Collage...

Here is a collage cleverly created by our friends and family at my babyshower! The idea was to match our nursery (which is safari themed and yellow) which it does perfectly. It was so much fun seeing it come together and now it's waiting to be put up in baby's room, above the changing table. My nesting instinct wants it to be done now but I have to be patient. Apparently. It will be done this week though! What a great daddy our little one has.

38 weeks...

With just fifteen days to go 'til our due date, I'm really starting to feel it! I'm feeling really restless, and sleeping is the only thing I want to do because it takes my mind off it! My mum said she was like this in the week leading up to the birth of all three of us - so watch this space...

I am astonished at the amount of serious movement going on still, especially when I go to bed at night. Arms and hands are sticking out all over the place, it's such a precious feeling. It's especially brilliant when John is able to see a whole arm sticking up and out, zipping across my tummy which he saw for the first time today. It has only started doing that in the last few weeks, but it's the weirdest thing and definately looks like something out of Alien. It sometimes looks pretty gross when pregnant ladies hold their bump all the time but I've found myself doing it a fair bit but I can't help it - I will miss the feeling but having the baby in real life will be a trillion times better.

In baby world, about 1/2oz of fat is laid down each day from now on. The baby probably now has a bowel full of meconium (a rather disgusting looking tar-like first nappy!) ready for daddy to tackle. They are also now weighing nearly 7lbs - although this does depend on the sex of the baby as boys are heavier than girls, generally. Saying that, baby Ella weighed 1oz heavier than Nathaniel when she was born so it could well just be a myth or some serious generalising. The placenta is now dying off and not as nutritious but does enough to keep the baby going until D-Day.

Hospital bag packed, nursery is complete...now all we need is baby!

Babyshower...

This morning, while Daddy John was watching cricket with Grandad, Uncle Steve, Nathaniel and Matthew, I was spoiled rotten by my sisters who had arranged a spectacular babyshower for me; Sarah & Elle had worked their socks off thinking up creative things to spend time doing, and both grandma's had cooked and baked up a storm in the kitchen! It was a lovely time, especially as all my extended family were down for Christmas so aunts were there who I only usually see once or twice a year due to an ocean being stuck in the middle!

We had lots of fun, and our little one has been blessed with their very own designer gear, lovingly created by friends and family. It was such a laugh, seeing what everyone had written with some cracking jokes about nappies etc but also some that just plain declared how special our baby was! Which we already knew. Obviously. We were blessed with amazing and thoughtful gifts, some that will last years and years. Above are some photos of the excitement...

Thank you girls for a wonderful time and a unique babyshower!

37 weeks...

We're nearly there!

Thankfully, I've had loads to do over the weekend and last few days so I've been fairly distracted. The days seem to be getting much quicker though, and I can't seem to fit everything in! We're pretty much ready, the hospital bag is packed and ready by the door should little one decide to make an early appearance.

This week, baby is now classed as full-term. Braxton Hicks are coming and going quite a lot too, sometimes quite painful but I think that's normal. The baby's head is engaged 3/5th's - this position clears some much-needed space for the baby's growing legs and ever growing behind! A lot of babies now have a full head of hair, with locks up to 3.5cm long! I'm pretty sure our wonder will have hair, I was quite a hairy baby. We're finding it so hard to wait now, we can feel actual limbs sticking out of my tummy and the baby is still so active. It's such a blessing!

It's a bit scary to know that in just a few weeks, a new life will be here but we are looking forward to nurturing our little one and watching them grow into everything God made them to be!

The final furlong...

So my first day of maternity leave was Thursday. A very productive day all in all, totally clearing out my kitchen cupboards and making sure they were organised, refreshing pot pourri (stick it in a carrier bag, add drops of refresher oil and tie the bag up, leave for an hour then stick it back in the container and your house will smell divine. I read it in Mrs Beeton's Household Tips!)

Anyway, today I've been especially restless, but that is likely because I haven't been allowed out: my lovely hubby, sister-in-law and mother-in-law all banned me today from venturing outside! Due to safety obviously. It made me laugh anyway - always good to feel looked after! The funny thing is, I got loads done today but still feel insanely restless. I can't seem to do anything without feeling 'funny'...at least the freezer is starting to be filled with dinners for January and John and I had a very good (and loud!) sing-a-long to plenty of Christmas songs throughout the day.

While I will be resting, I know I'll need to start filling up my mornings or afternoons with people to see or things to do over the next three weeks (or more) because I seriously may go a bit screwy otherwise. And it's only day two!

Good times...

I had my 36 week midwife appointment yesterday: all is brilliant! The baby's head is 3/5th's engaged so at least we know they can't turn now. Cheeky monkey. She also confirmed that I had most definately dropped, which we all knew anyway. I've been getting lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, which really haven't hurt. I'm being told two different things by lots of people, that they're supposed to be painful and then that they're supposed to be pain-less. Mine have definately been painless, although some painful cramping recently which I think was the baby's head descending. I asked the midwife what sort of weight my measurements indicated the baby might be and she reckoned between 8lbs-8.5lbs!

We'll see.

Maternity leave...

Today was my last day at work! I have to admit, it feels quite weird just upping and leaving like that and I'm feeling quite anxious now. I suppose it's because it feels like we're there now, and it's official. You'd think a big, heaving bump would do that but clearly not!

We've been really blessed by my colleagues, they've all been so generous. Yesterday, they even did a little gift presentation for me where John & I received a good few Mothercare vouchers, a very cute babygro and grobag (baby sleeping bag!) and funnily enough, a bottle of 2002 Charles LePrince Brut given by one of the consultants - clearly for us to look at rather than drink!! Many visits with wee one have been requested though I think that will be a baby sling trip rather than a buggy trip as Denmark Hill really isn't buggy friendly. We've been so blessed by friends and family with gifts and things that have barely been used.

We're very grateful.

4 weeks left - or 29 days to go...!

At 36 weeks, we're so ready to meet our little wonder but they're not baked properly yet so still a while to go. They currently gaining about 28g a day and apparently they're roughly 6lbs now. By the end of this week, my pregnancy will be full-term and if baby decided to come a bit early, that would be just fine! Babies between 37 and 42 weeks are considered full-term – a baby born before 37 weeks is premature and after 42 is post-term.

I think I dropped a good few weeks back but only now is our little one's head starting to engage so my body is starting to prepare for labour.

Not at all scary.

Our hospital bag is in the process of being packed, just a few more bits to add and then it's all ready to grab quickly if and when necessary. I am feeling a bit of whale to be honest and will be pleased to shift some of the heaviness in exchange for our gorgeous bundle of joy! The excitement is almost a bit too much.

Tiredness...

I've become increasingly tired over the last week or so, I didn't think I could get more so. About 3pm in the afternoon onwards, I am ready for bed. Currently, I'm waking up every two hours at night which doesn't help but that could well just be my body preparing me! John has slept soundly but I can't get comfy so am forever waking up to pay a visit to the bathroom and just trying to turn over can be such a drama!

Snappiness has also reared it's not so pretty face. I've always been a little bit scared of standing up to people but that hasn't really been an issue this week! For example, the perinatal department at work have a very annoying junior doctor who has just appeared out of nowhere and expects the moon on a stick but as we have nothing to do with them, I'm not allowed to take on any of their work. And he tries talking to me while I'm on the phone to patients, jabbing my arm to try and get my attention. Grrrr. Anyhoo.

Not that any of that is remotely interesting! I think I've done pretty well as so many women say they've been really mean to their hubbies, which is pretty lame. Until tonight, I've been pretty nice at home!

Even more congratulations!...

