The countdown begins (38 weeks)

Gestation: 38 weeks and 5 days
Days to EDD: 8

Weight gain: 14kg

Number of chocolates eaten today: One chocolate brownie.

I have just had my penultimate visit to the obstetrician, assuming of course that I don't go vastly over my due date and have to see him to discuss induction in two weeks. The good news is that all the hard work I have put into getting Ajie to turn anterior over the last week (spending time sitting upright, on my hands and knees, sleeping on my left hand side slightly on my tummy, walking, swimming breaststroke and avoiding the rocking chair to name but a few activities) has paid off. Ajie is now lying in the optimum position for birth, known as left occiput anterior, that is, bub is facing my spine with its spine to my left-hand side, its hands down the bottom and its big foot over on my right-hand side (as usual). According to Dr Stokes its head is way down low in my pelvis, which I'm hoping means fully engaged. It certainly feels that way. Since last night I have felt a lot of pressure down low in my pelvis, on my bladder and bowel. It feels quite strange and, at times, rather uncomfortable, so I'm hoping I don't have to put up with it for too long.

Which means, of course, that I should probably ramp up my preparations and get all my little jobs done.

The baby is being quite interactive lately. We seem to be able to play little games with it which is very cute. When we talk to it, or prod it, or pat my tummy, it responds by pushing its foot out. I rub its foot and it moves it around. Toby was having great fun playing with it the other night. I can't wait to see the big foot for real.

We have our list of names ready and just need to see what flavour Ajie comes out as and what it looks like. Oh, and of course hope that we agree on it.

Other than that there is little to report right now. The ladies in my internet forum have started having babies and a friend from yoga had twins last week, a boy and a girl. It's all very exciting and seems to be babies, babies, babies. I'm hoping that our pram will arrive soon and apparently the sofa will get here on Friday. And not a moment too soon. I'm so restless in the evenings and finding a comfortable position is difficult. My lower back is very tight but not sore, my mid-back, however, is aching by late afternoon. I have been spending some time most days at either the pool or the beach doing breaststroke and just floating around to relieve the pressure somewhat. And right now I'm popping out for a walk, although I'm a little nervous about leaving the air-con. It's been so hot and humid here lately. At least we're not having a 40C heatwave like some places down south. Ug! I would not be able to cope with that.

I have uploaded new photos to the Baby Clewett album but for some reason do not seem able to add that album as a slideshow on this blog. So here's the link: Baby Clewett and bump photos

37 weeks and on maternity leave!!

Gestation: 37 weeks and 5 days

Days to EDD: 16

Weight gain: 14kg

Number of chocolates eaten today: None. It's breakfast time. But yesterday! Well, I had a small chocolate fudge square, a slice of baked orange cheesecake and a couple of bits of chocolate. No wonder I've put on another kilo!

Well, as usual, I have been intending to write this post for quite some time now but got slack. I started maternity leave last week and ended up busier than I was at work. My last week at work was quite exhausting, handing over, training the new guy and sorting through 5 years of paperwork - most of which was earmarked for secure disposal. 

I spent the first day of my maternity leave running around. Firstly I got up early and had a great swim at the local pool. After breakfast and a bit of pottering around I went off to my obstetrician's appointment via the library to pick up some books on quilting. After my appointment I did a bit of shopping. Then home again for lunch before a visit to my physio about my ribs. A couple of them were slightly out so after a bit of adjustment they moved back into alignment but she suggested I might benefit from a massage to ease the muscles slightly.

The next day I had my first Tuesday yoga class. I'm going twice a week now and, apart from the drive which irritates my ribs, I'm feeling good for it. In fact, after starting this post this morning I headed there a bit early and did a bit of a photo shoot for an hour with my teacher for a book she's writing. It'll be cool to have such nice photos of me doing yoga with my big 37 week belly. In the afternoon (last week that is) I had my last pre-baby hair cut and then did a bit more shopping, including looking at cots. 

On Wednesday morning I went to my first ever mum's group with a colleague's wife and friends she met doing a series of workshops run by Queensland Health. It consisted of a few women with babies around about the same age hanging out in the park, eating cake and talking about babies. It was nice to meet them. I'm sure they can't talk about babies every week. It was probably just because I was getting to know them. 

After lunch I went over to Kaz's to talk about the quilt we're making for the baby. I bought a cot on the way and then went through some of her neutral baby clothes. There weren't many. I picked up a few more quilt making supplies from Spotlight on my way home. 

