Welcome to Rabbits' Blog!

Hello! My name is Joseph Woodrow Stevens and this is my Blog. It's called Rabbits' Blog, because that was the name Mummy and Daddy gave me when I was still in Mummy's tummy. (Apparently Daddy's sister wanted to call my Daddy Rabbits when he was born!)

Anyway, Mummy and Daddy write stuff down here about me, 'cos they seem to think it's interesting. I just like all the pictures of me, 'cos I'm gorgeous! I hope you like what Mummy and Daddy have written here. Let them know if you do. They'd like to hear from you!

Lots of love and kisses!

Joseph xxx

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Slideshow - January '06

Joseph's first month on the planet.

posted by Craig @ 8:53 pm 0 comments

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Two weeks old already!

Wow, I think that has to be the longest two weeks I've ever experienced, and Joseph seems to have come such a long way. The good news is that he has made it back to his birth weight, so he's heading in the right direction! He's been having lots of Mum's milk, as well as some formula, and they've started enriching his food with vitamins and extra good stuff to make him big and strong.

There are three things that he has to achieve before he can come home with us: first, he has to be at least 35 weeks gesational age (which he achieved yesterday), second he has to be 4lbs in weight (some way to go yet), and third, he has to be having some sucking feeds (which he has started to make move towards already). So, all in all, our little lad is doing very well. He also seems to be very active mentally as well as physically, reacting to people, looking around him and what-not.

I've uploaded all the photos of Joseph so far to PhotoBox, so you can look at them and even buy prints if you should so desire. Just follow the link here: PhotoBox and all should be revealed. You may have to set up an account to buy anything, but it's free, and you could even get some free prints.

posted by Craig @ 10:39 am 0 comments

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Pictures!

Just a quick update - Joseph's doing brilliantly! In the first picture the tube (CPAP) going into his nose is just giving him a bit of help with his breathing. He was doing all the work himself, but the tube just pushes a little more air into his lungs to help keep them inflated.

That was yesterday - today, he's been able to come off the CPAP, and off of all the long lines and IVs that he was on. Em was able to give him a bath and change his nappy. She was just putting the new nappy on when he decided he needed another wee!

And here he is, our little blondie-bear (wonder where he got that from!)

Then Em got to have a cuddle before he was put into his incubator to keep him warm (I didn't because I've got a bit of a cold - boo!) It's so good that we can actually start to hold him and help look after him. It was kind of like having a really smart toy that you weren't able to play with, you could only look at it in its box! It's incredibly frustrating! Especially when you have a rotten cold!

posted by Craig @ 8:09 pm 0 comments

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Welcome to the world, Joseph Woodrow Stevens

Yes, after fooling us all for the last 33 weeks, Rabbits finally emerged into the world... as a boy! Joseph Woodrow was born today at 4.26pm by caesarian section, weighing 3lb 2Â½oz. He started to cry as soon as he came out of the womb, so we knew his lungs were working. He had to go straight down to neo natal, but not before he was shown to Em and me - and we both burst into tears!

He's been put into a headbox for the moment to give him a little bit more oxygen, but it's only set at about 26%, and he's doing all the breathing work himself. He was making this little snuffling, coughing noise when I went down to see him, but I was told that's just him trying to get some of the fluid out of his lungs. They may have to do a chest x-ray if it carries on, but I don't think there's much danger.

Em was very tired and emotional after it all, but that's hardly surprising seeing as she hadn't eaten since about 9pm yesterday, hadn't drunk anything since 10am today, and her scheduled 2pm section didn't happen until 4pm. The spinal worked perfectly and she was incredibly brave. She said it all felt weird, as she could feel a pressure, but no pain or anything. We heard the suction starting, and one nurse said "Oh, that's just the fluid surrounding the baby being drained off", and we realised that they had cut Em open!

I'm sure there's more to say, but I'm really tired at the moment, and probably still quite shocked at becoming a father! I have a son!

posted by Craig @ 11:29 pm 0 comments

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Rabbits has grown

I had another scan today and they tell me that Rabbits has grown some in the last 10 days so it has all been worth it. After all, the point of keeping her inside me was to allow her lungs to develop and for her to grow bigger. I was so happy when the lady told me that she had grown. The last ten days have not been easy to deal with emotionally or physically so it's good to know that I have helped her.

