Hi ya

Well another day almost over and another day closer to bubs EDD... well when I saw the MW on Wednesday she was estimating within the next 10 days - so 4 days later we are down to within the next 6 days if she is right! Wow thats not far away at all! LOL

I did have a better nights sleep last night but that was in the spare bed in babys room! It still took me sometime to get to sleep but don't think the fireworks were helping me there... but once I was asleep (about midnight), I woke at 2.30am for a toilet stop and then back to sleep till 7.15am!! Up for another toilet stop and then back to sleep till 9.15am when I was woken by a very hungry tum!

After a bit of mucking around, we decided to head to Porirua so I could show Steph a couple of awesome toys I had seen at K-Mart on Thursday (that I thought would be good for us to get our wee girl for Christmas) and to check out the lighting range at Bunnings.... well what a wasted trip it ended up being. Everything we bought today we could have gotten in the Hutt Valley!!! K-Mart had sold out of the toys that I wanted to show him (they were on clearance deal prices but hey thats beside the point LOL), then I thought I would show him the earrings I had seen in Michael Hill that I thought would be good for his Sister for a Christmas Present - they had sold out of those as well! Ended up getting two Christmas Presents from Farmers for my two nieces from the UK (who will be over here), got a few bits and pieces from the Warehouse and then a night light from Bunnings! So like I said everything we bought - we could have easily bought over here but hey the drive was nice even if the weather wasn't!

Got home about 2.30pm with a headache and was shattered, so had a snooze for an hour or so before getting up and now just blobbing out before organising dinner. We are having pork chops, potatoes and veggies tonight.

Right, gonna get moving - will catch ya all tomorrow sometime. Oh my plan of attack for letting you all know if something is happening is to let both Lynda and Kate know any progress reports and they will post updates on their blogs but all going well I will do a quick post on here prior to going to the hospital so you know to check their blogs but if at any stage I go all quiet for over a day - do check out their blogs :)

Bye xx

Hi ya

Well another day almost over and another day closer to bubs EDD... well when I saw the MW on Wednesday she was estimating within the next 10 days - so 4 days later we are down to within the next 6 days if she is right! Wow thats not far away at all! LOL

I did have a better nights sleep last night but that was in the spare bed in babys room! It still took me sometime to get to sleep but don't think the fireworks were helping me there... but once I was asleep (about midnight), I woke at 2.30am for a toilet stop and then back to sleep till 7.15am!! Up for another toilet stop and then back to sleep till 9.15am when I was woken by a very hungry tum!

After a bit of mucking around, we decided to head to Porirua so I could show Steph a couple of awesome toys I had seen at K-Mart on Thursday (that I thought would be good for us to get our wee girl for Christmas) and to check out the lighting range at Bunnings.... well what a wasted trip it ended up being. Everything we bought today we could have gotten in the Hutt Valley!!! K-Mart had sold out of the toys that I wanted to show him (they were on clearance deal prices but hey thats beside the point LOL), then I thought I would show him the earrings I had seen in Michael Hill that I thought would be good for his Sister for a Christmas Present - they had sold out of those as well! Ended up getting two Christmas Presents from Farmers for my two nieces from the UK (who will be over here), got a few bits and pieces from the Warehouse and then a night light from Bunnings! So like I said everything we bought - we could have easily bought over here but hey the drive was nice even if the weather wasn't!

Got home about 2.30pm with a headache and was shattered, so had a snooze for an hour or so before getting up and now just blobbing out before organising dinner. We are having pork chops, potatoes and veggies tonight.

Right, gonna get moving - will catch ya all tomorrow sometime. Oh my plan of attack for letting you all know if something is happening is to let both Lynda and Kate know any progress reports and they will post updates on their blogs but all going well I will do a quick post on here prior to going to the hospital so you know to check their blogs but if at any stage I go all quiet for over a day - do check out their blogs :)

Bye xx

Well am still here in one piece... thanks for the comment Anne :) Gotta keep me on my toes :) Have had a busy day so far and this is the first chance I have had to sit down and update.

After seeing Carla's photos of wee, beautiful Olivia - I am having trouble comprehending that I too have a baby just like that inside of me!!! I guess I still think of bubs as an ailen so to speak as all I see is my stomach moving when she moves... Still freaking me out a bit that I have a fully grown baby inside of me and that sometime within the next 3 weeks, she will be out and Steph and I will be parents!!!!

Had a real rough night last night with not a lot of sleep - well not until about 4am anyway... I have packed my rescue remedy but best I get it out again and have it by my bed for these rough nights. I find that I sleep best from about 5am onwards... weird I know but believe it or not I think my "panic attacks" are something to do with the dark! Which is why I relax and calm down as it starts getting lighter... And unfortunately, there was no big sleep in for me
today as I had a friend (who is 28 wks pregnant) coming to visit for a catch up and to see the nursery at 10.30am so it was a real struggle to get up about 9.15am! Got a txt from Karen (my friend) just before 10 to say she was running late and would be here about 11am which gave me a bit more time to relax and to do a bit of tidying up of bills etc that were laying around.

Karen arrived and we had a good ole natter and catch up... mostly all about babies of course as her baby is their first as well so it was a matter of the blind leading the blind with some of the questions she asked me! LOL

Once Karen had left just after 1.30pm, we had a quick lunch of tomato sandwiches before heading out to do the groceries. Once again it was a real struggle walking... correction waddling around the supermarket! But its all done for another week thank goodness! So now we are home, groceries are unpacked and I am just blobbing out resisting the urge to lay down and sleep... as I am hoping just to have an early night and fingers crossed sleep well tonight!

Oh, we went out for tea last night to Hogs Breath Cafe in Lower Hutt - it was nice being just the two of us and doing some talking about believe it or not.... baby stuff!!!! LOL We both thought that quality of the food has gone downhill since our last visit there at the beginning of the year (for my birthday we think it was) and the service wasn't the best either so don't think we will be rushing back there in a big hurry. Though talking about dinners, on Wendesday night we are going to Mr India in Lower Hutt (right across the road from the hospital so very handy for us LOL) for Steph's rifle club end of season dinner though I will play it by ear and see how I am feeling as to whether I go or not. And well if I am in hospital, Steph can just pop across the road, have dinner and then come back! LOL Then on the 18th Nov, we have my friend Lynaire's eldest daughters 21st dinner at Hot Rocks in Lower Hutt so thats another night out for us to enjoy with friends and hopefully (god I hope so) we will have a wee girl to take with us :)

Anyway, enough rambling from me - oh on a totally different matter - I think I have killed our rose bush so bought some rose food from the Supermarket today and have fed it and watered it well so fingers crossed I haven't left it too late.

Nothing planned for tomorrow though we may head to Bunnings in Naenae to check a couple of things out and I would like to show Steph a couple of things that I saw at K-Mart on Thursday, but not sure if I will be up to doing that trip again so will see how I am feeling.

Right, I am going to get moving now as too long in this position (legs up on swiss ball with laptop on my knees) and I start getting quite uncomfortable!

Bye for now xx

Good morning all

Firstly a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Carla, Darryl and Kaylee on the arrival of Olivia Jade who arrived at 4.22am this morning weighing in 7lb 6oz! Can't believe that I slept through Kate's txt after spending all night religiously checking it for messages! Can't wait for the photos and birth story! And Olivia was born at 38wks 2 days - exactly the same as Kaylee was - how amazing is that!!!!

As for me - well I am still hanging in there - still in one piece and no sign of things happening for me as yet... just plodding on. Still getting the occasional cramps/pains but they so far they haven't turned into anything exciting as yet.

Yesterday was a good day :) I did go and see Barbara and have what will probably be my last official weigh in prior to having the baby. My weight was slightly more than what I had expected but hey I am not worried at all. My gain in the last 7 weeks was 5.2 kilos taking my total pregnancy gain to 17.9 kilos (as at 38wks 1 day). But like I said I am not worried - my main concern is giving birth as naturally as I am able to - to a healthy baby girl (hopefully a girl LOL). I know I was initally aiming to keep the gain to between 12-15 kilos but like I said hey I am not worried at all...

After seeing Barbara, I drove into town and went to work and caught up with my colleagues there before having lunch with a dear friend of mine. This friend was part of my support "crew" for the birth but after having a heart to heart with her and understanding her reasons, she is no longer going to be there for the birth but will be there just as soon as she gets the word that our wee girl has arrived! I was initally a bit upset but now I understand her reasons and accept them. I will still have Steph, Mum and my other dear friend Lynaire there with me.

After leaving work, I headed to Porirua to pick up the baby bathing rack that I got from TM for $1 - it wasn't in the best of conditions but hey for $1 what does one expect and its nothing a bit of nappisan or bleach won't fix! :) But by now I was busting for a toilet stop so popped into North City Shopping Centre to fix that issue... and of course while I was there I just had to waddle through K-Mart and Farmers but surprisingly enough I didn't buy a thing! I was tempted to go to the Michael Hill sale to get some Christmas pressies for the in-laws but there was a mile long queue to get in as they were only letting 10 people at a time into the shop! And there was no way I was going to stand in a queue.... so might head to Queensgate today and check out the shop there instead :)

Came home, lay down on the couch to read and within mins I was sleeping (and snoring according to Steph) and ended up sleeping off and on for 2 hrs! Which of course didn't help matters when it came to sleeping last night. Though I stayed up "late" till 10.30pm but it still took me over an hour to fall asleep! And then I kept waking to check my phone to see if Kate's txt had come through... LOL And like I said earlier - I then ended up sleeping through it when it did come through!

