I know this has been Caitlin’s blog for the last week but I am a very proud aunt at the moment and making the most of it.
I’m not supposed to be posting any photos of my brother on this site. Under no circumstances! But how could I resist when their wee family is soooo incredibly cute! I might get a donkey nip on the arm for this but its worth it. This is the very last post on Caitlin for a while. She was such a supermodel (between feeds!). I’ll give her a chance to grow now. But I just love these family shots. Aisling is such a natural mother and Caitlin is thriving. I’ll leave the rest for their walls and storybook but here are a few of my favs. Hope you love them too.

This morning I had another photo opportunity with Caitlin who is now five days old. She wasn’t too keen on getting her picture taken (a bit like her Dad on his wedding day!)
She is as bright as a button and just refused to close her eyes for at least two hours. Too busy to sleep! She likes lying on her back, not on her belly and I think this is because she can see better around her. She was very contented to just sit back and take in her new world. I wasn’t complaining though as it meant I could stay for longer and enjoy all the little things I love about her including the gorgeous dark mop of hair, perfect skin, pudgy lips, oh and she even had a few smiles for me.

I might have to go back soon and take some more!

I wasn’t even really awake when the call came from Michael that she had arrived. It was the best wake-up call I’ve ever had. (Well maybe apart from my fourth Christmas Day when I awoke to the news that Santa had left a monkey and a treehouse in the living room under the tree, that was a good one also) But when I heard this I could hardly wait until visiting hours to go and see her.

Caitlin, Mary Toman was born at 00.32am, weighing 7lb 10oz and every bit of her squishy, gorgeousness. Thankfully everything went really well for Aisling and Michael, not that it was easy, giving birth is never easy but they got to stay in the very quiet and comfortable mid-wifery led unit in their own room with a bath and toilet. Not the parking lot experience down in the maternity bays that I experienced! Your in for a section, you haven’t slept in three nights, you just get the little one settled and finally, finally you get your eyes closed and of course an orderly starts hoovering under your bed…

I don’t mind not being the one having the babies in the family at the moment and yet I still get to be a part of it as Auntie Paula! Even so, when I held her in my arms I could actually hear my body clock ticking. Little voices in my head saying ‘Well, maybe three would be better than two.” “If your going to have another, you’d need to do it soon.” “Seanan and Niamh would love it.” Those crazy voices. As soon as I gave her back to Aisling it was okay and two kids was good again.

Also Niamh is no longer the youngest in the family. This isn’t a bad thing as I think she likes to play on all the attention too much!
Seanan, being a man of few words, thinks his new cousin is ‘a pink colour and very beautiful’. He also wanted to know if she would like to “come round and watch his new ‘Thomas DVD’”.

This is not Caitlin’s official photoshoot, just a few quick snaps but there is something very special about the first hours of life. The newness, wet and unfurling like a chick just hatched. And all of us just watching and loving this little miracle of life in our ever-growing family.

I have created a new folder in my blog pics for Caitlin. I can see these being the first of many photos to come!

I love this little picture her daddy took. She is so cute in the little hat…

Postnote: If my husband is reading this – don’t worry two’s good!