Bub-o-luv has arrived!!!

Hahahahaha.....nah.....unfortunately

I finished up at work last week and have started my maternity leave. Not only am I offline, I am bored.

The house was impeccably clean by Tues, and now I have nothing to do but eat. So I don't think I'll post any more belly shots....as I am sure I will have put on about 10k's this week alone!!!

Anyway....thought I'd have a little fun with you all and try and trick you into thinking the baby had arrived....but I'm sure you're all smarter than that!!

Anyway...not sure when I'll get a chance to post again, or check other blogs, but hopefully it won't be too long!

Alrighty...adios!!

Updated tummy pics

33.1 wks!

What a difference 6 weeks makes!! And to think I still have another 7 to go!!

Baby Room pics

What we spent our long weekend doing

Russ trying to put the cot together

A tad confused - I think he was thinking "instead of taking millions of shots, how bout you come over here and help me!!!!"

Yay! It's done! The cot and little Noah's Ark toychest

Chest of drawers and change table with the cot.

It's all starting to slowly come together!!

*ugh*

bub-o-luv has the hiccups again

starting to drive me nutso again

The baby shower that wasn't supposed to shower!

We had our baby shower/bbq yesterday and it went better than I expected!

I was really stressed on Friday about having to change locations and change the style of the party, but it still went ok.

Sarah is going to kill me, but I actually didn’t get any photos! I just didn’t have time! There were so many people to talk to that I didn’t even get around to 2 of the tables! I felt soooooo bad. The one thing I hate is inviting people to a party and then not getting to spend time with them!

I would make my way over to chat to people and then get called away by someone else. So I don’t think I actually got to finish any conversations with anyone, I was constantly interrupted!

We still had the bbq (the sun came out!!!) and we just had a couple of tables and chairs set out and people just sat around and ate.

We played a game where people had to measure out some string to the size they thought my belly was….it was funny to see some people’s perceptions! My mum was adamant she would get it perfect and she was about 1cm off. 2 other people beat her and she was quite upset actually…she wanted a re-size :)

We also handed out cards for people to fill in and guess the size, eye colour, weight, date it would arrive, etc. They also got to pick what the name would be. This was quite fun to read through last night and look at all the answers.

Some names we got were Gertrude, Calin (from Middo) and a few other randoms!

I will have to post a few I think, they were great! Including the guess from our pastor who thought the baby would come Oct 7th – he thought we were due Oct instead of Nov!!

Most people guessed we would come early and the baby would be between 5 and 6lb. Please God!

Anyway…it was a fantastic arvo and we were amazingly blessed by people’s company and to see the support that we have in friends. A few people didn’t come who said they were coming, and you can’t help but be disappointed, but I didn’t let it ruin the arvo.

A massive thankyou has to go to my two best buddies, Jodie & Fi who organised the day and help set everything up. They both did an amazing job, and things happened without me having to worry about them! Things just magically came out on the food table, and things were tidied up and cleaned before I got a chance to have a look around at what needed doing! They blessed us with so much. Their time, energy, money and gifts. I am so thankful to God for these 2 women who have looked after me for many years and who I hope will be close friends for many more to come!

Thanks to everyone who came, it was awesome to see you all! Hopefully we will get to see you again before the baby comes…whenever that may be!!

I have to be honest

I don't think the baby in that baby ticker countdown (in the sidebar) thing is very cute.

It looks a little scary to me....I hope ours is a little better looking!

Haven't heard that one before!!

As I bought my fruit salad at lunch today, the old guy dishing it up for me said

"Oo that's a yummy tummy!"

Then, as I paid for it and headed off he said

"Good job mummy!"

I assume he meant good job for having fruit salad.

What I neglected to tell him was that it was to wash down the left over pizza I had for lunch!!

Class Overview #2

Last night we had our 2nd antenatal class.

Well, if I thought I was going to pass out last week, then this was definately the week to do it!!

The midwife went through just about absolutely every possibility of what can happen during labour. She also got us to pick out what our ideal labour would be. I was the only one in the class who had picked 'no pain killers'...they all probably think I am a little deluded, but I am trying to keep an open mind.

I am also in love with the midwife. I hope she is there when I give birth. She speaks with such passion and amazement even after 20+ years! You can see she obviously loves bringing little ones into the world and she is still amazed by the whole process. She also sounds like she will stick up for you if the doctor starts getting impatient and wanting to start 'cutting things'.

