30 weeks pregnant

Now I can't speak for Gracie-wiggle as I haven't met her yet, but I certainly have itchy feet this week and I rather feel she probably does too. I'm restless and time is passing sooooo slowly I can almost feel the hands on the clock snagging from one second to the next, and at the same time G-wiggle is in there doing her own little version of the hand jive I'm surprised my ribs aren't honky-tonking out a tune like an old piano.

All except the hours between 6.30-9pm on Monday when we went for a 3d/4d scan only to find G-wiggle being particularly sedate and relaxed in her den, facing any which way apart from towards the ultrasound probe. We tried fizzy drinks, we tried chocolate. We tried marching round the street for half an hour. We tried putting our feet up with a trashy mag for an hour. And would she turn away from my spine to allow us a good view? No. And if she were 20 years older I'd guess she probably went to far as to flick us the birdy - she didn't move an inch. So we're off again next week for another scan to see if she is more obliging. One good thing came out of our scan-a-thon night; a decent enough view to imply we're having a little girl (again!). Phew!

Matt the Husband and I visited another nursery this week. Being our second of such visits we were able to be a lot more pragmatic and ask better informed questions of the manager who showed us around. It's still a very overwhelming feeling to be planning so far in advance; to think we have to consider childcare at 30 weeks pregnant, when in the real world we're looking at starting nursery at somewhere between 6 and 12 months depending on how I feel about cabin fever at the time. All very bizarre. We think this is 'the ONE' though, so will probably send in the application form in the not too distant.

This week's pregnancy perks see me with the beginnings of swollen feet and ankles, and in the last few days my wedding and engagement rings have been increasingly harder to get on and off. I've probably only got another week at most before these little sparklers get banished to the box for a few months. Braxton hicks contractions are a fairly regular occurrence now, and I have also experienced my first 'hand ball'. When I say this I mean, it feels like G-wiggle is banging the ball in the back of the net with her fist... I'll be sitting quietly, feeling her move so I place a palm over the area that's moving on my bump - and then BAM!! she whacks a fist into me, popping out in the most extraordinary shapes - not painful, just enough to bring water to my eyes and freak me out a little. I mean, a LOT.

So we're on the home straight now until I become a FIRST TIME MUM. 4 weeks left at work, and 10 weeks until we meet Gracie-wiggle in the flesh. BRING IT ON!

29 weeks pregnant

As it happens I'm now 29 weeks 3 days (not that I'm counting!). Today we had the most glorious weather, which saw us taking Daisy-woof out to the local park for a spot of paddling and fetch. She had great fun with Matt while I basked in the sun, soaking up some rays before being confined to the office again tomorrow. Another number of note, only 23 working days left (again, not that Im counting....!) Here's hoping this balmy weather holds out until the end of June when I hang up my work hat for what could be 14 months.... woo hoo!!!

My bump seems to be growing at a rate of knots now.

Wee details

I'm running out of things to buy for the little nipper before she arrives. So this week we have made a few choice purchases to brighten up the nursery and satisfy my inherent need to spend a buck or two...

I adore this spiral accessory from Mamas & Papas, at the moment I have it on the cot in the nursery, and its versatile as it also winds onto the buggy or car seat.



When I spotted Gerald on the bookshelf, I just had to take him home! This is a wonderful story that we have been reading to Gracie-wiggle's bump - does this make us pushy parents, I wonder? Research says whatever we read to her now in-utero will be familiar to her once she is born and with us on terra firma. I'm a bit sceptical, but time will tell!



I couldn't resist buying these two neddies in Mamas & Papas. I adore the vintage looking fabric, and toys like this are timeless aren't they?!



I love the sharp colours in this book, great for stimulating interest and very cool to look at from my adult perspective!



Matt the Husband and I had a wonderful hour browsing in our local Waterstones store for these books when we were shopping in Leeds the other day.



I cant say how long this little spree will keep me occupied, although realistically there is nothing left to buy now. Apart from breast pads and nipple cream but I doubt that needs mentioning on here. Oh and the blind for the nursery - the delay there has been my slight nagging doubt that Gracie-wiggle might turn out to be a boy. Our last scan due this coming Monday will confirm that for me. Then its straight online to order the rose pink blackout blind I've had my keen eye on!

As more time passes the more excited I get. I turned 29 weeks yesterday, and today I am officially starting my countdown for my last 25 days at work - I hope time between now and B-Day flies, some mothers talk of it dragging as their weight makes everything such an effort. Touch wood, pregnancy has been kind to me so far. Not long to go now....

28 weeks pregnant

Matt the Husband and I took some time off work this week, so we loaded the car up and headed off to Norfolk with Daisy-woof for a few days R&R in the countryside. It was great to see my aged P's again, and around time spent rambling with the dog in the forest I managed to persuade Dad to dig out the photos of when I was a baby. Everyone looks so young - key things of note were Dads huge moustache, uncle Franks sideburns and huge kipper-like tie... most amusing. These relics from the past also served to remind me of my late grandmother who in a nutshell is Gracie-wiggle's namesake.

Here is a picture of Dad with the family in the forest.