Anyway, nothing major planned for today at all. Might head to Upper Hutt for a waddle around the warehouse and as I have been told a couple of times - waddling around (i.e. being on my feet) can encourage labour so that all helps BUT I can't have the baby this weekend as it is Ediths weekend off and I so don't want her back up to attend the birth so perhaps on that note I should have a quiet restful day and weekend and then really get moving on Monday! LOL But back to today - not a lot planned so will just see how I am feeling and do things as I feel like doing them.

Speaking of which, I guess I should get moving and have a shower etc since I have been sitting here in my dressing gown for the last 90mins or so!

Catch ya all later.

Morning all :)

Yeap shock horror - its just gone 8am and I am up and updating already.... but never fear no news to report - just a nice sun shiny day and between the sun, neighbours revving a motorbike and other neighbours having a sander/grinder going I didn't like my chances of sleeping in. And oh add to that one rumbling tum - I decided to get up about just before 7am :)

One load of washing on the line already and another in the machine - god I hope I still enjoy washing as much after the bubs is born! Though on saying that I have always enjoyed washing so hopefully that does continue for a long time yet...

Had the MW visit yesterday afternoon though she was running almost an hour late after being held up with a call from a new mum whose baby at 6 days old decided that he didn't want to be breastfed any more after 5 perfect days feeding... so Edith had been at this mums place for about 3hrs helping her out getting everything settled again! But anyway back to me and my visit - all is well. Bubs head is now sitting in the brim of my pelvic region so she is definitely heading in the right direction :) Though perhaps 45 odd mins of sitting on my swiss ball before Edith arrived assisted that... Am sitting on the ball as much as I can these days as I know it helps the baby big time in getting into the right position and it is also very good to use in the first stage of labour :) Bubs has switched from lying LOA to DOA - not 100% sure of what the appreviations mean but basically instead of lying on the left hand side she is lying directly down the front of my tum in line with my belly button - you can feel her spine if I am in the right position :) Her HB was great though as always it was a struggle finding it as she really does hate Edith's doppler! LOL My BP is great returning to what it was at the beginning of the pregnancy which is exactly what it is supposed to do :) Though apparently I have quiet BP - took Edith awhile to get the reading of that as well... Oh after checking me out - Edith is prediciting that I will deliver within the next 10/12 days so will see how accurate she is as we wait...

Today, I am meeting a friend for lunch in town, then heading home via Porirua to collect a baby bath rack (one of those towelling ones that you can lay baby on whilst bathing it) which I got from TM for only $1! I am thinking that I will leave here a bit earlier than needed and stop at Barbara's for what will probably be my last "official" weigh in before bubs arrival. I am not worried about the numbers are going to say as the main thing is delivering a healthy wee girl! But thought I would go, weigh in and have a catch up with Barbara... then I may do a weigh in after bubs is born and then I have decided for a couple of reasons, that I will tackle this weight loss journey by myself (and with you guys supporting me). One reason being the $$$ - even though she is a lot cheaper than WW - its still $10 week that we can't afford... and the second reason being the petrol it takes to get there now that we live further away! So add the petrol costs to the $10 - it soon adds up! So once bubs is here, I will sit down, assess everything and just do this day by day and see how things go. I mean I know what I should and shouldn't be eating and that exercise does play a role in weight loss (and there will be no gym for me either) so between my knowledge and the support of you all I am sure I can get rid of some more of this excess weight :)

Right, its almost 8.30am now - its taken me a while to get this written and I hope it makes some sort of sense to you all... best I get moving, hang out the 2nd load of washing and then have a shower etc.

Oh before I go, I have a confession to make - yesterday was Steph and mine 3rd Wedding Anniversary and believe it or not we BOTH forgot about it until I was heading to bed about 9.30pm last night!!!! Neither of us could believe that we had BOTH forgotten it! We had both been talking about it a couple of days earlier and then the day just slipped by.... So we have decided no presents or anything due to our budget restrictions - but on saying that we are going to probably head out to dinner either Friday or Saturday night - just the two of us even though money is tight - not going anywhere flash or pricey - just somewhere with the two of us enjoying the company and making the most of the "us" time before bubs arrives!

Catch ya all later

38 weeks down.... and OMG only 2 to go!!!

Hi ya

Just thought I had better do an update since there are so many popping in daily to see if there is any news... Still haven't come up with a "plan of attack" as to who I will get to post details once bubs is here - would like to think that Steph could do it once he was home but I am not 100% sure if he would remember etc...

I have had my lovely massage and pedicure this morning and ahhhhhhhhhhhh it was bliss!!!!! Could definitely have those reguarly if I won lotto! The pedicure was amazing as I had never had a pedicure before and it was fantastic! And I now have lovely pink toe nails! :) Hey at least if I go into labour now - I will have refreshed, relaxed and pretty feet!!! LMAO The massage was great as well though sitting in a chair just isn't the same as lying on your tum but it was still very relaxing!

Just had cheese toasties for lunch - nice but I burnt my finger when getting the 2nd one out of the machine so despite the stinging I have some aloe vera gel on it :)

Nothing much planned for this afternoon - at least the rain and wind have disappeared and the sun is shining so have got a full load of washing out on the line :) Edith the midwife is coming today (not yesterday) so am looking forward to seeing her and the progress our wee girl has made over the last fortnight... and am now on weekly visits!!! Might try to get Steph to take some belly shots over the next few days as well :) Am still waiting for the nesting to kick in but no sign of of it as yet as I sit here thinking that the dusting needs doing, the fridge, pantry and oven all need cleaning... oh well thats what Steph is for isn't it??? LOL

Right I think I will go lay on the couch and watch a couple of programmes I have got Steph to video for me recently before he goes over them with his programmes. Catch ya all later :)

Hi ya

Well another day with sweet FA happening :) Had a bit of a rough night with SIX toilet stops - and three of them within 2hrs!!! Took me those 2 hours to get to sleep... Got up sometime about 8.15am or so... and just blobbed around for a wee while before txting my friend Jo whose wee girl Maddie is now7 wks old... so arranged to go around there for a cuppa and a catch up to save her taking Maddie out in this awful weather!

Stopped at the bakery on the way aiming to get us a savoury muffin each but they didn't have any so just got a BIG piece of chocolate fudge which we cut in 1/2 and shared :) Can't believe how much Maddie has grown in the last 2 weeks though! Its amazing how fast they grow and how their features become distinguished! :)

Home, 2 min noodles for lunch with a bread roll - nothing exciting... baked a banana loaf, popped up to the Warehouse and got myself 3 mens singlets ($11 for the three) in nice large sizes for giving birth in as at this stage I am wanting some decency whilst in the bath/pool etc but will see what happens at the time :)

Home again, tasted my banana loaf - scrumptious :) And now just blobbing out and surfing the net again until Steph comes home...

Nothing exciting for tea tonight - perhaps devilled sasuages since we took sausages out of the freezer...

Quiet night here tonight... back massage (whilst sitting on special chair and leaning on massage table) tomorrow along with a pedicure (treat from a very special friend) tomorrow so am really looking forward to that :) Also have the MW coming at 4.30pm (so Steph could be home as well) so will be interesting to see what she has to say after the happenings of the last week.

Catch ya all tomorrow sometime :)

Hi all

Right before I forget, I keep meaning to ask those of you who have switched to Beta Blogger how you are finding it and whether you recommend changing to it from Blogger itself??? Have been thinking about it but unsure whether to make the switch or not....

Not too much to report on today - but a big thanks to you all who have commented or emailed me about the nursery photos. We are quite pleased with the way it has turned out and as much as I get annoyed with the "big girls bed" in there I realise I will probably be using it a bit in the early days especially whilst I am still off work and Steph is working.

Had lunch with our friends Lynaire, Kev and Kimberly today - was great to catch up with you guys! But we had some univited guests that wouldn't go away either - bloody mossies!!! Obviously with the dampness from the rain and the warm temps they were coming out in masses! And we had the door open as it is quite warm and we kept getting bitten which was annoying! Though it has always puzzled me on how they can bite you on the top of your legs when you are wearing trousers! LOL I made a salmon quiche dish that mum frequently makes - have got enough to have for tea (with salad) tonight and then Steph can take some to work tomorrow for lunch :)

But not a lot done since they have left, oh have cleaned Charlies cage out... and just blobbed out! Thought about going to visit a friend of ours in Wainui but realised she was away for the long weekend so there went that idea!

Anyway, as I don't have much more to say - I will leave it there and will catch ya all later :)

Nursery Photos...

This one is a overview of the change table, cot, basinett and wardrobe. You can also see the stick-ups that we got for the wall which I think looks brilliant (close up of the stickers to come...)












This is a view of the wardrobe open... with all the products we have been given on the top shelf! Don't think we will be needing to buy anything for quite some time :)
















Her big girls bed for when she is ready.... I do wish we had somewhere else we could store this so give us more room in here for now... but unfortunately we don't :) The clown and doll on the bed used to be my nieces (who are now in London). The doll was made by their other grandmother :)














The bookcase with some of the soft toys on it.... this by the way still needs a good paintjob - just have to choose the colour. Her make do toy box is in the front of the shelves :)

















This is her set of drawers and the panel heater we got put in. These panel heaters are extremely economical to use so we are looking forward to trying it in the winter.
The doll on top of the dresser used to be my late friend Jude's which her parents gave me to me a couple of weeks ago.