She had the best storey that had my laughing for hours. She was a student nurse and was asked to check if the lady had fully dilated. She checked and said "Yep, she's fully dilated". She also checked to see how far away the head was, she felt around and felt something 'squeegy'. She didn't think much of it at the time as she said some heads feel a little 'squeegy'. She turned around and then next thing you know a leg had popped out!! The poor baby was in a breach position and what she had been feeling was the baby's scrotum!!

I honestly just about pee'd myself laughing. It's the best story I've heard in a long time!


I am actually enjoying the classes and I left last night a little excited. Not excited over the impending pain, but the fact that we will finally at long last be holding this little one! It will all be worth it in the end. That's what I just need to keep reminding myself!!

Next week we have a Physio coming along to help teach us different techniques for dealing with the pain. Should be a little interesting I think...I have a feeling this may be the 'vaseline week'.

Useless info

Bub-o-luv has had the hiccups the past couple of days. Poor thing, I can feel it's whole body shaking. I hate the hiccups with a passion.

Nesting

I think I have started ‘nesting’. All of a sudden I am more organised than I have ever been in my life!

Since our little one is due only 6 days before Russell’s birthday, I have started putting aside a little money every fortnight to get his presents. I don’t want his birthday to come along and not have anything for him. I want him to have a special day. He is a little worried that he will always be forgotten now that the baby is due so close to his b’day. Not that he minds, but I do want to make sure I always make the effort for him and make sure he has a special day.

We still haven’t organised the nursery. All we have is a pram and 12 re-useable cloth nappies. If this baby came now it would be sleeping in the pram and would have maybe 2 singlets to alternate between. I saw my brother on Saturday and he was saying they have started tidying up around the house and getting the nursery finished off. They are due in 4 weeks and thought if the little man came early they would be screwed. It got me thinking, we have so much to organise! I don’t know where to start!

I don’t know anything about babies and have no idea what we should at least have in the nursery!

What do I use to bathe the kid? Normal soap? Surely not!
What do I use to wipe it’s bum with? What brand is good?
Do I need to put cream on it’s bum after every nappy change?
Do I need to bathe it everyday?
Do they always have to have socks on their feet?
Should they be wearing a singlet under all their clothing, all the time?
Is there something I should be doing around feeding times?

There are so many more questions, but I just don’t know where to start!

Any mums out there have any advice? I have no clue as to what I’m getting into and need to at least know some basics!!

On a side note, we are having our baby shower this weekend! (pray for sunshine)

We decided that since we are both becoming parents that we should have a party for both of us. Usually baby showers are for chicks. You play silly games and then have some arvo tea. We decided that we wanted to be able to celebrate our little ones arrival and have close friends and family around for a bbq. We are going to a local park and having a bbq with cricket and footy set-up….and I believe a bocce playoff!

Hopefully it will be a pleasant afternoon and we will be able to catch-up with a lot of friends and family that we have trouble getting to spend time with all the time (if that makes sense). There are just too many people that we love and very little time in a week to spend time with each of those people. Hopefully having them all in the one spot we will get to catch-up with them all and just have relaxing time.

On another side note, I know this is the bane of Sarah’s life, but RSVP’s. Why does no-one do it anymore?? Russ and I are providing salads, drinks and nibblies, and it is so hard to know how much to buy because no-one ever RSVP’s anymore! We will just have to buy enough for everyone on the invite list, but we don’t have much money and it is a pain to have 100 cans of coke left over in your fridge!

Anyway…if you read this blog and I have given you an invite, please RSVP!!!! I want to know that at least someone is coming along! We don’t want to be 2 loners in a park with 200 cans of coke!

Class Overview

It wasn't thaaaaaat bad last night.

The class went for 2 hours and the lady who held the session was a midwife...not the usual Child Care Nurse/Health Care Nurse.

It was informative and I smashed all opposition by naming all the different body parts on the chart!! Woo hoo....go me! Maybe it was because no-one else was comfortable saying "cervix" or "vagina".

However, seeing a little hole in some chipwood that was the size of what we had to dilate to in order for the baby to come out was freaky. I just about passed out in my seat.

It's amazing all the different things that the woman's body just does without being told though, it really is a miracle!

I left feeling a little scared but not too badly. I just thought to myself...I'm not the first and not the last to have to go through this, all the other women in this room will be joining me in a couple of months so there's nothing to be worried about.

