Why is Pregnancy 9 Months?

I know... 

I know... 

I've been scared the whole way through that when the baby came out I wouldn't love her.  There I've said it...  I was scared that I would see her and be all...  Bleuh... 

But I'm not, recently I've discovered that every kick, thump, whump and hiccough means I love her that little bit more. 

It's scary and that's why they give you 9 months to get used to it.

Loving someone you've never even met (and not in a creepy "no I really do love Tom Jones" kinda way).

I don't love Tom Jones - just thought I should mention that.  Now Daniel Craig... yummy yummy yummy.

Week 25 - Eggplant (Aubergine)

Herbertina is now the size of an Aubergine... As we call them here in Ireland... 

She weighs two pounds - wow... and should be about 9.2 inches long. 

Now, I've never held an eggplant that weighs two pounds - they've always seemed to me to fairly light weight kinda veggie.  But they're delicious when roasted with peppers, carrots, onions, mushrooms and balsamic vinegar.  In fact that just might be my dinner tonight! 

Image from here: http://www.bfeedme.com/taking-on-the-eggplant/

Classes start on Monday...

So my first ante-natal class starts on Monday...

I've been swotting up... Studying my books.

I'll be the one sitting there with my hand in the air knowing that answer to every question. 

Only

I won't... 

Put my hand in the air

Cause that means everyone will look at me. 

When we leave I'll say to B, I knew those answers.

And he'll sigh and shake his head - cause he knows me! 

He wouldn't expect anything less.

Be prepared for lots of useless facts next week. 

Goodness Gracious Me...

http://uk.health.lifestyle.yahoo.net/biggest-baby-in-texas-born.htm

More than a stone!  

How the mother could walk escapes me... I can only imagine. 

7 lbs baby - 7 lbs... 

The mother was suffering from gestational diabetes which as far as I'm aware can cause heavier than usual babies to be born... 

But seriously... 

16 lbs... 

What was her medical team thinking!

Seriously bump - 7 lbs... Please 

Week 24 - Rutabaga... Or Swede...

Week 24 and Herbertina is the size of a Swede...

This means that she's 1.75 lb's and about 9 inches long... Plus she's really starting to boogie down there...

All the time! 

Windy in here isn't it?

I'm mortified.

I have wind!

And not the funny wind...

Well yes, actually the funny wind - just not the wind that I find funny! 

I have no control over it.

I just did one there - silent but deadly.

One of my office workers just looked in my direction - they know it's me!  I think I'm blushing!!!  I can't control it at all.  I'm not even sure when it's going to happen.  One of them has to make a noise at some point! 

Eeeek...

Week 23 - Cob of Corn

Mmm - there is no veggie I love more than sweet corn.  It's my favourite... 

And this week Herbertina is the size of a cob of corn...  About 1.5 lbs and 8.5 inches...  She's huge and expected to double in size over the next four weeks! 

C'mon grow baby grow. 

Heartbeat...

I had a swollen foot at the weekend - just one very swollen foot at the weekend.  It was the ugliest thing I've ever seen on me... (apart from that bob I went for 15 years ago that looked like I'd had a bowl cut - shudder)

Of course this is a sign of pre-eclampsia.  Which is a scary disease and needs immediate treatment.  So I went to the doctor yesterday afternoon and he said I was fine.  He had a feel, tested my pee, weighed me and had a look at my foot (which had shrunk to almost regular sized by then).

The he said we'll just listen to the baby's heartbeat! 

And he pulled out the doppler and there it was... Bomp-bomp, bomp-bomp, bomp-bomp! 

142 of them a minute... 

How cool! 

Trip to the Cinema...

Went to the cinema last night... 

To see Transformers.  It was B's choice.  Don't waste the money.

But while we were walking through our shopping centre I thought I walked into something.  Like stopped dead, tripped over my own feet, grabbed B, looked down to see what I'd walked into and said "owff".

There was nothing there (as if there would be a stationary item in the middle of a busy walkway in a shopping centre.  B obviously was a bit concerned when I said - "I walked into something".  Actually I think he thought that I'd lost it.  It felt slightly "electric shock" in nature.  Then it was sore...  

So we decided I'd been really kicked by Herbertina, and continued on our way to the cinema. 

When I stopped off to use the facilities I had a look at my belly, I had two new stretch marks to the left of my belly button and I'm pretty sure that my "walking into something" was in fact the stretch marks appearing.  And man were they new looking - bright red - and sore...  I was actually surprised that they weren't bleeding they were that ow-y. 

