Happy Hols

Tatie on the loose with the camera again. I've been spending a lot of time on this chair with Mr. on my lap.

Boy clothes! Makes a change from Red's and O's pink Ts and snugglebags.

Have you ever seen anything more distinguished than this 11-day old man? Yes, that is a tie, a black tie.

What have we been doing? Eating, sleeping, playing with Christmas toys. Tatie and Noah have been scooting for an hour or two each day. Photos will be posted shortly. The Christmas spirit seems to have taken them as well--they have been playing together. I mean, sitting on the floor playing a game, not just running like mad things through the house or trying to annoy one another.

Scott and I have not been playing. Scott has been doing housework. We trade off on the dirty nappies/diapers. I've done a load or 2 of dishes. I wake up a few times each night to tend to Aodh and think of reading my book or drinking a glass of water. But then I just collapse back onto the bed, usually forgetting to turn out the lamp. It is a strange way to live but privileged as well.

Now, to bed. I am going to turn out the lamp this time.

Crowns, Gowns and Gifts

A Friend at Quaker meeting said that she is always thrilled to see the dressing gowns and crowns come out. I suppose it is a sign of Christmas. Here's Noah playing his part.

Versatility. After his dramatic work for the day, Noah came home and made this gorgeous necklace for his Kristkindle. Wouldn't you like to be unwrapping this present on Christmas Eve?

Some Photos From O's Week

Tatie a.k.a The Muslin Lady doing her job. The job is getting clean and dry garments for her baby brother's changes. She also uses wipes to clean any surface that isn't moving and some that are. Like my face.

Tatie's best photo of Baby Aodh this week. He does have outstanding hair.

What Scott looks like from O's point of view.

A wee elf on the way to a party with Santa.

Chaplin Bootleg

Noah giggling.




Happy audience.

The Worst Day of Noah's Life

was likely precipitated by the longest week in his life! Here are the things today that contributed to it being the worst day:

1. Octavia accidentally broke a Hallmark snow globe that has been with us since he can remember.
2. The only big event of the day was Quaker meeting family Christmas celebration and the attendant bag of chocolate coins.
   
3. For dinner, we had to have a mixture of baked beans and ordinary haricot sans sugar & salt as there was only 1 tin of baked beans. And broccoli.

You do remember that Noah had 4 singing engagements (I think they call them gigs in the business), a dress rehearsal, a Christmas party, and a carol-singing party this week. He and Octavia also visited Santa. Finally, last night was the long-awaited, much-anticipated CHARLIE CHAPLIN NIGHT with the Ulster Orchestra. If you take a listen to the bootleg audio in the next blog post, you'll get a great sense of the night. It was everything we'd hoped--Aodh slept right through, Octavia and Noah were enthralled. Noah looked set to expire from laughing several times. There was only 1 drawback: the concert/film began at 7.45 pm which means that Noah and Octavia didn't slip into their wee beds until 10.22. Ah, now we see how the let-down of having realised the Chaplin adventure, a late night, and the worst day ever might be connected.

As a follow up to the Sing Out post I must tell you that the show was great, according to Noah, but paled in comparison to the adventure of a late-night trip to the Christmas Market with Christine and Paula where they bought him doughnuts and sweets. If you can imagine two wild aunties with a reckless disregard for the whole foods diet and a healthy appetite for fun, you'll have a good picture of Noah and his 'audience'.

Tonight's the Night!

Noah's big Sing Out is tonight. Five schools, a gigantic hall, and all the hype you can imagine.

Today was dress rehearsal and, according to Noah, "the hall is, like, massive. You could fit 20 of this room right the way up and 10 across."

And there are risers! "We are going to be on a huge stage with levels with the taller people at the back and shorter ones at the front." When asked if he is at the back he said, "Of course. Coincidentally, most of the back row are Rosetta pupils. We are the tallest of the schools."

They might be giants flashed through my postnatal mind. Or maybe we just have better food in our neighbourhood what with being so close to the major supermarket chains as well as the independent greengrocers, butchers, etc. Or is it the water...just a touch of lead pipe here and there until 2010 when Belfast will have 'tunneled toward the future' and done something about the mains and sewers that have sufficed lo these many years.

I digress and insert silliness because I am sad not to be seeing Noah in his big moment. Baby Aodh is a tinsy bit yellow and his belly button needs an airing. The lowliest among us requires my presence so the mightiest voice will have to be celebrated by Cousin Flash and Friend Paula. (Don't worry, they were the fans Noah was hoping to impress anyway).

That's one from Holywood

Baby Aodh in action

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The boy is beginning to wake up.

The Newest Shively-Blinn

If you wonder what early labour looks like at our house, this is it. As you can see, Noah was busy building some lego boats. Scott thought maybe the idea was to sail them in the birth pool. Noah, being 9 and 3/4, has enough sense only to dream of putting a boat into a birth pool...both he and Octavia helped with topping up the hot water in the pool which was in the front room before a roaring fire. Scott has a special talent for roaring fires. The temperatures on Saturday made this a special talent indeed!

