Travels of the Rogue

Disneyland Paris

2008-06-12T21:02:00.005+01:00

Holidays

2007-10-06T10:18:00.000+01:00

All worn out

Being cheeky!
In my sand built rocket ship
Climbing up the sunshade
Pig rustling!!!

Pirate Liam

2007-10-06T10:13:00.000+01:00

Me and my dad being pirates at the Pirate show in Mallorca

Nearly a year

2007-09-05T21:34:00.000+01:00

It's been a little while since I visited here but I'm doing well except for my cold, my daddy got a new job around this time last year and is still doing it. He's also lost some weight and so has my mummy. I got to nursery three times a week now and have just come back from my holidays in Alcudia, Mallorca (Balaeric Islands, Mediterranean Sea).

I created a Slide Show! Check it out!

2006-09-12T13:33:00.000+01:00

Unemployment

2006-07-18T13:56:00.000+01:00

My dad worked for over 24 years after leaving school and was never without a job until November 2005. He started a new job in December 2005 but gave it up because he didn't like the people he worked for.

He hasn't found a new job yet ...

It's been a while

2006-05-09T10:03:00.000+01:00

I seem to have a flurry of posts and then nothing for ages and I apologise to anyone who became a regular reader during my early months.

So what's been going on ...

Mummy made a full recovery from her illness at Christmas and despite a small relapse in late April she appears fit and healthy. Daddy started his new job in December and then had a few problems with the people who worked for him in February. Things didn't work out as Daddy intended so he left his job and is now looking for a new one.

I had a lovely birthday (thank you) but I had a really bad cold. I was also cutting some new teeth so I didn't enjoy myself that much. My big sister, Naomi has been on a trip to Alton Towers, had a birthday and also had her first boyfriend. Naomi bought a webcam and was showing pictures to her friends but Daddy took it off her as he had said she wasn't to get one until our Internet speed was up to 8Mb.

It's Mummy's birthday tomorrow so I have to think of a present for her and to buy a card otherwise she might get upset. Daddy will take me shopping later today. Daddy's car exhaust snapped but didn't fall off. Mummy's also snapped and she got a new one. Daddy is saving his money up for a new one.

Speaking of new things, Mummy and Daddy's new bed finally arrived after 4 months of waiting. Daddy built it yesterday and it's very comfortable. Mummy said she slept very well. Daddy also had to get some new parts for his computer as the Motherboard broke down. He needed a new processor and memory as well. He also bought some memory for Naomi's computer. Daddy set up a wireless network in our house so Naomi can go on the Internet in her bedroom without disturbing Daddy from his job hunting.

I have to go to bed now so Daddy might add a few comments of his own ...

MUMMY!!!

2006-01-02T22:23:00.000Z

My mum was very ill this morning. She was dizzy and seemed disorientated. Dad took her to Bedford Hospital (we were still at my nana's house) because she collapsed and started vomitting. I was scared and so was dad.

When mum got to the hospital she had to be given some antibiotics and the doctor said she had to stay in. Mum said she wanted to come home to look after me. A second doctor said she had to stay in hospital because she was so ill. Her CRP count was 277 against a normal count of 5 and her White Cell Count was at 18%. The doctor said she was very lucky as she could have died if things had gotten much worse.

Mum had to take penicillin and another antibiotic for a week. She was taking the tablets 4 times a day. They said that mum had a bacterial infection in her milk bar. Mum wasn't allowed to feed me herself for a couple of days and had to use a breast pump. When she started pumping, the milk wasn't milk anymore, but was pus. It was green and smelly.

When she saw Dr Lynch, our local doctor, he said she had been looked after very well by the doctor in Bedford. He also said she was lucky the infection didn't turn into an abscess.

New Year's Eve

2006-01-01T10:01:00.000Z

My mum wasn't feeling very well yesterday morning. I was ill with my cold and didn't want to eat so mum's milk bars filled up a lot.

She felt better in the evening and she stayed up very late watching televison with my dad. They seemed very happy today. Not long to my first birthday now ...

Christmas Day

2005-12-27T19:36:00.000Z

I had a lovely day but I was very tired at the end.

I got lots of new toys and clothes. The toys all seem to make lots of noise and have lots of lights. When I press things on the toys, the lights come on and the noises start. The clothes all smell new and some of them are a bit scratchy.

On the day after Christmas I wasn't feeling very well. I got a cold and a cough. My mum got a cold as well. So did dad and he had to go back to work a few days later.

Strange thing in the corner

2005-12-23T22:09:00.000Z

A large green spiky thing has appeared in the corner of the room.

Mum spent ages putting sparkly things and some lights on it. It looked very interesting. I decided to investigate and gave it a little pull. That was a big mistake because it fell on top of me. The spiky things stuck in my skin but I wasn't frightened. It smelt funny too, but wasn't scary.

Mum asked my big sister Naomi to tidy it up but she had a tantrum and walked out of the house while shouting at my dad. She came back later and apologised before making the big green thing look pretty again.

Mum says it's called a Christmas tree ...

Christmas

2005-12-22T00:07:00.000Z

There's a strange thing in the corner of our lounge! I'll tell you more later ...

Daddy's New Job

2005-12-12T00:05:00.000Z

Daddy started a new job today.

He was a bit nervous but seemed to be happy to get back to work. I don't think he was bored at home, just bit guilty because he'd never NOT had a job.

He's got one now, I hope he likes it!

Lanzarote

2005-12-09T00:02:00.000Z

... is a small island off the coast of Africa but is governed by Spain. It's throw back to Spain's colonial past but has a character all of it's own.

Anyway I went there on November 24 and went on a plane for the first time outside of my mum's tummy. I quite enjoyed myself and we had lots of nice sunshine and I really liked playing in the sand.

Back again

2005-11-21T23:59:00.000Z

I am really sorry for not making regular appearances however just when I promise myself that I will get back in touch, life gets complicated. So here we go with the events of the last two months.

In mid November I went on a very long trip in my mum's car to a town called Liverpool. There I saw a man who wanted a form filling in and two photographs of me. After a week, mum and dad said I had a passport. This meant I could go on holiday ...

Return of the Rogue

2005-11-15T08:55:00.000Z

I'm so sorry that I haven't visited for a while but things have been so busy since Live 8 that I just haven't had the time.

Here's some of the things that have happened:

August - Dad had another birthday! We went on holiday to my grandad's lodge in the Lake District. It was very relaxing and I got to visit Blackpool for the first time. Dad also got a letter telling him that he was going to be made redundant.

September - I got some more teeth. Four all came at one time!

October - my dad had an interview for a job. He had to go back a second time but dad's car broke down on the way there. Me and mum had to rescue him.

November - the man who interviewed dad must have liked him because he offered him a job. Dad had to go away for a week to Dartford. I missed dad. When he came home dad said he was going to have a long holiday from work.

And that sort of brings you up to date but I have some exciting news coming ...

Live 8

2005-07-10T23:33:00.000+01:00

As you can see from the post entitled Sulking my dad was very upset when he didn't win a ticket to the Live 8 concert at Hyde Park in London on July 2.

As a last gasp measure dad decided to enter a competition run by BBC Radio Leeds and the prize was one of five pairs of tickets for the Live 8 concert dad was desperate to see. Dad also put an entry in for mum.

Imagine their surprise when at 7.30 a.m. on Friday July 1 a woman came banging on our front door. Dad was still ironing his shirt for work and the woman shrieked that there was a naked man in the house. When dad opened the door she burst into the house asking for mum. Dad said she was in the bath (she was in the bath with me!).

The woman who introduced herself as Georgey Spanswick went upstairs but my dog Dawn barked at her, protecting me and mum. Eventually mum got us out of the bath and we met Georgey who was broadcasting live on BBC Local radio. She was very nice to us and explained that mum's entry had won two tickets to Live 8 in London the next day.

Dad was very pleased. Once they had stopped broadcasting mum asked if I could go as well, as mum was still breastfeeding (remember she missed the U2 concert at Twickenham when dad had to sell her ticket on E-Bay). Georgey said she would check. When she rang back later the BBC said that Live 8 recommended that children under 10 did not attend because of the noise and the long day.

Mum was very disappointed. Dad spoke to John Ryan, Editor of BBC News in Leeds. Mr Ryan agreed to take me and dad and mum to London but made no promises that we would get into the concert.

Well the good news is that after a very long time queuing we did get in. We missed the start and had to leave before the end because our bus was coming home but we had a fantastic day and I enjoyed all of the music. I'll tell you more about that later. Anyway dad and mum were very happy that day!

Teething part two

2005-07-10T23:32:00.000+01:00

I have my first tooth.

It properly arrived last Saturday July 2. It was a very special day and if you have read the Live 8 post you will know why.

Mum is complaining now that am biting her when visiting her milk bars

Sulking

2005-06-15T21:26:00.000+01:00

Dad is sulking because he didn't get a ticket to the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park, London on July 2.

After mum not being able to go to see U2 this weekend, dad was hoping to make it up to her by taking her to see U2, Coldplay and The KIllers. Now he can't do that. He has one last chance though because there are tickets being made available for a concert at Murrayfield, Edinburgh designed to coincide with the meeting of the G8 nations in the same city on July 6. Dad has spent a fortune on texts trying to make sure he gets tickets for this one.

He managed to sell mum's ticket on Ebay to a nice German man called Klaus. Dad is meeting Klaus on Sunday to give him the ticket and get the money for it from him. Dad is also going to stay the night at my aunt Rachael's house (where my cousin Hannah lives) in London. Rachael, Hannah and Julian (Hannah's dad) will be in Naples, Italy so dad can have a lie in on Monday before getting me and mum from my nana's house in Bedford where we will be staying.

