For a long time though Julie was pregnant, life continued just as it was. That’s the odd thing about being pregnant, at least for me. Everything is different, only it hasn’t happened yet. We kept doing what we could do. While we knew it would change, it hadn’t.
Well, now it has. Yesterday at 7.50 am, after a speedy 45 mins of hard labour, Rachel Tiia was born into our family. Rachel because we think it a beautiful name. Tiia is a Finnish name, and we have good friends from Finland, good memories of Finnish people, and know a good woman called Tiia.
Our other two, Pieta and Elijah seem pretty pleased about it all. As are we. Delighted and grateful. But everything is now really different. I changed my first nappy of many years yesterday, we keep being disturbed by little cries and whimpers, there is baby stuff everywhere. It is very wonderful, and suddenly we are back to having a highly dependent little life in our hands.
Congrats mate – I can only imagine what it would be like going back there again!
By: Hamo on May 9, 2009
at 3:40 pm
congratulations and best wishes to the five of you!
By: Sojourner on May 10, 2009
at 4:03 am
Welcome Rachel!
By: hannah on May 10, 2009
at 5:27 am
Big congrats to you folk!
Hope all, esp Julie and Rachel are well.
Love and peace,
Kezza
By: kezza on May 10, 2009
at 1:31 pm
congrats on the bub phil! had no idea, was just thinking about you today and came on to leave you a message.. would love to talk to you once all the excitement etc has settled in.
By: zaac on May 10, 2009
at 4:00 pm
You’re in trouble now, you’re out-numbered!
Enjoy again the miracle of a new life.
By: Marcus on May 10, 2009
at 4:45 pm
Congratulations… we are feeling your sleep deprivation… our little one will be 3 weeks on Monday.
By: reneegrace on May 10, 2009
at 9:57 pm
Contratulations! Well done Phil, well done Julie, well done kids. Can’t wait to catch up with you five!
Guennadi M
By: potatograss on May 11, 2009
at 6:46 pm
Congratulations Phil, she looks beautiful.
By: Sarah on May 13, 2009
at 12:31 pm
Warmest congratulations. That’s wonderful news, and a lovely photo.
Incidentally, two days ago I was in rural Faryab and saw the Phil Sparrow memorial doorframe — all expats above four feet in height now receive repeated warnings about its potentially lethal qualities.
By: Joel Hafvenstein on May 13, 2009
at 10:37 pm
thanks everyone. Joel, I am thinking to stay a Phil Sparrow Doorways tour of Afghanistan. It will feature all the locations I have cracked my skull.
By: Phil on May 14, 2009
at 5:33 am
Ahahahaha. I’d sign up.
By: transitionland on May 18, 2009
at 7:33 am
Congratulations guys on the new addition to your family. It’s a lovely photo
I hope we can catch up again.
By: James on May 23, 2009
at 6:56 pm
Sorry about my tardiness but my own internet time has been greatly restricted in the last month. The birth of your daughter is truley wonderful news.
By: Geoff on May 29, 2009
at 5:36 pm