Christmas is coming

[REPTYL]

I thought that turning the cobra over for the first time all those years ago was about as good as it gets.

But it's a sorry second compared to seeing my little girl come in to the world.

Congratulations Stef'

[boxhead]

Congradulations Stef, all the best to your wife and your new present.

[Aussie Mike]

Congratualations Stef,

Looks like you got the best Christmas present of all!

Cheers

[Rebel1]

Congrats Stef, Chrissy came early to you.

Now Stef..have you read the instructions for changing nappies?
What about making formulae?
What are you like at the wee hours of the night?

You will soon learn that baby poop is the most disgusting thing you ever seen or smelled.

All the best to your good lady and little Isabella.

[skippy]

My gas peddle has been bad and with that i can't afford christmas this year got knicked by the boys in blue.

Bad Bad Gas Peddle.

Skippy......

[pneall]

Congrats Stef and Penny,

Its a good feeling all right, but why do they have to arrive in the middle of night?? My three all picked coming into the world between midnight and three. My girls love to be driven to school in the Cobra .

Phil

[demicobra]

Congratulations Stef

10 years on & I still remember that smile when my little angel was born.

I have the same dilemma as you- 1seat, to many passengers,
actually my Club Cobra name is my two most fav things
My daughter Demi & my Cobra (I trust you guys won`t tell
my wife I said that)

Regards

Nick

[PCC]

Well done Stef,

Sleepless nights - more time to spend on the Cobra - NOT!

Words of advice:

Enjoy the "baby" years cause it gets bloody hard when they hit their teens - I know, having got 4 teenagers (well, 3 and 1 adult).

God I'm getting old

[stefanog]

Back home from hospital today! Forgot what it's like to get more than 2 hours sleep! No breakfast, lunch or sleep today!, at this rate I don't think I will last too long! My little angel is now home and I couldn't be prouder, must sneak into the bedroom, have a good look and pinch myself, is this for real?? How lucky am I??

Thanks to all of you for your responses!

Peter, how old ARE you? Talk about a handful. I take my hat off!

Phil, three as well? good lord I admire you both!

Nick, my lips are sealed! BUT... now I have one up on you!

Les, what's with that black stuff?, looks like tar! How did that get there?

Jason, I here you buddy!

Thanks boxhead for your kind words and Mike, yes, this I believe is the best present of all!

Take care all, I am about to experience my first night at home as a father, must try to get some sleep, hopefully!

Stef

[mate]

Stef

Congratulations!! all the best to you, your wife and Isabella

a bit of advise from a bloke who now has 3 teenage daughters....be patient..be a good listener..be gentle..and get a dirty great shotgun

Don

[stefanog]

advice taken!!

Stef

[pneall]

Stef,

These Cobra guys can offer more than Cobra advice....
heres mine:

a) make sure bubs does not share marital bed
b) controlled crying is OK.. not yours the babies
c) bottles are good, that way you get to feed baby at 1.00 am...quality bonding time.
d) make time for you and your wife
e) noise does not worry babies.. you can still work on the Cobra
f) disposable nappies ...only way to go
g) bath times fun
h) give your child lots of hugs...and your wife, she wil need it more.

Phil

[PCC]

Hi Stef,

Trust everything is settling down at home.

We had our first in 86 (now an adult) and our fourth in 92 evenly spaced.

Started at 24 and finished at 32!

At the time it was bloody hard work especially for Jack, but now relish the rewards of a family where the eldest is only 6 years older than the youngest.

You can now see why I have the Cobra - time out zone

[stefanog]

You guys are fantastic!

Never too much advice is what I think!

Peter, Isabella having a little trouble settling down, kept us up till 9am this morning, this should hopefully improve.

7 pooy nappies since returning home last night! Where is it all coming from??? my lord!!

Phil, I agree, disposables are the way to go!

Doc rang and said all normal! Thank God

Thanks guys

Tired Stef

[pneall]

Dont do what we did.

1 st in January '88
2nd in January '89
3rd in May '90 ( I was exhausted so a bit slower)

Found out what was causing this so stopped doing it

Three great kids and my beautiful wife "let" me build a Cobra.

Life really is great.


