New church clothes...

Dylan wore one of his new outfits to church today--he looked so handsome!



Dylan had a great time on his walk with Daddy, Grandad, and Smudge (Nanna and Grandad's springer spaniel)

My growing boy...

Martin took Dylan to the park last week, and they had a great time! Dylan loves going down the slide head first--he's fearless!



"Kick" is one of Dylan's favorite words, and one of his favorite things to do!



Dylan and Esaias enjoy some telly together.



Nathan Munday, cheeky monkey

Belly pics, 39 weeks...

My first "bad" stretch marks. Boohoo!!!

No baby yet...

No sign of the little tyke, but I'm not too surprised. After all, D day isn't until Wednesday. But I AM totally ready to have the baby now, as Martin and I did my belly cast last night. I'm sitting and looking at it now, and MAN is it impressive. It really is amazing how a woman's body can stretch to accommodate a growing fetus. Amazing and scary. I have to trim the edges of the cast, and then I'm going to compare Newbie and Dylan's casts. I think I may be slightly bigger now than I was with Dylan. It just didn't catch me up until the last two weeks.

I also have my 39 week belly pics to post, but I'm waiting for two reasons. The first is that we are going to Caitlin and Esaias's birthday party tonight and I wanted to post pictures from that. The second is that I have actually gotten some stretch marks this time, and I'm not too keen to show those off. I thought I'd be ok since I only got some tiny white ones last time and those didn't appear until AFTER my due date. These ones still aren't that bad, but they're certainly not pretty. Oh well--I know that they'll eventually fade and be less noticeable. And they're worth it to have a beautiful new baby.

Dylan had a cranky day yesterday--I think he's getting some more teeth. Once his back bottom teeth are in, we should be set until he starts losing them for permanent teeth. I'm looking forward to that. It's so hard when he is in a bad mood, simply because it is so rare. I am used to having a happy, sunny little man and struggle when he whines all day (though I still love him to bits).

At any rate, we've had a good day today. We drove in to Scunthorpe first thing this morning for the Primary activity. I intended to go in early and do some shopping, but alas, it wasn't to be. I'm next to useless at the activities what with chasing Dylan all over the place in my heavily pregnant state, but i go anyway as a show of moral support to the presidency. Dylan ran around like a mad man and had his lunch and loads of fruit while we were there. He fell asleep on the drive home, but obligingly stayed asleep when we got home. This meant that I also got a nap. It's only half an hour until the birthday party, and that should be good fun as well. It's a disco, and Dylan loves to dance. Christine was going to come over for a visit, but we've not been home enough for her to come over. We're at her house for dinner tomorrow anyway, so she'll get her fill of Dylan then.

I actually need to bake some brownies for the party, so I must dash. But I promise the pictures are coming soon. I'll overcome my shame about the stretch marks and suck it up and get it done. And I will keep everyone posted on the upcoming birth. Hopefully I will go into labor this weekend. Maybe getting my groove on at the disco will do the trick?

Family is everything...

We had a lovely visit with Martin's grandparents tonight! They came up for dinner, and I made Toad in the Hole--which turned out perfectly. I usually try to do a dessert if they are coming over, but I just wasn't up to it tonight. I'm sure they understand.

I really do adore Martin's family--all of them. They have been so good to me and have been so welcoming, loving, and understanding of the fact that they're all I've got over here. I do get frustrated with them sometimes, but it's mostly because I miss my family so much.

I'm feeling all mushy about my family tonight. Last night was a painful one, but Dylan was amazingly good all day and Martin has been great (as usual). I've loved spending time with my baby today, and I'm looking forward to the evening with my husband. I'm really looking forward to meeting my new little one. I am excited to have a tiny baby again (and even more excited to not be pregnant any more).

How does one girl get so lucky? I have the greatest little family in the whole world

Another busy week...

We seem to be filling our time quite well here in the Gilbert household. Monday was just another day, but we did go in to Hull and buy some new church clothes for Dylan--he really didn't have anything to wear on a Sunday. And yesterday it was our Relief Society dinner, plus a Primary meeting for me in the morning (it lasted a little over 2 hours-OUCH!). Tonight Martin has an Elders' Quorum meeting, which is being held at our house. Lewis is in the presidency, so he and Emma and the kids are coming over for dinner and just staying here. We'll eat dinner and get the kids to bed, then Emma and I will sit and do girlie stuff while the men have their meeting. Thursday involves a visit from the Gilbert grandparents, at which Grandad Gilbert will measure up the closet in the kids' room so he can make the doors. On Friday we are thinking of seeing what Jen and Howard are doing (want to squeeze in all the socializing we can before the baby is born) and maybe having them over to play games. Saturday, well, we don't have anything going on then. It would be a good day to have a baby!

Wow, just typing out our week has made me really tired. But, no rest for the wicked. I am going to go clean the bathrooms now. I hate having people around when the house is dirty, even though I know they will just mess the house up again. I can at least make sure it starts out clean, you know? Plus, if I deep clean now it will just be a quick tidy afterwards. I am making fajitas, so I also need to chop veggies and do all my prep so the beef can be marinating in chili and lime juice.

I really want to go back to bed!

Things are definitely looking up...

It's absolutely amazing what a good night's sleep will do for a girl. After spending one of the longest weeks of my life in a near-zombie state, I now feel prepared to go at least another 9 days until I have the baby!

