Postcards from Eymet in France.

Here we are in France. Set off from Leicester at 1.15 on Wednesday lunchtime, drove down to the tunnel and across Northern France, past Paris, Orleans and Limoges and arrivecd in Eymet (near Bergerac) at 5 this morning. Bloody knackered now! Granny and Grandpa have built a new wendy house for Rosie and Emily - and here's Rosie having first go! She loves it. As you can see it's a sturdy home with it's own deck and slide ... Rosie and Emily are really going to have some fights over this in the coming years! Tears before bedtime ...

Another view

Always nice to see another persons view of Helen, Rosie and Emily. This is one from Pete one of my friends who I used to work with years ago - and I think he has just captured the girls really well. Pete's into music - big time - and Leicester City (but then just like me he was dragged there at an early age and it's a habit you can't break). I've just done him a motown / northern soul compilation to see which of the tracks he doesn't know - won't be many!

That winning feeling again

A little bit of a brreak from rambling on about my girls! I was at the Walkers Stadium this weekend to see Leicester City win for the third home game in a row - it's some time since this has happened so it's worth a post. After a crap start to the season with 0 points out of 6, its good to see us get 7 out of the next 9. So here we are in the top ten of the Championship table - something we only managed a couple of times last season. Lets hope things are on the up.

Peaceful Saturday lunch

AAHHH! Don't you just love it when they sleep. This is Emily sleeping in her chair on a peaceful Saturday lunch - and Rosie is asleep in her bed upstairs. Me and Helen have just had a nice pasta lunch and I'm off to the football. What a lovely day - friends over this morning - children asleep - and a match to go to ... what could possibly spoil it? Er ... down to you Robert Kelly!

Emily latest

Here she is taking a bath! I can't believe how small she seems compared to Rosie - but also how strong she is. Her striking dark hair comes from me - I know it's hard to believe but I was not always silver grey! On the sleeping front she is doing brilliantly so far. Helen has her in a routine and she is sleeping right through the night with just ONE feed at around 2 a.m. Helen is magic with this routine business and I suspect in the middle ages she might have been thought to be a candidate for the ducking stool!

Another Dad's blog

Thought you'd like to see James' blog. The link is on the right under FULL TIME DAD. I reckon we should put a site together with all the dads blogs on it as a place to go to see how everybody else manages with their kids.

Rosie Rock-star

There was a time when you had children in the car that you sang them a little lullaby - or maybe stood on your head in the passenger seat to keep them amused. Then we had cassettes and it was all down to Postman Pat to entertain the little ones, Ben and Michael used to also have a tape of Thomas the Tank Engine that we wore out in the car. But none of that is any good any more it seems ... here a picture of Rosie "rock-star" McCarthy watching a DVD in her child seat. Not so much a case of "are we nearly there yet?" more "Can you keep driving till my film has finished"!

Playing "Happy Families"

Here we all are then! This is where for me it all goes back to the beginning - with this time the hope that it all turns out all right in the end. There is so much I don't remember about Ben and Michael when they were growing up so I hope this blog will help me recall more vividly how it all goes. Today, Rosie is still spotted up with Chicken Pox and a little bit grumpy - but then who wouldn't be with all those spots. Emily is sleeping well, she can't really comfort herself off to sleep but once she is away she sleeps ... like a baby! Helen is getting more and more fitter after the pregnancy and birth and I'm enjoying some time off and a chance to do other things.

Spots and Pram

I put up a photo of our new Phil + Ted pram from New Zealand the other day and Michael in Oklahoma was wondering where the baby went?
So here it is Mike - two views of the pram with Rosie on top and Emily underneath. When Emily can sit up we'll have two chairs, one under the other taking up less space than a traditional pram.
At the moment though I feel like we should put Rosie underneath out of sight. As you can see she is into day 2 of chicken pox and is covered in spots. She is being very good though - still sleeping and just a little bit grumpy. I'd be very grumpy looking like that!

Emily - The Sleep Update

So far so good. emily is in her own room now at 8 days old and last night she slept for 11.30 pm to 4 am and then through till 8 am. Good old Rosie has come down with chickenpox but is still sleeping through - what a treasure.

Rosie holds a tea party

Rosie is really enjoying being a big sister - even though I don't think she really knows that she is one. All the family have been round to see her and her grandparents have been over from France to stay. She hasn't clocked they are all here to see Emily - she thinks it's all for her. This is really good as she hasn't shown any signs of jealousy yet. Here she is hosting a tea party in her bedroom with her cousins - Sophie, Charlotte and Sarah. Don't they all look happy with that pretend cake. At least there are no calories!