A close up of the heater which I just adore :)












A close up of my favourite stick on picture :)



















Right so there you have it - these have taken me ages to get right (and fingers crossed that it works ok - looks ok preview mode). I was trying to be smart and upload them all at once but then I just couldn't get the comments to match the right picture.

Have had a very quiet day today! In fact didn't get up till 9.45am and have just blobbed all day - decided to see what the other Hutt gals were up to so sent a txt out to Rachel, Jo and Helena and we all met up at the Fig Tree cafe for a good ole yak and quite a few laughs (thanks Jo!)!!! :)

Home again and all is quiet and Steph is watching motor racing... boring *yawn yawn* Have got our friends Lynaire and Kev coming for lunch tomorrow so better get my thinking cap on to see what we will give them! LOL

Having the occasional period pain/cramp still but nothing major though... Helena has told me I have to have a plan of attack in place for when I go into labour and for when our wee one arrives so that it can be updated on here... so will have a think about that one and see what we come up with :)

Oh Kate - we have got it down to about 3 names so will probably wait till she arrives and then make the decision :)
Right catch ya later

Hi ya

Still hanging in here... nothing major has happened today. Just been plodding on... and like Edith says - it could be a couple of days, 10 days OR I could even still go over but her instinct over the phone was that this wee girl will come early but I am seeing her on Wednesday afternoon so will wait and see what the story is then once she checks everything out.

Paulene - in regards to your comment yesterday - sorry if you got confused... bascially from what i have learnt from the net and friends and family - is that your mucus plug can start coming away either immediately prior to labour or up to 2/3 weeks prior to labour starting. I have a friend whose sister lost her plug approx 15 days before due date and then went two weeks over before having her baby! So just a matter of hanging in there really...

I did end up vacuming last night but only cause the damn bird is malting and I was getting so pissed off with feathers everywhere and Steph was busy doing tea so I took the opportunity to do the vacuming then... but I was a good girl and when I got home from lunch with my girlfriend, I had a wee nana nap for about an hour.

Today, we were up reasonably early to get to the supermarket and do the groceries before my sister arrived. Have had a nice afternoon with my sister, her partner and his 3 girls here - boy the girls are quite full on (13, 12,10 yrs). They were going to stay for tea and we were all going to have fish and chips, but my sisters partner had an upset stomach and decided that he would rather head home so we ended up having a quiet tea of homemade nachoes :)

Not a lot planned for the rest of the weekend so will just play it by ear and see what comes our way. Not a lot to do in the nursery now so might take some photos tomorrow and post them on here... so on that note I will say "goodnight" and will catch ya all tomorrow or Monday :)

Hi ya

Had a rough night last night and was awake from 2am to about 5am! Ended up getting up at 3.15am till about 4.30am - came online but funnily enough no one else was online and there was very little action indeed! LOL

After getting home from Antenatal (about 10.30pm) which by the way I was the only person to take home made baking along for the supper (everything else was from the supermarket)... I had a toilet stop and lost some more of my plug and after that came some quite bad period like cramps and lower back pain! So rather than disturb Edith (MW) then, I have paged her this morning (as I had no more problems during the night expcept for the sleeping issue) so am just waiting to hear back from her at the moment. There is probably sweet bugger all she will do and say, but like most of the advice I have received in the last 36hrs or so - its best to let her know just in case things do start happening quickly! Must also ask her which is her weekend off over the next few weeks so I can do my best NOT to have our baby on that weekend!

Its a lovely day weatherwise today, though a wee bit windy so am sitting here with the french doors open and the sun streaming in :) Might be meeting a friend I used to work with for lunch today but am waiting to hear from her as to whether or not we are still catching up or not. But apart from that - I don't think I have a lot on. MIGHT do the vacuming today since my sister and her partner and his 3 girls are coming for lunch tomorrow but will see how I am feeling. I promise I won't do it if I am not up to it! :) Sooo Rachel, I hope I have your approval for todays plan... LOL I think I may even end up having a nana nap due to my lack of sleep and the fact that I have been invited to a Tupperware Party tonight though am unsure if I will go as I won't know anyone else there apart from the hostess...

Oh, I got the capsule fitted etc in the car yesterday afternoon, so it looks quite cool now with the carseat in the back - just gotta have the baby now! LOL

Right, time to get moving, might go read my book for a while...

Right thought I had better do an update in case people start worrying and also I have been "instructed" by Rachel that I have to do an update every day (even if its a very brief one) so she (and no doubt others) don't start worrying! :)

Had a bit of "excitement" yesterday after losing some of my plug whilst on the toilet and as I had also been having niggling period like pains for a few hours prior to that.... it was like OMG could this starting already??? Did an SOS email to a couple of friends and thanks ladies for your replies - they were very much appreciated indeed! But decided not to call my MW and just play it by ear and see how things went.... had a great nights sleep with only 2 toilet stops and even struggled to get out of bed at 9.15am!!!

I have gone from having what I thought was going to be a quiet day today to having a reasonably full on day! I have changed my hairdressers appt from Saturday to this afternoon (1pm) and then Steph txt me to remind me about going to Plunket to pick up the capsule we are renting (think he is getting a bit worried after yesterday's episode) so will have to do that before the hairdressers as Plunket is only open for car seat rentals from 12-2pm today... and then he sent me another txt to remind me that we need to take supper for our last antenatal class tonight which I had semi forgotten about so will do a batch of mini muffins shortly or perhaps I will do them when I get home from the hairdressers and just relax this morning since I have to be leaving here in about an hour as I am not sure how long I need to allow at Plunket - have to choose the one I want, do the paperwork and then they show you how to fit it in the car.... so will allow a good 45mins for that and hopefully they aren't too busy...

Oh one good thing from yesterday's "scare" - I finished packing my bags!!! LOL I must have looked quite a sight yesterday afternoon as I was madly waddling around the house packing the labour bag (with Stephs stuff in that as well), my bag and then the babys bag too!!! But at least they are more or less done now! :)

Right, gonna get a move on and post this before Rachel txts me to see where my update is! LOL

Catch ya all tomorrow I guess...

37 down.... 3 to go....

OMG it is getting scary now - 37 weeks today with only 3 to go... well until the EDD anyway. So anytime now is considered a "term" baby so thats real scary in my eyes!

Still haven't finished packing our bags yet... got some snacks sorted, got my basics in the bag (nighties, pads, breast pads and knickers) - but still need a bit more in there so might work on that this afternoon if I can. Still got to organise the labour bag with CD's, rescue remedy, the snacks, water bottles, etc... and then can't forget to pack Steph's togs as well as a change of clothes for him :) We have decided to labour for as long as possible in the bath and all going well we will get the suite with the birthing pool as well... so at this stage my plan of attack for pain is water and gas and thats it.... but for those that know me well they just laugh and tell me there is no way I will get through the birth without at least an epidural! But I AM THINKING POSITIVELY and thats all I can do for now - so will wait and see what happens at the time.

It is a beautiful Wellington day today with the sun shining and not much wind at all! By 9.30am this morning I had 5 loads of washing on the line (not much room left on it) - 3 loads of baby things! Got say again I just love a line full of washing on a sunny day! One of our neighbours never seem to use their line - just the dryer continously (can hear it from our carport).

So today, I am heading out very shortly (as soon as I finished this) to head to the library to return some books and get some more out... then to Petone to meet up with Rachel for lunch before going to the Baby Factory... then home for a relaxing couple of hours before Steph gets home. Oh bugger just realised that I have to do some baking this afternoon as well for Steph's rifle club wind up supper tonight - well I am sort of cheating today as Steph really wanted chocolate fudge brownies to take tonight so we bought a packet of the Edmonds Ready Mixture which we just add eggs and milk too... so fingers crossed it turns out ok.

Oh before I go - here is the latest belly shot taken last night - 36 weeks 6 days :)


Right gotta get moving - catch ya all later :)

Hi all

Well have had my first day at home and although it was nice I did get bored! LOL I know some people find it hard to believe that I could get bored but I did... its probably cause I haven't got the nesting instinct as yet so I just mucked around surfing the net, reading, cleaning the birds cage and just general blobbing out. Though on saying that, some people have also said that blobbing out is good as it means you are not over doing things.... so I think I will just take it day by day and see what I end up doing.

It did feel strange being at home and not being sick or having a thumping headache or anything like that... I half expected my boss to call me with all these questions but I would say he is "toughing" it out and trying not to disturb me but I can just imagine it now - he will be stressed to the max as today is when the paryoll is run so there will be reports galore to check etc...

This morning, I got up about 9.15am (an hour later than yesterday) and have had my shower, dressed and had some toast along with a nice glass of strawberry quik! :) Not much else planned really - might do some more tidying in the nursery at some stage - I would estimate perhaps another hour or so worth of tidying up and then it should be ready for our wee one to make her grand arrival! :) So once it is totally ready I will then take some photos of it. So apart from that - not a lot more needs doing oh apart from some baby washing but weather is not the best today so that will have to wait till tomorrow when it is supposed to be a beautiful day. Might wander to the video store (about 100 meters away) and get a DVD or two out if I feel like it later on.

Right thats it from me - nothing exciting to report - just thought I had better do an update - time for me to go dry my hair etc.... catch ya all later

Hi all

It's a great feeling being Sunday evening and even better knowing that I don't have to go to work tomorrow... And Emily - 24 days till bubs EDD so thats our next countdown! Might drop Jodie an email to see how she did the poll on her blog about readers guessing the sex (okay thats an obvious one here) and date, time of arrival etc...

