Here I am, just a few hours old
I actually look chubbier in here than I do out,
must have a magnifying effect!

December 1997 my husband and I decided we should try for a family one more time.  Having lost two sons and had three miscarriages it was a very difficult decision.

March 1998 I knew I was pregnant and was both elated and frightened.  We went to the local pharmacy for a pregnancy test which showed no surprises, I was indeed pregnant.  I waited 2 weeks before telling anyone and then off to the doctor we went.

I had already decided which ob I wanted to care for us during this pregnancy so I was given a referral to see him.  I saw him for the first time when I was only 7 weeks pregnant.  He saw me weekly until I reached 14 weeks (we had made it past hurdle one).  We also found out we were carrying a boy at this appointment although we told no one until after his birth!  From 14 weeks until 24 weeks we cut back to fortnightly visits.

We always had his first appointment on a Wednesday morning and they were very short visits.  He had an ultrasound machine in his rooms so he would have a quick look at each visit.  Seeing that heartbeat each week was the only thing that kept us going.

At 24 weeks, I got the fears up.  This was the point that our son Daniel was stillborn and unfortunately this baby decided to be very quiet and not move around much, this was a problem right up until birth.  Our ob even commented that he wasn't moving a lot but he couldn't find a reason, everything looked perfect.  So we just had to battle on and pray that this child would be fine.

We stayed on weekly visits until about 30 weeks and then dropped back to fortnightly for a couple of visits.

At around 28 weeks it was discussed the safest way to have this baby and it was decided that a c-section would be best for everyone.  I have to say I was so relieved, I don't think I could emotionally have made it through labour.

Over the next couple of weeks our Doctor decided he wanted to deliver at 37 weeks so we were given our date!  November 3 was to be our little boys entrance day!  We didn't tell anyone this news either, boy was it hard to keep that secret!!

My sister-in-law decided she wanted to give me a baby shower and she chose the 2nd November!  Hmmm so we told a little lie and said we had to go out for dinner so would have to leave a little early.  We left the baby shower and raced straight to the hospital (they wanted me there by 5pm the night before to meet the Anaesthesiologist)  We got there by 5.30 so that wasn't too bad!

After we had been seen by everyone that we needed to I asked if I could go home for the night.   They really wanted me to stay but I promised to be back by 6.30am.  I was way too nervous to stay at the hospital.  So we came home and I paced the floors all night and listened to hubby snore :)

The next morning I felt really strange, as we left I knew that within the next four hours we would finally be a family!  We waited just long enough for the paper to be delivered so we could pick it up and not leave any tell tale signs for the neighbours :) and off we went to have our baby!

Thankfully they had me first on their operating list so at 9am I was wheeled into theatre and as soon as they had the spinal in hubby was able to join me.

At 9.37am Patrick Aaron Taylor joined the world he only weighed 5lb 7oz.  I remember listenening for the cry and it didn't seem to happen straight away but when it finally did I was soooo relieved and then I started worrying about what they were doing, why he was crying so much! :)  After a few minutes they brought him over to meet me and wow how excited was I!  He did have some breathing problems so they were keeping oxygen blowing around his face.  Shortly after they took him to special care and he was placed in a humidicrib.

As I had a spinal anaesthetic I wasn't allowed to sit up for 12 hours.  This was so hard because Patrick was in Special Care I was finding it very difficult to believe that he was going to be OK.  Around 12.00 they actually unplugged his crib to bring him to me for just a few short minutes so I could believe that he was OK.

One of the hard things was that we had promised my Mum that she would be the first to know (this promise was made because she was so disappointed when she knew that we had the date and wouldn't tell her!)  Well we tried to ring her from about 10.30am and she wasn't home!  I was a bit worried because I knew she was going to the Melbourne Cup Luncheon (Melbourne Cup is the biggest horse race of the year in Australia)  So we had to get on to her before 12.30.  Eventually we did and she never did make it to that luncheon! :)

Patrick spent 5 days in the humidicrib, with his mummy firmly planted on the outside!  He also had to have 2 goes under the ultra V lights due to jaundice.  We finally brought our precious bundle home aged 11 days!  Wow what a wonderful moment.

Six weeks later I went back to the ob for my checkup and he told me what a good decision the c-section had been.  He is sure that Patrick would've have dropping heart rates and other complications had we attempted a natural delivery and his comment was "that would have put us all into retirement!"

I have so much to be grateful for, firstly a lovely husband that put up with my moodiness and vagueness for the 9 months we were waiting for Patrick and to my doctor who "held my hand" for the full time.  I am sure without them Patrick wouldn't be here today!

Here I am finally having
a snuggle with my Mummy.
I am 5 days old,
it was a long wait!

Here I am with my
Mummy & Daddy soon
I will get the tube out
and do some REAL eating!


This is me with my Nanny & Poppy Taylor
- they love me soooo much
(who wouldn't lol)


Here I am a few months
(and a few decent feeds)
down the track in my own
bed!
Don't you think Mummy
and Daddy were brave to
take this photo!
Lucky I didn't decide to
wake up and play!