Pooce & Kootcha

The future's bright ....

T plus 15 days. Blob birthday minus 1 day.

Team A have returned to the launchpad in readiness for Mission BirthdayBlob which launches tomorrow. I Googled to see whether there's a checklist of things I was meant to have done before reaching 35 (Mondeo - tick, Pooce & Kootcha - tick, House - tick, Wife - tick tick, Hairy ears - possibly?, Military Service - you're kidding, Conservative Party - STOP!). Anyway, birthdays that end with '0' or '5' turn me all introspective, and 35's been accompanied by a neon-flashing "half-way, half-way" vibe (although I'm sure life expectancy's now 110 - in which case I'm not even a third of the way through). Either way, rest assured that appropriate mid-life resolutions have been made (none of which involve a drumkit, a motorbike, or David Cameron).

We'll take some festive pictures of the kids to post tomorrow ...

Touchdown ....

T plus 8 days & our very first blog-o-vision mission has been well and truly accomplished. Blob, Speedy, Pooce & Kootcha have really enjoyed sharing their past 19 days in orbit with you. We're joyous that it has all gone smoothly, we're healthy, we're happy, and we're trying our utmost to appreciate it.

As Bruce Springsteen (we are not worthy) once said, "We live in a tragic world, but there's grace all around you. Grace is just the events of the day - like when you're chauffering your kids somewhere and you think it's a burden and something happens ...... it's there. That's tangible. So you try to attend to the grace."

We're spending a week trucking back now to the launch pad in readiness for Team A's next mission (codename 'Birthday Blob') which begins countdown next Monday 19th and launches Tuesday 20th! We hope you'll come back then, but in the meantime we wish you good luck, Godspeed & hope you have a little fun out there .......

T plus 7 days. All well in the Team A astronaut training facility ....

The Blob Dynasty

T plus 6 days - it's been a whole week already! Here's Kootcha's male lineage - Blob & GrandadBlob. Kootcha (the lucky fella) is the sole inheritor of the GrandadBlob Y chromosome and is entrusted with keeping the Blob surname alive ..

Quackers

T plus 5 days. Team A are currently living life at a snail's pace - it's safer that way given the effects of sleep deprivation, which, I had forgotten, makes you feel spacey and willing to do anything for an easy life. No wonder it's a favoured method of interrogation - I'd probably spill the beans on anything right now (in both senses, which is worrying as we've only just got a new carpet).

We had a family spacewalk today to the swings and ducks - here's Kootcha fast asleep in the new spacebuggy, and Speedy trying to ethnically cleanse the pigeons out of the pond by selectively feeding only ducks. Pooce had a more festive approach and broke her bread with one and all (she's been watching The Lion King, hence knows all about the circle of life).

Tomorrow, I'll try and get a photo of Kootcha with his eyes open .......

Somewhere deep in the forest .....

all the young dudes ...

T plus 3 days. In pre-Kootcha days I remember going to bed at 10pm, waking up at 7am and still being a tad sleepy. Today I'm firing on all cylinders having had less than half that. All well with Team A - we're getting a real buzz from being super-chilled-out done-it-before parents, but not too smug that we can't panic that he's stopped breathing. He's gone a bit yellow with jaundice - but we're told it's normal (like The Simpsons?).

In comparison to the new squib, Pooce suddenly seems to be about thirteen - clever, funny, articulate etc. Our tactic of indulging her so she doesn't feel left out seems to be working and so far she's being a model sister.

Today's Pooce's last day in nursery so we're taking it easy before the big Christmas tree hunt tomorrow .....

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Sleepless in Cardiff

T plus 1 day. We're all shattered but I think we're doing better than we anticipated - little Kootcha's doing a lot of sleeping, squeeking and all the normal getting to grips with the outside world, Speedy's celebrating her achievement of hippy-chick status having had only gas & air as pain relief and giving birth underwater, Pooce is being super-indulged so she doesn't feel left out (her class in nursery made a card today, which she is very proud of & she's been trying to fit herself into Kootcha's moses basket all evening), and I'm going to bed for a bit before taking over the 9 till 12 shift.

