Come on down!

Spent the day out visiting my cloistered-rainforest-dwelling father, so as a result Greg's crashed out on the couch after too many home-brews and Anakin's fast asleep after a day in the bush. I should be getting an early night too. Last night was a shocker! Total insomnia set in once again, at least I've had a few really restful nights lately after claiming Anakin's bed all to myself - the best ever mattress in the world!

I had a moment of clarity last night and decided, at the risk I've really crushing my mum-in-laws feelings, all I actually want is to stay home leading up to this birth. Greg doesn't finish up work until my actual due date and I don't want to be away from him at all! I don't want to risk not being able to get hold of him at work when it could take him up to 2 - 3 hours to get up there anyway! He could quite possibly miss everything! I don't want to be without him in the afternoons, when my back is usually at it's worst and I need his help with Anakin. I don't want to have to pack up all the stuff Anakin and I are going to need for an extended stay, the Bubby's gear, hospital bags... The stupid staircases I'll need to climb 50 times a day with my even more stupid, pelvic joints... I can never sleep properly when I'm up there and that's enough of a problem here! I don't mind if I end up in the local hospital, it's just 15 minutes away and it's where I was born - can't be that bad! It's not like I'm high risk and need a bigger facility, I just chose Cairns Base because that's where Greg's family wants me to be! Plus I'd rather Baby's first car ride a short drive straight home! If Greg starts his holidays and I'm still preggas (please God, No!) then we can re-evaluate things from there. But otherwise the oldies can stay here with us or Nick has said they're welcome at her place. I just need Greg to break the news coz I'm too scared. (The bastard's like "Don't worry, I'll manufacture any lies you want me to"!! As if I don't feel bad enough!)

Up until a few weeks ago I was getting slightly hysterical whenever I thought about giving birth to another of Greg's huge boys. But now my perspective has shifted - this pregnancy is punishing, my body's debilitated (this f*cking computer chair doesn't help matters) and I cry myself to sleep feeling totally flogged out, all I'm going to be is full of elation when I finally hear that odd cracking sound as my waters break. I'm going to be singing-out Bring It On!! I want my baby safe and sound and I want my body back to normal!

Belly-belly

These were taken a couple of weeks ago at my IL's.

This one was taken this arvie. One day I'm complaining I need hospitilization and a wheelchair the next I'm mowing the lawn - no wonder I don't get taken seriously.

At first a little TMI

Well either I've been loosing my cervical plug the last few days or it's just coz I can't stop givin' it up to my man lately. 37 weeks pregnant, crippled, but still such a hornbag. I've never noticed a show in either of my other two pregnancies so I'm not too sure what to think. Either way I'm still not going to go too far from home without my maternity bags thrown into the back of the car just in case. Well that's once I've finished packing them of course. I've got all Baby's things ready to go - a big pocket full of tiny little nappies, the cutest little mix n match ensembles, wraps, microfibre washers... For me all I've packed so far is a big bunch of maternity pads >.< some paw-paw ointment and little spritzer with a mild mix of lavender oil and water for my girlie bits.

A few days into December my in-laws are planning on calling through to collect me and Anakin (abducting us) on their way home to Cairns from the opal mines, where we'll stay (maybe) until the big birthday!! If this one is anything like Anakin's late arrival, I'll go stir crazy and make a getaway home midway through my incarceration! Anyway, I anticipate a bit of down-time to shop around for some of the things I might need that I can't seem to pinpoint at the moment.

I finally got into action and ordered Anakin a booster seat, (a long deliberation). His Safe n Sound "Explorer" should be here any day now. It's a convertible booster seat that can be used with a harness belt from 8 to 26 kilo's A thread on Essential Baby (man, I hadn't logged onto that website for so long!) turned me onto a great site where it happened to be on sale so I ended up paying $300 + $25 for freight. And even though the little baby might be getting around in Anakin's dodgy old stroller (mmmm.... for now), at least they'll both be super-safe in the car.

