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 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 My Friend's New Arrival...

My friend J, that I know from my previous job was pregnant when I switched jobs back in May.  Well, she was due on 4th October, and guess what... she actually had him on her due date!  Her first son was only a day early.  So she's done very well both times.  Last weekend M and I went to visit her and her family, to catch up and to meet the little one.

I had a long cuddle with little J, until I had to move to visit the loo!  He fell asleep in my arms as he had just been fed when we got there and he seemed quite comfortable lying on my bump.  He kept it nice and warm for me!  He woke up about an hour and a half later and I had a second cuddle, and this time because he was wriggling about my baby in my bump started kicking too!  It was very strange, but nice too :)

In other news the nursery is in process of being put together.  The room was emptied last weekend, ready for the plasterers this weekend.  Then it'll need painting, then the carpet.  And its all got to be done by 28th Nov as thats when the baby furniture is being delivered!  Oh and if you're wondering, all the stuff out of the baby's room is now in the dining room, completely chockablock, and I can't get at anything!

M has practically finished the bannister, there wasn't one there before and the stairs were completely open, which is fine for us as we've been used to it, but visitors never felt too safe.  Anyway there are just a couple of spindles to go in, and the varnishing to do but its very nearly there.  Oh and I remembered to take before and after photos, so that'll be something else I will report on soon!

This weekend M is taking me away for the weekend as it's my 30th next Wednesday.  He thought it would be nice for us to go away one last time before the baby arrives, especially as we haven't been away since getting stranded in Madeira a year ago April.  We're off to the Lake District, and I intend to take lots of lovely photos, and write a long blog post that is about something other than baby!

The One About Bump Week 24...

Just another quick update with a bump picture.  We've been quite bad at doing this every week, but I'm sure every couple of weeks will keep an adequate record :)

I've been for my 24 week check up with the midwife this week, and she is happy with my progress.  The swollen ankles aren't a sign of anything untoward like pre-eclampsia which is a relief!  And actually my blood pressure was on the slightly low side, which is what it normally is anyway!

I even had my bump measured, but not around the middle like I thought but from top to bottom!  And apparently the size is spot on, so all my worries about my bump not being very big were all for nothing (that was a couple of weeks ago though)!  Recently I've been feeling like a bit of a frump, especially with wearing Marks clothes which don't really flatter a pregnant bump.  So I've been for a visit at the shop I mentioned before, Jojo Maman Bebe and bought some proper maternity clothes and a winter coat.  I had such a lovely time, the ladies were all really helpful and I came out with a smile on my face.  So next time we have a bump photo shoot I'll put one of my new tops on :)

The One About Baby Bump Week 20...

My belly has expanded some more, and so I thought I'd share another bump photo:

Last weekend I went to the Trafford Centre with my friend N to buy some maternity clothes.  Fantastic though the belly belt expander was, it just wasn't working for me any more, so I took the plunge and went shopping for some maternity trousers.  Unfortunately, not many shops do a maternity range, and if they do its not always that great.  I've found Dorothy Perkins & Next to be the best so far.  And I've learnt that you can't just buy a pair of trousers, you have to try them first, and really you should try sitting down in them too.  Which was my mistake.  I bought a lovely pair of jeans, but found that when I got them home and sat down in them, they actually dug into my belly, so they are going back to the shop.  And for now I have to live with wearing M's jeans that are too short for him!  I have found some lovely clothes on a site called Jojo Maman Bebe, but it's quite expensive, so it might just be a few one off's that I get from there.  I've already spotted a lovely dress that I could wear for the Christmas Do!

Since this photo was taken it feels as though my belly has risen some more, and I'm sure I look bigger!  We'll have to try to take pictures on a more weekly basis to keep a better record of the changes!

The One About Ladies Circle...

Before I moved in with M, I was a member of my local Ladies Circle.  This is a national organisation for women aged between (I think) 18 and 44, to get together fortnightly to try new things and to generally meet like minded people without men!  Their website will explain it all far better than I do, although I cannot seem to get on their website at the moment, but I promise they do have one!

