A week in the life… Part 3: Sunday 6th 2007

Saturday became Sunday after another sleepless night (good preparation!!!) It amazed us the dedication of the staff in the intensive care unit, we were always welcomed with a smile and a “Hi I’m _____ and I’m looking after Alfie today.” There are over 140 amazing people working in there. They had already saved his life by getting to the operating theatre within seconds to resuscitate him; they were now there day and night helping him to recover. Louise, Lucy and Libby all deserve a special mention.

I put in my sandwich order in with Jean, only Beth was getting the hospital food! (Interesting now I’m back at home clothes that didn’t fit before now fit perfectly!) Brett and Kel came to visit, as did John and Matt, between Beth’s breast pump experiences. It was my role to wash all the “apparatus” and operate the machine. I would often knock the dial up another notch while Beth wasn’t looking!

Back up on the third floor Alfie was now pinking up nicely! With the ice now removed he was slowly warming just 3 degrees over eleven hours. He seemed so calm and wide awake with eyes wide open. He looked deep into my eyes and me into his… a magical moment!

A week in the life… Part 4: Monday 7th 2007

We dashed back up to see Alfie early. The lid of his incubator was down and he was pinker than ever, he seemed very calm now free from the constant shivers of the previous three days. Beth’s recovery also continued at pace with Beth now standing at the door of our room waiting for the breakfast lady.

We spent the rest of the day deciding what to dress him in as today was the day we could dress and cuddle Alfie. It was hard choosing this first outfit, mainly due to the fact that most of what we had just wouldn’t fit him!

Meanwhile more flowers arrived and visitors in the shape of Dr. Bisits and student Dr. Carina. Carina was doing some work experience in the birthing centre and got swept along in the drama of the whole thing. She was a great source of support and great to have here there, Beth swears by her back rub during labour! She came to see Alfie everyday after his birth and also took the time to visit us too! It was great that she saw all three of us together before we left hospital. We swapped contact details so I’m sure that we’ll all stay in touch… we all feel like we’ve known each other for ages!

During the afternoon we were both able to cuddle Alfie taking care not to disturb any of his leads he was still wearing, they were to be removed later. Beth was able to feed him and he took his first few gulps of milk from his mum, still feeling quite full from all the fluids he was given he didn’t take much and so a tube was inserted up his nose to his stomach. It was hard to watch this as a syringe was filled and emptied into him.

Later that evening we returned to feed Alfie again (we were now doing the feeds every three or four hours!) and he took a full feed and so the tube was removed, it was also nice to see more and more of the wires removed at each visit. The cuddles become more frequent and less restrictive. To see his contented face and hear his snores from his bassinet was amazing!

A week in the life… Part 5: Tuesday 8th 2007

We continued the feeds through the early hours of the morning, and throughout the morning. Still in Level three of intensive care we were stunned when we were told that we were able to wheel him out of there… today! No level two…. Straight to our room for what is called “rooming in!” It was amazing and scary at the same time we sat there in our room looking at this little miracle and turned to each other and said “What do we do?”

Our first nappy experience was an interesting one, with sounds coming from the nappy we worked together (it took two of us!) to remove the slightly soiled nappy! As we did Alfie went for the second stage of his waste disposal, weeing all over his head at the same time!

We had promised never to moan about lack of sleep or sore nipples (Beth!) now that he was out of the woods, this was put to the test during the night as we got two hours sleep. We got our sleep after he was “sin binned” for “arking” up and placed in the care of the excellent midwives.

A week in the life… Part 6: Wednesday 9th 2007

Still reeling from our apparently normal sleep deprived parenting experience we took Alfie for his hearing test and it was no great surprise after the events of the previous week that he failed. Wearing a set of groovy headphones he had some sounds piped through his response to which was measured on sensors on his back, neck and head. I watched nervously as little blocks appeared on a line like those that you see as an internet page loads. He did well on one ear while the other only reached 75% loaded! This was obviously a concern but he would later pass on both ears. It did raise the concern that with Alfie now fully recovered the potential damage caused by his lack of oxygen may not be visible. We would get more news on that as the week progressed.

