I was so excited to hear that the Duchess of Cambridge had gone into labour yesterday.
I eagerly kept flicking over to the news channel to see if there were any updates and when the official announcement was made, I had gone out to walk the dog!
I was so happy to know that the new royal baby, a Prince, had arrived safely into the world! How exciting for his parents. I must admit, I thought it would be a girl and was surprised when they said it was a boy!
I have just watched the new parents emerge from the hospital doors with their precious baby in his mother's arms and then being passed to the new father...What a momentous occasion to see a future King holding another future King in his arms! I felt quite overwhelmed and emotional seeing them all stood together and Kate looked so well having only given birth 26 hours ago.
They both said how they were feeling about his arrival..in their words, emotional. And it is the same for any new parents. I am sure there has been many tears of happiness and joy!
Now we have to wait for the name...I'm thinking James or George. If he is going to be a king one day he will need to have a 'kingly' name! Or perhaps his parents will go with something less traditional!
It is amazing how much excitement the new royal baby has brought around the country and indeed the world. There were so many television reporters outside the hospital, I think you would need to be locked away somewhere to not have heard the news!
But any new baby brings with it's arrival excitement, happiness and joy not only to the parents but to the rest of the family and friends too.
Our good friends Amber and Martin recently had their first child, a daughter, Violet,
and I was so excited to go and see her on Saturday.
Here I am having cuddles with her. She is absolutely adorable!
There is something so special about holding a new born baby, Their skin is so soft and downy and they make cute little noises and pull funny faces too!
She also opened her eyes a few times and stared intently at our faces, such beautiful deep blue eyes.
And she is so tiny but so perfect! I just find the whole pregnancy and birth thing a miracle.
I am a big fan of the programme 'One Born Every Minute' which films women during labour and as they give birth.
I often have a few tears as they hold their baby for the very first time. I think it is the only thing that keeps you going during labour knowing that you are going to get this wonderful gift at the end of it!
And I know that when I had my girls, those first few hours after having them, I just held them and looked at them and smoothed their skin and hair and just felt in total awe of such a tiny being.
And then I would start to think of the journey ahead of me as a parent and sometimes felt quite overwhelmed at the responsibility of it all.
I remember bringing Sarah, my eldest daughter, home from the hospital and I sat her down in her little car seat on the living room floor and looked at her and thought...ok, now what?! My new baby did not come with an instruction manual and it really was a steep learning curve at times!
Life had changed, but for the better.
I think in those early days it is important to call on family and friends for help and support if you need it and just go with it, learning as you go! Take advice where you need to and rest when you can!
When I look at a new born baby, I often think, what has this baby got in store for it's life?
One of my favourite pieces of scripture is Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".
God only knows what these little babe in arms have in store for their lives. There is a reason why each one of us is born. There is a reason for everything that happens and I believe that God is in it.
As for the new Prince, his destiny is already planned, one day it is likely that he will become King.
I hope that the Duke and Duchess will give him some 'normality' in life if that is possible and that he will enjoy his childhood.
I think Princess Diana, the Duke's late mother, made a point of that in bringing up her two sons...Normality was what she wanted most for them and they did get to enjoy and share times together that were as normal as any other family would experience. What a great mother she was to her boys. It is just so sad she isn't here to see William become a father and I'm sure she would have been a really wonderful and fun grandma.
I hope that the media will allow Kate and William time to adjust to parenthood so that they can enjoy that special time of getting to know their new baby with out the glare of the media spotlight.
I am so happy for them both and I'm sure they will be wonderful parents. I am looking forward to seeing the little Prince as he grows up, from boy to man, to future King.
So, did you celebrate the Royal birth? What name do you think he will be given?
I'll just have to keep flicking to the news channel again to find out!