Saturday was rough. After getting about 1 hour of sleep Friday night, Dylan wouldn't take a nap. So I got zero sleep during the day, which was bad!!! Then, while I was making dinner for my boys Dylan slipped on the skirting board for his nursery and banged his chin on the edge of the piano. He cut it pretty badly and spent the next 45 minutes or so sobbing and bleeding all over both of us. When he hadn't stopped bleeding 3 hours later, we decided we should take him to the emergency room. So we got him into his pajamas, packed his sippy cup full of milk, grabbed a few bed time books, and drove in to Scunny. 2 hours later, we came home. He didn't have to have stitches, thank goodness. They just cleaned him up and glued the cut. He has a big bruise all around the cut, as well. Poor kid looks like he's been in a fight as he already had a scratch on his eyelid where he whacked the coffee table on Friday night. But he's a trooper and is just fine now.

Martin was awesome yesterday. He prepared all three meals for us, and let me get a 2 hour nap. I needed it desperately, and felt much better for it. Then we went over to the in-laws' house and watched "Lost." They've been recording it for us since we don't have Sky any more and that's the channel it's being shown on. They had Dylan overnight so Martin and I could sleep in this morning, which we very gratefully did. And I got around 8 hours of sleep! That is why it is nap time and even though Dylan and I are both awake we are doing just fine. I'm tired, but not exhausted.

This morning was good, as well. I had an early midwife appointment (totally routine and boring, but I'll be seeing them again in just 10 days' time) and did my grocery shopping without Dylan. Martin got up after I left for my appointment and fixed some of the skirting board in the kids' room. Just one more length to go, and then we need to fill the nail holes and the gaps between the wall and board. Then it's a quick paint touch up (and a minor plaster repair job) and we're done. Just closet doors to go, and Martin's grandad is making those.

In midwife news, when they measured me this morning we discovered that I am officially off the charts. They contacted the hospital to see if the consultant wanted to see me again since this is obviously such a big baby. But I haven't heard back from them, and no news is good news. Right? There's nothing they can do about it though, even if they DO see me again, so I just have to be patient.

And that's the update. Nothing too exciting, but we're all doing well and are happy and healthy and staying busy.

Torture...

Martin and I were discussing a book about Dick Cheney that he read a few weeks ago, and we got on the topic of the prison at Guantanemo (sp?) Bay. We were discussing the Geneva Convention rules on what does or does not count as "torture" (yes, we do discuss things like this sometimes--it's not always about baby poo) and we had a serious disagreement.

In order for interrogation techniques to be classed as torture, you have to make people think that their life is in jeopardy. If they don't believe they are going to die, it's not torture. By this definition, sleep deprivation is an acceptable method of interrogation. I disagree wholeheartedly.

If you are seriously sleep deprived, you don't necessarily believe you are going to die. But you kind of wish you would!

Sorry about the negativity. It follows closely on the heels of a very long night that didn't involve much sleep. And my dreams were very strange, melding into daydreaming musings on a film we just saw. So it pretty much feels like I got no sleep last night. It's a good thing I'm not a POW, because it would only take about 24 hours of sleep deprivation (not even "proper" torture) and I would spill my guts about everyone and everything!

Things are going well though, all things considered. I now have 11 days until my due date, and the pain in my pelvis hasn't been as bad the last few days. The baby had a quiet morning yesterday and I was a little bit concerned, but then had a very active night which included hiccups right when I was trying to get to sleep. It's been moving a lot again this morning. I am seeing the midwives on Monday and will be seen by the OB/GYN at the hospital in 2 weeks' time if I haven't had the baby by then. Still healthy--just exhausted.

I'm starting to get a little bit nervous about trying for a VBAC as this baby gets bigger and bigger. I keep thinking about how big Dylan was when he was born--I was seriously amazed that he actually fit inside me. How am I going to push a baby that big out? Scary! But I'm still going to try, of course.

Speaking of Dylan, he is GREAT! He had his first ever home made curry last night, and loved it. I made kheema aloo--a gorgeous dish with minced pork and potatoes cooked with cinnamon, cloves, garam masala, onions, cardamom pods, and tomatoes. It's not very spicy, but is very well seasoned and aromatic. Let me know if you want the recipe, because it's easy and delicious. Anyway, Dylan is back to eating pretty much anything you put in front of him again. That's such a relief, as I really don't want a picky eater. Christine came over and had dinner with us and then stayed with Dylan while we went to a movie. He loves his Nanna, and even calls her nanna now when he sees her. He also calls Laurence grandad and adores him as well. But don't be jealous, mom and dad. He also knows you from the pictures we look at all the time. He just can't say grandma or grandpa. We're working on it.

He is a little chatterbox--seriously! He copies almost everything we say, and it's seriously adorable. As I was watching him in the bath the other night, it also occured to me how coordinated he is now. When he reaches out for something, he always gets what he wants. His hand/eye coordination is remarkable for a child his age, and I'm not just saying that because he's mine. He's getting better every day at eating with his spoon and fork instead of his fingers. And we have started offering him choices of drinks and fruit since he can tell us if he wants water, juice, or milk and if he wants grapes or bananas. Apparently, giving your toddler choices is a good thing? Anyway, he likes it.

Martin is doing well also. Baseball season will be starting soon--next month, in fact. I think he's really looking forward to that. He is still only working part time, but has been getting a lot done on the house and has really stepped up the Kleeneze stuff. We are managing quite well at the minute, and should be good until the shutdown work starts. He's also applying for a few other positions here in town--part time stuff that he can fit around the Place. I let him sleep in this morning since I was wide awake anyway, and I think he really appreciated that.

Anyway, it's going to be a long day today. I think we'll see if Emma and the boys want to join us at the park this afternoon if the weather stays nice. I can hardly wait until nap time. Only 2 1/2 hours to go. Wish me luck!

Jen's birthday...

The birthday girl



Jen and Howard--so good together...



A few of the guests--Friends Rob and Marie from Peterborough



My dashing Martin--always a good sport!

Dylan's "new" bedroom...

Martin is in the process of doing the skirting board and unfortunately the dryer will have to stay until we do a little kitchen remodel, but the bedroom is looking brilliant, isn't it?

