21 to 24 weeks

So my sister requested an update!

I need to get better at taking belly pictures because I am sure these do not show my massive belly!!

Its so exciting to see how far along we are from the first pictures I took, I barely remember what my feet look like or how to paint my toe nails. I am looking forward to Stacey coming home over her summer break (she's hoping to do her masters you know) but it means she should be here when our baby arrives which makes me very excited.

Anyway here is THE belly.....
                                           21 weeks                             22 weeks

  

           
                                          23 weeks                             24 weeks

  

I think my bump is still relatively small really. But this is my first so I am hoping this is just the way things go. Especially when I compare my belly with my friend - who is on her third baby, our bellies are almost the same!

We listened to the baby heartbeat again today and the rate still comes out around 138-142. Old wives say that above 140 is a girl and below a boy. Very typical that we don't know the gender and this gives us no indication!!

Any ideas?

Making the journey home

Yep, in all my pregnant swollen leg glory.....

We had such a lovely weekend away in Bude, we went with some friends but mainly just wanted to relax and enjoy being a couple for a little bit longer!

My swollen ankles and dodgey hips made the weekend a little bit more slow paced because I am just struggling to get day to day things done. I am hoping that once the heat disappears so will some of the swelling. Any suggestions to ease the swelling would be gratefully received!! 

Relaxing weekend

Good Morning visitors

After some shopping I rested my hips with a lovely cuppa :)

We headed back to camp and I had to sit with my legs up because my ankles are lovely and swollen....

Once the boys got back from the beach - too much of a walk for me and my current abilities, we had a barbeque

Granola Bars

These granola bars are going to be made Thursday evening and hopefully they will be really tasty and help with my digestion. I am going to tweak it slightly because I don't have all the ingredients.

I am also hoping to make a dress before the weekend too, just to give me something to waft around in in in this heat we are suddenly experiencing.

Today I handed in my assignment, so I am officially done with my degree. No more essays or assignments for me. Which is a weird feeling. 3 months to enjoy my final stages of pregnancy and 3 months to get used to not doing any college work! Seems strange at this moment, but I am sure it wont be as big of an adjustment as this baby. I will be sharing a few nursery pieces that I have planned soon - gender neutral as we chose not to find out the sex of our baby.

Assignment done

Wooohoo! I am so relieved to say that my final piece of uni work has been completed. It's taken a good few months but I am almost free! I always go through my essays with my mum for grammar etc but also perspective.

On an alternative more painful note, my hips are playing up again. I am hoping to see the physio soon to get things sorted and taking it easy whenever possible but boy it's no fun!
The majority of people I have asked so far think I am carrying a boy. Which is good news for us because we are happy either way.

Lazy day

Well today we have run out of steam! I think Andy has a little bit of sun stroke because he has been really lethargic and sicky all day.

I have kept myself busy with little craft projects whilst we watch back episodes of Ghost Whisperer, my poorly mister hasn't eaten anything proper today but I have the serious munchies!

Madness

I am planning a heart garland with this little uns, hopefully I will make some bigger ones too and then have them decorate the room.

The end is in sight

Mister and I are using today as a finishing off day.
He is working on finishing the digging for our sleeper wall, quite the landscape gardeners I'll have you know!

I got up early and managed to do another few thousand words for my final assignment and will be going back to it shortly but I thought I would take an hour to enjoy the sunshine we have been blessed with today. So I am going to try and finish the crochet blanket I have been working on :) 

Experimenting

Bare with me I have a new phone and I am trying to grasp this whole syncing everything thing!!

End of another week

We have been busy little bees again this week, nothing for the baby! Just socializing and catching up on some sleep - I really feel like this last week has been a drag. A quick but draggy week.

Andy and I cooked for some friends on Monday and I have been maintaining the house ever since then, when its this tidy I love our house even more. The space and relaxed atmosphere just makes me feel lovely.

I have put aside Saturday morning for my assignment writing because I have 3 weeks left and it would be really nice to get it to the proof stage so that I don't have any more 'big' commitments to fulfill before the baby arrives.

We have also been planning a trip with friends from above which is very exciting, we are just trying to find a weekend that fits with all of us. In fact probably over the next few weeks you will see some tutorials appearing as we need some bits and pieces for the trip that I will be making from stash of fabric :)

Other than that we had a lovely roast dinner with my mum and step-dad yesterday - I hadn't had a roast in ages so it was extra lovely. Plus I didn't have to cook so it was a good all rounder!!

Andy is hoping to get in the garden tomorrow to try and build our sleeper wall that he has been working on for the last year of weekends (thats probably just what it feels like) and I am determined to get somewhere with the assignment. So another eventful weekend for us ..... :D

I will also get my last 2 weeks bump pictures up soon. I am 22 weeks and 4 days today. September is getting ever closer!

Beautiful words from my husband

Well pregnancy has been nicknamed whaley by me, I feel like a whale. I look like a whale in this.

Andy has always been supportive and very complimentary about our growing child belly and this morning he said the loveliest thing... but you look disky its not a muffin top because it has a shape, you just cant see it because its you.

I just wanted to remember that conversation forever because he made me feel a lot better about it :)

Today I feel grateful

This morning I was in the best of moods, enjoying my pregnancy and happy with how our little life is speeding along at the moment.

Then just after lunch I had a rather rude conversation with someone I wasn't expecting to be rude and I wanted to cry. Since then, all I want to do is cry.

The issue wasn't really an issue and easily rectified but his attitude towards me like I had intentionally wronged him made me feel very upset. So the rest of my day was ruined, my smile a frown and I just want to be in bed.

I am annoyed that I let that one person take away my mood like that because I was genuinely feeling in control of things, achieving and progressing with things that need doing before this baby arrives.
Now I feel as though I need to pause time for everyone else so that I can have a few hours catch up for myself.
Which seems totally selfish considering I was still very productive through the course of the day and evening really, which then makes me annoyed I am annoyed!!!!!

However, I do feel grateful to Andy and the life we currently have. I feel grateful for being able to carry our child and grateful I get to finish my degree. Grateful of the home we have made to bring our child home to, grateful for the support of my family. I really just need to remind myself of my priorities because everything else at the moment is insignificant.

On my pregnancy though, things seem to be going well. I am struggling to find tops that cover me up but I have the band I made in early pregnancy to hide my undone jeans that I will start living in I think - just to make me feel more protected in a weird way.
I am still picking up bits as I visit supermarkets etc so I don't feel stressed about having to buy anything right now. Lovely feeling to be in control of something!

This baby is a wriggler, I am quite sad we don't have anymore scans now but I feel like I want my count down to begin because I just so want to meet our child.
I was thinking this morning, I have to be honest, that the scariest thing I have ever done out of getting married young, degree, choices I have made and even this baby is the mortgage!
I think like everything, a baby, a life together is what you make of it and still I am more afraid of not being able to pay our mortgage than having a baby. I guess in my nieve state I feel I have some control of everything else.

I have said it before but I feel like I am in the right place at the moment, like I am doing everything I am supposed to be doing.