Hiccapups!

The first few days

Violet launches her modelling career - 2 days old

Welcome to the world!

Beautiful Violet Lilianna Carding joined the world on Wednesday 13th July 2011 at 1.50pm weighing 3.09 kg.

Induced at 38 weeks, two weeks early due to mum having developed Obstetric cholestasis at 34 weeks,  Violet was very keen to make an appearance with a speedy four hour labour and only three quarters of an hour birth. 

All in all it was a surreal experience and so much happened in a short space of time (things moved too quickly for any serious pain relief).

And before we knew it we had a little lady in our arms and the obstetrician (Chris Hunter) was standing in front of us, in bow tie and butchers apron, holding up the placenta declaring 'what a beautiful specimen' it was! 

The Arrival

It's a rare privilege to be present at the beginning of a life, something not every man gets to do and normally not more than once or twice in a lifetime. Despite 2 days of classes not that long before Violet's arrival telling me exactly how to prepare, I wasn't entirely sure I knew that I was ready for the experience. I certainly had no idea how to best record it. I was, though, absolutely determined to be 'present in the moment' and to remember as much as I could, to record as much as I could in my head.

We had the peculiar  privilege of knowing when the birth would be so I thought it would be easier to plan for the moment and make sure I had a notebook to write down what was going on and what I was thinking at the time. I'll list the contents of my notebook for the day later, they're not particularly significant!