Last Day

Today is my last day at work for at least the next 8 months, and being a contractor, even then I have no idea where I may end up working. While I am mostly glad to be leaving The City there are a few things I will miss:

I have been on this project for over a year now (and I'm leaving just as things are hotting up) and, personally, it’s been a pretty tricky year that has not been without incident, but I have worked with some amazing people and it is those who I will miss. I am the non-techy in a technical team and have resolutely stayed that way and no-one has held it against me.

I have rowed pregnant in the Dragon Boat team (and yes we won!) and enjoyed the team building - even if I couldn't join in on the bumper cars.


My pregnancy may mean I missed making the most of the after work drinks but it has still been a very sociable project to work for. Throughout my pregancy I have been surrounded by support and I have made some great friends who I hope I manage to stay in touch with. Maybe I’ll even work with them again.

I will definitely miss the chatty side of working in an office, I’ll miss the lunch choices that come with being in the centre of town and the ease of heading out for a night out and catching up with friends on my way home. I’ll miss the coffee shop knowing my order and having it ready before I get to the counter.

While I won’t miss this crush on the Waterloo and City line (even though I am let into the front of the queue these days), I will miss my favourite busker, Nigel on Wednesday mornings at Bank; he has brought ‘Here Comes the Sun’ back into my life and tear to my eye on more than one occasion. Yesterday, I not only voted for him on Buskear but I gave him £10 as I had no change. Like I say, he is a good busker.

I will miss the kindness of strangers I have experienced during my commute over the last few months. While my cape has on, very rare, occasions hidden my bump a little well, for the most part I have been well and truly looked after. When the train has been so packed I can’t make it down the aisle or because I’m getting off the next stop I have stayed in the vestibule, people have taken to forming a very protective ring around me, wishing me well and generally taking care of me. Everyone loves a pregnant lady – I was told on Tuesday that that is because we are making the world go on.

Maybe, just maybe, I’ll miss working.

Hot Water Bottle

It’s a lovely winter’s day in London town, the sun is shining but there is a definite nip in the air, a good excuse for woolly hats and gloves.

I’m not cold because I have my very own portable hot water bottle; just resting my hands on my bump warms them up instantly.

And it’s my second to last day of my current life…

Meet the Godparents

One of the great things about being a bi-nationality couple is that we get to choose which traditions we adopt from which nationality. Here in England we would only ever have godparents if we had our children christened or baptised, but it seems in South Africa they have them anyway.

I like this idea, the idea of naming the people who you want to have extra special involvement with your child and to look out for her as she grows up; people who are so special in your own life that you can’t imagine them not being so to your little girl.

So, with all this in mind here are the wonderful people who we are tasking with helping us raise a happy, healthy, joyous and slightly mischievous little girl:

Jenny – I’ve shared everything with you since we met at High School, even the odd boyfriend. No matter how far away from each other life takes us, it’s always like we’ve never been apart. And now we can share the raising of our children too.

Chirsty – You just are you, and with your generous and adventurous spirit I know you’ll do anything and everything you can for our little girl (including clubbing into the wee small hours with her mother to keep her sane). I love knowing you are just around the corner.

Gary – It has been wonderful knowing you are as excited about the arrival of our little girl as we are and we couldn’t imagine not having you with us along this journey to tell your tales and impart your own special Fairy Godfather wisdom.

Gareth – I know you will protect our little girl from the big bad world as if she was your own.


But most of all, I’m proud of the people you all are and I hope you’ll encourage our little girl to follow her dreams and be whoever and whatever she wants to be. x

Scatterbrained - Me?!

Despite the fact that it clearly says 'Brunette' on my shampoo and conditioner, I definitely had a blonde moment in the shower this morning.

My hair was washed, conditioned and rinsed, my body was cleaned and buffed, all that was left was my face.

I reached down for my lovely Elemis new-complexion-revealing face wash; I squeezed a small amount of this miracle promising elixir onto my hand....

and promptly put it in my hair.

3 in a Bed

No, we haven't been indulging sexual fantasies, and I'm not counting Bobette (not yet anyway); no the third in our bed is my new pillow - a great big bolster pillow from The White Company.