Dad has also made a bid on Ebay for two tickets to the Leeds Carling Festival in August ( just in case he doesn't get those Live 8 tickets for Edinburgh!)

Birthday (another one that's not mine)

2005-06-12T13:54:00.000+01:00

My big sister Samantha was 21 on Wednesday which makes dad feel old but her feel older. Dad is now less than twice her age.

We all went to Chinese restaurant in Leeds for a meal. I was asleep until dessert arrived so I didn't see much. Mum had to feed me in the toilets. When we came back out, dad was playing with me and then I was sick all down the front of his new shirt. He laughed a lot and so did the waitresses and everyone having their meals.

My granny was also there and she was talking to my aunt Helen about the brother of one of her ex-boyfriends. According to granny my sister's ex-boyfriend's younger brother is in a band and they are doing very well.

Granny said the band was called Kaiser's Chief which made my dad laugh a lot because they are The Kaiser Chiefs. My sister remembers this person and his name is Peanut.

Dad has put mum's U2 ticket up for sale on Ebay because I still won't take milk from a bottle. Dad has also tried to get some Live8 tickets for July 2 at Hyde Park, London. Mum also said that dad could bid for some Carling Festival tickets on Ebay. That made dad very happy because him and mum have been every year since they met.

That's the end of today's news from the world of music! Oh I'm going to a barbecue this afternoon so I hope it is sunny

Work

2005-06-08T21:48:00.000+01:00

Dad went to a meeting at work about three weeks ago.

During the meeting dad's boss's boss's boss said that his company didn't need him any more because he'd done such a good job. He said that dad's work to transfer all his work on to a new computer had worked very well and should be all finished by the middle of August. After that his boss had no more work for him so dad might be staying at home during the day.

Dad doesn't seem too worried as he has already written a cv and has had some interest from new bosses. He has to stay in his current job for a while longer to get some extra money but then after his holidays he can go get a new job.

Mum is worried though but not too worried because she knows dad is clever, even if he is fat and bald. He can easily get a new job.

I'm still not eating from a bottle so mum might not be going to see U2 next Sunday. Dad seems more upset by that than from losing his job. Oh and mum and dad might be going to Live 8 to convince Mr Blair and Mr Bush to let the poor people off their debts. I think they're too hard hearted to do it so the poor people will stay poor.

Big Brother

2005-05-27T21:41:00.000+01:00

Yes I know another series has appeared on UK TV tonight but I don't want to talk about that just yet ...

My big brother Kieron arrived at my house tonight and announced that he wanted to have his ear pierced ... in the summer ... because they would make him take it out at school. My dad had his done during his 'O' levels (GCSE's) on June 24 1979 (he told me that because I wasn't around then). Dad wasn't that surprised and I think that Kieron was a little disappointed.

I hate to tell him that there's very few things that will shock dad as he's done most of them and if I let him, he might tell you about them some time ...

Anyway Kieron also found some photos of my dad at his house when my dad was at school in the school athletics and rugby teams. He said my dad looked little. I can't believe my dad was ever little.

My granny (my dad's mum) came to visit us tonight. She told Kieron that my dad grew 8" (20cm) in one year. It made him look very tall and thin. Dad said that he was once the tallest person in his year at school.

My dad says he was never thin (I can see that from the way I can bounce on his belly)

Bottles

2005-05-22T12:18:00.000+01:00

I like my milk bars as they provide me with food on demand.

My dad thinks that this is pretty good too as he doesn't have to waken up every time I want feeding in the middle of the night. There is however a downside as far as dad is concerned.

This weekend a lot of dads friends around the world are enjoying the release of Star Wars : Episode III Revenge of Sith. Dad loves mum very much and doesn't want to leave her at home while he goes to see the movie at the cinema.

In a few weeks dad has been invited to a local football league's presentation night. This usually means that the referee is going to be presented with an award. Dad wants to take mum anyway as he wants to show her some of the players that he tells her funny little stories about after his game. Dad will go to this one on his own anyway.

Finally, dad is a big fan of the band U2 as you can see from his "What I'm listening to" list. Dad managed to get some tickets for the forthcoming Vertigo tour. The concert is in three weeks and unless I can be persuaded to drink from a bottle, mum can't go with him. Dad has seen U2 on every tour for the last 22 years so I think we can be certain that he will be going to this one on his own if I don't make the switch.

Kittens

2005-05-17T19:16:00.000+01:00

When Boris my cat had some kittens a few weeks ago I didn't know they were going to be this much fun.

They run around our conservatory chasing shadows, their tails and each other. Mum says they can't stay and we have to give some away. Two are going to my big sister Katharine's teacher's friend and another one is going to my aunt Margaret.

I want to keep one for myself but even with mum changing their litter tray twice a day, the house smells funny ... like catshit my dad says. Dad says when we kept Tom he thought that was enough and silly Boris keeps going out and getting more kittens so it's time for her to go to the vets for an operation.

I might tell you about dad's operations later. He didn't just have one, he had two. He's a bit grumpy because of the pain but we keep laughing and playing together. Mum says I'm not to trample him, like I would do that ...

Visits

2005-05-14T21:03:00.000+01:00

I am currently asleep at my nana's house having travelled down there this afternoon.

I like my nana's house because it is bigger than ours but she looks like she'll need a few weeks of rest because I have tired her out ... *snore* ... Dad says we have to move house within a year but I don't know where we're going.

It all depends on where dad ends up working if he gets made redundant from his current job.

Birthday

2005-05-13T11:34:00.000+01:00

No not mine you sillies, I'll be three months old next Tuesday! It was mum's birthday on Tuesday, she was 31.

She made a special curry for her and dad and big sister Naomi. She wasn't expecting a present from dad but he bought her a big Eeyore. I like him too because he's all fluffy. Mum also had two glasses of champagne while dad had some vodka and orange juice.

Dad also bought a great big chocolate cake. He found out that curry, chocolate cake, vodka and orange juice don't mix very well. He got "heartburn", which, according to mum is stomach acid creeping up his throat which made his voice sound very funny. He also had a cold which he gave to me but I'm feeling much better now, thank you for asking.

Dad couldn't get to sleep because of his "heartburn" and went to sit downstairs, drinking milk and watching MTV. Mum laughed at him but she wasn't feeling well either because she had too much chocolate cake.

Teething

2005-05-09T20:16:00.000+01:00

Dad's not going to be the only one in pain this weekend as I have some very big gums in my mouth.

Mum says I'm too young to have any teeth yet but my dad told her that my big brother Kieron cut his first teeth when he was only 3 1/2 months. I'm nearly 3 months old so it won't be long. Already I'm chewing on mum's finger when it gets near my mouth.

I think I'll like having teeth, especially if they're as white as my dad's teeth. He's had lots of work done on his teeth because he broke the front ones when he was 9 years old, so they're real but not all real!

Last in the line

2005-05-09T20:13:00.000+01:00

My dad is going to hospital this weekend for an operation.

Mum said the operation had a long funny name that she couldn't spell (even with Spellcheck!) and I can't remember the name she used. The operation means that he won't be able to make any more babies with mum. That seems alright by me because I don't want to have to share my toys with any screaming babies when I'm growing up. It also means that I'll always have the protection of my big brothers and sisters.

Mum says that dad might be walking funny for a few days and that I've not to bounce on him too much (well he's in control of that really) or he'll squeak.

Transport

2005-05-07T20:10:00.000+01:00

I have a very nice pushchair and it takes my car seat just as well.

I enjoy sitting in my car seat and watching the world go by but I do like some privacy. So imagine my surprise when mum made some quick adjustments to my pushcahir and I could lie down but still have a view of the world.

I like travelling in my dad's car too but he drives a bit too fast. My chair in the car is at a bit of a difficult angle and I can't see what's happening outside. Mum says it's for safety reasons but it just makes me go to sleep.

Needles

2005-05-06T20:07:00.000+01:00

Sorry I've not been around but my dad caught me on the internet and decided that I should not be allowed on the keyboard for a while.

I went back to the clinic agian this week and this time they stuck a great big needle in me - not once, but twice!

Mum took me for vaccinations and they mean that I won't catch any nasty germs which could make me ill. I'll probably thank her for it in years to come but just now my legs hurt.

Music

2005-04-26T22:47:00.000+01:00

I know I mentioned that mum was a bit of a rock chick (look down cos I haven't figured out HTML yet enough to put in a link) but I didn't talk about music properly.

No one who has visited here over the last few weeks can have failed to notice that dad has been listening to the same music for ages.

This is not bcause he is boring, it's just that dad knows his own mind and doesn't want to bore you with his White Stripes back catalogue (4 albums!!!). By the way, if you have a copy of Coldplay's latest album, dad would like a copy (or download).

I like Coldplay too, it's calming ...

Pumping

2005-04-26T22:24:00.000+01:00

I think mum's stamina must be flagging.

Ever since the early days (have a look at dad's old posts on here) the milk has been flowing and I have been growing. It seems that mum has been feeling the strain recently and dad has been voicing his desire to take mum out on her own for the night.

I have no objections to this in principle however I'm sure he must realise that I would like to see the new Star Wars film (Episode III:Revenge of the Sith) as well.