Well, last year we would meet on the first Monday of the month for an arranged outing of some sort, like a spa treatment, evening with a handwriting expert or a meal, then on the third Monday of the month whoever was free would go to the pub for a drink.  It was always the same pub at the same time, although it was never guaranteed that anyone else would be there!  Well when I moved in with M, it was too far to drive on a week night, and I decided it would be best to switch to a more local one.  Unfortunately the local Circle met on a Thursday night which clashed with salsa class.

Fast forward a year, where I'm pregnant and unable to do any sort of spinning! and so I looked up the Thursday night circle again and decided to give it a try.  The first meeting was a little daunting, driving to a pub for a quiz which seemed as though it was in the middle of nowhere, and meeting people that you didn't have a clue what they looked like!  Luckily I had one of the ladies mobile numbers and they met me at the door, especially as the pub was so packed I would never have found them!  We did quite well with our quiz, getting 41 out of 50, and I was invited along to the next evening, two weeks later, which was a short walk near one of the ladies homes followed by a chinese take away.  It's nice that being part of Ladies Circle, you're instantly made to feel welcome.  Up till then I hadn't really done any exercise since about week 5,  but was told it would be a gentle walk, and with one of the other ladies being pregnant too I figures it would be ok.  How wrong was I?!!!  The others literally frog marched their way along, and there was lots of hills & cobbles to contend with!  I was very shortly out of breath!  Despite all this I had a lovely chinese and got to know the ladies a bit better.

Hoever, the next day I got home from work, and shortly after getting into my comfy slobbing on the sofa clothes I noticed that my ankles had swollen up, a lot!

And actually they were quite painful.  On advice from the internet I laid on the sofa all evening with my feet propped up on cushions, and M gave them a rub for me, which helped.  So that lovely walk that I did gave me swollen feet.  I didn't think I would be getting swollen ankles yet this early in the pregnancy, at week 19, so any advice would be great!  Unfortunately its happened again today - which is what prompted me to write this post, and I might give the midwife a call tomorrow.  Luckily I have got tomorrow booked off, so if I have to I can spend the day with my feet up!

The One About 10 Pregnancy related facts.....

So this month I've actually remembered about the 10th for Shimelle's ten on the 10th, and thought I might just take part.  Last month the 10th just whizzed straight by!

So I thought I'd share some pregnancy related information :)

1. We're currently at 19 weeks

2. On Monday we have our next scan and we're hoping to find out what we're having

3. We went to the Baby Show at the G-mex last Saturday and ordered our pram and all the nursery furniture

4. I was measured by an m&s lady who said I was obviously going to get very big, when asked how she could know that she replied 'because you bump has risen already' so now I'm worrying as I thin we'll be having a big baby.  It runs in M's family, M, his sister, his dad were all 9lbs or more!

5. I felt the first flutterings of baby inside me at week 16, then a week later M could feel her too with her hand!

6. We have bought a machine that lets you listen to baby's heartbeat, which we had a go on the other night, baby's heartbeat is really fast compared to ours!

7. I've managed to come off the anti-sickness tablets, and haven't felt as bad.  Having to drink lots of water, and eat plenty to keep the sickness away though.  Cake for dessert after dinner (thats the evening meal to any of you northerners out there - ongoing argument, which probably deserves it's own blog post!) and two packs of crisps every day!

8. I've been buying maternity clothes!  Jogging trousers for lounging round the house, and a T-shirt that says 'I love my bump' with a picture of Mr Bump from the Mr men on, as well as other things too

9. Apparently its really easy to strain a muscle.  A hormone is released during pregnancy that relaxes your muscles so they can stretch as the rest of you stretch.  What did I do?  Stretch a muscle just from carrying a basket of dirty washing down two flights of stairs!

10. So far I have put on 12lbs since getting pregnant!

The One About Bump Week 17...

So we've finally taken a couple of pictures with me and the mini-bump, I can't believe that we're already 17 weeks along!

We went to visit our friends S & R in their new flat on the way back from London, and they took our pictures:

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!