I will see how the next few weeks go, but so far so good :)

Vaseline & Chinese Burns - FUN!

Tonight we have our first antenatal class.

I'm a little nervous. I've heard stories of these tree-huggin hippee crazy people!

I'm not really looking forward to being told to put that vaseline WHERE and do WHAT with it??

or having Russell give me a chinese burn so that I can learn to "breathe" through the pain??

How 'bout I give you a chinese burn weirdo and see how you breathe through the pain? I bet these people haven't even gone through labor before!!

BUT....I will reserve my judgements for now and share them all with you tomorrow :)

I just wish I could take my camera in with me!!

29.3 weeks

I am into my 3rd and final trimester. I never thought I would ever get to say that, but here I am!!

This whole experience just keeps getting better. 18 weeks along (to the day) was when we first felt bub-o-luv move. We were sitting in church and I was eating a freddo frog during the sermon. About 10mins later the baby kicked all along my belly and it was the most amazing surreal feeling ever. I will never forget that moment, mainly because I yelled out a little and then remembered where we were. I was just so surprised and excited!

Since then the movements have become more common and longer lasting. Every time I feel it move I think about the mystery of it all. How amazing is God!?! Here is this little being inside of me moving around and growing every single day. The whole mystery of the womb and exactly what bub-o-luv is doing in there is fantastic. We are separated by a few cm’s of skin and muscle and I can’t tell what it’s doing, its fantastic! I love it!

The other night though, I felt ‘bol’ position its feet on the left side of my belly and then push and smacked it’s head on the right side of my belly! I wasn’t too impressed since it knew exactly what it was doing. Positioning perfectly and WHAM…that felt kinda odd but cool at the same time. Yesterday while I was sitting at work it kept pushing it’s little foot against my belly and you could see through my clothing a little bump. I kept grabbing it and rubbing it. It would pull back in and then do it again. It felt odd because it would hold it’s foot there for about 10secs and then pull it back in. It hurt a little ‘cos it was really stretching my skin.

As I was lying in bed last night I was telling the baby how much we loved it and that we couldn’t wait to meet it. I had both hands on my belly and every time I said “I love you” it would kick around. Maybe coincidence, I don’t know, maybe the sound of my voice, I don’t know…but it was a really amazing moment.

One of my closest friends was over on Saturday and she was talking about how her 8mth old boy was only just starting to realise that they are a separate being. She was saying that when they are first born and really young, they don’t see themselves as a separate entity/being/person to mum. They are one and the same. I thought this was amazing but made sense all at the same time! Baby has been attached to me, sharing my body for the last 9mths, why would it see itself as being a separate person once it’s out? I think it is a beautiful picture, and it captures a little of the bond that mums and their children share. It’s a really, really beautiful picture.

In terms of the pregnancy things have constantly been changing. I haven’t vomited since week 16, I have had the occasional spew if I’ve eaten dinner too late at night, but other than that the morning (all day) sickness has stopped.

Then started the fun stage where the belly starts to pop out and movements start to happen.

Now I just look at my belly and am shocked. I kind of miss my flat belly…it was so much more manageable. I struggle to pull my undies on every morning, struggle with my socks and shoes and pants. I can’t bend very far and am having trouble trying to adjust to moving around the belly. I miss wearing my old tank tops and clothing but I wouldn’t change it for the world! I’m just starting to look forward to feeling ‘normal’ again.

When I think about it, I have been pregnant for 37 of the last 41 weeks. I feel like I’ve been pregnant all stinking year!!

I have had to ‘move into’ maternity bras. Not the funnest thing in the world. They aren’t very supportive, and every one in the office can tell when the air con is on too high!! Just look at bek…she’s a walking thermometer!! I mean hey, all dignity will fly out the window in 10wks, why not get a head start!

Sleeping isn’t too bad, it just hurts to roll sometimes – it’s an uncomfortable feeling, kind of like my organs are all shifting here there and every where.

I had a doctors appointment last week as they had to check that I didn’t have gestational diabetes and they also checked my iron levels (after 2mths of complaining they needed to do it!!). I don’t have diabetes, but my iron came back at 14. Iron levels should be between 20 and 220 (20 being absolute minimum obviously). To which the doctor says…”you really need to sort this out…blah blah blah”. I just about slapped him. Moron! I’ve been telling you to sort it out for the last 2mths and only NOW have you done anything about it.