Anyway, apparently before I was born mum and dad went shopping at Mothercare and bought a breast pump and a few (9!!!) bottles. Mum decided to pump some milk tonight. She was a bit shy at first and managed to pump 2 ozs into a little bottle. When she came back downstairs she decided on dad's advice (good old dad - I'm very hungry these days) that she should pump out some more.

What dad didn't realise that he will have to do the feeding at 3 a.m. I think at that point dad thought that the second large vodka and orange, while watching the rugby on TV, was maybe a bad idea.

Poor dad!

Singing

2005-04-26T22:13:00.000+01:00

Some people say that this is a skill which comes naturally and others say that it can be trained.

Looking at Charlotte Church, I feel a balance of both is probably the thing that produces the most melodic output. My dad has done a few songs in his time and if you can be bothered poking about in the older posts on ~~his~~ my blog you'll see what he got up to.

My mum on the other hand has been a "rock chick" in her time hanging out with bands such as WASP. In fact she must have been extra nice to one of WASP as she still has a letter from him stored in the big box upstairs. Dad thinks this is absolutely brilliant and shows why he loves mum so much, she's a bit wild you see (say it with a Charlotte Church accent and it sounds better!).

Anyay mum decided to sing Incy Wincy Spider to me today and just like happened with my big sister, Naomi, the audience (today that was me) burst into tears. Well not into tears, as that woudldn't be manly, but I just put a big lip on and looked upset, just so she got the message.

I hope she doesn't sing that to me again. I prefer her vocals to Guns'n'Roses or Aerosmith.

Clinic

2005-04-22T18:06:00.000+01:00

The clinic is a place where I have to go every two weeks so that the nice doctors and nurses can check that my arms and legs (and other body parts) are growing correctly and from time to time, the doctors can stick needles in me.

I went to the clinic this week and met a new friend. I don't know what her name was but she was 18 weeks old (I was nine weeks old yesterday). We had a long chat about lots of things and we had a few giggles too. I was surprised that she was so old because I was the same size as her. Her hands were tiny compared to mine but her head was bigger than mine.

The nurse weighed me and I now weigh nearly 14 pounds. I was supposed to have some vaccinations this week but the doctor arranged it for his other surgery which is 6 miles away and mum didn't want to drive in a hurry across town to make the appointment.

The nurse thinks I'm very nice and the doctor thinks I'm very bright so there we have it, proof that you can have brains and beauty

Relatives II

2005-04-16T23:33:00.000+01:00

Today I went shopping for my sister N's Birthday present. My dad bought her a nice Playboy watch. Her last one was stolen at school, which isn't very nice. She is 13 tomorrow which sounds old, but she's still "a little girl" according to mum and dad.

My big brother Kieron went to the rugby cup final at Twickenham. The team he was supporting, Leeds Tykes, beat the favourites, Bath. He went with his grandad (his mum's dad). I hope he had a good time.

I watched my Tigger singing and dancing a lot today but I can't quite grab hold of him yet. I'm sure it will get easier if I practice. I couldn't practice much yesterday as I had a fingernail which was growing into my finger.

My finger end went red and then all green. Once the gooey green stuff was squeezed out by dad, everything got better.

Clever Daddy

2005-04-14T19:52:00.000+01:00

Daddy got promoted as a referee. He's now a County Referee.

Everyeone still shouts at him when he blows his whistle or waves his flag though

Football

2005-04-13T20:27:00.000+01:00

My dad loves football and my mum loves rugby.

My dad says when I grow up I should be a football referee and a rugby player in my spare time. I don't think I'll have any spare time if I am a referee, because my dad has done 60 games so far this season and still has another 10 to go.

It's making his belly go away. Mum likes that ...

Shopping

2005-04-13T20:25:00.000+01:00

I've been to a shopping centre today.

It's not the first time I've been there but it is the first time I've been awake. It was very bright and colourful but now I can't get to sleep thinking about all the nice things I saw in the shops.

Mum bought me some nice shorts!

Getting Careless

2005-04-13T15:02:00.000+01:00

Found dad's mobile and that I can post straight here using it. Hope to use this to my advantage!

Busted

2005-04-07T19:13:00.000+01:00

Busted
Originally uploaded by Travelling Rogue.

I have been busted.

Despite successfully avoiding being captured on camera doing the smiley thing, my dad finally caught me out!

Relatives

2005-04-03T18:38:00.000+01:00

I seem to have a lot of people who say they are related to me.

I went to a party last night with a few of them. It was my cousin, Damien's 21st birthday. I didn't know I have anyone related to me who was that old, then dad pointed out to me that my big sister, S was nearly 21 and my grandad is nearly 70.

Next to S was my granny who is nearly 62. Come to think of it, that's over 3 times as old as my sister and nearly 3 times as old as my cousin. Anyway back to the party ... it was great.

I got milk but mum has some really spicy food which I got indirectly later. I was a bit distressed about the noise in the restaurant (The Cactus Lounge next to the BBC studios in Leeds) so dad took me outside.

A man stopped to talk to us. He was a nice man who told us about not having anywhere to live. He said that he used to sleep in a tent just across the road from the main Bus Station but the Police had begun cracking down on street people. This man and his friend were the only remaining street performers who lived on the street still living in Leeds City Centre.

They played harmonica for change and lived off that. Now the Police were cracking down, they had to observe a 9-9 curfew in the City Centre. As it was nearly 9.30 dad asked the man why he hadn't moved on. The man explained that they made 70% of their money between 9 and 2 a.m. so they were willing to take a risk. The man was at pains to ensure dad understood that he wasn't begging, just wanting paying for a performance. Unfortunately he had broken his harmonica after a disagreement with his friend.

Dad went back inside the restaurant when the man decided to move on. On the way home, dad drove around the area surrounding the restaurant until he found the man and then gave him his change. It was only a couple of pounds but the man was grateful as he now had money for a Sunday breakfast. My dad has some strange friends

Rashes

2005-04-03T18:28:00.000+01:00

I have a rash, well to be totally honest, I have two.

One is little spots all over my face and neck. My dad and mum say it is a heat rash or a milk rash, it depends which one of them is talking to me. Both are talking to me a lot these days. It seemed to start about the same time I started smiling. I've been doing that for two weeks now and it seems to get everyone very excited.

Dad still hasn't caught me on camera yet. He's a bit old and far too slow off the mark to catch me.

The other rash I have, has appeared inside my nappy. My skin, according to mum because I can't see there (not without the aid of a mirror), has gone a bit red. It certainly stings when I have a little wee. It also stings when I wriggle my bum.

Anyway mum is using a nice thing called Sudocream. It is a bit cold when it is first rubbed on, but when it warms up it smells better than when I fill my nappy on my own.

I don't think it will hurt for very long once my cream does it's job.

Clothes

2005-03-27T17:17:00.000+01:00

Clotheshorse

I am sure that my mum does not know how to use the washing machine.

When I was born, all my clothes were nice and loose. I had room to pull my toes up into the body of my babygrows to keep them warm. Recently I've noticed that my toes are pushing down to the end of my legspace in my babygrows and my sleeves don't go down to my wrists.

My dad has the same problem as all his clothes seem to be much tighter than last summer. Mum says it's because "his eyes are bigger than his belly". He looks less round to me than when I first appeared and is certainly less comfortable to sleep on.

Anyway, my mum has threatened to cut the toes out of my babygrows just so my feet poke out of the bottom. The range in my wardrobe has expanded recently as I am no longer regarded as newborn. About time too as I can operate this keyboard with ease.

My grandad supports Newcastle United and he thinks this picture is funny because my dad supports Leeds United and grandad says that he has got in first so now I must support Newcastle.

I'm not too sure what they're talking about

Sleeping

2005-03-27T16:50:00.000+01:00

I have a relaxed attitude to sleeping and so does my dad.

He's been asleep again with me on his chest and I thought I'd grind out a few words before he wakens up. So anyway ... sleeping!

I like sleeping on my bed and I don't like sleeping in my car seat. It's very nice and fits into my pushchair but there's too many straps to get comfortable. It's either a strap under my bum or one down the side of my face, not at all like my bed.

I sleep next to my mum and dad. Well I'm on mum's side of the bed as dad sleeps against the wall. I have a nice cot which swings from side to side when someone rocks it.

My dad says that I don't sleep at the right time. I like sleeping when he's at work and want to play when he wants to go to sleep. It was even worse last night, according to dad, because he lost an hour's sleep when the clocks went forward by an hour to British Summer Time. It's his own fault, he should come to bed with me and mum at 9 o'clock.

Nappies

2005-03-22T10:59:00.000Z

When I want to feel warmer I just have a little wee in my nappy.

It's fine for a while but gets cold and smelly if I do it in the middle of the night.

When I do a plop, it feels all squishy and smells bad sometimes. For a few weeks while my feeding machines were not working very well, my plop was a lovely green colour and looked like it had sesame seeds in it.

Once mum's problems went away (and I don't mean dad, my big sister, the animals or the mortgage) and the milk started to flow like, well milk, my plop went a funny yellow colour.

My Health Visitor told mum my royal greenness was because I was getting lots of fore milk and not enough hind milk. Sound very strange to me but I've noticed my milk is a bit thicker and I sleep for longer between my feeds. Not that I have to you understand, because I can fed any time I want. It's just that I feel happier when I sleep for longer.

I see that dad says he hasn't captured a photo of me smiling yet. Well don't tell him but that is a deliberate ploy on my part. I sneak most of my smiles and chuckles in when he has just gone to work and mum isn't fast enough to grab the camera. I like my dad because he sings to me and makes funny faces and noises but I'm not ready to show my gums to the world. I'd rather wait until I have teeth. I don't want to look all gummy now do I?