My 28 week appointment saw me at the hospital for routine blood samples (results pending), urinalysis (normal), blood pressure check (normal), listening to Gracie-wiggles heartbeat (normal at 140-160 bpm), and for the first time taking a measurement of the 'fundus' which is the size of the uterus. Generally speaking if I'm 28 weeks, the midwife explained she would expect a measurement of something in the region of 28cm from pubic bone to top of uterus (which is now sitting up near my rib cage). I measured in at 30cm, but this is nothing to worry about - she said 2cm either side is fine. I had worked myself up into a bit of anxiety waiting for the blood sample to be taken (I am fine with i/m injections but there is something that freaks me out about i/v work).
Anyway, no need to worry.... while I sat and practiced meditative breathing and focusing on D-W skipping through the forest with a smile on her face, Matt is beside me being very stoic though alas turning a lighter shade of grey and losing his vision for a few minutes pre-empting a faint. So after the midwife had finished taking blood and injected the Anti-D treatment that was due this week, she ran off to get Matt a glass of water (while I broke out of my trance into fits of laughter). So very funny, although a touch worrying that he mightn't be the most fail safe candidate for my birthing partner if he ends up sucking on Entonox to calm his nerves and passing out at the critical moment!!

Pregnancy perks new to me this week include calcium deficiency whereby I'm aiming for an intake of 1000mg a day which is recommended in the 3rd trimester, but still suffering the most awful cramps in my calves. I am staving this off by eating enough yoghurt to sink a battleship so will have to see if this has any useful effect this week. Upper back ache has now well and truly kicked in and my lower back pain continues to see me grunting like a recumbent hippopotamus trying to get out of bed (or the sofa, or the car or generally anything that requires effort) without seriously tipping the weakness over the edge.

I'm getting inpatient now, nearly everything is bought, the nursery decorations are taking shape and I am so restless waiting for the arrival of a little girl that is surely going to turn life as we know it upside down.

28 weeks gone, 12 weeks to go, 6 weeks left to work (and counting!)

27 weeks pregnant

27 weeks, 13 weeks to go!

Boy what a week! So busy at work, chasing my tail and getting increasingly frustrated at my inability to streamline like I normally do... I blame the pregnancy head. It's like pulling a card from my back pocket that says "I'm pregnant, what do you expect?!". Matt says I'm overusing it... I showed him the card. So yes, a manic week at work, a few frayed tempers (mostly mine) and Friday finally came feeling like a fortnight since my last day off.



Monday saw me attempting dog-whisperer tactics to try to stop Daisy-woof from terrorising (and probably eating) a Polecat that had found its way into our garden. Thankfully managed to grab the dog and shut her in the house before returning to the garden to catch the polecat into a basket and ring the RSPCA to come collect it. Waiting in for the RSPCA on Tuesday was a very welcome excuse to put my feet up and rest.

All is well in the pregnancy this week but I feel the weight is beginning to take its toll on the sacro-iliac region of my lower back. I have a weakness in this area stemming from an old trauma injury when I was 19, and its now rearing its head most days. This peaked one night when I woke up with my back muscles in complete spasm and had to wake Matt the Husband to sit me up so I could walk to stretch it out. Its ok as I write this but still fully aware of the nagging pain all the time.

Another pregnancy perk that has surfaced this week is aching hips and pelvis at night time. As I'm so used to sleeping on my back (which isn't recommended at this stage in pregnancy), the sleeping on my side is causing an awful ache in whichever hip is uppermost. I have taken to putting a plump pillow between my knees which seems to be helping as its reducing the angle my leg rests at.

Oh yes, and this week I have scoured every shop in the area for a short sleeved t-shirt for warmer weather. Poor Matt the Husband followed me dutifully round so many shops I have lost count and every one with a maternity section had a) long sleeve only, b) nothing in my size or c) plenty on my size with short sleeves but in the most hideously bright colours. Soooooo annoying, I want to SCREAM!! But blessed George at Asda, at last a short sleeve top in my size in a colour I'll just call normal. Phew!

So yes, bump is growing, I have put on 1lb this week. We have been walking quite a lot this week, and it felt really good to get out in the fresh air and remind my legs what they're capable of. Friday evening saw us taking Daisy-woof for a family reunion to visit Gabrielle and Michael with their GSP's Rio, Gus, Kai and Mac. Rio was unable to come walking with us as he'd cut his paw, but D-W had great fun nonetheless running around giddy with her daddy (Gus) and uncles.



It's so wonderful seeing D-W with her family!

26 weeks pregnant

A busy week again, and another pregnancy milestone reached. Matt the Husband and I were out walking in Wales with friends Laura and Matt, where I discovered I can no longer fasten the zip on my raincoat. I last wore it less than 4 weeks ago, and it has gone from fitting just fine to not even coming close to meeting in the middle... my bump is definitely growing! Here's hoping for a dry dog-walking summer until my blessed coat fits once more.

I have also crossed the dreaded 12 stone marker, and I hope to the man-upstairs that I get to full term without the scales tipping 13. The extra weight along with the fact my abdominal organs are getting squished upwards by my bump, are making it increasingly difficult to breathe normally when I'm under any kind of exertion at all - even walking the stairs can leave me wishing for supplementary oxygen.

After working on finishing touches for the nursery earlier in the week, we have shopped for and fitted a funky little storage unit for the nursery from Ikea. This is an obvious bid to retain some kind of un-clutteredness in the house once the little one arrives - naive I know. All we need to finish to room off now is a new lamp and a blackout blind. This will be my shopping tackle this week coming, or at least that's the plan.

26 weeks down, 14 to go...