your coffee yet?". Of course we hadn't so he was insistent that we have one each. Mind you his coffee usually is more than just coffee with anything from Pernod to home made grappa from a fosters bottle added. For Mel he made a special pregnancy version which consisted of decaff espresso with about 3 drops of Pernod "just so you have the smell!" he says.

After finishing our coffees, Sebastiano once again reminding Mel not to work too hard and reiterated to us "it is going to be a boy you know!" (I think he says this to all pregnant women) I can't argue since he is actually right on this occasion. He did say the next one would be a little girl. NEXT ONE! We haven't even had this one yet!

Oh well, that was our pizza fix until probably Wednesday night when it will be time for another one.

Funny Hats

Funny hats
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Friday was an extremely long and tiring day at work which wasn't helped by watching some of the socceroos game at 5.15am. I had to start work early and so was up earlier than usual. I decided that while I was getting ready I would watch some of the game. Unfortunately Mel wanted to sleep in to 6.30 but when Australia scored a goal from a penalty kick I must have let out an involuntary exclamation which woke her up. I was in serious trouble! But hey, it was a good game.

This photo was taken at the start of Melinda's theatre list in the afternoon. We should have taken another photo 7 hours later when it finished to compare it to. There certainly wouldn't have been any smiles in that one.

I guess the real question is.....would you trust these people to operate on you?!?!?!?

Antenatal Classes....

Today I booked us in to the "parents to be" classes and the caesarian section class at the Wesley hospital. Apparently this is a good thing to do. There is also a breastfeeding class but I was told that I would not be allowed to go to this one! Discrimination I say. I would have behaved myself.....Really!

The parents to be class is usually 6 sessions over 6 weeks but the first 3 are all about how to spit the thing out "the natural way" so obviously we didn't need to sit in on a whole lot of women panting away (although.......nevermind). Anyway, I thought I could hear the slightest hint of disappointment in the women's tone (who was taking my booking) when I said we would be needing the C-section class. (What, you want to deprive yourselves the wonder and beauty of the way God intended your child to enter this world.....You won't feel whole and you haven't really given birth unless you have a vaginal birth you know....) Maybe I am just a little paranoid but they are mostly midwives after all. It does seem to be a touchy topic in the maternity world. I think childbirth should be added to the list of topics to be avoided at diner parties along with politics, sex and religion! At any rate we will be starting our classes in August.

Oh and today is also a momentous day as I made the final payment to the government for my HECS debt! Woo Hoo! Now I can start racking up the debt for my Masters.

Mouse

Mouse
Originally uploaded by b boy.

I came across this little fella today and couldn't resist taking him home.

Beer me!

On the weekend Mel and I spent some time with Greg, Cheryl and Felix. The purpose for the visit was to make some beer. Greg and I attempted to recreate a hoegaarden witbier. Time will tell how successful we were. Quite involved really with all the crushing of coriander and peeling of orange rind. Mel and Cheryl got to entertain Felix while the beer was being made. Next time I think Felix will have to help out with the beer. Never too early to learn the finer points of beer (just so long as he doesn't drink it until he is 18)!

Tonic

Tonight we went to have dinner at a relatively new restaurant at Bulimba called Tonic. It is at the end of Oxford street so has a view of the river but not much to see at night though. It would be a better view for a Sunday Breakfast. Not bad food overall and it was fairly busy tonight but the service was pretty good...which is a rarity in Brisbane these days it would seem. Still only BYO but I assume they are applying for a license. We will try to get a few more dining out experiences in before Noodles arrives. There are still some restaurants we would like to try. Might go to Bespoke next time!

Our little man!

Noodles must be doing his exercises because he seems to be getting stronger each day. Last night I was dozing when I felt some little kicks in my back. With Mel asleep next to me and her belly resting against my back, Noodles obviously wanted some attention. "daddy, are you awake? I want to play, wake up and pay attention to me!" A sign of things to come no doubt!

