I'd rather have buffista advice than advice from almost anyone else.

Truth.

Insent, sj!

We've been having an unpleasant week here at Chez Tea. Ryan passed me a persistent cough that resulted in fever, chills, sleepless nights and enough coughing over the last couple of days to bruise my ribs. During one fit, and I don't know how this is even possible, I managed to jar both wrists. Oh, and I've produced a truly prodigious quantity of phlegm. My boy, I'm so proud of him. I proclaim him the Phlegmaster. I am the canvas of his repellent magnum opus.

Not that he spared himself. Today our car was booked in for a service. I worked from home today, which was just as well, as I was here to take the call from the school to let me know Ryan was running a fever of 39.2. I couldn't drive over. Couldn't even catch the bus, Biyi had borrowed my card for an onsite job. Not that I'd be bringing a feverish boy home in such fashion. Instead I called for a taxi. After waiting for an hour, I called to find out where it was, to be told it wasn't coming. They didn't have one available, and couldn't be bothered letting me know, even though I told them on booking that it was to collect a sick boy. The school nurse wound up driving him home. This may well be the last time I call that cab company.

(Biyi has been wonderful these past couple of days, but I must note that she finds it hilarious to try and make me laugh, which pretty much invariably prompts a coughing fit.)

Back on the subject of Ryan, last week he was the class Star of the Week. He got to do Show and Tells, tell the class his favourite things (including Dungeons & Dragons, the Lego Movie, the Muppet Show and the Canberra Raiders). On Friday, he was presented with a book, with a page from each of his classmates containing a message and often a picture. This was just lovely. (Nine kids said he was a great friend, three said he was their best friend. Eight said he was a hard worker. Five said they loved him, and three said he was handsome. My favourites were:

Dear Ryan, you are a very great Fiend [sic] I like you. (from Aussie)
Dear Ryan, you are handsome a hard worker and my best friend. (from Abigail, written with curly flourishes on every letter)
Dear Ryan, I love your action. You are the best. (from Chelsea; no clue as to the nature of his action)
Dear Ryan, you are a grate werker. The whole term 4 you have conkerd it. Your picters are GRATE. (from Sierra)
Dear Ryan, you are the best Ryan ever you are very good (from Jen; in your face, Ryan Reynolds)
Dear Ryan you and Harry are the best. I am sory abot Benny Ben. Will you forgiev me? I love you. Lots of love from me Archer Darsi. (This is Ryan's best friend. He seems largely unconcerned about the fate of this Benny Ben.)
Dear Ryan, you are my beeeeeest friend. You are veeeeery cool. You are a very hard worker. You are very fun and kind. (This is from a boy in his class on the autism spectrum. He has poor impulse control, and Ryan occasionally comes home complaining that said boy has broken something of his or he got hit by him - not maliciously, of course. I'm kind of proud of Ryan that he is still friendly with him.)
Dear Ryan, do you like Rambos [Rainbows]? Wat is your favret culer? Mine is violert and acwer. I bet your favret culer is blou and I like drawing. Love from Chloe. (Written over a picture of a rainbow and various other designs; Ryan's actual favourite colours are gold and green)

My boy: friend to all, rock star and patient zero.

Health~ma to Chez Tea.

Thanks, everyone for the great advice so far. I am headed out to a doctor's appointment, and will check back in for other posts and e-mails later this afternoon.

What is Chloe's favorite color besides violet? I can't parse that.

How did you eventually pick him up, billy tea? What a jerkface cab place

Sj, when are you due again?

Sj, when are you due again?

August 17th with a c-section likely to be scheduled somewhere around the 10th.

Aqua?

I approve of the very great fiend Ryan.

What is Chloe's favorite color besides violet? I can't parse that.

Aqua, I believe. I approve of her colour scheme.

How did you eventually pick him up, billy tea? What a jerkface cab place

I didn't; the school nurse wound up driving him over to our place. Thankfully, Ryan was her only charge at the time. We were very grateful.

That said, of course, I have opinions too, and a long email that I wrote up for a friend last year with my recommendations. I can forward it to you -- is your profile address good?

Kate, if you don't mind, would you forward tat email to me, too? Thanks!

Aw, billytea. I'm sorry you (and Ryan) are sick, but the story of his classmates is so adorable.

Oh bt, that's a rough week. safe landings!

sj, I agree with Sparky that you need fewer items than you think, but I've noticed each family comes up with its own routine so what seemed vital to one friend was wasted on another, etc. I would say: bed of some sort (but remember a newborn can sleep almost anywhere so if you don't have a crib or cradle before the baby is born, don't sweat it), newborn sized diapers, diaper cream, washcloths, changing pad, changing table, burp cloths, some onesies, some blankets (these often double as burp cloths). You'll need a car seat too. Desirable items: a baby wearing device like a baby Bjorn or a sling, some fun bits to mouth like cloth books, and something soft to sleep with.

Mom will want plenty of nursing bras and cami tops. Go ahead and buy nice ones as you might be wearing them a couple years, but only buy a couple at first since you don't know what you'll like until you try them. Nursing pads will save you much embarrassment. I wore a sleeping bra at night too.