by iamcrabstix | Nov 26, 2016 | rlt
I started to think that if RLT looked through images of his childhood, that there would be very few of us together. Therefore, I have had to request that my OH capture some moments when we’re together.
Looking after a baby on your own for most of the day means that you get a phone gallery full of selfies with the baby or pictures of other people and the baby!

As you can see, our selfie attempts certainly are interesting, but I want the lovely candid shots capturing the moments I want to remember, not the moments where once again poor babs has me sticking a phone in his face!
I mentioned this to my other half as I was getting pictures printed through Boots Photo Service (thanks to their fab discount vouchers through the Boots Parenting Club and did not have one of me and RLT but thousands of him with everyone else!
My other half has an eye for composition, he is a brilliant photographer thanks to his training as a film-maker, but these skills sadly are under-utilised. He always tells me that it is important to capture the light in the subjects’ eyes, which apparently is something I constantly fail to do!

Family selfie attempt – oh dear. More work needed there!
Finally, on week 22 of RLT being in the world, my request for a pic to be taken of me and babs was met with a positive response and being the great photographer my other half is, got something that I was extremely happy with. I hope it is the first of many moments captured of me and my little man. OK, my roots are terrible… so it has been changed to black and white! But looking back now RLT will know I was there when he was a baby, rather than looking at these pics of him with everyone else and thinking he was raised by a tribe!

RLT and me!
by iamcrabstix | Nov 18, 2016 | rlt
Illness has struck this week, but hasn’t stopped the little man’s personality coming in to it’s own. He loves to laugh <3
RLT is really starting to show his little personality and what he likes and doesn’t like; it is a really exciting stage. Seeing his face when his dad walks into a room is absolutely magical for me, his whole face lights up and only this morning he started to gesture very excitedly with his arms and smile when he realised his dad was in the house; up until now something he had reserved for the cat!
This weekend has provided a great bonding time for the boys, walks, lego exhibition, no need to be anywhere such as Waterbabies and first outing in his Ergobaby original baby carrier.

Just casually sitting with mummy having bantz.
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Living the rock n roll lifestyle as we do and hitting up Sainsburys in our new Ergobaby carrier
by iamcrabstix | Oct 31, 2016 | general parenting, rlt
Rolling! So at day 135 on this earth, RLT decided it was time to roll over. Fortunately, I managed to capture the first time on video!
Quite a nice end to his daddy’s week at home. I was very pleased he did it while his dad was at home, the less moments we miss due to working life, the better (I’m dreading getting the call from my mum when he walks and I’m at work, as I go back when he is eight and a half months old! But at least he’ll be with mum and his cousin Ted who will praise him).

He rolled a few times late afternoon, but soon tired himself out. I didn’t expect him to be rolling so soon, the information I’ve seen said it can happen as early as 4 months, but I always thought boys were a little late to the party on most developmental milestones. But nope 4 and a half months and here he is rolling around on the rug!
This morning (the day after he first did it) he has been unstoppable! It is like something just clicked. Absolute madness to think 24 hours ago he couldn’t do it!
by iamcrabstix | Oct 8, 2016 | rlt
‘Send me a picture of Reuben smiling’ was the instruction I received on WhatsApp – I thought ‘awww his daddy must need cheering up at work’. How silly of me. Next thing I see popping up on my facebook feed is that particular image of RLT promoting World Smile Day and for readers of Hartlepool Mail and Sunderland Echo to send in pictures of what makes them smile.
So at three months, RLT received his first piece of media exposure!

RLT on Sunderland Echo’s facebook page

RLT on Hartlepool Mail’s facebook page
by iamcrabstix | Jun 18, 2016 | rlt
Introducing RLT! Born 17-6-16 at 7:36am in Durham!

Birth story:-
Had a bit of a bad tummy around 11pm, went in the bath. Bit of blood, so by midnight got out of the bath, rang the pregnancy assessment unit at the hospital. They told me to come in at 2am to get looked at. Got my stuff together, went to the hospital – shouted at the OH a lot to stop making the car bounce! Started hurting in the car, every six minutes or so. Walked from the car park to the ward by the time I got there I was hopping from one foot to the other.
Needed a wee – it was all blood.
Got assessed by a doctor at about 2:45 – apparently I was 9cm dilated so needed to go to the maternity ward. Walked/waddled down there and got sorted about 3.30am, was put in a room by Linda – by this time it started to hurt so I asked for pain relief…. to be told it was too late I could only have gas and air.
Got shown the g& a Linda left, started hurting reaaaaal bad in a way I can’t describe. Then I decided I needed a poo – the pressure was all in my behind!
Got a new midwife, Joanne, who was very nice throughout my insistence that I needed a poo, she even let me go to the toilet to try. She had a quick look through my birthplan, noticed that I’d got my mum as birth partner too but she wasn’t there. So she insisted we call her, but i was reluctant to make my mum drive out in the middle of the night on her own ‘ we’ ll call her later’. They asked again about 45 minutes later as I was ready to push!
I didn’t feel that I was really pushing anything, i just remember focusing on my breathing, when the contractions came, putting my chin to my chest and pushing. My legs were in stirrups at this point, so I think I had something to push against.
Fiddly bit was keeping monitors on to monitor baby’s heart rate – they kept slipping and the monitor kept showing his heart rate dropping. Midwife did well not to alert me to her concerns, but she called another midwife in to check the readings… they felt that the baby was falling asleep in the birth canal! I was given a wedge and lots of cold water to drink to wake him up!
They kept quizzing me about my waters breaking, they were sure I’d missed it – i was sure i hadn’t . low and behold something went pop and all of a sudden there was a baby!
Turns out my waters were behind the baby and when they went the pressure helped him out! i knew his head was about out but i was bracing myself for more pushing to clear his shoulders – but alas here he was! Put on my chest, it was surreal! because i thought i still had to push his body out i was not prepared for having a baby on me so soon! i think we just stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity! 2 hours 41 mins of active labour and here he was!
I don’t remember much after that. i got stitched up for what seemed like forever, Mark was sat in the corner with the baby skin to skin, then my mum had a hold and then i had a mars bar. We were in the maternity room for around 5 hours after having him. i got transferred to a ward at about 3. my mum came with me, Mark went home for a sleep and came back in later when my bro and sister in law visited.
My dad had gone to the wrong hospital so missed visiting. i could hear in his voice he was gutted when he realised, but we would invite him over as soon as we were released. which sadly wasnt until the next day.
I think i just stared at the cot all night and tried to crack breastfeeding. I could hear the person in the room sigh everytime the baby cried! was really helpful! she did not say two words to me, she was a delight!