Michelle's Journey

 

 

 

 

We really enjoyed the experiece of sitting in a traffic jam, whilst looking at the uninterested animals… realising that we could have appreciated ‘Africa’ a great deal more when we were living there.

We spent the first night just outside of Bristol city, and were treated to a Rump steak by Grandpa. It was incredibile seeing the vastness of the City in comparison to Bournemouth, and the engineering that was mastered hundereds of years ago.

 On Saturday we battled to find an internet Cafe’ to book further accomodation, and once achieved – decided to leave Bristol and take Sage on his first Steam Train Trip and River Cruise.

 

The Steam train was a highlight as everything was well kept and romantic. We had a Carraige all to ourselves, and enjoyed Grandpa’s stories of his train trips across Africa.

 

It was good fun, luckily the weather was so pleasant!

We then headed off to Gloucester for another two nights. It was simply gorgeous, and peaceful. We were away from hustle and bustle, and surrounded by fresh fields with grazing sheep and cows. It was such a lovely way to wind down together, and enjoy Sage’s First Easter! The Easter bunny spoilt him rotten!

 

 

• Sage started Smiling this week
• Sage pulls tongues back at James
• Sage can hold his neck on his own (for a little while)
• Sage can gurgle back when asked a question
• Sage weighed 5kgs on Easter Friday

 

 My Mom arrived in Bournemouth last Friday, and has been a lifesaver! It is difficult being on the otherside of the planet, away from influence – so the little tips have been great! James went back to work on Monday – which has been terribly difficult for both Sage and I – but Nana has been giving us loads of cuddles and gentle kisses!

We have received the tests results with regards to Sages Jaundice. The Consultant believes that his biliruben levels are within normal range, his thyroid is fine and his blood count is good. Hopefully the ‘lemon’ tone of his skin will be gone by his 6-8 week check! Other then that, we are still battling nappy rash……. Hmmm

 Here are some more pics

 

    

The weather has been fantastic this week, so Grandpa took us to Sopley Mill for Tea and swan feeding.

  

Our ‘little caveman’ – 3 Weeks Old! ( He has already outgrown his first babygrows! )

   

James loves to Cuddle Sage ( and even wakes him up trying to do so!) Thought that I would catch them napping….  

 

 

  

  

 

It was rather strange coming home from the hospital. For weeks we noticed all the daffodil bulbs peeking out of the ground, it was only the weekend of Sage’s birth that they started to flower…

Natures Gift!

 

Well, Yesterday was Mothers day! (In England) – and I was rather surprised at how many people thought and wished me well on this special remembrance day.

I now understand why there is such a day, and can relate to a minor part that my Mother went through bringing me to where I am today. I just want to say thank-you Mom, Thank-you for breast feeding me, for bearing through the cracked nipples and suckling, for changing my nappies and entertaining me and for all the Midnight cuddles and kisses. I don’t know when the South African Mothers day is – but HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! Love you lots!

      

I can’t believe the changes that happen without me even noticing. The Health Visitor just popped in. Sage weighs 4120g now ( so has made up the 120g that he lost after birth -twice!). He measures 53cm long, and has a head circumference of 37cm!

Anyway, we have loads of photos which I need to post to keep with the times……

      

   

 

         

  

This is James’s favourite Photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sage Alan Crawford-Stewart was officially registered this morning. The past week has been hectic. I have been so desperate for sleep that it brings me to tears. Honestly, no matter how much reading and preparing I have/had done – there has been nothing that has come close to illustrating the combination of angst and delight that James and i have experienced.  We are different now. Growing with every burp, coo, yell and sigh.

Sage has Jaundice, but the billiruben levels aren’t dangerous – his skin and eyes are yellow, giving him a rather tanned appearance.  My body is slowly recovering, making lifting and cuddling so much easier.

Interesting fact: Newborn babies sometimes have a quivering chin ( Something that happened each time Sage cried). This is a sign that the nervous system is still developing.

We think that Sage may be developing Colic. He squeezes his body into a ball and lets out little screams of discomfort. He groans and wimperers. The hardest  thing has been seeing him in pain and not being able to do anything to help.  

 

Eleventh of March 2006 1:10am…. Tiny had been moving alot, I heaved my pod over and sighed as I slipped a feather pillow between my knees. There was a loud crack with his kick… ‘ oh God he has just broken his neck!’… but the ’swoosh’ of water signalled something different. It was the moment that I knew that the birth of my son was imminent. 

 

 

 This is Sage Alan Crawford- Stewart

Age: 1 Hour

Weight: 4Kg 

Length: 52cm

My ‘Birth Plan’ was to go all natural, and head for a birthing pool, but to my dismay some other lady was using the one at the poole Maternity Unit. Within 40 Minutes I had had an epidural, and was flat on my back smiling as i watched the machine indicate that  was having a contraction! WHAT A RELIEF! I have never experienced such incredible pain and discomfort in my life, and wasn’t about to matyre myself!

Sage was eventually born via an Emergency C-Section. Unfortunately he was lying at an angle, with his ear blocking the birth canal so he couldn’t be born naturally. They even tried forceps (which bruised his forehead, and hurt his eye), but to no avail. 

14:18pm….. His tiny screams made me shake with emotion. James by his side as they ventilated him. We had done it!

Monday 13th March 2006 – The hospital was very busy. Little Sage wasn’t  too bothered by the noise, but I didn’ take to kindly to flashlights in the night, and burning injections ( No to mention all the crying babies!) I was supposed to transfer to Bournemouth, but on the way home I called a re-routed home….. 14:45pm – Sage was ours to keep.

  

  

Christmas has just passed, and for the first time in a while I have managed to slow things right down and take a deep breath….

It snowed today, in fit and bouts of graceful beauty my Christmas wish came true. I know that it came a couple days late- but this has been the over tone of my year, a few days late yet perfectly balanced with grace and beauty. James dad and I took a stroll down to the local field and viewed the green fields and sugar coated candy houses from afar.

Dad stood in some dog turd which had me buckled over with giggles. Only yesterday the old man in a tartan hat grumbled about the little smelly landmines… My heavy body sways as the weight gives velocity to the slick ice. James lands a snowball on my arm…. I sparkled a grin as I slipped off my gloves and headed for a clean collection on the fence post. CLUMP! In his ear a mound of snowflakes stuck… and again! Hee Hee, Hiding behind my vulnerable body he only landed padded shots…. our laughing echoed through the street.
We were living like children, and nobody else was about. No other adults were sliding about screeching, or piling the freezing fluff onto each other. We were alone. The magic was thick.

As such was christmas, being around each other, making our own family and our own christmas. Just the three of us together, Children and adults – swopping roles, throwing dice, loving each other. Magic.

I think that there are many ways to reflect over the last year, and even though there could be an air of darkness, it has ended in white. With love and happiness, company and dreams. This year we made a family, and we shall relive our childhood from a birds eye view. Next year father christmas will come!