8 weeks - names!

Jonathan and I stayed up fairly late last night, he went through the shortlist of names I put down, and crossed out any he didn't like, circled ones he did really like. I think we have names! :) (and reserves, incase we can't use the ones we've thought of for any reason)

He liked Daniel for a boy, and Chloe for a girl. I love the name Chloe too, so that's our girl's name choice. But Daniel... I like "Daniel" but I HATE Danny, and Dan. So he said "well, I guess we'll go for your favourite then" which I was a bit peeved at - I didn't want a name that I loved "just because", and wasn't wanting to force it on him at all... but he says that my name idea is okay as well... So we've decided on Robert if it's a boy (Rob and Robbie are just too cute!).

As our reserves we have Jessica and Megan (although I had to fight for Megan! Jonathan said he didn't really like it very much, but I'm sure it could grow on him) for a girl, and Malcolm and Thomas for a boy.

We finally finished our bedroom wardrobes last night! :) So now we just have to "stock" them hehe with all the clothes from various boxes in the house. We're also going to go to Homebase today (hopefully) and get some more bookcases for storage upstairs. Jonathan has a load of computer stuff he could do with storing on a bookcase properly, in the flat, it was mainly piled onto a few shelves above his PC, and on the wall heater (which we never used, because it was used as a storage place) by the side of him.

We're also seeing my Dad and Caroline tomorrow - they're bringing up a pressure washer for our patio as well since it's got some marks on it from plant pots from the previous owner. We might be going out for dinner as well, in which case we'd need to find somewhere to book ready.

Anyway, busy day ahead, and I need to get something to eat. Baby doesn't like it if I miss breakfast these days! (And it's already a little late for breakfast hehe)

7 weeks 6 days

OK, I've added a belly gallery. I got J to take it last night, but it was gone midnight, just, so technically it's 7 weeks 6 days rather than 7 weeks 5 days ;) Thanks Linds for sending me that link, although most of those women still look slim and gorgeous! I do feel a bit better though, knowing that not all women wait until they're tiny and thin before getting pregnant.

Yesterday morning and this morning, I had queasiness. Bah! I had to lay in bed for some time before I felt ok enough to get up. It also didn't help that for some reason I got hardly any sleep. I guess though I must have got more than I will do in December! Better get used to it, aye?

I have my midwife appointment in 4 days. Eeshk! Time surely does fly. I remember it seemed like only a few days ago that I was 5 weeks pregnant! Now I'm almost 8! (Well, something along those lines, I wish I knew exactly how far along I was, but I guess I'll have to see when I go for my first scan, and they "date" me.

The last couple of weeks I've had NO worrying signs whatsoever. Except for last night. I've had no spotting of any kind since my last mention here, but last night, I was laying in bed, and leaned slightly to turn the bedside light out, and my tummy HURT - slightly on the left side. The pain has gone away now, but that was sort of disturbing. I hope my little boo is still all snug and cozy in there!

Anyway, thanks for reading, as always!

Belly Gallery #1

Okay! I succumbed, here is my belly gallery. I already LOOK pregnant, but that's only because I was fat to begin with. Hopefully it won't be too long before my fat belly starts to look pregnant!

Here I am at 7 weeks, 6 days.

Finally got round to taking a second belly gallery shot. I did it in the mirror, and for some reason, I look about 25 weeks pregnant (haha) but surprisingly I don't look fat!(wooohooo!) Also note the cat lazing on the bed behind me hehe.

This is my belly at 12 weeks (and 3 days).

This is my belly at 15 weeks.

This is my belly at 18 weeks (and 2 days).

This is my (full length!) belly shot at 20 weeks.

And my normal belly shot at 20 weeks (and 3 days).

This is my belly at 24 weeks (and 2 days).

This is my belly at 28 weeks.

This is my belly at 32 weeks (and 1 day).

This is my belly at 34 weeks. Definitely popping out a bit now!

This is my belly at 36 weeks. The actual photo is slightly smaller because I had to rotate the picture in photoshop - was holding the camera slightly wonky haha! But Robert is definitely getting bigger in there!

This is my belly at 38 weeks and 2 days.

This is my belly at 40 weeks. Taken on my due date!

7 weeks 3 days - tired and hungry

Okay - I've suddenly seemed to hit a real strange patch - well, I don't know if it's strange or not I guess... But I'm suddenly hungry ALL. THE. TIME. And I'm also really tired. I was sat here about half hour ago thinking... I really want to take a nap... but instead I went downstairs and did the washing up. Is this normal? Feeling completely washed out, and completely starving all the time around 7 weeks?

And it's not like I just want to devour any bit of food I see - I suddenly feel really picky about what exactly I want to eat. Jonathan suggested I go cut myself a bit of cheese to nibble on, but I didn't WANT a bit of cheese (and usually I love nibbling on cheese - especially a nice bit of canadian cheddar!), although I did fancy a sandwich with cheese in it. How strange!

I think I can feel my uterus popping out a bit now! Even under all my flab.

