Evan Grade 3

Just thought I would pop a "school photo" shot in here - no not those horrible professional ones that the school does (which I haven't even received mind you! I got Layla's (which were horrible) but not Evan's.... hmm must investigate).

Evan has the most beautiful eyes - well they are the same as mine LOL

Beach shots

Evan loves the beach probably as much as I dislike it.... sand and I have a love/hate relationship in that I love to hate it and it hates me.

But Evan just loves the water! And in particular he loves throwing things into the water!


He had a ball!

I can't believe....

that my little man just turned 9!

Here are a few shots of the last nine years..... he is such a gorgeous boy!

Evan's arrival...

I had better write this down now before my memory totally goes.... I am getting on you know!

Evan came into this world at 9.03am on 26th February 1999.... he weighed only 5lb as I was only 33 weeks pregnant. My waters broke (again!) at 31 weeks, and after a delightful hospital stay of around 10 days I went into labour and the professionals didn't try to stop it. I remember I was sharing a room with a lady who had been on complete bed rest for 13 weeks.... so my 10 days was really nothing!

My labour started at around 4 in the afternoon, I was still in the hospital room and Damien was with me, rubbing my back and generally being ordered around by me.
At 10pm the nursing staff wanted to kick him out (public hospital....) and that's when I cracked it and demanded to be taken up to the labour ward. Now a labouring hysterical woman is not a pretty sight, so we ventured up to the labour ward where I spent another 6 hours in pretty intensive labour, all on the bed as because I was only 33 weeks they had to monitor the baby (via his little head!) so it was quite uncomfortable. Damien tried to sleep on a beanbag on the floor but at one point (just before I demanded the epidural) I screamed at him to get up and rub my back!!! Which he obligingly and lovingly did!

The epidural solved all my pain problems, but I still had to give birth! At around 8am I was fully dilated so was told to start pushing which I had no desire to do (unlike with Christie and Aidan) so it really was up to me to do all the hard work.... so with a team of about 10 nurses/doctors/consultants/paediatricians etc. Evan was finally born with the help of forceps and a rather large episiotomy at 9.03am. They placed him on me and all I was worried about was whether he was alive or not. Which he was, so I was happy.

He was then whisked off to the Special Care Nursery (RWH Melbourne) for some TLC by the wonderful staff up there (thank you!) while I was being stitched up and generally just running on adrenalin. Then the "high" left me and the drugs started wearing off and all I could do was vomit, and then I suffered a panic attack, so they just drugged me up and I went to sleep for a few hours and felt wonderful after I woke up - went and had a shower, went back to the ward and then went up to see our beautiful boy!

He was and is gorgeous! Evan spent 2 weeks in the RWH and was then transferred out to Sunshine Hospital (we lived over that way at the time) an was in there for 2 weeks as well, and came home on our 1st Wedding Anniversary - what a wonderful present!

I would have to say that Evan was probably my best sleeper, and still is. He was a beautiful baby who charmed everyone......