Kid blogs

I managed to get around to setting up & domain for sam and a blog. I also pointed sophies url to a new blog. See right hand panel.
Http://sophieellenhughes.com and http://samueltobyhughes.com
A bit light on content but it does mean that this blog will get back to normal. I am still amazed that we can register a domain and set up stuff in an instant but have to go to all sorts of lengths to register sam to the state. Including writing a cheque for three pounds, driving to a tiny office where only the mother need be present and then wait for the certificate of birth in the post. Still I guess that is what happens when you are a techie sitting blogging from a phone whilst your daughter runs around the playshack adventure playground, you sort of expect it all to be this easy.

First pictures of Sam

I will be giving him his own blog very soon but for now here is Sophie, Mum and baby Sam.
Thankyou everyone for the kind comments and support, we are all very grateful and happy.
Time to go off the grid for a few days :-)

A baby boy

Samuel toby hughes 8lb 4. Born 11.10 pm 24th january.
Everyone is very well and very happy

At the hospital

Mad dash now here

Soothing I think not

We just got back from the mid-wife and she has initiated the paperwork/carrier pidgeon/smoke message to the various arms of the NHS to get ready for a potential induction. We are not likely to need that (he writes in a weird reverse psychology mind magic type way).
It is set for Monday at 6pm. Its supposed to be Sunday but they are fully booked. I guess lots of people are clenching in the cold weather.

Jan is back playing Zuma on the 360. The music is an infuriating jungle aztec drum with some ping noises as the balls fly. You now the sort of thing you get in these puzzle games.

I have a theory that when he shows up, unlike some babies who need to hear the neighbours theme, or whatever their mum watched on TV to soothe them he is going to need Zuma playing.
I dont think popcap have it on itunes, I must go and look though.
The mid-wife though says everything is all ready to go and things are happening just frustratingly slow for all concerned.

The midwife beckons

Jan has an appointment with the midwife this afternoon. I think she is going to try and entice "baby linden" out with the promise of sweets or some xbox live achievment points.
Things are still happening, regular(ish). It is hard not to get complacent and forget that the mad dash could happen at any moment.
Nearest geek analogy

The 13th Labour

A while back I managed to get the ARG perplex city.com card the thirteenth labour.
I had not been back to it in a while, but clearly it has not been solved. I spent a week solid trying to work it out and got quite annoyed.
I had not been back to it, but in wanting to let people know about Jan's labour I went back and had a look.
So I have still not solved the 13th labour and Jan is still in early labour.
We are still at home, things are happening every 15 minutes or so, they started early this morning. Yesterday it was 20 minutes but started at lunchtime.

Blackadder my second favourite quote

Blackadder has so much quotable stuff. My second favourite one just turned up on late night TV.
This on whilst not voiced as its too long as a one liner makes me chuckle when I come across any mad planning

Melchett: You look surprised, Blackadder.

Edmund: I certainly am, sir. I didn't realise we had any battle plans.

Melchett: Well, of course we have! How else do you think the battles are directed?

Edmund: Our battles are directed, sir?

Melchett: Well, of course they are, Blackadder -- directed according to the Grand Plan.

Edmund: Would that be the plan to continue with total slaughter until every- one's dead except Field Marshal Haig, Lady Haig and their tortoise, Alan?

Melchett: Great Scott! (stands) Even you know it! Guard! Guard! Bolt all the doors; hammer large pieces of crooked wood against all the windows! This security leak is far worse than we'd imagined!

All the scripts are here

Now a game of guess my most favourite quote :-)

Hmmm, not sure what to do now in limbo

We have spent the evening rating and timing various contraction like movements. The need to do something, timing them writing them down is really a replacement for not being able to help a lot. Something is certainly happening but Jan has gone to bed now having sat up waiting for it all to start properly.
So once again I guess I will sparking up Eve( No long missions though.) and a bit of work in Second Life, Snapzilla/Flickr etc whilst I am on standby. I certainly cant risk going to sleep too early!
So apologies to family and friends out there. At the time of writing its not likely to be today and I have given up predicting anything.
I almost did not bother writing this post, but I know if I dont some people will assume we are all systems go for the baby.

Here we go again?

Every 20 minutes since lunch, sounds promising.

Day 725 in the big mother house

Last night things slowed down again. Though it is the most promising flase alarm yet. I have had to tell so many people that I am about to be out on paternity that I am worried people are going to start not believing me.
However Jan is definitely pregnant, lovely and radiant.
Come on "baby linden" lets see you soon the world is waiting :-)

Looks like another late night

Things must be happening, we have the notebook out taking the timings. If you have seen coupling on the TV then you will get a kick out of that.
We seem to be on regular 30 minute twinges. They, whoever they are, say 5-10 minutes and its time to go to the hospital.
Tommorrow is my Mum's birthday so she hopes baby Linden arrives tomorrow as a birthday present.

It must be soon

The midwife visits

The midwife just came to the house. Without too much detail, dilation has started, though not full labour. Jan has an appointment on wednesday that the midwife thinks it is unlikely we will have to go to.
fingers crossed. I am work at home, but not do things that I cant drop in an instant.

Or maybe not

I managed to get to the notebook stage to write down what went where. But as you will see from the amount of flickr photos I have transferred in concerning all things metaverse. Still here......
So I have managed to get up April 4th to July 7th done so far. 279 out of 862 so I have a way to go!
The photos form a large part, or maybe total part of the book I need to write about innovation, politics, using web2.0 and finding likeminded people.

This could be it?

I was busy pushing my 900+ Second Life snapzilla shots over to flickr as a historical record of 2006. I had to stop that and I was busy helping Andy with his mega yacht in Second Life on Hursley, when Jan said. oooooh that was a longer contraction.
So we could be on for tonight. Of course we have had false alarms the last few days, but he must be wanting to get out.
I was joking with Jan that I needed to make sure I had some skills training on Eve, that take a long while. So, thats what I am doing now.