Could I be a new Martha Stewart (minus the insider trading)?

Tiredness is such a bitch when it comes to all those little things I'd like to do. I am almost dying to become a proper housewife and be able to do all sorts of crafts and things and I must say it's something I am not bad at. The x-stitching almost became a drug so I had to let it be for a while as I refused to do anything but and it was a bit anti-social...

My mom helped me make the thermal curtains* when I was at home earlier this month and I realised that I loved doing it. So I'm on the prowl for a good sewing machine and am itching to get started with all the ideas I have collected. Cushions, blankets, boot trays... I have sooo many little projects to make our house into a nice and homely home.

Besides, I think it could be a good thing for me to have some stuff to do as I've got some time off coming up. I know it will be busy once Baby pops out but I'll need something to do while waiting. It'll keep my mind focused and my hands from reaching for those little sweet treats...

Now, where did I put that cookie? ;)

*for the front door to keep draft out. Mom also did not "make them" make them but showed me how to do it and was at hand for any questions and I managed to do it!! They're fabulous and I'll post a pic once they're up.

In Which I Went Without

Having such horrible pelvic pain makes it difficult to enjoy a proper coupl-y life, the bump-issue is easily overcome but the pain... The Pain is not so easy to ignore which means that those little moments right before getting up/ falling asleep/whenever we've felt like it aren't physically possible at the moment.

Today it wasn't bad enough to deter me, so to speak, and I really, really wanted it and just as we were about to start the phone rang and as the phone had to be moved from the bed Boyfriend looked at the caller display and went: "It's my mam."

Yeah, pelvic pain and that are on par of being the biggest turn offs ever. So I just told him to answer it and I put my top back on...

Maybe tomorrow.

In Which I Got a Bargain

Boyfriend and I have chosen a pram for Baby and you can choose to also buy a matching changing bag to hang on the pram itself. It's very nice but the bag costs about £70 which I find to be a liiiiittle bit pricey. So I went to a store where they sell all kinds of stuff (all proper brands) but prices are up to 60% less than in normal stores - the handbag section is faaaaabulous.

And whadd'ya know? I found a nice changing bag (not the matching one) but this will match too as got similar colours. The only snag was that it had no price tag. I tried to look for another one just like it but it was the only one. All the other changing bags were £25-30 which is a lot more acceptable than £70 and I would have been happy to pay that. The girl at the register went to have a look but she must not have realised that it was a changing bag so got a "normal" messenger bag and used the price for that.

She asked if I was ok with it being £6.99. Ok??! I almost tore it out off her hands to make sure she wouldn't realise her mistake and walked away a very happy bunny. The shower mat* I also bough turned out to be more expensive...

Brilliant.

*have slipped in the bath a couple of times and do not want to risk anything. I also want to make sure I dare shower when Boyfriend is not at home... There is, however, still the problem of lifting my legs high enough to get in (the painful pelvis, you know) but I'm sure it'll get better.

In Which I ...

... had loads of stuff to write and all non-preggie related but I just cant be arsed.


Never mind.

In Which I...

... think I ate too much.

My tummy is like this [ -------------------- ] big.

It's huuuuuge!

... don't think I chewed it enough.

The Chicken seems to be still alive.

Yuck!

((But it really is the best feeling ever!!))

Backpack and Elbows

Why? WHY do people not realise that backpacks take up quite a bit of space? Especially on a bus? I was treated to a lovely "smack in the head" by a guy who turned around in the aisle as his stupid backpack also swung around. And as if this was not enough..
The bloody idiot took it off in a way to ensure his left elbow also used up more space than there was so Ems' poor head got a full feel of that too.

The "Aoooow!" and "Careful!" didn't seem to register at all. So I added an "Idiot!" and glared extra angrily at him but alas no response.

What a turd.

