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.