NINE days overdue!

So yes, little Pot is currently 9 days overdue and until today I'd have said showing no signs of coming any time soon.
We went to the midwife on Tuesday who did a sweep, which made me a bit achy but didn't bring anything more substantial on. T from NCT said after hers she had a show the next morning, but nothing since. She's being induced on Tuesday - really hope we get to go first! M/w said everything was moving along nicely, that the effacing is happening and I was 2cm dilated! Which was very promising and most unexpected.
So yes, just had a bit of a dull week waiting for Pot to show some signs of doing something. I've been quite achy all day today, with fairly regular (not time regular, just several times) cramping and aches, and my lower back has been very sore. And then just now (10.20pm) I had a show! Wasn't really what I was expecting - forgive the detail, but was expecting some blood, but there wasn't any. It was definitely something though, and it's just very reassuring to know things are happening, even if it's going a little slower than expected.
We have a hospital appointment at 12.30 tomorrow to have another sweep and talk induction, so who knows - if I've had the show then I don't know what they do, guess we'll find out. I am going to look on some websites to see what other people have had done.
So feeling quite excited that finally things seem to be happening, even though I know it could still be days away. Feel oddly proud that my unborn child seems to know what it's doing, even if I don't!
Here's hoping the waters breaking aren't far behind...

4 days and counting...

Yes, Pot is 4 days late so far and not really showing any signs of moving anywhere at all! Oh well - we are having a lovely week regardless, and am trying to look on this as bonus Us time, rather than being late. So - the due date itself passed without incident and was very calm and relaxed. On Wednesday i was feeling a little cabin-feverish so we drove to Ickworth house in the afternoon and went for a lovely walk around the grounds. Weather wasn't great, but we walked about 3-4 miles or so, which was great. Got lots of nice photos too!
On Thursday the weather was fantastic so we decided to drive to the beach at Walton on the Naze. Took about an hour and a half to get there but we had lunch and wandered a lot, and again walked about 3-4 miles or so. Then went for a curry at the pub with P&T, but that had no effect on Pot either.
Yesterday was a bit weird - I got all upset and emotional in the morning because we had a stupid argument over misunderstandings, and it left me feeling a bit odd all day. Still, I went out in the afternoon to meet the NCT girls for coffee and chocolate cake and a good natter, and that was really nice. Charlotte and I then had a wander around a couple of crafty type kids' shops in Halstead and I bought Pot a Cheeky Chops bib and a toy... very cute. Came home and N went to pub with P, and then we had a lovely bbq. Felt much better. Was feeling extremely despondent a lot of yesterday - part of me was hoping that was the hormonal weirdness signifying the start of labour, but don't think it was somehow!
Today's been great too - firstly, Nichola and Ben had their baby! A boy, called Samuel William Jack. We don't have photos or details yet, but so exciting that the first of the babies has arrived. I reckon Tori will be next, but could even be Charlotte. I would love it to be me, as am starting to feel very ready now, but all in good time. It'll be sometime in the next 9 days anyway, so am not panicking. Just would prefer it to happen naturally.
So anyway, after that we went to the garden centre and got a new eucalyptus, 2 x blackberry plants and a fig. Came back, ripped up the massive plant over the side of the shed, had a tactical dash to Focus, then sanded, primed and painted the front of the shed! It's green now - looks very cool, though needs more paint, and we'll do the planting tomorrow. All very productive. Was feeling incredibly energetic all day, but feel shattered now so have just had a bath and am now feeling all relaxed and cosy.
Time for bed, or some games before bed. Feeling much better than yesterday, and looking forward to finishing the painting tomorrow.

The day today

Well well well. It's here - 16th September. And unsurprisingly, no baby just yet. I always said it would be late. Admittedly, it's only the morning and things could start at any time, but I have a very strong feeling that nothing is going to happen yet. It's weird though, this date has been at the forefront of my mind since January. 40 weeks I have had this baby - wow. It's a long time. And soon it'll be out in the big wide world and it will be entirely down to N and me to protect it and look after it - I hope we do a good job! It's a scary prospect. But an amazingly exciting and inconceivable once as well. Possibly a poor choice of words...

Very excited for all the NCT girls - wonder who will go first? For the record I think it'll be T, then N, then me, C, J and other C - though other C could be quite early I think, and J could be pretty late. Who knows. Just so exciting, and lovely to have all these new friends going through the same thing at the same time. It'll be brilliant when we can all compare notes...

Anyway this is a short entry, just really to mark the occasion, since I don't think anything is going to happen. Do you think if I say that enough, it'll happen just to prove me wrong?! Nah...

Still in one piece...

Trying to be better at this blogging lark, so a more timely update this time around. Pot is still firmly in place and personally I don't think it's moving for well over a week, but who knows - things could change any minute and I could end up in labour later today! I don't think I will though. Famous last words...

So what have we been up to, other than just getting bigger and heavier? Well, this weekend we went to Mark and Sandra's wedding at Mark's place in Dorset, which was good fun. Saw loads of friends which was lovely, including L & S and Miri, who was a model of good behaviour. Pot, take note please! We stayed at Claire and Neil's on Friday and Saturday nights, which was great as it meant I got a chance to catch up with Claire, which doesn't happen too often. She gave us some Baby Play toys from Mamas and Papas - so cute! And my other orders have arrived, so we have the Baby Bjorn, and the rocker chair... I think we're all set in terms of stuff, just need the mental preparation now! Hmmm - not so easy!