Belly pics...

Crikey, my belly is getting absolutely HUGE! Is it any wonder I'm in pain? Just think how big this baby must be. A repeat c-section is looking better and better!!!

Baby drama...

Dylan has weird little spots on his chest and back. I wasn't overly concerned about them, but Martin was concerned. He had me take Dylan to see our GP today, and we were referred to the hospital. Dr. Wellings said they just needed to do a few blood tests to rule out meningitis or a platelet problem, but we were there for 5 hours. Count them--FIVE!

We weren't even seen until we'd been there for 2 hours. Not fun when you are 9+ months pregnant and uncomfortable/exhausted at the best of times. But Martin is insisting that I remind everyone--it was completely free. Other than the high cost of petrol to drive us to the hospital and the fact that you have to pay to park in their parking lot. Once again, Martin is interjecting, it beats a $6000 bill.

To make a long story short, once again we have been told that there is nothing wrong with Dylan. At least not with the spots. They think it is most likely a viral infection of some kind that makes his small blood vessels weak and they burst easily. However, one of the doctors thinks she heard a slight murmur when she was listening to his heart. She thinks it's benign but has referred us to a specialist clinic just in case. She is also sending a recommendation to our GP that he refer us to a dermatologist for the skin problem.

So our afternoon and evening didn't go exactly as planned. But Dylan had a great time at thehospital because they had a fully loaded play room with lots of trucks, crayons, and a play kitchen. We were there for so long that we had to make an emergency run to Tesco to buy extra diapers, milk and pajamas. But he was good as gold, even when they drew blood. He even went to sleep in a regular bed instead of a crib.

We have an awesome son!

Still waiting...

Still waiting to pop this kid out, and with ever dwindling patience. I know I'm not due for another 15 days, but it seriously feels as though I've been pregnant forever. 40 weeks is a long time. I really just want my boobs to stick out more than my belly (which should happen really soon after I give birth since I'll be breastfeeding again).

Martin and I tidied up under the stairs last night, and he also re-folded all the tops in my drawers (what a super star). I just kept looking at all the clothes I haven't been able to wear for months and thinking how nice it will be to get back into my regular stuff. Really, just how nice it will be to have my body back to myself. Pregnancy is hard work. Breastfeeding is hard work. Motherhood is hard work.

Things are going well though. Martin may be able to pick up a few more hours work every week starting late this month or early next, which will be nice. The house is looking good and, thanks to Saturday morning, is actually quite clean at the minute. Martin and I are happy in our relationship and Dylan is a super star. He's got more teeth coming in, but the only way it's affecting him is that he is waking up earlier and is a bit cranky in the mornings because of it.

Martin and I had an interesting conversation at dinner tonight. He said, "Have you ever noticed how time seems to go really slowly when you're with Dylan? Like you're playing with him and think you have been doing it for at least an hour, and you look up and see that only 15 minutes have passed?" Finally, he realises why I nearly went crazy for the first 4 months of Dylan's life. I spent every day alone with him for at least 9-10 hours, and it felt like 3 times longer than that! Better late than never with the understanding, and just in time for the birth of the new baby!

We had a really beautiful day today--absolutely perfect English spring weather. The sun was shining, there were a few fluffy white clouds in the sky, birds were singing, and the daffodils are about to bloom. We went for two walks today, all three of us, to collect Kleeneze brochures, so we all got plenty of fresh air. A few more days like this and I will start hanging my clothes on the washing line to dry instead of using the tumble dryer. It'll also be time to get the vegetables and flowers planted in the back garden.

Tonight we are watching Heroes and organizing the book shelf in the living room. I know it doesn't sound like a terribly exciting night, but I'm looking forward to it all the same. It's one more project that can get ticked off the list, and time spent with my wonderful husband watching a TV program that we both really enjoy. Plus, I think we are going to sell some of our books on Amazon. We have loads of them, and some of them we will never read again. I have a friend who's boyfriend made around £250 at Christmas time just by selling off his unwanted books, and the extra cash would be quite nice right now.

Anyway, Martin has returned with baking sheets. Did I mention that I am baking tiny Snickerdoodles for the Place to serve with their coffees at £3 per batch? Not much of a profit, as they are kind of labor intensive, but Martin and I cook up the leftover batter for ourselves so we have fresh cookies every two weeks which is nice. And the house smells yummy afterwards. So yeah, he's back now and I need to get cracking with the bookshelves so I can roll out and dip cookies during Heroes.

I have such a boring life. What does it say about me that I love it so much?

Nesting--not a myth after all...

I've never believed that the "nesting" instinct of pregnant women really exists. I certainly never felt the uncontrollable urge to clean while I was pregnant with Dylan. When I had a free Saturday I would spend it resting or shopping or just watching telly and putting my feet up.

Christine has Dylan this morning. He spent the night there because Martin and I went out in Rotherham for Jen's birthday (posting pictures on Facebook soon). I woke up at about 7:30 this morning, and started cleaning when Martin went to work. I was just going to do the bathrooms and wash my front outside window, but I literally could NOT stop cleaning once I started. I did the kitchen from top to bottom, cleaned both bathrooms, did some laundry, folded clothes, tidied Dylan's room, vacuumed the stairs and all carpeted areas upstairs and down. I swept out my entrance way, vacuumed the sofa cushions, cleaned out the filters, and finally stopped because I can barely move. I want to do more, but know that I need to rest if I'm going to be able to take care of Dylan when Christine brings him home shortly.

I knew the whole time I was probably overdoing it, but I just wanted to keep going. I know I won't have a chance for a while once the baby is born, and I want everything as clean as possible before then. Plus, I keep thinking that if I stay really physically active it will bring on labor.