Haven't done a lot today really - done quite a bit in the nursery today - finding room for everything and putting things away. I love opening up the wardrobe and smelling all the baby products that are on the shelf in there! :) Have sorted out her "coming home" outfit (with a back up in case the first one gets messed up) and have started packing her bag. Need to finish packing my bag too at some stage so that is one mission for me this week.

So the nursery is almost ready for photos to be taken but not quite yet.... perhaps later in the week or early next week. Might try for a belly shot sometime this week too :)

Am getting quite brassed off with this wind that we are having at the moment - especially at night time! Can't belive how gusty it gets and how many things go rattle in the night! LOL I am semi dreading heading to bed tonight as the last two Sunday nights have been horrenduous nights for me so have cleared the spare bed in the nursery just in case I have another bad night. I've sussed out that whether I have a bath or not to wind down doesn't make any difference so not sure what the issue is but will see how I go tonight. Might try to stay up a bit later since I don't have to get up so early in the morning but then I don't want to get overtired either... Its a no win situation but will see how things go...

Anyway, time for me to get moving as my back is getting sore and bubs is giving me lots of kicks to change position! Catch ya all later

Hi ya

Thought I had better come on and do quick post to say all going well here... still plodding on day by day... but the best thing is that I have now finished work!! YIPPPEEE!!! Friday was hectic as I was doing my bosses job since he was on leave so despite going in early (was at work just after 7am) it was 5pm before I got away! So it was a long day especially when one was so busy - I was shattered by the time I got home!
I got spoilt on Thursday with a very scrumptious morning tea and a lovely card with an envelope of money (had been discussed with me prior to the presentation) for us to spend on either the baby or myself! And then on Friday, a very dear friend of mine from work gave me a card with money in it to ensure I spoil/treat myself!!! So am going to book in a pregnancy massage, a facial and a pedicure and enjoy every minute of it!!!

Today, I have been up and down emotion wise but thats cause I am tired... despite actually have a reasonable nights sleep last night. Went out just after 11am and didn't get home again till after 3.30pm so am pretty shattered. On the way home I was thinking that I would go have a lay down and perhaps have a nana nap but found one of our neighbours (behind us) had their car stereo booming with the most awful bass thumping from it! So gave up on the nana nap and ended up doing the vacuming instead but could still hear the thumping over the cleaner! But it seems to have stopped about 15 mins ago so we both have our fingers crossed it has stopped now! I didn't really want to go over and ask him to turn it down earlier but if he starts it up again I will waddle on over and ask him nicely... Steph wouldn't do it earlier cause he was in a grump with a headache and couldn't guarantee that he would ask nicely and I didn't really want any trouble...


So anyway, today we went down to Lower Hutt as the Baby Factory had 12.5% off for Parent Centre members and we used the money I got from work to get some sheets, blankets etc for both the basinett and cot and also a couple of other bits and pieces. And then we went over to Baby City and got a sunshade for the pram as they stocked one especially for a Berteni 4 wheeler. Kebab for lunch and then popped into Steph's brothers place for a chat before doing the groceries! Starting to stock up on energy snacks etc to take to the hospital so we just have to have control now and not eat them before hand so will put them in the hospital bag pretty soon I think... LOL

Right, thats me... not a lot happening here tonight - another quiet night - am getting tired of quiet nights in but on the other hand I often don't have the energy to go out but then get bored just staying home... so theres no winning with me at the moment!

Not a lot planned for tomorrow either... but right now I think I might go do some tidying up in the nursery :)

36 weeks down....

Hi all

Only 2 more working days to go.... YEEEHAAA!!!! I did contemplate going into work today since I had Monday off sick but then thought no I need my rest and they need to learn to manage without my continuous assistance so have stayed at home enjoying the sunshine! :)

But the best thing I have done today is:
Yeap thats right - we decided sometime ago to give cloth naps a go but I didn't announce so to speak on here due to the "debate" that came up last time the topic was mentioned. It looks a lot on the line but it is an entire "birth to potty" package deal - we may purchase another set of the small size ones to ensure we do have enough (at a discounted price since we have purchased a package deal) of that size. There is nothing I like better than seeing nappies on a line and flapping around in the wind! You do have to excuse the quality of the photo though as I took it from the lounge window as I didn't want the neighbours thinking I was mad taking photos of our laundry! LOL

Had the Midwife come around this morning and all is still just great! :) Bubs HB is high 140's (once Edith was able to locate it that is - for some reason our wee girl is never cooperative when it comes to staying still for that). My BP was 120/76 so still great there! No protein when I did the pee on a stick either so that is great also! :) Bubs is in an awesome position so fingers crossed she stays there until the time is right! Edith and I did have a laugh as it seems that bubs is going to have a big bum and tum (like her mum) but from measurements she will be long like her dad! LOL I did ask Edith about my sleeping as I am so much more comfortable on my right side rather than the left which is what is "recommended" at this stage in pregnancy (to aid bubs in getting in to the optimium position for birth)... Yay I have nothing to worry about - I can sleep on my right side if it means me sleeping... and as long as I keep up my swiss ball exercises and sitting upright when I can then I am fine! Phew...

My latest craving is apple juice! Just can't get enough of it!!! And also cheese and crackers.... yum yum! :)

I have my farewell morning tea tomorrow (as my boss is away on Friday) so that should be interesting. Hopefully I can find a computer to use tomorrow to ensure I can get some work and then on Friday I will be able to use my bosses one.

Anyway, enough rambling from me - will catch ya all later :)

Hi ya

Have spent the day at home today as I had another rough night last night and only got about 2hrs sleep once again... for some strange reason it tends to happen on a Sunday night - not sure why as I am not worked up about work or anything like that. And the last few times it had happened I had had a nice bubble bath before going to bed... so last night I thought I wouldn't have one and yet still I was awake most of the night! GRRRRRRR Though at least I didn't have any major breakdowns this time - just kept myself calm which I think made things a bit easier... Anyway, when it was time to get up, I got up and showered very relucantly and then Steph told me I looked as bad as I was feeling and I also had a very sore back and a headache - so decided "what the hell" and crawled back to bed.

Surprisingly I managed to go back to sleep and actually slept through till about 10.45am but woke with the headache still lingering... so have spent most of the day either in bed or laying on the couch. Decided to get dressed about 2pm so I am not tempted to crawl back to bed despite still feeling a bit tired.

So as I have had today off, I MIGHT consider working Wednesday (is supposed to be a days Annual Leave) but will see how things go tomorrow at work. It is still very frustrating at not having a computer to use during the day due to the temp now using my one. So I spend the day logging off and on various computers around the building which is very frustrating indeed! So like I said I will see how tomorrow goes before deciding if I will work on Wednesday or not.

Oh, here is the photo of the gifts that we got at the baby shower - our wee girl sure was spoilt big time and since the photo was taken we have been given another 4 lots of gifts!!!


Once everything has found a place in her room, I will then take photos of the nursery and post them as well. She better be a she otherwise he will be very femininely dressed for the first few months! LOL

Anyway, will disappear now.... and will catch ya all later on.

Hi all

Janene, everything is just fine... just had a busy few days. Antenatal on Thursday, too tired on Friday night, and then a busy weekend... :) Thanks for the concern though - nice to know I was missed here though... LOL

So bascially, yes I am still plodding on day by day... but have been quite busy with work on Thursday and Friday and was shattered by Friday evening.

Then, have had a busy and fairly social weekend - but thought I better make some time to do a quick post so everyone knows I am doing ok :)

Got the car seat today (Safe'n'Sound Royale) off layby so now we just need to get the bolt fitted into both cars so we can switch it from one to another if needs be. Though although we have got a car seat that goes from birth to 4yrs - we are also hiring a capsule seat from Plunket as there will be times in those first few mths when using a capsule will be handy. But any trips to Mums or my sisters or further afield we will use the Royale as the capsules are not good for long periods.

Also had a visit from Lynda and Stu this morning for a quick flying visit whilst they are in Wgtn for the weekend to see her friend who has cancer.

Also, visited my friend Jo who had her wee girl Maddie 4 weeks ago. Got some amazing cuddles with Maddie who ended up falling asleep on me! I could have sat there for the rest of the day just holding her! :)

Right time to make a quick call to Mum to catch up with my brother who is up from Christchurch... hope you all have a good week!

35 weeks!!!

Hi all

Yeap , the time sure is flying by quickly.... am 35 weeks today! So yeap only 5 weeks to go and still so much to organise and to mentally prepare myself for! But am sure I will get everything done in time... though on saying that I had a "lightbulb moment" yesterday and am real sure that this baby is going to come early - not too early but perhaps just a few days but I guess we just have to wait and see!!!

Had a nice day off work today despite a very early start with towing the car to the garage and taking Steph to work but I was able to come home and go back to bed for some more sleep for a couple of hours! Had a yucky drive (weatherwise) to Mum's before heading to Coastlands to meet up with Judes parents for a wonderful lunch - it was great to catch up with them and our wee bubs has been even more spoilt with more clothes and toys! I have even been given a doll that used to be Judes many years ago which makes it even so much more special! Dropped Mum back home and then hit the road as I had a Dr's appt at 3.30pm. Dr is really happy with my pregnancy progress and my weight etc... I have been diagonised with Silent Reflux so have been given a prescription to fill in the morning (as I ran out of time this afternoon). Dr also thinks that I could have mild asthma so have been given a script for that as well. Both scripts are perfectly safe to take in pregnancy (well in late pregnancy anyway) so will see how I go but if they help me out and help me sleep etc then I am all for it!