He nearly caught me out this morning as I'd forgotten he wasn't at work this week. As he reached for the camera I remembered that I hadn't finished my breakfast and shouted for some more. He just laughed even louder, which is pretty loud I can tell you. Not quite as loud as the dog dropping her bone on the laminate floor, that really goes straight through me.

Oh he's waking up, I'd better go

Eating

2005-03-22T10:33:00.000Z

It's not been an easy week as my feeding machines seemed to have packed up last week.

My soft, long haired and nice smelling mum seemed a bit upset about this. Not as much as I was, I can tell you that for nothing. I had stomach ache and my growth spurts went all out of line. It's no fun not being able to wander down to the fridge and knock up a quick cheese sandwich.

I'd like to give it a go, then I'd be like Andy from Little Britain, sneaking around the house when no-one is looking, but I think the crumbs in the crib might give it away. I'm just not able to get out of the crib and those stairs look dangerous. The fridge is a bit high and that knife that dad uses to cut the bread looks vey heavy. As for cheese well I've heard (at the clinic) that it's solid milk!

Well what's the point of that? I've got no teeth, I have milk any time I want (and I mean any time!) and the whole point of going to the fridge was for a change of taste.

So I think I'm going back to the drawing board on that one. Maybe the hairy animal (not dad!) can let me have one of her biscuits? Oh, one of the ginger things, mum calls them cats, is getting very fat. Mum says last time that happened, more little ginger things appeared. Wonder how that happened?

Right I'm off. I'm supposed to be asleep but dad's fallen asleep with me on his chest again. I'll be back later ...

Revolution

2005-03-22T10:30:00.000Z

Just give me a minute ... be with you shortly ... right let's go!

Although it's been difficult to focus on the screen with my big fat bald hairy dad bouncing me up and down on his knee, it has come to my attention that my dad has been posting lots of things about his life and not mentioning me enough (but I do like the photos), so I've moved in and hope to bring this blog back into line ...

The Laughing Cavalier

2005-03-19T20:13:00.000Z

The little fellow has started to laugh and to focus on faces.

This started on Thursday just as Liam turned 4 weeks old. He began to grin, not just the wind fuelled faces of a lot of infants, but open mouthed ear to ear grins. At the same time he began to lock on to people's gaze. Unfortunately we're not fast enough on the camera to capture it on disc just yet.

Emotional Intelligence

2005-03-17T22:30:00.000Z

Anyone can claim to be a good team leader or team player or a manager. Emotional Intelligence is one of the crappy things by which career gurus swear. Personally if someone who works for me

does their best
uses their brains
doesn't screw up
owns up when they do screw up
works hard to recover from their screw ups
doesn't drop me in the shit

then I think they're doing a good job

Think about this for a while ...

1. How well can you mimic accents? Not too bad. Welsh, Northern Irish (no surprise since I was born in Belfast), Yorkshire (well nasal Leeds - think David Batty with brains), Wolverhampton and American ... just a kind of Western Drawl

2. Have you ever accidentally worn exactly the same outfit as somebody else?
Never accidently, always on purpose ... Rocky Horror Show, big man in stockings and suspenders

3. Do you often get ahead of yourself? Huh?

4. Do you answer the telephone before it rings? Yes, when M rings me. We are almost telepathic at times

5. Can you lose and/or gain weight quickly? I can do one of these but not the other ... I'll let you figure which one

6. Do you wake up before your alarm? Always

7. Do you spend a lot of time reminiscing? No. I have a lot of skeletons and a lot of cupboards. Even tonight when loading a new photo blogging tool, I found a picture of Lisa who I was with 4 years ago. We split bcause L couldn't accept that I wouldn't stay with her just because she had become pregnant (which wasn't on the agenda at the time). I liked L, she was like M in that she knew that life was for living and not for hiding. She wasn't like M in that she didn't always have a good sense of humour

8. Which these would you most want to be: Animal trainer/Actor/Stage manager OR
Detective?
Actor, then again I've done that

9. Do you undress people using your eyes? That would be telling

10. Do you ever talk about yourself in the third person? I am Rogue

11. Do people sometimes ignore your comments? Sometimes. But not if they want to have to listen to them again. I am persistent.

12. Do you finish meals quickly? Oink ... yes always. Eating is like filling up the tank of your car ... it's a necessity and it takes up time when you could be doing something more interesting instead

13. Do you have knack for knowing when the traffic light is going to turn green?
Yes I watch for amber

14. Are you comfortable with silence? Yes, especially if I am thinking or working

15. Do people ever tell you that you look like someone else? Ross Kemp nowadays but I was Simon Le Bon or John Taylor of Duran Duran for a long time

16. Do you set your watch and/or clocks ahead? No, what's the point. I would only think that they are fast and make allowance for it

17. When you played hide-and-seek as a child, you were? Seeker

18. How much do you love animals? I have a dog, 2 cats (soon to be more ... Boris, who is a female cat has been shagging around), 2 guinea pigs and 2 birds in a cage. That's not to mention the dead shrews Boris hunts, kills and brings home or the fleas to which she is host

19. How much do they love you? Dog thinks I am Pack Leader, cats treat me with contempt, but Tom (son of Boris) is dim and forgets that he's supposed to be snooty and aloof, pigs and birds ignore me

20. Do you often wonder where the day went? Always, my days are too full

21. Do you enjoy being in the spotlight? Oh yes

22. Do you plan ahead? Rarely further than the weekend

23. Can you usually tell how people are feeling? Only from exclusive observation

24. Any major plans this week? No, just a few matches to referee and then next week off work!

25. Do you talk to your pet? Of course

26. Does your pet talk back? Dog sometimes sings to me

27. Do you accomplish tasks more quickly than others do? Yes, I am a modest genius

28. Finally, did you watch the Academy Awards? No, they're dull

The only thing to drink on a night like this

2005-03-17T22:09:00.000Z

Downing a pint of the black stuff

St. Patrick's Day

2005-03-17T21:02:00.000Z

As with all exiled Irishmen I try to celebrate the good St Pat's Day.

M is risking having a drink to celebrate with me ... we're drinking Guinness! I think I might manage my three cans but she's not sure about her one.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sláinte chugat

Made to feel special 3

2005-03-17T20:57:00.000Z

Rogue got a phone call late on Tuesday night and was pleased to receive a match appointment as Assistant Referee for a local cup semi final.

Rogue really enjoys his refereeing. In fact this weekend Rogue has three games to contend with

Saturday afternoon game
Sunday morning game (cup semi final)
Sunday afternoon (U18 match)

M is thinking about turning out to watch Rogue be abused by the parents, coaches and players during the Sunday afternoon game. Liam will be having a long spell out in the fresh air as well. Let's hope he brings his earplugs!

Only 8 hours a day

2005-03-17T20:50:00.000Z

Rogue has decided that he shouldn't post anymore about work for two very good reasons

work might get annoyed
posting about work gets Rogue annoyed

Big voice, big man

2005-03-16T23:41:00.000Z

The little fellow has returned to form with a few smiles in the last few days (none captured on photo yet) and making lots of noise! Thats despite this post!

Liam had another visit from the Health Visitor and she brought the dreaded scales.

Liam is now weighing just under 10 1/2lbs (don't know the metric version)

Liam being loud

2005-03-16T23:36:00.000Z

Liam being loud
Originally uploaded by Travelling Rogue.

So far this blog has been sweetness and light except for M's problems with mastitis ... well not now ... Liam has found his voice.

Liam has decided that he will squeak all day and sleep all night. This is good for me being at work all day but not so good for M as she is shattered by the time I get home. Also yesterday the mastitis has returned ... sore but manageable ...

Liam has a clear look at the world

2005-03-13T15:41:00.000Z

Liam has a clear look at the world
Originally uploaded by Travelling Rogue.

Does this look like the face of a 23 day old baby (ignore the red eye)?

Liam is developing so quickly and when the Health Visitor called on Wednesday last week he had put on 1 1/2lbs since he was born.

That's some going and proves that he must have overcome his jaundice in full.

Liam shows his colours

2005-03-13T15:36:00.000Z

Liam shows his colours
Originally uploaded by Travelling Rogue.

Yesterday the Irish Rugby Union team fell at the peniultimate hurdle (France) in their bid to win the Grand Slam by beating all of the other teams in the Six Nations.

Liam showed his colours but his support just wasn't enough. Maybe next year (or maybe when the little man makes his own debut in his team's colours)

Liam's guardian

2005-03-13T15:30:00.000Z

Liam's guardian
Originally uploaded by Travelling Rogue.

This is Dawn or Pony Until Dawn to give her full Kennel Club name.

Dawn is a Weimaraner and will be 3 years old this year and had Liam not made his unplanned arrival, Dawn would have been breeding this year.

As it is, there is no chance and when we will have time, she'll be too old. It's a shame as she has 5 generations of champion pedigree behind her.

If anyone remembers the Smirnoff vodka TV advertisement from a few years ago, the bitch (even though it weas dubbed with a male voice) who appeared was from the same litter as Dawn's father.

Heads I win, Tails they lose

2005-03-12T22:13:00.000Z

No updates for a few days as things have been hectic at work and then I had a few virus problems (bloody teenagers visiting hookey sites for downloads and porn!!!).

Anyway Liam had his first visit from the Health Visitor and everything was fine. His growth since birth in terms of weight and height (length?) are both within acceptable parameters. The HV said he's a bit tall for his age though.

