Ciara Ann May - New arrival in the May Family!

Ciara Ann May
Born 28th September 2008
Weighing in @ 6lb 5oz

Well, what a past 72 hours we have had! The weekend got off to a great start as we set off down to Coventry to see Anoushka on her 30th Birthday. Nikki found the journey really relaxing and comfortable and even managed to get some sleep (she certainly wouldn't have slept if we had been at home, she would have been doing jobs and cleaning and things that expectant mothers do, anything but rest!)

We arrived shortly after 10am to be greeted by Ben and Anoushka and Anoushka's family. It was great to Anoushka on her 30th Birthday and have a good catch up with my best buddy. (In fact we made a promise that next year we will do the Coast to Coast on the bike). Equally good was catching up with Ben & Anoushka's family. Chris has three daughters and is in a great position to give me tips for the future, mainly just to do as I'm told because I'm out numbered!)

We left the Thurlow home around 2pm and got back to Tower 29 around 4ish. As we were un loading the car Ben and Sarah walked around so we cranked up the bbq and had some good food and a couple of drinks.

It must have been my cooking but that evening at around 8ish Nikki started with her contractions. They gradually got stronger and stronger to the point in which I rang my mum and dad to come over about 11pm. By about 3pm they had stopped altogether which was quite bizarre as myself and Nikki (primarily) had prepared ourselves for this happening straight away. By 9am that morning, Nikki was concerned that she hadn't felt the baby move for around 7 hours. Following over the phone consultation with the doctors they advised her to come to the hospital asap to get the baby checked out.

The staff at the Labour Unit at York District Hospital are amazing, they made us feel so comfortable and reassured that everything would be OK and following the quick tests, baby was doing well. Again, the sense of De ja vu was very surreal, the drive up to the hospital, parking the car, and if that wasn't enough Nikki was in same room that she gave birth to Nyah in!!!!!

Further examinations showed that Nikki was not dilated and that for the time being, the contractions had stopped so we headed back for home. Once again I cranked the bbq up for a speciality of bacon and eggs! At around 12pm on the Sunday, the contractions kick started again, this time more frequently and intense. They became that intense that I phoned the hospital and we headed back, again! Following examinations on arrival, Nikki was still not dilated. The contractions were that strong that they admitted her onto the ward with her own room and bath. Following 1 hour in a warm bath with really intense contractions, Nikki was examined again in which she had gone from no dilation to 6cm dilated! With Nyah, that 6cm took about 24hours!

In the final stages Nikki had gas and air and then a pain killing injection called meptin then at 5pm on that Sunday afternoon, Nikki gave birth to our little daughter, Ciarra Ann May weighing 6lb 5oz!

Seeing the women you love carry your baby for 9 months then giving birth is the most amazing experience. The helpless feeling of going through the labour not been able to do anything or take away the pain is hard but is totally rewarded by the beautiful little girl (s) that arrived.

Equally amazing was the fact that we were home by 9pm with the new arrival.

Well its 9pm now and little one has just started crying so father duties have been called into action for the night...................

Its the final Countdown!

Well what a week. I have started this new role as sales manager but at the same time I am still covering my old role as account manager. The work load this week has been on the limit and I have struggled with the "work life balance" but next week should bring an easier week. Oh I forgot, Nikki is due on Wed, maybe its just the start!

Nikki has been a real truper during this pregnancy. Things were pretty smooth with Nyah but the new addition has certainly made her presence known

(surely she cant be as active as Nyah!?)

Nikki is the type of person that what every she gets dealt with or what ever she sets her mind to she will always succeed and do well, (thats why I never win a bebate or argument with her!)

Over the last 27 months, Nikki has been pregnant for 18 months! WOW, thats a long time!

Despite the work load this week I have managed time to fit in 3 sessions in the gym and just as important really watch my diet (saying that I am having a can of Guiness while I write this!). I have been training on and off now for 12 years and really enjoy it but I never feel I have reached my Optimum, in fact far from it. Milestones in our life have meant prioritising on more important aspects. This is fine because I feel that I am getting closer to realizing my dreams of my home, family, financial and personal standards.

