Baby Update News

I am now back at work after spending such a wonderful week with Dawn, Ella and Nicholas. It has been somewhat tiring and challenging, especially with Ella who is two and a half and very active and lively. She appears to have taken well to her new brother and I think we have finally taught her how to be gentle with him rather than constantly poking him with one finger.
Although it is hard work, it is very rewarding and somehow seems to be easier this time round. I guess that's because it was not too long ago when we were doing the same thing with Ella.
Dawn is recovering really well and has almost regained her usual shape and size, although she would argue that point at this present time. Ella is going to Nursery 3 mornings a week (Mon, Tues & Fri) 0800-Midday, which gives Dawn quality bonding time with Nicholas and a little bit of a breather from Ella.

Baby Arrival

Just to let everyone know, Dawn gave birth to a gorgeous boy on the 5th November 2006 at 0205am, weighing in at 6lb 3oz's. Her contractions started on the 4th November in Pizza Hut, Hayes (Classy!!)whilst dining with our friends Rich, Kam, Ethan & Mischa. The contractions were none stop basically every 12-14 minutes at that point and just as we were about to watch 'Afterlife' on TV at 2100hrs, the contractions were every 10-12 minutes.
Rather than spend hours in the hospital or worst still going up there and being told that you have not dilated enough, so you might as well go home, we stayed in the comfort of our own home until we felt it was the right time.
As it transpired, we judged it correctly, as Dawn was 8cm dilated by the time we had got to the hospital, so although the contractions had started at around 1230, they did not start coming heavily until about 10pm and then as soon as we got St Peters hospital, Chertsey just after midnight, they came thick and fast. Our midwife was called Mary, who was very calm and very relaxed, which is just what we needed.
After baby (Yet to be named) and Dawn were checked out, we were all sent home at around 0900am on the same day.
No song of the day from me today, but a request has come in from a colleague and friend of dawn's (Punam). Just from a quick search, I believe this is a single only, and not on an album as yet. I am sure Punam will keep us updated if you hear and like it!

Song - Beautiful (Chill Out Version)
Artist - Jask Ft Joice

Baby News Update

Finally it's Dawns last day at Work with 2 days to go until the due date!!
As sizeable amount of work colleagues and friends and myself congregated in the local Thai restaurant in the back of the 'wishing Well' in Hounslow. Dawn as predicted went for 'Prawn Number 1', in which she is widely known to do amongst her immediate colleagues.
Hopefully this time because of it's spicy ingredients, it may bring the baby on by the weekend, mind you, if Ella our daughter is anything to go by (2 weeks overdue), there's not much chance of that !

Song Of The Day

I have always been a huge admirer of Dire Straits and to a certain extent some of Mark Knopflers Film soundtrack & Solo work. As most people know, 'Brothers In Arms' was and still remains their most prolific work and most if not all the songs are just simply classics. However, outside of that, another one of their classic albums for me, is 'Love Over Gold', which has one of my all time favourite songs on it, 'Telegraph Road'.
This song is not only music, it's a masterpiece. It gets at you like a hammer, delivering a blow that will stun you.
It's 14 minutes long and well worth every second. The lyrics of this song are themselves on a higher level, and Knopfler's vocal performance is frightingly good. Telegraph Road simply soars like an eagle into one roaring solo after another, and then diving into an enthralling piano interlude, there is not one spot to put on this.

Song - Telegraph Road
Artist - Dire Straits
Album - Love Over Gold (1982) & Alchemy(1984)
Website - www.mark-knopfler.co.uk

Baby Update News

It's been a few days since I wrote the last Baby update, but fortunately or unfortunately (Depending how you look at it), the baby has still not arrived. Dawn is getting increasingly bigger and tired, but she is giving up work on Wednsedday the 1st Nov 2006 which is a good job, considering the due date is on Friday 3rd Nov.
You may think this is sad, but we have bought and wrapped 90% of our Christmas presents for this year, as we figured that the run up to Christmas for us (As it is always anyway)will be obviously more hectic with the new arrival, so with the little time we do have now, we have taken advantage of the situation.
The hospital bag and the house are now totally prepared, so its now just a waiting game.

Song Of The Day

Absolutely love these guys. In this world of manufactured rubbish, which appears to sell well for some strange reason, it is very refreshing to know that these guys amongst others (Coldplay, Oasis & Kasbian to name but a few) are keeping it real. Lead vocalist Gary Lightbody has the perfect instrument to convey the power and emotion of his words. He has strong enough vocal abilty to hold his own against the surge of backing guitars, so then it is no surprise that Lightbody has said "Chasing Cars" is "the most pure and open love song" he has written.