Tonight when Martin gets home I will have him help me work on our bedroom and organize underneath the stairs (that's a BIG job--it's our junk catcher).

So yeah, it appears that nesting isn't a myth--the phenomenon really exists, and it's hard to resist the urge once it hits!

Fun at Baysgarth Park...

Dylan loves going down the slide!



I just loved this goofy looking face he pulled. I think Dylan's going to end up with his daddy's cheekbones!



Snowdrops are my favorite. They mean that winter is on it's way out and spring will be here soon. The crocus peaks out next, and then the daffodils. Spring in England is the best!



The snowdrops usually grow in clumps like this one, and it is beautiful when there are large drifts of them. They usually grow in the sheltered areas underneath large old trees, and it's like a blanket of white in old, established parks, stately homes, and church yards. Gorgeous!

Nursery progress...

First we had to take out the old kitchen units...



Then Martin knocked down the stud wall...



Then came the really fun job of stripping the old wallpaper and re-plastering the whole thing. Martin also built the closet during this stage, and we painted when it was finished...



The carpet was the fastest job of all. The underlay was down in a matter of minutes...



Now the carpet is down and we have started moving furniture back in and decorating the room. We've made some more progress since this picture was taken, but the camera battery died and I had to charge it up before I could take any more. I'll take some photos when we're all moved back in.

The nesting instinct is kicking in now that I am able to put things away. My favorite part of the room, other than it not being dirty and dusty, is definitely the built in closet. All of Dylan and Newbie's clothes have been put away. Even though there are no doors yet, it is so nice to not have to deal with a free standing wardrobe or chest of drawers. Built in is definitely the way to go!!!

We are getting our bedroom cleaned up now as well, since we are all moved back into our own rooms. I'm starting to feel much more prepared to bring a new baby home!

37 weeks...

My belly has dropped a couple of inches. I know it doesn't look like much, but it means that a lot of things are easier to do now--expecially holding Dylan as I can perch him on top of my belly instead of holding him on it! Unfortunately, that's also why I'm not sleeping well any more. Darn baby's head in my pelvis pushing it apart!

Communicating...

I can hardly believe how much Dylan is talking now!

Seriously, when we were in Utah for Christmas, he had a handle on his animal noises and was just starting to say "car," "truck," and "uh-oh!" I could hardly wait for him to be able to tell me when he wanted something and how he was feeling.

Now he is like a little parrot. He tries to repeat everything we say, and he understands a lot of it as well. I am able to give him simple instructions and he knows what I am saying. If I tell him to "take this to daddy in the kitchen," off he toddles into the kitchen. He doesn't always relinquish said item to daddy, but he knows that he's supposed to go in the kitchen and go to dad.

When we go out for walks, Dylan loves to use his words that he knows. He points to cars and houses and cats and dogs, excited that he knows what they are. We stop to look at flowers, and we point out people wearing hats. Sometimes he knows words that I didn't teach him-like when he all of a sudden knew what a "teddy" was a few days ago. It also seems like he has more interest in things when he knows what they're called. He's playing with all his stuffed animals now that they are teddies and not just toys!

Currently we're working on colors and also names. He's just starting to grasp that I'm mama, Martin is daddy, and he is Dylan. Sometimes he calls us both daddy, and sometimes he refers to all men as daddy. But he's getting it.

Dylan's mental development is even more amazing to observe than his physical development (though that is amazing as well). He watches everything. He copies everything, too. As observed when he learned to spit from Martin a few weeks ago. He is learning to describe the world around him, and he is learning how he fits in to it. I could sometimes sit and just watch him or talk to him all day.

Martin finished his safety passport course yesterday, and he said they watched a great video to teach them about lifting techniques. It was a bunch of toddlers running around and picking things up off the floor. They played it in slow motion and described the lifting techniques used. It seems that small children automatically do it "right." They stop, plant their feet, and squat to pick things up. Their back muscles haven't developed to the point that they can bend at the waist, and their center of gravity is better that way. I remember my choir teacher in high school, Mrs. Wallace, telling us that small children breathe correctly as well. It seems like we start out doing so many things right, and have to actually learn how to do them the "wrong" way from the people around us.

What a huge responsibility, to make sure my babies do things "right." I certainly don't feel up to the task most of the time. But I love trying to do it all the same, and I love staying home with my son so that I know exactly what he's learning during this period in his development. It's such a blessing and a privilege to be a stay at home mom.

Plus, my heart melts every time Dylan calls me mama and gives me a big hug and kiss. Motherhood doesn't come naturally to me, but I love it all the same.

Blog overkill...

I do realize that I have been posting nearly every day. But I know that I won't be posting much when the new baby gets here--at least not while we're settling in. Also, I seem to be pretty much glued to the sofa all day at the minute. I'm hugely pregnant and tired all the time. So I hope you all don't get too bored with me!

My midwife appointment went well yesterday. The birth plan is done, and it is pretty basic. The only thing I was worried about is that they would give me grief over my epidural. Last time it was like they got a bonus if you used gas and air for pain relief, and they pushed it like crazy. This time around, I told them I wanted to go straight to an epidural as gas and air made me sick and I spent most of my labor vomiting and I don't want diamorphine as it crosses the placenta to the baby. The midwife wrote it down, no questions asked. I guess they figure I know more about what works for me this time as it's not my first rodeo, so to speak.

The baby has dropped--big time! My belly is much lower down than it was last week, and bizarrely enough feels softer as well. In some ways I am more comfortable now. In others, not so much. The pelvic pain is really intense most nights and I am STILL not sleeping. My body wants to sleep little and often, probably in preparation for a newborn. Unfortunately, my lifestyle doesn't permit that. Good thing Dylan is the best toddler in the world. He's currently sitting next to me on the sofa and watching cartoons--happy as Larry.