Our "most excellent" Phil & Ted pram

I didn't think we'd get this far ....a designer pram for heavens sake! It's got three wheels, holds two babies and they both get their own seats as they grow up. Yes we plumped for a "Phil & Teds" most excellent pram from New Zealand. They even have a trendy slogan "survival of the hippest". Poor old Rosie - she had the cheapest available from Toys R Us - while this one cost over £400. Could have got a car for that - in fact Ben did!

Rosie McCarthy on the radio

Rosie made her first radio broadcast to the world today on BBC Radio Leicester. Tony Wadsworth - the mid morning presenter - wanted to know about internet blogging after a Leicester grandad had become top on the You Tube video list with his recollections of life in Leicester. As they couldn't get him for the programme I was second choice - good fun though, like old times! Must get to do a radio show again one day.

Rosie's new friend

The second most asked question about Emily is "how does Rosie get on with her?" I think this picture sheds some light on this. Rosie is not quite sure who the new dolly belong to - mummy or her. She is slowly getting used to having a sister and we are trying to make sure she is not left out - or over fussed. Difficult to get a happy medium - especially one named Doris!

The passport race

The heat is on ... how quickly can we get a passport so we can get over to Bergerac? We'll get a form into the post office on Thursday... and then it's in the lap of the gods. Do you like the photo we got for Emily? She'll have to live with this until she is 5 years old. One thing is for certain is that with 2 babies we will need some hand luggage so I am pleased to see the terrorist threat has been downgraded a little. Mind you, with the ban on baby milk on board aircraft unless it's tasted first, I hope they bear in mind mums who are breast feeding - cos I don't want to be tasting it in front of a security officer! (Or any time come to that.)

Phoning America

We were getting a bit anxious that we hadn't heard from Michael and how his journey to America after his delays at Heathrow on Thursday. As it turned out he was lucky and got away just 5 or so hours late ... then it all went horribly wrong as you can see in his blog;
I wasn't supposed to be in Philadelphia... Here’s how a 27-hour journey turned into a 65-hour one.
I got home from the football and just thought I'd give him a call on the mobile ... and it rang. He'd just that minute switched his phone on as he arrived at Oklahoma City Airport .... The good news is that all the airlines honoured his tickets and got him sorted out so that was brilliant.

Meanwhile back at the ranch Rosie is asleep in her new room and Helen is getting ready to cook the placenta. Yes you read it right ... I'm having bacon and egg instead!

New Family

Here we are all at home at last as a "new" family. Rosie has been so excited to have her mummy at home and is even showing an interest in the baby. Best of all she is getting on brilliantly with her walking. Everyone has been getting Rosie's new room ready this morning - all running round like whirling dervishes. Still some good news from the mid-wife who confirmed that Helen has got fantastic breasts - well in the sense of producing milk that is!

Home at last

Here we are. Helen and Emily home at last. It seems like an age but really Emily is only just 48 hours old - I can't believe it. In that time Michael has been to Heathrow and we hope got to America. Ben has had his mortage application approved in principle. And Leicester City have gone 48 hours without losing a game - mind you they haven't played one!

Wow What a Day!

Wow what a day! Up at 2 a.m. to take Michael to Heathrow ready for his flight to the US. Dropped him off him at 4.30 a.m. and he was very happy and ready for his early morning flight to JFK via Dublin. He rang home at 9 a.m. to tell me he was in the departure lounge minus hand luggage - including laptop, phone, camera and iPod after the "terror threat" made a mess of his travel. Not heard anything since so I assume he is ok. On brighter notes Rosie and Ben met their new little sister today. Not sure what Rosie made of Emily. I think she was very happy to have a quick point and poke but then wanted to be with mummy. When you see Ben and Emily together you can see where she gets the black hair! Thats what mine was like when I had any. Almost 23 years between Ben and Emily but they have one other thing in common ... I've kept a copy of the newspapers from the day they were both born. Off to see Emily and Helen in Hospital now - she has had some stitches and is uncomfortable but very happy.