On Thursday a massage therapist came around and performed bowen therapy for my ribs. She seemed to think that would help more than a massage. They still hurt. I'm having another session with her this week so we'll see what that does but I'm beginning to suspect that the only thing that's going to help is having this baby. Whenever it pushes out with its big foot my ribs ache. Dr Stokes said the baby is slightly posterior so perhaps getting it to turn around will help. Hopefully it'll turn before or during labour anyway as a posterior labour can be slow and painful. Most of them do turn but I did hear that 1 in 20 births are posterior which seems a lot to me. Not as many as 1 in 3 being caesars though, I suppose. I mentioned it to Sherry in yoga this morning and interestingly, at the end of the class it seemed that Ajie had turned slightly. I could feel a hard round bit at the top which I think was its bum, and I couldn't feel the foot. I think I have felt the foot push out a bit since then but right now I'm finding it difficult to tell what position its in. I intend to spend 10 minutes every day in various hands and knees postures to encourage Ajie to twist around.

Anyway, by last Thursday, after all my activity at the start of the week I was knackered and given strict instructions from the therapist to take it easy. So I baked chocolate fudge squares in the afternoon and that was about it. Friday was similar. Still tired I met the new cleaner and told her what to do. She seems to talk too much so I think I shall have to go out next time she comes and see if she can get a bit more done. I also baked cheese scones for my party on Saturday.

I went to yoga on Saturday morning and then had my baby shower in the afternoon. It was so much fun. There were only a few of us, Karen (sister-in-law), Larraine (mother-in-law), Sasha (due 2 days after me and does yoga with me), Bec (who I met Sasha through and who has a 6 month old), Sherry (yoga teacher) and Lucie (pregnant pink bridesmaid). We each sewed a square for the quilt. Here we all are proudly displaying our creations:

We pigged out on afternoon tea, the kind we used to have whilst watching The Muppets as kids. We had sandwiches with tuna, egg and cress, and salmon and cucumber, crumpets, cheese scones, chocolate fudge squares, cranberry and macadamia (or was it white chocolate? Sasha made them and they were yum) shortbread, scones with jam and cream (thanks Kaz), and Lucie's scrummy blueberry muffins. And copious amounts of tea of course.

After we'd cleared the quilt-making things away we sat in the nursery and each of the girls gave me a bead, which they blessed with a message. They will go onto a bracelet that I'll wear during labour, the idea being that I can fiddle with it as a distraction and draw strength from the women that contributed. My mam is sending me a bead to put on it too. 

Sasha gave me a wooden bead to represent a natural birth. Bec gave me a beautiful glass bead to give me encouragement when I feel like I can't go on and to know that I can do it. Larraine gave me a pendant Bec gave her, to represent the gift of friendship that motherhood brings. Anna (who was absent) gave me a fairy cake charm to remind me of the Mr Greedy story I've been reading to the baby. I'll think about the fact that I will no longer have a Mr Greedy belly and that soon I'll be able to see the baby's response to the story. Lucie gave me a turquoise bead from a necklace her mother gave her because turquoise is my birthstone and one of my favourite colours and, in Lucie's words, it looks good on me.

Sherry gave me some Tibetan mountain coral from a necklace she bought in Nepal, which she had shortened. I like this because it was in Nepal that I truly discovered what I was capable of physically if I put my mind to it.  A few years beforehand I'd challenged myself by taking part in a 5km fun run - I'm really not a runner - and finishing in 30 minutes. But in Nepal I was trekking between 11 and 15km per day for 21 days with a 15kg backpack. My ankle ached, my shoulder and neck were tight and sore and my hips were swollen and irritated from my backpack. 

One day, trailing far behind my group I sat down on the side of the path in a beautiful forest and cried in despair. The forest was so peaceful and I was so much more comfortable just sitting there that I was tempted to stay. But I knew it would get cold, and that my friends would worry. They'd get to the teahouse and eventually one or two of them would be sent back to find me. They'd have to walk all the way back to me, then all the way back to the teahouse again. I couldn't do that to them. So I drank some water, munched on some trail mix and headed off again. That time out gave me the chance to recoup and persuade myself I could do it. And amazingly I did. I'll never forget that feeling. Not long later I caught up with one of the group - turns out I hadn't been that far behind them after all. I have also drawn a picture where labour is depicted as a path up a mountain. When I touch the mountain coral during labour I'll remember the story, the picture and Sherry's incredible strength and advice that she's given me throughout my pregnancy.

I think I should probably stop typing soon as a) this post is ridiculously long and b) blogger seems to be having trouble auto-saving and I'm becoming paranoid that I might lose the whole thing. I just have a couple more things I want to add.