I promise not to slump in front of the TV or visiting relatives and to get some more pictures online as well. The news from work will explain the title of the post.

Oh, Ireland lost in the Six Nations so there's no chance of a Grand Slam this year.

It takes guts

2005-03-08T22:04:00.000Z

Rogue is, as regular readers will know, one of those bastards in the black that football fans sing about.

On Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings he can be found trudging the pitches of West Yorkshire, waving his arms, shouting at players and blowing his whistle. This exposes me to tirades of abuse, threats of violence and the sometimes vicious weather.

Walking out to the middle each weekend is nothing compared to my audition for an amateur dramatics group four years ago. Imagine a 220lb (100KG) tattooed skinhead wearing tight black trousers, black t-shirt, black heeled boots and a black leather biker jacket striding into the middle of a church hall and speaking out ... "Er, I'd like to join and I understand I have to audition".

The ranks of the chattering classes closed tight and I was viewed with suspicion. Fortunately my friends, Richard and Julie, were stalwarts of this group and had put in a good word for me. So I stood there, feeling as naked as the day I was born and took my cue at the right time to sing (in a beautiful tenor voice) ...

Some enchanted evening
You may see a stranger,
you may see a stranger
Across a crowded room
And somehow you know,
You know even then
That somewhere you'll see her
Again and again.

Some enchanted evening
Someone may be laughing,
You may hear her laughing
Across a crowded room
And night after night,
As strange as it seems
The sound of her laughter
Will sing in your dreams.

Who can explain it?
Who can tell you why?
Fools give you reasons,
Wise men never try.

Some enchanted evening
When you find your true love,
When you feel her call you
Across a crowded room,
Then fly to her side,
And make her your own
For all through your life
You may dream all alone.

Once you have found her,
Never let her go.
Once you have found her,
Never let her go!

You know you're Irish when ...

2005-03-07T23:15:00.000Z

The condensation on your pint of Guinness takes the shape of shamrocks

You don't believe there is a God, but you are damn sure of the infallibility of the Pope.

You believe that to forgive is divine, but you don't exercise it yourself.

You won't eat meat on Friday, but you'll drink a pint for breakfast.

You consider any Irishman who has become successful a traitor.

You have great respect for the truth, and you only use it in emergencies.

The further you get from Ireland, the more Irish you get.

You eat homefried taters for brakfast, potato bread for lunch, and potato stew for dinner.

You cry at sad movies, but you cheer in battle.

You will never play professional basketball.

You swear very well.

You think you sing very well.

There isn't a huge difference between losing your temper and killing someone.

You're strangely poetic after a few beers.

Many of your sisters are Catherine, Elizabeth or Mary and one is Mary Catherine Elizabeth.

You can't wait for the other guy to stop talking so you can start talking.

Much of your food is boiled.

You are, or know someone, named "Murph." If you don't know Murph, then you know Mac. If you don't know Murph or Mac, then you know Sully, and you'll probably also know Sully McMurphy.

Your parents were on a first name basis with everyone at the local emergency room.

There wasn't a huge difference between your last wake and your last keg party.

You're proud to be Irish - and you pass these jokes on to all your Irish friends!

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You know you're from Britain when ...

2005-03-07T23:03:00.000Z

You believe that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday are all good nights for drinking. Sunday day is also entirely reasonable.

You're always a half an hour late to work ... no-one notices or cares.

Coming to work with a hangover is entirely accepted and indeed expected at least once a week.

You can actually give directions to some of those annoying tourists in Oxford Street!

You step over a drunk in the tube station rather than offering to help them.

You don't even bother looking out of the window when you get up in the morning to check what the day is like. You know it is overcast.

You consider a suit to be normal attire for the pub.

You expect men to actually cut, comb and style their hair (using hair products). And to wear decent clothes.

You dissolve in laughter when listening to the funny accent of the Aussie international telephone operator (or on TV!).

You think £40 for a haircut is quite reasonable.

You can't remember what 'customer service' means.

After a big night out you find yourself looking for a Curry house

More than three hours sunlight on summer days seems excessive.

You don't think twice about tipping your hairdresser

You finish every sentence with 'Cheers' or 'Yeah'.

You only just realise you have lost your sunnies, you left them in Greece 2 summers ago.

You like English cuisine. I mean, it's hard to beat a full English breakfast.

You are on to your 6th umbrella and your second overcoat... this year

You've bought a disposable baby BBQ from Tesco.

A day at the beach means wearing the warmest clothes you own while standing on golf ball-size pebbles and the thought of swimming doesn't even enter your head.

You always call soccer football and you have a team and it's not Manchester United.

You don't think twice about buying a packaged sandwich.

A sunny lunchtime means searching for a patch of grass and stripping off practically down to your underwear

You've accepted queuing as a way of life.

You believe that every American is a fatass addicted to hamburgers and hotdogs.

You despise the French (but then, who doesn't?).

You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Britan.

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This is my dad

2005-03-07T21:42:00.000Z

liamngrandad
Originally uploaded by Travelling Rogue.

My dad is so proud of his new grandson, you could feel it fill the room when he talked about him yesterday when we went to visit.

That was after I had been asleep on the sofa which is why I was taking the pictures and not appearing in them.

My mum and dad separated when I was 35 years old. Suddenly at the age of 35 I came from a broken home! It came as a bit of a shock but my sisters and I had a bit of a laugh about the situation. As usual we split over whose fault it was ... some things never change ... we could never agree on things when we were kids and that was when we only had 3 channels on the TV!

My dad and I never saw eye to eye as I grew up. It was only when he was seriously ill in 1999 that I started to like my dad. In fact he's a great bloke and I find myself smiling when doing things and catch myself acting just like my dad. He could drink like a fish when he was younger too. It's funny as I can now remember what my dad was like when he was the age that I am now. Scary thought!

It's true what they say, acorns don't fall far from the tree ...

K1, the little big man

2005-03-07T21:34:00.000Z

liamnbigbro
Originally uploaded by Travelling Rogue.

These two are separated by 15 years and one week in age.

Kieron (K1) has just had his first rugby tour partly funded by me. His mother is also partly funding it (she could afford it all if she tried). In order to teach him the value of money, a bit difficult when he has such rich and generous grandparents (her parents not mine, who are a pair of skint pensioners), he has to earn the rest and save his spending money.

I'm sure he won't be drinking when away with his team (20 14/15 year olds away from home with only a few parents supervising them???)

Exhausted and then some ...

2005-03-07T21:25:00.000Z

exhausted
Originally uploaded by Travelling Rogue.

There's a pattern developing in my weekends.

Friday night K1 and K2 come over. We watch TV and chat about what's happening in their part of the world, which is only 11 miles away but might as well be in the next continent! That said, K1 is pretty excited at the moment as I have just agreed to partly fund his first rugby team tour. Imagine a gang of 20 hormone charged 14/15 year olds tearing round Wales playing the occasional game of rugby and trying the occasional glass of the local beer ... carefully supervised of course!

I met K1's team coach a few weeks ago and we hit it off straight away. He spoke with honesty about K1's propsects and I appreciated that, having spent many of my teen years as a nearly man in the school rugby team (only got to play for the 1st XV on two occasions).

Saturday afternoon's I referee a match and some have been very interesting. I come home tired and have a few beers watching TV usually falling asleep before the end of the film.

Sunday mornings are pretty much the same as Saturday afternoons, I'm trudging around a pitch with a whistle in my mouth, giving people hell!

This is also very tiring and some people, mentioning no names (Mrs Michaela Wharton-Hamilton) will have your camera taken off you if you take many more pictures like this one ...

Life changing

2005-03-05T21:28:00.000Z

Rogue likes a beer. In fact Rogue likes a lot of beer.

It is traditional to "wet" the new baby's head shortly after it has been born. It is an occasion for the new father to venture out ino the big, bad world and get rat-arsed in celebrate the birth of a new child.

I don't think it's my advancing years, after all it's only been 11 1/2 years since my last child was born, but I just don't seem to have the same inclination anymore.

Tonight was supposed to be the big send off for our of our friends who is moving back to live with her parents in Devon. Well, I'm sorry H but you guys will just have to get (in fact you probably already are) hammered without me tonight.

It's strange but when M went home early on her own after the meal at her "leaving do" from work, leaving me out in Leeds with our friends, I didn't have the same urge to get hammered either.

The baby thing really is life changing. The vodka at home is also getting knocked out as it takes up too much of the shopping budget (Sainsbury's own brand STG£15.48 for 1.5 litres ... last's 4/5 days).

Who knows, in a few months I might be back to the clean living fellow I was before I separated from K1's and K2's mother (NOT!!!)

By the way, it's Mothering Sunday in the UK tomorrow, so if you've not bought a card by now, you'll need to hit the shops early in the morning.

Passed

2005-03-04T15:00:00.000Z

The "Hearing Test" wasn't a test of Liam's hearing. Well let's face it, he's hardly likely to say, "Yes, that's clear/No, I can't hear that", is he?

It was a check on the ear canal as he had gluey ears when born as they were still full of amniotic fluid. They're all clear now. It's a shame he isn't put off by the sound of his own crying!!!

Slavery resumed

2005-03-04T11:32:00.000Z

Today's my last day of Paternity Leave and it's back to the daily grind on Monday.

The project which was aborted last weekend is now scheduled for the week after Easter. I had booked some holidays then and they've had to be moved to ensure I can be on site for the project work.

It means I'll be back at work for just two weeks before having another week off. It's an easy life!!!

