petite anglaise

Jack

14.11.2009 10:13 pmmisc

Jack was finally born at 41 weeks and 4 days on Monday 2 November, on the night of the full moon.

His birth was spookily similar to Tadpole’s. I found myself in the same salle d’accouchement at the Maternité des Lilas where my daughter had been born six year earlier and, like his big sister, Jack wasn’t all that keen on coming out. As a result, my hoped-for natural birth was soon forgotten as I had to be hooked up to various drips, given an epidural and strapped to a monitor. Finally, at 7.03 pm, just as the midwife was paging the obstetrician and threatening me with forceps, I saw a head of dark hair emerging and the marathon was finally over (contractions had begun a full 24 hours earlier). I sobbed with relief afterwards and swore I would NEVER go through it all again.

Eleven days later we are all well, blissfully happy and revelling in The Boy’s paternity leave. Jack would happily eat all day long, but he compensates by sleeping 4 or 5 hours in a row, twice a night. He pulls the most ridiculous faces when he’s trying to poo. The softest place in the whole world is the portion of his neck just below his little ears.

I’m besotted with him, in short. We all are.

Tadpole wasn’t able to visit us at the hospital (H1N1 has a lot to answer for), but instantly fell in love with her little brother when I brought him home. ‘Mummy,’ she said to me after her first cuddle with baby brother, ‘felicitations for making such a perfect baby.’

111 comments »

  1. Really HAPPY FOR YOU!!!
    Baby is absolutely gorgeous, wishing all of you every happiness together.
    Tadpole is the perfect big sister! :)

    happyforyou | 10:23 pm

  2. How delicious is Jack?! He’s delightful.
    Congratulations to you and The Boy and Tadpole, and welcome to the world, Jack.
    I am delurking after years – just happened to check in to see if there was any news – but very glad I did.
    Catherine, you and Heather over at Dooce have succeeded in making me very sentimental for those first, new-baby weeks. As you know, they are very special, and fleeting.
    I do hope that you are all settling in well together -best wishes to you all.

    Rosehippy | 10:23 pm

  3. He is absolutely gorgeous! I’m sad now though as i suspect this is probably the last time you will ever post! I wish you and your beautiful family good health and every form of happiness. Thank you for the years of pleasurable reading.

    Ellie | 10:32 pm

  4. Felicitations indeed. He’s beautiful. Congratulations!

    sprite | 10:47 pm

  5. Tadpole always seems to know exactly what to say. Ditto.

    The Bold Soul | 10:51 pm

  6. Congratulations! And thank you for taking time from your busy days to let us know.

    materfamilias | 10:53 pm

  7. Congratulations to all of you – and welcome to the world, Jack! He’s lovely!

    pinklea | 11:22 pm

  8. felicitations for your perfect baby indeed!!! twinkle twinkle happiness…

    beyond | 11:28 pm

  9. He is so lovely! Now I want a new baby to snuggle…

    http://designermama-manaallamano.blogspot.com/ | 12:03 am

  10. Congrats, Petite.

    Brennig | 12:29 am

  11. Félicitations ! I can’t say it any better than Tadpole.

    I just showed my 2-year-old the pictures of Jack, and he’s saying “See Jack again.”

    might i add...? | 12:32 am

  12. un magnifique petit garçon, bravo !
    et la ressemblance qu’on peut deviner entre Tadpole et vous est ahurissante… :)

    Dodinette | 12:43 am

  13. Fantastic news congratulations. Please please please keep blogging!

    Jus | 1:04 am

  14. Congratulations – he’s beautiful!

    Di | 1:38 am

  15. What a beautiful baby. He has such a wonderful expressive face. Congratulations xx

    Karin | 1:56 am

  16. welcome Jack!

    pixie | 2:09 am

  17. Just fabulous. Happy for you all. Jack is beautiful.

    One Mom's Opinion | 2:40 am

  18. Completely gorgeous! Congratulations, and I am so happy for you and your family. He’s so handsome too, and to my eyes, looks so French is a really cool heartbreaker kinda way.

    Coastal Aussie | 2:51 am

  19. Opps, sorry, I forgot to say that I really dig Tadpoles specs – very snazzy. And it’s wonderful to know she’s thrilled with her new baby brother.

