Five things for a Tuesday

1. I'm on maternity leave! My last day on Friday was a lot more emotional than I expected. The people at work got me gorgeous gifts and made lovely speeches and were generally awesome. I kind of lost the plot a bit on the way home though because I have defined myself by my job for so long and am now on a one way train to being a mother!

2. Our house is more or less done. Mum and Dad came over on Sunday and we did a whole heap of work finishing off the little things which were freaking me out. The floors are being sanded today, and the laundry will be ready to go in soon too. Mum and I tiled the kitchen splashback on Sunday, so the kitchen just needs doors and it's done!

3. I am being thrown a small, simple baby shower this Saturday by my gorgeous friend Marnie. It is pretty much just family and a few close friends, which is just what I want.

4. Apparently the whole pregnant-lady nesting thing is not a myth. I have lists and lists of projects that I want to do and make in the next few weeks before the baby is born, mostly involving food, crochet and decorating. I am planning to make this quilt and this cat cushion and this rug and this necklace. Ambitious? Yes.

5. Lee and I saw the Avengers movie on Saturday night. Movie adaptions of comics are my secret (well, not actually secret at all) love. I LOVE X-Men and loved the Avengers too. Robert Down Jnr as Ironman is awesome.

Five things for a Tuesday.

 

1. It is my last week of work. This makes for a weird, bittersweet feeling. I'm really looking forward to not having to get up early and dedicating time to nesting and preparing for the baby's arrival. But at the same time, it draws a firm line in the sand between being a mother and, well, not-a-mother. Because I'm resigning rather than taking leave, it means that I have to make my own way through the whole returning-to-work thing once I'm ready. This is one of those 'life' moments where every decision feel like a big one, and you know that in a few months everything will be changed forever. Gulp!

2. I've got this new song by Clare Bowditch featuring Lanie Lane on repeat. I freaking LOVE both of these women and am so happy that they are collaborating. Lanie Lane's album 'To the Horses' is my most-played on iTunes.

Sidenote- A few months ago, the Manfriend came home from a quick meeting with a lady who lived around the corner and was interested in him building her a kitchen. He said something about her being a musician and having a studio at home. I asked if she was anyone I would know, and he said "her name is Clare... her husband's name is Marty" and I lost my mind. He had just been in Clare Bowditch's house and chatted with her for ages. Jealous!

3. Our kitchen is pretty much in! Last night the Manfriend installed the oven, dishwasher (!) stovetop and sink. I cannot describe how freaking good it is to be able to prepare a meal on a benchtop instead of an upside-down plaster bucket, to put dishes in the dishwasher rather than try and wash them in the tiny bathroom sink, and to have SIX burners to choose from on the stove instead of one lousy camping cooker. Small pleasures!

4. I am making lots and lots of lists. I have a list of easy things that I can do on the house (this is more so I feel that I am contributing -  there is so much work to be done but I can't lift anything or bend over or be around fumes or stand up for too long!), which is mostly things like scraping paint off windows, tiling, cleaning the bathroom, spackling and dealing with tradies.

I have a masterlist of baby things that we need, which is categorised into 'before birth', 'a few weeks after' and 'six months after'. We have most of the stuff, but still don't have the major stuff like a pram or any storage for the baby's room.

I have lists of activities I want to do while on maternity leave, things to do for uni, things to do for the house, activities I want to do with the baby...  so. many. lists.

5. My mum and I spent the weekend at Daylesford for her 50th birthday present, which was so, so lovely. It was freezing cold and blustery and grey, but kind of perfect weather for what we were doing. We took our time getting up there and stopped at a cafe/pathwork/crafty shop in Trentham for devonshire tea and a pink spider before checking into our room in Daylesford in a really old, rickety house fitted out with antiques. We spent ages trying to find somewhere nice for dinner, as most places were booked out, but ended up going to a fancy hotel restaurant in Hepburn Springs. On Sunday, we had massages and spa treatments before coming home. Lovely!

Five things for Tuesday.

1. Our house is getting there. The Manfriend stayed up late on Sunday installing the kitchen, which makes it look so much more finished! He made the recycled timber benchtops which look awesome, and will make the island bench too. We have the builder there for the rest of this week and he should get the deck and most of the inside stuff finished completely. Yay! 2. We had the second half of the BirthReady workshop this past weekend, which was really helpful. We watched a video of a birth and I burst into tears watching it. I've never seen anything like that and it was totally overwhelming watching a little new human pop out.