So, I’m on iron tablets that have vitamin C in them to help absorb the iron.

It has started to make a difference. I’m not dying (too much) by the end of the day and I am slowly starting to get my energy back. Slowly but surely!

The only other change has been that my legs are a little swollen. They don’t look too bad, but they hurt a little and just feel a little pudgy. It’s quite funny actually.

Other than that, everything seems to be going well! Other than getting really tired throughout the day things are going well. Bol seems to be growing and growing non-stop and Russell is loving every minute too! He is looking forward to becoming a daddy and I can’t help but smile when I think about him as dad. He will do an absolutely amazing job, and I’m glad it’s him helping to raise our kids and no-one else.

Actually, that’s the other thing. The pregnancy seems to have brought us closer and closer every day. I love him more and more and am loving our relationship at the moment. We have always had an open and honest relationship and we rarely argue. When we do, we can pretty much sort it out quickly without raising voices. I hope it doesn’t change too much when the baby comes, which is naïve because I’m sure it will, but I hope that we can always put the effort in and work at it. Not get lazy about it.

Anyway…this has been a long post and I should get back to work. Only 4.2 weeks left and then I’m outta here!!

She's a working class Muuuuuum!!!!

I thought I would let you know what I had decided to do about work and where my convictions lay with mums v staying at home.

I was brought up with my mum at home all day every day. It wasn’t until we were all in school (2 in high school) that mum started to do a little part-time work. Even then, it was mainly Thurs nights and Saturdays that she worked.

We would come home from school to fruit plates or biscuits and sometimes every now and then caramel popcorn! That was a HUGE treat though…so didn’t happen very often.

That wasn’t the only thing that was good about mum being at home though. I was raised by a mum who included me in what she was doing every day. Before I went to school I desperately wanted to be Cinderella. I wanted to wear the apron and little slip on shoes and scrub and clean. Have I mentioned before that I might be a little deranged?

Anyway, my mum made me a little apron and I used to beg for a bucket of soapy water and a scrub brush so that I could scrub the tiles in our house. I would do the dishes and every now and then ask dad to put on some Michael Bolton (whom I still love today) to sing to as I cleaned. Dad’s response was always “Cinderella’s don’t get music to work to!” – but he always put it on for me anyway.

Mum also involved me in cooking. She taught me from a very young age some of the basics in the kitchen. I was allowed to help make dinner or snacks and she never took over because I wasn’t doing it right. The one thing she forgot to teach me was how to make instant coffee. Her and dad just about bounced off the walls after one sip one morning I decided to make them a coffee!!

She taught me how to sew and spent time with me whenever I had questions about anything.

This was never forced on me though. This was where my interests lay and I wanted to be like her, so she took the time to teach me the things she knew.

I grew up learning the basics in the kitchen and some basics in other domestic duties. I’m still learning a lot of stuff today, but mum is always just a phone call away.

Being in a family of a pastor is tough, being the wife of one is even tougher. I grew up witnessing mum being a support for dad and a loving wife.

Pastors get paid crap all. Yet my mum stayed home and raised all 4 of us – with the help of dad of course! God always looked after us and I know that while we may have ‘missed out’ on some of the material things this world has to offer, what I have learnt from my family doesn’t even compare. We are close and are a tight family unit – without being oppressive (if that makes sense). We are close and have tight family values.

Now, it’s not just because my mum was a stay at home mum that I believe our family is this way, but I do believe that staying at home and being able to raise your kids has huge benefits.

Russell and I are not ‘well off’. Russell still works part-time (3 days a week) while I earn about 2/3rds of our income. I have been blessed with a job that is flexible and pays well and looks after their employees. My boss is huge on the family unit and is extremely supportive of Russ and I having our own family. My job covers the mortgage and most bills and Russ’s is good for the extra things that happen in life, like cars blowing up and bills.

With me taking maternity leave – our income is going to suffer massively. We are going to be living the most simplistically we ever have.

I don’t see the point in having a child and not being home to raise it and spend time with it. Babies are little for such a short period of time and I don’t want to miss out on any of it!

We can’t afford for me to not work completely though (unless something miraculous happens in the next couple of months). I am taking 6mths maternity leave (I get half of my normal wage for the full 6mths) and then returning to work 2 days a week.