Well Coconuts ended up being an excellent little holiday for us, but we ended up booking into a little cabin rather than taking the Tab. I made some enquires and it was only going to cost me around $50 extra for a cabin, which I would have spent on diesel anyway towing the caravan there and back! They quoted me this bargain (maybe even wrong?) price over the phone, which they had to honour and then when Greg came to join us, they told him at the reception it would be "no extra charge" so I was well happy with that arrangement. Nick and Chris were staying for the weekend in one of the Villas so all the cousins got to hang out. Izzy had his scooter to cruise about on and with all the brawling the boys did on the jumping balloons, I only got to see him when he came back to the cabin for a feed, and just before flopping into bed with exhaustion each night. I took so much fruit along - mangoes, watermelon, pineapples, lychees and banana's we were practically fruitarians the whole weekend. Save the big feed Rene and Tiff came to share with us and the big Macca's breakfast I can't seem to go without at least once whenever I'm up! Oh and the Domino's pizza on the way out of town... We swam and played mini golf and did cross-words, I even had a bit of a bounce on the jumping pillows myself!

More and more people are reacting with disbelief when I tell them I've still got three weeks to go. I must look like such a big belly! Their faces changing from shock to horror to pity. The little preppies at school keep looking at me with suspicious sideways glances, like that baby might just fall out at any given moment. I even give myself a shock when I catch a glimpse of my reflection side-on! It doesn't seem that dramatic from the top!!

It was my last day at work today - the kids are so keen on me bringing in the baby for a visit but they might be on school holidays by then. They like to pester me on the sex and if I've thought of a name yet. One of the boys gets really emotional about it, he gets big tears in his eyes and carries on "Oh! Miss! I just KNOW he's going to be SO CUTE!" (Same boy who doesn't want to discuss dressing up like jungle animals and cavemen for their end-of-year concert item - because he only wants to be a "princess wearing high-heels in a tower"! A beautiful Drama Queen he is.)

I wanna write more but it's getting way late. Maybe be back tomorrow.

Addressing the slackness

Averaging 3 posts a month lately - totally slack alright. I'm sure a time will come when I just end up cutting and pasting my much more frequent status updates from Facebook to fulfil my need to communicate with the world and keep my blog alive.

Wow I can't believe the ticker is down to twenty-something days oh-my! I finally got myself back to anti-natal this morning after 16 weeks of non-attendance. I saw two midwives at once and they were surprisingly thorough. The first thing one of them told me was "We have to give you a needle today". I replied "No. I don't do that." She went from asking me "Are you joking?" and looking at me like I was a complete lunatic, to telling me it was completely my choice once I explained that (correct me if I'm wrong) I didn't see any reason behind giving routine Anti D injections when it's effectiveness for mopping up antigens is within a 72 hour window of an actual bleed, which I hadn't had.

I did a depression screen test. I think I scored 4 out of a total, maybe, 100 possible points. I had to give myself a couple of points for "irrational fear" - I couldn't stop thinking about this young girl who died in a car accident about 6 months ago - she was on her way to anti natal and only had a few weeks before she was due with her first baby. Greg works with her boyfriend. Today I had to drive past the same intersection her and her baby were killed, in bad driving weather, as many weeks pregnant as she was. I was obsessing about which car to take, and praying all morning I got home safely to my kids. Anakin just loves his Mummy so much at the moment, I don't know what he'd do without me. But anyway here I am, all good.

One of the midwives had a feel around and Little Boy's head isn't engaged yet. (In fact he's riding up high under my rib cage, I think they're going to be permanently bent out of shape!) She estimates him to be about 5 and a half pound atm. And predicts him to be somewhere between 7 and 8 pound at full term. We'll see. I reckon he'll be 8 plus the rest!

I'm taking the plunge and towing the caravan with the two boys to Coconuts on my own this weekend! The thing is I've had no practice at reversing the van and suspect I'm gunna totally suck at it no matter how much practice I get anyway! I'm going to have to think ahead at all times and make sure not to park anywhere tricky along the way. Luckily it's such a light little van that when we do actually make it to our camping spot we'll be able to unhook it and pull it into position manually. It'll be a bit of a test for me, but it'll give me more confidence to do it more often. Probably rain on us all weekend, but who cares?! I love the rain. We'll just stay in our togs!