Goes to our great friends and pregnancy buddies Albert & Kerry on the birth of their gorgeous little daughter, Ella DuToit who was born today, weighing in at a healthy 7bs 2oz! We wish them many, many wonderful family moments and pray huge blessings over them for their start of family life...

Three babies down, two to go, although Leah now has her induction date so the only unknown is us! Eeek! We are getting seriously excited now.

Nesting...

Well, I appear to have been nesting like a crazy woman this weekend and today! This includes cleaning tight corners and windows with ear buds - honestly, it's amazing how handy they are. Try it, it gets all the dust out of the corners of your windows! Somebody planned well when ear buds were invented.

I'm pretty sure our little wonder isn't about to make an appearance just yet but nesting can happen at any point, as I understand it. So John and our little nest should enjoy every minute! It's not so easy cleaning though, even though I love it (yes, I know I'm a bit weird) as I can't move so freely - a) because my oversized tummy gets in the way and b) because my pelvis and back are pretty painful. On Saturday, I got a bit over excited with the tidying and cleaning and couldn't get up in the evening! That'll learn me.

Anyway, I start maternity leave next week so while I will most certainly be getting my sleep in, it'll be nice to just get things done and not think about them all day instead! I'm not one of those people that can lie in for hours, or just lounge around. I know I will probably do that closer to D-Day but it seriously bugs me when I know there are things to do!

So Great...

As a band and choir, we're rehearsing for Christmas at church at the moment and practising a song called 'So Great' on the Compassion Art album (see left!). It sounds brilliant and just like the CD!

John's mum introduced us to the album last year and we bought it because we loved what we heard so John & I are quite familiar with the album because we played it so much initially. We were listening to it throughout this year anyway but as we've been practising this song at church recently, we think the baby has remembered it. The movements little one makes while we're singing and playing the song are quite astonishing! It's beautiful to feel and the words are obviously truth, so we're fine with the baby bopping along to it!

35 weeks...

Steaming ahead!

Albert & Kerry were due on 4th December but no sign of the little one just yet. Praying for them though because she must be feeling a bit tense right now!

So currently the "average" baby weighs a little over 5lbs at 35 weeks and is about 15 inches in length, but then again "average" baby can just as commonly weigh 7lbs at this gestational age. Apparently. Goodness! It certainly is feeling like the baby is happily putting away the pounds. People I barely know keep asking if I'm sure it's not twins. Yes. I am positive. Thank you very much. I know I am large.

It is during this last five weeks of pregnancy that our baby will put on most of their weight. In general, babies gain about one-half pound per week in the last month of pregnancy. Predictable patterns of sleep and wakefulness should be occuring right now because my abdominal walls are getting thinner, but to be honest we haven't really noticed this though thinking back, there's a fair bit of sleep going on in the early hours until about 7:30am. As the neurological system develops, the cycles will become more obvious though. Currently, we're just enjoying the fact our little baby is just full of activity and playfulness! Daddy just loves his time with his child already.

Tiny little elbows, feet or head have been protruding quite amazingly from my stomach as the baby stretches and squirms about. It is the cutest; last night, I was awake at some gross hour and felt baby one moving a fair amount so put my hand on my tummy and found a knee zipping back and forth across my tummy! It was just so gorgeous and it just reminded me how hard it was waiting for the arrival.

Lastly, our little wonder is sporting fingernails and toenails and full length, too! Plenty of pressure going on in the pelvic region which sounds like the baby's head beginning to engage. I've been getting more and more Braxton Hicks which is just my body practising for the real thing. And lastly in the preparations for our new arrival, our hospital bag is beginning to be packed, which is quite fun! People keep suggesting things that they found really helpful (including socks - apparently some women complain of cold feet) so it's been really interesting hearing things, because with some ideas you think 'really!? Seriously!?'.

Due date in....

Thirty eight days and counting...!

Praise the Lord!

Our little fabuloso is head down! Here's the story...

Over the last few weeks, I've had what I thought was pregnancy aches and pains. Except the last week or so, I've been finding it quite difficult to get out of bed and to take big steps when walking. Lots of stabbing pains going on in the pelvic and lower back region. Which now turns out to be symphysis pubis dysfunction, which is the last thing you want but it's been such a marvellous pregnancy, I don't mind. Only a few more weeks now! Anyway, so I've been given a hoist which is hilarious although a bit tight.

While we were there, I asked the midwife to check the baby's status in utero! John & I were a bit unsure as to the position after the last appointment, to be honest - we didn't really believe her though we were sure she knew what she was talking about.

So, this new midwife prodded and poked and said the baby was head down...and I squealed with excitement, especially when she asked if I wanted a quick scan to double check. So we quickly scooted over to the other room, out comes the squirty jelly and the doppler and there was our precious little one stretching and yawning away, albeit with a large nose!! And they were head down...

So I don't know if that was answered prayer or the midwife was just wrong (which we always thought she was really) but the great news is the baby is head down and is looking to engage fairly soon!

So exciting...

Midwife appointment...

So I've just got back from the midwife...

The good news is that everything is fabulous: she even said it was a waste of time seeing me as there were never any problems! Baby's heartbeat is wonderful and strong. My midwives have always said 'baby sounds really happy' after they've listened to the heartbeat, and I've always wondered how could they possibly tell!? Anyway, as long as it's strong and healthy, we don't care.

The not so great news is that our little wonder is breech...again. The baby had definately turned as it felt very different from usual and the kicking 'area' had changed very obviously. Except the last day or so I've felt a bit heavier and I started thinking the baby had moved round again. Alas, this was the case! Maybe it's just the fact the baby knows I have an appointment and just does it to wind me up.

The midwife was very reassuring although did say if the baby hasn't turned in a week, she'll send me for a scan to confirm the position and will go from there. It is a little annoying as things were progressing quite nicely thank you very much!

Anyway, I've been given some positions to try out (such as kneeling on all fours and rocking!?!?!) to try and turn the baby and will continue to sit on the ball as it worked so well last time!

A Father Writes ... about moving through the trimesters

So we have really been moving forward since I last wrote; we've had hospital dramas, possible breach scenarios and two of their future friends have been born. But the constant has been the delight I've still felt every time I feel my precious child moving around.

Our interaction has really changed; they've gone from random little kicks and punches when we happen to have our hands on Stella's expanding bump, to responding with bigger blows when I tap quickly on her skin to our current favourite game: I hold my hand on Stel's bump until a curious limb comes pushing up, and then I feel out the whole limb and we move about Mummy's skin with pushes and prods: great fun!

It's also been great Ryan and Zavier and trying to work out what part of each parent they seem to have; and it's making us think about how our child will look. I'm seeing them with slightly yellowish skin, mummy's rich brown hair and eyes, and daddy's strong nose, with probably a fair bit of chub from both of us! Whatever, we know that they'll be the most beautiful baby in the world to us.

34 weeks...

We're nearly at 34 weeks and seriously counting the days now. Baby one is so active still, though more slow writhing and wriggling due to less space but a real blessing to us and others. Auntie Elle and Auntie TJ go gooey when they feel the baby give a little wriggle and the look on their faces says it all!

So at 34 weeks, the nervous system is still maturing but the lungs are nearly fully developed so if they were born now, there would be very little chance of any problems occuring. The baby now weighs more than 4lbs 6oz and is 45cm from top to toe. They're filling out and getting rounder – theyll need their fat layers later to regulate their body temperature. Apparently, some evidence shows that newborns pay closer attention to high-pitched tones. So all feel free to do squeaky baby voices!