Last night I sorted through some old paperwork that had been piling up and hemmed some curtains (been having strange bursts of energy). Martin called all of the people who are sending us medical bills to let them know we're involved in a dispute with our travel insurance and asked them to freeze our accounts. Everyone was good about it except for ONE, and they weren't nasty. They just said that they were unable to freeze our account. So that's a huge weight off our shoulders. The bank are claiming they didn't do anything wrong, so we are taking our dispute to the next level. I'll keep everyone posted.

I was watching Dylan playing this morning and thinking about when he was smaller. His back was to me, and I remembered the way his neck fascinated me--especially when he started holding it up more on his own. The way his skull connects to his spine is so beautifully elegant, and I used to just look at that one little part of him and think how amazing he was. I still feel that way, too. Every once in a while I'm still taken aback that he is my son-that his body was made inside mine. He is so perfect and beautiful, and I am so proud that I carried him and nurtured him for nine months and helped him be the way he is. And I am thrilled that I am doing it again!

Of course, the hard part is making sure the inside matches the outside now. I want him to be as beautiful as he looks!

And I have major anxiety that Newbie won't be as good looking. Could I love an ugly baby?

Progress...

Dylan loves climbing on top of the furniture almost as much as he likes crawling under it. I couldn't resist taking this picture--he has the cutest little bottom in the whole world!



I often look at pictures of myself and think that I need to wear more makeup. Or, in this case, that I need to wear makeup period. But I have so few pictures of me with Dylan that I wanted to post it anyway!



This is how the kids' room looked when we put Dylan to bed last night. The walls had been primed earlier (thanks Martin)and it was a BIG mess.



This is how the room looked when we went to bed. It is so beautiful in there I almost don't want to move Dylan back in.

Good news...

It's been a pretty rough day all 'round, but I'm not going to complain. Instead, I'll share some good news.

Up until Wednesday, Martin and I had no idea what we were going to call Newbie if he/she is a girl. As we sat in the cinema together reading the credits after our movie (that's how we picked Dylan's name, for those of you that didn't know), I told Martin I was really worried about it. 4 weeks away from my due date and we didn't have a name for a girl baby? What would we call her? In England you don't register the birth at the hospital. You have like 45 days to do it, but I didn't relish the prospect of calling our daughter "hey you."

So the film credits worked their magic again, and now we have first names for both sexes. It was really hard to decide this time. Martin and I just couldn't agree. I'm not posting the names in case someone doesn't like them and I feel compelled to change it again. But they're not strange ones. Probably a few people know already, but the rest of you will have to wait until the big day.

I will say this about my day--It has involved changing Dylan's sheets on his crib twice and there has been a significant lack of NAP! But Martin will be home soon and we are going to do some more painting in the kids' room, so it should improve soon. I really wish Martin didn't work 6 days a week. It would be lovely to have normal weekends like the rest of the civilized world.

By the way, my plastered walls look AMAZING with a coat of primer on them. I can hardly wait to see the finished product and get pictures posted. As I watched Martin painting last night, I was so proud of myself and all the hard work I put in on those walls. There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of a job well done!

It's started now...

Not my labor, unfortunately. The pain is back!

I do feel grateful that it only just started this week. I was in agony for the last 8 weeks of my pregnancy with Dylan, and I have a miximum of 5 weeks to go with Newbie. My pelvis has started to seperate though, and sleeping is so painful! The pain I can deal with, but the sleeplessness that it causes is another story. I have always valued my sleep, and can handle just about anything as long as I am well rested. But for the last two nights I have only been able to catch about 5 hours as I am waking up every 90 minutes or so.

Mom has always told me that you forget the pain of labor and birth. I haven't forgotten that--it's as vivid as if it happened yesterday (of course, it was only 18 months ago so maybe it takes more time than that). What I HAD forgotten was how miserable pregnancy can be. My one hope is that this baby will be a little bit early, or even on time.

We had a visitor yesterday--a new friend from church named Noelle. She is a fellow North American, though she's from the east coast of Canada. She went to BYU though, so she sounds pretty Utah if you know what I mean. The Canadian slips out every once in a while, and she is much more British in her speech than I am. She's not married and has no kids, but she has fun hanging out with Dylan. We took him to the park and she stayed for dinner. It's nice to hang out with girl friends, and also nice to talk to grown ups during the day.

I have been absolutely foul to Martin this week, and I feel so bad about it. I am having raging pregnancy mood swings and the pain and lack of sleep are not helping. He is so great, and all I can do is snap at him. Last night he worked on the nursery and got it all ready to paint. Plus I had a craving for rocky road icecream (hard to get here) so he went to Tesco and bought chocolate icecream and marshmallows and MADE me rocky road icecream. You'd think I could at least be nice to him after that, but NO! I've never been nasty to him whilst pregnant before. Poor guy!

We will be doing the undercoat in the nursery tonight. I'm pretty excited about that. Maybe if I do some painting it will make me tired enough to sleep a little bit more. Once the nursery is painted and the carpet is down, we just have the stairwells to re-do and a coat of paint to throw up in a few rooms and the house is ready to put on the market. Then we can sell it and move home. Hooray!

Oh, and GOOD news in the UK housing market. House prices increased by 1.9% in January--it's the first time they haven't fallen in 10 months. If this trend continues, maybe we will be able to make a decent profit on our house. The more we can make on our house sale, the better off we'll be when we come back to Utah!

It's only fair...

I wasn't going to post this video, but Emma posted one on her blog of me and Helen (also heavily pregnant) dancing to that stupid Wii game. I figured it was only fair, seeing as how she knows how much I loathe and detest my pregnant body anyway and that I think pregnant women look ridiculous dancing! At least these two are nice and trim and aren't shaking the bulk of lady + baby. NOT nice, Emma, but I still love you.