    Coastal Aussie | 2:53 am

  20. Felicitations on such a beautiful baby…and a loving big sister!

    Sleepless In KL | 4:05 am

  21. Congrats petite!!

    lily | 4:08 am

  22. Congratulations ! Very happy for you.

    Michel | 7:26 am

  23. Congratulations! Wish I could leave a comment worthy of such a wonderful post, but have to get up to constantly chase after my 4yr odl and 18mth old who are trying to beat one another with golf clubs…

    Ness | 8:05 am

  24. Well done :) Hope you are being treated like a queen. You deserve it after that marathon.

    I love the blessing from “The Fifth Sacred Thing” (Starhawk’s spookily predictive novel)

    Dear Jack “May you never thirst, may you never hunger”, may all be well in your world.

    another outspoken female | 9:14 am

  25. Congratulations. How exciting for you all. Is he going to get a nickname in any future book…?

    L.C.T. | 10:59 am

  26. Warmest congratulations and well done! He looks beautiful and such gorgeous photographs of you all. Very best wishes to you and your family :)

    Sarah | 12:04 pm

  27. i know i said it already but awww, just showed my boy these pictures and told him i want one!! hes so beautiful.

    Mikki | 1:11 pm

  28. I am so happy for you Petite. Your time has come. Jack has arrived, Tadpole is absolutely delighted and the Boy has a son. A pigeon pair for you. It doesn’t get much better than that. Now is the time. THE END.

    Roberta | 1:51 pm

  29. Congratulations !! The baby is sooo cute :) ♥

    I wanted to tell you that actually, I’m in an english section in Lycée des Pontonniers in Strasbourg, and with my english teacher we studied a text from your blog to have a lesson on the british and the american accents. I found the article very interesting and so I decided to visit your blog :) . You are very famous, that’s cool !

    Nympheaceae | 1:55 pm

  30. Congratulations, and best wishes too!

    Wolfgang Lonien | 1:58 pm

  31. Congrats! (Measures against H1N1 might soon become more threatening than the real desease…!)

    Vonric | 3:38 pm

  32. Congratulations! He’s beautiful. Wishing you all much happiness and good health.
    PS Many thanks for your blog over the years.

    Jude | 3:56 pm

  33. Congratulations petite, well done!

    ontario frog | 3:59 pm

  34. Congratulations! The pic with big sis and her new little brother is too cute for words.

    Pumpkin | 4:27 pm

  35. As the brits often say “well done, you!”
    Well done.

    ang04 | 5:26 pm

  36. Congratulations! I am expecting my own Jack in 2 months’ time – hope he is as gorgeous as yours!

    Cath | 8:21 pm

  37. Congratulations…

    Wishing you all, a happy and healthy future…

    :-)

    Steve... | 8:53 pm

  38. Glad all went well. How lovely to have a new young life to hold and enjoy.

    andrew | 2:51 am

  39. Well done indeed! He is beautiful

    jo | 7:45 am

  40. Congratulations!! That is great news and he is a very beautiful little baby. I am so happy for all of you.

    Hazy | 12:06 pm

  41. My baby Jack was 20 on 2 November! Many congratulations to you all.

    Deirdre | 3:45 pm

  42. congratulations!! what a cutie patootie! love the sisterly love from tadpole, too… enjoy your familie time together… cheers!

    carol | 3:52 pm

  43. felicitations petite et famille! Such a cutie!!

    philadelphie | 4:43 pm

  44. Thanks so much for the lovely photos. He’s a doll! Congratulations to you all. Here’s to a long and happy life filled with light and love always. X

    Donna Deluso | 4:58 pm

  45. congratulations

    sp999

    sp999 | 5:00 pm

  46. Wonderful, he’s gorgeous!
    S.

    S | 5:03 pm

  47. Welcome, Jack. And congratulations and best wishes to all of you!

    alcessa | 5:06 pm

  48. Love that your tadpole said felicitations! Truly ADORABLE! ENJOY!

    Fifi Flowers | 7:15 pm

  49. Congratulations!

    I hope that we’ll still hear a little from you, Petite :-)

    Lily | 8:09 pm

  50. Fantastic.

    Congratulations.

