Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone, we have traveled down to Wellington and spending Christmas with the Grandparents.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone well for the Holiday season and hope you all take care if travelling and we look forward to talking with you in the new year if not before.

We will be able to update you with all of our pictures of Xander's first cristmas when we get back, which at this stage will be just after new year.

No change

to Xanders weight this week. This is probably cos he was due for a feed when the midwife took his measurements - 59cms tall by the way! - and last week he had just had a feed!
No more visits from midwife any more, it will be a plunket nurse from when we return from Wellington.
Xander has had a sleep in his rocker this afternoon and some tummy time on the floor - he can almost roll himself onto his back! He was such a good boy this morning; he let me sleep in until 10am which is fantastic as he wouldn't let me get to sleep until 10pm.

Dad's a Star!!

Dad got his restricted licence on friday - he's a star! Now we can travel down to wellington for the christmas celebrations with no worries! This weekend saw us planning what to take to wgtn that we would need for Xander, me trying on my entire wardrobe to make sure my post pregnancy body fits my summer clothes. Monday is the last visit from the midwife and she will give a final weigh and measurement of Xander so we will be able to let you know those details tomorrow. Tuesday i'm showing our son off to my work which i am dying to do - he's so adorable. We had him on the kick mat today with no nappie and he loved it, Alan got a bit concerned when Xander peed on the mat but that's what it's for!
I took Xander to the paediatric surgeon on tuesday so they could look at his lump on his neck and decide what needs to be done: we are seeing them every 3 months until Xander is 1 year old, then we will be in hospital overnight while they drain the lump and fill it with healing solution, hopefully this will clear it up!
Well i will try to update this with the midwifes results, if not have a great Christmas and new year and we will update then!

Messy Monkey

My messy little monkey was weighed again today, he hsa put on a whole pound since last week! He now weighs 11 lb 7 oz - 5200gms. He did just have a feed so most of it will be his full belly.
We bought some gripe water today to help him with his wind as this gets bad at night time and he screams for about 2 hours so hopefully this will calm his poor wee tummy!
He smiled heaps today and even cooed at me! Such a darling.

Thank You!

I just wanted to thank everyone for all their gifts and cards that we have received. Seeing as i am a month old now and can actually focus clearly and smile at people i think i should thank you all!
Mummy and I really appreciated all the cards and flowers we received while in hospital and then when we came home all the presents and more cards came flowing in! Mummy wants me to thank Nana and Grandma for cleaning the house for her so that it was easy for her coming home.
Thank you to Pa and Netta and Aunty Mel in Oz for the knitted cardy, crochet blanket and St Kilda set; Daddy's work for all those clothes!; mummy's friends for even more clothes - i will have lots for when i get bigger!; Great Aunty Pauline for the All Blacks outfit - i'm sure Daddy is dreaming of when i wear the real one; Grandad for the Ford outfit, no i won't betray you and be a Holden fan! Thank you Sandra for knitting me those cute cardy's, and to everyone else for all your gifts, their isn't enough room to mention everyone but you are all thanked!
I have to go now, i'm tired and need my nappy changed.
Love Xander xxx

First Outing

I took Xander on his first official outing yesterday. We met up with the mums and their babies who were in our antenatal class. It was great to share our labour experience - i'm the only one that had a caeser!, talking about breastfeeding, nappies and all the rest that comes with new mums talking about their babies. Everyone's babies are so tiny and cute, it's amazing how alike their parents the babies look! We will meet up with the group again in the new year and hopefully get a group photo!

One Month Old!

I really can't believe that my baby is going to be 1 month old tomorrow! I feel as though i have had him a lot longer and he is still really cute!
Tonight i am off to my work christmas party so Alan is staying home and looking after Xander - yes feeding him too. Luckily Xander is taking the bottle of my milk and is okay with dad feeding him, such a good baby!
One month old and he has already outgrown one of my favourite outfits (picture in pictures link). What do you do with the clothes you love that they outgrow? Save them for future children or give to someone else who is expecting or save for Xander to put on his child??
Only two weeks until christmas - Alan can't wait! - and then it's a long drive down to wellington to spend Xander's first christmas, not that he will remember it, with the family.
Lots more photos have been added also - enjoy!

Want to see more photos?

You may notice a link on the side that will take you to our online photo album. We will endeavor to add our photos onto it and you will be able to see more photos of Xander, we will post the occasional one onto the Blog but most of them will go straight into the album.

There are only a few there at the moment but check back regularly for updates.

Little fatty!

Xander was weighed again this morning - yes stripped to his nappy and put in a bag! - and he now weighs 4750gms, 300gms extra since last wednesday! I also measured his length, 59.5cms, he was about 51cms at birth.
My midwife says any day now he will crack a genuine smile and not a gas one, and he is also trying to hold up his head - he is such a fast learner!
Maybe he will be an all black like his bib suggests "hungry to play for New Zealand"!