Weird facts of the week: the baby now rests on my uterus and is no longer floating. Fingernails now reach over the finger tips and the baby can scratch itself!

Belated congratulations...

to our friends the Dempsey's and the Naude's on the birth of their two beautiful bouncing boys!

Left is a photo of Ryan Christian Dempsey who was born 6th October 2009 weighing in at 3.9kg (or 8.5lbs in English!) after a long, 48 hour labour!

We now have a scrummy photo of Zavier Naude (see left again!)who was born on 18th November - Jeanre's due date was the 23rd and she had a 12 hour labour. Some people just get it all, don't they!

We pray many blessings over these wonderful new families and look forward to seeing the boys grow big and strong...

The ball...

One of the many items passed down to me was a birthing (or exercise!) ball. At first, it felt just weird to be bouncing around the living room (not really) and before I used it, I couldn't understand how it could possibly be that comfy. But seriously, try it - it's marvellous fun.

I've had quite painful backache so the ball has really helped as it helps you to sit correctly, without even thinking about it. Grandma M commented on my posture while I was sitting on the ball nattering away, and I think that's why it's just a brilliant invention. When you slouch back on a comfy sofa, your posture isn't great from the start and encourages cheeky babies round the wrong way to stay that way! However comfortable it is. But I've been sitting on the ball, doing my ironing, watching Flash Forward, and generally feeling quite content all the while rotating my hips which apparently encourages the baby to stay head down. I will miss it once little 'un is out!

Bets...

Well, we appear to have started a betting war!

So many of our friends and family have given us what they feel the baby will weigh. It's fun and silly but it will be interesting to see who gets it right! I don't think there's a prize...maybe, just maybe a daisy from our garden or an extra cuddle with little 'un.

What a brilliant child!

They've definately turned. And my bump has definately dropped and I'm definately feeling it. I stopped by a midwife at work who told me what was what in my tummy.

Since then, our little wonder has developed a habit of sticking their bottom out! Which is most definately inherited from Daddy. It's hilarious, my tummy turns into a (very) weird cone shape and if you give it a little tap, you can see them squirm. Yesterday, I was lying in bed and it literally looked like the Jaw fin was swimming across my tummy and back again - twice. I don't know what body part that was (possibly an elbow? That sort of shape anyway) but it was incredible. I was actually a bit worried they might poke through my skin because it was so close to the surface...I used to think it was a bit gross when books and sites said women with thin abdominal walls could grab whatever sticks out (it still is a bit mangy) and I definately don't have abdominal walls that thin but it's certainly very obvious when a limb comes to the surface!

We're having so much fun playing with our little one and chatting away to them and can't wait 'til we can start to nurture this amazing little blessing once they're born.

33 weeks...

With just seven weeks to go (oh wow!) Baby Stevens' is taking on a growth spurt over the next few weeks and now weighs about 4.5lbs and measures approximately 43.7cm from head to toe. So during this time, the baby should already be getting ready for birth by turning upside-down – the head should be pointing down, ready for birth.

Today, three people commented on the fact my bump looked a lot lower...so either the little wonder has turned (wahey!) or it has turned and the head is engaging (double wahey!). According to websites and books, my midwife will be paying careful attention to baby's position in the coming weeks – some babies do decide to turn back round again which we're praying won't happen although if it does, that is fine! God's got it sorted. The skull is still quite pliable and not completely fused, so the baby can ease out of the relatively narrow birth canal and the bones in the rest of the body are hardening. Our baby's skin is also gradually becoming less red and wrinkled as fat builds up underneath. So looking more and more like a plump newborn!

I'm still feeling great, although am starting to get exhausted really fast. I struggle to stand for long because it just tires me out as the weight of the bump is increasing by the day! It sounds so lame but sadly, it's true. My sense of smell has also suddenly increased rather dramatically and I smell things long before anyone else can or just can't smell full stop. It's quite weird being able to do that.

Hey ho. Loving every minute!

32 weeks - just 8 weeks to go!...

So I'm probably gaining around 1 lb a week now, and roughly half of that goes straight to our baby. In fact, the baby gains a third to half of their birth weight during the next seven weeks, fattening up for life outside the womb. Thanks to these fatty deposits, skin is getting plumper and healthier looking - here's thinking (judging by the ever increasing size of 'the bump') we'll be expecting a nice, beefy baby! Although, saying that I was a skinny little thing at only 6lbs 2oz...but John was a cute, cuddly 8lbs 11oz but then he was overdue by two weeks - so who knows! I did fatten up a lot as I developed month by month, with legs like tree trunks. Auntie Elle was 8lbs 13oz when she was born! There's currently a sweepstake going on for our baby's size, we're involved too: John reckons 8lbs 4oz, I reckon 7lbs 11oz. Eight weeks 'til we find out!

At eight months, while our little one is fully formed and being the most active they've ever been (which is just a fabulous experience!), they're currently breech again so we're trying to turn them using the big birthing ball and rocking on all fours as suggested by the midwife - what a sight! Hopefully at my next midwife appointment on 1st December at 34 weeks, we'll have good news that they're in the correct position. I was chatting with Sarah at the weekend, and we realised that God has already worked out the way I'll give birth and that will be the best thing for me, us and the baby. So while we'll try not to panic if the baby is still breech, we'll know God has the best plans for us!

Puffiness around my feet and fingers is now a constant thing: we went out for Daddy John's birthday today (which was really delicious - try Kazan, seriously) and I thought I might try a pair of shoes I haven't worn for 8 months! Yes, they did have a slight heel...anyway, they barely fit, it was so upsetting. I can only really use one or two pairs, as the others feel like they a size too small!

Roll on eight weeks...

Shut eye...

I am really tired! It suddenly comes on, so there's no warning - it just hits you! It's only the last week or so I've really experienced it. It likely has something to do with the anemia too, but my iron levels weren't too bad. I'm finding it really exhausting walking up a number of stairs now. Stairs in houses I can just about do! But at work, when there's three flights my legs feel like they're about to drop off, they actually hurt. It's horrible! I feel like I should probably be about 30 stone but thankfully, I know it's just the pregnancy. I sit in front of the computer typing all day which probably doesn't help with the tiredness either, but hey ho. Everyone's body reacts differently to pregnancy - my body has loved it for the most part, thankfully. It's just the last number of weeks to get through...we are loving every minute!

31 weeks pregnant...

We are SO excited. It's getting really hard to wait now, especially now the baby's room is ready. We keep looking at the cot, thinking how tiny little one will seem in it! The socks for little 'un are ridiculously small. We keep going into the bedroom and picking up clothes and cooing. Likely a bit sickening for any viewers, but no-one else lives with us so while this is true, we will continue being sickening.

I've found my sleep pattern has totally changed and I wake up regularly about 4:00am. Last night, it was between 2am-4am. Not so lovely but goodness, the world is quiet between those times!

So nine weeks to go and baby's arms, legs and body continue to fill out – and they are finally proportional in size to the head therefore looking more like a newborn. Some people say the baby stops moving as much but this isn't true for our little squirming munchkin. I actually thought there was something wrong with them last night, they honestly moved solidly for about half an hour! It was so bizarre but very funny. The funny thing is, there's still a fair bit of growing to do, apparently we should expect them to gain at least 900g before birth. Good gracious. The organs are continuing to mature and they are passing water from the bladder, which is good practice for the urinating they'll do after they're born. Also the bone marrow has taken over from the liver in producing red blood cells. The incredible thing for this week? Brain scans have shown that babies have periods of dream sleep around month eight!

I've been feeling a bit of pressure on my hips from the baby which I've been told is the head beginning to engage. I've also been having a bit of rib-tickling from little one which isn't the most comfortable but still an amazing feeling!

