Four years ago today...

...today at around 4.45pm I received a couple of texts from these three girls Kmmms, Bee and Gem. They all said roughly the same thing “Any twinges? Any sign? Any news?”. My reply was “Not a thing, nothing at all, think this baby is way too comfortable!” and I was being totally honest.

I was expecting Little and I had been hoping he wouldn’t arrive on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I also didn’t want him to arrive on the 27th as that was Granny’s 60th birthday and I felt it would have be nice for her to celebrate that special birthday as her very own. My due date was officially the next day, the 29th, (he was measuring large so they had brought my date forward by almost a week) but since my first baby had arrived almost a fortnight early the girls were on high alert and expect news imminently. 

A short while later I sent the girls a text saying “With great speed “Little” flew in to the world at 6.12pm. He’s a chubby little thing weighing in at 9lbs 3 oz. Mr C and I are thrilled if a little overwhelmed!”

The girls could not believe it. I’d only just sent out the text saying there was no news. You see about ten minutes after I sent out my text I had a contraction. That unmistakeable sensation of deep cramping in a sling shape between my hips. “Wow, this means business” I thought “If I get another like that soon I’ll start to time them” Within ten minutes I’d had three more, they were unbelievable, I was in total denial though. I firmly believed it was ridiculous and I was going to have a shower and put on some make up. My mother in law ordered Mr C to get the car and told my father in law to get my bags. I bellowed “Don’t be daft! I’m having a shower, I want to put on my make up, I've GOT TIME.” I was so cross. Furious actually and very irritable. I didn’t know it then but I must have been in the phase they call transition when you are 10 centimetres dilated and you have a surge of hormones that send you a bit bonkers but tell your body to start pushing. I reluctantly rang the midwives and I just grizzled and grunted down the phone and said my name. “You better come in right away” they said. Oh bleddy hell, I thought, what a lot of drama. This is stupid, I want a bleedin’ shower......then I had the mother of all contractions and I practically sprinted to the car.

What ensued was a white knuckle ride into the city with me trying desperately hard not to push, I kept lifting my bottom off the seat and making weird noises. “Don’t push! DON”T PUSH!” Mr C was begging me. 

“I....CAN”T....HELP.....IT!!!!!!”

We arrived so quickly as Mr C drove like a formula one driver through the surprisingly empty streets. I suppose it being the friday between Christmas and New Year meant a lot of people were on holiday and so there was no rush hour traffic. We abandoned the car and I marched through the hospital, my face contorted, my arms stuck out rigidly and my hands clenching and unclenching rhythmically.

We got to the reception desk and a midwife asked my husband who I was and where were my notes. I managed to kick my bag to indicate where they were and had another mad contraction. “Never mind!” Said the midwife “Lets get her on a bed” I walked down the corridor undoing my trousers, I went straight to the bathroom and had a wee, then I got on the bed and within minutes out came my boy. I helped deliver him, I reached down and helped pull him on to my tummy. He wee’d on my leg and poo’d on my tummy. 

“Hello Darling” I said “You’re gorgeous, you look just like Big!”

“Wow!” said Mr C “That was easy”

“WHAT????”

So there we are. That’s Little Cuckoo’s story. My adorable boy came into this world in a hurry and he hasn’t paused since. He’s like a whirling dervish and so cheeky. He reminds me of myself when I was little.

Happy 4th birthday my dear little fella.

There’s another story to add to his. 48 years ago my Nanny Sheila gave birth to a bonny baby girl called Caroline. She was a lovely girl and grew into a very sweet and pretty young lady. She was the most wonderful Aunt and I absolutely adored her. She used to play with my hair and take me shopping. She made me feel very special and loved. When I was 8 she was in a car accident, the driver had been drinking and was going too fast. She was thrown from the vehicle. The emergency services couldn’t find her as she was yards away from the wreck in a ditch. She died a few days later in my Dad’s arms. She died on her 20th birthday 28 years ago today.

When I rang my Nanny to tell her I had a baby boy on Caroline’s birthday she burst into tears and said she never ever thought she could be happy on this day again but now this day has become a happy day. She feels Caroline sent us Little Cuckoo to help heal some broken hearts and I tend to agree. My son also has the same name as the love of my Nan’s life and although he isn’t actually named after him as such, it means a lot to my Nan to have a special grandson born on a special day with a special name. 

We will celebrate his birthday today with family but he’ll have a proper party in July to try and spread things out a bit for him. Hopefully his friends will be able to come then.

Hope you all had wonderful Christmases!