The new rolling ILX parenting thread, since the other one was getting unwieldy

In Belgium. It's actually five days. I can't remember, I was too out of it at the time to count the days. :-) I do remember they counted the night of the delivery (and, prior to that, the labour) as a "night over" so I stayed one night/day less than others. Apparently you can go back home immediately after delivery and checkup, but I'm not sure if it's that common. It's most of the time a "special request" (or however you'd call it). So you can, but usually mother and child stay longer. If you had a caesarian, then you really do need to stay a bit longer as it's a riskier procedure.

I don't know if I'd liked to have gone home that quick. When I left the hospital, I remember being a little bit freaked out by it as I realized that I was no longer "protected" (no nurses etc) and I was on my own (so I felt).

I stayed in four nights with Alice (not including the night I was in labour). That was because her birth weight was a bit low. I hated it but hospitals err on the side of caution I suppose, and on balance I'm glad they do!

I know what you mean (even with the big pack of goodies we got from the hospital - nappies and such like - it was still 'how do these babies work exactly?) but I think Mrs T was keen to get home after memories of the first time. It wasn't that the hospital was bad or anything, both times everyone was just great, it's just your own bed, your own food, hubby there to wait on you!

Happy birthday!

What a handsome chap!

I came home after one night in hospital, and was glad of it. But did phone the midwives about 10 times a day for the next week. It's changed a lot though, when my mum had kids you stayed in for 10 days!

Happy Birthday to Vicky! I can attest to the fact that she got the bestest ever living pressie a couple of days early, we trucked on over to the hospital to meet the babe this afternoon and lemme tell you, he is gorgeous.

Ava and Lulu were denied entry, being non-siblings and also walking/crawling towers o' germs but Chris took them on an ice cream errand so I could sit a spell with the birthday gal and young Aidan.

Vicky looked great, she was up and about and wearing real clothes! I was only in the hospital for one night after both Ava and Lulu were born but with Ava, I don't think I was out of pyjamas for a good three weeks after I got home!

Aidan is just gorgeous. Happy Birthday, V!

Wow, what a great looking baby Aidan is!

I'm completely amazed by the long-seeming hospital stays; it's pretty much 48 hours in the US, unless you have a C-section. I lost a ton of blood with baby # 2 and they still sent me home after 48 hours. Baby #1 was a preemie and had a 21 day hospital stay; I was discharged after 48 hours.

I didn't enjoy staying in the hospital, but do think that in the cases with extreme blood loss that the insurance companies here are a bit too in control...

everyone's home :)

Toffee and Rhubarb (the cats) are a little discombobulated by the new arrival.

He's a very handsome boy (yes yes, it's my job to say that)

Mayday Hospital though - what a farce.

Yeeps re: hospital but glad to hear all is well otherwise -- so the cats can't decide if he's another cat or not?

porkpie the head of the complaints dept is one of my best friends!

Really Mark? they must be fucking busy. The communication there is appalling. We were told that we could go home at 4.45...... we left at 11.45!! Got our prescription with no paperwork, oh, loads of things, but at leastthey're both home and settling down for the night :)

Congrats!

And just to spread around some good news further, veteran ILXors Mr. Noodles and Kim (who posted above a bit!) are as of a couple of days ago now the proud parents of Julia, who doubtless is a sweetie.

congrats! and welcome julia!

Awesome! Julia is a beautiful name. I may be a bit biased toward it since my daughter is also a Julia. Mine will be 5 this week.... I think having a Julia in August is definitely a good omen. Hooray and congratulations!

I love how my daughter likes to do more "advanced" things with others. It's not uncommon, I know, but it cracks me up to no end. First thing she did (with my mom) and not with us: walk on her own. Now it seems she has been going up the stairs at the crèche on her own for a while now. With us she always wanted us to hold her hands so she could just lean back and let us do most of the work.

Sadly she doesn't reserve the tantrums for others, just for us. hahahaha

Welcome Julia! Congrats Mr Noodles and Kim!

aww..happy birthday, Julia.

photo time!

beeps standing:

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2712/beatsstandingqf1.jpg

beeps and mordecai:

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/4563/beatsandmordecaimq4.jpg

OMG soooooooooo cuuuuuttteee! That overall (?) is also very cute. How old is Beeps now? Cause it seemed like Beeps was born yesterday and now already stands!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1203/1101563203_ad5b85693d.jpg

I'm prepping Ophelia for ILX. Srsly, she's listening to the Miffy (Nijntje) song here.

Beeps is a little over 5 months old now. It has gone fast. Im so ready for baby two and crazy jealous of every pregnant woman i see. that includes you!

ophelia seems to have gone from baby to little girl overnight! her hair is so gorgeous.

Those girls are WAY adorable!

Hey, thanks guys. =) Here she is, ILXOR 2.0, baby Julia - born Wednesday Aug 08 at 4:57pm weighing 6lbs 9oz

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h186/grimstitch/Julia0052.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h186/grimstitch/Julia0001.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h186/grimstitch/Julia0054.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h186/grimstitch/Julia0056.jpg

Is that daddy in the bed? :-)

Beeps is 5 months and wants to stand up? Woha! Talk about advanced. Well, from my point of view. then again it's all a blur really. Thank god my mom wrote everything down, cause if I would go on my memory I'd think she has only started walking last week. Just kidding of course.

Congratulations! Those eyes, they're fantastic! hope you're recovering well

Looks like she has your eyes, Kim - what a beauty! Congratulations to all of you!