    Jeremy Macdonald | 8:19 pm

  51. He looks like a little man. Cute!

    Sheila | 9:23 pm

  52. I’ve been following on Facebook, but checked in here to see if you had let everyone here know, and I’m glad you did.

    Since everyone has words of praise for Jack, I’d just like to say a word for his beautiful mother and the pictures of you on Facebook.

    So, eleven days later are you still sure you’ll never do it again :) We’ll see. Happiness to all of you.

    Steve G | 10:52 pm

  53. Awwwwwww, gorgeous!

    Mille felicitations. xxx

    Clare Sudbery | 12:22 am

  54. Thanks for really lovely post, well done to you all!

    Tiffany | 1:07 am

  55. Congrats!! I think he’s darling and can’t believe how much tadpole resembles you with her cute glasses!! Gorgeous family!

    Angela | 2:38 am

  56. Congratulations! He is so cute! A perfect baby as Tadpole says!

    Martine Rose | 2:59 am

  57. What a gorgeous little man! My son was born June 1st, and I already miss those first few weeks. Enjoy every second; they grow far too quickly.

    Congratulations to you all, and most sincere thanks for the years you gave carrying us along on your adventures, in a manner of speaking.

    D | 3:52 am

  58. Thank you for posting these lovely photos of your family. You holding Jack, M bathing him, Tadpole kissing him, and the little franglais himself showing so many expressions, it was all heart-warming.

    I certainly hope you might post some Jack audios one of these days.

    Goodness, Tadpole is getting big!

    Warmly, Pam

    PJ Carz | 5:09 am

  59. Congratulations, he really is beautiful. Lots of luck on your new journey, and thanks for popping back on the blog long enough for your readers to sneak a peek at the little guy.
    :)

    Anne | 7:27 am

  60. Really, just adorable!!! Very happy for you!! :-)

    xoxo

    http://www.chicsetera.com

    CHICSETERA PARIS | 4:56 pm

  61. See how loyal we all are? We’ve been checking in in hopes that Jack’s birth would bring you back again.

    What an adorable little bit of baby and of course you’re all besotted. Félicitations indeed.

    My 6 month-old grand-nephew will be coming to Paris with his moms on Tuesday to visit. Can I bring him over to play? I’d love to blog about it! ;-)

    Shelli | 5:32 pm

  62. Congratulations he’s just beautiful

    Kismet | 8:31 pm

  63. Best wishes to you all.
    Congrats!

    Mad William | 8:46 pm

  64. A better reason to come back to the blog I cannot think of. Congratulations to you all

    Chris of Arabia | 11:03 pm

  65. Well done. He is perfectly perfect. Thank you for sharing. :-)

    Sara | 11:42 pm

  66. Félicitations! Il est très mignon, vivement que j’aie le mien de bébé, eh eh! Je vous souhaite beaucoup de bonheur, de joie et tout le tralala!

    Sophie | 12:06 am

  67. Congratulations,

    He is beautiful. I hope that you will all be very happy and I wish you every love and luck for the future.

    Jx

    Jessiclees | 12:38 am

  68. congratulations! he’s adorable!

    Pattoo | 5:16 am

  69. Congratulations!! Such lovely news :)

    La Chat Noir | 6:19 am

  70. Félicitations indeed – although I can’t see the picture so I’m feeling hard done by :( It won’t show on my iPhone or my work PC so I’ll have to come back again and look from the OH’s Mac…. So pleased it’s all going well for you. Wondering if you’ll keep blogging…..