Weight gain from food hasn't been a massive thing for me during this pregnancy...well, the scales don't show it but I may have done. Websites and books say I have probably gained between 1.3kg and 1.8kg this month. Gaining 450g a week is quite normal during the last trimester as the baby has a final growth spurt before birth. The lovely thing is I've been complimented about blooming! It makes me feel very lovely while I'm feeling like a big biffa right now.

Nursery complete!...

Apart from a blind which we will be buying on Monday. We had the carpet fitted today and spent the day building changing tables and cot-beds. Marvellous fun and the room looks so cute and cosy! Photos to follow...

Any weird food...

I was talking to someone today who was super keen on finding out what I craved during my pregnancy. I can honestly say, I haven't had anything that I've 'had' to have right there and then like gherkins...actually, I lie - there was one or two occasions where I've desperately wanted Nesquik strawberry milkshake and I didn't have any in the house, so John and I went out to get some. I have, however, really fancied the smell of damp towels!! Yes, I know it's weird but you have no idea how good they smell to me.

I used to love onions before I was pregnant, I had them with everything, especially spring onions. But from day one til about week 19, I absolutely hated them and anything to do with them! I gradually tried them, bit by bit (but poor John had to go without them for a good while unless he did the cooking) and now I love them again. The same with tea. I didn't go off it straight away but I did eventually. I started drinking it again because I was worried I'd go off it for life! So now that's back on the table.

Pregnancy is a funny thing!

Even more hiccups...

This little one has about three bouts of hiccups a day!

I was getting a bit worried it was what I was eating, nothing unusual but I couldn't work out what it was and why it was lasting for so long! Apparently 20 minutes is normal. But when you have it three times daily (especially at 4:00am) that is an hours' worth of hiccups. Not bad baby!

Apparently, the reason babies get hiccups is purely because they are practising to breathe, and if your baby does get hiccups it just means they're fine and dandy health wise. So I can't complain really. They're pretty powerful though - John can feel them through our mattress when we're both lying down, depending on where the baby is lying.

It's very cute really!

It's all about your name...or is it?

There were two reasons we chose the name we have for our big blessing of a baby:

1. The meaning of the name
2. It's a fabulous sounding name! And we like the shortened version for when we can't be bothered to use the full name.

The meaning of the name we have chosen is 'fire of the Lord'. Frankly, what a brilliant statement to speak over our child's life! We hope and pray that that will be very evident in our baby's life, now and in the future for them.

Names are a funny thing...some people feel a name shapes a baby's future entirely, some just choose names because they like them. My name and my sisters' names were chosen because my parents liked the sound of them. I asked them how they chose the names and mum said she didn't give meanings a second thought...I think she knew they didn't mean anything too terrible though! I think Tanya means 'fairy princess' - which funnily enough is the meaning of the name our friends, Kerry & Albert have chosen for their baby if they have a girl.

Parenting is a funny thing. There's so many different ideas and ways to do it and if you're not careful, it's so easy to feel as if the decisions you make or are choosing to make are the wrong ones because this person or that person does it a different way. We're really praying that we won't be affected in that sense and that we will know we are making the best decisions for our little one. I have to say, it really helps not having a husband who is really fretful - John is so relaxed it's astonishing! Sometimes I'll suddenly freak out about something, and he'll just fob me off, completely relying on God for everything. That really is helpful.

Bless God for great Daddy's-in-training!

Favourite things...

Thirty weeks in, I've just loved my pregnancy and everything about it. It was a rubbish start with the sickness (and working in Lewisham with the smell of a fishmongers next door didn't help), but it was still so exciting knowing there was a precious little life growing inside my tummy the whole time. It's been so much fun experiencing all these different events and changes over the last 7 months, I wouldn't exchange it for anything. It's also been brilliant watching just how much more excited family get as D-Day gets closer. My mum isn't one for fuss but it's hilarious watching her getting more and more into the role of a grandma. John's mum is already a seasoned grandma but it's marvellous how excited she is still getting at the arrival of her second grandchild!

The best feeling in the world (currently) is the feeling of our little one dancing away! It is by far the best sensation we've ever experienced and we both just love giving them time and attention, praising them everytime they respond to our tapping and poking. Now the baby is bigger, the kicks and movements are astonishing and yesterday, while I was at work I was watching my tummy (because I was on lunch and Junior was moving) it literally looked like somebody had poked a bowlful of jelly - I promise you, I'm not entirely sure what they were doing but it was the weirdest feeling and the weirdest sight and definitely made me giggle. The baby tends to save big shapes and movements for Daddy in the evening, which makes it extra special.

Our little wonder is incredibly active which makes us feel so blessed...albeit slightly worried as they never seem to get any shut-eye!? But we've been told by so many people that an active baby makes for a happy baby, and we know and pray that will continue to be true.

Fat feet...

I lasted 30 weeks without getting any swelling of any body part! Alas, the past week my fingers have been swelling and my ankles/sides of my feet have swollen slightly too. It's very odd. You know how, when you're hot, your fingers swell and feel tight if you bend them? That's exactly what it's like!

Senses...

I read in one of my baby books that was passed down to me from Sarah, that some women just 'know' they're expecting before they even have a positive pregnancy test. While we were chatting last night, John and I remembered that literally the day before we knew for certain I was expecting, both John, my mum and I suggested that I was possibly pregnant. We didn't know why, we all just 'felt' different! Then the next day, we had a positive.

Spooky!

30 weeks...

So with just ten weeks to go, here's what Baby Stevens is up to:

Their lungs and digestive tract are almost fully developed and growth in terms of length will soon slow down (they measured slightly stumpy about 24 weeks, which, if they're taking after their mother's side with height isn't suprising!) but generally babies measure at about 39.3cm from crown to toe now. They will continue to gain weight until they're born. This week our baby continues to open and shut their eyes and the realy cool thing is that they can probably see what's going on inside my uterus, distinguish light from dark and even track a light source such as a torch. We have played with that recently and it really does work, it's super fun watching my tummy make all sort of funky shapes! And for those who are either following baby's development, or who just have a plain weird obsession with poo, the baby's first poo, known as meconium, is being formed in the intestines – it's made up of various waste products including lanugo, mucus, amniotic fluid and old skin cells. Lurvely!

The past couple of weeks, I've really noticed the breathlessness and my legs get tired so quickly, they ache like mad when I've been walking up stairs. My bump is quite high up which is probably why the breathlessness is more prominent and definately explains the heartburn.

Water baby...

We've been discussing birthing 'plans' - I say 'plans' because I'm not going to have this elaborate thing drawn out as I'm likely not to use it anyway. Or so I keep being told, especially by complete strangers. Oh well, always grateful for their tuppenceworth. I just don't like the idea of being this demanding mum-in-labour, although who knows what pain will make me do!!

John has been really supportive in choices over drugs and pain relief, although neither him nor my mum are too keen on the epidural thing and I have to say, I'm a bit scared of the idea too. We have said that pethadine and gas and air are the most likely candidates!

Since our little visit to the labour ward, I have been swaying more and more towards the idea of a water birth. I even had a dream about it last night, which must mean I've been thinking about it more than I realised. And fyi, it was perfectly painless. Ha ha ha! I've done some research on water births as we're looking at all areas right now, just so we have an idea of what to expect with whatever happens. The pros of water births?

