From what we can remember of our experience with Jed, Josh is an easier baby to take care of.  (We recall that Jed cried for no particular reason.  Josh cries because he wants to feed every hour or two, which can get quite painful (and sleepless) at night.)  It certainly doesn’t feel that way though, maybe because we’ve aged, and particularly because I came down with stomach flu on the third day.  Which makes this rather candid congratulatory message from a ex-colleague ring true :

Congratulations!

But let me be the first to offer my sympathies too, for managing a kid is tough (let alone 2), so much so that you will probably wish you are at work more often!

Having said that, the joys of parenthood are immeasurable and I won’t change a thing even if I could turn back time.

Baby Josh finally decided to pop on 14 January.  I’ll probably go into the trauma of the entire labour process in another post, but for now here are some pictures of the newborn (and of Jed).

Deja-Vu

By the grace of God. Joyce and I had a peaceful transition from Christmas to the new year.  Josh did not pop.  Today is the fifth day into 2008, and Josh is still snug in mummy’s tummy, at least as at 1800 hours.

The delay (in the sense that Josh could have been born anytime after Christmas) is good, because it has allowed me to complete several major work assignments before I go on my planned two weeks of "paternity" leave.  What is not so good is that I find myself worrying everyday that if I don’t finish tomorrow’s work today, and Joyce goes into labour tonight, I’d have to leave my poor (only other) colleague to handle it.  He will then be swamped.

Like now.  I’m reviewing a document which I could be reviewing on Monday, because Joyce could go into labour now, tonight, or Sunday.  Sigh.

I’ve been trying to take it a bit easier at work though.  I don’t get up at 4 or 5 am anymore to get work or reading done.  Or maybe I’m just getting old.  The truth is that I can’t get up at 4 or 5 am anymore.  Not since my US working trip at least.

Back at home, we’ve made some arrangements to minimise any trauma that Jed might feel when the new baby arrives.  Grandma now sleeps with Jed in his room - so that Jed can run to her instead of us when we’re busy with Josh - while Joyce and I have (finally, after 2 years) moved back to our room. 

Our room is also where Josh will sleep at least for the first couple of months.  It feels different, sleeping without Jed.  It also means that I spend a lot less time with Jed than before (nevermind that quite a bit of that time was just spent sleeping).  I guess this is a foretaste of what the empty nest syndrome feels like, when kids become independent and spend a lot less time at home or worse, move out of home entirely because of studies, work or marriage. 

I imagine it must be a lot more difficult for widows or widowers without kids or who live alone.

I’ve been mulling over a query that was sent to me about half a month ago - one of those annoying ones which has a legal answer but which I know the client would be incapable of carrying out.  Finally figured out how to tell client to give up, in a somewhat diplomatic way.

"Personally, I am not sure if there are significant advantages to be gained from … creating a trust.  In my opinion, it is not a very intuitive model [ to adopt ], and is better suited to more sophisticated organisations …".

I’m not sure if they caught the sarcasm.  Nonetheless it makes me happy to think that I had been a little rude.