But anyway, on the way between Mums and the Dr's, the garage rung me to say that the car had been fixed which was amazing as they said it could easily take about 2 days before it would be ready due to their workload but once they knew what the problem was and were able to get a part they did the job straight away. It turned out that it was something to do with the distributor ignition (or something like that) - its all fixed now and we are $400 down... but at least the car is fixed (and very promptly) and we can return to "normal" LOL Will definitely be using that garage again - great, friendly service and so efficent! I need to get the car fully serviced but will hold off for a wee while whilst we recover from the $400 we just spent!

Although I was told I could start late tomorrow, I think I will go in at the normal time (providing I get a decent sleep tonight) and finish early instead. Will also be having a meeting with the boss tomorrow to discuss either finishing work earlier or perhaps cutting my hours a wee bit. I think I would prefer to finish earlier altogether but to help things at work the 2nd option might be better.

Anyway, thats enough rambling from me! Antenatal tomorrow so will catch ya all on Friday or over the weekend.

Hi all

Am home from the hospital tour so thought would pop online and say hello to everyone. The tour went well but I must say that the delivery rooms weren't what I expected - definitely smaller than most of us thought they would be and the baths were also smaller than what we had imagined. But am sure we will all survive our labours and before we know it we will all be holding our wee babes in our arms. I am due first in the group with another one due just 2 days after me... then they are widely spread out over the rest of Nov and Dec.

Work today was the day from hell and I have to say it was the worst payroll close off that I have ever experienced in the 12 years I have been working on various payrolls and in different companies! At one stage, I came close to loosing it with the temps and had to retreat to the ladies for a wee cry before regaining my composure and getting back to work knowing how much we had to do! Finally got away about 4.30pm and once I was down in Featherston St, I "cheated" and jumped in a cab and was able to make the 4.45 train which I wouldn't have made had I kept on walking or should that be waddling!

I have tomorrow off and then the boss has said I can come in late (about 10ish) on Thursday but I think I would rather start on time and leave early as it can be a real pain in the butt getting a park at the station later in the mornings... and the other issue would be if we are still down to one car but will deal with that once we know what is wrong with my car. Steph was able to purchase a new coil today but it doesn't seem to be that as the car is still not very well at all! So have booked it into a local garage tomorrow for them to check out and they will then ring us to let us know what is wrong with it but as they are so busy at the moment it could actually be Thursday or Friday before they are able to actually fix it! So no sleep in for tomorrow as I will need to be up at 6 to firstly get Steph to tow my car to the garage and then to take him to work... then it will be home and back to bed for a couple of hours before I head to Paraparaumu to meet Jude's (for those that don't know - Jude was a very dear friend of mine who passed away in January this year) parents for lunch. My mum will be there too so it will be nice to catch up with them and to see Mum again :)

Admittingly it is better that we have this car problem before I finish work rather than being on one income! But we are still hoping that it won't cost too much...

Had a better nights sleep last night but when I did wake for my toilet stops I was very light headed and almost collapsed in the hallway at one stage... I was also having funny feelings in my tum - so rung the MW this morning but basically she just told me to take it easy and if things got any worse to call her back. But as I already have got a Drs appt tomorrow afternoon for other reasons, the MW asked me to report back to her after I had seen the Dr.

I have been thinking that I may end up finishing earlier than initally anticipated and the boss has finally accepted that too as much as it distresses him but he has realised that my health and the health of bubs is more important at this stage... and I do have quite a bit of sick leave left so I can use that :)

But anyway, I feel like I have said nothing tonight but just been rambling about nothing... one of those entries where I have just blabbered on and on...........

Catch ya all later

Hi ya

Just another "quickie" from me... had the night from hell last night. Would be lucky if I got 2hrs sleep max! And the rest of the time I was WIDE AWAKE and having breakdowns every couple of hours (bawling, sobbing, crying... however you want to put it) being so frustrated at myself for not being able to sleep! I had gone to bed shattered after a full on weekend and a nice relaxing bubble bath but for some reason as soon as my head hit the pillow my eyes were wide open!!!!!!

Anyway, survived the day at work but am sure that was because I spent most of the day on another floor using a spare computer so being away from the temps and their endless questions made everyones day more bearable as I know that had I had to put up with questions etc I probably would have lost it and snapped at someone real early on! It was bad enough that I spent the last hour up on the floor with them and got stressed to the max in that hour alone!

Had taken the car in today in case I needed to come home early - started ok but it died on me (and my friend Marianne) about 100 metres from work going down the steep hill leading to Boulcott Street. Got some guys to do a jump start for me but no such luck - they said it was probably the starter motor! So rung the AA, waited an hour for them to arrive - wow talk about a gourgeous guy and well worth waiting the hour for! LOL But he managed to jump it ok and said that the other guys must have flooded the engine! So anyway, approx 90 mins after initally leaving work we were on our way at long last!!!

Got as far as Belmont Domain when all of a sudden I lost all power and was unable to accerlate so was able to drift over to the left hand lane and pull over... rung Steph and updated him and then it was back on the phone to the AA again! Another hour to wait - and I tell you by this time this pregnant chick really needed to go loo! LOL Not long after we had stopped there and we were trying to open the bonnet so we could raise it so people would know we had broken down, my brother in law stopped and tried helping us but no luck there... he did however tow us a bit further up the road to the bus stop so we were further off the shoulder of the motor way! And he also left us some chippies as he had just been doing the groceries! So yes an hour later, AA were back there with us and this guy was pretty adamant that the coil has "died" so called a tow truck for us and so about 30 mins later we were home! So our trip home took us 4hrs!!!!! Tow truck only cost me $20 so that wasn't too bad... and Steph is going to go to Repco or Super Cheap Autos tomorrow to get a new coil and will hopefully be able to fit it tomorrow afternoon!

But talk about that being the last thing I needed after such a crappy night on such a crappy day weather wise!!! But the main thing is that I am home (as is Marianne at long last), had a nice simple dinner cooked and ready for me, and now I am about to head to bed for hopefully a good sleep...

Got the hospital tour tomorrow all going well (unless the delivery ward is full) so will try to update after that otherwise I will catch ya all on Wednesday... ok so much for a quick post but now I am off to bed.... catch ya all later

Hi all

Just a Sunday night quickie... have had a full on but wonderful weekend!

Saturday, up reasonably early to do a load of washing, and then the groceries before Rachel arrived to pick me up for the bloggers lunch at The Short Straw Cafe in Whitemans Valley - awesome cafe out in the middle of nowhere but everyone seemed to find it ok as no one got lost! So great venue, awesome food and most importantly the most amazing wonderful company! There was myself, Rachel (and her two boys), Jo (and Rhian), Helena, Janene (and Jorja), Anne, Mandy (her darling Hubby and her two boys) and Sue - so like I say it was the most wonderful company and a great couple of hours out! Pity it was raining as that meant the kids couldn't go outside and enjoy the amazing playground so next time we go there it WILL be sunny and the kids WILL be ble to play outside! LOL

Got home, to do some baking (for today) and just a general blob out really. Had some yummy homemade hamburgers for tea :) Not that I needed them of course after such a great lunch but hey baby was hungry! LOL

Had a real crap sleep and a restless night so was up at 8.30am and mucked around for a while before cooking some sausage rolls for the baby shower and then cleaned out Charlies cage. Lunch, tidy up and then off to my friend Mariannes place who was kindly hosting the shower for me! It was wonderful to see so many of my friends and family all there and wow talk about being totally and utterly spoilt!!! I am still gobsmacked by how spoilt I (or should I say the baby) was today! Glad I had the stationwagon as I sure needed it to get everything home! I laid everything out on our bed when I got home and took a photograph so once I've downloaded it I will post it :)

Had a light tea of tuna pasta bake with a green salad, dishes and then had a 40 min bubble bath - ahhhhhh bliss and so, so, so needed!!! So now its time for bed and to prepare myself for two days of hell at work before having Wednesday off! Oh we have the hospital tour (through our antenatal classes) on Tuesday night so we are looking forward to that.

Have a good week everyone and I will catch ya later

Hi all

Just thought I would do a quick post before heading to bed...

Last nights antenatal class was good though the video we got to view really sucked! Hard to explain but wasn't what we expected so have spoken to L (who I worked with) as she is also a CBE (Child Birth Educator) and she is going to lend us a couple of videos that show us "normal" births.

Today at work was diaboloical - so hard when there are 4 computers yet 6 of us wanting/needing to use a computer! L finished today so we are down to 5 of us requiring computers and yes you can guess that I am the one still training the temp that is replacing me I am the one being shunted aside so K the temp can learn. I have heaps to do that requires the use of a computer so am starting to get quite frustrated indeed! Its gonna be a long 11 days that I have left there... (think I counted wrong the other day). I spent the afternoon on a computer down on level 3 - peaceful I must say! But whenever I showed my face upstairs boy I got bombarded with questions etc... I think I will spend as much time as possible downstairs on Monday and Tuesday whilst that person is away on leave! The rate I am going I will be seriously considering talking to the Midwife about finishing early and taking sick leave but will see how I am going next week.