• You are less likely to need any pharmalogical pain relief- the water works as pain relief.
• The buoyancy will help your pelvis open allowing your baby to move and rotate easily to be born.
• Allows better circulation of the blood and better contractions of the uterus, making the whole process less painful, and providing a better oxygen flow for the child.
• Research does suggest that you are less likely to have 3rd or 4th degree tears, but you may be more prone to labial or 1st degree tears.
• You can still use entonox if needed in the pool.
• Babies are born into a calm, relaxed environment.
• Your partner could also get in the pool with you if you wanted this, let him feel more involved...I'm not entirely sure how comfortable John would be actually getting into a pool with lots of gross things going on but it's down to him!!
• For the baby, they will be more familiar with the water environment than an air environment. As a result, the baby will feel more security and assurance.

The cons aren't even worth listing as they're so unlikely. I'm a convert! But we'll see what the midwife suggests.

Koala days...

Our little one likes to have what we call 'koala days' where they just have a plain lazy day, sleeping and the likes. Today is one of them. Every now and then, they give a brief stretch or a quick punch just to remind us they're ok but a koala day usually happens after two or three days of solid movement so they're obviously just getting their rest in!

It is sweet to just think of them lounging around contented in their own little liquid world, before another few days of constant activity ...

Our travel system...

...was ordered today! T'was a gift from the Grandparents Wallach-to-be...we were getting slapped wrists for buying stuff earlier on as Big Poppa Phil said family would want to buy some things. So after much probing, he said they'd like to buy us a travel system which was very helpful and obviously very kind.

The one we've chosen is lightweight, easy to fold and looks very cute! It's the Graco Mosaic One Chocolate Lime and you can see it left and above.

28 week bloods...

So I called the doctor today because, well, the Royal Mail aren't very well going to deliver the results now are they.

Glucose was normal (yay! Almost a tad suprising!) but my full blood count was 'to see doctor'. I'm slightly anaemic which means iron tablets (would explain the constant tiredness) but at least it's nothing concerning.

Coca Butter...

I've been using cocoa butter recently, mainly because it smells divine - although John did say if he wanted to marry a travel operator, he would've done but also because the Vitamin E is supposed to really sort your skin out. I've been really blessed and not had any stretch marks on my tummy at all (yet!), just mainly on my upper thighs, which sucks. Still, small price to pay.

I have read, and been told by midwives, not to waste money on special lotions and the likes as experts believe stretch marks are hereditary and can't be avoided. However, I was using cocoa butter anyway because it left my skin feeling really smooth. I was blessed with lots of cocoa butter bits and bobs from my Mum and MumS (John's Mum!) for my birthday. My mum said she asked the shop assistant in the Body Shop what was best for stretch marks and was told if you combine BioOil and Cocoa Butter together, that does the trick. Who knew?! There's a beauty tip for free!

29 weeks...

With eleven weeks left (!) baby now weighs around 2lbs and measures about 38.6cm from head to toe. Head hair is beginning to grow. The head is getting bigger, and brain growth is rapid at this time so we're making sure they have plenty of activity with playtime with Daddy & Mummy, especially in evenings! Their nutritional needs reach their peak this week so we're stocking up on lots of nutritional bits and bobs (and chocolate muffins - very nutritional). The skeleton hardens even more and the brain, muscles, and lungs continue to mature. The really exciting thing is that all five of our bundle of joy's senses are developing well (sight is the last to develop and will continue maturing once he's born). The baby is increasingly sensitive to changes in light, sound, taste and smell and may indicate preferences for particular tastes or odours! Whatever I am eating will flavour the amniotic fluid – it can smell strongly of curry, garlic, onion and cumin for example – and I read researchers have found the baby will drink it faster the sweeter it tastes. That's not currently a problem I'm sure!

Music...

Our little one has been bopping away whenever there is some form of rhythm going on! On Saturday, we had the first youth band practice with Jacob on the guitar, Liam on the drums and Daddy on the bass and as soon as we started playing, baby did too! On Sunday morning, from the moment we woke up Flump was moving around, grinding away and when we got to church, well. There were pokes and kicks and all sorts! The baby has been kicking when there isn't music around but when there is, it's double trouble and we just love it. We've mostly been listening to worship music so it's good that the little on enjoys it too!

Midwives & Doctors...

So I had a bit of a weird 28 week midwife appointment last week as, a) I forgot my file and b) it was a brand new midwife who had just come back onto community after two years out. Which meant I didn't have a urine test done (because she assumed the receptionist would give me a specimen pot?!) or anything else. So, being a nurse, my mum gave John & I a pot with a trillion dipsticks in and all these funky colour pads so we could tell what was what (protein, glucose etc). All ok on that front!

The midwife did check the baby's position and had a poke about my tummy, which caused our baby one to give her a swift boot or two. Clearly she had disturbed a moments peace! Usually, it's dad and mum that poke around for kicks! Anyway, she did mention (as did the doctor on Wednesday) how happy and lively our baby clearly was which was obviously lovely to hear. The baby is growing perfectly, well within the average range and my bump is measuring fine - no matter what certain M & S staff say.

On Tuesday morning I had my 28 week bloods, and guess what? I didn't panic once! As much as I hate needles, I don't want my irrational fear to be passed onto our child so I best get used to them now while they're not around to watch.

So now we're just waiting for my blood results...I'm hoping the glucose thing won't be an issue. No signs or symptoms of the diabetes thing yet!

Quick update...

All cramping has completely gone! A total answer to prayer. How amazing is that!?

So thankful...

Last night, we had a little scare. I had been cramping since Monday but yesterday it got a little worse, so I went to the GP after work who (after prodding my tummy and feeling a strong contraction) said, 'right madam, we'll send you into the labour ward for observation overnight - better to have the baby in your tummy for a few more weeks than in an incubator'. Not the most tactful but grateful he did it anyway! So John came and met me in Bromley and we popped back home for something quick to eat and to grab some bits.

We called both our mums to pray and they spoke to siblings and BTC and SLBC who prayed too. Just over two hours later, our prayers were totally answered! In fact, I'm more amazed today than yesterday as it was all a bit of a daze. John was a complete pillar of strength throughout the whole thing, however cliche.

My mum drove us to the hospital and we rushed up to the labour ward (maternity ward on the same floor - Level 3, signs for it too for those who want and need to know for visits in January!) and we got taken into triage. The midwife asked us a few questions and then took us into a labour room (we even got to see the birthing pool, which quite frankly looks massive). After doing a test or two, I was asked to hop on the bed and was wired up to this baby heart-tracking-monitor thing which was strapped around my tummy so had to lie perfectly still for a while. Unfortunately, our little blessing didn't lie still and was kicking more than he had all day - and that was a lot, so it was really hard to get the heartbeat tracked on the page. My BP, pulse rate and other bits and bobs were checked and we were asked a million questions. Then we had to get moved back to triage as there was a woman in labour who actually needed the room! She was more than welcome to it, a lady down the hall sounded like she was being bludgoned to death.

Back in triage, and after being wired up to the baby heart-tracking-monitor thing the doctor came in to do an internal exam (which wasn't so pleasant) and found the neck of the cervix was closed, which was a massive relief. So my waters hadn't broken or anything else that was needed to go into labour. The cramping and constant strong Braxton Hicks was what the GP was concerned about but as I told him, I've been getting BH since around week 21. Clearly, that is something that medical staff differ on as he said pregnant women shouldn't start getting them until week 31, whereas the doctor at the hospital said you can start getting them anytime. Both the doctor and the midwife commented a lot on how active our baby was and said the strength of the kicks was a great sign.

So, after being told that the cramping was likely pregnancy stretches, that we had an extremely active baby and the heartbeat was absolutely perfect, we are so grateful to our brilliant God and everyone who prayed for the protection and continued strength He blessed and continues blessing our little one and us with. We were driven home by my mum again, very relieved and very tired and flopped into bed.