36 weeks...

Getting big now! But I'm still smaller than I was with Dylan (I think). I'm certainly not feeling as big and uncomfortable as I was last time. All the same, looking forward to getting this one out soon.

36 weeks and counting...

I can hardly believe it--I am 36 weeks pregnant today. My due date is a scant 4 weeks away, and I am full term in just 7 days time. I am terrified all of a sudden (though still anxious for this pregnancy to end)!

I have my hospital bag more or less packed. I just need to throw in some toiletries that I'm still using on a daily basis, so I can't finish until it's actually time to go. The baby clothes are all washed and folded up in the new closet that Martin built. I need to dig out the baby bath, but that won't need doing until a little bit later. The moses basket is all made up and lovely. Obviously, I don't have to worry about formula and bottles. I have newborn diapers and all the other disposable products I will need. Physically, I'm all ready for baby #2. Emotionally, well, that's another story.

The prospect of a demanding and sleepless newborn is daunting right now, when I barely have the energy to chase after Dylan. He's lovely, but some days are a lot of hard work. He's happy in front of the television, but I hate to have it on too much. We are down to about 1 1/2 hours a day at the minute. He has one show he watches before his bath. He also watches while I fix breakfast and lunch, and while I have my half hour of computer time in the morning. But he still likes to be carried down the stairs (perfectly happy to climb up them) and needs cuddles when he wakes up from his nap. How will I handle that when I am carrying a newborn around and constantly feeding him/her? When Dylan was small I fed him every 2 1/2 hours or so, and he fed for aobut 45 minutes at a time. Logistically, how is this going to work? ESPECIALLY if I have to have another c-section!!!

I am also worried that I won't have enough time to devote to both children. I love that Dylan and I have a special relationship and we have loads of giggles and cuddles. A new baby means I won't be able to devote myself so much to Dylan during the day. Will he be ok with that? And will I ever be able to develop that relationship with Newbie?

I'm sure everything will work out ok. It never ceases to amaze me what people are capable of. I hope I am the kind of person who steps up and gets it done when it needs to be, and I know we are all able to do so much more than we give ourselves credit for. But I'm still nervous!

We had a great evening yesterday. Caitlin Munday hosted a Chinese party. Emma cooked a feast. I contributed my home made Hong Kong style sweet and sour chicken, and the food was great. Then we put Dylan to bed and the kids all played upstairs while the grown-ups played on the Wii downstairs. I got some great video clips of Martin and Lewis doing a dancing game and singing Karaoke. After I have Martin take my 36 week belly pics I will post videos and pictures. We always have a good time at Lewis and Emma's house, even when we don't actually do anything!

Martin and I are going on a hot date tonight. Dylan is going over to Lewis and Emma's house while we go to a movie and cook each other dinner. I am in charge of dessert, and am making an apricot upside down cake with whole roasted hazelnuts. Sounds yummy, doesn't it? It's a new recipe, so we'll see. Oh the joys of having a hubby who works in a restaurant. We haven't spent Valentine's day together for years!

I like to ride my bicycle...

Being Dylan's mom...

As I was picking cottage pie out of my son's ear tonight, it suddenly occurred to me that I have never smiled so much in my life as I have since he was born.

Dylan makes me angry. He tears the house to pieces, plays in the trash, eats cheerios off the floor because he thinks it's fun, and demands my attention for around 12 hours of every day. But for all that, he makes me so happy! He makes me smile or laugh out loud at least 10 times a day, and I love him for that.

Even though Martin and I have hardly seen each other this Valentine's day, it's still been a great one. Dylan has been great and I've enjoyed my day--especially having him to myself this evening. We played in the bath and he showed me how he's starting to learn his colors. We sang the bicycle song together. We read stories and snuggled. I sang him a lullaby and got all the bed time kisses to myself.

I loved being a mother today!

Belly pics--35 weeks...

Bizarrely enough, my belly looked square that day. This kid is growing by leaps and bounds now, and I'm really feeling it. But still, only a month to go. And I could actually go in 11 days. Scary!!!

Dylan's latest animal noises...

Trying out the videos from the new camera--I hope this works OK because I really love this video. Dylan loves to perform and entertain, and he especially loves showing off his new skills.

Let it snow...

It's really snowing here. I don't mean the usual dusting of snow that barely covers the ground. I mean about 4 inches in the last 3 hours, and still going! It's a pretty good storm, even by Utah standards, and it's incredibly beautiful.

Today has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster for me. I had my hospital appointment and scan this morning, and everything is good there. The baby is growing beautifully according to the charts and is, in the words of the consultant, "bigger than average, but not bigger than normal." We tried to get a picture of Newbie's face, but he/she wasn't playing ball. My glucose tolerance test came back normal. I don't have gestational diabetes, I just have big babies. That was good news.

It all started going downhill when Dylan and I got home and he refused to take a nap. Instead, he cried for an hour. He was lovely when I got him out of his crib for snuggles, and we did have a really nice cuddle, but I have come to rely on that afternoon nap to get me through the day. So when Martin got home I was already worn out and stressed. Then, as we were about to leave the house to meet Gran and Grandad Gilbert, they called to postpone. They didn't want to make the drive in the snow. I guess I don't really blame them, but I have been looking forward to picking out carpet for a week now and was already emotional because of the lack of sleep.

Martin, being the amazing hubby that he is, made some last minute plans to get us out of the house for the afternoon. So we went to his parents' house for a while (and Dylan finally took a nap) to watch some TV shows that they recorded over Christmas for us. Then we picked up a Chinese takeaway and ate with the Mundays - Lewis (he was at work). Now Dylan is sleeping, and we are doing well. I've cheered up, and I'm going to be plastering the last of the kids' room tonight. Good times.