Worth his weight..

This is Xander being weighed on 17 november - 4050gms. At birth he weighed 4020gms. Last week on 23rd he was weighed again - 4150gms and then again today - 4450gms. Must be doing something right, my son is gaining weight rapidly! He doesn't seem to know this though, i swear his tummy thinks his throat has been cut!!

Mister Bright Eyes

Finding his hands!

Apologies to the grandparents who have complained that we haven't updated the blog in a week. I have been getting aquainted with my son and trying to set a routine for him and myself - not very successful; i can't bear him crying!
These little bugs on Xanders hands and feet are to teach infants to find and recognise their own appendages. He is a smart little man - has already figured out that putting his hand at his mouth will hold his dummy in!
He is also eating lots; he has put on 100gms.
Xander is also starting to focus.
He had his first shower with Alan on saturday morning - we took a photo but Alan won't let me put it on the blog.

Bite my tongue

Okay so far i have been bragging about how wonderful my baby is and how he is no trouble at all - today i think i have to bite my tongue!
Number of hours Xander has slept today - 4 (this would have usually been about 7 by now!); number of outfits Xander has had changed - 3; dirty nappies - 6; power chucked - 1 (on the duvet where i was feeding him)!; washing machine loaded - 3 - then the sky decided to rain and my sheets got wet!
So today i had planned on going for a walk with Xander to get out of the house and into the fresh air but my little angel had other ideas! Oh well i guess this is where the hard part comes in, he's still a little angel i just learned that i cannot make plans for a day yet and expect them to be followed through - the dishes still haven't been done and the lounge needs to be tidied - maybe i can get Alan to do them when he gets home??? At least i don't have sleep deprivation on top of all this, Xander still slept from 10pm - 4am and then from 4.30am - 8am.

Tummy Time

This is Xander and Alan's favourite position. After each feed, when Alan is home and in the weekend, i hand son to father and they both fall asleep - it is adorable!
Well day 11 and i'm loving it. I am a bit tired but that's to be expected, even though Xander wakes at 2am then sleeps til 7, and sleeps most of the day also. It has been eventful the last few days, Xander has power chucked on me twice and once on Alan. We attempted a foot print last night for Xander's baby book and ended up with a blob! oh well, will try again another time!
I have come to realise now that no one is going to be knocking on my front door and telling me that my time is up with the little baby - he is really mine and i'm not giving him up - there was a short period where i was expecting someone to take him from me, like it was dream or something. Now i know how other parents feel and can understand them wanting to gush and talk and talk about their baby, cos mine's a darling and the best baby in the world, and as the picture above can attest, Alan thinks so too!

All settled

Well I never thought having a baby would be so easy (or are we just really lucky?)! Xander only wakes once during the night, sleeps most of the day and is just so cruisy I don't know what people are on about saying "..all those sleepless nights...you're life will never be your own...sleep while you can when baby sleeps..." I have so much time to myself that I wake him so I can have something to do!

Alan has started back at work now so it is just Xander and me during the day, good bonding time!

Grandad has Xander down the pub on Wednesday night, so he has had an early start - heaven help us!

The digital camera doesn't know what's hit it with all the action it is getting, I swear if I had a video camera on Xander's face all day I still couldn't capture all his expressions, he is such a dag and makes me laugh all the time. If you would like to see lots of photos Alan is going to make the ones we have smaller so I can send them to people to view.

Home at Last

Xander was introduced to the house and his new cot and all his things yesterday at 6pm, after me begging the nurses to let me go home and the pediatrician finally coming to give Xander the all clear.
Our first night home was a sleepless one as baby gets used to his cot and we get used to him. Must say that Alan is fantastic and stayed awake most of the night consoling our crying bundle while i slept.
After a few explosions from both ends a nice warm bath and a feed Xander is now sleeping.
Thank you to everyone who came to visit us in hospital, it just made the time there barable! Also for the flowers and texts from everyone.
I will add however that Xander only has my mouth, he looks exactly like Alan at his birth!

A new title for a new baby

Well we have finally got around to naming our little boy, as you may have guessed his name is Xander (think of the X as a Z and you will be fine).

Xander Jacob Hearfield.

Born 14:52 10/11/2005 at Waikato Hospital

8 Pound 14

Mum and Bub!!!

Mum and bub are both doing well, both are tired and getting used to the new surroundings. For those in the Hamilton area she is currently in ward 55 room 6 and visiting hours are from 11-1 or 4-8. Please be considerate about the amount of time you spend there and the amount of people there at once.

The new addition

Well today was the day that the little baby Hearfield entered the world.