3. I have eaten so much licorice in the past few days. It's all I want to eat. I've even resorted to drinking licorice tea to satisfy the craving.

4. I have seven working days left. SO EXCITED. I am looking forward to having time to relax and sleep in, and set up the baby's room and finish the house without having to feel guilty and tired all the time.

5. We are nearly finished our first CAD project at design school. I think I am finally getting the hang of it. I did the reflected ceiling plan last night and am ready to do elevations now. I hate the feeling of not knowing how to do things so it is nice to finally 'get it'.

Five things for a Thursday

1. I saw these on DesignSponge and now want them so badly. Waffles that look like furniture! Imagine the possibilities!

2. Our house is getting closer and closer. The plasterers are just finishing up this week, then we hopefully have painters coming next week , then carpet, then floorsanders the following week. Yay!

3. I bought a full-length body pillow at Spotlight yesterday on sale. I was a bit dubious of them as they take up so much room, but wow. Seriously best thing ever. I have named mine Ryan, after Ryan Gosling, so I can delude myself into thinking I am sleeping between two hot men every night. Even the Manfriend has started referring to it as Ryan.

4. At uni we are still mastering CAD. I managed to put doors and windows into my house which was a lot more exciting than it should have been. Although once I switched it to 3D view I realised that my windows were sideways and would require two people to open them and the weight would probably pull the wall down. Oops.

5. My feet are swelling. This is one of those pregnant lady things that I thought couldn't be as bad as people make out, but Lord, it is a pain. They get all huge and puffy and red and sore by the end of the day. I am wearing my Jellies all the time, as they are the only things that fit once my feet swell up, but my feet look so hideous that I want to put them in boots all the time. The joys of pregnancy!

Thirty-four weeks.

So I am 34 weeks pregnant tomorrow. It is getting serious now! Six weeks to go, and that is assuming that you don't make an early appearance. I have two weeks left at work, but am working from home for a few days so really only have about seven working days left before maternity leave. I feel like I've been pregnant for ages, but at the same time it has gone super fast. We still need to get a pram and baby capsule, plus a million other things, and set up your room.

You are moving around so much lately. I think space is running out in there so I feel every little movement. Yesterday you had your feet up in my ribs which was pretty uncomfortable, so I put an icepack on my ribs and you quickly did a flip to get away from the cold! Sorry about that.

It was my mum's 50th birthday on Tuesday and I saw lots of family who I haven't seen for a while. You are already so loved and cherished by so many people. Your dad loves talking to you and is getting really excited. He is doing a great job getting the house finished and ready for your arrival. He will be such a good dad.

My three-year-old cousin was there and kept patting and rubbing my tummy. She asked if you were kicking and I said that you were sleeping at the moment, so she told my auntie off for talking too loudly as the baby was sleeping! Lovely.

We had the first half of the birthing workshop last weekend, which was amazing. I was unsure of what to expect, but it turned out to be so worthwhile. We learnt about different pain-relief options, about the different stages of labour and pre-labour, and relaxation techniques that can help. I think the Manfriend got a lot out of it as well. It made me feel a lot more prepared for the birth. Next weekend we cover the actual birth and early parenting skills. I'm a bit hesitant in case we have to actually watch a birth, as that might freak me out too much, but the early parenting stuff should be good.

We have been having more midwife appointments, and everything is tracking fine. I had some bloodtests done a while ago and they showed that I am anaemic and have low red blood cells, so I have been taking iron tablets and trying to eat more meat. It has already been making a big difference to how I feel. I freaked out a bit as I didn't want to you be anaemic too, but the midwife said that you will be taking everything you need and leaving me depleted.

Can't wait to meet you - not long now!

Love mum xx

Reno update

My brother and the Manfriend knocking out the back wall of the house

Hanging plasterboard whilst seven months pregnant. So much for putting my feet up.

This will be the kitchen. The room at the back with the washing machine will be the laundry.

This is our back shed. For realz. We tore it down on the weekend and it is SO GOOD not to have to look at it out the window. God knows what kind of people were living here before us.

This will be the kitchen.