These 2 days won’t bring much income in, but hopefully it will be just enough! I just cannot justify putting our mortgage over raising our children.

The other lady I work with who is due today/tomorrow (do you realise this was when our 1st baby was due?) is taking her 6mths maternity leave and then returning to work full time. I was chatting to her about it because she is a Christian and I felt comfortable confronting her on stuff. She said that her husband doesn’t earn a minimum of $100k a year and so she needs to return full time. I just about died when I heard that as I thought to myself, Russell doesn’t even earn $30k a year!! What the heck are we going to do?

She said they couldn’t afford for her to stay home (as much as she desperately wants to) because their expenses far outweigh income. To me I would be looking at why you are living beyond your means before returning to work and make a few sacrifices. BUT it’s not my life and they are free to live theirs as they please.

I don’t care about our house. While I am thankful that we have it and that we were in a position to buy it, I just can’t place it over our children. If we get to a point where we either sell or I go back to work, we will sell the house and find somewhere to rent.

We have started putting a few things in place such as a massive veggie patch. This is going to take a lot of hard work and energy, but the benefits are going to have a huge impact. It may not seem like much, but with the price of groceries today, every bit helps.

We have already started a refreshed budget for when the baby is here, and we haven’t actually bought anything for the baby yet! We are waiting to see what family have bought us (they have already bought a few things) to see what we will need to get. We don’t want to buy an excess amount of clothes or toys and are hoping to have minimal amounts of this sort of stuff. Plus, I am part of our local Freecycle group (have been for a few months) and have already been given a few things for the baby so far! It really is a great network and I encourage you all to look into your local community for your own Freecycle. It’s also a great way to get to know people who live in your area as you meet the needs that each other have! (reminds me of something I read in Acts 2 this week!)

I know some people won’t agree with me, and that’s fine! I’m not here to judge whether you yourself should be working or staying home with your kids, but this is my conviction. If Russ gets into a position where I don’t need to work my 2 days a week, then I will stop working and stay at home full time. I have no doubt that God is going to look after us. He always has and I have seen him move in miraculous ways before! We are both trusting God in this uncertain time and while I am still worried that we may be homeless by the end of this year, it doesn’t compare to what we will have in our arms. A new little Ingram. Our own family. And a God that never forgets and never abandons, and nothing can take that away.

I don't think this post ended up being what I intended it on being about - so I'm sorry! But the main point is...I'm working 2 days a week after having the baby, and trusting that God will look after both Russ & I - which I have no doubt he will!

27.4 weeks - 87 days left!!

This is even weird for me to look at! It's kinda like a pear hanging from a tree...weird!!

"Do you think the people at work have noticed anything??"

Russ giving that baby some lovin'

He is such a proud daddy already

A Letter to my Cherished One

I haven’t stopped thinking about you and I don’t believe I ever will.

You hold a piece of my heart that will never be taken or replaced.

I feel so guilty these days for being so excited about our next one on the way. I feel like I don’t deserve to be happy and that I haven’t mourned you enough yet. My heart still grieves at the loss of you, my child, our child. I still feel that I didn’t do enough to look after you. That I didn’t protect you enough like a good mum should. I feel that I let you down in a big way.

You never let me down though. You taught me so much about myself, my life, and my family. You brought me closer to God. You helped heal our relationship. You taught me how to love my husband better, you taught me compassion, mercy, and empathy, lessons that I will never forget. I will take you with me throughout my life.

I promise that one day I will give you the hug from a mum that you never got to experience. I will kiss your soft cheek for the first time and nurse you and spend eternity with you. Your dad will carry you around on his shoulders and spoil you with his sloppy kisses and big bear hugs. We will all be together as a family in the presence of our Saviour.

I promise to never forget. I will love you always, my cherished one.

Boy or Girl?

Can you believe that our baby is due in no less than 14 weeks!!??!

I googled some old wives tales for a little fun on guessing the sex of our baby. We chose not to find out the sex during our ultrasounds and are both starting to go crazy trying to pick which sex we think it will be! Not that it matters mind you, we just like talking about it and trying to guess.

Russ has always said it's a boy. His reasoning is that he can't see me with a girl. And that when he saw the baby at the ultrasound, he thought it looked like a boy by it's movements etc.