He was born on the 10/11/05 at 14:52 and weighed 8 pound 14 (a rather large baby)

It has the striking qualities of its father but judge for yourself

False Alarm

Well it has passed the due date - but who gets them right anyways?? - and at 1.30am it was looking as though the expected arrival was going to make an appearance with contractions coming every two hours until the last one at 8.44am. Sadly the midwife says no go today and it looks like another week! Doh! And Alan went off to work this morning expecting me to call midday to say come on home! Poor Matt too is here for the week to see his neice or nephew and is stuck with a pregnant sister instead!

Oh well maybe by the end of the week - and thanks for all the suggestions for baby to come out, none of them have worked!

D-Day (plus 2)

Some minor disruptions in the day but nothing yet to start the sirens ringing.

We have received many text messages asking for news but we would have rung if there was.

We will keep you updated.

D-Day (plus 1)

The horizon is becoming cloudy with the impending destruction and mayhem of one impatient father to be (and granddad Gaskin who is racking up one mother of a phone bill). There is still no sign of the impending invasion so we sit and wait....

D-Day...........

All is quiet on the western front, there is no signs of the invasion that intelligence said would happen today. But that does not mean that it will not happen.....

So the waiting game continues, not much we can do to hurry it up, it will get here when it wants to.

My Wonderful Wife!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you all know it was my birthday on thursday and i turned the magical 25, i had a wonderful day with Kerrin coming out to work for lunch and bringing my a flash as lunch, then coming home and having my favourite meatballs cooked for dinner, not to mention the fabulous afternoon tea that my team put on at work. But i had a wonderful day.

Then under the disguise of having Ang and Jay around for dinner last night, i get the surprise of my life when all the rest of my friends start turning up. Kerrin the sneaky devil had been planning this for about a month and with the help of Ang had got everybody organised without me knowing a thing. So our poor little lounge was bulging at the seams and everyone had a good night.

So with all that excitement over back to waiting for baby.

Impatient Daddy-to-be!

How silly, Alan calls me every day from work and even asks before he goes to work in the morning, "Are you having my baby today?". It is so cute. I keep reminding him that baby will come when it wants to and to get as much sleep as possible now as soon he won't be sleeping much and his time won't be his own. His reply: pouting and telling me, "But i want it to come out and play!" Hehehe, silly daddy.
I have everything ready for the much wanted arrival, have washed all those little clothes and made up the cot. Baby is slowly moving downwards and the midwife says things are progressing normally, so poor impatient daddy will just have to wait!

The curse of the first baby.....

Someone told me a couple of weeks ago that first babies are always late, I took one look at Kerrin and said "yeah right" she looked ready to 'pop' at any minute, however I haven't been around many pregnant women to have that much credibility behind my predictions.

So the talk now has started about what happens after "D-Day", quite honestly I am thinking a week (well certainly the way it is dragging at the moment) is a long time and there is still every chance that by next Friday I will be a proud new Dad, but others have different opinions.

But I guess it is still one of those wait and see things, ain't much I can do about it.

2 weeks and counting.....

Someone told me that the last month seems longer than the whole 9 months and I would have to agree with them. Anyway 2 weeks till due date has ticked over which means anytime in the next four or so weeks I am going to be a Dad.

Kerrin keeps getting my hopes up stopping for mysterious pains and has been really uncomfortable today, she hasn't sat still for too long. But knowing my luck this baby is going to hold on for as long as possible.

Anyway other than sitting here twiddling our thumbs, not much has been happening everything is pretty much ready to go.

Still no baby!!!!

Despite many requests the baby still does not want to come out and play!

But all that aside Kerrin is now home and getting things ready for the big arrival. The washing machine doesn't know what has hit it and the house looks tidier than normal, but still no sign of baby (just need to get her doing the garden and life would be good).

I guess i am just getting impatient but the count down is on, only 2 weeks and 3 days till due date, so could be any day now (except for next Thursday).

Baby Shower

Yesterday was the baby shower hosted by a friend from work who did a fantastic job, we all found out what our names mean, had a memory game etc and lots of chocolate!!!
Mum came up from Wellington and lots of work mates joined in the fun. Got lots of presents both from those who came and those who couldn't make it.
Thank you to Lynette and Trevor for the gorgeous handmade(?) blanket and jacket and AFL set! and of course everyone for all of their presents.

Here is Kerrin and yes it is all baby!!

Welcome

With the difficulty of living away from family and of course the impending arrival of our little boy or girl, we thought it was about time to bring life to the internet and give everyone a reason to do a bit of surfing.

So here we are counting down the final three weeks to due date (so could be anytime from now i guess) when our little "Jack" will be born.

Why "Jack" you may ask? Well in picking names i came up with a great one (obvioulsy it was Jack) and tried for months to get Kerrin to come around to it, but to no avail. But after all that trying a lot of other people came accross to my why of thinking and now no matter what this baby comes out like it will be called Jack as a way to wind Kerrin up.

So now that Kerrin has finished work she is bound to get bored and i bet it will get updated frequently, but we are kind of new to this so bear with us for a while. But keep checking back regularly for new updates and stuff (who knows what we will come up with).