A Mummy's work is never done ... baby's not even here yet!!

Hmm. Mummyhood is a long, l o n g slog. Have been sorting through his newborn clothes. OMG he has a lot!!! 

I have a lot of laundry to do .... And folding, and now that I've seen Katie's handiwork ... I have ironing too! 

I THINK and hope his newborn stuff will fit into the two drawers I have allocated to him. 

His future-clothes will definitely have to be in boxes on the shelves as planned. Phew. 

I catalogued and sorted his clothes ... haven't made it through his 4-12 month load (a drawer & 2 bags!!!) from Katie yet. 

I'll get there. 

Elizabeth visited today. I had a good day actually. Iain cooked me breakfast, and I woke up happy after visiting Katie last night so it was good to be up and about. I went to the market and bought loads of yummy fruit and the veg I need for the week. Might get more veg on Wed, probably wont have to. I carried two big bags back, stopped for a breather every now and then, but managed very well, did not struggle even up the hill. Am proud of my fitness. The baby has given me a lot. He may well have given me more life than I have given him. It's a humbling thought, and I will always be grateful to him for it. 

It was so nice to see Elizabeth - I walked to the station to collect her too! I did my whole hour of walking before lunch!!! 

I cooked a spicy beef thing in the pressure cooker with swede in it, served with organic salad and a home made balsamic vinaigrette, and some fruit salad I made (pineapple, grapes, cherries - my new favourite combo) - and you know, eating lower carb meals isn't so bad when its that fresh and nice. No leftovers. Am pleased. Heated up food sucks (mainly). 

We hung out and chatted and caught up. Then we sorted some clothes and I showed Elizabeth the new stuff I bought him. She wanted to see them OMG I am so lucky today!!! 

My favourite is his 'coming home from hospital' outfit - beautiful, just in case we do have him in hospital ... I'd like the outfit to look forward to. 

Now I'm trying to get organised and have been focusing on getting the birthing pool. We've picked the La Bassine and I expected to get it from the UK supplier. They have a good website, interesting and everything ... however I am underwhelmed, even a bit miffed at their customer service. I am getting replies ok, and answers to my query ... can I buy it now, can I use it a few times etc etc ... but the answers about supply are a bit short ... I realise now after a few near-monosyllabic messages that they don't have any pools in stock till mid-Sept, and the Tres Tria Co-Sleeping solution I want to order too is not in stock till they dunno when ... No good really. I am not interested in shopping with them if it's so hard to find out when, why, how and what they are doing about it .... So I have ordered the Tres Tria from the US site. It should be with us soon - within 10 days. 

Bummer ... but there you go, am petrified now I won't have the Tres Tria pillow ... OR the pool ... Am hoping things will arrive ok. 

As for the pool, I have one long shot - I don't read Dutch but the Holland supplier of La Bassine appear to have them in stock ... if they can get one to Tanyapa before the 29th, she can bring it to me. Or presumably they can ship it right to me. 

Oh what trauma.

How many times do I have to say 'Don't upset the pregnant lady ... it's not nice.'

Visited Katie, Tim & the boys

We went to see Iain's cousin Katie and her husband Tim tonight - to collect the hand-me-downs she'd put aside for me. We had SUCH a lovely time. The boys were still up - Pat is 3 and a half and George is 2 and a half and they loved their presents. We'd taken stickers for the older boys and a book in the shape of a tractor (about a tractor) for George, and a pack of that magic painting stuff from Crayola for Pat. Of course I then had to read the book to George 3 times, but it was fun. Pat proceeded to paint with his present and made a very wet mess on the table ... they both stuck stickers on themselves, on me, on their parents. I got plenty of cuddles and both boys wanted to sit on my lap a lot. It was very nice. Katie had a real yummy spread laid out and we tucked in, oh so yummy! I was pleased as was hungry. I had eaten breakfast (late, I wasn't hungry earlier) and had eaten my afternoon meal when Iain got home (with him) and so this was just my third meal. Sugars were fine though. I guess there will be 3 meal days and 5 meal days (and even 8 meal days LOL sometimes). 

The better my sugar levels the easier it is to function, and the less often I need to eat - that tells me how good my insulin levels are. I really do think my IR is all they found in the lab results and the GD is a load of hooey. 

Anyway, brought all the stuff home, got home late and crashed. Had a look at the stuff the next morning and OMG - WOW Katie put it all together so nicely - everything is clean, pressed and organised. I don't have to do anything! Man, that girl can do laundry!!!! 

