The Squishy has landed!
Got a text from DB this morning announcing Annie-Bear had gone into labor. I stood in my bedroom flailing and generally not wanting to go to work. They went down to Durham hospital and sent the odd update whenever they could but sometime just after 3pm I think things got a bit hairy. Annie-Bear is allergic to several things, most notably penicillin. I think she got as far as she could on gas and air (which was apparently a lot further than most according to the nurses) but there wasn't much else she'd be allowed. Just as the anesthetist decided to wander down and have a go at an epidural one of the nurses noticed the Squishy's heartbeat had slowed down, calmly moved DB over to one side and then smacked the alarm button.
Turns out Squishy had the umbilical cord wrapped round his neck so Annie-Bear got whisked off for an emergency c-sec. DB wasn't allowed in the room but was told that someone would be along to let him know everything was fine in about fifteen minutes. Forty-five minutes later he still didn't know what was going on and was absolutely papping himself. One of the nurses kept giving him coffee because he'd gone white as a sheet and she didn't want him passing out on the floor - he's a big lad.
It was Squishy himself who let his dad know he was okay by letting out an almighty wail as soon as they'd taken the breathing apparatus off him. A little boy, 7lbs 14oz and, according to DB, "tall as fuck" (almost the same length as the incubator they popped him in). The cord was round his neck for about 8 minutes but a test on his blood oxygen showed there shouldn't have been any brain damage. Annie-Bear got a bit of feeding/bonding time but was too weak to really lift him herself and was understandably a bit drugged up and weepy. Elmo's convinced that Annie will be really upset about not giving birth naturally once she sobers up, but I'm choosing to be happy for Annie because this way she won't have had her nethers reduced to a wizard's sleeve!
DB got sent home around 8pm and rang me and Elmo just after 10 (he still sounded wired from all the coffee and adrenaline, bless him). He kept describing his son as "gorgeous" and just sounded so proud and grateful, me and Elmo were huddled over the speakerphone both grinning ear-to-ear. DB even seemed immensely proud of the fact that Squishy waited until he had been dressed in his first outfit to then take his first dump which was some great vile outpouring that went everywhere, including on top of his own head somehow. That seemed to amuse him to the point where he didn't cry anymore and was happy to pass out for the evening. And I'm told Squishy and Annie-Bear have the same snore. They're like a stereo set.
Annie-bear and the Squishy should be allowed home around Saturday lunchtime so DB gave us the visiting times for tomorrow and demanded our presence as soon as possible. Elmo's off work and I could bike over on the way home but I'd rather let mamma and baby get the official declaration of good health & get settled in back at their flat before I see them and commence with all the high-pitched squealing and happy-hamster dancing. DB said they've settled on a middle and surname (a stepfather's first name & grandfather's surname). They're down to two possible first names but DB's waiting until Annie's recovered before they start debating that again. Either way, I'll be calling the kid "Squishy" until he's 40! Elmo was a bit disappointed that it wasn't a girl but is adamant she'll still be dressing the little barbarian up as a princess whenever it's her turn to babysit...
I got myself a bit muddled about what days I'm working, and have possibly managed to wangle every weekend in March off, I'm just not sure yet. Praying that I haven't muddled anything so I've got the full day and I'm not half-asleep from starting a weekend shift at stupid-o-clock. The pressies from ThinkGeek arrived on Tuesday (& unlike Spider's TaunTaun sleeping bag there was no import tax - yay!) and I can't wait to bring them round! The little 'Bazinga' onesie was for 12 months + but by the sounds of it Squishy will be big enough by end of summer!
OK, I have to sleep now. *continues to emit low-frequency squee throughout the night*
Turns out Squishy had the umbilical cord wrapped round his neck so Annie-Bear got whisked off for an emergency c-sec. DB wasn't allowed in the room but was told that someone would be along to let him know everything was fine in about fifteen minutes. Forty-five minutes later he still didn't know what was going on and was absolutely papping himself. One of the nurses kept giving him coffee because he'd gone white as a sheet and she didn't want him passing out on the floor - he's a big lad.
It was Squishy himself who let his dad know he was okay by letting out an almighty wail as soon as they'd taken the breathing apparatus off him. A little boy, 7lbs 14oz and, according to DB, "tall as fuck" (almost the same length as the incubator they popped him in). The cord was round his neck for about 8 minutes but a test on his blood oxygen showed there shouldn't have been any brain damage. Annie-Bear got a bit of feeding/bonding time but was too weak to really lift him herself and was understandably a bit drugged up and weepy. Elmo's convinced that Annie will be really upset about not giving birth naturally once she sobers up, but I'm choosing to be happy for Annie because this way she won't have had her nethers reduced to a wizard's sleeve!
DB got sent home around 8pm and rang me and Elmo just after 10 (he still sounded wired from all the coffee and adrenaline, bless him). He kept describing his son as "gorgeous" and just sounded so proud and grateful, me and Elmo were huddled over the speakerphone both grinning ear-to-ear. DB even seemed immensely proud of the fact that Squishy waited until he had been dressed in his first outfit to then take his first dump which was some great vile outpouring that went everywhere, including on top of his own head somehow. That seemed to amuse him to the point where he didn't cry anymore and was happy to pass out for the evening. And I'm told Squishy and Annie-Bear have the same snore. They're like a stereo set.
Annie-bear and the Squishy should be allowed home around Saturday lunchtime so DB gave us the visiting times for tomorrow and demanded our presence as soon as possible. Elmo's off work and I could bike over on the way home but I'd rather let mamma and baby get the official declaration of good health & get settled in back at their flat before I see them and commence with all the high-pitched squealing and happy-hamster dancing. DB said they've settled on a middle and surname (a stepfather's first name & grandfather's surname). They're down to two possible first names but DB's waiting until Annie's recovered before they start debating that again. Either way, I'll be calling the kid "Squishy" until he's 40! Elmo was a bit disappointed that it wasn't a girl but is adamant she'll still be dressing the little barbarian up as a princess whenever it's her turn to babysit...
I got myself a bit muddled about what days I'm working, and have possibly managed to wangle every weekend in March off, I'm just not sure yet. Praying that I haven't muddled anything so I've got the full day and I'm not half-asleep from starting a weekend shift at stupid-o-clock. The pressies from ThinkGeek arrived on Tuesday (& unlike Spider's TaunTaun sleeping bag there was no import tax - yay!) and I can't wait to bring them round! The little 'Bazinga' onesie was for 12 months + but by the sounds of it Squishy will be big enough by end of summer!
OK, I have to sleep now. *continues to emit low-frequency squee throughout the night*