H is for Hearing

2005-03-04T11:26:00.000Z

Hearing test at the hospital today.

No worries about Liam's hearing, he screws his face up when his dad sings along to the Scissor Sisters ... or maybe he's just got good taste.

My dad phoned early this morning ... again! He's not well and has to go to the hospital with a chest infection. His wife is still recovering from some surgery she ahd a couple of weeks ago, so their house is like a scene from Casualty at the moment.

I said we'd visit them on Sunday as they can't visit us. He's looking forward to meeting his third grandson

End of the start

2005-03-03T15:16:00.000Z

The midwife called early this morning (do these people run on caffeine?) and after a quick examination of Liam and M declared that she wouldn't need to call again.

Liam and M are officially discharged from the care of the midwife. That doesn't mean that we've been abandonned ... the health visitor phoned already to make an appointment for next Wednesday. She will want to arrange vaccinations and talk about other stuff ... contraception!!!

Official advice is to wait a few weeks (six without sex!!!) before resuming sexual activity involving penetration, however M and I are scared stiff of creating another little one by accident. I've already seen the doctor to arrange a consultation for a vasectomy. I need to see the surgeon next, then it's time for the appointment with two half brick (joke).

M's dad called in this afternoon. He's on his way home to Bedford. He has a day off before going to Derry to see M's grandmother to help her celebrate her 90th birthday. If Liam lives that long it will nearly be the 22nd century ... WOW!

Revenge ...

2005-03-02T16:21:00.000Z

Having had the world and his wife beating a path to our front door we turned the tables today by visiting the office where M and I work.

Work ground to a halt as lots of people left their keyboards, logged off their headsets and downed their pens to have a look at Liam. His arrival had been announced in the company's newsletter and a lot of people were pleased to see us.

We worked out way through 4 departments being meeted and greeted by a lot of people, some who we knew and some who just couldn't resist this little face ...

Video short at the other place

2005-03-01T11:25:00.000Z

Liam bathes and M speaks

Made to feel special 2

2005-02-28T23:02:00.000Z

Those who have had the time and energy to read through a few of the posts on this blog will know that Rogue is not just a new and proud dad again but also a football referee.

A few weeks ago, Rogue had a difficult match where he was subject to abuse for long periods of the match. As a result, Rogue wrote to the league involved and found out through contacts tonight that the team involved were reprimanded by the league regarding their conduct.

This isn't what makes Rogue feel special. Rogue has been appointed as Assistant Referee in one of the semi finals for the local Football Association's equivalent of the F.A. Cup. It makes all the abuse seem worth it. If also bodes well for Rogue's promotion at the end of next month, but that is still subject to adjudication by the County F.A. But tonight Rogue is a happy little referee (or assistant as the case may be!)

F is for Fatty

2005-02-28T12:51:00.000Z

Nothing posted yesterday as I was absolutely exhausted after the match I refereed. I followed it up with the Ireland vs. England match in the Six Nations and the Extra Time played in the Carling Cup Final.

By the time it got to 18:30 GMT, I was asleep in the chair. I was sent to bed like a naughty boy by M. When I got up at 21:15 GMT, I watched some more TV and collapsed in bed again around midnight.

Midwife called early this morning before we got out of bed. Liam was weighed and has put on 5 1/2 ozs (180g) since he was born 10 days ago. The midwife intends on discharging M and Liam on Thursday ... then we're on our own!

This is ambitious ...

2005-02-26T23:09:00.000Z

Liam on video!!!

See and hear Liam on video.

Best Actor, Rogue
Best Actress, M
Best Supporting Actor, K1
Best Supporting Actress, N
Best make-up, K2

Feck knows where it will go, but the memory card in the digicam means you'll never be bored for more than 6 minutes 48 seconds (once the 20 minute download has completed ...) at a time.

This is how he looks now

2005-02-26T22:52:00.000Z

(Slightly crossed eyed but he can't focus properly just yet!)

Worst Blog I've Read

2005-02-26T22:30:00.000Z

Vacation

C is for cabbage

2005-02-26T14:50:00.000Z

M has battled on with her Mastitis and things seem to be taking a turn for the better.

She woke with shivers, long red tracks on her right breast and no milk being produced. I ran a hot bath and she spent an hour in there massaging both breasts. This was followed by her finally caving in and taking the advice given by Paula and others seriously at long last.

She now has two leaves of Savoy cabbage strapped to each breast sitting laughing at the antics of the Scottish rugby team. The shakes have stopped and the smile is back (again!). It's a bit of a roller coaster ride is this parenting lark!!!

Made to feel special

2005-02-26T14:33:00.000Z

It's nice being a dad to a little baby again.

People stop in the street to look at him, complete strangers sneak a look while you're at the supermarket check-out and friends, old and new, shower you with presents. It also changes some people's perceptions of you and yours of them.

I mentioned about the need to work in the middle of my Paternity Leave as a project I've been working on was coming to the final stages. In simple terms we were moving the records of a large section of a high street bank's mortgages from their old computer system to our new more modern system.

Around 85,000 accounts were to be moved and all of the mortgage transactions for the last two months had to be identified and reconciled back to the effects of these transactions across a range of 20 or so bank accounts. Small project in the scheme of things (not!) and interesting work for me. It also meant the beginning of the end for the work of a lot of people within our company and they will need training to use the new system.

Having provided an increasingly long list of demands which we had to satisfy, before they would agree to this record transfer, our client didn't manage to complete all of their own internal requirements. Consequently the implementation was postponed (for the fourth time) last night. I got a message from my boss to tell me and this was followed up by one of our company's directors phoning me at home.

He was obviously disappointed that the work had to be stopped but still took time out to chat to me about Liam. He told me to enjoy my week off and he'd be in touch when I got back to work on March 7. A nice touch and was much appreciated.

It isn't just Kryptonite that's green

2005-02-26T14:26:00.000Z

Liam's little tantrums yesterday continued well into the night and at one point he was edging towards red faced continual screaming.

When M was looking a little digruntled, he suddenly began a rapid series of nappy filling. The contents were green though not bright green, just murky yellow-green. His tantrums had been digestive driven!

Once it had passed through his system he settled down into his usual routine. he even went four hours between feeds early this morning.

I can't keep up

2005-02-25T19:50:00.000Z

Got a call from my boss and the project we were working on tomorrow has been shelved at the last minute so I don't need to work.

I have given up my match appointment for tomorrow so I can either chase another match (and earn some much needed cash) or spend the afternoon with Liam. I've still to call my boss later for confirmation of the situation. I must be getting old ...

Bad Day at Black Rock

2005-02-25T18:38:00.000Z

Liam's been playing up today, refusing to go to sleep between feeds and feeding for up to 2 hours at a time. He seems to have suddenly taken on the appetite of the whole Irish Rugby Team overnight.

I got an e-mail from my boss advising of the timetable for tomorrow's work when we are going through a major overhaul of our systems at work. I'm needed between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. GMT which is nice because some people have to turn in at 3 a.m. GMT on Sunday. I'd like to say I'll be thinking of them but I'll hopefully be piling up the zzzzzz's.

There was also a request for me to postpone the second week of my Paternity Leave. It was backed up by a request from one of the company's directors. After discussing with M, I have agreed, on the basis that I can take the time off at Easter instead. I'm still waiting for their confirmation on this point, but I deliberately waited until 4 p.m. to agree to their request.

It means I'll have two weeks off at Easter, if they agree ...

Near the knuckle

2005-02-25T00:18:00.000Z

I nicked from the Delrico Bandito who pinched it from Pent Up DigitalFury who nicked from 3rd Daughter. Spread the love.

bold all that apply

i have a cell phone.
i have friends that use me.
i am an only child.
i am a shopoholic.
i love dangly earrings.
i love cold weather.
i'm obsessed with the computer.
i have shot a gun before.
i can't live without music.
i have no tolerance of ignorant people.
i have ridden on a motorcycle before.
i'll be in this town forever.
i've been to 5 other countries.
i get annoyed easily.
i have kids.
i have neat handwriting.
i have more than a few horrible memories.
i am addicted to chocolate.
i am an atheist.
i love airplane rides.
i love taking pictures.
i hate people who are fake.
i can be mean when i want to.
one of my best friends is a guy.
i have way too many purses.
i'm obsessed with lip gloss.
i am easy to talk to.
i would never eat raw fish.
i cry easily.
i hate when people are late.
i procrastinate.
i love winter.
i have too many clothes for my closet/dresser.
i love to sleep.
i wish i were smarter.
i'm afraid of flying.
i hate drama.
i bite my nails.
i have been on an 8 hour drive.
i love the beach.
i have never had the chicken pox.
i have gone out in public in my pajamas.
i can't control my emotions.
i have a best friend.
i have moved more than once.
i truly love my friends.
i have braces.
i have never broken a bone.
i hate my computer.
i love guys that play the drums.
i state the obvious.
i'm a happy person.
i love to dance.
i love to sing.
i love cleaning my room.
i tend to get jealous very easily.
i love cute underwear.
i love night better than day.
i don't like to study for tests.
i have been on the phone for over 5 hours.
i am too forgiving.
i have horrible sense in direction.
i miss elementary school.
i'm a daddy's girl.
i love kisses on my forehead.
i love the color pink.
i love to sew.
my eye color changes.
i should see a therapist.
i played on a guys sports team.
i become stressed easily.
i hate liars.
i like comfy sweatpants.
i can play the piano.
i love the smell of rain.
i love my family.
i hate needles.
i am a perfectionist.
i always wanted to learn to play the drums.
i hate the feeling of failure.
i have friends in other countries.
i know how to cook.
i can be quite selfish.
at times, i still act like a little kid.
i have food allergies.
i love to read.
i love getting stuff in the mail.
i have problems with letting go of old feelings.
i hate being alone.
i love summer.
i love the weekends.
i love black eyeliner.
i think im pretty.
i type with one hand.
i live in a one story house.
i wear make-up.
i have never rode on an underground subway.
i can't swim.
i have bad memories.
i go to church.
i sing in the shower.
i have never been camping.
i hate cheerleaders.
i usually get what i want.
i have been on stage before.
i love roller coasters.
no one knows my full story of my life.
i am close with my parents.

