Tuesday 31 July 2012

Still Team Yellow?

All the way through pregnancy number 1, we were team yellow. I you don't know what I'm talking about, it works like this:
Team Blue: You know it's a boy
Team Pink: You know it's a girl
Team Yellow: You chose not to find out.

When you go for a 20 weeks scan, the first thing the Sonographer asks you is if you want to find out the gender of the baby...anyway to make a long story longer, first time round we said no and heres an old post about the first time we made this decision;
http://first-time-daddy.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/team-yellow.html

This time round, we may give a different answer.

With Benjamin, it was great to have the surprise. You can never be UN-told so we decided to keep ourselves in the dark for that reason, and when he was born and we found out for the first time that cooking in there for 35 weeks had been a little baby boy, we realised it was worth the wait.

BUT, that was then.

Now, we have to make the same decision. on the 11th August we go for the 20 weeks scan and when we are asked that fateful question, I don't think we can resist saying yes.

We have good reasons.
It will make decorating so much easier. We are in the motions of moving, so it would be helpful to know.
We already have a boy, therefore if we are having a boy, we know we have most stuff, or if indeed its a girl, we can be prepared for that also.....by that i mean Christine can go buy some pretty dresses. (For the baby, not me.....I have my own).

So, what did you do? What do you think.

Do we stay team yellow, or remove the mystery and find out if we are team Blue or Pink>

Sunday 29 July 2012

Hello, is this thing on?

Well HELLO THERE!

It has actually been 12 days since my last confession but it feels like I last posted forever ago. I have been itching to blog, but everytime I sit down, time seems to excape me, or my mind draws a blank.

Anywhoo so much seems to have happened since I blogged last.

We had the shooting in th US at a Batman screening (Very sad, Very shocking although what do you expect when a country bans batman costumes but allows a legal weapon in a cinema?)
We've had the olympics begin (Loved the opening ceremony, was only spoiled by the Olympian parade and  Paul 'Show me the money' McCartney)
and last but not least, Benjiman is getting his 6th tooth.

Hopefully will post up some more blogs in the coming days, but I just wanted to say hi to those that have probably not even noticed I havent been about, I am indeed still here *waves*.

Take care all and thanks for reading.
FTD

Tuesday 17 July 2012

One year on.

Benjamin 17/07/11
I still cant quite believe it. A year ago today we were sat in the hospital. Still in shock at the imminent unexpected arrival of the little boy or girl we shouldn't be meeting for another 5 weeks. At 04:30 Christine's water had broken and at 08:00 we were sat in the hospital. We just kept looking at each other, the idea of becoming parents there and then, not quite sinking in.
Most know our history and some have read my birth story, if not, you can read it HERE.
It's been an amazing year. From the first smile, all the way to last Sunday when we had a little tea party with family and friends to celebrate the little mans first big day.
It was a low key affair. The menu consisted of Ham, cheese and egg mayo sandwiches. We had jelly and ice cream for desert and even a Caterpillar cake. 
Presents were given, fun was had and that poor caterpillar, didn't last long!

New toy!!
Another new toy!!!

Our plan for today is much like any other Tuesday. Sleep followed by play, followed by nap, followed by food, more fun, more nap, more food, EVEN more play then maybe more sleep. Even at 12 months, it's a hard life! Although today is of course special, and because of this we did a little toy shopping...Just a little bit.




Benjamin 17/07/12

In December, when we welcome baby No2, I hope we re-live the 17th July. It really could not have gone better. I have blabbed on and on about how amazing Christine was that day and if you knew her as well as I do, you'd know she gets man-flu worse than me, so for her to be as great as she was still surprises me and probably her! 

As always, thanks for reading
FTD

Friday 6 July 2012

Quarantine!

We get ill, it happens. Some people can go through their whole life and suffer nothing but a small dose of the common cold. Some people suffer from horrific diseases, but ether way it happens to us all eventually.

I also know most of us seem to start fairly young. Even before Benjamin came into our lives, we had friends who seemed to constantly taking their kids to the doctors or even A&E! Sometimes I would sit and think to myself how can these kids be so poorly all the time? Are the parents being over protective or am I not understanding the urgency?
I’m a typical guy when it comes to being ill. I don’t bother with a doctor. Unless something is broken, I know what I have will eventually bugger off and leave my immune system permanently damaged.

So today, was the first day we have needed to take BB to see the doctor for something specific. We have taken him to the baby clinic to be weighed and measured and question the odd thing here and there and we have asked about his funny shaped head till we are blue in the face, but today he was ill.

No vomit, no diarrhea just a rash. No pain, no tears, just a rash. My son, the heir to my throne, the apple of my eye, is 100% INFECTED!!


He has 'Hand, foot and mouth disease.
This is what the NHS has to say about it;
"Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common, mild illness caused by a type of virus called an enterovirus."
"The disease is very contagious (easily spread) and is common in children under 10 years of age."
My new nappy changing outfit
 "Generally, hand, foot and mouth disease is a mild and short-lasting illness. Treatment is usually not needed as the body's immune system clears the virus and symptoms go away after about 7 to 10 days."

So luckily, it doesn’t look too bad and either those other parents were being over protective, or as with many things, we have just been fortunate.

So for the next 5 days at least, we have to keep him under lock and key, away from any other little hands, feet and mouths...... although we may end up going stir crazy instead!


I’m going now, because since I starting typing this up, I have been itching like mad!

As always, thanks for reading.
FTD


Monday 2 July 2012

Got THE look?


Before any of you think I have finally cracked up and started yapping about fashion, I can assure you that is not the case. This dude will NEVER pretend to be fashionable.

THE Look
THE look I am referring to is a look, only a parent can have and most parents do! Not only do you have to be a parent to have THE look, THE look only works with the child of that parent. My mum had THE look, I know my Father-in-law has THE look and I'm slowly beginning to think I am perfecting THE look. 

They (Whoever "they" are), say action speak louder than words and this is why THE look is so effective. When Benjamin does something and he sees THE look, he knows to stop whatever mischievous thing he is doing.

THE Voice
I'm lucky, I don’t just have THE look, I have THE voice.
As some will know, I'm a fairly big guy and it's no surprise that most opera singers are also fatties like me. I can be very loud and scary when I want to be!

You can’t have a ying withojjut a yang, you can’t have an up without a down and you can’t have THE look without sometimes needing THE voice. When Benjamin is looking away from you, or he is simply too far away to clearly see THE look, I have to double up...The Voice then THE look...POW.


Over the years Batman has tried to perfect THE look!
Even Batman's utility belt is unable to hold such powerful tools!

So whets your favourite tool against mischevinesness? (Yes I just made that up)
Do you use THE look? 
Do you use THE voice?
Or do you use the good old threat/exchange? (If you don’t stop doing X, you won’t get Y)?


As always, Thanks for reading
FTD

PS: No doubt nobody has noticed, but changed the look of the blog recently, so any feedback would be welcomed.

Thanks