We went back to the special care unit to see how well he had been breaking down Beth’s milk with a blood test via a prick to his heel. We were also able to give him his first bath… we hope it will be something he will come to love! During the afternoon Alfie had some lovely daddy cuddles and slept two hours between some feeds. By this point we had worked out that even though you have passed out from drinking too much you soon come around and can have a few more – something I learnt for myself a long time ago.

A week in the life… Part 7: Thursday 10th 2007

After another disturbed nights sleep (by this I mean awake from about 3am rather than not getting the 8 hours I’m used to!) Alfie proved that he has no excuses as far as hearing what mum and dad ask him to do after passing his hearing test! Alfie had a long day with an MRI scan and further brain monitoring. The MRI scan was an amazing thing… he was placed inside the tunnel wearing his ear muffs as we sat anxiously wearing ours. As the door closed the machine whirred into action, the noise soon became deafening to the point that Beth and I held our muffs even closer. The whole thing took 10 minutes, Alfie slept throughout.

We then left him back in SCBU for four hours. During this time we felt completely lost; having had him around for two days we were surprised how much we missed him! More surprising was that without Alfie around Beth was in a lot of pain, apparently brought on by feelings of separation from her baby! The results from his scans were very positive. His MRI brain scan showed that all parts of the brain were active and that there had been no bleeding. A further test of his reflexes and joints suggested that he was in every way an ordinary baby… with an extraordinary story to tell.

We feel so lucky to have him, our little miracle… we also felt for those who were not or might not be so fortunate each with their own lives and families affected. A couple who also had a baby in similar circumstances that has been given two weeks to live, the only difference between Alfie and her being four short minutes. We have also found out that the hospital give up resuscitation after ten minutes, Alfie got in with 120 seconds to spare. There will always be someone somewhere going through what we went through and worse… at the moment there is a baby in the John Hunter lying in an incubator, released into the world months before its due date of the 27th August. It is a testament to the work of the staff in the unit that any survive, we will be forever grateful.

A week in the life… Part 8: Friday 11th 2007

Friday saw me dashing to get a car seat fitted while Beth went to a bathing talk before we met up to listen to a baby CPR talk. It then took me three trips through the hospital to the car with all the things we had asked people to bring in for us to make our stay more comfortable before carrying our most precious cargo. He seemed to enjoy his first trip in the car and then he was home…

We’d like to think that life will be a little less eventful from now on but are sure that this is the start of something really special.

The End…… and a beautiful beginning.

Home Sweet Home...

Just a very quick post to let you know that we are all back at home and trying to settle into a life as normal as it's going to be with the new man in the house. I'll update with more details soon and lots and lots pictures... think we might become quite the new parents with baby pictures bores!

The hospital are delighted with Alfie's progress and remarkable recovery, it far exceeds our best hopes and those of the doctors. All the tests suggest that he will suffer no long term effects from his ordeal which is truly amazing.

All three of us would like to thank you for all your best wishes, thoughts and prayers over the last ten days, we ended up with over forty pages emails which gave us great comfort and strength. Thanks to you all... xxxx

Alfie Jack Progress

I've just posted this very quickly while I'm at home collecting stuff to take to hospital, the full story of this amazing journey with the happy ending will follow later. It feels like a miracle!

The long and the short of it is that Alfie has made really good progress since coming off the "cooling" trial which had him shivering and living in a hibernation state. Once slowly warmed he became pinker and pinker to become the breast feeding baby we see today. He now has fewer leads and has a cot rather than an incubator. We're hoping the he will be downgraded to level two intensive care very soon... and then spend some time with us on the ward... before coming home (which we can wait for!)

He has more tests on Thursday 10am which are part of the ice trial before don't have a better idea of time scales than that. Each day at a time....

... thanks so much for all messages of love and support. They are all so very much appreciated and give us tremendous strength.

Better go I've got a baby to bath!
xxx

Mornin Alfie.. Mornin Mum...

Just nipped home to get some stuff and update the blog for you guys. I went to see Alfie this morning and heard that he'd had a really good night, in fact he was still asleep. He continues to progress and do the things that "normal" babies do. As he stopped breathing he is being monitored for the effects of oxygen starvation (nothing causes concern yet!) as there is a risk of brain damage. The hospital are running a research program into the effects of "cooling" on preventing or lessening damage after an "assult" (their term not ours!) ... it works for adults apparently... so we've signed him up and luckily he was placed in the "Cooling Group" rather than the do nothing out of the ordinary "Control Group." He'll now spend 3 days chilling out at 33 degrees.