    Jen | 11:13 am

  71. Wonderful news. Nothing better than a happy, healthy momma and baby.

    BeanMa | 9:03 pm

  72. Congratulations!! Girls are wonderful and a friend for ever, but boys are SO loving! Enjoy your wonderful family!

    Helen | 12:54 am

  73. Congratulations !!!! :-)

    Eric Dolce | 6:45 am

  74. Hi Catherine,

    Am so glad i checked the site today to receive this wonderful news! Jack is so cute and am so happy for you…

    My best wishes

    girl across the ocean | 1:21 pm

  75. *beaming*

    I am SO over-the-moon for you! Many congratulations. Welcome, Jack! Some words from the great Kurt Vonnegut to you, “There’s only one rule that I know of, babies—God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.” (cited here: 15 Things KV Said Better Than Anyone)

    I am an 11th hour reader of the blog (as in, I started reading after you decided to stop posting, *snort*), but one who lurked almost all the back posts, ran out to contribute to your children’s university fund with the purchase of the memoir, and have enjoyed reading it all very thoroughly. :)

    I also just live down the hill from Belleville and because of the blog & book have been out to enjoy the ‘hood a lot more. Yesterday, a new friend of mine and I went out to check out the Parc de Belleville for the first time (I have lived here almost a year and a half and did not know it was there, lol, but discovered it because you wrote about it) and we were duly impressed with the view. You have helped me adjust to living here, helped me to get out and about to see and do some things as you have written about them; in short, you have helped me have a life, and this is a tremendous thing for one human being to give to another. So thanks. I think Jack has a great mom, a great sister, and I am sure a wonderful father, but I did not read the parts about him so much yet, lol. I will get there. I am sure if he is with you, making this beautiful family, he is the cat’s meow. :D

    Live long and prosper!

    Karin (an alien parisienne) | 2:38 pm

  76. I said it on Twitter and I will keep saying it: I’m so happy for you! Congratulations!!! Wishing all of you all the best… :)

    *Martha* | 11:44 am

  77. Congratulations – what wonderful news! It was fun seeing your blog show up on my reader again today!

    Alissa | 5:42 am

  78. Congratulations to you all!

    Jim | 11:14 pm

  79. Oh, Tadpole is such a darling!:)

    Congrats Petite! Well done!:)

    And thanks for sharing:)

    Duchesse | 11:34 pm

  80. Very cute! Congratulations to both the happy mother and father!

    Neepser | 8:49 pm

  81. Congratulations!!

    Dina | 2:22 am

  82. Many congratulations. Well done all

    Jester | 11:20 am

  83. Congratulations Petite! He’s adorable!

    Helen | 6:11 pm

  84. Congratulations to you all.

    Googlebear | 6:56 pm

  85. Welcome to the world, Jack!! Congratulations Petite, Boy and Tadpole! Have read and loved both your books but what an exciting new chapter of your lives you all have before you. So glad I checked in at your blog – pictures are so sweet – thank you!

    Jeanne

    Jeanne | 2:36 am

  86. Felicitations on your beautiful baby boy! It feels very bizarre reading your blog and writing a comment!!
    I am a French teacher and my pupils bought me Petite Anglaise as a present for taking them on a school trip to Paris. Your book has now been passed around our whole department and we’ve all loved it. It brought back so many memories of our ‘year abroad’ from uni and we’ve been reminiscing in the MFL office at every opportunity. I’m going to order French Kissing as a Christmas present for my colleagues (and myself of course!) Merci Petite, after reading your book I feel like I’ve also fallen back in love with France! Best of luck for the future!

    Laura | 11:59 pm

  87. Hip Hip Hooray (x3) for the whole family! And especially for you Petite – I can’t say it any better than Tadpole!

    N | 10:12 am

  88. Felicitations indeed. He’s GORGEOUS!

    teeweewonders | 1:50 am

  89. Je suis venue aujourd’hui pour voir s’il y avait des nouvelles de ce bébé et “bingo”, tout est là ! Wow. Félicitations. Beaucoup de blogs ferment en ce moment, c’est la tendance au recentrage sur la vie personnelle… Et c’est tant mieux pour vous ! Bonne vie à vous tous.

    Lor | 6:17 pm

  90. Incredibly adorable. Congratulations!!!

    They grow far too quickly and bring so much joy to our lives, but I’m SO DONE having babies..

    Amanda | 12:12 am

  91. Congratulations! He is beautiful and you have a lovely family. All the best of health and happiness!

    Terry Kaufman | 9:18 pm

  92. I love his name. Is it Jack or Jacques? or both. You look beautiful and I hope your husband is full of love and admiration for you and his son.

