Rachel, Owen and Kathryn

At the age of just 27 days Kathryn is already showing her likes and dislikes. Kathryn loves: milk sucking being pushed around Chorlton sucking doing superman impressions (with help from mum) sucking listening to violin & viola duets in the room below having her face washed And she's really good at sucking. Kathryn hates: baby massage getting naked having her right leg inserted into a babygrow not having anything to suck not having enough food (allegedly!!)

Kathryn Sarah is now An Official Person! At the age of 3 weeks we registered her birth at the imposing Stockport Town Hall.

Katy considers who might best succeed Gordon Brown, from the safe distance of a Chorlton coffee bar.

In her first 18 days Katy managed to meet: both sets of grandparents, uncles, aunts + cousins on both sides (even those based in Bavaria), and even a great uncle + aunt on Owen's side. We were very touched by her UK-based cousins, aged 5 + 7, who made a card 'To baby Kathryn, welcome to the family'.

Katy at 4 days old.

So here's how it all happened. If you don't need the gory details, skip down to the executive summary! Maybe it's because we've missed all the proms this season (Owen missed playing in 2 due to his broken wrist) that I staged a PROM of my own on Saturday evening: a Pre-labour Rupture of Membranes i.e. my waters broke, but as the symphony which usually follows such an overture was not forthcoming - I DIDN'T go into labour within 24 hours - the doctors decided to start an induction. The first, low-tech method achieved nothing more than giving me painful but ineffective contractions all night, and my hopes of a happy-hippy active water birth faded as a high-tech, highly managed birth became inevitable. The midwife brought down the baton on a syntocinon symphony at 15.30, hooking me up to two IV lines and continuous monitors, effectively confining me to the bed. First subject: I managed the first hour just by controlling my breathing. Second subject: moved on to gas and

Went into induced labour at 15:30 on Monday 1st September, Kathryn Sarah born at 21:31 the same day. Weight: 7lb 14oz, length 53cm. Mum & babe stayed in hospital overnight, went home after lunch next day. Touch of jaundice, now gone. Takes after her Dad, is utterly gorgeous. Everyone's tired but healthy and very, very happy.

Enjoying her first meal. Born 21.31 on 1st Sept, 7lbs 14oz. Everyone tired but happy now.