Musings on the bump

I am happy to report that the bump is growing and all is well with Baby R. I feel like I am suddenly growing a lot bigger. I know some of you will be thinking - you ain't seen nothing yet girl! but baby is about 3lbs now and we got a bag of flour out last night that weighed just over 3lbs, man no wonder the lower half of my body is feeling a little different. When I glance over at those scan pictures though . . .

Since discovering I was pregnant I have had feelings of extreme nausea, months of non stop vomitting, sudden changes to my eye prescription, spotty skin, greasy hair (so much for the glowing thing!), inexplicable tears, irresistable exhaustion, raised blood pressure, a newly discovered blood mutation (seriously?), itchy itchy skin, super over active saliva gland, an abhorance of peppers and lettuce (I smell them from miles away!), crazy freak hairs growing on my face and tummy, an inny that is slowly becoming an outy, an inner alarm clock that wakes me up every night at 3.30am - I'm sure you've had the same and worse! -

but having said that -

I have never: felt more blessed, had more reasons to stop and smile to myself at kicks only I know are happening, had a more lovely, patient and thoughtful husband, wanted to spend more time with my sisters and their kids, spent more time thinking about the meaning of names, looked at one picture quite so much, felt as confident in a swim suit ( I swear I have a newly found strut waddle as I walk around the pool!), waited with so much anticipation of someone's arrival!

I was always quite nervous about being a mum. I wondered if I had it in me to give up my own interests and the things I wanted to do, especially with all the challenges that I'd seen come along with parenthood. I wondered what it would be like to give up work (at least for a time) and whether I would go crazy at home with only baby talk for company. As my tummy has started to grow and I've heard our little girl's heart beat and seen her kicking around I feel like I would give up anything. It's been a total change in me. I'm not worried at all anymore.

Baby R, thank you for all the changes you have already made to our lives. We simply cannot wait for you to arrive!!!

In a sharing mood

OK, so I'm just filling a bit of time while Mike is doing homework at my work office. I wish I had a picture of my pregnant tummy to show, but I don't at the moment. I know I know - how hard can it be? Well I'm definately not taking one tonight as I'll be going swimming and that's not a picture I'll want to share!

What I thought I'd share instead is a couple of blogs I found recently that I thought were really cute or cool. I don't know if any of you follow blogs that aren't for people you know, but it's quite nice to see peoples projects or pet things that they love to do. So here are a couple I've found just recently that I've enjoyed browsing:

http://cocorosetextiles.blogspot.com/

and

http://www.rosannemaryruth.blogspot.com/ (also known as Hungry Hearts)

I think I am starting to dream of living in Cornwall and anything I see or read that makes me think of that place sets my imagination off. I imagine myself living down there, working at something creative, and driving round a letterbox red camper van. Guess what I found a picture of my perfect van on one of the blogs! Here it is :

Come on - I know some of you have blogs you read and really love - share away. I'd be totally intrigued to see what you find cool!

And by the by I will be back soon with bump shots. Don't be surprised if you are surprised at how big I'm getting!

Peace out x

Finally - return to the blogosphere

Hi there pals -

Yes you may have thought I'd retired from the blogging world- but not so. Thanks for bearing with me. I have decided not to do a super long post with a lot of pictures, but instead just a couple of snap shots of the past few months and the headlines. Here they are:

Michelle laughs in the face of 30!

The Spuds find out they're expecting

"Jim's gonna kill me!!" - Mike

The Richey's take on Paris and kick it's butt!

Christmas in the States - although you wouldn't know it from the head gear!

Snow in Blighty means chilly fingers
And finally I just had to include this picture- it's nothing to do with our news, but honestly - who thought to put a Pizza Hut next to this classy Bride Hut? Do they have no class? hahaha! Saw this as we drove home through Leicester from our scan the other day - were we found out we are expecting a girl! So a memorable day on both counts!

Short lived Indian summer

There we were on Sunday afternoon. Mike was asleep on my parent's floor, laying flat on his back with a cushion under his head and a blanket wrapped around him like a cacoon. The missionaries had just left and we were all a bit too full. I was sitting on the sofa talking to Lucy on the phone. This was the way our Sunday afternoon was going until the Kears invited us out to walk in the beautiful Autumn sunshine.