Firstly, I'm finding it difficult to find time to write posts, despite not working. Being on the computer tends to irritate my ribs, plus I seem to have to spend so much more time resting and napping. I have so much to do with my time: pack my hospital bag, finish building the cot (half built after I had difficulty getting the drop side to actually drop yesterday), finish my square for the quilt, make my labour necklace, send various emails etc. etc. 

Secondly, I have experienced moments of sadness and nostalgia for the romantic carefree life I'm about to leave behind, just me and Toby. I am in no way suggesting any kind of regret, just a tinge of sadness behind the incredible excitement.

Thirdly, the night of my baby shower, just before I fell asleep I had a vision. I saw a face in my head as clear as anything, more like a memory than a dream. It was a young boy about 4 years old with straight blond hair and blue eyes. He looked like me, like I might have looked if I'd been a boy, and a little bit like Toby. I just knew he was our son. It was weird. It was like I was remembering someone I knew, only of course I couldn't know him, I don't know him. I've dreamt the baby was a blond boy before (only this wasn't a dream because I was awake). I couldn't see his face that time but he was about 18 months old, with curly hair, running away from me wearing only a nappy.

I think that's enough from me for now. Time for a nap!

 

Mr Greedy at 36 weeks

Gestation: 36 weeks

Days to EDD: 28

Weight gain: 13kg

Number of chocolates eaten today: None. The sweet cravings are finally dissapating somewhat. Hurrah! (Although I did have jam on toast, and banana and peanut butter on toast.)

I look like Mr Greedy. I really do.

Do you see the likeness?

The funny thing is I noticed this after a conversation with a friend in which I was explaining that I'd been regularly reading Mr Greedy to the baby and she decided it would be a good thing to put on a square of the quilt we're going to make at my baby shower.

Yes, I've decided to have one. I have only invited a small number of people to my Celebration of Impending Motherhood and I asked them not to bring gifts but instead to help me make a quilt for the baby. Karen and I had great fun in Spotlight last week picking out some bright unisex fabrics. The party is next Saturday and I'm going to provide a selection of goodies for a traditional English afternoon tea, just like we used to have whilst watching The Muppets when we were kids.

Current ailments:

• Apart from looking like Mr Greedy despite the lack of sugar cravings and not putting on any weight, I am suffering from heartburn again. It's on and off but has happened most days this week. Very annoying.
• My ribs still ache. They were really sore last night and I wanted to get the theracane into them only to discover that Toby had leant it to a colleague until tomorrow. I asked him if he could get into it for me and he did try but was suffering from a sore arm and shoulder and couldn't quite give it the effort I needed.
• I'm getting tired again. Not that I ever wasn't really but I find standing and cooking at the end of a day's work a bit of a trial. I will see if it gets any better next week when I'm on leave. Will be nice to have a bit more spare time and be able to factor in some afternoon naps but to be totally honest I can't believe how quickly it has come around.
  

Other news:

• Tomorrow is my last day of work before maternity leave. Having pretty much handed everything over (except for management of our support queue which is a right pain) I am now sitting amongst boxes (one for rubbish, one for recycling, one for home and one for storage here) and piles of crap as I try and sort my stuff out. Obviously I'm procrastinating severely by typing this. Oh, and I've just remembered I need to book a table for lunch at the tavern tomorrow.
• As mentioned I am organising a baby shower for next weekend. I need to go to the library next week and get some books on quilt making because I really don't have a clue. I also need to buy cotton because Kaz and I bought fabric and then realised we had nothing to stitch it together with. Not the right colours anyway.
• No progress has been made with the nursery other than deciding where the furniture is going to go. I'm hoping Toby will put up some shelves and stick some hooks in the ceiling this weekend. The next job will be to choose a carpet. Toby's mum has offered to make curtains so we'll hopefully get around to shopping for some fabric this weekend when she visits Andrei and Karen.
• We've chosen a pram and as far as I'm aware my mam and dad are in the process of buying it for us online. Woohoo!!! After much deliberation and research and getting to the point where we just wanted to make a decision and not think about it anymore we chose a discounted (hurrah for January sales) Steelcraft Strider DLX in Kingfisher (a gorgeous blue-green, much like a Kingfisher really). Lucie opted for the same pram but thankfully in a slightly different colour. We're also getting a bassinet to go with it after discovering a thermometer in our bedroom reading over 30 degrees last week and deciding it would be uncool to cook the baby. For daytime sleeps we can put the bassinet in the room with the air-con on hot days.
• We also have a good idea of which cot we'll get and Toby's mum has offered to get this for us so we're pretty close to getting that organised.
• I still haven't booked my cleaner but I've had the number on my screen for days and just haven't got round to calling. Will do that now I think.
• Izzy (the X-Trail) and I have been getting to know each other and we're getting along quite well. I still miss Mitsi but I like being able to go over the speed bumps at work in 2nd gear, and not bumping my head or my belly when trying to get in and out of the car, or get bags in and out of the back seat. I have hired a baby restraint (capsule) from Queensland Ambulance ($68 for 6 months) and I'm getting that fitted on 23rd January.
• Baby is considered full term in one week. Woh!
• I still need to pack my hospital bag. Definitely a job for next week.
• I have been researching the third stage of labour. It seems strange but apparently the medical staff automatically intervene here regardless of the kind of birth you've had. They give you an injection to expel the placenta. I'm trying to find out if this is really necessary and if it's the more desirable option. I'm also looking into cord blood donation. Ideally I'd like to donate to Alzheimer's Research but it doesn't look that easy. I'm not even sure it's possible to donate the blood to the central bank at our hospital. I kind of figure if I'm not donating it then wouldn't I want the baby to get it rather than it just getting chucked away? It's a bit to consider but if I don't get around to making any decisions I'll just defer to the medical staff and go with their usual method.
  