Mum had a good nights sleep ... as did I on a matress on the floor... at the hospital . She is very sore this morning and continues to have a fluid drip and other wires attached... other than that she is a very positive and proud parent.

(I'm back at the hospital now... I'll update with any news as it happens...)

Alfie Jack... the little fighter

If yesterday is anything to go by we have learnt two important things nothing in life seems to quite turn out like you want it to and birthing plans aren't worth the paper they are written on.

Beth's waters broke at home on Wednesday (this was a trickle... the Tsunami flood came later!) We went into hospital expecting to be sent home again. However labour was in motion and Beth soon settled into a nice pattern of contractions refusing gas and air. As the afternoon became night and Beth became more and more pickled (she was in the bath!) delivery seemed only moments away, there was lots of activity people running here and there... 15 hours later Beth was still pushing. This was the most heart breaking 15 hours of my life watching Beth go through it, I can only guess what it must have been like for her. I had to beg her to get some pain relief, she really is one in a million.

Come Thursday afternoon and after more pushes Alfie started to show signs of distress and so we were rushed to what we thought would be a routine Cesar section. They wanted to try a normal birth more more time so they used forceps to ease him out. It was during this that Alfie stopped breathing. After delivery a lifeless Alfie was rushed to the side and resuscitated, while he had a strong heartbeat throughout he did not take his first breath until 8 Min's after birth. He was then rushed to intensive care where he was ventilated.

We then went back to the ward so that Beth could recover, she had really been through it. As the evening progressed we started to learn of Alfie's recovery and were soon taken to the SCBU unit to see him. He had recovered nicely and was breathing well for himself.

Although it is very early days at the moment, (the next 48 hours are fairly critical) the signs are very promising. What a fighter ... and at 9lb 10oz he's certainly in the heavy weight division!

I'm not a particularly religious person but pray, hope, keep your fingers crossed do what ever you have to do....

Due Date +7

Spent four hours at the Hospital this morning for routine appointment.... now on way back to Hospital with blue lights on the top of our car! Keep watching.... :0)

Due Date +6

Arggghhhh we're sooooo ready for this baby to the point that I have to redecorate the Nursery on Wednesday, with green and yellow paint! Still hospital in the morning and so hopefully some news at least!

While we've been waiting we've tried out some of the old wives tales that you've been sending, hence the curry, foot massage, pineapple eating and other things not suitable to post pictures of on a family site. After our scientific tests we conclude that none of these things work! We'll try anything... although we can't manage a suggestion of "jump off the fourth step!" (not the third or the fifth - it was very specific!) as we don't have steps! :0)

Due Date +5

Want to know what's doing down under today? ....

View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | All Reference | the Web

	Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus - Cite This Source
Main Entry:	nothing
Part of Speech:	noun
Definition:	emptiness
Synonyms:	blank, diddly, no thing, not anything, nothingness, nought, zero, zilch, zip,
Source:	Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.3.1) Copyright © 2007 by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

We'll be back tomorrow with news on all the "Bring on Birth" suggestions we've been sent! :0)

Due Date +4

Nope still nout happening.

So time for a competition to pass the time. Here you see two pictures one of Beth and one of a Robin. The question is Which one is the skinny legged bird with the large red stomach, which is Erithacus Rebecula (The European Robin)? Answers on a postcard to "Beth looks like a Robin Competition" Hillsborough NSW 2290. Entries close on day of baby's birth! :0)

Due Date +3

Nope still nothing doing...... We had a lovely evening out with some hot chips (chips!.. chips are crisps here! confusing!) down at the beach and a night at the cinema (might be our last for a while!) while there is still just the two of us!

Due Date +2

Still nothing doing down under although Beth is starting to behave strangely. She has spent all evening sat at a sewing machine making sheets for the cot!... this isn't typical Beth behaviour so maybe this "nest building" activity suggests something is about to happen!?!?

Anyone got good ideas for bringing on the baby? We've done the curry thing and the OTHER thing with no result... someone has suggested a pineapple but didn't give us enough information about what to do with it to give it a go! :0)

So who's still in the guess the due date running?

