Well, I am now officially like a whale. I feel huge and most people now look shocked when I say I still have 12 weeks to go. I stood with Kath today, a woman I work with who is due in 2 weeks, and I was the same size! And it's not her first either so I can't say that her tummy muscles are holding hers in... The baby is so low it feels like it is about to fall out, all of the time, and I am getting so many contractions that last night I nearly rang the midwife! Apparently it is all par for the course for a multip (the much nicer medical name for a woman who most people would just call daft, you know, one who has taken leave of her senses and has ended up having lots of children - how did people ever have 10? Their bumps must have scraped the ground as they walked...) and I should expect it to carry on if not get worse. Oh, joy. This is definately my last child, I'm going to book myself into the vets to be spayed once this is over... I mean, it kicks me so low I can feel it on the top of my thighs when I'm sitting down (really, I can) and to make matters worse, I've started leaking colostrum - you know, the yellow milk stuff that stains. So I was in a meeting at work the other day, wearing a white t-shirt, and felt the warm drip, drip, drip land on my tummy... nice. It's ok when you've just had the baby, everyone expects (or at least understands) that you walk around with crusty, milk stained clothing and you're never without the baby over your shoulder or attached to your boob anyway so it's fairly obvious what is going on, but in a meeting where not only was I the only woman but also the only person in the room to have kids, well, it isn't so easily explained. Glad I had a body warmer with me - must have looked very strange though, sitting in a swelteringly hot room, red-faced and sweating, wearing my body warmer! Thought I was going to pass out.
The children are getting more excited though, as is Ian (I am too, of course, could just do with being a bit more comfortable!). Sonny is now also claiming to be having contractions and Anya is getting more adventurous in her suggestions for names, thankfully she forgets most of them within 5 minutes of making them up...
Our holiday in the Lakes was superb, could have done with longer really, and it's great that the good weather seems to have stayed with us and will do for a good few days yet. Anya was running round and round in circles through the daffodils singing, 'Spring is here, spring is here, spring is here at last' the other day - I know exactly how she feels... Sonny of course is 'very lots sad' because he can't use his skis but hey, he'll get over it.
Few pics for you. Some from the Lakes, some from home, all from the last week or so. More to follow when we find where we've packed the camera... oh, to be organised... and by the way, Anya doesn't get her dress sense from me (probably just as well really).
With Sally in their den
On the bike track from Keswick - they rode so well and really enjoyed it, so much so they didn't want to turn around. Anya has plans for the C2C (aka Nan's house to the caravan on her bike).
She rode all of the way up this very long hill, and really enjoyed coming back down it again!
In Caldbeck
In Caban, on home turf
Not sure of the reasoning behind the head-dress, or even if there was one
Dinas Dinlle this morning
More Dinas Dinlle from this morning
Ian's new shed base - his afternoon's hard work. Good, eh... insurance have finally paid out so maybe now we can get the 9 bikes we have between us out of the house!