M is for Mastitis

2005-02-24T23:58:00.000Z

M is really struggling with this.

She burst into tears this evening when she thought that she was failing as a mother just because Liam didn't appear fully satisifed with his evening meal. I tried to talk to her to persuade her otherwise but she didn't seem convinced.

This is the woman who I have adored for nearly 3 years starting to fall apart because she thinks that one part of her body isn't working as it should. The truth is that Liam is sleeping as long between feeds and shows little, if any, sign of deviating from his chosen path of ... eating, sleeping, waking, shitting, weeing, crying (very briefly) being changed, eating, sleeping, etc. for long periods of time.

It's still hard to believe that he's only a week old but we seemed to have fallen into a nice routine already. M really is strugling and although she hasn't yet tried P's suggestion with the Savoy (cabbage), it's evident that this situation is more psychological than physiological.

M has gotten it into her head that her breasts don't work and that is affecting their ability to produce milk. This reticence translates to Liam and he doesn't appear to feed as well. In truth, her system is still settling down after the most traumatic event in the last 12 years. It needs time and love (which I'm providing in abundance) to persuade her that she's not done anything wrong. Liam loves her nearly as much as I do ...

Hate Something?

2005-02-23T22:06:00.000Z

I drive a diesel. I like my diesel. I know it smells. I know it's noisy.

The people at Honda have invented a new type of diesel engine and produced this tv ad, which I love ...

By the way, clicking this link is only worth it if you're on broadband, otherwise expect a 15 minute download (I did warn you!)

Weathering the storm

2005-02-23T20:44:00.000Z

When I said I went to work I forgot to mention the weather conditions.

This is how things looked on Tuesday afternoon and didn't get much better for Wednesday morning ...

No such thing as bad publicity

2005-02-23T20:25:00.000Z

No sooner have I posted a picture of M's Milk Bar than they decide they want to play an even bigger part in the story of Liam.

Last night M was complaining about feeling cold when watching TV. An early night seemed to have done no good and she woke around 4 this morning with the shivers. in fact she was exhibiting shivers, tears, soreness at the Milk Bar and a general lethargy.

Fortunately Rogue had read up on this condition and was on hand to advise that M had Mastitis. This is a painful inflammation of the breast tissue caused by breasts not draining properly or poor positioning when breast feeding.

I ran M a hot bath and persuaded her that the recommended treatment was hand expressing the milk. So just like the two lads in the breakfast cereal ad who consider milking the cat, M was soon rubbing thumb and forefinger together in a "milking" motion.

After an hour in the bath and a lot of milking, both breasts were flooding the bed and Liam's vest. M has spent the whole day on bed while I had to go to work to prepare for the major project which is being implemented on Saturday, when I also have to go to work.

The payback for today is that my Paternity Leave has been extended to Monday March 7!

I'm gonna take you to the Milk Bar ...

2005-02-22T13:02:00.000Z

M is very impressed with her progress with breastfeeding.

She has agreed that this picture of the Milk Bar can appear here.

Apologies to those easily offended

Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent

2005-02-22T12:08:00.000Z

A great dance track from the 80s when music was about big hair, big production and drum machines. Gwen Guthrie had all three in abundance.

I spent many happy nights in Central Park/Ritzy's dancing my little socks off to tracks like this one and Prince's 1999. These two tracks were the soundtrack to my life - skint, getting no love but still partying hard.

When the midwife called today to see Liam, she said his jaundice seemed pretty good and would get better faster if he was exposed to some sunlight. So M will probably take him out for a walk later or sit in the conservatory. Both are dependent on whtether the snow comes down again. We had two or three little blizzards but it had all melted away by noon today.

The midwife decided that as Liam's stools (shit to you and me) were already yellow, he could have his Guthrie test. Once she said that I was whisked back to '86 and Gwen's "Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent". But back to the Guthrie Test ...

The test consists of a pin being pricked into the heel of the infant and the traces of blood being dropped on to a card. The samples are tested for a range of illnesses and conditions, many of which are life threatening. The policy in this area is not to contact the parents unless there is a problem.

Liam went back to sleep almost straight away but his heel is still leaking a little blood. Everyone who sees him is enchanted and all the medical profession are very impressed with his progress. Seems like M and Rogue have cooked a good 'un ...

All roads lead not to Rome but to our house

2005-02-21T19:25:00.000Z

We've been inundated with visitors since Liam arrived home on Thursday afternoon.

My mum turned up on Friday evening bearing gifts. Hand knitted cardigans from her and my aunt B. I don't like my aunt, she used to make me eat vegetables when I had first moved to Leeds with my parents in 1973. She claimed to be a good Christian but rarely had a good word for anyone else on the planet. She also had this annoying habit of quoting passages from the Bible like some kind of evangelist. This was no surprise as her husband was a street preacher.

Apparently he had some kind of revelation and began conducting street sermons declaring doom and gloom for the population of Leeds unless they changed their evil ways ... well we did get relegated last season!

I liked my uncle, he was a funny man. One of my abiding memories was him reciting Monty Python sketches word for word, expecially the "Nudge, nudge, wink, wink" sketch. I liked his sons, my cousins, even more. All three were convicted football hooligans but, with the exception of the youngest, were decent and honest blokes (until football and beer came together).

K1 and K2 arrived Friday tea time and were very impressed with their new brother. M's parents, Tony and Teresa, visited on Saturday afternoon with S arriving on Saturday evening. Sunday was a visitor free zone, if you exclude the midwife confirming that Liam's jaundice was improving.

Today Julie and Hannah arrived with presents and cards. Not bad for Julie as the snow was coming down and thick and fast and had prevented her visiting yesterday.

So anyone who's likely to visit has done. My dad, his wife, my sisters and M's siblings haven't visited yet but there's time.

It's nice being a popular tourist destination. Back to the Maltesers Julie and Hannah brought ...

Is Margaret Thatcher dead yet?

2005-02-20T20:35:00.000Z

It must be something in the hormones but why are all midwives so small like little elves.

The midwife who visited today was very relaxed about Liam's jaundice saying that he seemed to be recovering well and there was little trace of it in his skin. M said she was a little mousey woman and the midwife who arrived on Friday afternoon (when M and I were still in a state of shock and exhaustion) was also small but with a very loud voice.

Personally I think it's because smaller people function better, as they are closer to business end in Maternity Wards. Midwifery is a specialised area of study and one of the disciplines must be being able to bend over at a back breaking angle for hours on end, helping "Ladies" to deliver. Obviously taller staff cannot maintain this position for long periods of time, so shorter staff tend to fill the midwifery profession.

The midwife today moaned about having so many different midwives visiting M, blaming it on a rationalisation of the National Health Service in this area. This is one of the major areas of concern for the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Conservative Party in our area. She's a local girl from a highly represented, highly conservative ethnic minority who is challenging someone who is replacing a long sitting Labour MP.

I don't think she will trouble the scorers (cricketing slang). I have never forgiven the Conservative Party for their actions in the 1980s when they wrecked many labour intensive manufacturing industries putting hundreds of thousands of families into financial difficulty as their main earners lost their jobs.

I am not one of Thatcher's Children and will happily dance about on her grave singing Hallelujah when she dies. She felt no sympathy as she destroyed communities and the compassion many people had for their fellow inhabitants of this country, when she churned everything through the economic policy of monetarism.

Subsequent governments have continued this work and it is only in the last couple of years as another election looms in the UK, that Blair's government moves back towards the Keynesian model, which is government debt dependent for success. Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has a business focussed model which has social compassion of the type exhibited by the post war (World War II not Falklands) Labour governments at the heart.

Naming conventions

2005-02-19T22:42:00.000Z

Benjamin Liam Wharton-Hamilton arrives but will be called Liam by the family.

The reason, it's traditional in M's family and to a lesser extent in my family.

Her dad is Robert Anthony but is known as Tony, Uncle Geoff's real name is Robert Geoffrey. My mum, who I took to be named Christine/Christina, is in fact Lorretta Christina.

Thank goodness the tradition wasn't upheld by my father's parent's in his case (it was for some of my uncles) otherwise my dad would have been called Fred instead of Bob or Bobby (Robert Frederick).

So I hope that explains things (it's a Northern thing, believe me)

Terry's Chocolate Orange

2005-02-19T22:01:00.000Z

Continuing the chocolate theme, Terry's have been producing chocolate at their factories in York for nearly 250 years and have had the name Terry in their company name for nearly 200 years.

It was recently announced (well 9 months ago) that their parent company, Kraft Foods, were closing the York site and moving production to Western Europe which has obviously caused great consternation amongst the good peoples of York.

One of their most successful product has been the chocolate orange. So how does this link to Liam ...

Well to put it simply, at some point this afternoon, Liam looked like an orange. He has jaundice ...

