Friday 27 January 2012

Oh dear..

Just look at the state of my garden!


If I'm honest, I did think twice about posting this pic. I know winter takes it's toll on even the best kept garden, but I have completely neglected mine and this photo is nothing short of embarrassing.

Of course regularly letting the chickens out of their coop to tear it up and poop all over it hasn't helped either. Or maybe it has I don't know. Their constant raking has taken up all the moss for me (thanks girls) and chicken poop makes excellent fertiliser.

This year is going to be something of a write off as far as gardening goes though.
I've totally taken after my mum with my love of gardening. I'm not an expert by any long shot and my little projects aren't always successful, (don't even get me started on last year's gherkins)!
But I do love it and the thought of not spending as much time out in the garden this spring does make me feel a bit antsy and a wee bit sad if I'm honest.


I know I have to keep it simple this year. I'll just find something hardy to fill up the veggie patch. Grow a few of the old faithfuls perhaps? Some sunflowers and pumpkins and just focus on getting the lawn back to some level or normality. And then? Perhaps just lots of lounging in the garden as opposed to working in it instead.
Well, as much lounging as Pip is going to allow anyway!

Sunday 22 January 2012

Bump update - 8 months

Today we reached 32 weeks.

My belly is huge and my walk has been replaced with a definite waddle. Also, the stretch marks have appeared although you can't see them in the photo. Only two little ones so far, but no doubt more will follow. Surprisingly, I don't care. I thought I would, but it just seems like such a silly thing to be concerned about now. Besides, I've had stretch marks since I was a teenager so a few more won't make a difference.

On the down side, pelvic pain is a real issue at the moment. It's the reason for the waddle and if I don't keep on top of it, it can bring me to tears some days.
Exhaustion has also returned which is why I've neglected this blog these past two weeks and that coupled with the pelvic pain makes it difficult to get anything done. We had an 'away day' at work recently and by 3.30pm when we wrapped up, I was so tired that while everyone else went to the bar for a drink, I went home and for a kip on the sofa!
Driving is starting to get uncomfortable too. My legs keep bumping into my belly and it pushes everything up into my diaphragm, which makes me breathless and hurty.

We had a slight scare a couple of weeks ago. I won't go into the gory details, but I called the midwife and she told us to come up to the maternity suite to get checked out. After half an hour of being monitored and being examined by the Doctor, we were relieved to find out everything was fine. They couldn't tell me what had caused the bleeding or other symptoms I'd had, but Pip was happy and that was all that mattered.
It was strange being there, surrounded by women who were over due and also being monitored to see if they were suitable for C-sections or inductions and what not. Also as we were all having our babies monitored at the same time, the place sounded like a drum and bass club with all the little heartbeats going at once. I'd be lying if I said me and Dan didn't throw some shapes behind our curtained off section.

On a much brighter note, Pip's continuing to be her awesome little self. She's had a major growth spurt so I now feel pretty much any movement she makes. She gets hiccups regularly and because she's head down, I always feel them near my bum. It's such a weird feeling. She's also taken to sticking out a knee or something right in the middle of my belly which gets quite painful after a while. I have to push it back gently which is just weird. Not as weird as when I felt her foot sticking out for the first time. I felt this poke and instinctively put my hand on my belly to feel a small, narrow little lump. It pushed against my hand momentarily and then disappeared. It was both lovely and a little freaky all at once.

And that's about it. I start maternity leave in 6 weeks which I can't quite get my head around. The thought that someone else will be sat at my desk, doing my job is a little scary. Like I'm being replaced.
That said, I think that as soon as I actually leave and especially when Pip arrives, I won't give two hoots who is doing my job!

It's just mind blowing that our lives are going to change so dramatically in a couple of months. It's scary as heck and I'm not sure I'm ever going to feel prepared for her arrival, but I love her to bits already and fingers crossed, that will be enough.

Sunday 8 January 2012

Two days, one picture


This picture pretty much sums up my entire weekend. It takes me the dumbest amount of time to do the simplest thing these days and giving my sewing table and chair a make over has been no exception.

However its all finished now and I'm one step closer to finishing my sewing corner! Yippee!

Tuesday 3 January 2012

4 Simple Goals - January


-1-
Fix the kitchen wall I destroyed
It wasn't until I went through this blog for my last post that I realised that it's been nearly a year since I originally botched this job up. We've been living with a crappy looking kitchen wall since February last year. Good grief. 

-2-
Make a curtain for our bedroom
We have a curtain pole and have been getting by with a bed cover, thrown over it. It's not ideal. This goal was also on my Winter List, but Dan caved and bought a cheap pair of curtains from Argos. They're AWFUL. The best way I can describe the fabric is tent fabric. It feels and sounds like plastic and I hate, hate, hate them. That's enough of an incentive to get some decent homemade curtains up in there pronto.

-3-
Put up a door curtain in the hallway to keep out the draughts
I actually bought one online ages ago. Unfortunately I totally ballsed up the measurements and it's too short! So I need to come lengthen it before we can put it up - it's all about the curtains this month!

-4-
Make a draft excluder, again to keep out those bloody draughts!
To go with the above door curtain. I hope to have a nice and toasty house after all this.


December's Goals

1. Finish all the sewing assignments in my course. 
Done and I even had the last one marked and returned to me before Christmas. Now I only have two more to go and the final examination before it's all done and dusted. I seriously cannot wait!

2. Finish re-vamping my crafting corner
Damn it I am SO close with this one..but not close enough.  It looks so much better already though and I got loads done last month. Just not enough to be able to count this goal as completed unfortunately. I cannot wait to share the before and after photos with you all. I just need to paint and varnish the sewing table, finish the chair cushion and put up the curtain. Then, I will be done. 
Honest.

3. Start exercising regularly
Done. I pulled out my Davina pregnancy exercise video and got marching, stretching and what not. I'm actually genuinely surprised as I felt that I had done a work out afterwards, but all without even the slightest bit of pressure being put on my stomach or pelvis area. It left me feeling pretty good too, even if Davina's personal trainer kind of annoys me.

4. Make a bigger shelter for the chickens
Done..I guess. Sort of. They still don't have a permanent or in my words "pretty" shelter yet which is why I'm not completely happy claiming that this goal has been achieved, there's still work to be done. However with Dan's help we put together something bigger to tide them over and just in time too as the weather has become a little wet and wild here lately. 
The important thing is that they now have a shelter that they actually use when it's raining. So it's not a complete fail either. I guess. Sort of.

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