Joshua Arrives!!! - Monday 11 May 2009

It all started on Friday night when Helena and Christina turned up at "Wallaby Creek" (our pet name for our house) and Helena brought a Will Ferrell movie ("Semi-Pro"). Fi and Helena laughed until they cried - check out the scene where Ferrell's character wrestles a bear ... words cannot describe - and it was almost inevitable (although nevertheless a little surprising) that early the next morning Fi's waters broke. Helena didn't believe Fi when she visited her at 6am on Saturday morning to let her know that Prayer Square would need to be cancelled that morning because she and Lionel were off to hospital for a check up. Neither did Annie. Or Sarah, the remaining members of the Prayer Square. But it was true...

Unfortunately labour didn't start on its own and Fi and Li were back at hospital on Sunday so that Fi could be induced. After a VERY long time and a bit of help from a pair of tongs (forceps) but fortunately not the threatened C-section, little Joshua Stephen John Newcombe fiiiiinally made his appearance just before midday on Monday 11 May 2009. Fi cried a bit. She was so glad he arrived safe and sound.

Li and Fi chose Joshua because they like the character of Joshua in the Bible. They hope Joshua Newcombe will be like the Joshua of the Bible who wanted to obey the Lord after God's people (the Israelites) had left Egypt even when none of the other Israelites were willing to obey. Later in his life Joshua led the Israelites and at the end of that life, he said something which Li and Fi believe. He said to the Israelites, "...[C]hoose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...[A]s for me and my household, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15)."

Stephen is another character from the Bible which Li and Fi like because he also trusted in the Lord even when his life was threatened. He is described as a man "full of Gods grace and power." How awesome is that?! And Stephen was killed because he wouldn't stop telling people about Jesus of Nazareth and calling people to repent of their sins. You can read about Stephen in Acts, chapter 6 starting from verse 6 right through to the end of chapter 7. Also, Stephen is a family name for Fi (a nod to her Dad and brother, Brad).

And John is a family name for Li (a nod to his Dad and also Li's middle name). Lots of names!!!

Li's friends Rene and Joel think we should have tried harder to get Joshua's initials to be J. K. L. M. Newcombe. Maybe next time :)

When he was born, Joshua weighed 7lb 6oz. Fi was very pleased with that weight. It made all those weeks of rigorous blood sugar testing all worthwhile. Li and Fi managed to get about an hour bonding with Joshua before he was taken away to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for some extra care and attention. Joshua was having trouble stabilising his blood sugars and was expending so much energy trying to sort out his blood sugars that he was also having trouble stabilising his temperature and there was a little concern about infection because Fi's waters had been broken for just over 48 hours when Joshua finally arrived.

Li took Joshua to get checked into the NICU because Fi was still in "epidural mode" and couldn't walk around yet. Fi was sad to say goodbye to Joshua so soon but she tried to get a little bit of rest. Late on Monday once Fi was up and about (very slowly and carefully) she was transferred from the Labour Ward on the third floor down to the Antenatal Ward on the first floor and was then able to walk around (with Li's help) to see their little boy and have a bit of a cuddle. Fi was very relieved to see Joshua after a few hours apart!!!