A Good Size

Gestation: 34 weeks 5 days

Days to EDD: 37

Weight gain: 13kg

Number of chocolates eaten today: Three! All Quality Street. No Christmas cake yet though.

Update from obstetrician appointment:

It's all good. My aches and pains are "normal" (i.e. "don't bother me with the details, I'm on my Christmas holiday and want to go home asap"). The baby is "a good size. It won't be a small one." My response: gulp!

That's the second time he's mentioned the baby's decent size now and I'm getting nervous. I'm starting to hope it will arrive early and think perhaps I should try to get everything sorted for its arrival sooner rather than later. Yet at the same time I'm wary of getting my hopes up and spending the last 3-4 weeks of gestation panicking that Ajie is growing to be the size of a cow. I hope no one tries to convince me that Ajie's head won't fit through my pelvis. I hope Ajie's head will fit through my pelvis. Oh lordy. I'm trying to ask it to slow down a bit... I mean, sure keep growing 'cause we'll all worry if you don't, but perhaps just a bit slower. I can't help but wonder whether it's all my fault for giving in to the sugar cravings and that I will get all I deserve for being a pregnant pig.

Other news:

• I'm still hot. It was quite a warm day today (31C in the house according to Toby's new weather station that he got for Christmas from my parents) and I'm sweating like a pig. A pregnant pig. There's a common theme here. I have resisted the urge to stick on the air-con because there is a lovely breeze outside and I'm managing to get a bit of it coming through the house.
  
• Had a lengthy chat today with my old friend Paul at my old organic shop - haven't been there for ages - before he realised I was heavily pregnant. Score!
• Yesterday we bought a new (used) car (Nissan X-Trail which we pick up tomorrow) and a new (new) 2 piece leather lounge suite (it was an expensive day) which will hopefully be delivered in 2-3 weeks, although the salesman was supposed to call me back today to confirm and he hasn't. I intended to call him before 5pm but I've spent the last 2 hours sorting out insurance for the car.
• Went shopping for prams and cots today, well looking. I think I've decided which pram I want: the Steelcraft Strider Deluxe in Kingfisher (a lovely blue), possibly with a bassinet. I'm undecided on that point at the moment. 
• Did I say that I'm hot?

Merry 34 weeks (and a Happy New 35 weeks)

34 weeks today. Oh yes, and it's Christmas Day - hurrah!!!

Gestation: 34 weeks

Days to EDD: 42

Weight gain: 13kg

Number of chocolates eaten today: None. Yet. I'm still in bed so there's plenty of time. Really looking forward to coffee and Christmas cake later.

Writing this on Toby's teeny tiny little Eee PC and the cursor keeps jumping around all over the place. It's driving me nuts so I'm going to get up and see if Santa has been and try again later on my humungous laptop.

Later: Okay, scrap all that. It is days later now. I don't know where the time has gone.

Gestation: 34 weeks 3 days

Days to EDD: 39

Weight gain: 13kg

Number of chocolates eaten today: Two! Quality Street (toffee deluxe, and the pink fudge one; real English chocolate from the English chocolate shop - a birthday present from Toby) but I also had two slices of Kielana's birthday cake and a sliver of Jeff's birthday muffin.