Thought I'd have a look to see who's still in with a chance of winning the guess the due date competition!

Im out as is, Beth, Heidi, Auntie Sharron, Cousins Liam and Joel and Grandma Jean,

Helen Saturday/Sunday 28th 29th April (Cheats!)
The Trimms Tuesday 1st May
Mel Wednesday 2nd May
Sian n Annie Thursday 3rd May
Lloyd n Lou Saturday 5th May
Gary Sunday 6th May
Donna Monday 7th May

Is it significant that (with the exception of Heidi) the people who have spent most time with Beth over the last five months all wished/hoped that this would all be over by now!?!?! :0)

Due Date +1

Goes to check...
.
.
.
.
Nope Beth still not giving me the tell tell signs (that my training states that I need to look for, being:)

1. Sweating
2. Panting
3. Swearing
4. Threats of physical violence
5. Actual physical violence.

.. to suggest the baby is about to arrive anytime soon. My predicted date of birth has passed as has Beths! We went for our weekly check up today and everything is still going along really nicely, baby is just a little reluctant to get its head down and find its way out. So its more waiting until we go to the Hospital next week for another appointment.

I think Beth is wanting to get an earlier appointment if you know what I mean!

Fed up with the weather...

While you lot bask in Easter sunshine (Yeah... yeah... we've heard all about it!) spare a thought for your antipodeian chums struggling to stay afloat during the heaviest rain to fall in five years! (all on the coast... hardly any inland where we really need it! Fruit is becoming more expensive due to drought.... I for one am concerned about rising grape prices!!!!) The rising tide kept us in the house most of day as the garden dissapeared under inches of water.

The (newly oiled - had to get that in somewhere!) deck coped with no problems & so if/when I build the ark (planned if rain continues!) I'll be sure to give it a good coat! :0)

Baby update.... What's Doing Down Under! - Nothing!

Many of you will be tuning in today knowing that Beth is now due... yes today's the day Wednesday the 25th April 2007... we'll the news is ....there is no news. To use the title of the blog ... Nothing is Doing Down Under! :0)

mmmmm scratching head & thinking out loud..... maybe baby hasn't factored in the time difference as we have jumped ahead 11 hours on the way here and will be delivered (by a stork - that's how it happens isn't it?) on Thursday!

(not so) Beautiful game ....

First game of the season today, must have been pushing 30 degrees and we lost 7-1 at home... (Matt got the single goal with a penalty!) not much of a game when you consider I was supposed to be defending! ... I'm sick as a parrot! :0)

...slash and burn!

Nope... not baby action just more household tasks! We decided to burn about half of the debris left behind after I'd been in the garden with the tree saw. Was quite nice sitting out there together having a chat... kinda reminded us of our camping trips last summer! We looked up at the night sky and saw lots of Fruit Bats off on their night feed (they're huge 2ft+ wingspans!), most of them live at a big nature reserve about a mile away. We've also seen an owl out in the garden on a couple of nights which has been exciting, Beth has named him Tony.... because he is a "Tony Owl!"... honestly I ask you!

The waiting game....

Nothing doing on the baby front (so more pictures of us doing household chores!!!!!!)(congratulations Gav and Faye.... you beat us to it!) in fact the Doctor says that he/she has yet to engage so maybe we're all in for a bit of a wait...

... still we're not being left to sit back and wait due to Beths now "infamous" jobs lists. Poor old John and Jean landed less than a week ago and have been subjected to the poorest of treatment and unacceptable working conditions, Matt her brother is now too affraid to come around being scared he'll be taken a DIY hostage and I'm juggling a full time job while doing a bit of writing for the Hamilton Trust. As I type this I can hear scrubbling from the bathroom (Jean and the floor rather than her back!) and drilling from underneath our bed, I'll help John out in a mo!!!!

We're making the best of the Autumn weather to get jobs done around the garden, the grass has been cut with the new mower, gates removed, huge stones laid to make stepping stones, deck painted so that all traces of the party have now been removed, garden cleared (I now have a tab and I'm on first name terms at the Recycling Centre!)