We are really looking forward to Anakin's Playgroup breakup at the swimming pool at the end of the month. I bought him some Christmas coloured boardies to wear today and a plain red T-shirt that we are going to decorate tomorrow at Playgroup. He is SO excited about getting a new book from Santa, who'll be coming along on the firetruck. I told him how Santa called me on his kitchen phone and asked me what sort of book he'd like so Mummy knows he's going to love it!! (A pop-out book chock FULL of dragons!)

Gotta go, Bub's woken up.

What Kisses did.

We took the T@B away on the weekend! I don't suppose you can actually classify it as "camping" when you book into Cairns Coconut Village and there's an abundance of conveniences on hand and Macca's a kilometre up the road for breakfast! The Cook Island and Samoan football team were staying there as well, so there were lots of well defined, smooth, tanned and tattooed bods to admire while lounging around the pool - lucky Anakin had his floaties on with my wandering attention! JOKES!


Actually getting away was so much effort for my poor body. I'd worked Thursday and Friday too (waking up at 3:30 for a wee and not getting back to sleep again is not the greatest way to start a working day). Friday arve after picking up Anakin from Nick's I came home to pack and organise the caravan, after over 2 hours of that my back was totally Fu-barred. I curled up in bed in the faetal position whimpering. It sucks being lame.

I got to go op-shopping Saturday morning and then Izzy (who was in Cairns with his dad) came to hang out with us once we had the camp set up. (Our latest conversations together are like a competition on who can say "corporate sellout" the most in one sentence.) We swam in all the pools and played basketball (well they did) and the boys rode around on their scooters. We ate watermelon and I even had the fine china packed for when Tiff came around for a cuppa.

Saturday night Anakin fell asleep on the way to a friends 30th, themed, "80's Glam Rock". The birthday boy "Hairy-Dan"* had downloaded a huge collection of filmclips from the era - all the stuff we use to play at high school socials, and everyone was dressed up Poison-Whitesnake-Guns-n-Roses style, it was deadly. He lives in a beautiful "boogie nights" style house way on top of a hill with the best views in Cairns. Anakin stayed asleep for a couple of hours but woke up when a drunken, rowdy "Happy Birthday" was sung. We left Greg and his mates to their revelry after that and we took the truck back to the caravan park where I spent the rest of the night half awake waiting for his return (at a very eventual 4am!)

* It's funny. Some of our friends have special names we use so the boys know who we're talking about. We'll be like "Blah blah blah Trent blah blah blah". And they'll go "WHO??" And we'll be "You know. Shaved-down-monkey." And they'll go "OH Yeah." The kids have got new nicknames in the last year of so. Izzy is know as "Squidly" or "Squidy". I rang him when he was suppose to be at the Youth Club one afternoon and he was swimming in the Banyan Creek instead, one of his mates answered the phone with "SQUIDY'S IN THE WATER!!" Now when he's in the shower I creep up to the back louvers and sing out "SQUIDY'S IN THE WATER!" Jack's known to family as "Skinhead" or "Skinned Pig" (very foundly I might add.) And Charlie likes to be know as "Charred Piglet". For reasons unknown. Maybe because we call him Char for short and he is the Skinned Pig's little brother...

One of the pools at the caravan park has a big novelty whale with water squirting from it's spout and a kiddies slide going through the middle. Anakin kept climbing inside and saying "Mum, watch me! I'm in the whales gulp!" Ha ha. He mistakingly says "Gulp" instead of "Gob". Makes more sense anyway... He often makes up his own meanings for words or sayings. Today he was telling me "Do you know what Chop-chop means? It means: Let's fight." I said "No. It means: Hurry up; Get moving." I know he'll stick with his own definition.

We had Izzy home with us for three days last week. He needed time off school and we nursed him back to health (with chopped-up pineapple, watermelon, french-toast and all his favourite dinners) after picking up a cold. (Well, the Swine Flu, according to him. I'm sure if he could think up a worse case scenario he would!) It was Anakin's turn this week and my sister and all her family. I'm amazed I haven't gone down with it - with Anakin's fixation on licking my face and the amount of big-slobby kisses he insists on giving me all the time. I try to tell him Daddy's the only one that's allowed to give me big wet kisses and that he can give his girlfriend toungies when he's old enough to have one. He reckons "You're going to be my girlfriend Mum!" No, but I'll ALWAYS be your Mumma.

