Ramblings from my journal October 2005

It’s been a while but I have been busy.

Angus George was born on Saturday 1st October 2005. it was 5pm and the student doctor who helped deliver you was the winner of the time bet. You weighed exactly the same as Zac but you were shorter with a bigger head.

I started having contractions on Friday evening and at 3 in the morning I went for a bath and slept in there for about an hour. I called mum who was in Pt Augusta at 5 in the morning that she might want to be here around 10am. Because I thought that might be a good time to go into hospital. I didn’t end up going until 2pm after taking Zac to Ingrid’s house. Granny came to get Amy earlier in the day. Once we got to the hospital I was very ready to have my new baby. The hospital was having renovations and we had to follow signs to find the admittance room. Thankfully it was quiet because I was looked after very efficiently. Next time I think I might go into hospital a bit earlier because I think I was very lucky to get an epidural almost as soon as I got to the room and asked for the needle. After that things slowed down a bit, for which I am very grateful. I didn’t get to move around after I got the epidural but I have to remember next time that I shouldn’t lie on my side just after they give the injection because only one side of my body got the fluid and my left leg went all numb and tingly and it was not a nice feeling. As the epidural wore off and the contractions came harder I needed the mask with mostly oxygen. Mick and Mum held me up to give birth and I held onto the mask. The next day I couldn’t figure out why the bridge of my nose was so sore until a bit later on when I realize it was because I had been pressing the mask to my face so hard. The epidural was wearing off in the late stages of labour and I certainly was grateful for the drug because it was very painful. However it was still awesome to have a midwife who let me tell her what I was feeling and when it was time to push. At one point though I remember telling everyone and anyone that I couldn’t push anymore because it hurt too much but that I knew I had to keep going. It was a wonderful powerful experience that I would not trade with anyone.

As soon as my beautiful baby was born the midwife placed him on my chest and I was able to confirm, what I strongly suspected, that this baby was indeed a healthy boy. Mick again didn’t rush to hold the new baby and I told him to just do it. Mum says that he was so overcome by everything that he was close to tears. He told me later how proud he was of me and how in awe he was of the strength I had to do this for him. After mum had a hold and we had pictures the student doctor was writing on the i.d. card and I asked him to write Gus instead of Baby Vojnovic because even though we didn’t have a name for the boy he had been referred to as Gus for at least 5 months. At that point the medical people left and we talked about whether we name the new baby Angus George or Padrig George. Angus meant ‘unique strength’ and the student doctor had commented on how strong the baby was with his grip so it just all made sense to name him Angus George . George is the name of Mick’s uncle who died while he was young and I always thought that it would be important to give this name to a strong son. I hope that Gus will live well for his name sake.

It’s a new year and hopefully we will have more to celebrate/announce this Christmas. (I was trying to go back to back with a new baby. No luck Poppy was born over two years later)