Geeks and Pelvic Pain

Boyfriend's bought an iMac - one of these things - with a 27" screen. I thought I'd leave him to set it up on his own but every 3 minutes there's something new and fantastic to see and I have to get my swollen feet off the table (I have to keep them elevated) move my painful pelvis* to get up, turn, walk into the office and watch whatever new thing that has popped up on the screen.

I must admit though that it's pretty darn beautiful piece of machinery but not even I would run out of the room, up the stairs, change into a shirt and cardigan so that my profile picture would look smart. Boyfriend did do this and I had to stay and watch... What is it with men and computers? and why did I have to go and "pick" a computer geek -cute as he is?!


*it hurts like mofo hell. Sometimes when I walk too much and sometimes when I don't walk enough, when I sit too much or not enough. The joy of trying to turn in bed must be experienced to understand. Imagine having had a big horse, a Shire horse would do fine, step on your pelvic/pubic bone and you'll be pretty close to the real thing. Read about this "amazing" and pray-to-God-you-don't-get-it condition here.

Yummy in my Tummy

I made pancakes for dinner tonight.

I love pancakes.

Pancakes rule.

I think I'd kill for pancakes if had to.

I'd probably even dump Boyfriend if he
ate my share of the pancakes.

In fact, there's no "probably" about it...

In Which I Got A Reality Check

I know I said I'd try to not make this a preggie blog but it cannot be helped at the moment. Went to the midwife yesterday and had to give some blood and get an injection as am Rhesus negative (yeah, don't ask because I don't really get it..). And I had to book in to another appointment in February. I'll be in my 33rd week!

Holy craparooni and all that goes with it!! It means I'll be really close to labour and could even go into ok-ish premature labour... Shit.

Stress.

Better get going on that nursery for the little one. Need to paint walls and ceilings, need to buy a cot, changing table, nappies, clothes, and everything else that is needed. Was planning on doing it "later" but I guess "later" is coming up. So we're going to look at some prams this weekend.

How weird is this?? Did I just step out off some weird time-changing machine? How on earth did I get here so fast? I feel as if I only had my first 13th week scan a couple of weeks ago.

Oh Dear!

In Which I Chickened Out

I've spent the past week in Sweden with Boyfriend and it was lovely. Snow and good weather. Boyfriend was getting a bit fed up with snow but agreed that it's a lot better/prettier in Sweden -and the snow in Sheffers had disappeared when we got back yesterday anyway so...

I can't describe with words how nice it was to get back home even for just a week. I may be a grown up and 29 weeks pregnant but coming home and getting a big hug from mom and dad is the most comforting thing ever. Silly and childish? Maybe it is but I don't care.

So what did we do? Nothing. We ate nice mom/home-cooked Swedish food, met aunties, uncles and cousins... and babysat my niece A. A is the sweetest, cutest little girl ever born with a temper to match my own (apparently) but she was good as gold when we watched her. She doesn't shout or scream unless she sees Cherry (my parents' Ridgeback) as A is wild about her and find Cherry hilarious whatever she does or does not do. A is also crazy about mommo (my mom) and momfa (my dad) and is a serious flirt whenever my dad comes home from work. All went very well until she .... pooped.

Yes, I admit it. I cannot deal with baby poop*. It makes me retch and almost panic (I also admit to calling my mom at work to see if she was on her way home, which she wasn't) but I guess I have to get used to it as my own baby is due in 75 days and I assume it'll poop too.

Anyway, learning will have to start then and not now as I just couldn't do it and Boyfriend stepped up to the plate and sorted it all out. Although I did help a bit by undressing A and handing Boyfriend wipes and a new nappy. So I wasn't totally useless. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it - I can't really make Boyfriend come home from work to do it... or can I???


*give me dogpoop, horsepoop any animal type of poop and I'm fine but human poop? Nope, no can do. A is old enough to eat normal food so poops like an adult and I'd be just as reluctant to wipe another adult's bum. It does smell. An awful lot. Yuck.