We just can't wait to see what our baby is like....although not for a good ten weeks...!

Baby hiccups?

The past few weeks, I have been noticing constant little teeny taps inside my tummy for about five minutes (usually less) at a time. I think the baby is hiccuping...that's what I'm guessing anyway. Either that or they have a very strong pulse!

Grrr...

Ok, so I know I don't have the smallest tummy going but this morning, when I was in Marks & Spencers, the lady at the checkout asked me how long I had left.

Me: 12 weeks, so not long now!
Checkout Woman (jaw hits the floor at 50mph): Gosh...(looks at me curiously) are you sure you're not having twins? You're massive!
Me: Absolutely positive, thank you very much.

Why do people think it's ok to comment on the size of your bump?! It's not like I go up to them and say, 'goodness, are you sure you're a size ten? You look like you've packed away ten pork pies...'

Rant over.

Baby shop...

So, as previously reported, we purchased the carpet for the nursery on Saturday and the painting is now underway. My dad is doing the woodwork as he is seriously neat and neither John nor I are so clever with that side of things! Last night, we bought the mattress for the cot bed and the changing unit along with the baby bouncer and a mobile for the cot - we wanted bright and zingy so we thought the Mothercare Fun at The Zoo range would do perfectly. Not too pricey, great fun to look at and reviews are fabulous.

On Sunday, we had a roast dinner at my parents who had got all the baby stuff down from the loft so we had a good rummage. We even managed to capture some Kodak moments of John and Tanya wearing

baby bonnets...and one of Tanya even wearing a bib AND a bonnet. Don't ask.

But Grandpa Phil found a brand new wooden toy train in the loft (an un-given present!) so we've baggsied that for the Wallach Grandparents to keep at their house.

We're in the home stretch...

Twelve weeks to go and we can't wait!

By this week (28), all the websites and books say our baby weighs nearly a little more than 1kg and may measure 37.6cm from top to toe. However, judging by the measuring at the last scan, I'm not entirely sure this is accurate for our child who was about 150/200g out of the average at week 24. At least we know eating won't be a problem for them! Also about this time, not so little Flump can open their eyes and turn their head in the uterus if they notice a continuous, bright light shining from the outside. The irises don't have any pigment yet, they're a slate grey. Job this week? To shine a torch onto my tummy and see what movements happen then!

Fat layers are forming nicely which will help the skin to lose its old person appearance. The bones are nearly developed, though they are still soft and pliable – they won’t harden properly until after birth.

Also, baby's fingernails are starting to form and eyebrows and eyelashes are now complete!

We are thrilled with the incredible development that Baby Stevens is undertaking and we will really miss the feeling of the solid thumping they're giving mummy right now...it's so precious, fills us with pride at the strength of our little one and currently fills our evenings with so many giggles. But it will be sooo much better having them here so we can give our little one many, many smooshes and cuddles!

And it was all yellow...

So we ordered our carpet today which has left me feeling less panicked - I was starting to have bad dreams that the baby arrived and nothing was ready! A few cold sweat moments there. But we now have the paint (yellow for the window wall and creamy yellow for the rest) and with the carpet ordered (a creamy/beige colour), we are well underway. In three weeks, it'll hopefully be finished!

John is undertaking the painting with my dad giving an extra hand as and when needed. As John isn't carrying our little one, doing practical things is another way for him to be and feel involved - plus, it's quite an achievement doing the whole nursery by yourself (painting, building etc!).

So, a big cheer for Daddy John!

Clumsiness...

You have no idea how clumsy I am - to get an idea, I have broken eight glasses since we moved in, in July! Seriously. I'm not joking. My hands and arms just flail around on their own accord. It's very weird! It's like my hands just stop holding things...it's got a little bit better recently but not so much you'd notice! I still walk into things/people.

Tiredness...

There was a period from about week 23 or 24 where I had the most energy and felt better than I did when I wasn't even pregnant! It was great and we both got loads done, cleaning the nursery ready for decorating - we make a good team! However, since the last week or so, the tiredness has returned which sucks. I have heard others at 27 weeks complain of lack of energy and exhaustion so I'm not worried or fretting. It's a bit frustrating waking up and still feeling tired. I'm making sure I sleep for an hour or so in afternoons when possible (which sounds really quite lame) but as we're in the last stretch now, I'm trying to make sure I get as much sleep in as possible!

It doesn't help that John & I lie awake for ages with hands all over my bump feeling little one kick for England - it's so cute, especially as it feels like the baby is literally going for a walk inside my tummy. But we are thankful the baby is so active and it's such a blessing to share with each other. In fact, Auntie Tee felt the baby moving on Friday night, which was really lovely and we can't wait for Auntie Elle to come back from university so she can experience that too!

27 weeks...

So this is the last week of the middle trimester but apparently I still have a quarter of my total weight gain to come. This is also the last week most airlines will let you fly - so it's train, car or boat for any trips from now on! Not that we had anywhere planned but it's good to know these things.

Flumperdink now knows which way up they are, because the balance function of the ears has kicked in. The eyelids have fluttered open and they can now open and close their eyes. The focusing mechanism in the eyes are working - not that there's much of a view right now. It's also believed the brain now has the capacity to form memories, so we need to make sure we keep family talking very loudly so the baby remembers who is who when they arrive in the big, wide world. The baby now measures about 36.6cm from head to toe - now bigger than a ruler, yay! The baby also sleeps and wakes at regular intervals and may suck a finger or thumb, which I personally find very sweet.

Just 10 weeks to go until Flump reaches full term!

A little known fact: by now, baby has all their bones (there are 300 of them!). Throughout the remainder of my pregnancy they will be getting stronger and harder, and they will continue to ossify throughout the first year of life after birth.

Braxton Hicks...

I've been getting loads of these painless contractions - before I knew what they were in my naive state, I just assumed it was the baby moving around in the earlier weeks. But a doctor at work one day asked me if I'd been getting Braxton Hicks and I just looked at her blankly. She explained what they were and it turns out I'd been getting them since week 21! They were quite sporadic then, but now I'm getting them every day, fairly often. It's a funny feeling and it sort of merges with baby moving around too. Apparently, it happens more when you have a full bladder or haven't been drinking enough water.

Thankfully, it's only my uterus preparing for labour - no real signs yet! It does this by encouraging the flow of blood to the placenta and toning the muscles of the uterus. The body still amazes me!

Puff...

Feeling a tad out of breath right now!

I knew it was likely to happen, what with me being short in stature and the likes. When I asked about the measurements of our little one at my last midwife appointment (just due to them having sounded like he was slightly stout), my midwife looked at me like I was a bit mad and said, 'no offence, but you're not exactly on the tall side'...

So there we have it! Due to my expanding uterus pressing upwards on my diaphragm and restricting the capacity of my lungs, I may sound very breathless, even if I'm not doing any excerise! Once baby engages and drops down in preparation for birth the breathing should return to 'normal'. Or it could be 'pregnancy hormones' such as progesterone which stimulate the lungs to adapt to my body's changing needs and help my body to process oxygen and carbon dioxide more efficiently. Isn't it clever! Weird feeling though.

Amazing fact of the week...

Babies are born with over 70 reflexes that develop in the womb. One of the strongest is sucking – some babies are even born with sucking blisters on their thumbs or fingers, because the urge to latch on is so strong!

26 weeks...

