Not from us.

Poxy was still posting over the weekend so unless he is extremely dedicated and up there with technology, I doubt it.

Ours is due on Thursday...

The first one is normally last - two weeks of hot curries and going on the swings for Mrs Poxy coming up.

Mmmmm - I'm off to JK tonight - that reminded me!

I did mean late - and the last one was late but not the last, that'll be the one that's due in September ( or more likely October )

@Poxy - you around? or gone in already?

might be in ourselves tomorrow morning sometime...

Hooray!

A baby girl!

We got to the Whittington at 6am, baby arrived at 6.45am. Just got home.

Wahoo! Well done to you. Oh, and the mum I suppose.

I did get to my family first; unfortunately the Whittington doesn't have wifi.

The midwives were good and tried hard to get us home the same day.

I can sense a lot more early morning comments from me over the next few months...

Congratulations to Geoff and family.

No progress here. it would appear that Pixy (do you see what I've done there?) is a tad shy.

Arthur Alexander entered this world thirty minutes into yesterday. Eight days late but we shall love him all the more as a result.

Some of the more connected of you folk may find a photo on a certain flickr.com website.

Of course, I think he's beautiful. Mother is doing well also.

Cool name! Congratulations to you both! Sounds like Arthur could be a potential suitor for our Elsie when he's a bit older!

Yes, names have gone retro. We get them by looking up where we live on the census websites, and then calling them after people who used to live in our houses.

Our new one is called Esme Rose.

I think they are all better than dominic, if that is your real name.

@Poxy - how did you manage to get a photo up so quickly? Don't you have anything else to do?

If there has to be a trend, retro names aren't so bad. It's better than that craze for stupid things like Fifi Trixibelle, Peaches or Pixie.

Or God forbid, Heavenly Hirrani Tiger Lily.

I have similar feelings about Salinger - though i think franny and zooey is my favourite. This should probably be another thread.

@geoff - you're absolutely right.

Congratulations on the new arrivals!

Now that pubs are smoke free it is a more socially acceptable to take babies in.

I will bring mine along soon and we will play spot the cowering, cringing, uncomfortable Ian in the corner.

Couldn't agree less. The smoking ban doesn't even come into it. Adults should get to go to decent pubs and restaurants undisturbed at any time of day or night. Parents should relocate to the local Harvester and accept their lifestyle choice with dignity.

Southgate for the Harvester, Redbridge for a Beefeater.

Unfortunately further away than I had hoped reasonable. They'll just have to move out, it happens after a year or two anyway. Or here's a thought, get a babysitter and enjoy the local with the Adults.

Hear hear. I will bring mine and will stuff myself with sugar too - I am not much better than them nowadays.

You know, cycling home the other day I was lined up at a set of lights with three or four other cyclists and this mother started crossing the road in front of us, calling her kid who was in tow just behind. "Come on Rupert" she called then flashed all the cyclists this gushing God isn't he just so gorgeous type look. She seriously thought we were all looking at her child and not the traffic lights further afield. Lights turn green, little Rupert still making little baby steps across the road. Mother still looking at us gushing and proud.

Get your brat out the f*cking road, the lights are green you stupid mare.

Such an unfortunate trend in modern Britain, whatever happened to seen and not heard? If parents had a single ounce of awareness that not everyone loves their sugar fuelled mini-me's like they do I probably wouldn't mind them in pubs as they'd be controlled.

@ David - you free for babysitting tomorrow night?

@ andy - can we turn the site into a creche?

I'm starting to think David and I are related. Have you got any French blood in you? or family in Stoke on Trent? (it's a glamorous combo)

I'm from Stoke on Trent. And I started the no kids in the noble screaming bit of this conversation. We could well be related.

@Ian - do you like dogs? and arsenal (or port vale - if you say stoke city then we're fundamentally incompatible and I'm also scared of you)? and bicycles?

@ Dominic - apologies, obviously I meant Ronaldo fan, we know whats on your bedroom walls, although that spelling of Mancester United is a little worrying.

@ Colette - no, the family tree all comes from Docklands/Eastend/East of that, with a minor blip from Grimbsy. Dogs, Arsenal and bicycles are all up there with JK's stuffed parathas.

Anyone else bothered that JK Rowling is infinately more successful than Salinger?

I blame the parents. They give it to their kids and read it at the same time. Sick.

@ David - spoken without any hint of irony whatsoever. I can only summise that you really are as cumudgeonly as they say.

Personally I don't care for either Salinger or Rowling. However as a parent I would very much like my children to 1) be able to read and 2) grow up with a passion for books and literature, and I don't give a stuff how they get there.

As far as getting children and adults to pick up a book, I think you've got to hand it to JK Rowling.

There - spleen duly vented - ready now for the next round of defending myself for (goddamit) choosing to have kids.

btw - you thought about contributing to the phone-ins on Five Live of a morning??

Now I was much more of a Bod girl myself, especially the bit where the frog conductor has to choose which flavour milkshake.

Fab 70s kids programmes aside (and I know you're not serious in comparing it with Mr Benn) surely what you're talking about here is literature which appeals to both adults and kids. Like Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird or A Kestrel for a Knave. Pretty sure those books were reviewed alongside the 'adult' fiction in the day. I think it's great that there's overlap - even better if both parties enjoy it and - hell - it opens up a dialogue and channel for developing literary criticism between parents and teenagers.

Now - I need to go and read a bedtime story to my son, while you David, I'm sure, have got more pressing matters, which may or may not involve Arsenal paraphanalia...

Can't argue about the video gaming. Perhaps its my age and seeing friends around me change in attitude while I'm not, or why I have to witness this great channel opened up between parent and teenager.

@ david - everything´s dissected nowerdays (sp Colette?). It´s to take our mind off the torture.

@ katiejane - strawberry

@ dominic - uhuh

@tosscat - nowadays.