Our house is getting close to being finished-ish! I say finished-ish because what I considered finished has changed considerably. When we first got pregnant I wanted the entire house done, inside and out. After a few months it was clear that wasn't happening, so just having the inside of the house finished was enough, as I could live with a shitty yard for a while. Now, I am happy to have a functioning kitchen, bathroom and baby room.

Living in a dusty, building site with no kitchen or laundry and a half-functioning bathroom whilst seven months pregnant is getting a bit old.

Despite being set on doing all the work ourselves, we have had to suck it up and get a few tradies in to help. For the past two weeks, Josh the builder and his apprentice James have been there, and good Lord, do I ever love Josh. He is 23, gorgeous and a super-fast worker. I love coming home everyday and seeing the house looking more and more completed. Architraves on! Flooring laid! Plasterboard hung!

We have plasterers coming this week and the painter coming next week, then all we have to do is install the kitchen and laundry, sand the floor and carpet the bedrooms. Woo!

Five things for a Tuesday

1.  I have only fourteen working days left until I'm on maternity leave. I am SO looking forward to not having to commute to the city everyday and deal with people telling me how huge I am. And I realised last night that I have heaps of things to get before the baby arrives, like get a crib, a pram and a baby capsule. Let alone a kitchen and functioning bathroom... 2. I've been having green smoothies for first breakfast (followed by weetbix and chia for second breakfast once I get to work), after being inspired by my best friend's raw food obsession. It takes a bit of guesswork to get the right combo of ingredients so it isn't too yuk. This morning, I used a bunch of spinach, a celery stick, a carrot, an apple, a squirt of lemon juice, a handful of blueberries and a blob of honey. It was fairly gross.

The other day I did one that was two apples, a bunch of spinach, lemon and ginger, which was more palatable. Less is more!

So far, we have used the blender every single day since it arrived. I have a green smoothie in the morning, then we usually have some sort of milk, yogurt, banana and milo concoction at night too. It is so insanely powerful. I want to get chocolate topping, ice cream and Mars Bars and make dessert smoothies too.

3.  My mum and dad are back from New Zealand. They did pretty much exactly the same trip that we did, but without the dodgy campervan and self-catering. I missed talking to my mum more than I though I would, as she is totally my sounding board for random pregnancy freak-outs and questions.

The midwife told me last week that  I am anaemic (which is not surprising as the Manfriend is vego so I don't really eat much meat either), so my mum made me a gigantic lasagne and a lamb and rosemary potato pie. Gotta love a mum's cooking!

4.  As an extra birthday present, the Manfriend got me an embroiderable (that is a word) iPhone cover. For someone addicted to their phone and to crafty good times, it is freaking awesome. I lost my mind a bit when I unwrapped it. The cover is red rubbery plastic with a grid for cross-stitching. I have begun a chevron pattern but it is taking AGES as the holes are really tight. It still looks cute being half-done though!

5. Five people in the last two days have told me that I am huge, really big or enormous. No woman ever enjoys being told they are huge in any context. Yes, the baby is large and I am obviously very pregnant, but seriously!

Other things people have said in the last few months:

-  You haven't put on much weight in your face though! (Umm, neither have you?)

- You look so big! But it's all good fat. (It's not actually fat. It's a human being.)

- Why would you not find out the sex? You'll bond so much more with the baby if you know the sex! (ARE YOU FOR REAL?)

- You look exhausted. (This was when I had a burst of energy and was feeling pretty good about myself. Way to burst my happy bubble.)

- Don't you realise that horizontal stripes make you look wider? (I am not fat. I am growing a human being. And since when is commenting on someone's weight EVER appropriate?)

27 before 27

So for the past few years I've made a list of things I'd like to do before my next birthday. I turned 26 last week and just had a look at the list I made last year. I never intended to complete everything on the list, but have made a fair crack at it. A few of the things I couldn't do as I was preggers, but I'm pretty happy with my efforts. Here is this year's list. It will likely be a bit different as I'll have a newborn baby and so will have limited time to myself, but having a list of happy things is a nice reminder to do fun things before life gets in the way.

