Much Love to Steven, Nicola, and Little Ruben

[MadchesterCity]

I wasn't expecting to pop on here and see this thread this morning, but it's reduced me to tears when I saw it earlier. I've spent the day with Nicola and the little guy, but I wanted to come back to it when I had a little time to pass on my thanks to you all.

Firstly, today has been a lot like yesterday. A good day! There was initial disappointment after the consultant told us he'd like us to stay in for a few more days to complete a course of antibiotics to be on the safe side, despite everything looking very good and his health seemingly excellent. It of course makes sense, but in the earlier hours of the day, operating on basically zero sleep in days and fighting a huge, primal urge to be at home nesting, it was a little disappointing. I defo got a little emotional when the consultant left the room.

We quickly calmed of course, and given we had nothing to do other than sit in our room, we basically spent the day just holding little Ruben, lovingly gazing at him sleeping and taking about a billion photos to send to the grandparents ha. He felt a lot more alert too than the other days. It was great fun watching him be wide awake, following us about with his eyes and treating us to a billion and ten odd little cute facial experiences. It's all so new, but given everything we've been through, it feels like a lifetime so I found it surprisingly easy to forget that he's literally just five days old. Keep having to remind myself! Ha.

Hopefully we'll be home by midweek, but anyway, the real point of this message. I just wanted to say thanks to each and every one of you in this thread. You're all lovely, wonderful people. I'm a firm believer of the old saying 'a problem shared is a problem halved'. I think it's an important truth, and an immensely powerful viewpoint that can change and fix things for the better. Threads like this are great examples. The messages we've had from people we've never met before, likely from all over the world too, are just ridiculously lovely.

It does help. Truly. It honestly reassured us reading the replies on here and Twitter, that others have gone through the same. We go through a lot as parents, people, friends whatever...and knowing that so many have fought through similar horrific times and come out the other side even more in love with the people around them does give you an extra little push of positivity and solidarity exactly when you need it. So once again thank you. You're a wonderful bunch and you make me even prouder to be a blue! ha.

As I'm sat typing this, my wife is to my side getting some much needed rest (quick aside, fuck me, childbirth is intense isn't it? how she's managed to deal with all this despite everything she went through physically is a minor miracle. women are absolute machines ha) and little Ruben is opposite me wiggling away slowly rousing for another feeding session. He's fucking beautiful. I can't stop staring at him, but I also can't stop thinking how we'll be home soon and how before I know it he'll be at the Etihad watching a City game with us all. I can't wait. Thanks once again all. Lots of love, Steven, Nicola and Ruben :) x

Firstly congratulations to you and Nicola and Hello World to baby Ruben. Love the name BTW, maybe play centre half with my 2 year old Vincent in the future. Sorry to hear of what sounds a traumatic week, albeit gladly better news as the days progressed.

All the very best to you and your young family. Up the Blues!