Phil

[hey,littlecobra]

Congrats, Stef, even tho' I don't know you, and I've been following this thread. I have a little exp. in the baby department: boy '90, boy '92, girl '96, girl '99. Do what works for you and your baby. I've had some sleep with us. Some didn't. One with pacifier. One with thumb. All 4 breastfed- for what seems like a long time... One go without pooping for 5 days. A couple pooed many times a day. This is your first taste that every child is different. Even from day one!! Give your wife a couple of hours by herself when you can. I wanted to pass baby to dad lots, and I was (still am!) a control freak, and wanted him to do it "my way". I learned that his way was just fine, too. Babies love to go outside. Keeps them busy and always looking around. The three of you will learn what works in your home. Everybody has been thru this and has lots of suggestions. Listen and take heart to the ones you like, be appreciative and ignore the ones you don't. It's amazing that I could cook a meal while holding a baby in one arm! The baby swing and bouncy seat saved us.
You will have difficult days. (and nights!!!!) But the joy of your baby makes it all worth it. We are entering our teenage years (yikes!) and I hope they will return to their precious baby ways some day. (they are now almost 14, almost 12, 8 & 5.)
My hubby letting me go to Cobra things (like Friday 1 pm til Sat. 5 pm) really goes a long way in the sanity department. Remember to let your wife get away, too! Our relationship sometimes gets on hold. Oh well, we know the kids are the priority right now, and we get out when we can. Some day they WILL all be gone. Kinda makes me sad (but a little proud, too) that they will be independent people sometime. Basically, our job in life is to rear them to be indepent, responsible members of society. Big job, but somebody has to do it!!
Have a wonderful journey, and may it never end.
Kristen (in Texas)

[BMK]

Stef

Hope all is going well there.

Me - well I sleep like a baby..

Sleep for an hour and scream for an hour..

My youngest is 19 and my eldest is 26.. and I still sleep the same..

Bernie

[Rebel1]

Hey Stef.....That black stuff is a trick...it looks like tar...smells like $hit. It is natures way of tryin to get us fellas interested. After all, tar is a man thing.

And...Pete & Phil, you guys are a pair of rootrats...Phil..your's are a year apart.....given the "safe" period after a birth you just couldn't wait till mom got home could ya?

Now...Kristen...I don't have a lot of agreement with your advice. Firstly...whats the " give mom time off stuff"?. Way I figure it....My wife proposed to me, told me when she wanted kids, then refused to get preggers so all that happened after that was all her fault.

Seems something was seriously amiss with her plumbing and it looked like fertility pills were the way to go.

Then she finds a doctor who says...before the fertility pills, lets just give this a try... You've gotta do it every night of the week until she falls preggers.

Well...."every night of the week until she falls preggers" turns out to be 15 months and I HAD to FIND the energy EVERY night to "Do the deed". By this time, I'd lost 2.5 stone and was on a high carb diet just to get the energy to get out of bed in the mornings.

So...when Jarrod, my son was due he decides he's not coming into this world and had, I suspect, a handful of my wifes insides.

No way do I blame him mind you...after all...he prolly knew what hell his ole man went thru.

Anyways...eventually he gets born...and who gets all the bluddy credit.....HIS MOM!!!!

Now...why does the mom get all the credit?....Here I am, a mere shadow of meself. My ribs are stickin out and I'm on life support and she's the one gettin all the credit!!!.

She's beaming and all smiles...and in the back of my mind I think...sheezz...i'm gonna have to go thru all this again sometime.

Took me a whole 3 years to recover before my daughter came into the world.

So Kristen...I say to you.....what the BIG DEAL about givin birth anyways...you guys are genetically disposed to do so. No credit needed!!

Nuffin hard about it at all.....can't be any harder than passing a water melon thru ya nostril.

[Jase]

Congrats on the new addition to your family! I for one won't be getting any children for Christmas, well at least, I don't think I'll be getting any.

What I would really like is ... well.. a Cobra. I don't care if its just a shell, just something to sit in the drive and admire - it wouldn't even have to be painted. Just.. there. Thats all I really want. I'd even sell my two front teeth on eBay to get one. You could call me 'two less teeth Jase and his cobra - shell'.

[stefanog]

Kristen, thankyou for your kind words of advice, I have read your thread to my wife and she thanks you very much also for your kind thoughts and advice!

First full day and still a little overwhelmed, I think we are doing a good job, Isabella seems content

Hasn't really hit me yet, fatherhood I mean! I was asked today how it felt to be a father..."I don't know yet" was my answer.
Is this normal?? Too soon I say.

Penny is doing ok, hormones kicked in and I guess you all know what I am talking about. God love her... I feel somewhat helpless, just support as much as I can.

Bernie...Your'e funny! Why the scream for an hour??? I am a little puzzled or I'm too tired to get that one!

Sorry I'm talking so much about my baby girl on this forum, for the first time my mind has not been on the cobra ...at all!!...funny that.

How do you add an attachment of a picture??

Stef