23.7.07

Still no baby and just over a week to go. 

The brain cells left me this morning, I think they went for a float above the clouds for a while. On my way home from the garage this morning I decided I'd pop into the shops to pick up a couple of bits. I've got one of these permits that allows me to park in any council car park, and they give you a little cardboard clock to show the time you arrived. Anyway, I swung the car into the car park and noticed I'd driven over a marked parking bay. Brilliant, I thought, and reversed into it. Picked up the purse and the overstuffed handbag, got out of the car, locked the door and walked away not thinking of anything at all. Got to the checkout at Woolworths where I was greeted by the strangest checkout operator who crossed her fingers in the shape of the cross, as though I were the anti-christ. Nice. Then she starts to make polite conversation about the weather and commenting on what I've bought and asking me questions about the baby. Non-plussed I responded politely but was still a bit stunned by the sign of the crossed so I let my mind wonder off whilst talking to her - the cardboard clock, damn, I hadn't changed the time on it, and knowing what the traffic wardens are like here at this time of year I decided I'd go straight back and get it changed. 

I got into the car park and saw the warden looking at other cars. Making my way to the car I spotted the yellow and black plastic attached to the window and my heart sank. Well, he could be reasonable and have pity on me, I thought, so I took it off the screen and shouted "EXCUSE ME" and started waddling towards him looking pathetic and feather-brained. "I'm so sorry, I forgot to change the time on the clock" I said to him, holding out the ticket in front of me. "I didn't give you the ticket for the clock" he said "You've parked in a disabled bay". What? I whizzed around and saw he was quite right, there on the concrete beneath the bumper was written DISABLED. "That's an automatic ticket if you fail to display a disabled badge" he said and then almost vanished amidst a sea of waiting cars. 

Oh well, I'm £30 lighter in the pocket now but have learnt a valuable lesson. 

And the car did said through it's MOT test this morning, so I guess I can't grumble. 

Please let it be born today!!!!!

21.7.07

38 and 1/2 weeks pregnant with angel number 2. When will it arrive? I can't get it out of my mind for what feels like more than 2 minutes, although I know I gave some serious consideration earlier to sausage and buttered mash with carrots, green beans and onions drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a heffer with this one - not like my first, whereupon I felt like a beached whale. No, this is a compact bump and I'm still active, the summer has been kind to me unlike 2 years ago where my feet blended into my legs and my ankles virtually disappeared for 2 months. My hopes are that angel number 2 is blessed with a similar nature to that of my first, sweet Jeffy. Jeff has been to 2 scans to see the new baby, he rubs my tummy and says "baby" but also does the same to Daddy which I'm sure offends poor Daddy.

3 days ago I was convinced I was going into labour. I had the aches, the tightenings and the loss of sense of humour, the painful cramps - everything that spelled out labour to me. False alarm though, how disappointing. I even alerted the next door neighbours in case I needed a lift to the hospital in the early hours, I was that convinced. Next morning I woke up and still had the pains, now they've completely gone. I really don't want to be induced again, I've tried everything; sex, pineapple, blazing hot curry, bumpy road, hoki (I think it's called hoki - when you press down on the pressure point under the bone of your index finger along the webbing between thumb and index finger), meditation - what else is there? Mum said some words of comfort which were that maybe I am trying too hard. Midwives tell you that the baby will arrive when it is ready.

Sat on the beach 2 days ago I had the realisation that everyone I saw had mums who all went through similar experiences- some of them would have been early, some late, some by cesarian, I'm sure some didn't make it to the hospital in time, but all of these people I saw before me were all here, all enjoying themselves in the warm weather. It made me realise that everything is going to be alright. I wish I could think of that all the time, but my mind is racing with so many thoughts that I find it difficult to calm myself into a rational state. What is rational, anyway?

For now, making dinner will keep me occupied. I've also got to carve up that watermelon Dad gave me 3 days ago........