Beth is still getting around and dissapearing on mammouth shoppping trips to baby shops, I was (un)lucky enough to tag along on one (four and a half hours - three shops). The selection of strollers is bewildering and I think we genuinely spent less time looking at cars... there is little difference in price! Jean and John kindly bought the stroller for us and we love it, Beth is pictured with the first six months set up, with a push of a button it (yeah right!) will later be transformed into something else.

Right better go.... jobs to do!

Treemendous...

The path of destruction caused by the now (in)famous 40p tree saw continues. I was up on the roof removing the nuts and cutting down the dead branches from the palm that have filled up the gutters before hopping down to remove a branch that was dangerously hanging over on to council land. To be honest it was pretty dead and didn't need much cutting. Matt managed to remove several branches by pulling on them.

I think that's about it on the tree pruning although the neighbours saying that they are happy to let me cut down some of their overhanging branches has had my sawing hand itching to have a go.

Roll up Roll up ... it's the guess the baby's __________ competition.

Right as we reach the "business" end of the pregnancy we inevitably start predicting what and when things might happen.

So we want to hear from you your predicted...

1, Baby gender.
2, Baby weight.
3, Date of Birth (Due on 25th!!)
4, Baby name.

You can leave your predictions by clicking on "# Comments" below & entering your predictions. Remember to click on "other" and type in your name!

No big money prizes just the opportunity to say "I told you so!" for the winner! Beth & I'll kick things off... although no clues on the name!

Baby Shower...

Not sure what I'm supposed to be writing here as I'm seeing the pictures for the first time myself! This was Beth's Baby Shower which is something of an Australian tradition it would seem. Thanks to Sharron for all the organisation and for getting all the girls (and babies together!) I know that Beth really enjoyed it and came home weighed down with goodies for the Baby which are very much appreciated..... while on the subject of the baby no news yet although she has had the odd twinge or two. I'll update when anything happens.

Guest Room Miracle... Before and After

Nursery Complete... baby required!

After a week of being trapped inside a wardrobe inhaling paint fumes, getting my head splattered painting the ceiling (wipe clean top of head came in useful!) & balancing up ladders the Nursery is now finished. Matt was a complete star fixing the inside & fitting rails to hang the littluns clothes.

All we need now is the baby.... (Although he/she will be in with us for a few months!)

There was also progress on the wardrobe restored by Beth which now stands proudly in our room which will become the guest room in the long term... the guest room in the short term (as of Friday) now actually looks like a room complete with bed & storage space. All that's need now are the finishing touches chocolate on pillow, towels, robes and complementary bowl of fruit!

Unwelcome guest

No not Jean or John... (Beth's mum and dad) who arrive on Friday! I was up working at Silly O'clock when I heard something scurrying around the laundry. There was a Mouse loose about the House!I managed to trap him (using masking tape to seal the gaps in the door!)in there until the morning. He then went nuts in there for the rest of the night. When Beth went in to put a wash on she found him trapped in the sink!! We both felt bad killing it so we put him (or her .... didn't get a really good look at it!!!)in a box and released it at the end of the garden.

Popular opinion says that as we didn't kill it it'll be back... and maybe come with a few mates! Still if you're reading this mouse you had your chance, we've now got the traps and we're not afraid to use them! PS Watch out for the cat next door!

Splitty Resto

We bought this wardrobe from a couple of interesting chaps, who lived together above an interesting bar down town on ebay. We need extra storage space and with Beth's mum and dad arriving on Friday we need to move some of our clothes into our own bedroom. So far they have been stored in the spare room (or the bed!!! See post below!) They seem to be pretty old with bags of character and sixteen layers of varnish! Beth and I have spent the last couple of days (when not slashing and burning in the garden or painting!) sanding. We think that they are about ready for some beeswax & carrying in so that we can put some of the clothes we brought over away. We are starting to think that some of the clothes we have will need to go... but we're giving it a year to see what we need. I don't need a year to know that Beth doesn't need that many pairs of flip flops! :0)

Start Choppin...

You may remember that Beth bought me a 40p Tree Saw about a month ago. It's getting good use at the moment as we start to cut some of the dead (and unwanted) branches away from the trees ready for the Winter. In chatting with the neighbour we discovered that during the last storm the electricity company was called to remove branches from the trees in our garden that were causing the power cable to spark! We've now removed quite a lot of branches and cut them up, I told the neighbour that I was cuttting down trees for wood before the first snow came, he just looked confused!