Current ailments: 

• I'm still getting that strange pain in my abdomen, at the front, to the right, near my rib cage. Sometimes it seems to be related to baby movements and that seems to be increasing so I think part of the bub is rubbing against me inside and causing irritation.
• Possibly linked is a muscular pain in my lower ribs to the back. I have incredible knots there and have to get Toby to rub my back. Sometimes it seems to be caused by the baby but it's definitely irritated by sitting in one position for too long and pushing my shoulders forward (when typing or holding a book) doesn't help. The drives to and from Toby's parents' place didn't help either so no more long car journeys for me.
• On Boxing Day I woke up with a sore left wrist. It seemed to be related to a tendon or ligament and was ever so slightly swollen. Perhaps I lay on it in the night. It was weak and useless all day but the next day it felt a bit better and gradually eased its way out.
• The sore wrist was closely followed by a sore tendon in my left foot which was also slightly swollen. I think perhaps bub was lying on a nerve or something.
• I'm hot.

Strange observations:

• Thanks to the heat I am currently unable to wear my rings most days as my fingers are a bit swollen.
• My belly button is starting to pop out. It looks a bit odd. And it feels rather odd having skin exposed that is normally on the inside.
• The baby seems to be sitting a bit high up today and I feel like my heavy boobs and belly are bashing together a bit. I'm sick of my boobs actually.
• My 34 week belly seems MUCH bigger than my 32 week belly. Can't believe there's another 6 weeks of growing to do.

Other news:

• The nursery is coming along nicely. I have finished painting the chest of drawers and some shelves and I stuck some underwater stickers on the shelves and the change table. Toby has painted the walls, doors and skirting boards. Now we just need to arrange the furniture and get sticking!
• We have finished our ante-natal classes. Following our two birth classes was one on breastfeeding, then active birth and finally tips for looking after a newborn, to be continued during our hospital stay.
• The midwife during our final class confused the hell out of us with regards to our cot and SIDS (cot death). There are lots of bizarre rules but one of them is that you shouldn't line your cot with fabric. Ours is. If I remove the liner I'm worried that the baby could catch its fingers between the wire of the frame. I don't think it would pass current safety standards but they obviously didn't worry about this stuff 90 years ago. So do we take the risk with the fabric, remove it, or buy a cot? Who knows!
• There may more news but I'm tired and can't remember ... I have my next appointment with the obstetrician tomorrow so I might pop back in and update on the size of the bub (measuring 1-2 weeks bigger than dates at the last check) and perhaps I'll remember more news then.

Perhaps I'll burst

Some days I feel like I'm going to burst. Not with excitement. Literally.

Gestation: 32 weeks and 5 days

Days to EDD: 50

Weight gain: 11-12 kg

Number of chocolates eaten today: None, but I did have a hot chocolate to try to eradicate the hunger pangs.

32 week belly shot - excuse the tired look and heavy no-bra boobs. It was bedtime.

Tonight, when preparing to shower after the gym, I noticed dry flakey skin on my nipples! On My Nipples!!! I swear I have never before had dry skin On My Nipples. I have certainly never noticed dry skin on my nipples before. Is this normal? Another bizarre symptom of pregnancy? I'm going to have to look it up. Rubbed some nipple stuff on them (Palmer's Nursing Cream, part of my toiletry pack from the ladies at work). The tube mentioned pre-natal use indicating this could be normal.

32 weeks and growing

Well, I guess the countdown has started. We are well and truly into single figures in terms of weeks left before the squirmer is due. Even if Dr Stokes lets me go 14 days overdue we will have our little bundle of joy in less than 10 weeks. I can't quite believe it.

The baby is getting quite big. In fact Dr Stokes says it's measuring one or two weeks bigger than my dates. He said that's good because it means bub is healthy and growing. I am resisting the temptation to wonder if that means it might be early, or on time and big. I think there's a good chance it could even out over the next few weeks. As Gran said the other night though, I am now well and truly aware that there's another little human inside me. It moves around a lot now, with much shorter periods of rest, although most of the time its actual movements are smaller as there is less room. That said, the other night it had me cracking up watching it try to change position. My whole belly was undulating like something out of aliens. I don't know whether it gave up in the end because it's pretty much in the same position it's been in for the last couple of weeks, although I woke up later that night to find it lying right up in between my ribs and over to the right hand side (its favoured side) leaving the lower left portion of my belly practically empty. I rolled onto my back and it straightened itself out a bit.