I've been quite lucky, my memory foam mattress has cradled my bump quite comfortably at night, but now Bobette increasingly lets me know that I am encroaching on her space if I roll over too much.

So, every night I get my legover - no not always RD, but my big pillow.

Poorly Sick

I've been a bit poorly for a few days now, and as a result of sounding, feeling, and looking particularly unpleasant, bump and I have been banished to bed.

RD meanwhile is cleaning the kitchen floor, as the cleaner didn't come yesterday. Do I feel guilty? Not really.

But I do appreciate it, honest.

34 Week check

Hooray, today I met another midwife, that means if I was a midwife spotter, I wouldn't be particularly successful one, but I would now have two in the notebook I would keep in my anorak.

All went well with the check; although I answered no to swollen ankles and puffy legs but got home to find I have both. My bump was exclaimed as very 'tidy' and yet again I was reassured that I am not big, and neither is our baby.

She even asked if I had any questions, didn't just examine me and shuffle me out the door; typically I didn't have any - I'd asked them all at NCT.

(The midwife who I saw before was there too so I got two for the price of one)

Graduation Day

So we have graduated!

We are familiar with (if not quite prepared for) labourese; we have learnt the about the horrors(us) and the amazing things (the baby) that will happen in those first few weeks after birth. And complete with a new support network, we have been sent into the world of impending parenthood.

Yes, we had our last NCT class; and it made me quite sad. Alison (our teacher) has such a reassuring way of telling us the gruesome facts that is has been a great way to bring labour into focus. Yes, I even have a kind of plan, well list of preferences, in my head now. (Am a scared? More like a little bemused really.)

Not only that, as a group we have arranged our weekly meet up times. I'm quite looking forward to being a lady-who-lunches and not having to say goodbye to all those same size bumps just yet. Now just have to wait and see who pops (if only it were that simple) first.

2 Things You Don't See Very Often...

On my way to work today I saw someone reading the Daily Express.

And there was an empty platform for the Waterloo and City Line.

What is the world coming to?!

(I am resisting having a rant about the baning of The 3 Little Pigs Fairy Tale, but I am wondering if they actually bother to ask the people concerned if they are actually offended?)

Raspberry Leaf Tea

Now the floods have receeded we are sitting having a romantic evening on the settee: RD is coding his photo blog ready to show the world his daughter and I'm writing this post and toning my uterus with Raspberry Leaf Tea.

Yes, apparently drinking this tea can make my contractions stronger and more efficient, it may not be my favourite tipple but if it delivers, sign me up.

I'm not sure about drinking three cups a day though.

(Apparenty you can take Raspberry Leaf Tablets but they aren't as effective. But how does anyone know what their labour would have been like if they didn't drink it?)

Domestic Crisis

I do like a good paddle; you know a stroll along the sand with the waves gently lapping at your toes. I’m not so keen on paddling in my own kitchen when the waves have been created by a malfunctioning washing machine.

Yep, RD and I spent Sunday evening with our jeans rolled up, mopping up the kitchen floor.

I then spent Monday evening arguing with Sainsburys about their supposed 4 day delivery which actually means I get a new machine a week on Friday.

This evening I thought I’d just try the machine again to save us a trip to the launderette; I was poised to quickly set it to spin as I watched the machine fill up and start to motor, all looked good so I went upstairs. I came down to a flooded kitchen and RD came home to lots of wet towels on the floor.

So, another expense to add to RDs budget spreadsheet…

International Man of Mystery

South West Trains scuppered RD's rescue attempt.

Luckily the International Man of Mystery who lives next door showed up in time to carry my shopping and lend me my spare keys.

Note to self: Ensure both sets of neighbours have spare keys.

RD to the Rescue

Today I forgot my keys, again.

So RD is going to have to rescue me, again.

A Royal Pain in the Bottom

Oh, the indignity of it all! Not only am I having a bad hair day bought on by trying too hard to have a good hair day (you know, too much product not enough blowdrying); I think I have piles.