She is still small for her dates with most of her measurements the size for a 30 week babe and not 32 weeks. Her abdomen has not grown any but her legs have grown a whopping 12 mm so that they are now the correct length for a 34 week babe (guess she doesn't take after her Dad in that respect then!).

I'm not looking forward to Thursday in some respects but I will be glad when we get there. I really don't want to go through with the C-section but since there is no other choice then I'll just have to get on with it. I'll be relieved when Rabbits is out and I know that all is ok.

posted by Emma @ 10:12 pm 0 comments

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Panic!

So, yesterday afternoon, Em went in to have her blood pressure taken and have another CTG trace taken. The blood pressure was fine, but there was something about the trace that the scary Germanic midwife didn't like the look of, so they kept Em on for another ten minutes... and another ten minutes... and then another ten.... They then said that they wanted to do a really long trace and were going to move Em back down to the labour ward to do it. As this was going to be long and boring, Em sent me home to stick a couple of potatoes in the oven, the plan being that she would call me if she could come home, or else I would bring her jacket potato in to her.

As I had a couple of hours, I decided to do a bit more work in the back bedroom. I washed down the paintwork, and had just started touching up the bits of ceiling that needed a second coat, when Em called me surreptitiously on her mobile. After a bit of fumbling, she told me they didn't like the look of the trace (apparently it was all a bit flat and regular - there needs to be bits where the heart rate speeds up, especially when Rabbits moves, but there weren't many of them) and that they might be getting the baby out that night, so I didn't have time to wait for the jkacket potatoes!

I wolfed a peanut-butter and jam sandwich down with half a bottle of Yop, threw all the new baby stuff I'd bought earlier (possibly the most bewildering trip to Tesco I'd had in a long time - especially as I felt shit yesterday!) into a bag, called Em's mum (who immediately went into a huge panic) and dashed to the hospital. I found Em in the labour ward strapped up to the monitor and looking fairly fed up. The monitoring went on for an age, mostly with one poor midwife having to sit there holding the sensor in place to stop Rabbits moving away from it and fouling up the results.

A little while later the registrar came in and asked for another half-hour. Then the midwives changed over and the new one seemed a bit more concerned by the trace, and asked for the registrar to come in. Eventually he did, signed it off while the midwife was trying to explain that she wasn't happy, and left immediately. She obviously wasn't best pleased, and so kept Em on for another half hour!

Eventually everyone was satisfied, and took Em back up to the Mary Munnion ward for the night (after tea and lots of toast!), and will start the whole thing over again today. They're going to monitor her three times today, instead of the usual two, so she won't be home until this evening at the earliest.

It seems to me that everyone new who gets their hands on Em gets overly concerned, and, despite the fact that nothing has fundamentally changed for the past week, they want to try and sort it out once and for all! Which I suppose is a good thing, but as we've been through it all constantly, it's all getting a bit wearing. Em just wants to get through to Thursday as calmly as possible. That may mean she has to stay in until then, but I don't think she's overly bothered now - as long as I keep brining her in some good food!

Weird. In just over four days time, I'm going to be a father. Weird.

posted by Craig @ 9:12 am 0 comments

Friday, January 06, 2006

D-Day: Thursday 12th January

This morning a decision was finally made as to the birth of Rabbits. We had another scan to check the flow from the placenta (no change) and then we saw the Consultant. Rabbits is a decent size and still has plenty of fluid in there which is a good sign but they do not want to keep her in there indefinitely as this could change very suddenly. So the decision is for Rabbits to be delivered by section on Thursday afternoon barring any complications or mishaps before then.

I am absolutely terrified because an epidural and a section were the last things I wanted (epidural is safest for people with high BP) but at least we have a date now so that reduces the uncertainties of life.

I've been allowed home during the day as long as Craig is here with me. I still have to have bloods done every other day and i have to go in for monitoring in the morning and evening but as long as I can keep my diastolic BP (the bottom one) under 100 I am allowed home for the night. As the eternal pessimist I am fully expecting to have to stay in tonight.

Still, on the bright side, by this time next week I should be a Mum. Crikey!

posted by Emma @ 12:29 pm 0 comments