I have been pretty undecided. Earlier on in the pregnancy I thought it was a girl and couldn't imagine it being a boy. But now, I'm leaning towards it being a boy! And Russell has now changed his mind to a girl! We just can't make up our minds!

Here are a few old wives tales that I found. My answers are in bold. Just thought we would have a little fun here :)

1) Carrying High or Low?
This is a well known old wives tale – so many people will want to look at your belly and think they can guess just from looking! So as the tale goes, if you are carrying low, it’s a boy, or if you’re carrying high it’s a girl. We won’t tell them that the way the baby is carried is actually a reflection of your own body shape, muscle, baby’s position and other physical factors!

I don't really know. I feel like I'm just round and all in the middle!
My guesstimate: boy

2) Dry or Soft?
If your skin is dry, you’re said to be having a boy – and if it’s soft, then a girl is on the way.

I don't know on this one either. My skin is usually dry and it hasn't really changed!
My guesstimate: boy

3) What’s Baby’s Heartrate?
First, to set the record straight, until it’s born, your baby’s heartrate will not be affected by it’s gender. But so they say, if you’re carrying a girl, then baby’s heartrate will be above 140bpm (beats per minute). A boy is said to have a heart rate under 140bpm. A study published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine (1996) has dismissed this theory, as has other research. Your baby’s heart rate will change often during a pregnancy, depending on the baby’s age and it’s movement. Anything from 120-160bpm is normal for an unborn baby.

At our 12 wk ultrasound the heartrate was in the 150's - the second ultrasound and every time they have listened to the heart since, it has been 140 and under.
Guesstimate: boy

4) Your Flowing Locks
Has your hair become thinner and dull? Or full-bodied and glossy? Thin and dull says girl, gorgeous and glossy says a boy.

I don't really know on this one either!! Sorry!!
Guesstimate: boy/girl :p

5) Where Are You Carrying Extra Weight?
Even those extra pregnancy kilos is said to give us an insight into your baby’s gender! If you are carrying extra weight at the front, then you’re having a boy… but if you are carrying extra weight on your bum and hips, then you have been carrying a girl.

I'm not carrying extra weight. Though, I personally feel that my bum and thighs are bigger!!
Guesstimate: girl

6) Maths
If you combine your age at the time of conception with the number of the month you conceived and the resulting number is odd – then it’s a girl on the way. If the resulting number is even, then it’s a boy for you.

I scored 25 - so looks like it's a girl for this one!

7) Sweet, Salty or Sour?
Another well known old wives tale!!! Are you craving sweet foods like juice, fruits and chocolate? If so, old wives say that you could be having a girl. But if you’re craving sour or salty foods, then you could be having a boy. It’s also said that if you are having a boy, you will crave protein like meat and dairy. I have trouble believing this one because I think we’d be overrun by a population of females – we all love chocolate pregnant or not!

Have mainly been craving lemons. However I still love my fruit...have gone off lollies a bit and have never been a big fan of chocolate. I also love baby-bell cheeses at the moment. Seeing as it's one of the only 'gourmet' cheeses I can eat at the moment!
Guesstimate: boy

8) The Wedding Ring Over The Belly Trick!
Get your wedding ring (or other ring/needle/pin) and attach it with a strand of your hair or some string. Lie down and dangle the ring over your belly. If it starts moving in circles, you are having a boy, or if it moves like a pendulum from side to side, then you are having a girl.

I've done this twice with the girls at work. It spun in circles both times.
Guesstimate: boy

9) Morning Sickness?
Did you experience morning sickness in early pregnancy? If you did, then you’re said to be carrying a girl, but if you didn’t have morning sickness, then it’s a boy.

I had morning sickness. Not as extreme as some people...but I definately felt queesy for most of the first 16 weeks!
Guesstimate: girl

10) Cold Feet?
If your feet get colder than they used to pre-pregnancy, it’s a sign you have a boy on the way. If your feet are the same, then it’s a girl!

My feet are always cold! They have stayed the same
Guesstimate: girl

11) How Do You Look?
Do you look better than ever while pregnant? Or has the pregnancy done your looks no favors? As it goes, if you look great during pregnancy, then you are carrying a boy. If you don’t look too flash, you’re having a girl, because she’s stolen all your good looks!

I have had sooooooo many comments that I look fantastic...nice to hear :)
Guesstimate: boy

12) How’s Your Partner’s Belly?
Apparently, if your husband puts on ‘sympathy’ weight with you during your pregnancy, then you’re supposed to be carrying a girl. If he doesn’t put on any weight, then it’s a boy.