Should be lesson planning..

Well I suppose the one good thing about limping around on a permanantly cramped calf musle all day is that it takes some of my brain's focus off the excruciating back and hips and pelvis! Geez, now I well and truly identify with the way they portray pregnant women on tele waddling around, easing themselves awkwardly into chairs .... You should see me getting around! I look like a car wreck. I remind myself of Nana swaying to and fro on her little bowed legs. I think I need some magnesium in a big way, I get cramps in my toes, calves, hips and intercostal muscles. I hurriedly reach down to try and ease one cramp in the middle of the night and end up giving myself another one somewhere else! It's bloody ridiculous! Greg's been very generous with his massages, the sweetheart.


I'm going to do two days a week at school for a few weeks so I can finish up about a month early. Greg's parents should be back in the North by then too, I'm sure they'd love to look after me a bit.

Anakin is so keen for his "Little Brother". He's such a sweet boy. He was just waking up yesterday morning and we were all snuggled up in bed. He had his legs draped over my big fat belly and all of a sudden he sat up with this look of absolute wonder on his face. He could feel the baby's hiccups and he was transfixed. Last night he had a real good giggle before bedtime feeling the Bubby's little heel/toes jutting right out and sliding backwards and forwards just under the surface. I wish I had that particular laugh recorded on my phone as a ring tone - that'd be so cool. He's always cuddling my belly and cooing "You are SO beautiful Baby." He gives a nudge when he can't feel any action and says "Wakey, wakey Little Brother."


I had the ladies back for hot date scones, shortbreads and tea yesterday morning. It was much more relaxed with the big kids in school and just the littlies here. The marchies have eased right off now, so we were able to hang around out under the shade of the caravan annex too.

I've modified and redrawn the floor plans for the virtual house on the block a few more times lately. We actually managed to talk through a few issues without arguing last night!

Silence is Golden.

A couple weekends ago when I was flicking through the real estate guide I came across a photo of the inside of a house that looked really familiar. I quickly worked it out to be the house in Edge Hill where I went to a "Heaven and Hell" themed Halloween party 9 years ago, the party where I met Greg!! The picture even showed the "leafy indoor atrium" that our very first conversation revolved around! That is wild! Here it is:

It's an urgent liquidation sale. Imagine how romantic it'd be if Greg and I ended up purchasing the very house we first laid eyes on each other. I keep day dreaming about it!

Anakin is having his third sleep over at Mum's. Greg and I actually got the bed all to ourselves ALL night. Woot woot! Of course we made the most of that situation ;) Pity another calf cramp jolted me awake at 6o'clock and I didn't get to sleep in.. the joys of pregnancy.

I must of had about 50 braxton hicks contractions when I was shopping in Cairns on Thursday. It's so bloody exhausting. I have them every time I bend over! And sometimes I wake up with sore abs when they've persisted all through the night! I'm going to love my uterus being a normal size again! How can it stretch so much anyway? What is it latex?

The boys where sitting on the couch the other day and I overheard Anakin saying to Izzy "I smell something burning." Izzy goes "Yeah, I smell something burning too." And I'm like "Well if you can both smell something burning I better go check around." Then Izzy's sniffed a bit harder and gone "Oh Poh! Anakin! That stinks!" Ha ha ha. Anakin was just testing out one of his Dad's fart jokes. Greg was really proud too.

On marriage - Greg and I have picked a date next year - our relationships 10th anniversary. (I might have already said?) But whether or not it's just a registry office jobby is yet to be seen. Everytime I log into those wedding planning websites it just spins me out and scares me off. The thing is we can't really afford a huge wedding but when we think of all the people we'd love to celebrate with us - it adds up to about 100! I'd like a big party where everyone gets to dress up as a bride or groom. That'd be fun.

Anyway I better go do something else with my alone-time. I'm going to try to avoid everything I should be doing and focus on what I want to do... just after I hang up the washing..