Mike: "who, me?"

Beacon Hill was hosting a congregation of runners doing laps. I used to do that in my fitter days. Well actually I ran about 80% of the time and speed walked the rest. Better than nothing - it's a steep one! We entertained ourself on top of the rocks waiting for the Kears to arrive.

See - what a beautiful evening! It was definately Autumn, but it was outside weather. When the Kears arrived, we walked and talked and played with the kids on the rocks.

I just love late afternoons and evenings like that. I want to place an order for more of them. I thought I would post these pictures so that when the days get shorter and I'm stuck inside in the dark and rain at three o clock I can remember that there are sunny days and I'll see them again. I love you sunshine!!!

Here's to love!

I remember what it was like to have the good news to announce - "we're getting married!". What an exciting and wonderful time! Who do you tell first and how do you tell them? What needs sorting? There are busy periods when you feel like a headless chicken and slower periods of waiting when you just want the day to arrive. I imagine it must be much the same when you announce your first baby, or any other really big impending news.

This past week has seen a couple of announcments from friends and family of engagements and in honor of these I write this blog and invite you to look at the fun had by 9 couples in States who decided on what I think is a pretty stylish ceremony! If any of you need a little inspiration, look no further.

9 weddings, 9 minutes each on 9-9-09...audio slide show: http://bit.ly/ReBcd

Congratulations to Esther and Adam, and to Adam and Katie for their baby news. May the happiness continue to spread!!

My first ever book club

Tonight I am hosting the monthly book club started by Lindsey Scott in an effort to read all the Jane Austin novels. I have never had the concentration for that kind of reading, and have much preferred the films and tv series. Lazy? Perhaps.

But now the book club have officially fininshed the Austin marathon, Debbie asked me to come up with the first non-Austin offering. Tough, considering that books don't come with ratings. I turned to my back catalogue to try and remember if there was something I could offer that would be a compelling read and absolutely free of offensiveness. Not as easy as it should be to find something outside of the kids category. Having said that, this book came to mind and it has been really enjoyable to read again, so I am putting it here by way of hearty recommendation.

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, is written in a fairly simple, allegorical style and is a very digestible length (you could finish it within a day if you had a few hours spare). I found it compelling reading and didn't want to put it down. It follows Santiago, a young Andalusian shepherd as he tries to realise his life's ambition, or "Personal Legend". It has many thought provoking themes and leaves you feeling around to identify what your own Personal Legend might be. I feel reinspired every time I read it. Which has been 3 times so far. I've not read a book that often since I did A Level English!!

So to you my friends, I can recommend this read. Buy it cheap from amazon, or a local bookstore. Especially if you feel like you need some motivation and inspiration, or if you want to feel as though you yourself have been on an epic adventure. If you have read it, leave me a comment to let me know what you thought of it!

Enjoy!

The 'Todds' go camping

Everyone had their own teenage terminology for a loser - in my high school it was a Milko or a Billy. Mike used to call people Todds. Hence the title of this post. Because on a lot of the pictures you are about to see I look like a Todd. But then I was camping and who ever looks great when they're doing that?

The scene in the Lake District looked a little bit like this:

You wouldn't have wanted to stay would you? It rained so hard we couldn't even see the mountains surrounding us, let alone hike them. Plus Mike was wearing jeans, one of Daddy Jim's camping cardinal sins. So instead we made our way south, via the temple again, and ended up in the trusty Peak district, just outside of Buxton. Look how happy it made Mike. He could get outside and play around, which is his favourite hobby.

After a really nice night outside, which always makes me feel so much better for some reason, we decided to head for Kinderscout and have a proper hike. We did about an 8 mile round trip, with some fantastic view from the top. Although my face maybe betrays my fitness level at the moment!

Finally we reached the Trig point, but that only really marked the half way point. And already I looked like a total Todd.

By the time we reached the end and got back to the village where our car was parked Mike was ready to give in and call a taxi!! Not really - he was posing in a phone box for his mum. Or maybe trying to prove that despite popular opinion he does try and call home sometimes!!

We absolutely love a good hike. As if I needed to sell it to you anymore - here's the lovely English summer weather that you missed in the Lake District! Wish you were here!?!?!