31st July 2010

At long last, Ellis has arrived!

Charlotte was rushed into Lincoln Hospital late yesterday afternoon, once her contractions had become reliably punctual, every five minutes, like clockwork. Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite to plan. It turns out Ellis was facing the wrong way, described as “back-to-back,” which I believe is medical shorthand for “This is going to be extremely painful.”

Poor Charlotte endured a long, difficult night, made worse by the awkward positioning, and needed pain relief to cope. By morning, with still no sign of Ellis making his entrance, the doctors decided enough was enough and took her into theatre for a caesarean. At 8 a.m., young Ellis made his debut into the world, weighing a healthy 7lbs 8oz.

Happily, both Charlotte and Ellis are doing well. When Suraj phoned immediately after the birth, he sounded utterly shattered, definitive proof, if ever it were needed, that childbirth is exhausting… for fathers too. (Someone get that man a biscuit and a sit-down.)

Sue and I will be heading to Lincoln this afternoon to meet the newest member of the family and check in on the proud, if knackered, parents. Hopefully, by the time we arrive, they’ll have had a bit of rest and perhaps even a cup of tea.

Charlotte will likely be kept in hospital for another three to four days, which will give Ellis plenty of time to practise looking adorable, and Charlotte time to rest, heal, and work out how many nappies a small human can possibly go through in a single day.