So then we sat down in the cinema and I discovered that pregnant women do not like sitting still for more than two hours (this movie plus trailers is three hours long).  And that eating a small box of sugar filled sweets does not result in a quiet resident.  Herbertina was doing cartwheels in me! 

And the poor man sitting beside me, as I fidgeted, sat up straight, slouched, crossed my legs, uncrossed my legs, lent forward, lent backwards, twisted and turned... I'm sorry... 

I won't sit beside you again!

Huge, Gigantic and Where Have my Toes Gone?

I feel a bit like one of those cartoon characters...

You know... 

The ones that have been run over by a car, steamroller or train! 

They put their thumb in their mouth, blow and are suddenly re-inflated.

I feel like I've been inflated overnight.

All of a sudden my toes have vanished.

My belly is huge.

B saw me yesterday evening (for the first time in 24 hours) and wanted to know where I'd got the beach ball that had disappeared up my top. 

I am definitely pregnant.  Dear Goodness what have I done, stop world...  4 months isn't long enough!  I need at least 4 years...

Herbertina's Best Friend...

Was born yesterday... 

She weighed 6 lbs 7 oz.

Sometime yesterday evening and we're popping in to meet her tonight. 

This is B's cousin (the baby) although she and her brothers are much more like his nieces and nephews and he is blessed to be one of their godfathers.  Although not the most religious role he'll ever have in his life, he is very good at turning them all upside down! 

I can't (and yet can) wait to meet our little bump.  

Eeek! 

Week 22

So I'm now 22 weeks pregnant and Herbertina is currently the size of a Papaya!

(Meaning she's about 8 inches long and weights 1.2 lbs)

Mmmmm Papaya...

Might have to pick some up from the supermarket on my way home for dessert this evening. 

Image from here: http://www.topnews.in/papaya-has-cancer-curing-properties-says-report-2256581

First Stretch Mark

I know I should clarify this... 

First with the pregnancy! 

I've had stretch marks before - I'm prone to them... Puberty didn't involve me wearing bikinis at all... 

But I have a little pink one right now... Just to the left of my belly-button.

I'd say it can't wait for it's friends to get here!

(Ah well, at least I'm starting to get bigger!)

Sigh... 

Listen to me sweet child...

My bladder is not a plaything... 

Please 

Stop

Bouncing on it

Kicking it

Punching it

Or

Whatever you are doing to it that's making me need to visit the little girls room so frequently today!

Please! 

Boy or Girl?

In Ireland it's more common than not to discover the sex of your baby at the very end of whole affair.  I'm not like that, I like to know what I'm getting for Christmas in November, when my surprise birthday is and who's gonna be there and so on... 

So we had the first appointment yesterday in the Fetal Scan Unit and being me, we turned up 15 mins early for it.  So we had plenty of time to work ourselves into a frenzy before hand.  What if this wasn't a baby - what if it was an alien, what if I wasn't really pregnant and had been gaining weight for no reason.  

No reason... 

After stressing ourselves out completely we were called into the scanning room and met our midwife. 

She was lovely and told us she'd be taking measurements of the foetus and checking for abnormalities and did  we have any questions?  

We'd like to know the sex, please? 

That's not a problem, I'll check at the end and see if we can tell. 

Then I had cold stuff squirted on my stomach and the scan began.  The relief we both felt when we saw Herbert in there was overwhelming - then she showed us he had a beating heart and I leapt a little on the bed. Then Herbert began moving here there and everywhere - the midwife kept asking him to stay still as she took measurements.  His brain, his stomach, his femurs.

We had lots of questions - most of which were - "is that normal?"

She had lots of answers - most of which were - "yes, that's normal!"

Herbert was having a ball though - lots of turning and had his feet crossed at one point - so cute!  I even asked will he be playing rugby or football? 

Then she said, well we're done - "You wanted to know the sex didn't you?" 

Yes please...

Herbert spins upside down on the screen beside me.

It's a girl! 

Wow... 

Rugby or Ballet...

For the past week we've had movement... 

Definite movement.

It rocks! 

It's like tip tapping and pressure in my bump area...   

I've felt it a couple of times a day for a while now. 

Which has me wondering - are you a ballet dancer or a rugby player in there my little Herbert! 

Image from here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2006/09/27/open_rehearsal_arts_event_feature.shtml

Baby Movement

I used to love my morning coffee hit... 