Though, as today was L's last day - we had a team lunch out today (2hrs) at a local pub - was brilliant and very scrumptious indeed. Had a yummy BLT with a couple of Lemon, Lime and Bitters :) Whilst having lunch, the parade for the World of Wearable Arts went past, so it was wonderful being able to stand on the balcony seeing everything!

Tonight has been pretty quiet here at home, did bring some work home with me (just some worksheets that need calculations done) and was planning on doing it tonight but have just run out of energy!

I have a busy weekend ahead of me - with the bloggers lunch tomorrow so have Rachel picking me up at midday and hopefully we will find the place ok :) That is going to be so much fun with 9 of us getting together along with 6 kids! :) Must remember to take my camera to get lots of photos! :) So before then, we will have some washing to do, groceries to do.... and Steph has a list of things that he is going to do whilst I am at lunch. Then home to do some baking before having a quiet night I think though I have been invited to 2 parties but think I will give them both a miss since I have my baby shower on Sunday so will need all my energy for that! :) Although its not till 2pm I have a few things I need to get done before then.

So anyway, on that note I will say goodnight... and will try to update perhaps on Sunday evening if I have the time/energy.

Hope you all have a great weekend and for the "locals" and the out of towners who are coming along - see you tomorrow!!!!!!! :)

Hi ya

Just thought I would do a quick update as Edith (my Midwife) has just left and thought I would let you know all is going well and she is more than happy with everything. BP is great - still sitting at 120/70 (hasn't varied much at all throughout the whole pregnancy) and bubs HB is averaging about 155 bpm. When Edith first found the HB, bubs gave the doppler gave it a huge kick! LOL And then hid for a wee while before co-operating again! :) But her size and position is great so its just a matter of time and waiting... she did say that IF work/stress/tiredness got too much for me - just to call her, we will then meet up, have a chat and if needs be she will give me a med cert.

I had my day off work today and managed to have a nice wee sleep-in but got up to find the weather real crappy so my plan of doing baby washing etc turned to dust and I just burst into tears as thats ALL I wanted to do today! But after a while I accepted it was just those damn hormones playing up again! But once I had "recovered" - I went and visited my friend Sheri and had a good couple of hours of catching up with her and her two wee girls! :)

I then did a few bits and pieces in Upper Hutt like paying the rates (YUCK), got some library books out and wandered around before coming home and taking it easy for the afternoon. Tried a new recipe for tea - it was a home and courgette pasta salad (hot) - I absoutley adored it but Steph wasn't keen on it at all so have got a nice dish of it for lunch tomorrow :)

Right gonna get moving.... Antenatal class tomorrow and amongst other things we will be watching the birth videos so that should be interesting... so will catch ya all later.

Hi all

All going well here - just plodding on day by day... and just for Emily - there are only 12 bottles of beer left!!!!!!! Or for those that missed that "joke" a wee while ago - that equates to 12 more working days left before I finish up! OMG how scary is that??? Very scary in my eyes but at the same time it couldn't come around quick enough!!! Well actually there is 15 days but I have the next 3 Wednesdays off so that leaves 12 working days in my book :)

L finishes at work on Friday so that will be at least a couple of hours of work not being done while we are at the pub etc... And then the following 2 1/2 weeks will be so full on for me being the senior one there and with 2 new temps! We have noticed that they are very unsure of things at this stage so fingers crossed that they build up some confidence very quickly otherwise the boss is in big shit!!! Everyday he is asking me can I come back earlier - I mean for pete's sake I am coming back a LOT earlier than I want to (okay that has to do with the $$$) but thats beside the point!

I can see the boss asking me to work over this weekend - but NO WAY am I doing that! Yes the $$$ would be great but I have the "blogger" lunch on Saturday and then my baby shower on Sunday so no way in hell am I working!

I have the day off tomorrow - YAY! Not doing too much - will hopefully get at least one load of baby clothes washed (as well as our normal wash too). Am planning on not doing too much if I can help it - am catching up with my friend Sheri so am really looking forward to that as it has been quite some time since we caught up :) Have got the MW visiting tomorrow evening so am really looking forward to seeing Edith again and hearing our wee girls HB etc... boy this wee princess sure has been causing me grief at times lately with some amazing boots and movements and where she is sitting.... but only 43 days to go if not less but then again if not more....

Right time for me to keep moving as I find if I still here for too long my back and bottom tend to seize up!

Catch ya all later

Hi all

Just thought I would do a quick update whilst dinner is cooking (roast chicken) and share a photo that I took on Friday whilst at home so was 33wks 2days :)

I do have a "exposed" belly shot taken as well but don't think I am confident to show all my stark white belly photo! LOL

I know I am not as big as others that are due at the same time and I am carrying low but as long as bubs is healthy then thats the main thing :)

Right have had dinner - it wasn't the best of roast chickens (different brand) but it was still nice. So guess whats for lunch tomorrow?? Yeap roast chicken sandwiches :)

Have had a good weekend and quite productive. Steph finished painting the nursery yesterday which was great whilst I mucked around and did the housework bit by bit. We got an impromptu dinner invite late yesterday so went out with friends to Cafe Romeo in Upper Hutt - had the most amazing lamb shanks for dinner, so it was great food and wine, great company but unfortunately it was ruined by disgusting service!

This morning, we headed back to the Baby Factory to sort out the pram issue - all sorted now. We have taken the floor model was it is in excellent condition and they threw in a free toddler seat (worth $99) as compensation. Okay - we don't know if we are having a second child as yet but if we don't we know it will get a great price on TradeMe :) So have had fun playing with that today.

Steph has been busy putting together the wardrobe for the nursery and cot etc... so whilst I popped out to have a coffee with Helena at Twiglands cafe so it was great to catch up with her :) By the time I had gotten home, Steph had both pieces assembled as well as the bed reassembled and made up with sheets etc, he had the curtain rail up and the curtains up as well, and the drawers etc all in the room! It was amazing how much he had gotten done in the 75mins I was out! We have since done a fair bit more and I have sorted all the clothes and washed all the whites and they are all hanging on the clothes horse in the nursery! It's all sinking in now on how real everything is and how close everything is to happening! Though must get my A into G and pack my bags just in case bubs does decide to make a very early appearance!

But right, best I get going to help Steph with the dishes (god I miss the dishwasher we had in our old place) and then make our sandwiches for tomorrow.

Have a good week everyone.

Yay - am on my first day off today and so far its been great! :) Roll on next Wednesday when I have my next day off work...

Managed to go back to sleep till about 8.45am after Steph left for work this morning so that was great and then it was nice just being able to take my time showering and having breakfast etc... I had an appt with the podiarist this morning as my feet needed some TLC and I am having probs reaching my nails and rubbing lotion etc into them now. So it was nice to have someone else do my nails and file my heels and give me a nice foot massage. Then headed to Lower Hutt to look at some maternity bras :) Went to Lynn's Lingere (sorry can never spell that word) in Naenae as I still had a voucher from there from Christmas time - so had a professional fitting with them and wasn't really surprised to find I am still at my pre pregnancy size in bra's! :) So got one from them and then went to Farmers and got myself another 2 (same brand as the earlier one) but different colours and cheaper too! And then it was made cheaper again as they had buy 2 and get 20% off! :) Also got some cute little pink clothes hangers for our wee girls wardrobe as she already has a couple of nice dresses and jackets which I want to hang up once her wardrobe is up in her room. Also got a couple of soft rattles as they also had 20% off when you got 2 or more :) I was drawling over the baby clothes there but have promised Stephan that I will buy no more baby clothes etc until after the baby shower and then we will go through everything and see what we still need :)

Oh in regards to the pram situation - not looking great at the moment as the one we got was end of line in that model and they now only have one left (apparently the Lower Hutt store got sent all of the models from around the country to get rid of) which is the floor model so they are putting that aside for us to go and check out on Sunday (when the assistant manager will be on duty) but I refused to commit to taking that one without checking it first and besides whenever I take a floor model of whatever I am purchasing I always insist on a discount as well so will have to do some talking with the lady on Sunday. But then I got home today to a message on the answerphone from the Baby Factory saying that they have had to send the pram (the floor model) away today due to a damaged wheel and that it won't be back for about 10 days!!!! GRRRRRRRRR I think we will still go down on Sunday though and chat to the lady and also have a look at other options and see what "compensation/discount" we may get from them for their stuff up!

Not much else happening really... was going to pop into my friend Lynaires place on the way home from the Hutt but she was going out at 1.30pm and by the time I had finished all my bits and pieces and had some lunch it was 1.20 so decided to come home and blob out instead! Can't wait for the nursery to be finished (fingers crossed that will be by the end of the weekend) so we can move everything into it, assemble the cot and wardrobe and then make a start on sorting things out etc... I want to track down the containers with all the clothes in it so I can make a start on washing them all etc but at the moment they are at the back of everything in the spare room so I just have to be paitent! LOL And for those that know me really well - that is easier said than done for me at times! LOL

Anyway, I am getting uncomfortable here so best I get moving and do something else... will pop back over the weekend on the progress of the nursery and how we get on at Baby Factory on Sunday.

Catch ya all later

Hi all

Have had a great day or as great as it can be anyway... work went well but I must say that one of the temps is a BIG lady and when it came to lunch time she sat there and ate a bag of chippies and a chocolate bar for lunch!!! All I wanted to do was go up to her and shake her and say "NOOOOOO don't eat that!!!! That is not a meal!!!!" But I just sat there and will try to SLOWLY show her some healthy eating by setting an example but I have a feeling she will be a hard one to crack through! I certainly don't believe in forcing anyone to lose weight or to eat heathly if they don't want to but when I see someone this big (and about my age) eating meals like that I just want to shake them and show them "the light" so to speak!

