In some ways it’s hard to believe that we have been parents for a month already, time has flown by, in other ways it’s hard to believe there was a time we did not have have Dakota in our lives.

It’s the small things that make this the most fantastic experience of my life. I’ve been recording some experiences, usually while we’re hanging out in Cody’s room having a feed.

I was besotted by Cody’s eyebrows, when she was born one was blonde and the other brown.

When Cody sneezes her arms flail and she usually ends up crashing her hands together and looks very surprised.

When I would give Cody a kiss on the forehead she would always look around in surprise seeming to say “What was that?”

Cody tracks objects and people and wants to be up looking around.

Her inner ears are in the shape of Australia and her ears have grown so quickly in the last four weeks.

When she drinks, Cody’s ears do this cute wiggle.

When she is stretching, Cody does her best impression of Astro Boy.

If she is hungry, Cody tries desperately to get milk from her thumb and first finger.

I love hearing her little tummy gurgle and fill up when she feeds.

Cody likes to snuggle in to Em and sleep. As a parent and a partner this is the most gorgeous sight, both of my girls together.

When we brought Cody home, she didn’t have any clothes that fit, today she finally fits Newborn size from Pumpkin Patch and 0000 in other clothes.

Every day she is different, she is more alert, cuter, more aware. I can’t believe it’s been 4 weeks already. I feel so very lucky to have Cody in our lives.

We saw the Sleep Dr again this week, he gave us some more information and advice and we’re helping Scrambles sleep better – last night was excellent! He has really helped my confidence as has some very sage advice from a friend – “sometimes they just cry” and “the crying isn’t as loud outdoors”.

Scrambles has been a really strong poppet since she was born – she has really strong neck and leg muscles and is always trying to sit up or look around – she even almost rolled completely over in her bassinet last week and scared both Em and I. She has finally started fitting her 0000 clothes which is a bit cute, my washing today has consisted of little pink outfits.

We’re off on our first plane trip on the weekend and are away for a week which has me a little frazzled, I’ve got a list of “Things to Pack” and most of the things I use every day so can’t pack them until the last minute. Scrambles’ G Ma is taking us to the airport which is a big relief, they make you check in an hour before boarding with an infant.

We caught up with some friends of Em’s last night and they dotted over Scrambles while we chatted – they asked the usual questions:

Did you have IVF?
No, unfortunately unless you are deemed medically infertile South Australia does not give access to IVF for single and lesbian women.

Would you do it all again?
Absolutely.

Are you just going to have one?
For now, yes.

Also, I get a kick out of people telling Em how cute her baby is – Em is usually the one pushing the stroller or carrying the capsule or Scrambles. She also gets the usual script:

How old is your baby?
XX days

What is your babies name?
Dakota

What a cute name!
Thank you

Congratulations, she’s just gorgeous.
Thank you

*smiles*

Scrambles knows Em as Mia, it’s like the Abba song, Mum and Mia.

(And right on queue Scrambles wakes up screaming – “here we go again”)

Em has been awesome the last few weeks – she is great with Scrambles and with me too. She’ll take over when I’m too upset over Scrambles crying and be there with a cuddle for both of us.

Today we’re off to the doctor, hopefully to get told I can drive again if I need to when Em goes back to work next week. Em has been doing all the driving since I went in to labour and for the first time in my life I’m completely comfortable with someone else driving me and happy for her to do some more of the driving now.

We Love Mia!

Em took a few extra days leave as Scrambles has been quite a handful – Em takes the evening shift and I do overnight. It’s been working however Scrambles just was not sleeping. One of Em’s friends advised us to see the Sleep Doctor. We got an appointment for next week and they called and offered us an earlier one – today!

Our trip to the Sleep Doctor was really positive, we learned a lot about sleep cycles, how much sleep little kids do need and what Cody has been missing out on – apparently having a screaming infant who sleeps less than an adult isn’t normal – who would have thought. So today has been the first trial of the new sleep methods and would you believe Scrambles went to sleep straight away and has been asleep for a few hours already.