But since discovering I was pregnant I've given it up.  

No more coffee for J... 

Until yesterday, when I stopped in my favourite store and asked for a Decaff Coffee... I don't think she heard me properly and I didn't pay attention to her making it. 

So I sat down and drank my beautiful and lovely cup of coffee - num num num... 

And then hopped in my car for a quick journey home during which it felt like there was a herd of Butterflies in my belly... :)

So finally sure I felt Herbert move! 

Eeeek... 

I didn't really cry either... Well no happy sobbing for sure anyway. 

Image from here - http://www.doobybrain.com

Yoga & Excercise

So it finally arrived. 

My box set Yoga DVD... 

Pregnancy Health Yoga with Tara Lee

My poor husband will be watching me this evening as with this beach ball attached to my belly I'll be stretching and unlocking my muscles.

Wish me luck!

I'm sure they do classes wherever you are but mine aren't local and comparing the cost of the two of them I decided to go with the DVD, I can do it more than once a week, it has loads of different exercises and I can talk back to the instructor too.

Will let you know how I get on tomorrow - as in - can I still walk or am I still stuck in the lotus position on my living room floor.  Or has B had to lift me off the floor in agony and brought me to his Physiotherapist! 

Fingers crossed! 

Money Saving Tips...

It's expensive... 

Having a baby.

I feel you probably already know the above!

(Or have at least heard it mentioned before)

So we've started trying to save money and trying not to spend as much as we would do were Herbert not due to appear in 21 weeks.  I hope that makes sense.

I've just re-read it, I'm pretty sure it does. 

There are a number of ways to do this... 

(I'm about to bullet-point them - be prepared)

1. Say no to nothing (or the reverse - say yes to everything) - my mother taught me this one and it's very important.  The amount of people that have offered me second hand buggy's, cots, high chairs and the similar is huge and each of them say the same to me.  "I've had this for ages and everybody says no!"   Make sure the item is in full working order, has not been "altered" or changed in anyway and be sure item is fully cleaned and always buy a new mattress for the sleeping items - cots and similar. 
2. Amazon (and generally shopping on line is cheaper than visiting the shops).  If you're like me and like to touch items, manhandle them, check their swingability and be sure you're buying quality have no fear about heading into the shops to "cop a feel". 
3. Associated with the above - google for on-line codes.  They're usually out there.
4. TK Maxx, this involves numerous trips at random moments but they do reduce the price of things significantly.
5. Clubs - We have a number of supermarkets & brands that do things like baby-clubs, these are famous names and almost all of them will promise to send you out vouchers and coupons at some point before and after the baby is born.
6. Loyalty Cards - I have two or three of these for local shops and supermarkets, these promise money back, coupons, vouchers for being loyal customers.
7. You don't need as much as you think you do of the big expensive items! 

Remember the last one - that's very important! 

Tummy Pains...

Lying in bed last night

Laughing at my husband

Hurt my poor stretched tummy muscles...

Sneezing today at my desk

Really hurt my poor stretched tummy muscles...

Laughing and sneezing are two things that happen quite a lot to me! 

I wish that they wouldn't hurt so much.

Come on muscles - stretch out and let me get back to laughing at B... 

Mango Baby...

This week Herbert is the size of a Mango and apparently weighs a half a pound... 

Eeek - I can start measuring him in pounds! 

And I think I'm starting to get movement...  But I'm not sure, it's that or wind! 

Mmm - mango smoothie here comes J! 

Photo's I Promise

Man, I can't believe it's been two weeks since I last spoke to y'all... 

Me and B spent the past week getting our house sorted!

We filled a skip and decorated (but didn't furnish) the babies room and decorated and did furnish my husbands office.  Neither of us can quite believe how much stuff we got rid of! 

Photo's to follow...

I'm starting to look pregnant now.  Still no real feeling of baby yet... 

But we're getting there! 

Eeek... 

19 weeks pregnant! 

On a side note... Week 17!

Herbert is the size of a turnip this week... 

HUGE! 

Meeting the Consultant...

So... Yesterday... We met the Consultant!

A Dr P McP... 

But lets start from the beginning! 

Having spent a bit of time around people who've spent time queueing in our hospital we were told to get there nice and early and with our appointment being for 14.50 we decided 14.20 was adequate. 

Who were we kidding? 