It's been great to receive everyone's calls, texts and comments on the blog. Tomorrow, we're going to get festive ...

Here's the squib ...

It's a small step for a man .......

What a day! Speedy delivered our little astronaut at 4:30pm this afternoon, weighing 7lb and 11oz, and looking like a very handsome devil. All well, we're all back home, and I'll post some photo's tomorrow ...... We're in orbit!

Just press that big red button .....

Houston, we're ready to roll.

T minus a few hours. Our little astronaut's having a game of peekaboo before deciding to launch for real. The delivery unit have said to try and stay home until contractions are 5 minutes apart. At the moment they've gone back up to about 15, so Speedy's getting some inter-contractural (is that a word?) sleep, seeing as she had none last night. Prepare for main engines ignition?

Today's also the first anniversary of moving into the Team A residence - and as Speedy has somewhat forcibly denied permission for her pre-launch photo to appear here (!), then here's a picture. Will keep you posted.

update

Speedy up all night with worsening contractions (what timing!) - but it's not looking like a quick affair. Pooce's being looked after by Nana, TENS machine on, and we're just trying to time our roll-out to the launchpad right. Go Speedy!

no show?

Both Speedy and Shaddy O are continuing to keep a low profile, so here's my favourite picture of me and Pooce - from over a year ago & before her hair turned curly. I'm guessing we're set for a quiet night tonight, but Speedy hates to miss a deadline so I reckon there'll be some fireworks tomorrow ...... (hot curries & baths didn't work so maybe some rockets and a catherine-wheel will!)

Sleeping

T minus 1 day. Very unusually, Speedy has spent most of today asleep, and we're wondering if she's building up some energy for a midnight spectacular. Pooce was born at 12:30am, half an hour into her due-date! She did manage to join Pooce in a little artistic expression this morning. Will keep you posted.

It's getting hot in here ...

Don't know where she gets it from but Pooce has a very endearing way of offering you stuff. Tonight it was a chocolate bourbon, with head on one side and a very cute "biscuit Blob?". Ok so she doesn't call me Blob - which is a minor miracle as Speedy calls me nothing but.

Hot bath & a hot curry tonight but there's still no sign of Shaddy O .......

More counting .....

T minus 2 days.

Countdown reminds me of two things - obviously the late great Richard Whiteley, but also being handed a karaoke microphone (by Speedy) in a swanky bar in Thailand with the opening chords of Europe's 80s extravaganza "The Final Countdown" swelling up like a wave before me. Speedy had sung something easy and tuneful, Kirsty McColl I think, and the sense of expectation was understandably high. Now, Speedy is musically gifted, with karaoke skills finely honed in Japan. I, conversely, was once asked to desist from singing during a carol service. Anyway, it was crowd-dispersingly bad and I'm not sure that I've entirely come to terms with the feeling of shame.

Anyway, as you've probably guessed, it appears there'll be just three of us going into the weekend ....

C minus 24 days ....

Although Pooce cannot quite say her name properly, she has had "chocolate" cracked for quite some time. Put to good use tonight (see photo) with the opening of the first window of the chocolate advent calendar.

December already ...

T minus 3 days. We remain in the Assembly Building, but there are increasing signs that we’ll be rolling out to the Launch Pad pretty soon (I hope I’m not still saying that in two weeks time – if so, Speedy may have to rethink her blog name). This morning, talk has gone from “How will I know when it’s starting?” to “O God, I remember this feeling!”. Apparently the Launch Pad needs one hours' notice to fill the birthing pool – plus I’ll need about twenty minutes to squeeze into my old Speedos and get the webcam ready ...

Thankfully, we finalised the name of the little sagittarian astronaut last night too, but are withholding it for now just in case he doesn’t look like a Shadwell Orlando.

hum dum te tum ...............