Because I Said So

...is a movie that I watched this afternoon and it was a nice one. Nice and funny. I like it and will probably watch it again when I fancy another afternoon in front of the telly, with a cup of tea and my cosy electric snuggle blanket.

Diane Keaton is the mom in the movie and even though the whole cast has got really nice clothes I must say that Diane Keaton is so stylish and dressed in very, very pretty clothes. I no longer picture her with the horroble suit she wore to an award [the Acadamy Awards?] ages ago. She's in the type of clothes I'd like to wear when I get a little bit older. I hope I will.

Don't read - it's just a massive rant.

It's one of those days where everything goes wrong. I am already in a foul mood as I haven't been well for the past 2,5 days and not being able to sleep while being 27 weeks knocked up is very exhausting. My eyes keep running as if I was crying. My sinuses are swollen and really painful. There is an immense pressure on my bladder and everytime I sneeze it feels as if I'm about to pee my pants. The skin around my nose is raw and red, even Rudolph would have been teasing me. And I know I'll be well enough tomorrow to go to work and sit in an office where it is 28C and sweat and not being able to breathe due to the heat. Thank God I'm almost done with that place.

I walk downstairs after I've managed to get out of bed only to find that there is a chunk missing out of the coffeetable. This pissed me off more that most things as it seems I can never have nice things without someone or something messes it all up.

I also just realised that for the last 2 days when I've been trying to get in touch with the midwife at the maternity ward, I've left the wrong FUCKING number on her answering machine because there is no logic to my mobile number OR the home phone number!! And I've had enough. I am fed up with trying to figure out how the system works here as everyone seems to assume everyone knows how it all works.

I am sorry for not having been pregnant before, something I realise is a rarity for someone at the age of 31 in this shithole of a country - I guess I ought to be taking my 13 year old to antenatal classes, not actually wanting to attend myself. BUT. I don't know how it's supposed to be. They don't tell you shit about how often you should see a midwife or if they will call you (which they won't do even if you leave the right number) or if you need to call them.

I'm fed up with not being well and things not working out the way they're supposed to.

In Which I am Confused

Have been home from work today as not been able to sleep at all. I couldn't breathe lying down and sitting up with a bump isn't very comfortable. Anyway, I've slept some and read some stuff about pregnancies etc. I'm quite new in this area so... and came across pre-eclampsia which doesn't sound like much fun but here's the tricky part. I am trying to figure out who might get it and from the description it sounds like pretty much everyone who's pregnant.

Please see if you agree or am I just paranoid?

"Pre-eclampsia affects between 1 in 10 and 1 in 20 of all pregnancies. A woman has a higher risk of pre-eclampsia if she is having her first baby or if she is having a first baby with a new partner. Other women who are also "at risk" are those who have a maternal family history of the disease, those who are under 20 or over 35, those who are black, and those who are expecting multiple babies. Women who have high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease before they get pregnant also have a higher risk of pre-eclampsia."

Fact found here.

In Which There is Morning Philosophy

Thumper/Stampe has had a wild morning "in there". There's been ripples of movements clearly visible for several hours. Some making Boyfriend laugh out loud - louder than I've heard him laugh since the last decade (I know).

It's clearly getting a bit crowded in there and I am getting a bit frightened how soon the little one will be "knocking on the door". A knock that I am not anticipating to be a gentle one.

What on earth have we gotten ourselves into?

What if we've bred the next Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Robert Mugabe, Charles Manson or a Myra Hindley?!

What if I absolutely suck at being a mom?

Maybe I should have just gotten a Dachshund instead... At least I know how to house-train one of those.

In Which I see 2008 as a good one.

As I can't be arsed thinking up questions about the past year I've decided to "steal" from the list I did late December 2008. The list in its entirety can be found here - just in case you'd like to compare my new answers to my old ones....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once again I was going to get better with exercising (read; lose weight - a lot!) but that has not happened. Well, I actually did quite well up until August and then that changed but more about that further down the list

Am I engaged? Yup yup yup!! Boyfriend finally asked in January 2008. We were in bed, reading, when he asked so it was very much cosy and the perfect way to be asked - for me.