1. Do a baby/belly before and after shot

2. Finish the inside of the house completely

3. Make almond butter

4. Finish all my crafty things before starting something else

5. Set up the kitchen properly

6. Take lots of photos of the baby

7. Break my iPhone addiction - HA!

8. Get my own design clients

9.  Join a mother's group

10. Quit sugar (gulp!) - again, HA!

11. Spend lots of time outdoors

12. Relax more

13. Drink green smoothies regularly

14. Start a regular date night routine with my Manfriend

15. Make Turkish Delight

16. Sort out our super

17. Have a very special first Christmas for the baby

18. Keep writing here

19. Make icecream in my blender

20. Make cinnamon rolls

21. Read A Tale of Two Cities

22. Graduate as a qualified interior designer

23. Get an awesome folio together

24. Hang out with Sam more

25. Breastfeed

26. Make a quilt kinda like this one without mum's help

27. Crochet some fingerless gloves

Five Things for... Wednesday.

1. I am kind of bored with being pregnant. Frankly, I am sick of the constant back pain, having nothing remotely attractive to wear, weeping at inane things, constant hunger and broken sleep. Needing help to get out of bed in the morning and having to drive 200m to the tram due to my freaking SPD  doesn't do a lot for a girl's self-esteem.

2. While I'm on the topic of pelvic pain (oh joy), this amazing story gave me some perspective. I am in awe. 

3. It was my birthday yesterday! I actually forgot until just now. It was pretty low key. I had a rough night the night before, only getting a few hours sleep, so was freaking out a bit in the morning. I was upset that I was upset on my birthday, which only made me more upset. Anyway, the Manfriend put me back to bed and I got a few more hours sleep, then woke up feeling loads better. We had a lovely brekky at Lowlands, then did some pottering around the house. I had uni last night, but wagged the last hour and went to Sam's place, where she surprised me with a raw raspberry cheesecake and candles. Lovely.

4. Also, my super-lovely friend Marnie wants to throw me a retro tea party baby shower. I love the idea! I was REALLY hesitant about having a baby shower, as I thought the idea of women sitting around playing 'pin the nappy on the baby' or whatever (I've never actually been to a baby shower) would be awkward and forced. But a low-key, simple day with my favourite ladies sounds wonderful.

5. The Manfriend and I are seeing Justin Townes Earl tonight at the Regal Ballroom in Northcote, which is where we met five years ago. I only listened to his new album today and LOVE it, so I'm really looknig forward to it. I bought the tickets ages ago, and deliberated over whether to pay more and get seats or general admission, and am so glad that I got seats. Good thinking, self from three months ago!

What I've been...

Doing... trying to rest as much as possible. Lots of couch time and prioritising sleep, which is rare for me as I usually sleep as little as possible! Eating... lots of chocolate. I ate a packet of Haigh's chocolate-covered licorice sticks yesterday and a ton of tiny caramel Easter eggs today. Yummo.

Reading... At Home by Bill Bryson. And pretty much the whole back catalogue of Louise Bell from  Table Tonic's blog. Love her style.

Watching... my house finally come together. It might actually be finished by the time the baby comes!

Thinking... about being forced to surrender to my body whilst pregnant. I might write about this soon.

Enjoying... surprisingly, I am really loving having a limited wardrobe. I can't fit into most of my clothes so pretty much wear a basic uniform of leggings or tights, a dress and boots/Jellies every single day. Makes it very easy to get dressed in the morning.

Planning... new projects and clients and products and designs with the Manfriend. 

Making... this crochet bunny for the bub. I'm making it out of chenille wool, which is really soft and fluffy but a pain to crochet with! It should be cute though when it's finished.

On balance and surrender.

Okay kids, we are about to get deep.

One of the biggest mind-shifts I've had to make during pregnancy is to trust and surrender to my body and self. In the past, I have tended to fight and battle with what my body wants. I would stay up later than I should and self-medicate with sugar. Sleep, proper meals, exercise and rest were definitely not priorities.

Giving in and accepting that I need to sleep more, eat properly and take care of myself has been a big, difficult change. I often feel useless and wussy, instead of proud that I am growing a freaking human being. On the weekends when we are renovating, I normally am getting up ladders, sanding walls and plastering and digging and bricklaying. Now, I can't get up a ladder, can't stand up for too long as my back aches, can't carry anything and can't move fast. It is an odd feeling, especially coming from a family of over-achievers with ridiculously strong work ethics.

All in all, this is probably a healthy thing, as it forces me to take it slowly and nurture myself rather than constantly push. I am slowly coming around to the realisation that having an afternoon nap or spending the evening on the couch instead of painting architraves isn't lazy, and is in fact necessary for my health and the health of the baby.

