pregnancy success strategies

  

Through nearly 18 months of pregnancy, I'm glad to tell you that I haven't yet eaten coal(!). Different women crave, or want, or need, different things and those probably change from pregnancy to pregnancy. During both pregnancies, I very quickly came to the conclusion that fish is abhorrent - not even to be discussed around me, let alone permitted anywhere near my person. Add to that, this time round, eggs. Nope, I'm still pregnant. Can't think about them. 

But what did I crave or need or find helpful? Well, I couldn't have got through Pregnancy #1 without milk. And, when I say milk, I probably mean Milk. Or maybe even MILK. I would say that it was a need. That's how it felt and I drank a lot of milk - as in, pints a day. What has been helpful so far with Pregnancy #2? Deep Heat. It started out as helpful and has become essential. But I don't consume pints of it daily. 

enjoying our garden

A couple of months ago we moved from our second floor, two bedroom flat to a three-bedroom house with garden. Boy, are we enjoying our garden! Plants and veg patch have been sown, the patio has been chalked, balls have been thrown and bubbles blown. These photos are playing in the garden with my fabulous nephew and the sunflowers I re-potted with my gorgeous son.

when A came to play

My niece is a four-year old whirl of words and wonder. She invited herself over to play, arrived with daisies in hand for me and, within five minutes, announced her desire to draw. Then we went to buy eggs and chocolate chips, so that we could bake. More drawing, this time chalking with J on the patio. Then we carefully counted how many cookies she would need for her family (seven, as the baby won't need one). Time to load her booster seat and scooter into the car and home!

expectation

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then surely this photo renders my words entirely redundant?! There's a baby on the way and, as you can see, in the not too distant future - 7 weeks to due date! 

As it hasn't been too easy to paint my toenails for the last few months, I decided that I would simply forego the nail varnish. That did feel a little weird; my toenails have been constantly painted for about 20 years and I don't recognise my feet with naked nails! But bumps must be accommodated...  Or so I thought until, at Sing and Sign, I removed the flip flops and caught sight of my feet. Nope! The nails were painted that evening :-)