When the Cat's Asleep...

Heh heh...... now that Daddy's asleep where did he keep the keys to his motorbike?!

3 Generations

Grandma brought lunch today! Here is a 3 generation picture with Grandma, Son and Grandson. Ethan had just finished his own lunch, interrupted with some wind in the tummy and some fidgeting. We are holing ourselves indoors with the aircon on today cos the smog is awful. Rain rain come today and drive that forest-fire smoke away...

Father and Son

After Ethan's morning bath today, father and son had some special time just one to one. Ethan is sleeping well. After his big evening meal he knocks out for 4 hours at night. This is very considerate of him so that we can sleep relatively well...but we're still very tired!

First Encounters

Holding Ethan in his first few days was a new yet strangely familiar encounter. Although I had often wondered what it would be like meeting each other face to face for the first time, nothing could prepare me for his disarmingly beautiful eyes, his tiny fingers from which came an amazing depth of expression and the little sounds that often brought his Daddy to mind.

Yet in the midst of this exploration and my gingerly clumsy attempts to care for him, I felt a warm familiarity as I felt him moving in my arms -- movements, flutters and instinctive reflexes that I had been feeling inside me for the last 9 months... except now I could both see and feel them! These were the knees that throbbed against my upper belly and here the fingers that secretly tickled me during those long committee meetings...

Welcome to our world, Ethan -- I think you will be a source of joy and wonder to Mummy & Daddy for many years to come!

Venepuncture

Uh oh... Ethan is in the clinic for a regular visit. A bawling kid just left the room we're going into. It's called "Venepuncture Room". Ethan seems to think that the sign on that room doesn't sound too pleasant.

On the brighter side, Ethan slept really well last night. Ivan bottle-fed him with expressed milk at midnight (first time), then there was one wake at 4am until we all got up at 8am so we had a good rest with only one waking!

First Bath by Daddy

Oooh, Dad is giving Ethan his first bath at home! Amazingly, he didn't cry and seemed to like the warm water. Last night was tough (biggest and messiest nappy poo Ivan has ever seen) but quite good considering it was the first night home. We're slowly getting better at changes and cry-diagnoses. Ethan is so far a very good-natured baby!

Ethan's Own Bed

This is the very first time Ethan is home in his own bed. It looks so huge with tiny him inside. You can see the 18 Sep, Waiting for Ethan entry where the cot looks empty but tiny! Now he can actually fit width-wise without a problem. He's starting to gain weight already. For the baby-learners, it's normal for newborns to lose up to 10% of their birth weight. At one point, Ethan lost 7% but he is now on the rise. He'll be bigger than Ivan soon, who was less than half Ethan's size when he was born!

Going Home

Daddy is taking mummy and baby Ethan home today! His jaundice has cleared and both sets of grandparents are coming over. It's nice to have the home full of smiles again. Ivan was up til 4am last night putting more touches on Ethan's nursery room.

Milk Bar

Cool. We just pumped our first batch of milk. So tonight Renata can sleep more cos the nurses will use the milk for one of Ethan's feeds. After much of Ivan's online research we decided on this Avent Isis IQ electric pump. It's infinitely variable on pressure and speed and convertible to manual mode. Like tiptronic transmission for breast pumps!

Photo-Therapy

Poor little fella has a slight bit of jaundice. Because of this he will have to stay one more night in the hospital and Renata will stay too. Perhaps that's why he was a bit grumpier today. Here he is getting some photo-therapy. He's been getting so many photos recently but I guess some more therapy isn't a bad thing!

Grumpy

Grrr... I just woke up and am feeling growly. Daddy changed my nappy for the first time. It was okay but a bit slow. Cant wait to see my own home today. I can almost smell the good coffee!

Good Morning Ethan

This is one of the first times you can see Ethan's handsome eyes. He's coming home with us today. His jaundice index is low so just a bit of spf 8 sun tanning will be fine. Doctors and nurses have been really nice to us too. We'll be back on Wed for a quick check up.

Beautiful Feet

"How beautiful are the feet of those who (will) bring good news". They're small now but may these little feet one day bring the good news of Christ to the nations!

Ethan Look-Alike Competition

Who looks more like Ethan? Vote for Ivan or Renata in the comments section!

First Poop!

Ethan had stool this morning...good for him! The nurse says he looks a little yellow today, but we can't quite tell and think he looks perfect! Our doctor, Prof Mary Rauff, said she will see how Renata and Ethan are doing tomorrow and perhaps discharge us then. Our stay would then be 3 days which is slightly longer than usual but just being sure Ethan has no jaundice before going home and that Renata has good rest. She is enjoying the sleep and recovery time!