the five of us (yes, Slinky still counts)

Thank you for your kind comments and yes, she really is as hairy as she looks! Everything Mr McMuffin has written is true, this has been a very different experience and although I shall NEVER have another child, as excruciatingly painful events go, this really wasn't that bad. I now realise that gas and air is very effective unless you are in transition and as most of my last labour was transition it now doesn't surprise me that I thought it was a bit rubbish. Anyway, I was very lucky to have all the support that I did and a beautiful sunny day to labour in.

It's remarkable how my anxiety is still all about managing boisterous Babycake and I'm not particularly worried about the littlest one-I suppose I think that we've managed to get one to toddlerhood already, so chances are that this one will get there too! I have to say that although I am doing so much more than I thought possible, I am still a bit panicked at being on my own with the pair of them for any length of time. I can't quite picture the shape of our future routine, or whether we'll have much of one.

Anyway, the baby is stirring a little bit, so I'm going to gaze at her for a bit before I have to go to the shops and get Babycake from nursery...