With a queue of 15 people ahead of us it looked like we'd be there a while.  But we had stuff to do to keep us entertained - pay the bill - seeing as last time we left without paying the bill... (Gulp) and let the nurse who'd butchered my arms last time have another go!  (Double Gulp!!)  So B, being the man with the money went to pay the bill and I went to pay the needle-woman. 

It's true though - your body fills with blood!  It went perfectly - absolutely perfectly.  In went the needle and out came two vials of blood.  Two... No clotting, no slowing of pressure, no no blood coming out at all. 

Plus I had to pee in a cup...  It's still awkward. 

So then with our bills, vials and plastic cups deposited in the correct locations we joined the queue. 

You are given large A4 plastic numbers when you sign in and you're expected to sit in that order when you arrive.  So much so that 'cause we were late (from the variety of deposits made earlier) the nurse highlighted our position the next time people moved so we could rejoin the queue in our correct spots.  

Yup... 

So we all sat there watching the the Consultant go backwards and forwards between his two rooms, as he left one room the visiting occupant would gather their belongings and move out and the next person in the queue would move in.  

Some people were in for two mins - some were in for twelve.  As we got closer and further up the queue we both hoped that we'd be in our meeting room for as long as possible.  We had questions and things to discuss. 

Soon, our turn came at the top of the queue, we went straight on into our room and I sat in a chair and B sat opposite and we waited.  When all of a sudden the door opened and in came a tall unassuming man came in and took my file from me.  

He asked us questions, we answered, he asked about my stroke (I had a stroke a couple of years ago) and we answered.  He was calm and said that based on the history and the treatment for my stroke that it shouldn't have any impact on me or the birth of Herbert.  Which was very reassuring and he said he'd supervise me himself - so I'm not "high-risk".  Which is also great! 

One of the girls emailed me back having heard that news and said - "Great, maybe you can stop worrying now!" to which my response was "Well maybe when they move out?"

So then the Consultant said he'd have a feel of my tummy, and then he said he'd do a quick scan.  Yey... 

So we saw Herbert's spine - looking absolutely fabulous.  And we saw his head, and his legs and his arms and everything.  How so very cool. 

B's pretty sure he saw something else, but I'm not so sure about that! 

Eating Regularly...

Wasn’t that hungry today so rather than my toast/scone that I have been enjoying at about 10.30 I decided to have an apple instead…

Bad idea…

At 12.30 I was running from my car into the office to get sick!

It is important to eat regularly when you are pregnant… 

And not just during the first trimester! 

On a side note baby is the size of an avocado this week.

Mmm Avocados... 

100 Days...

Sorry... 

I've been very quiet... 

This whole baby-making thing is hard work and it's taken a lot out of me. 

But this morning I woke up and realised we were at 100 days.

I'm very excited about this and I'm also excited about my growing waist size.  In some photographs I look pregnant.  

And my boobs are still growing...  Will they ever stop! 

It's fun being pregnant and I'm loving it too. 

We have a week off in May and the plan is to start sorting out the "spare bedroom" and decorating it and refurnishing it.

B has great plans to remove the carpet from the stairs and make them look pretty - there's plasterboard underneath - so our builder was over yesterday evening.  He also has plans to remove the bath from our family bathroom and put in a new sink (with vanity) - I'm very excited about this too.  There are also plans to change the shower head in the en-suite - also very happy about this.  

Of course how we'll afford all of the above - I have no idea - but things will work out. 

We're positive in this house.

Food...

Sorry for being away for so long... 

We've had a stressful couple of weeks. 

Which I'll tell you about when my heartbeat gets back to normal! 

But today I want to talk about food. 

I've been obsessed with food since I can remember, watching what I eat, making sure I don't eat too much, I get my five a day and at times I've got a little too "careful".

But now, I'm loving food... I've been thinking about my lunch since I had the same thing yesterday... 

Cream cheese crunchy baguette and a bag of skips... 

I couldn't be happier to be eating! 

And that's one of the best things about being pregnant, is getting back to really loving food and enjoying what you eat and going for butter!  Oh, I love butter...  

Yum yum yummy yum yum... 

Roll on lunch time! 

It wasn't just wind...

Herbert is definitely there!! 

Please see below photographic evidence and feel free to drool a little at the cutest 10 week old embryo you've ever seen... 

He's the blob in the middle, upside down, those are his feet buds in the air!  An athlete to be - already trying out handstands!! 

Oh man, I love him! 

First Scan....

Tomorrow is our first scan... 