Baby McCarthy ARRIVES

What a day. But here she is. We got to the hospital at 1.30 p.m. and 6 hours later bay Emily Ellise McCarthy was born. She weighed in at 7lbs 12oz. Helen managed to deliver her naturally with only the aid of gas and air and after Emily breast fed straight the way. Helen is doing fine - but is having some stitches in her bottom ... so she'll have to stay in for a day or so. Here is Emily with her brother Michael .... Mike is off to Oklahoma in a bit (we actually leave at 2 a.m.) to go to University for a year so it was brilliant that he got to give her a cuddle before he went. More news as soon as I have recovered from the birth and driving all night!

Into hospital

Its 12.35 Wednesday. Helen has called the hospital and they've said she is to come in ... and if she's not in labour they will send her home again ... so if you don't get another post in a couple of hours the next post will include the new baby McCarthy.

Waters Have Broken

No this is not a new hymn .... Wednesday morning at 11.50 and I got a call on my mobile from Helen - three storeys up in bed "My waters have broken - big fu****g time!". So this could be it .... At the momemnt all that is happening is that we are washing the clean sheets that we put on last night!

Bang the drum - it could be happening?

Here's Rosie banging her drum after breakfast. Actually it's an old cake tin turned upside down and she can really hit it with some force. Helen says she is getting pains every 10 minutes or so ... could it really be the start of the new baby coming. I have a feeling that writing about it on the blog will ensure that it isn't in full swing yet- but we live in hope. Michael - son number 2 - is off to Oklahoma University for a year and I am supposed to be taking him to Heathrow for 5 a.m. in the morning .... I am feeling that all these timings are going to collide! There's a link to Michael's blog in the links on the right .....

The Right Wing Waiting Room

Ok. Enough is enough! We've (actually Helen) has now gone her full full term. Today is the due date. So far the only thing that has arrived is the midwife - to check if Helen is still here! In fact Helen is so bored she has started to watch Fox News so she can rip the P**S out of it. Today Fox (that is George Bush in the White House) thinks that oil companies should be allowed to drill for oil anywhere in Alaska and boll***s to the consequences. In fact 86% of Fox viewers in a poll said yes to drilling in the Antartic Wildlife Haven! God even I'm getting hooked in now ..... where is the baby!!!!!!

Full Term

I am beginning to understand why it's called "full term" at the end of a pregnancy. As you can see Helen looks pretty "full" to me. We are now just 24 hours from the due date - August 8th - and so far there is no sign of the little blighter coming out. Helen says that having dropped down last weekend that he / she seems to have decided to go back up again .... so it'll be an "indecisive" McCarthy. That'll be a novelty - I think!

First Steps

Like any good journalist I missed the big story - Rosie taking her first steps - so I thought I'd share a heartwarming rescue with you! Here she is though clogging up the works for the other children at Snibston Discovery Park. After getting in the tunnel she needed encouraging to get out, and as Helen couldn't get in, it was granny to the rescue! On the walking front Rosie did manage to take 7 steps on her own on Saturday lunchtime while Helen was asleep upstairs - it was brilliant and just like any new walker she stepped smartly and just like Frankenstein with straight legs and arms outstretched.

Back to normal

After all the expectation on Monday it's back to normal today. No contractions, no pains and no running around. In the last 24 hours Helen has been swimming, antique shopping, museum visiting - and eating, Lots of eating. This is the time the baby puts on its body fat before it's born, at the last scan we were told it would be around 6lbs 6oz .... but I'm begining to think it may be larger. I'm going to make sure she has a bath tonight and see if that starts anything going.

Nothing happening yet!

9 a.m. Wednesday morning and nothing is happening yet. Still Helen has had a nice rest and enjoyed everyone running round after her. Here she is explaining to one of her friends on the telephone that "no - I still haven't had the baby!" - despite calling off a night out with them on Monday. It's all quite surreal, like a TV blockbuster building up the tension until the moment when everything happens all at once. In TV terms I think we've reached the first ad-break!

Still not sure

7 p.m. Tuesday evening. Helen is still convinced that "something" is going on down there, but as yet the early signs of labour haven't got any stronger. Interesting day for me though, I went off to London for meetings - as Helen had suggested - and throughout the day was hoping for a call but it didn't come. So the wait goes on ... getting very nervous and exciting; will tonight be the night? it's been a very productive day in the McCarthy household though, Elissa has got the blackout blinds ready for Rosie's new room and pat has been painting and assembling the childrens desk from Ikea. If it was a movie we'd have been boiling water and washing towels all day!