There is a heel constantly over to my right-hand side and when Ajie squirms the heel comes pushing out. Even Lucie could feel it the other night and sometimes it's so prominent it feels uncomfortable so I push it back in. Ajie pushes it back out again. I push it back in again. This can sometimes go for quite a while and I wonder if it's the start of a battle of the wits that we'll continue throughout life. Ajie certainly likes digging its heels in. It seems to be quite a mellow baby. For all of its squirming there isn't much in the way of violent or sudden kicks. I think Ajie is more of a yoga baby, or maybe a surfer than a footie player. There is the occasional short bout of hiccups though that can be quite violent.

After six months of thinking Ajie will be a boy I have had some strong girl feelings and dreams this week. Now I don't know what to expect but I think I'll be less shocked if it is a girl. I need to prepare Toby though as he would love a boy and is worried he'll be disappointed if it's a girl. I don't think he will be but perhaps my conviction that it is a boy all this time hasn't helped him prepare mentally.

We started ante-natal classes last week and have done two now. They're really good, very informative and it's nice to know that the hospital in general has a policy of letting you birth as naturally as you like and as they believe is safe. The first week was all about a natural and normal active birth. I was a bit annoyed to discover that Dr Stokes doesn't do water-births. Apparently you have to get out for delivery or they pull the plug. Toby and I are devising methods to prevent them from doing that, such as sitting on the plug. I'm not hung up on a water birth at all but I have done a bit of research and it seems like a good thing, plus I'm just irritated that the choice is taken away from me. I'll have to find out what he has against them.

Last night was a bit more full on as it covered all the things that you don't want to think about, such as use of forceps or emergency cesareans. It was good to know in what circumstances these things might occur and to start preparing for the possibility that it could happen to us. I was shocked to hear that one in three births end in cesarean! That seems like a lot to me. We also went through the different methods of induction, something I'm still hoping to avoid but at least I'll know what to expect if it is unavoidable. I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that a medicalised birth might happen and isn't necessarily a bad thing.

The people in our group seem to be nice too and last night one of the girls from yoga was there. She's also English and is due 2 weeks after me but is having twins so will probably give birth before me or around the same time.

I am incredibly busy at the moment. Work is ramping up and I don't really have time to be writing this. I'm so tired. We had a great weekend away down at Byron. It was so relaxing and I took three days off work. But things have got crazy again this week. On Tuesday night we ended up test driving a car (so I've missed yoga and the gym this week and I'm feeling a bit unfit). We're currently looking at getting a Nissan X-Trail which is really nice to drive. We weren't too sure about the actual one we saw on Tuesday though and need to do a bit of shopping around. On Wednesday night we went round to Scott and Lucie's with Libbette and Lincoln for Christmas dinner. It was really nice and we all got each other little presents. Lucie even got a gift for Ajie - a very cool set of decorative lights with felt dolphins, crabs and boats to match our underwater theme. That night I was kept awake with a sore back and I've been tired ever since. My back is getting better but I missed pilates as a result. It's been a bad two weeks for exercise. Must get back into it.

That said, I had a lovely morning on Wednesday where I walked for a couple of kilometres near the beach and went out along the rock wall at The Spit. I saw loads of fish in the water and a turtle! Then I went for a swim in the ocean. It was a beautiful morning and I wish I hadn't been too tired to get out of bed and do it again every morning this week.

Work threw a baby shower for me on Wednesday too. We played a game where we had to guess whose baby photo was whose. Only 7 people brought photos in but it was still fun. People also guessed (or suggested) baby names and when the baby might arrive. The director read out a passage about children from The Prophet - one of Toby's and my favourites actually so I should stick it up here sometime to share. They also got me some fab gifts: a cute little almost designer romper suit and matching bib, although I confess I'm not sure how to get it onto the baby as it has no poppers on the legs. I have the receipt so I can always exchange it; a cloth book that you can tie to the cot with high contrast pictures on one side for newborns and a colourful frieze on the other; some creams and oils for me; and a gorgeous painted wood mobile of Noah's ark with lots of animals on it. What with that and Lucie's lights I can't wait to get the nursery done.

I read in the news today that Australia has the third worst childcare system in the developed world, which is somewhat concerning. Read more here.

And that's about that. It's pretty hot here but we got an air-conditioning unit installed the other day so hopefully I'll be able to cope a bit better. I will have to set the time on it and program it to come on and off at night I think... hopefully it will keep the house a bit cooler.

I finally have a new bump shot so I'll upload that in the next couple of days.