I'm excited and a little nervous!

Excited cause I'll get to see little Herbert and nervous cause we'll know for sure that at this moment in time that everything is alright with him... 

So at this time tomorrow we'll be sitting in a waiting room waiting to see the first love of our lives in person. 

Oh, belly hug! 

Fear...

I am scared

I am afraid all the time

I am so worried about my little Herbert... 

There's nothing I can do

I feel helpless

and useless.

All I can do is keep hoping that you continue cooking. 

That's all any pregnant woman can do. 

So stay in there Herbert and bake away! 

Cannot wait to meet you in October! 

Exercise...

It's important to be healthy and fit when having a baby... 

I'm fairly healthy and kinda fit but I was a member of an Olympic Weight Lifting Group - now I wasn't lifting Olympic Weights but they weren't light! 

But then I got scared to go back... So I'm going to postpone my membership and continue swimming daily before I get home.

I have dogs too, so they get walked every other day anyway.

So no more clean-jerks, squatting, power lifts, chin ups, pull ups, toes to bar or (sigh) burpees! 

Sigh... 

Burpees!! 

Food, Glorious Food...

So, I'm discovering the food I can eat... 

I thought it was just beige.

But it turns out Herbert loves old fashioned meals!

Roast Dinners

Home-made Soups

Toad-In-The-Hole... 

Oh yummy, yummy - toad in the hole... 

Currently enjoying a yoghurt, it's like it's the first one I've ever eaten and it's amazing.

Mmmm - back to liking food again! 

Although I'm hungry all the time - like all the time - I finish eating something and I'm hungry again.  Although after my feast of Toad-In-The-Hole last night I wasn't hungry again till this morning... 

Mmmm toad in the hole... 

(That's sausages in batter if you don't know what I'm talking about and it's amazing)

Like wow... 

I feel I should have renamed this post - In honor of Toad in the Hole! 

Mmmmm

It's out there...

Told the friends yesterday... 

Decided it was probably time when two friends of friends of B's texted us to congratulate us,

Talk about being unable to keep a secret! 

We were so happy and delighted with everyones response. 

Lots of congratulations and well done's...

You are very loved Herbert.

I sent the following...

B and I would like to let you know that we are currently waiting on the next member of our family to arrive, expected due date - 25th October, expected size - 6 pounds (please), expected sex - boy (but that's just a mother's intuition)! Roll on 25th October... Can't wait to meet you Herbert! Eeek! 

On a side note: My cousin is pregnant too... 

This means my Mum & her two brothers are all going to be grandparents in the same year!  Cool huh? 

Baby Boom...

There's a baby boom going on at the moment... 

My cousin's baby is due in May,

A close friend of my family is due her baby in June,

B's friends wife is due in July,

B's other friends wife is due in September,

My aforementioned cousin's brothers wife is due in September,

I'm due in October... 

It's all a bit crazy, bumps everywhere and nobody knows about Herbert!  That's very cool! 

Me and Herbert! 

Bleuch Morning Sickness...

It's really hitting now... 

Discovered I don't like tea any more, or coffee, or salad vegetables, or chocolate... 

Beige food... 

That's all Herbert likes! 

Currently snacking on raisins... I'm not looking at the colour of them!  That's upsetting my stomach too! 

Ginger biscuits seem to help - a little bit.

Still feeling invaded. 

Plus my jeans are getting tight! 

Yey! 

Morning Sickness...

Has struck 

Just once 

Yesterday, at 12.50... 

My husband was using a tooth-brush and Cillit-Bang to clean the grout on our kitchen floor tiles (he's great like that)... I went downstairs to see him and get a whiff of the smell - then all of a sudden I'm running back upstairs and leaning over the toilet... 

So I get dressed very quickly and race out of the house staying away until the smell is well and truly gone.

Yuck...

Morning Sickness... 

Migraines, Pregnancy and Medication

One of the first things you learn when you're pregnant is that there is a handful of things you cannot do...

One of the most memorable of these is

Nothing else other than paracetamol! 

I thought, that'll be fine... 

Easy, peasy -who needs to take more than paracetamol.

Turns out I did...

Twice in the past week!

Of course I didn't cause it's important to me that the bump is raised in a healthy and stable womb.

I've had a stinking cold for a while, really nasty, lots of tissues, sneezing, coughing even - all I wanted was Lemsip.  Nope, no to Lemsip - they add stuff to it - it's not just paracetamol!  So no Lemsip... Which meant I suffered through my first cold in years with nowt.  I was not good company! 