Pregnancy has given me nothing if not perspective and an understanding of the importance of prioritising my health. What I want to do is carry this 'surrender' feeling into motherhood, and resist the urge to try and become a supermum with a spotless, gorgeous house and well-fed, sleeping baby, perfect relationship and perfect hair, who runs a business and does it all without breaking a sweat.  This will be a challenge in itself as I tend to be a compulsive over-achiever with no concept of balance. Shifting my priorities, slowing down, nurturing and resting will be number one in the next few months.

Five things for a Tuesday.

Source: etsy.com via Emma on Pinterest

 

 

1. I bought a blender. My best friend has been really into eating more raw food for the past month or so, and I have totally been inspired by her. I used to be really into green smoothies and loved how easy they were to make and how good they made me feel. I don't have a lot of time lately to cook proper meals and am probably not getting all my nutrients, considering I am 30 weeks preggers, as all my spare minutes are taken up with finishing the house, uni or sleeping.

So I probably should have just got a $50 blender from KMart, but instead I 'invested' in a commercial Omniblend blender like they use at Boost Juice. It is very similar to a Vitamix, but way cheaper. It arrives tomorrow and I am super-excited about getting stuck into it!

2. The Manfriend and my brother pulled down the back wall of the house on Sunday, opening up where the kitchen will eventually go. Lucky we have had nice weather as it would be freaking horrid in winter.  We have a builder guy there everyday until it is done. His name is Josh and he is gorgeous. He sees me in my hideous nighty that is probably too short for a pregnant lady every morning and still manages to be polite and chipper. Bless.

3. It is the Manfriend and I's five year anniversary  on Saturday of when we met. It feels like yesterday that we met at a burlesque ball in Northcote and then spent the whole weekend sleeping in my car at a music festival. I am so grateful that our paths collided. It is such a cliche, but he is my best friend and there is no one else I would rather have a family with (slight mouth vomit).

4. My Jelly Bean shoes arrived today! I love getting things delivered to my office- the guys I work immediately with roll their eyes but the girls get excited. They seem really comfy, but smell a bit weird and rubbery and are a tad sweaty. I think they'll be awesome with tights though in winter. Really want to get the red ones now too.

5. The end of daylight savings is kicking my ass. The extra hour in the morning is nice, but having to stay up for what feels like an extra hour at night is not cool. I had uni last night and tonight, which means I don't get home until what feels like 11pm, and with the lovely Josh arriving at 6.45am, sleep is a bit hard to come by. Add in massively painful pelvic separation issues (gross), a super-active baby and a fair bit of general insomnia/anxiety, and I am one cranky-pants lady.

Five Things for... Wednesday.

1. I just bought a pair of these Jelly sandals online! So excited! I never had a pair when I was little and was always envious of my kinder friends who wore them with pleated skirts in summer and thick tights with frilly socks in winter. Hot.

I tossed up between the blue and the black pair, but ended up going with the black for now. They are only $29.99 though so I may just go back and get all the colours.

The Manfriend after emerging from under the living room floor.

2. Our kitchen has arrived.....sort of. All the materials have arrived at the Manfriend's workshop ready to be turned into a kitchen. Things are finally moving along on the renovations. This makes me so, so, so happy. A crazy pregnant lady stumbling around a half-finished house is no fun for anyone.

3. I have a ridiculous amount of uni work to do in a very short amount of time. We are covering hand drawing and rendering, which is so not my strong point. I spend all day working digitally and have no idea how to draw by hand. It is actually pretty fun getting dirty with pencils and pens (Year 8 art class style) but there is currently a gaping chasm between what I want to convey on the page and what actually appears on the page.

4. I am accidentally crocheting this cover for my laptop. I began it as a crib blanket, but then stuffed up the length and realised it would be waaaay too small so turned it into a laptop cosy. I am doing the zigzag/ripple/chevron stitch that I attempted (and failed at) a while ago after being inspired by Pip's ripple blanket.  The stitch I am using is the Striped Chevron  from the Lion Brand Stitchfinder, which is pretty much the most awesome crochet stitch resource EVER.

5. Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Where have you been all my life?

xx

Proust.

Proust. What a mo.