Last night all the NCT lot came over for the bra and beer night, which was really good fun, apart from slight embarrassment of bra fitting, but we all bit the bullet and took the attitude that we're all going to go through much more embarrassing things over the next few weeks so might as well get used to it! Bought a few things, so feeling more prepared. Really nice to be getting on so well with everyone from NCT, we are starting to feel like friends now I think, which is really nice. I think N really enjoyed his boys' night out too, as he doesn't get a chance to go out without me very often and it's probably quite a nice thing! Plus they're all going through the same thing, like me and the girls, so it's really nice for him to be making those friends. Maybe they'll all start meeting up to go and watch Andy play footy! Who knows... they're a really nice bunch though, and it's great to feel I'm going to have friends within half an hour who are all going through the same thing as us.

Today is our 2 year anniversary - hurray! Had a lovely day - apart from being really tired, which is thanks to spending all day tidying yesterday, and then having a late night. But started off with pressies this morning - Pot gave us a card! And a book of PC fairy tales, which is very funny. Then Nick got me some lovely perfume (Chance, Chanel), an audiobook CD of No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and a really good book on watercolour painting, which is just about the right level for me - i.e. very basic! So have spent the last couple of hours painting, which was really fun and relaxing. Paul's in doing some decorating as well, so it's nice to know things are getting done. Not sure when we'll get around to doing the flat, but hey, all in good time.

In terms of how I'm feeling, generally I'm OK apart from being a bit tired today. My feet really hurt if I stand up for very long, and my lower back is starting to hurt more too. The bump is definitely feeling heavier, and the stretch marks are rather unpleasant, though not as bad as some I've seen. Don't like them though - oh well, they'll fade. On the whole in good spirits, and hoping to have a nice easy week, as I don't really feel like doing a lot. Maybe will perk up once I've had more sleep. We shall see!

Right, off to do more useless and relaxing things. More updates as and when any news happens.

Time flies

I can't believe it's been 4 weeks since I last blogged. Time really is going fast - the due date is 2 weeks tomorrow, amazingly. Very much hoping Pot stays put until the due date, or at least very close to it - I have NCT girlie lunch on Wednesday plus midwife, we have Marky and Sandra's wedding on Saturday, and the whole NCT crown coming over on Monday for bra and beer night, so really don't want it before then. Plus it's our anniversary next Tuesday... must get N something!

So, what have we been up to. Well, firstly there were all the NCT and NHS antenatal classes. Loved the NCT ones. Our instructor, Ruth was a slightly hippy-ish type, but was quite funny and very down to earth, and obviously knows her stuff. It was really detailed, and helped us work out what we want to happen at the birth (obviously we know it can all change, so it's more a wishlist than anything else. Hope the birth pool is free when we arrive!) And the people were lovely too - have made good friends we think. Tori and Ian live about 20 mins away and are really nice - I went for lunch with Tori a couple of weeks ago, and N and I went for dinner with them both last night in Great Yeldham, which was great fun, and we didn't get home until after midnight - positively rebellious of us! So they're nice, and all the others are lovely as well, so hopefully once we've all met for lunch on Wednesday, and again the following Monday, we will all become reasonably good friends. Must try to meet up with some people from work, especially James, as he's expecting just 3 weeks after us, so would be nice to meet Mel. Anyway, I digress...
The NHS classes were not so great in terms of meeting people, though everyone seemed nice enough - but it was great to go through the specifics for the hospital we'll be at, and to get to know a couple of the midwives better, and also just to hear it all again to remind us of what to do when. Very handy, and only 3 evening sessions. All done now, we must be qualified!

Other than that - well, when Nick's mum and dad came to stay Nick and his dad put the laminate flooring in the nursery which is cool. Just waiting for Paul now to come and finish it off with the woodwork painting. The kitchen is done from CK's perspective, though we still have some painting etc to do. We went swimming a couple of weeks ago which was nice, though because the pool in Haverhill is closed at the moment we had to go to Bury, which is a lovely pool but a long way to go for an hour's swim. Also went to see Dark Knight aa the cinema and went for dinner afterwards which was lovely. Good film. And today we went to Linton Zoo! It was rather a last minute idea of Nick's when we woke up this morning, but it was gorgeously sunny and was great fun. Nice little place, not massive, but some good animals - lots of birds and monkeys and things, plus lions, leopards, tigers, snow leopard, zebras, giant tortoises, tapirs and so on. Got some fab photos too.So that was fun. Will probably have a relatively relaxed rest of the day - maybe put up the bedrooms shelf but other than that don't plan to do a lot.

And then there is the lovely Pot. Had 36 week appointment on Sunday 24th, (the day of our biig bbq, which was also brilliant fun!) Apparently Pot's in just the right position, and 4 5ths engaged - I thought that meant almost entirely, but it means 1 5th of the head is in the pelvis adn 4 5ths is still outside, but it's going the right way and hopefully when I have the next one on Wednesday s/he'll move into the right place.

It's funny at the moment - I still can't really believe that we're really having a baby, that this is it, forever. We can't wait, yet I think we're both nervous. Perfectly natural, of course, but still. The birth is a scary prospect - my friend Lucy just had her baby and had a horrendous time of it, and Helen had hers too and was fine. You just don't know how it'll go - I'm trying to stay positive and imagine it all going well. If I can avoid the epidural I'd really like to, but we shall see. We're both having funny, and very vivid dreams at the moment, often about birth. Just hope it all goes OK. Can't wait to find out whether POt is a boy or a girl... and then there are the names...! All very exciting.

Anyway I have rambled on long enough for now. I'll try to write more before the baby comes, but who knows. I must try to do some writing as well - I've done nothing on it so far. But hey - when I'm ready, it'll still be there.

So - here's to labour being bearable, and to both Pot and me coming out of it pretty unscathed.

More soon...