With fourteen weeks to go (which judging by the speed September went by, doesn't sound too long in the grand scheme of things) our baby one is now measuring in at a whopping 14ins. Flump’s hearing is developing swiftly. Mostly, the noise that's being heard will be the swishing of my blood, the beat of my heart, the gurgling of my stomach and other weird and wonderful body noises. Baby's eyes begin to open around now and brain development is intense at this stage.

So many cute things to write about, like: if we go to a firework display and the baby will jump at the bangs! We've been told if we play music repeatedly the baby will become familiar to it and recognise it outside of the womb. So if we have many sleepless nights, the plan is to use these songs we've been killing ourselves with!!

The interesting thing is this: all the websites say Flump now weighs in at a little more than 760g...well, two weeks ago our child was 745g so I imagine the weight has just been piling on since then. The sonographer didn't seem concerned, neither did my midwife so I won't worry until they do...maybe I'll just give birth to a heifer!

Baby sang bass..

This morning, while we were having breakfast (and daddy was being unholy and watching Match of The Day), little one kicked up a storm! Usually, when Flump kicks we can only feel the full effect from the outside if I'm lying flat or slightly tilted but this morning was the first time we felt huge taps while I was sitting up properly! It was very exciting and did make us giggle a bit as they were really solid and you could see my tummy move. We think baby was looking forward to hearing daddy play the bass drum at church and was telling us to get a move on...

Clever baby.

Baby weight...

So I weighed myself and from my pre-pregnancy weight to now, I have only gained 7lbs which I personally find thrilling, especially as I feel like a heffalump right now. In fact, I weighed myself twice because I couldn't quite believe it!

I am putting this down to not picking inbetween meals and to eating lady-size portions rather than man-size, as I can't even manage to eat a lady-size portion at once, I have halve it. I'm also a bit rubbish with portion sizes (what's a suitable size and what's not!) which you will know if you have been over for dinner.

Anyway, here's to just gaining baby weight!

25 weeks....

In two weeks time, we will be in the third trimester! How jolly exciting.

Baby is about 34.6cm long from crown to heel (to be exact!). They make breathing movements but have no air in the lungs yet. At 26 weeks, fetal brain scans show response to touch! If you shine a light on my tummy, our little one will turn their head, which means theoptic nerve is working/eyes are fully functional, and they may blink as a reflex reaction to a loud or sudden noise. Flump's sense of smell is developing, too – one study showed that babies whose mums ate lots of garlic responded more strongly to the smell after the birth. Plus it's good for the heart too. Tiny blood vessels called capillaries are now developing beneath the surface of baby's skin, which will give the skin its pink colour.

Flump is kicking quite deliciously and it's so reassuring and such an incredible feeling. The baby is so active right now, kicking about 12 hours a day on and off. They have a day off every now and then to sleep and rest but we still have the doppler which is getting more fun now as the baby gets bigger.

My uterus is now the size of a football apparently with a pint of amniotic fluid inside! What's your party trick?

Baby kicks...

So while daddy was fast asleep, mummy was up at 04:50 this morning being ever-so-slightly bruised inside! Even though the time was a bit gross, it was a beautiful feeling and we both love the fact that our little one is so active. In fact, now the baby has more of a routine going, we're quite pleased that they're fairly quiet in the evenings and bright and alert in the mornings. This morning was the only morning so far where I've felt the baby kick solidly for about ten minutes. When John & I had our hands on my tummy at a bit more of an earthly hour, the baby decided they weren't going to perform and only gave one or two boots just to humour us.

What a cheeky monkey!

Our 24 week scan!

We had a little extra scan today which was just wonderful! (Photo's to follow.)

The reason was due to our baby's position at the 20 week scan (breech) and the ultrasound technician couldn't see the heart valves properly, so we had to go back. Oh well, what a shame! We couldn't wait to see our gorgeous little blessing and we weren't disappointed.

The great news is that the baby is now lying head down, in fact, the perfect position apparently! We saw the heart in incredible detail and the sonographer said the heart looked 'textbook', which is just great news. We saw all four chambers pumping away and later used the doppler to hear it, which was easier now we know where to search. We even saw the brain which was quite weird, in a very lovely way, obviously and looks like a knowledgable sort of brain. Anyway, the most amazing thing was that we saw the mouth open and close constantly as the baby swallowed and saw the body arching every now and then (clearly a bit of show-off already) and the little arms and hands moving around. The great thing about that was we saw the spine in action which was a bit awe-inspiring.

In fact, right at the end our little blessing kicked with both feet and we saw the toes in perfect detail!

God blessed us with a fabulous sonographer who was so kind and was genuinely excited for us - she even gave us three pictures for free! And also, she said our baby looked very cute (notice the emphasis on the 'very'). Which we knew anyway. Tee hee!

24 weeks...

We are powering through!

Our little one is growing steadily, almost a foot long! We had our scan today (more about that in our next post) and we found out that at our 20 week scan, baby weighed about 345g...in the space of four weeks, they've grown to 743g which is great news. The body is filling out proportionally and will soon start to plump up. The brain is also growing quickly now, and taste buds are continuing to develop - in fact, babies now apparently develop a sweet tooth from now on. The lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help the air sacs inflate once our little one hits the outside world. Although the skin is still thin and translucent, that will start to change soon. Even more of a minature newborn and even closer to arriving! (Not too soon though!)

Tears on my pillow...

I haven't been overly emotional during my pregnancy at all (aside from a few times when I blame tiredness - I burst into tears when John did the washing up and cleaned the kitchen at one point) which I'm really surprised at, but I have found the past few days that I have found the smallest thing brings a tear to my eye and a lump to my throat!

While I fully admit I'm not the thickest-skinned person, I have found that even books have upset me and pregnancy books at that. A colleague gave me a book by an author who had fairly wacky pregnancy/parenting ideas and she was so harsh, it made me cry! I actually felt like she was having a go at me for my views on parenting! Which is ridiculous but it's not a good read.

Don't buy it.

I've also had to learn to stick with what I say about what I eat - this same colleague assumed I was doing this totally organic, low carb, low everything pregnancy regime and was shocked when I said I'm just eating less sugar (most of the time!). John has been helping out loads dinner wise and we've been solid in our very healthy lunches and dinners. I admit to some snacking in between but the sickness thing has disappeared now so I usually just drink loads of water, which I wouldn't do if there wasn't a water machine right by my desk! Plenty of fish, poultry and meat along with pulses, beans and veg. Yum! I totally went off tea and coffee initally but the desire returned a few weeks ago thank goodness. I did miss my tea.

A Father Writes About ... Kicks!

So I have been definitely feeling our little one kick in the past few days. I wasn't really sure the first few times, but then on Friday, I felt a definite kick to the bottom of the hand, with more fairly hard kicks last night and Monday. I have felt so proud to feel our little one being so active, it's been another way to connect with them, adding to the scans and the doppler.

Hopefully our little one's kicking is heralding a career as a footballer. Mummy and Daddy will enjoy leaching off our own little millionaire superstar!

17 weeks to go!

It doesn't sound too long to go now. Although we were talking at Nathaniel's first birthday party yesterday (which was bags of fun and made us very proud of him, and very proud of Sarah after seeing his first birthday cake! Wow.) about how close Christmas is really - a mere 15 weeks. Eeeks!

This weekend, we will be buying the paint for the nursery. Woot! What excitements. We will probably order the carpet too, as that takes a few weeks to arrive.

So, 23 weeks down. I have been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions recently, which I only found out about today! I thought it was the baby or something...bit ignorant there. Anyway, it's the weirdest feeling, but you can feel my tummy turn rock solid seconds afterwards. The best way I can describe it is it feels like there's a tiny wave in the tummy that gets tighter and tighter and then disappears. Funny feeling but still amazing!

