A basic motto for life, and now an essential mantra as joint chief protector, wiper-upper, playmate, role model, disciplinarian and comforter to a wee bean. Being a parent is hard, sure. Possibly the thing in life you can read the most about beforehand and yet still be the most unprepared for when that little bundle is placed in your arms – like a cute grenade. All the tactical preparation in the world cannot prepare you for what lies ahead. The boundless joy you feel every t

The ECG monitor beeps. Irregularly enough that you jerk your head up each time to check the yellow numbers. Which is ridiculous really because you don’t even know what they mean. The wavy lines look so familiar from years of TV hospital drama, but you can’t remember George Clooney ever going over optimum oxygen levels in any detail. An alarm goes off and people in pale blue scrubs run in the same direction. Trolleys and beds rumble past, nurses and doctors blur into the same