At approximately quarter to one on the 23rd of November, the midwife in the delivery room helped get Andrea’s baby blogging career off to a great start by taking a picture of her as she met from the outside someone she’d got to know intimately from the inside over the previous nine months.
Later that day, she began putting faces to voices as I introduced her to the rest of the extended family.
Her grandfather, who fell in love with her at first sight and eagerly volunteered to hold her every time I needed both hands free.
Great-aunt Susan, who provided a full set of cloth nappies and gave me a lift when the time came to register the birth.
Auntie Alison, more nervous than the rest because she’s not had as many chances to hold babies. Uncle Sam, even more nervous because he’s an only child, looks on.
And finally, her great-grandmother.
Pingback: feminist blogs
Beautiful baby, Nick. Congratulations!
Those pictures are wonderful, Nick. Andrea’s face looks so precious in the one where she’s getting ready to nurse (or been nursing, can’t tell which is going on there). The rest of your family looks pretty darn happy, I’m willing to bet they won’t be bugging you to move close to her father much longer, once she works her magic on them. Baby’s have a way of doing that, eh?
Glad to finally see her arrive safely into the outside world (though I admit, I peeked on your LJ to make sure you were doing okay when you were absent for about a month and got to read a bit about her then!).
Congratulations to you both on the start of your new family.
the one where she’s getting ready to nurse (or been nursing, can’t tell which is going on there).
That was the skin-to-skin contact recommended to help keep her warm and let me bond with her. I don’t know whether she also went to the breast during that time – my notes say I fed her before we transferred to the ward, but I was so doped up on gas-and-air that I can’t remember!
The rest of your family looks pretty darn happy, I’m willing to bet they won’t be bugging you to move close to her father much longer, once she works her magic on them.
None of them wanted me to move close to her father because they were all even more convinced than I was that he’s a dead loss. They wanted me to set up on my own rather than leeching off their resources, which is fair enough, and it is now in hand, with plenty of support.
Amusing story about grandfatherly love: my dad declared himself to be her surrogate father, and I pointed out that when I told him I was pregnant he warned me that this was exactly what he didn’t want to be. “Ah,” he said, “but that was before I saw her.”
:)
CONGRATULATIONS! What a lovely baby. You did real good. ;)
Beautiful, beautiful baby. Welcoome to the world Andrea. Good parental choice you made there. Congratulations Nick.
Congratulations! What a beautiful girl…
Congratulations :)
Congratulations! So what’s the kid’s website URL?
Congrats Nick! Welcome to the planet, Andrea!
Congratulations! What a beautiful baby. I second Lauren – you did real good. I remember when The Royal Spawn was a teeny baby. You’re in for some great years ahead. Stock up on film and scrapbooks. :)
Awww, she looks so tired. What a beautiful baby.
Aw, cute. :)
That’s one of the cutest newborns I’ve ever seen. Absolutely adorable. Welcome Andrea!
Hello little person!
Awwww…..
Maziltov, Nick!
From one Andrea to another — welcome to the world. May you enjoy it as much as I have.
Congratulations to both of you! Welcome to the world, Andrea.
She’s just lovely. You both look so peaceful. Thanks for sharing, and welcome to the little one!!
Congrats! What a sweetie!
Precious baby girl — the smiles on your dad’s and other’s faces says it all, there is nothing to compare to a new member of the human race. Enjoy every minute, you won’t believe how fast it all goes by.
Late to the party, but awwwwww. She’s beautiful, Nick.
Can I squeeze her? Just a little bit?
Congratulations!
Andrea is just lovely – you must be proud and overwhelmed both. She shares a birthday with my mother, so she’s in fine company there. Congratulations – she is indeed a cute lil parasite!
Congrats!
Baby love!
Congratulations! Both you and the baby look well.
After all the shit you’ve been through with the Dad etc it’s a relief to see everything working out OK. Hugs and kisses to both you and Andrea.
She’s beautiful, Nick. Congratulations!
—Myca
She’s so cute that it mostly makes up for the lack of sleep ;-) She’s beautiful, Nick. Congrats.
Congrats, Nick! She’s already gotten around everyone, hasn’t she? Babies do that.
Congratulations! (makes baby noises)
Congratulations, Nick!
Congratulations! I wish all the best for you and your daughter.
As a midwife I am delighted to see baby being cuddled up skin to skin. It really does seem to make a difference with the breast feeding.
What a cute baby Andrea is! And what a happy bunch of relatives she has! She’s very fortunate to have such a supportive family.
And Barbara’s right on the money:
“Enjoy every minute, you won’t believe how fast it all goes by. ”
Mine are 23 and 19, and my wife and I still say, “Where did it all go?” When my kids were first involved in organized youth activities, I didn’t want to go. Not because I didn’t want to take the time, but I was thinking back on my own childhood. I wasn’t involved in organized events when I was a kid; it was all about getting our buddies together after school and playing baseball or football in a local vacant lot. No adults anywhere near, and I thought that this is how it should be with my kids.
But times change, and I’m glad my wife brought my thinking around. I loved every minute of the games, the concerts, and everything else. Don’t miss a minute ….
Congratulations, Nick! She’s beautiful!
Congratulations to you and Andrea. (Just out of curiousity, is it Ann-dree-uh or is it Ahn-dray-uh or is it Ahn-dree-uh?)
(Just out of curiousity, is it Ann-dree-uh or is it Ahn-dray-uh or is it Ahn-dree-uh?)
I just spell it; how you read it is up to you ;)
Having said that, I personally pronounce it the first way.
Welcome, Andrea. And congratulations Nick!