Just to let you all know that the Panther cub decided to make his presence felt by arriving a whole month unfashionably early.
One moment I was drinking a cold one, munching on barbecued maguro and cooing at the fireworks. One mad dash and 5 intense hours later, I had become a dad, without even realising what had just happened! That was just before 4 a.m on Sunday morning.
Mrs Panther and cub are both fine and the wee one seems to be reasonably strong and healthy despite his early entrance (they are both still in the hospital) and I’m on tenterhooks at home trying to get everything ready for the homecoming on Thursday.
I hope you’ll all forgive the odd lengthy absence or bleary-eyed post over the next few weeks as the Panther den (do panthers live in dens ?!) adjusts to its new member!
P.s. Allright, the lyrics have nothing to do with anything, but the title fits and Spill points on offer for why I chose the band……..oh, and it was either this or “Between Shit and Piss We Are Born” by Anaal Nathrakh ! !
Many congratulations, ‘Panther and Mrs Panther! And little Panther chap of course!
Congrats Panther and Mrs! I may have to hunt down your Anaal Nathrakh tune though.
Congratulations Panther pride (or is that just lions?)
Good luck with the homecoming, and the moment you realise that you’re responsible (in every sense) for the life of this tiny person.
DONDS!! The scariest moment of my life was neither of the two occasions I could have been about to die; it was getting home from the hospital with DsSis, and realizing no-one from the NHS had been round to fit a CALL NURSE button at our bedside. It was all down to us now! *ULP*
Oh, and *pssst*, barbryn, there IS no collective noun for a group of panthers, because they’re usually solitary creatures, so “pride” is as good as anything, though maybe we take the opportunity to make one up, in honour of our new Japanese threesome …
double donds ! ! It’s slowly sinking in…..
Congratulations to you both and a welcome to the world to mini Panther.
Congratulations again. Sadly the video is blocked in this country. Here’s a Uk approved version
Oh, thanks for that I didn’t realise…will try to edit later….
thanks everyone…..I’m already knackered after two days, not sure I can take 18 years…..!
“18 years”? Dream on, Panthersan – cue another oft-repeated DsD anecdote:
Just before Jess was born, my dad asked me how I was doing. I answered -
“I’m just getting to the ‘feeling-panicky-and-unprepared’ stage; how long does that last?”
His reply? “So far, thirty-seven years …”
“Little Dragon” – we are in a Chinese Year Of The Dragon in the 12 year cycle – me & DsMam are both dragons.
….and the Spill points go to DsD, right on the button.
Me and Mrs Panther are both dragons too so we are especially pleased to have an all dragon family !
Congratulations! Any chance of a pic for us to coo over?
on the way, but to be honest, he just looks kind of baby-like at the moment !
I always wondered if parents thought this about their own offspring or if it was just the rest of us!
So what’s his name then?
Yes, Bish, there are two basic versions, Baby that looks like a mole, and Baby that looks like Winston Churchill.
How lovely for you both. Congratulations to you both and much, much joy. x
It’s so strange, I was just thinking about you, and I happened to check my phone for new email, and this was the message!! Congratulations!!! I’m so happy for you, and for your family.
(I was thinking about you because I wish they’d hand over the RR job to you, because you write so well about music, and you’re so pleasant and even-tempered. But then I thought you’re always so busy. Little did I know how busy!!)
ah…….you are too kind Claire….let’s see how even my temper is after a few months of sleepless nights….. !
Huge congrats to you both, Panthersan, from (yet) another dragon.
Many congratulations.
I was a month early too and look how I turned out !
So no need to worry.
Congratulations from here too, my little son (well he’s 10 now so not so little) was a month early too. Hope all goes well for you all x
Panther, is this one your first?
Yeah, you would have made a great guru. Would have gotten some thrashers and tasteless stuff on the A-list too
Another coincidence, on Sunday I was thinking about you, not in this context, I had no idea it was in the offing, but the wife of a jazz loving friend who died recently came across a 5 CD set of Ken Burns ‘History of Jazz’, she came by to ask if I would like it! I jumped at it and spent the rest of the day listening to the entire 94 cut collection. And how do you fit into all this? as I listened I kept thinking ‘Panther with his growing interest in Jazz needs to hear this lot’, Now is not the time for this discussion but we can return to it. Congrats on fatherhood and all it’s implications and welcome to the world young panther cub.
