Well done Judecatmad and Dave ... Welcome to James

**Edbear** · 16th January 2008, 16:05

Awwww! Ain't he cute! Congratulations! Like many here have said it brings back memories! All the best!

**Hawkeye** · 16th January 2008, 16:50

Congrats on the new arrival Jude (and Dave).
Do they do leathers for newborns?

**judecatmad** · 17th January 2008, 21:15

Thanks guys, for all your well wishes

Am just logging on briefly at the hospital (techno-whizz hubby set me up so I could log on through the old cellphone which is why this is a BRIEF log on! LOL).

I'm doing really well. All the nurses are amazed that I'm up and about and asking for minimal help. The downside of that is that I think they think I'm in less pain than I am and they're a bit reluctant to dole out the pain relief exactly on the 4 hours!!!

James is still in Special Care Baby Unit. He's off the CPAP machine now but is refusing to feed, so he's now got himself a naso-gastric tube! He's healthy enough, just lazy, LOL. Sleeps LOTS too!!! I'm sure that will all change.....

He is, of course, as you can see from the photos, THE most gorgeous baby boy anyone has ever produced in the whole history of babydom - and I say that without a BIT of bias

They're looking after me so well here. I'm very lucky. Nothing is too much trouble and everyone is so kind. I am looking forward to getting home tho.

There's some more photos going on our website tonight if anyone wants to take a look (are ya bored yet?? Oh, there's going to be LOTS more, and some video at some point! LOL).

Thanks Nasty for posting the announcement and thanks again to everyone for your well wishes. Hope to catch up with many of you soon

**judecatmad** · 21st January 2008, 19:41

Am home now!!! So weird being home with a baby in tow. It's like life continues as normal, but not quite 'normal' ever again!

Will post a couple of pics as soon as I have time to fiddle around with file sizes....could be his 18th birthday at this rate, LOL!!!

**Lissa** · 22nd January 2008, 11:14

Originally Posted by judecatmad

Am home now!!! So weird being home with a baby in tow. It's like life continues as normal, but not quite 'normal' ever again!

Will post a couple of pics as soon as I have time to fiddle around with file sizes....could be his 18th birthday at this rate, LOL!!!

Yay! Enjoy him Jude because before you know it he will be on the move (crawling, rolling etc) then you really have to have your eyes on him all the time. Take it easy, and dont do too much for a little while, just enjoy him.

**James Deuce** · 22nd January 2008, 11:22

Good point Lissa. Someone should also say that there's no manual, there are other people all around you who have done it before and they are all happy to help. Just pull the bits out of their advice on what "works" and apply it in a way that works for you.

It's difficult to make bad decisions too. You'll make mistakes, but so what? If you make him cry because you folded his arm bckwards putting it into his sleeve, he's not crying because he hates you, he's crying because it hurt and he wants you to fix it.

Babies only cry for three reasons.

1. Food.
2. Nappy change.
3. Attention.

You'll figure out what each cry means, if you haven't done so already. Try all three in the above order if he won't stop. Sometimes they want all three at the same time.

Dave will cry from time to time too, but it sounds like loud, shouty, rude words. Don't worry. he's not unhappy with his relationship with you, he's just pissed that he isn't number 1 anymore. Not that he ever was, but most chicks are clever enough not to say that out loud.

Hope it's all going well.

If Dave gives you a hard time at any point, send him out for takeaways & beer. It used to work with me.

**007XX** · 22nd January 2008, 11:32

Originally Posted by Lissa

Yay! Enjoy him Jude because before you know it he will be on the move (crawling, rolling etc) then you really have to have your eyes on him all the time. Take it easy, and dont do too much for a little while, just enjoy him.

Yep, Lissa's dead right... Also, don't turn away any help offered and try to get as much sleep as you can when the opportunity is given to you.

So good to know you're happy and well Jude.

**Kendog** · 22nd January 2008, 11:33

Congrats JCM.

Originally Posted by Jim2

If Dave gives you a hard time at any point, send him out for takeaways & beer. It used to work with me.

That works for me too and we don't have kids.

**jrandom** · 22nd January 2008, 11:33

Originally Posted by Jim2

Babies only cry for three reasons.

1. Food.
2. Nappy change.
3. Attention.

Yes, that's a very important thing to remember.