Then, I suffer from migraines... If you do too you have my utmost sympathy!  The best thing that I have found when one appears is, as quickly as possible, to take two pink Migraleave, this means that my eye-sight still goes funny but I escape most of the headache.  Of course Migraleave are also a no.  Nope, nope, nope. 

So yesterday when my eye-sight started to fuzz up I could have burst into tears.  I went through my first migraine with only paracetamol to help me through it.  I was at home in bed within an hour of it starting and managed to get through the next five hours by alternating my head above and under the pillows... 

Bump, I love you to the ends of the earth but please no more migraines! 

Photographic Evidence

So

We decided to start taking some photos so we can document me getting bigger and Herbert growing away inside me... 

Plus so Herbert can see how funky cool his parents were before he came along and sapped the cool out of them with his late night feeds, incessant crying, constant demands and adorable laugh! 

Cannot wait to meet him... 

So I thought I'd forewarn you all that there will be pictures of me on this site... 

Sorry! 

Morning Nausea & B's Book

Well today I am officially 7 weeks pregnant and as a gift from Herbert I got... 

Morning Nausea! 

Morning Nausea is not be confused with Morning Sickness (which we will not be suffering with).

It appeared when I was getting dressed this morning and then it reappeared when I went to have a mouthful of cereal. 

I had to put the bowl down.

Take a couple of mouthfuls of water. 

And a few big deep breaths... 

I felt hot, bloated and queasy... 

Queasy - I've always liked that word, it's wonderfully onomatopoeic.  I feel queasy - like being squished and turned upside down and shaken a couple of times.

Queasy...

Anyway, B read to me last night, while he was in the bath.  This involved me perching on the toilet seat lid and  trying to get comfy.  He read to me from the book about Fatherhood I bought him and it had a very apt description of the exhaustion I am currently feeling... 

Crippling tiredness.

I am

Crippled 

With 

Tiredness.

So tired... I've said to B a couple of times - did you think this was going to effect me as much as it has... 

He said...

"Not so much" 

I have to agree. 

There's a lot of work in baking Herbert! 

Early Scan

So after much thought... 

And talking on boards... 

We've gone for our early scan at 9 weeks.

That means I'll have picture proof to show my mates at the Hen Party I'm at the weekend afterwards, plus I'll be able to explain why I'm not drinking.  

So looking forward to seeing Herbert! 

I hope he's looking forward to seeing me as much too! 

Windy Pops...

I've never been one...

Excuse me.

To suffer with ...

Pardon me.

Excessive...

I beg your pardon.

Burping... 

Sorry.

But...

Oops. 

I do wish this would ...

Burp.

Stop! 

Doctor's Appointments

So, having put a lot of thought into it... 

We've gone semi-private.

This means I'll see the same consultant the whole way through at everyone of my appointments but I'll give birth with a mid-wife there instead of the consultant.  Which sounds fine to me.

The on-call consultant will see me if anything goes wrong during my labour. 

Sounds perfect. 

So I have my first appointment...

On the 7th April 2011

 That's with the midwife to take my bloods and medical history. 

My next is the 10th May with my Consultant.  And his Secretary said that they may do a scan on me then.

Then I'm back for my dating scan on the 15th June. 

It's so exciting... 

Of course the 7th April is a long, long time away... And we'd like to see Herbert between now and then so we're gonna go for a private scan at about 9 weeks... In a months time! 

Cannot wait, we're just going through lists of hospitals now trying to work out which will be best.

I'll keep you up-to-date in the meantime.

Yawn! 

Boobs...

Holy Moley!

Good Lord!

What has Happened to me? 

My Boobs have (not quite) doubled in size.

And they hurt... 

As of yesterday evening I'm turning into Pamela Anderson!

Impressive huh? 

Sleepy...

I tell you what, growing babies is hard work.

I am shattered.

Exhausted.

Ready for bed... 

How nice/comfy/cosy/sleep inducing does the above look? 

That's where I wanna be right now! 

In bed! 

First Doctor's Appointment

So, we've been to see my GP

He asked us how many tests we'd done

4

He asked us if they were all positive

Yes

He said then that we were definitely pregnant and congratulated us.

Yey! 

It's funny, how hearing a professional just tell you what you know, deep down, means it's all real.  I mean, we did 4 tests - 4 of them!  It wasn't until the doctor told us we were pregnant that we were sure. 