On to baby stuff - all went well at the scan and yay the placenta has moved up enough to enable me to have a "natural" birth (i.e. not a forced c-section)! Can't believe how much she has grown in the last 9 weeks since my last scan! Her estimated weight as at the scan was 4lb 11oz so looks like I am in for a nice big baby if she continues to grow!!! My friend Jo (who had her wee girl a couple of weeks ago) also had a 32 week scan and her girl was estimated at just over 4lb and gave birth to a nearly 9lb'er!!!!! So will have to wait and see how the next 7 weeks go! :)

We picked up our pram that had been on lay-by and got it home to find that it was the wrong one that they had put aside for us!!! Grrrrrrrr!!! Tried calling the Baby Factory but they had already closed so will be calling them first thing in the morning!!!! I certainly hope that they still have one of the ones we want (and have paid for) in stock otherwise I sure will be one grumpy horomonal bitch!!! Also got a couple of toys whilst there to give her as part of her Christmas present from her mummy and daddy! I know over all she will be FAR to young to know what Christmas is but hey her mummy and daddy still have to give her a present and perhaps even Santa might even visit! LOL

But anyway, best I get moving and do some bits and pieces.... Antenatal class tomorrow night - tomorrow's overview is Pain in Labour, Coping with Pain, Medical pain relief options, Second Stage of Labour and medical intervention in second stage.... and oh foot massaging too! :) Then of course I have Friday off... yay!!! LOL

Catch ya later...

Hi

Just a quickie tonight as I think I may head off to bed shortly as I am pretty damn tired today but then as I was wide awake from 1.45am till approx 4.30am this morning who can blame me really! Can't blame baby on being awake as she was sleeping most of that time... I just had a period of insomnia along with a bit of hunger pains. I contemplated getting up 2/3 times to read in the lounge or come online but just couldn't bring myself to "roll" out of bed! LOL So about 4.30am I must have dosed off again and then woke at 5.30am and lay there till it was time to get up at 5.45am!

I initally felt quite good today but obviously as the day wore on my tiredness really hit me! It made for one looooooooong afternoon! Got the two temps starting tomorrow so that should be fun - NOT! I am SO looking forward to having a sleep in on Friday and just blobbing out but will probably go to Lower Hutt at some stage and check out some maternity bra's and perhaps even do a dash of Christmas shopping if I am feeling up to it.

Right off to bed - might read for a wee while to see if that will help me fall asleep... catch ya all tomorrow after my scan - yay am so looking forward to seeing our wee girl again (and ensuring that she is still definitely a she)!

Catch ya all later

Hi ya

Going back to my last update on Saturday afternoon... I must admit that painting the skirting boards wasn't as easy as I thought it would be whilst pregnant but I got the first coat done :) We ended up having a very quiet night on Saturday - watched "24" that we had taped on Friday night and then I was in bed by about 9.30pm!

Managed a wee sleep in and was in at work by 10.45am - worked for 5hrs (and got heaps done) so was home again by about 4.15pm. Did some baking and made a batch of Orange Honey mini muffins, then cleaned Charlies cage out, then cooked tea, dishes and then just blobbed out in a lovely relaxing bubble bath - ahhhhh bliss!!! Just me and my princess having fun in the bath! She really does seem to come to life when I am soaking in the bath which is fascinating for this Mum to be! :) Whilst I was at work, Steph got 2nd and 3rd coats on everything in the nursery and even got the first coat on for all of the cutting in work that had to be done! All going well, we will have at least one of his sisters and his mum here on Saturday assisting in the painting so fingers crossed by Sunday evening, the room should be ready to have things moved back into it!

Today, was another full on day at work but we managed to complete everything and we were able to be finished by about 30mins later than normal :) We have our 2 new temps starting on Wednesday so the next 4 weeks will be full on with training etc.... and then L finishes next Friday so my last two weeks are gonna be pretty full on and stressful at times. Am quite pissed off with my boss at the moment as he is having the Friday before I finish up off on Annual Leave - this happens to be our close off for the pay and one of the busiest days in our pay cycle... I will be in charge with 2 new temps and P who started 5 weeks ago! I am not looking forward to it at all and have told him that but he just tells me to relax and that will be ok! Oh I am now on to 4 day weeks from now on.... I have Friday off this week, then the next 3 weeks I have Wednesdays off and then I finish the following Wednesday (18th Oct). Real scary now! LOL

Still getting heaps of movement from bubs - and have my scan on Wednesday afternoon to check to see if the placenta has moved up or not so will keep you posted on that.

Right time to go organise the lunches for tomorrow... catch ya later

Just thought I would do another quick post to let all know that I am doing ok and just plodding on. We had Antenatal classes on Thursday night - more relaxed and more chatting done but it's still hard not getting home till about 9.45pm then heading to bed and winding down etc... and all I dreamt of on Thursday night was my waters breaking as we had been discussing that at the class! LOL

Both Thursday and Friday were FULL ON days at work and I have heaps more to do so am going in for a few hours tomorrow (refused to work both days!). Last night, we went to a Prenzel's Party at my friend Lynaires place. Was great to see them and catch up with them and their other friends. I was even a wee bit naughty and sampled one of them (in a shot glass) but boy it was good! I did want more after that but went straight back to my OJ and nibbling on the crackers and dip. I was so tired that we headed home about 9.45pm and just collapsed into bed!

This morning, we were kindly woken quite early (just after 7am) by Charlie (our cockatiel) squawking away as the sun was shining through the curtains and no doubt he just wanted to be sitting in the morning sun! So I got up, opened the curtains and moved him into the sun :) Went back to bed and managed to get another hour or so of sleep before he started making more bloody noise! Managed to ignore him until 9am before I decided that I wasn't going to get much more of a lay-in so got up then :)

So far today, I have done 4 loads of washing and most of it is dry and folded already thanks to the wonderful northly wind we have blowing here today! We have done the groceries, had a scrumptious lunch of fresh bread rolls with tuna, lettuce, tomato and cucumber! Steph has done the second coat of paint on the ceiling in the nursery... and we are now about to start working on the window frames, skirting board and door frame... so best I get my A into G and start some painting. This is my choice as Steph has told me he will do it all but I want to feel that I have contributed in some way and by doing the skirting boards I can just sit on my big butt and work my way around the room (which is quite small).

Nothing planned for tonight - might get a DVD out and just blob out... and then of course I will be heading into work tomorrow for a few hours so will catch ya all later

Another quickie tonight whilst watching "Big Love" - I know some people just can't stand this programe due to its content but I for one quite enjoy watching it :)

Had a rough day today - bloody hormones have so much to answer for! Guess the stress at work was just getting to me and at one stage I just took off to the ladies for a wee cry. Had contemplated working late again as there is still so much to get done but by 4pm I had had just enough of that place and needed to get out of there!!! I did bring some home with me to work on tonight but have lost all motivation to do it so I guess it can get done tomorrow - tough biccies!!! Will be working for a few hours over the weekend too but have refused to work both days as I just can't cope with that! Just thinking of the $$$ from the overtime etc... the extra money will help us in either paying off the carseat quicker or perhaps we will use it to get some more Christmas presents :) Would be nice to use it on myself but I think thats becoming a thing of the past now :(

Can't believe that I am 32 weeks already! Only 8 weeks to go!!!! How scary is that??? Yes I am getting excited but am shit scared at the same time! I have such a low pain threshold and am worried that I will end up having a panic attack whilst in labour but am busy discussing that with my MW at the moment... We have our 2nd antenatal class tomorrow night so that should be fun :)

Anyway, time for me to stop rambling - so will catch ya later on.

Hi all

Just a quickie before I head to bed to say that I have just had my visit from the MW and am pleased to report that all is going wonderfully! :) She is most impressed with my lastest weight update and despite our wee girl being one wee madam whilst the MW was trying to track the heartbeat - she was not coperating at all and it took probably about 5 mins of trying as bubs was squiggling all over the place before we were able to get a reading for her heartbeat. But overall BP, heart rate, position etc are all just fantastic! And like I said last night - am now on fortnightly visits so 2 more weeks to go until I see her again and then the week in between I have my scan... so the time will probably fly by!

Had an email from a friend today who had seen me at the weekend to tell me how glowing I looked which really made my day but I just wish I felt it at times!

Another full on hectic day at work but on saying that the day did fly by real quickly! I worked an extra hour this evening - would have worked a bit longer but had to get home in time to have tea before the MW arrived.

Right time to fly and head to bed... catch ya all later :)

Hi ya

Ended up having a very quiet night at home on Saturday and doing some baking knowing that we were busy on Sunday. Made a banana loaf and a chocolate slice - quite relaxing really for a Saturday night :)

Had a great day yesterday at the Parent and Child show - probably a bit pricey for what we got but it was fun being pregnant and getting samples and entering god knows how many competitions - lost count of how many times I wrote my name and address etc... LOL I was shattered after 2 1/2hrs of walking around there but we left with many bags of samples :)

Had lunch in Lower Hutt, before stopping at the hopsital to visit my friend Jo and her parter Damon and their new wee girl Maddie. We arrived just as Maddie was getting her nappy changed so managed to get a great cuddle with her and to get very cluckly indeed!