He has stayed the same....while I have just gotten bigger & bigger!
Guesstimate: boy

13) Pimples, Schmiples…
If you get acne during pregnancy, apparently you’re having a girl, and if you don’t, then you’re carrying a boy.

They have cleared up since falling preggers
Guesstimate: boy

14) Are You A Lefty or a Righty?
So when you sleep, do you sleep on your left? Because if you do, then it’s a boy for you! On your right, a girl is in sight.

I sleep on both sides! I switch between the 2 all night!
Guesstimate: boy/girl :p

15) Checking Out Your Wee!
Ooooookay…. now apparently if you have bright yellow urine, then you’re carrying a boy, but if it’s dull / clear, then you’re carrying a girl. On a serious note though, if you have dark urine, up your fluids intake as you may be dehydrated.

Mine is bright yellow like when I used to take my iron tablets! Sorry for the info!
Guesstimate: boy

16) What Does Your Belly Look Like?
A basketball or a watermelon? Because if it looks more like a basketball, then old wives say boy, but if it more resembles a watermelon then it’s a girl.

I would say it's a basketball - it most certainly feels like one!
Guesstimate: boy

17) Hairy Legs?
Has the hair on your legs grown faster than normal? Or has it grown just like normal? Because if it’s growing faster than it did pre-pregnancy, then you’re said to be having a boy.

I would say it's normal....I don't really keep track on hair growth! I just shave it when it needs it!
Guesstimate: girl

So, If I add correctly, we have 10x boy answers and 5x girl answers and 2x eithers!

I still am inclined to say girl though!! oh, I just don't know...sigh...my brain is starting to hurt!

I am going to start up a competition in a couple of weeks time where you can all have your own guess at the sex, weight, and arrival date of the baby!

Train List

Along with spewing on the train I can now add to my list:

Passing Out!!

Yesterday was a fun day!

Aqua-fit Classes with Bek

Finally, the long awaited post!

I went to my first Aqua-fit class a couple of weeks ago after my mum told me that I needed to make sure I was fit & healthy for labour. I have since been freaked out and been trying to find different options for exercise while pregnant.

I thought "Aqua-fit" that sounds easy!

Boy, was I wrong.

It started with the nazi teacher we had...I was too scared to speak or do anything wrong that I just about pee'd in the pool.

Before I got in the pool I thought about going to the toilet, but thought "meh....I'll be fine."

However, the warm water and the fact that I'd just drunk my bottle of water caused me to try and hold on as much as possible until we were doing our stretches at the end of the session, and I couldn't uncross my legs to stretch out, that I made a run for it. (It's really hard to run in water too!)

I was then told that if I wanted to return to the class I would have to provide a doctor's certificate saying I could continue. The session was in a hydrotherapy pool and was so warm it's just like sitting in a spa. Pregnant chicks cannot just sit in a spa and simmer away, so I was allowed to join in this time, but next time....DOCTOR'S CERTIFICATE (which I'm too lazy to arrange)

Jet trying my goggles

The moves of the class were a little odd and they really tired me out! We had to push these foam dumbells under the water with one arm, so when the instructor wasn't watching I'd use 2 arms and then when she'd turn around I'd use one arm...sneaky.

We then had to float on our backs and pump the dumbells somehow under the water! With my belly, I couldn't just lay flat. I constantly rolled to either side because I was so off balance! It was crazy.

Russell just sat there and laughed at me! It was annoying!! Stupid lying on back...dumbells.....crap.

Russell refused to let me out of the house with the goggles, so I had to give them up *sigh*

I also opted not to wear the bikini as it was a little too revealing for me! So, I went for modesty :)

Now, who else loves you so much they would post pics of themselves in their bikini while pregnant!? Gosh I must love you all lots!!!

I haven't gone back since, I'm thinking of trying yoga next....now that would be interesting!

Look what I made!!

Look what I finally finished on Sunday Night!!

My girls blanket!

I need to put it through the wash so that it sits nice and I think I may knit a white border around it to neaten it up. Now I just need to finish my boys blanket....9 squares to go and then put them all together!

But for now, I'm proud of myself :)

Looks quite big in this picture!

And, it can also be used as a cape if so desired

"I can't believe I took that picture, you are such a nerd." - Russell