I've got some good videos to post on here if I can get it figured out. Plus some 35 week belly pictures. It might be tonight, but maybe later this week. It all depends how long it takes me to plaster, so we'll see.

Now I know...

I have realized that the reason Dylan has bad days is to make me appreciate the good days even more!

He's spent the last week being such a difficult child. And now, well, yesterday and today, he's been the best toddler in the whole world. We're been listening to kid's music and he's just been dancing around and looking at books all afternoon. He took a two hour nap and has been really good with his food. He's been cuddly and loving and has been listening to me. Plus, after weeks of working on "please" and "thank you" he is starting to say them. He's starting to have nice manners!

I hope he keeps it up for a little while, because being his mom is such a delight when he's like this!!!

I'm going out to the cinema with the Relief Society this evening, so this day just keeps getting better and better. A good day with Dylan, stuff getting done on the house, and a night out with the ladies. The only way it could be any better is if I wasn't pregnant!!!

Nothing special...

I'm very proud of myself this week. Last week when I started to feel my cold coming on, I increased my dosage of my steroids inhaler. My asthma flared up, but I am now almost completely recovered. I still have a few lingering traces of cold, but am feeling pretty good. Lucky for me, as it turns out, since I have hit that stage in my pregnancy.

All you ladies that have babies will know what I'm talking about. It's the point where things start to hurt and even doing simple daily tasks becomes a huge chore. You have to bend over funny to wash the dishes, hold your breath to shave your legs, and sometimes need help standing up if you've been sitting for a long time. The nervousness about bringing home a new baby is overshadowed by your desperate longing to get the kid out! Being pregnant isn't fun any more!!!

I thought I'd be doing my birth plan at the midwive's this week, but it's in two weeks time. That's pretty exciting. All of my vitals are good, and the baby seems to be thriving still. Good news--it's head down. I was pretty sure it was, since I've been getting tiny toes in my ribs for weeks now. The head isn't engaged, but it's probably big enough now that I don't have to worry about it being breach.

I have another ultrasound on Thursday--it should be my last one, and I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully they aren't so busy this time so I can request a picture of the baby's face. Last time they were so busy that I didn't want to impose.

In Dylan news, the terrible twos are hitting us early and with a vengence. Dylan is still a sweetie, but he is so willful and stubborn and I reach my wits' end with him on a fairly regular basis. He is just so stubborn!!! He is also getting a whole mouthful of teeth at the same time, and that's not helping. He's testing his limits daily, and I feel like all I do is tell him no. So frustrating, but the cuddles at the end of the day make it all worth it. Plus, I know that if we don't stick to our guns now we will end up with a little tyrant. It's critical for us to teach him and be consistent with him right now.

Martin is a super star! He is still only working part time, but has his safety passport course booked and will be (most likely) doing the shutdown work come April. In the mean time, he is cracking away on the closet in the kids' room. He nearly has it ready for me to finish off the plastering. We won't have it painted by the time we pick out the carpet, but we'll have it painted before the carpet is laid. It's going to be done really soon, and I have my lovely husband to thank for it. I don't deserve a husband this good!

So that's the update. Like I said, nothing special!

Belly pics...

Pregnancy seems to be agreeing mith me--at least on the days when I put makeup on! The belly is coming along nicely (and is still ever so slightly smaller than it was last time). My belly button looks like it is going to pop out this time. It never did with Dylan. A few stretch marks, but nothing too terrible. Weekly belly pictures to follow for the rest of the pregnancy, if anyone is interested. Leave comments and let me know!

Dylan and daddy time...

Just some cute pictures of Martin and Dylan. I especially like the bedtime kisses one!

Progress...

The plastering is done--more or less. The kids' room is coming together nicely. We are picking out carpet on Thursday, so we are hoping to have the painting done by then. We will have a finished room and be back in our own room by the time this baby is born. Wahoo!

Mr. Potato Head

Dylan's current favorite--the Mr. Potato Head Family. He is learning all about where stuff goes on your face with the toys as well. Although sometimes he gets confused and sticks the arms on top of the head, he usually gets stuff right.

Dylan in the Hot Dog van...

This little hot dog van is in front of Tesco, the supermarket where we do our shopping. Every week Dylan plays on the hot dog van while I get our shopping trolley and dry off the seat (if necessary) and get it ready to put him in. It's probably the highlight of our shopping trip for him!

Motherhood makes you do some gross things...

Poor Dylan woke up from his nap screaming this afternoon, and because I am intimate with the proper functioning of his bowels, I knew it was probably because he was constipated. He was sobbing and miserable and completely inconsolable. So I brought him downstairs and ran a warm bath for him. Then I put him in it just so he would poo.

So disgusting!!!

The worst part was, after he'd done the business (I knew he would) I scooped out the worst of it, drained the tub, rinsed it clean, and ran him a fresh bath to clean him off. And this I did on purpose.

But it worked, and he's happy as Larry now--just watching CBeebies and dancing whenever a song comes on.

I never in a million years thought I would be doing this. Not exactly one of my life goals, if you know what I mean. If I was the drinking type, I would seriously have one right now to mourn the loss of my self respect and dignity, not to mention hygeine.

Drama, but NOT MINE!

Last night there was a bit of a kerfuffle on the street outside our house. It started at aorund 10 pm, with shouting and thumping noises, and someone shouting that he'd been run over. Martin peeked out the window and watched for a few minutes, then he called the police. They were doing their usual annoying switchboard trick of being more interested in getting the details of the person calling than in the actual problem (sorry Lewis, but it's true) when a couple officers showed up. Apparently they'd already been called.