According to Neonatal jaundice

What causes the skin to appear yellow?
The yellowish coloration is caused by an excess amount of bilirubin in the baby's skin. Bilirubin is a yellowish-red pigment. Normally, small amounts of bilirubin are found in everyone's blood. When too much bilirubin is made, the excess is dumped into the bloodstream and is deposited in tissues for temporary storage.

Why would a baby have excess bilirubin in his blood?
Bilirubin is formed and released into the bloodstream when red blood cells are broken down. Newborns have a high red blood cell volume; this increases the bilirubin load. The bilirubin is then carried to the liver where it is processed and eventually excreted from the body.

Commonly, neonatal jaundice occurs for two reasons:
1. Infants have too many red blood cells. It is a natural process for the baby's body to break down these excess red blood cells, forming a large amount of bilirubin. It is this bilirubin that causes the skin to take on a yellowish color.
2. A newborn's liver is immature and cannot process bilirubin as quickly as he will be able to when he gets older. This slow processing of bilirubin has nothing to do with liver disease. It merely means that the baby's liver is not as fully developed as it will be, and thus, there is some delay in eliminating the bilirubin

According to the midwife his condition will get better with lots of feeding, so the trips to the Milk Bar continue unabated ...

The creamiest milk, the whitest bar ...

2005-02-19T21:42:00.000Z

My dad phones to check on how Liam is doing.

In fact his phone calls have become a daily feature over the last few days. Dad is retired and lives in Leeds with his wife who has recently undergone a small procedure to deal with a troublesome hernia.

During his call yesterday he asked if M was bottle feeding when I said no he said that Liam was obviously spending a lot of time at the Milk Bar.

Well, I've heard breastfeeding called a lot of things over the last 20 years or so but the Milk Bar seems a particularly descriptive title.

I mentioned this on a newsgroup which I have frequented over the last 4/5 years and one of the regulars said that I wouldn't be able to get the words of The Milky Bar Kid out of my head.

For those not familiar with Milky Bars these were/are white chocolate bars made by Nestlé and were very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Their advertising campaign was built on the image of a blond hair bespectacled cowboy (aged around 9) who would vanquish the baddies with a flick of his wrist (oo-errr!) and his lassoo. Needless to say Rogue, growing up in Belfast with fair hair and glasses thought he WAS the Milky Bar Kid.

So in tribute to the Milky Bar Kid (Liam) ...

The Milky Bar kid is strong and tough
And only the best is good enough
The creamiest milk, the whitest bar
The goodness that's in Milky Bar ...

The Milky Bar's are on me!

The baby now arriving ... (Part 5)

2005-02-18T21:47:00.000Z

M was helped into the chair and pushed back to Daisy.

M was helped into an old t-shirt of mine which had been brought just for this purpose. A mat was laid out on the floor and M kneeled down on it, resting on the chair opposite. Again another contraction hit her and she was bent double with the pain. I held her to provide some comfort and suddenly a huge bean bag was shoved under M for support.

The next contraction hit hard soon after. I had an arm around M and was rubbing her back as she received re-assurance and encouragement from the midwives, whose number had now risen to three as we were joined by Karen, a Senior student.

With M on all fours and me alongside her, I looked back and saw Liam's little purple face looking back up at me. This was timed at 5:21 a.m. GMT. Another contraction and M cried out. The midwife said that M's baby would be delivered on the next contraction. A minute (which according to M seemed to last for hours) passed and then M buried her face in the bean bag to muffle her cry. I held her close and the midwives exclaimed as one that Liam had arrived. Time of birth was recorded as 5:22 a.m. GMT on February 17, 2005.

I was offered the chance to cut his umbilical cord but turned it down. I'm not squeamish but I would never make it in the medical profession. M accepted the offer of an injection to help her deliver her placenta and this was delivered at 5:31 a.m. GMT. I held Liam and M asked for her spectacles so she could see the little fella. We both held him before M got settled in the little single bed and took the first opportunity to feed Liam, our son. He had arrived!

The end of Liam's beginning

The baby now arriving ... (Part 4)

2005-02-18T21:30:00.000Z

M was offered the opporunity to have a bath in the hospital and mentioned that she wanted to use the Birthing Pool.

The midwife advised that the pool took 45 minutes to fill. We all looked at one another and agreed that it was likely that this would be too late. The midwife listened for a heartbeat and it came across loud and clear on the handheld monitor. She also monitored the frequency (every two minutes) and length (40 seconds) of the cramps. So M picked up her dressing gown and shuffled off down the corridor to where her bath was waiting.

She slipped into the bath and looked very relaxed. The midwife stuck her head round the door and asked again about the Birthing Pool so M asked if they could begin filling it. After a couple of minutes I told M that I needed to go to the toilet and headed off across the corridor.

When I got back M said that she thought her waters had broken. I peered into the water to see mucus and blood leaking into the bath. I pulled the emergency cord and the midwives came in. M explained that she had felt and heard a pop inside her before feeling a release.

The first midwife helped her to her feet and huge blood clots were sliding down M's legs into the bath. By now she was bleeding a steady stream down her legs. The midwives told her that she couldn't walk back along the corridor and the second midwife went for a wheelchair. M's cramps turned into strong contractions with one making her gasp and reach out for me. It was 5:12 a.m. GMT and the pace of the evening was just about to accelerate ...

(To be continued)

The baby now arriving ... (Part 3)

2005-02-18T19:02:00.000Z

In the interests of security access to Maternity at the hospital is controlled by close circuit tv and passdoors.

Access isn't granted until the staff inside are satisfied you are genuine. Also to protect against cross infection, movement from secure to insecure areas is only granted after hands have been washed in antiseptic gel. It's the same stuff in the toilet blocks at the Carling Festival for the last three years and is alcohol based for quick drying.

Hands gelled, we were allowed in. The midwife led us to Daisy, a room which was set out like a small bedroom in a house, complete with en suite toilet and shower, television (permanently tuned to BBC1 and with no sound!) and a small radio/tape/CD player. The storage units for all the medical equipment looked like something that could be bought in a flat pack from Ikea. In the corner was a single bed with a bright floral print.

The midwife asked questions about the pregnancy and M's current condition. M explained about the cramps and the "show", as well as the fact that her labour with N had been brief and relatively painless. The midwife noted everything before remarking that M seemed far too relaxed to be in labour. She agreed, almost reluctantly, to conduct an internal examnination (see that bath WAS a good idea!) and found that M was 5cm dilated. She asked if M wanted her membranes stretching a little more and M agreed.

The time was around 4:50 a.m. GMT. Little did we know but the conclusion of this event was closer than anyone anticipated.

(To be continued)

The baby now arriving ... (Part 2)

2005-02-18T18:48:00.000Z

The cramping continued and at around 3:00 a.m. GMT M went to the bathroom again and while there the cramping became stronger and was painful. On her return to the bedroom we discussed going to the hospital again and we decided that a trip there and back would put both of us at ease.

Before we left we wanted to get cleaned up. After all it wouldn't be polite to turn up at the hospital potentially for an internal examination and smelling of sex! I went in the bath first, shaved my head and chin and then ran a bath for M. She'd already checked her hospital bag and the one with the baby's first clothes. I phoned the Maternity Unit to let them know we were on our way.

I stuck my head around N's bedroom door to tell her we were going to the hospital. I don't think she was properly awake. She had a friend staying over and both of them looked at me a bit strangely when I said where we were going. I grabbed some change for the car park and we jumped into The Beast.

We left for Dewsbury General Hospital at around 4:10 a.m. GMT and parked up at 4:23 a.m. GMT (according to the car park ticket). I paid enough to stay for four hours not believing that we would be there that long. We made our way into the hospital building and buzzed security to gain admittance. We made our way to the First Floor and the Midwife-Led Unit. I thought that we'd be on our way home within an hour or so. Well someone was on his way within an hour but it wasn't us.

(To be continued)

The baby now arriving ... (Part 1)

2005-02-18T18:36:00.000Z

Things have settled down a little so I'm ready to bore you rigid with the story of Liam's birth.

Since the midwife made her announcement, M and I had been on tenterhooks waiting for any sign of an impending birth. We'd tried lots of natural methods of starting labour but all had failed ... until the early hours of February 17.

M and I have always had a "healthy" attitude to sex and her being pregnant hasn't stopped that. We'd already been advised that a certain position (woof!) encouraged the stretching of the membranes holding the "plug" in place and sealing the cervix so we tried it again (well for the 5th or 6th time in about two weeks to be honest).

Almost immediately afterwards, M said that she had some little twinges in her pelvis but these were similar to the same ones she'd been having for a few weeks which felt like Liam was pushing his head down.

I fell asleep, thinking she had done the same but she had gotten out of bed to go to the bathroom a couple of times when I woke up to find she was in the bathroom again. When she came back into the bedroom I asked of she was ok and she said she'd had a small "show".

After a few minutes, the twinges developed into regular cramping of her uterus and these were happening every three minutes but were painless. It was around 2:20 a.m. GMT and I asked if she thought she wanted to go to the hospital. After a few minutes discussion we agreed to wait in case the hospital sent her home again ...

(To be continued)

He's here

2005-02-17T08:45:00.000Z

Dear World

I am pleased to announce the birth of my son, Benjamin Liam at 5:22 GMT on February 17, 2005.

He weighed in at 3.68kg (a little over 8lbs) and measures 52 cm (20/21 inches).

Mother and baby well, father shattered.

As you can see he has ginger hair which has passed through M's family for the last 5 generations. He looks just like me ... lucky boy!