    GutsyWriter | 6:33 am

  93. So sweet! Such joy and happiness is catching. You have ’spread the love’ to us all. Thanks for your blog and books, I have really enjoyed them.

    lindsey violet | 12:39 pm

  94. congratulations, bet tadpole is so pleased with having a litle brother. best wishes to all

    Dan

    Devinder | 5:34 pm

  95. Well done ! He is absolutely beautiful. I can almost smell that milky baby perfume :-)

    Sarah | 6:55 pm

  96. A bit late here, but all the best to you and The Boy. Jack looks like a lovely baby, and may he bring you many years of happiness, even when he’s a teenager… ;-)

    Dave Of The Lake | 5:53 pm

  97. Congratulations on your new arrival! Wish you well.
    A big fan of your writing, just finished your second book while the kids are on summer holidays.
    From down under.

    Eva | 6:58 am

  98. Perfectly lovely. :-) Congratulations! Best of wishes and a lifetime of happiness to your beautiful family.

    Laura | 5:47 pm

  99. Congratulations on baby Jack!
    And double congrats on the book! I just stayed up until 4am to read it all at once–I ordered it from the Book Depository ages ago and just now had a night to myself to read–I haven’t done that in years and years! It was a wonderful read, and I so look forward to seeing your name on many more covers in the years to come.
    Writing from sunny Florida to wish you and your family the best…
    Aly

    Aly | 4:39 am

  100. 4-5 hours, twice a day? That’s fantastic — long may it continue!

    Love your Turkey pictures by the way. Think we stayed in more or less the same Istanbul hotel at October half-term. What a city !

    Roads | 9:13 pm

  101. Congrats Petite!! Jack shares my birthday and what a wonderful day it is. I’m not certain it holds the same significance in Europe but in Mexico, Nov 2nd is celebrated as the Day of the Dead and in Canada, I grew up knowing my day as All Souls Day. Not macabre in the least, for me, but instead a day where life is celebrated and souls remembered. I wish Jack all the luck I have had as a scorpio. Not as fancy as Christmas or St. Patrick’s Day but special all the same.

    Jen | 3:37 am

  102. Well done darling xxx And babies first Christmas coming up as well.

    My new years resolution… to read your new book xxx

    missy | 11:25 pm

  103. That’s the cutest baby ever :) congratulations

    Angie | 6:30 pm

  104. What a gorgeous little man, congratulations.

    Part Mummy Part Me | 12:50 am

  105. Congrats, Petite. Happy 2010 to you and your lovely family.

    unbalanced reaction | 3:14 am

  106. We also have a son, Jack, who gives us a run for our money. BEST OF LUCK!!!

    kristen verity | 7:56 am

  107. ‘French Kissing’ was delivered yesterday to me (ordered from TheBookCommunity) and I could not let go of it, so I finished it today.

    I enjoyed it immensely, Thank you Catherine ..!

    Henri Bik | 8:25 pm

  108. Congratulations and well done. Take care of yourself and your family.

    Lionel Johnson | 9:27 am

  109. Congratulations on the addition to your family. I often read your blog, but never comment. Naughty I know.

    I am stupid! Why? After reading and enjoying your first book I ordered a copy of what I thought was your new book, “French Kisses”, and when I opened it and started reading without looking at the authors name I thought “This can’t be right” It was then I saw that is was by ‘George East’. Doh!

    Keith | 12:03 pm

  110. Hi Catherine
    We havn`t spoken since the Victoria Derbyshire show on Five Live but I really have to congratulate you on the birth of another angel. Chapters close, new ones open – your life really has turned full circle throughout the petite years, probably even better than you ever imagined, live the dream-you deserve it!

    David | 2:25 pm

  111. Lunch today at the Café Charbon was excellent, thanks to you! I sat next to your special table as I prefer the window; what a pleasure it was to eat there, added greatly by the delight I have had in reading your charming book.I got to page 150 and decided I’ll have to buy this for my daughter, also a francophile, and for many friends. I’m certain this would translate well into French, although I’m sure you must have considered this.
    How lucky I am to live in Paris in the 11e! No, I could never go back to live in the UK.
    I was delighted to learn of Jack and his safe arrival. My very best wishes to all four of you, plus of course, Mr Frog. Have a very happy life.

    Méricourt | 5:54 pm

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