There are a few boys who live down the street who are bad news. One of them got caught red-handed trying to burglarize the newly opened tattoo shop across the street and the owner pressed charges. The little punk is under aged and (probably) a first time offender, so got his wrist slapped and an ASBO (Google it--fascinating reading material). Bottom line--he's not doing time despite being caught in the act. And he knows who turned him in, so he and his mates have been terrorizing the shop owner. They've had their windows smashed in (house AND car) and apparently there was a big street brawl last week which involved knives and baseball bats and broken bottles.

I still don't know the details of what happened last night, but it involved the feud going on across the street. There was an ambulance parked outside our house for the better part of an hour. Is it sad that my biggest concern was for the well-being of my car? All I could think was, "please don't let my car windows be smashed in." Anyway, I'm hoping to get details from Lewis, our friendly neighborhood PCSO, this evening.

See what I mean? BIG drama.

Dylan is at the Mundays' house today--thank you Emma! I am still under the weather. The cold is nearly gone, but in typical Jamie style the asthma has flared up and I am struggling to breathe. It's not a terrible attack. Just one that leaves me breathless and a little bit miserable. I was so glad she offered to take him, since I had my pre-assessment with the anesthetist at the hospital today and didn't fancy dragging Dylan around with me for that.

The appointment went well. We discussed my options as far as pain relief during labor. The anesthetist assured me that having an epidural would still be ok for me--wouldn't hinder my chances of a successful VBAC at all. In fact, he actually recommended an epidural as it would make it easier if I had to be rushed to theater for another emergency c-section. Big relief for me, as I was worried that I would have to do it all natural and the prospect of a 9+ lb. baby with nopain relief was a little bit daunting. He was also much better than the midwives, who push for gas + air or morphine. He and I discussed how I didn't want gas and air because it makes me violently ill and I didn't want morphine because it crosses the placenta and the baby gets dosed as well. He actually agreed that if you are going for drugs, and epidural is the best option. Maybe he gets paid per procedure, but I don't think so. I think he is just smarter than stupid Ann the midwife (still can't stand that woman). Of course, if my scar tissue tears I will have to go under a general anasthetic for a section so they can do it faster. I've never been under a general before. Exciting, and weird to wake up from a drug induced sleep and have a baby. Hopefully that doesn't happen!

Martin is still doing handyman things at the Place. He's actually spent more time there in the past week than he did when he was working there full time--just at strange times. He fitted the deadbolt on the front door and also replaced a radiator that had been leaking for over a year. Now he's working on the closet in the kids' room. I feel so lazy, sitting here and watching him. I wish I felt good enough to help out, because there is a little bit of plastering that could be done if I felt up to anything more strenuous than sitting and typing or reading. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

I miss my baby! Can't wait to see him tonight when we go over to the Mundays' house. I needed this day to rest (and Emma you'll be pleased to hear that I have not done ANY housework at all), but I miss my little man when I don't see him for hours. He is such a joy to me, and a constant source of entertainment.

Sharing...

Dylan is getting pretty good at sharing stuff. He likes to share his food with other people, and he will occasionally offer his toys to other kids. Today his sharing is less adorable!

We both have pretty bad colds at the minute, and runny noses abound in our house. Dylan has started taking his, um, nasal excretions and wiping them under my nose. Kind of disgusting, even though he thinks he's being a good boy by sharing.

I know I've said it before, but there really is nothing harder than taking care of a sick baby while you are sick. Boy would I love a day off from being a mom right now. I would also love to NOT be pregnant or breastfeeding so I could take any medication I wanted to get feeling better. I have been either pregnant or feeding a baby for over two years now and I really miss my asthma drugs and Aleve.

I am so done with having kids after this one!

Arctic storms blast England!!!

I'm having a little giggle right now. We woke up to a light dusting of snow this morning, and it has been snowing off and on since we woke up. It's been business as usual in our house, except that instead of doing stay-and-play Dylan and I went grocery shopping because we were, quite literally, out of food! I dusted off the car and got on with it.

Just got on-line to check my e-mails, and read a quick news story about how this is the worst snow to hit Britain in years. Stop the presses--it's SNOWED IN LONDON! All bus services have been suspended, as well as some train lines. Schools and businesses are shut all over the City, and both runways, that's right, BOTH runways at Heathrow are closed. Because they got a little snow.

Granted, they don't have the means of snow removal here that we ahve back home. But it dropped 7 inches of snow overnight while we were in Utah, and nobody was even phased. It really was just business as usual there. I've said it before, but I'm gonna say it again. The way the people in this country react to a little snow is laughable. Rain? Hail? Sleet? Fog so thick that you can't see more than 3 feet in front of you? No problem! SNOW!!! Panic ensues!

I was thinking about rain on Saturday. I played the piano for my friend Helen's daughter's baptism, and the Primary children sang "I Like to Look for Rainbows." Some lovely lyrics there. "I want my life to be as clean as Earth right after rain..." But it's not really appropriate for England. In the desert when it rains it washes all the dust off everything and it really is clean and beautiful. When it rains over here, especially in Lincolnshire with all of it's industries, it just covers everything in a black, sticky paste. It's nasty!

Today is Martin's first day as a "partially employed" person. He spent an hour or so working on the closet while Dylan and I did our usual morning things (mostly just to keep ourselves out of Martin's way so he could crack on). Although we desperately need more money than he's going to make, it will be nice to have him here to either watch Dylan while I plaster or paint or to finish things off on the house. Plus, it was really good to have breakfast as a family this morning.

I read a sad statistic today. 41% of all parents in England spend less than 2 hours a day with their children and less than a third have regular meals as a family. I love staying home with my baby boy and can't imagine dropping him off every morning before breakfast and picking him up just in time for dinner, bath, and bed. Why have kids at all if you aren't going to bother raising them?

Anyway, time to go make some lunch. Life still revolves around feeding the family and cleaning up after them, but I'm OK with that today!