Birthday Boy Turns FOUR!!!!

I hope everyone had a good Halloween yesterday. It's not something I really do, it's not that I am opposed to it as such, it's just something I've never really done.

Today marks the total reversal of fortune regarding Halloween. The bad spirits are gone and All Saints day brings a new birth of hope and love.

That's exactly what did occur 4 years today.

James entered the world rather suddenly.

The night before was the only time we took Matthew out Trick Or Treating for Halloween. Halloween 2008 was a Friday and we went round the local estate and I bumped into several people who commented "Oh, you've not had it yet?" as I waddled round the houses over 39 weeks pregnant. It had been half term week so I hadn't seen many people and I had given up on baby being born at a convenient time when I didn't have the school runs to do. We then went trick or treating around by my mums for a short time. We got fish and chips on the way home and went to bed around 11pm saying "Well, it wasn't a Halloween baby....."

Early the next morning, I awoke needing to pee. I then wrote in my diaryland diary at the time (like you do)

"It's 3.20am.

At 2.52 my waters broke. Having very strong contractions every 5 minutes since.

3.18am on phone to maternity suite. I'm going in as soon as my mum arrives.

Next update should feature my new little boy or girl. x"

My mum arrived to look after Matthew and we set off and arrived around 4.05am. Upon arrival at the hospital a chinese lady checked me in and asked me to fill in some forms. She then left us. After a while the contractions were really intense and I remember telling Chris if no-one arrived by the next contraction I was going to call the emergency button. As if someone read my mind, a midwife arrived and asked if I'd been assessed which I hadn't. She checked me and I was fully dilated and she seemed shocked that I had been left without attention and said we'd probably have our baby in the next few minutes. She called in a second midwife and all went incredibly quickly as a couple of pushes later the babies head crowned and he was born with the next push.

James time of arrival was noted as 4.56am. 2 hours 4 minutes after it all started and my baby boy was here.

We checked out of hospital early and I woke Matthew up to come downstairs as I had surprise for him. He then found his baby brother asleep in the car seat. I can't remember if we checked out of hospital at 7am or 8am but it was early enough to wake Matthew and surprise him from his slumber.

So here's my favourite photos from my blogs over the years. I've tried to keep them in date order-ish but here is my little man over the 4 years. x