T minus 4 days. Well the cold snap is over, we're well slept, we've re-read the books, the old baby seat is re-attached in the car, the house is clean, we've bought the nappies & bottles & wet wipes & vests, Pooce is now repeating "baby out", etc. etc. etc. Feels as if someone from the council might come round for an inspection. But still no early action here & we're counting down for Sunday.

Speedy's been reluctantly blooming in the last few days - never one to go overboard with optimism but she's been notably upbeat since the baby lowered his position and we finished working on the house (dare I say she's got a spring in her waddle?). I'm looking forward to the whole thing too, not least as I'm taking two-weeks paternity and a few days leave so, with Christmas holidays too, I'll not be working at all during December and can enjoy the family & Christmas in glorious sleepless peace.

about last night ...

T minus 5 days. OK so I got my counting wrong - what am I, an accountant? Countdown progressing smoothly and we're looking for a birthing window around about Sunday morning - preferably before Countryfile. Thought I'd show you Pooce's bed this morning exactly as she left it - she's insisting on sleeping with most of her toys and her favourite books. She woke up this morning with an imprint of Little Miss Shy on her forehead.

Speedy has now settled on her new blog name. She thought of it herself and has been wearing it like a badge all day.

the Team A shuffle

It's cos of smooth moves like this that we're in this postion in the first place.

counting up?

T minus 5 days and all's peaceful here on the launchpad. As Guy Browning said in Saturday’s Guardian:

"anybody who has ever been disappointed at the cancelled launch of a space rocket must wonder why they don't count up rather than down. If mission control started at one and went up, they'd have a lot more time to check things before pushing the button. Who cares if liftoff is after 34,216? In space time, that's almost nothing."

tick tock .....

T minus 6 days. After a quiet day yesterday, Speedy's been limbering up for the last 24 hours - but still nothing you'd call a contraction. She's completely zonked - which i think is her body's way of telling her to slow down a bit (although me and Pooce aren't complaining about the well spent hours in the kitchen today - NZ lamb to die for). Forgot to take the camera on our travels today - so i'm posting this picture of beautiful Speedy & Pooce on our French holidays in August. Fingers crossed for a restful night ....

A walk in the park ....

T minus 7 days, and we're still just Blob, Speedy and Pooce. A day of quiet waiting on the launchpad - no booster checks, no valve checks, no nothing. Nontheless, a day of beautiful winter sunshine and national pride (Wales bt. Australia). With the new licensing hours, Cardiff's gonna be a crazy place tonight.........

slip sliding away

Still counting down (T minus 8 days). This morning’s snow fall (top left of picture) was exciting. Pooce had no idea what to make of it – her first real memorable snow – but she’s still pretty subdued after falling over yesterday on the new floor and putting her front teeth through her lip. Speedy has progressed to the regular back-rub stage to ease the pain – but she managed to get to IKEA this morning for a new rug (for safety purposes you understand).

baby (it's cold outside)

T minus 9 days, although Speedy thinks it's coming much sooner. There was a very definite lowering of the pregnant bump last night - a surefire sign he's about to spring forth - depending who you listen to. If he's anything like me he'll be staying put till this cold snap is over.

We finished the main work on the house last weekend too (see photo) so the little fella can be born without a hard hat. A mighty relief - not least for everyone else not having to listen to our building site stories any more.

Pooce is doing great - but hopelessly unaware that the much-talked-about baby is about to become reality. Got no idea how she's going to take it. She's got a memory like an elephant and an inflated sense of property ownership: Exhibit A, cousinGwenny's pink pram (still pining a week after its repatriation).

Tonight?

a huge leap for mankind ...... (?!)

"On behalf of the many millions of people who believe so deeply in what we do, good luck, Godspeed, and have a little fun up there" (Mike Leinbach, NASA launch director to Discovery commander Eileen Collins, 26th July 2005).

"On behalf of our families, friends and the half-dozen folk who stumble across this blog, good luck, Godspeed, and please, please, please, try to have a little fun on here" (Blob, Team A Blog launch director, 24th November 2005).

Welcome you lovely people - you've found us! Hang on - we're about to launch ........