I continued my weekly mantra this week as I didn’t really get around to much resting last week. Can you believe however this week is the last of my second trimester? OH MY LORD, that one tiny bit closer really makes a lot of difference mentally if nothing else.
After a little bit of nesting over the weekend, and starting to organise the house around the soon to be new tiny housemate I feel reluctant to come back to work on Monday. Can I not simply continue the nesting vibes forever?
As a result I’m back on the apprehension wagon, not full blown anxiety but aware of how much work there is going on. Baby has been kicking and rolling away like a mad baby this week so at least I know they are still in there and having a great time. I’m sure I read they are supposed to sleep a lot more than this??? HOWEVER I’m not going to complain as it keeps the dread monsters away for the time being.
Ben has been home a lot more this week in the evenings which has been a huge treat! What a sweetheart he has been too in taking on more chores, and looking after the dog more etc. I am just so, so grateful to him for this right now, as I am getting tiredy, tired.
Since rest is the word of the week, I decidedly left work early on Wednesday afternoon to finish up at home; which was wonderful and a great decision all round. After rushing around again the next morning I turned back on myself during the morning commute when I started to feel overwhelmed and came home to work again back there. Not before grabbing myself a Gail’s blueberry muffin for my troubles though by the way!
And Friday I was due to work from home anyway as I had my 27 week midwife check up. My usual adorable midwife wasn’t there this week, so I had a different one and a student one. All fine but they were a bit clinical in their bedside manner which set my anxious side off a bit I have to say. Something to watch out for on the labour front! Regardless baby is measuring fine and the heartbeat is sounding pony-like and beautiful just as before :)
I had another counselling session on the phone which I’ve decided to pause for now just in case I may really need them postnatally — in the meantime I have the helpline, NHS options and just need to continue my own management techniques.
This was a busy baby weekend with Saturday consisting of our Baby Shower and then Sunday, a Baby Show. First things first — my friend Charlotte is a sweetheart for INSISTING she throw me a shower and for abiding by me endless demands for a no cringe/ no blue and pink/ no pooey nappy game type shower. And even went as far as to chair the event, which in the end was a tasteful but very cute little picnic with some of my nearest and dearest in the ever-so-slightly-autumnal Greenwich Park. Coupled with even my make up done and a sort of impromptu photo shoot by the conkers ha.
Not only was I overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity, I am feeling truly humbled of those in my life right now and their faith in me and Ben to do a really great job of this post pregnancy thing called parenting! Not something I have given enormous amounts of thought to yet, I have to say.
The main focus of the shower was for everyone to share their favourite childhood book, and a bit about why it was so memorable for them. We had some real crackers in there; Paddington Bear, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Dr Seuss and even Babar en francais! All of them I cannot wait to enjoy myself, never mind to share with baby. Add to this some adorable baby garments and even a little mum-to-be treat for me, with some toiletries to enjoy with my round body while it lasts.
The Baby Show was very much an exhibition of baby items. Not babies themselves as so many seem to think when I say these words! We drove out to a beautifully posh part of Surrey to a racecourse exhibition centre and had a great peruse of all the baby items on offer, had another demo of the stroller of our dreams, attended some talks on hypnobirthing and even did some baby first aid! Whats more it was the first time Ben and I were able to do something baby just the two of us, so it was really nice to get in the zone and take it all in. Ben bought baby squirrel a little suit with bears on (because he loves them!), plus we picked up another sweet little freebie goody bag to bring home.
All in all a pretty exhaustive week of baby stuff — I guess I had to give in eventually..
