Diary of an Expectant Father (Post script)

Back in September I completed my trilogy of tales from our first pregnancy. Mini Me 1 was 7 that month and i thought it was fitting to complete the story on her birthday.

Of course, the story didn't end there.Otherwise she would just be Mini Me, not Mini Me 1. Obviously there was Mini Me 2 to come and it wouldn't be fair for me not to tell you the story of his arrival. In fact I promised didn't I. Luckily, his story was one of much fewer complications and can fit neatly in one post to celebrate his 5th Birthday.

We do have to start the tale about 5 years and 9 months ago. On the 26th May 2005 I joined around 3/4 million others on the streets of Liverpool to celebrate the 5th coming of old big ears. Now I'm not saying that Mrs Sand I celebrated in any way that was unbecoming but put that date in the NHS Due Date Calculator. Coincidence?

Obviously it was a couple of weeks until we were celebrating the news that Mini Me was going to become Mini Me 1. Learning from our previous experience we managed to do the test together this time. That is something that will stay with me forever. Not just watching the two lines appear as if by magic, but also the sound of ... never mind. That's just to much information to share.

This time did we decided to not tell anyone until we had been to the doctor for official confirmation. Of course not. Mrs S had been sent home with £10 from her company's petty cash account to go and buy a testing kit because she had shown all the symptoms, so we had to pay the £10 back the next day. that meant that we had to tell them the result the next day which of course lead to another frantic chase around Merseyside to make sure close family and friends knew before anyone at work.

Before we went for the dating scan we were told that the due date was about March 2nd which is what we had already aproximated it to. March 2nd was already a significant, and expensive, date in our family as Mrs S has a twin sister and brother who's birthday is 2nd March. This date just seemed right all along and when the scan confirmed this as the due date we were delighted. of course, we knew that there was a very low chance of baby actually being born on the due date.

As Mrs S had a history of high blood pressure during her first pregnancy, this was closely monitored over the coming months and once again caused some concern. Mrs S had had a problem a few days after Mini Me 1 had come home from the hospital when she was born. She had had en epileptic fit and was taken back into hospital overnight (that is a separate post on its own). So monitoring tehhe blood pressure for signs of pre-eclampsia was of paramount importance.

It was decided that in the best interests of everybody's health (if not wealth) that if baby hadn't arrived natuarally by the due date, then it would be delivered by another C Section. this was fine for us. We were still convinced that baby would turn up a week or so early. The planned C Section was booked in for, yes, you've guessed it, 2nd March. We had to turn up at the newly built maternity unit at 8.30 IN THE MORNING.... I KNOW.

The day dawned and unlike with Mini Me 1, we knew that today was the day we were going to meet our new baby. After leaving Mini Me 1 with Grandma, we went to the unit and taken to a ward where there were two other couples waiting a similar wait. I completely expected to be taken in last and also expected to have to wait for at least two emergencies before our waiting was over.

The first couple went down about 9.30 am and we stayed in the waiting ward all dressed down and ready to go. Then, aroud 11.30am, the midwife came back into the ward and called our name. We were not going to be last in the queue after all.In fact, it was going much quicker than expected. We were taken to the theatre at around 11.45 and less than 5minutes later Mini Me 2 could be heard letting his lungs get used to the sweetness that breathing brings. It obviously came as a bit of a shock to him. He peeped at us above the carefully placed screen so that we could get a first glimpse of his wrinkled nose and pug like features. Mrs S started to cry (it was the drugs, honest) and asked me what I wanted to call her.

I gently informed her that she was, in fact a he and we gave him the name that we had struggled to come up with. We had girls names that we liked coming out of our ears but could we gat a boys name that we could agree on? Then one day as I was going to work, I heard our local radio presenter give a birthday mention and I instantly knew that if we had a boy, that would be his name. Mrs S was in complete agreement luckily.

Once again I was lucky enough to be able to hold the baby as soon as he had beendressed and tidied up a bit. All the fingers and toes were accounted for and he was a much bigger baby than Mini Me 1 as well. After the lengthy process of zipping Mrs S back up, we were taken to a recovery bay. Up until then, the new hospital had been a much more pleasant experience than the old one (which wasn't that bad) but the recovery bay was just about wide enough for the bed and someone to stand next to the bed. Not enough room for a chair and we were unsure where all the overnight posessions had gone. They were soon brought to us but had to be stored at the end of the bed, creating a trip hazzard outside the operating theatre.

The delivery suites were very close as well. But I only had ears for my two stars. Mini Me 2 was immediately hungry and did well (as did mum) to take some food straight away, a trait he retains to this day.

As soon as was practical I headed outside to make the phone calls. The one thing about being the dad is you get to be the one who phones everyone to tell them the good news. Of course I didn't wait to use the phone, I was telling anyone who would listen all the way down corridor, such was my pride.

My first call was to Mini Me 1 to tell her that she had a little brother to look after and love. she was so delighted and all of a sudden I realised how much I had missed her being there with us. Grandparents were delighted of course. My dad was returning from a coach holiday and I caught him on a scheduled service stop. The twins were delighted at their sixteenth birthday present. A new nephew. As was their youngest siste who wears the biggest smile in the world.

Mini Me 1 was ushered into the hospital to meet her sibling within an hour and of course there was a stream of visits from grandparents, future godparents and of course staff.

Previously, I have told you how snow always seems to turn up at significant moments in my life and this was no exception. Mini Me 1 and I were making snowmen in the grounds of the hospital while Mini Me 2 and mummy were getting acquainted.

Mini Me 2 was born on the Thursday. On the Sunday he came home and was showered with love and affection. And he's been the same ever since.

Five years on and I still have fond memories of the day. There is less drama in this story. He's provided us with plenty since then. Hospital hasn't been a starnger to us. But every day I count my blessings at how lucky Mrs S and I have been to have two beautiful children and have never had the pain of severe complications with the birth process.

Now I'm off to go and meet him from school and take him to the park.