33 weeks!

It's been a month since I updated and looking back at my last post, I have been rather busy!

To sum up:

• Midwife visits - MW says I'm still measuring 30cm, 3 weeks after I first measured 30cm.  She said that if there's no growth next time then they'll send me for a scan.  As it turns out, we already have a scan booked for 34 weeks (Wednesday) so we will have more of an idea then.  This has made me worry a bit about growth, especially given people keep saying how small I am and comparing me to other people who are close in dates but are a lot bigger! I decided to weigh myself and in five weeks now I think I've only put on an extra pound! Still, I suppose that makes up for the fact that the MW at 28 weeks said that I was putting weight on too quickly... Next time (15th February) I'll be 35 weeks (even though it's a 34 week appointment) and we are discussing my birth plan! Best have a think about that then!
• Work - Work is stressful to say the least. I have 13 days working left all told (2 are half days due to aquanatal classes).  It's stressful because I have so much to do before I leave! I feel that once I leave my life will be so much easier.  I know I will breathe a big sigh of relief! 
• Friends - I'm loving the friendships (well, one really) that are blossoming at the moment.  My friend who is due just before me is wonderful and we're becoming good friends.  I really hope that our friendship continues to blossom as our children will.  
• Family - my family are great.  Really really great.  There's no way we'd have got through the last two years without them.  As time goes on I am really missing my mum.  There's so much I want to ask her, so much I need her for. But dad is amazing and has surprised me by knowing so much about mum's pregnancy with me and my sister. He has helped Mr Waiting put up the furniture, bought us the pram and has just been wonderful and understanding.  My sister is so excited and it's so nice that she is.  She really can't wait to be Auntie and I can't wait either. 
• The nursery - The nursery etc. is pretty much ready to go! We had an incident with the cat in the moses basket a couple of weeks ago and it made me go all neurotic mother! We now have the wardrobe and everything is coming together nicely. I will have to take some pictures! The only things remaining are some decorative items - bunting and curtains (which are being made by the MIL as we speak) and some wall art, which I may have to attempt myself... we'll see!
• Mr Waiting - has been an absolute God-send.  He is amazing and wonderful.  There's no way on earth I'd have got through pregnancy (the emotional and physical side) without his help.  He is my rock.  Stanley means 'stoney meadow', Peter (which we have decided will be his middle name) means 'rock' and our surname apparently also means stone/rock! So I really hope that if Stanley is a Stanley and not  a Lucy that he, too, will be someone's rock one day.  Incidentally, we have decided on Lucy Evelyn for our daughter's name. Lucy meaning 'light' and Evelyn meaning 'desired, waited for' and possibly from 'little bird'. How lovely! 
• Pregnancy health - I am suffering a little with tiredness and have been prescribed iron tablets. Unfortunately these have the bad side effects of severe constipation (aka complete and utter agony and inability to walk/bend/move) as well as black poo... Sorry for the TMI there! Other than that (and a cold!) things have been ok.  The baby moves a lot, gets hiccups all the time which is so cute! He/she keeps moving from being back to back to back to front and I can tell depending on where the hiccups are! 
• Bump photos - We wanted to have some professional bump pictures taken but we decided to let Mr Waiting have a go first! So here are the finished products (and I have to say that I am so pleased so we will no longer be getting professional ones done!).

29 weeks now...

Here's a bump picture update!

28 weeks

29 weeks:

I went to the midwife this week (it was a different one as my usual one was still on holiday).  She weighed me, which I was surprised at - I thought I'd only be weighed after booking in if I was obsese or over weight. Anyway, she told me that I had put on 10kg since booking in. Not working in Kg, I didn't really know how much that was or whether it was too much or whatever.  She then said that I should expect to put on around 12kg during my whole entire pregnancy.  I still have 11 weeks to go so clearly I am going to put on more! I don't feel fat... but I know my bum feels a bit bigger or my trousers a little tighter! And someone at work said my face was fatter. I have been eating a lot, or, really, just eating like I normally do with a bit extra because I know that I don't need to worry about my weight, or so I thought anyway! 

To be honest, I am not worried at all.  Surely there can't be such a thing as "one rule fits all" or "12kg  fits all"?  In any case, it's actually one thing that I am NOT worried about (hurrah!).  I am measuring a centimetre bigger this week too actually. But that could just be this midwife's way of measuring or something like where the baby is laying or something.

I have had a few little wobbles.  Today I got some hospital bag stuff and filled up one pod of the pacapod bag that Mr Waiting got me for Christmas.  The nursery carpet is now down and the furniture was delivered today. Mr Waiting is building it as we speak.  So I am having a bit of a "what if something happens and the baby doesn't come home?" wobble.  I know it's unlikely, I know.  Just like all my other anxieties about accidents and people's health etc. are unlikely.  But it doesn't stop me from feeling them and worrying about them.  In any case, it's something that I can discuss with my counsellor next week.

Tomorrow I am going to my first session of aquanatal and I am really looking forward to it! It'll be a chance for me to take time out and do some exercise (maybe work off a bit of energy/extra calories too...!).  I need to give that maternity tankini an airing! I also start NHS antenatal classes next week and have booked our tour of the hospital today. 

It's all getting scarily close! As for the nursery we only need the wardrobe to be delivered and to get some shelves or a book case.  We are going to order the pushchair on Saturday with my dad - apparently it's tradition for the mum's parents to buy the pushchair (or travel system as they're often called now!).  This is something that mum would've absolutely loved. In fact, when I told her we were trying she said she'd seen a lovely pushchair that she loved (I think it was a Mamas & Papa's Pliko Pramette with some polka dots in a grey colour, not sure they make it any more).  I know she'd be more than happy with our choice though.  Oh I miss her. 

Talking of mum, I text dad last night to jokingly as if he thought that I had a fatter face! He said "no way!".  He said that I look so much like my mum did when she was having me.  It made me cry.  I love the fact he thinks I'm like her. He said I'm her double. I've always wanted to be like her, so I guess I am. 

I also watched One Born Every Minute last night.  This may have fuelled my wobble actually.  There was the 10lb 10oz baby that didn't cry for minutes after birth and I just shook with fear and couldn't help the tears as, despite the happy ending, that would be my worst nightmare imaginable.  Perhaps people would tell me not to watch the programme, but I am a sucker for it and I totally love it.  I made Mr Waiting watch it with me and he was shocked, I think.  He even rewound and re-watched the crowing bit!  I was doing a lot of heavy breathing (ha!) because my words of choice kept being "Oh my God" and "I'm going to have to do that, aren't I?".  It's surreal because I've watched it before and I obviously didn't relate to it in the same way.  In fact, I thought afterwards (something that didn't occur to me at the time of watching like it would've last year) that I didn't once think about how unfair it was that these young couples were having a baby.  Last year that thought would've been my focus.  Maybe I am moving on a bit... maybe my thoughts and fears are lain elsewhere (more likely!).

Anyway, my next update may well include cot pictures! How exciting! And then I can start really nesting - washing things, ironing and putting them all in organised little places (ready for me to rearrange about a million times before the birth!).

76 days to go!