Panthersan and family, congratulations and well done all of you. Our daughter, Nicola, was born 1 month early and weighed just over 4 and a half pounds. She has just, (August 17th.), celebrated her 40th. birthday…………
Enjoy, my friend, and look forward to many happy times together.
Congratulations!
Congratulations Panther and family. The big bugger you saw in the Japanese video didn’t want to be born. He was 3 weeks late and had to be induced. The chaps in work asked me every day and I had to shake my head. They told me later they’d begun to think I was lying.
18 years? No chance. It’s for life mate. For ever. He was here today. Daughter yesterday. Even now me Mam’s there for me.
So happy for you. Now is the best time of all.
Congratulations ! It’ll be great to have the little one home, all good wishes.
Congratulations! I was I think more apprehensive than you.
A few days before a woman at work said “You must be really excited!” I told her in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t excited, just terrified. She tried to reassure me that this would change when we got the “bundle of joy” and realised that he was completely dependent on us. At which point I stopped her and pointed out that this wasn’t helping at all, and was in fact exactly what I was scared about.
The funny thing is she was right. 99% of the exprience has been a pleasure, and the other 1% hasn’t been too difficult.
Congratulations Panthersan from the Fintans. Don’t worry too much about the sleepless nights it all evens out in the teenage years……….. Wait a minute. I don’t think that happened. Can’t seem to remember it’s……… oooh what was I saying? Oh , yeah. Congratulations & our best wishes.
thanks for your kind and reassuring words everyone…..I think I might just be able to pull it off…
@Bish
he’s more of a mole I think…
names, names, names…..being a month early, we hadn’t quite decided on one yet and we are probably, perhaps, I mean it’s quite possible that we are the most indecisive couple in the world, but thinking about it, we might not be……but then again, I think we are……ah….maybe we aren’t after all…..can’t keep calling him “the baby” forever though!
Congratulations Panthersan ! ! !
It must be a wonderful feeling for you and Mrs Panther ! ! !
I am really happy for you both ! ! !
Congratulations all round, a month early? There’s one that’s planning to keep you on your toes . . . not that they don’t all, my three were late but I’m still playing catch up mostly.
Cue jolly music, with whistling and everything.
Many congratulations. Having a “cub” around the house is just the best. So much joy … Well, joy until they start saying, “Dad, this song’s a bit rubbish”.
Hey Panther – congrats from us here too.
Been offline for a week (orders from the boss) so sorry for the lateness.
Being Papa is great – you pick the records.
Sleepless nights are just like being excited after a gig – you/he can’t settle – sling him over your shoulder cuddled in – put on some headphones and get into a good listening position – it could be a while. You will learn an optimum sound level so-as to hear his murmurs of sleep – then being able to put him down and get to bed yourself – for this you need a lovely pair of cans that have a 15ft lead … I have – they worked wonders for my pacing up and down settling my two lads.
I also started RR when my 7 year old was a few months old – little boy curls into shoulder sleeping nicely .. my Ms. got an hours undisturbed rest in bed – ON HER OWN – I read about music and chatted with the great people here – boy slept – Ms. rested slightly – everyone was a winner.
First boy looked like a strange sea monster.
Second was a Buster Bloodvessel bouncer.
Both looked like Aliens in the scans.
You have fun mate – well chuffed for you all.
Congratulations Panther – now you have a good excuse to watch Rastamouse!
thanks again all, he is safely back home now and crying away merrily! We’ve called him Nichika (日夏) – ‘nichi’ means “sun” or “day” and ‘ka’ means “summer”.
@Shane – that sounds like good advice. I’ve already given him his first record, (this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soothing_Sounds_for_Baby) – he seems to like it!
日夏 – a sun summer son – how ace.
glad he’s liking the Soothing Sounds for Baby record.
I will be nominating this later over on RR – but I should post it (for all three of you) here first:
Courage, Tiger!
“Nichika”, eh?
Sounds good, Panthersan.
Once again my congratulations to the three of you.
Many congratulations from me too; late as usual. Big hugs to you all!