30 weeks!

Three quarters of the way through! If I had a penny for every time I hear the words 'not long now!' ...

Last week, with our antenatal class, we went for the tour of the hospital (University Hospital North Durham). I have to say I was really impressed. The delivery rooms are lovely, spacious, and because everything is hidden behind cupboards hotel stylee, calming. We also got to look round the ward (or the recovery zone) where we were privileged to share a couples 1 day old baby being bathed. The whole process really brought home how 'real' this is and how close we actually are. What I was really impressed with was the staff, there were loads of them and they all seemed lovely ... something which I'm sure will make a massive difference on the day. After our dose of reality I have started getting things together for my hospital bag, after all there have been babies born already from my online September 2011 birth group ... the issue is you get told what you need, the essentials, the nice to haves and the why didn't I think of packing one of those, while trying to balance the mantra of travel light. This is definitely going to be a tricky one for me which is probably why its a good thing that I'm starting now, maybe by the time comes round I will have perfected the birthing equivalent of a capsule wardrobe (not that I have been able to achieve one of those in my 28 years!).

This week has also seen the strengthening of my mood swings, or mummy moments. One moment I'm elated, the next frantic the next silent (which the husband would probably say is a good thing). On Saturday I was reduced to tears at the sight of horses being led across the road ... with their foals following close behind. Looking at the tiny foals, all legs and just getting the hang of walking, instinctively following their mummy was lovely, so lovely in fact that I could do nothing but sob for the next ten minutes. God help me if I see some ducklings!

Loads of my friends and colleagues have been jetting away on their holidays recently. Seeing them come back with that healthy glow that does not come out of a bottle, and listening to stories about life in the villa or dinner at the taverna makes me want to jet away too. I could think of nothing nicer than lazing by a pool, eating beautiful local dishes and taking in the scenery ... and then I wake up, I'm fantasizing about this from within my air conditioned office and the minute I set out side in this balmy British weather I start to melt, fast. there is no way I could be in temperatures of 38 and upwards. Oh well, it's nice to dream! I'll stick to my gradual tanner, keeping my skin soft and giving a gentle glow without the heat stroke.

This week has also seen the official arrival of the stretch marks, I knew they were coming (my mum has them and I already had some from previous weight loss) but now my poor tummy is starting to look like a mound of raspberry ripple ice cream. Mmmm ice cream - the sweet tooth is still here!

What with emotions like a rollercoaster, melting in the heat and the onset of scar tissue my treat this week has been to tackle those beautification tasks that I've been putting off. That means a full head to toe body scrub, conditioning mask for the hair, purifying mask for the face, manicure, pedicure and eyebrow wax. I managed (with great difficulty) to this by myself but something tells me that I may have to leave the pedi (the bodged job might be the giveaway) to the professionals from now on!

I only have 19 working days left at work, not long now! Oh ... I owe myself a penny :)

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