When my mum was pregnant with me, she kept a journal about the difficulties of being a new mum, her relationship with my dad and her life. I always do the Proust Questionaire in the back of Vanity Fair (in my head), and have recorded it here as a snapshot of my life before the baby comes and  everything changes.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Knowing that all the people I love are content and happy. Doing something creative, challenging and relaxing. Not worrying. Having lots of things ticked off my to-do list.

What is your greatest fear?

Letting people down.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Caring too much what other people think, and looking for validation from external sources instead of doing what makes me happy.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Apathy and stupidity. And walking slowly.

Which living person do you most admire?

My dad.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I'm not very extravagant at all. Probably food and eating out. I eat out about four times a week, plus buy most lunches.

What is your current state of mind?

Jittery. Excited, nervous, full to the brim with ideas and love.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Independence.

On what occasion do you lie?

Purchasing shoes and hiding them in the back of the cupboard. What a cliche!

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Being pregnant has given me a new attitude towards my looks. My body has been taken over by another creature, and will bear the scars and marks of the inhabitation forever. If I had to change something though, I'd like longer legs. I have a long torso and stumpy legs and another inch or two would balance them out.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Strength of character and conviction.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

See above.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

'Oh my god', 'Jesus Christ' and 'freaking'.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Lee.

When and where were you happiest?

Probably now. Everything is changing. I feel like I'm at a big bend in the road of my life and shit's about to get real.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Tha ability to sing like Beyonce.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Relax more. Be more compassionate. Slow down.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

That Lee and I's relationship has survived being apart for eight months, travelling together for five months, living through two major and messy renovations, him starting his own business and now pregnancy.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Myself, but in 1960s New York.

Where would you most like to live?

In my old house in Northcote. It was our first house and an awesome location and house. We peaked waaaay too early with that house!

What is your most treasured possession?

My health.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Being along and depressed in the middle of the night.

What is your favorite occupation?

Crocheting in front of a good movie with Lee, whilst eating warm cookies and cold Milo.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Practicality and contradiction.

What do you most value in your friends?

Listening without judgement. Making an effort.

Who are your favorite current writers?

Tim Winton, Sloane Crossley, Bill Bryson, David Sedaris, Shakespeare, Jonathan Franzen.

Who is your hero of fiction?

Hermoine Granger.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Hmm. Pass this one.

Who are your heroes in real life?

Clare Bowditch. Marieke Hardy. Anyone doing their thing and not giving a fuck.

What are your favorite names?

Eden. Reverie. Harper. Asher. Xavier.

What is it that you most dislike?

The sound of a ringing phone.

What is your greatest regret?

Being a bitch to people in high school.

How would you like to die?

Quickly.

What is your motto?

Above all, fear nothing.

Some more pins of late.

Love this neutral nursery. Baby rooms should be calm, tranquil and light!
I want one of these SO BADLY.

Source: google.com via Emma on Pinterest

Love this galley kitchen . I have a thing for heavy, timber-frames doors as well.
I might get Mum to make me something like this, but in shades of green. Gorgeous.

Five Things for Tuesday.

Dave was unimpressed by the baby wriggling around.

1. Planning our new kitchen! It will have so.much.storage and a big island bench and recycled timber benchetops. The Manfriend will make the whole things custom, so all the drawers and cupboards are weird widths to maximise storage space in our tiny house.

2. Nearly every weekend between now and when the baby comes is booked with classes, weekends away, birthday parties and catch-ups. It is exciting but I have to consciously carve out time to myself. I am already in the third trimester and feel like this pregnancy has already gone waaaaay too fast. I need to keep reminding myself of how special it is.

3. I have found loads of new blogs by fabulous mums who remind me that my life is not going to be over once the baby comes. I LOVE seeing familes doing awesome things together and having fun times. A lot of the rhetoric and writing around new mums is negative and frankly, terrifying, so it is lovely stumbling upon positive descriptions of motherhood.

4. I'm getting all my hair cut off tomorrow! I haven't been to the hairdresser for ages, not since I went to a hairdressing school to try to save money and they did a crap job. I want something more interesting than my current hair (brown, straight, hanging) but still easy to handle when I have a baby and won't be able to maintain it. I'm thinking of long layers with an asymmetrical bit on one side, all very dark brown with some red parts throughout. Yay!