Song - Chasing Cars
Artist - Snow Patrol
Album - Eyes Open
Website - www.snowpatrol.com

Baby News Update

For those of you who are looking at this on a daily basis, my apologies of not writing my Blog yesterday. I was really busy at work and then went straight down to see my parents in Redhill after work, so had no time to write the Blog.
Anyway, Dawn is experiencing excessive tightness and movement and is struggling to generally get around, but as she is someone who just does'nt sit down, she is trying her best to do as much as she can up to a point. You just can't keep a good woman down!! (Even at near to 9 months pregnant). Ella seems to be going through a stage of saying 'No'to most things at the moment and just generally being stubborn, which makes it particulary difficult when its just Ella & Dawn, because Dawn, much to her frustration, cannot do much in the way of running around after her etc.
The latest names for the new baby are 'Will' for a boy or 'Hannah' or 'Esme'(Pronounced 'ezmee')if it's a girl. This may change, as we have a few other ideas. We are particulary finding it difficult to think of boys names.

Song Of The Day

When I get the chance I still like to tinker on the piano, which stems from when I was 12 Years old, when I had weekly piano lessons. I only did it for a short while but the upright piano we had in the family home, still remained and so I would just jump on it occasionally and try in vain to write songs, but with little or no success. Anyway, I just love the sound of a piano when it is played properly. The below 'Song Of The Day'is purely a piano based song, but it is'nt complicated or tricky. It's actually a fairly basic song but at the same time very clever. Michael Stipes voice of course, ultimately makes the song what it is, but the piano work beautifully rides along with his voice, at times taking centre stage with the intertwining flow


Song - Nightswimming
Artist - REM
Album - Automatic For The People
Website - www.remhq.com

Baby Update News

Dawn has had the usual pains in the back and hips and the excessive movement (especially at night whilst relaxing), but apart from just wanting the baby to arrive, there is nothing to report from last night or today sofar.

A very annoying thing happened last night whilst I was driving from work to home in the Ford Galaxy. I was going round a roundabout (Whitton roundabout on the A316 to be specific)and this guy in his Fiat Punto decided to make a last minute decision and go across the back of me, but because he was on his mobile obviously in deep conversation, he went into me instead of clearing me! He damaged the passenger door the part of the rear arch and the undersill of the door. I got out to say to him to park along the side of the road to exchange insurance details, but when he got back into his car, he just drove off (Nice Bloke!). I did not get his reg number because to be honest you don't expect people to drive off after you have had a conversation about pulling over after an accident. He was in his early twenties, so he either had no insurance or just simply could not be bothered with all the boring paperwork. As I do not have a leg to stand on now, my only hope is that there is substantial damage on his car (I did not even notice that at the time because of shock) and that indeed he is not insured, and as a consequence has to pay a fortune to repair his car. Karma is required here, I beleive!

Song Of The Day

I grew up listening to a pretty eclectic selection of music. My father played anything and everything at home, but mostly in the car and although I don'tremember paying too much attention to it at the time, I guess the reason I have such a diverse taste in music today, is because all that music ranging from 'Bread' to Supertramp and Dire Straits to name but a few, must of somehow lodged deeply into my sub-consious, in preparation for later in life.
Anyway, one of those many albums(Usually and generally recorded on a light grey TDK tape, as CD's were not even thought of then!)was Equinoxe by Jean Michel Jarre (The Godfather of ambient music).
It's yet another one of those albums that I have appreciated a lot more in my adulthood, but because of the aforementioned sub-consious, I immediately took to it. In particular, Equinoxe (Part 7), which is the longest track at just over 7 minutes, is quite simply an epic in my opininon, with it's continuous sweeping and swirling of synth sounds mixed in with a wonderful quirky and eerie-like undertow. This track like the rest of the tracks on Equinoxe would still give any modern artist today in the same genre as Jarre, a run for their money.

Song - Equinoxe (Part 7)
Artist - Jean Michel Jarre
Album - Equinoxe
Website - www.jeanmicheljarre.com

Song Of The Day

I came across Sonya Kitchell by mistake really. I downloaded her album without realising and thought I'd listen to it anyway. I'm glad I did, coz it's a cracker!
Her voice is so strong and melodic and full of emotion. 'Can't get you out of my mind' is a kind of slow bluesy number but with a kick. Great tune!

Song - Can't get out of my mind
Artist - Sonya Kitchell
Album - Words Came Back To Me
Website - www.sonyakitchell.com