I lost count of the number of times I'd be scratching my head over one of the kids bawling their eyes out in their cot, and then suddenly twig to the fact that I hadn't checked a nappy recently, or that sticking a full bottle in their face might be a smart idea.

On the whole, babies are annoying little pains in the arse. They're basically food-processing meatballs whose thought processes, as far as I've ever been able to model them, consist of a small, continuous buzzing sound between the ears. Looking after a baby is just the price you have to pay for the wonderfully rewarding experience of having your own children as they grow up into real human beings.

I like to think of raising babies as a longer-term version of listening patiently to a wife or girlfriend's pointless emotional instability so that you can get a shag later on.

This book is wonderful. The girl in it is four months older than my daughter, and I was reading the entries week by week as the author posted them on his website (they were taken off the web prior to the book being printed - he was one of those bloggers who gets an unexpected publishing offer).

**crashe** · 22nd January 2008, 11:42

Originally Posted by judecatmad

Am home now!!! So weird being home with a baby in tow. It's like life continues as normal, but not quite 'normal' ever again!

Will post a couple of pics as soon as I have time to fiddle around with file sizes....could be his 18th birthday at this rate, LOL!!!

We all look forward to the hundreds and thousand pictures that every new mummy and daddy takes of the new baby......

Oh and YES the nine months are now up...... time to change it now..
see new mummies have the memory loss thing happening...

Enjoy the special time, as they do grow up fast.... all of a sudden they are off to school.......and its like where the hell did those last five years go.

Rest as much as you can....... turn off the ph, lock the door, put a sign up on the front door 'mummy and baby asleep' when ever the little one has his sleep. That stops people banging on your door when you are resting.

**Trudes** · 22nd January 2008, 18:43

Hey Jude, give me a yell if ya need a nanny!!

(then again, you know me, so you probably wouldn't want me looking after James!)

**apteryx_haasti** · 22nd January 2008, 18:44

Hi Jude and Dave and welcome James!

Good to hear that you're all home - now for the fun part!

Hopefully we can catch up sometime soon and I can meet the wee man in person.

All the best,

Fi

**judecatmad** · 26th January 2008, 10:24

Oh golly, where to start....?!! Apologies for the one big reply but I've tried to reply to posts several times over the last 2 days and each time I start individual replies, I'm needed again!

Originally Posted by Jim2

Someone should also say that there's no manual, there are other people all around you who have done it before and they are all happy to help.

Babies only cry for three reasons.

1. Food.
2. Nappy change.
3. Attention.

You'll figure out what each cry means

I am open to any and all advice and am willingly trying new stuff out to see what works! Having no family around makes it hard - having to figure it all out from scratch.

And nope, I have no idea what any of his cries mean yet - I must be the worlds worst mummy! Even Dave has figured out his 'I'm full of gas' face and cry, but mummy...nope, totally clueless I'm afraid!!! I definitely understand cats better than my own species!!

Originally Posted by 007XX

try to get as much sleep as you can when the opportunity is given to you.

So good to know you're happy and well Jude.

Sleep during the day is hard to come by - he's a hungry wee thing and is on almost hourly feeds most afternoons

Hopefully that will change....

And I am happy, yes. After 9 months of complete ambivalence, it's good to feel this way

I am quite scared about next week tho - it's Dave's first week back at work and my first week on my own, totally on my own. He's been a wonderful help all this week - cooking, washing, helping with nappy changes and burping - nervous how I'll go on my own, with no adult contact from 7 to 5 each day. I hope it will be OK.....

Originally Posted by jrandom

On the whole, babies are annoying little pains in the arse. They're basically food-processing meatballs whose thought processes, as far as I've ever been able to model them, consist of a small, continuous buzzing sound between the ears. Looking after a baby is just the price you have to pay for the wonderfully rewarding experience of having your own children as they grow up into real human beings.

Now you see, I've always loved babies - it's when they start to get a mind of their own and the ability to express it that I want to run scared! I hope I will find my own child easier to deal with that many of those seen on Supernanny!

Originally Posted by crashe

Oh and YES the nine months are now up...... time to change it now..

Thanks for the reminder!

Originally Posted by Mrs Kendog

Hey Jude, give me a yell if ya need a nanny!!

We need to talk.....

Originally Posted by apteryx_haasti

Hopefully we can catch up sometime soon and I can meet the wee man in person.

I can't drive for 4 weeks, so visitors need to come to me at the moment - but do come on over, we'd love to see you