The One About the Nursery...

So I thought it was time to share some photos of the new nursery furniture.  We had a bit of a to do with the furniture company about it, which was really quite stressful at the time.  We ordered the furniture at the start of September when we went to the Baby Show in the G-Mex in Manchester.  We arranged for the furniture to be delivered and assembled at the end of November so that it would give us time to clear the room, and decorate.  

My friend at work was expecting delivery of a new sofa suite, and hers didn't arrive when it was supposed to.  This set alarm bells ringing for me, so I decided to ring the furniture company to check everything was on track.  Imagine my surprise to find out that with a week to go before delivery they didn't have any of the furniture in stock, and weren't expecting it until January, and no one had rung us to confirm.  As we couldn't wait until January on the off chance that they might get it back in stock, the furniture company offered us a choice of a couple of other sets that were more expensive than we had paid, but they would foot the cost of the upgrade.  Well, the furniture we had originally ordered was pine, and the upgrade choices were either black or white.  So I rang them back, furious that they had our money and we weren't going to get the set that we wanted.  There was however another set listed that was pine wood, good quality that would fit far better with the style of our house.  So I rang up and insisted that as it was their problem, we wanted the more expensive wooden suite, and we wanted it on the same delivery date (as I had booked the day off).  Well after more haggling between me and the company they finally gave in and said we could have the suite we wanted, but we would have to pay an additional fee.  Considering that the furniture was worth about £700 more than what we had paid, and the wood is better quality than the original purchase, we actually did quite well out of it all.  I was furious at the time though, especially as if I hadn't called they wouldn't have told me the problem, and I would have wasted my one last day off before Christmas!

The collection is a set of cot, wardrobe, changing table, shelf, toy box and sliding (rocking) chair.  I've started putting everything away, with all the baby clothes being washed and put in the wardrobe, and all the nappies, wet wipes etc in the changing table unit.  We've even got the hospital bags packed!  Well considering I'm now 37 weeks plus 6 days it was about time!  I'm just waiting for Baby to arrive now, and I wish she would hurry up!

PS Thank you to Sian for pointing me in the direction of the following blog where I downloaded the template to arrange the photos in this way.

The One About the Bump Update...

So I have been a very bad blogger for the last month, but I just wanted to provide an update to say Baby has not yet arrived, I've just been having a rest!

The last three weeks of work before Christmas were majorly stressful, trying to get everything up to date, and training my maternity cover ready for the handover.  I did really long hours, then was just shattered when I got home.  Then of course there was Christmas.  I've got loads of photos but I think its a bit late to be sharing them now in the middle of January!  And my Christmas Journal... hasn't got any further forward than when I last updated!  Christmas was great and it was nice to finally be able to take a breath.  M was off the week between Christmas & New Year and it was lovely to have that time together not doing very much at all.  We did go to the cinema with my Mum & brother to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie, and it was fab!  M told me afterwards that he was worried all the way through that my waters might go!  Thankfully they didn't and we had a lovely day out.

I'm now officially on maternity leave, and I'm not doing much at all!  Watching daytime TV, or movies.  And although my intention was to catch up on scrapping whilst on maternity leave, as I know I won't have much time when Baby comes along, I just haven't felt like it.  So there we go.

We've been taking photos every two weeks of me and the Bump to keep a record of how I've grown, using an idea that M got from another blog (although I can't remember which it was now), me wearing the same white top & having a different coloured sticker with the number of weeks on it.

We now seem to be ready, and with only three weeks till due date I'm quite glad!  We had our ante natal class at the weekend and are more prepared for the birth, and what we want.  We went to visit the hospital last night so we know exactly where to go on the day.  Then when we got back we packed the hospital bags, and apart from a few little bits that will need packing closer to the time, I think we have everything.

We took the 36 week photos yesterday evening, and I know you can't really tell from the photos but Bump has definitely dropped!  Only slightly, but Bump feels different and Baby's bum is lower down now!  She's been head down for a couple of weeks now, and doesn't sit in the middle, she always tends to stay on my right.  She kicks a lot, and she sometimes kicks to a regular beat, although I think she's doing it with her hand as it's always in my pelvis.  We think she's doing it in time to my heart beat, but we've got nothing to prove it!

Anyway thats all for now, I might even pop back with pictures of the nursery soon :)

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!

The One About where I was Surprised...

The weekend started as we'd planned, with a shopping trip to the Trafford Centre after work on Friday for some Christmas shopping.  We had thought that it would be quieter than going on Saturday or Sunday, but actually it was still really busy, but even so we got lots done.

Saturday morning we did the weekly shop, ready for when our friends came up.  It was planned for A & N to come up for the weekend.  Unfortunately N was really poorly and stayed in London, but A came up on the train by himself instead.  M had wanted to show him the Christmas Markets in Manchester, so went to pick him up at the train station, then parked up and went round the markets.  It was so busy with so many people, and I got a bit claustrophobic.  But I got what I went for (secret Christmas surprises, can't share it yet) and M & A tried the sausages off the markets, and I had some mini-pancakes.  (Have I mentioned previously that I've got quite a thing for pancakes at the moment, sometimes I wonder whether Baby will come out wanting pancakes rather than milk!)