Am so touched, she really made it nice for me. 

There are useful things like breast pads and bottles, and a breast pump too - so a few less things for me to buy. When the time comes I can use Katie's pump and see how I feel. And I can trial her bottles before making my decision on bottles and stuff. A stopgap before I have to ship in the glass Dr Browns. 

She's a real star that girl. And she had useful advice for me - 

Her birthing position of choice is all fours leaning against a chair as well - I can see that would really work very well. Nice one! 

Also - I'll be on my knees a lot - find a comfy surface!

She did say just listen to midwife, pant when she says to, push when she says to - she knows what she's doing. I will keep that in mind, and keep an open mind - I don't know how my baby's birth will go after all. 

Katie said after a few months they just sterilised the bottles in hot water in an ice cream box, it's not a big deal. 

She looked great really, so did Tim. The boys are just gorgeous! Am so happy about it all. 

29 weeks and the 5th day comes to a close ... I have new hair ... I am the baby's mummy!

Here I am, almost 30 weeks pregnant - I will hit 30 weeks this weekend. I've lost some weight - some fat at any rate. I have the amazing shrinking boobs ... bizarre. My weight is basically stable. The ultrasound on Tuesday revealed that the baby is almost one and a half kilogrammes in weight. Well done him!!! And I have managed not to put on a kilogramme in the last month ... I have managed to stay reasonably stable, oscillating around 80.5 - 80.7 kg, which is what they want. 

First time they weighed me in early pregnancy I was 70 kg, and they wanted me to put on no more than 15-20 at the most ... then when the GD thing happened, all of a sudden it was, Oh, you need to not put on more than 12 kg if you can help it! (WTF???!!!) 

So at 80 kg about 6 weeks ago ... I was told I only had 2 kg to play around with ... I know who's going to provide the sanctioned 2 kg ... not me!!! Young Midgley would make me very happy if he ends up a healthy 3.7-4.2 kg baby. 

The diebetic team in the antenatal clinic want me to lose weight while the baby gains weight ... Nice!!! 

Way to pile it on the poor pregnant lady. Hmmpph. 

Anyway, the absence of junk in my diet now is having the desired effect. Good thing I love beans and can follow a food plan!!! I'm definitely less tubby, and the baby is just the right size according to the scan, so it is very gratifying - I can see it working in every way. 

Darned hard work though! 

I had my haircut today, as you can see, so now do I look like someone's Mummy? 

My little one moves about a lot all day now. Getting a bit more intrusive - I can't just let him move and carry on with what I'm doing sometimes now, he is that distracting! 

Here I am wondering if he will look like me. Haven't really thought about that very much ... assumed he will look like Iain. Of course, he may well have my hair .... maybe we can match ... Lol!!! 

I decided at the salon today that Baby Midgley is DEFINITELY not going to Cuts by Carlo like his Dad and Grandfather ... don't think I could stand to have his hair butchered thus. He'll go to Anderson's with me ... Costs about the same for a kid as far as I can see. 

29 weeks and a half!

So here I am, feeling fit and well and strong after a very good Aqua yoga class, and lunch with my mother. Went salsa dancing with Iain last night in Hitchin (Becca was there looking gorgeous). Iain found it hard to focus - he is worn out with all he has to do, poor lamb. He's a good sport though and we enjoyed dancing to the music in the end. 

The Isle of Wight trip ... or 'Don't Go to Ryde' lol

So Chris and I made our way to the Isle of Wight this Sunday (13th). We met at Kings Cross, went on to Victoria, found the coach bit we needed to get to, found a Starbucks, loaded up on Frappuccinos (mmmm Dark mocha light) and got our coach. Trip to Portsmouth was great. We had good chats on the coach and were very comfy. The train in Portsmouth which took us to the catamaran was good too. The Catamaran was a bit underwhelming but we got to Ryde, nice and excited. Ready to visit Quarr Abbey. Chris was hoping to go on a retreat there some day. 

Er... Ryde's kinda crappy ... it's kinda chock full of ugly buildings, and we couldn't really get to the sea or nature or anything, most bits we actually got near were cordoned off. The tranquility we found was within our selves ... and we did find it, so no loss really, but we had hoped for a real nature around us moment ... we knew we couldn't have that all day, but a little while maybe... 

There was a 'fete' at the Abbey - and not a monk in sight!

OK, there were loads of kids milling about ready to perform something and a few tables with  old people selling tatt ... er ... this was no fete! 