She's gorgeous! Congratulations again.

Now I'm singing that Cheap Trick song "Big Eyes." :-)

thanks!

yep, that's a worn out, scruffy Zac there on the bed. we were far beyond exhausted after being at the hospital for a total of nearly 6 days without more than a few odd moments of sleep (had a few complications but we're all doing very well now.)

we're very happy to be home! =)

Aidan was up most of last night (so it felt anyway), here's the aftermath:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1246/1126524363_7d7db0d72f.jpg

blimey, he's a greedy little bugger, born at 8lb 6oz, was 8lb 11oz on Friday, now?....... 9lb 4oz!!!!!!

wow, he's only 3 days older than Julia and as of yesterday she was only 6lb 2oz (and she had gained weight from her low point!). I guess she really is a tiny wee thing.

BABY WEIGHT RACE.

Ophelia knows she will have a brother/sister? Ah fuck it, I might as well say the gender. Well, she has been lifting my t-shirt or sweater to rub my belly. Sweetest thing ever. We tell her repeated, when she does it, that there's a sister in there.

Aidan is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute. :-) Mummy looks great! I wish I looked that grebt, but alas I looked like some pale caked-up zombie those first few weeks. :-) Not looking forward to that. Well, I am... in a masochistic way. ;-)

Awwwww... hello new babies and congrats Nath on girl no.2.

Howie is 6 months next week, can't believe it! This last week or so he has started sitting up on his own. Not as good a stander as Beeps though, he can do it for a second then his knees buckle. Sleep (or lack of it) is still a big issue, but we are seeing paediatrician week after next about his eczema, and he is also going into his own room when we move house next week, so maybe those will help a bit.

Nath and her brood of daughters. (Having met Mr. Nath I am trying to imagine the long-suffering expression on his face when he'll be dealing with a crop of teen girls all at once, every day.)

Roffle Yes, he is aware of the pain he will go through once they hit their teens. In fact even now he sometimes says:"ARGH! A HOUSE FULL OF WOMEN!" :-)

Meg, I have been thinking of you. Especially after seeing a poor baby also suffering from eczema at the crèche.

In fact even now he sometimes says:"ARGH! A HOUSE FULL OF WOMEN!" :-)

And Lucy on top of it all! Well he can always step out and wander down the streets of Bruges and drown his sorrows in one of eight million lambics.

haha He could. But he prefers to stay inside. He's quit smoking and the thought of leaving thr house and not smoke is just too painful. :-)

Congratulations on girl #2, Nathalie! How exciting!

Thanks, Nath. We have got a humidifier for the bedroom which seems to help a bit, but it's not been easy for the wee man in the hot weather. But he is still a very happy chap. We have got loads of clothing from this website so he can't pull the gloves off and scratch at night!

I have a funny feeling that if/when we try for no.2 that it will be a boy as well. I just have this vision of living in a house overrun by boys...

I realized it has to be eczema when I noticed his hands were wrapped. I felt so sorry for him (and Howie too!) because he must be itching so badly and as a parent you want to explain but you can't. And, yes, *duh*, summer must be hard on Howie too. Didn't even realize this! My cousin used to have eczema as well. I remember shaking her hand and noticing the dry and broken (?) skin. She's okay now though.

Jeepers, Julia! She's a smasher.

Here's Ava stealing Porkpie's means of seeing:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1395/1129825349_ab4d56ca44.jpg

And continuing the theme of blindness, I don't appear to have any eyes in this picture (but Lulu has, like, plenty):

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1333/1129851323_424aed457c.jpg

Lulu is cruisin' furniture like you wouldn't believe and stood upright today with just two fingers of support from her dad. I didn't think she'd walk before Xmas but she simply cannot be stopped now. Unless Ava puts her in plaster at some point, which can't be ruled out.

just a couple of random pixor updates

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1033/1130588510_c625613279.jpg?v=0
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1206/1129747887_9ebabc3f31.jpg?v=0

haha. he's due this sunday :-D

haha. he's due this sunday :-D

You should go into hospital anyway. Get a few hours of gas and air.

Congrats to the new parents! Here's a few more pix...

Ben:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1432/1133890346_3c8edefe58.jpg

Owen:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1064/1133888188_37a8b033fd.jpg

Owen stalking Ben:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1074/1133036323_913309f646.jpg

Howie has become a total wriggle monster, and has learned a kind of back-crawl version of crawling -- lying on his back, he kicks himself backwards at a surprising velocity. Means you can't take your eyes off him for a second -- I learned this last week when he was in his Bumbo and, in the literally two seconds I turned to open the door, he threw himself out of it backwards and clonked his head on the floor :(

Reminder to self: when choosing a high chair (for weaning which starts next week!!) get one with very reliable straps!

Oh, all these babies and toddlers, it seems like yesterday and yet, here they are at 10 and 6, the 10 year old hassling me for a mobile phone and the 6 year old obsessed with Grease (she sings "look at me I'm Sandra D, lousy with virginity" very loudly at any opportunity).
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1250/1085087264_f8f90f5920.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1213/1036237379_c568b8aeb3.jpg

my six year old niece is also obsessed with grease! she saw the current oliva newton john on tv the other day and was horrified 'THATS SANDRA DEE?!?!?!'

i cant see any pics because flickr is blocked at work :(

Woha! Could be worse! I was obsessed with Grease as well as a young kid. I had the singles and everything.