When it started to rain, M said 'we'd better get home before the rain starts to get too heavy'.  This was quite plausible to me, and given that I was shattered from all the walking about, I was quite happy to call it a day, and head home to curl up on the sofa with m hot water bottle.  Little did I know that there were other plans afoot.....

On coming out of the car park it was one way and we had to go a completely different way to the way M wanted, and he ended up not knowing what he was, so I had to navigate us home using the sat nav on his phone.  He was getting into a bit of a panic about it, and I kept saying 'it doesn't matter, it's not like we have to be back for anything, and you know I like magical mystery tours' trying to calm him down a bit.  He seemed set on getting home for his cup of tea of all things!

Anyway. we found our way home, parked up, and M unlicked the house, turned the livig room light on,  and in I went.  The first thing hat I noticed was that the dining room light was on, which was strange because M is so keen to turn lights off when we're not using them.  Then all of a sudden all I heard was 'Surprise'!  And got the biggest shock of my life!  Because in my living room was my mum, Marks mum, my sister and three of my friends!

They had put together a surprise Baby Shower for me!  Somehow I'd managed to walk past all of their cars outside, and the balloons without even noticing them!

My sister and M had organised it all between themselves and apparently it had been in the planning since August!  IT was only afterwards that other little things made more sense, like why M had received a text from my sister earlier that day, but wouldn't let me read it, and why he was in such a panic about getting us home!  Apparently my sister had them all sitting in the dark for 20minutes waiting for us to arrive home!  M had texted to say how long we would be, but because of our little detour we were late!

My sister had decorated with balloons and ribbons, and put a pretty banner up, and had been baking all morning, with her sister in law making all sorts of chocolatey cakes (I discovered later thats what the the text had been about!).

Everyone had been really generous and brought pressies, (even N who couldn't make it and sent pressie with A, which was really lovely) and so I spent ages opening them all, (by the way the boys had taken themselves off to the pub after they'd got me settled in) with my Mum and sister on camera duty!

Then it was on to the food in the dining room, and showing people round the bits of the house that had been done up since they'd last been over.  Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to play any of the games that my sister had put together, that were all baby related.  I've been told there was baby Taboo, and a quiz as well where you guess who the celebrity baby is from the clues that were given.  Then all too soon everyone had to go home.  It was so lovely to see everyone together, and in particular to see my friend C who I'd not seen since her wedding in February.  It was such a shame that N couldn't make it, and my friend J couldn't come either as her little boys both had tonsillitis.  But I know that I will be seeing both of them soon :)

The One About Our 3d Scan...

Last weekend we went for our 3d scan, and got to see our little baby's face.  It was lovely to see that everything was ok, she was the right size, and my having taken the anti-sickness tablets earlier on in the pregnancy hadn't made any difference (which is what I'd been worrying about for a long time).  We got some good pictures of her face, but they aren't as clear as they could be as the placenta was in the way.  We also noticed that she wriggles around inside me all the time, even when I can't feel it, which explains why I'm so tired all the time!  After a while through the scan, she decided that she'd had enough and kept putting her hand up by her face, and her foot too!  And no amount of wriggling by me could get her to move her arm and leg out the way!   It seems she has inherited a little stubborness from me!

Only two and a half months to go now, and I can't wait to meet her!

The One About an Actual Completed LO....

Yes you read correctly!  I have actually done some scrapbooking!  And I've had the idea for this LO in my head for weeks and weeks so it was good to actually put it together.

I wanted to scrapbook my first proper bump picture, although you can't see much of a bump in the photos, it was definitely there!  Week 16 was important as it was the week that I first felt baby move.  The LO hasn't got many embellishments on as I made it with the intention of framing it for the wall in my craft space, as the walls are bare at the moment, and I want to make it look more crafty!

Anyway, I've wanted to do more scrapping since last week, but just haven't because I'm quite over whelmed and don't know where to start.  Do I start with pictures of the Lake District, my sisters wedding, our friends wedding... and do I make a mini book, single LO or Double LO???  I'm just not feeling inspired :(  any advice would be appreciated!

The One About Whether we have a Pink One or a Blue One.....

So yesterday afternoon we went for our second scan.  Just like any other first time mum's to be I was feeling incredibly excited, but apprehensive too, just in case there was something wrong.  But I was worrying over nothing (as per normal) and baby passed all the checks, and all the measurements were ok, and we got to have a good look.  And wow has baby grown since the last scan!  We could see all the bones, and the spine in particular, we could see the little heart beating away, and the lady was even able to get a close-up of the heart to see all four chambers.  Just so you can get a sense of how big baby is, the thigh bone measured at 3cm!  The lady said at the moment baby is about the size of my hand!  And the most astonishing thing of all.... baby actually yawned twice whilst the scan was being done and we got to see!  Oh and baby's arms are both up near their face, which is why you can't see them in the picture below.