Its interesting, I am doing an IMP (Introduction to Management) course at work at the moment. As part of the coursework I have watched a video by Professor Randy Pausch. Randy is a renowned speaker and this pod cast is an excellent motivational piece of work that stresses the importance of "time management". He refers to the old moto, Failing to plan is planning to fail, and this is so true. Being successful dosent make you manage your time well, managing your time well makes you successful. Whats more amazing and unique about Randys position is that he has terminal cancer with only months to live so you can see importance of Time Management.

The very nature of my work invloves concious time management, but this is more impotant in my personal life. Not just for what I plan to do with my wife and daughter (s) when I finish work on an evening, but what I want to achieve with them that weekend, that month, that year all invloves time management. This is further extended to milestones in life such as planning for retirement, childrens education, birthdays, weddings and holidays to name a few.

Plan each day, week, month, quarter and year. You can change your plan, but only if you have one!

http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/

Since our honeymoon, myself and Nikki have not been abroad so a big part of my plan for next year is to book two holidays. I would like to get the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander in Northern Spain then travel through Roija to Barcelona then up to the north east coast of Spain. A friend of ours Kat did the similiar with her son and they stayed at Euro Camp. This is really affordable accomodation and at the same time puts you in great locations next to some of the greatest cities in the world.

Its now Friday night and Nikki is due next Wednesday. Its Nyahs Godmothers 30th Birthday tommorrow (27th September). They live down in Coventry and we were both really eager to see Noushy on her special birthday (and so is Nyah) so we have the plan of setting off at 07:30am on saturday morning and staying for a couple hours then driving back. It will be great to see them, they love Nyah and are great with her. I am just keeping my fingers crossed I dont have to turn into a midwife on the M1 and deliver daughter number 2!!!

You see, im planning my time more effectively already...............

Scarborough - Olivers Mount - 58th Gold Cup 21st September 2008

The official last day of summer saw the 58th year of the Scarborough road racing event held at Olivers Mount. The only remaining real road racing circuit in England had their 58th International Gold Cup races, and what a way to end the season after such a bad start.

The start of May saw one of the great irish road racing talents Martin Finegan loose his life in a freak accident in which his bike engine ceased up and he was thrown from the bike at 150mph. I remember meeting Martin in the paddock in 2006, he was a true Irish family man with a real passion for road racing. "Finbar" as he was known had started riding for Yamaha and took the first 2 wins at Tandragee where he was tipped for success in 2008, especially at the IOM.

Gone but never forgotton.................................................................. RIP Boys

Further bad news followed at the North West 200. Practice on the Thursday night saw Robert Dunlop (brother to my hero and legend Joey) die as he suffered servere chest injuries after coming off his bike at Mathers Cross. Robert was the most successful rider around the triangle circuit in Northern Island with a total of 15 wins. Motrocycle racing was in Roberts blood. He had suffered life threatening injuries before but had work hard and returned to fitness to compete at the top flite again.

Robert, Joey, Finbar, DJ, Richard Britton, Darren Burns all had one thing in common, a Passion and love for road racing. That was their life. Yes they are gone, but we must be greatful for the pleasure they have given us. If we could all apply the same motivation, enthusiasm and passion for doing the things we love, we would all achieve alot more and become better people.

As mentioned at the start of this chapter, Scarborough hosted once again the Gold Cup races at Olivers Mount. All the big names had put in an appearance, Mc G, Martin, Locker, Archibald, and the Dunlop brothers to mention a few. Guy martin was on fire on the Sunday. If the Steve Henshaw race had of been any more than 12 laps then I think the old Kirmington lad would have had to come in and change his back tyre. In the 10 years I have been going to the mount I have never seen anyone pulling out the corners sliding the back wheel then struggling to keep the front wheel down as he accelerated away, he truly is awesome and I really feel for him not getting the success at the IOM this year. Mechanical problems cost him in nearly every race but one things is for sure, if he rides like this next year, he will be a tough man to beat!

I don't have any regrets really, I believe in that you make your own destiny and choices and you have to learn from them and move on. If I do have one regret though it not meeting or seeing Joey Dunlop ride. I watch his story over and over on DVD and I am never ceased to be amazed by how such an ordinary, down to earth, shy and humble Ballymoney man did those extraordinary things. What did make up for it on Sunday was seeing something very special which I hope will continue for many years to come and that was seeing the Dunlop brothers competing for their repsective positions on the final finish line. Seeing them race their hearts out and competing with the likes of Locker and Archibald made me think this is the start of a new generation of road racing, or at least a new generation for the Dunlop road racing family!