Home and I tried having a rest whilst Steph went to his parents to give his mother her birthday card and gift voucher... didn't get much of a rest as the kid across the way was sitting in his dad's car tooting the horn non stop and then Charlie started squawking so between those two I gave up trying to have a sleep!

Had another crap night last night and when I eventually managed to dose off (sometime after midnight), my precious wee girl got the hiccups which kept me away for another 30 mins or so!!!

Busy day at work today and did 2 1/2 hrs overtime and will probably do about an hour extra each night this week but will play it by ear and see how I am going. Can't work to late tomorrow as we have the MW coming around for a visit and then I am on to fortnightly visits from then on...

Right off to bed now.... catch ya all later xx

Wow can't believe its Saturday evening already!! The day sure has flown by!

Had a nice early night last night as I was shattered after a full on day at work and a very restless and uncomfortable night on Thursday night... Had a good sleep initially but am SO OVER sleeping with pillows and the frequent toilet stops that I am making! Last night once I woke the first time, it seemed that I was up every couple of hours visiting that wee room! :) Please don't get me wrong as believe it or not I am throughly enjoying pregnant overall - its just the hormones which I have no control over which are getting me down and the general uncomfortableness that I am now experiencing as we get closer to "D" day!

I have my next scan on Wed 20th when I will be 33 weeks to see if my placenta has moved up or not as it was quite low and sitting just above my cervix. If it hasn't moved up it will be a definite c-section for me so just gotta wait and see on that one. Still getting heaps of movement which is fantastic to watch and feel... am also getting Braxton Hicks most days now - more so when I am walking to and from the railway station and occasionally when I am just relaxing...

Anyway, back to my day today - no sleep in for us as we had my nephew the sparky arriving between 9.30-10am and then I had a hair cut at 10am as well! Rob hadn't arrived when I left for the hairdressers but apparently turned up just after I left... so by the time I got back he was well and truely stuck into the work we had lined up for him! :) Jo popped in to drop off the latest Avon Brochure - was great to see you mate and you really are looking fantastic!!!!!!!!! :) Once Jo had gone, I got busy making a bacon and egg pie as that is what Rob had requested for lunch and I do have a confession to make - this was my first ever bacon and egg pie that I had ever made and I am 35 years old!!! Now that is real scary! But never fear, it turned out fantastic and was scrumptious along with a nice green salad that I had made :)

By 4.30pm, Rob had finished and we had our new 3in1 bathroom light/fan/heater installed, we had our new light fittings installed in the lounge and we had 3 new power points through the house! Things look great now especially since I have also done the vacuming and cleaned up the mess that was left behind but upon saying that Rob did offer to vacum for me but as he had about a 90min drive ahead of him, I said no worries and that I would do it.... Steph also offered but I was fine just as long as I take it easy. So the place is looking great and now Steph just has to attach the panel heaters to the wall in the hallway and the nursery :) And of course the painting of the nursery. We have set the date of 24/25 August to get his sisters around to help us do the painting so before then, we need to get the second coat on the ceiling and do the skirting, door frame and windows so guess what we are up to next weekend!!!

Tonight, Steph is in a shooting comp so a real quiet night for me - might make a call or two and see if any of my friends are also having quiet nights and perhaps might catch up with one of them....

Tomorrow, we are having a wee sleep in, before getting up and heading to town for the Parent and Child show for 2/3hours and then heading home... I will also make a trip to Lower Hutt to visit my friend Jo who had her wee girl on Thursday morning - can't wait to catch up with Jo and to meet Madeline (Maddie). God I get so cluckly just thinking about it! LOL

Oh, before I sign off - just to say that the Ante natal class went really well - as well as can be expected for a first night anyway - with not much said but hopefully as we get to know each other that will change. We are first on the list for due dates...

Anyway, time to organise tea so Steph can get away on time... home cooked fish and chips for us tonight :) Hope you are all having a great weekend - catch ya all later

Hi all

Made the decision to go to weigh in this morning as Barbara has stopped doing Sat mornings but is now opening the clinic at 7.30am on Thursdays... so was on her doorstop at 7.30 ready and waiting! Glad to say there was no real suprise there as her scales basically said the same as mine (allowing for the fact that I was dressed rather than stark naked LOL). In the last 11 weeks (since my last offical weigh in) I have gained 4.6 kilos so my total gain during the pregnancy is now standing at 12.6 kilos so am pretty happy with that as is Barbara :) It was great to catch up with her but probably won't be back for another offical weigh in unti I finish work (29 days just in case I hadn't mentioned that recently LOL) as it means taking the car into town and paying for a carpark and also getting to work a bit later than normal...

I met Sue for lunch today and it was great to catch up with her - you are looking great Sue!!! :) I had the most delicious chargrilled vegetable toasted panini - yum yum! :) And the time just flew by - thanks for listening Sue :)

Work was pretty full on which made the day go fairly fast but its only gonna get busier over the next few days!

We start our Antenatal classes tonight so gotta be leaving the house in about 20 mins as we have to be there early tonight to pay our money etc... so best I get moving as one my back is starting to ache and two things to do before we go out.

Catch ya all later

Just a quick post before I head out to a friends place for a couple of hours this evening... not too much to say really.
Am 31 weeks today so time really is flying by!!! Still quite a bit to do though but have my nephew the sparky coming on Saturday to do our work for us and then we will really get stuck into the painting etc... just hope bubs doesn't come too early!
Work is picking up at a steady pace... just slowly preparing us for whats to come over the next fortnight really. Only 30 working days left :)
Finances are still a very tight situation at the moment but fingers crossed we MAY have sussed something out but haven't had much luck with the bank!
Was worried for a wee while earlier today when I hadn't had movement for a wee while but after a nice cold long milkshake she certainly started moving!
Catch ya later

Hi ya

Ended up having a rather an emotional, horomonal day yesterday... so didn't really do a hell of a lot really! Steph did the undercoating of the window sills as well as painting the ceiling in the nursery so whilst he was doing that, I cleaned Charlie's cage and did the vacuming (though that was a bit of a struggle at times).
Had a very easy lunch of saveloys (something that I had a craving for) and then did some baking and tried a new receipe for a chocolate peppermint slice which had melted dark chocolate as the icing. Absoutley devine taste wise but a bit fiddly and time consuming as it spent a lot of time setting (base and the peppermint paste etc...). After that, we headed to Steph's parents place to give his father a Father's Day present and whilst there the rest of the family dwindled in to do the same thing so it was great catching up with everyone though it did mean we ended up staying longer than we had anticpated.
Home for a very easy dinner of ham steaks, mashed spud and veggies. We were a bit slack this week and haven't organised our meals due to lack of time when doing the groceries so all meals this week will be rather ordinary and plain :) Which I guess makes a nice change everynow and then... After tea, I popped around to my friend Sharlene's place whose Grandmother had passed away late last week. I really want to attend the funeral tomorrow to support her but unfortunately it is at a real bad time for me workwise tomorrow morning - had it been in the afternoon I would have been able to go... but there is no way I can do it in the morning :( But she knows my thoughts are with her and the family. It was nice to spend a couple of hours with her and her partner last night and to have a good talk.
I had the most awful nights sleep last night that I have had during the whole pregnancy - I think if I was lucky I would have gotten 3 hours sleep tops! It wasn't bubs moving but just me not being able to get comfortable and every time I moved I needed to go to the loo - so at one stage I was so tempted to take my pillow and a duvet to the bathroom with me so I didn't have to make the trip yet again.........
So today has been a very looooong day indeed and had it not been our closeoff I would have called in sick as I had absoutely no energy whatsoever but dedication saw me at work plodding on through the day though it was a real struggle at times. So there will be a definite early night for me tonight!
Well - 32 working days left... and 65 days till the due date... so time is defintely flying! Right off to help Steph with tea (butter chicken on rice tonight).
Catch ya all later

Well things seem to have been very quiet in blog land when it comes to updates... so hope everyone is ok and are just busy with family and social lives :)

Yesterday was a busy day workwise and this is the beginning of one hectic fortnight for us as we process all the annual salary reviews in this upcoming period! I only have two full weeks left of work before starting my 4 day weeks for 4 weeks :)

Today - we have been on the go continously and I am shattered! It was an earlish start for us to get to the Upper Hutt Spring Carnival before it got to busy. So we wandered around there for over 2 hours (or should I say Steph wandered and I waddled). Got a christmas pressie for my sister in law (from Ireland) who I am buying for in our christmas family draw :) Also picked up an awesome breast/bottle feeding pillow for only $20! After Steph had his hair cut, we headed down to our friend Lynaire's place to have lunch with her and Kev and we were lucky to have Kev's homemade bacon and egg pie which is mouthwatering and so delicious! Had a good catch up with them before leaving there to do the groceries.

It was a struggle to get around the supermarket as I had been on the go since 9.15am and even Steph asked me if I was ok as I was looking rather tired. I had been planning on catching up with my friend Sharlene whose grandmother passed away late in the week but as I was so shattered we caught up on the phone for the time being... Have had a yummy dinner of steak (cooked in our george foreman grill), ovenbaked chips and eggs :) Very simple but rather delicious.

Tomorrow it will be housework and also the undercoating for the nursery and perhaps some baking if I get the time/energy.

Can't believe that we have something on for the next 4 weekends so I can see the time really flying away on us!

Right, time to get moving so I don't blabber on too much and bore you all... oh am still getting heaps of movement from our wee girl but also starting to have uncomfortable nights despite all the pillows etc... but not long to go....