5. We are learning CAD at school, which is overwhelming and daunting. I like to know things, and I don't like the feeling of not knowing how to do something. It is frustrating to be back at the beginning again!

Twenty-eight weeks.

I will be twenty-eight weeks pregnant in two days. Only twelve weeks to go! This is the business end of the pregnancy. You are well and truly making yourself known. The other day at about 3am I actually googled 'baby moving too much' as I was sure that no baby should be kicking this constantly. You rarely stop moving. It has gotten to the point when I can see my stomach moving and can't rest things on my belly anymore as it is like tectonic plates moving.

It is a very special feeling though, like a secret between you and me. When I get anxious about you being healthy and safe, I am reassured by your kicking.

I am feeling pretty much fine otherwise though. A bit sore in my hips and sides, and I have become the kind of person who grunt and puffs when standing up, but otherwise, I tend to forget that I am pregnant until you kick me in the bladder or I try to bend over and realise that I have no waist.

We have started getting organised with all the baby stuff we might need. I have a big list and we are working our way through it. We have been so lucky to get so much stuff for free. Everything from baby baths, portacots, baby carriers and even cloth nappies has been donated to us second hand. Makes it very easy!

Your dad and I spend a fair bit of time talking about the kind of parents we will be. I have an image of myself as a mum, but I know that the reality will be quite different. I keep envisaging lots of books and cooking and running outside and exploring.

Your cousin was born yesterday- Zane Alec Gratton, to your uncle Alec and his girlfriend Nichole. They live in QLD but hopefully we will get a chance to meet him soon, although it might be a bit tricky for a while. So exciting! The photos are gorgeous. What a cutie.

Love,

Mum

Five Things for Tuesday.

1. Getting really stuck into the house. We got heaps done this weekend, which has somewhat eased my frazzlement and panic about bringing my newborn baby home to a construction site. Dad and the Manfriend knocked out a wall between the living room and kitchen, which makes it seem much bigger. They also started pulling up floorboards and put in the new window in the front room. Next, we need to replace the floor in the living room, finish the hallway and bedrooms, and start pulling out the kitchen.

2. I have a bladder infection. It is not pleasant. Let's just leave it at that.

3. All the plaster dust and rubble at home is making me crave clean, white space. I am in love with this house, via the style files.

4. Aldi. I freaking love that place. It is so insanely cheap but GOOD. They have a policy of using Australian grown and owned goods where possible, and have no artificial colours or flavours in any of their products. And you can buy bread, detergent, weird European cookies, a lawnmower, a lamp and potting mix all at once. I bought a baby monitor there yesterday and had to restrain myself from buying all the other baby stuff.

5. I am constantly amazed at the way that stock photos categorise their images. I've been trying to find a picture of a group of women, all different sizes, looking healthy. Nothing like this exists. If I search 'healthy body' in iStock, I get super-skinny models holding measuring tapes and apples. Search for 'workout' and you'll find a bigger woman eating cake whilst on a treadmill. So, so bizarre. That god I'm not the only one who finds it weird.

http://thehairpin.com/2011/01/women-laughing-alone-with-salad

Five Things for Tuesday.

1. The Rad Rebel Riders BikeFest Bake Off is this weekend! BikeFest is an awesome Melbourne event promoting bikes in everyday life, and they are holding a Village Picnic on Saturday, complete with a bake off. I'm still not sure what I'm going to enter - either something really decadent and chocolatey or something a bit light and fruity.

2. Being able to see the baby move in my tummy is weird, slightly gross, super special and magical all at the same time. I can feel where its head and legs are depending on how it kicks. Last night, the Manfriend and I were laying in bed watching The Help (which was better than I expected) and my belly was moving like  an alien was trying to escape from via my bellybutton.

3. Passionfruit! A friend gave me a big bag of them from her vine and they smell SO GOOD. The Manfriend doesn't like them so I have them all to myself.

4. Getting stuck into the renos this weekend. Mum and Dad are coming over to help us rip up the living room floor and sand the study. I'm excited to finally get things moving quicker, but am not looking forward to the massive mess again. Oh joy.

5. I had my first day back at school last night. It was nice to get back into things, but I discovered that my laptop needs to be upgraded in order to support the version of CAD we are using. Grrr. But otherwise CAD looks like fun (I might regret saying that in a few weeks though!).