There is a very large tree (the bulk of which hangs over into the road and is dead!) which needs to come down, but think that a chainsaw hire might be in order!

Guest Room Progress

As with any DIY it takes longer than you think... !!! Beth and I have spent all of the Easter weekend preparing for our arrivals at the end of this week and the baby penciled in for an unknown date later this month.

The baby's room is coming along nicely, JUST a couple more doors to paint then the ceiling and walls... still I've got three weeks to finish it!



More of a concern now is the second bedroom needed on Friday! Eagle eyed blog watchers will spot a bed in the picture below...

The penultimate Bumpwatch

So this is the second to last Bumpwatch as we're now at 38 weeks. At the moment we have to go to the doctors every week until the baby comes along which we are told could be ANY time!! Beth is still doing really well but getting a little uncomfortable at times and won't sit still and rest (which I'm told is a sign that baby is on the way!)

We have discussed names and thought we had it cracked the other night but the more we say the combination of first and second names the more we go off it!... It's hard being teachers as some names are tainted, there is also the fact that some of you got to the good names before we did! :0)

Pitter Patter of Tiny Feet...

... no not ours yet! But getting closer...

There have been some expected arrivals over the last couple of weeks though as our friends Matt and Kate, and Brett and Kel welcomed their babies in to the world.

Somewhat unexpectedly Matt and Kate (they knew they were having a baby but it just came before Brett and Kels!) became proud parents on the 28th March at 2:25am. Bejamin Snow aBeckett weighed in at 3.1kg and measured up at 50cm.

Elliott Finn Graham eventually emerged into the world at 2:39 am on the 3rd April. He weighed in at 3.63kg and 51 cm. He was obviously very comfortable as he needed some persuasion to come out after overstaying his welcome by two weeks. Well worth the wait though Brett and Kel?

We should have some good news of our own before the end of THIS month!

Club Tropicana...

So that was it, the warning letters had been sent to all neighbours and club Tropicana was open for business on Saturday night. I know that it's now Monday but its been the first time I've been able to sit upright without feeling ill! Yes George was right "Club Tropicana drinks are free...." - they were! "Fun and Sunshine...." - there was fun to be had and the weather was kind! "... there's enough for everyone!" - now I had always assumed he was referring back to the fun and sunshine bit but I now realise that he is referring to the Free drinks and after jelly shots, some rum slush, Jim Beam and Coke .. oh and beer it was more than enough for everyone let alone myself! No one to blame but myself... ended up feeling poorly & talking gibberish (So most people would have noticed no change!)

Anyway back to the party, Matt, Sharron, Beth and I spent most of the day setting up finishing only in time to welcome the first guests. The hired friends arrived (everyone who came is a friend of the Walkers!) and introduced themselves, most of which we had never met before. I gave them a bit of the old DJ Pauly treatment while Beth got the Pregnant Limbo competition into full swing. Non pregnant participants had to carry a cushion up their shirts just to make it fair! As the party progressed we met more and more people, Kel and Brett turned up (Kel now two weeks overdue... baby being encouraged to come out today. Think Brett stole the show with his pineapple head creation!) and some of the neighbours came across (Beth tells me that by this time I was talking to them about Des from Neighbours (remember him?) and how he eventually married the stripper from his stag night!!!!!!)

As the weather has turned a little cooler over the last couple of weeks we lit a couple of fires and tossed on the ole' firelogs. We soon discovered that the Aussie firelog doesn't have the same staying power of the English firelog used so often to keep warm in a field somewhere last Summer! Les and Matt rushed off to collect more wood and returned with huge pieces which they started to cut up using a circular saw (Machinery should not be used under the influence of Alcohol!!! Don't try this at home... anyway what must the neighbours have thought "Strewth... They we're playing music til all hours then the Pommies starting cuttin up wood!" In my condition I stayed well clear and as a result I still have all my fingers which have enabled me to type this! Towards the end of the night Les fired up the BBQ and got the snags (sausages!) sizzlin, again I think I missed out on more food which didn't help...

The last guests drifted off into the night around 2:30am.

A good time was had by all... but boy did I pay for it!