Em is sick and has hightailed it off to the doctor, it’s been hard on her doing the extra shifts with Scrambles while I’ve been on “strict bed rest” with a tummy bug (Giardia). Hopefully now that I’m feeling a lot better – have an appetite and all – I’ll be able to give her some rest before she heads back to work next week.

Scrambles loves having showers with Em and I and we both enjoy taking her in with us. It is the middle of winter so keeping her warm is quite difficult and she lets you know when she sure does let you know when she is not warm enough.

Cody was due on the 7/7/07, our doctor had given us a planned induction date of the 2/7/07 at our last appointment (26/6/07).

I was buttering toast for Em and my breakfast on the 27th when my waters broke. Not a big gush just a trickle and enough for me to ask Em not to go to work. A few hours of frantic packing and organising Em’s work leave we headed in to the hospital to be assessed.

We arrived around 11am after listening to “Destination Unknown” on the radio and had an internal – 1cm dilated and no waters before Cody’s head. Our Dr was called to make the decision as the midwife was feeling contractions and I was asked to lie down for an hour to see if the waters were pooling and if this was it. He arrived at 1pm and confirmed the waters had broken, we were 2cm dilated and this was it. He put in the antibiotics I need and some syntocin and fluids. The day went on and I was offered an epidural around 5pm as the anesthetist was heading home. After 15 locals and 3 attempts using the whole needle, the epidural was in place and I felt a lot more comfortable however was confined to the bed.

The first epi wore off around 7pm and I asked for a top up and told to stay in bed. The top up wasn’t affective, no heavy feeling in my legs and the contractions were starting to become less than bearable so they gave me another top up. Within the hour I was convinced neither had worked so asked to use the bathroom. When I got up from the bed the sheets revealed that the bed had been receiving all the benefits of my top ups and my epi had come out of my spine.

Our Dr returned around 10pm as there was a labouring woman in the next room who needed intervention. He examined me and we’d shrunk to 1 1/2cm dilated at a stretch – the syntocin at 180 couldn’t go any higher and he would have to intervene and get Cody out. This was exactly what I needed to hear.

While the Dr performed a caesar on the lady next door, I was prepped for surgery. We were wheeled down around 10:30pm and waited for the Dr. We met our paediatrician and he explained what would happen when Cody came out. We went in to surgery before 11pm and the anesthetist attempted a spinal block. His first attempt failed however thankfully the second was eventually a success.

The surgery only took a few minutes and I watched in a reflection until the screen was dropped and she was born. Our OB announced “She’s got your hair Em” and it made us all chuckle. Cody came out screaming and didn’t stop until the next morning – which was then, only when she slept.

Her Apgar scores were 9 and 10 and we tried breastfeeding while I was in recovery.

We spent 5 nights in the hospital and could have stayed another 2 if we needed – or gone to the maternity suite at the Hilton. However I needed to come home so we did so on the 2nd. Our first night home wasn’t too bad, Cody currently sleeps in long patches, 3-4 hours and I’ve been able to express enough milk for Em to do one of the night time feeds if need be.

The stitches only hurt when I forget to take the pain medication – other than that I feel very well and would almost go so far to say I enjoyed the experience.

The munchkin is very cute, small too – she was 7lb 6oz and 20 inches long (that’s 3340g and 50cm) – none of the clothes we had fit her as she is in pre newborn size.

It has been a long time coming – Em and I would like to introduce Dakota Claire (“Cody”) to our family.

Cody arrived 2 weeks early on the 27th June 2007, weighing in at 7lb 6oz (3340g) and measuring 20 inches (50cm).

We’ve been home for a few days now – I can’t tell you how many as day and night are blurred and time seems irrelevant.

Cody is absolutely gorgeous and she is very loved. I’m so absolutely thankful for Em’s love and support – she is so fantastic with both Cody and myself – having a partner recovering from a cesarean isn’t easy and she is phenomenal.

Tomorrow is our “due date” – it seems very surreal.