The folks arrive down under and time for a christening

 It’s been a little while since my Bunnings Warehouse post but I’ve been pretty busy of late :-/

My folks have been over from the UK for the last couple of weeks and it’s been really good to catch up with them after not seeing them now for well over a year.

I have really missed my folks but as our regular readers will probably know it’s been a damn busy year. Time literally has flown by in the last twelve months or so. Still it’s really nice for them to visit us here in our new home.

Living in Australia you’ll always have people that want to visit. It’s actually pretty amazing how many ‘friends’ creep out of the woodwork when you migrate down under. Read more

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Australian Baby Bonus - Thanks very much!

Since the birth of our little girl the missus has been busy (thanks honey ) completing all the necessary paper work to make sure she was legal.

This has included registering the birth and also completing the appropriate paperwork to apply for our baby bonus.

In Australia, parents of new babies born in Australia are paid a baby bonus. I’m not 100% to sure why the bonus is paid but I think in essence its there to encourage Aussies to ‘go forth and multiply’

Australia is probably as far removed from those countries suffering high population issues as you can get.

Unlike other developed countries, Australia’s population is still very low. At time of typing it stands at approx 20.4 Million and due to the mammoth size of the country theres plenty of room for many more.

Australia’s population density is only 2.6 people to each square kilometer. Compare this to the 246 per kilometer that the UK manages to squeeze in or China’s 636 people per square kilometer and you’ll get the idea. Read more

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The Bub has landed

Well, its been 5 days now since Junior number 2 and the missus came home.

Although the missus had a cesarean section, she was thankfully able to come home after only two days.

Although Joondalup Hospital was great and the staff were friendly and efficient it still didn’t beat the comfort of your own home so it was really good to welcome the latest addition to our family back home.

The check-out procedure from the hospital was straight forward enough. The midwife completed the last bits of paperwork and we were free to go. When Junior was born in the UK we were escorted out of the hospital by one of the nurses so we didn’t become suspected child snatchers. Read more

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Having a baby in Australia - A review

Ok, so it’s not quite like a book review but I thought I should write down a few first impressions following the birth of our beautiful, gorgeous, gushingly perfect daughter yesterday

Two words :- Dogs bollocks!

Ok, that may not mean to much to our Amercian visitors but let me just say this, the quality of the care and facilities we have found in Australia compared to those experienced in the United Kingdom has been fantastic!

Sure, the Joondalup Health Campus is still a pretty new hospital but the people who work there have been fantastic.

Ironically, I’d say there were more English people working at the hospital in Joondalup then there was in Halifax in the Uk which is the hospital where Junior number one was born. Read more

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It’s a ‘Shiela’!

Well folks, since my last post I’m am ecstatically happy to announce that junior number two turned out to be a girl (we have one of each now)

Baby daughter (hee hee) and mum doing really well!

I feel so completly knackard as it has been a veeeeeery long day! I promise I’ll provide more detail later (once I’ve had a sleep) Read more

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Baby really on the way - ish!

OK, 6 days ago we thought that it was time for baby to make an appearance but nothing ever happened.

This time I can say with all certainty that this time tomorrow junior number two will be here.

Unfortunately during the check up that the missus had today, they found that she had early signs of Pre-eclampsia.

As a result she has been booked in to Joondalup Hospital for the night with the expectation being that she will have a cesarean section at approx 2:30pm today, Australian time.

When junior was born, even though it took nearly 18 hours he still ended up being born via an emergency C section.

This time around the missus was really hoping to go the natural birth route but it really looks like it’s not going to happen (unless something happens in the next few hours).
There are benefits to going the Cesarean route though: Read more

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Still no sign of baby

Well, after the events of last Friday it looks like junior number 2 has attached crampons to its hands and feet and is well and truly hanging on in there.

The missus recons it ‘feels a little lower’ today but if that means it’s ready or its just chilling out in the lower uterus who knows.

A colleague of mine who professes to be pretty much the oracle of everything suggested that the missus should drink a large glass of icy cold water.

The logic behind such a suggestion is that the chilly water will make junior number two struggle around in such chilly delight that it would cause the missus waters to break and therefore induce labour.

I mentioned this suggestion in passing to the missus last night over dinner. I mentioned it more as a joke than anything else but my better half is now literally getting to the stage where she will try anything to help GET IT OUT! Read more

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False Alarm!

Ahhhhhhhh! I think I’m going to have a nervous breakdown.

After this mornings post the ’specialist’ has sent the missus back until something a little more productive happens!

It transpires that the waters hadn’t broken, the fluid was just down to hormonal changes (sorry for the detail)

Whats with that!

Time to start thinking positive ‘come on baby’ thoughts.

We did find out that the baby currently weighs 3.4 Kg (clever machines they use when doing the scan). It also has hair (takes after mummy then).

Fingers crossed everyone please

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Baby on the way?

Well, I asked the question what do you do with a four year old when your wife goes in to labour?

The answer is, you stay at home and wait for news Seriously, it’s not all kicking off yet but something is happening.

We think the missus’s waters may have broken during the night, not a big gush like it was with Junior number 1, more of a gentle trickle.

No drama’s though. The missus had time to get a shower and eat some cereal before going to the docs to get checked out.

At time of typing, the midwife has told her that her waters are ‘breaking’ whilst the specialist ‘isn’t sure’

So, the missus now has to be hooked up to a special machine now to help the docs see what’s going on.. Read more

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She’s going to blow!

Seriously, how much more can this baby grow before its due to pop out?

We are now at ‘full term’ which the missus tells me means junior number two is fully formed and 100% capable of  doing what baby’s do…. You know.. Turning the TV on, writing emails, all that kinda good stuff.

To say the missus’s belly is massive is an understatement, she still looks beautiful though and the regular addition of oils and sprays has kept the stretch marks at bay!

The frequency of curry’s chillis and other hot foot stuffs is starting to increase in an attempt to encourage junior number two on his way (this little one will be asking for a chicken Madras when it eventually decides to say hello).

Similarly, the frequency and quantity of beer that I’ve been drinking is starting to decrease just in case I’m called into action at 10pm at night.

Really exciting times ahead but I think its safe to say that the missus is now ready to ‘get it out’! Poor thing, us blokes really do have the easy part when it comes to this childbirth thing huh?

Hmmm… I wonder what it might be? Anyone fancy taking a punt? Bruce or Shiela?

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