Have I dared standing up to Boyfriend's parents? No but I'm not going anywhere for a very very long time so they've got a "nice" surprise coming up...

Do I speak [a little] Mandarin? Still not a word.

Did I dive with Great Whites in South Africa? Nooooooooo!

Have I found something that would 'replace' the interests I had in the 'old country? Not really, but I've adapted and feel more at ease with my life as it is now.

Did I win millions of £s on the lottery? Clearly not as I am still working at that $%£"$** place

Stop buying lottery tickets as never winning anyway? See item above.

Do I find 5 good reasons each morning to remain in England? It's not quite as dificult as last year but Boyfriend is very much still the no.1 reason.

Shave my legs every morning? My new excuse is that I most certainly would if I could bend down like that...

Isn't this a much more relaxed list than last years??

Swear less? Hell no! I should stop though.

Write one letter each week to my grandmother? I am ashamed of myself. Very ashamed.

Saved money? Still not as good as I'd like to be but am doing loads better - well, Boyfriend does it for me on my internet banking as I can't be arsed and it's a crap site anyway.

Find a new calling like furniture-making? I think that there is definitely something "special" out there for me. Some projects are still in the planning stage but watch this space...

Have sex twice a day? Well,perhaps not twice a day and that still got me into trouble - very nice trouble - but Boyfriend is eagerly awaiting the "horny" period that's due any time now. But that's not very likely to happen unless he rubs my feet first.

Do I live in a house? I most CERTAINLY do! And it is the perfect one for us.

Not getting myself worked up about things out of my control? I am so cool, calm and collected these days. It's not worth worrying about the little things and I don't really have any "big" things to worry about - yet.

Not taking anti-depressants? Pregnancy is clearly the perfect thing for me. I am happy.

Love Boyfriend a little bit more each day? It's sickening but yes and even though it's my body that's amazing enough to incubate a new life - I love Boyfriend loads more for getting me knocked up. (It's ok to feel a bit sick after this, I would be if it wasn't my own life/list)

Become an auntie? Well, She is now 18 months and the most adorable little girl ever. I might steal her when I go home in a week's time, I don't have to try and squeeze her out which would def be a bonus.

My very own pet? The previous owners of our house had a chocolate Labrador called Marty who slept in the entrance between the garage and the kitchen and we now call that entrance "Marty's Plats/Place" - so Marty has become a fixture of our house. A Ghost dog, if you like.

Disclaimer....
The list is not a compilation of my "average" mood of last year
- that would simply have been too scary and sad -
it is a list of how I feel right now.
Happy

xxx

Oh well..

It is my first blogpost of the year and I ought to make sure it's a nice one as that is how I'd like the rest of the year to be but...

This ain't gonna be one of those posts. I have been up 4 times the past night. 4 times! Not one, two or three but FOUR. and to do what?! To wee!

I'm starting to think I am not pregnant but am slowly turning into a camel. I do not know how on earth I can have so much to pee "out". It's not like I'm drinking so much more than before and I am also having to go during the day. Very strange.

And oh! Another thing that has happened in the last 3 days is that my ankles have swollen. A lot. and I have to sleep with my feet on 4 rather thick cushions which means that they're a lot thinner in the morning but it makes it quite uncomfortable to lie on my side during the night. Go ahead -try it and you'll see what I mean. I will have to buy some support socks today - I find them comfortable anyway so that's not much of a problem but I really liked my thin slender ankles and they weren't painful either...

But after I'd been up for my 4th wee I got back into bed, put my feet up on the cushions and at that very moment the Baby decided to move about and probably say "thanks for making more space in here, it was bloody crowded with that full pouch" and it's the most fantastic feeling ever. It's not really such a hassle to get up 4 times a night, is it?