So we (I really) were desperate to find out the sex of the baby, and it was fairly clear that we're having a girl!  Which is what I've said all along, and there was a lot of family history in that girls are always born first, on both sides of the family, so we're really excited and grandparents to be are knitting away in pinks & purples!  The next thing to do is to get the baby's room ready, we have furniture coming at the end of November, now the question is, will we be ready??? Electrics need doing, ceiling & walls need plastering, then the room needs painting, and all the current furniture needs moving out! (Slight problem with that - the room its going into also needs a sort out) can you tell I'm panicking slightly?? Well we're only just coming up to 20 weeks, so it means we've still got half the time again to get the house ready!

The One About the Belly Belt...

So I've been buying pregnancy magazines, and I saw an advert in the back for something called a belly belt.  It looked too good to be true, something that you can use so that you can stay in your regular trousers and jeans for longer, because if you think about it, its only my belly thats expanding, nothing else is really changing shape.  So I did some research and read the reviews, and thought I had to try this!  What it really is, is an extension so that when you can't button your jeans up anymore, this bridges the gap.  You get four belts two with buttons on, and two with hooks on, and in two different lengths.  You also get some material  to pop down your jeans to keep your dignity in case your zip doesn't quite do up either!

So on Tuesday it arrived, and on Wednesday I tried it out.  Its fab!  I'm only just expanding out of my trousers, but they were getting quite uncomfortable.  But I'm still not quite big enough to fit into proper maternity trousers.  So this seemed to be the perfect solution for now, as it means I can keep wearing my favourite trousers and jeans!  All I need now is some long maternity tops that come down past the belt, so that no-one knows its there.  So on Saturday Mum and I are heading to the shops to pick some maternity tops.  I'm really quite excited!  I am also looking forward to the bump growing some more so that it's obvious that I'm pregnant.

Has anyone else come across and ingenious inventions to make pregnancy easier?

The One About Our News...

This month rather than share an actual story as part of Sian's Storytelling Sunday, I'm going to share some news.  I'm sure that many of you have noticed my absence from blogging recently, and vague references to being ill, well there is a reason, which can be better shared with the following photograph:

Yes we are now 14 weeks pregnant and very excited!!!!!  Like many other women I have suffered with morning sickness quite badly,  however with me it's more like all day long nausea :(  Apparently this is what my mum had, although hers passed after the morning, but I'm holding onto the fact the her sickness didn't last the whole pregnancy.  I'm really really hoping I'm not in that 1% that has it all the way through!  (Oh and I'm shattered all the time!  I get in from work and just sit on the sofa, studying, scrapping, housework, aerobics, for now has gone completely out the window!)

It got quite spectacularly bad at the end of June, the day after M's best friends wedding when we were driving home.  I was feeling so bad I couldn't eat anything, and didn't drink as much either.  It got so bad that I didn't eat for 48 hours, and when finally somebody actually listed to us, I was admitted to hospital with severe hospital related dehydration.  Hooked up to a fluid and anti-sickness drip for 24 hours.  What makes me really cross is that I went to the doctors earlier that week, to ask for some help, and the doctor, a man, fobbed me off saying all women get it, and you just have to cope with it!  If he'd actually listened to me when I went in, maybe I wouldn't have been as ill as I was!

Anyway, enough of that.  I've now got anti-sickness tablets, I make sure I really really hydrated, and eat small meals, little and often.  And for the most part it seems to work.  I've gone off a whole bunch of things though, hot drinks in particular, I haven't had a cup of tea in two months!!!  And I can't stand the smell of tuna or garlic, and I'm completely off pizza and lasagne!  I've not really had any strange cravings, but I have been eating a lot of mini-cheddars and ice-lollies!

We had our first scan last Monday, and everything seems to be fine according to the midwife.  Baby is currently the size of a peach, and so too small just yet to see the sex of the baby on the scan.  I'm really hoping to find out at the next scan what it's going to be.  I'm not naturally a very patient person, so that waiting is driving me mad!

So with everything being ok, I told work this week, and then our family and friends.  And do you know what it's such a relief to be able to tell everyone the truth, and why I eat ginger biscuits and crackers constantly at work!  (They thought I was really weird before I'm sure of it!)  We only had one person guess, at the wedding, because I was eating nothing but melon!

My mum is so excited, its her first grandchild, she has been knitting for a while, and has started putting together a patchwork quilt of the hungry caterpillar!  And has bough patchwork patterns for all sorts of other things too, including the buffer protector things for the cot.  Which is fab because we'll be able to choose the material ourselves and no-one else will have anything like it!

So sorry for the lack of story but I was too excited to wait any longer to share our news!