More of the same.....

Not much to report from the last 2 days. The next doctors visit is about 3 weeks away so between now and then it is pretty much more of the same. Apart from the ever expanding belly-o-baby! Things are on track and we have just about got everything we need or at least have them on order. I did take advantage of the nappy sale and bought some "boy" nappies. Apparently they have the absorbant bit in a different spot to the girl nappies. I wonder if the sale of disposable nappies is increasing with the water crisis in SEQ. It must use a lot of water washing cloth nappies all day. I also tried to find some of the Dick Bruna books in QBD but they didn't have any. Oh well, I am sure I will find some in the next 4 months. We will not be deterred!!!

Safe-n-Sound

Safe-n-sound
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Talk about confusion reigning in the world of baby shops! No-one seems to know what is going on and I hate having to deal with incompetancy. After being told numerous different versions of the dramas with the car seat that would actually fit in my car (yes I know I bought a car that most would see as not baby friendly....), such as .....you need to give us 5 weeks to order one.....there are none available at the moment.....actually there will not be anymore at all as they stopped making it......actually they are now making a new one but we have no idea when it will be ready......it could be months and we have no idea, and I am a rep so I should know.....blah, blah, blah. Well the very next day, a public holiday no less, we drove past the Nundah baby shop and decided to see what their version of the story would be, and to our surprise they actually had one on the shelf!!! So I give you.....drum roll.....the compaq deluxe! At least it is not in one of those hideous colours and the best bit....They sold it to us at the price of the old version which is $50 cheaper. How could I ask for more.

Baby Care 101

Today we were guests at the Jenkins' household for morning tea and lunch. We were entertained by Felix who was on his best behavior and particularly cute in his cheeky monkey hat. I think I am getting baby lessons by stealth as not long after we arrived I was given the task of feeding Felix. Luckily there was a bottle with some milk in or I would have been in trouble! Although my man boobs are a B cup, they definitely are non-functioning. It seemed to go well and I even managed to elicit a rather satisfying burp that would have made Barny proud. Later, after the feed made its way to the other end, it seemed that I was in need of pooey nappy lessons. This also proceeded incident free......thank God.....and I can now say I have survived my first pooey nappy. Woo Hoo! I wonder what other skills I will pick up on our next visit to see the Jenkins'.

Miffy

Miffy
Originally uploaded by b boy.

One of those other small purchases at Crabtree. I am now remembering the Dick Bruna books from my childhood. Miffy was his first character he wrote about back in 1955. I guess we will have to get some of those books for Noodles.

Rocker

Rocker
Originally uploaded by b boy.

On the continuing theme of new baby products, Dad and Karen were kind enough to buy us the baby bjorn rocker. We also bought a few other bits and pieces at Crabtree and Evelyn while down the Coast. Still no word on the car seat from the manufacturers. We will see what they have to say for themselves at the Baby Expo in a few weeks time.

Baby Bump!

Baby bump
Originally uploaded by b boy.

Well you asked for it....well at least Paul asked for it.....so here it is! The first photo of the baby bump in evolution. This was taken on our weekend away at the Palazzo Versace for our 6th anniversary. It was a rather stylish hotel and provided all the ritz that you would expect from a 5 star hotel that calls itself a 6 star. So what makes it a special place to stay? Well all the usual things such as big spa bath in the room, well stocked minibar, turn down service at night and nice bath robes. But also the little things like a complimentary shoe shine service, just about any newspaper from around the world if you like and even the choice of 5 differnet kinds of pillow. They give you a list of all the types and you can call for housekeeping to bring them up for you. I guess some people prefer 95% duck down than the usual 70%. Choices, choices! Oh, and although I didn't think to get a photo of it, the 750kg crystal chandelier in the foyer that Versace bought from the Milan state library, but never got around to putting into one of his homes, is really quite impressive. And for those interested in more trivia the pebble mosiac that lines the driveway is apparently the second largest in the world second only to the one in the parliament in Rome. You can see more photos on the Flickr site.

