Daniel, these three girls have been desperate to meet you and were delighted to do this in your second week of life. Rebekah (9yrs) in the middle, Anna (8yrs) on the right and Evie (5yrs) on the left. They are special friends and are likely to be great babysitters for you in the future!

Daniel, I've put these photo's on your blog, so that you don't think that your Mummy is the oldest! Your Daddy had his 40th 9 months ago! He had a wonderful day with around 70 precious friends and family coming to an all day party. Your Grandma Hardy had made a fabulous cake and amazingly we didn't have a fire with all the candles!

Daniel, this is your Mummy on her surprise 40th birthday party, organised by Daddy and Cool Fun Aunt Julia, in February, as your due date was a little too close to Mummy's real birthday for comfort! Sue made this fabulous cake which had Diet Coca Cola as a main ingredient, which your Mummy used to be a bit partial to, but gave up for you! Mummy had her real 40th this week, you're 4th week of life. There are no photo's (!) but she had a wonderful day, so thankful for your Daddy and you in her life. We all went to Bakewell for the day and had lunch at the Bakewell Pudding Shop with Grandma and Grandad Hardy. You were an angel! We then went and sat by the river in Bakewell and Mummy was a little scared at being stared at by the geese and swans!! You'll have to grow big and strong very quickly so that you can protect your Mummy from these beasts!

Daniel, this is a photo of you at 3 weeks old at Wortley Hall in South Yorkshire. The other two photos are taken in August 2009 when your Mummy and Daddy had recently discovered that you were on the way! The only symptoms Mummy was feeling on this day were a little nauseous, very tired and needing to pee behind lots of bushes - frequently! We hope that in the not too distant future, we'll be back here, at this tree, taking a photo of you in the hollow and you never know, it may not be too long after that that you are also needing to use the bushes!!

Daniel, whilst your Mummy was pregnant with you, we had one of the coldest winters for a few years. The weathermen got very excited about their statistics day after day! We did have a month of snow just after Christmas and it was very cold and icy for seemingly weeks. As a consequence, spring has arrived very late and although this is now March, the daffodils still haven't arrived!

3 weeks old and Mummy and Daddy are particularly delighted that you were born as spring was unfolding Daniel. We took you to the Botanical Gardens here in Sheffield on a marvellously sunny day. We treated ourselves to our first ice cream of 2010, so sorry that you were asleep and didn't get one Daniel!

You screamed at your very first bath, but you're quite getting used to the bathroom sink!

Life can be somewhat boring at times!

You're so tiny and cute! We love you SO much Daniel! Thank you Lord :-)

Mummy and Daddy registered your birth Daniel at Sheffield Town Hall on Tuesday 9th March 2010. You screamed throughout the process, but the lady seemed quite used to this!

Welcome too Daniel from extremley special and very close friends, Dave and Sue xx

Welcome to our world Daniel, lots of love, Grandma and Grandad Hardy xx

This photo prooves just how deliciously gorgeous you are Daniel! Lots of love, Mummy and Daddy and Daisy XXx

Its now Tuesday 2nd March 2010 (Day 3) and Mummy and Daddy are braving taking Daniel out for a little walk onto the Bole Hills and then into the Crookes High Street. It was a cold but bright day and we all felt better for the fresh air :-)

Daniel, you had so many admirers come to visit you in the first weeks of your life. Mark and I feel very privileged to have so many wonderful friends. Its difficult to list them all here, so I won't, but here is a picture of Auntie Amelia giving you a lovely cuddle, watched on by a slightly concerned Daisy!

This is Elaine, our midwife. We have so much to thank her for. In the end, sadly, she didn't actually deliver Daniel. Michael, the obstetrician delivered him alongside Mary, the midwife who took over from Elaine as she'd worked too long. Elaine was a huge support in pregnancy and even more a support post natally. Thank you Elaine :-)
This is Daniel's first weighing session at home in the pelican fashion! He only lost 4oz in the first few days, going down to 6lb8oz.

An amazed new Mummy, back at home with her little precious boy. After all the thousands of babies I've looked after in the last 22yrs of nursing, I get to bring this one home to keep :-) He's so scrummy and beautiful. He is the image of his Daddy but has already got more hair than his Daddy! Thank you SO much Lord for this bundle of miraculous joy for us both.

One hugely proud Daddy! Giving Daniel a hug after two very nice and efficient support workers whirled into the delivery room and gave both Rachel and Daniel a sprucing up and dressed! This is approximately 4.30am and mummy and daddy have been awake for a very long time!

Daniel Harry Hardy, born 0255hrs, Saturday 27th February 2010 weighing 6lb 12oz after an induced labour technically lasting 39hrs including 4hrs of pushing! In the end, the very wonderful doctor helped him out via a ventouse delivery (suction), hence a little mishapen head! Daniel was born on the same day as Mark's paternal Grandad's birthday and his middle name of Harry is after Mark's maternal Grandad.

Ok folks, we're going to be reflecting over the last 4wks in this post and attempt to put on a few pickies so that you can have a taster as to what's happened in Daniel's little life so far....

I'm sure Daniel will much prefer this calmer photo which was taken before the more animated one! This '1st' bath at home was conducted on Day 5 of his life after the midwife suggested it might be a good idea!!

Ok! Think I'm getting the hang of this!!

So, I figure Daniel is not going to appreciate me putting this photo up as a practice run!! But I think its really rather cute! I'm going to try and do another couple so that I get the hang of how to do this blog efficiently, so apologies if you get a little bored!

Still practising!

I'm trying to use the blog!

Today is Wednesday 24th March 2010. It is 1 day before my 40th milestone! But more importantly than that, I can't quite believe everything that has happened in the last 4 weeks! Daniel has entered our lives and Mark and I are so thrilled and feel overwhelmingly blessed. Hopefully, this blog will be able to keep family and friends up to date with a little of what will happen in Daniel's life.

This is a test to see if I can work the blog! Hoping to keep you all up to date with Daniel on here. :-)

Welcome back! and welcome to Daniel...

testing..