Yes, in the sprit of a no-holes-barred pregnancy blog, I am sharing with you the fact that my bottom is sore, very sore. If I think this hurts, how will I cope with labour?

So, back to beetroot and prune juice, for a softer pinker time.

Apparently pelvic floor exercises will help this too (something to do with getting blood circulating around the area). So here we go again… must squeeze pelvic floor more…must squeeze pelvic floor more…

Baby Shower

Americans, Australians and, apparently, South Africans have a tradition of throwing a mother-to-be a baby shower. Being staunchly English this wasn’t something I would ever have thought about, when asked where we get our baby stuff from, I always answered ‘the shops’. I certainly didn’t want to spend the afternoon making storks or having people guess what the circumference of my tummy is, but then, once you get over the embarrassment of pressies and being fussed over – a party seemed like a great idea.

So RD sent out this invitation (which made me cry):

Zoë and I are having a few drinks - well, I am; she's driving - to celebrate the imminent arrival of our perfect little girl, and we would love it if you could join us.

And we partied on Champagne well past midnight, AND we were given presents (we were even sent some from RD’s Godson and his mother in SA, the stamps were as cool as the presents, so I've kept them too):

I loved them all for their softness, cuteness, general prettiness and for damn right usefulness.

But everyone’s presence was the greatest present of all. It was wonderful to know that everyone is as excited to meet our little girl as we are (especially Uncle Gary)!

THANK YOU x

(The thank you cards are in the post.)

Her Carriage Awaits

Yes, you guessed it the pram has arrived, and while it may not be pulled by six white horses it does have the bonus that it doesn't turn into a pumpkin at midnight. So, here is our carriage fit for a princess:

A Pram for a little sleeping beauty.

A go-faster-sport-mobile for a girl about town (that reclines for when it's all a little much).*

I can indeed put it up with one hand, and execute a beautifully tight turning circle, but I have yet to practice putting the rain cover or putting the car seat in the car (I think both RD and I need to get to grips with that one).

* On a serious note it was the reclining car seat that clinched it for me as it can't be good for a little growing body to be scrunched up for too long.

Backseat Breastfeeding

Okay, so we went to Breastfeeding class. Yes, we both went; there was much triple checking about the boys attendance. RD wondered if he really needed to go to an evening of women getting their boobs out if it wasn’t for titillation and he certainly didn’t want to be the only boy there.

As it happened (and no surprise to me) there was no boob baring but it was explained that a supportive partner can increase breastfeeding success by a third! Anyway, it was an educational evening, key lesson learnt:

When positioning baby it’s Tummy to Mummy and Nose to Nipple. (If you are in any doubt as to the importance of this try this experiment: put your chin on your chest or shoulder and try to chew and swallow a malteser – it isn’t easy).

Also we learnt, amongst other things, that a little baby can lap from a small cup, various cures for mastitis, sore nipples and breast thrush!

I’m sure having RD and the other boys there was a good thing, but I’m not so sure that we haven’t just created some backseat breastfeeders.

(Poor RD, I think he needs beers to recover from all this information!)

The Power of Suggestion Perhaps

Just in time for my NCT class on Breastfeeding this evening, I think my milk has arrived, certainly my first few drops.

I'm in shock.

So this cleavage really isn't just for show then?!

Disappointing

I was hoping that this would be a post about my lovely new pram (yes, the one we bought in October); I thought I’d have pictures showing how I had proudly assembled a carriage fit for a princess (I was planning to use Paddington to model it for me, even though he could obviously never be as pretty as our daughter will be). I was going to practice attaching the car seat, and folding it with one hand.

But it didn’t arrive.

I waited all day (a day wages lost) and all I got was a car seat, a necessity yes, but not as exciting as a pram. (And even that came without instructions.)

Light of Our Lives

As the title suggests, I am already guessing that our little one will literally light up our lives.

With this in mind, we decided our fairy princess obviously need suitable lighting in her bedroom; so we marched off to Camden and this is what found:

Pretty flower lights to add to the garden view;

butterflies, flowers and leaves;

Very cool coloured balls to light up her nights.