Status Quo

Not much happening on the baby front at the moment. For the next month it will be more of the same....Mel complaining about the size of the belly and Noodles giving her a good kick in protest. This is Noodles' rapid growth phase and Mel can expect the "balloon" under her clothes to be expanding at an un-natural rate! About time she started to look pregnant I say. No doubt there will be some photos that I will sneak on the blog of the belly when it is a bit bigger....if Mel doesn't delete them first.

Baby clothes seem to be arriving by mail from time to time which makes me worry about Mel's credit card limit! Not that I can talk as I have given mine a fairly hard workout of late.....First baby syndrome I think!

Last day at work for me today before 6 days off.....woo hoo! I am looking forward to those 7 course degustation dinners at the Versace on the weekend. Better take the loose pants I think.

Rattle!

Rattle
Originally uploaded by b boy.

The trip to the doctors went well today and Karen was very happy with how things were going. We decided to do a growth and well being scan at the 30 week mark just so we can be sure everything is heading in the right direction.

After finishing with the doctor we stopped in at the maternity store on the ground level and Mel picked up some clothes for the big belly. It was really cool because they have fake bellies to put on so you can see what you will look like (and how the clothes will fit) when you are furhter along. Mel looked quite cute with a 40 week belly. We also couldn't resist the 10% discount the lady offered for the Oi Oi nappy bag (see Flickr). Yes I know we already have one but most people we have spoken to say you need two so who am I to argue.

On the way home we also stopped at a little toy store at Clayfield which seems to have some good old fashioned toys and hence the wooden rattle in the photo.

Holidays!

Mel has taken a week off from the Royále so she can chill out a bit. I will still be working but will take Friday off so we can spend the weekend at the Palazzo Versace for our 6th wedding anniversary. We have been told by friends that we should have as many weekends away as possible with just the 2 of us before Noodles arrives. So what better way to start than a stay with Versace. Mel also has us penciled in for a weekend at Peppers Spicers Peak for her birthday in July. It should be totally indulgent and I can't wait to try out the 24 hour cocktails brought to your room (I am sure I will feel like Homer when he went to stay with Auncky Herb and he would order pork chops in the middle of the night just because he could).

On other baby news we finally got to order the cot but I don't know yet how long it will take to arrive. I will probably need to take it home in a few trips as we are also getting the change table with it and the delivery isridiculouslyy expensive considering we only live around the corner from DJ's. I knew I should have gotten the X3!

We also see the Obstetrician tomorrow for another routine check. Things are seeming to go quite quickly now that we can feel Noodles kicking away all the time. Next stop...the Brisbane Baby Expo in a few weeks!

Another busy week...

Socks
Originally uploaded by b boy.

I have been meaning to get to the blog each day since Monday but have gotten distracted each time. Les came up on Tuesday and we went to Bunnings (whenever we get together we always seem to find an excuse to go to Bunnings!) and I decided we needed a collapsable clothes line for the garage so we can dry all the baby clothes (it seems most of the little suckers can't be put in the dryer). After getting home and starting to install the said clothes line, we ran into a small snag. The instructions failed to mention that if you use the bottom hole to bolt the brace to the wall the strut won't be able to swing freely....now this had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it was Les and myself installing it.....it was the instructions fault I swear!!! So after trying to modify the design with a hacksaw, and finding that the hacksaw probably should have stayed in the tool box, we decided that the only thing to do was....you guessed it...go back to Bunnings. After getting what we needed, and resisting the sausage sizzle this time, we managed to finish the job with the minimum of fuss. Easy really, when you know what you are doing!

Apart from the excitement of the clothesline, Mel and I have been working or doing the rounds of the winter sales. Today we bought the Baby Bjorn carrier and a few more clothes. Oh and we finally ordered the cot. Just have to wait for it to arive now. There is a picture of the baby carrier on Flickr.