The One About Christmas Memories...

Last weekend I struggled to think of a Christmas related story for Sian's Storytelling Sunday, then midweek something must had jogged my memory and I remembered something from my childhood (sorry Sian!)  So I got out all my old photographs in the hope that there would be one Christmas related, and there was, (that's me in the photo!), and I spent a happy hour just looking at all the old photos and showing them to M as he hadn't seen them before despite us having lived together for 18 months now (I can't believe how long it's been!).

The journalling reads:
'One Christmas morning when I was about 5 I woke up far too early & opened all of my stocking pressies. I was so excited about one present in particular that I ran into my parents room to show my Mum.  It was a pink soap bag with white hearts and dots on.  The reason I was excited... Mum had bought some material a few days before with the very same pattern on!  Of course as it was about 5am I was sent back to bed.  And the material... just a coincidence!

The One About Tatty Teddy...

Every year I get my Mum a small Tatty Teddy for her Christmas stocking, and this year was set to be the same.  It has to be one of the smaller ones as otherwise it just wouldn't fit in the stocking.  So I went to Clinton's which is where I normally buy them from, but they didn't have any of the smaller ones.  I searched everywhere on the highstreet, and there were just larger ones.  So I persuaded M & his Dad to go to Botany Bay as last year they had lots.  Yet again I was disappointed.  In the end we went to one of the card shops in our local town and I asked where they had all gone.  I was told they had been discontinued, and they were bringing out a slightly larger one now.  So I have bought the slightly larger one but am going to need to take it out its little cardboard stand to make it fit in the stocking!

The One About the Winter Weather...

This year so far the weather has been far better than I'd imagined, no snow and no ice needed to be scraped off my car.  I like looking at the snow, but absolutely hate driving in it.  So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the snow will hold off for just another two weeks, until I go off on maternity leave!

My entry in my journal:

The journalling reads:
'This year I'm staying warm in my new maternity coat, my scarf & gloves and my favourite hat.  Luckily this year we've had no snow or ice so far.'

And if you look closely you can see one of the badges on my coat that says 'Baby on Board'.  I have another one that is hidden in the photo that says 'I'm not fat, I'm pregnant!'  (I didn't want people thinking I was just fat!).

The One About my Christmas Journal...

That's right, I have decided to take part in Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas this year, and have been doing a couple of pages each weekend.  This year I'm not numbering my pages, and I'm not going to do all of the prompts, because I think it would be just too much to take on.  So instead I'm making notes as the prompts arrive, and doing the pages that I'd like when I get the time (and when I'm not falling asleep - which last week I did tend to do every evening after my evening meal!)

So first up is my introductory page:

It reads:
'This Christmas...will be special as it will be our last one as a couple, as next year we'll be a family of 3!  Things will be different as I won't be drinking and I'll probably fall asleep at 8pm on Christmas Day!
Also this year we're having Christmas lunch at C & T's, who I haven't spent Christmas Day with since 2007 and M never has, so that will make it even more special.'

The One About the Thank You Cards...

As you will have read a couple of blog posts ago, I had a surprise Baby Shower thrown for me.  Because I really appreciated all the work that had gone into arranging it all, I decided to handmake my thank you cards, as to me there's nothing more special than getting a handmade card in the post.  So I made seven cards, 6 of which were oink themed, which they had to be really given that the Baby Shower was pink themed, and one purple one for my sister as she doesn't like pink (and never has!)

I kept it simple, same design for them all but with slight variations here and there depending on my craft supplies.  It only took a couple of days, and out they went in the post on Friday evening.  And I have confirmation of two of them having been received.  Even though I started out making cards, and I enjoyed making them I think I'm still a scrapbooker at heart and always will be!

Oh and I did stamp the back of each one with my stamp that says 'Handmade by Gemma', which of course my sister noticed because she was the one who bought it for me in the first place to say thank you for all the help with her wedding back in March!

The One About Baby Swivelling...

So it's the first Sunday of the month, and that can only mean one thing, it's time for a Story for Storytelling Sunday over on Sian's blog.  With it being December, and the run up to Christmas I've been trying to think of something to share that was Christmassy related or a winter story even, but my mind has gone blank, so instead I'm going to share something about Baby Bump.

Up until I was 27 weeks, Baby was lying across me, so at right angles to me.  Then one Wednesday evening I had the most peculiar uncomfortable pains in my bump and couldn't work out what was going on.  (Up till then if my bump felt weird, I just put it down to Baby growing!)

I told my friend the next day who said that Baby had probably been moving inside me.  Luckily I was visiting the midwife for a routine check-up the next day and she felt my belly and confirmed Baby had moved, she was now head down.  This was to be the the start of the Baby's feet digging into my ribs, which is one of the most painful things I've had so far! According to all the literature in my Pregnancy Bible, and the weekly updates that I get, Baby generally does move to that position at 28 weeks in preparation.  So actually our little one was early!

Last Sunday it started again, I was 30 weeks this time, and I could tell she was moving around into a difference position, but not quite where to!  Thursday just gone I went to the midwife again and they felt my belly and confirmed she had twisted slightly and was still head down, but facing to the left with her back and bum sticking out to the right.

Last night - now 31 weeks - the fun and games started.  Baby has had a growth spurt in the last week, as Bump is slightly larger than it should be (son't even get me started on that!) so she must have less room to manoeuvre about in there.  I was just sat watching TV with M and I started to feel movements inside, so I started to watch.  And this time the movements were really strong, and we could see the actual rippling of all the movements as she made them.  It was really uncomfortable, and every time Baby pushed out or prodded me I squealed!  After a while I had to get up and walk about to see if it would lull baby to sleep, which fortunately it did.  Either that or she'd finished!  So I think she's still head down, but facing inwards now, but we'll find out in three weeks at the next midwife appointment, unless she decides to start the swivelling all over again.

So there we go, my Sunday Story is Baby related, forgive me if it wasn't that interesting, but with her being our first I'm trying to record everything!  Make sure you head over to Sian's blog to read today's other Sunday Stories!