Sat 30th March 11.04pm

 The date and time of my title marks the moment my beautiful daughter gave birth to my beautiful grandson. He is absolutely gorgeous and I LOVE HIM! 

He was due on the 28th but was ok where he was. She had been for a sweep from the midwife two days apart and was 1-2cm on the first and 2-3cm on the second and ‘stretchy’. ( makes me wince! )

I broke up from school on Maundy Thursday 28th and we drove up on Good Friday morning. 

When we got there - the midwife had told her to keep active as her hind waters were leaking so we walked the dogs at a favourite haunt and then once home, she bounced on the big gym ball she had. We had chippy tea which was lovely and all went to bed. Up bright and early I was on Saturday, busy knitting a little hooded jacket as I thought the cardi I knit was going to be too small as they had predicted he weight 8lb 11oz at her final growth scan at 39 weeks. 

Anyway all along I have been convinced it was a girl. Convinced. So I’d done the girl version. It’s Irish moss stitch and I was on my third front. Third because I had gone wrong on my first attempt flipping between pages of the pattern - started the left front for a girl which you had to continue as left front for boy from ** to ** - if you knit, you will know what I mean. But I’d done left front then Co to her as right front which I was baffled at the time because it didn’t make sense but I battled on. New pattern so yanno, was going with it. 

Started again. One side finished. Started the third, went wrong! Had knitted the same side twice! 

Normally I would have turned it over but there’s no bands! Anyway I am now an expert in Irish moss stitch. 

So

Saturday morning she came down stairs saying her waters had broken - no pains so she’d rung the hospital and they told her to lie on her side for 2 hours and then call them back. 

Two hours passed. No pains. Rang them and they said to go in to get checked. This was about 10am. 

They came back. To get her hospital bags! Half an hour later off they went leaving me and the HG all of a dither! We walked Bluebell and Freddie round the local park. They both had a frolick in the stinky ducking and got shouted at by a barnacled goose. They got shouted at by a none barnacled me and put back on their leads! 

Back at the house and hosed off. The HG did some jobs round the house they wanted doing and I sat and knit and washed and waited! She was great - she texted updates not that much updated and indeed what transpired was almost a repeat performance of when I had her! 

She wasn’t progressing despite strong contractions, epidural, no progress, off for c section. The only difference being her epidural never wore off like mine because they didn’t keep her waiting as long as me. She was an emergency in the end - smash and grab and as the HG has kept telling me this week really really traumatic and how poorly I was after. My memories are vague and none existent of her first two or three hours. 

But here they seem to be much better at their care and she went to theatre with her beau and more slice and gently lift a perfect little baby boy was born at 11.04pm 

( she was born at 10pm ) 

He weighed 9lb 8oz ( she weighed 9lb 7oz )

There was a delay between them telling us what they’d had but both the HG and I had said all day that all along we said she was having a girl but we’d changed our minds and decided strongly on a boy! 

Anyway meet Baby GS for anonymity ! Some of my lovely regular readers are now fb and insta friends so will know his name! 

He’s had jaundice like she did so had been in hospital with mum and dad ( dads can stay 24 hours !! ) and is able to

Come home today! 

So the HG been spring cleaning the house that was tidy and clean to start with and that I spring cleaned yesterday!! 

We wait! 

Love from Nanna Rachel!!