We walked to the 'ruins' - a nice walk, saw pigs and sheeps, all very nice. The ruins looked great too ... but were inaccessible - a big rusty chain and padlock on the gate! Barbed wire! Sheep on the inside!! OMG. 

So we walked the other way to get to the beach. No such luck. Eventually we reached a dead end, we could see the water, and some great boats, but couldn't reach any of it - cordoned off. We did sit on a bench and chat, was nice. Then had a nice lunch at the pub nearby. Then back we went to Ryde, and found a small patch of beach, for another chat. We had decided to get the Hovercraft back to Portsmouth. We did and it was the best thing we did! It was brilliant. 

I did have a moment when we got to Portsmouth .... I found some amazing ice cream and wanted some. A LOT. But I chose not to have it. If I still want it later, we can go back to Portsmouth and have it - LOL! 

We met up with Chris's sister Amanda and her partner Judith, they are lovely, we had a brilliant time with them. They were meeting a whole load of friends as it was someone's birthday, and we tagged along and it was all very pleasant. Chris' sister loves him and is very, very proud of him, and he is so sweet in how he wants to hang out with her! It was nice to see them connect, they clearly wanted to. Was nice to be there. 

We spent the night at their place - with their 3 cats!!! Chris got relegated to the tv room actually WITH the cats! I think he X-Box 360-d his way through the early hours in the end. I of course totally got the spare room with the huge comfy bed and slept like a log which contains a littler log! 

Amanda and Judith also have one of the loveliest bathrooms I have ever seen, and it was very nice having a shower there the next day. We made our way into Portsmouth again later that morning, to Guns Quays and spent the day walking about from eating place to eating place eating and drinking depending on the time (we stuck to my food schedule) and watched Kung Fu Panda which I found inspirational! (I'm a warrior too Po, and I'll never give up either.)

My sugars were kinda high after breakfast as I had forgotten the night dose of Metformin (DOH) the previous night, and had also forgotten the breakfast dose. AND I HAD PORRIDGE!!! WITH BANANA!!!!

Dear oh Dear. 

Spent the day bringing it all down again and it worked. No problems. 

There was another food incident - we bought Cheese Strings for me to eat in the cinema and also on the coach ... and euuurrgghhhh there was fungus inside!!! So we took it back, Chris dealt with it for me. Bleaghhh. 

We went to the C0-Op before getting on the coach, and got low carb cheesy twisty things, houmous, and water, AND CHEESE STRINGS! I was determined to not let my demons get the better of me - I don't want to be scared of Cheese String. Haunted by the fungus boogey-man. 

It was fine! Ate fine, travelled fine, felt fine - managed to keep my sugars ok. 

Best thing was, Chris and I both got a lot out of the time together, away from life and everything in it, and we both came away I think stronger in ourselves, a bit re-charged, which is good as we each have so much to do. So much ahead. 

Am very glad I had that time away. 

My Birthday celebrations - my party, my day out in London and the Concert!

27 Weeks and 3 Days!

Here's my big 'ol belly now, almost at the 3rd trimester ... or has it already begun???? 

I'm definitely more tired, my back is easily achey ... baby has started moving more, I can feel him in more parts of my tummy. things are moving along. 

Means more work! I have to keep up, for his sake as well as mine and Iain's. Am tired of working so hard, but that's not really very helpful. No point feeling that way and there will not be LESS work and less effort involved in the years to come!!! Pregnancy, I am sure, is a piece of cake compared to parenting. 

Lets see, the joys of 27 weeks - my son is alive and well and making his presence known to everyone else. People notice my bump. Some people have even felt him move, or even seen him move. People say I look well and fit, even Abba has noticed and he's hardly perceptive! That is great motivation. 

Oatcakes taste great, that's a really good UP!! 

On the downside - am exhausted. A lot of the 'plans' on the to-do list have to take a back seat now because a) I don't care about shopping much at the best of times, I only care about taking care of myself and little one right now, and feel I should just do that. If the chores, housework and simple things like reorganising furniture can fit in with exercise ... then well and good. But really, everything else can wait. b) I realise the baby doesn't care at all about the flat, and the best thing I can do for him is work as hard as I can for his birth. If that is all I can train for, and focus on, then so be it. He WILL care if he has a bad one!!

I don't think I have been able to do as much as I wanted to ... but I do think I have done a load more than anyone else expected. And I am doing very well in this pregnancy, even by my own standards. I'd like to step it up though. 

Question is, do I have enough energy and drive to eat right, exercise and practice the hypnobirthing for 13 more weeks?????