I've not got any more bouts of queasiness yet. Wonder what that is about! I guess it means I'll probably put on a lot more weight than most of the people who do get morning sickness and can hardly keep any food down.

I've got in contact recently with an old school friend, who was in my form at secondary school. She has two gorgeous little girls already! Very small age gap as well, about the same as Alice's boys. I've let her know that I'm pregnant, and she seems so excited and happy for me :) Her littlest is only a few months old too - about the same age as Ewan I think.

I just can't help but wonder whether I'll have a boy or a girl. It could really be either, going by how we conceived, and the thing about male sperm being quicker but weaker, and female sperm being slower but stronger. Ohhh I wish I knew!!! I'm so impatient.

I can't believe my tiny Boo has hands and feet already! And that he or she is growing teeth buds. It's so amazing, it really is. I just hope she stays nice and comfy in there. Oh my gosh, did I just say she? After that baby boy dream a couple of nights ago! Hehe, I guess we will see. I'll try and get J to take a picture of my belly tonight or tomorrow - will be the first Belly pic, I know, am still wondering if I would want to put it on, I am so self conscious of my body... I guess I could just make sure I have no skin showing on them, then it'd be better. Hmm. Anyway, I guess I'd better be going.... before I fall asleep at the keyboard.

7 weeks 2 days ish - gender dream and house stuff

I had my first gender dream last night. It was a little boy. Although at first the doctors weren't sure (even though it was a dream of the birth). Also for some reason I ended up giving birth while on the loo (!!!) and it happened surprisingly quickly after my waters broke (also while I was on the loo). I dreamed that we named the baby boy, but then I couldn't remember what we named him, and also I forgot to get his measurements at birth for the birth announcement.

On other news, Jonathan and I spent best part of the day putting together the wardrobe for our bedroom :) We have two things missing, and one of the doors is damaged, but the missing things are stuff we can do later, they're 2 of the drawer rails, so we'll just wait til they arrive and then fix them on later. We've built the main frame (including slotting the flimsy back into the grooves - what a frustrating bit to do! In at the bottom, pops out at the top.. ah well, got it done eventually!), and put the top on (I had one bit waaaaay above my head and helped maneuver it into place). Jonathan stood on a stool to screw the top into place (he's tall, but not THAT tall!) All we have left are the drawers to put in, and the doors to put on, and the last few little bits and pieces.

We were thinking about putting it in the spare bedroom, and getting fitted wardrobes for the main bedroom, but in the end we just decided it would be enough for our clothes, and we just kept it for our main bedroom. We fiddled around with arrangement of the chest of drawers and where the one I haven't built yet would go, and we SHOULD have enough room for a cot as well by the wall once everything's in place. We DESPERATELY need more storage space. The back spare bedroom is CHOCKA with boxes, and just basically a load of crap. We neeeeeed to get more bookcases, and cupboards, and stuff. We have a half empty box in the kitchen where we cannot put stuff because we have less cupboard space in this kitchen compared to the last kitchen! If we sort out all the spare glasses and mugs we're not likely to use for a long time, then we can put them in the loft for when the ones we use get smashed. Then that might free up the cupboard space for the other stuff. Sheesh, Would be so nice to just do the garage extension already and extend the kitchen into a kitchen/diner. And the other half of the garage into a study (so Jonathan has to move all the computers and stuff again - oops! :P ) and maybe add a little storage cupboard or something in there for the vacuum cleaner, tools, so on, etc. Here I go, dreaming away :) I'm sure we'll do it eventually - Jonathan hasn't got round to using the garage to store the car yet, he thinks it will be too much hassle to get out of the car, open the garage, into the car, into the garage, out of the car, close the garage... every time he has to go in or out. Besides, there's a huge mountain of empty boxes there at the moment *ahem* :) Another job to do - flatten and shove up in the loft.

Anyway, I'll wrap up this entry for now. Thanks for reading!

6 weeks 5 days (ish) - morning sickness

I think this is the start of my morning sickness. I didn't get any queasiness yesterday, but did get it the day before, and it happened again this morning. I'm reaaaaaaally hoping that this is the extent of my morning sickness. Because I can totally deal with going to the loo, then feeling queasy sitting there, then climbing back into bed for another half hour or so! :)

I felt really clumsy last night too - but I think that's partly because I ate too late. Was feeling a bit lightheaded and faint, so I asked J to go put some food on, which he did , and I ate it all (the sweetcorn was soooo yummy! He'd cooked it just right so it was still sort of crunchy and mmmm... delicious!)

My sense of smell is definitely increasing too. I took a shower yesterday and the shower gel I've used since before I got pregnant smelt REALLY strong...

So Yay! I really feel pregnant! And am getting lots of nice pregnancy symptoms! I still can't really believe I'm on this journey for real...

Feeling pregnant finally!