I'm a little scared 

Okay

So I'm terrified

I'm now responsible for somebody I haven't even met yet.

My baby, my child, my off-spring, my progeny, the fruit of my loins. 

Terrified!

The Doctor then went through our options with us

Public

Semi-Private

Private

B wants us to go Private (that'll be expensive)

I'm happy to go Public.

Neither of us wants to so Semi-Private. 

We're "whole-hog" kinda people. 

I think we'll end up going Private... 

B stated "Let's get the child out of you first and then we'll see what we're gonna do."

The Doctor recommended three consultants, he said that all the Doctors send their wives to them, that made me feel a bit better.  They're all called Peter too - which is strangely reassuring.  No idea why, I'm gonna blame my hormones for that.  But they all work the same rota, so no matter when I'm giving birth all I'll have to do is call out Dr Peter!  I like that! 

So I'm waiting on the Consultants Secretary to call me back to go through costs with me. 

I love my Doctor, he's so reassuring and calming. 

He told me my Do's and Don'ts

Don't take any medication other than Paracetamol.  (No more Migralieve for J)

Don't stop exercising.

Don't eat for two just yet. 

I think that was it. 

I can drink coffee, the odd glass of wine (I'm not a big drinker so I won't be drinking at all), I'm trying to reduce my caffeine intake so that's going down anyway.

He asked me my symptoms

I told him drooling, that was the first thing that came out of my mouth, mortifying, clearly it's the one that embarrassed the earth out of me when I did it in front of my husband on Sunday morning.  So I felt I should share it with the Doctor.  Burping, clear skin (my favorite), tiredness, exhaustion - I'm so tired all the time.

He told me to buy books, I said I had already.

He said "Don't read the labour chapter just yet." 

I said, "I've stapled that one shut"

He went through birthing options with us - I'd like to do gas & air rather than have an epidural.  But I'm saying that right now.  Before I've even had an contraction. 

Gas and Air. 

Hmmm....

Then he went through dates with us. 

Next appointment is with my Consultant (whose secretary I'm still waiting to call me back - I mean I rang her 45 mins ago and nothing yet - I hope this doesn't reflect on my mothering style -a ntsy and shrill) which will be when I'm 12-14 weeks gone.  That's 8 weeks away.  That's when I'll have my first scan - very exciting and we'll see the baby properly - even more exciting. 

After that I've another four weeks before I see Doctor again. 

I'll have a bump when I see him next! 

How exciting!!!!!!

So that was my first Doctors Appointment.  It'll be a while before the next one. 

Now, would the secretary please call me back! 

Yes... I am!!

I hope you're reading this properly Aunty Eily! 

Currently 3-4 weeks pregnant... 

There's a person growing in me!

The size of an apple pip. 

Try and make it home for the end of October? 

Eeeek!!

Research...

Okay...

So I've done some research... 

I think I'm probably pregnant! 

Yey!! 

False positives do not occur. 

(as in there would have been nothing there if I were not pregnant)

All recommendations lead towards using a digital test which will tell me whether or not I am pregnant. 

So I think I'm in for a long afternoon...

Sigh... 

Pregnant?

I think it worked... 

I have one definite line and one very faint line...

It doesn't look like this...

But I can see it... 

There's still two days until my period is due and I used and early detection test? 

Am I pregnant? 

I still hope so! 

Phewww.... 

Test Day

Please keep you fingers crossed for me... 

Today is test day!

I'm feeling like I might be... 

Just a little... 

Teeney tiny bit... 

Help for the job...

Sorry

I beg your forgiveness

I've been very busy

I'm just back from Paris!

Which was wonderful and romantic...

My last pregnancy indicator - you'll get this - was a week late.  A week... I peed on a stick I was that concerned.  It was negative.

But as a result it pushed the next time we were to "get down with it"

to last weekend

when we were in Paris

I'm hoping it's a sign! 

So... Pause in proceedings...

We've decided to hold off on the baby making for a month, we're slightly concerned about the food and alcohol we've been eating for the past month. 

Everybody I know seems to be pregnant at the moment.

Okay so I'm exaggerating.

My husband managed to tell the busy-body in my group of friends that we're trying, he was a little intoxicated and not thinking straight. 

So now everyone knows.

So I'm under more pressure to conceive. 

Sigh... 

On the plus side though, I've used the phrase

"I'm not pregnant" 

more than I ever thought I'd have too.