Now you enter a time warp...not many photos whilst I was in the pool. But I had good chats and jokes with my doulas and midwives, listened to the HypnoBirthing cds, and really enjoyed U2's It's a Beautiful Day. The decor for Birth Day included a Guatemalan painting of mother and baby, a stone from the sea, a red poinsettia, a photo of my ma, a collage from my L'Arche friends, and of course, a candle. This part of the labour, which lasted only about 3 hours, seemed an absolute eternity. I really found myself thinking more than once, "I don't want to do this job." But the relaxation, the encouragement of my family and friends, the thought of holding a baby got me through most of it. Then the cramp started! It started in my right calf, stayed there, and then began to spread to my hamstring. All well and good as I was trying to stretch it against the pool until the left leg decided to join in the fun. Suffice it to say that when things got serious and I really needed to be able to use my legs well, I was stymied. So I asked the team, in a gentle tone (ha ha ha) to get me out of the pool. They hauled me out and Aodh took his sweet time spiraling into the world on a rug before the fire. He wasn't halfway into the world before Octavia was saying "I want to touch the baby!" and Noah was agog, just as he had been at the birth of his wee sister.

The entrance was more in keeping with this boy's choice of birthdays: a Saggitarian under a big full moon would prefer fire to water. Also, his Irish name Aodh [pronounced 'ay' or like 8 without the T] means fire or fiery. Things were as they ought to be.

He is perfect. 4.050 kilo, 52 cm. If I texted you, I may have said 9 lbs. Forgive me as I have an English degree and my conversion was half-hearted after the birthing effort. He weighed 8 lbs 15 oz.

The waiting is over and Aodh Emmanuel Patrick is among us, just in time for the holidays. Ah, yes! Baby A knew the P name he wanted. I phoned my Grandma after the birth, who is the last of her siblings and had hoped the baby would arrive on her birthday, the 9th. I apologized for not getting the baby out on her birthday but she was over that big full moon because December 13 was her father's birthday. I never knew my great grandpa Pat but he was a family doctor who still attended home births and he was born at home himself. So Patrick it is...

I stand corrected, and still pregnant

Apparently my reading ability has been affected by this pregnancy. Elvis's birthday is not until January 8, so FORGIVE ME. Presley has dropped off the name list because I am not waiting an entire month to meet this child, even if he were The King of Everything!

But the reading skills thing is interesting. I have noticed over the past couple months that I will look at a billboard or a book title in passing and understand it to mean something absolutely unlike what is actually printed in front of me. We are not talking about eyesight changes or even a bit of simple, transitory transposition. For the life of me, I cannot think of the best example right at this moment, but I have been shocked by the independence of whichever part of my brain has taken over in the reading comprehension department.

Noah got locked in school today. He was late getting home because "the P7 who locks the gate outside the side door locked up before everyone was out". That means, the older kid who looks after the key supposedly locked them in. And, according to Noah, the front door of the school was jammed shut (it has a safety lock to keep stranger danger out) and his teacher didn't want them to set off the fire alarm by going out the fire door so they had to wait until an extra key was found for the gate or the buzzer door was sorted out. I admit, I do wonder, since I saw him walking the alternate route, which takes in a detour to his friend Finn's house, whether I might be having the wool somewhat pulled over my eyes here.

And Octavia had a good day at playgroup but she forgot her Christmas tree in Susan's car! Mrs. Mac and Co are busy with the advent crafts--we've got an advent calendar, a bell, and now the Christmas tree will arrive soon. The house is piled with glitter which is a tinsy bit annoying when one is trying to keep a balanced pelvis and therefore not wanting to drag the Dyson around several times a day. (That is Octavia talking to Baby Sister in the photo.)

I hope that next time you pull up this blog REAL NEWS is waiting. But if not, we'll take into consideration Procrastia.

Search no further

I am not talking about Geoffrey, or David, or Bunting. For the wiseacres who tease me about 'P' names, I have just now, about 2 minutes ago, realised why deep down I want this baby to fall into the world on Monday. It has nothing to do with midwives' work schedules or Noah having no parties that day. It isn't because a child could be named Immaculata or Conceptus or have a birthdate that is 8 + 4 - 4. Nope. The reason is because December 8 presents an Immaculate Opportunity: the P name that Geoffrey would adore.

PRESLEY!

If you ain't an Elvis fan, I forgive you for not knowing that's The King's birthday.

Do you know Mikey Blinn

Then check out this photo! Perhaps not a twin, but not far off it.

Noah's Family Tree

Octavia by a fancy 'cyawr'.


Noah approving Jack Frost's big efforts last weekend.


Noah has been working on his family tree at school. When we went for the fabulous parent-teacher meeting last week, we saw the tree. He left a space open for our new baby.

Last night after our advent reading when Octavia was getting ready for bed, I had that squeal feeling that I recall from being about 3, 4, 5, 6 maybe and on the way to visit Becah. "What, Mama?" Octavia asked.

"Soon there will be a new person on Noah's Family Tree," I offered.

"On Noah's Family Christmas Tree?" the reply.

Yes, Noah's family Christmas tree.

These next couple weeks are busy for the boy. He is singing carols with his choir next week at a joint concert in town and at a Carol Service at a local church. His class is going to the cinema for their Christmas Treat. He has to finish his Christmas preparations. And, of course, become a big brother x 2.

I've been asking baby to try to be considerate and come on a day when Noah sees the addition to his family Christmas tree as a light on a bough and not a branch that interferes with his decorating plans!