It's quite bizarre, but since my last entry, I am FINALLY beginning to feel pregnant! My tummy is growing, I'm sure it is. I've not got round to getting Jonathan to take any pics, mainly because I can't find the camera, but also because I'm so fat as it is... I'm kinda embarrassed... Anyway, last night, I was standing up naked before getting into bed, and was feeling my tummy, which felt.... different! Jonathan saw me pressing and squeezing my tummy, he said "Don't squeeze it too hard!!!" I told him that I was feeling it because it felt different, he came over and felt it too, and said "It feels rubbery" Which is an oddly accurate word to describe it! It feels firmer somehow, but because it has a lot of flab there, I guess it ends up as a kind of rubbery texture!

Also, this morning, I got up to use the toilet, I was sitting up for a while ON the toilet, and suddenly felt really queasy! I went and laid back down again, and by the time I got up properly, I felt fine. Is this the starting of my morning sickness?

Last night I cooked some cauliflower and brocolli in cheesey garlicy sauce. It came frozen in a bag from tesco, and I did too little of it. But omg, it was soooooo tasty!! It's a shame it takes about 40-45 minutes to bake in the oven, because I would have made some more and eaten it all! So I'll have to settle with having some more for lunch today :)

We had it with boiled new potatoes, and it was all reaaaally nice! I should try and find a recipe to make that stuff. I looooove garlic! I seriously can't get enough of it... I hope this pregnancy doesn't change that. If I start disliking cheese, bacon, chocolate, and garlic because of all the changes in my body I'll cry I think! But I guess I'll find things I like instead... like marmite, liquorice (shudder), errr... other stuff I can't really think of right now... I'm really not picky about my food. ;) I'll eat marmite if I have to, but liquorice.... NO WAY. I can't even lick it, the taste is just FOUL. It's strange, I know there are people who LOVE the taste, and I just cannot fathom it! To me, eating earwax is preferable. Seriously :P Hmm.. before this entry turns into a "Why I hate liquorice entry" I'd best carry on and change the subject ;)

Yesterday, our furniture arrived from Argos :D (the bedroom furniture - two bedside tables, two chests of drawers, and a biiiiiig wardrobe) I asked if the men could take it upstairs for me, the man who brought in the bulk of it said that they weren't allowed to take up anything over 40 kilos, but in the end they did anyway, hehe :D Rested it all against the bedroom wall. And, I assembled the two bedside tables later on in the day! I felt sooo proud of myself, the drawers work and everything! I'm going to try and assemble a chest of drawers today, since it also recommends one person for assembly. But the wardrobe will have to be done with Jonathan, since it's verrrry tall. We haven't decided if we want the wardrobe in our bedroom or not, we were thinking of getting fitted wardrobes done for our bedroom, along the end wall. So we thought we'd just assemble the wardrobe we have at the moment in the other big bedroom, and go in there to get our clothes until we get the fitted one done. But it was easier to get the delivery men to just put it in one room than take it all to two separate rooms, so hopefully Jonathan will be able to move the 4 (!) big boxes that make up the wardrobe into the spare bedroom, if not I guess we take each panel bit by bit.

We just need soooo much storage! I don't know HOW we managed to fit all our stuff into that tiny one bedroom maisonette. We had more kitchen cupboards, I guess, and a breakfast bar (which ended up as a craft unit for my stuff), and board games, puzzles etc were stuffed under chairs, DVDs were put on makeshift shelves we stuck up a year or so after we moved, and also in DVD unit things by the telly on the floor... it was just.... a mess! Now we have a bigger place, we can get more bookcases for our things, and I just CAN'T wait! Can't wait til we can look around, all boxes unpacked, everything NEAT in cupboards/bookcases, with our new sofas, and everything... Which will hopefully be by the end of May, then we can sort out a proper housewarming party which we never had for the flat! And then we can do all the exciting baby preparations! Making decisions, buying clothes, equipment we need, sorting out a room (although we'll probably have the baby in with us to start, so would probably keep all its clothes, and cot, and nappy changing bits in there.

I am very interested in using cloth. Alice is the one to thank for that! It's benefits cannot be understated I think really. Cheaper, better for the environment, better for the baby, all we need to give up for that is some time and convenience. Although, I have NO idea about where to get cloth nappies from really, or what to put in them, or things like that. Luckily I have plenty of time to do my research, but if you kind ladies could give me any pointers, I'd be grateful :)

This weekend, I think I'm going to have to drag Jonathan out shopping with me. I NEED some new bras. Desperately. The ones I have were already a little small for me before I got pregnant. Now I'm pregnant and my breasts are so tender most of the time, and they're getting bigger (I swear they are!) I need better and bigger bras to support me. I also need some good stretchy maternity trousers. My jeans are already feeling snug! (Had a good inch around the waste band) I have got a size 20 (!) pair of stretchy 3/4 length trousers I can wear into pregnancy, and I also have a nice skirt with a verrry stretchy waistband that'll last me a good few months I reckon (might well be my staple item of clothing during the summer!). But apart from that - nothing! And very few tops I can wear as well. But the tops are less of an issue for now. English readers - any idea of some good UK stores to get some decent and cheapish maternity clothes? The Milton Keynes huuuuge Tesco store might be a good place to start I guess.. ;)