So little one now weighs a little more than 500g and measures about 28.9cm from crown to heel, as that is now how they are measured. The hearing is well established and they can make out a distorted version of voices, the beating of my heart and my stomach rumblings! Loud noises baby has often heard in the womb, such as a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother the baby when they're is born. In addition to advances in our baby's hearing, the lungs are developing to prepare for breathing.

The really incredible thing is how much our baby is growing! If Flump were to be born right now, they would have a small chance of survival (about 16 per cent) with the right care. Every day in the uterus makes a difference at this stage. If Flump was born at 24 weeks the chance of survival would rise to 44 per cent - you just marvel at the way they're being knitted together literally minute by minute!

Ivan Itchifoot....

Our new Russian friend (left is what we imagine such a person would look like). It's unbearable and it only happens in the evenings - only the last few days! I have resorted to scratching the top of my feet with a hairbrush as it's the only thing that hits the spot/s!! Also dragging it across the sofa ('cos it's fabric.)

Pretty gross but there's something quite satisfying about itching a bad itch. Hopefully it'll pass as things do. Anyway. Just to let everyone know. Ha ha!

A Father Writes ... about cute photos (SCHMALTZ WARNING)

For more pics like this ridiculously cute one above, and our new banner photo, go and visit Tracy Raver's website, who takes great pictures of adorable newborns, babies, toddlers and families. Based in North America though.

Pictures like this just make us more keen to see our precious bundle of joy in 4 months time: we know that they are going to be even more beautiful than these other great, cute babies.

Dizzy pregnancy thing of the week...

Ok, so you don't have to be pregnant to do this but you probably do to notice then forget about it: I walked from my front door to my desk with my top very visibly inside-out. I noticed en-route and was mortified, doing my best to try and hide the fact but I forgot about until I sat down at my desk and my colleague mentioned it to me on the quiet!

The worst thing? Realising this afternoon that while getting dress this morning, I had turned it inside out thinking it was inside out originally...

22 weeks now...

With eighteen weeks to go, we counting down!

The first of the five pregnant ladies, Corne, is due on the 29th of this month so we pray for a really blessed, successful labour and birth for the arrival of their first bundle of joy.

Currently, our child is an albino. Although baby has hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, they don't contain any pigment yet – they're pure white! Little one now has the proportions of a newborn, although theyve still got a lot of weight to gain before the birth. The skin still looks wrinkled because they have only 1% body fat. The's baby eyes have now formed, too, although the iris isn't coloured yet. The pancreas is under development, too along with the brain which is developing super fast and the brainwave patterns are now similar to a newborn's.

The great thing at this point? Baby Stevens can already distinguish between John's voice and mine!

First baby purchase...

We made our first purchase for the nursery (and eventually baby Stevo!) last weekend. The lovely Jamestown cotbed from Mothercare seen above, which we prudently bought in the sale (and then found we could have got a further £29.99 off) has now arrived and is waiting to be put up by Daddy John once the nursery has been decorated.

On Saturday, we went to the carpet store and found the perfect carpet for the room. It's a cream, soft, squidgy carpet and just perfect for a baby's room - as soft as a baby's bottom! We thankfully have a whole squirty thing of 1001 spray (which, may I add, is marvellous) so that can always be on hand should our child eventually use the carpet to deposit their insides at inopportune moments. It's not a box room but it's small enough to not have dark colours inside so we have gone for yellow and cream. A nice unisex colour without giving too much away!

Ha ha.

Weird pregnancy thing of the week...

Above is a picture of a chimp scratching itself. I have the itch-iest feet ever created. It's so bizarre, it only started a few days ago but nothing helps it. In fact, scratching them makes it even worse! It's the top of my toes and so irritating at night but last night, I just smothered them in moisturising cream and tried to get to sleep. Then just as I was about to doze off, little one decided it was play time! Oh what larks.

Morning sickness has returned a little bit. Mostly when I get hungry in the afternoon so I've been nibbling again. Mornings are still a bit funny, the smell of the bathroom still gets me so I occasionally have to rush my shower and eat something sooner rather than later!

Pregnancy brain reigns supreme - it's actually really unnerving but people are very understanding!

21 weeks - over half way there now!

Bless God for our wonderful experience on Friday. We had so much fun over the weekend, telling the grandparents, siblings and great-grandparents about the scan and revealing whether our little one was a boy or a girl. Almost, the best bit was hearing and seeing their reactions - it really was marvellous!

We took the doppler over to both sets of parents this weekend so they could hear the heartbeat of their grandchild. However, when Daddy John first found the heartbeat of Flump at Hardcourts Close (chez Stevens Snr), the baby gave the doppler a very large boot which made a very funny squeaky sound. Apparently, the baby felt we were disturbing his evening. Some people!

We've been blessed with lots of baby bits, including the brilliant Bumbo, which have been forwarded from John's sister, Sarah and an Ikea bag full of clothes which we had a look through, and put into piles of clothes we fancied and clothes that could be passed around. Grandma Judy was rooting through my old books (John was delighted when he found Peter & Jane books and started to read all fifty pages of Peter & Jane Went to the Park, just for the baby! EDIT: apparently it was Peter & Jane Went to The Farm - apologies there) and Auntie TJ also read some nursery stories to Flump - some of which are actually really scary!

This week, Flump is about 26cm, about 10ins. Up until now baby has been measured from crown to rump but from this point on the measurement will be from crown to heel. Flumps' eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed, and they can now blink. The baby can now hear our conversations which means we probably need to watch what we say! We are purposely singing and reading to the baby though. The amazing thing is, some studies have found that newborns will suck more vigorously when read to from a book they heard frequently in the womb.

Getting more and more impatient in the residence at Glanville Road. But we are making the most of our time together and having plenty of laughs, watching Titanic and blubbing together, eating Mexican and helping my mum cook her first curry tonight for dad's birthday!

We write... about the 20 week scan

For such an important occasion, we present our first tag team post!

John: Another fantastic occasion! The Fetal Doppler was more great preparation for the scan, especially since the scan didn't involve the heartbeat or any sound (perhaps I should have brought the Doppler for some discreet heart beat monitoring as well). We weren't overimpressed by our scanner again, (maybe we're expecting too much of the NHS staff!) What a joy to see Flump again! I was reminded recently at Grandad's funeral of how uplifting it is to see babies, when Nathaniel was a blessing of joy to all of us despite our sadness. However, this doesn't compare to how it felt to see our own little blessing. I'm finding it hard to imagine how awesome it will be to see them face-to-face. Anyway, we have four pictures of Flump, all slightly different. My favourite is a good close up of Flump's face, in which I believe they look like a cute little monkey. Our own little chimp!

Stel: While John thinks Flump looks like a chimp, I think the baby has daddy's nose! It's true. When you see the photos, you'll see. The best bit was when the baby opened it's mouth very slowly and waved! Our sonographer was a bit odd...it was certainly the first time I've ever been asked to lie on my side for her to get a proper look at certain angles. Leah had the same one and was asked to do the same thing. And we have both been asked to come back in three weeks as she couldn't see the heart properly because of the way the baby was lying...I think it's the sonographer, not our babies!?

Anyway, Flump is currently breech (which I think is why the sonographer couldn't see the heart properly) and measuring in the normal range for all measurements! So we praise God for that and really thank Him for this incredible life he has knitted together. We are so amazed at how He has provided everything our child needs and we really look forward to meeting our precious little wonder to see God's intricate work in detail...thank you for all your prayers and kind words!

(By the way, we have found out the sex of the baby - those who want to know can find out!)